#as usual I envision large intimidating projects

[boghermit]

I'm thinking comics might be a good gateway into getting better at art and composition but Where Do I Even Start

#as usual I envision large intimidating projects

[thewritetofreespeech]

Could I request Toru Kirishima's s/o seeing his tattoos for the first time and getting inspiration for her art from it?

“Take your shirt off.”

Toru stopped dead in the middle of what he was doing for a second, then returned to it with a cheeky grin. “[Y/N]-chan, not here in the middle of work…”

“It’s not for that.” They replied with a stern look. Which in turn deflated Toru’s expression because this wasn’t going to be as fun as he wanted. “I want to see your tattoos.”

His expression perked up again, this time in surprise, at their request. No one, or at least no sane person, asked to see a yakuza’s tattoos. “Why do you want to see them?”

“I’m working on a series based on Sakuragi family tattoos. You’re the only one besides Ryota who has a decent one.” They explain as they opened up their sketch pad to get ready.

But Toru felt uncomfortable.

“I don’t think the boss would go for that. He doesn’t like our tattoos on display.” The boss’s rules were simple: you had to get them, and they had to be able to be covered. Toru had already been pushing the line with his arm & wrist tattoos. Discretion was the better part of valor for the boss and he needed soldiers who could blend in when he needed them to.

“I already cleared it with him. He said it was fine.” Shit. “He said as long as I don’t copy the actual tattoos, and use them just for inspiration, and don’t use anyone’s names, I could do it. Now take your shirt off.”

He felt backed into a rock & a hard place, but if the boss said ok Toru didn’t really have a means to refuse them. So he took his shirt off.

Standing there, with his back towards them for a while in silence, Toru finally spoke up, “you’re not doing the whole piece now are you? I’ll have to pick up the little lady from school soon.”

“I’m just working on a rough sketch. And it’s only been 5 minutes.” Toru sighed. “Did they hurt?” They then asked him. Seemingly out of the blue. “When you got them?”

“As much as when my ribs got broken by that baseball bat? No.” He told them. “But…yes, they hurt.”

“Why do it then?”

Toru had to think about it for a minute, over the sound of their pencil scrapping. Sure, the boss and families usually require it when you joined. But it wasn’t just that. “I wanted to belong.”

There were a few more moments of pencil scratching before [Y/N] announced, “I’m done. You can put your shirt back on now.”

“Why do I suddenly feel so dirty?”

[Y/N] chuckled as they came over to him and gave him a peck on the cheek while he buttoned his shirt. “Your support of the arts is appreciated. I’ll see you later.”

“I don’t even get to see it?” He asked incredulously.

“You can see it when it’s done.” They told him. “Just like everyone else.”

“I thought being the boyfriend of the artist got you perks.”

“It does.” They told him. “Your canvas gets to be bigger.” They kissed him again and then were off.

Toru didn’t see them for a while after that, but that was pretty normal. When they were working on their art they would disappear for days on end working on whatever project they had envisioned. Finally, one day, he got a call that the piece were ready and that they were going to do a small show at a local gallery and invited everyone to attend.

Everyone, of course, couldn’t come (that would be a little excessive for the small space) but Toru, Sugihara, and the boss all came to see what [Y/N] had been up to. They were right. His canvas was bigger.

“What do you think?” They asked. Slinking up beside him, like they were any other patron and not the artist.

“I don’t get it.” He answered honestly. “But then again I’m not an art buff.”

[Y/N] snickered at him. “You really don’t have any opinion?”

Toru stared at the painting some more. A large, black dragon. Imposing, intimidating, wailing with its jaws open at the sky in terror perched on a mountain. But then, at its tail, it looked at this it had been ensnared with sakura branches. Delicate, yet strong. The pink flowers a stark contrast to the bleak sky. The parts of its tail it had bound to slowly turning it white. “I like the flowers at the bottom.”

[Y/N] laughed again. “Always the direct one, eh?”

“How much is it?”

“I’m selling it to people who can actually pay me.”

“I can pay you.” Toru snarked back.

“I wouldn’t take your money.”

Toru huffed. “So my skin is good enough for you, but not my money?” Some of the more upper crust patrons gave them funny looks at their conversation.

“Do you really want the painting Toru?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll give you the original one.” They told him. “This is a duplicate. I always planned on giving the original to you, if you wanted it. I just didn’t think you’d be so up in arms about it.”

“I’m not ‘up in arms’.” He argued. “I just like the painting.”

“Then you should have it.” They agreed. Giving him a smile and squeezing his hand. “I have to go talk to some other people with money now. Don’t run off without saying goodbye.” Toru nodded and went back to staring at art and sipping his drink.

What was that old saying? He may not know art, but he knew what he liked?

“Do you think [Y/N] would be mad if I took this off the wall now?” He asked Sugihara when they were alone. To which Sugihara told him emphatically yes, but he still considered it.

#;ask and ye shall receive (request answers) #kirishima #toru kirishima #toru kirishima x reader #toru kirishima scenario #kirishima tooru #the yakuza's guide to babysitting #the yakuza's guide to babysitting x reader #the yakuza's guide to babysitting scenario #scenarios #imagine #kumichou musume to sewagakari #kumicho musume to sewagakari x reader #kumicho musume to sewagakari scenario

[davidmann95]

now that it's over, thoughts on Bendis' Superman as a whole?

pretenderoftheeast said: So, thoughts on Bendis' Superman and Action Comics' tenure altogether and separately now that it's over?

Anonymous said: Best and Worst things about Bendis' Superman run

Anonymous said: Now that it is over, what are your thoughts on Bendis' runs on Superman and Action Comics as a whole?

Anonymous said: Retrospective thoughts on Bendis' Superman as a whole now that it's, I guess, done?

Anonymous said: Hey so since Bendis’ Superman stuff seems to be done, what did you think of the run as a whole?

I decided to hold off a bit on writing on this one, if only so that I could reread the Action Comics side of it since Superman stood out in my memory a lot more. But now I have, and as we’re heading into a bold new era of Superman (and it’s coming in fast - just since I made my Superman in 2021 predictions we’ve gotten Ed Pinsent finally reprinting his legendary bootleg Silver Age Superman, Steve Orlando announcing his Superman analogue book Project Patron, an official shonen Superman redesign for RWBY/Justice League, PKJ’s Super-debut turning out far better than I ever expected, Superman & Lois’s first proper trailer largely taking people pleasantly by surprise, and my learning that there’s a Sylvester Stallone Old Man Superman analogue movie titled Samaritan coming out this summer) we’re ready to take a look back with at least a touch of perspective. I’ll lead with complaints, so everybody who’s been waiting for me to say that Bendis on Superman was Bad, Actually, savor this because it’s as close as you’ll get.

The Bad

* I hate to say it, but rereading that side of the run there’s no two ways about it: the structure of Action Comics as a whole is a mess. It baffled me from day one that it was the more acclaimed of the two books for so long - I guess people are hardwired at this point to think of ‘street’ stuff as where Bendis is supposed to be - because it was immediately clear that Superman had a well-defined story he wanted to tell, while Action was the usual Bendis off-the-cuff improvisation. It’s barely even a story in the same way, and it’s certainly not the ‘Metropolis crime book’ people took it as: it’s 28 issues of Superman and his supporting cast stuffed a pinball machine with the Red Cloud pinging off of each other as we wait to see who falls in the hole at the bottom, and partway through Leviathan and the Legion of Doom and 90s Superboy are tossed into the mix to keep it going a little longer. On an issue-to-issue basis it’s frequently really good, but the core plot of the book is *maybe* six issues stretched out over two and a half years.

* I’ve gone into this some before, but structure-wise Unity Saga also has problems: Phantom Planet rules but either it needed to be cut or the back half needed to be a year all its own in order to accommodate the scale of what it’s attempting. It’s got an interstellar civil war leading into the formation of the United Planets, family drama, Rogol Zaar’s whole deal, and Jon’s coming of age, and I’d say only that last one is really properly served. Even Jon forming the United Planets, while contextually somewhat justified in terms of 1. The situation being so far gone he’s the only one who’d even think in those terms, 2. Things being bad enough that these assorted galactic powers would be willing to try it, and 3. Him having the S on his chest to sell it, isn’t at all built up to within the run itself.

* Rogol Zaar sucks. He’s made up of nothing but interesting ideas - he’s an ersatz warrior ‘superman’ of a bygone age of empires up against the new model, he’s the sins of Krypton as a conservative superpower come home to roost, he’s while not outright said to be definitely Superman’s tragic half-brother and the culmination of everything this run does with Jor-El - but none of them manifest on the page, he’s just a big punchy dude with a dumb design who screams about how you should take him seriously because he’s totally the one who blew up Krypton. Even a killer redesign by Ryan Sook for Legion of Superheroes can’t fix that. There are lots of bad villains with good ideas who are redeemed with time and further effort, but I can’t imagine Zaar getting that TLC to become a fraction of whatever Bendis envisioned him as.

* The second year of Action Comics, after establishing itself in its first as one of the most consistently gorgeous books on the stands, leads with Szymon Kudranski’s weak output and then concludes with John Romita Jr. turning in some career-worst work. The latter is particularly egregious because for that first year Bendis writes a really collected, gentle Superman so him getting pushed into being more aggressive should have an impact, but Romita draws such a craggy rough-looking Superman in the first place that it mutes any sort of shock value.

 * WE NEVER LEARN WHAT’S UP WITH LEONE’S CAR, WHAT THE HELL. You don’t just DROP THAT IN THERE and then NEVER FOLLOW UP.

The Good

* Superman got his real clothes back after 7 truly ridiculous years.

* Bendis fundamentally gets Clark’s voice in a way unlike almost any other writer - even all-around better writers of the character almost never approach how spot-on he is with having Superman speak and act exactly how Superman should.

* Supporting cast front and center! He writes a dynamite Lois, Perry, and Jimmy (even if many of Lois’s more out-there decisions in the run don’t end up retroactively justified the way you’d hope), Ma and Pa are more fun than they’ve been in decades in their brief appearances, he manages to turn having Jor-El in the mix into a positive, and the Daily Planet as a whole has an incredibly distinctive vibe to it like never before that I hope is taken as a baseline going forward.

* The non-Rogol Zaar baddies? All ruled. Invisible Mafia and Red Cloud are both brilliant ideas executed solidly if overextended. Zod as Kryptonian Vegeta, Mongul as a generational perpetual bastard engine primed to be incapable of self-reflection, and Ultraman as “what if Irredeemable but he’d never been a good guy and also he was a Jersey mobster” are the best versions of those characters by numberless light-eons. Lex is on-point in his sparse appearances. Xanadoth as a mystical cosmic monster older than time who still talks like a Bendis character is however unintentionally a hoot. The alt-universe Parasite is a more intimidating Doomsday than Doomsday ever was. And Synmar as an alien culture’s attempt at creating their own Superman and messing up the formula when they make him a soldier can and should be a legitimate major ongoing villain coming out of this run.

* Pretty much all the art other than what I mentioned already. Fabok does a good job bookending The Man of Steel and Ivan Reis does the work of his career anchoring Superman (special props to Reis as well for drawing the first ever non-Steve Rude interesting-looking take on Metropolis), and meanwhile you’ve got Jim Lee, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, Doc Shaner, Steve Rude, Kevin Maguire, Adam Hughes, Patrick Gleason, Yanick Paquette, Ryan Sook, Brandon Peterson, and David Lafuente doing their own parts.

* Closely related to the art, all the little flourishes with the powers. Super-speed having a consistent visual with the background coloring changing, Clark internally putting numbers to the degrees of force behind his punches and what situations which numbers are appropriate for, ‘skidding to a halt’ mid-flight before crashing through a window, the shonen-ass major throwdowns as portrayed by Reis, how his super-hearing is handled as a prevalent element. Lots of clever bits that added flavor to what he does.

* While Unity Saga has problems, the whole of what Bendis does in Superman as a means of forward momentum for Clark and his world is excellent. The sort of three-act structure of: 

** Clark is led to question his place in things over the course of a few adventures

** Involvement in the larger cosmos and the impact it has had through and on his family makes him realize the answer to his questions is that he needs to step up in a bigger way because there’s no benevolent larger universe to welcome Earth with open arms, nor a cosmic precedent for everything turning out for the best without some help

** As a consequence of the lessons learned by this change in the status quo Clark is inspired to make his own personal change in revealing his identity (with Mythological basically being an epilogue showcasing a ‘standard’ standalone Superman adventure while simultaneously highlighting his new status quo and how it fits in as a summing-up of Bendis’s take)

…does a great job of shepherding through ideas that lend a lot of forward momentum to Superman of the kind he hasn’t seen in a long time. Not perfect, but far lesser stories with far lesser ambitions have made huge impacts, so I’d certainly hope at least some of this sticks around even if, say, regardless of any retcons to the main line there are always going to be stories with Clark as a disguise and Jon as a kid. Oh, speaking of whom,

* KISS MY ASS, EVERYTHING WITH JON KENT RULED

Ahem. Probably a less confrontational way of putting that.

Do I think there was more gas in the tank for Jon as a kid? Totally, making him likeable and viable was the one really good thing the Rebirth era accomplished for Superman and I expect we’ll continue seeing more of it in the future one way or another. But whether or not him being aged up was Bendis’s decision, or working with marching orders to set up the eventually-(kinda-)discarded 5G, the coming of age narrative here is fire. He keeps the essential Clark Kent kindness and bit of Lois Lane cheekiness that reminds you he’s still their kid, which is a combination Bendis is basically precision-crafted to write, but his trials by fire give him a background entirely unlike the by-the-numbers “and here’s how Superman’s great kid grew up to be a great superhero too” narrative you’d expect while still arriving at that endpoint. If superheroes live and die by metaphors then Jon in here is what it means to grow up written as large as possible: leaving home for the first time (and seeming to shoot up overnight!), getting into the muck of how the real world works, being beaten down by authority wearing faces you’ve been taught to trust, scrambling to get through with the whole world against you, and in the end getting through by learning to rely on your own strength while keeping your soul intact and your head held high, and even managing to speak some truth to power. It gives him a well-defined life story with room to go back to and explore the intricacies of each leg of for decades to come in a way Superman hasn’t had since the original Crisis - someone someday is going to write a The Life & Times Of The Son Of Superman miniseries and it’s going to be one of the greats - and negates any question that he’s earned his stature as the heir apparent.

* Coming out of this, Superman’s world is fascinating. He’s out but rather than giving up his day-to-day life he’s openly spending part of his life as CLARK KENT: SUPER-REPORTER and part of his job on the cape-and-tights side of things is now KAL-EL: SUPER-SPACE-DIPLOMAT, Lois Lane coruns a foundation helping people whose personal continuities have been fucked over by Crisis shenanigans, Jimmy Olsen owns the Daily Planet but is still doing Jimmy Olsen stuff because that’s how he gets his kicks, and Jon Kent is going to college in the future. I’m not anywhere near naïve enough to think that’s how things are going to be forever, or shortsighted enough to think there’s no value left in the traditional setups, but god I hope these developments stick around for a long, long time to come and potentially become the new ‘normal’ as far as the ongoing shared universe stuff goes, because it all feels like the right and promising next steps to take for the lives of these characters. However it got here, for all the pluses and minuses along the way even if I maintain the former very much outweighed the latter as a reading experience, Bendis has a lot to be proud of if that’s the legacy he leaves on these titles.

* The recap pages at the desks!

#Superman #Brian Bendis #Jon Kent #Opinion

[jasbethso]

A Year of Bittersweet Capstone

This school year has been extra challenging for us. Not just because it is our last year in high school but because of our capstone subject. Every time I hear that word, it seems very daunting and bothering at some point. Knowing that I have a few knowledge about wirings and how it works, I have already prepared myself on the amount of stress capstone may bring. As I am writing this personal blog, it amazes me on how I can look back at some of the hardest part of this school year and how I can finally say 'Salamat God kay tapos na'. My biggest achievement is finally relating to Aristotle's 'The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.' This is truly hard yet rewarding task for all of us. I am very glad we are able to make our project as we have envisioned it to be.

Imagine if we were given the whole school year just to work on this project without other tasks, it would be the ultimate dream. Flying agricultural drones and robots equipped with artificial intelligence? If only we were given enough time for it, it would not be impossible. Of course, in reality, there are a lot more to do and accomplish in school. We had to juggle our time between doing school works for the whole day and going to a group activity for this project after school.

To be honest, I think our school is not ready for this subject and so are the students. The school is introducing robotics in the subject but there are only few teachers who are knowledgeable on programming. We cannot just solely rely on those Indian people on YouTube to teach us all of these things. Programming is new to us, especially we haven't had any computer-related subjects. We only had ICT subject when we were in 7th grade and nothing else. I also know some students in previous school years having the same subject who had the same struggle. However, since this is part of the new curriculum of K to 12, we cannot do anything but to bear with it. Also, as a student, we also wanted to do our best for the project but we lack support. It is ironic that the school is not even initiating a seminar or a workshop for programming but is having a subject for robotics. This is our struggle. I would not be shocked if other students would encounter this problem too in the next coming years. Unless the school would really take it seriously in coming up with ways on how to make students be ready and equipped for this subject and the so-called 'Industry 4.0', everything would be fine.

I salute all those programmers in YouTube who are very willing to share their innovative ideas to their subscribers. This allowed us to at least have an overview on how to properly connect and wire all the sensors. Following the instructions in YouTube was somewhat easy but programming was the hardest part since some were not willing to share their codes for the Arduino. Although they also film their codes but sometimes it is just 2 seconds of the whole instructional video. It's funny how we were so desperate to know the code that we had to screenshot some clips of the video and zoom in just to get an idea of it. We were totally clueless at the start of the year.

During our second semester, we were thankful that we had the subject Empowerment Technology. This subject was not a burden to us like how other subjects would feel like. It even made things easier for us by guiding us what to do in our projects. Calling it a blessing in disguise? I'd say yes. Our subject teacher, Sir Rae John Arango, was very willing to help us finish our project. He even set a target date for the project. I can clearly remember when he said 'Dapat before kayo magbakasyon tapos na 'yang mga projects niyo para pag Christmas wala nang problema'. Who would not want to enjoy the holidays, right? But of course, knowing that we are procrastinators, we did not meet that target date. Sir Arango still helped us program our projects despite being busy with his Continuous Improvement Project. Even if there were 11 groups for Capstone, he managed to help us all. I truly admire how he was very passionate in helping us one group at a time. To be honest, our capstone subject was only making us knowledgeable on the proper ways in conducting the research but not on how to do the actual project itself, on how to program and build the actual robot. I bet we are all very grateful that the Empowerment Technology subject are able to do this.  Doing the project was somehow a lot easier for us by since our teacher was guided us on what we need to download, search for and other sensors to buy. Sir Arango is an angel sent from heaven to us struggling students or what I prefer to call 'frustrated programmers'. We owe the success of our projects to you Sir. (Sir Arango, if by any chance you are reading this, beke nemen)

We were on our track, fully confident that we are going to be able to at least start programming our project, AgriCop. When we thought everything is going in our favor, Typhoon Tisoy came. There was a blackout in our whole province. When we thought things couldn't get any worse, we were all wrong. There was no signal for us to communicate with other groupmates and to even just search in YouTube for the project. The scariest part of it is that I even had to charge our laptop using the generator while knowing the risks of the fluctuating current. I just needed to start doing the codes but then there was no internet to search for reference. We ended up doing nothing for the whole month of December. A month away from Capstone and a month before cramming and stress because of it.

Working in a group of five made it a lot easier. Although other groups have more members in their team, I mostly prefer to work in small groups. We are the only group with all girls which made it quite difficult since when need to immerse ourselves in mechanical and electronics. We are quite good in making arts and crafts, designing things, doing calligraphies and other artworks. However, this is the complete opposite of what we are used of doing. We had to let go of the paint brushes, scissors and color palettes. Instead, we learned how to properly handle screwdrivers, how to use a grinder and most especially how to solder. It was an intimidating task for all of us but we were open to learning new things. I am also grateful to my brother who taught us how to do all of these things. We did not know what tools to use but he was there to let us borrow all of the things that we needed for the project which allowed us to save a lot of money instead of buying new tools. I am so proud of what we have learned and achieved.

We were already warned by our teacher at the start of the school year that this capstone project would really be worth a lot of money. We had to save money from what my parents give as our allowance in school because sometimes it is quite embarrassing to ask extra money from my parents for this. Also, we had to buy the most basic parts first since our group did not have enough money to buy all things at once. Capstone even tested our negotiating skills since we have figured out that some of the things we have ordered were not useful for the mechatronic system of AgriCop. So, we had to sell it to other groups who needed extra relay drivers and arduino board. We were also lucky since one of our groupmates have vouchers and her shipping fee for her orders is always 50 pesos only. We also had to wait for Shopee's promo such as during 11.11 and 12.12 Christmas sale for us to get discounts. We also asked for scrap materials like aluminum tubes to reduce our expenses. Overall, we spent about 6 thousand for this robot. For me, that is already a large amount of money since it is like the salary of a normal government employee for a month of work. I am very thankful that our parents were very supportive and would understand us if sometimes we go home late just for this project. Seeing how the AgriCop works and operates is worth the amount of money that we have invested for it.

Last week has been the most tiring week in my entire existence. It was the very first time that I have experienced studying the whole day in school, going straight to our classmate's house, eating at around 8:30 or 9:00 in the evening, losing track of time, staying awake until 4 o' clock in the morning and going to school at 7:30 AM. We have gone through this cycle every day last week. It was physically and mentally draining. We also had different summative tests and projects to pass aside from the AgriCop. We did not even have the time to review or even do requirements in other subjects. Staying up late was the most challenging part of it. My father would always remind us to get enough hours of sleep but at that time we just cannot. We were deprived of sleep. The schedule of final defense was moved a week earlier than the planned date. Every single day we were required to pass different outputs in capstone. At that time there was no room for 8 hours of sleep but more space for eye bags and eye strain. We already divided the tasks for each of us. I was assigned to work on the write-up. There was this one time that I can't really handle my sleepiness anymore that I took a nap for an hour not minding how many mosquitoes were already buzzing in my ears and biting my arm. Four o' clock in the morning is our usual 'dismissal' in the group activity. We are so blessed that the father of one of our groupmates would drive each us to our houses even if it is already early in the morning. My father also does the same thing when we decided to do group activity for the last few days in our house. We are very grateful and blessed.

We have invested so much in this project, our effort, money, sleep and sacrificing time for other subjects. At some point, we felt like we were the underdog out of all the groups but I am glad that each of us did not let go of that little hope that we can pull this through. We were all tired. I saw it in the eyes of my classmates and even in my own groupmates' as we go to school in the morning after probably not getting enough rest at all. I heard their voices saying 'Di ko na aram ang uunahon', 'Papano na ini', 'Di pa ngani ako nangarigo nan nagmahaw'. We were all going through the toughest part of our life as graduating students. I always believe that the only way to overcome a situation is not to run away from it but to get through it with high hope. I am very thankful that I have groupmates who would always lift each other up and still laugh at the dumbest things that we would do at 2 AM. The perfect term to describe all of us is 'sabaw'.

We were nervous and at the same time excited during the poster presentation of our project. This was the time that we did not have any practice of our script. We just had the time to read the lines once and then the first judge already stood in front of us. We were glad that they get to appreciate our projects and made suggestions for the design of AgriCop. There was this one science teacher which was part of the judges who made me teary-eyed. Not because I was scared or intimated but because she understands what we have gone through and she was really listening and paying attention to every detail that we are saying. She told us that she really appreciates the Mechatronic System of AgriCop that is not complicated compared to other groups. She also mentioned about how it could help farmers to easily replicate our study using mechatronics. She appreciates how we put into consideration the situation of the farmers and the knowledge that they have when it comes to programming. In every word that she mentioned, I could sincerely feel her genuine appreciation to our project and how we, girls, are able to come up with AgriCop. Finally, there was at least this one teacher who can relate to all of our struggles and how hard research is. She understands our situation and acknowledges all the efforts that we have put in this project. We needed that extra boost of support at those moments. I would forever cherish all the kind words that she said to us.

The day of the final defense came. At this same day, we were also preparing for the awards in school so it made it extra hassle for us. We were practicing the script at around 10 AM and also writing down all the possible questions of the panel. I remember how nervous we were entering the STEM B room to present our project. We weren't able to finish our presentation since we exceeded the time limit and the panel already told us to show the remaining slides. The teachers were very kind to us which is the complete opposite of what we were expecting. I guess they already knew the amount of effort, money and sleepless nights we have invested for this. They commended and congratulated us for the project. They also mentioned that they witnessed how our research studies have evolved from simple studies in junior high to a research product with quality. We feel blessed that the AgriCop functioned properly and cooperated well with us. Leaving that room made us all sigh in relief. Finally, our capstone project is done. After a whole school year of working on it, it is already finished. I remember how we were all jumping around outside the room saying 'Tapos na!'. We also had a mini celebration and ate sotanghon and puto which was the food left for the panels. I can still feel that relief we all felt at that moment. A truly rewarding moment.

Capstone has been a very tough subject for all of us. We weren't prepared for it, especially in programming but we are thankful that our Empowerment Technology teacher guided us all the way. Being in a group of all girls did not became our weakness, instead Capstone allowed us to work even harder and build stronger friendship.  I will leave all of the stress, rants, negative emotions, will and hopes that I have had doing this project here in my blog. As I venture more on robotics in  college or in my future job, I'll look  back at this and remember how we all started. I'd remind myself of a struggling student without any idea of robotics but manages to overcome it and finish strong.

[radarbrow2-blog]

Comparing Eagles players to characters from the Avengers Endgame

Since it’s a Friday in the middle of May, I thought we could do something a little different. With the new Avengers movie fresh on everyone’s mind, I wanted to take a stab at seeing which Eagles players would best fit the role for each Avengers character. Please note, and I hope I don’t even need to say this, that the genders and races of each of the characters has not been considered in this exercise. Instead, the abilities of the superheros as well as the demeanor of each character has been. Also, NO SPOILERS ARE IN THIS ARTICLE BECAUSE I’M NOT A MONSTER!!! Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Captain America - Carson Wentz

Oh Captain, my Captain. Just as Captain America metaphorically represents the great country of The United States of America, Carson Wentz represents everything Philadelphia. The man scored a TD with a torn ACL for Heaven’s sake. In addition to this, Captain America is known for being a militarily trained expert field tactician, while Wentz is a trained football field tactician.

Iron Man - Chris Long

From the day Chris Long signed with the Eagles, he has been a fan favorite, just as Tony Stark is with Marvel fans. Like Stark, Long is known for his witty sense of humor and his affinity for nerd culture (aka the finer things in life). Long even has enough money that he is content donating his entire salary for a year to charity while still giving his best day in and day out. Finally, like Iron Man, Long’s days with the Eagles could potentially be numbered.

Thor - Lane Johnson

When I think of Thor, I think of a strong, likable guy with a quick sense of humor and a slight accent. Who better fits this mold than our guy, Lane Johnson? Not to mention, who else would be able to pick up that hammer?

Hulk - Jason Peters

JP, like Dr. Bruce Banner, is wise beyond his years. He known for being the largest man in the room, and his loyalty is unquestioned. In the newest film, Hulk even does his best to grow a cute little beard, which would only make him an even better fit.

Spider-man - Nelson Agholor

Peter Parker and Nelson Agholor are both known for their friendly demeanor and seemingly innocent persona, yet when the daylight fades, both have been known to find themselves smack dab in the middle of some trouble. Jokes aside, Nelson is a small, quick player who can easily be underestimated, just as a teenager from NYC who doubles a super hero could be.

Star-Lord - Jason Kelce

Seriously, which other player could you envision walking across the surface of a foreign planet singing “Come and get your love” by Redbone? Peter Quill has become known for his silly sense of humor, and if giving an all-time great speech in a Mummers costume isn’t silly, I don’t know what is.

Drax the Destroyer - Fletcher Cox

Straight from Drax’s Wikipedia page: “[Drax’s] powers included superhuman strength, stamina and resistance to physical injury as well the ability to project concussive blasts [of energy]. Tell me that’s not our boy, Cox? I’m not sure how literal Fletcher takes things, but I am sure that I wouldn’t want to find out.

Rocket Raccoon - Ronald Darby

No one would be intimidated — or at least that intimidated — by a lone raccoon, right? However if that raccoon has armor, a pistol, a jet pack, and a group of super-power-possessing friends, like Rocket does, it’s a completely different story. That’s kind of how Darby is. He’s really not that big of a threat by himself, but when paired with a menacing defensive line and a strong safety net (see what I did there?) behind him, Darby is capable of being a solid player.

Groot - Brandon Brooks

While I must admit, BB has a tremendous Twitter presence, but I can’t honestly say that I’ve heard him say a word in real life. All I’m saying is that I can’t rule out the possibility that he can say anything other than “I am Brandon.”

Nebula - Zach Ertz

We are currently experiencing what is likely Nebula’s cinematic climax, and similarly Zach Ertz has probably peaked out. This isn’t a bad thing, however, as Zach Ertz is one of the most dangerous players at his position in the game, just as Nebula is one B.A.M.F.

Black Panther - Malcolm Jenkins

Named after the large cat of the same name, the Black Panther is known for his ability to hunt down his enemies, rarely letting one slip by. Jenkins dominates the field and is often found “hunting down enemies” himself. In addition to this, the Black Panther is the leader of a massive army, a stylish man, and regularly demonstrates his value off of the “battlefield”. Malcolm Jenkins is known as a community leader who is constantly thinking of ways to make change for the better.

Black Widow - Nigel Bradham

Black Widow is among the best athletes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Bradham is certainly a monster of an athlete himself. Black Widow also has a bio-enhanced body that prevents aging and injury. Maybe Bradham, who has missed just two games over his three seasons with the Eagles, should be tested for that...

Captain Marvel - Jordan Howard

In both cases, the newest addition to the team, but also one not to be feared. If their pasts are any indication of their future, the opposing forces better watch out.

Hawkeye - Jake Elliott

All I’m gonna say is, which Avenger would YOU trust from 61 yards out?

Doctor Strange - Jalen Mills

75% chance Jalen Mills owns a cape

Hard to specifically say why you need either of them on the team, but its undeniable that you do.

Ant-Man - DeSean Jackson

Both Ant-Man and DeSean Jackson are tiny little terrors that you’d rather not face. Both are also capable of blowing up BIG TIME when the enemy is least expecting it. Also, Ant-Man and the Wasp are kind of like a gang, right, Chip?

War Machine - Brandon Graham

War Machine is to Iron Man as Brandon Graham is to Chris Long. Iron Man gets all of the credit but War Machine is the hero I’d rather have if you made me choose.

Falcon - Alshon Jeffery

Sometimes it seems like Alshon can infact fly.

Bucky Barnes - Sidney Jones

Bucky Brooks, or the Winter Soldier, is known for having a bionic arm. He also proudly rocks his long hair and is seemingly going to do something great soon. Sidney Jones, however, is known for having a bionic Achilles Tendon. He proudly rocks his dreads, and is surely going to break out this year. Or next. Or maybe the one after that.

Okoye - Rodney McLeod

Black Panthers right hand man woman. If you mess with Malcolm, you mess with Rodney.

Mantis - Isaac Seumalo

I’m not really sure what either of them are ever doing, but usually when you do see them, you see them in a big way.

Scarlet Witch - Kamu Grugier-Hill

The Scarlet Witch is rarely seen, but when she is, she’s expelling all kinds of energy. KGH has been a monster on special teams and has earned more playing time, just as Scarlet Witch should probably just get her own movie.

Wasp - Derek Barnett

Barnett, like the Wasp, has a fairly new story line that I’m looking forward to seeing through. The potential is there, but what does the future have in store?

Malik Jackson - Korg

I honestly don’t know that much about either, but they’re both pretty damn intimidating and I’m just happy they’re on our side.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2019/5/10/18535500/comparing-eagles-players-characters-avengers-endgame-carson-wentz-captain-america-marvel-movie-nfl

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

[hollowedrpg]

CONGRATULATIONS, ROMAN! — You’ve been accepted for the role of Xenophilius Lovegood, with a face claim change to Cody Fern. I was a little worried people would struggle with the vagueness of Xeno’s affliction and how he’s been affected since he was attacked during school, but you wrote it beautifully. I also really enjoyed reading your head canons about his relationship with Pandora, and everything else about Xeno. You really brought his character to life outside of the bio, which is exactly what I’m looking for in an application.

Thank you so much for applying. Please create your account and send in the link, track the right tags, and follow everyone on the follow list. Welcome to Hollowed Souls!

ooc.

name: Roman

age: 26

preferred pronouns: they/them

timezone: EST

activity: medium to high; I’m around to answer messages and plot every day, and am usually able to do at least some replies every other day or so depending on how work is going!

are you applying for more than one character?: not at this time!

how do you feel about your character dying?: I would be comfortable with it as long as it’s discussed and I’d have a chance to pick up another character! The possibility of the death is cool to think about; having a grand ending would be satisfying, especially if it was something that was a long time coming, and contributed to the plot in a big way, which I feel it actually could with Xeno. I’m a sucker for a good slow burn with some angst!

anything else?: (questions, concerns, etc.) I did some assuming on some bits about Pandora and Xeno’s relationship that I’m definitely open to changing or revising if accepted! Also, this has nothing to do with the app, but if missing characters make an appearance later on, I would love to express my enthusiastic interest in seeing Ted Tonks!! I wrote Ted in Port Montrose and I’d LOVE to see what he’s like in this other beautiful AU!!!

ic details.

(cw throughout for ableism, vague mental illness discussion)

full name: Xenophilius Prometheus Lovegood

Xenophilius: from the Greek xenos and philia, respectively meaning strange and love; together, the love of the strange. Klaus and Else Lovegood were never going to choose an average sort of name for their child. Believing in many old practices of the wixen world, upon learning they were pregnant, they sought out a Naming Seer to learn the future of their child, and, therefore, what sort of moniker they would fit. They used what little of their savings they had left from the move for the appointment, as it was an important tradition in Else’s family. The Naming Seer projected a strange life for the child, full of wonder and mysticism, a longing for knowledge and a mind open to the belief of the other that most would reject easily. The Naming Seer suggested Edmund, for the prosperity they saw the child could achieve if encouraged, through academic success. The two laughed, thanked them, and left to do their own research. They came across the word xenophile in one of their very old muggle books about cultures of the world and knew immediately that was the name for their child. If they were going to have an open mind, their name was going to let all who heard it know so.

Prometheus: Greek mythological figure, a titan known for creating man from clay, as well as stealing fire from the gods and gifting it to humanity, starting civilization. Xeno’s parents made this choice very soon after landing on his first name. Klaus had a certain fascination with mythology, and what better than to give her child a name to encourage intelligence and creation at any cost?

Lovegood: As it sounds, a combination of the two English words love and good. This was a surname of the Lovegoods’ own creation upon their immigration to the United Kingdom during the muggle’s World War II. They had no shame in their former surnames, but wanted a blank slate to start over with good fortune. They settled on something to show the simple and true quality of their affections, that their intentions, while some might find them strange, were always good.

date of birth: January 20, 1952

Capricorn-Aquarius cusp

The definition of this contrasting cusp, Xeno is a combination of both signs, hardworking and idealistic, with the ability to view the world in strange ways that few others can, and the intention of opening the minds of those around them. The mind is constantly working, creating brilliant, exciting thoughts and ideas, but the constant flow at times makes him come off as distant or uninterested in the ordinary people and things around him. Speaking with someone born on this cusp can be jarring and intimidating, although intriguing, always prepared to discuss the most outlandish of concepts, but rarely able to stop and process the more mundane, often times forgetting about thinking of what others are feeling.

former hogwarts house: Ravenclaw

There was a brief debate, as Xenophilius approached his eleventh birthday, of whether it would be best to send him to Durmstrang, as that was where both Else and Klaus went, and consequently met each other, but that thought was quickly silenced with a visit from Dumbledore himself, offering a place at Hogwarts for the young prodigy. Xeno researched the schools obsessively during the months this debate was going on, and insisted that he had to be at Hogwarts, because he was clearly a Ravenclaw student. Upon his entrance, the hat barely touched his little blonde head before shouting just that, a self-satisfied grin on the child’s face as he joined his new classmates.

sexuality: demisexual panromantic

For all of his youth, he was much too preoccupied with researching anything that was able to hold his attention for longer than a few minutes to worry about things such as dating and sex. People are not what he truly cares about, as harsh as that sounds, and it takes a great deal for him to feel that sort of attraction to someone. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he is fairly certain part of it has to do with what he saw his parents go through as a child. He can’t remember them ever truly seeming to love each other, despite the stories of their own youths they told him. All he remembers is the shouting and the pain they caused each other, all because of the most mundane problems, as if they had forgotten who they truly were once they had a family. That made him wary of that sort of very human connection, not wanting to lose himself more than he already had. Until things changed, of course…

gender/pronouns: agender + any pronouns (primarily he/him & they/them)

He has no great attachment to any gender at large, and therefore feels the label of something closer to nothing, defying any sort of binary or spectrum, fits him better than anything else could. His being feels unexplainable and it’s something he accepted from an early age. As such, though, he doesn’t truly care what anyone calls him. In fact, a lot of the time he’d rather people just wouldn’t refer to him at all, but that has very little to do with gender.

face claim change: Cody Fern, Jason Ralph, Boyd Holbrook  (If for some reason, Cody Fern isn’t approved anymore and I get accepted, I’d love to brainstorm other alternatives with you before settling on one, as Cody is very much how I envision Xeno!)

more.

1. how do you interpret this character’s personality? how will you play them? include two weaknesses & two strengths.

+ determined, idealistic, brilliant

- aloof, selfish, erratic

Perhaps if life had treated him differently, Xenophilius would be considered one of the greatest minds of his time already. If life had not beaten him into the furthest recess of his mind from the moment he was old enough to understand and question what was going on around him, perhaps that person could have existed, already fully formed, by the ripe age of thirty. But life was not so kind, and even now he can say with certainty that it comes as no real surprise, having studied so much of the world obsessively, researching what he can get his hands on of every possibility that the human mind can dream up to understand the world at large.

At an early age, he retreated into his mind as a form of coping with the outside world, even as the thunderous voices, first of his parents, then of the bullies and naysayers at school, then of everyone, tried to infiltrate his thoughts. Single-minded to the core, focused and determined to solve any question proposed, any long lost mystery left unsolved, it is still so easy for him to fall into weeks at a time of researching furiously, even disappearing for days at a time on his quests for knowledge, once an idea comes to him. Because of this, he was never quite as adept as interpersonal relationships as he might’ve been otherwise, and this only worsened after his accident, when the sounds of the voices became nearly deafening in his mind.

He would much rather spend his time researching whatever concept has caught his interest than interact with his peers, causing him to come off as distant and aloof to many. When he does deign to talk to others for an extended period of time, though, his brilliance does become clear, although so does his erraticism. Enchanted with long lost mysteries, and ideas thought only to be legend and rumor, his speech rambles and raves through dozens of topics by the you’ve caught up with the first. If landing on something he truly does care about, he could speak for hours with supreme eloquence on the matter, although what he cares about and believes in rarely lines up with those around him, and thus is often dismissed as nonsense. He believes wholeheartedly, after all, that consciousness creates and therefore nothing the human mind is able to dream up should be ruled as wholly impossible.

People have always been cruel to him, and he has long ago accepted this as a fact of his life, even if he does do his best to spread good in the form of knowledge. When faced with the negativity, the cruelty, he used to do anything he could to defend himself, including the less refined solutions. He still possesses very little respect for traditional authority, but some of his light, some of the mischief has left him in the years since the fight that left him as he is. Now, it is often times easier to accept that others’ minds aren’t nearly as expanded as his, and they do not wish to be, than to try to argue his correctness. An unwilling audience will not learn, no matter how brilliant of a teacher he might be.

Do not mistake that for him thinking the worst of the world, though. Despite it all, he truly does believe in good, and hopes that one day he can bring the hope that he does feel to others as well by expanding their minds beyond the limitations of the mundane. But he’s convinced himself that he won’t be able to do so as he is now, broken and bent, a shadow of what he could be if not plagued with such a curse.

2. how has the war affected this character, emotionally and otherwise?

Upon waking up in the hospital wing all of those years ago, his mind had become a much darker place. The war was never his, never will be, at least fully, thanks in part to his own blood status, but mostly because of how he feels. It took a long, long time until he realized, truly, what was going on, and then it was only thanks to Pandora that he began to grasp the reality, the gravity of the situation surrounding them.

In the beginning, with only whispers and quiet fights taking place as two sides divided over beliefs, he was unaware, too completely wrapped up in his own quests to set them aside and worry about another battle to fight. After all, in the beginning, he was utterly devoted to finding his own cure, whatever it might take. In a way, Xeno’s selfishness kept him blinded to what was happening, or how he might’ve helped for far longer than it should have.

But then he truly met Pandora, and he fell in love as quickly as he had fallen in love with the pursuit of knowledge to calm his mind. Even without a cure, being with her cleared some of the noise, and he could begin to understand the gravity of what was going on around him. He saw how much the carnage of the war hurt her, saw how deeply and thoroughly she cared for all of these people she didn’t even know, and that is what made him begin thinking more deeply on things.

That is when it began to hurt.

The voices seemed only to grow in volume, overlapping each other, begging for his attention at every turn as he watched his wife become more and more entrenched in a fight that should not have been happening in the first place, in his mind. As the war ragged on, and things grew worse, so did his affliction, as if whatever it was that had caused this was somehow tied to the war itself. That explanation made it feel easier, for him, anyway, even if it made everyone believe he was that much further gone, tying himself to something of such importance.

He retreated further and further into himself, his research falling by the wayside, only Pandora allowed into the true depths of his madness, witnesses the oftentimes nonsensical spurts of morbid inspiration burst from the voices of war in his mind. Among it all, there was, and still is, the underlying desire to do what his wife does, to be able to care so deeply about so many others, but his mind makes it so difficult. He cares about Pandora’s safety above all others’, and those she loves, too, now, but widely is still more concerned about the personal matters first. Still, he tries to help her when he can, would do anything in the world for her if it meant she was happy and at peace, just as she tries to do for him. And perhaps, once he finds his cure, he can do the same for others.

But how could he help now, after all, when he’s so far from whole himself?

3. Where does this character currently stand? with those who wish to hide in godric’s hollow until the war ends, with those who wish to rebuild the order and continue fighting the war, or on neither side? why?

This, all of this, it was not a choice of his own.

He could feel Pandora’s desire to fight, even before the question of what came next was out in the world. And just as it came, so did offer of retreat, of refuge. It was never an offer they could have passed up, no matter how it was spun. Pandora wished to help, to do what she could for those suffering, and prevent any more death from blooming in their midst, and he has always wanted what she wants. His own involvement with the Order had been selfish from the start, anyway, and it was clear that retreating with the Order held the most potential for the expansion of knowledge, the potential of finding a cure, even after all of these years, or even just finding a moment of peace. Just as it was clear that the longer they spent out in the world, amongst the hatred and violence, the worse his condition became, descending further and further from reason.

And so it was not a choice in the first place, and now, here they are, without much choice again.

Stuck in a village full of the memory of death, without a say.

With no personal attachment to the war, and as only an affiliate of the Order, it is hard for him to form a true feeling on what is right for all of them. He has very little desire to stay here for an extended period of time, feels trapped and static without access to the world at large for his research, but the thought of rebuilding to fight is one he’s not certain of either, when the war was never his to start and he feels in no way ready to truly help yet.

When it comes down to it, he would do whatever it is that Pandora believes is for the best for both of them, trusting her more than anyone else in the world, especially as the voices become clearer and he feels himself slipping from sense, even if that meant staying until the war ends.

But he doesn’t feel good here.

It stinks of death, of vile hatred, of curses perhaps even worse than his own. And for the first time, he’s afraid.

It’s strange, in a way, that he hasn’t felt fear like this before, after the countless fights, after waking up and learning he was missing weeks of his life, after being changed beyond his own will because of some sinister magic. Not once before has he felt this fear, but it’s settled square between his shoulders now, twisting a terrible knot of tension, keeping him from finding any true peace here. He’s convinced there’s something here that he’s been searching for. But now that he’s closer, he’s terrified of what he might find, that the answer might be there will never be a cure. That maybe he is mad after all.

4. The voices in Xenophilius’ head have only gotten louder since the war began. How are they now that he’s in Godric’s Hollow? Has anything he heard made sense, or is it just a bunch of gibberish?

There were always voices in his mind, although he had never truly considered them anything to worry about until after the that fateful night when they changed. There were always whispers of unknown sources helping him along with his research, encouraging him to expand his thinking, search out new creatures and potions. Those voices helped create new spells, craft potions no one had dreamt up before, study beasts only thought of in fairy tales.

They’re different now, though, darker, jumbled. It’s rarer that there’s anything clear, so many different voices speaking at once, constantly, but when there is, it’s not as it was, inspiring thoughts and breakthroughs. And they’re all familiar; sometimes he’ll hear his parents, sometimes he’ll hear old schoolmates, Order members.

When he became truly aware of the war, something changed. The voices seemed louder, more persistent, as if determined to hold his attention because of what was going on in the world.

Coming to here, Xeno believed that perhaps being in a place of peace would change that, that it may quiet some of the voices, take the constant dull roar down to a whisper once again, allow him to feel more like himself, allow him to focus on searching for a cure. He was wrong, though.

The voices changed upon his entrance into Godric’s Hollow.

There’s something new there, in the corner of his mind, hidden amongst all of the confusion, the hundreds of voices mixed floating around his mind. It used to be so rare to have a moment of clarity, the voices only working to a crescendo so often. It happens often now, one thought or another winning out, coming to the forefront of his mind in complete clarity and bursting forth into a shock of inspiration.

These bursts of inspiration feel almost close to violent since coming to Godric’s Hollow, taking him over completely, frenzied. He finds himself scribbling in notebook upon notebook madly, frantically flipping through pages of the books they’d brought to their tent from home, muttering to himself as if he may lose the thread of inspiration if he cannot get it out into the world fast enough. It’s exhausting, feeling so much, feeling so out of his own control at times, and he’s certain it has to do with this place.

When they calm again, when he stops from exhaustion, quill drooping in hand, and glances at the pages and pages, it scares him even more. Rarely, now, does what he writes seem to be related to his own research. It seems to be what these voices want, the thoughts made concrete.

He hears them saying names, names of those lost, those gone forever. Hears them telling him to go, then another telling him he must stay, that he is oh, so close to what he needs. He tries his hardest to keep going, but it gets so hard when in the din of voices something so clear rings out, something that seems to mean more.

The most terrifying thing was the first moment he heard Pandora’s voice in his mind, clear as day, the familiar wavering whisper as beautiful as a bird’s song to his ears, one of the first days they had come to Godric’s Hollow. She told him to stay. It shook him to his core, but he hasn’t heard her since, hopes he doesn’t. He hates the thought of his curse touching the most pure thing in his life.

So Xenophilius searches for what they’re trying to lead him to, hoping it is what he needs, that the cure might be at his fingertips, if only he opens his eyes.

extra.

pinterest board!

character tag!

if i were…

if i were a season, i’d be autumn.

if i were a time of day, i’d be dusk.

if i were a place, i’d be a hidden library of forgotten knowledge.

if i were a type of weather, i’d be a thunderstorm.

if i were a scent, i’d be patchouli.

if i were a plant, i’d be a Dirigible plum.

if i were an element, i’d be water.

if i were a color, i’d be bright, warm yellow.

if i were a song, i’d be River by Joni Mitchell

if i were an item of clothing, it’d be a worn, grey duster.

if i were an object, i’d be a moleskin notebook.

if i were one of the seven deadly sins, i’d be pride.

if i were one of the seven heavenly virtues, i’d be diligence.

if i were a god/goddess, i’d be Athena.

on pandora:

He knew. The moment she first treated him in Mungo’s, he knew that he would follow her to the ends of the earth, if she would allow him. It was a strange feeling, not entirely a pleasant one when considering that all his life he had expected never to feel that way about another human being. He wonders how he had missed her at Hogwarts, but then, he had been so entangled in himself, so focused on collecting all the knowledge that he could, that he had hardly made any friends in his own house and year, yet alone others. What mattered is that he had found her now, just in time to keep him from giving up.

After truly meeting Pandora, his single-minded obsession became learning to sign as quickly and proficiently as he could. He wasn’t as fast as he wished he would’ve been, but he learned as best he could, and kept going back to Mungo’s as he learned, an excuse to see her again and talk to her more, especially as he realized that the other healers believed him mad.

She was the first person who truly believed him when he insisted it was the boys’ attack with the dark objects that had caused this, and not a dormant mental illness whose symptoms only appeared after the event. As such, his trust and belief in her was enormous from the beginning, and has not once faltered in the years since.

One of the initial reasons he was so attracted to her was for her pure dedication to a singular cause and the pursuit of knowledge, something he believes in himself. He could see how passionate she was about healing, and how willing she was to do anything to help her patients, not limited to the confines of average healing. He admires her determination and creativity greatly.

The way she cares for people stands in stark contrast to his own ability to do so, which is another reason he loves her so much. He can hardly imagine being so open in caring about others, but he likes to think that she has helped him grow in that regard even slightly. He hopes that she’ll help him grow in that even more, once they’ve found a cure.

If it were not for Pandora, Xeno wholeheartedly believes he would have given up hope of finding a cure, or even peace, years ago. She was able to show him the light in the darkness, and she continues to be that beam of sunlight coming through the clouds of a storm with each passing moment, reminding him that there’s always reason for hope left.

The only times he finds even brief moments of something close to silence is with her. Lying in bed together as they both try to drift into troubled sleep, listening to the steady sound of her breathing, feeling her heat pressed against his, it’s nearly enough to calm the war constantly raging in his mind.

His proposal to her was neither truly romantic or at all dramatic, instead a sort of passing question in the midst of the ever rambling road of his words, his fingers moving just as fast as his lips could, by that time. A question phrased in a way that made it seem more for practicality than it truly was, because he does love her, more greatly than he thought he could ever love one person. A simple it would be easier if we were married, and then the nonchalant production of a ring from his pocket, set on the table in front of her. An amethyst and celestite woven together within a bronze band, charmed to emit a sense of pease and focus, as well as ward off Wrackspurts.

details:

His parents met at Durmstang, and then moved to Berlin, Germany after graduating, working as researchers, of sorts, for a company of like-minded wizards interested in what many would call nontraditional magic. When things began to fall apart in the non-magical world, they made the decision to move to start a family of their own in safety. They settled in London, using up most of their savings to make it there and rent a small flat in Camden.

Despite being a pureblood, Xeno holds none of the beliefs of British pureblood society, in part thanks to be raised by non-British purebloods, but mostly because he can hardly fathom how it is possible to see other humans so darkly. He appreciates what muggles have accomplished without magic, and has even studied much of muggle science and technology out of interest, as well as being interested in proving for them the existence of several of their so-called cryptids.

He has never been able to hold a full time job for long, and stopped trying to do so after years spent in his early twenties trying unsuccessfully in various fields that didn’t truly keep his interest anyway. He would miss days of work without mentioning it, was perpetually late, and rarely actually helped customers with what they actually wanted when in customer service fields. Instead, he earned his money by penning essays and articles sold to various magazines and newspapers on his strange beliefs, as well as selling his research to those who would benefit from it. He dreams of starting his own magazine, if things ever return to normal, if heever finds a cure for his affliction, but right now that task feels impossible given how full his mind is.

He’s started a small garden of strange flora for his and Pandora’s use in Godric’s Hollow. Not much of it is useful to the more ordinary needs of the residents, unless they believe in the oftentimes wild properties Xeno attributes to many of the plants, but he and his wife use many of them for potions and infusions of their own needs, and gladly share if anyone has a desire.

Xenophilius is unable to produce a corporeal Patronus at this time, and has not been able to since waking up in the hospital wing those years ago. Before that, though, his Patronus was an eagle owl.

He didn’t actually seek any healing for what the other students had done to him outside of his own attempts at healing until he was well out of school. As confident as ever, he believed that he could find a cure and do so by himself. When it started interfering not only with his life, but his work, though, he sought out help at Mungo’s. Although most of the healers believed he had gone insane, and most people still do, it was the best decision he made, as it lead him to Pandora.

He hasn’t had any contact with his parents since he graduated from Hogwarts and isn’t certain where they are now, or even if they’re still living. It isn’t that he doesn’t love them, but the childhood that they gave him took too much from him even as they fought to offer him opportunity. He still hears their voices amongst all the others, hears them arguing, only now the anger feels directed at him, not each other.

As well as now being fluent in sign language, Xeno also speaks fluent German, although most of what comes to mind easily now has to do with the cursing that his parents used to do at each other during his childhood.

Not concerned with outward appearances, Xeno very often looks like he rolled directly out of bed and walked into public. While that isn’t usually the case, he could not care less if anyone thinks it is. If he owns a brush for his hair, it has long ago been lost, and many of his clothes are either entirely inappropriate for the occasion at hand, or completely mismatched. There is a method to some of what he wears, of course; the necklaces he always wears, one with a butterbeer cork dangling from it, the other with the symbol of the Deathly Hallows.

#hp rp #rp #marauders rp #lsrpg #roleplay #accepted

[dweemeister]

Pom Poko (1994, Japan)

As one of the co-founders of Studio Ghibli, the late Isao Takahata famously did not know how to animate. Whether because or in spite of that, he became the studio’s philosopher-poet – posing mature questions of ethics and humanity to audiences that no one else working in animated film could accomplish. Takahata’s third film for Ghibli, Pom Poko, breaks the fantasy-reality polarity he shared with Hayao Miyazaki (who just finished 1992′s Porco Rosso and was underway with 1997′s Princess Mononoke).

Yet this is a fantasy striking for its allegorical richness, even if the quasi-documentary, voiceover narration-heavy approach to the story makes this one of Takahata’s weaker films – a weaker film judged within lofty standards, however. The film revolves around a group of tanuki (Japanese raccoon dogs), some of whom can shapeshift, as they combat the ever-encroaching urban and suburban sprawl to their forests. Their tactics are initially successful, but – as consistent with Japanese mythology – their indiscipline, prideful factionalism, and inability to effectively communicate among those growing factions doom the lifestyle they hold dear. Which other director of animated film, past or present, could express those aspects through tanuki, letting them become reflections of the vast tapestry of human behavior? I can think of no one else but Takahata.

It is the late 1960s in the Tama Hills in Kanagawa Prefecture, just southwest of Tokyo. Japan’s post-War economic boom has precipitated into a skyrocketing demand for housing, and the Tama Hills have been designated for significant residential and commercial development. By the early 1990s, New Tama is threatening the tanuki’s forest and resources not provided by human litter and trash are declining. Led by matriarch Oroku, the militaristic Gonta (Takahata’s loving parody of Miyazaki’s dictatorial attitude to work at Ghibli), the wise and wizened elder Seizaemon, and a young up-and-comer named Shoukichi, the tanuki resist the humans by committing sabotage at the construction sites. Some of the leaders advocate for simply scaring or intimidating humans (recall that some tanuki can shapeshift); others are more interested in killing or maiming as many humans as possible. No matter which tactic is adopted, the developers send new and more employees – forcing the tanuki to send a few their own to seek out the advice of master shapeshifters from across Japan.

For older viewers who are creeped out or will not see this film because of its depiction of tanuki testicles, if pure disgust is the only reason why you are discounting Pom Poko from your movie-watching options, you need to be more open-minded in what makes quality cinema. In Japanese art, tanuki have always been shown with their testicles, and often using them in creative ways (as a drum, a backpack, etc.). This is always handled with a wink by Takahata, with no self-seriousness whenever tanuki testicles are being used in transformations.

Pom Poko has been described as an ecological fable within the canon of Ghibli’s pro-environmentalist films like Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), Only Yesterday (1991), and Princess Mononoke. Consumerism and unrestrained capitalism are fundamental to the environmental destruction that occurs, disallowing humans and tanuki from living in harmony as they used to before Japan’s reintroduction to the international theater. But these themes are not fundamental to Pom Poko. The film’s human characters are caricatures, somewhat removed from ever being fully understood by the tanuki. What the tanuki partake in – the ideological divisions that corrode their culture despite a clearly-defined common goal – is the true focus of the film, not the supposed sweeping declarations of how humanity should learn how to coexist with nature. With a story by Miyazaki and the screenplay by Takahata, there are also references to Japanese folklore and culture that will escape almost all Western viewers (including this one), but these never detract from the feelings of cooperation and selflessness, betrayal and disillusionment that define the tanuki struggle against the human developers. Just be prepared to research certain cultural elements that made no sense afterwards.

The tanuki are riven by internal differences that leads to an unorganized response to the human developers’ progress. Central to the quandary is the balance between intimidation, scaring the humans, and violence. Tanuki elders hold mass meetings with the entire populace – due to their species’ tendency to party hard after even the most inconsequential success, their audience seem too distracted to take successive debates and wisdom-laced speeches seriously. There is too little effort to listen to the tanuki leaders and, eventually, master shapeshifters and learn about their disagreements. Such disagreements are embodied in the belligerent Gonta and the peaceful Seizaemon and Oroku. Gonta believes only spectacular violence can alter their apparent fates. He launches unauthorized offensives with the most disgruntled tanuki to obliterate infrastructure and send construction workers to their ghastly ends. Later, Gonta even attempts a failed coup against Seizaemon and Oroku, believing their methodical approach to the situation is leading to their imminent destruction. The violence accomplishes little, as the humans do not understand the root of this ecoterrorism.

Seizaemon and Oroku are more interested in understanding human culture than Gonta, urging transformation-capable tanuki to integrate themselves into among humanity to learn as much as possible. But the transforming tanuki scouts largely observe humanity from a distance, rarely inquiring to humans about the nature of their culture – its history, its contemporary demands, and why its envisioned future is what it is. The first meaningful conversation with a human is initiated by Shoukichi at a moment far too late to salvage the tanuki’s society. When everything else has failed, a fantastical display without words of what was the symbiotic relationship between humans and tanuki will save the latter from extinction. As Seizaemon and Oroku become obsessed in understanding humanity without communicating with humans, they lose sight of the transformations within their own ranks. These two are blindsided by too many things. They fail to anticipate Gonta’s treachery despite obvious signs of his combustible impatience, fail to intuit the widespread inattentiveness of their mass meetings, or – in the most underdeveloped subplot of the film that Takahata should have paid more attention to – fail to detect the fatalism of the non-transforming tanuki that sees them join a suicidal Buddhist dancing cult that results in a massive waste of life.

Pom Poko is a film defined by poor leadership. Their internal discord is preventable and surmountable as the tanuki leaders decide to ignore the welfare of those who cannot transform or those who do not adhere to their adopted strategies. Poor communication is rampant. The rigidity of their beliefs hastens their downfall. Contrary to the expectations of the leadership, the introduction of the shapeshifting masters only exacerbates their dilemma – the masters are basing their approach on ancient anecdotes and an assumption that talking with humans need not be considered. Like in Grave of the Fireflies, pride might be the tragic flaw of the protagonists. But where pride in Grave of the Fireflies leads to the deaths of a pair of siblings, pride is projected onto saving a collective in Pom Poko. When pride presides over a group through its leaders, disaster is destiny.

This is not to say Pom Poko is only a dour piece examining effective leadership. The film is also a broad comedy not above fart jokes, slapstick, and situational humor. One of the funniest, enrapturing moments is thanks to animation directors Megumi Kagawa and Shinji Ôtsuka (both of whom have served in various roles on almost all of Ghibli’s films). Tragicomedy is complicated to execute, and Takahata just about manages the balance here – Pom Poko’s tragedy never interferes with its comedy and its comedy usually does not cheapen the tragedy. Vacillating between the two tones will be jarring for those without grounding in live-action classic Japanese cinema – a bittersweet celebration in the film’s final moments is followed by a closing, ascending shot reminiscent to the final moments of Grave of the Fireflies. There, the tanuki have been forced to assimilate to human culture. Displacement, not just by physical means, abounds. If it is not obvious yet, Pom Poko (the highest-grossing domestic film at the Japanese box office in 1994) should not be considered a gateway Studio Ghibli film and plays better in tandem with live-action Japanese movies.

Behind the scenes, a special relationship that helped Studio Ghibli further cement its place in Japanese popular culture was just beginning. Nippon TV (NTV; a major broadcast network in Japan) chairman Seiichirô Ujiie began to help produce Studio Ghibli films beginning with the studio’s 1993 television special Ocean Waves (a testing ground for Ghibli’s younger staffers; it was released elsewhere as a theatrical film). Pom Poko was the first feature film he co-produced (alongside Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki and Ritsuo Isobe) for the studio, beginning NTV’s long-running association with Studio Ghibli – in Japan, NTV is the exclusive broadcaster of all Ghibli films and is usually the first network to provide breaking news of Studio Ghibli activities. Ujiie was involved in the production and financing of almost every Ghibli film released after Pom Poko – his passing in 2011 made producing new Ghibli feature films much more difficult. Ujiie professed that he was a Takahata fan, once proclaiming that he would fund any of the director’s projects, even if they lost money (such as 2013′s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, in which Ujiie received posthumous credit).

Task any other animation director with Pom Poko, and they would probably deliver a more juvenile, less considered film. Of all Takahata’s films, Pom Poko may be the one work that could only have existed through animation. It is his least intimate Ghibli movie as it adapts an epic war story within a faux documentary structure. On the surface, it seems like Takahata is taking fewer risks than usual because of animation’s necessity here. Look closer and, in the same tradition of Watership Down (1978... though not nearly as serious as this movie), Takahata is sharing ideas seldom depicted in animated or live-action cinema. Pom Poko is not his finest outing nor is he at his most visually inventive. But to compare this with his other films is to compare artworks operating at a mesmerically high standard.

My rating: 8/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here.

#Pom Poko #Isao Takahata #Toshio Suzuki #Studio Ghibli #Hayao Miyazaki #Ritsuo Isobe #Seiichiro Ujiie #Megumi Kagawa #Shinji Otsuka #My Movie Odyssey

[ebjowpdp]

Evaluation.

This module has been a learning process for me, working from home has been like starting from fresh; I simply didn't know where to start. Starting the project along was a task in itself and finding the motivation to carry on producing work. After much dwelling I finally got into the swing of things and have managed to create a full body of work that I can happily say I am very pleased with. My practice has gone down new paths and adapted a different style, something that would've never come about if it wasn't for lockdown. 

Lockdown was the cause of all of my work, it was my theme and has been my muse running throughout. I found it impossible to get into the same way of thinking that I had towards my practice whilst still at uni. I initially planned on creating a body of work that was to be a carry on from 201, the work just didn't quite seem resolved and I was at a position where I was happy to keep digging deeper into the concept of the female form and the fine line between abstraction and representative art working within a restricted colour palette. Who really gets to decide whether my work is abstract or representational? I envisioned carrying on from this via working over my previous work alongside starting new pieces at the same time, however the lockdown left me 305 miles away from the work that I had planned on reworking. 

I gave myself some time out, I found it really hard producing work at a time where I wanted to do anything but. After getting my tumblr underway, I soon found my flow and found myself again looking into the line between abstraction and representational art and how fine that line really is. Working still with a restricted palette and oil paints, I began to work in my usual complementary colour way, red-green hues, in an abstract manner focussing on nothing else but the paint on the canvas. I brought home a select few pieces of canvas to work on over this time period along with lots of paper and the resources that I already had at home. My initial worry was that I would be working in my bedroom with oil paints, so I purchased some low odour white spirits in the hope that this would take the edge off. 

The oil paints worked well and the odour wasn't too bad in my bedroom with the window open for air flow, but I quickly came to a halt with this. I realised I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I needed a concept and a motif to work behind, something that would influence the work I was creating. My ideas were already to work within the uncertainty of lockdown, which was my initial cause for trying out something new, however I started to dig deeper, I wanted the work to be personal, my key word at the time being the word ‘uncertain’. At this point, we had received many mixed messages from the University, which is no one's fault as no one knew how these times were going to pan out, but I decided to write these things down. Going on my one walk a day, I started to note these in chalk on anything that I could, wiping them away as quickly as I did them. From this my thought process quickly went towards the repetitiveness of everyday, the routines and rituals that I had found myself in that had very quickly become the new normal without me even realising. 

From the walks, I then started going on bike rides. I downloaded an app, Strava, that documented the routes that I went on and the stats from my rides. I was intrigued by the maps I was making, each different to the next and quickly made a correlation between the maps and the very first painting on canvas I made whilst in lockdown. The shapes on the painting and the maps left from my bike rides rang a bell of similarity. My work began to revolve around this, but I want sure how I was going to incorporate this into paint. I didn't like my first painting, I had already decided that wasn't the style of working that I wanted to venture with. So I took to drawing, watercolour and charcoal as my experimentation, quickly moving towards the layering of pieces. I had collected a whole bag of scraps from throughout the lockdown period, bits and bobs that I thought could be relevant towards my work at some point and I incorporated these into some of my experiments. Trying to introduce a sense of self into my work, but also removing it at the same time by censoring certain details. My experimentation continued, now working with paint and my green and red palette incorporating the silhouettes of bike paths with the trails of the bike paths testing out which colour ways worked best with one another. I decided that the work was too cheerful, it didn't really embody the lockdown for what it was. So I started to wipe work back, washing my canvases and boards that I have been working on through the entirety of quarantine to build up the layers in my work, with a fresh lick of white acrylic. This happened over and over again. Turning the works themselves into the repetition that my days have become. 

I have always had an interest in the palettes that you are left with after creating a piece of work. They're beautiful, like a piece of work in their own right. So I started to incorporate these into my process too by adding my paths onto the palettes and balancing the light with the dark. But I wanted to take this a step further. Which is when I decided that the pieces of work would become their own palettes. The silhouettes that I added into the ground of each piece were applied and mixed straight onto the work, followed by the black acrylic bike paths. For speeding up drying times, I started mixing my oil paints with emulsion, it left a matte finish which I was happy with at the time, however towards the end I decided to buy some varnish that was added to all resolved pieces. I feel that that was a step I needed to take for myself to make the work as finished. 

I was initially really worried moving my work away from the female form as it has been my motif for the past 3 years now. But I came to the realisation that I am still working with the form, only now it has taken on a different context and meaning behind my work. I used my body to actually trace the bike paths, my body was my means of travel that allowed this work to happen. 

Overall, I have come out of this module with 15 resolved pieces of work. My works have layered and evolved throughout lockdown, each of them taking their final forms which have been handed in as resolved. I felt it necessary that they were all handed in as each and every one of them was a work in process at all times, I worked on them in bulk. Without one piece, I would not have had the other. I finalised the work by creating 2 large scale pieces onto a dry board. I will admit that I hesitated doing this throughout the entire module as I was intimidated by the size difference but I am very happy that I finally did it. The larger scale work allowed me to add more movement in there, working with a variety of different brush types and different mixes of acrylic and water to allow for different levels of light to flow through, also allowing the ground to peep through too. 

I am so happy with where this work has come to and I feel that I am at such an exciting place for me to pick up when entering third year. I have created a body of work that has embodied lockdown for me, and I am hopeful that it is something others can look at and relate to. 

#StudioBook #ResolvedWork

[servicelearning-blog1]

Question #5

What are some things teachers in a standard classroom can do to help students with special needs?

This last question is of particular interest to me, as I found myself working with many children with a large array of disabilities.  I felt a bit intimidated at times, as I was not usually aware of what the disability was that the child had, thus making it difficult for me to modify my interactions with them based on what they needed.  Some children I wasn’t aware were disabled until after interacting with them and finding that my approach wasn’t working.  I also have never had any teaching or training within the realm of special education, which also added to my hesitation.  I found I wanted to help and engage with these students, but I also worried that without any previous experience that I would not provide the type of help or interaction they needed.  I think this is similar to how a teacher like Carla feels.  She is an art teacher.  She sees these students once a week and is given very little information about the specific needs of each student.  Sometimes the child would be in class with everyone, sometimes the child would not be in class, and sometimes the child would be in class accompanied by an aid.  But Carla was never given any heads up to which scenario it would be.  That makes it hard as a teacher to plan projects.  If you have an art project that will span a couple weeks, having students that are there on an intermittent basis creates a challenge.  Do you create separate projects for these students?  Do you try to catch them up?  Or do you let them participate however they feel depending on the class?  Creating separate projects furthers the divide between the students with disabilities and the nondisabled students, while trying to catch those students up with the others may be pushing the bounds of what these students are able to accomplish.  It is actually quite an interesting dynamic to consider.

On specialneeds.com, they offer five ways to help students with special needs.  Included in this article is maintaining an organized classroom to help limit distractions.  They suggest providing struction in some aspects of the classroom, while leaving others less structured.  They also suggest using music and voice inflection.  What they mean is using songs and different types of voices for different activities.  This helps students discern when the class is transitioning to a new activity or help them mimic what they should be doing.  Next they suggest breaking down instructions into smaller, more manageable tasks.  This will help insure that all students understand what you are asking them to do.  Number four is use of multi-sensory strategies.  The more senses you can engage in the classroom, the more likely you are to connect with a broader scope of children.  This also helps students pay attention better by catching their attention in different ways.  Lastly, they suggest giving students with special needs opportunities for success.  What they mean by this, is structuring your lessons in a way that will lead to successful results to keep all students motivated.  Backing this up with immediate reinforcement can also keep morale high.

In a different article on edweek.org, they offer some other tips for “bringing out the best in special-needs students.”  These include discovering your student’s strengths, provide positive role models of people with disabilities, develop strength-based learning strategies, use assistive technology, maximize the power of students’ social networks, help students envision positive future careers and create positive modifications in the learning environment.

There are many possible ways to help aid children with disabilities within a normal classroom setting without separating them, but I think it comes down to how well a school trains their teachers to create this type of classroom environment.

[trippinglynet]

Trial by Fire: A Burning Man Experience by Robert B. Gelman

Trial         by Fire

a Burning Man Experience

by Robert B. Gelman Photos by Leo Nash and Jay Bain

I don't go to the Burning Man festival seeking spiritual enlightenment.  I go because I like to revel in fire, dance and music. Nor do I go to Burning Man because I'm a student of anthropology and civilization, but rather because it's one of the few places on Earth where you can escape the constraints of modern civilization. And I certainly haven't made the pilgrimage to Burning Man these past eight years because I like driving seven hours to immerse myself in a hot, dry, hostile environment.  Yet, I am always amazed at how my experience transcends all of these issues.

I know I must be there, and that I will come away profoundly affected. You might hear something like that from thousands who attend this event, yet each would be talking about an experience that is completely different and unique to them alone. Over the years I've read so many journalistic accounts of this festival, many by brilliant writers, and for the most part, they fail to convey the essence of Burning Man.

My own experience at last year's (1997) event was so intense, it has motivated me to join those before me who have attempted to share in words, this shared experience which defies literal communication. After reading, if you're so inclined, please drop me a note to let me know if I succeeded or not.

Labor Day Weekend 1997

As usual, there were wondrous works of art and performance that enveloped me and elicited my participation (I'm a drummer and part of the drumming collective that leads the procession to the man for his immolation). But even after eight years as part of this project, I was caught off guard and forced to once again re-examine my fundamental belief system, and view of creative expression in particular. I had a life-changing experience as a reaction-to and in interaction with a performance that on the face of it, was just a bunch of aggressive men and women bent on intimidating everyone in their path and burning everything they possibly could possibly get to. I had just met the "Vegematic."

The one fact no-one will dispute about the Burning Man festival is that things explode and burn there. What some might not want you to know is how dangerous these events actually are. Sure, the people designing the big pyrotechnic installations are skilled, but not necessarily professionals (at least in the pyro profession). I happen to know that some of the folks who prepare these displays for the festival enjoy putting their lives at risk in the pursuit of intense experience. I've been guilty of that myself from time to time, as it helps to remind me that I'm  ALIVE.

The point is that this is not a sanitized, safety-bound event in which you need not be concerned for your well-being. You are putting yourself in danger by attending Burning Man. If you forget to drink enough water,  you could die. Not watching where you are walking could make you an unwitting part of a fire-performance, getting injured or worse.

This situation presents an undeniable reality-shift from the world in which most of us live, where we expect governments and businesses to be our surrogate parents, to take care of our needs. We rely on courts to litigate our civil suits when we seek to make others responsible for what happens to us. It would be a much better world in which people would routinely take responsibility for their own well-being and the effects of their actions, in my opinion. That world exists at Burning Man.

The outrageous and absurd costumes, performances, theme camps and behaviors you observe only serve to enhance this shift of perceived reality to the extent that you begin to wonder what is real and what is not. Is that person truly a disgruntled postal worker, or just a stand-up comedian?  Do they really know how big an explosion that contraption will create?  Do I really need to worry whether they will burn down my tent?

Personally, I have no great attachment to everyday reality. I view it like a computer operating system that is useful mostly because it allows me to run the same software as most other people. We have no way of knowing whether there is such a thing as objective reality anyway, so why not enjoy the variety of a new one every now and then?   Burning Man is nothing if not a smorgasbord of alternate realities. This then, is the frame of mind I found myself in on the festival's final day last year.

The anticipation of the "burn" builds the intensity of expression from the moment you arrive. You can feel it in the air. Sexual energy is intensified, primitive instincts usually dormant become shockingly prevalent. You are cro-magnon man, your life is a struggle, but you survive by your will, your wits, and your urge to evolve. And just how do you evolve?   You express yourself.

I choose to express through ritual at this event. The drums I play hearken primitive aspects from within. The fire before me is the altar upon which I must make an offering. I select a treasured instrument, a drum which I have loved and played over time, and designate this physical thing as my sacrifice. Raising the drum above my head, I whirl in dizzying dervish-style until my fingers release their grasp and a thousand eyes bear witness to the short arc of flight. Landing amidst the white-hot embers of the now-fallen Burning Man, the sacrificial drum is vaporized in seconds. My catharsis achieved, I am now free to roam the desert playa, a character reborn to engage in human drama.

That's where I was when I encountered the Vegematic. It's straight out of hell, suggesting engineering from the industrial revolution transported to Fritz Lang's Metropolis.  Part vehicle, part flame-thrower, part earth drilling device, I envision this machine being used to battle creatures in a 1950's monster movie, or to torture souls of the damned in the realm of Satan. I'm immediately fascinated.

Sitting atop the thing,  its creator Jim Mason invokes the motor which rotates the intimidating giant drill-bit head.  A pressurized gas-charger   propels a massive flame as much as seventy feet from the barrel at its center. A hand-crank allows Jim to raise the angle of the barrel to about 45 degrees so that it is now pointing at a large helium balloon about forty feet away.

I notice that there is a now a crowd gathered around this scene, made up of others who like me, find something about this spectacle compelling, at least for the moment. They may well be gentle loving people in another reality, but this is an angry mob, bent on destruction, preferably by fire. "Burn it!" the shout goes up as I hear the ominous groan of the Vegematic's motor for the first time.

A man with a bullhorn, known in the performance world as "Chicken John," offers a warning to the owners of the camp with the helium balloon: "step aside." Faced with this machine and the angry mob, that's exactly what they do. Then in an instant,  a very loud, very hot, very bright arm of flame reaches out for the balloon, clenching it in a heated grasp. The explosion it creates is awesome enough to quiet the mob. Just a little, and for just a little while.

The visual appeal of the helium blast has swelled the ranks of the mob following the trail of the Vegematic. The ignition of the first target seemed to simply feed their hunger for more fire. Like medieval villagers, we migrate on to the next camp.

Here, a young artist (whose name I did not get) is sitting around a camp fire with his friends at the foot of a sculptural masterpiece he had created and called "The Agony of Man." [Note: the art was Future Primitive by Steel Neal. The piece survives today.] I had heard that this fellow did not consider himself to be a "real" artist, and he was just building something to burn, in the spirit of the festival. I admit this is hearsay, but I understand that seeing how his work affected attendees at the festival changed his perception of himself as an artist, and of this work. Perhaps it should not be burned after all.

The Vegematic wheels into position directly in front of the 20-foot high wood and metal sculpture. Mason is revving the the drill-motor as if it were a race car. The  ominous whine it omits is the cue for Chicken John on the bullhorn.  "Step aside!" he warns the bystanders.

Three of the four people who were seated in the path of the fire cannon were safely behind it in about two seconds after that warning. One was not. The artist, rising slowly from his seat before the campfire, folds his arms and shakes his head to tell the confronting horde that he will not step aside and allow his work to be destroyed by them.

Chicken John repeats his instructions, more insistently now. Jim releases a small blast of fire, sort of a warning shot to indicate the verity of his intention. All of a sudden I find myself overcome with emotions of all kinds flooding in from the darkest corners of my psyche.

"What is going on here?" I ponder. "What am I doing here?" Is this newly transformed artist ready to die ablaze to protect his work? Will these "performers" make good on their threat? What is really being played out here? I am worried about the behavior of this mob. If the Vegematic does not destroy this thing, will the crowd accept that, or will they take control of the machine and destroy it themselves?

All these questions and not an answer in sight. I knew though, that I was engaged in direct interaction with some of the ugliest aspects of our human nature, and I was afraid. I did not know exactly where the line was to be drawn on the violent destruction of property (people?), and I knew that the behavior of the mob was real and based on suspension of disbelief. The most frightening aspect of this scene is a crowd being whipped into an increasingly destructive mood. A crowd for whom all of this is not performance, but immersive reality.

My mind was reeling with "what-ifs." What if they actually  injured this man? What if the uncivilized mob overpowered the rational "audience?" What would I do? What could I do? Am I responsible for this by simply being here? Again, the answers are more elusive, yet I am unable to simply turn away.

It must have been only a few seconds, but they were some of the tensest I've ever felt, as the showdown reached its climax. The artist is still standing his ground, and finally the Vegematic disengages and begins to move on. This failure to destroy the work and the man sends a wave of visible (and audible) discontent through the mob...and a new bubble of fear to my chest.

Even as I am questioning my reasons for following this spectacle, I know I have to continue. This has now become much more than performance art with fire. This is the confrontation of good and evil in a cosmic allegory, revealing the truth of our nature in the process of unfolding before me.

I notice that we've been on this destructive quest for nearly an hour, the steadily growing crowd around the Vegematic cheering madly as all manner of flammable material meets its end before the machine. Shelter structures, miscellaneous sculptures and other property have become fuel for the flames. Each time Chicken John would shout "step aside!" (and eventually the mob joined-in on this chant), then Jim would rev the motor and let the jet-propelled fire out into the night.

Inevitably,  the field of available targets had just about been exhausted. That is, all but one very big one. We are now headed straight for the festival's main stage. This large A-frame structure had been host to numerous music and dance performances over the course of the festival, and in the hours following the burn, it was home to the DJ's spinning techno and trance rhythms for the "community dance" (spelled r-a-v-e). The tool of devastation on wheels cut a path through the crowd of dancers to a position directly in front of the DJ console on stage. The surrealism of this vision has me cursing the fact that I am out of film.

As if to underscore the difference in mindset between the trance-dancers and the mob, instead of issuing his usual warning, Chicken John jumps onstage and insists to the DJ, "Play some Led Zeppelin!" The Vegematic lets out a motorized groan and a flaming belch in response.  The overgrown drill-bit nose is now dripping gasoline in flames like the devil with a wet cold. A scene from Hieronymous Bosch's painting of "Hell" flashes across my mind.

The DJ is Goa Gil, and perhaps due to his nature, or perhaps the fact that he has come all the way from India, he is hardly reacting to the implied threat. In fact, he is turning up the volume in peaceful defiance of the metal invasion in front of him. With all due respect for the views of others, I've had my doubts about the professed spiritual nature of these dances. I do however, believe that intent is well more than half of the journey. I wondered if these frenetic dancing kids knew how their faith was about to be tested.

I didn't have to wait long to find out… The crew of the machine is tilting the flamethrower's barrel up at the console.  Gil is staring down the 12-foot barrel of this jet powered char-broiler. I had to remind myself that this is theatre, or is it? I'm still not sure. "Burn it!" the mob chants, "Burn THEM!" in a mantra of destructive abandon that causes me to feel a mix of shame and fear and apprehension (fuel for enlightenment).

Like an opposing pacifist army, the ravers are standing their ground, some shouting in defiance of the threat, some in disbelief that this could really be happening. Chicken John, like the demented circus ringmaster that he is, issues his now-familiar warning over the bullhorn. We seem to have traveled back centuries in time. I don't remember ever feeling farther from home than this.

For only the second time among at least a dozen confrontations, the Vegematic is backing down, leading one to feel that there may indeed be hope for these humans, and perhaps there is something that purifies and bonds us together in the music and dance.

Final Showdown

This story is not quite over. There is one more challenge that we've been waiting to see the Vegematic meet. Jim had envisioned this encounter from the start, and has gone to great expense and effort to make it real. He has created a 15-foot high ball of solid ice in the middle of what is known as Black Rock City. Using a giant Fiberglas mold, Styrofoam and hay bales for insulation, a refrigeration unit had been employed onsite for days to freeze water that was poured into the mold. On Saturday (one full day prior to this encounter), the casing was removed and the glory of this work was revealed.

There it stood, in utter defiance of the desert heat and all the fire that was to surround it over the next 24 hours. A snowball in hell. I was surprised at how little it had melted in the day's sun, but was certain that a giant ice ball would become a giant puddle after the onslaught of the Vegematic's fire gun and drill. The drama continued to unfold.

The nose of the Vegematic is aimed for the center of the frozen sphere. It will bury its drilling blade in the outer surface of the ball. It will then drill its way into the center of the ice. From there, the flamethrower's power will be maximized, melting the chilly sculpture from the inside out.

The crowd is larger than ever, and shouting for violence against the target. As far as I can tell, there are no cheerleaders for the ice. As the monster machine moves into place against the ice, the familiar sound of the motor is drowned by mob-noise. The drill turns, but the ice is apparently tougher than expected. Jim resorts to using the fire to soften her up. Whoosh, whoosh, again and again the fire spews forward, the drill bit revolves and the battle of the elements plays itself out. This continues for some time, until the remaining fuel is spent.

The Morning After

The ultimate truth of this journey (internal and external) was evident the next morning for all to see.  In a way, I half-expected to return here and find no evidence of the previous night's experience whatsoever. Instead, right where we left it during our night of fire was the Vegematic, it's rusting drill-nose buried just a few inches in the ice ball, out of fuel and out of luck.

I'm not sure whether the great truth I was seeking was actually embodied in this tableau, but I was satisfied with the outcome. It's easy to make poetic comparisons about fire and ice, but for me the intensity of the experience came from those unanswerable questions and what  they told me about myself and my fellow man. Something ugly. Something beautiful. I am grateful for the mirror.

The ice had won - this time. Next time, who knows?

#1997

[sherylodriscoll-blog]

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[itsraininginspace]

Aegishjalmr/Aegishjalmur, The Helm of Awe Symbol and Its Meaning

When we think of Norse mythology, one of the first things that come to mind is the great deal of symbolism within it. It simply is not possible to understand Norse faith without having a good grasp of Norse symbols and their meanings. That is why we thought it is time to start going over them one by one. So, here comes Aegishjalmr/Aegishjalmur/Ægishjálmr, the Helm of Awe and Terror, one of the most prominent Viking symbols.

The Norsemen were a hardy race, battling the ravages of nature in some of the most inhospitable lands ever voluntarily populated by humans. The Viking warrior was tall, broad and muscular; fearless and universally feared in battle.

Through their legends, we know of one charm that conferred upon them the last two of those qualities: Aegishjalmr, the Helm of Awe and Terror.

The Origin of the Name ‘Aegishjalmr/Aegishjalmr’

‘The name Aegishjalmr is a compound word comprised of two root words, ‘Aegis’ and ‘Hjalmr’. In Old Norse, Aegis meant ‘shield’ and Hjalmr meant ‘helm’.

The word ‘helm’ is itself the root word for ‘helmet’, a fact that becomes the source of an enormous amount of confusion over the interpretation of the word ‘Aegishjalmr’. The prevalence of the word ‘helmet’ over ‘helm’ among users of the English language has fueled the misconception that the name referred to an actual, physical helmet that was worn in battle.

  In truth, a correct understanding requires one to stay loyal to the translation of the original root word, Hjalmr as ‘helm’. The word ‘helm’ means ‘at the forefront’ or refers to an elevated position that oversees all.

Thus, the Aegishjalmr really referred to a symbol that was marked on the forehead and between the eyes of the Viking warrior before battle. We know this to be true from the Volsungasaga (Saga of the Volsung Clan), an Icelandic tome that dates back to the 13th century and speaks of the rise and fall of the Volsung clan.

In Chapter 18, one of the heroes of the saga, Sigurd, speaks to Fafnir, a man turned into a dragon by the curse placed on a hoard of gold he coveted, just before they do battle. Fafnir tells him of his exploits as a young warrior and speaks of the Aegishjalmr which gave him victory in every battle:

An ægishjálm I bore up before all folk… so that none dared come near me, and of no weapon was I afraid, nor had I ever seen so many men before me, and yet deemed myself stronger than them all; for all men were greatly afraid of me.

The Sorla þáttr, written by two Christian priests in the 14th century speaks of the Aegishjalmr as the ‘Helmet of Horror’. In it, one warrior warns another not to look the enemy knight in the face because he wears the Aegishjalmr. However, the text seems to imply that the said helmet is a physical shield donned by the knight.

  The Origins of the Aegishjalmr Symbol

When one studies the Aegishjalmr closely, it becomes fairly easily recognizable as a symbol of protection rather than an offensive one.

There is a circle at the center surrounded by eight prongs, four in the cardinal directions and four in between those. The ends of the prongs have three points each and may be represented as either curved or straight lines but are seen far more often in the former style.

Sometimes, the Aegishjalmr is shown with a circle of runes around it but this is a stylistic addition made in recent times and no actual Aegishjalmr has ever been found displaying that design.

The central circle represents the circle of protection within which the bearer is safe. This is a representation common to many cultures and is similar to the Magic Circle of protection and invocation used in Wicca.

The eight prongs represent protection against evil intent, perceived or otherwise, from all directions.

In the Aegishjalmr, it is believed that the presence of the crossbars strengthened the spell just as physical crossbars on an outward-pointing spear would afford greater protection in real life.

The eight points of the Aegishjalmr are actually tridents, a very common symbol in Hinduism. Shiva, the Destroyer of worlds, is always depicted in Hindu iconography as holding a trident, called a trishool in Sanskrit.

The Hindu trishool also often sports the same horizontal crossbars immediately under the trident head as seen in the Aegishjalmr. The three horizontal lines are also a very common ‘tilak’ or forehead marking among followers of Shiva. They may be drawn right across the forehead or just at the center.

There is abundant evidence of the shared roots of the European and Indian people, particularly through the migration of the Aryan people to the subcontinent.

However, there is also evidence that certain elements, particularly the trident shape may be of a more localized origin. The trident is sometimes depicted in the shape of the Algiz rune, which is the ‘z’ of the Elder Futhark runic alphabet. Algiz itself means ‘Elk’ and its shape is reminiscent of the animal’s antlers.

The Algiz has also been interpreted as a man with his hands up to the heavens in supplication or as a flower opening up to the sun, a metaphor for receiving the knowledge and protection of the divine world.

It may be so that the proto Indo-Europeans held the shape of the trident in high esteem before the original split of the two groups and that it came to be interpreted and represented in similar ways in the branching cultures it preceded.

  How Did the Aegishjalmur Work?

There are various sagas which refer to the Aegishjalmur but none go into any detail of the mystery of its workings. There is a discernible difference between what the stave was said to be capable of achieving as a symbol in early stories and later ones.

In early tradition, the Aegishjalmur was applied to the forehead of the warrior using a stained image of the symbol carved into lead or copper. He then said the phrase “Aegishjalm I carry between my brows”. This ritual was said to assure victory in battle.

Later versions, dated to the 14th century onwards, when Christianity had been accepted by large swathes of the Scandinavian populations, saw the appearance of physical Aegishjalmr helmets that could be worn. These helmets had abilities far greater than the ones envisioned in the preceding sagas.

Placement

The placing of the Aegishjalmur between the eyes of the warrior is also an insightful clue to two things that we understand about the symbol today.

First and foremost, the placement tells us that the symbol would have been a small one. It was not emblazoned on the chest or upon the helmet; the entire intricate design had to fit within a space that was just about half an inch wide.

This hints strongly at the fact that Viking warriors did not see the Aegishjalmur as an object of physical intimidation. It is completely unlike, say, a terrifying horned mask bearing a menacing countenance that would act as a source of dread and strike fear in the hearts of enemy troops who laid eyes upon it.

No, the Aegishjalmur was a personal charm. It would probably never even have been perceived by an opposing warrior for its small size. This would be particularly true in the heat of battle, where the movements of attack and defense by the warrior bearing the charm would render it virtually indistinguishable from his face.

The second thing at which the placement hints is again the origins of the symbol. Placing a mark between the eyes is a prominent aspect of the Indic religions because it was believed to be the location of the mystical Third Eye.

In eastern traditions, your left and right eye see the physical world. The Third Eye, located between them, is the Mind’s Eye. It perceives all things beyond the apparent or physical. This idea gels perfectly with the Aegishjalmur’s ability to induce awe and terror in the mind of the opponent even before the battle is joined.

The design of the Aegishjalmur gathered energy at the point where it could be projected out upon its intended targets (who would be seen as aggressors that intended to do the bearer harm). The Third Eye sought out signs of weakness within them that would fall prey to fear and terror.

It then unleashed those individuals’ greatest fears to protect the bearer.

When Fafnir spoke in the Volsungsaga, “…none dared come near me…”, this was perhaps the truth of the Aegishjalmur’s power to which he alluded.

Seidr (say-der)

Seidr is a branch of Old Norse magic that dealt with fate. Masters of seidr could perceive the lines of fate woven into the existence of a particular person or thing and alter it minutely to affect its future, rewriting the hand of destiny.

In practice, seidr was said to be able to cloud the perception and judgement of the people in the vicinity of the practitioner, usually a woman. They could make things appear unlike their true form, make an observer completely miss something (hide something or someone in plain sight) or even forget something that they did see.

It was the first of those three that the Aegishjalmr would have to achieve for it to work on the battlefield. It is thought that wearing the stave made the people around the warrior, both friend and foe, perceive him differently.

To those who fought by his side, he would be a vision of fearless power and battle readiness, ready to cleave the enemy with his individual weapon and lead them collectively to resounding victory. Soldiers on the opposing side would see a terrifying vision of an invincible warrior that they had no chance of defeating and would lose heart at his very sight.

It is unclear, though, how the seidr would work on a warrior through the Aegishjalmr. From all accounts, seidr only works within a given area around the shaman or witch; the more powerful and skillful they are, the larger the circle and the people over which they can hold their spell.

However, an Aegishjalmr is worn by the warrior and not by the practitioner of magic. Would a blessed spell cast directly upon the warrior with the stave have the ability to convey the same illusions that only the magician could control?

Certainly, warriors were not magicians in the same way that we do not have fighter pilots who are Navy SEALS today. In that sense, if the Aegishjalmr did work via seidr, it would have been of a form of which we no longer have any knowledge.

Invisibility and Other Gifts

Invisibility is perhaps the aspect that is least well-known and also the least supported by much of the surviving literature of the age of the Vikings. It is alluded to in later material, when the Aegishjalmr is considered a physical helmet, quite unlike what was imagined in its first iterations.

Again, exact descriptions and pictures are non-existent and one can only surmise from the material that it was shaped to a point, much like the hats wizards and witches were supposed to have worn. Pointed hats were always associated with improvement of mental acuity and prowess; in fact, the ‘dunce’s hats’ that children were forced to wear in school were shaped such for that very reason.

Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle (Der Ring des Nibelungen) takes the idea to fantastic extremes with an Aegishjalmr named Tarnhelm conferring upon its wearer the ability to not only become invisible, but shape-shift and even teleport.

It is perhaps a sign of the times that the warrior’s stave of invincibility is today sometimes promoted as some sort of love spell to ‘guarantee victory’ in the bedroom. Needless to say, the Aegishjalmr does not do anything of the sort and was never meant for inane pleasure-seeking. It is a construct of a time when life was harsh and brutal, and death was ever-present.

The Life of an Aegishjalmr

It was not so that once the symbol was applied to a warrior, he would forever be invincible; the magic behind Aegishjalmrs was finite. No material exists that alludes to the exact longevity of the spell and it is unclear whether it lasted for a skirmish, a battle or a campaign.

However, it is clear that it did follow a rule of diminishing returns. In the Volsungasaga, when Fafnir taunts Sigurd with the feats he has performed and the warriors he has killed he has killed using his Aegishjalmr, Sigurd replies:

Few may have victory by means of that same ægishjálmr, for whoever comes among many shall one day find that no one man is by so far the mightiest of all.

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