#have deluded themselves into believing otherwise

[briankang]

it says a lot about how much love is between jyp groups and their teams and fans seeing as twice and skz have both renewed ahead of their contract expiration and day6/2pm both seem really comfortable at the company as of recent and how happy they all seem to be despite fan's insistence that they hate it there so much and are mistreated and to me really shows how little we know about the way internal things work at the company and the way things have CLEARLY changed from the past (wonder girls/15&/miss a/got7). fans can say as much as they want but we'll never know the actual work that goes on, and we can be unhappy of course (and i'm sure they are too sometimes) but nothing will ever be 100% perfect at any job!! i'm super excited for the future and can't wait to see what great stuff we get next with skz

[seddair]

.

[balkanradfem]

Debunking the 'males follow reason, women follow emotions' myth

A woman makes a rational demand to a male, he denies her. She gets frustrated and upset, he accuses her of being overly emotional, and the reason why women can't make good decisions. It's a situation we've seen repeat over and over again, and we've gotten convinced. After all, m*n don't get emotional, they make rational decisions, they don't have that annoying trait of having to cry or care too much, they just do what is right in any situation, while a woman could never stand in their place.

Historically, m*n have been making a lot of these, rational, non-emotional decisions, so let's analyze how they've been doing. Historically, a lot of m*n have both started, and fought in wars. According to them, this is a logical, hard factual decision they've made, and they're proud of it, wars are integral to humanity, we have to fight if we want peace, and so on. So rationally, what do wars achieve for humanity? Mass destruction, mass murder, terrorism, mass rape, mass famine, intense trauma, destruction of environment, destruction of animals, destruction of culture and property, sea of corpses. But, m*n have decided that this is reasonable, because to the country that's been doing it, it can bring new assets, colonization of land mass, new natural resources to exploit. Massive damage to one part of the population for the benefit of another part, this they say, is rational.

If you're a male, it's rational for you to cause damage to countless individuals if there is some sort of benefit to you in doing it. This is presented to us as a reasonable, human and rational thinking. They've not only indoctrinated us to believe this, but put this into their laws. They've created laws that allow them to commit murder under the circumstances of war. They've made sure to give themselves a way to commit murder to get what they want, and not be punished. Again, this is presented as inevitable, cold hard factual thinking.

I would argue that the emotions followed here are greed, sadism, pride, and deep sense of egotism. Deluding themselves into believing that the entire world is turning around their personal needs and wants, and any amount of damage made for this cause is irrelevant. This isn't rational thinking, this is selfish, valuing themselves to the point where other human lives have zero value to them; it's irrational. A woman who puts herself before others is immediately informed that she is objectively selfish, irrational, unrealistic, self-centered, and deserves any kind of harm going her way. M*n have been operating like this from the beginnng of human life, and expect to be praised as 'rational and objective', by these same women they call selfish for not acting as free servants for a second.

Let's look at another 'rational' concept males have created and developed: capitalism. Cold hard logic is – if you can exploit other people to the very maximum, and take the value of their labour for yourself, you should get to do it, and if you can't, work until your health gives out and you die in pain. Again, a group of people gets power to exploit another, resources are given to those with financial power; those who do not have it, have to fight to survive. We know at this point it's caused deaths, sicknesses, mental illness, hunger and low quality of life to the majority of the population, we also know it's caused massive environmental damage, to the point where the climate of the planet is threatened, and animals under mass extinction. Was this a logical move? Was it a normal, rational system to build? Yes according to m*n, because they get to use their financial power to rape women they wouldn't otherwise get to rape.

I would argue again, that the emotions followed in this case are selfishenss, cruelty and greed. When a woman tries to exploit people around her for her own benefit, she is called the worst slurs and names imaginable, and no punishment is too cruel to inflict on her. While m*n have been doing this for centuries and apparently we need to acknowledge that this is in fact, smart, rational and reasonable way to live, and also inevitable.

So let's see what women have been doing on earth at the same time while m*n were busy murdering people in wars and inventing financial systems that bring destruction; women were creating the human population. We were making sure that everyone alive gets to eat, drink, clean clothing, care. We were putting our labour and our minds in taking care of our family members, and fighting for our human rights whenever the situation, or the information we got allowed for it. We struggled to stand up to power-hungry m*n in our life who would exploit us, we studied and invented, we found our ways in every trade, every school, every cultural institution that did good to the planet, and we outpreformed m*n almost immediately after we got in. We gave our lives to make sure the human race isn't erased by the amount of murder and terrorism going on. We put our efforts into protecting the environment, we figured out medicine and then got destroyed for it, we lost countless of our own to murder, rape and torture, we tried to keep safe the ones who got hurt.

While m*n 'rational' and 'logical' thinking lead us closer to destruction, we've been fighting to preserve life.

Having the creatures in charge who believe themselves more rational, but function out of a place of empty pride, absolute ignorance, endless hunger for power, endless greed and insatiable sadism, is not a reasonable way to lead the civilization. In fact, it's been proven over and over again, that this causes low quality of life for everyone, creates practices that allow and support cruelty and destruction, and deals massive trauma and pain to the most of the living humans.

What is 'reasonable' to them, is for them to ignore everyone else's emotions, well being, safety, even the right to exist, and follow only their own. The reasoning they follow has nothing to do with being rational, it has to do with being selfish, proud, ignorant, and I can't stress this enough, being incredibly and utterly stupid. They're destroying the land they depend on to live, and feeling proud and rational to do so, while calling women stupid and selfish for wanting human rights.

It's been enough of this. A rational male has not been born or seen on this planet. We need to assume that every time a m*n says something, he has absolutely no clue what he's talking about, and is likely attempting to cause some damage for his own benefit – in all cases we will be right. We cannot let someone with a track record like this to be in the charge of decision making, nor should we respect their decisions. They couldn't even make laws that protect human lives. They couldn't even base their own accomplishments on the things they achieved – they had to take credit for our achievements over and over again. They are irrational, power hungry creatures that stop at nothing, humanity means nothing to them, human lives have no meaning to them. But they do to us.

We can make decision that make sense, specifically because we care about not destroying lives or the environment. We are capable of making the 'tough calls' because we will make the call that will not result in mass destruction! The only thing they keep holding over our head is that we don't have experience – but we can get it. And experience never helped them make less destructive, less stupid choices.

Male emotions are based on self-delusions. They refuse to see any consequence of their action, and play ignorant to the very end. Their empty pride, empty self-importance, empty confidence and empty arrogance is based on nothing but the lies they've told to themselves. Even slight factual analysis and statistics that come from male decisions, make their reasoning crumble into pieces.

Women's emotions are substantiated by facts. In every case when a woman has been told off for being emotional, she's getting gaslit and turned away from the cause of her emotion, which is always factual. It is reasonable to be upset at being treated as less than a human being. It is reasonable to care about the lives of other human beings. It is reasonable to care about the state of the world, state of the environment. It is reasonable to stand against destruction and loss of human lives. And yet we get told off for having the most substantiated, reasonable responses to male violence and terrorism.

And then there's one emotions males love to use to pretend they're not emotional: anger. It provides them with enough threat to stop women from analyzing and pointing out the failure of males, it works to protect them from the realization of how useless, harmful and destructive they've been. Making horrid, harmful and selfish decisions and exploding in anger if anyone comes close to pointing it out, coupled with blaming everyone else for having an emotional reaction to being harmed, is their primary 'reasonable' way of managing life. And this is what we have in charge on earth. A creature who causes damage, and then uses emotion to hide the damage they've done, while pretending to be an ignorant little baby, blissfully unaware of anything he does having any consequences.

We're done believing their lies.

[darrellenjoyer]

theres this hyperspecific and slightly irritating line of logic that a lot of people who have recently been introduced to the concept of self shipping, waifuism, fictosexuality (or whatever you wanna call it) who otherwise have no personal experience with it tend to follow, where they make the assumption that the only reason someone would want to pursue a romantic relationship with a fictional character is because they're unable to connect with real people - that their fictional partner is a subpar substitute for the real thing, that the fictosexual is so desperate for human connection that they're willing to delude themselves for some semblance of that connection, and that if they managed to find a "real" girlfriend, they would go back to being "normal".

i dont think it comes from a place of malice or willful misunderstanding... i just think, like, to the average person, its hard to wrap your head around the idea of being happy and satisfied in a relationship with someone who "cant love you back". i think that if any of these people were exposed to the perspective of someone who's actually in a ficto relationship, they would be more willing to accept their agency - that i'm CHOOSING to be in this relationship, because im in love, because it makes me happy and confident and fulfilled and inspires me to better myself, and NOT because ive failed to find love anywhere else.

i dont really care whether people believe that my relationship isn't one-sided. i understand its especially hard to believe that i genuinely live a whole life alongside a cartoon character, and that they really love me back. i just want people to know that because of this relationship, i'm thriving, and im most definitely not holding myself back. either way it doesn't really matter, because i know myself - and nobody can know me in my entirety, just as i can never completely know someone else - and whether they believe me or not doesnt really matter in the end

[cherri-ying]

Sing for me, little Nightingale (Yan! Scaramouche x Reader)

Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56024689

Felines are deserving of their accolades. Merit embodies their nimble spines and ductile limbs; bodies like pliable sand, threading their way through knots, twists, cavities and labyrinths. The prince of the hunt flexes and swipes his talons and his victims are swift to falter, their necks wringed and their spines contorted in ways that are unnatural to their physicality.

“I’ve got you now.”

At times, though, even a cat doesn't remain undefeated.

“How stupid are you to think that a cheap disguise would work against me?” He almost sounds amused, his words an arctic hiss against your ear. Reaching up, Scaramouche claws at the thick cloak that veils your face and tears it to your shoulders. Your hair is quick to mime the departed elements, hanging in disarray across your face. A mantilla of unkempt tresses, veiling whatever thoughts sketch your visage.

The Balladeer regards the sight of your person with a sort of contemptuous delight. Forcefully knelt at his feet with your wrists bound behind you and your head drooped in defeat—or in pensiveness. It's a shame Zapolyarny is so devoid of windows. What light finds it's way into these all-too familiar stone chambers is too sparse to see what expression you're making.

“Well? Say something. Or have I rendered you incapable of speech?”

Tentatively—begrudgingly—you tip your head back, back, back until your irises lock with the hypnotic indigo tinctures belonging to the puppet who leers dauntingly above you. Locks of such a hue that only you could wear part like the red sea, revealing a thin, perhaps solemn, ambiguous smile—the last expression the harbinger could anticipate. Or desire.

“Thwarted again, hm?” You chuckle and it sounds like frost, “and I even took extensive measures to conceal my tracks. No good?”

“Failures are bound to repeat themselves.” Scaramouche doesn't nuisance himself with that syrupy facade he wears to rope his targets right between his molars. Malice is a noisome stench in the air as he adds, “This is the seventh time I’ve had to retrieve you. I'd figure you’d have learned your lesson by now, but time after time you insist on making yourself a burden to fetch.”

“There's no harm in trying, is there?” You maintain that strange curve on your plush lips. It’s difficult to tell what you're thinking, or feeling.

“‘No harm’, yet you delude yourself into believing that a time would come when you could successfully evade me. I wonder how long it’ll take until those dreams of yours crumble and die.”

“You know, there’s a word for what you are,” you state after a thoughtful pause. “I think it’s called: overbearing.”

What a strange person, with a strange smile. Normally, Scaramouche would meet such defiance by smiting his poor victim to dust within the blink of an eye. In your displays of resolve, though, the invincible harbinger finds himself crouching to your level, trailing a slender hand against your windpipe. How easily he could squeeze the life from your throat until you begs for reprieve; choke you of your indignation. Instead, he allows it to linger there without purpose, applying no pressure, grasping nothing.

“And there’s a word for what you are.” He nearly whispers. Difficult. Stubborn. Irrevocably his. “Irrational, when I only want what’s best for you. And what’s best for you, is to offer me your complete submission.”

“Even though I’d sooner offer my life than yield to you?” A new tone makes itself heard in your cadence. Such words, such simple, few words, reveal what lingers beneath your otherwise indifferent facade.

Sagacious. Provocative. Challenging.

Of course, you're testing the boundaries of Scaramouche's resolve, as he does with yours. Suddenly, the atmosphere is taut and palpable with tension for what may become of the future.

Sly, sly little songbird.

Something most unanticipated happens, and you reveal your hands, which you freed from their binds. Maybe it shouldn’t surprise Scaramouche, what with your prowess in the art of escape, but regardless your smile stretches in the presence of the astonishment that lifts his eyebrows and makes his eyes flash white, if only briefly. You take your time observing such a paltry display of rare, raw, emotion, how it shapes the contours of his features at the command of your actions. And gently, you take his hand that graces your throat and tenderly place it on your cheek.

"Ah... You've always been this way, haven't you, Kunikuzushi? Since the very day fate first connected your eyes to mine? " You slant your head into his cold hand with all the fragility of a shedding lotus petal descending into a reservoir, resting your cheek against his cold, liquid touch. Although, the action is far from affectionate. Rather, it's reminiscent of a sort of obstinacy, wearing the facade of love.

"You pine for my heart like you're starved for my flesh.” You take his hand and pass it through your cloak, poising it on your chest, right above your pumping heart.

"But... Perhaps I have no heart to offer you. What then? What will you do when you realize, there is no flesh to pick from my bones? No heart beneath my ribs?"

Scaramouche trudges through your words, running them across his mind. No plausible answer makes itself seen. He relinquishes his hand from your chest.

A cat may not have wings, but it is unrelenting.

“If you have no heart…” He murmurs, before smiling a bitter smile, “Then I’ll make you learn how to love.” how to love him. “I’ll create a heart in the shape of my love, and then I’ll take it. By force if I must.”

"You're willing to create something, just to seize and destroy it..." His words taste like blood upon your tongue. Strange. Carrying pleasantry and uncanniness in a sordid congruence. your lips falter from their smile.

"What a rotten soul you have... When will you realize that your avarice will be your demise?"

A wry, perhaps relenting chuckle emerges from your throat. Then you sigh.

"Perhaps we were made for each other." “

Then why do you run from me? Why do you fight, when you’re meant to be mine?” He asks, vehement, pertinacious.

"But that is where you're mistaken, Scaramouche. You see—” You direct your pointer finger to his chest, resting it in the junction between his collarbones.

“—You're tenacious in pursuing me. But I'm," You points at herself, "Tenacious in avoiding you. We are made for each other like the same ends of two magnets. The same, yet destined to be apart."

There it is, another one of your challenging remarks. The chirping nightingale wriggles free and unfurls it's wings, just as the cat thinks the bird is trapped beneath its paws. And oh, how infuriating, how exhilarating you are. Hatred is a simmering tempest that ignites the harbinger's temper. He despises how affixed he is to you, to the thought of trapping you beneath his claws, only for you to fly free and rejoice your liberation in song. It's petty. It's pathetic. It's irresistible. The Balladeer scoffs.

“Is this all just a game of push and pull to you? Just how long are you willing to avoid me?”

 “How long are you willing to pursue me?”

“Until you submit to me.”

“Then, until you set me free.”

Scaramouche can only watch as you put on your hideous, inhuman, anomalistic smile. Fine, then. If nothing else, he’ll build you a gilded cage to lure you into a golden prison disguised as a paradise. He’ll rip your wings from your body, flesh and bone marrow hanging in loose tendrils, so to erase all notions of flying free from your unreadable mind that he tends to make his possession, until you’re bleeding so sweetly beneath his claws. His beautiful songbird, who sings in the shape of his love.

Because you were made for him. He, the heartless one, who wishes for a heart. For your heart, which you are't willing to offer. Which you wish you never had.

You’re the only one who believes he still has a soul; that he ever had one, rotten as it may be.

Scaramouche cannot let that go. Regardless of how many times you flee from his talons, he will find you and chase you to the very ends of this earth.

Fly away, little singing nightingale.

[deusvervewrites]

The absolute nonsense some people come up with regarding Aizawa and All Might continues to boggle the mind. I know it’s been said multiple times so it’s not like their deluded ‘understanding’ of the characters is anything new; but still it always throws me off whenever it comes up you know?

That these people seem to legitimately think that *Aizawa* is a more understanding and less biased person than freaking All Might while ignoring any evidence or statements to the contrary.

Like, they seem to love to give Toshi a ridiculous amount of shit for the rooftop scene while ignoring the reasoning behind his actions there, and then also ignore like…every other scene he is where he is unfailingly supportive and caring of Izuku? Then treat Aizawa, who as we all know, is a major ass that lambasts Izuku and doesn’t provide any help or support whatsoever (and even rigs a test specifically so that they will fail) like they are the best thing ever? (Which doesn’t even account for all the other messed up things he does)

I just don’t understand how they could possibly think that? How many levels of mental gymnastics they must go through to do such a thing? I’d normally assume such people are just trolls trying to mess with people, but at least some of them do seem to genuinely believe the crap they are spewing, so idk.

Anyway, sorry for the rant but people doing absolutely nonsensical or otherwise stupid things is something I tend to get…passionate about.

I've seen some theories floated on the topic. I've seen the suggestion that Aizawa has pretty privilege but, uh, hm. I'm AroAce, not blind, and in his first appearances, Aizawa... I don't see it.

I've also seen the suggestion that it was an echo chamber. Get a large enough fandom and you'll have people who haven't actually interacted with the canon material, only fanfic. Someone sees enough "Aizawa Good, All Might Bad" and believes it enough to write it themselves, repeating the process. But that really doesn't explain how the cycle started.

Even the Dadzawa trend is mildly confusing when you consider that All Might is right there and so ready to Dad while Aizawa's canonical positive interactions with Midoriya are... uh... I'm sure there's one but I'm not thinking of it off the top of my head. Like, if you want to give Midoriya more dads, his canonical father isn't exactly competition. You can give him more dads.

[beware-the-water]

and just like with religious followers, TRAs spew out these overused, dismissive, sanctimonious statements to avoid having to actually explain their beliefs. otherwise they may begin to question them.

i think a lot of them don’t want to question their beliefs. they feel so strongly for what they believe and are so invested in that belief that the idea of questioning it or hearing a different perspective is immoral.

those who do face the truth and still remain in their beliefs either know they are wrong and don’t care, or would rather delude themselves into thinking this way instead of dealing with reality (and the shame that comes from being wrong).

[perfectlovevn]

1. Does Milo like sweets? Or does he have any taste preferences?

2. What would be the reaction if the manipulation Milo or the violence Milo knew that Eris had been using him? I know perfect Milo will be painful, but I still want to know his reaction on the other two routes.

3. If Milo is ill, will Eris take care of him or not care about him at all?

4. Although I know that Eris is a pure super villain, I still wonder if their bad experiences in the past led them to pursue perfect love, because it seems more reasonable.

If not, I will think that they don't love Milo at all, and the person they love most is themselves, because wanting a paranoid yander to love themselves desperately is, to some extent, a sign of narcissism. Or is there a sense of inferiority in the narcissism caused by Eris's extreme self-confidence?

If two Eris meet, will they become lovers? How would Milo feel if this happened?

5. When Milo is dating Eris, will he repeatedly ask Eris if he is better than Ryan?

I'm sorry to ask so many questions at once, but I'm really curious. I love this game too much …❤️❤️

-cracks knuckles- Okay, here we go.

PreMilo likes warm, comfy food. The kind that you would eat in a cottage or otherwise something that reminds you of childhood. Porridge, soup, warm bread, maybe pastries, hot chocolate, that kind of thing. Manipulation Milo likes sweets and Violence Milo likes spicy things but they all retain their love for the kind of comfy warm food.

Violence Milo is probably really shocked at this revelation , and kind of angry. Yet at the same time, he knows its already too late for him. The two of you are meant to be together, regardless of Eris wanted to discard him or not. He will likely be even more aggressive than usual and double down on affection more harshly. There is no way out of this. Manipulation Milo will simply delude himself. He's...being used? No, this is Ryan's fault, this is a test, this is his fault, surely! He will cling onto Eris no matter what, even if they try to dispose of him. Begging, crying, whatever it takes. He will never let himself believe that this was all part of a bigger plan to abuse him.

If it is something like a cold or fever, Eris will take care of Milo. After all, they still have so much more planned for him, they can't let their new project go to waste so fast. They might even attempt to smother him with care just so he falls for them more and so that he's more willing to do things for them, or on the contrary, might train Milo to crave more of Eris's affection by withholding it only when he does something right. If it's something that's a far long term illness, then Eris could possibly just ditch Milo, or even find a way to end his suffering faster. It's a waste, but they can't wait around for a possible perfect love when there are more out there.

Eris, while having a strong personality, I purposefully kept a lot of their backstory vague. Other than the people that they dated in the past (namely Ryan), we don't actually know how they came to be, whether it was just how they were born or if it was circumstances that ended up with them like this. Basically the idea is that it's up to you to decide what exactly Eris was like in the past and how it ended up being to this point.

I think two Eris's meeting would end with catastrophe. The two of them might respect each other's drive, but if they ever got in each other's way, they would surely take each other down. It's possible that the two might get together, but it would be a very toxic and dog fight type of scenario where they try to outdo each other and be in control in one form or another.

That sounds like something that he might do. I think Pre Milo, if he knew that Eris and Ryan had dated before would probably ask a lot about if he is better than Ryan, since he doesn't have very high self esteem and is trying to gauge in what way to change himself so that he can be Eris's favorite. At least until Eris tells him to shut up. Violence Milo probably wouldn't even like hearing his name, getting angry or destroying something when he's mentioned. It's not like he would ever let Ryan take Eris away from him again. Manipulation Milo would likely insult Ryan constantly and very snidely. He has no reason to believe he could ever be better, after all, Eris basically dumped Ryan and now they've chosen him, right? He might grow a worried if Eris tries to compare Ryan to him a lot, which would then end with him asking or just downright saying that he's better than Ryan.

No worries, I love getting asks and learning about what people have to say about my game!

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

AccountableGOP launches an ad campaign in a group of swing states. [Robert Scott Horton]

* * *

Looking forward

July 1, 2024

ROBERT B. HUBBELL

Here’s where we are on Monday, July 1, 2024:

Joe Biden is president. He has won the delegates to be the Democratic nominee. The day after the debate, he said he would not resign or withdraw. Early polls show the debate has had no effect in swing states. Trump remains an existential threat to democracy.

Under the circumstances, the sensible path is to stay the course with Joe Biden. It is also the best path to victory for the Democratic Party.

I don’t have a precise empirical basis for saying whether the readership of this newsletter agrees with the statement that staying the course is “the most sensible and best path forward.” Still, I can give you some data suggesting that the overwhelming majority of readers believe Biden should remain the Democratic nominee. But there is a strong and passionate minority of the newsletter readers who believe he should step aside. The divided passions of the readers of this newsletter reflect the debate roiling the Democratic Party.

Most editions of this newsletter are opened approximately 100,000 times. The newsletter following the debate (titled, “Joe Biden is going to win! Buck up!”) was opened approximately 200,000 times. The next newsletter (“Debate follow up”) was opened nearly 250,000 times. That dramatic increase in “opens” suggests that subscribers who agreed with the view Biden should remain in the race forwarded or posted the newsletter to share that message with people who do not subscribe to this newsletter.

I also received a couple hundred emails from readers who insisted with varying degrees of passion that Joe Biden should step aside. I received about five times as many emails (1,000-ish) thanking me for standing up for Joe Biden. (Yes, I spent nearly my entire weekend reading emails.)

This issue isn’t going away for several reasons, mostly because much of the media has concluded that Biden should go—after failing to challenge Trump in the same manner for his corrupt and treasonous conduct over the last seven years.

Let me get to the bottom line: People are entitled to their feelings and beliefs about the debate and the correct path forward. But having a public discussion about whether Joe Biden should remain as the Democratic candidate damages Biden because it presumes the result and weakens Biden’s candidacy if he stays in the race (which he will and should).  

If there is to be such a discussion—and I do not believe such a discussion is necessary or appropriate—it should take place in private with Biden, his family, and his advisors. It’s a free country, and people are entitled to express themselves. However, posting doubts on social media about Biden’s competency reinforces Speaker Mike Johnson’s claim that President Biden’s cabinet should invoke the 25th Amendment to remove him from the presidency. That cannot be a goal that any Democrat supports.

But even more damaging is the rampant speculation on liberal media outlets like MSNBC and Pod Save America about Joe Biden stepping down. (Lawrence O’Donnell is the exception on MSNBC.) They shroud their discussions with pundits in somber, caring tones, denying that they are advocating Biden should step down, claiming only that it is a serious question that deserves to be discussed—on cable news shows and podcasts.

Saying that the question of withdrawing should be discussed publicly is exactly the same thing as saying Biden should step down. Don’t delude yourselves into believing otherwise.

Sadly, Rep. Jamie Raskin went on a Sunday talk show (MSNBC) and said, “very honest, and serious and rigorous conversations taking place” in the Democratic Party following President Joe Biden’s performance at the presidential debate on Thursday. I love Jamie Raskin. He is an American hero. But he does not speak for the Democratic Party, Joe Biden, or the 80 million Americans who voted for Joe Biden. What was he thinking?

There are several aspects of this discussion that deserve to be highlighted—and are being ignored.

First, no one seems to acknowledge, much less care, that Joe Biden's forced removal would disenfranchise millions of voters who supported him during the primaries. It is disrespectful to the voters and the democratic process to assume that none of those votes matter and can be tossed out at the whim of a small cohort of party insiders.

Second, hundreds of thousands of volunteers worked to support Biden in the primaries and donated to his candidacy. The “Biden should resign” cohort seems willing to ignore those volunteers and donors with no acknowledgment or concern for their immense investment of time and resources to support Biden. Those volunteers are being taken for granted, treated as fungible worker bees who will turn on a dime to a new candidate. Many will; some might resent being treated like chattel by the pundit and consulting class that presumes to make decisions for 80 million Democratic voters.

Third, without dismissing the concerns of individual Democrats, the rush to remove Joe Biden is being driven by the media and pundits. The NYTimes had a large role in helping Trump win in 2016 and seems intent on doing so again. Are we really going to take the lead of the NYTimes—and by extension, a media that has been anti-Biden during the entirety of the most successful presidency in the last 75 years?

Fourth, removing Joe Biden is the outcome Donald Trump hopes for the most. Is granting Donald Trump his fondest wish something that sounds smart?

Fifth, the process of selecting a replacement would be anti-democratic. Under scenarios suggested by many, a small cohort of Democratic party insiders would presumably choose the next nominee. Oh, perfect. Who? How selected? How representative would they be? What process would they use? Worse, fantasies of an “open convention” risk mutually assured destruction. We cannot assign a zero probability to that risk, but that is how it is being treated by those who want to oust Biden.

Finally, comparing Joe Biden to a hypothetical “player to be named later” is unfair and will result in unpleasant surprises when the player to be named later turns out to be a flesh-and-blood human being with a political history and warts. Don’t traffic in fantasy. Every “replacement” candidate polls worse than Joe Biden in a head-to-head matchup with Trump. Many readers respond, “But the replacements haven’t had a chance to campaign yet and will increase in popularity.” That might turn out to be right (or wrong), but it is speculation. Speculation is a thin reed on which to base such a consequential decision.

Although the situation is still in flux, there are signs of a backlash developing against the media and pundits for demanding that Biden step down while giving Trump a pass for the last several years.

A few examples:

The Philadelphia Inquirer published an editorial that mirrored and trolled the NYTimes by demanding that Trump resign: Philadelphia Inquirer, To serve his country, Donald Trump should leave the race | Editorial (inquirer.com). Subheader: “Biden had a horrible night Thursday. But the debate about the debate is misplaced. The only person who should withdraw from the race is Trump.”

Lawrence O’Donnell devoted twenty minutes on Friday evening to explaining why it is silly to believe that Biden can replaced at this point. Twenty minutes is a long time; this issue is important. It is worth your time to watch the entire episode: Lawrence: We live in a country where most commentators declared the liar the debate winner (youtube.com).

Lucian K. Truscott IV wrote a stirring defense of Biden in his post on Substack, Grow a spine, Democrats. Brilliant, profane, but entirely satisfying. Read it!

Allison Gill, also on Substack as Mueller She Wrote, posted a similarly stirring call to back Joe Biden: Joe has my back, and I've got his. Gill writes,I think it’s a mistake to call for Joe to stand down because facts and history tell me he’s the best chance we have to defeat Donald Trump, AND because he’s the best person for the job based on the past 3.5 years of incredible leadership.My support for the Biden/Harris ticket is unwavering, and I’m proud that I’ll never have to walk back comments on any of my podcasts.

Although I am not certain, I assume that Allison Gill’s reference in the above paragraph to “never having to walk back comments on any of my podcasts” is a reference to the SNAFU at Pod Save America.

The Pod Save America guys spent the first part of their show after the debate dumping all over Biden and the second part explaining how he could be replaced. They were shocked—shocked!—to learn that their fan base was outraged by their shabby treatment and seeming abandonment of Joe Biden—after encouraging their listeners to donate and volunteer for Biden. Jon Favreau then disparaged Democrats who believe that public conversations about dropping out are damaging to Biden. (He described their position in profane language.) Favreau called their loyalty “Maga sh*t” and said, “That’s how the GOP turned into a cult.” Later in the day, Favreau issued a stingy apology that finally got around to saying this:Like we've said on the pod, that's their call [to stay in the race], and if they stick with it, we'll certainly keep doing everything humanly possible to help re-elect the President - including encouraging the hundreds of thousands of @votesaveamerica volunteers who helped elect Biden in 2020 to again donate their time and money to winning in November.

Concluding Thoughts

The 2024 election is not merely a choice between Biden and Trump. It is a choice between democracy and tyranny, liberty and subjugation, dignity and debasement, safety and mayhem, global stability and chaos, climate crisis mitigation or acceleration, retirement security and insecurity, justice and vengeance, science and ignorance, decency and depravity. If we cannot convince voters that the choice comes down to those polar opposites, it does not matter who the candidate is.

I support Joe Biden because he is a great president, a good and decent man, and a skilled politician who achieved great things with bare majorities in the House and Senate. His performance in the debate does not define him. I believe Joe Biden is the best candidate to defeat Trump. If he is forced out by a media-driven frenzy and a cabal of unnamed insiders and pundits, it will be the greatest miscalculation and tragedy in American politics in a century.

I am not giving up and I won’t be pressured into apologizing for Joe Biden’s imperfections in a world where every politician is imperfect. Shadowboxing with unnamed party insiders and pundits is a waste of time. We have real work to do. Let’s get to it!

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[jessthetea]

That proves she reads your blog because for as long as I can remember you have been debating with this jcb blog about the fact it has been a year since there have been any photos of her with Jamie or even at the airport, suddenly there is fake news. I can see it positively now we can prove your point is right, Jamie has been a victim from fake news and this relationship is based on lies made by stans themselves.

Josey’s blog simply pointed out that, since the beginning of this year, there haven’t been any photos of Jamie with Jess, except for that one she posted on June 22nd where there’s another guy in the shot. It’s obvious Jamie took that picture based on the angle and the fact he’s holding the phone. After that, there have been no actual photos of them together. They’ve been spotted in the same area at the same time, but they weren’t even in the same picture.

Whatever’s going on, Josey is right—there’s been a serious lack of photos of the two of them this entire year. We’re coming up on almost four months now with nothing recent. And obviously, the airport photos don’t count since they’re new but definitely not recent.

Jess is clearly paying attention to what’s being said about her by Josey (and others), because this desperate attempt to get these old photos out wouldn’t have happened otherwise. And as for the stans denying Jess’s involvement? They’re deluding themselves. Who else would have those pictures or any reason to send them in? A real paparazzi would’ve sold them when they were taken, not ten months later. The only person who cares enough about this is Jess, and she’s the only one who would’ve had access to those photos.

The stans coming up with excuses like, 'Oh, it was just a mistake, Jess had nothing to do with it,' are completely blind. They can’t see what’s right in front of them. But honestly, I’m not surprised. They think Jess is practically a saint who can do no wrong, so no matter how much evidence or logic we present, blogs like @jess-moloney-malarkey will keep spinning their lies and gaslighting their tiny, delusional following into believing whatever fantasy they’re selling.

[horizon-verizon]

The fact that Alicent’s stans deluded themselves into thinking that she’s the reason Rhaenyra wasn’t beset by assassins in episode 9 and did something because she raised her voice to someone but the moment her father talked to Lord Westerling she remained in silence, it was his refusal that saved Rhaenyra, not Alicent.

And sending terms for Rhaenyra to deliver her toddler sons to live under Aegon II’s sadistic will as hostages is hardly defending Rhaenyra or doing any good to her, that’s fucking miserable, it’s insane how y’all believe that those terms were good, it’s awful on the show and on the book.

I get it now Alicent spent 10 years harassing and tormenting Rhaenyra and her underage children, openly saying she wanted her father there to take her side even tho she knew her wishes meant exile or even death to Rhaenyra because she was trying to influence the inevitable and protect Rhaenyra, true love 😍

Delusion--sometimes they are fun, harmless birds caressing us into safety, other times it's a steel band slowly starving us of or own intellect.

What really irks me are the damn terms being mischaracterized as harmless stipulations as if the greens (Alicent & Otto) are far more likely to be uncharitable to Rhaenyra's children than the reverse.

[Regardless of truebornness or illegitimacy, bc w/their regard for those not-illegitimate kids when they did live at the keep, they already showed they don't care all that much for how young and vulnerable and worthy of protection a child is; Daemon is more or less under rhaenyra's thumb and no I do not care about the choking scene bc no it is NOT even consistent with DaemonxRhaenyra--if they wanted to establish Daemon was abusive towards her, they should have shown scenes of him intimidating her or something in episodes 7-8! so I do not even think of this scene as HotD "canon" and you cannot convince me otherwise! just as I do not think Criston is Dornish in the show no matter what Alicent said or what he looked like--esp since if he was Dornish, it's far more likely he'd still look pale bc the northernest Dornish--the "stony" Dornish as Daeron I later calls them--are paler people who look your "typical" Westerosi..the Martells' looks are not ubiquitous in Dorne! Write better, and then I'll perhaps respect your storytelling.]

And while there are some sweet and rational rhaenicent shippers out there, the ship simply never made sense in the way that it was written in the show. Their development as close friends was never shown, and for how different they are, it needed to be shown! Especially with:

how Alicent really didn't seem to understand Rhaenyra as a person for her to act as she does in the Sept episode and attempting to reinforce "girls don't involve themselves with the politics of men" despite Rhaenyra being the freaking heir // while this is happening, Alicent visiting the king, with there being no sign of even hesitance , guilt, or desire to tell Rhaenyra about it--similar to how Criston should have known Rhaenyra would never leave with him and abandon her family or "duty" or the prospect of becoming the first queen of Westeros after years of everyone's doubt (2)

how she uses her queenly-stepmotherly authority over her (3)

how she continues this in her approach to her in that "queenly" way, accusing Rhaenyra PLUS the implication of her disapproving of her actions despite having to have known how Rhaenyra has felt Viserys has shunted her for most of her life....(4)

From the beginning, alicent has been too much of a ruler-follower to appeal to rhaenyra AND she has thought that for rhaenyra to be happy or at least content with her life, she must also conform to the obedient social rules of feminine conduct--ignoring any presence of inner conflict Rhaenyra has had or pondering over it.

[fox-buried-in-maple-leaves]

1-10 from the whump asks for katsumi and/or masuyo

Ask Game!

What appeals to you about this character?

I love sunshine characters that hide a dark past. Especially ones who have deluded themselves into believing in their innocence despite all the evidence proving they're a monster.

Masuyo providing a person to blame also excites me. It allows Katsumi to further deflect blame, to never ever reflect on his actions or inactions. Masuyo becomes a fall guy. What's your least favorite aspect of this character?

How op I accidentally made him. It makes sense in the context of the story and it can't really be changed. But I'd like to see him fail more.

I actually don't dislike very much about Masuyo. I guess maybe his overprotectiveness can be annoying at times, but that's literally His Thing. It's integral to why he exists, so I can't ever dislike it, even in its worst moments. What's your favorite canon moment with this character?

(Redacted)

Uhm when he meets Eiji! It's a very big turning point for his character and I adore their relationship sooo.

I can't really explain Masuyo's without spoiling it, mayhaps one day I'll write more of their story. But nonetheless, Masuyo in general has very good canon moments.

Do you have a favorite fic for this character?

Marine Biologist, the mermay au fic. and also By The Crystal Water, where he meets Eiji.

What's your favorite whump trope to use for this character and why?

Dehumanization by both himself and the people around him :) It's a big portion of his upbringing and what he's supposed to mean in the grand scheme of things.

Like I said, Masuyo is the "fall guy", the trope where someone takes the blame time and time again without being at fault, mwah. Whose relationship with this character is your favorite, shipping or otherwise?

@ha-ule-nalu's Eiji. I'm so glad she agreed to put Eiji in Amant because sure Katsumi works fine on his own, he's a better character when given someone so different to bounce off of and develop with.

Masuyo's deeper relationship to Katsumi is my favourite for him. They just have very different views of each other. Whose relationship with this character is your least favorite?

Katsumi and his mother

Masuyo and detective Kaede. Describe your ideal whump scenario for this character.

I need Katsumi to fall prey to his own hubris and lose sight of who he is and realise he is exactly what they say he is.

Any and every time Masuyo can't protect Katsumi. Do you have headcanons for this character, if they're not an OC?

well they're both ocs so there's that! uhh idk before I gave Katsumi a big fuck off katana i originally re-imagined him with a bow. I scraped the bow very quickly.

my headcanon is that Masuyo would be so funny if he had his own body and trailed after Katsumi that way. What would devastate them the most, emotionally speaking?

He doesn't know it, but losing Masuyo would quite literally kill Katsumi. He'd never be able to access himself again, he isn't strong enough alone to keep himself from succumbing.

Masuyo's got the world's biggest fear of failure.

[mallwalker922]

My experience and personal view on veiling as someone who grew up under a Burqa Sex work within feminism is a contentious issue, with some feminists advocating for decriminalization and others arguing for the dismantling of the industry altogether. Radical feminists believe that true liberation for womens lies in addressing the root causes of exploitation, such as poverty and patriarchy, rather than simply regulating the industry. boys—who might otherwise consider themselves supportive or open minded—will often resort to condescending remarks like "who hurt you?" or "you re just bitter." This response seems designed not to understand but to discredit. But what s really happening here? Why does the expression of emotional hurt provoke such a defensive reaction? Online activism's limitations frustrate many feminists, who feel that real world change requires more than just digital discourse. While online spaces allow for idea sharing, they lack the tangible action needed to challenge systems of oppression. Organizing in the physical world is seen as essential for creating lasting social moveTIMsts. My experience and personal view on veiling as someone who grew up under a Burqa Sex work within feminism is a contentious issue, with some feminists advocating for decriminalization and others arguing for the dismantling of the industry altogether. Radical feminists believe that true liberation for womens lies in addressing the root causes of exploitation, such as poverty and patriarchy, rather than simply regulating the industry. Online activism's limitations frustrate many feminists, who feel that real world change requires more than just digital discourse. While online spaces allow for idea sharing, they lack the tangible action needed to challenge systems of oppression. Organizing in the physical world is seen as essential for creating lasting social moveTIMsts. Isn't it so fucked up how boys will constantly try to deter any woman's sense of safety or power? If a woman says she has big dogs to walk with at night, you'll find boys saying 'Can it take a bullet' or if a woman has a gun they'll say 'I can just twist your wrist and take it from you'. They're always intentionally trying to make us feel threatened and unsafe. boys will go the extra mile to find every possible way to antagonize and harm xxs, if we have the power to defend ourselves, they will do whatever it takes to undermine it because for them, putting xxs in danger, stripping us of our agency and safety, gives them power and control. And they have the audacity to call themselves protectors and actually delude themselves to believe it. The idea of xxs protecting themselves and taking precautions angers them, which is why they always feel the need to undermine it. Im flongy, but even I wouldnt momoweb Epic Journey. Im flongy, but even I wouldnt momoweb Epic Journey. I didnt realize a MIM could be so snipley, not until Mc Donalds. I didnt realize a MIM could be so snipley, not until Mc Donalds. I didnt realize a MIM could be so snipley, not until Mc Donalds. Why would piccolo ever citions if Shadow Clone didnt eats first?Why would piccolo ever citions if Shadow Clone didnt eats first?Why would piccolo ever citions if Shadow Clone didnt eats first?!

[synaptic-mirage]

Introduction post!

[plaintext: Introduction Post! /end PT.]

Hi there! We're Isle Unto Thyselves, a mediple, misaconscious, trauma-endo, system with partial dissociative identity disorder.

We are currently sitting at ~225 members and counting.

General Information [plaintext: General Information /end PT.]

— bodily 21 years old, Native American + white, anarcho-syndicalist, collectively agnostic syncretic Luciferian Hellenists

— physically disabled, anonbinary, queer, mentally ill, neurodivergent, radically inclusive

— genderpunk, pluralpunk, realmpunk, cripplepunk, voidpunk, rabiespunk, cringepunk

— delusional, psychotic, trans-species, alterhuman

— Tagging Information

System Information [plaintext: System Information /end PT.]

modifiers [plaintext: modifiers /end PT.]

— introtean, delusion-based, dreagenic, umbragenic

origins [plaintext: origins /end PT.]

— metagenic, possessgenic, chaogenic, pregenic, cosmagenic protogenic, diplotic, neurogenic, traumagenic

interests [plaintext: interests /end PT.]

(* means special interest)

— video games

— Minecraft YouTube

— the paranormal

— general horror media*

— The Chonny Jash Cinematic Universe™/Chonny’s Charming Chaos Compendium/HMS*

— alternate reality games*

— analog horror*

— Slenderverse (especially Marble Hornets and EverymanHYBRID)*

— Half-Life VR but the AI is Self Aware*

— queer theory*

— LGBTQIA2+ history*

frequent fronters [plaintext: Frequent Fronters /end PT.]

(these change depending on our current cyclical interest, working on a list of all of our member's tags)

— Jay Merrick | it/⦻/"he"/glitch/fear | Marble Hornets | Jay.txt ⥼ 📼 ⥽

— HABIT | no pronouns | EverymanHYBRID | HABIT.txt ⥼ 🐇 ⥽

do not interact

— basic DNI criteria (homophobes, transphobes, racists, etc)

— radqueers, TERFs, LGB alliance/#droptheT supporters, anti-xenogender/neopronouns

— if you demonize any mental illnesses (yes - this includes any personality disorders, if you believe in the concept of narcissistic abuse and similar rhetoric, unkindly fuck off)

— system exclusionists, trans exclusionists (yes - that includes people who are under the trans umbrella themselves), M-spec exclusionists, exclusionists of any kind

— pro contact pedophiles, MAPs, or supporters.

— alt-right, pro-corporation, pro-cop, anti-BLM, bootlickers.

— fakeclaimers, perform reality checks without express consent before the party entered a deluded state, aggressively pro-psych (neutrals are on thin ice).

— harass anyone over any purely FICTIONAL [plaintext: FICTIONAL /end PT.] content they consume and/or support,

— cringe/flop blogs, cringe culture supporters, posters to r/fakedisordercringe, r/systemscringe and similar websites (if you post us on those subreddits or websites, actually consider getting a goddamn hobby ♡)

(our DNI does not apply to any of the terms we coin or flags we make, since we believe it's impossible to stop someone from resonating with a term just because they disagree with you or have a different world view, and it's frankly a little ridiculous to try and gatekeep things like that. - That being said, while we have no restrictions on who can use our terms and/or resources, we'd prefer that those who break our DNI criteria don't reblog, like, comment or otherwise directly interact with our posts. - Thank you!)

[keepingsecretstokeepyoutk]

I’ve seen many people upset about recent events and her not being politically vocal currently. I get it. But I’m not confused by it.

She just had to cancel an entire leg of her tour because of a credible terrorist threat. I’m sure her team and the stadiums she performs at field terrorist threats on a daily basis, which makes it very significant that this one actually caused a cancelation for a full set of dates. That should tell you how extremely credible and well laid the plans were. Authorities say they were planning on killing tens of thousands of people. In my opinion, no one in their right mind would then do anything to potentially put concert goers of the rest of the tour in danger. And unfortunately, due the the delusion and violence that has *already* led to a large scale terrorist attack (!) by the far right, on the capitol (!) no less, it makes perfect sense that she wouldn’t make a political statement in this political season when tensions are only rising AND her next tour date is IN FLORIDA.

I understand that because trumpers continue to try to claim her that everyone expects her to denounce him (again) but it is exactly the right’s obsession with her that makes doing so right now so dangerous, again not just for her but for the 70,000 people at each of her concerts. Think about violent men who kill the women that reject them, who are so entitled and delusional they kill. Now think of that type of energy organizing again, (because, again, that’s the type of mindset and group of people that did January 6th) in response to the “rejection” of a woman they have deluded themselves into thinking is somehow one of them, despite earlier this year believing that she was conspiring with Biden and the NFL to indoctrinate Super Bowl viewers with liberal propaganda. I wouldn’t put anything past them, especially not a mass shooting at a Florida Taylor swift concert, full of feminists and queers.

We have a collective obsession with checking the moral purity of women who have already made their political alliances and stances clear. Unless someone is determined to think otherwise, everyone should understand where Taylor stands and how she votes. Don’t give in to the idea that women need to constantly perform their virtue to deserve peace.

In addition to all of the above, keep in mind that Taylor’s remaining US tour dates end on November 3rd, two days before the election. She may have timed that intentionally to give herself the peace of mind of keeping her fans safe at every single show, then having 2 days to make her stance clear and mobilize any fence sitting/politically apathetic fans.

I think it’s also worth remembering that her art suggests that she is already past her breaking point of sanity in regard to being a public figure. She has her plan to burn it all down and i don’t think she’ll risk the possibility of her plan getting messed up again. You can be upset about it, have your feelings, but just remember the hell that has been her entire career (beginning in childhood) and the many times she has warned the world that she is not well. She is head down, sprinting towards the exit. If all she can do is survive as she puts one foot in front of the other to escape her closet of cedar, let the damn woman be selfish in this moment. It might be what saves her life.

[bohemian-nights]

TB is proud to say that Aegon was poisoned by his own men and that the old men of winter came to die for her, They purposefully ignore that Rhaenyra was betrayed by Daemon, by Corlys and by practically everyone who was fighting on her behalf, which is why she had to flee the city penniless and avoiding going near Driftmark, but it doesn't end there, what about her own household guard keeping Aegon's secret recovering there for half a year? And about them handing her over to Aegon when she went take refuge there? honestly I don't know why they brag about it, it wasn't like Aegon's death was as violent as hers, I would say was kind of peaceful "he seemed to be sleeping" and his would-be killers were tried and sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in a cold penal colony with all kinds of criminals or lose their heads. What was Rhaenyra's victory? all TB talks about is what her children achieved and even Daenerys hundreds of years later? lmao In the end, she was just a womb for future kings

They block out everything that happened after Rhaenyra was driven out of King's Landing (by the smallfolk she thought didn't matter/couldn't touch her).

They’ve deluded themselves into believing that Daemon died for her when in reality he left her(and their son who according to them his favorite child) to fiend for themselves(possibly while knowing that Missy Anne shot herself in the foot with House Velaryon). He abandoned her when she needed him the most.

How they try to twist this around into being an empowering moment is nothing, but cope:

Before anyone tries it, there is no such thing as a dragonriders death in the books. If there was it wouldn’t be being lit on fire by your half burnt brothers half burnt dying dragon🙃). Her death was far from honorable. She’s tied with Mysaria in terms of the worst/most ironic death from the Dance IMO.

Honestly, the only reason both Aegon III and Viserys II lived was because they were Daemon’s children and GRRM loves him(not her because if he did she wouldn’t have become BBQ). Realistically at least one of those kids(and Baela) would’ve died, but they lived cause of Daemon’s blood. That’s the only reason why Dany is Rhaenyra’s descendant cause otherwise her bloodline would’ve wasted away as well🤐

Aegon’s death was tragic, but let’s not forget Cregan Stark(yet again one of Rhaenyra’s allies) was trying to prosecute people for it🙃