I don't actually know the answer to your question, but my first instinct would be that the whole tone scale lacks a sense of tension and release. Since the interval between notes is always the same, there's no inherent sense of a tonic note which other notes gravitate towards, so all the notes just kind of float around in space—great for making certain kinds of ethereal, atmospheric, or unnerving music, for instance, or for temporarily adding a different color to a piece, but not ideal for creating more typical music. Also, if you try to build a triad on the whole tone scale you end up with an augmented chord, which is pretty jarring on account of the dissonant tritone interval between the first and third notes. As for why the tritone sounds dissonant, I believe it has to do with having a complex ratio (by ratio I mean the ratio of the frequency of the higher note to the lower note).
Great video with solid analysis I'd say—as usual, {el problema es el capitalismo|the problem is capitalism}
—and I think he does a good job of weaving that in with the literary analysis. Perhaps the historical literary analysis section drags on a bit, but as far as video essays go it's not a major offense. Also, the paper he mentions, Ambient Literature and the Aesthetics of Calm: Mood Regulation in Contemporary Japanese Fiction, is on Anna's Archive (haven't had a chance to read it yet).
I can actually think of a rational purpose for Newell specifically, although it doesn't remotely justify the extravagance of his yacht. From what we know, he seems to be COVID-conscious:
Newell had previously requested a remote deposition, saying "that he is at risk of developing a serious illness were he to contract Covid-19," according to the filing, and thus "has structured his life to minimize exposure to possible Covid-19 transmission. According to Mr. Newell, an in-person deposition, even with the health measures which plaintiffs propose, is not consistent with those safeguards."
He has indeed taken steps to avoid exposure to the pandemic: Newell famously spent a good chunk of time through 2020-21 in New Zealand as a "Covid refugee." The court rejected his argument, however, saying that while Covid-19 presents "continued public health risks," Newell failed to present any substantial evidence that he's at greater risk of serious illness arising from Covid-19 than the general public—and even if he had, Wolfire's lawyers "would be unduly prejudiced by a remote deposition given Mr. Newell's unique knowledge as to defendant's business strategies."
To accommodate Newell's concerns, the court ordered that everyone in the courtroom must wear an N95 or compatible mask during his appearance, although Newell himself will have to remove his mask when answering questions.
Speaking from personal experience, one of the greatest obstacles to creating a COVID-safe bubble is trust. The only person I trust to fastidiously take precautions is, mercifully, also my roommate. But I've heard so many horror stories of people infected by family and "friends" who lied about precautions and/or test results. From the perspective of a billionaire who has close contact with a bunch of staff (cleaning, cooking, administrative, etc.), there's just no way that you can trust (or legally enforce) that people are taking precautions when they go home at the end of the day. But what if they didn't go home? And what if you could ensure this, beyond a shadow of a doubt? Therein lies the appeal of living on a yacht. You do one set of PCR tests when the crew boards, and then you can relax as long as you're at sea.
To be clear, I am in no way defending the purchase of such a grotesquely expensive yacht. He's apparently involved in some research on technology for instant detection of airborne pathogens, but detection is sort of beside the point at this stage...for the rest of use who DON'T live on megayachts, we need to clean the air. He could, for example, equip all King County (Seattle) public schools with top-of-the-line ventilation and filtration systems, or set up a matching grant system to fund programs like that across the country, fund (and perhaps more importantly, publicize) research to show how these measures drastically reduce disease burden and improve student outcomes. He could use his wealth and influence to campaign for laws to require monitoring of air quality and enforcement of indoor air quality standards. But no, he's content to use his massive wealth to insulate him, individually, from the consequences of the COVID pandemic, and let the rest of us fend for ourselves. I can at least understand it (unlike billionaires crashing out on Twitter, which truly boggles the mind), but that doesn't make it defensive.
As for people not named Gabe Newell...some combination of dickwaving and horrifying criminal acts, I'd guess.
[Dan Mannarino:] But Trump came out—The president came out and said "I would like New York to succeed. I may even give him [Zohran Mamdani] a little money".[Curtis Sliwa:] You really believe that, Dan? You know they wanted Zohran Mamdani to be the poster child for the midterm elections. Don't believe the tricknology.
Today, when I literally leaped out of bed, as I am wont to do. But in general, I'd say I jump pretty often because it's fun! Definitely recommend skipping if you haven't in a while, it's damn near impossible to feel sad while skipping.
Something I used to do as a kid was routinely jump down entire flights of stairs and land sprawled out in comical slapstick fashion. Definitely don't trust myself these days not to sprain my ankle (or worse).
As pastors, we the bishops of the United States are bound to our people by ties of communion and compassion in Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status. We are troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools. We are grieved when we meet parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and when we try to console family members who have already been separated from their loved ones.
Despite obstacles and prejudices, generations of immigrants have made enormous contributions to the well-being of our nation. We as Catholic bishops love our country and pray for its peace and prosperity. For this very reason, we feel compelled now in this environment to raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity.
Catholic teaching exhorts nations to recognize the fundamental dignity of all persons, including immigrants. We bishops advocate for a meaningful reform of our nation's immigration laws and procedures. Human dignity and national security are not in conflict. Both are possible if people of good will work together.
We recognize that nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good. Without such processes, immigrants face the risk of trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Safe and legal pathways serve as an antidote to such risks.
The Church's teaching rests on the foundational concern for the human person, as created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). As pastors, we look to Sacred Scripture and the example of the Lord Himself, where we find the wisdom of God's compassion. The priority of the Lord, as the Prophets remind us, is for those who are most vulnerable: the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the stranger (Zechariah 7:10). In the Lord Jesus, we see the One who became poor for our sake (2 Corinthians 8:9), we see the Good Samaritan who lifts us from the dust (Luke 10:30–37), and we see the One who is found in the least of these (Matthew 25). The Church's concern for neighbor and our concern here for immigrants is a response to the Lord's command to love as He has loved us (John 13:34).
To our immigrant brothers and sisters, we stand with you in your suffering, since, when one member suffers, all suffer (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:26). You are not alone!
We note with gratitude that so many of our clergy, consecrated religious, and lay faithful already accompany and assist immigrants in meeting their basic human needs. We urge all people of good will to continue and expand such efforts.
We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people. We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement. We pray that the Lord may guide the leaders of our nation, and we are grateful for past and present opportunities to dialogue with public and elected officials. In this dialogue, we will continue to advocate for meaningful immigration reform.
As disciples of the Lord, we remainmen and women of hope,and hope does not disappoint! (cf. Romans 5:5)
May the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe enfold us all in her maternal and loving care and draw us ever closer to the heart of Christ
Like I said, I remember almost nothing about Inception...saw it in theaters once and never again. Here, I'll list it all out:
they're on a plane incepting some corporate dude using a briefcase thingy, probably to get a password or do corporate espionage or whatever. It's the guy who plays Scarecrow in Batman Begins, I think.
BWAAAAAAAAAN
Leo washes up on some surreal shore
Leo's daughter is important somehow. And/or wife? I think he's trying to find them? Or maybe he's just divorced as hell
the rotating hallway that was a practical effect
Leo's reality check top at the end omg is it still a dream???
oh also Joseph Gordon-Levitt's in this (he's in the hallway scene)
there's something about timing with the layers of inception, where time passes at different rates and they sync up using music or something so that they can influence the other layers at precise moments
genuinely do not remember the actual plot of the movie at all. I feel like it's a heist movie but I have no idea what they're stealing or who the characters are or what their motivations are or even how it turns out in the end
looks like LeFou (Gaston's sidekick from Beauty and the Beast)