It's that time already? Huh...
Two weeks really went by without much notice (lmao).
I thought it might be nice to check in on people, see what's on everybody's minds. Just taking a queue from a certain CEO of War, the one with the ultimate luck... the one who reads.
I gotta say, sometimes things go from 0 to a 100 real quick on this sub, but this break week has been kinda tame, and it's not a bad pace.
Definitely been seeing a lot more creativity; more artwork and cosplays. To the panel coloring, panel redraws, OC art people, all the way to the edit makers - you GOATS know who you are 🗿🗿🗿 Keep the content coming, it's been like medication for my insanity, and I bet everybody appreciates it too.
Also, some sudden trends popped up. Whether or not they were controversial, some people say is a controversy in itself, apparently.
Had an uprising of Asaden hating, Yoshiden glazing, and a certain someone with a tight connection to Miss WardBird - but it all went away. The time had to come, for some it was bliss, for others a loss. Definitely some heavy stuff was implied, but the specifics are probably best discussed in private or DMs.
What's more, only a few hours left to go until we see where the Sushimoto plans to take us.
Honestly, I'm feeling hyped, but let's see... let's see.
What do you think is gonna be happening this time around? Will the No.1 Hater Katana get to eat some sushi the gang? Anyone expecting any major story developments or do you think we might get another episode of Mentally broken Dennis & F.R.E.N.D.S.? And what's going on with Nutella? The Council would certainly like to know.
Predicting the future isn't technically a spoiler, but you can use the spoiler feature in comments if you really wanna hide something you comment (check out Pic 4)
Curious to hear how everybuddy's two weeks have been and what you might think could happen next.
Anyways, Try not to hate or glaze too much, enjoy yourselves people,
Peace ✌️
Sauce: Pic 1: Ken(tana) edit. Pic 2: Nutella from https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/112509243 added into edit. Pic 3: Just another Dennis edit. Pic 4: Using spoilers on reddit.

https://preview.redd.it/iz9fs2j8390d1.jpg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d2d65cef0923a5976fbb19bc61a9fda3a5548b47

Humans are Weird – Storm Watching

Original Post: http://www.authorbettyadams.com/bettys-blog/humans-are-weird-storm-watching
“Why did we even bother building a base on the land anyway?” Rollsaround asked as he absorbed the dim light filtering through the wide windows of the base.
The windows gave an impressive view of what the humans in their generosity called a “coastline”. Instead of gently undulating coral beds easing down into the water the glittering volcanic rock dropped abruptly from the graminoid covered highlands and dove down dozens of meters to where it usually met the heaving surface of the water below. Today however the water had seemingly decided to express its objections to the separation and was attempting to scale the cliffs in massive waves. The base vibrated from the force of a gust of wind and Rollsaround hunkered deeper into his mineral bath.
“Do you require another introduction of thermal-loaded water?” Tenth Cousin asked from where she perched on a Shatar couch, reading something that was supposed to be very masculine poetry from her homeworld.
“I do not,” Rollsaround reassured her. “I was just reacting negatively to the storm.”
She tilted her head to examine the weather conditions with a thoughtful set to her antenna.
“I think it is a pleasant change,” she said. “The harsh, unfiltered lights of the suns here means that we have no real night. The clouds at lest allow the illusions of dusk, and the wind overhead is not entirely unlike breezes in Father’s canopy if you can focus your attention on some pleasant task.”
“Well if we can’t go outside during clear weather without protection due to the radiation,” Rollsaround grumbled, “and we can’t go outside in stormy weather due to the, well, the storm, I say we should have just built a floating base that we could submerge during storm weather.”
“There is perhaps logic in that,” Tenth cousin agreed, and very deliberately tilted her head back to the poetry.
Rollsaround drooped his leading appendages over the edge of the bowl and absorbed the storm light in a slightly sulky mood. The airlock cycled open and Third Sister stepped in with the brisk stride that Rollsaround had noticed that high ranking sisters only used when they were looking for someone who had committed some infraction. Tenth Cousin brought the poem up closer to her face and started moving her mandibles as if she was completely focused on sounding out the words. Third Sister tilted her head the examine the cousin and then abruptly swiveled her body to focus on Rollsaround.
“First Ecologist,” she began, “do you know First Mechanic’s current location? The exterior vents in my lab require percussive maintenance.”
“He is off shift by now,” Rollsaround said. “You should check the washrooms and his quarters.”
However even as he offered this sound advice Rollsaround felt a ripple of unease. Human Friend Conner almost never went to his quarters after his shift. He was highly social, even by human standards and usually came to the main room to chat first thing.
“I have already checked both of those locations,” Third Sister stated. “He is not there and he is not answering his comm.”
Rollsaround mulled over that. Clearly Third Sister needed to find the human. An improperly vented laboratory in such a base as theirs was a serious health risk.
“Have you checked the storage areas?” he asked.
“I did a ping for his comm,” she replied, “but it is not reading as in the base at all so I could not locate the room he was in. I was surprised as I didn’t think we had any shielding strong enough to block the comm signal in the base-”
She cut off as Rollsaround suddenly surged up out of his mineral bath and crawled out of it.
“What is the matter First Ecologist?” Third Sister asked in confusion.
“He has gone out for a walk,” Rollsaround said, forgetting in his rush to add emotional undertones to his words.
“Out?” Third Sister demanded, her antenna going lax with confusion.
“Out to watch the storm from withing the wind currents,” Rollsaround explained.
“How do you gather that?” Third Sister demanded.
“He has described storm watching on his homeworld to me,” Rollsaround explained as he opened the hatch to the sub floor currents. “He also mentioned what he thought the perfect storm watching spot would be on these cliffs. That spot is behind enough rocks to block the signal. Now if you will excuse me I am going to go fetch him.”
“He has broken regulations!” Third Sister clicked, her frill flashing red with alarm.
“That on a secondary vine,” Tenth Cousin interjected as she came up to them. “The same regulations apply to you First Ecologist! The wind-”
“I am rated as fully wind resistant under these conditions,” Rollsaround said with a dismissive wave, “one of the perks of not being built like a windmill.”
“Your thermal mass-” Tenth Cousin tried again.
“I am fully warmed at the moment and I will turn back if my core temperature drops too low,” he interjected again. “Now if there are no further objections?”
Without waiting for their objections he dropped down into the sub-floor current and tapped the control panel to direct the current to the main outlet. He bundled his appendages and let himself be swept into the cold, but fresh exterior water. He bumped up against the smooth rise of the outlet and edged up out of the water. The wind was powerful. He could feel it tug at him if he raised a gripping appendage high, but at least over the main path there were eddies along the ground that were so comparatively we that he couldn’t even feel them. He began shuffling at top speed along the path. A the crest of the first high spot the winds did hit him, shoving his body sideways. However, as he had expected it required barely a fraction of his strength to grip the path firmly with his set appendages as he moved the free appendages forward. It barely even slowed him down, the roar of it was rather disconcerting when it wasn’t muted by the base walls however. He did wonder how the human had made it this far. After a long steady shuffle he rounded the corner that was blocking the signal and spotted a tall figure down at the cliff’s edge that wasn’t normally there.
Rollsaround activated the comm he was holding pressed against the ground. There was a significant delay before the human responded.
“Human Friend Conner,” Rollsaround said, trying to put firmness in his tones. “Come now and carry me back to the base. I am at the crest of the hill looking down at you.”
There was an odd sound from the comm that suggested the human was trying to say something back, but human speaking organs were not optimized for shielding the microphone of a comm while speaking so the human simply gave two short radio bursts and the tall figure on the cliff’s edge began swaying back and forth as it moved towards the path. Rollsaround anchored himself more fully against the blasts and watched in grim interest as the gusts blew the tall human form to one side and then the other as the human struggled up the path.
When Human Friend Conner finally did reach him the human didn’t bother speaking. He just reached down with a grin and tried to lift the Undulate off of the path. For one long moment Rollsaround hung on to the ground in a show of strength. He wasn’t sure if it would impress the human but a little dominance display did seem called for. He let go when the look of perplexity fully formed on the humans face but before he could give a more powerful tug and they headed back to the base.
Being carried over a meter above the ground in this wind was another experience altogether. The swaying of the human in the wind felt far wilder than it had looked, and Rollsaround found himself clutching tightly to the human’s coat as the wind tried to rip him away. They finally made the base airlock and stepped through to the blessedly still air. Rollsaround dropped to the floor and shook the cold water off of himself.
“I think Third Sister would like a word with you,” he said.
Granted she would probably want a word with him too, but Human Friend Conner didn’t need to know that.
https://i.redd.it/fm1fy76e390d1.gif

Science Fiction Books By Betty Adams

Amazon (Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook)

Barnes & Nobel (Nook, Paperback, Audiobook)

Powell's Books (Paperback)

Kobo by Rakuten (ebook and Audiobook)

Google Play Books (ebook and Audiobook)

Check out my books at any of these sites and leave a review! "Flying Sparks" - a novel set in the "Dying Embers" universe is now avaliable on all sites!
Please go leave a review on Amazon! It really helps and keeps me writing becase tea and taxes don't pay themselves sadly!

https://preview.redd.it/430dn0fa390d1.jpg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a749df9d2520424786bee70f0fbaab5006c5913

Humans are Weird – Storm Watching

Original Post: http://www.authorbettyadams.com/bettys-blog/humans-are-weird-storm-watching
“Why did we even bother building a base on the land anyway?” Rollsaround asked as he absorbed the dim light filtering through the wide windows of the base.
The windows gave an impressive view of what the humans in their generosity called a “coastline”. Instead of gently undulating coral beds easing down into the water the glittering volcanic rock dropped abruptly from the graminoid covered highlands and dove down dozens of meters to where it usually met the heaving surface of the water below. Today however the water had seemingly decided to express its objections to the separation and was attempting to scale the cliffs in massive waves. The base vibrated from the force of a gust of wind and Rollsaround hunkered deeper into his mineral bath.
“Do you require another introduction of thermal-loaded water?” Tenth Cousin asked from where she perched on a Shatar couch, reading something that was supposed to be very masculine poetry from her homeworld.
“I do not,” Rollsaround reassured her. “I was just reacting negatively to the storm.”
She tilted her head to examine the weather conditions with a thoughtful set to her antenna.
“I think it is a pleasant change,” she said. “The harsh, unfiltered lights of the suns here means that we have no real night. The clouds at lest allow the illusions of dusk, and the wind overhead is not entirely unlike breezes in Father’s canopy if you can focus your attention on some pleasant task.”
“Well if we can’t go outside during clear weather without protection due to the radiation,” Rollsaround grumbled, “and we can’t go outside in stormy weather due to the, well, the storm, I say we should have just built a floating base that we could submerge during storm weather.”
“There is perhaps logic in that,” Tenth cousin agreed, and very deliberately tilted her head back to the poetry.
Rollsaround drooped his leading appendages over the edge of the bowl and absorbed the storm light in a slightly sulky mood. The airlock cycled open and Third Sister stepped in with the brisk stride that Rollsaround had noticed that high ranking sisters only used when they were looking for someone who had committed some infraction. Tenth Cousin brought the poem up closer to her face and started moving her mandibles as if she was completely focused on sounding out the words. Third Sister tilted her head the examine the cousin and then abruptly swiveled her body to focus on Rollsaround.
“First Ecologist,” she began, “do you know First Mechanic’s current location? The exterior vents in my lab require percussive maintenance.”
“He is off shift by now,” Rollsaround said. “You should check the washrooms and his quarters.”
However even as he offered this sound advice Rollsaround felt a ripple of unease. Human Friend Conner almost never went to his quarters after his shift. He was highly social, even by human standards and usually came to the main room to chat first thing.
“I have already checked both of those locations,” Third Sister stated. “He is not there and he is not answering his comm.”
Rollsaround mulled over that. Clearly Third Sister needed to find the human. An improperly vented laboratory in such a base as theirs was a serious health risk.
“Have you checked the storage areas?” he asked.
“I did a ping for his comm,” she replied, “but it is not reading as in the base at all so I could not locate the room he was in. I was surprised as I didn’t think we had any shielding strong enough to block the comm signal in the base-”
She cut off as Rollsaround suddenly surged up out of his mineral bath and crawled out of it.
“What is the matter First Ecologist?” Third Sister asked in confusion.
“He has gone out for a walk,” Rollsaround said, forgetting in his rush to add emotional undertones to his words.
“Out?” Third Sister demanded, her antenna going lax with confusion.
“Out to watch the storm from withing the wind currents,” Rollsaround explained.
“How do you gather that?” Third Sister demanded.
“He has described storm watching on his homeworld to me,” Rollsaround explained as he opened the hatch to the sub floor currents. “He also mentioned what he thought the perfect storm watching spot would be on these cliffs. That spot is behind enough rocks to block the signal. Now if you will excuse me I am going to go fetch him.”
“He has broken regulations!” Third Sister clicked, her frill flashing red with alarm.
“That on a secondary vine,” Tenth Cousin interjected as she came up to them. “The same regulations apply to you First Ecologist! The wind-”
“I am rated as fully wind resistant under these conditions,” Rollsaround said with a dismissive wave, “one of the perks of not being built like a windmill.”
“Your thermal mass-” Tenth Cousin tried again.
“I am fully warmed at the moment and I will turn back if my core temperature drops too low,” he interjected again. “Now if there are no further objections?”
Without waiting for their objections he dropped down into the sub-floor current and tapped the control panel to direct the current to the main outlet. He bundled his appendages and let himself be swept into the cold, but fresh exterior water. He bumped up against the smooth rise of the outlet and edged up out of the water. The wind was powerful. He could feel it tug at him if he raised a gripping appendage high, but at least over the main path there were eddies along the ground that were so comparatively we that he couldn’t even feel them. He began shuffling at top speed along the path. A the crest of the first high spot the winds did hit him, shoving his body sideways. However, as he had expected it required barely a fraction of his strength to grip the path firmly with his set appendages as he moved the free appendages forward. It barely even slowed him down, the roar of it was rather disconcerting when it wasn’t muted by the base walls however. He did wonder how the human had made it this far. After a long steady shuffle he rounded the corner that was blocking the signal and spotted a tall figure down at the cliff’s edge that wasn’t normally there.
Rollsaround activated the comm he was holding pressed against the ground. There was a significant delay before the human responded.
“Human Friend Conner,” Rollsaround said, trying to put firmness in his tones. “Come now and carry me back to the base. I am at the crest of the hill looking down at you.”
There was an odd sound from the comm that suggested the human was trying to say something back, but human speaking organs were not optimized for shielding the microphone of a comm while speaking so the human simply gave two short radio bursts and the tall figure on the cliff’s edge began swaying back and forth as it moved towards the path. Rollsaround anchored himself more fully against the blasts and watched in grim interest as the gusts blew the tall human form to one side and then the other as the human struggled up the path.
When Human Friend Conner finally did reach him the human didn’t bother speaking. He just reached down with a grin and tried to lift the Undulate off of the path. For one long moment Rollsaround hung on to the ground in a show of strength. He wasn’t sure if it would impress the human but a little dominance display did seem called for. He let go when the look of perplexity fully formed on the humans face but before he could give a more powerful tug and they headed back to the base.
Being carried over a meter above the ground in this wind was another experience altogether. The swaying of the human in the wind felt far wilder than it had looked, and Rollsaround found himself clutching tightly to the human’s coat as the wind tried to rip him away. They finally made the base airlock and stepped through to the blessedly still air. Rollsaround dropped to the floor and shook the cold water off of himself.
“I think Third Sister would like a word with you,” he said.
Granted she would probably want a word with him too, but Human Friend Conner didn’t need to know that.
https://i.redd.it/a6z7gwsc390d1.gif

Science Fiction Books By Betty Adams

Amazon (Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook)

Barnes & Nobel (Nook, Paperback, Audiobook)

Powell's Books (Paperback)

Kobo by Rakuten (ebook and Audiobook)

Google Play Books (ebook and Audiobook)

Check out my books at any of these sites and leave a review! "Flying Sparks" - a novel set in the "Dying Embers" universe is now avaliable on all sites!
Please go leave a review on Amazon! It really helps and keeps me writing becase tea and taxes don't pay themselves sadly!

https://preview.redd.it/sseb3o7p190d1.jpg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=41f9688c2ecdfa32b73ed6338ae415a0a58921f3

Humans are Weird – Storm Watching

Original Post: http://www.authorbettyadams.com/bettys-blog/humans-are-weird-storm-watching
“Why did we even bother building a base on the land anyway?” Rollsaround asked as he absorbed the dim light filtering through the wide windows of the base.
The windows gave an impressive view of what the humans in their generosity called a “coastline”. Instead of gently undulating coral beds easing down into the water the glittering volcanic rock dropped abruptly from the graminoid covered highlands and dove down dozens of meters to where it usually met the heaving surface of the water below. Today however the water had seemingly decided to express its objections to the separation and was attempting to scale the cliffs in massive waves. The base vibrated from the force of a gust of wind and Rollsaround hunkered deeper into his mineral bath.
“Do you require another introduction of thermal-loaded water?” Tenth Cousin asked from where she perched on a Shatar couch, reading something that was supposed to be very masculine poetry from her homeworld.
“I do not,” Rollsaround reassured her. “I was just reacting negatively to the storm.”
She tilted her head to examine the weather conditions with a thoughtful set to her antenna.
“I think it is a pleasant change,” she said. “The harsh, unfiltered lights of the suns here means that we have no real night. The clouds at lest allow the illusions of dusk, and the wind overhead is not entirely unlike breezes in Father’s canopy if you can focus your attention on some pleasant task.”
“Well if we can’t go outside during clear weather without protection due to the radiation,” Rollsaround grumbled, “and we can’t go outside in stormy weather due to the, well, the storm, I say we should have just built a floating base that we could submerge during storm weather.”
“There is perhaps logic in that,” Tenth cousin agreed, and very deliberately tilted her head back to the poetry.
Rollsaround drooped his leading appendages over the edge of the bowl and absorbed the storm light in a slightly sulky mood. The airlock cycled open and Third Sister stepped in with the brisk stride that Rollsaround had noticed that high ranking sisters only used when they were looking for someone who had committed some infraction. Tenth Cousin brought the poem up closer to her face and started moving her mandibles as if she was completely focused on sounding out the words. Third Sister tilted her head the examine the cousin and then abruptly swiveled her body to focus on Rollsaround.
“First Ecologist,” she began, “do you know First Mechanic’s current location? The exterior vents in my lab require percussive maintenance.”
“He is off shift by now,” Rollsaround said. “You should check the washrooms and his quarters.”
However even as he offered this sound advice Rollsaround felt a ripple of unease. Human Friend Conner almost never went to his quarters after his shift. He was highly social, even by human standards and usually came to the main room to chat first thing.
“I have already checked both of those locations,” Third Sister stated. “He is not there and he is not answering his comm.”
Rollsaround mulled over that. Clearly Third Sister needed to find the human. An improperly vented laboratory in such a base as theirs was a serious health risk.
“Have you checked the storage areas?” he asked.
“I did a ping for his comm,” she replied, “but it is not reading as in the base at all so I could not locate the room he was in. I was surprised as I didn’t think we had any shielding strong enough to block the comm signal in the base-”
She cut off as Rollsaround suddenly surged up out of his mineral bath and crawled out of it.
“What is the matter First Ecologist?” Third Sister asked in confusion.
“He has gone out for a walk,” Rollsaround said, forgetting in his rush to add emotional undertones to his words.
“Out?” Third Sister demanded, her antenna going lax with confusion.
“Out to watch the storm from withing the wind currents,” Rollsaround explained.
“How do you gather that?” Third Sister demanded.
“He has described storm watching on his homeworld to me,” Rollsaround explained as he opened the hatch to the sub floor currents. “He also mentioned what he thought the perfect storm watching spot would be on these cliffs. That spot is behind enough rocks to block the signal. Now if you will excuse me I am going to go fetch him.”
“He has broken regulations!” Third Sister clicked, her frill flashing red with alarm.
“That on a secondary vine,” Tenth Cousin interjected as she came up to them. “The same regulations apply to you First Ecologist! The wind-”
“I am rated as fully wind resistant under these conditions,” Rollsaround said with a dismissive wave, “one of the perks of not being built like a windmill.”
“Your thermal mass-” Tenth Cousin tried again.
“I am fully warmed at the moment and I will turn back if my core temperature drops too low,” he interjected again. “Now if there are no further objections?”
Without waiting for their objections he dropped down into the sub-floor current and tapped the control panel to direct the current to the main outlet. He bundled his appendages and let himself be swept into the cold, but fresh exterior water. He bumped up against the smooth rise of the outlet and edged up out of the water. The wind was powerful. He could feel it tug at him if he raised a gripping appendage high, but at least over the main path there were eddies along the ground that were so comparatively we that he couldn’t even feel them. He began shuffling at top speed along the path. A the crest of the first high spot the winds did hit him, shoving his body sideways. However, as he had expected it required barely a fraction of his strength to grip the path firmly with his set appendages as he moved the free appendages forward. It barely even slowed him down, the roar of it was rather disconcerting when it wasn’t muted by the base walls however. He did wonder how the human had made it this far. After a long steady shuffle he rounded the corner that was blocking the signal and spotted a tall figure down at the cliff’s edge that wasn’t normally there.
Rollsaround activated the comm he was holding pressed against the ground. There was a significant delay before the human responded.
“Human Friend Conner,” Rollsaround said, trying to put firmness in his tones. “Come now and carry me back to the base. I am at the crest of the hill looking down at you.”
There was an odd sound from the comm that suggested the human was trying to say something back, but human speaking organs were not optimized for shielding the microphone of a comm while speaking so the human simply gave two short radio bursts and the tall figure on the cliff’s edge began swaying back and forth as it moved towards the path. Rollsaround anchored himself more fully against the blasts and watched in grim interest as the gusts blew the tall human form to one side and then the other as the human struggled up the path.
When Human Friend Conner finally did reach him the human didn’t bother speaking. He just reached down with a grin and tried to lift the Undulate off of the path. For one long moment Rollsaround hung on to the ground in a show of strength. He wasn’t sure if it would impress the human but a little dominance display did seem called for. He let go when the look of perplexity fully formed on the humans face but before he could give a more powerful tug and they headed back to the base.
Being carried over a meter above the ground in this wind was another experience altogether. The swaying of the human in the wind felt far wilder than it had looked, and Rollsaround found himself clutching tightly to the human’s coat as the wind tried to rip him away. They finally made the base airlock and stepped through to the blessedly still air. Rollsaround dropped to the floor and shook the cold water off of himself.
“I think Third Sister would like a word with you,” he said.
Granted she would probably want a word with him too, but Human Friend Conner didn’t need to know that.

Science Fiction Books By Betty Adams

Amazon (Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook)

Barnes & Nobel (Nook, Paperback, Audiobook)

Powell's Books (Paperback)

Kobo by Rakuten (ebook and Audiobook)

Google Play Books (ebook and Audiobook)

Check out my books at any of these sites and leave a review! "Flying Sparks" - a novel set in the "Dying Embers" universe is now avaliable on all sites!
Please go leave a review on Amazon! It really helps and keeps me writing becase tea and taxes don't pay themselves sadly!

This brain dump was inspired by a really, really excellent post by u/doctor-gigibanana dissecting the casual Aristotle name drop in SHS and the concept of mimesis. It got me reminiscing about the Greek homies, and what Taylor might be exploring broadly as an artist through this lens, but especially and specifically during the Eras TTPD set.
Go check out that awesome post and, while you do, keep the other side of this coin in mind: diegesis.
In a nutshell, while mimesis shows you the nature of a thing to help you understand its truth (versus telling you all about it), diegesis is all about narrative. And that’s all I have to say about that.
https://preview.redd.it/o94rlnz9p80d1.jpg?width=373&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca223add341475f3dc3a8edda439272968631b70
OK! So let’s talk about truth as told by Plato, Aristotle's philosophy daddy. If you’re not familiar with his Forms theory, it’s pretty much his belief that the physical world is lies. Just straight up bullshit. He argues you can only find truth in the nature or essence of something, before it’s been filtered through someone’s perception of reality. That includes your own, so don't get too comfy, understand?
To illustrate his point, Plato uses the metaphor of three beds.
3....2....1?
Please hang on for dear life while I try to summarize this without confusing myself:
Think of a bed. In your mind, you know the Form, or the truth, of a bed. You know its nature, its essence. And that’s where we’ll start: The “truth” of the bed is its nature, which can only be formed by the creator.
As the carpenter begins to build a bed, she can only imitate its Form, or truth. It’s her perception of what a bed should be, once removed from the truth of it. (Side note, this would be called the Platonic bed – our perception of the ideal Form. I know it’s cuz Plato but I giggled.)
When the carpenter is done building, her bed is an imitation of her perception of the bed’s Form, making the final product twice removed from the truth.
When the artist paints a bed, her work is based on the carpenter’s imitation of the bed. The artist’s bed is an imitation of an imitation of the bed’s Form. She is thrice removed from the truth.
The poet can be (and is) used in place of the artist in this exercise:
“…Then you call him who is third in descent from nature [the artist] an imitator? … Then the tragic poet is an imitator, and therefore, like all other imitators, he is thrice removed from the king and from the truth?”
The Fortnight bed makes an appearance at the Eras tour, rocking and spinning and shifting, lifting Taylor up and down, obscuring and revealing the TTPD logo. Complete with a typewriter to spin up a tale when the mood strikes.
To hear Plato tell it in this context, truth-telling should be left to the philosophers (the carpenters) because poets are some filthy liars.
Why does Plato have such beef with art? Well, reading books wasn’t really a thing back then. Who has the time between all the orgies and foot races? Folks were more likely to learn about concepts and events through an orator (reciting poems) or a theatrical performance. In both cases, the truth is filtered through the experiences of the performers. It’s art, but it’s artifice. Appearance. You can't trust it.
I mean we're back to debating \"is it this color or that color\" on Beyonce's internet in 2024.
Interestingly, he also uses the image of turning a mirror round and round and round, reflecting the earth, sun, plants, animals, yourself—you see images of these things, but they are appearances only. Not the truth. Just something totally random and unrelated to think about…
Anyway, Plato seems to argue there’s no way to portray the truth of a thing through performance or poetry, because the actors’ own truths would taint the essence of that thing. As a result, the audience is being persuaded to see a certain way, not by truth, but by rhetoric.
Except…….when he also took the exact opposite position. In a separate text, Ion, Plato’s characterization of the poet is a little more generous. He argues that poetry is the result of divine madness, likening the creation of it to the way a prophet would let God speak truths through them.
Taylor Alison Clara Cassandra Bow Swift getting cozy in the asylum.
Admittedly, Plato’s take on poetry from this angle is less robust and a wee bit hole-y, but it’s a great bridge to our good buddy Aristotle.
u/doctor-gigibanana 's post did a great job of explaining the function of mimesis in art, and why it’s so effective and needed. It helps us connect with art, relate it to our own personal experiences. It has to be just close enough to the truth to be recognizable, but not too close to home to scare us off. And Taylor has used it to great effect for her entire career.
Every relationship hard launch pap walk, hidden messages in liner notes, overt visual and even lyrical references to possible muses in music videos, and now the absolute ham-fisted spectacle that is the SHS performance, complete with choreo re-enacting scenes from some of the most public moments of her life in recent memory. All of it spins a tale the public can’t get enough of.
Except now, more explicitly than ever, she’s giving us the artifice alongside her diegesis, most effectively distilled down into roughly 25 minutes of performance art that will never NOT be known as Female Rage: The Musical.
Quick! Look over there. Taylor sings in one direction through much of this performance, while her dancers perform their recreation of life from the WAG box in the opposite direction. The mimesis is mimesising.
The entire set is layered with smoke and mirrors (literally), misdirection, bits and pieces of the 4th wall as it explodes in our faces, a shark jumping 10 monster trucks, moments of terror, tragedy, comedy...a show within a show within a show, with a literal mirror held up to our drooling faces as she sings about how We (the collective) have fucked her up real good. What does it mean?? We dunno! MORE! MORE! MORE!
She's the creator, the carpenter, and the poet. Each of them layer in their own version of the truth, mixing narratives, derailing others, blending stories we've heard a thousand times before. We're all familiar with the myth of Taylor Swift, the folklore surrounding the music we've been assured is the whole truth--according to who? The poet? The carpenter? The creator? Three...two...one...
I have no idea what the big vision is, if there even is one, from Taylor's perspective. Sometimes I wonder if the fandom, especially Gaylors, are a bit too generous with the connections we attribute to the Chairman. Maybe things really do just sound good on paper and it's not that deep.
But those stories she's been telling us through multiple eras of her career? They seem to be taking new Forms this time around.
Credit to @aimsly for this image and their post on Taylor's reference to this TRECHEROUS exercise!

Heidi’s Lane Podcast. Episode 30, Part II. “My Surrender Formula: Practical Tips For Letting Go Of Control”
(OP Notes: Credit where credit is due. Instead of her usual “vague talk;'' in this episode Heidi actually gives some real life examples to make her points. Now, get your post-its ready, she's shilling quote after quote in this one, and you won’t want to miss a moment of her life-changing content. This episode really highlights her delusions of grandeur. Remember when she proudly proclaimed that she ”wasn’t here to teach us, but to love us, and through her love we will be taught?” That era is apparently over. She truly thinks her teachings are changing lives. She “humbly” comes across as having all the secrets to a fulfilled life, while admitting that her content is “just as much for me as it is for you.” BUT ALSO, just like Dave and Rach, she is “teaching” from a place she has no expertise in, and not enough experience in. Let’s just say, her confidence on this topic of “surrender” comes through loud and clear, and by the end of this episode, she wants you to be as enlightened as she is. One more thing, today she blames her panic attacks on her control issues. Heidi, your delusion is showing. Oh, and YES, just like in every episode, she mentions Dave, Chris, her panic attacks, and her challenges.)
Parentheses are OP thoughts
Her camera isn’t working, so there’s no video of this pod on Youtube. But she’s decided to “let go of control” and “surrender to it.” “This episode will be exactly what it needs to be.”
Quote from the book “The Surrender Experiment.” “Do whatever is put in front of you with all your heart and soul, without regard for personal results. Do the work as though it were given to you by the universe, because it was.” And then she reads it to us one more time, with more emphatic and dramatic pauses.
Do you try to control your kids, or your spouse, or your parking, or the government? When we try to control them, what we’re saying is that we are God, or we are the universe.
Think about your past relationships. Was it a perfect fit? A good fit? Or a terrible fit? Were we so hell bent on having that person want us, we were chasing unavailable love? I’ve done that more times than I want to admit. I was chasing the unavailable. I loved someone who didn’t love me the way I wanted them to. I would try to not have the relationship fall apart. If they could only see how great life would be with me. The more I controlled, the more out of control the situation was. I truly said to God, “Please help this person love me the way that I love them. Please help my kids to see it the way I see it.” They’re not going to.
We can’t control what people say about us. I don’t know if this is too much, but I’m going to say it. It was hard for Dave to hear the words that the haters were saying. The bullies. The cyberbullies. For someone to sit and listen and then spend their days attacking people they don’t even know. There’s no life there. They have no life. I have empathy and compassion for them, for their sadness they must experience on a daily basis. I would never do that. I couldn’t do that. It’s not in my DNA. I have too much good in my life, but it was hard for Dave to understand the haters' sadness and misery. They did so much harm to his soul. They hurt him. He would often read what they said. They made fun of his nostrils, or the way he would say something, or something he did in one of my stories. He would then react and try to control it, trying to make them like him. He would shift. He tried to control these people who do not matter. The situation controlled him. For a while I did the same thing, and then I got to the point of saying, “What in the hell am I doing? Why am I letting these people tell me who I am?” I know there are more people out there who appreciate me, those are my people. We can all relate to that.
We’ve all had haters. We try to control it. Surrendering is a result of a particular action, the action of letting go. When we don’t, we are saying we are God, we are the universe. Our job is not to control the flow of the universe.
Years ago, when I was married to Chris, my mom gave me a card that said, “What would you do without me? You would die without me.” It was a joke. I was a control freak. I am less now, I’m trying to do better. All of us control freaks think that if we step back it will all fall apart. What happens if I can’t control what Boy M does after high school? Or girl M?
My employees are laughing right now, because it’s true. When Dave and I were doing the challenges, I was so busy. I’m not sure if Dave was, I mean I’m sure he was busy, too. I was a control freak. I had a wonderful, large army of people helping me achieve my goals. We had challenges, and education courses, and in-person events. We had to show up. We built an app. We had supplements. I was so busy and my level of control freakism was on another level. This was true from 2021 until Dave died. I would do team calls in the morning and afternoon. They were 2 hour calls, sometimes 2 and a half hour calls every morning and afternoon. I couldn’t let my team work without me controlling them. It caused my anxiety attacks. Clearly this behavior affected my body physiologically. I couldn't get out of bed. I stayed in a dark room for a week. I was at a point that I didn’t care if it all fell apart. A phone call would cause another panic attack. What’s interesting is that in my week away, my team thrived. I was a wrench in everyone’s spokes. I learned that week that my job was to lead. I’ve grown so much over the last 2 years. When Dave died I stepped away for a month. I learned that when we step back the world is not going to fall apart.
Nature is a rhythm. We can’t control the universe. Our job is to ride the wave. When you go to the beach, watch the surfers. They don’t control the waves, they read them and watch them, they wait, and then they paddle paddle paddle and catch the wave. They embrace the flow. It’s the art of surrender. A quote from Untethered Soul, “Go outside on a clear night and just look up into the sky. You’re sitting on a planet spinning around in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Though you can only see a few thousand stars, there are hundreds of billions of stars in our Milky Way Galaxy alone. It’s estimated there are over a trillion stars in the galaxy. You’re just standing on one little ball of dirt and spinning around one of the stars. From that perspective, do you really care what people think about your clothes or your car? Do you need to feel embarrassed if you forget someone's name? If you want a decent life, don’t devote your life to avoiding psychological pain. What kind of life is that?”
Do you feel that? Avoiding pain means it’s always right behind you. When we are controlling we are trying to avoid pain. Are you starting to see? This is reality. We are a blip in the universe. We need to find the flow, to relax, stop trying to drive, to manipulate, and to work. I’m passionate and emotional about this. Now that you have all the feels, you have perspective. I want to make sure you learn what I’m sharing and apply it. (Is this Heidi trying to control her listeners?)
You probably finish this episode and think you’ve got this. In 6 months you’re going to think back and realize what I really meant. Now I get it. I totally get it now. I want you to be grounded and confident that what you’ve learned here will unfold exactly how it should unfold for you. I want to send you off with 3 ideas. How, how, how, how. How do we make it better? Remember that you are the main character in your own life. Write this down. (again, with the control) You are the main character in your life. We spend too much time doubting ourselves. I know I do. Remember you’re the main character in your life.(yes, she really says it 3x) At 2 years old you were told to stay in line, be quiet, watch your words, don't make anyone uncomfortable. We were trained to make people happy. We think we need to be good to get loved. We must expand our best parts. (That explains her booty workouts) I want this moment to be a hard reset moment in your life. (STOP TRYING TO CONTROL ME, HEIDI!) You can now begin to engage in a different way, beginning today. Don’t watch from the sidelines. Show up for your life. Imagine a movie of your life. As the title credits go by and it fades, everything that happened before that fades away. After that moment, you decide who to become. The movie is about you and your development as a person.
Now, let’s recap. You are the main character in your own life. (That 4x now) No longer will you do what other people want you to do. No longer is it about who you need to be to make someone happy. That was before. Now it’s about what makes you happy. (I thought this was about surrendering?) What will create the best life for you? What will help you achieve your highest self? You are the main character of your own life. (FIVE TIMES!!!)
You are worthy. I’m going to say it again. You are worthy. Carl Jung once said, “I am not what has happened to me.” Oooooo, actually, he said, “I am what I choose to become.” I might have this quote wrong. “I'm not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.”
We’ve covered a lot of new ideas in the last 2 episodes and you probably have a lot of new things you want to do and implement into your life. Don’t forget, you’re worthy. Your past doesn’t define you. You are a beautiful soul. You’re right where you are supposed to be. You are a divine creature. Like you, I’m just figuring things out like everybody else. You are worthy. Do you understand me? I’m saying this to you and to myself. You are worthy of love. Being you is enough. You are worthy. Now, write this on a post-it, I made a tshirt out of it. “The universe has your address.” There’s a great quote, “Most things are out of our control.” It’s not your job to make waves, it’s to ride the waves. Don’t try to tell other surfers how to ride their waves (Literally what she’s doing) Ride your own waves.
You’re probably super optimistic and excited and empowered after listening to me today. You’re feeling all the feels. I am, too. Part of you is also like, holy crap, how do I remember all of this? When I’m inspired, I have mixed feelings. I’m downloading a lot of things that will change my life. You have mixed feelings. You’re optimistic and you’re hearing me, and you’re like, I can do something about it. You listen to me and you get great tools. My guests give you great tools. How do you remember them all? How do you go back to daily life after being inspired? (She thinks she’s so inspiring to me that I can’t even function after listening to her?) I’m a humongous believer that you are going to get from each interaction with me exactly what you are meant to get. This is where faith and trust come in. Trust that the universe has your address. God is there for you. He’ll help you get out of this what you’re meant to get out of it. Stop resisting. Not everything’s a fight. Where are you resisting? Are you resisting giving that love to that person? Carl Jung said, “What we resist persists.” Paulo Coelho said, “When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize her dream.” I want you to hear that again. “When you really desire something, all of the universe conspires to help her realize her dream.” The more you control, you’re getting in the way of God helping you make your dreams a reality. Get 3 post-it notes and put these things on your mirror. I have a long way to go, guys. I do. I have a lot of things I need to stop trying to control. It's increasingly harder (Shouldn’t her tips here make it easier?) What my kids are going to be after they leave my house is a real struggle for me. I experienced as a kid myself a parent who loved me so much they controlled everything I did. It was control over me in an effort to love me. To make sure I didn’t fall. That way of helping is like going to the gym and someone says, “Lets build you up to lifting a 400 lb bench press.” That person is my spotter. If they keep lifting half of my load, so I don’t get hurt, then I think I can lift 400 lbs. So when I go to the gym to lift 400 lbs without a spotter, the barbell crushes us. I’m struggling to let go with my kids to do things on their own. It’s not my job to always pick them up. It’s not my job to create waves for my kids, but to love them on whichever waves they choose to ride. My job is to let go and trust that the universe and God have my address. I didn’t get where I am today without my struggles. I’m proud of who I am.
My invitation to you is to go through your week and watch for how the universe will line up to make things happen for you. Be prepared to be amazed at how much peace and joy you feel. You can only control you. Let me say that again, You can only control you. You can’t control the situation. Remember my 3 ideas: 1. You are the main character in your story (SIX TIMES!!!!!) 2. You are worthy. 3. The universe and God have your address.
Next week she’ll have a really great guest for us.

W.D. Kilpack III, a native of West Jordan, Uta., had his sixth novel, Battle Calm, published on Amazon.com. This is the first book in a trilogy called the Battle Calm Cycle, set in a dystopian future. It is Kilpack's first hardcover release, but is also available in eBook and on Kindle Unlimited.
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Battle Calm centers around Badger, a Keeper, who is the greatest soldier alive. He knows to never celebrate victories, no matter how hard-won, because the enemy never stops. When Badger succeeded his father, Red Skin, as Keeper Base Leader, he was well prepared, raised to handle anything the enemy threw at him. He was the best killer, and the most respected tactician. He knew Red Skin’s Laws like he wrote them himself. Most importantly, he was always calm, no matter how frenzied the combat. These were only some of the reasons why he still had all his original parts. His two closest friends are Trinity, who would die for him, and Korry, who would follow him without question. They are all Keepers. They fight, they kill, they live to kill another day, even when it means bugging out to another Base ... and another. That is life when life is war. They know nothing else. But even war cannot last forever, regardless of the infallible truth of Red Skin’s Law #35: “Under conditions of peace, men attack themselves; thus, there never has been, and there never will be a time without war. It is the greatest, most perfect thing men can do.”
Kilpack said, "I wrote the very earliest drafts of these books when I was 14. Don't worry, they've been revised many, many times since then. I'm very happy with the state they're in now. The military aspect is much more authentic in a lot of ways, despite being a fictional branch of the military. Research and Q&A with some veterans went into restructuring that aspect of the story both through direct feedback and pointing me to the right places to dig and find out for myself."
Kilpack is an award-winning and critically acclaimed internationally published writer, with works appearing in print, online, radio and television, starting with his first publication credit at the age of nine, when he wrote an award-winning poem. He has since won 23 book awards, including The International Firebird Book Award, The BookFest Award, International Impact Book Award, both Editor's Choice and Top Pick from BooksShelf and Honorable Mention from L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest for his novella, Pale Face, which was recently optioned for development for a Hollywood movie. He has been editor and/or publisher of 19 news and literary publications, both online and in print, with circulations as high as 770,000.
He received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Westminster University. As an undergrad, he double-majored in communication and philosophy, while completing the Honors Program. As a graduate student, he earned a master of professional communication with a writing emphasis. He was also a high-performing athlete, qualifying for international competition in Greco-Roman wrestling.
For 25 years, he was a communication professor and a nationally recognized wrestling coach. He is an accomplished cook and has cooked nearly every type of food on a grill. He is happily married to his high-school sweetheart and is father to five children, as well as helping to raise five step-children. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he continues to live, consult and educate. For more information www.Kilpack.net
Praise for Pale Face
Pale Face is "pretty darned good. I like it. I love how [Hector] sees the aliens and the white men in the same light. A nice, brutal, ironic twist ... this is good stuff." — Dave Wolverton, international best-selling author
Praise for Crown Prince: Book One of New Blood
"Author W.D. Kilpack III presents an atmospheric and immersive journey into a richly crafted fantasy world, balancing a strong character-led adventure with a wider web of plots, setting up a highly complex and enjoyable fantasy saga to follow. There’s a clear flair for character, dialogue, and attitude from the start, with Natharr's intense presence affecting all who encounter him and making for some really dynamic clashes. The weightiness of his responsibilities and the depth of the world-building immediately gripped my attention and, as the story unfolded, the way the characters’ attitudes and actions were shaped by the realism of the worldbuilding was totally compelling. This book delivers on every promise of pulse-pounding adventure — thanks to the swift pacing of the plot, coupled with dark storytelling, strong descriptive skills, and captivating character development that balances emotion with duty well. Overall, I would certainly recommend Crown Prince as an incredible opener to an exciting new fantasy series, and I’m all the more eager to continue exploring this fantastical realm." — USA Today best-selling author K.C. Finn
Praise for Order of Light: Book Two of New Blood
"W. D. Kilpack III's Crown Prince captivated me. His vivid descriptions plunged me into a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, and emotions. I devoured the first book in the New Blood Saga, desperate to see where the tale would lead. So, it was with bated breath that I cracked open Order of Light, the series' second instalment. Kilpack doesn't disappoint. The themes that resonated in Crown Prince deepen and twist in Order of Light. He has a way of making words just flow vividly on the page. On page 106 of my Australian paperback version, a revelation about Natharr, the Guardian of Maarihk, floored me! His journey of self-discovery weaves flawlessly with the Crown Prince's own remarkable growth. New fantastical creatures emerge from Kilpack's boundless imagination. The Quiet One and Bu, meticulously detailed in all their wonder, are testament to his storytelling prowess. But fear not, I won't spoil the magic! Suffice it to say, fans of epic fantasy, your search is over. Kilpack is your new literary lord. From exhilarating battle sequences to poignant moments of reflection, Order of Light is a masterpiece. If I could, I’d give it a six! Both it and Crown Prince deserve a place on your bookshelf. Trust me, you won't regret immersing yourself in Kilpack's world." — Jose F. Nodar, author of Books, Pens & Larceny (South Wales, Australia)
Praise for Demon Seed: Book Three of New Blood
"Demon Seed is the thrilling and fast-paced third book in the New Blood Saga ... Kilpack does not disappoint! Demon Seed is a shocking and brilliant tale that will reintroduce readers to characters we have come to love/be invested in. In this third book, the stakes are as high as ever and the story the reader is taken on will enthrall, captivate and excite its readers ... Kilpack from the beginning hooks his readers and keeps them enchanted to the very end. I have to recommend Demon Seed to readers that love epic fantasy! Demon Seed is one that is full of shocks, thrills, and twists and turns galore that will keep you on edge from beginning to end. [It] is an incredibly suspenseful novel and this is thanks to the wonderful author, whose work I love ... [Demon Seed] did not let me down, this saga has not lost its momentum or uniqueness. Kilpack is an exceptional author [who] knows how to flawlessly transport his readers into the story ... the descriptions are phenomenal ... Demon Seed is a magnificent and entertaining book that will easily entertain its readers for many hours! That is why I of course have to award this incredible book five stars!" — RedHeadedBookLover.com
Praise for Rilari: Book Four of New Blood
"Embark on a captivating journey with W.D. Kilpack III's Rilari: Book Four of New Blood, a tale that expertly weaves tension, mystery, and awe-inspiring heroism. Kilpack's world-building skillfully combines politics, magic, and ancient lore, creating a rich tapestry for readers to explore. The characters, especially Natharr and the Knights of Ril, are well-developed, and the dynamic between Nathan and his summoned companion adds depth and heart to the story. Kilpack successfully incorporates profound themes of resilience and unity into the gripping plot, leaving readers emotionally connected. Riliari is a triumph, offering an enthralling adventure filled with courage and the enduring spirit of humanity." — BooksShelf.com

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