#I have supporting evidence as well

[killwizard]

I think that the truth about gun control, for better or for worse, is that it is both impossible, unethical, and dangerous to pursue.

1. Yes, gun violence is dangerous, tragic, and often preventable.

2. Firearm creation and acquisition is fundamentally impossible to prevent, and has been since the discovery of gunpowder as a mechanism of projectile propulsion. As technology progresses it will always become easier and easier to access firearms.

3. Any and all hitherto attempts at gun control have been biased, whether intentionally or not, and have resulted in marginalized groups targeted by police violence, and disproportionate armament of white supremacist and other similar groups

4. The potential for organized violence against a governing body by the population they purport to represent is not a tool to be thrown away lightly, and legislated disarmament involves, by necessity, armed enforcement of that legislation, either police or military, which will result both in unjust and imbalanced enforcement of those laws as per the last point, as well as a disarmed and functionally powerless population while armed groups enforce the status quo, a state monopoly on violence.

5. Shootin someone is already a crime, if someone intends to hurt people, and especially if they plan to die at the end, as many of the perpetrators of these acts do, the threat of illegal firearm charges on top of charges for murder simply won't stop them. If someone wants to hurt people, they will find a way.

My question is, why are we addressin violence by targetin specific vehicles of that violence rather than the material conditions that drive people to violence in the first place?

Unethical and sensationalized reportin on mass-shooters inspires copycats, unchecked alt-right radicalization inspires hate crimes, inaccessibility of resources, whether food, water, shelter, medical treatment (including mental health), or money for any of the above leads people to things like robbery, gang violence, or violent mental health crises. Illegality of drugs leads to exploitation and violence throughout their production and distribution, so on and so on and so forth.

Gun control is fundamentally harmful and impossible. It simply will not work, and any attempts have and will disproportionately target, harm, and kill marginalized people. The only option left is to address the material conditions that lead to violence.

[canisalbus]

I have to ask what drew vasco into falling in love with machete?

His snivelling runt ways were just that irresistable.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

On Kurapika's Self-Imposed Isolation

While I recognize that probably everything I'm about to say is going to be super obvious, I just wanted to briefly touch on Kurapika's self-isolation, and the reason behind his not picking up his phone or exchanging anything more than clipped words and business after Yorknew.

I think the obvious answer is that Kurapika doesn't want his friends in harms way, or to be used as a bargaining tool against him. This is an understandable and probably accurate conclusion. After all, Gon and Killua did get taken hostage, and Kurapika was forced to negotiate an exchange. Chrollo picked up on Kurapika's "weakness" right away - that he values his friends' safety before his revenge. Fortunately for Kurapika in this situation, Pakunoda was a whole lot more similar to him than he would've cared to admit, as she placed a value on Chrollo's life even though everyone in the Spider was intended to be replaceable. So, now that he's been through Gon and Killua having potentially gotten killed or seriously hurt, and Chrollo knows that he has a soft spot for them, it does make sense that he would try to push them away for their safety and for the sake of not having an exploitable "weakness" in future. He may also not want to burden them more when they have their own lives to live - he does slip off without telling Gon and Killua for the sake of not distracting them from Nen training, after all.

Except that he already tried all this earlier in Yorknew arc. He tried to tell them they shouldn't get involved, and they all agreed that the risks were massive - but his friends agreed to undergo the risks anyways to help him. Kurapika was even grateful for it - "I have been blessed with good friends."

So, for him to push them away solely for this reason after the fact, knowing that this was very much a likely situation to happen, is a little odd to me. Kurapika knows full well that Leorio would be frustrated, Killua would be offended and Gon would worry. So, I think there's a little more to it than that, and I actually would venture to say that "keeping his friends out of danger" is more a secondary reason for his actions - one that would come across as more of a reasonable excuse to others.

The primary reason is likely a lot more selfish than that. Kurapika has to ensure his mission comes first. And unfortunately, he is fully aware that his path and choice in abilities is deeply self-destructive.

Kurapika needs to make sure that he doesn't have exploitable weaknesses, sure, but he also just as much needs to purposefully worsen his headspace - and he can't do that with those three around.

Think back, what are the happiest moments we see from Kurapika in the series? The one that comes to mind first, and the one I'm sure most of us will think of immediately, is this:

[ID: A screenshot from the 2011 anime adaptation. Kurapika smiles - he looks at ease. End ID.]

It's one of the sweetest scenes of the series imo, right before the whole group is reunited for the first time since the Zoldyck Family arc, and it's even more notable because it comes immediately on the tail end of this...

[ID: Three panels from HxH Chapter 101. Kurapika removes his contacts over the sink. His expression is distant. End ID.]

...and this...

[ID: A panel from HxH Chapter 101. A close up of Kurapika's vacant and furious expression, his eyes wide and dangerous as he says "It might as well be you." Though the art is in black and white, it's apparent his eyes have gone scarlet. End ID.]

...and this.

[ID: A panel from HxH Chapter 101. A distant Kurapika speaks on the phone on a rooftop at night, the cityscape of Yorknew around him dark, but speckled with lights and stars. He says "The Spiders are dead." His face is not visible to the reader. End ID.]

This is, up to this point in the series, Kurapika at his lowest. In contrast to Gon, who is happy to hear that the Spiders are dead already because now Kurapika can focus solely on finding his peoples' eyes, Kurapika... is clearly not happy - and that's because killing the Spiders himself isn't just revenge. It's penance. It's survivor's guilt. Kurapika's powers, which Izunavi even comments sound much like he is chaining himself in the process of chaining his enemies, are oh-so-beautifully prophecied to destroy him - and Kurapika was aware of this from the moment he set off down this path of revenge.

(As a side note, this is why I'm really hoping we see Gon and Kurapika interact again after the Chimera Ant arc - while Gon has always been pretty attentive to Kurapika's emotional state, in Yorknew, he lacks a true understanding of why Kurapika would go so far... but as of now, he understands rage fueled by guilt and grief all too well. I know we're all rooting for Leorio to reach Kurapika, but barring that, I really think Gon could get through to him - after all, they are similar in several ways, and I find it fairly apparent that Gon reminds Kurapika of Pairo.)

But back to the main point here - I do suspect Kurapika expects (if not wants) his revenge mission to destroy him. I think a lot of times, we forget just how young Kurapika is, and how much his character is dictated by honour, and the abandonment of it.

Certainly, he can and will go against his principles for the sake of his mission... yet, almost paradoxically, he's bound to his promise to his fallen clan; a promise to avenge them made in anger.

But Kurapika... doesn't come across as a naturally angry person to me at all.

He seems like the stoic, vengeful type on his initial introduction... and then we get his panic at Gon's recklessness

[ID: A panel from HxH Chapter 2. Kurapika and Leorio wear matching expressions of panic in front of Gon, calling him out for his recklessness. End ID.]

...and his near-immediate forgiveness of Leorio after getting the first inkling of his character - of someone who cares just as fiercely as he does.

And after that point? Almost all through the Hunter Exam? Kurapika smiles so readily at them. He's sharp and funny. He mediates at times, but is stubbornly prideful in others. He's very amused by his friends' antics, and it really does seem like he starts to enjoy himself, with them. And, more than that, he counters Leorio's initial impression of him as an independent loner - on several occasions. He decides to follow Gon because Gon intrigues him. Asides from Gon, it is Kurapika who is the most unwilling to fight each other at the bottom of Trick Tower. Kurapika who makes the first move to team up with Leorio, even though that arrangement benefits Leorio much more than it does him. Kurapika who refuses to abandon Leorio to his fate in the cave, and who checks on Gon after noticing his bad mood. Who was furious enough watching him get beat down by Hanzo that his eyes went scarlet for the first and only instance outside of Spider mentions and Emperor Time. Who quite readily detoured to help rescue Killua.

[ID: Three screenshots from the 2011 adaptation Hunter Exam arc. In the first, Kurapika smiles at a sleeping Leorio. In the second, Kurapika stifles laughter as he pretends he's asleep. In the third, Kurapika has an open-mouthed smile as he acquires the airship tickets for them, Leorio and Gon standing behind him. End ID.]

Look at him! He's so bright! So happy!

...too happy. Too happy to do what he promised himself he would do. And that's his biggest fear, isn't it. Without his rage... what is he left with?

[ID: A panel from HxH chapter 2. A close up of Kurapika's eye as he says "I do not fear death. What I fear is that my rage will one day fade away." End ID.]

Kurapika is far, far less mired in anger when he's with his friends. I actually dare to say that at certain points, he was able to go for lengths of time without thinking much about it - alternating between almost forgetting in one instance and being hit like a sledgehammer on exposure to a reminder in the next. This violent swing is... actually the beginnings of the natural process of healing from loss and trauma. But to Kurapika, who's made a promise to his people's memories, this is not a relief. This is betrayal.

I think that actually scares him, that he can almost picture it. A life beyond his guilt. That he, too, could learn to be happy, even after unimaginable loss.

And so, as Kurapika continues his mission offscreen, finding more and more gruesome reminders of the cruelty inflicted on his people and losing more and more pieces of himself in the process (in his own words, no less), he prioritizes his responsibility to them, and pushes away his distractions. He cannot be a soul at peace until his work is done; he must be in turmoil. He pushes people away who he cares for, and binds himself, and keeps his people's eyes on him, quite literally, because respite, for him, is unacceptable. Perhaps that guilty part of him even hopes, by the end of this, that his soul will be so unrecognizable as to be fundamentally unsalvageable. But the truth of the matter is, or at least what comes across to me, is that Kurapika cares much more fiercely than he hates. He knows what matters most. And for as long as he does, he still hasn't truly lost himself.

[ID: A panel from HxH chapter 350. Kurapika looks down at baby Woble with a gentle, yet complicated expression. The inking is somewhat softer. End ID.]

Kurapika's soul is kind, really. And it wants to heal - but for the sake of his mission, he needs it damaged and bleeding. And so, he forces himself to exist in that pain. All alone.

[ID: A panel from HxH Chapter 344. Kurapika, dressed in a black suit, sits with his back to the reader, looking down at a photo in his hand. He is slumped a little before the church vigil he has prepared, all his clan's eyes lined up in their jars and honoured with flowers and candles. He thinks to himself "There is no home for me to return to... and nobody to welcome me back. I have nothing left." End ID.]

[jrueships]

men can and will talk abt wnba players' looks first and make it sound like they're models and not athletes, but immediately scrutinize and deride women for being fans of men's sports bcs they think they're only in it for the handsome looks and don't value a person's skill outside that, and that's a valid reason for alienating and rejecting their opinion because that's a bad thing to do objectively

[fallenbhaalspawn]

one of the things about Orin that fascinates me is how she definitely is a dedicated bhaalist, but not nearly as dedicated to bhaal and how that's shown in a bunch of little (many unintentional) ways! her outfit being red instead of the traditional bhaalist black (or that weird bronze/gold some bhaalist armor gets), her title of the Red given to her not by bhaal nor fellow bhaalists, but by her cognate doppelgangers, the jewelry she shares with her mother but is worn by no other bhaalists, etc.

even before she says "I did all this for [Sarevok]!" and finding her Helena's corpse in Orin's room even after her mother attempted to kill her, a fact which she is clearly and justifiably caught up in, you can still see the breadcrumbs leading to the fact she is primarily driven by her more direct familial connections instead of her god

[milkweedman]

Whittled a spindle from a birch stick I found at a park earlier. First time getting to work with birch--it's really nice although I think this piece was a little old and had dried slightly too much for whittling, as it chipped a lot. But it spins in the palm well and I'm pretty happy with how it looks. Obviously the spalting is really nice although largely that's not something I have a hand in, other than trying to preserve it rather than cut it away. Every random stick I pick up to whittle has its own thing going on that I have to figure out how to work with if I can to make into a spindle. This one was hard, that's why I'm happy with it even though it's quite a strange and crooked spindle.

The reason I'm holding it in these angles is because it can't rest at these angles, it would roll or fall. This is often the case with my spindles because they are whittled, not lathed. Lathed spindles are uniform on all sides, whereas whittled spindles can be totally different shapes from each angle. So, the cross section of this one is an oval instead of a circle. It also twists at the midsection. I'm fairly certain I got the tip and point aligned, which is what's absolutely key. It will never spin balanced if they aren't aligned, the rest of it is of varying importance as far as I can tell xD. I've been spinning a little on it--it only tolerates very fine yarn (not something I have noticed with my other spindles) but spins incredibly fast and isn't particularly wobbly. I'll try to remember to update whether it becomes unstable with a significant cop on it--if so, that would make this more of a decorative piece. That's okay though, random sticks are free and I enjoy whittling, so occasionally making a spindle that I think is beautiful but not very functional isn't a problem.

The holes in it are from fire ants. Or at least, fire ants were living in them. I'm glad I didn't leave this in the car very long, they don't seem to have started leaving the stick before I disturbed them with my knife and then started knocking them out. I feel kind of bad for relocating them like that. I usually knock stuff out before I leave with it, I guess these ones were very deep, or I forgot.

Anyway, I hardly ever name my spindles but this one is the Crooked Steeple of The Fire Ants

Steeple for short.

Here is what it looked like initially, and much earlier in the day:

[wonder-worker]

Friendly reminder that Francesco Coppino and Prospero di Camulio, contemporaries who were literally getting their information from predominantly Yorkist circles, were both explicitly clear that it was Henry VI who decided to surrender Berwick to Scotland.

Camulio: "King Henry has given away a castle [town] called Berwick, which is one of the keys of the frontier between England and Scotland." Coppino: "[Scotland has] received from the same Henry the town of Berwick, on the frontiers of Scotland, which the Scots have long claimed as their right from the English, as the excellently well furnished guardian of their frontiers, and the place to which King Henry repaired as an asylum after the battle."

The idea that Margaret of Anjou was principally involved in the surrender, or that she was the one who actually made the decision, is based on nothing but assumption. Two direct contemporaries, both speaking of ongoing events as they unfolded, who were both getting information from Yorkist-held England, both clearly believed it was Henry who was responsible for this course of action. Neither of them mention Margaret. Sure, you can argue that it was merely rhetorical, and that they were simply automatically attributing such an important decision to the King rather than the queen - but rhetoric is nonetheless extremely important and helps us understand how historical figures were perceived at the time. Margaret's enemies would surely not have hesitated to broadcast her involvement had it actually been true, and Coppino in particular had shown no qualms about criticizing her in favor of the Yorkists before. If she was genuinely believed to have been responsible, and if the Yorkists were actually claiming that she was at the time, I see no reason why Coppino or Camulio would not have emphasized her role in their letters. What these samples instead indicate is literally the opposite: that their contemporaries - probably including the Yorkists who were putting out the information that Coppino and Camulio reported - actually believed that Henry was the one making the decision. I think it's a very large and very unnecessary stretch to go against actual evidence and claim otherwise by placing the responsibility on Margaret instead.

Additionally, these small samples may also reveal what people at the time - once again including the Yorkists - actually thought of Henry's role in the war on a broader level, away from direct Yorkist propaganda which would obviously and perhaps understandably seek to de-emphasize it: namely, that Henry was perceived as the one making decisions and deciding the courses of action for his own side.

Source: Excerpts from the Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts, Existing in the Archives and Collections of Milan

[fideidefenswhore]

His 'merciful inclination and princely heart' meant he was always ready to 'take pity and compassion on all offenders repentantly crying'. In the case of his daughter, since she was, 'frail, inconstant and easy to be persuaded,' he would be glad to remit some of his displeasure.

The King’s Pearl: Henry VIII & His Daughter Mary, Melita Thomas

[r0semultiverse]

These organizations supporting KOSA going through while claiming they want to help marginalized kids are actually so disgusting to me. The posts they make about Nex is just virtue signaling & words when their actions say let’s make things worse for these children.

I’m gonna be 100% honest, they should keep that kid’s name out of their damn mouths so long as they support KOSA. Like actually fuck you & eat shit. Actions speak louder than words, traitorous scumbags. You don’t care, you care about your stakeholders more.

Your organization can only thrive & exist so long as there’s a problem to donate towards solving. Of course you would support KOSA, you need a problem to keep existing in order to look like the good guys & solve it. Just go mask off & call us slurs & your “customers” at this point, it would be less disgusting than covering it up behind kind words.

[marley-manson]

I have this impression of film analysis being relatively concrete at its core due to its tendency to always come back to the camera as a focal point. Filmic language is almost all about the camera - types of shots, takes, angles, pans, what is focused on, what is cropped out of the frame, how editing ties these shots together, how sound and music can affect the impression of the visual image, etc. You can draw a multitude of conclusions in terms of theme and meaning, but your building blocks being constructed visuals mean they usually don’t leave a ton of wiggle room for interpretation of what we’re actually seeing.

Like I have no doubt in my mind that this shot is meant to be an anonymous soldier on the cross:

This is deliberately framed to only show non-identifying details - blood and green fatigues and boots. This could’ve been a long shot, we could’ve pulled out to view him in his entirety, or we could’ve cut to his face, and if his face was important, we absolutely would have. So he’s not just anonymous, he’s anonymous for a reason, and imo the reason is so he can represent all soldiers. He’s not a soldier, he’s Soldier as a concept. This is essentially confirmed, imo, by the next shot:

with the soldiers on the tables matching the soldier on the cross in their bloody fatigues. No white sheets hiding the bodies the way we usually see operations, just green and red, like the lower legs in the previous shot, in direct visual parallel.

So if he’s meant to be someone specific then Alan Alda fucked up as a director, basically.

Of course, the meaning is still up in the air. It’s as close to facts as I think you can get that the soldier on the cross represents every soldier, but what that means for Mulcahy, well, that’s where more subjective interpretation comes in.

Anyway that poll made me want to kinda say something about my take and why there’s virtually no doubt in my mind about it. Film has a lot of room for interpretation, sometimes even in terms of understanding shots and “reading” the filmic language, but this is a pretty straightforward visual imo. Plus I just like seizing the opportunity for close readings lol.

[2024skin]

Thinking about the gay Mormon kid I met in middle school and how all the other Mormons were convinced he was gay-faking and actually straight

[slyandthefamilybook]

People who jumped to share that propaganda "thank you letter" are now refusing to share articles with actual testimonies from the hostages 🤔🤔🤔

[tofumoons]

why do adult democrats get so pressed when u say neither the democratic or republican party are appealing options in the upcoming election like neither party is prioritizing the health of global and american citizens in their politics and the biggest differnece is how much which party talks about wanting equality and not in their actual desire to pass legislation which creates a more just and equal society.

[pokemonruby]

i know that regardless of whether you're trying to advertise your art or attempt to garner donations (and in my case, my post features both prospects) there's always going to be some ingrate who comes in with the violent urge to bully and condemn minorities because the lives of such pathetic, sad people like that typically aren't rewarding enough to encourage them to do something more productive with their time. i've been down this road before.

although i deleted the post from last night since i don't feel like feeding into the unwarranted negativity that they're doubtless trying to farm given that they evidently are unloved by every person they have ever met and need to vent that frustration somehow, i do apologize for clogging my followers' dashboards but at the same time, i have been taught by my friends and therapist that i need to start actively sticking my neck out for myself some more and take up space even if it is dubbed "annoying," and this is the only endeavor i am truly proud of so i'm going to screech it to the world because i know its worth it, i know it deserves recognition, and that i'm a talented, hardworking person who has sacrificed much to get to where i am today and damn it all, i'm going to be unapologetically loud about it!

not to mention, i just generally need some help. it isn't just about my book (even if it is the main thing that i wish to promote since, you know, that's how marketing works) - i'm severely disabled, impoverished, and stuck living with a historically violent, abusive person and i desperately want out before i end up hospitalized or worse since while it's easy for me to devote myself to my craft, i'm also suffering quietly and extensively behind the scenes and i want to start believing that i don't deserve to live like this - no matter how difficult it is for me to admit that.

[dennisboobs]

come closer i am the most normal glennis enjoyer on this website

i just watched several hours of the podcast and read through transcripts to find the "answer" (informed opinion) to a question someone asked me

[fideidefenswhore]

Despite relentless pressure to acknowledge her illegitimacy, Mary had always held out. But now, under the very real threat that her dear friends would otherwise go to the block for supporting her claim, Mary finally submitted and put her hand to the document that declared the invalidity of her parents' marriage and her own bastardy. The lives of Exeter, Carew, and their allies were saved, if only temporarily, by Mary's sacrifice, but their political influence had been shot.

Henry VIII’s Last Victim: The Life and Times of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, Jessie Childs