#the good faith of tyranny

[alchemisoul]

NPR be like:

Why go directly to the source and ask someone about the values, motivations, and concerns that drove them to hold a certain position when we can just get a speculative overview of all that by asking someone else - someone who not only doesn't share any of those things in common but is in complete disagreement with them?

#ingoodfaith #tellmemore

[prismbearer]

Been thinking about Lae nonstop since I made that post last night djdnhshs

[agneasarrow]

love blogging about my crisis over if i should do a url change or not…

[themodernwitchsguide]

tarot and their divinatory meanings (swords)

this post just includes the suit of swords, for the suit of pentacles click here, for the suit of wands click here, for the suit of cups click here, and for the major arcana click here

King of Swords

UPRIGHT: an intelligent, logical person, powerful, strong-willed, justice and judgement--maintain rational, not emotional, thinking

REVERSED: cruel, untrustworthy, manipulative, using intellect for selfish reasons, a loose cannon

Queen of Swords

UPRIGHT: an intelligent person that emphasizes unbiasedness--emotions can cloud judgement--stern, confident, consider all viewpoints

REVERSED: deceitful, bigoted, intelligence used to manipulate, isolated/isolating from people

Knight of Swords

UPRIGHT: ambition, strength, righteous anger, opposition--but victory in the face of--full of life and energy, death (but only if supported by other cards)

REVERSED: impatience, impulsiveness, scattered thoughts without organization or logic, lacking direction

Page of Swords

UPRIGHT: vigilance, work done in secret, always full of ideas, eager and communicative, too much energy, curiosity, a news bearer

REVERSED: bad news, sharp and alert mind possibly used for manipulation/deception, a gossip, the unforeseen

Ten of Swords

UPRIGHT: pain and loss, disaster, possible betrayal, focus on a new path, change, desolation, evil that is overcome

REVERSED: evil defeated, success after loss, recovery, hitting rock bottom but at least it's only up from here, an advantage that doesn't last

Nine of Swords

UPRIGHT: deception, changes, hidden foes/suspicion, trauma affecting present/future, death, possibly illness

REVERSED: obstacles, imprisonment (or a feeling of it), reasonable suspicion, shame OR patience, faithfulness

Eight of Swords

UPRIGHT: feeling trapped, fear, censure, illness, feeling helpless and being paralyzed by it

REVERSED: dispute, disquiet, opposition, oppressive conditions, treachery, jealousy

Seven of Swords

UPRIGHT: success against obstacles OR sneaking around, feeling a need for avoidance, spying

REVERSED: change your approach but don't hesitate, good advice OR slander, betrayal

Six of Swords

UPRIGHT: journey, a change that needs to happen but is difficult to accept, finding an understanding, use your logic

REVERSED: resisting change, a journey postponed OR a declaration, a confession

Five of Swords

UPRIGHT: degradation, defeat/loss, conflict, cowardice, too much ambition, infamy or dishonor

REVERSED: same as upright, an empty victory

Four of Swords

UPRIGHT: a time of rest/retreat, take time for a breather, meditate, gather your strength

REVERSED: restlessness, or a return to active life, introspection and self love

Three of Swords

UPRIGHT: separation, rejection, pain and grief that makes you stronger, emotional pain after a breakup

REVERSED: same as upright, but less bleak

Two of Swords

UPRIGHT: precarious balance, a stalemate, choice of two evils, you have the knowledge to make the best of the situation

REVERSED: a change in your life, disloyalty OR a stalemate ended (could be positive or negative)

Ace of Swords

UPRIGHT: breakthrough, force (good/bad), attainment of goals, triumph, conquest

REVERSED: excessive use of force, tyranny, destruction, beware of abusing your power

[mandatory-blog-stop-asking]

thinking about Emma Frost again. let's imagine for a second X-Men matters and my opinion must be shared.

When I was a kid I really respected and liked Professor X. I thought his stances on issues were calm and reasonable and I thought his efforts were, while ultimately fruitless, the best ones in the fictional conversation about inclusivity and race and all that. this is a subtle reference to the fact I only watched the cartoon and the movies as a kid.

When I grew older and learned English I started engaging with the comics and realized that oh, turns out the adaptations are superficial at best and fladerizing at worst, and there's a lot more to Charles than Being Correct. He's actually in fact a scathing critique of control and flawed leaders of good faith ideals, and how you're supposed to grow over those who created the words you use to free yourself from tyranny. Professor X is a jerk, Magneto was right, all that.

But over time I realized how much that erases Emma Frost, villain turned voice of reason extraordinaire.

Emma starts her tenure in X-Men as Claremont's personification of everything that is bad with high society, accosted by Sebastian Shaw, which is that but male. Emma is genuinely awful when Claremont writes her; a GOOD awful, on purpose, but she's not supposed to be relatable. She has her own mutant school, her own team of mutants, her own answer to Cerebro. She's the most genuine Evil Xavier we get for a full two decades. and she's great at it! Even if the hellfire club almost always truces with the X-Men for the sake of fighting a more important battle, there's no question that you're not supposed to root for Emma.

And then in the 90s something changes, Claremont goes away for a second, other people approach the character, and the question becomes, why are we treating her like evil Xavier? She's building community. She's giving a voice to the disenfranchised. She's training them and she's caring for them and at no point is she asking of them things they actively disagree with, which can't be said of Charles. And so starts the process most every X-Men villain goes through: humanization, complexity, redemption. And fuck does Emma redeem herself.

Ten years into not being a caricature of high class, Emma has accrued a tragic backstory, several positive projects in canon, renown as a genius, positive relationships to several characters, and a main team spot in a highly acclaimed, influential run as of New X-Men. A whole new generation of readers introduced to Emma, new powers, new MO, new everything. Other characters are changing drastically, usually backwards, to accompany the movie's success -- Magneto is evil again, Jean goes back to being the Phoenix, Charles is a lot more like Captain Picard. But Emma? Emma gets to keep going. She changes things wherever she goes.

She hooks up with Cyclops, her daughters become their new Cerebro, she becomes the new heavy-hitter, the Hellfire Club becomes more Shaw and Shinobi's deal than hers... obviously, this isn't consistent. She's got low points and moments that don't agree to her new character. But this woman, who started as commentary on how the rich will destroy you for fun, is now a key positive portion of the world because at some point in time, she had a point -- Charles *isn't* the end-all-be-all of the matter of teaching young mutants, Erik *isn't* the best way forward as far as mutant armadas go, there *is* nuance to their dualistic conversation, the dichotomy is only enforced because they're loud, but she can be louder, she can be louder than any of them--

And then Krakoa hits. Yes, there's a full ten years of bad X-Men stories, many of them including Emma, at least one of them including Emma genociding a few Inhumans. But then Krakoa hits, and every character gets a new project.

Cyclops? Seeing the world move on in ways he might not approve of. Wolverine? Being happy, and realizing he means to fight to keep it going. Erik? Charles? Apocalypse?? Seeing how strong their "dreams" are when they compromise, and realizing oh, I am willing to do *anything* to keep this going, quite literally anything, there is no crime predicted by man or god that would be beyond my reach if it meant paradise would not be lost.

Emma? Emma keeps doing what she's been doing from the word go. Keep it fabulous. Keep the children safe. Don't fall for the lies. At some point someone will invade your privacy and try to take everything away from you. Your job is not to simply destroy them. Your job is to showcase to them how this too was accounted for.

Emma, alongside her planning, her alliances, her leading of the resistance, her unfathomable internal strength and her willingness to see the world for what it is, won the war for Krakoa. Charles wanted things to stay the way they were, Erik wanted things to be the way he dreamed they could be, Apocalypse wanted things to impress him.

Emma wanted them to be safe and sound. Emma wanted the children to be safe. And when Krakoa rose and left, now fully developed and having outgrown her as well, she picked herself back up and went to train a new generation.

There's always children to keep safe. There's always a new generation. The work is never finished.

Yes, the O5 have their own version of Xavier's dream fulfilled, but Emma is the only one who managed to keep herself genuine while evolving. In a room with religious zealots, war criminals, villains and ancients evils, Emma could always look at Kitty Pryde and think to herself, look at what we're doing, my friend. Look at what we have to work with. We're not saving them from themselves, we're saving everyone they're willing to sacrifice.

I wish those adaptations would make Emma Frost sound like she does to me. She's not just a third option to the Professor X-Magneto dichotomy. She's a person asking why is this a dichotomy in the first place. She's too busy actually caring about people to bother with the bickering.

For the children, they said when they wanted her to join their little utopia. For the children, she sighed back, realizing that if she didn't say it, quite literally no one else would.

[miquella-everywhere]

I might be reading miyazaki's intentions in bad faith but part of me believes they plopped radahn there because he was popular. Like they just went "okay people think he's a Chad surely they'll be happy to see him as the crucial boss of our dlc" and then they forgot one of the main complaints about the base game was the too frequent reuse of enemies. And they also went with a (bad) plot that as far as I understand his fans aren't even happy about. Basically the end result is just "everyone loses" and I have no idea how they thought it could've gone any other way when making that decision.

I KNOW ITS BAFFLING THAT THEY THOUGHT SHOEHORNING RADAHN INTO SOTE'S PLOT WAS A GOOD IDEA!

Radahn's presence alone as the final boss ruins the build up and the epicness of it all because, like I said before, who the hell wants the final boss of a long awaited DLC to be someone we've already fought before. It's like if you were to replace the Orphan of Kos with Micolash or Gherman, or if you replaced Gael with Sulivahn or the Abyss Watchers. Gameplay wise its a fucking stupid idea and lorewise you have to make up and pull so much shit out of your ass just to make it fit within the story.

And it doesn't fit no matter how hard they try to hammer him in there.

But that's exactly what they did tho. Radahn is there and they had to disregard so much of base game lore and make up a stupid nonsensical, contradictory reason, that has zero base-game evidence like "Miquella was in love with him🤮" because there is literally no reasonable way to explain why Radahn would be there in the first place.

Radahn does not fit within the narrative of SotE period.

SotE's narrative that was supposed to be about Marika's beginnings, her firstborn son and the tyranny he subjects this realm to, and her youngest son's journey through this realm where everything stemmed from, and us as the tarnished tracking Miquella down as he was beckoning us to follow because there was a purpose for us being in the Realm of Shadow...

AND IT PISSES ME OFF THAT THE ONLY WAY THEY COULD EXPLAIN RADAHNS PRESENCE WITHIN THE NARRATIVE IS BY COMPLETELY NUKING MIQUELLAS CHARACTER IN THE PROCESS

But NOPE! Forget all that shit and shove the big warmonger horse boi chad into the story! Everyone loved Radahn, therefore everyone will love this decision!

[4dkellysworld]

Neville Goddard: I Am and The Promise

I was curious to find Neville's more ND-related texts so I skimmed The Law and The Promise and Power of Awareness (only the relevant chapters). I don't agree with everything Neville Goddard says as he says God is imagination but from ND-perspective, God is an imagined concept too so I guess he's right actually lol. At least in The Law and the Promise he speaks only of God as if it's the highest form of being while from an ND-perspective, I AM (Self) is beyond the concept of God (He does speak of I AM in Power of Awareness but that book was published 9 years before The Law and The Promise). Nevertheless, these particular excerpts from these two books were interesting to read and ND-relevant so I thought I'd share.

From Power of Awareness:

I AM is a feeling of permanent awareness. The very center of consciousness is the feeling of I AM - I may forget who I am, where I am, what I am but I cannot forget that I AM. The awareness of being remains, regardless of the degree of forgetfulness of who, where, and what I am. When you know that consciousness is the one and only reality -conceiving itself to be something good, bad, or indifferent, and becoming that which It conceived itself to be - you are free from the tyranny of second causes, free from the belief that there are causes outside of your own mind that can affect your life. Thus, it is abundantly clear that there is only one I AM and you are that I AM. And while I AM is infinite, you, by your concept of yourself, are displaying only a limited aspect of the infinite I AM.

From The Law and The Promise:

My mystical experiences have brought me to accept literally, the saying that all the world’s a stage. And to believe that God plays all the parts. The purpose of the play? To transform man, the created, into God, the creator. God loved man, his created, and became man in faith that this act of self-commission would transform man - the created, into God - the creator. The play begins with the crucifixion of God on man - as man - and ends with the resurrection of man - as God. God becomes as we are, so that we may be as He is.

When He rises in us, we will be like Him and He will be like us. Then all impossibilities will dissolve in us at that touch of exaltation which His rising in us will impart to our nature. Here is the secret of the world: God died to give man life and to set man free, for however clearly God is aware of His creation, it does not follow that man, imaginatively created, is aware of God.

The drawing of oneself out of one’s own skull (my own interpretation: quieting the mind, letting go of ego identification) was exactly what the prophet foresaw as the necessary birth from above, a birth giving man entrance into the kingdom of God and reflective perception on the highest levels of Being.

Our dreams will all be realized from the time that we know that Imagining Creates Reality (note: I AM imagining, not ego though) and Act. But Imagination seeks from us something much deeper and more fundamental than creating things: nothing less indeed than the recognition of its own oneness, with God; that what it does is, in reality, God Himself doing it in and through Man, who is All Imagination.

[little-tyrant-gortash]

I've been thinking about something all day-

So what's interesting is that the gods in the game respond if you pray to them.

Looking at Shadowheart's prayer at the Gauntlet of Shar, Ketheric's addressing Myrkul, saying he's ready, Orin asking Bhaal to transform her - each and every god responds to their followers/Chosens.

Except Gortash.

He states Bane blesses our alliance, true, if you don't give him the Netherstones.

But during the fight with him, Enver does NOT ask his god to help him. He doesn't have a cutscene near the end like Ketheric, after which he transforms, either.

Instead - and this is very interesting - Bane intervenes. Just after he transforms into his Avatar of Tyranny form, there's a small text above him:

Faithful Gortash, servant of darkness. Be my Black Hand. (sorry for the quality, I screenshotted it on my phone)

The tyrant nature of Banites is very interesting; their ways of worship are puritan, I've read somewhere they don't have celebrations for their faith either.

It makes sense. They don't ask. They take.

If they asked for help, they'd be perceived as weak. Bane can intervene - if he chooses. If his Chosen wins, good, they can proceed - until someone deadlier comes along. If they don't, well... he'd claim and torture them for eternity for failing him, because they proved to be weak.

There's absolutely no possible way you come out on top. Because one day, there'll come someone who's stronger than you. The only one winning with this is Bane himself.

I just can't imagine how Bane knows he should intervene. Gods are not like the Emperor in Tav's mind, who sees through our eyes and hears our thoughts. If it were, we wouldn't get cutscenes of others straight praying to their gods, getting a response afterwards. The connection with the gods is not constant. But if Enver does not pray or ask for help... then how does Bane know?

[segretecose]

Bartolomeo Vanzetti's letter to Nicola Sacco's son, Dante. Written from the Death House of Massachusetts State Prison; August 21, 1927 – two days prior to Sacco and Vanzetti's execution by electric chair, on August 23, 1927.

(I.D. under the cut)

[MY DEAR DANTE:

I still hope, and we will fight until the last moment, to [reclaim] our right to live and to be free, but all the forces of the State and of the money are deadly against us because we are libertarians or anarchists.

I write little of this because you are yet too young to understand these things and other things of which I would like to reason with you. But, if you do well, you will grow and understand your father's and my case and your father's and my principles, for which we will soon be put to death.

I tell you now that all that I know of your father, he is not a criminal, but one of the bravest men I ever knew. Some day you will understand what I am about to tell you. That your father has sacrificed everything dear and sacred to the human heart and soul for his [faith] in liberty and justice for all. That day you will be proud of your father, and if you [be]come brave enough, you will take his place in the struggle between tyranny and liberty and you will vindicate [our] names and our blood.

Even from now you shall be good, brave with your mother, with Ines, and with Susie–brave, good Susie–and do all you can to console and help them. I would like you to also remember me as a comrade and friend to your father, your mother and Ines, Susie and you, and I assure you that neither have I been a criminal, that I have committed no robbery and no murder, but only fought modestly to abolish crimes from among mankind and for the liberty of all.

Remember Dante, each one who will say otherwise of your father and I, is a liar, insulting innocent dead men who have been brave in their life. Remember and know also, Dante, that if your father and I would have been cowards and hypocrites and [renegades], we would not have been put to death. They would not even have convicted a [leper] dog; not even executed a deadly scorpion on such evidence as that they framed against us. They would have given a new trial to a matricide and [h]abitual felon on the evidence we presented for a new trial.

Remember, Dante, remember always these things; we are not criminals; they convicted us on a frame-up; they denied us a new trial; and if we will be executed after seven years, four months and seventeen days of unspeakable tortures and wrong, it is for what I have already told you; because we were for the poor and against the exploitation and oppression of the man by the man.

The day will come when you will understand the atrocious cause of the above written words, in all its fullness.

Now Dante, be brave and good always. I embrace you.

BARTOLOMEO]

[lovelytreehugger]

As a cleric, I fell in love with Eilistraee. She's so loving and cares a lot about the drow. So here is an Eilistraee appreciation post.

Eilistraee the Dark Maiden

Godess of beauty, dance, freedom, hunting, moonlight, song, and swordwork.

THE MESSAGE OF EILISTRAEE

"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."

DOMAINS

Light, Nature, Life

CHANNEL DIVINITY

Preserve life, Radiance of the dawn, Charm animals and plants

FAVORED ANIMALS

Silver moths & Silver-striped tabby cats

FAVORED MONSTERS

Aasimar, Light archons, Lythari, Pixies, and Silver dragons

FAVORED MINERALS

Mithral, Moonstone, and Silver

FAVORED COLORS

Silver

Eilistraee;

was the chaotic good drow goddess of beauty, song, dance, freedom, moonlight, swordwork, and hunting. She was the patroness and protector of the few dark elves who longed to return to the surface and live there, at peace with other races, and to abandon the endless conflicts and intrigues that dominated the lives of most drow. She was often referred to as the The Dark Maiden, the Lady of the Dance, or Lady Silverhair, and sometimes The Dark Dancer, among other titles. Briefly, she was known as The Masked Lady, when her faith subsumed that of the Masked Lord Vhaeraun, her divine brother, while the Seven Sisters nicknamed her Darkfire of Love.

She was the daughter of Araushnee (later Lolth) and Corellon Larethian, a free-spirited and kind-hearted goddess, with a fiery streak in her personality. When, during her youth, a host of evil deities assaulted Arvandor (her home), Araushnee's treachery almost made her slay her own father. Even though she was cleared from any guilt, Eilistraee chose to share her mother's exile because she knew that the drow would need her light in the times to come. After the descent of the drow, Eilistraee tried to be a mother goddess to her people and bring them the hope of a new life. She fought to lead them back to the lands of light, helping them to flourish and prosper in harmony with other races, free from Lolth's tyranny and the conflicts that dominated their lives.

Hers was an uphill battle, however, as her power was little, and she was opposed by all the gods of the Dark Seldarine. But, despite having to overcome many hardships and setbacks, Eilistraee never gave up fighting for her people. In the 1370s DR, her conflict with her mother over the souls of the drow race ultimately led to Eilistraee's defeat and disappearance. It lasted for about a century, until the Second Sundering (circa 1480s DR), when Eilistraee returned to life and to her followers.

As an avatar, Eilistraee appeared as a drow female of glowing beauty. She was tall (9 feet/2.7 meters in height) and lithe, with graceful, strong limbs and a glossy, obsidian-dark skin. She usually appeared unclad, cloaked only by her ankle-length hair that shone with a bright silvery hue, and by motes of moonlight that were ever-dancing about her body.

Her face bore a certain similarity to that of her mother, Lolth, as it possessed delicately sculpted features and shape, but her eyes were large, with irises that held the shifting hint of blue of a moonstone, and expressive of her mood or emotions.

When Eilistraee spoke, her voice always carried a soft musicality that made mortals instinctively drawn to it. Such attraction didn't cloud their minds, nor was of magical origin—it was as simple as the sound of a beautiful song.

Overall, the Dark Maiden's appearance inspired utter awe and astonishment, as well as emotions so deep to move mortals to tears. Those who contemplated and listened to her felt as if they had found the answer to all that their soul ever longed for. However, upon her leaving, they would experience a feeling of deep loss, or even desolation, though only for a brief time (as Sharlario Moonflower and his son, Cornaith, felt when the Dark Dancer manifested to them, warning them of the dangers of Ilythiir).

Personality

One moment she was a carefree child dancing like a moonbeam or running like a silver wolf through the forest; the next moment, she was either as seductive as a siren or as serious as a dwarven god.

~ ARAUSHNEE, ON EILISTRAEE.

As a young goddess, Eilistraee was a free spirit with an unpredictable temper. Even as she matured, these traits never really left her: she had a fiery streak and was prone to wild action, especially in protection of her faithful when they were harmed. The evil that was inflicted upon—and perpetuated by—most drow caused a burning anger within her, one that could cause her to lash out, but she was comforted that some worked their way free of the Spider Queen's web.

Due to a history of grief and losses and to the suffering of her people, melancholy and sadness were deeply rooted in Eilistraee's heart. It was a hard battle to endure, one that could weigh her down. However, it had also taught her to search for and nurture beauty everywhere, even in places like the Underdark, where it didn't seem to belong. Eilistraee fought her melancholy by striving to bring hope and joy where there was sorrow so that no moment was lost to gloom and to make life flourish wherever she went. She learned to find happiness in peace and arts, especially music and dance; in simple things like seeing artists composing and performing, craftsmen at their work, and people doing acts of kindness. She especially took delight in helping the needy in various practical ways, with a soft spot for outcasts, and in blessing artists with sudden bursts of creativity and inspiration. Eilistraee valued love in all its forms, be it passion and dedication towards something or someone (nor in elvish), the act of deep and unselfish love (alurlssrin in drowish), longing (ssinssrig in drowish), noble sacrifice (lurraggath in drowish), lovemaking (raggath in drowish; arkhlavae in elvish), and love and loyalty towards one's family and kin (immaea in elvish). She knew all the elven and drow words for all kinds of love, and seeing lovers during tender moments made her happy. Among the Seven Sisters, this earned her the nickname of Darkfire of Love.

The Dark Maiden was particularly close to her people

Aside from providing practical help in their everyday life, she was known to offer comfort and support in various ways, including listening to them as they let out or vented their personal emotions and experiences. When the right time came, she also personally accompanied her followers who died in battle to their afterlife in a moving celebration known as the Last Dance.

According to Rowaan Vrinn,

Eilistraee didn't test her followers, as the challenges of life were enough of a test themselves. She valued the intent behind their actions more than the actual success.

Moreover, Eilistraee refused to act as a commander: she saw herself fit to give advice and help in practical ways, to uplift and make people flufil their potential, never order.

"The Dark Lady smiles on those who see the deeper beauty within."

~ LORDS OF WATERDEEP

Though focused on the drow, Eilistraee accepted folk of all races who danced along her path, who delighted in life and in the free-form expression of it in all its forms. She fought so that all races could live peacefully together, helping and accepting each other despite their differences, and strongly believed in the possibility of redemption for those who had fallen to evil, especially the drow.

♧

[crack-in-the-chassis]

HONK HONK! A SECOND ROUND OF CLAIMS HAS OPENED.

Hello SPN fan, are you an artist? Writer? Interpretive dancer? Whatever your choice of fanwork, you're more than welcome to join us!

We had a BLOW-OUT number of submissions, and after the first round of claims, we still have pitches waiting to be claimed. Our previously signed-up catchers got their pick, so now it's time to give the rest of you a shot.

This isn't your normal bang. ANY KIND of fanwork will do--keeping in mind the pitcher's preferences, of course. We've got fics, fanart, podcast trailer, baked goods... Check them out here:

Gallery Link

(Feel free to play around with the filters and sorting options. There is a LOT going on here.)

If any of those fanworks inspire you, put together a list of their numbers in order of preference and submit this form:

Claims Form

You will be required to create one (1) fanwork based on your choice. The minimum requirement for written works is 1,500 words, for visual works is one image, and for audiovisuals is 30 seconds. For all other kinds, you are free from the tyranny of numbers--but please make a good faith effort.

50% drafts are due on August 4th. Final drafts are due on August 21st.

Follow @crack-in-the-chassis for updates and check out the INTRO POST for further information.

FAQ | Schedule | Rules

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Dave Whammond

* * * *

Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV. Double Standard.

July 8, 2024

ROBERT B. HUBBELL

JUL 08, 2024

The mainstream media continues its whisper campaign against President Biden, as they report that anonymous “senior leaders” talk “in private” about approaching Joe Biden to urge him to drop out. At least Adam Schiff had the guts to express his qualms in public respectfully, even though I strongly disagree with his views (on this subject).

One evolving narrative among the press is that the Biden administration “concealed” the truth of Biden’s cognitive state—which supposedly justifies their righteous anger. Bull****. This is another example of a double standard applied by a media that is intent on driving Joe Biden out of the race—damn the facts!

Joe Biden has been transparent with the American people about his health—which cannot be said about Trump.

Remember Trump's unexplained visit to Walter Reed for a treatment that remains secret to this day? Or showing up to a debate in 2020 knowing he had tested positive for Covid but concealed that fact from Joe Biden, the debate moderators, and the American public?

Or having a doctor release a statement about Trump's health that was dictated by Trump? Or when the White House physician provided false information about Trump's vital statistics—like his weight—and said that Trump might be the first president to live to be 200?

Amid all the calls for “cognitive tests” for Biden—but not Trump—journalists are committing malpractice by failing to note that President Biden released a detailed summary of his annual physical in February of this year.

The full report is here: Health-Summary-2.28.pdf (whitehouse.gov). The examination included consultations with neurological experts at Walter Reed hospital. I urge you to read the entire report and consider how you would measure up to such a battery of tests!

[...]

So, Biden did have a “detailed neurological exam” four-and-half months ago. The widespread media demands that Biden “take a neurological exam” should be directed to Trump instead.

Predictably, this “proof” won’t be enough for the media. Just as the media refused to accept a certified copy of President Obama’s birth certificate, the goalposts will keep shifting.

The issue is not Joe Biden. It is Donald Trump—and the media’s arrogant refusal to apply the same scrutiny to Trump that it is applying to Biden. If they did, they would be demanding neurological exams of Trump and his withdrawal from the race. So far as we have been informed by Trump, his cognitive test consisted of recalling five objects: “Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.” Can you say, “double standard”?

Why isn’t the media making demands that Trump submit to “extremely detailed neurologic testing” by experts from a nationally recognized hospital?

The answer is simple. Trump has quashed dissent within his party. Anyone who dares raise a voice in dissent is the immediate recipient of anonymous death threats and public ridicule on Trump's vanity media platform. And Trump's para-military press surrogates leap into action, declaring that the dissidents are dead to MAGA.

So, the press's application of the same standards to Trump has no upside because it won’t incite the mass panic among Republicans that Democrats are willing to supply by the bucketful.

I accept at face value the good faith of readers who say they have lost confidence in Biden because of the debate or any other reason. That is a personal judgment only you can make. But I again remind everyone that “Biden should withdraw” is not a plan. If you believe a different path to victory is appropriate, then you must devote yourself to that path with all the vigor and financial resources you can muster.

[...]

Timothy Snyder (author of On Tyranny and Substack blog Thinking About), addressed the role that the press has been playing in whipping up “fascist froth” that helps Trump. See Timothy Snyder, Fascism and Fear (substack.com)

There are three tests of good faith for those who are proposing that President Biden step down. The first is recognition that Biden’s first term has been one of extraordinary achievement. The second is a plan for what the Democrats would do, should Biden withdraw, to select a nominee and win the election. The third is recognition that the threat of regime change is what might justify changing the nominee.

If I am right that much of the energy behind the Biden pile-on is displaced fear of a regime change, much of the media will continue to generate fascist froth for Trump, whether or not Biden is the Democratic nominee — unless, of course, journalists confront their fears, and keep the issue of regime change inside the story, and provide a constructive alternative alongside personal criticism.

[I inverted the order of Snyder’s two paragraphs above so they made more sense in a short quotation.]

And, finally, Rebecca Solnit wrote what I wish I had written. See her essay in The Guardian: Why is the pundit class so desperate to push Biden out of the race?

Solnit begins:

I am not usually one to offer diagnoses of people I’ve never met, but it does seem like the pundit class of the American media is suffering from severe memory loss. Because they’re doing exactly what they did in the 2016 presidential race – providing wildly asymmetrical and inflammatory coverage of the one candidate running against Donald J Trump. They have become a stampeding herd producing an avalanche of stories suggesting Biden is unfit, will lose and should go away, at a point in the campaign in which replacing him would likely be somewhere between extremely difficult and utterly catastrophic. They do this while ignoring something every scholar and critic of journalism knows well and every journalist should. As Nikole Hannah-Jones put it: “As media we consistently proclaim that we are just reporting the news when in fact we are driving it. What we cover, how we cover it, determines often what Americans think is important and how they perceive these issues yet we keep pretending it’s not so.” They are not reporting that he is a loser; they are making him one. And so it goes with what appears to be a journalistic competition to outdo each other in the aggressiveness of the attacks and the unreality of the proposals. It’s a dogpile and a panic, and there is no one more unable to understand their own emotional life, biases and motives than people who are utterly convinced of their own ironclad rationality and objectivity, [also known as] pundits.

Here's my advice to everyone—regardless of what side of the issue you take regarding Joe Biden’s continued candidacy. The issue is Trump, not Biden. Whether Biden drops out is not something you or I have control over. (Readers frequently write to me and say, “Please tell Joe Biden . . . .” The only thing Joe Biden knows about me is my credit card number.)

Joe Biden has control over his choices; his close advisors and family have influence; some senior leaders in the Democratic Party have some influence. They are talking amongst themselves. Let them have a rational, private conversation not played out on the front pages of the NYTimes and WaPo minutes after the latest exchange of views.

However, the one institution that has demonstrated it cannot be trusted to deal with this question is the media. They have a perverse financial incentive: Chaos = profit. They are agents of chaos at this moment in pursuit of the mighty dollar.

I believe that Joe Biden is the best candidate to defeat Trump, that replacing him at this point poses unacknowledged and unknowable risks, and that those who advocate a different path have the burden of identifying and funding an alternative candidate.

Our task has not changed. It is our moral and patriotic duty to alert all Americans about the threat posed by Trump and his fascist plan to undermine democracy. We have plenty of work and precious little time left to accomplish our task.

Let us channel all our energy away from debating Joe Biden’s age and health into defeating Trump. In that task, we must speak with one voice.

[MORE]

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[sicklyseraphnsuch]

contracts, clauses, and causes for action

It seems to me that the ball is entirely in the gods court. Like the only way for Ludinus to become compelling is if the gods leapfrog over the divine gate, rendering their word null and void.

Then there's a cause for action because the mortals will realize "hey, we have no way of keeping you honest, there's no consequence that we can enact when you fail to fulfill your oath". Like a contract is only binding if there's way to enforce it - when you pinky promise to take your kid to disneyland, is that a valid contract or just performative? because if you break a pinky promise, the only consequence is your kid loses faith in you - is that penalty enough?

and the thing is: the divine gate is proof that yeah, the gods do believe that's penalty enough. the one thing that downfall managed to reinforce (which granted we already knew but deeper context only further supports) is that the gods are capable of acknowledging their harm (however unintentional) done to mortals. And not only are they able to acknowledge it, they are able to correct themselves.

and so far, thats holding true. they are demonstrating their discipline and willingness to follow through even if the mortals remain powerless and hold no leverage against them, they can keep themselves beholden to their word because they are in fact Good.

so literally, the only way Ludinus can be proven somewhat compelling is if the gods decide to hop the divine gate. then we'll have some proof that their word is not that ironclad but even then its not to the level of "all gods must die". Thats more on the level of "all gods need to come to the table and renegotiate this contract so theres clauses to allow you exceptions". because absolute contracts tend to force people's hands anyways.

and the only implication that a god hopping the divine gate gives is to reintroduce the idea that the gods are not beholden to mortals in any way and there is no way to keep a god honest - that mortals will have to rely on a god's inherent Goodness to keep themselves honest. but again - what the fuck have the Prime Deities done in this world that has ever pointed in that direction truly? (and no, dont attest the workings of their mortal followers when the gods have banned themselves from interference).

the gods would have to break the contract twice - once to stop predathos, and a second time for less dire purposes - in order to really showcase that they arent trustworthy. thats a Fucking Lot to mess up. and again they dont seem willing to even break the divine gate for Ludinus so what is even the problem here?

the problem, narratively speaking, is that the current world is built by fairly Good gods who really havent done anything of significance to showcase tyranny. none of them is on the level of Marika, from Elden Ring, whose personal history has led to death and discrimination of innocent children - which she actively campaigned for and did to her own children. (No slander on Marika btw)

Matt has not made any of the Prime Deities bad and sure, the Betrayers are bad and sure, maybe the mortals would prefer to have them entirely eliminated. but like mortals live under so many threats with less protections against than they currently do against the Betrayers. That deprioritizes them from the level of "eliminate at all costs". There's nothing dire or urgent that hasnt been manufactured by the Big Bad himself.

the gods are traumatized yes. theyre stuck in a toxic family situation yes. but none of that toxicity has affected their desire to protect mortals. and the only time a mortal became worthy of destruction by divine hand was when those mortals nearly unleashed oblivion? like come on man.

the gods are in their lane and the mortals are thriving and ludinus needs fucking therapy plus a better hobby.

[blueiscoool]

Very Rare Roman Gold Coin is Returned to Greece

A Very Rare Gold Coin, Minted by Brutus to Mark Caesar’s Death, Is Returned to Greece

The gold coin, which dates from 42 B.C. and is valued at $4.2 million, is thought to have been looted from a field near where an army loyal to Brutus camped during the struggle for control of Rome.

A rare and ancient gold coin that morbidly celebrates the stabbing death of Julius Caesar was returned this week to Greek officials by investigators in New York who had determined it was looted and fraudulently put up for sale at auction in 2020.

The coin, known as the “Eid Mar” and valued at $4.2 million, features the face of Marcus Junius Brutus, the onetime friend and ally of Caesar who, along with other Roman senators, murdered him on the Ides of March in 44 B.C. According to historians and experts, Brutus had the coins minted in gold and silver to applaud Caesar’s downfall and to pay his soldiers during the civil war that followed the killing.

The return Tuesday came at a ceremony attended by officials of the Manhattan district attorney’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, who cooperated on the case.

The coin, one of 29 artifacts returned to Greek officials, was given up earlier this year by an unidentified American billionaire who, investigators said, had bought it in good faith in 2020. The British dealer who helped to arrange the sale was arrested in January, and the coin itself was recovered in February, officials said.

Experts said the coin, minted two years after Caesar’s death, is about the size of a nickel and weighs about 8 grams, and is one of only three known to be in circulation. A silver version of the coin was also minted and about 100 are known to exist. Those can sell for $200,000 to $400,000.

“The Eid Mar is an undisputed masterpiece of ancient coinage,” Mark Salzberg, the chairman of Numismatic Guaranty Corp., which verified the coin but does not research provenances, said in a statement in 2020.

Experts said they believe the coin was likely discovered more than a decade ago in an area of current-day Greece where Brutus and his civil war ally, Gaius Cassius Longinus, were encamped with their army.

The front, or obverse, of the coin features an engraved side view of Brutus and the Latin letters “BRVT IMP” and “L PLAET CEST.” Experts say the former stands for “Brutus, Imperator,” with imperator referring not to emperor but to commander. The latter stands for Lucius Plaetorius Cestianus, who was a treasurer of sorts for Brutus and oversaw the minting and assaying of his coins.

The reverse features two daggers on either side of a cap known as a pileus. The daggers stand for Brutus and Cassius and reflect the manner of Caesar’s death, experts say, while the cap is a symbol of liberty that was worn by freed slaves. Overall, the image is meant to celebrate the murder as an act by which Rome was liberated from Caesar’s tyranny. Beneath the symbols is the Latin inscription “EID MAR,” designating the Ides of March — March 15, 44 B.C. — the fateful day on which the conspirators left Caesar dead on the floor of the Roman Senate.

Historians see irony in the fact that Brutus, who had admonished Caesar before the murder for the self-aggrandizing act of putting his face on Roman coinage, wound up doing the same with his own coins.

Ultimately, the forces who favored the dead Caesar, led by Mark Antony and others, defeated Brutus and his men in October of 42 B.C. at the Second Battle of Philippi, and Brutus and Cassius committed suicide.

According to investigators, the coin is first thought to have come to market between 2013 and 2014. Richard Beale, 38, director of the London-based auction house Roma Numismatics, put it up for sale on his company’s website and over several years shopped it at coin shows in the United States and Europe before it was sold in October 2020. The $4.2 million was the most ever paid for an ancient coin, according to the Numismatic Guaranty Corp.

Mr. Beale is charged with grand larceny in the first degree and several other felonies and was released on his own recognizance. His lawyer, Henry E. Mazurek, declined to comment on the case.

Among the other Greek antiquities repatriated on Tuesday were figurines of people and animals; marble, silver, bronze and clay vessels; and gold and bronze jewelry. Their total value was put at $20 million.

In remarks at the ceremony, Konstantinos Konstantinou, Greece’s consul general in New York, said his country has been hit hard by the illicit trading of antiquities and is seeking their return “in every possible way.”

He praised investigators for “striking down the illegal international criminal networks whose activity distorts the identity of peoples, as it cuts off archaeological finds from their context and transforms them from evidence of people’s history into mere works of art.”

By Tom Mashberg.

[transingthoseformers]

Dot is torn between momma bear rage mode and shocked aproval because "My kids got Stranger Danger from a moderately to heavily injured 'maybe not a Decepticon anymore' after he escorted them to Bumblebee once he varified with them that Bumblebee was actually one of their designated adults."

Optimist Optimus Prime, sensing a potential redemption arc, is enthusiastic about helping another mech with their personal journy. Even Damus. Perhaps especially Damus, whom he feels he failed. After all Megatron rubed quite a bit of salt in to that particular wound. Megatron looks mildly panicked at how excited OP is at the prospect. Honestly most of the bots do just not for Megatron's specific reason.

Tarantulas when Damus of Tarn just slumps over and tells him there is no more List. There is no more DJD. "PRAISE PRIMUS! Wait, then why are you here?" And he gets trauma dumped on. A lot. He's legit patching up the tank and building him a solar energon convertor so He'll go away. When Damus tenively asked for not just his OG Paint colors restored but the code patch to cure his Transformation addiction Tara reckoned the mech is suicidal and therefore a terible liability to share a hideout with. Gets him out the door with seguestions on the processor benifits of meditation

Meanwhile Starscream just found the wreckage of the Peaceful Tyrany and is fliping out because the DJD is here on planet. He has no way to know Tarn is the only member of the team alive and has basicaly given up the concept. Not to mention is quietly having a personal crisis thanks to Megatron's brutal truth telling.

It's a race to see who reaches him first in his crisis of faith. Optimus, Soundwave or human forces folowing the news of a brightly colored tank rolling/strolling along.

As she should be, oh Dot

Makes sense tfe Optimus would jump at this idea, like. Yeah.

Love the idea that while Tarantulas isn't a medic he's good enough for Damus

Tarantulas:

Tarantulas: (fuck this shittttt)

Tarantulas: yeah that does not sound ideal

Wreckage? Did we kill of the DJD with a starshipwreck? Or something else?

Of course Starscream would be who finds The Peaceful Tyranny, which I'm expecting is all fucked up?

This makes me wonder what happened, exactly, that lead to this version of Tarn arriving on earth? What lead him here?

[cutebatart]

NOW THE SKETCH IS COMPLETE. Next up: The Suit of Wands set!!

List of meanings below

Taken from multiple sources! Interpretations between them vary so I decided to place emphasis on mine. And yes, there is symbolism in the pics :3 Some are obvious. Some are not. If I ever get around to making them more detailed, then I'll add descriptions and clarifications.

You'll find that some meanings are contradictory (The Moon is an obvious one), so I tried to recall some moments that fit all meanings as best as possible. Due to that, bias is gonna become pretty apparent ajkdff

0. The Fool Upright: Innocence, New Beginnings, Free Spirit Reversed: Recklessness, Taken Advantage Of, Inconsideration

21. The World Upright: Fulfillment, Harmony, Completion Reversed: Incomplete, No Closure (reversed meanings are optional, but it's always good to trust your gut, not your wants or fears)

1. The Magician Upright: Willpower, Desire, Creation Reversed: Trickery, Illusions, Out of Touch (thursday :3)

2. The High Priestess Upright: Intuition, Unconscious, Inner Voice Reversed: Lack of Center, Loss of Inner Voice, Repressed Feelings

3. The Empress Upright: Motherhood, Nature, Creativity Reversed: Overbearing, Insecurity, Lack of Growth, Negligence

4. The Emperor Upright: Fatherhood, Authority, Structure Reversed: Tyranny, Rigidness, Coldness

5. The Hierophant Upright: Tradition, Conformity, Ethics, Morality Reversed: Rebellion, New Approaches, Subversiveness

6. The Lovers Upright: Partnerships, Duality, Choices, No Return Reversed: Imbalance, Indecision, Conflict

7. The Chariot Upright: Direction, Control, Willpower, Ambition Reversed: Reckless, Aggression, No Direction

8. Strength Upright: Bravery, Compassion, Inner Strength, Calm Reversed: Self doubt, insecurity, Forcefulness, Cowardice

9. The Hermit Upright: Self reflection, inner guidance, solitude Reversed: isolation, rejection, lost of way, madness

10. Wheel of Fortune Upright: Change, fate, fortune, decisive moments Reversed: misfortune, unbalanced control, delays

11. Justice Upright: Consequences, Fairness, Clarity, Objectivity Reversed: Dishonesty, Lack of Accountability, Unbalanced heart and mind

12. The Hanged Man Upright: New Perspectives, Release, Free Will Reversed: Stagnation, Material obsession, apathy, depression

13. Death Upright: End of Cycles, Transformation, Reaping, Sacrifice Reversed: Bad habits, Delay, Resistance, Unfulfillment, Denial

14. Temperance Upright: Patience, Purpose, Willpower, Harmony Reversed: Imbalance, hastiness, impatience, no moderation

15. The Devil Upright: Addiction, Fear, Powerlessness, Obsession Reversed: Freedom, Control, Reclaim of Power, Clarity

16. The Tower Upright: Destruction, Powerful Change, Fate, Chaos, Wake Up Call Reversed: Delay of the inevitable, resistance, Clinging to Control

17. The Star Upright: Hope, Rejuvenation, Faith, Trust, Healing Reversed: Distrust, insecurity, hopelessness, discouraged

18. The Moon Upright: Intuition, Complexity, Secrets, Illusion, Uncertainty Reversed: Fear, Deception, Misunderstanding, Clarity, Reveal

19. The Sun Upright: Joy, Success, Celebration, Vitality, Truth Reversed: Blocked happiness, unrealistic expectations, too much or not enough enthusiasm

20. Judgement Upright: Reflection, Reckoning, Awakening, Renewal Reversed: Self doubt, Failure to learn lessons, Self loathing

Thank you for reading!! I had a lot of fun making this set!