#I don’t use a standard drawing application

[pokeask-star-sending]

Star Sending Event Info

Welcome to the Pokeask community’s first Star Sending Event. Basically, this is a Holiday Exchange (AKA, Secret Santa) with a little twist: It’s in-character! Write up a wishlist for your characters and in exchange receive another blog’s character’s wishlist - one which you either draw or write your character completing their gift as best they can.

This is not a full fledged event with a location your characters must attend, interact with others, etc. You only need to do three things: Write your character's wishlist, fill the sign-up form, and do your piece for who you get!

Continue reading for info on how to participate!

Important Links

Intro P.1 | Intro P.2 | Info Tag | Wishlist Template | Contact Info SIGNUP FORM TO PARTICIPATE

Continue reading for rules and other necessary info!

BASIC INFO

These are limited to Pokemon OC blogs or ask blogs!

One entry per PERSON.

The form to apply is found above, just make sure you read the full document first.

Do not expect to send or receive more than one gift (But you can choose to provide more than one should you be inspired)!

As part of your entry, you can submit multiple Wishlists for your characters, with one list each. This gives your Sender multiple options to choose from. More lists does not guarantee more gifts to receive. 

Senders may do as much or as little as they like with their submission, as long as it meets the minimum requirements for the post.

Feel free to reply to your Sender’s submission as well, and use it to kickstart an interaction!

You MUST keep your Recipient a secret.

Do not share with anybody that is also participating in the event. 

This event focuses around character interactions.

Politely, I ask you don’t join with the sole intent of getting free art or writing pieces. While I ask for effort in submissions, the main goal is to spark little interactions between the characters from different blogs!

TIMELINE

Assume all dates are done under the Eastern Standard Time Zone. We do not have exact times because our team is doing this within our availability and have life priorities outside of the event.

Our application period starts from now, and runs until the 3rd of November. 

Wishlists will be distributed on the 4th or the 5th, depending on availability and any extra organisation needed. 

You may start working on your submission as soon as you receive your Wishlist!

We will be checking in on submission progress on two separate WIP dates; the 25th of November and the 15th of December. This will be to make sure you’re on track with your submission.

 A verbal update is sufficient for the first Checkup, but we expect something more substantial by the second Checkup. 

If no update is received a backup entrant will be assigned to your Recipient. We will have one final Checkup on the 10th of January for unsubmitted posts.

As part of the above, PLEASE keep a line of communication open with us! We will be understanding if you find you cannot complete your gift and there is no judgement towards you should that occur. We want the event to be as fun as possible!

WISHLIST INFO

Wishlist Template | Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 | Example 4

Wishlist Due Date: November 3rd

Five Wishlist items per character, max.

As part of submitting your Wishlist, you MUST make sure to include some kind of visual reference for the characters that you are submitting lists for.

Wishlists may be posted publicly, and posting them is even encouraged! Tag them under #pokestarsending2023. 

Wishlists are allowed to be farfetched, abstract, or even impossible to complete in-canon if it is in-character for your OCs to request such a thing.

If you’re unsure what this qualifies as, check the list examples or confirm with a mod!

In the case something your character would ask for is something you as the blog owner does not want to be completed for plot or story reasons, please leave a note written OOC stating so!

Lists can be written in-character, out-of-character, by a different character on the blog, or just a simple bullet pointed list.

As everything is completed in-character, do not expect the Sender to complete any wishes in a proper manner if it doesn’t seem fit for them! 

SUBMISSION INFO

The period for posting for submissions will start on the 24th of December and ends on the 31st of January.

We ask that you send your submission to be checked over with us to make sure it meets all requirements. Once approved, you may post!

If you require more character info about your Recipient, you may ask us to ask for you while keeping you anonymous!

Remember: It is your character that is completing what is requested on the Wishlist. 

Your character does not need to be able to fully complete a gift item from your Recipient’s list, if it isn’t realistic for them (i.e. their Wishlist asks for Technology and your character is a Wild Pokemon, which may be unrealistic or abstract). HOWEVER, there should still be effort put forth by your character in providing the gift.

Try to keep the tone positive and heartwarming, unless you receive permission from the character owners for your submission to take on a different tone.

Post by @-ing your Recipient, and include the tag #pokestarsending2023! We will be reblogging all submissions.

If you are unavailable to post your piece during the submission period, please let us know! We can post it for you on our blog.

Writing minimum: 600 of words minimum.

600 words is the minimum we ask of a writing submission to make sure enough is put into describing the gift and/or gift giving process. If you find yourself struggling to meet the minimum, please reach out to us with your WIP so we can can help review it with you.

In the case you plan to write the Recipient as part of your submission, we will inform you if the person receiving would prefer you not to write their character in your submission. 

Instead, try focusing on other details: How would your character prepare the gift? What process do they take in doing so? To what lengths do they go? Also, make sure you describe the gift itself and how it’s delivered to its Recipient.

Art Minimum: Either a coloured full-body, or a half-body with a background (at least three props).

Must include the character of the Wishlist. Including your own character is encouraged.

Comic Minimum: Clean sketch, 3 panels.

Must include character of the Wishlist. Including your own character is encouraged.

The minimum requirements may change if we feel they need to be adjusted. We will announce any changes, and by the submissions drawing period, we will have finalised them.

Final Notes.

Questions and constructive feedback are always welcome and never stupid! We are happy to clarify anything. Be it through the messaging system, or ask. You can also contact us on discord for any further communication; please see the contact page on the Star Sending blog for more info!

If you are stumped in any way of participating, you are free to ask for help or feedback from the team!

To make sure you have read everything, I have included a little passcode requirement in the form. What was your first pokemon game? (Non-mainline games are valid)

Make sure to reference examples and templates to aid in your submission!

Thank you for your consideration in participating! I am just one person with some friends, hoping to run something nice for this community, and I sincerely hope I can do my best for you. Every effort to make this as great as can be is hugely and humbly cherished.

#info #pokestarsending #pokestarsending2023

[stagkingswife]

hi! do you have any tips on getting to know local fae and any anecdotes? also any warnings if you have them. ty!

Getting to know you tips:

Most of the folklore I draw from in my work with the Folk  is specifically Irish, and it seems like the Celtic types of Folk are the ones you see most commonly spoken about online (I believe they were spread via human immigration - i.e. the American Gods theory). Many cultures have folklore of spirits that people often lump into “ the fae,” but I think this over is a mistake.  A Russian Domovoi and an English Brownie might seem like the same thing because they’re both house spirits, but they operate on very different rule sets and have different roles within their cultures.  So I find it important to get to know the Folk around you on their own terms.  Are they native to the area, or are they essentially immigrants?  My own work is so Irish flavored because I believe the Folk I work with came here from Ireland.  

We’ve talked about human culture, now let’s talk about Otherworldly culture.  A lot of working with the Folk for me has been like learning a new culture.  You’ve probably seen a lot of “Rules for Working With the Fae” around, and while those are great general guidelines they aren’t always necessarily applicable in their entirety to every group of the Folk or every individual spirit.  Every time I encounter a new group of the Folk it’s like moving to a new city, there’s a unique culture to learn and internalize.  Each Court, Clan, Troop, Mob, etc is going to be unique, and solitary types even more so. At first I recommend listening more than you speak, ere on the side of too formal rather than too casual, and try to get just one or two close allies who will help you learn and practice, and hopefully kindly point out your mistakes before you make them with someone less forgiving. 

Some words of caution: 

Don’t be afraid of the Fair Folk if you want to have a successful relationship with them. There’s a lot of fear mongering that happens about this particular type of spirit, and yes there are particular dangers to seeking them out, but that can be said of any type of spirit in my opinion.  And in this particular case fear will not serve you well. Be cautious, yes, but not timid or afraid.  The Fair Folk I’ve been close to reward clever cautiousness and only mock fear.  

You’ll notice that I called them the “Fair Folk” try not to use the f-word you used, and never the f-word that rhymes with airy.  Now this is informed by my particular experiences and specific cultural beliefs that calling them those terms is…. Let’s say less than flattering to them.  It's also a cultural belief that these words attract their attention when one may not necessarily want it, so there are all sorts of traditional epithets and euphemisms.  But not all of those terms apply to all of the Folk, for instance the courtly types might like the classic “Lords and Ladies” term, but the Clan I have ties to hates being called this term and would take it as being mocked if someone used it with them, they prefer simpler options like “The Gentle Folk” or “The Folk Under the Hill.”  So the warning/tip here is to figure out what the Folk you’re getting to know prefer to be called and stick to that. (Of course this only applies if you’re operating within a paradigm that has similar cultural taboos, but these cultural taboos aren’t uncommon, so it’s worth checking if you don’t already know)

Story time:

I think I've mentioned before that two Folk from the Clan that I'm allied with now were the first spirit encounter that I can remember from my childhood. Their reaction was very much "You can see us!?!?" They clearly weren't used to being noticed by humans. They starting bring others to see me see them. Eventually they brought the leader of their Clan, who became my trusted ally who helped me learn the culture and practice the rules. He was ancient, even by the standard of the Folk (so old he looked look) but he had a soft spot for children, so he was more forgiving and patient of my learning curve than anyone else in the Clan likely would have been. I was working with him at the same time I was studying with mentor, so I would learn spirit work and Otherworldly travel techniques with her, and then practice them on/with him. He treated me like a beloved pet with an amazing repertoire of tricks, and the rest of the Clan treated me like a team mascot. I've grown in skill and power, and for the most part the members of the Clan treat me as an equal now, but there are still a few old timers who still act like I'm their mascot. But I don't begrudge them, change is hard for them.

#spirit work #ask stag stuff #the fair folk #fae

[solarpunkpresentspodcast]

Fantasy, feminism, and philosophy

Recently, I picked up two novels published in the late 1980s by CJ Cherryh. I’ve been avoiding reading books since I finished my dissertation, as the act of opening a physical book seems a little too reminiscent of work, no matter the content - I’ve been enjoying audiobooks, but find it more difficult to listen to fiction than non-fiction, and so my consumption of published material has been skewed one way for several years.

I decided to break that cycle by returning to one of my pre-teen loves, which I read voraciously: high fantasy, the kind of novels with swords and sorcery right there on the cover, in all their pulpy ‘80s glory. I am a fast reader and can finish a ~250-page novel in an evening, given few interruptions, so long as I am hooked. I was looking for that hook.

I found it! And one other book by the same author, which I thought was high fantasy, but turns out to have a science-fiction, world-hopping backdrop. But I also am now armed with a lot more knowledge of feminist theory and the rise of women’s and feminist fiction* (well, science fiction) during the ‘70s and ‘80s, and so I found myself reading with an eye to the representation of women and a constant feminist narrative analysis going in the back of my brain (don’t be sorry; it was rad as hell). It takes a lot more for me to be satisfied with a narrative these days, and it’s not necessarily any sort of literary snobbery on my part, although I do consider myself to have higher standards now. I will read the pulpiest genre fic that I can find, but I will only truly recommend it if I find something redeeming in it - and not just plot and characters. I’m looking for a specific kind of feminist philosophy in the narrative.

Seems like a lot to ask from genre fiction, right? But to me (and to scholars in the entire discipline of English literature going back centuries), stories aren’t just stories: they’re vehicles embodying cultural attitudes and messages about the way the world works. Even a hastily-written piece of flash fiction will still contain the author’s biases and worldview in it, from the characters, the plot, and down to the words they choose to use (or avoid). Science fiction are stories (often) told in the future, but they are actually about present issues; fantasy are likewise stories (often) told in the past, but they reflect the author’s (and audience’s) view of and struggles within the present.**

And so I couldn’t help thinking, as I was reading, about my thesis’s second chapter, which was all about gender and post-apocalyptic science fiction during feminism’s second wave, because I think there’s a fair amount of those conclusions which are cross-applicable to fantasy from the same period.*** Not to put too fine a point on it, but post-apocalyptic sf is itself a fantastical narrative, and though it’s not “fantasy” as we think of the genre, it certainly draws from some of the same imaginative sources.

Some background

I’m gonna try to keep this brief, not least because others have written on it better and more comprehensively. In 17th century Europe, the Western scientific enterprise as we know it today was coalescing, and unfortunately for all subsequent practitioners of science, the values of 17th century European cismales were hard-coded into the philosophy underpinning the scientific worldview. Hence fun things like scientific racism, eugenics, devaluing animals and nature, and sexism, which keeps cropping up throughout the subsequent centuries, and is also what I’m going to focus on now.

You know what else was happening in 17th century Europe? Witch hunts. I’ll spare you a history lesson about it but in short, that’s the background cultural context of what was going on at the time. The milieu of misogyny, you might say. Carolyn Merchant, who wrote a pretty foundational ecofeminist text tracing this history, points to the writings of Francis Bacon as instrumental in advocating for “the control of nature for human benefit” in which he “used the language of nature as female to articulate an experimental philosophy that would extract nature's secrets.” (ENVIRONMENTALISM: FROM THE CONTROL OF NATURE TO PARTNERSHIP, 4).

Merchant argues that scientific discourse about nature codified the gender of nature as a female to be exploited, inviting abusive interrogation much in the same way as a torture victim on trial for witchcraft; her link between women’s persecution and the ramping-up of the exploitation of nature is echoed by socialist ecofeminists such as philosopher Val Plumwood in articulating the fundamentally misogynist underpinnings of a rationalist economics system that glorifies a separation of (masculine) intellectual reason from denigrated (feminine) bodily situatedness. Thus developed a scientific ethic that saw no problem with manipulation and use of the earth to satisfy scientific curiosity and capitalist gain within a patriarchal system of society.

Still with me? The female-nature connection in western culture is actually a lot older than 17th century, but before the industrial revolution there was emphasis on the mystery and power of nature and the life-giving capacity of women, which inspired respect or, at least, fond feelings for a “Mother Nature”. This crops up a lot in a lot of fantasy narratives, by the way, since most of them are set in a pre-industrialized past and also in some post-apocalyptic sf that assumes a catastrophe of some sort will set humanity back a millennia or two and with it will come this older worldview. Merchant argues that this older attitude served as a “cultural constraint” on the actions of human beings, since “[o]ne does not readily slay a mother, dig into her entrails for gold or mutilate her body” (Death 3). The advent of the industrial era and of scientific inquiry was made possible not just by advances in technology but in a philosophical shift in attitude to view feminine nature as inviting—and deserving—of violation by scientific and technological enterprises - which were, of course, male-coded.

Feminist critiques of (old) feminist fantasies

These two different attitudes - let’s call them the science fiction (post-17th century) and fantasy (pre-17th century) attitudes - aren’t as different as they might seem at first glance. Both adhere to an essentialist logic that is hierarchical, valuing “masculine civilization/culture” as inherently superior to “feminine nature.” I’m just going to mostly quote my thesis in the next two paragraphs here:

Essentialism understands “the feminine” as a repository of unchanging truths, determining substances, and ground of being, quite literally: it holds the historical European cultural conflation of women and nature as truth, and radical feminist political thought (and many feminist utopian fantasies) of the 1970s leaned into this binary, but flipped the moral hierarchy. Publications such as Mary Daly’s Gyn/Ecology: The Metaethics of Radical Feminism (1978) and Starhawk’s The Spiral Dance (1979), for example, embraced the identification of non-human nature and the feminine, celebrating the power of chthonic forces, the moon, fertility, and historical goddess worship. Radical, goddess, and other essentialist feminisms drew on deep ecology, following the same binary logic as Francis Bacon did, but reversing the moral weighting, holding the “male” forces of civilization, culture, and science as bad, or at least incredibly sus, given their collaboration with/outright endorsement of the systematic oppression/torture of women and the earth, if not the very reason for women’s suffering. Ciswomen’s bodies, traditionally the reason for their exclusion from cismale-only spiritual and intellectual spheres, were instead celebrated by some feminists as the ground of human life and part of the mystery of creation itself. ***

Feminist community based on an essentialist notion of cisfemale experience was and is a fantasy that, in addition to being violently exclusionary to trans and genderqueer persons and invested in creating and maintaining a distance between ciswomen and all others, at base replicates the same power structures that fuel patriarchal ideology, only with the values reversed. There is still a hierarchy in place, a flipped version of the fantasy attitude: there is the same conflation of women with nature and its consequent essentialist logic. Female empowerment is crucial to the realization of women’s full humanity, but its celebration at the expense of others leads directly to an ideology of exclusion, perpetuating the structures of oppression that make it necessary for female empowerment in the first place.

For example, some questions that bubble up when I encounter certain stories ask things like, Is this lady knight actually a strong female character, or a vehicle for a male power fantasy with a ciswoman subbed in and nothing else changed? Is this story about a witch/sorceress/magick-user main character really compelling, or is it subject to tropes from both the science fiction and fantasy attitudes, so she is either an evil conniving force to be subjugated (or romanced, depending on flavour) or a mystical feminine cipher in touch with the natural world…. or both? Both happens a lot.

In my thesis, I have a whole paragraph following those paragraphs on essentialism to disclaim that I’m not dissing the enormous contributions of many writers to fantasy whose works completely upended the hierarchical gender binary, boldly challenged gender roles, and stomped all around a genre that up until the ‘70s was almost exclusively made up of male writers. I’m convinced that we’re politically and socioculturally in those authors’ debt! I’m just skeptical of the fantasy genre because of the abovementioned history of the fantasy attitude. In my view, it takes an author who has an attitude (fantasy OR science fiction) that is consciously disloyal to its own roots in essentialist, sexist nonsense to write a narrative that isn’t fundamentally regressive.

Moar, tho…

It’s nice to fantasize about a world where the people whose gender that we identify with are pedestalized, taken care of, comforted, respected, given the benefit of the doubt, empowered, etc. Especially in this day and age when the demands of neoliberalism and late-stage capitalism pile up into an exhausting, overwhelming, threatening force against which it feels impossible to stand alone. Escaping into a world where powerful women are actually respected and can make tangible change in the world (through politics, or magic, or swinging a big sword around) is pretty great.

But it’s not wrong to demand more of our narratives. It’s not wrong to be critical of something that you love (I often joke that it’s the things that I love most that get the most harsh criticism). It’s not wrong to ask that the stories that I read articulate a non-binary, non-hierarchical society that people of all genders can move freely in, instead of being expected to act a certain way (and punished if they don’t perfectly conform).***** Flipping the gender hierarchy just isn’t enough anymore and isn’t even all that feminist, in the end.

In any case, I can highly recommend the work of CJ Cherryh; I think even thirty-five-odd years on, it still holds up because of the way she writes her characters, regardless of gender or age, as human beings and not essentialist tropes. I’m not surprised she won the Hugo, multiple times. She seems to have an underlying philosophy that values humans for who they are, not who they are supposed to be dependent on their predetermined roles in society.

What are some fantasy novels you would recommend? I’m not a huge short-story reader, and I’m a fan of wordplay and have spent the last eight years or so thinking about novels written by and for people living in the 1950s-80s. I need some good contemporary stuff! Or perhaps there are classics I am missing out on? Let me know in the comments!

PS: I’m indebted to the works of Donna Haraway, Celia Åsberg, Myra Hird, Helen Merrick, Élisabeth Vonarburg, Joanna Russ, Carolyn Merchant, Lisa Hogeland, and way too many others to list for influencing the direction of my ruminations here. Any issues are a result of my taking research on historical Canadian SF and bending it to apply to fantasy. ___

*They aren’t the same. It’s akin to assuming all Jewish people are Zionists. One is an identity category, the other a political one.

**Caveat: I’m not saying authors of sff sit down and are like “ah yes what issue griefing me right now am i going to put into this book” - it’s usually a subconscious thing. Sometimes authors do that! But it’s rare.

***Again, they aren’t the same: I’m not a scholar of fantasy, merely an observant fan who has a bit of a scholarly background in another genre literature.

**** This attitude is alive and well today in the politics of trans-exclusive radical feminists (TERFs), a subgroup of radical feminists whose reification of biological essentialism leads them to deny trans peoples’ identities. Fuck TERFs. Their philosophical worldview is warped.

******It’s also not wrong to love something even though it’s Problematic (tm), or just want to turn your brain off with a fluffy read. So long as you’re self-aware.

#feminism #philosophy #writing #worldview #gender #hierarchy

[barisanhantu]

The Underlying Principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis

I happen to be doing some reading up and research on assessment, evaluation and psychometrics and came across an entry on ABA, which really helps me understand the fundamental issues of ABA, not just as a mode of prescribing therapy and interventions but also as a methodology. I think the problem of ABA needs to be tackled specifically where autism is concerned, because ABA extends beyond just its applications for autistic people.

(skip to the end for a bullet-point summary)

ABA as a Methodology

As the SAGE Encyclopedia puts it:

A hallmark of the ABA design is its focus on the behaviour of the individual. Behaviour analysts consider single-case designs and continuous measurement superior to large-scale group designs in resolving the nuances of moment-to-moment behaviour-environment interactions that are often the target of such interventions.

Can you see the problem already, where autism (and possibly other neurodivergent conditions) are concerned?

Criticisms of Applying ABA

Now ABA might have some value in identifying behaviours and appropriate interventions. I am not literate enough in the field of behaviourism to comment per se, but I am admittedly skeptical.

But let’s focus on the issues with ABA as an approach to dealing autism.

1. The Focus on Behaviours

From the outset, I take issue with focusing on behaviours, especially when this usually done through the lens of allistic/neurotypical standards of what is acceptable.

So the first problem is this: do the behaviours we try to address through ABA need correcting in the first place?

2. Single-case and continuous measurement

Secondly, the focus on single-cases and continuous measurements compounds the problem of the first issue. Why?

Because with behaviour as the focus of measurement, investigation and interventions, we do not pay enough attention to underlying causes. With any kind of measurement and assessment, an investigation of underlying causes is extremely important to ensure that the interventions are actually resolving the issues.

This limits the conclusions we can draw from ABA, which I think are often overextended and overapplied.  What I mean by this is that ABA interventions could be useful but in the very specific situation where the behaviour itself really requires immediate and early interventions. My take on this is that immediate suggests that the behaviour is so harmful that ABA interventions are absolutely necessary and early suggests that the ABA interventions will prove to be effective in the long run. 

I think ABA interventions in the context of autism fail spectacularly on both fronts. I would say that interventions that need to be so immediately focused on behaviour should target behaviour that are seriously harmful to the individual or those around them but I do not think this is often the case for autistic individuals to whom ABA interventions are applied.

This is because ABA interventions are often used in the context of “correcting” autistic behaviours as a way to ensure autistic people can perform socially acceptable beahviours, and we should note that due to the ABA methodology, we ignore both long term outcomes and underlying causes. 

3. Ignoring large-scale group designs

The third issue with the application of ABA interventions to autism is the inherent heterogeneity and variability of autistic traits. 

One of my biggest complaints about neurodiversity research and interventions is that the variety of behaviours for neurodivergent people may have different underlying causes and, as such there is little cause to believe the same intervention will work for all of us.

With autism, this problem runs especially deep, because I think many people, even autistic people, underestimate how different we all can be. I personally do not believe that it is really possible to define a single set of interventions that will work for all autistic people and, in this sense, it may useful to think about different profiles or needs of autistic people that I don’t think can be defined on a linear scale of ability/disability.

CONCLUSIONS

What I hope to have pointed out here is that ABA as a methodology for inquiry is not inherently flawed BUT the conclusions we should draw from ABA and the design of interventions is far more limited than the industry would like you to believe, simply because it is profitable to sell the idea of a data-driven, scientific, panacea. It is also easier and “more efficient” for institutions to adopt such interventions.

But what do we miss based on the methodology of ABA?

We do not investigate what it actually means for autistic people to live independent, happy, meaningful lives, whatever that might mean for different autistic people, because changing behaviours (that may very well not be a problem for us!!!) is prioritising. Who are we satisfying here?

In sum, ABA as a methodology:

ignores the possibility that the behaviours do not need correcting

extends its interventions far beyond behaviours that might actually be harmful (and may not define harm meaningfully)

ignores the long-term outcomes and underlying causes surrounding autistic behaviour

ignores the heterogeneity, variability and diversity of what it means to be autistic

Therefore, ABA interventions have quite certainly caused more harm to autistic people than provided support. We shouldn’t use the veneer of data or science to justify harmful interventions or ignore anecdotal evidence that these interventions are indeed harmful or ineffective.

#autism #neurodiversity

[katyspersonal]

Tbh I am trying very hard to avoid double standards with how I perceive media, especially if it is about relationship. Like for example... Everyone remembers Alphyne? The ship from Undertale that was soooooo cute... right?

However, imagine if Alphys was a man. In that scenario, I don’t think the ship would fly just as good because... Let’s admit it, Alphys is a very weird person. Clingy, nerdy, desperate. If Aphys was a man, people would say he’d be a creep for thinking about Undyne constantly, naming variables after her, drawing her at the margins of his notes, writing fanfic about him and her in domestic situations... People would switch from endearing to "look at this incel being gross about women".

And like, yeah some gender things are applicable, but... until when? Until when we are going to milk this ‘b-but MEN have PRIVILEGE that women DON’T so women being creepy/weird/dangerous is cute lesbian antics whereas men doing this is perpetuation o-of the cycle!!!’ cow? What IS the better time to start being more egalitarian than right now?

Using this particular example, there are three potential ways:

1) Both, if Alphys was male and if she stays as female character, situations are fucked and should not be presented as the cute ship Toby made it be (kinda cringe, no nuance to life but okay?)

2) Both, if Alphys was male and if she stays as female character, situations are okay and kinda adorable (also kinda meh but less so, keep in mind that Undyne ends up admiring Alphys’ passion + they both end up being happy)

3) Regardless of gender, recognise that this dynamic is strange (if not dangerously close to problematic) - whether they are lesbians, whether Alphys was male, whether they were both gay men, whether Undyne was a male and Alphys was female. But yet it is allowed to exist! Some people are fucking cringe to say it the nicest way. And yet some people find their passion endearing. And most importantly - in the media, anything is allowed to exist if this serves the core message of the media! The best way in my opinion.

Basically, I can’t stretch this enough. The best way to ‘check’ your gay ship is to speculate as if to, if it was hetero. If something changes drastically - there are things to consider in my opinion. I feel like we cannot milk ‘male privilege’ cow FOREVER and at some point, equally weird/scary/manipulative behaviour should be perceived through the same lense regardless of the groups involved.

#fandoms #alphyne #fandomry rambles #disco horse #you can probably say by now that i am a raging egalitarian #i am doing my darnest to make sure i perceive a thing all the same regardless of the goups involved #but gender gets me especially hard! #since as a woman i know how much shit we are excused for which gets men absolutely destroyed #and like no? destroy both or none! #and the 'b-but- but PRIVILEGE!!!' card can only be played for so long. #until when? is the question #why delay equality for another day? #violent throwback to ariadella discourse #adella is the same crazy + blood purist as alfred and should stay away from arianna! #unless you make a point that weird ass ship works #but then so does alfred x annalise or alfred x crow #ship being two women doesn't mean it is free from any and all moral issues! #have you ever met a woman????? heeeelooooo????? we are HUMAN BEINGS not perfect angels free of all sin!!!! #fuck you for reducing us to 'by default perfect and pure relationship' #take it from me kids: avoid double standards #saying this as 25 years old person (aka old person that wasted their best part of life HEEEEEELP ;-;) #dfdsfsdf

[dailycharacteroption]

Disciple of Wholeness (Monk Archetype)

 The way of the monk revolves around the perfection of body and mind, and for many, that includes wholeness of body and mind, which is why many monks are able to use ki to heal their injuries, and prove superhumanly resilient to disease, poison, and effects that would twist the body and mind.

Of course, while asceticism is about self-perfection first and foremost, there will always be those whose altruism cannot be suppressed, and who wish to share, however briefly, their personal perfection with others.

Thus, these disciples of wholeness seek to show the benefits of their monastic ways by healing others and temporarily imparting their immunities to others, at the cost of their own immunities being easily compromised.

Of course, this isn’t the only healing-focused monk archetype out there. Unlike the Monks of the Healing Hand, however, they do not focus on self-sacrifice to heal others, and can still learn to heal themselves.

This archetype is usable both with the standard and the unchained monk without any modification, so it could be a tempting choice if you want to play a monk that can also heal.

 With a touch, these monks can heal others, and if they learn to heal themselves, they can expend more ki to heal others at the same rate as their personal healing.

They also possess a more tenuous version of the immunity to disease and poison, one that relies on them having no physical or internal injuries. However, though it is hard to keep up, they can also briefly grant it to others with a touch as well for a whole day, though they cannot give immunity against a disease that is already present.

Another application of ki allows them to dispel and remove magic afflicting a creature, healing and protecting their spirit.

A good example of a melee class that blends in healing support and providing immunities, this archetype can be fun to play, though the fact that they lose their own immunities when damaged can be annoying, especially depending on your GM’s ruling about whether said immunities fade before or after an attack that would poison you would resolve. You’ll definitely want to take the Extra Ki feat at least once, so you have a nice deep pool of energy to draw from.

 I probably don’t have to explain to folks that there is some unfortunate potential to use the whole “wholeness of body equals purity of body” thing in a distinctly ableist way, So be mindful of that when choosing to include the monk class, and especially this archetype in your games. However, at the same time, these are characters that choose to share the benefits of their conditioning with others through a transfer of ki, making them healers and protectors as well.

  When plague came to the imperial city, the Monastary of the True Body came to offer their aid, providing healing, as well as warding fellow healers against the disease itself. As such, they earned a place of honor in the empire, and many mortals go there for treatment just as often as they do the temples of goodly gods.

 The Yellow Healer is a recluse who is hard to reach, but worth it for those in need of his healing arts. He keeps his yaddithian features hidden, marking him as a being from beyond the stars, but he does not turn away those who truly need his aid, regardless of their reaction.

 Feeling the best way to bring good to the world it to support mortals that already do the same, the silvanshee Brightfoot lives among the Monks of the Life Path, watching them perfect their healing arts, and ignoring the stiffest of their doctrines, all while disguised as a stray cat living at the temple. The head monk knows her secret, but says nothing, happy to have the agathion’s support.

#pathfinder #archetype #monk #unchained monk #disciple of wholeness #yaddithian #silvanshee #Healer's Handbook

[minnarr]

hey there! i hope that you’re doing well:D

this is. a weird thing to ask, and potentially time consuming, so by all rights feel free to ignore.

so, i found you through ao3 (your solo works are just— absolutely perfect, now i have the urge to rewatch the movie for the umpteenth time😂), and it says in your bio that you studied a history and literature degree.

so i’m in high school, and i… will have to apply to universities in a couple months, but i don’t actually know what i’d like to study. i know that i want to be a teacher (different from an office job, i know), and being a history teacher sounds like something that i’d be happy with/hopefully fairly good at. but— well, only one person in my family has ever completed a degree, and it was a business degree lol. i don’t know anyone who studies history and can’t attend open days (i live in the southern hemisphere, planning to study in the northern).

so— if it’s not too much trouble, this is me asking what it’s like? (i’m only familiar with high school history, and my country’s education standards are definitely behind places like the uk, so i don’t even know if that counts for much - we do a lot of worksheets and write some essays, with minimal reading/notes.)

i know that english lit isn’t something i’d be interested in - do i love writing? with all my heart. do i enjoy literary analysis? …not really - but history is something that i’ve been wondering about, and what i think i’ll apply for when i have to.

i really just want to know more about it. for example, there’s something called… historiography, i think, that’s come up in my research? people who studied history seem to detest it, but is it a) as horrible as all that and b) a huge part of the curriculum? what sort of tasks did you do for the history part of your degree: was it, assignments, essay writing, etc? is there a lot of reading? what sort of things can you do with a history degree (if teaching doesn’t work out, i don’t know if there’s a demand for history teachers as there is for maths, for example) — and would you recommend it?

is it a difficult degree, or one of the easier ones, or somewhere in between? and— oof, i know this is an awfully specific thing to ask, but what would a typical task or assessment have looked like? no specifics, ofc, this is the internet, but like… for example, an assessment we did last year was “write a source-based essay on what extent the new deal was successful” — could i have some kind of description like that, if you remember?

again— no pressure to answer! this is a very long and kind of all-over-the-place ask, and i don’t want to take this much time from someone i don’t know— i’m just curious, and in a bit of a panic as the application dates draw closer lol. but again, no pressure (and also — thank you for sharing your fics with us! your qi’ra voice is amazingly on point, and you write everyone from solo in a way that makes me think you went into the gffa and met them all)

i can only answer with my own experience: i went to a smallish university in the US, with a very small history program that isn't exactly the college's focus but had some excellent professors.

i had no idea people seem to detest historiography—anon, i think it's so neat. that's where history really came alive for me. historiography is just studying how history is/has been written. sources, methods, lenses, ways the consensus has changed. one of the capstone courses in my program was a theory class where we had to write a historiography paper over the course of the semester, and i got so much out of that. this isn't quite a historiography, but if you want to get fired up about the process of history, may i recommend silencing the past by michel-rolph trouillot? it's part about how history is made (and places in the process where voices get left out), part history, with a dash of biography, shortish and extremely readable.

i really can't answer to whether it's a huge part of the curriculum where you'll end up—curriculums vary where I'm from, and my particular school didn't place much emphasis on theoretical grounding—but imo it's important to understand not only what happened but how we came to our current understanding, how we can continue to try to understand the past.

once i got to upper level courses (again: US; the last two years of our four year degree, roughly, focus on our actual major), the emphasis was entirely on reading and writing essays. i had one teacher who gave exams, and lectures of course, but essays formed the bulk of my big grades. there is sooooo much reading. so much. i never quite learned to read at that volume, and more ended up learning the art of the productive skim. i wrote an apparently good paper on the communist manifesto and hard times having read maybe 30% of hard times. probably don't be me.

i have no idea about the job prospects for history majors; i never intended to do history as a profession, only as a thing worth learning along the way of just getting Any Bachelor's Degree. i work in accounting now and am perfectly happy with that.

re, difficulty and assessment, again i suspect that this is going to vary in the US and be next to useless if you're looking at, say, the UK. but i can describe my experience! i would not call my program difficult, largely because it played to my strengths (I'm a good essay writer) and gave me a ton of flexibility—few required courses, and my degree required non-history electives so my lit minor basically fit into that space. (i don't know if there's a point to doing a minor, but i was already deeply in the lit major social space).

the typical class structure in my upper levels was that we'd have assigned readings and lectures or in-class discussions, then about three papers scattered through the course of the semester. most of these were based on the assigned reading, just to assess how we used and analyzed what we were given. the only variation on this was my capstone classes, both of which were built around writing a research paper by the end of the semester, and the two classes that made us do an interview and write an "oral history." (scare quotes because i really don't know much about the methods of actual oral history).

so one professor would say, "using documents xyz and book a [all assigned readings], discuss Topic. i want to see you discuss authorship of the documents and these facets of the topic." with another prof, in the communist manifesto/hard times paper mentioned above, we were asked to discuss how these sources approached the "social question" in 19th century Europe, and given some suggestions to help us think about it.

also worth noting: i don't know how it is elsewhere, but my understanding is that with my undergraduate degree, i am definitely not ready to actually be a professional historian. if i wanted to, it would be a base to build on with graduate work, where you learn to actually *do* history.

i don't know if any of this is helpful to you, but best of luck, and i hope you land somewhere you're content with! and also, i am glad you enjoyed the fics.

[sublimeobservationarcade]

What Stops Us From Playing Our Best Golf?

Why do we falter at golf? What stops us from playing our best golf? Why do we fail to execute shots we know we can hit? Now, I am not talking about those miracle shot attempts but the stock standard stuff like pitching, chipping, and straight forward short putts. Why do we fluctuate so much in our abilities to play steady golf? This unreliability is what makes the game of golf so infuriating and maddening to us amateurs and hackers. Is it too much to expect that we can strike a small, dimpled sphere reasonably straight toward a pretty generous target? The evidence, in my own experience of late, suggests it may well be.

Why Do We Fail To Execute Shots We Know We Can Hit?

Over the last couple of years I have made a conscious effort to remove some of the negative variables from my life to improve my readiness to play better golf. I used to be a big drinker of alcohol and imbibed generously in the evenings. I found that this interfered with my sense of clarity in the mornings out on the golf course. Being hung over and generally worse for wear was not conducive for the fine motor skills required for delicate things like chipping and putting. So I gave up drinking eventually for a number of reasons – one of which was golf. This has improved my experience of playing golf and has constructively contributed to lowering my handicap. I used to love drinking and how it made me feel at the time. I did not enjoy how it made me feel in the mornings. Now, I wake up without that dry, furry mouth and that blurry state of consciousness lasting hours. The balance tipped toward sobriety and my golf definitely benefits.

Golfer on the bridleway by David Anstiss is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0 What Causes Crap Shots & Bad Golf? I immediately noticed that I had more energy out on the course and in my life more generally sans alcohol. Of course, we adjust to things after awhile and the new clarity becomes par for the course. Next, I turned to my mental state and how I prepared for competitive golf. Thinking about a hundred and one things during a round of golf is not helpful in my experience. Real life is forever banging on the door of my awareness, however. Thoughts and worries about work matters can often impinge upon our concentration levels out on the course. I needed to quarantine these concerns and separate them from the moments when I was playing shots and plotting a strategy around the links. Similarly, relationship troubles are difficult to manage when they threaten your status quo. I have seen fine golfers reduced to angry hackers thrashing their way through the rough when burdened by marriage difficulties. These things need to be sorted out obviously and peace needs to be restored on the home front. You cannot consistently play good golf if you bring your troubles to the course. So, what stops us from playing our best golf? Golf demands precision and this can only be achieved via a clear slate ‘tabula rasa’. Everything must come together in perfect synchronicity to produce a great golf shot. All those moving parts must reach a conjunction at the moment of impact to result in a solidly struck iron or fairway club. How in the world will that happen if you are all over the place, both mentally and physically? Actually, it is a minor miracle that many weekend warriors ever achieve that moment of orgasm with clubface and ball. Is it any wonder that we sometimes stand back dumb faced in awe at a well struck drive down the fairway. This is why the golf professionals all recommend practice. Practicing our short game in particular will produce more enjoyment of the game and lower our scores. Most golfers don’t have time for practice, according to market research. So, as part of my renewed application to golf I greatly increased the amount of time I spent on the range and at the chipping and putting practice areas.

Golfer vintage drawing by The British Library is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0 In addition, I had a series of lessons with PGA instructors in a bid to get my golf swing on plane. I have had around 25 individual lessons over the last couple of years and joined a high performance group for a weekly lesson over a few of months too. All of this has greatly increased my enjoyment of the game and raised my golf swing awareness by some margin. Yes, there are still days out on the links when I am  all at sea but not so often as I once were. What you put into the game in terms of an investment of time and money pays off in spades with golfing IQ and Intel. You begin to feel like you know what you are doing out there more often. Having someone show you what to do and practicing those skills via drills enhances your ability to pull those shots off on-course when it matters. If you do not know what the fundamentals are to begin with, you are blind to them going forward. Every golfer needs a trained eye to look over their swing and golfing technique to see if they are on the right track. We all need this evaluation on a regular basis to ensure we have not got into some bad habits over time too. You cannot see yourself swing the club so you require another pair of eyes – eyes attached to someone who knows about the golf swing. Salient Points to Consider - If you stuff up simple shots you have a problem. - If you cannot trust your swing something must be done. - Ask yourself if your lifestyle supports your golf? - Are you focused and mentally clear during your round? - If not what can you do about it? - Have you invested in your golf swing and golf IQ? - Do you have trained eyes on your game?

Photo by tyler hendy on Pexels.com As golfers we are all unique individuals with varying levels of commitment to the game. If you are a once-a-week player with no time to practice that is your status within the game. Depending upon your natural talent and previous experience you will play at your level for better or worse. There is no crime in that but go easy on bemoaning your mishits and fluffed shots because your limited investment offers little room for improvement. Mental clarity on the day will help you get the best out of yourself, however. A healthy body and a healthy mind will make those four plus hours on the golf course less challenging. Walking the course, if you can, is better for your golf and for your physical wellbeing. Golf is all about the lie of the land and the natural rhythms inherent within the golf swing. Robert Sudha Hamilton Getting in tune with this is achieved more easily by walking the course. It is the difference between walking around the streets where you live and someone driving past in a car – the whole experience is far more gratifying for the walker. Monkeys weren’t made to fly by in a rapidly moving vehicle.

Photo by Jopwell on Pexels.com What stops us from playing our best golf? We only make cursory visits to planet golf. Modern men and women have so many thoughts whizzing around inside their heads they only engage superficially with their golf game. They are present but not totally. It is like stepping back in time the whole playing golf experience. Homo sapiens hitting a stone-like sphere with a stick. To make a good swing we know that we have to slow everything down. The internet wont help you here. This mode of behaviour is almost anathema to our sped up digital lives in the 21C. Playing good golf is like going back in a time machine to a more sedate era. A pre-computer time where a stick and a small hard ball was enough for a man or woman on a mission. Our expectation that we will turn the clock back for four to five hours and execute perfect shots for the duration is completely unrealistic. Many don’t practice because they find it boring without the structure of the game to entertain their hopes and fears. How often in the rest of your life do you golf objects? How often in your real life do you adjudge distances to roll small balls on smooth surfaces? How many times a day do you strike something with a club? We do not do stuff like this outside of golf. It is an ancient pastime and our fine motor skills are lacking in this regard due to the infrequency of performance and practice. This is why we cannot manage to consistently execute these seemingly simple shots. We may have a good day on the links every now and then. Then the following time we venture out we have a shocker for some unknown reason. It is the nature of the beast. Harvey Pennick used to write that an old fashioned weed cutter was good practice for the golf swing. Of course, in our time whipper snippers are motorised and not much use for emulating the golf swing. We live in an era of mechanised, computerised labour saving devices at every turn. Swinging a golf club is an ancient practice and we know what modern folk think about practicing anything – sounds too much like hard work.

The North British Railway golfers and anglers guide (guidebook) by North British Railway is licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 Our own reality stops us from playing our best golf. The fact that we spend the greater part of our lives seated on our behinds. The fact that we move from air conditioned comfort at home to an office or shop similarly comforted by every mod con available including our luxurious cars. Life is easy, our lives are soft. Golf is not! That hard little ball has no sympathy for your whining and moaning about misdirected shots. The grass, dirt, and trees, the wind and rain, the water in the pond – none of these things cares about your feelings. Golf is governed by physics, all those hard angles and planes. Golf gives not a fig for your indulgent and pampered lifestyle. Golf is a hard game. This is why it is often played by lean and mean individuals without an ounce of fat on their frames. The archetypal golfer from years gone by was an acerbic Scot, as reedy as his one iron and with no time for overfed, stuffed Englishmen. Motorised golf carts and Americans have changed the face of the game but deep down its very soul remains the same. Its birth was on a windswept coast where hardy sheep and goats mowed the heather. Cold and wet conditions, with sand and fescue beneath the feet of the intrepid golfer called forth great skill to be displayed. There was no fanfare, however, in these bleak and blustery climes. Golf was from the very beginning an internalised contest, where the battle raged inside each competitor to strike the required shot. Golf is a lot about judgement. The golfer must adjudge the right amount of force with which to strike the golf ball. It has been played with stones, hair and feathers wrapped in animal skin, gutta percha, and seen the evolution of today’s high tech golf ball. Clubs have morphed from sticks into iron, steel, and staffs made of fine strands of wound graphite. The grey shades of black and white tug at the sleeves of the brightly clad modern golfer. The history of the game lives on in the fact that we still all have to wield those clubs ourselves. There is no push button, touch screen easy alternative. Golf at its heart is judgement day. Every time we are faced with making that shot – it is judgement day. The old men with long beards may be missing (apart from John Daly) but the ancient flavour of the pastime remains.

Golfers vintage drawing by The British Library is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0 What stops us from playing our best golf? The vast majority of golfers today are fair weather friends to the game. We pick and choose our contests and challenges. We spend large amounts of money on high tech clubs in the hope that our golf will be magically transformed via technology. Shiny surfaces and golf balls enclosed in little boxes made of glittering cardboard - these are the hallmarks of golf equipment marketing. The swanky golf professional has been with us since Walter Hagen in the first half of the 20th century. These men were the sponsored sporting heroes of the small ball game. Names like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Tiger Woods would walk tall through the pages of golfing history. Equipment manufacturers would saddle their wagons to these thoroughbreds of the game. Golfers of all abilities would become walking billboards for the makers of mass produced clubs and balls. Weekend warriors and hackers gladly wear caps sporting the names of makers like Titleist, Callaway, Ping, and Taylor Made, to name a few. We pay these companies for the privilege in the hope that the badge will make us look like we belong out there. The golf course, however, often has other ideas. We think that we do our best but I am not so sure. Dressing the part, on its own, will not make us better golfers. We may own the best sticks and use the best ball, but are we a house of cards just waiting to fall apart? We may don the white belt and white golf shoes. We might even watch a few YouTube videos of our favourite golfers on tour. We tune in to the goings on at PGA tour events. We hover on the periphery of the game. Do you smell the stale sweat inside your old golf glove when you pull it on? Do you feel the grooves on your wedges prior to heading out into the green cathedral? Do you count the number of clubs in your bag? What is the wind doing today in terms of direction and speed? How are the greens? Do you limber up with some practice swings? Some golfers use weighted clubs or just grab a couple of irons. The smell of that old glove sends a message to my brain that it is time to compete. As Walter always says, “are you ready to do battle?” Even the weekend warrior needs to find the right mindset before heading out into his or her round. Go get’ em Chief! Remember to be here now, when you swing! Be here now in this very moment! Be present. Take dead aim! Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of The Golf Book: Green Cathedral Dreams. ©GolfDom Read the full article

#Golf #Golfer #Golfers #Instruction #PGATour

[tokiro07]

To clarify on something I said yesterday while complaining about DBS:SH

I said the new forms were bland, but that probably didn’t seem too different from me also calling them ugly, so to elaborate I did not mean they were bland visually (though they definitely are)

I meant they were bland narratively

Not only were they achieved through boring methods, they also don’t have any unique characteristics to differentiate them from any other super form

Neither Orange, Beast, or Frieza’s Black form in the manga seem to do anything other than a generic boost in ki production/output and physical ability

The original Super Saiyan form had the user’s ki become wild and uncontrollable, locking off abilities like Kaioken, but that subtle differentiation was all it really needed because it was the first real super form

Super Saiyan’s 2 and 3 were both just generic power boosts that magnified the strength afforded by SS1, but other than that they did nothing

SS4 was similar, but it at least a) had a unique activation method of combining Super Saiyan with Oozaru, and b) claimed to reduce the user’s mental control, even if that was barely touched on and didn’t affect the outcome of any given fight

Legendary Super Saiyan also has a unique activation method, going Super Saiyan while in the Wrath State, the channeling of Oozaru’s power without shapeshifting, but also has the unique characteristic of constantly generating ki. This necessitates that the user constantly be projecting ki, lest the ki build up in their body and harm them, the pain of which further adds to the berserk nature of the Wrath State

Super Saiyan God changes the properties of the user’s ki by converting it into divine ki, allowing the user to sense divine beings and also becoming undetectable by non-divine beings. The nature of divine ki also grants the user the same kind of power boosts as any other transformation, but this seems to be because divine ki itself is simply more potent than mortal ki

Super Saiyan Blue then has a calming effect on the user, unifying the raging ki produced by standard Super Saiyan forms, thus allowing the user to safely use abilities like Kaioken again. SSB also has a greater focus on power at the cost of speed, making the transformation less of an explicit upgrade that makes the previous form of SSG obsolete, and more of an alternate mode that can be used based on the needs of the situation

Ultra Instinct, though normally meant to be a technique and not a form, makes the user’s body move instinctively rather than requiring every movement be thought out. This manifests as automatic dodging and a greater output in striking force (not an increase in raw strength, mind you, but better application of existing strength)

Ultra Ego is similar, but grants the user two abilities: a) the usage of the Power of Destruction, ki that by its nature deconstructs what it comes into contact with, and b) the ability to gain power (which in this case IS raw strength) from damage. This comes with the inherent weakness that the user must take damage to take full advantage of this ability, rather than taking any measures to prevent damage such as dodging or blocking

So...what do Orange, Beast and Black do that the standard Super Saiyan form doesn’t?

Orange makes Piccolo bulkier, but in pretty much every other instance of a bulked super form (100% Frieza, Super Saiyan Powerhouse, etc.) the increase in body mass has always proven to be a detriment to the user, with the only real exception being LSS because of the overwhelming difference in power it affords. Aside from that, Orange doesn’t seem to afford Piccolo any new abilities that he didn’t have before. Given that the color scheme is meant to resemble the Dragon Balls, I think it would be interesting if it somehow gave him an increase in magical abilities, drawing on the power of the Dragon Clan. We already know that Piccolo has at least limited item creation, making clothes and weapons for Gohan (an ability we were reminded of in Super Hero when he forced the training gear onto Gohan), so it would make sense that such powers would be enhanced. Honestly, if Piccolo is basically a living Dragon Ball, it would make sense if he had minor reality warping abilities to “grant his own wishes.” Teleportation, item creation, healing/revival, memory erasure, body modification, instantaneous knowledge, etc. These are all things we know that the Dragon Balls can be used to wish for, so even if Piccolo can only do them on a small scale (reviving a single person right in front of him rather than multiple galaxies away, teleporting someone a short distance or only being able to teleport the willing, etc.), it would make sense for Piccolo to now have access to a wider range of magical abilities. Honestly, most of these are things that the Dragon Clan has shown the ability to do anyway, so having Piccolo use Orange as a boost to his magic rather than raw power would make it a viable alternate mode when he inevitably gets another form that would otherwise render it obsolete

Beast doesn’t really seem to do anything special other than make Gohan more pompous, but that’s not really different from any other SS form. Considering that it’s called “Beast” and Piccolo said at the beginning of the film that Gohan needs to “remember his instincts,” I wonder if this form is a manifestation of bestial instinct. This might explain why the hair color is similar to Ultra Instinct (even if it’s not actually called Ultra Instinct in Japanese...), as it’s not the instincts of a martial artists, but the instincts of an animal. If Ultra Instinct allows one to fight efficiently, minimizing damage and dealing the most damage while minimizing energy usage, perhaps Beast allows one to focus on finishing a fight as fast as possible by targeting weak points and becomes empowered when there’s something to protect, like a beast protecting its young? 

That would be really interesting, but alas, they told us absolutely nothing about either of these forms in Super Hero, and Beast is a term from extended material, not even the movie itself, so until they go into more detail in either a new season of the anime or in the manga (which I’m not expecting, honestly), all we can do is conjecture

As for Black Frieza, I saw someone on twitter point out that Frieza’s hands and feet are a unique color compared to the rest of his body, implying that maybe they’ve been reinforced to act as biological gauntlets and greaves, which could mean that Black Frieza has a greater focus on physical defenses than Golden Frieza or other Frieza forms, but I still would have preferred something with more visual differences like Cooler’s Fourth Transformation, even if it wasn’t as ornate

Dragon Ball seemed to be moving away from power ups being nebulous increases in strength and moving towards changes in capabilities and characteristics, but recent events seem to be moving us back to how things were before, and I’m frankly extremely disappointed by that

#dragon ball #dragon ball super #negativity

[harunur017]

The page layout within the project is too different

If you really understand the responsiveness of web pages, you will know that responsiveness can only be applied to very simple layout structures. If the content of the project is large and complex, then the responsiveness adaptation cost is far greater than directly developing multiple versions. .

In the same way, it is very difficult to adapt a mobile APP directly to the iPad using simple responsive rules. Because the layout designed for mobile phones is based on the interaction habits of mobile phones, and the interaction habits of iPad are different, it will naturally be awkward to use.

At the same time, there will be many very special and fancy component designs in complex projects. It is very difficult to adapt these components using responsive rules. A series of adaptation logic must be considered and a lot of additions must be made in the drawing process. Job Cost.

So why don’t the complex products of major manufacturers use responsive development to directly and seamlessly adapt to the iPad? The reason is that the development cost is too high, so high that they would rather give up the iPad user experience than be responsive.

Large screen adaptation is not suitable for direct use of responsiveness.

If you carefully compare the interface layouts of some large products, you will find that the layouts of different pages or different modules do not comply with the principle of unity.

For example, in these pages on Taobao, the left and right spacing is inconsistent, or the spacing specifications are different.

To do this is to give up uniformity based on the needs of the actual usage scenario, and use responsive specifications to do it. It is not so easy to make targeted adjustments.

The above problems are all real obstacles to the implementation of grid systems in mobile terminal design, so even products from major manufacturers will not use them. This is not a question of professionalism, but purely a grid system is a tool to solve layout problems. If it creates more problems, what is the use of it?

So regardless of the use of the grid system in responsiveness, is it necessary to use the grid system only from the perspective of plane layout?

My reply is still no. The reason why web pages can be used is because the canvas is too large. If certain standards are not used to standardize layout and typesetting, it will be difficult to obtain excellent design results. The space on the mobile terminal is too small, and there is no need to rely on such a system to maintain the stability of the layout.

Therefore, in mobile application design, don’t be constrained by responsiveness and grid systems, as long as it meets basic specifications, experience, and visual needs.

Ending

Too many people have asked this question. Although I have written to share it, I still recommend that novices learn to find answers from online cases. Just open your phone and look at a few commonly used apps, and you will find many of the answers you want.

We will continue to update the sharing of component designs in the future. If you have other mobile design questions, you can also post them in the design group or leave a message.

I'll be meaner next time~‍

Author: Superman with sour plums; Public account: Superman’s Phone Booth (ID: Superman_Call)

This article was originally published by @ Superman的PHONEBOOK on Everyone is a Product Manager. Reprinting without permission is prohibited.

The title picture comes from Unsplash, based on the CC0 agreement

The opinions in this article represent only the author's own. The Renren Product Manager platform only provides information storage space services.

#HETuber Music Gaming Entertainment #Sports #Science And Technology

[em0tionl0rd]

Life Update:

(mostly me griping so be warned)

I’m starting to wonder why I chose to be here. In the middle of nowhere. In the middle of winter.

I’m freezing.

It’s so cold I can’t draw. I can’t sleep comfortably. My toes go numb.

Building fires to stay warm. I didn’t think it would be like this. This isolation. This cold.

Worrying if my plants are going to make it through these 50 degree nights. When it’s -20 outside. The central heating here is a joke.

I have to think about conserving wood. I have to worry about disturbing the housemates in the middle of the night when I go to build a fire.

I didn’t think it would get this stupid. I had high hopes. I thought we would get along. But now I just feel like an annoyance. Like I don’t belong. Like I’m unwanted. Unwelcome. That they’re just being nice and tolerating me until I go.

I stay up all night in the confines of my room, trying to be quiet because the walls are so thin. Trying not to disturb others while they sleep. Just to have some peace and space to think.

But it’s too cold.

_ _ _

The kitchen table has become like my office. It is one of the consistently warm rooms in the house due to being in front of the fire, and the only space with open desks and chairs to use. That is, until they shoo me out for guests and parties. Then it’s back to hiding away while listening to the merry-making. Gatherings I would gladly join if I was ever invited, but I’m not. Or the topic of discourse didn’t disturb me to my core. Let alone dealing with the dog(s) getting loud and unruly. Then it’s for my own sanity that I drown it all out with music.

I didn’t expect this. I was asked if I was ‘anti-social’ beforehand. Made aware of the frequent meetings. I expected like-minded eclectic people. Not a cognitively distant clique.

Am I being paranoid? Am I too judgmental? Are my standards too high? Am I being unreasonable?

Probably.

I just hate stupid people. And eco-friendly posers who seem delusional. In denial of the very culture they surround themselves with. How it isolates them from the greater effort at hand and the worldly movement for change.

This isn’t saying that they are a failure and aren’t doing enough, which they are. The farm seems solid, but they’re hinging the entire operation on being ‘queer’ (notably ironic considering how I somehow don’t fit in here..).

_ _ _

Besides freezing, there has been an ongoing unwillingness to work with me through my struggles.

While volunteering to help out one day a few weeks into my stay, I over-shared about my physical condition and the pain I was in. Thereafter, without my knowledge, they decided that I was unfit for work. I wasn’t given a chance. They just assumed.

I was planning to live and work here on the farm, but an application period came and went without my notice, and they had residents lined up before the first of the year.

I got one ride to town over the past three months.

Above all, they seem too busy with their respective occupations and community efforts to take any time for me. I don’t bother asking out of respect, and have resorted to waiting for either of my parents to take the 2 hour trip up to take me out grocery shopping every few weeks.

Needless to say, getting a job under these conditions is impractical and I really should have considered a place in town..

And due to the general vibe I’m getting, I don’t feel comfortable talking openly anymore. I don’t feel like I am being understood when I speak. Let alone respected in casual conversations..

_ _ _

Going into this I was made aware that the house owner was close with the other housemate who was moving in at the same time as me. I didn’t let it affect my judgement. I didn’t see a reason too. But I worried there would be some drama and negativity surrounding the fact I was the third person in the house with them. And so far my assumption has unforunfortunately been validated.

I hate being right.

When I would initiate casual conversation with the house owner’s girlfriend, she would look at me as if I were stupid, and respond to me similarly, while taking digs at my character, or initiate conversations by underhandedly accusing me of something. They want nothing to do with me now and actively avoid me and leave the room whenever I come out.

I don’t understand.

I also don’t care enough to ask.

I’m tired of people treating me like this wherever I go. I will simply move forwards from here and let it go. I have enough trouble with women as is due to trauma from the way my mom treated me. Living in a bi/lesbian household, I expected better.

Relationship drama is indifferent to gender/sexuality.

_ _ _

Besides overhearing phone calls and meetings when I sleep in, I wake up to noises from the dog.

They leave the dog alone upstairs with me, seemingly expecting me to keep an eye on them, which I do. But they leave environmental hazards for me to deal with, that if I don’t catch in time, usually due to being asleep, the dog gets into them.. Like in the bathroom and the kitchen.

Just today I woke up to the dog eating a stick of butter because they didn’t push the chairs in at the table when they left. Other days it’s the toilet, and they don’t flush.. It’s disgusting.

Other times I have to get up and stop the dog from trying to tunnel through the couch because they’re cold, so I get up and put a blanket on them.

For once I live with a dog I actually get along with, and I’m not someone who typically gets along with dogs due to being traumatized by past experiences with spoilt and misbehaved family pets. It’s a pitbull too, which I’ve had particularly awful experiences with, but this dog is mostly well-behaved. Thank gob.

It just shouldn’t be my responsibility to dogsit because I’m stuck here. But I do it anyway.

I watch the dog and build fires to keep the place warm.

_ _ _

The water heater sucks and the washer and dryer they have are designed poorly.

I haven’t been showering because the bathroom is too cold and doesn’t retain any heat on top of the hot water lacking in any heat to begin with. I’m too sensitive to the cold and my body goes into shock when my core temperature drops too fast, so I’ve been washing my hair in the sink.

The washer gets out of balance whenever I do bedding due to it’s design and a few weeks ago I pulled 2lbs of lint out of the dryer only to be told that was normal for them..

I feel like this house was designed and built by nincompoops. Efficient and eco-friendly doesn’t have to entail suffering and stupidity, but maybe that’s just me.

_ _ _

Anyway, that’s all for now. Thanks for tuning in to my rant.

Hopefully by next month I’ll have a place lined up in town and be ready to move on from here and get a job.

#sadz talks #words words words

[tdgsolar]

Cost of 120 Watt Solar Panels | 120 Watt Solar Panel Price

120 Watt Solar Panel Price  - Solar panels are becoming increasingly popular as many people look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and save on energy costs. If you’re thinking about making the switch to solar, you’re probably wondering what the 120 watt solar panel price is. This article will provide you with all the information you need to know about 120-watt solar panels, including their cost and what you can power with them.

What is the 120-watt solar panels?

120-watt solar panels are solar panels that produce 120 watts of electricity when exposed to sunlight. They are typically used as part of a photovoltaic (PV) system to generate electricity for homes, businesses, or other applications. They are available in a variety of sizes and shapes and can be used for both off-grid and grid-tied systems.

Reasons for Investing in 120 Watt Solar Panels

Increased Energy Efficiency - Installing a 120-watt solar panel system can help to increase the efficiency of your energy production, as the system is designed to absorb more energy from the sun than a standard 60-watt panel.

Cost Savings - Investing in a 120-watt solar panel system can save you money in the long run as you will not have to pay for electricity from the grid.

Environmental Benefits - Solar energy does not produce any harmful emissions or pollutants, making it an environmentally friendly way of producing energy.

Increased Power Output - 120-watt solar panels can generate more electricity than traditional 60-watt panels, allowing you to generate more energy for your home or business.

Long-Term Investment - Investing in a 120-watt solar panel system is an investment that will pay off for years to come, as the system will remain operational for a long time with minimal maintenance.

Cost of 120 Watt Solar Panels | 120 Watt Solar Panel Price

For top performance and high efficiency with an unimaginable feel, you should consider monocrystalline 120-watt solar panels that don’t cost much. For extra versatile and adaptable arrangements that combine style and lighting schemes, think about polycrystalline or thin-film cells.

The cost of 120-watt solar panel can range from around $5000 to $10000. The cost will depend on the type of panel you choose, as well as the wattage rating and size. Monocrystalline solar panels are generally more expensive than polycrystalline or thin-film panels, but they are also more efficient and have a longer life span. 

Where Can You Buy The Best Quality Solar Panels? 

At TDG SOLAR, you can find the best quality and reliable panels that meet the sudden increase in demand for photovoltaic, monocrystalline silicon, or polycrystalline silicon cells, designed to convey reliable strength and prevailing performance. To make it easier to find the perfect panel, you can use multiple channels to narrow your choices. From best match to the number of requests or price, you can track down the best 120 Watt Solar Panels on TDG SOLAR. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q - How many volts does a 120-watt solar panel produce? 

Most 120W solar panels have an ostensible rating of 12 volts, although this can draw in 18 volts over the course of a single charge. We can sort amps by separating watts from volts. A 120-watt solar panel at 18 volts produces 6.6 amps per hour under normal conditions. 

Q - Can You Connect the Solar Panel Directly to the Battery?

Yes, you can connect the solar panel directly to the battery. However, it is recommended that you use a solar charge controller in order to make sure the battery is charged efficiently. This will also help to protect the battery from overcharging or any other damage that might be caused by the solar panel. 

Q - Can I connect the solar panel directly to the battery? 

Yes, the solar panel can be directly connected to the battery. However, for an efficient and safe connection, a Solar Charge Controller is an essential need to charge your solar panel battery. 

[careeralley]

Land That Interview: 5 Insider Tips to Get Noticed

Securing your dream job can seem daunting given the current scarcity of positions in various fields and the intense competition for each role. However, a standout résumé or CV can dramatically improve your chances of landing that coveted interview. A well-crafted résumé brings you a step closer to your dream job, while a flawed one might send you back to square one quicker than you'd expect. But don't despair. This article is chock-full of expert advice designed to help you revamp your résumé and make a lasting impression. 1. Freshen Up Your Resume You might, like many others, fall into a common trap when it comes to your CV. You may be using the same résumé that you crafted for your previous job hunt, regardless of whether it was five months or five years ago. Granted, your career and education history might remain the same, but your experiences and skill sets are likely to have evolved over time. Getting an interview and landing your dream job is pretty difficult right now. Get it right, and you’re one step closer to your dream job. Get it wrong, and it’s back to the drawing board before you know it. Never fear though, as help is at hand.Click To Tweet As well as your information being out of date, the whole ‘feel’ of your résumé could be stuck in the 1990s. If this sounds like you, freshen up your resume by working through each section and rewriting it. As you have progressed through jobs, your skills will have changed, and you’ll have learned new things. Make sure you incorporate this into your résumé to bring it up to date. 2. Tailor the Content If you’re committing this sin of sending out CVs, you’re not making the most of your résumé in another way. Every job you apply for, every company you reach out to, every employer you target is different. So why are you keeping your résumé the same? Each job advertisement is littered with keywords that you should be putting in your résumé. You don’t have to rewrite the whole thing each time, just a few sections or minor alterations can often make the difference between making the interview stage or not. 3. Don’t Forget Design Of course, the content of your résumé is the most important thing that will sell you to an employer. However, you can go a long way towards making sure you stick in their mind by considering the design of your resume. Remember to use headlines, bullet points, and legible font size – for both screen and print. You can use standard templates, such as those found on your word processing software or online, or you can be creative and design your own. Either way, you can help make a lasting impression by doing something a little different. 4. Proofread The significance of thorough proofreading can't be stressed enough. Grammatical and spelling errors in your résumé or cover letter can detract from your professionalism. Dedicate time to meticulously review your cover letter and CV before sending them. If in doubt, enlist a friend or relative to go over them for potential oversights prior to your application. 5. Easy-to-Find Requirements When I advertised a job online and received an avalanche of responses, I was taken aback by the number of applicants who sent me resumes completely ignoring the criteria I had painstakingly detailed in the ad. Typically, my job ads would outline REQUIRED and PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS. At a minimum, to be considered, an applicant needed to satisfy the required qualifications. The resumes that stood out were those that clearly demonstrated their suitability by highlighting these qualifications either at the top or throughout the resume using bold, underlined, or italicized text. Furthermore, pointing out alignment with the preferred qualifications is beneficial. By meeting both the required and preferred qualifications and showcasing these on your resume, you position yourself as an ideal candidate for the job. Nailing your résumé is the first step in helping you secure your dream job. If you can make a lasting impression with your cv, the next step is to wow at the interview. Once face-to-face with your employer, it is much easier to sell yourself. By following these tips, you give yourself the best chance of impressing the employer in person. 5 Resume Writing Books You Should Read Learn to write a killer resume with our top picks of 5 must-read books on resume writing. Land your dream job today, get a book that best fits your needs. Design winning resumes We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Read the full article

[byz-was-here]

Single Board Computers, They’re exactly what it says on the tin. It’s essentially an entire computer soldered to a single circuit board. I like SBCs because of the most well known one, the Raspberry Pi. I’ve used a pi 0 (that cost me 15 bucks) to run an adblocker across my whole wifi network, and I’ve used raspberry pi 3b+’s, which cost me $35 each, to run home-built network storage drives, media servers, retro game emulators, and as a cheap desktop alternative on occasion. 

However, I’ve hit a snag. Raspberry Pi’s ain’t cheap anymore. (presumably because they’ve started selling them en-masse to businesses who want to use them for commercial applications instead of to enthusiasts (like me)

So, I wanted to see what was out there for a decent price range.  Ramble under the cut. Its a longish one. 

Now, I’ve used mini pc’s before, and those usually run windows and are, to put it mildly, hot garbage. Those rely on x86 processors, who take up more resources and really aren't suited for SBCs. (For a small, cheap windows pc, you’re usually better off buying a refurbished business pc like a dell optiplex or lenovo thinkcentre. Those will usually run you about 80-90 USD and aren’t that bad a value for money, especially if you want something for a home office.) SBC’s usually have an ARM processor like you see in a smartphone or tablet. They take up less resources, draw less power, but currently, you can’t get windows running on them. 

Which brings up the first barrier to those wanting to use them.

Linux Operating Systems. 

I like to describe Linux as being like Mac OS, if a mac took a STEM degree instead of liberal arts. (Apple can bite me. Screw you and the garden you walled off)

However, there’s a lot of linux distros that are pretty user friendly nowadays, like Ubuntu or Mint. And you can absolutely run Ubuntu on an Arm Processor. 

(Rasbian OS is also an option, but as it’s optimized to work only with raspberry pi’s, it usually has issues on other SBC’s.)

As for the computers themselves, I found myself looking at the boards made by the Libre Computer Project. They have computers with about the same price and size as a standard raspberry pi 3b+, and the gpio pins are largely compatible. 

However, I would note that none of their models have a wifi radio on the board, unlike most raspberry pi’s do. So if you get one, you will have to hook it up via ethernet or resign yourself to sacrificing a usb port to the wifi gods. 

Another thing I noticed, is that while the specs for their bottom two boards match up with the raspberry pi 3b+, they apparently have issues with running hot and throttling, so you will want to get a heat sink and/or a case with a fan. (Chill. The heat sinks usually have adhesive and you just stick em on.)

There’s a $20 model, the ‘Le frite’ which WOULD be a very good replacement for projects involving something like a pi zero, however, instead of using an sd card for memory, it uses eMMC cards. Which most people lack a reader for. 

Bit of an issue, there.  They do sell them along with the SBC on the site, but. Nah. 

Next is a charmingly named $35 model called “Le Potato” It’s essentially the same dimensions as a pi 3b+, which is nice since while Pi Boards are expensive as hell, you can still get their accessories for relatively cheap. It also uses an sd card for a hard drive, which is much easier to deal with. It does not have usb 3.0, which is a bit of a bummer, but, it does have 4 ports like a pi. Still need to sacrifice one of em to the wifi gods if you don’t want to hook it up via ethernet. For most projects, this will probably work fine. Just get you a heat sink.

Finally, they have an exciting 40 dollary-do option called the renegade. (It’s edgy because this one comes in black.)

It’s essentially punching into Pi 4 Territory, except it only has a 3 usb ports, one of them being 3.0. It seems to lean more into video encoding, so if you want a cheap media server or a retro game emulator, this one’s probably ya boi.  It also has a 50-dollar option with 4 gig of ram. If you want a cheap desktop you can keep in your pocket, this is what I would get. 

Again, unfortunately, one of those 3 slots will probably be sacrificed for a wifi dongle, and it also seems to have an issue with overheating, so you WILL need to shell out for a heat sink or a little case with a fan. Again, luckily, accessories for a Pi 3b+ will fit it just fine. 

I am probably going to buy one of these, either the renegade or the potato, and give em a whirl for a week or two. After that, I’ll give more of my thoughts

#byzrambles #computers/electronics #single board computers #raspberry pi #not an ad #I would rather eat my fuckin keyboard than promote BRAND for money

[dailycharacteroption]

Dinosaur Druid (Druid Archetype)

(art by Hyfigh on DeviantArt)

 Long ago, in the days of yore of this blog, we covered the Saurian Shaman archetype, which was one of a series of druid archetypes centered around specific animals or groups of animals, with the general ability list being a partial transformation, as well as enhanced summoning and wild shaping revolving around the animal in question.

Needless to say, the saurian shaman and dragon shaman, with their focus on the large groups of creatures, were widely considered the only ones that didn’t leave the druid somewhat limited in abilities. There’s only so many ways that a bear shaman can apply templates to summoned bears to make them stronger, after all.

With that in mind, when I discovered that Ultimate Wilderness had given us another dinosaur-themed archetype for druids, I was a bit confused, especially when many of the mechanics between the two were thematically similar, if not mechanically the same.

However, upon further reflection, I feel there is room for both, dinosaur druids do get their wild shape sooner than saurian shamans and still get a buff for taking saurian forms, but they don’t get better dinosaur forms faster. That being said, they do have an expanded summon nature ally list of dinosaurs, even if they can’t enhance them the way the saurian shaman can or cast them as a standard action. So really, it comes down to how much simple template bookkeeping you want to do and remembering your effective level when it comes to wild shape.

In any case, dinosaur druids may hail from primeval lost worlds, or otherwise venerate the ancient megafauna of the past, which may or may not exist today. There is no denying the primal power that they wield, though.

 Drawing upon the primeval memories of the world, dinosaur druids add a large number of dinosaurs and prehistoric reptiles to the creatures they can spontaneously conjure, gaining a large variety of summons for any situation.

Naturally, they must choose a dinosaur companion.

When wild-shaping into dinosaurs, these druids become a bit tougher than normal. However, they also find that wild shaping into anything else, such as a beast that can actually blend into most areas, lasts mere minutes at a time compared to the hours of their saurian forms.

Additionally, they learn the primal tongue of such beasts, becoming able to speak clearly with them whenever they wish.

Judging this archetype on it’s own merit, This archetype gives you a ton of new summons, some of which have unique abilities that might appeal to you in a combat situation, though much like the normal summon nature ally list, it really is mostly about strong combat forms or unique combinations of combat, movement, and gimmicks than it is about adding diversity to your abilities by way of summoning. That being said, the wild shape bonus, while simpler than that provided by the saurian shaman, does let you gain wild shape at level 4 rather than waiting another two whole levels to get the benefits with. For this I would recommend a mixed summoning and wild shape combat build, since you definitely expect to hit hard with your summons, companion, and transformations. Pick your spells based on utility and support first, and your feats should probably be a mix of those that augment summoned creatures and bolster your own combat abilities.

 If you don’t want to replace the saurian shaman with the dinosaur druid (or vice versa), reconciling the existence of both in the lore might be your next question. You might say that saurian shamans revere dinosaurs as a totem, whereas dinosaur druids merely have a special talent for calling upon them, for example, or they might be different applications of the same power, which may lead to rivalries.

  Accompanied by a strange, three-horned beast, a mysterious traveler arrives in town, asking to speak with a leader. Many fear that she is some sort of monster-tamer, but the mayor agrees to the meeting anyway, but he wishes to hire the party as extra protection, just in case.

 Feeling estranged from the company of simians, the orang-pendak druid Ku instead prefers the company of mighty-forest-dwelling dinosaurs, knowing them all by name and treating them well. Even predatory beasts among them go to him for help. If there is anyone who can tell the party more about the great thunder lizards, they have yet to find them.

 Three decades ago, nations on both sides of the Greatfang War plundered the southern jungle for mighty dinosaurs to train as living siege weapons and battle-beasts, leading to a great many deaths. Now, the land between the two sides is rife with undead beasts, including a warsworn composed of over a dozen squirming bodies trapped inside the skeleton of a tyrannosaurus. A lone druid has now emerged from the rainforest, intent on laying each of these traumatized spirits to rest.

#pathfinder #archetype #druid #dinosaur druid #saurian shaman #triceratops #dinosaur #orang-pendak #warsworn #Ultimate Wilderness

[freelawbydjure]

Bilkis Bano Case: Supreme Court asks for reasons from Gujarat Government for releasing convicts: Matter listed for hearing on May 2

18 April, 2023

Today, the Supreme Court of India inquired the Gujarat Government regarding the reasons behind allowing the premature release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case. The bench hearing the case opined that in such a heinous crime that affects society at a large scale, the decision by the government should be taken considering the public interests. The bench hearing Bilkis Bano case today was Justices BV Nagarathna and KM Joseph. While hearing the matter, Justice Joseph said, “The question is whether the government applied its mind, what material formed the basis of its decision, etc…order requiring convicts to be in jail for the rest of their natural life… they were released by executive order…Today it is this lady (Bilkis Bano), Tomorrow it can be you or me. There must be objective standards…If you don’t give us a reason, we will draw our own conclusions.”

The plea filed by Bilkis Bano regarding the premature release of convicts on March 27 this year and other similar pleas were addressed today by the Supreme Court. In this context, the bench stated that “The law has been laid down in Venkata Reddy’s case whose remission on account of him being a ‘good congressman’ was set aside. Very high Yardstick, even though power exists. Reasons must also be given,” and ask them to produce the files. Further, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for both Gujarat and Centre Government said, “We will take a call on whether to file one by Monday.” The matter was then listed for hearing on May 2, 2023. 

During the hearing, an urge to the bench was made by the convict’s counsel to adjourn the hearing but the same was opposed by the Senior Advocate AM Singhvi. In relation to this, the bench stated that “Every time there is a hearing, one accused will come to this court and seek adjournment. Four weeks later, another accused will do the same and this will go on till December. We are aware of this strategy as well.” Also, the judge illustrated that mass murder and rape offences cannot be compared with simple murder. To which Advocate appearing for respondents, Siddharth Luthra said, “Your Lordships have said this is a grave offence, and I appreciate that…But we are also dealing with men who have been in custody for 15 years…” Justice Joseph then submitted that “Have they been in custody for 15 years? More than 100 days of parole…”

On August 15, 2022, the eleven convicts were released after the State Government allowed remission applications. While the Supreme Court ordered to clarify the reason for releasing the convicts, the State Government (Gujarat) in an affidavit told the top court that considering the good behavior of the convicts and after the completion of 14 year's sentence, the decision was taken (approval from central government).