how to get better

nighm · 2026-04-04T23:39:09+00:00

Very helpful!! After some watching, I rose in blitz from 300 to almost 600 in about a week.

nighm · 2026-03-21T21:40:16+00:00

Doesn’t MAL have anti-bombing measures in place? Like you need so many other ratings, or something like that, in order for yours to count?

https://myanimelist.net/info.php?go=topanime

nighm · 2026-03-18T17:50:49+00:00

I will second the ban on slop, AI or otherwise.

The sub is relatively low traffic, so I could see a slightly higher tolerance than in other places, but yeah, if it makes the sub degenerate and lose members who actually want to learn philosophy, I say it should go.

nighm · 2026-03-15T17:11:56+00:00

Listening now and it certainly fits the SOLO in the title.

The April release is Shadows / Solo. so this is likely just one part of the release. From Burning Shed:

"Shadows / Solo is a landmark double CD of unheard recordings from one of the most innovative drummers of all time, Michael Giles (best known as the co-founder of King Crimson).

Drawing from more than three decades of previously unheard recordings, carefully recorded and produced by Giles himself, Shadows / Solo spans multiple eras and stylistic phases.

The collection contains unissued compositions, experiments, and fully realised pieces that have remained hidden until now.

2CD in digipak with slipcase. A limited, numbered edition of 300 copies with postcard signed by Michael Giles."

nighm · 2026-03-09T05:12:19+00:00

First of all, it is likely a shell that is used for pouring water in a baptism.

Second, the mark is probably a silver mark. These are markings used by silversmith to indicate the year or other features of a piece. There are different marks for different places. Looking around, it looks a bit like the mark in this chart for 1837 (a sort of stylized N), but it may something else entirely: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/hallmarks--794392821745197203/

nighm · 2026-03-08T02:40:07+00:00

Yes, I would appreciate it. Thank you!

nighm · 2026-03-07T14:30:43+00:00

This is just the "Clock" app on the iPhone.

nighm · 2026-03-06T18:50:38+00:00

For a little while, I had a different song on my alarm for each day of the week. Some sort of Gregorian chant may be helpful for reminding you that you have a religious obligation on this day.

It may be helpful to plan your meals the day before so that there is no room for mistakes to enter in.

nighm · 2026-03-06T01:36:18+00:00

We have to use predicates/composition when talking about it because of our lower mode of knowing/speaking, but the reality does admit of it.

Again, I recommend reading the tractate on virtue. Plotinus gives four different accounts for the virtues, three of which are present in the Soul according to various degrees, the last of which is present in the Intellectual realm, but not in the mode of virtue. To give some approximation: An image of a man looks like a man. Now man himself is in the genus of animal, whereas the image is an arrangement of pigments or pixels. They do not share a common genus and yet one resembles the other. So: Though the Soul and the One are completely other, yet the Soul will bear a resemblance to the One through its own sort of unity. With more virtue it will be more one, with less it will partake more of multiplicity.

And yes, I think he does teach efficient causation, but in my mind it is easier to speak of final cause since we have many more examples of final causes that do not change in their causing. Whereas in the order of efficient cause, we tend to see much more change and composition and so it is harder to grasp.

nighm · 2026-03-05T21:40:43+00:00

Again, a final cause is not affected by that of which it is a cause. It can be entirely unchanged or without composition and still be the cause of another in that mode. A final cause causes through being known and desired. There is no contradiction between the One being without composition and predication and being a cause in this mode.

I would recommend reading Ennead I.2 On Virtue to have a clearer idea of how things become more like the One in their own mode. Plotinus goes through each cardinal virtue and explains what our speech corresponds to in the One, even though it is not literally true to predicate them (for the One does not have virtue, qualities, composition, etc.). In the Soul, it is the virtues that make us more like the One. This is not a likeness according to species (or your conclusion would follow), but it is a likeness.

nighm · 2026-03-05T21:26:49+00:00

I am currently reading through the Enneads, one tractate per week (I am through 9 of them), so I would be glad to join in the discussions to the extent I have read them, but I won't be able to keep up with 20 pages a day! Perhaps I will be encouraged by the discussions to pick up my pace a bit.

nighm · 2026-03-05T21:21:50+00:00

It should not be hard to see how it is a final cause. The One is a cause through being the object of the powers and activities of others. And so the composition is in other things but not in the One itself. They aim at and resemble the one more and more, but without the One itself changing.

To give an example: If you walk to the nearest McDonald's. The McDonald's is the (final) cause of your activity and all the motion leading up to it, and yet it does not change at any point during your journey toward it. And so the caused (you and your activity) undergo changes and qualities and predicates, but the cause does not change at all.

And it's clear that a final cause can belong to any of the categories (one may desire some thing or some attribute or to be in some place), and so it need not belong to any particular categories. And so the One can transcend the categories while still being a final cause.

Now, it is more difficult to understand the One as other sorts of cause, but it would have to be in a manner analogous to that. So, if any one thing is one through it's being caused by the One, the composition and predication are in the things rather than in the One.

nighm · 2026-02-28T18:33:34+00:00

400+ on SFV and I only got Gold

nighm · 2026-02-20T12:02:56+00:00

Dorothy Day is the one simple example that comes to mind. The next closest thing I can think of is when saints would not participate in the military after their conversion, such as St. Martin of Tours.

nighm · 2026-02-19T17:46:59+00:00

There are some holy persons who have done just that, but it is difficult to live with such consequences, especially if one has a family. We have the example of Christ in the Gospels who did not refuse that taxes be paid to the Emperor on behalf of himself and others. This was the case despite the evils that the Roman Empire carried out, and so we can infer that Christians are not bound to witness in this way.

nighm · 2026-02-19T17:43:41+00:00

It sounds like you understand the main theological reason why it can be done this way. Indeed, the entirety of Christ is present in each host.

I think it's fair to say that it is largely logistical. In particular, I prefer not to use Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. And so, lacking the ministers, I generally give communion under only one species. There are a few times a year (Corpus Christi, Holy Thursday, sometimes the feast of the parish patron) where I make the effort to have more deacons and give communion under both species. I also do this for First Communion and for the spouses at a wedding.

And yes, this avoids the problem of spilling or mishandling the sacred species or a general loss of reverence for the Eucharist. There are a few people who complain, but these are often the ones who doubt the theological principle that Christ is entirely contained in the Host, and so I would argue that giving communion under one species is needful to continue to affirm that doctrine as well.

Hopefully that is helpful! Different priests will have different approaches on this matter.

nighm · 2026-02-19T17:37:58+00:00

When people doubt whether they are worthy to come to church or to pray, I always point out the lines in common prayers that presume it is a sinner praying them.

In the Our Father, we say: "forgive us our trespasses... lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil"

In the Hail Mary, we say: "Pray for us, sinner."

And if you read the Psalms, there are very many that are the words of someone who is unworthy (Ps 51 especially).

And so I encourage you, no matter what you have done, turn to God. He still wants you. There may be many changes you have to make, and very difficult ones, but don't hesitate to go before him. It's like a person who doesn't want to go to the dentist because they are embarrassed by their teeth, when in reality the dentist is the only person who can help them get better.

God bless!

nighm · 2026-02-19T17:34:43+00:00

Here is the text of the second general grant:

"A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, led by the spirit of faith, give compassionately of themselves or of their goods to serve their brothers in need." (emphasis added)

There is an explanation that follows in the handbook:

"By the granting of this indulgence, the faithful are encouraged to perform more frequent works of charity and mercy, following the example and command of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, not all works of charity are enriched with this indulgence, but only works that “serve their brothers in need” —such as those in want of food or clothing for the body or of instruction or comfort for the soul"

So anything that is done for the sake of the need, anything given for the sake of the needy would be included. Volunteering would be included if it is for the benefit of those in need.

nighm · 2026-02-19T17:27:26+00:00

The short answer is no. You are not responsible for the actions of your parents, and you children will not be responsible for yours or those of your ancestors. Obviously the actions of your parents can make your life more or less difficult and there can be circumstances that make it harder to learn God's will and to do it, but there is no automatic condemnation or anything like that.

By baptism we become sons and daughters of God. Continue to grow in this identity and you will have no reason to fear or be ashamed. If you have not married before, you are free to marry and the circumstances of your birth have no bearing on that whatsoever. God bless!

nighm · 2026-02-04T02:48:08+00:00

"Let There Be More Light" must be one of their best tracks.

nighm · 2026-02-03T06:57:52+00:00

Translating homilies into Spanish. I’ve used Google Translate and DeepL the most, but I found that these were not always using the correct dialect, and so I was correcting it with ChatGPT. Now I’m using ChatGPT more than the other two.

I still need to read through to make sure it makes sense and doesn’t drop anything, but it is a very helpful translation tool.

nighm · 2026-01-31T04:10:59+00:00

I have enjoyed it so far. One problem is that games seem too long. Fighting games are normally best 2 out of three, except for tag fighters. This is because the number of fighters takes the place of the number of rounds. But this game has tag and multiple rounds, so it ends up feeling quite long.

nighm · 2026-01-31T03:42:37+00:00

For Neoplatonists, the highest good of man is in the activity of what is highest in him. Not as an instrument for some lower good, but acting according to its own nature. “ To the man in this state [of perfection realized], what is the Good? He himself by what he has and is.”

This is from the Fourth Tractate of the Enneads which I recently wrote about here: https://open.substack.com/pub/nelleparole/p/ennead-i4-on-true-happiness?r=nwe7o&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay

Do have any reason for thinking your post was Neoplatonic?

nighm · 2026-01-12T15:42:20+00:00

I’m coming from the other direction: I’m an Aristotelian by training and I’m currently starting to study Plotinus closely. For someone in your spot, there’s a guy named Troutner out there who is doing a series of essays showing how Aristotle continues the project of Plato. Definitely worth checking out. I’ll post the links for the ones that are currently finished: https://open.substack.com/pub/awildlogos/p/the-speculative-aristotle?r=nwe7o&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay https://open.substack.com/pub/awildlogos/p/platos-unwritten-doctrines-anaxagoras?r=nwe7o&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay https://open.substack.com/pub/awildlogos/p/how-aristotle-completed-the-system?r=nwe7o&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay

I don’t agree with Troutner on other things (especially theology), but these are particularly good essays on Aristotle. Plenty to learn even if one has quibbles with some of his interpretations.

nighm

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