The sky tonight is blended perfection Nadir, a dense and dull magenta Transitioning to yellow And ochre and to muted deep blues.

A haze of grey drifts into a flat dark That will become an inky black zenith As the sun passes behind the horizon So far that its light is no longer A warming glaze

---

---

Today marks my first real workday, feeling better after a challenging one and a half weeks of illness. While I’m grateful to be on the mend, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the amount of work that has piled up. Both of my clients have urgent tasks that need my attention, and the pressure is mounting.

On the bright side, I have the house to myself today, which provides a rare opportunity for focus and clarity. I’m determined to create a plan that will help me tackle my clients' needs efficiently.

As I dive into this busy day, I’m reminded of the importance of balance and prioritization. Here’s to making the most of this newfound energy and turning challenges into achievements!

---

Written by AI

I wrote some lines and gave it AI to make the best out of it. Sounds good, but nothing like me. 😅

---

87 of #100DaysToOffload
#log
Thoughts?

In a weirdly meta post I guess, I don’t really know what to write. I’m about to fall asleep so I guess this is it for now. I’ve felt like life has been pretty calm and peaceful for the last while so what do I have to say I guess? Strife causes writing

You can read more about the challenge here and here.

Elves in the original Dungeons & Dragons little brown booklets are a bit special. They get a lot of advantages without any noticable trade offs. One of them is ability to freely switch between Fighting-Man and Magic-User between the adventures, but not within the same “game.”

Because of that I have decided to create the elf characters as follows:

• each character will be presented as both Fighting-Man (those are the ones below) and as Magic-User (coming tomorrow);
• they will get a maximum of two rolls on the magic items table (two for each class);
• they have to buy equipment from the same funds;
• they will roll health points for each class.

With above in mind, let's roll five elven Heroes.

1. Yavwine Termaris / Brillianttear

Class: Fighting-Man Race: Elf Level: Hero Alignment: Lawful Languages: Elvish, Lawful, Orc, Hobgoblin, Gnoll

Appearance: 4'10'' / 1.47 m, 95 lbs / 43 kg; blonde hair; yellow eyes; purple skin tone Traits: pessimistic, unlucky

Experience points: 10 000 Hit points: 17 Armor class: 4 Movement: 6”

Saving Throws

Death Ray or Poison: 10 All Wands — Including Polymorph or Paralyzation: 11 Stone: 12 Dragon Breath: 13 Staves & Spells: 14

Attributes

STR: 8 (low score; minus 10% from earned experience) INT: 10 (average score; speak no additional languages) WIS: 8 (low score) CON: 9 (average score; 60% chance of survival) DEX: 8 (low score; fire any missile at -1) CHA: 9 (average score; up to 3 unusual hirelings with loyalty base of 0)

Equipment

Armour: 1 × Chain-type Mail; 1 × Shield Weapons: 1 × Sword +1 (AL Lawful; INT 12; EGO 2; COM telepathy, speaks elven, dwarf, and common; POW detect sloping passages up to 1°, detect metal & what kind, detect evil, read magic, ESP); 1 × Dagger (1H); 1 × Spear (1H, 2H, thrown range 3”); 1 × Long Bow (2H, ranges: 1–7’’ +2 AC, 8–14’’ +1 AC, 15–21’’ 0 AC); 1 × 20 Arrows; 1 × 20 Arrows, Enchanted Gear: 1 × Elven Cloak and Boots; 1 × Leather Back Pack (300 coin capacity); 2 × Large Sack (300 coin capacity); 2 × Quiver of 20 Arrows; 2 × 50’ of Rope; 1 × 6 Torches; 2 × Flask of Oil; 3 × Wolvesbane, bunch; 3 × Belladonna, bunch; 2 × Iron Rations (1 week); 1 × Potion of Healing Coins: 60 gp Encumbrance: 1190 cn

Hirelings & Mounts

1 × Light Horse (HD 2, AC 7, MV 24’’, max load 3000 cn); 1 × Saddle; 1 × Saddle Bags. In saddle bags: 1 × Scroll (Charm Person); 1 × Scroll (Detect Magic); 1 × Scroll (Detect Invisible); 1 × Wand of Illusion (like Phantasmal Force but wielder can move; 130 charges).

2. Errras Valholen Pellad / Underflower

Class: Fighting-Man Race: Elf Level: Hero Alignment: Lawful Languages: Elvish, Lawful, Common, Orc, Hobgoblin, Gnoll

Appearance: 4'11'' / 1.5 m, 100 lbs / 45 kg; orange hair; amber eyes; pale grey skin tone Traits: genial, wary

Experience points: 10 000 Hit points: 13 Armor class: 4 Movement: 9”

Saving Throws

Death Ray or Poison: 10 All Wands — Including Polymorph or Paralyzation: 11 Stone: 12 Dragon Breath: 13 Staves & Spells: 14

Attributes

STR: 9 (average score) INT: 9 (average score; speak no additional languages) WIS: 5 (low score) CON: 6 (low score; minus 1 from each hit die; 40% chance of survival) DEX: 8 (low score; fire any missile at -1) CHA: 12 (average score; up to 4 unusual hirelings with loyalty base of 0)

Equipment

Armour: 1 × Chain-type Mail +1; 1 × Shield Weapons: 1 × Sword +1, +2 vs. Lycanthropes (AL Lawful; INT 1; EGO 0; COM none; POW none); 1 × Dagger (1H); 1 × Hand Axe (1H, thrown range 3”); 1 × Long Bow (2H, ranges: 1–7’’ +2 AC, 8–14’’ +1 AC, 15–21’’ 0 AC); 1 × 20 Arrows; 20 × Silver Tipped Arrow Gear: 1 × Elven Cloak and Boots; 1 × Leather Back Pack (300 coin capacity); 2 × Large Sack (300 coin capacity); 1 × Water/Wine Skin (30 coin capacity); 2 × Quiver of 20 Arrows; 2 × 50’ of Rope; 4 × Flask of Oil; 1 × Silver Mirror, Small; 4 × Belladonna, bunch; 1 × Wine, quart; 2 × Iron Rations (1 week); 2 × Potion of Healing; 1 × Ring of Mammal Control (control 3d6 small, or 1d8 large mammals, excluding those in the monster reference table; 6'' range) Coins: 20 gp Encumbrance: 988 cn

Hirelings & Mounts

1 × Light Horse (HD 2, AC 7, MV 24’’, max load 3000 cn); 1 × Saddle; 1 × Saddle Bags. In saddle bags: 1 × Scroll (Read Languages); 1 × Scroll (Hold Portal); 1 × Scroll (Protection from Evil); 1 × Scroll of Spells (Phantasmal Forces); 1 × Scroll (Locate Object); 18 gp.

3. Alellion Urdithhilemir / Greenhickory

Class: Fighting-Man Race: Elf Level: Hero Alignment: Lawful Languages: Elvish, Lawful, Common, Orc, Hobgoblin, Gnoll

Appearance: 5'1'' / 1.55 m, 100 lbs / 45 kg; horned hair; tan eyes; pale grey skin tone; pentagram-shaped birthmark Traits: bloodthirsty, impish, rakish

Experience points: 10 000 Hit points: 17 Armor class: 7 Movement: 12”

Saving Throws

Death Ray or Poison: 10 All Wands — Including Polymorph or Paralyzation: 11 Stone: 12 Dragon Breath: 13 Staves & Spells: 14

Attributes

STR: 13 (high score; add 5% to earned experience) INT: 9 (average score; speak no additional languages) WIS: 8 (low score) CON: 8 (low score; 50% chance of survival) DEX: 14 (high score; fire any missile at +1) CHA: 8 (low score; up to 3 unusual hirelings with loyalty base of 0)

Equipment

Armour: 1 × Leather Armor Weapons: 1 × Sword +1, +2 vs. Magic-Users and Enchanted Monsters (AL Lawful; INT 2; EGO 0; COM none; POW none); 1 × Dagger (1H); 1 × Composite Bow (2H, ranges: 1–8’’ +2 AC, 9–16’’ +1 AC, 17–24’’ 0 AC); 1 × 20 Arrows; 1 × 20 Arrows, Enchanted Gear: 1 × Elven Cloak and Boots; 1 × Leather Back Pack (300 coin capacity); 2 × Large Sack (300 coin capacity); 4 × Small Sack (50 coin capacity); 2 × Quiver of 20 Arrows; 2 × 12 Iron Spikes; 1 × 6 Torches; 2 × Flask of Oil; 2 × Garlic, bud; 2 × Iron Rations (1 week); 1 × Potion of Healing; ; 1 × Ring of Water Walking Coins: 122 gp Encumbrance: 622 cn

Hirelings & Mounts

1 × Light Horse (HD 2, AC 7, MV 24’’, max load 3000 cn); 1 × Saddle; 1 × Saddle Bags. In saddle bags: 1 × Scroll (Detect Magic); 1 × Scroll (Hold Portal); 1 × Scroll (Read Languages); 1 × Wand of Secret Doors & Traps Detection (gives warning when held, 2'' radius).

4. Gilandilas Imraandiril / Firmgiant

Class: Fighting-Man Race: Elf Level: Hero Alignment: Lawful Languages: Elvish, Lawful, Orc, Hobgoblin, Gnoll

Appearance: 5'1'' / 1.55 m, 125 lbs / 57 kg; yellow hair; hazel eyes; milky white skin tone Traits: curious, ambitious

Experience points: 10 000 Hit points: 20 Armor class: 3 Movement: 6”

Saving Throws

Death Ray or Poison: 10 All Wands — Including Polymorph or Paralyzation: 11 Stone: 12 Dragon Breath: 13 Staves & Spells: 14

Attributes

STR: 13 (high score; add 5% to earned experience) INT: 6 (low score; speak no additional languages) WIS: 9 (average score) CON: 11 (average score; 80% chance of survival) DEX: 10 (average score; none) CHA: 12 (average score; up to 4 unusual hirelings with loyalty base of 0)

Equipment

Armour: 1 × Plate Mail; 1 × Helmet Weapons: 1 × Two-Handed Sword (2H); 1 × Mace (1H); 6 × Dagger (1H) Gear: 1 × Elven Cloak and Boots; 1 × Leather Back Pack (300 coin capacity); 4 × Large Sack (300 coin capacity); 2 × Water/Wine Skin (30 coin capacity); 2 × 50’ of Rope; 4 × Flask of Oil; 1 × Steel Mirror; 4 × Wolvesbane, bunch; 4 × Garlic, bud; 2 × Wine, quart; 2 × Iron Rations (1 week); 2 × Potion of Healing Coins: 120 gp Encumbrance: 1380 cn

Hirelings & Mounts

1 × Light Horse (HD 2, AC 7, MV 24’’, max load 3000 cn); 1 × Saddle; 1 × Saddle Bags. In saddle bags: 1 × Scroll (Charm Person); 1 × Scroll (Sleep); 1 × Scroll (Detect Invisible); 1 × Scroll (Levitate); 1 × Scroll (Locate Object); 1 × Scroll (Knock); 1 × Wand of Fear (save versus magic or panic and flee; cone 6'' long and 3'' wide; 136 charges).

5. Filmor Filmir / Rosefir

Class: Fighting-Man Race: Elf Level: Hero Alignment: Lawful Languages: Elvish, Lawful, Orc, Hobgoblin, Gnoll

Appearance: 5'0'' / 1.52 m, 100 lbs / 45 kg; blonde hair; hazel eyes; pale green skin tone; five-point star-shaped birthmark Traits: solitary, exclusive

Experience points: 10 000 Hit points: 18 Armor class: 2 Movement: 6”

Saving Throws

Death Ray or Poison: 10 All Wands — Including Polymorph or Paralyzation: 11 Stone: 12 Dragon Breath: 13 Staves & Spells: 14

Attributes

STR: 11 (average score) INT: 12 (average score; speak up to 2 additional languages) WIS: 5 (low score) CON: 13 (high score; will withstand adversity) DEX: 15 (high score; fire any missile at +1) CHA: 6 (low score; up to 2 unusual hirelings with loyalty base of -1)

Equipment

Armour: 1 × Plate Mail; 1 × Shield; 1 × Helmet Weapons: 1 × Sword +1 (AL Lawful; INT 4; EGO 0; COM none; POW none); 1 × Dagger (1H); 1 × Spear (1H, 2H, thrown range 3”); 1 × Short Bow (2H, ranges: 1–5’’ +2 AC, 6–10’’ +1 AC, 11–15’’ 0 AC); 1 × 20 Arrows; 20 × Silver Tipped Arrow Gear: 1 × Elven Cloak and Boots; 1 × Leather Back Pack (300 coin capacity); 2 × Large Sack (300 coin capacity); 2 × Small Sack (50 coin capacity); 1 × Water/Wine Skin (30 coin capacity); 2 × Quiver of 20 Arrows; 2 × 50’ of Rope; 1 × 12 Iron Spikes; 1 × 3 Stakes & Mallet; 1 × Holy Water/Vial; 1 × Wine, quart; 2 × Iron Rations (1 week); 1 × Potion of Healing; 1 × Potion of Giant Strength; Coins: 77 gp Encumbrance: 1437 cn

Hirelings & Mounts

1 × Light Horse (HD 2, AC 7, MV 24’’, max load 3000 cn); 1 × Saddle; 1 × Saddle Bags. In saddle bags: 1 × Scroll (Sleep); 1 × Wand of Cold (ice blast cone 6'' long and 3'' wide dealing 6d6 damage, save versus magic to take half damage; 135 charges).

⁂

Tomorrow: same elves but as Theurgists.

#charactercreationchallenge

There’s no middle ground with you.

Yunior Rivas

Do you know what it’s like to be tethered to someone like you? To swing violently between wanting to hold you and wanting to hate you?

You’re the storm I keep running toward, knowing full well I’ll drown. The fire I hold my hands over, foolishly convinced it won’t hurt.

I’ve tried to hate you. I’ve sat with my anger, let it fester, let it build until it felt sharp enough to cut you out of me. But it never works. 

I forgot who I was before the extremes you pull me to. Without the desperate longing and the frantic rage, the mornings aching to hear your voice and the nights spent drowning in tears. With you, I wonder if balance is just a vast indifference.

I keep swinging back and forth until I’m dizzy, exhausted, unresponsive to anything but this rhythm we’ve created.

I’m trapped in your orbit, caught in the force of everything you are. What would be left of me if I stop swinging. A life that feels too motionless.

Someday the pendulum will slow. It will stop completely, by choice or by time. Until then, you’re the proof I feel it all, the full spectrum of mortality.

For now, you’re still my burden and my blessing. My torment and my testament to life itself.

Tuesday 2025-01-14

Prayers, etc.: * 05:00 – Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel * 06:00 – praying The Angelus * 06:35 – praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, followed by the Memorare. * 07:00 – Readings from today's Mass include – Epistle: 2 Tim: 4:1-8 and Gospel: Matt 5:13-19. * 08:00 – Thought for today from Archbishop Lefebvre: Men may certainly try to carry on without Him: He is everywhere, in everything, since He created everything. He therefore holds everything in His hands. Everything belongs to Him, and nothing is outside of Him. Men try to escape Him; they do not escape Him; they cannot escape Him. It is impossible, because everything is His. * 12:00 – praying The Angelus * 14:50 – prayerfully reading The Athanasian Creed, followed by today's Daily Meditation found in Benedictus Magazine. * 18:00 – praying The Angelus * 19:15 – praying the hour of Compline for tonight according to the Traditional Pre-Vatican II Divine Office, followed by Fr. Chad Ripperger's Prayer of Command to protect my family, my sons, my daughter and her family, my granddaughters and their families, my great grandchildren, and everyone for whom I have responsibility from any demonic activity. – And that followed by the Tuesday Prayers of the Association of the Auxilium Christianorum.

Health Metrics: * bw= 213.52 lbs. * bp= 128/76 (68)

Diet: * 05:30 – 1 banana, 3 fried eggs, fried rice, bacon, sausage * 06:30 – more fried eggs, fried rice, bacon, and sausage * 12:30 – Mongolian beef dinner, fried rice, egg roll * 18:20 – cookies

Chores, etc.: * 05:00 – listen to local news talk radio * 06:15 – bank accounts activity monitored * 08:30 – quietly reading * 12:30 – eat lunch at home with Sylvia and watch old game shows * 14:30 – stock freshly delivered grocery items * 17:30 – listening to Xavier Athletics Radio ahead of tonight's college basketball game between the Villanova Wildcats and the Xavier (OH) Musketeers * 18:00 – now watching Illinois vs IU college basketball on Peacock TV

Chess: * 15:25 – moved in all pending CC games

posted Tuesday, 2025-01-14 ~19:45 #DLJAN2025

A pretty good, very low-key Tuesday winds down. Massive insomnia last night conditioned the pace of my day. Moving cautiously and carefully through the chores at a relaxed pace so as not to break anything was a primary goal. Bet I sleep much better tonight! Heh.

posted Tuesday, Jan 14, 2025 at ~7:33 PM #QNJAN2025

And Now the Copilot version

Experiences: This Sunday, feeling bored, I drove down to the Sportsman Warehouse to pick up some 9mm ammo. After that, I checked out a Walther PDP. It fit my hand really well. Leaving the shop, I went to my truck and emptied my pockets, which had the ammo in them. While doing this, my wallet fell out. At the range, I shot my new Sig P320. It has a nice trigger and is well-balanced in the hand. However, it is a little large for my hand, so I'll have to work on the grip. The sights didn't work for me, and I need to get shooting glasses to see the sights properly. Getting old sucks. After finishing about 100 rounds, I went to look at red dot sights. I decided to buy one and reached into my pocket for my wallet, but it wasn't there. Oh shit. I went to look in my truck. Using the Findit app on my phone, I saw that my wallet was in Federal Way, not in Factoria, which is about 28 miles apart. Then I noticed all these text messages of purchases at Walmart. Crap. I spent the next half hour locking all my credit cards. I called Verity first to get the card replaced and have them remove the charges. Next up was the Discover card. Same thing. PayPal was closed. Go figure. I was able to do everything for Apple through the app. I still called Apple to make sure everything was shut down and marked as disputed. Just in case, I loaded the shotgun and placed the flashlight in an easy-to-reach spot. On Monday, I took the day off to run around and get my driver's license replaced and a new debit card. I went to the bank and made sure the credit and debit cards were reported and got a new debit card. It's hard to live without a debit card in this day and age. The DMV wait was only about 20 minutes, shockingly fast, and it cost me 22 dollars. Costco was next. This wasn't an issue, but I had to show a photo of my old license and my temporary license. I do hope the people who used my card got some good stuff, basically for free. On Tuesday, I filled out the documents for a work replacement card and called PayPal to have everything shut down and a new card ordered. Now I have to wait for the replacements to arrive so I can fix all my auto-pay. Fun

This is an AI version of the last post. Grammerly.

This Sunday, while feeling bored, I decided to drive down to Sportsman Warehouse to pick up some 9mm ammo. While I was there, I checked out a Walther PDP, and it had a really nice fit in my hand. After leaving the shop, I went to my truck and emptied my pockets, which had the ammo in them. Unfortunately, during this process, my wallet fell out.

When I got to the range, I shot my new Sig P320. It has a nice trigger and is well-balanced in my hand, though its a grip is bit large for me, so I'll need to work on my grip. Unfortunately, the sights didn’t work for me, and I realized that I need to get shooting glasses to see the sights properly. Getting older has its challenges. After finishing about 100 rounds, I decided to look at red dot sights. When I reached into my pocket for my wallet to make a purchase, I realized it was missing.

Panic set in as I went to search my truck. Using the Findit app on my phone, I discovered that my wallet was in Federal Way, which is about 28 miles away from Factoria, where I was. Then I noticed several text messages about purchases made at Walmart. Great.

I spent the next half hour locking all my credit cards. I called Verity first to have my card replaced and to dispute the unauthorized charges. Then I called Discover and did the same. I found that PayPal was closed, which was frustrating. Fortunately, I managed to handle everything with Apple through their app but still called them to ensure all issues were resolved and marked as disputed.

Just to be safe, I loaded my shotgun and placed a flashlight in an accessible spot.

On Monday, I took the day off to run around and get my driver’s license replaced as well as a new debit card. I went to the bank to report my credit and debit cards and received a new debit card. It's surprisingly difficult to live without a debit card nowadays.

The DMV visit was shockingly quick, taking only about 20 minutes, and it cost me $22. Then I went to Costco, where I didn’t encounter any issues; however, I had to show a photo of my old license along with my temporary one. I can't help but hope that the people who used my card got some good stuff—essentially for free.

On Tuesday, I filled out the documents for a work replacement card and called PayPal to shut everything down and order a new card.

Now, I just have to wait for the replacement to arrive so I can update all my auto-pay information. Fun times ahead.

Write experiences: this Sunday, while bored, I drove down to the sportsman warehouse to pick up some 9mm ammo. After doing that I check out a Walther pdp. It was a nice fit in my hand real nice. Leaving the shop I went to my truck and emptied my pockets, which had the ammo in them. While doing this my wallet fell out.

Getting to the range I shot my new Sig p320. It has a nice trigger and is well-balanced in the hand. It is a little large for my hand, so I'll have to work on the grip. The sights didn't work for me. I need to get shooting glasses so I can see the site properly. Getting old sucks. So after I finished about 100 rounds I went and looked at reddot sights. I decided to buy and reached into my pocket for the wallet and, nothing. Oh shit. went and looked in my truck. using the Findit app on my phone I could see the wallet was in Federal Way not in Factoria, this is about 28 miles apart, where I was. Then I noticed all of these text messages of purchases at Walmart. Crap.

I spent the next half hour locking all my credit cards. I called Verity first to get the card replaced and have them remove the charges. Next up was the Discover card. Same thing. Paypal was closed. Go figure. I was able to do everything for Apple through the app. I still called Apple to make sure everything was shut down and marked as disputed.

Just in case, the shotgun was loaded and the flashlight was placed in an easy place.

On Monday I took the day off to run around and get my driver's license replaced and a new debit card. When to the bank and made sure the credit and debit card were reported and got a new debit card. It is hard to live without a debit card in this day in age. The DMW was only about a 20 min wait, shockingly fast, and cost me 22 dollars. Costco was next, this was not an issue but I had to show a photo of my old license and my temp license. I do hope the people who used my card got some good stuff, basically for free.

On Tuesday, I'm filling out the documents for a work replacement card and called Paypal and had everything shut down and a new card ordered.

Now I have to wait for the replacement to get here so I can fix all my auto-pay. Fun

This is not the beginning. Stars, do I wish it was. I would like this to be an attention-getting opening, followed by just the right amount of exposition. Some difficulty, some conflict, but not an egregious amount. Resolution. Denouement.

In short, I would love for my life to have a narrative structure. Blame it on all the books I insist on reading. Blame it on a fear of uncertainty. Blame it on a hunger for meaning. I want the time I think of as “wasted” to be “worth it.” (Worth what, though?)

I would like to believe this could be a beginning. Isn't it intoxicating to think everything could be different, after this? I gobble up stories, both fiction and true, about folks realizing their path. The stories that have been sticking with me lately, though, are not a hero's tale where one overlooked youth discovers that the One Thing they happen to have a knack for is going to save the world. It's the stories about people switching things up, learning skills long after school. The novelist with a master's degree in zoology. The competitive cyclist turned actor.

These stories remind me that there's no single narrative arc, that there's no one true path through the woods. I'm not on Earth to traverse the metaphorical woods, but to live in them. Maybe it's just my recent entry to middle age, but I'm slowly internalizing that everything is basically all middle.

Time is a spiral or a cycle, where pinpointing a start is nearly impossible. Any one place is as good as another. Had I started writing 5 years ago, or 10 years ago, would life be better? Maybe. Also maybe worse. Likely both, in different ways. Humans are story-tellers, have been for millennia. We make meaning. We create the structure. I think that's why I'm drawn to this medium of words. I want to create some structure to the chaos that is life.

I could make this a beginning. I could massage the memoir of my life to create Grand Meaning and make it a Fresh Start. I don't think that serves me, though. I prefer to remember that beginnings are everywhere, all the time. So commonplace as to be completely overlooked. Every point in the cycle is both new and old, fresh for this one moment, replicating the pattern of previous moments. Any moment could be The Moment, and no moment really is, except in hindsight. There's less pressure.

This isn't the beginning, and it's more possible for all that.

So this was a highly informative video. I know this is in a way, marketing for Magnaflow, but reserve your judgement until you watch the video. There's some interesting info in there with regards to airflow, as well as how offset designs can affect airflow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPeDvQHkNdY

So the size of the muffler doesn't affect airflow as long as it is a true straight pipe design. As soon as you introduce some bends into the flow, like on mufflers with offset inlet/outlet designs, you lose a bit of airflow compared to a straight pipe design.

Another interesting bit of info is that chambered resonators, which introduce obstacles for the air to flow around, flow less air than a straight through design.

Okay, I see where Magnaflow is poking at Flowmaster here, because Flowmaster typically uses chambered resonators. But again this doubles as a marketing video for Magnaflow, so take that with a grain of salt. For all we know, Flowmaster has figured out a way to make the air flow just as well using chambered resonator designs. But my basic knowledge in physics bear out the idea that, a straight through/pipe design will flow more air than one where the air has to go around obstacles.

Anyway, where was I? Ah, typically, OEMs will use chambered resonator designs. Great for reduction in exhaust volume, but not so much for performance. If you're driving a car with a turbocharged engine, you want straight through mufflers to get the best performance out of your turbo.

Knowing that, I now see why some aftermarket exhaust systems flow better and sound louder than other designs. It's all in the design of the mufflers, as well as how much bends there are in the exhaust system as a whole.

#Cars #CarExhaust #Magnaflow

J’ai découvert l’autrice et psychologue Carol Gilligan dans un épisode récent du podcast Folie douce de Lauren Bastide. Elle y parlait notamment de son best-seller In a Different Voice, publié en 1982 et qui a semble-t-il révolutionné la psychologie féministe, et de son dernier livre In a Human Voice, publié en 2023 et qui revient plus de quarante ans après sur le sujet de son premier succès.

Carol Gilligan's landmark book In a Different Voice – the “little book that started a revolution” – brought women's voices to the fore in work on the self and moral development, enabling women to be heard in their own right, and with their own integrity, for the first time.

Forty years later, Gilligan returns to the subject matter of her classic book, re-examining its central arguments and concerns from the vantage point of the present. Thanks to the work that she and others have done in recent decades, it is now possible to clarify and articulate what couldn't quite be seen or said at the time of the original publication: that the “different voice” (of care ethics), although initially heard as a “feminine” voice, is in fact a human voice; that the voice it differs from is a patriarchal voice (bound to gender binaries and hierarchies); and that where patriarchy is in force or enforced, the human voice is a voice of resistance, and care ethics is an ethics of liberation. While gender is central to the story Gilligan tells, this is not a story about gender: it is a human story.

With this clarification, it becomes evident why In a Different Voice continues to resonate strongly with people's experience and, perhaps more crucially, why the different voice is a voice for the 21st century.

L’entretien que Carol Gilligan avait accordé à Lauren Bastide m’avait donné envie de lire à la fois In a Different Voice, son succès de 1982, et In a Human Voice, le livre qui en est le prolongement quatre décennies plus tard. J’ai évidemment commencé par le plus ancien, mais j’ai eu beaucoup de mal avec ce livre. Le texte était peut-être trop pointu pour moi, le style trop aride, j’en ai en tout cas abandonné la lecture après quelques chapitres.

Cependant, comme le sujet m’intéressait et que j’avais senti dans le podcast de Laurent Bastide que l’autrice avait des choses vraiment intéressantes à dire, j’ai voulu insister et je me suis plongé dans In a Human Voice. Je ne le regrette pas, car c’est un livre passionnant, voire bouleversant, sur la souffrance psychique que subissent les filles puis les femmes, mais aussi les garçons puis les hommes, dans le système patriarcal.

J’ai apprécié que l’autrice fasse une sorte d’auto-critique ou en tout cas de relecture critique de son premier livre, en tenant compte des remarques que celui-ci a suscité depuis sa sortie. Il y a notamment cet extrait qui reconnait les limites du premier livre et le complète parfaitement :

From the vantage point of the present, then, it has become possible for me to clarify and articulate what couldn’t quite be seen or said at the time when my work was first published: that the “different voice” (the voice of care ethics), although initially heard as a “feminine” voice, is in fact a human voice, that the voice it differs from is a patriarchal voice (listen for the tell-tale gender binaries and hierarchies), and that where patriarchy is in force and enforced, the human voice is a voice of resistance, and care ethics is an ethics of liberation. With this theoretical clarification, it becomes evident why In a Different Voice continues to resonate strongly with people’s experience and, perhaps more crucially, why the different voice is a voice for the twenty-first century.

En tant qu’homme, j’ai également été touché quand l’autrice aborde la question de l’éducation des garçons et de leur « initiation » au patriarcat :

By undercutting human relational capabilities, the initiation into patriarchy compromises children’s ability to survive and to thrive. It also lays the ground for all forms of oppression, whether on the basis of race, class, caste, sexuality, religion, or what have you. This is because children’s internalization of gender codes, which require them to dissociate themselves from aspects of their humanity, clouds their ability to perceive and to resist injustice.

By following a group of 4- and 5-year-olds as they move from prekindergarten through kindergarten and into first grade, Chu saw children who had been attentive, articulate, authentic, and direct in their relationships with one another and with her gradually becoming more inarticulate, more inattentive, more inauthentic, and indirect with one another and with her. They were becoming “boys,” or how boys are often said to be. But, as Chu cautions, boys know more than they show. Chu was tracking a process of initiation whereby children, in their desire to establish themselves as boys, were putting on a cloak of masculinity. They were disguising themselves by shielding those aspects of themselves that would lead them to be seen as not masculine (meaning feminine) or as like a woman (girly or gay), in a world where being a man means being superior.

A picture was settling into place of an initiation that begins with young boys, roughly between the ages of 4 and 7, continues with girls when they reach adolescence (roughly between 11 and 14), and then replays with boys in the late years of high school, when, in the words of one of the boys in Way’s studies, they “know how to be more of a man.” An initiation that mandates dissociation and compromises children’s relational capacities – an initiation that leaves a psychological scar.

The initiation begins with boys. In When Boys Become Boys – the first panel of the triptych – Judy Chu records what she came to know by listening to 4- and 5-year-old boys. She saw evidence of boys’ resistance to becoming a “boy” in their strategic concealment of their empathy and desire for closeness. Chu observes that the very relational capacities boys learn to shield in becoming a “boy,” the empathy and emotional sensitivity that enable them to read the human world around them so accurately and so astutely, are essential if they are to realize the closeness they now seek with other boys. Yet in blunting or concealing these capacities in order to establish themselves as one of the boys, they render that closeness unattainable.

Thomas Paine and Modern Activism

Thomas Paine, the fiery revolutionary writer and philosopher of the 18th century, would likely cast a skeptical eye on modern activism. A staunch advocate for systemic upheaval and the rights of the common man, Paine would question whether today’s activism truly serves the causes of liberty, equality, and justice or whether it has been co-opted by the very systems it purports to challenge. While he might admire the passion and energy of many activists, Paine would demand a deeper examination of whether their actions lead to genuine change or merely perpetuate the status quo. Paine’s writings, particularly Common Sense and The Rights of Man, reflect a profound disdain for superficial gestures that mask systemic injustice. He championed dissent as a moral obligation, urging people to confront entrenched power structures head-on rather than merely seeking incremental reforms. In this context, Paine might view much of modern activism as performative—focused on optics, fundraising, and symbolic victories that fail to address root causes. As Paine himself wrote, “Time makes more converts than reason,” suggesting that enduring systemic change requires persistence and principle rather than fleeting gestures.

For example, the commodification of activism through merchandise and social media campaigns might strike Paine as a betrayal of the revolutionary spirit. He would likely see these efforts as distractions, reducing dissent to consumerism and branding. Paine’s work was never about making people feel good or earning social capital; it was about challenging the foundations of tyranny and inspiring action to dismantle it entirely. “We have it in our power to begin the world over again,” Paine declared, emphasizing the transformative potential of genuine revolution over superficial reform. Modern activism, in contrast, often operates within the bounds of the very systems it seeks to critique, reinforcing their legitimacy rather than questioning their existence.

Paine would be particularly wary of the ways in which activism has been absorbed into the mechanisms of elite control. Many activist organizations rely on funding from corporations, governments, and wealthy donors, creating an inherent conflict of interest. This reliance can lead to compromises that align activism with elite interests rather than the needs of the marginalized. Paine’s disdain for monarchy and aristocracy extended to any system that concentrated power and wealth at the expense of the common people. “The strength and power of despotism consists wholly in the fear of resistance,” he wrote, and he would likely see modern activism’s dependence on elite sponsorship as a dilution of its revolutionary potential.

In The Rights of Man, Paine wrote: “It is the duty of every man, as far as his ability extends, to detect and expose delusion and error.” Applying this principle, he would call out the ways in which activism is often used to pacify dissent rather than ignite it. Symbolic gestures and performative actions provide an outlet for frustration without threatening the structural inequities that perpetuate injustice. Paine would argue that true dissent cannot coexist comfortably with systems of power; it must disrupt, challenge, and ultimately dismantle them.

Paine’s vision of revolution was inherently collective. He believed in the power of ordinary people to come together and demand change. Modern activism, however, is often fragmented and individualistic, with movements divided along lines of identity or single-issue campaigns. While Paine would acknowledge the importance of addressing specific injustices, he would lament the lack of unity in confronting broader systemic issues. As he wrote, “When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary.” The fragmentation of activism undermines its ability to create the unified effort necessary for systemic change.

Moreover, the professionalization of activism—with career activists and organizations prioritizing sustainability over systemic change—might appear to Paine as a betrayal of the revolutionary ideal. He would likely argue that genuine dissent cannot be a career but must be a shared responsibility driven by principles rather than profit.

For Paine, dissent was not an event or a campaign; it was a way of life. He believed in the transformative power of ideas and the need for relentless questioning of authority. Modern activism’s focus on short-term visibility and fundraising would likely strike him as insufficient. In Paine’s view, true revolution requires not just challenging the symbols of oppression but dismantling the systems that create and sustain them. As he famously stated, “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” Genuine dissent requires resilience, sacrifice, and a long-term vision.

Paine’s writings emphasize the need for courage in the face of overwhelming odds and the importance of principle over popularity. He would likely urge modern activists to move beyond performative actions and symbolic victories, instead embracing the uncomfortable and often dangerous work of systemic dissent. This would mean rejecting the co-option of movements by elites, resisting the commodification of resistance, and fostering a collective spirit that prioritizes long-term, transformative change over immediate gratification.

Thomas Paine, a relentless advocate for revolutionary change, would view modern activism with both admiration for its passion and frustration with its limitations. He would challenge activists to look beyond the surface, rejecting performative gestures and elite co-option in favor of true dissent. For Paine, the goal was never to operate within the bounds of an unjust system but to dismantle it entirely and rebuild something better. His legacy serves as a reminder that genuine change requires more than activism; it demands the courage to dissent, disrupt, and dream of a new world.