#how i think some snakes are actually very easy to manipulate ourselves

[mooglesorts]

went out for a long walk earlier, had a lot of Snake Secondary Thoughts i was excited to post/reply when i got home. accidentally took a wrong turn on the way back and ended up taking a VERY LONG walk, ran out of energy to actually write down the things for the moment fshdfklhsdfsdf

[fapangel]

WELCOME, NEW GUN OWNERS!

A Brief Intro To The Whole ‘Gun’ Thing Business Stuff

By Planefag

1. So You Bought A Coronavirus Gun and you’re honestly a bit scared of it. What now?

You already know the four rules of gun safety because 1. the guy at the store told you, 2. it was in the users manual, which you read, and above all 3. you’ve not a redneck going “yee-haw BANG-GATTY!” you’re a goddamn sane human being. In point of fact, this new gun kind of scares you a bit and you sometimes have second thoughts.

Congratulations! You’re already becoming a Responsible Gun Owner.

Y’see, what us gun nerds don’t tell you is that we practice gun safety to the point of obsessive paranoia. Guns don’t shoot people, people shoot people – including by accident. The gun doesn’t do jack diddly shit – YOU do. All that responsibility is on YOU. And if you’re sitting there eyeballing the damn thing like it’s a live snake, it means you respect and fear the power, which is the first step in fully accepting the responsibility of gun ownership. You didn’t buy that damn thing as a dick replacement or to kill tin cans in the backyard, you bought it to protect yourself and your family should the worst happen – i.e. you’re already taking responsibility for your and/or your family’s own safety.

Being a grown-ass responsible adult is what qualifies you to own a gun. That’s it. Everything else is just knowledge, and none if it means diddly squat without the attitude, and as a (likely) reluctant owner, you already have that.

Never forget this.

2. What Nobody Will Tell You About The Safety Culture Of Firearms

You are absolutely going to fuck up gun safety a lot and the entire system and culture of firearm safety is designed to deal with this.

It starts with the Four Rules themselves:

All guns are loaded at all times.

Never point the gun at anything you don’t want to destroy.

Keep your finger off the trigger unless you intend to fire.

Never shoot an unidentified target and always consider what’s behind it.

These rules are multiply redundant safeties. Just ONE of these rules can and will save your life. You, as an ordinary mortal human, cannot possibly be perfect all the time, even with well-ingrained safety habits, but with multiple safety habits, you don’t NEED to be. Once Upon A Time a friend brought over her husband’s new gun for us to see, and my whole family handled it and tried it out. I asked to try the trigger pull, and before I touched the trigger, I decided to check the chamber – and a live round popped out.

That’s when I realized that, despite all of us having failed to check the chamber, we had all: 

1. Never touched the trigger 2. Never walked in front of the muzzle 3. Never pointed it in an unsafe direction - only at the floor.

My whole family, my friend, and I all fucked up, and nobody was hurt because while you will occasionally forget one or even two rules of gun safety, it’s effectively impossible to forget all four.

This “multiple redundancy” extends to other gun owners, and it’s why gun nerds seem to be such tiresome pedantic pricks about precise terminology – it all starts with “trigger discipline;” i.e. pointing out when someone else has their finger on the trigger when they’re not about to shoot; in a movie, in pictures, in real life, in a TikTok video etc. Muzzle discipline (don’t point it at things you want to destroy) is a close second. This is how gun owners work together to reinforce each other’s safety habits until they are second nature. This is the root of much gun culture – for instance, “silencer” is a perfectly valid name for the round make-gun-more-quieter-can, but lots of people get uptight and insist they be called “suppressors” because they don’t actually literally silence a gun, and your hearing can still be damaged if you fire a louder/bigger gun with a “can” on it and omit hearing protection (“earpo.”) Safety is serious business and you can expect other gun owners to coach you in it.

This system is formally enforced at shooting ranges, where someone called the Range Officer walks around for the sole purpose of making sure every rule of gun safety is observed at all times. With so many people in such tight confines, perfect gun safety is required, which is beyond the ability of any mere mortal. The range officer’s job is to be your second brain, helping you observe gun safety. They will often show you tricks to help avoid common mistakes in gun handling – one RO showed me how to stand sideways to my bench, so that when I manipulated my pistol in both hands, I could hold it sideways (as one naturally wants to do, to inspect it,) while still keeping the muzzle downrange. It’s natural to feel embarrassed if an RO corrects your mistake in gun safety, but you shouldn’t be – RO’s see every knuckle-dragging moron on Earth and can easily tell someone who is trying to be safe from a simple moron who doesn’t give a damn. RO’s treasure earnest newbies, because its easy to teach knowledge and habit, but difficult if not impossible to instill responsibility.

A final note on safety involves storage. To be of any damn use, your gun must be loaded and ready in your home, but many people also need to secure it against children, dumb-ass visiting friends or in some neighborhoods, possible burglary. What you need is a quick-access safe, like this one linked here. Note how the keypad has grooves so your fingers can find it in the dark, and only has four buttons. These tools are expressly designed to keep your firearm readily accessible and also safe and secure. Avail yourself of these.

3. You Don’t Know Jack Shit About Guns And That Doesn’t Matter.

Everything you think you know about guns is probably complete fucking bullshit – but if you know how to point YOUR gun’s loud end at the bad guy and pull the trigger, that’ll do.

Many in my own tribe will rip me a new asshole for saying this, but its true nonetheless. A TON of what you think you know about guns is total bullshit propagated by Hollywood, and some of it’s dangerous because it could get you killed – for instance, if you think your new shotgun doesn’t need to be aimed because it’ll light up half the living room from five feet away like in video games.

But you don’t own every gun from movies or games, do you? You only own YOUR gun. That’s the only one you need to worry about learning right now. You’re probably stuck “sheltering in place” and all the shooting ranges are closed, but that means you have plenty of time to watch youtube videos, and damn are there a lot of good, informative youtube videos on firearm topics. Paul Harrell alone has tons of excellent, down to Earth videos on every topic you can imagine, and he often caters to fresh-faced newbies, such as this introduction to shotguns and what they do. Full30.com is “gun youtube” and has nothing but informative gun videos.

Watching these videos you’ll soon realize that what sounds like basic newbie information to you is being delivered in videos aimed at experienced gun owners – because we gun owners often don’t know shit, either. Even among gun owners ourselves, a great many myths and legends persist; the classic example being old-timers who think the springs in magazines will wear out if you keep them loaded too long (they don’t, any more than the suspension springs on your car do from just sitting in the garage.) These rumors persist because while their recommended techniques don’t help, they almost never hurt, either. Gun owners pursue these almost mythical rituals for the exact same reason they have such strong opinions (and sometimes bitter arguments) over trivial differences in firearm performance or utility – even though the differences are very minor, when you are fighting for your own priceless life, even slim advantages are worth having. Even though most gun owners keep a simple shotgun for home defense and spend most of their money on Fun Shooty Guns for the range and/or competitions, the entire community is, ultimately, rooted in traditions and lessons pertaining to actual practical use of firearms for community, family and self-defense.

Thus: when fellow gun-owners, in person or online, give your selection of firearm shit and recommended ten billion other accessories or methods to buy or use, do not be fooled into thinking your gun is useless or seriously sub-par; almost anything that you can put lead downrange with, where you want it, will do the job. At the same time, understand that this community has such strong opinions on often trivial differences because you’re preparing to defend your and your families lives, and with infinitely high stakes, no advantage is too trivial to consider.

Sights and slings and magazines and such are all well and good to have, but if you need to make a choice, remember that having the gun, and the skill and familiarity to use it is already 90% of the equation. Paul Harrell demonstrates this very very well in his video on using double-barreled shotguns for home defense, which he opens with the line “not everyone can afford thousand-dollar guns,” and “you don’t need the latest, greatest thing to get the job done.” Clint of Thunder Ranch – a man who has in fact shot people and been shot at – is also on-record as warning people that you can absolutely be killed by the oldest, silliest damn Oregon-Trail looking goddamn Elmer Fudd popgun if the wielder knows how to run it well. Look no further than the return of lever-action Old West guns for home defense.

4. The Right Of The People To Keep And Bear Arms Shall Not Be Infringed AND YOU ARE PEOPLE

YES, YOU, YOU LEFT-WING BERNIEBRO TRIPLE-COMMUNIST FROM SOVIET MORDOR. AND YOU, TRANS-QUEER-POC-NONBINARY OTHERKIN. YOU ARE PEOPLE.

IF YOU ARE PEOPLE, THIS IS YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT. IT IS NOT CONTINGENT ON YOUR POLITICS, YOUR RELIGION, YOUR SEX, GENDER, OR PREFERENCE OF GAMING CONSOLE. YOU BOUGHT A GUN, NOT A POLITICAL PARADIGM SHIFT. IT CAME WITH A TRIGGER LOCK, NOT A PACKET OF KOOL-AID.

WE GUN OWNERS HAVE FOUGHT TIRELESSLY FOR GENERATIONS TO DEFEND THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE PRECISELY BECAUSE WE KNEW TIMES LIKE THESE WOULD INEVITABLY COME. AND NOW THAT THEY’RE HERE, BEING VINDICATED IS ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY NO FUN AT ALL, BECAUSE WE’RE ALL IN THIS SHITSTORM TOGETHER.

5. Come Talk To Us – We Don’t Bite

Most gun owners collect guns because we can’t afford to collect cars or old tractors or whatever, and worse, we can’t race them against each other nearly as easily as we can go to an IDPA competition and blap steel pop-up targets. Firearms are exquisite works of engineering, and marksmanship is a science, an Olympic sport, and a true art that was respected as the domain of the experienced and wise even in Antiquity. Most of us were taught gun safety as a case-study in the responsibilities of adulthood, at our parents and grandparents knee, and we find real joy in introducing new people to the joy of firearms ownership and shooting sports.

Gun owners have been subject to non-stop, wall-to-wall abuse for decades due to our views on firearm rights – quite often to our faces, from family members. It makes us scornful and defensive – but it also primes us to welcome fellow supporters of self-defense rights with open arms as long-lost brothers. Hit us up on Twitter or BookFarce or whatever the hell you use. Ask your questions – yes, even the dumb ones. We asked the exact same ones ourselves when we were starting out. We’ll deny it till the sun burns out, but we did, and our guilty memories mock us still.

It often feels like the divides in America are too deep to ever be healed, and even in the midst of this crisis, where there should only be two sides – humanity vs. virus – the bitter recriminations continue. But it’s still the best chance we’ve had to see eye-to-eye with each other, and that new gun of yours, lying in its factory grease still in its factory hardcase, is proof positive of that.

You’re disgusted by this reality, aren’t you? That such ugly measures are necessary? That things have gotten this bad?

Good. So are we. Which is why we need you; you people who wish for a world where guns aren’t needed and people sleep with their doors unlocked at night. People who push forward, finding a way to advance. And this current disaster is why you need us; people who know how bad it can get, how easily the center can fold, who prepare for the worst.

We will need you again in the future. And that is why we are here for you now.

[acetarisborn]

Trust - Chapter 2

Summary: After Virgil is able to tell the others what will happen with Patton’s help and they plan what to do in case one of them is replaced. However, Roman is unsatisfied with the strategy.

Pairings: I think none for now

Content Warning:  Mentions of self harm, self deprecation, manipulation, panic, rage attacks, um... snakes? does that count?

Notes: Well, here’s chapter 2! I can’t believe you liked it! I’m so glad of the support I’ve had from you so I really wanted to continue!

After some time the two sides went back with the others, Roman and Logan were just watching the movie like nothing happened because in fact nothing had happened for them.

“Virgil, are you okay?” Roman asked standing up from the couch.

“You got away for quite a long time out of the sudden. Are you feeling well?“

Virgil was nervous to tell them what happened, what if they think it’s all his fault? will they hate him and Patton as well? He sas trying to remain serious but a worried expression formed in his face, he looked back at Patton and he smiled soflty at him, they looked at the creative and logical side.

“Guys, we need to talk”

Roman got surprised and exchanged looks with Logan, he knew that the phrase “we need to talk” was never something good, he paused the movie, turned off the tv and sat on the couch again.

“What is the matter, Patton?” Logan asked wih a cold expression.

“Well, kiddos, to put it simple, this day I wasn’t actually...me”

“What are you talking about? I didn’t managed to see nothing unusual to your behavior, you were the same-” he took his vocab cards out of his pocket and searched for the right one “ ‘Cinnamon roll’ we know”

“I don’t mean it in that way, Lo. The Patton you have talked to the entire afternoon wasn’t me, it was Deceit pretending to be me”

They all heard a dramatic gasp and looked into Roman’s direction.

“AGAIN?! How did that snake fooled me twice!?”

“You are not the only one who got fooled, Princey”

“Yeah, actually that’s what we wanted to talk to you about”

Roman looked conerned at Virgil, he surely looked like he was going to panic in any second.

“Kids, after Virgil got to his room, Deceit had a talk with him. He doesn’t want to talk about it but he wants to warn us. Deceit wants to get rid of us, probably one by one, until he will have full control of Thomas’s mind”

Roman was shocked, a lot of feelings were reflecting in his face right now, surprise, anger and maybe, just maybe, a hint of fear and worry.

“What will we do to stop this? if Deceit is actually after us we can’t even trust ourselves!” Roman spoke his worried outloud.

“That’s where you are wrong, Roman.” The logical side added “I think that what Patton and Virgil are trying to tell us is that instead of enter into an stage of dessperation and worry we need to stay together rather tan not trust each other. That’s obviously what Deceit wants”

“Exactly” Virgil answered “ We just need to be more careful about what we say and what we do at least until we figure out a way to stop him. Separate is not the best idea at the time”

“The best options seems to stay together, protect each other and try to not lie or make Thomas lie at a minimun, since we know that’s where his power comes from”

“Is that it?” Roman said as he stood up, the rest looked at him.

“What do you mean?”

“Are we really going to stay in fear? that’s letting him win! We should fight him right away! We can’t let the evil succeed!” He said taking his sword out of it’s scabbard.

“Roman, he is not a disney villain, he is one of us, just as all the other dark sides” Patton answered him, they were right that Deceit is evil but he is a part of Thomas.

“And we don’t stand a chance to him, fight him could be the most stupid idea at the moment”

“But guys!”

“No buts, Roman. We need to keep you and all of us safe for now, we need to stick together. Got it?”

Patton was looking more serious than ever, even his tone seemed deeper, Roman knew that if Patton could be like that then it means this really was a problem. Still he didn’t wanted to run away from the battle like a coward.

After a few second he finally nodded and decided to listen to them, at least for now.

“Let’s check everything again:

Number one, no separating or end up alone unless we need to go to sleep.

Two, try to tell the thruth”

All of them nodded as Virgil was saying the ‘plan’ outloud.

“And last, don’t try to fight Deceit, specially alone”

Roman frowned but nodded slightly, obviously making a better plan in his head

“But what will happen if we do encounter him? We should have a ‘plan B’ of some sort” Logan pointed the flaw of the plan.

“Shit, you are right”

“Language, Virge” Patton reproached him.

“Right, sorry Pat. Um, how about...” Virgil kept thinking for a moment and talked again.

“Alright, in that case we will need to fight, but not trying to kill the dude, just self defense. Got that, Roman?”

“I guess... Oh! and if he does replace someone we need to have like a code word or something! to warn the others if one of us notice! ”

“That’s too easy but not a bad idea. Which word?” Virgil asked to everyone.

“How about a lie? One of us says an obvious lie about the other. Like ‘I’ m not allergic to cats’

“I guess we’ll stick to that”  Logan said to Patton.

“You know guys, now that we already have kind of a solid plan... I think we can do this”

“Don’t sweat it, Fall Apart Boy!” Virgil laughed at the nickname this time “I believe we shall end up victorious”

They all agreed and after some anwkard second of not saying anything Patton spoke.

“Now that we have all of that settled, who wants dinner?”

“Yeah, good idea”

“I would like some pasta”

“Sure, also I do want to end the movie” 

They kept talking while walking to the kitchen.

They were all eating Patton’s past in the table, Patton sat next to Logan and after some silence he spoke

“Patton, I just wanted to tell you that I’m impressed”

He turned his head to him, confused but with a glow in his eyes because that wasn’t an often thing he says, specially to him

“Impressed? of what?”

“You did managed to control the situation, Virgil made the right decision by asking for your help. I’m quite impressed with your control abilities, I thought you were all ‘silly’ and ‘bubbly’ all the time”

“Well thank you, Logan! I am a dad, I do want you all to feel happy but I want you to feel safe too, and if the situation asks me to be serious then I’ll be it”

“Wow, Patton. I didn’t expected such maturity of you”

“Well, you know that they say, if you feel petty then eat some spaghetti”  He aughed as he puts a big mess of noodles in his mouth

“Aaand there we are again”

They kept chatting about the matter while Virgil looked at them, he smiled but turned to the right to see that Roman wasn’t even touching his pasta

“Hey, charming. Are you feeling good?”

He turned to see the anxious side and faked an smile

“S-sure! I just don’t feel that hungry”

Virgil looked at him, looking unconvinced. Roman let a sigh and talked

“It’s just- I am a Prince, a brave and invincible warrior. I should be able to protect them! To protect you more than anyone!”

“Me? Why?”

“Please, Virgil. It’s obvious you have some sort of history with that guy. And you are the most vigilant yet the most vulnerable to him, no offense”

Virgil looked down at the table, was he really going to admit it? To him? Well, they said no lies so.

“Yeah, we do know each other, more than you guys or me would like. But that doesn’t mean I am some kind of damsell in distress, Roman. I can protect myself”

‘I know you are not’ Roman was about to say but Virgil kept talking.

“You always try to be so brave by facing all these challenges by your own. You can’t keep with the ‘I need to be perfect’ thing. If you need some help turn your enormous pride off for a second and count on us to help you”

Roman looked at him with some guilt, he does do that, didn’t he?

“Thanks, Virge”

“No problem, now shut up and eat your spaghetti, your stubborness”

“After you, Grim Day”

They both laughed and ate the pasta hapilly.

Eventually, they headed to their rooms, as soon as Roman stepped into his he closed the door and locked it, he looked at the desk full of papers and ideas he had drawn and wrote himself, he moved some of them and sat in the chair so he could have space to write.

“Alright, Roman. You need to do it! They count on you!”

He remembered Virgil’s words

“I’m sorry Virgil” He frowned but smiled in a second “But you’ll thank me later, I know it!”

And with that he started to look at the paper to starts working on a genious plan.

It was already past midnight and a storm had begun a few hour ago, probably caused by Roman’s brainstorm. Papers were crumpled in a ball or just torn apart in the little trash can near the desk with some broken pencils in it too. Roman was slamming his head into the desk, he was out of ideas.

“Come on, Roman, you are the embodiment of creativity! How can you not think where he could be at least?”

Suddenly, the lights of his giant chandelier in the celling started to ficker until he ended up in darkness, he made a frown “Por un demonio, lo que faltaba” He whispered under his breath and snapped his fingers to fix it, the entire place was their creation after all.

‘Weird, nothing’s happening’ He thought to himself while snapping his fingers for the fitfh time, he went to open the door to unfortunately ask one of them if they coud fix it, maybe Logan, but the door wasn’t opening even beofre he unlocked it.

“What the-”

“What a pathetic prince” A deep voice interrupted him, the place was dark so he looked everywhere in vain, until a faint yellow glow was seen in front of him

“You are trying so hard to save your friends, to be of some help, but your efforts are pointless”

“Don’t you think it’s a little too late for this, Bill Cipher?” Roman mocked him trying to sound confident while he was slowly grabbing his sword’s handle.

“Very funny, just as good as your talent” Roman remembered that Deceit speaks in lies and he felt a light pain in his chest, the lose of pride just from that insult made him feel that, was he really being that weak? 

“I know your wishes and ambitions, you want to be their hero. His hero”

“What are you talking about?” Roman walked away from him, still not losing his grip.

“Come on, I know how bad you feel, the guilt that is consuming you”

He sneaked behind him and grabbed his shoulders, he shivered because of how cold they were, they were like two ice cubes resting in his shoulders, no wonder why he used gloves

“You are so sorry about what you did to Virgil, how you treated him this whole time. But it’s not because you actually care about him, it’s because Thomas’s fans hate you for this, the tables have turned and now you are the least favorite, to not say the most hated character”

Roman was now shaking, grabbing the handle so hard his knuckles turned white, he wanted to take those freezing hands away from his shoulders and just ignore him but he couldn’t, maybe Deceit normally lies but he can talk normal any time he wants so how did he knew he is not lying?

“I know you are lying. You can’t fool me with your words”

“Oh, can’t I? I’m sincerely telling the truth here, or should I say that I’m completely lying?”

Roman thought about what he was saying. He couldn’t do this just for popularity. He has a big ego but it wasn’t that big, he cared about his family.

“You just want that fake sense of the people actually loving you and what you do to fill that empty in your heart back so you try to redeem yourself, your mistakes, just so they will love you again, you aren’t even feeling the least of remorse. How selfish”

That word was what snapped him, he clenched his theet and took the sword out, he turned around and tried to slash the side in half. Deceit moved fast enough and Roman was now swinging his sword into the darkness.

“I’m!”

One blow in the dark, almost cutting the big bed in half

“Not!”

He was able to see the faint glow and aimed at it a few times, he missed but made Deceit trip with his feet, he loose balance and Roman took the chance.

“SELFISH!”

He swung the sword filled with rage and heard that it acutally slashed something. A thunder gave the room some light and he saw he was able to make a cut on Deceit’s exposed arm, the brief light of the storm was already gone but another thunder was heard and he was able to see again, but this time it wasn’t Deceit’s arm.

This arm had more scars on it, they were almost visible and just a few but he was able to see it, has a rolled up sleeve but the blood was staining it, it looked black with a purple patch, he saw Virgil trying to hold his pain.

He dropped the sword in shock and covered his mouth in surprise ‘What have I done?’ He thought, he had let his rage take him too far.

“This is all your fault, we make an effort to actually be good people and look what you do, Princey. How can you be like that?”

He fell to his knees and looked at the floor ‘He is right, I’m selfish, I’m just an egocentric idiot who can’t admit how awful he is, I’m worthless’

He couldn’t stop the tears, he felt horrible, how was he able to be like this? He grabbed his knees and sobbed repeating the words ‘I’m sorry’ over and over again.

“Well, this was easier than I thought”

He lifted his head a little just to see that Virgil wasn’t there anymore, he had fell for Deceit’s trick again.

“Well, this was sure a pleasant chat, but you are right, it is kinda late, don’t you think?”

He felt something wrapping in his legs and waist, he tried to move his arms but he couldn’t, suddenly he saw an snake around his chest and arms, making him unable to move, he turned around in alarm to see another around his legs, he looked up when he heard Deceit’s laugh.

“Snakes sure are quiet creatures, you can’t even know when they’ll attack”

“What is happening? Take them off!” He struggled in the creatures grasp, already begging for mercy? Has he fell that low already?

 for the first time he felt he won’t get out of this situation.

“Or bite and leave poison inside you”

Then he felt a pain in his chest, he looked at it to see that the snake around him had bit him, after that they let go of him and creep into the dark.

“Looks like you won’t be here for a while. Don’t worry, Roman. They won’t know the difference”

He grabbed his chest in pain, his hand was covered in blood. The creative side was starting to feel dizzy, the whole room was looking blurry and he was only able to stay in his knees trying not to throw up.

Roman finally lose balance and fell to the floor, he was trying not to close his eyelids when he divised the sword not to far from him, he crawled in the floor to reach out with one hand while the other was trying to contain the blood, he grabbed the handle with his body still in the ground and raised it in a try to strike him

“I- I’ll never let you win”

“Oh, Roman”

He ripped the sword out of his shaky hands, Roman was so weak at this point his face was pale and he fell with no hope.

“There wasn’t a battle to begin with, you’ll understand sooner or later”

Roman could only hear his laugh while he finally end unconscious.

God I’m sorry for taking too long but I had lots of homework this weeks! I just really wanted to thank you again for those nice things you said in the notes, I’m so happy you liked it and I’ll sure make more!

By the way, sorry for keep adding things into this but I really wanted to.

 Tag List

@the-darkness-art, @bunny222 @fander15293 @well-love-has-failed-me

[the-starchariot]

Clover

Nouns / phrases: Some small luck, something which is nice, a happy coincidence or opportunity. Short duration. A gamble; risk-taking. Unburdened ease; no troubles, burdens or responsibilities. "Don't take X too seriously!" Little relevance; low importance. The small joys of life. Avoidance of hardship, refusal to take on a burden or responsibilities. Cherry-picking. Humour, jokes.   Activities: To risk or gamble. To not take something seriously. To dabble in, toy with. To joke/fool around. To keep it light. Attributes: Lucky, nice-in-a-small-way. Easy, untroubled, unburdened, unperturbed, happy-golucky. Not-serious; joking, humorous, playful. Unimportant, irrelevant. Irresponsible, a bit risky. Short-lived. As a person: Person with the above attributes, e.g. happy-go-lucky person; lucky devil. Gambler, risk-taker. Someone without responsibilities (or someone who refuses to be responsible). As advice: Jump at the chance! Don't worry, be happy! Just dismiss it! Negatively: Don't gamble if the risk is high! Do your duty for once!   Time factor *) : Soon and/or quickly over. Take the chance now - or it will be too late!

Don't take it too seriously / avoidance of hardship / some small luck

About the meaning: I do often use the more traditional meanings of the Clover, covered in the first paragraph. But the paragraphs after it describe clusters of meanings which have been at least as useful to me. While they are not exactly the same as the traditional interpretation they are still very closely related to it. Some small luck / happy coincidence / something good but of little duration: Apart from some small luck, a happy coincidence, a chance or opportunity which needs to be jumped at, or something good that doesn't last all that long, the Clover can also be interpreted as "something will happen very soon, quickly". Also, if you believe that you may be lucky you may be tempted to gamble a bit; take a risk with the hope for a good outcome. So gambling and risk-taking are part of the Clover's more traditional meaning as well. "Don't take it too seriously" / unburdened ease / small joys of life: Many cards of the Lenormand deck address quite deep issues, important goings-on. To me, the Clover's interpretation as "to not take X seriously" was a great find. When the Clover turns up I often take it as a hint that the querent either is taking something not seriously (which could be a good or a bad thing!), or that they should take something less seriously. Or, from a slightly different angle: When the Clover lies next to another card I sometimes interpret it as lessening this card's relevance for my concern. The Clover could be saying about the Coffin, for example, that, yes, a break-up would cause some grief - but it wouldn't be the end of the world. Or Clover next to Book could mean that something is "nice to know but not important to remember" - or at least that we think it is that way. In a positive light, taking things not unduly seriously can lead to a sense of untroubled ease, to feeling unburdened and free. Especially when a querent is under a lot of pressure the Clover could be taken as the advice to let go of as many burdens and responsibilities as possible and start living a more spontaneous, easygoing life. The Clover might also represent a person who is happy-go-lucky. And finally, the Clover can represent the small joys of life and/or the ability to find profound joy in them. Refusal to take on responsibilities / avoidance of hardship: This dimension of the Clover's meaning is the negative result of exaggerating the positive qualities I described in the paragraph above. If we exaggerate them, we won't take anything seriously, even if it is in fact something of importance. So the Clover can mean that we avoid unpleasant duties or refuse to take on responsibilities because we do not want anything to lessen our sense of unburdened ease. It can mean that we are trying to cherry-pick only that which is pleasant or convenient. Sometimes the Clover can be interpreted as a hint that maybe it's time to get serious, pull one's socks up, and face one's responsibilities even if they are not enjoyable.   To dabble in / trifle with something: If a certain activity or the acquirement of a specific skill is not taken very seriously, we tend to just dabble in it, we just toy with it. This can be a wonderful thing. Going about something in a playful way can yield great results exactly because we don't put pressure on ourselves to produce any. But if that's all we ever do we'll never get to a point where we actually know what we're doing, where we can actually do it well. And if we toy with something inconsiderately, if we trifle with something or someone in an disrespectful or irresponsible way, we might also cause harm. Humour and jokes: Another fitting, albeit rarely applicable, sub-meaning of the Clover is humour. It should be noted though, that it's not so much the "being in good humour" humour which the Clover represents (that would be the function of the Sun); the Clover is about jokes told, about the sharing of funny anecdotes.

About the Image: There are hundreds of different types of clover - which I hadn't known before I did the research for this card. Some grow only in very specific areas, or climates; some are so tropical looking I wouldn't ever have recognised them as clover. They looked like orchids! But since the meaning of the Lenormand Clover contains a lot of "small, nice but not all that special" I chose the Red Clover for my card, as many have done before me. Red Clover is prevalent all over Europe and in parts of Asia. In Europe it was used as protein-rich green fodder in the middle ages. It helps to bind nitrogen in the ground and is great as a preceding crop. In short: Red Clover is a modestly beautiful, quite useful, but very common plant. By the way, the nectar the clover blossoms contain symbolise the "something nice / small luck" meaning of the card even more beautifully than just the blossoms alone. This is the reason why I included the bumblebee. Bumblebees love clover because they can get at the nectar - honeybees can't, because their sucker is too short. So in my card you've got a bumblebee who is happy to have found some nectar. But the nectar is not an all that special find, because there are plenty of the same blossoms close by. Also, as a friend pointed out to me, the bumblebee could be a warning about the "gambling, risk-taking" aspect of the card. If you put yourself not in the bumblebee's shoes but in the shoes of a passer-by who wants to pick some clover, you can ask yourself whether you really want to risk a sting just to pick this specific blossom which, after all, isn't all that special.  

Clover-Rider Something good happens. A chance, a very happy coincidence we should take advantage of. Something interrupts unburdened ease. Life-changing opportunity. Unexpected sense of ease; to be surprised by how easy something is. Don't take these news too seriously! Irrelevant change. Jokes that overstep boundaries. Clover-Clover*) To make light of irresponsible behaviour. Risk-taking with no consideration of the consequences. Something nice which unfortunately is totally irrelevant. To not take a lucky chance too seriously! To make jokes with ease. Clover-Ship Nice, pleasant journey. You can change it, yes, but is it really that important? A chance to change something - jump at it! To be on the lookout for an opportunity. To let ourselves be blown around this way and that, wherever fancy takes us. To act as a vagabond. Risky foolhardiness. To venture something with no thought about the risks (which might be a good thing though!). To change one's luck. Total irresponsibility: Unwillingness to commit and to take on responsibilities. To not commit to a responsibility. To go looking for the gold at the end of the rainbow. Clover-House To have no or few family responsibilities. To consider family matters unimportant. To take rules or tradition not very seriously; to be unburdened by considerations of what's proper. To be happy enough to settle down with the small joys of life (to not need anything big or grand). Familiar humour. Family member who is happy-go-lucky - has gambling issues - doesn't do their bit. To not follow a plan conscientiously. Rules which apply to gambling/risk taking. Conservative approach to anything which looks even faintly like a gamble. Clover-Tree Irresponsible handling of health-relevant issues(to gamble with one's health). To take health-issues not seriously. Risky physical undertakings. Untroubled relationship with one's body. A very steady and well-grounded sense of ease. Comfort and ease is number one priority. Long lasting lucky streak. Clover-Clouds Bad luck. Concealed opportunity; to overlook a chance. Confusion/despair which doesn't last long, or which isn't that big of a deal. To make light of mental illness; to joke about (other people's?) confusion, lack of understanding. To have fun pulling the wool over people's eyes. To not understand the seriousness of it. To mistake happy-go-lucky behaviour for "I don't care" (or the other way around!). To drift aimlessly (possibly harmfully) because of a lack of purpose. Clover-Snake A desire which isn't that strong/important. To gamble/to take risks because you want something so desperately. To use a playful approach to get what you want. A wonderful chance to get what you want. A strong craving is not taken seriously; an inner calling is not followed as much as it maybe should be. To make light of an addiction, of ruthlessness, or selfishness. Someone's attempts at manipulation are met with light-hearted humour. Or: to be unable to move towards a goal constantly and with concentration; more generally: lack of strength of purpose. Clover-Coffin The end of ease; something pleasant ends. To grief the loss of ease, or of a time of unburdened freedom. The end of a lucky streak. An ending, or some grief, is not that deep or won't last long. One's happy-go-lucky nature, one's usually easygoing nature, is buried by something (by grief, if it's the Coffin itself that defines it, or by something else). The chance to end something, finally. A chance that lies in an ending. Gallows humour. During times of grief, looking at the small joys of life might be what helps. Clover-Bouquet A chance to visit / be visited / be more sociable. Circle of friends in which nothing serious is ever spoken about. Don't take compliments you are getting too seriously. To have some fun with decorating / a makeover. To dabble in interior or fashion design. Light-hearted flattery or flirts. To not take the cultivation of friendships serious(ly enough). A welcome opportunity. Clover-Scythe Make a grab at it quickly, before it's too late! To take a real risk (negative outcome would be painful!). To count one's blessings. Something totally unexpected but nice. The hurt is not that deep, don't take it too seriously! Well-deserved luck. Well-deserved period of untroubled ease after dealing with something rigorously. To take something urgent not seriously enough. Clover-Whip Minor aggressions; micro aggressions. Sarcastic humour; hurtful jokes. To not take abuse/aggression seriously. To refuse taking responsibility for something one has done, to make light of a misdemeanour. A chance to retaliate. To take every chance to abase others. Opportunity to make amends. Opportunity to try and resolve a conflict. Clover-Birds Great excitement about a lucky coincidence or about an opportunity. You need to react quickly - jump at it or you'll miss it! Worries about whether one'll get lucky. Worries which one shouldn't take that seriously. An irresponsibly unstable way of living. Inability to settle because of a constant alertness for new opportunities. Quick witted humour. Worries about a happy-go-lucky person. Opportunity for gossip. Clover-Child Untroubled childhood. An unburdened child; to allow someone to be not responsible, like a child. To treat someone like a child by not giving them any responsibilities. To feel (or actually be!) too young or inexperienced to take on responsibilities. Growing luck, new chance; chance to do something new. Curiosity makes it more likely one will be able to recognise opportunities when they present themselves. To be open to doing something new. A very playful approach. An opportunity which has to be handled delicately in order to play out. Clover-Fox To be deeply suspicious instead of just happy whenever something nice happens, when an opportunity presents itself. To not trust one's luck. Conflict between caution and wanting to take a risk. A hint that one is too cautious. To take an opportunity out of self-interest; to grab any chance one can in order to survive/live a better life. To be good at adapting to changing luck. Clover-Bear A very important chance. To create your own luck. Leader who is quite easy-going. To be (too) lenient with children, students, or employees. To leave responsibilities to someone else; to let someone else deal with things. To be so untroubled that you don't take any precautions. Untroubled or irresponsible boss, parent, teacher. To be unburdened because you have a strong protector. To protect someone so they can be untroubled. To make light of someone's attempts at dominating. Clover-Stars An imperturbable belief that everything will turn out right. To hope one'll just be lucky and get what one wants without having to do anything for it. To gamble, to risk something because you hope (or have faith) that things will work out in your favour. To feel at ease and unburdened because of a deep trust that whatever happens serves a purpose. Clover-Stork The chance to transform. A slow transition from a burdened to an unburdened state or way of thinking or feeling. The longing to be free (from something, e.g. responsibilities). A happy-go-lucky, easygoing inner nature. A transforming stroke of luck. The transformative power of being free of burden. What one considers "lucky" is slowly changing. To not take a transition seriously. Conflict between a process which would bring profound results but only after a long time, and taking an opportunity right now which would bring nice results quickly but they wouldn't last long or be not very significant. To make light of someone's inner nature or deepest longing. Clover-Dog Happy-go-lucky friend; unburdened friend, irresponsible friend or employee who needs a leader. To take a friend(ship) for granted. Opportunity to make a friend. To become friends because it just happens to be convenient. Superficial friendship. Don't reinforce someone's strong loyalty - it's not healthy. Someone seems really devoted and loyal but really it doesn't go very deep. Irresponsibility towards a friend or employee. To not take it too badly that at the moment one is the underdog - it might soon pass. Clover-Tower Being emotionally indifferent makes one feel untroubled but maybe also lonely and disconnected. To find a feeling of unburdened ease in solitude. Don't let loneliness get to you! Conflict between having a position of authority and wanting to have fewer responsibilities. The chance for a position of power. To not take an opportunity; to say "no" to a chance. Clover-Garden A little bit of fame or popularity (don't take it too seriously). Opportunity in the social sphere. To move in social circles with ease; untroubled meetings and social contacts. To act irresponsibly within society. Risky social behaviour. To present as an easygoing person. Public entertainment venues. To dabble in networking/internet/publishing etc. To be totally okay with something being made public. Newspaper ads which offer what one is looking for. Clover-Mountain To not take difficulties too seriously; to just go ahead and give something a try. Difficulties with being at ease. To remain untroubled by challenges. To be unmoved by the small joys of life. No luck, no ease. The elephant in the room is that you or somebody else doesn't actually care that much. To be unwilling to just give something a try. Enduring, lasting good luck. Clover-Crossroad Total freedom - no limits to what is a possibility for you. To take a decision lightly. Take the chance now to make a good choice! Hesitation about an opportunity. Several different opportunities. What's luck is relative. Half-hearted dabbling in things - to never truly follow through; to never reach the maximum potential. Clover-Mice Luck is running out. Dwindling opportunities. Life used to be easy and untroubled, but something has started to corrode that ease. Growing suspicion that things aren't as easy as one thought. To be unhealthily easygoing. To be unbothered by dirt, corruption. To keep one's ability to see the small joys of life even in times of sickness or other unhealthy goings-on. Clover-Heart An untroubled loving relationship; loving relationship in which the participants haven't faced hard times yet. A little bit of lovin'. To find new love. To not take a loving relationship seriously. To not take someone's soft feelings (your own?) seriously. An opportunity for reconciliation. When your heart says yes, jump at the opportunity! To play with someone's feelings. Someone who cares vs. someone who can't be bothered. Looking at the world with a less cynic eye would make many wonderful opportunities and all the little joys of life more visible! Clover-Ring To not take commitment seriously. A connection or relationship is taken (too?) lightly. To pounce at the chance to make a binding agreement. To be unburdened because one has no commitments. Refusal to make a promise. To not take a promise seriously. A promise given carelessly. A link which is rather weak. Not very reliable. Loose coherence, loose ties, loose affiliation. Clover-Book Light fiction; literature of little relevance. "Nice to know, but needn't remember" type of knowledge. To study something just for fun, with little seriousness . To not take education (or studying) very seriously. To gamble at an exam. To be easygoing with telling the truth. Clover-Letter Some light, untroubled, and/or unimportant conversation. The opportunity to talk about something. To take a risk with a certain communication. Communicating more will open up opportunities. To communicate about an opportunity. To communicate one's wish to have fewer responsibilities. To take communication (in a relationship?) not seriously enough. A communication that is short-lived. Clover-Man (b) Man who is: a lucky devil; happy-go-lucky, easygoing, not-serious; joking, humorous, playful, unimportant, irrelevant. Irresponsible, unburdened, has no responsibilities, doesn't do his bit; a gambler or risk-taker. To chance something regarding a man; to take a man (or men in general) not seriously. To toy with a man / man who toys with us. To joke/fool around with a man. To keep it light with a man. Clover-Woman (a) Woman who is: a lucky devil; happy-go-lucky, easygoing, not-serious; joking, humorous, playful, unimportant, irrelevant. Irresponsible, unburdened, has no responsibilities, doesn't do her bit; a gambler or risk-taker. To chance something regarding a woman; to take a woman (or women in general) not seriously. To toy with a woman / woman who toys with us. To joke/fool around with a woman. To keep it light with a woman. Clover-Man (b) Man who is: a lucky devil; happy-go-lucky, easygoing, not-serious; joking, humorous, playful, unimportant, irrelevant. Irresponsible, unburdened, has no responsibilities, doesn't do his bit; a gambler or risk-taker. To chance something regarding a man; to take a man (or men in general) not seriously. To toy with a man / man who toys with us. To joke/fool around with a man. To keep it light with a man. Clover-Woman (b) Woman who is: a lucky devil; happy-go-lucky, easygoing, not-serious; joking, humorous, playful, unimportant, irrelevant. Irresponsible, unburdened, has no responsibilities, doesn't do her bit; a gambler or risk-taker. To chance something regarding a woman; to take a woman (or women in general) not seriously. To toy with a woman / woman who toys with us. To joke/fool around with a woman. To keep it light with a woman. Clover-(Sensual)Lily Sexual relationship without responsibilities. Untroubled sexual relationship. To enjoy sensual pleasures happily, without feelings of shame or guilt. Easygoing approach to sex and sensuality. Maybe: too little awareness of the risks of enjoying the physical world without limiting yourself. Risky sexual behaviour. An opportunity to experience sensual pleasure. The opportunity to be creative. Intense luck. Some small pleasure. Clover-(Virtuous)Lily To be content with very little, to find enough contentment in small joys. A little bit of wisdom, a little bit of virtuousness. To not take cleanliness seriously. To not try very hard to be a moral person. To not take virtues in general or specific virtues seriously (which could be a good thing if the querent is too uptight). To make light of someone's moral standards - e.g. to mock someone for their voluntary celibacy. Someone who might behave immorally any moment because they don't take morality seriously. An opportunity to become a better person. To be lucky and find a righteous person. To briefly experience peace in the absence of a craving. To wait for the opportunity to do the right thing. The intention to be abstinent or celibate or more self-disciplined in general is thrown to the wind at the first opportunity. Clover-Sun To experience a little bit of joy and ease. Short-lived happiness. Being happy is easy. Total avoidance of anything uncomfortable. Being free of responsibilities, or getting rid of burdens, makes one happy. To be able be happy about one's luck. To celebrate an opportunity. An obvious opportunity. Something that really, really is NOT important at all, something completely trivial. Clover-Moon Untroubled by fears or needs. To make light of one's emotions. Advice: don't take this specific fear or need too seriously; don't give it too much importance. A little bit of depth. An opportunity to get in touch with one's emotions. "Nice" feelings only. Stroke of luck which is rather important. A lucky guess. To play with someone's emotions. Pleasant nights. To take the opportunity for a nap; an opportunity to rest. To take the necessity of rest/sleep not seriously enough. Clover-Key To say yes to an opportunity. To allow oneself to just enjoy life. To give oneself permission not to feel responsible. To open up emotionally or mentally with ease, maybe too easily, without thinking about possible risks. A solution which is rather easy. The easy way out. To take an opportunity to get access - or to snoop around. Take the chance now! A very good (but probably not overwhelmingly great) idea. Clover-Fish A happy-go-lucky-approach to values - one's own values don't burden, don't pressure (or: they do, but they shouldn't). The untroubled life a stable income brings with it. To not take financial issues very seriously, or to think they aren't that important. To spend money on something that offers easy enjoyment; or to spend money freely without thought for the future. An opportunity to profit (not necessarily financially). Clover-Anchor To be quite comfortable with the status quo; to not feel responsible for changing an unpleasant status quo. Advice: Hold on to that bit of luck/chance! To hold on in vain to something which is fleeting. A little bit of stability which is enjoyable but probably won't last. To not take safety seriously(enough?). The opportunity to get a firm(er) foothold. To be very focused on looking out for opportunities. Clover-Cross To shy away from responsibilities, to neglect one's duties. A welcome break from hardship. Advice: don't take your responsibilities so seriously/ lighten up about your opinions/morality and allow yourself (or others) more lenience! A small burden; a responsibility one is actually happy to accept. An opportunity to grow through suffering, or through taking on more responsibilities.

[princegastronome]

The Pseudoscience of Summerhill Pyramid Winery

A few days ago, I wrote and posted a review of Summerhill Pyramid Winery in Southern Kelowna.  They posted a rebuttal, so I am compiling the exchange here.

First, to talking points of the actual review of Summerhill Pyramid and their restaurant, Sunset Bistro.

The man behind Summerhill, Stephen Cipe—considering himself a spiritual visionary at "Canada's most visited winery”—attributes the winery’s success to the unique process of utilizing the sacred geometry of their signature pyramid, designed as a perfect scaled replica of the larger one in Giza, to instill their wine with the same positive essense naturally occurring in all life forms.  Lacking any ferrous components and placed to face True North, this platonic solid rests on a region devoid of interference energy and is placed on dirt compacted to 100%.  This results in the pyramid acting as an interface between positive and negative space-time, a bridge between matter and anti-matter, and becoming the gate through which two realities meet and interact.  This is related to Einstein’s theory of relativity, specifically his predictions on the existence tachyons (faster-than-light particles).  Time and space are distorted within the pyramid and would most likely explain how the builders of the great pyramids in Egypt were able to employ negative space-time to levitate huge stones and build the pyramids in the first place.  And somehow this also make wine taste better.

This is an example of data mining pseudoscientific sources and combining them with numerology and astrology along with long debunked theories that serious science left behind a very long time ago in hopes of selling overpriced alcoholic beverages already fighting dubious claims about their benefits.  Here’s the uncomplicated truth about humans, we evolved as pattern recognition machines, finding answers in chaos.  Our desperation to explain everything when we knew almost nothing gave rise to the mythologies of antiquity.  Summerhill attempts to weave confirmation bias, ignorance, and good old-fashioned quackery into a soup of utter nonsense to justify their business.  

You don’t even have to search long to find verified evidence debunking every single point made on Summerhill’s website.  The data they “cite” isn’t even accurate—they list dimensions of the Giza pyramid to justify numerology, but then list incorrect numbers.  There’s no doubt the pyramids at Egypt, and other locations are amazing historical monuments.  And the designers were intelligent in constructing them.  But they didn’t employ magic—they used their brains to solve problems.  They are tombs to narcissistic despots, and anything more than that is just a plot point in Stargate.

Summerhill is bonkers, and not the adorable crazy like Perry in The Fisher King.  I’m talking homeopathy, dowsing, phrenology, Pythagoras bonkers.

I’m serious; Pythagoras was crazy, flat out nuts.  He was afraid of beans, hated the square root of two, and had a guy killed over a disagreement about a triangle.  So best avoid that lest you start believing in sacred geometries, ley-lines, or astrology, basically everything in the Rifts role-playing game.

As for Sunset Bistro...

I admire restaurants that pull ingredients from their neighborhoods, and Sunset Bistro claims theirs are sourced from their own biodynamic gardens and wildlife preserves, another concept worthy of…wait, what?  

What was that?  

“Biodynamic”?  

I must admit not hearing that one before.  I had better do some—DARN IT!  It’s more pseudoscience! Using planetary locations and lunar cycles to determine sowing cycles?  It quite literally uses magic.  

I’m trying my best to tolerate organic farming despite the overwhelming evidence pointing to its dangerous side-effects including nutrient leaching, soil conservation, and the massive increase in land use required to produce food over its safe GMO alternatives, substitutions credited for saving hundreds of millions of lives in regions cursed with overpopulation and untillable land.  But no, you’re right, don’t trust Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution; instead, embrace geomancy.  I can accomplish the same effect with a traditional organic farm and a deck of Magic: The Gathering cards.  

Seriously, folks, you have to read up on the field preparations for this lunacy...hmm…lunacy…madness brought on by the moon.  And before you start with the defense of biodynamics, remember they were invented by someone claiming to be a clairvoyant that taught that a disease may be part of a patient's "karma" and that interfering with said illness would be unwise because treating only the physical body would require the patient to compensate in a future life.    

And you must grind quartz crystal that’s buried in a cow horn through the summer to aid in plant growth.  

If I ever walk into the restaurant again, I’ll bellow at the top of my lungs, “When single shines the triple sun.  What was sundered and undone shall be whole.  The two made one by Gelfling hand or else by none!” before leaving.  If you got the Rifts joke, that one should be easy.  

They made good food.  I just wished they had sacrificed a goat to Demeter using the old ways in order to secure a higher quality crop.  Probably would have made the difference.

This morning, Summerhill’s founder replied.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Science is good and I applaud you for caring about truth. Narrative is also good. Science can tell us “how”, but can never answer the question “why”. There will always be a central mystery in life that we answer with story. Sacred geometry is a good story. It is a story about beauty, harmony and perfection in nature. We do not sermonize, and we never claim that our pyramid ‘makes wine taste better,’ only that it acts as a clarifier. There is a wonderful feeling in the pyramid chamber, which we invite all of our guests to experience. We honour our wine by cellaring it there. Summerhill has been awarded the trophy for Best Sparkling Wine at the IWSC in London, England, and another for Canadian Producer of the Year. We have also just been awarded the highest scoring wine at France’s 2017 Chardonnay du Monde competition with 750 entries from 38 countries. It is no accident that our wines are so often at the top of the podium. Is it the organic viticulture and winemaking? The time in the pyramid? Our team’s experience and expertise? In the end, the reason is the love that we put into everything that we do. I am sorry to read that you believe our love and care for the earth and our nurturing of the human spirit, imagination, and feeling of connectedness is ‘spiritually bankrupt’, as you term it. I invite you and welcome you with open arms to be with me at our model of man and nature. Come and walk around our biodynamic vineyard to experience the biodiversity and feel the living soil. Come in the pyramid with me and have a real experience. The precision chamber is a uniquely conducive place for meditation. We’ll drink good wine together and tell good stories. With love and gratitude, Stephen Cipes Founder/Proprietor, Summerhill Pyramid

And I responded.

Science is not just “good”, it’s mandatory to understanding the world. It’s the first step in personal enlightenment, and we are obligated not to ignore it.  It’s how we protect ourselves from false hope and charlatans.  The flaw in your reasoning is directly connected to your statement that “Science can tell us “how,” but can never answer the question “why”.”

Your statement is the impasse pseudoscientific believers subscribe to denounce how actual science works.  Yes, science can supply the “how” within a range of error to be acceptable by peer-reviewed sources.  That’s how it works.  It can also supply us with reliably predictable estimations to “when,” “who,” “where,” and positively “why,” and a “why” to many of the important questions.  Some remain, and always will.  The issue I have is that you’re supplying answers you could not possibly possess, and then manipulate scientific terms you don’t fully understand to make your page sound more scientific when it is nothing of the sort.  This is confirmation bias.  It is an insult to the scientific process to use those terms in your selling points.  

Yes, there are questions science cannot yet answer.  That’s how science works…people can turn to spirituality if they find gaps.  But ignorant people claim more gaps than there really are, and then possess the hubris to fill those gaps with answers lacking any evidence, or better, ones flying in the face of answers already discovered.  If it’s belief, then it remains belief, but I will not subscribe to bottling that belief and selling it as snake oil.  

When you attempt to employ scientific terminology and claim scientific methods, you’re insulting the actual scientific community.  Sacred solids, numerology, and astrology have no place in science.  And as for your biodynamic gardens, I’ve enough issues with the ignorance around organic farming, but then to professes a system developed by a self-proclaimed clairvoyant that taught that a disease might be part of a patient's "karma" and that interfering with said illness would be unwise because treating only the physical body would require the patient to compensate in a future life.  Grinding quartz in a cow horn and burying it to improve a harvest?  Utilizing lunar cycles?  

 If you wish to employ these practices, you are always free to do so, but the people—paying customers—deserve to know that nothing you boast is backed by scientific scrutiny.  There is no evidence that it works (and no, trophies don’t count).  It flies in the face of commons sense, and is considered pseudoscience by the scientific consensus.  The information is available out there, and I invite people to do their own research.

 I’ll keep people updated

(Pssst. By the way, I don’t think they noticed a pyramid is not a platonic solid)

[wittygaypuns]

omggg can I ask gobblepot prompts for like hmmm 21 or 50 or maybe 7 idk if you're doing prompts or just posted the list but

I did 21 ‘cause it was the only one that gave me an idea. Enjoy this cracky nonsense! :D Under a cut for length, but it’s sfw.

—-

Oswald’sattempt at going unnoticed was wholly unsuccessful the moment heentered the club. All he had wanted was to be out in the city, awayfrom his troubles for a little while. Sometimes, he missed beingcompletely ignored. Things were easier then; he could manipulate hisway into and out of situations with ease, he could move about thecity unknown, and there were far less people that wanted his head ona platter. These days he couldn’t even go to a club and get properlyblackout drunk without turning heads.

Shovinghis beanie down a little further down, Oswald ordered a drink at thebar, finding it hard to make himself heard over the crowd.

“Hey,aren’t you the Penguin?” The bartender grinned wide. “Holy crap!Everyone thought you was dead!”

“Please,I would really just like a drink without any further ceremony.”Oswald snapped.

“Alright,alright, what’ll it be?” The man laughed.

“Whiskey,neat, as much as you can legally serve at once.” Oswald grumbled.

Hescanned the room while the jovial man fetched his liquor. There weresome familiar faces, far too many for Oswald’s liking. None of thepeople he recognized were ones he was on particularly good termswith. This may have been a mistake; he was alone in one of thenastier parts of the city and poorly disguised. He knew for a factthat if anyone who had once worked for him spotted him, he’d be introuble.  The bartender slid him the full glass of whiskey, andOswald slid him a bill before moving from the bar. Ivy would neverlet him hear the end of it if he came back beaten up, or if he didn’tcome back at all. She was the irritating baby sister he had neverwanted. He had to do something; more people were recognizing him thelonger he was there and the room was beginning to feel smaller andsmaller.

That’swhen he saw him.

Theone and only Detective James Gordon, leaning on the back wallwatching the dancers.

Hislips twisted in a bitter smile and he maneuvered his way through thethrong of people, trying to close the distance between them asquickly as possible. Jim owed him quite a debt, and if Oswald wantedto enjoy his evening undisturbed, what better way was there than toutilize a that debt? Once he got to the taller man, he took a sip ofhis whiskey.

“Thisisn’t the sort of establishment I envisioned you frequenting, Jim.”Oswald leaned up on his heels to look at him better. Jim’s eyes wentwide as he looked at him.

“…Oswald?” He managed.

“Inthe flesh. Now, I need something from you, Jim, and I think you’llagree that you sort of owe me one still…” Oswald began.

“Whatare you doing here? You’re alive?” Jim seemed flabbergasted, andperhaps a little drunk.

“Jim.First, I need to know – are you here by yourself?” Oswald asked.

“Yeah,I was supposed to meet someone but they canceled…” Jim frowned abit, watching the smaller man. There was a deer in the headlightsquality to his gaze that Oswald had never seen in him before.

“Good.I need you topretend we came here together. I’ll explain later. Just act likeyou’re into it, please.” Oswald brought his free hand up to takethe man’s hand. “I need you to accompany me to the bathroom so Ican look a bit more… Disguised than I am. I’m woefully easy to pickout of a crowd like this.”

“S…Sure?” Jim still seemed dumbfounded.

Itwas understandable; Oswald had basically become a ghost those lastfew months.  His empire had been dismantled and redistributed amonghis betrayers, his office returned to that corrupt lout Aubrey… Hewas once again starting from scratch.  Falling from grace had becomeso commonplace for him that he had a hard time even being upset aboutit anymore.  For now, all he wanted was to be alone in a crowd; butalone with Jim would work just as well.

Oswaldonce again snaked his way through the crowd, holding on to Jim, wholacked his grace and maneuverability. He heard him grunt apologies toa number of people as he barreled through them. Oswald shoved openthe door to the single, gender neutral bathroom which was suprisinglyempty, and closed the door behind them, locking it.  He set his drinkdown on the sink before getting to work.

“Holdthis.” Oswald mumbled, removing his jacket and scarf, tossing themto Jim, who still looked little more than a confused animal.

“Whatare you doing?” Jim muttered in return as Oswald began to unbuttonthe dress shirt he had been wearing beneath.

“Changingmy outfit, what does it look like?” Oswald said flippantly.

“It…just looks like you’re getting undressed?” Jim replied.

“That’spart of the changing process, Jim. Now please be quiet for a moment.”Oswald could admit he was taking advantage of Jim’s befuddlement forhis own enjoyment, but what choice did he have? All he wanted was tohave a good night, away from all his issues, away from his plans forrevenge. It was exhausting to be so angry and sad all the time. Toomuch betrayal and pain took a toll on a person, and he had been givenmore than his fair share.

Oncethe dress shirt was off, Oswald pulled the top around his waist,thankful for his small hips. It would make this little trick he hadlearned from Ivy much easier to pull off. He buttoned the lowerbuttons and tied the arms around his waist into a bow, and tucked thecollar in all around his waist. After, he shimmied out of his pants;his impromptu skirt would just look strange with pants beneath it. Itwas easy enough to avoid taking off his shoes to get the pants off,since the pants were far too large for him.  Ivy did her best infetching him clothing, but knew little of good tailoring. He preferednot to have his legs exposed, but the club was dark and he had Jimthere to lean on.

“Scarfplease.” Oswald asked as he emptied the contents of his pocketsout, dumping them into the sink and throwing the pants in the smalltrash can beside it.

Jim,suddenly mute, handed the scarf off. Oswald chuckled at the look onhis face. This was likely the last scenario the other man could haveimagined for his night. He wrapped the scarf, which was soft andlonger than necessary, around his torso, beneath his armpits. It wasa deep burgandy in color, and went well with the rest of his ‘changeof clothes’.

“Jacket.”Oswald asked, bringing a hand back.

Onceit was in his hands, Oswald pulled it back on and buttoned it up tothe bottom of where the scarf was wrapped, tucking the excess fabricin to expose his collarbones. The scarf wrapped around his chest gavethe illusion that he wore some pretty shirt beneath it, which was hisaim.  He looked to himself in the mirror. His broad shoulders wouldgive him away, but he didn’t care much. Pulling the beanie from hishead, he tossed it into the trash with the pants. He wouldn’t need itanymore and the idea of carrying it with him the whole night washorrid.

“Oswald…What the hell is going on? Where have you been? Why are you… Whydid you change into… that? Why am I in here with you?” Jimsuddenly found his voice again, moving towards the smaller man.

“I’mjust trying to have a little night out, James. I’m changing becausetoo many people are recognizing me and that’s dangerous for me rightnow. You’re in here with me because… I need it to look like I camehere with you. And if I’ve changed to look less like Oswald and moresome ugly girl, it’s more likely I’ll be ignored. It’ll also make iteasier on you, since it’ll look like we’re here on a date orsomething.” Oswald muttered as he began to sort through thecontents of his pockets.

“…Why would it need to look like you’re on a date with me?” Jim’seyes went wide.

“Sopeople will leave us alone? You got stood up, right? Why not spendthe night with me, since you clearly intended to spend it withsomeone?” Oswald offered as he lifted the mascara. He often woremakeup to accentuate his features, but he planned on being more boldwith it tonight.

“Andbefore you say you were just going to leave, you weren’t. I saw youagainst the wall. It looked like you’d been there for a while. Youwere looking for someone to spend time with. I know things havebeen… difficult, in Gotham, recently. I’d say we’re both overduefor a night where we don’t have to be responsible for anyone oranything except ourselves and our own enjoyment of life.” Oswaldtold him as he reapplied his mascara and exaggerated his eyeliner alittle further.

“Whynot grab someone else? Why me?” Jim asked softly.

“BecauseI know you. I know you won’t let anyone try to hurt me while I’m herewith you.  I know you don’t want anyone recognizing you here. And youknow me – that I would never tell anyone.” Oswald said, voicesoft. Jim’s eyes lowered, his brows furrowed lightly.

Itwas a gay club, after all.

Jimsaid nothing more as Oswald got ready to be seen again. When hismakeup was done, and his hair styled into something a little moreedgey and suitable for his new look, he smiled and turned to face theman.

“Howdo I look?” Oswald asked, placing a hand on his hip.

“Youlook… very confusing. In a good way. I think?” Jim looked him upand down as he spoke, taking in the sight. Oswald thought he lookedmessy, but intentionally so; like some trashy punk girl.

“I’llaccept that.” Oswald chuckled, taking possessions and stuffing theminto his pockets before grabbing his whiskey.

“Whatshould I call you?” Jim asked, fidgeting inexplicably in his spot.

“Callme… Gerda.” Oswald smiled, taking a drink.

“Gerda?”A smile tweaked the corner of Jim’s lips.

“It’sclose enough to Gertrude without being so old fashioned, I think. Andit’s cute. Like me.” Oswald smirked, shrugging a shoulder. “Now,are you ready to spend the night with me, or do we need to spend moretime locked in a bathroom together?”

“I…I think I’m ready.” Jim actually laughed.

Theconfusing nature of the situation seemed to have worn away for Jim,his worries soothed by Oswald’s decision to take on a differentpersona for the night. Whatever business he had with Oswald, whateveranswers he needed from him, he could get later.

Forthe rest of the night, however, the two would forget about the worldand its woes, getting drunk and dancing together in a seedy gay clubon the edge of the Narrows.

[bloodinkandiron]

LET’S TALK ABOUT FACTS, BABY

LET'S TALK ABOUT FACTS, BABY {see citation 8}

We have now entered into a scenario in our public discourse where the long-standing respect for evidence-based conclusions has come under attack by those in power. Information previously accepted as fact or truth based on reproducible experimentation, quantifiable observations, and legitimate reporting has now been called into question. In an era where many Americans obtain their news from social media (1), proving the veracity the facts and information presented as "news" no longer falls on those that create it. Given the creation of our self-made spheres of influence, our ability to remove from our view those ideas that do not conform to our worldview, the task of assigning "truth" has now fallen on your shoulders, dear reader.

But where do we start? What tools do we need to tell truth from fiction? Propaganda from research? The reality is, the tools required to rebuild our faith in facts have been withheld from the general public since they were created. Those in power have no incentive to create an electorate of informed people able and willing to hold them accountable for their unsubstantiated accounts of the world. Until now, we have--for better or worse-- put our faith in the institutions of science, medicine, journalism, among others, to maintain the sanctity of fact, to boldly state that, yes, truth exists. We no longer have that luxury, when our leaders denounce universally-accepted climate change as a "hoax" {2}, or suggest that journalists are "among the most dishonest human beings" {3}.

What can we do? We all get information from the internet. How do we make it better?

-Read before you share. We all fall prey to clickbait headlines. I sure do. A recent study {4} showed that many shared links on social media (Twitter in the case of the study) were never clicked, suggesting no one read them. Then there was the dissemination throughout social media of the "weed contains Alien DNA" blog post made to mock the very mass shares it enjoyed {5}. Read the articles you're sharing. Know where your information came from. Is it a news source? Is it opinion (or satire) masquerading as news? When was it published? Do you really trust this source, or does their web design just look great?

-Fact Checking...or...unpacking Fake News Easier said than done. The moral here is to BE SKEPTICAL. The chorus in our echo chamber is not always accurate. Bias exists, but there is good journalism being performed out there. There is actually a way to accurately estimate how many people were at the inauguration {6}, {7}. Those facts are out there, and they are easy to find. The media is, for the most part, unwilling to call something a lie, as it implies intent, but we should not be so accommodating. While some of the following resources have their own biases and influences, they often use citations for their information, which is a start (major funding sources in parentheses):

http://www.politifact.com/ (Tampa Bay Times) http://www.factcheck.org/ (Annenberg Policy Center) https://www.opensecrets.org/ (Carnegie, John S + James L Knight Foundation, Craigslist, Ford) https://sunlightfoundation.com/ (Bloomberg, Ford, Craisglist)

-But what about the numbers? This is probably the hardest task. Statistics are an art as much as they are a science, and hard numbers can be molded to fit any number of outcomes. Look, I personally got a B in biostats. I will not task you to learn advanced statistics. But spending a few minutes browsing through the general ideas of how they work, and how they can be manipulated, is important when we have, as a culture, been denied that knowledge by our science education (or lack thereof). Here is some reading on the subject:

https://www.statisticsdonewrong.com/ http://www.senseaboutscienceusa.org/aboutstats/ https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/science-isnt-broken/…

-CITE THE POWER Right now for many people, especially in those communities disenfranchised by our corrupt system ( POC, indigenous people, those of the LGBTQA+, disabled,and immigrant communities), empowerment through the sharing of ideas is one of the most powerful ways to resist the horrors unleashed by our government. We should all be constantly spreading ideas, but we should be spreading knowledge too. Cite your quotes with links to further reading. Share not only your emotional support, but links to financially support revolutionary causes. Never stop sharing your representatives' phone numbers. Literacy and access to information are privileges we should not take lightly. They think we're a snake. But we are really a hydra.

http://standwithstandingrock.net/donate/ https://abortionfunds.org/ http://blacklivesmatter.com/ http://www.ip-no.org/ http://nolaharmreduction.tumblr.com/ http://www.youthbreakout.org/ https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/nonprofit/

Reaffirming our relationship with facts is absolutely vital to democracy. Without facts, our decisions are molded by emotional outcries and insidious propaganda. How can we make decisions for ourselves and our nation if we have been blinded from what is real? We can't. The basis for any autonomous decision is a full understanding of all facets of a situation leading up to that decision. Our nation's leaders are working steadfast to make sure this never happens again. Please join me in spreading factual information, which is far more dangerous and threatening to those in power than any opinion any one of us may hold.

CITATIONS, BECSAUSE THEY'RE IMPORTANT:

(1)- Pew Research Report on News and Social Media http://www.journalism.org/…/news-use-across-social-media-p…/

{2}Don't let Donald Trump forget he called global warming a hoax. He did. http://www.politifact.com/…/yes-donald-trump-did-call-clim…/

{3} President Trump's statements at the CIA headquarters Jan 21 http://foreignpolicy.com/…/trump-goes-to-cia-to-attack-med…/

{4} Study on Twitter clicks versus shares https://hal.inria.fr/hal-01281190/document

{5} "Weed Contains Alien DNA" (it doesn't) http://www.iflscience.com/…/marijuana-contains-alien-d…/all/

{6} 2011 Article on the art of counting crowds http://www.popularmechanics.com/…/the-curious-science-of-c…/

{7} Tweets from the DC Metro on ridership during inauguration http://www.vox.com/…/14…/trump-inauguration-metro-attendance

{8} “Let’s Talk About Sex”, Salt-N-Pepa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydrtF45-y-g

[dwestfieldblog]

AFFIRMING YOUR BIAS

A DEFAULT MODE NETWORK

Apparently 100 seconds to midnight....not enough time to run to shelters, boil an egg or have sex, unless you are a rabbit. '2020'...One of those gathering years when conspiracies appear very real and laughing at the credulous takes a back-seat on the bus to seeing the utter plausibility of   paranoid imaginings. Logic looks coldly and clearly at  irrational fear and starts to doubt its own sanity. Ah ha, ha haa...

Brexit parties hard in London as we dance towards the 'golden age' that Boris has promised (and it is not as if he has ever lied or exaggerated about important things very often before). British Pride at its best, posters already up in the tower blocks ordering the foreigners to speak English. The Leavers seem unclear on the point that having given the EU an enema and left ourselves at the mercy of unbalanced American business deals to be signed over a barrel, (arf) we are also signed up to the  AIIB, the Ancient Illuminated...(ahem, excuse me) the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Well, wouldn't you rather be ordered about by China and lose your sovereignty to the Communist Party? The ones who harvest organs from the living, run concentration camps and massacre their own students. All the UK 'nationalist fascists' (those either in denial or proud of it) don't seem to mind that much, as long as Europe is not telling us what to do. 'We're gonna take back control of our borders'. Yeah right. Nice British compromise over Huawei eh? Meanwhile...

Reading about the Social Credit System in China and wondering how long before other more democratic countries take this idea up. Remembering Zappa in Joe's Garage dystopian album in 79, warning teens not, to do anything which could affect their parent's credit rating...well, in freer countries, the SCS could mean lack of access to various jobs, not being able to borrow money, less access to internet, limited acceptance into education, longer prison terms...Communists have a nice punishment for those who disagree with their philosophy...have them sacked, arrested for being unemployed and placed in one of those special detention centres for a 're-education'. The same excrement as has been since 'God' punished Adam and Eve for getting too smart. Do as you are told or else. Be quiet and obedient, listen and follow those in control regardless of whether they seem to be doing good work - and respect your betters especially if they are not. Calm down Dave, peak later.  

Speaking of which...Nice interview with a young British guy who used to belong to the Korean Friendship Association (just the North part) who was expelled last year for asking, during a visit to Cheese Boy's empire 'How come in a Socialist society, the leadership is passed from father to son'? This might seem like a very reasonable question but the bloke was booted out, accused of 'outrageous disrespect' And a 'Colonialist attitude'. Arf. I might well send a letter to the NK embassy in London and ask them if they could clarify this point.

Fnord.

My favourite WTF story for a while was the fascinating tale of an Ethical Vegan in London named Jordi (from Spain) who went to court to prove a claim against his former employers, The League Against Cruel Sports, after he said their pension fund had connections to companies involved with animal testing. They sacked him and he claimed discrimination due to his beliefs. His ideas on the absolute sanctity of animals include not travelling short distances on public transport...in case the bus squishes any birds or insects in its path. Or eating figs in case there are any larvae from wasps still in them. Banknotes which contain animal fat should not be handled. Guide dogs for the blind are offensive due to the exploitation of the animal in serving Humans. Wool, leather and silk are right out. Etc. He won the case. (Sanity is expected to appeal.) The judge ruled that the philosophy of ethical veganism merits the same respect as any religion. Well, why not eh? If folk can accept invisible sky wizards, talking snakes, a boat with all the animals of the world on it, burning bushes and virgins giving birth, why not make a philosophy out of yet another extreme? I will demand the right for pink fluffy unicorns to vote and a million march for mermaids. Oops...Well, flap, roll and flop...Great at fellatio..

At what point does an opinion become 'real'? When it is agreed upon by serious minds and turned into law? Or when focused thought is directed into possibility waves with Will and imagination. 'The magick of our science...' As of yet, there is no proof of a 'God' existing, but millions have died badly due to fervent belief in such and the opinions of clearly imbalanced humans through history.  Thumb sucking, security blanket clutching folk, desperate to justify their unsane behaviour by blaming it on a higher power. God/The Devil made me do it. Sure He did...The Goddess says think for yourself, harm none and do what you Will.

Politically incorrect boys and girls, need some Kuddles, True love falls to fly and rises to crawl, when I think about you I cut myself...Meanwhile again...back to the foul cesspool/ endless comic material of prime ministers and presidents...

'In Reality they are not after me they're after you. I'm just in the way'. No Donald, 'They' are for the people, they are just against you. Usually American presidents follow orders from the industrialist power brokering king makers who financed their campaigns, rather than taking advice and obeying orders from a Russian in Moscow. But that seems about the shape of the last four years. Perhaps Donald is in love with Vladmir, he does seem to admire strong men a little too much. Virtually everything the orange lunatic does in his childish attempts to undo anything Obama did, serves as the longest suck job in history. Someone has access to THAT video in the hotel...'Russia, if you're listening...' Stick it on you tube and give us a good laugh for a change. Nice to see Nancy ripping up the reality tv State of the Union address...(No Republicans, I'm not a Democrat or a Libertarian.)

'YOU CANNOT BE ACQUITTED IF YOU DON'T HAVE A TRIAL AND YOU DON'T HAVE A TRIAL IF YOU DON'T HAVE WITNESSES AND DOCUMENTATION'. Well said Mrs Pelosi.

Does this statement actually seem unreasonable to anyone other than The Duck's hardcore fanatics? The king is naked and a bare faced LIAR, rambling endless deflection and projection. Whenever he accuses someone else of something negative, he reveals the real subject is himself. Whenever he praises himself, his heart means the opposite. 'I am a very stable genius'. Said the deeply unbalanced moron. 'He's crazy, shifty, a liar, weak...' etc etc etc. Reptile, you know what you are. Feel it. But free now for revenge and re-election due to 'the silent, the pliable and the complicit.'

Donald has been spending a lot of time preying on praying Evangelicals and anti abortionists (a 'March for Life'). Smart political move. When such millions of folk are so easy to fool with bullturd, he knows he has a ready made multitude of gullible voters. All he needs to do is to 'align' with them and they are bent over, spread and puckered. (Reminds me of the Christians buying Constantine's shtick.)  Do you suckers really believe anyone who says they agree with you? Don't you expect some genuine display of compassion and peaceful behaviour rather than endless aggression, selfishness, petulance and greed? (I mean, if you are actually Christians who feel compassion and forgiveness and that none are beyond Redemption.) Rather than just hoisting placards which read 'Not Your Body, Not Your Choice'. From this I infer that the actual females behind and under these, follow the opinion that God (who gave us free will, if you follow this stuff) has amendments which state Free will is sacred. Except in the cases of abortion and....fill in the blanks with deeply held opinions.  

This teenager was raped by her aids carrying junkie uncle...and must have the baby? That sounds nice and Christian (or any other major religion). From my very first blog sixteen years ago I have been endlessly ranting the same dammed thing...it seems a genuine shame that those who would call themselves religious cannot be a little more HOLY and decent. Rather than foaming at the mouth like wild eyed, hate filled fundamentalist swine. (He writes, teeth grinding and himself stabbing the keyboard in impotent rage). Pretending to be 'religious' is a nice pastime for the guilty.  

Another placard showed a picture of Trump with the words. 'Most Pro Life President Ever'. Do none of these young women at the rallies see any irony in supporting a man who boasts of grabbing pussies and that he 'would hit on' his daughter if she wasn't his? Does he really seem to be FOR life and the dignity of females to you? Women are supposed to have a little more instinctual intelligence than men. (Or is that imposing gender roles? Arf.) Shame on you for being so easy to manipulate. 'Easy to fool people when they are fooling themselves'.  

'A part of religion is about direct experience of the divine and the rest is just crowd control'. John Cleese (JC)

And I Love the way the fascists/populists financed by the Kremlin on all sides bang on about the 'Liberal Elite'. I have never seen or heard of such people. The Liberals in Democracies have always seemed to be fairly well meaning, goodhearted but overwhelmingly weak apologetic folk. Not very much like a power elite running the world behind the scenes in the 'Deep State'. Farage in the UK after the recent election, having lost most of his seats by not running against the Tories (hoping for a chair at the Big Table) crowed about having 'destroyed' the Liberals in England. I could have done that with a cynical stand up routine and and a flick of my little finger. On my left hand. Not exactly Thanos Nigel...(But then, I am not Bill Hicks eh?)

And so...Atlas Shrugged, Heraclitus burped, Putin raised an eyebrow and his entire government resigned. (Boris promised a 'New Dawn' for Great Britain. Well, he would, wouldn't he?) I truly enjoyed the annual press conference with Putin, where Bald head was asked what he thought of Johnson's previous comments that he resembled Dobby the House Elf from Harry Potter by replying; 'People say one thing when they are trying to get into power and something else when they are in power'. Just for a couple of seconds I had a sense of respect for this clarity of honesty.

Meanwhile Johnson (whose party received a good old amount of Roubles last year) and (bald head No.2) Cummings have begun their master campaign...Things don't look good for the BBC for reporting the news and asking uncomfortable questions. The Constitution of Britain and the balancing powers of Parliament are under threat too, as are various Human Rights Laws. Good old Tories, still the Nasty Party. 'Imagine what this country could be in ten year's time'. Boris, I am.  

And bloody Momentum still don't want to let go of their type of 'leadership' yet...even after their Useful Idiot/Strawman puppet Jeremy lost the North. Damn right, English people tend not to vote for those who sympathise with actual terrorists. Unless.... Oops...Insert smiley face here. And a Bosh of a skeleton breastfeeding a priest, just lie back and think of England...this won't hurt a bit. It will hurt a lot.

Step by step as Boris and Trump surgically carve away various rights and laws which impede them from furthering their power and break up unions of friendship among the West as Russia and China watch with the dead eyed smiles of sharks. Hmm..

'Constitutions are utterly worthless to restrain the tyranny of governments, unless it be understood that the people will compel the government to remain within constitutional limits. Practically speaking, no government knows any limits to its power except the endurance of the people.'  Spooner

Most, but not all of you people are being used by those who understand your psychology. You do not. You are only a means to end, to achieve and maintain power for them. Serving those who see you only as units of measurable force for them to direct. And you seem to love it. Vicariously enervated in righteousness and dumb enough to admire your intelligence in following those you believe will empower and free you. They don't, they won't. Never have and never will, as the song said. Sleepwalking, marching in a deep state of hypnosis into a slaughterhouse.  

Some of us are trying to improve on communication, connection, empathy, random acts of kindness, respect for ones self, sisters, brothers, planet. Experimenting with techniques of mind expansion, using the mirrors of science and art, maintaining a good sense of humour, watching our belief systems for signs of cruelty and stupidity, and admitting when we behave like idiots, humble but not humiliated.

For all the religious fundamentalists, politically correct and political extremists against any attempt at evolving, due to fear or greed, I strongly, almost violently suggest this: CRAWL ON YOUR BELLIES BACK INTO THE OCEANS AND LET THE REST OF US MAKE THIS PLANET SOMEWHERE GOOD TO LIVE AGAIN.

Not important how long I live, more a case of how much I enjoy being alive and whether I can help others while I am here. Hope to see you in the springtime.  

RIP forever in intelligence and fine humour Neil Peart and Terry (He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy) Jones.

'What's hit is history

What's missed is mystery

And the miraculous image  

Of sound washed ashore'

J. Balance/Coil

Despite outward appearances, it is not unrealistic to be optimistic...

LOVE.

[ts-nightingaleislands]

Episode #4- “if I have to do another tribal I'm gonna tonya Harding these bitches”- Austin

I have not gotten a chance to see tribal's entirety, but something did stand out. Tawni essentially implied that OG Thrush would stick together and do what it takes and it told me that perhaps there are people on that tribe unwilling to work with Petrel. I understand that we have our OG tribe but I will say that people who arent open to working with others may not be good for the long run so I think Im gonna try and evaluate a few things and go from there as far as maximizing my benefits

The Dylan blindside went very well. I would have very much preferred to see Tawni leave, only because she's still the person I've talked to least. Unfortunately, Cheatham and Austin both wanted her to stay, which is why we voted Dylan, who was a much more aggressive player than Amy. I figure that it's early on, a swap could come any day now, so I've been preparing for one. I've already tried to get a Tawni vote prepared in the event we lose, which was actually very easy because she told me she wanted to get rid of Noah and that's all he needed to be good with it. (It also helps that he was independently considering voting Tawni before I told him that). Cheatham and Austin would likely prefer to vote Amy, which I would not prefer. Amy is much less likely to betray me than Tawni as far as I can tell, and the absolute worst case scenario regarding a swap would make Amy an easy scapegoat vote if we lose. Tawni would be much harder to vote out in that scenario. Premerge is all about making strong connections to carry me through the rest of the game, just laying my foundation now. Austin and Noah both trust me so much, and then Cheatham appears to be seen as a fourth wheel to our alliance. Austin and Noah (especially Noah) are huge players, so if you're going to take a shot at my alliance, it would make more sense to get one of them, and Cheatham has already been seen to get votes on him due to certain aspects of how he comes off (blatantly refusing to work with people afaik?). I'm not the big guy in my alliance, but I'm not the expendable guy either. Right where I'd want to be. Assuming I can actually form strong social connections with everyone, and let's be honest, that's 50/50. Oh no do I need to take control of the game strategically to have a shot at winning?? Well if I do, the bigmovez part of my brain will have to wait until we merged, because I have already established that the premerge is a time for fostering strong connections!

Well that went according to plan and Dylan went home! Now it’s once i get tawni out (who was also against me) , i’ll get my idol! That really all i care about tbh so i have some safety come swap. Noah and I are THROWING this comp just to send home tawni and get ourselves an IDOL

So I have to pretty much start a majority alliance later though right now I am more focused on the challenge. As of this moment, I like the idea sharing going around for the challenge. Baby Got Back may be questionable to some but we just want to have fun! Im ready to get this going and just have a fun challenge with hopefully another win!

Im nervous sorta in that last time I had to edit the music video and it was ao stressful knowing if we lost it would be my fault. It does sorta deem AnnMarie is running into trouble so I might have to do it again unfortunately and its like ahhh

Pleaseeeeee have a tribe swap soon . I love my tribe but if I have to do another tribal I'm gonna tonya Harding these bitches .

Last night felt like a mess. Rizo joins a chat with Kyle and Tim supposedly to get info from and the belief is they may want to target one of us, meanwhile Gwen makes a chat with me and Sara calling it Detectives where we end up voicing concerns and sure enough Rizo and Tim's history is brought up. The girls and AnnMarie get sketched out from Tim and by association Kyle, Steven meanwhile is gaining cool points like Santa Claus and yeah. Im pretty certain its only a matter of time before peoppe search stuff about me but man this tribe is becoming a secret ball of chaos

And Liam is an unproblematic cool kid too

Well. I cried myself to sleep. And I woke up crying. I want to give up so bad. Cause it’s like at this point I have zero chance of winning so what’s the point. I don’t know anyone on the other side. My one ally in the game sucks ass. Granted my entire tribe does. And it’s like I’m assuming at this point we aren’t swapping and y’all are gonna keep us here until merge except there will be no one from my tribe left to merge. I’m just so fucking tired of trying

Wow, I can’t believe we won again. And in a landslide. It was a lot of fun making that video. And yes, that is a real snake. And no, I had never touched a snake before. And yes, it was weird. Okay, so here’s what went down over the past few days. Rizo told the CORGIS that Tim wanted to make an alliance with him and Kyle. I don’t know if that actually came to fruition yet, but after doing some digging, Chris found out that both Kyle and Rizo work for FedEx. Even though they live in different states, they may have bonded over this, or maybe they met at some point? No idea. Anyway, we are keeping our eyes out. This prompted Chris, Sara, and I to make a new sub-alliance called Detectives. We discussed the possibility of Rizo going rogue and we also discussed concerns about Tim. I did some research online and found Rizo’s Survivor audition video on Youtube. I think he may be a little more of a game player than we initially thought, but I mean, a lot of people in these ORGs apply for the actual shows. But it did make me and Sara question our Sunt alliance with him. I also did some digging on Tim and found out that he has played in a lot of ORGs and he has won, or done well, in a significant number of them. Reading reviews from his past competitors makes me even more nervous about him. They said that he was really great at game play and basically slayed the social game. He is way too much of a threat and we need him out of this game before he can manipulate people. And this makes sense with Tim’s Devils…I realized that he could have just told the whole tribe about the concerns with Noah, but he decided to just tell the girls. Now, sure, maybe this was out of the kindness of his heart, but based on the information that I found, I think that it was a strategic move to gain trust with us. Oh, and also, I accidentally almost blew up that alliance…we were talking about alliances and he said he was only in one alliance. However, I know that he has approached at least two other people with the possibilities of alliances, so I highly doubt that is true. Anyway, I mentioned it in the Detectives and Chris was like oh he has an alliance? But Sara and I saved it (I hope) by telling him that he was probably talking about the chat he made with the girls since the hosts technically had to call that an alliance. I think we’re good? I’m debating whether we tell Chris the name. Tim’s Devils is a total joke and none of the girls are actually loyal to it, but I don’t want the name coming back to Chris. He is still my #1 and I want him to be able to trust me. It was funny because when I was talking to Tim, he said we have a good alliance and I was like Tim’s Devils? And he asked how many alliances I was in. I was like ohhh I didn’t realize that was a real alliance because no one has talked in it. Then tried to cover it up with asking whether it is normal for people to make alliances before losing a challenge. Who knows if he bought it. I’m just going to keep playing up the N00B card for now. So everyone that I have talked to has said they are concerned about Tim. He is my target. So this could go two ways – either everyone really wants Tim out, or they really want me out and that’s the name they are giving me. I hope it’s the former, but either way it has been fun! If it is the latter, it was a great learning experience! It’s kind of hard to say what the next move is, since we don’t know if there will be a swap…and if there is a swap, who would be on my tribe. Ideally, we would have the majority in both tribes. I guess the most likely groups are 5v2 and 4v3. My only concern is that the other tribe might have the immunity idol. In that case, we wouldn’t be able to split votes in the 4v3 tribe. We could in the 5v2 tribe…I guess we will have to see when we switch tribes!

I just wanted to touch base cause I think theres a tribe swap. I also formed a pseudo alliance with kyle and rizo just in case we ever lose to make sure i have the numbers with the Tim's Devils alliance.

I'm in a bit of a peculiar position. Two people on my tribe, Noah and Austin, both appear to want to have me as their number one, both positioning themselves in such a way that it would be advantageous for me to side with them. If this is true, then I am probably in the best spot on this tribe, and I control the vote. Do I side with Noah and vote Tawni, who is much more likely to ditch me in a swap than Amy? Do I side with Austin and vote Amy, which would complete Austin's list and give us control of the idols? Do I vote Cheatham, because I've gone mad with power and it's theoretically possible? So many possibilities! However, the best one in my opinion is to vote Tawni out for two reasons: 1. She popped off at the challenge. Not like "oh no what a physical threat vote her out before she goes on an immunity run". But it's obvious that she put so much effort into the challenge, that even Petrel would recognize that. So if she's voted out, it's clear to everyone that the Thrush tribe may be a bit of a mess. And if we're so disjointed, in the event of a swap, we aren't a coalition worth toppling over. We're numbers they can use to fulfill their own objectives. 2. She never talks to me. Amy never talks to me, but she never talks to anyone. Tawni talks all the time to other people (or so I've heard). Voting her out reduces the number of options other people (Austin) have, forcing them to stick with me or jump into the unknown that is Petrel. I really hope this is the best move, and if I get 14th bc I'm swapfucked then >:( (i guess thats not as bad as a blindside tonight)

Wohooo “we won another challenge this is so great!” I must say I am impressed at how well my tribe is doing and it’s great I’m safe and practically made the merge. However how can I go to a merge and not know who to trust. I trust my corgi alliance and Kyle but Honeslty they haven’t been tested yet to see if they are loyal which is scary. Another calm round where I can’t go into the immunity pool or target someone in my tribe. I’m anticipating a tribe swap, I don’t really want one because if I get tribe swapped I’ll be upset but at this point I’m ready to get some gameplay going and hopefully Chris and myself or Gwen can get this game going.

Shit hit the fan I’ve got a great ally in Sara who filled me in on a lot about our tribe and the other tribe. We work really well together. Turns out there’s a 6 person alliance of Gwen Sara rizo Liam Chris and AnnMarie. Sara felt on the bottom, so she talked to me. She is in an alliance chat with me AnnMarie and Kyle. This alliance of six is supposedly falling apart though. This leaves Tim. He talked to me after my reward challenge win, and he seemed somewhat insecure about his place. He’s pretty much on the bottom. Me and Sara agree that he could be an easy target to keep our place in the game if we lose soon, or if there’s an unfavorable swap. Noah seems to be on the bottom of the other tribe, so that could help us in a swap as well. Tribal happens soon and I’m pretty nervous, not necessarily for what happened at tribal, but what might come after

This entire round has been a mood and I'm extra upsetty spaghetti that I wasn't around more to hassle people! Honestly, I'm just counting the days before I get caught for my shenanigans! I literally spilled the entire idea of the 6 person alliance (as well as other groups) to Steven this round because well, it's full of duos and I'm not any of their priority. Plus, I'm generally not an underdog in games, but I love working with the underdogs and I sorta see Steven as that. If he leaks all I told him, I'm probably screwed...but I think he trusts me because he was willing to pass info and strategize with me too. Lastly, Gwen and Chris are totally a duo and Tim is sketchy...that's all! :)

well, i lost my closest ally dylan so now im feeling pretty alone. i think i could be going this round but some people are telling me to vote tawni so im going to do that and hope it works. wish me luck!

Sooooo I just edited the entirety of the lip sync challenge and it was super fun to watch everyone dance and mess around with the lyrics. I wasn't in love with the song, but I gotta admit that the end result was really nice. Gwen helped out a ton by making a Google docs and organizing things. I'm super disappointed with the other tribe though. It had little effort, and Trent really tore into them. Trent also said that the horn girl had him cracking up. I'm the horn girl. I was very happy. I was told some very interesting stuff about Tim. I already had a pretty bad vibe from him, but I guess Gwen confirmed my inkling. I don't think I will be aligning myself with him during the game.

4 votes Tawni, 2 votes Amy.

[survivorathena-allstars]

Episode # 12: “I Can’t Shut Up to Save My Life” ~ Dana

i am actually trembling. will is so mad at me but it's okay. this feels okay. I'm literally the biggest rat in this series LMAO fkasdjh fuck I feel so bad for Ali rn but I also am....fkadshf really kinda happy idk. I just know a lot of heat is coming my way and Cameron's idols are going to make me pay for this

Everyone is mad. Everyone is crying. Everyone feels fucked over. But um. Everyone is me merge vote and I am everyone merge vote. So. I guess we’re even.

im so sorry

Hi im drunk and im here to say that I almost cried in the club tonight because of how much i miss Will.   I just feel really alone and I think everyone hates me, especially owen, and im just trying to be friends n have fun and make it to the end of the game and also win is that too much to ask. IDk I played myself.  Also I actually just started crying now writing this yikes. I dont know what to do, I'm never in the minority because usually I just get voted out over all my allies because i'm upsetting. I don't know what to say to people, I don' trust anybody, why is kevin in the game. Does Ashvika actually like me? WHo knows. I'm just happy I wasn't totally blindsided. I knew Will might leave, I knew he was getting votes and I let it happen so I wouldnt get any which makes me a snake ass bitch. I just couldnt believe his vote out stayed so air-tight with the exception of Ashvika letting me know what happened. Idk if this means she wants to work with me, probably not, who would, she didn't respond to my pms after the vote, but i'm trying not to stress. Hopefully I can just continue to be a meme and appear non threatening but I just want some tea im getting thirsty nd also i love to strategize i crave it. Remember... I'm the village idiot? Like I will photoshop as many lizard hidden immunity idols on these people as i need to if these snakos dont vote me out thank u so much. This is the first time in my life where everyone hates me more than I hate myself and i just cannot handle IT. 

I...can't believe that worked??? I can't believe I voted in the majority??? ???????????? I'm really happy about this and I hope the Soup alliance (??? where did soup come from) can stick together even if just for one round. The biggest problem is if Cameron or someone else has an idol. Owen told me an idol had gone missing in one of the areas which means someone has already gotten it so we have to tread very carefully if we don't wanna get fucked.  

I love filming a 30 minute confessional about the game, where I get upset again over Will hating me and crying over how much I love Owen and Emily. I'm a mess sakdjhfa

You know? No matter what I do in this game, I’m going to be deemed a threat. Even if I don’t do shit. Even if I just sit and take orders. Hm. Well. Here’s to proving people right! If anyone’s upset with me, just know that they woke me up! Threat Emily is here and she’s ready to fucking win.

I love Ali. I love that he's such a good friend and that we're so able to move past things like this - I really do want to go far in this game with him. It's what we deserve. Wouldn't it be cute if Owen got 4th again too <3

this would be a better challenge if we could discuss xo but I think like....there isnt any way we shouldnt win unless someone is intentionally messy. two groups of people, four A's and five B's. no matter how it gets cut, whoeveer starts, one A and one B should end up in the final two with three As and four Bs voting, so someone from B SHOULD win, I think. It just alternates who starts each time, A, B, A, B or B, A, B, A, until yeah one from each is left. and it'll be easy to see who a snake is bc we directly see the lists. I'm more worried about Ashvika and Kevin at this point....but oh well. I also need to be on high alert of getting idoled out this round. Cameron is denying that he has two idols which like....yeah I'd way rather have Ashvika or Emily have one and be lying than Cameron have one, but at the same time I'm just gonna like assume  ksadjhf that Cameron has two :) worst case scenario :) so I like?? would think he uses both of them this round maybe unless he is worried more about himself, and also ugh idk like ashvika or kevin could flip or even emily/ali although I think the three of us can trust each other rn. idk yet.

I came in second... again. Woohoo! I love immunity challenges yes I do! :—————) ________________________________________________________________

(This was filmed like 7 hours before the immunity challenge)

The soup alliance is hopefully sticking together!!!! Unfortunately we can't get Cameron out so we're playing some 4d chess mind games tonight. The plan's to vote Ruthie, and then we tell the others...Zach or Cameron, I'm not sure I already forget. Not like they'll approach me about this but you know. My ass will scream if things flip on us because people are rats, double the screaming if it's me who gets flipped on butttt things are looking good so far, but then again I've found that it's when I'm most confident in our plans that I get blindsided. 

Welcome to my roundly long confessionals where I, Zachary rae, gives information on the past few days. Before we begin, I should put a disclaimer - this may be the last one! --- Hello fans! So where do I begin. Last vote Dana and Will called me in paranoia and, frankly, they were right! However, on that call I suggested that if the idea of them having majority (or half; 5) was accurate, we may as well just not split and pray for no idols. Dana didn't like that idea, and in hesitation, asked to split the vote 3-2 and... yeah. Bye Will. I was like crying afterwards though cause I genuinely love him and he's a great person and ugh it sucks cause I really wanted to continue working with him and i'm just so disappointed. Moving forward, I made an alliance of four [Ruthie/Zach/Dana/Cameron], entitled "Will's Puppets".  In this immunity, it's common sense by any mathematical logistics that one person from each "side" will make final two, and one of them five will win immunity. However, Cameron adjusted our views and just saved Ali and maybe it was because they didn't comprehend what a proper strategy was, or perhaps to build bonds with Ali. In the end, I voted (once again, wow) in the minority and for Emily to win immunity, but Ali came out victorious. Good job for him! Going into tribal it's kind of like... there are 5 people on one side, vs us four. Dana and I talked and it's kind of like... we needed a plan. Ideally, everyone knows that Cameron (and Ali) have an idol. They want Cameron out, I believe THAT part of their expression, but they know he isn't easily struck as he's likely playing his idol tonight. Dana and I realized a good way to escape, since it's probably better to take out one of us, is to get in the good graces of Emily and Owen. I like them both as people, I genuinely do, but in this game they are two of the biggest threats to win. What we are suggesting to Owen is that in the event we take out Ruthie this vote, and then Cameron next, it's final 7 and that's when you need to start realizing who you want to be with in the finale. Dana called with Owen for so long suggesting that if me and her are safe (we're trying to separate ourselves slightly but like saying we both think alike), then we can help him take out Emily at 7. He needs the numbers since Emily is a powerful player. I don't know if he sees value in me but hopefully he likes me cause he thinks i'm funny and I love him. I go to Emily and I say that I will make sure Cameron plays his idol as my piece of leverage to keep me safe. They vote out Ruthie, Cameron flushes his idol and goes next, and then it's FFA at final seven, and I think at that time Dana and I are safe for one vote. Do I want to go to the end with Dana though? HELL NO!! Originally I was thinking I would love to sit with Kevin and Ruthie. If Ruthie goes, then I think i'd want to go with Kevin and Ali. Maybe Ashvika but... i'm not sure. She's just so adorable and likeable but she's not playing strategically amazing like other people. Neither am I though so I can't talk. Do I think Emily's being honest with me though when she leaked that "Ruthie's the vote and she wants to clue me in"? Not at all. I would not be surprised if I leave tonight, and she better be able to justify herself when she lies. She's manipulative and a liar (IN A GOOD WAY I STAN!!) but like I don't vote bitterly, I vote who I think I connected with more and played better, and if you can't justify why i'm the good vote this round (which I truthfully disagree i'm a good vote this round), then you ain't getting my vote. I also think if I survive I can easily go final 4/5. Dana's a bigger threat than me, which is my strategy to align with physically bigger threats so i'm able to slide by like a little snake, and say Ruthie/Cameron leave next, then Dana, one of Emily/Owen and Ashvika even are the big threats. I don't see how I will go unless it's final 4/5 but who knows. I'm not being cocky but that's how I see things, and if they let Dana make it further than me, which is possible, i'll be shocked. I really will be. Also can I just say how much I adore Owen. Dana said he talked about how funny I was and he pmed me saying that i'm funny and hilarious and despite the occurrences in this game, he'd love to be friends and I agree. Though this is a message reassuring i'm probably leaving tonight, I adore him and he has my vote 100% if he makes FTC and I leave. I don't want to leave, but that's the fact. Weirdly - well not weirdly but just... I don't know. I'm troll. I'm just trying to play fun but I really don't want to leave tonight like i'll cry. I've had so much fun and i'm not ready to leave and... ugh. I really want to be here and prove myself because I don't think I have and I don't want to see myself as a flop. Not saying 10th+ is a flop, but saying that I haven't done anything or utilized my All Star spot yet, and it's just... ugh. I'm defeated. I hope I can stay to keep going further in this game but... I don't know. I hope this isn't my last confessional. I really hope I get to stay and... elaborate on my amazing gameplay. Joke, of course, but I do hope I get to stay. please!!! :(

This could be my last confessional. When I go home tonight and become the long suffering 4th juror I have waited 8 games and lots of failed strategy to become, I just want to say it’s been a fun game and I genuinely love everyone. Tribal is in 3 hrs and I just don’t know how i’m Voting. The biggest meme of all is that I implicitly trust Owen, who I feel is far and away the best player in this game. I told him I don’t think he can get to the end with goats, because they’ll all flip on him, and I think that’s true. He needs other key players as buffers towards the end. Inevitably when the Emily v. Owen power struggle for power, glory, and stardom breaks out, I’d LOVE to be a spectator still in the game. I will vote how Owen tells me tonight, and even though he has promised me i’m not going home, i’m Not sure he’s in the position to promise that. I just dunno. I had such a good talk with him last night and tbh if nothing else that was amazing jury management. He knows I can’t shut up to save my life, and he just let me talk for hours. So thank u for validating my goblin personality. Also he told me he thought I was smart which honestly... my kink thank u. I also talked to Ali for a while this morning, and he says he’s doing his best to keep me and Cameron safe, I believe it idk. Like why lie to me i’m On the bottom and everyone knows i’m an idol-less sad snake, so like no point tbh. The hardest part about playing with him is that I feel like I want him to succeede more than he wants himself to succeede. Like I can’t want it for you, and had so much to work with, I just wish he would own it. He’s like a defenseless almond and I just want him to be a bad bitch ya know? Finally, I’m trying to play with Ashvika here and use the fact that she game me info last round that I “kept quiet” as a bargaining chip to show I can be trusted. Will Ashvika end up as my target or my closest ally u be the judge. Overall I’m so prepared to get voted out i’ve all but made total peace with it. Hopefully I can push through tonight wih my sparkling personality and some wheeling and dealing. ________________________________________________________________ Owen stopped talking to me about the game which means i’m going home. I love watching my own death occur in real time. 

thanks for reminding me about the way zach pronounces mario. I know what I'm writing on the parchment tonight.

I..... have no idea what's going on tonight.

THAT WASNT MY LAST CONFESSIONAL BECAUSE.. OWEN AND EMILY ARE SNAKES! (mario)

iiiii feel really uneasy about ashvika for some reason??? idk she keeps asking if we're voting for ruthie, so she could be planning to #flip on us which would be a dumb move, or maybe she's just confused and if that's the case then me too. Owen and I kinda talked about this the night before because we know she's somewhat attached to Dana but like we ain't voting Dana so I hope that's not a problem. And I mean we both voted for Ruthie at the Duncan blindside so like??? I hope she wants to do it again?? I just think any of us flipping now especially would be bad for us and for them. I have secure trust in everyone else in this alliance so like...let's make it through please??? If anyone goes home I hope it isn't Emily because I think her vote negator can play an important role in f8, no matter who goes home tonight. Iiiii just don't want things to get fucked up tonight!!! and i haven't talked to anyone from the other side (i mean they could approach me but yknow two way street and all that) and idk if i should??? bc being too pushy and saying oh yeah we're voting cameron could be a big miss steak??? 

I can’t be the only one who sees that Owen is aligned with Cameron right?? I thought I would have been one of his closest allies after the duncan voted but he didn’t save me and later chose to save Cameron over ali even though he’s supposedly in the minority, and now he’s vying not to vote Cameron out? I understand he makes some good points but  it’s sketchy 

im going home bye ________________________________________________________________ I LITERALLY FEEL WHAT IS HAPPENING DSAKSJHF I AM GETTING FLIPPED ON BY EMILY PROBABLY EITHER THAT OR LIKE???? IM GETTING IDOLED TF OUT OF HERE AND I JUST WANNA DIE WHERE IS ALI I NEED TO TALK TO ALI I WAS SUPPOSED TO TALK TO HIM FSDHAFHJ GOD

Day by day, I get closer to voting Kevin as the sole survivor of Athena All-Stars. Congratulations, I played myself, but Kevin played me better. 

ali is rlly acting sketchy why :'( i think I'm going home ugh ________________________________________________________________ I dont think ali will idol me and I want 2 scream dfskajhkdjfhkjsdhfjkhsdkjfhkjsdhfkjds

so I won immunity and literally am confessing at tribal and am a mess

Ruthie becomes the 12th person voted out of Athena All Stars in a 5-4 vote, and the 4th member of our jury. You can see Ruthie’s preseason interview here. 

[soul-hunterassassin]

Emma and the Secret (5/5)

“Think I can meet this Council of your’s?” Emma asked. “They sound interesting, and I’d like to know whose running this place.”

Amara seemed to get all worked up again. “W-What?! The Council is very busy and very important! A-And you can’t just demand to see them! It’s…! Rebellious and disrespectful?!”

“You don’t sound sure. And… Isn’t rebellious and disrespectful behavior kinda normal amongst Dragons?” Emma asked, her voice considerably calmer than Amara’s. Then she sighed. “Well, if you say so.” Amara seemed to melt in relief. “Anyways… Not really sure how to fill this out. Think I could see your form as an example?” She asked.

Amara didn’t suspect a thing, possibly too caught up in her own relief. “Of course!” The brunette hurriedly left to fetch her own index documents. She brought them back swiftly, and Emma looked them over. Hm… Interesting.

Amara was from dimension C-344. She was not a reincarnated soul, and was asexual and aromantic. She had no magical powers and had led a nearly perfect life. Other than a few tangles with the Galactic Federation, she seemed to have lead a perfect life. Loving parents, an easy cruise on through life, no money troubles… Sounded almost like a modern day fairytale.

Emma shrugged. She quickly made a hand seal. Before Amara could react, she slumped and collapsed onto the floor, unconscious. Lacking magic meant the brunette wouldn’t be able to defend against it. Emma sighed and quickly filled out the form… Though, she was purposefully vague. She might be persuaded to be more detailed one day… Just not today.

Then she shunshined away. She escaped out the window, and traveled the rooftops to the most dramatic and obvious building on the Secret. She figured that was probably the Council’s building. Made sense, right? It was humanity’s nature to make things bigger if they were more important. She idly wondered if the Council had indexes, and how vague or incomplete their’s were.

She landed in front of the doors, and kicked them open. She strolled on through, hands in her pockets.

“Oi.” Emma said, announcing herself.

Eyes immediately flew to her, with varying expressions. The Council was made of five different Dragons. A brunette Dragon with braids framing her face wore a passive expression, scrutinizing Emma intensely. A strangely contradictory lax, yet alert expression was aimed at her by a well-dressed black-haired Dragon. Emma could swear she saw a spark of amusement in her eyes. A vaguely disapproving frown aimed at her from a black-haired Dragon with pink bangs. A ginger Dragon with shiny jewelry leaned forward in her seat, apparently excited by Emma’s entrance. Then a passive, unreadable expression came from a blond Dragon with glasses.

The brunette Council member spoke up. “What business do you have, interrupting a Council meeting?” She asked.

“Just wanted to meet the Council. Figure out what sort of Council you guys are. From the people I’ve talked to… They seem to think you’re some sort of saviors, but I’m not going to just believe that.” Emma said, defiantly staring upwards at the Council, where they sat on thrones of silver.

The well-dressed Dragon chuckled. “Very well. We shall introduce ourselves.”

At this, the blonde Dragon and Dragon with pink bangs seemed to argue with their eyes.

Pink-bangs Dragon spoke up first. “Are you positive we should entertain someone who has shown us disrespect?”

“It might set a precedent.” The blonde one pointed out.

The well-dressed one only smirked as she sat back in her chair. “Disrespect is a trait many Dragons share. I for one, respect her bravado.” Then she looked down at Emma. “My name is Snake.”

The excitable and ginger Council member spoke up next. “My name is Treasure!” She chirped.

“Wyvern.” Suddenly spoke the brunette on the Council.

“Jade.” The Dragon with pink bangs finally said.

“Sage.” Spoke the blonde.

Emma looked up at them. “I have questions.” She said.

“Then speak them. We will decide how much of your questions we will answer, let it be not at all or in full.” Wyvern said. Emma got the feeling that Wyvern tended to talk the most. She had a powerful, confident voice that seemed to radiate the strength of the Council. Too bad fearless stubbornness was a common ailment among Dragons.

“I want to know why all your processes of registration and such are necessary. I also want to know why you think you can really lead the Secret. Such power is easily abused, and power always corrupts.” Emma spoke.

Wyvern nodded. “... You make valid points. Power does indeed tend to corrupt and then can be easily used to harm those who it should be protecting. This is a conflict that appears in history again and again, as humanity repeats its mistakes at an unsettlingly high frequency.” She agreed. “However, what is also true… Is that we truly do need to gather like this, in order to organize efforts to keep interdimensional travel out of the hands of the Galactic Federation and others with similar intentions, across the multiverse. We’d be doomed and neglectful if we allowed such tragedies to happen on our watch.” Wyvern paused. “Though, we are not so naive to believe that we are infallible. That is the reasoning for our Council. We are not like minded.” She looked to the Council.

“Snake is cunning and manipulative, and has a talent for coming out of top by shoving her enemies under her.” Snake smirked in response. “Sage is cautious and prefers solutions that are the greatest compromises.” Sage nodded. “Treasure is curious and dedicated to her work.” Treasure smiled brightly. “Jade provides skepticism and gives us all caution, should we become too cocky.” Jade only blinked. Wyvern bowed her head. “I am the boldest of us, wishing for action to be taken as swiftly as possible. We are currently searching for someone who will pull us back from the dark.”

“You’re looking for someone to make sure you don’t turn into a genocidal oligarchy.” Emma translated.

Treasure coughed. “I mean… A bit tactless… But yeah, basically you’ve got it.” The ginger admitted.

“We would like to offer you a chance to join us.” Wyvern said.

“On the Council? Why?” Emma asked.

“We have just stated we need someone who will… Run damage control for us. To check our more violent decisions. That is to say, it is not a guaranteed spot. You will need to be vetted thoroughly, and we would need further evidence to be absolutely sure that you would make a good addition to the Council.”

Emma took a deep breath. “... It’s… Generous, but no thanks. I’m not ready to settle down yet. Got places to be, people to meet, you know.” Emma gave a casual grin, shrugging. “Wasn’t actually ever planning to join the Secret permanently. Glad I visited, though.” She admitted.

Wyvern clasped her hands together, leaning forward to rest her chin on her hands. “.... Of course. We hope you shall visit again soon, and possibly tell other Dragons you may meet of this place.”

“.... Yeah.” Emma said, using her portal gun to get out of there. She dropped out of the portal onto her bed, in her home dimension. She groaned. That was a real experience… One she didn’t really feel keen on repeating.

Though, she had a feeling that wasn’t the last she’d seen of Dragon’s Secret.

[thecloudlight-blog]

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Facebook’s Messenger games are now available to everyone

Facebook announced nowadays that its new Messenger sport-playing functions at the moment are available to the complete 1.2 billion those who use the app every month. Immediate Video games, because the platform is called, first launched in closed beta closing November with arcade titles like Percent-Man and Galaga. The platform also reintroduced Facebook browser hallmarks like Zynga’s Words with Friends, in a bid to revitalize, to a small quantity, the sort of meteoric engagement the one’s organizations enjoyed again the early days of cellular gaming. Facebook says that in certain territories it now has greater than 50 Games to be had.

As part of the extended rollout of Instant Video games,

Facebook is also introducing turn-primarily based play, first introduced returned at its F8 developer convention closing month, with the capability for recreation makers to combine leaderboards and tournaments. Words with Pals is one of the first titles to utilize those features, as Zynga attempts to regain some have an effect on within the cellular gaming quarter after failing to make the jump from Fb to iOS and Android. To assist tie the complete strategy together with Facebook’s investment in boats — it launched a Messenger bot store ultimate month, too — the organization will use the automatic software program to inspire gamers to attempt new Games and to compete for better rankings.

Introduction to Facebook Live

With regards to a way to put it on the market on Fb, we are used to the apparent techniques with Fb Ads and the usage of pixels. If you haven’t heard of stay streaming but, then you definitively must be residing beneath a rock.

This lets you speak to that target market in a stay fashion and even reply to remarks and that during flip makes this shape of verbal exchange especially engaging and intimate.

For an internet marketer, this is the closest you may ever come to being able to knock on someone’s door and inform them precisely why they can purchase your product.

In case you’re constructing a personal brand, then it is an exquisite manner to construct agree with and familiarity. And In case you’re creative, then you can do all varieties of amazing things like taking your target audience with you on hikes or bringing them to live occasions.

Imagine being able to make a seminar in your sales funnel where your students may want to surely ask questions? And wherein they knew you that you had been speak to them without delay at that very moment! One extra thing that makes stay video so interesting for marketers is the easy truth that it is so new and so exciting.

If you’re a marketer seeking to make a huge splash on-line, then this device can help to present you a massive head begin. Human beings want live content and they’re especially excited for it.

For an internet marketer, that is the nearest you will ever come to being capable of the knock on a person’s door and inform them precisely why they should buy your product. In case you’re constructing a non-public emblem, then it is a tremendous way to build trust and familiarity.

If you’re a marketer trying to make a big splash on the line

Thn this tool can assist to offer you a large head begin. Human beings want live content and they are fairly excited for it.

In the end, there is tons of insurance of live content material in the media and everybody is speaking approximately it. But right now, not that many marketers or bloggers are developing a stay video.

To apply Fb live, you will need the Facebook cell app. From here, you definitely want to click in the field you’ll tap to submit new content. you can do this out of your personal account or from your Facebook web page.

From there, you could then clearly select the ‘live’ icon at the lowest. that is a small photo of someone with radio waves emanating from their head. Whilst you click this, you’ll be taken to every other display in which you may see your digicam in the background and some options. One crucial alternative is the capability to feature an outline.

Yes, they Shoot the Messenger in Child Custody/Access Cases

discern called me inquiring for me to offer an assessment. I defined I do no longer provide courtroom involved services anymore and defined why. The caller requested for a referral to someone who did. I provided the call of a reputable colleague.

The caller emailed thereafter and included inside the email messages that had been posted about the colleague on the Net. The postings portrayed my colleague quite extraordinarily. The caller wanted to apprehend how I should talk over with such someone. My respond was this:

In our career, we all paintings with disappointed human beings in difficult situations. Our paintings impacts or determines the final results for their family.

At times some humans take splendid exception to the outcome and turn they are disillusioned upon the carrier provider.

Custody and get entry to paintings money owed for the best variety of complaints to professional licensing bodies. I and all my skilled colleagues have treated those troubles as part of our expert exercise.

I will provide you different names, but each person will also have had court cases in opposition to them, a few with the aid of Internet postings and a few by court cases to the licensing frame and some by means of both. But, all are reputable inside their career by colleagues, courts, and attorneys even though all have also been complained about by means of former clients.

On every occasion a 3rd party (assessor, judge or arbitrator) impacts or makes a decision your fate

Tere is usually the threat of adverse final results. That is why to the diploma viable, we endorse humans discover a negotiated answer.

All my colleagues and I’ve all been vilified with the aid of dad and mom unhappy with the final results of their dispute. That is an extraordinarily unspoken professional danger.

there’s a lesson on this although for most of the people. Regardless of the expert’s credentials and credibility, you can now not just like the final results of our involvement.

Do assume two times when given selection making authority away.

inside the alternative, in case you hold manipulate of choice making authority, you can arrive at final results you may at the least live with, even supposing now not completely happy. This frequently is higher than rolling the cube. through maintaining manipulate the outcome, you may realize what you have. Give it away, there’s continually hazard.

The Future of Android Games, Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality

Mobile gaming has come a completely lengthy way since the creation of crude & simple video games like Snake and Pong which had been to be had on early Nokia phones. Cellular processors and pictures at the moment are as powerful as laptop computer systems had been just a few years ago. Older generations nevertheless don’t forget lugging around a Game Boy or Recreation equipment and begging their parents for some other Game. New generations actually have access to 100’s of heaps of games on their Cell device.

In brief, Mobile gaming has exploded in only a few years time.

Inside the month of July 2016, there had been sixty-three.1 million arcade games downloaded & video games In the “strategy” class generated $195M sales. In the latest study over 37% of Cell app customers with 30 minutes of free time pick out to play games over some other hobby. We’ve got all seen it and We have all finished it ourselves, whether it’s waiting for an appointment or sitting at the airport, we pull out our Mobile device and bounce into a short Sport to kill the time.

So what does all of this imply for the destiny of android gaming? For starters, the big quantities of revenue and person interest in android gaming has reinforced non-stop innovation and fierce competition Within the worldwide market. For instance, simply 365 days ago, top executives were announcing they did not see any essential advantage to augmented fact. With the release of Pokemon Go and estimates citing as tons as $500 million in revenue in just 60 days, I think we will all agree augmented reality is here to live.

The digital fact is any other area that has been selecting up steam in current months. You can now buy Digital truth headsets at local gasoline stations for an insignificant $30. Or in case you’re in a price range, you can purchase Google Cardboard for as low as $7.00. There is nonetheless simplest a confined quantity of VR enabled video games however that quantity is increasing each day. Not simplest that, as an increasing number of human beings revel in VR we’re sure to look a blockbuster launch ultimately.

Allow’s test a few real lifestyles examples of new Sport releases

Dawn of Titans which changed into recently launched on Google Play became in development for over 2 years. That is corresponding to the development cycle of a mid-level Pc Game launch on Steam. The game features mass controlled troops, global constructing factors, and wonderful photographs. A few years ago this would be taken into consideration a primary launch for the Android platform. Nowadays That is just any other drop Inside the massive pond. With over 2.4 million apps and video games presently listed on Google Play, it is emerging as tougher and harder to stand out. This is truly exact news for game enthusiasts as builders are working tougher and faster to create new revolutionary titles to attract users.

  Originally posted 2016-08-28 04:08:16.