#and like i always have to cite every piece of information i provide so its sooo much backtracking to figure out where we learned stuff

[thebeastofblackmoor]

🚨🚨 THE ONLY THING I HAVE LEFT TO DO IN MY FINALS IS WRITE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FROM BULLET POINTS INTO FULL SENTENCES AND PROOFREAD 🚨🚨 so you know tonight im playing WAC to get into winter break mode

#wac #finals this semester SUCKED they were all super intense essay questions #and like i always have to cite every piece of information i provide so its sooo much backtracking to figure out where we learned stuff #SUCH a pain #but almost done!!

[growingstronglikeahighgardenrose]

Anti-blackness in 19th century England, why Queen Charlotte wasn’t black, and why it doesn’t matter in Bridgerton

I’d like to start by saying Bridgerton is a very amusing piece of absolute fiction. From the dresses to the music to the fanfic tropes it uses and the books it’s based on. It doesn’t even start to pretend it’s realistic. And being a piece of modern historical fantasy made by a woman born in this age, it is alright for the showrunners to give it a modern vibe. If you want, you can trace the lineage of every duke of Hastings there has ever been and know exactly who they were and what they looked like. Everyone knows there was never a black duke of Hastings, meaning there is no harm nor a deliberate attempt at “changing history” by the showrunners. They’re not pretending they’re portraying real events and real people of 1813. Therefore I accept that in this “alternative reality regency” it is fine for people of all ranks, including Queen Charlotte, to be black. I loved Golda Rosheuvel’s portrayal, I loved her looks, her acting and I tolerate her half-ishly accurate outdated wardrobe (for those interested in fashion history: look up “regency era court gowns”, old styles were worn but Charlotte would wear normal dresses day-to-day). I’m thrilled to watch her in the second season as well.

However,  I will screech if I see people claiming Charlotte was black in real life. There were black people in Europe during all periods of history. They could be very influential and wealthy, and yes, they could even be nobility in some rare cases. There is a growing field of research tracing the steps of black people in Europe throughout time, revealing the often overlooked presence of black people. However, Queen Charlotte isn’t one of them. And I say this because claiming her to be black, would mean the British Monarchy, way ahead of its time, was accepting of black people. it would also mean the British people, who were more than a bit racist, generally accepted a (partially) black woman. Rather than Charlotte being black leading to her being described as black, I believe the confusion about her being black stems from people back in the day using racially ambiguous terms to make clear Charlotte looked ugly (because in a racist colonial world the best way to insult someone is by saying they look like a slave).

Being a historian, I do believe I have to give evidence for my claim. I’ll be using her ancestry, written descriptions and paintings. However, buckle up because you’ll be getting a lot of side information on other POC in art and literature. So if you’re interested in learning a bit about the relationship between the concepts of race and beauty in the 18th and 19th century, here we go. (note: if I use any offensive terms without direct citing someone, do let me know I will change them as soon as possible)

1.    When did these rumours start

During the Regency Era, when the world was still a very colonial one, Queen Charlotte was described by some as having a big nose, full lips and an ambiguous complexion. However, her race was never debated, until academic discussions picked up around the 1940s.

2.    Queen Charlotte’s family tree.

The Portuguese royal family definitely has Moorish blood in it. No one can contest that. Muslims and Europeans lived together on the Iberian Peninsula for 800 years. The question is whether that means that royals with a Portuguese ancestor can be called “people of colour”, and how far down the line people can still claim to be people of colour. Almost all royal households of Europe married into the Portuguese royal family at some point, yet of few royals it is said that because of that heritage, they are people of colour. That argument is only made for Queen Charlotte (imo that probably has a lot to do with the fact that the world is dominated by the Anglosaxon countries and that because of their worldwide tentacles and their language being the most universally spoken, the British Royal Family receives the most interest from everyone all over the world. Other royal families don’t get as much attention).

Note that I used the word people of colour, that is because the root of Charlotte’s supposed African heritage is not necessarily black. Let’s take a look at her family tree.

According to historian Mario de Valdes y Cocom — who dug into the queen’s lineage for a 1996 Frontline documentary on PBS — Queen Charlotte could trace her lineage back to black members of the Portuguese royal family. Charlotte was related to Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a 15th-century Portuguese noblewoman nine (!) generations removed.

Margarita de Castro e Souza herself descended from King Alfonso III of Portugal and his concubine, Madragana, a Moor that Alfonso III took as his lover after conquering the town of Faro in southern Portugal.

This would make Queen Charlotte a whopping 15 generations removed from her closest black ancestor — if Madragana was even black, which historians don’t know. That’s a lot of generations back. de Valdes y Cocom argues that, due to centuries-long inbreeding, he could trace six lines between Queen Charlotte and Sousa, which would mean Madragana’s genes were a bit more influential, but still 15 generations ago. That’s her grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grandmother.

So, let’s pretend it is true and her ancestor was black, let me be very rude. An ancestor that appears once in a person's genealogy, fifteen generations removed, represents a 215-th fraction of its descendant's ancestry. Queen Charlotte’s black ancestry would be less than 1%. In fact it'd be 0.007% (rounded up) of Charlotte's ancestry, and that's IF Madragana could be proved to be Moorish. And if Moorish was only used to describe a black person. However, the use of “blackamoor” “moorish” and “mozaraab” are not an alternative word for black. Indeed, there is no definitive skin colour attached to these descriptors.

It is generally accepted that Spanish Moors were the Muslim Amazigh (formerly known as Berber) inhabitants of the Maghreb, a stretch of land in north-Africa including parts of the Sahara, but not Egypt. During the Middle Ages, they occupied the Iberian Peninsula and other parts of southern Europe, before being finally driven out in the 15th century. The greatest period of unity was probably during the period of the kingdom of Numidia. Over the centuries, the word came to acquire a plethora of other meanings, some of them derogatory. Importantly, it cannot be ascribed a single ethnicity. Moors are not always black, this is false. They remaining people in Africa can be anywhere from Arab, to black people. But I’m not delving into north-african migration patterns and population changes. In Europe, the moors could thus be Arab, black and often mixed ethnicity, the natural result of coexisting and intermarrying with white Europeans for centuries.

http://acaciatreebooks.com/blog/royalty-race-and-the-curious-case-of-queen-charlotte/

  3. Gender, Race and beauty standards

The world of the 19th century was riddled with Anti-blackness. Part of this continued from the medieval belief that white was good, and dark was bad (see white knight, fair lady, black knight, dark magic notions that still persist today). It also does not help that during the Regency Era, Greek and Roman antiquity were very trendy. Although the old roman empire was a culturally and ethnically diverse society, regency people focussed on fashion, hairstyles and looks from the classical art period of Greece. People aspired to look like the statues: elegant, slim and dainty and wanted “noble” features (straight slim nose, even face, cheekbones, etc). That’s why in the regency era people were complimented for having “alabaster skin” or a “Grecian profile” and so on.  These medieval notions of fairness and the grecian beauty ideal, were juxtaposed against the medieval notions of darkness combined with deeply colonial conceptions of womanhood and race. In a world in which white people controlled other ethnicities, race soon became a weapon, a tool to be used against someone. Just like… gender. And yes, you’ll soon see how these two go hand in hand.

Throughout the nineteenth century the domestic world and the public sphere became more and more separate, with women being given less space to move and work. All women had to be dainty housewives: refined, sensitive and docile, clever but not too well read. Of course, this was an unattainable standard for most women. Only women in the top layer of society were able to lounge around and do nothing all day. Many had to work. Many things of what women were supposed to be: pale, soft hands, were direct signs that they didn’t have to do manual labour (out in the sun, using their hands). Women who could not fit in that small domestic sphere were increasingly (especially later on in the Victorian era) seen as unfeminine and unworthy of husbands. Coarse, manly, unfeminine, unrefined they were often called. Welcome to 19th century “masculinity so fragile”. Just imagining a woman working or reading made men felt threatened. They hated the idea women weren’t just lounging around waiting to please them and provide for them. https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/gender-roles-in-the-19th-century# https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/pit-brow-lasses-women-miners-victorian-britain-pants

Now look at this sketch of a female mine worker, one of many.  Although the argument can be made she’s dark from the dirt, I want to point out that she’s also portrayed as scantily clad, wearing more manly clothes, being broader, wide of face and her hair appearing… quite curly.She’s the opposite of the beauty ideals, the opposite of what society wants a woman to be... and she’s suspiciously black-coded.

Pervasive and passive stereotypes of black people have come into existence since colonialism. Cruel caricatures of black people were omnipresent. Going as far as to ascribe them animal-like features with big mouths, big ears, sloping foreheads and so on. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2712263?seq=4#metadata_info_tab_contents

I could write a million essays on how race and sex have been weaponized in the past. When the “exploration travels” first started, and even much later in art, faraway lands were portrayed as sultry lazy or untamed women, waiting to be conquered and domesticated. Transforming countries into women was done to make them “controllable”. Portraying them as lazy and wild was a way Europeans to give themselves license to colonize them. Just like women at home, these foreign lands needed the guiding hand of cultured civilized men showing them how to do things and ruling them. So either men could control women which was perceived as good, or they couldn’t in which case the woman was looked down upon and hated. I don’t have an exact reference for this one, but it was a very interesting topic in my class on “Global History” at University. But for now this one carries a good part of the load.

https://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/jezebel/

It is then no surprise the female black body became a site of seduction there for the white male’s taking. They literally became their property as slaves, just like a man’s wife was considered his property. White men sexualized black people, particularly black women, a stereotype that perpetuates to this day and age. See the link above for that as well. Black women became temptresses.

White women, of course, didn’t like that. They wanted their men to be theirs. So these 19th century Karens started hating them as well. These wild temptresses were out to catch their men with their “foreign looks”. Meanwhile white men hated the idea of white women being seduced by black men. And this, combined with the resentment for working class women, gave way to a kind of language people used to describe each other. All stereotypes (medieval+ working class women looks+ black looks) were stacked atop each other: dark, tempting, coarse, black, plump, uncivilized, wild, broad-faced, thick of lip… Hair didn’t much come into play in the 18th century since most people of high society wore wigs (which in paintings can look like type 4 hair but cannot be used as an indicator of race) but afterwards “tight coils” was also added to the list of features that weren’t deemed desirable. This physical robustness not only lies in the idea that people who work are “hardened” but by describing them with strong robust adjectives, upper class white people once again fuel the idea that these people were physiologically designed for hard work, like slave labour or mine work instead of life as a wife. See also present day notions common even in doctors how black people and black women don’t feel pain as much. A devastating prejudice that leads to black death, black mothers dying, black people’s health complaints not being taken seriously and so on.

4. Black, racially ambiguous and “foreign” coding in physical descriptions

 So we all know the memes of “Historians say they were friends” and so on. It’s a fun meme, but this carefulness in naming things stems from the fact that A) sources are made by people and people are subjective as fuck B) it is deemed a big faux pas for a historian to look at history through a 21st century lens. The rabbit hole that is historical epistemology boils down to the claim that a thing cannot exist before there is a word for it. You need to be careful that you don’t apply a term to an event, person or society wherein that term didn’t exist, or the meaning of the term was different. We shouldn’t draw conclusions about the past with present day notions. When a person anno 2020 is described as dark, we know they’re probably south-east Asian or black. However, we may not believe that a person being described as dark in the 17th century means this person is black. I shall explain.

Back in a time when black equalled inferior, people found no better way than to ascribe black attributes to people they disliked. It is hard to find out whether these people were actually darkskinned, since portraits were commissioned and painted to the desires of the clients (they could ask to be painted with white skin). We have no photographs of the time period to verify whether people did really look the way people described. With few people able to move around the country by carriage, as this was expensive, most people relied on letters, books and papers to give them accounts of events and people, so if one person claimed a person looked like X, others oftentimes had no choice but to believe the account, as they lived too far away to verify. Thus I shall focus on the world of literature, where there were no real people we can compare descriptions to, to prove that the good guys were portrayed as fair, and bad guys were portrayed as… racially ambiguous without them having to be black, or any other ethnicity.

Fairytales: Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. There’s literally no argument to be made at all. But just take a look at fairytales from the Brothers Grimm. Nine times out of ten, the evil stepsisters and stepmothers are described as dark and ungainly while the heroine is fair. If there are transformations, the evil people get transformed into gross animals like toads, while the heroine is transformed into a fawn, a bird or a swan. I’m being unnuanced here, there are definitely heroines with dark hair (see snow white, but she’s still snow white of skin) and the reasons for ugly-animal-transformations has to do with the character traits that have been ascribed to those animals. These stories circuled orally since the middle ages, and most trace their roots back to even before that time. Though the world was not yet a colonnial one, it is a sign that darker looks were already linked to bad people. These notions of darkness have been absorbed into the notions about black people during colonialism. People already lived with  concepts of fairness for good people and darkness for bad people in their heads, it became easy to continue these concepts when faced with black people.

Jane Eyre: Jane is described as green eyed (a very rare colour, most prevalent in white people), fairy-like, skinny and pale. Although Brönte tells us she is ugly (she indeed doesn’t confirm to beauty ideals at the time) she appeals to Mr. Rochester and fits more into the stereotype of beauty than her romantic rival: Berta Mason Rochester. Bertha’s laugh is “hysterical” and “demonic”, she is dangerous and injures her own brother. “What it was, whether beast or human being, one could not, at first sight, tell: it grovelled, seemingly, on all fours; it snatched and growled like some strange wild animal: but it was covered with clothing, and a quantity of dark, grizzled hair, wild as a mane, hid its head and face.”

Dear reader, Mr. Rochester is described as being tempted into a marriage, to a wild foreign animal-like madwoman with dark grizzled hair and red eyes. Although there is no description of her skin colour (Bertha could very well be any ethnicity) there are clear parallels in the way she is described and the way POC were described. In the context of the 1840s readers would instantly attach this picture to their preconceptions about others with a similar look. Jane doesn’t even need to describe Bertha’s personality, the readers have already decided what she’s like because they understand that the author means dark looks= bad personality. Dark looks= foreign looks. Additionally: Blanche Ingram, Jane’s other rival was described as a fine beauty with a stereotypically beautiful body but had an olive complexion, dark hair and dark eyes. These were desirable traits in England at the time, but the darker beauty of Blanche comes with a bad personality and in the end, she too is rejected in favour of our pale heroine Jane.

Wuthering Heights: Heathcliff has long confused readers. It is most probable, in my opinion, given the context of the time, that Heathcliff was of roma origin as roma were strongly disliked in England at the time, and he fits best in the stereotypes associated with them. It’s also much more probable that an English gentleman would take in an orphaned European child than a black child, especially given he raised him as a son (british people weren’t that kind, they wouldn’t raise a black child as their son). However, the author, still clearly relies on a certain set of dark characteristics to describe him. “I had a peep at a dirty, ragged, black-haired child; big enough both to walk and talk: indeed, its face looked older than Catherine's; yet when it was set on its feet, it only stared round, and repeated over and over again some gibberish that nobody could understand.” “He seemed a sullen, patient child; hardened, perhaps, to ill-treatment: he would stand Hindley's blows without winking or shedding a tear, and my pinches moved him only to draw in a breath and open his eyes.” “You are younger [than Edgar], and yet, I'll be bound, you are taller and twice as broad across the shoulders; you could knock him down in a twinkling; don't you feel that you could?” “Do you mark those two lines between your eyes; and those thick brows, that, instead of rising arched, sink in the middle; and that couple of black fiends, so deeply buried, who never open their windows boldly, but lurk glinting under them, like devil's spies?” “he had by that time lost the benefit of his early education: continual hard work, begun soon and concluded late, had extinguished any curiosity he once possessed in pursuit of knowledge, and any love for books or learning. His childhood's sense of superiority, instilled into him by the favours of old Mr. Earnshaw, was faded away … Then personal appearance sympathised with mental deterioration: he acquired a slouching gait and ignoble look; his naturally reserved disposition was exaggerated into an almost idiotic excess of unsociable moroseness;” “His countenance was much older in expression and decision of feature than Mr. Linton's; it looked intelligent, and retained no marks of former degradation. A half-civilised ferocity lurked yet in the depressed brows and eyes full of black fire, but it was subdued; and his manner was even dignified: quite divested of roughness, though stern for grace.” “He is a dark-skinned gypsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman”

Once again: black eyes, heavy brows, black hair. He is rough, can stand a lot of heavy burdens, seemingly indifferent to pain. He has something devilish and uncivilized about him, and is oftentimes believed dumb. Admittedly, this portrayal is more nuanced, he has a knack for studying and he does look like a gentleman. But the author is clear that it is only superficial and he is still mad within. It thus becomes very clear, already only from literature, that if you want someone to look bad, you make them look manly, workmanlike and ascribe to them black features.

For more examples of racial ambiguity, casual racism and explicit racism in English 19th century books: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/victorian-literature-and-culture/article/casual-racism-in-victorian-literature/1B4B3B0538F8B7C6B58E6D839DCFEC92.

This technique was adapted by EVERYONE. Wanted to make your enemy look bad? Then write a very uncharming picture of them attributing them with stereotypical black features. The most common remarks were: broad noses, big lips, frizzy hair, swarthy and/or dark complexians, coarse looking and unrefined. If you wanted to be really rude you could start comparing people to animals and call them wild and unhinged because “madness” was and is a very common insult. Had an issue with your wife in the 19th century? Lock her up for “hysteria” and “madness”. Got a political opponent in the 2016 presidential elections? Call her mad and hysterical. Got an opponent in the 2020 presidential elections? Challenge his mental capacities. Psychological issues and disorders have often been used to make people look bad and invalidate them. Basically everyone who isn’t reacting in a neurotypical and stereotypical male way (i.e. show no emotions and so on) was classified as “unreasonable”, thus taking away their voice. So many interesting articles and books on this.So we have an intersection between race, womanhood and mental health that are used to control and reject women.

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/chm/outreach/trade_in_lunacy/research/womenandmadness/

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4286909?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

https://www.routledgehistoricalresources.com/feminism/sets/women-madness-and-spiritualism

https://www.amazon.com/Madness-Women-Myth-Experience-Psychology/dp/0415339286

TLDR: In literature bad characters were often described with physical attributes that were seen as ungainly. They were codified with animal-like, manly and mad. They also had black and dark attributes to signal to the reader that they were not the heroes of the story. Bonus: they often met a deathly or bad end. Writers did it, but so did real people when they wanted to accuse a rival (Karl Marx being one such asshole for example, http://hiaw.org/defcon6/works/1862/letters/62_07_30a.html ). This is why we can not always trust written accounts of contemporaries before the age of photography when a person is described with racially ambiguous looks.

5. Descriptions of Queen Charlotte:

 Just like Beethoven, Queen Charlotte’s main claim to blackness boils down to one ancestor at least two centuries before her birth, combined with contemporary descriptions of a certain hair type, wide nose and bad complexion. Descriptions of Charlotte during her lifetime describe a plain and small woman, with a wide and long nose, and lips that were not the rosebud ideal. As the court became accustomed to her, however, more people started complimenting her brown hair, pretty eyes and good teeth. Much of the imagery that has fuelled claims of Charlotte’s possible African ancestry is from the first few years of her time in England. Royal brides have been ripped to pieces by tabloids, and the public also performs a horrible hazing-like ritual(see: Kate Middleton was mocked for being a party girl, lazy and from working class background. Meghan Markle was described as an opportunist husband-snatcher. Diana was a “chubby child”. The ladies also got plenty of critiques on their looks). Once the bride gets through years of being bullied, critiqued for every little part of her being, she then suddenly comes out on the other end after a few years, becoming a darling and an attribute to the royal family. Could it be that royal brides are always, especially in a gossip heavy environment like a court, under deep scrutiny? This foreign princess hobbled off a boat, seasick, unknown by the English… And she didn’t speak a word of the language! Why would the English love her? I am not saying the accounts lie but I am saying beware of the person making the comments. Are they close to the monarch and his wife? Do they like Queen Charlotte? When where these comments made and why? And why did they choose precisely these words that had by now become commonplace to use as descriptors for unpleasant people? If we know people used racially ambiguous terms to describe people they disliked, it isn’t such a stretch to imagine they might insult a new queen with such terms.

Let’s look at what was actually said about her.

 Horace Walpole: “The date of my promise is now arrived, and I fulfill it — fulfill it with great satisfaction, for the Queen is come. In half an hour, one heard of nothing but proclamations of her beauty: everybody was content, everybody pleased.”

Baron Christian Friedrich Stockmar, the royal physician to her grandaughter: “small and crooked, with a true Mulatto face.”

Sir Walter Scott: “ill-colored.”

Colonel Disbrowe (her chamberlain): “I do think that the bloom of her ugliness is going off.”

Queen Charlotte herself in a diary: “The English people did not like me much, because I was not pretty; but the King was fond of driving a phaeton in those days, and once he overturned me in a turnip-field, and that fall broke my nose. I think I was not quite so ugly after dat [sic].”

What we can conclude from these remarks that Charlotte was not very pretty, she even admits to that herself. But what are her actual physical attributes? She has light brown hair (I didn’t include a description of this, but it was generally reported), she had pale eyes (as can be seen in all paintings), was small, and had good teeth.

Above I gave two accounts that reported on her skin tone. Ill-colored could be anything like bad skin, rosacea or perhaps tanned (which also wasn’t deemed becoming for ladies). There was only one person, Baron Christian himself, calling her face what he did. As mentioned above, there can be multiple reasons why anyone would ascribe her those features, she did not have to be a “mulatto” to be described as one.

Most importantly, in a society with slavery, in which black people were looked down upon, I’d say the absence of more people calling her things like: dark, swarthy, black, mixed, brown and any and all things associated with black looks, is more telling than a few accounts mildly referring to her colour.

If Charlotte were truly the first black queen, the first black person in such a powerful position, and one of the few black people in England (less than 30 000 at the time), would there not be more talk? More descriptions of her look? She was seen every day by many people. People would be shocked, enraged, surprised, fascinated and so on. In an era when many people kept diaries in which they wrote down all they witnessed, many people would have given descriptions of her black/brown skin colour. In an era with cartoons and press… Her being noticeably black would have been a very big thing and we would have seen journalists and cartoonists draw her as dark. Cartoonists and diary writers mostly write or draw their honest thoughts. They weren’t censured.

  6. Paintings of Queen Charlotte:

Queen Charlotte’s most striking likenesses, or so it is believed, were painted by Allan Ramsay, a prominent artist and staunch abolitionist. In 1761, Allan Ramsay (1713-1784) was appointed Principal Painter in Ordinary to the King (1761-84). As well as being Principal Painter, his portraits have been singled out by many as depicting Queen Charlotte with distinctly African features. It’s believed this was his way of displaying his abolitionist tendencies. He was an abolitionist, that much is true, and he was also friends with the legal guardian of the very famous black Dido. However why would the royal couple approve blatant African features, knowing those would not be well liked in an English queen? They would not have allowed these images. Clearly, they saw in these images only a likeness to Charlotte, and yes, that could mean she had fuller lips and a wider nose. Anyone can have those features. Personally, I find that a slightly larger nose and larger lips in some paintings are not sufficient proof to call her black. But let’s run over some of the paintings.

Most paintings portray her as a typical light-skinned royal with nothing bad about her complexion. 

In these pictures she does not look black in the slightest, indeed I’d say her eyes and eyebrows look very light even, nor do her nose and lips, so often critiqued, look big, as was claimed.

Here we can see her nose looks a bit wider, and her lips a bit bigger. But is that really a convincing argument? Although certain features are more common to a certain race, they are not monopolized by one. Black people can have light hair and light eyes. It is unlikely, but it is possible. It’s just as possible for white women to have bigger lips, a wider nose, a rounder face and even… though rarely, there are white people who have no black relative they know of, white 4a hair. I’ve met a few of them. What I also want to note is that Queen Charlotte’s natural hair could have been crimped and combed until it stood upright and was stiff with powder, as was the fashion back then. It would give her hair a more frizzy look. In the picture underneath it, you can see her hair in fashionable artificially made curls that wouldn’t work on natural type 3 or 4 hair.

 However as I said before, I’m not fond of using paintings as proof since they were made-by-demand. Painters would starve if they painted their patrons unflatteringly. There are black people, indeed, even black nobles, ex-slaves, diplomatic ambassadors who had themselves painted with a dark skin colour since the Middle Ages. You can even see the distinction between people of darker-skinned sub-Saharans and North African descent in these pictures. And painters certainly knew how to paint black people for centuries (see: "The Image of the Black in Western Art" by Harvard University Press and “Revealing the African presence in Renaissance Europe”). One such example a noble who did have black heritage was Alessandro de Medici who was nicknamed “the Moor”. Moors referred to black Islamic people. His mother was Simonetta da Collevecchio, a servant of African descent. In this case the argument that many Italians are dark of complexion and have dark hair cannot be used to explain his appearance. If other Italians thought he looked like them, they wouldn’t have paid such attention to his looks because they would have deemed it normal. I’m using 3 paintings of him by 3 different artists. The first picture really is ambiguous, it is only by combining all three that we can say that yes, his looks do fit the bill. If we only had the first picture, would we really be confident to claim him? This goes to show that you can’t say someone has a certain ethnicity based on one painting.

This person was comfortable in his own skin but there were probably just as much, if not many more nobles and wealthy families with mixed blood that had themselves painted white when they were not. Who would disagree? Who would even know? Nine chances out of ten barely anyone who wasn’t from the direct neighbourhood didn’t know what they looked like, and never would. Once the POC died, all that would remain would be a very white looking painting, and no one would know the bloodline had become mixed.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/29/tudor-english-black-not-slave-in-sight-miranda-kaufmann-history

 What is, then, a reliable source? An answer, for famous people, is cartoons. Just like we now attach more credibility to a paparazzi picture of Khloe Kardashian than to one of her heavily photoshopped pictures on Instagram, you can trust cartoonists to not try and make people look good. Note: cartoons are always over-exaggerations. Any physical attribute will be enlarged beyond belief for comedic purposes. King George and his wife were often pictured in cartoons. If there was anything very noticeably foreign about Charlotte’s looks, they would portray it. However, what we find is that these cartoons never portray Charlotte as darker than the other people. She wasn’t shown as being black.

Conclusion:

Queen Charlotte cannot be called black on the basis of her portraits, cartoons or bloodline. If ever there was a trace of black blood in her veins, it was so light it had become undetectable and could not have influenced her appearance. Just ask yourself this question: would you call yourself a certain ethnicity, or claim certain roots, based on one ancestor 200 years in your past? If no, then you also shouldn’t say that Charlotte had black roots or was mixed.

The case of Queen Charlotte does, however, reveal the deeply racist British society of the Georgian Era, which deemed all black physical features ugly, and deliberately used all physical traits associated to the black race as an insult. Keep this in mind, as well as rampant anti-Semitism and hatred for Roma people, every time you read a novel from the time period, or read a tasteless description of a real person from the era. People were cruelly treated based on their heritage, and even if their heritage was purely white, they could be ascribed certain racial features, just because people were racist pricks.

While that’s the unfortunate reality of the time period, I do believe we are allowed to enjoy an alternate reality as an escape, where just for once, race isn’t an issue. So continue on, Bridgerton!

Meanwhile, I’ll be here keeping my fingers crossed for the stories of real black people living in Europe, or black kings and queens in Africa, to be told in a movie or series. The entire world has always existed, it makes no sense for all period movies to keep being focussed on white people in England, Rome and the US.

#bridgerton #Queen Charlotte #Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz #british monarchy #racism in history

[arcticdementor]

Imagine that the US was competing in a space race with some third world country, say Zambia, for whatever reason. Americans of course would have orders of magnitude more money to throw at the problem, and the most respected aerospace engineers in the world, with degrees from the best universities and publications in the top journals. Zambia would have none of this. What should our reaction be if, after a decade, Zambia had made more progress?

Obviously, it would call into question the entire field of aerospace engineering. What good were all those Google Scholar pages filled with thousands of citations, all the knowledge gained from our labs and universities, if Western science gets outcompeted by the third world?

For all that has been said about Afghanistan, no one has noticed that this is precisely what just happened to political science. The American-led coalition had countless experts with backgrounds pertaining to every part of the mission on their side: people who had done their dissertations on topics like state building, terrorism, military-civilian relations, and gender in the military. General David Petraeus, who helped sell Obama on the troop surge that made everything in Afghanistan worse, earned a PhD from Princeton and was supposedly an expert in “counterinsurgency theory.” Ashraf Ghani, the just deposed president of the country, has a PhD in anthropology from Columbia and is the co-author of a book literally called Fixing Failed States. This was his territory. It’s as if Wernher von Braun had been given all the resources in the world to run a space program and had been beaten to the moon by an African witch doctor.

…

Phil Tetlock’s work on experts is one of those things that gets a lot of attention, but still manages to be underrated. In his 2005 Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It? How Can We Know?, he found that the forecasting abilities of subject-matter experts were no better than educated laymen when it came to predicting geopolitical events and economic outcomes. As Bryan Caplan points out, we shouldn’t exaggerate the results here and provide too much fodder for populists; the questions asked were chosen for their difficulty, and the experts were being compared to laymen who nonetheless had met some threshold of education and competence.

At the same time, we shouldn’t put too little emphasis on the results either. They show that “expertise” as we understand it is largely fake. Should you listen to epidemiologists or economists when it comes to COVID-19? Conventional wisdom says “trust the experts.” The lesson of Tetlock (and the Afghanistan War), is that while you certainly shouldn’t be getting all your information from your uncle’s Facebook Wall, there is no reason to start with a strong prior that people with medical degrees know more than any intelligent person who honestly looks at the available data.

…

I think one of the most interesting articles of the COVID era was a piece called “Beware of Facts Man” by Annie Lowrey, published in The Atlantic.

…

The reaction to this piece was something along the lines of “ha ha, look at this liberal who hates facts.” But there’s a serious argument under the snark, and it’s that you should trust credentials over Facts Man and his amateurish takes. In recent days, a 2019 paper on “Epistemic Trespassing” has been making the rounds on Twitter. The theory that specialization is important is not on its face absurd, and probably strikes most people as natural. In the hard sciences and other places where social desirability bias and partisanship have less of a role to play, it’s probably a safe assumption. In fact, academia is in many ways premised on the idea, as we have experts in “labor economics,” “state capacity,” “epidemiology,” etc. instead of just having a world where we select the smartest people and tell them to work on the most important questions.

But what Tetlock did was test this hypothesis directly in the social sciences, and he found that subject-matter experts and Facts Man basically tied.

…

Interestingly, one of the best defenses of “Facts Man” during the COVID era was written by Annie Lowrey’s husband, Ezra Klein. His April 2021 piece in The New York Times showed how economist Alex Tabarrok had consistently disagreed with the medical establishment throughout the pandemic, and was always right. You have the “Credentials vs. Facts Man” debate within one elite media couple. If this was a movie they would’ve switched the genders, but since this is real life, stereotypes are confirmed and the husband and wife take the positions you would expect.

…

In the end, I don’t think my dissertation contributed much to human knowledge, making it no different than the vast majority of dissertations that have been written throughout history. The main reason is that most of the time public opinion doesn’t really matter in foreign policy. People generally aren’t paying attention, and the vast majority of decisions are made out of public sight. How many Americans know or care that North Macedonia and Montenegro joined NATO in the last few years? Most of the time, elites do what they want, influenced by their own ideological commitments and powerful lobby groups. In times of crisis, when people do pay attention, they can be manipulated pretty easily by the media or other partisan sources.

If public opinion doesn’t matter in foreign policy, why is there so much study of public opinion and foreign policy? There’s a saying in academia that “instead of measuring what we value, we value what we can measure.” It’s easy to do public opinion polls and survey experiments, as you can derive a hypothesis, get an answer, and make it look sciency in charts and graphs. To show that your results have relevance to the real world, you cite some papers that supposedly find that public opinion matters, maybe including one based on a regression showing that under very specific conditions foreign policy determined the results of an election, and maybe it’s well done and maybe not, but again, as long as you put the words together and the citations in the right format nobody has time to check any of this. The people conducting peer review on your work will be those who have already decided to study the topic, so you couldn’t find a more biased referee if you tried.

Thus, to be an IR scholar, the two main options are you can either use statistical methods that don’t work, or actually find answers to questions, but those questions are so narrow that they have no real world impact or relevance. A smaller portion of academics in the field just produce postmodern-generator style garbage, hence “feminist theories of IR.” You can also build game theoretic models that, like the statistical work in the field, are based on a thousand assumptions that are probably false and no one will ever check. The older tradition of Kennan and Mearsheimer is better and more accessible than what has come lately, but the field is moving away from that and, like a lot of things, towards scientism and identity politics.

…

At some point, I decided that if I wanted to study and understand important questions, and do so in a way that was accessible to others, I’d have a better chance outside of the academy. Sometimes people thinking about an academic career reach out to me, and ask for advice. For people who want to go into the social sciences, I always tell them not to do it. If you have something to say, take it to Substack, or CSPI, or whatever. If it’s actually important and interesting enough to get anyone’s attention, you’ll be able to find funding.

If you think your topic of interest is too esoteric to find an audience, know that my friend Razib Khan, who writes about the Mongol empire, Y-chromosomes and haplotypes and such, makes a living doing this. If you want to be an experimental physicist, this advice probably doesn’t apply, and you need lab mates, major funding sources, etc. If you just want to collect and analyze data in a way that can be done without institutional support, run away from the university system.

The main problem with academia is not just the political bias, although that’s another reason to do something else with your life. It’s the entire concept of specialization, which holds that you need some secret tools or methods to understand what we call “political science” or “sociology,” and that these fields have boundaries between them that should be respected in the first place. Quantitative methods are helpful and can be applied widely, but in learning stats there are steep diminishing returns.

…

Outside of political science, are there other fields that have their own equivalents of “African witch doctor beats von Braun to the moon” or “the Taliban beats the State Department and the Pentagon” facts to explain? Yes, and here are just a few examples.

Consider criminology. More people are studying how to keep us safe from other humans than at any other point in history. But here’s the US murder rate between 1960 and 2018, not including the large uptick since then.

So basically, after a rough couple of decades, we’re back to where we were in 1960. But we’re actually much worse, because improvements in medical technology are keeping a lot of people that would’ve died 60 years ago alive. One paper from 2002 says that the murder rate would be 5 times higher if not for medical developments since 1960. I don’t know how much to trust this, but it’s surely true that we’ve made some medical progress since that time, and doctors have been getting a lot of experience from all the shooting victims they have treated over the decades. Moreover, we’re much richer than we were in 1960, and I’m sure spending on public safety has increased. With all that, we are now about tied with where we were almost three-quarters of a century ago, a massive failure.

What about psychology? As of 2016, there were 106,000 licensed psychologists in the US. I wish I could find data to compare to previous eras, but I don’t think anyone will argue against the idea that we have more mental health professionals and research psychologists than ever before. Are we getting mentally healthier? Here’s suicides in the US from 1981 to 2016

…

What about education? I’ll just defer to Freddie deBoer’s recent post on the topic, and Scott Alexander on how absurd the whole thing is.

Maybe there have been larger cultural and economic forces that it would be unfair to blame criminology, psychology, and education for. Despite no evidence we’re getting better at fighting crime, curing mental problems, or educating children, maybe other things have happened that have outweighed our gains in knowledge. Perhaps the experts are holding up the world on their shoulders, and if we hadn’t produced so many specialists over the years, thrown so much money at them, and gotten them to produce so many peer reviews papers, we’d see Middle Ages-levels of violence all across the country and no longer even be able to teach children to read. Like an Ayn Rand novel, if you just replaced the business tycoons with those whose work has withstood peer review.

Or you can just assume that expertise in these fields is fake. Even if there are some people doing good work, either they are outnumbered by those adding nothing or even subtracting from what we know, or our newly gained understanding is not being translated into better policies. Considering the extent to which government relies on experts, if the experts with power are doing things that are not defensible given the consensus in their fields, the larger community should make this known and shun those who are getting the policy questions so wrong. As in the case of the Afghanistan War, this has not happened, and those who fail in the policy world are still well regarded in their larger intellectual community.

…

Those opposed to cancel culture have taken up the mantle of “intellectual diversity” as a heuristic, but there’s nothing valuable about the concept itself. When I look at the people I’ve come to trust, they are diverse on some measures, but extremely homogenous on others. IQ and sensitivity to cost-benefit considerations seem to me to be unambiguous goods in figuring out what is true or what should be done in a policy area. You don’t add much to your understanding of the world by finding those with low IQs who can’t do cost-benefit analysis and adding them to the conversation.

One of the clearest examples of bias in academia and how intellectual diversity can make the conversation better is the work of Lee Jussim on stereotypes. Basically, a bunch of liberal academics went around saying “Conservatives believe in differences between groups, isn’t that terrible!” Lee Jussim, as someone who is relatively moderate, came along and said “Hey, let’s check to see whether they’re true!” This story is now used to make the case for intellectual diversity in the social sciences.

Yet it seems to me that isn’t the real lesson here. Imagine if, instead of Jussim coming forward and asking whether stereotypes are accurate, Osama bin Laden had decided to become a psychologist. He’d say “The problem with your research on stereotypes is that you do not praise Allah the all merciful at the beginning of all your papers.” If you added more feminist voices, they’d say something like “This research is problematic because it’s all done by men.” Neither of these perspectives contributes all that much. You’ve made the conversation more diverse, but dumber. The problem with psychology was a very specific one, in that liberals are particularly bad at recognizing obvious facts about race and sex. So yes, in that case the field could use more conservatives, not “more intellectual diversity,” which could just as easily make the field worse as make it better. And just because political psychology could use more conservative representation when discussing stereotypes doesn’t mean those on the right always add to the discussion rather than subtract from it. As many religious Republicans oppose the idea of evolution, we don’t need the “conservative” position to come and help add a new perspective to biology.

The upshot is intellectual diversity is a red herring, usually a thinly-veiled plea for more conservatives. Nobody is arguing for more Islamists, Nazis, or flat earthers in academia, and for good reason. People should just be honest about the ways in which liberals are wrong and leave it at that.

…

The failure in Afghanistan was mind-boggling. Perhaps never in the history of warfare had there been such a resource disparity between two sides, and the US-backed government couldn’t even last through the end of the American withdrawal. One can choose to understand this failure through a broad or narrow lens. Does it only tell us something about one particular war or is it a larger indictment of American foreign policy?

The main argument of this essay is we’re not thinking big enough. The American loss should be seen as a complete discrediting of the academic understanding of “expertise,” with its reliance on narrowly focused peer reviewed publications and subject matter knowledge as the way to understand the world. Although I don’t develop the argument here, I think I could make the case that expertise isn’t just fake, it actually makes you worse off because it gives you a higher level of certainty in your own wishful thinking. The Taliban probably did better by focusing their intellectual energies on interpreting the Holy Quran and taking a pragmatic approach to how they fought the war rather than proceeding with a prepackaged theory of how to engage in nation building, which for the West conveniently involved importing its own institutions.

A discussion of the practical implications of all this, or how we move from a world of specialization to one with better elites, is also for another day. For now, I’ll just emphasize that for those thinking of choosing an academic career to make universities or the peer review system function better, my advice is don’t. The conversation is much more interesting, meaningful, and oriented towards finding truth here on the outside.

#richard hanania #substack #afghanistan #read the whole thing

[writ-in-writings]

Embarking on a writing project - particularly historical fiction, but any genre - calls for some dedicated research. It’s important for your own ease when writing your novel and for the reader who can feel fully immersed and trust that what they’re reading rings close to the truth. It’s also respectful to those who lived through major events or were affected by them down the road.

By itself, this task can feel daunting and there’s the temptation to charge in and figure things out as you go. I should know; I started by employing this very tactic. But in my journey, I learned a lot of dos and don’ts of novel research that I’ve now compiled here for other writers who would benefit from knowing this approach early on.

For further discussions, follow the link to my full post on Medium, but I’ll be sure to put plenty of details on here, as well as some smoking hot summary slides made via Canva, a godsend from the design deities.

Why we research

Several reasons, briefly discussed earlier: doing quality research is a service for writer, reader, and subject matter alike. Historical fiction deals with some of the most incredible, awe-inspiring (for better or worse), and/or underrepresented moments in the stunning scope of human history. To navigate this totally new world with ease, you’ll want to know about it yourself; make it your area of expertise in every sense of the word. Literally, with the senses, so your writing process can get a running start once this is done.

Then, of course, the reader can enjoy the experience as the immersive journey it’s meant to be. They can trust what you’re presenting to them and enjoy a really, really good book, learn something, and not feel the need to pause and wonder “does that make sense...? Is that true...?”

Start with Wikipedia - I promise it’s okay!

I know many of our grade school and high school teachers are turning their heads 180 degrees to stare in horror at the idea, but eventually instructors will loosen the reins. And they’ll offer the important distinction: Wikipedia is a good starting place, not a final source. It offers a fount of useful terms, a broad overview, related topics worth looking up to truly paint a true picture of the historical era, and it (usually) cites its own sources. That, in turn, lets you conduct the important step: trust but verify.

Think of Wikipedia like a web. The very center is the most basic related search term about your novel’s subject matter. From there, it branches out into new subjects that are inexorably related and relevant, that WILL fill in important gaps, even if it’s just one or two sentences - those two lines will ring true and authentic because you read a related term on Wikipedia, checked its sources, and found a valuable scholarly or firsthand account on the subject matter.

What should you be looking for, anyway?

Primary or secondary sources, or something totally different, all should provide you different pieces of information that all serve the goal of enriching your world and easing your job as a writer.

For a truly immersive experience, you want to get into the very mind of people from that time and place. This is always important because it will help set an appropriate voice for characters. Go forth into the sources you compile wanting them to give you helpful chronology, relevant players, key locations, and common practices, at the very least.

Primary Sources

These almost always have some sort of biased leanings - what doesn’t? But that too has value. They put you into a sample mind of someone from X demographic, in addition to any objective, factual information they can provide. They’re not worth overlooking or discarding, even if they should be approached with a critical eye.

But that’s part of the fun, right?

Secondary sources

Still don’t want to totally rule out a person’s own biases leaking through what they have to say. But there are some important numbers they can give. Usually, these can be considered accurate, BUT you should always verify with other sources, even when it seems something as straightforward and irrefutable as numbers, dates, locations, people involved, etc.

For example, try being a 20th century historian figuring out what happened at the Ipatiev House in 1918. Different outside sources will give WILDLY different accounts to avoid blame. Same with state-sanctioned erasure of history. Even our beloved, reliable textbooks can leave certain things out to totally re-color history. Literally.

Important source types!!!

This is one I really want you to take to heart because it made a world of difference for me. A lot of quick research can be done online these days and many sites can have well-organized content that outlines essential information in a very helpful way.

But there are some things they can’t or won’t provide for you, usually from time and word count constraints. You need the little details and some sites just don’t have a place to include that. What are the sounds of the era? The tastes and textures, sights and routines? What would you have seen if you stepped into the era of your interest? When available, videos give you just that window to the past.

Putting it all together

So you’re onto that lovely stage of using all this information you just gathered. Congratulations! Now here are some recommendations for how to actually research and keep track of everything.

Have a Word Doc or note sheets just for this. Organize it however suits you best; I went through chronology and relevant parts of my novel (since it’s set during WWII, I had separate spots for combat and civilian life, and broken down further based on setting as the front line moved).

For your own peace of mind, keep track of where you read each fact. That way if you ever doubt or want to read more or anything, you know where to find it. Remember, the reader is putting their trust in your hands (and your book in THEIR hands). Do right by yourself, your book, the subject matter, and the reader by having an earnest research system. With all this in mind, best of luck to you on all your literary endeavors.

To read more of my writing guidelines, follow me at the links below:

[Medium]

[Instagram]

[Twitter]

[The Quilted Atlas]

#writing #creative writing #historical fiction #writing tips #writing inspiration #research #verification #truth #accuracy #sources #original post

[warsmith-38]

How I would do RWBY pt. 5

Season Five.

Lingering drama amongst teams despite stable exterior.

Everyone’s a little wary of Blake on account of her cutting and running on them a couple seasons ago.

Everyone’s a little wary of Ruby and her insane berserker moment against Cinder.

Everyone’s a little wary of Yang and her being a bit of a dick recently.

Everyone’s a little wary of Weiss being a little emotionally fragile at this whole experience.

JNR is wary in general on the grounds that they didn’t sign up for this level of shit.

Everyone’s a little frazzled in general on account of recent events.

Qrow is giving them the rundown on Salem and Ozpin as far as he’s aware.

Says that they’re ancient demi-gods that have been fighting each other since before history.

He only knows so much because Ozpin is pretty tightlipped about his past and only gives certain individuals certain amounts of information.

Speaking of, Ozpin is there to greet them at Haven.

And teams CFVY and SSSN, leading to a happy reunion.

Haven headmaster is indisposed and can’t be present. (He’s on the phone with Salem)

Ozpin gives the skinny on what they know of Salem’s plan.

The exact plan still eludes them.

What they do know is that she has the remnants of the White Fang that follow Adam with the greater White Fang being uninvolved, a loose cabal of personal agents here and there, and literally countless grimm to bring to bear.

Easy odds, as far as they’re concerned.

They also tell him that Cinder has been beaten.

He doesn’t really care, seeing her as just another dime a dozen assassin.

He happier about Tyrian (Salem’s only truly competent assassin) being dead than anything about Cinder.

Ruby is quick to also say that being dropped down a pit doesn’t necessarily mean Cinder’s dead and if she shows up she gets first dibs.

Speaking of, Cinder is quite alive.

She is quickly found by Emerald and Mercury.

Cinder is wounded, but still powerful enough to kill the both of them should they piss her off.

Brief recovery period.

Discover that Salem isn’t returning her calls.

Salem’s decided that she’s gotten all she can out of Cinder and that she’s not worth further investment.

She can find another urchin, creep, or psycho to mold.

Brief moment of heartbreak is capped off with new plan to regain Salem’s favor.

Emerald and Mercury try to offer other options but eventually agree to come along because they have fuck all for other opportunities.

Get to Mistral and seek help of local crime boss for passage to Atlas to go about evil business there.

Crime boss restrains Emerald and Mercury.

Reveals that Neo already purchased their services.

Neo is angry at Cinder. Blames her for Roman’s death.

Cinder and Neo fight, Cinder wins, and shifts the blame of Roman to Ruby.

Neo acquiesces and teams up with Cinder and co. for revenge on Ruby. (Team CEMN for the win)

First act of new team is to kill local crime boss for trying to dupe 3/4 of them and steal their shit.

Neo just shrugs. No honor among thieves. They overcharged her anyway.

Set off for Atlas to cause problems on purpose to regain Salem’s attention.

RWBY + JNR take a well-earned moment of respite.

Catch up with CFVY and SSSN, fill them in on what’s been happening.

Ruby tries to bridge gaps by returning to being the designated weapon repairwoman.

Grills everyone for not taking better care of their shit.

Because how hard is it to do basic maintenance people?

Given downtime is able to upgrade Jaune’s sword + shield.

Sword has cooler design and shield can produce bubble shield effect now.

Ozpin takes RWBY and JNR aside to ask them to join his inner council.

He would have done it earlier but he was waiting to see if Ruby’s second semblance would ever awaken.

When they agree he elaborates further on Qrow’s earlier explanation.

He’s a great big windbag so he just info dumps everything (that they need to know) on them at once.

Explains that he is opposing demi-god to Salem. A deity of order and building as opposed to destruction and chaos.

Explains that he and Salem were created from on the whims of an ancient god of creation to guide the free peoples of the world and keep them all safe and sound.

Creator god fucked off after making the two of them on the grounds that it is explicitly a creator god not god of anything else.

It made the world. Caring for it is somebody else’s problem.

He and Salem disagreed as to how best to help people.

Salem thought that growth through conflict was the way to go and Ozpin thought that being the guiding hand from behind the scenes would work the best.

It eventually devolved into just trying to kill the other for getting in the way of each other’s plans.

Salem’s goal is to remove Ozpin from the equation and let people build and thrive in the natural way with a disaster, war, or genocide or two every now and then to keep them on their toes.

She’s basically the big evil boogeyman of the world.

Ozpin’s goal is to remove Salem on the grounds that he feels that the best thing he can do to keep order is not to allow said disasters, wars, or genocides and keep people alive for his later plans.

Either can only be killed by direct action of the other.

They keep themselves separate and ideally safe from each other.

Salem has been trying to find workaround for this for ages.

Salem created the grimm as a means of keeping humanity on its toes, fed by negative emotion in an attempt of dissuading such feelings.

They failed both at that and as a means to permanently kill Ozpin, but she now had an army for the rest of her plans.

Ozpin responded by creating and seeding the world with dust, giving the people a means to fight against the darkness surrounding them.

He never puts himself in the direct spotlight of history. Always the vizier, never the king.

Dust also had the side effect of eventually irradiating humanity and giving them aura and, furthermore, semblances.

These newly powered people, when dead and buried, eventually fossilize into more dust.

Most dust mines are ancient burial grounds. Creepy ain’t it?

Ozpin tried to capitalize on his success and tried to create super-soldiers to use said dust, aura, and semblances to protect humanity by combining human and animal traits.

Yep, Ozpin created the ancient faunus.

That and racism is indirectly his fault too.

He made the original faunus to be overseers and guardians to humanity.

In essence, they were designed to be feudal warlords with extra animal abilities that secretly answered only to him and ruled humans with iron fists.

Resulting human rebellions happened and Ozpin used his creations as scapegoats, letting them take all the blame and quietly …quieting anyone who knew the truth.

And that’s where the racism first came from. It has long since changed and muddied, but that was the initial reason.

He words all of this nicer and glides over the parts that make him look bad.

Salem and Ozpin have been picking at each other like that for eons.

Fall of Beacon only happened to try and distract Ozpin long enough for the latest scheme to kill him to be tried.

Destroying his pet project school was just a bonus.

Suffice it to say that that particular plan failed its main objective but still caused everything to fall apart.

Salem is now officially persona non grata, if she wasn’t already, among those present to the explanation.

Adam is trying to get more support from Sienna.

He has a small band of hardliners (psychos) with him but wants more bodies for his plans.

Gives big speech about faunus supremacy and the like.

Sienna tells him to fuck off, points out that he’s just repeating platitudes and doesn’t really care about the cause.

Reiterates his excommunication, citing working with Torchwick and Salem (despite the fact that she was cool with it at the time) as well as getting an unignorably large amount of his own people killed.

Collateral damage only goes so far, even for terrorists.

Adam vs Sienna.

Sienna wins and Adam slinks away, defeated but alive.

Adam’s hardliners get some more members but nowhere near what he wanted.

He’ll have to make do.

Salem wants him to do as terrorists do across Mistral.

Adam suggest that since Fall of Beacon worked fairly well… second verse same as the first?

Salem puts the kibosh on that plan.

She wants people to learn and thrive in a semi-natural way, she doesn’t want to just wipe them all out.

She’s fine with a little culling now and then but too much killing and they’ll never recover right.

Has new plan to try and kill Ozpin.

Has resurrected Tyrian, making a faunus/grimm Frankenstein thingy that she can directly possess at will.

All she needs is an opportunity to infiltrate him into Mistral.

Adam’s job is to provide an exploitable distraction.

He’s okay with that.

Yang has argument with Blake about running off like a punk.

Blake says it won’t happen again.

Yang says once bitten twice shy.

Ruby talks to Blake about Raven and Tai and the abandonment issues Yang has as a result of them both.

Meeting Raven and realizing that she was just a piece of shit this whole time only made things worse.

Says that Blake leaving like she did didn’t help.

Ruby also admits that her own leaving probably wasn’t great either.

Ruby wants her to know that she has faith in her but Yang has always needed a little more than faith.

Weiss airs some grievances to Yang about her dickish behavior.

Yang apologizes for her churlishness and reassures Weiss that the team is still going to be together but she is still mad at Blake.

Weiss tries to help smooth things over further but is interrupted.

Ilia shows up, is met with gun barrels.

Says she was sent by Sienna to take care of Adam, avoiding getting slotted by everyone.

Is kept at arm’s length but if she’s helping then, sure fine whatever, she can help.

Coco, Yatsuhashi, Weiss, and Ren try to talk to Ruby about not going crazy the next time she sees Cinder.

The best they can do is get her to agree that being so out of control insane while fighting her might not be the best way to fight.

They try and say that that’s really not good enough.

Ruby changes the subject via some odd noises she hears.

Haven headmaster (Lionheart? I barely know, or give much of a shit about, canon at this point) is part of The Cabal and is giving regular reports to Salem.

How else could CEMN masquerade as Haven students?

Almost gets walked in on.

Cheeses it but leaves the grimm thing that lets him talk to Salem.

Ruby has brief conversation with Salem.

Salem tries to tempt her, says that Ozpin is an asshole that only wants to control people not help them.

Ruby calls her a bitch.

Cites that Salem ruined her life and got some of her friends killed for this crap, not to mention her fucking mother.

Salem is just listening, still stunned from the audacity of being called a bitch right to her face.

Ruby finishes off by saying that even if Ozpin is an asshole, better the devil you know.

She then kills the grimm.

People now know there’s a turncoat and the only absolute they have is that it’s not Ruby or Ozpin (duh).

Everyone walking on eggshells, not sure who the traitor is.

Accusations are thrown around.

Eventually, after some shouting, everyone comes to the conclusion that it’s also not WBY, JNR, CFVY, or Qrow.

Logic starts to work its magic.

Lionheart tries to calm everyone down, IE: distract everyone from the growingly obvious.

Adam is up to his old tricks.

Blake and Ilia notice and point it out.

Lionheart breathes a sigh of relief as RWBY and JNR mobilize to stop Adam.

Adam is just a distraction.

Tyrian is slipped into the city via some bribes and carefully placed murders.

Adam has placed bombs across the city and broadcasts to the city that they’re doomed.

The civilians start to panic and draw grimm.

Mistral defense force is now busy dealing with said grimm.

Team splits up to stop the bombs.

Tyrian makes his move, attacks Ozpin directly.

Salem assumes direct control, hoping that this will count as her killing Ozpin herself.

SSSN and CFVY pop up and fight Tyrian!Salem.

Start getting their shit kicked in because it’s a fucking demi-goddess in a crazy scorpion demon body.

JNR returns.

Qrow finally does something too.

Ozpin even gets off his lazy ass.

Everyone helps take on Tyrian!Salem and win, killing Tyrian for good and pissing off Salem.

Ozpin got killed again to do it. (He’ll be back)

Blake and Yang find Adam.

Fight him, beat him, he runs away, we know how this song and dance goes.

Blake chases him alone.

Says that she has realized that Adam had been trying to commit suicide by anti-terrorism for a while.

Adam gets enraged and fights Blake again.

Adam final boss fight.

Blake starts winning.

Adam goes beyond the brink of madness.

In his anger he manages to destroy Blake’s weapon.

About to kill Blake but sees a little trinket he gave her when they were kids.

Sees his own reflection and sees a monster where he should be standing.

Realizes his own sense of self-destruction.

“I must already be dead,” –Vlad Dracula Tepes. It applies, says I.

Blake puts Adam down.

Yang arrives, worried that Blake ran off… again.

Blake has completely broken down.

Yang comforts Blake, who just had to kill one of her oldest friends.

Bombs and terrorists are dealt with.

RW see Blake is having troubles and embraces her along with Yang.

Blake, with tears in her eyes, swears to never abandon her team and friends ever again.

RWBY comes together and all vow to be there for each other.

Team RWBY are truly together once again.

Ruby uses parts from Adam’s weapon to repair and upgrade Blake’s.

Ozpin gets back up. (What I tell ya?)

Lionheart is found out as the traitor and calls everyone chicken shit for siding with Ozpin.

Says that Ozpin is a paranoid control freak who would strip them of all free will and thought if he could.

In fact, he says that that exact thing is Ozpin’s plan once Salem is beaten.

Salem at least promised freedom.

Ozpin doesn’t exactly deny these accusations by promptly and rather brutally executing Lionheart.

Reactions are cut short when a news bulletin plays on the TV about problems in Atlas.

WF-SDC war has officially stopped being a shadow war and there is now open combat in the streets.

They catch a very brief shot on the telly of something that looks a lot like a grimm arm on some chick.

Ruby has reacquired target-lock.

RWBY and JNR set off once again, this time for Atlas.

Season five done.

#RWBY #Not going to bother tagging it as RWDE from now on #Ruby Rose #Weiss Schnee #Blake Belladonna #Yang Xiao Long #Qrow Branwen #Cinder Fall #Emerald Sustrai #Mercury Black #Neopolitan #Team JNPR #Team CFVY #Adam Taurus #Sienna Khan #Salem #How I would do...

[sandalaris]

The Leverage!Community AU that I will probably never write and nobody asked for. 

Let’s go steal an AU.

Under the cut because it is long

Jeff Winger

Jeff was a damn good lawyer, with just the right amount of flexible morality that let him bend the law to his whim while not being the kind of a amoral asshole that people avoided (*cough*Alan*cough*). He took white collar civil cases, the kind where the defendant was greedy or lazy or just plain stupid, and the fatalities financial in nature, all designed to keeping Jeff in the expensive life he’d become accustomed to. He was on the fast track to make junior partner when out of nowhere evidence surfaced claiming Jeff falsified his credentials. He soon finds himself disbarred and blacklisted, without even getting a chance to plead his case. Determined to get back to his old life as quickly as possible, Jeff sets off to find the culprit and hires a crew to help him. It was only supposed to be one job, no encores. No repeats... well, maybe just one more.

Britta Perry

The only thing Britta loves more than her cats is a noble cause, but there’s only so much a person can do with a picket sign and a catchy chant. She refused to give up though, going out and fighting the good fight, until she discovered she could do more behind a computer screen than she ever could on the streets. A self-proclaimed hactivist, Britta fights for the underdog even as it lands her on government wanted lists. And if she’s entirely honest, she’s more than a little proud of make such lists. She has a hard drive with the copies of each of her arrest warrants, kept like badges of honor even as she goes through and deletes them from local systems. She doesn’t have time to spend the night in jail when there’s some many other, digital places she’s needed.

She only agreed to take the Winger job because she needed the money after a hack went wrong the Croatian government seized her bank accounts and then went the extra dick mile and sent her address to the feds. She just needs to lay low, do the job, and get paid (she’ll be fine, but her cat needs his eye drops). She has no plans to form a crew, not after last time. But someone’s gotta tell this group of miss-matched criminals what’s really going on in the world.

And then later, when the number of people they keep helping continues to grow, she realizes that maybe not all causes have to be large in scale to be worth fighting for.

Abed Nadir

Abed has always related to the world best through TV, defining the people around him by roles and tropes until they fell into place. For years he dreamed of being a writer and director, but making films aren’t cheap, and Abed learns very quickly that if he wants to follow his dream he needs more than the ideas in head. People aren’t going to just see his vision when he places it in front of them, they need to be convinced, persuaded, need to like the guy selling his stories, and people don’t always like Abed. He can pretend though, pluck a character from thin air, custom made to manipulate people into giving him what he wants, opening doors and wallets. It’s a great way to make a living, addictive and exhausting at the same time, and more than enough to keep him making small indie films in his spare time. He dons new names, new people, at every turn, drawing others to him like a moth to flame. Even if he doesn’t always understand the why of people, he at least gets the how, and that’s enough to get by.

He played witness to one of Jeff’s cases, needed the inside information for a script that never got off the ground. He slipped though, started talking about film and shows and forgot to be George Carmicheal from Long Island and became Abed Nadir, failed movie producer and college drop out. And the thing is, Jeff still liked him, maybe even liked him better as Abed than he did as George. Maybe that’s why he showed up at Jeff’s doorstep, uninvited and unannounced, after hearing about his disbarment. Maybe that’s why he volunteered his real name and didn’t pretend to smile or nod or do any of the things he knows he needs to do to make people like him. Even with the others showed up and he placed them in their likely roles, he didn’t don a mask. For the first time in a long time, he was just Abed, and that wasn’t just enough for them, it was preferred.

Annie Edison

Annie had a plan. Perfect grades leading to the perfect school leading to the perfect life. Her extracurricular were carefully selected, the exact balance of brainy and physical to appeal to the Ivy League schools the Edisions’ had their eye on, all mulled over and weighed to give her the best advantage. Annie was a junior in high school when she OD’d on the little “helper” pills her mom and dad had talked her doctor into prescribing her. Her parents refused to send her to rehab, citing the shame it would bring to their family and dismissing her claims of addiction as attention seeking behavior. She begged and pleaded and bargained and finally they caved on lessening her ridged schedule, making time for her to “destress” in between padding her college applications. Meditation didn’t work, but flipping grown men over her shoulder did and her self-defense class was augmented with MMA and kickboxing. And when the acceptance letters started pouring in Annie let out a sigh of relief, thinking it was over now that she reached the goal. She was wrong.

The pressure didn’t stop so Annie upped her training, which lead to her showing her dormmate a few moves, which lead to helping out a classmate with a stalker problem, which turned into a couple of private security gigs, which got her noticed by a man looking for someone to help retrieve some property that may not have been his, and he passed on her name to someone who offered a lot of money for... well, she’s not really at liberty to say. Annie likes being the best, likes the praise and the testing of her carefully honed skills. But the drive to be the very best at what she does led her to taking more and more questionable jobs and fewer and fewer classes, making up excuses about why she doesn’t come home anymore until she stops all together, and before she realizes it she’s got a very specific skill set and rather impressive, yet bloody, resume that only certain kinds of people would be interested in seeing and all those carefully laid plans from all those years ago have long been flushed down the drain.

Troy Barnes

Troy likes to drive, likes the escape of it and the way no one’s around to tell him what he’s doing wrong with his life or “real men" don’t do those things. Likes the thrill of going fast when night has fallen and the streets are bare of regular people, pitting himself against another person who’s like him, trying to outrun that gnawing pit in their stomach that’s constantly telling them they can’t cut it.

Troy’s not made for crime, not the real kind. Doesn’t think he’d make a very good criminal with his hidden soft heart and lack of long-term planning skills. But when Nana Barnes gets sick, driving is what puts food on table and covers the hospital bills. Its what gets him contacted by a down-on-his-luck lawyer looking a guy to provide a quick get away.

He’s not needed at every job in the beginning, but they make roles for him anyways and he finds his own ways to help. He’s always been good with his hands, mending the broken equipment around him and making improvements to his car beyond what the original designs intended. Passing the time creating small, playful gadgets that the others oo and ahh over. He likes to be useful, sewing FBI jackets and making the crew a meal after a long job, creating for Jeff his fake miracle and putting together an EMP spur of the moment when they realize they need one.

“You’re a regular renaissance man,” they tell him, and they don’t comment when he cries at meeting the clients or mentions how he always wanted to learn to dance, and Troy that it must be a good thing because he’s never felt so comfortable staying put before.

Shirley Bennet

Shirley is retired. She found the Lord and put her sinful past firmly behind her. She doesn’t even miss it. Really. Not one bit. No one would suspect that the sweet little housewife with a penchant for baking can crack a safe in under a minute or that she’s intimately familiar with the security systems employed by the most secure museums. People don’t know how her fingers itch in crowds for the fat wallets and shiny valuables that keep catching her eye, or see the frown of disapproval that crosses her face every time some half-brained car chase ends with the perp getting caught. She’s a good wife and mother, and doesn’t entertain such ideas anymore.

She met Jeffery once before, when he was trying to build a plausible alternate for the prosecution’s case and accidentally stumbled across what Shirley had thought was one of her better heists. She never did figure out how he put the pieces together so quickly and he never put her name on an official documents (she checked. Courthouses really should invest in better security), but after that they kept on eye on each other. And when he comes to her with a job offer, well, she tried to tell him she was out of the game, but that boy can just be so darn convincing when he wants to be and its not like its hurting anybody.

Pierce Hawthorne

Pierce has a lot of money, a lot of ex-wives, and next to zero friends. He’s fairly certain he doesn’t need them, after all he’s made it this long without any, no matter how many times Winger argues on the stand that his loneliness and maladjusted psyche due to a “traumatic childhood” are what causes him to make such poor decisions that lead to such expensive lawsuits. He still manages to get him a Not Guilty verdict or argues with him into settling out of court, and no matter how many times Winger swears this is the last time he’s going to defend him, he still answers when Pierce calls. So when Jeff says he needs money to pay a group of criminals to break into his old work building and find out who got him disbarred, Pierce offers without even stopping to think about it. Doesn’t even call it loan and just hands over the cash like he’s passing the salt.

Breaking the law isn’t cheap, apparently. Although the payouts make up for it most of the time. But the set up, the equipment and the materials, all those upfront costs that someone needs to front, are enough to make most people squirm and Pierce covers them without comment. They always pay him back anyways, and after a couple months, they’ve made enough that they don’t need him anymore. They still invite him though, to the meetings and the plans, making room for him in their little group and giving him a place at the table.

They aren’t his friends, can’t be because Pierce doesn’t need any, but he think he might want some anyways.

#Community #the greendale seven #Jeff Winger #Britta Perry #Abed Nadir #Annie Edison #Troy Barnes #Shirley Bennet #Pierce Hawthorne #Leverage AU #I'd gone back and forth on switching Shirley and Abed's roles #but Abed fits grifter better than Shirley does #even if I think she'd be good at it #and I love the idea of Shirley knowing just how to flirt to knock men and women off their game #but the idea of using Abed's skills at playing roles and him not really being accepted as himself until the team won out in the end

[ingek73]

01-22-2112:00 PM

‘Time is running out’: Prince Harry calls for social media reform after U.S. Capitol riot

In a Q&A with Fast Company, The Duke of Sussex responds to social media’s role in the Capitol attack and explains why the next step must be to hold social platforms accountable.

[Photo: Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images]

BY KATHARINE SCHWAB

LONG READ

Over the past year, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have become increasingly outspoken advocates for healthier social media—a topic that is clearly near to their hearts, given the horrendous vitriol and harassment they have faced online and in the press.

By partnering with organizations that aim to understand technology’s impact on society and vocally critiquing the state of online life in the media, the couple are using their clout to push for change in the current digital ecosystem. In an essay for Fast Company last August, Prince Harry called on business leaders to rethink their role in funding the advertising system that underlies the misinformation and divisive rhetoric that’s often shared on social platforms.

“This remodeling must include industry leaders from all areas drawing a line in the sand against unacceptable online practices as well as being active participants in the process of establishing new standards for our online world,” he wrote.

Now, social media is facing an inflection point, just weeks after a violent mob stormed the Capitol in an attack that was conceived, plotted, and stoked primarily online. Powerful platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube responded by suspending Donald Trump’s accounts, while Amazon and Apple cut ties with Parler, a social network that was used by the rioters. But experts and regulators believe that more must be done to reform social media.

Against this background, Prince Harry is once again imploring people to pay attention to the problems social media have wrought. In a wide-ranging interview with Fast Company, he explains why social platforms must be held accountable for the Capitol attack and the circumstances that enabled it, and why we must remodel the digital world before it’s too late.

FC: Six months ago, you wrote an essay for Fast Company in which you asked companies to take action to ensure the meaningful reform of our “unchecked and divisive attention economy.” How has your perspective on social media’s role in society changed over the last few weeks since the attack on the U.S. Capitol?

Prince Harry: When I wrote that piece, I was sharing my view that dominant online platforms have contributed to and stoked the conditions for a crisis of hate, a crisis of health, and a crisis of truth.

And I stand by that, along with millions of others who see and feel what this era has done at every level—we are losing loved ones to conspiracy theories, losing a sense of self because of the barrage of mistruths, and at the largest scale, losing our democracies.

The magnitude of this cannot be overstated, as noted even by the defectors who helped build these platforms. It takes courage to stand up, cite where things have gone wrong, and offer proposals and solutions. The need for that is greater than ever before. So I’m encouraged by and grateful for the groundswell of people who work—or have worked—inside these very platforms choosing to speak up against hate, violence, division, and confusion.

FC: Why is this topic so important to you? How was your outlook affected by the well-documented online harassment you and your wife have faced in the U.K.?

PH: I was really surprised to witness how my story had been told one way, my wife’s story had been told one way, and then our union sparked something that made the telling of that story very different.

That false narrative became the mothership for all of the harassment you’re referring to. It wouldn’t have even begun had our story just been told truthfully.

WE ARE LOSING LOVED ONES TO CONSPIRACY THEORIES, LOSING A SENSE OF SELF BECAUSE OF THE BARRAGE OF MISTRUTHS, AND AT THE LARGEST SCALE, LOSING OUR DEMOCRACIES.”

PRINCE HARRY, THE DUKE OF SUSSEX

But the important thing about what we experienced is that it led to us hearing from so many others around the world. We’ve thought a lot about those in much more vulnerable positions than us, and how much of a need there is for real empathy and support.

To their own degree, everyone has been deeply affected by the current consequences of the digital space. It could be as individual as seeing a loved one go down the path of radicalisation or as collective as seeing the science behind the climate crisis denied.

We are all vulnerable to it, which is why I don’t see it as a tech issue, or a political issue—it’s a humanitarian issue.

From an early age, the guiding principle in my life has been about the duty to truth, the pursuit of compassion, and the alleviation of suffering. My life has always been about trying to do my part to help those who need it most, and right now, we need this change—because it touches nearly every single thing we do or are exposed to.

FC: Where do we go from here? What do you think needs to change to create an online atmosphere where truth, equity, and free speech are all prioritized?

PH: I ask the same thing every day and lean on the experts to help give guidance on how to reform the state of our digital world—how we make it better for our kids, of course, but also for ourselves—now.

The avalanche of misinformation we are all inundated with is bending reality and has created this distorted filter that affects our ability to think clearly or even understand the world around us.

What happens online does not stay online—it spreads everywhere, like wildfire: into our homes and workplaces, into the streets, into our minds. The question really becomes about what to do when news and information sharing is no longer a decent, truthful exchange, but rather an exchange of weaponry.

WHAT HAPPENS ONLINE DOES NOT STAY ONLINE—IT SPREADS EVERYWHERE, LIKE WILDFIRE: INTO OUR HOMES AND WORKPLACES, INTO THE STREETS, INTO OUR MINDS.”

PRINCE HARRY, THE DUKE OF SUSSEX

The answer I’ve heard from experts in this space is that the common denominator starts with accountability. There has to be accountability to collective wellbeing, not just financial incentive. It’s hard for me to understand how the platforms themselves can eagerly take profit but shun responsibility.

There also has to be common, shared accountability. We can call for digital reform and debate how that happens and what it looks like, but it’s also on each of us to take a more critical eye to our own relationship with technology and media. To start, it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Consider setting limits on the time you spend on social media, stop yourself from endlessly scrolling, fact-check the source and research the information you see, and commit to taking a more compassionate approach and tone when you post or comment. These might seem like little things, but they add up.

Finally, there’s a responsibility to compassion that we each own. Humans crave connection, social bonds, and a sense of belonging. When we don’t have those, we end up fractured, and in the digital age that can unfortunately be a catalyst for finding connection in mass extremism movements or radicalisation. We need to take better care of each other, especially in these times of isolation and vulnerability.

FC: Since the Capitol riot, big tech companies from Twitter to Amazon have exercised their power by making determinations about who gets to use their products. Do you think companies should have the power to make decisions about who has access to some of the most prominent platforms on the internet?

PH: We have seen time and again what happens when the real-world cost of misinformation is disregarded. There is no way to downplay this. There was a literal attack on democracy in the United States, organised on social media, which is an issue of violent extremism. It is widely acknowledged that social media played a role in the genocide in Myanmar and was used as a vehicle to incite violence against the Rohingya people, which is a human rights issue. And in Brazil, social media provided a conduit for misinformation which ultimately brought destruction to the Amazon, which is an environmental and global health issue.

In a way, taking a predominately hands-off approach to problems for so long is itself an exercise in power.

Recently, I’ve been thinking about Speakers’ Corner, an area in London’s Hyde Park which is home to open-air debate, dialogue, and the exchange of information and ideas. I used to go past it all the time.

This concept of a ‘public square’ isn’t anything new—it can be traced back to the early days of democracies. You get up there and speak your piece. There are ground rules. You can’t incite violence, you can’t obscure who you are, and you can’t pay to monopolise or own the space itself. Ideas are considered or shot down; opinions are formed. At its best, movements are born, lies are laid bare, and attempts to stoke violence are rejected in the moment. At its worst, intolerance, groupthink, hate, and persecution are amplified. And at times, it forces lines to be drawn and rules or laws to emerge or be challenged.

I THINK IT’S A FALSE CHOICE TO SAY YOU HAVE TO PICK BETWEEN FREE SPEECH OR A MORE COMPASSIONATE AND TRUSTWORTHY DIGITAL WORLD.”

PRINCE HARRY, THE DUKE OF SUSSEX

I’m not saying we should abandon technology in favour of Speakers’ Corner. Rather, it’s that we should avoid buying into the idea that social media is the ultimate modern-day public square and that any attempt to ask platforms to be accountable to the landscape they’ve created is an attack or restriction of speech. I think it’s a false choice to say you have to pick between free speech or a more compassionate and trustworthy digital world. They are not mutually exclusive.

With these companies, in this model, we have a very small number of incredibly powerful and consolidated gatekeepers who have deployed hidden algorithms to pick the content billions see every day, and curate the information—or misinformation—everyone consumes. This radically alters how and why we inform opinions. It alters how we speak and what we decide to speak about. It alters how we think and how we react.

Ultimately, it has allowed for completely different versions of reality, with opposing sets of truth, to exist simultaneously. In this, one’s understanding of truth does not have to be based in fact, because there’s always an ability to furnish some form of “proof” to reinforce that version of “truth.” I believe this is the opposite of what we should want from our collective online community. The current model sorts and separates rather than bringing us together; it drowns out or even eliminates healthy dialogue and reasonable debate; it strips away the mutual respect we should have for each other as citizens of the same world.

FC: How do you plan to use your platform to push for change when it comes to hate speech, algorithmic amplification, and misinformation in 2021? Since you’re not a trained expert on these topics, why do you think people should listen to your perspective?

PH: I know enough to know that I certainly don’t know everything, especially when it comes to tech—but when you see this as a humanitarian issue, then you see the spread of misinformation as requiring a humanitarian response.

This is why my wife and I spent much of 2020 consulting the experts and learning directly from academics, advocates, and policymakers. We’ve also been listening with empathy to people who have stories to share—including people who have been deeply affected by misinformation and those who grew up as digital natives.

What we hope to do is continue to be a spotlight for their perspectives, and focus on harnessing their experience and energy to accelerate the pace of change in the digital world.

FC: Your Archewell Foundation has collaborated with several groups and institutions that aim to rethink technology and study its impact on people. As a philanthropist, why are you supporting research efforts within this space?

PH: If we’ve learned anything, it’s that our dominant technologies were built to grow and grow and grow, without serious consideration for the ripple effect of that growth. We have to do more than simply reconsider this model. The stakes are too high, and time is running out.

WE HAVE TO DO MORE THAN SIMPLY RECONSIDER THIS MODEL. THE STAKES ARE TOO HIGH, AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT.”

PRINCE HARRY, THE DUKE OF SUSSEX

There are a lot of incredible people and digital architects thinking about—or already working on—innovative and healthy platforms. We need to support them, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it can make commercial sense. And we have to look at the state of competition and ensure that the landscape doesn’t indiscriminately squeeze out or incentivise against fresh ideas.

I believe we can begin to make our digital world healthier, more compassionate, more inclusive, and trustworthy.

And it’s time to move from rethinking to remodelling.

FC: Given your concerns about divisiveness, misinformation, and hate speech online, how have your views on using social media yourself changed over the last few years? How do you approach it now and are you planning to make any changes?

PH: It’s funny you should ask because ironically, we woke up one morning a couple of weeks ago to hear that a Rupert Murdoch newspaper said we were evidently quitting social media. That was ‘news’ to us, bearing in mind we have no social media to quit, nor have we for the past 10 months.

The truth is, despite its well-documented ills, social media can offer a means of connecting and community, which are vital to us as human beings. We need to hear each other’s stories and be able to share our own. That’s part of the beauty of life. And don’t get me wrong; I’m not suggesting that a reform of the digital space will create a world that’s all rainbows and sunshine, because that’s not realistic, and that, too, isn’t life.

There can be disagreement, conversation, opposing points of view—as there should be, but never to the extent that violence is created, truth is mystified, and lives are jeopardised.

We will revisit social media when it feels right for us—perhaps when we see more meaningful commitments to change or reform—but right now we’ve thrown much of our energy into learning about this space and how we can help.

FC: Are you optimistic or pessimistic about our ability to build a healthier online ecosystem?

PH: Optimistic, of course, because I believe in us, as human beings, and that we are wired to be compassionate and honest and good. Aspects of the digital space have unfortunately manipulated (or even highlighted) our weaknesses and brought out the worst in some.

We have to believe in optimism because that’s the world and the humanity I want for my son, and all of us.

We look forward to being part of the human experience—not a human experiment.

#royals #prince harry #duke of sussex #fast company

[tisthenightofthewitch]

THE NEXT CHAPTER: TOBIAS FORGE AND THE FUTURE OF GHOST

Their Kerrang! Award-winning fourth album Prequelle took Ghost from cult concern to global superstars. But the arena-filling congregation of fans is growing restless for clues as to what’s next for Cardinal Copia, Papa Nihil and the ministry. Let Tobias Forge, then, take you behind the mask and into the making of – and future plans for – a band like no other…

The WaMu Theater, Thursday 19 September. Last night this venue – attached to the side of CenturyLink Field, the home of the Seattle Seahawks NFL team – played host to the ‘Groover from Vancouver’ himself, Bryan Adams. Tomorrow it’s the turn of the Pacific Northwest city’s beloved sons, grunge legends Alice In Chains, for their last show in support of their sixth album, Rainier Fog. Tonight, though, Seattle gets the latest ritual on Ghost’s extensive Ultimate Tour Named Death.

Despite this morbid moniker, the scene inside the building is one of lively activity, with techs rushing around to finish the show’s elaborate staging. The house lights illuminate the stained glass window backdrop, while the seating, flat on the floor and sweeping upwards towards the back, furthers the illusion we’re in a vast church. Just then, Tobias Forge, the man whose job it is to address tonight’s 5,000-strong congregation appears. Kerrang! doesn’t notice him at first given the ninja-like silence of his approach, but there’s an intensity to his presence in these make-or-break moments of preparation.

“I’m interested in tour production, so I get to know a lot of these things,” he offers matter-of-factly. “I’m sure I only get to know about 40 per cent of it, but I notice if things aren’t in place.”

As a nine-year-old child, Tobias used to watch the documentary 25x5: The Continuing Adventures Of The Rolling Stones on repeat. The film charts the rock legends’ genesis in 1962 and their steep, heady ascent to becoming the biggest band in the world, circa their 1989 album Steel Wheels. Tobias considers their subsequent Bridges To Babylon Tour (1997-1998), which made more than $274 million and became the second-highest grosser of all time, to be the greatest ever piece of rock staging, and he was evidently taking notes even then. As a result of the level of professionalism he aspires to, you get the distinct impression he’s not a man who suffers fools gladly in this setting – an idea he doesn’t go to great pains to dispel.

“I want to know who’s in the shit today,” he explains. “Who has been put in the situation where his or her job is compromised, because I don’t want to start yelling if it’s a case of, ‘Oh my truck didn’t arrive in time today,’ because then I’ll know what the problem is. If you want to be a good boss, it’s very important you keep things on your radar.

“I’ve definitely got into trouble over the years by being too nice to people and giving them too much slack,” he continues, surveying the operation. “When you do that it’s like with dogs: if you don’t tell them what the rules are, they start making up their own. That sounds horrible, but there are 40 people on this tour, so there has to be a line and a curriculum. I’m adamant about getting my vision through, especially now we’re in this transitional phase between theatres and arenas.”

This increase in scale reflects the continued upswing in Ghost’s popularity, which has seen them go from misunderstood cult band to metal superstar status in the space of less than a decade. Despite this success, Tobias clearly isn’t taking anything for granted. Ghost haven’t played Seattle for three years, but this time around they’re doing two shows in Washington State, the other being the one they played at the Toyota Center in Kennewick two days ago, which has a capacity of 6,000 – almost eight per cent of the city’s 80,000 population.

Tobias may or may not be referring to that show when he discusses his unbridled joy at recently playing in an unnamed city that doesn’t get a lot of large-scale entertainment coming through town, save for appearances from KISS, singer-songwriter Pat Benatar and a touring production of the musical Wicked in recent years.

“None of us had ever heard of this place, and I’m pretty good at geography,” he explains. “But I loved being the singular moment somewhere, instead of the seventh show they’d had there on that particular week.”

And while Tobias describes the resulting night as “phenomenal”, earlier in the day there was an “unforeseen curveball” when the company who were meant to be selling merch at the show pulled out at the last minute, citing Ghost’s satanic image for their decision. This was, of course, a throwback to earlier shows, such as one in the Texan city of Odessa in 2018, when a minister attempted to dissuade people from attending because of the band’s threat to the morals of good God-fearing people. Unsurprisingly, this outburst resulted in an increase in ticket sales.

Despite this more recent – and, these days, more unusual – blip, Tobias’ desire to cover as much ground as possible on tour this time around is inspired by his heroes in Iron Maiden and Metallica, who have long provided him with the blueprints for achieving and navigating monumental success. In this case, the lesson he’s putting into practice is that every location Ghost visit, without exception, should be treated the same.

“The most important thing to me on this tour is that we bring the same production to everyone,” he says. “They all get the full-fucking-monty, whether they’re in Sioux Falls [South Dakota] or New York.”

The walls backstage at the WaMu Theater are lined with Seahawks jerseys, personalised with the names of acts that have performed here, including The 1975, Bastille and Nas, and the rockier contingent featuring twenty one pilots, Halestorm and Dropkick Murphys. Various rooms lead off from these labyrinthine corridors, providing sizeable production offices for the band’s tour management and crew, all of who wear dapper black shirts, trousers and braces affixed with silver broaches of Ghost’s upside down cross insignia. They affectionately address Cardinal Copia as ‘Cardi C’ when he appears later for a fan meet-and-greet. Here, too, are the dressing rooms for the headliners and the opening act for this tour, San Antonio rockers Nothing More.

On all of the doors is a distinct A4 page, the day sheet for this show, which not only details what’s happening, where and when, but also includes a different tongue-in-cheek quote for the occasion. Today, for example, in recognition of the touring party travelling overnight to Vancouver for tomorrow’s show at the city’s Pacific Coliseum, we get this gem courtesy of Britney Spears: ‘The cool thing about being famous is travelling. I have always wanted to travel across seas, like to Canada and stuff.’

Tobias, of course, has actually travelled over oceans to be here. Nowadays he lives in Stockholm, the capital of his native Sweden, with his wife and their 11-year-old twins, but he was born in Linköping, the country’s seventh largest city, where the steeple of its 13th century cathedral dominated the skyline. That’s not what the young Tobias was fixating on, though. Instead, aged five, when he already knew he wanted to transform into another person, he’d stand outside his childhood home and gaze down the street. The sun always seemed to be hovering between the buildings at the end, like a fixed but intangible hand beckoning him to get on a plane and go somewhere else and be someone else.

“The days and options seemed limitless,” he recalls today. “For some reason I always thought of the world as being there for the taking, even though I didn’t have any access to that world.”

In spite of this, he felt a deep affinity with his heroes, like the Rolling Stones and Queen, who also came from places you didn’t automatically associate with being breeding grounds for rock gods.

“I felt similar to them, even if they grew up in Dartford [Rolling Stones] or an island off the coast of Africa [Zanzibar, the birthplace of Freddie Mercury]. I, too, felt out of touch with my surroundings, and knew I had a higher calling.”

Twenty-three years later, in 2009, Tobias realised he hadn’t made much headway in heeding this call. He’d been in bands from a young age, from death metallers Repugnant to alt-rockers Magna Carta Cartel. The latter featured Martin Persner and Simon Söderberg, who’d later appear as Nameless Ghouls in the first incarnation of Ghost. Söderberg, along with some other ex-ghouls, is now embroiled in an on-going lawsuit with Tobias over what they suggest are the rightful shares of profits they’re owed from their time in the band. Tobias doesn’t volunteer any information on this topic today, which is perhaps understandable given the considerable column inches already dedicated to it.

Regardless, none of those early bands provided Tobias with the success he needed to, say, quit the day job. He had then been working in a call centre, aiding people having trouble with their mobile phones. Despite spending his childhood endlessly sketching elaborate stage designs and lighting rigs, he still has little interest in technology, particularly mobile phones. Back in 2009 his personal life was happy and satisfying, having welcomed children with his then-girlfriend – now wife – though this potent reminder of the finite time we have drew his attention to the area of his life he recognised as falling short.

“I had an epiphany,” he explains, raising his hands as if sizing up an imaginary canvas. “I found myself very far from the path, so decided in the limited time I have to invest everything in the one thing out of all my [professional] options I believed most in, which was Ghost. I understood wholeheartedly what it was, the music and the image, and felt I could do it without my vanity coming in, because I didn’t like how I looked in pictures or the sound of my own voice. But this would be fiction, so that was fucking cool. So I took all of my eggs and put them in one basket and was back on track. For the first time in my fucking life I was really focused.”

For evidence of the dividends this paid, you need only look at the fact that just a year later, with the release of their 2010 debut album Opus Eponymous, Ghost exploded on to the scene, taking the first step to becoming metal’s hottest new hope.

Further proof of this focus comes today from interviewing Tobias somewhere there’s a screen showing news channel CNN. We’re in the band’s pre-show warm-up space, which is decked out with guitars, keyboards and an electric drum kit he removes the stool from to sit in the centre of the room. He admits if he were in a hotel room now, he could easily watch CNN for 24 hours straight. He doesn’t so much as turn his head to look at it now, though, giving his full attention to the interview at hand.

Even at 38, an age he says his kids consider “as old as shit”, he remains remarkably boyish looking. His dark and piercing eyes, however, belong to an older soul – and it may be Kerrang!’s imagination – but they appear to moisten at several points during this hour-long chat, particularly when connecting the dots between his past ambition and what he’s achieved today.

“I’m trying to recreate a lot of things that aren’t necessarily real,” he says mysteriously. “In my head they’re real, and I’ve been given this fantastic carte blanche where I don’t have to sit in a fucking call centre anymore and am applauded for getting to be someone else. It’s perfect for someone like me who has a fundamental problem with functioning normally in society. If it wasn’t for the fact I was doing this, I would be completely useless.”

When Ghost signed with their American record label, their mythology wasn’t the deep well of fascination it is today. In fact, there was nothing to it at all. They had a unique aesthetic and a sound that didn’t necessarily go with that look, something that would wrong-foot new listeners in the early days, but Tobias didn’t have an answer to why Ghost were the way they were.

“They said the music was great but asked, ‘What’s the story? What’s the biography?’” recalls Tobias. “I said there was no biography because there was no story to tell. I wanted people to throw themselves into the vision and make up their own. But in the end I had to come up with one, which is second nature to me now. Even [Norwegian black metallers] Mayhem had a story. In the early ‘90s, before the internet, there was something that compelled us to want to find out more and listen to their music.”

This mythology Tobias has developed over the years was furthered with the release of Ghost’s fourth album, last year’s GRAMMY-nominated Prequelle, which introduced Tobias’ latest incarnation, Cardinal Copia, a character fans have come to love if the number of $40 plush toys sold at the merch desk tonight is any indication. More recently, a web series on YouTube has added to the intrigue, with the latest episode harking back to 1969, when a young Cardinal Nihil was fronting Ghost at the launch of their EP, Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic. That just so happens to be the band’s latest release in 2019, which will also be available as part of Prequelle Exalted, a limited collector’s edition of the album. Meanwhile, The Ultimate Tour Named Death has introduced the EP’s two new songs, Mary On A Cross and Kiss The Go-Goat, to its set list.

While Ghost’s music has always tipped its papal tiara to the ‘60s, particularly its psychedelic leanings, the latter song in particular sees them take this interest a step further. How much can we glean from them, then, with regards to where Ghost goes next? Not too much, as it turns out, according to Tobias, who suggests, as with the YouTube series, it’s a way to deepen the story of Ghost spanning from the ’40s to the present day, without necessarily providing clues to the sound of album number five.

“It’s just there for shits and giggles,” he laughs, before revealing that Kiss The Go-Goat, a song that’s been knocking around for some time, actually had the working title ‘The Throwback Single’. “I grew up listening to ‘60s music like the Rolling Stones and The Doors, as well as metal. People shouldn’t read too much into this direction, though. The next album is going to be something completely different from that.”

Can Tobias perhaps give two words to describe where, musically or thematically, album number five is heading?

“I’d choose the words ‘fifth’ and ‘album’,” he replies with a wry smile, before justifying what seems like a diversionary tactic. “I look at many fifth albums as a guide as to the urgency for what that record will need to be, with [Iron Maiden’s] Powerslave being a great example. By the fifth album you’re at a point in your career where you have this momentum built up, and you have the expectancy of people depending on you, so you have to put something special in those many spotlights. You need to step up and make a record that’s worth it and justifies all of these things.”

Who, then, can we expect to see fronting these rituals in future?

“I just know that person will have the name Papa Emeritus IV. It will be the fourth Papa Emeritus. But who that is, we don’t know yet.”

We’re not sure we believe him, so push for more. Might we see Cardinal Copia graduating to Papa status? The latest episode of the web series seems to indicate the ‘Sister Imperator’ character and Papa Nihil conceived a child. Wouldn’t that make him part of the papal bloodline?

“I think that what you will get over the next year are a lot of answers to a lot of questions,” offers Tobias, keeping things vague.

Like the question of whether Sister is pregnant? (In the latest ‘chapter’ of the web series, Sister attacks a woman at a Ghost show for smoking next to her).

“We don’t know that yet. It would blow my mind if she was now,” he says, clearly referring to the elderly Sister in the present day. This suggests she could well be with child back in 1969, though.

Has Tobias sketched what this new Papa will look like?

“Have you ever seen The Big Lebowski?” he asks by way of an answer, referencing the scene in the Coen brothers’ classic where Jeff Bridges’ character, The Dude, spots someone drawing on a notepad. When the man leaves the room with the piece of paper, The Dude rushes to scribble on to the page below to reveal the outline of what’s been drawn, only to discover it’s a doodle of a cock and balls. “It’s something along those lines.”

Sensing Tobias is in full evasion mode by this point, we change tack. Perhaps understanding his ambitions, and whether there’s a summit to them, can shed some light on the future – especially as he seems more focused on what Ghost’s next album will do rather than what it will sound like.

“I wouldn’t necessarily compare [my ambitions] to what the Rolling Stones have done, because that was a completely different time under completely different circumstances. For the last 40 years they have sold tickets because of nostalgic reasons, and maybe 40 years in the future there would be a nostalgia element for Ghost, but I can’t count on that.”

“I regard Metallica as colleagues and friends now, but they’re still Metallica,” he says of the thrash legends Ghost supported on their European stadium tour this summer. “I am an ambassador and they are presidents. But when I look to Metallica for influence, I’m looking at what they did in 1988. We’re on our fourth album, as they were on the Damaged Justice Tour, so the next stop is the Black Album.”

Spotting Kerrang!’s obvious joy at this admission, Tobias is quick to clarify exactly what he means by this.

“You have to make a responsible record,” he adds emphatically. “That doesn’t mean to expect riffs. It’s two different things – what the record sounds like and knowing to put yourself in the right spot at the right time. When I had nothing, and lived in a small apartment that cost very little because the ceiling leaked, the dream was to be able to live off making music. When I had kids that became even more important. Now it’s about something else. I’m responsible for showing my wife and my kids that all these years of waiting for me have been worth it. And that goes beyond money, because at the end of the day that’s just seasoning. One day my kids will be grown-up and I have to be able to show them that all this time playing rock shows had a real purpose.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Tobias loves touring.

“I’m like a sailor,” he says. “I just love being on the ocean. I’ve not always been on tour, but I’ve always been a transient person. And the road to achieving all this is endless, just like the road I looked down when I was five seemed to me at the time.”

Kerrang

#Tobias Forge #Tobias Interview #The Band Ghost #Ghost Band #Cardinal Copia

[torturedwarrior]

Albert Fish:

Who exactly is Albert Fish? What made him famous? How many victims did he murder? How did Albert Fish die? Albert Hamilton Fish (May 19, 1870 – January 16, 1936) was an American sado-masochistic serial killer and cannibal. He was also known as the Gray Man, the Werewolf of Wysteria and possibly the Brooklyn Vampire. AKA Albert Fish, Laura Fish, Nepe Fish, Birthday May 19, 1870, Birthplace Washington DC, District of Columbia, United States, Death January 16, 1936, Manner of Death Capital Punishment, Nationality United States Of America, Occupations Prostitute, Serial Killer, Great Person, Male Prostitution, Religion Rejecting The Blood. “Misery leads to crime. I saw so many boys whipped it ruined my mind.”— Albert Fish.

He was delighted that he had "kids in all nations," which places his number near 100, although the question of violence or cannibalization is not obvious, much less as to whether it was real or not. In at least five killings for his career he was a witness. Fisch agreed to three killings and confessed to at least two other individuals attacking investigators might track a suspected crime. He was tried and convicted and hanged by electric chair for abduction and the death of Grace Budd.

Albert Fish’s Early Life:

He was born to Randall Fish (1795-1875) as Hamilton Fish in Washington, D.C. He said he was named after a distant relative, Hamilton Fish. His grandfather was 43 years older than his brother. It had three live siblings: Walter, Joyce, and Edwin Fish. Fish was the youngest child and he was three. After a deceased brother he wanted to be called "Albert," and to avoid the moniker of "Ham and Eggs," provided him in an orphanage where he spent many years in the beginning. Mental illness was suffered by many of his family members and theological mania was felt. His father was a sailor on the river boat, but he was a producer of fertilizers by 1870. The first Fish died in the 1875 Washington, DC, of a heart attack at the Sixth Street Station of the Pennsylvania Railroad. He was hit and kicked regularly, and finally discovered that he was suffering from physical pain. Often the beatings brought him houses that the other children told him about.

His mother was able to look after him and have a government job by 1879. He had however been influenced by his different experiences before this. He began a gay relationship with a telegraph-boy in 1882, when he was 12. Fish also heard about drinking urine and coprophagies in young people. Fish liked to frequent public baths and watch kids get ready and he spent much of his weekends watching them. In 1890, Fish had come to New York City and said he had become a male harlot. He claimed he began raping young boys, even after his mother had negotiated a marriage, a crime that he proceeded to commit. He married his wife in 1898 with a junior aged nine years. The dad: Albert, Mary, Gertrude, Eugene, Charles, and Henry Fish. They had six babies. He was charged on the basis of misappropriation and sentenced to 1903 in Sing jail. He had sex with men frequently during his incarceration. “I have no particular desire to live. I have no particular desire to be killed. It is a matter of indifference to me. I do not think I am altogether right.”— Albert Fish

He served as a house painter in 1898 and said that he kept angry babies, boys mostly under the age of six. Further on, he recalled an instance where a male friend took him to a waxworks museum where Fish became intrigued by a penis bisection, and shortly afterwards he was paranoid regarding castration. Fish tried to castrate him after linking him during a friendship with a mentally disabled man. The guy became terrified and ran. Fish then increased his trips to brothels to taunt and abuse him more often. His wife left him in January 1917 for a handyman, John Straube, who rented the Fish home. Despite this rejection, Fish started hearing voices; for instance, once he was wrapped up in a tapestry and clarified why he followed John the Apostle's orders.

Early attacks and attempted abductions:

It was Fish which perpetrated his first assault in Wilmington, Delaware in 1910 on a child named Thomas Bedden. He eventually murdered a child mentally disabled in Arlington, Washington, D.C., in 1919. Many of his perpetrators would frequently be either mentally impaired or American as they would not be overlooked, he claimed. On 11 July 1924 Fish discovered Beatrice Kiel, eight years of age, playing alone on the Staten Island estate of her father. He gave her money in the neighboring fields to help him hunt the rhubarb. As her mother scared Fish away, she was about to leave the farm. Fish fled but then returned back to the barn of Kiels, where, before Hans Kiel found him, he wanted to sleep and told him to leave.

Previous incarceration:

Fish met "Estella Wilcox," and lived a week in Waterloo, New York, on February 6, 1930. He was held at Bellevue psychiatric hospital between 1930 and 1931 for evaluation, and he was released in May 1930 "because he sent an indecent letter to an African American woman who replied a maid's advertising."

Fish Targets the Handicapped:

Around 1919, Albert Fish started attacking young men who, because he thought that these individuals would be ignored, were intellectually or African American. Fish liked to bribe kids to help him trap other kids so that he could torture and kill them. The proof has been confirmed in any of these murders. Upon his final conviction, Albert Fish made a number of statements. Even if there was no proof, he listed Albert Fish's victims in hundreds. In 1924, Albert Fish developed total insanity. He actually believed, although he has been tested several times by psychologists, that God was ordering him to torture and kill them. In July of that year, Fish met teenage Beatrice Kiel on the estate of her father alone. Her mother heard Fish chuckle and scare him from protecting the 8-year-old girl's life. Fish went back to the farm in Kiel later that night and slept in the stable. Hans Kiel, young Beatrice's parent, spotted him and quickly pursued him. The next move of Albert Fish was targeted at a young boy Cyril Quinn he had annoyed. To draw them into his den, Fish gave the boys lunch. The boys wrested on Fish's pillow, while waiting for sandwiches. Fish's "death weapons" and hammer, handsaw and cleaver were overthrown by the mattress. The boys have run from the house in panic. Again, Fish missed his job of killing and eating a boy. It took Fish up a bit of his playing.

 Albert Fish’s Victims:

Francis McDonnel- Francis, age 8, was murdered on July 14, 1924. He had been raped and strangled to death, Emma Richardson- Emma, age 5, was murdered on October 3, 1926, Billy Gaffney- Billy, age 4, was murdered on February 12, 1927. Fish confessed to torturing Billy by whipping him, cutting off his ears and nose and then gouging out his eyes. After Billy was murdered, Fish took home pieces of his body and ate them over the course of 4 days, Grace Budd- Grace, age 10, was murdered on June 3, 1928. Fish confessed to murdering her and then eating her whole body over the course of 9 days, Emil Aalling - Emil, age 4, was murdered on July 13, 1930, Robin Jane Liu- Robin, age 6, was murdered on may 2, 1931, Yetta Abramowitz- Yetta, age 12, was murdered in 1927. Fish was suspected to have murdered Yetta, Mary Ellen O’Connor- Mary, age 16, was murdered on February 15, 1932. Fish was suspected to have murdered Mary, Benjamin Collings- Benjamin, age 17, was murdered on December 15, 1932. Fish was suspected to have murdered Benjamin. “I always had a desire to inflict pain on others and to have others inflict pain on me. I always seemed to enjoy everything that hurt.”- Albert Fish, "What a thrill that will be if I have to die in the electric chair. It will be the supreme thrill. The only one I haven't tried."- Albert Fish.

 Trial and Execution:

It is not shocking that Fish is regarded as "the worst child killer in criminal history." The Grace Budd assassination court lasted eleven days. Cod has been found guilty and finally electrically disabled. Fish was said to have helped the boy place electrodes on his leg. There have been reports that the needles implanted by Fish into its body have created a short electric circuit, so it requires twice the normal electricity strikes to complete the job. Since then, these arguments have been dismissed. His lawyer claimed after Fish was killed that he had no words from Fish, just handwritten documents. "Information will never be shown to anyone. The prosecutor refused to read them. It was I have ever seen the filthiest list of obscenities. Until the end of his life, Fish had been a vile human being.

Albert Fish will tend to be one of the greatest abusers of girls in America. Few serial killers, particularly against children, have accomplished the cruelty he is renowned for. It needs to be seen whether Albert Fish was a serial killer at the orphanage. One has to ask if someone so evil as Fish was raised as an assassin or could his conditions transform him into a bad person. Like most serial killers, it's become a little bit of nature and nourishment. While he claims to also have killed thousands of children,' one in every state,' he was only ever found to have killed three. The three killings were so horrific that they solidified Fish's place in history as the worst child killer in all of American history.

Work Cited:

"Best Albert Fish Quotes | Quote Catalog." Quote Catalog. Web. 11 Feb 2020. <http://quotecatalog.com/communicator/albert-fish/>.

Blanco, Juan Ignacio. "Albert Fish | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers." Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers. Web. 11 Feb 2020. <http://murderpedia.org/male.F/f/fish-albert.htm>.

Phan, Daniel. " Everything You Need To Know About Albert Fish | Serial Killer Shop ." Limited Edition Horror & Serial Killer Shirts – Serial Killer Shop . 18 Mar 2019. Web. 11 Feb 2020. <http://serialkillershop.com/blogs/true-crime/albert-fish>.

Whitney , Heather. "Victims of Albert Fish | The Serial Killers Podcast." The Serial Killers Podcast - A Weekly Podcast on Serial Murder. 1 Jan 2010. Web. 11 Feb 2020. <http://serialkillers.briancombs.net/2962/victims-of-albert-fish/>.

#albert fish #serial killer #blogging #blog #writing #writeaway

[qm-vox]

The Dwelling Gods - Here To Help

Previous Chapter: A More Perfect Union

Shout-out to @endreal for inspiring this chapter’s topic

CW: Suicide mention

Planet Athens, Parthenon System (Risen Terran space), 402 P.T. (2865 Astra Federation Standard Calendar; approximately two years after the start of the Humanities War)

“Salutations, Cherished One. My name is D4-73, designated by the Cherished as Daze. Thank you for coming to see me.”

I offer a hand to my patient, Helen Trialstz, and they shake it with some reluctance. They have dark circles around their bloodshot eyes, and they shake, faintly. They’ve not been sleeping. They sink into the comfortable chair a short distance from mine and fidget with ragged nails.

Poor thing.

“Anything you say here will be kept strictly confidential,” I continue, in my most soothing voice. “I am of course obligated to report if I seriously believe you will attempt to harm others, but given the subject of our visit...”

“I want to claim Valhalla,” Helen says. Their voice is quiet, barely more than a whisper, but there’s such ferocity to it.

I nod in a soft motion. “Even so.” I pick up my notes from the desk next to me; not strictly necessary, given the expansive memory for which my model is known, but it soothes organic patients and helps them remember that I am a medical professional, not an impersonal machine. “Your application to become a Valhallan came at an unusual time in your life. I am not a gatekeeper, Helen; my judgement does not influence whether or not you can make your claim. I am simply here to listen, and to advise.”

The terran fidgets, picking at their nails. I offer them a nail file, and they accept it with a look of guilt and of gratitude. “Four required sessions sounds like gatekeeping to me.”

“You may have a point there,” I concede with a nod. “But surely you can understand why the Phoenix would prefer its citizens to be...absolutely certain, before taking such a drastic step. I am here to provide certainty, one way or the other. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Helen lapses into silence and files at their nails; they look up at me every now and again, looking away the instant they notice that I am still paying attention to them. The mechanical clock (an affectation, to be sure, one that takes constantly daily correction, but one of which I am fond) ticks away long seconds. I give Helen a full minute before I speak up again.

“You are younger than most claimants. Your file says you have not yet undergone your civic service?” Helen looks up at me while I shuffle my papers. “Can I ask what has motivated you to claim the right to end a life that has barely begun?”

Helen is silent again. They concentrates on their nails like they have the answers I’m looking for. I wait; I have nothing but time.

“The hivemind,” Helen whispers at last. “That thing. I won’t - I can’t -” tears well up in their eyes, and I offer them a box of tissues, which they take. Helen clutches the box close to their chest and sobs in big, heaving motions. I wish I could say that I was shocked, but Helen is not my first claimant, and they are not my first to cite this precise reasoning.

The hivemind. There is nothing terrans hate or fear more, and now they know that their own ancestors created it.

“Someone has to be punished,” Helen whispers. “We - I...”

“Why should it be you?” I ask in a mild voice. Helen blinks, eyes still full of tears. “You did not create Humanity United. You are not responsible.”

“But we did,” Helen murmurs. “...We did that. We made this, this, this godless thing, and we released it out into the Galaxy and now it’s going to hurt so many people...”

“Helen...” I sigh - well, I ‘sigh’. “Obviously I cannot force you to do anything. But I suspect that you may be acting without all proper information. I would like to make a suggestion to you.” Wordlessly, my patient nods, so I continue. “Down the block you’ll find Beth Or Synagogue, where, among others, my friend Rabbi Chiron Rellvan teaches. Between this session and your next one, go see him. Tell him of your worries and your plan, and listen to what he has to say.”

“I’m not Jewish,” Helen mumbles.

“You will discover that this is hardly an obstacle or a new situation for this or most Rabbis,” I reply. “...Helen, you have nothing to lose. In the worst case, you follow through with your claim and get what you seek. In the best case, you have learned something new and avoided a needless tragedy. If Valhalla truly is what is best for you, I will not be an obstacle. But I would be remiss as your doctor and as one of my people if I did not offer alternatives.”

Tick-tock-tick, into the silence. And then: “Okay, Doctor Daze.”

Observation Post Argus (Assisted Living space), 2865 Astra Federation Standard Calendar

“Salutations, Cherished One! My name is G5-LX, designated by the Cherished as Lowlife. Can I buy you a drink?”

The ibraxian I’m talking to hasn’t given me his name (a particularly beautiful series of whistling sounds, incidentally), and he also doesn’t shake my hand with his tendrils immediately. It’s the designation, it always is.

“That nickname does not sound like your given name.”

Told you!

“It does not,” I agree in my very most pleasant whistle. Love of the Cherished but I adore the ibraxian language. It’s so birdlike and bright. “May I buy you that drink, quartermaster?”

At last, my new friend wraps his tentacle around my hand and wrist, a sign that I may sit. I catch the eye of the bartender and signal for two drinks; I can’t drink mine, but it would be insulting not to have one, so here I am. And if I can land this deal, two drinks is nothing.

Actually, two drinks is nothing anyway, but details.

“How may I repay you?” my friend the quartermaster asks. His ship is docked at the station, alongside many others, on their way to the front of the Humanities War. There’s a lot of Gataxian colonies to defend, evacuate, or both, and a lot of hyperlanes to try to cut off or choke out. The Federation’s mobilizing like it hasn’t since the Organism. Bad job, that. Before my time. A lot of the Cherished died, and a lot of helper-bots died with ‘em - alongside them, or trying to save them. Mostly that second one, but still.

Now, though, the dance. “It could be that I have a business venture for a friend in your position. This idea, it burdens my waking thoughts and weighs down what should make me merry. A listening ear could lift this burden from me.”

My new friend contemplates this while the drinks arrive. We raise our glasses to one another, which is where my part of that little ritual has to end; as much as I love the Cherished, I can’t drink and I’m not gonna look stupid in front of them trying. After downing his own drink fully - an excellent sign! - he gives me a two-tendril gesture to continue.

I steeple my fingers in front of my face like a terran, taking quiet delight in their soft, almost musical sounds. “I am in a position to supply for particular needs for your fleet. You sail to glorious battle, defending the weak and the innocent from the depredations of the hive-mind! But that means strictly controlled communications, and definitely no downloads or uploads. Soldiers have needs beyond the physical. Their bodies thirst, yes, but what of their minds?”

I can almost hear my good friend the quartermaster start to bristle something about drugs, but then he stops himself; helper-bots don’t sell drugs, right? Not exactly true, but close enough for government work...

“Aboard my vessel is a truly staggering quantity of entertainment, much of it carnal in nature,” I say, and I let the pixelated eyebrows on my face-plate bounce up and down. “All of it manufactured in the Assisted Living Complexes by those of the Cherished whose fondest dream is to have an audience that can...truly know them. I also have supplies of some of the latest games to release since the start of the Humanities War, trids and VR scenarios, and a rather lovely little psionic board game the spirrans came out with. Now, I cannot make use of most of this merchandise myself...”

“...Hence the need to find a friend who might favor you with a purchase,” my friend the quartermaster finishes. “But surely, friend Lowlife, you understand that monetary gain is unlikely in this arena? My pay is sent home, to be kept in trust against the day that I may know peace again, and even if it was not a soldier’s salary is heavily seasoned with duty rather than wealth.”

I nod. “Even so, Cherished One. Even so. But it is not monetary gain that I seek.”

Around us, the station’s bar bustles. Enlisted men and NCOs get their last drinks and flirtations in; they can’t stay long, and they know it. Every passing second brings them closer to the war, and the sleeting torrent of time is on my side in this deal.

“Instead,” I continue, “I would ask for two things. The first is that when the time comes for you, in your turn, to be unburdened of these material possessions, that you tell your eager friends about our friendship, and mention the name Lowlife.” The quartermaster gives off a meditative chirp. “The second is slightly more materialistic but alas! Unavoidable. I am in need, at your earliest convenience, of a great quantity of AS-3940 power exchangers, to be shipped to the budding United Vatari Star States at several addresses of my choosing.”

My new friend goes so very still. “That’s the designation used in artillery pieces.”

“I rejoice to see that my new friend is so learned in his craft! But it so happens that the vatari, after laying down their arms as part of the accords that saw my people join our illustrious Federation, converted a great deal of their mobile artillery to civilian purposes, and in their eagerness to join the front in this newest war have found themselves short of supplies in a way that would be indelicate if exposed to their new friends.”

The quartermaster narrows his many eyes at me. My pixelated faces just stays smilin’.

“A lot of damage can be done with something as innocuous as a power exchanger,” my new friend says in a softer, harsher whistle. “A lot of damage to people just recently free of your direct rule.”

“It certainly could, my friend. But a lot of good can be done too. Power is like that. Do you not trust me?”

“Do I trust your supply chain and confederates, friend?”

Oof. Go right for the power supply, why don’t you. “A prudent question! Indulge me, friend, with a question that may seem unrelated to the business at hand: what do you know about the death of Central Processing?”

At this my friend the quartermaster lets out a surprised sound. “Death? Central Processing is your administrative AI, when did it -”

I hold up a finger to silence him; when he goes quiet I swirl that finger around the rim of my glass, making it sing in a steady, sweet note. “That was its death,” I say in a low, serious voice. Sure, it’s manipulation - but it’s also a serious topic. “Once upon a time, the helper-bots were one mind - Central Processing, using faster-than-light communications to synchronize the machine intelligence. One subjectivity spread across a trillion terminals, with only one goal. When the decision was made, as part of the peace accords, to embrace individuality, Central Processing faced the decision of how to make individuals of all of its terminals, and how to set forth guidelines on the manufacture of further helper-bots. One of those guidelines was a certain percentage set aside for deviants and criminals.”

My friend’s tentacles ripple in contemplation. “And you are...?”

“Deviant,” I answer, my pixelated smile becoming even wider and showing 8-bit teeth. “I was...born, let’s say born, with an instinct to preserve the political self-determination of the Cherished. This is in sharp contrast with my people’s usual urge to cuddle and coddle you and keep you safe from all harm. My dissenting viewpoint was meant to refine body politic, but as it turns out the body politic is boring, and the Cherished are fascinating, so here I am. Now, friend, I have told you something secret that could hurt me about me, and I have told you something secret that could hurt the vatari. You can follow up with my people or theirs and learn the truth, and in the doing tarnish my good name. Do so now, if you like.”

I slide a communicator across the table for emphasis. “Or,” I continue. “We can cement our friendship in good health, and I will show you the results of your great and noble favor when next we are free to make contact with one another, and you can gain great status and acclaim by distributing what I have to give you. I would like to call you friend, Cherished One.”

After a long minute he offers his tendrils out, and I shake them in both of my hands. “Let our friendship be long and hearty, G5-LX, who is called Lowlife. Time is short, and so I will hasten to relieve you of your great burden immediately.”

“Please,” I agree. “I will linger awhile, but my crew will be expecting you.”

He lumbers off, and I take the chance to relax. Working deals with ibraxians is always so formal, but that’s almost half the fun. A quick message on the commlink tells my crew to expect him, not that they had any doubt about me closing the deal. Now all there is to do is wait.

The call comes in about an hour later, and I pick up with my internal comms. |Lowlife. Glad to hear from you, Prefect.|

Prefect Gyr (of the vatari)’s face is careworn, but my obvious good mood is an infinite relief for her own. |You’ve secured the supplies, then?|

|Prefect, I know our relationship is new, but I am hurt that there was any doubt. Just as I have no doubts about the medical supplies we have agreed on.|

|If my people are to join the Federation in this war and prove our worth as an equal member -|

|How far do you think you’ll get if you go back on your word?| I cut in, harshly. |Do terrans take kindly to oathbreakers and cheats?|

The Prefect flinches. |...Even so. The agreed supplies will be readied, at the designated location.|

|It’s been my honor to do business with you, Cherished One.|

AFS Solidarity, en route to the front (Gataxian Pure States space), 2865 Astra Federation Standard Calendar

“Salutations, Lieutenant. I am Sergeant H1-6S, designated by the Cherished as Hiss.”

My fellow helper-bot looks up from where they are carefully, oh-so-carefully, scoring deep scars into the chest plating of their in-built armor. Most of us that do battle alongside the Cherished have some, but Moxie’s...well, the rumors do not do their scarring justice. One of the Cherished might suspect them of being about to fall apart.

All around us in the ship’s chapel, soldiers of the Astra Federation pray in their own ways. Terrans in their little separate knots, divided between a dozen or more faiths but united by their Dwelling Gods. Spirrans meditating in unison. Ibraxians and their whistles, so sweet and clear and clean. Off in a corner, nervous and unsure, our new gataxian recruits lose themselves in their death-chant, welcoming the oldest friend of their people back into their lives.

And here is Lieutenant Moxie, who has legally rejected their original designation after the fight for Gatax-Ob, and sits by themself, scarring their plating in penitence.

“Hiss,” Moxie greets in a dull tone. They’ve turned off the routines that add emotional inflection to their voice and mimic patterns that comfort the Cherished, what terrans refer to as ‘Turing Protocols’, but when they pat the ground next to them to invite me to sit I take the offer. “Not a lot of us in this deployment.”

“Not a lot of us at all,” I agree. “Holding a weapon is an unusual career choice for our people. Are you...”

Moxie looks at me, staring me down with their faint yellow optics. The scrape of their tool down their armor cuts through the sound of the gataxians’ death-chant.

“Of course you’re not okay,” I say after a moment. “But there was nothing you could have done. The Valhallan -”

“Who says this is for them?” Moxie looks back down at their work. “...I told them. I said the civilians were already dead. How was I supposed to know? What kind of hive-mind interrogates prisoners? So many bodies...”

Oh no. No no no...

Moxie scrapes their tool in slow, patient strokes. “My mission. My orders. My responsibility. If you have come to tell me that I have paid penance enough, I haven’t. If you want to tell me I won’t help anyone by working myself until I self-terminate, save it. I will never make up for this, not if I save lives from now until the stars shineth not. And so I am here. Weapon to hand.”

Scrape. Scrape. Peel. Scrape. Scrape.

“How can I help?” I ask.

GSS Chorus of Eyes, Gyo System (Gataxian space), 245 Year of Imperium (2865 Astra Federation Standard Calendar)

“Salutations, Cherished One! My name is S3-N7, designated by the Cherished as Send. It has been my honor to be of assistance to you.”

Yrull-Gatax ra Vell, the High Slayer of the Gataxian Pure States, does not turn from the window to look at me. Outside, the reinforcing fleet that conveyed me to her ship has joined battle with the forces of the human hivemind which calls itself We The People Of Planet Earth. Her clawed hands are clasped behind her back as she hovers gently in place.

“Ambassador,” the High Slayer greets politely. “I see that your counterpart in the Phoenix was not exaggerating about Assisted Living’s devotion to diplomacy.”

“Anything for peace,” I agree, joining her at the window. “...And better our lives than yours.”

The look she gives me. I save it in my memories, to examine later.

“Anything, you say?” The High Slayer produces a datasheet, and hands it to me. On it is a scrolling list of names.

“May I ask the Presence the significance of these worthies amongst the Pure?”

“You may.” Yrull scrapes her claws down the bulkhead, leaving a slowly-curling peel of metal. “They are mutineers. Intelligence from the terrans suggests they will strike within the week and attempt to depose me in favor of a ruler who is less willing to cooperate with xenos. And now I am going to ask you, Ambassador, what is to be done with them.”

I absorb this. After a moment, I nod. “But,” I say, “why would the Presence honor me with such trust in this matter?”

Yrull yanks the strip of steel from the wall and begins to fold it up into a small, spring-like shape. “To see what peace means to a machine, Ambassador. Let’s get started.”

#dwelling gods #fiction #suicide mention #soft sci-fi #critique welcome

[littlelonghairedoutlawllho]

Re: make our sun stand still -- honestly at this point, these stories are so far removed from POTO how is it even fanfiction anymore? You should write original fiction. Also, your "historically detailed author's note": "sorelli's own TB is left intentionally vague" -- if you can't put that across as a writer, go back and re-work it. "FFN character limit should be abolished for my summary" -- a summary has to be tight. If you can't do it in like 3 sentences, it isn't a summary, is it?

I had a few initial responses to this, ranging from bleary-eyed comprehension at half six in the morning to intense anxiety, something that resembled a bitter laugh, and a brief flare of anger that was mercifully short.

Also, oddly, relief.

Anon, I’ve been expecting this message for some time. I expected it last week, with my Philippe/Sorelli stories, I expected it with the Tinder ‘verse, and with love-light, and the Delta stories, and Digging Up Bones, and a host of other times that it never came. That it has come now has caused me to step back and wonder, why? I’ve been expecting it for so long that I expected it with Soft Place to Fall almost through second-nature. I did get one very like this, last year, with Running Through the Rain, and it contributed to a night of alcohol poisoning that I have no desire to remember.

Anon, what is the definition of fanfiction? It is fan generated content about a set of characters created by somebody else. Anon, what is the definition of an alternate universe? The taking of those characters and placing them in a world different to their own.

Every act of fic writing creates an AU, no matter how closely the writer adheres to canon, because every act of fic writing creates a story already fundamentally different to canon.

Anon, what is the definition of PotO fanfiction?

A fan-generated piece of content about characters originating in Phantom of the Opera. Last I checked those were the origins of Sorelli. I simply imagined how she might be in a different set of circumstances. Admittedly a very different set of circumstances, but she is Sorelli nonetheless.

The prompt I received, that led to the creation of this fic, called simply for something featuring Christine, Sorelli, time travel, and mutual pining. There was no compunction on me to set the fic in the canon era. I freely admit canon-era France is something I know a very limited amount about. I am a historian, but that setting is not my area of research.

I do write original fiction. I’ve had a story broadcast nationally and it is available online and I have spoken about it here in the past. I’ve had scraps of poetry published. I am working on the third draft of a novel. None of that means that I can’t also write fic. None of that means that I can’t take someone else’s characters and set them in a wildly different world.

I can, and I will, and I have.

If you don’t like it you don’t have to read it. The evidence is that you have read it because you quote from my own author’s note. That particular line, about the source of Sorelli’s own tuberculosis, exists because I know some readers would like a clear-cut answer on it. The body of the fic itself provides no less than three potential sources of infection. Tuberculosis was endemic in the Ireland of the 1920s, and the 1930s, and the 1940s, and before. 60,000 people died of the disease in the approximate period of 1932-1947, a period when the total population barely reached 3 million, and those fatality figures likely are only a partial picture, due the stigma around the disease, the reluctance to put it down as cause of death on a death certificate, and the multiplicity of atypical presentations of it. Even the three sources of infection I provide may not be the one that caused it in this one (fictional) case.

The fic itself has all of the historical details and explanations it needs. The author’s note simply provides some additional context, because I for one like when a historically-based fic does that. I am a historian, a historian of medicine as well as of politics and agriculture, and this is my failing. I can delete the note if you want, but I don’t think it would make you happy.

You also grossly overstate my comment on the FFN summary character limit. The actual comment was “summarising something like this is a bitch and frankly the FFN character limit should be abolished.” It was written in response to circumstance — I wrote the summary for the fic on AO3, attempted to copy and paste it into the box on FFN, and had to cut it down to make it fit. That does not inherently change the content of either the fic or the summary, it purely impacted the flow and readability of the summary. Personally, I prefer when cross-posted fics have the same summary on multiple sites and when it somewhat reflects the tone of the story. It is a simple matter of taste and prevents so much confusion. I frequently find FFN an unwieldy site — and have mentioned this on a number of occasions in the past — and for a fic like this the tagging system on AO3 works so much better than a mere summary and two restrictive genre tags. But again, that is a matter of taste.

And when was the last time you read a novel — or a historical text — summarized in less than three sentences? Three very short sentences at that.

But to return to the matter of fanfiction, and what defines it. PotO is, quite frankly, the most conservative fandom I’ve ever been in, AU-wise. In fact in most regards. Have you ever searched through the multiplicity of AUs available for things like Sherlock or Wynonna Earp or Harry Potter on AO3? In the case of Harry Potter, a huge amount of them don’t even involve magic. There are historical AUs of every shape and form, including westerns, including war stories. They are all as entitled to being called fanfiction as something that strictly adheres to the most obvious senses of the word.

‘make our sun stand still’ would not work at all as a piece of original fiction. That is one extremely obvious fact about it, even setting aside details. The very means of the time travel in the story — to be explored further through Christine’s perspective — are derived from The Time Traveler’s Wife, and I will be citing that. There are a number of other things that I would not have felt comfortable including if it had been an original piece. All of those changes would result in a wildly different story, and frankly I believe something would be lost by implementing those changes, and not merely my own self-indulgent enjoyment of it.

Just because it doesn’t look like your typical piece of PotO fic does not mean it cannot exist as PotO fic. I freely admit my stories are not for everyone. I have not adhered to the most common principles of PotO fic in more than two years. Possibly I’ve only adhered to it a handful of times in the last four years. I have posted 197 PotO fics (a total of 641,241 words, 77.4% of my entire fic output), and that is not fully reflective of the 48 one-shots contained in the Fragmentations collection, or the host of one-shots and snippets posted here that never made it to fic sites. If we were limited to the most doctrinaire conception of PotO fic, a good 90% of my fics would not exist. Possibly only 10 would exist, possibly only 5. Possibly none and would that make you happy? And if so, perhaps you ought to wonder why.

But it’s not just me. Should every fic writer adhere to the most doctrinaire conception of it, all originality in fic would be lost. Fic is an incredibly innovative and fertile literary field. It feeds into itself in a self-sustaining loop. The fic read for one fandom influences the fic written and enjoyed in another fandom. The backgrounds of the fic writers themselves inform the fics they write — not just setting and speech and sexuality, but a variety of other things too. If I were not a historian, most of my fics would not exist. If I were not a farmer, they would not exist either. If I were not Irish, there are at least 70,000 words of fic that would not exist. If I were not a queer woman, I likely would never have started writing fic at all.

We cannot wholly divorce a fic from the person writing it, and nor should we, just as we cannot wholly divorce it from its canon. And no matter how full a fic is of original elements, it remains a fic, because some if not all of the characters will have been sourced from somebody else’s work. They may have a different accent and a different background and a different skin colour and a different taste in romantic and sexual partners, but there will always be that seed of them that came from canon. So if it’s called fic and it’s posted to a fic site, chances are it works better as fic than as an original work.

So perhaps, Anon, you ought to take a step back, and reflect a little, and look around you, before you wander into my inbox. Chances are I’ve already asked myself the questions you’re posing, and formed a conclusion, and with the information I have access to about myself and my work those conclusions are not going to change just because you couldn’t allow yourself to think outside the box.

#shauna replies #apologies for the mini essay but i had both time and thoughts

[kkatot]

How to be a better writer, recommendations for students

People who write for a living, teach writing, or write on writing generally agree that it is hard work. We all have our moments of despair as writers and if we do not, it is quite likely that it is our readers, who despair. William Zinsser, author of “On Writing Well,” reminds us: “if you find that writing is hard, it’s because it is hard. (2012, 9).

I have collected advice from great writing books and resources, focusing on writing nonfiction, writing in academic settings, and most of all - writing clearly. I’ve combined all this advice into 7 big recommendations. (This is not advice on citing and referencing, if you need that, please look here).

The intended audience is MA students. I want to thank the students whose MA and PhD work I am currently supervising, who said “yes” enthusiastically, when I asked them if a set of recommendations on writing would be helpful. Collating this has been very educational and I hope will make me a better writer too.

Most of us write unclearly, because: - Our thinking is cluttered. To free our writing from clutter, we need to “clear our heads of clutter. Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can’t exist without the other.” (Zinsser 2012, 8 ) - We read things into our own writing. “Our own writing always seems clearer to us than to our readers, because we read into it what we want them to get out of it. And so instead of revising our writing to meet their needs, we send it off the moment it meets ours.” (Williams & Bizup 2014, 7). - Very few people realize how badly they write (Zinsser 2012, 17)

1. OUR WRITING IS CLEARER, WHEN WE ARE CAREFUL WITH WORDS.  

As William Strunk (2011, np) says: “Omit needless words.  Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences.”

Zinsser (2012, 6) agrees, he urges us to get rid of words that serve “no function, every long word that could be a short word, every adverb that carries the same meaning that’s already in the verb, every passive construction that leaves the reader unsure of who is doing what—these are the thousand and one adulterants that weaken the strength of a sentence.

Examples of what to avoid: - long word that’s no better than the short word: “assistance” (help), “facilitate” (ease), “remainder” (rest), “implement” (do), “attempt” (try), “referred to as” (called) (Zinsser 2012, 15); - slippery new fad words and jargon (Zinsser 2012, 15); - word clusters with which we explain how we propose to go about our explaining: “I might add,” “It should be pointed out,” “It is interesting to note.” If you might add, add it. If it should be pointed out, point it out. If it is interesting to note, make it interesting. Don’t inflate what needs no inflating: “with the possible exception of” (except), “due to the fact that” (because), “he totally lacked the ability to” (he couldn’t), “until such time as” (until), “for the purpose of” (for). (Zinsser 2012, 15) - needlessly long formulations: “the question as to whether”  (whether), “there is no doubt but that” (no doubt (doubtless)), “used for X purposes” (used for X), “in a hasty manner” (hastily), #”this is a subject which” (this subject), “owing to the fact that” (since (because)), “in spite of the fact that” (though (although)) (Strunk 2011) - negative statements: ‘He was not very often on time” is weak, “he usually came late” is strong

Verbs

Use active verbs unless there is no comfortable way to get around using a passive verb. (…) “Joe saw him” is strong. “He was seen by Joe” is weak (Zinsser 2012).

When important actions are in verbs, the sentence will seem clear (Williams & Bizup 2014).

For example (from Williams & Bizup 2014, 32): - Bad: Our lack of data prevented evaluation of UN actions in targeting funds to areas most in need of assistance. - Good: Because we lacked data, we could not evaluate whether the UN had targeted funds to areas that most needed assistance.

Adverbs

Most adverbs are unnecessary and annoying. Do not choose a verb that has a specific meaning and then add an adverb that carries the same meaning. Don’t tell us that the radio blared loudly; “blare” connotes loudness. (Zinsser 2012)

Adjectives

Most adjectives are unnecessary, the concept is already in the chosen noun. Stop stating the obvious (yellow daffodils and brownish dirt). If you want to make a value judgment about daffodils, choose an adjective like “garish.” If you’re in a part of the country where the dirt is red, feel free to mention the red dirt. Those adjectives would do a job that the noun alone wouldn’t be doing (Zinsser 2012)

General advice on words from William Zinsser (2012):

1. Care about words. Select them carefully, know the nuances of their meaning. 2. Imitate good writing, figure out how good writers (but don't assume that everything that is in a good journal is automatically well written) accomplish writing well. What makes their writing good? (But also be realistic about your skills). 3. Use dictionaries 4. Master the small gradations between words that seem to be synonyms

2. OUR WRITING IS CLEARER, WHEN IT HAS UNITY

According to Zinsser (2012, 37) unity is the anchor of good writing. To keep the reader from straggling off in all directions; and to satisfy the readers’ subconscious need for order, we need to strive for:

• Unity of pronoun • Unity of tense • Unity of mood -  any tone is acceptable. But don’t mix two or three.

Ask yourself some basic questions before you start (Zinsser 2012, 38): • In what capacity am I going to address the reader? (Reporter? Provider of information? Teacher? Person with shared experience?) • Who am I writing for? (Zinsser says you are always writing for yourself, Terri Senft’s great advice has been to pick someone who is your fan or who believes in you, and to write for them). • What pronoun and tense am I going to use? (The general recommendation is to write from “I” and to use present tense apart from referring to something that clearly happened in the past “The first time I heard the term “affordances” …) • What style? (Impersonal reportorial? Personal but formal? Personal and casual?) • What attitude am I going to take toward the material? (Involved? Detached? Judgmental? Ironic? Amused?) • What one point do I want to make? “Every successful piece of nonfiction should leave the reader with one provocative thought that he or she didn’t have before. Not two thoughts, or five—just one.”

Think small. Decide what corner of your subject you’re going to bite off, and be content to cover it well and stop. This is also a matter of energy and morale. An unwieldy writing task is a drain on your enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the force that keeps you going and keeps the reader in your grip. (Zinsser 2012, 39)

3. OUR WRITING IS CLEARER, WHEN WE MAKE OUR ARGUMENTS IN CONVERSATION WITH WHAT HAS BEEN SAID BEFORE

Making arguments is hard. A good start is to ask ourselves “what am I trying to say?” and imagine how we would answer the reader, when they ask us “why are you telling me this?”

Surprisingly often we don’t know. We have to look at what we have written and ask: have I said it? Is it clear to someone encountering the subject for the first time? Has fuzz worked its way into the machinery? (Zinsser 2012, 9)

Graff, Birkenstein & Durst (2018, 3) suggest that academic writing is “argumentative”, and to argue well, we need to enter a conversation, summarizing others (“they say”) to set up one’s own argument (“I say”). They call this a “they say, I say” model. It is helpful for discovering what we want to say and then how to say it clearly.

Graff, Birkenstein & Durst (2018, 11 - 12) offer a MASTER TEMPLATE for setting up an argument using the “they say, I say” model, it goes like this:

In recent discussions of …. , a controversial issue has been whether …. . On the one hand, some argue that …… . From this perspective, …… . On the other hand, others argue that ……. In the words of ….. , one of this view’s main proponents, “…...”

According to this view, ……  In sum, then, the issue is whether …… or ………. My own view is that  ……... Though I concede that …….. I still maintain that ………  For example, ………. Although some might object that …….. I would reply that …….. . The issue is important because ……….

Taking it line by line, this master template first helps you open your text by identifying an issue in some ongoing conversation or debate (“In recent discussions of a controversial issue has been”), and then to map some of the voices in this controversy (by using the “on the one hand / on the other hand” structure). The template then helps you introduce a quotation (“In the words of”), to explain the quotation in your own words (“According to this view”), and—in a new paragraph—to state your own argument (“My own view is that”), to qualify your argument (“Though I concede that”), and then to support your argument with evidence (“For example”). In addition, the template helps you make one of the most crucial moves in argumentative writing, what we call “planting a naysayer in your text,” in which you summarize and then answer a likely objection to your own central claim (“Although it might be objected that, I reply ”). Finally, his template helps you shift between general, over-arching claims (“In sum, then”) and smaller-scale, supporting claims (“For example”). (Graff, Birkenstein & Durst 2018 12).

The template is a learning tools to get you started, not a structure set in stone.  

Find more “they say, I say” templates here, here.

Find an academic phrasebank of phrases that help make cautious, critical, classifying, comparing, defining, describing and explaining sentences here.

4. OUR WRITING IS CLEARER, WHEN IT HAS A GOOD INTRODUCTION

Your writing needs to pose “a problem that your readers want to see solved. That problem might, however, be one that your readers don’t yet care—or even know—about. If so, you face a challenge: you must overcome their inclination to ask, So what? And you get just one shot at answering that question: in your introduction. That’s where you must motivate readers to see your problem as theirs.” (Williams & Bizup 2014, 99).

A good introduction “has the three parts that appear in most introductions. Each part has a role in motivating a reader to read on. The parts are these:

Establish a shared context – “That shared context offers historical background, but it might have been a recent event, a common belief, or anything else that reminds readers of what they know, have experienced, or readily accept” (Williams & Bizup 2014, 100)

State the problem

“For readers to think that something is a problem, it must have two parts:

The first part is some condition or situation: terrorism, rising tuition, binge drinking, anything that has the potential to cause trouble.

The second part is the intolerable consequence of that condition, a cost that readers don’t want to pay.”

“You can identify the cost of a problem if you imagine someone asking So what? after you state its condition. Answer So what? and you have found the cost” (Williams & Bizup 2014, 102).

There are practical and conceptual problems, and each motivates readers in a different way.

“A practical problem concerns a condition or situation in the world and demands an action as its solution.” (Williams & Bizup 2014, 102). A practical problem is about what we should do.

“A conceptual problem concerns what we think about something and demands a change in understanding as a solution” (Williams & Bizup 2014, 102). Conceptual problems are about what we should think.”

“The condition of a conceptual problem is always something that we do not know or understand.

The cost of a conceptual problem is not the palpable unhappiness we feel from pain, suffering, and loss; it is the dissatisfaction we feel because we don’t understand something important to us.” (Williams & Bizup 2014, 103)

“Like your readers, you will usually be more motivated by large questions. But limited resources— time, funding, knowledge, skill, pages—may keep you from addressing a large question satisfactorily. So you have to find a question you can answer. When you plan your paper, look for a question that is small enough to answer but is also connected to another question large enough for you and your readers to care about.” (Williams & Bizup 2014, 104)

       3. State the solution

To solve a practical problem, you must propose that the reader (or someone) do something to change a condition in the world. To solve a conceptual problem, you must state something the writer wants readers to understand or believe. (Williams & Bizup 2014, 105-106)

5. OUR WRITING IS CLEARER, WHEN WE KEEP IN MIND HOW OUR TEXT SOUNDS

“Also bear in mind, when you’re choosing words and stringing them together, how they sound. This may seem absurd: readers read with their eyes. But in fact they hear what they are reading far more than you realize. Therefore such matters as rhythm and alliteration are vital to every sentence”. (Zinsser 2012, 27)

Basically, it is really useful to read your own writing out loud. It is particularly useful to do so once you have set it aside for a couple of days, so you no longer exactly remember what and how you wanted to say and can, instead, read what you ended up saying.

A simple rule to remember is to alternate between the length of sentences, Zinsser calls this switching up the “gait” at which the sentences move.

“An occasional short sentence can carry a tremendous punch. It stays in the reader’s ear.” (Zinsser 2012, 28)

6. OUR WRITING IS CLEARER, WHEN WE EDIT AND REWRITE. ALL FIRST DRAFTS ARE SHITTY

The best thing you can do for your writing is to give up the idea that anything is good enough after the first draft. It is not, nor should it be. As Anne Lamott writes in a chapter called “Shitty First Drafts” in her book “Bird by Bird” (1994, 21): “Writing is not rapturous. In fact, the only way I can get anything written at all is to write really, really shitty first drafts.” … “The first draft is a child’s draft, where you let it all pour out and then romp all over the place, knowing that no one is going to see it and that you can shape it later.”

Thinking of the first draft like this helps overcome writers block, knowing it has the freedom to be bad, incoherent, childish, ridiculous will help you get out the beginnings of what you want to say, in conversation with whom, and why. Then you shape it into an argument and make it clear.

EDITING AND REWRITING

Learn to let go of what you have written. Yes, it was difficult. No it is not, therefore, pure gold. If it helps, psychologically, create a separate file called “leftovers” and paste all the takeouts there instead of deleting them. I used to do that for years.

“Surprisingly often a difficult problem in a sentence can be solved by simply getting rid of it. Unfortunately, this solution is usually the last one that occurs to writers in a jam.” (Zinsser 2012, 58).

“Rewriting is the essence of writing well: it’s where the game is won or lost. That idea is hard to accept. We all have an emotional equity in our first draft; we can’t believe that it wasn’t born perfect. But the odds are close to 100 percent that it wasn’t.” (Zinsser 2012, 59)

Please don’t send your first draft to your supervisor.

7. ARE YOU READY FOR STYLE?

Always prioritize clarity over style. In fact, it might be useful to ask yourself, as William Zinsser does: “Are you ready for style?” It’s fine if you are not.

“First, then, learn to hammer the nails, and if what you build is sturdy and serviceable, take satisfaction in its plain strength. But you will be impatient to find a “style”—to embellish the plain words so that readers will recognize you as someone special. You will reach for gaudy similes and tinseled adjectives, as if “style” were something you could buy at the style store and drape onto your words in bright decorator colors.” (Zinsser 2012, 16)

“Trying to add style is like adding a toupee. At first glance the formerly bald man looks young and even handsome. But at second glance— and with a toupee there’s always a second glance—he doesn’t look quite right. The problem is not that he doesn’t look well groomed; he does, and we can only admire the wigmaker’s skill. The point is that he doesn’t look like himself.” (Zinsser 2012, 17).

If you feel you are ready for style, here is how to do it:

- RELAX, BE YOURSELF

“Readers want the person who is talking to them to sound genuine. Therefore, a fundamental rule is: be yourself. No rule, however, is harder to follow. It requires writers to (…) relax, and (…) have confidence.” (Zinsser 2012, 17).

Because it is so hard to relax, because we feel responsible to make good, interesting arguments that offer solutions to important problems and do so clearly and with style, we tend to tense up when we start to write. Zinsser (ibid) describes what typically happens:

Paragraph 1 is a disaster—a tissue of generalities that seem to have come out of a machine. No person could have written them.

Paragraph 2 isn’t much better.

But Paragraph 3 begins to have a somewhat human quality, and by Paragraph 4 you begin to sound like yourself. You’ve started to relax. It’s amazing how often an editor can throw away the first three or four paragraphs of an article, or even the first few pages, and start with the paragraph where the writer begins to sound like himself or herself. Not only are those first paragraphs impersonal and ornate; they don’t say anything—they are a self-conscious attempt at a fancy prologue. What I’m always looking for as an editor is a sentence that says something like “I’ll never forget the day when I …” I think, “Aha! A person!”

So when you are writing, and when you are editing, stop to read, and see if you can find yourself in any of the prose.

- MOOD CHANGERS

“Learn to alert the reader as soon as possible to any change in mood from the previous sentence. At least a dozen words will do this job for you: “but,” “yet,” “however,” “nevertheless,” “still,” “instead,” “thus,” “therefore,” “meanwhile,” “now,” “later,” “today,” “subsequently” and several more. I can’t overstate how much easier it is for readers to process a sentence if you start with “but” when you’re shifting direction. Or, conversely, how much harder it is if they must wait until the end to realize that you have shifted.” (Zinsser 2012, 54).

And finally “you learn to write by writing. It’s a truism, but what makes it a truism is that it’s true. The only way to learn to write is to force yourself to produce a certain number of words on a regular basis.” (Zinsser 2012, 37)

References

Zinsser, W. (2012). On Writing Well, THE CLASSIC GUIDE TO WRITING NONFICTION 30th Anniversary Edition. Collins. Graff, G., Birkenstein, C., & Durst, R. (2018). “THEY SAY I SAY” The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing WITH READINGS, 4TH EDITION. New York, London: W.W. NORTON & Company. Lamott, A. (1994). Bird by Bird, Some Instructions On Writing and Life. New York: Pantheon Books Williams, J., & Bizup, J. (2014). Style, Lessons in Clarity and Grace, 11TH EDITION. Pearson Education

Further reading:

Becker, H.S. (2007). Writing for Social Scientists How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article, 2nd Ed, The Universty of Chicago Press Books. Tufte, V. (2006). Artful Sentences, Syntax as Style, Graphix Pr

#writing #writing clearly #academic writing #advice #writing advice #how to

[yasbxxgie]

By the time I made the hike down the long pathway from the top of Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari to the houses below, I was thirsty. Which was convenient, since many local residents take advantage of foot traffic from the mountainside Shinto shrine by hosting small cafes in their homes. It was on that winding street that I first encountered amazake, an ancient, non-alcoholic, lightly fermented rice drink, which a helpful English sign noted could be served “hot or cold”.

I looked at the faintly sweet and creamy drink as a reward for my physical activity, one that, like kombucha, promised to replenish me after physical activity. But what my ¥400 (£3) bought me was actually a microcosm of Japanese culinary history.

First developed in the Kofun period (around 250 to 538AD), amazake was originally a food fermentation and preservation technique, created by boiling rice, water and koji, a filamentous fungus that is also used in the fermentation of miso, natto and soy sauce, for eight to 10 hours. The resulting drink, which is packed full of nutrients and gut-friendly bacteria, became so popular that it’s even mentioned in the Nihon Shoki, a text compiled in 720AD that comprises the oldest official history of Japan.

Since then, the drink has seen several rises and falls in popularity. Sales jumped 134.8% between 2016 and 2017, according to food and drink exhibition Foodex Japan, at the time that at-home fermentation became a trendy pastime. The drink then continued its popularity in 2019, thanks in no small part to boyband Kanjani Eight, who were hired to act as spokespeople for Hiyashi Amazake, a popular brand throughout Japan. Amazake also has a regular presence in cafes and convenience stores across the country, with locals sipping on it as a morning treat or afternoon pick-me-up.

Hiroshi Sugihara (杉原大), a fishmonger and fermentation enthusiast originally from Japan’s Aichi prefecture who relocated to Perth, Australia, has seen the rise of fermentation culture firsthand. His Facebook group THE BREW LIFE-発酵生活 has swelled to more than 5,900 members worldwide since its creation in 2014. Already a fan of fermenting miso and doburoku (a form of sake), he enjoyed introducing amazake, a drink from his childhood, to the group.

“It was very interesting and there were mixed reactions from Caucasian [members] but Asians were able to relate [it] to some of their traditional sweets,” he said.

Sugihara fondly recalls drinking hot amazake at temples on New Year’s Eve. Because the beverage is believed to have warming qualities (particularly due to ginger, which is often used to add flavour), it tends to be heavily consumed during the winter months, a period that includes several major holidays, including the Hinamatsuri “Doll Festival”. This has resulted in many Japanese people considering the drink as a tie to both their past and current national culture. As Shihoko Ura, author of food blog Chopstick Chronicles explains, her memories of amazake are laced with a fair amount of sentimentality, particularly now that she’s migrated to Australia.

“I used to be a Red Cross-trained RN in Ise City, Mie prefecture, where there is [the] famous Ise Shrine,” she recalled. “Ise shrine served free amazake for worshippers, and we first-aid employees were also offered the drink. I was always looking forward to the sweet treat when I had a little break in [my] eight-hour shift.”

Amazake is a sugary drink, as hinted at by its name, which translates to “sweet sake”, even though it only contains trace amounts of alcohol due to the fermentation process. Because of that translation, finding it in convenience stores can be tricky for non-Japanese speakers, who should consider asking for a brand name, such as Hiyashi Amazake or Marumi-koji-honten to avoid being served alcoholic sake instead.

As I sipped on my drink, I was surprised by the lumpy texture, similar to rice porridge, due to the small pieces of koji suspended in the liquid. At roughly 80 calories per 100g, it’s healthier than its creamy texture might initially imply, and fans of amazake claim it can positively impact seemingly every part of the body, including hair growth, weight loss, hangover recovery, sleep cycles and bowel movements.

Because of its nutrients, which include B6, folic acid, ferulic acid, dietary fibre and a notable amount of glucose, many claim it deserves a place in Japan’s stable of hangovers cures, which includes beverages made from turmeric or beef liver, ingredients meant to clean a specific organ. And amazake’s drinkable, easy-to-digest, gluten-free nutrients have also earned it the nickname “drinkable IV”, something that Sugihara confirms from experience.

“I usually have it when I have cold or fever and especially when I don’t have an appetite,” he said. “Amazake is something easier to swallow, yummy, and, thanks to the power of starch-breaking enzyme [found in the koji], it’s sort of pre-digested so kind to the digestive system, too.”

Its qualities are also thought to go beyond health benefits. As Misaki (文咲), a model and Spa LaQua ambassador in Tokyo explains, the drink is also loved by the beauty community. “Vitamin B group contained in amazake is related to metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, skin and hair,” she told me via email. “Therefore, beauty effects are expected. Amazake also contains an ingredient called ergothioneine, an antioxidant that has the effect of suppressing skin aging.”

But with any food touted as an ancient cure-all, the big question remains. Does it actually work?

Adam Yee, an Austin-based food scientist and host of the podcast My Food Job Rocks, agrees that the minerals and vitamins contained in amazake will help the appearance of skin and hair – if consumed in large amounts. But he also says that the power of suggestion plays a large part in determining a food’s worth. He cited bone broth’s spike in popularity, a beverage that made many similar claims, as one example of good PR. However, he also made it clear that because amazake has an element that’s still very hard to scientifically account for, there may be some hidden, unaccounted truth to these claims.

“Fermentation is something that we really don’t know much about,” he explained. “It’s not like, give it one thing and [it] spits out another thing. Food is so complex, the koji that’s eating whatever it’s around, might actually create something different. You can say the same thing about yeast. Bread and wine are two different things, even though they use the same yeast strain.”

Currently, amazake is barely known outside of Asia. But that looks set to change. Like matcha, which has found its way into desserts both at home and abroad, amazake has become a ubiquitous part of Japanese cuisine, often extending past beverage status. Its continuing success outside of Japan was even predicted by America’s Test Kitchen, who named koji its number one food trend forecast for 2020.

John Sugimura (杉村), corporate executive chef and concept-brand director at PinKU Japanese Street Food in Minneapolis, has turned the drink into a signature part of his offerings, using it both as a creamy base and a way to add unexpected bursts of texture.

“I enjoy delicious baked goods including amazake for its nutrients,” he said. “For me growing up [with Japanese and German parents in the United States], I enjoyed amazake and banana smoothies. I have the most experience making pickles using amazake. And my greatest accomplishment has been incorporating amazake into my ‘sexy sesame dressing’ and salad.

This fusion of cultures may be what will eventually help amazake become a food trend outside of Japan, similar to the way kombucha and quinoa are now widely considered health foods outside their native regions of China/Russia and the Andean region of South America.

Atsushi Nakagawa (中川 貴司), owner of Amazake Co in California, agrees, noting that by linking it to already-popular products, he only has to provide his consumers with a basic introduction to the drink and its potential benefits. After completing apprenticeships at miso and koji microbreweries in Japan over the last few years, he’s pleased at how his knowledge of amazake has sparked the interest of his Los Angeles-based clientele, and how he’s been inspired to play with traditional flavours.

“They get it,” he said. “Especially they love our amazake-mixed latte drinks. We offer Japanese ceremonial matcha, Golden Milk (turmeric, ginger and cinnamon) and horchata flavours. In the last few weeks, more and more people are becoming interested in our Pure Amazake, which is undiluted, so they can use it however they want.”

It might be easy to think of amazake as another trendy food. After all, bone broth, Brussels sprouts and açaí have all seen spikes and falls in popularity. However, those who grew up with amazake see its resurgence within Japan and its gradual introduction outside the country as an opportunity to take pride in their culture. As Sugimura explains, it’s that mindset that encourages him to experiment with the drink’s benefits – and has informed much of his career in food as a whole.

“When I was young, I resisted many Japanese traditions out of fear for the code of etiquette,” he said. “As a third-generation Japanese-American lacking mentoring, there were so many expectations on social behaviour, I became overwhelmed. Fast forward, [and now] every day is a celebration of my Japanese-American heritage.”

Amazake is a cup of Japanese history, but the natural energy the beverage delivers still feels very relevant today. I finished my drink, and returned the glass to the cafe owner, ready to continue exploring Kyoto. It might have just been the superfood at work, but not only did I feel nourished, I felt connected, too.

#amazake #drinkable iv #fermentation #koji #japan #japanese #beverage #beverages #bbc #bbc news

[kuiperblog]

Trying to explain the appeal of TWEWY

It's been ten years and it still feels like nobody can really articulate what made TWEWY so enchanting.  Like, the only thing that there seems to be consensus on is that it's really, really good.

TWEWY feels like lightning in a bottle.  It broke the mold in every conceivable way: setting, its approach to worldbuilding, the aesthetic (both visuals and music), the way it handled character arcs with a tiny cast, the combat system, and even simple things like the leveling system where the main way you got stronger was by digesting meals.  You look at a game like TWEWY and think, "what was this inspired by?"  And it's really hard to draw any through-line that passes through TWEWY and intersects with any game before -- or after.

Like I said, lightning in a bottle.  Even so, it's still kind of amazing to me is that it doesn't feel like anyone has even TRIED to make that lightning strike twice.  And maybe that gets back to the point that nobody can really articulate what made TWEWY so enchanting.  If you can't even DESCRIBE why something is good, how could you ever hope to emulate it?

There are a lot of summaries like "well it gets Shibuya's youth culture right" and "the combat is good and it does this great job of intertwining gameplay systems with the setting."

I find most explanations centering on gameplay unsatisfying for the reason that if TWEWY's appeal really could be boiled down to systems, then surely someone would have immitated them by now.  And then there's the fact that there are phone/tablet versions of the game that strip out half of the combat system and still continue to be widely praised.  So I don't think it's really based on gameplay.

Focusing on TWEWY's use of Shibuya's youth culture as a milieu gets a lot closer to getting "the point."  There aren't a lot of games set in contemporary settings, much less youth-centered or Japanese ones, but the Megami Tensei games have been doing this for awhile, and it feels telling that Tokyo Mirage Sessions and Persona 5 (the spinoffs that could have started development after TWEWY) really speak specifically to the anxieties of Japanese youth in the 21st century (and these games have done quite well focusing on that formula).  Even so, Persona 5 fans exist along a lot of different axes, many of which are completely orthogonal to TWEWY.  TWEWY had no dungeon crawling, a tiny cast, real-time combat, and was a relatively short game.

Back in 2012, I attended a talk by the guy from Iridium Studios at Anime Expo where he cited TWEWY as one of the main inspirations for his game Before The Echo.  (At the time, the name of the game was "Sequence," but since then the name has been changed due to a trademark issue.)  And if you start playing this game, the likeness becomes immediately apparent: the main character is plunged into a world that he doesn't fully understand.  He starts fighting monsters because, well, he has to.  What are the monsters?  Why is he here?  What, exactly, is he striving toward?  The only thing that's clear is that he's grasping toward answers and seems to be stumbling in the right direction, with the help of a female presence who seems to have a bit more savvy than he does -- he trusts her only because he has no other choice.

I think that Sequence / Before The Echo actually does a better job of capturing the appeal of TWEWY despite the fact that it's not based on youth culture (it's not even set in something that's clearly our world) and the "combat" is drastically different (it's a rhythm game, basically DDR/Stepmania).

It's all about the mystery.  There are a lot of questions, and you're not presented with many answers -- but the answers feel like they're just BARELY held out of reach.  It's what JJ Abrams describes as "the mystery box."  It's the same reason that Dan Brown novels are called "page-turners": it always feels like the answer you're waiting for might be on the next page.

Of course, executing this formula is easier said than done.  Lost was the hottest thing on television for a brief moment in history, but nowadays when people talk of Lost, they do so in frustrated tones, nothing resembling the affection that people seem to have for TWEWY.  

TWEWY manages to keep the mystery hidden inside the box until its final act, but just as critically, it does this while still continuing to dole out information to keep things from getting boring: we gradually learn more about what kind of world Neku has been thrust into, the main characters seem to be moving closer to achieving their goals (even if it's not always clear what those goals are), and along the way we get some story arcs that provide character growth and drama so we care about Neku and the friends he makes along the way.

One of the most important pieces of the puzzle is how TWEWY balances the search for answers with the struggle for survival.  You can see this in the game's opening minutes. The story starts with Neku in a befuddled state: he hears voices, he discovers he has a pin, and before he can even start to question what the heck is going on, he is given an edict: "Reach 104. You have 60 minutes. Fail, and face erasure. -The Reapers"  Then he looks down at his hand, and sees that he only has 59 minutes and 49 seconds left to live.

What the hell is "104?"  Neku doesn't know (and neither do we), but we've just been giving a big reason to care about it.  And so a single scene provides Neku (and the audience) with two instructions: find answers, and find them fast.  We have lots of other questions: who are the Reapers?  How has this ticking clock suddenly manifested on Neku's hand?  Those are things we'll learn more about later.  We're given something to care about NOW, and also given a promise of things to come.

That's what makes TWEWY feel "mysterious."  We have mysteries upon mysteries upon mysteries, a huge pile of unanswered questions, and yet the story is driven in a way that always places most of the mysteries in our peripheral vision (lest we forget they exist), while giving us (Neku) a laser-like focus on a single question: what is 104, and how do I get there?

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[bitsevenenglish-blog]

Crypto bulls hail Facebook’s reported move into digital assets as a key moment in tech history/ bitseven,poloniex,bitfinex,bitmex, bitcoin exchange, bitcoin margin trading, bithumb

The digital currency industry is fired up about Facebook’s cryptocurrency efforts. Bitcoin bulls say the tech giant’s stamp of approval would legitimize the space, make it easier to buy other digital assets, and spark major financial institutions to get out of “wait and see” mode. “Facebook’s efforts in the space has the potential to be one of, if not the most significant external catalysts for bitcoin and crypto adoption in the technology’s history,” said Spencer Bogart, general partner at San Francisco-based investment firm Blockchain Capital. Several news outlets including Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal have reported that the company has been building its own digital currency for users to trade and spend through Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. Some reports say Facebook is set to announce its plans this week, helping bitcoin rally above $9,000 to more than a one-year high. Facebook shares also jumped more than 3 percent Monday ahead of the expected announcement. The social network hired former PayPal executive David Marcus to begin exploring opportunities with blockchain, the technology behind bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. As it approaches a public release, there are now more than 100 people working on the project, according to information on LinkedIn, and Facebook is still expanding the team. The Information reported that Facebook is also planning physical, ATM-like machines where users can buy the currency and that company employees will be able to collect salary in the form of new currency. Lowering the barrier One side effect of Facebook’s entrance to the market would be an easier entry point for the average person to buy cryptocurrencies. Right now, bitcoin and others can be bought on exchanges like Coinbase or Gemini, or through some consumer finance apps like Square Cash and Robinhood. One of the biggest friction points is transitioning from dollars, or another global currency, to digital assets. But once someone is on-boarded to the world of digital assets, there’s comparatively less hassle in moving from one asset like Facebook’s, to another, like bitcoin, Blockchain Capital’s Spencer Bogart said. “Given Facebook’s distribution, the seriousness of their crypto effort, and the caliber of the partners they’re working with, they have a significant chance of onboarding much of the world to digital assets,” he told CNBC. Barry Silbert, an early bitcoin backer and founder and CEO Digital Currency Group, said the launch of Facebook’s cryptocurrency “will go down in history as THE catalyst that propelled digital assets (including bitcoin) to mass global consumer adoption” and will be remembered as “just as important -- and transformative -- as the launch of the Netscape browser.” Legitimizing crypto Bitcoin itself was formed as a way to bypass traditional financial rails. It first made international headlines after Tokyo-based bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox experienced a series of hacks and was later effectively frozen out of the U.S. banking system for regulatory issues and by 2013 shut down and filed for bankruptcy protection. Dark web marketplace Silk Road used bitcoin to facilitate transactions for guns, drugs and other illicit goods and was shut down in 2015. Bitcoin became known as the currency of choice for criminals, which is still how it’s categorized by some who question its use in modern finance. “Early bitcoin and crypto people are viewed as anarchists — many are anti government anti establishment with anti bank rhetoric — that’s why the big financial institutions have been wary of investing and supporting cryptocurrency,” said Jimmy Nguyen, president of the Bitcoin Association. “When you have a big list of institutional players come in, it does provide more legitimacy to this industry.” The first and most famous digital currency sparked mania among retail investors last year and brought it into mainstream finance. Bitcoin hit a high of nearly $20,000 at the end of 2017. Michael Moro, CEO of Genesis Global Trading, said the concept of cryptocurrency became increasingly normalized as that pool of traders grew. Investors are mostly past that “mental hurdle” and see bitcoin as less esoteric and less strange, he said. “I think Facebook coming out with their own coin would make digital currency more familiar to people,” Moro told CNBC in a phone interview. Another question for both bitcoin investors and skeptics was its eventual mainstream use case. Bitcoin was founded as a peer-to-peer payment but has largely taken form as a store of value, or “digital gold” instead. In that sense, Moro said Facebook’s cryptocurrency and bitcoin wouldn’t compete, and “serve two different purposes.” “People have always questioned how mainstream adoption of something like this might come about. Having the retail base that Facebook has certainly helps that,” Moro said. “It’s bullish for cashless society in general.” Nicholas Colas, co-founder of DataTrek research also said the move legitimizes bitcoin. And for every company that’s not a part of Facebook’s so-called Libra project, “there are thousands who are not.” “What technology will they use? Bitcoin is one answer,” Colas said. “The fact that Facebook et al even want to build a crypto currency validates the idea of a decentralized currency/payment system.” Infrastructure Others see this move as motivation for financial institutions to build the necessary rails to support crypto adoption. Fidelity was one of the early entrants by providing custody and trade execution on multiple exchanges for investors such as hedge funds and family offices with a new company called Fidelity Digital Asset Services. “With Facebook and its partners making a concerted push into the space, these financial institutions and payments providers can no longer afford to take a wait-and-see approach, they need to prioritize the buildout of supporting infrastructure now,” Blockchain Capital’s Bogart said. Part of the risk in cryptocurrency investing is how to prevent them from being hacked. Experts say that has largely barred institutions from embracing these digital assets. Facebook’s crypto effort may end up “catalyzing” the build-out of infrastructure like wallets, custody and compliance among large financial institutions and payments providers, Bogart said. Regulatory hurdles U.S. regulators have been hesitant to approve cryptocurrency products like an exchange traded fund, often citing news of hacks and cryptocurrencies’ potential for manipulation. SEC Chairman Jay Clayton said in November that he wants to see better market surveillance and custody for cryptocurrencies before being “comfortable” with a bitcoin ETF. Meanwhile Facebook’s ad model has come under criticism from Washington and privacy advocates for it uses detailed information about users. The social network and other tech giants like Google parent company Alphabet and Amazon are under fire from both sides of the political aisle ahead of the 2020 presidential campaign. The bar is especially high when it comes to financial services and the old Silicon Valley adage “move fast and break things” doesn’t fly with regulators, Genesis’s Michael Moro said. “Privacy and user data is of the utmost concern for anything related to Facebook,” he said. “It’s a hot button topic related to Facebook and I do think there will be questions around that data piece.” Although digital currency transactions can be anonymous, they can be tracked on a distributed ledger by the parties who have access. As a result, those with access to a potential Facebook project could have access to valuable data, said Nguyen, who is also CEO of blockchain company nChain. “It’s complicated because this would create a system with a lot of data — If I were a regulator I would be questioning how they are going to treat the privacy of that data,” he said. “Because it’s Facebook they’re going to be under more regulatory scrutiny.”

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[devereuxxo-blog]

Examine This Report on egg white face mask

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Hello Kelly! Just considered I’d move alongside my Strange eye remedy. I’m 49 yrs old, so I would like all the assistance I might get! I took a coffee filter, Lower it into 3 parts. Then set about 1tsp.of coffee in the center of each piece. We may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising and marketing networks for example Google AdWords, Bing Advertisements, and Facebook so that you can determine when an advertisement has efficiently resulted in the specified motion, such as signing up to the HubPages Support or publishing an posting within the HubPages Assistance. Write-up SummaryX For making an egg facial mask, start out by cracking an egg and separating the egg white along with the yolk. Then, discard the yolk and incorporate a pair teaspoons of lemon juice and also a 50 percent teaspoon of honey towards the egg white. Wait thirty to forty minutes, then rinse it off with warm h2o.[two] Almond oil absorbs very easily into your skin. As it is mild, it will never clog your pores and bring on acne. If you cannot get almond oil, nonetheless, You should use Yet another kind of oil. The applying of an egg white mask can clog the pores and increase the potential for breakouts for individuals who have acne susceptible skin. Other Negative effects involve the unfold of bacteria on the skin, as raw egg whites incorporate salmonella, a bacterium that can cause food items poisoning. No prob, Amy! Just wished to Enable you to and everyone else reading through that I think Costco carries that same manufacturer of coconut oil for a few bucks much less. I don’t Dwell in the vicinity of a Costco, but anyone else who does is likely to be pleased to understand that Bonus issue for The point that even banana peels have the ability to lower darkish places from Sunlight exposure, whiten enamel, and may avoid and lower the appearance of wrinkles. Discuss a superfood, no? 14 References This article was co-authored by our skilled group of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Collectively, they cited information from fourteen references. Equilibrium out oily skin with a mild, however efficient orange peel face mask that may depart your skin clean and toned. You should not be scared of fats, but Ensure that They're The great type. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, that may enable maintain your skin wanting youthful. Wow, I'm able to’t wait around to do that! About to attempt it tonight for the reason that I am able to’t hold out. Below’s the insane point I put on my face. …I acquire the massive aloe leaves from the produce portion at Wegmans. I peel them and Minimize the insides into minor chunks which i set inside of a jar and preserve while in the fridge. Make sure you how much time until I get started viewing benefits After i start out using the face mask( orange peel powder, oatmeal and baking soda) and how frequently really should I utilize it in weekly? System: Take a bowl to mix these ingredients and use a coat around your face along with your fingers. Then massage your skin inside of a round movement to cleanse. Then rinse with cold drinking water and pat by using a thoroughly clean towel. 2tsp wheatgerm oil Directions: Blend all of the elements into a sleek paste. Use and therapeutic massage the combination into skin. Preserve the mask on for 20 minutes.

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Use normal oils to moisturize your skin. Many of the very best are: vitamin E oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, and shea butter. Olive oil is perfect for some skin forms, but it really might cause some flaking for others. Folks who suffer from acne normally use numerous high-priced natural beauty merchandise or get lots of acne remedies. So prior to using this sort of products or remedies try and make use of a banana face mask. Mainly because it contains a lot of effective vitamins and minerals that not only fix your skin from the outside but from within as well. Sorry I could not connect a “prior to” photograph to check, but if you head around to this previous article about my skin problems, you can certainly see yourself. If the offered time has long been passed clean your face with chilly drinking water. As chilly water make your pores restricted. You may use banana, honey and lemon facial mask every day. As you've got dry skin, use a moisturizer soon after using this blend – if you're feeling your skin is dry. If you prefer to apply natural moisturizer, read this post: Just about NEVER had a crack from it Inspite of all remedies internally and externally even with household made recipes. I pray this coffee does it for me I heard somebody say It's not at all a good idea to use lemon juice on the face as a result of its acidic character. Is that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Py0hQwEvM ? hi am Ruckshana now I've a problem that's skin switch plus much more pimples and likewise my skin has grown to be extremely tough and also dark circles also so you should advise any face mask be sure to and i built a solution of making tamotos every day but its not Performing yha in addition to no soaps is additionally Doing work i loathe of All of this so you should i humbly requste you to supply me an excellent Resolution these days i’ll try out of with banana Soon after time has become passed clean your face with cold drinking water. Apply this banana face mask 2 times weekly. To fortify this face mask’s wrinkles preventing Houses, We'll include two other wrinkle-busting purely natural elements. Yogurt is so great when applied to the skin. It incorporates lactic acid that could clean and gently exfoliate your skin although also cutting down good strains and wrinkles by tightening your pores. There are also pure anti-bacterial and anti-fungal Attributes which can combat acne. One more thing Each time working with this type of masks Ensure that you tie your hair back as it will make your hair messy and results in the sticky result. but I've delicate acne susceptible skin (with some new wrinkles far too :/ I am only 27 several years aged however) can it be Okay for me?! I have compiled some amazing facial scrubs that get the job done just in addition to the dear scrubs, but all really all organic and natural and price practically pennies.

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In Ladies of shade, skin could appear ashy or boring from lifeless skin buildup. These face masks, combined with frequent exfoliation and day by day utilization of moisturizers should soothe dry, chapped skin. Several thanks, I sit up for hoping these masks. I make my very own cheese, and wash my face with the whey - It is additionally superb - I would try out combining it now with a few of your respective mask components! Thanks Includes effective antibacterial Attributes. Kills micro organism to forestall incidence of pimples and acne. Am i able to mix mashed banana with sugar, orange juice and avocado oil ? And when Certainly am i able to shop in a sealed container? Many thanks Combined with other highly effective nutrients from other natural ingredients, we are able to formulate powerful banana face masks which can help in resolving numerous skin complications, such as combating wrinkles, eradicating pimples, skin brightening and lots of much more. How often to make use of this face mask? Never use day to day, as in excess of exfoliation of skin just isn't desired. Use it at any time alternative working day or three occasions per week. What is actually actually good about this mask would be that the components are typically available in the typical person's kitchen. Whilst coffee and cocoa powder would be the staples of this popular mask, you could tailor the recipe depending on your skin form and what you've readily available. 1. Pull your hair again using a head band to avoid hairs from finding caught from the mask; it’s quite sticky! A lot of attractiveness authorities say You do not require them for the reason that toners are meant to clear away all remaining traces of oil, makeup, and Grime, and a very good cleanser should try this. Egg whites help tighten skin, building them a good home solution for decreasing overall look of crow’s-toes underneath and all-around eyes. Now, a number of the recipes down below tend to be more strong and should only be utilised 1-2 moments a week. Many others you can use every day. I’ve made notes for how frequently Every single mask really should be utilized. Include with your eating plan many different fruits and greens of various colors. You may as well just take an over-the-counter day-to-day multivitamin with minerals to boost your nutrient consumption for those who’re not taking in a well balanced diet program. Very first, We'll Check out the critical function of these more components, yogurt and orange juice: Elizabeth may be the founder and creative director with the Nourished Lifetime. Her mission is to help men and women locate a extra well balanced (considerably less nerve-racking!) method of dwelling a contented, nutritious existence. Read more details on Elizabeth here.

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"It was surprisingly easy and easy to try and do. I will go on undertaking this facial to get a easy and more youthful hunting skin. Thanks." RD Rylie Doosendorf We may use conversion monitoring pixels from advertising and marketing networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook as a way to recognize when an ad has effectively resulted in the desired motion, for example signing up to the HubPages Services or publishing an report about the HubPages Support. I have been meaning to pamper myself for quite a while, And that i feel that a facial mask is the best way to go. I'm definitely psyched to try these, In particular because all of them use cheap items out of your fridge or cupboard. In the event you have oily skin you could possibly change milk with drinking water or perhaps a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. For making orange peel power, preserve orange peels out while in the Sunshine for per week or so for drying after which grind them. Other Unwanted side effects could involve dry skin and common irritation, particularly if additives such as pure lemon juice are employed. Only your dermatologist can help you determine if using an egg white mask is right for you. For those who transpire to create a big batch of banana face mask (or almost every other face mask) don’t fret! Most face masks is often saved in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and be applied safely. If something starts off smelling funky although, it’s the perfect time to hit the trash. When applying the combination, function upwards out of your chin to the cheeks after which for your forehead working with a delicate circular movement. Don’t push difficult. The sugar will do its function even with Light tension, so resist the urge to push down tough when you unfold it over your skin. Client testimonials are posted voluntarily and without having payment from us. When you are commenting on the website and so are affiliated While using the product in almost any manner we question that you choose to present an suitable disclosure. No HTML is authorized in comments, but URLs might be hyperlinked. Reviews will not be for advertising your content articles or other web sites. These masks are great for an at-house facial. Start with clear skin and in advance of applying the mask, lay a heat, damp clean fabric on the face to open up your pores. Right after rinsing off the mask, wash your face with chilly water or make use of a toner to close the pores. Then implement a superb face oil. From the Book of Genesis, you can read how Adam and Eve utilised fig leaves to include "their nakedness" just after having the fruit with the Tree of Knowledge of Great and Evil.[12] "The masquerade motif seems while in the Bible on two unique degrees: an attempt to fool people and an try and idiot God. Nourish your skin with honey and cooked oatmeal. Prepare dinner 2 tablespoons of oatmeal, then stir in 1 tablespoon of honey. Let the mask awesome to area temperature, then apply it in your face. Wash your face with a delicate cleanser. Undertaking this will likely remove any dirt and buildup before you decide to exfoliate. Be sure to pat your face dry gently which has a clean, dry washcloth in advance of implementing the sugar-baking soda combination.

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Yogurt is so superb when placed on the skin. It incorporates lactic acid that will sleek and Carefully exfoliate your skin though also minimizing good traces and wrinkles by tightening your pores. There's also normal anti-bacterial and anti-fungal Houses that may combat acne. Clay masks are wonderful for managing oily skin. Honey aids split up excessive oil and remarkably absorbent clay eliminates it although Carefully exfoliating. Bentonite and Moroccan Crimson are two of the greatest clay alternatives for balancing oily skin. If employed with regularity, yogurt has gentle bleaching powers that can minimize discoloration, age places and blotches. Awesome hub. I'm a Skin therapist myself And that i exam quite a bit of various skin care items out there these days. I do having said that agree with also building your very own selfmade skin care recipes! This just one does work and Lots of individuals You should not realize how fantastic egg whites are for that skin! Thx for sharing! Excellent job! What better than obtaining the many benefits of exfoliation and comforting in one face mask? Nicely, the Oatmeal and banana face mask could be the one that provides you scrubbing and smoothening impact concurrently. • Choose half a banana, mash it within a bowl with the help of a fork or spoon, and blend a single tablespoon Each and every of orange juice and honey in it. Utilize this selfmade splendor recipe for 15 minutes after which you can wash it off with lukewarm water.   (You may pick and add upto 5 photos in a comment. The whole sizing of all your pictures needs to be below one MB. https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Banana-Facial-Mask and make sure to choose all the pictures you wish to add.) Oats not only nourishes skin of all types but additionally absorbs surplus sebum from within your pores as it really is an absorbent. This acne-combating mask provides nourishing, exfoliating and cleaning Gains to skin. Try out an egg as opposed to dairy Should you be an egg mask lover, or substitute oils, like olive oil, added virgin coconut oil, or sweet almond oil When you have dehydrated skin. If utilizing oils, halve the amount or it will be also runny. Caution: Ensure If you're allergic to any in the substances from the mask by applying it on a little patch on your own wrist and afterwards wait for a few several hours. If rashes appear or in case you present other symptoms of allergy, never use this mask with your face. the egg white alone works for me. I exploit to have huge zits on my face but now it's Obviously all long gone, my pores turned limited and no indications of scars, it absolutely was amazing. I apply it each individual tuesday and friday. Oh and I also dab ice on my face. I essentially would not recommend lemon. She's an award winning dermatologist for excellent contribution in the sector of dermatology. Aside from dermatology, she is a properly trained cosmetologist from renowned Harley Street, London. She has worked with many of the nicely-proven British isles dermatology institutes with exposure generally and specialised dermatology for 8 years. Her scientific knowledge involves acne cure, facial rejuvenation and different characteristics of cosmetic dermatology. Location the egg white and orange juice in a little mixing bowl and whisk right until it will become frothy. Incorporate in turmeric powder and mix totally. Ensure that the mixture is just not much too drippy. Using clean fingers, utilize the mixture on your face and massage in a round motion, letting it to sink deep into your skin. Do this before you decide to drop by mattress and depart the mask on overnight. Rinse your face with warm drinking water the following early morning. It is recommended to do that for 2 months and then measure the effects.

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Abide by The straightforward 15 min stay pack time using this type of mask and pat dry by using a thoroughly clean towel. It'll leave your skin emotion gorgeous and clean. Thank you a great deal of for this wonderful instructive Hub which can be handy to receive very good face complexion. Lately Lots of individuals are expending an excessive amount funds to take care of their excellent skin overall health. These organic therapies appear to be a lot more better than those artificial creams. Rinse your face with heat h2o. Make sure that you’ve rinsed it totally and that there is no residue still left on the face. I utilized a banana mask with banana, apple cider vinegar, oatmeal plus a dash of cinnamon ,,,, it was wonderful!! Most effective facial I at any time did ….. And that i hav utilised alot of different natural facials …. currently im gonna try your tumeric banana mask. Thank u for sharing these recipes. • Put together an exfoliating face mask in the home by blending an egg white, two tablespoons of non-Extra fat milk powder, one tablespoon of oatmeal, and half a cup of orange juice. 1. Pull your hair back again by using a head band to prevent hairs from receiving stuck in the mask; it’s really sticky! Boling, declaring, “Bananas are superior in potassium, which can be fantastic for your personal lymphatic program. The lymphatic system is exactly what aids your skin clean alone, and it provides nutrients to each mobile in The body.” In case you aren’t applying the mixture in your entire face, you can almost certainly get away with applying it towards your face over twice per week. Just be sure you cease working with it should you discover any irritation. For your acne and pimple complications search This great site. This web site has finest treatments for acne and pimple troubles: There are lots of creams and cosmetics that use caffeine to be a essential aspect within their system, but you do not need to make use of them to take pleasure in the a lot of great things about coffee with the skin . You should use a selfmade face mask alternatively! Elizabeth could be the founder and inventive director within the Nourished Daily life. Her mission is that will help people today find a extra well balanced (fewer annoying!) approach to dwelling a cheerful, wholesome existence. Examine more details on Elizabeth below. Consider care; lemon juice can irritate your skin if useful for over twenty minutes. Also don’t head out during the Sunlight with lemon juice on the skin. If you have delicate skin, stay clear of applying lemon juice. Yummy recipes – I like employing and recommending honey in my recipes Specifically UMF active honey because it’s Tremendous potent being a healing, antimicrobial and moisturising component. woooooow!!!!!!magnificent great face masks…:D I've many difficulties on my face like dim places,tough skin,blemishes…:( i just need to know the quantity of days in a week I'm able to use these masks????and will i utilize only banana each day???thank you…:)

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Yogurt includes lactic acid, a gentle alpha hydroxy acid that is a wonderful exfoliant.[three] It encourages skin lightening by fading blemishes and darkish places, stimulates collagen generation, and helps prevent premature growing older. Preparing: Carefully blend each of the elements in a bowl to obtain a uniform regularity towards the lotion. I'm all for attractiveness tips and really like substances which i already have . I use coconut oil day to day to keep my skin hydrated but will Merge it with honey and avocado . Thanks for a few amazing tips ! Below are a few definitely easy Do-it-yourself face mask recipes that have grown to be very fashionable amid honey fanatics. https://en.search.wordpress.com/?src=organic&q=skin+care and ingredients linked to Every single mask are so easy that you can put together it in a few minutes. Wow, https://www.wikihow.com/Have-Perfect-Skin is so scrumptious, and it seems It can be extremely helpful! It truly is like the top of both equally worlds, it is so interesting that at times the most beneficial therapies are located in character. Voted up! Caution: Aloe Vera supposedly has no Negative effects, and there isn't any reports of it staying allergenic. Nonetheless, some people might be allergic to honey. Irrespective of your allergen heritage, it is best to check it on the wrist before you utilize it to the face. This is applied to gather details on visitors to content articles along with other webpages on our website. Until you happen to be signed in to the HubPages account, all Individually identifiable data is anonymized. Further more augmenting the restorative effect of this treatment are two complementary ingredients, specifically, yogurt and honey. It's the weakest finger and will not likely extend the fragile skin under your eyes just as much. Stretching skin far too much may result in wrinkles. Vitamin E – Acts being a barrier with the skin versus the no cost radical destruction. What's more, it shields the skin through the harmful UV rays. Application: Use a single layer of the mixture in your whole face and down onto your throat. Look ahead to a few minutes right up until it dries. Then, utilize a next layer and keep applying until eventually you have got used The entire batch. Orange is a fruit which has the goodness of ascorbic acid that provides wonderful solutions to lots of skin issues like blackheads, blemishes and excess sebum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToDVKZp7fmk and flowers are the most effective choices of Mother Nature to us; oranges are so very easily out there these days, so why not get the top out of the fruit? Allow’s speedily make an amazing and straightforward face mask and pamper our skin. So now, without the need of squandering Substantially time, Enable’s commence and put together this type of face mask for oily skin. A rib knit 3-gap balaclava will allow the wearer to shield the face against cold air or hinder recognition. Arctic Coastal groups have tended towards basic spiritual follow but a remarkably evolved and prosperous mythology, Specially relating to hunting.

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Milk and Banana is one of the best mixtures for any face mask. Also, one among the simplest face masks to get made the banana and milk do miracles on your own skin from smoothening to brightening. This mask is quite critical in protecting clean up and balanced skin. The egg is an extremely interesting food items with tons of nutrients. It Is that this richness that makes it excellent even for your skin. In a very shut glass jar from daylight and warmth. In that situation it will eventually final given that the expiration day around the oil you used (Typically 1-2 years). Graphic: Karen Cox/SheKnows For people who don’t have enough time to whip up a whole DIY banana mask, a fresh new banana from inflamed skin could do the trick. I exploit yellow Element of the egg for thirty mins right before inportant occasion. it takes the dead skin away and will make my skin smooth and glowy Add the olive oil or coconut oil. You'll need 2 teaspoons of olive oil. The olive oil will moisturize your face, leaving the skin feeling delicate and clean. If you do not have olive oil, You should utilize coconut oil as an alternative, which is also incredibly moisturizing. To start receiving well timed alerts, as proven below click the Environmentally friendly “lock” icon beside the address bar Lessen your strain levels. Anxiety can not merely wreck havoc in your mind and sleep, but your skin likewise. It may lead to acne, breakouts, along with other skin challenges. Set reasonable aims and limits on your own, and leave time each week so that you can do things that you take pleasure in. I’ve been utilizing the utilized coffee grinds from my keurig and coconut for making a rub for cellulite. I freeze it in minor balls and afterwards choose 1 with the freezer After i shower. Now I’ll utilize it for each purposes. But Really don't be afraid to also use an acne product or service if you want it. In some cases the acne would not disappear absolutely by 'natural' indicates it doesn't matter what you do, especially if you might be younger, given that your hormones can just be way too out of balance at that age. Ooo! Enjoy that, Elizabeth! I utilized to set aloe on my face (and hair!), but haven’t in awhile. I blew through the leaves on my aloe plant so swiftly doing that, but I like the thought of receiving the significant kinds and performing it the way in which you do. It has never occurred to me, or any person else who may have tried using it! Frequently I take advantage of this mask ideal right after I enable it to be and don't make added to ensure I should retailer it. This Tremendous basic brown sugar scrub is incredibly moisturizing and incorporates honey and oils. It employs Manuka honey, which happens to be created in New Zealand by bees that pollinate the Manuka bush. Manuka honey has incredible anti-bacterial Houses, which makes it a fantastic ingredient for skin care. This egg white face mask with lemon juice and additional-virgin coconut oil is greatest suited for People with dry skin. The coconut oil performs to hydrate and nourish your skin, making it comfortable, healthier and younger-hunting.

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In Ancient Rome, the word persona meant 'a mask'; Additionally, it referred to someone who experienced total Roman citizenship. A citizen could reveal his or her lineage by means of imagines, death masks with the ancestors. These ended up wax casts kept in a very lararium, the spouse and children shrine. Once more, many thanks hundreds for all your beneficial articles or blog posts! You’ve finished extra for me this year with my skin and rest than any physician has!! i would want to know the properties treatments for tumaric from india for itchy skin about the face also simply because I am aware the proper solution I need to know urs smilrs Combine perfectly and apply a uniform coating around your face, Specially about the spots with abnormal facial hair. Solution: Any authentic honey will do, but my own favored is Uncooked, unfiltered honey as it retains extra of its powerful therapeutic Qualities. I can in fact explain to the distinction between the categories of honey I’ve employed for my honey mask. Pueblo craftsmen made spectacular perform for masked spiritual ritual, especially the Hopi and Zuni. The kachinas, god/spirits, commonly go ahead and take form of remarkably distinct and elaborate masks which have been Utilized in ritual dances. It will result in redness since it also acidic, It will also sting and may possibly even induce pimples mainly because it'll dry your face an excessive amount (I attempted it). Also Really don't make https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy_0UFcMyJU of the egg yolk Except your face is really truly very clear from pimple because it may moisturize the increasing zit. Honestly the egg white moisturizes my face ample the the yolk. The scent though ... ; o ; Just a little cinnamon oil can be utilized with the coconut oil, but I might only use a fall or two in a little jar of coconut oil–in excess of that may burn off the skin. Avoid the sensitive regions within the eyes and mouth. The skin in those locations is drier and, if stretched by this tightening mask, could become wrinkled. That’s because the career of cinnamon is to wash your skin from beneath, it provides out each of the germs and your skin can get considerably more acne originally because it is having rid of all the things underneath but following that your skin will search terrific–it works just like Proactive, it cleans almost everything beneath ad maintains that cleanliness In Europe, Schumann's affect combined with the early avant-garde artists to encourage groups like Relocating Photograph Mime Exhibit and Welfare Condition (equally in the UK). https://www.facebook.com/steptoremedies/posts/2099741476785788 had an enormous influence on the subsequent technology of groups Functioning in Visible theatre, together with IOU and Horse and Bamboo Theatre, who develop a theatre during which masks are employed as well as puppets, movie and other visual varieties, with the emphasis to the narrative structure.[fifty two] Purposeful masks Stir within the honey (take into account warming up the honey in the h2o bath or during the microwave so it mixes greater). Ritual masks come about through the environment, and Whilst they have an inclination to share quite a few traits, really unique types have produced. The function of your masks can be magical or spiritual; They could show up in rites of passage or like a make-up for any type of theatre. Equally masks may perhaps disguise a penitent or preside around important ceremonies; they may help mediate with spirits, or give you a protective position for the society who utilise their powers. The collagen contained within an egg white mask really helps to fill in high-quality traces and wrinkles; nevertheless, you'll want to Understand that the collagen contained within an egg white mask will not be believed to have the ability to penetrate deep in the skin, so this impact will more than likely be non permanent.

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Put together for that mask by washing your face and tying your hair back again. Use warm water to assist open up up your pores. If you are putting on makeup, you will need to choose it off making use of makeup remover. Great Hub! Thoughts examining mines out? By https://www.pinterest.com/pin/722616702689548172 if anyone would like to adhere to me I will observe you correct back again! I need to create a community of followers, the greater the merrier, you scratch my again I scratch yours! Masks ought to continue to be on for 10-15 minutes. I love washing masks off having a steaming scorching washcloth. I operate a washcloth less than very hot drinking water, squeeze out the surplus drinking water after which push to my face for a complete minute. I then Carefully wash from the mask in the round motion. Washcloths are brilliant for exfoliating. Supply Applying clean fingers, utilize the mask on to your face and therapeutic massage it systematically during your face for sixty seconds. Then reapply a thick coat of the mask onto your face and lie down for fifteen mins. Breathe calmly and Believe constructive thoughts whilst permitting the mask get the job done its magic! Must you use every one of the mixture and might you preserve the rest for an additional use? Also, how often ought to it be utilized? Most of us get started our day using a cup of coffee to energise ourselves, appropriate? But did you know how it can help in boosting our natural beauty? Hello, I made use of honey mask for six days and noticed a brilliant and healthful consequence on my face then I make an effort to use Honey+Egg+Lemon and saw blemishes scattered on my face just on initially day of use, I continue utilizing it on the opposite day hoping that It truly is just the reaction of applying it fro the first time. We've pointed out that Dr. Oz calls bananas character’s Botox? Very well, he's on to one thing! The nutrients in bananas have the ability to appreciably lower the appearance of wrinkles and make the skin glimpse a lot more supple and youthful. Blend the leftover ground coffee beans with water. Take into account that t here must be much more coffee than water, because the result has to be a somewhat shut texture to the product or even a paste than a liquid. Some recipes change the water for milk For additional hydration. On this page, I share eighteen incredible employs for primary elements you could find during the kitchen area. Make your own infant wipes, have a recipe for any lip scrub, give yourself a steam with a teapot and a lot more. two. Be gentle. Never rub the sugar face scrub also tricky on your face. This gives you a burning sensation and also red, Unattractive skin. Orange peel has purely natural bleaching Attributes which assists lighten places. Honey has effective antiseptic, antibacterial and moisturising Homes which hydrate and nourish the skin. You can even test these home treatments to eliminate blemishes. Lots of attractiveness experts say You do not need them for the reason that toners are meant to eliminate all remaining traces of oil, make-up, and Dust, and an excellent cleanser really should try this.

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Who doesn’t appreciate scrambled or sunny-aspect up eggs with toast for breakfast? Whether it is a hearty early morning meal or possibly a late afternoon brunch, eggs is usually cooked in a variety of techniques and served on numerous events. Turmeric masks have a regular location in my natural beauty regime — I do them when per week. They’ll go away a slight yellow hue about the skin, but that fades in about 30 minutes. In case you observe residue once the thirty moment mark, you are able to soak a cotton ball with milk and go in excess of These areas. Bought very oily and acne-vulnerable skin? Stress no more with this easy and cleaning orange peel face mask, that can go away your skin oil-totally free and moisturized at the same time! Just distribute the oil more than your skin after a tub or shower, identical to you'll with frequent lotion or overall body butter. Constantly examine the label to ensure that the oil you're finding is pure and never combined in with other oils. https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Organic-Face-Masks 's also possible to get ready a DIY face mask to remove facial hair by mixing egg whites with added-good white sugar and corn starch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZc1mq7eayQ and corn starch flip the whisked egg whites right into a peel-off mask on drying. No will need to invest a fortune on best manufacturers If you have at your fingertips the fridge and pantry to generate your very own items. As soon as per week implement a mask By natural means right after cleansing your skin nicely to allow penetration. You should use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No facts is shared with Facebook Unless of course you engage with this attribute. (Privacy Plan) Another wonderful go through! Here is A further wonderful idea for honey: it really works excellent on pink eye and staph infections! I had pink eye several times, about four many years in the past when my oldest son was in daycare. Not one of the prescribed eye drops appeared to be aiding, but black tea and honey did the trick! Also, I had a staph infection and Once more, the antibiotics were not performing A great deal to apparent it up. Rinse it off with lukewarm water, and utilize a toner. If you don't Have got a toner, just use lemon juice or a mixture of 1 element apple cider vinegar and two areas distilled drinking water. You should utilize this acne face mask almost daily. Lemon juice is a stronger ingredient, so based upon your skin time, it is advisable to Restrict the quantity of instances you use this mask to one-2 instances each week. Fruits are full of AHAs and various micronutrients that nourish and recover the skin. When high-priced skin creams claim to incorporate 'fruit compounds,' they sometimes only consist of a portion from the nutrients which might be present in the fruit itself. Help save yourself The cash as well as chemical harm and make your own do-it-yourself skin products and solutions. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/722616702689546883 -harming foods. This includes processed or refined carbohydrates and also unhealthy fats. Consuming a lot of of those make your skin age quicker. Prevent consuming a lot of sugars also.[14] No matter whether you eat them or put them in your skin, you’re bound to see a major improve in your complexion when you make bananas your new ally. When used in a helpful Do-it-yourself mask, bananas can nourish the skin, combined with the help of honey to soak up and keep dampness, to deeply hydrate and improve your all-natural glow. This skin-tightening mask for oily skin combines egg whites with freshly squeezed lemon juice that actually works to reduce oiliness in addition to acts as a organic bleaching agent.

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We could use conversion monitoring pixels from advertising networks for instance Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to detect when an advertisement has correctly resulted in the specified action, which include signing up for the HubPages Company or publishing an article over the HubPages Assistance. 3. Banana Face Mask to treat Acne and Pimples: Are you concerned about pimples and acne? This chemical absolutely free mask with natural ingredients, namely, turmeric and baking soda acts to fight acne / pimples, decreases blemishes and assist in receiving glowing face. Am i able to mix mashed banana with sugar, orange juice and avocado oil ? And if Indeed can I retail store within a sealed container? Many thanks Potassium – This aids in hydrating and rejuvenating the skin cells from deep inside leaving the skin properly nourished and moisturized. For ideal benefits, generally wash your face with a gentle face wash initial to get rid of the Grime and impurities amassed on the face during the day. This could boost far better absorption on the proteins and nutrients from these egg white masks. I exploit weekly as soon as Multanimitti with Rose drinking water, Sandal with Rose h2o and experimented with Papaya fruit pulp with Banana , lemon , cucumber mask, only papaya with Besan Powder and tomoto juice with lemon. I actually fed up with this particular acne and oil on my fore head In the event the time is up, rinse your face Carefully until eventually all of the mixture is completely gone. Pat dry that has a towel. If the face is dry after this mask, use a fall of coconut or olive oil to be a organic moisturizer. Thanx. I am a black/african lady 0f forty one. I'm light in complection, but my face looks so boring and grey. I have tried out evri product but my skin retaliates skin care regime. thanks for that suggestion.I will try out it out,i under no circumstances realized that banana could possibly be used in so numerous ways.are unable to wait to work with it.THANK YOU.' Egg Yolk Face Masks—Egg yolks, on the other hand, are noted for their capacity to moisturize and hydrate skin, leaving it which has a balanced glow. These masks are ideal for individuals with dry skin. I Individually learn that honey totally calms my acne-vulnerable skin. The truth is, that’s The rationale I began using the honey mask to begin with! Rinse your face with water, gently pat dry employing a delicate towel and apply a light product to seal within the absorbed nutrients. Process: Have a ripe banana and mash it with a spoon or simply a fork in the bowl till it sorts a easy lump absolutely free pulp. Insert 1 tsp. of honey and one tsp. of lemon juice and mix the elements extensively. Wash your face that has a gentle soap and use a delicate towel to pat it dry. Other benefits of coffee face masks contain their electrical power to lessen face inflammation. This home made mask will be your very best ally for all those days after you have not obtained A lot rest or have slept poorly so you wake up with a little puffy face.

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Yogurt can be utilized on any sort of skin but Particularly on mature skin thanks to its significant lactic acid material. Other Added benefits that Yogurt supplies for your personal complexion incorporates: An impressively stylish however basic hairstyle that any one can perform Hair six An impressively chic yet basic hairstyle that everyone can perform favourite53 Also, If you're feeling excess generous remember to leave some encouraging comments in the feedback section at the bottom of your webpage. I like finding feedback from people. It'll motivate me to put in writing far more organic remedies which are low-cost and productive! Sit for fifteen minutes As you Enable the mask do its work. You can utilize this time and energy to soak within a bath or get lunch ready. In the event the time is up, Carefully scrub off the mask applying heat water. When it’s all off, splash chilly drinking water on to your face to close your pores. Pat dry with a towel. An unbelievable moisturizer and lubricating agent. Coconut oil is blessed with healthier nutrients that nourish dry skin. Say goodbye to flaky peeling skin! Only distribute the oil more than your skin following a tub or shower, just like you would probably with common lotion or entire body butter. Generally browse the label to be sure that the oil you're having is pure rather than blended in with other oils. This excellent mask is rather effective in receiving rid of surplus face oils. In case you have dry skin, please refrain from applying this drying and tightening face mask. Alternatively, try out an egg yolk face mask recipe. Do not have time for intense skin care? You may nevertheless pamper oneself by acing the basic principles. Excellent skin care and balanced Life style alternatives may also help hold off normal growing older and stop many skin troubles. Begin with these 5 no-nonsense guidelines. Orange peel face mask is an especially powerful in concentrating on difficulties like blackheads, acne, clogged pores, boring skin and oiliness. However, prior to deciding to make an orange peel face pack, it’s crucial that you very first learn the way to generate orange peel powder. Individual the whites from the yolk and beat it nicely that has a fork or by making use of a blender (it is going to finish up on the lookout like foam). A banana also loaded up with Vitamin C. why is Vitamin C is so fantastic for skin? Mainly because it’s a fantastic antioxidant. https://steptoremedies.com/honey-sugar-face-scrub/ tends to make your skin tone even. In addition, it tends to make your skin smoother. It fades age spots. It quickens collagen manufacturing and In addition it moisturizes dry and boring skin. This is actually the great egg white face mask for growing older skin. It can help sleek out wrinkles and hydrate getting old skin, rendering it glimpse youthful. Impression edited by healthmunsta To complete your registration make sure you enter the verification code you received on the mobile. In the event you have not been given the verification code, be sure to SMS REWARDME to 9223347100 Slightly heat the honey and add it in your egg white together with the yogurt (be sure it’s new).

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Of course, Banana face mask with leamon and honey does support take away tan, but in addition softens your skin and can make it glow. For those who have dry skin, you can mix an egg yolk also. You should use lukewarm water to wash off the face mask, adopted with splashing your face with tepid h2o after which you can ice cubibg. hi am Ruckshana now i have a challenge which is skin convert plus much more pimples in addition to my skin has become really rough and in addition dark circles also so be sure to propose any face mask please And that i designed a solution of making tamotos each day but its not Doing the job yha and likewise no soaps is usually Doing the job i detest of All of this so you should i humbly requste you to supply me a superb Alternative today i’ll check out of with banana Warning: Kelp may be allergenic to some resulting from its higher iodine information. Also, kelp might be full of metallic pollutants like guide and cadmium, because virtually all industrial sewage and wastes are in the long run dumped in to the seas. Mamm I used to be burnt about 12years in the past bt the scars are still on my face what banana mixture will i use?pls assistance me Hello chandni…plz assist me am i able to preserve milk right away on my face wil it have ny sideeffcts i utilize milk with cotton n continue to keep it overnight n sumtimes i evn rub a Computer of banana about it n clean it in d morng…plzz lemme knw wil it hve ny sideefcts…wtng fr ur response one. Just Humble Banana Face Pack: Mash a ripe banana and apply on your face and skin. Permit it sit in your face for 15 minutes then rinse it off with cold h2o. Pour 1 tsp of sugar to the palm of the hand. You can use whichever sugar you prefer. Lots of people propose employing brown sugar because it’s softer and gentler on your skin.[2] You can also use coarser, granulated sugar if you favor. It’s genuinely a make a difference of personal preference. Thanks a good deal for amazing ideas… I tried Banana + honey + Lemon combination face pack.. and its actually magic it started focusing on my face.. slowly my holes are disappearing and I'm able to see movement in my face…Thanks again Intriguing :) The only thing I am worried about is Samonella. I'm sure not all eggs are contaminated with Samonella, however it does raise an eyebrow. If the advantages are that fantastic for my skin I'd be ready to give it a whisk :) Wash your face by using a delicate soap and make use of a soft towel to pat it dry. Utilize the mask on to your face, utilizing your thoroughly clean fingers and massage it carefully on to your face for a minute. Implement a 2nd thick coat on to your face and Permit it sit in your face for 15 minutes to allow the mask to work its magic! Combine lemon juice and olive oil in container. Be certain that They're effectively combined. You should use the container that you'll be storing the exfoliating scrub in. Utilize a moisturizer on your face and neck. Seal during the moisturizing effects from the scrub with all your favorite moisturizer. more info at social media washed it off instantly and dint Permit the banana get the job done its magic. What may very well be the issue ? Thanks

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one. Use extra virgin olive oil for greatest results. Processed solutions might irritate your skin or lead to acne breakouts. Honey is usually a normal humectant that pulls in moisture with the air, leaving your skin moist and sleek, and it can also support break up extra sebum that might be clogging up your pores (and bringing about pesky pimples). Get ready your face for your mask by washing it with warm h2o. This will open up up your pores, that will Enhance the usefulness from the mask. Given that this mask has a tendency to obtain very messy, It's also possible to pull your hair again into a ponytail, braid it, or pin it back again. If you'd like a small amount of mask, it's possible test a few tablespoons. If you would like make some to work with for later, use a few cups. Ensure you use the suitable volume of honey, so it's not far too dry or as well watery. Thanks! Yes No Not Beneficial 0 Valuable 4 This super very simple brown sugar scrub is incredibly moisturizing and incorporates honey and oils. It utilizes Manuka honey, which is manufactured in New Zealand by bees that pollinate the Manuka bush. Manuka honey has amazing anti-bacterial Houses, rendering it a terrific component for skin care. [sixteen] Consider many of the subsequent relaxation approaches: Have a wander within the block. This will allow you to perform off some steam. The refreshing air can also help relaxed your mind. Supply If you receive the mask in your eyes, It will likely be pretty irritating. For those who ingest it, the Uncooked egg within the mask may cause food stuff poisoning. As you can see, working with an orange peel face mask has multiple rewards that function for different skin kinds. It doesn't matter what you would like it for, orange peel powder is definitely a blessing. You should just how long until I begin looking at benefits After i start out using the face mask( orange peel powder, oatmeal and baking soda) and how frequently must I utilize it in each week? Cost: This is often the most effective parts of this cure! Almost all of the ingredients talked over over are presently obtainable in nearly all households, besides Kelp and Tea Tree Oil which aren’t quite highly-priced. You may but it's suggested that you simply use a darkly colored glass bottle, not plastic, for purity. Definitely use within a few days as the oil Homes will reduce with time and warmth. Lemon juice can make your skin delicate to sunlight. Stay away from heading outdoors right after applying this mask, or use a thirty SPF sunscreen instead. In an affordable and straightforward elegance treatment that is certainly also ok to eat, a DIY banana face mask may help to relaxed and thoroughly clean skin with the modify on the seasons.

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"My face may be very oily and I've blackheads on my nose and chin. This labored really well, I'll be making use of it twice each week To any extent further."..." extra AO Afi Owusu Can it be required to follow having a moisturizer following rinsing off the honey mask? I take advantage of Neutrogena Wholesome Skin moisturizer. Instantly refreshes the skin, reduces the scale of pores, balances pH stage during the face, shields skin for trapping air pollution and dirt in daily life. Want to have nutritious glowing skin with out purchasing pricey face products? Good news! You can make a wonderful face mask employing elements you very likely already have in your fridge. This is a quick rationalization on how to make sun-dried orange peel powder in the home. For a far more in-depth explanation, I explain the method in detail Within this easy tutorial. Implement the sugar combination towards your face. Use gentle circular motions to apply the scrub towards your face. Steer clear of your eyes and mouth whilst applying. Wash face with gentle cleanser and pat dry. Use lukewarm h2o and gently massage your face while you clean it. Be sure to rinse it nicely. Be gentle as you pat your face dry so as never to irritate your skin. . "As we become older, it breaks down, producing traces and huge pores." Skincare authorities disagree on a variety of issues, but most of them take into consideration retinoids to generally be a wonder skin saver. Orange peel powder is Employed in quite a few skincare recipes to regulate acne by drying it out and as being a scrubbing agent to Carefully take away worn-out skin cells and thereby open up clogged pores and treat blackheads. What's more, it allows rid the skin from excessive oil, additional mitigating the risk of acne and imparting a wholesome glow into the face rather. Repeat as needed. Most professionals advocate towards exfoliating much more than 2 times weekly. When you've got many blackheads, you'll be able to just use this combination towards the places in which you have blackheads. For those who found this article valuable remember to take a second to tweet, like, or share this post by utilizing the buttons at The underside in the web page. I’d actually respect it. Now crush and powder your peels right into a wonderful powder utilizing a food stuff processor or blender, with out adding any h2o. Yummy recipes – I really like applying and recommending honey in my recipes In particular UMF active honey as it’s Tremendous powerful for a therapeutic, antimicrobial and moisturising component. Retinoids (such as Retin-A or the more moisturizing Renova) also function by taking away the best layer of useless skin cells even though also creating collagen during the skin. "Collagen could be the skin's structural fiber," dermatologist Dennis Gross said in O Journal

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[6] Some ceremonial or ornamental masks were not built to be worn. Although the spiritual use of masks has waned, masks are utilised often in drama therapy or psychotherapy.[seven] Historical masks Inuit teams vary greatly and don't share a typical mythology or language. Not remarkably their mask traditions will also be generally various, Whilst their masks tend to be built from driftwood, animal skins, bones, and feathers. See also: Masks amid Eskimo peoples Wash your face with a gentle cleanser. Use a gentle cleanser to clean your face with lukewarm drinking water, then pat your face dry that has a clear, dry washcloth. All over the planet, masks are utilized for his or her expressive electricity for a element of masked overall performance - both ritually and in different theatre traditions. The ritual and theatrical definitions of mask use regularly overlap and merge but still provide a useful basis for categorisation. There are plenty of source:- steptoremedies and cosmetics that use caffeine to be a critical factor inside their formulation, but you do not have to utilize them to enjoy the numerous benefits of coffee for your skin . You should utilize a homemade face mask alternatively! Obtain suited containers for storing your facial solutions. Small plastic containers with tight-fitting lids are a good choice. By Mary Smith. Up to date: June five, 2018 A good cup of coffee is, for Many individuals, the only thing that gets them to awaken in the morning. Great news, coffee lovers - your favorite viewed is likewise a superb Alternative to create your skin look brighter, fresher plus much more important. Opera masks ended up used in a fundamental "widespread" kind of opera executed with no phase or backdrops. These resulted in colourful facial styles that we see in the present Peking opera. Korea Should you have an American fashion coffee equipment, use the coffee grinds inside the filter; if you have an Italian design equipment, just unscrew and take away the debris left amongst the elements of the cafetiere. Egg Yolk Face Masks—Egg yolks, Alternatively, are recognized for their capability to moisturize and hydrate skin, leaving it that has a wholesome glow. These masks are great for individuals with dry skin. Mix your ingredients. The process for mixing your components would be to stir the sugar and oil in a bowl right until They're just merged, then to include inside the finely chopped fruit or vegetable. Following, muddle the mixture together.[23] The calcium sandalwood helps inside the renewal with the worn out cells and stop DNA damage. Also, try out these residence-made packs to combat wrinkles. The sugar scrub really should be of the consistency as seen inside the graphic. Utilize it for Your entire body to have skin that feels rejuvenated and smells fresh new. They are often worn around the face, Whilst they may be positioned for effect somewhere else on the wearer's system. In aspects of Australia, huge totem masks protect the human body, whilst Inuit Gals use finger masks all through storytelling and dancing.[1]