#i simply think. that the hunter community should embrace modernity.

[arcticdementor]

Warning: a longpost

Tensions between the social effects and "imperatives" of technological developments and elements of our human natures are not new — people have been debating it as far back as Diogenes, Confucius, and Laozi. But in recent discussions, I note a rather stark polarity.

On the one end, you have the people for whom the human must be subordinated to the technological. Issues created by technology cannot be fought, only individually adapted to, mostly via more technology. The people who will admit — or even go on at length — about the toxicity of social media… and yet for whom the idea of actually doing anything about it — other than individually tuning out if you can — is anathema, and they react with horror when you raise the possibility. People whose response to widespread obesity, particularly among the poor, as a result of modern lifestyles is pushing bariatric surgery (like some doctors friends and family have dealt with). Or at further extreme, singularitarian or singularitarian-adjacent ends, the people who look at our society's increasing difficulty producing future generations, and say either that it's no biggie because Any Day Now™ we'll cure aging and no longer need future generations, or it's no biggie because Any Day Now™ we'll figure out the tech for mass-manufacture of future generations like Brave New World or Battletech's Clans. At the furthest, you have the people who take the Marxist arguments about the "inherent contradictions" between industrial "capitalism" and human flourishing… and say 'so much the worse for humanity; time to start engineering the AI corporations to replace us dumb monkeys' like Nick Land.

Then you have the people at the other end, who go Luddite. Again, you can go back to filthy hobo Diogenes for this one. You've got the "environmentalists" who see anything more advanced than being a hunter-gatherer as the "rape of Mother Nature" and who unironically quote Agent Smith. Then there's the Right-wing primitivists who note that preindustrial societies cannot afford much leftism, and therefore argue that giving up electricity, indoor plumbing, medicine that works, etc. (let alone escaping this small, fragile planet) are all a small price to pay to Own the Libs.

But Confucius, while acknowledging that the creations of the Sage Kings, in bringing us from the "Greater Harmony" to the "Lesser Peace," created a certain tension between societal requirements and our human nature, pointed out that such things, like buildings, and clothing, and fire, and agriculture, and writing, et cetera, are worth the trade-off as opposed to a more natural lifestyle as naked cavemen. But, accepting the trade-off doesn't mean we can't do things to ameliorate those tensions and try to reduce the negative impacts.

Tyler Cowen posited his future Average Is Over dystopia of the vast majority of the population relegated to being impoverished, packed into overcrowded favelas eating beans and bugs, pacified by VR, drugs, and omnipresent government surveillance and enforcement… and when confronted about the undesirability of such and how we might avoid it, simply proclaims it inevitable: the Economy has spoken, and we humans can only obey its dictates. Whatever happened to the idea that our tools and our economy exist to serve us, and our human needs, rather than us existing to serve their needs? Okay, probably most people who held that view from a secular perspective likely ended up embracing Marxism as the means of doing so, and then Marxism failed. (This links in to my unwritten potential post about how Wokism is neither Marxist nor postmodern, despite drawing partially from both.) And those who did so from a religious perspective ended up divided by their various specific sectarian views and given to "solutions" that boil down to unsupported individual piety — or else, being the Amish.

There's that whole bit about "unless you're over 60, you weren't promised flying cars. You were promised an oppressive cyberpunk dystopia." And plenty of people have covered this ground before, about how our visions of technological progress used to be about how it would make our lives better and allow us to better pursue our various human ends, but now are all about how it will make our lives worse and force us to pursue its various inhuman ends. Even the few "optimistic" visions are hyper-individualist, and when confronted about man's nature as a social animal, either insist that said needs will be met through "relationships" with individualized AI surrogates (the whole "2d > 3d," yay sexbots view), or else that the need for human connection will prove yet another "flaw" to be engineered out in whatever manner of "posthuman" creatures replace us.

I look back on those more optimistic visions. At what past societies considered a better future, before we gave up on it. And I note how even the utopian visions of 19th century socialists are, compared to our day, rather spectacularly un-Woke — and definitely better than 'soypunk dystopia, but at least with rainbow flags and nobody being misgendered while they toil for Amazon.'

And, of course, if you go further back, you eventually end up before any serious ideas of progress. Then, ideas about a better world were not speculations about the future, but about the afterlife. I recall a couple of discussions about Bleach, Soul Society, and the average Tenth Century Japanese peasant's idea of Paradise; or (IIRC, prompted by some terrible "humanity curbstomps the invading Legions of Hell who are wielding Bronze Age weapons against modern militaries" story on SpaceBattles) what a Bronze Age goat-herder would consider Heaven?

Are subordination to technological imperatives or Luddism really the only two choices? Are we really left with either the poor afflicted with starvation or the poor afflicted with obesity? For those of us who find the society "progress" has created increasingly alienated, and who prefer older visions and modes of living more attractive, is total renunciation and "going full Amish" really the only alternative?

I look at writers like Chesterton and Lewis and Tolkien, and their ideal social structures, and I think, isn't there some way that technological progress can be channeled towards allowing us — or, at least those of us who want to — to achieve a better, more comfortable, more broadly-available, less labor-intensive version of the Shire Hobbit lifestyle, rather than better digital circuses to numb us while we all eat bugs in our dorm tubes in Scat Francisco?

Or, for those of you so inclined, a better, more comfortable, more broadly-available, less labor-intensive version of the Oscar Wilde lifestyle? After all, I note that a perennial condemnation of aristocrats has been about what big, degenerate perverts they are behind closed doors — that de Sade got in trouble, more for atheism, but also for the "writing publicly about it" part? I mean, aside from maybe @ponteh2dhh1ksdiwesph2tres, where are the people trying to work out, instead of "Fully-Automated Luxury Gay Space Communism," how we might create "Fully-Automated Decadent Space Aristocracy"? Where are the people trying to use computers and AI to create a better version of the Imperial court of Elagabalus without all the slavery and need for foreign conquest to pay for its orgies?

Is there even a term for this idea, of using technology to create better versions of the past, rather than simply letting "progress" take us wherever it will, and all negative consequences treated as simply things we must each individually struggle to avoid and cope with, with all of us in competition against one another to become one of those chosen few ultra-rich tech overlords wealthy enough to escape living in the favelas, the few powerful enough to avoid ruination should one end up on the wrong end of Twitter cancelation?

Wow. Look at me, gloomy pessimist that I am, actually calling for some optimism and hope for the future. Yeah, I probably shouldn't have even bothered with the effort of writing this post. Because of course the only possible futures are all terrible.

[deadly-cipher]

Dear Alternative Community Gatekeepers, Stop

Alternative is not a label which you can give to one 'group' of people. alternatives are non conformists who have no social group. you cant recognise an alternative person by what they wear or look like, so dont try to. they dont all wear the same clothes (like moshers, chavs, goths, indies or any other group of people who try to be individual but all seem to like the same stuff, wear the same clothes and only listen to music which their friends like). alternative people enjoy listening to whatever the hell they like, because they dont just like one type of music, they may just enjoy music on a whole, or it may just depend what kind of a mood they are in to what kind of music they listen too at that time. although this term is based around mysic it also applys to clothes as i said above many groups try to all wear the same stuff in order to fit in, alternatives wear whatever they like, if its designer, and they like it, they will wear it. if its got the name of a band on, and they like it, they will wear it. if there is a song which is by slipnot, and they like it, they will listen to it. if there is a song, which is by eminem, they will listen too it. Punk is not about a certain hair colour, style, or music, although music does take a large part in most punks lives.  Punk is about liking what you like, being yourself, saying what you think and FUCK ALL THE REST.  You don't need a two foot high red mohawk to be a punk, although that is wicked cool. You don't need sleeves, a backpiece, or any tattoos at all to be punk. You don't need a Misfits, Casualties, Sex Pistols or any band like that jacket to be punk. You don't need anything to be punk except for awareness, self respect, respect for others and an open mind. A Goth is someone who sees beauty in the dark side of life. Today's society is focused on negating darkness because it is associated with evil. Think about it - in almost every fairy tale, who is the antagonist? The brunette. Who is the protagonist? The blonde. Dark is evil, evil is bad, and therefore we should wipe all trace of it from our lives. Unfortunately, that's simply not possible. No matter how hard society tries, people still die. Day turns into night. Love becomes loss. It's a fact of life. So while everyone else is denying an entire half of life, the Goths embrace ALL of life, good and bad. Goths understand that the best and most lasting joy is tinged with a little sadness, and that all love is bittersweet. Goths understand that not everybody has to be happy 24/7, and that the way to succeed is not by pretending you are. Sunlit skies are beautiful, yes, but so are dark cloudy ones. What is white without black? What is a rose without thorns? Thus, by embracing the shadows as well as the sun, Goths are, in many cases, actually more emotionally healthy than those in mainstream society.  Emo is an emotional person. They are not depressed all the time and some are acually very happy at times. They do smile, they don't sit in a corner crying all day. Some are actually quite popular and laugh and joke around lots. NB: Emo does not mean the person cuts themselves, they might but that is not why they're emo. The word "scene" coves a large spectrum throughout recent history, but its most modern definition is used to describe certian subcultures and movements. The most notoriously famous and targeted is the alternative music scene, or more specifically, branches of the alternative music scene such as hardcore, indie, fashoionxcore, etc. A breed of scenesters (people on the scene) has begun to come to the forefront. These scenesters are usually very music-savvy and loyal to a few specific genres (typically hardcore, metal, indie, retro, 80's new wave, classic rock, etc. to name a few), of which they dress to exemplify. It is hard to pin down a style for a scene male or female, considering the trends amongst them vary from coast to coast, and certian fads come in and out within their ranks. Typically, though, many scene kids will have facial piercings, tattoos, and longer hair. It is not unusual to see teased hair with long bangs on males, or short fauxhawks (a mohawk without the sides shaved, a fashion-friendly version) on females. It is almost a throwback to the revolution of Britian's glam era, very androgynous and fresh. Scenesters take a lot of pride in their overall image, and often they appreciate shock value. Oftentimes they are thrifty, employing their abilities as bargian-hunters and do-it-yourself gurus to do something unique with their style. Large vintage sunglasses, retro patterns, tight jeans, classic metal/band tees, plastic jewelry, and heavy eye makeup are just some of the incorperations into scene style for either sex. This style and showmanship is at its height during shows (concerts), where often scene kids will meet their friends and size up strangers who visit their turf. There indeed is competition among scenesters...sometimes friendly, sometimes not. Shows are in fact not just concerts, but often a means of socialization for those on the scene. Those people who partake in scene lifestyle often choose to date/socialize only with those like them, which can cause bitterness or rejection to outsiders. The music scene is often associated with other areas that scenesters are interested in, which is liekely, art, photography, creative writing, poetry, tattoos & piercings, civil rights, animal rights, etc. Many scene kids have strong beliefs about these things and consider those who do not to be "posers." They feel that their scene style is not only a fashion statement, but an all-encompassing lifestyle. Many scene kids incorperate their future plans into their lifestyle, going into careers such as journalism, photography, artistry, piercing, tattooing, working for magazines, being musicians, hairstylists, running venues and/or coffee shops, etc. This tends to cause scene kids to congregate, visit, or even move to big cities to find opportunities to meet other scenesters, find jobs that suit them, or to live where they have a plethora of activities that they enjoy readily at their disposal. Recently internet revolutions like myspace.com have provided a new means for the ideas of scene culture to be spead, for scenesters to find new friends, bands, and activities. Scensters design stylish and graphic profile pages to both draw attention to themselves and to find others like them, and many people have joined up with the scene fad due to internet advertising. The downside of many scene atmospheres is that some scene kids tend to develop a superior mentality. Some who are especially popular and affluent can make it harder for the younger, yet-aspiring scenesters to join in with the subculture. This is not always the case, however. Different areas breed different demographics of scene kids. Perhaps part of their attitude comes from the problem that scenesters have begun to feel threatened about their culture being jeopardized because of a sort of trickle down effect. The internet is permitting easy access for anyone who would want to don scene-esque style and jump right in to a culture that scenesters feel they have built from the ground up and developed into a complex lifestyle. However, this lends many to get caught up in popularity contests in local areas as well as on the world wide web. Unfortunately, this can also lead to rifts in scenes. Groups of hardcore scenesters start "crews," often characterized by fierce brotherhood to the point of violence against others who are unlike them or who are in other crews. The scene is dividing amongst itself, due to purists who feel the scene is about music only, and those who have taken the scene fashion to be almost, if not equally, as important as the music itself. Some of the fashionable scenesters stick to their musical roots, but often due to the aforementioned trickle-down effect, there are people joining the scene who are not interested in the music, but are only in it for the attention. Thus, the scene will continue to divide. Whether they will admit it or not, kids interested in this lifestyle of excitement, concerts, body modification, fashion, and overall alluringly unusual aesthetics will continually be labeled as "scene." They chose an alternative path because they wanted to find acceptance elsewhere. Now, they face a community just like any other: one of all different types of people, who have different opinions and standards. It has its pros and cons, ups and downs, just like any lifestyle does. A metalhead is somebody who loves heavy metal. Don't always have the "look". And it's not even necessary to listen to just the classic metal bands, you can listen to the subgenres. You just have to appreciate the genre as a whole. The term: Short for independent rock. In terms of music it would be independent of major labels/mainstream stuff. History: grew out from 60s garage, 70s punk, and 80s post punk it started in the mid 80s as alternative/college radio music. Once nirvana hit big the alternative genre split: the popular side was just alternative(Smashing Pumpkins, Hole, No Doubt, etc.) and the other half that wasn't mainstream(by choice or not) became indie rock(Pavement, Sebadoh, Built To Spill, etc). Some bands have signed to major labels but are still considered indie(Modest Mouse, etc.). Go figure. Sound: In the begining indie sounded like alternative(because it was) but it grew more experimental and weird. In Britain indie has more of a typical sound like Radiohead, Muse, etc. rather than a definition based on 'the scene.'  The scene: if you really think all indie kids do is try to be cooler than other people then... well.. you're mostly right.

#alt #alternative #alternative community #gatekeeping #gatekeeper #alternative community gatekeepers #alt gatekeeping #alt gatekeeper #punk #goth #emo #scene #indie #metalhead #stop gatekeeping

[rhenal]

To the Void with the Void

Few things in Dragon Age lore bother me quite as much as the Void. It appears just about everywhere, in every faith, but what any one teaching says about what it actually IS never seems to be consistent - even in the same set of teachings.

Come with me on this journey, as I go through the Dragon Age Wiki page on the Void and follow every single cite note to the source - and look through those cited sources as well.

It starts with a brief summary, then goes into Chantry beliefs, because of course that comes first. It lists some verses from the chant. 

All that the Maker has wrought is in His hand Beloved and precious to Him. Where the Maker has turned His face away, Is a Void in all things; In the world, in the Fade, In the hearts and minds of men.

Passing out of the world, in that Void shall they wander; O unrepentant, faithless, treacherous, They who are judged and found wanting Shall know forever the loss of the Maker's love. Only Our Lady shall weep for them.

—Canticle of Threnodies, 12:5

So... the void is both a vague emptiness in everything the Maker doesn’t like and the Andrastian version of Hell? Right. How conveniently vague. It never says ‘the Void’ though, just ‘a Void’. 

Next follows some extrapolations. Since I know that fanon and canon tend to intermingle a lot in small, subtle and insidious ways, I shall stick as close to the source material - and only the source material - as the wiki and the rest of my resources will allow for, while mostly ignoring the wiki-specific text. So. Let’s follow the cite notes, in order. 

The first one refers to a conversation with Sebastian in DA II. I don’t have that DLC, because I think that guy is kind of an arse and not worth my money, and after over an hour of searching both the wiki and youtube, I have not found this conversation, so I’m gonna drop that trail for now. 

Second cite note also refers to a Sebastian conversation, but this is one I can actually find. It’s a banter conversation between him and Isabela. 

Isabela: So, I've never understood why the Chantry says if you're good, you'll be taken up to the Maker's side. Sebastian: Those who die with the sins cleansed from their souls will walk beside the Maker in eternity. Isabela: That doesn't sound fun! Isabela: If they really want people to be good, shouldn't they offer an afterlife with... lakes of wine and a dozen naked virgins? Sebastian: Anyone who wants that will be going to the Void. Isabela: Sounds like that's where all the good parties will be.

So, Andrasian hell. K. Still doesn’t tell me anything useful.

Next few cite notes are grouped up. These unfortunately refer to books that I do not have access to at the moment - World of Thedas vol. 1 and the Dragon Age Origins official game guide - so I’ll simply settle for sharing the statement on the wiki.

The sinners are lost, endlessly wandering the Fade or even returning to the "ether" (the primeval matter of the Fade) from which they were made.

So, conflating the Void and the Fade now, are we? The next sentence references the Canticle of Threnodies, saying that it says that the Void is a place within the Fade. Time to check out what’s available of that Canticle myself...

Huh. Oh, that’s a lot. Yet after reading it all, the only mention of the Void I could find is in 12:5 above. “Where the Maker has turned His face away, Is a Void in all things; In the world, in the Fade, In the hearts and minds of men.” I think that can be interpreted in a lot of ways. It doesn’t quite say “The Void is a place in the fade” to me. It just says that there is an emptiness - a Void - in everything that the Maker found fault in. And he certainly found fault in the Fade, according to earlier verses in that very same Canticle. I don’t know, but this instance seems more figurative to me. Maybe I’m wrong. 

Moving on. Up next is another Chantry verse. 

Here lies the abyss, the well of all souls. From these emerald waters doth life begin anew. Come to me, child, and I shall embrace you. In my arms lies Eternity.

—Canticle of Andraste, 14:11

I can’t help but notice how ‘abyss’ isn’t capitalised in this verse. I checked in game - it’s not capitalised there either. 

This verse bothers me. When reading further into the codex entry of “Here Lies the Abyss”, there is some musings by Revered Mother Juliette accompanying the verse. They read as follows:

Chantry sisters have long debated this section of the Chant of Light. It is tempting to assume that the "well of all souls" is a literal well, but such imagery appears nowhere in Andraste's other works. An examination from Threnodies 1:4 yields clues:

From the waters of the Fade you made the world. As the Fade had been fluid, so was the world fixed.

It is possible—even likely—that the "emerald waters" Andraste refers to are the substance of the Fade, which began as an "ocean of dreams" (Threnodies 1:1) and was reduced to a well—bottomless but limited in scope—by the Maker's creation of our world.

Is Andraste urging the listener to come to the Fade? Should we take "From these emerald waters doth life begin anew," as literal evidence of reincarnation—or even of life after death, as the Cult of Spirits suggests—or as a figurative benediction indicating that the Maker is the source of all life, and in finding His embrace for Eternity, we will only be returning our souls from whence they came?

Vague, is it not? Juliette seems as confused as I am. 

Now, I remember when The Descent came out. When seeing The Wellspring at the end of that story, a lot of think-pieces popped up in the Meta community about how it looked an awful lot like what Andraste might have been describing in that Canticle of hers. Note how, in the Wiki page for the above-mentioned codex entry, there is a trivia section with a quoted passage from The Calling? 

"It’s where Andraste goes to speak to the Maker for the first time. It’s where she convinces him to forgive mankind. It was supposed to be this beautiful temple deep under the earth surrounded by emerald waters."

Interesting, no?

If anything, it seems safe to say that The Chant doesn’t seem very interesting in defining just what either the Void or this abyss is in the first place, and anything further simply seem to be interpretations by various Chantry people, which is hardly a reliable source of anything.

Continuing down the Wiki page on the Void, we have the Elven beliefs section. Something something The Forgotten Ones dwell there - the cite note leads us to Codex Entry: Elven God Andruil. Well. Not beliefs of modern elves, then, since this entry is found in the temple of Mythal, but that’s splitting hairs. 

One day Andruil grew tired of hunting mortal men and beasts. She began stalking The Forgotten Ones, wicked things that thrive in the abyss. Yet even a god should not linger there, and each time she entered the Void, Andruil suffered longer and longer periods of madness after returning.

Andruil put on armor made of the Void, and all forgot her true face. She made weapons of darkness, and plague ate her lands. She howled things meant to be forgotten, and the other gods became fearful Andruil would hunt them in turn. So Mythal spread rumors of a monstrous creature and took the form of a great serpent, waiting for Andruil at the base of a mountain.

When Andruil came, Mythal sprang on the hunter. They fought for three day and nights, Andruil slashing deep gouges in the serpent's hide. But Mythal's magic sapped Andruil's strength, and stole her knowledge of how to find the Void. After this, the great hunter could never make her way back to the abyss, and peace returned.

—Translated from ancient elven found in the Arbor Wilds, source unverified

Here is a much more clear distinction of the Void as an actual, tangible thing. Abyss is still not being capitalised, though. Abyss speaks to me of something deep down below. And the ancient Elves were actively encouraged to seek the deepest parts of the Fade, as seen in Codex Entry: Vir Dirthara: The Deepest Fade.

The pages of this book—memory?—are instructions on how to reach the deepest parts of the Fade, realms so far removed they're unmarked by Dreamers:

"Epiphany requires a mind smooth as mirror glass, still as stone. Put aside ten years for practice, and the next hundred for searching. What others have learned will ease your journey. Those who never manifested outside the Fade will find it easier to find its stillest roots, but it is rare the compulsion overtakes our brethren of the air."

Andruil roaming the Void was considered a bad thing by the Elves, yet seeking the deepest parts of the Fade was encouraged. That says to me that they are not the same. That says to me that the Void is not found in the Fade. 

The Andruil codex entry also says that “all forgot her true face” and that because of her actions, “plague ate her lands”. The idea that it was Andruil who caused the Blight has been around for a long time. This codex entry is the source of that theory. So far, I am inclined to agree that it certainly sounds like that may be the case. So. Quite possibly, according to this tale, if this plague is indeed the blight, it can be concluded that the Blight came from the Void.

However, that is a whole lot of conditions. A lot of ‘if’s.

Next up, there’s talk about the legends of Fen’Harel and The Great Betrayal - which we know for certain fact by now is a lot more complicated than the legends make it out to be. However, I don’t remember there being any mention of the Void or an abyss - or even the Forgotten Ones - being mentioned in our conversation with Solas in Trespasser. Sometimes I wonder if the Forgotten Ones are just a trail that Bioware wants to drop, but then I remember that their most explicit appearance in all the games so far is as recently as Jaws of Hakkon. Well. Back on track. 

The cite notes here only lead me to Arlathan: Part two and the Dread Wolf codex entry - both tellings of the Dalish legend, which tells me nothing new. The Forgotten Ones were allegedly trapped in the abyss. Might be good to point out that these legends also appear to imply that the Forgotten Ones came from the abyss, or at least that it was their home. “[...]if only the Forgotten Ones would return to the abyss for a time.“

Hmm. The Void wiki entry next says that The World of Thedas includes accounts of the Evanuris being trapped in the Eternal City. I thought that was just a theory. I really need to get that book. Clear some things up.

On to the next cite note, which leads me to the codex entry Elgar’nan: God of Vengeance. Another Dalish account, but this one brings up something interesting that I’ve not paid attention to before.

The sun, looking down upon the fruitful land, saw the joy that Elgar'nan took in her works and grew jealous. Out of spite, he shone his face full upon all the creatures the earth had created, and burned them all to ashes. The land cracked and split from bitterness and pain, and cried salt tears for the loss of all she had wrought. The pool of tears cried for the land became the ocean, and the cracks in her body the first rivers and streams.

Elgar'nan was furious at what his father had done and vowed vengeance. He lifted himself into the sky and wrestled the sun, determined to defeat him. They fought for an eternity, and eventually the sun grew weak, while Elgar'nan's rage was unabated. Eventually Elgar'nan threw the sun down from the sky and buried him in a deep abyss created by the land's sorrow.

A deep crack in the earth - a crack referrenced to as an abyss no less - created by the Sun’s rage. 

Perhaps, this instead is a reference to the war in which the Evanuris were generals. The war that enabled their ascent to presumed godhood. And this chasm was opened by the battles waged in this war. 

My mind wanders to The Abyssal Reach in the Western Approach. You know the one - the ginormous black chasm? The one that you fall into during Here Lies the Abyss?

The Wiki entry on the Western Approach says that “This area was the site of a major battle during the Second Blight. The darkspawn swarmed out of the great chasm to the south named the Abyssal Rift and corrupted the land beyond recovery.” Note that it doesn’t say is that the chasm was created during the Second Blight. It would appear that it was already there. 

I’m thinking that this chasm is the same as the one referenced in Elgar’nan’s legend. 

Although - nothing about this says that this chasm and the Void is the same thing. But I suspect that they may be connected. 

Continuing down the Void wiki page, all that’s left is the cult of the Empty Ones - who worshiped the blight - as well as a fairly lengthy trivia section. Nothing I find here is new. The Empty ones say the Darkspawn came from the Void and that the Void is a place of nothingness. General mentions of a hungry, yawning void - which doesn’t really say anything because that’s a pretty general turn of phrase. The Staff of the Void’s description talks about a void as an absence of something, which once again sounds more like a turn of phrase than anything substantial.  

There is always the Anvil of the Void - the thing that the Dwarves used to forge Golems. Since it essentially functioned by transferring the soul of a dwarf into that of the Golem, it could imply that the Void is somehow related to souls - or at least Dwarven souls - which would support the verse from the Canticle of Andraste mentioned before. But then, we also know that Elven souls come from the Fade - or at least that is what is implied, considering their close kinship with Spirits before the Veil. 

And there is still the whole thing about where we have absolutely no idea where the Humans even came from in the first place...

So far, I’ve seen a lot of fairly interesting thinking points - but absolutely nothing that would really lead to any real consensus to what the Void even is - IF it even is. I can’t help but feel that despite the frequent use of the terms Void and abyss in both Elven and Chantry lore, none of these references are similar enough - or substantive enough - for me to be able to be able to safely conclude that the Void even is a special place or thing at all. It sounds to me like metaphorical speech far more often than it does anything else. A metaphor for deep underground or something. The Deep Roads. I don’t know. 

But then I remember The Descent again. The Wellspring. The ‘lake’ that seemed almost like a sky. The Dwarf legend of the king who dug so deep down that he and his entire thaig “fell into the sky”. It makes me wonder...

In the end, all I feel I can really conclude for myself is that whatever it is, the Abyss is mostly deep below, and the Fade is mostly up above. I don’t think they are the same. Also that the Blight probably comes from the Void in one way or another. 

But honestly, any more than that, the lore just doesn’t seem to converge into anything substantial anywhere. There is simply far too little to go on to make any solid conclusions, and what little lore there is appear to go into different places more often than not. We can assume, we can theorise, we can extrapolate - but what real lore there actually is tells us surprisingly little.

If anyone has any thoughts about this that are more coherent than mine, I’d love to hear them, because it feels like I’m thinking in circles.

#dragon age meta #dragon age inquisition #dragon age 2 #dragon age origins #the void #This post took me four hours to make #My brain feels kinda mushy #I'm tired #I should go to sleep

[kurahieiritrjio]

World building

Sharing an old project based on an Ice Aged Greece to help focus the concepts here.

Believe it or not coloration is the greatest imagination grabber of all. It focuses the scene to provide the setting. Shape comes second. Lumpy, rounded, square, flat, twisted, gnarled, fuzzy, oval, squat, sloped, angular, and circular all give distinctive impressions of how something looks. How many shapes can you think of that describe rocks, tree limbs, cave mouths, faces and body builds. Animals and plants all have distinctive colors and features of shape that should be combined when you describe this element to give a breathtaking four dimensional feeling kind of setting to promote any written scene.

Here is a worksheet that is helpful to help you figure out your world, Example used is Ice Age Greece. Ignore the Futuristic tags since I devised those for my own worlds. This worksheet was designed for space travel obviously. However this will be helpful in explaining how your world is a character that all other characters must interact with at all times whether they realize it or not. In some cases I will also add notes for you to consider before you fill out that section.

 Generalized Outline- World Building Basics: Science Fiction

Astronomical/geological Section:

Planet Name:

Planet Class:  Moon, Super Terrestrial, Terrestrial (Earth like)sub-jovian, Jovian (Think Jupiter) Sub-terrestrial (Think Venus or Mars For Size):

If Terrestrial; Is it Like Earth Now, the Past, or Futuristic (very High tech):

How Is This Planet The Same or Different From Our Planet?

Type of Atmosphere?

Geography: Mountains/deserts/plains/woodlands/ Swamp/ Oceans, Etc. Physical Features Include Size/ Gravity/atmosphere/ Moon(S)/Sun Class: (F5 Lower Strength White Through F-9 Lowest- to G Class Yellow (Our Sun is in This Category= G1 to G9 (9 Is Weakest) or K Class (Red Dwarf Close to Death =Plot Added Drama)/ Constellations of Note:

Maps: Get Graph Paper and Build Your Own Maps or Buy Some D&d Type Maps and Then Do Mental Alterations or Chop and Pastes onto Larger Sheets to Create a Map to Help You See Where Your Characters Are Going to and Coming From! (No Matter What Genre You Are Writing it helps you to see the distances the characters cross so they don’t do 100 miles in a week at one time, then two hundred miles in one week somewhere else. Pace and Time Laws Do Not Change, and Therefore You Will Have to Give Space and Time References to Build a Good Story:

What Natural Resources Exist (Such as Mining Resources to Build Technology from If Applicable)? Yours will be stone/animal/flora heavy:

How Are These Resources Utilized by The Dominant Species Specifically?:

Climate: Distinct Seasons; Summer/winter/spring/ Fall/dry/wet/ & Types of Weather Patterns: Ie. Snow, Rain, Arid, Humid, Tropical:

Temperatures Expected Average Highs/Lows During Each Season:

Flora And Fauna Section:

Food Sources: What Do People And Animals on Planet Eat?

Domesticated Animals: Types of Livestock For Work or Food Can Your Planet Support Based Upon Geography And Climate?

What Types of Companion Animals or Pets Does Your World Have, If Any?

 Wild Animals:

What Kinds of Animals Does This Planet Support Naturally? How Do The Main People And Animals From The Wilderness Regions Interact? Are Wild Animals Carnivores, Omnivores, or Herbivores, or Some of Each Type? What Is The Food Chain Like? Ex: Herbivores Need Plants in Large Numbers to Eat So The Carnivores Can Eat Them And The Omnivores Eat Both Meat And Plants Aka Like Humans Do:

Are Any of These Wild Life Animals Intelligent Like Your Dominating Species Is Intelligent?

 People or Races Section:

Population Size:

World Population:

City Population: (Only Those Needed For Story Line):

Town Populations:

Village Populations:

Specific Race (S) of Note:

In What Ratios? (I. E.  30% White Skin, 15% Black Skin, 12% Blue Skin,  65% Green Skinned)

 Culture And Society:

Villages or Cities, Rural or Suburban, Inner-city Versus Outer-city (Think New York With Brooklyn And Other Suburbs For Inner Outer City Concept)

Language(s) Spoken:

Specific Cultural Aspects: (Hunter Gatherer/ Farmer/ Industrialized?)

Holidays, Celebrations, Rites of Passage, Family Traditions?

What Are The Most Important Festivals And Holidays?

How Important to Culture Are These Rituals And Holidays?

Behaviors Frowned Upon?

Behaviors Approved Of?

Word or Phrases Specific (Idioms) to The Region in Question?

Any Known Origins to The Words or Phrases Used by People of This Area?

Significance of Following Cultural Enrichment Forms:

Art:

Music:

Dance:

Entertainment:

Leisure Activities:

Dress/fashions:

What Forms Do These Items Take?

Gender Roles: Which Gender Is Dominant or Is There No Dominance at All?

How Does Society Enforce Those Gender  Roles Through Education, Through Expected Conformation of Roles Between The Two Genders?

Family Structure:

Who Raises And Teaches Children?

Who Cooks Meals by Tradition?

Do Extended Families Live Together or Is it Parents And Children Only in Each Dwelling?

Are There Different Types of Food Eaten in Different Social Classes or Unified to Region (Japanese Eat Stir Fry/ Americans Eat Steak And Potatoes as Example)

Social Class: Warrior/spiritual, Wealthy/working/poor/middle Class Etc:

Where Do Each Class of People Live And Do Their Dwellings Vary From Class to Class?

Do Clothing, Personal Items Such as Jewelry or Fashions Vary Based Upon Class And Wealth?

Do Hairstyles And Similar Things Vary by Class And What Types Are There? (Long or Short Hair? Beards or Mustaches Etc Go Here)

 Genealogy: Build Bloodline Maps For Visual Bloodline Traits And Such For Future Reference, Even If Not Mentioned in The Story Per Say, They Can Be Great Ways to Add Tension Based Upon Race And Other Background Hints You Don’t Go Into in Depth And They Make For Very Interesting Characters!

 Religion(s): )Major Notes) An example: Greece never followed the standard proto religious format of Gods created the world and Universe. They always felt the Universe created the Gods both male and female as mediators between Universe and man, plants, and animals. It was one of the very first cultures to embrace pantheons or multiple Gods belief system. That is the reason it still influences out modern world to this day. Instead of fatalistic driven human sacrifice to appease the Gods, these guys actively sought out more than one God to get the decision they wanted long before the classic era Mythology tomes of their ancient religion was passed into a physical written format. That needs to be shown in action to some extent. Have these people doing rudimentary rituals reminiscent of much later Classic era Ancient Greece religious ceremonies. Read classic Greek Mythology. The titans of earth and sky are the well known distinction that sets ancient Greece apart from the rest of the world.

This provides a very strong tool for making the story line zing if you explore the mythology for the oldest recorded roots, and downgrade the best known Grecian ancient rituals significantly into a more generic shamanic norm. Give clues to the later evolution into Greek specific rituals through your prototype religion which tickles memories of school classes that touched upon the classic era Greek in many schools. Then readers will really stick with your story because they will be desperately trying to figure out where the main is living.)

 One God or Many? Name Some And Denote Genders Implied:

Spiritual Philosophies:

Beliefs About Birth, Death, And Afterlife?:

Does Culture Condone Burial, Cremation, or Something Else?:

Why?:

Who Is in Charge of Places of Worship?:

Does This Place Have Magic Practices And If So How Does That Affect The World on a Planetary Wide Basis as Well as Locally?

How Does Religion in General Impact The World?

Will it Have Relevance in The Plot Line of The Story? Or Will it Simply Be a Low Key Element That Helps Define Character Behaviors in Story Line?:

Do Different Races Have Different Gods?

Does Technology And Religion Co-exist Peacefully or Are There Strong Conflicts Between The Two Factions?

(*myths from Religions Alive or Defunct/ History / and Politics Are Always Relevant to the Shaping of a Character’s Behavior and Actions!)

Architecture: Describe the houses and buildings with some interior details so we can see where everything is in relation to living quarters and/or communal get together areas.

 EDUCATION SECTION

What Levels of Education Exist on This Planet or in a Specific Area?  Give List of Educational Expected Forms Such as Home School to High School and College If Possible.

For my world Education system, who trains under which hall (This Is The Term For Schools Based Upon Highly Specific Technology, Medicine, Textiles, Political, Police, Computers or Space Travel in My Sci-fi Series Which Means Trained to become a Journeyman Level For The Particular Trade... It’s a Guild Based Trade Society Kind as You Can See....If You Choose Hall Style, Is Training Off Planet, or Planet Sponsored (For Home Planets With Resident Halls)

Give List of Halls And What They Train Help Insure Plot Consistencies And Add Details to Plots.

What Forms of Specialized Education Systems Exist If Any for your genre and expectations by readers?

 Time Section:

 What Calender or Other Methods of Measuring Time Exist? Include Clocks And Time Pieces, or Sun Dials, as Well as Give Some Form of Indication as to Whether or Not This Society Is Aware of Months And Years Passing. (All Technology Using Species Will Have Both Clocks And Calendars For Certain as Will Any Medieval Societies Have at Least Calenders If They Have Oceanic Shipping And Trade With Outside Races And Nations)

 Technology Section: (If in your case it is flint napping, and wood work, basket making and similar, you do need to have this down pat to be believable.)

Technology, Science And Jobs Section; Is Technology Eco Friendly or Industrial Pollutants Generating? Large City Complexes With Factories & Refineries, or Smaller Information Dominant Social Structures That Have Pleasant in Home Offices, Smaller Scientific Designated Areas Versus Agriculture Regions.

What Levels of Technology Exist on This World (Horse And Carts/ or Cars And Planes/ Space Ships And Higher?)

Communications Systems Include Mail, Phone or Other Forms of Vocal/written Communications. Are There High Tech Telephones or Is There a Mailing System? How Does it Work For Sending Info Like ‘Help, We’re Being Attacked! Send The Militia!’ How Does it Work If Calling Home to Say, “Hey Mom And Dad I’m Getting Married Next Week, or I Got That Great New Job!”?

Is Technology The Same Planet Wide or Only in Specific Regions?

Is Technology Distributed Based Upon Racial or Economic Factors or Equally Shared?

Is There a Technological Aspect That Will Have Significant Impact Upon The Story?

What Is The Major Forms of Transportation? (Horse And Carts/ or Cars And Planes/ Space Ships?)

How Does Technological Advances Shape These Forms of Transportation?

What Level of Technology For Weapons Where Applicable? (Forges/Assembly Lines/robot Workers as Examples)  

Are There Any Weapons Restrictions, And Are Those Restrictions Important to The Plot Line?

How Has The Technology (Or Magic) Helped to Build up or Destroy The Society That Uses It? Is it Still Helping to Build, or Destroy Its Users?

 Medical Section:

What Level of Medicine Exists?

Who Does The Healing?

What Technology Is Involved, If Any? (Shamans And Witches And Magic Users Would Use Herbs or Crystals)

If Technologically Advanced What Types of Medical Care Is Available to The People (Hospitals And Insurance Company Concepts  Go Here)

What Types of Diseases And Illnesses Are Common?

Are They Curable, or Lethal?

Who Cares For Sick Family Members With Non Lethal Colds?

 POLITICS SECTION:

Governmental Questionnaire:  

What Kind of Government(s)  Exist in This World? (Story Relevance Specific) (Politics Is Always Relevant to Some Degree in Every Story Line!!!)

Does Your Planet Have More Than One Government?

Sovereigns = King Queen, by Birth With Dukes And Lords

Democratically Elected= President And Congress as Example Elder’s Council,

Land Holders Council, Dictatorships, Ogliagarchy, Parliamentary (Limited Sovereign- Must Get Elected Groups Agreement to Do Certain Things) Militant (Yes it Is Different From Tyranny, A.k.a. Dictators),  Cooperative (A Lot Like Ogliagarchy, But a Smaller Group Making The Decisions),

How, & Why Did This Government Come About?

Diplomatic Corps) How Many? Any Special Training required?

How Are Relationships Between Countries? Are Any Currently at War With Each Other? If So, Why?

 Taxation

How Does it Work? Purchases Taxed Only, Land, Paychecks, Possessions, Birth Fees?

Taxes and Regulations upon Imports & Exports Where Applicable. Community Based Trade Without Taxation Such as a Village Would Be Seen as Normal. Trade? Name Some Imports, Exports (Look at Geography for Natural Resources to Come up with These Items- a Farming Community Will Trade Grain and Food Stuffs with More Industrialized Areas for Things like Forged Metal Goods Etc)

Are There Taxes on Imports and Exports?

Trade Section/

Large Mass Goods or Specialized Goods. Example, Are They Like Corroscant From Star Wars.. Must Import Food And Water to Survive.. Or Like Mon Calamari... Lots of Exports, Lesser Imports Due to Self Sufficiency. Export Raw Materials or Finished, or Refined Goods.  

How Are Goods Imported and Exported? (By Ship/truck/train/caravan/plane Etc...)

How Is Local; Trade Carried Out? (Barter May Exist in Local or a Credit Ledger You Pay off When Harvest Time Is Done as Example)

Economics:

What Types of Currency Is Used? (Money And Coins/ Credits or Plastic Cards/ or Implanted Chips/ Gems or Barter Forms (A Chicken For a Bag of Grain Example) Currency? What Are Denominations in Credit/ Money Forms For Your Planetary or Nations? Driads For Coalition as Example. If You Have Major Ports of Call Built Into Your System, You May Have a Star Grouping Form of Currency Such as Example Star Wars Driad, as Well as an Internal Set of Indigenous, or Planetary Specific Currency. Are the Monies Based on Metals, Papers, Fabrics, Jewels and Crystals, Microchips, Cards, or Barter?

Is There More than 1 Monetary System to Be Considered for this Story Line?

 LAW SECTION:

In Depth Judicial System: What Rules For Theft or Does This Species Idolize It? Violence (Warrior Species Will Probably Have Ritual Battles And Other Forms of Accepted Violence And Laws That Uphold Forms of Ritualized Violence)are There Laws For or Against Sex Crimes? Or Any Other Form of Judgement Ruled System Such as Divorce, Wills/probate, And Drug Slave Trade Laws or Bans Etc. And Who Enforces... Military <Militant Rule Government System> Private Security Groups (Hired by Government?) Regulation Trained Police or Law Enforcement Agency That Is Government Backed. Embezzlement, Fraud/perjury, Domestic Situations: I.e. Traffic Tickets/ Monetary Disputes., Lawsuits, You Get The Idea.

What Level of Law Enforcement Exists?

Is There a Structured Legal System Such as in America With Lawyers And Courts? Or Is it ‘Caught And Hung Same Day’ Variety (Antiquated/medieval) System?

Who Makes And Upholds The Laws of The Region?

What Are The Laws And The Consequences For Breaking Them?

 Basic History:

Any Major Wars? Inter-species to Interplanetary?  More Than One Country/nation And Governmental Styles Will Have a Past War History. First Space Voyage, Famous Treaties or Constitutions With Who Signed And Why? These Are Good to Make Obscure References to in Novels That Take Place Elsewhere If Only to Remind The Reader of The Exotic Setting Without Having to Bash Readers Over The Head. Major Holidays, Interplanetary And Galactic? Design a General Interspecies Calender, or National Holiday Calender Depending on The Genre Writing. History World and Local

Wars of Significance?

Treaties of Significance?

Major Discoveries That Have Altered History

Natural Disasters, and Other Events That Have Altered History?

Are These Histories Directly Affecting Your Story Overtly, or Simply Shaping Character Behaviors (Same as Religion)

If Important to Main Story List Some Ways it Will Affect the Characters and Story Line Potentially.

History of Interactions Between Different Societies?

Important Historical Figures That Influence a Culture or Society? In Example:  Religions Created By, Governments Designed By? Laws That Make Differences? Metals Found and Forged for First Time? (You Get the Idea Here)

 MISC POSSIBILITIES

Military.. Draft Based or Volunteer Corps? Paid a Good Wage/ Poor Wage? Does This World Have Sets of Treaties to Provide Troops in Time of Crisis in Example  Coalition Sponsored or Local Provisions Such as Lord Calling on Vassals, or Do They Have Full Time Experienced And Trained Army or Similar Liberation Intentioned Forces? Example : Major Ports And Military Platforms Paid For by Coalition Agreements in Return For Skills Such as Tech Support, Housing For Warriors, Docking/repair Platforms in Space Etc...(Sci Fi Examples)

 For Fantasy Only Section:

Magic:

If There Is Magic on this World Is There More than 1 Type of Magic (Type Is Healing or Warrior, or Holy Relic Making, or Getting from One Place to Another in Examples)

How Does Magic Work in Your World? Cast and Get Immediate Results or Cast and Wait, or Perhaps You Need a Power Object to Do Anything at All.

What Are the Limitations of Magic? (Example Magic Might Not Work to Resurrect the Dead, but it Might Be Able to Recreate an Arm If You Lose One in a Fight)

What Magic Taboos Exist? (I.e. Creating a Frankenstein Would Be a Taboo in Many Cultures):

#writing worksheet #writing lessons

[lynyrdwrites]

Wired

So apparently KC AU week is going to be a week for starting multi-part stories. I got two requests for Cyborg Klaroline (one from @goldcaught, one from an anon), and here is my take.

Part 1 for KC AU Week Day 3: Sci fi for @everythingisklaroline

---

She wasn’t sure how she had gotten into the mess.

              Actually, that would be a lie – sheh knew exactly how she got into the mess.

              Enzo.

              What she didn’t know, was how she had let herself get involved in the whole, mad mess.

              She wasn’t  a bounty hunter. She  was just a journalism student -  probably a failed journalism student at  that point. But idiot  that she was, she let Enzo convince her that the one, single   job would be  easy.

              The  target was a fucking cyborg.

              A  military grade  cyborg.

              And Caroline was pretty sure  he  was going to kill her.

              “Now tell me, Love, what’s my fool brother doing sending a Neutral after me?”

              Klaus’ eye – which had appeared to be a perfectly normal blue just moments before – took on the  telltale black and red appearance of a scanner, and his other eye narrowed at the results he found. Caroline’s breath whooshed out as Klaus lifted her so her toes barely scraped the ground. She clawed at his hand futilely, and he pulled her closer.

              “You’re not a  Cyborg,” Klaus said with a  scowl.  “So why would anyone send you-”

              He  cut off when Caroline slammed her hand into his chest, a low grade electric jolt rewiring his robotics.  She dropped to the ground and scrambled back gracelessly, staring at Klaus’ prone form after he collapsed to the ground.

              She waited one beat… then another… and finally, when he still didn’t move, she let a victorious smirk curve her lips.

              “Unlicensed wiring, asshole!”

 48 hours previous

                Caroline Forbes was screwed.      

              Like, as in, soon-to-be-evicted-and-no-way-to-pay-tuition screwed.

              She rapidly did the math one more time, her finger flying across the calculator keys on her phone. The results were still the same.

              She was pathetically broke.

              Caroline groaned and buried her face in her hands. She hadn’t expected this, even when she had seen the exorbitant bills for her mother’s chemotherapy.   Maybe because  she had been so determined her mother would beat the cancer.

              Now her mom was dead, and Caroline had no money.

              She was so tired she couldn’t even cry.  Instead, she just sat with her head in her hands, wishing that wishes could change the world.

              That was how Enzo found her.

              “You’re not looking  too sharp, Gorgeous.”

              Caroline looked up with weary eyes as Enzo sprawled in the kitchen chair across from her. He reached  out and tugged the paper with her attempts  at budgeting on it and winced  at what  he saw.

              “Bloody hell, Gorgeous. Why didn’t you tell me it was this bad?”

              “I didn’t know,” Caroline replied, scrubbing a hand over her hair.  “Enzo, I’m so beyond screwed.”

              Enzo  stared at the paper, then looked up at her.

              “Are you still unlicensed?”

              Caroline scowled at the question, and darted a look around, as though her non-existent roommate would hear them  speaking; but it was the result of spending  her entire life hiding her  wiring, that Caroline was always suspicious when it got mentioned.

              “I can’t afford rent.  How would I afford licensing?” she hissed low.

              It was illegal, of course, that Caroline had the Cyborg wiring in her arms.  All Cyborgs were to be  reported and properly licensed.

              But Bill Forbes had viewed himself as something of a scientist, and rather than getting Council approval, he had simply experimented on his daughter.   He had been kicked out, of course,  once Liz realized what he was doing. But by then it had been too  late.

              He had been killed in a  freak accident before he had ever discovered if  his experiments had been successful,  and Liz hadn’t been  able to afford the astronomical Licensing fees that would have put Caroline in the government record books, but also given her free systems upkeep.

              Instead, Caroline had relied on the illegal services of Meredith Fell – she had been cheaper  than the License fees, but not cheap, and Caroline  had that debt to figure out now too.

              “Look, I know  a guy-”

              “Kol,” Caroline interrupted.  “When you know a guy, it’s always Kol, and usually something illegal.  I worry about your taste in men.”

              “He’s good in bed,” Enzo drawled. “And do you want to pay your debt  or   not?”

              With Kol involved, she should have said  no.

              When she found out the mess involved a licensed Cyborg, she should have said fuck no. He would have modern tech, while Caroline’s latest update involved whatever wiring Meredith could sneak from the Cyborg Station in Mystic Falls – not exactly big city robotics.

              But Kol had failed to mention the military aspect of the Cyborg,  making her think he was just a regular drone that had a superiority complex and needed to be brought in for rewiring.

              So in desperation, she had taken the damn dossier and spent two days hunting the bastard down.

 Present

                Klaus Mikaelson came back online slowly.

              He couldn’t recall having a reboot like that in…

              Well, Klaus Mikaelson simply didn’t have reboots like that.  A reboot that left his head pounding meant the enemy had forced a reboot, and enemies never got  the upper hand like  that.

              Except the pretty little blonde had.

              “Look, Kol, I don’t care how you usually do things. I want you to take this guy now… … Yeah? Well maybe before you  bitch we should discuss how he’s apparently your brother!”

              Klaus sat up slowly.  The wiring just below his skin was glowing – a freaky, radioactive circulatory system is what Rebekah had once likened it to  - but since the girl clearly knew  what he was, he didn’t bother  re-engaging his stealth system.

              Instead, he activated his scanner again, this time engaging a deeper scan, searching for what he had missed before.

              He couldn’t see a control center, like the one he had embedded in his neck – the central computer that connected to his brain and allowed his robotics to communicate with his human aspect.

              It was the control center that allowed his sensors to register a Cyborg and read their capabilities, but the blonde had none. Even when he searched for the wiring in her arm, he came up empty. He thought, perhaps, there was a shadow…but then he blinked and swore he must have dreamed it.

              Klaus eased to his feet, and engaged his short range projectile. The whir drew the woman’s attention, and she spun around. Klaus prepared to dodge another electric attack, but rather than go on the offensive, she dove behind a nearby sofa.

              “Shit!” She swore, and he heard her thud to the ground, completely lacking any sort of grace.

              “Your innocent act fooled me one, Love. I underestimated you. It won’t happen again.”

              He shot  into the sofa, following the sounds of her scrambling along the length.  He felt his brow furrow as she leapt out the other side, falling for what was little more than a child’s strategy with ease.

              “Stop  shooting at me!” she yelled, backing away from him so that her back hit the wall, and her eyes glistened as though –

              “Are you about to cry?” Klaus asked, his arm lowering slightly in confusion.

              “You’re shooting at  me!” the blonde retorted, brushing the tears away before they could fall.  “And I’m under a lot of stress and I’m  pissed off! This was supposed to be easy!”

              “My brother told you that, I assume.  You should know that Kol lies.  Usually, simply for the sake of lying. He’s an ass.”

              “Clearly!” she snapped.

              “And you are… not at all trained,” Klaus realized, lowering his arm the rest of the way. While he didn’t particularly value innocent lives, killing the blonde simply because she had fallen  prey to his idiot brother seemed…

              Unbearably rude.

              And rather like kicking a puppy, as even angry, tears still sparkled in her eyes.

              Yet she was still a mystery.  Because Klaus had encountered every variety of  Cyborg out there, and even the unlicensed had a control center.

              “Who created you?” he demanded.

              “My parents,” she replied somewhat dryly, seeming to calm now that he no longer aimed the projectiles at her.  “You know, like all little girl and boys, even you.  Although you’re probably not recognizable as  that boy anymore.”

              Klaus refrained from rolling his eyes, but he was used to the judgements on  how far he had let them take his Cyborg status.

              His siblings viewed him as a monster, what should this girl’s opinion matter.

              “Your name,” he tried again,  impatiently, but the girl  stayed silent.

              “Caroline?” Klaus froze when he heard  the voice. Distant and tinny, he doubted the blonde could hear it, but it was far too recognizable to him. “Forbes?  Pick up, dammit! If my brother’s killed you Enzo will never forgive me.”

              Klaus ignored the woman – Caroline, he assumed – and picked up the phone. He heard her take a step towards him, and held up his arm, once more aiming at her as he held the phone to his ear.

              “Hello, Kol.”

              “Nik,” Kol sounded as he usually did – blasé and entertained, but there was a strain under it.  “I was under the  impression you’d been temporarily shut down.”

              “I recovered,” he answered coolly.  “So, you’ve  become lapdog to big government, then.   I never pegged you as the type.”

              “Hardly a lapdog, Nik.   But  we all have to make a living somehow.  This one suits me.” Klaus could imagine Kol’s grin and felt  a pang of home sickness. “She’s a sweet little bit, our Caroline. I thought she might appeal to you, get close enough for her little shock to work.  Can’t blame a  bloke for trying, right? But she’s not big league, Nik.  Hurting her won’t do a damn thing for whatever asinine anti-establishment mission it is you’ve embraced.”

              “No?” Klaus raised a brow and grinned at Caroline in a  way that made her look a little nervous.  He stepped around her, never giving her his back, and stepped up to a portrait on the wall, of another blonde woman, hugging a toddler close.  He assumed the toddler to be Caroline; they had the same eyes.

              And he had seen this picture before.

              “Bill Forbes is a madman,” Klaus stated, and though he spoke to Kol, it was Caroline for whom the words were intended.  “But  I do believe he  loves his daughter.”

              Kol spoke rapidly, but Klaus was already done with his brother.  He dropped the cell  to the ground and stomped it hard, crushing it into a hundred pieces.  Caroline held her hand up, blue volts sparked  along her  skin, the wiring he was unable to pick up in a scan lighting up beneath her skin. Klaus engaged his sensors once more, and still no control panel.  No wires.

              Yet physically, he could see that she must have both.

              “Undetectable,” he murmured, in something close to awe. “Sometimes, he would say it was possible… but I always assumed he meant in theory.  But he had a living prototype.”

              “What the hell are you talking about?” Caroline demanded. She jerked towards him, and Klaus stepped back.  

              She still hadn’t shot anything at him, leaving him to assume contact must be necessary for her nasty little trick.

              “William Forbes, of course. Head of the military’s experimental department.   You must hate him as much as I do, Love.”

              “William Forbes is dead.”

              She didn’t deny hating him, Klaus noted. Just denied that he lived.

              “When you work with the government’s most sensitive secrets, it’s best that the world think you dead.  He’s trying to recreate you, Love. But thus far, he’s failed. Were you dead, one could assume he’d continue to fail that much longer.”

              “Screw you,” Caroline hissed.

              “That could be arranged,”  Klaus murmured, because while a Cyborg, he was also still a man,  and Klaus had always been attracted to the very rare and beautiful.

              Caroline, with her hidden robotics, was both.

              She growled low in her throat, and moved again, aiming her hand once more – this time, straight for the control center in his neck, as though she knew where it was.

              The projectile he shot at her contained  a low grade sedative – enough to knock her out, but not damage the connection between human  and robotics.  She stumbled sideways, and Klaus caught her when she fell.

              He could kill her – he was more than capable.  

              But she hadn’t denied  that she hated William Forbes.

              And that meant she could be valuable.

              At the very least, Klaus was intrigued.  And for the moment, that intrigue would keep her alive. But not free.

              No, Klaus was going to keep the little ghost close.

#Klaroline #kcauweek #everythingisklaroline #goldcaught #Klaroline fic

[infogosun1posts]

The Ultimate Off-Grid Tiny House Guide

Want to know how to get started with an off-grid tiny house? This ultimate guide introduces you to the concept, shares upsides and downsides to this kind of living, provides information on the best sorts of appliances for an off-grid tiny house (including ovens, cookers, coolers, lights, and phone chargers) and profiles of those who live in a off-grid tiny house.

Off-Grid Tiny House: Upsides and Downsides

An off-grid tiny home brings together two lifestyle choices that are practically soul mates. The tiny-home movement advocates living simply in small houses, generally less than 400 square feet. It encourages frugality, shared community experiences, and rejecting the worst of consumerism. This philosophy goes great with off-grid living, since these houses have low energy demands and many of them come with roof-mounted solar panels pre-installed. An off-grid tiny home is likely the easiest entry point into off grid living.

But there are challenges that come with accepting a radically different style of living. In this post we present those for and against being off the grid if you decide to live in a tiny home.

Off-Grid Tiny Home Account #1: The Home Builders

The Fontanillas are a Hawaii-based family of three that built their own off-grid tiny house complete with a solar powered array and rainwater harvesting system. Their house is 360 square feet, built on a 26-foot-long trailer that they built themselves.

This was made possible by the family's handiness and a long history in the construction industry.

Zeena Fontanilla recounts the journey:

My husband grew up in a family of builders so he always had the dream to build his own home. I don’t think he imagined it to be this small, but I think this was the perfect size for our first build together. This project was the best premarital counseling we could’ve asked for. Prior to starting our project I knew many joint decisions would need to be made. ‘Many’ was an understatement, try one billion decisions needed to be made. Let’s just say our communication skills are top notch.

For utilities the family uses a 3,200-gallon water catchment system, which they built themselves. Their solar array has photovoltaics mounted on a custom adjustable rack which can be moved as the sun's path changes during the seasons.

The couple spent about $45,000 total to build their home, compared the standard price tag of half a million dollars in their locality.

Off-Grid Tiny Home Account #3: The Skeptic

For an alternate point of view, Andrew Odin argues that you should not go off-grid with your tiny home.The gist of his argument is that to live off the grid one hundred percent means you must become completely self-sufficient, somethign almost impossible in our globalized world. You must produce all the things you need for daily living; which can be achieved but it requires a very low-tech life style.

Here's how he breaks it down: 

Imagine the life of a subsistence farmer. It first takes capital in the form of land and tools. You can subsist off a 10’x20′ plot in your backyard. It just isn’t possible. Once you have the land and tools you still have to work the land for years in order to create a revenue of any sort. In fact, you can live at a much higher standard if you work for money (either at a job or for yourself) and then use that money to buy the things you need. Even flipping burgers at the local greasy spoon will net you more money that most subsistence farmers are able to make. Granted you are allowed the feeling of satisfaction and success for providing for your needs with hard-work and sweat equity you still have to face a life void of many things you once enjoyed. Oranges in December? Not unless you live in South Florida or Mexico. Instant pudding? Nope. Refined sugar for your favorite recipes? Not likely. Oh, and did we mention meat? Yep! Meat. If you want that as part of your diet you either have to raise and process animals or you have to learn to be a bit of a hunter/gatherer. Of course that depends on where you live. In eastern North Carolina we are able to enjoy venison, dove, quail, rabbit, and even turkey. But that isn’t the case everywhere.

So there you have it. Three different ways to approach living in an off-grid tiny home that take into account the different life experiences we bring to the table.

Sustainability in Action

A growing movement of eco-conscious urban dwellers are rejecting consumerism, embracing minimalism and sufficiency, and trading in expensive dwellings for an off-grid tiny house. The options for such houses are growing (there are even groupings of tiny houses being tested as an aid for homelessness) and some are embracing the ultimate freedom of living completely off the grid in their off-grid tiny houses. 

There are many factors to consider when making such a move. How do you handle practical utilities issues like plumbing, electricity, sewage, and water? What are the challenges that come with living in an off-grid tiny house? How handy do you have to be to overcome the challenges that will inevitably come? What do you do about appliances that require electricity but you can't live without? 

The good news is that you do not have to be a complete hermit to live in an off-grid tiny house, nor do you have to adopt an Amish lifestyle and completely forsake electricity. New solar powered devices are coming to market that make living off the grid easier than ever.

According to a profile from Sharable, off-grid tiny houses are a good way to reduce your ecological footprint, save money, spend practically zero dollars on utilities, and lead an overall less stressful life. They spoke with small house dweller Merete Mueller about this lifestyle.

“One benefit to tiny house living,” says Mueller, “is that it frees up the money, time and energy that would otherwise be spent on maintaining a house and rent or a mortgage, to be used on other things, like working on creative projects, starting a business, spending time with friends and family, or on other hobbies that bring a lot of satisfaction to one’s life.”

She points out that with tiny house, off-the-grid living, the drawbacks can be the same as the benefits.

“One obvious challenge is a minimal amount of space inside,” she says, “But one benefit related to that is being forced to spend more time outside, and being forced to simplify possessions and think about which things matter most.”

Emptying the composting toilet, hauling water and the other “challenges” that come with tiny, off-the-grid living were, for Mueller, part of the allure. “We wanted to know and understand,” she says, “exactly how much water we were consuming.”

As you can see, there are many benefits to living in an off-grid tiny house. And if you know anything about GoSun, you know that we make some of the best solar powered appliances for off-grid living that can cook your food, provide refrigeration, and even charge your phone.

The Best Appliances For Your Off Grid Homes

Off grid homes let you lead a fully independent lifestyle without the need of remote infrastructure, the power grid, or municipal plumbing. The best part about these innovate homes is that you don't have to live like a rustic hermit. Solar panels and other forms of alternative energy keep you autonomous.

But what about appliances for your off grid home? What about cookers, coolers, light sources, and chargers for your electrical appliances? 

We're glad you asked! Turns out there are plenty of great solar-powered appliances that make living in your off grid homes as convenient as possible. Below are some of our favorites.

GoSun Grill

The grill is the flagship cooler from GoSun.

This is the flagship solar cooker from GoSun.

Bake, boil or steam a meal for eight people, (4x more food than the GoSun Sport) using only the sun.

Gosun Chill

Meet the solar cooler that doesn't need ice.

GoSun engineered a cooler that can keep colder temperatures longer and is more sanitary than anything else on the market. Nothing is cleaner or easier than GoSun Chill. 

GoSun Chill can be powered by multiple power sources, including: Powerbank, AC Adapter, 12 Volt Cord (car port charger), Solar Table, or Flexible Solar Panels. This way, you can access the most convenient power sources when you need it. To charge the Powerbank, plug in the included AC Adapter into any wall socket (100-250VAC) or use one of our two solar charging options - the Solar Table or Flexible Solar Panel.

GoSun Flex

GoSun is pleased to introduce the Flex, a solar cell phone charger which easily folds up and produces and incredible amount of electricity to charge all your USB devices. It can charge up your phone with its built in usb port as fast at 

your plug in outlet.

Here are the dimensions:

Unfold size: 267 mm x 349 mm x 2.5 mm

Folded size: 267 mm x 175 mm x 5 mm

Net weight: 0.43 kg 

Off-Grid Living with Ultra-Runner Patrick Sweeney

Many aspire to escape the stress and dependency of modern life, but few have started from the ground up to make that vision a reality. Over the last 8 months GoSun Ambassadors, Jesse and Alyssa, have done just that on their 5 acre lot in Idaho. 

Cataloging everything about their journey on their homesteading blog Pure Living for Life and YouTube, they have created a plethora of resources on essential topics such as purchasing land, saving money on building materials, mending soil from scratch, milling your our own lumber and even expense reports to boot!

We sat down with Alyssa to ask her about their journey, from it's passionate inception to the pitfalls and any advice they would give to anyone planning to follow suit.

 What inspired you two to jump ship and take a more self-sufficient lifestyle?

A couple of years ago, Jesse and I were living in a tiny apartment in Boulder, CO. Jesse was running a business remotely and I was working a 9­5 corporate job. Both of us had a lot of stress and didn’t feel satisfied with our lives or where we were going. Life was okay but we wanted more ­ we wanted freedom. We had this dream of buying our own land, building a home with our bare hands with trees from our property, being in control of our water and power, growing our own food and being debt­-free. We also had the crazy idea that if we made a few sacrifices that we could own our land outright, own our home, and be fairly self­-sufficient within a short amount of time. Shortly after realizing our dream, we took action immediately and started trying to make that dream a reality. Two years later, and we are living on our own land in a remote part of the United States, with a beautiful view of the mountains to wake up to every morning and we’re working on building our first home.

What has been your largest hurdle so far?

So far, our largest hurdle has been that our eyes are larger than our stomachs! Because we’re so driven to achieve our dreams, sometimes (okay, always!) we take on more than we can chew. On any given day, we’re trying to run multiple online businesses from our cabin, build a home, start a garden, keep up with blogging about our journey, and make sure our basic needs are met. We haven’t had a slow moment since we’ve arrived on our land, but we’ve never been happier and every day we are getting closer and close to being self­-sustainable.

How does the GoSun play into your journey? Any GoSun tips to share from a power user like yourself?

Because we’re completely off the grid (off the power grid, that is), we don’t have a stove yet. We’re currently living in a travel trailer while we build our home, and all we have to cook on is two small propane burners. Having the GoSun Stove allows us to enjoy some of the comforts that we miss such as baked goods. Some of the things we’ve enjoyed include brownies, chocolate chip cookies, gingerbread and even coconut flour bread. If you’re new to solar cooking as we are, I think the GoSun is a great way to start out as it’s extremely straightforward and we’re able to cook most anything in an hour! Jesse wants to make sure that I say a big “thank you” to GoSun for him, for satisfying his back­-home banana bread craving!

What part have your fans and followers had to play in your journey?

We’re so thankful to be part of a large community of like­-minded folks that are interested in pursuing a more self­-sustainable way of living, whether they’re completely off grid as we are or whether they find ways to be more self­-sustainable in an urban setting. We’ve received a large amount of support from people that follow our journey on our blog or social media channels, and we are thankful for that every day.

What advice would you give to others looking to take the leap as you two have?

I think the most ­important piece of advice we can share is to start taking action today. Most people we connect with are stuck in some sort of analysis paralysis when they could be taking action right now. Tiny steps each day will put you on a path to living your dreams sooner than you think. It really is that simple. 

Whatever your dreams are, walk confidently in the path you choose, and you can always be closer to achieving your dreams today than you were yesterday.

To know more about Off Grid Tiny House and net zero tiny house Please visit our website.

[jorajhisays]

Side note: Catfolk Gods

My mother used to tell me that it was important to know where you came from in order to keep moving forward. We embrace the past, learn from it, and then move on.

My parents made sure that I was aware of our history as Catfolk. They said it was an important part of my culture, and I should never forget it. We even had shrines for the old Catfolk gods set up at home, and small ones that my parents carried around when we travelled. They're not really worshipped by a whole lot of Catfolk anymore, though. Most that do are the really isolated tribes close to the Wastes. I guess the best way to put it is that they're considered just a little bit old-fashioned, now.

Mrrhrr is “Tail”. She stood for lust, humility and community. She represented family and the warmth of femininity in general. My mother said that she was an example for mothers, that her gentleness and love was without compare. She used to say that Mrrhrr loved us like we were all her children.

When I was younger, I often wondered if Mrrhrr's embrace would have been able to compare to my mother's. If she would have been as soft, as warm and as kind.

We also have Hmrr. “Claw”. He stood for hunters, strength and the spirit of competition. He was representative of men and the strength of masculinity in general. My father told me he was supposed to be an example for father figures, meant to use their strength to protect their family. He also told me about some boys that used to get into fights and then claim that they were simply wanting to show their respect for Hmrr, which would end with them being told to pay actual tribute to Hmrr in case he got mad.

I like to believe that Hmrr would have been proud of my father, who did his best to be strong for us. He did his best to protect my mother until his dying breath.

Thrrva, the last in the triad. “Feet”. Thrrva stood for travellers, trade and courage. Representative of wanderers, traders and the transitory nature of those who stray. My parents told me that in older times, wanderers would have been considered social outcasts, for leaving the tribe. They were important though, as they brought in new technologies, new ideas. New ways of thinking. Without them, the nature and culture of the Catfolk would have stagnated.

It was considered an honour for a child to become a wanderer, a traveller. Unfortunately, it was often safer if their parents pretended they were dead.

The Triad are considered very old-fashioned. Especially Mrrhrr, who is very unpopular with a lot of modern Catfolk women. Women are capable of more than just raising families, and men not only good for hunting and fighting. Wanderers are still sort of wanderers and while they're still sort of considered outcasts, it is not to the extent as before. They bring in new things which are now more embraced by the community rather than shunned.

My parents worshipped the Triad and they did their best to emulate the qualities that the gods embodied. My father for Hmrr, my mother for Mrrhrr. I like to think my parents would be proud of me, proud of what I've done and learned and accomplished. I am a wanderer, from the tips of my ears to the bottom of my soles. I've done a lot of travelling in these past few years, and I am not sure if I am going to stop anytime soon.

#dnd #dnd fluff #dnd headcannon #Misfits Campaign #George #Religion #homebrew #side note #Catfolk #Catfolk gods

[theliterateape]

Eat the Best Parts, Discard the Rest

By Don Hall

I am not a Native American person.

I mean, I can’t say that I know any and I have to assume that modern Native Americans are no longer much like those from Dances with Wolves but my perception of those hunters and gatherers of the pre-colonized North America is that they were truly ecological in their approach. Kill the deer and eat or use all the parts as a sign of respect and a noncommerce-based frugality. Utilize the entire buffalo to be seen as a virtuous steward of nature because it’s okay to kill the animal as long as you use the shit out of the last sinew and bone.

I respect that concept and when it comes to ideas, I used to be that guy who found a new, shiny worldview or ideology and, if I discovered things I liked about it, took the whole load down my throat and proselytized it as all zealots do. 

As a kid, I gravitated toward Christianity, the complete fear of Satanic backmasking, an overwhelming belief in the coming of killer bees from Africa, the inevitability of nuclear war, and a brief flirtation with Reagan conservatism. Thankfully, I grew out of this phase which I tend to see as the Epiphany Phase of my development where every new book, every new scientific theory, every self-help or religious idea was the idea, the approach to fully embrace.

When I finally got around to reading Atlas Shrugged, I was already defiantly liberal in my political leanings. I liked it—a little clunky, too much exposition. I did latch onto the idea of altruism being far more self-interested than those who preach it want us to know. There are too many examples of those on the Left creating performative activism designed to dictate rather than exemplify a sense of communal responsibility to easily ignore. The semi-fascist Objectivism, anti-liberal, John Galtism were things I left on the offal pile.

Likewise, the movie The Program is pretty awful. There is a line that stuck with me despite the hyper-masculinity of a tepid football movie: “A team only exists when every member of the team is aware of how every other member affects them.” I can’t even recall the plot or characters but I remember that idea. I do this with a lot of really shitty films which causes my wife to question my pedestrian taste.

I’m not a religious person (I used to be) but there are a host of really good lessons that can be gleaned from religion. “Do unto others as you’d have done unto you,” “Love thy neighbor,” “Ye shall not round the corners of your heads.” At this point in my life, I see most religious documents and dogma as self-help texts with simple rules for life. All of the intolerance and demands for obedience I just ignore.

I am a die-hard fan of both the Star Wars canon and Star Trek (all versions). I do not somehow take it all so seriously that I forget that they are fictional entertainment.

I’m not a feminist. Not because I don’t agree and support and try to put it into practice the best parts of feminism, but because the stridency of True Believers is a pain in the ass. Equal pay for equal work? No shit. Refusing to do a gender reveal party is just good taste but to refuse to placate your long-suffering mother-in-law because it might be another white boy? Gimme a fucking break. Lobbying for more stringent sexual harassment laws? All for it. Including manspreading, unwanted compliments, and the occasional off-color joke as punishable offenses? Might as well be the Catholic fucking Church with this nonsense.

I’m not an ally... to any cause. Allyship should be vocal and material support for the forward momentum of human rights. Unfortunately, one’s Ally Card gets revoked if one bothers to critically take a look at the overreach of Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality, and a refusal to to use an “X” in place of commonly used labels. 

Simply put, part of maturity is honing critical thinking skills to embrace the parts of dogma that work and discard the rest. This is not to say that I am fully mature (even at my ripe decaying age) but that my ability to cull through the bullshit and catch the diamonds is at least one area that I can declare is mature enough.

If you find yourself buying into a specific message, platform, academic theory, movement, or cause without weeding through the crap, you’re a zealot.

Zealots are, for the most part, morons. I know. I used to be one. Native American? Nope. Overzealous, self-righteous dipshit? Absolutely.

#Maturity #critical thinking skills #Backmasking #The Program #Native Americans

[nairobicasestudy]

Jim Chuchu: “A blackness not afraid to dream”

Jim Chuchu is a Kenyan photographer, musician, and film director born in Nairobi in 1982. Originally a graphic designer for an advertising company, Chuchu quit his job to pursue his artistic dreams in 2006. Chuchu co-founded the musical group ‘Just a Band’ in 2008, and moved onto photography in collections such as “Concrete Crystals” in 2010 and “Pagans” in 2013/2014. Chuchu co-founded ‘The Nest Collective’ for Kenyan artists in 2012 to coordinate and advertise Kenyan art, and with ‘Nest’, helped create the HEVA fund for East African creative entrepreneurs. Chuchu also expanded his art into moviemaking, with starting with short films “Homecoming” and “Urban Hunter” in 2013. One of his most famous and controversial works was “Stories of our Lives,” which he co-directed, wrote, and filmed- “Stories” won awards across the globe, but was banned by the Kenyan Film Classification Board and cannot be sold and distributed in Kenya. Chuchu remains working in Nairobi, filming the webseries ‘Tuko Macho’ and releasing his ‘Secession’ photography collection in 2016. 

As a prolific and award-winning creator of film, music, and visual art, as well as a co-founder of many artistic groups, it is easy to get lost in simply listing Chuchu’s accomplishments. Chuchu’s work not just aesthetically appealing, but deeply political. His 2014 film “Stories of our Lives,” is a powerful response to homophobic views and legislation in Kenya and an expression of LGBT experiences that is uniquely Kenyan. ‘Stories’ is a collection of five vignettes: 

 -”Ask Me Nicely”: the story of two students (Kate and Faith), falling in love and struggling with a relationship that society actively tries to destroy. 

-”Run”: the story of Patrick, a businessman who discovers a gay bar with a homophobic friend (Kama), and is torn between a desire to enter and the social pressures to reject it.

-”Athman”: the story of Athman and Ray, two farm workers who discover that their friendship has romantic overtones after they become jealous when a flirtatious stranger, Fiona, arrives.

-”Duet”: an exploration of race and sexuality, as Jeff (a Kenyan visiting the UK) discusses race with his Roman, his British escort. 

-”Each Night I Dream”: the story of a couple (Liz and Achi) who plan their escape as homophibic mobs terrorize the neighborhood

The use of five completely different situations and relationships enables Chuchu to explore different ideas and tones freely throughout “Stories. LGBT relationships can be tragic and turbulent (’Ask Me Nicely’ exploring the damage social pressures can have on young LGBT romance and the the confusion of a relationship that society condemns; ‘Each Night’ exploring the stress society places on established relationships, and the terror that some couples must survive), but they are not purely tragic. ‘Ask Me Nicely’ ends with the couple reuniting (albeit awkwardly), and Jeff doesn’t face some tragic end or attack as a consequence of his feelings in ‘Duet’- in fact, Jeff in many ways is in control of the situation, with Roman as his escort. Patrick, Kate, Faith, Ray, Athman, Jeff, Liz, and Achi all face challenges, but their stories are wildly different- Chuchu avoids falling into a single story. Chuchu is critical of both the West (see ‘Duet’) and Kenyan society at large (see ‘Ask Me Nicely’, ‘Run’, and ‘Each Night I Dream’), seeking to give Kenyan LGBT their own voice. That was enough to warrant a ban from the Kenyan Film Classification Board, and to create public outrage in Kenya. Chuchu, along with his fellow writer Nyoki Ngumi and others who worked to create “Stories” did not initially release their names attached to the film. Chuchu described it as “a very tough decision” to attach his name to the film in an interview with The National. “The film has an earthquake quality.” Attitudes towards LGBT individuals in Kenya have been historically hostile since the British colonial period- Kenya has kept laws criminalizing homosexuality, which is punishable with up to fourteen years in prison. Pew polls record 90% of polled individuals in Kenya answering ‘No’ towards ‘should gay people be accepted in society?’. While Western organizations attempt to pressure the Kenyan government into decriminalizing homosexuality (with little to no effect), “Stories of our Lives” refuses to be anything but Kenyan (though Chuchu has shown inclinations towards pan-Africanism and East African solidarity, so one could argue it is East African as well as simply Kenyan). 

Chuchu’s photography is equally political: his 2013-2014 photo-project “Pagans”, which sought to capture the visual essence of “future-past anonymous African deities” (African Futures, 38) was heavily inspired by Afro-futurism and the idea of a pan-African cultural space to explore fantasy and the mixture of spirituality and technology. The photography in “Pagans” also transitions from color to black-and-white after the 2014 ban on “Stories”.

2013:

2014:

‘Pagans’ also seeks to carve out a space for pan-African fantasy: the deities depicted in ‘pagans’ are anonymous, detached from region or tribe. Chuchu describes “a blackness not afraid to dream, not afraid to exist in another world.” “If black people aren’t allowed to dream, how can we create something?” (African Futures, 38). 

Chuchu’s 2016 “Secession: No Person Shall Be Held Against Their Will In A Body They Do Not Want,” gives voice to the ‘T’ in Kenyan LGBT: while “Stories” was primarily focused on same-sex relationships in modern Kenya, ‘Secession’ pivots towards gender and gender dysphoria in Kenya. In particular, ‘Secessions’ seeks to capture the rage, pain, and desperation to escape Kenya’s rigid stances against expression by Transgender individuals.

While ‘Secessions’ gives voice to a feelings of violent separation from the rest of Kenyan society (the secession in question), it also paints a picture of imagination and peace beyond the body- a sleeping figure with a feather pointing above and beyond:

Chuchu’s exploration of both struggle and peace demonstrates nuance and versatility. It gives perspectives that go beyond a single message or perspective- part of what makes Chuchu perfect for this Kenyan cultural profile. Chuchu takes on several issues discussed in our course: identity in independent Africa, the need for African voices in a system primarily dominated by outsiders that strip Africans of their agency, the need to escape what Adiche called “the single story”, and the tensions between the West and African LGBT voices in the struggle against homophobic legal codes in Africa. Chuchu embraces the Afro-futurist pan-African vision of black unity: he may work out of his native Nairobi, but he never labels his art as purely Kenyan. His organizations- Nest Collective, HEVA- act as East-African artistic collectives rather than national ones. Chuchu sees identity in a ‘future-past anonymous’ pan-African vision, one of anonymous gods defined less by a regional past and more by a shared future. He rejects communal values -such as those towards gay relationships and transgender individuals- in favor of individual liberation. He ‘secedes’ from a Kenya he feels has rejected him, and embraces Nest and HEVA as a greater East-African artistic identity, Race plays a part in this identity (’Pagans’ does imagine black dreams of the future), but ethnicity and nationality are silently ignored. 

Chuchu’s vision of Kenyan LGBT is not one of helpless Africans in need of a Western savior, but rather of individuals planning their own escape and taking matters into their own hands despite a society that is hostile to them. The West is not an enemy, necessarily, but it is tied into a contentious and complicated past bound by race relations (and power is in the hands of Africans when Westerners do enter- ‘Duet’ paints the Kenyan as distinctly in control). Homophobic attitudes in Kenya are not coddled either- they are depicted as destructive, even mindless (the mob in “Stories”) forces that are at odds with true individual liberation. 

Beyond connections to the class, Chuchu seemed ideal because of the variety in his art- he plays with film, photography, and music, and he often collaborates with others in Nest and Just a Band. He also gives a unique perspective as an artist who was not always set on high art- Chuchu’s background as a closeted gay man in Nairobi who worked for an ordinary Nairobi ad agency until 2006 gives him insight into the Nairobi LGBT experience. While art school or foreign schools do not ‘taint’ artists or make them less ‘authentic’, its a different perspective. Also not to claim that Chuchu is somehow provincial- he has toured in LA, and is a very well-informed and politically active individual (just check his twitter account). But his thoroughly Nairobi-grown perspective and willingness to collaborate with others across East Africa really creates a unique perspective that adds significantly to discourse on Kenyan culture and art. 

For those interested in “Stories of Our Lives,” or The National Interview:

Sources:

http://www.jimchuchu.com/portfolio

http://africandigitalart.com/2009/06/interview-with-jim-chuchu/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diriye-osman/stories-of-our-lives_b_5859888.html

http://www.thisisthenest.com/sool-film

http://www.indiewire.com/2014/10/kenyan-film-board-bans-tiff-film-stories-of-our-lives-215860/

http://www.thisisthenest.com/about/

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/lgbti-lgbt-gay-human-rights-law-africa-uganda-kenya-nigeria-cameroon

http://www.pewglobal.org/2013/06/04/the-global-divide-on-homosexuality/

(Edited by) Heidenreich, Lien; O’Toole, Sean. African Futures: Thinking about the Future Through Word and Image (Kerber: 2016) 38-42

[infogosun1posts]

The Ultimate Off-Grid Tiny House Guide

Want to know how to get started with an off-grid tiny house? This ultimate guide introduces you to the concept, shares  upsides and downsides to this kind of living, provides   information on the best sorts of appliances for an off-grid tiny house (including ovens, cookers, coolers, lights, and phone chargers) and profiles of those who live in a off-grid tiny house.

Off-Grid Tiny House: Upsides and Downsides

An off-grid tiny home brings together two lifestyle choices that are practically soul mates. The tiny-home movement advocates living simply in small houses, generally less than 400 square feet. It encourages frugality, shared community experiences, and rejecting the worst of consumerism. This philosophy goes great with off-grid living, since these houses have low energy demands and many of them come with roof-mounted solar panels pre-installed. An off-grid tiny home is likely the easiest entry point into off grid living.

But there are challenges that come with accepting a radically different style of living. In this post we present those for and against being off the grid if you decide to live in a tiny home.

Off-Grid Tiny Home Account #1: The Home Builders

The Fontanillas are a Hawaii-based family of three that built their own off-grid tiny house complete with a solar powered array and rainwater harvesting system. Their house is 360 square feet, built on a 26-foot-long trailer that they built themselves.

This was made possible by the family's handiness and a long history in the construction industry.

Zeena Fontanilla recounts the journey:

My husband grew up in a family of builders so he always had the dream to build his own home. I don’t think he imagined it to be this small, but I think this was the perfect size for our first build together. This project was the best premarital counseling we could’ve asked for. Prior to starting our project I knew many joint decisions would need to be made. ‘Many’ was an understatement, try one billion decisions needed to be made. Let’s just say our communication skills are top notch.

For utilities the family uses a 3,200-gallon water catchment system, which they built themselves. Their solar array has photovoltaics mounted on a custom adjustable rack which can be moved as the sun's path changes during the seasons.

The couple spent about $45,000 total to build their home, compared the standard price tag of half a million dollars in their locality.

Off-Grid Tiny Home Account #3: The Skeptic

For an alternate point of view, Andrew Odin argues that you should not go off-grid with your tiny home.The gist of his argument is that to live off the grid one hundred percent means you must become completely self-sufficient, somethign almost impossible in our globalized world. You must produce all the things you need for daily living; which can be achieved but it requires a very low-tech life style.

Here's how he breaks it down:

Imagine the life of a subsistence farmer. It first takes capital in the form of land and tools. You can subsist off a 10’x20′ plot in your backyard. It just isn’t possible. Once you have the land and tools you still have to work the land for years in order to create a revenue of any sort. In fact, you can live at a much higher standard if you work for money (either at a job or for yourself) and then use that money to buy the things you need. Even flipping burgers at the local greasy spoon will net you more money that most subsistence farmers are able to make. Granted you are allowed the feeling of satisfaction and success for providing for your needs with hard-work and sweat equity you still have to face a life void of many things you once enjoyed. Oranges in December? Not unless you live in South Florida or Mexico. Instant pudding? Nope. Refined sugar for your favorite recipes? Not likely. Oh, and did we mention meat? Yep! Meat. If you want that as part of your diet you either have to raise and process animals or you have to learn to be a bit of a hunter/gatherer. Of course that depends on where you live. In eastern North Carolina we are able to enjoy venison, dove, quail, rabbit, and even turkey. But that isn’t the case everywhere.

So there you have it. Three different ways to approach living in an off-grid tiny home that take into account the different life experiences we bring to the table.

Sustainability in Action

A growing movement of eco-conscious urban dwellers are rejecting consumerism, embracing minimalism and sufficiency, and trading in expensive dwellings for an off-grid tiny house. The options for such houses are growing (there are even groupings of tiny houses being tested as an aid for homelessness) and some are embracing the ultimate freedom of living completely off the grid in their off-grid tiny houses.

There are many factors to consider when making such a move. How do you handle practical utilities issues like plumbing, electricity, sewage, and water? What are the challenges that come with living in an off-grid tiny house? How handy do you have to be to overcome the challenges that will inevitably come? What do you do about appliances that require electricity but you can't live without?

The good news is that you do not have to be a complete hermit to live in an off-grid tiny house, nor do you have to adopt an Amish lifestyle and completely forsake electricity. New solar powered devices are coming to market that make living off the grid easier than ever.

According to a profile from Sharable, off-grid tiny houses are a good way to reduce your ecological footprint, save money, spend practically zero dollars on utilities, and lead an overall less stressful life. They spoke with small house dweller Merete Mueller about this lifestyle.

“One benefit to tiny house living,” says Mueller, “is that it frees up the money, time and energy that would otherwise be spent on maintaining a house and rent or a mortgage, to be used on other things, like working on creative projects, starting a business, spending time with friends and family, or on other hobbies that bring a lot of satisfaction to one’s life.”

She points out that with tiny house, off-the-grid living, the drawbacks can be the same as the benefits.

“One obvious challenge is a minimal amount of space inside,” she says, “But one benefit related to that is being forced to spend more time outside, and being forced to simplify possessions and think about which things matter most.”

Emptying the composting toilet, hauling water and the other “challenges” that come with tiny, off-the-grid living were, for Mueller, part of the allure. “We wanted to know and understand,” she says, “exactly how much water we were consuming.”

As you can see, there are many benefits to living in an off-grid tiny house. And if you know anything about GoSun, you know that we make some of the best solar powered appliances for off-grid living that can cook your food, provide refrigeration, and even charge your phone.

Click here to learn more.

The Best Appliances For Your Off Grid Homes

Off grid homes let you lead a fully independent lifestyle without the need of remote infrastructure, the power grid, or municipal plumbing. The best part about these innovate homes is that you don't have to live like a rustic hermit. Solar panels and other forms of alternative energy keep you autonomous.

But what about appliances for your off grid home? What about cookers, coolers, light sources, and chargers for your electrical appliances?

We're glad you asked! Turns out there are plenty of great solar-powered appliances that make living in your off grid homes as convenient as possible. Below are some of our favorites.

GoSun Grill

This is the flagship solar cooker from GoSun.

Bake, boil or steam a meal for eight people, (4x more food than the GoSun Sport) using only the sun.

Gosun Chill

Meet the solar cooler that doesn't need ice.

GoSun engineered a cooler that can keep colder temperatures longer and is more sanitary than anything else on the market.  Nothing is cleaner or easier than GoSun Chill.

GoSun Chill can be powered by multiple power sources, including: Powerbank, AC Adapter, 12 Volt Cord (car port charger), Solar Table, or Flexible Solar Panels. This way, you can access the most convenient power sources when you need it. To charge the Powerbank, plug in the included AC Adapter into any wall socket (100-250VAC) or use one of our two solar charging options - the Solar Table or Flexible Solar Panel.

GoSun Flex

GoSun is pleased to introduce the Flex, a solar cell phone charger which easily folds up and produces and incredible amount of electricity to charge all your USB devices. It can charge up your phone with its built in usb port as fast at your plug in outlet.

Here are the dimensions:

Unfold size: 267 mm x 349 mm x 2.5 mm

Folded size: 267 mm x 175 mm x 5 mm

Net weight: 0.43 kg

Off-Grid Living with Ultra-Runner Patrick Sweeney

Many aspire to escape the stress and dependency of modern life, but few have started from the ground up to make that vision a reality. Over the last 8 months GoSun Ambassadors, Jesse and Alyssa, have done just that on their 5 acre lot in Idaho.

Cataloging everything about their journey on their homesteading blog Pure Living for Life and YouTube, they have created a plethora of resources on essential topics such as purchasing land, saving money on building materials, mending soil from scratch, milling your our own lumber and even expense reports to boot!

We sat down with Alyssa to ask her about their journey, from it's passionate inception to the pitfalls and any advice they would give to anyone planning to follow suit.

To know more about Solar Oven and solar refrigerator Please visit our website.