#books and many other topics about India. His

[corrodedcoffins-blog]

Out Of Your Comfort Zone

masterlist

note: the original ask said fantasy but i dont read fantasy at all, so i went with a silly little romance novel i loved, which i think still displays that opposite thing the anon wanted. so i hope this is okay!!

warnings: my writing while i'm high (rambling that can be disguised as descriptive writing)

word count: 1.2 k

♡ summary: During a bookstore date Y/n's taste in books gets Spencer out of his comfort zone.

♡ Spencer Reid x fem!reader

request ✓

Finally, Spencer had a weekend off, where there was no chance of a case coming in at the last minute. And it’s not like Y/n hated Spencer’s job, she knew he did a lot of good. But it was hard sometimes when they would go a few weeks without sleeping next to each other.

It was the perfect morning to their perfect day, they had just come from a local art exhibit pop-up/farmers market. It reminded Y/n of Notting Hill, of course from the movie but also from when she lived in London while studying abroad. But now the couple was off to the local bookstore, they had looked at the farmers market, but they were all travel books, the irony was not lost.

Them both loving books was what got them to the second date, their first being filled with a debate about ‘modern classics’ and what classifies them. A topic they both clearly had a lot of opinions on as it took up the whole date that they hadn’t asked all the first date questions, so they needed the second date.

Them both loving books was what got them to the second date, their first being filled with a debate about ‘modern classics’ and what classifies them. A topic they both clearly had a lot of opinions on as it took up the whole date that they hadn’t asked all the first date questions, so they needed the second date.

And though their taste in books were quite opposite, there was a small overlap that was home to Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, The Bell Jar, and many others. But that was Spencer’s main area, classics, Y/n only read the feminist classics.

So when they went to the bookshop, the two would split up until Spencer finished looking in his favourite sections, since he could read so much faster than the girl it took her about three times as long to look through the fiction section.

Spencer was making his way to her now, stopping to read the backs of a couple books that interested him, even picking one up to buy. He walked past the isles of the fiction and romance sections, finally coming to a halt at the ‘J’s where Y/n was now. She didn’t even register his presence, too wrapped up in reading the summary of the blue and yellow book in her hand.

Spencer didn’t want to startle the girl, so he walked past her, her eyes rising from the book in hand to look at who she thought was a random person just browsing the store like her, eyes lighting up when she sees it’s Spencer.

“Honey, what’d you find?” She questions, Spencer assumes it was a rhetorical question since she didn’t give him enough time before she cuts in grabbing the second book from the stack in his arms, “I was gonna suggest this one to you! A subscriber said it was really good!”

Y/n was a booktuber, when she told Spencer that he obviously had no idea what that was, but a simple explanation later and he was caught up. And after a year of dating, she finally mentioned him in a video when she was talking about ‘Normal People’ . It was one of the books they argued could be considered a modern classic on their first date. And she mentioned his taste in books and now her followers left recommendations for him in her

comments, mostly on instagram when she posted him from time to time.

“Yeah. I was really impressed with another book by this author, her description of the caste system in India and the impact it has mentally was so moving.” “I remember you reading that. I’m not good at reading those types of books, but I love when you tell me all about them.” Her soft words brought red to Spencer’s checks while he hid his hands around her waist.

Recovering from the girl’s flirting, even after a year he still reacted the same to her words, his head rose from the spot in her neck to look at the book she had been looking at when he found her.

“What did you find?” “Oh, I saw a girl say it was a good book in her review and I want to do a video on age gap books since so many people ask.” Pacing the books over to him when he signalled his hand forward for it, turning it over to read the front, ‘Part of Your Word’ by Abby Jimenez in large letters was written across the front. It wasn’t a fairly large book, it could take him maybe five minutes.

Y/n was now turned to read more titles, stopping at any that caught her eye. All the while, Spencer was stood of to the side reading. It had actually only taken the man four minutes when he checked his watch. Proud of himself, he looks up to see that his girlfriend was apparently watching him, for how long, he didn’t know.

With a smile on his face, he asks, “What?” “Spencer. Did you just read my book? Before I even bought it?” She replied with a hand going to her hip and a jokey tone. “Well, first of all, you aren’t buying it bec-” “Why was it bad?”

Y/n often spoke before thinking, causing her to cut off people, Spencer was used to it he thought it was cute and she always made it her mission to not interrupt when he was really passionate about a topic.

“Because, I’m buying.” “Hon, no you bought last time.” “I don’t mind.” “I do.”

Spencer moved on from this conversation, they both know how it will end. Spencer will in fact pay, Y/n will say he didn’t have to, Spencer would say he doesn’t mind, she’ll say she does mind, and they repeat it when they pay for lunch after the bookshop.

“But I did read it.” “Don’t spoil, but what did you think?” She had watched a couple booktok reviews on it so she knew it was a little spicy, something she knew Spencer didn’t read a lot of, if ever.

“I think it was good. I liked how they talked about family relationships and verbal abuse in relationships, I think it was done well and it brought a lot more sense of realism. And I liked the leads, I relate to Daniel more than I thought, his dedication to making things work.. I won’t spoil it for you but- um yeah. And I liked the setting.”

His words sent a loving smile to rest on the girl’s face, she loved nothing more than to hear Spencer talk. His voice was deep yet not at the same time, and his mannerisms were adorable to her. And hearing him actually read and enjoy a book from the romance section that was written in the last few decades, was a big step for him. He didn’t even know about Twilight when they met.

“I’m glad you like it.” She said, truthfully, “I’ll be sure to mention that in my video.” “You don’t have to.” “You just don’t want Penny to see the video and by extension Derek.”

Their conversation continued while they waited in line, holding each other's hand while Y/n looks up to speak. They were interrupted when it was then their turn, Spencer paying like he said he would, and again at lunch, much to the girl’s disapproval.

“You don’t have to pay.” “I don’t mind.” “I do.”

[gleefullypolin]

Stacy's Tipsy Musing's - Colin Bridgerton Hot Takes – Bonus Question

Ok boys and girls, we need to have a little chat about Colin Bridgerton.

Part 2 has been out now for a couple of days and there have been a lot of hot takes to come out of the season. A LOT of hot takes. I’m going to break this down into 4 parts. 4 questions that I'm seeing really bad hot takes about Colin.

Now none of this is new, I gotta say before Season 3 aired Colin was a hot button topic anyway. He seemed to be the Bridgerton brother that lots of people love to spew hate takes on anyway. But damn I gotta say its painful seeing the Polin fandom have so many bad takes falling from their lips.

So, I figured...having a little drink tonight, sitting down for Father’s Day (Happy Father’s Day, Colin) I’d give you the opinion on some of these takes that you didn’t ask for...Mine!

Last time we talked about Colin’s entrapment statement to Pen and if he truly meant it.  Question 1, Question 2, Question 3, Question 4, now lets get to the bonus question:

I can’t believe Colin was going to just take 20,000 pounds from the Bridgerton funds, he doesn’t even have a job to take money from the family?

I had to hit on this one because I see it so often, this BS about Colin not having a job and taking all the family’s money to travel.

Well first off, at the end of the season, he published a book. Sooooo, that’s his own money coming in now. Also, his wife is Lady Whistledown so I’m pretty sure they are just fine.

But at this point where the conversation comes up, he talks about how he’s going to go to Benedict to get the money (Because Anthony has already left town to go to India for God knows how long). I’m just going to say this once. He is not asking to take the Bridgerton Family money, he is asking to take Colin Bridgerton’s inheritance money out. However, because it is such a large sum, he has to ask Benedict to do it. It’s his money. NOT the family’s money.

I’m just sick of hearing this. SICK OF IT!

Thanks for listening to my musings tonight! I hope you learned something from all my drabbles, whether you agreed with me or not. If you think of any other questions, my ask box is always open!

Happy drinking!

[alpaca-clouds]

What actually is Eco Fascism?

A topic I do not see explained often enough in Solarpunk groups is: What actually is Ecofascism? Basically every Solarpunk group I have ever been to has the rules "No Greenwashing" and "No Ecofascism", but while Greenwashing will be explained quite well, eco fascism often isn't. So please let me explain it to you.

Naomi Klein called it "environmentalism through genocide", which is a very apt description.

In general Ecofascism links the land and its nature to the lands people - or rather the perceived people. Because, of course, for the most part it is a white supremacist ideology (though variations of it have sprung up in non-white countries like Japan), so first and foremost they link colonial land to the white settlers, not the indigenous people.

As such Ecofascism very much started out with someone being appalled by indigenous people taking care of their land, as according to this white dude this did not leave the land in its prestine condition. This dude was a bloke called Madison Grant. He wrote a book about the "Great Race". A book that Hitler later went on to call "his bible". And obviously he was like all for eugenicism and what not.

Now, I could go on and on about the history of it, but really, it is not important.

First and foremost the central believe of ecofascism goes something like this:

There are too many people living on earth right now which is the reason for environmental destruction and climate change. Hence some people need to die to save the planet.

Only certain people (most of the time they mean white people) are abled to properly take care of the environment, while everyone else is destroying it.

To put it very popculturally: Thanos is basically an ecofascist. Which is why the entire "Thanos was right" narrative is so fucking dangerous and why the Russos did horrible by making him sympathetic.

Now, of course Thanos is in so far still just a bit tamer than your average ecofascist, because he is like "equally out of every group people need to die". Meanwhile your typical ecofascists will usually very clearly say: "People from any group that is not my group need to die."

As I said: Most ecofascism is linked to white supremacism. They will usually use arguments about overpopulation and then point to China, India and Africa.

What they of course will ignore in all those arguments is, that a) historically no country has as much emissions as Europe and the US and b) that the richtest 10% of humanity emits more CO2 and other environmental pollutants than the poorest 50% combined. So, as long as the "killing too many people" does not involve those top 10%, it is not gonna make much of a ditch when it comes to the environment.

Additionally to those genocidal ideations, it basically also has the unscientific idea, that the only way to take care of nature is to leave it alone and in a "prestine" condition. Which often leads to more natural desasters and completely forgets that humans are, indeed, a part of nature.

So, yeah... It is basically just is white supremacy paired with capitalism and eugenics.

It is shitty as fuck. So, please, call it out if you see it.

[somerabbitholes]

Books you would recommend on this topic? Colonial, post colonial, and Cold War Asia are topics that really interest me. (Essentially all of the 1900s)

Hello! An entire century is huge and I don't quite know what exactly you're looking for, but here we are, with a few books I like. I've tried organising them, but so many of these things bleed into each other so it's a bit of a jumble

Cold War

1971 by Srinath Raghavan: about the Bangladesh Liberation War within the context of the Cold War, US-Soviet rivalry, and the US-China axis in South Asia

Cold War in South Asia by Paul McGarr: largely focuses on India and Pakistan, and how the Cold War aggravated this rivalry; also how the existing tension added to the Cold War; also the transition from British dominance to US-Soviet contest

Kennedy, Johnson, and the Nonaligned World by Robert B. Rakove: on the US' ties with the Nonaligned countries during decolonisation and in the early years of the Cold War; how US policy dealt with containment, other strategic choices etc

South Asia's Cold War by Rajesh Basrur: specifically about nuclear buildup, armament and the Indo-Pak rivalry within the larger context of the Cold War, arms race, and disarmament movements

Colonialism

India's War by Srinath Raghavan: about India's involvement in World War II and generally what the war meant for South Asia politically, economically and in terms of defense strategies

The Coolie's Great War by Radhika Singha: about coolie labour (non-combatant forces) in the first World War that was transported from India to battlefronts in Europe, Asia and Africa

Unruly Waters by Sunil Amrith: an environmental history of South Asia through British colonial attempts of organising the flow of rivers and the region's coastlines

Underground Revolutionaries by Tim Harper: about revolutionary freedom fighters in Asia and how they met, encountered and borrowed from each other

Imperial Connections by Thomas R. Metcalf: about how the British Empire in the Indian Ocean was mapped out and governed from the Indian peninsula

Decolonisation/Postcolonial Asia

Army and Nation by Steven Wilkinson: a comparative look at civilian-army relations in post-Independence India and Pakistan; it tries to excavate why Pakistan went the way it did with an overwhelmingly powerful Army and a coup-prone democracy while India didn't, even though they inherited basically the same military structure

Muslim Zion by Faisal Devji: a history of the idea of Pakistan and its bearing on the nation-building project in the country

The South Asian Century by Joya Chatterji: it's a huge book on 20th century South Asia; looks at how the subcontinental landmass became three/four separate countries, and what means for history and culture and the people on the landmass

India Against Itself by Sanjib Baruah: about insurgency and statebuilding in Assam and the erstwhile NEFA in India's Northeast. Also see his In the Name of the Nation.

I hope this helps!

[therealdesitalk]

hi!!! since we're questioning stuff, i wanted to say this, it's been on my mind for a while now.....

what is bollywood trying to do making AND promoting films like 'animal' and 'kabir singh'?????

they are clearly promoting toxic masculinity and violence which is affecting the public sooooo much......and they got the nerve to defend it as well????!!!!!

there are sooooo many films now which promote violence......ranbir kapoor is an excellent actor, yet it's sad to see his most successful film was 'animal' and not 'barfi' which is actually touching.....you know why?? because this is exactly what people want to see, violence, uncontrolled rage and madness......

the uneducated section of the society is very influenced by this and this is pretty well known, then why make films like this???

why not make more films on moving topics THAT ACTUALLY FUCKING MATTER and cause people to change their mentality????

people are much more affected by movies than by books, especially in our country, where sadly, a large population still does not have access to books and education.....what's worse is that learned and educated people also don't actually fucking care and promote this kind of bullshit......

please share your opinion and also reblog.....i wanna hear more about this from different people as well......

Thanks for reaching out i appreciate you taking the time to ask a question, And i am happy that every girl is asking such questions to support each other

So namaste everyone

In my view many directors in India focus on making movies that make a lot of money. These movies often include things like sex, violence, and negative portrayals of women which have been popular for a long time. Unfortunately people have gotten used to these kinds of movies and directors care more about making money than about the impact their movies have on society however not all directors are like this. Some directors want to make movies that show women in a positive way It's important to support these directors and their movies so that we can have more respectful and inclusive films. But people don't give much attention to good movies if we create good marketing of good movies and make their good scenes go viral on the internet maybe it's possible that more people will watch good movies This way directors will also realize that people's preferences are changing

The Impact of Such Movies : Movies that glorify toxic masculinity and perpetuate misogyny can have a detrimental impact on society. They reinforce harmful gender norms, normalize abusive behavior and contribute to the marginalization of women. Additionally they can influence audience perceptions and attitudes shaping societal beliefs and behaviors. It's crucial to critically examine these movies and engage in discussions about their implications while also advocating for more socially responsible and inclusive storytelling in the film industry.

👉🏻 So Let's Jump On Some Questions 👈🏻

Why Male Directors Make Such Kind Of Movies?

Male dominated industry : The Indian film industry is largely controlled by men. This means that the stories being told are often filtered through a male lens and women are frequently portrayed in one dimensional or stereotypical ways.

Audience demand: There's a perception that a large section of the audience prefers these kinds of films. Masala movies with over the top action romance and violence have long been a staple of Bollywood and filmmakers may be reluctant to deviate from this formula for fear of losing box office revenue.

Societal factors: Sexism and misogyny are deeply ingrained in Indian society nd this is reflected in the films that are produced. Films often mirror and reinforce existing social prejudices making it difficult to break the cycle

👉🏻 So, What Can Be Done To Reduce Sexism In Indian Films?👈🏻

Encourage more women in filmmaking: Increasing the number of women in key decision making roles, such as directors, producers, and writers, can help bring about a more balanced perspective in films.

Because guys! if movies are made from a female perspective there will be significant changes seen in the movie industry so encourage your friends and cousins to talk about these things

Make Everyone Aware! Aware! Aware! :

If someone in your house talks about movies like "Animal" and "Kabir Singh" and says it's just a movie sit down and explain to them that what you watch is not normal. Even if you receive negative feedback you know what your job is - make everyone around you aware of this issue. Don't let these movies be normalized which people have modernized.

Take Advantage Of The Internet : Promote Media Literacy educate the public through internet especially young people about media literacy and critical thinking skills teach them to analyze and question the messages portrayed in movies on Instagram, Twitter (X) Reddit , Facebook , Blogs including recognizing and challenging harmful stereotypes and representations

👇🏻👇🏻

Last note : And we should keep hyping movies like women empowerment on the internet. We have the internet in our hands so let's make good use of it. Otherwise what's the point of sitting and thinking about what's happening in society? Don't just think do something even if it's a small step like what I'm doing with my blog. I know that not many girls will reach it but those who do are a big number for me. So, spread women empowerment movies and their scenes everywhere on the internet whether they are old or not just make them viral and spread awareness through social media and blogs

Thanks everyone. Please Reblog this. 🪷🦢🐚

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

​“The swan was too rich for his taste.”

Re @jaydeewis's gorgeous artwork illustrating a meal from Tyrion XII, ACOK, @daenerysoftarth wanted to know why the roast swan appeared to be unplucked.

And that's actually one of the more interesting details found in some medieval feasts! The nobles were showing off their wealth by the way they served their food-- and one of those ways was to display meats and poultry as the animals appeared in life. You see this in the classic "whole roast pig with an apple in its mouth", but it was also frequently done with fancy fowl like peacock and swan. (Birds no peasant could ever eat-- hunting swans, for example, was poaching, a criminal activity, as even wild ones belonged to the crown.)

And so GRRM has this in ASOIAF, often referring to "peacocks served in their plumage" and similar. But how was this done? Well, it was really almost taxidermy. After the bird was slaughtered, the skin was carefully removed with the feathers intact, the flesh would be roasted, and then they would put the skin back on. (Sometimes with a prop to keep the neck straight, or for the peacock tail.) Yes, putting uncooked skin on cooked meat is terrible re food safety, and, well, this is why you hear about medieval people dying from indigestion. (But what health problems didn't they have.) Still, they were so careful with the process that the display method was called "a subtlety".

Although sometimes they had a little more care re food safety, and would make the peacock or swan meat into a pie, and attach the neck/wings/tail to the pie crust. There's actually a fascinating pair of paintings from the 1600s, after the turkey was introduced to Europe (as part of the Columbian exchange, and the topic of how a New World bird ended up being called "turkey" or "india chicken" in many languages is also fascinating but not the point right now), that shows two different but almost identically presented feast tables, one with a peacock pie and the other with a turkey pie, both "served in plumage":

(both paintings by Pieter Claesz, 1627)

If you're interested in the subject, here's a few sources:

The Inn at the Crossroads, my favorite blog for ASOIAF food (and note if you like swans but don't want to eat a real bird, their cream swans are a delight. Also their recipe book is *chef's kiss*, literally.)

Foods of England

Historic Cookery

Coquinaria

Folger Shakespeare Library

And for more food, my asoiaf food tag has various artworks and metas and recipes. Enjoy!

[thebaffledcaptain]

Kanhoji Angre: the 18th-Century Maratha Admiral, Pseudo-Pirate, and All-Around Badass

So this post got more notes than I expected it to, so I figure I may as well follow through on my promise to make a post about him! You want to know about the aforementioned badass 18th-century Maratha navy admiral and pseudo-pirate who repeatedly fended off Western invasion in India? Then you shall. I wrote a paper about this guy, so here we go.

Let me introduce you to Kanhoji Angre. Information is scant on his early life and career—sources tend to disagree about his true origins and we don’t know a lot about his family status, but modern historians tend to trace his lineage to Tukoji Angre, his father, who distinguished himself in the early Maratha navy. We know Kanhoji was descended from a long line of Maratha mariners, which meant he fought in a number of naval raids and became acquainted with naval tactics as he grew up. As an adult, he began hiring out his own fleet to the Maratha navy itself, which, at the time, consisted only of numerous small ships and sought Angre’s heavier armament, which would become essentially the centerpiece of the naval force. In a sense he single-handedly built the Maratha navy into quite a formidable force, becoming Sarkhel, or admiral in 1698, and establishing numerous insurmountable forts along the coast.

Of course, the turn of the 18th century also coincided with growing European colonial intentions in India, and Angre’s presence is well-documented in East India Company records as a nuisance, a pirate, and a warlord in different capacities. To the English, he was a formidable pirate, a scourge to European ships on the west coast of the Indian subcontinent, and a menace to the Company, who suffered significant losses at his hand. Their interactions would eventually escalate into full-on military altercations, and the Company would go as far as to seek allyship with the Portuguese and the Viceroy of Goa, but Angre would remain undefeated throughout his lifetime, which consisted of many other interactions with various Western powers. He was arguably the most powerful maritime figure on the Indian coast by the time he died, but the European primary sources tend to play that down as far as they can for obvious reasons.

But I know you’re wondering—was he, then, a pirate? Well, it depends on who you ask. While Kanhoji Angre did, in certain ways, engage in actions that could be considered piracy from an English perspective, he still operated by a clear code of conduct. One account from 1716 tells of an interaction during which Angre detained an East India Company ship to determine whether they had a pass from the governor of Bombay, with whom he was bound to a nonaggression agreement, but otherwise did them no harm when he discovered they did. On the other hand, that same account quickly makes sure to mention how Angre would pursue vessels from Madras and Calcutta, the governments of which he had no agreements with. In the words of Patricia Risso in her excellent article about the topic, Angre “did not share the English legal definition of maritime violence,” which led to the inevitable branding of him as a pirate by the British, despite the fact that he did operate legally in accordance with those with whom he had such legal agreements. Whether this makes him a pirate or not is ultimately a matter of perspective, but in my humble opinion it certainly does not make him less cool.

Regardless of his status as a pirate or a military leader, Kanhoji Angre is a fascinating, highly overlooked, and pretty damn awesome figure in maritime history, and it’s a shame we don’t have more information on him. If you’re interested in more of the primary source material, I’d recommend checking out Clement Downing’s A Compendious History of the Indian Wars: With an Account of the Rise, Progress, Strength, and Forces of Angria the Pyrate, published in 1737 (free on Google Books!), for one such English perspective, which is the source I based my initial paper on. This is mostly my excuse to infodump about a guy I think history Tumblr would love, and who stands to be appreciated more for being an interesting dude and an all-around badass.

[study-with-aura]

Thursday, March 21, 2024

I should be able to finish my current book tomorrow, but pictured is the book I will read next. It's a graphic novel, so it should only take me a couple of days at most.

It was interesting however comparing what I had planned to read next with something I read today as part of my studies. Hungry Ghost apparently dives into the topic of eating disorders according to the description I saw before adding it to my list. In the article I had to read today about self-control, I felt frustrated with how the writer of the article described self-control or lack thereof.

TW (eating disorders, disordered eating, religion):

The writer attributed gluttony, one of the seven deadly sins, to a lack of self-control. The writer is also a pastor at a church and went into how he could not even control his "idolatry worship" of food (gluttony) and he was called to lead the people at his church. It was very focused on how eating too much is a sin and it's a lack of self-control, when I know that for many, it is because of emotions or even physiological needs due to something being out of holistic alignment. It also made me worry that others who use this curriculum and take this course who may have issues with their weight whether that be because they are considered clinically overweight or obese or because they have an eating disorder could potentially make things worse for them mentally. I don't have an eating disorder, but I know someone in my dance class who went inpatient for one at the children's hospital a couple of years ago. Something about the article did not sit right with me, and whether it was the whole lack of self-control being a sin thing (which I personally do not believe in the case of many people who are considered above their "ideal" weight) or the whole good food bad food nonsense that was littered throughout the article, I'm not sure. Perhaps it was both, especially since eating disorders are often about control in some manner and can deal with the labeling of food as good or bad.

Article link

Tasks Completed:

Geometry - Learned to construct equilateral triangles, squares, and special angles + practice + honors work

Lit and Comp II - Reviewed Unit 21 vocabulary + read the first part of chapter 42 of Emma by Jane Austen

Spanish 2 - Copied new vocabulary

Bible I - Read Judges 16

World History - Read about Sigmund Freud + answered questions + completed the Nationalism in China, Turkey, and India assignment

Biology with Lab - Read and watched videos on how biological clocks indicate recent creation (creationist perspective)

Foundations - Read more on self-control + read another article displaying media bias + read a short scholarly paper about errors in history textbooks

Piano - Practiced for two hours in one hour split sessions

Khan Academy - None today

CLEP - None today

Streaming - Watched episode 3 of Life on Our Planet (evolutionist perspective)

Duolingo - Studied for 15 minutes (Spanish, French, Chinese) + completed daily quests

Reading - Read pages 282-330 of House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Chores - Put away the dishes + took the trash out

Activities of the Day:

Personal Bible Study (Proverbs 16)

Ballet

Pointe

Journal/Mindfulness

-

What I’m Grateful for Today:

I am grateful for being able to see how beautiful nature is.

Quote of the Day:

The voice of the intellect is a soft one, but it does not rest until it has gained a hearing.

-Sigmund Freud

🎧Prelude in G sharp minor, Op. 11 No. 12 - Alexander Scriabin

[sukibenders]

no Edwina is married to an Indian and lives in her hometown in India, free my girl from the inbred prince who’s best characteristic is being “nice”, you losers clinging onto that white man when it’s canon she’s happy living her best life with a desi is sus af, I know what you are

Well, unless it was stated differently in s3 pt 2 (which I haven't seen except for small clips, none of which involve Edwina) then I stick by my point. Mr. Bagwell hasn't even been added or mentioned in the show, if that's who you are referring too (again, haven't seen s3 pt 2). I've shipped Edwina with a variety of characters, whether it be from Eloise to Friedrich or the original guy she marries in the books (who I also headcanon as Desi even if I don't talk about him much on this app) to Marina to even other random ocs, but Friedrich was the just main guy. It was never about race in hindsight but more because I wanted her to be a princess, which she deserves. It's kind of sus that, from all I've posted which was merely just fun headcanons, you thought it was something it wasn't. 🤔

I don't even know why you even came here being rude about a headcanon that, on one spectrum, is purely for enjoyment and on the other, about giving Edwina the respect she deserves (most of the Fredwina fans I interact with give her more development following s2 outside of even mentioning Friedrich, so it's not as if her whole persona is now revolving around this yte man). If you don't ship them, that's fine and, to be honest, I would have even enjoyed to see who you paired her with (because other people I follow sometimes ship her with someone outside the prince as well, not everyone has to like him) until you decide to get hostile and refer to me, and others, as "losers". If you don't even ship them, then why not block the Fredwina tag altogether? I know what you are, apparently.

I get not liking or really caring for Friedrich, as most of his character showwise is very simple and what is added comes from the fandom headcanon itself. You're entitled to that. But don't come to my page and try to write off something that brings me joy and amusement occasionally as something it's not, just because it doesn't suit your fancy. Is there a trope in fandom that happens with placing black and brown women with a yte man, especially in historical pieces, and the many murky, gross things surrounding it? Yes, I can acknowledge that and, in a way, see your apprehension for it in that manner. However, which you would see if you've even looked through my blog especially in regards to Fredwina instead of immediately writing it off, the ship itself does not fall into that trope (most from what I've seen and interacted with, so if you found something else then please share) and many of the Fredwina fans that I know have actively taken the time to display the importance in Edwina's heritage rather than write it off (I also literally have post that call out the show itself for how poorly it handled certain topics like this, so why would I be backing a ship that holds the problems that you so claim? 🤨) Again, if you don't ship them that's fine, but don't try to paint it (and random people you don't know with little evidence) as something it's/they are not. Have a good day.

[mfaunlv]

Here They Come!

Meet the Incoming Class

PhD/ Black Mountain Institute Fellows

Krista Diamond (Nonfiction)

Krista Diamond's essays and fiction have appeared in or are forthcoming in The New York Times, Slate, Hazlitt, Longreads, Catapult, Joyland, TriQuarterly, Beloit Fiction Journal, Porter House Review, and elsewhere. Her writing has been supported by Bread Loaf, Tin House, Sundress Academy for the Arts, and the Nevada Arts Council. In 2022, she was writer-in-residence for Desert Companion Magazine for whom she wrote a series of essays about Las Vegas lore. Her essay 'That Girl is Going to Get Herself Killed' was recorded by Oscar-nominated actress Naomie Harris for Curio. Prior to moving to Las Vegas, she worked in the national parks. She has an MFA in fiction from UNLV and is looking forward to continuing her journey at UNLV where she will be happy to offer personalized recommendations about desert hiking and Las Vegas tiki bars.

Arpita Roy (Poetry)

Arpita received her MFA in Poetry from George Mason University, where she was the Thesis Poetry Fellow for 2023-24. She has been awarded Cheuse Center Travel Fellowship and Bread Loaf Katharine Bakeless Nason Award. Her work can be found in Thrush, Psaltery & Lyre, Couplet Poetry and X-Ray. Arpita is from Kolkata, India.

Fiction MFA

Gustavo Alvarenga

Gustavo Alvarenga is a Salvadoran born writer whose cultural background and strong family bonds play heavily into his fiction. He was raised in the suburbs of Northern Virginia but moved to Las Vegas during his sophomore year of high school when his parents relocated for work. He worked as a technician in the telecom industry for over a decade before deciding to switch careers and commit fully to the art of writing. He enjoys board games, hikes with his dog, rainy days, snowboarding, rock climbing, and meeting new people.

Jade Bailey

Jade Bailey grew up in Kansas. After completing a BSc in Anthropology at the University of British Columbia and an MSc in Applied Social Research at Trinity College Dublin, she worked as a social researcher in Dublin, Ireland. She is pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at UNLV.

Shayla Felix

Shayla Felix (She/her) is a disabled writer born and raised in Seattle Washington. She originally attended Eastern Washington University but later transferred, completing her BA in English with a Creative writing Emphasis at Western Washington University. Most of her writing focuses on hybridity with topics orbiting around Magical realism, feminism, nature, and self-identity. Some of her favorite pieces that she’s written appear in Voidspace_, Quarter After Eight, and Cold Mountain Review. She also hopes to travel to all 50 states one day.

Julia Lu

Julia is a fiction writer currently living in Houston, Texas, where she was born and raised. She studied film production in college. Julia enjoys cooking and baking, taking walks, and picture books. Her favorite season is summer.

Izuchukwu Udokwu

Izuchukwu Onyedibiemma Udokwu is a Nigerian storyteller. His work has appeared on LOLWE, Kalahari Review, AFREADA and others. He was shortlisted for the 2020 K & L Prize. His shortlisted story was published in an anthology of speculative fiction on Africanfuturism, Black Skin No Mask. He lives in Lagos, Nigeria, where he is a fashion designer and an interior designer, and still makes time to read and write stories.

Poetry MFA

Hüseyin Arıkan

Hüseyin Serhat Arıkan is an immigrant and poet from Ankara, Turkey. He earned his BS in Political Science from METU. He's excited to have his second collection, "Firar Folkloru" (The Folklore of Escape) published in Turkey this year. He is a progressive rock enthusiast and he can't manage to maintain a streak in Duolingo.

JM Huck

JM Huck is coming to creative writing with a background in visual art. She studied photography, printmaking and textiles at many schools in New York City, where she lived for eight years. JM spent three years teaching English in Japan, and she grew up a "third culture kid," graduating from an American High School in Italy. She has been placemaking her whole life and is happy to call Nevada her current home. Huck's undergraduate degree is in Economics from Agnes Scott College.

Seth Kleinschmidt

Seth Kleinschmidt is a poet from rural Wisconsin. Hailing from Lorine Niedecker's hometown, he proudly champions the Midwest in his poetry and is currently at work on a collection of sonnets about the Black Hawk War. He graduated with a degree in literary arts from Brown and has worked in the radio industry, both on and off the air, for fifteen years. Seth arrives in Las Vegas from Washington, DC, and in free moments plays soccer, bakes pies, and browses adoptable cats.

Lindsay Loughin

Lindsay Loughin is a nonbinary bipolar poet and essayist born in California and raised everywhere else. At one point a US Marine, and at another a high school marching band instructor, their current boss once said their resume looks like a fake person. They live with their two cats, collect cassette tapes and N64 games, and have a complicated relationship with the Oxford comma.

Non-Fiction MFA

Anesce Dremen

(photograph is courtesy of a collaboration with Balvinder Singh)

Anesce Dremen is a U.S. writer and educator often found with a tea cup in hand, traveling between the U.S., China, and India. A first generation college student and domestic violence survivor, Anesce studied in four cities in China with the support of the Critical Language Scholarship and Gilman Scholarship. She was a 2022-23 Fulbright-Nehru ETA in India. Anesce’s work has been published in Stillhouse Press, Gordon Square Review, SPAN Magazine, Tea Journey, Persephone’s Daughters, The Bombay Literary Magazine, Tiny Spoon, and Shanghai Poetry Lab, among others. Her work can be found at AnesceDremen.com.

Taylor Wright

Taylor Bradley Wright graduated from the University of Iowa with a BA in Playwriting before moving back to Los Angeles and founding a non-profit production company: 48 Hours Theatre. She's written and staged multiple original works, including A Dead Rabbit, One by One, and When the Lights Go Out, and was a 2023 finalist for the Dramatists Guild Foundations National Fellows program for her play, 1976: A Motel. For the past decade, she's been working event logistics, publicity, and talent relations for large-scale events across the country, including the Oscars, The Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival, and over 100 film premieres, luncheons, screenings, and galas. She published her first novel, There's No Place Like House, in 2021 and has travelled from The Tattered Cover in Denver, CO to Prairie Lights in Iowa City for live readings and book signings. Her next book, Los Angeles: A Eulogy, is forthcoming. She is over the moon to be moving to Las Vegas with her banjo-playing husband and rescue pup, Olive, this summer to start this new chapter as a grad student at UNLV.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Richard V. Reeves

Published: May 24, 2023

One hundred and fifty years ago this month, John Stuart Mill died in his home in Avignon. His last words were to his step-daughter, Helen Taylor: “You know that I have done my work.”

He certainly had. During his 66 years of life, Mill became the preeminent public intellectual of the century, producing definitive works of logic and political economy, founding and editing journals, serving in Parliament, and churning out book reviews, journalism and essays, most famously his 1859 masterpiece, On Liberty. Oh, and he had a day job, too: as one of the most senior bureaucrats in the East India Company. 

What is too often forgotten about Mill is that he was as much an activist as an academic. Benjamin Franklin exhorted his followers to “either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” Mill, like Franklin himself, is among the very few who managed to do both.

For Mill, liberalism did not only have to be argued for, it had to be fought for, too. He campaigned for women’s rights and was the first MP to introduce a bill for women’s suffrage into Parliament. He was a fiercely committed anti-racist, strongly supporting the abolitionist movement in the United States, and the North in the Civil War. Mill also led a successful campaign for the right to protest and speak in London’s public parks. In Hyde Park, the famous Speaker’s Corner stands today as a tribute to his victory. 

And unlike many of his 19th century peers, Mill’s thought remains vividly topical even today. In fact, Mill is more in the spotlight now, and more needed now, than he was two decades ago. My own book about Mill was published in 2007 and although it received polite, even somewhat enthusiastic notices in the right places, back then, the case for liberalism, which Mill still makes better than any other, hardly seemed like a pressing concern.

What a difference a decade can make. On every front—economic, political, philosophical, cultural, the very idea of liberalism is being questioned, and threatened. Here I’ll just take on two of the challenges to Mill’s variety of liberalism: a growing skepticism of the value of free speech, and post-liberal attacks on liberal individualism.

Why does free speech matter? Mill believed that the pursuit of truth required the collation and combination of ideas and propositions, even those that seem to be in opposition to each other. He urged us to allow others to speak—and then to listen to them—for three main reasons, most crisply articulated in Chapter 2 of On Liberty.

First, the other person’s idea, however controversial it seems today, might turn out to be right. (“The opinion … may possibly be true.”) Second, even if our opinion is largely correct, we hold it more rationally and securely as a result of being challenged. (“He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that.”) Third, and in Mill’s view most likely, opposing views may each contain a portion of the truth, which need to be combined. (“Conflicting doctrines … share the truth between them.”)

For Mill, as for us, this is not primarily a legal issue. His main concern was not government censorship. It was the stultifying consequences of social conformity, of a culture where deviation from a prescribed set of opinions is punished through peer pressure and the fear of ostracism. “Protection, therefore, against the tyranny of the magistrate is not enough,” he wrote. “There needs protection also against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling.”

Mill never pretended that this would be easy, either at a personal or political level. The humility and openness that is required is hard-won. Our identity as a person must be kept separable from the ideas we happen to endorse at a given time. Otherwise, when those ideas are criticized, we are likely to experience the criticism as an attack upon our self, rather than as an opportunity to think about something more deeply and to grow intellectually. That’s why education is so important. Liberals are not born; we have to be made.  

That’s why it would be a good idea for all students to read Mill’s arguments for free speech (and there’s even a free illustrated edition, titled All Minus One available from Heterodox Academy, edited and with an introduction from Jonathan Haidt and myself, which I’ve drawn from a little here.)

Mill has become relevant again as the primary intellectual target for post-liberal scholars like Patrick Deneen and Adrian Vermeule. For them, Mill’s writings are the headwaters of an atomistic, anti-institutional liberalism that has led to a hollowed-out culture.

In his influential book, Why Liberalism Failed, Patrick Deneen is clear that Mill is the principal villain. “Society today has been organized around the Millian principle that ‘everything is allowed,’ at least so long as it does not result in measurable (mainly physical) harm,” he writes. “We live today in the world Mill proposed. Everywhere, at every moment, we are to engage in experiments in living…”

Yeah, no. That’s mostly not the world we live in. And it is certainly not the world Mill proposed. Deneen accuses Mill of being the “midwife” to a “deeper liberal imperative to equalize individuals' opportunity to be liberated from entanglements with others, particularly from the shared cultural norms, institutions, and associations that bind a people's fate together.”

Crediting Mill as a founder of progressive thought, Deneen goes on: “Progressivism aims above all at the liberation of an elite whose ascent requires the disassembling of norms, intermediating institutions, and thick forms of community, a demolition that comes at the expense of these communities’ settled forms of life.”

As a description of Mill’s moral philosophy this is absolute nonsense. It is of course true that Mill worried about the tyranny of custom. He wanted people to be reflective about the plan for their own life, and the extent to which it was compatible with customary forms of life. The claim that Mill wanted to set a wrecking ball on every custom, every institution, every tradition is one that could only be made by someone who has either not actually read Mill, or who is engaging in some egregious misrepresentation. It’s not even a straw man. It’s just a pile of straw.

Here’s what Mill wrote in On Liberty (with my emphases):

“No one’s idea of excellence in conduct is that people should do absolutely nothing but copy one another. No one would assert that people ought not to put into their mode of life, and into the conduct of their concerns, any impress whatever of their own judgment, or of their own individual character. On the other hand, it would be absurd to pretend that people ought to live as if nothing whatever had been known in the world before they came into it; as if experience had as yet done nothing towards showing that one mode of existence or of conduct, is preferable to another. Nobody denies that people should be so taught and trained in youth as to know and benefit from the ascertained results of human experience. But it is the privilege and proper condition of a human being, arrived at the maturity of his faculties, to use and interpret experience in his own way. It is for him to find out what part of recorded experience is properly applicable to his own circumstances and character. The traditions and customs of other people are, to a certain extent, evidence of what their experience has taught them; presumptive evidence, and as such, have a claim to this deference…”

Mill’s view on tradition and custom, then, is that they are very likely to contain the wisdom of the ages, of the accumulated weight of human experience and, yes, of experiments in living. That’s why it would be absurd to ignore them, and why they have a presumptive claim to our deference. But Mill also insists that we should not follow tradition and custom blindly. We should “use and interpret experience.” Mill believes that customs and traditions not only can change over time, but that they should. The alternative, which is Deneen’s only defensible position, is that somebody somewhere should decide, at some point in time, that our traditions and customs be cast in stone. 

Deneen is wrong about Mill, and thus wrong about liberalism, and therefore wrong about everything.

Even though the post-liberals are unwilling to engage with the real Mill, as opposed to their ersatz version, it is a testament to his lasting value that he is still the primary target. Mill spent his life thinking about and working for a society that could balance the value of continuity with the necessity for innovation and progress. Again, nobody said it was easy, a lesson we seem to be learning all over again. But if we need inspiration, we’ll always have Mill.

==

We forgot to keep fighting for liberalism as, like science, an ongoing process rather than a destination. This blink in attention opened the door for the anti-liberalism of both the post-liberal woke and the pre-liberal religious who want to take it away from us and implement their own particular hellscapes. We got so used to liberalism that we took it for granted and became complacent. When we get it back, we need to learn from this mistake.

[obsessioncollector]

hi peyton 🐇 top 5 classes u've taken and/or top profs u've had 🐚📖

hi celia btw you have SUCH a pretty name!! also this is such a great question!!

my fave class was my 1st year of college RIP, peaked early! it was about the independence movement in India, i took it kind of on a whim bc it sounded intriguing but i didn't know anything about the topic really and it sparked a whole new interest for me! ended up doing my undergrad thesis on something related :))

another great history class i took was about US american intellectual history from the colonial era up to the civil war, it was so fascinating bc i learned so much about the construction of some foundational narratives + ideologies in the US that often go unexamined! it's wild bc i'm from the northeast US so we always learned about the pilgrims in school growing up but there was so much i didn't know!

english... i was almost a history/english double major but then i transferred and i couldn't do both so i just did history :/ i took this great class called something like literature and american citizenship, which focused on views of US american identity. SOOOO many classic books in the syllabus (angels in america! the woman warrior!) and even the ones i didn't really enjoy were really informative to study (such as ben franklin's autobiography and mary rowlandson's captivity narrative)

ok here is my other english pick! my class on Romantic literature... another thing i knew little about! and frankenstein! the private memoirs and confessions of a justified sinner! so fun!

lastly! my one semester of hindi got me the worst grade of my college career LOL but it was so worth it!! my professor was the nicest person and he showed us a lot of independent short films from india which were so interesting to watch! plus for whatever reason it was just such a cozy + friendly vibe in terms of the people in the class, it was quite small so i guess we had a sense of camaraderie :)

[scotianostra]

Captain Pugwash creator John Ryan was born on March 4th 1921 in Edinburgh.

Captain Pugwash creator John Ryan was born on March 4th 1921 in Edinburgh.

Born as John Gerald Christopher Ryan in Rintoul Place, he was the youngest of four sons of the diplomat Sir Andrew Ryan KBE CMG, who served as consul-general to Morocco and was later British minister at Jeddah and in Albania. His uncle was the Archbishop of Trinidad. and Tobago Ryan spent his early years in Turkey and Morocco before returning to Britain, where he was educated at Ampleforth College Boarding school. His first cartoon was in the school magazine when he was just 9.

During the Second World War he served in the Lincolnshire Regiment in Burma and India, achieving the rank of captain. After being demobbed he studied art at the Regent Street Polytechnic, London.

He then worked as assistant art master (and later art master) at Harrow School, during this period Ryan began contributing strips to children’s comics such as the Eagle, Girl and Swift.

His best-known creation, Captain Horatio Pugwash – skipper of the Black Pig and “the bravest, most handsome pirate of the Seven Seas” – first appeared in the launch issue of the Eagle on 14 April 1950. Set in the 18th century, the strip’s full title was “Captain Pugwash, the Story of a Bad Buccaneer and of the Many Sticky Ends which Nearly Befell Him”. The portly, cowardly and conceited Pugwash, with his moustache and goatee beard and skull-and-crossbones hat, would frequently utter cries such as “Dolloping doubloons!”, “Kipper me capstans!” and “Coddling catfish!” The red-and-black striped shirt which he wore under his blue frockcoat was inspired by Ampleforth College’s football team’s colours. His arch-enemy and main rival in the quest for treasure was Cut-Throat Jake, captain of the Flying Dustman.

I think I should point out, and maybe spoil some peoples memories about Captain Pugwash, there was no Master Bates, Seaman Staines or Roger the Cabin Boy, they are urban myths, it was Tom the Cabin Boy and Pirate Willy, entirely innocent names, the other names are thought to have originated back in the 1970’s in student rag mags, the smutty names, according to Ryan’s father had an upsetting affect on her dad, who she describes as “a very charming and innocent man” The family had to sue some publications after her father’s death when some papers printed the fake names. The family gave money they were awarded to lifeboat charities.

Another series Ryan created, and one I certainly remember when growing u, was Mary, Mungo and Midge. John Ryan also drew topical cartoons for the Catholic Herald for more than 40 years and was the author and illustrator of more than 50 books.

He passed away in July 2009.

[waitingforeddyneddy]

So, I discovered your blog on twitter as I saw someone saying to block you and it made me curious to see what that was about and while I don’t really care about a lot of your opinions, I would like to give me 2 cents on certain topics you’ve touched previously bc you said that people can rant on your blog and it’s hard to find a place to give your honest opinion. So here goes: First of all, I wish people would stop hating on Jonny for his likes and comments. And I say that I someone who doesn’t care for that man. While I don’t buy into the theory that he and Simone hate each other, it’s pretty clear that he doesn’t have a soft spot for her like he does for Phoebe and CC, which is fine by me bc Simone also doesn’t have a soft spot for him like she does for Ncuti and Phoebe. And I absolutely don’t think she supports them only bc she’s friends with them cause I don’t think she’s that close to anyone she’s worked with and keeps her personal and professional life separate. I think she just supports people she really likes just like Jonny and that’s ok. They worked together and then went their separate ways and only engage with people they really like online. It’s mutual. Second of all, there are so many Simone fans who throw her under the bus in order to defend Jonny and it’s sad to watch. There really is no difference in the way they speak about her when defending him and how a hater would put her down if someone said something about their fave like NC or India. I remember the way some people were talking about her when they ss I guess your blog and then a fan pointed out to stop dragging Simone which lead to someone saying that they are defending Jonny from homophobia. Now nobody should tolerate homophobia, but there really was no need to say stuff like ‘they hate him bc he’s booked and she isn’t’ and ‘he’s not the one who told people to not ask questions about his job, she did’. Like hate on the person writing homophobic shit. Why are you dragging that person’s favourite celebrity like a hater would in order to get at them?! And they’re apparently fans of the person they’re dragging! I’m convinced that 97% of Simone/Jonny fans would absolutely choose him over her if they ever had to and it’s sad. I really want her to have her own fans one day. Anyways, rant over!

Hi!

I don't think Simone and JB hate each other, let me tell you the whole campaign "block that person" that started on twitter against me took place because I went against some mean girls of the fandom who thought they held the universal truth in their hands....this being that JB and Simone are besties. I don't think they are, and as you said, they're probably just collegues who worked on a project together and that's it. I do think Simone had a bad experience on that set tho.

you're absolutely correct when you say some people only disguise themselves as Simone fans because the've proven so many times that they're ready to throw Simone under the bus to defend that man when I "attack" him on my blog. If they're so pissed with me is there a reason to joke about Simone state of employment? or to say "I'm a Simone stan but I have no choice but to say this about her..." these are things that happened not more than a month ago, it was said by people who even have Simone fan pages on twitter or instagram. Fucking yikes.

Also don't worry, Simone does have her fans, when her other projects come out it's only going to get better

[aniketsanimationblog]

Hey, it's me, Aniket Dhar!! And Welcome to my Blog - Aniket's Animation Blog!!

I have something to say, which I know, a lot of people don't even know about, but I think it's good to be said before it's too late!! And it's regarding Animation in a Global Scale!!

I reside from India, where Animation has not been great when it comes to original Intellectual Properties (IPs) but great at outsourcing Animation stuffs!! I love Animation ever since I was born and I used to watch a lots of Cartoons and stuff from late 90's and early 2000's!! There were lots of good stuffs we can get from TV, and back then, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and others were used to show good qualities of content, which are now showing bad stuffs of content!! That discussion would be on another day!!

But That's not the topic at all I'm gonna cover!! I am an ardent Animation fan ever since my childhood, watching every single animated content (I mean, Family-friendly animated content, not the adult animation ones) I can consume!! The most vivid memories are from my childhood and there was a show I loved ever since I watched it, and that was Oswald!! Remember, that blue octopus with his pet dog called Weenie, that used to shown on Nick Jr.?? Well, if you remembered, then we're no different!! I used to watch Oswald a lot on weekdays before going to school and on holidays!! That one was my first favorite show at that time!!

I loved the story, the characters and the Opening and Closing Song, which were soothing to our ears!! And Oswald's Catchphrase, "Oh my gosh!!" and referring Weenie as, "Weenie-girl" And Henry, that Penguin, saying, "Great Scott!!", and Daisy, that Sunflower, saying " Wowie-Kazowie", like yeah!! That was great at that time!! But the show was very limited and it was canceled by Nick Jr. themselves!! At that time, Oswald was underrated in the USA. The show never gone up above 26 episodes!! But it gave me so many memories back then!! There are other shows as well at that time, but Oswald was like a guide for me for how to be a Gentleman!! The show itself was a gem!!

Another Animated show, that I think it should be mentioned, and I think it would be incomplete to post is a preschool show, that I adored and loved so much as I loved and adored the same with Oswald, was a Nick Jr. Series, that should deserve to get mentioned, because it was also underrated as well like Oswald, and it should not get Canceled in the first place after 2 seasons run, because a lot of people backlashed the show, despite I loved that!! And that was, none other than, Peter Rabbit

Before Digital Video Streaming Platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video arrived, there was one show that came on TV and that show got me and I was hooked that I can't afford to miss any single episode of this series!! At that time, I was 14 years old watching Nick Jr. (It might sound funny, but the main thing started there)!! I started watching with curiosity, and it turned out to be the great show I can watch!! Peter Rabbit, which came out in 2012, based on the namesake book by Beatrix Potter, had so much thrills and fun and excitement, that I thought, it's my new favorite show after Oswald, I can watch!! The series revolved around Peter Rabbit, a young, mischievous and smart rabbit, who hops on to the adventures in his woods with his adventure-mates and friends, Benjamin Bunny and Lily Bobtail, for exploring something they think, they can achieve!! But they have to face some enemies, who wants to do bad things around them, like Mr. Tod, that fox who wants to eat them, Tommy Brock the Badger, Old Brown the Owl and most dangerous one, Mr. McGregor!! There were also Sammy Whiskers, that sneaky rat, who wants nothing but giving trouble to the main 3 protagonist rabbits!! But All-in-all, the best thing were when Peter uses his late good ol' dad's journal to solve things and whenever Peter and his friends are in trouble, he used to say his father's catchphrase, "A Good Rabbit Never Gives Up!!" And that catchphrase gives me a vocal tonic to not give up no matter what's the situation!! Just Wow!! But sadly, it would've end a great way, but it was canceled after a couple of seasons, making no bidding farewells whatsoever!!

Years Passed, and I was waiting for another show to be on that same enthusiasm and same greatness as I got in Oswald and Peter Rabbit!! But in 2020's decade, yup, the COVID-19 Pandemic happened!! The world was locked down!! Everyone were watching the content they used to watch in their childhood, whether it's on TV or on Streaming Platforms!! A new content before pandemic were consumed on the Streaming Platforms like Netflix and Prime Video as BINGE-WATCHING became the new norm!! There was Streaming war happened when Disney+ arrived during Pandemic, And all that!! But in 2021, something big happened!! The Beginning Year of Paramount+ in the USA!! And at same year, I have access to Paramount+ (US one), to watch Oswald, Peter Rabbit and other stuff as well!! But in October, a new show arrived and that show is now currently my Favorite show that I have to wait every week for new episode to drop in the afternoon!! And surprisingly, it's not a Preschool show, it's a Nickelodeon produced, Paramount+ original, that I think it is the equivalent to Nick's favorite show by the critics back in the 2000's, which was Avatar: The Last Airbender, of course!! But this isn't Avatar: The Last Airbender!! It is, none other than, from A famous and oldest Sci-fi franchise!! Yup, I'm talking about Star Trek: Prodigy

At first glance, I was never a Star Trek Fan in the first place!! And I wasn't a nerdy Sci-fi fan whatsoever!! But I saw some promos of it running on Nick US!! And it was a Paramount+ original!! I watched Star Wars: Visions Anime on Disney+ back then, it was good on its own!! But I headed onto Paramount+ and Star Trek: Prodigy was on the banner of the home screen!! That's why I thought it would be a hit or miss, but I thought it's worth a try!! And it turned out to be really good!! Yeah, agreed, at first, it was a bit of Star Wars-esque, and some animation resembling like Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which I used to watch in my Childhood, but stopped it early out of interest, anyhow!! The show is likely a sequel to the Star Trek series "Voyager", as per the fans of the esteemed franchise say, because it has Kate Mulgrew reprising her role as Kathryn Janeway, the Captain of USS Voyager and main character in "Star Trek: Voyager" Series!! Again I say, I hadn't watched any Star Trek series or movies until I discovered Prodigy in the first place, so I was new to this Sci-fi franchise!!

At first glance, the series premiere episode was good, per se, but others who are Star Trek fans in general, not all of them, but some of them saying and complaining that this is a cheap knock-off of Star Wars and it's an insult to Star Trek (I'll get to them later on), and people are giving negative reviews around it!! But I think, I would continue on, because the negative reviewers were about to quit the show without continuing any further!! After Episode no. 4, I was hooked, because it was serialized!! And when suddenly after Episode no. 6, some negative reviewers were coming back and continuing further!! And I think it was a game changer by the time episode 8 came out!! And for characters, I loved the main characters in Star Trek: Prodigy, which made a great sense to the show itself!! When most of the popular animated series lacked of character development and story arc, Star Trek: Prodigy gained them by using and executing at proper times!! Like Dal R'El, for example!! At first, fans were annoyed around Dal's character in first few episodes, but after Episode no. 6 or 7 onwards, the complaints were gone, and now he is acclaimed as suitable captain of USS Protostar!! Same for Gwyndala aka. Gwyn!! At first, I thought she would do something worst to Dal and his crew, but in episode 5, she changed her mind and she was wrong about Dal and his crew!! And same for Rok-Tahk, the brikar!! And everyone, including the main antagonist, Gwyn's Father, the Diviner!! Great Redemption Arc by the way at the end of season 1!! For USS Protostar's Hologram Janeway and Vice Admiral Janeway of USS Dauntless, voiced by Kate Mulgrew herself, is an icing on the cake!! Throughout Season 1 spanned from late 2021 to end of 2022, I had no problems around this series, making it the best animated series on the Post-COVID era and my another favorite show, except for one, that it's not even creating a big trendsetting buzz, which I think it should deserve that, among Animation Fans, which is a shame!! I'm not talking about those Animation Fans who watched previous Star Trek series or being a Star Trek Fan!! Animation fans should watch this series regardless of being A Star Trek fan or not!! Because, you've got great Animation, Visuals, great set of characters, New and reprising, great set of Voice Actors like Brett Gray (Dal R'El), Ella Purnell (Gwyn), Rylee Alazraqui (Rok-Tahk), Jason Mantzoukas (Jankom Pog), Dee Bradley Baker (Murf) etc. And Great Plot, Character Arc and Redemption Arc , with great designs, giving lessons and values of Starfleet and everything they boldly gone (No Pun intended)!! But Nickelodeon and Paramount+ should've promoted more of it!! I know, second season is coming later this year!! But they should not cancel way too early like what they did to Oswald and Peter Rabbit!! It feels like they're underrated for some reason or other!!

But Why Am I talking these to you?? Because, in the likes of Popularity of a series, we're missing out some gems, which should've been the trendsetting phenomenon in the first place!! All of these are just examples!!

All of them are my favorites and these shows are wonderful on their own!! But, the problem lies when Animation Fans neglect them for nothing!! No disrespect intended, but Star Trek: Prodigy should've been a buzz around animation fandom on a global scale, regardless of being a Star Trek fan or not!! Same would go for Oswald and Peter Rabbit for great classic storytelling!! It's the Animation Audience's fault for not creating a buzz around them!!

I want to ask a question to everyone who loves Animation, who lives in Animation:

Why don't you support such deserving Gem-like series?? If you give that much attention to Miraculous Ladybug, then why don't you give the same amount of attention or more to those Animated Series, which deserve to get Recognition and Love with some media Buzz??

So, that's it for this post!! Sorry for this long post, but I need to get it off of my chest!! I hope, Animation fandom should realize that with time being!!

Thank you so much for reaching to the end of this post!! Peace!!

[zerogate]

Many mystics, even in modern times, claim to be familiar with such an invisible network we humans can tap into. In his Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda recalls a curious and inspiring incident, which occurred as he made a bet with his brother in India (see Yogananda, 2003, pp. 93-101). After his brother Ananta scolded him for being foolish pursuing spiritual goals without backing up his life financially (‘Money first, God can come later!’), the yogi accepted the challenge of completing a journey without taking a single rupee with him, only relying on the Invisible Hand to provide for food and shelter. The brother stated the rules: no begging, no revealing of the situation to anyone, but if he can arrive without ever going without a meal or becoming stranded, he would become his disciple. Paramahansa Yogananda completed the challenge famously, proving for his family that he can sense and use a connection to all-there-is: a connection which sustains his life, helps him to survive and guides his way.

I came across my first suggestive evidence that humans may indeed use an invisible network on a larger scale, while doing research in South Africa. The topic of the thesis I worked on at that time was legal anthropology and as such unrelated, but a human rights lawyer I interviewed told me something unexpected. He was working together with the Sān (or Bushmen) people (the indigenous hunter-gatherers of Southern Africa) on a close, intensive basis. One day the Sān took him on a hunt, during which – the lawyer observed – they always knew in what bush or behind which tree an animal was hiding, even if it wasn’t visible. Their predictions were so accurate that he started asking them about it. The Sān revealed that they felt a vibration in-between their eyebrows when the prey was nearby.

In his book The Lost World of the Kalahari, Laurens van der Post tells of a similar experience he had while hunting with the Bushmen. During this hunt, the Bushmen killed an eland, which was cause for great celebration. They said that the others who stayed behind at the camp will know about the kill by the time they return, because within the tribe they have an inbuilt, natural ‘wire’ (like the telegraph of the white man), which invisibly connects its members. Van der Post describes it as a humbling experience as they marched back and from afar in the dark, long before they were visible to the people home, they could already hear the people home singing the errand song (van der Post, 1962, pp. 236-237).

Other anthropologists who have studied the Sān with an open mind, similarly discovered that for this people, invisible ‘energies’ which convey information and/or power, are a normal part of their socially accepted reality. Anthropologist Bradford Keenly describes how Bushmen believe that there is a ‘silver stream of energy’ extending between them which allows for sending and receiving telepathic messages (Keenly cited by Mauro, 2015, p. 66). Lewis-Williams and Pearce (2004, pp. 104-105), who have done extensive work on San rock art correlating to certain altered states of consciousness, point out that those rock art images are not simply ‘pictures’ to be looked at and admired. They are deposits of a type of energy or power, which a ‘good person’ can access by placing his or her hand on the image.

Anecdotal evidence such as this can be found in abundance, not only with the San people. Loren McIntyre, the iconic National Geographic explorer and writer recalls an incident when he was lost in the Amazon region and ended up living with an uncontacted tribe for months. Even though they could not speak each other’s languages, he became so immersed in their – entirely different – culture that he found access to their ‘second language,’ a type of telepathy which he referred to as beaming (Popescu, 1991). Biologist Rupert Sheldrake has collected over five thousand case histories to illustrate this type of instinctual, telepathic communication. He thinks of this as part of our evolutionary heritage, which used to aid our survival and therefore works best in life-and-death, emergency or distress situations involving intense emotions (Sheldrake, 2004).

-- Jack Hunter (ed.), Greening the Paranormal: Exploring the Ecology of Extraordinary Experience