#source: morgan library

[cuties-in-codices]

saints & fancy border decorations

in the hours of catherine of cleves, dutch, c. 1440

source: NYC, Morgan Library, MS M.917/945, pp. 228-280

[trans-axolotl]

this is a shortened works cited from my thesis, pulling out the sources about American intersex history and activism from the past 30 years. i have pdfs for most of the sources there, if there's something that isn't linked send me a message and i can try to find it!

just thought i'd try to put a lot of intersex history sources in one place.

Works Cited: 

Amato, Viola. “The Intersex Movement of the 1990s: Speaking Out Against Medical and Narrative Violence.” In Intersex Narratives: Shifts in the Representation of Intersex Lives in North American Literature and Popular Culture, 55–102. Transcript Verlag, 2016. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1xxrsz.6.

Bauer, Markus, Daniela Truffer and Daniela Crocetti. “Intersex Human Rights.” The International Journal of Human Rights. 24, no.6. (2020):724-749.https://doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2019.1671354 

Brown, Lydia X.Z., Erickson, Loree, da Silva Gorman, Rachel, Lewis, Talila A., McLeod, Lateef, and Mingus, Mia.  “Radical Disability Politics.” In Routledge Handbook of Radical Politics, edited by A.J. Withers and Liat Ben-Moshe, 178-193. Routledge, 2019. 

Cameron, David. “Hermaphrodites With Attitude.” Newsletter. 1994. https://isna.org/library/hwa/ 

Carpenter, Morgan. “Fixing bodies and shaping narratives: Epistemic injustice and the responses of medicine and bioethics to intersex human rights demands.” Clinical Ethics. 2024;19, no. 1. (2024) :3-17. doi:10.1177/14777509231180412

Chase, Cheryl. “Hermaphrodites with Attitude: Mapping the Emergence of Intersex Political Activism.” Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies. 4, no.2, (1998): 189-211. 

---, Hermaphrodites Speak! 1997; Rohnert Park: Intersex Society of North America. Video tape. 

Cohen, Julie, dir. Every Body. 2023; United States: Focus Features, DVD.

Denny, Dallas.  "Chrysalis Quarterly, Vol. 2 No. 5 (Fall, 1997 / Winter, 1998)."  Periodical.  1998.  Digital Transgender Archive,  https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/files/7s75dc39s  (accessed April 08, 2024).

Davis, Georgiann. “Introduction: Normalizing Intersex: The Transformative Power of Stories.”  in Voices: Personal Stories from the Pages of Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics: Normalizing Intersex, edited by James DuBois and Ana Iltis. 1-4. John Hopkins University Press, 2016. 

Dreger, Alice. “Rejecting the Tranquilizing Drug of Gradualism in Intersex Care.” Alice Dreger (blog). November 2015. Accessed April 9, 2024. https://alicedreger.com/dsd_human_rights/ 

Dreger, Alice and April Herndon. “Progress and Politics in the Intersex Rights Movement: Feminist Theory in Action.” Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies. 15, no. 2. (2009): 199-224.

Fausto-Sterling, Ane. Sexing the Body: Gender Politics and the Construction of Sexuality. New York: Basic Books. 2000. 

“A Framework for Intersex Justice.” Intersex Justice Project. 2021. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.intersexjusticeproject.org/intersex-justice-framework.html 

"FTM Newsletter #37."  Periodical.  1997.  Digital Transgender Archive,  https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/files/kd17cs89j  (accessed April 08, 2024).

Hegarty, Peter, Marta Prandelli, Trove Lundberg, Lih-Mei Liao, Sarah Creighton, and Katrina Roen.”Drawing the Line Between Essential and Nonessential Interventions on Intersex Characteristics With European Health Care Professionals.” Review of General Psychology. 25, no 1. (2020): 101-114. 

Hermaphrodites With Attitude.  "Hey AAP! Get Your Scalpels Off Our Bodies! Flyer."  Ephemera.  1990.  Digital Transgender Archive,  https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/files/qj72p712h  (accessed April 08, 2024). 

“Hermaphrodites With Attitude,” Intersex Society of North America. 2006. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://isna.org/library/hwa/ 

“How To: Organize an #EndIntersexSurgery Protest in your hometown--a toolkit created by Intersex Justice Project (IJP.” Intersex Justice Project. 2019. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20191111232744/https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EgYy2jfSO04HF_FGv-8RXYEgWW422L-RB7oxMOaIiBc/edit 

Hughes, Ieuan, Christopher Houk, Syed Faisal Ahmed, Peter Lee, and LWPES1/ESPE2 Consensus Group. “Consensus Statement on Management of intersex disorders.” Disease in Childhood. 91, no.7. (2006): 554-563. doi: 10.1136/adc.2006.098319

“I Want to Be Like Nature Made Me: Medically Unnecessary Surgeries on Intersex Children in the US.” Human Rights Watch. InterACT. July 2017, accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/lgbtintersex0717_web_0.pdf 

“InterACT Statement on Intersex Terminology.” InterACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth. 2015. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://interactadvocates.org/interact-statement-on-intersex-terminology/#:~:text=interACT's%20use%20of%20terminology%20and,of%20the%20term%20%E2%80%9Cintersex%E2%80%9D. 

Lindhal, Hans. “Is PCOS an Intersex Condition? Here’s 5 Reasons Why Some Say Yes.” HansLindhal.Com (Blog). February 2023, Accessed April 7, 2024. https://hanslindahl.com/blog/is-pcos-an-intersex-condition 

---., “9 Young People on How They Found Out They Are Intersex.” Teen Vogue. October 2019. Accessed April 10, 2024. https://www.teenvogue.com/gallery/young-people-on-how-they-found-out-they-are-intersex 

“M.C v. Aaronson.” Southern Poverty Law Center. 2017. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.splcenter.org/seeking-justice/case-docket/mc-v-aaronson

Merrick, Ten. “From ‘Intersex’ to ‘DSD’: A Case of Epistemic Injustice.” Synthese 196, no. 11 (2019): 4429–47. http://www.jstor.org/stable/45220035.

Orr, Celeste. Cripping Intersex. University of British Columbia Press, 2022. 

Pagonis, Pidgeon. “#EndIntersexSurgery Protest At Lurie Children’s Hospital Recap + 5 Ways To Get Involved.” Intersex Justice Project. 2018. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.intersexjusticeproject.org/blog/endintersexsurgery-protest-at-lurie-childrens-hospital-recap 

Pagonis, Pidgeon and Sean Saifa Wall. “Open Letter to AIS-DSD Support Group.” EndIntersexSurgery. Intersex Justice Project. February 2018. Accessed April 8, 2024.  http://www.endintersexsurgery.org/ 

Redick, Alison. “What Happened at Hopkins: The Creation of the Intersex Management Protocols.  Cardozo Journal of  Law & Gender. 12 (2005): 289-296 

Reid, Graeme, and Minky Worden. “Caster Semenya Won Her Case, But Not the Right to Compete.” Human Rights Watch. July 2023. Accessed April 10, 2024. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/07/18/caster-semenya-won-her-case-not-right-compete  

Reis, Elizabeth. Bodies in Doubt: An American History of Intersex. John Hopkins Press, 2021.

---, “Did Bioethics Matter? A HIstory of Autonomy, Consent, and Intersex Genital Surgery. Medical Law review. 27, no.4, (2019):658-674. https://doi.org/10.1093/medlaw/fwz007 

Rios-Espinosa, Carlos, Koomah, Syrus Marcus Ware, and Sean Saifa Wall. “Liberating All Bodies: Disability Justice & Intersex Justice In Conversation.” Webinar at the Crip Camp Impact Team and Human Rights Watch Film Festival, United States, October 2020.  

Rubin, David, Michelle Wolff and Amanda Lock Swarr. “Creating Intersex Justice: Interview with Sean Saifa Wall and Pidgeon Pagonis of the Intersex Justice Project.”  Transgender Studies Quarterly. 9, no. 2. (2022): 187-195. https://doi.org/10.1215/23289252-9612823 

Sharman, Zena. “Intersex Justice and the Care We Deserve: ‘I Want People to Feel at Home in Their Bodies Again.’” Ms. Magazine. 2022. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://msmagazine.com/2022/02/03/intersex-justice-the-care-we-dream-of-queer-trans-healthcare/  

Sharpe, Sam. “No one-size-fits all: Myths and Misconceptions about PCOS.” InterACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth. Advocates for Informed Choice. October 2022. Accessed on April 7, 2024. https://interactadvocates.org/no-one-size-fits-all-myths-and-misconceptions-about-pcos/ 

Spurgas, Alyson. “(Un)Queering Identity: The Biosocial Production of Intersex/DSD.” in Critical Intersex edited by Morgan Holmes. 97-122. Ashgate Publishing, 2009. 

Tamar-Matis, Anne. “ Advocates for Informed Choice, Newsletter Fall 2007.” Newsletter. 2007. AIC Legal .https://aiclegal.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/fall-07-newsletter-final.pdf

---. “Advocates for Informed Choice: Newsletter Spring 2008.” Newsletter. 2008. AIC Legal.https://aiclegal.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/spring-08-final.pdf

---. “Advocates for Informed Choice: Newsletter Summer 2009.” Newsletter. 2009. AIC Legal.https://aiclegal.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/aic-2009-summer-newsletter-pdf.pdf

---. “Advocates for Informed Choice: Spring 2010 Newsletter.” Newsletter. 2010. AIC Legal.https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=f8291560ebb2dafc25097480f&id=5803ec8c71

---., “June 2011: Promoting the Civil Rights of Children Born With Variations of Sex Anatomy.” Newsletter. 2011. AIC Legal. https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=f8291560ebb2dafc25097480f&id=cec68ddac 

---.. “June 2012: Promoting the Civil Rights of Children Born With Variations of Sex Anatomy.” Newsletter. 2012. AIC Legal. https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=f8291560ebb2dafc25097480f&id=b4d4dd90cf

---. “ 2012 Annual Report.” Newsletter. 2012. Advocates for Informed Choice. https://interactadvocates.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/AIC-2012-Annual-Report.pdf 

---. “2013 Annual Report. “ Newsletter. 2012. Advocates for Informed Choice. https://interactadvocates.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/2013-annual-report-FIN1.pdf  

“US: Anti-Trans Bills Also Harm Intersex Children.” Human Rights Watch. October 22. Accessed April 10, 2024. https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/10/26/us-anti-trans-bills-also-harm-intersex-children 

Vecchietti, Valentino. “A Journey to the Intersex-Inclusive Pride Flag.” Global Inclusive Pride Flag. Intersex Equality Rights. 2021. Accessed April 7, 2024. https://www.globalinclusiveprideflag.com/ 

Wilchins, Riki Anne.  "In Your Face No. 5 (Spring 1998)."  Newsletter.  1998.  Digital Transgender Archive,  https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/files/vq27zn45k  (accessed April 08, 2024).

Withers, AJ. Disability Politics and Theory. Fernwood Publishing, 2012. 

Woo, Elaine. “David Reimer, 38; After Botched Surgery, He was Raised as a Girl in Gender Experiment.: Los Angeles Times. May 2004. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-may-13-me-reimer13-story.html 

[pigeonflavouredcake]

My Grimoire Research Library

this is a list of my major resource I've referenced/am currently referencing in my big grimoire project. For books I'll be linking the Goodreads page, for pdfs, websites and videos i'll link them directly.

There are plenty of generalised practitioner resources that can work for everyone but as I have Irish ancestry and worship Hellenic deities quite a few of my resources are centred around Celtic Ireland, ancient Greece and the Olympic mythos. If you follow other sects of paganism you are more than welcome to reblog with your own list of resources.

Parts of my grimoire discuss topics of new age spiritualism, dangerous conspiracy theories, and bigotry in witchcraft so some resources in this list focus on that.

Books

Apollodorus - The Library of Greek Mythology

Astrea Taylor - Intuitive Witchcraft

Dee Dee Chainey & Willow Winsham - Treasury of Folklore: Woodlands and Forests

John Ferguson - Among The Gods: An Archaeological Exploration of Ancient Greek Religion

Katharine Briggs - The Fairies in Tradition and Literature

Kevin Danaher - The Year in Ireland: Irish Calendar Customs

Laura O'Brien - Fairy Faith in Ireland

Lindsey C. Watson - Magic in Ancient Greece and Rome

Nicholas Culpeper - Culpeper's Complete Herbal

Plutarch - The Rise and Fall of Athens: Nine Greek Lives

R.B. Parkinson - A Little Gay History: Desire and Diversity Around the World

Rachel Patterson - Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Tarot Journey to Self-Awareness

Raleigh Briggs - Make Your Place: Affordable & Sustainable Nesting Skills

Robin Wall Kimmerer - Braiding Sweetgrass

Ronald Hutton - The Witch: A History of Fear in Ancient Times

Rosemary Ellen Guiley - The Encyclopaedia of Witches and Witchcraft

Thomas N. Mitchell - Athens: A History of the World's First Democracy

Walter Stephens - Demon Lovers: Witchcraft S3x and the Crisis of Belief

Yvonne P. Chireau - Black Magic: Religion and The African American Conjuring Tradition

PDFs

Anti Defamation League - Hate on Display: Hate Symbols Database

Brandy Williams - White Light, Black Magic: Racism in Esoteric Thought

Cambridge SU Women’s Campaign - How to Spot TERF Ideology 2.0.

Blogs and Websites

Anti Defamation League

B. Ricardo Brown - Until Darwin: Science and the Origins of Race

Dr. S. Deacon Ritterbush - Dr Beachcomb

Folklore Thursday

Freedom of Mind Resource Centre - Steven Hassan’s BITE Model of Authoritarian Control

Institute for Strategic Dialogue

Royal Horticultural Society

The Duchas Project -National Folklore Collection

Vivienne Mackie - Vivscelticconnections

YouTube Videos

ContraPoints - Gender Critical

Emma Thorne Videos - Christian Fundie Says Halloween is SATANIC!

Owen Morgan (Telltale) - The Source Of All Conspiracies: A 1902 Document Called "The Protocols"

The Belief it or Not Podcast - Ep. 40 Satanic Panic, Ep 92. Wicca

Wendigoon - The Conspiracy Theory Iceberg

Other videos I haven't referenced but you may still want to check out

Atun-Shei Films - Ancient Aryans: The History of Crackpot N@zi Archaeology

Belief It Or Not - Ep. 90 - Logical Fallacies

Dragon Talisman - Tarot Documentary (A re-upload of the 1997 documentary Strictly Supernatural: Tarot and Astrology)

Lindsay Ellis - Tracing the Roots of Pop Culture Transphobia

Overly Sarcastic Productions - Miscellaneous Myths Playlist

Owen Morgan (Telltale) - SATANIC PANIC! 90s Video Slanders Satanists | Pagan Invasion Saga | Part 1

ReignBot - How Ouija Boards Became "Evil" | Obscura Archive Ep. 2

Ryan Beard - Demi Lovato Promoted a R4cist Lizard Cult

Super Eyepatch Wolf - The Bizarre World of Fake Psychics, Faith Healers and Mediums

Weird Reads with Emily Louise -The Infamous Hoaxes Iceberg Playlist

Wendigoon - The True Stories of the Warren Hauntings: The Conjuring, Annabelle, Amityville, and Other Encounters

[thebeautifulbook]

THE MORGAN BLACK HOURS

The Black Hours is an illuminated book of hours completed in Bruges between 1460 and 1475. It consists of 121 pages (leaves), with Latin text written in Gothic minuscule script. The words are arranged in rows of fourteen lines and follow the Roman version of the texts. The lettering is inscribed in silver and gold and placed within borders ornamented with flowers, foliage and grotesques, on pages dyed a deep blueish black. It contains fourteen full-page miniatures and opens with the months of the liturgical calendar followed by the Hours of the Virgin, and ends with the Office of the Dead.

The anonymous painter of the Black Hours is an artist whose style depended mainly upon that of Willem Vrelant, one of the dominant illuminators working in Bruges from the late 1450s until his death in 1481. As in the work of Vrelant, figures in angular drapery move somewhat stiffly in shallowly defined spaces. The men's flat faces are dominated by large noses.

Only seven copies exist. The one shown is held by the Morgan Library. [View large]

The Morgan Library

source

[vspin]

Guess for my sanity I need to brain dump.

The economy was the #1 issue for voters. I do believe Harris failed to make this info digestible to the average person and point out big wins like the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act

The unfortunate reality is:

that it will most likely get worse with the Trump presidency because his economic policy is ass.

Americans fundamentally misunderstand the economy and inflation.

American Perception on the Economy:

Interestingly enough, the Federal Reserve latest survey results show that:

Americans generally think they themselves are doing at least okay and they think the overall economy is doing terribly; 72% think they're doing at least okay but only 22% think the economy is doing okay, in 2019 those numbers were 75% and 50%, respectively.

Inflation continued to be the top financial concern, despite the inflation rate falling over the prior year

The reality is there are a lot of things that aren't great about America's economy -- high levels of inequality, a lot of poverty for how rich the country is, etc., but we are on par with the good economy of 2019, and a lot of the things that are bad today were also bad in 2019, when sentiment about the economy was much higher.

The US is doing better (higher economic growth, lower inflation) than pretty much every other developed nation.

I don't feel like posting the stats but unemployment, real wage growth, inflation rate, and household wealth have improved. Even income inequality improved in 2022. Here are the sources:

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/UNRATE # unemployment

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LES1252881600Q # wages

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEPI # inflation

https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/scf/dataviz/scf/chart/#series:Transaction_Accounts;demographic:all;population:1;units:median # wealth

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/09/income-inequality.html # inequality

The reality is Americans will punish policymakers who allow high inflation, even at the expense of anemic growth, longer recessions, higher unemployment.

Some takeaways from analyses done from the 2024 Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget

Under our central estimate, Vice President Harris’s plan would increase the debt by $3.95 trillion through 2035, while President Trump’s plan would increase the debt by $7.75 trillion. 

Trump’s proposals would dramatically worsen Social Security’s finances

Increase Social Security’s ten-year cash shortfall by $2.3 trillion through FY 2035.

Advance insolvency by three years, from FY 2034 to FY 2031 – hastening the next President’s insolvency timeline by one-third.

Implications about Trump Election from Morgan Stanley:

Trump’s proposals to impose a 60% tariff on Chinese goods and potentially a universal 10% tariff may negatively impact economic growth and put upward pressure on inflation. More specifically, the measures could cause inflation to increase by 2.5% and GDP to decline by 0.5% in the two years following imposition, according to Bloomberg Economics.

Believe it or not the economy is heading in a great direction after COVID.

Now that the measurable indicators have stabilized after COVID it was time for the policymakers to start getting at the root of many of these issues.

For example, Harris was planning to work with Congress to pass a federal ban on price gouging for grocery stores.

At the end of the day, Presidents have limited power to quickly drive down the costs of groceries, given the complexity of food supply chains rattled by inflation. Now that we have returned the supply chain to pre-COVID levels we have seen that companies have no reduced prices back to their previous levels. The only way to do this was through policy.

Will Trump take that form of action? Nope.

Anyway much more to say, and this is barely coherent but...just frustrating. There are aspects of the economy that are awful but I just can't see how Trump's policies will help. For example, slashing building regulations for new builds and his avoidance of a $15 minimum wage🤦‍♀️

[incendiaglacies]

Dream Movie 2024

Pages of Peril

Synopsis:

In the quaint town of Stonebrook, the local library stands as a beacon of knowledge and mystery. Jake and Max, two inquisitive teenagers, are drawn to its ancient shelves and whispered legends. The librarian, Naomi Sinclair, remains an elusive figure, rumored to possess extraordinary knowledge.

One day, an enigmatic traveler named Declan Connor arrives in town to solve an unknown mystery. Excited to meet a newcomer, Jake and Max accidentally end up with Declan’s phone during their roughhousing. Suddenly, the phone rings with a plea for help from the library.

As they explore the dusty stacks, the teens discover an ancient tome hidden behind a forgotten shelf. Within its pages lies a peculiar doodle of Henry Mason, seemingly trapped within the book's confines. Realizing they must save him and other trapped souls, the boys team up with Declan and Jade Li, an older girl they both admire, to unravel the mystery. Throughout their mission, they strive to keep their activities secret from the librarian and Jake’s mother, Victoria.

Unknown to them, the librarian harbors a dark secret. Years ago, she made a pact with an ancient sorcerer, learning the ancient ways of magic before trapping his soul for immortal life and eternal knowledge. Now, she seeks to ensnare others to continue her life force.

Using the magical phone to contact the trapped souls, the group works to defeat the evil librarian. In a surprising twist, they discover that Victoria was the one who initially called Declan for help.

Main Cast:

Simone Ashley as Naomi Sinclair: Once an apprentice to a great sorcerer, Naomi Sinclair now serves as Stonebrook’s sinister librarian. Her thirst for forbidden knowledge led her to make a dark pact, sacrificing her soul in the process. Now, as the curse consumes her, she seeks to trap others within the library's mystical tomes.

Colin Morgan as Declan Connor: Declan Connor is a mysterious traveler who arrives in Stonebrook with an enigmatic purpose. His passion for solving mysteries draws him into the library's supernatural intrigue. Declan's expertise and magical phone become crucial tools in unraveling the town's dark secrets.

Steve Martin as Henry Mason: Henry Mason, a renowned architect, is the latest victim of the library's curse. Trapped within the pages of an ancient book, his presence is reduced to a peculiar doodle. Henry's predicament becomes the catalyst for the teens' adventure to save him and other imprisoned souls.

Larry Saperstein as Jake Thompson: Jake Thompson is the more adventurous of the two teenage friends. His curiosity and boldness often lead the group into exciting and dangerous situations. Jake must balance his thirst for adventure with the need to keep their mission secret from his mother.

Ali Hadji-Heshmati as Max Turner: Max Turner is Jake's more cautious and analytical friend. He prefers to think things through before taking action, providing a balanced perspective to the group. Max's thoughtful approach often helps the team navigate tricky situations and decode clues.

Jessie Mei Li as Jade Li: Jade Li is a popular and athletic girl at the boys' school who becomes intrigued by the mystery surrounding the library. Her curiosity and desire to learn more draw her into the adventure. Jade's popularity and physical prowess make her a valuable asset to the team.

Darby Stanchfield as Victoria Thompson: Victoria Thompson is a dedicated historian who has spent years researching the strange disappearances in Stonebrook. Her knowledge provides crucial background information to the young investigators, even if she doesn’t realize it.

Harrison Ford (Wild Card) as Richard Sterling: Richard Sterling is the powerful sorcerer who originally made the pact with Naomi Sinclair. His ancient magic is the source of the curse that plagues the library and its victims.

Item - Phone: The phone allows a method of contact between the imprisoned souls and the young investigators. It is what starts the whole mystery.

[burningvelvet]

"since his wife Mary tried hard to acquire all the portraits of him"

how many portraits are there of him? What are they? :0 The only one I know of that was made of him when he was alive, all the rest I've seen seem to just be attempts to make Currant's painting look nicer lmao

On Percy Shelley's appearance: portraits and descriptions

Existing portraits include: sketches by Edward Ellerker Williams, some reprinted in Newman Ivey White's Shelley biography, a drawing by Mary Shelley (sometimes said to be by Williams), some portraits of him as a child, some missing or unidentified portraits mentioned in Mary Shelley's letters, portraits by Marianne Hunt (Leigh Hunt's wife), the sketches and painting by Amelia Curran and their many copies you've seen.

Williams' sketches, from White's book:

Marianne Hunt's portraits (sculpture from the Eton College library, shadow silhouette portrait from I don't remember where, but these shadow silhouettes were made from tracing the subject's shadow, so it is the most accurate likeness):

Mary's supposed drawing (screenshot of a prior post of mine, source incl.), child Percy from the Morgan library:

child Percy by Antoine Philippe, duc de Montpensier (Bodleian library), a sketch by the same artist at the National Portrait Gallery, and a portrait of him by an unknown artist from the National Portrait Gallery - there are possibly other portraits of him as a child considering his family was rich:

Many of the portraits don't resemble each other, which as an artist myself I can only assume is a reflection of the skill of the varying artists, some of which were only beginners. Curran was a practicing art student and apparently threw her Shelley painting into her fireplace and nearly destroyed it at one point lmao. I personally struggle to capture likeness myself and if I made a portrait of Shelley it would probably look nothing like him.

Then there are some extended descriptions and anecdotes on him, his personality, and his appearance. The best ones are given in the memoirs of his friends Medwin, Hogg, Trelawny, Hunt, Hazlitt's essay "On Paradox and Common Place," the 1863 essay by Thornton Leigh Hunt (Hunt's son) titled "Shelley: By One Who Knew Him" (a favorite of mine), Claire Clairmont's letters and journals, a description from "the life and letters of Joseph Severn," Horace Smith in his 1847 essay series "A Graybeard's Gossip About His Literary Acquaintances" (essays No. 8 and 9), Benjamin Haydon's autobiography, Sophia Stacey's diary excerpts published in "Shelley and his Friends in Italy" (another favorite of mine), and letters by his sister Hellen Shelley published in Hogg's Shelley biography (some of the most interesting anecdotes).

Then there are miscellaneous reports mostly colleced in the Shelley biographies by Richard Holmes, Newman Ivey White, and James Bieri (these are the best and most comprehensive Shelley biographies with Holmes "Pursuit" in first place and Bieri a close second).

Mary Shelley's letters and journals are filled with memories of him, and she wrote about him in the editions of his works she edited: Posthumous Poems (1824), The Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley (1839), Essays, Letters from Abroad, Translations and Fragments (1840). It's so fascinating to read her intelligent analysis of his work knowing she was there when he wrote most of it, and to see her share some of her anecdotes about their life and things that inspired specific works of his. She always focuses on his writing and philosophies more than his personal life because of how much slander they had received due to their scandals, etc. (adultery, radical politics, atheism, the custody battle with his first wife's parents, etc.) -- I can't recall if she ever wrote an extended account of his appearance. She saw him as a soulmate and exalted his powerful inner spirit above all else, and described his physical frame as being a weak sort of chain which had bound him to the world, reflected in his poor health and restlessness.

[jasper-book-stash]

October 2024 Reading Wrap-Up

The eight books of this month really made me experience the whole span of human emotion. And maybe a couple of the shrimp ones.

Religious Text

None applicable.

1/10 - Why Did They Publish This?

None applicable (thank the gods).

2/10 - Trash

Pure Magic: A Complete Course In Spellcasting | Judika Illes

The amount of times I screeched about citing sources or admitting that the author has none...I didn't get too far. The author was wholeass pulling things out of her ass. This is the epitome of bullshit "feminist" pseudohistory. I couldn't even get to the parts about occultism because the bullshit made me throw the book.

(Side note, I don't think it's very "feminist" to depict women of the past as having a beautiful matriarchal society and then having that taken over by men... Like girl, you are actively shitting upon those who came before you! You are downplaying their struggles and lying!!!)

3/10 - Meh

Horses And The Mystical Path: The Celtic Way Of Expanding The Human Soul | Adele Von Rust Mccormick, Ph.D., Marlena Deborah Mccormick, Ph.D., Thomas E Mccormick, M.D.

Here's the thing. Except for the emphasis on combining a whole bunch of cultures together as Celtic, this was just...not the book for me. I'm not Christian, I'm not struggling with finding my faith in any way, and while I like horses I don't care much for the approach. It was just...boring to me.

4 to 6/10 - Mid-Tier

The Husbands | Holly Gramazio

This was a decent book. It's about a husband-producing attic, and the main female character trying to find out what's going on. But it was very difficult to keep up with all of the characters (because their details often changed with each husband) and the female character got to the point where she was just regularly speedrunning husband options. It feels like this was a little too long for what it was. I probably would have enjoyed it more if it was a novella instead of a novel. But hey, it was a debut novel, and we always love to see more authors coming up and out.

7 to 8/10 - Good With Caveats

Mead Mishaps 2 and 3: That Time I Got Drunk And Yeeted A Love Potion At A Werewolf & That Time I Got Drunk And Saved A Human | Kimberly Lemming

I read and enjoyed book one in September, and book two was just as good and fun, with a mystery incel cult going on. Book three was a little less enjoyable than the first, because it felt like it was setting up for things that never came through, and there's only so much new stuff you can tread with the same approach of "male dragon and [redacted for spoilers] human woman". But it was still stupid and fun and very, very horny. And these ones put content warnings in the beginning, which is very nice!

Mothman: Behind The Red Eyes…The Complete Investigative Library | Jeff Wamsley

My overall feelings about this book is that it's fine, the author's interviewing skills suck shit. There are a lot of newspaper clippings and some of the formatting makes me want to chew rocks, but it's otherwise pretty good. We take a very interesting detour into aliens and the Men in Black. It's also important to note that this is apparently the second Mothman book he's written and he repeatedly references the first one, which I do not have, but it also kinda stands on its own.

It's funny because I did not buy this book. My stepdad's coworker heard my stepdad talking about hopes to eventually go to West Virginia to see the Mothman statue and just. Had the book. And gave it to my stepdad.

Honestly, what a fitting way to acquire such a book.

9/10 - Very Very Good

Providence Girls: A Sapphic Horror Romance | Morgan Dante

This book made me want to chew a hole through sheetrock. That is a compliment. DEFINITELY mind the content warnings. Spoilers coming up, but the spoilers aren't actually that surprising when you remember that this is a Lovecraftian lesbian romance.

So the framing of it is that it's letters between Lavinia Whateley and Asenath Waite. Lavinia escapes being sacrificed in Dunwich and runs until she winds up in East Providence, where Asenath finds her and takes her in. Asenath is slowly turning into a fish person because she's from the mess going on in Arkham and they live together and it's simultaneously an analysis of Lovecraftian horror, living in the 1930s, and sapphic romance. They're so freaking cute.

Lavinia's letters are framed as being post-Azzie's fishification while Azzie's are from before that, but the letters alternate to create a linear narrative despite this non-linear framing.

10/10 - Unironically Recommend To Everyone

Doing Justice: A Prosecutor's Thoughts On Crime, Punishment, And The Rule Of Law | Preet Bharara

If you've been paying attention to the most recent posts on this blog, you're not going to be surprised that I've been going insane over this book. Narrative nonfiction wasn't one that I thought I would enjoy, but now I know that I do. There was only one part that I had to skip, personally, because of the details discussed...but honestly, it was so good. I look forward to reading more of what this author writes.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Illuminated Manuscripts

“Christ Kneeling in Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemene” (c. 1475 France, Loire Valley)

Illuminated manuscripts embody the extraordinary union of beauty and knowledge.

Though the art of making them disappeared with the advent of the printing press, the most spectacular manuscripts survived the ages.

Here are 8 masterworks of medieval illumination: 🧵

1. The Morgan Crusader Bible, 13th century

Commissioned by French King Louis IX, the Morgan Crusader Bible depicts events from the Hebrew Bible set in the scenery and attire of 13th-century France — it puts a medieval twist on Old Testament stories.

Consisting of 46 folios, the manuscript displays illustrations accompanied by text written in either Latin, Persian, Arabic, or Hebrew.

The vivid colors and attention to detail make it one of the most popular illuminated manuscripts.

2. The Black Hours, 15th century

The Black Hours is a book of hours (a type of prayer book) created in Bruges, Belgium.

The style is in imitation of Wilhelm Vrelant, the most popular illuminator of the period and constructed of vellum (calfskin) that’s been dyed pitch black.

Gold and blue paint overlay the dark background to create an almost otherworldly look.

Written in silver and gold ink, the text lists the prayers to be said while depictions of Bible stories aid the reader in meditation.

3. Book of Kells, 9th century

Among the most iconic medieval manuscripts is the Book of Kells.

Created in a Columban monastery, the text is the pinnacle of early medieval calligraphy and illumination.

The graphics are a blend of insular art (the post-Roman era style of art popular in Irish monasteries) and traditional Christian iconography.

Plants, animals, Celtic knots, and biblical figures decorate the 680 page volume to tell the story of Jesus’ life.

4. Codex Argenteus, 6th century

Latin for “Silver Book,” the Codex Argenteus contains the four gospels written in Gothic, making it one of the world’s foremost sources for the now-extinct language.

The book was likely written as a gift for Ostrogothic king, Theodoric the Great.

The work is particularly striking due to its purple-stained vellum pages, metallic ink, and silver binding. Looks almost Tolkienesque…

5. Acre Bible, 13th Century

Another work commissioned by Louis IX, the Acre Bible was compiled shortly after the king’s release from captivity during the disastrous 7th crusade.

Upon returning to France, he deposited the masterwork in his newly built Sainte-Chapelle library.

It contains 19 books of the Old Testament, and its illustrations are considered masterpieces of crusader art.

6. The Aberdeen Bestiary, 12-13th century

A bestiary is essentially an encyclopedia of animals and mythical beasts.

They gained popularity throughout the Middle Ages as readers could learn about exotic animals or mythical creatures.

This one was owned by Henry VIII and features a retelling of the Genesis creation story with fantastical images of creatures both real and imagined.

7. The Very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry, 15th century

The best surviving example of the International Gothic style of illumination, it’s one of the most lavishly designed late-medieval manuscripts and contains well over 100 illustrations.

Despite beautiful scenes covering most of its pages, the work didn’t shy away from darker imagery.

8. The Berthold Sacramentary, 13th century

Commissioned by the abbot of Weingarten Abbey, this manuscript is a form of missal called a sacramentary used by priests for liturgical services.

A sacramentary gives the priest's readings and prayers for the Mass. This one is a paragon of Romanesque art.

[krenenbaker]

Yo Kren

Since you're an expert enthusiast in historical fashion lend a fellow a hand.

I really wanna design renaissance characters rn, you know where I can look that up? Like a book with pictures online with lots of interesting designs for inspiration

hiya!!

okay, it's been a little bit since I've been really looking into historical fashion, but I'll do my best to help out!

first, it depends on when in the Renaissance you're looking at, as well as where, and who. the fashions differed from place-to-place, differed based on social class, and were fairly different from decade-to-decade, let alone from the beginning of the Renaissance (14th century) to the end (17th century). I'm most familiar with fashions of the English Renaissance, mostly the period of the Tudor and Elizabethan eras (late 1400s to late 1500s), so I'd mostly be able to help with things from that time period.

Fashion History Timeline is a handy website (which I may have told you about?) made by the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, which gives an overview of common fashions in different decades. this is where I tend to start, and look deeper into the different aspects I find interesting or are important to the construction, shape, etc. of different pieces and outfits.

From there, I tend to look at either my local library, on Google Scholar, JSTOR (which you may be able to access either through a personal account, a school library, or a public library), Project Gutenburg or the Internet Archive (those are good for older sources), or on the general internet for the aspects I may be wanting to learn more about. Generally, I look into:

the fabrics that would have been used,

the common patterns of the time,

the different garments that would have been worn (shirts/shifts, hose, tunics, jerkins, overcoats, kirtles, dresses, pockets, etc, depending on whose clothing you're looking at)

the specific layers and their order,

any techniques that may have been used in that specific time / place,

and any other things that stand out

If you are looking for specifically Tudor fashions, the Tudor Tailor is a FANTASTIC source. There are a few different Tudor Tailor books, though they can be a little hard to find, but they also have a few visual sources on their YouTube channel, which are great!

Morgan Donner also has some good sources for Medieval and Renaissance dress, which I'd also recommend looking into a bit! Samantha Bullat also has some GREAT videos and tutorials on mostly 15th-17th century dress. and there are some other tutorials and such on YouTube, which can usually be found by searching for the specific garment and period (though not always)

I hope this was at least a bit helpful. and I hope you have fun!

[thecrystallizedlibrary]

Alters of The Crystallized Library!

These are all the current alters within the system (subject to change/organized by source!)

Interaction Statuses:

Safe: Completely safe to interact with!

Safe/Caution: Relatively safe to interact with but be mindful. Most alters with this status have anxiety or are quick to trigger

Caution: Proceed with caution, relatively safe but may be quick to trigger or wary of strangers. These alters mostly need to be requested to front.

DO NOT INTERACT: Do not interact with these alters. The alters labelled DNI are alters that are not allowed to front without heavy trauma related stuff happening physically or mentally. Do not attempt to trigger these up.

Main Hosts:

Eden (Main Identity Keeper)

Ink!Sans/Ink (Identity Keeper)

Error!Sans/Error (Identity Keeper)

Co-Hosts/Gatekeepers:

Atlas (Emotional Protector, Trauma Holder, Gatekeeper, Nightmare Holder)

Bill Cipher (Gatekeeper)

Toby Rogers (Co-Host, Symptom Holder)

Animal Crossing:

Orville (Safe)

Wilbur (Safe)

Creepypasta:

BEN Drowned (Caution)

Eyeless Jack (Caution)

Jeff/Jeffery Woods (Caution)

LJ/Laughing Jack (Caution)

Liu/Liu Woods (Sully) (Caution)

Sally/Sally Williams (Safe, Caution)

The Operator/Slenderman (DO NOT INTERACT)

Toby Rogers (Safe, Caution)

DC:

Alfred Pennyworth (Safe)

Bruce Wayne (Caution)

Damian Wayne (Caution)

Dick Grayson (Safe)

Helios Pheasant (OC) (Safe, Caution)

Jason Todd (Caution)

Tim Drake (Caution)

Epoch (My Story Porject, Ocs):

Espien Bloodlock (Protector) (Safe, Caution)

"N" Nodric (Protector) (Caution)

Silias Bloodlock (Protector) (Caution)

Genshin Impact/Star Rail:

Klee (Genshin)(Safe)

Trailblazer (HSR)(Safe, Caution)

Zhongli (Genshin)(Safe)

Gravity Falls:

Bill Cipher (Caution)

Dipper Pines (Safe, Caution)

Mabel Pines (Safe)

Soos (Safe)

Stanford Pines/Ford/Sixer (Safe, Caution)

Stanley Pines/Stan (Safe, Caution)

Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss:

Lucifer Morningstar (Hazbin Hotel) (Safe, Caution)

Stolas (Helluva Boss) (Safe)

Legend of Zelda:

Ganondorf (Safe, Caution)

King Rauru (Safe)

Price Sidon (Safe)

Princess Zelda (Safe)

Time Link (Safe)

Twilight Link (Human and Wolf) (Safe)

Wild Link (Safe)

Marble Hornets:

Brian Thomas/Hoodie (Safe)

Jay Merrick (Caution)

Tim Wright/Masky (Caution)

Mario:

Bowser (Safe)

Luigi (Safe, Caution)

Princess Peach (Safe)

MHA/My Hero Academia:

Dabi (Caution)

Denki Kaminari (Safe, Caution)

Eijiro Kirishima (Safe)

Himiko Toga (Safe, Caution)

Hitoshi Shinsou (Safe)

Izuku Midoriya (Safe)

Katsuki Bakugo (Safe, Caution)

Keigo Takami (Safe, Caution)

Mirio Togata (Safe)

Shoto Todoroki (Safe, Caution)

Taishiro Toyomitsu (Safe)

Tamaki Amajiki (Safe, Caution)

Tomura Shigaraki (Caution)

Toshinori Yagi (All Might) (Safe)

Minecraft/MinecraftYT:

Cinder (Enderman mob) (Safe)

Dream (Caution)

DreamXD (Caution)

Philza (Safe)

Ranboo (Safe, Caution)

Technoblade (Caution)

My Little Pony:

Apple Jack (Safe)

Fluttershy (Safe)

Pinkie Pie (Safe)

Rainbow Dash (Safe)

Rarity (Safe)

Twilight Sparkle (Safe)

Mythos:

Achilles (Hades) (Safe)

Anubis (Egyptian Myth) (Safe, Caution)

Cerberus (Hades) (Caution)

Kratos (God of War) (DO NOT INTERACT)

Odysseus (EPIC: the Musical) (Safe, Caution)

Thanatos (Hades) (Caution)

Zagreus (Hades) (Safe)

Random:

Arthur Morgan (Red Dead Redemption 2) (Safe, Caution)

Bendy (Bendy and the Ink Machine) (Caution)

Cuphead (Cuphead) (Safe, Caution)

Kirby (Kirby) (Safe)

Kronk (Emperor's New Groove) (Safe)

Lamb/Lambert (Cult of the Lamb) (Caution)

Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7) (Caution)

Vergil Sparda (Devil May Cry) (Caution)

Sonic:

Amy Rose (Safe)

Blaze (Safe)

Infinite (Caution)

Knuckles (Safe)

Metal Sonic (Caution)

Miles "Tails" Prower (Caution)

Rouge (Safe)

Shadow (Safe, Caution)

Silver (Safe)

Sonic (Safe)

Sticks (Safe)

Vector (Safe)

Supernatural:

Castiel (Safe)

Dean Winchester (Caution)

Sam Winchester (Safe, Caution)

Undertale/Deltarune/AUs:

Aliza (Caution)

Classic Chara (Caution)

Classic Frisk (Caution)

Classic Grillby (Safe)

Classic Papyrus (Safe)

Classic sans (Caution)

Classic Toriel (Safe)

Cross (Caution)

Dust Chara (Caution)

Dust Frisk (Caution)

Dust Sans/Dust (Caution)

Epic (Caution)

Error (Caution)

Fell Chara (Caution)

Fell Frisk (Caution)

Fell Papyrus/Edge (Caution)

Fell Sans/Red (Caution)

Flowerfell Sans (Caution)

Gaster Papyrus (Caution)

G!Sans/Gaster Sans (Caution)

Horror Papyrus (Safe, Caution)

Horror/Horror Sans (Safe, Caution)

Ink (Safe)

Killer/Killer Sans (Caution)

Kris (Safe, Caution)

Nightmare (Caution)

Outer Chara (Caution)

Outer Frisk (Caution)

Outer Grillby/Burst (Safe)

Outer Papyrus (Safe)

Outer Sans (Safe)

Swap Chara (Caution)

Swap Frisk (Caution)

Swap Papyrus/Carrot (Caution)

Swap Sans/Blueberry (Caution)

Underfell Grillby/Chillby (Caution)

Underswap Grillby/Spirals (Safe)

W.D. Gaster/Gaster (Safe)

Unknown Source:

Atlas (Safe, Caution)

Clove (Caution)

Eden (Safe, Caution)

Elder (Caution)

Juniper/Juni (Caution)

Mint (Caution)

Mugwort (Caution)

Nimbus (Safe)

Quartz (Caution)

Rosemary (Caution)

Sage (Safe)

Solar Flare (Safe)

Tarragon (Caution)

Thyme (Caution)

Tiger's Eye (Caution)

Topaz (Caution)

Wormwood (Caution)

Wren (Caution)

Yarrow (Caution)

[anaryllis]

You should learn even a little bit about how making ai art outside of someone just typing in a prompt and being satisfied with the first product works before you talk about it. Because you sound like one of those people who thinks digital art is magic you just decided it's a different tool that's magic this time. Like if you want good art out of some of the less gimmicky generate in your browser ai art programs you do actually have to build skills and then put in effort to get a good product out. It's not magic as much as you seem to believe it is.

if it takes the degree of work that you seem to be implying it does, then it wouldnt be AI art, itd just be automated tools that speed up certain mechanics (for instance photoshop's cloning mechanics & using distortion tools for perspective are certainly automating steps, but they arent to the point of AI, and i dont see ppl generally pretending they are)

effectively utilizing a visual library is a skill, for sure - collage artists are a great example of this

("back at home" by morgan jesse lappin)

like! this is stellar! and im sure really effective AI prompting is not too dissimilar to this. but that leads me to a few points:

1. the issue still remains of ethical resource libraries, which is as much a conversation regarding collage art as this - how many distinct sources are needed for it to become truly "original"? how much needs to be changed? what if its not as CLEAR its a collage vs claiming the source materials as your own creation? what resources do you even have the rights to, period? these are all gray area questions to be sure, but theyre questions to be reckoned with every time.

2. for me i think a lot of the problem is the dishonesty? yes through prompting you are guiding a highly specific collage. but that is not what "ai artists" are claiming! they are claiming it is through the use of a supposed artifical intelligence that new images are being generated fully. and i just think you cant have both!

if it helps to further understand my perspective: im an art teacher that primarily prioritizes art for the act itself of creation & expression. i am far more interested in an unskilled, thoughtful painting than the most beautiful, generated image. and also as an art teacher i can concede that "what counts as art??" is the forever unanswerable forever infuriating question. ultimately anon i think you and i just fundamentally disagree on its answer

to close though, heres another meme like the one i was talking about, that is so on-the-nose i thought it was about ai art, but its from 2014:

so 🤷🤷🤷

[andrewtverylegitimateblog]

Ring (1998)

If there's any particular form of political messaging or critique surrounding some aspect of Japanese society present in Ring, it is completely lost on me. Is Ring about the Japanese education system and its failure to provide intellectual liberation and how it instead functions to produce ideal workers for industrial society. Probably not. I severely doubt it. There's no way it could be. What I'm really saying is that Ring is a film that I engaged with as a piece of horror and not in any way outside of that, not that in any way that's a bad thing.

The story predominantly follows Reiko Asakawa, a single mother and journalist investigating a rash of bizarre deaths surrounding the viewing of a supposedly haunted VHS tape which kills whoever sees it after a week. Any doubt she has surrounding the veracity of these claims is quickly cut to pieces after the death of her niece and its connection to the tape. After finding a copy of the tape herself and viewing it, it's then watched by her ex-husband, and then her son. What proceeds is an investigation over the course of a week to learn the truth of the haunted tape, it's origins, and how to overcome the evil that lies within it.

I feel very strongly that as a piece of horror Ring lived up to the hype. What I personally appreciated most was the structure of the narrative. Ring as a story is rather decentralized. While everything emanates from a single source, the tape, the various mysteries that surround it are each respectively compelling and while they're concise they also leave considerable space for speculation and many unanswered questions. Something that's often frustrated me while watching certain American horror films is that the direction of the plot can tends towards the obtuse with long drawn out periods of mystery suddenly interrupted by long sequences focused entirely on the horror. The horror in ring is present throughout the film. The investigation surrounding the tape is punctuated frequently by visions or interactions with the forces that surround the tape. The, now iconic, main antagonist isn't even named till nearly halfway through the film. Sadako to me was an especially compelling antagonist, what seemed like simply a story of tragedy and betrayal enacted upon a young girl is revealed to be something deeper, a story of inhuman hatred drawn from a place of eldritch power.

I feel something should be made clear. Sadako can almost certainly be easily defeated. Yes, she can kill using a VHS tape bound to her hatred. Yes, there are ways that she's able to manipulate reality. And yes, her father may be an incomprehensibly ancient and powerful elder thing of the sea. However, she's a child. I have yet to be defeated by a child and would not no matter how much she crawls along the ground or stares at me very angrily.

Here's how I would defeat Sadako:

If I were say in Japan and found a mysterious blank VHS tape that I thought might be an episode of Lupin The Third and found myself suddenly cursed, my instinct would not be to go to the local library and start sorting through microfiche. The first mistake that Reiko and Ryuji made were trying to go it alone. I would immediately look for an Onmyoji in the local phone book since this is quite exactly their area of expertise. After agreeing to pay him in a crate of Captain Morgan's rum he would help divine for me exactly what I have to do, which if I had to guess would take me about a day and simply point me in the direction of the well. This would leave me with a good 5 or 6 days to try to sort out how to destroy a piece of private property in order to extricate some bones.

At this point I imagine myself and the Onymoji would be at a loss for what to do next so I'd start calling universities around the area and see if I could pick up on anyone researching the Ring phenomenon. After finding a nearby folklorist we'd show him the contents of the tape with his consent and full understanding of what would occur and then he'd suggest we pose as land surveyors to dig up the well on the property. We'd rent an excavator and dig up that bag of bones. While at this point 3 or so days would remain with Sadako free it would become clear that the curse still persisted.

The Folklorist reflecting on an internship spent interviewing the locals of Oshima island during his time in college would recall mysterious runes he saw carved into rocks facing the sea which the elders he met claimed to protect them and the island from whatever lurks in the ocean near their home. With this key piece of information in hand the final plan would come to be. On the last day while waiting for Sadako the Onmyoji would paint my body completely with the symbol of protection of Oshima Island and once Sadako emerged from the television the battle would begin. Her stupid glare wouldn't work on me (I'm not afraid of eye contact) so I'd pick her up and spin her above my head and then drag her across the dining table knocking off all the plates.

With Sadako enraged I'd flee the scene and a high speed chase would ensue. After 15 minutes of driving through sidewalks, blasting through red lights, and finally launching the car off a ramp I would arrive at Tokyo Bay. Sadako would attempt to go for a right hook but I'd dodge, I would then deliver my signature Ephemeral Destruction Paradise Reclamation Clothesline attack which with the power of the protective runes would cast out Sadako's evil returning it to the sea at Tokyo Bay. Now a regular teenage girl Sadako would want what any young girl long denied love and understanding and constantly shunned truly would: a shopping spree at the mall and a makeover.

After getting the leeches combed out of her hair and a new outfit we'd all go out to karaoke where we'd learn that Sadako's singing voice is incredible due to all the time she had practicing while stuck in the well. She'd be discovered by a record label and become a pop star with her hit single うしのどきBOOGIE. Out of thanks for everything she'd occasionally send me one of her royalty checks.

[rhianna]

Visconti-Sforza Tarot Cards Italy, Milan, ca. 1450-1480 M.630.17

See more information »

Tarot Card: Knight of Cups -- Soldier, wearing armor, astride horse, holds vessel in right hand.

Source: The Morgan Library & Museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10:30 am to 5 pm, and Friday from 10:30 am to 7 pm.

[thebeautifulbook]

QUADRAGESIMAL DISCIPULI [aka LENTEN DISCIPLES] by Johann Herolt (Reutlingen : Johann Otmar, 19 1489). Vellum binding from the Nineteenth Century. Held by The Morgan Library.

source

[focsle]

Hey! I don't normally message people frequently, but I grew up in and around historical whaling towns in New England and gravestones are sometimes a great place to start here if you are interested. Link to great photo and some primary sources here: http://www.ichblog.ca/2019/05/drownd-by-stroke-of-whale-1782-grave-of.html

Not sure where you are located but the New Bedford Whaling Museum and Mystic Seaport are fun day trips. Good luck!

Thanks for your message! The gravestone link is so neat—I love an 18th century gravestone. I’m well acquainted with the New Bedford Whaling Museum (most of my logbooks come from them, as well as Providence’s public library!) and I have definitely made my pilgrimages to the lovely Charles W. Morgan as well. There are a lot of former whalers buried in New Bedford/Providence/Mattapoisett that I’ve since assumed a first name basis with who I’d love to go leave flowers sometime and chat with…those lads…but those are the ones who lived to see land and died there. It’s the men who died at sea who haunt me, because those are the deaths that just get swallowed up when it comes to being officially recorded anywhere (beyond, again, the odd impersonal newspaper obit or an American consul making note about it if they died in a seamen’s hospital somewhere in a foreign whaling port—both rarities to find). It’s the fellows who were either buried at sea, or on whatever the nearest random landmass was, or a foreign seaman’s cemetery which don’t necessarily have any surviving records / physical traces left of them anymore. I get closure with those deaths only in the little notes I read in other people’s journals, and those are found completely circumstantially.