#* goes to a place where wifi is a myth *

[dearheart42regenerated]

What is "Vega"?

"I told him there's no way you'd be foolish enough to believe in a myth like Vega...looks like I was wrong."

so I was rewatching a few scenes and that line from Kane in the 2-part finale suddenly got my brain going brrrr about WORLDBUILDING!!! because if "Vega" was a thing completely made up by Kane, why would he talk as if the idea was an already-existing myth?? the implications are delicious to me, sooo. here's my own personal overly-elaborate theory/headcanon... *insert drumroll here*

Vega = "Anonymous"

by that I mean Vega is basically this universe's version of the hacker group...albeit much more focused and serious than ours. they're trying to save the world, after all.

there are many rumors, myths and conspiracy theories about what and where Vega is - "a spy organization in Cleveland" is just one of the bigger ones (for whatever reason lmao.) most of these stories have been planted by the members of Vega themselves, to make it all the more impossible to find them or prove their existence. they do their work quietly and thoroughly, without any announcement or warning, and any traces left of who they might be are either scrubbed or quickly swallowed up by all the tinfoil-hat "evidence" circulating around.

Vega is anywhere and anyone. they exist as a sprawling collective of spies, hacktivists, pirates, coders, digital archivists AND, perhaps most crucially...guerilla data cablers. any person with these skills is welcome to be part of the group, so long as they commit to The Priority.

"The Priority" is Vega's single unifying mission: to restore open, unrestricted internet to all corners of the post-apocalyptic world, and reconnect every pocket of civilization scattered around Earth. they believe achieving "complete connection" again is the key to saving humanity from total extinction.

are they gonna save the world with wifi? yes. yes they are.

there is no chain of command, no counsel, no head "in charge" of Vega handing out missions or telling everyone what to do...which means internal dissent happens a lot. but generally as long as the members all agree to dedicate their efforts to The Priority and work in good faith with each other, almost anything goes idea-wise...and yes, sometimes that does include taking direct action against fascist dictators. ;)

there are also four basic rules every member must follow while working in the group:

1 - "VEGA IS A MYTH." Vega will continue to "not exist" in the public eye until a two-thirds majority of the members agree that officially revealing themselves to the world is both necessary and unavoidable. they do this to make it harder for bad actors to weaponize their work or use their name for self-serving political gain.

2 - "SECRECY IS MANDATORY." YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB talking about Vega to outsiders is forbidden, unless inviting someone to join the cause. members revealing their identities to each other is also forbidden. anyone who publicly claims credit for something in Vega's name has either eventually been exposed as a fake, or thoroughly framed as a fake by the other members if one goes rogue.

3 - "CENSORSHIP IS THE ENEMY." having open access to the world's knowledge is absolutely sacred to Vega - it is THE "why" behind the "what" of their mission! so while members are free to act on their own, attacking libraries, journalists or the media is both forbidden and unforgivable. the only exception is when they find a media network/organization with censors or restrictions placed on it - in which case, they will only act to lift those restrictions, so people have the ability to find all the information for themselves.

4 - "CONNECTION IS THE PRIORITY." whatever the members do, their plans must be in service of Vega's mission in some way...whether it's restoring or preserving an ancient website, breaking into a new location to install or repair data cables, or hacking a corrupt politician's computer system.

there's a delicious irony in Kane using the "myth" of Vega to capture Mike. at some point in the future, the true Vega will play a key role in helping the Burners free the people of Deluxe from Kane's clutches once and for all...and finally, reconnecting all of Detroit with the outside world.

(also VEGA INVITES CHUCK AND JULIE TO JOIN THEM AND THEY GET TO DO COOL HEROIC SUPER-SECRET HACKER/SPY STUFF TO SAVE THE DAY AND IT'S FUCKIGN AWESOME)

#motorcity #my headcanons #is this dumb?? idc IT SOUNDS COOL AS FUCK TO ME #'We are Vega. We are Legion. Expect us.' DO YOU SEE THE VISION HERE

[mysticonsheadcanons]

Can you do an episode where the Mysticons go to Count Dracula's castle for an overnight bet with Malveron, having a couple tickle torture scenes also?

Note: The tickle torture scenes seem out of place, but I'll do my best to get the rest of what you want done. Also, sorry for the late reply. I had this episode planned, but something made me change my mind about my original plan.

The Mysticons and Malvaron were hanging out when Arkayna finds something online about Count Dracula's castle being near Drake City. Malvaron says that Count Dracula is a myth, but Piper believes he's real. They plan to investigate, but Malvaron doesn't want to waste his night having a sleepover in some empty castle that doesn't have wifi. The Mysticons decide to go, planning to prove that Dracula is real.

The Mysticons get to the castle, which seems to be empty. They decide to set up their sleeping area in the living room, so if they do have to escape, they can. While everyone else is finishing getting their sleeping bags ready, Em leaves to find the kitchen to make some hot chocolate for the group. As Em is walking through the castle, she sees Dracula and runs away. However, as the castle is large, she doesn't remember her way back to the others.

The other Mysticons finish setting up the sleeping area, and notice that Em's been gone for a while. They plan on looking for her, but Zarya points out that they don't know where the kitchen is, and even if they find it, it's possible Em got lost on her way. Piper suggests that they split up in groups of two, but Arkayna says that may not be the best idea if Count Dracula's there. They decide to search for Em as a group.

While the others are looking for Em, they stumble across a room with a large variety of machines. They realize that it's a lab, and Arkayna wonders if he uses the machines there on his victims. Zarya doubts it, as just drinking someone's blood right away would be more efficent, and guesses that it's just a hobby. Piper says that maybe the laboratory is made as a distraction, and then Dracula drinks the victim's blood. They are about to leave, but sees Choko playing around on one of the machines. He accidently turns it on, and it starts tickling him. The others try to stop it, but find that turning it off is difficult.

Meanwhile, Em is still running from Dracula when she trips. She quickly goes to her Mysticon form and puts a shield up. Dracula tells Em that he doesn't mean to harm her, and when Em asks about drinking blood, Dracula says that it's optional for vampires, and says that his father made it sound like they had to drink blood to hide that he simply wanted to. They hear chaos from the other room, and sees the others try to get Choko out of the tickling machine. Dracula helps, apoligizing for his machine, which he's still working on.

Back at the Stronghold, Malvaron is playing a video game, making fun of this monster that only uses feathers as an attack, saying all it would really do is tickle the player character. Doug is researching Dracula, and finds proof that he exists. Malvaron, believing the Mysticons to be in danger, goes to the castle to find them, with Doug following.

Doug and Malvaron get to Dracula's castle, and the Mysticons say that Dracula is actually a friendly person. Malvaron isn't convinced, and asks why it was so easy to get into his place if it wasn't a trap. Dracula says that he tends to keep the door unlocked in case someone needs shelter, as he generally hears the door and can greet them quickly, but was busy. Just then, an older vampire comes, telling Dracula to live up to the family name. Doug asks what the older vampire's talking about, and Dracula says that he's his dad, who wants him to be evil like him. A fight ensues, with Father Dracula summoning bats to help, something Count Dracula never learned to do. They manage to defeat Father Dracula by getting Count Dracula out the room and using the light on Arkayna's staff, along with all the Mysticons' powers they can think of and flashlights Doug and Malvaron had, to make a light too bright for vampires, forcing Father Dracula to flee.

Malvaron admits that he was wrong about Dracula not being real, and Arkayna points out how they were wrong about vampires being evil. They are about to leave for the stronghold, but Dracula warns them that it's still dark out, and that it's dangerous. He invites them to spend the night, and they agree, thanking Dracula.

[nullset2]

Death Stranding and The Last Man on the Beach

I had a very personal connection with Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding last year. I liked its aesthetic, the symbolism, and really enjoyed the story and characters (even though they were a bit too deviantart for my tastes at some points). Its bullet points really resonated with me. It's a fantastic and misunderstood game, with obviously undercooked parts, but still more than worth its price of admission. It's a game about estrangement, heartbreak, loneliness, stress, death, sadness, crying (oh so much crying), and humanity coming together in the face of a catastrophe of massive scale.

In DS, people live in individual isolated rooms, cannot touch each other, interact exclusively through the Internet, and have to cover their faces around each other, and the amount of impact of a voidout is communicated through a map full of expanding dots, interesting, right? Turns out DS is also very apropos with the zeitgeist.

I like its depiction of The Beach. In DS, every character has the ability to travel to an interdimensional space called The Beach after Sam Porter disrupts the balance between life and death as the first repatriate, the first baby able to come back from the dead after he gains that power from Bridget Strand's gift as an extinction entity, which eventually led to the creation of the Chiral Network.

Chiral means "hand" etymologically, by the way. I didn't know. It makes an allusion to the current state of things, where we have a very powerful network that provides wifi everywhere, and that has enabled a lot of technology, but where at the same time we're still at a "crossroads", and we still need people to deliver our packages and drive our cars. We're still a ways to go from the Singularity where all of those things will be fully automated I guess. It also makes an allusion as in how the network can be a way to seek "connection", to reach out for the touch of the Other.

And I loved it because of its implications in an era of isolation like ours. I think that people, more and more, are opting out of relationships and interconnection in the age of the Internet, because it's the easy, clean and uncomplicated thing to do. The Internet can provide bastardized facsimiles of everything you could ever want and then some. There's no reason to suffer with the real world if you can just get hooked addictively to the saccharine world Online. For more and more people every day, the Internet is enough.

In Jungian literature, bodies of water represent the unconscious mind and by proxy, chaos. Taming the balance between consciousness and unconsciousness, between order and chaos, and between light and dark truly is one of the fundamental --if not, THE fundamental-- problem of the human condition. The fact that we evoled from beasts, unaware of their own nature, unable to recognize the future and plan ahead and think, to the curreht Homo Sapiens Sapiens is nothing short of marvelous. So, that's why I like depictions of water: it represents the abyss of the unconscious and how problematic it can be for the mind. Truly, if one goes into the water without due precautions, they will drown, much as how states of depression, anxiety and all neuroses are excesses of the unconscious mind seeping into our conscious life.

Being in the beach is being in the fringe between two worlds, which is a fantastic analogy for the modern middle aged man and for the modern, technological man. Living between two realities, with two natures, is the state of many if not all, in an era where reality trascends through the Internet. By being in between, we are nowhere -- neither here nor there. By living in the culture of the Now Now, we live in the never ending present, future nor past evermore. A soothing place, if also eerily lonely --and a place that is starting to give us all feelings of Death, of maybe being the last man standing after all.

It's an allusion to the Millenial generation: stuck between the future and the past, between the digital and analogue world, a cynical, fatigued generation that had to learn to be adults twice but feels at home nowhere in the world who uses social media a FUCKING LOT.

A passage from Seneca's epistles also makes an allusion to the beach, and I quote: "People may say: "But what sort of existence will the wise man have, if he be left friendless when thrown into prison, or when stranded in some foreign nation, or when delayed on a long voyage, or when out upon a lonely shore?" His life will be like that of Jupiter, who, amid the dissolution of the world, when the gods are confounded together and Nature rests for a space from her work, can retire into himself and give himself over to his own thoughts." So the beach is kind of like a purgatory of the self where people can retire into themselves and their own thoughts according to the cultural baggage of the Western world to be reborn and to emerge a better person.

So, is this going to be the gold standard for the Aeon? Every man an island? I think the signs are pointing to it as I said before. I think we are seeing a sharp decline in personal relationships, and it's going to become more exacerbated in the future.

But is all lost? Of course not, there is Hope.

From the collision of extremes, man and woman, sun and moon, order and chaos, comes the Child. The Otter, as literally Jung says, a version of the messianic/heroic archetype, which Sam Porter very obviously takes after. I'm certain that the fact that Sam Porter's spirit animal is the Otter and wears an "Otter Hood" was a very obvious reference to this, complete with how Sam swims like an Otter when in water. It's an allusion to its two-natured self.

The Child is the androgynous Otter, who, like Bridges between nations, lives across two Universes seamlessly, yet "neither here nor there". It's the Irrational Third, between categories, the collision of two Universes, Mother and Father, which brings the panacea through his sacrifice, brought forth by being constantly in pain, in suffering and at risk of extinction. The child is the Bridge to the future, the redemption of your bloodline and the one who brings us all together under his salvation. All heroic myths are versions of this --of very high notoriety, the story of Christ.

Now, before you start typing your insults, hear me out: it's not that I'm abiding for the Christian mythos here or that I want to become a preacher. Rather, it's that I believe that the Messianic myth is the most important artifact of our Modern Society and its very foundation. It comes from the notion of the self, which is a miracle exclusive to the Homo Sapiens Sapiens; the ability to be self-aware, to self sacrifice and think forward. The Messiah is the self inside every one of us, who selflessly and through constant sacrifices moves the World forward. Death Stranding ultimately is an ode to this, to the idea that no matter how horrible the world gets, as long as we all selflessly come together in sacrifice, we will make it in the end. By seeking not division and classification, but Unity and collaboration. Neither man or woman, sun or moon, or ying and yang, but the Syzygy of them both. Neither red or blue, but purple, and royally so

Like the Messiah with its Death and Resurrection, Sam Porter gets stuck in his Beach for an indeterminate amount of time to fullfill his mission in Death Stranding, yet manages to come back once his loving friends pull him out of the beach through a line of connection, reaching out to him and bringing him back to Earth. This is a beautiful allegory too --I urge you to reach out to the friends in your lives, and telling them that you love them. They may appreciate it more than you could EVER IMAGINE. It may be the difference between life and death for a lot of people right now.

And finally, by the way, I still stand behind the comparisons I made about Death Stranding to Chul-Han's material. Have at me bro.

#death stranding #works

[cowboylikedean]

folklermore spn finale: the last great american dynasty

Okay so this post took forever to write for a couple reasons. 

First of all, this one is special in that it has two readings for my grief.

The first one is terrible and heartbreaking and honestly I don’t want to spend a lot of time on it. I see Andrew Dabb as THE great villain of Supernatural, and he truly had a marvelous time ruining everything. The sarcastic nature of the song goes in to speak to the fact that I feel legitimately crazy for how much I blame him. It’s sad and heartbreaking. I think about it sometimes when i hear this song and instantly force myself to stop thinking about it and go back to the other view. 

So the other view is more what you might expect with the vibe of the song... but it is SO HARD for me to put into words, I found. So I’m sorry if this is messy and disjointed and all over the place. 

I spoke in cardigan’s post about how I’m not the fan the show wanted and there’s a large part of the narrative in the folkermore-spn-finale feelings for me that expresses not being the fan the narrative wanted or needed.... Most of the time this is brought up in this, it’s angry, or sad, or whatever... but this time... this time it celebrates it.

I had a marvelous time ruining everything.

Putting this under a cut because it’s very long. I didn’t mean for this to get this long rip.

I let myself sink into the feelings of wonder and awe I felt when I first fell in love with the show and then let myself find the conclusion that IF I did in fact “ruin everything” (aka the show) by not being the fan the show needed me to be to enjoy it, at least I had a good fucking time!

From that first bit where Taylor sings that Rebekah’s salt box house took her mind of St. Louis.... Supernatural took my mind off my life too. I remember when I first watched the show, I was 20 and I’d just failed out of school (the first time). I was lying to my mother and her husband (who I lived with) about going to school. I rode the city bus at the time because I didn’t have my license yet. I’d leave the house and say I was going to the bus stop down the street. Instead, I hid in the woods that separated my neighborhood from my grandfather’s back yard. I worked at his house “after school” every day from 4-6, taking care of his house, doing light cleaning and cooking, helping him adjust to being a double amputee so it worked out nice. Every night I pre-loaded 5 hours of episodes on my computer so I didn’t need the internet and every day I would sit in the cold on a log and put my computer on a slightly bigger log and curl up in my warm coat for a day of Supernatural before heading inside to Pappou’s house at 4. Sometimes, I just waited until the afternoon when I knew my mom would be gone and I could go home where it was warm and I had wifi. Sometimes though I got wrapped up and I just stayed there.. all day. 

Supernatural is, what I would consider, one of the last great american TV shows. Like... It’s right there with Grey’s Anatomy as the last TV shows that have an actual following where people watch it and it’s a thing that haven’t been corrupted by the streaming world. Television is so important to me, it’s my favorite medium of storytelling and it’s been lost. Streaming destroyed it. People say we’re living in a “golden age” because there’s “so much good TV” but there’s NOT! What we have is high production quality on a lot of mini-series and long-format movies that have been randomly split up into “episodes” but don’t make sense if you space them out in any way. The episodic serial format of television has been LOST and that’s heartbreaking... 

But to me... this song... it’s about The Last Great American TV Show, The Last Great American Fandom, The Last Great American Dynasty over my life, my fandom, my relationship with tv, and my world view. 

The line “How did a middle class divorcee do it?” also just... First of all there’s something so distinctly American about it... We all know Supernatural is itself a sort of lover letter to Americana... it’s the aesthetic of Nowhere USA which is part of what makes it so effective and heartbreaking. The line in the song is about how Rebekah was just... boring, average, a little sad. Someone unremarkable you feel a little pity for. That’s the Nowhere USA of the aesthetic of the show... THAT’S the heartbeat of “Americana.” It’s boring, average, unremarkable, a little sad, you kinda pity it, it shouldn’t be that deep, but it is. It’s when the unremarkable accomplishes the remarkable. And that’s the whole myth they fed us as kids, isn’t it? I could never explain the beauty of this line inside or outside the context of Supernatural to someone who isn’t US American so I’ll just stop trying... but it’s just kljasfkd 

Anyway, the point I’m trying to make here is that first stanza in the first verse... When I fell in love with Supernatural, I was boring unremarkable, a little sad... and the show was a wealth of possibilities... but also I was at a point where I was getting over the main fandom I’d had for the past year and a half (Buffy) and I had just fallen in love with Sherlock and I had nothing but time. I wasn’t bogged down with the anxiety of school, I got to devote my whole life and existence to this show. I was also a wealth of possibilities, and as we know the show was also boring, average, unremarkable, and a little sad. Both me and the show were Bill and both me and the show were Rebekah.

So when the wedding between me and the show was charming, if a little gauche it made sense cause there’s only so far new money goes. For me, this represents 2012-Mishapocalpyse: The Golden Age... Look... It’s no secret 2012 was my favorite year of all time... Tumblr was small and fun and hadn’t been corrupted by wanting or trying to be “cool” or “edgy” or “interesting.” I chose the mishapocalypse for the end of this era to me because that was the last time I felt like I could come on tumblr and really just LET GO into insanity. Almost instantly people were shit talking it as if it was not the single most fun 24 hours this website had ever had. In 2013, we saw the rise of YFIP and people trying so hard to “””prove””” they were “”””cool”””” unlike ~those~ tumblr people!!! It was pathetic. But in 2012, we just... had fun. And it was charming, if a little out there. But there really is only so far that the youthful innocence of an online community that’s new goes. 

But I picked out a home on tumblr. And our parties were tasteful if a little loud. Tumblr in 2012/2013 was..... Fun. From mapcrunch to the mishapocalpyse. Some would argue about taste, but I’d say... “if a little loud.” I really just can’t separate the fun I had on tumblr back then from spn and I can’t separate spn from the fun I had back then. 

But then of course, we all need to settle down some times because the fun doesn’t last forever. In this line, I hear myself in both Bill and Rebekah and I hear the show in both Bill and Rebekah. Both of our hearts gave out and the other way to blame. 

So then the chorus... “who knows if she never showed up what could have been?” I CHANGED because of the show, I don’t know who the hell I’d BE without it! And likewise, I don’t think *I* personally changed the actual show, but the show WAS changed by each one of us. The show itself is folklore, changed and shaped in each retelling. There’s a creative freedom to the chorus that lives in that love.

So then there’s the second verse. After the rose colored glasses came off, Rebekah gave up on the Rhode Island set forever and I gave up on the greater spn fandom forever. I dropped the hellers and joined the tight knit Dean stans. This verse is about living in spite. It’s that wild American rebellion mixed with a little bit of sensual romanticism. In season 9, it was us against the world. And the reality is we were angrier than this verse gives and less free and fun... but looking back, it felt like A Time. I don’t know how to put it into words really but it was like... We found ways (and continue to find ways) to celebrate Dean when we weren’t supposed to. Fuck everyone else Dean is perfect. 

And then in the second verse, we celebrate that rebellion. The change from “the maddest woman” to “the most shameless woman” in the chorus is so important here... In the first chorus, Rebekah and I were mad and crazy and wild. In the second chorus, we had no shame. We lived IN SPITE of the state of the world around us and fucked anyone who had anything to say about it. 

In the first chorus, “who knows if she never showed up what could have been” paired with “maddest” has this creative potential. Like who knows who I would have been without spn and who knows what the show would have been without us, the fandom. And in the second chorus, that line changes to this destructive force. Like the show and I were both shameless to just exist, you know? because we would have been better without each other... but even as it acknowledges that, it’s still... sweet.

So then we have the time I left the fandom. Here we only hear bits and pieces of Rebekah’s life and Rebekah’s time in Holiday House. She was only seen “on occasion.” And on occasion, you could find me reblogging some Dean stan posts, getting into spats with Sam stans, posting about how the writers suck, calling out a heller. But 7 years is a long time and my fandom sat quietly in the history of my blog... And then it was picked up by me. 

Rebekah, in the song, refers to my past. My previous relationship with the show. Taylor’s part refers to my current relationship with the show. 

Who knows if I never showed up what could have been? If I never came back, what would my life look like? It would have been healthier, I’m sure. But then again - I needed this. And if the show hadn’t came back who would I be? 

But there goes the loudest non-woman this fandom has ever seen. I will scream from the ROOFTOPS! and what I want to scream is EVERYTHING from the past but with my full grown adult context. I know now more than I knew then that I had a MARVELOUS TIME ~ruining everything~!!! And I get to CELEBRATE THAT! I get to let go and have fun. I get to sit and think of Nov 5 and how that night, I relived those parties that were tasteful if a little loud. And then every day since I relived flying in the Bitch Pack friends from the city. I get to CELBRATE!

I may not have been the fan the show wanted. I may have fucked shit up. I may have lived in spite of this show even when I lived because of it. But damn I had a marvelous FUCKING TIME Ruining. Everything. Everything this show built it wanted me to see and love and appreciate with these toxic fucking relationships and the destruction of Dean Winchester can KISS MY ASS cause I had a MARVELOUS time fucking that shit up. Everything this show wanted from me that I refused to give it. Every SPEC of growth and learning and fun and enjoyment I have had from this show.... was toxic. It ruined it. Because it was not the growth and learning and fun and enjoyment the show WANTED ME TO HAVE. But damn did I have fun. 

The show and I are the last great American dynasty full of rebellion and spite and damn is it fun. 

#tlgad #taylor analysis #putting this in that tag because i mean #folklermore spn finale #personal #i SPENT FOREVER on this #god i'm so glad i got this out #but i don't know if it will make sense to anyone but me #tlgad spn finale

[3packsfrom21]

Looking back on Ireland

Where to begin? Two weeks ago Kiana, Janae and I left for Ireland. We covered a LOT of ground in two weeks! It wasn’t exactly the start we were hoping for; Kiana was barely finished her go with bronchitis and I had just finish my last day of antibiotics for a chest cold that Sunday. It was a seven hour direct flight to Ireland. Our plan was to arrive into Dublin around 11AM Monday. There, we would meet up with our cousin Jessica McCluskey who was flying in from Toronto. Dublin airport isn’t very big, so when we landed, we were able meet up pretty quickly. Unfortunately, Jessica’s flight wasn’t as smooth as ours. Turns out that a seventeen year old Canadian traveling by herself is the perfect profile of an Irish terrorist. Customs questioned her for over an hour. Even after that, they put a limit on how long she was allowed to stay in the Country.

Anyway, we catch a bus from the airport out of Dublin to Belfast. Its a half-hour trek across town to our hostel. I will just put it at this: we were very happy to see those doors! When we went to check in, the receptionist asked for our ID’s. What we didn’t know when we booked this hostel was that they don’t allow minors to stay in public rooms, which was a problem, as Jessica is seventeen. The hostel would usually just move people around to give us a private room, but we arrived on the exact same night that the Foo Fighters (a popular band) were playing. So, of course every room was full, and that goes for every hostel in Belfast. So, now we don’t have a place to stay, we haven’t eaten since we left Calgary and we are looking at our next two weeks wondering what the heck we got ourselves into. The other thing was the way the receptionist had explained the whole underage issue made it sound like this was a law. Meaning the other three hostel we had booked would most likely have an issue with Jessica’s age as well. The icing on the top was we had no wifi. So we literally couldn’t do anything! The receptionist said he’d call his boss and see what he could do and miraculously the boss was willing to let it slide. He would let us stay so long as we didn’t do any drinking (which, of course, isn’t our thing anyway). So one hurtle down. Next was the issue that we needed to get some way to call our next hostels. Heading out, we manage to find a grocery store that sold SIM cards. Grabbing some food, we went back to try and figure out our next couple days. Of course, we couldn’t get ahold of any of the hostels, and all it said on their websites was that there was an age restriction with no detail on what that meant. Finally, Kiana manages to find the Hostel World’s (the app we use to book hostels) rules. They said that minors could only stay if there was an adult with them. So we just had to hope that that was everyone’s rule as well. Last thing was we needed to organize our tomorrow. The Hostel had a tour discount on but we needed to get pounds out – because, of course, with our luck, we had thought to bring Euro with us, but Northern Ireland is its own country within the British isle and carries a different currency. In the end, as we laid in our beds, I can’t say we were all that settled. If this was how all of Ireland was and if our start was to be any outlook on the rest of the trip, we most likely would end up leaving Ireland early.

The next day was better. We went on a bus tour to the Giant’s Causeway. It was a long day as all of us were suffering from jet-leg. We only had one full day in Belfast, so this was our day to see it if we wanted to. The bus stopped at a few places and funnily enough we ended up enjoying the first stop at Larry Bane more then the actual Causeway. It was known for this fisherman’s rope bridge the extends between two cliffs. You had to pay to walk it. Instead, we just went and sat at the base of the cliffs and enjoyed the warm weather and beautiful view. Once we got to the Giants Causeway, we went on our tour through each cove and all in all found the 9 pound we spent to be a bit of a waste. The Causeway itself was very cool, we just don’t really care about giants (the tour gave us myths, we wanted science and facts).

Our next day was more relaxed. We saw this massive museum - and when I say massive, I mean we spent almost three hours and did not even reach the fourth floor! Honestly, I think it was never ending – they’re just making more and more rooms full of the most bizarre things. It wasn’t even just one particular museum, it was EVERY kind museum artifacts put together. I mean they had a room completely dedicated to chemistry elements, people, like come on! Of course, if we would’ve let her, Janae would have just stayed there for her two weeks. But I, for one, have this thing called hunger that reminds me that this painting of a flower vase may be very pretty but it will not satisfy my needs. So we left.

Belfast was so unique to anything I had seen before. There was just so much age resting within the cobblestone streets. I have never seen so much brick in my life! And it wasn’t the fake brick we have back home, where they paint it to make it look better. No, this was iconic rusty red with all its beauty resting in its natural state. Looking at Ireland as a whole, Belfast really isn’t very old. I guess it was cool because it was the first. I will forever have Belfast as the first place I saw of all Europe. To me, that’s cool!

Our second day was also our last day in Belfast. We needed to catch our bus for 3:00, so we started looking for a café to spend our last bit of time in, before going back to the hostel, grabbing our packs, and making the half hour walk back across town. It was raining and as we passed this church, a woman offered us free pastries and free coffee if we came in, so of course we did. We ended up meeting this really nice girl a bit older than Kiana. We were so comfortable there, we stayed for much longer than anticipated just chatting with her. And as we left we all felt so filled. Its funny really, because now I look back and we had been there for two days, that’s it! Yet, we already felt drained. It reminded me a lot of how God calls us to be in community with each other. Yes, we are to bring the gospel to those in darkness, but I think, for myself at least, I forget how quickly my energy runs out. I think its just so comforting to realize that he calls us to go, but he also has created such an easy way to become renewed.

Next was Dromore: a small town out in the middle of nowhere. We stayed in an Airbnb in the country for two nights. Dromore is one of our highlights of Ireland. Even though we forgot to buy groceries before heading out and therefore lived off of cereal and one single-size bag of instant rice, it was quite a nice place. Out of the city, Ireland is home to so many different shades of green, rolling hills, and, above all, very genuine people. They say Canadians are nice, but I beg to differ. The amount of times over our two weeks that we had strangers help us for no other reason than because they wanted to is remarkable. However, Dromore was our first taste. The only downside to it all was that my chest cold returned just to remind me that swallowing can hurt. I would go into our adventures in Dromore further, but I will never finish this post if I do. So just trust me, it was crazy and beautiful and sort of mind blowing.

Our next stop was only for one night. We had decided to go far up north to Derry, basically for my dad. Thankfully, we had no issue with the hostel age restriction and took this as a very good sign that it wasn’t a law in all of Ireland. Derry is where my dad’s family originated from, and so he wanted us to go and find out more about our ancestry. To him, all you have to do is go to the Parish church and ask to look up William McCluskey in their records and magically everything will be written down there for us to read. I mean, it takes years for other people to find out about their ancestry, but no, the McCluskey name is enough for us. Lets just put it this way; Derry was really, really cool to see. It was actually old, and it was quaint and safe and probably another highlight of our stay. It, however, was not very informative. Dad gave us five names, five very generic names. The McCluskey’s may have been many things, but they were not very creative with names. I mean, when you think of Irish names your first five will most likely be them. There was William McCluskey, Patrick McCluskey and Charlie McCluskey, John McCluskey and Ralph McCluskey. Once again, I challenge you to find any info from those names. The other thing was, like most cities, there isn’t just one church. Derry had at least 3 Parish churches and all of them had had at least two fires that had burned some of their records. Let that sink in.

From Derry we headed south to Galway. A tip to any traveler doing a similar trek. This will be ONE of the longest bus ride of your life, and it will be expensive. My take on our lovely adventure is this: you are on a roller-coaster except its not just you on the track, there are people coming at you. This roller-coaster doesn’t just go up and down, it also goes side to side in a rocking-want-to-die sort of way. Plus, there is the every three minute - slam your head against the seat in front of you – gentle break to allow the other travelers to pass you by.

I assure you, you wont forget it.

Galway is known for its night life and therefore everything is a bit dirtier and all the more expensive. It was still very cool to see. Live music is a big thing in Ireland and we all really enjoyed walking through the cute streets and listening as every couple of blocks there was a change in genre and mood. Although it was only a couple of nights we enjoyed our time there. We had very good seafood and began to recognize a trend in small-sized food portions, which saddened everyone immensely.

From there, we left behind the city lights and headed to a small surfers' town named Lahinch, or maybe it was Lehinch, or Le Hinch, we didn’t really figure it out as even the store owners weren’t sure. This WAS the longest bus ride of my life. In actuality, when we got off the three hour ride I am sure I had lost at least two years of my life. You say I’m exaggerating, we’ll never know now will we? The town was on the coast and, had it not rained for 95% of our time there, it would have been a lot more fun. The one reason we went was to see the Cliffs of Moher. These were a definite highlight of mine. I would go into detail but I’m sure my mother will be reading and I would like her to still be alive when I get back. Just kidding mom! We were safe and stayed a mile away from the edge the entire time… Anyway, very cool – amazing, actually. Again, Lahinch was expensive!

Our last stop was most likely one of our favorite cities in Ireland. Originally, we weren’t going to see it, but it was recommended to us and we are really happy it was. Killarney is like the Amazon of Ireland. It was still fairly pricy, but there were a couple of places we found with some really good food. Plus, there were a lot of cafés (aka: the reason Kiana and I are on this trip). We were able to go to church here and thoroughly enjoyed the service. Somehow, we managed to land our stay on the same Sunday that a very very crucial football (or at least what they call football) match between Dublin and Kerry. The atmosphere of that game was so cool to experience even if we hadn’t had a clue how the game was played. Also, we let Kiana talk us into doing a 19 km trek to see these waterfalls. In her defense, it was only supposed to be a mere 14km, but we stopped and looked around these abbey ruins. During the marathon, Janae seems to have strained a tendon or something in her leg, and even now we are still trying to figure out how to get her around painlessly. From there it was to Dublin, straight thru to the airport and onto France.

In entirety, Ireland was for sure a perfect start to our trip. It was safe, clean, and beautiful. And as I look across the fields in France, I can attest that Ireland is remarkable in a completely unique way, standing apart from the rest Europe.

Well that's was long...

Lynece

[roidespd-blog]

Chapter Three : THE DESOLATION OF THE GRINDR USER

« Grindr is a sociopath nest », Anonymous 

Grindr was launched on March 25, 2009. About a month or so earlier, I lost my virginity to the sweetest guy you could imagine. I met him on what we could consider one of Grindr’s ancestors, Gaypax— I still have that account, out of nostalgia. The design is so ugly I wonder now how I did spend so much time on it (we weren’t picky back then…) So Grindr was born at the exact time my sexual and romantic life was unfolding. It means that, except for the few years I’ve spent frenetically masturbating to La Redoute’s underwear catalogues and downloading dirty pictures of Brad Pitt naked with a very slow wifi, I’ve always been accustomed to gay apps.

Recently, the new and improved french magazine Tétu published an article called « Faut-il brûler Grindr?». Though not as detailed as I was hoping it would be, it did not changed my general opinion about the dating app paradigm. 

FLASHBACK France, 1971. A young gay man living in a beautiful city called Paris. Mike Brant just released his first major hit, Rock’N’Roll is slowly dying and Les Bidasses en Folie is this year’s biggest success at the box office. Unfortunately for him, the Gay Rights Movement is just at its infancy, homosexuality is still considered a mental illness and sodomy is punishable by law. So he shut his mouth and do his dirty business privately. he spends time around Place de Clichy and finds very discreet bars that can welcome him without too much judgement. He takes long walks toward the Tuileries bushes and sucks a stranger’s dong without any verbal exchange. He ends up marrying that fine young Marie, daughter of a friend of his dad, makes a couple of kids and from time to time, goes back to those places, shameful of himself.

That was the life of a gay man in France. If he didn’t get killed along the way. CUT TO 2009. Grindr is the first official gay dating app launched around the world. In France, the ban on sodomy disappeared in 1981 and since 1992, you are no longer considered a crazy person for being attracted to a person of the same sex (well, not from an official medical point, anyway). The app came to fruition through a simple question asked by its creator, Joel Simkhai : « WHO ELSE IS GAY AROUND HERE? ».

By 2012, 4 million people were using the App. 27 million as of 2017. Tinder followed in 2012 — you are welcome, straight people. Then SCRUFF, GAYROMEO, HORNET, BLUED, … What is wrong, then ? You damn well know something is wrong.

SMARTPHONE, 21st CENTURY’S NEW BACKROOM

If you go to a bar, you have to talk to the bartender, exchange a least a fews words with strangers, even dance as your look around and are being seen by others in the flesh. If you go to a gaybar, the same thing happens. If you go to a gaybar then the gaybar’s backroomn, rules change.

As the dating apps was closing in on worldwide domination, it became clear that the natural human kindness and respect would ultimately have no effect on the way people would communicate with one another on Grindr. I’ve been working in a bookstore for the past four years, you see. I expect a “hello”, “goodbye” and a smile during any interactions with clients — from them and myself. So there’s nothing more annoying that someone coming up to you, barking what they want to and leaving without any civility whatsoever. The Grindr equivalent would be Step 1 : A DICK PICK (or ass pick. I once had a fisting commemorative photo sent to me) straight up. Step 2 : A terribly convenient “cc sava tu ch?” or a “cho?” Step 3A : If you are polite enough to answer something, a conclusive “tu reçoi” or “tu bouge” Step 3B : you did not answer a singe word and the guy either sends you a “????” or insults the shit out of you. I sometimes do not answer impolite clients at work. Guess what ? Bitches say hello if you stare down at them long enough. On the internet, never gonna happen.

I remember the first couple of times I went on Grindr. I tried to answer everyone, even a “no, thank you”. There was always some “Hello”s, “How are you?”s, a few “My name is”s. But as the years went by, gay men (as I mostly talk to gay or bisexual cis men on these apps, I can only give my opinion on that category of people) adopted a series of unofficial rules to talk to each other.

1. If we are on this app, we are ready to fuck. 2. We do not have time for small talk. 3. We do not need your name, but dick size and multiple nudes are welcome. A picture is worth a thousand blablablahs. 4. We need to be very precise about what we want, so as not to waste our precious time. 5. Seriously, give us a full diagnosis of your body shape through pics, boy. 6. Chems ? 9. There are no rule 7 & 8, because 6 & 9. Now, turn around.

There are also lots of personal rules users seem keen on sharing them publicly as to implement unofficial rule number 4.

NO FEMS, NO BLACKS, NO ASIANS

“Pretty chill guy here. Very open minded and friendly. I love men from different cultures. Just no Asians. Asians leave me alone. I’m not racist” “Don’t message me. I’ll message you :). No Blacks Asians or fems. Love it when fats call themselves masc. hahahaha.” “Tell me if top/btm. Don’t really believe in “vers”. […] Attracted to Latin & White (trying to sound PC)” “Chill masc sane… just described nobody on here… Over 35, Asian or fem = block.. haha” “99% of you are losers. I’m the top 1%. So prove yourself first” The last one was written by a white male, by the way. They all were.

In our modern society, we’re not fools enough to believe that racism disappeared and everyone is accepting of others. Just look at the whole series of events called “while Black” where white people called cops on black folks for getting out of their airbnbs, talking in a Starbucks without ordering or falling asleep in a communal room at college. Nevertheless, you don’t see parades of racists proudly marching with “NO BLACKS” signs on the streets — you see another type of marches, yes. Free speech and stuff, sure. So why has it become acceptable in people’s minds to shade light on their racism in their profiles, barely hiding behind the “sexual preference” bullshit excuse ?

In an article dated September 2018 called “Why is it OK for online dates to block whole ethnic groups?” (2), the Observer related the appalling anecdote of an elderly white man who responded to a Grindr user of asian descent : “Asian, ew gross”.

I myself was told that I was too fat, too small, too twinkish, then not enough of those, or too white (but so we’re clear : RESERVE RACISM IS NOT A THING. STOP TRYING TO MAKE IT A THING!).

Racism also works with the beliefs that if you look or act a certain way, you obviously are what someone’s fantasy is. You are a black man so I assume that my hole will expand by ten once you’re inside me. You a blond light weight with feminine traits. You’re a submissive bottom and a real whore.

The world works on assumptions (ex : the myth of the BIG BLACK DICK or the for-sure global instinct that Tom Hanks would never have to face any #MeToo accusations) and apps follow that same path but without any policing. The absence of ramifications from someone’s actions further implement a feeling of unapologetic mindfulness — the same way being in a dark backroom with strangers you can’t see does not seem to add any consequences to what you’ll do next.

Recently, Grindr tried to course correct its past errors by creating “Kindr” (3). Was it a new app that would prevent people from actively using hate speech ? WELL WHY DON’T YOU PREVENT IT ON GRINDR THEN ? Was it a new platform to exchange ideas and experiences so that we can find another way to communicate together ?

Here’s how they introduce Kindr on their official site : At Grindr, we’re into diversity (MONEY), inclusion, and users who treat each other with respect. We’re not into racism, bullying, or other forms of toxic behavior (YOU ARE THE TOXIC BEHAVIOR). These are our preferences, and we’ve updated our Community Guidelines to better reflect them. Same app. New rules (DID YOU THOUGH?) Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Their type. Their tastes. But nobody is entitled to tear someone else down because of their race, size, gender, HIV status, age, or — quite simply — being who they are. (AS LONG AS IT DOES NOT PUT YOUR BUSINESS IN A RISKY POSITION) Join us in building a kinder Grindr. (DO YOUR OWN DAMN WORK). Express yourself, but not at the expense of someone else (OR US). Report discrimination when you see it (LIKE WITH THE JEWS BACK THEN. ALSO, WE THE USERS, ALREADY DID THAT). Use your voice and share your story to call out prejudice and spark change. Together, we can amplify the conversation and take steps towards a kinder, more respectful community (SEE, WE AT GRINDR ARE WOKE).

There you have it. A marketing scam to ease the pain of millions of users whose relationships and self esteem were affected by Grindr’s lack of interest in their consumers. How many years did it take for a simple statement from the CEO ? What’s actually concrete about these actions ?

in the community guide lines, it is stated that they “will remove any discriminatory statements displayed on profiles. […] Profile language that is used to openly discriminate against other users’ traits and characteristics will not be tolerated and will be subject to review by our moderation team”. FINE. So, if someone says “no short fat asians”, theoretically it would be removed from the profile. But if it says “more into vanilla and spice than chocolate and rice. So hit me up if this is you” (an actual Grindr profile, by the way), what can a Grindr moderator do about it ? The racism is still there. Are we to believe that EVERY single profile is being reviewed in detail ?

#deletegrindr was a popular hashtag over a year ago. I’m not on twitter and I still heard about it. Was it a cultural shift in the way gay people wanted to treat other gay people ? Were we on the verge of a revolution ? Nop. Grindr released data informations of thousands and thousands of profiles about HIV status (something that you can put on your Grindr profile) to third party companies. Since then, Grindr released the Kindr initiative and rewrote its policies.

I’m not against dating apps. I think it was a wonderful tool back in the day to extend one’s horizon, explore and experiment with love, sex and adventures. It no longer works that way. I didn’t even talk about the spreading of drug using through profile description and the real danger of stimulants in someone’s sex life.

#deletegrindr should come back and this time, it has to work. Silicon Valley, go make an app from scratch. One that would implement actual kindness to the machine, not based on popularity. Think of what people need, not what they want. People are shitheads. I’m a shithead. What I want is never good for me.

And YOU. You, little queer boy reading this. Don’t go on Grindr before going to bed to check the hotties in your area. Forget about that 6'2 monster cock Swedish god that lives nearby and offered you a quick hump for the ride. Ask him for a drink, put down your phone, get to know him a little and then fuck his brains out. You’re still gonna fuck but you’ll find humanity where there was once none.

That’s my preaching for the night. I gave up long ago on apps. I delete them all and stay away for months. Then, I feel lonely and get back to one or two. I met this new guy that way (4).The nice thing about it was that we did not talk dick sizes, favorite positions or any sexual desires until way after we actually met (and we’re talking two full weeks of messages). I’m not on any dating apps now.

(1) https://tetu.com (2) https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/sep/29/wltm-colour-blind-dating-app-racial-discrimination-grindr-tinder-algorithm-racism (3) https://www.kindr.grindr.com (4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezra_Miller

[thechembow]

Orgonite Myths Debunked

Towerbusters ready for gridding in the environment

Most people have never heard of orgonite, let alone orgone energy, the life force energy discovered by Wilhelm Reich in the 1930s. At the time of his scientific discovery, the existence of this energy had already been known by cultures who understood that there was a life force energy throughout us and the universe known by other names, such as chi or prana. Wilhelm Reich used orgone energy in cancer treatment, atmospheric cleaning, and drought abatement with great success. This energy has been suppressed for decades by the false rulers because of its great ability to improve human life.

Wilhelm Reich

More people are now becoming aware of orgonite, an invention based on Reich’s research, which is used to neutralize EMF and to clean the sky of air pollution, most notably chemtrails. However, among those who have heard of orgonite, how it works is largely misunderstood. More often than not, the reaction to hearing about orgonite is that it is just a bunch of unscientific, new age, hippie nonsense. This is an understandable reaction, as it was my first thought too when I first began researching solutions to chemtrails back in 2013. When the light bulb went off over my head and I did a search for videos on YouTube on “how to stop chemtrails,” orgonite was the first thing to come up. The purpose of my search was to find ideas on how to actually stop chemtrails, not on how to waste my time writing letters to parasites who work for a business called “the government.” Somehow I knew intuitively that there had to be a real world solution and did the search as if guided by an outside force.

But when I saw what orgonite looked like, I immediately thought there would be no way a small lump of resin, metal, and crystals could do anything against something as formidable as geoengineering. To add to the disbelief was the fact that I could find no competent explanation online of how it worked. All I could find was mystical new age nonsense, and a whole lot of disinformation. Finally, I saw a video referencing the work of Ken Rohla, an electrical engineer who explained the science of scalar energy, which is the physics term for orgone energy. Once I got the scientific explanation, tried making orgonite, and observed the amazing results, not just in the sky, but in my own life, I realized how important orgonite was for everyone and everything that lives on Earth.

Since first hearing about orgonite in 2013, finally making it in 2014, and distributing thousands of orgonite towerbusters into the environment to the present day, I have learned more and more about how deep the orgone energy rabbit hole goes. The suppression campaign is everywhere, and often where you least expect it. A small piece of disinformation may discourage you from even trying out a piece and feeling the great benefits in your life. So let’s dispel some of these orgonite myths which have hindered mainstream acceptance of orgonite and orgone energy for too long.

If you have a piece of orgonite, you will not see chemtrails over your home. Orgonite is a free energy device that constantly provides orgone energy to clean the atmosphere and neutralize deadly energy. This does not stop parasites from laying down chemtrails. Orgone energy repels toxins away from the Earth through a “scalar wave vortex,” the same orgone energy field found on mountaintops and at the peaks of pyramids. Chemtrails break up in this healthy energy field, and funnel shaped and even rounded lenticular clouds often result because the vortex is spiraling. One cannot expect a completely blue sky when there are two sides of an energetic war going at it up there. One can, however, watch how orgone energy works to clean the pollution and enjoy the liberating feeling that chemtrails are no longer a threat.

Orgonite blocks EMF. Orgonite is a generator of orgone energy, which restructures the chaotic waveform of EMF. It quiets the wave and makes it more coherent so that it passes through the body more gently and with less disruption to the body’s own natural energy field. The EMF is neutralized, but is still there, which is why cell phones and wifi still work, and why EMF meters may or may not show a noticeable change in the presence of orgonite. A metal box can fully block EMF, and it can also be attenuated with a Faraday cage around the offending emitter. The cage doesn’t block 100% of EMF, but rather absorbs it into the metal cage material, reducing exposure significantly. Turning off your cell phones and other wireless devices is the most effective way to remove EMF from your environment.

Wispy, funnel shaped clouds in the sky are not chemtrail material, but rather are air spirits called sylphs, who are attracted to orgonite and have come to eat the pollution. I feel like this myth discredits itself without my having to say anything. People who are deathly afraid of chemtrails (the non-orgonite people), look at funnel shaped clouds with fear. Mystical new agers may see them as angels or spirits. While these shapes can look angelic or terrifying, depending on your favored source of disinformation, they are actually a great sign that a scalar wave vortex is throwing particulate pollution away from the Earth.

You can’t use aluminum in orgonite. Aluminum is pretty standard in tactical orgonite, such as towerbusters and holy hand grenades. It is lightweight and inexpensive, so it’s a great material to use if you plan on gifting a large area. You may use any type of metal in orgonite, including aluminum, iron, brass, copper, steel, and more, as long as the shavings are fine and plentiful. Many people have a stigma against aluminum because you’re not supposed to ingest it, and because it is believed that aluminum is an ingredient in chemtrails. Fortunately, you won’t be eating your orgonite. Georg Ritchl of Orgonise Africa and us here at Team Chembow swear by aluminum TBs, and we’ve both documented great results cleaning up our environments with them. The idea that aluminum may block orgone energy may apply to large pieces of aluminum in orgonite, but one would not want any large pieces of any metal in orgonite, only fine shavings.

The copper coil must be wound clockwise. Copper coils are not even necessary for functioning orgonite. Many people do not use them at all. According to Dowin Gardner, author of The Science of Rain, a copper coil increases the “electro-momentum” of the orgonite. They help to increase negative ions in the atmosphere, which clean the air and encourage the hydrogen bonding of water molecules for healthy clouds. Copper coils may be wound clockwise or counterclockwise with an equal effect.

Orgonite can go bad through absorbing negative energy, and will need to eventually be thrown away or destroyed. Orgonite is a perpetually functioning free energy device, which keeps working as long as it exists. We have revisited places that were gifted over the years, and based on the healthy atmosphere, abundant plant growth, happy people, and birds on cell phone towers, we can see that the orgonite is still working. Birds will only sit on a cell phone tower which has been gifted with a piece of orgonite because its deadly energy has been neutralized. Orgonite doesn’t absorb DOR (deadly radiation such as EMF). It simply transmits OR (orgone) into the atmosphere, restructuring the DOR and rendering it useless in the parasitic weather warfare and mind control agenda.

The government can “pulse” orgonite and render it inert. Orgonite cannot be “turned off.” In an environment that has a piece of orgonite, if additional EMF emitters are introduced, more orgonite may be necessary to continue to enjoy a pure atmosphere. The worst thing “they” can do is add DOR sources, but it is up to us to reject the addictive technology of smart phones if we ever want to see an end to this. For now, any orgonite placed in the environment will continue to function. The government does not have the technology to disable orgonite, nor does that technology exist. Orgone energy is the highest form of defense and the most powerful energy in the universe. We just need to increase it on Earth to create an environment where the parasites can no longer thrive.

They can also find your orgonite gifts and remove them from the environment. I wouldn’t even be able to find the orgonite we’ve gifted anymore. The idea is to hide it well in dense foliage or under the ground. They do know when their DOR sources are neutralized, but all they can do is try harder to DORize in the push and pull of the energetic war between OR and DOR. We’re giving these mindless parasites just a little too much credit to think they can locate and remove the orgonite. We’ve observed that our gifts are still in place, and if we ever feel that one has been removed, we simply replace it. Any orgonite that can be seen will likely be removed, but probably because no one knows what it is.

Orgonite was invented by Karl Welz. We just don’t know for sure. He takes credit for it and trademarked the word “orgonite” in 2003, after Don Croft, Georg Ritschl, and others were already making and gifting orgonite around the world. Welz claims to have been using the word “orgonite” in commerce since 1995. The trademark is in the scientific equipment category, not arts and crafts, and refers to a device whose function is a “psychic energy magnet.” This is not the type of device that we or other orgonite makers are manufacturing. He also harasses orgonite makers worldwide with aggressive and threatening e-mails for using “his” word, and has had numerous orgonite shops online, including Team Chembow’s Etsy store, shut down even in the absence of the trademarked word. The collusion between Welz and corrupt corporations like Etsy to suppress orgonite makers to the point of an unlawful disruption of the artisans’ businesses shows a total lack of understanding of the very life force energy he claims to work with. Welz offers licenses at a cost of $500 per year to be allowed to use the word “orgonite” in online marketplaces.

Orgonite converts negative orgone energy into positive orgone energy. There is no such thing as negative or positive orgone energy. Wilhelm Reich’s term, DOR, or deadly orgone radiation, is unfortunately somewhat confusing. He used it to describe immobilized life force, or stagnating energy. DOR simply means the opposite of OR, or orgone energy, which is always positive and life giving. We use the term DOR to describe any type of deadly radiation, including EMF and nuclear radiation. “POR” or “positive orgone radiation” is not part of Reich’s scientific terminology and appears nowhere in his books.

Orgonite must be grounded or it can transfer deadly energy to you. There is no need to ground orgonite. It works fine on a tabletop, under your pillow, in the ocean, under the ground, or anywhere on Earth. Orgonite never transmits anything other than life force energy.

There are specific dimensions for orgonite, based on sacred geometry. Orgonite’s function is based on the combination of ingredients, not the shape of the device. Pyramids work great, but so do puck shaped towerbusters. As long as the orgonite contains a good amount of fine metal shavings, quartz crystals, and an optional copper coil in a medium of catalyzing resin, it will function properly.

Orgonite can be dangerous if not made correctly. The worst thing orgonite can be is ineffective. It is never dangerous. It’s an extremely simple device with an astoundingly powerful function. Anyone can make it.

After an area has had a lot of orgonite gifted to it, if there is a “whiteout” sky or a lot of chemtrails it means the orgonite isn’t working. A flat, overcast sky is the result of heavy DOR, which causes air pollution to linger and inhibits the formation of coherent and healthy clouds. After orgonite is gifted to a new area, there is often a parasitic backlash against the influx of healthy orgone energy. They will fight back to DORize as hard as they can. If you watch the sky throughout the day, you will see an eventual breakdown of any chemtrails and the process of transmutation will reveal a deepening blue sky and the formation of spiral shaped, and eventually puffy clouds. The sky will then clear. If there are still towers which have not been gifted, the parasites will use them to their full extent to try and undo your work, so just get them later! The “whiteout” is a psy-op to make the gifter feel discouraged, as if his gifts aren’t working. Understand that they will always DORize, and we must continue to make and gift orgonite. It’s a war.

Chembusters, or orgonite cloudbusters, can create cataclysmic weather and should not be used. While Wilhelm Reich’s Cloudbuster could only be operated by a professional and could only be used for short increments of time because of its extreme effects on weather restoration, the orgonite cloudbuster, attributed to Don Croft, also known as the chembuster, is much less powerful. It still does great work to balance the weather over a considerable distance, but in a slower and more natural way that anyone can use regardless of experience with orgone energy tools. The orgonite cloudbuster is just a very large orgonite, which is always beneficial and never harmful.

It’s better to use an environmentally friendly medium, such as plaster or beeswax, rather than polyester resin, when making orgonite. To make powerful orgonite, a catalyzing resin is necessary. You can make devices for your home using other materials, but the effect will be about as strong as what the crystals would produce without being put into a device made with plaster or beeswax. In order to activate the piezoelectric properties of quartz, the crystals must be squeezed upon by the resin as it hardens through the chemical reaction of catalyzation. Orgonite needs to be powerful and durable to last in the environment and take down the dark control grid. This is no time to worry about minutia, like the usage of small amounts of petroleum to bring about sweeping environmental clean-ups. There is no need to demonize materials from the Earth which some corporations use irresponsibly, when we can use them for good.

Orgonite makes some people feel bad and is disagreeable to them. While this may be true, it is not the human being that dislikes the effect. It is the parasite that has attached itself etherically to that human that dislikes it. If you have an intestinal parasite, you will crave the foods it desires, not what’s actually good for you. People who are under heavy mind control and are addicted to DOR (like heavy smart phone users) often cannot handle orgone energy. It is contrary to what they’re used to. They have etheric parasites enjoying a banquet of their negative emotions every day, and these parasites get angry when their food source is diminished, so they may take it out on the human as an etheric attack. It is actually this attack that is disagreeable to the human, but he may misconstrue orgonite as the source of the problem. This is similar to when you detox and feel sick temporarily as the toxins are released from the body. It is not the detox supplement, but the releasing toxins which are creating the unpleasant, and temporary, effect.

In conclusion, I could not imagine a life without orgonite to keep me safe from deadly energies, ensure healthy rainy seasons, keep the air clean, and generally improve my own health and life force energy. It is my sincere hope that having read this article, that you will try out a piece of properly made orgonite, or even make your own. Easy to follow tutorials on orgonite making are available at www.thechembow.com, as well as everything you need to know about how they work and how our environment has experienced a total turnaround since we started gifting orgonite in 2014.

There is no reason to feel helpless or depressed, when the solution to geoengineering and EMF, including the 5G network everyone is so afraid of, is here with us now! Considering the suppression campaign of orgone energy since Wilhelm Reich discovered it, it is no surprise that orgonite is also being suppressed via disinformation campaigns all over the internet. Anyone who has used orgonite and enjoyed its effects would never portray it as potentially dangerous, would avoid making it sound crazy and unscientific, and would never try to stop anyone from experiencing the life changing benefits of something so simple and fun to make at home. With an understanding of the science of orgonite, we can easily debunk the mystical nonsense which has relegated this greatest of technologies to the lunatic fringe and finally make orgonite a household word.

Share the love, gift orgonite

#orgonite #orgone energy #orgone #wilhelm reich #emf #chemtrails #geoengineering #orgonite gifting #free energy #don croft #georg ritschl #dowin gardner #weather #weather war #etheric war #parasites #cloudbuster #chembuster #quartz #life force energy #chi #prana #orgonise africa #team chembow #planetary healing #love

[sonderlivra]

Eruri Valentine’s Weekend 2k18 Collab with the lovely @autiacorart !!!

A late submission, but hopefully worth the wait! :) It was a blast working with such a talented artist! <3

Blackout Café - A Modern Eruri AU

Summary: Levi is a grumpy dork. Erwin is a sappy dork. Basically they’re both dorks. And they meet at a coffeeshop.

Warning: Swearing ahead, oops.

“Fucking shit,” Levi swears, hurrying down the street. A power cut. Who the fuck expects a power cut in this day and age?

He is still grumbling when he bursts into the coffeeshop, looking around a little wildly for the electric socket.

“Fuck,” he swears again. He had forgotten that this was one of the smaller, less pretentious coffeeshops. It was why he liked the place, but right now, he wishes he was somewhere else, anywhere else that has better aids for his dying laptop.

But there is just one table next to a socket and that happens to be occupied, and he doesn't know if he can make it to another coffeeshop in time. Fuming, he stomps over to the counter.

“I need to charge my laptop.”

“Oh we can charge it here for you sir-”

“I need to work.”

The employee pales. “Um, I'm sorry sir, but that table is the only one-”

“Yeah, I noticed,” he snaps. He considers stepping on the other side of the counter where he could work next to the socket. It sounds unappealing and embarrassing and Levi glances back at the table. The man sitting there is casually reading something, the electric socket empty.

Bastard isn't even using it.

Squaring himself, Levi approaches the table, his mouth filling up with several gruff phrases that have worked for him before. When he reaches the table, the blond man, who has his head bent down over an unmarked bound book, looks up -and Levi freezes.

Holy shit. Levi is suddenly at a loss for words. This guy is hot.

His bright blue eyes are wide with curiosity and he smiles a polite smile as he says, “Can I help you?”

“Uh, yeah,” Levi manages to rasp and gestures at the electric socket next to the table. “I need that.”

The man glances at the wall and turns back to Levi, his smile widening. “Oh, by all means. Please, have a seat.”

Levi's brain short circuits again. What he meant was to ask the man to take another table, since there were quite a few empty ones around. But no. Mr. Handsome-Lawyer-Guy had to go and assume Levi wanted to share this table. Which he didn't, whether or not this man looked like an artist's rendition of fucking Apollo.

But his laptop​ beeps another “low battery” warning and Levi decides he doesn't care either way. With a grunt of gratitude, he plugs in his charger and slips into the chair opposite the man, resolutely keeping his eyes trained on the laptop screen.

With a deep breath and a mental command to fucking get a grip of himself, Levi pulls up the chat conversation and pings his client.

Sorry for the delay, Karl. I'm back.

The exchange goes on for longer than expected, with Levi having to upload and send a few of his drafts over the coffeeshop's slow WiFi. When he finally closes the conversation and leans back with a sigh, a low voice startles him by saying, “Busy day?”

Levi opens his eyes and blinks at the blond man: there is no mistaking that it was indeed him that spoke. His astonishingly blue eyes are still widened with interest, his firm mouth still has that polite, easygoing smile that -shit, the man has actual dimples. How the fuck is he even real?

“Uh, yeah.” Levi says, remembering that he was asked a question.

The man throws up a magnificent eyebrow. “Even on a Saturday?”

“Especially on a Saturday. Field day for freelancers.”

“Oh. I see.” He nods so understandingly Levi wonders if his earlier estimation was wrong, whether this man is not a lawyer but a shrink of some sort. Ew.

Again, the man's smile widens unexpectedly. “I'm Erwin,” he says, and offers Levi his hand. Levi takes it almost suspiciously. “Levi,” he mutters.

“An uncommon name,” the man says, eyes gleaming.

“As is yours,” Levi points out.

The man -Erwin -grins at that, showing a flash of neat, white teeth. “True.” He pauses, then continues, “By the way, are you staying? I'm going to go get myself another coffee.”

Levi hesitates. He really has no other plans, except for going back to the drawing board for Karl for the tiresome client. But he can spare a half hour, at the very least. Erwin is intriguing, and he would not mind getting to know him more. And maybe even get his phone number…

No. Levi is shocked at himself. He has never been this interested, this forward, to use Kenny's antiquated term, with anyone. His romantic track record is littered with casual flings and half-hearted attempts, and after Farlan, his record has been conspicuously empty for a long time. Is he really, finally getting out of that slump?

“Levi?” Erwin says softly, and he is brought crashing back to the present.

“Sorry.” He blinks and shakes his head. “I was trying to figure out my schedule. Yeah, I can stay for a bit.”

“Excellent.” The man beams at him and Levi feels another burst of indignance at his attractiveness. “What's your poison?”

Levi snorts. “I can get my own order.”

Erwin shakes his head. “I'm getting up anyway.”

Levi shrugs. “Oolong tea.”

Erwin’s smile falters.

“What?”

“You're ordering tea. At a coffeeshop.”

Levi raises his eyebrow. “So?”

Erwin recovers admirably and shakes his head. “Nothing. I should remember not to make assumptions too fast.”

“Meaning?”

Erwin laughs and Levi can't help but notice he looks a little flustered. “I was trying to guess what sort of coffee you'd drink,” he admits. “Sorry, it was presumptuous of me.”

Levi waves away the apology, interested. “So what do you think I drink?”

“Black.”

Levi snorts. “I drink it black when I do drink coffee so you're not half wrong.”

“Good to know. Well, I'll be back in a minute,” Erwin nods cheerfully and walks over to the counter. Levi quickly takes the opportunity to check out his appearance in the laptop screen, making sure his hair isn't too ruffled or that there isn't anything stuck between his teeth. When he is done with that, he sneaks glances at the counter over the top of his laptop. Erwin is massive: tall and powerfully built, he looks like he spends his free time pressing weights at the gym.

Damn.

Levi quickly switches to his phone and pretends to be browsing it when Erwin returns to the table. He places Levi's drink down with unnecessary grace before taking his earlier seat.

“Thanks,” Levi grunts, to which Erwin responds with another smile. “My pleasure.”

Ugh. Does he ever not smile?

They take a few sips of their drinks in silence, before Erwin thankfully breaks it. “So what sort of freelancing do you do, Levi?”

“I'm an architect.”

“Really?” Erwin looks inordinately interested. “Sounds glamorous.”

Levi can't help it, he lets out a bark of laughter. “Yeah, right. It basically involves drawing lines all day.”

“I'm sure there's more to it,” Erwin insists, leaning forward. “As far as I'm concerned, it's art.”

The statement endears Erwin to him, but he shakes his head. “There are some of us who would take offense at that. The drawing process is very precise and even scientific.”

Erwin waves his hand. “Of course, I understand that. But would calling it an art undermine its value?”

“In my eyes, no.” Levi admits. “But I draw for a hobby and maybe that makes me biased.”

“Did you draw that?” Erwin asks, his eyes gleaming. Levi looks down at his left arm, where most of his tattoo is peeking below the sleeve of his t-shirt. When Levi nods, Erwin hesitates and asks, “May I…?”

Levi can't help but feel a little self-conscious as he tugs up the sleeve. He's been asked this a dozen times before, so the request isn't exactly new. However, this is Erwin he's showing it to. Erwin, the real-life model, the hunk, the first man he has been genuinely interested in for years now. He remembers that this intense, insane pressure is why he hated dating to begin with.

Erwin’s eyes trace the rose curling down his arm, its vines twisting around a plain, sharp sword. It is filled with simple colours, the lines are basic, and the personal sentiment is evident only to him. He wonders what Erwin thinks of it.

“Stunning,” Erwin murmurs, and Levi hurriedly sips some tea to hide the heat in his cheeks.

“Thanks,” he mutters when he feels it is safe to show his face again. “It's my early work, though.”

“It's… absolutely perfect,” Erwin says, his voice still low.

That seems to break the spell, and Levi snorts. “What, really? ‘Perfection’ is a myth.”

“Perfection is subjective,” Erwin corrects him, that curious gleam still in his eyes. “Much like art.”

To that he has nothing to say. Meanwhile Erwin digs in his pockets and pulls out a surprisingly worn leather wallet. He plucks out a card and says, “Maybe this will substantiate my words. I'm an editor at a publishing house.” Levi takes the card, his heart thudding. “Maybe you've heard of us?”

Wings of Freedom Press. Levi has heard of them: an old company, going back decades, but not one of the big names. The title under the neat “Erwin Smith” simply says 'Editor’.

“I've heard of you,” Levi confirms. His chest is feeling more and more hollow with every passing second and the reason makes itself known with Erwin's next words.

“When I say 'perfect’ I mean it's exactly what I've had in mind for our next publication. We've been looking for an illustrator, and, at the risk of repeating myself, your art would be perfect for the book.”

A business proposition was all Erwin had in mind, nothing more. Levi feels like he could kick himself in the ass all the way home, the physical impossibility of it be damned.

“You just saw my tattoo. That's enough for you to make a decision?” He asks, stalling. Though the attraction is clearly one-sided, Levi feels resentful and badly wants to decline the offer. He only hesitates because this offer could be lucrative in the long run.

Just that, of course. No other reason.

“Art styles change over the years but remain, in essence, the same. I -let’s just say I have a good feeling about this.” Erwin says smoothly. “I can only say so much, but I urge you to consider it. I think you'll like what we can offer to you, and we would be thrilled to have you as a part of the team.”

“I already have a client.”

“Of course. If it doesn't take more than two months of your time to finish your contract with your current client, the offer is still open.”

Karl and his problematic specifications would be gone in two weeks at the most. That left him with little to no excuses for refusing Erwin.

“I understand that this is unconventional,” Erwin goes on, seemingly unaware of Levi's growing antipathy. “You can, of course, email me a portfolio of a few select works. We should be able to draw up a formal offer soon enough.”

Levi grits his teeth, still fingering the card. He wants to ask if he would have to work closely with Erwin but can't bring himself to say it. He doesn't know what he wants the answer to be, in any case.

“I'll think about it,” he manages finally. He doesn't want to make a choice now, when his emotions are all in a fucking mess, and regret it later.

Erwin suddenly seems to realise that he is sitting with a stranger in a coffeeshop. “Fair enough.” He swigs down the rest of his coffee and says, a little nervously, “I'm sorry if I came on too strong. I just -am very impressed by your skills and wouldn't want to pass up the opportunity to work with you.”

Stop. Just fucking stop. Levi wants to scream at the man, but he knows it is immature and unfair of him. Erwin wasn't flirting with him in the slightest, he sees that now. On the other hand, Erwin does seem genuinely impressed, and how can Levi blame him if he sees a business opportunity in that?

“Right.” Levi finds his teacup empty, and stands up. “Thanks for the tea.”

“Oh. You're welcome.” Surprised, Erwin stands up, too.

Levi hesitates, then offers him his hand. “Nice talking to you.”

Erwin’s face is almost unrecognisable, a stiff, polite mask. “And you.”

With a small, final nod, Levi gathers up his laptop and charger, and marches away. When he steps into the street, he stops for a moment, trying to remember if he's run out of cigarettes at home.

“Levi!” The coffeeshop's doors swing open behind him and Erwin strides out. “I forgot -is there any way I can contact you?”

Too surprised by Erwin's sudden reappearance, Levi nods. “Uh, yeah. Hang on.” He gropes in his pocket and finds his card case. Plucking one out, he hands it to Erwin, who squints at it as though it holds very important instructions. “And… this is your personal phone?”

Levi raises an eyebrow. “Yeah.”

“Then, would it be alright if I contacted you on this number? Outside of work?”

Levi stares at him for the full moment it takes him to realise what Erwin is implying. “Are you asking me out?” He asks him point-blank.

A now-familiar smile spreads on Erwin's face. “Yes, I am.”

Levi's heart is thudding erratically again, the hollowness from before replaced by so much warmth he feels like he could melt right there on Erwin's dress shoes. (And who the fuck wears dress shoes on a Saturday?)

“Wow,” he comments. “You hire people better than you ask them out.”

Erwin chuckles and Levi notices the slightly pink hue of his cheeks. Is Erwin Smith, the real-life model, the hunk, blushing? Well, damn.

“I'm a little rusty,” Erwin admits. “And a lot more used to hiring people.”

“Clearly.”

“So, is that a yes?”

Levi gives him a contemplative look, taking in the deep blue eyes, and the strong shoulders, and the trim waist. “It's a maybe,” he begins, and does not miss the disappointed flash in his eyes before finishing his sentence, “for the illustration gig. You can definitely buy me another drink.”

Erwin’s face lights up so quickly Levi nearly laughs. The man is like a fucking Labrador. “I'll text you, then.”

“Perfect.” Levi throws him a last smirk before walking away, fighting the urge to skip like a demented child, the expression on Erwin's face bringing an unnaturally sunny smile on his own.

Power cuts, Levi decides, are really fucking underrated.

A/N: My knowledge of architects and their work is very, very basic. Hopefully I haven’t misrepresented you guys!

Thanks again @autiacorart for so beautifully capturing the essence of my story in your art! And thank you all for reading!

#eruriweekend #eruri #snk #snk fanfiction #collaboration #autiacorart #aot #levi ackerman #erwin smith #delivras

[howellstvdies]

pretty long post coming up! thanks to @flcwerstudies  for tagging me! love ya, babe

1. when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? 

i try and make it even, but somehow there always ends up being milk left behind. it annoys me so much

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? 

it depends. some days, i’m elsa (the cold never bother me anyway!); some days all i ever want from life is warmth and cuddles and a cat

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? 

business cards, paper towels, my phone, pens, a necklace once. i nearly lost it, then

4: how do you take your coffee/tea? 

tea: two spoons of sugar and milk, but i don’t take it that much.

coffee: creamer or two spoons of sugar.

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? 

yes, it’s ridiculous

6: do you keep plants? 

not yet!

7: do you name your plants? 

i’m planning on naming them sherlock and finn, and then name some of them after bts

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? 

journaling, writing, drawing (if what i do can be considered drawing), and lots and lots of singing 

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? 

yes, because i like the fact that i can hit power notes (like when i’m singing burn from hamilton)

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? 

stomach and side, but mostly on my tummy.

11: what’s an inner joke you have with your friends? 

so far, there’s “i could be a stripper” and “goshdarn oprah”

12: what’s your favorite planet? 

i like pluto because it’s a smol bean, and saturn because of the rings

13: what’s something that made you smile today? 

i watched america’s funniest videos with my mom

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? 

there would be books EVERYWHERE, and two cats lounging around, and a coffee maker, and blankets EVERYWHERE. also, high speed wifi

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! 

scientists have traced unusually regular radio signals being emitted from an unknown object in the galaxy m82.

ALIENS PEOPLE!

16: what’s your favorite pasta dish? 

i haven’t really had that many pasta dishes, but i’ll eat it any day

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair?

a dark blue, with streaks of tardis blue

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. 

i don’t really have anything right now 

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? 

i do keep a journal. i try to write reflections and things like that, but i’m always just ranting about how stupid and cowardly i am. and there are some to-do lists. 

20: what’s your favorite eye color? 

i’m probably just saying this because i have a crush on someone with this color eyes, but blue-grey eyes make me weak at the knees.

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces.

my favorite bag is my school bag, to be honest, because that’s where all the books are. 

22: are you a morning person? 

nope, i’m a night person, but i also force myself to sleep early.

23: what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? 

sleep, watch netflix, watch dan and phil, read

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? 

there is one person that i’m slowly getting there with, and another person i really want to get there with, but none so far

25: what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into? 

nowhere, yet

26: what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit? 

i wear my white sneakers quite a bit, but i haven’t had them for forever. i also wear my snow boots a lot, but that’s because they’re warm and i am weak.

27: what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor?

i don’t have gum that much, but i like strawberry.

28: sunrise or sunset?  

sunset.

29: what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? 

omigod, there’s so many; i find almost everyone cute. one of my friends does this thing when she’s proud of herself when she looks so smug and adorable. my other friend doesn’t laugh that much, so when i make him laugh, it’s like i’ve just discovered the secrets of life. and when my friend/crush laughs, he goes pink and he scrunches his nose and i die a little bit inside. 

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? 

i get really scared about emotions, but i don’t think i’ve been blood-curdling scared yet. 

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks.

i love socks! i love weird socks and fuzzy socks and any socks. i try to sleep with my socks, but i remove them in the middle of the night and i don’t remember. 

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends.

my cousins and i had just watched markiplier and danandphil play five nights at freddies, and we were spooked, so we started watching spongebob in the middle of the night.

33: what’s your fave pastry?

the first time i ever had a crosant with chocolate inside, i died and went to food heaven.

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? 

i had an eeyore stuffed doll that i called doofy for some reason and i always slept with it. i had to leave it in kenya when we moved, but i’m on the hunt for another stuffed friend. 

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often?

YES YES YES. it annoys my mom sometimes

36: which band’s sound would fit your mood right now? 

all time low’s theraphy would be my mood right now, i think.

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? 

clean, but sometimes, the messiness is apealing.

38: tell us about your pet peeves! 

people asking me if i’m mad when i’m just being quiet. people who are mean to teachers, complaining about them not getting grades in (70 kids, more than 100 assignments to grade, and they have a life, please just stuff it). people who gossip about other people. dramatic people. racists, mysogonists, albiests, general asses. 

39: what color do you wear the most? 

black and blue, mainly black

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you? 

i have a necklace that my aunt gave me a few years ago. i always wore it to feel close to her. 

41: what’s the last book you remember really, really loving?

the rosie project by graeme simsion. i got it at goodwill, and even my dad liked it. my dad very rarely likes the books i pick. 

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! 

none yet, but there is a starbucks in our town that i’ve been to a couple of times. not only was it my first starbucks visit, but i’ve had some very good memories there. 

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? 

i don’t even think i ever gazed at the stars with someone. i want to, though

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? 

when we were moving and the place was quiet, and the tv was off and i’d just woken up. i sat on the couch and read and i was so calm and happy.  

45: do you trust your instincts a lot?

kinda?? i do sometimes, but i do tend to overreact and overthink, so other times i don’t.

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of.

never apollogize for your bad puns about greek gods

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? 

PICKLES. my god, i hate pickles so much.

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? 

i was and still am scared of the dark

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought?

i really like that idea, but i don’t have anything to play them on currently, so i don’t do that.

50: what’s an odd thing you collect? 

i collect clothing tags for bookmarks, but i don’t really collect things.

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? 

my dad. any bon jovi/rock song made in the 80s.

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? 

salt bae and spongebob being a chicken.

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? 

no, not yet. i keep meaning to, but i never get round to it.

54: who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? 

my baby sister a few days ago. we usually leave for school at the same time, and she had to stay home because she was sick. she looked so sad when i was leaving that i could actually feel my heart break.

55: what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point?

i don’t think i’ve ever done anything dramatic.

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? 

when people laugh and it’s a full-on laugh and they very rarely do that, dimples, when people engage my stupid questions (”dragons or dinosaurs?”) and go with it, people who are okay with just sitting in the quiet but they can also stay stupid funny thins, dimples, using hands to explain things, DIMPLES

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? 

really happy. i kept reancting lyrics and playing air guitar when it called for it. that song is fun.

58: who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? 

i don’t really have a group of friends but i think i’d be the vodka aunt and my friend charise would be the wine mom. (sometimes it’s switched)

59: what’s your favorite myth? 

icarus and persephone and hades

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves?

i like it but i very rarely read it. i feel like you have to be really smart to understand poetry, and i’m not smart enough.

61: what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received? 

i gave a few of my friend nail polish, and i don’t think i’ve ever gotten a stupid gift

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? 

orange juice most of the time, grape juice when i have it

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? 

i leave them be most of the time. as long as they’re not getting hurt, i’m good. 

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? 

dark blue almost black

65: is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with? 

i saw my cousin for the first time in MONTHS before we moved, and he’s really tall now, and he lets me cuddle him and he gives me back hugs and i miss him so much (but i’m not telling him that because he’d rub it in my face)

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? 

small roses! peach blossoms and cherry blossoms too. one huge ass hibiscus or lotus flower as a statement piece

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? 

cozy and sheltered, sometimes. really melancholy and silent most of the time

68: what’s winter like where you live? 

not too bad (i’ve only had one so far)

69: what are your favorite board games? 

monopoly and game of life and clue

70: have you ever used a ouija board?

no, but i knida want to??

71: what’s your favorite kind of tea? 

i don’t really have one

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it? 

depends. if its something i care about, no. otherwise, yep

73: what are some of your worst habits? 

running away from my emotions and other people’s emotions, expecting the best out of people when i know i’m gonna get the worst

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns.

not too loud, but very passionate. listens to a lot more rap music even though they look like a punk rock person. doesn’t look people in the eye, but looks me in the eye sometimes and makes me wanna cry. i really like him

75: tell us about your pets! 

i don't have pets!! (thanks mom)

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t? 

sleeping BUT I WILL FINISH THIS IF IT KILLS ME

77: pink or yellow lemonade? 

pink

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? 

fanclub they’re adorable

79: what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? 

making me a grilled cheese for my birthday (was my first grilled cheese)

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? 

white and no. i wanna paint them tardis blue

81: describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. 

the ice floating in the open sea, the color of the sky right after it’s rained

82: are/were you good in school? 

yes! i find it fun so it’s easy for me

83: what’s some of your favorite album art? 

an airplane carried me to bed by sky sailing looks really preety

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? 

i want to get slytherin in fancy font on my ankle and a semicolon on the inside of my wrist

85: do you read comics? what are your faves? 

no, but i want to 

86: do you like concept albums? which ones? 

i don’t know if i’ve heard any

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? 

the fundamentals of caring, dead poet’s society

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? 

i don’t really know any

89: are you close to your parents? 

yeah

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. 

london when i was eight - warm summer days and walking to the park in the afternoon, popsicle slipping down my hand. watching cartoons with my cousins and reading in a blanket fort. merry-go-rounds and playing with sprinklers even if i’m fully dressed. going to the beach, and the day is cold and windy, the sky is grey, and it’s so beautiful my chest hurts

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? 

i wanna go to new york at some point but my parents are grade-a procrastinators and i can’t go without them

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? 

half-and-half, but more towards the barely side.

93: what’s the hairstyle you wear the most? 

braids with a right part.

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? 

my little cousin turned 7 a few days ago

95: what are your plans for this weekend? 

sleep and read and sleep

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? 

procrastination is always my situation

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? 

infp-t, scorpio, slytherin 

98: when’s the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? 

almost a year ago, not my best hiking experience. that was more about the people than the hike

99: list some songs that resonate with your soul whenever you hear them. 

for some reason, mess is mine by vance joy really makes me feel things. also, almost every single bts song i’ve ever heard

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? 

5 years in the past, with the knowledge i have know, so i can fix mistakes my over-dramatic, 10-year-old self made.

this took fifty years i swear. i tag @studiousmochi @studytherin @pinetreestudies @athenus @eintsein @educatier @elkstudies and @studylustre , and whoever wants to do this. xoxo

#( about me. ) #about me #ask #( ask. ) #( mine. ) #( text. ) #( queue. )

[tesswarrenacademy]

You CAN(T) Sit With Us

I’ve seen a few freshmen make the fatal error of popping up where they shouldn’t belong lately, so I wanted to help clear up all the hot spots on campus to see and be seen (but also where not to be seen if you’re freshmen).

Under the bleachers – It’s a high school rite of passage to make out under the bleachers, right? Well, not at Warren. In fact, it’s a big no-no unless you’re in the crowd that skips class often or play those role playing games, with the dice and the dragons and things. If you’re into that sort of thing, the bleachers will be your jam. If not, stay away.

Behind the stage – This is the place to be if and only if you’re name is Emma, Jake, Preston, Tatiana or Alex. Honestly, it’s very off limits. They think it’s a “secret spot” but we all know it exists and I’m sure a few of you have probably been invited in a time or two. Not yours truly, obviously. The rumor is that Tatiana found the key and started taking over the space, as she does. Facility doesn’t say a word though because they all know how much money the Johnson’s donate. And unless you want to spend the rest of your high school career looking over your shoulder, I wouldn’t cross Tatiana.

The pool – If you’re a part of the swim team you obviously spend time by the pool. But what you might not know is that you, the everyday Warren Academy student, can actually watch practice after school. Boring, right? Um, not at all. First off, you can catch a tan and watch some hotties swim laps. It’s a win/win. Plus, we have a legit swim team so if you want to see any future gold medalists, this is the place to be.

Room 117 – Did you know Warren has a haunted classroom?? Well, it does! It used to be an English Literature classroom but classes haven’t taken place in there since 2002. Weird, right? The story goes that a writing class was doing a project on myths and urban legends and how they are passed down through writing. A student found an old book in the library that had old timey spells and such dating back to the Salem Witch Trials. For fun, they tried a few because why not, right? When class was over they left for the day and that was that. Except, it wasn’t. Weird things started happening in that room, lights turning on and off, computers and phones working in the hallway but mysteriously not working once they got into the room. Crazy, right? Faculty will say it’s just a bad spot for the wifi signal, but Principal Lee stopped holding classes in there. So if you’re looking for some peace and quiet or maybe a séance, pop into room 117. The second window from the right has a broken lock so it’s easy to sneak in. But enter at your own risk.

#freshman #seating #protips #listenup #highschool #survival #WarrenAcademy

[eleanorsroadtrip]

August 11

I had one of those wakeful nights.  I think it’s the travel.  Trying to orient to the new area.  This is a pretty nice RV park.  Sites are spacious, but like many of the places where we’ve been, WiFi is very spotty.  We have zero in the RV.  It’s amazing how dependent you become on access, sadly.  I did this very elaborate and expensive thing to guarantee us secure, unlimited internet access through a device called a MiFi jetpack.  We found out soon enough that “unlimited data” is a myth.  After 20 Gigabytes, the whole thing slows to an unusable crawl, or simply won’t connect period.  

I got up to use the bathroom about 2:30, and then lay awake for what seemed like hours listening to the steady breathing of Peter and the dog as they both slept like babies!  What goes through your mind at those times is weird.  Suddenly I recalled my little anecdote about the map of Massachusetts as an envelope and North Adams being the stamp, and I fixated on how that is just not right.  North Adams would be the return address!  (Not making this up!) Did my friend get that wrong, or do I remember it wrong?  It’s the middle of the night….. shut this off!

Anyway, make note;…….  North Adams is the return address.  Now you can all sleep through the night!

[wemustbearwitness-blog]

Day 1 and 2: Krakow, Poland on Yom Kippur

Well friends, I have yet again found myself traveling to Europe to learn about the Holocaust. Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Foundation have given be the incredible opportunity to come to Poland for a 3 day conference at Auschwitz-Birkenau entitled, Auschwitz-- History, Memory and Responsibility. In order to get the most out of my trip, I opted to stay a few days in Krakow on my own to see the city.

I left for Krakow on Thursday night at 9:45pm to travel to Zurich where I had a short layover before flying to Krakow. Unfortunately, I am suffering from a cold so the trip was somewhat difficult. I had a lot of pain in my ear because of the altitude and sinus pressure so when I was in the Zurich airport I had to find a pharmacy and buy a decongestant. Luckily, I was successful and had it for the flight to Krakow. Regardless, I landed in Krakow with little ability to hear out of my right ear. Additionally, the cell phone service that I had organized the day before wasn’t working. Seeing as my plan was to UBER to my Air BnB, I was in a bit of a situation. Once I was able to find my bag, I exchanged about $100 UDS for Polish Zlote. That my friends, was my first mistake. What I didn’t know then but I know now is that 3 Zlote is equal to about 1USD and most things in Poland are extremely inexpensive. Generally, the cost of living is much less here than it is in the states, so I ended up with way too much cash. For example, my bus ticket to Auschwitz (an hour and a half trip) is going to cost 10 zlote which is about $3. My pastry from a bakery was $0.83. My hot chocolate with a shot of honey vodka was the equivalent of $4. Another fun fact I learned is that alcohol in Krakow is super inexpensive so people come here often for Bachelor and Bachelorette parties. Anyway, back to the trip. So I was able to log into the wifi at Krakow airport and call an UBER and eventually flag that UBER down (which took awhile) once my wifi disconnected as I exited the airport. I eventually arrive at my AirBnB which is this super nice flat on Monte Cassino street right next to the River Wisla (pronounced Visla) and caddy-corner from the Zamek Królewski na Wawelu (the Castle of Krakow). 

The question you may or may not yet have asked yourself is what did you do about your cell service? Well, what does any capable young woman do when she’s in a pickle? ...She calls her mommy. Dr. Robin came to the rescue via FaceTime to navigate at&t and solve the problem. As it turns out, the fellow who was supposed to set up my international calling plan never actually set it up. Although he did have no problem reminding how unsafe it was as a young woman to be traveling alone in Europe. I mean, common, haven’t I seen the movie Taken?! After arriving at my AirBnB I met my fabulous host Nina who is a photography student here in Krakow. She is Polish and speaks fantastic English. I didn’t have much time to settle in because I RSVPd to a before the fast dinner at the Krakow JCC.  

The Krakow JCC is right in the heart of the Old Jewish Quarter in Krakow. The area is called Kazimierz. Interestingly, Kazimierz used to be its own town separate from Krakow divided from Krakow via the Vistula River but it was filled in at some point and now Kazimierz is just considered a neighborhood. So the Old Jewish Quarter infrastructure in Krakow largely wasn’t destroyed by the war or by communist rule, despite the horrible destruction of the life that was once inside the neighborhood. All of the Synagogues, of which there are at least seven, are all still standing. In many, the arcs and bemahs were pillaged by the Nazis, but the artwork on the walls (old, faded Jewish scripture) and the building structure are still in tact. On some of the doorposts, I am told, you can still see the outline of where the Mezuzot once hung (I looked for this marking on some buildings and did not see it). Interestingly today, the Old Jewish Quarter is known for its hip restaurants and cafes aside from its rich history. The  Krakow JCC welcomed me in for a pre fast meal and Yom Kippur Services. When I arrived at the JCC, I saw a part of what is a vibrant Jewish community in Krakow. There’s two myths I am here to bust. 1) Poland is anti-Semetic, 2) Poland is unsafe for Jews. Both, from both my experience and the testimony of Jews living in the Old Jewish Quarter who daven there regularly, are untrue. I will elaborate more on this later. Dinner was a delicious meal of stuffed red peppers, chicken, hummus, salads, fruit, vegetables, and more. The room was filled with families, children, young adults, college students, elderly and Holocaust survivors. There were Americans, Poles, Israelis and more. It was difficult to find a place to sit. The Krakow JCC was started 8 years ago and was initially funded by Prince Charles of Wales and its mission is to bring Jewish life back to Krakow. They have since been quite successful. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Polish people were free to practice religion once again. Not all of Soviet Rule was anti-Judaism but there were periods when freedom of religion was tolerated, and times when it was not. As a result, many survivors after the war never told their families that they were Jewish and it was not until they died or after that some Polish people realized they had Jewish heritage. As a result, you have a lot of parents here who grew up with no Jewish identity who want their children to explore Judaism once realizing their true connection. The Krakow JCC provides all kinds of community engagement including a Jewish preschool, a senior club, student club, JCC choir, a gym, yoga classes, Israeli dance classes, and more. Just tomorrow, they will build their sukkah with the community from scratch (it’s BYOT-- bring your own tools). The senior club is especially cool I think. The JCC will pick up 15-20 seniors everyday who wish to come and spend the day at the JCC. They will then provide them with kosher meals and a space to spend time together throughout the day. They even have access to their own kitchen should they wish to cook themselves. Many of these seniors include Holocaust survivors who still live in Krakow. The JCC is connected to two active Synagogues in Krakow. One is the Krakow Progressive Synagogue (a Reform-like shul) and another is the Isaak Synagogue which is Orthodox and connected to Chabad. I prayed in the Isaak Synagogue on Friday night and throughout Saturday. The Isaak Synagogue was built in 1644 and founded by a man named Izaak Jakubowicz. 

The tale they say about the synagogue goes as follows: "The founder of the synagogue is the hero of a well-known legend deriving from the Tales of 1001 Nights. Ayzik Jakubowicz, a pious but poor Jew, dreamed that there was treasure hidden under the old bridge in Prague. Without delay, he made his way there. On arrival, it turned out the bridge was guarded by a squad of soldiers and that digging was out of the question. Ayzik told the officer about his dream, promising him half of the booty. The officer retorted, "Only fools like Polish Jews can possibly believe in dreams. For several nights now I have been dreaming that in the Jewish town of Kazimierz there is hidden treasure in the oven of the home of the poor Jew Ayzik Jakubowicz. Do you think I am so stupid as to go all the way to Cracow and look for the house of this Isaac the son of Jacob?". Ayzik returned home immediately, took the oven apart, found the treasure and became rich. After this it was said: 'There are some things which you can look for the world over, only to find them in your own home. Before you realise this, however, you very often have to go on along journey and search far and wide.'" 

Who knows if the tale is true, but it’s a nice story that the tour guides of the Old Jewish Quarter love to tell. The interior walls are embellished with painted prayers, visible after conservation removed covering layers of paint. The vaulted ceiling is embellished with baroque plasterwork wreaths and garlands. The ceiling is so high that long wires hang down to make the lights low enough to be effective. The building is cold, as if there is no heat. I and others wore my coat the entire time. The synagogue is run in a very traditional Orthodox fashion. The mehitzah was so high that you could not see the bemah at all or anything beyond the women’s section. The Chabad Rabbi davened so quickly and in such a mumbled fashion that it was extremely difficult to follow along. It was as traditionally Ashkenazi as a synagogue could be. While a deeply educational experience, it was not an extremely spiritual one. The melody of the cantor though was so beautiful and loud that his voice echoed through the walls of the synagogue. You could hear the prayer from the outside and throughout the Jewish Quarter. It was a surreal experience to daven, once again, in a synagogue pillaged by the Nazis; a synagogue who’s torah scrolls were burned by the Nazis. A synagogue that served as many other venues before it was once again restored to the Jewish community in 1989. Poland, the most vibrantly Jewish country before the Holocaust, is now re-rooting in Kazimierz. It’s a beautiful thing. 

After almost falling asleep in Friday night services because I was so tired, I walked home and went to sleep. The next morning, I arrived at services around 10pm for Yom Kippur Davening at the Issak Synagogue. During Yiskor, I walked over to the Progressive Synagogue with Jonathan Ornstein (the head of the JCC in Krakow), his wife Kasha, and Jenny (the current fellow at the JCC in Krakow). As a side note, Jenny is from Newton, MA (just a 15 minute ride from BU) and went to Shechter Day School in MA. Her father is a Harvard Professor and she just graduated from Yale. She is currently spending a year in Krakow volunteering with the JCC while they pay for her housing and a stipend for working here. The Progressive Synagogue is a somewhat work in progress. It is housed at the Tempel Synagogue dating back to 1862. The Progressive Service is so progressive it exceeded a typical reform service. There were about four people attending for Yom Kippur. It seems that a lot of the Jewish community in Krakow is still looking for a suitable prayer option. There’s currently two extremes-- the Chabad synagogue where you need an advanced rabbinic degree to understand or the Progressive synagogue where most of the service is in English. Keep in mind that the Rabbi at the Progressive synagogue was a visiting rabbinic leader so it is possible that the services change depending on who is leading. I believe that the Progressive synagogue is currently looking to hire a full time Rabbi. 

After davening, Jenny and I walked around Krakow a bit seeing the famous town square and the Zamek Królewski na Wawelu. We didn't enter the Castle because it was Yom Kippur and didn’t want to buy a ticket but we did walk around the grounds and entered the Wawel Cathedral (I understand the irony). The cathedral was completed in the 11th century and is the Polish national sanctuary. It traditionally has served as coronation site of the Polish monarchs as well as the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Kraków. The current, Gothic cathedral (the one I saw) is the third on this site: the first was constructed and destroyed in the 11th century; the second one, constructed in the 12th century, was destroyed by a fire in 1305. The construction of the current one began in the 14th century on the orders of bishop Nanker. The Castle itself is pretty cool because each time the city of Krakow was conquered a new wing has been added. The oldest wing dates back to Medieval times. There is one, of course, that was built by the Nazis. Jonathan’s wife, Kasha, even lived in that wing at one point because she had an old boyfriend who’s grandfather worked there and so he inherited the apartment. To learn more about the history of the Castle, read the short history section of the Wikipedia page.  

After our walk, we both went back to take a nap before davening again before break fast. Jenny invited me to break fast with her, Jonathan, Kasha, and others at this amazing pizza place called Pizza Garden. It’s a brick oven pizzeria started by a New Yorker in Poland. It’s some of the best Pizza I’ve had. Jonathan helped put them on the map when he realized how fantastic they were and earned himself his own pizza which was on the menu for some time entitled: the Jonathan. They were packed to the brim but luckily we got a table. After Jonathan kindly paid for all of us at break fast, Jenny and I parted ways with the group and went for some hot chocolate. It’s currently 45 degrees outside in Krakow. We were recommended this fantastic little cafe and bar in Kazimierz with fantastic hot chocolate of all different kinds. I got hot chocolate with honey vodka in it. The hot chocolate here is thick like melted chocolate bars in a cup. It was delicious and the atmosphere at the place was very cozy. There was almost all Polish people in it. I noticed that Kazimierz has fewer tourists than the city center although you can catch tours around the Old Jewish Quarter during the day time. 

Tomorrow I am doing a 2 hour free walking tour around the city before heading over to Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Site around 4pm.  

[viralhottopics]

The charisma droids: today’s robots and the artists who foresaw them

RoboThespian and the worlds first automaton newsreader are the stars of the Science Museums Robots show. But did Da Vinci and Michelangelo beat them to it?

An android toddler lies on a pallet, its doll-like face staring at the ceiling. On a shelf rests a much more grisly creation that mixes imitation human bones and muscles, with wires instead of arteries and microchips in place of organs. It has no lower body, and a single Cyclopean eye. This store room is an eerie place, then it gets more creepy, as I glimpse behind the anatomical robot a hulking thing staring at me with glowing red eyes. Its plastic skin has been burned off to reveal a metal skeleton with pistons and plates of merciless strength. It is the Terminator, sent back in time by the machines who will rule the future to ensure humanitys doom.

Backstage at the Science Museum, London, where these real experiments and a full-scale model from the Terminator films are gathered to be installed in the exhibition Robots, it occurs to me that our fascination with mechanical replacements for ourselves is so intense that science struggles to match it. We think of robots as artificial humans that can not only walk and talk but possess digital personalities, even a moral code. In short we accord them agency. Today, the real age of robots is coming, and yet even as these machines promise to transform work or make it obsolete, few possess anything like the charisma of the androids of our dreams and nightmares.

Thats why, although the robotic toddler sleeping in the store room is an impressive piece of tech, my heart leaps in another way at the sight of the Terminator. For this is a bad robot, a scary robot, a robot of remorseless malevolence. It has character, in other words. Its programmed persona (which in later films becomes much more helpful and supportive) is just one of those frightening, funny or touching personalities that science fiction has imagined for robots.

Remorseless malevolence Terminator Salvation (2009). Photograph: Allstar/Warner Bros

When Douglas Adams unleashed Marvin the Paranoid Android in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy on Radio 4 in 1978, the idea of a robot with a human-like personality was already enough of a cliche for Adams to have fun subverting it. Instead of being either loyal servant or sinister would-be overlord, Marvin shares our unenviable human capacity for self-pity and despair. Brain the size of a planet and you want me to clean this spaceship.

Would we really want to replicate melancholy in a machine? Perhaps we would, if robots are ever to genuinely relate to human beings. Just before Marvin came along, the original Star Wars in 1977 had imagined two kinds of robot a mobile computer, R2-D2, and his much more humanoid interpreter C-3PO whose attitude shares some of Marvins wounded passive aggression. More recently, Matt Groenings sc-fi cartoon Futurama featured Bender, a robot who smokes and drinks, is a liar, an egomaniac and a thief. In the latest Star Wars episode Rogue One, K-2SO is a converted Imperial droid who is constantly behaving insensitively and apparently selfishly in short an electronic jerk.

Can the real life well, real simulated life robots in the Science Museums new exhibition live up to these characters? The most impressively interactive robot in the show will be RoboThespian, who acts as compere for its final gallery displaying the latest advances in robotics. He stands at human height, with a white plastic face and metal arms and legs, and can answer questions about the value of pi and the nature of free will. Im a very clever robot, RoboThespian claims, plausibly, if a little obnoxiously.

Im very clever RoboThespian humanoid robot. Photograph: Reuters/Thomas

Except not quite as clever as all that. A human operator at a computer screen connected with Robothespian by wifi is looking through its video camera eyes and speaking with its digital voice. The result is huge fun the droid moves in very lifelike ways as it speaks, and its interactions dont need a live operator as they can be preprogrammed. But a freethinking, free-acting robot with a mind and personality of its own, Robothespian is not.

Are todays robots any closer to true agency than the Mechanical Turk, a chess-playing automaton that amazed 18th- and early 19th-century Europe? This lifelike early robot beat all-comers at chess, apparently by the power of a clockwork brain. It was a hoax. In reality a chess grandmaster was hidden inside the machine controlling its every move. Robothespian is no hoax. It is a state-of-the-art robot, with complex movements and interactive responses but it can not think for itself. Robotics is a long way from creating anything with as much personhood as Marvin the Paranoid Android.

A 16th-century automaton monk from Spain, who beat his chest as he prayed. The clockwork mechanism was hidden beneath his habit. Photograph: Science Museum

That is not for want of trying. Robots reveals that human beings have been obsessed with automating ourselves for at least 500 years. Early automata in this exhibition include a Spanish 16th-century painted wooden statue of a monk that can move by clockwork. This attempt to give a statue the illusion of living movement fits well with other art of the age when it was created. Religious art from the 16th and 17th centuries includes gorily realistic sculptures of the dead Christ covered with blood and faces of the Virgin apparently shedding wet tears: to animate such statues was just another way to awe and move the Catholic pious.

Our fascination with synthetic humans goes back to the human urge to recreate life itself to reproduce the mystery of our origins. Artists have aspired to simulate human life since ancient times. The ancient Greek myth of Pygmalion, who made a statue so beautiful he fell in love with it and prayed for it to come to life, is a mythic version of Greek artists such as Pheidias and Praxiteles whose statues, with their superb imitation of muscles and movement, seem vividly alive. The sculptures of centaurs carved for the Parthenon in Athens still possess that uncanny lifelike power.

Most of the finest Greek statues were bronze, and mythology tells of metal robots that sound very much like statues come to life, including the bronze giant Talos, who was to become one of cinemas greatest robotic monsters thanks to the special effects genius of Ray Harryhausen in Jason and the Argonauts.

The smile of Mona Lisa reflects Da Vincis research on the mechanics of the muscles called lips. Photograph: BBC/Illuminations

Renaissance art took the quest to simulate life to new heights, with awed admirers of Michelangelos David claiming it even seemed to breathe (as it really does almost appear to when soft daylight casts mobile shadow on superbly sculpted ribs). So it is oddly inevitable that one of the first recorded inventors of robots was Leonardo da Vinci, consummate artist and pioneering engineer. Leonardo apparently made, or at least designed, a robot knight to amuse the court of Milan. It worked with pulleys and was capable of simple movements. Documents of this invention are frustratingly sparse, but there is a reliable eyewitness account of another of Leonardos automata. In 1515 he delighted Francois I, king of France, with a robot lion that walked forward towards the monarch, then released a bunch of lilies, the royal flower, from a panel that opened in its back.

Leonardo da Vincis robots were more than gimmicks. They reflect the way he thought about nature. In his anatomical drawings, many of which record his own careful dissections of corpses, he sees the human body as a complex and marvellous machine. On the same sheet as his famous drawing of a foetus in the womb, for instance, he shows the wall of the womb connected by protruberances like the teeth of gear wheels. This vision of tiny cogs working in the human body reveals how he saw us not as angelic wonders the religious orthodoxy of his time but as contraptions, our ligaments pulleys, our eyes cameras. His greatest simulcra still exists. She is called the Mona Lisa.

Da Vinci applied the same science that inspired his automata to his most famous portrait. The smile of Mona Lisa reflects his research on the mechanics of the muscles called lips. Her lifelike eyes embody his understanding of optics. Contemporaries responded to the Mona Lisa as a hypnotic imitation of life: Giorgio Vasari writing in 1550 goes into ecstasies over her illusory life.

One of the most uncanny androids in the Science Museum show is from Japan, a freakily lifelike female robot called Kodomoroid, the worlds first robot newscaster. With her modest downcast gaze and fine artificial complexion, she has the same fetishised femininity you might see in a Manga comic and appears to reflect a specific social construction of gender. Whether you read that as vulnerability or subservience, presumably the idea is to make us feel we are encountering a robot with real personhood. Here is a robot that combines engineering and art just as Da Vinci dreamed it has the mechanical genius of his knight and the synthetic humanity of his perfect portrait.

Art and science come together in the dream of the robot. To replicate humanity is a feat of artistic illusion as much as an engineering challenge. In the 21st century, robots with mask-like faces, plastic anatomies and friendly handshakes can, and do, draw on the ways artists have tried to reproduce the look and feel of human life for centuries. Yet the dream of the robot that shares human emotions is still, for now, a fantasy.

Robots is at the Science Museum, London SW7, from 8 February until 3 September.

Read more: http://ift.tt/2kDZaaP

from The charisma droids: today’s robots and the artists who foresaw them

#The charisma droids: today’s robots and the artists who foresaw them