#'the man who makes people better. how sanctimonious is that?'

[corallapis]

the doctor's clearly saying this to provoke him into slipping up in front of chang lee but. these added lines are. painful.

[mistergreatbones]

okay i think enough time has passed that i can joke about it

Jason: Your methods are ineffective. If you don't permanently stop criminals they will just continue to hurt people. Bruce: *finds a permanent way to stop people from being violent and uses it on Jason, a dangerous criminal* Jason:

[ryin-silverfish]

Heart and Mind: An Analysis of Tripitaka

I've been wanting to write this since…since I came across some good ol' Tripitaka discourse in the LMK fandom ages ago. Couldn't remember the specifics, but as y'all probably know, it falls under the "Is him an abusive master" and people's strongly worded retort to that question.

On one hand, I dislike the "abusive" take because so often, it is an excuse to reduce a character to an 2D caricature for cheap angst purposes, and both JTTW and its historical context deserve more nuances than that.

On the other hand, I don't agree with some of the defenses either——that Tripitaka is Kind and Wise and The Virtuous Monk, Actually, and people who said otherwise just had their views colored by adaptations, or were ignorant westerners misreading the book.

Because trust me, Chinese readers absolutely have gripes with Tripitaka too, and sass him mercilessly.

We may have a better idea of the historical context, namely, the common usage and acceptance of corporal punishments, but quite a few of us don't think he's a good Buddhist either.

Instead, I'd like to focus on his allegorical role, and how it ultimately forms the basis for my interpretation of his character.

It is commonly acknowledged that each pilgrim represent an aspect of the enlightenment seeker: Monkey is the Mind, Dragon Horse the Will, Pigsy the Desire, Sandy the Determination/Ideation.

Tripitaka is either the enlightenment seeker as a human, or the Heart, the Compassion.

But how can someone represent Compassion when his behaviors don't look all that compassionate, when he seems to care more about what a good Buddhist looks like on paper than in spirit?

How can a compassionate man punish his disciple with a migraine spell and disown him twice, be okay with some violence but not others?

Well, to answer that question, I feel like you have to look at Tripitaka in conjunction with SWK, and what the monkey represents. He is literally the Mind Monkey, the boundless potential of human intellect, and that, by itself, is neutral.

In the word of one of the best poems in JTTW:

"He could be good; he could be bad; present good and evil he could do at will. He'd be an immortal, a Buddha, if he's good; wickedness would cloak him with hair and horn."

To put it simply, SWK is one's wits, one's problem-solving skills, the ability to discern good and evil on a cognitive level.

Whenever Tripitaka, the Compassion, is deceived, it falls to the Mind to see the opponents as they are, and take action to protect the human from harm.

But just as blind compassion without judgement can be exploited by evil, the reverse is true for a mind without compassion, driven solely by their own ambition and whims and practical knowledge.

The Mind knows that robbery is a crime, so these robbers deserve death, but has no idea how disturbing it is for a regular guy to witness six people being brutally murdered in front of him.

The Mind knows that abandoning your wife and family to become a bandit is shameful and unfilial, but cannot comprehend why the bandit's father may not want his son killed for these offenses.

The Mind knows right and wrong, but has trouble seeing the human behind those acts, and why one should care in the first place.

And to see what the Mind looks like without any of Compassion's restraint, one needs to look no further than SWK's "Second Mind", the Six-eared Macaque.

Just like how "Heart" sounds like a lame power for a character, Compassion isn't flashy, nor as useful in a strictly ultilitarian sense. In fact, having compassion makes you vulnerable. It hurts. And unscrupulous people will absolutely use it against you.

So why hold onto your weakness and wallow in it? The world doesn't need another sanctimonious wuss, it needs strong, clever people making hard sacrifices, ruthless, logical decisions! Tough up! Stop caring, and you'll never be hurt again!

Much like a certain crowd who think basic human decency is somehow political propaganda, perhaps, when SEM struck Tripitaka, he was trying to do the same thing.

Kill the embodiment of compassion, the sniveling, useless, fragile human that keeps holding SWK back. Replace him as the true Mind, the one strong enough to break all bonds and seize glory with his own two hands.

But without compassion, without humanity, one is no longer a whole person, and cannot reach enlightenment. In fact, just like how Buddha would only give the True Scripture to Tripitaka, if you are not brave enough to make yourself vulnerable, to suffer and feel other's suffering, you will never transcend it.

At best, you can have some pale imitations of the parts you have willingly shut out from yourself.

And that's what SEM does. He thought he could do it on his own, singlehandedly replace SWK and reap the benefits of enlightenment, but he is no Monkey Awakened to Emptiness.

He is just empty; cut off desires because it is base, cut off determined ideation because it is foolish, cut off compassion because it is weak, cut off the altruism and curiosity and creativity from the mind, and you are left with a grand total of NOTHING.

A shadow of a self, desperately clinging onto external validation and stolen stories, reading the pilgrim's travel paperwork out loud as if that would actually make the journey his.

Tripitaka needs to trust SWK and learn from him, because compassion, much like good intention, doesn't solve problems on its own, and mercy is not the same as enabling harm.

SWK needs his master's guidance, because even at his most selfish and impulsive, he cares, and only by extending that care to others and accepting the vulnerability that comes with it can he truly mature and become awakened to the ultimate truth.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

One last bit of ramble: I feel like there is something to be said about Tripitaka's tendency to trust Pigsy, and how the pursuit of enlightenment is often derailed by worldly desires.

Unlike the demons they encountered, however, Pigsy is not the personification of mental obstacles that must be destroyed, because you cannot destroy bodily needs, nor the very human tendencies to slack off and avoid trouble.

You should stop listening to its advice, sure. Poke fun at it, absolutely. But what Pigsy represents is part of the human condition, just like every other pilgrim, and also something one must make peace with.

[lyledebeast]

The Duality of Martin

Over the years, let's not dwell on how many, I've found that a lot of people's problems with The Patriot lie with its main character, and most of those lie with his inconsistency. Benjamin Martin doesn't support the war, but then changes his mind when the very things he predicted come to pass. He loves his children, but he abandons them multiple times. He's a devout Christian who spends most of the film's plot pursuing vengeance. He has and eats his cake like a certain queen of France, but without facing similar consequences, of course. All this contributes to a character who is meant to be complex but is instead incredibly frustrating to watch. So, this rewatch, I wanted to think about how he might actually be made interesting.

Commentors I have much respect for have suggested that just acknowledging that Martin is not a paragon of moral virtue would go a long way. I agree, but I think acknowledging that there are two different Martins would go further. There is one man who is genuinely concerned for his family and wants to keep them from harm, and it is this same Martin who plans to return to his children after burying Gabriel. It's possibly even the same Martin who declares that his men will, henceforth, spare any wounded or surrendering British soldiers while nearly standing on a pile of dead ones. Then there's the other guy, the one who arms his children and takes them to a massacre where they collectively kill twenty men, punctuated by him hacking a fleeing soldier into mincemeat. It's not just that Martin has a temper when provoked, because the same Martin who does this, who ordered the atrocities at Fort Wilderness, also believes what he does is justifiable.

While watching over Gabriel's corpse, Martin asks, "Why do men think they can justify death?" Well, Benjamin, let's rewind to just about twenty minutes or so earlier when you said, "As long as your officers target civilians, I will order the shooting of officers at the start of every engagement." I mean . . . if you don't know . . .

Wouldn't it be so much better if the violence, and the justification for it, belonged to one part of Martin's psyche and the awareness of guilt and consequences belonged to the other, and the central conflict of this film was between these two parts? It would mean giving up Colonel Tavington as an antagonist, which would be a wildly different film, but just hear me out. If Martin's main conflict was internal, there would be opportunity for genuine reflection and change. Martin could actually deal with his past instead of just shutting it up in a trunk and hoping everyone forgets about it.

The story we have spends about a quarter of its screentime setting Martin up as this humble, peace-loving father, but that characterization is quickly overshadowed by the violent, sanctimonious one and only trotted out when needed to do damage control for the second characterization's antics. Instead of actually giving Martin complexity, the narrative relies on Tavington as a foil to show what a bad war criminal looks like. That this contrast minimizes Martin's atrocities is probably unavoidable.

Martin's choice of violence in this film is, initially, a response to British violence. I'm not saying the British wouldn't commit atrocities in the version I imagine, but that could be accomplished without a British main antagonist. Let's say a British officer does order Gabriel executed, burn the Martin home, and murder the Continental soldiers and Thomas. But then we never see that officer again. Let's say Martin and his sons carry out the massacre in the woods, but rather than having Martin say "I have done nothing, and of that I am ashamed" after he's done . . . THAT, let's make THAT a relapse he deeply regrets. Let's have him endure the fear in his children's eyes for more than just one (1) night. Let's have Martin. not Gabriel, be the one to flip out over his men shooting surrendering British soldiers. Martin claiming to be traumatized by his own actions at Fort Wilderness nearly twenty years ago would carry a lot more weight if he hadn't committed similarly extreme acts just months prior that are never referenced again. Let's acknowledge the horror of Martin's violent actions and let his better nature prevail.

I'm not saying this would be a better movie than Roland Emmerich's The Patriot (2000), but I could sympathize with this version of Martin far more than the one who gets to enjoy all the benefits of violence without facing any of the consequences (at least not himself). This has been an intellectual exercise. Obviously. the version with Tavington is more enjoyable because . . . Tavington!

[heretherebedork]

OF feels like it was written from a very straight, judgemental point of view. I can't imagine a queer person would actually send out this message and in this manner to queer communities. They completely obliterated both Nick and Boston's character arcs and their growth. I don't even want to talk about Boston, because yes he was shitty, but he was also the least shitty. And his whole treatment in OF was like a Holier-than-thou sanctimonious sermon I was forced to watch, swallow, and digest. And there's no way Nick would break up with Boston, saying those lines, no way will I believe that after watching his character for these many episodes, that even if Nick was pained and hurt, he wouldn't say those things to Boston. Ever. So while their breakup was inevitable and also the best possible outcome for Nick, the way it happened made zero sense.

In the end OF turned out to be one of the worse queer shows from Thailand in a while. Just genuinely disappointed.

I can't say any of that because I know there were plenty of queer people in the making of and behind the scenes of the show and we can't just discount that nor do we need to condemn the entire show for making mistakes in writing and in execution.

Yes, we can criticize and, yes, I do criticize. But that does not mean wholehearted condemnation of a show or the creators who are trying to make something new.

Only Friends is a new kind of messy show and there were mistakes in the message and mistakes in the execution and that's going to happen. This is how media and shows grow. This is how they get better. They try and they struggle and they make mistakes and everyone learns from mistakes.

No show is perfect (except the first season of My Beautiful Man, jk) but that does not make the show not queer or not to be enjoyed in any way. We criticize because we love and we want the bones of the show we see and not what we ended up with because they were trying to edit to please fans who could never truly be pleased.

I actually found Nick breaking up with Boston to be perfectly realistic. Nick wants monogamy. The way he broke up with him, yes, that was a bit beyond what we needed and what I imagined Nick doing.

The show started out very strong but the more they listened to fans and the more they fell to pair branding, the more the parts of the show that worked were pushed quietly to the side to fit the needed agenda.

And that is what happens when you make a show for a major network with branded pairs who need to fit a certain image for the sake of their money making potential.

All of which is to say... I will not condemn Only Friends. I will criticize and I will talk about the parts that worked and didn't work and what I wanted more of and less of but I will not say that it was a failure or that it should not have been made.

Because Only Friends did something new and it made mistakes and that's how we get better shows. That's how we got from SOTUS to My School President, from Tharntype to Bed Friends. By making mistakes and people learning how to do better.

Anyway, all this to say...

Down with branded pairs, up with chaos!

[tepkunset]

Out of curiosity I looked up what little info we have on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes film adaptation... and I literally am losing my mind already over how missing the entire point it sounds.

The director says "This is very much a story about love. A very intimate love story." I think I'm gonna puke.

Like. Okay. Like. What. Like. Excuse me?

Anyway here's a few quotes quotes from just what I've read so far to show you just how much of a "love story" this is.

“And last but least, District Twelve girl… she belongs to Coriolanus Snow.”

Lucy Gray was one thing belonging to Coriolanus that [Sejanus] would never, ever get.

“I think your odds get better by the minute,” said Coriolanus, adjusting a hot pink rosebud in her hair. It matched the one on his lapel, just in case anyone needed a reminder of who Lucy Gray belonged to.

His girl. His. Here in the Capitol, it was a given that Lucy Gray belonged to him, as if she’d had no life before her name was called out at the reaping. Even that sanctimonious Sejanus believed she was something he could trade for. If that wasn’t ownership, what was?

Make no fucking mistake, Snow sees himself as owning Lucy Gray. Make no fucking mistake, there are also ample quotes of just how much disgust he has for district people in general.

This is not a love story. This is a story about a man willing to do anything to achieve power because he believes he is owed it, on account of being born in the Capitol with the last name Snow.

[moderndayamymarch]

ranking downton abbey characters:

edith’s newspaper man- died punching nazis, can’t get more iconic than that

2. rose- flapper icon!! best fashion sense, married a cute jewish man, living my dream life

3. cora’s family- PLAYED BY SHIRLEY MACLAINE AND PAUL GIAMATTI, move over england the twentieth-century is america’s time to shine, it’s just funny that the family acts like they’re so above the americans but they’re the only reason y'all still have a house, like you hate us until you want our money

4. maggie smith- 1900s lucille bluth

5. thomas- often diva a down, i love a good schemer, only one real enough to call out the class divide

6. tom- HE’D BE HIGHER BUT THE WRITERS HAD HIM SELL OUT HIS SOCIALIST, IRISH NATIONALIST IDEAS IN EXCHANGE FOR BECOMING A COG IN THE WHEEL OF BRITISH ARISTOCRACY AND SPOKESPERSON FOR CAPITALISM. why. let my man burn down symbols of imperialism. i was in love with him season 1 and 2 but after? as joyce would say he became a jester at the court of his masters.

7. sybil- feminist icon, she would’ve stopped tom’s whole arc if she’d lived

8. mrs. hughes- she’s the only one keeping these ppl alive, bad bitch, also only servant aware that this is a job in the end and while she respects her employers she doesn’t worship the ground they walk on

9. matthew- he was cool, is the reason the rich people know what a weekend is, mary’s best love interest and I miss him

10. cora- american dollar princess!!

11. bertie- i love that he’s like toby from the office but if toby was the one promoted to corporate (not ryan). like a w for dull, normal people everywhere! (not an insult this is most everyone)

12. matthew’s mom- she could be a bit much at times and a bit of a nancy pelosi kinda progressive! like the family rolled their eyes at her but she was the only one of them actually doing anything useful for society so i’m not a hater. also i love her friendship with queen maggie smith

13. edith- the best scene of the whole show is the one where she finally called mary a bitch.

14. the cook- she’s cool

15. the dad (what actually is his name?)- he’s such a dumbass, walking example of why we shouldn’t give money/land/power because you’re related to someone, i did like the scene where he vomits up blood in the middle of dinner like finally something interesting

16. anna- stand up girl. be your own individual person

17. carson- ugh

18. mary’s second husband (henry?)- the male version of the horse girl: car guy

19. mary- a bitch but she often ate I fear (except the time she was cold/uncaring and MADE JOKES about newspaper man being killed by the nazis… it’s giving melania when she wore that “i don’t care, do you” jacket. like the man died standing up against what will be a fascist regime. what exactly have you done? )

20. daisy- just annoying

21. bates- i hate this man. he is a sanctimonious, sydney carton wannabe who makes his wife’s assault ABOUT HIM. to the point that her main concern after it happens is that he doesn’t find out to avoid him getting angry. and when he does find out, he broods. he thinks he’s better than everyone and i hate him so much. like in the first season when he refuses to say why he was arrested for stealing silver because of virtue or whatever, like who gives a fuck, just tell em it was your wife. that’s how i know this show isn’t about americans. we have no problem throwing someone under the bus to save our job. americans are nothing if not the prioritization of self-interest/individualism in the name of retaining power in the marketplace.

[w3ath3r-0f-sw34t3rz]

lyrics that only a tortured poet could write

(pt 1 because)

and i love you, it's ruining my life

and who's gonna hold you like me? // and who's gonna know you, if not me?

once i fix me // he's gonna miss me

for a moment i knew cosmic love

i saw, in my mind, fairy lights through the mist

i stopped CPR, after all, it's no use // the spirit was gone, we would never come to

i'm pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free

stitches undone // two graves, one gun

and you say i abandoned the ship // but i was going down with it

and my friends said it isn't right to be scared // every day of a love affair // every breath feels like rarest air // when you're not sure if he wants to be there

you swore that you loved me, but where were the clues?

i just learned these people only raise you to cage you

i'm havin' his baby" // no, i'm not, but you should see your faces

i'll tell you somethin' 'bout my good name // it's mine alone to disgrace // i don't cater to all these vipers dressed in empath's clothing

god save the most judgmental creeps // who say they want what's best for me // sanctimoniously performing soliloquies i'll never see // thinkin' it can change the beat of my heart when he touches me // and counteract the chemistry and undo the destiny

if all you want is gray for me // that's just white noise, that's just my choice

my friends tried, but i wouldn't hear it // watch me daily disappearing // for just one glimpse of his smile

well, me and my ghosts, we had a hell of a time // yes, i'm haunted, but i'm feeling just fine

so i did my best to lay to rest // all of the bodies that have ever been on my body // and in my mind, they sink into the swamp // is that a bad thing to say in a song?

am i allowed to cry? ... am i bad or mad or wise?

one slip and fallin' back into the hedge maze // oh, what a way to die

what if i roll the stone away? // they're gonna crucify me anyway

they don't know how you've haunted me so stunningly // i choose you and me religiously

if you wanted me dead, you should've just said // nothing makes me feel more alive

so i leap from the gallows and i levitate down your street // crash the party like a record scratch as i scream // "who's afraid of little old me?" // you should be

is it a wonder i broke? let's hear one more joke // then we could all just laugh until i cry

i was tame, i was gentle 'til the circus life made me mean // "don't you worry, folks, we took out all her teeth"

so tell me everything is not about me, but what if it is? // then say they didn't do it to hurt me, but what if they did? // i wanna snarl and show you just how disturbed this has made me // you wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me // so all you kids can sneak into my house with all the cobwebs // i'm always drunk on my own tears, isn't that what they all said? // that i'll sue you if you step on my lawn // that i'm fearsome and i'm wretched and i'm wrong // put narcotics into all of my songs // and that's why you're still singin' along

you caged me and then you called me crazy // i am what i am 'cause you trained me

the smoke cloud billows out his mouth // like a freight train through a small town

but your good Lord doesn't need to lift a finger // i can fix him, no, really, i can // and only i can

who's gonna stop us from waltzing back into rekindled flames if we know the steps anyway?

i thought i was better safe than starry-eyed

still alive, killing time at the cemetery // never quite buried

a con man sells a fool a get-love-quick scheme

what we thought was for all time was momentary

you cinephile in black and white // all those plot twists and dynamite

i wish i could unrecall // how we almost had it all

dancing phantoms on the terrace // are they second-hand embarrassed that i can't get out of bed 'cause something counterfeit's dead?

it was legendary // it was momentary // it was unnecessary

oh, what a valiant roar // what a bland goodbye // the coward claimed he was a lion

"i'll never leave, nevermind"

our field of dreams engulfed in fire // your arsons match your somber eyes

and i'll still see it until i die // you're the loss of my life

there in her glittering prime // the lights refract sequin stars off her silhouette every night

lights, camera, bitch, smile // even when you wanna die

breaking down, i hit the floor // all the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting, "more"

i cry a lot, but i am so productive, it's an art // you know you're good when you can even do it with a broken heart

i can hold my breath // i've been doin' it since he left // i keep finding his things in drawers // crucial evidence i didn't imagine the whole thing

you hung me on your wall // stabbed me with your push pins

were you sent by someone who wanted me dead? // did you sleep with a gun underneath our bed?

i would've died for your sins, instead, i just died inside

and you deserve prison, but you won't get time // you'll slide into inboxes and slip through the bars

you kicked out the stage lights, but you're still performing

and in plain sight you hid // but you are what you did // and i'll forget you, but i'll never forgive // the smallest man who ever lived

'cause the sign on your heart // said it's still reserved for me // honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?

this happens once every few lifetimes

all your life, did you know // you'd be picked like a rose?

this town is fake, but you're the real thing // breath of fresh air through smoke rings

crowd goes wild at her fingertips // half moonshine, a full eclipse

the crown is stained, but you're the real queen // flesh and blood amongst war machines // you're the new God we're worshipping // promise to be dazzling

beauty is a beast that roars down on all fours // demanding more

it's hell on earth to be heavenly

you look like Taylor Swift in this light, we're lovin' it // you've got edge, she never did

[katsushika-division]

Rintaro's Thoughts on Kanazawa Division

Wataru Sasaki

"Not this motherfucker. When they finally caught me they dragged this guy down all the way from Kanazawa to interrogate me. Let me tell you something he pisses me the fuck off. Sanctimonious bastard.” Rintaro takes a deep breath. “He asked me why ya know.  Why did I do it? He's not the first to ask me that question but he's the first I bothered answering.” Rintaro lets out a barking laugh. “So I told him and I quote. "Why did I do it?  I. Am. Bored. And I want to burn something down. You and everyone else are just collateral. How's that for why?" You should've seen his stupid face! He looked at me like I was insane! Hahaha! Maybe he’s right but I’ll let him know right here and now. Society abandoned me first. Make of that what you will.” Rintaro pauses. “I have another reason why I don't like him. He’s one of the main officers with the Cinder case and has orders to apprehend her.” Rintaro pulls out a lighter from inside his jacket repeatedly flicking it on and off. “He’s not going to catch her. Not if I have anything to say about that.” 

Kyler Aaron

“Huh, an American? I didn't think we had a good relationship with America especially after Tohoten refused to extradite Akihisa for his crime of assassinating the president.” Rintaro whistles. “Damn, I knew the old man was an infamous hitman but the US president? That takes some serious skill to pull off. Can’t say I have anything against this guy but considering he’s allies with the bastard and the bitch well that’s enough to put him in my burn book. I will warn him my burn book is a bit different than the one in Mean Girls.” 

Joey Kurusu

Rintaro snarled at the picture of the blonde-haired detective. “This son of a bitch. He came to interview Touya one day. It wasn't really a concern at the time mainly because all three of us have had people come and interview us in prison. This time it was different because it ended with Touya having a psychotic episode and having to be restrained in the psych ward. It's not uncommon for Touya’s episodes to last a day or two but this one lasted a week.” Rintaro grimaced. “Do you know what it's like to see someone you care about like a little brother forcibly strapped to a bed screaming and crying? It isn’t a pretty sight. Touya eventually came back from his episode but he refuses to say what happened. The old man managed to figure it out and he told me. First, fuck you for thinking Touya killed your sister. Second, do you think I would let Touya around Akari if I didn't know he would rather cut off his own hand than harm a hair on her head? Touya is many things but he's not someone who preys on children.” Rintaro lights a cigarette. “I’m letting Joey Kurusu know right now that he better count his fucking days because he hurt someone I care about. I've committed atrocities for less.”

Justice Shield

“You know I can see Chuohku putting us against them for shit and giggles. Three of the worst criminals in recent history against a team of law enforcement? That's the type of shit that writes itself. Shame Chuohku has a certain idea of who our opponent will be. I was kinda wishing to demonstrate to this team why I got the moniker “The High Rise Bomber”. It would be such a tragedy if the Kanazawa Police Station found itself up in flames.”

[voluminous-violet]

V, The People (so probably just me) gotta know: what are your Fallout faction takes. Just Generally I mean

Oh really? This is a fun question I really wasn't expecting but I'll take it!

So we're gonna start with my most controversial take probably and then work randomly from there lmao

Brotherhood of Steel: Ok I'm gonna be honest I REALLY like the BoS a lot, in almost all of their depictions, minus like fallout 4. I think it makes a lot of sense that some former military types would go nuts with trying to prevent the over use and reliance on old war tech and take it way too far while also being over the top sanctimonious about it. I also like that there's small pockets of Brotherhood who seem to realize that they're in a much better position to help people and actually try makes them a more dynamic faction. I'm ok with them being a more lawful neutral faction of not really giving fuck, rather than the big bad monsters like Fallout 4.

NCR: Boy howdy is this faction a cluster fuck of "Guys hear me out we have REALLY GOOD IDEAS TRUST ME" and then fucking up everything nonstop. Probably one of the most realistic factions in terms of wanting to do good but being so far up their own in bureaucracy and self importance that you get basically all of their problems in New Vegas. They WANT to be lawful good but end up being neutral good mostly.

Followers of the Apocalypse: Probably the only faction that has an idea of what they want to do and ACTUALLY gets it done even if it's on a smaller scale than they would want. One of the few factions you can openly say you're part of and not get shot on site by someone lmao.

Caesar's Legion: Oh noooo the bastard clan is bastards??? Yeah I'm not a fan, though I do like the touch in the writing where you hear reports from places the Legion has conquered talking about how like "Life sorta sucks but there's a sense of normalcy at least?" Like no one says they're GOOD but some at least appreciate the safety it brings. It's a nice touch in my opinion to give the player that absolutely TINY moment where they think "MAYBE I could hear them out" before seeing all the crucifixes and immediately ignoring anything they say.

The Enclave: Ok so I'm glad they're basically done with, but I wouldn't mind hearing that there's like tiny squads scattered across the wastes trying to keep the factions ideals alive. Honestly, I wish they weren't in Fallout 3 because I think they would've made a GREAT foil in Fallout 4 for the next faction...

The Institute: Ok so this was actually the final faction I sided with in my playthrough to get the platinum trophy in Fallout 4. I usually LOVE the super high tech factions and the neat futurism they bring, I mean ffs I'm a BoS simp, but god is there just... almost nothing redeemable about The Institute? They literally just do things because they can and think the rest of the world should just go with it because everyone is lesser than them? And don't get me started the synth debated because that's something that really shouldn't have even been a thing but HERE WE ARE I GUESS.

The Minutemen: Honestly just... why are they here? I know they're supposed to be the Yes Man for Fallout 4 in case you fuck up literally everything else, but they're just SO BLAND. Preston is annoying, Mama Murphy is just there to make the game easier for new players, and the rest of them have like no character beyond angry, depressed, or mechanic.

I know I'm leaving a bunch off but this is getting long winded so if you agree, disagree, or want a specific faction mentioned, just send another ask!

[anthonybialy]

Posted in Order

Twitter seems confused about what it is.  I can tell you it’s not X.  The worst rebranding in human history makes the Willis Tower look like an accepted name change by comparison.  Drink a New Coke and post.

Treating an app like it’s enduring a personality crisis is just one more way AI is preparing us for conquering.  Destruction will be subtle.  We braced for Terminators and instead got cyborgs who nudged us into irrelevance.

The ultimate time-squandering site reflects confusion of the humans ostensibly in charge.  Its original and prevailing purpose is not grasped by those who decide its direction, which frustrates those who want to use it properly.

Users dash to a haven for sharing the trite during breaking news or when one feels the need to explain what’s wrong with a mild annoyance.  A simple yet useful outlet functions as a virtual steam valve.  The CEO should know that.

Post what you observe.  Man, journalism is easy.  It’s similarly effortless to to call out fibbers, which is particularly satisfying when they claim to speak on truth’s behalf.  Verifying in real time is fairly easy, which is why alleged professionals despise it.

The only training needed is to avoid journalism school.  It either drains common sense or attracts attendees who never possessed any.  Flagging fibs the media used to get away with not only shows how anyone with the slightest bit of awareness and suspicion can perform the job with zero college credits in a little bit of free time but also be way better at it than those who are rather snotty about being trained.

Twitter is the primary place where fact checks check facts.  Community Notes might be the first worthwhile group effort.  Taping an asterisk on liars is the most satisfying way to strive for truth.  Readers free to check the footnotes, as well.  It’s verification all the way down.

Alerts stay red.  Constant patrolling is crucial.  Those who think government offers the last word on truth wait for a scientist they agree with to proclaim what can never be challenged.

Employees should be grateful to not have to toil much.  Twitter embodies the punk aesthetic, and not just by using its real name.  Rebel with a DIY vibe against pompous dolts in power by to mock their shameless lies.  Filling an open space is what anyone with creative urges desires.  The lack of technical proficiency may be obvious.  But the Ramones didn’t need to be virtuosos to get their point across.

Account holders just want back to pre-Elon times  That’s not not the stifled climate where anyone to Pol Pot’s right fretted every time they logged in that some woke nitwit tattled on them for an imaginary offense.  But it’d be nice to return to freewheeling ways.  Elon Musk is to big ideas what Michael Bay is to movies.

Remaining Twitter diehards miss the fun of discovery.  Coming across fascinating posts was like finding fun parody accounts on MySpace or realizing you didn’t need to know addresses once you discovered Yahoo! categories.  You could even type in a search if you were feeling freewheeling.

Quality doesn’t conflate with quantity, as seen now on Twitter.  Engagement numbers that used to look like shares show how compelling and/or hilarious content gets buried.  People with worthwhile things to say just want to be heard.  The timeline has gotten rather echoey.

I wish there were an easy way to learn what users want like reading responses.  Worthwhile responses undoubtedly got buried.  The erstwhile bird app is nothing more than a place to vent.  Participants compose a pithy reply after seeing something stupid that we used to have to fume about to eye-rolling spouses while watching the news.

Twitter doesn’t merely alleviate stress from marriages.  Bitching is cathartic.  Our stupid existence features countless indignities worthy of a quick harangue.  It’s relieving to find others who, say, think John Stewart is a sanctimonious prick.

Leave us alone.  That applies to everything, including how we organize our feeds.  Personal curation means we can see the abbreviated notions of others just like others can with ours.  The ability to set up our own feed of news and interests is the whole reason users turned to Twitter in the first place.  It should remain the primary spot ranting about everything else, including other social media sites.

Holding out is a matter of pride.  It’s amazing how many tweeters still haven’t told friends and relatives about their little corner for diatribes.  Twitter is the virtual place where users most feel like themselves.  Idealized versions on other applications don’t compare to the gritty filth of smirking honesty.

Click a different square if you’re into pretending to have a delightful family, visit exotic locales on a regular basis, or be adept at today’s dance craze.  Head to Twitter if you want to keep it real.  Tired people sometimes find the most excitement in life is commenting on it.  But at least your brain’s running.  People who have nothing to say fail to understand those who do.

Lamentably, many of the best notions get buried.  An algorithm is an advanced method of keeping users from seeing what they want.  Users chose their follows because that’s the content they want to see.  Crazy notions about personal autonomy are reflected in seeing what we’d like.  The authorities think they know better despite constant evidence to the contrary.

Overlords decide to decide for you, which you’re still free to decide is a lousy annoyance.  Twitter leans toward Biden-style life-running where pathetic humans are unaware of what they truly desire.  No app should want to imitate this White House.  Ceaseless attempts to show what micromanagers think you would like or need to view have failed to convince.

Snotty commentators often say social media is not real life.  It’s just real people discussing what’s happening, that’s all.  It’s as if humans don’t present the image they want while talking to each other.  Interacting with others while sharing personal details sounds like a nice setup.  The real question is why life isn’t more like Twitter.

As in the outside world, the tendency persists to ruin something that ran just fine without interdiction.  A timeline of your choosing is a simple request in a time when so many other decisions are confiscated.

[daggersandarrows]

jesus FUCKING christ i just--

"i'm here." "doctor." "master." "i like it when you use my name." "you chose it, psychiatrist's field day." "as you chose yours. the man who makes people better. how sanctimonious is that?" ... "i was the only one who could end it. and i tried. i did. i tried everything." "what did it feel like, though? two almighty civilizations burning...oh, tell me, how did that feel?" "stop it." "you must have been like god." "i've been alone ever since. but not anymore. don't you see? all we've got is each other." "are you asking me out on a date?" "you could stop this right now. we could leave this planet. we can fight across the constellations if that's what you want, but not on earth." "too late." "why do you say that?" "the drumming. can't you hear it? i thought it would stop, but it never does. never ever stops. inside my head, the drumming, doctor. the constant drumming." "i could help you. please let me help."

HELP fUCK GOD

[curtklingermanposts]

Dealing With Other People’s Sin (Part Two)

Be Merciful

Everyone wants mercy and understanding when they morally fail, but how many are willing reciprocate when others fail? There probably isn’t a human alive who has not done something wrong in spite of knowing better (excluding infants of course). That’s the nature of fallen man. We can talk about personal responsibility later. We cannot afford to get all sanctimonious when people do fail. “They should get what they have coming, they knew better!” Come on Christian, are you telling us that you haven’t done something wrong, even while knowing better? Even as a Blood-bought, born again Christian? Let’s get real!

 Yes, it can be very difficult to be kind and forgiving to someone who might be considered despicable. It is easier to give a nice person a pass, but a jerk who can forebear? What does Jesus say about this?

 Matthew 5:44-48 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.

Do you see how our Father extends love and kindness to the unjust? Were you once unjust, yourself?  Think about this: Ephesians says we were formerly darkness; not in darkness (see Ephesians 5:8). We don’t want to live in the past; however, we don’t want to forget from whence we came.

Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Keep Your Eye On the Goal

When Jesus came to the earth, what was His mission? To seek and save the lost (see Matthew 18:11; Luke 19:10). In the Great Commission (see Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15;), He pretty well handed us the same mission. Part of making disciples of all nations includes reconciling the lost onto God.  Do you desire the lost to be saved or condemned?  There is an attitude to maintain when it comes to reconciling others onto God. If we fail to keep it at the forefront of our mind, we start from behind.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 And all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Think Like a Surgeon, and Detach

When a surgeons remove tumors from their patients, do they hold the tumors against them? Generally, they are emotionally detached from the situation, and take care of business. In relation to the patients, they may feel some apprehension, because they do not want to cause further damage, or even death. That’s because they have concern for the patient.

What if we viewed sin and failure from the same standpoint? In other words, are we more concerned about people’s welfare and where they spend eternity, than the sin itself? More importantly, what about being concerned with how it affects God’s heart? They were (and are) important enough to Him to send Jesus to die for their sins. His concern is removing the sin, so they can spend eternity with Him. Love should move us to compassion for the sinner, and believers who stumbled.

Sin and failure do not belong in humans, but it’s there anyway. It is the result of the fall. Nonetheless, sin and failure do not have to remain. People have a choice, and we as disciples can make them aware of it. Apart from Jesus Christ, they are powerless over sin. How can we hold sin against them, especially since we’ve been forgiven of ours?

In the grand scheme of things, our focus should be the salvation of others; not their shortcomings.

James 5:19-20 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.  

perfectfaith.org

[froshele]

so i developed a habit while younger and rping with whoever i could find (love that desperation to have somewhere to express yourself, would never go back) of like just mentally totally checking out whenever i was with someone whose skill or imagination or whatever i secretly condescended to -- i know, i know, we don't need to know, why are you telling on yourself

well internet im telling on myself because firstly this is my blog. secondly i was a teenager and it doesnt count. thirdly the habit was also that instead of making ocs i cared about or stealing from media for these people i would look up like some random motherfucker in my handy little encyclopedia and cipher and sometimes regender them

like yes i dont care a single iota about you personally (youre kind of offputting) (we're from cultures so different that you think you're being proper and i feel sanctimoniously patronized) (you called me crazy for my lion king theory essays which i wrote at 4 am instead of sleeping to hide them from my family but you have all of the ability to connect facts of a block of concrete) but bushido demands that i at least put in a good faith effort. here is adderleaf (better man than i will ever be)(still designed for me not to care about her) she is a cat and a nun and in no way shape or form actually the semimythic personage rabbi akiva. to better hide this fact although i know you are a gentile on the treife internet and would never guess in ten whole aeons i will put effort into making her as much just a guy as possible

all of which could have been avoided if i could have been any amount more selective about who i wrote with as a child but thats just the way the bones fall isnt it, anyway be nice to weird kids or whatever idk. so glad no one has to jump through these hoops anymore and most kids nowadays arent like calculating how not to burn the few and fragile bridges they have

[heretherebedork]

Rank your favorite Only Friends from your favorite to...well shitty one. And explain cause you just explain it so much better. (I know Atom is on that deep sea below after what we have witnessed.)

Oh, man, this is so hard. Mostly the top. The top is hard. The bottom is easy.

Okay. Let me try.

Boeing. Look, he is nothing but drama and trouble and I love him. He walked in looking so sweet and like he was going to be the best queer platonic friend and then he lit everything on fire and is going to fan those flames with his lips. Love him, love his wrongs.

Boston. My problematic child. I love him so much. He wants to have casual sex and he's afraid of making connections because he knows he's leaving and he has his very own moral code that doesn't always reflect the rest of the world but does reflect him and he is constantly being judged by the people around him for daring to be a promiscuous gay man and while he has done his fair share of gay wrongs he's done far less than he is accused of.

Sand. My beloved boy who deserves so much. He gave back the money that he was given to help Ray because he loved Ray too much to accept money knowing how much it would hurt Ray and he didn't have a chance to defend himself but he still loves that mess of a man so much but he loves his friends as well (friends being Nick) and he's mostly just doing his best not to drown.

Ray. The problematic babygirl. I love a broken little rich boy. I always do, I always will. The one person in the room who feels the least loved and acts out because there's no other way to get attention or love or affection and who latch onto whoever shows them kindness but doesn't know how to show kindness or love in return because he's never felt worthy of it and so throws money at everything hoping it'll keep people there but hates it all the more for keeping people there because it proves how useless he is.

Dan. The darling green flag. I'm sorry I joined in other people in doubting you, I wasn't sure how to disagree at the time and you turned out to just be a sweetheart. I appreciate that. I feel bad that you won't get the boy and that Jojo is unlikely to give me NickDanBoston because that is my new ideal... but still. You get to be here!

Nick. The red flag sexual. This boy. I really do love him but I also fear for him. He is a disaster. He is a danger to himself and others and the only person he should date is Botson. No denials. No hesitation. Just... date Boston, child, he is exactly who you want to date.

April. Also in the show. She's got no screen time so I've got no reason to hate her but also no reason to love her. But she's sweet and seems like a good communicator?

Top. The one who's trying too hard. I am kind of indifferent to Top. He is... fine. Like, I am not emotionally invested in him at all, frankly. But he's fine. I kind of hope he realizes that he should move on from Mew and maybe, like, find someone else or just exist as single for a bit? Because the way Mew treats him is not exactly ready for a second chance.

Mew. The sanctimonious one. I spent the start of this show hoping that Mew would be manipulative only for him to just turn out to be judgemental instead. That's much less interesting. And much less enjoyable to watch. He thinks he's so much better than all his friends and Top and even Boeing. He thinks he's always right and that his moral code is the Only Good One and his worry for his friends is rarely expressed kindly or with empathy. I don't like him that much but I'm mostly just bored by him. Also, he should have known Boston wouldn't blackmail anyone considering how someone was actively blackmailing him and that Mew knows that Boston's sex life being revealed is something he doesn't want.

Cheum. The really sanctimonious one. The mean girl who thinks she's a mom friend. I just... don't like her. I really don't. I think she thinks she's better than everyone around her except Mew and that she holds a lot of judgements against her friends for not living up to her idea of who they should be and that she is not kind or empathetic and that she should, frankly, take a step back and consider kindness and active listening for even a second.

Atom. The fucker. This boy can go to hell. He wants to hurt Boston for doing exactly what he said he was going to do, lied about him and not only lied but made very specific accusations against him as part of the lying because he was hurt. Atom is out to destroy Boston and has basically destroyed his chance at passing this class and could easily set him up for blackmail at this point (exactly what he accused him of.)

There are so many characters.

[wisdomrays]

PROPERTIES OF PERFECT INTENTION: Part 2

Keeping up the initial sincere intention

There is another reason for an intention being better than the deed: a person can be sincere with respect to their initial intention. However, when the deed is being put to practice, other considerations such as showing off to others and taking sanctimonious pride can spoil sincerity. As for intention, it does not face such a degree of risk as the deed does. Since it is a will in the heart, it is not possible for others to see it. For example, one man can say, “I gladly accept it even if God takes my life a thousand times, if only the blessed name of the Messenger of God was honored in these lands.” Even his closest friends cannot exactly know the feeling and the excitement in his heart. Seeing the entire world dark without him, believing that everywhere will gain light with him, feeling agony with this concern, suffering with shame for failing to be true to him, and living with a troubled conscience with this concern—such feelings and considerations enveloped by sincerity in one’s heart have great value in the sight of God, for they cannot be spoiled by sanctimonious concerns of showing off to others. In this respect, it can be said that as these feelings and thoughts inside are not exposed to the destructive effect of negative considerations, God Almighty accepts them as if they were actions carried out, counts them as compensation for the gaps one’s deeds fail to fill, and grants that person eternal bliss in return for them.

People can erase their wrongs and sins through repentance and penitence. However, even if sins are removed, there will be certain gaps in one’s record of deeds. The mysterious capital to fill up those gaps is a person’s sincere intentions, orienting oneself heavenwards, and their intents and wills bound to put into practice. We hope that God Almighty accepts them as if they were actual deeds and fill the gaps in the record of deeds with them, and thus will not let His servant in shame on the day of reckoning. In this respect, great guides gave much importance to intention.

One of the most eloquent invitations for divine providence

As intention is an invitation for Divine help in order to realize the intent, then one should never refrain from making it. In the face of loads of work to do, one should make an intention and begin working, do as much as she can do, which is an invitation of great significance in the name of asking from God Almighty to make it possible to complete the task, instead of waiting idly in hopelessness. Then it is not right for a person to neglect this petty task they are responsible for in terms of apparent causes. People should target great ideals and keep their standards high, at least in terms of their intention. Besides that, when they cannot realize all that they desired to, they should not give in to disappointment, be respectful to how Divine Justice operates, and after having done what they were supposed to, they should wait for the right time to do what remains undone.

Intentions that surpass the available means

Those who fail to do what they planned to do owing to valid excuses beyond their power will be treated in accordance with their intentions. For example, the Qur’an praises the ones who felt sad since they could not find the means for making a contribution to the Tabuk Campaign: “…they returned, their eyes overflowing with tears in sorrow that they could not find anything to spend” (at-Tawbah 9:92). As those who donated for the campaign were praised for their deed, the ones who could not were appreciated for the purity of their intention, depth of their heart, and immensity of their feelings. Referring to those who could not join the army for a valid excuse, who could not find a mount or who had relatives they had to look after, the noble Messenger of God stated, “There are some men in Medina who are with you (on account of their intention) wherever you march and whichever valley you cross…” and gave the glad tidings that they would also have their share of the Divine reward like others. In other words, the noble Prophet meant to say that if they had the same means and conditions as others, they would also join them, practically make the same efforts, and therefore receive the same reward. In one case, the Pride of Humanity even spared a share from war-gains for Uthman ibn Affan, who was unable to join the Battle of Badr for a certain reason, and that distinguished Companion was also counted among the blessed souls who attended the Battle of Badr.

As it is seen, those who cannot realize what they wish to do for a valid reason are excused according to the Qur’an and Sunnah, and they are counted as if they realized their intent. Even during our times, there are various people who serve in different areas of life enthusiastically. They are full of enthusiasm for carrying out the duty that falls on their part. So those people, by God’s grace, will be rewarded as people who strived for a sacred cause. Their intention, determination, efforts, and resolution will meet them in the other world as such a pleasant surprise that most others will not be able to help but envy them for the blessings God Almighty will grant them. For this reason, it is always commendable to cherish high intentions and ideals. It should never be forgotten that a person who aims at and endeavors for the good of their whole nation, is a nation; further than that, a person who aims at and endeavors for the good of the entire humanity, is like a huge humanity.