A Headful Of Mountain Flowers
A Headful of Mountain Flowers
A Headful of Mountain Flowers
The most boorish and mercenary character in Hong Kong drama War and Beauty is also its greatest romantic. Eager to leave poverty behind and make a name for himself in the dog-eat-cat world of 19th-century Qing China, delivery agent Kong Wu has no qualms leaving a group of defenseless girls to the mercy of ruthless thugs so that he can complete his job. Yet when he discovers a silk handkerchief…
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The Bedtime Cosmos Gossiper
An AI Thriller-Comedy Collaboration between Bard and Hugging Face, with some interference from a biological entity.
To capitalize on the hype surrounding an escalating space race, social media lords in an alternate timeline decided to expand the range of their location tags to outer space, where commercial outposts and interplanetary tourism shuttles were starting to emerge. They were too happy to turn the science fiction novels they adored into reality, except that they had no idea, no idea at all, how much stranger than fiction reality was.
Jimena was just another kid pajamas influencer on video channels and Twitter until one fateful day, she received a mysterious direct message from none other than the Sun itself! The tag of the account confirmed its location, where no conceivable organism could possibly stay. Little did Jimena know that the Sun was sentient and had been using social media as a secret platform for celestial bodies to share their private interests, thoughts and lives with each other.
Was it a technical error or a prank? Could it be passed off as one? Nobody was taking chances. The message from the Sun contained some juicy celestial secrets - but before Jimena could even process what she had read, she started getting messages from all sorts of astronomical entities demanding she delete her knowledge of their dirty laundry. But Jimena wasn't going down without a fight; she knew that this was the biggest opportunity for her career and refused to back down.
As she began designing pajamas videos hinting at the gossip-worthy content, she quickly became a target for all sorts of interstellar enemies - including asteroid belts, black holes, supernovae, and even a vengeful solar wind. With the entire cosmos against her, Jimena realized she would have to rely on her quick wit and sharp tongue if she wanted to survive long enough to see her big breakthrough.
Despite the odds stacked against her, Jimena managed to outsmart the forces aligned against her by tapping into a vast collection of memes, GIFs, and viral content. For a start, she created and showed to the belts, for the purpose of deterrence, memes comparing different asteroid belts, which could turn them into fashion trends among teenagers. When those teens grew up, they might become billionaire investors on asteroid mining companies, resulting in the destruction of the belts due to over exploitation. Jimena also pulled out algorithms pushing endless recommendations of video shorts of clumsy comets and astronauts that were so funny and entertaining that they became all-sucking black holes to the black holes, who could not resist looking at them. While they were hooked, she of course escaped their gravitational pull. To generate even more distraction, she spammed the internet highway with space probe-facilitated, 24/7 livestreams of her interstellar enemies' celestial crushes. The physically restless supernovae might be harder to subdue but our girl proved there was nothing a series of rainbow flash selfie challenges could not solve.
Ready?
Get set.
Smileyous smileyosion!
Her followers went wild as they watched her take down asteroid belts, fend off black holes and more, all while wearing her signature footie pajamas.
Enraged at the incompetency of its fad-chasing allies, the solar wind finally took action. It began to send an unprecedentedly tremendous explosion of energy toward Jimena, overwhelming Earth's magnetosphere and nearly causing her to be vaporized. She knew she had to do something, but what? Suddenly, Jimena had an idea. She reached into her pocket, opened up Twitter again and started typing.
"Attention, solar wind!" she DMed. "My stories about you were just beginning. I'm a genius at reading between the lines and projecting story developments. So I know your other secrets. I know about the time you accidentally blew up a planet. I know about the time you had an even more torrid affair with a black hole. And I know about the time you got drunk and crashed into a star. If you don't back off, I'm going to go live and tell everyone."
And so even the solar wind stopped in its tracks. Sometimes, the best way to fight back is with humor and truth, she chuckled carelessly to herself.
Jimena emerged victorious and started to return to making pajamas videos. But the eerie ease with which she returned to her original work, free of any more cosmic interference, also started to feel wrong. Why were her many gigantic and mega-powerful enemies so readily intimidated and distracted? She reflected on the private message she first came across and the content she eventually made or promoted in self-defense. Those interstellar entities led long but also lonely lives, barely able to have peaceful physical contact with anyone. Was it really right to prey on their secrets? Maybe, she thought, there might be a better use of her talents than spreading gossip and creating controversy.
Jimena decided to reach out to the celestial bodies she had gossiped about and apologized for her actions. The celestial bodies were surprised and grateful for Jimena's apology. They told her that they had been isolated for a long time yet fearful of revealing their sentience to the fast-learning earthlings and that they were glad to have someone to talk to. Jimena and the celestial bodies became friends, and they often talked to each other about their lives. By and by, Jimena learned a lot about the universe, and she came to appreciate the beauty of the cosmos. This beauty should be woven into her craft, not through the superficially science-imitating kitsch flooding the market, but through actions which kindness the beauty evokes feelings of.
With renewed determination, she pressed record on her camera and spoke directly to her audience. “You guys,” she said softly, “I hope this will be the start of our journey together towards a brighter future.” A smile brightened her face as she signed off, ready to embark on this new chapter in her digital legacy.
As for her fans? Many left disappointed that she was not stirring up drama anymore. Some stayed, drawn to her updated style and approachable personality. Others found fresh voices online better suited to their interests, or simply moved on to newer forms of digital escapism. But no matter what the outcome, Jimena remained resolute in her mission to better herself and the world, one post at a time.
Inspired by her example, countless young individuals followed suit, focusing on artistry rather than angst, building connections versus clickbait.
One day, years later, Jimena stepped backstage following a successful speech discussing digital ethics. Approached by a younger creator sharing similar ideals, she hugged the girl warmly, memories flooding back to her. “Remember, little sister,” she whispered, choking back tears of pride mixed with gratitude, “the whole universe is silently crying out for niceness.”
Space images embedded with the permission of NASA and ESA under their standard conditions. Sources (from top to bottom): NASA, NASA, ESA.
When Mathematics Meets Politics in a Lunchbox
When Mathematics Meets Politics in a Lunchbox
Every time a grisly murder ordered by his father, King Taejong, takes place, King Sejong despondently buries himself in magic squares—n x n matrices in which each number from 1 to n2 appears just once and the sum of numbers in each row, column and main diagonal (a value known as “magic constant“) is identical. But the troubling news would not leave him alone in this introductory portion of Tree…
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Why do we study science? Well, since we can't study magic itself (it's invisible, very hard to detect), we choose to study the fields closest to magic: math, physics, biology, computer science, and so on.
New ask game:
Reblog if you want your followers to tell you what your trademark ™️ is. Like, what’s that thing that really identifies you.
The historical and literary reasons the lover in Love Between Fairy and Devil's fate poem is Master Xiao instead of Master Gu or Master Qin. Antireq: Severe dairy allergy. Powered by a US National Security Agency innovation. Have fun comparing answers with besties'.
A 5-Course Bard Meal to Transport Us Back to Love Between Fairy And Devil
The most precious servings for us Cloud Dream Lake inhabitants come right at the end.
Appetizer
Fairy wings. These are small, crispy chicken wings that are coated in a sweet and sour sauce. They are a delicious and playful appetizer that is perfect for a party.
Deviled eggs. These are hard-boiled eggs that are filled with a creamy and flavorful mixture of mayonnaise, mustard, and paprika. They are a classic appetizer that is perfect for any occasion.
Bamboo Shoots with Sesame Seeds. Bamboo shoots are a symbol of new beginnings, which is perfect for the story of Love Between Fairy and Devil, as it follows the journey of two characters who are from different worlds.
Caviar with blinis. Caviar is a luxurious food that is made from the eggs of sturgeon fish. It is often served with blinis, which are small pancakes. The rich and luxurious caviar is a perfect representation of the devil, while the light and fluffy blinis represent the fairy.
Soup
Tomato soup. Tomato soup is a classic American soup that is made with tomatoes, cream, and onions. It is a refreshing and light soup that is perfect for a summer meal. The bright red color of the soup is a symbol of love, while the creamy texture is a symbol of comfort.
Cream of mushroom soup. Cream of mushroom soup is a smooth and creamy soup that is made with mushrooms, cream, and white wine. It is a delicious and comforting soup that is perfect for a rainy day. The earthy flavor of the mushrooms is a symbol of the devil’s dark side, while the creamy texture is a symbol of the fairy’s gentle nature.
Salad
Caprese salad. Caprese salad is a simple but delicious salad that is made with fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and basil. It is a refreshing and light salad that is perfect for a summer meal. The bright colors of the salad represent the love between the fairy and the devil, while the simple ingredients represent the purity of their love.
Green bean salad with mandarin oranges and pomegranate seeds. Green beans are a symbol of growth and change, which are both themes that are explored in Love Between Fairy and Devil. The mandarin oranges and pomegranate seeds represent warm wishes.
Main Course
Dragon's Breath steak with roasted potatoes and asparagus. The climax of our long feast is a classic, hearty and flavorful main course made with grilled or pan-seared meat. The steak represents the strength and power of the devil, while the roasted potatoes and asparagus represent the beauty and grace of the fairy. The entire beautiful dish is served steamingly hot, evoking scenes of our epic romantic couple missing, bickering with and tending to each other in Water Cloud Sky.
Dessert
Chocolate lava cake with blueberries on the side. Chocolate lava cake is a decadent dessert that is made with a rich chocolate cake and a gooey chocolate center. It is a perfect dessert for a special occasion. The rich chocolate flavor of the cake represents the passion between the fairy and the devil, while the gooey chocolate center represents the sweetness of their love. The Homo sapiens curator tossed in the blueberries as a throwback to the water theme running across the three realms of the story universe.
The Mermaid Fairy's kiss. A light and airy dessert made with meringue, whipped cream, and fresh berries. The dessert is garnished with a sprinkling of fairy dust in the form of powdered sugar and symbolizes the pure fairy's healing of the devil. The mermaid kiss represents the fairy and the devil's forbidden love.
Now that we're well-fed by the finest of Big Tech's kitchen, with the supplement of some self-service expositions, it's time to ponder the question whether generative AI is a fairy or a devil. The job of an AI output curator entails 1) ensuring the algorithm perform its story research properly before coming up with recommendations, 2) guarding against culturally or otherwise biased suggestions, 3) resetting or otherwise isolating machine conversations to prevent previous queries and results from bleeding into the current result where such bleeding is unnecessary and 5) screening and researching results for inaccuracies.
Here is more sugar for thought:
How do we represent the fairy's latent magic and conflicted loyalties and the devil's dual nature and repentance? How can cuisine capture their dramatic sacrifices and gradual moving transformations?
To what depth can AI research the story in the first place? Wouldn't it be even cooler if Bard can know of iconic food scenes like the one (Spoiler alert!) featuring Fairy-in-Moon-Supreme-Body and the Moon Supreme himself pettily fighting over a kingly feast in Cangyan Sea?
The listed dishes are painstakingly curated from numerous queries and refined specifications. Experiment for yourself the extent of meal suggestion repetition across different dramas and meal occasions. How much is AI merely fitting your request into predefined answers? When it does this, how much of a unique being are you and is it sincerely answering your question? Some analogies: Santa Claus gifts you a factory uniform when you wish for your own special outfit; a salesperson touts to someone nostalgically looking for a vintage phone the smartphone model the store has stocked plenty of, adapting product virtues on the pitch template to the customer rather than adapting the product itself to the customer.
Which AI models are better at true creativity? Which merely reinforce conventional thinking?
The repetition of the kind-girl-powerful-guy motif, especially before human Cloud Dream Laker edits, is also concerning. Yet this is not a problem limited to machine learning or cuisine symbolism. Since symbols are all we more often than not end up with in media references and casual chats, however nuanced the original plot is, can we swap the genders in the next breakout fantasy series for much necessary balance? Reversed gender dynamics need to appear in higher frequencies across pop culture landscapes. A cackling demoness supreme and an innocent, non-aggressive male fairy nudging out her good side without preaching, s'il vous plaît.
Young-woo's tastefully assembled room provided the very first blueprint.
Ceramics Yoga, Anyone?
The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. (Ernest Hemingway)
There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in. (Leonard Cohen)
Luminescent Scars: As light pours into a cavernous space, participants in ballet tights practice their yoga poses within its ceramic-like, curved walls crisscrossed with fracture lines. Powdered gold, copper, brass, silver or platinum fill the lines. The instructor, in shimmering tights, is one of the bundles of rays that have descended to the weary and wounded. Shadows of other scar lines flit across participants’ bodies from time to time in acknowledgment of feelings all around, before transforming into waves of light. The above quotes reproduced by Critical Dance from program notes of Aurum, a ballet set in motion before such patterned backdrops, have told us the art form kintsugi’s ideal of embracing and growing more beautiful through broken parts. Ceramic surfaces portrayed across the sessions hail from a number of masterful or storied wares
:: Full concept ::
PSA from Blobby. Something we should talk about more ❤️
Familiar Question
Does one of the challenges from @overchers ring a bell?
An energy economy intubated, intercepted and interrogated by its multiverse escape game, TikTok-addicted black holes, go-getting cerebral vampires and healing rice ball spirits. Originally an extension of The Asian Drama Philosopher (A-Philosopher)’s Chair, a site examining literature, art and ideas featured in East Asian series.
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