Hey everyone, long time, no see.
As most of you have been aware, I have been absent for the past couple of months. This is mostly due to needing to attend to my research, but all the same I have been missing.
The one thing that I have realized in my time off the blog its that the content that I have released, while interesting and varied, is inconsistent in focus, quality, and in release. In order to remedy this, I plan on posting at least once a week starting in mid-May with more honed and polished content. There will be at least one more post prior to the mid-May released date that outlines everything that is in the works.
This delay is with the benefit of you, my readers, so that I can provide better content for you.
Follow me on Twitter @tservitive in order to receive updates and release times.
Until we meet again,
-T
Showing posts with label Tea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tea. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Monday, October 27, 2014
Weekly Update
Good afternoon one and all, this is T with a weekly update.
In personal news, I have been swamped with schoolwork for the past week just and I have even more to do over the course of this week as well.
I am also behind on some of the posts that I had planned for last week, but beginning next Tuesday (not tomorrow) I will be posting regular content on a bi-daily basis at the very least.
Despite my schedule, I have a couple of articles that I plan to release over the next week:
In personal news, I have been swamped with schoolwork for the past week just and I have even more to do over the course of this week as well.
I am also behind on some of the posts that I had planned for last week, but beginning next Tuesday (not tomorrow) I will be posting regular content on a bi-daily basis at the very least.
Despite my schedule, I have a couple of articles that I plan to release over the next week:
- An overdue book review
- My reaction to a current college feminist "anti-rape" protest
- My review of a workout routine that can be done even with a dislocated arm
That's all for now. Until next time.
-T
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
An Open Appeal to Teachers and College Professors
Dear Academics,
I write this letter to put words to the flaws I have observed and the critiques I have about examinations. I speak with the authority of 18 years experience as a student who has observed several scores of teachers and professors alike. While I cannot speak for anyone else's experiences, I will assume that at least one other current or former student has empathy for my opinion.
My requests are as follows:
I write this letter to put words to the flaws I have observed and the critiques I have about examinations. I speak with the authority of 18 years experience as a student who has observed several scores of teachers and professors alike. While I cannot speak for anyone else's experiences, I will assume that at least one other current or former student has empathy for my opinion.
My requests are as follows:
- If you want us to learn about a topic germane to the course, set aside class or lecture time to at least acknowledge that we were to read the assignment. A regular discussion period would be preferable, but there should be a summery for longer readings at the beginning of each class or only assign the most important readings. Assignments should not take twice the amount of time we have in class.
- If you want to accurately assess the class's knowledge of course material, you should give exams that are similar in nature to assigned homework questions or in-class examples. For example, if we only talk about the concepts behind a T-Test formula and are expected to do questions at random from the book and bring them to a problem night, then assign problems that will be similar to what you plan to ask on the exam. I should not be expected to understand the class notes, use the related equations in a textbook question, then find out that the exam asks questions that are so conceptual in nature that we are required to predict the one formula of the multiple formulas that will ensure that we will actually finish the exam in the allotted time.
- If you are going to use questions that are word from word taken from the textbook, then at least have the decency of changing the values that are given. If it is considered academic dishonesty for a student to present someone else's work as our own, then it sure also academically dishonest for a teacher or professor to not give credit to the author of the question. Its the least you can do for the person who developed the problem that reduced the amount of time you were willing to spend creating the exam.
- Exams are about testing knowledge, not maximizing the number of questions you think students can answer in the allotted time. This only encourages cramming, sloppy work, and murder plots on the students' side.
- If almost half of the students that took your exam, quiz, or paper receive a score below 70%, the fault lies with the teacher, not the student. This is especially true in a scientific discipline that promotes the concept of Occam's razor.
- Excluding lab time or events specifically outlined in the semester's syllabus, do not penalize students who cannot attend out of class meetings that are not required. If I have two separate classes that have events on the same Thursday evening, Im I expected to ignore one event over the other because it makes that one academic feel better? OR am I supposed to magically be at both events at the same time and I never got my time-turner from Professor Dumbledore?
- Proof read your power points, prompts, and exams. I get it, humans make mistakes. Since this is true, how is it fare or UPB to permit academics the ability to decrease a student's grade if the student does not proof read, but it is totally fine for the etcher or professor to give the wrong mean variable on an exam an then in the last 20 minutes of the exam require all student sot change the mean variable for the problem? It also does not make it better if you allow student the ability to keep their answers if they already solved the problem with the incorrect value and then require a paragraph explaining why they thought solution looked incorrect.
- Finally, If you have an average class attendance rate of 90% and up, don't assume your students don't want to learn or do not care about the material if they do not go to your office hours. We occasionally have lives outside school. We also might have a 10 page paper due the next day. Regardless of the reason, if we think we know the material based on your lecture, then we think that you as an academic knows what you are talking about and have increase our own knowledge as students. As a result, if your students hold this belief and then do poorly as a whole on the exam, then there is a disconnect between student and academic for sure. This being said, do not blame the students entirely for this disconnect. If they did not know that they misunderstand the material, then they would have met up with your. The fault is in the presentation. Again, Occam's razor.
I have more complaints, to be sure, but I write this letter with the best of intentions. I want to learn and so do other students. The is why we are willing to put ourselves in debt to spend at least four years in institutions of higher learning. My hope is that you all are sympathetic to my perspective and that this sympathy can improve the way students learn from academics.
Thank you for for your time and I will see you next class.
-T Servitive
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
...Like a Fish Needs a Bicycle
Hello everyone, this is T with a brief, horrifying post.
In the Venture Bros episode "Viva los Muertos!", there is a Scooby Doo parody group that consists of more dark depictions of the Mystery Gang we have grown to love. The character Val, the parody of Velma, is a stanch feminist who delivers a nightmare like speech that had haunted by then high school brain for at least a week. Her speech was a derivative of the SCUM Manifesto, written by Valery Solanas in 1967, the year before she tried to assassinate Andy Warhol. The speech promotes the near extermination of men around the globe where:
"The few remaining men will exist as studs, breeding in the cow pasture, or they can go up to the nearest suicide center where they'll be quietly gassed to death."
In the Venture Bros episode "Viva los Muertos!", there is a Scooby Doo parody group that consists of more dark depictions of the Mystery Gang we have grown to love. The character Val, the parody of Velma, is a stanch feminist who delivers a nightmare like speech that had haunted by then high school brain for at least a week. Her speech was a derivative of the SCUM Manifesto, written by Valery Solanas in 1967, the year before she tried to assassinate Andy Warhol. The speech promotes the near extermination of men around the globe where:
"The few remaining men will exist as studs, breeding in the cow pasture, or they can go up to the nearest suicide center where they'll be quietly gassed to death."
While I eventually got over the horror of the quote, I can honestly say that I still associate modern feminism with the SCUM Manifesto. I try not to, but at least I'm honest with my bias.
Now, why am I referring to an episode from a cartoon series that first aired back in 2006?
While I was taking a break from thesis research, I walked into my libraries café where I was confronted with three posters for some on-campus asian feminist group. The first two posters were laughable at best, saying something along the lines of "I'm not your yellow fever," and "I'm not your minority fetish." I know we live in the USSA where the "white patriarchy" with their "evil magic wands" (read: penises) actively "oppress women, minorities, the poor, and unicorns," but really? How can someone be racist when he walks up to a girl and says, "I find so you attractive that I am willing to put my most precious body part inside of you."
Here's a hint: most men won't have sex with someone that they dislike physically. Despite the age of equality, men are still expected to initiate conversations with women that will lead to the possibility of a date or sex. Men are starting at a disadvantage no mater who it is unless we have experience or know for a fact that the girl will say yes. This is why it would be unlikely that a guy, in a sober or unaltered state of mind, would approach a girl to go on a date or have sex whom he did not first find attractive.
Let's add the variable of race and say that the guy has an "asian fetish". So what? Guys are entitled to the physical attributes of women just as women are entitled to the physical attributes of men. UPB. To these asian feminists, is a guy with "yellow fever" more, less, or equally as deplorable as a guy who likes blonde women? How about compared to a guy who likes girls that go to the gym? Human beings have unique personal physical preferences that define their attraction to a partner. Is it "yellow fever" if a white girl wants to have sex with an asian girl? What if it's a white girl and an asian guy?
What makes this so laughable its that what these asian feminists are saying is essentially this:
"We do not want white guys talking to asian women"
Good job asian feminists, you are the racists you claim to hate. If this wasn't the USSA where white is the new Hitler, then your campaign would be the equivalent of a white feminist group campaigning against white women having sex with black men.
While mirth was had with the first two posters, the last poster brought me back to high school.
"Men are SCUM"
Ladies and gentlemen, we live in dangerous times if an idea like SCUM can be promoted openly on a college campus. I do not have an answer as to what should be done. I'm a white male living in the USSA, who is going to take me seriously at a liberal arts university where we had a week long diversity sit in over a racist comment on yik yak. I caution you to be aware of the radicals in our midsts, which is a funny thing to hear coming from an anarcho-capitalist atheist.
Men : Take the red pill
Women: Realize that men are just as human as you
Until next time.
-T
Fire Emblem Part 2: Magic and Medicine
Hello everyone, this is T again.
Let's get down to business, defeat the Huns, and delve in to the world of Fire Emblem and one of the major components that make it tick: magic.
Intro:
As I mentioned briefly in my last post about Fire Emblem, magic has always played a vital role in this series with regards to both plot and in-game combat. In Chapter 1 of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, the character is first introduced to magic through the character Wrys, a priest with a magic staff that could heal all but fatal wounds. This tradition continues throughout the franchise to Fire Emblem Awakening (FEA) where Robin, the player's customizable character, has the ability to shook lightning at the enemy my reading from a magic tome (read: book).
In the Fire Emblem Universe, magic exists in one of the following forms:
-Fire Magic
-Lightning Magic
-Wind Magic
-Light/Holy Magic
-Dark Magic
-Healing Staves
For most of you, it should come to no shock that magic does not exist in the real world. No matter how much pain you experienced getting that lightning bolt tattoo inked onto your forehead, you will not be able to levitate a bookcase off the shelf with a shish and flick. Applying UPB principals to fiction, magic can be understood in fiction as a metaphor, most accurately as mental illness. A coupe of months ago, Stefan Molyneux released a video titled "The Truth About Frozen" that connected Elsa's in film ice magic to a more realistic mental illness that was brought about by abusive parents that most likely were killed by Elsa's hand.
Meanwhile, other interpretations of magic in fiction can be explained as follows:
- Attributing causality to random acts of nature
- Superstitious and primitive people confusing advanced technology as magic
- The application of forbidden or restricted knowledge
- A metaphor for women's sexuality and value in the biological market place
It follows that since Fire Emblem's depiction of magic serves a greater role than just fantasy fun.
Magic and Medicine:
Let's tackle the easy metaphor first. In the game, there are several ways that your units can be healed during combat:
- Using medicine
- Waiting in a fort tile
- Having a healing ability like Relief
- Using a non-medicinal item that heals the character
- Commanding another unit to use a healing staff
The first method of healing can be understood as the application of first aid or battlefield medications to non-lethal wounds. Medicines like Valuables and Elixirs, while RPG sounding in name, can be assumed to be something like anti-infection salves or alcohol for wounds. This is probable for several reasons:
a) Medicine before the 19th Century consisted of ground plants and herbs that were linked to sooth symptoms and some illnesses
b) These medications can be self administered by any playable character regardless of staff stat.
c) Alcohol is used to sterilize wounds and as a proto-painkiller for medical procedures.
This is consistent in the Fire Emblem Universe, especially in FEA, which consists of a Casual Mode and a Classic Mode. For the most part, these modes are exactly the same, with the major difference vein that a playable character with 0 HP in Classic Mode would "die" on the spot while 0 HP in Casual mode has the unit retreat from battle, ready to fight in the next battle. Knowing this, it is safe to assume that the 0 HP mark represents the point in which a character must retreat from battle or risk immanent death. Even if one were to just look at Classic mode, some characters who are important to the game's plot would retreat with a broken leg or a twisted ankle as is the case for the Lyn Chapters for Fire Emblem.
With our understanding of medicine, the second and third methods can be understood as characters self applying medicine to themselves in between bouts of combat.
The final two methods of self healing is where we must apply UPB to the magic illusion. In FEA, there are some non-staff weapons that have the ability to heal units, most notably the Exalt Falcon, a sword wielded by Chrom imbued with the power of the gods. Obviously, swords are much like the Kamehameha in the Dragon Ball universe: the don't heal people. Instead, the unit healing swords can been seen as more of a motivational item that would encourage an injured unit to fight for a longer period of time than had the unit not have the item in the first place.
Simply put, this is the placebo effect put in place. The healing power of these object does not come from an innately magical place, but instead come from some motivation that is attached to the object. The Falcon gains the ability to heal Chrom only after he visits a "Goddess" and has her power imbued into the sword. Since no gods exist, it can be understood the Chrom's faith in this deity combined with the confidence that he has gained through overcoming a trial with a high mortality rate. The placebo effect explains this phenomena due to the fact that while the object holds no healing power, it is still probable that Chrom would gain strength from the sword and would be less likely to retreat from a battle due to the confidence he would feel believing that his Goddess has lent some of her power to him.
This phenomena can also be understood as a temporary rush of adrenaline that is released in the brain as a result of fight or flight stressors activating in a combat scenario. This is true of real life gunshot wound victims who report not realizing that they had been shot until after fighting had stopped.
This brings us to the magical healing staves of Fire Emblem. What is interesting about staves in fire emblem is that the three types of units that can wield these staves are magic users, religious units, and some support unit classes. With some notable exceptions, melee units and magic units a usually kept distinct without too much cross over. It is rare to find a unit that can wield both a sword and a fire tome, though the only two that comes to mind are the tacticians and the dark knights, two classes that were introduced in FEA. Meanwhile, while staves mostly remain in the hands of magic wielders, they can also be wielded by the Queen unit in Radiant Dawn, and by the Bride and the Falcon Knight units in Awakening.
I will submit that there are three factors that explain the effect of healing staves:
1. The staves act much like the Falcon in that they evoke increased adrenaline and the placebo effect due to the prominence that religion plays on the characters in the Fire Emblem universe. This theory will be expand upon in the Religion post.
2. The staves, as wilded by non religious units, are a symbol for effective medical technics lost to the ages to all that do to know how to read. This theory will be expand in the Magic and Knowledge post.
3. Staves are more commonly granted to female characters rather than male non-religious characters, symbolizing the idea that women hold a birth given quality that is able to heal or increase the moral of other units in the Fire Emblem Universe. This theory will be further explained in the Women and Magic Post.
For now, this is a good place to stop. Please let me know what you think and have a great day.
-T
Let's get down to business, defeat the Huns, and delve in to the world of Fire Emblem and one of the major components that make it tick: magic.
Intro:
As I mentioned briefly in my last post about Fire Emblem, magic has always played a vital role in this series with regards to both plot and in-game combat. In Chapter 1 of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, the character is first introduced to magic through the character Wrys, a priest with a magic staff that could heal all but fatal wounds. This tradition continues throughout the franchise to Fire Emblem Awakening (FEA) where Robin, the player's customizable character, has the ability to shook lightning at the enemy my reading from a magic tome (read: book).
In the Fire Emblem Universe, magic exists in one of the following forms:
-Fire Magic
-Lightning Magic
-Wind Magic
-Light/Holy Magic
-Dark Magic
-Healing Staves
For most of you, it should come to no shock that magic does not exist in the real world. No matter how much pain you experienced getting that lightning bolt tattoo inked onto your forehead, you will not be able to levitate a bookcase off the shelf with a shish and flick. Applying UPB principals to fiction, magic can be understood in fiction as a metaphor, most accurately as mental illness. A coupe of months ago, Stefan Molyneux released a video titled "The Truth About Frozen" that connected Elsa's in film ice magic to a more realistic mental illness that was brought about by abusive parents that most likely were killed by Elsa's hand.
Meanwhile, other interpretations of magic in fiction can be explained as follows:
- Attributing causality to random acts of nature
- Superstitious and primitive people confusing advanced technology as magic
- The application of forbidden or restricted knowledge
- A metaphor for women's sexuality and value in the biological market place
It follows that since Fire Emblem's depiction of magic serves a greater role than just fantasy fun.
Magic and Medicine:
Let's tackle the easy metaphor first. In the game, there are several ways that your units can be healed during combat:
- Using medicine
- Waiting in a fort tile
- Having a healing ability like Relief
- Using a non-medicinal item that heals the character
- Commanding another unit to use a healing staff
The first method of healing can be understood as the application of first aid or battlefield medications to non-lethal wounds. Medicines like Valuables and Elixirs, while RPG sounding in name, can be assumed to be something like anti-infection salves or alcohol for wounds. This is probable for several reasons:
a) Medicine before the 19th Century consisted of ground plants and herbs that were linked to sooth symptoms and some illnesses
b) These medications can be self administered by any playable character regardless of staff stat.
c) Alcohol is used to sterilize wounds and as a proto-painkiller for medical procedures.
This is consistent in the Fire Emblem Universe, especially in FEA, which consists of a Casual Mode and a Classic Mode. For the most part, these modes are exactly the same, with the major difference vein that a playable character with 0 HP in Classic Mode would "die" on the spot while 0 HP in Casual mode has the unit retreat from battle, ready to fight in the next battle. Knowing this, it is safe to assume that the 0 HP mark represents the point in which a character must retreat from battle or risk immanent death. Even if one were to just look at Classic mode, some characters who are important to the game's plot would retreat with a broken leg or a twisted ankle as is the case for the Lyn Chapters for Fire Emblem.
With our understanding of medicine, the second and third methods can be understood as characters self applying medicine to themselves in between bouts of combat.
The final two methods of self healing is where we must apply UPB to the magic illusion. In FEA, there are some non-staff weapons that have the ability to heal units, most notably the Exalt Falcon, a sword wielded by Chrom imbued with the power of the gods. Obviously, swords are much like the Kamehameha in the Dragon Ball universe: the don't heal people. Instead, the unit healing swords can been seen as more of a motivational item that would encourage an injured unit to fight for a longer period of time than had the unit not have the item in the first place.
Simply put, this is the placebo effect put in place. The healing power of these object does not come from an innately magical place, but instead come from some motivation that is attached to the object. The Falcon gains the ability to heal Chrom only after he visits a "Goddess" and has her power imbued into the sword. Since no gods exist, it can be understood the Chrom's faith in this deity combined with the confidence that he has gained through overcoming a trial with a high mortality rate. The placebo effect explains this phenomena due to the fact that while the object holds no healing power, it is still probable that Chrom would gain strength from the sword and would be less likely to retreat from a battle due to the confidence he would feel believing that his Goddess has lent some of her power to him.
This phenomena can also be understood as a temporary rush of adrenaline that is released in the brain as a result of fight or flight stressors activating in a combat scenario. This is true of real life gunshot wound victims who report not realizing that they had been shot until after fighting had stopped.
This brings us to the magical healing staves of Fire Emblem. What is interesting about staves in fire emblem is that the three types of units that can wield these staves are magic users, religious units, and some support unit classes. With some notable exceptions, melee units and magic units a usually kept distinct without too much cross over. It is rare to find a unit that can wield both a sword and a fire tome, though the only two that comes to mind are the tacticians and the dark knights, two classes that were introduced in FEA. Meanwhile, while staves mostly remain in the hands of magic wielders, they can also be wielded by the Queen unit in Radiant Dawn, and by the Bride and the Falcon Knight units in Awakening.
I will submit that there are three factors that explain the effect of healing staves:
1. The staves act much like the Falcon in that they evoke increased adrenaline and the placebo effect due to the prominence that religion plays on the characters in the Fire Emblem universe. This theory will be expand upon in the Religion post.
2. The staves, as wilded by non religious units, are a symbol for effective medical technics lost to the ages to all that do to know how to read. This theory will be expand in the Magic and Knowledge post.
3. Staves are more commonly granted to female characters rather than male non-religious characters, symbolizing the idea that women hold a birth given quality that is able to heal or increase the moral of other units in the Fire Emblem Universe. This theory will be further explained in the Women and Magic Post.
For now, this is a good place to stop. Please let me know what you think and have a great day.
-T
Some Library Time: An Update 10/21
Hello everyone, this is T on a wonderfully rainy Tuesday.
So, I've been busy the last 24 hours due to some academic priorities that I had to attend. But don't worry, I'm back baby.
Items on the agenda today:
1) So, I've had the song "Hooked on a Feeling" stuck in my head for about a week now and I can honestly say that I've listened to the song at least twice a day. Anyway, I recently remembered a video I saw several years ago related to this song. Apparently David Hasselhoff decided to release his own cover of "Hooked on a Feeling" and boy did it cheer me up.
2) With almost all of my midterms out of the way, this week is now thesis proposal crunch time. I am currently taking a seminar on total war an military history, which essentially limits the scope of my paper to one of three major wars. I am not sure about what topic I will write, but I'll happily share when I have nailed down that slippery bastard.
3) I plan to have a new article up either later today or tomorrow afternoon. The content will be a surprise, but I'm sure you all will like it.
That's all for now. I'm off to play library scavenger hunt.
Until next time.
-T
So, I've been busy the last 24 hours due to some academic priorities that I had to attend. But don't worry, I'm back baby.
Items on the agenda today:
1) So, I've had the song "Hooked on a Feeling" stuck in my head for about a week now and I can honestly say that I've listened to the song at least twice a day. Anyway, I recently remembered a video I saw several years ago related to this song. Apparently David Hasselhoff decided to release his own cover of "Hooked on a Feeling" and boy did it cheer me up.
2) With almost all of my midterms out of the way, this week is now thesis proposal crunch time. I am currently taking a seminar on total war an military history, which essentially limits the scope of my paper to one of three major wars. I am not sure about what topic I will write, but I'll happily share when I have nailed down that slippery bastard.
3) I plan to have a new article up either later today or tomorrow afternoon. The content will be a surprise, but I'm sure you all will like it.
That's all for now. I'm off to play library scavenger hunt.
Until next time.
-T
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Insomnia: Some Tired Thoughts 10/19
Hey everyone. T here with what will hopefully be a brief post.
Currently, it is 11:35 P.M. EST and I've been sitting in bed trying to fall asleep for the past hour. To many of you, it may seem strange that I choose to go to sleep so early, but I figured that it would be better to take an early night in order to wake up early tomorrow around 6:15 and continue studying for an exam at 1:20.
Starting this week, I plan to follow a weekly post schedule that looks something like this:
I can now feel the combination of horse tranquilizer, 20 shots of absinth, and a fresh pair of socks taking their effect. Until next time.
-T
Currently, it is 11:35 P.M. EST and I've been sitting in bed trying to fall asleep for the past hour. To many of you, it may seem strange that I choose to go to sleep so early, but I figured that it would be better to take an early night in order to wake up early tomorrow around 6:15 and continue studying for an exam at 1:20.
Starting this week, I plan to follow a weekly post schedule that looks something like this:
- A book review of one of the books in my Book Club section
- A podcast entry that will be available on YouTube
- Part 2 of my Fire Emblem discussion
- Some links, music selections, and other musings between entries
- Pictures of the
fuckingwildlife around campus - Finally, a mystery post assuming technology works in my favor
I can now feel the combination of horse tranquilizer, 20 shots of absinth, and a fresh pair of socks taking their effect. Until next time.
-T
Sunday Tea Break 10/19/14
Good afternoon everyone.
I don't know about you, but it has been a pretty lazy Sunday for me. All I have been doing is cleaning up a party I hosted last night and studying for an exam. As such, I wanted to take a break from studying for my stats exam to write a small post and share a link or two.
1. I've been listening to a song recently titled "Sick Bubblegum." It's a Skrillex remix of a Rob Zombie song by the same name. I also should mention it has a pretty lady in the background.
I don't know about you, but it has been a pretty lazy Sunday for me. All I have been doing is cleaning up a party I hosted last night and studying for an exam. As such, I wanted to take a break from studying for my stats exam to write a small post and share a link or two.
1. I've been listening to a song recently titled "Sick Bubblegum." It's a Skrillex remix of a Rob Zombie song by the same name. I also should mention it has a pretty lady in the background.
2. I'm working in my school's library and I keep seeing one of our plastic badges roaming the book shelves. I'm not sure why he's here, but I'm willing to bet $20 that he's not here to read The Iliad by Homer. I will probably rant write a post in the next couple of days about my school, which shall remain anonymous for my own protection. Suffice to say, enough has occurred over this past semester alone to warrant a discussion on monopolies and the totalitarian regimes of private institutions.
3. I'm looking outside the window and I literally see a fuck ton (denoted as f_ton) of Canadian Geese. I know there is a jacket company named after these fuckers, but I cannot see the appeal that would bring these inbread decedents of the dinosaurs flocking to update New York.
I may post later today, but if not enjoy you cloudy, 30 degree Sunday.
-T
*UPDATE*
I just looked at the blog and realized that a picture is due. This is what a f_ton of geese looks like:
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Fire Emblem Part 1: An Introduction
Greetings everyone! I hope you all have had a productive Thursday.
I know that my Thursday was one of those days were no matter how many things I accomplish, there was just not enough time in the day to do everything. There are several reasons that I can think of for this:
1) I did not plan my day like I normally do
2) My ADD just got the better of me
3) I just did not want to study for my Logic exam
However, the most prominent reason that I can think of is a white plastic square with a computer chip center. I am talking of course about Fire Emblem Awakening (FEA) for the 3DS.
For those of you who do not know about the Fire Emblem franchise, it is a turn-based strategy role playing game series crated by the Nintendo owned company Intelligent Systems. The Fire Emblem series features 14 games, 6 of which have been released internationally. For the most part, the games are unrelated plot-wise from most of the other games with some connections between select sets of games in the franchise.
Gameplay is pretty much the same across all games as the player controls a small band of soldiers, wielding axes, swords, lances, bows, and magic tomes with combat resembling a mix between rock-paper-scissers and the typical Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) health bar. The units you control have defined combat classes and with enough experience and a promotional item can be promoted into a stronger unit. I should note that there are slight differences between games mostly revolving around the inclusion of light and dark magics as well as the existence of werewolf-like units, but someone who played one games in the series could quickly transition to another game.
So why do I bring up Fire Emblem?
There is a short answer and a long answer to the question. The longer answer (with spoilers ahead) can be found in a forum I read on Thursday between study breaks. For the short, sweet, and spoiler free answer: the forum entry presents a theory that all 14 Fire Emblem games occur in the same planet and universe, though they are somewhat independent of each other due to occurring on different continents. I will note that while it is possible that VincentASM is not the original author of this theory, I will assume he is for the purpose of this and possible other blog posts for the sake of simplicity.
VincentASM defends his one universe theory though evidence presented in game across the franchise with the keystone of the theory being FEA itself. What sets FEA apart from other games in the franchise is that it is the first game to both allow the player access to two continents and the ability to play DLC and Spotpass maps with characters from all franchise games including the only Japanese ones. Access to two continents, combined with free reign of the wold map allows the player to not only identify the FEA continents as those that existed in previous continents from the series, but also shows parts of three other continents that have striking resemblance to other game continents, thus identifying 5 known continents to exist in the same world. Meanwhile, access to DLC and Spotpass introduces characters from or related to different games. I should note that hese bonus characters, except for Priam, are spirits summoned from magic cards and that while they have the personality of a different game's character, they are not actually that character. This being said, what makes these DLC characters important is that the characters from FEA recognize them as heroes of legend that they themselves recognize. In addition, Priam is confirmed to be the decedent of Ike, the hero from Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn.
Ultimately, FEA confirms that at least 5 continent, which comprise most of the games in the franchise, exist in the same world and that all of the previous games in the series have occurred before FEA, thus making FEA the most recent game in the franchise.
For non-Fire Emblem fans, it should be noted the Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon, the first and twelfth games in the series (due to the DS remake) both contains the same continent as the continent in which FEA begins, and stars Marth, the ancestor of Chrome. The chronological gap between Marth and Chrome is understood to be about 1000 years with events referenced as early as 2000 years before Chrome by Tiki, a dragon with a long life span who knew both Marth and Chrome. It is thus understood by most fans that Shadow Dragon is chronologically the first game in the franchise's overall plot while FEA is the most recent game in franchise plot. VincentASM argues in his article that due to comments made by Panne, a were-bunny from FEA, it is theoretically possible that Path of Radiance is actually the first game due to connections between were-people, an explanation for extended life for both were-people and half were-people, and due to references in Path of Radiance that seam to imply that the events of Path of Radiance occurred closer to this universe's creation/Genisus-like origin.
So, what does this all mean and, more importantly, why should you care?
If anyone has frequented The Game Theorist on YouTube, you have probably watched his video about how video games seam to accurately depict the world we live in, whether the programs intend to or not. This is similar to the psychological standpoint that art, when not created for the sake of propaganda, is an attempt by the artist to recreate reality. Even in fiction, where people use magic and where dragons and pegusi (sp?) are common place, the themes, dialogues, romances, plots of revenge, and religious fanaticism that is depicted in fiction and specifically these games are meant to reflect reality.
The reason you should care about the Fire Emblem franchise is this: the games provide a warning about threats that still exist in the world today.
Threats that include:
- Theocracy and the power of religion over the unwitting faithful
- Centralized government and democide
- Magic as a metaphor for mental illness
- Gender and characters that would shock anyone who has taken the red pill
- Rasism as an institutional effort
There are other themes that I'm sure that I missed, but my ultimate point is that Fire Emblem is a franchise that is a warning to the player presented as a traditional Medieval tale of knights and princesses.
This entry is Part 1 of a series that I plan to work on over the next couple of weeks. As always contact me by email and twitter and please leave your comments below.
-T
*UPDATE*:
-Part 2: Magic and Medicine Here
I know that my Thursday was one of those days were no matter how many things I accomplish, there was just not enough time in the day to do everything. There are several reasons that I can think of for this:
1) I did not plan my day like I normally do
2) My ADD just got the better of me
3) I just did not want to study for my Logic exam
However, the most prominent reason that I can think of is a white plastic square with a computer chip center. I am talking of course about Fire Emblem Awakening (FEA) for the 3DS.
For those of you who do not know about the Fire Emblem franchise, it is a turn-based strategy role playing game series crated by the Nintendo owned company Intelligent Systems. The Fire Emblem series features 14 games, 6 of which have been released internationally. For the most part, the games are unrelated plot-wise from most of the other games with some connections between select sets of games in the franchise.
Gameplay is pretty much the same across all games as the player controls a small band of soldiers, wielding axes, swords, lances, bows, and magic tomes with combat resembling a mix between rock-paper-scissers and the typical Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) health bar. The units you control have defined combat classes and with enough experience and a promotional item can be promoted into a stronger unit. I should note that there are slight differences between games mostly revolving around the inclusion of light and dark magics as well as the existence of werewolf-like units, but someone who played one games in the series could quickly transition to another game.
So why do I bring up Fire Emblem?
There is a short answer and a long answer to the question. The longer answer (with spoilers ahead) can be found in a forum I read on Thursday between study breaks. For the short, sweet, and spoiler free answer: the forum entry presents a theory that all 14 Fire Emblem games occur in the same planet and universe, though they are somewhat independent of each other due to occurring on different continents. I will note that while it is possible that VincentASM is not the original author of this theory, I will assume he is for the purpose of this and possible other blog posts for the sake of simplicity.
VincentASM defends his one universe theory though evidence presented in game across the franchise with the keystone of the theory being FEA itself. What sets FEA apart from other games in the franchise is that it is the first game to both allow the player access to two continents and the ability to play DLC and Spotpass maps with characters from all franchise games including the only Japanese ones. Access to two continents, combined with free reign of the wold map allows the player to not only identify the FEA continents as those that existed in previous continents from the series, but also shows parts of three other continents that have striking resemblance to other game continents, thus identifying 5 known continents to exist in the same world. Meanwhile, access to DLC and Spotpass introduces characters from or related to different games. I should note that hese bonus characters, except for Priam, are spirits summoned from magic cards and that while they have the personality of a different game's character, they are not actually that character. This being said, what makes these DLC characters important is that the characters from FEA recognize them as heroes of legend that they themselves recognize. In addition, Priam is confirmed to be the decedent of Ike, the hero from Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn.
Ultimately, FEA confirms that at least 5 continent, which comprise most of the games in the franchise, exist in the same world and that all of the previous games in the series have occurred before FEA, thus making FEA the most recent game in the franchise.
For non-Fire Emblem fans, it should be noted the Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon, the first and twelfth games in the series (due to the DS remake) both contains the same continent as the continent in which FEA begins, and stars Marth, the ancestor of Chrome. The chronological gap between Marth and Chrome is understood to be about 1000 years with events referenced as early as 2000 years before Chrome by Tiki, a dragon with a long life span who knew both Marth and Chrome. It is thus understood by most fans that Shadow Dragon is chronologically the first game in the franchise's overall plot while FEA is the most recent game in franchise plot. VincentASM argues in his article that due to comments made by Panne, a were-bunny from FEA, it is theoretically possible that Path of Radiance is actually the first game due to connections between were-people, an explanation for extended life for both were-people and half were-people, and due to references in Path of Radiance that seam to imply that the events of Path of Radiance occurred closer to this universe's creation/Genisus-like origin.
So, what does this all mean and, more importantly, why should you care?
If anyone has frequented The Game Theorist on YouTube, you have probably watched his video about how video games seam to accurately depict the world we live in, whether the programs intend to or not. This is similar to the psychological standpoint that art, when not created for the sake of propaganda, is an attempt by the artist to recreate reality. Even in fiction, where people use magic and where dragons and pegusi (sp?) are common place, the themes, dialogues, romances, plots of revenge, and religious fanaticism that is depicted in fiction and specifically these games are meant to reflect reality.
The reason you should care about the Fire Emblem franchise is this: the games provide a warning about threats that still exist in the world today.
Threats that include:
- Theocracy and the power of religion over the unwitting faithful
- Centralized government and democide
- Magic as a metaphor for mental illness
- Gender and characters that would shock anyone who has taken the red pill
- Rasism as an institutional effort
There are other themes that I'm sure that I missed, but my ultimate point is that Fire Emblem is a franchise that is a warning to the player presented as a traditional Medieval tale of knights and princesses.
This entry is Part 1 of a series that I plan to work on over the next couple of weeks. As always contact me by email and twitter and please leave your comments below.
-T
*UPDATE*:
-Part 2: Magic and Medicine Here
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
An Invitation to Tea
Hello everyone, my name is T Servitive and this is my blog.
Now I'm sure a couple of you may be wondering "what's the blog about" or "why should you care?"
We here at Tea Time with T Servitive have a simple philosophy:
Now I'm sure a couple of you may be wondering "what's the blog about" or "why should you care?"
We here at Tea Time with T Servitive have a simple philosophy:
"Happiness is the highest good and the end at which all our activities ultimately aim."
You can thank Aristotle for this insight into the meaning of life. Yes, in this day and age of boys crying wolf as lions eat the sheep, we are surrounded on two fronts by equally dangerous threats.
On the one end, we have the the boys and girls that cry wolf. They are fear mongers, bent on controlling others through coercion. They spread panic by inventing catstrophies that have no real impact but spread all the same, much like the African Killer Bees were supposed to do during the late 90's. Furthermore, those that cry wolf will take threats, both imaginary or somewhat real, and use them as leverage to manipulate others to fulfill an ulterior motive.
The second group are the lions who eat the sheep. These leviathans are comprised of people and organizations who pray upon others, again through manipulation and brute force. However, unlike those that cry wolf, the lions truly pose a threat to the physical, mental, social, economic, and moral health of society at large. The lions stalk their pray, choosing to attack in secret, but will jump out from the bush when provoked or when the opportunity presents itself.
-For a Libertarian, the lion is the state.
-For an Atheist, the lion is organized religion.
-For a Student, the lion is the University.
We are brushed aside when we contradict the boy that cries wolf and we are powerless to defend the sheep from the lions. For some who look upon this situation, Nihilism, Pessimism, and Submission seam to be the best courses of action.
Not Here
Here ate Tea Time with T Servitive, our goal is simple: We want to provide the keys to happiness for those who have embraced Rationalism, yet do not have an idea of where to turn. I cannot promise you happiness, for happiness is earned through self realization and accomplishment.
Do not dispare.
What we can provide is insight into the world we live in: the good, the bad, and the ugly. We hope to provide this insight through sharing articles, podcasts, blog posts, YouTube videos, and the like to our viewers, both original and external alike.
So, if this seams like your cup of tea, then my friends:
Welcome to Tea Time with T Servitive!!!
Contact Us At:
-Twitter: @tservitive https://twitter.com/tservitive
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