#not to say that this isn't alarming

[ncfan-1]

#fandom is one way to look at it but y’all… it’s poverty#it’s the quality of education kids receive based on where they live#which is directly influenced by their parents’ income bracket#when kids are going to work with the time/energy they could be spending on education - that feeds into this#when kids are expected to stay home and take care of their siblings while their parents are at work - that feeds into this#when kids are not receiving the help they need in school - due to lack of resources or space or time/energy from teachers/educators -#that feeds into this#and that’s not even getting into immigrant-heavy populations where you have a lot more kids learning english as a second language#i need to look into this more but i want to know how this correlates with high school attendance and graduation rates#long post#academia like the nut (@chidorinnnnn)

Quick question, genuine question:

Why on earth does "more than half of US adults under 30 cannot read above an elementary school level" not strike horror into the heart of everyone who hears it?

Are the implications of it unclear????

I'm serious, people keep reacting with a sort of vague dismissal when I point this out, and I want to know why!

If adults in the US cannot read, then the only information they have access to is TV and video, the spaces with the most egregious and horrific misinformation!

If they cannot read, they cannot escape that misinformation.

This obscene lack of literacy should strike fear into every heart! US TV is notoriously horrific propaganda!

Is that???? Not??? Obvious???????

I know this sounds sarcastic, I know it does, but I'm completely serious here. I do not understand where the disconnect is.

[canisalbus]

Your art tastes like aged paper, sugar, and chocolate to me, with a hint of salt every so often

Machete looks like white chocolate, and Vasco's like buttery caramel

.

[uncanny-tranny]

A vital part of political knowledge (and knowledge in general) is knowing when to say, "I'm not educated enough to make a statement about this topic."

It's okay if you don't know every little detail of every single issue at hand. But it won't help if you refuse to acknowledge where you lack information, where your blindspots are, and what you just don't understand. It's okay to not have an answer.

[tales-of-magic-and-chaos]

The probability of Loki having a gigantic crush on Stephen upon meeting him is 100%.

[fromtheseventhhell]

Interesting how the Trident incident is the only moment where people question Joffrey's capacity for cruelty. He is almost universally considered one of the worst asoiaf characters, with no redeemable qualities. No one ever attempts to justify his actions when he abuses Sansa, orders Ned's executions, or any of his other many acts of violence. It's only this moment, a moment meant to introduce us to his cruel nature, that people seem to believe him to be a rational character with limits. It's honestly laughable. It's evident that the people who think like this are just biased against Arya; the majority of these arguments are centered not around Joffrey's violence, but Arya's actions to defend Mycah. People seem to truly believe that the better option would have been to let Joffrey "have his fun" and torment Mycah.

Debating how badly Joffrey would've hurt Mycah misses the entire point of the moment. Joffrey attacks Mycah because he's lowborn, he finds amusement in tormenting others, and he knows he can get away with it. He was quick to pull his sword and draw blood and, from what we know of his character, he undoubtedly would've taken it further. Arya stands up to him because she thinks that Mycah is worth defending which is significant considering she is the only one to do so. She is also the only character who mourns him and is affected by his senseless death, even books later (Ned is affected by his death but I wouldn't say he mourns him, although it is a moment that influences his feelings towards the Lannisters and Robert). Even if, which is a very big if, Joffery hadn't intended to go any further he had already crossed a line by attacking Mycah. The only alternative would be that Arya simply sits by and watches Joffrey further injure Mycah...and that's somehow the "better" option?

The people coming to the conclusion that Arya was the one who escalated the situation (and that it's somehow not Joffrey pulling his sword on an innocent boy) are coming from the perspective of the classist society that they live in. Joffrey attacking a lowborn boy wasn't an issue worth action, but harming a prince is "wrong". Mycah being attacked, and later murdered, is seen as inconsequential to the other characters (and readers) because he is lowborn. That's the thing though. You aren't supposed to look at this situation where a young boy is murdered for no reason and think that the only one who defended should've behaved differently. This moment is a criticism of the classist society these characters live in. It is significant that Arya is markedly less classist than a majority of other characters and cares when no one else does.

Further, if Arya were truly in the wrong for her actions then Joffrey wouldn't have needed to lie about what happened. From the very existence of the "trial" and Arya being given the chance to tell her version of events, we know that there wouldn't be any punishment if the truth of the situation had been told from the very beginning. The only reason there was an issue is because Joffrey decided to attack Mycah, and then later lie about what happened. Arya is not responsible for Joffrey's cruelty, Cersei's enabling, or Robert's subsequent apathy. The fact that people can't seem to comprehend this is maddening. I've never seen people have the same attitude towards Sansa for speaking up for Dontos, even though it incurred Joffrey's wrath and would've escalated had Sandor not spoken up. Why are Sansa's actions brave and kind, but Arya's are seen as stupid and reckless? What happened to not blaming young characters for the actions of others?

This is one of those things where the fandom decides for themselves that they know the story being told, without actually looking at how it's written. They would rather debate on (baseless) hypotheticals than look at why George presented the story to us the way he did. It takes an insane amount of misinterpretation to decide that Arya's actions are the reason for Mycah's death and misses a, rather large, point being made by the author. Notably, none of these people can ever provide evidence from the book to support their insistence that Joffrey would've simply left Mycah alone. You would think that since that's the basis of their argument and they're so adamant that their analysis is correct, they would be able to support their reasoning. It's almost as though the books don't support their interpretations...

[haredjarris]

(louis de pointe du lac voice) meow.

[crimeronan]

wow that latest silt verses episode. i've listened to it twice so far and i feel like there's Some essay meta connection i want to make about terminal illness and tragedy and losing people to the mundane even when you have the power of gods at your fingertips and when you've tried so hard and done everything Right..... but i don't know how to fathom it into words. maybe with another listen or two i could post coherently about it but for now just. waow. hey. what the fuck.

[sunsetzer]

Setzer: I think I need to just sleep for the next six months.

Edgar: That's called a coma.

Setzer: Sounds festive.

[thevampirediariesdiary]

but what if I DID make this a double elimination bracket

what if

[fazcinatingblog]

She's out of control, why is she like this

And then when I explained myself, she doesn't reply so I'm thinking okay great I made a good point, she'll just back down and not argue with me, but she follows up at 6am:

[inxspacetime]

And when I add him with a Henry Cavill face, then what?

[thefunniestguy]

ggghfhuhgh not being able to fall asleep my beloathed

[good-boy-ren]

to the person who has "NSFT / KINK DNI YOU WILL BE BLOCKED AND REPORTED" on their main's pinned alongside forms of bigotry and para people, but just went on a reblog spree on here for their sideblog: ?????????????????????????? be serious for one (1) second.

[ohyesididnotjustdothat]

ive honestly never felt such feral rage

i think it's this savagery born of someone rendered helpless in a bleak situation, lashing out as you view the world shake its head and discuss your well-being as if you weren't aware--like you can't hope to comprehend what's best for you

i want to scratch and bite and scream and choke

and i sit here with this unfamiliar sensation--an overwhelming ferocity ive never experienced before

and i recognize that this pain isn't even mine. not directly

so if im so overcome with this after only weeks of simply reading about these injustices, what will living with them for years do to you?

[spiderwarden]

" Minthara . Let's stick it to the Goblin Trash , take from The Absolute , KILL ORIN . My blade is itching . &. so am I , for a red war . "

The words from the newly appointed ally inspires a tilt of her head- once focused on the map she turns her head ever so slightly as her weight balanced on the palm of her hand. Minthara's lip twitches as her mind reaches for that voice of their GOD forever echoing on the inside of her skull. OBEY. there's a huff - an almost dark chuckle before she straightens and tosses the feathered pen back on the table by the jar of ink. Turning to face the apparent ally with the curious - yet darkly intrigued, cast of red eyes.

"You would speak blasphemy to Orin's own.." Her words trail off, feeling those words again echo in her ear again. OBEY ME. But this time it was quieter, and where reverence had blossomed in her heart at the very mention of Bhaal's chosen - suddenly there was anger. Rage - an oath of... Something else. Something was not right here, the voice was quieting, and Minthara suddenly felt her mind grasping at nothing. An alarming absence of the Absolute that she could not explain. Suddenly her mind held her own thoughts, her own desires. Minthara turns her eye to the table, to search for the the Heretical Sanctuary.

And thus the Drow stares at that map - long and hard, before her jaw tighten and she turns her expression back to them. The thoughts turning between her ears when the want to obey conflicts with - whatever else this feeling was burning at the core of her chest. Shoulders lift and then fall with the big inhale she releases.

"You have my ear, iblith, do not squander it."

@z4r / random ic things that i love.

[toastingpencils37]

Bro, the heaters at my school are fucked up.

Yesterday, apparently at the beginning of the day in one of the buildings, the AC on one side was 60 degrees, whereas the other side was at 80 degrees. (I don't have classes in that building during that part of the day)

So they turned off the AC on the hot side. But then around the time 5th period started (my class period in that building), the AC on the other side went up to 80 degrees, so my teacher had to turn it off. And the principle even came to talk to my teacher about it briefly during class.

The AC in that class was apparently still at 80 degrees some point today as well.

And then in my brother's math class yesterday, the AC was really cold. But then today it was really warm.

So yeah. AC's fucked up.