#embrace anarchy

[the-angry-acrobat]

[nimrahs]

We work to earn the right to work

To earn the right to work

To earn the right to work

To earn the right to work

To earn the right to give

Ourselves the right to buy

Ourselves the right to live

To earn the right to die

-The Fine Print by The Stupendium

Capitalism in a nutshell. And then people wonder why everyone is miserable like hmm maybe the never-ending work to live to work to live to die cycle and a society constantly driven by shallow consumerism has something to do with it.

[bruqh]

after ep 11 and the marriage contract reveal and seeing a lot of speculation that they are a god of anarchy (already v connected to figs character) i rewatched the scene between her and porter and zara talking about where she gets her powers from fig says about kristen (and cass) “she’s doubt, im rebellion, they go hand in hand” and brennan lays it on thickkk about fig pledging herself to rebellion would also make kristen (and cass) stronger !!!

[astaroth1357]

Dear Diary,

Today, I am steeped in frustration because all of my attempts to character assassinate a certain witty sorcerer have backfired spectacularly. To my eternal vexation, it appears that I have finally discovered his appeal, and it is everything I hate.... I can see his smug smile now...

Mocking me.....

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

i like to believe when shes like 'i was this really brilliant woman' hes actually being genuine bc the self-relationship there would be so pretzel or uhhh möbius strip

the doctor to itself in its own head: bite bite maim kill die can you do anything right the doctor to the next one about to take its place: YOURE GOOD YOURE GOOD ALL THE BEST YOUVE GOT THIS the doctor to itself when it's in another body: HA fucking loser! the doctor about the (pre(pre(pre(however many))))previous one: i loved being you

[rockcandyshrike]

lapels are too small. backbreed them with their bigger ancestral button-up-to-the-neck species so they can keep up with enamel pins. de-chihuahua-fy your lapels.

enamel pins are so big nowadays?? unhealthy breeding practices. smallen them again. for me and my tiny lapels.

[dreadful-luck]

GGS TEAM PAST!!!

[critical-skeptic]

The Necessity of Darkness: Why Eradicating Evil is Neither Possible Nor Desirable

The concept of light and darkness, in its literal and metaphorical applications, reveals an uncomfortable yet irrefutable truth: the existence of one depends on the other. This duality is not just a poetic observation but a functional reality across disciplines—physical, psychological, sociopolitical, and cultural. Attempts to eradicate "evil" not only reveal the futility of such a goal but also risk creating new evils in the process, as history and contemporary events repeatedly demonstrate.

Literal and Physical Implications: Light and Darkness as Interdependent Realities

In the physical world, light cannot exist without darkness. As mentioned, without contrast, light ceases to be meaningful. A universe flooded with uniform light would be indistinguishable from absolute void. This principle of duality applies universally: up requires down, cold requires heat, and light requires shadow. Such contrasts are not flaws; they are features of existence. Similarly, human concepts of "good" and "evil" derive meaning only through contrast. Without one, the other collapses into irrelevance.

This isn't just a philosophical musing; it’s a law of perception and cognition. Darkness defines light. Similarly, "goodness" is only comprehensible in the context of what it opposes. Strip away the concept of evil entirely, and what remains is not perfection but a hollow neutrality—an amorphous existence where the struggle, growth, and triumph that define humanity no longer hold meaning.

The Historical Cycle: Evil’s Role in Sociopolitical Balance

History repeatedly teaches us that attempts to eradicate "evil" often give rise to new forms of oppression or extremism. Look no further than the horrors of utopian experiments. The French Revolution sought to purge society of aristocratic tyranny but devolved into the guillotine’s bloody reign of terror. Communism’s promise to abolish class exploitation birthed Stalin’s purges, Mao’s famines, and the surveillance state. The American push to end segregation and achieve civil rights—a noble and necessary cause���has, in some cases, metastasized into forms of self-parody, where moral policing and public shaming fuel resentment rather than progress.

Evil is not a singular entity to be destroyed but a hydra: kill or cut off one head, and two grow in its place. Even when the moral high ground is held temporarily, the attempt to purge evil often lays the groundwork for new evils born of stagnation, hubris, rigidity, and overreach.

The 1990s: The Last Plateau of Balance

The mid-1990s arguably marked a zenith for progress in many ways. Liberal democracies seemed ascendant. The Cold War was over. Civil rights, women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ acceptance had made remarkable strides. Science and technology were flourishing, with optimism for a connected, globalized future. But this golden period may also have been a false peak. Why? Because we failed to recognize that progress must coexist with imperfection. Instead of consolidating these gains and allowing society to stabilize, we pushed further, harder, and often recklessly.

Identity politics, while initially a tool for empowerment, became a cudgel for division. "Woke culture," rooted in well-meaning awareness, devolved into performative virtue signaling and cancel culture, alienating vast swaths of people who saw their legitimate grievances dismissed as the whining of oppressors. Hyper-self-criticism in the West, particularly in liberal democracies, turned into a flagellation so severe that it emboldened the very forces it sought to suppress.

The Rise of Trumpism, Populism, and Anti-Intellectualism

Into this vacuum stepped Trumpism and its ilk. These movements are not just reactions; they are backlashes—symptoms of a society that overreached in its quest for moral perfection. By alienating large portions of the population through condescension, censorship, and moral absolutism, progressive culture created the perfect conditions for a populist resurgence.

Trump’s appeal lies in his ability to embody the "darkness" that progressives thought they had banished. His shamelessness, his weaponization of grievances, and his rejection of intellectualism resonate with those who feel left behind or vilified by the new cultural norms. He and his movement are not anomalies; they are inevitabilities in a system that sought to erase opposition rather than engage with it.

Worse, the progressive overreach has given legitimacy to older evils—white nationalism, misogyny, and xenophobia—that should have been relegated to history’s trash heap. These ideologies now claim victimhood, arguing that they are the oppressed voices silenced by the tyranny of wokeness, making you look like the opressors.

The Counterproductive Nature of Perfectionism

The attempt to eradicate evil ultimately creates a new form of tyranny. The more we push for a utopia free of darkness, the more oppressive our methods become. Dissent is silenced in the name of moral purity. Rationality and debate are stifled under the guise of protecting marginalized voices. And in the process, we become the very evil we sought to destroy: intolerant, authoritarian, and blind to our own flaws.

Good only holds meaning in the context of struggle. If we eliminate evil—or convince ourselves we have—then goodness loses its luster. Without adversity, there is no triumph. Without opposition, there is no progress. The absence of darkness is not light but a blinding void.

Psychological and Sociocultural Dimensions

Humans are wired for conflict and contrast. Psychologically, we thrive on challenges. Removing all adversity leads to stagnation, boredom, and even despair. This is why even in the safest, most prosperous societies, people create problems where none exist. It’s not enough to be good; we need to define ourselves against something bad.

Socioculturally, the eradication of "evil" would homogenize society to the point of sterility. Diverse ideas and perspectives often emerge from conflict, not consensus. Ironically, the very movements that claim to value diversity often suppress dissent, reducing society to an echo chamber of approved thoughts and behaviors. This intellectual and moral monoculture becomes its own form of evil—one that stifles creativity, innovation, and growth.

Conclusion: Wielding Darkness with Purpose

Evil, like darkness, cannot be eradicated because it is integral to existence. Without it, good loses all meaning, and humanity loses its drive to improve. The quest to eliminate evil is not only futile but dangerous, as it often births new forms of oppression under the guise of righteousness. Evil.

But the solution isn’t to fear or suppress darkness—it’s to wield it with purpose. Instead of stifling progress and silencing debate in the name of virtue signaling or placating the delicate egos of donors, shareholders, or corporate overlords, we must embrace the "dark" sides of our humanity—our capacity for dissent, confrontation, and raw, unfiltered honesty—as tools, not weapons. This controlled chaos, applied surgically and without hesitation, can excise the sociocultural cancers that fester when left unchecked. Evil. It is a darkness of our own, guided by principle, and aimed not at destruction but at transformation—a force for necessary disruption that ensures progress without succumbing to stagnation. EVIL...

The light we seek does not come from banishing shadows but from mastering them.

Numquam dormias in pace.

[traewilson]

Saw Quinton Reviews' side video talking about Star Wars and how the brand's strict dedication to continuity leads to past "mistaken" continuity gets snipped off, like Sebastian Shaw as Anakin Skywalker. It got me thinking: Star Wars, deep to its most primordial basic structure, isn't actually myth - that's the bones of the body of Star Wars. In its proverbial genes, its history, and even cursory knowledge of how George Lucas tells stories shows this. American Graffiti is the most obvious example of this, being a dramatization of Lucas' childhood experiences. Indiana Jones is another example (until the last one, anyway, but we don't talk about Dial of Destiny). The first three films are defined by the pop culture trends of the time they were set. The villains in 1940s serials were, naturally, Nazis, so the villains are Nazis in the Indy films set in the 40s. This commitment to historical accuracy does lead to problems, however - namely, another source of villainy in the 40s were racial stereotypes of tribal peoples. Cue Temple of Doom, and the cartoonishly bigoted portrayal of Indian people in that film. This is why Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the way it is. In the 50s and 60s, the villains of American serials were the Soviets, so the villains are Russians. A chief obsession of that time was with aliens, so, like how religion was a big obsession in the 40s, aliens are a focus on Crystal Skull. Dial of Destiny partially failed because the filmmakers didn't engage with the series' formula, or rather, the executives didn't want Indiana Jones to deviate any further from what fans were nostalgic for. This results in a sort of bizarre feedback loop, where Indiana Jones is now referring back to ITS OWN PAST, ITS OWN HISTORY, rather than the actual history of the pop culture of the real world. The villains in the Indiana Jones films everybody likes are Nazis, so we're doing Nazis again.

Indiana Jones was on a trajectory where it would mirror the pop culture of the time period its set in. In the end, it abandoned this and gazed down its own navel, harkening back to the history of its own series, nonsensically contradicting the pop culture of the late 60s going into the 70s. Star Wars ran into a variant on this issue with continuity - with history.

Star Wars, of course, is obsessed with its own history. George Lucas himself was obsessed with the history of the Star Wars universe, at least the continuity of the films he made. The creators involved in the Expanded Universe were allowed to do their own thing, provided they didn't contradict his films, and with full knowledge their stories are only as canon as Lucas wanted them to be - which resulted in situations where stories about the Clone Wars pre-Prequels were essentially erased from existence because they, inadvertently, were inconvenient to a constantly revised history. To be clear, this isn't adjusting actual real life history, where it is a good idea to keep its narrative as accurate as possible. These are stories, fiction. And yet, creators and fanbase alike are as obsessed with the minutiae of Star Wars' history as the preacher is obsessed with the minutiae of the Bible and Biblical narratives.

This obsession with historical revisionism for a history that does not actually exist is resulting in the eradication of elements that are no longer convenient to its narrative. Sebastian Shaw as Anakin Skywalker, Clive Revill as the Emperor, all performances destined to become pop culture relics, only known by the most devoted of acolytes at the altar of Star Wars. I'd argue this started all the way back with Splinter of the Mind's Eye, the novel that was essentially George Lucas' backup concept for a Star Wars sequel if the first underperformed, realized. This novel is meaningless to the grand Star Wars continuity. An odd little curio; a peek into a future of the faith that could've been. I only know about it because I was obsessed with Star Wars as a kid. Less and less will know of it as time goes on, because it's basically a heretical text written in unwitting defiance of a constantly rewritten history. This eradication is deeply unfortunate, and actively works against Lucas' undeniable mythical inspirations for Star Wars. Myths are fluid, dynamic, ever-changing. Star Wars only changes as nostalgia and continuity so allow. This will be a BIG problem with Star Wars going forward - both the religious fanaticism of the fandom's strict devotion to their particular denomination of fandom faith (the Prequels are the best! The Originals are best! The Sequels are best! If you don't think that'll happen, I wouldn't bet on it.) and the strict devotion of the creators to the constantly changing, constantly eradicating, timeline of a world that is entirely fictional. Star Wars confines itself like this to its own detriment. Luke Skywalker won't be nostalgic for people forever. Anakin Skywalker won't be nostalgic forever, and in time, Rey won't be either. They will, gradually, over the course of time, become confined to the dustbin of history, along with Sebastian Shaw's Anakin, of Clive Revill's Emperor, as Splinter of the Mind's Eye, or Gennady Tartakovsky's Clone Wars miniseries. Some of this, of course, is the relentless march of time's fault, I get that. But the structure of Star Wars has grown to such an extent that stories are becoming harder and harder to write for it. You can't do too much; you absolutely cannot change Anakin's fate, or a different end for Luke that contradicts Last Jedi, or a British guy as Darth Vader's true self.

All this buildup to say George Miller and how he's handled the structure of the Mad Max franchise will give it a longer life, I feel, once its originator has passed on. George Miller is, frankly, a much better mythical storyteller than George Lucas. Anyone can be Max. Anyone can be Furiosa, or Immortan Joe, or Dementus, or Lord Humungus or the Doof Warrior or Aunty Entity. That's the beauty of this series; since anyone can be anyone, and hard facts are few and far between, this allows much more room for creative experimentation.

Anyway that's my ramble for tonight. I'm sure this will be a mess to get through, but it is a somewhat accurate picture of how I think. I'm a natural rambler. This is why Xwitter and I are not getting along lately.

[the-angry-acrobat]

punk, the ally of rock 🤘

[hel-phoenyx]

"Me? Jealous?"

Seriously? One more word and that longing my hand feels for my face is gonna be satiated. And why do I want so bad for my hand to meet my own face, ask you ?

Because in front of me there is my boyfriend, best friend, and life partner all in one, displaying every textbook signs of jealousy since fucking yesterday, and still having the absolute nerve to look scandalised.

"Yes, Emerens, you, jealous. And don't give me that look, because I won't believe you, and you can't gaslight gatekeep girlboss out of this one. Have you seen how moody you are since yesterday?"

He tenses at yesterday's mention. To be fair, yesterday, he had a meeting with Senri after a therapy session, and said Senri just so happened to have an outing with former classmates, including Raraka and Fyodor. I think that was Elvira's idea. An idea she didn't tell Emerens.

I thought he was moody because he didn't know, and that is understadable, considering how much he feels reassured when he knows everything about the school. But the more I talked with him today and the more I feel the problem is deeper.

"Yes, Thibs, I have seen how moody I am since yesterday. This is exaclty why I came to you to talk. But jealous? I haven't even felt a speck of jealousy towards you, and by god have you seen how many partners and friends you have here? Why in the nine Hells would I be jealous because Senri didn't warn me he was going out?"

If only I was sure he'd been lying, that would be so easy. Hit behind the head, stern lecture, and here we go bye-bye denial. But when I looked at his face, his genuinely confused face, that's when it hit me.

Therapy. Emerens. Jealousy. Of course.

I'm starting to understand.

I pulled a chair towards me, before sitting.

"Alright, let's start from the beginning. No jealousy towards me and my own relationships you say?"

"Well. Yeah. Why would I? I have trust in you as much as in the others, friends, partners, him included. Are you insinuating I don't? Or something changed in my feelings I am not aware of?"

I shook my head. Maybe, maybe not, but that is not where I was getting at.

"Emerens, I don't think trust nor feelings are the problem. Plus, Louna, Sharon and I tell you all about our dates or outings before we have them, so it's hard to compare from here. But I think it's something else."

"Well, what? what could cause me being jealous now?"

I sighed. Here we go.

"Emerens, my love, I'm gonna use therapist talk here, but lil question. Do you think you were not jealous of people close from us because you were confident in our relationship, or because you were so deep in your self-hatred and desire for anything that could let you feel joy than anything coming from us already was more than enough?"

And there it is.

His face went blank. Almost dead. The only thing that proves me he's alive is that vein on his forehead.

Pale as a ghost, he couldn't even utter the next words, but those words felt so heavy on both our heads.

".... Shit."

My hand in his, contracted. He took it almost immediatly, squeezed it like crazy, but now I couldn't even feel blood in my fingers.

"See? I don't know what you are talking about with your therapist, but you always were a possessive person and a total lack of jealousy from your part was surprising. I'm sorry to tell you that now, Emerens, but the way you feel compersion seems to be unhealthy at best. Maybe talk about it in therapy? Or just with Senri?"

"Better therapy first. Do you know how many things you just put into question with that...?"

I shook my head sadly.

"Not completely, I guess. But you know, since you are fucked up as hell, that doesn't surprise me the slightest."

[angelofdykeness]

honestly a massive pet peeve when people talk about asexuality and other orientations as if they're mutually exclusive. and by other orientations i mean lesbianism specifically because it's ALWAYS about us for some reason

asexuals can be lesbians. aromantics can be lesbians (hi)

and dumb bitches will try and shut me down for this one but guess what the coolest part of all this is? aroaces can also still be lesbians :)

[lovefromsamwinchester]

what is shipping but a box to force your favorite characters into

[a-homestuck-but-give-me-a-chance]

My boyfriend and I decided yesterday to basically give the go-ahead to both our systems to just. Do whatever you want. Date whoever, you don't even have to call it dating. Just vibe. And honestly? I feel really good about it? Because I get crushes on his alters at the drop of a hat. My feelings tend to be at least a bit fluid towards everyone. And I know a lot of my alters feel the same way. Being able to just say "fuck it, we don't *have* to use labels or have anything be "official", just kiss who you want too in the moment" is...refreshing?

[justsaysomethingjayj]

I'm super excited to be a part of Eurovision on Tumblr 2023.

[nicholasandriani]

Binary Hearts: A Poem on Speculative Writing, Content Design, Transhumanance, and Systems Thinking.

Confession time. I’m struggling to reconcile my time management as the semester ends and summer begins. I fade into the ever night of daydreams and cyberscapes where I can read, and play, and laze about in a transhuman journey through mediated experiences. Long story short, I received a PS5 from our research lab, you know, for research — right! How did I score such a position? — and as I find…