#Homogenizing and Transforming World

[zegalba]

Homogenizing and Transforming World (2014) Designed by: teamLab

[llamagoddessofficial]

Okay wait! We need more fae farm Sans please! that was too good! What would it look like when Sans's secret is revealed?

HFKDSJ okay, here's some more.

I really don't think he'd be too worried about it, when you discover his otherworldly nature. Because neither would you. Everyone already knows he's kind of strange, rumours of him not being 'normal' are abound. At that point, you would've already spent many moons getting to know him, being vulnerable without even realising - and you'd be living in a world where fae aren't uncommon at all. He's already proven himself a trustworthy friend. Why would you be scared of him?

... Especially since you have no reason to believe he's anything other than normal fae.

What you (a human) might forget is that the fair folk are not a homogeneous group. Some fae even other fae fear. He's one such entity.

It's difficult to tell if he's more powerful than Dream or Nightmare, considering he spends all his time... well, farming. It's also difficult to compare them because while all three are very ancient, they trace back to very different lineages. Dream and Nightmare are fae of butterflies, flowers, mushrooms, trees, seasons. Farmer is of ferns - of bogs, of gingkos, pine and moss.

Yall remember my Forest God AU? He's like if a Forest God got its act together, and just decided to settle down in a humanoid form. He's lived long enough to know what really matters... things like soft socks, a place to call home, the eyes and lips of a human you love.

He calls you "chickadee". It's his favourite bird.

People from the nearby village will giddily ask if you and Farmer are 'courting'. The delightful but mysterious bachelor finally has someone he likes? Everyone's rooting for him!

You have a very important role, on his farm. Very very important. You're his preserves tester. How is he supposed to know his jams and chutneys are any good, without someone of refined palate to assist him?

He has a really wonderful singing voice.

Old habits die hard; he still likes to trade. But the trades are silly, and often just an excuse for him to play. You want to hear him sing again? Better 'trade' by agreeing to cuddle up by the fire with him. You want another song, because the last sounded so ancient and beautiful and unlike anything you've ever heard? Try his spiced rice pudding, then he'll think about it.

His favourite food is roasted chestnuts.

His farm rests on the boundary between the fae and human worlds. You can enter from either side - and if you're not careful, leave on the wrong side. Farmer always walks you the right way, but if someone he doesn't like decides to make their leave, he might not be so attentive to where they're going.

You can stay at his farm without turning into fae. Alternatively, if you enter his property from the fae side, your transformation into fae is paused.

Wouldn't be surprised if he can reverse an incomplete transformation.

He talks fondly, but in the past tense, about a brother.

[inhuman-obey-me]

The End Times

Well, here we are. The final lessons have been released, all in a flurry. It's been interesting times, y'all.

JK, they said the world of OM will continue, and we're not going away either. We still love our demonic dumbasses. This is, however, the last lesson of the apps. And, uh, we didn't talk about the last 3 before this either, considering the flurry.

So, maybe for one last time: let's get into it.

(spoilers up to NB Lesson 60)

Nightbringer

The first thing to address here, perhaps, is truly: for splitting off a whole ass second app titled Nightbringer, they really didn't tell us anything about him in the end, huh!

We never did get the answers to what he wanted out of our second set of pacts, what his deal with Solomon was, what his overall goals are, or who he even is. He just showed up, we got some early info on him, and then he basically fucked off for the majority of season 2 and basically all of season 3. At least they did end on a nice little message from him, though, echoing the start of the game...

So will we eventually get the answer to ANY of those major questions? The world may never know...

A Celestial Shitshow

What we do get, first, is the resolution of the whole Raphael arc of this season -- at least, the closest they could come to giving us a resolution.

We do not get a precise answer to what he felt or thought in the moment of Michael refusing to even try to appeal to Father on Simeon's behalf, which he was seemingly so unable to confront at the end of 55. However, after the collapse of Babel, Lucifer and Simeon go to talk to him again, more calmly this time.

The source of Raphael's distress comes down to loneliness. Like Simeon, he remarks how quiet it became in the Celestial Realm when the brothers, apparently the only loudmouth troublemakers that ever existed there, fell after the war. With the possibility of Simeon also becoming a demon, Raphael felt incredibly lonely at the thought of losing another former seraph and friend from the Celestial Realm.

Luke comes up to chime in about being there for Raphael, and Simeon realizes he doesn't want to just leave those "two kids" alone to fend for themselves. With that decided, he concludes that he is not so fine with becoming a demon after all, because he wants to return to the Celestial Realm for their sakes.

MC, with the help of Lucifer's power, then breaks through Babel's projection of collapse, which had reflected Raphael's distraught feelings, to restore it to its actual not-destroyed state, and further uses their new protection powers to return everyone to the Devildom. More on that later!

Also, Michael is a dick again. Raphael is set to be punished for the whole Babel thing, and Michael basically plans to let that happen, until Simeon threatens to "hold it against him" as a grudge. Which is hilarious, because Simeon has no real power or anything against Michael at this point, but angy Simeon is so scary, Michael apparently backs off.

Anyway, setting all the all of that aside, there's also still more SF to get through.

Three Worlds-building Science

In the process of restoring Babel, MC and Lucifer conveniently also remove all the demonic powers/energy from Simeon, so that works out nicely! He's no longer "demonic." However, of course, this couldn't just be such a nice simple wrap-up as that, so next, we get a whole bunch of lore-contradictory worldbuilding around the way cells work for each type of being!

It turns out, while angels and demons both have homogenous cells which are purely one or the other, human cells can actually transform into either one, in the right conditions. And although all demonic energy has been cleared out of Simeon, he apparently still has some of those transformed demonic cells, and it's possible he will have his demonic cells activate or start to transform again in the future. Plus, even with his decision that he wanted to return to the Celestial Realm after all, it's not really in anyone's control out of the cast to do that for him, and the Celestial Realm would not allow him back if he has any demonic cells.

This brings up some pretty terrible implications about the Celestial Realm, which we're not sure were the devs' intentions exactly, but which become implied nonetheless. After all, Simeon's punishment was to become a human, but if it's a known fact that humans can turn demonic and they would refuse to take him back with any demonic cells, even dormant ones, that's just a really shitty trap of a situation! Plus, they were able to convert his cells from angelic ones to human ones, so if they have the ability to change him at a cellular level, why can't they just purge the demonic cells from him in the process of changing him back to an angel? Lucifer has specifically noted before on his transformation to a demon that he supposed that was his punishment, so that also seems to have been a punishment inflicted by God, implying the ability to also manipulate the brothers at a cellular level into demons! And if human cells can become angel ones as well, what does that mean for Simeon's punishment of becoming human? Could the punishment be undercut by his cells naturally turning back to angel cells? Come on, devs, it's called consistency!!

But hey, it's not like this series has been particularly consistent on its lore in the past either...

Anyway, the Science Fair is still going on -- and Leviathan has a mad scientist moment, coming across a unique potion that could help with restoring Simeon back to a more fully human state, ridding his body of any dormant demonic cells! The problem is it requires three very rare and hard to procure ingredients, but it turns out Solomon had also thought about this potion a while back, so he conveniently already has two of the three rare ingredients! Part of the reason Solomon never brought it up before, however, is that the potion only has a 60% success rate and is known to have some pretty bad side effects including the briefest mention of possibly even death???, and with how complicated Simeon's feelings had been up to this point, it didn't feel like there had been a good time to bring all that up.

Deciding that Simeon can decide for himself if he wants to take the risk after the potion is ready, we have a little adventure to obtain the third ingredient that places us back in the Starfall, which we visited during our time in the past. We momentarily have to avoid the subject of the past as Leviathan recalls that you were there, but is brushed off as misremembering because that wouldn't make sense, after all! Haha...ha...

Leviathan makes the potion for the Science Fair, and then Lucifer and MC keep Simeon company while he takes it. Simeon begins to succumb to the potion's effects pretty quickly, but Lucifer steps in to try and take the pain from Simeon and transfer it to him -- with MC then also stepping in to help share it. Simeon ends up not suffering as much, but is still knocked out with a fever for a bit.

Upon waking from his fever and analysis of his cells and some other genetic science, Simeon has now returned to his fully human state, meaning that he should be able to get back to the Celestial Realm! -- if they'll have him.

The end of the game seems to initially imply that he might be reinstated as an angel -- but the very last text we see is that Simeon will be opening up the Angel's Halo again in the human world. So is Simeon still a human? Did he become an angel again but they have him stationed in the human world?? No clear answer!!! Why would they ever end the final lesson on giving us any clear conclusions? Nope, never, and so here we are with no more lessons and yet another big fuckin' cliffhanger.

Well, they did say there are new projects in progress, at least...

Anyway, Later is Now

So, back to MC and how overpowered we've become.

Through this last season, there has been a focus on how much stronger MC has become, especially when it comes to their protective/defensive magic. We know it's because of the double-pacts, but that is a secret from most of the cast to avoid space-time fuckery.

In Babel, MC is able to control this magic for the first time. As mentioned above, we use our pact with Lucifer to break out of the illusion created by Raphael's breakdown, which also clears Simeon of his demonic energy. MC then uses their power, with some guidance by Solomon, to get out of Babel and return everyone to the Devildom.

That's a great sign, as otherwise MC has had zero control over this power activating. Of course, that means we have to use it one last time as the game comes to an end -- but this time, on the moon.

That's right. The Devildom moon is really into MC and is on a crash course to the Devildom (hi Majora's Mask) to also get some of that sweet, sweet MC power. Our cast gets thrust into having to deal with the situation as the final Science Fair competition, because the Research Institute is basically giving them the responsibility (with the House of Lords being ridiculous and not getting the news to Diavolo faster because, um, they suck).

Satan wonders if MC's protection power can be used here and stop the moon on its crash course, so of course that is what we are going to do. Solomon leads you up into the sky, and after a pep talk, leaves you to choose one of the brothers to help carry out this mission. Whichever brother you choose ends up getting knocked out in the process, to protect you. After a few days, we find out how to wake them back up and yay, they're conscious again!

With that handled, it's time for the classic OM tradition, throwing a goodbye party for the exchange students!! PARTY TIME! Everything's good now! Hurray!!!

Does this all seem rushed? Sure. Does it reek of them hurrying to tie up loose ends because this is the last lesson? Yup. How much of this was actually planned in this messy rushed way from the start anyway? Who knows! Did they also leave us on that big Simeon cliffhanger anyway, for funsies? Abso-fucking-lutely.

But that's it for the last 4 lessons! After 5 years, finally, MC has completed all of their tasks...congrats to us!!! 🥹

Now to wait for whatever new projects are coming next...

[talonabraxas]

Yab-Yum Wisdom and compassion can become one. What is Yab-Yum? Yab-yum is a symbolic representation of the union between a male deity (yab) and a female deity (yum). The term itself originates from Tibet, where the word "yab" represents the masculine aspect, often referred to as the Father associated with wisdom and compassion, and "yum" represents the divine feminine, embodying the role of the Mother often associated with bliss and emptiness. In artistic depictions, yab-yum is represented by a male deity in a seated position, often portrayed as a peaceful and enlightened Buddha or a deity like Vajrasattva, and a female deity sitting or standing in the lap of the male deity, embracing him. The female deity is often portrayed as a compassionate figure, such as the goddess Tara or the consort of the male deity. The Spiritual Symbolism of Yab-Yum An iconic image associated with tantra, the yab-yum position holds significant prominence within both Hindu and Buddhist tantric art. The posture transcends the boundaries of conventional human sexuality and delves into a realm of divine and cosmic union. At its core, the image embodies the concept of duality, therefore represented through the masculine and feminine union but gives direction towards a state of non-duality, or Advaita, where the illusion of separation dissolves, and a profound unity is experienced. It represents the profound understanding that existence arises from the interplay of opposites and that the ultimate reality encompasses both the manifest and the formless. The yab-yum position signifies the merging and harmonizing of opposing forces. It represents the balance and integration of polarities within oneself and the universe. The masculine and feminine energies are seen as complementary aspects that together form a complete whole. In essence, the yab-yum symbolizes the union of wisdom and compassion, form and formlessness, masculine and feminine, and represents the inherent unity and interconnectedness of all things in the tantric worldview. The fundamental concept of 'Advaita,' or non-duality within Yab-Yum In Sanskrit, the term, advaita means non-duality. It is also a concept commonly associated with Advaita Vedanta but equally relevant in the profound teachings of tantra. To understand the concept of Advaita, one must carefully deconstruct the linguistic implication of the term Advaita or its English translation 'not-two-ness.' Here the words do not suggest becoming one or infusion; it does not imply a merging into homogeneity. Instead, it represents a state where separation, division, and the illusion of individual identity cease to exist while the diverse elements retain their inherent nature. It is a state of neither loss nor acquisition. This understanding eludes the grasp of the rational mind, which can only comprehend the world in terms of singularity or plurality. Therefore, the yab-yum depiction of the union of a male and female deity highlights the fundamental principle that the apparent duality between self and other, subject and object, is illusory. It alludes to the understanding that the true nature of reality transcends dualistic distinctions signifying the inseparability and interdependence of the masculine and feminine energies, symbolizing the dissolution of all dualities but not infusing into a singularity. Vajrasattva and his consort in Yab-Yum Vajrasattva is the embodiment of purity and compassion and, in his solitary form, is a familiar subject in Buddhist art. However, although less frequently, Vajrasattva is depicted with his consort in the yab-yum posture, alluding to a profound father-mother aspect of Vajrasattva. In the Yab-Yum depiction, he is joined by his consort, Vajratopa or Vajragarvi. The consort is often depicted holding a Kartika in her right hand and a kapala in her left, symbolizing the transformative and nurturing aspects of the feminine principle. Mahayana Pilgrim

[theantarwitch]

Alchemy, the untouched friend of Witchcraft

If there is something interesting that is nearly not used on mostly of the witch community, is Alchemy, and is something from which we could take some few useful stuffs.

As always, disclaimer first, I’m not an expert on the subject and I barely if I read a couple of books about the topic (from another 10 untouched ones lol), so as always in life, take what I say with tweezers. This is meant to be a light superficial view to open a door of possibilities in a mix of Witchcraft and Alchemy, is not a thesis. Saying that, to the core of the question.

Alchemy use elements. A lot of them.

The three primes or Tria Prima (the basic 3 materials): Sulfur (Related to the Soul and the principle of combustibility, so it has volatility, can burn, explode, combust), Mercury (Related to the Spirit, the principle of fusibility so the material can be fused together and volatility so a substance vaporizes), and Salt (Relate to the Body, the principle of non-combustibility and non-volatility).

Our beloved Four basic Elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Water.

The Seven Metals associated with the seven classical planets: Lead, corresponding with Saturn. Tin, corresponding with Jupiter. Iron, corresponding with Mars. Gold, corresponding with the Sun. Copper, corresponding with Venus. Mercury, corresponding with Mercury. Silver, corresponding with the Moon.

The 13 Mundane Elements and Later Metals: Antimony, Arsenic, Bismuth, Cobalt, Magnesium, Manganese, Nickel, Oxygen, Phlogiston, Phosphorus, Platinum, Sulfur, Zinc (All of them with a lot of interesting properties and functions, in and out the alchemy world).

The 10 Alchemical Compounds: Acid, Sal ammoniac, Aqua fortis, Aqua regia, Aqua vitae, Amalgam, Cinnabar, Vinegar, Vitriol, Brimstone (All of them also with amazing properties).

And what interesting me the most (at least to my way to do witchcraft), The 12 Alchemical Processes:

Calcination (Aries): The thermal treatment of a solid to removing impurities or volatile substances.

Congelation (Taurus): Term used in medieval and early modern alchemy for the process known today as crystallization. Process by which a solid form into a structure known as a crystal, by precipitating from a solution or freezing.

Fixation (Gemini): Process by which a previously volatile substance is "transformed" into a form (often solid) that is not affected by fire.

Solution (Cancer): Homogeneous mixture composed of two or more substances. In such a mixture, a solute is a substance dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent.

Digestion (Leo): A process in which gentle heat is applied to a substance over a period of several weeks.

Distillation (Virgo): Separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation.

Sublimation (Libra): The transition of a substance directly from the solid to the gas state, without passing through the liquid state.

Separation (Scorpio): Converts a mixture or solution of chemical substances into two or more distinct product mixtures. Process of distinguishing to two or more substance in order to obtain purity.

Ceration (Sagittarius): Chemical process, by continuously adding a liquid by imbibition to a hard, dry substance while it is heated. Typically, this treatment makes the substance softer.

Fermentation/ Putrefaction (Capricorn): A metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes/ Decomposition of organic matter by bacterial or fungal digestion.

Multiplication (Aquarius): Process to increase the potency of the elixir or projection powder, in order to increase the gains in the subsequent projection.

Projection (Pisces): Process to transmute a lesser substance into a higher form; often lead into gold.

Damn, alchemy even have symbols to Units: Month, Day, Hour, Dram (Unit of mass between 1 and 3 grams), Half Dram, Ounce (Unit of mass, weight or volume of 28 grams, Half Ounce, Scruple (1 grams), Pound (500 grams).

So just with this simple 2 pages of basic Wikipedia info, we have a ton of new things to use. Everything here has specific properties, some more physical and chemical oriented, but others (like the 3 Tria Prima and The 12 Alchemical Processes) have a lot of correspondences with the witch life itself.

The 12 Alchemical Processes could be absolutely used to represent an desired outcome.

Calcination uses thermal treatment, so it can boost the Fire element of a spell. It also “removing impurities or volatile substances”, so can be applied to generate a mild fever to get rid off the flu, or to boost the organs that clean the body (kidneys and liver mostly)

Congelation turns a solid by freezing, can boost the Water element, so all the “freezer spells” can be boosted with this.

Fixation? A volatile substance is transformed into a solid form? Sound pretty much to grounding, or to help to focus an ADHD head as mine, or to put down to earth someone who is VOLATILE AND VIOLENT. Also, Earth element.

Solution? Homogeneous mixture of two or more substances? It sounds like an aid to make two people on conflict to get into an agreement, or to boost a new business by mixing the opportunities with the action. Air element.

Digestion. A process in which gentle heat is applied to a substance over a period of several weeks? It sounds like something that can help any process that need digestion (bad news must be “digested”, hard choices must be “consulted with the pillow”), and the “gentle heat” sounds comforting. Someone is grieving? Maybe Digestion can help them to overcome the awful times.

Distillation. Separating the components or substances. Anything that need to be separated can be helped with this. Relationships that must end, breakups, cut the ties with older things or habits.

Sublimation. The transition of a substance. I heard trans rights? Can this maybe help with your hormones? Or even to transition from what you previously left behind with the distillation, to focus in a new better future.

Separation. Process of distinguishing to two or more substance in order to obtain purity. How to choose from two or more choices? How to pick the better one? The one with purity? Separation maid aid.

Ceration. A hard, dry is heated to make it softer. Make that person less frigid, make the boss less bitchy, make your chronic pain less hurtful, make your bills less heavy, all that you can think in make softer.

Fermentation/ Putrefaction. I personally love this one. Produces changes in organic substrates and decomposition of organic matter by bacterial or fungal digestion. Prime element to curses. All what you want to rid off in the most disgusting way. May their flesh get rotten under a car in a hot summer.

Multiplication. Process to increase the potency of the elixir in order to increase the gains in the subsequent projection. MONEY MONEY MAKE MORE MONEY, all what need to be increased and all what you want to multiply, go go go!

Projection. Transmute a lesser substance into a higher form “lead into gold”. Perfect to get better as a person, to learn to adapt, accept, to grow compassion, love, etc.

At this you can add the Units, the metals and mundane elements, the 4 elements, the tria prima, your crystals and herbs and sigils and all. And your spells will be filled with components and correspondences.

What’s better, a lot of the physical elements are not too hard to get (some yes, they are, but you are not here to make lead into gold with a full set of chemistry), but alchemy use a lot of symbology, so even if you don’t have the physical element, you can use their properties with the symbol, just as any other sigil.

Salt is easy. Tin in a food can. Antimony in mostly all the rocks. Arsenic in apple seeds (technically no but still). Cobalt and Manganese basically everywhere. Magnesium in your own body. Nickel in coins. Oxygen in the air., Phosphorus, Zinc and Sulfur in food. Acid in anything acid lol. Aqua vitae in alcohol (especially Whisky). Vinegar in vinegars.

Long story short, if you feel that maybe you are lacking something, check some books about alchemy would maybe help. Don’t pick super chemical specific pro books and don’t be discouraged by the terms, pick what can be useful to you, and I hope this open some doors and bring more curiosity about this amazing topic.

[bestiarium]

Iwaoropenereb, the demon bird [Ainu mythology]

Evil creatures, often translated as ‘demons’ play a large role in indigenous Ainu religion and culture in northern Japan. Demons come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. They can possess people, inflict diseases on mankind, or cause mischief.

One of them is Iwaoropenerep, a demonic bird monster whose name means “the one who breaks mountains”. Though Iwaoropenereb appears as a beautiful bird, it is a very dangerous creature with an incredibly powerful voice. When it roars, it can break solid stone into pieces with the sheer volume of its cries. Hearing its voice is a death sentence for humans, as mortal men cannot withstand such violent vibrations. Iwaoropenereb is active at night, but not much else is known about it.

The Ainu have another, similar, bird demon: the Iwaechishchish, whose name translates to “the one who yells in the mountains”. His voice sounds like that of an ox, but he cannot attack with it like Iwaoropenereb can. There doesn’t seem to be a connection between these two monsters. Iwaechishchish is a close ally of Iwakoshinpuk, a mischievous trickster demon who can shapeshift into any form. His name is sometimes translated as “mountain elf”.

The rather unique origin of these creatures also deserves a mention: in the Ainu creation myth, the creator deity shaped the world using a large amount of tools. When the earth was finished, the deity discarded these tools and they ended up being scattered throughout the world. As time passed, these otherworldly items began to rot and break. From their decomposition, the first demons arose, creatures transformed from neglected godly tools.

The Ainu religion is not a homogeneous canon, so there are several versions of the origin and role of demons.

Source:

Batchelor, J., 1901, The Ainu and their folk-lore, The Religious Tract Society, London, 604 pp, p. 40-42., p. 591-592.

(Image source: ‘Demonic bird design’ by Athena Weiss on Artstation)

[santoschristos]

Yab-Yum

Wisdom and compassion can become one.

What is Yab-Yum?

Yab-yum is a symbolic representation of the union between a male deity (yab) and a female deity (yum). The term itself originates from Tibet, where the word "yab" represents the masculine aspect, often referred to as the Father associated with wisdom and compassion, and "yum" represents the divine feminine, embodying the role of the Mother often associated with bliss and emptiness.

In artistic depictions, yab-yum is represented by a male deity in a seated position, often portrayed as a peaceful and enlightened Buddha or a deity like Vajrasattva, and a female deity sitting or standing in the lap of the male deity, embracing him. The female deity is often portrayed as a compassionate figure, such as the goddess Tara or the consort of the male deity.

The Spiritual Symbolism of Yab-Yum

An iconic image associated with tantra, the yab-yum position holds significant prominence within both Hindu and Buddhist tantric art. The posture transcends the boundaries of conventional human sexuality and delves into a realm of divine and cosmic union. At its core, the image embodies the concept of duality, therefore represented through the masculine and feminine union but gives direction towards a state of non-duality, or Advaita, where the illusion of separation dissolves, and a profound unity is experienced. It represents the profound understanding that existence arises from the interplay of opposites and that the ultimate reality encompasses both the manifest and the formless.

The yab-yum position signifies the merging and harmonizing of opposing forces. It represents the balance and integration of polarities within oneself and the universe. The masculine and feminine energies are seen as complementary aspects that together form a complete whole. In essence, the yab-yum symbolizes the union of wisdom and compassion, form and formlessness, masculine and feminine, and represents the inherent unity and interconnectedness of all things in the tantric worldview.

The fundamental concept of 'Advaita,' or non-duality within Yab-Yum

In Sanskrit, the term, advaita means non-duality. It is also a concept commonly associated with Advaita Vedanta but equally relevant in the profound teachings of tantra. To understand the concept of Advaita, one must carefully deconstruct the linguistic implication of the term Advaita or its English translation 'not-two-ness.' Here the words do not suggest becoming one or infusion; it does not imply a merging into homogeneity. Instead, it represents a state where separation, division, and the illusion of individual identity cease to exist while the diverse elements retain their inherent nature. It is a state of neither loss nor acquisition.

This understanding eludes the grasp of the rational mind, which can only comprehend the world in terms of singularity or plurality. Therefore, the yab-yum depiction of the union of a male and female deity highlights the fundamental principle that the apparent duality between self and other, subject and object, is illusory. It alludes to the understanding that the true nature of reality transcends dualistic distinctions signifying the inseparability and interdependence of the masculine and feminine energies, symbolizing the dissolution of all dualities but not infusing into a singularity.

Vajrasattva and his consort in Yab-Yum

Vajrasattva is the embodiment of purity and compassion and, in his solitary form, is a familiar subject in Buddhist art. However, although less frequently, Vajrasattva is depicted with his consort in the yab-yum posture, alluding to a profound father-mother aspect of Vajrasattva. In the Yab-Yum depiction, he is joined by his consort, Vajratopa or Vajragarvi. The consort is often depicted holding a Kartika in her right hand and a kapala in her left, symbolizing the transformative and nurturing aspects of the feminine principle. Mahayana Pilgrim

[mahayanapilgrim]

What is Yab-Yum?

Yab-yum is a symbolic representation of the union between a male deity (yab) and a female deity (yum). The term itself originates from Tibet, where the word "yab" represents the masculine aspect, often referred to as the Father associated with wisdom and compassion, and "yum" represents the divine feminine, embodying the role of the Mother often associated with bliss and emptiness.

In artistic depictions, yab-yum is represented by a male deity in a seated position, often portrayed as a peaceful and enlightened Buddha or a deity like Vajrasattva, and a female deity sitting or standing in the lap of the male deity, embracing him. The female deity is often portrayed as a compassionate figure, such as the goddess Tara or the consort of the male deity.

The Spiritual Symbolism of Yab-Yum

An iconic image associated with tantra, the yab-yum position holds significant prominence within both Hindu and Buddhist tantric art. The posture transcends the boundaries of conventional human sexuality and delves into a realm of divine and cosmic union. At its core, the image embodies the concept of duality, therefore represented through the masculine and feminine union but gives direction towards a state of non-duality, or Advaita, where the illusion of separation dissolves, and a profound unity is experienced. It represents the profound understanding that existence arises from the interplay of opposites and that the ultimate reality encompasses both the manifest and the formless.

The yab-yum position signifies the merging and harmonizing of opposing forces. It represents the balance and integration of polarities within oneself and the universe. The masculine and feminine energies are seen as complementary aspects that together form a complete whole. In essence, the yab-yum symbolizes the union of wisdom and compassion, form and formlessness, masculine and feminine, and represents the inherent unity and interconnectedness of all things in the tantric worldview. 

The fundamental concept of 'Advaita,' or non-duality within Yab-Yum

In Sanskrit, the term, advaita means non-duality. It is also a concept commonly associated with Advaita Vedanta but equally relevant in the profound teachings of tantra. To understand the concept of Advaita, one must carefully deconstruct the linguistic implication of the term Advaita or its English translation 'not-two-ness.' Here the words do not suggest becoming one or infusion; it does not imply a merging into homogeneity. Instead, it represents a state where separation, division, and the illusion of individual identity cease to exist while the diverse elements retain their inherent nature. It is a state of neither loss nor acquisition. 

This understanding eludes the grasp of the rational mind, which can only comprehend the world in terms of singularity or plurality. Therefore, the yab-yum depiction of the union of a male and female deity highlights the fundamental principle that the apparent duality between self and other, subject and object, is illusory. It alludes to the understanding that the true nature of reality transcends dualistic distinctions signifying the inseparability and interdependence of the masculine and feminine energies, symbolizing the dissolution of all dualities but not infusing into a singularity. 

Vajrasattva and his consort in Yab-Yum

Vajrasattva is the embodiment of purity and compassion and, in his solitary form, is a familiar subject in Buddhist art. However, although less frequently, Vajrasattva is depicted with his consort in the yab-yum posture, alluding to a profound father-mother aspect of Vajrasattva. In the Yab-Yum depiction, he is joined by his consort, Vajratopa or Vajragarvi. The consort is often depicted holding a Kartika in her right hand and a kapala in her left, symbolizing the transformative and nurturing aspects of the feminine principle.

[matsmi13]

Devoted to his club forever

I have always been a big fan of the Paris Saint Germain football club. So, when I won a contest for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Parc des Princes stadium, I was over the moon. A whole day to explore the secret nooks and crannies, meet the players, and maybe even get a first-hand look at the world of professional soccer.

The visit began in the classic way. I discover the dressing rooms, the press room, the benches where so many legends have sat. It's all fascinating, but it's at the end of the tour that things get really interesting.

“For the more passionate like you, we've prepared a never-before-seen immersive experience where you have the opportunity to “live in the skin of a player”. Would you like to try this experience ?” announced the guide with an enigmatic smile.

I accepted immediately, all excited. I thought it was a kind of virtual reality simulation, an interactive experience where I could feel what it's like to play for PSG.

I had no idea what was going on when I was taken to another part of the stadium, an area normally off-limits to the public.

Once inside an ultra-modern room, I was taken aback by the atmosphere. The room is filled with high-tech equipment, complex machinery, and scientists in white coats bustling around various devices.

“Before we start this experiment, we need you to sign a few waivers. It's standard procedure to make sure everything goes smoothly” said the guide. He handed me a stack of documents to sign. The sheets were dense, full of legal and scientific jargon I didn't really understand. But my excitement won out. I told myself it was probably just a formality.

I signed without hesitation, then was ushered into a small booth off to one side.

“ Please enter this cabin. We need you to undress and leave all your belongings here, including any digital devices”. I obeyed, thinking it was to put on some special equipment, maybe even real PSG match gear. But once undressed, one of the scientists took all my stuff and closed the cabin door behind you.

The cabin I was in was simple, with white walls and soft lights. I was starting to feel slightly nervous, but I pushed those thoughts aside. After all, I was here for a unique experience.

But something wasn't right. The cabin began to emit a dull hum, and the walls around you lit up in a strange way. Suddenly, a breath of fresh air escaped, followed by a strange tingling sensation on your skin. The buzzing intensified, and waves passed through your body, leaving you with a sensation of warmth, first slight, then increasingly intense.

I felt strange, as if my body were reacting to something invisible. My skin began to stretch, my limbs lengthened inexplicably. I wanted to move, but I felt frozen in place, unable to control my movements.

My heart was beating faster, but it seemed to be beating outside me, as if my body had become a mere shell. Sensations multiplied as I gradually lost the perception of myself as a human being. My muscles contracted, then relaxed, slowly breaking down, fiber by fiber.

My mind was in total confusion. I didn't understand what was happening to me, but I felt that something irreversible was happening. My thoughts scattered, your identity slowly faded away as your body was transformed into malleable matter.

Once the dissolution was complete, my remaining residues were transformed into fibers. I was stretched, twisted and reassembled into a continuous thread. During this process, I gradually lost my human consciousness, turning into a textile material. I became a material, a textile substance ready to be used and shaped for a new creation.

Once the thread was formed, the machine stopped and the cabin opened. The scientists reappeared, exchanging satisfied glances.

“Let's see the final result” says one of them. He runs his fingers along the wire I've become, while another scientist checks data on a screen. “The transformation is very conclusive. The texture is homogeneous, and the molecular structure is stable. The yarn is very strong, yet light. This is exactly what we needed for the rest of the process”. “We finally have the perfect organic material to make what sir has been waiting for. After several attempts, this person was the right one. And to think that this young supporter didn't even take the time to read the documents he signed. His blind enthusiasm and unthinking devotion have led him to a unique destiny: to become a piece of clothing for his club forever. Send the wire to the factory for assembly. We have to meet the deadline”

I was wound into spools, taken away and transported to a new destination.

I was shipped to a specialized textile mill, woven into a solid, uniform navy-blue fabric, cut into pieces according to a precise pattern and assembled to create the undershirt. The sewing process finalized my transformation into a ready-to-wear garment.

I was carefully packed and sent straight to the Parc des Princes stadium. I arrived in the dressing room, where the kitman in charge of the players' equipment unpacked me and placed me carefully folded in Kylian Mbappe's locker.

The locker room was quiet as we waited for the players to arrive. Not a sound. It took forever. Then the players arrived, including Kylian Mbappe. I felt his hand close over me and inspect me for a moment, his fingers gliding over your surface, before slipping me under his main jersey.

“Hmm, this feels really different” Kylian murmurs as he adjusts the sleeves, testing the sensation against his skin. “It's light, but it's like it's breathing with me” He makes a few movements to check my flexibility. “Not bad at all. It's exactly what I needed. The fabric is soft, but it has this... sturdy feel. I feel like I'm going to be able to move freely without it bothering me”. Kylian continues to test me, raising his arms, bending down, jumping slightly on the spot. “It keeps me dry. Even here, in the changing room, I can feel it regulating the temperature. I don't get that clammy feeling you sometimes get with other undershirts”.

On the pitch, the sensations run wild. Every time Kylian sprints, makes a technical move or changes direction, I'm subjected to compression and stretching forces. The constant pressure and friction are new sensations for me. Every impact has to be absorbed in such a way as to minimize disruption to Kylian.

My fabric, designed to wick away moisture, is in constant interaction with Kylian's sweat. This persistent absorption seems crucial to maintaining his comfort and performance. As an undershirt, my fabric body have to effectively manage this moisture, distributing it throughout my fabric to avoid accumulation that could cause discomfort.

As an undershirt, I have to provide constant support. The cut and seams are made to fit Kylian's body perfectly, offering both support and comfort. Every seam, every insertion must be impeccable to avoid chafing or distortion that could affect his game.

The match is over. Every fibre of my being is saturated with sweat, soaked in Kylian's warmth. I've been worn, I've been useful, I've been... his.

But the happiness was short-lived. In one swift movement, Kylian pulls me off and throws me in his locker, like a worthless object. The air is now freezing. I lay there in the corner of his locker, motionless and useless.

Time passes... or maybe not... because the notion of time is escaping me more and more.

Finally, a hand grabs me. It's that of the person in charge of the equipment. I'm handled and tossed into a dirty clothes bag. I find myself among other clothes, all soaked with sweat, all marked by the effort of the person wearing them. We're crammed together, pressed against each other.

The bag starts moving, carrying me towards the launderette. Each jolt reminds me of my new reality. I'm just another garment to be cleaned, stripped of all traces of life and human warmth.

I'm thrown into a machine without the slightest consideration. The cold water overwhelms me and cleanses me. Every fibre of my body is abused, turned inside out, wrung out. Kylian's sweat is washed away, his musk erased... and with them, that little feeling of belonging disappears. I have become a simple piece of cloth, washed and disinfected, with no soul, no memory.

The spinning compresses me, crushes me. I'm emptied, compressed, reduced to a state of pure fabric, without warmth, without life. Drying... the hot air passes through me, making me lighter, but also emptying me of any trace of what I once was. I'm nothing more than an undershirt, clean, dry... and empty.

Finally, I'm taken out of the machine. I'm folded, put away and placed in a dark closet with the other undershirts. I'm no longer struggling. I'm in the dark, motionless... but this immobility, this waiting, is no longer important. Waiting... that's all clothes do.

The closet is silent. I am among the other clothes, perfectly folded. Time no longer has any meaning for me.

Where am I ? Who am I ? What is my real nature ? I'm... what ? An undershirt ? Yes, an undershirt. But… where do I come from ? What have I become ? The questions float unanswered, in the void. Here in the dark, all I know... is wait. Wait…why ? Why wait ? My role... is... to be a piece of clothing.

My only thoughts are of serving, of being worm. I want the sweat. I need the musk... need to comfort and support my owner. I no longer have conscious thoughts, desires or dreams. My humanity is gone, replaced by the pure essence of a piece of clothing. I no longer feel the emotions and thoughts of a human being.

I am an undershirt, a simple fabric, entirely devoted to serving my master, Kylian Mbappé. When the time comes, when he wear me again, I will be ready. But until that day, I remain here, still, accepting my destiny as clothing.

Thanks to @inanimatetffantasies for his support and advice in writing this story

[prince-toffee]

I saw someone bring up the idea of Absolute Transformers, and that's fascinating to me, because I've been thinking of an Ultimate TF universe for years, and the conclusion I can to was that every TF universe is The Ultimate universe of that franchise, because you can literally do anything. Any twist, and alteration to the lore. Hell, Optimus, doesn't even have to be in a main character. The characters can look like whatever you'd like, the personalities are constantly changing. It's actually remarkable how much creative freedom creators of TF media have. Every continuity is a subversion. But Absolute, that's a different prompt, a dark world where the heroes have to over come greater odds with less advantages. What would an Absolute Transformers universe be? What's the twist? The hook? Instead of Primus turning into Cybertron, it's Unicron - Cybertronians are the devil's progeny. Orion dies before he receives The Matrix? Megatron gets The Matrix? The Matrix actually corrupts you and is dark influence on you? Maybe it grants Orion the powers/memeories/wisdom of the previous Primes, but over time it rewrites the host's mind and body into a homogeneous hivemind, loosing their individuality? I'm actually struggling to think up of concepts that flip TF on its head that haven't been done already.

[theheisenblog]

Deleted Scene - Walt’s Science Lesson

Intended to be placed in season 2, this scene features Walt teaching his class about immiscible liquids–substances that don’t combine to form a homogenous mixture. In this example, he uses vinegar and vegetable oil, which don’t mix due to their difference in polarity. However, with the introduction of an egg as the emulsifier, the two liquids are able to combine into mayonnaise. 

Fans have generally come to two interpretations. A) the liquids represent Walt and Jesse, with the meth business being the emulsifier that brings them together, or B) the liquids represent Walter White and Heisenberg, with the egg representing his cancer diagnosis that enacts his transformation. Whichever one rings more true is up for debate.

When Walt initially tries mixing the two together, he states that “no matter how much mechanical energy I apply [...] their cohesion of like molecules and repulsion of unlike ones prevents these two liquids from staying mixed.” In the context of the Walt/Jesse theory, this could mirror how Walt’s passion for teaching chemistry could never reach through to Jesse while he was still in school due to his inattentiveness and general apathy. In Walt’s words here, the two “normally have no business mixing,” a delinquent and an academic. Throughout their time as business partners, their relationship is mostly rocky in spite of the two’s occasional efforts to connect. It often seems the only thing binding them together, other than some twisted familial bond, is the shared trauma and responsibility of the meth trade. 

If this were to be viewed through the lens of Walt’s two identities, you could probably assign a liquid to each half. The vegetable oil, which sits on top and takes up the majority of the glass, is the timid Walter White that the world is used to seeing. This is the nonpolar half with evenly distributed charges, as the positive and negative aspects of Walt’s personality are balanced in a way that doesn’t make him a particularly strong presence in his life. However, lying underneath is the vinegar, representative of Heisenberg, an identity that he first claims in the scene’s intended season. With the addition of electronegative oxygen atoms, vinegar has more of a negative pull that causes it to be polar, representing the more obvious negative qualities of this part of Walt’s personality. While the two sides of himself initially have no business mixing, the lower half still exists, it always has. It just needed a reason to come out of hiding.

You can probably tell which one I prefer (it’s the second), but I’d like to hear your thoughts!

[familyabolisher]

Common wisdom has it that Don Quixote includes within its pages a number of different forms of prose narrative. Cervantes’ interest in collecting different forms and genres may be due to the fact that collectionism was rising throughout Europe. The aristocracy would create cabinets of curiosities, or adorn their palaces with the best works of art. This was considered a mark of distinction. Cervantes, then, uses collectionism within one text: he displays Don Quixote’s library and he also moves through a series of genres, combining and changing them. By transforming the objects displayed he comes up with something totally new. Such is Cervantes’ metamorphic ability that today, even though books of chivalry are not read, his work remains one of the greatest classics of literature, not just in the West but throughout the world. Thus, chivalric texts are constantly collected in the novel, be it as books in the knight’s library or as episodes throughout the novel. The novel serves as a parody of this genre, which many have asserted had almost disappeared by the time Cervantes penned it. This is actually not quite true – recent discoveries have shown that such novels continued to be written, albeit remaining in manuscript. Furthermore, they were used for courtly spectacles. Thus, in collecting the chivalric, Cervantes is being doubly fashionable (and not at all out of fashion as some would contend). His book appropriates both the collectionist propensity of the upper classes and the uses of chivalry as a playful mode to assert authority. By turning these into carnivalesque episodes, Cervantes’ text both asserts and questions fashions and authority.

[…] While the chivalric represents a longing for idealized chivalric-aristocratic values, thus looking at the past, the picaresque points to the present and the future. It reflects a society where traditional hierarchies are put under pressure with the rise of individualism and with the development of a bourgeoisie that did not have aristocratic privileges. As Richard Bjornson asserts: ‘The situation was rendered more complex by the fact that the nascent bourgeoisie of fifteenth-and sixteenth-century Spain was largely composed of conversos (converts to Catholicism) with Jewish ancestors. Permanently alienated from the Jewish culture which they had abjured, as well as from the Christian one in which they had to live, these conversos could hardly escape an awareness of their own compromised identity, even if they succeeded in passing as Old Christians’ (1977, 17–18). For Bjornson, the picaresque rises from this anxiety and many of its authors are conversos – and so are their protagonists. As such, the pícaro stands in contradistinction to the idealized knights of romances and even to the more impoverished but still noble hidalgos. But the picaresque, although it may have been born out of bourgeois and converso writers, also focuses on the poor and their plight. Anne J. Cruz clearly pinpoints and expands the subject of the picaresque: ‘In a country where homogeneity was desired at any price such marginalized subalterns as the poor, criminals, conversos, moriscos and prostitutes shifted easily into the position of the Other, filling the void left by the leper’ (1999, xvi). These novels, then, were written as a critique of social mores and as failed attempts at reform. They may not have been received as such: ‘The authors’ critical thrust is nevertheless thwarted when the public, in order to insulate itself against social change, converts the pícaro to the risible category of the clown . . . transformed into the liminal position of scapegoat through the symbolic unconscious of the new nation-state’ (1999, xvi). From the start, then, Cervantes creates a clash of genres: the backwards looking and aristocratic chivalric vs the forward-gazing, critical, and polemical picaresque. This clash of genres reverberates with a clash of cultures and civilizations since the pure-blood Christian knight contrasts with the tainted pícaro whose ancestors may belong to a civilization that was warring with the West, Islam.

Frederick A. de Armas, 'Pillars of Genre, Ghosts of Empire: An Introduction,' from Don Quixote Among the Saracens: A Clash of Civilisations and Literary Genres

[puc-puggy]

For This Land: Writings on Religion in America, Vine Deloria Jr

The essence of the Indian attitude toward peoples, lands, and other life forms is one of kinship relations in which no element of life can go unattached from human society. Thus lands are given special status because they form a motherhood relationship with the peoples who live. on them. Too often this dimension is twisted when non-Indians make it a sentimental truism and the Indian philosophy appears shallow and without insight. But the true meaning of the motherhood of the land is that, like a mother, it shapes and teaches our species and, according to the peculiarity of the area, produces certain basic forms of personality and social identity which could not be produced in any other way. White Americans see the basic differences in peoples which are expressed regionally but they too often mistake historical experiences for the influence of lands on people. To find a "southern" identity without understanding the unique characteristics of the southeastern lands is to vest in the memories of our species a shaping ability which does not exist. According to geographical area radical differences occur which are more than historical accidents and which require reflective consideration to understand fully.

With respect to other life forms, this attitude manifests itself in what one could call "kinship" cycles of responsibility that exist between our species and the other species. Hyemeyosts Storm attempts to bring this unique web of responsibilities into play with modern terminology in his book Seven Arrows, when he allows non-human characters to participate in the unfolding of the story. This transformation brings out a dimension of life common to Indians but unique and unsuspected by non-Indians. For the responsibility of our species is to perform responsible tasks with respect to each form of life that we encounter, learning from them the basic structure of the universe, and ensuring that they receive in return the respect and dignity accorded them. And this acknowledgement of the dignity of other life forms, which is a simple but profound recogni tion, underlies all Indian attitudes toward the organic world. Our species is allowed to use them for food but in return we must ensure that their sacrifice becomes a means of fulfillment. Social scientists, observing Indian behavior toward animals and plants, usually describe this activity as "totemistic" or "animistic" implying that Indians intellectually believed the universe to contain uncontrolled and arbitrary powers. But the essence of this behavior is the maintenance of dignity throughOut the organic world. The struggle for dignity thus dominates Indian spirituality but the struggle is one of conferring dignity, not seizing or manufacturing it.

Many non-Indians come to understand the bestowing of dignity on others, even on other life forms, but they still fail to see the fundamental distinctions which flow from the Indian attitude of reflection. Perhaps the most basic of these distinctions is the recognition of sexual and age differences. The traditional ethical norm for non-Indians is the admission of the brotherhood of our species and the concomitant responsibility to treat others like we would like to be treated. Equality and unity easily become a homogeneity in this ethic. American Indians view ethical relationships with much more sophistication, allocating duties, privileges and respect according to a unique system of family relationships, older people becoming grandfathers and grandmothers, men and women becoming brothers and sisters, wives and husbands, and even strangers occupying the place of cousins within the network of specific relatives who must show concern for one another. Apart from participation in this network, Indians believe, a person simply does not exist. But within the network attitudes and behaviors must be expressed in particular terms, not in general and often unfulfilled rules of conduct.

Following directly from this ethic is the American Indian understanding of human personality and the meaning of life. If we are required to show respect and create dignity for others around us, then this respect and dignity cannot be simply a surface admission of social status. Dignity can be given even to the unworthy with devastating irony and people within the community can see in the most precise fashion whether or not the individual who is honored in fact deserves such praise. Such lavish but undeserved praise can be more damning than an insult.

Individuals strive as best they can to deserve the dignity which the community gives them and it is extremely embarrassing to be praised and honored by one's better while failing to perform according to expecta; tions. Giving dignity therefore encourages individuals to deserve the accolades they receive and the unified attitude of social groups towards the world and towards others is the cultivation of virtues. A person hailed as wise, strives to be wiser, a person acclaimed as brave, seeks to be braver, and a person honored as a parent seeks to become better in that endeavor.

The intense individual concern to deserve the respect and dignity which one's family and society accords one produces a mature attitude of reflection which grows with the passage of years and the accumulation of experiences. Experiences are hardly an individual affair, however, for within each community is the collective memory of past events and the behavior of people within that immediate history is common know-edge. Over decades of community life the leadership emerges as the community recognizes in the continual activities of individuals a sense of consistency, of commitment to the community, and of the course of wise decisions. As people come to deserve the respect and dignity with which they are presented, the community forms around the time-tested people of substance. In most Indian communities in the old days the most respected person was the one who gave freely of physical wealth, who showed a concern for the unfortunate, and who allowed weaker members of the community to rely on him/her. Reflection, then, is a way of life, the consistent direction and substance of individual existence, and not a unique intellectual ability. It is a matter of extended consis-fency in behavior, not a matter of correct or numerous beliefs.

The circle of these concepts can be seen to be integrated into a basic attitude toward life and its experiences. Rather than leading to a logical conclusion we see a network of attitudes and behaviors which characterize both individuals and societies. Nothing derives from a cause-and-effect chain of circumstances. Everything becomes an aspect of everything else, distinguishable only by the unique situation in which individuals are called upon to respond to new conditions. Without the

[mobilefruit-gundam]

Reading Rachel Laudan’s Cusine and Empire which really got me thinking about like- decolonized and deindustrialized food ways and what that looks like practically as well as the possibilities for new food technologies that remain unexplored due to the homogeneous adoption of the ingredients and processing of the colonial palate.

Just take wheat flours and refined cane sugar for example, the demand for which has for centuries justified the mass theft of land, forced labor of enslaved people, and widespread ecological destruction in order to cultivate. These products have unique qualities but are only one of hundreds of possible flours or sugars that can and have historically been processed by the human animal for consumption. But the vast majority of alternatives have ended up in stasis (at best) after colonization pushed aside traditional staple starches and sweeteners made from local ingredients and using regional methods. Food sources and technologies of course spread through more friendly means, not just via subjugation / cultural genocide, and when exchanged willingly can still outright replace extant staples but it’s infrequent. More often they are adopted alongside preexisting cuisines, ingredients or techniques mixed and matched with those already at use in a region.

Considering my own locale as an example i wonder what my diet might look like if methods of acorn meal and manzanita flour refinement and extraction of sugars from fruits and saps had been allowed their natural course of advancement. It also encourages me to get into more projects around this line of thought: making sustainable foods that are of place both in material ingredients and the processes of their transformation. Reforming the palate is a piece but we also continue to limit ourselves creatively, nutritionally, and practically by not looking beyond a small selection of staples. Literally a million sources for protein, carbs, fats, sugars, salts, etc and as many ways of refining said necessities without monoculture, factory farming, exploitive labor, or mass waste. And there are a lot of resources to start from when it comes to indigenous recipes and food ways, most of that knowledge isn’t totally lost it’s just been undervalued and ignored. Anyway… a long and likely incoherent post all to say i wanna start compiling a regionally specific cookbook for the post-industrial world.

[mikuni14]

Ossan no pantsu ga nandatte ii janai ka! - Ep - 11 (finale)

The series finale did not disappoint 💯 I was curious whether the series would maintain a high level until the end, or whether it would go more towards a nice, old fashioned, "traditional" endings for this type of family stories.

That's why I'm very pleased that the series remained fresh and uncompromising until the end, while still being positive and charmingly sweet. There is no homophobic parent (Daichi's father) who suddenly transforms in the last minutes of the series, magically regains his child's love, his wife's respect and everything ends well. Makoto was such a parent and his transformation was not magical and sudden, it took place over a long time, it was difficult at times, but as a viewer I know that the respect and love of the family that he enjoys at the end of the series has been earned.

I really like the fact that the series showed the classic dynamics of Daichi's family: how he tries desperately to chase, get, maintain the love of the strict, absent parent, love that is marked by terms and conditions, overlooking the constant presence of the good, supportive parent, the one who stayed, taking it for granted. And what a huge impact the words of this absent parent have on the child's life, often greater than that of the supporting parent.

I associate people like Daichi's father with this new wave of fascists in the politics of many countries (including mine), who exchanged brutality and easily recognizable style for suits and smooth words, thanks to which they entered big politics. Daichi's father's words are like that, they are smooth, refined, polite, they seem caring, he is "just asking", he is only "worried about the CHILDREN". Sounds familiar? His words sound nice and caring, but when you look at them closely, when you take them apart, all that false caring disappears. Besides, you can pour out torrents of words - it's the effect that counts. What does Daichi look like, what does Kakeru look like after such a "caring" conversation, and what do they look like after conversations with Makoto, who, to paraphrase the words of Daichi's father, "throws these poor children to the wolves"? After meeting his father, Daichi is defeated, unhappy, lost, ready to give up and throw away his entire hard-earned life, his relationship, his development, his "self". Kakeru locks himself in a room and hides. After talking to Makoto, both boys are smiling, full of life and hope, ready to face the world and adversities, they are brave. It's very interesting how shocked this man was by the simple idea that his child could be happy and that this happiness did not have to be provided by a position in society, a respected job, or the respect of this society in general. Something that in his eyes is achieved by fitting into this society. He also doesn't see that Daichi is a grown man who manages his life efficiently, who was doing just fine before his father came out of nowhere, thank you very much! Daichi's father, like the fascists I mentioned, treats people as a homogeneous whole, has his own ideal of society, and attributes to this society features that are true only for individuals, or that he thinks are true. He's also really more conservative than most people. Daichi's father assumes that because he is homophobic, everyone is like that, having proof in front of his nose in the form of Okita's family that this is not true, he assumes that since he rejected his son, everyone will reject him, he assumes that since - I'm sure of it - he discriminates against people in his company who deviate from the norm in any way, then all employers will discriminate against Daichi, although this is not the case. Will Daichi, Madoka, Kakeru, Moe, or even the Kpop-loving mom Mika face unpleasantness in their lives, perhaps even discrimination? Sure, assholes are everywhere, homophobia and prejudice are unfortunately not going anywhere (mainly thanks to giving platforms to people like Daichi's father). But what Daichi's father doesn't know or knows but ignores it is:

they will also meet good people, and there will be more of them

no matter what bad happens to them, they have their people, their own little community, who are like a safe haven for them, a safety cushion, they will have real caring arms to cry on

as long as it does not involve protecting yourself from violence, depending on the situation and circumstances, being yourself is simply better for your mental and physical health, it relieves people of the huge mental burden of pretending and fitting in, it gives you peace and happiness. Daichi being himself with his beloved by his side, with his mother and friends (young and older) who accept him, will simply be happier and more peaceful in life than Daichi living according to the expectations of his father, Daichi, whom one can expect to wake up one day bitter, unhappy, lonely, with a possible drinking problem and with the feeling of an absolutely, terribly wasted life...

I am very, very happy that this series has maintained a high level from the first to the last episode and has not gone into cheapness, sugarcoating and powdering real problems. That it gave time to each of the characters, that it gave them interesting personalities and hobbies. That it was patient, understanding and sensitive towards the characters, and politely ruthless towards the villain 😎 I also like that it gave the gay couple a wedding, and a traditional one at that! (sobbing Makoto forever in my kokoro 🥺), although it's a pity that if I'm not mistaken, they never kissed once (I'm not even talking about passionate kisses, just a regular kiss). It's a pity, because as a result their relationship was largely shown through the prism of their problems, and not being happy and affectionate with each other as well, and a kiss on the lips or on the cheek would show it, (also proving that the physical aspect of love between people of this same sex is not disgusting). But ok, the wedding was great, so I'm cool, and hey, isn't it the first same-sex wedding in Japanese drama 🤔?

Anyway, I give it 10/10 🥰💖

Heartfelt thanks and eternal gratitude to @isaksbestpillow for subbing this series. I cry with happiness like Makoto at the wedding 🥺💞

They were such nice and good people! (and the dog) 💖

[deletedaccd]

politics

disclamer: i am not american. this does not affect me, at least for now. this perhaps may decrease my following but my friends are in danger, and im drinking a beer, i dont give a shit at the moment

"Project 2025 is a strategic initiative aimed at transforming the US Army into a more lethal, agile, and adaptable fighting force by the year 2025. This ambitious plan encompasses a wide range of modernization efforts across all aspects of the Army, from its personnel and training to its equipment and technology. A key element of Project 2025 is the development and integration of advanced technology, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and autonomous systems. These technologies are intended to enhance the Army's ability to collect and analyze information, conduct operations in complex environments, and engage adversaries effectively. The project also emphasizes the importance of network modernization and cyber security, recognizing the growing role of cyber warfare and the need for resilient and secure communication systems. In addition to technological advancements, Project 2025 prioritizes the development of human capital by focusing on training, education, and recruitment. The goal is to cultivate a workforce that is skilled, adaptable, and capable of operating effectively in a rapidly changing world. By combining these technological and human elements, Project 2025 aspires to create an Army that is prepared to meet the challenges of future conflicts and maintain its position as the premier military force in the world. " - Unknown name

I am not american. I will not say my views, whether republican, liberal, democrat or whatever views and titles there are

But i will simply say what i have heard and what i have read

Project 2025, a nefarious agenda cloaked in a veil of progress, looms over society, threatening to erode fundamental freedoms and plunge us into a dystopian nightmare. At its core is a sinister plot to restrict access to reproductive healthcare, stripping women of their control over their own bodies. Abortion, a fundamental human right, is deemed a heinous crime, with draconian punishments meted out to those who dare to seek or provide it. I do not doubt they will be going after birth control as well, which is also a human right.

Furthermore, Project 2025 viciously targets the LGBTQ+ community, attempting to erase their very existence. Marriage equality is revoked, and same-sex couples are denied the right to love, raise families, or live their lives openly. Hateful rhetoric spews from the highest offices, fostering an atmosphere of fear and persecution.

Education is also under attack, with curricula twisted to promote a narrow, intolerant worldview. Critical thinking and open discussion are stifled, replaced with indoctrination and propaganda. Young minds are poisoned with messages of hate and exclusion, shaping a generation destined for ignorance and intolerance.

The arts, once a bastion of free expression, are now subject to censorship. Artists who dare to challenge the status quo are silenced, their works banned or destroyed. Culture is homogenized and controlled, leaving no room for diversity or dissent.

Trump's tax cuts, primarily benefiting wealthy individuals and corporations, have been criticized for increasing the national debt and widening income inequality. Trump's administration has rolled back environmental regulations, including those addressing climate change and pollution control, drawing criticism from scientists and environmentalists.

Trump's immigration policies, such as the border wall and family separations, have been condemned as inhumane and ineffective, exacerbating tensions at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump's attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, were unsuccessful. However, his administration's actions, such as weakening the mandate and Medicaid expansion, have led to concerns about reduced healthcare access.

Trump's rhetoric and policies have been criticized for fueling racial tensions and promoting gender discrimination. The travel ban targeting majority-Muslim countries and the separation of families at the border have drawn accusations of racism and xenophobia.

Trump's presidency and the Republican Party's support of his policies have contributed to deep political polarization in the United States. His divisive rhetoric and inflammatory tweets have exacerbated existing divisions and made it harder to find common ground. Trump's attacks on the media, the judiciary, and law enforcement have raised concerns about the erosion of democratic institutions. His refusal to concede defeat in the 2020 election and his supporters' storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, have further undermined public trust in the electoral process.

This is what i have heard

I have women friends, gay friends, trans friends that live in america

I suggest not voting for trump, but lets be honest, thats been said a dozen timew, doesnt make it any less hwlpful of advice

your all off your heads (or perhaps faces) if ye think project 2025 is good