First the water heater thing. I saw this on YouTube and I immediately thought of Refarmer, as well as our own past water heater issues in California. I give you the unspoken key to keeping your water heater from only lasting a couple of years; the anode rod!
Now I can understand (but still hate) water heater manufacturers for not telling us that this is necessary preventive maintenance for your water heater. Standard corporate greed; they sell more water heaters that way. Why has every plumber I’ve dealt with never mentioned this though? The same sort of “more business” greed?
First, I reported a little under two weeks ago that the amount of email I get in my dedicated WP account from spammed “Likes” notifications, from followed accounts who don’t really follow back, AND real notifications meant that I had 2000 (literally, right on the money… Couldn’t do that again if I tried) emails sitting in my trash folder. Right now, it’s up to 2844, and that’s with nearly a thousand having been cleaned out by the system 4 days after my earlier post. My record is still over 6000 though.
Given the amount of email I have to clean out vs the people who genuinely read and comment, I’m still wondering if WordPress is the best option for writers who actually want people to read their work…
Then there are the new cosmetic changes to WordPress. They look nice on the surface, but I’ve got issues with those changed pages not wanting to load unless I hit the reload button, as well as general slower performance and not getting email notifications in a timely manner.
Anybody else having similar issues?
It’s frustrating that WordPress treats it’s community like unpaid beta testers. The community took a HUGE hit with all the bugs in the Block Editor during it’s rollout and has never truly recovered. Yet here they go again with JetPack and other changes…
No, not Natural Language Processing. I have some definite opinions there also, but this isn’t a tech article. I’m talking about Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
I’ve brought up Neuro-Linguistic Programming in a few posts, mainly in regards to it’s misuse and abuse as a tool to manipulate and control others. But what exactly IS it really?
Bandler, Grinder & Milton Erickson… A Mini-History:
Let’s set the Way Back Machine for the early 1970s… John Grinder and Richard Bandler were developing ways to improve communication. They approached the problem with the idea that it was on the speaker to get the point across, and that they should study the most successful communication and influence techniques around.
As a side note, I hate the idea that the burden is totally on the communicator. It allows the listener or reader to totally abdicate any responsibility for trying to understand what’s being said and making the communication two way. Active listening being replaced by gotcha games and distortions are a large part of why society is a disaster.
I could make this quite long if I detailed all the other contributors that Bandler and Grinder studied, but the key figure whose teachings played a role in NLP’s manipulative side was Milton Erickson. He was a hypnotherapist who passed away in 1980. His BIG contribution to the field of hypnosis was the development of conversational hypnosis.
Yes, hypnosis IS real. However, it cannot make you want to do (or stop) anything you wouldn’t already be inclined to do. The scary part there is how easily people can be convinced that something actually IS something they want to do. A little reframing and discreet persuasion, and suddenly it’s amazing (scary) what people can agree to.
Conversational Hypnosis was developed or fine tuned (depending upon which story you believe) by Milton Erickson as a means to make clinical hypnotherapy more natural and less threatening for patients. Instead of looking more like stage hypnosis, it feels like natural conversation enough that the patient feels more at ease and falls under hypnosis without even being fully aware that it’s happening. Hence there’s minimal resistance to “trancing out” and the hypnotherapist’s job is easier.
So, the key point here is that Erickson didn’t develop conversational hypnosis as a tool to manipulate and control people, but to help them. I don’t think that was even Bandler and Grinder’s goal. ANY tool can be misused for selfish and evil purposes though.
It’s By No Means All Bad…
As the graphic at the top of the page shows, NLP has a variety of constructive uses. With the correct reframing of fears and bad experiences, it can be a great tool for personal development of all types. There are other techniques beyond manipulative language to break past barriers, etc… also. Here’s a good example; the “Fast Phobia & Trauma Cure” first developed by Richard Bandler. Since then it has been improved upon by several NLP practitioners. Today the following version, described by Connirae & Steve Andreas in their book “Heart of the Mind” (Amazon link) is probably the best known.
(The word trauma here has a very general meaning – could be an accident, seeing someone come to harm, losing a job or a relationship, etc…)
1 Imagine you’re sitting in a move theatre all by yourself, looking up at a blank screen.
2 Put a black and white still shot of yourself the day before the trauma (or before the phobic reaction, or before you ever met the person you have broken up with).
3 Float up out of your chair into the projection booth at the back of the theatre. Notice the window glass is very thick and you are completely cut off from the theatre, although you can see and hear everything.
4 Start to run a movie starting from the still shot and moving all the way through the trauma, finishing well after the traumatic event is over and everything has returned to normal. This movie will take just a few minutes (ie, it is fast). It is absolutely vital that you feel detached as the movie is playing. To do this you keep in mind that you are merely watching yourself down below, who is in turn watching the movie. If you feel any distress whatsoever, distance yourself further by imagining you are going down to check on ticket sales, or perhaps pop down to the corner to buy a hotdog while the movie comes to completion.
5 Freeze the last frame of the movie, making sure it is a shot in which you look relaxed and comfortable.
6 Jump into the still frame (ie, associate into the movie as if you are actually in it).
7 Turn the frame big, bright and colourful.
8 Run the movie backwards really, really fast, just seconds like a really rapid rewind. Feel yourself being pulled backwards all the way through the movie in just seconds, all the way back to the beginning (the still frame of you at the start).
9 Come out from the beginning the movie, go and jump in the end again, make sure it’s big and bright and colourful, and repeat 8.
10 Repeat 7, 8 and 9 several times, very rapidly.
Heart of the Mind – Steve and Connirae Andreas
I’ll pull back the curtain here for you readers. The reason this works is that the fast reverse and detached point of view combine to disrupt the user’s mental and emotional connections to the event or phobia. The only way it doesn’t work is if the person is holding on tightly to the “trauma” for it’s secondary gains or similarly as some sort of twisted “defense mechanism”.
Used properly, NLP can potentially shortcut years of traditional therapy. Used improperly though, it could be used to cause all kinds of damage. I linked that video above of using conversational hypnosis for sales and other personal gain. Let me paint an example using that phobia cure above:
Suppose a girl is in a relationship with a guy. She really likes and trusts him, and he’s been wonderful, etc… He’s also pressuring her for the relationship to be more intimate. She tells him she’s not ready and has too many fears about it all. He gets her to run that “cure” to help her get past her inhibitions and manipulate her into bed. MAYBE even again later to further lower her inhibitions.
Sound far fetched? Well, I haven’t heard of THAT specific example being tried before BUT there is a whole subculture of NLP devoted to using the structured storytelling and other verbal tricks of NLP and Ericksonian hypnosis for seduction. Ross Jeffries can probably be credited with founding that movement with his “Speed Seduction” program and he’s certainly one of the early founders of the “Pick Up Artist” movement.
Yes, but Does it REALLY Work?
The honest answer is that while it does work, NLP and conversational hypnosis are something that’s very difficult to master, especially for something like sales or seduction. The user has to be smooth enough to make the delivery sound completely natural, AND the target has to be oblivious to how embedded language works. It literally takes as much work as it does to become a polished con man who doesn’t rely on NLP. Somebody who is unpolished is going to be as obvious as a wart on the end of one’s nose. Because of the work involved, most of the ‘Pick Up Artist’ community (what’s left of it anymore after #MeToo) has moved on to more natural, be yourself teachings. Things like “negging” that originally came from twisting NLP, are still tricks employed by that crowd though.
Bill Clinton and his crew were infamous with those in the know for their use of NLP. It’s how he got away with a nonstop parade of sexual scandals. If you recall, a phrase that Clinton dropped constantly in speeches and press conferences was “If you think about it”. That’s an embedded “hypnotic” command to favorably consider what the person says following the command (or right before, depending upon sentence structure).
Likewise, my use of “If you recall” was a similar command to get you the reader to remember Clinton’s use of the phrase.
The trouble is, these kind of verbal games have become all too common in the media, in politics and in advertising. Combine that with nonverbal manipulations and it’s no wonder the average person is reduced to sheeple.
My plan for the immediate future of Thursday posts is to further discuss the concepts and manipulations of NLP. When you’re aware of the manipulation, it becomes much easier to resist, and you may even find yourself getting mad at the manipulator. And yes, for those TRULY paying attention, “You may (even) find yourself” is another embedded command. See how subtly perverse it is?
A Few Embedded Command Examples:
“When You”: this presupposes that the target is going to do or feel whatever is discussed next.
Side Note: Presuppositions are a huge part of NLP and manipulative language. They state something as fact that isn’t necessarily so. The stereotypical example is “Have you stopped beating your wife yet?”. The question presupposes that the person has indeed been beating their wife in the first place. They’ve become extremely common in political and social debate as a way to get around discussing key elements of the issue at hand as well.
“What Would It Be Like To…” This one is pretty obvious if you’ve been paying attention. It’s an embedded command for the target to imagine something.
“A Person Can…. OR People Can…” This is an attempt to get around a person’s defenses by making the topic appear to be not about them. “People can become sexually attracted to friends you know…” or “People can reward themselves with a new car and not go broke, in fact they may find themselves feeling the rewards are well worth the expense” I think it’s so commonly used anymore that most people see right through it, BUT skillfully done it can still be effective.
“As You…” A phrase that presupposes that the person will do the behavior or undergo the experience next described or mentioned.
“It’s Not Necessary To…” A more sneaky command that relies on stating something as a negative. The trick here is that the subconscious mind can’t distinguish between a positive and negative statement. So while your thinking mind might hear “It’s not necessary to buy this car now”, your subconscious is hearing “It is necessary to buy this car now”.
There’s an additional lesson here in using negatives in any kind of conversation. On some level the person hearing the statement is always going to hear it’s opposite, positive version. That’s why girls never believe “No, really, I’m not interested in you that way”, and it’s guaranteed to keep you friend zoned or worse.
“You Really Shouldn’t…” Another negative embedded command with nearly identical use as the one above.
“You might find yourself…” I snuck a small variation on this one into my example usage of the “a person can” embedded command above. Did you catch it? It’s a command to imagine whatever the speaker or writer mentions next. It’s fairly obvious, but if used artfully, it can be effective on it’s own or as an extra command like above.
and one last one for today:
“To the Point Where…” This one is a little more complex. It’s a phrase to connect one thing (emotional state, experience, etc…) to the next thing that the user wants the target to experience or imagine in some way. You’re most likely to see this phrase used nowadays to support false jumps in logic in political and social issue debates… “If X is (or isn’t) done things will get bad to the point where (or of)…” Because of it’s abuse that way, people tend to be on guard against it, but more artfully used it can still be effective.
Like ANY tool (even a gun), it’s not the NLP that’s inherently good or bad. It’s the user and what they’re using it for. Therapists use it to help speed patients along. My college psychology professor used it to help the class absorb concepts faster. Likewise it can be used for sleazy sales practices and even attempted seduction. It’s all about the user.
This is going to be a bit of stream of consciousness thinking / writing in an effort to think out where I want my current Star Wars story to go. Those reading can get a glimpse into where the story may be headed, and are, of course, welcome to offer input and suggestions. So here’s where we (I) currently stand:
When I first decided to reboot this project, my mind was focused strictly on the original trilogy, and simply retelling it much the same way, except with Luke having tragically died early on and Leia left struggling to fill his shoes as “The Last of the Jedi”.
This alone would be a challenging endeavor. Leia has a very different personality than Luke, especially early in her life. She’s more worldly, has been raised into Imperial and Alderaanian politics and taught both to be a leader and to resolutely stand up to evil. Luke is a wide eyed and fairly sheltered farm boy with a minimal understanding of how truly evil the Empire is. He’s optimistic and sees everything as a grand adventure with himself as a noble protagonist. Those contrasting viewpoints are going to create a HUGE difference in how Leia would respond to situations vs. Luke’s canon responses.
Biggest example? It was Luke’s almost blind idealism and romantic notion of redeeming his father that ultimately DID lead to Vader turning on the Emperor near the end of Return of the Jedi. On the other hand, Leia makes her contempt for Vader known right at the start of A New Hope, and that was BEFORE he tortured and drugged her on the Death Star. Would she be able to overcome her contempt and hatred for Vader to bring about the same ending that Luke did? How would that happen? Yoda and Kenobi were both bound and determined that Luke HAD TO kill Vader, so it seems unlikely that they’d cheerlead for an attempt at redemption.
Other Considerations:
Knowing what we know now from the Kenobi series and the end of the Clone Wars, I can’t help but wonder if Obi-Wan wouldn’t have had some way to communicate with the Rebellion or House Organa at the time of “A New Hope”. MAYBE he even would have had a Jedi Starfighter or something similar hidden away to slip off-world when needed. Would he even need Han, Chewy and the Falcon?
Obviously yes for the sake of gathering the main characters together, but otherwise… it’s kind of iffy, yah know?
This brings up the realization I had earlier when trying to write more of “Chapter 2″…
The reality is that the Star Wars universe is VASTLY bigger than it was in 1977. We now know Anakin’s background, and that he even had an apprentice in Ahsoka. We know the story of the Clone Wars and the people who were close to Anakin and Kenobi. People such as Bo-Katan Kryze who are still alive and potentially could have taken an active role in the story of the original trilogy.
There are other aspects of the expanded universe (both canon and “Legends”) to consider also… Characters like the cast of Star Wars: Rebels
At the time of “A New Hope”, Kanan and Ezra are both gone, but that still leaves Zeb, Hera, Sabine and Chopper at the very least.
There’s characters like Kyle Katarn from Dark Forces and Jedi Academy also, as well as Dash Rendar from Shadows of the Empire. Likewise what if I stuck more with the “Legends” timeline, or at least borrowed from it, and had Palpatine send Mara Jade after Leia, since she was still the Emperor’s Hand at the time? Never mind there’s Ahsoka herself. Can anyone see her sitting idly by if she finds out Anakin’s son is dead and his daughter is now a Jedi heading toward a confrontation with him?
Are you starting to see the infinite possibilities, my readers?
All of these possibilities create an intriguing series of consequences. Consider if Bo-Katan Kryze is pulled back into the war and the Mandalorians help the Rebellion. This would likely lead to the Mandalorians wanting a seat at the table of the New Republic or even autonomous rule of a section of space. Do the Mandalorians call together the clans early enough that Boba Fett might even join them instead of / before taking up the bounties put out by The Empire? Do the Mandalorians settle down after the war, or become the threat they were back in the age of Revin? So many delightful possibilities just from one simple choice…
Yep, I’ve got ALOT of thinking to do if I’m going to have another chapter out by next Wednesday…
Previously, I did a quick Star Wars mini-story based on one of the numerous Star Wars memes out there. Now I’m choosing to continue the story at long last.
With that in Mind, I bring you this week’s Writing Wednesday:
Part II: A Different Hope
Obi-Wan first buried Luke and then returned to the interior of the house. He looked at Artoo and let out a heavy sigh. “It’s been a long time, my little friend”. “The years seem to have been kinder to you than they have been to me.”
Artoo chirped excitedly and rocked back and forth, apparently happy that the earlier charade had now been dropped.
“Now, what brings you to this forsaken corner of the galaxy?” “The message the boy mentioned, I presume?”
Artoo beeped and chirped, and then a small access panel on his body popped open.
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, walked over and knelt down. “I see… Give me just a moment to undo what the Jawas did…”
He tinkered around inside the small compartment, and suddenly a holorecording of Princess Leia sprung to life.
“General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the clone wars, now he begs you to help him in the struggle against the Empire.” “I regret that I am unable to present my father’s request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I’m afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed.” “I have placed information vital to the survival of the rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit.” “My father will know how to retrieve it”. “You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan.” “This is our most desperate hour”. “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope.”
“Hmmm, do the impossible with limited information and resources… here I worried life had changed from the good old days.” Kenobi said with the hint of a wry smile.
Qui Gon’s spirit smiled. He’d grown to appreciate the dry humor of his former padawan during their time communing together on Tattoine. “Trust in the Force, Obi-Wan”, he replied calmly. “It’s guided the droid to you, and will open further doors as well when the time is right.”
“I don’t appear to have much choice.”, Kenobi replied bluntly. “Whatever is happening is something big… it’s connected to the dark premonitions we’ve all been having.” He glanced back and forth between the Force projections of Qui Gon and Yoda. “She was desperate to get this droid delivered also.”
“Go to Alderaan, you must”, Yoda said. “Seek answers there regarding the girl’s location.”
Obi-Wan gathered up some of his belongings, placing them into a knapsack. “I should return the speeder, and tell the boy’s aunt and uncle what happened…” he said slowly.
“If the Empire has a clue about the droid carrying whatever this information is, they’ll certainly be looking for them.” Qui Gon added.
“Then I have to warn them.” Obi Wan replied.
“Of the essence, time is, Master Kenobi” Yoda rebuked. “Warn them you should, but be quick you must.”
Obi Wan nodded, then reactivated C3PO, stored both droids on the back of the speeder and then hopped in it. He gave it full throttle heading towards the Skywalker homestead.
As with my previous version of this, I intended to write more, but I got stuck due to a combination of real life responsibilities and a realization of just how vast the Star Wars universe has become since “A New Hope” first hit theaters in 1977. There’s so many possibilities and so many questions that come up when considering that reality. Something that deserves a post all it’s ownto help me noodle out.
A new trend in young girls’ fashion is raising some eyebrows: padded bras in sizes that would fit some Kindergarten students.
They’re mini versions of something one may expect to find in the women’s lingerie department, but they’re located in the girls department, sizes 4-6x.
NBC News 7 San Diego
PopSugar’s own staff seems to have varying opinions on the subject, as the story linked to above also had a link to a second PopSugar news / opinion piece that questioned if the padded bras were a good thing and would help raise girls’ body image and self confidence.
Let’s Get Real…
I think it’s disgusting that the question in the last article would even be raised. Reality is girls before and during puberty often have huge body image issues and trying to make a 5 year old wonder if their breasts are adequate is sickening.
Marketing padded bras to 5 year olds is the epitome of soulless predatory capitalism and twisted exploitation and sexualization of children for profit.
Maidenform tried to excuse it by saying they aren’t really padded, just lined. You be the judge from the above pic and this screen capture of the PopSugar video:
Looks like quite alot of padding to me.
I’m quite the sexual libertine. Hell, I write erotica. I’m all for adults doing anything they want behind closed doors, so long as it’s all consensual. I also don’t believe animals and children can give proper consent however.
Beyond that issue, what the hell ever happened to the idea of just letting kids be kids? Isn’t the world screwed up enough as it is? Kids have a few short years anymore before they start to realize that the world is NOT a magical, wonderful place where they can enjoy life free of worries. Why in the name of humanity would anyone want to force teen and tween body image issues onto a 5 year old?!? Five year olds shouldn’t worry about ANY kind of training bra, much less one that makes them feel like they need to already have pronounced breasts, or they’re inadequate.
I think the only thing that may be more twisted than this is PopSugar’s article trying to rationalize the idea. I can’t help but wonder if the writer was paid off by Maidenform to produce the article.
Even Amazon is carrying the bras also. Far be it from them to miss a chance to profit off a bad idea, right?
Yet another absence caused by alot of real world drama. Some day I hope we will get past all of that. Among other things, after the recliner fell apart and the bed issue, we had a computer croak on us and had to replace it. That also allowed me to replace my keyboard, which had been acting up. New one is the same model with some design “improvements”. It’s a Corsair K70. The housing is still metal, and the keys are true mechanical ones, like the earlier version but they have a softer touch. I’m hoping that doesn’t mean Corsair cheaped out on newer releases. Either way, it’s corrected all the errors I was formerly having with missed keystrokes and unwanted double spaces.
While I’m bummed out that the old one died, it did last about 5 1/2 years. Given the heavy use my keyboards get, that’s not bad. Most others have only lasted about a year and a half. Still, I remember the 80s when a keyboard was all but indestructible.
Anyway, there was quite a bit of drama trying to salvage the broken PC. A new drive got it working with Zorin Linux (M$ Winblows of course wouldn’t work), but other hardware related issues started showing up and we finally went out and bought a new one. It runs laps around the old one even if it isn’t bleeding edge technology.
Beware of Bagged Produce!
We got burned by Costco getting pre-bagged lemons. It turned out that the lemons hidden by the label were completely shriveled and covered with blue mold. I’d have taken a picture, but with my mold allergies, I wanted the bag gone ASAP. We’d take it back to Costco, but it’s a long drive from here and not worth the refund price in gas and time.
I should have known better. It seems like any time we buy ‘bulk’ bagged produce anymore, it’s partially rotted to the point of contaminating the rest of the bag. It’s just not worth the savings vs buying individual items and being able to select the best products in the store. The lemons were going to be used for homemade lemonade using Xylitol(link to previous blog post) instead of sugar. Now that gets to wait.
The Home Gym:
A few posts back, I said I’d eventually get around to showing what our home gym looks like. It’s time to make good on that promise. We’re lucky that the house we’re currently renting has an enclosed sun room with it’s own mini HVAC unit.
First there’s our weight bench and our buddy B.O.B. (no girls, not THAT kind of B.O.B. lol), AKA Century Martial Arts “Body Opponent Bag”. We picked it up half off years ago when Sports Authority was going out of business. Now they’re twice what the non-sale price would have been.
The Bench is a Weider Pro 6900. Honestly, while it fits within the space profile of our sun Room, I wouldn’t recommend it. Assembly was a beast, but more importantly, the actual design limits what you can do with it. The opening for the top pulley is limited, and has rough edges, so if you use it for anything other than nearly straight vertical movements, it strips the casing off the cable. That took away our ability to use it for any kind of abdominal crunches type moves.
The seat position means you can only use the leg bar for one exercise where as it was built with a full length bench, they could have added the second padded bar for a totally different leg exercise. Likewise, while there’s a pulley on that lower bar, the cable tends to stick a little AND the cable gearing means the lower pulley has the most resistance. IF you try to do anything other than preacher curls(link to YouTube) using the lower pulley cable, either nothing moves or the whole machine does. No bueno. ☹️
We can still get in 5 or so exercises with the machine, but if we had a chance to see it in a store, I don’t think we would have bought it. There are other machines with the same footprint and cost that do twice as much.
As you can see, we also have a gym mat in the center of the room for stretching, free weight workouts, and other kinds of training. Next up is the exercise bike and the kitty command center (kitties must always be in the middle of everything, lol).
The bike is indeed a genuine Concept 2 “Bike Erg”. After going through too many cheap bikes over the years, we decided to get one that was top level commercial grade, and you can’t get much better than Concept 2 in that regard.
Oh and yes, I despise the tile floor. Looks exactly like the flooring in the Burger King I started working at in the 80s, and it’s just as big a pain to keep looking clean also.
Next up is the rowing machine:
Yes, another Concept 2. Again, decided upon after our earlier rower failed to live up to expectations. Concept 2 rowers last a lifetime and their workout computers are insanely accurate. Because of those facts, Concept 2 is the go to brand for professional training and any sort of indoor rowing record keeping.
I’m a huge believer in rowing, as it works roughly 85% of your muscles all in one workout. You’re never going to get that from any other single exercise. It’s not as good for cardio as a bike or aerobics though, and if you don’t use good form, you WILL strain your lower back.
The green thing barely showing is a Gorilla Bow(company website link). Another goodie that didn’t quite live up to the hype for us. Resistance bands don’t provide full resistance throughout an entire movement, so you don’t get near the workout that you would using free weights. Of course, that can be offset with more work, and for those with limited space, something like a Gorilla Bow can be a good alternative to a set of free weights.
Lastly there’s our most recent addition; our Mook Jong or Wing Chun wooden dummy:
Some day I imagine I’ll be as good with it as Donnie Yen or Michelle Yeoh, LOL.
The wall mounted TV we connect to a laptop and use it to stream entertainment or training videos. Right below it is the wall mounted heater / AC unit. The TV tray is where the laptop goes when I’m not working on it like I am now. OH, and the black paint can… That’s actually filled with sand (And it’s padding wrap needs to be replaced). It’s a training trick to master the Wing Chun 1 and 3 inch punches. When you can substantially move it via the proper technique, you’re on your way to mastering the technique. Still a far cry from THIS though:
And yes, I believe the video is legit. I’ve seen too many incredible strikes with those punches.
That’s it for this time. Part two of my “Butterfingered Padawan” Star Wars story from last Wednesday will be up tomorrow, so look for it then.
This is a repost and slight edit of a piece I did back in 2020. Man does time fly… Since I’m trying to get creative writing again, I wanted to continue this whole idea of a Star Wars without Luke. I’ve incorporated Kenobi having PTSD as was evident in the original movie as well as the Kenobi series. Leia will likely end up the protagonist in the ongoing story. Not because it’s woke, but because it would be different to explore what if she’d been thrust into what had been Luke’s shoes. This time I want ton finish what I started.
It’s time for me to start creative writing again, even if I did miss Thursday Writing by a day. 😛 This idea came to me while mindlessly searching Star Wars memes on the internet. I came across the one below where creator mocked Luke for looking right down the emitter of his father’s lightsaber right after Obi-Wan gave it to him:
OK, funny, but Luke isn’t THAT big of a doofus. This exact scene or moment never appeared in “A New Hope” either, so I can only conclude the picture is photoshopped. Still funny. Anyway, I finally did start thinking “what if” though… Here’s my take:
THE STORY:
Luke momentarily turned away from his work reattaching Threepio’s arm, and chuckled slightly. “My father didn’t fight in the wars, he was a navigator on a spice freighter.
“That’s what your uncle told you. He didn’t hold with your father’s ideals… thought he should have stayed here and not gotten involved.” Kenobi replied with a slight scowl as he rubbed his beard.
A look of quiet disbelief washed over Luke’s face. “You fought in the clone wars?”
“Yes,” Kenobi replied, looking away. His troubled expression didn’t escape Luke’s notice. “I was once a Jedi Knight, the same as your father.” He leaned back in his seat and rubbed his chin.
“I wish I’d known him.” Luke replied quietly.
“He was the best star pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior” Kenobi replied with a brief hint of a smile. “I understand you’ve become quite a good pilot yourself.”
Luke smiled and half shrugged, returning his focus to finishing Threepio’s repairs.
Kenobi’s gaze drifted backwards in time and he allowed himself a brief smile again. “He was a good friend…” He glanced sideways and then stood up. “Which reminds me…” Kenobi strolled across the small room to an old trunk. “I have something here for you.” He opened the chest rummaged through it. “Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough, but your uncle wouldn’t allow it. He feared you might follow old Obi-Wan on some damned fool idealistic crusade like your father did.” Kenobi found what he was looking for and stood up straight as he removed it from the trunk.
“Sir, if you’ll not be needing me, I’ll close down for a while.” Threepio interjected.
“Sure, go ahead.” Luke replied, taking a quick glance at Threepio before returning a fixed gaze to the thick metallic cylinder in Kenobi’s hands. He stood up and met Kenobi half way across the room. “What is it?” he asked.
“Your father’s lightsaber.” Kenobi said, holding it out to Luke. “This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or as random as a blaster.” Luke took the weapon from Kenobi and hit the power switch, the blue energy blade instantly springing to life. “A more elegant weapon of a more civilized day.” Kenobi said as he returned to his earlier chair.
Artoo chirped excitedly as Luke moved the blade back and forth a few times.
“For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the old Republic.” Kenobi said, watching Luke continue to move the blade about as if in a trance. Kenobi looked down and scowled. “…Before the dark times, before the Empire.”
Luke switched off the lightsaber and sat down on the bench next to Kenobi. “How did my father die?” He sat down and stared sadly into the barrel of the lightsaber.
Kenobi looked away for a moment, regret showing on his face. He turned back to Luke and started to speak. “A young Jedi named Darth Vad…”
Before Kenobi could finish his sentence, an explosion rocked the small desert house, blowing a hole in the wall and toppling Artoo onto his face. The force of the blast also staggered Luke and made him fumble the lightsaber. His thumb hit the activation button, igniting the blade and sending it right through his skull. Luke slumped over dead, as the still ignited lightsaber fell to the floor.
Kenobi cursed and ignited his own saber as a Tusken Raider rushed through the hole in the wall. With one clean swing, Kenobi cut the invader in half. A second Raider appeared at the hole and tried to level its blaster rifle. Kenobi force pushed the sandperson with all his might, sending him flying over the nearby cliff and to his death.
Kenobi rushed out the hole, a look of utter rage on his face. “Do you realize what you filthy animals have cost us? Cost the galaxy?” he screamed. He flung his lightsaber, cutting down two more sandpeople. “That damned boy was our last hope to kill the Emperor!”
Another sandperson leveled his rifle at Kenobi and started to pull the trigger. Kenobi quickly used the Force to pull Luke’s lightsaber to him and deflect the shot right back at his attacker. A half second later, Kenobi’s own saber arced back into his grasp. Another two sandpeople charged Kenobi, swinging their gaffi sticks. Kenobi cut one down and force pushed the other back into a third sandperson who was holding a thermal detonator.
Both tried to scramble away from the armed detonator, but Kenobi lifted them both into the air with the Force and flung them and the detonator over the cliff. A moment later there was a blinding explosion and two screams cut short.
Obi-Wan moved to the cliff to see three more Tusken Raiders riding Banthas and retreating at full gallop. He let out an enraged scream at them.
“Obi-Wan, control yourself!” a voice demanded from behind him. “Do you want to end up like Anakin?”
Obi-Wan whipped around to see the Force apparition of his old master Qui-Gon Jinn. “Everything we worked for, had hoped to bring to pass, it’s all gone!” he said angrily. “Years and years watching the boy, masking his presence from detection by the dark side, all wasted…” he continued with a dejected sigh. “There’s no one left that can stand up to Vader and the Emperor now.”
“So soon you forget…” said Yoda as his projected image appeared. “Another, there is.”
“Can the girl even be trained?” Kenobi asked, slowly regaining his center.
“Her immediate talent isn’t what the boy’s was.” Qui-Gon replied. “Her connection to the living Force and ultimate potential may very well be even greater though.”
Yoda nodded slowly. “Hmmm, find her you must.”
“How?” Kenobi asked.
“I believe the little droid in there will have the answers you seek.” Said Qui-Gon with a gesture towards the damaged house.
“Anakin’s old droid?” Kenobi asked rhetorically. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
To Be Continued?
Kenobi warned Luke those Sandpeople would be back, and in greater numbers. If I get any interest, I’ll continue my alternate reality Episode 4. 🙂
Yes, I thought I’d be avoiding Tuesday Trash this week, but I couldn’t believe this when I saw it.
Kellogg’s CEO Gary Pilnick, during an interview with CNBC said that people should get around the high cost of food by eating breakfast cereal for dinner. “give chicken the night off” and have a bowl of Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Corn Flakes or perhaps even Raisin Bran instead.
All Kellogg’s products of course.
And here you thought Rahm was only talking about politics, ROFL.
This is exactly why the 1% are as rich as they are, they have absolutely no morals and only look for ways to maximize their wealth to the point that even suffering is only another opportunity for profit.
Pilnick made $5 million dollars in 2023, and that likely didn’t factor in stock options or the value of other benefits as part of his CEO title. Unlike Marie Antionnette, who was wrongly attributed with the “Let them eat cake” quote, the whole “give chicken the night off” is part of a Kellogg’s advertising campaign, AND Pilnick doubled down on the arrogance and greed when CNBC challenged him about the optics of the campaign and the insensitivity regarding the cost of food:
“The cereal category has always been quite affordable and it tends to be a great destination when consumers are under pressure,” Mr Pilnick said in an interview with CNBC.
He added: “If you think about the cost of cereal for a family versus what they might otherwise do, that’s going to be much more affordable.”
Gary Pilnick – CNBC Interview as quoted by the Telegraph.
He even had the nerve to use an Ericksonian Hypnosis / Neuro-Linguistic Programming embedded command in that statement to try to get people to embrace Kellogg’s capitalizing on hardship. “If you think about it” is a linguistic trick. The reader or listener will be far more likely to truly consider anything that follows the phrase. It’s a command to think about and consider what’s said.
When you see it for what it is, that’s truly sick. NLP was more intended for therapeutic use when if was developed in the 70s. Pilnick and company are using it to justify profiteering and price gouging. Of course, the commercials look innocent enough on the surface, with Tony the Tiger cheering on a family that’s reduced to cereal for dinner:
No “Tuesday Trash” today, but I will add a brief personal update here.
NO, it’s NOT me. Found it via Pinterest with no Original Source. She IS hot though.
Things have been crazy lately. There’s a shocker, right? LOL. Mainly it’s been quite a bit of drama here at home as we try to continue to improve our relationship. I think the whole back pain inducing, sleep depriving Purple People Eater bed(may it burn in hell) has made things more stressful than they needed to be.
In the long run though, it’s turned out to be a good thing. We’ve gotten some LONG term issues resolved and for the first time in a long time, I actually feel hopeful about our relationship.
As for the accursed bed… Things partially worked out there as well, or at least are fast approaching a conclusion. The furniture store honored the factory warranty, which is pro-rated at this point. Still, we got 75% of what we originally paid as a store credit to buy another bed. This time we got a Tempur-Pedic. Pricey, but so was was that Purple POS. The new bed is supposed to be here Friday.
Just to show you God has a (warped) sense of humor though… we’re sitting down trying to watch TV and have dinner when one of our recliners breaks and gets stuck in a partially reclined position. It won’t move for anything either. The crazy thing is both our recliners are Lazy Boy. New stuff from Lazy Boy isn’t worth the box it comes in. These are 30 years old though, from back when Lazy Boy was still making life long products.
Even more irony is that this is after we had to get rid of our earlier couch months back because it was falling apart.
We had to buy it on credit, BUT none the less we added a new “couch” to our purchase. A power recliner loveseat with a console actually. It looks similar to this:
Ours is microfiber that almost has a suede look though. We were going to just get a regular couch in case we had company. Nobody comes to visit though, and the love seat was a little firmer and thus more comfortable.
The Silk Cords command center is going to have a new office chair also. The current one is ALSO falling apart. I wouldn’t mind if it was from lots of wild sex all over the house, LOL. NOT the case though. The desk chair was just cheap. Last thing we bought from Fry’s Electronics too. Hopefully that’s the end of crap breaking for a while.
Pics when the stuff gets here… Some day… No delivery date on the couch yet.
Project Rebirth Update:
Yes, there really is a female Captain America in Marvel Comics. Her name is American Dream.
We’re both continuing to make progress with the weight loss and everything. There even SEEMS to be some early indications of tooth repair from using the Xylitol. My teeth are certainly cleaner and whiter for sure. When I have real progress to report though, I’ll let everyone know… along with the results of a few other things we’re trying.
I’m even FINALLY finding peace with my spiritual side. That’s ALWAYS been a much bigger struggle than I wanted to admit. I’ve been an Empath for my entire life. I never asked for it, or some of the other gifts that I developed later. All my life though everyone around me talked about belief in those kind of gifts as delusional insanity or some sort of diabolic influence. That last part is why I’ve never felt comfortable with organized religion. If I didn’t deny and hide what I was, I was ostracized and / or ran off.
I still consider myself a Christian in the broad sense of the word, but churches hold little appeal for me. Religious people of ANY religion I have no issue with, so long as they’re accepting of people outside their own faith.
I’ve never been threatened by differing beliefs. One nice thing about Empathic ability is that it lets you see past labels to what a person is really about. Ergo, I know that Wiccans are pagans, not Satanists. They’re also NOT all out to bewitch people and God only knows what other silliness some people believe. Buddhists, Taoists, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Wiccans, Hindus, etc… All groups have good and bad people within them. It’s up to us as children of The Divine to look beyond labels and gossip, and judge people by the content of their character.
OK, a bit “stream of consciousness” there, but the bottom line is that I’m continuing to have these breakthroughs about putting other peoples’ opinions into perspective. That, in turn, has helped me release a massive amount of bottled up negative energy and feel more comfortable in my own skin.
Nobody should be made to feel subhuman because of who they are.
Blogging, Writing and Screaming and Bugs:
I’m doing a so-so job at getting back to truly blogging here, but with life feeling more sane and normal now, I’m feeling the itch to truly put in some work at writing.
Of course, there’s the ever-present bugs here. I’ve even had some new ones all of the sudden. Fun things like hitting enter and having the editor insert a new paragraph above where I was writing. Maybe it’s the A.I. thinking I need more content and it knows what I’m writing better than I do.
Remember, SkyNet was a helpful tool also, until it wasn’t… and nuked humanity.
Anyway, I still have plans to scout other platforms, just for the sake of seeing how they compare in terms of readership and true interaction. I’m way behind schedule with that (story of my life), but I’ll get there. Reports will be made when I’m finally there also. All I can tell anyone at this point is my self-hosted WordPress site with no writing in 9 months still gets more hits than this blog. 🤨🫤
Lastly, I’m going to start working on the adult blog, creative writing in general, and erotica again specifically. While I may not have written anything in ages, I have done ALOT of studying on improving my writing. A couple of the MasterClass series were particularly awesome in that regard. Dan Brown’s was probably the best of the ones I’ve viewed thus far, although he’s a bit obsessed with the minute details of scenery. Neil Gaiman’s is really good also, and a bit more concise.
At any rate, I think I can do a much better job writing now than I did before. It’s not just the learning either. I always struggled, letting self-doubt keep me from expressing myself fully when I wrote. I was never happy with the results because of my holding back also.
Here’s a one-time bonus for readers also; links to my other blogs:
That’s my Self-Hosted site after I got tired of the bugs and limitations here. You can freely reject ALL cookies there with no drama. The landing page is also Safe For Work.
If you get into the Erotica or Witchfire story related sections though, it’s completely NSFW in those areas. You’ve been warned.
Likewise, my long abandoned spiritual studies blog here is
If you use the menus, you’ll find links to basic energy work and spiritual self-defense. Completely safe for work there also; nothing sexual at all there.
NOW, we’ll get to see how many people stop following me for being a devil worshipping slut, LOL. Yes, I’m a little cynical, but it’s WP that’s made me that way. 😛
One Last Note:
“Silk Cords” was originally chosen to fit the sensual bondage theme of many of my erotica stories. Since then I’ve redefined it as I’ve come to realize that the most effective bondage is the lies we chose to believe or even tell ourselves. It’s a creepy kind of self-imposed imprisonment, and more effective than any rope or chains could ever be.
A comment over at M’ChelsMusings led to me promising to do my next “Martial Monday” post on walking canes as a self-defense item. SO… Here we go.
I imagine some of you are scoffing at the idea already. Reality is, Korean Hapkido and English Bartitsu are just two martial arts that teach the cane as a self-defense weapon.
Canes have two big advantages right off the bat: They don’t LOOK like a weapon, and you can take them anywhere thanks to the A.D.A. (Americans with Disabilities Act). There’s just nowhere near the likelihood of trouble as there is with carrying a firearm. A sturdy cane designed for self-defense can also be used to parry and block attacks, strike, hook and control opponents. A cane also can give you a range advantage against an attacker with a knife.
Don’t try self-defense with a cheap drug store cane though. While we’re at it, this video also shows the difference various weight levels and materials can make:
There are two big drawbacks with a cane. First is that a predator may see it as a sign of weakness and decide you’re an ideal target. This can be partially offset via good posture and staying alert so you don’t amplify the perception.
Second is that with a length of almost 3 feet, canes aren’t the best choice for up close fighting in tight quarters, Captain America’s famous elevator fight scene for example. That’s something that training can offset however.
There’s also the possibility that if you look very healthy, people may suspect you’re carrying the cane strictly as a weapon. You can always lie and say you have a trick knee though.
The Basic Strikes:
Wielded one handed, a cane can be used similarly to a club or sword. Two handed, the techniques are similar to a Jo Staff (4 ft Japanese staff – the only weapon to beat Musashi). Here’s a very brief overview:
Thrusts: Holding the cane at the handle end with either one or both hands, thrust the other end into an attacker. The bridge of the nose, the mouth, the throat, the solar plexus, and stomach are all good choices of targets. Keep in mind your local laws on use of force in self defense though. A throat shot in particular is highly damaging and potentially fatal. Thus it should only be used in the most serious of situations.
Swings: Ideally done with one hand for fluidity of motion. That’s why the correct weight of cane is important. Nothing fancy to explain here though. Swing it like a club or sword. Some choice targets are the temple, the side of the jaw, an attacker’s wrist if they’re holding a weapon, the side of the knee, and if you can master an upwards swing, the groin as well. Fluidity of motion is key here, and learning escrima style figure 8s can help you keep an attacker off balance.
Two Handed Shove / Strike: Holding the cane at both ends vertically in front of you, shove the bar of the cane into the attacker. Anywhere in the face is a good choice for momentarily stunning an attacker (potentially). A shove to the chest can knock an opponent backwards also if delivered with enough force. Because so much of the cane’s length is exposed to the opponent, this does run the risk of the cane being seized. Strike hard and fast, and pull the cane back equally fast.
Handle Strike: Good for closer ranges. While holding the cane with two hands and a wide grip, swing the handle end of the cane into the side of the opponent’s head. The movement will look something like a hook punch, or swinging a quarterstaff while holding it in the middle. Done as a step through strike, it can deliver significant damage.
Handle Tip Rakes and Tears: Technically this can be done with the edge of the opposite end of the cane as well. The distance between you and an attacker determines witch end is more appropriate to use. The idea is to use the tip of the curved end of the cane to dig into the attacker. This is a power move, and thus less likely to be effective if you’re smaller or don’t have good strength. The tip can rake across the eye socket, the side of the nose, or even pectoral muscles and tear flesh. Using the edge of the opposite end of the cane will involve swings at the exact distance for the cane tip to rake across the face or other targets.
This video, although a bit long winded for my tastes (not to mention the clickbait title) covers those basics:
Hooks, Entangles and Grappling; The Advanced Stuff.
This blog is far too limited a medium to discuss some of the advanced things that can be done with a cane. These range anywhere from a strike to the ankle with the hooked end followed by using the hook to pull the attacker’s leg out from underneath them, to fancy entangles that use the cane to assist putting the opponent into an arm lock or similar move. Hapkido in particular teaches all manner of techniques involving hooking limbs and the neck. This preview video will give you a small taste:
Practical and Legal Considerations:
First and most important, just like any martial art, using a cane as a self-defense tool is something that requires practice. While most of the techniques are nowhere near as difficult as a Tae Kwon Do 720 kick, they do require enough training that at the very least muscle memory kicks in when in a real fight.
Secondly, we have to be real about who can use a cane as a weapon. The honest truth is that the less you need a cane to move around with, the more effectively you can use it as a weapon. Mobility and physical strength are factors in every physical confrontation. If you only need a cane as a minor assist, you’ll be more effective than somebody who can’t stand at all without one. Avoiding trouble is a better option in that last instance. Still, no matter your age, if somebody is bound and determined to hurt you, then you should use every tool at your disposal to protect yourself.
Lastly is some “legalities of self-defense” considerations. First, while the ADA may allow most people to get away with carrying a cane, it at least used to be that the TSA banned and would confiscate hapkido style canes as weapons based on the oversized loop of the curved handle end. That and gimmicks like that spur sticking out of the back of the cane in the very first video MIGHT mark your cane as a weapon with law enforcement and hoodlums both.
Lastly remember that laws and interpretations of them vary widely by location. What’s legally justifiable self-defense in some areas is criminal in others. Know and follow your local laws. Know how authorities tend to interpret them also. Nearly anywhere in the Western world, a 65 year old woman is more likely than most to get away with giving a 30 year old a thrashing with a cane if there’s reasonable evidence that it was a self defense situation (as one example).
Cane Arts: Bartitsu and Hapkido
Of the two arts, Bartitsu MAY be just a little older than Hapkido. That being the case, we’ll start with it:
Bartitsu was created in the 1890s. England gets credit for the art despite it’s claim of incorporating Japanese jiu-jitsu techniques in it’s teachings. It was (is) considered the “gentleman’s” self-defense system of England and includes boxing techniques, French Savate (similar to kickboxing), cane, sword cane and knife techniques and the aforementioned Japanese jiu-jitsu.
For what it’s worth, I’m skeptical regarding jiu-jitsu techniques being included prior to World War 2’s end. Japan didn’t open it’s borders until 1868, and opening borders didn’t equate to opening all aspects of society. It wasn’t until after the culture shock of losing World War 2 that Japanese schools were willing to more openly teach Westerners. It may very well have happened as advertised, but I think it far more likely that Bartitsu originally included western wrestling techniques, which were later refined into Japanese grappling. Renaissance texts on grappling are surprisingly advanced, almost to the same degree as fencing manuals of the age.
If you’re wondering where you heard the name Bartitsu before, one of two things is likely. You’re either a reader of Sherlock Holmes (it was his martial art) OR you’ve played Street Fighter 6 where the main villain, J.P. uses Bartitsu.
Since any proper English gentleman carried a walking stick or cane in the 1890s, they were naturally incorporated into the fighting style:
I suspect the fighting style in the Kingsmen movies was influenced by or supposed to be Bartitsu also, modified for Hollywood fight scenes and bulletproof umbrellas of course, LOL.
Manners Maketh Man (& Woman)
Hapkido:
Hapkido shares it’s roots in the art that Morihei Ueshiba studied before founding Aikido; the art of Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu. Think Aikido’s throws but with some utterly brutal locks and grappling thrown in. Anyway, Choi Yong-Sool took what he’d learned back to Korea and collaborated with other teachers and his top students to create a uniquely Korean art based on Daito-Ryu. This was all shortly after 1900.
If I were to over-simplify it, Hapkido is alot of throws and locks with some grappling and Tang Soo Do (Chuck Norris’s style of “Karate”. Yes, it’s actually Korean not Japanese) style strikes added into the mix.
Silk Chatters 