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drnikolatesla · 4 months

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Nikola Tesla on Human Energy

In an article written in 1900 titled “The Problem of Increasing Human Energy,” Nikola Tesla shares his ideas aimed at revolutionizing the way energy is generated, transmitted, and utilized, with the ultimate goal of enhancing human well-being and progress.

Tesla starts with his philosophical perspective on human life–what is it, and where is it going? He implies that human life is a movement, and since the existence of movement naturally implies a body which is being moved and a force which is moving it, then wherever there is life, there is a mass moved by a force. Since action and reaction are coexistent (Newton’s third law of motion), then human movement, along with all movement in the universe, is rhythmical. He explains how we are witness to this rhythm in the motion of the stars, the surging and ebbing of the oceans, the changing of seasons, and the infinitely varied phenomena of organic life. Tesla then identifies humanity as a unitary whole, and comes to the conclusion that the same general laws of movement that govern the whole physical universe must be applicable to all living things, including humankind, and we may understand this movement by using mechanical principles. Consequently, Tesla implies we may measure human energy using the formula for kinetic energy, E=MV²/2, which is one of the fundamental physics equations that describes a moving object's energy. E represents energy, M being human mass, and V a hypothetical velocity. Tesla goes on to consider humans analogous to machines and asks how do we increase the energy of this machine positively and decrease the negative forces decelerating it? In answering this question, Tesla suggests:

Promoting marriage

Having more children and raising them to a higher velocity, or enlightenment, than their parents

Attention to health

Improving quality of drinking water

Providing healthful food to those in need

Encouraging a vegetarian diet rather than a carnivorous one

Discouraging artificial food

Moderation of exercise between both mind and body

Discouraging bad habits with alcohol, tobacco, tea, coffee, and other stimulants

Discouraging gambling

Improving hygiene, education, and morals

Reducing ignorance, stupidity, imbecility, religious fanaticism, etc.

Improving the productivity of soil by electrical means

Increasing the workforce

Ending warfare by developing machines (remote controlled robots, drones, etc.) to fight battles leading to fewer human casualties

Encouraging peace by bringing humans in closer contact

Improving methods of manufacturing (i.e., coal, gas, iron, aluminum)

Withdrawing from traditional energy sources and tapping into renewable energy

Tesla shares his invention of a radio controlled boat and its possible use. He also shares his experiments involving burning of nitrogen in the atmosphere, wireless transmission of power, and more. He discusses his vision for harnessing natural forces to help increase the energy needs of humanity. He proposes a global system of wireless power transmission, using the earth as a conductor and waterfalls as a power source. He also explores the possibilities of interplanetary communication and ideas related to tapping into cosmic energy sources and utilizing them for the betterment of humankind.

Tesla finishes his article saying:

"I anticipate that many, unprepared for these results, which, through long familiarity, appear to me simple and obvious, will consider them still far from practical application. Such reserve, and even opposition, of some is as useful a quality and as necessary an element in human progress as the quick receptivity and enthusiasm of others. Thus, a mass which resists the force at first, once set in movement, adds to the energy. The scientific man does not aim at an immediate result. He does not expect that his advanced ideas will be readily taken up. His work is like that of the planter — for the future. His duty is to lay the foundation for those who are to come, and point the way. He lives and labors and hopes with the poet who says:

"Schaff’, das Tagwerk meiner Hände, Hohes Glück, dass ich’s vollende! Lass, o lass mich nicht ermatten! Nein, es sind nicht leere Träume: Jetzt nur Stangen, diese Bäume Geben einst noch Frucht und Schatten."

(Daily work — my hands’ employment, To complete is pure enjoyment! Let, oh, let me never falter! No! there is no empty dreaming: Lo! these trees, but bare poles seeming, Yet will yield both food and shelter!)

*Goethe’s “Hope." Translated by William Gibson, Com. U. S. N.*

#nikola tesla #science #history #quotes #energy #wireless #power #humanity #humankind #philosophy #ahead of his time #ahead of our time

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solar-sunnyside-up · 5 months

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"Casualties of violent resistance to violent oppression are ultimately the SOLE blame of the violent oppressor"

Hey, you know what's interesting? I've been following solarpunk blogs for years. And I never saw any solarpunk blog display any kind of apologism for violence until this past month. In the span of a few weeks, the entire eco community has completely changed its tone about violent strategies. Apparently, since everyone is hyped about violence this month, violence is on the table now.

The US government legally classifies pipeline disrupters as domestic terrorists. Now, with our newfound violent rhetoric, we can give the FBI even better reasons to call us domestic terrorists. Everyone has spent a month calling terrorism "decolonization." So now the media will have a field day portraying eco activists as terrorists any time we mention decolonization. This will make attempting to communicate with the public much more complicated and challenging. But oh well. What's done is done. Tiktok decided to associate terrorism with the decolonization movement and now we all have to live with the consequences.

Do you think the eco movement's new political attitude towards violence will help our cause or hurt it? I'm genuinely curious. By the way, oil companies are deeply integrated with the military industrial complex which requires fossil fuel for missiles. So I'll ask again. Do you think violence is a good strategy for resisting the fossil fuel empire? Should we be studying, glorifying, and emulating violent movements? Is that a form of battle that we could ever possibly win? Or is that just a way for us all to martyr ourselves?

Also, how do these violent resistance movements even get off the ground? Do they just conjure their weapons out of thin air? Or are those weapons smuggled across borders by Iran's proxy militias? Do you think Iran or some other country with proxy ambitions would smuggle weapons to eco defenders? I don't know if they would. I'm just curious how murderous violent resistance could ever possibly overlap with solarpunk.

Woah woah bestie feels like we've jumped the gun on the actual post here, you must be new to eco movements it's ok tho! Let's handle this one bit at a time 💕💕

^^^ This is the post this is referring to for context. Now let's get down to dissecting this below the cut bc YIKES this is a lot to discuss but here why dont join me for a spot of tea yeah?

Before I start to tackle this with as good faith as I can let's get some facts in order:

A) I'm from Canada, a country known by its citizens for not respecting protesters/activists. Hell, the first Premiere of Manatoba, Louis Riel was a classified Traitor and was hanged for fighting against the government for the rights of his people and we treat him as the hero he is now. In the mid 2000s a "rebellion" was lead to protect a reservation from the mounties and they stole a tank! While the news and gov ripped them apart give it 10 years and ppl cheer at the idea now. The fairy creek protests and the pipeline protests are more recent examples. They arrested and brutalized people doing nothing more then having breakfast on their own land while blocking construction. So like.... I don't have the illusion of a "peaceful" protest. Here (particularly my province) you go to a protest you simply dont expect to come home. We are functionally a monarchy, we don't have "freedom of speech" and the government was never instilled for our "freedom" or our benefit it was solely to divide up the land and to conquer.

B) this is super not new to Eco movements in particular. They've have "Eco terrorists" on record as early as the 1900s ranging from Treespiking during early logging, to throwing paint on fur wearers in the 1970s. Wiebo Arienes Ludwig is from my Province, arrested for sabotaging Oil wells and went to trial in 2000. This is definitely not a new concept to eco movements and as Solarpunk enters a more Praxis heavy punk scene instead of pure sci-fi this is likely going to be a branch of it there's no avoiding that.

"Choose peace rather than confrontation. Except in cases where we cannot get, where we cannot proceed, where we cannot move forward. Then, if the only alternative is violence, we will use violence."

This additiude comes from a reasonable place in fact here a quote from Nelson Mandela in Gaza, 1999 sums it up pretty well:

Particularly since typically they will blame a peaceful protest just as much as a "violent" one. I think "violence " is something that will happen no matter what we do. If we're as peaceful as possible, they'll still call us violent mobs just to have an excuse to crack some skulls. Even if they're just having breakfast, on their own land, they will arrest and beat them. It won't matter at a certain point bc they want to prove they can be in control.

Now don't get me wrong, I would honestly prefer to slowly adapt. To build as we take down, to show ppl the joy of this and they'll come on their own. But that only works if the goverment and the citizens are equal partners. And idk bout the states since im not from there, but here? It wouldn't matter how many citizens asked for us to go Green overnight the government would ignore that cry for the corpate money.

"People should not be scared of their governments, governments should be scared of their people" and sure this is because we out number them but they should be working for us because that's the point of a goverment in the first place.

Next is: Do I think this is a useful way to spend energy?

Yes! I do, giving something for people to do with their hands, with groups, makes ppl realize how powerful they are and how weak the system oppressing them is. Empowering ppl to do what they can where they can is always good! What ppl do with knowledge is up to them, and if they feel it's needed then generally needed.

Now to the point of weapons: no one has said anything about weapons that something like the oil companies or military would back?? All the weapons endorced by these movements are typically things like using spikes and putting them into trees, or like in France- the energy union cutting off power to the CEOs house (while giving free electricity to hospitals and poor communitis) until they reconsidered the penson plans. Or when they put BBQs on tram lines during a protest. These are weapons, but they are of the ppls trade, they are tools ppl already have not as you said "[weapons] smuggled in to eco defenders" no one is suggesting Guns? That simply won't solve things.

Organizing, communicating, and strategic planning is our best weapons.

I think that covers it, but I'm also doing this on mobile while sick so I might not have covered it all. Although i think my point is made! The final thing I'll say is, if you don't agree with these parts of the movement you don't have to participate or even look at them. Forge your own path! Others I'm sure will follow! My way will never be the only way and we are in charge of our own experiences online. This post original wasn't even tagged as solarpunk, it was under revolution so feel free to block that tag or me if you need to! Have a good day!!! /genuine

#hot takes #apparently??#solarpunk #punk #history #canada #revolution #anarchy #mail #asks #anon #tone tagged

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old-school-butch · 5 months

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go fuck yourself, you genocide-denying pig. i hope you never have to find the children of your community blown into pieces, but that you live everyday with the knowledge you supported the genocidal government that did this to others.

I'd like to take a moment to discuss the words you're using and what they actually mean.

genocide, the deliberate and systematic destruction of a group of people because of their ethnicity, nationality, religion, or race.

It can usually be objectively verified through population data. A concerted effort at genocide causes a total population loss on a global or regional scale.

For example, here's a graph of the global Jewish population since 1900.

Notice that big dip in population after 1939? That was a Jewish genocide in Europe.

The Tutsi genocide in Rwanda resulted in the deaths of 77% of the Tutsi population with 700,000 people killed in just 100 days. Look at the graph of the total Rwandan population to spot when this happened.

The Khmer Rouge killed 70% of it's Cham Muslim population in 5 years, along with many other minorities and political opponents. See the dip in the total population between 1974 and 1979?

Now here's Palestine's population. It looks remarkably healthy for people being genocided, in fact it doubles every 25 years. Life expectancy for a Palestinian is 74.62 years. The adult obesity rate is 18%.

On October 7th Hamas killed 1400 Israelis in a single day - pretty heavy losses for a nation of 7 million, especially considering there was a ceasefire in effect.

Let's take Hamas' casualty count at face value of 12,000 deaths over 6 weeks - that's about 285 deaths per day. That means the IDF at war kills people at 1/5 the rate than Hamas does during a ceasefire.

These statistics represent real people, and it's important to remember that and understand the impact of war on human suffering. But it's disinformation to call this genocide, and does nothing to help bring peace.

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theresattrpgforthat · 9 months

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Is there a ttrpg like Blades in the Dark but with more character options & mechanical depth?

THEME: Crunchy Dark Victorian

Hello friend! I am assuming that this request is asking about genre, which I'd classify as dark fantasy/steampunk or fantasy/Victorian. I have a few ideas for this game, going in a few different directions. (I'm also interested to see if any of my followers have something they can add to this list!)

Malifaux, by Wyrd Miniatures.

Welcome to Malifaux, a twisted mirror of an alternate Earth in the 1900s; a world of gothic horror, Victorian structures, steampunk constructs, and wild west gunslingers. Rife with undead amalgamations, monstrous vengeful apparitions, and other creatures that bump in the night, these near-lawless lands are still worth treading for some, as the Soulstones deep within the cavernous catacombs are worth more than the sweat and blood it takes to obtain them.

I don’t know how I feel about equating tactical gameplay with mechanical depth but right now it’s still the first thing I think of when that term shows up describing ttrpgs. You will need a map to play this game, and something to represent buildings, trees, and other types of terrain. You will also need small figurines to represent your characters as you track the battle. Players manage Crews, rather than a single player character. Each member of a crew will have a stat card that will help you track things such as Cost, Characteristics, Health, Abilities and Stats. I think it’s very unique that this game uses playing cards rather than dice to help you determine what happens during play.

This is a setting full of assassins, mercenaries, necromancers, and scoundrels, all who contribute differently to the battles that you’ll play in. If you want a game that’s more like a tabletop game than a skirmish game, then you might want to look at Through the Breach instead (or alongside Malifaux), published by the same company.

Cthulhu by Gaslight, by Chaosium.

IN THE 1890s, Cthulhu and his minions share the globe with the mighty British Empire. But they owe allegiance to an empire of their own — a dark and cruel design on ownership of the world and on the dreams of humanity. Even among the green fields of rural England, only thoughtful and energetic intervention keeps the shadows at bay.

This is a supplement to help you play Call of Cthulhu in a Victorian setting. Call of Cthulhu uses a percentile system, in which you must roll under your skill number to succeed. This means that if you have a stealth skill of 50, you have a 50% chance of success. Characters are expected to die and die quick in Call of Cthulhu, so it’s recommended that each player creates a cast, with plausible reasons for each character to be drawn into the mystery as you play.

The book’s main purpose it to set the original game into a new setting, so it contains a primer on the Cthulhu mythos in Victorian England, as well as tips on running the campaign, a selection of friends and foes, as well as a couple of scenarios that you can drop into a Cthulhu game. If you’re a fan of making your dark game even more horrific, you might want to check this out!

Bloodclotte, by Nick Duff.

Bloodclotte is a tabletop RPG about doctors in a world of Gothic horror, where alchemy, reanimation and medical astronomy are used to save lives every day. Player characters work in a war hospital settled inside an abandoned castle, treating the soldier and civilian casualties of a continent in violent chaos. As patients develop unusual symptoms, the war unfolds, supply lines falter, and morale breaks down, the doctors must work together to keep the hospital from being overwhelmed.

Bloodclotte uses the Resistance Toolkit, which rolls small pools of d10s, with staggered successes to replicate layered storytelling. It has a great amount of potential for varied and interesting character classes, such as a Yellow Chemist, a Metaphysician, or a Death Priest. There are varying levels of Difficulty, and a resource called stress that pushes you closer and closer to Fallout.

I haven’t played a Resistance game so I don’t know how complex it is mechanically to Blades in the Dark. I don’t think it’s less complex than Blades - but it’s definitely different, so I think this system its at least worth checking out. To get an idea of how the system works, you can always look at the Resistance Toolkit, on Rowan, Rook & Decard’s website.

Also...

I've done a similar recommendation for Fallen London games before, many of which lean towards a streamlined or narrative kind of play, but I talk about Unhallowed Metropolis, by Strix Publishing there. You can read more about it in that post, but it's basically a zombie apocalypse happening during Victorian times, and it's definitely on the crunchier side. Worth checking out!

#tabletop games #indie ttrpgs #dnd #game recommendations #asks #blades in the dark #victorian horror #gothic horror

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babaukulele · 1 year

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Birthday Surprise's

Birthday Boy Hawks x Hero S/O Reader

Words: 1400 ish

Fluff to the the ends of the universe, and the babiest amount of angst. Established relationships, its his fkn birthday guys!!!!!

Warnings: mentions of food and eating, swearing.

“It would just be for the weekend, you know he doesn't take days off” you stated. The commission's dogs sat in front of you still seemingly unconvinced. You came alone of course. He didn't like when they talked to you but it was at your request this time. “You’ve done well keeping him on such a tight leash…” Your relationship was still hidden from the public “ and his numbers this quarter continue to break records.” They knew of course, there is nothing you could truly hide from them. They sat in silence as you spoke. “Even the best soldiers need rewards. Would hate to see another one burn out.” That last part hurt their ego, their slight shift giving it away. That was the only way to ever read them, the slightest movements. “If there is an absolute emergency, you can call us back, we won’t go far.” You had been preparing this conversation for weeks. They could tell. They considered your offer in silence. It would have been unnerving but you know how they operated. The one on the left spoke, they must have somehow communicated to each other their decision. “You must be back by 1900 hours Sunday night. Consider this a favor.” You held in your relief and gave a curt nod. “I’ll pay it back, I swear, just after this weekend is over. Thank you for your time.” You head for the door. A voice from behind makes you pause as you turn the handle to leave “Oh and h/n, do not make this a habit.”

You exit.

Shit, the scary part was over. Okay he had left for patrol at 4 am. He would be back in the office by noon. You had been working with his sidekicks and secretaries to make sure he didn't come back too early. You run back to the office to finish up your preparations.

Hawks POV: His morning patrol had been better than usual. He had woken up to many happy birthday messages, and civilians had been particularly kind to him today. He still felt a bit grumpy, he had opposing shifts with his significant other and hadn't seen them for days. He worked doubles all weekend, he just hoped to see you for at least a little over his birthday weekend. A train crash made him late to check back in at the office. He felt his wings drag against the railing as he landed on his office balcony at 12:35. He stared down at his phone as he opened the door.

“Surprise!” a symphony of voice bounced across his office walls and nearly knocked the hero to his feet. Just about the entire staff including heroes from other agencies cheered in front of him. You of course stood in the center holding the broken party poppers as confetti streamed around him. His face lit up with an actual genuine smile. Not the one he used for the press, not the one he put on for the crowds of civilians, an actual smile. You felt the corners of your eyes prick as the hoard of his friends and coworkers just about tackled him with excitement. Surprising the number 2 hero was nearly impossible, and he looked at you through the hugs and congratulations knowing you may be one of the only people who could pull it off. You hugged him with the casualty that coworkers would use. You softly spoke, knowing his sharp hearing would hear over the ruckus that was Japan's hero society “Happy birthday feathers, I have some things for you, maybe another surprise or two as well.” His eyes went wide and he pulled you in for a scandalous second hug. “Thank you,” he said, “for everything”.

A cake was brought in, you all sang him a happy birthday and he blew out the small candles. It was perhaps the happiest crowd Kei had ever been a part of. A few small gifts were left behind his desk as the office filed back to their desks and pro heroes went back to their posts. You stayed behind to “help clean things up”. It took awhile but you were finally alone in his office. “I've missed you '' you kept your voices hushed, peoples still fluttering by the doors. “I’ve missed you too, I was about to go crazy.” he replies. You felt his pain. “Okay first surprise, I brought you lunch, wanna meet me on the roof?” you couldn't help but smile with excitement at all you had planned. His wings ruffle “God yes, meet you in 10”. You head for his door with a grin. You call out more to the office then to him “Have a good rest of your day, Hawks!” “Thanks, you too!” he replies, already heading to his balcony. You wait at your desk typing nonsense and waiting for your next “assignment” before heading out yourself.

Within a few seconds you are already at the top of the skyscraper, it was next to Hawks agency and it offered the most privacy with its sheer height. You nearly dropped the food you brought as a flurry of red wrapped around you. The winged hero comes crashing into you, picking up off your feet as he squeezes you tight. You gently dropped the bags in your hand and koala yourself to your partner giggling and pressing butterfly kisses to his head and shoulder. “Happy birthday my love!” he squeezes you tighter and nestles his head into your neck. “I don’t deserve you, thank you.” You scoff at his comment. “Well then I probably don’t deserve you either, good thing we are so selfish.” He leans back and looks at you amused “stupid”. He kisses you underneath his wings as feathers rain down around you.

You share your meal together and watch the busy city below. Sidekicks and heroes rush in and out of the building but nothing seems too urgent. You sit as close as physically possible and Hawks lets out a sigh as you stroke a hand through his hair. “I probably need to go clock back in…” He leans his head on you in defeat. You hum “I guess you could, too bad I canceled all of your meetings and patrols until Sunday night.” he goes still, almost paralyzed. Did he hear you right? “Plus I had this beautiful beach house rented over in Hirasawa. I can just cancel the rese–” Your tackled to the ground as hawks tower over you on all fours, his feathers cradling your head. “Wait, are you serious?” His pupils are wide, he looks like you just told a kid you're going to disney. You put your hand up and make a serious face “As the plague.” You squeal as he rolls you back up and nearly knocks the air from your lungs in a bear hug. “Wait, are you serious y/n? How in the world did you pull that off?” He hops in excitement and stands with you still in his arms, twirling you around like a toy. “I told you I'm serious! I already have a bag packed for you, your assistants know you'll be away, we can leave whenever you want” His joyous energy pauses as he looks at you concerned gently putting you your feet back on the ground “how did you convince them to give me the weekend, what did they make you do?” You gently grab his face and push a lock of hair behind his ear. “It’s okay, I convinced them you need the time. That we needed the time. We will be okay.” He knew there had to be something else. “We are technically on call, emergencies only of course.” He held you tighter still looking unconvinced “Nothing we can't handle Birdie, let me celebrate you, please.” Finally his face cracked and he let out a sigh. “I'm sorry I just hate the thought that they may be using you. I should only be thanking you.” Your heart hurts for him “It is okay, my love. You have been working so hard and deserve to celebrate.”

He holds back tears, he's never felt so seen and appreciated in his entire life. He would want to stay in this moment forever if it weren't for the vacation he had just been promised. “Let's leave now then birdie.” You laugh “Now? You sure there isn't anyone you need to say bye to or–” He smiles big and picks you up “Nope, now! Can't waste anymore vacation time can we?” You're both launched off the ground and into the sky for your much needed beach vacation.

#hawks #hawks x reader #bnha hawks #keigo takami #keigo x y/n #keigo x reader #hawks x yn #birhday fic #fluff #hawks fluff

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heatherfield · 1 year

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Sister, it’s Ethel. I mean, Probationer Bennett. She’s been taken ill. She’s on Isolation. They think... I think she’s going to die.

Casualty 1907

#casualty 1900s #london hospital #perioddramaedit #charity wakefield #william houston #weloveperioddrama #ethel and millais #period drama #edwardian #historical #doctors and nurses #my edits #otp #these are a few of my favourite things #this whole storyline still owns my heart <3 #esp that ending #and when he gives that little nod when he sees she's alright ahhhhhh

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lakesbian · 10 months

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what do u think of rose sr's childhood/backstory. any ideas on how or why she became such a cunt

most obviously there's the fact that she made a minor severe mistake when she was like 16 and locked herself into being unable to let her children become practitioners without demons and beasts and so on immediately kersploding her. which means she, y'know, can't train them to be ready to deal with The Horrors of the debt, which means she has to spend her entire life dealing with The Horrors by herself + trying to set things up so that the family can catch up on the training they would've otherwise gotten after she dies with as few casualties as possible. which means she had to spend her entire life being a miserable (literally speaking regarding her emotional state) cunt who couldn't be honest about why she was a miserable cunt but couldn't be dishonest about it either. you too would be a cunt if you couldn't white lie. devastating: local woman legally bound into being a cunt lest The Horrors happen to her and her fambily. something fun thematically speaking about. like.

blake and his grandma are both naively insistent and furious about Not Participating In The Cycle--rose via insistence on not dragging her family into the cycle, blake via insistence on not being dragged into it

similar traits & mistakes (impulsivity, quick to anger and make Magic Mistakes when angry (her oath, his insulting padraic & co), the tendency to lash out towards family over The Cycle...there's probably more but i'm tired)

rose (mirror) being named after rose (cunt) and blake literally being rose, the similar traits, rose (cunt) going I hate The Cycle I won't let The Cycle happen & then being screwed six ways from sunday over her attempt to lash out in anger against said cycle, blake also lashing out in anger against The Cycle...he is intent on Doing This Thing for a variety of reasons, but i think the pieces are still in place 4 a little parallel where he's faaar more like his grandma than he thinks and he's also going to be screwed six ways from sunday for it ♥ you've heard of boys who desperately don't want to turn into their fathers but wear their shoes at times anyways (brian, alec) get ready for boy (adult man) who desperately doesn't want to turn into his Grandmother (but probably will)

anyway. i am sooo tired this post is losing steam but i think beyond the most surface layer of "she's a cunt because she's legally fucking bound to be lmao" there's the whole childhood trauma that the inherited Literal horrors serve as blatant metaphor for. being an old ass woman born in the early 1900s when violent physical abuse is the normal response to your child fucking up will in fact turn you into sort of a cunt. i think her character is in a way very reminiscent of that one type of old person that's intent on being better than their family before them but can't--literally, in her case--honestly/accurately communicate their experiences or emotions to their family and just sort of stumbles around brusquely trying to do their best for them without explanation. like she's very used to the parents being de facto the bad guys that know what's best 2 protect their children from the external horrors whose decisions (which are often internal horrors seen as better than the external horrors) just have 2 be suffered thru by the kids 4 their supposed ultimate wellbeing. so she does that. cycle still has a hold on her despite her attempts to save her family from some of it because no one person can shake the family legacy. books that are about the horrors of family legacy Grabbing You and not letting go no matter what you do. and she cannot articulate any of this because no one in her position knows how to articulate it, because she Literally Due To Magic Metaphor can't articulate it. am i explaining this coherently at all. i dunno i'm just endeared to her character writing so far i think she serves rlly well as a poster child 4 the way cycles of trauma glom onto you & subsequently as smth for blake to be compared to as he becomes the new poster child. it's a good book!

#ask #pact time #pactblr #hipactblr i finished arc 1 o fmy liveblog. hi come here

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biboocat · 3 months

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Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain

This is a frank and engaging memoir of the author’s life before the Great War, including her matriculation at Oxford, first love, and experiences as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse during wartime, and the early postwar years, a period spanning 1900-1925. Most of the book is taken up by her war experiences, and most of my comments will be limited to this period. The memoir isn’t for the faint of heart. Her nursing took her to London, Malta, France, and back to London. It is an indelible record of courage, resolve, and loss, yet it isn’t self laudatory or self-pitying; on the contrary, she is rather understated about her experiences and can be self-critical. Despite her youth and a traditional, sheltered upbringing, she was able to care for badly mutilated and dying young men and risked her own life in the process. I admired her realism. She expresses religious skepticism (deepened by the war) and stresses the importance of doing one’s duty to society in a finite lifetime. Like many she became disillusioned with the war and immediate postwar years and described her patriotism as having been “worn threadbare”. The story is all too relevant today.

After the war she completed her Oxford degree in History and pursued careers in writing and teaching and worked on behalf of various causes including women’s rights, pacifism, and socialism.

Memorable excerpts:

That night I prayed earnestly to God to make the dear King better and let him live. The fact that he actually did recover established in me a touching faith in the efficacy of prayer, which superstitiously survived until the Great War proved to me, once and for all, that there was nothing in it.

In fact, I passed my (pre-war) days in all those conventional pursuits with which the leisured young woman of every generation has endeavored to fill the time that she is not qualified to use.

Diary entry at the start of the Great War: it is impossible to find any satisfaction in the thought of 25,000 slaughtered Germans, left to mutilation and decay; the destruction of men as though beasts, whether they be English, French, German, or anything else, seems a crime to the whole march of civilization.

At St. John’s we had the inevitable sermon dwelling on the obvious incongruity of celebrating the birth of the Prince of Peace while the world was at war.

As usual the Press had given no hint of that tragedy’s dimensions, and it was only through the long casualty lists, and the persistent demoralizing rumor that owing to a miscalculation in time thousands of our men had been shot down by our own guns, that the world was gradually coming to realize something of what the engagement had been.

I could not follow him there (St. James’s), being temperamentally too much of an agnostic to become a convert even in tribute to his memory. p248

The world was mad and we were all victims; that was the only way to look at it. These shattered, dying boys and I were paying alike for a situation that none of us have desired or done anything to bring about.

What was the use of hypocritically seeking out exalted consolations for death, when I knew so well that there were none?

I knew now the death was the end and that I was quite alone. There was no hereafter, no Easter morning, no meeting again; I walked in the darkness, a dumbness, silence, which no beloved voice would penetrate, no fond hope illumine. p446

There may not be - I believe that there is not – resurrection after death, but nothing could prove more conclusively than my own brief but eventful history the fact that resurrection is possible within our limited span of earthly time. p496

In those days we were still naïve enough to believe that suggestions need only be bright in order to be enthusiastically accepted, and had still to learn that in clubs and societies, as in foreign offices, the one thing that really terrifies officials is the prospect of any alteration in the status quo.

War, especially if one is the winner, is such bad form. There’s a strange lack of dignity in conquest; the dull, uncomplaining endurance of defeat appears more worthy of congratulation. Modern war is nothing but a temporary - though how disastrous! – forgetfulness by neighbors that they are gentlemen; its only result must be the long reaping in sorrow of that which was sewn in pride.

And then I remembered, with a startling sense of relief, that there was no resurrection to complicate the changing relationships forced upon men and women by the sheer passage of earthly time. There was only a brief interval between darkness and darkness in which to fulfill obligations, both individuals and society, which could not be postponed to the comfortable futurity of a compensating heaven. p650-1

L to R: Edward Brittain, Roland Leighton, and Victor Richardson. In 1914 Roland gained a scholarship and exhibition to classical postmastership at Merton College, Oxford, Edward was to go up to New College Oxford, and Victor to Cambridge. The waste is obscene.

VB in Malta

Geoffrey Thurlow, Vera’s other close friend. He had also been accepted to Oxford before the war intervened.

#vera brittain #literary memoir #ww1

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classyklancey · 2 years

Text

Ghost Hunting Gone Sexual. NOT CLICKBAIT!

Pairing: Keith Kogane x Lance McClain

Genre: crack?, suggestive materials

Warnings: ghost boners LMAO

Summary: Keith, Pidge, and Hunk are ghost hunters that go investigating an abandoned frat house where they come across ghost!Lance. Is it really a surprise when the ghost takes a certain liking to Keith?

WC: 3.2k words

want to read it on AO3?

“Are you sure this is going to work?”

“Why are you always doubting me? I’m a genius, you know.”

Keith huffs and rolls his eyes, parking their white van a little ways down the road in case they need to make a break for it. It’s happened before and he’s sure it won’t be the last. “A genius has an IQ of 160 or higher. You only have one of 140,” Keith reminds, turning the car off and unbuckling himself.

“You’ll never let that go, will you?” the shorter of the two grumbles.

“Nope,” he replies cheekily, popping the end of the word. He had googled it a while back when she kept bragging about being a genius and having a high IQ. Now when she mentions it, he makes sure to rub it in her face.

“She’s still smarter than you,” Hunk pipes up from the back, giving Keith a cheeky grin when the driver glares at him through the rearview mirror.

“Gee, thanks, Hunk,” Keith sarcastically replies.

“Either way, this time the device will work. We already tested it,” she replies as she hops out of the passenger seat.

“No, we tested it on ourselves, not ghosts,” he chastises, sounding as if he’s talking to a child. Well, she might as well be to him. That five-year age gap is something he always loves to rub in her face. She, of course, always reminds him that though she might be younger and shorter than him (*cough* everyone *cough*), she’s still smarter than him and their friends combined.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don’t get your panties in a twist. I made some modifications since last time and I think–no, I know it’ll work this time,” she announces. She opens up the back and grins evilly at Hunk. “Ready big guy?”

“I don’t know about this place, guys…” he starts, slowly getting out of the car and holding his sound mic to his chest. “What if this place really is haunted?”

“That’s the plan, Hunk,” she replies in monotone and wears an expressionless face.

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” Keith reassures, patting his bigger friend on the back. Hunk sighs and nods his head before getting the rest of his equipment out. Pidge chuckles to herself as she gets the camera and her bag of gadgets. Keith just helps them carry their things since he doesn’t really have anything he brings with him on these adventures.

Once they have everything, they close all the doors and start to walk down the road. After a few minutes, they reach an abandoned building. This isn’t just any abandoned building though. It’s an old house that’s near the college campus. They apparently used to have parties here way back when. Keith made a joke that the ‘old timers’ wouldn’t know what a fun party was if it slapped them in the face to which Pidge replied with, ‘They wouldn’t have been old at the time. They would’ve been our age and people in the 1900s were kinda crazy.’ At one of their parties though, something happened and a fire broke out. There were quite a few casualties since so many people were drunk and drugged up. Now, it sits abandoned since no one bothered rebuilding it. Now people on campus tell horror stories about how it's haunted and frats dare their new brothers to stay the night here.

The trio wasn’t even planning on coming to this location, but a lot of their subscribers kept begging them to come here. So, who are they to deny their fans? Especially when it’s “a ripe place for ghosts,” as Pidge describes it.

They all stop in front of the building, each with a different expression on their faces. Pidge is already breaking out her camera, turning it on and starting to capture things with a grin on her face. Hunk looks like he’s five seconds away from puking and his hands have a white-knuckled grip on the mic. Keith just looks bored, his eyes looking at the red solo cups in the yard and the graffiti on the outside of the building. He doesn’t miss the greek letters on the building either. Well, two of them are there, one of them fell to the ground.

“Let’s head inside,” he announces, wanting to get this over with. He kinda believes in ghosts, but they haven’t exactly had much luck in finding any. There are always things that could be explained as ghost-like, but no solid evidence to prove that it was actually ghosts.

The fire left behind some soot, burnt wood, and what have you, but the place still looked stable. Well, stable enough for kids to come in a go crazy with some spray paint. The firefighters must’ve gotten here at a decently fast time since only half of the building seems like it caught the fire. There’s one room that’s completely demolished, the ceiling open and bare to the starry sky and trees above it.

They take their time exploring the different rooms in the house. Pidge, of course, throws stuff and pretends she didn’t just to scare Hunk. It’s a little amusing but ever since that one time Hunk actually threw up on him, he hasn’t been interested in participating in the scaring. Pidge manages just fine on her own anyhow.

Halfway through exploring, Keith suddenly starts feeling cold spots. What starts as cold spots though turns into permanent cold against his body. Keith shivers and rubs his arms, noticing that his breath is starting to get foggy. It silently waves at Pidge and he watches as she has to hold in a squeal as she zooms on his breath.

“Alright, let’s turn this bad boy on,” Pidge announces with excitement after getting it on tape, handing the device to Keith.

“I hate this thing,” he grumbles, turning the spirit box on.

Different noises and sounds leave the device as Keith sets it on the ground. “Is there anyone there?” he calls in a bored tone. When nothing happens, he repeats the question. Something akin to a ‘yes’ is suddenly heard amongst the noise and static.

“Aha! Did you hear that? They said yes!” Pidge calls. Keith rolls his eyes a bit, crossing his arms over his chest.

“What’s your name?” he asks next. No answer. “Do you have a name?” he asks instead. They then hear something along the lines of a name, but it was faint.

“Their name is Lance!” Pidge deduces, pointing at the box.

“I didn’t hear that,” Keith argues.

“Yeah. It sounded more like…pants…or chance…or-”

“Y’all are lame. I know what I heard,” Pidge argues, staring down at the box.

“Cute.” The three pause at that, hearing that word as clear as day.

“Did the ghost just say “cute”?” Hunk asks, his brows furrowed together.

“I believe it did,” Pidge agrees, nodding her head.

“Maybe he thinks Pidge is cute,” Keith supplies, smirking over at the blonde. She huffs and sticks her tongue out at him.

“How old are you?” Keith continues with the interrogation. When they get nothing, he tries again. With still no response, he tries another question. “Are there other ghosts?” No answer. “Are you alone?” Nothing.

Keith huffs and shuts the annoying device off. “It seems we’ve lost our dear friend Lance,” he declares jokingly, handing the device back to Pidge. She sighs and takes it, shoving it into her satchel.

“Oh!” she suddenly shouts, becoming excited once more. “Let’s try the new device!” Keith nods his head but doesn’t become nearly as enthusiastic as she does. She clicks the device into place on her lens and messes with a few things before focusing it in on Keith again.

A light square frames his face while information is filling out beside his head. “Face Detected: human,” she reads aloud, “Sex: male, Age: 25, Mood: neutral.” She pauses before looking at him with her eyes instead of the camera. “Neutral. Really?” she asks teasingly. Keith just shrugs, looking around them at the dirtied house. She points the camera at Hunk next. “Face Detected: human, Sex: male, Age: 24, Mood: scared.” She snorts at the last part and Hunk gives her a look. “Alright, seems to be working just fine,” she states, turning the camera back to Keith.

She is then gasping and pointing at Keith with her free hand. “There’s a ghost next to you! Oh my god! It works!” she screeches. Keith tenses up with wide eyes, looking to where she’s pointing to his left. He, obviously, doesn’t see anything, but now that she’s pointing it out, his left side does feel a bit chilly again all of a sudden…

“Face Detected: ghost–oh my god!–Sex: male, Age: 122–holy cow–Mo-” she suddenly stops, her eyes widening.

“What? What’s its mood?” Keith asks, suddenly a little nervous.

“Is it angry? Does it want to kill us? Should we leave?” Hunk spitfires, staring at the spot the ghost supposedly is with a mortified expression. Before either of them can even respond, Hunk is starting to back away while speaking. “Oh great and powerful spirit! We didn’t mean to offend you! We shall be leaving at once and we promise t-”

“Horny.”

This causes Hunk to stop, his brows furrowing. “What?” he asks, assuming he misheard.

“Mood: horny,” she replies with a smirk. She then starts to cackle, her whole body shaking with her laughter. Keith’s cheeks flare up but he doesn’t even know why. It’s not like the ghost is horny over him. It likes Pidge.

“I don’t know why you’re laughing so hard. The ghost is horny over you,” he speaks his thoughts aloud, smirking at her. This only causes her to laugh harder though. His brows knit together as he watches her, his arms dropping to his sides. “What is so funny?” he practically growls, suddenly annoyed.

“It’s not me that the ghost is glued to,” she teases with a few chuckles and snorts interrupting her. Keith’s cheeks turn into a furnace, looking away from the camera. “Mood: embarrassed. Awe, Keith, it’s okay! We can leave you and your ghost boyfriend alone,” she coos. Keith huffs and looks at her once more, his hands clenched into fists.

“Shut up.”

“Ooh, Mood: anger. Saw that one coming.”

“Let’s just move on with this,” he says, starting to walk away from them. He hears Pidge’s snickers even as he walks away and it doesn’t take long for the chill to return to his retreating frame. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair, looking around for anything interesting to talk about for their video.

“Should we use the EMF gauge?” Hunk asks like the angel he is.

“Why bother? There’s clearly a ghost humping Keith’s leg right now,” she jokes. Keith rolls his eyes for the nth time and stops, turning to face her once more.

“We should use it and make sure that your dumb camera is even accurate,” Keith grumbles. Pidge snorts and nods her head before digging around in her bag for the gadget. Once she has it, she turns it on. Where she’s standing across the room from Keith, there isn’t much energy being detected.

“No fluctuations in the magnetic field over here,” she announces, making it wordy to be dramatic. She points it towards Hunk, who is right beside her, and doesn’t get much. “No ghostly apparitions here.” She then turns to Keith with a smirk, wordlessly tossing the device over to him. He catches it with ease, but as soon as it’s near him, it starts going off. She starts to laugh once more, shaking her head before looking into her camera. “This is just too good,” she mumbles.

Keith stands like an angry toddler, his hands still fisted by his sides and his body ramrod straight. “This isn’t funny!”

“You’re right, you’re right. I shouldn’t make fun of the new happy couple,” she mocks. Keith switches the device off while muttering curses and profanities to himself, most likely about her.

“Digital thermometer?” Hunk asks, playing the peacekeeper once more.

“There’s no need. I can tell there’s a difference,” Keith replies, rubbing his left arm to soothe the chill there.

“We should still show it for our audience,” Pidge informs while taking it out.

“Fine,” Keith grumbles, looking to his left once more.

While the smart duo is going around testing it, Keith just continues to stare. He’s hoping that if he focuses hard enough, he can see the ghost. After a minute or so, he sees a slight shimmer right beside him, making his eyes go round. Did he just imagine that?

“Thermal camera?” Pidge asks, bringing Keith out of his daze. She starts to get it out without waiting for an answer. Keith just stares at her, waiting for her to get it set up.

“Oh my god,” she whispers, actual shock on her face.

“What?” Hunk asks before moving to look over her shoulder, surprise filling his features once he does. “Oh wow…”

“What?” Keith asks. When neither of them replies, he gets even more annoyed. “Guys, what do you see?” Pidge looks at him for a moment before looking right back down.

“We can see him.”

“Him?” Keith asks, confused. The ghost?

“Lance,” she supplies.

“We’ve never had such a clear reading before…” Hunk says softly, watching as Pidge holds it up for the camera to see.

“I know..” Pidge replies softly, still in awe. She then starts to grin like a madman. “I know! This is insane! We have actual proof now! Oh my god-”

“I want to see,” Keith interrupts.

“You can’t exactly look at it when it needs to be pointed at yourself,” she supplies.

“At myself? But I’m not the ghost,” he argues, starting to walk towards her anyway.

“No, but the ghost is literally clinging to your side. Where you go, he goes.” She then starts to smirk again. “What’s it like having a paranormal boyfriend? I bet this is teenage Keith’s dream.”

Keith blushes all over again at what she’s insinuating. “Would you stop that? The ghost doesn’t like me,” he grumbles, completely in denial.

“Yeah? Well, his ghost boner says otherwise,” Pidge replies with a snort before starting to full-on laugh. Keith’s mouth falls open, his blush spreading to his ears.

“He does not have a boner!” he argues, suddenly moving away from where he was standing to try and shake off the ghost.

“Oh yeah? Well, what once was a purple crotch is now a blue crotch.”

“Those are both cool colors, that doesn’t mean anything,” he hisses.

“Exactly. Ghosts are cold, meaning they’d be all blue or all purple. His crotch is warmer than the rest of him though. Coincidence? I think not!” she teases, laughing all the while. She’s really getting a kick out of this.

“Whatever! Can we go now? You got what you wanted!” Keith shouts exasperatedly, starting to move towards the door.

“Oh, c’mon! Don’t be such a sourpuss! Take it as a compliment! It’s an honor to have a ghost want to fuck you!” Keith shakes his head, continuing his march towards the front door.

“Alright, alright. Let’s at least use the spirit box one more time before we go.” Keith stops then, slowly turning to look at them once more.

“Fine,” he agrees. He shivers when the cold returns to him once more. God, he can’t wait to get out of here.

Pidge hands it to him and he cuts it on, keeping it in his hands this time instead of setting it on the ground. Almost immediately, they hear, “Don’t go.”

They all look at each other wide-eyed, not expecting that even remotely. “It’s okay. We’ll stay as long as you’re around,” Pidge reassures, seeing that Keith is at a loss for words. “Can you tell us a bit about yourself?” They listen to the random sounds for a moment before she looks at Keith with a shrug. She looks at the camera and finds that he’s still there. “It must take a lot of energy for him to talk. Maybe I can make a new spirit box that would be easier for him to use?” she suggests. Keith frowns at her though. As much as he’d like to have better communication with an actual ghost, she has no way of really knowing how to improve the spirit box.

“Can you leave this place?” Keith asks. Maybe he could come with them and Pidge can use his energy or whatever to help her?

“No.” Keith’s frown worsens, guilt suddenly eating away at him.

“Are there others?”

“No.” A few beats of silence, other than the spirit box’s usual racket. “Oth…passed…”

“Others passed?” Keith asks his group.

“Maybe he means the others have passed on?” Pidge offers unsurely.

“Maybe he can’t leave because he has, like, unfinished business?” Hunk suggests.

“Unfinished business? Like what? He didn’t get his turn at beer pong?” Keith jokes.

“Well, that’s always a possibility, but I was thinking more along the lines of he didn’t get to say goodbye to his family or something…” Hunk says softly. The three go quiet then, listening to the rapidly changing noises of the spirit box.

“Well, if he’s 122 years old, most of the family he knew is probably gone…” Pidge says regrettably. She looks to her scanner once more to find that Lance’s mood has suddenly changed to “sad.” “But we’ll be your friends! Promise!” she suddenly reassures, smiling at where the scanner says the ghost is. She checks the camera again, finding “Mood: happy” now. She smiles at this, the ache in her chest starting to be soothed away.

“We’ll come back as much as possible. Since this place is closed off though, we probably won’t be able to come unless it’s nighttime though,” she continues before pausing, turning to look at the oldest of the three. “Keith, why don’t you say goodbye to your friend here while we go pack up,” she suggests, already starting to walk away without waiting for a response. He huffs and turns to where he can feel the cold emitting from.

“Well…guess this is goodbye for now…” he mumbles awkwardly. How do you say goodbye to something that can’t respond? It’s silent for a moment, other than the stupid spirit box’s noises, when he hears a word.

“Mullet.” Keith scoffs at this, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the blank space in front of him.

“I do not have a mullet,” he snaps.

His eyes widen when he suddenly feels something akin to ice being pressed to his cheek. His brows furrow in confusion for a moment before he gets an idea. He smirks at the blank space in front of him now, his eyes searching for something they can’t see. “Did you just kiss my cheek?” Wow, getting hit on by a ghost. What a compliment. Maybe Pidge was right. This is such an ego booster.

He swears he can hear a chuckle before the cold suddenly evaporates, his body heat warming the cool skin back up. Keith hums to himself as he places his hands into his pockets, starting to head out to follow his friends.

“I promise I’ll come back,” he swears to the seemingly empty home just before walking out the door.

MASTERLIST

#klance #keith x lance #lance x keith #keith kogane #lance mcclain #keith kogane x lance mcclain #voltron #vld #ghost hunter au #vld keith #vld lance #voltron keiith #voltron lance #keith #lance #klance fluff #klance angst #klance au

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