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skullvins · 3 years

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random fuckin gender ramble scroll if ur not interested in my gender bs

aaarrrggg i hate that radfem bs has caused me to still associate butch and femme with being lesbian only terms (even though i KNOW they’re not) and thus making me associate both of them with being women, even though i KNOW theyre historically not. its so hard to unlearn???

like, the overlapping lesbian/butch/transmasc history is so hard to navigate as a funky lil enby/genderqueer because a lot of terms are either too masc or too fem for me to be comfortable with, and now that im TRYING to explore exactly how my masculinity and femininity work its so weird!!!

I’m in solidarity with queer men and queer women, both trans and cis or gnc or whatever and figuring out my personal relationships with those communities is hard!!! I relate to my cis female peers as someone who’s only started socially transitioning in recent years, I relate to their issues as someone who doesn’t pass well, I relate to transmascs in terms of wanting to be seen as more masculine, in wanting to physically transition, i relate to trans mlm in terms of sexuality, i relate to lesbians/wlw in terms of sexuality too! some of the best comfort and solidarity ive found is in amab enbies and even some transfems when it comes to comfort and gender expression. the two amab demiguys i know make me feel comfortable exploring masculinity because i feel safe around them BECAUSE they’re not cis, and like, i can be ‘one of the guys’ with them without having to be A GUY, and i relate so so so hard to gnc guys or amab enbies when it comes to presentation. i almost want to transition JUST so i can reembrace femininity in a masculine way.

i dunno, i feel this insane pressure outside of the queer community to either be as masc as possible to pass and be taken seriously, and that’s gotta be at least partially due to the way radfem bs has spread, especially here in the uk.

i wanna be read as masc, i wanna be read as fem, i wanna be incomprehensible! I wanna wear men’s shirts and t shirts and polo shirts with a skirt because i can!! because skirts are fun and cute and i enjoy wearing them. i really do wish i was amab because it would be so much easier to present the way i want to, I think, but then again, i don’t have bottom dysphoria, not really.

all this changes though, really i might just be genderfluid, but i hate the binary connotations of that too. so many enby words are stolen or defined in terms of binary gender: being bigender to most means being male or female, being genderfluid means being fluid between them, being nonbinary is being not male or female, when people equate being nonbinary to being genderless it kills me because I am not binary! but i am not genderless! my gender is here and present and part of me and part of my relation with the world around me and with other people and part of my sexuality and orientation

i dunno, this is turning into a big queer rant. this isn’t me trying to shove labels onto myself, I’m fine with rejecting them if that’s what’s needed - i don’t define my sexuality any further than queer even though hypothetically i could probably id as bi or pan or any mspec label, but I choose not to because being QUEER is my orientation. perhaps my gender as well (i do id as genderqueer as well as enby) but i want to really truly understand my gender AS queer, rather than just brush it off as queer because I cannot define it to myself or understand it. i want to understand my relation to the world around me and to other queer people.

so am I butch? am I femme? maybe it changes? is that allowed to change from day to day? my gender doesn’t FEEL like it changes but that presentation does, maybe! maybe I need to try new pronouns, but using she/her like i want to is hard when i associate it with misgendering and failing to prove myself as trans enough to cis people.

i wanna be masc with women and fem with men, but the latter is hard due to fears that come from experiences with misogyny. a lot of cis men ARE scary to me - I’m an 18 year old afab for fucks sake. i wish i could have that re-embraced femininity, but I’m not flat when i bind or build masc or tall or fuckin. anything! and hormones aren’t an option yet because a lot of my mental health is too unstable, the nhs is in shambles, and I don’t have money. i can’t embrace that yet unless im in the right circles, with the right people, and i can’t be that in society, I don’t trust it. I don’t know if I wanna dress fem and have people see me as masc or fem, i don’t know what pronouns i want them to use, i dunno man!!!

i wanna reach out to older queer people but again its hard, we’re in lockdown, i don’t live somewhere with a big queer community, i’m not a fan of bars and such and there’s not any in my town so i’d have to travel a bit, i wish i could just feel at home!!! i wanna be feminine without being female but also without being male, at least not fully male! I’m not male, i have this connection to femininity and it doesn’t feel male to me, I don’t want to be included in explicitly male or explicitly female spaces, I wanna be with everyone or no one, i dunno

again, i wish butch and femme didnt feel so gendered to me personally, and that’s not just this site but also what ive grown up with, my mum used to always say i was a wannabe ‘butch lezza’ whenever i was trying to get her to take my NONBINARY identity seriously and I’m not that! not because it’s bad to be, but because that’s just not me. I’m not a wlw, I’m not even sure on my attraction to women, or to men, or to anyone, I’m just attracted to queerness, and i dunno it’s hard. being ‘butch’ to me, somewhat, still means wlw, even though it’s not true, and i hate how radfem bs has ruined the word for me. i wish i could understand my identity in terms of being butch or femme, or whatever i am, and i wish those words weren’t tainted for me in the first place. i guess all of us are just ‘failed women’ in the eyes of society, huh.

characters who are feminine, but still explicitly male, or have some relation with masculinity, or are fluid between it, or who return to masculinity as a default give me so much euphoria just to witness. I’m in desperate need of a haircut and i don’t know whether to grow it out properly again or cut it short

either way, I’m gonna dye it purple

#purple is a queer colour #DONT rb unless you have some advice or something #then again my replies/inbox exists #dont send me shit accusing me of being some flavour of bigot im figuring out MY relationship with this shit #if someone calls me homophobic or transphobic or something over discussing my own queer identity on my OWN DAMN BLOG ill eat my fucking hat #this is all without applying the aro lens but idk how much that applies to this either #my aromanticism affects my relationships with people and how i approach them but that's more on a personal level than a GENDER kinda level #though perhaps my unique approach to relationships and my approach to gender are linked #especially with how being alloaro causes me to often prioritise different things in relationships #is that linked to gender? who knows #queer tag #illusion.txt #again dont rb unless u have a point to make #older queers PLEASE interact #older butches and femmes what is your wisdom #gender tag

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morethanonepage · 4 years

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i’m angery

i know i’m mostly a star wars killjoy on tumblr dot com lately but allow me to SCREAM about my latest nemesis, a book called “American Dirt”:

Lydia Quixano Pérez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is, by and large, fairly comfortable.

Even though she knows they’ll never sell, Lydia stocks some of her all-time favorite books in her store. And then one day a man enters the shop to browse and comes up to the register with a few books he would like to buy―two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe of the newest drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city. When Lydia’s husband’s tell-all profile of Javier is published, none of their lives will ever be the same.

Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia―trains that make their way north toward the United States, which is the only place Javier’s reach doesn’t extend. As they join the countless people trying to reach el norte, Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to?

Written by one Jeanine Cummins, who has Puerto Rican ancestry but grew up in the MD suburbs (as I did, tbf) and in 2015 considered herself white (”I am white...in every practical way, my family is mostly white.” [cw for sexual assault and murder at the link]), everything I read about this book has begun to drive me to madness.

Recommended by the Mary Sue book club (the source of the above summary), it has since been retracted bc a) its sucks and b) THEY DIDN’T READ IT BEFORE PUTTING IT ON THE BOOK CLUB LIST (”I try to read most, if not all, of the books I recommend for the Book Club because I truly do love reading, and I want to make sure that if I suggest someone grab something, it’s something I can say I liked. When I was looking up two books to fill out the list, one of them was American Dirt. I saw that it had received a lot of positive press from Stephen King, Rumaan Alam, Don Winslow, Sandra Cisneros, and other literary news outlets including Oprah’s Book Club. It seemed like the type of literary fiction that’s always good for a book club read. I was mistaken.“)

Myriam Gurba, at Tropics of Meta, describes being asked to review it for a feminist magazine, and then being told her review was too negative to publish. It included gems such as:

Cummins bombards with clichés from the get-go. Chapter One starts with assassins opening fire on a quinceañera, a fifteenth birthday party, a scene one can easily imagine President Donald Trump breathlessly conjuring at a Midwestern rally, and while Cummins’ executioners are certainly animated, their humanity remains shallow. By categorizing these characters as “the modern bogeymen of urban Mexico,” she flattens them. By invoking monsters with English names and European lineages, Cummins reveals the color of her intended audience: white. Mexicans don’t fear the bogeyman. We fear his very distant cousin, el cucuy.

[...]

With their family annihilated by narcotraffickers, mother and son embark on a refugees’ journey. They head north, or, as Cummins’ often writes, to “el norte,” and italicized Spanish words like carajo, mijo, and amigo litter the prose, yielding the same effect as store-bought taco seasoning.

[...] Lydia’s husband, a journalist, describes her as one of the “smartest” women he’s ever known. Nonetheless, she behaves in gallingly naïve and stupid ways. Despite being an intellectually engaged woman, and the wife of a reporter whose beat is narcotrafficking, Lydia experiences shock after shock when confronted with the realities of México, realities that would not shock a Mexican.

It shocks Lydia to learn that the mysterious and wealthy patron who frequents her bookstore flanked by “[thuggish]” bodyguards is the capo of the local drug cartel! It shocks Lydia to learn that some central Americans migrate to the United States by foot! It shocks Lydia to learn that men rape female migrants en route to the United States! It shocks Lydia to learn that Mexico City has an ice-skating rink! (This “surprise” gave me a good chuckle: I learned to ice skate in México.) That Lydia is so shocked by her own country’s day-to-day realities, realities that I’m intimate with as a Chicana living en el norte, gives the impression that Lydia might not be…a credible Mexican. In fact, she perceives her own country through the eyes of a pearl-clutching American tourist.

Parul Sehgal, at the NYT, digs into the fact that while the motives of this book may be unimpeachable (tho: are they??), the writing itself is...perhaps less so:

I found myself flinching as I read, not from the perils the characters face, but from the mauling the English language receives. Lydia’s expression “is one Luca has never seen before, and he fears it might be permanent. It’s as if seven fishermen have cast their hooks into her from different directions and they’re all pulling at once. One from the eyebrow, one from the lip, another at the nose, one from the cheek.” Yes, of course. That expression.

Sehgal also highlights my favorite line I’ve heard about in this book: “when Lydia finds she is unable to pray, ‘she believes it’s a divine kindness. Like a government furlough, God has deferred her nonessential agencies.’” The Raised in the DMV Suburbs just JUMPED OUT, didn’t it, Jeanine? But like legit, why on earth would a Mexican bookstore lady’s frame of reference ever be A GOVERNMENT FURLOUGH and NONESSENTIAL AGENCIES. followers, i just about died.

David J. Schmidt, at The Blue Nib, calls out other inaccuracies and stereotypes:

It is worth dwelling on the character of Javier for a moment. A “drinking game” could be created based on all the Latin American stereotypes he personifies. Javier is dapper, yet dangerous. He is charming, yet mysterious. He wears a white guayabera, a shirt the author describes as “more suitable for Sunday Mass than a regular workday.” (Untrue—this is a casual garment, more suitable for a love affair in a Fabio-bedecked romance novel.)

This quintessential “Latin lover” shows up at Lydia’s bookstore and speaks to her in a tone significantly different from the other characters of American Dirt. I must emphasise, Javier’s dialogue does not reflect the normal speech patterns of Mexico, but perfectly reflects U.S. stereotypes. The only way to properly read Javier’s lines is through the most gross of caricatures.

One should imagine the husky voice of Antonio Banderas, speaking at his most sensual and Spanishy. Any character he has played in English will do, although it is clear that Javier was ideally written for the voice of Puss in Boots. When Lydia asks if Javier reads English, the dapper narco responds:

“I try, yes […] My English isn’t fluent, but it’s close. And this story is so delicate.”

[...]

The cultural inaccuracies of American Dirt run deep, right down to the language. Throughout her book, Cummins shows confusion regarding the grammatical genders in Spanish. Most notably, she baptises the drug kingpin Javier with the nickname La Lechuza. It is difficult to imagine a macho, womanizing capo using a feminine-gendered noun as his moniker. Would a hardened mafia boss call himself “The Princess of Compton” or “The Belle of Belfast”?

Cummins got a seven figure advance for this. A SEVEN FIGURE ADVANCE. She “wished someone slightly browner than me would write it,” but she did it, and her team is throwing around the fact that her husband’s previously undocumented status as some sort of justification without mentioning that he’s white & Irish.

Also, there’s this news:

Imperative Entertainment, the production banner behind the Clint Eastwood hit The Mule, has acquired the rights to American Dirt, the Mexican migrant drama novel by Jeanine Cummins.

Charles Leavitt, the scribe who penned the Leonardo DiCaprio drama Blood Diamond, has been tapped to write the adaptation, which will be produced by Imperative’s Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas.

Charles Leavitt is a white guy who, most recently, wrote the Warcraft movie. So, that’s going to end well.

I’ll leave you with this other gem from Gurba (from her essay about it, “Pendeja, You Ain’t Steinbeck “):

Susan Sontag wrote that “[a] sensibility (as distinct from an idea) is one of the hardest things to talk about” and with this challenge in mind, I assert that American Dirt fails to convey any Mexican sensibility. It aspires to be Día de los Muertos but it, instead, embodies Halloween. The proof rests in the novel’s painful humorlessness. Mexicans have over a hundred nicknames for death, most of them are playful because death is our favorite playmate, and Octavio Paz explained our unique relationship with la muerte when he wrote, “The Mexican…is familiar with death. [He] jokes about it, caresses it, sleeps with it, celebrates it. It is one of his favorite toys and his most steadfast love.” Cummins’ failure to approach death with appropriate curiosity, and humility, is what makes American Dirt a perfect read for your local self-righteous gringa book club.

so idk, The Mary Sue, maybe it should stay on your Book Club list after all. (Oh wait: as of this writing, it still is.)

#american dirt #sorry for the long post but as i said #i'm angery #long post #(also TBF: i think Schmidt dings the book for having a character named luca)#(my cousin named her son that)#(and it's not like mexicans can NEVER have foreign names [i mean -- SCHMIDT -- etc]#but it's a thing that maybe requires some explanation even if it is 'well she liked the italian version better'#(oh also you can be white and latinx)#(i think more accurately jeanine is white passing but)#(that's her deal to id with)#anyway this will be made into a movie staring whatshername from Knives Out and MAYBE diego luna as the dead hubby #but realistically oscar isaac bc they love killing him off

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rockmiyabideusexmachina · 6 years

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2018 Megaman Valentine’s Day Contest Rules and Info! *CLOSED*

How do I follow up a 10th Anniversary contest blowout that had tons of prizes? I really can’t, can I? Especially in terms of the sheer amount of winners. So, things will be a little less flashy with this year’s contest, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a few surprises in store, either!

Here is the rundown for this year’s contest:

PRIZES:

It’s the usual get-what-you want option for the top 3 artists in each category. If you prefer a cash prize through Paypal, that’s always the easiest and quickest option to get your reward.

As always though, I will be flexible and work with the winners to purchase Megaman-related prizes, if there’s something you’ve really had your eye on and would like ordered. Be it a 4-inch Nel, Nendoroid, Megamix manga, or some other trinket, if I can find it within your prize price range and order it to be shipped straight to you, I will do all I can to make it happen!

The winners for both the Talent and Humor categories will receive the following:

1st Place: $100 USD or an item(s) up to that value.

2nd Place: $50 USD or an item(s) up to that value.

3rd Place: $25 USD or an item(s) up to that value.

RULES:

Two categories, in which you are allowed to submit one entry for each category, if you would like. If you place in one category, you will be automatically disqualified from the other, for reasons of fairness, and to give other people a chance to win a prize.

CATEGORY 1: If You Like It, You Should Put a Ring Boomerang On It (Talent)

Content Requirements:

* A romantically simple, or extravagantly over-the-top proposal scene between the Megaman characters of your choice

When thinking of a more romantic, but creative Valentine’s concept I haven’t really done yet, about the only thing off the top of my head was that of a proposal. While there aren’t a ton of actual married couples or even canon romantic relationships in the Megaman Universe, I think it still is a concept that will produce a lot of variety and unique ideas!

As always, you have creative freedom as to how you want to approach this theme. Perhaps you want to draw a nervous character picking out some bling at Ms. Millions’ jewelry shop. Maybe the proposal involves a fusion of Jewel Man and Ring Man surprising the fiancée-to-be. Want to draw a proposal fail? Make it on the jumbotron of Strike Man’s stage, and she’ll probably be too embarrassed to say, ‘Yes!’ Wedding proposal not your thing? You’re fine to make it something like a prom proposal even, if you’d like.

As the talent category, judging for this theme will focus on the technical skills of your piece. Just as guys throughout history have had to brainstorm the most creative and surefire way to get her to say, ‘Yes!,’ your goal for this category is to create a unique and outstandingly well-drawn proposal scene to get me to say, “You win!”

CATEGORY 2: Beauty and the Beastman.EXE (Humor)

Content Requirements:

* Awwwwww…Beast Out! At least one Megaman character turned into a monsterous, beastly form. But looks are deceiving, and there’s a curse that needs to be broken.

* A beautiful character who hopefully has learned to love this other character shunned by society…or maybe not.

* Other various Megaman characters cursed into the form of household items or a handsome, vain, muscular suitor who can’t read books are purely optional.

Tale as old as Time~Man, claws like Greiga Rock~man, Beauty and the Beast…man.

Yeah, song with great rhyme, that is not. XD

In the EXE series, we had a gimmick in EXE 6 known as ‘Beast Out,’ where Rockman took on a more animalistic form, either that of the Cybeast Greiga or Falzer. In the anime, this concept was utilized on other characters, giving us beastly “Zoanoroid” versions of classic Navis. So there has been some precedent of turning Megaman characters into beastly monsters.

So, let’s combine that idea with a popular fairy tale/Disney classic! Your goal for this category is to create a hilarious scene with a mismatched couple of a beautiful Megaman character and the less-attractive, beast form of another character of your choice. You are welcome to draw something alluding to your favorite part of the original tale or any of the numerous versions based off of it. You certainly can just use Beastman.EXE as the title alludes to, but you don’t have to. You can get creative and make a beastly form of whatever character you’d like.

For this category, show me how beauty is only skin-deep, in the funniest way possible!

PARTICIPATION PRIZE RAFFLE:

Back once again, with much less sadly, I am going to give away 3 rare participation prizes. There is not a separate wildcard category this year. In order to be eligible for the participation prizes, all you need to do is enter a pic for either the Talent or Humor category!

Like last year, if there is a prize here you are NOT interested in, please note that when you send in your submission(s) to me. Otherwise, you will be automatically entered in the raffle for a chance at each of these 3 items.

If you draw a pic for both the humor and the talent categories, you can double your chances to win! (Odds of course, depending on how many others enter and also draw two pics.) You will be able to add your name into the drawing a second time for just 1 of these prizes.

So, what are these raffle prizes? I’m sticking with the art theme, so you could come away with any of these special, historic pieces of Megaman art!

Raffle Prize #1 – Rockman 8 Anime Mid-Game Cutscene Cel (with Genga)

Yes, you are seeing that right. Just for drawing, you could come away with this cel from the mid-game cutscene, where, Rock runs out of Dr. Light’s lab after being told that if he ‘fwinds dat meatey-oar, we’wll fwind Doctah Whywee.” Yes, you can have a piece of that scene!! As you can see in these samples, the cel is not stuck, so you can proudly display each piece separately if you prefer!

It’s this scene, only not covered by the lab wall. Probably the first time we’ve seen this art fully unobstructed!

Raffle Prize #2 – Archie Comics Worlds Unite Inked page (Sonic Universe #77, Page 8)

Inked and signed by Gary Martin, this page showcases that rare brotherly interaction between X and Rock, with the sneering, evil trio of Wily, Robotnik and Xander Payne all behind bars immediately after they portal-escaped from Sigma’s grasp. Although their sentence only lasted like a page, before X let them out…

Raffle Prize #3 – Captain N Robot Master Height Chart

Ugly and poorly constructed? Yes! But that’s what’s so great about Captain N production art. From season 2, here are 3 of the 7 MM2 Robot Masters used in Episode 5, The Big Game: Wood Man, Heat Man and Quick Man. Why are they taped on like that? Apparently, when making these height chart references, the animators just reused other height charts as a base. So underneath these 3, you’ll find the original height chart for the people of Kongoland, a Smurfy-blue-bodied-Thundercat hybrid tribe of Donkey Kong worshippers. Yep, that’s a real sentence I just typed.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

When you submit, I would prefer you to include the following information in this format, along with your entry:

(Your name/preferred alias) – As much as I usually know who you are, there’s always someone new or somebody who has a different preference from what their email name says.

(Category this entry is for) – You can either say 1 or 2, or Talent/Humor·

(Participation Prize Eligibility) – Just write “All” if you are interested in the chance to win anything. Write: “Exclude from #__” if you do not have interest in winning a particular participation prize.

In the event you are submitting your second entry, please specify which prize # you would like your bonus chance in the raffle to be put towards.

Only submit your own work, as usual. Any character, major or minor, from any series is allowed. Pairing characters from different series is totally allowed. Same-gender pairings are completely fine.

As always, participants are allowed to submit from all over the world. It’s easier for me to get prizes to US entrants, because international shipping is complicated and pricey, but I’ll do what I can for you guys who aren’t in the States.

Paypal is still the preferred method for cash prize payouts. Please have a valid account to receive your winnings.

Youngin's, get your parents permission before entering.

Entries do not need to be colored, but it is preferred. The more effort put into things as always, the better chance you have!

Entries can either be e-mailed to me at rock2125[at]hotmail[dot]com, or you can just PM/note me a link to your pic.

DO NOT post your pics in this journal, your dA galleries, tumblr blogs, other sites, etc. until the contest is over. This is the fairest way for competitive reasons. I prefer to keep them all secret until the deadline has passed.

I'll edit a confirmed entry list in this thread when I receive them. So you won't be in the dark about whether or not I've received your entry.

DEADLINE:

The deadline for this contest will be Monday, February 12th, 2018 by 11:59PM CST. This gives you a little more than 5 weeks to finish your entry!

MISCELLANEOUS INFO:

As usual, If you don't plan to enter, but would like to help me judge, please let me know through DM or mention so here. Never hurts to have extra opinions on all the entries.

Bug me with questions if you have any. Please join in, and good luck to everyone who enters!

Heed the Heel Navi’s message...

Confirmed Entries:

Category 1 (Talent): @borockman, @pandapanic0, @drewblossom, @wintesm, @hyperbole1729, @jb-artist, @digitallyfanged, @tianura, @lightlabs, @peach35, @iris-sempi, superbasket5, @shikai-the-storyteller, @yugiohlesbian

Category 2 (Humor): @frankenchio, @erekisaiko, @drewblossom, @prar-draws, @amiable-apparition, dark-dullahan,

#Rockman #Megaman #Mega Man #Rock Miyabi's 2018 Megaman Valentine's Day Contest

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fleakins101 · 3 years

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Is One or the Other Actually More Harmful?

*THIS BLOG GOT RIDICULOUS WITH ALL THE DIRECTIONS I WENT. I ADVISE TO NOT READ SOBER. OR AT ALL* First, I am going to pick apart the prompt a little. I do realize my blog posts tend to ask questions more than answer them, let alone even fully address them, but this week's chapters and last weeks discussion had my mind going in several directions.

“...others argue a difference is based on the ethics of persuading someone to do something that is either in line with or against their own self-interests.” I think how we weigh the debate between propaganda and persuasion -- and how we define our perspectives on the matter -- should start with how we define or think if ‘self interest’ The basic definition of self-interest is: 1

: a concern for one's own advantage and well-being

acted out of self-interest and fear

: one's own interest or advantage

self-interest requires that we be generous in foreign aid

But why? I spent perhaps far too much time on the Merriam Webster dictionary rabbit holes and I am quite stumped as to how *we* define or think of self-interest. I then took a more theoretical approach to self interest and...that was a strange rabbit hole and finally, centered my thoughts from a religious angle [being I am a member of an organized religion] The dictionary links and “see also”’s seem to suggest that self-interest is not inherently defined as personal --but as the wellbeing and benefit of others -- but naturally “self” interest in our very individualist US society, we identify our personal selves with the definition. This has me thinking, would collective societies identify “self-interest” for the benefit of others outside of themselves? Perhaps this is why charity is so emphasized in western societies, the US for example. I am going to pick on my own religion and research I have done for muse: Just for reference/context & not terribly important as far as the point of the post* *I am a practicing Mormon who researches gender constructs in the church and I focus on post WWII North American Mormon culture, policy and “teachings”. The “natural man” concept is something I have a difficult time agreeing with or seeing eye to eye with. But I disagree with a lot of what religion “says” on quite a few things. But, to highlight my own hypocrisy and bias, the Mormon view of “the natural man” is a lot less annoying and problematic. As a side note, I think Islam has it “right” with the concept of “natural man” and I lean more toward that area of thought. As “pseudo Buddhist” as I like to think I am and aspire to be, I feel even Buddhist theology on the state of the natural man a little empty sometimes. I’m also kind of a combative asshole who can find a problem with just about anything* My three younger children just came racing in from school so I completely lost my train of thought Perhaps my point of “natural man” was to highlight how individualistic our society can be. The one universalist teaching of al Christian denominations is in Jesus Christ, His divinity and Saviorhood. This is the utmost core of Mormon theology as well, but -- like everything else -- we have to get weird with that too and it still differs from other mainstream Christian religions. Because the natural state of man is [supposedly] self interested with pleasure and only in it for ones own gain is why the concept of charity is so emphasized; it’s good to do for others, as Christ does for *us* and helps us be closer to Him -- kinda thing. Charity for others saves us. And the resulting benefit of charity is our own personal gain. But even the concept of charity and good works is riddled with self interest and personal gain. Charity gets YOU into “heaven” and what goes around, comes around kind of thing. In western society -- even in religious -- the concept of do unto others emphasises personal benefit. This is something I leaned is quite unique within wester culture and is a direct result of our individualist society. I spent some time backpacking Italy as a teenager and this was my first experience with this sort of thing. Charity being heroized in my youth until I left home (to be fair, my mother is crazy and took things really far…) and emphasis on charity and good works

for others was embarrassing for Italians. It was “just what you do”. Italy may not be the greatest example of a collective society , since it has its classic overall traits of individualistic values, but the betterment of others for the sake of those others left a distinct impression on me as a 17 year old. I am not trying to suggest we lack individuals in the states with those kind of qualities. From a religious person's perspective who has almost no strong relationships with other religious people, atheists tend to have the most honorable notions of self-interest on others behalf because they have nothing to gain, other than just doing the right thing. So, all my rambling, gets to my point -- how does propaganda and persuasion encourage self interest and gain? Both Propaganda and Persuasion are centered on communicating a message to an audience. But, it depends on how you look at it: I think the difference between persuasion and propaganda lies within who receives the benefit in the end. And I also think the lines are too blurred and detailed gray to fully distinguish persuasion from propaganda if we were going by definitions alone. With of course, the exception of distinguishing between two extremes, IE - we can determine by definition the difference between Al Qaeda recruitment videos and Sarah Mcllaughlin ASPCA commercials (though both are almost equally miserable to behold) I would think the knowledge of distinguishing the two would lie most on experience. But, don’t quote me on that latter comment. I’m sure that could be torn apart in five seconds.

Propaganda: The benefit of peddled propaganda is for the ultimate gain of those who created the propaganda message and their targeted agenda. Persuasion: The benefit lies on behalf of the individual or individuals who are on the receiving end of the persuasive message. With that in mind, is perhaps not the definitions between the two terms that are problematic and up for debate, but what *we* consider to be propaganda or persuasive messages. Nazi Germany is the all too perfect example of direct propaganda and personal gain (albeit, a bit cliche for me to bring up, given I am giving such a surgaced synopsis) being the goal was for Hitler (amongst so many other things) to create an elite class of Aryian genetics and assume power of all of Eastern and Western Europe. What is taught less than the mainstream genocidal politics of the Third Reich, was how extremely gendered it was. Women had progressional and educational rights stripped rom them under Hitlers rule and propaganda centered on the role of wife and mother was heavily thrown at women and young girls. You can’t create a master race without birth. And men cannot tend to their duties if they are distracted by a problematic home life, of course.

The NRA is another classic case of propagandist messages. The NRA has donor and investment ties to right wing and “conservative” media outlets, politicians and donors. Back when I was in International Relations, I had to watch hours of Taliban and Al-Qaeda recruitment videos and the scare tactics and enactments of fear centered language are nearly identical to the methods of NRA messages. The benefactors for the aforementioned were the ones propagating the message: the NRA get’s more money and political influence by membership numbers and political affiliations, Nazi Germany was dangerously close to eradicating the Jewish population and the systematic propoganda ensured his place of power until outside forces destroyed his carefully constructed regime. Where does it blurry? I think religion is the perfect example of the blurred lines between propaganda and influence. Behold, the The Proclamation of the Family. A Mormon document that has had a resoundingly strong presence in my religion since 1995, when it was first printed and presented to *us* Mormons, VIA the Salt Lake City pulpit.

And I fucking hate this document so fucking much and so should you! Though it has never been presented as doctrine, revelation or ever considered canon -- it has never even been submitted to the quorum of the 12 and First Presidency for vote to be considered doctrine, revelation or official church canon. And THAT'S because it’s NOT! It’s a homophobic and patriarchal document that details the divinity of the family order by affirming romanticist, heteronormative gender roles. I mean preside? What is this, the 12th century? The ideal family structure is centered on a man and woman in the home? Oh WHAT.EV.ER. Furthermore, the FP was originally filed as an amicus brief in solidarity with Hawaii’s rejection of its first same sex marriage suit in 199(3?2?) one of those years. I always get them mixed up. Chieko N. Okazaki , the church’s then General Relief Society President (and one of the most badass women, ever) was always open with her disagreements with its wording, its place in the church’s narrative and how it was presented to the church’s worldwide membership. This stupid document is so prominent in my religions culture and practice, people have no idea it’s complete and utter lack of theological and doctrinal weight and how contradictory it is to Mormonism’s core religious tenets. I know people who can quote this bullshit better than they can Christ’s sermon on the mount! Ya know, teaching that actually does some good in this universe. But...is it propaganda or influence? Well...it could be argued as both, on the surface anyway. The church is famous for not even having to excommunicate members because it is hemorrhaging members in the US who remove their names from the church’s records or fall through the cracks of inactivity because of the church’s exclusionary views on heteronormative family structure and sexist, patriarchal centered gender roles. And by reinforcing the traditional unit of family theoretically, it has its hold on more membership numbers. But oddly...or not so oddly, if you’re a Mormon who is actually on the inside of this institution and not a complete idiot...the church is losing members in countries that are more conservative. Countries that are more liberal with less negative emphasis and stereotypes centered on matters such as LGBTQ, gender, “modesty” and nudity, interfaith marriages, abortion etc, the church performs far better, though membership numbers pale in comparison to the states and Central and South America, retention rate and activity is statistically higher than its North American counterpart. With the exception of particular countries were colonialist rule and tribal relations still HEAVILY influence culture and local politics. Nigeria, for instance, falls in that line but the church outshines the states as far as retention rate of members. I don’t think this all points to positive reasons, but that’s another Oprah show. IE, the church doesn’t actually get much benefit from the Family Proclamation. Aside from it’s image...which I mean, lets face it, isn’t that great. At best, it is vastly short sided, damaging, yet wellmeaning persuasian. And you have to look at the church’s theology as a whole to understand the initiative behind the FP. The church’s theology is actually, quite collective and centered on social unity and family harmony. Family is important for societal and individualistic reasons that are too numerous to count. It is a religion that --theoretically anyway, not always in local practice and a quick google search on court settlements is proof-- holds accountability to those who mistreat their spouses and children. But the church has refused to not live in a romanticist gender role bubble since the first World War and is only now acknowledging LGBTQIA members that shouldn’t be driven from the flock (telling someone they can and should change their fundamental authentic selves because Christ loves them IS driving from the flock) and the Family Proclamation is losing weight for so many reasons. Except in places it’s not. Mormons in Migrant communities in Asia, North Africa and the Middle East hardly ever noticed its presence because local ward and branch membership (that’s “congregation” in Mormon language) is up to 80% women. The fuck do they need a document telling them about the importance of a man presiding in the home, when the run the show at church and at home anyway? Paaaaasssssss….. But in more patriarchal and tribal centered countries, the Family Proclamation is actually considered to be quite progressive because it is the first actually printed document that outlines notions of equality and presiding with love and women’s “roles” being declared equally important. While Googling, I found a rather humorous “redacted” version of the Family Proclamation and I just love it on so many levels. But to highlight, I think this redacted version highlights the true intent of the family proclamation’s message at time and what the church would have said if it wasn’t on some legal, anti gay marriage agenda. This is what I take from Mormon theology concerning family unity. This is what I feel the ultimate goal of persuasion is meant to have in a religious organization. Mormon Obsessions with Media Campaigns and Those STUPID Lesson Video Tapes To stay on the Mormon train (I know you're all sick of it, I apologize) The church has had its share of actual propaganda, in form of something called Mormonads that ran from the 90′s through early 2000′s. And its benefit was strictly directed at the church’s carefully constructed obsession with image and to keep all those little Mormon kids in their place. Why? Mormon kids who keep their place go on missions (I did not, I was off fucking around and following bands which will remain unnamed before I got married -- in the temple -- and started having children) Mormon kids who go on missions recruit others for baptism and strong membership keeps the church’s credibility over its members. But what makes its media campaigns so distinct propagandist in nature, is the scare and shame tactics it uses in order to keep young adults on the Mormon path. Scare tactics that are born not from religious theology, but conservative and political cultural origins. *I’m not even going to detail any of it. I feel I have been a broken record about colonialism, hierarchy, supremacy and patriarchy but so much of the churches structure in the US are built on those things. It’s so annoying. I’m making myself annoyed.* Some of course would argue on the same grounds as the FP, that the Mormonad campaign was centered on persuasion -- meant to keep kids from falling into dangerous activities and lifestyles...absolutely no one benefited. Or did they? Fear can be a persuasive and effective tactic and I have spent hundreds of hours interviewing ex Mormons who have mixed feelings about the church’s ad campaigns of the 80’s and 90’s. “It kept me from doing things I would have probably regretted had I not had that influence”. But there is still an element of begroaning and regret for having felt controlled concerning individual decision making. As someone who left the church in my teenage years -- due to circumstances, not so much disagreement with the church -- this does hold an element of weight when it comes to persuasion for the sake of safety and straight and narrow. I was not someone who paid any mind to the Mormonad campaigns, even when I was a gung-ho active youth and there is room for argument that I am still paying consequences of bad decisions made in my youth and early twenties. But I also had so much fun and valuable life lessons. So would that not be just “real life”? Had I not learned all the “lessons” of progressions and “bettering myself” that the Mormonads tried to hammer into Mormon youth by practicing my own agency? So, are these Mormonads truly propaganda or persuasion? And where on the richter scale would it all fall more fittingly under? I had labeled the Mormonads as strictly propaganda earlier, but now I am not so sure, now I am asking different questions and making different distinctions. Which is difficult to do, considering the “gray areas” I fee this all falls under. Is propaganda inherently good, and propaganda inherently negative? Who actually benefits the most from either, and do most companies or organizations actually benefit as well as they hope with release of their message campaigns? Can targeted persuasion be as harmful as propaganda campaigns? These are the things I am considering.

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daggerzine · 5 years

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Kristin Hersh interview by Dina Hornreich!

Thank you for pouring your heart and soul to give us the music that understands life's complexities uniquely from a woman's perspective (often angry -- not a culturally sanctioned "feminine expression"). I know my life wouldn't be the same without you playing prominently on that soundtrack over so many years. I look forward to hearing you perform on 9/10 at the Hi Dive in Denver. If I can dig up my Ryko reissue of In A Doghouse, maybe you will sign it for me? (j/k) <3.

Absolutely! Thank you for having that goofy record. Can’t wait to meet you in person :)

You have taken a very proactively bold and admirable stance against making music for the sake of commerce and the industry -- opting for the Creative Commons approach with CASH music. Is there a singular experience or sequence of events that informed this approach (or perhaps a lingering emotional context) that informed such outspokenness? For some background, you should know that I remember when "Your Ghost" was fairly ubiquitous as a semi/quasi mainstream success in a time when "the industry" was responding to Nirvana and REM's unexpected stardom as they searched for the illusory "next big thing" <insert sarcastic eye rolls here>.having a variety of implications for reluctant rock stars who avoid "sell-out" stigmas among other impetuous punk rock betrayal ethos.

Everyone is born musically literate. In a consumerist culture, some of us lose touch with our own visceral response and assume marketing to actually be our opinions. This dilutes our impression of real music, and that allows us to go limp in the face of an insult like the corporate recording industry. If we knew quality deeply, we’d reject the boredom of radio friendly, of style over substance, of women as fashion things. Music as a commodity, women as a commodity...it’s not a truth we’re born with. It’s not a truth at all. So I live and work that way: I’ll never turn my back on women or music, I’ll never put style over substance.

I know you -- like me and so many others -- have been on a journey of recovery from trauma and other related mental health struggles. Can you explain how your music and/or the creative process has contributed to your emotional/psychological well being? In other words, can you put in your 2 cents on the recurring suggestion that there's a correlation between those (like us) who are drawn to the the indie/punk/alternative (i.e. counter-cultural creative types of) communities and the fact that we are facing these struggles (i.e. is there a link between healing and the creative process perhaps in a spiritual/metaphysical sense)? Since so many addiction/suicide issues plague our communities with tragic outcomes (most recently, David Berman; but also like Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, etc.)...

Real is intense but it’s also...real. There’s no escaping it. Joy is just as available as sadness on this plane, but when people like us feel these extremes within a construct we played no role in creating, it causes pain. We are the thinkers and artists, but those processes are diminished in a society which values money and attention over impact and depth. So think, be artful, be everyone and turn away from the co-opted, monetized versions of these, whoever you are.

I don’t think the diagnoses and medications we receive are helping. We don’t want to be marginalized, we just want to live the truth.

Can you comment on any progress you have witnessed given so many changes in the music industry since you started over 30 years ago? I am referring not just to formats (vinyl, cassettes, CDs, downloads) but the overall climate for traditionally "less visible" musicians (gender, culture, or other issues) and their relationship with their audience/fans given how the online communication piece has altered the nature of music (or any form of streaming/downloadable media) discoverability and accessibility in terms of the sense of community or "scenes" (for me, it was "back in the day" of record stores, punk rock clubs, left-of-the-dial/non-commercial media outlets, etc.).

I do love scenes; they can be very powerful in the enthusiasm they engender that is outside of the mainstream. And outside of the mainstream is where you find culture developing. We just need to look for humanity now, not geography. Humanity over demographic would be good, too: gender is superficial, so is race, so is age. If we empower ourselves through the superficial, anyone can take our power away.

Are there any musicians, writers, film/tv-makers, painters, photographers, etc. that you are particularly interested in and/or inspired by lately?

I’m still searching through time, genre and discipline to find my teammates. I’m inspired by the homeless guys who live down the street and by our pet snakes who live in the kids’ room, by weather, my kids and the cashier at the drugstore. I don’t see artfulness as separate from life, in other words, which sounds way more pretentious than just answering the freakin question! But it’s true.

And I walk my talk: I don’t need people to buy my records, I want them to play their own music, which is the perfect opportunity to not suck. If there had never been money or attention associated with music, what would be the point of manipulating the listener?

Given that your music is not necessarily considered "palatable" especially for a woman (at least, when Throwing Muses started) who has a voice that is not as "slick" or "pretty" as the ubiquitously accessible folksy chirpy songstress stereotype...what is the most asinine comment/description you've ever heard -- and hopefully can laugh about NOW!!!! (May or not be related to question 1.)

I’m not well known enough for anyone to insult me, really; they just ignore me, which is awesome! I want to work, that’s all. I really don’t care who’s paying attention, so I’m not in competition with anyone. Journalists call me underrated, but in a business where you have to suck to succeed, they’re just rating how dumb your output is.

I agree with you when it comes to embarrassing women, though. I know so many incredible, funny, strong, talented, hardworking people in this world who happen to be women, but none of them are in the music business. And that is what it is...it’s not a great place to be, honestly. But we can take it back. First women themselves have to refuse to play the fashion/flirting game and then we can decide what we’d like to share.

Thanks again, Ms. Hersh, for so many significant contributions that keep us moving forward in our own complex journeys....Be well.

Reissue of Crooked out on 9/27/19 on Fire Records!

US Tour Dates 2019

06 Sep: Pappy & Harriet’s, Pioneertown, CA, US 08 Sep: Valley Bar, Phoenix, AZ, US 10 Sep: Hi-Dive, Denver, CO, US 12 Sep: Slowdown, Omaha, NE, US 14 Sep: The Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, MN, US 15 Sep: Shank Hall, Milwaukee, WI, US 19 Sep: Crafthouse Stage & Grill, Pittsburgh, PA, US 20 Sep: Rumba Cafe, Columbus, OH, US 22 Sep: Schubas, Chicago, IL, US 25 Sep: Tractor Tavern, Seattle, WA, US 26 Sep: Mississippi Studios, Portland, OR, US 29 Sep: Bottom Of The Hill, San Francisco, CA, US

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twosidestarot · 7 years

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Making Friends with the Light Grey Cosmos Tarot

A new deck in town is always an exciting thing, and maybe I’m crazy, but the Light Grey Cosmos Tarot & Oracle Deck had me extra excited. If you’ve had a glimpse of this deck online, you’ll know that the production is lux and the art show-stopping. Not only that, but in addition to the standard 78-card tarot deck, it also includes a bonus 22-card oracle deck. Effectively, it’s two decks in one. A hard proposition to resist for those of us who like our cards a little… extra!

Shop the Light Grey Cosmos Tarot & Oracle Deck here!

Cosmos is the second collaborative tarot project from the masterminds at Light Grey Art Lab (you can find the first Light Grey Tarot here). Like the first deck, each card in Cosmos is the work of a different artist, bringing together 100 artists from around the world to riff on tarot and astrology in this unique and beautiful deck.

I don’t know how they managed it, but like the original Light Grey Tarot, Cosmos is simultaneously diverse and cohesive, aesthetically speaking. It’s an amazing feat of fortune and coordination to have one hundred artists – not necessarily versed in tarot – create one hundred individual artworks that come together to make a singular working deck. Honestly, it’s kind of remarkable!

Oracle Cards from the Light Grey Cosmos Tarot & Oracle

The other feat of unification that the Light Grey Cosmos deck achieves is its parallel exploration of tarot, mythology and astrology. Each card has a celestial attribution, bringing together traditional tarot meanings and the symbolic and mythological significance of constellations, planets, and other astral phenomena. Although, to say the tarot associations are traditional is not strictly correct; some of the cards read like their Rider Waite Smith equivalents, but many have been taken in unique directions. Cosmos is definitely kind of deck that rewards study, so get those tarot journals out!

When I look at a new deck, I like to check out how it deals with sexuality and gender, usually by looking at the Ten of Cups, the Two of Cups, and the Ten of Pentacles, and The Lovers. Interestingly, each of these cards depicts a woman either alone or with an animal (The Lovers, which is associated in this deck with the sign of Cancer, shows a woman with an abstract, crab-like creature).

When it comes to racial diversity, there are cards that depict people of colour (to name a few, The Sun, The Star, and the Five of Earth). The art definitely errs on the side of fantastical, so there are also a lot of magical blue people, for example. Cosmos’ depiction of people of colour is not overly realistic, but then, there isn’t much realism at all in this strange, celestial deck.

Interestingly, a goodly proportion of the cards depict non-human figures, landscapes, or symbolic objects. For that reason, Cosmos will definitely appeal to readers who prefer their decks to place less emphasis on mundane human images, or who like their art well steeped in fantasy.

Since this deck very much marches to the beat of its own drum, it’s fortunate that it comes with a pretty detailed book. There are also keywords printed on each card, along with the card name and associated constellation, which you can utilize or ignore at will.

So, I’ve been taking my time getting to know this deck (a lot of which has been spent just oohing and ahhing over the lush gold foiled edges and the gorgeous imagery). After a while, though, it’s time to stop looking and start reading! For the purposes of this deck interview, I’ve excluded the oracle cards. I’ll give them their own review and interview at a later date.

1. TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC? Queen of Fire (Cassiopeia)

Keywords: Consequences of Arrogance. Vanity and Pride.

The Queen of Fire tells the story of Cassiopeia, and her daughter, Andromeda, women punished for their pride by the sea god, Poseidon. While the story of Cassiopeia warns of the potential pitfalls of pride (or perhaps of cranky gods who’d rather keep women in their places), the accompanying booklet says that really, this card is about Andromeda rising above her trials and breaking free.

Freedom is something the Light Grey Cosmos Tarot has in spades! Traditional tarot structures and elemental associations are all up for grabs here, and this deck makes no apologies for it. This deck captures all that dark stuff – pride, revenge, subjugation – but also brings a liberated spirit to the reading table.

2. WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS AS A DECK? XVIII The Moon (Pisces)

Keywords: Subconscious. Indecision. Critique. Sensitivity.

I’m not surprised to see The Moon come up, because this deck can be pretty weird! From the imagery to the keywords to the astral phenomena, Cosmos follows its own lead and resists any assumptions you might want to impose upon it (there’s that free thinking again!). Obviously, this uniqueness and weirdness is a great strength!

When it comes to working with The Moon, we know the best tools we have are intuition and creativity. It’s fair to assume that Cosmos is in its element when the reader approaches with these tools in hand.

3. WHAT ARE YOUR LIMITS AS A DECK? 10 of Water (Corona Borealis)

Keywords: Triumph After Sacrifice. New Beginnings.

Cosmos associates the Ten of Water with the story of Ariadne, who, after being abandoned by her lover, Theseus, finds redemption and a new beginning when she is wooed by Dionysus (it’s worth noting that while the artwork on this card depicts a woman with two leopard-like cats so is not overly heteronormative, the myth that the card is associated with obviously is, so your mileage in that regard may vary!).

So, what do we make of this as a limitation? It would seem Cosmos is not overly concerned with tidy endings, or clean-cut tales of redemption. Don’t expect any coddling here! This deck is complex, and maybe even a little cool, so until you’ve learned to speak its language, reading with it is not going to be a soothing experience. Who doesn’t love a challenge, though?

4. WHAT ARE YOU HERE TO TEACH ME? Three of Air (Hercules)

Keywords: Great Effort. Trial.

Personally, I love this take on the Three of Air. Unlike the traditional meaning of this card (pain, heartbreak), Cosmos makes the Three of Air about proving yourself through strength and endurance. The scene on the card depicts Hercules’ eleventh labour, and demonstrates that we often have to weather many storms in order to get to where we want to go.

Cosmos is obviously here to toughen us up! Or to remind us of how resilient we actually are. I’m already finding that the mixture of tarot, astrology, and mythology in this deck is forcing me to flex my reading muscles, and that’s evidently part of Cosmos’ design. This deck is here to push us as readers, which can only be a good thing!

5. HOW CAN I BEST LEARN FROM AND COLLABORATE WITH YOU? King of Water (Camelopardalis)

Keywords: Seeing the Big Picture. Gaining Perspective.

The King of Water is associated with Camelopardalis, the giraffe constellation, and is associated with the Qilin, giraffe-like creatures from Chinese mythology. This King is all about taking an aerial view of things, stepping back and seeing the big picture.

That definitely feels like a good strategy for reading with a deck that’s so ambitious in scope! The best way to work with Cosmos is to step away from narrow assumptions about traditional card meanings, and instead to allow elemental, mythological, and astrological associations to coalesce into something bigger and more complex.

6. WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL OUTCOME OF OUR WORKING RELATIONSHIP? Two of Fire (Fornax)

Keywords: Incubation. Pregnancy.

The Two of Fire tells the story of the Roman goddess of the hearth, Fornax, who was honoured with the festival of Fornicalia to ensure that the year’s grain would be properly baked. Buns in the oven, anyone? I hope we’re all using birth control!

It seems Cosmos is so slick it might even get you laid, but it’s probably more likely that working with this deck will lead to some cool creative breakthroughs. There’s so much richness to delve into here that fruitful inspirations are bound to bloom. Personally, I’m excited to delve into this deck’s depths and get those fiery, creative ideas incubating!

Phew! It's been a long one today, but there's just so much in this rich and beautiful deck. Cosmos is definitely a deck that rewards close study, so I'm looking forward to spending more time with it and discovering all of its quirks and secrets!

The Light Grey Cosmos Tarot & Oracle deck is, of course, in the shop now and ready to ship! You can pick up your own copy right here.

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thekitschies · 7 years

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Adam Roberts Phantom Kitschies 2016

Adam Roberts, in typical overachieving fashion, managed to read enough books to populate a full and complete shortlist.

Adam Roberts

No Kitschies were awarded last year. 2016 was a Kitschless year—for one year only it was Nitch on the Kitsch. Which was a shame, since 2016 saw a wealth of (to quote the Kitschies’ remit) ‘progressive, intelligent and entertaining works containing elements of the speculative or fantastic’. So, [*clears throat*] in my capacity a former judge, I thought I’d post some speculative short-lists for the year the prize didn’t happen.

A disclaimer is needful: I didn’t do last year, what I did in my judging year—that is, read a metric tonne of hard-copy and e-books, the better to be able to narrow down our shortlists. But I read a fair few and some of the books I read were really excellent. So here, for the sake of argument (and please: argue with what I list here) are my Phantom Kitschies shortlists for 2016.

Red Tentacle for the best novel

Naomi Alderman’s The Power is a brilliant jolt of a read, a book happy to inhabit blockbuster conventions in order to suborn them to some powerfully subversive ends. Teenage girls across the world suddenly discover they have the ability electrically to shock others—to burn them, cause them intense pain, even to kill them. The narrative rattles through the immediate implications of this: girls taking revenge on violent or raping men, girls simply being mean, girls collectively coming to a sense of their new power. But the strength of the novel is the way it follows-through its premise, into a world in which men are segregated for their own protection and women, for good and ill and with quite an emphasis on the latter, take control. I particularly liked the way this new society retcons its sense of the world—it becomes seen as ‘natural’ and a product of ‘evolutionary psychology’ for women to be aggressive and violent, since they have babies to protect; if men ever ruled the world their patriarchy would be nurturing and gentle. It’s a raw novel, more than a little jagged—though that also suits its theme—but sparky and engaging throughout. A lightning bolt of a read.

Dave Hutchinson’s Europe in Winter is the third of his ‘fractured Europe’ novels, set in bivalve European set-up—one a tessellation of myriad tiny statelets and ruritaniae, the other, ‘The Community’ a calm but stifling version of 1950s Britain rolled out across the whole continent. The two versions of European reality are linked via a complex of strange portals. Each of the Europe books has a subtly different emphasis and tone, although all provide the pleasures of alt-spy adventures, a cosmopolitan richness of interlocking storylines and slowly unfurling mystery; but arguably this is the best of the three, from its bang-bang opening act of intercontinental railway terrorism through to its big finale. A modern classic.

Lavie Tidhar’s sprawling masterpiece Central Station, set in a future spaceport Tel Aviv, is easily his best book yet (and that’s saying something). What I particularly loved about this is the way it manages to be both gloriously old-fashioned in its SF—an actual fix-up novel set in a space-port in which a colourful variety of humans robots and aliens intermingle—and a distinctively twenty-first century novel about the complex but sustaining inter-relationship between culture and place and memory and technology and change. Most of all it’s about the centrality of stories to who we are, and about the way those stories are always collective and heterogeneous. It’s a marvel.

Christopher Priest’s The Gradual works a simple-enough sciencefictional version of time-zone differences into a haunting exploration of travel, aging and loss. Set like many of Priest’s best novels in his ‘Dream Archipelago’ of endless islands, it is the first-person narrative of composer Sandro Sussken, a citizen of the Glaund Republic on the Northern mainland (a downbeat, authoritarian society locked in an Orwellian permanent war with the Faianland Alliance). The success of his music means that, unlike most Glaundians, Sussken gets to travel from island to island, but in doing so he discovers the titular ‘gradual’, a kind of complex time-slip, or time-stall, that dislocates him from his origins, his family and in the end from the world as a whole. Priest uses his speculative conceit brilliantly to explore what it means to age. It makes me think how rarely the old figure, and how much more they ought to, in progressive narratives of equality and diversity.

Sofia Samatar’s The Winged Histories is a remarkable epic Fantasy, the follow-up to her debut A Stranger in Olondria (2013) and an even stronger novel. It gives us many of the satisfactions of this over-populated mode, as four women—an aristocrat, a military officer, a priestess and a nomadic poet—are caught up in the events leading to an empire-shaking war. But Samatar has the confidence, and the skill, to downplay the conventional satisfactions of narrative. The result is a gorgeous labyrinth of a text that circles through the permutations of its characters, plot, and the history of her world, richly written and formally involuted.

Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad deploys its fantastical conceit—the literalisation of the celebrated 19th-century US ‘railroad’ along which slaves would try to pass to freedom as a network of actual excavated tunnels, railways and stations—with commendable restraint. He is not interested in the worldbuilding mechanics of his idea so much as in the imaginative freedom it gives him to send his heroine, Cora, on a journey encompassing the different violences slavery has manifested over the centuries. It is a novel that renders slave society as vividly and memorably brutal without, at any point, reverting to the pieties of hindsight or historical cliché. An unforgettable piece of fiction.

Golden Tentacle for best debut novel

Yoon Ha Lee’s Ninefox Gambit recasts Korean legend in a densely rendered high-tech future universe governed by ‘calendars’, sort-of computer programmes that determine the nature of reality itself. It’s a book that boldly drops its reader into its properly futuristic and alien cosmos—an interstellar empire called the Hexarchate in which six factions each with unique skills are competing for power. Though it might put some readers off, the advantage of this approach is that when the book clicks fully into focus it does so with kaleidoscopic brilliance and coherence. The game theory and maths, all the politics and military tactics, neatly offset some nicely written central relationships.

David Means’s Hystopia is a brilliant, baffling and expertly fractured novel set in an alt-1970s America in which Kennedy wasn’t assassinated, and Vietnam veterans are being treated for PTSD with psychedelics. It is steeped in the flavour of its era, and manages to be simultaneously weirdly familiar and intensely strange—quite the combo, that. I have to concede it’s a little distorting describing this as a ‘first novel’ (even though that’s what it is) because Means has been honing his craft writing short stories for decades. The technical skill shows: Means’s multi-viewpoint and deracinated approach could easily have slid into mere messiness; but though the novel is often violent it is also potent and, in its way, coherent.

Wyl Menmuir’s superbly eerie The Many is, though short, a tricky book to summarise. Suffice to say that as an exercise in unnerving the reader, this cryptic, powerful novella is remarkable. Its seemingly simple plot, about a young man coming to a Cornish seaside village to live in an abandoned cottage whose previous owner had drowned, invokes a sort-of ghost story, or perhaps hallucination, or perhaps dreamtime, to render its poisoned near-future world more obliquely vivid that any straightforward account ever could.

Idra Novey’s Ways to Disappear wonderfully resuscitates a form—magic realism—I had thought dead and buried. A famous Brazilian writer, Beatriz Yagoda, up to her neck in gambling debt, goes missing; her American translator Emma flies down to South America to try and make sense of things. The characters she meets are colourful and varied (indeed, perhaps, their colourful variety is a little by rote), and the tone is lightly comic, but as the story goes on it becomes stranger and more beautiful, and Novey’s background as a lyric poet increasingly comes to dominate the telling. A short novel that leaves rich and strange residue in the imagination.

Ada Palmer’s Too Like the Lightning boldly mashes together eighteenth-century manners and 25th-century adventure in a post-scarcity utopia where which gender-distinctions are taboo and large-scale affinity-groups are carefully manipulated and managed by behind-the-scenes forces to maintain broader social balance. Readers are liable to find the richly mannered idiom in which Palmer tells her story either beguiling—as I did—or, perhaps, archly offputting. But it is worth persevering with the narrative: there’s a piercing political intelligence at work here, of the sort that would surely have delighted the Enlightenment philosophes that inspired it. Intricately worked, and, I’m pleased to say, the first of a very promising series.

Nick Wood’s Azanian Bridges is set in a modern day South Africa still under the sway of Apartheid, and expertly uses this alt-historical premise to estrange and refresh the way racism violates social and human contexts, without abandoning the possibility of bridging this chasm. Sibusiso Mchunu, traumatised by seeing his friend killed at a demonstration, is admitted to a psychiatric hospital where White doctor Martin test him on his new invented, an ‘empathy machine’. The potential of this device, and its dangers, power a compact but very effective thriller. A thought-provoking and promising debut.

from http://ift.tt/2rueAmg

#2016 #Shortlist #Ada Palmer #Christopher Priest #Colson Whitehead #Dave Hutchinson #David Means #Idr

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The Advantages and disadvantages of Beauty in Love Relationships, Marriage of People

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The Advantages and disadvantages of Beauty in Love Relationships, Marriage of People

It is not an excessively controversial statement to say that the general public out there would love to be more beautiful — and we’ve got a multi-billion dollar cosmetics industry to prove it. But in step with technology, there are particular downsides to being lovely. It’s counter-intuitive, But It is real.

Lisa Slattery Walker and Tonya Frevert, two social psychologists on the College of North Carolina at Charlotte, did a massive review of the research currently available about the splendor and how it relates to regions inclusive of jobs, crime, performance evaluations, power, and health perceptions. What they discovered was that although there are blessings to being bodily attractive, there are also main drawbacks as well.

Pretty people, because it seems, surely do have an advantage over the rest of us in some areas — teachers and professors are more likely to charge attractive students as extra intelligent and to grade them better, for instance. And such things as this, in addition to the easy reality that humans want to be round you, frequently deliver stunning human beings a self-assurance raise that they convey with them for the duration of their lives, in step with the studies.

But beauty tips isn’t always without downsides, either, some of which can be Pretty alarming. Due to the fact people regularly subconsciously link bodily beauty tips with bodily fitness, studies shows that medical doctors often take the ailments of Pretty human beings much less significantly. And given that with maximum extreme conditions, the earlier you capture a problem the higher, that bias may want to doubtlessly prove deadly.

Within the administrative center, research shows that beautiful women are regularly surpassed over for promotions because of sexist perceptions, and are less possibly to be employed for excessive-level jobs requiring authority. And jealousy can hold humans of both genders back; apparently, if you are interviewed by means of a person of the equal gender, they’re much less possibly to lease you if they recollect you to be extra appealing than they’re.

Possibly maximum sarcastically, although, is the fact that research shows that being stunning can also be lonely. although human beings are drawn closer to appealing humans, they also have a tendency to preserve a positive quantity of distance. Even Inside the global of on line dating, research shows that human beings with stunningly attractive pictures get fewer dates. Maybe people are simply intimidated?

Who would no longer want to be beautiful? What is beauty tips ? Likely, we’ve were given all given those questions consideration at one time or each other. I’d opt to be beautiful if given the choice. Based totally upon a number of my observations of standard Splendor, I recognize it can deliver me an aggressive aspect as should children. I’ve followed a lovely female around all day, many days, to see what it far needs to be praised and brand new by way of those human beings a beautiful girl meets. I’ve located others to be able to find out approximately the experts and cons of having an attractive appearance.

beauty tips is in the eye of the beholder. Everyone have to probably be lovely in keeping with every other person. Some humans determine on blondes. Others decide on tanned pores and skin. Even others choose tall people. Every person has his very personal picks; but, there are some humans who’ve facial and body proportions which may be taken into consideration beautiful through the majority. the one’s individuals who commonly tend to fall into the class of famous Splendor usually tend to get a number of greater hobby throughout the day.

The attention given to a lovely girl is that of having all eyes on her and that of receiving many compliments. people will communicate to her lots, offer her unfastened drinks, offer items, ask for her deal with, invite her out, and greater. At least, that is what I found whilst following a cute woman round all day for masses days. She acquired so many compliments that it have emerge as rather stressful even to her. human beings lavished her with masses praise for approximately the entirety she did. As she accomplished her activity seek, capability employers informed her they have been seeking out someone who became lovely. One enterprise stated she preferred to leave a person with a “lovely presence.” Naturally, the lovely female decided an pastime without a problem.

If being stunning technique a person should have extra friends, find extra jobs, and effect others, then it’s far glaringly handy to be stunning. To be unattractive approach that an character has some proportions which are less standardized and additional uncommon. There are a few obvious motives why someone considered much less attractive through the general public may additionally enjoy the struggle to draw others. She will be able to benefit thru having to do her mission better or by way of having to study diligently.

a person who’s a great deal less attractive might be attractive to a person somewhere. He or she may be capable of have to artwork more difficult to expose himself in some regions or research. a good way to compete with the so-known as “cute” person, the “commonplace” person will need to move the more mile. He or she may additionally are in search of to be greater courteous or innovative. She could Probable broaden a unique know-how like art, singing, or a endeavor. In all likelihood the less appealing character will determine to observe extra books to be able to be liked for her know-how. She would Probably come to be a discovered person to show herself. those individuals who aren’t considered extraordinarily lovely will recognise what it feels to paintings hard to benefit some thing with out depending upon their seems. The identical can be stated of older humans who have to attempt harder to find a pastime than more younger people.

The notion of beauty tips is within the mind so, to a point, there can be truth in pronouncing human beings are as beautiful as they sense. it’s miles crucial no longer to have ended up useless or to test oneself as being better than others regardless of how lovable one feels.

One danger that adorable people face is that of becoming lazy if they have to emerge as narcissistic, believing that everyone else want to reward them and supply them loose provides. Each person wants to preserve A few humility. If mother and father and the world supply a man too much ordinary reward, he’s going to run the threat of believing himself to be too crucial. If he becomes narcissistic, he’s going to sit around expecting others to be his servant. One lovely girl stated she modified into “too lovely for her husband.” She knowledgeable him “no individual other than her could have him Because he turn out to be no longer fantastic-searching.” some other stunning guy refused to paintings for 9 years and continuously reminded others of approaches he changed into so good-looking. Therefore, he stated his spouse’s DNA modified into inferior and that she must be his servant because of this. Such are the results of getting an over-inflated ego because of believing oneself to be the “epitome” of splendor. no longer every lovely lady or man will become self-absorbed. Many lovely people do now not have massive egos and are considerate of others.

Self-absorption outcomes from having received such a variety of compliments that someone believes himself enormously good-looking. Such people may additionally miss out on reading on the university or developing their minds in other strategies after they experience they’re capable of getting by using on beauty tips by me. Unfortunately, nobody can be stunning for eternity, and it does pay to dedicate some time to studying a talent or approximately the arts and arts no matter how attractive he might be. no one is so ideal that She or he could not advantage from mastering for gaining knowledge of’s sake.

Perhaps the real beauty tips is one’s functionality to look inner splendor in the coronary heart of a type individual irrespective of the outdoorsman or woman. Occasionally the happiest relationships are the ones in which one character is prettier than the alternative But wherein the love is extra about the internal values which might be shared among humans. Who would now not recognize the individual that has enough splendor interior so one can see internal Splendor in others? Proper, love relationships develop from kindness interior people notwithstanding issues of Beauty.

The Advantages of beauty tips encompass being afforded many opportunities to artwork, thus far, to marry, and to be cherished by way of the usage of others. Most of the people might enjoy those opportunities and the nation of being lovable, but one should never overlook that during Sometimes, having an excessive amount of Beauty and receiving too many compliments results in turning into boastful, narcissistic, and selfish. Questioning that they could rely on their Splendor by myself, many men and women in no manner acquire their highbrow and religious capability. Therefore, the author of this newsletter believes that every parent must are searching out to live humbly, to nourish our minds, and to open our minds to the opportunity that proper splendor comes from inside. Once we embrace the Splendor inside the man or woman, not the outside appearances, we end up greater adept in relationships further to Dating, love, and marriage.One aspect is for certain, even though: we live in a tradition in which splendor isn’t always just something you note, It’s a big deal. human beings do have a natural tendency to want to take a look at folks who are, properly, appropriate to take a look at. But in our society, the emphasis on beauty goes properly beyond that. If it failed to, you wouldn’t have medical doctors making assumptions approximately a patient’s fitness based totally on how attractive they are.

We send the message, particularly to ladies and ladies But additionally to boys and guys, that being appealing is an extremely critical aspect and a worth aim that everybody ought to have. For ladies, we’re frequently given the impact that it’s the maximum vital component we may be. However virtually, this isn’t Because being beautiful makes for a uniformly extra extraordinary experience. It’s Because we as a society have determined that beauty tips is important.

If you want to look true, then by means of all method, cross for it. Make-up and fashion can be heaps of fun and make you sense well. However do not ever assume that you have to be beautiful, or permit anybody to tell you which you have to want to be. Due to the fact sincerely, being beautiful isn’t always perfect, both.

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