#simply given we have so relatively little about so many details

[mechanismslorearchive]

heard some people say jonny is cononicaly omni? do you know where this is from?

This is from a twitch clip from Jonny’s streams! I don’t have the link at the moment, but someone asked him quite a while ago about the joke/discourse (brief pause as I am overcome with the specters of discourse past) regarding Jonny d’Ville being homophobic, based on the line in one of the fictions where he asks if Nastya is having one of her “queer orgies.”

Jonny said that he didn’t write that story, so he can’t say for sure what was intended with the line in question, but that d’Ville is, in his mind, omnisexual, and not homophobic. This makes it word-of-god canon, which of course depending on your approach to the text (the text in this case being the albums, fictions, social media posts, and other in-character, official sources) may or may not count as canon in the way that, say, Brookes from Pump Shanty (Bashful) being mlm does. But that’s where it comes from!

[n0phis]

alright boys. big post incoming.

DISCLAIMER: it is 3am upon writing this all down and i am also not a writer

–

i’m gonna start with the more lore-based stuff and add the little physical details as they come! so let’s fuckin explain this, shall we

in the world of this design/my personal hc techno isn’t so much the blood god as he is his champion and/or successor of some sort! partially through birth but in a fated sort of way, where he was just inevitably going to achieve the things required of the champion within his lifetime and thus was blessed from a relatively young age without need for some monumental trial. the blood god’s mantle was granted– the cape he wears– and is of a beast that was essentially the manifested will of the blood god. now i do want to say that i’m unsure whether a lot of techno’s physical features also came from the blessing or if he was born with them; i’m leaning towards born with them to an extent, and imagine him as a similar/same species to that of schlatt and tubbo in my hc! nondescript, varying ungulate features with techno only being half blooded (and lacking the strange sclera & tusks initially, as those do fit with the blessing).

before i get into what the mantle does i’ll talk about the beast itself, because i absolutely fucking love it it’s my squinkly little mythic pig

tales of the boar describe it as a hulking, monstrous creature that could dwarf any hoglin and was covered head to toe in blood-red, serrated quills; suffice to say the mantle itself implies it was more likely to have simply been a mutated hoglin, a rare subspecies, or some sort of thick-furred, primal ancestor. the bushy mane of the mantle is very rough and sharp, but fades into a much softer coat further down the cloak– though it does have hints of red here and there, so perhaps not everything was an exaggeration.

the most pressing question is whether the entire thing is just folklore– if the mantle came from a real beast that existed at all or if it was just such a common tale told by the worshippers of the blood god that he himself heard and manifested the trophy into existence. 

there really is no way to tell, unless you ask a certain old bird.

true or not, the boar’s story is that of an honourable plague. an animal that destroyed everything in its path and always, without fail, won. no matter how many of the world’s finest warriors sought it out, the beast never fell– never came close to falling. it lived a long and prosperous life, ruining others’, and the blood it spilt is said to have given the crimson forests their colour. it died old and happy as its tusks bore through and into its own skull, the crown on the mantle is representative of that– with the added flair of an article of holy clothing, that is. a crown of emerging tusks, not a trophy because of symbolism of some hero overcoming an impossible foe, but of a beast who lived life to the fullest. the unkillable imbuing its own virtue upon the wearer.

the mantle doesnt give so much as it exacerbates, though, granted only to those who, by their own merit, would inevitably live a life like the boar’s.

essentially while the blood god’s blessing doesn’t best the passage of time, it’ still kickass. and techno wasn’t given his chad nature by some god, he was just recognized for it.

the blessing– again, at a young age– also gave him his very striking eyes and tusks! the eyes are inspired by those of a bearded vulture, where their actual function is flushing blood into the sclera to intimidate other animals (which is just so incredibly perfect). it technically isn’t permanent, but is attached to such a minute increase in heartrate that unless he is incredibly bored his sclera is nearly always red. it’s a good way to tell if he’s sleeping, at least? that is if you can’t pick it up from the closed eyes, blanket, and snoring. 

the tusks came in gradually as he aged, and on the topic of physical features his hair is dyed!

the voices (chat) were passed to him along with the mantle, which essentially functions as a selkie style half-pelt that fuses to him, grants him strength and heightened susceptibility to the aforementioned Chat (tm). he’s not a monster by any means when ‘fused’, but behaves slightly more like a big silly dog. or wolf, i guess, given the times he tends to use it. it’s actually the form he’s most comfortable in given how much more durable he is (hence boar guy in his reading glasses chilling up there) but over time without breaks from it the voices grate at him more and more. he kinda took a break from using it after doomsday.

he’s about 6’3 as a humanoid, but closer to 7’ fused with the mantle! it fuses from his chin, down his spine & shoulders to the tail, and finally down his legs.

his forearms, stomach (& most of his back) and neck are almost entirely unchanged minus the scale and build being a little altered! the cape/fabric part actually entirely disappears, and while the action of donning it is a very physical ‘putting it on’, taking it off is more of a mental thing— which poses a challenge when the voices have cause to be particularly loud and he just wants out but can’t focus.

the last few things i’ll touch on is the reception in canon to this, and the effects of the attempted execution.

so nobody but phil and maybe the rest of sbi truly know much about this, it’s actually generally assumed around the server that it’s just whatever strange sort of creature that techno is. 

the stories– and the blood god himself– exist primarily in the nether, and techno rarely ever met with people without the mantle fully equipped and fused. it certainly contributed to his reputation, to the point of others being baffled upon seeing his ‘human form’ after assuming for so long that a bipedal, prickly hoglin was just this freakazoid’s default. he didn’t mind; the less vulnerable the better. and it allowed him to wreak havoc a hell of a lot easier, with a hell of a lot fewer voices telling him to tone it down as opposed to his beta male humanoid form. if the butcher army had known to make him take it off, things could have turned out quite differently. but they didn’t, so they can suck it.

lastly, slightly anticlimactically, and a wee bit differently to the art (which, again, was just the rough design after having these ideas marinating in my brain sauces for 7 months with no outlet), the effects of the totem! there arent veins running down him or the mantle’s face as cool as that would be, because, y’know, practicality, but all of his tusks (since he was fused at the time of near-death) have cracks in them that have been mended with gold! he also has a striking, golden lock of hair directly around the impact site on both forms, and fancy gold irises that compliment his freaky deaky sclera wonderfully.

and there’s my techno shit! i’m probably forgetting a lot, or i just havent thought about it yet and will come up with my answer to any questions immediately upon being asked and no sooner but YOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! if u read this far ily parasocially

[incorrect-koh-posts]

If you search Krol Tredowaty in Polish you mighy find images of Baldwin IV. An early take. Very cool.

Oh, thank you for pointing that out to me! 💛

Have some lovely Baldwin IV cover illustrations for Zofia Kossak's 1937 novel The Leper King (Król Trędowaty):

I'm particularly fond of these two - I think the minimalist art style suits both the subject and our leprous boy quite well, and I like the design the artists chose for his cloak and veil.

I also came across a rather pretty Polish cover for the Bernard Hamilton book:

My version of the Kossak novel (published in Germany in 1964), sadly, looks quite boring in comparison:

And while we're on the subject: I have to admit I rather enjoyed Kossak's take on the events in the Holy Land between roughly 1176 and 1187. Of course, it is very old-fashioned in terms of its writing style, and far from historically accurate - but considering that it was published in 1937, long before most of the decisive academic works we know had been written, I think Kossak nonetheless did an admirable job with presenting the historical events in a way that is both comprehensible and somewhat entertaining. Being nitpicky about the details while having access to almost a hundred years' worth of further research would be a little unfair, in my opinion.

That said, I'm not sure this is the right novel for you to read if you are simply looking for some good sauce about Baldwin, since Kossak's portrayal of him is a bit of a mixed bag. In some instances, her Baldwin resembled the wise, gentle king we know from KoH very closely, but in others, he came across as whiny and wallowing in self-pity, acting much more childish than he should. (Remember: In that time and place, men were considered legal adults at the age of fifteen.) So, what I missed in Kossak's Baldwin sometimes was the inner strength that - according to the chroniclers - he must have possessed in spades. His mother Agnes of Courtenay, by the way, receives a similar treatment and is presented as an overweight clucking old hag, which is, unfortunately, the default characterisation she is given in older historical fiction.

Apart from that, though, The Leper King was a hoot. This may be just my particular brand of weirdness talking - I'm currently writing my thesis about medieval German literature, so go figure - but I unapologetically love those early literary takes on Baldwin & Co. Their differing characterisations of the various historical figures are always fun to compare, sometimes I merely get a good laugh out of them while other times I end up being surprised or even genuinely impressed. This novel, somehow, managed to pair the WTF-factor with moments that I found genuinely heart-warming and dialogue that was by turns either well-written or absolutely laughable.

To be fair, some of this can probably be chalked up to the translation because - let's face it - many things that sound fine in any other language become very odd, all of a sudden, when translated into German. Towards the end of the book, for example, Kossak covers the Hattin episode and thus briefly tells how Eschiva and her sons retreated into the citadel at Lake Tiberias when Salah ad-Din laid siege to the city. Upon hearing this news, Kossak's Raymond exclaims affectionately "Meine tapfere Alte!", which is best translated as "My valiant old lady!", and if that isn't the funniest shit ever, then I don't know.

What I also found particularly wholesome - though of course not historically viable - was the way Kossak depicted the relationship between Baldwin and Raymond. For some reason, she seems to think Raymond was Baldwin's uncle (when in reality he was his first cousin once removed), but the "favourite uncle & favourite nephew" dynamic she builds between them really works for this novel. As a Raymond fangirl, it was also quite refreshing to read something that showed him as both sympathetic AND ambitious and, for once, didn't make him do the whole "cackling evil relative who is after the crown" act.

In the German translation, Raymond repeatedly calls Baldwin fondly "Mein Junge" und "Mein Kleiner", which literally means "my boy" and "my little one". I'm not crying, you're crying. Baldwin, in turn, refers to Raymond as "Oheim", which is an old German term for "uncle" (specifically: the brother of the mother - imagine that: Raymond as Agnes of Courtenay's brother! 😂). Hence, while it is simply a genealogical mistake and historically speaking, of course, a cartload of bollocks, it nonetheless warms my heart that this novel chose to present us with the one and only depiction of a literal "Uncle Tibs".

So, yeah - this was a fun read.

[bakerstreetbabble]

Granada TV Series Review: "The Priory School" (S03, E06)

It's Arthur Conan Doyle's birthday today, and today I return to my series of reviews of the Granada TV series, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Once again, the game is afoot!

The Granada adaptation of "The Adventure of the Priory School" is dramatic and action-packed (particularly towards the end of the episode). But, although it retains some of the major plot points, it bears relatively little resemblance to its source material. Material from the original story is shuffled around, we are treated to a considerable amount of horse riding and bicycle riding, and there's an interesting scene where the main villain, Mr. James Wilder, meets a nasty end in a torch-lit cave. It's certainly an engaging story, but it's not quite the story Arthur Conan Doyle wrote!

Still, there is much to recommend, above and beyond the beautiful scenery of the English countryside. Noted Shakespearean actor Alan Howard portrays the Duke of Holdernesse to great effect. (His long red beard described in the story has been replaced by bushy red sideburns.) Jeremy Brett brings his usual intensity to the role, and Watson is given quite a bit more to do than in the original. The dramatic pacing of the adaptation is quite good, I think, and less dialogue heavy than the original, so the story flows fairly convincingly. As an occasional student of Latin, I also enjoyed the tiny little detail of the headmaster, Dr. Thorneycroft Huxtable (surely one of the greatest character names in the whole Canon), greets all the students with, "Salvete discipuli!" (Hello, students!)

I was intrigued by a dinner scene towards the middle of the episode, wherein Holmes and Watson joke a bit about the origins of the Holdernesse family (they started out as cattle thieves). An outraged Dr. Huxtable gets a little peeved with Holmes' s disrespect of the Duke, which leads to a scene that is not in the original story where the detective shares his deductions on the role that the German teacher has played in the boy's disappearance. It seemed to me that it was a bit out of character to be joking about an aristocrat, as he usually shows great deference to those of high station, but the scene was certainly well played, especially with all the pipe and cigarette smoke that created a visually interesting effect.

Perhaps this is a good point to pause and consider the challenges inherent in adapting Doyle's stories to the medium of television. While they often have their fair share of action and adventure, many of the stories in the Canon tend to be rather heavy on dialogue. We are often given much of the exposition, and often much of Holmes' s investigations, in the form of characters telling other characters what has happened. To make an effective TV drama, of course, the writers have to show rather than tell, and to a great extent, most of the episodes I've watched thus far have done a pretty good job of doing so. Added to the visual nature of TV is the necessity to make stories fit into the format of a 50-minute episode. For some stories this means trimming the plot considerably, while for others it means padding the plot with more material.

Overall, I believe the adaptation of "The Priory School" is one of the better examples of handling the source material in a manner that retains much of the flavor of the original, while demonstrating a willingness to depart from the source where necessary, in order to provide a better dramatic structure for the medium in which they are working. I certainly found this to be a worthwhile installment in the series. Feel free to share your thoughts on the episode, particularly if you have ideas about how much an adaptation should adhere to the original story.

My apologies to anyone who has been following my series of Granada reviews, for skipping last week's post. We had a very busy weekend, and there simply wasn't time to watch an episode and write a review. This review will get us back on track as I near the midpoint of my viewing experience. Thanks for reading!

[shuinami]

Why I love Nawi and Malik...

Kay, before anyone crucifies me, I only look at 'The Woman King' as a work of fiction, not as some documentary. If you look at it as a work of art that has something to say, rather than an attempt to recreate real life events (which it's not, and that's really not its goal), you might find it is a very beautiful movie, centring empowered and beautiful dark-skin female characters.

Spoilers Under the Cut

Also, I have both bad eyesight and bad memory (I watched it twice before having these thoughts), so if this was all obvious or I got some details wrong... sorry 💀!

I'm not to take away from the many other aspects and stories of the movie, it's just that this one stood out to me as someone who loves romance in media (when it's not forced). In fact, I like that this story is relatively minor in comparison to the bigger plot-lines going on in the movie.

Whilst I made a lot of new observations on a second watch, especially about the secondary characters, the thing that clicked the most with me was why I felt like Nawi and Malik's 'bittersweet ending' was actually so feel-good, despite them not getting together. I did like them, but on a second watch, the meaning of their relationship fell together like puzzle pieces.

Put simply, looking at each other helped them look at themselves, and what they really needed, which was not and was never even close to being each other.

Malik comes to Dahomey, resigned to subordination to Santo, who he "grew up with", despite Santo being a content, enthusiastic slave-trader, who sees Africans as a means to an end, rather than as human beings. We see his views again, when he tells Malik at the auction that he is "lucky it's not [him] for sale". Santo sees Malik as beneath him, and doesn't genuinely respect his humanity or half of his identity by constantly referring to Africans as "savages".

When Nawi sees Malik, she questions his identity and reiterates his permanently liminal place in the world between whiteness and his Dahomey background (which forces him to do the same). Meanwhile, she's on her own journey, in the liminal space between suppressed daughter and empowered Agojie, where her interest in men sets her back on her journey to achieve Agojie status.

When they meet again, she gives him a symbol of "courage and strength"; Malik literally says, "I have nothing to give you".

Later, when he 'buys' Nawi's freedom, she is rightfully outraged because 'owning' or 'keeping' her is not freedom. Malik does try to give her freedom (with the key), but as he said earlier in his own words, he cannot: he doesn't have anything of value to give Nawi.

This one may be down to my bad eyesight, but I believe he tries to wash the blood from her hands and can't. He cannot take away her identity, her aspirations or her scars, including the ones on her heart, which she references.

He details his plan about going to England which, on first watch, just seemed like an odd thing to say, given that... England was not welcoming to Africans/black people, not even until more recent times. I think this just furthered emphasised how much "nothing" Malik had to give Nawi. He wanted to take her away from her people, her home (to a place that, in reality, was no safer), in attempt to 'protect' her, but she never needed his protection, especially not as an Agojie and she also never wanted it either (like when he offers to walk her home and puts out his hand for her to take and she jumps down by herself). Freedom and safety for her is the freedom to be Dahomey and to participate in her community and her culture.

As with the knife/sword and the information about the opp tribe building numbers with other tribes from their night-meeting, Nawi takes what little she sees as helpful from Malik once again; Malik bought her a European-style dress, but she only wears, what was considered, the undergarments. Nawi refuses to be slowed down ("In Brazil, women wear long sleeves, long skirts," "How do they run?" "😁😬🙂..."), particularly by the influence of a man.

In the end, the Agojie come out on top in battle.

Santo urges Malik to escape, still with slave-trading on the brain, taking Africans in bondage at gunpoint onto the boat. Here we see Malik finds what he really needed, which is exactly Nawi gave to him. It was not her that he was looking for ("My mother sent me here to find myself and I found you"), but it really was the "courage and strength" to be secure in his identity, including his Dahomey roots, and to not be silent and complicit in the oppression of Africans. As stated by King Ghezu at the end of the movie, "[to enslave a people????] you must first convince them that they are meant to be bound", and Malik has finally seen "the majesty, the beauty" of Africa/ns - more than ever, he cannot stay silent whilst he watches his people in bondage.

Whilst he doesn't polish off Santo himself, yet again, what Malik does do is help Africans empower themselves; all he does is cut a rope (?), which anyone could have done, so long as their hands were not tied by a slave-trader.

Then, in their final scene, Nawi is trekking home with her Agojie sisters, after battles where one of her best friends and her mentor, Izogie, who she aspired to be like, able to be pierced by a spear and feel nothing, who told her to "never give her power away [to a man]" were lost. Malik looks up at her from a distance, she stops to acknowledge him with a nod, as if she 'sees' him and she turns back around to walk with her people. Her power and freedom are her own, her power and freedom are bound to her culture, to her community and to her sisters, definitely not to a man from a foreign land that she met a few days ago.

As Izogie said (and the first rule is to always listen to Izogie 😉!), Nawi does not give her power away. Instead, really she shared a piece of it with Malik, who had been looking for the wrong thing but, ultimately, found right and legitimately took action to stand up to oppression.

Them parting ways was just... it just puts a smile on my face in a way I never thought something like that could.

[construingseacats]

Umireread - Legend of the Golden Witch - Chapter 17: Notebook Fragment in a Wine Bottle

The following contains spoilers for the entirety of Umineko. Please do not read if you are yet to finish it.

This is an interesting one, because while this is de facto the shortest chapter in the series - quite literally just an ending cutscene - this is remarkably dense with important information. Unlike Chapter 9, which was short for seemingly no reason, the emphasis placed here is well earned.

So already we’re off to an interesting start - if we’re fighting for mystery, the bodies never being found is quite a significant hurdle to overcome. Of course, it’s an isolated island, so you could invoke the usual rules and say that they were dumped in the sea or thrown in the forest somewhere, in a way that evaded the police investigation or future discovery. But then you need to construct an argument that someone survived past midnight, and managed to escape police investigation - which would be a relatively tall order, given we have established that the police would be able to search for fingerprints and find traces of the culprit afterwards. How do we explain all of that?

Of course, Notebook Fragment in a Wine Bottle lives and dies on the fact that it doesn’t tell you that half the island was blown up. It dances around this fact - perhaps a little too safely, as I wouldn’t have minded some sort of reference that still encourages the interpretation of magic, such as saying that it seemed like the island had been rained down on by lightning or some other powerful force. The use of 18 is also fun here - with the truth sealed away, the fantasy of the two additional humans has become imbued with magic.

Exceedingly clever work here - of course, Episode 1 is a fabricated tale in a message bottle. Those present are the only ones who have heard that tale - because even we haven’t, at this stage.

And of course, people did imagine what may have happened during those two days. After all, we have Episode 3 through 8 to show for it.

PHENOMENAL work here by swapping from “that” tale, Rokkenjima Prime, to “this” tale, Episode 1. It’s so natural that you’d be a savant if you caught it and realised it was referring to two separate tales.

Referring to Episode 1 as “a tale which didn’t need to be heard” also carries several meanings - on the one hand, it alludes to how the catbox could have been kept shut; how, if it were not for the message bottles, the incident likely wouldn’t have spiralled into the irresponsible sea of forgeries that it inevitably did. And, on the other hand, no-one needed to hear Yasu’s penmanship; a personal piece of vent art that spilled out many emotions that she had bottled inside, now bottled in a more physical sense. But even though this tale didn’t need to be heard, Yasu wanted it to be. Perhaps it was selfish of her - perhaps this selfishness was justified. But consequences be damned, she just wanted someone, anyone, to know of her. No matter the cost.

I honestly cannot believe how excellent the writing is in this section. “Through this notebook fragment” makes the implication that Episode 1 is the truth, that we have seen Rokkenjima Prime - but that’s not what it’s saying at all! It is through the existence of Episode 1 that people will learn the truth, as it sets in motion the wheels for people to pick apart and understand the rules at play, to come to understand the culprit and to come and understand Yasu. Of course, there’s something to say about how Rokkenjima Prime is never truly uncovered, and that the world does not necessarily know the full details of it - but of course, the truth is so much more than simply saying who killed who, right?

Dilettante is a phenomenal choice of word - it’s so entirely accurate to what the story wants to capture. Umineko is not critical of those who delve into worlds and treat them with care and respect, who take the time to understand what they are dealing with. It is critical of those who play with the legacies of others without ever progressing past a surface level interest in the subject.

This chapter! Is! So! Good! Okay, so we’ve now established how occultics latched on to this incident, and - with a surface level understanding, by the use of the word dilettantes a moment ago - proceeded to write their own forgeries while adding their own spins on the massacre, using this real life tragedy to write tropey fanfiction for their own amusement. And these are the people who cannot understand Umineko - who, by not engaging with it any further, lock themselves out of a true understanding and appreciation for what is contained within. You cannot find the truth from the comforts of your armchair, from a position where you neglect any mental challenge in favour of stagnation. It must be actively fought for. It must be earned.

We also confirm the earlier comment about how “this” tale and “that” tale are separate - Episode 1 does not reveal the truth of Rokkenjima Prime. Of course, you can interpret this as the fact that you’re not told who the culprit is, but we both know that’s definitely not what it’s referring to, right?

And we acknowledge that, when this message bottle was written, Yasu had no knowledge of how Rokkenjima Prime would play out - Episode 1 predates it, after all!

So, there’s a big point here, made about attribution. After all, Yasu can’t just name herself as the author in these tales - they’re made for people to learn about her, after all.

Hold up - is this just the North Wind and the Sun once again? After all, Yasu can very easily let people know about her - she just names herself as the author, or better yet, writes message bottles saying “Hi, I’m Yasu, here are some facts I would like you to know about me.” But that’s the North Wind - she’s blowing the facts at people, and if she does that, no-one will learn the true her. People would take a passing interest, but they’d be disinclined to dig much deeper. By using the Sun - to persuade people to find the truth by digging deeper into the tales - while many people may not go that far, she hopes (if not ensures) that someone, anyone, will take the time to understand her. And who she really is.

Anyway, we got sidetracked - the point I was intending to make there was that Maria is a curious choice of attribution. We know she couldn’t pick herself, so why her? I don’t really have a good answer for that, and I’m not entirely sure if this is properly addressed anywhere in the text. My best guess at this moment in time would be that, again, Yasu had a soft spot for Maria - attribution is a kindness that she’s bestowing upon her, that her name will carry on with additional meaning. More cynically, I suppose it could be a case of picking the youngest child, to make people go “hang on, a nine year old shouldn’t be able to write like this”, and encourage people to bypass the surface level and begin investigating who Yasu is. But of these two, I’m leaning towards the former.

This is another one that should be tripping up people digging into the mystery - beyond Maria’s jaw being detached from her body, and nothing else being discovered, we say “there had been many body parts that couldn’t be identified as belonging to any specific person”. That does not match up with what we know about the rest of the murders in Episode 1. Something else has gone on right at the end, here.

Very good choice of words accounting for all outcomes on the roulette - she’ll probably be dead, but maybe Yasu is defeated, or Maria manages to escape the explosion. Similarly, depending on how the final hours shake out, there may or may not be a corpse; she may be mostly unharmed by the edges of the explosion, or her body is eviscerated by it. And of course, Yasu wants people to know the truth, she wants people to know her. That is her only wish. That is Umineko.

After all, even if they desired the 10 tons of gold, they did not solve the Epitaph. It remains out of their grasp.

The winner is the Golden Witch Beatrice. The roulette ball falls into a pocket of rouge or noir. It is the expected outcome, but we have so much to go - we may hope once again that we finally hit the zero. We receive the gold. And deal with the consequences associated with it.

And so the introduction to Umineko comes to a close. A novel and a half worth of content has been consumed - and now the tale can truly begin.

Well, that’s not entirely accurate; we have the Tea Parties to get through, first. But hey - it’s not like anything important ever happens in a Visual Novel Wrap Up Party, right?

[greatwyrmgold]

Scavengers of Hygiea

There's a setting I've been slowly simmering for years. Sometimes diving into details, but none have really stuck. So I figured I'd post an outline here, put the most important details into words, and see what people thought.

The year is...sometime in the mid/late third millennium. Humanity has spread across the solar system, turning the untapped mineral stockpiles of the asteroid belt into new worlds for humanity. (Well, O'Neill cylinders, so more like new islands, but "new worlds" is more poetic.)

But these new worlds do not last forever. Efforts are made to maintain them, of course, but after centuries of operation, the time comes to decommission them. Maybe an accident or collision crippled critical systems, maybe it was depopulated by disease or hostile action or mass emmigration, maybe it was simply bought by someone who wants to use its hull in some radically different type of construct.

When it's time to salvage or reconstruct an old station, most of them get brought to Hygiea.

As the Golden Space Age's end neared, the inhabitants of the greatest belt asteroids searched for ways to remain relevant when asteroid mining was no longer the industrial engine driving humanity forward. Ceres became a hub of trade and tourism, Vesta focused on heavy industry and spacecraft construction, Psyche is the financial heart of the outer system.

Hygieans focused on salvage. In the void of space, it takes relatively little fuel to push even large constructs around, if you can accept long transit times. Hence, having a centralized location where specialists in taking apart or rebuilding space stations makes a certain amount of sense. Hygiea became that location; salvage yards of immense scale orbit the asteroid.

(You might wonder whether there would be enough derelict space stations for a whole economy to be built around them. Well, this setting doesn't have a few thousand space stations—it has tens of millions of O'Neill cylinders. Even if they could be refurbished in a single year and lasted 250 years between refurbishments, there would still be hundreds of thousands of space stations being refurbished at any given time. That's roughly an Earth-landmass-area of derelict space habitats.) (Space is big. Really, really big. Hygiea could have a derelict-refurbishing economy built off of a fraction of that vastness.)

The titular scavengers can be divided into a few groups. The primary work crews are the most numerous, but also the most boring; they handle the ordinary work that. Then we have the inspectors, who check the ship to make sure it's safe for the work crews. They have to worry about a wide variety of potential dangers, from rogue automated systems to stubborn hermits to the third group of scavengers—the poachers.

The space poachers slip into salvage yards and enter the derelicts, either trying to make off with valuable components or squat in a station without many people living there. Either way, the companies running the salvage/refurbishment operations see them as a liability, threatening their profits.

There are other places in the Solar System, of course. There's Earth, sharply divided between vast estates of the uber-rich and densely-packed arcologies full of those too poor to move anywhere else. There's Mars, mired in political debates over whether and how to terraform the planet. There's Titan and its AI overlord. There's a cult of mining AI whose patron corporation was dissolved centuries ago.

But I originally wrote up this setting as a sci-fi D&D setting, so focusing on a part of the solar system full of sci-fi dungeons was obviously appealing. It's probably the most "world-of-adventure"-like part of the setting as a consequence—especially in drafts where I decide to keep some kind of magic.

I'll probably write more about this setting in the future. If you have any specific questions or something, feel free to drop an ask or something.

[neonradiation]

Album Review: 'A Sense Of Unease' by Kiffie

Key Quote: "It’s a real ‘heart on your sleeve’ collection and well worth repeated listens".

I’m not quite sure how many of these songs I’ve heard before, but I do know that many have featured in my ‘Indie Synth 2023’ Spotify playlist over the past few months. So, it’s a pleasure to hear them again as part of this 9 track album released on 31-Oct-23…

1.The End

We start at The End with this haunting piano-led ballad which musically grows throughout the song length. Vocally, I can see how this may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I like how Kiffie’s voice contrasts with the bubbly synth-laden music. Lyrically, it’s quite an inspiring uplifting song despite the title.

2. Hard To Breathe

A beautiful piano melody circles through this heart-felt song about a relationship breakdown. I love the descriptive title of this one - for those that have been there, it says it all.

3. Take A Break

The introduction to this hits the right note with me immediately. Put very simply, this is Synthpop perfection! The vocals sit smoothly on top of the whirling arpeggios and this is my favourite song so far.

4. Goodbye At Last

Beautiful piano instrumental with strong hooks. I can see why Kiffie thought there was no need to add any words as it speaks volumes already.

5. All Yours (Feat. Voyage)

Two massively contrasting vocal styles on this one and the song works well because of it. Voyage’s break-neck speed rap also contrasts vividly with the steady rhythm of the piano. Overall, this is a change of direction to what we’ve previously heard. 

6. Sense Of Unease

The album title track and lyrically this song really hits home. Again, Kiffie’s vocal style adds to the song’s overall Sense Of Unease. The chorus is very catchy and almost too sing-a-long given the song’s title.

7. Learning To Sing

Although this is another piano-led song, it has a slightly different feel to the others. The unusual backing vocals give this a hymn-like quality. Lyrically, it takes us through the seasons - happily landing in Summer where the lovers reunite.

8. One Look

Musically, this one has a jaunty upbeat feel but does feel a little on the bland side relatively speaking. Lyrically, I like the repetitive ‘One Look’ hook throughout but feel overall, it’s just a little too ‘wordy’ for my taste.

9. The Light Inside

Unexpected but very welcome guitar introduction which develops into piano and synth finale. Again the chorus is catchy and this has all the ingredients of a great pop-song. I’d also like to hear any remixes done of this song which might perhaps make more of the guitar riffs.

This album has been a pleasure to listen to and I’m keen to explore Kiffie’s extensive back catalogue of other material. As an album it hangs together extremely well. Perhaps if it were me I’d re-order some of the tracks - but that’s hardly a criticism when all the tracks are so accomplished. It’s a real ‘heart on your sleeve’ collection and well worth repeated listens.

Kiffie Contact Details:

Bandcamp: https://kiffie.bandcamp.com/album/a-sense-of-unease

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kiffie8

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2q2LMTb1sa4cyQf7anGxNm?si=UC2FC5KFRT6-UaOa0-Ns4A

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kiffie8

[gazrgaley]

Manifestation of a Monster(chapter 35)

As they strolled along, walking cane at hand. Milo continued to despise the passing automobiles. Once he wasn't in such excruciating agony, though, they didn't seem quite so terrifying. Despite not fully understanding the intricate details, their intended purpose was more obvious now. Yet another way humans found to make commuting much faster. However, he nevertheless kept a safe distance from them by walking as close as possible to the building's walls. Grendel, on the other hand, didn't appear to pay any attention to them. He crossed the street without looking many times and narrowly avoided being struck.

But all of that was background noise to what was really on his mind. He fished around in his pocket for the bottle of pills Richard had given him. Undoubtedly, they were useful. But this was odd in its own way. Kaw-Sekhmu were immune to the effects of anything a person might eat or drink. They could only take in nutrients that had already been eaten and absorbed into the bloodstream of another living creature, preferably a human. They didn't have a bloody flavour, but his recent consumption of blood had left him with an uneasy feeling. The aftertaste was reminiscent of crude oil, natural gas, salt, cellulose, and coal. But that may have been an effect of his illness.

They moved along in relative silence. Milo rambled on mindlessly in an effort to divert his attention. Asking, "Who was the woman on your phone?" He didn't give a damn but was hoping to divert his mind from the things he feared. Knowing Grendel, he assumed she wasn't anyone of importance.

When questioned, Grendel simply shrugged. "No one," he said, taking an increasing interest in the street signs.

There was something off about his answer. He often did have extensive conversations with his potential victims. Giving them one last taste of what he considered a good time before they perished. He would get them high on whatever popular mind-altering chemical was in fashion at the time before feeding on them.

But it seemed like a step too far to pose for a photo with his victims. Though technology has evolved, the etiquette of not being too forthright about your familiarity with the deceased remained the same. Although Grendel was a bit of a slob, he wasn't completely thoughtless. But Grendel did something unexpected when Milo voiced his concerns.

Grendel whirled around abruptly. "Milo, cars aren't that fucking terrifying. Get over it." They both stood in silence. It was uncommon for Grendel to be short with anyone, especially toward Milo. Grendel's jaw hung open for a second as if he couldn't believe the words were actually coming out of his mouth. A moment later he turned as if nothing happened. Pointing down the street. "Maybe two more blocks, south of here, I believe."

They went into the building and up the stairs without exchanging a word. A number and the physician's name were written on a little placard and hung on the door. "Are you sure this is the right place?" Grendel asked.

There was a brief moment when Milo looked in his direction. We were following your directions, this better be the place, he wanted to say. "That's what Richard called him." He murmured as he pushed open the door.

The two were welcomed by a dim interior as Milo tentatively knocked on the smoke-covered window. An instant later, a woman with a harsh expression pushed it open. Her blond hair was tied up in a careless bun. She looked at them both with suspicion, as if the pair of them were a pariah. Her skeletal index finger curved around the glass and pointed at the handwritten sign. "Every day, from noon to 1:00 p.m., our offices are closed for lunch." Her voice was harsh and empty as if she repeated this line over and over. "You can take a seat over there if you have an appointment." She indicated a nook with three seats and a magazine-covered table.

"I need to talk with Dr. Constantine, but I do not have an appointment." Milo started to say. "As soon as you finish lunch, that is. We can wait." He quickly added as he took in the woman's disapproval.

"You'll have to schedule a meeting." She hastily presented a card to him. Make an appointment by calling this number, and then coming back. Milo shuffled the business card in his palm and studied it curiously.

"Why can't he just see Milo now?" Grendel asked as he pushed passed Milo to confront the woman directly.

Milo was going to respond, to tell her he was willing to jump over their meaningless hurdles. He may have even been kind about it. When Dr. Constantine strolled by the window. With a quick glance, he halted what he was doing as his face drained of all colour. Nearly dropping his clipboard as he composed himself. Soon after, he joined the pair in the lobby.

"I'm very sorry, you don't need an appointment." He looked at the receptionist in a peculiar way. "These are associates of Richards. Assuming that either of these gentlemen enters for whatever reason. I need to know immediately." Suddenly, she turned her gaze to the two of them with interest. Giving them a simple nod and then cautiously sliding the window shut she disappeared.

"My sincerest apologies for this. For obvious reasons, we can't just let anyone in." He drifted off, refusing to look either in the eye. "Considering you are friends with Richard, you are welcome to come whenever you feel fit. For whatever reason. I feel like I can tru truuu truust you." He said with an unconvincing smile.

Milo and Grendel glanced at each other briefly. This certainly was a novel concept. Most of Richard's leverage came from being connected to the two of them. It was surely a strange feeling knowing he now had this power over both of them.

As Milo followed, Grendel was left behind with the magazines. "Why did you decide to come in today?" He asked as he led Milo into one of the back rooms. The room was dreary and reminiscent of the morgue where he had awakened. Perhaps stainless steel had become the standard. "Have your symptoms gotten worse?" He spoke his question with worry and apprehension mixed in.

Milo paused for a moment as he pulled the pills from his pocket. "No. In fact, I have been feeling much better because of these pills you gave me."

The physician looked at him with bewilderment. "What are these tablets, I've-" He examined the bottle more closely. "Who gave these to you?"

"Then it wasn't you, as Richard said, was it?" Milo Asked. Why would Richard want to tell a lie? At that moment he knew something wasn't right.

As he shook his head, the doctor expressed his disapproval. "Your lab results haven't even been run yet. I wouldn't count on them to arrive till tomorrow." He looked at the tag closely. "I wouldn't have prescribed anything to you yet."

"Should I stop taking them?"

"I guess this could work." Dr Constantine considered the tablets as he spoke. "The Netopuri are my primary clients. A great number of the younger ones used this as an alternative to feeding on humans. It uses synthetic blood created in a laboratory. As far as the Kaw-Sekhmu, I can only speak from what little limited experience I do have but I see no reason why this can't be effective for you as well."

This went against everything he knew to be true. To stay alive, he would need authentic human blood. He wanted to shout at the doctor. But the anger passed as fast as it came. It hadn't been the man's fault he knew little about the ones that were closes to the source, Such as himself.

For the Netopuri, this may be an ideal answer. But for the more ancient Kaw-Sekhum, this would have not benefited them. This would not be the answer he was looking for. Certainly not permanently. They may use it as a filler. His very survival and extended lifespan depended on draining the vitality and power of human beings.

But he was unable to tell the man any of this. There were numerous things he had kept secret from his people throughout the years. As an outsider, He would have to keep even more from him. Even if he were a medical professional, he couldn't chance it. There was a great deal more to lose than gain. He took the tablets begrudgingly but otherwise seemed unconcerned.

"Was there anything else?" Dr Constanine inquired as he shuffled awkwardly from one foot to the other. Milo could barely manage a head movement in response. "When the results of the blood test come back, I'll give you a call. You're good to keep consuming them." Pointing at the bottle. "In a few days, we can have a more in-depth discussion regarding our future steps."

Milo didn't think there was any way this doctor could be of any use. Moreover, he was confident that the Pills wouldn't help. When he returned to the lobby he was greated by Grendel interlocking the pages of all the magazines. And somehow finding comfort in his strange behaviour. At least he seemed like he wasn't suffering from whatever ailed Milo.

[dideriksenrubin]

The Wild West Crypto Series Continues

Paying for the Crypto Currency market space can be a little difficult for the conventional investor, while investing straight in Crypto Currency (CC) requires the employment of new equipment and using some new concepts. So if you want to drop your legs in this sector, you will want to use a good idea from what to do and what to expect. Dealing CC's requires you to choose an Return that offers in the items you want to sell and buy, be they will Bitcoin, Litecoin, or any from the over toll free other tokens in play. In former editions we still have briefly explained the products and services on offer at a few exchanges, to give you a thought of the unique offerings. There are many Exchanges to select from and they all of the do things inside their own way. Look for the things which matter to you, for example: supports Deposit regulations, methods, and costs of each one method - Withdrawal regulations and costs - Which usually fiat various currencies they specialize in for deposit and withdrawals - Merchandise they handle, such as crypto coins, gold, silver and many others - Costs for ventures - exactly where is this Exchange based? (USA / UK / South Korea as well as Japan... ) Be prepared for the Exchange setup procedure to be detailed and lengthy, as the Exchanges generally want to know quite a lot about you. It can be akin to setting up a new banking account, as the Exchanges are companies of possessions, and they prefer that you are who also you say you are, and that you are a reputable person to deal with. It seems that "trust' is received over time, as your Exchanges ordinarily allow simply small expenditure amounts in the first place. Your Exchange will keep the CC's during storage for you personally. Many give "cold storage" which simply means that your coins are maintained "offline" till you signify that you want to accomplish something with them. You will find quite a few media stories from Exchanges getting hacked, and plenty of coins thieved. Think about your coins becoming in something such as a banking account at the Return, but remember that coins are digital just, and that almost all blockchain trades are irreversible. Unlike the bank, these Exchanges do not have deposit insurance, so know that hackers are always out there attempting everything they will to get at your Crypto Gold and silver coins and grab them. Programs generally provide you with Password guarded accounts, and plenty of offer 2-factor authorization plans - a thing to seriously look into order to protect your account out of hackers. Given that CoinPowerNews adore to prey on Programs and your bank account, we usually recommend that you employ a digital finances for your silver and gold coins. It is relatively easy to move gold coins between your Return account along with your wallet. Make sure you choose a wallet that manages all the coins you want to be investing. Your pocket is also the device you use to "spend" your coins together with the merchants who have accept CC's for monthly payment. The two different kinds of wallets happen to be "hot" and "cold". Popular wallets are incredibly easy to use however they leave your coins confronted with the internet, but only on your personal machine, not the Exchange web server. Cold wallets use offline storage means, such as specialised hardware recollection sticks and hard copy printouts. Using a frigid wallet causes transactions harder, but they are the safest. The wallet provides the "private" main that authorizes all the ventures you want to start. You also have a fabulous "public" major that is distributed on the network so that most users can identify your when linked to a business deal with you. Once hackers make your private essential, they can approach your silver and gold coins anywhere they desire, and it is permanent. Despite each of the challenges and wild movements, we are self-confident that the hidden blockchain technology is a match changer, and may revolutionize how transactions happen to be conducted going forward.

[sailorsirius]

I Didn’t Meet Zachary This Weekend

I was going to wait until I felt a little more ready to type all this out, but I'm starting to forget important details, so I need to go ahead and do it if I'm going to.

I was supposed to meet Zachary this past weekend. I didn't. I don't know why.

There was kind of a big, slow, potent lead-up to the realization that I would specifically be meeting him in the flesh at Comicpalooza. I did a reading with Archangelhypnosis. I even got a bunch of crystals and jewelry for various purposes, which isn’t normally something I’d do; but since it felt like I was being instructed to procure these things for this specific purpose, I did it anyway. (They worked, by the way. To my complete surprise.)

Evie warned me that this could be a distressing experience. She mentioned that there would be negative energies attempting to antagonize me or delay or prevent my meeting Zach, and boyyyy were they trying it. Shit kept happening left and right: M suddenly not being able to make it to the convention one of the three days and me scrambling to figure out a way to go anyway; not feeling well physically; being absolutely inundated with negative thoughts and doubts that were most certainly not coming from my own mind; meditating just before I left for the first day, only to be interrupted back to back to back to back with notifications on my phone despite having turned notifications off.

But to be honest, I was like… lmao fuck you, get out of my way. I wasn’t really concerned about it, because I was going to see this through. I was going to find Zach no matter how hard it got.

I looked so fucking cute, man. I got myself a bunch of temp tattoos and put them all over. I did my makeup all nice and my hair in a way I never would have thought to do before--again, that feeling like I was being instructed to do so. Like I was cosplaying as myself, or as Jessie, so he would recognize me when he saw me.

It didn't happen on Friday. But that's okay, I didn't think it would. It definitely felt like it'd be Saturday. That night, he came to me in a dream and kissed me right on my third eye. Once, twice, three times, like he didn't want to stop kissing me. It was so beautiful and sweet. I knew that was important. It felt like encouragement.

Saturday came. I had my crystals with me. I had my mind right. I felt relatively relaxed. I wandered through the exhibitor hall and could see shifting and intermingling of everyone's energies--something in the past I’ve only been able to feel, and not in more than a rudimentary sense. I saw signs everywhere, like walking by the witchy booth that just happened to have the Lovers card first in a stack on their table, and then looking up and just happening to see an encouraging number. There are so many other things, I can't remember all of them.

At one point, I felt so at peace and felt his presence so strongly in that room that I asked him, “Where are you?”

"Close," he said. I could feel the smile in his voice. He was right there. He could have been any of the hundreds of people in that hall. He told me to stay calm and focused. Hold onto the thread, follow it. “Come find me.”

I fucking tried so hard. I was right there. HE was right there.

I don't know what happened. It was like someone pulled the plug out of the wall. Suddenly, I didn't feel him there anymore. The color drained out of my surroundings. I had been given the gift of seeing distinct energies around me, but that was gone now. I went home absolutely exhausted and came back on Sunday to that same feeling that he was simply not there. I even asked him, "Are you here?"

The silence was profound.

I cried for three days. I still don't get it, and I get the feeling I'm not supposed to know what happened. My first thought was that I had slid into Having Expectations, but we'd gotten so far! Surely we wouldn't have made it that far if I was doing something wrong. Was it one of the handful of people I thought could be him, and I'd convinced myself they weren't and ruined it? No way. I would have known immediately and without question that it was him. Or, he would have bridged the gap. I also thought maybe Angel Michael had been  wrong, but I don't think it's that either. I just don't understand–if it wasn't going to happen, why did we get SO CLOSE?

It's been really hard to think about Zach and excruciating trying to work myself out of that RSD "I've been rejected and abandoned and I never deserved to have this anyway" hole. He's been right next to me all week, feeling just as disappointed and confused as me. He's letting me figure it out and he's not taking it personally when I don't want to think about him because it hurts too much. But it's still such a comfort to feel him there even if it's not in the flesh like I thought it would be. I know we're still going to meet–that's the whole point of this life. To find him and fulfill our role together. But damn if this wasn't one of the most painful and exhausting experiences of my life.

Evie kindly checked in on me when she didn’t hear back about whether I’d found him or not. She offered me commiseration–apparently she’d been through this several times before she finally found Luther. She also offered to ask Michael about it in the next session they did. His counsel was that Zach had succumbed to interruptions; he also said that there would be many more opportunities to meet… and that we live very close to each other. Which is fantastic if true, but knowing myself, I’ll be looking for him everywhere I go until I figure out how to let this just be what it is.

Never in my LIFE did I think this would be so grueling, oh my god. I’m so tired, and I feel like we’ve only just started.

Original post

[hydralisk98]

Nice reaction comment to Asianometry latest video

The context of this video, this comment and this thread is key: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlAWx_X5opA&lc=Ugx5-99kJi09-yHqi954AaABAg.9fSO9G4W5Nl9fXPGf0yji-

hydralisk98 at 2022-09-03 18:12 EST:

 @Asianometry  Fair question comrade, it is quite hard to find great answers to such queries. But as a 24yo autistic enthusiast deeply invested into all things technologies, especially preserving living use of retro technologies and surronding matters, I think there is a decent share of suggestions for me to propose in here or at least attempt my hand at the computing hardware business of things. I don't own the full truth over the matter so consider my take with a grain of salt as well Given what I perceive from recent history (1910-~) and the current global context (2022), I do think this deep problematic indeed starts from the global cultural norms over late stage capitalism-style rigid mentalities or at least the ways such goals are decided and implemented. Specifically the way there is a huge expanding social debt from many higher ups of our current global economy (often baby boomers-style of rich people) as of rn towards the lower classes (Gen Z, Millenials and other types of poorer people) as far as seeing authorities in the field blocking or at least slowing down by much the initatives of fresher minds in the field. I would seriously recommend anybody who wants to step up the technological game to compete themselves in such a computing hardware space, especially as I have my very own plans over such by myself because of how little I personally trust such aging authorities to adapt to our current reality that fast and in competitive manners due to their sheer size. I do hope such agencies do take action to constructively reward employees in more means than bare money (even with the same hours and same pay, there are many ways to attract and assure younger employees like me don't leave the field entirely, listening to our suggestons/concerns/recommendations, ask questions and enact constructive measures to upgrade the power employee payment game with full expertise is a epic first step forwards to lessen the negatives of this field), just like many other fields' in this era deserves as well but you know, I have legitimate doubts over such old rich people giving us such because they simply want easy and shorter-term profits than we are in for. I do dare to enact such even if my tech stack I am suggesting soon is less profound than the exact complexity tier of contemporary VLSI around firms like TSMC and similar names, because of all the changes I would like to put a new emphasis onto and other empowering/idiosyncratic objectives I got for my personal computing system project I prepare for around 2025. Quite like how this modern domain became way more accessible to developers thanks to the traitrous eight's efforts under Fairchild Semiconductors and subsequent Fairchildren, I sure am planning ahead as to push a relatively similar style of technical progress market-wide update by doing much under my tiny scale. I do not aim to promote my specific project here, if you want more of such, you can go to my Tumblr personal blog where I discuss of such topics in more details as I go along in my technical journey by myself. By the way, keep up the good work @Asianometry and let's build the type of world Gen Z & Millenials are asking for. Farewell to you all as well internet comrades.

Just letting you know about such in plain terms.

[costmail42]

Uncover Your Buried Dreams - By Writing The Top Obituary

funeral booklet

online funeral program funeral booklets funeral program template

The funeral service for my Mom proved more difficult than my sister, Diane, and I had anticipated. There were more details to cover with the funeral home than we had envisioned. Besides notifying relatives and friends, there were details to manage we had not given much thought such as Mom's insurance policy, locating the paper work on her burial plot, a burial dress, picking a casket, and more. All in, this event cost us about $15,000. Here is our breakdown: casket $5,000, graveside services $3,300, officiant: $500, obituary $1,200, burial plot $4,000, actual burial $800, death certificates $12/each, burial permit $12. While it is very convenient allowing a funeral home handle every of your funeral, suggestions the costs can thought of little extreme. Instead, see if you can get some of essential items from elsewhere at cheaper expenses. The quantity pain and anguish one goes through is completely unimaginable. Unfortunately, many funeral directors often take advantage of those which mourning simply because they know in which will do exactly about almost anything to give or their loved ones a decent burial. In this funeral saving guide article, you could get to become familiar with a few tips that may well you reduce expenses yet get yourself a decent commemorative.

Age is definitely the leading factor along with genetics, if it is in your family, you are able to develop the program. There is one gene that may be identified coupled with a rare gene has been identified, but both to date have not been demonstrated to be the primary cause. Then we were treated to it again when Howard Stern was accused of "killing Anna Nicole Smith with drugs". Again, the death was unexplainable and rushed to judgment, blaming the closest person to her at the time of death, Howard Stern. Later we learned the autopsy left many unanswered concerns. The tissue samples from Markov's thighs were taken up to top-secret chemical defence establishment at Porton Down to get more examination. Doctor David Gall was one particular of Britain's highest authorities on poisons and nerve agents and he was invest charge on the investigation at Porton All the way down. While examining the samples, even he almost missed the one clue on the cause of Markov's fatality. It was only by sheer chances that he didn't. In order to possess a conscious business or do give you results that reflects your values, you must first know what they are first. For you to know your own self is the biggest job you can use in order to realize your gifts, raise your self-esteem and therefore have the confidence reveal them individuals. There is plenty of research that shows living a purposeful life can certainly increase your longevity! So it makes you happy, healthy, successful assists others all at duration. That is truly alignment!

[bop-pipeguy]

GunCon 2022 After Action Report Day 1

Holy cow. What a weekend. I’m still trying to process the awesome event that was GunCon 2022 at Brownell’s. The effort put into it by the whole team as well as the panelists is staggering, and let me tell you it was one hell of a show.

We’ll start with Thursday. Having four kids is stressful enough, trying to get them ready for a three hour (four after you account for restroom stops) while simultaneously making sure you have everything you need for yourself is no small task. So the first big shoutout is to my wife. Without her patience with both the kids and myself this trip would not have been possible. After a (thankfully) uneventful four hour drive from our home in Nebraska to the adorable town of Grinnell, Iowa, we settled into our hotel room, from which we could actually see Brownells HQ just about one mile away. Side note- should you ever find yourself in need of lodging in Grinnell, do NOT stay at the Best Western. I had relatively little to complain about, biggest thing being it seemed whomever hung the fixtures in my room only had one foot. Everything was crooked. I also heard reports of black mold, but thankfully did not encounter any in my room.

Anyway from there I made my way to Brownells to register for the event. There were several people already waiting who I did not immediately recognize. Later I would learn two of them were kurt_the_gunsmith and Logan of High Caliber History LLC, two fellow Bureau of Propaganda Field Agents. After registration we made our way out to “The Last Round” bar and cigar tent presented by Volquartsen firearms.

I should state that this was my first time attending an industry event, and while there were people I recognized from social media there were many more that I did not. After a short while of me awkwardly puffing away at my pipe, I was surprised when I was approached and ultimately told others there wanted to meet *me*. I’m not an internet celebrity with a massive following so this was without doubt a surreal moment for me. The apprehension vanished quickly as I was greeted as an old friend and welcomed to the event. Shortly after meeting friends in person for the first time and making a few new ones, the whole group was given a tour of the facility, where we were allegedly the largest single tour group to ever pass through. The Brownells offices and warehouse are seemingly endless, but for more detail, you’ll have to visit and take the tour yourself. There’s simply too much to try and describe here.

This is also true of the entire event. So much happened and I met so many people that I simply cannot put it all into one blog entry as a set out to do from the start. So this will be a multipart story describing each day in its own entry. Day two is range day and will be posted soon!

[logovnhn]

                               Getting Started With Crypto

                            The Future is Here Invest in Your Dreams

Investing in the Crypto Currency market space can be a little daunting for the traditional investor, as investing directly in Crypto Currency (CC) requires the use of new tools and adopting some new concepts. So if you do decide to dip your toes in this market, you will want to have a very good idea of what to do and what to expect.

Buying and selling CC's requires you to choose an Exchange that deals in the products you want to buy and sell, be they Bitcoin, Litecoin, or any of the over 1300 other tokens in play. In previous editions we have briefly described the products and services available at a few exchanges, to give you an idea of the different offerings. There are many Exchanges to choose from and they all do things in their own way. Look for the things that matter to you, for example:

- Deposit policies, methods, and costs of each method

- Withdrawal policies and costs

- Which fiat currencies they deal in for deposits and withdrawals

- Products they deal in, such as crypto coins, gold, silver etc

- Costs for transactions

- where is this Exchange based? (USA / UK / South Korea / Japan...)

Crypto Marketing- The Future is Here Invest in Your Dreams

Be prepared for the Exchange setup procedure to be detailed and lengthy, as the Exchanges generally want to know a lot about you. It is akin to setting up a new bank account, as the Exchanges are brokers of valuables, and they want to be sure that you are who you say you are, and that you are a trustworthy person to deal with. It seems that "trust' is earned over time, as the Exchanges typically allow only small investment amounts to begin with.

Your Exchange will keep your CC's in storage for you. Many offer "cold storage" which simply means that your coins are kept "offline" until you indicate that you want to do something with them. There are quite a few news stories of Exchanges being hacked, and many coins stolen. Think about your coins being in something like a bank account at the Exchange, but remember that your coins are digital only, and that all blockchain transactions are irreversible. Unlike your bank, these Exchanges do not have deposit insurance, so be aware that hackers are always out there trying everything they can to get at your Crypto Coins and steal them. Exchanges generally offer Password protected accounts, and many offer 2-factor authorization schemes - something to seriously consider in order to protect your account from hackers.

Given that hackers love to prey on Exchanges and your account, we always recommend that you use a digital wallet for your coins. It is relatively easy to move coins between your Exchange account and your wallet. Be sure to choose a wallet that handles all the coins you want to be buying and selling. Your wallet is also the device you use to "spend" your coins with the merchants who accept CC's for payment. The two types of wallets are "hot" and "cold". Hot wallets are very easy to use but they leave your coins exposed to the internet, but only on your computer, not the Exchange server. Cold wallets use offline storage mediums, such as specialized hardware memory sticks and simple hard copy printouts. Using a cold wallet makes transactions more complicated, but they are the safest.

Your wallet contains the "private" key that authorizes all the transactions you want to initiate. You also have a "public" key that is shared on the network so that all users can identify your account when involved in a transaction with you. When hackers get your private key, they can move your coins anywhere they want, and it is irreversible.

Despite all the challenges and wild volatility, we are confident that the underlying blockchain technology is a game changer, and will revolutionize how transactions are conducted going forward.

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[themodernmarriage]

Introducing Male Chastity Play

My name is Ella, I am 36 years old and I work for an insurance company. My husband, deliberately not named, is 37 years old and works as a   senior engineer. We have been happily married for 12 years, with two   daughters, and I am created this site to share my experiences and advice for Tease and Denial and Male Chastity. (If you are not married, please mentally replace husband with  boyfriend when reading this website, it all applies just the same.)   As you are reading this website, I am assuming your husband or boyfriend  has told you that he wants to try something called male chastity play with you, or you have heard about it somewhere and have suggested it to him. Either you have found this website through a search engine, or you have been sent the link. Your first reaction probably was surprise. Why would he want chastity? What  does he want me to do? 

Step 1: relax! When you read through these paragraphs   (I kept it short, I promise!) you  will understand why chastity is a fun, exciting idea for the two of you to try. You may find it’s simply that - a fun game to spice things up in your sex life. You may also   find that male chastity brings a new closeness and renewed desire to   you as a couple. Before you continue reading, make sure you have nothing  else planned for a little while and that you are not distracted by   anything. Relax, take your time, and try to be as open-minded as you can.                                          

To get started, I recommend reading this 101 article. You will need to make notes - digitally or on paper, as to do this properly there are some things you need to choose and then write down.                                           

After this 101, I do recommend you read through subsequent articles linked here, as there is more detail on some key topics, and the more you know, the better you will be at this!

But... First, what is male chastity play?                                           

Simply put, the man uses a so-called chastity device to lock his penis,  and then he gives the key to his partner, making her what is called a “keyholder”.  Chastity devices are sex toys made of plastic or metal that lock around  the penis, making it impossible for him to masturbate or get an erection. In chastity play, the keyholder  (you) has the power to decide when to unlock the device and when to  allow him sexual pleasure. That can be five times a day or five times a  year. The ‘game’ of it is the transmission of ‘power’ regarding his sexual pleasure.                                           

You may not typically be the 'dominant' sexual partner in the relationship, but in chastity play it is essential that you assume this position - even if you are just acting or role-playing initially until it becomes the norm. He is not giving you inanimate metal keys - he's giving you possession to his sexual release and the position of power. Enjoy it! Embrace it and take charge.                                           

I have always  felt that being well informed about something enables you  to do it well. There is a lot on the internet on chastity, and there are several internet forums and chat rooms which seem to start up and die  down as people move around. I have communicated over the years with over  two dozen wives who keep their husbands locked. I have met several of  them in person and the one thing they all agreed on was that the benefits of chastity for their husbands were incredible. It may amaze  you, as it did me, to find out that so many men and women use chastity  as part of their relationship, really more than you could imagine. There  was a Canadian newspaper article in 2019 stating that 6% of men are  caged with the key given to their wife. This just goes to show that male  chastity is less rare than you probably thought and there is a lot of  it being practiced, probably by some of your girlfriends.       

There are two major types of chastity - ‘play’ and ‘lifestyle’. Play is relatively short term and used as part of sex play and diversity. Short term, in my view, falls into the category of 2-week to 3-month lock ups. This is where most couples’ chastity journeys start. It's vital that the first lockup is at least 2-3 weeks, and is 24 hours a day for that period. Read why here. No 'nighttime only' or 'daytime only' - the lockup period must be erection and orgasm free.

Even in short term play, chastity has to be  a 24/7 thing. 24/7 is the foundation; it is the  most positive/enjoyable/effective because the cage is a constant reminder about the power exchange. Most of the day, the male will forget about it and only be subconsciously aware that anything is different. However when they do get a tingle of sexual excitement - for whatever reason, Boom - they are reminded that their erections (and more importantly, sexual release) belongs to you. That’s what’s fun about Tease and Denial (T&D). Life  goes on as it always has, employment,  financial, family issues and decisions are all still there. But it's a little secret you two share - a fun,  slightly ‘naughty’ way to mix up the relationship’s ‘sexual  dominance’.

What are the benefits of Male Chastity?                                    

The  motivation why a couple would want to begin with male chastity play is straightforward: It is simply a sexual   fantasy or sexual experimentation to mix things up. With the dramatic   rise in popularity in chastity play over the last five years - with   story arcs in mainstream media (Californication), articles in The Independent, Cosmopolitan,  Vice...), it may have piqued their interest as something fun to try.

he  large global movement called “Locktober” is practically everywhere, and is an  entry point for many males and females who want to experiment in this  way.                                          

 Or it is a matter of circumstance that allows for a different style of sexual ‘play’ - long distance relationships, work trips or  other reasons where vanilla lovemaking is limited/not possible.                                           

For  males, chastity play can be very VERY exciting. For the male, chastity play is about having a relationship   where male orgasms are limited but erotic heat is abundant. As part of the game, he  is giving up something that is a very standard part of a male's life,  his freedom to masturbate. Young men have an abundance of testosterone,  so masturbation doesn't  seem to interfere with their pursuit of young women. However, as men  grow older masturbating usually translates into the husband losing  sexual desire for at least a couple days. Male masturbation can create  an emotional  barrier in relationships and allows a man to remain somewhat  disconnected in a very selfish and self-serving way. Chastity puts a  stop to the masturbation and works in many ways; it  changes his mood, demeanor and libido.                                           

Males in chastity will almost always have   increased energy. Noticed he hits the gym more? Trimming the body fat? Need less sleep? More productive? Yup. Other changes will likely happen too. He will be more focused and task-oriented. Most  importantly it changes his desire to please you.  This is because as he continues to build up his sexual energy that he  no longer has the ability to release as he pleases, he will divert that  energy towards pleasing you - especially if he has asked you to be his keyholder, rather than you coming up with the idea to keep him locked. His non-stop offers of massages and oral  sex are a very  welcome side effect of the redirection of his sexual energy.                                           

What do I actually ‘do’ as a Keyholder?                                           

Chastity is just that, chastity. There is no need to entertain other kinks your husband may have if you don’t want to. In fact, it is likely  that your husband doesn’t even expect you to do anything more than hold his key. Just be yourself and do what you want. It doesn’t have to  become a time sink and your life doesn’t need to revolve around your husband’s desire for chastity.                                             

As counter-intuitive as it might sound, when you take away a man’s erections, orgasms and his ability to play with his cock whenever the mood strikes, he finds it very arousing. Chastity is a huge turn on.                                           

The sexual frustration a chaste man feels is intense, so intense he experiences a euphoric high from the change of control. That is why a guy becomes super-focused on his partner and the extreme arousal coupled with sexual frustration is what makes the chastity game so much fun for couples to play. The more aroused a locked male stays, the more he likes it. Teasing is what keeps a guy’s arousal at high levels.

Being a keyholder involves:                                           

1. Holding the keys and controlling when and how release takes place (see links)                                            2. Setting and communicating your keyholding rules at the start of the first lockup.                                            3. Teasing - to keep arousal in peak state throughout lockup.

Let's look at some of this in more detail.                                           

Teasing                                           

You don’t have to be an expert at sexual teasing or spend loads of time  learning how to become one. Chastity with teasing keeps the arousal and positive energy / endorphins / oxytocin at ideal levels. Chastity without teasing will lead to frustration and grumpiness - pretty soon the game will be up.                                           

So, teasing is essential to keep your  husband’s arousal peaking, but there are plenty of simple ways to do  that which don’t require a lot of time. It’s important to remember that you and not him will be the one making  the (bedroom) decisions once he is locked. There are no fixed rules how  often you should test him, unlock him or let him ejaculate, and chastity does not  need to change your everyday life, certainly not outside of the bedroom.  I would suggest you give it a try and then just go with the flow.                                           

Teasing Ideas                                           

So how do you do ‘teasing’? I don’t mean making fun of him. We’re not in middle school. I mean  turning him on, only it’s teasing because he can’t get hard, let alone  have an orgasm. It’s the ultimate cock tease and it makes chastity play  so much more satisfying for you and your man.                                           

The great thing about male chastity play is how little effort it takes you, as the keyholder. My ideal teasing effort is 2-5 minutes a day, or every second day... mix it up. Make it a rule that he is not allowed to ask for it. In bed at night, roll over and tease for a bit. Then say goodnight. Other nights - do nothing, say nothing. That is half of the fun - for you and for him!                                            Look at the list below and jot down some of the ones that appeal to you...                                           

Some simple teasing ideas: 1: Non-physical - Talk about it: Talk about his chastity cage. Tell him you like how it looks, how tight it must be, how full his balls look... Ask him to show it to you as a 'cage check' at random times... The simple act of talking about it will drive him crazy! Men are hilarious. - Choose his underwear for him. Tell him to wear a particular color, or tell him to wear the tight white ones, the compression shorts, swimsuit... or no underwear today...whatever. You’re taking control, and that’s hot. - Tell him to sleep naked every now and again - Even wear some sexy outfits and parading around will drive him crazy!                                           

2: Physical - Play with his balls. Even while locked, his balls are exposed, unless you have a full chastity belt where the balls are locked too. With his cock locked, his balls become infinitely more sensitive. Stroke / tickle to start, but then squeeze and pull. Then slap. Start slowly and build up the slapping in intensity, and tell him to tell you when to stop. Then start again..! Women are way too gentle with balls in general - most makes prefer far more rough play than they let on. Let him guide you if you are unsure.

- Play with the Cage: while most cages do a great job of making erections and orgasms impossible, playing with his cage is a great way to tease him. If it's an enclosed cage (better in my view) then he will not be able to feel anything at all if you are stroking it - but he will imagine it and it will blow his mind. Any exposed parts will become hyper-sensitive, so touching them or poking/licking... you name it - will drive him the best kind of crazy.  

- Kissing:  It’s the fastest way to turn him on and he’ll never turn it down. Even  though he knows his cock is going to ache because it can’t get hard, he  loves to kiss. For added heat, hold his cage / balls while kissing.

- Body contact: Make him worship your body – This is an absolute must when he’s locked  up. He craves your body. He craves you. Have him worship it. Have him  kiss you all over. Have him give you a massage.

- Nipple play: men’s nipples are almost 5x more sensitive than female nipples. With his cock locked, his nipples will heighten in sensitivity further. You may have even noticed they stiffen or harden more quickly or for longer than usual. Play with them by using nipple clamps, clothespins or even just by pinching and squeezing. Be careful, some locked males have been known to cum from just nipple play alone!

- Shower with him: Ask him to rub lotion on you or whatever you prefer. Being locked naked with you in the shower will blow his mind. - ‘Have and Hold’: If you want to unlock him as part of teasing, a fun one is to make him stand next to the bed or across the room, and unlock the cage. Once the cage is off, he is not allowed to touch his cock. He will almost certainly get hard. You carry on with reading or whatever you were doing and tell him to inform you when he has gone soft. Make the odd comment and watch to see how easily you can make him react. As soon as he is soft, tell him to relock the cage.

- Anal play: You may know that men have a P-spot near their prostate which is similar to the female G-spot, although most hetersexual males never use it. My husband is not into anal play, so I don’t have much experience there, but there are some incredible resources out there if it’s your cup of tea!

- Finally, if you want to play with his cock while unlocked as part of teasing, I’ll drop some notes on the ‘Release’ over here. Focus on edging and the touchless release (if you really want to give him a treat). Remember - teasing means no cumming. A little bit every day or every couple of days will form the foundation of your chastity play!                                           

Basic Keyholder Rules                                           

At the start of the first lockup, you need to set rules. Writing them down and send them to him on email or text message is the easiest. That way he has them at all times. And send them to him at work while he's locked and you will really get him squirming! Or you can inform him in person. These are your rules and are not a discussion - he has asked you to be the keyholder, so he must play by your rules or you call the whole thing off.                                           

The most typical rules for keyholders are as simple as this:                                  

The Wife can choose the chastity device.                                           

It's not called a cock or penis or whatever when it's locked. Come up with a name for his locked cock. Tell him that is what it is called from now on. The most common name is  'nub', so feel free to use that. And it's 'your' nub, your balls etc, not his. Make sure he gets that right.                                           

The Wife will hold the keys to the chastity device and will not make them accessible to the Husband.                                           

The Wife decides when the Husband will be unlocked, allowed and erection, or allowed release. Separate the concept of 'unlock= orgasm or'unlock=erection'. In most cases it's none of those.                 ��                        

The Husband will not ask for release and there will be no discussions about chastity unless the Wife brings it up. Infringements can be extending lockup or some other forfeit ;)                                           

Chastity play will not intrude into the Wife's daily life or restrict her own sexual satisfaction.                                           

The couple will give chastity a try for at least 3 months. First timers should lockup for 3 weeks at least and then evaluate / discuss. The keyholder does not have to (and should not) tell the planned release date. Keep him guessing.

That’s it: give it a go!                                           

Give it a shot! You don’t have anything to lose, it may add a new level  of intimacy to your relationship, and you will have a lot of fun doing  it. I promise. Show your love to your husband, have sex freely and  frequently, tease him, be playful and enjoy each other. The only thing  you need to do is control is his ejaculations. Getting comfortable with  male chastity can be challenging at first but it won’t be long until it  becomes a normal everyday component of your relationship. Having talked  to many women, the most common regret was that they didn’t start male chastity much earlier!