Sita Sings the Blues has an interesting mix of ancient and modern views of masculinity, as the source text Ramyana was very heavy in its views of gender roles. Sita is a damsel in distress character without a real voice even, mirroring how Nina Paley felt about her relationship, and she depends on Rama for everything, being made to serve him as his wife. Rama is meant to be an extremely masculine figure, who follows his duties perfectly and deals with hardships flawlessly. By way of his isolation due to exile, it makes him similar to modern heroes such as Spider-Man who is known for working alone. Both are tragic heroes who have been delt bad hands in life, Rama , through his spiteful stepmother and exile, and Spider-Man through his "Parker luck." Their love interests are also used similarly. When Sita is kidnapped, it gives Rama a reason to dominate the king Ravana via combat, to show that he is more of a man. Spider-Man's most infamous love interest, Gwen Stacy is also the victim of kidnapping although for different reasons. In the Spider-Man's case, instead of him proving himself as more of a man than the Green Goblin, fails. It becomes a great shame for the hero for over five decades. Both Gwen Stacy and Sita are victims because of the men they love and are used as weak spots for them. The difference with Spider-Man, that shows change in modern perspective of masculinity is that he not seen as weak for his failures nor is he any less popular. In fact, Spider-Man who was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko who was created with the intention of not being a stereotypically masculine superhero is one of the most, if not the most, popular modern heroes. While Rama is valued for being perfect, Spider-Man is valued for being flawed and human.

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In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is perceived as a hero due to his hypermasculine features, even when he is tyrannical because physical strength is what was valued in men. One could argue that the ideal man in any society would be one that is considered a hero, and in our modern concessions the best heroes cannot just be strong but must also be kind. Two of the most "ideal" heroes, Captain America and Superman, are men who along with being built like bodybuilders are also kind first and foremost, they stan for hope. This is how our modern conception has changed. Gilgamesh's tyranny is not seen as a good thing in the story, it is about he can change despite seemingly having everything. The difference is that many modern heroes start good. Still, other elements besides the strength stay the same, for example, these heroes also must have some kind of enhancement like Gilgamesh did. He was made by a goddess to be perfect just like Steve Rogers was made to be perfect by the super soldier serum, and Clark Kent was made to be superpowered by the sun.

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This piece, a drinking vessel in the shape of a fist, is a clear example of how masculinity was viewed in the ancient near east. It is sculped in a way that shows extraordinary physical strength with rough, detailed knuckles, insinuating to violence. The size of the hand further captures the masculine figure. The imagine on the cuff of the hand depicts the "Great King Tudhaliya" as he pours a ritual liquid in front of an alter for the storm god, with five of his followers witnessing, some of whom are playing instruments. Since the carving represents a king, the strength shown is now from a common man who gained his physique through physical labor but a trained noble or king who's strength would be used for battle and power rather than agriculture. It shows what these societies expected from their leaders -- from them to be hypermasculine powerful men who help strength for violence and defense. This also compares to our current expectations for leaders, it's traditionally standard for a man to be head of a household and for men to practice sternness, be athletic, and to control in some way. Men, historically, held almost every position of power within the US government and abled bodied people are valued more than than those with disabilities.

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The Persians differs from stories such as The Epic of Gilgamesh and Ramayana by the power that women in the story hold as well as how it critics the actions of Xerxes. Atossa is not a hopeless damsel in distress who watches her son through himself at death to avenge his father, she goes to the elders to use her political power to make her son pull back from Athens.

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Here, instead of Darius being represented sternly, he tries to be empathetic to his son's plight in Atossa's dream. This shows Darius having not only strength but intelligence, adding to what is seen as masculine. Aeschylus, living in Athens -- a hub of intellect -- respected Darius for having this trait despite their homes being sworn enemies. Treating Darius like a hero creates a dynamic character we still see in modern heroes. While Superman is revered for his strength and character, others like Batman and Mister Fantastic are admired for their intelligence. Masculinity being associated with intelligence is not a new concept either -- men are not expected to be mindless oafs -- schools were opened only for men for most of history with women being barred off from the life of a scholar. Aeschylus' unique perspective as an Athenian would value educated and competent minds.

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Xerxes is insulted for his violence rather than praised at they are actions taken without proper thought. Unlike Gilgamesh who is praised for his strength no matter how said strength is being used, showing the differences in a man's role -- particularly a ruling man. In ancient Persia it was more valued to rule with compassion rather than fear and the eradication of your enemies, Xerxes goes against this.

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Draupadi's representation of masculinity continues with physical strength, with violence through display of competent weapon use. Their violence is used to win over women, as if their objects, just as it's used to win wars. Violence ties in to how men have been expected to be superior, to be demanding as violence is used to protect that power. With the modern superhero, weapons are often numerous, although, with modern standards of the hero those with lethal weapons are regarded as anti-heroes. The heroes of the modern age have morals against killing, compassion now being valued along with strength. Even with superheroes who maintain a dark demeanor, stoic and emotionless, such as Daredevil and Batman can maintain non-lethality making them dynamic characters in the eyes of masculinity. Despite their masculinity, they do not kill, they care for others. and they give hope while also being powerful both in status and physical strength.

Women, nonparticipants in masculinity, are just as important to the modern hero as they were to the ancient, and often in the same manner. They are used as motivation for the masculine protagonist, just as Draupadi is used here to make the Five Pandavas show off their masculinity. Daredevil has had a plethora of love interests, but they differ from this damsel in distress stereotype as they are all women with enough power to protect themselves. Karen Page is a journalist who often takes on controversial stories that land her in trouble and Elektra Natchios went through the same combat training as the man himself as well as having more social status and wealth than him. This has in no way been the standard for modern hero's love interests but it certainly shows a change in how women are viewed. One of the most famous examples of how woman can be used to boaster the performance of heroic men is in Green Lantern #54 (1994) where the hero protagonist find his love interest, Alexandra DeWitt, murdered and stuffed in a fridge. This plotline is used simply for the hero to be called into action against the villain who committed such a heinous act. From this came the term "women in refrigerators", a phenomenon where women are disproportionately made to be the victims of violence in media, often for the sake of giving the male protagonist as call to action.

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Wikipedia contributors. "Women in refrigerators." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 28 Mar. 2026. Web. 4 May. 2026.

One of the most important parts to Sita's story in the Ramayana is that Sita is kidnapped by Ravana and when Rama rescues her she must prove herself to still be pure via trial of fire. It's insinuated that Ravana has raped Sita and now she is sexually sullied. Despite the nonconsensual nature Rama still accuses Sita of being dirty, refusing to comfort her after a traumatic event. With the modern hero, this idea is not completely discarded. Jessica Jones, one of the more prominent woman heroes of modern comics, has a similar traumatic history to Sita. She was kidnapped under mind control and forced to do sexual as well as violent acts for a man named Zebediah Killgrave or Purple Man due to his purple skin. In the 2019 comic. Jessica Jones: Purple Daughter by Kelley Thompson, Jones is accused of cheating on her husband, Luke Cage, when their daughter's skin turns purple. Despite Jones' trauma, Cage fails to support her in the ways that she needs from her partner just as Rama had failed Sita. Cage does eventually come to be a supporting figure, more so scared for his family than forcing his wife to walk through fire. Still, the theme of women being victim blamed for assault persists with the modern hero, speaking to a larger societal issue of how women are treated and how toxic forms of masculinity can influence ones actions.

Matter, Brittany. “‘Jessica Jones: Purple Daughter’: The Creators on How Jessica’s Past Continues to Haunt Her.” Marvel, Marvel Entertainment, 25 Jan. 2019, www.marvel.com/articles/comics/jessica-jones-purple-daughter-the-creators-on-how-jessica-s-past-continues-to-haunt-her.

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The Point of a College Education by [[C-SPAN]]

Orson Welles quote about so many of him and so few of you at a lecture to 3-4 people in a snow storm.

statistics about the drops in humanities (~42:00)

consumerist spirit in higher education (45:00)

student evaluations (47:00)

education is a buyer's market now instead of a seller's as it had been in past generations

grade inflation

consumerism with respect to feminism and women's studies, gay and lesbian studies, multiculturalism in higher education

radical education as "going to the root"

in short, "let us entertain you" as consumerist education

"The job o education is never finished."

The hidden point of a University of Chicago education: Be an artist, be a scientist, be a statesman, be a teacher of artists, scientists, or statesmen.

this is problematic even if you ignore the obvious hurdle of having to wear overheavy ski goggles.

What to Know About the Assassination Attempt on Trump by [[Michael Levenson]]

Apple supposedly slashed production for their 3k5 USD ski goggles, a sign they may soon be joining the long list at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_virtual_reality_headsets of attempts that all don't solve the key thing: adding 1kg of ski goggles to your head and shove it between yourself and the world is only acceptable in a very limited set of contexts and uses, and not a mainstream thing.

• 1:23:20 Vision Pro as infinite Canvas
• Mac from personal computing, mobile computing, to spatial computing
• omg, it changes environment (contribution to flow, inducing novelty?)
• new os (VisionOS)

https://web.archive.org/web/20230612100056/https://stratechery.com/2023/apple-vision/

Via [[Boris Mann]] https://blog.bmannconsulting.com/2023/06/10/ben-thompsons-stratechery.html

Ben Thompson on Apple Vision. esp better explains the tech involved. Also seems to address my own reservations on the potential of VR and VR headsets. read/explore

• = Maurice Benayoun
• describes his extensive history of cognitive science infused art installations:
• cognitive art,
• VR art,
• AR art and
• art infused by AI (long before the AI artbots became trendy)

• title = What can cognitive science bring to art and museums?

• Comment = Maurice Benayoun has applied cognitive science, VR and AR too many at installations throughout his life.

This is an interesting point

Augmented Reality can break down communication barriers – and help us better understand each other by making language visible. Google shows a preview of AR glasses yesterday that can translate speech in real-time. Although it's only a concept at the moment, the promise is incredible and underlines how #augmentedreality will increasingly & positively impact our daily lives.

Such an effort will require a supporting worldwide digital ecosystem. In the recent past, major evolutionary transitions (MET) (Robin et al, 2021) of our species have been triggered by radical new information systems such as spoken language, and then inscribed language. Something akin to a Major Competitive Transitions (MCT) may be required to accompany a radical transition to a good anthropocene. (See annotation: https://hyp.is/go?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.frontiersin.org%2Farticles%2F10.3389%2Ffevo.2021.711556%2Ffull&group=world)

If large data is ingested into a public Indyweb, because Indyweb is naturally a graph database, a salience landscape can be constructed of the hyperthreat and data visualized in its multiple dimensions and scales.

Metaphorically, it can manifest as a hydra with multiple tentacles reach out to multiple scales and dimensions. VR and AR technology can be used to expose the hyperobject and its progression.

The proper hyperthreat is not climate change alone, although that is the most time sensitive dimension of it, but rather the totality of all blowbacks of human progress...the aggregate of all progress traps that have been allowed to grow, through a myopic prioritization of profit over global wellbeing due to the invisibility of the hyperobject, from molehills into mountains.

„Spatial Web“

360° AR platform

The ARIA Network to offer augmented reality (AR) advertising inventory

Brief summary of what AR Intervention and AR Induction means.

Koski是英国皇家艺术学院（RCA）毕业生瓦茨拉夫·姆林纳（Václav Mlynář）的毕业作品。

Koski是一款棋盘游戏，组成部件包括几块类似层层叠（Jenga）的积木和一些与Tiddlywinks游戏中一模一样的塑料弹片。但这些组件包含了两个秘密。首先，它们是有磁性的，所以积木块可以叠起来，也可以像树木一样分支出去，塑料片则可以贴到任何表面上作为装饰；其次，这些塑料片由iPad追踪，后者可利用增强现实为场景添加一个小蓝人和诸多障碍，比如树木和瀑布等等。

英国公司 Reach Robotics 研发了一款基于 AR 的游戏对战机器人 MekaMon，用户只需要一部手机或平板电脑即可来一场机器人决斗赛。通过手机或平板电脑的屏幕，可以看到一个基于现实场景虚拟出的战场，你操控的机器人能在其中移动、发射炮弹以及激光枪与敌人战斗。

Reach Robotics 还为 MekaMon 的游戏设计了宏大的故事背景——MekaMon Universe，让玩家操控蜘蛛去解救外星人肆虐的未来世界。

除了单人 AR 对战游戏，MekaMon 还有多玩家对战和街机模式，只是多人模式不支持 AR，需要连接 Wi-Fi，完全依靠机器蜘蛛的硬件实力、玩家的策略和操作取胜；街机模式顾名思义，就是可以随时随地和小伙伴开战，而且还不需要连网。

另外，就如同各种打怪就能升级的网游，单人模式中的 MekaMon 在游戏中获得的虚拟物品同样可以使机器人解锁新技能。

不仅如此，MekaMon 采用了模块化设计，玩家能更换腿部等身体部位，还可以额外增加武器或是盾牌来升级机器人。

Management of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis in Latin America: A Consensus Position Paper From P

Gender Differences in Latin-American Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Current therapies in rheumatoid arthritis: A Latin American perspective

Challenges and opportunities for diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis in Latin America: the importance of an early diagnosis

Rheumatoid arthritis in Latin America: the importance of an early diagnosis

Burden of illness of rheumatoid arthritis in Latin America: a regional perspective

Rheumatoid arthritis in Latin America: challenges and solutions to improve its diagnosis and treatment training for medical professionals

Rheumatoid arthritis in Latin America. Important challenges to be solved

Rheumatoid arthritis in the indigenous qom population of Rosario, Argentina: aggressive and disabling disease with inadequate adherence to treatment in a community-ba

Epidemiology and socioeconomic impact of the rheumatic diseases on indigenous

In 2019, we are seeing more movies and television shows that use AR.

IoT Technology Trends, Future Scope and Challenges in 2019

Has anyone seen any new uses of AR on iphone that are interesting/useful/fun?

Also Augmented Reality!

A reality caucus. i love it!

Augmented Reality on your phone.

Sounds an awful lot like Google Glass to me...

Installation on Windows needs OpenCV (http://opencv.org) > 2.4.9 and freeglut (http://www.transmissionzero.co.uk/software/freeglut-devel/) (although in theory is only needed if you need OpenGL).