#either because option 1 the technology in his future is so advanced that this stuff is ancient in comparison

[sonknuxadow]

everyone jokes about shadow not getting modern technology/culture/whatever but what about silver . he was also born in a different time period from the rest of the group . way further away from the present than shadow was actually . i feel like you could make a lot of similar jokes with him but nobody ever does

[fnafpro52]

Gonna do this for my central OC, Deraj.

1. He's kind of associated with the color blue, although most of the blue he has on him is his eyes, his wings, a blue scarf he wears around his neck, and his jeans.

2. Always imagined him listening to something like jazz, but I don't have a favorite song for him.

3. Nah, he doesn't really rely on weapons. He's purely a hand-to-hand fighter. There's no real reason why, he's just strong enough to not need one.

4. He's pretty used to thinking on the fly and having to adapt during combat situations. The dude's been fighting for pretty much his entire life (and he's in his four-thousands!)

5. Oh, definitely aesthetic. The dude wears a trench coat, which has literally no practicality in the slightest.

6. Eh, he doesn't really care. As long as it isn't completely out of control, he'll leave it unkempt.

7. Probably some kind of lizard. He is a rather big fan of dragons after all.

8. Technically speaking, 'Deraj' is a name he gave himself, but he doesn't remember where it came from. His real name is 'Time' because he *is* the living embodiment and personification of that specific concept, but he's had other names. He was named 'Volta' in the orphanage he lived in for about a year and was designated 'S-1T' by Dr. Carlos Morto, one of my antagonists, when Deraj was his test subject.

9. He's the kind of guy that doesn't really care. As long as it's food, he'll eat it. Although he does quite enjoy deep-fried stuff.

10. Nah, he's not much of a jewelry guy. He never really saw the appeal.

11. I mean, the original version of his character was literally a self-insert. Granted, he has evolved a bit since then, but a few details are pretty reminiscent of myself, yeah.

12. Um, this dude's been around for over four thousand years and that's not even counting how old he is as a concept. And being immortal, aging doesn't really matter to him. If he does have a birthday, it doesn't matter.

13. While he mostly speaks English, he is pretty fluent in Italian, Japanese, and a lot of other languages that are either dead or otherworldly.

14. I've always been in a sort of 50/50 mindset over whether or not to make Deraj actually good at numbers and working technology before finally settling on him having just a basic understanding of them. Nothing too advanced, but enough to get by.

15. He doesn't really have any family, other than the other subjects of Dr. Morto that basically acted as stand-ins for siblings, consisting of two other boys and one girl. But he'd never Carlos to be his dad, he'd puke at the idea.

16. He himself doesn't own any pets, but a close friend of his that lives with him owns a dragon.

17. Probably relaxing and/or trying not to die.

18. Hey, if it helps him out in the long run, he's more than willing.

19. Oh, yeah, one hundred percent. He tries his best to stay cool as long as possible, but his patience can only be stretched out so thin. And when he snaps, there's gonna be hell to pay.

20. He can drive, but it's a skill he hardly uses as he mostly uses his wings or the portals he can summon in order to get around, especially when both options are much faster than driving.

21. Anywhere with his friends honestly.

22. There's the occasional grim nightmare about either something from his past or the future, but he can mostly keep those away in order to sleep pretty soundly.

23. I'd say his voice is pretty calm and relaxed most of the time, but he can sound commanding when he wants to. And yeah, he can sing.

24. He writes in his spare time, but he has very little time to do that in his chaotic life.

25. He's a pretty keen and observant dude. That's the reason he's still alive after all.

26. He moves with the confidence of a dude that's seen it all. That and with his wings.

27. He doesn't really have time for sports or anything like that. Although he is still pretty active because of how much combat he sees.

28. He usually expresses he cares for others through actions such as defending them in combat. But if he dislikes you, he's gonna express that shit verbally.

29. No, not really.

30. I dunno man, what does time smell like? A clock...? WHAT DOES A CLOCK SMELL LIKE-

31. He doesn't particularly care for gifts, whether receiving or giving them. They don't mean much when you live forever.

32. He hates wolves. Like, absolutely *loathes* them, with the exception of one of the other subjects that he grew up with who later became a werewolf.

33. Descriptions would vary from 'good leader' to 'close friend' and then comments like 'smug piece of shit' and similar stuff.

34. He'd describe himself as just someone trying to do something with his life, not much more.

35. 'Home' is a subjective term. He's sure as hell not returning to the lab he originated from or the orphanage he found himself in after escaping. But his base that he made years afterwards? Yeah, he'd consider it home.

i wanted to make an oc ask game 😋 things i like to ask people abt their characters:

are they associated with a certain color? what color do they wear the most?

what sort of music would they like? have you thought about what genres or bands do they lean towards? do they have a favorite song?

weapon of choice? any particular reason they chose their weapon?

how crafty/resourceful are they?

how do they typically dress? does their wardrobe lean more towards practicality or aesthetics?

how do they wear their hair? do they care a lot how their hair looks?

favorite animal? why?

do they have a nickname? who gave it to them? if it's not derived from their real name, what's the story behind it?

favorite food? least favorite? are they a picky eater? do they have any dietary restrictions?

if they wear jewelry, what kind? do they prefer silver or gold? do they have a favorite gem?

what do they have in common with you? how are they different? would you get along with them?

how long have they been around? do you know their birthday? is their birthday the day you made them or another day? what do they think of celebrating birthdays?

what languages do they speak? how fluently?

are they any good with numbers?

how big or small is their family? who did they live with growing up? do they live with anyone now?

do they have any pets? what do they call their pets?

how did they spend their summers/free time as a child?

their opinion on lying, stealing, and killing?

are they quick to anger? what sets them off?

if applicable, can they drive? if they have their own, what color is their vehicle? is the inside neat and tidy, or a mess?

their favorite place to be?

do they sleep well at night?

how would you describe their voice? can they sing?

do they have any creative hobbies? (art, writing, music, etc)

how good/bad is their hearing? what about their eyesight?

how do they move? are they clumsy? light on their feet? do they use mobility aids?

if applicable, do they have a favorite sport? do they play any sports or prefer to watch?

how do they show that they care about someone? how do they express that they don't like someone?

are they associated with any particular element (air, earth, fire, water)?

do they smell like anything notable?

do they like receiving gifts? giving gifts? what is their ideal gift?

do they have any habits that aren't particularly self-destructive, just maybe odd?

if applicable, how would your other characters describe them? i mean specifically the people around them.

how would your character describe themselves? it doesn't have to line up with how they really are.

do they ever return home?

[honey-milk-depresso]

HELLLLOOOOOOO THIS IS 🥔 ANON

I have come to say something and this is my opinion about Zhongli.

Zhongli is a hypocrite.

BEFORE EVERYONE COMES AT ME-

LET ME EXPLAIN!

Oh oh oh and

WARNING: SPOILERS TO GENSHIN, but if you're curious, continue on reading

Here's the cut/wheeee

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Zhongli is a hypocrite because he destroyed Khaenri'ah along with other archons which was 500 years ago and all of that angst jazz with Signora being the scarlet witch and yada yada yada

Khaenri'ah is a godless region, it was built purely by humans. They were the first independent human civilization.

Now I thought of two options as to why the archons destroyed Khaenri'ah:

1. Celestia no likely so sent their dogs (Khaenri'ah: AAAAAA WHAT THO DOGS!!! Celestia: they no bite Archons: *ready to smite thee off the face of the earth* Khaenri'ah: YESS IT DO)

2. The archons felt threatened by how advance they were with technology (lol hello 2021, meet 1898)

Now, after destroying Khaenri'ah, they went on with their lives happily, until Zhongli decided to do "Hey, I think I'm done with life, let's show everyone my fake corpse". The after making deal and all that goodie stuff. We came to where Zhongli wanted Liyue to gain independence.

Zhongli wants Liyue, to continue growing, but their own hands. Not by their deity.

HENCE I SAY ZHONGLI IS A HYPOCRITE!!! I still like him though, but him with his contracts, uuuuuhhhhh grandpa, I think you should either shush about your osmanthus wine OR TELL THE TRAVELER WHERE THEIR SIBLING IS OR MAKE AN EFFORT TO.

I will fight thou if you dare to say he is not a hypocrite.

It's fine! I like discussing and stuff, so feel free to drop in! ^^ And yes, I simp for old man U-U

All of my ramblings and opinions are under the cut!

Now, I sort of get it. Maybe the archons might have feel threatened by Knaenri'ah's technology, and I suspect since they were a godless nation, it can show they might have not wanted visions or some shit, and that the lack of it might be the cause of why Knaeri'ah developed advanced technology and alchemy.

Now, I'm not the best with coming up with theories but-

Analyzing Zhongli's character, he keeps to his word when he makes an agreement with someone.

As you know, Zhongli made an agreement with Signora to give up his gnosis, as well as to keep his mouth silent over the archon war because he has made an agreement with someone, which I'm suspecting is Guizhong, to not share the horrible truth about the Archon War because, if we're really putting ourselves into the shoes of some of the NPC or playable characters who have lived long ago, or that they have absolute faith and stand with their archon, truth can hurt, and maybe start an entirely new riot or war of it's own.

Then we'll be back to square one.

Perhaps even why he faked his own death was because of someone who had told him to do so in near future, and I also would like to think Guizhong did.

But... the only problem I have is with this: If Zhongli was also the God of Mora, if he were to retire, he wouldn't be able to produce any more Mora.

And now, he's lost his gnosis, he literally has no capability of making endless Mora, and we know how the Golden House is not his property anymore. The Mora supply is bound to run out at some point, and this may lead to all Nations dying not just in the economic side of life, but also social side of life.

Which is unrest and instability for survival. You pretty much can't trust anyone when supply is limited, no, scarce.

So, I'm wondering.

Is Zhongli retiring because he WANTS that to happen? Or did someone told him so because they had a bigger plan in mind? Maybe it revolves around the Traveler?

I also feel Zhongli maybe didn't want Liyue to be independent, but either had no choice.

I think the Archon War has left him... scarred in a sense. If it was so bad to the point he even AGREED to not share about it, the experience must have been horrible, imagine how the millions of lives were lost. And none of them had peaceful deaths.

It's unclear to me, and maybe he is a hypocrite. But I doubt Zhongli had any ill intentions, but maybe he was mislead or, again, made an agreement with someone to technically abandon Liyue.

Perhaps Zhongli saw something about his retirement no one else seen, maybe he sensed something that is most likely to do far worse to Teyvat and his only way of easing, preventing or reducing the situation is by retiring and giving up his gnosis since he agreed on doing so.

Maybe he knows the Traveler would be able to retrieve back the gnosis, and you know the Fatui would have taken the Archon's gnosis by force, we've seen with Venti, and he just gave it up to prevent any sort of violence or fight happening in Liyue. It can attract attention, and not very good ones.

I don't know man, Zhongli is enigmatic as he can get.

Hopefully we'll be able to know more when the next updates are released.

There's so much more I want to know, and maybe we would be able to fight Zhongli as a dragon. I think at some point, the Traveler would be able to defeat the Fatui and give back all the gnosis, and then maybe Zhongli would be like "HAZZAH, I HAVE DEEPER INTENTIONS-"

...

Okay, maybe threading off topic?

Anyways-

It's been nice speculating and giving my opinions to you, and I do enjoy talking about stuff like this! I'm not good with theories, but it's nice sharing opinions with one another.

To me, personally, even if I wholeheartedly disagree, I have no right to look down or jeer. Everyone has an opinion, different or similar to each other.

If we have some similar opinions, that's great!

But if we didn't, I still would respect your opinion. Don't let others tell you otherwise.

That's all I have. Thank you for listening to my useless rambles! ^^

[progressivestupidity]

IZ week 2020

so i wasn’t gonna do this because I didn’t think the prompts were very good for writing to, but I remembered the last day’s prompt was “role swap” so I decided to do something small and quick for it. this is all 7 days in one post. the first and last ones are drabbles and one of them is an au idea

@invader-zim-week​ here u go!!!

Day 1. Angst or Fluff 

Zim’s denial skills are god tier, but even they have their limits.

Drabble. I think this is the turning point for my eventual found family au

“When are you going to get it through your thick head that the Tallests aren’t coming?” Dib flings his arms out wide in his exasperation

“They’re just…!” Zim fumbles a bit, clenching and unclenching his fists. “The Armada is a million light years away! It takes time to travel that far, obviously. It took me six of your months to get here from Conventia and the Massive is further away from here now than that. They’ll come! You’ll see! And then you’ll be sorry!” Zim’s face is drawn tight. He’s tense all over, shoulders drawn up to his jaw, antennae pressed flat to his head, and normally Dib prides himself on reading Zim like an open book, but he’s too far gone in his own annoyance to see the warning signs.

It’s because he doesn’t see these red flags that Dib proceeds to stick his own foot in his mouth with his next words. “Maybe if you weren’t such an idiot and opened your eyes, you’d see the truth—that they dumped you here to get rid of you.”

“YOU THINK I DON’T KNOW THAT?” Zim explodes, planting his tiny hands in Dib’s chest and shoving. The boy lands painfully on his ass. “I’m not stupid, Dib.” His name is spat like an insult. “I know they don’t care about me! Why do you think I try so hard?”

Dib gapes at Zim, looking up at him for once, stunned into silence. “I.” He swallows. “You know?”

“Of course, I know.” Zim’s voice is a low hiss and his eyes are narrowed to slits. “You don’t get banished and then just get over it. You don’t get put on trial to defend your life, forced to relive your worse mistakes, and get sentenced to death, only to be saved by freak miracle, and never acknowledge it happened.” Zim takes a deep breath and crosses his arms over his chest. Dib supposes he means for it to look intimidating, but it looks more like he’s holding himself together. “I’ve always known.”

“Why do you try so hard then? If you’ve always known there was no point?” Dib has to ask, has to know, has to hear the words from Zim’s own mouth.

Zim purses his lips and turns away. “There was always a point.” He falls silent for a moment, one antenna twitching up a bit in thought. “I just… I thought if I was just a little better, if I accomplished something important for once, that… I don’t know, that maybe I’d.” He pauses and grits his teeth. “Maybe if I actually managed to take over this filthy planet I’d be worth something for once.”

Day 2. Be Gay Do Crime (LGBTQA+ headcannons)

Dib is bi/pan/demi-ro, Gaz is lesbian, Zim is ace/demi-ro

Headcanons.

Dib seems like the kind of guy that would both take whatever kind of relationship he could get, but also appreciate it. Dib isn’t afraid to work for what he wants and isn’t afraid of things that are “not normal” so I see him being the type to not care about the gender of whoever he eventually decides to date. However, because Dib’s been burned in the past, he would need a deep and sincere emotional relationship to see someone as a potential romantic partner.

Gaz is just a big lesbian. Girls, man.

Zim is ace all the way baby!!! He’s just not interested, and sure, part of that is me projecting, but it just feels right for Zim to just… not care. He has no interest and doesn’t care for sexual attraction regardless of whether or not Irkens do/can/will have sex or not. On the other hand, Zim has expressed a softer side before and I can see him being able to maybe eventually develop romantic feelings for someone if he actually manages to get close enough to them for those kinds of feelings to even emerge. It would take a lot of time and a deep, meaningful friendship, but Zim has shown he’s capable of love. He just has to let himself feel it.

  Day 3. Fandom Appreciation

Found family fuck yeah

Headcanons.

I’m still in the process of thinking about how I wanna go about my found family au so here’s just some initial ideas

After ETF, Zim self isolates for a bit. The florpus hole was his Last Ditch Effort plan and had it succeeded, he knew he would have been destroyed too. He was okay with it. He had made peace with it. However, it failed, and now he’s forced to reflect on said failure

The Massive doesn’t escape the florpus. They’re gone, completely. If they the ship does manage to get out, it’s not in one piece

I initially couldn’t decide if The Trial should come Before ETF or After but I think im gonna say before so the Massive doesn’t have to come back lmao

Before too long, Zim jumps back into the planning/scheming swing of things, but his ideas are never more than petty crimes and being a huge annoyance

Dib gets really annoyed with him and they have a big argument

Zim finally admits to knowing of his own Defectiveness

Dib reluctantly feels bad for him and backs off a bit to let Zim have his space

Zim, however, sees this as a betrayal and redoubles his efforts to get his attention

Somewhere along the way, Skoodge comes back and Zim backs off of Dib a bit, having someone else to focus attention on

Dib eventually begins to offer Zim his hand in friendship (phrased as a truce at first) and they finally make steps towards getting along

They realize they actually really like being friends

Zim eventually realizes that he’s made a life for himself, outside of the Empire

Eventually Zim, Skoodge, GIR, Minimoose, Dib, and Gaz form their own little family and explore space and hunt cryptids

(I love cryptid hunter and space exploration aus holy shit)

Day 4. If IZ had a different setting/time period

Cyberpunk??? Sure

Potential idea maybe.

Cyberpunk dystopian future

Aliens and humans intermingle, both on and off Earth

The Irken Empire has gotten bigger

Technology is advanced and cybernetics are widely known/produced

Idk man I don’t know a lot about cyberpunk, maybe this should be more for the aesthetic

Day 5. Aesthetic

Big shrug man idk

Headcanons, thoughts.

I’m a big fan of fashion Zim, and whenever I get the chance I give him clothes that are both cute and comfortable

Galaxy print leggings are a personal favorite of mine to give him

One time I wrote a little ficlet/oneshot where he wore a skirt. I should publish that some day

Uhhhhhh okay so. Dib has veeeeeery big early 2000s emo/punk vibes tbh

Scene kid GIR always makes me laugh

Gaz could pull off pastel goth like no one’s business

I’ve been here long enough to witness emo/scene hair wig Zim and his eventual fall lmfao

Pretty much everyone that redesigned them back in the day gave Zim emo kid hair that fall perfectly over one eye it was WILD

 Day 6. What if IZ was a different Genre?

Uhhhh does “fantasy instead of scifi” count?

Potential idea maybe. (oops it ended up being a fantasy/modern magic au haha ooooops)

Instead of being an alien, I had the idea of, maybeeeeee Irkens are like. Elves maybe, or perhaps some kind of fae. (I don’t know much about fae, oops)

Okay bear with me here, this is all coming together in real time.

The Irkens (which is what I’m gonna call their clan or faction or subrace or whatever) still want to be the rulers or something over the humans/other mystical beings. This world of magic is hidden from humans and they live blissfully unaware. There are invaders all over the place, using magic and glamors to trick humans into thinking they’re also humans. Zim is one such invader and just to happens to end up in Dib’s town, whereupon he enrolls in Dib’s school, pretending to be a transfer student.

I have no idea why or how the Irkens invade or what methods they use, but since my biggest experience with elves is through DND, I’m going to say they’re functionally similar to certain DND elf races.

So anyway, Zim ends up in Dib’s class and Zim’s glamor just Doesn’t Work on Dib for whatever reason (maybe Dib passed his Wisdom saving throw while literally everyone else failed, idk) and so Dib can immediately see Zim for what he is.

Dib is still into paranormal type stuff, though in his world, he’s less about cryptids and aliens and more about the magical species/world(s) that he KNOWS exists. His big goal in his au is similar to canon in that he wants to expose it all for recognition and love from his father.

Zim, meanwhile, he just wants to prove himself, just like canon. I can’t decide how I want the Irken hierarchy to go in this au—that’s something to think about later, when I have more time—but whatever it is, Zim is either a) not very good at it, b) not suited for it, c) ridiculed for not fitting in to it, or d) a combination of any or all of these things. (or secret option e) he rejects it but has no where else to go. On the other hand, it maybe be none of these things.)

GIR is here too though he’s probably not a robot. Maybe he’s another kind of magical being, or, hell, maybe he’s just Zim’s little brother. I’d be okay with that.

Gaz can also see through glamors but she just doesn’t care. Tak shows up at some point to get revenge, and Skoodge also shows up at some point to stay with Zim and be his friend.

Zim is bad at blending in at first, but he eventually Does get better, since he’s not totally isolated from other Irkens here and he also doesn’t Look like an alien.

(I’m thinkin’ elves in this au look Mostly human but with a few differences. Since I’m biased and this is MY fantasy world, damnit, elves are just. Really Pretty. Ethereal and elegant and graceful (for the most part—there are always exceptions) and they’re also great at magic. Maybe Zim isn’t all that great at magic, I dunno. I’ll figure something out.)

This ended up being less of a genre change and more of a whole ass au, lol oops

Day 7. Role swap

Chanting: human zim au human zim au human zim au human zi

Drabble. This is for an ongoing species swap au that i’ve had in development for the last few years. i haven’t posted anything for it yet, but I’ve thought about it a lot

Dib freezes as Zim points the plastic water gun at his head. Zim’s eyes are narrowed, lips pursed, and he adjusts his grip almost nervously. Behind him, Gir is holding a bucket full of water balloons and a pair of neon green star shaped sunglasses. It’d be cute if Dib wasn’t aware of how painful Earth water is to his Irken skin.

Zim finally lowers his gun slightly. “I want some answers, alien.” He looks Dib over with critical eyes. “Who are you really, and why are you here?” He reaches back and Gir hands him a water balloon with a big smile. “And you better tell the truth or I’ll bust this over your big head.”

Dib grimaces and watches the balloon. “My name Dib, and I’m a scientist. I’m an Irken, from Irk, and I’m here to learn more about life on this planet.” He holds his hands up, hoping to placate the human gesture for surrender. “I’m not here to harm you or anyone else, promise.”

Zim huffs. “Yeah right. I bet you just came here to laugh at the locals.” He puts on a mocking voice and waves the gun and balloon as he speaks. “‘Stupid, stinking humans. They can’t even travel beyond their own moon, yet. What morons. I bet they descended from pigs with how horrible and stupid they are.’” He jams the gun against Dib’s chest. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

Dib bites his lower lip and looks away. He can’t deny he hasn’t thought something similar since arriving on Earth, but Zim didn’t have to be so crude and blunt about it.

The two are at a standoff for almost a minute before Zim blows out a long sigh and steps back. He turns to put the balloon back in the bucket, gives Gir a pat on the head, and shoots Dib one last glare. “Stay away from me, Dib. I have enough problems to deal with without having to worry about whether or not it’s safe for my brother to go to school or if I need to watch my back while walking my dog.”

“I wouldn’t hurt you,” Dib says, a little put out.

Zim scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Yeah, I’ve heard that one before. I know better than to believe it.” He turns and tries to smile at Gir but it comes out a little twisted and sad. “C’mon Gir. Let’s go home and get Minimoose and take him to that dog park you like so much.”

Gir gasps and lets out a cheer. “Can we go get ice cream afterwards?”

Zim gives a little laugh, smile turning a bit more genuine. “Yeah, sounds good.”

As they walk away Dib can’t help but wonder why he ever thought Zim was an Irken himself.

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece: Mini-Theory Mashups (Part 3, Wano Edition)

So, I’m bored XD And it’s been almost 8 months since Part 2, so why not do another theory dump huh? Before we were at 958 and since then 26 Chapters and a Pandemic have happened, so that has been plenty of time to theorycraft some new stuff, this one being all specific to the Wano arc and potential aftermaths from it.

Part 1 -> Here Part 2 -> Here None have been confirmed so far, but I still believe all of these can happen, but onto the newer stuff

Spoilers leading up to Chapter 984, just so you know

Hawkins Joins the Marines or Big Mom

So, yes, I still think Hawkins is alive, you can fight me on that all you like! And I would love for Hawkins to be on Luffy’s side 100%, for the notion of him being a man of chances and Luffy just trampling all over that so he can also experience Law’s eternal headache. But in reality I think it’s doubtful, we do still underestimate the full extent of his strength, and why he went out to sea is still a mystery, but knowing what we know of Hawkins I don’t think he could handle the energy that emit from the Straw Hats for long periods of time. The flaw he also has is that he never takes unnecessary risks, which is why he’s a Headliner for Kaido despite hating it. But, if Kaido’s defeated then what is left for him? I don’t think he can be direct opposition for Luffy to be King, he was already jumped by Law (despite proving his tactical skills) so he would have to find a safer situation for him and his crew, and for me that’s either the Navy or Big Mom. For the Navy it comes down to any solidarity he has with X Drake, the SWORD infiltrator seems to get along well with his Worst Gen member at the least, and Hawkins hasn’t said anything bad about him, maybe he does pull a Jango and become an interrogator. I would see him more on Big Mom’s side though, like Hawkins BM likes to plan out her actions so the conclusion is inevitable, they are both overly patient in a way so their strategies fit, also being a Straw Man would entice Big Mom’s collecting nature. This way if BM’s crew does become a begrudging ally with the Straw Hats there’s still an option for Hawkins to return into view.

Yamato is not Nakama, but can be Grand Fleet

I know everyone’s excited by Yamato, and also excited by Yamato. But I am not one of those ‘Yamato 4 Nakama’ people. Nothing against them at all but Yamato’s purpose does not fit the crew at all. I still stand by Team Carrot, since her goals offer more space to sail at sea and she has already established herself a position on the Sunny as the Crow’s Nest (hinted already with her being a Kingsbird in Zou), all of which Yamato has yet to demonstrate. Yamato’s primary goal is to be Kozuki Oden, which means opening Wano’s borders. But with being Oden would also be to feel cramped by the stationary lifestyle of Wano, so after the dust clears I do believe that Yamato will take to sea, just not with Luffy. Instead I can see them either commit to the remnant Whitebeard Pirates - since Oden promised Whitebeard to return to them after completing Roger’s voyage, or to set up their own crew, being one of Luffy’s allies/Grand Fleet. This theme with Yonko kids is also one I see with Katakuri as well, either by smoothing things with Big Mom or breaking off themselves (as hinted when the kids fractured a little over who BM’s successor would be).

Kin’emon is the Next Shogun of Wano, Proven by Fighting Kaido

This one is a deep take, because many have their eyes on the Kozuki children for this one; either Momo by bloodright, Hiyori for female empowerment or Toki because we didn’t see a body. But my bet for Shogun of Wano is actually Kin’emon, one of the few Wano characters we have the most exposure of, it’s through finding Kin’emon did the Straw Hats become embroiled in Wano affairs. Additionally, Kin’emon’s history is quite a storied development from the delinquent he was to the noble warrior he is now. Sure he is a tad perverted still, but current Wano perception is that Kin’emon is a master strategist, one of Oden’s oldest confidants and the man entrusted with the protection of Momonosuke. But what will establish him as the future Shogun will be near the conclusion of the raid, when Kin’emon helps the pirates fight Kaido. It may just be a single opening, but Kin’emon has one thing that can factor in as an edge against Kaido: he can cut fire. If his Kitsune-Ryu can negate Kaido’s super-destructive dragonfire, then Kin’emon may indeed be seen as a legend worthy of leading Wano as an open country, all while the Kozuki either remain in Kuri or rebuild until they are ready and/or willing to be Shogun themselves.

CP-0 freed Law, because they need Kaido distracted

This panel mostly sells it for me. CP0 are of course the most secretive but also the most underhanded group of the World Government, they only have to face Orochi to request weapons because the Shichibukai system has put Buggy out of option and Wano is more technologically advanced. But Orochi is cocky, he thinks himself untouchable with Kaido by his side, so wouldn’t it be a ‘shame’ if Kaido was somehow incapacitated? That the alliance’s plans came to fruition and Orochi and Kaido fell to them? This plays into CP0 hands nicely, because while Kaido and co are preoccupied with the raid, CP0 can steal the blueprints for all their new and deadly technology Kaido has spent decades working on, saving Law also means he owes them a favour, and Law is definitely someone you’d want one day to request a favour from.

Kaido saves Momonosuke!

The general story between Kaido and Momonosuke seems to be that Kaido expects more from Momo and is thus disappointed to find him to have no goals, no strength and no courage. Right now Momo is about to be crucified so Orochi can feel at ease, but interestingly Kaido (nor Black Maria) seem all to enthusiastic about this. I do think that many people can kill Orochi; Zoro, Hiyori and Denjiro being the top 3 options, but I think Kaido is also an option himself and the reason will be Momo’s Devil Fruit. It doesn’t feel like coincidence that Momo can turn into a dragon, nor that Momo’s dragon form has never been seen to Kaido or the wider public, right now Momo would be a goner because the mere presence of Kaido negates the number of infiltrating Samurai, Robin, Jimbei and the Momo Rescue Squad, but if Momo - like he often does when he’s scared - turns into a dragon, his tough hide would spare him from any blade or bullet Orochi has. The mere sight of a fellow dragon may be the trigger as well for Kaido to change his mind on Momo and finally, FINALLY toss aside Orochi, killing him or at least leaving him at the mercy of the nine shadows Toki prophecised.

Wrath of the Queen of Beasts: The Bewitching Kunoichi, Tama!

Tama is of course not present in the raid, and there is good reason for that. The battlefield is no place for her to be endangered, but she may also be a decisive key to Luffy and co turning the tides. Tama’s Devil Fruit works on SMILEs and normal animals, so far she’s been able to turn Headliners such as Babanuki and Speed to her side, all of Udon’s SMILE guards are under her control as well as Hihimaru and Komachiyo. Add on the also-absent Caribou, Hitetsu and Onimaru and we may still have a vast army primarily populated by Tama’s new subordinates waiting to also raid Onigashima. It’d also be quite fitting that the ‘Animal Kingdom’ Pirates would be forced to fight actual beasts, one other beast that can be fought that Tama may’ve been seeking are the Mountain Gods, I’m unsure if the main god is still alive (I mean, Nola made it and she’s much older) but its son at least must have a part to play, and if Tama was really tactical the dango from the O-Shiruko would be her Kibi Dangos. The final cap to Tama’s importance to the raid and Kaido’s downfall can also be her friendship with Big Mom back when she had amnesia. Big Mom was angry in Udon because there was no O-Shiruko to share with the leftover towns, it’s this waste of food that also sets Luffy off to blow his cover in Onigashima, so if Big Mom also notices the waste of food with Tama in mind, this could also trigger her in the same way. She may not be directly involved, but Tama’s lasting effect on the characters themselves can still provide a key impact to the story.

And with that I’ll stop, I do have others but not really Wano-exclusive, and those that are can quickly be debunked within the next 2 or 3 chapters, so I’ll keep those close to the chest XD  As with Parts 1 and 2 feel free to expand on this for other theory videos/posts, I’m sure more digging can be found. Until next time!

[limitededitionsanderssidesblog]

Speech Impediment - Chapter 2

Sympathetic Deceit Week- Day 7: famILY

Ships: Logicality, still pining-Prinxiety, platonic DLAMP  

Summary: A little over two months have passed since Deceit has arrived at college and he still has no idea how to handle the people he calls friends. In fact he doesn’t even know how to handle his classes as he’s constantly pulled out of the shadows.

AO3 - Here

Chapter 1 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6

“Now midterms are coming up in a couple weeks so you’ll all have a project due the first week of November. Each of you will write a short story on any topic of your choosing from the provided prompt list. A minimum of ten thousand words is required-” A chorus of annoyed groans followed, but were quickly talked over, “-your fault for picking the advanced class. You have one month!”

The campus bell then rang, signaling the end of third hour, Dexter’s last class for the day. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays Dexter had morning classes, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays he had afternoon classes. Today was a Thursday.

Most every student had submitted to receiving their new project, grabbed the prompt sheet, and left. Dexter and a few other were still shocked in their seats. Moving on autopilot, the snake-loving man stood from his seat and grabbed the paper before walking out. He didn't pay much attention to where his feet was taking him, but just walked in a daze of shock and dread. Eventually he wound back up in his room, Patton already there knitting a Halloween themed scarf, and collapsed face first on his mattress, letting out a loud groan.

“Heya there kiddo, you alright?” Patton questioned from his side of the room, putting down his nearly completed garment.

“Everything is wonderful!” Dexter cried.

“Oh? What happened?” The fatherly student asked and got up from his bed, sitting down by Dexter to comfort him.

“My amazing creative writing professor isn’t having us write a ten thousand word story in just a month!” He exclaimed and curled around his pillow like a danger noodle. “The best part is that I don’t have to choose from a list of prompts!” 

“Well that can’t be too bad, right? At least you have options.” Patton pointed out, being optimistic. Dexter only continued to pout and stare at his knees, still intent on seeing this as a bad thing. The art student sighed and picked up the prompt paper, reading over the different ideas.

“There’s ‘a hundred years after the apocalypse’.” He offered.

“Original and totally my style.” Dexter whined.

“How about ‘collapse of the technological age’?”

“I love dystopias.”

“’Summer vacation in a foreign land’?”

“I know everything about other countries.”

This went on for a while more as Patton listed off all of his options, but none of the sat well with him; they just weren’t his style. Dexter lived for horror and mystery, and none of these prompts gave him what he needed to do his thing. What was the point anyways? When Dexter became an author he’d write whatever he felt like, why was his teacher limiting him? 

Dexter’s complaining, and Patton’s attempts at helping, were then interrupted before they could drag on as a familiar knocking at the door told them that the rest of the gang was there. Let in by Patton, Logan, Roman, and Virgil came bustling in, rambunctious as usual.

“Hello Patton, Dexter.” Logan greeted, giving his boyfriend a kiss on the nose and Dexter a nod. The moping writer only groaned in response, his face pushed into a pillow of sorrow, and also cotton.

“Whoa, what’s up with Dee?” Virge asked, walking in last. The closest any of them had ever gotten to calling him by his preferred nickname of Deceit, was Virgil calling him Dee.

“He’s having a bit of creative block for his knew writing project.” The fatherly student replied, closing the door and sitting on his bean bag chair. Roman, being the flamboyant weirdo he is, ran and jumped on Dexter’s bed, making the troubled boy fly up in the air due to his light, and rather small, body. 

“Well why don’t you write about a quest full of magic and homosexual princes? That’s what I’d do.” He proposed, shooting Virgil a seductive grin at the last part. Basically everyone in the room rolled their eyes. 

Dexter had only been in this group for about two months and it was already obvious to him that Roman was in love with Virgil, but the smol emo bean never took him seriously. The rest of them wanted to pull their hair out watching these two do circles around each other.

“That’s what you’d do, Princey. I doubt Dee would be interested in that stuff.” Virgil brushed him off with a sarcastic wave of his hand before turning his attention back to Dexter. “What is it you like to write? You’ve never told us.”

No, not good, he’s not ready to tell them about what he writes, he never likes telling anyone anymore. All his teachers were concerned that he was a sociopath, and his writing only gave his parents another reason to send him to therapy. Everyone just thinks it’s creepy and disgusting, Dexter doesn’t want them to think that too.

“It’s uh... totally not normal and definitely should cause concern.” Shit. Dexter paled and started sweating. The others looked at him unconvinced and suspicious.

“Dude, for someone who’s always lying, you suck at it.” Virgil smirked, clearly amused by his shit ability to purposefully lie.

“Indeed, if you fear our judgement you needn’t worry.” Logan said with the most feeling he could muster, which wasn’t much on the outside but Dexter could tell he was trying. From one socially inept person to another, he knew if was difficult for Logan to properly convey his emotions, so it meant a lot.

“Yeah,” Patton agreed, moving seats to plant himself in Logan’s lap, “No matter what were famILY, we won’t shoot you down, only bring you up.”

“It’s just that, others never labeled me as a freak because of my writing so-”

Again, only Dexter was taken by surprise when Patton suddenly jumped from his boyfriend’s lap to pull him into another one of his signature papa bear hugs.

“They did?! Who are they?! Do I need to passive aggresively lecture someone disapprovingly? Because I swear, if anybody hurts one of my sons I will-”

“Whoa whoa, it’s fine, it wasn’t just the grown-ups from my youth. It’s in the future now.” Dexter told him, removing himself fro the death grip hug.

“But Dex, if it’s holding you back it’s gotta be serious.” Roman spoke up from the end of his bed.

“Quite right, adults are the most influential part of our upbringing. If the ones from your childhood were discouraging then it would be beneficial for you to talk it out in order to receive positive words from close companions.” Logan agreed, offering nerdy, helpful advice.

“Can’t let that shit build up, trust me.” Virge affirmed.

Dexter sighed and pinched his glabella together. He knew that they only wanted to help and meant well, but he had heard this speech a thousand times before. His parents wanted him to open up and be himself, but regretted it when he did; his teacher did the same but still didn’t trust him; even his therapist thought he was a hazard. He- he just didn’t want these guys to see him differently.

“Look, how about we don’t go to a cafe and get a drink. Some tea may not help.” He urged instead, taking his leave and walking out of the dorm. If he was going to talk to them, he had to have a cup of Earl Grey first.

The others looked at each other unsure, but had no choice but to follow after him. They all got the sense that this wasn’t going to be easy. By the time all four of them exited the room as well Dexter had already reached the staircase and started descending the steps. The air around them was tense and unfavorable, so Patton, being the little helper he was, launched into a one man conversation about his day, to which Roman soon joined in with the occasional comment from Virgil and Logan. However, Dexter stayed quiet and stayed off to the side of the group as they all walked, excluding himself. Logan monitored his behavior, but said nothing.

Dexter hadn’t told the others much about him in these short few months, not wanting to scare them away. He’s never been good at making friends so he’s gotten used to not caring; but this is the first time Dexter’s ever cared so much about opinion, he didn’t want to lose this circle because of something he can’t help like his personality. That’s why he’s stayed quiet all along as to his interest, to keep them from running, but now he was afraid that his silence was driving them away faster.

The moment Dexter had been dreading arrived as soon as the coffee shop arrived in sight. A quaint little shop just three blocks from the campus, named Sugar & Spice. Taking a seat at a corner booth, Dexter was sat in between Roman and Virgil, with Logan and Patton across from them.

“Hey Dex, can we switch seats?” Roman asked shyly, eyeballing Virge.

“Why? you know Dee feels safer when he’s in an enclosed area, and I feel safer when I have an escape route.” Virgil argued, still not getting the hint that was clearly being thrown in his face. 

“I’m not fine with it.” Dexter said quietly and slid under the table, allowing Roman to move over before sliding back up. next to the window. Ro gave Virge a small smile, but the purple haired musician just looked away. Although, he may be hallucinating, but Dexter could have sworn that he saw a small blush rise on his cheeks before he covered them with a hand. A shit eating grin manifested on Dexter’s face and he almost forgot why he was nervous, until the waitress came to take their orders and reminded him why they were there.

A black coffee for Logan, pumpkin spice latte for Patton, green tea latte for Virgil, a white chocolate mocha with caramel for Roman, and an Earl Grey for Dexter. After their order was done and taken, the young waitress gathered their drink menus and left them to the inevitable awkward silence that Dexter had been loathing.

He didn’t speak right away, still not mentally prepared for the reveal. The rest didn’t speak either, giving him the time he needed to gather his bearings. Several agonizing minutes passed in silence as Dexter twiddled his thumbs and debated whether he should bail or not. There didn’t seem to be anyone behind them in the next booth, he could quickly hop over and make a dash for the exit, run to the forest, dig a hole, and live there the rest of his life with his stories. No. He had to do this, they promised they wouldn’t judge.

Kicking himself to take the initiative, Dexter reached into his Letterman bag and pulled out a worn down notebook and handed it to Logan. “Don’t turn to page sixteen.” He instructed. The physics major gave him a wary look, but opened the book to the specified page, and began to read the words Dexter had poured his soul into. Once he had finished he looked at Dexter with a look of understanding, not a hint of disgust or fear on his face. Without a word he handed it to Patton for him to read. The emotions were plain on his face, fear, but not at him and rather at the story, and a keen interest at the narrative before him. When he was done he handed the story to Virgil, and so on until the little notebook made its way back to its owner. By that time their drinks had been completed and served to them. Dexter took a long sip of his tea before addressing the words he’d written in ink.

“I’ve never had a fascination with mystery and horror, but all it’s ever given me wasn’t fear from my parents, and concern from my teachers.” Dexter then proceeded to tell them about the numerous therapists he’d been sent to, the trips to the counselor's office, and the hushed voices behind his back. He told them about how he was labeled as a problem child because of his stories. By the end of his monologue he was shaking in his seat, and tears threaten to spill from his eyes. “I wasn’t called toxic by everyone around me, and I wanted you guys to think the same.”

“Oh, Dexter, we would never call you anything of the sort.” Patton said kindly, reaching his hand out to hold Dexter’s shaking one.

“Yes, while your story is unique, there is a specific genre for it. Many great authors have been praised for their works in horror and mystery.” Logan concurred. “It would be ill-minded of us to take dislike to you because of your interests.”

“Yeah man, besides, I like the same genre, well not horror because it triggers my anxiety, but I love murder mystery.” Virgil joined in, giving him a nudge on the shoulder.

Dexter looked between all of their smiling faces, still a bit cautious. “You are scared of me?” He asked melancholy. 

“Son, you’re part of a family that know what it feels like to be different, you’re a Sanders now, and that means that you’re loved unconditionally here.” Patton said squeezing his hand comfortingly.

“Yeah little brother-”

“Please push it.”

“-there’s no shaming here. And if it’ll help, we’ll all stay up with you tonight to help you think of an idea.” Roman said, wrapping his arm around Dexter’s smaller shoulders.

“I think that’s excessive Roman-”

“Silence science slut!”

“You’d all really not help me?” Dee asked surprised.

“Of course!” Patton grinned, “as I said, we’re famILY.”

.

.

Hoped y’all enjoyed the two-shot story! This is the end, unless you want me to continue, but thank you for all the support you’ve given. Also, sorry the taglist for some reason didn’t work for everyone.

Taglist:

@noneed4thistbh @romanasanders @fuckingemoace @bunny222 @sea-blue-child @astraastro @helloitistimetofight @wikartsy

[mallenmtsacphilosophy-blog]

Philosophy Midterm

1. Your name: Myles Allen

2. How much of the required reading have you done?

I have only read one book.

3. How many of the required films did you watch?

All of them.

4. Please copy and paste the essays you were required to write for the first 8 weeks of this course.

WEEK 1

1. How would you feel if you realized that you were just “stuff”, just this body, and that there was nothing “meta” physical about you? Be sure to use your “I” voice and present your reaction in an autobiographical framework. Also make pertinent references (when possible) to the film on mysterium tremendum.

If I were to find out that I’m nothing more than a physical body, I feel like it would limit my perspective and stunt my evolution. Since I’ve been able to spend time studying Eastern philosophy and the science of meditation, I do not believe that I am just a cluster of cells with a mechanical thought process. I believe in the multidimensional theory mentioned in the film, the fact that beyond the atomic reality of human existence, there is a realm of spirit and energy that has direct influence over our “physical” reality.

2. Using your own life as a template, provide two or more examples of Plato’s Allegory of the cave. Hint: think of those times in your life when you mistakenly believed something to be true or real but you later realized wasn’t. Be sure to think within the context of the movie.

Plato’s allegory of the cave can be applied to many aspects of Western civilization. One good example is how I was educated as a child in the American school system. I spent years learning a European perspective on civilization and its origins only to find out that  the large part of global history was sacrificed for the advancement of Western civilization. Finding out as an African male in America that the stories of my ancestors existing as nothing more than savages and slaves were false was not only infuriating, but also educational. It helped me to understand the need for a deeper understanding of myself, not just for my own personal development but also for the development of my current family and future generations to come. Another example of Plato’s allegory of the cave could be represented through the silent battle that many people fight with mental illness. Through my own personal journey of facing my fears and other mental blockages that were preventing me from advancing in consciousness, I was able to learn that thoughts and emotions can become entities that dictate your physical reality and it is important to be the master of your own mind.

WEEK 2

1. If you had to live your life over and over again (as given in Nietzsche's myth of eternal recurrence), describe precisely those things that you would change and why?

If I had to live my life the way Nietzsche described in his myth of eternal recurrence, the only thing I would change is the way I nurture and develop some of my personal relationships. Outside of that particular aspect of my life, I feel like I’ve developed a perspective that leaves me with endless tools and opportunities for self-transformation. Another thing I would change is the age I started to read and broaden the horizons of what I perceived to be possible, it is an activity that has definitely been a saving grace for me during these times we’re facing collectively.

2. Thinking about your own life (and connecting to the movie, the limits of science), what are the biggest obstacles that you confront in your educational career? More precisely, what limitations do you have that you feel limit your understanding of varying subjects and ideas?

The biggest obstacle I have been facing in my educational career is my own attitude. Of course, as a young child, play and exploration were always at the core of my identity. However, I never wanted to go to school just to sit down and have a full day of mandatory learning.  I was limited by my own perception of reality and the negative emotions that started to develop throughout the years. As I’ve been on a personal mission to reprogram my mind for some years now, I’ve been lucky enough to realize that all obstacles can be reexamined and overcome, even the more stern human concepts like death and disease.

3. Since the advent of hyper technology, what devices have you become most attached or addicted to? Why? Which ones are your friends most attached to? What are the pros and cons of such devices (connecting, of course, to the movie, "Surfing the User Interface".

The device I’ve become most attached to is definitely my phone because it is the most convenient and has the most accessories. I still use the television to enjoy movies and play video games, but when I’m on the go my phone can make me feel like Inspector Gadget. My friends are either all the same way or a combination of multiple gadgets they enjoy using. There are a lot of positive aspects to these gadgets, I’ve definitely experienced more pros than cons when it comes to technology. The fact that technology works so well on such a consistent basis is the only potential con it possesses. Since it works so well, it’s easy to use all day and can clearly become a huge distraction if you feel like you don’t have anything to do.

WEEK 3

1. How does the conception of a multiverse (where we find ourselves living in an almost infinite realm that cannot be defined) make you feel? Knowing that you are made up of atoms and material stuff, how does it change the conception you have of yourself?

The conception of living in a multiverse makes me feel infinite as a part of nature. If the understanding that the human body is a universe in itself is true, then the conception of a multiverse must infer that we are also multiple universes as well. This gives me the idea that we all have limitless potential and always have a positive future to look forward to. Knowing that I’m made up of different elements from the universe helps me to realize I can take a more scientific approach toward cultivating my mindset and what I am as a person. It gives me the opportunity to realizes that I am technically a giant ball of potentially destructive energy that can be used positively with the proper perspective.

2. Quantum Mechanics is based on probability. How does a deep understanding of chance alter your philosophy on life?

A deep understanding of chance puts you in a position to play the odds in your favor. If you were to know that you could have multiple constructive options to prepare for a potentially destructive force, it would be wise to work towards the best outcome possible. I’m sure there are people out in the world who feel like they have the worst luck anyone could have simply because they allowed the odds to be stacked against them. Knowing that there is always a chance that anything could happen serves as motivation to prepare for something to happen.

3. Relating to "Feynman's Flower" how does science broaden your appreciation of life and beauty? Give examples of your own life where you found something out from science that made you appreciate an ordinary thing or object much more?

Science helps life and beauty become more real. It brings more depth to life than is available if you decide to commit to a strictly three dimensional point of view. From my experience, what you see is not always what you get, but it is usually a byproduct of what is. Science is a window that lets us see beyond the mundane into what is truly infinite and all around us. I understand the nostalgia aspect of wanting to appreciate the essence of life and our surroundings, but if you’re truly given the opportunity to understand things at a deeper level, then it is a calling that should not be ignored.

WEEK 4

1. Why do you think a large number of people resist the theory of evolution by natural selection? What is it about Darwin's theory that makes you feel comfortable or uncomfortable? Be sure to elaborate on your reaction (pro or con).

I think people resist the theory of evolution by natural selection because it implies that some forms of life are more valuable than others based on their ability to adapt to certain conditions inside of the planet’s atmosphere. Certain schools of thought teach that each living thing has a soul and purpose for being in this life, despite the level of consciousness they may be presently operating at. To agree with natural selection implies that humans are at the top of the food chain until we face an adversary that exploits our current shortcomings. Many people would disagree with this perspective due to the fact that despite being the most organized and sophisticated, we are still part of the ecosystem, which is in a constant state of motion. The main problem I have with this theory is the mindset that we can potentially develop from absorbing this kind of ideology. Historically, humans are always the main ones engaging in organized genocide and massacring entire populations over belief systems that allow one group to gain leverage over others by charging up their people with doctrines of superiority.

2. What do you think cannot be explained by evolution?

I believe evolution explains everything through a developmental process and is a good model to use for describing the sequence of steps that were required for any aspect of life to reach its current state.

3. Provide three examples of eliminative materialism and how it works. You can draw from your own life.

A good example of eliminative materialism is the way the ancient inhabitants of this planet were able to utilize certain sciences to transform their way of living and create bountiful civilizations. Through further exploring themselves and the universe around them, they were able to visualize and create the reality that they wanted. Considering the fact that we are in an age of information,  the science that was used to transform ancient civilization is widely available to everyone through multiple mediums. I’ve been able to spend hours watching lectures and reading from a variety of books that have expanded my consciousness tremendously, and firmly believe that the right information could do more than enough for everyone if distributed correctly. Another good example of eliminative materialism is the way that philosophy provides a venue for people to build on their ideas and recreate their mindsets to better prepare for the future.

WEEK 5

1. Explain the "virtual simulator" hypothesis to consciousness. How does such a concept help explain why you behave the way you do? Be sure to draw from your day to day habits and how your mind projects into the future and reflects about the past.

The “virtual simulator” hypothesis implies that consciousness is a continuously expansive experience that cannot be quantified or explained. This explains why a lot of people have a hard time putting their reality into the proper context. Every day I wake up, I’m confronted with a world full of fears and potentially negative scenarios that I have to find a way to meet with the proper mindset before they arrive. Understanding that there is always the potential for infinite scenarios to unfold at any time is definitely an inspiration to stay in the moment and have patience.

2. How does M.E. theory apply to your own belief system?

I believe that it helps to believe in something. It’s hard to go through life in this world we live in without some sort of belief system that connects me with something higher than what is usually before my eyes. Thinking about string theory and the endless realms of vibration that could potentially be inhabited helps me think of how I could rise to higher levels of consciousness. I do believe in higher beings that can manipulate our physical reality and the influence of certain outcomes, this is also part of the reason I strive to evolve at every opportunity I can.

3. Where do you find purpose in your own life? How does it relate to the "evolutionary" imperative?

I find purpose in my life in the idea of love and what it means. It relates to the evolutionary imperative because in this world I’ve been confronted with plenty of scenarios that have left me wondering why things are the way they are and why they seem so unchangeable. The concept of love as a full device provides me with a ground floor to accept my surroundings for what they are and how to build accordingly. I also find purpose in my sense of community because without other people, I wouldn’t have any sense of the need to do anything.  I think the people I’m around are a constant reminder to stay motivated and help me to reevaluate my belief system.

WEEK 7

1. Are you more attracted to soul theory or neural theory?

I’m more attracted to soul theory than neural theory because I like the idea of having a soul more than I like having a brain. The neuroscience helps me to understand the mechanics of my brain and how it is wired, but I still see myself as the pilot of the ship. The idea of the soul seems infinitely more expansive compared to the brain, although, I do believe that they mirror each other.

2. Do you think artificial intelligence will transform how humans view themselves?

I do believe artificial intelligence will expand the way humans view their own minds. If the computer program is a simulated reflection of what our own minds are capable of without the biological bias that many humans carry around, then it could be a huge tool in the evolution of mankind. A highly developed AI program could gather the amount of information it would take thousands of people to do in a fraction of the time and upload it to a server that could be accessed anywhere within the reach of a wireless receiver. A lot of people in this age have developed a very personal relationship with technology and already use it to aid them in their daily lives.

3. What future technological device will change human behavior in the future?

The introduction of a true artificial intelligence program will change human behavior in the future. The idea of conscious mechanical devices walking around in the street or taking care of family members and advanced social programs will cause people to have to reevaluate the way that they have perceived their relationship with their communities. Seeing the way a conscious being could operate without the failures of the default human programming we’ve grown accustomed to should automatically open up a window to what is possible for humanity. Also, a computer that is linked to one conscious membrane that has the ability to design its own software would be able to give a wider range of information to an enormous range of people, and could even do more amazing things that we could only imagine.

WEEK 8

1. What the strongest arguments for vegetarianism?

The strongest arguments for vegetarianism are the health benefits and the idea of how civilization as we know it could be transformed through the cultivation of a more useful mindset. Through watching the type of foods we grow and the way we develop our society we could change the way future generations develop even further down the line. Creating healthier cycles of people could bring forth generations of youth that are capable of putting reality into a whole new perspective. Also, considering the fact that our bodies are a part of the universe, it is probably beneficial to choose from an assortment of different cellular structures that can communicate with the molecular structure of the human body.

2. What are the strongest arguments against vegetarianism?

Some arguments against vegetarianism could be that we are not capable of gathering enough resources to sustain ourselves, or that we can get the nutrients that we need from the meat of an animal, especially if the animal is healthy. People also have certain customs and traditions that promote the consumption of animals. I have also heard that people don’t feel healthy unless they eat animal products, even though I believe that this is mainly a matter of personal belief.

3. Which diet do you believe is the most ethical?

I believe the vegetarian diet to be the most ethical because it provides us with the widest variety of everything that we could possibly need to survive. It also could help give us more motivation as far as cultivating the earth is concerned. The idea of full factories built just to slaughter animals and large pastures designed to grow food to feed it to animals for slaughter is not only inhumane but unethical as well. I personally haven’t displayed the amount of discipline required to be a vegetarian as of yet, but I do believe it is something I’m growing into as I continue to evolve.

5. Describe Socrates’ method for understanding another person’s truth claims. Why was it so effective and why did it get him into so much trouble?

Socrates’ method for understanding another person’s truth claims is a process of stripping down someone’s belief system until they have to surrender to a more unanimous interpretation of themselves and reality. It was so effective because it is a process that brings an internal focus to the issues at hand, forcing the person or persons who is protecting their belief system to peel back the layers of their viewpoint until the naked truth has been exposed. It got him in trouble because through this process he was able to arm spectators with the ability to dissect their own situations in a similar manner, leading him to be persecuted by the state for his disruptive behavior. 

6. Why is the conflict between science and religion (according to the required reading) a linguistic conundrum? Be sure to back up your answer with pertinent details from the readings/films.

The conflict between science and religion is a linguistic conundrum because science reaches to explain what religion doesn’t have the mechanism teach. Historically, science has been persecuted by the church because it has the ability to transcend the organization. Religions are designed to create order and the idea of science could be a chaotic factor. In the video “the limits of science” many examples are provided that describe scenarios where science could only go so far. Considering the fact that science is constantly evolving explains why religion may have a hard time adapting at the same capacity that science does.

7. Who do you think won the Einstein-Bohr debate? Back up your answer. You are free to do further research on this topic as well.

I believe Einstein won the debate because the lack of ability to determine the position of an object doesn’t rule out it’s existence. Bohr’s theory claims that wavelengths need to be observed in order to become objects. Einstein states that the quantum mechanical description of physical reality is not complete because there are more variables that will cause the theory to be rearranged as science continues to evolve. He also believes that a complete theory for physical reality is attainable and that one of the primary purposes of science is to determine specific attributes of nature. 

8. Why is understanding physics elemental in doing philosophy well?

Physics explain the mechanics of the playing field, which are the grounds for philosophy to begin.

9. What is string theory? How can such radical ideas potentially alter our own philosophical outlooks on life in general?

String theory is the idea that objects exist beyond the second and third dimensional scale of the universe. This theory can alter our perception by giving us the knowledge that our potential is limitless if we can see beyond the confines of matter.

10. Why is the theory of evolution considered to be the cornerstone of modern biology? How does a deep understanding of natural selection help in understanding human behavior?

The theory of evolution is considered a cornerstone in modern biology because it describes the building blocks of life and the variations that arise in different scenarios. Understanding natural selection helps us understand the mindset and tendencies people and their communities develop when faced with certain situations.

11. What is the evolutionary reason behind why we ask why?

Asking  “why” is a tool that is useful in the development of the mind. It gives people an opportunity to observe certain mysteries from multiple dimension and gather knowledge accordingly. When we ask “why”, the observer has to open their mind to potentially unknown possibilities in order to further cultivate their understanding of reality. It is a necessary tool that gives us a safe way to analyze our internal and external conditions.

12. How does Plato’s allegory of the cave relate to our current understanding of science?

Science has  broken down so many barriers that were not common knowledge at this point, and it continues to reveal that there are more layers of information that will be deciphered as time goes on.

13. What is Nietzsche’s myth of eternal recurrence? How could such a concept alter one’s life here and now?

Nietzsche's myth of eternal recurrence describes the idea of having to live the exact same lifetime eternally. This concept could give people the opportunity to evaluate how they interpret free will. If I knew I had to live the same lifetime eternally, the level of strategy I engage in would increase exponentially.

14. How does the virtual simulation theory of consciousness help explain why humans have such a capacity?

It helps us understand why we have linguistic boundaries based on our own perception of reality and how it affects us collectively.

15. What did Darwin and Wallace agree and disagree on when it came to evolution by natural selection? Be sure to elaborate.

Darwin and Wallace both agreed that man evolved from a lower life form. However, Wallace believed that our consciousness was too advanced to leave the description of our evolutionary process up to natural selection. Even though certain aspects of our development can be attributed to the evolution of simpler life forms, there is still the question of how we became capable of contemplative awareness. Darwin believed that the evolution of matter was a sufficient template to measure how we arrived at where we are today, while Wallace sought out an alternative theory which could explain how humans are capable of achieving such a heightened sense of a self perceived reality. 

16. What is the “evolutionary” imperative? How does it work?

The evolutionary imperative is the idea that life as we know it is not how it is supposed to be, and the reality that it is up to each individual to decide whether or not to do anything about it. It states that we can give up on life due to the abnormality of our situation or find some way prepare for the future.

17. Explain the quantum mechanical basis behind photosynthesis.

The leaf captures photons, when they hit the chlorophyll they bounce into another area where they are transferred through a cluster of pathways, and into a reaction center. The electron then creates energy that can be stored to use by the plant.

18. How can probability help explain “why bad things happen to good people?”

It can help explain by pointing out the fact that one good person may not be able to overcome the odds of all the potential negative scenarios they face. Statistics would probably state that a strong sense of morality may not always equate to a more favorable future.

19. Of the films you have watched so far, which one is your favorite? Why?

My favorite film so far is “Consciousness As A Mobius Strip” because I have struggled with this concept for a while now. I believe there are many aspects of life that cannot be relayed to others in a strictly linguistic form.

20. Of the required readings so far, which one is your favorite? Why?

So far the only book I’ve completed out of the required reading is “Just Odds”. I do find the concept interesting because I believe and have experienced the way certain things can play out based on belief.

[hopefulfestivaltastemaker]

February 7, 2021

This is my weekly roundup of things I am up to. Topics include anthropocentrism, modularity and risk, minimum lot sizes, and the Great Stagnation.

Flavors of Anthropocentrism

This Twitter thread was helpful to me in clarifying different notions of anthropocentrism that are common in philosophical discourse. While there are many such definitions, two in particular I think are important.

1) The belief that humans (and human values, if you’re a weak anthropocentrist) have high or exclusive moral weight relative to ecosystems or other organisms.

2) The belief that humans are special in the kingdom of life and have unique roles and responsibilities.

In the thread, Nils Gilman conflates the two definitions, while Wolf Tivy decouples them, as does the original piece linked; David Grinspoon on the Sapiezoic. David comes fairly close to defining a view that is similar to what I want to advocate. My view has two main components: first, that civilization, as a unique form of emergent complexity, does deserve special (though by no means exclusive) moral consideration, and second, that scientific advancement allows us to play positive-sum games between values systems and thus is something to be pursued.

Wolf also referenced Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, an early 20th Century French Jesuit priest who is best known (at least by me) for introducing Omega Point cosmology and the idea of the noosphere. But I know little about his broader work. Now I want to investigate more thoroughly.

Modularity and Risk Reduction

The main tradeoff in urban design is between economies (good things) and diseconomies (bad things) that come with scale. The diseconomies of scale tend to grow faster than economies, but from a smaller base, and from a sufficiently large size. For this reason, there tends to be an optimum city size, though this optimum varies widely based on the city’s economic specialization, transportation infrastructure, and other factors. I am interested in the question of whether and how these principles might be extended to networks of cities (e.g. civilization). While there are clearly economies of scale, there also seem to be observable diseconomies of scale. One such diseconomy is what the Effective Altruist community identifies as existential risk, or its slightly less severe cousin, global catastrophic risk.

For this reason, there is great interest in tools that reduce risk without also harming economies of scale. That’s where this article on mitigating x-risk through modularity comes in. It calls for forms of modular civilization design to decouple risks across regions. An example would be cities that are better able to prevent arrival and departure to control infectious disease outbreaks. The article mentions space colonization as a form of modularity but notes that this is not a practical option for the foreseeable future.

The ideas here are interesting, but I’m not sure how they would work in practice. The article also doesn’t note the scale/risk tradeoff mentioned earlier, which I think has to be a central consideration of any risk reduction measure.

Relative to the EA community, I am more concerned about technological stagnation and demographic decline, and less about nuclear war, AI run amok, etc. (though I acknowledge that these are serious issues as well). This makes me think about modularity in somewhat different terms. For example, charter, private, and homeschooling as a way of reducing the ideological pressures that are prevalent in public schooling; decentralized social media; charter cities, quantified health; and so forth. These areas too require rigor in terms of social polyculture gained versus the costs of decentralization.

Minimum Lot Size

This week the Oregon Legislature considered a bill, HB 2655, that would put a statewide cap of 1 acre on minimum lot sizes for residential areas that countries can impose. The cap is currently 5 acres. According to research that Urban Cruise Ship has done, minimum lot size regulations are the most impactful regulation, per housing unit affected, of widely used zoning rules on land use. There are 13 pieces of written testimony submitted against the bill, 2 asking for clarification, and 1 (namely, mine) in favor (on Twitter I said there are 15 testimonies against, but I mistakenly double-counted two of them).

Aside from the usual NIMBY stuff, the most prevalent argument against the bill is that it would encourage rural development and hence sprawl. Rather upset at the time, I marveled on Twitter how minimum lot size regulations could be packaged as anti-sprawl tools. I guess the rationale is a sort of Simpson’s Paradox situation: while the new rules should densify rural development, they would increase rural development relative to urban development and lower density overall. In theory at least. I’d have to do some calculations to know whether this argument holds water. I haven’t done so, and I am quite certain that the opponents of the bill haven’t done so either. At any rate, in my testimony I was more concerned with affordability than density, and the rules would indisputably improve affordability.

I only became aware of the bill because of some comments that Randy Tucker, Oregon Metro’s state lobbyist, made in a work session. Randy, presumably representing Metro’s official position, is against the bill, apparently concerned primarily about retaining local control over land use decisions. I am bothered that (what appears to be) Metro’s official position would make housing less affordable, which clearly goes against my interest, though I don’t think this is something worth making a stink to my representative about.

Another big question in my mind is where the state’s pro-housing establishment was. They got a major land use reform bill, HB 2001, through the legislature a couple years ago. I get it that it’s hard to trawl through everything that the legislature does. A person almost has to be a full-time lobbyist to keep track of everything, and I certainly don’t keep track of everything. But even with this dynamic accounted for, the pro-housing movement seems to be very selective about what they will and won’t support, and housing affordability is at best one of several priorities that they bring to the table.

Great Stagnation

There were several pieces in the last few weeks about whether the world is in a “Great Stagnation”, and what, if anything, we can reasonably do about it. For the sake of clarity, I consider the Great Stagnation to be the observed secular slowdown in growth of Total Factor Productivity, but the term has a somewhat broader meaning.

Discussion was kicked off by this Jason Crawford post, where he seems to have come around to the idea that there is in fact a secular TFP slowdown. Crawford points out that we are currently seeing significant progress in information technology, but in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, we were seeing significant progress across the board.

Eli Dourado breaks down technology growth here, and he calls specifically for innovation in areas that make up the lion’s share of the budget for poor households: housing, energy, food, and health care (education isn’t mentioned but that is another important area). He calls for a progressive supply-side approach to these issues, which he rightly identifies as much superior to simply writing checks, which has become a sort of default option for dealing with social challenges.

The Nintel blog added this piece, arguing two points. First, there is no evidence of a technological slowdown. Second, trying to identify a unified theory for stagnation is not very helpful, and we should focus on reforms that we know will raise TFP, like raising birth rates. The piece is interesting. I would be inclined to agree with the second point but disagree with the first; it seems to me that there really is a slowdown in basic science, though the jury is still out on my mind whether this is something that can be reversed.

I’ve been thinking about this issue for a long time without any clear answers, and I wonder if I have reached a point of diminishing returns. One final observation: to say that there is a slowdown in TFP is to use a fixed annual percentage rate of TFP growth (or exponential growth in the economy) as a baseline expectation. But why should we expect that? In a different context, I’ve criticized the emissions/GDP (carbon intensity) metric as one that implicitly expects these two quantities to be proportional and then seeks to explain deviation from proportionality. But I think there are inherent reasons to not expect them to be proportional, and so declining carbon intensity is not a thing that needs to be explained, at least in that form. Maybe declining TFP is in the same boat.

[ill-be-istj-if-no-one-else-is]

Hello! I'd like to ask for your help with typing me. I'm familiar with the functions, and have typed other people/characters before, but when it comes to typing myself, I keep flip-flopping. I trust your judgements. I'm 19, since it helps to know my age. I'm not a person that plans things, not because I don't think about my future, but because I'm relatively incapable of sticking with one thing for a long period of time. I usually obsess over one future and idealize it, until I actually (1/?)

obtain the thing I’m looking for. At which point I get bored with it and find something else to look towards. Honestly, given complete freedom to choose my own future without any concern for family and responsibilities, ect. I would probably most enjoy renting month to month, working jobs to make ends meet, and packing up and taking a greyhound to the next city whenever I got bored. I’m one of those people that teachers would label as ‘bright but lazy’ because I had no patience for school (2/?)

since I hate the idea of being forced to learn things that aren’t either interesting or useful in real life. That’s not to say that I don’t like learning useless stuff, because I hoard random knowledge and facts that I will never use just because I think it’s interesting. I just hate being forced to do it. I’m not good with technology, phones, or computers, but I can tinker with just about anything until I can get it to work. I don’t have issues admitting when I don’t know something. (3/?)

I’m not a very emotional person, mostly because I hate talking about emotions, both my own and with others, but I have been known for random emotional outbursts when I get very very very stressed. Screaming, crying, the whole nine yards. Afterwards, its like I’m back to normal, which is relatively unemotional. I like people, and I’m good at making friends, but I have a hard time comforting my more emotional friends when they need it. People, mostly my father, have told me that I seem cold. (4/?)

One of the things that bothers me the most though is when my dad said that I’m selfish and only care about myself, because that’s not true. I care way more about other people than I want to, including their opinions of me. I have, on multiple occasions, and against my better judgement, given up things that would have been good for me because it would have upset others. (Example: I wanted to move out of my house, but my dad’s family all cried saying how much my dad needed me, and so I (5/?)

am still living with him, despite the fact that I hate him) I, um, can’t think of how else to describe myself so I’m gonna end this there. Thank you for reading this, and apologies in advance for asking you to read all of this. Have a nice day. (5/5)

—

Hi anon! Thanks for all of the information - let’s go through this.

Tends not to plan/stick with things points towards perceivers (high Se or Ne, low Te or Fe). 

Idealizing one future until you get it and then getting bored: Could be either high Se with Ni as the focus, or Ne always looking for more possibilities, not sure.

Generally wanting a very flexible, noncommittal lifestyle is also pointing very much towards high Se or Ne. I’m personally thinking Se just because of your description of idolization of the future (Ne is actually not inherently future focused but also tends not to fixate on one possibility, and the itinerant lifestyle you describe is still in a way weirdly practical? Like I don’t know if I knew about month-to-month renting as an option at your age), but I can be swayed at this point.

Bright but lazy/wants things to be useful in real life/doesn’t want to be forced into the school system: definitely leaning towards Se now. SPs are the type for whom the traditional school system works the least, as a whole.

Liking random facts and good at tinkering: now you’re really sounding like an STP.

Okay with admitting you don’t know something: general sign of maturity but since you’re on the younger side, I’d say this still fits high Ti very well in that a lot of high Ti users like to gain knowledge and are often thought not always less concerned with how they’re seen by others (Ti-doms especially).

Very unemotional with occasional extreme outbursts: I’ve heard this is very common for Ti-doms and it fits some though not all of the Ti-doms I know.

The part about selfishness and making those choices is worth noting in part because it’s difficult to type. There’s a very dominant view in society of familial obligation that’s hard to escape unless the situation is particularly egregious or if you’re willing to put up with a lot of criticism. Most people are also frustrated by being told they’re selfish, and if they are making sacrifices that can be particularly hard because that criticism is coupled with a lack of recognition, which again, no one wants. I think people with lower Fe may be more susceptible in some cases in that the desire to connect and get external validation is there but the natural ability to really understand or come to compromise might not be there; people with higher Fe may be better at navigating the situation and people with Fi or Te might find it easier to face the criticism and either push back or leave. But it’s dependent on a lot of factors beyond type.

Anyway my guess would be ISTP. Hope all this helps.

[allenmendezsr]

Elite Swing Mechanics

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/elite-swing-mechanics/

Elite Swing Mechanics

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In January 2012, Bobby Tewksbary worked with a professional player who is friends with Josh Donaldson. This player really liked the information Bobby shared and told Josh about the swing mechanics they had worked on. Josh began to implement the information into his swing and has transformed himself into a MLB All-Star and perennial MVP candidate.

In July of 2015, Josh asked Bobby to throw to him in the MLB Home Run Derby as a thank you for helping advance his career. As he said, “He’s one of the first guys who sort of broke down swings with me before, I guess you could say, I became good.”

Learning about the swing is incredibly valuable for players (and for coaches!) When you understand the movements of the body and how the bat path works, it helps you to work with greater intent and to make adjustments faster. This information can change your career!

Stop wasting your talent and your time. For less than the price of a private lesson (and a fraction of the cost of a new bat!) begin your journey to learning about Elite Swing Mechanics and give your career the best opportunity possible! Plus, there is a money-back guarantee so you really have nothing to lose.

Once you learn this stuff, there’s no going back!

Elite Swing Mechanics Book + Instructional Videos

120+ page Elite Swing Mechanics PDF eBook

Video instruction of keys points and drills with over 2 hours of total video instruction

Audio version of book so you can listen to the book on your iPod/iTunes

14-day follow up email program walking you through the information with videos and articles

Lifetime Updates

Bonus Articles & Exclusive Offers

Price: $49.99

(Buy with confidence as we have a 100% money back guarantee! See the bottom of this page for details.)

Take Advantage of This Opportunity!

There are literally thousands of players out there (and thousands of coaches) who are working really hard trying to get better but they don’t have the information they need to truly make improvements. They don’t have the knowledge and tools to realize their potential… until now.

The Elite Swing Mechanics Book + Instructional Videos will teach you about the different types of swings (and most importantly how the best hitters swing) so you can identify your mistakes and start working toward your best swing! The greatest hitters in the history of the baseball and softball use different swing styles but they all swing with the same swing mechanics. Unfortunately, the vast majority of hitters and coaches (my best guess is greater than 90%) are never even exposed to these “Elite Swing Mechanics.”

If you are using swing cues like…

Stay back.

Get your foot down early.

Keep your head still.

Take your hands/knob to the ball.

Be quicker.

Stay short.

Squish the bug.

… then there’s a huge chance you are going down the wrong path with mechanics. Don’t waste another day working on a swing that isn’t helping you become your best.

This is exactly what I have been searching for the last couple of years. This information you have studied is what is really going on out there. I have heard so much conventional wisdom over the course of my career and it is all just noise. What is being taught is not biomechanically what is really going on. You are a pioneer man, this is what is being missed. Metal bats and hitting coaches teaching the wrong crap is why this pattern you have come up with isn’t more prevalent. I’m glad I found your information man, it is awesome. I applaud everything you have done man, it is incredible. – Current pro player on 40-man roster with MLB Organization

Bobby, this is really good and I mean really good. – Ryan H. from Seattle

Tewks, great work on the eBook and videos!! Very professionally done with excellent information. Good stuff my friend. Have (my son) reading it now & will be moving it to the cage tonight or tomorrow when he’s done going through all of the info. By far one of the best works on hitting out there….you done good. – Dave M. from California

Price: $49.99

Elite Swing Mechanics Book + Instructional Video Description

The Elite Swing Mechanics eBook is a combination of a 120+ page book, a new web-based section with 30+ pages worth of content and video, over 2 hours of video instruction and a 14-day email program designed to teach and develop elite swing mechanics for baseball and softball players.

This is the foundation of information I use with my pro clients and with all of the college, high school and youth hitters (baseball AND softball) I work with.

Elite hitters do not swing the way most hitters are taught how to hit. It is time for that to change. Learn how the best hitters of all time create a mechanical advantage and learn drills so you can begin to develop this advantage in your own swing or with your hitters.

What you get:

120+ page PDF eBook

Video instruction of keys points and drills with over 2 hours of total video instruction

Audio version of book so you can listen to the book on your iPod/iTunes

14-day follow up email program walking you through the information with videos and articles

Lifetime Updates

Bonus Articles & Exclusive Offers

This is a digital product. After you complete your purchase, you will get immediate access to all Book file downloads, all video, all Book Updates and all bonus content. You will receive an emailed receipt and an email notification for your subscription to our email list for the follow-up program. (You will need to confirm your subscription for emails to begin.)

Step 1: Elite Swing Mechanics Book Content (PDF)

The information in the eBook is as boiled down as possible. My goal with the ebook was to be as concise and objective as I could be. I wanted to define and describe, not address every possible variation and swing error you will encounter. If I did this, the book would be MASSIVE and it would be overwhelming. The book is the foundation, the fundamentals of the swing. By understanding the information in the ebook, you will start to see how your specific problems can be addressed.

Step 2: Elite Swing Mechanics Audio Version (mp3)

The eBook audio version is great for people who don’t have time to sit down and read. Download the audio files, upload them to your iPod/iPhone or other MP3 player and listen when you are driving, when you work out or when you are traveling to a game. (You can even burn the files to a CD to listen that way if it is easier for you.

Step 3: Instructional Video Series – Over 2 hours of Instructional Video!

The Instructional Video Series provide a visual to the more detailed/complicated sections of the book as well as the drills. The video will walk you through concepts and really show the movement explained in the written portion of the book.

Step 4: 14-Day Email Follow-Up Campaign

After your purchase, you will be signed up for our email list. The email follow-up will walk you through different aspects of the information and dig into more specific detail involving the WHY behind different concepts. This is a critical element of the “experience” that this book is set to achieve.

Step 5: Continued Research & Development

I work with hitters every day and study video extensively. From time to time, I will come across a situation that I will feel is something valuable to share. When this inspiration strikes, I will create a post that addresses specific problems.

My hope with this aspect of the book is that those who purchase the book will ask questions and send me video. I am constantly amazed at the number of swing variations I see. The more I can offer specific solutions to specific problems, the more everybody learns! (So send me questions and video at bobby@tewkshitting.com!)

I don’t have time tables for this information. When it happens, you will get an email with a link to the information.

Step 6: Updates & Lifetime Access

You only have to buy this once! Because this is a digital product, I can easily make updates and add content over time. When this happens, I will email you and tell you what is new. Then you can log in and either download the new files or review the new content online.

Elite Swing Mechanics Book + Instructional Videos:

Price: $49.99

I was recently listening to a podcast about ebooks and the author made a statement that really struck me. He said,

“I’m not selling a book. I’m selling very specialized knowledge.”

Technology available to authors right now allows a packaging of content and media that creates a unique sharing of information as compared to just buying a paper or digital book. My goal with this “eBook” format is to use written, audio and video content to deliver information and to create a learning experience. I don’t want this to feel like you are just buying a book. I want to share some very specialized knowledge about swing mechanics and develop an ongoing learning experience!

When you make the purchase, your account at TewksHitting.com have access to all downloadable files and access to all “eBook-owner only” areas at TewksHitting.com

You can download the content and will have access to all future updates.

After you make a payment, you will be take to a page with a form to complete to subscribe to the eBook owner email list. You will need to confirm your subscription! After you complete the form, the confirmation email be from “contact@tewkshitting.com” with the subject “Confirm your subscription.” will arrive almost immediately.

If you already have an account at TewksHitting.com, log in before trying to purchase.

Online Payment Option: PayPal

Credit Card Options: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, EnRoute, JCB

Elite Swing Mechanics Book + Instructional Videos:

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I wouldn’t put this product out if I didn’t believe in it. It is what I believe and what I teach.

Ultimately, every hitter needs to go through a process to develop their mechanics and approach at the plate. This process will involve failure and commitment.

I feel I’ve done my due diligence and have invested a lot of time and energy to explain WHY and not just throw stuff out there.

If you purchase this product and don’t think it is valuable, let me know. I’ll give you a refund. (Click here for details.)

Thank you,

Bobby Tewksbary

Elite Swing Mechanics Book + Instructional Videos:

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[the-sayuri-rin]

Link summoning: “I don’t have levels, idiot.” XYZ summoning: You going through that too huh, bruh?”

Credit to : DMC3444

Yusaku: Last time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Revolver: Be gone! Cyberse! Ignis: AAAAAHHHHHHH! Revolver: Search for his remnants! Only Ignis knows where the Cyberse World is! Bishop: SOL Technologies Corporation has been the leading force behind the network world for many years. That is all thanks to the Data Material generated by the Cyberse World. However, 5 years ago, Due to Hanoi’s attack, a certain AI, Ignis, hid Cyberse World somewhere in the network. Shoichi: Seems like SOL Technologies is searching for something. Yusaku: It’s not just SOL Technologies. The Knights of Hanoi are after it as well. If we catch that AI, we might be able to use it as leverage against Hanoi. Shoichi: This program is…the Knights of Hanoi?! Go: What!? KoH: Those who get in my way will be crushed! Yusaku: Come to me! Yusaku: You’re finally here. You shall be a savior. Ignis: EH?! I’ve been captured?! Yusaku: Deck! Set! Into the VRAINS! KoH: Who are you?! Playmaker:  My name is Playmaker. The thing you’re looking for is here. Playmaker: If you want to get it, you have to beat me in a Duel! Ignis: Catch the wind! Playmaker! Let’s do this! Speed Duel! (Opening Sequence) Revolver: He has Ignis… Akira: He captured it? Playmaker:  This wind… So this is a Speed Duel? Ignis: By the way, Great Sir Playmaker. Do you know the difference between a Speed Duel and a Master Duel? Playmaker: Make it quick. Ignis: I’ll tell you. No need to be haughty about it. Playmaker: Right back at you. Don’t forget that you’re a hostage. Ignis: Yeah, yeah. I’ll make it quick. Ignis: The first difference is that you only have three Main Monster Zones and three Magic & Trap Zones. Playmaker: Three… Yusaku: Was there a rule about three Main Monster Zones or something? Playmaker: Do I know how to Speed Duel? Ignis: And you only have 4 cards in the starting hand. There’s no Main Phase 2, either. Playmaker: So, it’s simpler than a Master Duel. Ignis: Exactly. KoH: Speed Duel, huh? Interesting. Ignis: Seems like that guy knows how to Speed Duel. Want me to give you a hand? Playmaker: Don’t bother. Ignis: I want to survive, too, ya know. I don’t feel comfortable leaving this completely up to you. Playmaker: Shut up. I’m trying to concentrate here. Ignis: Sure, whatever.

KoH: Let’s do this! SPEED DUEL! GO: That bastard… He’s taking the spotlight from me… Shima: What is this Duel? Shoichi: It’s a Speed Duel. Shima: Speed Duel? Spectator 1: That reminds me. I’ve heard rumors about it. Spectator 2: Yeah. There’s a kind of Dueling where you ride the wind… Shima: Heh… Speed Duel, huh? Shoichi: I’m counting on you, Yusaku. KoH: I shall go first! It’s my turn! Now, this is a perfect hand. I can go all-out right off the bat. I Special Summon Hack Worm! When there’s no monsters on my opponent’s Field, I can Special Summon it from my hand. Playmaker:  He Special Summoned a 400 ATK monster… Is he planning to summon a higher-level monster? KoH: Exactly! I’m Special Summoning another Hack Worm! Ignis: This is bad. Could it be that he’s going to summon… KoH: Watch this. The ultimate monster Master Revolver bestowed upon me! KoH: Playmaker! Your career as a wannabe hero ends here! I release the two Hack Worms to Advance Summon! Show yourself! Cracking Dragon! I end my turn with this. Ignis: Oh boy. It’s out already.

Playmaker:   A 3000 ATK monster on the first turn… What do I do in this situation? Ignis: Hey. Great Sir Playmaker. Playmaker:    Shut up. Ignis: Up ahead! Watch out! Playmaker: !!! Ignis: Don’t let your guard down. In a Speed Duel, there’s other obstacles besides Dueling. Whatever happens, if you take too much damage, When you get out of Link VRAINS, You’ll get flashbacks, and receive mental damage. Playmaker: You said that I can’t win with my deck. It’s because of that monster, right? Ignis: Seems like you’ve finally caught on. Playmaker: In order to get out of this situation… I have no choice but to bet on this draw! It’s my turn! DRAW! All right! With this… Ignis: Be careful. Playmaker: I know. I set two cards face-down! Then, I summon Cyberse Wizard! Akira: This is Cyberse-Type? Why does Playmaker have it? Revolver: So there’s still people who have the Cyberse-Type cards we exterminated a long time ago… Spectator 1: Cyberse-Type? Spectator 2: What is that? Spectator 3: I’ve never seen that Type of monster before! KoH: He’s using Cyberse-Type… I didn’t see this coming. However, they are powerless before Cracking Dragon! KoH: I activate its Monster Effect! During this turn, the ATKs of monsters summoned or Special Summoned by my opponent will be reduced by its Level times 200. And they’ll also receive damage equal to the same amount! Crack Fall! Playmaker: AAAAHHHH! He lowered Cyberse Wizard’s ATK… But I can still activate its effect! Once per turn, I can switch an opposing monster to Defense Position! Cyberse Algorithm! KoH: Oh? Playmaker: On the turn Cyberse Wizard activates its effect, When Cyberse-Type monsters attack, they can inflict piercing damage! Playmaker: Battle! Illusion Spike! Shima: He did it! Playmaker took out Hanoi’s dragon! KoH: HAHAHAHA! Unfortunate for you, Cracking Dragon cannot be destroyed in battle by monsters whose Levels are lower than its Level. Ignis: Whoa! It has that kind of effect? Our enemy has evolved… Playmaker: So that’s how it is… Ignis: That didn’t surprise you at all, Great Sir Playmaker? Playmaker: He didn’t seem that shocked either when he heard about Cyberse Wizard’s effect… So I figured he’d have something up his sleeve… Ignis: Oh? Not even the enemy’s tiniest movements can escape your eyes, huh? Playmaker: I end my turn! Cracking Dragon’s effect also ends. Shima: It has 3000 ATK, and you can’t destroy it with Level-8 or below monsters… That guy’s bad news! Shoichi: Please make it somehow, Yusaku. KoH: It’s my turn! This is as far as you can go. I shall now activate a Skill! Playmaker:  Skill? Ignis: Well, you told me to make it quick. So, I left that part out. Playmaker:  You should think about your future more seriously .

Ignis: Well, I’m thinking about it right now. In a Speed Duel, there is a special rule that can only be used once during the Duel. That’s what a Skill is. Ignis: For example, you can increase your draws, gain Life, or increase your monster’s ATK…And stuff like that. KoH: I activate the Skill, Double Draw! Playmaker:   Impossible! Ignis:  I had no idea about that Skill! Is it because of a program Hanoi created? KoH: Amazing! With this, I can maximize the effectiveness of my tactics! I activate the Magic Card, DDoS Attack! Due to its effect, I’ll send two copies of DDoS Attack from my deck to the Graveyard! And for every copy I sent, I can inflict damage equal to the Level of a Machine-Type monster on my Field, multiplied by 100! Blue Angel: Playmaker. I’ve repaid my debt. Shima: Good job! Playmaker! Don’t lose to that Hanoi guy! Protect Link VRAINS! Ignis: Stay on your toes, man. If you fall to the ground, Your real body will die. KoH: You narrowly escaped death, it seems. How lucky you are. Playmaker:  What is that? (Commercial Break: Buy TIMELORDS) Ignis: Looks like the stream of Data Storm has become unstable. Playmaker:   So it’s not somewhere you want to be near… Ignis: But if we go in there… KoH: I set one card face-down, And switch Cracking Dragon to Attack Position. Then, I equip the Equip Magic, Aircrack Storm, to Cracking Dragon! When a monster equipped with this card destroys a monster through battle, it can attack again. Ignis: He’s coming at us at full force. If you lose Cyberse Wizard, you’ll lose the match. Playmaker:  I know! KoH: The Duelist who has Cracking Dragon is the strongest Duelist! Battle! Traffic Blast! Playmaker:   Trap, activate! Three-Strike Barrier! I’ll pick the option to negate destruction through battle during this turn! KoH: BUT YOU STILL TAKE DAMAGE! (Damage Count: 1) Ignis:   To the right! Playmaker! KoH: This is the end of the line for you. Playmaker:    No! I still have Life! KoH: Hahahaha! You didn’t understand what I said, did you? Playmaker:   !!! AAAAHHHH! KoH: You’ll be swallowed by the Data Storm, and meet your end! Hehehehe! HAHAHAHAHA! Shima: Playmaker is…! Playmaker: AAAAHHHHH! Shoichi: Yusaku! 

Playmaker: You’ve led me here on purpose? Ignis: Whoops. I’ve been exposed. Playmaker: Is not telling me about Skills part of your calculation as well?! Ignis: Yup, yup. This Data Storm as well. This is your one and only chance to win against him. Playmaker: What do you mean? Ignis: Never-before-seen monsters live inside this Data Storm. Playmaker: Never-before-seen monsters? Ignis: The more intense a Data Storm, the stronger the monsters are! Ignis: Now, use your Skill, Storm Access! That’s the only way we’ll get out of this alive! Ignis: Storm Access is a Skill that allows you to randomly access a card in the Data Storm when your Life Point is 1000 or lower. Seize the wind! Playmaker! Ignis: Endure it! Playmaker! Playmaker: There’s three reasons why I must win this Duel… Number 1: So that I can reclaim my lost time. Number 2: So that I can rescue Kusanagi-san’s brother from the darkness! Number 3: So that I can meet the person who gave me courage! ???: Hey, you… Playmaker: AAAHHHHHHHHH! Ignis: Now! Playmaker:  STORM ACCESS! KoH: What?! You should have been swallowed by the Data Storm! Playmaker:   I’m not done yet. This match isn’t over yet! It’s my turn! Draw! I activate Cyberse Wizard’s effect! Cyberse Algorithm! KoH: Why won’t you just die?! But it’s no use! Trap, activate! Pulse Bomb! It switches all of my opponent’s monsters to Defense Position! Playmaker:    No need to rush yourself. I summon Stack Reviver! 

KoH: No matter what monster you summon, They’ll be switched to Defense Position due to Pulse Bomb! KoH: Pitiful fool… Did you forget Cracking Dragon’s power? Your Life is 400. And you’ll also receive 400 damage! Crack Fall! This is the end! KoH: YOU STILL HAVE LIFE?! Impossible! Playmaker:  What’s the matter? Maybe you’re the one who forgot about Cracking Dragon’s power? Playmaker:   Its effect is inflicting damage equal to the amount of ATK it decreased. However, Stack Revival’s original ATK is 100. Since it lost only 100 ATK, I only lost 100 Life. KoH: Guh! So, you’ve strengthened your defenses, fully prepared to take damage? Playmaker:   I’m not that naïve of a Duelist! From my hand, I activate the Magic Card, Effect Cowl! When there are Cyberse-Type monsters on my Field, I won’t receive effect damage during this turn! Playmaker:    Then, I activate the Trap! Cyberse Beacon! On the turn I take damage, I can add a Level-4 or below Cyberse-Type monster from the deck to my hand! I Special Summon Backup Secretary! I can Special Summon this card from my hand when there are Cyberse-Type monsters on my Field. KoH: Keep summoning your fodder, but no matter how many there are, you won’t be able to beat Cracking Dragon! Playmaker: We’ll see about that. I’m going to call forth my trump card. KoH: Trump card? Don’t make me laugh. No matter what you summon, as long as I have Cracking Dragon and Pulse Bomb… Don’t tell me…! Playmaker: Reveal yourself! The circuit that guides the way to the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is 2 or more Effect Monsters! I use Stack Reviver, Cyberse Wizard, and Backup Secretary to set three Link Markers! Circuit Combine! Link Summon! Show yourself! Link-3! Decode Talker! Playmaker: A monster from the Extra Deck is Special Summoned to the Extra Monster Zone. KoH: Your trump card is a Link Monster?! Ignis: You’re using the monster you just pulled through Storm Access right away, huh? As expected of the Great Playmaker. Playmaker: Link Monsters do not have Levels! And they can’t be switched to Defense Position! Meaning that the effects of your Cracking Dragon and Pulse Bomb won’t work on Decode Talker! KoH: Tch! Playmaker: I activate the effect of the Stack Reviver in my Graveyard! I can Special Summon Cyberse Wizard in Defense Position! Decode Talker’s ATK is increased by 500 for every monster in its Link Points! Power Integration! KoH: 3300 ATK?! Playmaker: Go! Decode Talker! Cyberse Wizard’s effect! Now, the Cyberse-Type Decode Talker can inflict piercing damage! Decode End! KoH: But Cracking Dragon can’t be destroyed by monsters with lower Levels… Ah! Link Monsters don’t have Levels! 

KoH: AAAAAHHHHHHH! Playmaker: You have no right to call yourself a Duelist! (Preview for Episode 3) Shoichi: The identities of the Knights of Hanoi, and the Data Storm… It’s just one mystery after another. The only clue we have is that mysterious AI. However, as Yusaku analyzes the program, The roar of a dragon thunders across Link VRAINS… Yusaku: Is he the leader of the Knights of Hanoi?!

[authoratmidnight]

VRains Translated Script EP 2

Script and Translation from DMC3444 on NAC

Time for a DUEL!

Yusaku: Last time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Revolver: Be gone! Cyberse! Ignis: AAAAAHHHHHHH! Revolver: Search for his remnants! Only Ignis knows where the Cyberse World is! Bishop: SOL Technologies Corporation has been the leading force behind the network world for many years. That is all thanks to the Data Material generated by the Cyberse World. However, 5 years ago, Due to Hanoi’s attack, a certain AI, Ignis, hid Cyberse World somewhere in the network. Shoichi: Seems like SOL Technologies is searching for something. Yusaku: It’s not just SOL Technologies. The Knights of Hanoi are after it as well. If we catch that AI, we might be able to use it as leverage against Hanoi. Shoichi: This program is…the Knights of Hanoi?! Go: What!? KoH: Those who get in my way will be crushed! Yusaku: Come to me! Yusaku: You’re finally here. You shall be a savior. Ignis: EH?! I’ve been captured?! Yusaku: Deck! Set! Into the VRAINS! KoH: Who are you?! Playmaker:  My name is Playmaker. The thing you’re looking for is here. Playmaker: If you want to get it, you have to beat me in a Duel! Ignis: Catch the wind! Playmaker! Let’s do this! Speed Duel! (Opening Sequence) Revolver: He has Ignis… Akira: He captured it? Playmaker:  This wind… So this is a Speed Duel? Ignis: By the way, Great Sir Playmaker. Do you know the difference between a Speed Duel and a Master Duel? Playmaker: Make it quick. Ignis: I’ll tell you. No need to be haughty about it. Playmaker: Right back at you. Don’t forget that you’re a hostage. Ignis: Yeah, yeah. I’ll make it quick. Ignis: The first difference is that you only have three Main Monster Zones and three Magic & Trap Zones. Playmaker: Three… Yusaku: Was there a rule about three Main Monster Zones or something? Playmaker: Do I know how to Speed Duel? Ignis: And you only have 4 cards in the starting hand. There’s no Main Phase 2, either. Playmaker: So, it’s simpler than a Master Duel. Ignis: Exactly. KoH: Speed Duel, huh? Interesting. Ignis: Seems like that guy knows how to Speed Duel. Want me to give you a hand? Playmaker: Don’t bother. Ignis: I want to survive, too, ya know. I don’t feel comfortable leaving this completely up to you. Playmaker: Shut up. I’m trying to concentrate here. Ignis: Sure, whatever. KoH: Let’s do this! SPEED DUEL! GO: That bastard… He’s taking the spotlight from me… Shima: What is this Duel? Shoichi: It’s a Speed Duel. Shima: Speed Duel? Spectator 1: That reminds me. I’ve heard rumors about it. Spectator 2: Yeah. There’s a kind of Dueling where you ride the wind… Shima: Heh… Speed Duel, huh? Shoichi: I’m counting on you, Yusaku. KoH: I shall go first! It’s my turn! Now, this is a perfect hand. I can go all-out right off the bat. I Special Summon Hack Worm! When there’s no monsters on my opponent’s Field, I can Special Summon it from my hand. Playmaker:  He Special Summoned a 400 ATK monster… Is he planning to summon a higher-level monster? KoH: Exactly! I’m Special Summoning another Hack Worm! Ignis: This is bad. Could it be that he’s going to summon… KoH: Watch this. The ultimate monster Master Revolver bestowed upon me! KoH: Playmaker! Your career as a wannabe hero ends here! I release the two Hack Worms to Advance Summon! Show yourself! Cracking Dragon! I end my turn with this. Ignis: Oh boy. It’s out already. Playmaker:   A 3000 ATK monster on the first turn… What do I do in this situation? Ignis: Hey. Great Sir Playmaker. Playmaker:    Shut up. Ignis: Up ahead! Watch out! Playmaker: !!! Ignis: Don’t let your guard down. In a Speed Duel, there’s other obstacles besides Dueling. Whatever happens, if you take too much damage, When you get out of Link VRAINS, You’ll get flashbacks, and receive mental damage. Playmaker: You said that I can’t win with my deck. It’s because of that monster, right? Ignis: Seems like you’ve finally caught on. Playmaker: In order to get out of this situation… I have no choice but to bet on this draw! It’s my turn! DRAW! All right! With this… Ignis: Be careful. Playmaker: I know. I set two cards face-down! Then, I summon Cyberse Wizard! Akira: This is Cyberse-Type? Why does Playmaker have it? Revolver: So there’s still people who have the Cyberse-Type cards we exterminated a long time ago… Spectator 1: Cyberse-Type? Spectator 2: What is that? Spectator 3: I’ve never seen that Type of monster before! KoH: He’s using Cyberse-Type… I didn’t see this coming. However, they are powerless before Cracking Dragon! KoH: I activate its Monster Effect! During this turn, the ATKs of monsters summoned or Special Summoned by my opponent will be reduced by its Level times 200. And they’ll also receive damage equal to the same amount! Crack Fall! Playmaker: AAAAHHHH! He lowered Cyberse Wizard’s ATK… But I can still activate its effect! Once per turn, I can switch an opposing monster to Defense Position! Cyberse Algorithm! KoH: Oh? Playmaker: On the turn Cyberse Wizard activates its effect, When Cyberse-Type monsters attack, they can inflict piercing damage! Playmaker: Battle! Illusion Spike! Shima: He did it! Playmaker took out Hanoi’s dragon! KoH: HAHAHAHA! Unfortunate for you, Cracking Dragon cannot be destroyed in battle by monsters whose Levels are lower than its Level. Ignis: Whoa! It has that kind of effect? Our enemy has evolved… Playmaker: So that’s how it is… Ignis: That didn’t surprise you at all, Great Sir Playmaker? Playmaker: He didn’t seem that shocked either when he heard about Cyberse Wizard’s effect… So I figured he’d have something up his sleeve… Ignis: Oh? Not even the enemy’s tiniest movements can escape your eyes, huh? Playmaker: I end my turn! Cracking Dragon’s effect also ends. Shima: It has 3000 ATK, and you can’t destroy it with Level-8 or below monsters… That guy’s bad news! Shoichi: Please make it somehow, Yusaku. KoH: It’s my turn! This is as far as you can go. I shall now activate a Skill! Playmaker:  Skill? Ignis: Well, you told me to make it quick. So, I left that part out. Playmaker:  You should think about your future more seriously. Ignis: Well, I’m thinking about it right now. In a Speed Duel, there is a special rule that can only be used once during the Duel. That’s what a Skill is. Ignis: For example, you can increase your draws, gain Life, or increase your monster’s ATK…And stuff like that. KoH: I activate the Skill, Double Draw! Playmaker:   Impossible! Ignis:  I had no idea about that Skill! Is it because of a program Hanoi created? KoH: Amazing! With this, I can maximize the effectiveness of my tactics! I activate the Magic Card, DDoS Attack! Due to its effect, I’ll send two copies of DDoS Attack from my deck to the Graveyard! And for every copy I sent, I can inflict damage equal to the Level of a Machine-Type monster on my Field, multiplied by 100! Blue Angel: Playmaker. I’ve repaid my debt. Shima: Good job! Playmaker! Don’t lose to that Hanoi guy! Protect Link VRAINS! Ignis: Stay on your toes, man. If you fall to the ground, Your real body will die. KoH: You narrowly escaped death, it seems. How lucky you are. Playmaker:  What is that? (Commercial Break: Buy TIMELORDS) Ignis: Looks like the stream of Data Storm has become unstable. Playmaker:   So it’s not somewhere you want to be near… Ignis: But if we go in there… KoH: I set one card face-down, And switch Cracking Dragon to Attack Position. Then, I equip the Equip Magic, Aircrack Storm, to Cracking Dragon! When a monster equipped with this card destroys a monster through battle, it can attack again. Ignis: He’s coming at us at full force. If you lose Cyberse Wizard, you’ll lose the match. Playmaker:  I know! KoH: The Duelist who has Cracking Dragon is the strongest Duelist! Battle! Traffic Blast! Playmaker:   Trap, activate! Three-Strike Barrier! I’ll pick the option to negate destruction through battle during this turn! KoH: BUT YOU STILL TAKE DAMAGE! (Damage Count: 1) Ignis:   To the right! Playmaker! KoH: This is the end of the line for you. Playmaker:    No! I still have Life! KoH: Hahahaha! You didn’t understand what I said, did you? Playmaker:   !!! AAAAHHHH! KoH: You’ll be swallowed by the Data Storm, and meet your end! Hehehehe! HAHAHAHAHA! Shima: Playmaker is…! Playmaker: AAAAHHHHH! Shoichi: Yusaku! Playmaker: You’ve led me here on purpose? Ignis: Whoops. I’ve been exposed. Playmaker: Is not telling me about Skills part of your calculation as well?! Ignis: Yup, yup. This Data Storm as well. This is your one and only chance to win against him. Playmaker: What do you mean? Ignis: Never-before-seen monsters live inside this Data Storm. Playmaker: Never-before-seen monsters? Ignis: The more intense a Data Storm, the stronger the monsters are! Ignis: Now, use your Skill, Storm Access! That’s the only way we’ll get out of this alive! Ignis: Storm Access is a Skill that allows you to randomly access a card in the Data Storm when your Life Point is 1000 or lower. Seize the wind! Playmaker! Ignis: Endure it! Playmaker! Playmaker: There’s three reasons why I must win this Duel… Number 1: So that I can reclaim my lost time. Number 2: So that I can rescue Kusanagi-san’s brother from the darkness! Number 3: So that I can meet the person who gave me courage! ???: Hey, you… Playmaker: AAAHHHHHHHHH! Ignis: Now! Playmaker:  STORM ACCESS! KoH: What?! You should have been swallowed by the Data Storm! Playmaker:   I’m not done yet. This match isn’t over yet! It’s my turn! Draw! I activate Cyberse Wizard’s effect! Cyberse Algorithm! KoH: Why won’t you just die?! But it’s no use! Trap, activate! Pulse Bomb! It switches all of my opponent’s monsters to Defense Position! Playmaker:    No need to rush yourself. I summon Stack Reviver! KoH: No matter what monster you summon, They’ll be switched to Defense Position due to Pulse Bomb! KoH: Pitiful fool… Did you forget Cracking Dragon’s power? Your Life is 400. And you’ll also receive 400 damage! Crack Fall! This is the end! KoH: YOU STILL HAVE LIFE?! Impossible! Playmaker:  What’s the matter? Maybe you’re the one who forgot about Cracking Dragon’s power? Playmaker:   Its effect is inflicting damage equal to the amount of ATK it decreased. However, Stack Revival’s original ATK is 100. Since it lost only 100 ATK, I only lost 100 Life. KoH: Guh! So, you’ve strengthened your defenses, fully prepared to take damage? Playmaker:   I’m not that naïve of a Duelist! From my hand, I activate the Magic Card, Effect Cowl! When there are Cyberse-Type monsters on my Field, I won’t receive effect damage during this turn! Playmaker:    Then, I activate the Trap! Cyberse Beacon! On the turn I take damage, I can add a Level-4 or below Cyberse-Type monster from the deck to my hand! I Special Summon Backup Secretary! I can Special Summon this card from my hand when there are Cyberse-Type monsters on my Field. KoH: Keep summoning your fodder, but no matter how many there are, you won’t be able to beat Cracking Dragon! Playmaker: We’ll see about that. I’m going to call forth my trump card. KoH: Trump card? Don’t make me laugh. No matter what you summon, as long as I have Cracking Dragon and Pulse Bomb… Don’t tell me…! Playmaker: Reveal yourself! The circuit that guides the way to the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is 2 or more Effect Monsters! I use Stack Reviver, Cyberse Wizard, and Backup Secretary to set three Link Markers! Circuit Combine! Link Summon! Show yourself! Link-3! Decode Talker! Playmaker: A monster from the Extra Deck is Special Summoned to the Extra Monster Zone. KoH: Your trump card is a Link Monster?! Ignis: You’re using the monster you just pulled through Storm Access right away, huh? As expected of the Great Playmaker. Playmaker: Link Monsters do not have Levels! And they can’t be switched to Defense Position! Meaning that the effects of your Cracking Dragon and Pulse Bomb won’t work on Decode Talker! KoH: Tch! Playmaker: I activate the effect of the Stack Reviver in my Graveyard! I can Special Summon Cyberse Wizard in Defense Position! Decode Talker’s ATK is increased by 500 for every monster in its Link Points! Power Integration! KoH: 3300 ATK?! Playmaker: Go! Decode Talker! Cyberse Wizard’s effect! Now, the Cyberse-Type Decode Talker can inflict piercing damage! Decode End! KoH: But Cracking Dragon can’t be destroyed by monsters with lower Levels… Ah! Link Monsters don’t have Levels! KoH: AAAAAHHHHHHH! Playmaker: You have no right to call yourself a Duelist! (Preview for Episode 3) Shoichi: The identities of the Knights of Hanoi, and the Data Storm… It’s just one mystery after another. The only clue we have is that mysterious AI. However, as Yusaku analyzes the program, The roar of a dragon thunders across Link VRAINS… Yusaku: Is he the leader of the Knights of Hanoi?!

[comicteaparty]

December 20th, 2018 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on December 20th, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PST.  The chat focused on Goddess of Paradise by Dee S. / Beedee.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

Good evening, everyone~! This week’s Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Goddess of Paradise by Dee S. / Beedee~! (http://paradise.bluedubia.com/)

Remember that Thursday discussions are completely freeform! However, every 30 minutes I will drop in OPTIONAL discussion questions in case you’d like a bit of a prompt. If you miss out on one of these prompts, you can find them pinned for the chat’s duration. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is fun and respectfully appreciating the comic. All that said, let’s begin!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

my favorite scene so far i think is when eridu runs into ekka. it was nice to see a character actually be happy to see her after a slew of eridu running into charas who dont really care all that much. and i just think its a good balance in general to all the hard truths eridu has woken up to.

although my second favorite scene admittedly is probably when she meets amun. just cause amun is gonna win all those awards for being lazy and laid back

but in general i liked how casually amun reveals that nah bro, its been 1200 years of slumber. as if its no big deal (which tbf for gods probably kind of isnt to a degree but still XD)

mathtans

My favourite scene was near the start of Chapter 4, with the human encounter. In large part because there was mention of a "dead human", making me think "wow that took a dark turn"... then it turned out she wasn' t dead and there was the whole "ick" factor, that wasn't dark at all.

Nice sort of twist, is I guess what I'm saying.

I also do like the Ekka scene though. In part because of my tendency to enjoy yuri ships.

RebelVampire

ah that was a hilarious moment. where eridu is basically treating the priestess like shes some dead insect or roadkill. but i also like within the comedy you see a really blunt and significant view into how she views humans

mathtans

Amun was cool, it was a good way to advance the plot, I'm not always keen on the laid back types though, heh.

Yeah, roadkill's kind of a good word the way that happened. ^.^

It's really interesting the way it's developed in first person overall too.

Reminds me a bit of a picture book, but the first person is a different take on that too.

RebelVampire

for the record you mean 2nd person. first person is "I do this thing" second person is "you do this thing"

but yeah this is probably the first 2nd person comic ive run into. im interested to see where it goes cause 2nd person is generally the more difficult pov to make work but theres also a lot of potential for creative stuff

mathtans

Oh yeah... that type of person.

Totally. I'm not sure how else you'd do it either, aside form having captions blocking the art. So this works.

RebelVampire

yeah it does work. although i also like that the comic has tons of silent moments that just let the visuals speak for themselves. because these are definitely some gorgeous visuals!

mathtans

That's true too. Also neat how some things stay the same while characters or other items appear.

RebelVampire

yeah it really helps draw your focus.

another scene i really like is when eridu shows up back on the island and all the green sprouts. cause its beautiful imagery. but im also haunted with questions about what happened to those two people who were watching

mathtans

Oh yeah, that was great. Goddess of amazing entrances or the like - though we saw the real one later on. ^.^ In retrospect, I feel like that made sense too, with humans being a footnote that she hadn't even expected to be there.

Though I do wonder about them too.

Maybe they were worshippers.

RebelVampire

maybe. although thatd be ironic if that sudden overgrowth killed them then

died for their beliefs

worshipped too hard

mathtans

True. Though I'm not sure death will really be a thing in the comic.

Feels like that was averted.

RebelVampire

maybe. id for sure say there probably wont be onscreen death.

probably

well violent death

mathtans

Unless it's one of the older gods maybe.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 2. After a 1200 year slumber, the Goddess Eridu finds the world quite different. Besides people being on her island, what else do you think will be a culture shock for Eridu? Do you think she’ll be able to adjust to all the changes, or will she refuse to accept them and continue to try to return the status quo? What do you think the other divine aspects have been up to over the years? Do you think more will be glad to see Eridu, like Ekka, or will more act like Amun and not care? Do you believe Eridu will manage to gain back her divine powers, or will something prevent her? Overall, how do you think this journey might change Eridu’s perspective on her divinity, on humans, or anything else? What will that change (or lack of change) mean for Eridu’s future actions?

mathtans

I wonder if technology exists on a world where Gods/Goddesses are just wandering around.

RebelVampire

depends on how we want to define technology. like for instance back when the world was young a loom would technically count as technology just cause it was a machine for advanced tasks.

im gonna laugh if eridu gets to a village and like theres electric lights everywhere. and she flips a light switch on and off wondering how humans came upon such magic and which god gave it to them

i feel regardless technology would advance

since if eridu can be considered a look into the average god/goddess than they probably mostly just ignore humans

unless theyre like "man i feel like being worshipped today"

mathtans

Well, that's a fair point. I guess I feel like if you can just ask a god to turn on the lights, there's not much need to do the inventing.

I also kind of wonder if one of the divine aspects is what put Paradise to sleep in the first place. Like, maybe was in league with that Enki new God type.

Unless Enki turns out to be a posturing human that the divine aspect was using as a puppet or something.

RebelVampire

dang now thatd be an interesting twist

mathtans

Also, this is a small island in the middle of nowhere. Maybe the mainland is rather different in terms of society.

All about the twists.

RebelVampire

this is also a large possibility. i considered that too. that whatever the island is it might not be representative of the world. honestly it could be argued the island has more old world values even cause theyre the only ones with a shrine left

Beedee

ahhh sorry I'm late! I'm reading up. hello people!

RebelVampire

hello~!

but yeah the twist, i just wouldnt think itd be possible cause the divine aspects are like parts of herself. so itd be hard to imagine one getting powerful enough to oust her. but that is what would make a twist like that so interesting cause it seems so unlikely

i think as far as the aspects though were gonna meet more amun's than ekka's XD not necessarily as laid back as amun, but more like they moved on in life/got bored

mathtans

Might not be old world values as much as it's just new gods have taken over everywhere and they haven't gotten around to dealing with the island yet.

I kinda thought about the parts of self thing... but isn't there a part of ourselves that we sometimes hate, and wish we could get rid of? And the Goddess doesn't seem like she'd be the nicest person to that part of herself, maybe. Though who knows, I may be way off.

I wonder if some of the others might also be asleep, or be serving other goddesses or something.

RebelVampire

the impression im getting is theyre all in their inner sanctums. so cant exactly serve anyone if theyre stuck there. and i also doubt they would cause i dont get the impression they think eridu is dead

thats like declaring loyalty to the assistant manager while the manager is on vacation

mathtans

Maybe they left voicemail at the inner sanctum and are wandering sans powers?

Fair enough though. There'd need to be incentives.

RebelVampire

but idk i mean could be possible

theres a lot of room for variety cause weve barely scratched the present day surface

Beedee

these are some good theories dang

mathtans

Also not sure how her perspectives will change... given how a few days can't wipe out decades of personality. Would need something monumental.

RebelVampire

i like to think shell at least come to view humans differently. or her role cause generally losing powers has the effect of humbling some one

QUESTION 3. The largest mystery presented in the story is why Eridu slept for so long. Who do you think forced Eridu (and her spirit aspects) away from the physical plane? What do you think the reasons were? Was it someone trying to do away with Eridu, or was it for some larger, greater good purpose? Does whoever Enki is have something to do with it? Or is Enki just some innocent bystander who was mistakenly identified as the one who created Eridu’s island? What do you think will happen when Eridu finally runs into Enki? Also, considering Eridu was already forced away from the realm, do you believe this could easily happen to her again? What is stopping the culprit from banishing Eridu back?

mathtans

(I think I'm belatedly realizing that's the creator. )

RebelVampire

lol thats okay math. yes @Beedee is the creator

mathtans

Losing powers can do that. I wonder if flying is a thing with other gods.

Beedee

haha yes I am~

mathtans

I feel like Enki is more an opportunist than the one who engineered everything or totally innocent. Though we've yet to meet him.

Kind of like the Wizard of Oz, in a way?

RebelVampire

i definitely think thats a distinct possibility. im on the page enki isnt this malicious entity and i dont think enki is responsible for what happened to eridu

mathtans

I do feel like Goddess will get all up in his face though.

RebelVampire

but maybe enki is no one. maybe hes just some human who found the island and said "hey my dudes lets live here this island is great." and then as history usually goes stories got exaggerated and eventually a human of great deeds became a god

mathtans

Oooh, maybe. Like, he doesn't actually exist anymore but put lots of things in place so people wouldn't realize that. (Makes me think of some societies from Star Trek.)

RebelVampire

yeah or something. but i could go either way. or it could be a combo of both

either way i dont think enki is responsible

to me it seems more likely kur is responsible at this point

for kicking eridu out of the physical planes

cause he needed her for things later

tho its curious she doesnt remember getting kicked out at all

Beedee

I find it interesting that you both get a vibe that enki isn't responsible even though he hasn't shown up yet :0

mathtans

I guess I just feel like that's too obvious of a solution. Goddess blaming the person who's actually behind it. I expect a twist, like how there weren't originally humans on the island.

I hadn't considered Kur as having a part in it. That's interesting.

Beedee

heh, fair

mathtans

Crazy theory time, the Priestess human is actually a God in disguise!

RebelVampire

yeah im with math. enki is the obvious choice. thus more likely a red herring. which could be wrong. maybe enki is all bwahahaha i have taken over

the priestess was responsible!

mathtans

Who has lost her memory and forgets.

Enki could also be the one behind it, but he was told to do it by Kur, or someone else.

Incidentally, I like the map feature. That's clever. Tracking the path over the island.

Beedee

ahh thanks!

mathtans

(I mean, story guide, not really a feature, but still.)

I often go to those pages, I'm rubbish with names.

RebelVampire

even if i remember the names i love those sorts of pages for spellings. cause i read a lot of comics and its hard to remember how to spell everyone's name even if i know what it is XD

mathtans

That's fair. Also neat how it's being developed over time.

RebelVampire

i like to think the reason eridu was sent away was not to do away with her. like maybe eridu did something bad she doesnt remember (or didnt consider bad). like flood some other god's island that got too close to hers. only that island was heavy populated already.

mathtans

Oh, that's a thought. Or maybe someone else did something bad and she wanted to forget it. Said sleep until I don't remember, didn't realize that'd take a few centuries.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 4. Eridu’s arrival seems to coincide with several “coincidences” within the story. Why was the Dragon-God Kur also slumbering for at least 1000 years? Is it somehow related to Eridu, or was it for a separate reason? Why has Kur woken up early? Also, what is Ekka making for Kur that he even goes to the effort of sending Eridu to help get it? Further, we see a few other gods talking about Kur. Why is Shulsa seeking out Kur so desperately? What exactly could go “badly” that Zida leaves to prepare for it? Also, who is Daiard looking to settle a score with? Lastly, why do you think the priestess of Enki was conveniently near where Eridu crashed? Was that just a coincidence, or was she there for a related reason to Eridu?

Beedee

good question

mathtans

Kur forgot to hit the snooze alarm. Or whatever the equivalent is. (Oh, maybe that's what they were bringing to him...) I'm also not sure what to make of the interlude. Does make it clear that there are other Gods around, the Priestess wasn't making things up or delusional or something.

Maybe Enki told the Priestess to go there because of all the vegetation.

RebelVampire

i think the interlude does kind of prove other gods are around.

now that im thinking of it

mathtans

Yeah, helps to flesh out the island.

RebelVampire

kur just woke up from a 1000 year slumber and the first thing he does is to sit down and kind of take a nap before eridu shows up

which i identify with

maybe the 1000 years is just normal for kur

thats just how long he sleeps

his 8 hours so to speak

Beedee

I will quickly say: yeah that's just how long he sleeps

mathtans

I kinda got that impression from the fact that they knew when he'd be awake. More or less.

Though it could have been a prophecy or something.

RebelVampire

man i wanna sleep for 1000 years

so jealous

mathtans

Incidentally, I liked how Kur was built up to be this ancient amazing entity, worthy of awe, only to have Paradise say, yeah, nevermind that nonsense.

Beedee

haha

at the end of this session, if you are up for spoilers, I'd actually be willing to show the WIP last panels of this chapter for a short amount of time. it explains some of Kur and Ekka's deal haha

mathtans

Aw, it's not Ekka and the Goddess jumping on a mattress?

Beedee

maybe in a side comic lmao

mathtans

I was amused by the reaction to the failed stripping too.

RebelVampire

i enjoyed eridu's disappointment that they werent gonna have sex. just cause it was so blunt. XD

mathtans

Like, ow, my chest. And yeah, that upped the rating, I think

RebelVampire

maybe daiard also hates enki. cause to me the obvious choice is eridu. so im gonna go with enki. everyone is gonna join forces and go after enki

and enki is gonna be like "hey friends would yoou like some tea"

Beedee

haha

to be honest

mathtans

Enki, actually God of Tea.

Beedee

daiard was a dumb callback to the beginning of chapter 2, that became worldbuilding(edited)

mathtans

New crazy theory: Goddess actually ends up putting herself to sleep in the past because the divine can mess with space-time.

RebelVampire

thats brain hurting

Beedee

oh gosh

mathtans

It was all a plan to help her become more grateful, or something.

RebelVampire

hmm, this actually makes me remember that eridu thought shed been sleeping to recharge. maybe there is no villain. maybe eridu just overexerted herself to the point she forced her own self back

shes gonna go on a long quest only to find out she was the villain all along

Beedee

future Eridu goes back in time to punch herself in the face

(thisisajoke)

mathtans

Hah! I could see that though, like "shape up, self".

Also, recharging could be a thing. Maybe she just needs a good nap to be able to fly again too.

RebelVampire

nope this is canon now. future eridu very wise. /shot

i hope she finds the flying having divine aspect soon and gets her powers back. cause man those inner sanctums seem really inconvenient to navigate

cause i dont think ekka's was any better than amun's

ekka's was just more convenient cause a plant taxi picked eridu up

Beedee

true

the sanctums are all awful to navigate on foot

but I like drawing environments lmao

RebelVampire

they are beautiful environments too. i really enjoy the contrast between ekka and amun's sanctums

mathtans

Anyway, this comic does hit a lot of the things I enjoy, from an interesting narrative style to great environments... and some romance too. (edited)

Beedee

thank you ovo

mathtans

Maybe Ekka and Priestess are the real ship.

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

Sadly, this wraps up this week’s Thursday Book Club chat for now. Thank you so much to everyone for reading and joining us! We want to give a special thank you to Dee S. / Beedee, as well, for making Goddess of Paradise. If you liked the comic, make sure to support Dee S. / Beedee’s efforts however you’re able to~!

Read and Comment: http://paradise.bluedubia.com/

Dee S. / Beedee’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bluedubia

Dee S. / Beedee’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/bluedubia

Dee S. / Beedee’s itch.io store: https://bdubia.itch.io/

Dee S. / Beedee’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beedeebia

Comic Tea Party- Thursday Book Club

Next week’s Thursday Book Club will be about Inhibit by Eve Greenwood / evegwood. For participants, you have the next week to read as much of the comic as you would like~! We hope to see you on Thursday, December 27th, from 5PM to 7PM PST for the chat in #thursday_bookclub!

Comic’s Main Site: http://www.inhibitcomic.com/

Comic’s Webtoons Mirror: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/inhibit/list?title_no=40462

Comic’s SmackJeeves Mirror: http://www.smackjeeves.com/comicprofile.php?id=147115

[zipgrowth]

Confronting the Realities of Sexual Harassment in Education and Edtech

When I was 24, I entered into my third year of teaching. I was bright-eyed, optimistic, and excited to start out a new role that combined administration with teaching middle-school math. I felt in control of my career and my job. But about six months in, an awkward encounter left me wondering whether that sense of control was indeed as real as I thought it to be.

While closing up my classroom one afternoon, the father of a student casually strolled up to me. I turned to greet him, assuming he had a question about his son’s performance in my class. But instead of asking me anything of that nature, he said:

“You know, Ms. Madda, those heels you’re wearing today are really sexy. Some of the other fathers and I were talking about it earlier. You should wear them more often. We’d love that.”

Up until that point, I had never dealt with something of that nature in a professional setting, something so overt, something that made me feel like an object rather than a professional. And the worst part? Every time I looked at his son in my classroom from then on, I was reminded of that incident.

As a young educator, I was unsure of what to do. I was scared to bring the matter to our administration—this father was on the school board. I didn’t tell other teachers about it, perhaps out of shame. One thing is for sure, however—it was the last time I ever wore those shoes to work.

And now, having watched the #MeToo movement unfold over the past year within the arts community, I find myself asking, “Is the education industry really all that different?”

Let the record show—the education world is no stranger to sexual harassment. In 2013, Ariel Norling, then an entrepreneur with an edtech startup, experienced sexual assault at the annual June ISTE conference. In 2014, she came forward to share her story.

...when issues of sexual harassment and sexism go ignored, what does our silence communicate to our children?

But since then, the education and edtech reporting worlds have been largely quiet on matters of sexual harassment and assault. That is, until last week—when KIPP, arguably the largest charter school system in the United States, announced that it had fired co-founder Mike Feinberg, citing that “credible evidence was found of [sexual] conduct that is incompatible with the mission and values of KIPP.”

Will the Feinberg episode set off a chain reaction in the education world, much like what has rocked the Hollywood elites? Maybe. After all, the education space bears the unmatched and sacred responsibility of educating children and young people—the very future of this country.

Here’s what I do know: Sexual harassment and assault doesn’t just happen in one or two education spaces. Here is a sampling of what those encounters look like, told from the perspective of six women interviewed from all corners of the industry—from K-12 districts to startups to higher education.

From the Grandiose...

For some women (and undoubtedly some men and non-binary folks, as well), the issues are relatively upfront and center—and leave them without many options.

Take Joanna*, a woman who worked for one of the largest education publishing organizations in the United States. As someone who traveled to conferences frequently, Joanna found herself one night in a compromising situation, in which a senior vice president approached her while intoxicated. While attempting to review some business matters with him, Joanna reports that he strayed off topic, and began to make comments such as referring to a colleague of hers as a “f*cking c*nt.” What made her most uncomfortable, however, was when she began to get up to leave, to which he responded, “Come back here and give us a snuggle.” She did not oblige.

Following that encounter, Joanna reports that communication between her and the VP became harsh: “There was no way to ever get him to understand me.” When she mentioned it to human resources, she noticed that more and more complaints were being submitted to HR from this VP about her behavior. And the eventual result? “I was fired, without severance, but never had any reviews of my behavior shared with me by human resources. I have no idea why it happened,” she reports.

Harassment does not solely relate to unwanted, sexual advances, however. In a similar vein, Lupita* was recently fired by her most recent employer, a higher education institution—a place where she was once told by her director, “You know what will help us raise money? If you wear short skirts or a low-cut shirt to our fundraising meetings.” But according to her, that was only part of what drove her to sue the university for discrimination.

As both a career woman and a mother, Lupita was familiar with the concept of work-life balance. She originally thought her employer was, too—until she started to pick up on discriminatory behavior from her director toward working mothers:

“As soon as we started hiring additional employees… I noticed him making comments about applicants like ‘I don’t think she’d be good because she’ll have to leave to pick up her kid from school.’ Or, in regards to one applicant, he said. ‘I don’t really see any red flags, but she’s transitioning back to the work after being a stay-at-home mom for six years’—even though [this applicant] was named the state’s online teacher of the year while simultaneously homeschooling her children.”

Lupita decided to bring up these negative comments about mothers with her director, but in response, he claimed that she had misunderstood him. And immediately after she raised her concerns, he organized a “mediation” with the university’s Title 9 representative—or so Lupita thought. As it turns out, when she showed up to the meeting, it was one of the university’s human resource representatives—who served her a pink slip.

...if harassment isn’t addressed, can we be comfortable knowing that these practices may, in fact, be “educating” our next generations to engage in the same behaviors?

...to the “Micro”

Joanna’s and Lupita’s stories occupy a part of the #MeToo movement that stand out as upfront harassment practices—but what about smaller grievances, like sexist comments that demonstrate intolerance?

Amongst the ensuing reactions from Hollywood during the Harvey Weinstein scandal, Matt Damon took the approach of, “That’s criminal behavior and it needs to be dealt with that way. The other stuff is just kind of shameful and gross... I just think that we have to start delineating between what these behaviors are.” Several actresses, including Alyssa Milano and Minnie Driver, responded by asking Damon to recognize that micro behaviors are the first steps to macro issues. Milano compared his statement to claiming that stage 1 cancer deserves less attention than stage 4 cancer.

Sexual harassment, misconduct, assault and violence is a systemic disease. The tumor is being cut out right now with no anesthesia. Please send flowers. #MeToo

— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) December 16, 2017

Beth Rabbitt, CEO of edtech nonprofit, The Learning Accelerator, takes a stance similar that smaller sexist acts lead to larger issues, describing it like this: “I’ve experienced a lot of discriminatory, misogynistic behaviors over a long time. I have not been overtly assaulted or harassed by anyone in the ed or tech space. Specifically, [but] like so many straws that broke the camel’s back, the many moments add up to a lot.”

For Rabbitt, sexism varies in the ways it’s either purposely or inadvertently applied. She remembers back to 2014, when an organization she worked for invited only their male employees to a special networking event. This year, she listened on as a conversation next to her ensued between men in the edtech startup space, speaking about how to pick up women to sleep with at a conference.

For females moving into predominantly male-run district technology offices, breaking into the “old boys” club can be quite a challenge. Both Melissa Emler, a longtime educator in Wisconsin, and Giselle*, a high-ranking tech administrator in her public school district, join Rabbitt in her frustrations around having to prove oneself and demonstrate competency as a female employee.

Emler, for example, will never forget the slow chipping away of her confidence early in her career. “It was rough trying to work with my boss because I could tell he was threatened... I started to prepare for board meetings by scouring the board agenda, figuring out where he would throw me under the bus.”

Giselle, who is the first female in a technical leadership position in her district, describes how her male colleagues called her “girlie” and “missy” behind her back, and more:

“It’s frustrating when I ask my colleagues multiple times to send emails with technical questions to me. They respond, ‘Well, you’re going to get all sorts of technical emails that you don’t understand,’” as if questioning why I was hired for my job in the first place.”

It should be not ignored, however, that sexist and harassing acts aren’t solely being conducted by men—women are doing their part, as well. Back when she worked for a small edtech startup, Alexis* was one of the few females employees who worked in a technical role. Upon returning to the office after a work trip, she found that a colleague—which she later found out was her manager, a female—had written "For a good time, call Alexis" on the sign on her computer monitor where Alexis had left her emergency contact information.

“It was really unnerving,” Alexis admits, “I assumed that one of the male engineers I managed had written it to publicly embarrass and undermine me. Even though it ended up being a female colleague, my confidence took a huge hit. It was right in front of everyone."

Rabbitt, who has seen similar issues in her line of work, says that “the discrimination starts early” and “as women, we become inured to it—the roles we get to play and how we get to play them becomes assumed in our identities.”

Combatting Sexism and Harassment in Education: What’s At Stake

For every Alexis, Joanna, Lupita, Giselle, Melissa, and Beth out there, it’s not always clear what to do and how to react in these situations—and how to ensure that these behaviors don’t bleed down to the point where students become the targets. Simultaneously, for men who hope to do what they can to combat these behaviors in their colleagues, there are certain actions that might be more helpful than others.

Perhaps the right place to begin is by shedding light on the issue. After all, parents are demonstrating their willingness to be vocal when their children’s safety is at stake. Last month, the group Stop Sexual Assault in Schools, founded by Joel Levin and Esther Warkov, created a spin-off of #MeToo entitled #MeTooK12. According to The Washington Post, “the new hashtag is an effort to highlight sexual harassment and assault at K-12 schools.” For Levin and Warkov, a personal experience led to their efforts: Levin and Warkov hope that shedding light on the issue will ensure that districts and school take more purposeful steps to prevent these issues.

Why is it important that we address sexism and sexual harassment the education industry—and, particularly, in schools and universities? A sense of ethics or morality is high on the list. The education world is designed to be in service of children and young adults. And if harassment isn’t addressed, can we be comfortable knowing that these practices may, in fact, be “educating” our next generations to engage in the same behaviors? Levin and Warkov are doing their part to ensure that schools remain safe places to learn. But when issues of sexual harassment and sexism go ignored, what does our silence communicate to our children?

To this day, I wonder if my old sixth-grade student ever learned what his father said to me, a teacher, a professional. To this day, I wonder how that young boy is growing up—and if, someday, he’ll say those same things to someone he works with.

*These names have been changed to protect the anonymity of the interviewees, at their request. 

Confronting the Realities of Sexual Harassment in Education and Edtech published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness

[allenmendezsr]

Elite Swing Mechanics

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/elite-swing-mechanics/

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This is a digital product. After you complete your purchase, you will get immediate access to all Book file downloads, all video, all Book Updates and all bonus content. You will receive an emailed receipt and an email notification for your subscription to our email list for the follow-up program. (You will need to confirm your subscription for emails to begin.)

Step 1: Elite Swing Mechanics Book Content (PDF)

The information in the eBook is as boiled down as possible. My goal with the ebook was to be as concise and objective as I could be. I wanted to define and describe, not address every possible variation and swing error you will encounter. If I did this, the book would be MASSIVE and it would be overwhelming. The book is the foundation, the fundamentals of the swing. By understanding the information in the ebook, you will start to see how your specific problems can be addressed.

Step 2: Elite Swing Mechanics Audio Version (mp3)

The eBook audio version is great for people who don’t have time to sit down and read. Download the audio files, upload them to your iPod/iPhone or other MP3 player and listen when you are driving, when you work out or when you are traveling to a game. (You can even burn the files to a CD to listen that way if it is easier for you.

Step 3: Instructional Video Series – Over 2 hours of Instructional Video!

The Instructional Video Series provide a visual to the more detailed/complicated sections of the book as well as the drills. The video will walk you through concepts and really show the movement explained in the written portion of the book.

Step 4: 14-Day Email Follow-Up Campaign

After your purchase, you will be signed up for our email list. The email follow-up will walk you through different aspects of the information and dig into more specific detail involving the WHY behind different concepts. This is a critical element of the “experience” that this book is set to achieve.

Step 5: Continued Research & Development

I work with hitters every day and study video extensively. From time to time, I will come across a situation that I will feel is something valuable to share. When this inspiration strikes, I will create a post that addresses specific problems.

My hope with this aspect of the book is that those who purchase the book will ask questions and send me video. I am constantly amazed at the number of swing variations I see. The more I can offer specific solutions to specific problems, the more everybody learns! (So send me questions and video at bobby@tewkshitting.com!)

I don’t have time tables for this information. When it happens, you will get an email with a link to the information.

Step 6: Updates & Lifetime Access

You only have to buy this once! Because this is a digital product, I can easily make updates and add content over time. When this happens, I will email you and tell you what is new. Then you can log in and either download the new files or review the new content online.

Elite Swing Mechanics Book + Instructional Videos:

Price: $49.99

I was recently listening to a podcast about ebooks and the author made a statement that really struck me. He said,

“I’m not selling a book. I’m selling very specialized knowledge.”

Technology available to authors right now allows a packaging of content and media that creates a unique sharing of information as compared to just buying a paper or digital book. My goal with this “eBook” format is to use written, audio and video content to deliver information and to create a learning experience. I don’t want this to feel like you are just buying a book. I want to share some very specialized knowledge about swing mechanics and develop an ongoing learning experience!

When you make the purchase, your account at TewksHitting.com have access to all downloadable files and access to all “eBook-owner only” areas at TewksHitting.com

You can download the content and will have access to all future updates.

After you make a payment, you will be take to a page with a form to complete to subscribe to the eBook owner email list. You will need to confirm your subscription! After you complete the form, the confirmation email be from “contact@tewkshitting.com” with the subject “Confirm your subscription.” will arrive almost immediately.

If you already have an account at TewksHitting.com, log in before trying to purchase.

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Elite Swing Mechanics Book + Instructional Videos:

Price: $49.99

I wouldn’t put this product out if I didn’t believe in it. It is what I believe and what I teach.

Ultimately, every hitter needs to go through a process to develop their mechanics and approach at the plate. This process will involve failure and commitment.

I feel I’ve done my due diligence and have invested a lot of time and energy to explain WHY and not just throw stuff out there.

If you purchase this product and don’t think it is valuable, let me know. I’ll give you a refund. (Click here for details.)

Thank you,

Bobby Tewksbary

Elite Swing Mechanics Book + Instructional Videos:

Price: $49.99

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[jesusvasser]

2017 Los Angeles Auto Show Hits, Misses, & Revelations

LOS ANGELES, California—This year’s Automobility/L.A. Auto Show was much like the last couple of years, only more so. Which is to say that on paper, there were a number of significant reveals, led by Fiat Chrysler’s very important and very profitable JL Jeep Wrangler.

Still, at the end of the day, the 2017 L.A. Auto Show left us, at best, whelmed. Perhaps it’s because more and more, the auto show plays second-fiddle to the advanced technology that is the centerpiece of Automobility, which wraps discussion of autonomy and electric-powered vehicles around reveals of the shiny new cars and trucks.

If you attend the public Los Angeles Auto Show, December 1 to 10, you might see things a bit differently. Here’s what we saw this year…

HIT: JL Jeep Wrangler

It’s lighter by 200 pounds, it’s more easily convertible, and it is extremely Jeep. The all-new two-door and four-door 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL models will please the marque’s faithful and entice four-wheeling neophytes. The four-door has a power top that removes very quickly and easily, there’s an optional open-air pass-through in the middle of each front door, and the windshield folds down for the full open-air experience.

—Kara Snow

I’m no off-road outdoorsy type, but the latest iteration of this American classic makes me want to convert. As typical for Jeep, there are so many surprise-and-delight features that I can’t guarantee my introductory news story of the debut is comprehensive. Hardcore fans will love the new Wrangler’s interior spec plate, recalling the original Willys MB’s dash plate, the fold-down windshield and the door hinges stamped with the tool number needed to remove them. The masses who bought the first-generation Wrangler Unlimited will want to trade in for easy-to-lower tops and subtle refinement that doesn’t at all diminish its hard-core image.

—Todd Lassa

MISS: JL Jeep Wrangler pricing

Although Jeep promised to give us prices for the new JL models at the show, they weren’t ready to reveal just yet. Naturally, we’re fearing a big increase.

—K.S.

HIT: BMW i8 Roadster

There wasn’t a whole lot that BMW could do to make its i8 PHEV GT coupe cooler, but converting it into a roadster by ripping out the vestigial rear seats and dispensing with the fixed roof is a great way to do it.

—Kirill Ougarov

HIT: Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman GTS

Its 2.5-liter turbo H-4 makes 365 hp, and top speed is 180 mph.

—Robert Cumberford

HIT: 2019 Lincoln Nautilus

The name may be a bit too dramatic for a fancy Ford Edge, but not only does the arrival of the 2019 Lincoln Nautilus signal the end of the brand’s confusing MK_ naming scheme (it’s the artist formerly known as the MKX, in case you’re one of the five people out there that could keep track), the midsize crossover wears the best interpretation of Lincoln’s current design language to date, suffering none of the proportional indignities of the Continental, Navigator, and MKC.

—K.O.

MISS: 2019 Lincoln MKC

The looks for the facelifted 2019 Lincoln MKC are a bit wonky, but that’s not the miss here. The miss is the missed opportunity to do away with the MKC name, as was done with the Nautilus, née MKX. This likely means that the Ford Edge-based compact crossover will be the last Lincoln to get a proper name.

—K.O.

MISS: Volvo XC40

I just can’t warm up to the new compact Volvo SUV. It looks short, stubby, and inelegant compared with the longer, nicely proportioned XC90, which I think is still the best SUV in its class. Though the interior is appropriately premium and well-designed, with excellent fit and finish, from the outside, the Volvo looks no more upscale than the Nissan Kicks.

—T.L.

REVELATION: Subscription is the new lease

This week at the L.A. show, Volvo announced its new “Care By Volvo” plan, a “subscription” program that it is rolling out nationwide on its consumer Web site volvocars.com/us, starting with its new XC40 compact crossover. The concept is simple, you choose either a Momentum or R-Design trim XC40 that you can configure, and everything else is covered: insurance, maintenance, payment, down payment, etc., and they deliver the car to you—no dealer required. The term starts at 24 months, but you can switch cars in as little as 12 months if you like. Mileage is capped at 15,000 a year. All for $600 a month to start. There is some fine print, namely around insurance (Liberty Mutual is the partner) and it’s fun to hear Volvo Cars global CEO, Hakan Samuelsson, and newly minted Volvo Car USA CEO, Anders Gustafsson, use the word “lease” a couple of times as they did in describing the program to me.

—Mike Floyd

HIT: Reds a.k.a CHTC Redspace

Chris Bangle is thinking inside the box for a change. Reds is one of the most refreshing concepts to emerge in a long time. It’s not made for Americans and most folks will hate it, but I love its childish, Toontown looks and the idea of a car that’s designed from the inside out—definitely next level stuff. A woman at the show told Bangle it was beautiful and he was taken back—he doesn’t think it is but appreciated the comment. Beauty is obviously in the eye of the beholder.

—Ed Tahaney

MISS: CHTC Redspace

It lacks charm, beauty, grace… most of the attributes we tend to seek in cars, but the Redspace city vehicle is the most interesting device in the L.A. Auto Show, apparently all about maximizing interior volume to enhance comfort while its occupants are stuck in traffic, which is estimated to be about 90-percent of the time the thing is in operation, at least in such target-market cities as Beijing. Chris Bangle’s return to car design shows us why he should have foregone the opportunity. Dreadful object. Not a car, a street fixture. Most massive A-pillar ever.

—R.C.

REVELATION: CHTC Redspace is an appliance

It looks like a huge, rolling coffee grinder. That’s not necessarily a criticism; I love coffee.

—T.L.

HIT: Volkswagen I.D. Crozz EV Crossover Concept

Volkswagen’s autonomous I.D. concept looks like a cloud with wheels. And although it’s just a concept, it’s easy to believe a ride in this all-electric vehicle would be as silent as a fluffy altocumulus. Big points for the airy, spacious interior (although it’s 6 inches shorter than the Golf) with futuristic seats, a panoramic full-glass roof, and a steering wheel that folds forward into the dash when the driver isn’t needed. Look for it in 2020.

—K.S.

HIT: Jaguar’s show stand

Jaguar pointed its upcoming i-Pace electric SUV and related spec series electric racer, parked in parallel, straight at the Tesla Model 3 on its stand across the aisle. The Jaguar i-Pace is scheduled to go on sale late next year. Wonder, which EV will reach full production first.

—T.L.

MISS: 2018 Chrysler 300

Seems to have lost all the charm it once possessed. Too bad. This nth reskin of an ancient Mercedes chassis was costly.

—R.C.

REVELATION: The Multilink from Infiniti’s Variable Compression Engine

On the surface, Infiniti’s sculpted QX50 has been received as a design hit. But beneath the crossover’s wavy sheetmetal is a deeper story: the world’s first series production variable compression ratio engine. Christian Meunier, Infiniti’s VP Global Marketing and Sales, shared his thoughts with Automobile on the 2.0-liter VC-Turbo engine’s unique bits, which he compared to “parts of a Swiss watch” while flashing an elegant Jaeger-LeCoutre Reverso on his wrist. Case in point: the palm-sized multilink component, which serves as the lynchpin for altering piston clearance and varying the compression ratio from 8:1 to 14:1. “The manufacturing tolerance on it is greater than anything we’ve ever done,” he explains. “It’s one thing to produce it, and another to mass produce it.” While the QX50 on display drew the attention of onloookers, this small hunk of steel tells the arguably more intriguing story of the 20-year struggle to bring a variable compression ratio engine to market.

—Basem Wasef

HIT: Kia lineup

Kia is a surprise to me. Stinger is quite good looking, and Kia’s number-one rating in initial quality is excellent. Obviously European stylists have made a major contribution to the current status of the make.

—R.C.

MISS: Toyota FT-AC concept

I really wanted to like it and make it a “hit.” But I find it an overdrawn take on the new Subaru Crosstrek. Toyota’s Jack Hollis describes it as a crossover, though it has torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive with front and rear lockers. It’s a tweener, size-wise, bigger than a RAV4, but not quite a mid-size vehicle. One of its best features is a built-in rear-bumper bike rack that can accommodate just one bike, though it isn’t any different from this SUV-concept trope we’ve seen at auto shows for years. Plus, the rack is probably three-times the weight of the Specialized mountain bike attached to it. Meanwhile, there are huge, 20-inch tires mostly filling large Crosstrek-style black plastic overfenders, though these overfenders extend out from the bodywork, which doesn’t seem very aerodynamic. While Toyota hints the FT-AC is headed for production, the concept doesn’t have an interior. Toyota’s TJ Cruiser at October’s Tokyo Motor Show came with an innovative interior, and though bigger, boxier and more minivan-like, that concept was one of my hits.

—T.L.

REVELATION: Land Rover’s 1 Percenter Drafting

The likes of Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Lamborghini are making it a lot less lonely at the top of the SUV pyramid, but you needn’t shed a tear for O.G. luxury offroad manufacturer Land Rover. “You wouldn’t have bought a Range Rover for more than £90,000 ten years ago; now, we sell quite a lot of £160,000, £170,000 Range Rovers,” Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicles Operations boss John Edwards told Automobile. “Customers are coming to us and spending another £30,000 on top of that bespoking them. We’ll do probably 250 bespoke cars this year.” Can we expect a new Super SUV from Land Rover to play with the (even bigger) boys? Edwards was mum on future product, but emphasized that competition has made business better than ever. “People always used to tell me, particularly when Bentley was going to be introducing an SUV, ‘You must be really nervous, this is terrible news.’ I’d say, ‘This is fantastic news because it’s going to grow the market; I’m very respectful of Bentley but what they’ve done is expanded the marketplace and provided us with an opportunity. Our business has benefitted massively from that marketplace growing. It is crowded and becoming more crowded, but it’s becoming stronger.”

—B.W.

HIT: Sonders electric three-wheeler

This is probably another pipe dream, but it’s really well styled, very professional, has a believable layout (unlike tandem two-seaters) and could work. But the $10,000 price? That’s a pipe dream.

—R.C.

MISS: Ampere 1 three-wheel electric sports car

A very crude prototype that should never have been presented in public. “With a range of up to 100 miles.” Yeah, sure.

—R.C.

HIT: Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

With their overwrought side surfacing, the first- and second-generation Mercedes CLS-Classes looked especially awkward where the rear haunches met the rakish four-door “coupe” profile. The new CLS, like the E-Class on which is based, has a much cleaner profile, resolving the issue. And now there’s room for three, not two, in the back seat.

—T.L.

HIT: 2019 Subaru Ascent

The last time Subaru tried to make a three-row SUV, things didn’t work out too well—but the less said about the bygone Tribeca, the better. The automaker did a good job of scaling up its current design language for the Ascent, which looks like a meatier Outback. Now, Subaru owners with growing families will no longer be forced to look elsewhere, so Subaru’s absurd streak of increasing sales for 71 months in a row is nearly certain to continue.

—K.O.

Hit? More like a home run for Subaru.

—E.T.

REVELATION – Mercedes-Benz’s (Inscrutable) 48 Volt Inline-6 Engine

Mercedes-Benz’s arc-shaped CLS has long been considered the sleeker (and less functional) cousin to the workaday E-Class. But the CLS 450 unveiled at the L.A. Auto Show packs a secret weapon that should appeal to anyone with an appreciation for mechanical elegance: Daimler’s latest, greatest, 48-volt-equipped inline-6 powerplant. I was smitten by the mild hybrid engine’s smooth power and imperceptible start/stop action during our first drive of a Europe-only S-Class. Using an integrated starter/generator, the powerplant produces a baseline of 362 hp and 369 lb-ft, adding another 21 hp and 184 lb-ft when electric assistance (aka, EQ Boost) kicks in. But how will Benz pull in non-techy, design focused consumers towards the advanced powertrain? I posed the question to Dietmar Exler, Mercedes-Benz USA’s president and CEO, who answered, “We have to find a way to communicate what the technology really does. When you ask a non-gearhead ‘What’s a Hemi engine?’ I’ll bet you 90 percent of consumers don’t know about hemispheric combustion chambers. But they all know it means more power.” Until Mercedes comes up with a one-word answer to that marketing conundrum, I’ll say this: driving is believing.

—B.W.

HIT: Ram pickup and Chevrolet Silverado High Country backup cameras

If you’ve ever towed a trailer or had a payload in the back of your truck that necessitated leaving the tailgate down, you know how that ordinary backup cameras can be useless. That’s why it was good to see on display with Ram and Chevrolet some well-developed trailering camera systems. The Silverado High Country on the show floor featured a standard three-camera trailering system by EchoMaster. Cameras on each side mirror activate with the turn signals and display on the infotainment screen. There’s also a wireless backup camera to place on the back of your trailer. Options include a front camera kit, a second wireless camera, and a third brakelight camera kit.

—K.S.

HIT: Bollinger Motors B 1

Stupidly primitive as is its styling, it’s full of interesting ideas on storage in an electric 4X4. And like the original Land Rover, it should be easy to repair.

—R.C.

REVELATION: Reports of the death of the conventional car are greatly exaggerated

For the last few years, the Los Angeles auto show had largely focused on green cars, with some self-driving car chatter thrown in for good measure. That went out the window this year despite increasing proclamations about the looming deaths of the internal combustion engine and the human-driven automobile. Instead, we were treated to hot convertibles, brawny sedans, and gas-chugging SUVs, none of which have any plans on driving themselves. Maybe we should focus on improving driver training after all.

—K.O.

HIT: JL Jeep Wrangler press kit

For at least 20 years, Chrysler/DaimlerChrysler/Chrysler Group/Fiat Chrysler has created the best traditional press kits, even as everyone else migrated to thumb drives, then to special websites. A thick booklet describing all the myriad features of the new Jeep Wrangler comes in a wood-and-brass box, with a brass-colored thumb drive and a Jeep grille-theme mini-speaker. You can probably find them offered up on eBay, but not from me. I’m keeping mine.

—T.L.

REVELATION: Mitsubishi Mirage hatch is cute

…but not too impressive on fuel mileage.

—R.C.

HIT: Dodge Durango SRT

Dodge agrees with those of us who believe SUVs can be slow, boring blah-mobiles. Just because you need a seven-seater doesn’t mean you don’t want a little power. That’s why they stuck a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 in the new Durango SRT with 475 horsepower, 470 lb-ft of torque and—get this—a 0-60-mph time of 4.4 seconds. Pile all of your friends into the luxe interior of this beast and show them that bigger is indeed better. But where is our Durango Demon?

—K.S.

REVELATION: Car magazines can’t wait to write the first-drive headline, “Nissan Kicks Ass”

There. We’ve done it already.

—T.L.

The post 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show Hits, Misses, & Revelations appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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