#source: images that require more context

[messiahzzz]

while it’s perfectly fine to have your own headcanons that are non-canon compliant — by all means, go wild. recognizing pieces of yourselves in fictional characters can be a very healing and validating experience. this is nonetheless a casual, well-intentioned reminder that gale, in fact, does not have bpd.

bpd is a pervasive pattern of instability affecting interpersonal relationships, self-image, and mood. the disorder is marked by impulsivity beginning in early adulthood and is present in a variety of contexts. a diagnosis requires at least 5 of the following 9 criteria to be met:

Fear of abandonment

Unstable or changing relationships

Unstable self-image; struggles with identity or sense of self

Impulsive or self-damaging behaviors (e.g., excessive spending, unsafe sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating).

Suicidal behavior or self-injury

Varied or random mood swings

Constant feelings of worthlessness or sadness

Problems with anger, including frequent loss of temper or physical fights

Stress-related paranoia or loss of contact with reality

source: [x]

i highlighted the criteria that do apply to gale in one way or another in a pretty purple.

i personally believe that it’s rather harmful to equate his relationship with mystra with her being “his fp”. she is a deity, his goddess, and the source of his powers, who is in in full control of the magic he wields.

gale: mystra commands all magic. salvation, if such a thing exists, is hers to bestow or withhold.

gale has been effectively groomed and conditioned to serve and revere her at every turn since early childhood. imo this comparison really undermines a lot of crucial points in gale’s story that deal with his overall trauma and abuse. after all, you wouldn’t call shar sh*dowhe*rt’s fp either.

gale doesn’t revile mystra, nor does he commit benevolent deeds solely motivated by the secret hope that she will somehow notice and take him back. when you meet gale in the game he has already fully come to terms with the fact that he has been abandoned by mystra with no hope of reconciliation whatsoever. he also had some very fitting lines in ea regarding this topic that i'm sad haven't been repurposed in the full release in some way.

gale: [the tadpoles] don't know that some things are impossible. they don't know that... they don't know. player: what is impossible about what you're being shown? gale: forgiveness. gale: it is mystra i see. and yet it cannot be her. there was a time when i would have believed - but no longer. gale: suffice it to say she would not bestow upon me the favors promised in these dreams. that is how i know they are delusions.

he has already reached the stage of acceptance. moreover, gale only starts to realize that mystra might have been in the wrong for requesting his death once the tadpole squad & tav speak some sense into him. and even then he doesn’t ever show that his emotions regarding mystra are anywhere along those lines. he is instead rightfully angered that she only saw value in his death, after he had been worshipping her loyally for years.

gale: i worshipped mystra loyally for years, and in that time she granted me the barest sliver of the power i was ready to wield. gale: even with the fate of the world at stake, she had little more to offer me than the means of blowing myself up at a more convenient time. she's done nothing to help us.

gale: you abandoned me in my hour of greatest need. i had no obligation to help you in yours. gale: because you had no right to ask that of me. you cast me out, remember?

gale doesn’t display rapid changes in mood either. he is a character who is generally very composed and has been known to remain nonchalant even in the face of utter horror. tim downie himself even commented on this once. source: [x]

the only instance i can think of is his sudden switch from resigned-to-death to utter-eye-sparkling-enthusiasm once he spots the crown of karsus. apart from crucial story reasons that i won’t touch upon in this post, i’d also like to add that it’s a rather common phenomenon for people who have just barely survived a suicide attempt to suddenly be filled with zeal and unbridled energy. he doesn't display impulsivity without thorough consideration when it comes to its acquisition either. he considers this a golden opportunity and is positively enthusiastic and elated that this might prove an alternative to him ending up in a cloud of netherese smoke. nonetheless, he knows what he is doing. evident in him actually succeeding in ascending in one of his endings.

gale: this is no passing whim, trust me. if i can obtain that crown, it will affect us all. it is not a decision i'll take lightly. gale: it's our future that i'm thinking of - we can't rely on anyone else to do it for us. gale: for now - we've learned all we can.

neither are his relationships that we do know of (namely elminster, tara, and morena) frequently changing. they are marked by years of mutual respect, care, and consistency. there is nothing unstable about them. while it's important to note that his relationship with tav is still in its honeymoon stages during the main game, there is no inclination of any push-and-pull dynamic between them whatsoever.

gale isn’t preoccupied with keeping up some sort of benevolent act in order to win (back) affection — he genuinely IS a good person and he proves this at every turn. moreover, to have a tressym become your familiar you must be of Good alignment.

(taken from tumblr user galedekarios's post.)

there is never a moment where his ideals or alignment suddenly change. in fact, i’d argue that he and wyll are most consistent in this regard when compared to the rest of the companions. gale makes his moral standpoint very clear from the beginning on and also explicitly states that he believes that in order to survive this entire ordeal it would be selfish of him if he wouldn’t be willing to compromise on his morals. this isn’t a sudden bout of ✨muahahaha wizard hubris✨ that he barely contained to hold in before, this is yet another act of selflessness — it is what he’s willing to do for the group and subsequently, the welfare of faerun.

player: i love unsavoury things. don't feel guilty on my account. gale: that's good to know. although i should say i do what i do out of a sense of utility and pragmatism, not a love of the unsavoury. gale: we're up against the greatest threat faerun has ever faced. i don't mind getting my hands dirty if it gives us a better chance of surviving. gale: whatever advantage i can gain for us. i will. and i refuse to feel guilty for it, no matter how much mystra's chidings might echo in my skull.

this is him, once again trying to be useful in whatever way he can. to give them an advantage, a slither of hope against seemingly impossible odds, so they might make it out of this in one piece. gale wouldn’t approve of those actions under normal circumstances, but their predicament is as far from any definition of “normal” as it can get.

gale is no fool, he realizes this is essentially about survival. he knows that he has no option left other than to tolerate, which is why he can be convinced to not immediately depart tav’s company even if they choose to commit atrocities. this is no character flaw of his or him displaying a previously dormant openness for cruelty, this is about recognizing the necessity.

player: you don't stand a chance alone. you're free to go. i dare you. gale: gods damn you - you're right. few things are more powerful than the will to live.

gale: i thought the orb to be the greatest of my sins, but i see now that there are darker depths to which i might yet sink. you may be content to sink into that abyss, but i assure you - i am not.

gale doesn’t lead a split existence. he has a very strong sense of identity. he knows what he wants, what he doesn’t want and he isn’t shy in expressing his boundaries either. which he has especially shown when it comes to his relationship with tav. i originally had intended to touch upon this in another post entirely but: i firmly believe his entire Gale of Waterdeep™ persona is more of a performance than him struggling to find a sense of identity and trying them on for size. it is an intentional decision to separate gale dekarios from the great wizard of waterdeep, to create distance and make sure his family name remains untarnished in case things should ever go sideways.

gale: i agree. and on the plus side, if i get myself into any truly cataclysmic straits during the remainder of our journey, my family name will go untarnished.

there is also a deep-rooted feeling of unworthiness and his firm belief that love and praise are conditional resources that he will only be granted through his talents alone, naturally. presenting himself as gale dekarios, the man, would mean highlighting his shortcomings and very human flaws, while distracting from the aspects of himself that are deemed praiseworthy, the ones that actually matter: his magical prowess.

i personally believe that part of the beauty of gale’s story is him realizing just how “little” it takes for him to be truly content. he gets his happy ending, with someone at his side who truly sees him, understands him and unabashedly commits to him. they worship and adore him in return — and it is well deserved. he isn’t reduced to be constantly and restlessly searching for some unattainable ideal to fill the gaping void within himself. he doesn’t secretly thirst for more power still or believes that in being with tav he is settling for something. instead, he is finally happy to just be. be and be accepted. teaching a class of unruly wizards and coming home to his spouse each day already fulfills him.

gale: that's how i feel with you - content. it's a rather unfamiliar feeling, i must say. not something gale of waterdeep ever craved.

even if he doesn’t pursue a romance with tav, he reaches a realization of “oh, it appears i am not irredeemably flawed and only able to reach true redemption through my own death. what i needed was actually with me all along.” throughout their journey and through his friend's support. i think that’s a very powerful and comforting message. he is very well capable of finding peace within himself.

devnotes: his default state is that he returned to waterdeep and became a professor of illusory magic at his former school, blackstaff academy. general vibe here is that this is a gale who's found peace with himself - he's a great teacher, one his students are mostly in awe of.

to repeat myself: sharing your headcanons is all in good fun, nor should you ever be discouraged from doing so. this is your personal tumblr experience, after all. but i personally think we should be mindful of unintentionally perpetuating negative stereotypes, such as narcissism being a general indicator or being deemed a classic depiction of bpd. i think we can all agree that the continuous longing for acceptance, connection, praise, and approval is something we all have in common deep down, regardless of whatever disorder we may have. [insert victoria justice meme here]

gale may be many things to many people, but he is no entitled narcissist.

#with love. a person diagnosed with bpd <3 #this turned much longer than i originally intended it to be (aka less of a reply and more of a character study) #by now you know that i am incapable of cutting myself short. i’m so sorry #i debated if i should put this in the tag at first #but i personally think that this is a very interesting discussion #also to reiterate: this is by NO MEANS a slight at the original poster #i just thought it more respectful to make my own post instead of invading theirs with my ranting #fandom is all about fun and escapism. #if you interpret characters in a certain way that i personally disagree with that is a-okay #BUT i’m also gonna have my own specific brand of fun by pointing out why you’re wrong (affectionately) #also i quickly want to add that if you're interested in a very accurate and respectful portrayal of bpd: watch crazy ex-girlfriend!! #its on netflix and genuinely such a funny and unapologetically weird show. the writers have really done their homework #bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #bg3 meta #character analysis #it speaks #long post #suicide mention

[percheduphere]

Okay. First post trying to use gifs properly. I've switched out improper gifs for these type for my last 3-4 posts. Gonna work on some more corrections tomorrow when I have time. Please let me know if I'm misstepping anywhere. Thanks for your patience! That said...

LET'S TALK ABOUT SYLVIE💕, INTERSECTIONAL FEMINISM (SYLVIE & LOKI)✊🏽, AND QUEER REPRESENTATION (LOKIUS)🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️!

SYLVIE

I'm rooting for Lokius, AND I also love how much Sylvie has forged a life for herself in S2. A lot of her development is implied, so I think it's worth looking at her growth outside the context of Loki himself: She found a job, locals know her by name, she has friends and acquaintances, she has hobbies!

People call her by name in her timeline on 4 occasions:

1. When the McDonald's shift manager (John) checks in on her after work. See the kid with the tie in the image below. I couldn't find any gifs of him visiting Sylvie at her truck. She asked him if his mom was gonna pick him up to make sure he was gonna be okay late at night. 🥹

2. When a customer picks up their McDonald's order and thanks her (cheerfully). Also note how many employee stars she had on her badge! Queen.

3. Lyle at the record store. They seem like really good friends, and I got the "beginnings of an attraction" vibe between the two of them. Unfortunately, the gifs below are the only ones I could find of him and I'm still searching for the source. His interaction with Sylvie before spaghetti-trauma was so sincere. He could tell she was down and offered her Velvet Underground. Come on, that's a solid move.

4. Eric at the bar, who comments 2 shots of bourbon is a good choice. Let me tell you, finding a gif of Eric was like finding a needle in a haystack, but here he is leaning close to Sylvie. Thank you, @zehiiro!

I tried to find more gifs of all the people Sylvie has in her life but couldn't find any, which is a darn shame because there are so many subtle cues she's built a support system on her own and she's thriving.

She's a regular at many places in her timeline, and when people greet her, they do so with a smile. She loves music, a hard drink, and punk fashion.

When she engages with Loki, she may come across as cold, but I honestly think she's being firm with her boundaries and true to her beliefs. The TVA threatened her life for centuries. I don't doubt setting foot in the building is traumatic for her, which may explain why she was more harsh than usually in S2E4. Her psychological defenses were all on overdrive. Yet when Sylvie's in her own timeline, far away from the TVA, she can be her real self. Turns out, her real self is pretty well-liked! (I'll talk about how this is mirrored in Loki soon).

INTERSECTIONAL FEMINISM

Sylvie's an unapologetically "selfish" woman who knows what she wants, wants it on her own, is doing it on her own, and isn't afraid to put her foot down when it comes to her personal boundaries. We should be applauding all of that!

This is exactly the kind of female representation we need, but the show did Sylvie a disservice in S1 by coming at her character as a love interest first (look at all the media promos classifying her as such) instead of more thoughtfully showing how badly she has been affected by the TVA and planting what her desires are throughout. If they had done this with more intention and finesse, her position in S2 wouldn't come off as completely irresponsible.

As a result of this apparent marketing and pre-production development decision, her perception as a character (by both lokius and sylki shippers) is muddled by the question of her relationship status with Loki. This truly isn't fair, most especially to Sophia Di Martino.

Of course, Sylvie isn't perfect. No well-written character should be. I just think she's cooler than she gets credit for precisely because her character arc doesn't require the fulfillment of a romance. She will be fine whether or not she ends up with Loki. It's very feminist!

Loki, in turn, found safety, belonging, and love at the TVA. All the things that are the complete opposite of Sylvie's lived experience. I often see fans complaining about how Loki is ooc in his own series.

The thing is, and Loki admits this himself: it's all part of an illusion.

This illusion started far before the first Thor movie. He comes from a hyper-masculine (dare I say toxic-masculine) warrior society. His true nature doesn't conform with this, so he has to overcompensate with some (genuinely awesome) bad assery.

BUT he doesn't like it.

As a comparison to a far lesser but more relatable degree: imagine putting on a customer service persona 24/7. UGH. It's just not sustainable without becoming increasingly angry and bitter, which is what Sacred Timeline Loki becomes. Mobius gets ahead of this.

In the series, Loki can finally TURN OFF that persona, and TURN IT ON again when it's needed (and fun!).

He also now has the freedom to be silly, expressive, and magical (unapologetically queer!) without anyone making fun of him for it.

The end result is a much calmer, happier, likable person (like Sylvie in her timeline, his defenses are no longer on overdrive!). Who shows him this is possible?

Here's the receipt:

QUEER REPRESENTATION

Sociopoliticaly, Loki and Mobius come from a different angle. A lot of men (cis, fluid, trans, or otherwise) struggle with the social expectation of burying feelings and never ever showing vulnerability, especially to another men. Now, some might argue that shipping men together perpetuates this construct. There's some truth to this, but only through the lens that it is shameful to be gay. In order to get to a point in society where there's no shame in being mistaken as gay (or queer, generally) when being affectionate with another man, there must be continuous positive representation of homosexual relationships in which the characters are not stereotypes. Loki and Mobius are exactly this, especially Mobius.

Whereas Loki, on Asgard, represents the openly queer oppressed (i.e. magic and cunning, qualities historically tied to witches or "immoral women" instead of brute strength), Mobius can represent the closeted repressed.

In S1, Mobius was much more uptight, rule-abiding, and just shy of holier-than-thou. The power structure in which he existed perpetuated this, until Loki reveals to him it was all a lie (an illusion).

In S2, he becomes more flexible, more fun-loving, and more expressive in his affection. In S1, most of his support of Loki manifested as words of affirmation. In S2, his support extended to physical touch and bonding. Mobius, if seen through the lens of a closeted man allegory, finds the courage (and partner) to slowly come out.

#loki #sylvie #mobius #lokius #sylki #loki meta #loki season 2 #loki spoilers #sylkie #my meta #loki series

[sheydgarden]

Question: I am ethnically Jewish, though not culturally (complicated family history). I read your book on the roots of Antisemitic origins of Solomonic magic and wanted to ask:

If working with the Ars Goetia as entities themselves may be problematic: could reframing and restructuring the paradigms to re-imagine the listed demons and create new demons to work alongside be a better solution? I do enjoy the recent demonological work I’ve started but seeing some of the origins, it makes me wonder if my workings could be adjusted by basing my rituals in values I personally have and reframing it away from the work found in Solomonic Texts.

You had said in your Zine you yourself had worked to strip the Antisemitism from the Solomonic Imagery and parts of the practice and I was wondering if you had any advice on that process because I do find it fulfilling to ritually work alongside entities like this but am wondering how to do it in a better way?

hi! i'm gonna answer this one publicly so that i have something to refer folks to here when they ask me this same question (which i've gotten before), hope that's cool! also, apologies for the length of reply, but that's what happens when you open this particular box with me, haha.

i'm just gonna give it to you straight (and this is my opinion, of course, i know there are plenty who disagree with me! but you asked me) - i don't think there's anything you can do to "Solomonic" magic to render it not antisemitic. the antisemitism isn't a nasty veneer you can scrape off to get at some good stuff underneath - it's baked in. the entire premise of a book about a "powerful Jewish magician" who worked with Christian demons (who themselves are just a mish-mash of names & concepts from various cultures) is antisemitic. in the case of the Lesser Key specifically, we're talking about a book most likely written & distributed by Christian clergy (that's who had access to the education & tools required!) who were at the same time actively contributing to Jewish genocide. it's the foundation of the thing.

when i talk about my sigil artwork that uses grimoire-inspired imagery, i'm talking purely about holding onto an aesthetic, a visual language of lines. i can take out antisemitic visual signifiers easily because i'm only working with an image out of context. i don't think it's possible to remove antisemitism from the concept or the practice of Solomonic/ceremonial magic, at least not without completely altering it at its core - and then why bother basing anything on it at all? (i'm a Jew, not a western occultist, so i haven't tried)

i think really considering what exactly it is you've been getting out of this might make things clearer for you in terms of how you want to proceed. if it's the "Jewish" flavor, there's a whole world of actual Jewish folklore & mysticism, complete with demons of our own - you mention having Jewish ancestry, but not being culturally or religiously Jewish, so i would definitely recommend making a connection to Jewish community & learning a lot before you dive into any kind of Jewish spirituality. if it's just the concept of calling on entities via ritual work - why these? why not your own inventions? the demons listed in the Lesser Key were pretty much invented during the Renaissance, even if some of their names come from older sources. occultists combined, embellished & invented them to fit into a Christian theology, using a faux-Jewish origin story in order to lend them both more credibility (in a time when Jews were literally equated with demons!) and some spicy exoticism. i'm pretty baffled as to why so many folks still want to base a spiritual practice on that, beyond the fact that they're considered cool and/or sufficiently edgy if you grew up Christian.

if i'm being more blunt here than i was in the zine, it's because we're solely in "personal opinion" territory, and my honest opinion is that whatever folks find enjoyable about ceremonial magic could be better put to use in a framework that leaves Judaism alone entirely (and either honestly calls itself Christian - which it historically is - or creates a new cultural/religious system to operate under). i hope this was helpful - thanks for taking the time to read it!

#asks #antisemitism #FYMA: a lesser key

[khaire-traveler]

How To Get Started With Deities - A Beginner's Guide

***GIF depicts Hermes from Destripando la Historia on YouTube.***

***DISCLAIMER: This information is largely based on personal experience. When I use sources, I will include them at the end. If something doesn't sit well with you, you don't have to do it. This is all a suggestion and is just meant to help anyone who may be feeling a bit lost on where to start with deity work or worship (there is a difference between those things).***

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First thing's first... Deity Work vs. Deity Worship

What is Deity Work exactly? Deity work is the process of engaging with a deity to achieve a specific outcome. For example, let's say you're a follower of Dionysus, and you began working with him to cope with something in healthy ways. You are working with Dionysus to achieve something specific, classifying this as deity work.

What is Deity Worship exactly? Deity worship is venerating or praising a deity; you are not working with them to achieve an outcome. For example, let's use you as a follower of Dionysus again. You make offerings to him, for no specific reason, and even consider yourself Hellenic, meaning you subscribe to a particular religion. You are not working with Dionysus to make progress toward a specific goal; you're simply worshipping and honoring him, gifting him offerings, and singing his praises. This would be classified as deity worship.

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So You Feel a Deity Reaching Out...

What are some ways to tell if a deity is trying to contact you? This is a difficult question to answer, honestly speaking, because how a deity contacts you or sends you signs varies from person to person. It rarely looks the same for people. However, there are some common ways a deity will present themselves. They are as follows:

Having dreams that depict them or their symbols

Seeing animals, or animal symbols, associated with them

Feeling inexplicably connected to or pulled toward them

Enjoying the same things they happen to have domain over

Seeing representations or images of them consistently

Getting strong gut feelings about them

Can I reject a deity's offer/can a deity reject my offer? Simply put, yes, absolutely. Deities will respect the boundaries you set with them, and in turn, you should do the same. If you don't wish to work with or worship a deity, you don't have to. Likewise, it's ok if a deity doesn't want to work with you or have you worship them (although I haven't heard of a deity rejecting worship before, honestly). You are never required to accept. If you plan on rejecting a deity's offer, however, I advise giving them proper notice so that they're aware of your choice.

What if a deity isn't reaching out but I want to work with/worship them? This is perfectly normal, and it's important to mention that sometimes, you make the first move which is okay. There is nothing wrong with you taking the first step in a deity relationship (relationship having no particular connotation, in this context).

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How to Get Started...

What should my first steps be? In forming a deity relationship, I think there's a lot of preparation that goes into things before you officially start interacting with them. Of course, you're welcome to just start off with direct interaction right away, but I don't suggest it. Before anything, I suggest doing your research.

What kinds of things should I research? I recommend researching topics such as the deity's mythology, the experiences of their other followers, their associations and common correspondences, and the culture they stem from. This may seem like a lot, but you don't have to dive into serious depth unless you'd like to. I recommend learning at least the basics of each topic, so as not to overwhelm yourself with information. It's also important to note that some deities have more information than others; you may not find a wealth of information on your deity, in which case, I'd focus more on their cultural history and the experiences of their followers.

Cool, now what? Now all you need to do is get ready to make first contact! What you'll need:

An offering (or several; it's your choice)

And that's it, really! You don't need anything else unless you're able to afford it or are open about your practices. If you want, you can also have a candle to light for the deity, crystals you feel they'd like, and an image or figure of them. Overall, though, you really don't need much to contact a deity (later on, you won't likely need to give an offering each time you reach out; I just recommend it for your first time to be polite and respectful).

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Offerings... How do?

How do I give offerings? When you give an offering, all that matters is your intention. If you intend that thing to be an offering for said deity, then all you really need to do is let the deity know you're giving that thing as an offering. That's it, really; it's not a challenging process. If you want, you can have a set place for that offering called an "altar", where you keep images of the deity, leave offerings, and even have a candle to light in honor of them, but despite popular belief, a formal altar is not required to worship or work with a deity if you don't have a space for one or can't be open about your practices. Altars are extremely appreciated but not required.

What counts as an offering? As I mentioned previously, it's your intention that matters the most. Anything can be an offering, as long as you mean to give it to your deity with good intentions. A necklace that has importance to you? That can be an offering! A yummy fruit? Yup, still works! The only thing I don't advise is giving unsanitary offerings, but that's more of a safety concern to me.

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How do I discard perishable offerings? The best way is likely to bury said offering if it's safe for the environment. You can also burn it if it's safe to burn, or simply throw it away. You can also consume offerings (as long as they're safe to eat, of course). If you throw something away, however, I would inform the deity that you mean no disrespect by it and are simply discarding the item safely.

Conclusion

That's all you really need to get started with forming a relationship with a deity! These are, again, suggestions, and you don't have to do or try or even believe anything I've stated above. If something doesn't feel right to you, simply find another way to move forward that is comfortable for you. The nice thing about paganism is how much wiggle room you have, especially when learning what does and doesn't work for you and your beliefs.

Overall, I hope I was able to help someone! If you have any questions, please feel free to DM me or send me an ask. I'm very friendly and happy to help! c:

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||Sources||

"What do they want?" - hearthfirehandworks on Tumblr

"How to tell if you've received a sign" - localwitchhere on Tumblr

#deity work #deity worship #paganblr #baby pagan #paganism #pagan tips #deities #masterpost #hellenic polytheism #norse paganism #witchblr #baby witch

[gailynovelry]

There are lots of reasons to hate AI generators right now. But aside from the plagiarism, the impact on career artists of all stripes, and the general use of AI for grifting schemes, they also just really suck if you already have trouble with unreality.

I'm not talking about "oooh those AI images sure are creepy."

I'm talking about "folks with low media literacy are telling me, a nervous, obsessive wreck, that Unreality-Type Things are Definitely Real because the Smart Science Fiction Machine told them so."

There's an old lady who frequents my workplace as a customer, and she likes me, y'know? I keep the place clean, I let her chat. I'm polite. So, she's decided that I'm a nice person who deserves to be warned if something bad is happening in the world. Trouble is, she eats up every news source without scrutiny, and has chipperly informed me that "ignorance is not bliss" when I've admitted that I don't follow the news very closely (for mental health reasons.)

Anyway, her daughter's taken to addressing the AI software in her phone about current political events. So the old lady came to me one day, very nervous, and quietly informed me that World War Three is probably going to happen in November.

Because the AI said so. And the AI, it's smart right? That's why it's callled "artificial intelligence." It's gotten fed all that knowledge, so it must know these things.

Except that it doesn't. Text AI are just sentence generators. No context, no awareness, no thought process to speak of.

I know this. I'm not socially competent enough to inform her of this in-person, since that requires more talking than an "uh-huh, yep," but I know this. I know that World War Three is not happening in November just because an AI said so. Ask an AI "when is WW3 happening?" ten different times, and it'll give you ten different answers. Tell it that it's full of crap, and it'll automatically apologize right before spitting out the next crap answer.

But she doesn't know this.

She's trying to warn me about something that scares her.

And she does not know that in trying to warning me, she is a) ineffective, and b) inflicting a different kind of harm.

Because my terrible, frustrating brain, with its ten different kinds of internal malware and software glitches, is looking over my shoulder at the future just in case. And so is she.

AI is misinformation and misinformation is hell.

#unreality #anti ai #fuck ai writing #fuck ai everything #i just don't see this technology being used for good #i try searching for an informational article and i get searches populated with ai writing that i have to figure out how to filter #i hear about people filling up books with junk AI writing and pulling weird schemes to sell them on Amazon #i see people using these things to feed their biases #i find people denying that the AI can have biases itself because they think machines are impartial #sorry about the vent post on main but this stuff just keeps happening #little old lady is also not the only person i know who got given bad information by AI #but she is the most obvious and drastic example

[mahayanapilgrim]

The Controversy of Symbolism in Tibetan Buddhism: Misunderstandings and True Interpretations

The profound symbolism and imagery in Tibetan Buddhism have often been a source of misunderstanding and controversy, particularly in the context of the union of wisdom and bliss, symbolized by Father (compassion) and Mother (wisdom) in intimate union. This controversy has historical roots, with early Western explorers, including British ones, misinterpreting these symbols and, in some cases, branding Tibetans as primitive or even demon-worshipers. However, a more nuanced understanding of these symbols and their true meaning reveals a deeper and more profound aspect of Tibetan Buddhism.

Historical Misunderstandings:

As little as a few decades ago, Western explorers and visitors to Tibetan Buddhist temples were shocked by the imagery and symbolism they encountered. The intimate union of Father (compassion) and Mother (wisdom) was often misinterpreted as sexual or lustful, leading to hasty judgments about Tibetan culture and spirituality. These misinterpretations resulted from a lack of cultural context and a superficial understanding of Tibetan Buddhism.

Western Perceptions:

Early Western perceptions of Tibetan Buddhism were influenced by these misinterpretations. Tibetans were often seen as primitive or shamanistic, which created a skewed image of their spirituality. It wasn't until the 1970s that a growing group of Western students and practitioners began to delve deeper into Tibetan Buddhism, seeking a more authentic understanding of its teachings and symbolism.

Attachment to Labels and Symbolism:

The controversy surrounding the symbolism in Tibetan Buddhism underscores the importance of understanding the concept of attachment to labels. The heart of Buddha's teachings on the Eightfold Path revolves around transcending attachments and delusions. Tibetan Buddhist teachers recognized the limitations of words in conveying profound truths and instead used visual symbols to represent these concepts.

True Interpretations:

The union of Father (compassion) and Mother (wisdom) in Tibetan Buddhism represents a deeply spiritual and symbolic concept. It symbolizes the harmonious integration of compassion and wisdom, with the male (compassion) and female (wisdom) aspects balancing and complementing each other. This union is not about physical intimacy but rather a representation of the union of essential qualities for spiritual enlightenment.

Furthermore, the symbolism of union in Tibetan Buddhism extends to skilful means (male) and insight (female) as well as relative truth (male) and ultimate truth (female). These symbols illustrate the interplay and integration of complementary qualities and aspects on the path to enlightenment.

In conclusion, the controversy surrounding the symbolism in Tibetan Buddhism highlights the challenges of cross-cultural interpretation and the importance of looking beyond surface appearances. The true view of these symbols emphasizes their spiritual and philosophical significance, rather than superficial, misinformed judgments. The union of Father and Mother in Tibetan Buddhism is a symbol of the profound balance between compassion and wisdom, and it serves as a reminder that understanding cultural and spiritual symbols requires a deep and open-minded approach.

#buddha #buddhism #buddhist #dharma #sangha #mahayana #zen #milarepa #tibetan buddhism #thich nhat hanh #padmasambhava #four noble truths #tantra #Guru Rinpoche #Bodhisattva #buddha samantabhadra #dalai láma #dhamma #Dzogchen #Dakini #manjushri #merit #mind training

[blanketforcas]

A guide to real-person shipping and tinhatting

Most of this can be applied to general tinhatting but I will mainly be focusing on RPS and using examples from cockles fandom. This is based on my experience and what I’ve personally come across. Examples I use are merely illustrative and not meant as shade to anyone.

Let’s get some ethics of rps out of the way first

*disclaimer: this is what I would advise, I know opinions on this do vary

Try to keep it off main as much as possible (ie twitter, tiktok). You can’t always escape the algorithm, some stuff does get seen by the actors. Every actor’s comfort level with this is different, but as a general rule let's say tinhatting stays on tumblr or group chats

Try to avoid stating something as truth unless you’re quoting the actors

This goes without saying, but don’t ever mention the ship to the actors and if they bring it up themselves, don’t forget that’s not a free pass to just say whatever

Now, moving on to some pitfalls and tips

Do some basic research

Is this tweet/post reflecting the truth? Do multiple sources confirm this? Is there video? What was the context? What is happening right before and right after this particular moment? Does that change how you think about it?

When you see a picture you haven’t seen before, are you sure it’s not a manip? Use reverse image search and if nothing comes up, try to look up the event using key words to see if you can find the picture. If it’s hard to find and friends can’t help you either, it’s probably a manip. Obviously also look for signs within the picture itself (strange lines/different lighting on one person/missing limbs etc)

Are you projecting?

We all do it! It’s normal, just try to be aware when you’re doing it. Sometimes actors might indeed be similar to you when it comes to [whatever your theory is about], sometimes not at all. Fact remains you’re more likely to run with it when it’s something you do or feel yourself. Try to ask some friends what they would do/how they would react and maybe you’ll find out it’s less common or obvious than you think.

Confirmation bias is one hell of a drug

It’s surprising how easily a pattern can be found if you actively try to find one. Try to keep thinking critically: do I too quickly add something to the list of evidence because I really want my theory to be true? Does it really belong in that pile or could there be another reason why X happened the way it did?

The more effort it requires to make your theory sound plausible, the less likely it is to be true

Does it need a lot of explanation? Are you having to find a lot of excuses when an alternative explanation is presented? Are there inconsistencies in your theory that are difficult to explain away?

These are all red flags and should make you question the validity of your theory.

You as a fan are always going to be far more invested than any of these actors will ever be

Whether it’s about the show they are on or their social media behaviour, you will always care more and inevitably find details that weren’t put there intentionally.

No, the actors aren’t constantly leaving clues about the show you love (“you’re not crazy” tweets aside) in their everyday posts, they are just living their lives and sharing it.

And no, actors aren’t hiding secret and very obscure messages in their posts about how their relationship is real. They will simply quote Casablanca on the other person’s birthday and assume you get the memo

Remember they aren’t as obsessed with us as we are with them

This ties into the previous point about hiding secret messages. It’s a consequence of parasocialising which is something I talk about later in this guide.

Actors may or may not care a lot about us as people/as a fandom, and sometimes they do like to play with us in a general lowkey sense, but they aren’t looking for a “special” group of people who Get It. They aren’t putting in the time and effort to find a way to communicate with us on some secret code level. An example within cockles fandom I’ve seen is the stoplight system (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, this was an idea proposed by a fan via text messages that Misha could use red/yellow/green to communicate how loud we could be about cockles – the day after, the official Gish account’s activity was seen as possible confirmation Misha actually adopted the method).

Which leads me to my last point:

Watch out for conspiracy thinking

I know, I know. It’s kind of in the name. Tinhatting implies some sort of conspiracy, but this is a bit too simple when it comes to RPS and especially cockles – where you have two people who make a lot of references themselves and like to have fun with it. There’s different levels of tinhatting one can do, my goal is just to try to make you more aware of some of the red flags and pitfalls that I’ve mentioned throughout this post.

Okay maybe one final point about mental health

You’re more susceptible to falling for some of these things if you’re parasocialising hard. It’s something we are all familiar with because how else did we end up in this dumpster in the first place?

It doesn’t need to be problematic – it’s almost inevitable and comes with being a fan. With tinhatting It’s important to check in with yourself from time to time how much you care about a particular theory and why you find it so important.

More generally when you find yourself spending more and more time in these fandom spaces – ask yourself if there’s something else you’re avoiding or feelings you’re repressing that need to be dealt with. Reach out to friends (those can and do include the people you spend all that time discussing RPS with), try to distance yourself a bit etc. Take a step back if needed.

With all that being said, you can still do whatever you want and make your own judgement. I just hope this can help at least one person to be more cognizant of how they engage with RPS. I know I’ve personally fallen for some of the traps and I learned and still learn along the way.

Yes, this is a little bit silly, it’s a silly subject matter. The reason I care so much and wrote this guide anyway, is not just because I like tinhatting to be believable (cause I do, I can’t deny that) but also because a lot of these critical thinking skills are helpful in for example preventing people from falling for actually dangerous conspiracy theories, cults and cult-like group structures, and toxic relationships.

Now I feel like I ended on such a serious note but I want to emphasise of course the most important part of RPS is to have fun – and this is hopefully just a tiny toolbox for when you want to do more of a deep dive.

Happy rps'ing!

#cockles #here it is the guide that no one asked for #but yall enabled me anyway

[bringmemyrocks]

Conversion questions for candidates in the Conservative Movement of Judaism

Short context: The Conservative/Masorti Movement is generally more egalitarian and progressive than orthodox Judaism, but is less liberal than Reform Judaism. At this point, Reform and Conservative both allow for female rabbis, but the Conservative movement is more traditional with regards to liturgy, laws around kashrut, and laws around intermarriage with non-Jews. That was a very short summary, and these details can be further explored elsewhere. Note that the Rabbinical Assembly is the rabbinical leadership body of the conservative movement in the USA.

For anyone critical of the Israel questions (as you should be), please read my bolded notes:

These questions are not required of conversion candidates--it is an offered framework only and is up to the sponsoring rabbi and beit din to determine if they want to ask any/all of these questions or to take a different approach.

Do not assume that every Jew who converted conservative was asked all of these questions or that they had particular answers to them. This is for informational purposes only.

"The House of Israel" and "The People of Israel" refer to the Jewish community, not to the modern nation-state.

Source: Moreh Derekh: The Rabbi's Manual of the Rabbinical Assembly as cited on p. 75 of this paper. https://www.levisson.nl/images/stories/020912%20Semicha/Thesis%20IGoldberg.pdf

This stuff isn't easy to find, but I was able to dig it up because a rabbinical student posted their thesis online and included sources from the book. Thanks!

Archived snapshot: https://web.archive.org/web/20240213125707/https://www.levisson.nl/images/stories/020912%20Semicha/Thesis%20IGoldberg.pdf

Text is as follows, only edits are formatting:

Essay questions for the Bet Din About a month to six weeks before meeting with the Bet Din, a conversion candidate should begin preparing an essay. The document should include the candidate's: (1) full name, (2) address, (3) home and business phone numbers, and (4) desired Hebrew name. In addition, the paper, to be distributed to each member of the Bet Din, should address the: following issues:

Describe the process that led you to want to become Jewish.

Which Jewish values and beliefs do you find most appealing and persuasive?

How is Judaism more appropriate for you than your former religion or lifestyle?

Describe how your personal and home life has changed because of Jewish tradition and how it may yet change in the future.

Describe your sense of identification with the Jewish people in relation to Israel, world Jewry, the local Jewish community, and your synagogue.

Describe how you intend to fulfill the mitzvah of צדקה.

What is your commitment to prayer and religious services?

What are your plans for future Jewish study?

If blessed with children, how will you handle their Jewish education?

List the Jewish books you have read and the newspapers or periodicals to which you subscribe.

The Bet Din's final questions of the conversion candidate If the Bet Din is satisfied with the written answers and oral responses, the interview may be concluded with the following questions:

Are you converting to Judaism by your own free will and volition, without coercion or undue external influence?

Do you renounce all beliefs you may once have had in any other religion?

In becoming Jewish, are you giving up all religious practices, holidays, and life cycle events such as baptism and communion that might be associated with your former religion?

Do you accept the God of Israel as the one universal and indivisible God?

Do you commit yourself to observing the mitzvot of Judaism, as defined by Jewish law, to the best of your ability and knowledge?

Do you commit yourself to the further study of Judaism and to continued growth in the observance of its mitzvot?

Will you support all those who seek to reestablish and revitalize our Jewish homeland by making the land and State of Israel a part of your life and the life of your family?

If blessed with children, do you pledge to raise them exclusively in the Jewish religion by providing them with a quality Jewish education and timely involvement in Jewish life-cycle events?

Do you commit yourself to associating with the Jewish community by joining a synagogue?

Do you bind your personal destiny to the destiny of the Jewish people?

These are the questions/statements, copied and pasted. I have only altered formatting when it didn't transfer over.

Again, do not assume every convert was asked these questions or answered them in the affirmative. This is just a framework that is offered, not mandated, by the Rabbinical Assembly. The framework deserves criticism; people who have converted to Judaism do not deserve individual scrutiny solely based on the above suggested questions and statements.

I know plenty of converts who converted conservative who were never asked about Israel at their beit din. This does not mean that we should not challenge zionism in our institutions, but it does mean our anger should be directed at the right places (including at converts and anyone else should they choose to defend a genocide.)

I posted this because I think transparency is important. Conservative Judaism cannot claim (as it sometimes will) that it welcomes differing opinions on Israel and Palestine if their handbook states otherwise. But you can't buy a copy unless you're a rabbi because these books are published by the Rabbinical Assembly and these questions weren't posted online until recently, so that plausible deniability is there.

I hope and pray that any non-Jew who decides to engage with/re-post this includes my caveats that this is not a reason to target individual converts solely because they are converts or because they are Jewish.

It also is important that converts know what to expect, at least on some level, when they go to their beit din. They know they will be asked some questions, but it's not clear which ones, so it helps to have a list. (Again, this is for the Conservative movement in the USA, and these questions are a framework rather than a legal requirement.) Converts to Judaism are put through a lot, especially those in conservative and orthodox traditions.

The least they could do is know in advance what they're likely (not guaranteed) to be asked.

#jewish convert #conversion to judaism #anti zionism #judaism #conservative judaism #long post #i

[hopeymchope]

I'm curious, what's your stance on generative AI? I know we in the fandom community often talk about it in the context of AI created fanart, but I'm talking more in the context of the uses generative AI has in the realm of general work productivity, like what Microsoft is trying to do with their new CoPilot program.

Well, the ethical issue is basically the same as it is for A.I.-generated images—but for some goddamn reason, people don't like to think of any kind of writing as a form of propietary "art" the same way they do about visual arts, so it's garnered FAR less attention.

But as far as their usability goes? As someone who writes documents for a living, I can see these programs being potentially beneficial for creating early rough drafts, but that's the extent of what it's good for now: They can make outlines. BUT! You could get the same outline from a template or from an online boilerplate, so is that even worth anything? Once you go beyond an outline, any text generated from these A.I.s always needs heavy revision, reorganization, and editing. I'd spend less time just writing it from scratch.

Currently, generative so-called "A.I." programs that are designed to assist with writing text are based upon predicting what they think the user is requesting or desiring. They set out to give you what they believe you want, and accuracy is NOT part of the equation. This might not be as big of an issue if you're trying to make a book report on a classic novel, because there are probably enough examples of reliable web coverage on the subject it could reasonably generate something that's at least usable. But outside of doing some of your homework for you, how useful is it?

It can certainly bullshit some generic blather to fill space in a paper, or it could spew corporate-ese for the purpose of drafting a mass company email... but can it announce something new to your staff or the press in an accurate way? Nope. Can it reliably create copy or a script for advertising/marketing? Not if you want your ad to actually be true, let alone unique. :P

If you're doing something fairly rote like taking existing legal documentation to create a new, similar legal document for a different usage? You're better off just having a template on-hand with editable sections to revise; that way, the A.I. won't attempt to "improve" the legal text in a way that fucks you over. And if you're asking the A.I. not to edit that text in the first place... well, then why are we using this A.I. when we already have templates?

If you're hoping to create some kind of instructions, maybe a "How-To" book or a manual for something? Just forget it. It doesn't matter how much documentation on the subject you feed into that A.I. Ultimately, it will preconcieve how the process COULD work or what the program/device/person MIGHT do, and then it starts going off on bizarre claims/tangents that are wholly imagined. The longer the document you want, the worse the amount of nonsensical bullshit gets.

But even if you're just trying to get it to reduce a massive document down to like, a single page that covers the basics? It has no real system for judging what "the basics" are. You can try to specify to the A-not-I what you need to include, feed it the original document... and still wind up with a combination of falsehoods and excluded requirements. This won't necessarily happen every single attempt or in every single paragraph, but it'll definitely happen enough times to make it more trouble than it's worth. Still... this kind of thing — i.e., revising a single existing source into a different format or length — is probably the area that's the most promising application for these programs in the near term. It should be possible to "teach" to the programs in question, and it handily skirts past most ethical questions about the sources behind its knowledge.

What I said about falsehoods and skewed info/inaccuracy is also why search engines that have incorporated A.I. have gotten LESS reliable. Generative A.I. isn't truly "Artificial Intelligence," because it can't make any kind of judgment. It doesn't have a clue how to deem something true or false, and it's really fucking hard to build that into a program. Because ultimately, what do you ask it to do? How do you explain that to the program in a logical fashion? You can't just say "only believe the sources I give you/tell you to trust," because it only generates based on tons of pre-existing examples that it's observed. It only exists at all because of those examples, which is always going to cause these issues.

....and that last point ALSO raises the same exact ethical questions already brought up by A.I.-generated imagery. What right do they have to use these sources? Where are they getting them, etc.? And now I'm back where I started.

Suffice it to say I'm not a fan. Although I do, of course, have skin in this game, so I acknowledge that I'm definitely biased.

#a.i. #generative a.i. #asks

[argumate]

I think I'd regard "modelling/approximating a function of the training set" to be a limiting framing that implies that ML models can't do more general inference. If a model learns to model a certain general data transformation from the training data (like, for instance, addition, or writing poems with arbitrary rhyming schemes that haven't been seen before, or creating an arbitrary image from a description), then it is modelling something that can be extrapolated from the data, but I feel like calling that a function representing that data is limiting to the point of being inaccurate. A genuine learned function or mechanism that can be applied to a specific task generally has an infinite potential application that isn't limited by the finite input data; all that is required is enough samples to for said function or mechanism to be derived accurately.

"Compression" philosophical models of AI bug me because they seem to imply that an AI system can never produce anything novel, and in fact that's often why people invoke them. But that seems to be demonstrably not true - a system that has learned to do a thing can at least theoretically do that thing in entirely novel contexts, and produce new data that can then be further built upon without any sort of knowledge decay. The source of subsequent generations of data will of course ultimately be the original data, but the potential for analysis and extrapolation could be unbounded, if the original data space contains enough information about the world to be explored as a complete world model.

This is how humans carry on our civilisation and produce new knowledge, after all, and I see no reason a ML system can't do the same - are doing the same, in some senses, just currently on a smaller and more limited scale. I don't think that anyone would argue that "producing a more perfect function of our environmental training set" is a useful description of what a human does, however.

I also feel that architecture differences become more relevant when it comes to things like achieving consistency over consecutive rounds of world modelling and problem solving, by taking shortcuts based on known assumptions about reality and hardcoding them into a system.

yes being able to explore the implications of what is suggested by the training set is obviously vital, if they couldn't do this then they would not be "learning" anything, they would just be memorising the input data, and we have simpler compression algorithms for that!

however even exploring the implications of the training set to their ultimate limit may not tell us what we need to know if that depends upon data we do not have; for example it may not be possible to advance the frontiers of physics without observing experiments at energies that we have not yet reached, or cure cancer without insight into the immune system not currently present in our records.

humans don't just produce new knowledge by exploring the implications of existing knowledge in a purely textual sense, after all! sometimes we actually do stuff in the world.

but a robust device for correlating the vast amounts of data we have already collected would still be of great value, even more so if it could guide the collection of more data.

either way, this wasn't an attempt at taking a philosophical view of AI, more just making the point that the precise network architecture doesn't seem relevant to the outcome of the "big data" approach, even if it does matter for operational reasons in terms of how big that data can get.

[mariacallous]

Bellingcat has been overwhelmed with messages from concerned people around the world who want to help us identify and analyse images of potential war crimes taking place in Ukraine. While this increased interest in open source research is encouraging, it comes with costs of which new researchers may not be aware. Those wishing to conduct open source research into this invasion will be exposed to images that are extremely graphic: they show the painful, disfiguring effects that war has on human bodies, cities and nature. Many of these images can be highly distressing, especially if viewed repeatedly and intensely. But their effect can also be cumulative: you may feel alright for a long time until one day, you don’t. What’s more, even non-graphic images can have a negative impact on you in ways that you may not expect, as I outlined on Twitter. 

All this means that we have to be all the more guarded when we conduct research online.  Practicing good mental hygiene is a continuous process that requires active input at all times. The small steps you take today to minimise and mitigate your exposure to distressing content may in a few years’ time save you from burnout or worse. Your future self will thank you.

On Vicarious Trauma and Other Terms

Terminology can make it more difficult to talk about the distress that you might feel when researching content online. Sometimes we don’t have the right words to describe why we’re feeling a certain way, especially when those feelings are having a negative impact on our lives. The concept of vicarious trauma can be a useful one. In its “Style Guide for Trauma Informed Journalism”, the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma defines the term as:

…psychological challenges resulting from cumulative, empathetic engagement with trauma survivors in a professional context.

Vicarious trauma initially referred to a psychological risk from prolonged work with traumatised individuals. However, the term has since been used by media professionals to refer specifically to the negative responses that journalists may experience through prolonged viewing online of “violent and distressing images… hundreds of thousands of miles away from where the actual horrors occur.” Even if you are sitting thousands of miles away, these negative responses can be all the more pronounced if you are researching a topic or region with which you have a personal connection. With that in mind, we’ve become acutely aware of the risks of vicarious trauma in our work.

Back in October 2018, Hannah Ellis published an article for Bellingcat outlining some steps that you can take to minimise your exposure to vicarious trauma, which she defined as “mental distress [as a result of] interacting with graphic online media.” A 2022 guide for journalists by Headlines, a foundation to promote mental health in the media and Mind, a leading UK mental health charity, defines the term as “exposure to someone else’s trauma”, and warns that it can affect researchers who “are exposed frequently or repeatedly to traumatic material.”

It’s important to point out that, as you’ll see below, vicarious trauma from exposure to graphic images is not the only potential source of distress to an open source researcher. Exposure to certain sounds, hateful text, or far-right imagery can also have a negative impact on your mental health. Recently, Bellingcat has worked with the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma to help our researchers build resilience when working with traumatic materials. That means adapting positively to the challenges and stresses of working with distressing content (the American Psychological Association has a more thorough definition of ‘resilience’ here). At Bellingcat, we also receive psychological support from professionals at Trauma Treatment International. This support includes one-one-one sessions with clinical psychologists who are experts in trauma that is caused by exposure to distressing content online, and is meant to help us avoid burnout, depression, and other negative effects on our mental health.”

Tips for Building Resilience

Below are some tips that I use and have found helpful to build resilience so that I am able to work with potentially distressing content effectively without sacrificing your mental health and well-being. While it may not be practically possible to always implement all of these into your workflow, hopefully the list will at least make you aware of some methods available to you. Please bear in mind that these tips are in no way a substitute for professional medical advice, which you should seek if your work appears to be taking a toll on your mental health.

Realise that once you put something in your head, it will be there for the rest of your life There’s simply no way to get a disturbing image or sound out once it’s in there. This is the single most important piece of advice that I can give to someone who is looking to get into the field of open source research and expects to work with potentially distressing content. If you stumble across a link to a graphic video online, take a minute and ask yourself: “Do I absolutely have to watch this video?” While the human desire to bear witness to the suffering of others is strong, many times, you’ll find out that the answer is “No”, and you’ll save yourself needless exposure to graphic content. Engaging with such content ought to be a deliberate act taken with the same thoughtfulness and care as a police detective about to walk into a crime scene. Unfortunately, the way that content is delivered on the internet is seldom thoughtful or careful, and neither are our browsing habits. By carelessly clicking on Twitter links or scrolling through a Telegram channel, you are bound to eventually come across distressing content. Without the proper mental preparation, the distress you experience may intensify. 

Always mute videos and fast-forward through them first Sound can leave as vivid an imprint on your mind as imagery. That’s why you should ensure that any video that you are about to watch for the first time is muted before hitting “play”. Fast-forward the video to gain a sense of what you’re about to watch, or scroll through it quickly and watch the small preview box. Once you’re familiar with the visual content, you can make a decision as to whether or not you need to listen to the sound. A graphic video is an assault on the senses; I’ve found that by watching it first without sound and only later listening to its audio, I can dampen its negative effects on my mental health.  If you want to take muting videos a step further, try Smart Mute. This extension to your browser has a “Silent Mode” that prevents it from playing sound. 

Blur images and only view them if absolutely necessary Several apps available for Chrome and Firefox allow you to blur all images on your browser. For example, Blurry and Blur can ensure that you don’t inadvertently view a graphic image as you’re doing research. Depending on the website that you’re viewing, there may be accompanying text that will allow you to make an informed decision as to whether you really need to view the image or not.

Create healthy work-life boundaries By creating boundaries and really sticking to them, you can distance yourself from the content you’re working on. When you finish your work for the day, stop checking your email, Twitter feed, or any other work-related activities which you may associate with disturbing content. Creating these boundaries is all the more important if you’re working from home. In this case, changing into “outdoor” clothes can help create a separation between work and off-work hours, as can going for a walk around the block at the end of the work day. Of course, for the large community of volunteer open source researchers, their engagement with such material starts at the end of the work day. If that’s you, try to keep in mind that you are able to stop doing this work at any moment.

Advice from Bellingcat Staff and GAP Members

I asked my colleagues at Bellingcat as well as members of our Global Authentication Project (GAP), Bellingcat’s volunteer network, for further advice. GAP members work on open source research projects on a volunteer basis, making their perspective and input valuable as it represents that of those who do not do this work full-time.

Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins stressed the concept of “moral injury”, which the Dart Centre defines as a complex set of emotions that can occur when one witnesses or experiences behaviours that “go against an individual’s values or moral beliefs”. Eliot has experienced negative emotions that he associates with moral injury after he “spent hours looking at harrowing footage” online only to find out that conspiracist communities on Twitter are saying “it’s all fake”. 

This is also a risk of regular exposure to extremist content, as my colleague Michael Colborne has found. Michael explained that most of his work on far-right activities online involves reading “terrorist manifestos” and extremist posts, most of which do not include graphic imagery. 

Michael says that constant exposure to this hateful content “can and does add up”, recounting that once during the course of a research project on Neo-Nazi graffiti, he became so fixated on far-right imagery that he “literally [saw] swastikas” whenever he closed his eyes. He then recognised that it was “time to step back” from research for a while.  For Youri van der Weide, taking regular breaks is also key to building resilience. He also pointed to sound — rather than images — as a potential source of distress when conducting research. Youri said:

Similarly, Nick Waters pointed out that a “healthy work-life balance” is important to maintaining good mental health as an open source researcher. Annique Mossou agrees: for her, rituals like changing your clothes when you’re working from home to separate off time from work time is important. Nick also suggested that researchers not expose themselves to potentially harmful content “unless it’s necessary” and that having a support network is key. Creating a support network for people who do not do this kind of work professionally is one of the main reasons why we created the Global Authentication Project (GAP). There, members like Teemuhave been volunteering during their free time to help Bellingcat staff with their projects. For Teemu, this is an important distinction that results in a division of labour, meaning that he is happy to “let the professionals” work with the more graphic content. A GAP volunteer who goes by the username Jl made a similar point, saying:

For Jl, this is part of having a “healthy attitude” to volunteer work. Knowing that you can avoid exposing yourself to distressing content as a volunteer is especially important when you’re having an “emotional or an angry or sad day”, Jl added, saying that the “no obligation” nature of the volunteer work was especially clear on those days.

Timothy, another GAP member, stressed the importance of separating their volunteer work from their personal life, saying “don’t listen to your favourite music” while doing open source research. Timothy also called attention to the fact that it’s not just graphic images that can cause an open source researcher distress: 

Final Thoughts

One of the most novel and exciting aspects of digital open source research also presents one of its biggest challenges. Anybody with a computer, time, and dedication can contribute to open source research. However, those looking to get into this field  — especially as volunteers or hobbyists  —  need to be aware of the potential risks to mental health and well-being that come with working with potentially distressing material online. As my colleagues have pointed out, that distress can come from unexpected sources. That’s why keeping our guard up while conducting research is all the more important.  Helpfully, several other organisations have produced free guides which contain further useful tips. The Dart Centre’s Resources page is one good example. The media project First Draft News has published a guide on vicarious trauma in journalism that is packed with practical advice for journalists, managers, students, and others who may be coming into contact with distressing content online as part of their work. It includes a list of signs of vicarious trauma to watch out for, techniques for self-management, as well as other resources meant to help you build and maintain resilience. Finally, remember that everybody has very different thresholds for working with this kind of material. Speaking with others about graphic material can be helpful, but be aware of the need to respect boundaries and the risk of “moving your furniture into somebody else’s apartment” — that is, making your problem theirs. The same caution must be exercised when sharing potentially traumatic material online from a sense of outrage, without a clear professional or analytical need. This goes to show that while a supportive network of peers is hugely important, but it has limits. Our work can take a real toll — while I hope that the advice in this article is helpful, please be aware that it is not meant in any way to replace professional help.

[duckprintspress]

Fandom Lexicon: F

Considering that “F” is the first word of “fan,” “fandom,” and “fiction” … there are a lot of entries in the letter F. And here they all are!

Check out the full lexicon posted thus far here.

Spot a mistake? Think of a term we missed? Drop us an ask or comment!

Lexicon Terms Beginning with F: (read more)

Faceclaim: When someone assigns a celebrity’s face to their original character. Most often used in a roleplay setting. Those participating in a roleplaying scenario together may make rules against multiple characters having the same face. See also: fancast. Read more about faceclaims.

Fan edit: 1. A short video in which the creator patches together clips from the source fandom(s) and sets those clips to music and/or uses them to tell an abbreviated version of the original story or an entirely new story. See also: edit. 2. A photo manipulation in which a creator takes images from their fandom and modifies them. Often called a manip. Read more about types of fan edits.

Fanart: Artwork based on original media, often using the same characters and/or settings, but placing them in new contexts. Read more about fanart.

Fanartist: A person who creates fanart.

Fanboy: Someone who gets very excited about something they’re a fan of, but in a way that is seen as more “masculine.” Despite the gendered language, this term can be applied to any and all genders; several non-gendered variations (such as “fanswirl”) have been proposed, but none have caught on. See also: fangirl. Read more about the term “fanboy.”

Fancast: When a fan decides that a specific character would be best depicted by a specific real individual. This usually involves actual actors, but that isn’t necessarily a requirement. Similar to faceclaiming, but typically focused on characters from other media rather than on an individual’s original characters. For example, if someone reads a book and then decides which performers they’d like to see portray the characters in a live-action adaptation, that’s a fancast. Read more about fancasts.

Fandom : 1. A collective term for everyone who is a fan (of anything and everything – from a book through a sport’s team to an activity such as fishing and everything in between). 2. A collective term for people who are fans of a specific thing (media, character, actor, sport, etc.). 3. A term for the environment in which a person might express their enjoyment of a specific thing/things. Read more about what a fandom is.

Fanfic: Shortened term for “fanfiction.”

Fanfiction: Written works of fiction based on original media, often using the same characters and/or settings, but placing them in new contexts, extending the storylines, or otherwise transforming them per the writer’s specifications. Read more about fanfiction.

Fangirl: Someone who gets very excited about something they’re a fan of, but in a way that is seen as more “feminine.” Despite the gendered language, this term can be applied to any and all genders; several non-gendered variations (such as “fanswirl”) been proposed, but none have caught on. See also: fanboy. Read more about the term “fangirl.”

Fanlore: A wiki run by the OTW that compiles fandom-related information – basically a much, much larger and better documented version of this lexicon. See also: AO3, OTW. Visit Fanlore.org.

Fanmix: A fanmix is a selection of music, such as would be on a mixtape or mix CD, that a fan has compiled because of how they feel the music relates to a fandom or fandoms of their choice. Read more about fanmixes.

Fanon: An idea about a character, setting, plot, or other detail about a story that is not explicitly stated in the source material but is believed to be true. Fanon may be personal and believed by only one person or may become popular and become an established part of the fandom vernacular for a given fandom. See also: canon, head canon. Read more about the term “fanon.”

Fanwork: The collective term for all creations that fans make as part of their participation in fandom, such as fanfiction, fanart, edits, manips, filk, meta, and more. Read more about fanworks.

Fanzine: See zine.

Feelings Yakuza: See Okimochi Yakuza.

Feels: As in “right in the feels.” Used to describe when something makes a person emotional despite themselves. Read more about the term “feels.”

Femslash: Lesbian and wlw fanworks, shipping female characters together. See also: slash. Read more about femslash.

Fest: A fandom event centered on a specific theme, often characterized by many prompts or other interaction opportunities scheduled over a period of time that result in the creation and sharing of numerous informal/smaller creations. Read more about fests.

FF.net: Abbreviation for fanfiction.net. A website that hosts fanfiction. Visit FF.net.

Fic: Short for fiction or fanfiction.

Fic Rec: Shortened term for “fanfiction recommendation.” A fanfic that someone has recommended because it’s one of their personal favorites and/or on some criteria (for example, “fanfics set at a beach.”) Fic recs are often compiled into rec lists. Read more about recs.

Ficlet: A short fanfiction. Ficlets are usually under 1,000 words. See also: drabble, flash fic. Read more about ficlets.

Filk: Essentially fanfic in music form, though the medium may make the connection less obvious. For example, Come With Me by chxrlotte is about Aziraphale and Crowley from Good Omens. Read more about filk.

Fix-it: A fanwork that fixes a perceived or actual problem in the source material. For example, a fix-it might offer an explanation for an actual plot hole, or it may be created to segue between canon and popular fanon, or it might be used to change an unhappy event in canon (such as a character dying) into a tale with a happier ending. Read more about fix-its.

Flame: To be intentionally offensive toward someone on the internet. Often used as a verb. Read more about flames and flaming.

Flamewar: When two or more people engage in reciprocal flaming, exchanging increasingly offensive and/or violent posts with each other, the resulting back-and-forth is called a flamewar. This term has largely fallen out of fashion; “discourse” and “wank” are used more often now. Read more about flamewars.

Flash Fic: Shortened term for “flash fiction.” Very short fiction stories, typically not more than a couple hundred words. Read more about flash fiction.

Fluff: Refers to fics or scenes that are soft, soothing, calm, domestic, and/or loving – the in-betweens and soft points we rarely see on the published page or the TV screen because they are the opposite of conflict. Read more about fluff.

Follow Forever: Someone an individual will never stop following on social media, even if their interests diverge. In the past, “follow forever” posts were popular on Tumblr, where an OP would make a list of other users they would never unfollow. Follow forevers have fallen out of style.

Forum: 1. A message board, usually privately owned/not connected to social media. 2. A specific type of Discord channel that bears some resemblance to how Reddit works. 3. The message board section of a large webpage that may have other functionality as well, such as the forums on Ravelry. Read more about forums.

FTM: Abbreviation for “female to male.” A way of referring to a transgender man. Some people find this term offensive, and others do not. Some transgender people use it to discuss their own gender and their transition, and others do not. Read more about the abbreviation “ftm.”

Fudanshi: A Japanese term for a man who is a fan of BL and yaoi (mlm) content. See also: fujoshi. Read more about fudanshi.

Fujo: Shortened term of “fujoshi.”

Fujoshi: A Japanese term for a woman who is a fan of BL and yaoi (mlm) content. See also: fudanshi. Read more about fujoshi.

Fursona: Refers to the name, characteristics, and physical attributes that a furry has chosen for their animal persona. See also [thing]sona. Read more about fursonas.

Fusion: Specifically in a fandom sense, fusion is used to refer to when a fanfiction or fanart combines two or more different fandoms into one shared universe. The most famous example is Superwholock, the fusion ‘verse of Supernatural, Doctor Who, and BBC Sherlock. Read more about fusion fanfiction.

Futanari : A Japanese word that is often used in fandom to describe characters with sex characteristics from both genders. This and the shortened term “futa” are, in the West, most often used to describe a genre of pornographic anime and manga. Read more about the term “futanari.”

#duck prints press #fandom lexicon #resources

[mogai-sunflowers]

MOGAI BHM- Belated Day 22!

happy BHM! today i’m going to be talking about the Black history behind modern American EMS/EMT systems!

Background and Context-

For a long time, ambulance services were primarily operated by police forces. No laws required anything beyond the most basic of medical training for paramedics, and many times, white cops were punished by being forced onto ambulance duty in Black neighborhoods, which led to increased tensions, and to the huge disparities in response times to emergencies in white neighborhoods, and emergencies in Black ones.

However, in 1966, a paper was published by the National Academy of Sciences which revealed that every year, an estimated 50,000 people died in scenarios that could’ve been prevented had their ambulance staff been more properly and adequately trained. In Pittsburgh, a man named Peter Safar, who was a doctor who had lost his 12 year-old daughter to an asthma attack that easily could’ve been treatable, became very disillusioned with the current ambulance systems in America.

The Freedom House Ambulances-

[Image ID: A black-and-white photograph of a group of men, most Black and two in the center white, standing and kneeling together in front of an ambulance vehicle. Almost all the Black men are dressed in the same uniform- a white collared short-sleeved shirt with a black neck tie, white pants, and black leather shoes. The two white men are dressed in dark suits. End ID.]

One day, Dr. Peter Safar was approached by a former ambulance driver named Philip Hallen, who wanted to do something about the severe issues with the current ambulance systems in America. They thought that their ideas would be a good chance to help impoverished, unemployed Black men from Pittsburg’s Hill District find work, so with the help of the fledgling Freedom House Services, they gathered a group of 25 Black men from impoverished areas of Pittsburg, and formed the Freedom House Ambulance Service.

The first group of recruited men were trained in an intensive, 300-hour course on medical training about many different medical topics- and this was the first time ambulance drivers had ever been provided actual medical training in America. They learned key medical procedures like resuscitation and intubation techniques, and Safar, known by some as the “Father of CPR” for his groundbreaking work in resuscitation research, trained them in CPR- and they learned how to provide medical support beyond a ride to the hospital. Within the Hill District, the Freedom House Ambulance Services were extremely successful- so successful that the FHAS director, Dr. Caroline, was contracted by the US Department of Transportation to write the first national curriculum guide for emergency street medical assistance, and the FHAS’s impact spread nationally, becoming the blueprint for emergency medical assistance across the country. 

And yet, despite all this, racism in the police force eventually forced the FHAS to be absorbed by a new city-wide EMS service which, although using the blueprint of the FHAS, was extremely hostile to its Black paramedics in an attempt to eliminate them altogether from the program. Some white patients even refused to be treated by Black paramedics. Nevertheless, original FHAS staff like John Moon, who directed the Freedom House Enterprises until 2009 and was the first paramedic to intubate a patient in the field, were the first paramedics in America, and the work they did has forever changed the world of medicine and emergency care.

tagging @metalheadsforblacklivesmatter​ @bfpnola​ @intersexfairy​ 

Sources-

https://www.npr.org/2022/09/27/1124161896/at-freedom-house-these-black-men-saved-lives-paramedics-are-book-topic

https://freedomhousedoc.com/

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2035467

https://emsmuseum.org/collections/archives/service/freedomhousepa/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_House_Ambulance_Service

#mogai bhm #mogai #mogai community #bhm #black history month #blm #black lives matter

[corbindavenport]

Introducing Alt Text Creator

Images on web pages are supposed to have alternate text, which gives screen readers, search engines, and other tools a text description of the image. Alt text is critical for accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO), but it can also be time-consuming, which is why I am releasing Alt Text Creator!

Alt Text Creator is a new browser extension for Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome (and other browsers that can install from the Chrome Web Store) that automatically generates alt text for image using the OpenAI GPT-4 with Vision AI. You just right-click any image, select "Create Alt Text" in the context menu, and a few seconds later the result will appear in a notification. The alt text is automatically copied to your clipboard, so it doesn't interrupt your workflow with another button to click.

I've been using a prototype version of this extension for about three months (my day job is News Editor at How-To Geek), and I've been impressed by how well the GPT-4 AI model describes text. I usually don't need to tweak the result at all, except to make it more specific. If you're curious about the AI prompt and interaction, you can check out the source code. Alt Text Creator also uses the "Low Resolution" mode and saves a local cache of responses to reduce usage costs.

I found at least one other browser extension with similar functionality, but Alt Text Creator is unique for two reasons. First, it uses your own OpenAI API key that you provide. That means the initial setup is a bit more annoying, but the cost is based on usage and billed directly through OpenAI. There's no recurring subscription, and ChatGPT Plus is not required. In my own testing, creating alt text for a single image costs under $0.01. Second, the extension uses as few permissions as possible—it doesn't even have access to your current tab, just the image you select.

This is more of a niche tool than my other projects, but it's something that has made my work a bit less annoying, and it might help a few other people too. I might try to add support for other AI backends in the future, but I consider this extension feature-complete in its current state.

Download for Google Chrome

Download for Mozilla Firefox

#chrome extension #chrome extensions #firefox extension #firefox extensions #chrome #firefox #accessibility #a11y

[sonofshermy]

Me and my fog of ideas, part ad inifinitum Attempting to source/attribute/identify original creators of images or even the subject of an image is an often futile task on this here internet... image search engines routinely fail and it's never been a requirement on social media of whatever stripe to put a name and an origin to an image... it's mostly done out of courtesy, if at all. People can refer to themselves as 'curators' and entirely fail to provide archival sources or even give credit to the original creator of the image or the subject. Some even have a finders keepers mentality. The image becomes 'theirs' because they 'found it'. If we truly do live in a post-truth world then all that works out in a sort of way, I guess, but from my own experience it's also like a 'why bother?' approach, a lot of effort is required and maybe we live in a 'post-effort' world, engaging with something, researching, none of that matters if your priority is getting likes or saving time or just revelling in the 'joy' of posting shit, I get it, I'm as guilty as anyone of that to some degree or other And the other question is 'does any of this really matter?'

The glorious thrill of scrolling and clicking and posting and liking and reblogging is, let's face it, such a heady experience we don't even think about it while we do it which makes us in a sense unaccountable for the oopsies we accidentally drop as we zoom around forcing our personalities and opinions on the rest of these suckers... we're all just goofy for thrills and, yes, spills And in the context of whatever point it is I'm trying to make here, the net results is creators fail to get their due, fail to be identified, fail to be appreciated for the other shit they've done, are overlooked, forgotten, invisible. Ultimately their digital traces of creativity become fodder for AI to facsimilate (is that a word?), replicate and discard. AI seems like that nanobot nightmare from a few years back, a tiny warrior horde gobbling up the world and shitting out grey sticky sludge (if left to rampage unchecked).

I personally think it matters that we know who took time to make that image, whether it's FINE ART (those words carved into the living rock) or a faded near forgotten throwaway design job/snapshot

Fine Art practice deigns that honour for quite a few of it's most celebrated daubers but commercial art not so much, that's been the case since before the internet, before the printing press maybe, even... and found images are by their very nature more often than not anonymous, that's part of their appeal, part of their mystery and romance

So what point am I making here? I guess Google Image Seach fucking sucks but maybe we all need to just try a little more? Or not, I'm not the boss of you, but the unintended consequences seem kind of bleak because identifying a creator doesn't just celebrate the genius but it allows for so much else, it provides a way in for anyone interested to seek out and gain greater appreciation/knowledge rather than a closed door/dead end.

This post is not aimed at any individual at all and if you do not tag or attribute and I follow your blog I am not looking at it quietly seething or holding a grudge. It comes more out of just how poor the internet is at providing a means to source/identify an image and I have no solution, I'm just boring on. I probably need to leave the house and walk around a bit. That's the usual advice in these situations.

Stay lucky!

[orcgoth]

https://www.tumblr.com/can-i-make-image-descriptions/704588725997404160/general-guide-for-image-descriptions?source=share

I hope you understand that it is deeply bizarre to keep refreshing the notes on a post to send this to everyone in it.

That said, if you're not just stalking the notes on that post and actually want to teach people how to write image ids, you could also bother linking a better guide on how to actually write image ids rather than this "draw the rest of the fucking owl" tier how-to.

This article by Alex Chen at Medium has some good rule of thumb advice on how to actually format text descriptions in a way that conveys the focus points of an image, as well as some guidance on how much description to add.

On Object-Action-Context:

"I came up with a framework that I recommend called object-action-context. The object is the main focus. The action describes what’s happening, usually what the object is doing. The context describes the surrounding environment. I recommend this format because it keeps the description objective, concise, and descriptive."

On context and determining essential details:

"What counts as ���essential” can sometimes be subjective. In my research, some people preferred very brief descriptions while others preferred a great deal of visual detail (like Robin and Bex). My best advice in this area is to be as descriptive as your audience needs. You know your audience and your content best. If your work is highly visual and your audience is interested, then add more detail. If you and your audience care more about the non-visual content, then keep it on the shorter side."

The rest of the article goes into more detail on how the different places an image is being used may require different priorities, and also how best to avoid adding redundant information.

When I find some more good image description guides I'll add them in a reblog.

#orc.txt