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becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys · 25 days

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I'm an A-Level student and so many of my classmates use ChatGPT for essays in Law and RS and stuff - like, they sound proud of themselves, as if they're cheating the system and being clever? Just makes me feel very bleak. What are we doing man

Well, the unfortunate news for them is that they are going to struggle if they make it to uni.

This is the big problem with AI - it cannot analyse a single thing. If I were to say to you "What are the features Tumblr users would most want and why?", you are a human being with a brain and experiences and decision-making skills, and you could probably sit and come up with an answer. You would base that answer on things you personally find lacking, or want to see; you would also base it in things you have seen others bemoaning on the site.

For example, I reckon I'd say something like:

The permanent ability to boop people with a cat paw, which is implemented as opt-in. Also customisable, so you can choose whether you want a random cat paw to appear on your screen each time it happens to you. Also a different animation for super boop/evil boop, and maybe more boop options than those two, and maybe also different paw colours.

Actual enforcement of hate speech rules. We all agree to them when we join, so it's perfectly legal to delete someone for spouting Nazi shit AND YET.

No more banning or censoring queer folks' accounts

More ability to adjust the interface for disabled bloggers, e.g. colour and contrast, font, layout, switching off moving GIFs or other animations by default, etc.

Tag editing, it's frustrating having to delete whole tags.

Tag memory! Where have my tags gone??? For a year now I have slightly better luck on desktop, but for the most part, which of my tags are remembered by autofill and which are never, ever offered to me has been wholly divorced from how often I've used them. And my tags are often lengthy and odd, so it's become much harder to use mobile.

No data scraping. This is the anti-cap site thank you. Also on that note, get rid of the For You section and any other algorithmic tracking, because it's just as likely to show you a Nazi blog as an anti-Nazi one as long as you have spent any time at all discussing Nazism.

Better blocking ability, on that note.

Better search function

I could go on, but you get the idea. That's analysis that I've done, based on discussions I have seen and taken part in, and my own experiences.

I just asked ChatGPT. Here's what it had to say:

"Tumblr users have diverse preferences, but there are several features that many users would likely appreciate: 1. Improved Content Discovery: Tumblr is known for its vast array of content, so improving content discovery mechanisms such as personalized recommendations, trending topics, and enhanced search functionality can help users find more of the content they enjoy. 2. Enhanced Customization Options: Tumblr users value the ability to customize their blogs extensively. Providing more themes, layout options, and customization tools can empower users to express themselves creatively and make their blogs unique. 3. Integration of Multimedia Formats: Tumblr is a platform where users share various types of multimedia content, including images, GIFs, videos, and audio. Enhancing support for different media formats, improving media upload and management features, and optimizing the viewing experience can enhance user engagement. 4. Improved Mobile Experience: Many Tumblr users access the platform via mobile devices. Therefore, optimizing the mobile app for better performance, usability, and feature parity with the desktop version can greatly enhance the user experience. 5. Community Engagement Features: Tumblr has a vibrant community, so features that facilitate interaction among users, such as improved messaging, reblogging, tagging, and commenting functionalities, can foster a sense of community and increase user engagement. 6. Content Moderation Tools: Given the diverse content on Tumblr, providing users with robust content moderation tools, including options for filtering, blocking, and reporting inappropriate content, can help ensure a safer and more enjoyable experience for all users. 7. Monetization Options for Creators: Many Tumblr users are content creators who would appreciate opportunities to monetize their content. Introducing features such as ad revenue sharing, subscription-based content, or integrated e-commerce capabilities can incentivize creators to produce high-quality content and invest more in their Tumblr presence. 8. Accessibility Features: Improving accessibility features such as alt text support for images, screen reader compatibility, and customizable text sizes and color schemes can make Tumblr more inclusive and accessible to users with disabilities. 9. Privacy and Security Enhancements: Enhancing privacy controls, data protection measures, and account security features can help users feel more confident and secure when using the platform, which is especially important given concerns about online privacy and security. 10. API and Third-Party Integration: Opening up Tumblr's API and allowing for easier integration with third-party services and apps can encourage innovation and development within the Tumblr ecosystem, providing users with more options and flexibility in how they use the platform. Overall, focusing on improving content discovery, customization options, community engagement, and user safety while also providing opportunities for creators to monetize their content can help Tumblr retain and attract users in a competitive social media landscape."

It's possible that feels alright, on first glance. But take a closer look.

Every point made is vague, and disconnected from any real life examples. In the very first point, it thinks we want better search functions (yes!) but also more algorithmic recommendations (no!). It wants us to have personalised recommendations AND better security, in fact, which are incompatible - but an LLM doesn't and can't know that. Monetisation of the platform is something that has historically faced appalling backlash from users, and this thing is suggesting ad revenue sharing and subscription services.

Because, its suggestions are generic suggestions. These are not Tumblr-specific. No mention of queerphobia, no mention of Nazis, and absolutely zero understanding of what the specific users on this site actually want.

... all of which is to say...

It's what is academically known as descriptive work. It lays out some facts, but there's no depth, no analysis, no interpretation of those facts at all. Why would we want third party integration? What apps are we calling for? Give examples. Would that aid ad-blocking? Search functions? In that case, wouldn't third-party integration be tackling the symptoms and not the cause? Shouldn't we work better ad-blocking and search functions into Tumblr at a base level?

And in school - even up to A Level - that's okay. You won't get top marks for that, because it's all too vague and too descriptive, but it's fine. School-level assignments tend to be more broad and less applied, too, which LLMs fare better with.

But in university, you start with descriptive facts, and then you are expected to analyse. If you cannot analyse, you run a very real risk of failing. Which means if you've spent your GCSEs and A Levels not bothering to learn those analytical skills and letting ChatGPT do the work for you, you are going to face an extremely uphill struggle when the expectations of study increase.

So, to round off, try not to get too discouraged. You know you aren't doing it, which means you are the one actually learning and developing and growing. Others will learn eventually, and probably more painfully. You do you!

#asks #chatgpt

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lilac-gold · 3 months

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i know that this is just a part of how omori's fight system operates, but i find it very interesting that we are able to make memes like the one pictured below considering all we know about hero's character throughout omori, both in the real world and in headspace

this meme is made by using hero's "smile" skill as well as a rain cloud, sad poem or anything else that inflicts a sad emotion on him. hero's skills are primarily always either food-based healing (e.g. "cook", "fast food", "homemade jam", "snack time") or some form of charisma (e.g. "captivate", "mesmerise", "enchant", "dazzle"). it's hero's job to be the support of their team, and to use his pleasant demeanor and appearance as a distraction.

no matter which emotion hero has, he can still use every one of those skills. it is of no relevance how he feels as long as he can uphold his designated role as a charmer and a healer.

now, consider real world hero's way of dealing with things, which is that he simply doesn't. when he returns to faraway, he's there for everyone else, appearing on the surface to be completely fine and content, and simply not acknowledging his own trauma. he puts on a constant facade of normalcy and perfection. because to hero, it doesn't matter which emotion he has, he can still use every one of his skills. it is of no relevance how he feels as long as he can uphold his designated role as a charmer and a healer.

hero would bend over backwards to please others. he canonically has depression, but would much rather be someone else's shoulder to cry on than admit he's not okay. everyone puts him on a pedestal, viewing him as a sort of ideal to look up to. sunny does it. kel does it. his parents do it. even hero himself does.

i think that's part of the reason why he's so often overlooked by the fandom: hero's unrealistically perfect, but that's exactly the point. he forces those expectations on himself, forces himself to earn trophies and medals even while he struggles to even get out of bed. he smiles despite wanting to do the opposite, because he's not supposed to be depressed. he's hero.

his charm-based skills in headspace alternate between a) reducing foes' attack with a bonus happy effect and b) acting first with all foes targeting him for one turn. hero either dissolves the situation a little, acting like the mediator he always has been, or takes the blunt of the damage for his friends.

he's constantly in the spotlight, in every world.

headspace hero has done a ridiculous amount to help people, from stopping a wildfire to giving up all of his organs, has made such a profound impact on so many lives through his good deeds, and that's recognised. people in headspace adore him.

the conveyor belts at the junkyard are endeared to him. sweetheart falls in love with him. mr jawsum plans to essentially keep him trapped working at the last resort forever. medusa thinks he's "too pretty to sell". hero's worth something to so many people, even when he doesn't want to be.

and that applies to the real world too. he's the only older sibling left for his friends after mari's death. he has to be strong for them, to be that ideal, because they have no-one else to fill that role. he brings kel and aubrey together, rescues sunny and basil, says that they should have a sleepover like "old times". he's trying so hard for everyone else, he can't afford to let himself crumble.

hero's a performer. and we see canonically that he has at least some stage fright from sweetheart's quest for hearts.

sweetheart's an interesting case. i find it interesting that the image above would be found mostly in the fight against her. sweetheart is one of the bosses with a uniquely heightened emotional state, hers being that of happiness in "manic". due to the way the emotion system in battle works (explained to us, funnily enough, by hero himself), it makes sense to oppose sweetheart's mania with sadness, misery, and depression.

so that's what hero does! he has the depressed effect, he'd otherwise look incredibly morose, but as soon as time calls for it, he's got a smile back on his face. we see how uncomfortable he is about her advances, but he gives her a smile that sets into motion a whole separate stream of dialogue where sweetheart proclaims her that she would like to "make [his smile] mine".

hero's the group golden boy. the charmer, the healer, the protector, the older brother, the pillar for them to lean on when things get tough. he knows that he is, and upholds that image to the best of his ability.

that is, until mari dies.

then, he falls into a deep, serious state of depression in the real world, because he's failed. he and mari have strived for perfection their whole lives, only for her to apparently deem it all pointless and leave them behind. hero feels like he wasn't enough, like he never will be, no matter how much he's tried. the faked grins disappear alongside those which were genuine, for how is he supposed to smile when he's given up on the facade?

he stops talking to people. stops going outside. stops helping. he can't do anything but reflect on his perceived failures, and without his pillar of support, the group crumbles to pieces.

hero stays like that for a whole year, until he argues with kel and remembers the reason why he needs to stay alive. this is hurting his brother as much as it is hero, and kel's depending on him to get better. so he does, in a way.

he earns medals and trophies again, helps out again, lives up to expectations then exceeds them even more. he can't bring himself to do the things he enjoys anymore, or talk to the three kids he viewed as little siblings and he failed, but he's trying. then, he leaves, off to medical school like his parents wanted. it's a fresh start. it's a chance for him to start to move on.

he's been healing, a little, by the time he comes back to faraway. he can talk about what mari would have wanted without breaking down entirely. he can make kel and sunny breakfast. he can bring the group together like old times, and reminisce on all he used to have.

but he's still not better, and it shows. it shows in the tears he spills when alone beside mari's old piano. it shows in his refusal to visit her grave. it shows in all the little ways he can try to hide, can cover up with a smile too bright to be real. depression doesn't go away that easily, no matter how much hero tries to pretend he's fine.

all in all, i think this meme essentially sums up hero's character and arc in a single, otherwise funny image. am i overcomplicating things? oh, definitely yes. was this a blast to analyse nonetheless? absolutely! there are far too few takes on hero out there, and i hope this gave a little bit of insight as to why i adore him so much.

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biscuitboba · 6 months

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I see people sometimes saying things like "yeah zoro is deeply infatuated but i can't see luffy reciprocating", "luffy is just too ace for me and i just can't imagine him being with anyone:/??"

[Speaking of ace luffy headcanon, begging people to reconstruct their view about ace people cuz it almost sounds like "ace people are incapable of loving/being in a relationship" sometimes:(]

People always talk about roronoa zoro and how he loves (whatever platonic or romantic, you named it) his captain. Because this is by default is the easiest thing to do. It's clear to see. You can see zoro's love, laid bare, palpable throughout the whole series. But honestly, what about luffy?

Disclaimer: these are my takes that are purely based on how i interpret zolu, so like honestly i'm just offering to share some of my (and probably other zolu people too) thoughts(?) about zoro and luffy (specifically luffy)

I think the first thing to establish is that with luffy, it's about the subtlety behind his every actions and words.

The way monkey d. luffy loves

It's about the way luffy understands roronoa zoro. Both zoro and luffy are probably the one that understand each other the most. Both can understand each other ohh so easily, i've talked about this before, here. Throughout the whole one piece you can see them exchanging glances or maybe a few words, or maybe you can even see them understanding each other just by reading each other's body language! guessing what's on the other person's mind, or what they are about to do. They just get each other. They are also very in sync and compatible (approved by mihawk!!), very comfortable with each other, and happy with each other... and really, that only makes sense, because understanding is such a key element in a relationship! Cause what is love without understanding right??

I'd say it's about the way luffy leans on zoro the most, how he listens to his words, how zoro is his sturdy rock. Luffy is a captain and he is quite prideful, but he is willing to lean on his first mate when he needs it. It's about how zoro's the one that will be strong for him when luffy himself is incapable of doing so, it's about zoro being his number one anchor. (Another 'of course i've talked about it', here).

It's also about how luffy is the one who respects zoro's dream/ambition the most (mihawk, baratie arc). But more importantly it's about how he values zoro as a person. Zoro and all the things that makes zoro, zoro. His principles, his strengths, and even his flaws. (I'm talking about shells town and the things zoro 'showed' (about himself) that made luffy so enamored with him, to the point that he needed to make this person part of his crew)

It's about the way he likes to admire and praise zoro for his skills whenever he can. How he puts so much trust in zoro. Trusting zoro with his crew and undoubtedly also trusting in zoro's strength. Trust in his ability to perform specific task, trust in his ability to lead as the vice captain, trust in his decision making skills, trust his judgement, his insight, and even so, trust in his ability to keep luffy safe (e.g. skypiea, water7, dressrosa, wano, or in every other arcs really)

(About respect, trust, & admiration, i've talked about those things here, here, and here)

At the end of the day, it's about all the little things... all the subtle little things.

It's about how luffy was willing to stay still (for once in his life) to accompany zoro during his wound treatment (here)

It's about the way luffy seeks out his first mate for literally anything.. but especially for all the mundane things (here)

It's about luffy perception of time when it comes to zoro, How he misses him (here)

It's about the way THE monkey d. luffy is willing to share his food with zoro (here)

It's about luffy's disappointment when he realized that zoro wasn't there with him at impel down (here)

It's about the way luffy cried out of worry for zoro (baratie and sabaody, here)

It's about how luffy sometimes uses zoro-tachi when talking about his crewmates (here)

It's about him getting so excited to see zoro again in wano to the point of blushing, it's about him being so worried for zoro in skypiea (after finding zoro's unconscious body) or sabaody arc (before and after zoro vanished), it's about him taking zoro seriously (in enies lobby, punk hazard, dressrosa), it's about him being the happiest and silliest when fighting alongside zoro, it's about the way he likes to annoy/tease zoro, it's the way-

Luffy and zoro's strength are literally the closest thing to equal (compared to the rest of straw hats) and they both equally stink (cuz they rarely bathe) they like to fight, they like to feast, they share braincells, they are very similiar.. but also can't be more different. They clash (personality-wise) but still blend perfectly. They are so compatible that i can't even imagine someone capable of handling them (like i'm talking about 'forever' kind of handling) if that someone isn't one of them??

#zolu #luzo #monkey d. luffy #roronoa zoro #one piece #like he loves his first mate so much ok?#like its all about subtlety!!#i will puke cuz i need to stop talking about them

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windvexer · 5 months

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Cartomancy After 101: Developing your own sets of card meanings that you swap out depending on your needs [concepts & tips]

My hypothesis for this post is that most forms of cartomancy heavily rely on the context of the question or situation being read on.

As context shifts, so do the specific interpretations that readers pluck out of a pool of general meaning.

By leaning into the idea of context and building extremely contextual meaning sets, readers can elevate their skills and more reliably produce very specific readings within contexts they have studied and prepared for.

This is going to be a long one, so I'm making sections for readability.

1. Cartomancy Relies On Context

Most "little white books" that come with tarot and oracle decks, and cartomancy websites and published resources, divide card meanings into the general and contextual.

E.g., a tarot card's general meaning usually includes key words such as heartbreak, betrayal, and backstabbing. Then, contextual meanings might be provided:

Interpersonal relationships: Is a relationship about to end?

Business: Make sure any new business deals won't screw you over.

Spiritual: How can you use your spirituality to help with heartbreak?

While these contextual meanings stem from the base source of the card, they aren't interchangeable. Imagine if a querent asks you about their small business, and you reply, "well, have you tried using your spirituality to deal with interpersonal heartbreak?"

Therefore, a major role of the reader is defining the appropriate context of a question.

In order to practice their skills, many diviners offer to do "blind" readings for others. This means that the reader doesn't want any background information about the question at all - but even so, a reader may still ask for the context of a question.

E.g., a reader may say, "don't even tell me your actual question, but just tell me what kind of question it is - if it's about employment, a relationship, etc. Otherwise I won't know how to frame the answer."

[I don't mean to say that all readers always require context in this manner. Many readers do not, especially very practiced ones. But I don't think that means that context is irrelevant, even to very experienced readers who can obtain context on their own.]

2. Developing Meanings for a Specific Context Results in More Specific Readings

The Complete Lenormand Oracle Handbook by Caitlín Matthews begins by introducing the typical meanings of Lenormand cards. Later, she provides a custom set of meanings she personally developed related to her years spent in live theater.

Because of her time spent performing readings for theater workers, and about theater, she had developed a complex and unique system of meaning for Lenormand which, for the purposes of reading about live theater, was immensely more accurate and specific than the general Lenormand system.

While the general meanings of Lenormand informed her custom system, the custom system was not interchangeable with general meanings and was only applicable to a specific context and its related themes.

I discovered the same phenomenon by accident years ago, when I was frustrated with how general and nonspecific my readings had become.

I wanted to be able to use tarot to read accurately for everyday situations. So, over the course of several months, I worked with my primary divinatory ally to develop my own set of notes for the tarot, specifically for reading everyday, mundane situations.

The meanings given for the cards don't work very well at all for mystical, spiritual, or meditative self-exploratory readings. The meanings are things like, "you're the only one putting energy into this relationship," or, "don't go to the party if you didn't receive an invitation."

I use this set of meanings when I want very plain and straightforward readings on everyday situations, which it's very good at. I got what I wanted: accurate and specific readings on day-to-day questions with the tarot.

The meaning set fails at every other kind of question.

Recently, in my ongoing experiments with a custom oracle mashup of playing cards and tarot, I decided I wanted a meaning set that was useful for troubleshooting creative writing projects.

This deck has general meanings like, air/movement/exchange, water/observation/stagnant, and earth/categories/planning.

I developed contextual meanings like, "the dialogue in this scene is doing what it needs to do," "the character's motivations aren't clearly explained," and "the external goals of the character don't match what's already been explained about them."

By focusing on a specific context, readers can get very good at reading certain types of questions.

3. Exploring Specific Contexts Improves Overall Reading Ability in Any Context

By taking the general meanings of a card and developing them in new, unique ways that are still true to that card's roots, you create a huge learning opportunity to connect more deeply with that card.

Not only can you explore the unique evolutions of each card as it intersects with your interests and life, but your understanding of the deck as a whole can evolve.

When I was working with my original set of "everyday" meanings for the tarot, I discovered that many times I developed card meanings that really overlapped each other, making some cards redundant. When I decided to sort this out, my understanding of - and relationship to - tarot rapidly changed. I'm at a new level of understanding that I hadn't been able to achieve just by using general meanings for the 15 or so years of reading I had been doing before that.

The elements are currently a major part in my practice of witchcraft. As silly or abstract as it may seem, exploring how an oracle card that generally means water/observation/stagnant could apply to a specific type of fiction writing deepened my relationship not only with that experimental deck, but also to my craft as a whole.

As I've explored custom meaning sets in general, my ability to rapidly link abstract symbols has improved. Even if a specific meaning set doesn't apply, just having explored that makes my readings stronger.

For example, if I draw a card and I don't know how to apply it to a certain situation, having different sets of meaning floating around in my head is a little like having three or four helpful aunties shouting suggestions. None of them may be completely accurate, but it's a far better starting place than having no aunties at all.

By investing in very specific sets of meaning that only apply to certain contexts, readers can gain insight and skills that assist them in all types of readings throughout all contexts.

4. Sundry Suggestions for Those Convinced

Here are a handful of tips and tricks I've collected throughout the years. Take or leave them as you desire.

Choose very specific contexts. The more specific, the better!

Well, I'm sure this one is more down to personal preference, but don't be afraid to choose extremely specific contexts.

In my examples above about the creative fiction meaning set, the context wasn't "literary analysis" or "creative writing." The context was, "troubleshooting commercial fiction manuscripts and outlines to be more in line with modern commercial standards."

That isn't great at brainstorming, coming up with story ideas, dealing with literary fiction, grappling with major artistic themes, etc. It does one thing great: helping you workshop a commercial manuscript that you'd like to send to a publisher.

Put thought into what deck(s) you're using.

Even when using general meanings, many readers identify that certain decks are just better at certain kinds of readings. If you have multiple decks, try swapping them out as you experiment and see which ones work best.

Develop not only individual cards, but the deck as a whole.

Depending on your preferences, you may find value in not only developing individual cards, but also groupings of cards.

By taking entire sections of cards (say, all of the wands cards) and linking them to an important concept within your context (say, the behaviors of all the dogs you train), you can make large leaps of progress.

The same could be done for all the kings cards (your mentors in the dog training world), all the #3 cards (they're all going to relate to, say, small change or progress), and you can end up quickly mashing up new meaning sets:

Today's dog training business reading suggests that a Youtuber who's information you rely on is going to release a video about the importance of small behavioral changes.

Assigning broad meanings to different sections of cards is a good way to start exploring specific contexts.

Let card meanings evolve as you explore.

As you take notes, there's no need to settle one one meaning for the card as it is and then avoid changing it.

If your original idea for a card is "stubborn dogs who are not motivated by treats," and you perform multiple readings on it where the card only really makes sense if it means, "this dog will show up super tired and just want to nap," then it's fine to modify notes as you go.

I find that over time, modifications actually end up being multiple possible interpretations, once again deepening my understanding of the card as a whole (this card refers to difficulty inspiring action and engagement).

Often, card meanings come to me very vaguely and are practically stand-ins until I can figure something out for them.

Be mindful of spreads.

I can apply some meaning sets to literally any spread and it'll come out just fine.

Other meaning sets I have don't play great with tons of spreads, and may only work well with small spreads, using signifiers, and so forth.

There's no need to avoid highly contradictory meanings.

If you've got two ideas for a card (the dog is well-adjusted and friendly, or, he's very reactive and dangerous) and you aren't sure which fits, keep both meanings and use a combination of readings and real-world verification to experiment.

Your unique context sets don't need to be congruent with each other.

While I believe it's a good idea to seek fidelity to the original/general meanings of a card, this doesn't imply that the unique contexts you develop have to coincide with each other.

Maybe you have a meaning set specifically for energy work, and a separate one for religious spirit work.

In your energy working set, the wands cards could always relate to fire energy and only ever refer to a spirit if drawn in conjunction with a court card.

But, in your religious spirit work set, the 4/wands might always refer to the spirit of a home, regardless of elemental alignment.

The meanings you develop for one context don't need to adhere to the rules you create for other contexts.

Playing card decks can really simplify the process.

Tarot cards, with their intrusive little pictures, can often impose their own meanings on a context whether you like it or not. Even if horrendous betrayal makes zero sense for your context, sometimes it's impossible to get those ideas of the 3/Swords out of our heads.

If you're finding tarot to be too confining, try experimenting with playing card decks. They're smaller, draw less attention, and most importantly, do away with the art that can anchor our minds to the wrong concepts.

(Split the difference by working with a tarot deck that just uses suit symbols for the pips, but has full art for the major arcana.)

5. Hey! Thanks for reading.

I hope you're having a good day ^-^

#divination #tarot #cartomancy #witchcraft #witchblr #beyond 101 #psychism #readings

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txttletale · 1 year

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nothing about ai art is new

[we’re sitting in a taco bell drive through and ive abused my control over the aux cord to make you listen to indie rock classic apollo 18 by they might be giants for hours on end]

so there’s been a lot of yammering on about stable diffusion and how it will revolutionize/destroy/democratize/annihilate the world of art, depending on which impassioned twitter thread you read. what they all have in common though is (incorrectly) treating this as some radical new shift, an unprecedented leap forward caused by cutting-edge technology. this is wrong: nihil sub sole novum.

this post is not about:

ip law

whether ip law is a good thing (no)

whether ai art is Real Art (what is this girls 1917?)

how AI art actually works (as far as i can tell, like this)

this post is about

karl marx babeyyy

so in a sexy little number called wage labour and capital, carlos marx lays out some of the foundations of marxist theory. these include the labour theory of value (that the value of a thing, whether expressed in the use of something or in its exchange for other things, is only created or increased when a human being performs labour. e.g. fabric + hours of human life = clothing, which is both more useful and more valuable in exchange terms than the fabric) and the division of labour

to make a long and well-written argument short and poorly formulated (seriously, read the original, it’s like 25 pages), the price of a commodity* rises and falls around a base price that’s based on the cost of production. ‘wages’ are simply the term for the price of the commodity of ‘labour-power’, or hours of human labour**--and therefore, they rise and fall around the cost of producing human labour.

now, how much does that cost? pretty simple. first there’s the basic costs of the labourer continuing to survive day to day. then there’s the costs of them having children who can grow up to be labourers and keeping them alive too. finally, there are the costs of the labourer’s training, and these can far outstrip the first two. it’s expensive for a capitalist to hire a digital artist because the cost of producing digital artists (the survival of a human being + years and years of practice) is high--so the commodity of their labour power is priced highly.

however, marx also succintly explains supply and demand--concepts everyone’s probably semi-familiar with. when there are many sellers of a commodity, they compete for buyers by offering their commodities at lower and lower prices.

bearing in mind that ‘wages’ are just the price of the commodity of human labour-power--this means that technological development in production has a twofold depressive effect on wages: not only are less people employed (if a capitalist can produce twice as much of a commodity, they’re not guaranteed twice as much of a market--so they will instead tend towards producing the same amount at half the cost), but more people are capable of doing the work. so for the same process of production, there are more people capable of doing it, and less people needed to do it. as marx puts it:

“The greater division of labour enables one labourer to accomplish the work of five, 10, or 20 labourers; it therefore increases competition among the labourers fivefold, tenfold, or twentyfold. The labourers compete not only by selling themselves one cheaper than the other, but also by one doing the work of five, 10, or 20; and they are forced to compete in this manner by the division of labour, which is introduced and steadily improved by capital. Furthermore, to the same degree in which the division of labour increases, is the labour simplified.

The special skill of the labourer becomes worthless. He becomes transformed into a simple monotonous force of production, with neither physical nor mental elasticity. His work becomes accessible to all; therefore competitors press upon him from all sides. Moreover, it must be remembered that the more simple, the more easily learned the work is, so much the less is its cost to production, the expense of its acquisition, and so much the lower must the wages sink – for, like the price of any other commodity, they are determined by the cost of production. Therefore, in the same manner in which labour becomes more unsatisfactory, more repulsive, do competition increase and wages decrease”

when marx wrote this, he was talking about artisan craftsmen who made goods by hand in small workshop. since then we’ve seen this exact process sweep across every industry, devouring the manufacturing sector, now creeping second by second into the white-collar service economy. now, we are seeing this on the horizon for artists--there’s far more skill in creating AI artwork than some people give credit for, but it is ultimately in terms of time and accessibility easier and broader to do--it will have these effects if it is able to produce output on par, or even just slightly worse than, professional photographers and artists, for a fraction of the cost of labour-power.

so, like, why have i just written all this? to point out that the phenomenon people are scared of wrt AI art driving already precarious working artists into poverty is not some new and endemic technological horror. it is a social process that’s been ongoing for centuries--and the productive forces are not going to roll back, because capitalism demands ever-rising profits which demand ini turn ever-lower costs of production, including (especially) lower costs of production of skilled labour. if you are trying to stop stable diffusion AI tech from being used then you are trying to stop the horse by pulling on the reins of the cart.

if you are scared that AI art is going to make your passion and profession economically worthless, the tools themselves are not your enemy--it is the system that decides how these tools will be used, that art becoming easier to make is a vector by which to divide and precaritize working artists instead of to broaden access to the joy of creation--in the same way that industrial production has been used to create the system of wage-slavery instead of providing for all, in the same way that will repeat over and over again until the system that allocates resources and labour to maximize profit instead of human welfare is toppled and replaced

[the drive thru employee politely clears their throat. i turn to them and say ‘oh i didnt want anything i just like the smell out here’ and drive away directly into a lake]

*in marxist terms, a commodity is anything that: 1. has use value, as in, someone wants to have it and use it--eat it, wear it, play with it, watch it-- 2. has exchange value, as in, it can be exchanged for other commodities (price is a reflection of this exchange value through money), 3. has value through the application of labour power (someone has worked to produce it. even raw materials count--coal power plants don’t buy coal that’s still in the ground)

**engels explains the distinction between labour-power and labour in the introduction to the 1891 edition:

“What the economists had considered as the cost of production of “labour” was really the cost of production, not of “labour,” but of the living labourer himself. And what this labourer sold to the capitalist was not his labour.

At the most, he could sell his future labour – i.e., assume the obligation of executing a certain piece of work in a certain time. But, in this way, he does not sell labour (which would first have to be performed), but not for a stipulated payment he places his labour-power at the disposal of the capitalist for a certain time (in case of time-wages), or for the performance of a certain task (in case of piece-wages). He hires out or sells his labour-power.”

#ai art #aiart #stable diffusion #communism #long post

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baby-girl-aaron-dessner · 5 months

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Hi, I’m glad you’re bringing this topic up without it feeling like you’re going to be rude—in fact you’re being kind about it.

I do wish she’d speak up on a lot of topics. I live in the south, but am not a “typical southerner”. I’m a queer liberal. I would’ve loved for her to say something about the reproductive rights that were taken away from my state the very week she played multiple shows here, but she didn’t. Or to have voter registration available at the venue.

But back to Palestine, which is an absolute genocide. I’ve been torn wondering if I’m simply wanting her to speak up on it because it’s what I believe is right—or do I think it would effect change? I don’t know the answer to that, but you seem better versed than I am, and I guess I’m hoping this is a safe space to ask that. What would we hope comes from Taylor speaking out about this? I am trying to think critically about this, so I hope you won’t see this as me disagreeing. I really do wish she would. I just don’t if what we’re asking of her would end up being performative for the public, or would it effect real change to save lives in Palestine?

Hi anon, firstly, I’m so sorry to hear that your reproductive rights were stripped from you and your fellow citizens. If there’s anything I can do to help – whether that be signing a petition or donating to women in need – please let me know.

Secondly, I do want to make sure this is a safe space for swifties (especially those of us who are minorities and often feel overlooked in the fandom) to express their thoughts because its important that we use our critical thinking skills as opposed to following someone blindly and without question (we’re not sheep, after all).

To answer your questions, “What would we hope comes from Taylor speaking out about this?” and “would it effect real change to save lives in Palestine?” there are 2 main points worth discussing.

Firstly, the most obvious point is that Taylor herself believes in activism and has stated that "I need to be on the right side of history". For reference, please see her Miss Americana documentary, her Rolling Stone interview on discussing white privilege as well as a bunch of other times she has made her stance clear (Tweets about Trump, interviews in her Lover era, her speech during Pride Month etc.).

Unfortunately, because she no longer participates in activism and hasn’t for a long time now during the peak of her career, it’s fair to criticise her previous activism during her Lover era as performative or selective.

It begs the question, “Does she no longer care about standing up for what is right?”

Secondly, to answer your question: yes, speaking out and doing the right thing matters and makes a difference. And there are three reasons for this:

The principle: to be on the right side of history

Safety of the oppressed (recently, Swifties have been caught committing hate crimes against minorities and doxing Palestinians)

It makes a difference (e.g. donations feed the hungry and poor, awareness leads to better voting outcomes which in turn leads to better policy decisions).

I’ve already spoken about the first point.

The second point is especially relevant following recent events where Swifties have harmed minorities (see below). In this case, it’s important for an influential leader of a powerful fandom to make their stance clear on a genocide so that innocent people don’t get harmed.

And the third point is that activism matters because it creates a real impact. For example, The Weeknd recently donated millions of dollars to families in Gaza which means people who are starving and are victims of genocide can at least be fed. Because Taylor is a billionaire, she has the capacity to spare a few dollars to feed those who are starving like her celebrity peers – Gigi Hadid, The Weeknd, Dua Lipa etc.

This is especially important for Taylor because the IDF and the State of Israel use her and her music in their PR strategies (see their post about her bodyguard on the social media account of Israel). This is similar to when Trump and the Republicans actively used her in their PR strategies and spoke about how much they liked her and so she became a darling of the extreme Right. That was until she came out and said she was against white supremacy and showed public support for the Dems.

Finally, as @placeinthisworld so eloquently put it, “friendly reminder you can love taylor swift but still be critical about her silence about politics and current events because tbh it’s pretty obvious where her values lie now”. Here are other Swiftie’s who are more articulate than me:

Anyway, I hope this answers the question of why her fans (including me) are disappointed in her decision to remain deathly silent on genocide.

#taylor swift #taylorswift #ts #free palestine #lgbtq #lgbtqia #palestine #gaza #activism

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femmefatalevibe · 9 months

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Hiya lovely, do you have any wisdom for someone struggling to study? I've been out of school for 3 years due to illness (in my formative learning years) and now I'm gearing up for university with absolutely no study skills, low energy and a whole lot of insecurity around it. I have always been intelligent enough to learn quickly but there's a barrier I'm just not getting through, possibly due to the latent effects of the damage.

I have high expectations for myself and I want to model myself off of your brand! Thank you very kindly in advance <3

Hi love! It sounds like you're in a difficult situation, especially for someone in their teens. My heart goes out to you for overcoming this and going after a university degree. This ambition and dedication takes a considerable amount of mental fortitude and strength, so please remember that. I'm flattered by your kind words <3

Here are some of my study tips to help you maintain your stamina and focus:

When in doubt, make everything into an itemized list (topics, timelines, organizing by subtopic, key facts/people/dates surrounding a significant event, concept, theory, or ideology, cause and effect, problem and solution, etc.)

Use real-life analogies and applications as often as possible to retain information (e.g. to remember acronyms, propositions through the "box" metaphor, etc.)

Reframe long-winded information into an ongoing narrative. Humans are better at retelling stories than retaining/regurgitating a laundry list of facts or statistics

Organize your study sessions to each focus on one main topic, concept, or chapter

Create a timeline for all your assignments. Plan in advance to work on projects in milestones rather than all at once

Utilize time-blocking to pace yourself through the information (e.g. devote 30 minutes to one task or an hour to studying a specific concept; take a fully unplugged break before resuming work or another study session). Use a countdown timer if you think it would be helpful for you – everyone is different

Prioritize rest, even if it sounds counterintuitive at first. You're most productive and focused when your mind is well-rested enough to achieve and maintain peak performance. Efficiency is more important than time spent on a task – the former is what makes all of the difference (and leads to a more well-rounded, fulfilling life, too)

Discover motivating playlists that keep you on task. I love the ones for ADHD from Jason Lewis - Mind Amend on YouTube (I'm listening to one now, lol). Coffee or caffeinated tea can also help your energy to power through a study session, just don't overdo it

Focus on one task, page, or concept at a time. Don't let the entirety of a project or the volume of your overall workload overwhelm you. Just focus & prioritize what's in front of you. Take one step closer to your goals every day. Perfectionism is the most stifling barrier to progress and long-term success. Remember that

You got this! Hope this helps xx

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omegaverse-anthropologist · 3 months

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pack structure

i have a more general post about packs which explains the concept and the function of packs as communities of care. in this post, i’ll discuss the typical roles that packs have.

pack roles

dominant alpha

sometimes referred to as Alpha (as opposed to lowercase-a alpha), a ‘dominant alpha’ refers to the alpha whose social standing is highest in a pack with more than one alpha present.

naming of a dominant alpha may be immediate or may take as long as months, especially when a new alpha with a strong personality is introduced to a group. the following behaviors are typical when a pack is in the process of naming an Alpha:

posturing behaviors (e.g. providing for the pack, scenting pack members, marking territory via releasing strong pheromones)

tests of will (e.g. growling, glaring, aggressive eye contact until one alpha looks away)

social structuring behavior may escalate to physical altercation.

often, alphas are unaware of the social structuring behavior being performed. they may describe antagonistic feelings toward their competitor/s (e.g., ‘i just don’t like that guy;’ ‘she’s just an asshole’) or feelings of insecurity (e.g. ‘they’re trying to make my friends hate me;’ ‘he wants to replace me.’) but these feelings usually dissipate when the social structuring behavior is completed and the packs alphas submit to the Alpha.

alpha social structuring behavior generally only takes place between the pack’s alphas. the alphas’ submission is what names a pack alpha, though non-alpha packmates’ discomfort affects the outcome of the structuring behavior. non-alpha packmates may choose to support their choice for Alpha by seeking their scent, spreading their scent-marked possessions around the den, or rejecting the other alpha’s provision.

chief omega

sometimes colloquially referred to as the pack’s ’den mother.’ because omegas tend to be more collaborative and community focused, there is no generally recognized omegan equivalent of a dominant alpha; though many packs have tacit social hierarchies. in such groups, a chief omega is named either explicitly or implicitly.

when a new omega is introduced to a pack, there may be a period of discomfort and insecurity for the established omegas. established omegas may feel that the new pack member is trying to replace them or turn the pack against them, but in a healthy pack these feelings do not persist.

the chief omega is the one to whom most pack mates, regardless of sex, tend to defer during disagreements. historically, the den mother or chief omega would have been the Alpha’s mate, but this default is no longer prevalent.

many modern packs reject the idea of a chief omega or den mother, asserting that no one should hold all the responsibility to ‘mother’ their adult packmates.

historical roles

advisor

an advisor was a beta who held the Alpha’s ear. often, the Alpha would consult their advisor and chief omega before making major decisions, such as expanding pack territory, migrating to a new location, or accepting new members into the pack. in the modern day, there is no formal advisor. in a healthy pack, this function is filled by open discussion among pack members and conversation with the Alpha’s closest friends.

emissary

an emissary was a beta who served as a pack’s representative to other packs. when forging pack alliances, the emissary was sent ahead to announce their Alpha’s arrival. they would be returned to their pack, often with a gift or word of greeting as a sign of good faith. emissaries needed diplomatic skill and strong endurance, as they were often required to travel great distances relatively quickly.

in the modern day, packs are not independent bodies with state-like sovereignty, so there is no need for representatives in this sense. historical packs or long-established families (e.g. royal houses or ‘old money’ families) may still have formal pack advisors and emissaries, but the vast majority of packs do not.

#omegaverse #a/b/o headcanon #alpha beta omega #omegaverse headcanons #a/b/o dynamics #a/b/o verse #omegaverse dynamics #omegaverse worldbuilding #omegaverse headcanon #alpha beta omega dynamics #a/b/o packs #a/b/o headcanons #a/b/o universe #a/b/o #a/b/o worldbuilding #omegaverse anthropology #packs

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phoenixyfriend · 9 months

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Ko-Fi prompt from Anonymous Supporter:

For the Econ Topic, an analysis on a society that has magic and fantasy races would be nice. Or maybe how a guild of Thieves or Assassins would work in either real life, fantasy or sci-fi setting.

The former is far too varied and complicated a topic to fit into 500 words, but I can definitely make the latter work... by explaining what the fuck a guild is.

These days, the words guild and union are used more or less interchangeably, and they do admittedly have some overlap in modern capitalist society. In the historic Europe that many of these settings are inspired by, the word guild had a more specific meaning.

Let's unpack some of what the economic structure is in these settings.

Large, overarching companies engaging in multinational work are rare in those historic settings. You have some trading/merchant organizations (e.g. the Dutch East India Company) that fit that bill, work that couldn't be performed without a large, existing structure to back it (e.g. mining), and domestic agricultural lordship (you know, feudalism).

For the rest of the economy, though, you have small businesses. Technology isn't at such a point that something bigger can be done. Factories aren't a thing until the industrial revolution, but we do have division of labor, so there are people who specialize in baking, or weaving, or shoemaking, or pottery.

Many of these professions require years of training, from apprenticeship to journeyperson to mastery. Trade secrets are a big deal, you marry off your daughter to your apprentice to secure the line and prevent competition, and you try not to give up those secrets because if you do, what's to keep your lord and other rich folk from taking advantage of you, and paying you less than your worth?

That's where the guild comes in.

No matter how good you are at keeping secrets, the competition does exist. You cannot be the only baker, dressmaker, shoemaker, bricklayer, carpenter in town, unless your town is very small indeed.

Price competition isn't a great idea when profit margins are already low, and you are a small business that doesn't have the diversification or coffers to take the hit for a few weeks. If your lord tries to force you to sell low, you can't just refuse him! He's the one that pays whoever uses the swords!

If only you and all the other trained professionals in your industry could hold together and tell him, "Yeah, that's as low as the price can go. You are paying for the bare minimum of materials and labor with that. So sorry, can't go lower without taking an actual loss, and everyone else will tell you the same thing."

Joining a guild was often the only way to perform that craft or service in a given city. This prevented untrained, untested individuals from trying to peddle something that wasn't up to standard, but also acted as a form of gatekeeping that could prevent the market from becoming oversaturated with competition. The formation of a guild was often related to, or even reliant on, approval from local government or a monarch.

Guilds did absolutely have negative impacts, by the way, often through market manipulation and rent-seeking behaviors. They stifled innovation, gatekept skills, and were capable of price-gouging and price-fixing beyond the basic "this is how we keep from getting screwed over by the rich guys." While the guilds themselves were arguably intended to ensure minimum standards and protect against wealthy clientele, they were just as prone to stagnation and greed as any organization.

The guild differs from the unions in that the guild is for trained professionals that, by and large, own their business to some degree. The unions, meanwhile, are for laborers who work for someone else, and formalized labor unions only began in the mid-18th century, while trade guilds, or something like them, date back over four thousand years.

Remember how I said that factories as we know them, and that whole Big International Company format, didn't really start being a thing until the Industrial Revolution? You know how the Industrial Revolution started in the mid-18th century?

We now see the connection.

So, what does a guild of thieves or assassins mean, at its core?

Well, they have to be doing this professionally. Someone who's just killing for the fun of it isn't a professional assassin, being paid by other people for it, just like how the baker's guild isn't going to care overly much for the farmer's wife making her own bread for dinner. Thievery is a bit less obvious in terms of 'what counts as professional.' Does the person who picks pockets to pay their rent qualify as professional? Or just the ones who steal on behalf of someone else? What about burglars?

So part of what you'd need to untangle is what qualifies as professional for the thieves themselves.

Then, given that these are generally illegal acts in the first place, what purpose does the guild serve? Is the guild supported by the crown as a form of control over theft and assassination in the first place, like privateering? Does the guild institute rules on who can be stolen from, whether or not it's within guild rules to kill individuals of certain ages or genders or classes? What punishments does the guild implement on those who violate those rules?

If the crown allows the assassin's guild so long as members of the royal family are not targeted, is there a rule that any client who requests the assassination of a monarch must be reported, or killed on the spot? What government fees does the guild have to pay in order to exist? If they exist as an underground, unofficial group that is not affiliated with the government, how do they deal with the government? How do they hide? Do they dictate pricing? Do they pay off cops to stay under the radar? How do they advertise their services without getting found out?

For the thieves guild, it's even more wiggly. Who qualifies as a professional? Is it the pickpockets, the cat burglars, the people who climb into dragon's caves to locate ancient treasure and get out unseen? Is there a minimum yearly income threshold? How is that calculated? What about membership fees? Is membership singular, or can it be done as a couple, a team, a family? Are there groups that are off limits? Maybe there are two thieves guilds, one for those who can be Hired By Adventurers, acknowledged by the crown, and a second for those who work in the seedy underground away from official oversight.

There really is no one way for this to play out, and will probably vary from town to town or planet to planet in-story, but hopefully I've given you the framework to build up the various guilds you need for your story!

(Prompt me on ko-fi!)

#economics #phoenix posts #ko fi prompts #ko fi #economics prompts #guilds #unions #history #trade guilds #this is the kind of prompt I love to fill out. just. talking about the way that trade will regulate. whether it does so in a good way or no

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dreamaze · 4 months

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The Dreaming / Find You / Destroyer / All In (MV ver.) / Nobody Else / Wildfire / Rain (MIC in the SCENE live) / Mercy (No Limit Tour in Seoul) / Thriller / 춤사위 (Crescendo) / Lost in the Dream / AND / You Can't Hold My Heart (PLAY! solo live) / Thriller / BEASTMODE / Fantasia / LOVE / Rodeo / LONE RANGER

⟡ To be honest, I am not sure what I can say about Kihyun's artistry that isn't abundantly clear from his studio and live performances. If I say that I believe he is one of the most competent vocalists in the genre, it may sound like an understatement — although it is not something I say lightly, and I mean it with my whole heart. His level of musicality is built on a strong foundation of fundamental skills and would not be possible without it. Minhyuk once described him as a stone that does not shake in the wind, and to me this also embodies his steadiness and reliability in the recording booth and on the stage no matter how challenging the primary and secondary (e.g., ad lib) lines are asked of him and no matter how deep they are into a rigorous concert set. Kihyun excels at singing high and singing loud (genuinely), but he also has a wide and well-supported range, and I appreciate the opportunities to enjoy his lower/mid end and lighter moments just as much as his robust belting. I understand why Hyungwon loves composing for his voice (who wouldn't?). Kihyun has been a strong singer since the beginning of his career and makes many of his parts seem effortless, yet most of all I respect his commitment to growth despite how much effort it takes to improve when you are already among the best of the best. He was honest with himself about when he felt his abilities plateauing, and he sought a way forward by resuming vocal lessons. We are fortunate as fans that he is also open enough to share that with us. I didn't think I could love and respect him more, but for that personal strength and dedication to his craft, I did. I do.

Postscript, to listeners. This was a challenging set of excerpts to compile (and even more to order) because Kihyun has many, many parts throughout the MX discography that showcase his abilities. As with my other compilations, it strives to capture a breadth of his output while also being very much biased toward my own favorites (Crescendo/Lost in the Dream/AND occur successively because they carry the most gut-punching, emotional weight to me). But I expect to revisit these in the future and would love to hear about your favorite moments in the tags. ♡

Postscript, to Kihyun. I miss you. Kpop is not the same without you. At the same time, I am so proud and happy for you that you are continuing to make music, as it is such a core part of your being and (if it is not presumptuous to say) brings you fulfillment and joy. I am absolutely tickled that you play the trombone. I hope you are having the best possible time playing in the band (and that your low brass section is delightfully weird, as tends to be the case — with lots of love to low brass players, from a percussionist who overheard all your shenanigans), and I can't wait to see how this musical experience contributes to your transformation and growth as an artist.

Other compilations: Minhyuk | Jooheon

#kihyun #monsta x #monstaxedits #mx vocal compilation #music box #wings.audio #wings.edits #tuseral #userkyutie #megtag #wabisarah #audio #made with so so so much love for my beloved tenor of tenors

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thejakeformerlyknownasprince · 1 year

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Someone on a Discord group I'm in has been reading Animorphs for the first time, and they're bothered by the way Ax has trouble with walking/balancing on two legs, compared to how other complicated bodily stuff (e.g. flying as a bird) is always simple when paying attention to the body's instincts. From an out of universe point of view this is obviously to show that he's alien and has trouble fitting in with humans, but from an in-universe point of view it seems inconsistent with other morphing stuff. Sure, humans have to learn to walk, so it's not entirely instinctual, but birds also have to learn to fly (I think? I am very much not a biologist, maybe I'm wrong about that) and yet they can use instincts to fly reasonably well with no practice at all.

We ended up deciding that because he mixed four different bodies in the Frolis maneuver, his balance instincts expect him to be a different height than his body is, which I think is a cool idea even though it's certainly not Applegate's intent. But I'm curious if you have any thoughts on the issue?

So I actually don't think Ax struggling with human morph is at all inconsistent with the rest of the series. There are loads of times the kids struggle to perform actions that a real version of the animal would be able to perform effortlessly.

Marco takes a lot of trial-and-error before he determines how to make web as a spider (#10). He says he doesn't understand how it happened but that the resultant webbing is probably ugly as hell by spider standards.

Everyone nearly gets trapped in morph in #21 because the kids are terrible at orienting as fleas, to the point where it takes them half an hour to land on a dragonfly that's less than a foot away.

The first time a human morphs an andalite (#33), Tobias immediately gets his own tail blade stuck in a tree.

In MM1, Tobias notes the colossal stupidity of Marco and Ax being mice who walk directly across an open field; anyone who's ever released a mouse in the middle of an open lot will tell you that that's the best way to get it insta-killed by predators.

The kids' inability to use echolocation all that well is a major plot point in #4, #10, #17, MM2, and #27.

And then throw in the fact that humans themselves don't pick up bipedal forward motion that quickly. Babies take an entire year to go from sitting to rolling to creeping to crawling to "cruising" (using furniture for support) to standing. And even then, they're not called "toddlers" because their gait is particularly smooth or skillful. There are instances of feral children (Jeannie, Ramachandra) who didn't learn to walk at all with no one to teach them. Walking is natural for humans, but that doesn't mean it's automatic or effortless.

#animorphs #andalites #morphing #humans

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kemetic-dreams · 1 year

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A manbo (also written as mambo) is a priestess (as opposed to a oungan, a male priest) in the Haitian Vodou religion. Haitian Vodou's conceptions of priesthood stem from the religious traditions of enslaved people from Dahomey, in what is today Benin. For instance, the term manbo derives from the Fon word nanbo ("mother of magic"). Like their West African counterparts, Haitian manbos are female leaders in Vodou temples who perform healing work and guide others during complex rituals.

This form of female leadership is prevalent in urban centers such as Port-au-Prince (the capital of Haiti). Typically, there is no hierarchy among manbos and oungans. These priestesses and priests serve as the heads of autonomous religious groups and exert their authority over the devotees or spiritual servants in their hounfo (temples).

Manbos and oungans are called into power via spirit possession or the revelations in a dream. They become qualified after completing several initiation rituals and technical training exercises where they learn the Vodou spirits by their names, attributes, and symbols.

The first step in initiation is lave tèt (head washing), which is aimed at the spirits housed in an individual's head. The second step is known as kouche (to lie down), which is when the initiate enters a period of seclusion. Typically, the final step is the possession of the ason (sacred rattle), which enables the manbos or oungans to begin their work. One of the main goals of Vodou initiation ceremonies is to strengthen the manbo's konesans (knowledge), which determines priestly power.

The specific skills and knowledge gained by manbos enable them to mediate between the physical and spiritual realms. They use this information to call upon the spirits through song, dance, prayer, offerings, and/or the drawing of vèvès (spiritual symbols). During these rituals, manbos may either be possessed by a loa (also spelled lwa, Vodou spirits) themselves, or may oversee the possession of other devotees. Spirit possession plays an important role in Vodou because it establishes a connection between human beings and the Vodou deities or spirits. Although loas can "mount" whomever they choose, those outside the Vodou priesthood do not have the skills to communicate directly with the spirits or gods. This is because the human body is merely flesh, which the spirits can borrow to reveal themselves via possession. manbos, however, can speak to and hear from the Vodou spirits. As a result, they can interpret the advice or warnings sent by a spirit to specific individuals or communities.

Cécile Fatiman is a Haitian manbo famously known for sacrificing a black pig in the August 1791 Vodou ceremony at Bois Caïman—an act that is said to have ignited the Haitian Revolution. There are also notable manbos within the United States. Marie Laveau (1801-1888), for example, gained fame in New Orleans, Louisiana, for her personal charm and Louisiana Voodoo practices.

Renowned as Louisiana's "voodoo queen", Laveau's legacy is kept alive in American popular culture (e.g., the television series America Horror Story: Coven).ne Mama Lola is another prominent manbo and Vodou spiritual leader in the United States. She rose to fame after the publication of Karen McCarthy Brown's ethnographic account Mama Lola: A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn. Mama Lola's success provided her with a platform to challenge Western misconceptions of Haitian Vodou and make television appearances

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