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warriors-but-cats-die · 3 years

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shadowclan — year one — newleaf

well this was a doozy.

like riverclan, i had to do a lot of research to identify all potential cats. unlike riverclan, i had a lot more books to check. or more accurately, yellowfang's secret is a bad book that made it impossible to make sensible decisions.

with that in mind, my explanations might be more brief. all the same principles (maximizing youth, unless i need someone to be an elder, etc.) apply, we just have aggreivated the previous problems.

but let's get into it.

leadership

leader: brokenstar (17 seasons, 9 lives)

deputy: blackfoot (20 seasons). blackfoot, flintfang, and fernshade are all shown to train at the same time as clawface and nightpelt. i was unwilling to dig through yellowfang's secret to see if one litter is made into warriors first, so i placed blackfoot as the younger litter, to help lend credence to his retirement.

seer: runningnose (17 seasons)

warriors

brackenfoot (34 seasons).

finchflight (32 seasons). father to dawncloud's kits, but a mentor to yellowfang's littermate. this is as young as he can be to accomplish that.

scorchwind (28 sesasons). he is not mentioned in the prophecies begin, but he is the father of cedarkit (cedarheart) and rowankit (rowanclaw), so i've concluded that he's alive.

boulder (23 seasons). (apprentice: wetpaw.) joins shadowclan as an apprentice. i've assumed he's 2 seasons at that time.

russetfur (23 seasons). despite not being mentioned until later in the prohecies begin, she joins shadowclan at the same time as boulder.

clawface (21 seasons). (apprentice: littlepaw.) while it's difficult to place exactly when he's born, i intend nightpelt to be as old as possible. nightpelt mentors brokenstar "soon after becoming a warrior", so this was the age i went with.

fernshade (20 seasons).

flintfang (20 seasons). (apprentice: badgerpaw.)

stumpytail (15 seasons). (apprentice: brownpaw.) cinderfur, stumpytail's littermate, is said to be old when he becomes deputy, but stumpytail is brokenstar's apprentice. this is the best age i can arrange.

cinderfur (15 seasons). while he's implied to be an elder when he becomes deputy, given his age, i did not retire him.

tallpoppy (12 seasons).

whitethroat (4 seasons). he straight up just shows up in shadowclan. his age is therefore as young as possible.

darkflower (4 seasons). see whitethroat.

apprentices

i'm interupting your regularly scheduled programming to inform you that brokenstar's actions, apprenticing cats young, are exceptional hard to interpret for age purposes. also, while it still happens in canon, due to the different death rates based on ages of cats, and the fact that most apprentices are already of apprenticing age when we meet them.

brownpaw (2 seasons). (mentor: stumpytail.)

wetpaw (2 seasons). (mentor: boulder.)

littlepaw (2 seasons). (mentor: clawface.)

badgerpaw (2 seasons). (mentor: flintflang.)

queens and kits

okay, this is our very first instance of adding a character, for reasons i'll explain when i get there.

brightflower (34 seasons). kits: marigoldkit and mintkit (father: brackenfoot).

rowanberry (27 seasons). applekit is one season old, allowing her to become applefur in tigerclaw's fury without being a warrior before then. her father is clawface.

tanglebur (17 seasons). ratkit is also a season old, similar to applekit.

dawncloud (3 seasons). unfortunately, her age is directly confirmed as being 3 seasons old. the father of her kits is finchflight. they are not mates.

blossomkit and swampkit are the kits killed by brokenstar, i believe. oakkit will become oakpaw, and since dawncloud has two other kits, she was a safe choice to be his mother.

firkit is dawncloud's fourth kit. there's never any indication of her fourth kit. applekit and ratkit are both a season older, so they can't be them. that makes her fourth kit a mystery.

i've named her firkit. she's a blue mackerel tabby (with short hair, unlike those photos).

elders

ashfur (29 seasons). he's an apprentice when yellowfang is born, making him a maximum of 2 seasons older than her.

nightpelt (21 seasons). retires early due to a coughing illness.

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thebeethathums · 5 years

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An Adventure - 6

Bilbo Baggins x Reader

You and Blossom sauntered along the plain, you lying on his back as you sighed heavily, you hadn’t really wanted to leave but you had felt there was no other choice. They didn’t want you there anymore with your mixed blood, like all the others you would have quickly been cast out for being what you were- A mix of all three main races with your mother being pure elf and your father half human and half dwarf. Individuals like you were extremely rare and looked down upon by every race with disgust.

No one wanted a Mutt. You hated the word but right now... it felt like a title you deserved.

Those dwarves had become like family, the family you’d never really had as your parents had died when you were just a wee one. Gandalf had taken you in at a young age as your mixed heritage gave you an array of skills unlike any other and you looked to him as a father and a mentor because he was all you had. You thought of Bilbo for a moment and you chest clenched, you hoped he would be all right without your watchful eye keeping him from trouble as you were quite fond of him.

It was then that you heard the warg howl, it was distant since you had covered a good amount of ground since your departure but you knew instantly what the orcs were after. You turned Blossom around and for once sat properly in the saddle, urging the unwilling horse into a gallop, “Come on Bloss, there’s trouble ahead and they’ll need our help. Mutt or not.”

You arrived to see your company nearly surrounded and kicked Blossom into a loud neigh as you let out a yell, drawing the attention of a good number of the orc group as you spun and galloped away so they would give chase in the opposite direction of the group.

The group heard your yell though they could not see you and Kili immediately noticed the lessened orc presence around them, “Something’s drawn them away.”

Gandalf looked to the horizon, “(F/n).”

He spun quickly, “Come, let’s not waste her distraction.”

You had just sliced the head of one of the many orcs following you when you heard the elven horn, you were too far out for them to be of any aid, but at least you knew where to head when you’d dealt with the remaining orcs. You urged Blossom on easily as he tried to escape the biting teeth of the wargs and began to pick off your enemies one at a time.

You arrived in Rivendell less than an hour after the company did, galloping up on your oversized horse with a grin on your face just as Elrond was about to lead them inside.

There were grins and smiles from each member of the party, even Thorin couldn’t hide the slight tug at the corners of his lips, they were so very glad that, as usual, Gandalf was right.

You swung yourself off Blossom, landing gracefully on the ground below before bounding over to sweep Bilbo up into a large hug. The hobbit was used to your sudden affectionate greetings by now and returned the hug in kind, “Good to have you back alongside us, (F/n).”

Gandalf chuckled as you released your friend as quickly as you had taken him up, spinning to greet him, “Yes, my dear it is quite good to have you back. Your aid on the road only just left behind us was greatly welcome though I wish you would have arrived sooner.”

Some of the dwarfs gave nods of agreement and you rolled your eyes, “I’m aware. You weren’t exactly the easiest bunch to catch up to with orcs and wargs all over the place. I mean really? However did you manage that?”

Gandalf chuckled and gave you a small, secretive smile before saying your name in a scolding tone as he inclined his head in the direction of your host. You went from bouncy to demure, letting your eleven-side kick in, “Please excuse my familiarity and enthusiasm, my Lord. I can only hope that you do not take my abrupt entrance and subsequent chatter as a gesture of rudeness toward your person, for I can assure you that was not my intent.”

The Lord of Rivendell’s eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise at your complete change of behavior and speech as he gave you a slight nod in acceptance of your apology and you continued, “I hope you can also forgive that have I put you at a disadvantage, as I know your name and place, Lord Elrond of Rivendell, but you still have no knowledge of mine, an oversight I hope to speedily correct. (F/n) (L/n), apprentice to Gandalf the Grey and the fifteenth member of the company that stands before you, at your service.”

He gave a slight bow which you mirrored in a much deeper fashion, “I welcome you in my kingdom and my home, (F/n) (L/n).”

Bilbo had been too busy watching you as you scolded Gandalf and then charmed their host to notice the carmine smudge that dirtied one of his hands. His brow furrowed deeply as he looked down and noticed it now, before looking back up at you and announcing loudly enough to interrupt, “You’re bleeding.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to you, either in search of an explanation or to scan your person for the source of the blood. You seemed equally surprised, twisting to look to where Bilbo’s hand had fallen on you shoulder earlier to find a dark red stain seeping through your tunic.

“It would seem I am,” you said casually, tugging at your sleeve with a frown, “Shame. I rather liked this tunic.”

Gandalf spun you to lean in and get a better look at it, pushing the wide neck of your tunic down over your shoulder “And how, pray tell, my dear girl, did you come about this particularly unfortunate scrape?”

You sighed with a shrug, “As I told you before, the path you laid out for me was filled with all sorts of less than desirable creatures. Getting them away from you proved to be only half the task.”

It was then that he noticed that the hilts of the short swords at your hips were flecked with blood and he could only assume the various other blades you had concealed on your person were in a similar state. You had fought hard to get here.

You jumped when smooth fingers pressed against the flesh just above the wound, hissing softly as they tugged at it slightly. You turned your head to find Elrond‘s face just inches from your shoulder, taking stock of the damage.

It was a short wound only a hand’s length across and two fingers wide but it ran deep into the tissue and muscle below. Elrond noted that it was fresh but older than a few hours, likely a wound you acquired early in your battle, and you suddenly felt a wave of pain wash over you, causing you to wobble.

You had been so focused on the task of catching up to the company that you had not only blocked out the pain but also dismissed the blood on the shirt you had worn before as orc blood, as, by the time you were done, there had been quite a bit on your person. It was for that reason you had changed before seeking out Rivendell.

Bilbo’s eyes widened as you paled visibly and almost lost your footing, Elrond steadying you with a hand on your opposite shoulder, “She has lost quite a bit of blood and the wound has not yet been properly cleaned. I will do what I can but the use of her arm shall be greatly constricted until this is at least partially healed.”

He lifted you into his arms, knowing that your balance was not to be trusted in this state, and nodded for one of his guards to deal with the rest of your group, “Go rest and eat your fill. We shall rejoin you momentarily.”

Bilbo watched him go with worried eyes, hoping to all that is good that you would be all right. The rest of your party was not so fretful, knowing that you were tougher than you looked in many ways, a mere scrape wouldn’t be your end, and Gandalf gave the hobbit a reassuring smile, “She is in good hands my Halfling friend. Relax and enjoy what our host has to offer for it will not come again soon in our journey.”

Tags <3 :

@xxdragonagequeenxx

@bewareofmyinside

@decadentenemyturtle

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galrakythel · 6 years

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re: voltron rewatch marathon

05x06: White Lion

I wonder what the Blades will think when they find out what Lotor is doing. Krolia already mentioned that there was an undocumented shipment of quintessence that Ranveig had gotten his hands on. Something that created a ‘super-beast’. What is the likelihood that that undocumented shipment was a part of Lotor’s supply line, the same quintessence that overloaded Kolivan’s monitor? A few of the Blades, or the ancestor agents of the organization, probably saw firsthand what Honerva and Zarkon’s greed did to their planet. And now their son is doing something wishy-washy. Whatever Kolivan discusses with Krolia, Keith, and the rest of the Blades, I have my doubts that they will want to rejoin the empire just because Lotor is offering an alternative to the same thing his parents were already doing.

The only people who have any remaining common sense are Hunk, Pidge, Coran, and Lance.

Shiro is... well... not Shiro. Allura is baffled by bullshit. Lotor keeps on making half-cooked ideas and hoping they pan out in his favor. Spoiler: they rarely do. It was sheer dumb luck that he ascended to the throne. It was chance that Shiro is being controlled by his estranged mother and gave Shiro to him as an unwilling ally against the other paladins. His father’s strength and regime were spread too thin. He was betting on the fact that Zarkon’s health was poor and he would be unstable in a fight. It was a gamble that Zarkon’s coma really knocked him out of the game.

But even when he had his generals on his side, he had failed the plans he had set for them all. His big project didn’t work. They talked as if this had happened multiple times before. He goes into a white hole with Allura, but then she gets the powers and he doesn’t because he’s more like Zarkon than he’d like to admit. Now he has to change his plans again and manipulate her even more.

And he’s currently unaware that his mother is tracking him and wants to go to Oriande too. Which leads me to think that Alfor didn’t trust anyone with any information. It was likely that Honerva would have taken advantage of the magic Alfor had learned and he didn’t want word getting back to her about it. But now Lotor is just boldly doing what he shouldn’t and involving everyone in it. Back to my main point: the only people in Team Voltron who have any common sense are Hunk, Pidge, Coran, and Lance.

Coran and Lance, Advisers to Altean Royalty

I see the relationship between Coran and Lance as father-son or, more importantly, mentor-apprentice. They aren’t foils of one another, but an older and younger version of the same character archetype. They have similar traits: loyal, friendly, exhibits goofy behavior, flirtatious, and has a quiet thoughtfulness. They both have Allura’s best interests at heart. Keep in mind, I’m not saying that Coran and Lance exist for the sake of Allura’s character development, only that they do push her forward and encourage her when she is in need of that type of nourishment.

However, there are some situations that Coran can’t supply Allura with nourishment. There’s a certain level of intimacy that Lance does provide Allura (whether or not people ship them together). Canonically, he is usually the one that checks on her well-being, especially out in the field, or encourages her to use her Altean magic when she doesn’t believe in herself. No one else really does that for her. I should note that she does the same when he isn’t feeling his best, especially when he becomes the pilot of the Red Lion.

This leads me to Lance’s future, post-war. He’s been vocal about missing his family back on Earth, but’s also forged a great bond with Allura whether that be platonic or romantic. Even though he may want to return to Earth, I think it would be just as difficult for him to leave Allura (as well as Coran and all the other non-human friends he’s made). However once this era of war is over, the universe may go back to the way it was during Zarkon and Alfor’s time... when there was a lot of space travel and diplomacy between worlds.

But Lance’s place in the post-war universe makes me wonder about what his position will be. 1) I don’t think Voltron will be able to retire. Perhaps there will be new paladins, but there’s no way Voltron could sit out because there will always be a threat of someone trying to destabilize the peace they’ve forged. Whether that be a Galra warlord, a zombie Zarkon, smoke monsters from a different reality, or a new threat from galaxies away. 2) I don’t think Coran, Haggar, Allura, and Lotor are the only Alteans left. Galrans and Alteans seemed to have been integrating after the marriage of Honerva and Zarkon. Marrying to other races was becoming normal. Of course there would always be people like Throk, but I don’t think all of the Alteans were on Altea when Zarkon destroyed it. They were too much of a space-faring race to all be on one planet on one specific quintant. And wouldn’t Alfor have called for an evacuation of his people, when he was just so willing to do the same for Zarkon’s people? I don’t think he would have all his people sacrifice themselves for Altea when he knew Zarkon was angry enough to personally murder him.

What I’m trying to say is that one day Allura will rule over what’s left of the Alteans or the mixed species refugees. One day she will become the queen her father wanted her to be. And eventually Coran will have to step down. He’s been fighting hard in this war just as much as the rest of them, and he is no doubt exhausted. It will be Lance -- whether they’re an end game ship or not -- that could become her chief adviser, especially when it comes to diplomacy and foreign relations. Not because he himself is from a foreign world, but because he’s shown in canon that he’s loyal to Allura not unlike Coran.

#voltron liveblogging #*mine #s5 #meta

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friend-clarity · 4 years

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Jordan Peterson: The activists are now stalking the hard scientists

Hudlicky (a prominent Canada Research Chair at Brock University) voiced a smattering of opinions deemed unacceptable by the Leftist Twitter mob. No matter: once the complaints emerged, the editor of the journal in charge of Hudlicky’s work — Dr. Neville Compton — removed the paper from the journal’s website, and offered an abject apology for daring to have published it. Dr. Greg Finn, Provost and VP Academic at that institution, saw nothing wrong with stabbing one of his university’s most esteemed scientists in the back at the first sign of trouble.

What were Hudlicky’s sins? His 12-page document (about 4,000 words) dealt with issues affecting organic synthesis research. However, Hudlicky voiced a smattering of opinions deemed unacceptable

Under Diversity of Workforce: “In the last two decades many groups have been designated with ‘preferential status’ (despite substantive increases in the recruitment of women and minorities). Preferential treatment of one group leads inexorably to disadvantages for another. Each candidate should have an equal opportunity to secure a position, regardless of personal identification/categorization. Hiring practices that aim at equality of outcome is counter-productive if it results in discrimination against the most meritorious candidates. Such practice has also led to the emergence of mandatory ‘training workshops’ on gender equity, inclusion, diversity, and discrimination.” (90 words out of 4000)

Under Transference of Skills: “The training and mentoring of new generations of professionals must be attended to by proper relationships of ‘masters and apprentices’ without dilution of standards. Hudlicky described two conditions which must be met if the successful transfer of skills is to occur: first, the knowledge in question must be transferred within three generations, or risk being lost forever; second, there must be ‘an unconditional submission of the apprentice to his/her master.’ This applies not only in the sciences but also in art, music, and martial arts…. Submission to one’s mentor is rarely attainable today. Many students are unwilling to submit to any level of hard work demanded by professors. The university does not support professors in this endeavour as it views students as financial assets and hence protects them from any undue hardships that may be demanded by the ‘masters.’ This situation, coupled with the fact that professors have less and less time to mentor students in the laboratory, cannot provide for a productive transfer of skills, especially the maintenance of standards and integrity of research.” (170 words out of 4000).

Jun 24, 2020 • Brock University professor Tomas Hudlicky. Brock University. By Jordan Peterson

So many messages of appalling idiocy, detestable envy, and envy embarrassing to behold, crossed my desk in the last fortnight that I found myself in the rare position of having too much to record — a writer’s dream. But that content also indicated that the bell is tolling, and that I am one of those for whom the death knell sounds.

I have watched the universities of the Western world devour themselves in a myriad of fatal errors over the last two decades, and take little pleasure in observing the inevitable unfold. It is a failing of human reason, with all its limitations, ego, and pretensions, to serve as Cassandra; to derive a certain satisfaction in watching the ship whose demise was foretold breach its hull on rocks hidden from all other observers. The self-righteous pleasure of “I told you so,” is, however, of little comfort when the icy water wends its way around ankle, knee and thigh, threatening to swamp everything still retaining its incalculable and unlikely value, even if it simultaneously makes short shrift of the ignorance and willful blindness that is frequently part and parcel of the death of something once great.

It is also necessary to note that the catastrophic failures of process and aim which I am about to relate were by no means hidden from the public view by the persons and institutions in question. They were instead positively trumpeted to all by multiple attempts to harness the powers of social media and announced, more traditionally, in press releases designed to indicate the success of some great and laudable moral striving. It is nothing less than a dire day when the proud revelation of vices of deadly and multifarious seriousness serve to substitute for announcements of genuine and valuable achievement, but that is where we are at — make no mistake about it.

The first story emerges at Brock University, in cahoots with the scientific journal Angewandte Chemie — the former an educational institution of moderate reputability; the latter a prestigious place of scientific publication among chemists. It is no easy matter to find a permanent tenured faculty position at such a university, or to publish research findings or literature reviews/summaries in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The latter process generally requires several years and multiple resubmissions and rounds of editing by a minimum of three colleagues with expertise in the field per submission, as well as approval by the editor. Angewandte has a rejection rate of 80% — and it should be noted that that rejection rate only accounts for papers that the submitting researcher(s) felt were of sufficient quality to be considered.

Dr. Tomas Hudlicky of Brock submitted an essay memorializing and updating a piece written thirty years ago, which has been widely recognized as powerfully influencing the direction of the chemistry subfield in question (organic synthesis).

The good doctor holds a prestigious Canada Research Chair, a position funded by a large federal initiative devoting about $300 million per year in the attempt to attract to Canada (or encourage to stay) researchers who are of particular promise, as evidenced primarily by their research productivity. That, in turn, can be measured with reasonable objectivity with metrics such as number of peer-reviewed articles in relevant scientific journals (more than 400 in Hudlicky’s case), by noting how many times such articles are cited by other authors over the years subsequent to publication (Hudlicky: 13,300) and, finally, by a measure known as the h-index, which provides a single numerical indication of how many publications have received a variable minimum number of citations. A researcher with an h-index of 10 has published 10 papers with 10 or more citations; a researcher with an h-index of 57 (Hudlicky’s score) has published 57 papers with 57 or more citations.

Hudlicky’s research productivity is admirable and rare. The mere fact that he obtained a position as a Canada Research Chair meant that his department, as well as the relevant federal governmental agency, both determined he was a fish well worth landing. Plus, the universities that hire researchers competent enough to be considered for a Canada Research Chair competition are not doing those they are attempting to recruit any favour by offering them a position; rather, it is an honour for the university to be chosen by the researcher in question.

Hudlicky’s paper in Angewandte Chemie was peer-reviewed positively, judged as desirable by the relevant editorial staff, and published. This meant that it managed the difficult job of passing through the eye of a needle, and entering the kingdom of heaven, at least as far as research chemists might be concerned. But some of Hudlicky’s surmises with regard to the state of organic synthesis raised the ire of a Twitter mob howling about “academic feudalism” and calling it an “antidiversity screed.”

Twitter seems to exist primarily for the purpose of generating mobs — composed primarily of individuals who are hungry for blood and desiring to bask in the joys of reasonably risk-free reputation destruction, revenge and self-righteousness. Furthermore, as far as Twitter mobs go, those who complained about the Angewandte Chemie publication were by no means numerous, constituting perhaps less than a dozen.

No matter: once the complaints emerged, the editor of the journal in charge of Hudlicky’s work — Dr. Neville Compton — removed the paper from the journal’s website, and offered an abject apology for daring to have published it. Furthermore, he reported the “suspension” of two of the journal’s editors and cast aspersions on Hudlicky’s ethics, stating that his essay did not properly reflect fairness, trustworthiness and social awareness, while implying that the now-pilloried author and his peer reviewers and editors were discriminatory, unjust and inequitable in practice.

What were Hudlicky’s sins? His 12-page document (about 4,000 words) dealt with issues affecting organic synthesis research and communication, covering topics such as the range of research options available, integrity and trustworthiness of the relevant literature, transference of skills from mentor to trainee, impact of information technology, the corporatization of the university environment, the effect of new technology, the diversity of the available work force, and the competition for resources among researchers. However, Hudlicky voiced a smattering of opinions deemed unacceptable by that small number of people who both read his submission and were somewhat active on Twitter. Here are the sentences constituting his wrong-think, which I have paraphrased slightly for length.

So those apparently objectional words constitute 90 of 4,000 — a small proportion of the essay, and the proffering of an opinion that insists “if”: not that diversity, inclusivity and equality provisions necessarily produce prejudicial hiring practices, but that they may under some conditions and with sufficient lack of caution have exactly that effect. It is also important to note that these opinions paraphrase very closely a decision reached and publicized by a German court in 2007, at least according to a supporter of Hudlicky who dared express an opinion supporting his colleague.

The Twitter trolls who objected to this opinion nonetheless reacted as if Hudlicky had said that efforts to “diversify” hiring and student selection were definitively harmful, and this is simply untrue.

This is an additional 170 words, and offers an opinion most famously put forward by Michael Polanyi, a polymath of genius level, who made contributions to chemistry, philosophy and economics, and who delineated the importance of “tacit knowledge” (knowledge that was acted out but not necessarily articulated) in the transmission of specialized technical ability across the generations. Hudlicky was therefore criticized and pilloried by individuals on Twitter who appeared to know nothing of Polanyi’s work (and for whom such ignorance was arguably justifiable) but also by the editor of Angewandte, for whom such ignorance was most certainly not.

Research prowess is no longer as important as willingness to mouth the appalling commonplaces of political correctness

Acquisition of this knowledge, according to Polanyi, required precisely the unfreedom recommended by Hudlicky — followed (with the acquisition of the aptly named Master’s degree) by autonomy in thought and action increased beyond what would have been capable in the absence of the devoted apprenticeship in question. Such a process can only be undertaken by a pupil capable of regarding his or her teacher as a true mentor, and by a mentor bent on the eventual production of a pupil more capable than him or herself.

None of that, according to Hudlicky (and this is a not unreasonable hypothesis in this day and age) is possible in the university as currently constituted, even in the hard sciences. Not only is it not possible, he implies, but it is no longer posited even as an acceptable aim. In a properly functioning institute of training, however, it might be argued that disciplined and contractually-mediated temporary subjugation to higher authority is eminently desirable, despite the limited sacrifice of casual autonomy that might require, if the person or persons to whom the subjugation is made are true experts. It is the willingness to undertake this apprenticeship, as well as the capability of superseding it, that makes up the master in “Master’s degree”—a designation that Brock still grants, despite potentially colonial overtones at least as damning as those that characterized Hudlicky’s writing.

That is the sum total of Hudlicky’s academic crimes. He has faced severe retaliation on no less than six separate fronts for his hypothetically unforgivable thoughts — the two we have already discussed, and four more, including, third, the cancellation of an entire issue of the journal Synthesis (published by Thieme), which was to be dedicated to his 70th birthday and for which invitations had already been sent to more than forty prominent scientists; fourth, the elimination of any mention of his work in yet another journal, Highlights in Chemistry; fifth, a statement by a European chemical society (not as yet made public) hypothetically critiquing his ongoing collaborations with researchers from that continent; and sixth, his transformation into whipping boy by his own faithless professional colleagues at the administrative level at Brock University.

Dr. Greg Finn, Provost and VP Academic at that institution, saw nothing wrong with stabbing one of his university’s most esteemed scientists in the back at the first sign of trouble. The provost wrote a painfully cringing apologetic “open letter to the public,” claiming, of course, that Hudlicky’s opinions, if in the least controversial, were in no possible manner representative of Brock University as a whole, and essentially hanging that institution’s hypothetically valued top chemist out to dry. Finn states that Hudlicky’s article “…contains descriptions of the graduate supervisor-graduate student relationship that connote disrespect and subservience. These statements could be alarming to students and others who have the reasonable expectation of respectful and supportive mentorship…. [The statements in this paper] do not reflect the principles of inclusivity, diversity and equity included in the University’s mission, vision and values as approved by our Senate and Board of Trustees.” Only an individual accustomed to dining on very thin gruel or simply spoiled meat would find any nourishment in statements with such content and of that quality.

An admirable university, secure in its worth, would have determined very quickly that one Hudlicky was, conservatively, worth ten Finns, and acted accordingly. But research prowess is no longer as important as willingness to mouth the appalling commonplaces of political correctness in the hallowed corridors of academe.

Two other recent events drive these points home. A highly cited professor of physics, who I cannot name, at a university I cannot name either (suffice it to say that the former has garnered 100+ publications and 7000+ citations in a highly technical field) had his standard Canadian Federal grant application rejected because he had failed to sufficiently detail his plans to ensure diversity, inclusivity and equity (DIE) practices while conducting his scientific inquiry. It is now standard practice for university hiring boards to insist that their faculty job applicants submit a DIE plan with their curriculum vitae — a terribly dangerous occurrence of its own.

I believe that the fundamental reason such plans are required, particularly of those who practice in the so-called “hard” STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is so that those who could not hope to assess the quality of research endeavours in those specialties as a consequence of their own inability or ignorance, can be made into judges by enforcing the adoption of standards of attitude and behaviour that have nothing to do with the fields in question.

Consider this, in addition: a group of three professors at Concordia were awarded a New Frontiers in Research Grant (announced in late 2019) aimed at “engaging Indigenous understanding and involving Indigenous communities in the co-creation of knowledge, the project aims to decolonize contemporary physics research and attract Indigenous students.” The head researcher, Dr. Tanja Tajmel, “questioned the colonial assumptions made in the way Western science evaluates light and what it considers knowledge.” Dr. Louellyn White, associate professor in First Peoples Studies, added that “Indigenous ways of knowing have been suppressed and marginalized throughout academic history and we are finally gaining momentum in elevating Indigenous knowledges as equally valid to Western science… If we, as an institution, do not embody the Territorial Acknowledgement by recognizing and affirming the expertise of our Elders as Knowledge Keepers, the acknowledgement becomes nothing but empty platitudes.” Dr. Ingo Salzmann, the last of the three principal investigators to whom the funds were awarded, says, “The culture of physics certainly changes with diverse people involved.” He argues, “Therefore, decolonizing science involves challenging the underlying hierarchies.”

The refusal of the research grant application specifically requesting funding for what must now apparently be regarded as “colonialized — or colonized (?) — physics” and the success of the application that had the magical mention of “indigenous knowledge” should alert us to the fact that with the increasingly successful politicization of the university the STEM fields comprise the next frontier for occupation by the politically correct.

Qualified and expert researchers in such fields are already in great danger of being pushed aside by activists of the proper opinion. The rest of us will pay in the longer run, when we no longer have the will or the capacity to make use of the rare talents that make people highly competent and productive as scientists, technological innovators, engineers or mathematicians. Wake up, STEM denizens: your famous immunity to political concerns will not protect you against what is headed your way fast over the next five or so years.

Jordan Peterson is a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, a clinical psychologist and the author of the multi-million copy bestseller 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos. His blog and podcasts can be found at jordanbpeterson.com.

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aeltonhqapps-blog · 6 years

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Soup | 27 | GMT -3 | They/Them/He/Him

Desired Character: Trepan (Dupont). The series they are from: The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye.

Their Age: 33 years old. Current Occupation: Neurosurgeon. Location: Ninth Avenue, Pearl District.

Personality: — Asshole Victim - Despite the fact years ago he suffered a nerve-wracking experience in close relation to an abusive person who forced his way into his life Trepan’s haughty attitude is, often, more than enough for those around him who are familiar with this particular side of his to feel oddly satisfied whenever something bad happens to the man, as it is assumed due to his behaviour some karmic retribution was bound to occur. — False Reassurance - As he is no good at lying, he’s become proficient at pulling the wool over another person’s eyes while never once being dishonest. At times he’s well aware that the truth is stranger than fiction, thus unlikely to be believed; others his tone doesn’t match the statement he’s uttered, which causes people to believe he actually meant the opposite. Trepan has learned to be so careful with his phrasing he is able to speak the truth, clearly and plainly, while still making others assume he meant something else. Perhaps they ought to pay more attention next time, if there is one… — Faux Affably Evil - His politeness only serves to enhance his ill-intent. He lacks a villanous demeanour yet he is truly, wholly and unrepentantly malicious regardless. Trepan is seemingly soulless at heart but masks it with a pleasant, polite attitude because said pleasantness reflects his sheer enjoyment of his misdeeds. That and he may also unbearably full of himself. This, however, could be more reflective of his Knight Templar tendencies where warped morals cause him to believe he is genuinely only seeking what is best for others. — The Mentor - Though sometimes unwilling, as was the case with an prior pupil of his, Trepan is undeniably experienced in the field of neurology. A sagacious figure whose eccentricities tend to make others question his sanity, particularly due to his fondness for his work needles, he is known to be rather finicky regarding which (un)lucky soul he takes under his wing. However, in spite of how ruthless he can be when training apprentices is involved, every mentee who has learned from him has become a cornerstone in their respective specialty. — Mind Rape - Trepan’s methods are, as stated by him, minimally invasive. That is a very loose definition, as his brand of neurosurgery could be bordering the unethical. Those needles become tools for an absolute violation of privacy, humiliation which destroys self-esteem and perverts what could otherwise be a source of identity. Regardless of the man’s materialistic tendencies, he honestly sees his techniques as corrective methods often employed to save people from themselves. And while this has been the case for a number of his patients, there is still a twisted perception of how he sees himself and his work. — Soft-Spoken Sadist - A light and low voice serves as stark contrast to the neurosurgeon’s rather sadistic tendencies. He never raises it or employs intimidation tactics, and in fact he is surprisingly polite. Trepan speaks with a soft tone that appears kind and unassuming, with a soft chuckle and a warm energy which conceals the menace within. This results in something dissonant and disquieting; a monster who speaks in a voice that’s anything but monstrous. If (and when) he eventually drops this soft-spoken demeanor, it’s a surefire sign things are going to get worse.

Biography: Trepan’s childhood remain shrouded in mystery, as does his ancestry. Born in a little French town to two parents rumoured to have been acclaimed physicians in their respective fields, his fate seemed to be carved in stone from the very beginning. Initially he didn’t spend much time outside his room, studying diligently every day until he’d begun to realise that being intelligent simply wouldn’t suffice. Consistent bullying from his classmates caused him to understand being able to be sociable and charming to others would go a long way in gathering trust which could come in handy later on. While he understood that their oath bound them to helping others to the best of their abilities, his parents were very adamant on the end justifying the means. He learned to find people’s shortcomings and insecurities, exploiting them freely in order to gain perks and special benefits. In the meantime, his knowledge regarding neurology and the human brain continued to expand. He graduated early as a result of his dedication, and very obvious knack for his subject of choice. Trepan’s infatuation with neurosurgery pushed him into that particular specialty, and the development of various techniques drew attention from several sources, one being Adamas’ executives. He remains as one of Adamas’ most elusive collaborators, citing disinterest in their stable position offers more often than not. He values his freedom above anything else, and while he does have a fairly successful career giving lectures, conferences and providing input in major neurology cases there is a darker side to his practice most are unaware of. Through the use of neurosurgery and memory manipulation research, Trepan managed to perfect lobotomy and adapt it to become more effective in order to be employed in so called change management. At some point it was rumoured he employs live subjects for testing and tutoring his pupils, however this has never been confirmed. A particularly hidden episode in his life was a kidnapping at the hands of one who would become one of his best students. Though Trepan maintained a cordial relationship with him, and genuinely understood the man’s twisted behaviour, he harboured deep resentment towards his captor for depriving him of his freedom and causing him to live over half a year in fear for his life. After he was released, the neurosurgeon immediately returned to the little clinic where he worked before that fateful day. He was welcomed back with open arms, as his proficiency made him absolutely indispensable.

#AeltonHQ: Application post #AeltonHQ: Citizen App

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