#struggle to get their art seen then once again! someone who does ai is getting more attention on their stolen art piece đđ
long ass rant about AI under cut that i made in like half an hour because i am so fucking pissed
i hate AI so fucking much i cant handle it i hate how my sister introduced it to mom and dad and now they use chatgpt and dont even consider how it might be wrong at all, they write it in my notebook that i use to give to the teacher and i hate it so much 'oh but you never look at it' and i never wanna hear anything about it ever again, no more of it, i dont care it should only be used as a TOOL to give you guidence, my sister was about to ask chatgpt for what to do for PYTHON when she could have asked "sorry buddy i cant understand python code"
ai does more damange and im so mad, i dont care if you use it for memes you are adding more fuel to the fire, the text can replace any writer for news outlets, reporters and the such, people generating art dont understand the struggles someone might have faced through the years to get where they are right now and only see it was a way to generate content
when i say 'ai will never be good as real people' im not saying how it will never be unidentifiable, there will be a time where you cannot tell if something is real or fake, when i say it i mean it that you wont ever replicate the way the person stood there, the photographer that managed to get as close as they could to the animal to snap a clip of it, the actors who have spent years practicing to get where they art, the young artist who started off small and is now handling how to draw their fave characters, the expirienced artist trying to get through work by being paid nothing from animators to manga artists, the writer who managed to finally write their own autobiograpthy from their own expirience, the fanfic writer who finally managed to get the story they wanted onto ao3 after months of writing, the painter who stood there for hours sitting in one place in nature just so they can repilcate it, the camara man who had to shoot a 1 minute clip for a film that probably took days to find the right shots, the person who writes articles trying to get the most information they could, the person who sat in a discord call with their friends to mimic some characters in a funny situation, the voice actor who trained their vocal cords to try to give the most emtion they could in a character, the 3d moddler who spent a very long time getting a hold of blender, the animator who spent 6 months on a 1 minute clip, etc
its all just soulless, yeah its pretty cool but you gotta stop and think "how will this effect the information we will get?" my mom has already fallen for a AI picture of a kid with alot of cats and sent me it, pinterest is full of them, my sister ONLY uses it and never does research on her own collage work and shes 1 year away from fully graduating, not once have i seen her put it down for a second to look up something to copy and paste all they do is scrape the work off others, they dont tell us where they got that data off, every ai image youve seen has been ripped off from an actual picture taken, from a drawing someone took to draw, someones selfie
not to mention, considering yesterday as of writing this it has been announced, what is the purpose of being able to generate an animation? i can see nothing good of it "but i can use it to get a good stockphoto" it doesnt matter, go find something thats the closest, the problem with these AI videos is that in one year it has changed so drastically, where do they get the data off this? how did they train it so fast in one year? were living in a distopian age, the age of the internet where it was the place where you can get allll your information quickly is becoming the past, ive seen countless articles who are obviously AI generated, ive heard people say that theyve seen ai generated images in scientific books, those are very important to get an understanding of how the thing theyre talking about works, why would you ever want to cut corners on something as important as that
"but i cant draw / do photography / find a good stockvideo" then LEARN!
1. drawing is for everyone and even after drawing since kindergarden i still consider myself a beginner artist, i dont know alot about anatomy, i dont know how to draw scenery, but thats ok because i can learn! i can get inspired by other artists to try and get better, ive had some rocky relationships with my art even now but thats also the beauty of it, even when you feel like you cant do it in afew years you can finally learn to!, ive seen many disabled people post about how they learnt to draw using a tecique they made themselves, you can go and think 'how do i make this more enjoyable for myself, how do i make this easier for myself?", same should go for writing
2. YOU CAN HIRE SOMEONE!!!! it may take awhile because of it taking time but it would make the persons day, and the way the economy is going its not working well
remember saga-afta? the whole thing where actors striked because of how little they were being payed for? and in the end the actor studio said "oh ok i guess BUT we will scan your body to use you even after you quit xD sorryyyy", alot of jobs are going to dissapear only because of the greed companies have, its the reason i fear having a job, not even artists like im mostly talking about, writers (script, normal writers, journalists, etc), photograpthers, and other jobs are going to dissapear not to mention not only misinformation the mentioned AI videos are just a bad idea all around what if someone fabricates evidence against you and uses it in court? well its certainly you theres no way it could be faked, what about propaganda? ive seen them make fake gameplay footage so ads are going to be unbearable
JUST TO BE CLEAR: im not against AI being used as a tool (ive seen a really good malwere horror video based off someones dream using photos from a game, getting an idea of how a paper should start and using it as an guide of where to go, etc) or actually being used to stop some other jobs people shouldnt have, but creativity is going down the drain, AI bros who use it for art and photos think about how pretty it should be, AI writers only use it because they couldnt be bothered, and probably other excamples i cant think of
i know AI will never truely dissapear, its not going anywhere and thats the reality, its not like nfts where they lot their value and everyone stopped caring, what should be reality is that there should be regulations, its going to be long enough untill someone uses it for more malicious stuff, yeah right now its people just spreading misinformation and ai generated articles but there is 100% going to be a time where someone is going to use it for revenge porn or to harrass someone with fake clips of them
pro ai as in ai that can detect cancer cells, anti ai as in videos, writing, etc
artists will never dissapear, photograpthers will never dissapear, writers will never dissapear, actors will never dissapear, voice acors will never dissapear it will only die if we dont give our voices, and theres more good then bad in AI
it needs to be regulated heavily
ill be sad that kids my age wont try to frankenstien a project using 5 different scorces and copy and pasting, theyll just grab the full text and wont care if its right or wrong, i will be sad for the kids who cant find a roleplay buddy and will just use chat ai to roleplay (which scrapes off others writing), etc
ai in the way im speaking about it is going to be terrible for alot of people with passions who cant get jobs because theyll be seen as replacable, the way people are going to exploit it for misinformation which goes from propaganda, revenge porn, other
"but it hasnt happened yet to people who generated text to video! it should be harmless" dont underestemate it, its going to happen eventually
i am just so tired of hearing about ai, i dont want any of it, i dont care, the way it is nowadays i am very against it, i am aware the hype is going to die down in afew years but right ow its so unbreable to me and i dread the day i get a job and they stop me and go "sorry buddy, you cant, we got computers to replace you", is there anything else i can say after this? fuck AI fuck the guy who made it more popular, i dont care how much you wanna make a meme or something you are feeding into it, stop using it untill there are proper regulations to stop it from spreading like wildfire, sooner or later someones going to use it for much worse
(sorry if its written weridly i didnt spell check i just needed to get this out)
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Previous: The Discord Timeline
The Industrial Devolution Timeline:
The road to economic domination was creeping and insidious.
First, Nightmare Moon returned. Celestia and Cadance were able to subdue her, locking her in a (very comfortable) prison while Celestia sought a way to free her sister of the evil influence warping her mind. With the monarch so distracted and Princess Cadance struggling to take up the slack, a few opportunistic entrepreneurs began getting their roots into the market.
Then the Crystal War began, dividing Celestiaâs and Cadanceâs attention even further. The Changelings attacked, sowing destruction and distrust until Cadance defeated their queen. Tirek cut a swath through the countryside before being stopped, increasing the economic struggles. It was as if a domino of assaults on the Equestrian daily life had started, with none able to stop the ever-larger dominoes from toppling.
Celestia was terribly injured during the final fight that destroyed King Sombra. Luna finally overcame her rage and the parasitic magic fueling it, but went into seclusion out of shame and a desire to tend to her wounded sister. Cadanceâs focus was split between post-war rebuilding in Equestria, assisting the confused, freed, and much-distrusted crystal ponies with stabilizing their crippled city, and tending to her own first child. With their leaders so distracted and the country still reeling from so many attacks, ponies desperately reached out for any kind of financial and necessities stability.Â
Perfectly fertile soil for the countryâs most hostile economic takeover in its history.
Flim and Flamâs tactics were simple yet effective: move in wherever large numbers of companies had collapsed and fill the void with simple, cheap necessities that anypony could afford. As their finances grew, they began to expand, beating out surrounding competition with their rock-bottom prices until they could either buy out or crush their competitors. They continued this strategy further and further out, their influence spreading like hives across Equestria until hardly any retailers of food, drinks, household goods, small machine parts, and pretty much every other goods reseller below industrial level still operated. (Although who knew what the future might hold for FlimFlam Industries?) Once competition decreased to almost nill, they raised their prices to just barely affordable, swelling their already full pockets.
By the end of the Crystal War, they had such a grip, so much financial and political power, that even if the princesses should realize the toxic hold this company has on the market, it will be a long road back to rebalancing the economy. The country has, regrettably, come to rely on Flim Flam Industries, and their stranglehold would not be easily broken.
Sales always dreamed of being a traveling salespony. Heâd even gotten a taste of it before the war. But now... well, there was no one to sell for. Companies kept dying out from under him. And if it werenât bad enough that FFI already sold cheap, unexciting product options, the further lack of competition gave them even less incentive to TRY. They could cut costs on everything from packaging to flavor to color options; there was absolutely no consideration for variety or improvement or innovation. Soon everything in those blasted pop-up depots came in bland, uniformly labeled containers, with names like FLOUR and SOAP and TOWELS. There was no ART to it, and worst of all, no heart. And certainly no need for a door-to-door sales technique - not when F&F Depots were on every corner and people already had little choice but to get their goods from them.
So thatâs how Sales ended up here, running one of those blasted depots. It is barely salesponyship, but it was still the closest thing he could find to his special talent. Meanwhile pollution and unchecked labor laws are creeping out from the cities, and farms are being consumed for their timber and factory locations. Quills & Sofas went under, leaving Salesâ father without a job and one more worry for Salespitch. Everypony prays that Celestia would heal, that Cadance would realize the depths of what was happening and make some move to stop it, that even the once-evil Princess Luna rumored to be tending her sister in the castle would take a stand. But for now, FFI is taking full advantage of the rulersâ distraction and obliviousness to tighten their hold on the countryâs economy. Sales works and keeps his head down; itâs too great an issue for one pony to tackle, especially a pony whose only real talent is talking.
He tries to remind himself that things could be worse. Despite crummy wages and the soul-deadening monotony of just grabbing standard crap off a shelf when asked, Sales IS making a living. He makes an effort to keep his depot looking like the pony who works there actually cares (a façade FFI has long since abandoned.) Black took up work as a stocker in the store, so at least they get to hang out. Pollution isnât as bad in Featherhorn (yet), although the deforestation and smog have been spreading nearer. But Sales just canât get around the fact that thereâs a briefcase-shaped hole in his soul where good, honest, smart salesponyship was meant to be. Itâs hard not to be bitter and miserable when your purpose has been almost completely taken away from you.Â
Still... if Sales can find a way to get a new company going without being ground under Flim and Flamâs hooves... maybe he can go back to doing what he loves, and the world will feel a little more right again.
Fun Facts About The Flim Flam Timeline:
- I got my idea for a total economic takeover from a book 6 of the Pendragon series, âThe Quillen Gamesâ by D.J. MacHale. Its setting is a world where a single corporation has such control that they even own the people to an extent, but I didnât want to go THAT dark (although this is still darker than my initial draft), so I stopped at just owning all of the selling outlets. Lack of competition in capitalism breeds complacency, leading to high prices with minimal improvement or variety. (That book may have also stuck in my mind because it was the first time an author so thoroughly pulled the rug out from under me that I was too depressed to finish the series. I canât HANDLE that kind of catastrophic reversal, MacHale!!!)
- Salesâs dad, Sales Patter, lost his job as Head of Sales at Quills & Sofas after the company was eaten by FlimFlam Industries. He currently lives at home taking care of Pitch Perfect while Pitch Forward does her best to bring in funding through her competitive high-diving sponsorships. Sales and Black contribute money as well, although Black has a surprisingly well-stocked savings account that he refuses to explain to anyone.
- Flim and Flam offered Sales a job as their company spokespony, mainly because they loved the idea of having an âalicornâ as their mascot. Obviously he turned them down, but he did still grudgingly accept a position at the Featherhorn depot since itâs the closest thing he can find to what heâs good at. (Flim and Flam do still like to give people a show, especially when it comes to the smoke and mirrors they must use to keep the wealthier populace and government from paying too much attention to some of the ways FFI cuts their spending - at the expense of their workers, mostly.)
- Iâve seen others do this timeline harsher; thereâs a fimfiction that had an interesting take on Celestia being injured in her fight with Nightmare Moon and then IMPRISONED by Flim and Flamâs company so it could take over, which led to an ever-rising problem with pollution, underage workers, poor labor laws, and backhoof politics. Some of that does exist in this timeline, but I went with a severe injury and seclusion in the palace. The Princesses are still AROUND, but being carefully shielded from the truly dark nature of some of Flim and Flamâs machinations. It may just take someone getting their attention drawn to the right things to start the ball rolling...
- Sales and Patter do team up to create a small startup company, selling goods made by Featherhornâs citizens to the local area. Black uses his connections as a Royal Service agent to sneak them into the palace, where they get an uber-rare meeting with Princess Celestia, who is blessedly awake enough to recognize the little AI and hear their plight. She convinces Luna, who has been taking care of her this whole time, that something needs to be done. Luna is grossly undereducated about modern economics and business practices, but she pulls Cadance in, and while Cadance works on investigating these horrible labor practices theyâve reported, Luna begins brushing up on her education and offers some protection to Salesâ little company. She does, in fact, find some obscure ancient laws that give them a leg up in the fight against FFI when they inevitably try to buy out, sue, and/or bankrupt Salesâ and Patterâs company into the ground. But they start making some headway.Â
- Itâs a long road back to a balanced market, and much of the work will be done by the Princesses. But the inspiration ponies draw from the changes they see starts the dominoes again - this time, in the direction of positive change.
Next Week: The Wasteland Timeline (finale!)
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Chapter 6: The Poison Master
Here it is, Chapter 6!
Chapter 7 is in the works, and will be going up on patreon soon! Stay tuned and follow me on Twitter for updates!
Don't forget that this is meant to read like a graphic novel, meaning the art pieces are part of the story and aren't meant to be skipped!
Also trying a new thing!
"========" <- Lines like this are scene breaks
"// ~ ~ ~ \\" <- and these are perspective changes!
ENJOY, MY LOVES! (ďžÂ´ăŽ`)ďž*: シďž
===========================================
âIâm going after Jakotsu.â
It was said with such confidenceâthe confidence of a man who had not just been struggling to keep himself from getting sliced to pieces by an undead murderer that kept trying to flirt with himâthat Luna just had to wonder if it was really Inuyasha saying it. (It was, of course. She was just being sarcastic.)
âThatâs funny, I thought I just heard you say you were going after that psychopath.â Luna said to the half-demon. She idly pulled her hair down from her ponytail and began to weave it into a loose braid.
âI am!â Inuyasha said, indignant. âHe couldnât have gotten far.â
âYes, but Inuyasha,â Miroku interjected, âarenât you worried about that poisonous gas?â
âWhaddya mean?â
Thoughtful, Miroku glanced off in the direction where theyâd encountered the first of the Band of Seven. The cloud had almost entirely dispersed, but if you looked hard enough, you could still see wisps of the toxic smoke drifting into the sky. âWell, Jakotsu seemed to know something about it.â
âYouâre rightâŚâ Inuyasha said, âYou think itâs another member of the Band of Seven?â
âCould beâŚâ Sango mused, âbut didnât Jakotsu seem to be in danger himself? Why would a member of his own team endanger him?â
âInfighting?â Luna guessed, running her fingers through the tangles in her hair. âTheyâre ruthless mercenaries, I wouldnât expect them to be one big bloodthirsty family⌠UnlessâŚâ She tilted her head, trailing off in thought.
âUnless whatâŚ?â Kagome asked, looking at her sister in concern.
Luna paused another second, still deep in thought as she began to weave her hair into a loose braid. âI mean⌠If Jakotsu knows the guy? He probably knew that there was still time to avoid the poison. He did tell Inuyasha to get out of the way, remember.â Only Inuyasha, but still.
Inuyasha turned away from the rest of them, uncrossing his arms. âWhatever the case, Iâm not letting him get away. You all stay here, and stay safe.â
âDonât do anything stupid!â Luna called after him as he ran off.
âYouâre one to talk.â Ai snorted, earning her a gentle kick from the Hunter sitting next to her.
Kagome stood from where sheâd been rifling through her bag, holding a nearly-empty plastic bottle. âAh, weâre almost out of water⌠I think I saw a well on our way over here, Iâm gonna go fill this up.â
Luna arched an eyebrow at her sister. âIs going off on your own a good idea when thereâs a bunch of killer zombies in the area?â
Kagome sighed, smiling back at her. âIâll be fine, itâs not far. Shippo, why donât you come with me?â Shippo grinned and jumped into Kagomeâs bike basket as she got it on the road. âYou should show Sango your crossbow, Luna.â
âCrossbow?â Sango asked.
âAh, yes, Iâm actually interested in seeing how it works up close,â Miroku said, âI saw you use it on Jakotsu, it was impressive.â
Luna smiled and shook her head. âAlright, be safe, Kagome.â She hoisted up the crossbow to show her friends how the arms unfolded, getting a little chuckle out of it when the two of them jumped.
âIt does that all on its own?â Sango asked as Luna handed it over to her. She was unsure where to hold it for a second, but Luna showed her how.
âYep, theyâre spring-loaded, so they just pop out,â Luna explained.
Luna went on to answer all sorts of questions about it, and while Sango and Miroku (and even Kilala) seemed interested in the strange contraption, Ai had heard it all before, when Luna had first returned to this world with it. She stretched herself out, her tail fluffing itself out as she curled up against a warm rock. Mmm⌠warm⌠Her eyelids began to droop as she got comfortable there; it had been such an exhausting day alreadyâŚ
But as she was about to drift off, she took a deep breath, and a rancid smell hit her nose. She jolted upright with a disgusted hiss, trying to find where the smell was coming from.
âAi?â Luna asked, âWhatâs up?â
Kilala seemed to pick up on the scent tooâsomething foul was drifting in the air. The elder cat demon transformed into her full form, and Ai stood, hair bristling.
âSomething doesnât smell right.â
Luna picked up on the tension right away, and her thoughts immediately went to her sister. âGod damnit, Kagome...â She hissed, going to her backpack and rifling through it.
âKagomeâs in trouble?â Miroku stood, worried.
âThe smellâs coming from the same direction she went,â Ai said.
âAnd the smell could be that person with the poison,â Sango had already grabbed Hiraikotsu and was putting on her Slayerâs mask. âWe donât wanna take any chancesâitâs too bad I only have one of theseâŚâ
âNo worries, Iâve got these. Here, Miroku.â Luna pulled a medical mask out of her kit to hand it to her friend. âIt wonât do much, but itâll at least keep you from inhaling anything.â
âThank you, Lunaâwhat about you?â
Luna held up something from her bag: her own mask. It was a military-grade gas mask with a clear face shield, modified to fit a Hunterâs needs. âThis oneâs mine. Itâs made specifically for Hunters like me,â She said as she slipped it over her head. She was well aware that to the locals she might look like a demon, but fuck if she cared; her sister was in danger. The first thing in hand was her crossbow, and she grabbed her ammo bag as she was taking off running.
As it turned out, they were right to call the masks, but Luna certainly didnât expect to find an entire village choked with poison like a deadly mist. It was barely past lunchtime, and theyâd already seen so much deathâit was disheartening to see bodies strewn everywhere. But through the mist, they could see Shippo rolling on the ground and coughing, Kagome crouched on her hands and knees, and some weird little figure looming over her. (Well, maybe looming was a strong word. The guy was like three feet tall.)
Sango didnât hesitate to swing Hiraikotsu; the first swing shattered the poison bottle in the creepâs hand.
âStay back!â Shouted the little toad of a man.
âLike hell I will,â Luna snarled, aiming her crossbow at the poison master. âStep away from my sister. Now.â
Shippo was finally able to scramble to his feet, and, unsure of what else to do, proclaimed: âIâll go get Inuyasha!â and took off running.
âAi, go with him!â Luna said to her friend. The Bakeneko hesitated a moment, worried, but then shifted into her full form and took off after the young fox demon.
âHe had to be the one behind the smoke,â Miroku said, of the poison master, âWhich means he must be another member of the Band of Seven!â
The laugh that exited the little man made Luna want to vomit. âYes! I am Mukotsu, Poison Master!â
âThen tell me, Mukotsu, someone must have resurrected you all,â Miroku continued. âIs Naraku behind all this?â
âHehehehehe, couldnât tell you! Youâll have to ask the CaptainâŚâ He trailed off, reaching back into the little box he was carrying on his back and quickly retrieving another bottle of poison. âShould you survive, that is!â
Luna wasnât about to give him another second to unplug the bottle. She tried to step toward her sister again, but she only got to fire once before her vision was blocked by powerful black smoke that ejected towards them. Kilalaâcompletely unaffected by the poison, it seemedâjumped in front of Luna to block the bulk of it.
âNO!â Luna shouted, trying to see around the giant Nekomata, âKagome!â
Luna felt the crushing weight of helplessness almost immediately. That was her sister, helpless and about to pass out, and she couldnât help. She couldnât see, couldnât move, couldnât do⌠anything.
It was less than a minute until the smoke cleared, but it felt like an eternity. When she could see again, it only confirmed what she already knew: her sister had been taken. She knew her mask wouldâve filtered out whatever the poison was made of, but her legs were still shaking. Not with pain, not with shock⌠but with pure, unbridled anger. Her lungs could only draw in sharp, furious breaths.
Lock it up, she told herself. She focused the energy buzzing around in her head on keeping herself containedâas best she could. Her face was solid as stone, and she snapped into work mode. She needed to make sure Sango and Miroku were okayâshe could just see them again through the dissipating smoke. She looked them both over quickly, trying to make sure they hadnât been affected.
âWeâre alright, are you okay?â Sango asked her, âWhereâs Kagome?â
âGone.â Luna said flatly. âLetâs move. That little freak couldnât have taken her far.â
âWe should go back to where we were first,â Miroku suggested. âI have a feeling we are going to need the rest of both of your supplies.â
==============================================
When Kagome regained consciousness, she was in a completely different place. Her vision was still blurryâall she could make out was a wooden floor beneath her, and a hearth a few feet away. She tried to reach up to rub her eyes, but her arm wouldnât move. She blinked, but her eyelids were so heavy. That was the only movement she could manage, and it was like trying to lift blocks of concrete.
My body⌠I canât moveâŚ! She could feel her heart pounding in terror. She was trapped, in the worst way possible.
That guyâthe âPoison Masterâ guyâhe was a member of the Band of Seven. Heâd done something⌠She could hear him, a few feet away from her, cackling in a way that made her stomach turn.
âWeâre surrounded by a barrier of poisonous gas,â He uttered as he moved closer to her, âno one can disturb us!â
If she could move her face, she would have winced in disgust. This guy was creepy to the extremeâshe knew in the back of her mind that if Luna were here, she wouldâve kicked the absolute crap out of him. Kagome wanted to, too, butâŚ
The Poison MasterâMukotsu, thatâs what his name was, wasnât it?âhe kept chuckling as he grabbed Kagomeâs chin. âSuch a rare beautyâIâm so fortunate getting married to such a pretty girl~â
MARRIED? Kagome felt sick.
âYou see, believe it or not,â Mukotsu reached up to remove the cloth mask covering most of his face, âthere are some that find me unattractive.â
And no wonder, she thought as she was able to take in his full visage. He looks like a toad!
Kagome had no option but to physically abide by the âbridal preparationsâ; she felt like a ragdoll. It was humiliating. Surely her friends were comingâlord knows Luna would tear the countryside apart just by herself to find her, and if Shippo went to get Inuyasha? Kagome knew she was going to be okay, eventually, but she wasnât about to just sit here and let this creep treat her like an object.
I have to find a way out of here, she thought, resolute. But how�
She couldnât move her head more than a little, but as Mukotsu was trying to dance her around for a âMarriage Ceremonyâ (gross), she caught sight of something glinting in his neck.
That has to be a Jewel Shard! If I can just get it somehow⌠Now she had to figure out how she was going to do that. Thankfully, the Universe provides. Mukotsu returned her to the floor after their âmarriage danceâ, this time directly facing the hearth, and she saw her opportunity: sticking upright out of the ashes was the fire poker. Now if I can just grab it...
Then, like a miracle, help finally arrived. âArrivedâ, meaning âcrashed through the roofâ, but her friends and her sister arrived all the same.
âKagome!â She heard Sangoâs voice first, right next to her. Her friend helped her roll over, and from there Kagome could see her sister and Miroku: Luna had her crossbow ready to fire, pointed at Mukotsuâand she had on this odd-looking mask. Something from her arsenal, no doubt.
âKagome, are you alright?!â That was Miroku.
There was a click as Luna drew back the crossbowâs string, ready to fire. âGet the fuck away from my sister.â Her voice was gravely steadyâshe almost didnât sound like herself.
âHow dare you interrupt our wedding ceremony!â Mukotsu grabbed one of his poison jars.
âOh, so you wanna die, then!â Luna snarled.
Sango stood, quickly drawing her katana and brandishing Hiraikotsu like a shield. âLuna, leave him to me! Get Kagome away!â
No time to argue. Luna growled and stooped to grab her sister, just as Mukotsu unleashed the contents of the jar. Kagome watched Sango and Miroku stagger back, before Luna rolled her out of the way.
As the poison billowed around the room, Kagome felt her fingers regain some motor control. As her sister pulled up the hood of her flannel shirt to try to shield them from the cloud, Kagome managed to tug on it.
âThe ShardâŚâ Kagome managed to utter. âIn⌠his neckâŚâ
She saw the realization in Lunaâs face, and the older girl nodded. âGot it, aim for the throat. Try to hold your breath, sis, Iâll have everyone out of here in a sec.â
âThose masks of yours wonât help!â Gloated the Poison Master, âThis poison enters through the eyes and skin!â
âGod damnit!â Kagome could only watch as her sister swore and staggered. Sango and Miroku had already fallen to the floor, and Luna was clearly not going to last much longer, either.
I have to help! Steeling her resolve, Kagome forced her hands to move. Come on, body⌠move! She pushed herself up just enough to grab the poker from the fireplace.
// ~ ~ ~ \\
Luna refused to crumble. She stood between her sister and Mukotsu, stumbling and shaking but still able to raise her crossbow. But with her arms getting weaker by the second, aiming steadily was getting pretty damn hard. Still, if she could just hit the bastardâŚ
She was only able to let off one bolt, and the force of it sent her staggering backwards, until she stumbled into the wall and hit the floor. She felt sick; she doubled over onto her hands and knees, her vision drifting between blurry and straight up red. She was not going to be defeated by this lowlife.
You keep fighting, kid. No matter what happens, you keep fighting.
The voice echoed in the back of her mind, a voice she knew all too well. Her arms couldnât hold her up anymore, but as she watched Mukotsu get closer to her sister again, she pushed herself away from the wall. Tears in her eyes, she struggled a few feet across the floor on her stomach to grab her crossbow again. She saw her sister, finally getting her strength back, stab the motherfucker in the throat. She wanted to cheer for her, but that would have to wait.
Mukotsu smacked Kagome back to the floor, which only fueled Lunaâs rage. Her crossbow was ready to fireâbut damn, she couldnât see through the cloud of poison! It was starting to fog up the face shield on her mask, making it even harder to aim. But with the fucking creep trying to choke her baby sister out, she had to fight.
Dammit!
Luna took a deep breath, ripped the mask off, and got in position to aimâwhich was a tall order. Everything was fuzzy and she was mere seconds from passing out. She saw the light of the jewel shard (was that what that weird glow was?) and aimed for it. She only had one shot, it had to be enough. She hoped it would be enough. She let the bolt loose⌠and heard Mukotsu cry out.
She could barely see, barely breathe, barely moveâbut⌠wait⌠that glow wasnât the Jewel Shard after all, was it? This glow was a sickly sort of green. And there was a lot of white behind it. Was she⌠was she seeing things? Was thatâŚ.
âKagsâŚâ Her voice was weak as she tried to crawl toward her.
âLunaâŚ!â Kagome was still just as weak, but managed to shift toward her sister.
âTell me, is Inuyasha here?â
Kagome turned back toward the powerful demon who stood over them, completely unaffected by the cloud of poison. Luna followed her gaze, and for a second she thought she was hallucinating; she couldâve sworn, even in her delirium, that she saw the bolt she fired buried deep in Sesshomaruâs shoulder. The end of it was letting off little sparks of purple light that quickly fadedâbut Lunaâs vision was finally going out. She could hear her sister calling her name one more time before she fully passed out and crumpled to the wood floor.
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hey hope!! iâve completely run out of things to watch recently and was wonderinf if you had any recs of movies and tv shows??
HI!Â
Itâs your lucky day because I have found myself in a hole of watching many new things lately that Iâve more or less found enjoyable so hopefully you will too? lol
1. Russian Doll: Nadia, a young woman who is on a journey to be the guest of honor at a party in New York City. But she gets caught in a mysterious loop as she repeatedly attends the same event and dies at the end of the night each time â only to awaken the next day unharmed as if nothing had happened.
(I know Iâm late to the party with that one, but it is quite literally one of the best comedy-dramas Iâve seen in a long while, not to mention Natasha Lyonne, the ultimate babe, stars in it. It is, blatantly, obvious that the script was written by women (thank god) and it has a cool, mind-trip twist at the end thatâll have you guessing what actually was happening the entire time. Super easy to binge!! 10/10)
2. Perfume:Â When a woman is found murdered with scent glands excised from her body, a detective probes a group of friends who attended boarding school with her.
(A German mystery-crime-thriller that is way too convoluted and intertwined to know the real culprit of the grisly yet complex murders until the few minutes of the last episode. It has an incredibly intriguing script with intricate details and dialogue. Pleasantly surprised by how solid the entire storyline and characters were. TW though!! There are scenes of obscene sex, implied rape, domestic abuse, and sexual assault. So be careful if those things trigger you. Watching it in German with English subtitles is the way to go, though. Trust me.)
3. Handsome Devil:Â Two opposites, a loner and the top athlete become friends at a rugby-obsessed boarding school, and the authorities test their friendship.
(An irish coming-of-age LGBT film that, again, pleasantly surprised me with how well it was executed underneath the guise of an overly cliche storyline. Itâs winning, compelling, and quite moving with how it tackles individuality in teens. Itâs just a great film that takes tropes and turns them on their head by transforming the characters in their own way. Not to give too much away but the talk one of the boys have with the English professor on the rugby field at night is so, so important as an open dialogue.)Â
4. Dumplinâ:Â The plus-size, teenage daughter of a former beauty queen signs up for her mumâs pageant as a protest that escalates when other contestants follow in her footsteps, revolutionising the pageant and their small Texas town.
(As you can probably guess this film is an emotionally-impactful conversation about self-acceptance that rides on the back of societal expectations of young women all tied together in a very heart-warming coming-of-age drama. Also thereâs loads of Dolly Parton music. What else is there to say)
5. The Lobster:Â In a dystopian society, single people must find a mate within 45 days or be transformed into an animal of their choice.
(Isnât a new watch, but I was reminded of it recently. Just an extended Black Mirror episode, pretty much. Itâs odd. Itâs bizarre. Itâs engaging. Itâs a lot of things, and they are great.)
6. Shirkers:Â In 1992 teenager Sandi Tan shoots Singaporeâs first road movie with her enigmatic American mentor, Georges, who then absconded with all of the footage. The 16 mm film is recovered 20 years later, sending Tan, who is now a novelist living in Los Angeles, on a personal odyssey in search of Georgesâ footprints.
(One of my favorite documentaries Iâve seen in a while, mainly because it doesnât exactly feel like a documentary. It feels like youâre privvy to the incredibly frustrating, disheartening, and determined story of friendship, women-bound creativity, youth, and dishonesty when it comes to the mystery of where and why Georges disappeared. Itâs also empowering in a way to see the transition of these young women reclaiming their lives after such betrayal.)
7. Grace & Frankie:Â For as long as they can recall, Grace and Frankie have been rivals. Their one-upmanship comes crashing to a halt, however, when they learn that their husbands have fallen in love with each other and want to get married. As everything around the ladies is coming apart, the only thing they can really rely on is each other.
(Iâve been living under a rock, sue me. This show is fanfuckingtastic. Just watch it. Just binge it. Just do it.)
8. Voyeur:Â Gay Talese investigates Gerald Foos, a Colorado motel owner who spies on his guests. Using a carefully constructed platform in the motelâs attic, Foos documents his guests most private moments, from the mundane to the shocking.
(Just a frustratingly and horrifyingly sad and strange recollection of two men who act as an incredibly interesting character study if nothing else. Recommend)
9. Some Freaks:Â A charming romance develops between a boy with one eye and an overweight girl, though when she loses her weight after going to college, their relationship is tested in devastating ways they never dreamed would happen.
(âŚ.. I still donât know how I feel about this movie. Iâve watched it twice, once alone and once with a friend, and Iâm still conflicted on my lasting thoughts about the film and its message. Itâs definitely something I suggest watching, at least, to come to your own conclusions about how it made you feel. Itâs just. uncomfortable in the strangest of ways, and I just need more people to converse about it with lmao)
10. The Kindergarten Teacher:Â A teacher sees such great promise in her 5-year-old student that she goes to unreasonable lengths to protect his talent.
(I watched this film on a whim one day while off from work, and I was pleasantly surprised by its depth and heartbreaking tendencies. This film does not evoke anything but unsettled feelings and yearning for both the young boy and the teacher. Many people tend to gloss over the fact that this film does so much more than its superficial narrative. it opens such a bigger conversation into what absence and neglect of personal creativity and art through someoneâs marriage and family can cause them to in-turn have an unhealthy obsession with wanting to keep a childâs love/talent for art alive. Haunting but great film.)
11. Mr. Roosevelt:Â A struggling LA-based comedian goes home to Austin, Texas, when a family member becomes ill and finds herself in the awkward position of staying with her ex and his amazing new girlfriend.
(Friend found this hidden-gem on Netflix, and itâs such a quirky, comforting, easy-watch that I miss a lot in indie films. Itâs progressive and weird in all the right ways, and it leaves you with a cozy feeling inside once the film reaches its end.)
12. Queer Eye Season 3
(You know the drill just more feel-good reality-television makeover that makes all of us a little bit happier about humanityâs ability to be kind)
13. Happy Anniversary:Â On their three-year anniversary, Molly and Sam are at a crossroads and need to decide whether to move forward or call it quits.
(Another hidden gem found on Netflix that I ended up thoroughly enjoying. It comes across as a real, genuine, non-exaggerated look at the inside of a coupleâs relationship. Itâs candid, fun, witty in dialogue, and heartwarming towards the end. Iâll admit I got a bit misty eyed at 1 AM lol also the dude who plays jean-ralphio is one of the mains so câmon.)
14. Class Rank:Â When her class rank threatens her college plans, an ambitious teen convinces a nerdy peer to run for the school board to abolish the ranking system.
(Listen up, I watched this film because I was under the impression that it was going to be a b-rated teen film I could be amused by, but it ended up being a sorta cute story that I enjoyed a lot more than I probably shouldâve RIP. Give it a shot).
15. Cam:Â A camgirl has her principles, until a mysterious woman who looks just like her takes over her channel.
(Donât take the general critic review to heart and watch the film, yourself. Itâs. a ride. It definitely gave me chills as much as it made me uncomfortable. A thriller with twists and uneasiness at every corner. Just a real creepy look into AI, especially in industries like the camgirl industry. I do want the girlâs play dungeon tho rip)
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Sweet Blue Flowers, an anime review
(Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit unprofessional blog post written by an unprofessional blog poster. All purported facts and statement are little more than the subjective, biased opinion of said blog poster. In other words, donât take anything I say too seriously.)
Just the facts 'Cause you're in a Hurry!
Manufacturerâs Suggested Retail Price for Season (MSRP): 38.12 USD
Animation Studio: J.C. Staff
Licensed and Localized by: Nozomi Entertainment, a studio of Right Stuf Inc.
Audio: Japanese Audio with Subtitles available
Length per Episode: 25 Minutes on average. 21 Without Intro and Ending song.
Number of Discs: 3 DVD Discs in total. Â
Episodes per Disc: 3 or 4.
Also on: Amazon Video and Crunchyroll, a subscription based service that allows streaming for shows. Free streaming is available with ads.
Bonus Features: Clean opening, TV spots, character art gallery, and original U.S. trailer.
How much I paid: Nothing. I viewed it on Crunchyroll.
Number of Episodes: 11 Episodes
Price per Episode: 3.50 USD on physical. 1.99 if bought digitally.
My Personal Biases: I actually saw Sweet Blue Flowers a while back but never reviewed it. I like other shows in the Shoujo Ai genre such as Mai Hime, Mai Otome, Maria Watches over Us, Strawberry Panic and yes, even Kannazuki no Miko/Destiny of the Shrine Maiden. Â
My Verdict: Beautiful. Heartwarming. Cute. Incomplete. Like most anime adaptations based off a manga, Sweet Blue Flowers makes the mistake of trying to adapt directly from the source material. Unfortunately, with already slow pacing halting to a standstill, most viewers may not have the patience to sit through Sweet Blue Flowers. Add to that Akiraâs development happening later in the series, and you have a beautiful but unfinished story thatâs told. Give this one a shot and read the rest in the manga. Â
Warning: SPOILERS
Sweet Blue Flowers, an anime review
When the term adaptation comes to mind, the team working behind the project has to make a decision on how closely to adapt from the source material.
Too often, many creative teams take the source material as a bible and shoot from there, not realizing the act of translating from one medium to another means certain elements get lost in the shuffle and things that worked in the manga do not work on the screen.
While long running Shounen titles such as Naruto, Bleach, Dragonball Z, One Piece, Fairy Tail, Black Clover, My Hero Academia, Yu Yu Hakusho, Hunter x Hunter, and others benefit from direct page to screen adaptation, Shoujo Ai or Yuri series usually have to operate on not only a limited budget but a limited run time as well. And doing a direct adaptation of a long running manga for 12 episodes can usually result in disaster.
Someone once said âYou can make a good adaptation out of anything, but sometimes you have to rip its guts out.â
This is why series like Kannazuki no Miko/Destiny of the Shrine Maiden worked (in spite of itself, Iâll remind readers and fans of the show) since it added characterization and plot elements that wasnât in the original source material and wasnât directly adapting it (Thank God!). Meanwhile, a show like Sasameki Koto/Whispered Words stumbles because itâs trying so hard to do a direction 1 for 1 adaptation from manga to screen that newcomers who werenât familiar with the manga got bored. (You want to know how badly Sasameki Koto did as an anime in terms of sales and viewership? The anime series bombed so badly, it isnât even localized in the States and was rumored to kill the Yuri genre for the next few years.) Â
And unfortunately, trying too hard to adapt directly from the source material is the main thing that kills Sweet Blue Flowers.
Akira Okudaira, who is an entering high school student into Fujigaya Girls Academy, becomes reacquainted with her childhood friend Fumi ManjĹme whom she has not seen for ten years. Fumi is attending Matsuoka Girl's High School where she quickly becomes friends with a handsome third-year student named Yasuko Sugimoto. Akira joins her school's drama club with her friend and classmate KyĹko Ikumi, who is in love with Yasuko, though Yasuko turns her down. Yasuko and Fumi become a couple, and Fumi comes out to Akira who is at first unsure on how to act, but still tries to support Fumi's new relationship.
The main focus centers on Fumi. Fumi, despite being the taller of the two girls, is a shy unsure introvert unsure of her own sexuality and sexual orientation. She deals with heartbreak after heartbreak, seeing girls she has crushes on, such as her biological cousin which she had a fling with to Yasuko, an older girl who might or might not have sexual feelings with her. Fumiâs day to day strife and her coming to terms with her sexuality is one of the more interesting struggles of a lesbian character having to see play on screen.
Itâs subtle but tangible. Every so often, you see the shifts in movements and physical ticks that show off how uncomfortable Fumi is and certain scenes where characters are simply talking idly hit like a truck.
As I go back and re-watch the series, I lot of things that flew over my head the first time started making sense.
For example, I actually related to the character of Yasuko Sugimoto, thinking she made a good pair with Fumi, only to realize on subsequent viewings that Sugimoto was actually using Fumi for her own emotional growth. Itâs an interesting take on abusive/toxic relationships; Sugimoto doesnât intend to cause harm but her own immaturity and impulsiveness end up causing harm anyway. Â
So when Sugimoto asks to come back to Fumi after Sugimoto hastily broke up with her and Fumi flat out rejects her, itâs just the best feeling in the world. Fumi has actually grown in her own way and found confidence in herself without needing to be in a relationship.
The biggest casualty of the show is Akira. While sheâs present and does have character, her development is sidelined since it comes much later in the series. As such, itâs weird how the show keeps coming back to her as though she were an important figure when the show itself covers more about the relationship between Fumi and Sugimoto.
Based on the showâs advertisement and introduction, youâd expect Akira to be a bigger part of the show. So itâs unfortunate sheâs pushed to the background for the Sugimoto and Fumi relationship. Worst yet, since the chapters in question were rather short and minimalist, the anime had to pad out certain scenes to stretch them out. For example, Fumi has a conversation about how to use her phone. This plays no major role whatsoever in the plot of the episode.
The final episode ends on Christmas Eve as Akira and Fumi spend time looking at their old elementary school. It is at that point Fumi realizes sheâs been in love with Akira this whole time. But before the two can pursue their eventual relationship, the anime series ended.
Yuri adaptations do not tend to sell well and with the lackluster sales and ratings, Sweet Blue Flowers, the anime, was cancelled while the rest of the story continues on in the manga.
Kenâichi Kasaiâs direction is subtle but powerful. Fumihiko Takayamaâs writing takes the best of the manga and explodes it onto the screen. Takefumiâs Haketaâs music will move your heartstrings. But, the story is sadly incomplete.
Unfortunately, there a little to no extras in the DVD/Blu-ray Release. Just the Opening and Ending song with no text.
CAVEAT: I donât hate Sweet Blue Flowers; itâs just that adapting a manga this slow and this subtle was always going to be an uphill battle. Add to that the short amount of content (11 episodes, not even 12!) and the high price tag, as well as Akira not getting the screentime she does in the manga, Iâm going to definitely have to say wait for a drop in price point. (Again, Yu Yu Hakusho 20 bucks for 28 episodes. I can get 39 episodes of DBZ for 20 bucks. Sweet Blue Flowers is 38 dollars for 11 episodes.)
As an adaptation, Sweet Blue Flowers not only does justice to its source material but at times transcends it to give the fans what they want.
But, taken as its own work, taken as a simple 11 episode series, taken as meant for people who are ânotâ fans or familiar with the source material, I can only assume they would be left with a feeling of âthatâs itâ?
Verdict: Wait for a sale or watch it on Crunchyroll. If youâre truly interested in the story, try the manga instead.
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Fully Automated Luxury Communism *IS* Our Future
I have been planning to write on this topic, but a recently featured article in OneZero inspired me to kick it off now. This is my rebuttal.
  In his analysis of the book Fully Automated Luxury Communism by Aaron Bastani, Robin Whitlock wrote an article that he felt outlined the reasons why Bastani is incorrect in his belief that one day (perhaps sooner than we may realize), the world will transition to a one-world, communist-style form of government. I havenât read Bastaniâs book, but, I have been an avid supporter of this concept for nearly a decade after watching the movie Zeitgiest: Moving Forward.
Over the years, I have also engaged in conversations about this topic with literally thousands of people, and most of them repeat the same fallacies over and over in their denial that such a thing could ever possibly happen. I have found that many people have several cognitive biases that hinder their ability to look forward into the future and see what it could potentially look like.
Often, they believe it will look and behave very similarly (if not worse) than what we have today, maybe just with a few more gadgets to play with. In fact, most people are completely unaware of their own biases, let alone that there are 175 known biases that influence our rationale.
Of course, the most obvious is the negative connotation that the word âcommunism" brings to mind. Immediately, the thought of walking skeletons forced into labor camps spurs a knee-jerk reaction to immediately stop listening to any argument that can even remotely be deemed âpro-communist". But, just to touch on some of the other common biases that influence this conversation (and most peopleâs daily lives) are:
Declinism- when we remember the past as better   than it was, while simultaneously believing the future will be worse than   it likely will be.
Just-World- Many of us who live in developed   nations like to believe the world is a just place. It makes us feel   secure. To think that somewhere in the world someone is dying of hunger,   can overwhelm us with guilt if we think about it while we enjoy an   expensive meal at a nice restaurant. So, we chase away the guilt by   reminding ourselves that we work hard and weâre good people, so we deserve   this nice meal. Anyone who doesnât have access to such things is just not   trying hard enough, so they get what they deserve. Of course, this bias   can cloud our judgment of other people and their situations. It helps to   cloak the madness of the system we have built. Itâs also a bias that   politicians tend to exploit to get you to vote for them, and one that   makes people believe the world in the future will be pretty much the same   place it is today.
Belief & Confirmation Bias: Our beliefs shape   our perception. After all, the human condition requires we believe in   something for it to be real. When one believes in something, they will   find or fabricate as much evidence as necessary to support that belief;   likewise for something one does not believe in. Our brains automatically   default to our belief structures when analyzing nearly any subject. And,   it can sometimes be difficult to examine the evidence with an open mind   that may challenge those beliefs.
Dunning-Kruger: The more you know, the less   confident you are. Fools rush in without understanding. The wise   understand how little they know and pause for consideration.
Framing: It is amazing what a frame can do for a   portrait or painting. The right frame really makes the piece pop and   increase the appreciation of those beholding the piece of art. The same   goes for our brains. Major media, consumer data companies, and marketers   understand how their piece of art is framed MATTERS. A LOT. It is often   seen that they will frame things in different ways for different consumer   tastes and preferences. It is an extremely easy way to manipulate the masses.   And, once one recognizes this bias, one begins to see the frames around   everything.
Familiarity: Our comfort zone. Whether in the   physical sense or the literal, most of us have a pretty small comfort zone   surrounding every aspect of our lives. If something encroaches without   permission, or we are challenged to venture outside of our zones, it can   be stressful and uncomfortable. While the huge world outside of our zones   can be harsh and unforgiving, it can also hold the key to amazing new   discoveries in all areas of life.
Self-Attribution: A common example of this is   when working in a group, you feel like youâre doing more than everyone   else. The interesting thing about this is: if you ask 10 people in a group   if they feel like theyâre doing more than others, youâll likely get 9   responses that support their belief they are working harder than everyone   else.
Sunk-cost: Youâve invested a lot of time, effort,   and money into a project (or your career). But, itâs not going as you had   hoped. Itâs difficult to walk away from something that is not serving its   intended purpose.
Anchoring: This is when youâre so focused on one   goal, that you miss out on opportunities to have a better outcome because   you refuse to deviate from the initial goal.
Survival: The celebs (and capitalists) make it   all look so easy. Like anyone can go to Hollywood and become a huge star.   But, what we often donât hear about are all the failed talent who just   didnât get the right break into the industry. If one does not succeed, one   is simply failing at trying hard enough (similar to the Just-World bias).
There are many others that fit into this conversation. The ambiguity effect (avoiding options where the outcome is unknown), anthropocentric thinking or anthropomorphism (common in discussions about AI), attentional bias (marketing and constantly being told capitalism is the best way), and so on.
But, even FALC supporters are sometimes clouded by their own biases. In addition to the few of the above, automation bias (excessively relying on automated systems which can give erroneous information that overrides correct decisions) is one. Berksonâs Paradox ( The tendency to misinterpret statistical experiments involving conditional probabilities) is another. And, especially the Bias Blind Spot (the tendency to recognize bias more in others, less in oneself).
So, regardless of these biases on both sides of the conversation, people want to see hard facts and plausible ideas about how this future may come to fruition or why it will not.
The truth is: NONE of us know for sure.
But, there are some things that should be considered before completely shutting the door on the idea of humanity living in a Fully Automated Luxury Communist structure in the future. So, back to the original article I am rebutting by Mr. Whitlock. I seriously doubt he read the book, though that is simply an assumption. But, this assumption stems from the fact that many of his rebuttals to the concept are deeply entrenched in a capitalist mindset, disregarding the very essence of the book.
1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Assumption One
For instance, many of the government labor statistics he quotes are based on a flawed system of tracking that the US is notorious for. He also claims that automation is a âlong way off and not necessarily replacing jobsâ. This is also a flawed analysis due to Mooreâs law. But, Mooreâs law aside â some even believe Mooreâs law is dead or evolvingâ he goes on to state that according to McKinsey digital who stated two years ago that less than 5% of jobs are able to be automated over the next decade. That is a seemingly naive assumption compared to the breakthroughs we have seen in the past two years from companies like Boston Dynamics and their amazing robots.
And, to counter that McKinsey article showing an example of a lumberjack, or construction and raising outdoor animals:
So, now we get into the cost of all this automation. Sure, it is a prohibitive factor for many, especially small businesses. For now, that is. In accordance with Mooreâs law, as things become smaller and more advanced, though, the prices tend to drop. The more assistance provided to small businesses (whether by government supplementation or not), the faster these technologies will drop in price and advance.
Then, by quoting articles that are years old (2014 & 2017), the argument is made that, for instance, self-driving cars are facing major logistical and regulatory issues. Again, without considering the major advancements made recently. In fact, he very conspicuously left out Tesla in this analysis. Or, for that matter, the drone taxis that started in Dubai in 2017, and are now being adopted and accelerated by Uber and Boeing.
So, by assuming that automation is not going to replace most jobs anytime soon, we are really turning a blind-eye on the advancements going on around the world.
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Assumption Two
Moving on to asteroid-mining. Mr. Whitlock used an article from 2012 (nearly a decade old) to prove the point that we were a decade away from identifying suitable asteroids to mine. In 2015, Obama signed a law into effect called âSpace Lawâ allowing private companies to mine asteroids. And, the example used â Planetary Resources â struggling only to be acquired by Consensys, Inc. (a blockchain company) is an extremely poor (on purpose?) example, considering that companies like (to name only a few) Deep Space Industries, Orbital Sciences Corporation, Bigelow Aerospace, and even The Blue Origin aerospace company owned by Jeff Bezos are going all-in on this concept.
In the article, he also tries to point out that these ventures being profitable are the highest concern. That is, again, a false assumption. While it is true that funding needs to happen to make these a reality, one must also realize that funding, in itself, is a fallacy. By this, I mean:
The idea of fiat currency having any sort of value is false. It can be created out of thin air. It is either simply a piece of paper or a number on a computer monitor. Nearly the entire world uses fiat currency.
Nor is the number of materials hidden in the asteroids âspeculative, at bestâ. That is his own assumption, without any real-time understanding of how the above-mentioned companies conduct research to identify lucrative asteroids.
As noted in the original article, Mars Oneâs for-profit business went bankrupt (though the non-profit side is still running). That is a sign that for-profit in this sector will struggle. Perhaps an even bigger signal that non-profit will eventually win in this sector. As an added point of interest, space is a HUGE business and destined only to grow:
 The point is not profit. The point is to succeed at nearly any cost.
3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Assumption Three
Aside from the fact that the vast majority of people are essentially wage-slaves who toil away at mind-numbing tasks to make their bosses a little richer, this entire area completely leaves out the concept of AI and quantum computing. Mr. Whitlock is stuck in his own biases that only a company can do what is being talked about and that companies can only be run by humans. While this is certainly the case today, the advent of AI is not to be scoffed at. In fact, the entire premise of arguments against a system like FALC is akin to the people who 20 years ago scoffed at the idea of having hand-held computers that we know as smartphones. It is an archaic way of thinking⌠Fearful, even. The truth is: We are on the precipice of technological upheaval never before witnessed by humanity. We better get our heads right to understand the challenges we will face and how to make life better for all humans as a consequence of technology. Otherwise, we will find ourselves in dystopian lives as described by some of the dystopian authors people love to quote.
This concept is not some glorified hippie utopia (utopia is highly subjective, btw) of rainbows and lollipops all day. Stop fooling yourselves and diminishing the world we live in and are about to arrive in. This is the reality we face. When people are displaced from employment and when precious metals & minerals are no longer rare, it will not happen suddenly and it will not be a hundred years away. Try the next 10â30 years, MAXIMUM, for us to really start seeing these effects. Sure, you and I may not be around to see it, but my kids will be.
We need to expand our highly myopic understanding of what is in front of us. If you donât, others will, and it will be you who is left in the dust.
DISRUPT, OR BE DISRUPTED. That is the motto of the 21st-century.
Finally, yes, the future may be run by corporate empires. That is a scary prospect. In the near future, it may be necessary to eliminate the idea of corporations. All other details aside, the idea of competition is only a hindrance to the advancement of these technologies. Why split the resources (money, labor, etc.) between so many different companies hoping for a profit for a few individuals? In many ways, this is a ridiculous notion. It means fewer resources for each company and wasted time between advancements. This problem is becoming more and more obvious as technology advances.
And, all of this is in addition to the people who are working to cure aging, upload minds into the cloud, and make us into something else to redefine what it means to be human like the Transhumanist movement. If one doesnât take all of these considerations into account when thinking about the future, they are doing themselves and the future a disservice. Because even though you may stick your head in the sand to avoid seeing it, millions of others are working toward this future whether they realize it or not.
There is so much more I could add to this, but then I would need to write a book⌠A book explaining Fully Automated Luxury CommunismâŚ
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