#it's the humility of recognizing knowledge evolves over time

[luke-o-lophus]

this reminds me of the doctor interview about vaccines. He was asked if he can say vaccines will never cause X (forget what exactly it was). He goes on to explain the language of science is not exactly the language of regular conversations.

"There isn't evidence from any study that indicates correlation between vaccine and X" is science language because science CAN'T say "Vaccines will never be related to X".

But in conversation, that sounds like they aren't sure or are trying to hide something.

So this doctor said he now explains it as "There isn't any evidence suggesting a link between vaccine and X, in the same way as there isn't any evidence suggesting I'll sprout wings if I walk off a terrace"

Iconic.

Ok now do NYT columnists

[greatrwb]

YOU, NO, SOMETHING

The challenges and opportunities of engaging the WEB3 space in a WEB2 world

Introduction I was asked by a friend, teammate, and fellow businessperson to write about my thoughts on building a business in the WEB3 space. The highlights are simple: YOU must have courage, NO is essential, and SOMETHING never comes from nothing.

Below are my thoughts:

YOU YOU have an idea—any idea, big or small. Start by telling someone you don’t know well about it.

This serves two purposes:

1. It pushes you to confront any insecurities about your idea.

2. It forces you to organize your thoughts, articulate your idea, and respond to feedback (whether you like it or not). The fear of looking or sounding foolish is natural. You will stumble, struggle to communicate your idea, and encounter criticism. People may question your path or even dismiss your idea altogether.

But this is all part of the process. Consider every critique a form of backhanded compliment. Take it all in, but only hold onto the feedback that helps refine your vision. The hardest part of nurturing a new idea is holding onto it in the face of opposition. But if you persevere, your idea will grow, evolve, and eventually stand on its own.

In the WEB3 space, the challenges are amplified. It has its own language, filled with technical terms and nuances. Many people will question your understanding or even your sanity. Embrace the challenge. Learn as you go, and work toward creating a common language for your project. This skill will serve you throughout your career.

Pro tip: Mutual respect is key to building relationships and earning trust in this space.

NO Learn to get comfortable with this word—both hearing it and saying it. You’ll hear “no” frequently:

“No, it can’t be done.”

“No, you’re wrong.”

“No, that’s not how it works.”

This is normal when you’re doing something new. But the real challenge lies in learning to say “no” yourself.

You must say “no” to distractions, unnecessary opportunities, and tangential paths that don’t align with your goals. Practice saying “no” to yourself, to others, and to anything that diverts your focus.

For example:

Say “no” to tasks or ideas that don’t serve your project’s purpose.

Say “no” when someone’s perspective doesn’t align with your goals.

Say “no” to overextending yourself when your team or family needs your attention.

WEB3 offers limitless possibilities, but for most of us, time and resources are finite. Saying “no” keeps you focused on what truly matters.

Pro tip: Master the art of saying “no” without actually using the word.

SOMETHING Good things happen when you refuse to give up. Be open to unexpected outcomes. Whether your project is a DApp or something else in the WEB3 space, understand that success is not just about the project itself. It’s about the growth, relationships, knowledge, and opportunities that come with it. At first, you may feel overwhelmed by the opportunities and challenges that come your way. But over time, you’ll learn to identify the “somethings” that truly align with your vision. A self-reinforcing loop will form, where every success fuels the next. Pro tip: Don’t force this process. When the right opportunities come, you’ll recognize them.

Bridging WEB3 and WEB2 The WEB3 space is still in its infancy. While it’s exciting and full of potential, most of the world operates in a WEB2 framework. To succeed, adapt your project to be accessible and understandable to a broader audience. If you make your product easy to use and adopt, you’ll be ahead of the curve. Be honest with yourself and your audience. Approach the “wild west” of WEB3 with humility and professionalism.

Conclusion Now YOU KNOW SOMETHING. Starting a project in WEB3 will challenge you, change you, and open doors you never imagined. Remember to engage with the space thoughtfully, stay focused, and embrace the journey.

If you have any questions, think about them, ask yourself, and then feel free to ask me.

Best regards, Founder, CEO, and Attorney at Large, Stanton Terranova

[grwb]

YOU, NO, SOMETHING

The challenges and opportunities of engaging the WEB3 space in a WEB2 world

Introduction I was asked by a friend, teammate, and fellow businessperson to write about my thoughts on building a business in the WEB3 space. The highlights are simple: YOU must have courage, NO is essential, and SOMETHING never comes from nothing.

Below are my thoughts:

YOU YOU have an idea—any idea, big or small. Start by telling someone you don’t know well about it.

This serves two purposes:

1. It pushes you to confront any insecurities about your idea.

2. It forces you to organize your thoughts, articulate your idea, and respond to feedback (whether you like it or not). The fear of looking or sounding foolish is natural. You will stumble, struggle to communicate your idea, and encounter criticism. People may question your path or even dismiss your idea altogether.

But this is all part of the process. Consider every critique a form of backhanded compliment. Take it all in, but only hold onto the feedback that helps refine your vision. The hardest part of nurturing a new idea is holding onto it in the face of opposition. But if you persevere, your idea will grow, evolve, and eventually stand on its own.

In the WEB3 space, the challenges are amplified. It has its own language, filled with technical terms and nuances. Many people will question your understanding or even your sanity. Embrace the challenge. Learn as you go, and work toward creating a common language for your project. This skill will serve you throughout your career.

Pro tip: Mutual respect is key to building relationships and earning trust in this space.

NO Learn to get comfortable with this word—both hearing it and saying it. You’ll hear “no” frequently:

“No, it can’t be done.”

“No, you’re wrong.”

“No, that’s not how it works.”

This is normal when you’re doing something new. But the real challenge lies in learning to say “no” yourself.

You must say “no” to distractions, unnecessary opportunities, and tangential paths that don’t align with your goals. Practice saying “no” to yourself, to others, and to anything that diverts your focus.

For example:

Say “no” to tasks or ideas that don’t serve your project’s purpose.

Say “no” when someone’s perspective doesn’t align with your goals.

Say “no” to overextending yourself when your team or family needs your attention.

WEB3 offers limitless possibilities, but for most of us, time and resources are finite. Saying “no” keeps you focused on what truly matters.

Pro tip: Master the art of saying “no” without actually using the word.

SOMETHING Good things happen when you refuse to give up. Be open to unexpected outcomes. Whether your project is a DApp or something else in the WEB3 space, understand that success is not just about the project itself. It’s about the growth, relationships, knowledge, and opportunities that come with it. At first, you may feel overwhelmed by the opportunities and challenges that come your way. But over time, you’ll learn to identify the “somethings” that truly align with your vision. A self-reinforcing loop will form, where every success fuels the next. Pro tip: Don’t force this process. When the right opportunities come, you’ll recognize them.

Bridging WEB3 and WEB2 The WEB3 space is still in its infancy. While it’s exciting and full of potential, most of the world operates in a WEB2 framework. To succeed, adapt your project to be accessible and understandable to a broader audience. If you make your product easy to use and adopt, you’ll be ahead of the curve. Be honest with yourself and your audience. Approach the “wild west” of WEB3 with humility and professionalism.

Conclusion Now YOU KNOW SOMETHING. Starting a project in WEB3 will challenge you, change you, and open doors you never imagined. Remember to engage with the space thoughtfully, stay focused, and embrace the journey.

If you have any questions, think about them, ask yourself, and then feel free to ask me.

Best regards, Founder, CEO, and Attorney at Large, Stanton Terranova

[youngereight]

"The Thrills and Risks of Betting on Sports: A Comprehensive Guide"

Understanding the World of Sports Betting

Sports betting has been an integral part of human entertainment for centuries. Whether it's placing a friendly wager with a friend or participating in a formal betting pool, the thrill of predicting the outcome of a sporting event adds an extra layer of excitement to the game. In recent years, sports betting has evolved into a massive industry, with millions of people around the world wagering on various sports. However, it's crucial to understand that while sports betting can be exhilarating, it also comes with its fair share of risks.

The Basics of Sports Betting

Before diving into the world of sports betting, it's essential to grasp the fundamentals. At its core, sports betting involves placing a wager on the outcome of a sporting event, such as a football game, basketball match, or horse race. The key elements of sports betting include:

Odds represent the probability of a particular outcome occurring. They are typically presented in various formats, such as fractional, decimal, or moneyline odds. Understanding how to read and interpret odds is crucial for making informed bets.

There are various types of bets in sports betting, including moneyline bets, point spread bets, over/under bets, and prop bets. Each bet type offers a unique way to wager on an event and can vary in complexity 먹튀폴리스.

Managing your bankroll is essential for long-term success in sports betting. It involves setting a budget for your bets, choosing bet sizes wisely, and avoiding chasing losses.

Successful sports betting requires thorough research. Analyzing team statistics, player performance, injury reports, and other relevant information can help you make informed betting decisions.

The Thrills and Risks of Sports Betting

The thrill of sports betting is undeniable. It adds an extra layer of excitement to watching your favorite sports events, turning casual viewers into passionate fans. Winning a bet can also be financially rewarding, offering the potential for profit. However, it's crucial to acknowledge the inherent risks associated with sports betting:

Financial Risk: Betting on sports carries the risk of losing money. If not done responsibly, it can lead to financial hardship and addiction. It's vital to set strict limits on your betting budget and never wager more than you can afford to lose.

Emotional Rollercoaster: Sports betting can be an emotional rollercoaster. The excitement of a winning streak can quickly turn into frustration during a losing streak. Managing emotions and staying disciplined is essential to avoid impulsive betting decisions.

Problem Gaming: For some individuals, sports betting can become a serious problem. It's essential to recognize the signs of problem gaming, such as chasing losses, lying about betting activities, or neglecting responsibilities. Seek help if you believe you may have a gaming problem.

Unpredictability: Sports events are inherently unpredictable, and upsets can happen at any time. Even the most knowledgeable bettors can't guarantee success, making it important to approach sports betting with a sense of humility.

In conclusion, sports betting is a thrilling and popular pastime that can enhance the enjoyment of watching sports. However, it's essential to approach it with caution and responsibility. Understanding the basics of sports betting, managing your bankroll, conducting thorough research, and acknowledging the associated risks are key to having a positive and enjoyable betting experience. Always remember that responsible betting should be a form of entertainment, not a path to financial ruin.

[edwardgdunn]

Embracing the Dance of Change: Holding Opinions Loosely for Greater Happiness

Welcome, curious minds! Today, we embark on an exhilarating exploration of a transformative concept: holding our opinions loosely and embracing the dance of change. As fallible humans, we often find that many of our deeply held opinions eventually prove to be wrong. By embracing this realization with an open heart and mind, we not only invite personal growth and intellectual humility but also pave the way for greater happiness. So, let’s embark on a joyous journey of discovery and learn why being open to change in the face of new evidence can bring us immense fulfillment.

The Dance of Opinions

Oh, the waltz of opinions! We hold them dear, like treasured keepsakes, ready to defend them at a moment’s notice. But let’s take a pause and reflect: how often have our opinions evolved over time? Scientific studies have shown time and again that our beliefs are subject to change, sometimes in surprising and transformative ways, when confronted with new evidence.

In an intriguing study conducted by Stanford University, participants were presented with evidence that contradicted their preexisting beliefs. The results revealed that the brain’s neural circuits associated with personal identity went into overdrive. Rather than embracing the new information, the brain instinctively fought to protect its cherished opinions. However, individuals who displayed a greater openness to revising their opinions experienced a reduction in neural activation. This shift allowed for increased intellectual flexibility, leading to a greater receptivity to new ideas and perspectives.

Furthermore, research published in the journal Psychological Science has unveiled a profound connection between holding opinions loosely and experiencing higher levels of life satisfaction and overall happiness. By avoiding the pitfalls of rigid thinking, individuals who remain open to change cultivate a dynamic mindset that nurtures personal growth, adaptability, and intellectual curiosity.

The Power of Intellectual Humility

Now, let us envision a world where intellectual humility reigns supreme—a world where we approach our opinions with a healthy dose of humility, recognizing that they are merely temporary reflections of our current understanding. Intellectual humility serves as the cornerstone of holding opinions loosely and being open to change. It entails acknowledging that we don’t possess the absolute truth and that others may have valuable insights that challenge our perspectives.

When we embrace intellectual humility, magical transformations occur. We create an environment that nurtures healthy conversations, as we become more willing to listen actively and consider alternative viewpoints. By cultivating this virtue, we unleash the power of collaboration, learning, and personal development.

But how can we actively cultivate intellectual humility? Firstly, actively seek out diverse opinions and viewpoints. Engage in thoughtful discussions and debates with individuals who hold different beliefs. By willingly exposing ourselves to a variety of perspectives, we enrich our understanding of the world and expand our intellectual horizons.

Secondly, nurture curiosity and embrace a growth mindset. Approach every encounter as an opportunity to learn and grow. Cultivate an insatiable thirst for knowledge that propels you forward on the path of intellectual evolution. As new information presents itself, welcome it with an open mind, and ask thought-provoking questions that challenge your existing opinions. Through this process, you embark on a journey of constant self-improvement and profound wisdom.

Conclusion

In the grand tapestry of life, our opinions serve as fleeting brushstrokes, capable of evolving and transforming with time and new evidence. By holding them loosely and remaining open to change, we unlock the infinite potential for intellectual growth and happiness. Scientific studies illuminate the profound connection between intellectual humility and enhanced life satisfaction. As we traverse the ever-changing landscape of knowledge, let us dance with change, twirling gracefully through the corridors of enlightenment. Shed the fear of being wrong, for in the pursuit of truth and wisdom, our evolving opinions become stepping stones towards personal and collective progress. Embrace the dance, and bask in the joy of ever-upgraded perspectives!

Check out the Happiness 2.0 Podcast — https://podcast.edwardgdunn.com/

Happiness 2.0 Blog — https://edwardgdunn.com/blog

[oflgtfol]

i know the nuclear waste storage thing proliferated throughout tumblr but the conversations around it never really like, properly addressed WHY i personally find it so profound and meaningful lol

it’s just. the reason it’s written like that is because this is for long-term storage. not 100 years. not 200 years. literally tens of thousands of years, to the point where the commonly recognized symbols and languages of modern day will very likely not even exist anymore. we all know what a nuclear warning symbol looks like nowadays, but we have absolutely zero guarantee that the people of the year 20,000 will be able to recognize what it means and the danger it presents. we have no idea the what kind of scientific background they will have, if they will even know what nuclear waste IS - whether that's because science has degraded over time, or because it advanced so much that nuclear waste became obsolete, or whether they know what it is but have an entirely different understanding of it than we do nowadays, etc etc.

the report about this states that the best course of action is to continuously reaffirm our current methods. make sure that our current symbols remain in public conscience, continuously educate about this, continuously update current text warnings with language as it evolves over time. that is the best case scenario.

but science is not science unless you account for all cases - especially the worst case. so how do you communicate with a group of people that you have no shared language, no shared knowledge of warning symbols, no shared scientific knowledge with?

the text warning above is only one part of the general plan to warn away from storage sites. it also includes hostile architecture as a way to physically block people from reaching the storage site, as well as a visual symbol of you're not welcome here as a warning. there are also pictographic depictions of people's faces scrunched up in disgust, fear, anger, under the assumption that emotions and facial expressions will be a unifying factor where all other forms of communication fail. in a way, this text warning is the very last resort for keeping people away.

it's written in this utterly strange way that sounds nothing like the way people actually speak. but it's written like this because it's supposed to be easily translatable, both in the literal words and also in the general concepts, in order to account for linguistic changes over time as well as possible changes in scientific and cultural knowledge.

instead of saying "there is nuclear waste here. leave" it instead calls it some sort of "emanation of energy" and it describes the general geographic area using words like "center" and "below." these are easily translatable phrases. they may not have the words or even the concept of nuclear waste, but "emanation of energy" is probably the easiest description of radiation without getting into the jargony, untranslatable science of it. if this future people is aware of nuclear radiation, then it's enough to extrapolate what exactly we're talking about here, and if they aren't aware of nuclear radiation, then it's still enough to understand that there is something intangible, invisible, and dangerous. and the warning cannot describe where exactly the waste is located using modern terms, but "center" and "below" are pretty universal concepts that have existed long before us, and will presumably persist long after us.

but what i really want to pinpoint is how they focus on the harm it causes. they describe it as an emanation of energy but they don't call it "the energy." they call it the danger, and they say "The danger is to the body, and it can kill." body, kill, danger, these are all concepts that transcend time period. people have always had words for these concepts, and they are intimately understood regardless of when you are. above all else, these words can be translated, and they are the most important words in this entire message because of that.

we have no idea if humanity as a race will even exist on these time scales. every day it feels like we’re inching closer to our own demise. and so often when anyone talks about the future even 50 years from now, you’re met with jokes like “bold of you to assume we’ll still be alive then.” it’s such a bleak outlook on life, the assumption that we’ll be gone so soon, and with it comes this uncaring attitude about future generations. why put in the work and effort to preserve things when we'll be gone in the blink of an eye, and on a more callous level, why try to improve things when i won't be alive then anyway, etc etc.

so to dedicate so much thought towards warning people SO far in the future that we cannot even imagine the state of their language, their knowledge, their culture, is just so profound to me. it’s the ultimate sign of human compassion, of caretaking and helping others in need. thousands of generations will separate us from anyone who can come close to being the intended audience of these warnings, and yet we care so much about them that we’ll go to such lengths to protect them from this danger. we can so easily hand wave it, say oh but that’s in the far future, who cares, just keep using our current language and symbols, but no! we want to reach through time and make sure that people stay away for their own health

it especially hits me because this is the impact of our own poor decisions. nuclear waste is so toxic that even thousands upon thousands of years from now it will still be deadly. and we're literally burying it in the ground and leaving it for future generations to deal with. playing with such powers before we’re ready, before we know how to properly handle it, like we’re playing God with things powerful beyond our control. the sheer hubris of it all. and the nuclear waste and the danger it poses both now and in the future is reaping the consequences of it. but the people in the future did nothing to deserve it, it was not their generation who did this, yet they’re dealing with the consequences of what their ancestors did

and so i feel like, this message is both a warning and an APOLOGY. “This place is not a place of honor... no highly esteemed deed is commemorated here... nothing valued is here.” this phrase is there to signal that no, this isn’t buried treasure, this isn’t anything you want to be digging around in, even the people of its time were in danger from it. as always, it’s a warning. but the way it's worded feels like something else, too. this place is not a place of honor. all the scientific advancements and awards and medals of honor going towards the development of nuclear energy and weapons and all things nuclear - and yet, this place is not a place of honor. one of our most shining achievements is also our heaviest burden. because here we are, having to warn our descendants in the far far future of the danger it poses, entirely because we were messing with things before we had the proper capability to handle it safely and responsibly. it’s a warning, yes, but it's also an apology. a way of humbling ourselves. "We considered ourselves to be a powerful culture," and yet, "this place is best left shunned and left uninhabited."

and so taking the time to think these things through, of how to communicate to people tens of thousands of years in the future to keep them safe and healthy, feels like both a show of human compassion for the sake of compassion, and also yet another form of apology. because this isn’t some freak accident. this isn't a naturally occurring danger. this is directly caused by our current actions. if they fall sick or die because of exposure, that is because of us, because of what we did and then buried in the ground to hide and forget about, and so it’s really only right that we take responsibility for our actions and the unintended consequences and ensure that no one else is harmed by them

TL;DR, i love this message so much because it's an admittance of hubris and playing god. it's an apology, it's a show of regret, and it's humbling ourselves in dealing with the consequences. it's communication between generations and reaching through the ages to directly talk to our descendants. it's an extraordinary link over time, between vastly different peoples, and we use it to express basic compassion and humility. it's a message about humanity, with all of our worst, but also all of our best.

[alindae-anne]

What Makes a Book?

I want to take a break from my novel and dive into a history lesson of books themselves. Why? Well first of all, I will be honest, this blog is for an assignment. But also because the way books have evolved over the last 5,000+ years is fascinating!

Of course no one ever really thinks about THE book, just the fact that the story within its pages--the mystery, the romance, whatever they happen to be enjoying--is a great read (or maybe not so great), but have they ever wondered what materials the book is made from? Who invented it? How the book has become one of the most common and most used items of all time?

No. Of course they didn't wonder any of those things. And if they did, they probably didn't take the time to research any of these burning questions, either.

How great, then, that I wrote this post?! Today is your lucky day! (Also, it is a good thing that Keith Houston, author of Shady Characters, decided to write a whole book about it (1).) I'm going to use the pages of a classic tale to explain some cool things you probably never noticed while reading a book before.

Gulliver’s Travels was originally published in London in 1726 by Benjamin Motte. The author, Jonathan Swift, used it to satirize London society and culture, poking holes at the social hierarchies and systems, basically making out everyone living in the 18th century to be fools--but mostly the wealthy and those who were obsessed with scientific progression (2). If you have not read it, I highly encourage adding it to your reading list, or at the very least there is a 2010 movie, featuring Jack Black as Gulliver, that you could watch. (It’s Jack Black, okay?)

This 2 page spread of Gulliver's Travels pictured above is actually found in The Franklin Library edition from Franklin Center, Pennsylvania, published in 1979. This is the first printing of this edition, and its pages, the way it is printed, and the way it is bound and presented, are all features of the modern 20-21st century book, plus some extra bells and whistles. The most interesting qualities come from the publishers themselves who specifically design their books to be very snazzy--meant for collectors’ editions! They include different kinds of leather binding, exclusive illustrations, and may be signed or part of a particular series specific to a certain author or genre (3). This makes the books published here very valuable and sought after.

Gulliver’s Travels is hardcover. Specifically, “fine leather in boards.” This means the spine and front and back boards (or cover) of the book are bound in leather. The leather is fine and and delicate and able to be decorated and engraved upon.4 Above you can see how fancy it looks with the gilt gold engravements. Even its pages are gilt!

This picture shows more clearly the binding, and of course the spine, which is “hubbed,” or ridged, for added texture.

At this point you may have notice that this version is much different than the original published in 1726. That is because over time, the materials involved in making books have changed slightly or the processes have become more efficient or cost worthy, etc. Either way, the anatomy of the book has not wavered. Keith Houston has dissected the book into certain components and we can see them in each book we read:

I have attempted to label it as best as I can, so hopefully you can follow along:

Chapter Number

a) this seems to be a description, more or less of the chapter, or the Chapter Title. b) “A Voyage to Lilliput” seems much more title-like to me, although this is technically called the “Recto Running Head.” The recto running head is a condensed or abbreviated chapter title, repeating on every right-side page to the end of the chapter.

Drop Cap. This would be the first letter of the first word of a chapter, which is usually exaggerated or embellished in some way.

Opener Text

Head Margin - the space between the top of the page and text

Foot Margin - the space between the bottom of the page and text

Folio - page number

It has taken quite a while for books to become so sophisticated. Because it was published in 1726, Gulliver's Travels is technically what you could call "modern" in terms of how long ago books began their journey to what they are today, but even between 1726 and 1979 the quality has improved. This edition published by Franklin Library is a perfect model for the modern book of today.

The 2 page spread we analyzed above is made from paper. But books were not always made with paper, or even in the book form, bound with anything at all, and they were not printed either. They were written by hand on papyrus.

Papyrus was the first material used as "paper" beginning in Egypt. The reeds were stripped, strung side by side and pressed together. Papyrus was durable and sturdy, and the water of the Nile was abundant in aluminum sulfate, which brightened it so that writing and scribbles could be seen better. There is no particular origin of when Papyrus had first been invented but it must have been around the end of the 4th millenium BCE (Houston 4).  

Parchment is made from animal skin that has been soaked, scrubbed, dried, and stretched for days and days, creating a more flexible, yet still durable, material for writing. It was also thinner and could be made "cleaner" and brighter by chemical means. Religion heavily influenced its distribution; some parchment use was literally banned because the type of animal skin used to make it wasn't considered "holy" or "good." For example, the lamb or a calf was acceptable, but how dare you use parchment made from goat skin? What is wrong with you?

Besides the fact that parchment is kind of gross if you think about it (although to be fair, you can’t be too choosy in times right before the common era), it was also expensive to keep certain cattle only for paper making, and the reliability of having new cattle at the time you may need more paper was not very high.

Paper was first introduced in China. It is made from bits of cloth and rags soaked in water, and after breaking down into pulp, strained through a wire grate and pressed to dry. Fun fact-- the Rhar West Art Museum in Manitowoc, Wisconsin has held classes showing how to make paper using this exact process.

There is a trend here: the materials used to make paper (and papyrus and parchment before it) become scarce or too expensive, or they are just not “good enough.” People want their paper thin and smooth, but still strong and durable; crisp and bright, but still able to last years and years without crumbling. There have been times that processes used to ensure these preferred qualities of paper included using chemicals that ended up negatively affecting some other quality. For example, the paper would be white as snow, yet the chemical that did this broke down the natural adhesives which kept the paper intact.

Have you heard that paper grows on trees? Well, that is partly true since after rags and cloths were nowhere to be found (unless people were about to start donating the shirts off their backs), wood pulp has now since been used... the higher the demand for paper, the greater demand for those materials used for its creation. 

This brings us to printing side of things. The first ways of printing weren’t of how we think of it now. Even before papyrus, people were still writing and making inscriptions on pretty much anything they could get their hands on. The earliest forms of writing were rather indentations or markings on clay tablets. Found across the Middle East, it is a cuneiform script of the Sumerian people from 3300 BCE (Houston 79).

Similarly, the Egyptians were also keen on developing their own writing system which today we recognize as hieroglyphs. A lot of these were found carved on the walls of tombs but also began to be used on papyrus in 2600 BCE (Houston 82-83).

The Egyptians celebrated their scribes and believed those who wrote with brush and ink on papyrus to be channeling power--that it was a gift from the gods--”wielded with respect and humility” (Houston 87). The hieroglyphs not only showed the intention of the writer, visually, but often the picture would be associated with or connected to certain sounds which emerged more formal use of letters as time went on.

The alphabet we use today can be traced back to the Phoenician alphabet (used by the Egyptians) which had evolved into the Greek and then Roman alphabets (Houston 91-92). At this point in time, scribes were using water based ink which was fine for papyrus, but during the transition to parchment they realized that ink smudges quite a bit. This led to the creation of iron gall ink that would darken and adhere to the parchment as it dried due to its chemical makeup in contact with oxygen in the air.

Jump ahead to 1400s and we are with Johannes Gutenberg and the printing press! One thing Keith Houston make sure to mention is that although Gutenberg invented the printing press itself, to help moveable type and mass printing, the idea of printing had not been new. Clay pieces used as stamps and similar objects had been excavated and dated back thousands of years before the clay inscribed cuneiform tablets were made. And a primitive version of a sort of printing press is mentioned being made by a man named Bi Sheng during the reign of Qingli from 1041-1048 AD (Houston 110). Obviously nothing great came from it, most likely because he was of unofficial position. Even so, movable type was still possible, although painstakingly slow with wooden blocks used as stamps. This was common for the next few hundred years in China.

Even though Gutenberg's press completely revolutionized the transmission of knowledge, it was still quite slow in comparison to the versions which came after, only being able to print 600 characters a day (Houston 118). From Gutenberg's printing press came other types of presses that improved the speed or efficiency of movable type immensely. These all came after the original publication of Guliver's Travels, starting in the early 1800s with the Columbian press, eventually the Linotype, and then lack of precision called for the Monotype, which could produce 140 wpm (Houston 149).

The 2 page spread above then, could possibly have been printed by the Linotype, but most likely, however, the Monotype, which is the more accurate of the two. Another possibility could be "sophisticated photographic and 'lithographic' techniques" or "'phototypsetting'" (Houston 151). Houston mentions that the printing press age has died and now faces a digital future.

I'm at my 10 image limit which means I better wrap this up with some interesting facts about bookbinding. On BIBLIO.com I was trying to see exactly what "fine leather in boards" meant which is apparently how Gulliver's Travels is bound. I didn't find any phrase that matched, but from my understanding, the leather is very supple and pliable, which is why it was able to be gilt with gold, and it was able to form nicely to the hubbing on the spine.

The website also explains that the first "book binding" was technically just putting the pieces of paper or parchment together and pressing them between two boards. Literally. Like just setting them on a board and putting another board on top of that. Eventually leather was introduced, first as a cord wrapped around the book to keep the boards in place. As time progressed, the practice was improved and perfected so it was less crude. This involved the creation of the "spine" where the pages meet together and can therefore open and close in a v shape without flying away.

This website helped explain some of the other embellishments and extra flair that can be added to a book's binding. It mostly goes over leather binding which is from most animal skin but there is a unique leather bound book that can be bound with seal skin. Some of the books on the website are so expensive because of the materials they are bound with and the effects that have been created in the cover, for example, Benjamin Franklin's observations on electricity, which has had acid added to the page, discoloring it for a lightning strike effect, and includes a key to represent his famous experiment.

Gulliver's Travels, although not quite so fancy, is still a very beautifully bound book with decorated endpapers, meaning the inside cover is laden with designed paper rather than boring white or some other neutral color.

I hope you found this journey of the book as interesting and as exciting as I did while writing this post! You must really love books because even my attention span isn't this long. I will admit I took at least 3 different breaks.

I'm back to my novel for now, thanks for listening😎

Bibliography

Houston, Keith--Author of Shady Characters, which I used extensively in my TikTok “history of punctuation” project--also wrote -> The BOOK - a cover-to-cover exploration of the most powerful object of our time, 2016.

British Library Website -> works -> “Gulliver’s Travels overview”

Masters, Kristin. “Franklin Library Editions: Ideal for Book Collectors?” Books Tell You Why, 2017 (blog).

BIBLIO.com -> “Leather Binding Terminology and Techniques”

[billcouture]

Monsterverse Treatment

Godzilla vs. Kong ( two films)

Opens on a young tribesman, javelin in hand, bronzed skin.  He’s silently gathering large red berries in a dark, thickly enclosed jungle, looking wreaked with nerves.  Suddenly, an unearthly screeching cry shakes the ground, he knows what that is and whose hunting grounds he’s encroached upon.  The next instant he’s running for his life through a primordial jungle, thick with vegetation.  He escapes into a clearing, behind him explodes his pursuer, a 50 Ft long Tyranosaur. All seems lost when the enclosing screech is drowned out by a much larger roar from above which comes crashing down beside him.  The sun bleached 100 Ft figure towering above brings both fists down on the pursuing creature, and in a few swift motions, snaps the lower jaw clean off, easily removed from the rest of the Tyranosaur’s body between two enormous leathery hands.  It tosses the jaw aside, winds up, and throws the carcass back over the tree line far behind them.  

The tribesman, having leapt to the side by the explosion of beastly violence, gets up standing tall regaining his composure land looks up at the Kong.  The rage calms from the Kong’s face and the two figures eyes meet with a knowing glance, the tribesman has known this beast since his youth, they had fought and grown together as warriors, lords of the land.  Casually the two collect themselves.  The tribesman picks up his javelin, and vaults down a rocky slope, bounding huge gaps with a practiced expertise.  The Kong jumps from a cliffs edge near by heading in the same direction, bounding down in terrific leaps, amazing but routine maneuvers of incredible power and agility, down into the grasslands below towards their coastal city home.  

They emerge into a grand utopia.  Half made for man, half for Kong.  Steps, pyramids and temples made and accommodated for something far larger than human, mixed into the more familiar architecture of man.  Looking up and down the coast, the vista is enormous, the landmass huge.  Mountains stretching off into the distance, wide sweeping shots, beautiful cliffside structures above, strange ships enter and leave a harbor off in the distance.  Enormous wide streets, a city to dwarf the Aztec or Egyptian empires, something grand to inspire awe.  

Text stamps the screen; Skull Island, 20,000 BCE

This was the golden age of Skull Island, before it was all but lost to the sea.  Adolescent Kongs, sized 30 - 75 Ft can be seen in the distance.  The peaceful scene is short lived, all of a sudden, the coastal area waters sweep out, soon to come back in as a large tidal wave crashing into the city.  Thunderous steps make landfall crashing out from the surf.  The just arriving warrior tribesman shouts out, but is cut abruptly short.  Above, a sweeping step from a clawed foot levels buildings and crushes him.  A devastating tail sweeps past all that remains shrouding the streets in dust and debris.  The Kong that had arrived with the tribesman, largest among them, stands before the invading creature, jumping in fury at his lost friend, he gets swatted aside by it’s enormous sweeping tail and crashes towards the ground as if he were nothing.  

The intruding creature lets out an enormous roar that shakes the city, and in the momentary silence between footfalls, a roar from the mountains answers.

The people know that roar, it was King, their god; King Kong, leader of both the tribes of man and beast of all Skull Island.  That battle-cry of rage fills those below with more fear than any outside force ever could, they know the fury that is coming, and they mustn’t upset their lord.  Alarms ring out, those closest rush into the sacred weapons grounds on the outskirts of the city in preparation.  The pyres go ablaze, and drums of war blast the signal out into the wilderness above.  All citizens become warriors, all set in motion to assist their living god.  

King Kong explodes swiftly from far into the mountains, crashing in upon the sacred weapons grounds below.  A pyre of gigantic protruding bone, reinforced in metals and terrible spiked protrusions tower above the worshippers below, hundred Ft high blunt weaponry, constructed by titan blacksmiths, made and for use only by King Kong.  Weapons rack of the gods.  All around, the fires blaze, the guise of civility melts away as tribal madness takes hold.  King Kong tears away a large spear of bone and metal dipped in oils and lights it afire, a 100 Ft weapon of insanity carried in one hand by the 200 Ft. beast.  The survivors of the city’s attack from the creature fleeing below, King Kong tears in, bounding over huge buildings into the spiked mountain we now see clearly as Godzilla.  The handful of younger Kong seen in the distance before part ways for their leader, they are no match for this threat and they know it.  The gods above them clash.    

King Kong tear into him, going for his legs, stabbing the blazing weapon into his side.  A 300 Ft reptilian thing, two-thirds larger, superior in mass, tail swinging crys in rage. Huge, brutal fists, pummel into him, and a city begins getting demolished below.  The two deafening war cry’s from opposing gods above destroy all in their path, survivors below seek refuge they will not find.  Frenzied, harsh cuts gather momentum and ferocity with every blow.  Cut to black against the thunder of hits drowning each other below the beating drums of war;    

Title stamp; Godzilla vs. Kong

Deep underwater, a scuba diver examines archaic ruins, packing some pieces away carefully into the two drone submersibles beside him, he gets a call to return to the surface right away.  Grabbing the back of one of the submersibles, he uses it as a propeller to speed himself up, passing huge intimidating statues and structures half fading into darkness around him.  He surfaces to a ship off the coast of a familiar island to speak with some top brass waiting aboard, just arriving by helicopter with an urgent mission.

Text stamp; Skull Island 1985

Bullet Points:

-Monarch has had a presence on Skull Island since 1973, directly after the events of Kong: Skull Island.  Multiple outposts, on and off coast.  As this is humanity’s first concrete source to examine the newly discovered hollow earth, along with living titans, it is logical all resources be poured into its study, and protected in secret over the next 47 years.  Humanity’s place in this newly unearthed ecosystem brings with it a new age of humility and fear which began with the discovery of Godzilla in 1954.

-After the climax of Kong Skull Island, Kong has become more of a beast master, wrangling the rest of the unruly Skullcrawlers under his thumb after their leader was conquered.  More species emerge, ever larger and more formidable, challenging him in endless succession.  

-Finding off coast ruins in the late ’70’s after the events of Kong Skull Island leads to the discovery that Skull Island was just a small remaining section of a far larger landmass and lost civilization.  If Skull Island was the head, this submerged land and civilization was theorized to be the size of the rest of the skeleton.  Exploration continues finding new discoveries submerged further off the coast.  

-Mystery of the ancient civilization, far pre-dating all others known, is compounded by the discoveries of other similarly dated lost civilizations; namely the recent events of Godzilla: King of the Monsters.  The new knowledge of man worshipping Titans as the first living gods goes much further back than anything known.  

-Discovery of man and Kong working together, worshipping them as gods, a golden age that devolved into the Skull Island of today seen through the eyes of the descendants of the Iwi tribe.  Leads to the study of Kong’s intelligence far surpassing anything expected.  

-Many new plants and species discovered and researched on Skull Island such as the mysterious red berries found far inland.  It has incredible properties Monarch begins using in different experimentations.

-Secrets of the Iwi tribe continuously uncovered.  More history discovered.  

-Titans have begun migrating to Skull Island.  Why?  What is calling them, what is underground there waiting?  What event is about to take place?  Why had Godzilla initially invaded Skull Island 20,000 years ago at they height of it’s civilization, why again now?  What other civilizations lay across the globe at that ancient time as humanity worshipped the other known Titans?  How did Godzilla’s home, seen and destroyed in Godzilla King of the Monsters end, sinking into the abyss ages ago?

*The answer; the hollow earth army of giant monsters below, preparing full scale invasion through the portal on Skull Island.  As they have tried before, so they will again.  We’ve seen Skullcrawlers and the parasitic Mutos, but the awakening/ unearthing in 1973 and 2014 was just the beginning, many far older, nastier species of Titanus and lesser beasts are yet to be seen.  Throughout the millennia, Godzilla has tasked himself to hold the the horde at bay as a balance of nature for the surface world, recognizing, and keeping check on the open portals across the earth.  The black mirror to the Titans above such as himself wait below, wishing only destruction and the surface to be theirs.  Ghidorah came from outer space above, but the true threat has been under our Earth waiting.  

-20,000 years ago, Godzilla heeded the call as he had in the past to the landmass known as Skull Island.  Although over the passing age since he last patrolled it, a new Titanus evolved; the tribe of Kong.  Smaller, mortal, unlike Godzilla; immortal and last of his kind, The Kong has been able to grow formidable, with an incredible evolution of problem solving intelligence.  They became symbiotic with the newly evolving tribes of man, both living alongside long dead species in a land of the lost; Skull Island.  Godzilla coming in contact with Kong’s ancestors was only in the crossfire of Godzilla’s journey towards the hollow earth portal there.  Although since then, because of that first devastating meeting, the two species have become much hated rivals.  Godzilla has not since returned, and because of that lack of his intervention, the tribe of Kong unsuccessfully couldn’t keep the hollow earth there in check.  Skull Island over the millennia devolved into a doomed island of fear, the Kong’s going all but extinct, with only one survivor remaining humanity met in ‘73.

-Godzilla’s invasion then, as now in 2020, is strictly routine.  Awakened by the brutal events of Godzilla King of the Monsters on the surface, the hollow earth has once again become active.  Although Kong, now last of his kind like Godzilla, has tasked himself as protector as well, keeping the horde at bay, devolved from the golden age of his species, but still fighting.  And larger and more capable than all that came before him.  As all Titans converge towards Kong’s home to answer the call of war, the threat from below reaches a fever pitch.  Unknown creatures, new species of Titan, not seen in hundreds of millions of years, are about to explode upon an unsuspecting Earth.  

-Kong must defend his home, even as it is surely doomed for annihilation.  Both from Titan, as well as mankind with their finger at the button ready to strike, aware of the potential incoming threat through Monarchs decades of research.  We know the hell that could be unleashed.  As his ancestors fought, so will he, immortal vs mortal.  Who is destined to lead the Titans into a new world, the old order, or the new?  Two god-kings, millennia of rivalry.  Godzilla has defeated Kong’s ancestors as they tragically crossed paths before, although now, this last remaining Kong has grown far stronger and larger than all that came before, can he re-claim the title of King that his lineage lost in ages past?  Fighting alone against the horde, species his ancestors never dreamed of conquering.  Is it possible for them to work together long enough to save the surface world, or will they kill each other before then, dooming all above?        

-End goal; to have man and Kong working together again, and to have him earn the title King.  Godzilla to have revealed his purpose.  A balance of nature cleansing unnatural elements begun with Ghidorah, but now at the expense of lesser life;  we have become expendable in the face of such a great threat.  An explosion of the hollow earth, humanity overrun by Skullcrawler and new species, containment becomes futile, many pockets discovered across the globe.

Separated across two films; Godzilla vs Kong duo logy.

Part 1:

Ends after the total destruction of Skull Island, nuked from a bomber high above in hopes of leveling the portal and blocking the invasion.  Godzilla, Kong, and many other Titans fighting above, barely escape, some don’t.  Godzilla naturally survives, but Kong is buried, lost below into the hollow earth, finding refuge and escaping the island through underground passages and swimming to land towards South America, he becomes a refuge making a new home deep in the Andes mountains.  The film cuts between the deep past of Skull Island and the present, to better understand the history of the threat, as well as Godzilla and Kong’s millennia old rivalry.    

Part 2.

Kong’s home destroyed, he levels his eye on hunting Godzilla, wrangling hollow earth creatures along the way.  Godzilla was the last creature he fought before his exile, all his rage is directed towards him for the destruction of his land, never comprehending our nuclear intervention.  It ends in New York City, the culmination of a 34 year hunt, the year is 2054.  The world has changed, the hollow earth has steadily been creeping past our defenses, threatening our dominance and control.  G-Team and monarch has evolved.  Kong battles one last time in a marathon against Godzilla, who has over the past few decades become more aggressive, causing unacceptable levels of collateral damage in his wake.  An ally in the past, but now a clear threat to our survival.  The tribal warriors of Skull Island’s past are reborn, we fight alongside our modern day Kong.  Using the weapons of man and all at his disposal Kong fights to his last, but ultimately falls to the King of the Monsters, incinerated in a nuclear blast.  

Godzilla reigns as the immortal king, having felled the last mortal champion in Kong.  In a world over-run from below, Godzilla transforms into a new, more brutal god to combat this new threat; the God of Destruction re-born from ages past.  No longer on any terms with the unknowable god from the distant past, humanity shrinks back from any semblance of control, as the balance of nature, discovered 100 years prior, no longer has any regard for us below.  The war with the hollow earth escalates further.    

The world no longer ours, it becomes unrecognizable.  The old gods are at war. As it may have looked hundreds of millions of years ago, a world we truly have no say in stokes fear and madness in man;  the Mechagodzilla project is born.    

Sequel: Godzilla 3: Terror of Mechagodzilla

Humanity vs. Godzilla, in a post apocalyptic over-run monster wasteland.  Humanity’s last effort to seize any semblance of control in a world no longer ours as we face total annihilation.

Note* The opening is not of the surviving Kong we know fighting Godzilla, but his distant ancestors. The Kong’s lifespans are more around 120 years old, Godzilla is millions. Meant to establish Godzilla’s dominance over the 100 Ft adolescent, a 200 Ft alpha; (the original King Kong) then much later to fight our modern day Kong, having grown largest to 300-325 Ft against the 400 Ft Godzilla, reclaiming his worth as the successor to his past as the new King Kong.      

[joannaofportugal]

JOANNA DE BRAGANZA / / CHALLENGE 004 

eleven tests completed & eleven explainations wrote out. 

SOUL TYPE TEST | the sage

A Sage soul is one whose role in life is collective expression, communicating big ideas with as many as possible. Natural extraverts, playful expression is fundamental to the Sage’s nature, though they are more adept at entertaining an audience than in coming up with original ideas. They are born attention-seekers, very much at home in front of an audience, taking centre stage. The bigger the audience the better, but any audience will do. The natural goal of any Sage is to express the highs and lows of life for all to see, sharing lifes lessons in an appealing way to create shared understanding. All soul types can manifest positively or negatively in any given moment, as the individual chooses. When manifesting negatively, Sages lapse into ORATION, i.e. hogging the spotlight, loving the sound of their own voice. The positive manifestation is COMMUNICATION, being on the same wavelength as the audience. Famous Sages include Mae West, Oscar Wilde, Bill Clinton, Jim Carrey

NOTE: reading through the soul type was very on-par with joanna’s very person, i would class her as a YOUNG SAGE who chases fame as nowdays celebraties do. she hogs the spotlight, the loves the sound of her own voice - what else could she be? 

MBTI TEST : entp-a ( the debater )

The Debater personality type is the ultimate devil’s advocate, thriving on the process of shredding arguments and beliefs and letting the ribbons drift in the wind for all to see. Debaters don’t do this because they are trying to achieve some deeper purpose or strategic goal, but for the simple reason that it’s fun. No one loves the process of mental sparring more than Debaters, as it gives them a chance to exercise their effortlessly quick wit, broad accumulated knowledge base, and capacity for connecting disparate ideas to prove their points.

NOTE: i was surprised, i thought her mbti would come out as something a little more dramatic rather than chasing knowledge or logic in it’s most intense form. i’m not too agreeing with the result, but maybe i can use this information to strengthen her person - and i like the ‘devil’s advocate’ side to it. 

CREEPIEST THING ABOUT YOU TEST: your possessiveness is really uncomfortable

It’s obvious to everyone around you that you feel the need to keep everything just the way you like it, and that insistence often borders on obsession. Your persistence, materialism, and sentimentality can prevent you from ever letting things go, and the more you care about them, the more stubbornly you defend your right to own them forever. Sorry to say, but there are some things, like memories and loved ones, you simply can’t own, and trying to stake your claim over them just makes you seem unbalanced and creepy. It probably wouldn’t hurt to quit being such a hoarder, too - none of your guests enjoy trying to find a seat in a room piled high with reminders of everything you refuse to let die.

NOTE: this is quite onbrand but wouldn’t be the creepiest thing to me when it comes to joanna - though she is posessive i don’t agree that it’s overwhelmingly disgusting.. i’d say it’s her rudest, or need to be right all the time.

TEMPERAMENTS TEST: sanguine 23/24 choleric 18/24 melancholic 05/24 phlegmatic 05/24

Your temperament is sanguine. The sanguine temperament is fundamentally spontaneous and pleasure-seeking; sanguine people are sociable and charismatic. They tend to enjoy social gatherings, making new friends and tend to be boisterous. They are usually quite creative and often daydream. However, some alone time is crucial for those of this temperament. Sanguine can also mean sensitive, compassionate and thoughtful. Sanguine personalities generally struggle with following tasks all the way through, are chronically late, and tend to be forgetful and sometimes a little sarcastic. Often, when they pursue a new hobby, they lose interest as soon as it ceases to be engaging or fun. They are very much people persons. They are talkative and not shy. Sanguines generally have an almost shameless nature, certain that what they are doing is right. They have no lack of confidence.

NOTE: this is a much easier answer for me to digest, though joanna isn’t evil she certaily has a rudness that can come across as evil to some people - or perhaps she truly is just a bully. and the last quote, ‘they havae no last of confidence’ is right on the target! though of course, as a young girl there may be bouts of insecurity.. which may evolve into humility or down-right foolery. 

LAWFUL ALIGNMENT TEST: chaotic neutral

A chaotic neutral character follows his whims. He is an individualist first and last. He values his own liberty but doesn't strive to protect others' freedom. He avoids authority, resents restrictions, and challenges traditions. A chaotic neutral character does not intentionally disrupt organizations as part of a campaign of anarchy. To do so, he would have to be motivated either by good (and a desire to liberate others) or evil (and a desire to make those different from himself suffer). A chaotic neutral character may be unpredictable, but his behavior is not totally random. He is not as likely to jump off a bridge as to cross it.

NOTE: in terms of alignment i think this is the safest option to describe joanna, she is no hero but she is no villain either.. she looks out for herself more than anthing else, though most choices come at random and at various paces.

GREEK DIETY TEST: poseidon

He was god of the Sea and other waters; of earthquakes; and of horses. In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a chief deity at Pylos and Thebes. Poseidon was protector of seafarers, and of many Hellenic cities and colonies. He is noble and powerful, and is recognized as a figure of leadership.

NOTE: like what happened when i took the same quiz for marius, i lost my first results. my first was aphrodite, which i didn’t necessarily agree with - then came poseidon. i’m happier with this result because poseidon was such a crass and awful man who made hell a lot worse than hades ever could’ve - he killed many whilst at sea, and in my opinion, was one of the most powerful gods of greek mythology. 

ENNEAGRAM TEST: type 7 / 7w8 ( the enthusiast )

People of this personality type are essentially concerned that their lives be an exciting adventure. Sevens are future oriented, restless people who are generally convinced that something better is just around the corner. They are quick thinkers who have a great deal of energy and who make lots of plans. They tend to be extroverted, multi-talented, creative and open minded. They are enthusiasts who enjoy the pleasures of the senses and who don't believe in any form of self-denial.

NOTE: she is certainly a pleasure seeker and planner for distraction and i think this is the closest i’d get to describing joanna though i wouldn’t call her creative due to the fact that she has little skill to anything!

SEXUALITY TEST: 40% heterosexual 30% bisexual 20% asexual 10% homosexual

this needs no description though i will write that of course she hasn’t had sex with anyone yet due to her position? it would be wrong for her to do that as a princess and thus has not experimented with anyone either than taking a few kisses from princes and noblemen. also, she has yet to be awoken to the sense that being attracted to girls is normal, so this quiz is entirely random to the point that it’s made for modern day human beings, not ones from 1455. 

POKEMON TEST: flying type

The Flying type is all about the self. You possess traits that are often sought-after: Confidence, self-respect, and bravery radiate from your being. You are a very self-aware individual, and that knowledge can be employed to great use both alone and socially. Remember, however, to not get too big of a head, Flying-type: Your confidence is good, but empathy is better. Often, you may find yourself at the whimsy of society. You are honorable, but also constantly worried about your self-image remaining pristine. If you allow yourself to become too wrapped up in what others think of you, you may become too flighty and scattered for your own good. Remember to relax, and let your spirit soar!

NOTE: though i find it hard to relate joanna to a pokemon the description is pretty good and i can fit joanna into it - though i’d rather see her as a spoilt and messy jigglypuff. 

TEA TYPE: hibiscus tea

You’re a *lot*. But that’s not a bad thing! You’re unafraid to take up space and make your voice heard. You love being the center of attention and are willing to cause a scene to swivel the spotlight toward you. You’ve got a sharp tongue (you’ve probably been called sassy at least once in your life) and you can use that for good or evil. Your tartness might not be for everyone, but those who get you love your larger-than-life presence.

NOTE: once again it’s pretty lose to joanna’s character and i particaly like the line ‘your tartness might not be for everyone’ 

BIG FIVE PERSONALITY: 

of course i wasn’t going to pay for this quiz so i only have a little information to share: OPENNESS 52% CONSIENTIOUSNESS 10% EXTRAVERSION 100% AGREEABLENESS 21% NEUROTICISM 33%

NOTE: extraversion is a funny one, and i really like the look of this type of quiz but alas i’m poor and i’m not gonna spend money on a made up character! 

and as i did with marius i ended up making a birth chat for her, who was born 29th may, 1438 at 17:39am. 

[wolfliving]

Google AI Principles

*These are always useful, because you can learn a whole lot by going down a list of principles and figuring out who would violate them and why.

https://ai.google/principles

OUR PRINCIPLES Artificial Intelligence at Google: Our Principles

Google aspires to create technologies that solve important problems and help people in their daily lives. We are optimistic about the incredible potential for AI and other advanced technologies to empower people, widely benefit current and future generations, and work for the common good.

We believe that these technologies will promote innovation and further our mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.

We recognize that these same technologies also raise important challenges that we need to address clearly, thoughtfully, and affirmatively. These principles set out our commitment to develop technology responsibly and establish specific application areas we will not pursue.

Objectives for AI applications

We will assess AI applications in view of the following objectives. We believe that AI should:

1. Be socially beneficial.

The expanded reach of new technologies increasingly touches society as a whole. Advances in AI will have transformative impacts in a wide range of fields, including healthcare, security, energy, transportation, manufacturing, and entertainment. As we consider potential development and uses of AI technologies, we will take into account a broad range of social and economic factors, and will proceed where we believe that the overall likely benefits substantially exceed the foreseeable risks and downsides.

AI also enhances our ability to understand the meaning of content at scale. We will strive to make high-quality and accurate information readily available using AI, while continuing to respect cultural, social, and legal norms in the countries where we operate. And we will continue to thoughtfully evaluate when to make our technologies available on a non-commercial basis.

2. Avoid creating or reinforcing unfair bias.

AI algorithms and datasets can reflect, reinforce, or reduce unfair biases. We recognize that distinguishing fair from unfair biases is not always simple, and differs across cultures and societies. We will seek to avoid unjust impacts on people, particularly those related to sensitive characteristics such as race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, income, sexual orientation, ability, and political or religious belief.

3. Be built and tested for safety.

We will continue to develop and apply strong safety and security practices to avoid unintended results that create risks of harm. We will design our AI systems to be appropriately cautious, and seek to develop them in accordance with best practices in AI safety research. In appropriate cases, we will test AI technologies in constrained environments and monitor their operation after deployment.

4. Be accountable to people.

We will design AI systems that provide appropriate opportunities for feedback, relevant explanations, and appeal. Our AI technologies will be subject to appropriate human direction and control.

5. Incorporate privacy design principles.

We will incorporate our privacy principles in the development and use of our AI technologies. We will give opportunity for notice and consent, encourage architectures with privacy safeguards, and provide appropriate transparency and control over the use of data.

6. Uphold high standards of scientific excellence.

Technological innovation is rooted in the scientific method and a commitment to open inquiry, intellectual rigor, integrity, and collaboration. AI tools have the potential to unlock new realms of scientific research and knowledge in critical domains like biology, chemistry, medicine, and environmental sciences. We aspire to high standards of scientific excellence as we work to progress AI development.

We will work with a range of stakeholders to promote thoughtful leadership in this area, drawing on scientifically rigorous and multidisciplinary approaches. And we will responsibly share AI knowledge by publishing educational materials, best practices, and research that enable more people to develop useful AI applications.

7. Be made available for uses that accord with these principles.

Many technologies have multiple uses. We will work to limit potentially harmful or abusive applications. As we develop and deploy AI technologies, we will evaluate likely uses in light of the following factors:

• Primary purpose and use: the primary purpose and likely use of a technology and application, including how closely the solution is related to or adaptable to a harmful use

• Nature and uniqueness: whether we are making available technology that is unique or more generally available

• Scale: whether the use of this technology will have significant impact

• Nature of Google’s involvement: whether we are providing general-purpose tools, integrating tools for customers, or developing custom solutions

AI applications we will not pursue

In addition to the above objectives, we will not design or deploy AI in the following application areas:

1. Technologies that cause or are likely to cause overall harm. Where there is a material risk of harm, we will proceed only where we believe that the benefits substantially outweigh the risks, and will incorporate appropriate safety constraints.

2. Weapons or other technologies whose principal purpose or implementation is to cause or directly facilitate injury to people.

3. Technologies that gather or use information for surveillance violating internationally accepted norms.

4. Technologies whose purpose contravenes widely accepted principles of international law and human rights.

As our experience in this space deepens, this list may evolve.

Conclusion

We believe these principles are the right foundation for our company and our future development of AI. We acknowledge that this area is dynamic and evolving, and we will approach our work with humility, a commitment to internal and external engagement, and a willingness to adapt our approach as we learn over time.

[yogaadvise]

7 Tips to Transition from Student to Teacher

The contact us to step into the function of teacher can be frightening. Even after your training, you may question if you know enough, if you prepare, if you actually have what it takes to be a great instructor. You begin comparing on your own to various other instructors as well as instructors, as well as wonder if you'll be "that great."

Role versions and also archetypes give you something to aim to and yet, it's hard not to constantly contrast yourself to others. Often you pin on your own up against restricting ideas that have no basis in fact. Yet the best disservice you can do to yourself is to juxtapose your standing as a new graduate with that of an experienced educator.

The growth to seasoned teacher is a process as well as the most effective point you can do is to recognize where you go to in your own journey. Here are a few vital techniques to proactively take part in as you proceed from newly certified grad to the professional in your field.

Believe in Yourself

The first as well as crucial action in making the leap into the role of a teacher is to think in yourself totally. Everybody has to begin somewhere as well as it will offer you finest to rely on that you understand greater than those who you're instructing. When strapping on self-esteem, in some cases you need to phony it until you make it. It's not always the most convenient point to do, yet it's your ideal beginning point.

Get Conversational

One of one of the most reliable methods to obtain really good at providing web content is to make it conversational. I discovered this by accident while I was studying for among my instructor training programs in a neighborhood coffee bar. Every day, I established up at the big neighborhood table so I could spread out my books, handbooks, index cards, and also highlighters. Individuals began to ask what I was examining and also, without intending my reaction, I would show to them what I was discovering in an extremely natural, conversational way.

Another means to obtain comfortable speaking about what you do is to involve with others in even more social settings as well as obtain used to discussing what you do. When obtaining together with brand-new buddies or reconnecting with old family and friends, discuss what you have actually been up to. This is your golden chance to obtain conversational. It will certainly assist you get used to calling on your own an educator, and also vocalizing what that implies to you.

Prepare and Practice

Set yourself up for success by preparing the logistical facets of what you need to facilitate your class, workshop, or resort. After that you ought to exercise, technique, method. The more you method, the much easier it will certainly be to articulate your content without the requirement for notes or aesthetic help. The much better you are at speaking fluently regarding your web content, the a lot more confident you will become.

Video and sound document yourself, after that go back and also evaluate it to see where you can make improvements. This can be a difficult process yet it's vital as it will straight mirror back the things you say and do that you weren't formerly knowledgeable about.

Approach Everything With a Student's Mind

Nobody suches as a know-it-all as well as, allow's face it, nobody understands everything. Humility, when stabilized with self-confidence, is paramount. It's difficult to recognize whatever regarding a given subject, so obtain made use of to being comfy with not having all the solutions. This is really a top-level top quality of any kind of accomplished instructor. When you discover on your own doubtful, possess it and inform your pupils you will find the response and also obtain back to them, or aim them in the instructions of other educational sources. It's a lot more remarkable when an instructor honestly reveals that they aim to come close to all things from a student's mind.

Be Open to Responses as well as Unsusceptible To Criticism

Feedback is crucial for growth. Without it, you would certainly never understand how ideal to serve the actual individuals you remain in a placement to aid. Every person discovers differently and also the methods which you reveal on your own, or approach a system of teaching will undoubtedly need some refining occasionally. Feedback, when received with an open heart and also an open mind, can suggest the difference in between failing and also success.

There will be times when individuals simply slam you as well as project their very own setbacks onto you. This is, by much, the most tough component of teaching. Stay focused with this advice from a wise teacher: "Do not get overly inflated by the remarkable reviews and also pay zero focus to the harsh comments. Check out what is right in the center and also there is where you will discover the gold."

Just Do it

Many people hesitate to tip out for the very first time and also that's flawlessly typical. Just bear in mind that you're never ever as near to the web content as when you were studying and also being tested in a learning environment. The pupil that is engaged in the discussion is the greatest instructor since they are well versed in the discussion daily. The longer you wait to show after finishing your training, the farther away from the product you get and the much less positive you come to be. Get on in while the water is still warm.

Keep Learning

The largest mistake an instructor can make is to stop finding out. Proceeding education is vital for instructors at every degree. Every little thing in development is constantly evolving and in today's globe, some details lapses apparently over night. If you stop learning, you quit expanding. Your training techniques will end up being stale, as well as soon as that occurs your trainees will certainly pass you by. As an educator you have the obligation to use both understanding as well as experience in your every day life, as well as incorporate the two up until they turn into one. At the end of the day, you are, as well as always will be, a trainee and a teacher.

As you make the official shift to educator, remember the reasons why you selected this course-- they will maintain you linked to your passion. Have a good time, be authentic, truly connect with people, as well as from there it will all unravel beautifully and according to strategy.

[didanawisgi]

Archetypal Cosmology Nine Essential Features

By Glenn Perry

So far as I can discern, the term ‘archetypal cosmology’ originated with Archai: the Journal of Archetypal Cosmology, which was the brainchild of Richard Tarnas, Keiron Le Grice, and a group of scholars associated with the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. The inaugural issue was released online in late 2009. According to the editors of Archai, “Archetypal cosmology includes the study of correlations between cyclical alignments of the planets and archetypal patterns in human experience, but goes beyond this to address the theoretical basis of these correlations and their implications for a wider world view.”1

In November of 2009 and prior to discovering the Archai journal, I had begun developing a Certificate and Master’s Degree program at The Graduate Institute (TGI) in Bethany, Connecticut. The main focus of the program was on archetypal astrology but also drew upon diverse traditions in science, philosophy, and religion to examine the nature and development of human consciousness from a cosmological perspective.

At the heart of the program was a question: If astrology works, what does this imply about the nature of the Universe? How can correlations between psyche and cosmos best be explained? A variety of models formed the foundation of the study, ranging from the Neoplatonic philosophy of ancient Greece to chaos and complexity theories of post-modern science. Human change processes were  to be examined from multiple perspectives, including developmental theory, transpersonal psychology, and archetypal astrology.

Students would identify incremental stages of growth and explore how consciousness evolves through stages and crises that correlate with planetary cycles. Most importantly, emphasis was placed on traditional wisdom that depicts the Universe as a great chain of Being—a living, conscious, purposive whole in which lower levels reflect by virtue of their internal constitution the greater Being of which they are a component part. This, of course, is the ancient doctrine of the Macrocosm and the Microcosm, which purports that human consciousness is both an extension and reflection of a transcendent intelligence that is immanent within all natural processes.

In Search of a Name After the courses and general framework of the TGI program were established, the only question was what to call it. We wanted a name that would honor the astrological content of the program and reflect its cross-disciplinary status as an emerging field—yet, not wave a red flag that could jeopardize its authorization by state agencies.

Upon reading the Archai journal and its definition of archetypal cosmology, it was obvious we were talking about the same thing. Synchronistically, both Archai and The Graduate Institute were describing a new, multi-disciplinary field of study that combined archetypal astrology with multiple other disciplines—depth psychology, history, philosophy, consciousness studies, mythology, cultural studies, the arts, biography, and the new sciences. In the inaugural issue of Archai, the opening article by Keiron Le Grice announced, “The Birth of a New Discipline”. Indeed, this was exactly what we were doing at The Graduate Institute: participating in the birth of a new discipline, heralding an emerging field.

The pairing of ‘archetypal’ and ‘cosmology’ is significant. Archetypes are akin to Ideas in the mind of a divine Being, universal patterns of meaning that serve as templates for phenomena at every level of the Universe. They not only inform and animate the psyche, but are operative in planetary movements, biological processes, everyday events, societal institutions, and virtually anything we can experience as human beings.

Archetypes are metaphysical principles that constitute the hidden, generative matrix of life, the within of things, the interiority of the Universe. As such, the word ‘archetypal’ alludes to the imaginal, symbolic capacity of the mind to make meaning by constructing stories that serve as metaphors for deeper, underlying principles that exist beyond our senses or rational intellect. Archetypal language harkens back to earlier periods in human history when myth and story were our primary means for making sense of the Universe.

Conversely, the word ‘cosmology’ refers to the scientific study of the origins and structure of the Universe, and relies upon an objective, empirical way of knowing to gain a more precise, material understanding of that which unifies and is fundamental. For most of human history, cosmological thought was formulated in mythological, religious or philosophical language, but more recently has become a science that combines astronomy, physics, and biology into a grand, all-encompassing account of the Universe as a whole.

Cosmology is the big picture, the mighty frame that pulls together all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle into a comprehensive model. It is important to understand that cosmology is not simply astronomy; it is the study of cosmic forces and processes such as space, time, and evolution; it examines the evolution of energy into matter and matter into consciousness. It investigates the physical constituents of that which is infinite and eternal—the constants of Nature, laws that endure over long periods of time, non-local forces that extend over large regions of space.

Whereas cosmology is the rational study of all that is, archetypology is the imaginative study of the Universe. One deals with the without of things, the other with the within. As an emerging field, archetypal cosmology bridges these two styles of reasoning—the objective/rational with the imaginal/symbolic—in a kind of sacred marriage that yields a fuller, non-dual, panpsychic understanding of the relationship between psyche and cosmos.

Archetypal cosmology directly implies that all objective bodies in the Universe—from planets to subatomic particles—possess an interior, subjective reality. Nature has a within and a without; it consists of external bodies with internal experiences analogous to feelings, ideals, and intentions. The very words ‘archetypal cosmology’ suggest that the Universe has an inner and outer dimension, mirror images of the one reality that is both Psyche and Cosmos.

Clearly, archetypal cosmology covers a lot of ground. It provides a model of the Universe; yet, is a personality theory, too. It has philosophical ramifications, but also constitutes a research methodology. As a way of understanding people and working with clients, it extends to the practice of counseling. Given the complexity of archetypal cosmology, it might be useful to summarize some of its main features.

Nine Essential Features

1. Correlates planetary cycles with archetypal patterns in human experience.

2. Aspires to methodological rigor and epistemological humility in knowledge claims—thus, is research oriented, evidenced based, and value-neutral

3. Extends psychological astrology’s growth oriented perspective and renders more precise its explication of the intrapsychic realm

4. Situates astrology within an archetypal ground, defining archetypes as cosmological principles that are both transcendent and immanent, and which shape, inform, and animate Nature at every level, within and without

5. Recognizes the multidimensionality, intra-dimensional variability, and polyvalence of astrological archetypes, which underscores their inherent indeterminism

6 Emphasizes the co-creative, participatory role of the psyche in shaping behavior and attracting formative experiences, thus highlighting the self’s responsibility for its continually evolving fate

7. Establishes synchronicity as the key to understanding feedback relations between internal and external reality (as symbolized by the horoscope); and for overcoming the modern dichotomy of a living, purposive, evolving self embedded in a dead, random, mechanistic universe

8. Draws upon science, philosophy, and religion in formulating a theoretical basis for the observed correlations between psyche and cosmos, thus paving the way for a broader world view

9. Focuses on the interiority (ensouled nature) of the cosmos—its consciousness, intelligence, and apparent teleology—and how this interiority is both the ground of psyche and the basis for an interconnected, evolving cosmos that is hierarchically structured and holonomically organized

While these nine essential features could be fleshed out and more fully explained, I trust they suffice to provide a quick glimpse into the general nature of archetypal cosmology.

Conscious Evolution While conscious evolution is not a formal feature of archetypal cosmology, it constitutes a natural complementation. Conscious evolution can be defined as the intent to cooperate with an evolutionary process inherent in nature. Since archetypal cosmology recognizes that evolution is a key feature of the Universe, an implicit goal is to facilitate the evolution of consciousness through archetypal pattern analysis. This involves analysis of the central archetypal dynamics operating in an individual’s life as symbolized by the birthchart and as manifest in their character and everyday experiences. Archetypal pattern analysis also addresses individual responses to personal transits as well as collective human responses to world transit.

As the art of prognosis, astrology utilizes planetary movements for predicting the quality, meaning, and duration of specific time periods. Rather than simply describing event-outcomes, however, planetary movements can be depicted as windows of opportunity for the actualization of natal potentials. Concrete events both reflect and serve as catalysts for changes in awareness; thus, planetary movements can provide insight into the precise timing of developmental processes, allowing us to appreciate how inner and outer reality coincide, reflect, and transform each other.

In 2012, the TGI program in Archetypal Cosmology morphed into a Certificate and Diploma Program at the Academy of AstroPsychology (AAP). Courses at AAP include not only the history and theory of astrology, but also how astrology can best be utilized in a counseling setting. Students learn astrology as a psychological language, diagnostic tool, and developmental model.

Again, astrology’s value as an aid to conscious evolution is especially emphasized, most notably through experiential work that combines archetypal pattern analysis with personal mythology. Support for conscious evolution is built into every course, encouraging students to collaborate with planetary cycles toward the unfoldment of their highest potential. Such an approach infuses the learning of astrology with tremendous, personal significance.

Notes

1 http://www.archaijournal.org/about.html

2 See Rod O’Neal’s “Archetypal Historiography: A New Historical Approach,” Archai: The Journal of Archetypal Cosmology, I, no. 1 (Summer 2009): 71.

3 During application for regional accreditation in 2011, the Graduate Institute was informed by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC – their accrediting agency), that accreditation would not be possible so long as they were offering an MA program in astrology. Accordingly, the program at the Graduate Institute was transferred to the Academy of AstroPsychology as a non-degree Certificate and Diploma program that began in September, 2012. For more information, go to: www.astropsychology.org

[aion-rsa]

The Mandalorian: How Luke’s Powers Compare to Ahsoka’s

https://ift.tt/3sNIrpO

Just last year, The Mandalorian’s unforgettable second season finale provided the early post-Original-Trilogy glimpse of Luke Skywalker for which Star Wars fans have long-craved. Yet, it was apparent that the Original Trilogy protagonist’s powers increased exponentially in the five years that passed in the timeline; a notion that reinforced the belief that Luke is the most powerful Jedi in the universe. However, the impressive live-action debut of animated icon Ahsoka Tano earlier in the season invited a debate on Jedi powers. It’s a topic that was recently reignited, thanks to comments from executive producer Dave Filoni.

The recent premiere of Disney+ documentary series Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian Season 2, Episode 2 has proven profoundly revelatory about the technological magic that brought a Return of the Jedi-era Mark Hamill back onscreen in 2020 as Luke Skywalker for The Mandalorian “Chapter 16: The Rescue.” Interestingly, it also revealed the thought process that went behind the way that this rendition of Luke would be presented, powers-wise. After all, the scene in question, while poised to deliver the reddest of red meat moments to the fandom, still needed to be executed with the narrative discipline to present Luke as an awe-inspiring Force-powered figure while avoiding the pitfalls of making him an obscenely overpowered plot-lifting deus ex-machina manifestation. However, in explaining his though process on limiting Luke’s powers, Filoni unwittingly kicked an Ahsoka-shaped hornet’s nest.  

“It would be very easy to just make [Luke] so over-the-top skilled,” says Filoni. “But I was like, ‘You know, what’s interesting is he’s had training, but I don’t know who’s been teaching him sword-fight training lately.’ So, he had to have a style that was better than what we saw in Jedi, but fundamentally still of the same tree of sword-fighting technique. And his technique and Ahsoka’s technique should be very different. And technically, she’s had vastly more training than he ever has. She’s actually his senior, which is, I think, difficult for people to remember ‘cause of when these characters were created.”

Filoni’s comment led to a debate of sorts on (where else?) Twitter, the welcoming social media hub for measured, mature and always-respectful discourse over differing opinions. Possibly attributed to perceived bias on the part of Filoni (as Ahsoka’s creator), the comment was taken as a claim that Ahsoka is more powerful than Luke. While that, of course, remains subjective, his actually-stated notion of Ahsoka being Luke’s senior is factually accurate, based on the canonical timeline. Additionally, her training in the ways of the Force was substantially longer and more formal. While that doesn’t necessarily make her more powerful, it does likely mean that she’s more knowledgeable than Luke, not just from being older, but due to the pedigree of her Jedi training.

Ahsoka’s academic program started after being found by Jedi Master Plo Koon as a small child on her native planet of Togruta, after which she went through the regular academic wringer at the Jedi Temple under the direct tutelage of myriad Jedi Knights and Masters, patiently trained to harness her innate Force powers in what was to be a life-long learning endeavor. Indeed, the grandiose, elite life path of Jedi was first implied in The Phantom Menace when Yoda initially deemed an 8-year-old Anakin Skywalker “too old” to be trained in the ways of the Force. Clearly, Coruscant’s Jedi Temple is no one’s backup school.

Read more

TV

How The Mandalorian Resurrected a Jedi to Cover Luke’s Surprise Role

By Joseph Baxter

TV

What The Mandalorian Means for Ahsoka Tano’s Future in Star Wars

By John Saavedra

Indisputable facts state that Ahsoka was wandering the galaxy toward the end of the Clone Wars as a formidable apostate Jedi well before Luke was even a forbidden gleam in the sand-hating Anakin Skywalker’s eye. We even witnessed a notable step in her extensive training process in Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ 2008 series-launching feature film, in which an adolescent Ahsoka—already a skilled fighter—was first assigned as a Padawan learner to an initially-reluctant Anakin. Naturally, we saw Ahsoka’s skills evolve for years on the series, tested against the events of the titular war, and she would even rise to supreme splendor years later upon resurfacing on Star Wars Rebels to take on Darth Vader. Consequently, by the time we reach the post-Return of the Jedi era of Rosario Dawson’s live-action Ahsoka on The Mandalorian, she clearly achieved a sagely level—not just when comes to her signature two-lightsaber combat style, but also deep wisdom regarding her spiritual connection with the Force, through which she was able to reveal Baby Yoda’s true name as Grogu. In the very least, most can agree Ahsoka would have a lot to teach Luke—that is, if they haven’t met already, which we don’t know for sure.

Nevertheless, in a stark contrast pertinent to our pandemic era, Luke Skywalker was the original distance learner; a product of formerly-lofty institutional standards loosened out of necessity (in this case the extermination of the Jedi Order). His in-person training was—at least, as portrayed in the Original Trilogy—severely limited to a few fundamentals imparted ever-so-briefly by Obi-Wan Kenobi on the Millennium Falcon, and later from what amounted to a few days of Force training on Dagobah with Yoda. Consequently, in the arena of formally recognized Jedi credentials, Ahsoka is an Ivy League university graduate with workplace experience from years fighting the Clone Wars. Luke, on the other hand, came off a fast-tracked Jedi GED to earn a Jedi Skills Certificate from the proverbial online school of discovered Jedi texts and holocrons, making him a galactic Zoom class student, presumably deprived of opportunities to physically implement what he’d learned.

Of course, those ideas don’t necessarily seal the deal in the Luke/Ahsoka debate (if it even is a debate), since the true extent of Luke’s post-Jedi education is not really known. While “The Rescue” didn’t answer the question of who’s been teaching Luke advanced lightsaber techniques, the ease and stylistic panache with which he single-handedly dispatched a heavily-armed and armored platoon of Moff Gideon’s robotic Dark Troopers make it abundantly clear that his combat skills somehow evolved substantially from the rudimentary wide swipes and overhead caveman-swings showcased in Return of the Jedi. Thus, Luke’s upgraded skills seem attributed to something far more substantial than ancient books. Additionally, his life in the post-Original Trilogy, pre-Sequel Trilogy remains fertile ground in the Disney-designated franchise; a state due in no small part to the company’s canonical erasure of the vast array of Expanded Universe books and comics, now dubbed the “Legends” lore, which extensively showcased a now-apocryphal version of that era.

However, as we’ve seen with the Force, combat skills don’t necessarily make one more powerful, at least not in the manner through which the Jedi view the balance of the universe. For example, Qui-Gon Jinn was defeated in a duel with a mere Sith apprentice in Darth Maul, but his spiritual knowledge facilitated a subsequent trail-blazing ascension to the living Force, becoming the first fully-manifested Jedi Spirit, as vaguely teased in the Prequel Trilogy, and showcased on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Moreover, Matthew Stover’s novelization of Sequel Trilogy closer Revenge of the Sith provides a key contextual moment omitted from the film, since Qui-Gon appears to Yoda fully-manifested as a Jedi spirit, offering to teach him the technique. At that point, the ancient and conventionally more-powerful Jedi master admits his hubris and exercises humility, stating to the spectral Qui-Gon, “A great Jedi Master you always were, but too blind I was to see it. Your apprentice, I gratefully become.”

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Pertinent to this point, the version of Luke we saw over 30 years beyond the timeline of his monumental Mandalorian moment in sequel films The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi may have been—to much controversy—disheveled, disenchanted and oddly-indifferent, but he was able to demonstrate some unprecedented Omega-level abilities (to borrow from the X-Men’s parlance). This idea proves that Luke’s Force education—such as it was—was nevertheless substantial enough for him to form a Jedi Academy to carry on the lost traditions—tragic ending of said academy notwithstanding. Consequently, any earnest debate about which Jedi is more powerful would likely require far more detail and nuance than the various agendas of the Twittersphere are able to conjure.

The post The Mandalorian: How Luke’s Powers Compare to Ahsoka’s appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2UYcFdg

[wisdomrays]

BASICS OF ISLAM :Darwinism. Part2

Evolutionists used to mention the coelacanth, a fish abundant 400 million years ago, as a link between the fish and the land animals because of its limb like fins. It was theorized that the coelacanth lurched onto the land in search of food, staying there longer and longer until—about 70 million years ago—it disappeared from the fossil record. To their surprise, local fishermen caught several dozen coelacanths off the coast of Madagascar in 1938. The caught fish were exactly like their ancestors, perfectly adapted to their deep sea environment and showing no signs of evolution. The coelacanth has been quietly dropped by many text books from the list of evidences of evolution, because it became the symbol of the non evolution of organisms, rather than of their evolution.

Evolutionists also claim that the organisms evolve through random mutations. While new cells are being formed, if the genetic code, normally identical in all the cells of an organism, is copied differently or mistakenly, mutations occur. Such a change, which is claimed to bear evolutionary fruit gradually over a long period, may be caused by a number of external agents, such as geography and climate, even planetary influences such as changes in the sun's or earth's rotation, or by radiation, chemical pollution, etc. The argument is that non lethal mutations which reproduce successfully (that is, adaptively to changes in immediate environment) function like sudden jumps in the progress of evolution and give rise to species variation.

However, recent work in genetics and biochemistry has shown conclusively that mutations are all but always harmful, even lethal, the cause of many physiological disorders. In any case, they could not give rise to a magnitude of change of an order to generate a new species, to make a dog a horse, or an ape a human. For such an order of change to occur randomly and then to become successfully established would require a period of time many times in excess of the highest estimate for the age of the universe.

For years, much research has been done on pigeons, dogs and flies. Though some physiological changes do occur within the same race of animals (there are different breeds of dog and pigeon, for example), such adaptive evolution within species is no evidence for evolution of species. All the extensive research done for years on Drosophila yielded nothing but Drosophila, and the research proved that Drosophila remains as it is.

Hybrid varieties are obtained by artificially crossing two species, such as horse and donkey, but the resultant hybrid (mule) is typically sterile. After long research, scientists have recognized that it is not possible to progress from one species to another. There are some insurmountable, impassable, barriers between species. That conforms to ordinary sense, as well as to the known facts and to scientific reasoning. How could such a creature as human, who has an extraordinarily sophisticated brain and is capable of (in any and every stage of civilization) of linguistic and cultural expression, of religious belief and aspiration—how could such a creature have evolved from an ape? It is quite extraordinary that even to speculate that it might be so can be given serious consideration, let alone believed and accepted as conforming to reason!

However, that acceptance of evolution is a major pillar of modern materialism, and of historical materialism in particular, as Marx and Engels insistently pointed out. It is a sort of blind faith, a prejudice, a superstition that the materialists cling to Darwinism of the crudest kind. They insist that absolutely everything be explained by material causes. As for what, by those limited means, they cannot explain, they dare not admit that they cannot explain it so. They can never allow that there must be a supra natural, metaphysical agency that intervenes to make the biological world as it is, so wonderfully abundant, prolific, diverse and, within stable forms, so marvelously adaptive and versatile in response to local environmental possibilities.

The alternative to evolution is design which necessarily leads to the concept of a transcendent and unitary power, the Designer Creator, God. Therein lies the reason for the continuing tyranny of the Darwinist theory: the fear that to acknowledge the Creator will bring down the edifice of an autonomous science, an autonomous human reason. An individual scientist in his or her private capacity may be a believer, a theist, but science itself must be unbelieving, atheistic. It is ironic indeed that to preserve the illusion of independent human reason, the Darwinists (and materialists generally) will defy or ignore the facts, deny and belittle logic and reason. It is to the credit of the scientific community that, in ever greater numbers, individual scientists have found the courage to question and challenge the tyranny of Darwinism in the teaching of the life sciences.

That said, it remains unfortunately true that, some young, pliable minds are vulnerable to the myth of Darwinism simply because it is the official dogma, the staple of all textbooks on the subject everywhere. How true and apt is the proverb—that a half wit can throw a pearl into a well with ease, and forty wise men struggle in vain to get it out again. Nonetheless, there is solace in the knowledge that a lie, however mightily supported, can have but a short life. The truth of the matter is that the origin of the species, and of the major divisions of species, is not yet understood. Is it too heavy a burden on humility to say: "We marvel, but we do not know"? And we marvel most at, and understand least of all, the origin of intelligent speech, ideation, abstraction, symbolization, culture, love of beauty and variety, consciousness, altruism, morality religion, and spiritual aspiration.

To be sure, Darwin was a great and gifted scientist who must be credited with a mighty contribution to the ordering and classifying of species, and for his work on adaptation; but it should be noted that what he did well and incontrovertibly is to observe accurately and understood intelligently what was there in nature.

Whatever his own intentions, in spite of them, his work, like every reliable advance in observation and explanation, confirms the Divine Architect, the All Mighty Power, Sustainer, Administrator, Who willed the marvelous organization, reliable, systematic, subtly integrated harmony of the operations of nature, and who combined that order with beauty. Whereas what Darwin found increases our faith in God, it led him astray.

How great, sublime, is the Creator. Order, understanding, wisdom are by His gift. Likewise, guidance to faith is absolutely in His grasp.

[mindscapeartist]

Mind Over Matter, 5

"So... what you're saying isn't so much that you need someone to show you things, but that you're choosing to bind yourself with that particular chain.  You want to chain yourself to a master, a mentor, or some kind of guardian."

She was looking for both, but not to chain herself - to learn. To experience. Evolve. Why did he always have to put everything in such blatant terms?

At the same time, the Sith Lord did not begrudge or ridicule her way of thinking. This encouraged Kai and calmed her nerves. "Sometimes, temporary chains are necessary in order to attain independent goals," she agreed. "As to what I desire? Knowledge, yes. Power, definitely." Safety? Went hand in hand with the previous two. Comfort? The Korun could live without it given the hardships in which she was raised, but even she could recognize the potential in the latter, from time to time. Love? No. Far too elusive, perhaps unattainable, even. Every ounce of love Kai Tsintah possessed, died with her father on Nar Shaddaa. She could not even recall what that felt like, anymore - to love someone, and to know that they cared in return - enough to lay down their life for hers.

Thankfully, Darth Verrin was already veering off onto a different track, the monologue continued. His hand came to clasp her own and she froze for a moment, still unused to the tactile contact and the uncertainty even the most benign touch awakened in the girl. The Zabrak appeared not to have noticed any of it and guided her toward the Library, continuing to explain matters of trial and failure. The longer he went on, the more relaxed and comfortable Kai became. There was something about the older man's voice that she would come to find unusually soothing.

They would traverse the Library proper before entering his office. But this one was different from the spartan chamber with the desk and insane piles of relics, tomes and other memorabilia. This was an empty room. A puzzled look became her as Kai turned to look at Verrin with a questioning glance. Why were they here?

Invited to sit, Kai did as she was bid, echoing Verrin's precise, simple movements. "Meditation is at the core of our training...." the Sith Lord began, his voice seemingly gaining in emphasis and power whether he was aware of projecting both, or not. She listened as he went over the basics of a Sith warrior's training and how the Force and combat technique were one. Her hand was suddenly released and the Zabrak drew to his feet, creating some distance between the two of them. From his robes he withdrew a weapon, not unlike a lightsaber but different. The hilt was longer, Kai observed at once.

I thought that meditation was something to help me find peace, but it isn't.

What was it, then, this key to absolute control?

The Zabrak's feet shifted, both ends of his weapon igniting in a splendid show of violet plasma. She watched with bewilderment and awe, as he began to execute a series of movements - slowly at first - then faster, and faster.... Yet every motion was deliberate, precise and lethal. Soon enough, Verrin's body and his weapon moved quicker than her eyes could keep up with, as Kai made every effort to follow the man's instructions.

"Reach out with your senses.  Don't just watch with your eyes.  Try to feel what I'm doing in the Force too."

Keeping in line with his suggestion, Kai stretched out with her senses and delved head first into the matrix of glowing lines created by the intersection of all living things. It filled her from within and surrounded her simultaneously. And although she could no longer see Verrin's silhouette, nor could she trace the flashing trail of his twin blades, Kai focused deeply, seeking Verrin's life aura. His line seemed to flicker and disappear, before appearing in a glowing arc that finally came to a stand still in her vision. Suddenly, she turned, sliding forward into a knee, forcing her body to spin about a half circle.

And there he was, the Sith Lord's majestic twin beams momentarily disappearing from view as the room was once again, brought to a quiet pause.

"I am going to have to work on that third sister," the Korun acolyte admitted, humility infusing every word. "Teach me, sensei. I wish to become a master.... scooter."

[keiithmingo]

Honoring our Herbal Ancestors

At this time of year when the plants are dropping their leaves, dying back and decomposing into the Earth again, it is a time to honor death in the sacred cycle of life that it holds. Many cultures across the world speak of this time when the veils are thinning between our physical world and the spiritual world where our ancestors live.

This potent moment in the wheel of the year is often marked by ritual, ceremony and holy days to feed the spirits of our ancestors and honor the legacy they created which lives on through us. From my Celtic lineage, the holy day of Samhain (today celebrated as Halloween) was a sacred time to honor our ancestors, but to also listen to their guidance and wisdom at this time when we have the closest contact to them.

Though this is a potent time to commune with our own passed family members and ancestors within our lineage, today I also want to recognize our ancestors who are at the root of the work we do as herbalists.

Before there were herbalists, there were plants. The plants were here on this Earth far before humans and their wisdom is far beyond our own limited human understanding. They are the ones who know how to heal sickness, how to mend and restore health. They know how to nourish and feed life. They know how to adapt and evolve, and have witnessed the ages of life on Earth. Their brilliance and intelligence is vast and profound beyond comprehension.

In this way, they are our ancestors. And as herbalists, they should truly be our primary teachers. The plants are the healers, we are simply the ones with the feet and hands to carry their medicine to the people who need their help. This is the way I relate to the plants, and so this is how I wanted to honor them today as our first ancestors.

But I also want to acknowledge and honor the human ancestors who have created this legacy of herbalism we are a part of. By virtue of being an herbalist, we are part of a gigantic lineage of healers and medicine carriers whose work we are continuing on today.

Where do you think all of that information in your herb books came from? A lot of knowledge that was passed from generation to generation eventually became written down and is part of the knowledge base most herbal books today are derived from.

Plant medicine has been evolving throughout millions of years, with each generation adding onto the knowledge base they inherited from the previous generations. Though we continue to evolve the practice of herbalism with new discoveries in science and with revelations from communing with the plants themselves, it is important to recognize the deep history that is the root we are growing from as herbalists today.

It’s also important to remember the hardship and turmoil that the herbal healers before us have undergone and the sacrifices they have made to preserve and protect the knowledge of how to heal with plants. Many healers were hanged, burned at the stake, murdered, their traditions lost and knowledge stolen. It’s critical that we remember the sacrifice of the herbalists and healers before us and recognize the incredible privilege we have to study herbalism and have so much information accessible at our fingertips in this modern age.

When we broaden our perspective and look at the long arc of time, we remember that we are a small part of a large legacy. It’s our responsibility to take care of the knowledge that has been passed along to us and to do our best to preserve this knowledge so that it can continue on to benefit the next generations.

As herbalists, we are caretakers for this moment in history of the precious wisdom of how to heal people with plants. It’s an incredible blessing and calling to be part of a lineage of plant people and healers. It’s up to us to carry this wisdom with humility and great care, to share it and help those who come to us asking for help & healing.

Herbal Allies to Assist in Connecting with our Ancestors

Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)

Horsetail is one of the oldest plants on Earth, with a history of growing all the way back to prehistoric times. The Equisetum’s are known as a living fossils as they are the only living examples of the Equisetopsida class which originally formed the parts of the understory of the great Paleozoic forests. They lived roughly 540 million years ago when the first large reptiles roamed the earth – and grew up to 30 meters tall! 

As Horsetail has endured the ages and, as a result, holds a powerful memory of that time within its structure, Horsetail can help to slow us down and help us reflect on our own ancestral roots, bringing us closer to a more slower time and pace – a time once lived a long time ago. 

This description of Horsetail from Jessy Delleman of Fireweed Farms (one of the first Evolutionary Herbalism graduates) so perfectly describes the primal roots of this ancient plant:

“There is one plant still in the forest that, for me, embodies that energetic slowness: Horsetail. Horsetail is a remnant of a time before humans, a time before flowers and birds, a time when everything was much slower, more primal; the vibration of the earth resonating deep and low. Horsetails, along with their cousins the ferns, were some of the first plants to evolve on land after the mosses and liverworts. In the time of the dinosaurs, before the trees, horsetail forests were dominant on earth and species towered to over a hundred feet high. 

I often have the sense of time moving too fast in our modern world, and often that speed seems a product of the human mind rather something belonging to nature. Everything happens so fast these days, information is so easily exchanged as most of us are so plugged in to our phones and computers, available to this constant stream of input coming at us 24/7. But we are nature, and nature has sped up too.

Over billions of years of evolution we moved from the slowness of algae, mosses, ferns, and horsetails to the dynamic symbiosis of the conifers and the flowering plants communicating through scent, colour, and nectar; and the vast underground mycelial networks connecting, digesting, and recycling it all…

When I spend time with this ancient plant I have a sense of time slowing down, a sense a spaciousness opens up before me. Horsetail plants resonate with a slower vibration, and brings a sense of solidity to my life, teaching me about adaptability and endurance through time. A medicine for the spirit in these rapidly changing times.” 

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Elder (Sambucus spp.)

Elder is a vastly wise plant. I believe it’s called Elder for a reason. It is a hallmark remedy for the herbalist to develop a relationship, as in my experience it’s a teacher of the ways of the forest, a master plant that teaches us what it means to be a person of the plants and an instrument for their healing.

I believe it was no mistake that this plant was the “sign” of the herbalist in European folk medicine, for it was not only associated with its nature as a panacea, but also because it is in a way, a sigil or mark of a true person of the plants. So on the one hand, I think this is an important plant for us as herbalists to have a relationship with, and on the other there’s also a deep medicine it has to offer for the people we serve.

The way I’ve come to understand this aspect of Elder, is that it’s a plant that helps to provide a level of wisdom in someone’s life. The way I use it is for people that seem to have a difficult time learning from their life experiences, that need a degree of guidance within themselves… in short, they need an elder.

One way I like to describe it, is that establishing a deep connection with this plant develops our internal “wisdom voice,” that part of ourself that knows best, that can look at our lives as if through the eyes of our future self as an elder, and from there move forward in a way that isn’t reactive from our past traumas but acting from a place of wisdom.

I’ve also used it for people that literally feel like they don’t have someone to look up to, good role models, or perhaps have lost their parents. This is actually one way that I found Elder truly helped me, as my father passed away when I was 16 years old. It was really quite profound how much it helped me not only process repressed grief but also to come to a connection with the spirit of my father and feel the protection and guidance of my ancestors. 

Ready to learn more about Elder? Sign up for Materia Medica Monthly HERE for $1 to get the rest of the monograph on Elder

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