#modal model

[cubicpopcorn]

[draped-in-stories]

Ajrakh Goes Chic: Traditional Art Meets Modern Wardrobes

Table of Contents

Understanding Ajrakh: A Timeless Textile Art

The Resurgence of Ajrakh in Contemporary Fashion

Modal Silk: The Perfect Canvas for Modern Ajrakh

Designer Approaches to Reinventing Ajrakh

Ajrakh in Saree Design: Blending Heritage and Modernity

Beyond Sarees: Ajrakh in Fusion and Western Wear

Color Palette Innovations in Modern Ajrakh

Sustainability and Ethical Considerations

Styling Modern Ajrakh Pieces

The Future of Ajrakh in Fashion

Frequently Asked Questions

The ancient art of Ajrakh block printing, with its intricate geometric patterns and deep, earthy hues, is experiencing a remarkable renaissance in the world of modern fashion. Designers are increasingly drawn to this traditional craft, not just for its rich heritage, but for its versatility and sustainable qualities. From stunning Ajrakh modal silk sarees that offer a luxurious drape to innovative fusion wear, Ajrakh is being reimagined for the contemporary wardrobe. At VastraRaag, we celebrate this fusion of tradition and innovation, showcasing how designers are breathing new life into this timeless textile art.

Understanding Ajrakh: A Timeless Textile Art

Ajrakh is a unique form of block printing that originated in the regions of Sindh (present-day Pakistan), Kutch in Gujarat, and Rajasthan in India. The name “Ajrakh” is believed to be derived from “Azrak,” the Arabic word for blue, a dominant color in this craft. This intricate process involves multiple stages of printing and washing the fabric using natural dyes and mordants like indigo, madder, harda, lime, and alizarin. Traditionally, Ajrakh fabrics were printed on both sides with perfectly aligned patterns, a testament to the incredible skill of the artisans. These textiles were originally worn by cattle herders and local communities, serving both functional and cultural purposes.

The complex geometric and floral patterns are created using hand-carved wooden blocks. Each piece of Ajrakh fabric is a labor of love, reflecting centuries of tradition and a deep connection to nature.

The Resurgence of Ajrakh in Contemporary Fashion

In recent years, Ajrakh has captured the imagination of designers and fashion enthusiasts alike, leading to its significant revival. This resurgence is driven by several factors:

A growing appreciation for handcrafted and artisanal products

Increased consumer interest in sustainable and eco-friendly fashion, as Ajrakh traditionally uses natural dyes

The versatility of Ajrakh patterns, which can be adapted to both traditional and modern silhouettes

The rise of online platforms that provide global access to traditional crafts, allowing artisans and designers to reach a wider audience

Designers are not merely replicating old patterns; they are actively innovating, exploring new color combinations, fabrics, and garment styles, ensuring that Ajrakh remains relevant and exciting for today’s fashion-conscious consumers.

Modal Silk: The Perfect Canvas for Modern Ajrakh

One of the key innovations in modern Ajrakh fashion is the use of new fabric bases, with modal silk emerging as a popular choice. Modal silk, a bio-fabric made from beechwood pulp, offers a luxurious, smooth texture and a beautiful drape that complements the richness of Ajrakh prints.

Benefits of Modal Silk for Ajrakh:

Softness and Comfort: Modal silk is known for its exceptional softness, making Ajrakh modal silk sarees and garments incredibly comfortable to wear

Luxurious Drape: The fabric has a fluid drape that enhances the elegance of sarees and other flowing garments

Vibrant Prints: Modal silk holds natural dyes well, allowing the intricate Ajrakh patterns to appear vibrant and rich

Sustainability: As a plant-based fiber, modal offers a more sustainable alternative to some traditional silks, aligning with the eco-conscious ethos of Ajrakh

Versatility: It is suitable for various garments, from sarees and kurtas to contemporary Western wear

The combination of traditional Ajrakh printing with the modern appeal of modal silk has created a new category of luxurious and comfortable ethnic wear, as seen in collections like the Ajrakh Hand Block Printed Modal Silk Sarees.

Designer Approaches to Reinventing Ajrakh

Contemporary designers are adopting various strategies to reinvent Ajrakh for modern sensibilities:

New Silhouettes: While Ajrakh sarees remain popular, designers are incorporating Ajrakh prints into a wide range of modern garments, including jackets, dresses, skirts, pants, co-ord sets, and even blazers and pantsuits

Fusion Wear: A significant trend is the blending of Ajrakh with Western silhouettes to create fusion wear. An Ajrakh dupatta might be paired with a little black dress, or an Ajrakh jacket worn over jeans and a t-shirt

Pattern Play: Designers are experimenting with the scale and placement of traditional Ajrakh motifs, sometimes using them as accents or combining them with other textile arts like Bandhej or Ikat

Collaborations with Artisans: Many designers collaborate directly with Ajrakh artisans, fostering a co-creative process that respects traditional techniques while introducing new design ideas. This ensures the craft’s authenticity while promoting innovation

Upcycling and Restyling: The durability and timeless appeal of Ajrakh make it suitable for upcycling and creating versatile pieces that can be restyled in multiple ways

Ajrakh in Saree Design: Blending Heritage and Modernity

The saree remains a central canvas for Ajrakh’s modern interpretations. Designers are creating Ajrakh modal silk sarees that appeal to a contemporary aesthetic while honoring the craft’s roots.

Innovations in Ajrakh Sarees:

Fabric Blends: Beyond cotton and traditional silk, designers are using modal silk, Gajji silk, and Dola silk to offer different textures and drapes

Color Palettes: While classic indigo and madder red remain, new color combinations are being explored to appeal to diverse tastes

Contemporary Motifs: Some designers introduce subtle modern elements into traditional geometric patterns or experiment with abstract interpretations of Ajrak

Blouse Pairings: The styling of Ajrakh sarees is also evolving, with recommendations for simple, elegant blouses or contrasting handcrafted blouses like Chikankari or Ikat to create a fusion look

Embroidery and Embellishments: Some modern Ajrakh sarees incorporate hand embroidery or other embellishments to add another layer of richness

These modern Ajrakh sarees are suitable for a range of occasions, from festive wear and weddings to formal office wear and casual ethnic outings.

Beyond Sarees: Ajrakh in Fusion and Western Wear

The adaptability of Ajrakh prints has led to their successful integration into non-traditional garments:

Jackets and Outerwear: Ajrakh printed jackets, blazers, trench coats, and kimonos are popular ways to incorporate the craft into everyday or statement Western wear

Dresses and Skirts: A-line dresses, maxi dresses, wrap dresses, and skirts featuring Ajrakh prints offer a blend of comfort and ethnic chic

Tops and Blouses: Ajrakh blouses can be paired with jeans or skirts for a sophisticated casual look

Pants and Co-ord Sets: Wide-legged Ajrakh pants or stylish co-ord sets provide a modern way to wear these traditional prints

Accessories: Ajrakh is also used in accessories like scarves, bags, and even shoes, offering subtle ways to include the craft in one’s style

This expansion into Western and fusion silhouettes demonstrates the global appeal of Ajrakh and its potential to transcend cultural boundaries.

Color Palette Innovations in Modern Ajrakh

While the traditional Ajrakh palette is dominated by indigo blue, madder red, black (from iron), and white (resist areas), contemporary designers are expanding this range.

Earthy and Pastel Tones: Modern collections often feature softer, earthy tones or pastel shades like onion pink, pista green, peach, or sky blue, appealing to a minimalist or contemporary aesthetic

Jewel Tones: For a more glamorous or festive feel, designers use rich jewel tones like maroon or navy blue in Ajrakh prints

Monochromatic Schemes: Some designers experiment with monochromatic Ajrakh patterns, focusing on the intricacy of the block prints rather than color contrast

Unconventional Combinations: You might find Ajrakh prints featuring unique color pairings, moving beyond the classic red/blue/black combinations

These color innovations make Ajrakh accessible to a wider audience and suitable for diverse fashion sensibilities while often still utilizing natural or eco-friendly dyes.

Sustainability and Ethical Considerations

A significant aspect of Ajrakh’s appeal in modern fashion is its alignment with sustainable and ethical practices.

Natural Dyes: The traditional use of vegetable and mineral dyes makes Ajrakh an eco-friendly choice compared to synthetic dyes

Handcrafted Process: The hand-block printing technique supports artisanal livelihoods and preserves traditional skills

Slow Fashion: Ajrakh production is a slow, multi-step process, embodying the principles of slow fashion, which values quality and craftsmanship over mass production

Supporting Artisans: Many designers and brands emphasize fair trade practices and direct collaborations with artisan communities, ensuring they receive equitable compensation

By choosing authentic Ajrakh, consumers can support a craft that is environmentally conscious and socially responsible.

Styling Modern Ajrakh Pieces

Modern Ajrakh garments, whether traditional sarees or contemporary fusion wear, offer versatile styling options:

Ajrakh Modal Silk Sarees: Pair with oxidized silver or antique gold jewelry for a classic look. A simple, elegant blouse can highlight the saree’s intricate patterns. Ethnic juttis or embellished sandals complete the ensemble

Ajrakh Kurtas: Style with plain palazzos or leggings to let the print be the focus

Ajrakh Dupattas/Scarves: Drape over a simple kurta set or even a Western outfit like a little black dress or jumpsuit for a striking fusion statement

Ajrakh Jackets/Outerwear: Layer over monochrome outfits or simple dresses to add a pop of pattern and color

Boho Chic: Ajrakh’s earthy tones and natural dyes lend themselves well to bohemian styles, paired with flowy tops and layered accessories

The key is often to balance the richness of the Ajrakh print with simpler complementary pieces to let the craftsmanship shine.

The Future of Ajrakh in Fashion

The reinvention of Ajrakh by modern designers suggests a bright future for this ancient craft. By adapting to contemporary tastes in terms of fabric, color, and silhouette, while preserving the core techniques and ethos, Ajrakh is set to remain a significant and cherished part of the global fashion landscape. The continued collaboration between designers and artisan communities will be crucial in ensuring that Ajrakh evolves sustainably, honoring its heritage while embracing innovation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What makes Ajrakh different from other block printing techniques? A: Ajrakh is distinguished by its complex multi-step resist dyeing and printing process, the use of natural dyes, intricate geometric and floral patterns, and traditionally, printing on both sides of the fabric with remarkable precision.

Q: Is modal silk a good choice for Ajrakh sarees? A: Yes, modal silk is an excellent choice. It offers a soft, luxurious drape, takes natural dyes well, enhances the vibrancy of Ajrakh prints, and is comfortable to wear, making Ajrakh modal silk sarees a popular modern option.

Q: How are designers making Ajrakh prints appeal to a younger audience? A: Designers are using Ajrakh on contemporary silhouettes like dresses, jackets, and co-ord sets, experimenting with modern color palettes, and creating fusion wear that blends traditional Ajrakh with Western fashion elements.

Q: Is Ajrakh fashion sustainable? A: Traditional Ajrakh, with its use of natural dyes and handcrafted techniques, aligns well with sustainable fashion principles. Many modern designers emphasize these eco-friendly aspects and support artisan communities through fair practices.

Q: How can I incorporate Ajrakh into my everyday Western wardrobe? A: You can easily incorporate Ajrakh through accessories like scarves or bags, or by wearing Ajrakh printed tops, jackets, or skirts paired with simple Western staples like jeans or solid-colored dresses.

Q: Where can I buy authentic modern Ajrakh pieces? A: Look for brands and platforms that specialize in handcrafted textiles and collaborate directly with artisans. Retailers like VastraRaag offer curated collections of authentic Ajrakh garments, including Ajrakh modal silk sarees.

The journey of Ajrakh from traditional attire to a staple in modern fashion showcases the enduring power of masterful craftsmanship. As designers continue to innovate, pieces like the Ajrakh modal silk saree exemplify how heritage and contemporary style can beautifully coexist, ensuring that this ancient art form thrives for generations to come. Explore collections at VastraRaag to witness this elegant reinvention firsthand.

[newspatron]

Chat GPT-4o: The AI Revolution Unveiled

What do you think of Chat GPT-4o? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

Close all those open tabs in your browser (and mobile apps!), because things are about to get seriously interesting in the world of AI. OpenAI has just unveiled GPT-4o, and it’s not just an upgrade – it’s a game-changer. Picture this: an AI that understands not only your words but also your voice, your photos, and even your videos. It’s like stepping into the future, and it’s all happening right…

[thunder-robots]

ECTO 1 BUILD PART 30

[tea-earlgrey]

Spatort-Timeline

Aktualisierte Version (Stand: Juni 2025) 

Disclaimer: Das ist meine Interpretation der vorhandenen Informationen und ein Versuch, möglichst viel davon passend zu machen. Ich erhebe keinen Anspruch auf Richtigkeit und möchte nicht, dass damit jemand in der eigenen, kreativen Freiheit eingeschränkt wird. Zur Verwendung siehe unter Cut.

1990  - Adam und Leo werden geboren (Annahme basierend auf Jahrbuch aus HdW und dass Adam und Leo in der 11. Klasse etwa 16/17 waren; Stichtag Einschulung Saarland 30. Juni, Stand 2021) - Erster Nachweis von Aktivität Roland Schürks (Kontoauszüge aus April 1990) 

1994  - Fahndungsaufruf Joseph und Beatrice Radek vom 16. Mai 

2001  - Roland Schürk wird wegen unerlaubten Waffenbesitzes verurteilt  

2002  - Erste Raubüberfälle, zu denen Boris Barns geständig ist; (gemeinsam mit Roland Schürk) - Roland Schürk erhält 300.000 Euro in kleineren Summen aufs Konto

2003   - 14. Februar: Banküberfall mit Todesfolge aus der Raubserie Roland Schürk/Boris Barns - Boris Barns kommt im Frühling 2003 wegen Raubmord ins Gefängnis (Entlassung vermutlich 2023 bei Höchststrafe und wegen Weigerung auf Kooperation; mögliche Verlängerung wegen weiterer Vorfälle)  

Vermutlich zwischen 2003 und 2006   - Leo und Adam als Jugendfreunde (“Hab jahrelang dabei zugesehen…” aber Leo weiß nicht von Boris) 

2006   - Vermutlich April: Roland Schürk wird von Peter Lausch im Wald angegriffen und später von Leo in Nothilfe ins Koma geschlagen (siehe Post zur Ermittlung des Datums) - 04. Mai: in Frankreich wird die Leiche von E. Morel gefunden, ihr Oberschenkel fehlt   

Schuljahr 2006/07  - Peter Lausch wird Lehrer an Leos und Adams Schule; Leo und Adam kommen in die 11. Klasse   - Oktober - Dezember: Leo gewinnt Vorlesewettbewerb und fährt danach zum Bundesausscheid; Adam leitet die Fußball AG 

Schuljahr 2007/2008   - Adam verschwindet (im Jahrbuch 2006/2007 mehrfach aufgeführt, in der 11. den Philo-Kurs von Lausch besucht, “Und Sie sind dann irgendwann verschwunden”)

Schuljahr 2008/2009  - Abitur des Jahrgangs 1990/91, daher vermutlich mindestens Leo (vgl. Jahrbuch 2006/07 11. Klasse; G9 Modell im Saarland bis 2009)

2014  - 23. Januar: Mara Heinrich wird als vermisst gemeldet  

2018  - Cora Reuthers wird zum ersten Mal überfallen (muss nicht der erste Einbruch sein; Stimmiger hinsichtlich Therapie und Selbstverteidigungskurse) 

2020  - Vermutlich 4./11. Mai (Montagnacht): Eric Hofer wird ermordet  - Vermutlich 5./12. Mai (Dienstag): Adam beginnt neue Stelle in Saarbrücken  - Vermutlich 7./14. Mai: Roland Schürk wacht auf nach etwa 14 Jahren (Annahme: Rundung auf 15 Jahre, weil es besser klingt)   - 05.07.2020: Jessi Pohlmann wird ermordet  - 06.07.2020: Roland Schürk wird aus dem Krankenhaus entlassen und sitzt im Rollstuhl  - 09.07.2020: Leo erschießt Peter Lausch; Roland Schürk verletzt 

2021  - Ende 2021/Anfang 2022: Einbruch im Wohnhaus Schürk durch Modalls Bande; Roland wird verprügelt (Aussage von Heide Schürk, dass Roland nach seiner neuerlichen Verletzung während HdW wieder laufen kann) - Erster Einbruch bei Cora Reuthers (könnte unterschiedlich zu o.g. Überfall sein) 

2022:  - Anfang März: Roland Schürk kauft einen Regenbogenfrosch  - Ende März (Woche vom 21.-27.03.): Roland Schürk stirbt; Adam wird wegen Mordverdacht an seinem Vater verhaftet und trifft in Untersuchungshaft auf seinen Patenonkel Boris Barns  - Ende März: Adam birgt die 1,2 Millionen aus dem letzten Bankraub seines Vaters (Geldscheine sind allerdings falsch)

2023  - Frühling: Boris Barns wird aus der Haft entlassen (sofern seine Haftstrafe nicht verlängert wurde) - Ende Juli (vermutlich 22.07.): Andreas Schneider stirbt nach einem Ackermatch; Moritz Leimer überfällt Adam wegen der 1,2 Millionen aus dem letzten Banküberfall  - Ende Juli (vermutlich 25.07.): Roswitha Jäger stirbt bei beinahe-Unfall (Datum auf Leos Uhr falsch) auf (nicht) B17 

2025 - 09. Juni (Pfingstmontag): Überfall auf Geldtransporter am Willi-Graf-Ufer durch Carla Radek, Merlin Bravard und Moritz Leimer  - 11. Juni: Carla Radek stirbt bei Explosion in einem Bunker in Frankreich; Leo verletzt

Zur Verwendung:

Dieser erste Post enthält die grobe Timeline mit Informationen zu einzelnen Jahren und Eckpunkten, die relevant sein könnten. Rot markiert und kursiv sind Annahmen, die ich tätige, um die Timeline passend zu machen.

Informationen über Nebencharaktere sind kleiner, aber im Post teilweise inkludiert, da sie Einblicke in die Gesamt-Timeline geben oder für die Weiterverarbeitung hilfreich sein können.

Die Quellen sind diesmal in den Reblogs zu finden. Es gibt zu jedem Film einen eigenen Reblog; die Informationen befinden sich unter den Cuts, damit der Stapel nicht zu groß wird. Film-Reblogs enthalten jeweils eine Timeline des Films in violett.

Die Timeline ist absichtlich in Textform, um sie für Screenreader erfassbar zu machen.

Fragen zur Timeline beantworte ich jederzeit gerne.

[dragonnarrative-writes]

Generative AI Is Bad For Your Creative Brain

In the wake of early announcing that their blog will no longer be posting fanfiction, I wanted to offer a different perspective than the ones I’ve been seeing in the argument against the use of AI in fandom spaces. Often, I’m seeing the arguments that the use of generative AI or Large Language Models (LLMs) make creative expression more accessible. Certainly, putting a prompt into a chat box and refining the output as desired is faster than writing a 5000 word fanfiction or learning to draw digitally or traditionally. But I would argue that the use of chat bots and generative AI actually limits - and ultimately reduces - one’s ability to enjoy creativity.

Creativity, defined by the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus, is the ability to produce or use original and unusual ideas. By definition, the use of generative AI discourages the brain from engaging with thoughts creatively. ChatGPT, character bots, and other generative AI products have to be trained on already existing text. In order to produce something “usable,” LLMs analyzes patterns within text to organize information into what the computer has been trained to identify as “desirable” outputs. These outputs are not always accurate due to the fact that computers don’t “think” the way that human brains do. They don’t create. They take the most common and refined data points and combine them according to predetermined templates to assemble a product. In the case of chat bots that are fed writing samples from authors, the product is not original - it’s a mishmash of the writings that were fed into the system.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a therapy modality developed by Marsha M. Linehan based on the understanding that growth comes when we accept that we are doing our best and we can work to better ourselves further. Within this modality, a few core concepts are explored, but for this argument I want to focus on Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation. Mindfulness, put simply, is awareness of the information our senses are telling us about the present moment. Emotion regulation is our ability to identify, understand, validate, and control our reaction to the emotions that result from changes in our environment. One of the skills taught within emotion regulation is Building Mastery - putting forth effort into an activity or skill in order to experience the pleasure that comes with seeing the fruits of your labor. These are by no means the only mechanisms of growth or skill development, however, I believe that mindfulness, emotion regulation, and building mastery are a large part of the core of creativity. When someone uses generative AI to imitate fanfiction, roleplay, fanart, etc., the core experience of creative expression is undermined.

Creating engages the body. As a writer who uses pen and paper as well as word processors while drafting, I had to learn how my body best engages with my process. The ideal pen and paper, the fact that I need glasses to work on my computer, the height of the table all factor into how I create. I don’t use audio recordings or transcriptions because that’s not a skill I’ve cultivated, but other authors use those tools as a way to assist their creative process. I can’t speak with any authority to the experience of visual artists, but my understanding is that the feedback and feel of their physical tools, the programs they use, and many other factors are not just part of how they learned their craft, they are essential to their art.

Generative AI invites users to bypass mindfully engaging with the physical act of creating. Part of becoming a person who creates from the vision in one’s head is the physical act of practicing. How did I learn to write? By sitting down and making myself write, over and over, word after word. I had to learn the rhythms of my body, and to listen when pain tells me to stop. I do not consider myself a visual artist - I have not put in the hours to learn to consistently combine line and color and form to show the world the idea in my head.

But I could.

Learning a new skill is possible. But one must be able to regulate one’s unpleasant emotions to be able to get there. The emotion that gets in the way of most people starting their creative journey is anxiety. Instead of a focus on “fear,” I like to define this emotion as “unpleasant anticipation.” In Atlas of the Heart, Brene Brown identifies anxiety as both a trait (a long term characteristic) and a state (a temporary condition). That is, we can be naturally predisposed to be impacted by anxiety, and experience unpleasant anticipation in response to an event. And the action drive associated with anxiety is to avoid the unpleasant stimulus.

Starting a new project, developing a new skill, and leaning into a creative endevor can inspire and cause people to react to anxiety. There is an unpleasant anticipation of things not turning out exactly correctly, of being judged negatively, of being unnoticed or even ignored. There is a lot less anxiety to be had in submitting a prompt to a machine than to look at a blank page and possibly make what could be a mistake. Unfortunately, the more something is avoided, the more anxiety is generated when it comes up again. Using generative AI doesn’t encourage starting a new project and learning a new skill - in fact, it makes the prospect more distressing to the mind, and encourages further avoidance of developing a personal creative process.

One of the best ways to reduce anxiety about a task, according to DBT, is for a person to do that task. Opposite action is a method of reducing the intensity of an emotion by going against its action urge. The action urge of anxiety is to avoid, and so opposite action encourages someone to approach the thing they are anxious about. This doesn’t mean that everyone who has anxiety about creating should make themselves write a 50k word fanfiction as their first project. But in order to reduce anxiety about dealing with a blank page, one must face and engage with a blank page. Even a single sentence fragment, two lines intersecting, an unintentional drop of ink means the page is no longer blank. If those are still difficult to approach a prompt, tutorial, or guided exercise can be used to reinforce the understanding that a blank page can be changed, slowly but surely by your own hand.

(As an aside, I would discourage the use of AI prompt generators - these often use prompts that were already created by a real person without credit. Prompt blogs and posts exist right here on tumblr, as well as imagines and headcannons that people often label “free to a good home.” These prompts can also often be specific to fandom, style, mood, etc., if you’re looking for something specific.)

In the current social media and content consumption culture, it’s easy to feel like the first attempt should be a perfect final product. But creating isn’t just about the final product. It’s about the process. Bo Burnam’s Inside is phenomenal, but I think the outtakes are just as important. We didn’t get That Funny Feeling and How the World Works and All Eyes on Me because Bo Burnham woke up and decided to write songs in the same day. We got them because he’s been been developing and honing his craft, as well as learning about himself as a person and artist, since he was a teenager. Building mastery in any skill takes time, and it’s often slow.

Slow is an important word, when it comes to creating. The fact that skill takes time to develop and a final piece of art takes time regardless of skill is it’s own source of anxiety. Compared to @sentientcave, who writes about 2k words per day, I’m very slow. And for all the time it takes me, my writing isn’t perfect - I find typos after posting and sometimes my phrasing is awkward. But my writing is better than it was, and my confidence is much higher. I can sit and write for longer and longer periods, my projects are more diverse, I’m sharing them with people, even before the final edits are done. And I only learned how to do this because I took the time to push through the discomfort of not being as fast or as skilled as I want to be in order to learn what works for me and what doesn’t.

Building mastery - getting better at a skill over time so that you can see your own progress - isn’t just about getting better. It’s about feeling better about your abilities. Confidence, excitement, and pride are important emotions to associate with our own actions. It teaches us that we are capable of making ourselves feel better by engaging with our creativity, a confidence that can be generalized to other activities.

Generative AI doesn’t encourage its users to try new things, to make mistakes, and to see what works. It doesn’t reward new accomplishments to encourage the building of new skills by connecting to old ones. The reward centers of the brain have nothing to respond to to associate with the action of the user. There is a short term input-reward pathway, but it’s only associated with using the AI prompter. It’s designed to encourage the user to come back over and over again, not develop the skill to think and create for themselves.

I don’t know that anyone will change their minds after reading this. It’s imperfect, and I’ve summarized concepts that can take months or years to learn. But I can say that I learned something from the process of writing it. I see some of the flaws, and I can see how my essay writing has changed over the years. This might have been faster to plug into AI as a prompt, but I can see how much more confidence I have in my own voice and opinions. And that’s not something chatGPT can ever replicate.

[alexanderwales]

Talking about AI with people who don't know about AI is always fun.

Guy: Yeah, an AI can write "apple", but it's never seen an apple.

Me: I mean, we have multi-modal models now, but I get what you mean.

Guy: What's that?

Me: Er, we have multi-modal models that are trained on text and pictures and video and audio. So they've "seen" an apple.

Guy: Wow, that's wild. But I guess they've never tasted or held an apple.

Me: I mean ... there is not, in principle, any reason you couldn't hook it up to sensors. There are artificial "tongues" used in food science and research that can "taste" things. Which is not the same thing as a human tongue, but you could, in theory, train a huge multi-modal neural net on a wide variety of taste inputs that were combined with auditory and visual inputs. They're not doing that, so far as I know.

Guy: A computer can hold and taste an apple?

Me: Yeah. I mean, the model could be trained on data, and then use tool hook-ins to control a robot arm with sensors, and then all the collected data could be used to train another model, which would, when writing about an apple, have associations between all its "senses" and so in some way would be able to describe an apple using different data streams. But I don't think that's what you meant when you said that.

Guy: No, it was. A computer can eat an apple. Huh.

[draped-in-stories]

The historic town of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh has been home to this magnificent weaving tradition for centuries, reaching its peak during the Mughal era. What makes Chanderi silk truly special is the weaving technique that creates a fabric with unmatched transparency and shine. Unlike other silk varieties, the non-degumming of raw yarn gives Chanderi its characteristic luminosity and featherlight feel.

Traditional Chanderi silk sarees feature intricate motifs inspired by nature and architectural elements, including peacocks, coins, flowers, and geometric patterns. These designs are meticulously hand-woven using needles and then enhanced with gold, silver, or copper threads. The result is a fabric that is luxurious yet comfortable, making it suitable for India's diverse climate conditions.

[aiweirdness]

AI versus a giraffe with no spots

On July 31, 2023, a giraffe with no spots was born at Brights Zoo in Tennessee.

Image recognition algorithms are trained on a variety of images from around the internet, and/or on a few standard image datasets. But there likely haven't been any spotless giraffes in their training data, since the last one to be born was probably in 1972 in Tokyo. How do they do when faced with photos of the spotless giraffe?

Here's Multi-Modal In-Context Learning:

And InstructBLIP, which was more eloquent but also added lots of spurious detail.

More examples at AiWeirdness.com

Are these crummy image recognition models? Not unusually so. As far as I can tell with a brief poke around, MMICL and InstructBLIP are modern models (as of Aug 2023), fairly high up on the leaderboards of models answering questions about images. Their demonstration pages (and InstructBLIP's paper) are full of examples of the models providing complete and sensible-looking answers about images.

Then why are they so bad at Giraffe With No Spots?

I can think of three main factors here:

AI does best on images it's seen before. We know AI is good at memorizing stuff; it might even be that some of the images in the examples and benchmarks are in the training datasets these algorithms used. Giraffe With No Spots may be especially difficult not only because the giraffe is unusual, but because it's new to the internet.

AI tends to sand away the unusual. It's trained to answer with the most likely answer to your question, which is not necessarily the most correct answer.

The papers and demonstration sites are showcasing their best work. Whereas I am zeroing in on their worst work, because it's entertaining and because it's a cautionary tale about putting too much faith in AI image recognition.

[beneathsilverstars]

Was explaining my thoughts about Vaugardian attitudes towards mental health and therapy as part of a different topic, but it got really long so dfjkghdf here it is as a whole post! Starting with some more general worldbuilsing but hold on, we’ll get there.

Since Houses canonically contain libraries and infirmaries and provide things like education and transition care, I see them as a center of not just community but specifically community resources. If you have a problem or a question, you go to the local House, and if they can't solve it themself they'll point you in the direction of whoever can! Thus Housemaidens generally fill a role similar to social workers, and specific Housemaidens will have specialties like being a doctor, cook, teacher of a particular subject, etc. In larger cities, a lot of the more specific or labor-intensive resources would probably be outsourced to other charities/companies/organizations, or perhaps split into specialties by House, to better serve a dense population instead of trying to cram every resource into every neighborhood's House. But you would still go to any House first to find these other resources, so every House would maintain a focus on educating and advising. Combine this with the fact that religious leaders are often one of the first people that followers go to for personal guidance, and it makes sense that Housemaidens would provide all sorts of counseling, filling the role of everything from job coach to therapist.

If Housemaidens are the people providing all or at least most of the therapy in the country, then even if they're not trying to push religious doctrine, the Change belief is still going to be the source of the values and philosophies that their therapeutic models are based in. They can try to be nonpartisan and avoid mentioning Change in so many words, but it'll still be baked into the default assumptions of the local modalities in a self-perpetuating manner. If you want an entirely different approach, you're probably going to have find someone who specifically studied alternate modalities from other countries, any of which would have a much smaller market share than Change-based therapies.

So! Vaugardian therapy will focus on questions like "What Changes have been happening in your life lately, and how do you feel about them?" "What would you like to Change in your life?" "What can you Change about your thought processes and habits to address the things that trouble you?" and "Who do you want to be?" Which sound like just a particular way to word fairly common topics, but! These questions would be asked in pursuit of Change-y goals, as well.

The goal of irl mental healthcare as an industry is to make sure people can be productive. A common diagnostic question is "does this symptom interfere with your ability to work and otherwise get things done?" But Vaugardians are friendly and helpful to the point of approaching utopia, so I could see them being less concerned with this, because they're more willing to accept that some people can't work and some people need more support. In fact, in keeping with their distaste for carcinization, they might actively oppose the idea that there is any particular goal that people should be working towards. If there's one type of existence that is best for all people at all times, reaching it would mean there's no reason to ever Change again! So instead of any particular milestones, the goal is simply to set and strive towards goals that feel right to you.

I also think they'd be less likely to work off of a diagnostic model at all; you can't just say that someone inherently has depression. They may be depressed right now, but that can Change! The Change might require constant upkeep, but some Changes are like that, and it doesn't mean the Change is any less real. Instead, they'd probably be more focused on individual symptoms (and traits!), which might tend to come in certain clusters, but those clusters would be seen as trends rather than criteria. The Change modality would be less concerned with whether a state of being is disordered vs normal/healthy (and they'd be less likely to conflate "normal" and "healthy"), focusing instead on whether you're happy with where you're at, but also willing and able to Change as suits you.

So, "I feel apathetic all the time, I don't want to put effort into anything and I don't care about anything, I don't know who I am or who I want to be" would be an experience of depression symptoms that a Vaugardian therapist would prioritize helping you Change. But "I don't care about any of the things I used to care about, I think I want to quit my job and cut off all my friends so I can spend more time sleeping" would be... an idea a good therapist may recommend you spend some time exploring, to make sure that's what you really want and you're ready for the ramifications... but they wouldn't say, "No, that's a bad thing to want, we need to treat your depression so that you no longer want to do that." If you really do hate your job and your friends right now, stagnating in that because you feel like you ought to would be the worst case scenario! If pursuing this Change ends up making you feel unfulfilled and lonely and sick of sleeping all day, then, well, you can just Change again at that point, once you've decided that's what you want to do.

In an opposite example, a common criticism of irl therapy is that it provides bandaid solutions for structural issues. "I'm anxious about losing my job" might be addressed by mindfulness methods to lessen anxiety, which is better than nothing, but if you're genuinely in danger of losing your job and thus access to shelter and food, that's not something you can mindfulness away. Versus, in Change-based therapies, they would focus on discussing what you get out of that job and what about it makes you anxious. You might decide that you want to change careers to something that fits you better right now — which would be a lot easier to accomplish in Vaugarde than it would be irl, because of the resources provided by the Houses and general community. Or, you might decide that there's something about yourself that you want to change in order to better fit the job. So instead of working on the feeling of anxiety, you might work on building new skills, or building better relationships with your coworkers.

... I wrote this post thinking that Vaugardian therapy might use similar techniques to CBT (therapy), since CBT focuses on understanding the patterns of thought, behavior, and belief that lead to psychological issues, so that you can replace negative patterns with habits that serve you better. Sounds like making mental changes in order to change your feelings and actions! It would just be in favor of different goals than irl CBT under capitalism.

However. I did some more research, and it looks like Humanistic therapy is very similar to what I made up just now? According to this text, humanistic therapy "emphasizes growth and self-actualization rather than curing diseases or alleviating disorders." Psychological issues are "viewed as the result of inhibited ability to make authentic, meaningful, and self-directed choices about how to live," so it focuses on "helping people free themselves from disabling assumptions and attitudes so they can live fuller lives."

It's less of a set of techniques and more of a philosophy. According to this website, the key is empathy and "unconditional positive regard," which means the therapist "shows warmth, is receptive, and is nonjudgmental." They cultivate a casual, friendly atmosphere, instead of positioning themself as an authority figure. Client-centered therapy is a subtype that sounds like the most cliché sort of talk therapy; the therapist "listens, acknowledges, and paraphrases your concerns," giving you a space where you can be honest and accepted as yourself. Another subtype is gestalt therapy, which "focuses on the skills and techniques that allow you to be aware of your feelings and emotions," and encourages a focus on the present and self-responsibility.

So! That sounds about right! Vaugardian therapists aim to help you recognize your emotions and figure out who you are and who you want to be, through casual conversation and empathetic active listening, without judgement. They help you look at your skills, emotions, desires, and struggles, and guide you to consider the full breadth of options available to you, so you can decide what Changes will lead you to happiness and fulfillment. They especially try to avoid diagnosing, prescribing, or otherwise telling you who you must be or what you must need. They may provide suggestions — help you put something into words, or bring up options that professionals are more familiar with such as medication, or challenge you to re-examine your assumptions — but it's a collaborative brainstorming, and they want you to freely choose the option you think is best for you.

[prokopetz]

In Eat God, the language of the Modal Morphology Trait Form is a little confusing to me.

On first read, it's unclear how many alternate shapes my god eater gets until we see the word "both" in the last sentence of the description (the first sentence stating "an alternate shape" kinda slips by). Every other reference to the number of shapes use "Each" or "one of", which can be any number greater than 1, so the word "both" has to do all the heavy lifting. This is also (one of) the most jargon dense Trait Forms in the list, which I'm sure didn't help.

Reading through the list, I was able to understand all other Trait Forms on first pass, Modal Morphology was the only one I had to re-read several times to understand.

P.S. Can Modal Morphology allow me to get the same Form twice, as long as they're for different shapes? I feel like having Striking Stature (Bulky) and Striking Stature (Tiny) as Forms of different shapes would be funny.

(With reference to this post here.)

Yeah, that one's unavoidably jargon-dense because it's a very fiddly thing to represent mechanically, but we have to explicitly support Jekyll-and-Hyde type characters owing to the media inspirations the game is trying to model. There's just not a lot of flex in the available word count – have a look at the corresponding card in the print-and-play Forms deck and you'll see what I mean. We've got maybe five words of breathing room to play with there. I'm open to suggestions!

Regarding your postscript, strictly by the book the answer is "no", though this is mostly a concession to ease of play: allowing multiple copies of the same Form in some contexts but not others would enormously complicate the card-drawing method of character creation. The game won't break if you allow a character with Modal Morphology to have different variants of the same Form on each of their shapes.

[peromentudung-with-love]

model tudung ke modal ni...lancap pakai tudung kau tu..pastu kau melutut aku nak pancut kat muke kau...hahahhaha💦💦💦💦😍😍😍

[funeral]

Simulations are internal representations of properties of the world, which are not actual properties of the environment as given through the senses. Representations, however, are internal representations of states of the world which have functionally already been defined as actual by the system. [ . . . ] Information available in the central nervous system never truly is actual information. However, because the system defines ordering thresholds within sensory modalities and supramodal windows of simultaneity, it generates a temporal frame of reference for itself which fixes what is to be treated as its own present. Metaphorically speaking, it owns reality by simulating a Now, a fictitious kind of temporal internality. Therefore, even this kind of presence is a virtual presence; it results from a constructive representational process.

Thomas Metzinger, Being No One: The Self-Model Theory of Subjectivity

[max1461]

Tense/modal auxiliary on the model of gonna < going to, trynna < trying to, finna < fixing to: tempna < attempting to