#mirra visions

[jamesreads]

mirra visions, the shifting tarot & oracle deck

[mirra-kan]

Hi Mirra!

Have you written any headcanon, metas, discussions, or fics about your concept of the "Faithful Haradrim"? If so, could you please tell me where to find them? If you haven't yet, would you mind sharing some info of your headcanons (anything at all) about their history and culture?

I'm a big fan of your Harad artwork and concepts (including the Blue Wizards), and it's all clearly founded on a rich, complex world you've created for them in your head. I would definitely love to learn more! :) I do also plan on including more about the Haradrim culture and history in my upcoming fanfics, so I would love to hear an expert's ideas on them.

Thank you for sharing your work with us!

@sotwk Was very happy to discover your message in my ask box!

Thank you for your interest and willingness to include more Haradrim content into your writing, but I'm afraid you might find my views rather... boring 😆

I also must apologise in advance if any of my phrases may not seem polite enough or turn out to be grammatically incorrect - English is not my first language.

Disclaimer! What is written below represents my personal view! It is in no way intended to hurt or discredit anyone’s head canons, views and ideas!

My Chinese calligraphy teacher once told me: "Do you want to assume or to learn? Decide on the approach before you make theories about anything."

And I follow the strategy of "to learn" before I "assume". So, first and foremost, I'm still in search of bits of information about the peoples who inhabited Harad and Rhun (South and East) of Middle-earth.

My goal is not so much to create head cannons as to draw the audience's attention to the canon and the Professor's own vision. Accordingly, in working through his letters, essays, and volumes of the History of Middle-earth, I am trying to draw parallels that someone as educated as Professor Tolkien might have drawn.

I also categorically disagree with the images created in the movies, where the conventional evil is more caricatured than frightening, and the motives and history of the conflict are not shown at all (Faramir’s saying about Haradrim’s fate is at least included, which is great, even if it wasn’t his in books). When my best friend dragged me into the Silmarillion story couple of years ago, I was amazed at how distorted the perception of these regions was in adaptations.

So, thinking about the existence and struggles of Faithful Haradrim, I rely on the history of the region and possible historical patterns. Such a vast region simply cannot have a common culture. It is the idea that can unite them. But, as in our reality, cultural features, symbolism and colours may differ. For example, we know that those who came with Sauron's army, performed under red flags with snakes. Does that mean that the entire vast region walked exclusively in the same colours? It seems unlikely to me.

As for the Blue Wizards, blue in general is a colour very 'inherent' to many cultures in the Global South. I suppose that's why the Professor dressed Alatar and Pallando in those colours. And accordingly, in my opinion, Faithful Haradrim could use these colours in their robes and on their banners, but not necessarily. It is not the colour that reflects the inner essence of a person.

Of course, when thinking about this or that image, I think about where exactly these people live, what the level of metallurgy development is present in different Ages, whether there is a sea or mountains nearby - all this affects how their armour\architecture\symbolism could have developed. In general, I draw parallels with real anthropology and the history of the development of civilisations. Books about the regional patterns, military and weapon history etc are of big help here too.

Sometimes, of course, I make things up. For example, when I first read the lines about the Blue Wizards not returning to Valinor, I didn't take it in a negative light. After all, they could have stayed in Middle-earth willingly, having become attached and imbued with the problems of the region, of the people. After all, Alatar and Curumo were the only ones who were not afraid to volunteer to fight Sauron.

I also like the later version, in which the Blue Wizards arrive in the Second Age. It makes more "sense" given the nightmare that the Númenorians had wrought in the region. But even among them, I'm sure there were some people who sympathised and helped the local population. I don't believe in black and white in principle. But I do believe in post-truth.

So, in essence, I'm a boring canonist who treats the author's writings and views with great respect. And the myth of the Haradrim and Easterlings being bad guys by all accounts is almost as well-established as the supposed lack of religion, holy Dunedain and cute glowing elves. Which is, in my opinion, in no way consistent with Tolkien's own philosophy and stance.

Perhaps what I came up with from scratch was a sign, a Faithful Haradrim symbol, that those could use to identify each other. People need symbols, faith and ideas. Especially in such trying times. That's the way we are.

Oh, I'm afraid if I go on, it'll be a whole essay. So I think I'll stop here. Thanks again for your question and your interest! I'm sorry if I disappointed you, haha.  Good luck with your writing - I'm so happy there're people out there, who're genuinely interested in the region! ❤

P.S. If everything goes well, I plan to release a zine about Harad at the end of the year. With quotes and the obligatory notes of personal theories not to confuse the reader.

[gefdreamsofthesea]

My friend just send me a link to James R. Ead's latest deck (Mirra Visions Tarot) and was like "is this AI?" and I was just like "his art is just like that"

I don't blame them for being cautious but his art is really just like that.

[elkenbulwark]

@falsesighted cont.

Knuguk scoffed, holding the lantern out further into the room just because. “If you think I’m ugly you should really get a look a’ the pig’s arse you’d see if you looked in the mirra!” He retorted, “And why are you here? Scared of a little rain? And you never answered my question! Are you a hobo or not? And-“ The kid stops running his mouth when he sees Biv’s armor. He seems amazed for a moment but then realizes Biv is watching and squints at him. “…Is that your armor?” He steps into the room further, clearly uncaring of the other orcs protests and need for a good nights rest.

The addition of more light in the room caused the widest dark of his pupils to shrivel, and he flinched with his head tucked to the side like he imagined that damned Astarion had to without a proper tadpole in him to negate the effects of the day. Half-orcs did have dark vision, after all, so to keep alternating between one extreme and the other was starting to make him see the room in a bokeh effect. Didn't help the little snot perpetrating the offense had to add to the agitation with his ever so necessary nettling.

His nails dug in to the sad, flat pillow on the cot. "Oh, I'd absa'lutely test that theory out, y'know...IF-" And with a jerk and a fling, he slammed the pillow away from him and towards the doorway where the little pissant stood. "-there were any mirrors 'round this place what yours hasn't busted yet!" Nostrils flared, he issued a snort and stood abruptly to retreat further into the room and face the window to take stock of the storm's state. Definitely was not going to stay here now-

As he observed the droplets sliding down the glass in favor of answering whether or not he was a hobo, the perplexed follow-up question teased a glance over his shoulder...if only to make sure the other wasn't trying to run off with his gear as it drip dried upon the chair. A quirked brow followed when he found it still where he'd left it.

"-no. It's my 'nvisible pal just takin' a load off. Whatcha think?" Grumbling, he uncrossed his arms in favor of grinding the ball of his palm into an eye socket to rouse himself into a more alert state. He'd need it once he set out in a bit. "Seriously, is the middle the bloody night 'best time to be playin' at interrogation? Should really get back to suckin' your thumb in your crib, yeah?" Maybe if he'd kept paying attention to the window, he would have seen the flash of a cloak pass by unreasonably close, even if the next roll of thunder rumbled the floorboards beneath them.

[worldtravellersstuff]

Pondicherry — Next solo trip Destination

Solo excursion to Pondicherry, the spot which gladly maintains French history while proceeding to work in the Tamilian culture. Known as the ‘French Riviera of the East’, Pondicherry’s history has a blend of both Hindu realms and European rule. Known as the ‘French Capital of India’, Pondicherry radiates the beguile of frontier times with remainders of periods gone by. The novel thing about Pondicherry is its varied blend of old and new, where history meets advancement, and sentimentality waits in each alcove and corner.

An outing for a long time for two individuals costs ₨62,714 in Pondicherry. An outing for a long time for two individuals costs ₨62,714 in Pondicherry. Two individuals voyaging together for one month in Pondicherry can frequently have a lower day-to-day spending plan per individual than one individual travelling solo for multi weeks.

Getting around

Pondicherry The travel industry Advancement Company (PTDC) works nearby transport visits that cover significant attractions in the city. Additionally, inside the city, there are various auto carts accessible available, yet they quote heavy rates. Each day costs begins at INR40 (around USD0.56) for bikes and goes up to INR350 (roughly USD4.90) for bikes.

Convenience inside the French Quarters

Remaining in White Town lets you hit home the genuine embodiment of the French Riviera in a unique manner. Whether you’re a legacy sweetheart or an extravagance searcher, the extraordinary blend of lodgings and hotels in Pondicherry with swimming pool in White Town have something for everybody, with a considerable lot of them French pilgrim houses transformed into legacy inns. In the interim, Beach rabbits ought to think about a stay at The Promenade or Le Pondy.

Figuring out the way of life of the French Riviera

The double character of Pondicherry is the after effect of the French and the Tamil Quarters. Subsequently, its way of life is a consistent mix of two personas, and the city’s cosmopolitan air with provincial engineering is sprinkled by local practices. They carry on with a straightforward existence, and for the most part communicate in Tamil, English, and French. This mixture of French and Indian culture should be visible in the best resorts in Pondicherry and as different celebrations that are praised in this curious, little city. The Global Yoga Celebration is additionally praised consistently on the grounds of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Aside from these celebrations, Pondicherry additionally observes Sri Aurobindo Ghosh’s introduction to the world commemoration on fifteenth of August, alongside Freedom Day.

Absorbing otherworldliness and inward harmony

This city supports the profound calling of explorers who look for inward harmony through yoga and contemplation. For a spirit looking through experience, visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville. Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a local area that teaches Sri Aurobindo’s lessons on ‘Indispensable Yoga’. This ashram reveals insight into the existences of Sri Aurobindo Ghosh and Mirra Alfassa whose vision was Auroville. Matrimandir is the soul of Auroville. It seems to be an enormous brilliant vault in the midst of lavish environmental factors, and Matrimandir is the spot to look for internal harmony and track down cognizance.

Luxuriating in the magnificence of sun-kissed sea shores

The ‘French Capital of India’ flaunts a few charming sea shores. Unwind and respect the sights, mess around with exciting water exercises, or take a long walk. Pondicherry’s sea shores have everything.

A 1.2-kilometer stretch along the Sound of Bengal, Promenade Beach is the most famous Beach in Pondicherry. Almost certainly, Promenade Beach is one of those places that calms the eyes as well as the spirit.

Heaven Beach

Heaven Beach is a gold mine for nature darlings. It seems to be the stuff of dreams, and is one of the cleanest sea shores in South India. Heaven Beach isn’t yet marketed and is just open by boat — the premise of its allure.

Peacefulness Beach

You’ll be flabbergasted by the loveliness of Peacefulness Beach. Embraced by influencing palms and shrouded in perfect sand, arriving at this Beach is must. Tranquility Beach likewise gives guest’s a brief look into the hard existences of neighborhood anglers who procure their day to day bread from the ocean.

Auro Beach

Auro Beach is an immaculate delight of nature away from the hurrying around of the city. The shallow waters make this Beach ideal for the individuals who appreciate swimming.

Shopping areas of interest

Pondicherry is a customer’s heaven with a variety of shops, departmental stores, and road slows down. In this way, scouring the lively business sectors is an unquestionable requirement while you’re visiting the area. The city embraces manageability and offers eco-cognizant shopping choices. From pretty gifts to crafted works, article of clothing materials to pottery, and cowhide items to collectibles, you’ll track down assorted types here

· Casablanca · Kalki · Studio Coal black · Anokhi · Auro Wood Work · Hidesign Leader Store · Goubert Market · Tranquility Beach Market

The vast bistros and eateries are about heavenly food with a combination of flavors from two unmistakable societies — Indian and French. A large portion of the top notch eateries here are a piece of legacy properties that have an outdated tasteful with a contemporary viewpoint. Here, your sense of taste will have a lot of culinary charge to browse, similar to South Indian, French, Mainland, and Chinese food to give some examples

· Manor Shanti, White Town · Cove of Buddha, The Promenade · Le Dupleix · Coromandel Bistro · Break In · Bistro Xtasi, · Bistro Des Expressions · Bread and Chocolate, Auroville · Zuka, MG Street · Gelateria Montecatini Terme (GMT), White Town for dessert

Pondicherry is alright for female explorers when contrasted with different urban communities in India.

Notwithstanding, visiting a spot without having a profound knowledge of it very well may be overwhelming, particularly as a non-local.

· The way of life of Pondicherry is direct and not so open as Goa. Be that as it may, being a seaside town with a French impact, wearing some shorts won’t be disapproved of.

In any case, it’s ideal to convey a multi-reason took in your pack.

Assuming you’re visiting close by towns, it’s prudent to humbly dress.

· As Pondicherry is a waterfront city, enjoy ocean-facing places to stay in Pondicherry but the environment is sticky.

Wearing cotton textures are the coolest method for beating the late spring heat.

A couple of shades, sunscreen, and a cap is likewise suggested for insurance from the sun’s cruel beams.

· In the event that you’re wanting to recruit a bike, make a point to convey legitimate personality and you permit.

· Pondicherry doesn’t host dynamic get-together scenes like Goa. The greater part of the roads are vacant around evening time, and meandering around is a major no except if you’re in a gathering

[blog-aventin-de]

Auroville ⋆ Stadt der Morgenröte

Auroville ⋆ Stadt der Morgenröte ⋆ Mirra Alfassa ⋆ Indien

Auroville ⋆ Stadt der Morgenröte ⋆ Mirra Alfassa ⋆ Indien

Auroville, Stadt der Morgenröte, ist ein experimenteller Ort des Zusammenlebens von Menschen verschiedener Herkunft in Indien. Gegründet wurde die Stadt im Jahr 1968 von Sri Aurobindo , Mirra Alfassa, bekannt als »die Mutter« und vom Architekten Roger Anger. Etymologie: Der Name »Auroville« hat seinen Ursprung in der französischen Sprache, »Aurore« bedeutet Morgendämmerung und »Ville« steht für Dorf/Stadt. Auf einer Jahreskonferenz im Jahr 1964 beschlossen in Pondicherry Sri Aurobindo und Mirra Alfassa als geschäfführende Präsidentin eine Resolution, welche zur Gründung der Stadt führte. Alfassa und Sri Aurobindo waren der Meinung, dass der Mensch ein Übergangswesen sei. Sie erwarteten, dass die experimentelle universelle Gemeinde wesentlich zum Fortschritt der Menschheit in Richtung einer großartigen Zukunft beitragen würde, indem sie Menschen guten Willens und Strebens nach einer besseren Welt zusammenbrächte. Alfassas erste öffentliche Botschaft im Jahr 1965 lautete: »Auroville wird eine universelle Stadt sein, in der Männer und Frauen aller Länder in Frieden und fortschreitender Harmonie zusammenleben können, samt ihren unterschiedlichen Glaubensbekenntnissen und Nationalitäten. Der Zweck von Auroville ist die Verwirklichung einer menschlichen Einheit. Ort: Für die Stadt wurde ein Standort nördlich von Pondicherry ausgewählt, der etwa aus 20 Quadratkilometer Ödland bestand und 5 km von der Küste entfernt liegt. Einweihung: Die Einweihungszeremonie, an der Delegierte aus 124 Nationen teilnahmen, fand am Mittwoch, den 28. Februar 1968 statt. Die von Mirra Alfassa (Mutter) handgeschriebene Vier-Punkte-Charta legte ihre Vision eines ganzheitlichen Lebens wie folgt dar: Auroville gehört niemandem im Besonderen. Auroville gehört der gesamten Menschheit. Aber um in Auroville zu leben, muss man ein williger Diener des Göttlichen Bewusstseins sein. Auroville wird der Ort einer unendlichen Bildung, eines ständigen Fortschritts und einer Jugend sein, die niemals altert. Auroville will die Brücke zwischen Vergangenheit und Zukunft sein. Auroville nutzt alle Entdeckungen von außen und von innen und wird mutig in Richtung zukünftiger Erkenntnisse schreiten. Auroville wird ein Ort materieller und spiritueller Forschungen für eine lebendige Verkörperung einer tatsächlichen menschlichen Einheit sein. Matrimandir: Das Matrimandir ist eine goldene Metallkugel im Zentrum der Stadt, das von Alfassa als »Symbol der göttlichen Antwort auf das Streben des Menschen nach Perfektion« konzipiert wurde. Im Inneren des Matrimandir wird Stille aufrechterhalten, um die Ruhe des Raums zu gewährleisten, und das gesamte Gebiet um das Matrimandir herum wird als Friedensbereich bezeichnet. Im Inneren des Matrimandir führt eine spiralförmige Rampe nach oben zu einer klimatisierten Kammer aus poliertem weißem Marmor, die als »ein Ort, an dem man sein Bewusstsein findet« bezeichnet wird. Matrimandir ist mit einem Solarkraftwerk ausgestattet und von sehr gepflegten Gärten umgeben. Wenn es keine Sonne gibt oder nach Sonnenuntergang, wird der Sonnenstrahl auf dem Globus durch einen Strahl einer solarbetriebenen Leuchte ersetzt. Von diesem Zentrum gehen vier Zonen aus: die »Wohnzone«, die »Industriezone«, die »Kultur- und Bildungszone« und die »Internationale Zone«. Um die Stadt oder das Stadtgebiet herum liegt ein Grüngürtel mit einer Umweltforschungseinrichtung, einer Land- und Forstwirtschaft, einem botanischen Garten, einer Samenbank (Heil- und Kräuterpflanzen) und ein Wassereinzugsgebiet. Rechtsstatus: Vor 1980 besaß die Sri Aurobindo Society rechtlich alle Vermögenswerte der Stadt. Ab 1980 übernahm eine indische Staatsverwaltung die Stadt. Ein Wechsel wurde eingeleitet, als nach dem Tod von Mirra Alfassa im Jahr 1973 ernsthafte Risse in der täglichen Verwaltung zwischen der Gesellschaft und den Einwohnern der Stadt auftraten. Die Bewohner appellierten damals an Indira Gandhi, die damalige Premierministerin von Indien, und baten um Unterstützung. Die Gesellschaft focht zwar die Klage der Regierung vor dem Obersten Gerichtshof von Indien an, das endgültige Urteil aber bestätigte die verfassungsrechtliche Gültigkeit des Vorgehens und Eingreifens der Regierung. Nach dem Urteil im Jahr 1988 wurde es notwendig, eine dauerhafte Vereinbarung für die langfristige Verwaltung von Auroville zu treffen. Ein Gesetz wurde geschaffen, dass die Übertragung aller beweglichen und unbeweglichen Vermögenswerte der Stadt in eine Stiftung vorsah, die als Auroville Foundation und die Schaffung eines dreistufigen Regierungssystems: des Verwaltungsrats; die Einwohnerversammlung und der Auroville International Advisory Council vorsah. Wirtschaft: Anstelle von Papier- und Münzgeld erhalten die Bewohner von Auroville Kontonummern, um sich mit einem zentralen Konto verbinden. Besucher werden gebeten, sich ein vorläufiges Konto und eine Aurocard (Debitkarte) zuzulegen. Von den Einwohnern von Auroville wird erwartet, dass sie einen monatlichen Beitrag an die Gemeinde leisten. Sie werden gebeten, der Gemeinschaft nach Möglichkeit durch Arbeit, Geld oder Sachleistungen zu helfen. Der »Gästebeitrag« oder eine von den Gästen von Auroville gezahlte Tagesgebühr bildet einen Teil des Budgets von Auroville. Es gibt auch ein »Unterhaltssystem«, bei dem bedürftige Aurovilianer von der Gemeinde monatlich Unterhalt erhalten können, der einfache Grundbedürfnisse des Lebens abdeckt. Aurovilles Wirtschaft und sein gesamtes Leben entwickeln sich ständig weiter, und es gibt laufende Experimente, um der großen Vision näher zu kommen. Die indische Regierung finanziert einen kleinen Teil des Budgets von Auroville, das hauptsächlich aus Beiträgen der Handelseinheiten von Auroville besteht, die 33 % ihrer Gewinne in den Zentralfonds von Auroville einbringen, und aus Spenden, die größtenteils aus dem Ausland stammen, von den zahlreichen internationalen Stützpunkten von Auroville, die auf der ganzen Welt eingerichtet wurden. In Auroville gibt es mehrer Gästehäuser, Baueinheiten, Informationstechnologie, kleine und mittlere Unternehmen, die Artikel wie handgeschöpftes Papier für Schreibwaren, Bio-Lebensmittel herstellen und weiterverkaufen sowie die bekannten Räucherstäbchen, die in der ganzen Welt gekauft werden. Zur Zeit sind etwa 6.000 Menschen, hauptsächlich aus den umliegenden Orten, in verschiedenen Abteilungen und Einheiten von Auroville beschäftigt. Weitere Aktivitäten: Andere Aktivitäten in Auroville umfassen Land-Aufforstung, ökologische Landwirtschaft, grundlegende Bildungsforschung, Gesundheitsfürsorge, Dorfentwicklung, moderne Technologie, Stadtplanung, Grundwassermanagement, kulturelle Aktivitäten und allgemeine Gemeinschaftsdienste. Auroville ⋆ Stadt der Morgenröte ⋆ Mirra Alfassa ⋆ Indien Read the full article

[thetubethambi]

What Is Auroville ? Eco Villages Around The World [Auroville Charter Pa...

The Auroville Charter: A new vision of power and promise for people choosing another way of life

Auroville was born on 28 February 1968. Its founder, Mirra Alfassa, created the Auroville Charter consisting of four main ideas which underpinned her vision for Auroville. 

[estelaiswriting]

yay I can send this ask now! > 👥 Describe your initial concept of a character, and what they’re like now.

OKAY, I really wanted to answer this and, since i've finally posted the space roadtrip wip intro, this seems like a good time.

I wanted to talk briefly about Mirra, one of the two narrators of that wip. This story, and her specifically, has been with me for almost two years, and so my vision of her has changed radically.

In the beginning, Mirra was a cold and calculating, and a bit of an archetype at that. Later on, while I outlined and drafted, she fleshed out as someone that, although tends to put emotional distance between others and herself, can't be described as cold. She's just polite. But again, while being polite she tries really hard to distance herself without being rude. The reason she does that is a big spoiler, but it's also a fact that changed completely how I saw this character.

Thanks for asking! 🥺❤️

[el-grimorio-de-la-bruja]

Inciensos y sus usos

Post traducido de imawitchywitch

Equilibrio: ciprés, jazmín, sándalo, hierba de búfalo

Destierro o liberación: clavo, ciprés, artemisa, salvia, limón/lima

Unión o ataduras: ciprés, sangre de dragón, serbal, vetiver

Bendecir o consagrar: copal, frankincense, romero, hierba de búfalo

Cambios: arándano, sangre de dragón, lila, pachuli, woodruff (Galium odoratum)

Limpieza: cedro, frankincense, pino, salvia, sandalia

Valentía: canela, sangre de dragón, pachuli, romero

Creatividad: sangre de dragón, lavanda, naranja, romero, ajedrea, mandarina

Maldiciones: Arándano, clavo, sangre de dragón, mirra

Adivinación o Clarividencia: laurel, copal, lila, artemisa, mirra, salvia

Exorcismo: copal, arándano, frankincense, lavanda, gordolobo, romero, salvia, verbena, vetivet

Abundancia: acacia, laurel, cedro, canela, sangre de dragón, naranja, sándalo

Felicidad o Paz: jazmín, lavanda, naranja, rosa, verbena, sándalo

Inspiración o Sabiduría: Acacia, copal, frankincense, musgo de roble, pino, salvia, woodruff (Galium odoratum)

Amor: potentilla, jazmín, lavanda, artemisa, naranja, rosa

Suerte o Justicia: laurel, bayberry, jazmín, pachulí, sándalo, violeta

Meditación: Acacia, copal, ciprés, cedro, frankincense, jazmín, salvia

Energía o Fuerza: sangre de dragón, frankincense, pachulí, verbena

Protección o Defensa: Arándano, sangre de dragón, frankincense, jazmín, pachulí, romero, woodruff (Galium odoratum)

Chakras: albahaca, laurel, copal, sangre de dragón, frankincense, lavanda, artemisa, verbena, woodruff (Galium odoratum)

Reencarnación: albahaca, lila, pachulí, rosa, sándalo, hierba de búfalo

Visiones o visualización: albahaca, laurel, copal, frankincense, artemisa, salvia

Fuerza de voluntad: laurel, cedro, sangre de dragón, pachulí, romero, salvia, caspa

Nota: al buscar frankincense, me aparece “aceite esencial de incienso” lo cual no tengo muy claro qué es

[breadknight-likes-things]

Bread’s Skate (?!) Journal 09/06/20: The Other Ones: A Look Back On The Tony Hawk Imitators Of The Early 2000's....And BMX XXX.

Looking back at Tony Hawk as a series that's pretty solidly in the past can cause someone to easily forget how those games were actually thought of at the time: Hyper popular.  As a result of that popularity, it was easy to see a bunch of other games and franchises that wanted a piece of that money, some from Activision themselves, some....very much not.  Some of these games were good!  Some of these games were so bad that they've become something of a legendary laughing stock in the game landscape as a whole.  

As I said, Activision was no stranger to trying to apply the Tony Hawk formula to other sports in an attempt to cash in on the extreme success of their franchise.  Sometimes these cash in's actually made for decent, if unoriginal games.  Matt Hoffman's Pro BMX was more or less a carbon copy of the Tony Hawk formula, but with BMX Bikes instead of Skateboards, and it actually worked pretty well once you got used to the inherent differences of the two different styles.  Other attempts were not quite as fortunate as Matt Hoffman though, and both of them sort of had the same "downhill" problem.   Shaun Palmers Pro Snowboarder was an attempt to put the Tony Hawk formula into a snowboarding game, and while that should reasonably work, the linear and all downhill nature of the levels really didn't lend themselves to a fun time.  

Following from Shaun Palmer was "Wakeboarding Unleashed featuring Shaun Murray" which is quite a title!  It was originally revealed with the far more descriptive name as "Shaun Murray's Pro Wakeboarder" but I have to assume that was changed to...distance the game from Tony Hawk?  It's a confusing move to say the least.  The game was actually quite decent, more so than you'd assume from something like a wakeboarding game, and you can tell there was some talent behind it, the games issue was that, by design, it was pretty much always on rails.  You were literally pulled through the levels behind a speed boat, and even though there was plenty to trick off, it lent a feeling that you were just being guided to the cool set pieces rather than actually doing any exploration of your own, it deserved better.  Hell, it at least deserves it's own Wikipedia page, the only mention of it at all is on Shaun Murray's very small Wikipedia entry, an ignoble end for a game that least tried something new.

I had to find a screenshot for Shaun Murray, which I swear is real, and this is the only one I could easily find online.  I swear this game happened!

Of course Activision wasn't the only studio trying to capitalize on the extreme sports craze and the Tony Hawk trick heavy style.  EA found what I would consider the greatest success with franchises like SSX, and one entry wonders like Freakstyle (which is a seminal game for me as a kid, but one I feel very few people even know exist), a sort of blend of SSX and racing through the lens of Motocross.  Hell, eventually EA would make Skate, which outlived Tony Hawk itself for a few years, and I already wrote about earlier this week, an excellent franchise that was nonetheless heavily inspired by THPS.

Now, there are far more imitators and hanger on's, some good (Splashdown, while closer to Wave Race, definitely stole some of it's vibes from THPS). Some incredibly bad (Gravity Games: Vert, Street, Dirt,  an abysmally bad Tony Hawk ripoff from the early 2000's immediately springs to mind) and some downright strange (Four words: Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure).  But only one company tried so hard and failed so miserably, and that's Acclaim, and BMX XXX.

This is genuinely what some of the worst impulses of the video game industry look like.

Acclaim had found success early on by getting Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX out only one year after Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and it certainly wasn't a terrible game.  It felt a little clunkier than what came out of Neversoft at the time, but it was definitely playable.  Acclaim also went on to put out Aggressive Inline, which, while it might sound insane to say about an inline skating video game, is genuinely one of the best extreme sports games ever made.  So Acclaim had real reason to believe they actually could put something out that would rival Tony Hawk!  Then they put out BMX XXX.  

BMX XXX is one of the most insipidly stupid things that any company has ever produced, certainly one of the worst video games ever made, and was so bad that Dave Mirra forced Acclaim to take his name off of it before release.  You really can boil this game down to two things: Dave Mirra's okay BMX game play, and the horn-dog mindset of a 13 year old boy that just found an issue of Hustler in the woods.  It's incredibly embarrassing!  Full of hookers, pimps, literal strip club videos, dogs fucking and humor that was shitty and mean spirited even by the standards of 2004.  It's astounding that anybody thought this game would sell at all, let alone do the impressive numbers they wanted for it.  Even the console manufacturers didn't really seem to want this thing on their consoles, Sony out and out censored the nudity even (which yes, the game featured full polygonal breasts, and they are horrifying to look at today), and though the other two allowed the nudity to slide, they made it pretty clear they thought the game was terrible.

BMX XXX is a punchline today, rightfully, but I think it did so much harm to the idea of a competing extreme sports franchise, that any further attempt to really hone in on an Tony Hawk alike just sort of stopped right there.  It actually came out pretty early on, in 2002, long before some of the other games I've mentioned on this list even, but the damage it did was impossible to ignore.  Activision kept trying, we still got the occasional excellent SSX game, and we got Skate.  Hell, we even got Ubisoft making a couple of tries, first with Shaun White doing a snowboarding and Skateboarding game, then with Steep.  The concept wasn't killed entirely, a favorite of mine, Amped 3 for Xbox 360, even came out just a few years later, but it felt like the spirit was gone, and it never really came back.  Thankfully, these days, we have more independent developers putting out their own vision of what an extreme sports game can be.  I hope this new generation of developers can really get us back to the glory days of the extreme sports game, and even if they don't end up making it too far, at least they're going to try.

And things might get a little weird.

[jamesreads]

MIRRA VISIONS

a shifting image tarot and oracle deck

[abr]

L'idea è quella di dipingere una capitale del Paese (Washington) e una sede della Presidenza (la Casa Bianca) in completo sfascio. Da una parte un Comandante in Capo (Trump) iracondo, autoritario, privo di valori morali, a tratti in preda a demenza senile, infatuato di tutti i dittatori del mondo; dall'altra un gruppo di responsabili ed eroici funzionari che si provano in tutti i modi leciti e non leciti anche a costo di nascondergli documenti e notizie a contrastarne la follia. Lavorano “to stop”, per fermare il presidente. Ecco a voi il “deep state” con buona pace dei giornalisti che in questi anni hanno detto che si trattava di un'invenzione della destra. Ecco la burocrazia che dalla elezione di Barack Obama in avanti aveva creduto di aver vinto per sempre e che ritiene Donald Trump un corpo estraneo.

Il boomerang in faccia auto tirato dal Nyt a se stesso e a tutti gli avversari di Trump, descritto da MG Maglie, via http://www.dagospia.com/rubrica-3/politica/america-fatta-maglie-arriva-39-editorialone-anonimo-39-new-york-182385.htm

Il punto è esattamente quello finale: le sinistre mondialiste a libro paga statale “dalla elezione di Obama credevano di aver vinto per sempre”. 

Il Nobel alle intenzioni attribuitogli dalle élite genuflesse era l’oro incenso e mirra dei Re Magi al Bambino: un marca-Era, l’inizio del tempo nuovo tutto solidarietà, democrazia, fratellanza, ambiente, umanitarismo, apertura di idee e sviluppo di nuove tecnologie ...  

Harmony and understanding Sympathy and trust abounding No more falsehoods or derisions Golden living dreams of visions 

... Aquarius ... Aquarius ...

[sitiomagico]

Miércoles, 15 de diciembre del 2021 Se dice que Jesús nació en un pesebre hace muchos años, en Navidad. Estaba rodeado por los sonidos de la naturaleza, pero no nació de una manera usual, pues no había posadas disponibles para al niño acoger. No había lugar para que María descansara la cabeza para dar a luz a este bebé concebido de su corazón tan puro y lleno de Espíritu y santidad. Aunque no conocía a María en la carne, mediante visiones llegó la sabiduría de este niño concebido con asombro, tanto que, como suyo lo recibió José. Este hijo de luz que sacó a los pastores de sus campos y rebaños para poderlo ver. Este niño de asombro que, de tierras lejanas, llamó a reyes para que trajeran los regalos de antaño: oro, incienso y mirra. La estrella que alumbró el camino de noche anunciando el nacimiento de Cristo, porque el amor nació en Navidad, cuando Jesús llegó a la vida. La vida de Jesús, fue una vida de amor. La emoción del amor trae sentimientos de afecto mutuo. Nos deleitamos cuando estos sentimientos son correspondidos. El poder del amor, sin embargo, nos llama a ver desde un lugar más alto y a amar por el puro gozo de ver y honrar el bien. Este poder del amor no necesita reciprocidad humana, porque su fuente, nuestro Dios, no tiene fin. Háganlo todo con amor.—1 Corintios 16:14 —Rev. Karen Romestan En este día de Adviento, recuerdo ver con los ojos del Amor Divino. #adviento #diasdeadviento #feyesperanza #arziade (en MIAMI florida / EE.UU) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXgJN9JLlzB/?utm_medium=tumblr

[sumitshital]

At its Annual Conference in 1964 and with Mirra Alfassa as its Executive President, the Sri Aurobindo Society in Pondicherry passed a resolution for the establishment of a city dedicated to the vision of Sri Aurobindo. Alfassa was the spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo, who believed that "man is a transitional being". Alfassa expected that this experimental "universal township" would contribute significantly to the "progress of humanity towards its splendid future by bringing together people of goodwill and aspiration for a better world". Alfassa also believed that such a universal township will contribute decisively to the Indian renaissance. #auroville #aurovillediaries #aurovilleindia #aurovilleartists #aurovilleinsta #aurovillestories #pondicherrydiaries #pondicherrytourism #pondicherry_lovers #pondicherrytrip #2021holiday #sumitshital #ponditravel #travelphotography #travelgram #iphone11promax #solotravel (at Auroville : The Future of World in India) https://www.instagram.com/p/CL6HYMKDHWf/?igshid=1jofdq6obxew9

[wittyblather]

Necessary

antares s1 drabble

770 words

i hope you like pain

There are many things Antares is, but there are two things he isn’t. He isn’t evil, and he isn’t ignorant. Being neither, he wonders sometimes how he ever secured a position as captain of an Imperial ship.

His fish swim around in the glass arches and tanks all around him. He can’t sleep. Again. Work this time, he thinks. Concerns about work. The device. The girl. The space station he invaded to get to her. He closes his eyes and sees the tally of credits for repair: a million and a half, maybe two, by his count. Minimal lives lost. He’d been careful there. He made sure his men were careful too. And if his hand had been forced, the damage could have been doubled, easily. So that was a victory, of a sort.

Still. It will be a costly repair. All for the theatrical edge of his gambit. He wonders if the Union will be generous enough to foot any part of the bill. From what he knows of them, probably not. But he has other concerns, right now. Like the device. And the girl -- whose colony he invaded.

He isn’t evil. He does what’s necessary, and not a fraction more. No one has learned better than he that nothing in this life comes without cost. A million and a half credits and minimal lives lost are nothing compared to what he stands against. Ten times that would be nothing. He could have taken the girl by force, bombed the station, razed the planet and looted its resources, and it would have been a blip on the radar. But he didn’t. He didn’t do it because it wasn’t necessary, so he isn’t evil.

It’s not for his own sake he reassures himself. He isn’t weak. He’s practical, and realistic. Surrounded by so much evil on both sides of the galaxy, his morals are forever at risk of slipping. Sadism is as much a danger as softness, and if he lets his vision become clouded, all will be lost. Credits and colonies. Officers and friends. Brothers, and blips, and bops. So, as taxing as it is, he must always keep that tally in his mind, of the damage he does and the lives he takes. He must make sure it’s not a step further than what’s necessary.

Still, it would be nice if he could sleep. Medical could whip up a sleep aid for him, no doubt, but what would his crew think, seeing their captain medicating himself just to rest? He’s supposed to be their best example. Their ideal. Not a fidgety, restless man who can’t shut his eyes for more than a few minutes in his own bed, so preoccupied with nascent nightmares that he can’t sleep at all.

She’d notice. She’d notice, without a doubt, and she’d make a fuss in the way she always does. She’d pretend she wasn’t worried, and then she’d make a clumsy hint about it, and he could tell her in painstaking detail how his mind lingers on Olympus 7, on the four men he gutted in her defense, on how Admiral Mirra’s body snapped in the force of the black hole. Or he could do what he always does. Shut down, walk away, and keep her at a distance, where he can keep her safe.

Where she can’t see who he is behind the mask.

Neurotic. Arrogant. Hypocritical. Weak.

But not evil, and not ignorant. The day he becomes either, he’ll ask her to kill him, and she’ll find a way to take his place. Probably without having to resort to any of what he’s done. Probably without a moment’s sleep lost.

All this thinking he does, and somehow she’s always a step ahead of him, looking back and wondering why no one’s caught up to her yet.

He can’t help but smile at that, just a little.

He can’t make her happy, and momentary lapses in judgment aside, it’s important he never lead her to believe he can. All she’d need do is glimpse him as he is now, pacing in front of his fish tank, eyes red and aching with a fatigue he can’t relieve, and she’d lose that desire she feels for Captain Fairchild. But then she’d wander, and the galaxy is a dangerous enough place without a talent like hers. Brilliant as she is, he thinks with amusement, she’s proven rather terrible at keeping herself safe.

So he’ll do it for her. By whatever means necessary. Because, his mind tells him, there may come a day when she’ll need to keep the galaxy safe from him.

[jaimeariansencespedes]

ENE  06 – UN DIA COMO HOY – EPIFANIA – ES UN ACONTECIMIENTO RELIGIOSO, PARA MUCHAS CULTURAS CORRESPONDEN A REVELACIONES EN DONDE LOS PROFETAS INTERPRETABAN VISIONES MÁS ALLÁ DE ESTE MUNDO.

Es también una fiesta cristiana en la que Jesús toma una presencia humana en la tierra, es decir, Jesús se «da a conocer».

El término epifanía puede entenderse, según Giacomo Cannobio, en la Biblia de los Setenta, como una traducción del concepto de la «gloria de Dios», que indica las huellas de su paso o, para simplificar, su presencia.

En el Nuevo Testamento, en las cartas paulinas tardías, se refiere a la entrada de Cristo en el mundo, presentada como la del emperador que viene a tomar posesión de su reino (latín: adventus, de ahí el tiempo de Adviento como preparación a la Navidad). A partir de este significado, el término se usó en Oriente para indicar la manifestación de Cristo en la carne y a continuación, a partir del siglo IX, para designar la fiesta de la revelación de Jesús al mundo pagano. Esta es la fiesta que se sigue celebrando el día 6 de enero.

En la narración de la Biblia, Jesús se dio a conocer a diferentes personas y en diferentes momentos, pero el mundo cristiano celebra como epifanías tres eventos, a saber:

La Epifanía ante los magos de Oriente (tal y como se relata en Mateo 2, 1-123​) y que es celebrada el día 6 de enero de cada año esa fecha aún es considerada (al no haberse ajustado al calendario gregoriano) la de la Navidad por la Iglesia armenia.

La Epifanía a San Juan Bautista en el río Jordán.

La Epifanía a sus discípulos y comienzo de su vida pública con el milagro en Caná en el que inicia su actuación pública.

En realidad la fiesta de Epifanía que más se celebra es la que corresponde al día 6 de enero de cada año en la que los tres magos, según la tradición (en las traducciones de Biblias protestantes, y ya actualmente en las últimas traducciones de las Biblias católicas, elaboradas en colaboración ecuménica e interconfesional, se menciona el adjetivo «sabios») denominados: Gaspar, Melchor y Baltasar que aparecen del oriente para adorar la primera manifestación de Jesucristo como niño ofreciendo tres regalos: oro, incienso y mirra (simbolizando cada uno de estos tres regalos: la majestad, la sacralidad y la perpetuación ante la muerte). En realidad, la Biblia no habla del número de los magos, o sabios, ni tampoco de sus nombres. Ha sido la tradición posterior la que ha identificado su número y nombres. Los restos de los magos, según la tradición católica, descansarían en la Catedral de Colonia en Alemania.

La Epifanía es una de las fiestas litúrgicas cristianas más antiguas, instituida a finales del siglo III y a lo largo del IV en las distintas iglesias orientales. Ya desde mucho antes se venían celebrando en esa fecha otras festividades del mismo nombre por parte de varios cultos paganos, como ocurría en Grecia el 6 de enero en honor de Dioniso y en Alejandría (Egipto, de donde posiblemente procedía) en la noche del 5 al 6 de enero para conmemorar el nacimiento de Aion o Eón, hecho relatado por el autor cristiano Epifanio en el siglo IV.

En el siglo XV existía en Florencia la Compagnia dei Magi o Compagnia della Stella, una de las congregaciones más importantes de la ciudad, protegida por los Médici, que tenían una particular devoción por los Magos (les dedicaron la Cappella dei Magi en su palacio -con frescos de Benozzo Gozzoli- y la Adoración de los Magos de Fra Angélico en la capilla de Cosme el Viejo en el convento de San Marcos).

Esta hermandad imitaba cada tres años (desde 1447 cada cinco) el viaje de los Reyes Magos por las calles de Florencia, uno de los festejos más suntuosos de la ciudad toscana. jaimeariansen@outlook.com