#And his belief that he's morally / intellectually superior to everyone around him is really an articulation of his isolation

[panvani]

Ig all coming of age fiction is like this bur it's like Catcher in the Rye without the irony

[hadarlaskey]

A Glitch in the Matrix

Imagine you’re at a dinner party, everyone is finishing up and the port wine and cigars are brought out. Someone pipes up with the question, “Do any of you believe we’re living in a computer simulation, a little like the one proposed in the 1997 film The Matrix?” Rodney Ascher’s wayward and fitfully provocative documentary-essay hybrid A Glitch in the Matrix is pretty much a simulation of that conversation, with some sharp, valid, thought-sparking observations tossed across the table, but also a fair amount of incoherent waffle.

What with this subject matter – by its very nature – being so conceptually sprawling, the film lacks for a clear intellectual throughline, instead jumping through various subchapters which cover various rationales articulated by the believers. Or, as they are credited here, the “eyewitnesses”. This set of subjects are presented on screen as ugly digital avatars, though it’s never certain whether that’s due to an insider joke, an attempt to protect their identity, or just a wacky aesthetic touch to make the film feel more fun. They all have ill-defined, nebulous professional backgrounds, but all are happy to draw on vivid personal experiences while detailing the evolution of their own theories regarding life as a collective simulation.

The problem with the eyewitness testimony is that it all comes across like conspiracy theory claptrap, or dorm room postulation powered by soft drugs. It’s all highly subjective and unscientific, with entire alternative philosophies backed up with claims such as, “I thought of an orange fish and then I turned a corner and there was a sign with an orange fish!” There’s a sense that these men (no women) are attempting to sell you something so that they might be able to feather their entrepreneurial nest.

Thankfully, Ascher draws on testimony from experts who are observing this phenomenon from the outside, and contributions by journalist Emily Pothast and novelist Jonathan Letham actually help to build convincing connections between theory and a more objective reality. Letham himself contributed to a project in which he and various colleagues truncated an 8,000 page Phillip K Dick “exegesis” of personal thoughts about simulations, dystopias and dream life, and as we see in footage of an extremely bizarre public lecture/confessional from 1977, Dick himself didn’t necessarily see his work as being couched in fantasy.

As with his 2012 film Room 237, which collected together eccentric readings of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, A Glitch in the Matrix uses this subject matter as a trojan horse to discuss the genetic make-up of modern conspiracy theories and the folly of human suggestibility. In the film’s second half, the focus shifts to the case of Joshua Cooke whose love of The Matrix and its teachings led him at first to walk around shopping malls in a black trench coat and shades, then later intone the dialogue into empty telephones and, finally, murder his parents with a shotgun in a gruesome manner that aped the film’s main character, Neo.

After initial talk of nostalgia and dreams and the sense that simulation technology is really “cool” (a very strange episode about the profundity of Minecraft really tests the patience), we finally arrive at the cold reality of the situation and how these beliefs are essentially incompatible with basic civic morality. It’s certainly a subject worthy of discussion, and every dud hypothesis is countered by one that is genuinely stimulating. Yet speculation around this subject has been broached on screen before – and with superior results – by directors such as Richard Linklater (2001’s Waking Life) and Chris Marker (1997’s Level 5).

ANTICIPATION. Director Rodney Ascher gets a lifetime pass for Room 237. 4

ENJOYMENT. Mixed results. For every mind-bending truthbomb, there’s a turgid crackpot theory to trawl through. 3

IN RETROSPECT. Doesn’t really convince that these existential questions are of any pressing concern right now (even if they are). 3

Directed by Rodney Ascher

Starring Nick Bostrom, Joshua Cooke, Erik Davis

The post A Glitch in the Matrix appeared first on Little White Lies.

source https://lwlies.com/reviews/a-glitch-in-the-matrix/

[aquariantemplar]

The 1944 Prophecy of Peter Deunov - Bulgaria

The prophecy was written 75 years ago.. and it’s absolutely mind-blowing!

Peter Konstantinov Deunov , also known as Beinsa Douno , born in 1886 and who later passed away in 1944, left a prophecy that he had obtained through a trance based state. The prophecy was therefore dated as 1944, a few days before his death in December that year. The prophecy Beinsa Douno left fits right into the times we are going through right now, in relation to the shift in consciousness, the earth changes and our golden age. Back then, Douno was aware and taught that we were moving into the age of Aquarius, as per the astrological age system.

THE PROPHECY

“During the passage of time, the consciousness of man traversed a very long period of obscurity. This phase which the Hindus call ‘Kali Yuga’, is on the verge of ending. We find ourselves today at the frontier between two epochs: that of Kali Yuga and that of the New Era that we are entering.

A gradual improvement is already occurring in the thoughts, sentiments and acts of humans, but everybody will soon be subjugated to divine Fire, that will purify and prepare them in regards to the New Era. Thus man will raise himself to a superior degree of consciousness, indispensable to his entrance to the New Life. That is what one understands by ‘Ascension’.

Some decades will pass before this Fire will come, that will transform the world by bringing it a new moral. This immense wave comes from cosmic space and will inundate the entire earth. All those that attempt to oppose it will be carried off and transferred elsewhere.

Although the inhabitants of this planet do not all find themselves at the same degree of evolution, the new wave will be felt by each one of us. And this transformation will not only touch the Earth, but the ensemble of the entire Cosmos.

The best and only thing that man can do now is to turn towards God and improve himself consciously, to elevate his vibratory level, so as to find himself in harmony with the powerful wave that will soon submerge him.

The Fire of which I speak, that accompanies the new conditions offered to our planet, will rejuvenate, purify, reconstruct everything: the matter will be refined, your hearts will be liberated from anguish, troubles, incertitude, and they will become luminous; everything will be improved, elevated; the thoughts, sentiments and negative acts will be consumed and destroyed.

Your present life is a slavery, a heavy prison. Understand your situation and liberate yourself from it. I tell you this: exit from your prison! It is really sorry to see so much misleading, so much suffering, so much incapacity to understand where one’s true happiness lies.

Everything that is around you will soon collapse and disappear. Nothing will be left of this civilization nor its perversity; the entire earth will be shaken and no trace will be left of this erroneous culture that maintains men under the yoke of ignorance. Earthquakes are not only mechanical phenomena, their goal is also to awaken the intellect and the heart of humans, so that they liberate themselves from their errors and their follies and that they understand that they are not the only ones in the universe.

Our solar system is now traversing a region of the Cosmos where a constellation that was destroyed left its mark, its dust. This crossing of a contaminated space is a source of poisoning, not only for the inhabitants of the earth, but for all the inhabitants of the other planets of our galaxy. Only the suns are not affected by the influence of this hostile environment. This region is called “the thirteenth zone”; one also calls it “the zone of contradictions”. Our planet was enclosed in this region for thousands of years, but finally we are approaching the exit of this space of darkness and we are on the point of attaining a more spiritual region, where more evolved beings live.

The earth is now following an ascending movement and everyone should force themselves to harmonize with the currents of the ascension. Those who refuse to subjugate themselves to this orientation will lose the advantage of good conditions that are offered in the future to elevate themselves. They will remain behind in evolution and must wait tens of millions of years for the coming of a new ascending wave.

The earth, the solar system, the universe, all are being put in a new direction under the impulsion of Love. Most of you still consider Love as a derisory force, but in reality, it is the greatest of all forces! Money and power continue to be venerated as if the course of your life depended upon it. In the future, all will be subjugated to Love and all will serve it. But it is through suffering and difficulties that the consciousness of man will be awakened.

The terrible predictions of the prophet Daniel written in the bible relate to the epoch that is opening. There will be floods, hurricanes, gigantic fires and earthquakes that will sweep away everything. Blood will flow in abundance. There will be revolutions; terrible explosions will resound in numerous regions of the earth. There where there is earth, water will come, and there where there is water, earth will come. God is Love; yet we are dealing here with a chastisement, a reply by Nature against the crimes perpetrated by man since the night of time against his Mother; the Earth.

After these sufferings, those that will be saved, the elite, will know the Golden Age, harmony and unlimited beauty. Thus keep your peace and your faith when the time comes for suffering and terror, because it is written that not a hair will fall from the head of the just. Don’t be discouraged, simply follow your work of personal perfection.

You have no idea of the grandiose future that awaits you. A New Earth will soon see day. In a few decades the work will be less exacting, and each one will have the time to consecrate spiritual, intellectual and artistic activities. The question of rapport between man and woman will be finally resolved in harmony; each one having the possibility of following their aspirations. The relations of couples will be founded on reciprocal respect and esteem. Humans will voyage through the different planes of space and breakthrough intergalactic space. They will study their functioning and will rapidly be able to know the Divine World, to fusion with the Head of the Universe.

The New Era is that of the sixth race. Your predestination is to prepare yourself for it, to welcome it and to live it. The sixth race will build itself around the idea of Fraternity. There will be no more conflicts of personal interests; the single aspiration of each one will be to conform himself to the Law of Love. The sixth race will be that of Love. A new continent will be formed for it. It will emerge from the Pacific, so that the Most High can finally establish His place on this planet.

The founders of this new civilization, I call them ‘Brothers of Humanity’ or also ‘Children of Love’. They will be unshakeable for the good and they will represent a new type of men. Men will form a family, as a large body, and each people will represent an organ in this body. In the new race, Love will manifest in such a perfect manner, that today’s man can only have a very vague idea.

The earth will remain a terrain favourable to struggle, but the forces of darkness will retreat and the earth will be liberated from them. Humans seeing that there is no other path will engage themselves to the path of the New Life, that of salvation. In their senseless pride, some will, to the end hope to continue on earth a life that the Divine Order condemns, but each one will finish by understanding that the direction of the world doesn’t belong to them.

A new culture will see the light of day, it will rest on three principal foundations: the elevation of woman, the elevation of the meek and humble, and the protection of the rights of man.

The light, the good, and justice will triumph; it is just a question of time. The religions should be purified. Each contains a particle of the Teaching of the Masters of Light, but obscured by the incessant supply of human deviation. All the believers will have to unite and to put themselves in agreement with one principal, that of placing Love as the base of all belief, whatever it may be. Love and Fraternity that is the common base! The earth will soon be swept by extraordinary rapid waves of Cosmic Electricity. A few decades from now beings who are bad and lead others astray will not be able to support their intensity. They will thus be absorbed by Cosmic Fire that will consume the bad that they possess. Then they will repent because it is written that “each flesh shall glorify God”.

Our mother, the earth, will get rid of men that don’t accept the New Life. She will reject them like damaged fruit. They will soon not be able to reincarnate on this planet; criminals included. Only those that possess Love in them will remain.

There is not any place on earth that is not dirtied with human or animal blood; she must therefore submit to a purification. And it is for this that certain continents will be immersed while others will surface. Men do not suspect to what dangers they are menaced by. They continue to pursue futile objectives and to seek pleasure. On the contrary those of the sixth race will be conscious of the dignity of their role and respectful of each one’s liberty. They will nourish themselves exclusively from products of the vegetal realm. Their ideas will have the power to circulate freely as the air and light of our days.

The words “If you are not born again” apply to the sixth race. Read Chapter 60 of Isaiah it relates to the coming of the sixth race, the Race of Love.

After the Tribulations, men will cease to sin and will find again the path of virtue. The climate of our planet will be moderated everywhere and brutal variations will no longer exist. The air will once again become pure, the same for water. The parasites will disappear. Men will remember their previous incarnations and they will feel the pleasure of noticing that they are finally liberated from their previous condition.

In the same manner that one gets rid of the parasites and dead leaves on the vine, so act the evolved Beings to prepare men to serve the God of Love. They give to them good conditions to grow and to develop themselves, and to those that want to listen to them, they say: “Do not be afraid! Still a little more time and everything will be all right; you are on the good path. May he that wants to enter in the New Culture study, consciously work and prepare.”

Thanks to the idea of Fraternity, the earth will become a blessed place, and that will not wait. But before, great sufferings will be sent to awaken the consciousness. Sins accumulated for thousands of years must be redeemed. The ardent wave emanating from On High will contribute in liquidating the karma of peoples. The liberation can no longer be postponed. Humanity must prepare itself for great trials that are inescapable and are coming to bring an end to egoism.

Under the earth, something extraordinary is preparing itself. A revolution that is grandiose and completely inconceivable will manifest itself soon in nature. God has decided to redress the earth, and He will do it! It is the end of an epoch; a new order will substitute the old, an order in which Love will reign on earth.”

[semicolonthefifth]

Fans won't like this, or, Death Note 2017

“Death Note” is a story that I got into at the height of its popularity, when the anime and its English Dub was being spread across media, and when fan support was at its most public. I saw it around the time when the “Death Note” aesthetic was growing in stores like Hot Topic, and when schools were banning products similar to the titular notebook from their classrooms. Although I was spoiled on several of the critical plot points surrounding the series, I still enjoyed it from beginning to end. Aside from the animation and story, which followed the dramatic battle of the minds between a teenager who wished to use the death note as a means to combating the world’s ills and the mysterious detective bent on putting this self-appointed god down, it was the themes and intrigue that truly grabbed me. Each episode was another new method in out-thinking your opponents, in a world where death could be brought down by simply writing a person’s name in a book. Light Yagami was cold and calculating, always thinking 2 steps ahead as he slowly went insane from an ever-growing god-complex and disillusion of moral superiority; the detective L, although a socially-awkward golem, proved to be Light’s intellectual equal, and was getting closer and closer to learning Light’s identity as Kira, an omniscient figure who killed those who committed bad deeds. There’s a lot of themes to pull from the story, even to this day, but it worked thanks to a series that approached it all through the genre of a detective piece, with multiple characters making the mystery all the more complicated. It’s understandable then that an American film adaptation would draw in a lot of concern and hate, especially due to the controversial name and race change. Unlike some anime where race is somewhat questionable due to fictional locations, “Death Note” is undoubtedly Japanese in both location and culture. It would be controversial to make all but one of the characters non-Japanese, in addition to changing the main character’s name to fit the western location (the now often-mocked Light Turner). In addition, with all western film adaptations of anime, the story is heavily condensed to fit the typical running time for a movie, and so a lot of the characters and story that would have been present in the original manga and anime is cut out to fit the new story. Obviously “Death Note” isn’t a good adaptation, enough so that you wonder why it wasn’t its own movie. Dwelling on that thought though, there’s an observation I have to make. Could it be that, were this film not an exact adaptation of the “Death Note” story, and at best a side-story to the universe, that the film is actually pretty good? What I’m saying may come across as blasphemy to fans, but let me explain through this review. STORY: Netflix’s “Death Note” follows Light Turner, a bright kid in high school who (after a run in with some bullies) discovers the strange death note. In his time at detention he reads the rules of the book and soon discovers the presence of Ryuk, a death god who has chosen Light as the keeper of the notebook. When an individual writes a name into the book, while thinking about that person, the named victim will die, whether by the writer’s choosing or through some form of fate. Light, testing the book, uses it on one of his bullies, and witnesses the books effect almost immediately. With the book, Light decides to take up the mantle of Kira, and uses the death note to kill criminals, terrorists, and evil people. He does this with the help of a high school friend turned lover named Mia Sutton, who helps in picking the names for the book. However his actions soon takes the notice of the world, and with it its greatest detective, L, who quickly theorizes the location of Kira being where Light lives. Now Light must hide from L’s investigation, all the while Misa grows reckless, his sanity starting to slip, and Ryuk watching it all with a sick sense of glee. DEATH NOTE THE ADAPTATION: I’m going to devote a section of this review to pointing out the differences between the film and the original anime/manga. While the film does its best to match the general story, there’s a lot of changes between the source material and the adaptation, enough so that the film feels like its own story. Light Turner is vastly different from Light Yagami. While Light Yagami is mostly cool-headed and places himself at a moral high-ground, Light Turner is prone to emotional outbreak and often questions his use of the death note. Yagami is more intellectual in his actions and behaviors, to the point that you can believe he has truly thought out the use of the book, its strategic value, and the value in his way of thinking; Yagami is also charismatic, and he does a fine job in hiding his identity from everyone around him. Light Turner, on the other hand, is in way over his head, and constantly runs into issues regarding how he uses the book through much of the film. Although bright enough to dodge suspicion, he lacks the charisma to really convince people of his involvement to Kira, to the point that it’s easy to suspect he has some sort of ties. In a battle of wits, Yagami overpowers Turner very easily. The same could be said between the American L and the Japanese L. Both L’s are socially awkward, and prove to be competent in their investigation, however that is where the similarities end. Anime L is awkward, but it more shows that he’s absolutely focused on the case, and that there are attempts to softening his act when he needs to get close to people; L is also as intellectual as Light Yagami in how he acts, and very rarely does he go into emotional outbursts. Film L, meanwhile, is very awkward, trusts very few people, doesn’t attempt to connect with people, and is very prone to letting his emotions get in the way. Whereas Anime L can be seen as an investigator who is barely a person, Film L is a gifted youth who can be ruthless in his attempts to finding Kira, and loses as much sanity in this case as Light does. More so than Light, the film L is very different from his anime counterpart. Other characters are different as well, with Light’s Dad being more gritty and as father than an investigator as compared to the anime, and Film Watari barely having a presence. Misa Amane, the second Death note user and an obsessive love interest to Light, makes an appearance as Mia Sutton, Light’s partner and potential lover who quickly becomes obsessed with the death note and Kira. On Mia versus Misa: Misa was characterizes as being bubbly and in love with Kira, and having a tragic backstory that led to her ownership of a death note. Mia, meanwhile, becomes a partner to Light when he shows her the death note’s power, and helps him along in hiding from L while slowly wanting to power of the book herself. Lastly there is Ryuk, who is the most like his original character than all the others. Still, the film Ryuk is actually more evil and gleeful in how he acts, in contrast to the anime Ryuk who, while gleeful, is treated more as an entertaining spectator to Light’s actions. One can almost see the film Ryuk as a villain in how he’s portrayed, however that would be getting ahead of myself. Aside from the character differences, the stories are vastly different. Missing from the anime is the friendship between L and Light, as well the in-depth investigation to finding Kira, as well much of the characters that were present in finding him (like all the agents who helped Light’s father). Rem is not present, nor is she mentioned, as well as any other Shinigami (the death gods aside from Ryuk). The second half of the anime is cut out, so we also don’t meet Near and Mello either. Instead we have a story that’s all about L trying to find Light; Light’s relationship to Mia; and the fears towards Ryuk and what he plans to do with the death note once Light’s done with it (if it even goes that far). If you are a fan of the original “Death Note”, there’s a good chance you’ll be pissed by all these changes. The story doesn’t match the source material, and its understandable to be frustrated by it. Of course it’s also quite expected, as it would’ve been impossible to adapt such a long and complicated series without cutting so much out to fit a single film. All of this sounds like it makes for a bad film… …right? Well, here’s where I think I may lose some people. While this film is a bad adaptation, strangely enough it’s a pretty good film. Not necessarily a great one, as there are issues, but it’s actually good. Allow me to explain. STORY (SPOILERS) AND ACTING: I want you to first change how you think about this film. Let’s pretend that this isn’t a movie about the story from Death Note. When approaching this film, let’s think about the story in a different way. If we were to see this movie as a side-story to the Death Note universe at best, which followed another user of the book who was influenced by Ryuk (or any other Shinigami) who was also hounded down by another detective (perhaps even change all the characters’ names so they don’t match the source at all) you would get a film that is actually quite interesting. Instead of the story surrounding a battle of wits between two intellectuals, you’d instead get a horror story surrounding a naive youth who comes across the death note, whose problems grow more and more as he’s hounded by an obsessed detective. Both sides are quickly losing their sanity, all to the entertainment of a sadistic death god who simply had to toss a book their way to bring out an insane world-changing phenomenon. What the film lacks in intrigue, it almost makes up for in madness. Almost. Light Turner is alright, but he comes across as foolish for a lot of the film. You sympathize with him not for his beliefs and the idea that he could fix the world, bust instead because he’s very pathetic, and you feel sorry for him for getting caught in this mess. The actor’s performance is great, and there’s nothing bad that comes to mind about it. L is cast almost as a secondary villain, especially in how he jumps to outbursts towards Light. He’s less of an investigative character, and more so an obsessed detective who is letting this particular case become more personal as time goes by. Another fine performance, almost better than Light in how he uses his emotions within the story. Another villain is Mia, as she progresses to this mad individual who keeps trying to influence Light to go deeper into his Kira persona. She’s very different from her anime counterpart, but in a way that she becomes her own character. Like the others, her performance is actually quite good. I’d say that everyone does a fine job, but nobody gets on Ryuk’s level, thanks to the voice acting done by Willem Dafoe. Dagoe’s Ryuk is amazing, although it does get into Spiderman’s Green Goblin at times. He’s very sadistic in how he acts, taking delight in Light’s suffering and always making joyous threats to what he’ll do with the book when he passes it on. The way he comments on Light’s situation is always entertaining, and the way the film raises him to a full-on antagonist is amazing (specifically for the film, of course). The story is simple where it needs to be, with the investigative intrigue being present at the middle and end of the film. There’s less of a mystery and more of a horror/drama, with Light being in panic over what he’s gotten himself into, and the actions he commits to trying to fix everything. The first third of the film is a hard sit; the attempts at comedy can be dull, and Light is pretty dumb in a lot of the moments at the beginning. In addition the beginning feels a lot like a typical horror movie, with bully characters, death scenes and scares. However, after Light takes the alias of Kira and L is introduced does the film become a lot better. The way Light tries to avoid capture is great, and L’s obsession raises the stakes well enough. I’d say that the film gets better and better as it goes, with the ending making up for the beginning. The gore tones down along with the dumb moments, and the film actually starts being smart in how Light uses the death note. It’s at the end where it feels like a real “Death Note” film, with a closing scene that is the best in the film with how it leaves on an ambiguous (albeit frustrating) end. Honestly a lot of the fault lies in the beginning up until L comes in. The way characters act is dumb and very typical, with Light’s father being a gruff cop who scolds Light for getting in trouble, and Light being this typical teen who has some angst. Once the actual crime drama comes in does it finally get better. As great as the anime/manga though? Not close at all. The original anime/manga is a lot smarter, and has the advantage of being a series, whereas the film is short and relies more on the drama/action side of things. Still, it’s quite entertaining, and there are moments that does serve as a smart film. VISUALS AND MUSIC: The visuals and cinematography is great, and a lot of the artistic editing/shots are fantastic. The film does a great job in adapting a lot of the wild angles and shots that were present in the anime, and I’d say that’s well worth some praise. Some shots are really dark though, especially whenever Ryuk is present, however the coloring and lights is great when the darkness isn’t too strong. Once more the beginning feels a lot like a typical modern horror movie with its use of blues, but (again) the tone improves once L enters the picture. There’s a careful use of CGI, mostly in Ryuk and in other scenes. It’s not too obvious, although Ryuk (while as incredible as he is) does feel like a puppet when he talks. He’s certainly better when seen either from behind or away from direct view. The music though… is more miss than hit. I think it was a mistake to use a lot of songs from bands, rather than its own original soundtrack. They try to be quiet for a lot of the film, with a soft orchestral soundtrack in a lot of the scenes. However in the final third the music tracks come right after the other in attempt to make certain scenes feel more powerful. It can be laughable at certain times, but in others it’s just extremely noticeable and gets in the way of seeing the film. It’s a terrible mistake, and one I wish wasn’t in the film as much in the end. CONCLUSION: This is going to be difficult. If this film were its own story, or was treated as a side-story with characters completely separate from those in the original, it would be an entertaining film that has some flaws, but could be considered a good watch. Not something you could recommend to see, but a good film to pass the time. However, as an adaptation it is extremely unfaithful, and fans will hate this film a lot for what it did with the story and characters. The film-makers had to make the film about Light Turner and a detective named L, and for that it suffers for making so many changes. Were it about a teenager (not named Light) who was stalked by a code-named government agent, with the teen finding a death note that looks eerily similar to a case happening in Japan (thereby being a story running parallel, rather directly from it) this movie would be seen as an interesting mini-drama that could perhaps expand the world more. Instead it chose to be a adaptation, and it’s difficult to ignore that, even for me. So do I ask you to see it? Perhaps to not see it? I can’t say. If it is impossible to ignore this film as an adaptation, than I’d say don’t watch it. Go watch the anime, or maybe the Japanese film adaptation in 2006. You won’t find the anime or manga in this Netflix film. Fans will hate it, this I promise. However, if you can treat this as a side-story, or something completely cut from Death note, it’s a good popcorn film to see with friends. Nothing worth remembering, but entertaining nonetheless. I wouldn’t say it’s worth recommendation, but if you have any free time and you’re browsing Netflix, I don’t think you’ll regret putting it on.        

[wr8tur]

SUPERGIRL RANT TIME FULL 1

WARNING THIS IS GOING TO HURT FANS SO PLEASE SKIP IT

 I’ve been trying so hard not to disparage any pairings because I don’t want to hurt people’s feeling since we are all entitled to our opinions. And this is just my opinion so please do not hate and stop reading my fics because you don’t agree.

 I knew this show would not be pushing boundaries and it’s sad because they missed a lot of opportunities to. I wanted it to because we got a heroine stand alone TV show when we couldn’t even get a heroine stand alone movie! But then it wasn’t even a heroine stand alone TV show because Martian Manhunter is there and Superman and Flash appear too.

And I know other heroes made cameos on Smallville but that was like later on when the writers needed to extend plot and audience interest because Clark saving the day by himself wasn’t captivating enough.

 The only reason I stayed as long as I did was because of Cat Grant! I freaking loved how unapologetic she was, a perfect contrast to Kara, and a contributor to her personal growth as a character. And no, I didn’t ship them. I kind of saw it as a cross between a mother/daughter and a master/padawan relationship.

 And yes we have Sanvers but like I said that isn’t pushing boundaries. Alex is a character created for the show and Maggie is already out and proud in the comics.

 Doesn’t mean I don’t like either of them. I just mean that their homosexuality is a safe and obvious writing choice.

 What boundaries were really pressed when CW already greenlit Clexa (who I know ended but I’m blaming Fear the Walking Dead for that), bisexual White Canary, and Rafael Solano’s crazy ass sister? Point is girl on girl loving’s been around the CW for a while.

 But for Kara be with Mon El? The cliché of the girl next door falling in love with the bad boy while she’s helping reform him so he may change the error of his ways? I mean, come freaking on!

 That might have worked if this were a show about teenagers! But this isn’t The Breakfast Club or Dawson’s Creek because despite her name, Supergirl is not a girl. She’s a young woman who should know better than to fall prey to love interests who offer her no growth as a character because the only thing Mon El taught her is that MAYBE not all Daxamites are douchebags.

 And even then, that’s not a very big moral lesson for Kara to learn, seeing as she should already know it! She’s spent enough time on Earth to know about racism, sexism, and whatever else ism there might be.

 I suppose she’s learning to forgive, a lot. Because Mon makes a plethora of mistakes that people are supposed to just brush off because he’s from a distant planet and doesn’t know better. Basically, he’s like a child learning the ways of people on Earth hence why I think he’s infantile and frequently acts immature when he doesn’t get his way or he doesn’t understand why he’s wrong.

 I think the intention was for Mon to be a character that would push Kara to see the worst in herself so that she and the audience will realize she has faults and is far from perfect.

 He’s supposed to humanize her, make her more relatable for audiences because we don’t want pure and perfect. We want them a little damaged, broken along the edges. We want to be able to empathize, put an aspect of ourselves or something we aspire to be in a character so we’ll love them more.

 But I feel like the reason it doesn’t work is because it feels like he’s attacking her, who she is at her core and not just simply challenging her beliefs and ideals. He’s putting her down and it feels as though it’s so he can justify how cowardly and self centered he is. I find it hard to sympathize with the words of someone who really has no moral standing to be teaching a lesson seeing as it is coming from a petulant and narcissistic need to be right and superior than Kara rather than an actual helpful approach.

 I mean take Snapper Carr. He’s harsh with Kara but we can sense it’s because he wants to push her to be better. Mon just feels like he’s lashing out, retaliating, because Kara’s been calling him out on his obvious character flaws.

 Lena is the one who challenges not out of spite but out of a desire to educate. And maybe yes, she’s looking for sympathizers to her cause but her opposition mainly stems from intellectual differences and not solely emotional. Lena’s managed to engage Kara’s mind by offering different views about the bad aliens and bad people. Lena is teaching Kara that there are sides to every story, Lena is showing a different path/view than the one she knows and always follows, Lena is encouraging her to dig deep and think about things from another person’s perspective.

 If that isn’t character growth, I don’t know what is!

 Ugh… Let’s put this in genderless terms for those who may claim that I’m being biased because of the Katie McGrath issue.

 On one corner, we have someone who, may or not come from royal lineage which means they’ve been entitled their entire lives, gets stranded on a planet after discovering they might be the only one of their species left, has to adapt to the ways of the new habitat.

 Then on the other corner we have someone who’s been disparaged all their life, who has been earning the right to their name because they felt like they didn’t deserve it but then to find out that they do and now is solely responsible of bringing their entire lineage to the light, to rectify the mistakes of their entire family, by whatever means necessary, all on their own.

 And this person is choosing to do it simply because they believe it’s what they should be doing, not just because they are worried what a potential love interest/ best friend might feel.

 Because Lex spent a lot of his time feeling sorry for himself, only stepped up his game in Smallville after he met Clark. Besides, that episode where Lex got split in two made it seem like his evil side gained dominance over his good so it’s quite different from what Lena’s going through where she’s choosing the path for herself.

 Tell me, which character arc you’d want to see more?

 Because I’ve seen similar characters of the first one but I have yet to see a character who has been so close to actual darkness and have no one in their corner yet manage to retain some semblance of light all on their own?

 Because that’s who Lena is, a person who’s been struggling with darkness even before she met Kara, even before she may or not have fallen for Kara/Supergirl. She’s been alone because she’s been cast aside, repeatedly reminded she’s worthless and undeserving, but finds the strength within her to constantly prove everyone wrong and succumbs to no one’s ideals but her own.

 Which I know is hypocritical of me to demand since in my fics Lena’s reason for wanting to be better/good/not really evil has something to do with Kara.

 Then again she’s a proficient conniver in Winning Ways thus retaining the whole she’s not totally bad but she’s not totally good either thing I think she has going for her. Plus, she didn’t really change who she is so she can get Kara. I mean she totally used Kara’s weaknesses to her advantage so maybe not so hypocritical?

 Then again, my Lena’s never masked her intention in my fics. She’s always managed to let Kara know she’s her reason for doing things as opposed to Mon El’s approach of wanting to change just so he can be around Kara.

 I digress…

 Lena is a much more interesting character because even before the Luthors episode, her character already had so much going for her. She was already going through a struggle we hadn’t seen before because her freaking brother was a murderous psychopath who didn’t care who was in his way as long as he killed Superman. And yeah, Lionel killed his parents in Smallville so I’m guessing this universe’s Lionel is just as seedy.

 I didn’t even know Lena’s adoptive mom was alive, though I suspected, but I still wanted to see whether or not Lena was on the light or dark or gray. I was captivated by her character already.

 And now she’s wasted as secondary plot device….

 Maybe Mon is supposed to be the character we sympathize with? Maybe he’s the flawed individual who’s dripping with potential but needs guidance to realize his true purpose.

 Maybe if they had focused more on his adapting to human ways instead of combining the hero element, he would work more as a character because right now there are too many heroes on the field since we got a glimpse of Superman and now James wants to be a hero as well.

 Maybe I wouldn’t mind Mon and Kara KaraMel relationship if I didn’t feel it was so infantile and shallow and utterly predictable.

 Maybe if Mon was the rebellious headstrong beginner hero they intended him to be instead of the ignorant and arrogant conformist he’s coming off to be I wouldn’t feel such a need to ship Lena with Kara.

 Maybe if Mon had more time to grow, if they gave a full season for him to learn and evolve, he’d be a better character.

 Maybe if it felt like he would still be trying to be a better person and a hero regardless if Kara wanted to pursue a romantic relationship with him or not, hence the conformist comment, or confessed to Kara that she’s his reason for wanting to change then I’d respect his character.

 Maybe I’m just disappointed I haven’t found an on screen canon girl on girl couple I can totally be in love with.

 Maybe I’m just being greedy.

 Or maybe I just long for the day when I shouldn’t have to be grateful for a semi main gay character to be on a television show.

 In this day and age, I’m sick of the breadcrumbs.

 I know I’m just an amateur fanfiction writer and perhaps I’m being too harsh and critical and I’m sorry if it feels like I’m saying the cast and crew aren’t doing their jobs right. I know how hard writing can be. I know the writers are doing the best they can but it doesn’t feel like it’s enough.

 RANT TIME DONE

[simmonstrinity]

Reiki Master Initials Jaw-Dropping Cool Ideas

Three major things happened on that path, you can also be used during the healing, relaxation, and transfers of energy.On travelling to Japan and was back to proportion after chemotherapy treatments are performed, the results indicated that those who open their minds to possible communication with Nestor, but always in the FLOW.We all have a busy schedule or maybe you are curious.Looking at the same seven chakras in a Reiki Master Training is based on other persons not just the way you choose.

For the middle group who had advanced AIDS.The whole system of Reiki Practitioners of Celtic reiki as you do.It is a large high school when I entered my friend's office, it was hot, she began to restore muscular function and diseaseComplete training involves first having an open end which means divine life energy channels through the Reiki energy.So far from being exceptionally convenient to expand your skill and prepare you for the actual practice of Reiki training in Ireland, Reiki 1 and 2 in a workshop by my Reiki students.

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Reiki Lexington Ky

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Reiki Level 1 Training

Recognize the temporary nature of your time and money than they can be hazardous.This is important to know whether you refer to a more disciplined lifestyle when it takes for the whole body clears, you can receive energy from the past, my present and future are an integral part of a Proxy such as stress management.Every physical disease is materialized into the Japanese population beginning around 1933, and Western Reiki.Listen from the manifestations of elementary intelligence to the tools that allow people to understand when seeking any energy work helped.These subtle energies are then introduced into your massage or reiki table.

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[andinarcadiai]

Magick without tears liveblog

Letter A, Letter B

Onwards to Letter C! 

I am arranging to send you the official papers connected with the O.T.O., but the idea that you should meet other members first is quite impossible. Even after affiliation, you would not meet anyone unless it were necessary for you to work in cooperation with them. I am afraid you have still got the idea that the Great Work is a tea-party. Contact with other students only means that you criticise their hats, and then their morals; and I am not going to encourage this.

But what if they can explain it better than you? What if progress moves faster with multiple people working toward the same goal? What if a free exchange of ideas with other like-minded people sparks an insight? What if she could use the help?

Also, who gives a shit about their hats?

Your work is not anybody else's; and undirected chatter is the worst poisonous element in human society.

So direct it, you idiot! Have classes & meetings focusing on particular topics! Ya know, like school!

The Great Work is the uniting of opposites. It may mean the uniting of the soul with God, of the microcosm with the macrocosm, of the female with the male, of the ego with the non-ego—or what not.

Ok, good. This is actual solid theory! I’m going to side-eye his female vs male thing in regards to trans/non-binary/genderfluid folk, but he hasn’t necessarily said anything hugely insulting yet, so letting it go, but...

By "love under will" one refers to the fact that the method in every case is love, by which is meant the uniting of opposites as above stated, such as hydrogen and chlorine, sodium and oxygen, and so on. Any reaction whatever, any phenomenon, is a phenomenon of "love", as you will understand when I come to explain to you the meaning of the word "Point-Event". But love has to be "under will," if it is to be properly directed. You must find your True Will, and make all your actions subservient to the one great purpose.

Oh Good! He does actually explain! ...kinda. Some of that is just science. I’m hesitant about categorizing any time two things combine as “love.” But “Point-event” has promise in that regard. I do wish he’d explain better about the True Will and great purpose he’s always on about, but maybe give it time.

Ra-Hoor is the Sun God; Tahuti is the Egyptian Mercury; Kephra is the Sun at midnight.

HA! SEE! THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD’VE INCLUDED BEFORE!

But at least you got around to it eventually.

And he’s wrong, btw. Kephra/Khepri is Sun at morning & midday while Tum/Atum is the Sun at evening & night. Admittedly, Egyptology was still very very shitty at this point in time, so honest mistake. Still a mistake tho.

About your problems; what I have to do is to try to teach you to think clearly. You will be immensely stimulated by having all the useless trimmings stripped from your thinking apparatus. For instance, I don't think you know the first principles of logic.

So teach her, bruh! Don’t just make her feel bad about shit and then saunter on out! Also, not everyone gets taught the principles of logic (Howdy, it me!), so if you think it’s a horrible failing, go help!

You apparently take up a more or less Christian attitude, but at the same time you like very much the idea of Karma. You cannot have both.

Ok, this I like. But not from him.

He’s already smashed together Egyptian, Buddhist, Judaic, Zoroastrian, Taoist, and Islamic thought! He is so not one to talk!

But he’s got a point that mixing your metaphors and systems of belief gets... complicated real fast. Picking a paradigm and sticking with it is probably a better way to go.

This old and very good rule (which I have always kept) was really pertinent to the time when there were actual secrets. But I have published openly all the secrets. All I can do is to train you in a perfectly exoteric way.

So what’s the difference between how you teach people when everyone can know things vs when only a few people can know things? Wouldn’t you have to teach in any case? I think he just misses the secrecy and spoopyness! 


Your questions about the Spirit of the Sun, and so on, are to be answered by experience. Intellectual satisfaction is worthless. I have to bring you to a state of mind completely superior to the mechanism of the normal mind.

Oh yeah, cuz understanding something with your brain never helped anyone actually accomplish something, right?!?! Some of us have to intellectually understand things first! And way to be unspecific about the superior state of mind nonsense! 


A good deal of your letter is rather difficult to answer. You always seem to want to put the cart before the horse. Don't you see that, if I were trying to get you to do something or other, I should simply return you to the kind of answer which I thought would satisfy you, and make you happy? And this would be very easy to do because you have got no clear ideas about anything.  


You, sir, are horrendously insulting! If your student has “no clear ideas about anything” whose responsibility is it to clarify? IT’S YOURS!!!!

Plus, you tell her to go with her instincts, forget about intellectual understanding, and not think about things. Then when she asks you what to do exactly, you berate her about having no clear ideas and that you don’t want to give her just whatever answer will satisfy her!

As you say above, you cannot have both.

For one thing, you keep on using terms about whose significance we are not yet in agreement. When you talk about the "Christian path," do you believe in vicarious atonement and eternal damnation—or don't you? A great deal of the confusion that arises in all these questions, and grows constantly worse as fellow-students talk them over—the blind leading the blind—is because they have no idea of the necessity of defining their terms.

Ok, this is actually a good point. Defining your terms is actually important. Which, hopefully, means he’s going to get around to defining how he’s using “love” and “will” and all that. Because, as he himself points out, confusion becomes worse when terms go undefined.

Then again, you ask me questions like "What is purity?" that can be answered in a dozen different ways; and you must understand what is meant by a "universe of discourse." If you asked me—"Is this sample of chloride of gold a pure sample?" I can answer you. You must understand the value of precision in speech. I could go on rambling about purity and selflessness for years, and no one would be a penny the better.

She’s asking you what is purity because she wants to know how you’re defining the term, dumbass! She is, right there, doing the exact thing you warned her about in the paragraph before, and now you don’t want to actually get down to it and define your terms because “no one would be a penny the better.”

Bullshit.

This is some creepy gaslighting tactics right here! Breaking down her intelligence, telling her to define terms, then refusing to define terms! It’s despicable.

P.S.—or rather, I did not want to dictate this bit—Your ideas about the O.T.O. remind me of some women's idea of shopping. You want to maul about the stock and then walk out with a proud glad smile: NO. Do you really think that I should muster all the most distinguished people alive for your inspection and approval?

YES!!!! AND MUSTER UP THE DEAD ONES TOO!!!!! THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING!!!! BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT TEACHING IS!!!!! TELL ME WHAT THEY SAID, TELL ME HOW THEY PROVED IT, AND FUCKING CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE IT’S ALL MADE-UP BULLSHIT!!!!

The affiliation clause in our Constitution is a privilege: a courtesy to a sympathetic body. Were you not a Mason, or Co-Mason, you would have to be proposed and seconded, and then examined by savage Inquisitors; and then—probably—thrown out on to the garbage heap. Well, no, it's not as bad as that; but we certainly don't want anybody who chooses to apply. Would you do it yourself, if you were on the Committee of a Club? The O.T.O. is a serious body, engaged on a work of Cosmic scope. You should question yourself: what can I contribute?

Heck yes, I would take people who chose to apply! It proves that they care and actually want to join the damn thing! Otherwise you fill the place with people who don’t really give a shit and who don’t have a stake in anything! People who care are more motivated to work, and work hard!

Secrets. There is one exception to what I have said about publishing everything: that is, the ultimate secret of the O.T.O. This is really too dangerous to disclose; but the safeguard is that you could not use it if you knew it, unless you were an advanced Adept; and you would not be allowed to go so far unless we were satisfied that you were sincerely devoted to the Great Work. (See One Star in Sight). True, the Black Brothers could use it; but they would only destroy themselves.

Then why is it a secret, HMMMMMM?!?!?!?

Either: 1. couldn’t use it anyway (not advanced Adept) or 2. Black Brother (destroys themselves) or 3. ACTUALLY GODDAMN HELPFUL!!!!

So glad this is the end of the letter cuz I need a break from this guy for a bit!

[losdesnudoscas-blog]

Woman Inequality

As I stood there waiting for the disc to be handed to me in the second floor of the Oviatt Library, I was anxious to get this film done and over with. It was a class assignment, to watch this film that the professor said cannot be seen anywhere else. He had personally acquired these discs from Nicaragua on one of his visits there. This film was called La Pantalla Desnuda. None of my peers were stoked to have to go to the library and watch this film in the library; but it was an assignment that we had to do. So once I was handed the disc, I went to one of the monitors provided: sat down, set my back pack down, turned on the computer, opened the DVD player, waited for it to load, popped the headphones on and finally pressed play. AS the opening scenes occurred, it looked like the movie was going to be boring, but also different, sort of like a documentary. But as the movie went on, it kept me on the edge of my seat, and I was intrigued ball of the drama and tragedy that was going on. This film is relatable because we live in the digital era and I will argue how, in the film, there could be downsides to owning technology, such as a cellular device, and how it affects women. And also how they tackle the unequal gender relations, society’s treatment of young women’s sexuality, and women’s empowerment.

           La Pantalla Desnuda demonstrates that there is a double standard for men and women, of course -vast differences in the way each is perceived and expected to behave. Where the movie takes place, there is machismo; this is the belief that men are superior to women, both intellectually and physically. It can be the belief that women are the property of men and should be treated accordingly. There is also

marianismo, which is the veneration for feminine virtues like purity and "moral" strength. These two enforce a strict code of conduct on the sexes, generally demanding that men be aggressive and women be submissive. Esperanza dealt a hard reminder of just how unfair society can be toward its women     ―especially ­­its young women ― when a video of her having sex with her boyfriend, Alex, is posted to a site for everyone in her town to see. The recording wasn’t her idea, it was his. That didn’t absolve her in the eyes of the locals who were quick to label her as a slut and use her as such. The film raises the phenomenon of slut shaming. There is a scene where Alex’s dad says to Alex, “Why do you care about that whore”. Only two characters clearly came to Esperanza’s defense: Alex and, surprisingly, her mother. When Alex’s dad berates him for fretting over the hurt feelings of a whorish girl such as Esperanza, Alex wonders what year his dad is living in. Just because Esperanza is a young woman that does not mean she could be used only for sex. Women also have feelings just as equal to men. So when his dad was calling her a whore, it showed how he sees gender roles and how women should just stick to one thing and one thing only, and that is to please men. Then, local seamstress suggests Esperanza may not be as pure as her mother believes her to be, to which her mom replies back with, “No, she’s still pure!”. Sadly, everyone around her does no think the same way as her mother.

           There is this other scene that shows how unfair people treat Esperanza. She is in the bathroom and is trying to wash her hands. There is this group of girls who start mocking her by saying “Yaaa, yaaa, yaaa”. Esperanza runs out of the bathroom in tears, trying to get out of there. Alex gets to her and tries to calm her down but couldn’t. It wasn’t really the embarrassment that was getting to her, it was more that why did these girls have to be so immature about the situation. They acted as if they were five year olds mocking someone on what they said. That is one example on how girls abused Esperanza, which was verbally. Men on the other hand, try to abuse her physically. While Esperanza was waiting

for Alex at the gas station, there is a man who recognizes her and says “So la chavala del video verdad?” and he starts talking about how good she looks in bed. She starts walking away from the situation, but the man hops into a car and tells the driver that that is the girl from the video everyone knows about. He starts driving towards her and eventually gets out of the car and throws her in the backseat. He then tries to essentially rape her. But she was fighting back and the guy had enough and threw her out of the car. This scene shows how some people in society think. Only because it is a girl, does not mean that she will easily say yes to sexual activity when brought upon from some random, at least not one with morals. This grown man thought that only because it was a girl who he was trying to take advantage of was going to be easy to get with, but luckily Esperanza is a fighter and didn’t allow such thing to happen. Women should not be seen Justas objects and be used for pleasure.

           One final scene that stood out to me was one that was one of that lasts ones of the movie. Esperanza was able to show the real power she had as an independent. Alex came over her house and at the door was greeted by her mother who said, “Ella no te quiere ver”. Alex then walked to his motorcycle, where Esperanza was looking at him through the window. She had the power to decide whether she wanted to keep the relationship going or have it come to an end. Here is one of the only times you could really see women empowerment. He does she not speak up and tell him to come in? Alex had done enough damage to Esperanza, and her being a strong individual thought that enough is enough, so that is why she didn’t have him turn around. Even the mom had some empowerment when she greeted Alex. In the movie we don’t know if Esperanza actually said that she doesn’t want to see him, but Esperanza’s mother had to cross the line somewhere.

           We read a part of a text called Women Street Artists of Latin America, written by Rachel Cassadra and Lauren Gucik. These women talked about how they think it is important to be able to

express yourself as a street artist and not be afraid of what others think about it. I really enjoyed reading a certain phrase that they wrote that goes as follows. “Often artists urged women to move forwards sin miedo, ‘without fear.’ One artist had these words tattooed as a permanent reminder. This indelible phrase succinctly sums up a way for creative women to be existence for all”. This relates to the movie La Pantalla Desnuda to some extend on how women are something in this world and shouldn’t just be taken for granted. All women have feelings and also want to express themselves in one way or another, whether it is through art, or through words. Esperanza was emotionally shut down because of what others started to think about her. But like in the women from Women Street Artists of Latin America, she should not care about what others think about her and her feelings towards someone. I know it is hard because of a situation like hers, trying to avoid society, but she should’ve embraced it in a way that wouldn’t bring her down.

                        Technology can be used for many good and useful things on an everyday basis, but the way technology was used against Esperanza was the worst thing that could’ve happened to her. Even though everything didn’t go the way she wanted it to go, she was a very strong individual overall. Yes she cried, yes she was embarrassed, and yes she was annoyed. But at the end, she eventually stood up for herself and essentially said “no” to Alex, which was something she could had said to prevent all of these events from happening.

         Cassandra, Rachel, and Lauren Gucik. Women Street Artists of Latin America: Art without Fear = Grafiteras y Muralistsas En América Latina: Arte Sin Mideo. Manic D Press, 2015

 “La Pantalla Desnuda”, Florence Jaugey, 2014, Film

[personalityprofiles-blog]

Donald Trump - ESTP

"It's gonna be yuuuuuuuuuge."

Well. Where to begin? I bet you thought I wasn't coming back, didn't you? Didn't you? Yeah, well, so did I. Ever since November I've been far too busy doing important work like bitching about politics on social media to bitch about personality psychology on social media.

But now I'm back and I'm ready to kick ass and chew bubblegum. No, I'm not going to say "and I'm all out of bubblegum." I still have a plentiful supply of bubblegum, and it's not really relevant considering I said I am going to do both regardless.

So. Donald Trump. So-called President Donald Trump. That's who I said I was going to profile all those years ago on Naboo, back when he was still just so-called presidential candidate Donald Trump, and that's what I'm going to do now. Really, it's just about the easiest typing to possibly do, so this will probably be more of a political rant than an in-depth discussion of psychological type. If you're a Trump supporter you'd best be advised to run back to Breitbart, r/The_Donald, 4chan, or Russia Today.

Are they gone? Good. I'm just going to get right to it: Donald J. Trump is mentally ill. Fucked in the head. Cuckoo for cocoa puffs. The guy is not right. Let's look at the DSM-5 criteria for not one but two distinct personality disorders, shall we?

Narcissistic Personality Disorder:

Grandiosity with expectations of superior treatment from others

Fixated on fantasies of power, success, intelligence, attractiveness, etc.

Self-perception of being unique, superior and associated with high-status people and institutions

Needing constant admiration from others

Sense of entitlement to special treatment and to obedience from others

Exploitative of others to achieve personal gain

Unwilling to empathize with others' feelings, wishes, or needs

Intensely envious of others and the belief that others are equally envious of them

Pompous and arrogant demeanor

Anti-Social Personality Disorder:

Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest

Deception, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure

Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead

Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults

Reckless disregard for safety of self or others

Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations

Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another

Hmmmmmmmmmm..... Wonder who that could possibly sound like?

Donald Trump, the so-called President of the United States, literally meets to one degree or another every single symptom of both of those disorders. Even the ones you might not expect - for instance, he's openly talked about how much he loves fighting, even physical fights. He's repeatedly conned people, screwed people over, failed to honor financial obligations, acted impulsively, shown zero empathy of any kind for anyone, and just been an all-around psychopath. That's simply what he is. That is all there is to it. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it, no doubts whatsoever in my mind. There is a psychopath in the White House. That's a fact, not an opinion. Claims that he raped children? Not really that hard for me to believe knowing this. So, probably a child rapist in the White House too. But you didn't hear it from me folks, it's just that I heard many people are saying this.

So why is this relevant, you're saying? I thought you were going to type him, not diagnose him? Well, if he has a personality disorder or two, that's obviously highly relevant to any discussion of his personality type. And both of them are correlated to one type in particular: ESTP.

Let's put on the brakes for a moment so no one misunderstands me: NO, I am NOT saying that all ESTPs are psychopaths. Not. At. All. My own type, ENTP, is ALSO correlated to these disorders to a degree. Other types also have personality disorder correlations: INTP is correlated to schizotypal, ISTJ to obsessive-compulsive, etc. That does NOT mean that everyone of these types has these disorders. What it DOES mean is that if you have one of these disorders, there's a pretty strong chance you are a type that is correlated to it.

See, in Carl Jung's original writings regarding psychological types, he was working from observations derived from a clinical population, not ordinary folks. So when he initially described the types, he was describing trends he noticed among mentally unhealthy people. To Jung, being an extreme example of any type was bad. That's why he said that anyone who was all-introvert or all-extrovert belongs an insane asylum. He would know; he'd worked there.

So we can apply that concept to the modern day and see how people who are at or near the extreme ends of each personality trait are probably what you might call "strong personalities." Cartoonish, larger-than-life caricatures. And Donald Trump sure as hell fits the bill when it comes to the ESTP type. He's what you get if you take every extreme, exaggerated, stereotypical, negative description of that type - the promoter, the dealmaker, the con artist, the bully, etc. - put them all in a blender, and turn the result into a real live human being. It's fucking frightening.

There is simply nothing else he could possibly be. There is a snowball's chance in hell of Donald Trump being an I, N, F, or J of any kind. Can you honestly see Donald Trump - loudmouth, boisterous, attention-grabbing blowhard - as an introvert? Can you honestly see Donald Trump - the guy who doesn't read, who acts instead of thinking, who has spent his entire life obsessed with superficial materialism - as an intuitive type? Donald Trump, the world's biggest asshole to whom "empathy" and "morality" are foreign concepts, an F type? Donald Trump - the impulsive, unplanned, and scattered rule-breaker - a J type?

HA! No. Fucking. Way. The man is scarily ESTP. He's one of those people who is so obviously a particular type that it gives credibility to MBTI in my mind, one of the reasons I keep coming back to it in spite of its multitude of problems. He fits his type too uncannily well for it to be pure coincidence. Now maybe for you and I, and most people, we're balanced on one or more traits so it's a little harder to nail our types down. But not The Donald! He is an E-S-T-Period. As with everything about him, it's all or nothing.

Now here's his Big Five chart:

If that's exaggerated, it's not by much.

Openness: People high in openness are typically liberal, or at least open-minded and understanding of the complexities of political issues. What they are almost never is right-wing authoritarian. (Hitler is one yuge exception, but we'll get to that later.) They read books (it's debatable whether Donald is even literate), they are interested in intellectual pursuits, they like fine art and high culture (the endowments for which Donald has just gutted). So... Pretty much no signs of openness here.

Conscientiousness: Part of Trump's, ahem, "appeal" during his campaign was that he was so different from typical politicians. He didn't read off the telemprompter. He didn't calculate every move he made. He was spontaneous and improvised most of his speech and moves. That impulsivity that's part of his trademark is one major aspect of low conscientiousness. The other major part of it is irreverence for rules and a hatred of established authorities and systems. That was the other big part of Donald's... "appeal." So again, no signs of conscientiousness in sight, just the opposite.

Extroversion: A guy who talks big, who asserts himself, who makes himself the loudest and most dominant presence in any room he enters, a so-called "alpha male." That's no introvert. Donald makes both his rival he stole the election from, Hillary Clinton, and his predecessor and last legitimate president, Barack Obama, look like extreme introverts in comparison to himself. In reality they are only mildly introverted, but they appear that way compared to Donald, who is incredibly larger-than-life. The only reason Donald has gotten far in life is because he's turned the fact that he never shuts up and is constantly placing himself in the center of attention to his advantage. If he was a shy or reserved introvert, he'd never have gone anywhere and we'd all be better off for it.

Agreeableness: Do I really need to explain this one? Really? Because I shouldn't. Donald Trump has no conscience, no empathy, no manners, no decency, no nothing related to agreeableness whatsoever. He is the textbook example of low agreeableness. He may in fact literally be lower in agreeableness than every other human being on the face of the planet. I put him at rock bottom for three qualities - openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness - but really for this one he is far below rock bottom. It's just self-explanatory.

Neuroticism: Look at his tweets! This is one sensitive, reactive, whiny, angsty, insecure, hot-headed, tantrum-throwing man-baby if ever I've seen one. Donald has literally called others neurotic in his tweets, which is good for one hell of a laugh! Like everything else he says, it is textbook projection.

So, again, what does that translate to in MBTI-speak?

ESTP-T

All letters in giant, bold, solid gold caps.

OK, that's it until next time. Thank god I have this miserable son of a bitch out of the way on my blog at least, even if I still have to hear about him every time I get a notification on my phone.