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Itachi and Sasuke's bond drives me nuts. They truly are the embodiment of "they love was there but it wasn't enough." The way Sasuke does his best to deny the presence of the love to make sense of everything is so awful. He has to reject the idea of Itachi holding any love for him because then it's easier for him to let him go. He denies his own love for him as well. Because love hurts.

And there's Itachi, who had nothing to hold onto but his love for Sasuke. Sure he was loyal to Konoha till his dying breath but it was built on lies and manipulation that he never managed to unpack. The only true thing he had was his love and need to protect Sasuke.

Then sheer relief and immediate devastation when Sasuke learned that Itachi never hated him, but his brother was used and thrown out by Konoha. And so he finally accepted the love and it hurts so much, but it's there. He wasn't wrong to love him.

Everyone thinks Sasuke is doing all this out of hatred when he just wants to give his brother justice. To show the world the suffering he has gone through. It's love. All the way down.

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I feel like we are not talking enough about the fact that Sasuke and Itachi are the sons of a police officer. Imagine a no-massacre AU where their respective friend group comes up with some brain-dead idea that will most definitely get them in trouble.

Sasuke: "NOOOO. That's illegal. I don't want to sit in an interrogation room with my dad or his work buddies."

Itachi: "Wouldn't it be humiliating for the police captain if his son ended up being a criminal offender, though? Anyway, ANBU-issued legal immunity goes brr"

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BREAKING— New Jersey Senator Cory Booker has officially broken the Senate record for longest floor speech ever in United States history.

The last record was set in 1957 when Strom Thurmond spoke against the Civil Rights Act.

Senator Booker held the Senate floor in protest of the Trump administration laying off millions of federal workers, tarnishing USAID, planned Republican targets to end Social Security and Medicare, and allowing Elon Musk to illegally access federal government departments.

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Mother and Children, Hugues Merle

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Part of what Cory Booker is doing with this filibuster is reading things into the record. Sometimes when people do a filibuster, they just say shit. I think one time Ted Cruz read "Green Eggs and Ham" into the record. Another dude sang the Mets theme song or whatever the shit.

If you actually have substantial things to say, you don't have to do that. I mean, not for nothing, but what we're watching here is a man doing the job he was elected to do. Our public officials work for us, the people. It's nice to see some of them take that obligation seriously.

Booker is standing there with a binder that he's not even halfway through reading. *Over 42k people are watching it just on YouTube. I haven't watched the news yet today, but I've got the live feed of this open on my computer.

I hope he has a catheter and/or a diaper on. He said he'd continue as long as he's physically able. Probably he's been on a liquid diet for a day or so. I would plan ahead for this.

If Republicans are going to refuse to do the work, if they're going to refuse to take up serious business and would like instead to fuck shit up... Well, we've got a choice to make, don't we? I don't know what the long-term solution looks like. But we can and should talk about it. We can and should take steps to make sure the public record reflects reality to the extent possible.

Really, if we want to come back from this, we have to talk about it. And we know that the official records during this time especially will be, shall we say, less than reliable. So there is value in speaking the truth into the public record.

I'm not in love with the Democratic party as an institution. But this can also be energizing and inspiring for people. He's setting an example, and hopefully his example will shame others into growing a backbone. Hopefully.

I really don't have any hope for Schumer. But Booker, along with folks like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, AOC, and Jasmine Crockett, are doing what they can do, and I respect it.

This is definitely a coordinated thing, though. Finally, Dems are showing that they have some strategic ability. Booker is the main speaker, but other Dems are asking questions, while allowing him to retain the floor. In this way, it's clear that they're working together, and several people in the room have jobs to do in support of Booker's efforts. They're expanding on his points and doing a call-and-response thing, which is an effective tactic in more ways than one, and it allows him to rest his voice for a few moments at a time.

So I'm not becoming a cheerleader for anybody yet. But what he's doing is important, even if it doesn't change anything directly.

Miss me with bipartisanship talk though. I really can't see that as a viable option at this point. Unless something radical changes, I wouldn't trust that at all. So anytime somebody like Schumer talks about Republicans coming to the table, I can't be bothered to listen. They have repeatedly shown us that they have no intention of doing that and that they further do not care about right and wrong at all. Or if they do, they think their actions are right, and I'm not sure which is worse, but in both cases, I would not call them trustworthy. Their priority is being in lockstep with Trump and the prescribed agenda of the party, not the American people.

At least Booker is trying to do something. Shit.

* When I started typing this, the number of viewers was just over 42k. Now it's over 45k and climbing.

ETA: I have been informed that this was not a filibuster. My mistake. It was an honest one.

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I'm so proud of Senator Booker (and his staff) for breaking the longest filibuster record by speaking for people's rights for over 24 hours, not only because I support his message but because the record he broke was Strom Thurmond's filibuster against civil rights in 1957. The fact that a person of color broke a record held by a racist man by speaking on caring for all people

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Head's up: this post is me looking way too deeply into this random card game they introduced in Boruto (it's been forever since I've caught up with it and I'm starting from the beginning, RIP my sanity) and in general there's a bit of serious and a lot of silly going on in the analysis here... I find this concept so strange lmao so this is a little forewarning that's all.

Sorry, just been busy thinking about how dystopian it is that by the Boruto timeline there is a popular ninja trading card game all the kids are obsessed with that treats shinobi (many of whom were abused, traumatized child soldiers who have experienced incomprehensible trauma) as fun little collectibles.

For our world that's one thing (referring to the merchandizing we see of the manga/show itself); Naruto is obviously a story, it's a highly marketable IP, etc... but the implications of this being acceptable and even celebrated in their world is just so wild to me.

Also, it raises so many questions.

Do ninja get paid for the use of their likeness? How are they compensated?

Like did Hinata pose for this 'unique' card that obviously falls outside of the norm for collectability purposes? Or are the likenesses/names of the shinobi in the 'Extreme Ninja Scrolls' (ENS) TCG being used without permission? Who profits from this? The Daimyo? Jiraiya and Minato are also shown having cards... so who approved those since they're both deceased? Is there a Namikaze estate (for example) that had to legally allow Minato's image to be profited off of?

They even have cards of the OGs as 12-year-old genin. So is the Konoha government approving these since everyone pictured here was as an employee of the state and these appear to be regulation photos?

And you know what? We KNOW they didn't have this shit in the OG era because, back in the day, the whole team was impressed as hell at Kabuto's legendary ninja info cards! Who could forget these bad boys?

Now I guess we have to ask, though, is this not a massive security risk?

To have your nation's shinobi and their backgrounds, techniques, etc. shared so freely on cards you can pick up at any ninja 7/Eleven?

Anyone can purchase one of these card packs. We know it's not exclusive to Konoha too - while most of the cards have the Leaf Village symbol stamped in the corner, Orochimaru's represents the Sound Village.

Actually, hol' up. Orochimaru's inclusion is WILD.

"The legendary three ninja" (ie. a nod to him being one of the Legendary Sannin), but this man killed hundreds of thousands (we don't even know the totals) in untold unethical science experiments. He enslaved and tortured children, ruined countless lives and imprisoned them in hideouts that seemingly existed everywhere, and he packed up the Third Hokage (ngl that was a hero move).

And you're going to tell me that guy gets his own 'super rare' trading card? There are survivors of Orochimaru's cruelty still walking around in this timeline and they have to look at his face plastered and advertised everywhere as a rare card pull in a children's game?

So, if we can safely assume that (with Orochimaru's inclusion) internationally wanted criminals are not off the table for this game, does that mean the Akatsuki have their own cards as well? Like little kids are really out there trying to see which terrorist they can add to their collection? By Boruto-era, the truth of the Uchiha Clan Massacre is still swept under the rug by state leaders like Kakashi and Naruto (+the Elders), so Itachi's card could be in circulation under his Akatsuki identity. How does this shift/color the views of generations of children who come across all these cards potentially bearing the 'Uchiha' last name, especially since they're only ever taught a white-washed, sanitized, state-approved history?

This is pure speculation, but I wonder who gets left out of this game too. Is there an Obito card? A Madara one? They were the enemy faces of the 'last' great war, but one was also a founder of the Leaf Village (and it's implied all the Hokage all have cards - so historical figures are fair game), the other was a student of Minato's (which could, theoretically be included on the background summary of the card, we don't really know what's included there).

The kids in Boruto joke about Shino's card being viewed as a 'trash' pull (and tbf to the manga I did laugh when I saw the comic they made of that concept)... but really, how disrespectful is that? Imagine devoting your life to practicing shinobi techniques so you can serve/protect the state (as many of them tell themselves) only for little kids to joke about how undervalued and lame your card is? Imagine seeing the card of a beloved comrade you lost in a desperate battle, now being sold for pennies online as 'useless' since no one cares or remembers their name like you do.

Also, Sasuke apparently has a card and I can't for the life of me see him granting approval for his likeness to be used so callously, which lends further credence to my idea that these are either utilized by the state without the permission of their soldiers to add more prestige to the shinobi lifestyle (and potentially net more revenue for the state from children who will grow up to revere these figures/hope to cultivate new ones that will aid their financial interests/goals) or serve as a complete corporate cash-grab designed by some trashy company not even involved in the real business of shinobi but smelling a profit-to-be-made.

Yeah, idk, I really, really dislike Boruto as a concept and story... but I cannot deny it is giving me so much to think about lol.

How would it feel to suffer both physically and emotionally your entire life as you serve as a weapon of the state, just for kids to now argue over your card's value (or lack thereof)? How would it feel to see a shinobi who slew your partner or child in battle during one of the ninja wars (Minato, Jiraiya, Kakashi - they've all got blood from different villages on their hands) now lauded as these ultimate, pure heroes that kids everywhere can and should idolize?

Imagine Madara being handed a holographic card of Izuna and learning that it is valued low for whatever arbitrary reason? Or Kurenai seeing kids trade Asuma's card away for a better one? Does the game gloss over figures like Fugaku, a victim of state-sanctioned genocide, or Rin, a child soldier who died a child? Like these are real people (in-universe), with real and painful stories.

Side note: That's why I think the Zabuza arc is so critical to Naruto because it disrupts the initial 'fun' of this world (one that from the outside boasts cool magic powers and talking animals) and reminds the reader that these are children who are taught and expected to kill or be killed.

The shinobi included in this game have been indoctrinated to build their prestige off of being 'good' little contract killers, violent war-machines, and empty vessels that can line the pockets of feudal investors... and now they're being commodified again and sold to children as aspirational figures.

Something, something... late-stage capitalism Konoha and the further commodification of child soldiers/truly using and viewing shinobi as monetized tools in not just the previously understood sense of arbiters of state violence, but as literal objects of entertainment for children in a way that promotes the status quo of glorifying war-mongering and violent espionage all to support the business interests of corrupt feudal lords?

I have nothing to add here, this panel was just from the same chapters and the absurdity of it made me laugh so I wanted to include it lol. WTF is this?

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You love itachi??? Whyyy💔💔 he was a manipulative prick who if given the chance would've used Shisui's eye on Sasuke to put him in a mind control and rob him of his free will!!!!

hmm.... yeah my thing with itachi is i am very fond of him but i do think he's not. a very good person. it's kind of complicated with him. he's a freaky zealot failboy, he's party to one of the most horrific events of the series, he ruined his brother's life, he ruined his own life. but like. that's so compelling to me? he sucks so bad! it's sort of like that thing where you can't look away from a train crash......... he managed to make things so so bad for himself and sasuke and he really thought he was doing the right thing. that's crazy. that's tragic. i'm so gripped

also in general when it comes to characters like that. that are groomed by awful people and subsequently become awful people too, i find it hard to really be definitively for or against them in a concrete way. there's that inherent desire to excuse what they do because they were raised in an environment to be what they are. itachi was undoubtedly taken advantage of as a child but also. itachi gets to 21 and has not changed or grown from what he's done at all, he is in fact completely unwilling to entertain the thought of that until he literally dies. he just... continues to perpetuate harm because his ideology is at that point so fundamentally ingrained in him that he won't retract it in any way

and he's Aware what he's done is horrible, because itachi is a Genius yes, but he continues to justify it because to him, it was a means to an end he doesn't really regret in the bounds of his personal values. he agrees with the massacre as a necessary event for konoha to remain superior. the same way he thinks lobotomising sasuke would be for the best because he can't fathom konoha not being a priority even at the expense of his brother's well-being. and at that point it's sort of like. you can understand that a child in his position would make mistakes, but when and where do you draw the line in condemning people for the harm they've caused as children? what if they won't even denounce what they did? at what age are we past the threshold of accepting moral naivety in children to hold them accountable for hurting others? how exactly do you assign blame in a situation still dominated by the existence of a military machine overseen by horrible fascists that groomed itachi to be what he is? i don't know! is the thing. i'm always thinking about it because of itachi but i don't know

anyway, i'm not pro-itachi. but i do think he's sooo fascinating. so he's one of my favourites. and i do find his love for sasuke endearing. they were cute together before everything got all fucked up

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You love itachi??? Whyyy💔💔 he was a manipulative prick who if given the chance would've used Shisui's eye on Sasuke to put him in a mind control and rob him of his free will!!!!

hmm.... yeah my thing with itachi is i am very fond of him but i do think he's not. a very good person. it's kind of complicated with him. he's a freaky zealot failboy, he's party to one of the most horrific events of the series, he ruined his brother's life, he ruined his own life. but like. that's so compelling to me? he sucks so bad! it's sort of like that thing where you can't look away from a train crash......... he managed to make things so so bad for himself and sasuke and he really thought he was doing the right thing. that's crazy. that's tragic. i'm so gripped

also in general when it comes to characters like that. that are groomed by awful people and subsequently become awful people too, i find it hard to really be definitively for or against them in a concrete way. there's that inherent desire to excuse what they do because they were raised in an environment to be what they are. itachi was undoubtedly taken advantage of as a child but also. itachi gets to 21 and has not changed or grown from what he's done at all, he is in fact completely unwilling to entertain the thought of that until he literally dies. he just... continues to perpetuate harm because his ideology is at that point so fundamentally ingrained in him that he won't retract it in any way

and he's Aware what he's done is horrible, because itachi is a Genius yes, but he continues to justify it because to him, it was a means to an end he doesn't really regret in the bounds of his personal values. he agrees with the massacre as a necessary event for konoha to remain superior. the same way he thinks lobotomising sasuke would be for the best because he can't fathom konoha not being a priority even at the expense of his brother's well-being. and at that point it's sort of like. you can understand that a child in his position would make mistakes, but when and where do you draw the line in condemning people for the harm they've caused as children? what if they won't even denounce what they did? at what age are we past the threshold of accepting moral naivety in children to hold them accountable for hurting others? how exactly do you assign blame in a situation still dominated by the existence of a military machine overseen by horrible fascists that groomed itachi to be what he is? i don't know! is the thing. i'm always thinking about it because of itachi but i don't know

anyway, i'm not pro-itachi. but i do think he's sooo fascinating. so he's one of my favourites. and i do find his love for sasuke endearing. they were cute together before everything got all fucked up

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Valentines gift for my girlfriend

Please don’t repost on other platforms!

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I have thoughts while driving sometimes

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A painting of some horses crossing a river in a more impressionistic style. With this painting I focused on the colours and opted for less detail.

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konoha was always so scared of offending cloud it's just embarrassing. I understand they wanted to avoid war and conflict and for that they are willing to sacrifice their people one by one? of course they are lol, that's konoha's strategy, greater good. Cloud tried to kidnap the heir of one of the most prominent clan of Konoha, and they didn't only get away with it, but had received an apology from Konoha and Hizashi's head. How ridiculous is that? Logic isn't logicing. Of course raikage would feel entitled to send his people in konoha and demand things, and his 'envoys' even had audacity to attack konoha citizens (naruto), and konoha gave in again and who's surprised, what's the life of one more uchiha, whole clan died for this 'peace' so... (i don't remember if cloud demanded sasuke's body but i'm sure they would, that's why raikage was so persistent on killing him even after b was found alive and fine, who says no to a nice sharingan)

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the ninja system so crazy and fucked up that you can't even leave your village of your own will 😭 like is it not madness that you're classified as a criminal simply for leaving? leaving is literally considered defection and it's forbidden unless you're sent out on missions to do their fuck shit in foreign lands... like you don't even have to go out and make any big moves like joining a combatant group or plan to attack people cause they already done wrote you off simply cause you left the walls of your village. i can't even describe how deeply unhinged that is ☠️