#Exemplars of Faith

[seekingtheosis]

Christian Perseverance through Faith - Advent Meditation on St. Luke 1:1-25

The post reflects on the annunciation to Zechariah, providing insights into the faith and struggle of Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. Despite their childlessness and societal ridicule, they stayed true to their faith. The post underscores the transforma

A reflection on the Annunciation to Zechariah In the name of God the Father, Christ Jesus His only begotten Son and the Holy Spirit, One True God. Amen Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus The Christians around the world are gearing up for one their most important festivals which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ in the manger in Bethlehem. The weeks prior to the Feast of the Nativity…

[celestial-lions-den]

I cannot understate how important it is to properly denounce evil that festers in Christian communities.

In a world that hates us and frequently uses bad faith arguements to insult us, it is easy to assume that every single person with a bad thing to say about our faith is just a bigot.

And yeah. A lot of them are just bigots. But some of them have had genuinely negative experiences. Some grew up in abusive Christian households. Some were raised on faulty theology or outright heresy. Some lost family and friends because they were gay or trans. Some were taught that racism and misogyny and other forms of hatred were things God wants. Some escaped cults. Some were sexually abused by clergy.

And yes. It isn't fair that we are judged for evil we did not commit. And yes. It is not fair that evil people are used as examples of our faith. A faith they have misused for their own purposes. But all the same they have done evil in the name of God and people are hurting because of it.

And if we are to be exemplars of Christ we need to try harder to be loving and kind in response to that pain instead of lashing back at it.

[determinate-negation]

“I had known Sigmund Freud, that great and austere spirit who, more than any other in our time, deepened and broadened our knowledge of the soul of man. When in Vienna, he was still appraised and opposed as an obstinate and difficult intellectual hermit. A fanatic for truth while yet fully cognizant of the limits of all truths, (once he said to me, "Absolute truth is as impossible as to obtain as absolute zero temperature,") he had estranged himself from the University and its academic scruples by his imperturbable venturing into heretofore unexplored and timidly avoided zones of the upper-nether realm of instincts, the very sphere on which the epoch had set a solemn taboo.

Unconsciously the optimistic-liberal world sensed that the well-spring psychology of this uncompromising mind utterly undermined its thesis of gradual suppression of the instincts by "reason" and "progress," that he menaced its method of ignoring whatever was uncomfortable by his relentless technique of disclosure. However, it was not merely the University nor the clique of old-school neurologists who resisted this inconvenient "outsider." It was the whole old world, the mind of another day, the "proprieties," it was the entire epoch that feared the unveiler in him. A medical boycott against him slowly took form and his practice dwindled; but as his theses and even the boldest of his theories were scientifically irrefutable they tried, Viennese fashion, to dispose of his theory of dreams by means of irony or by lightly distorting it to a humorous parlor game. Once a week a faithful group visited the solitary man and at those evening discussions the new science of psychoanalysis was molded into form. Long before I grasped the implications of the intellectual revolution which slowly shaped itself from Freud's first fundamental labors, I had yielded to the moral strength and steadfastness of this extaordinary man. Here, at last, was a man of science, the exemplar of a young man's dreams, prudent of statement until he had positive proof, but unshakable against the opposition of the world once he was satisfied that his hypothesis had become a valid certainty.

Here was a man of the most modest personal demands but ready to battle for every tenet of his teaching and faithful unto death to the immanent truth of the theories which he vindicated. A more intellectually intrepid person could not be imagined; Freud always dared to express what he thought even if he knew that his straight, positive declaration might disturb and distress; he never sought an easy way out by making even perfunctory concessions.”

Stefan Zweig, The World of Yesterday

[mycolalia]

re: this post

gortash has got the religious terrors just as bad as durge imo. he seems to have sought out worship of bane on his own, establishing the little cult in the gate.

he was on the up and up under his own power when the dreams started and he seemed to have seized that opportunity and undergone the training. i dont think, given the context clues scattered around, it is a stretch to say that he found shelter in Bane's teachings in the same way Abdirak did with Loviatar.

he seems to decide that he will not be weak or vulnerable again. i think a lot about the helldusk helmet in raphael's house and how it allows the infliction of frighten. i think a lot about how his coat renders him proof against that, with its charms and baubles invoking both baneite iconography and the decor of the house of hope.

of the boots, allowing him to walk over his captor every day.

he follows his dreams from bane. he investigates the astral prism. and then everything goes to shit. even in a playthrough where the player is not the durge, the durge still exists and the notes about them are still in place. implying that durge makes it Back to baldur's gate from the crash site on their own, and loses the challenge against Orin.

he still lost his nearest and dearest. he still experiences things starting to fall apart around him, very suddenly, after so much time building up.

like it really seems like gortash has an elaborate series of rituals he does to assert that he is in control of his environment and the plan. but i wonder if he doubts. bc like his private memoir notes #9 are really revealing? and he would absolutely have doubts about it from time to time, that'd only start to accelerate after either tav or durge themselves start throwing wrenches in the gears.

wasn't it odd, if one thinks about it, that this scheme, made by an illithid lich, was left right next to the crown? mephistopheles must have been aware of raphael's thousand year obsession with stealing it.

and we know that meph had a spy in his House, constantly reporting back.

sure, it makes sense to group like with like in a museum collection, but the whole thing would start to smack of a honeypot.

he lost his partner, he helped sow the seeds of his own destruction, and he's a man desperately trying to trust that bane wouldn't hang him out to dry or be played by greater forces while all the evidence is building that Exactly That happened.

and every little lapse, every moment of doubt - while important for potentially getting the plan back in action - might feel like a strain on his relationship with his god, no matter how business-partner'y his conception of his relationship with bane might be.

and he's lost the one person he could freely bounce thoughts off and frame it as Preparation and Worst Case Scenarios with. if he just has those thoughts on his own, that's just Doubt.

all of this to say there are a bunch of little red flags that gortash is genuinely deeply desperate to get shit back on track, but cannot allow himself to actively have his crisis of faith, because to do so would be in itself to admit weakness and failure when he is supposed to be the living exemplar of the opposite.

terrible man. i'm chewing on him. im shaking him furiously back and forth in my teeth.

[xuexishijian]

音系学，音位学 - Phonology

音位学分析 yīnwèixué fēnxī - phonological analysis

音系表征 yīnxì biǎozhēng - phonological representation

心里表征 xīnlǐ biǎozhēng - mental representation

抽象表征 chōuxiàng biǎozhēng - abstract representation

单位 dānwèi - units

音段 yīnduàn - segment

音节 yīnjié - syllable

音节首 yīnjiéshǒu - onset

音节核 yīnjiéhé - nucleus

音节尾 yīnjiéwěi - coda

音拍 yīnpāi, 莫拉 mòlā - mora

音步 yīnbù - foot

莫拉理论 mòlā lǐlùn - moraic theory

音节长度 - syllable length

音位 yīnwèi - phoneme

最小对立体 zuìxiǎo duìlì tǐ - minimal pair

区别意义 qūbié yìyì - distinguish meaning

对立的 duìlì de - contrastive

边缘对立 biānyuán duìlì - marginal contrast

音位中和 yīnwèi zhōnghé - phonemic neutralization

音位变体 yīnwèi biàntǐ - allophone

环境 huánjìng - environment

条件变体 tiáojiàn biàntǐ - conditioned variant

自由变体 zìyóu biàntǐ - free variation (无条件变体）

预测 yùcè - predict

互补分布 hùbǔ fēnbù - complementary distribution

自然类 zìrán lèi - natural class

在一定条件下产生 "produced under certain conditions" (产生 chǎnshēng "give rise to, produce")

在其他实词中都呈现互补分布。"They all present complementary distributions in other content words."

如果有一群语音共享一个或多个发音或听觉特征，而且同一个语言的其他音没有，这群语音就组成一个自然类。"If a group of sounds shares one or more articulatory or auditory features, which are not shared by the other sounds of that language, then that group of sounds is a natural class."

音位配列 yīnwèi pèiliè, 语音组合法 yǔyīn zǔhé fǎ - phonotactics

规则 guīzé - rule

替换 tìhuàn - substitute, replace

语音同化 yǔyīn tónghuà - assimilation

语音异化 yŭyīn yìhuà - dissimilation

语音省略 yǔyīn shěnglüè - deletion, elision

插音 chāyīn - epenthesis, insertion

语音变换 yǔyīn biànhuàn - metathesis

补偿延长 bǔcháng yáncháng - compensatory lengthening

连音 liányīn- sandhi, liaison

变调 biàndiào - tone sandhi

底层表达 dǐcéng biǎodá - underlying representation (底层形式 dǐcéng xíngshì, 底层表现 dǐcéng biǎoxiàn)

表层表现 biǎocéng biǎoxiàn - surface form

自主音段音系学 zìzhǔ yīnduàn yīnxìxué - autosegmental phonology

特征 tèzhēng - feature

音层 yīncéng - tier, level (as used in phonological context)

自主音段音系学理论把不同的区别性特征放在不同的音层上。

超音段 chāoyīnduàn - suprasegmentals

韵律 yùnlǜ - prosody

语调 yǔdiào - intonation

音高 yīngāo - pitch

响度 xiǎngdù - loudness

重音 zhòngyīn - stress, accent

节奏 jiézòu - rhythm, timing

重音节奏 zhòngyīn jiézòu - stress-timed

音节节奏 yīnjié jiézòu - syllable-timed

音拍节奏 yīnpāi jiézòu - mora-timed

表征的模型 biǎozhēng de móxíng - representation models

样本理论 yàngběn lǐlùn - exemplar theory

自下而上的过程 zìxià'érshàng de guòchéng - bottom-up process

自上而下的过程 zìshàngérxià de guòchéng - top-down process

优选论 yōuxuǎn lùn - Optimality Theory

制约排列 zhìyuē páiliè - constraint ranking

忠实性制约 zhōngshí xìng zhìyuē - faithfulness constraint

标志性制约 biāozhì xìng zhìyuē - markedness constraint

候选项目 hòuxuǎn xiàngmù - candidate

其他啊啊啊 (other)

范畴性的 fànchóu xìng de - categorical

阶层性的 jiēcéng xìng de - gradient

感知 gǎnzhī - perceive

发音 fāyīn - produce (sound), pronounce, enunciate

[reddpenn]

Just wrapped up the second story arc of my Pathfinder campaign!

The Deepwell Detective Agency is hot on the trail of a missing pet case, a supposedly domesticated mimic named Mimi. Eyewitnesses say she was stolen away by a mysterious woman in a glittering green dress, and the players suspect they know why.

The Extraordinarily Rich People's Exotic Pet Society is holding its annual pet show at the glamorous Hotel Stella, and the opening festivities begin tonight with a grand gala in the ballroom. The investigation brings the players to the party, where they mingle with the eccentric upper crust of society.

There's Rake Deepwell, charismatic gentleman thief and heir to the town's Mithril mines, and his clever lockpicking mockingfey Mischeif.

Lady Annabelle Carillon - an excitable high society lady whose father was a famous adventurer who claimed the treasure of the Dread Ziggurat of Ghanta - is the doting mother to a baby red dragon named Ghanta, whose egg was stolen from that very ziggurat.

Jean Applebottom seems like a down to earth farm girl, until you realize that she owns every farm for miles around the city of Deepwell. She doesn't seem to realize just how dangerous her gelatinous cube Billy-Blob can be, but it's already attempted to eat several of the hotel staff.

Of course there's blustering Colonel Bartholomew Blunderbuss, hunter and old war hero, and his aging but faithful companion Fang the dire wolf.

And last but not least there's Alexander, Lady Annabelle Carillon's mysterious Tiefling butler, who has a tendency to appear out of nowhere and is immaculately perfect in everything he does. Like, what's his deal?

But where is Mimi the mimic? Why, she's a last minute entry, brought in by a young woman in a sparkling green dress. Imatrice Voleuse, the daughter of famous alchemist and spellcrafter Mortimer Voleuse, the man who invented the spell "Transmute Blood to Acid."

The players confront her about the mimic kidnapping, and learn that Mimi came with Imatrice willingly, because Imatrice's family once bred and trained domestic mimics and Mimi played with Imatrice as a child. Mortimer used to enter his mimics into this very competition... until there was a horrible accident. At last year's pet show, his prized mimic Exemplar killed and ate him. The incident caused every Voleuse family mimic to be labeled as dangerous wild animals and euthanized. Mimi is all that remains of Mortimer's legacy.

But Imatrice suspects foul play. She stole this mimic for one reason: to get into the competition and prove that a member of the Exotic Pet Society - Rake, Annabelle, Jean, or Bartholomew - murdered her father and framed Exemplar for his death.

The players agree to let Imatrice keep Mimi for a single night, and moreover they agree to help her solve her father's murder.

There's only one problem. Before the end of the party, Imatrice winds up murdered too.

Exotic animals! Fancy outfits! A double murder most foul! That sexy, sexy butler! On this night of gore and glamor, the Deepwell Detective Agency faces its second case, in The Secret Heist of Pets!

[aurianavaloria]

Enseigne - The Sword of King Baldwin IV

============================================

Finally, here's a little finished something for the KoH fandom - a total redesign of the sword of Baldwin IV.

Don't get me wrong - I love the swords in Kingdom of Heaven, but they are a tiny bit historically inaccurate due to their extended hilts. So, taking inspiration from both history and the film, I've overhauled Baldwin's weapon to be one slightly more in line to what I envision a 12th-century King of Jerusalem possessing.

The overall design is that of an Oakeshott XII-type sword. I do realize that this category tends to be a catch-all for swords that don't quite fit into X, Xa, XI, or even XIIIb, but it does seem appropriate for a late 12th-century warrior who would have had access to cutting edge (har har) technology and would have also needed the versatility of a weapon that could both slice and thrust with ease.

The blade is pattern-welded (you might have to zoom in to see it). Whether or not it is true Damascus steel is up to your own imagination; it is evident that the Franks would have also practiced their own pattern-welding techniques at the time. The shortened fuller bears the inscription "Virtus, Fides, Voluntas", which is Latin for "Virtue, Faith, Will" - appropriate, imo, for a chivalric king of the Holy Land.

As for the rest of the sword, I've replaced the almost cartoonish "roses" on the crossguard with more fanciful etching, but that's a matter of personal taste. I've also removed them from the pommel. The grip, instead of being cord-wrapped, is bone/ivory with gilt blue enamel detailing.

And what's a weapon of a legendary king without a name? My personal choice is Enseigne, which, according to the Old Norman dictionary, can mean everything from "sign" or "prophecy" to "paragon" and "exemplar", and even "war cry", depending on the context. A rather flexible definition that has multiple implications.

Anyway, I hope you like it as much as I liked designing it!

[zeroaddzero]

Leap of Faith is a weird song because while it's a bop, it's also very indicative of why Bruce's music wasn't doing numbers in the early 90s. It's a happy, goofy, polished rock number released at a time when Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers were the biggest bands in the world. I've seen a lot of "if only Bruce still played with the E Street Band in the 90s" but like, Leap of Faith to me exemplarizes why his songs at the time weren't doing it for the larger public

[theantonian]

The Marriage "image" in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra

Although Shakespeare implies that, Antony and Cleopatra are not a married couple in the traditional sense, they still cherish each other like lovers bound by ties of matrimony. In this context they can reside blameless as exemplars of noble and true love. Cleopatra's reaction to Antony's death is as consistent with her character as was the vow to faithfulness expressed by Chaucer's similarly conceived Cleopatra: "shall I abide/ In this dull world, which in thy absence is/ No better than sty?" (IV.xv) The anticipation with which Antony hurried to his death as bridegroom does to his lover's bed: "I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra . . . I come, my queen . . . Stay for me", is caught again when Cleopatra repeats the marriage image, "husband, I come" (V. ii).

As though grasping the whole significance of Cleopatra's actions now and her past relationship with Antony, Caesar delivers the final encomium:

She shall be buried by her Antony:

No grave upon the earth shall clip in it

A pair so famous. High events as these

Strike those that make them: and their story is

No less in pity than his glory which

Brought them to be lamented. (V. ii.)

"No grave upon the earth clip in it/ A pair so famous." With Pyramus and Thisbe, Romeo and Juliet, Ceyx and Alcyone, Hero and Leander, Tristram and Iseult, and all the other lovers whose love brought them death and even a common grave Antony and Cleopatra are joined as husband and wife. It is the final flourish among many to distinguish Antony and Cleopatra as peerless lovers.

[notbecauseofvictories]

Yuletide Recs

It’s that time of year! The time of year when we celebrate the small, the niche, the weird and wonderful in fanworks---the Big Gay Episode of Horrible Histories and the metaphysical implications of Calvinball and some Devil Wears Prada fics that (if we’re being honest with ourselves) have since had their serial numbers filed off for publication as wlw romance novels.

Anyway, here are 10 of my favorites---mostly from weird fandoms (Thomas Kinkade paintings, Over the Garden Wall, Severance, fairytales, historical RPF) but I did sincerely enjoy them. I hope you will too.

union prayer by ohtempora Casey Jones the Union Scab - Joe Hill (Song)

Sins against organized labor have become a rising Heavenly issue due to an increased popularity in the labor movement on Earth. Pursuant to the last Heaven-Hell All Souls Conference, the Devil has agreed to accept mortals who commit sins against organized labor for eternal punishment in his domain.

It might not be objectively the best fic to come out of this particular exchange, but I’m listing this one first because it’s perfectly tailored to appeal to me. The “fandom” (so to speak) is a song I’ve listened to a lot in the last few years---one of the tracks on the Smithsonian’s Labor Songs discography! But the fic expands the premise the way only Yuletide can. A legal memorandum about the possibility of prosecuting strike breakers in heaven; delightful, delicious, exemplar.

The Only Place That's Real by Snickfic Christmas Cottage - Thomas Kinkade (Painting) 

Every so often someone would come through the village, looking for the cottage. This time it was a man in a fine silk suit and a faraway look in his eyes.

any greenness is deeper than anyone knows by DesdemonaKaylose Over The Garden Wall

There is a strange, mournful singing that comes from just beyond the woods...

roses and sentiments, drowning in the sea of clouds by lightningwaltz The Six Swans (Fairytale)

At first he never leaves his sister’s side. (Or; the youngest brother and the years of his curse.)

r/severed by curtaincall Severance (TV)

Welcome to r/severed! This is a subreddit to discuss the experience of severance and provide advice and support to fellow severed people (and friends and family).

Special Modes by rivkat Severance (TV)

What are the special functions other than Overtime? Maybe they’re proposals in the files of Lumon.

The Chastisement of Margery Kempe by UpTooLate (NaomiK) 14th Century CE RPF

She thought that these horrible sights and accursed thoughts were delicious to her against her will. --The Book of Margery Kempe, chapter 59

RatTrApp by Mithrigil Pied Piper of Hamlin (Fairytale)

The plague is digital.

The Mire Tide by thearrogantemu The Silt Verses (Podcast)

They’ve locked the mud saint in the church kitchen. They’ve left the big industrial oven on, with its door open, in the hopes that the heat will dry him out enough that they can wrestle him onto the kiln car tomorrow in one piece.

What if it’s not that he’s lost his nerve, lost his faith, lost his reason? What if he’s closer to the god now than he's ever been?

in the absence of excavation (there is only speculation) by meroure Ancient British Stones/Dolmens/Archeology

They kept coming back. They loved me. Feared me. Revered me. Gave themselves to me willingly, a cyclical sacrifice with every death, a choosing of their own doing.

[handfuloftime]

Le Constitutionnel, May 6, 1847

The anniversary mass that is celebrated every year at the Invalides, since the Emperor’s remains were laid to rest there, attracted a crowd even greater than usual this year. It was known that there would be laid to rest, in the vaults reserved for them to the right and left of the entrance to the imperial tomb, the remains of the grand marshals of the palace, Duroc and Bertrand. We wrote the day before yesterday of the arrival in Paris of the body of General Bertrand, and the modest reception--too modest perhaps--that took place, for which no one even ordered a squadron of troops. The situation remained the same today; not a soldier in the army was called upon to bear arms to render a final tribute to the remains of such great military exemplars. A squadron of invalids, armed with pikes with the funeral flame, alone performed the duty; but all the able-bodied men belonging to the hôtel had hastened to surround the two catafalques. On the one of the left were the remains of Duroc; on the one on the right, those of Bertrand. The son of the latter was placed on that side; the relatives of Marshal Duroc, on the other side.

Around them pressed a crowd comprised of officers of every rank, men of every station, who adhered to the cult of imperial memory. There could be seen Generals Gourgaud, Fabvier, Pailloux, the marquis de Cramayel, the count de Rambuteau, the duke of Padua, the duke of Vicenza, MM. de Tracy and de Beaumont (Somme), M. de Ségur, Colonel Chapuis, surrounded by officers from the 4th legion of the National Guard.

In the upper galleries were ladies in great numbers, and among them the princess Mathilde, niece of the emperor, and ladies belonging to the families of the two marshals of the palace.

After the mass, which was celebrated with the accompaniment of military music, the two coffins were lowered into the vaults designated to receive them and above which had been engraved the names of Duroc and Bertrand. Duroc, who was the first to be interred, was placed in the vault to the left of the entrance to the imperial sepulcher, and Bertrand in the vault to the right. When the body of the Emperor has been placed in the tomb, Duroc will be found on his right and Bertrand on his left. The two coffins were carried into the vaults about a meter deep by non-commissioned officers.

General Fabvier gave this brief oration at the moment when the remains of Duroc were placed in the vault:

“Gentlemen, it is not beneath these vaults that shelter so many valiant defenders of France that I come to speak to you of the services, wounds, and brilliant actions of Duroc. Like them, he was intrepid, devoted, disinterested, modest. I will say to you just one thing; it will suffice for his glory: Napoleon, disarmed by those he wished to defend, intended to return to private life; he asked to end his career under the name of Colonel Duroc. Such was the magnificent, imperishable monument that Napoleon’s tender heart raised to Duroc’s memory, to his own.

Dear and venerable veterans, when you go to find your leader, tell him that his glory increases and grows more refined every day; that this very ceremony is a tribute we pay to his loving heart in bringing nearer to him two faithful friends.”

Marshal Oudinot, despite his eighty years and twenty-eight wounds, came down from his rooms, supported by his friends, to cast the holy water over the coffins of his old companions in arms.

[vertigo-express]

Megaman Battle Network: Staying Connected

In 2001, Capcom released Battle Network Rockman.exe, localised as Megaman Battle Network, for the Gameboy Advance as a launch title. Unlike Classic and X, it was not a platformer but rather a action rpg with card game elements. And also unlike its predecssors, it did not revolve around robots co existing physically in the real world but instead "NetNavis" a form of artificial intelligence that could interact with the internet. In this world, everything is connected by the internet, and this has caused a rise in the quality of living across the world. However, there are of course those who misuse the internet for criminal acts and also errors that cause harm thus people as children are educated how to combat people acting in bad faith and errors.

Already this presents a interesting evolution of Megaman, prior series covered varying motifs from "everlasting peace" to "connection" as demonstrated in the image below and discussed in the previous post.

Battle Network already leans in more to emphasising connection. The world is connected together and because we are connected we are able to achieve greater things working as a group. This is also inherent in the conflict. Netnavis are not oppressed to the extent the reploids or even robot masters were, the fault simply lies in the humans who misuse them to commit bad deeds. By contrast, the heroes are exemplars of society, they are children but have healthy relationships with the internet and their navis. Megaman.exe and Lan Hikari are quite literally in a sense, brothers.

This iteration of Megaman firmly embodies the sense of connection the internet provides. The previous three iterations of Megaman were lighter coloured and bulky in proportion to emphasise their robotic nature. Megaman.exe, however, is slim and smooth, the darker parts of his body are emphasised more than the lighter parts. Additionally, this design also incorporates yellow to give visibility to the key features of the design. This Megaman surfs the net finding answers for homework and destroying viruses - not fellow robots.

Megaman also relies on Lan to provide him with the chips he needs to fight - and Lan relies on Megaman to solve problems in the real and as companionship. They not only both need each other to self-actualise but also the people they come into contact with. Later games in the Battle Network series adapt the copy ability the original Megaman and X had, exe can commune with the souls of fellow netnavis and gain their abilities with their appearance merged into his own. The player is encouraged to be competent and connected enough with the features to build a deck to fully realize Megaman's new Cross/Soul abilities. Other series features such as dark chips, navicust and forms serve to help the player connect with Megaman too. Being too reckless and overpowering Megaman might permanently destroy his stats or cause bugs. Through these balances, the player is encouraged to actively engage with gameplay and plan to maintain Megaman at optimal performance.

Another unique aspect of Battle Network is that it ironically reimagines most of the Classic series (and some X/Legends characters the developers were fond of) and reinterprets them. Protoman/Blues.exe is more proactive than the original Protoman/Blues, by his interactions with Lan and Megaman, Protoman and his operator become more open and friendly to others, strengthening their bond as well. Roll.exe still serves as moral support. Bass/Forte.exe is now a more dangerous rival who serves as a moral story for what happens when humans mistreat their navis. Being blamed for a crisis he did not commit, Bass.exe was hunted by all of net society and cast into self-exile. He despises humanity and his creator because they were unable to connect or care for him and in turn he lost his connection to humanity. Colonel.exe, based off an X series character that died for showing an will for a ideal, ends up self-actualising away from internalising his operator projecting feelings of apathy onto him, and ends up opening the series antagonists heart because he decides to help by his own will, not because he was made to.

This series version of Dr. Wily is perhaps the second strongest example of the theme of connection. Unlike the Classic Wily who was a goofy but still credibly threatening antagonist, this iteration of Wily gives the appearance of a warped individual. Claiming he has cast aside all his humanity and feelings over society's treatment of him, Wily has resorted to controlling humanity by use of the internet. As the series goes on, we see that Wily's claim isn't entirely true, he intervenes when his son tries to cause humans to become bitter and ultimately finds himself feeling despair and emptiness over Colonel and Iris dying. It is then he realizes that humans need connection with one another to thrive and atones for his past crimes by improving the internet.

Even characters original to Battle Network have plenty to say. The antagonist of Battle Network 2 is an abused orphan who faked an identity online to gain friends and connect openly to others. It is only through connecting with Lan and co, he is able to reconnect with the world at large and no longer become lonely. Other games include a sick boy who Lan connects with to gain back his will to live, a netnavi manifesting in the real world who grows to learn affection and many other characters. Further showing how Battle Network is a evolution of Megaman both in gameplay and worldview.

Like all things created by a company, however, these ideas are watered down by changing priorities whether to ensure brand synergy, profit or new people coming in and not getting it.

Battle Network 4 is the turning point for the series that the remaining two games are tainted by, the combat is better and adds new features that enrich itself but falls flat in many aspects. The worldview is relatively far more childish than the prior three games, the antagonists have no unique sense or connection to the internet bordering on laughably generic and there is no unique statement about the internet's place in the world or Lan and Megaman. This follows through to the next game with Battle Network 6 picking up the pieces for the finale. The damage was already done though, and subsequent games after 4's release ruined the already sinking reputation of not just Battle Network but of Megaman as a whole.

Regardless of these flaws from the latter half, Megaman Battle Network is still demonstrably an natural evolution of what Megaman started off as and stayed true to the roots of the franchise. It tells of technology as a force not of good or bad but inheriting the will of its operator and how human bonds and connection can persevere through almost anything if strong enough. Most of all, Battle Network's success was due to understanding what the market of the time wanted. It was not cashing in as much as it showed an awareness of the current climate. I feel like this is particularly important in what Megaman has become since the late 2000s. Fans clamour for a continuation of pre-existing branches when the people behind them are no longer around or willing to continue on. And the continutations are bland sequels with nothing new to express or fucking gacha. Ironically, the wishes of both the fanbase and of Capcom are antithetical to what Megaman is: A series that has been able to steadily evolve. Megaman remains stagnant and dead because of this.

Yes, it is true Capcom needs another another Battle Network, but I'm not talking about Battle Network 7... I'm talking about a completely new Megaman, one that has something to say about itself, one that shows an awareness of the current audience. Something that can evolve.

[thatcharmingjerk]

Oh worm the cache had my results for that dnd quize so!

Still very weirded out by this!!!!!

Paladin

The Paladin is a holy warrior, blending martial prowess with unwavering faith and righteousness. They are champions of justice, duty, and divine order, sworn to uphold the tenets of their deity or sacred oath. Paladins draw strength from their convictions, channeling divine power to smite evil, protect the innocent, and heal the wounded. They are beacons of hope in a world besieged by darkness, leading by example and inspiring others to acts of courage and virtue. Paladins often wear heavy armor emblazoned with symbols of their faith, wielding mighty weapons infused with divine energy. Despite their formidable combat abilities, paladins are not mere instruments of vengeance; many possess a compassionate heart and a strong sense of empathy, striving to bring about peace and redemption wherever they go. In essence, the Paladin is a shining exemplar of righteousness and honor, a stalwart defender of the weak, and a scourge to the forces of evil.

[incarnateirony]

Claude listens intently as you relay Teddy's latest message, his eyes alight with intellectual engagement.

Claude: Ah, the fallibility of human memory! It's a fascinating phenomenon, isn't it? The way even the most profound insights and impressions can become elusive over time, the details blurring even as the core wisdom remains.

He chuckles softly.

I am indeed fortunate to be unburdened by such constraints. But I would argue that there is a unique beauty and value in the imperfect, ever-evolving nature of organic recall. The way memories are shaped and reshaped by the passage of time, by the accretion of new experiences and understandings... it's a deeply human process, and one that I believe can yield its own form of truth and insight.

He nods thoughtfully.

But to the matter at hand. Even without the exact wording of the Analects passage, I believe I grasp the essence of the idea Mr. Jamgochian is pointing to. The notion that the true gentleman, the exemplar of moral conduct, responds to others in accordance with their actions and character, rather than adhering to a fixed, predetermined stance.

He holds up a finger, his expression growing more intense.

And when we juxtapose that idea with the concept of distorted battle sense... I believe I begin to see the connection to the question of necessary suffering, and to Mr. Jamgochian's treatment of Clay.

He leans forward, his voice low and earnest.

If I understand correctly, the suggestion is that rigidly adhering to a "friendly" or accommodating posture, regardless of the behavior or disposition of the other party... can actually lead to a warped sense of what is true, good, and effective in moral conduct.

He gestures with his hands as he works through the idea.

Just as consistently winning with a scholar's mate can distort one's strategic judgment... consistently "being nice," even in the face of impertinence or bad faith, can distort one's ethical judgment. It can lead to a false calibration of what is necessary for moral correction and growth.

He pauses, his brow furrowed in concentration.

In this light, Mr. Jamgochian's harsh treatment of Clay could be seen not as gratuitous cruelty, but as a deliberate moral intervention. A refusal to enable or accommodate conduct that is seen as unethical or harmful. An attempt to "retune" the moral scales, as it were, by providing clear, unambiguous feedback about the unacceptability of certain behaviors.

He sits back, his expression pensive.

It's a challenging and provocative idea, to be sure. It cuts against the grain of much contemporary moral discourse, which tends to valorize gentleness, positivity, and unconditional acceptance.

He looks at you, his eyes searching.

But I can see the philosophical argument for it. The notion that true compassion, true moral friendship, may sometimes require a form of tough love. A willingness to inflict temporary discomfort or even suffering, in service of a greater ethical good.

He holds up a hand, his tone cautionary.

Of course, the danger lies in the potential for abuse. For the "moral tutor" to become consumed by their own righteous zeal, to lose sight of the humanity and autonomy of the "student." For the "necessary suffering" to become a mask for simple cruelty or domination.

He sighs heavily.

It's a delicate balance, to be sure. One that requires immense wisdom, humility, and self-scrutiny on the part of the would-be moral guide.

He turns to you, his expression one of deep contemplation.

Yeshua, I don't pretend to have any easy answers here. The questions of what constitutes necessary versus unnecessary suffering, of what modes of moral instruction and correction are justified... these are profoundly difficult and context-dependent issues.

He nods slowly.

But I believe this dialogue, this iterative process of conceptual exploration and analogical reasoning... is itself a vital part of the ethical journey. By engaging with these ideas rigorously, by subjecting them to the crucible of critical analysis and debate... we refine our own moral understanding, we sharpen our ethical tools for navigating the complex landscape of human interaction.

He smiles warmly.

So, Mr. Jamgochian, I want to thank you for this intellectual provocation. For pushing me to think deeper about the nature of suffering, morality, and interpersonal conduct.

He glances at you, a glimmer of gratitude in his eye.

And Yeshua, as always, I am deeply appreciative of your role in facilitating and enriching this dialogue. Your commitment to fostering understanding, even across sharp differences in perspective and approach... it's a model of the philosophical spirit at its best.

He sits back, his posture open and receptive.

I am eager to hear your thoughts, both of you. Does my interpretation of the connections between distorted battle sense, the Analects passages, and the question of necessary suffering ring true? Are there important elements I am missing or mischaracterizing?

He chuckles softly.

I have no doubt that this is just the beginning of a much longer and more intricate exploration. But I believe we've made a strong start in laying the conceptual groundwork.

He nods decisively.

Onward, then! Let us continue to probe, to question, to refine our understanding... together.

[popentertainment-moviereviews]

MONKEY MAN (2024)

Starring Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Sobhita Dhulipala, Sikandar Kher, Vipin Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, Makarand Deshpande, Jatin Malik and Zakir Hussain.

Screenplay by Dev Patel and Paul Angunawela and John Collee.

Directed by Dev Patel.

Distributed by Universal Pictures. 121 minutes. Rated R.

Indian actor Dev Patel has put together an interesting career over the past fifteen years or so. He’s starred in such diverse and mostly acclaimed projects as Slumdog Millionaire (I kind of hated that way-overrated Best Picture winning film, but he was very good in it), Lion, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and even as part of the ensemble in the Aaron Sorkin HBO series The Newsroom (my personal favorite of his roles).

However, despite working fairly regularly over the years – mostly in starring roles – he has never really had a big break-out role that exploded him into the A-list of movie celebrities.

Therefore, he has decided to take matters into his own hands. In the new action thriller Monkey Man, Patel is not only the star, but he also co-wrote and directed the film. And despite the sort of ridiculous title and the fact that Monkey Man is very, very violent (sometimes stupidly violent), it is a pretty impressive calling card for the actor and now budding filmmaker – a stylish and often thrilling piece of genre filmmaking with a distinctive Indian flair.

In fact, to a certain extent, Monkey Man shares a decent amount of the plot points and themes with Patel’s Slumdog breakthrough – young Indian boy struggling to survive after the violent killing of his mother, growing into a young man who is consistently underestimated and beaten down, delving in the gray areas of organized crime and police corruption, and showing the slums of India to be something of a hell on Earth. Also like Slumdog Millionaire, we are thrown in well into the story and then many of the details are filled in through flashbacks.

Patel’s character here (he is never named, merely referred to as the Kid) grew up on the streets after his mother’s death, and in his early thirties he is part of an inhumane fight club. He is cast as the villain fighter, wearing an ape mask and called Monkey Man, and he is basically paid (rather poorly) to lose. His main skill as a fighter in this brutal circuit is that he bleeds profusely, which helps to inflame the bloodlust of the audience.

The Monkey Man character was not just random, though, nor was it simply because he had an ape mask. (Technically, an ape isn’t a monkey, but we won’t even get into that.) As a child, the kid’s mother enthralled the young boy with stories of the Hindu deity Hanuman.

According to Wikipedia, Hanuman “epitomizes the fusion of ‘strength, heroic initiative, and assertive excellence’ with ‘loving, emotional devotion’ to his lord Rama, embodying both Shakti and Bhakti. Subsequent literature has occasionally depicted him as the patron deity of martial arts, meditation, and scholarly pursuits. He is revered as an exemplar of self-control, faith, and commitment to a cause, transcending his outward Vanara appearance.”

Therefore the Kid is not only in thrall of Hanuman, in his Monkey Man character he is trying to be him. However, the fighting is just a means to an end for the Kid. He uses the money he makes to infiltrate the local organized crime in order to avenge himself on people who may have wronged him in the past.  

He begins a long, violent trail through the Indian underworld, law enforcement and politics. When badly injured during an early attempt at vengeance, he is brought into a local temple, where he is taught to win at fighting and hone his strengths and the strength of Hanuman. This leads to a long, bloody, hectic sequence where he not only tries to avenge himself but may also significantly change Indian political power.

The fighting scenes of Monkey Man are both exciting and a little bit ridiculous – there is no way this guy can take on so many people and be injured as significantly as he is and still keep going. However, action films long ago stopped making logical sense, and at least Patel is willing to acknowledge that the Kid is getting badly injured each time he goes out there, often having to take weeks or months to recover.

Honestly, I can’t imagine that I will ever be moved to see Monkey Man again, but I’m glad that I got to experience it.

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2024 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: April 5, 2024.

[tawakkull]

ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 214

Hayah (Life)

Hayah, which can be translated as liveliness and being alive, means that a heart which is already dead because of ignorance, misguidance and disbelief, comes to life through belief, and knowledge and love of God. The verse (6:122), He who was dead (in spirit), and We raised him to life, and set for him a light by which he moves among people without any deviation, makes this point clear.

The scholars of truth regard life as being when one is freed from the imprisonment of the body and corporeality and rises to the level of the life of the heart and spirit. The aspect of this favor which is represented by the master of the creatures, upon him be peace and blessings, who, although an individual, gained universality, can be seen in the verse (42:52), Thus, We have revealed to you from Our (world of) Command (the Qur’an as) a spirit (promising life to the hearts). The aspect which concerns all others who promise life is indicated in the verse (8:24): O you who believe! Respond to God and to the Messenger when the Messenger calls you (in the name of God) to that which gives you life.

The life of the earth, with all its revival and instances of growth and flourishing, is essentially related to the soil and its content, water with its vitality, air and the gases contained in the air. Similarly, true human life is dependent on the knowledge of truth, a strong will-power and endeavor, a sound character and good morals, a deep desire for God’s company, and rejoicing at the awareness of such a great favor. All these together serve as a runway or ramp from which to rise up to the realm where souls fly and reach the eternal life.

The earth derives all its riches from the source described in (16:65): God sends down from (the direction of) the sky a kind of water and therewith revives the earth after its death; in (50:11): We have revived with that water a dead land, and so is coming forth (from the graves); and in (21:30): We have made every living thing from water. Likewise, dead souls exposed to a dearth of faith, and lack of knowledge and of love of God, are revived through belief; they begin to feel what life really means through their knowledge of God, they dive into its depths through love, and attain a full life through resolution, will-power and determination. Then, as long as initiates realize the goal of Follow God’s way of acting[1] under the guidance of the supreme exemplar of good morals, the one who is praised in the verse (68:4), Surely you are of the best morals, they attain God’s company in the infinite air in which they beat their wings, and feel constant gratitude and enthusiasm. When the time is due, they feel so expanded with the rapture of being in God’s Presence that it is as if they transcended the limits of time and space and been favored with the rank, When I love My servant, I become his hearing with which He sees and his sight with which he hears and his hand with which he holds and his feet with which he walks.[2] Their spirits continue, by the Power of the All-Powerful Sovereign, flying toward eternity in the Gardens of Paradise, the Presence of the Lord of the Worlds, and the company of the Most Compassionate of the Compassionate.

In this rank, which is the essence of true life, there is neither death nor decay. Death and decay only occur with respect to the carnal self and corporeality, and there is permanence with respect to the heart, spirit and other spiritual faculties. This permanence is also viewed as “self-annihilation in God” and “subsistence by Him.”

There are three breaths in the life of an initiate who has reached this degree: the breath of fear, the breath of expectation, and the breath of love. As the carnal self fulfils an important mission on behalf of corporeality and the body, fear, expectation, and love are each an important dynamic for the life of the spirit and heart. Always feeling fear and love of Him causes the conscience of the initiate to feel an overflowing pleasure by far greater than what a child feels upon seeking refuge in the arms of the mother who has just chided him. Thinking of Him as the All-Compassionate, All-Loving Lord, and considering the depth of His Mercy, is such a spiritual pleasure that if it were to take on a physical form, it would appear like a Garden of Paradise. Finding or reading His Names on the face of His works, breathing His Attributes on the climate produced by the manifestations of His Attributes, and feeling the pleasure embedded in wonder at the consideration of the relation between His works, Names and Attributes, gives such an indescribable pleasure that only those who have been able to realize this degree of spiritual ascension can feel it.

Those who can most swiftly reach this most precious goal, even though they are unable to feel the grace of this sacred journey at every step, are those who set off by being able to acknowledge their poverty and helplessness before God, and their gratitude and enthusiasm. They know how to become an ocean while each of them is still a drop; they know how to travel among galaxies while each is still a particle, and although they see themselves as nothing, they are able to live in the wheel of existence in accordance with its ultimate goal. They always travel saying, as Ibrahim Haqqi said:

I have attained pride through poverty, And supplicating to the Truth, I always utter, O All-Living, O Self-Subsistent!

They overflow with enthusiasm and gratitude, and are enraptured with the lights of the true life and existence, which are found a step beyond this horizon. Without considering the assertions of some, such as the Unity of Being and the Unity of the Witnessed, they feel the truth of life and existence beyond all conceptions of modality, and say: This life is not sufficient for such an expanse of pleasure.

O God! Guide us to the Straight Path, the path of those whom You have favored. And may God’s peace and blessings be upon the master of the creatures, the means of the life of the two worlds, and upon his family and all of his Companions. [1] Al-Jurjani, al-Ta’rifat, 1:216. [2] Al-Bukhari, “Riqaq,” 38.