#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…

[saintkevorkian]

this is a rather more cogent expression of something ive tried putting into words before

People spend a lot of time arguing about whether this or that use of "fascist" or "socialist" is excessively broad or excessively narrow, but regardless, these words get thrown around a lot. On the other hand, a word that I think gets less discourse than it should is "totalitarian."

A big distinction between authoritarianism and totalitarianism is that an authoritarian system doesn't care about the political commitments of its subjects, or rather, it doesn't want them to have any. "Leave politics to the people in charge, keep your head down, do what you're told, and you'll be fine." By contrast, a totalitarian system considers having no political commitments to be somewhere on the spectrum between disreputable and criminal. It demands ideological commitment even in private life.

When you have this framing in mind, it is hard to miss the totalitarian tendencies around you. On the one hand, the religious right (now sometimes fronted by people who aren't even religious, a la Chris Rufo) has always had totalitarian tendencies. And what else would you call making it a firing offense for a teacher to refer to her wife in casual conversation, or the attempt to ban people from choosing which books to read at the library, or allowing coaches to coerce student athletes into prayer sessions?

But the puritanical left is also like this. Not (currently) in the sense of using the law to compel ideology, but in the sense that they take "the personal is political" to an extreme. The idea that one might be allowed to just enjoy books or games without considering whether their content serves the needs of social justice is anathema to them. What is one to call the accusation that its some sort of obscene privilege to want to occasionally take a break from thinking about politics, because of the false premise that members of marginalized populations never have the opportunity to do so, if not "totalitarian"? (The absurd take that atheists lean right-wing is downstream of this; "atheism plus" is the totalitarian impulse to say that nothing can ever be about anything else except "social justice" as defined by its totalitarian adherents.)

This tends to get branded as people "making their politics their personality," which isn't necessarily incorrect, but also wildly understates how frightening it should be to have people like that in positions of 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.

[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

[purple-eyesgreydragon]

In the scorching desert of the Sweltersands, live the gazelles. Where they have forever lived in fear. As they have always been the favorite food of the divine ruler of the desert, Cobraia the Great Snake. For as long as any can remember the gazelles lived in Cobraia's land, forced to reproduce constantly, and never allowed to leave. Till either they were old enough or Cobraia's craving was strong enough. A select few were to be devoured, and the gazelles feared it above all else.

One young gazelle however had had enough of Cobraia's tyranny. The Gazelle having heard from Cobraia's followers, the tales of the Lamb. They sought the Lamb's aid in freeing the gazelles forever. However Cobraia was prepared for the Lamb's potential arrival. For she possessed something of great significance. Which would never allow the Lamb to come near her, nor harm her. But the Gazelle was not the Lamb. The Gazelle pleaded for power like the Lamb's. In return they would not only loyally follow the Cult of the Lamb, but spread the Cult through the Sweltersands. Through a carefully practiced ritual similar to that which created the Goat. A crown copy was bestowed to the Gazelle. Now wielding power similar to the Lamb, their power only becomes greater as their and others' devotion grows for the Lamb. After all, the Gazelle's crown is merely an extension of the Lamb's Red Crown. Now the Gazelle, missionary of the Lamb, Liberator of their kind, and leader of the Lamb's Cult in the Sweltersands. Will journey though the scorching desert, recruit all new followers, and finally take the gluttonous Cobraia down for good.

I’d like to think since the Goat has a purple crown identical the Red Crown. Maybe its power could be copied and divided for the number of the Bishops of the Old Faith. The Lamb being the leader with the main crown, the Goat has a purple copy (purple like Shamura), the Gazelle has a yellow copy (yellow like Heket), and other bovine missionary follower recruits get their own copies (reflecting the rest).

I based some of the Gazelle off the Lamb concept designs. Hey, the Goat came from them too.

[tossawary]

(SPOILERS for "Transformers: One!) I'm about to go see the movie again, so I may come back with better details later, but I saw a negative take that I thought was... understandable but also ungenerous towards the film... and I want to get some thoughts out about it now.

Sentinel is an unreliable narrator!!! It would be kind of flat story-wise if Sentinel had honestly betrayed the Primes just because he was "bored of all their talking" and just wanted all of their power for himself. Selfishness and ego aren't spectacularly interesting motivations, sure. I enjoyed him personally, but I also really don't think that anyone is obligated to find Sentinel interesting or fun as a villain; if you didn't enjoy him, that's fair.

But Sentinel is a showman!!! These are the claims that Sentinel makes to his ENEMIES, including Zeta Prime and Alpha Trion and the High Guard. Of course he's going to try and save face in front of them? And in front of his own subordinates? He's acting like he's disaffected by all of his enemies, like the return of a Prime doesn't scare him at all, like the loss of the Matrix doesn't matter to him, like the threat of the Quintessons is nothing to him... Like these people can't hurt him, no matter what they say or do, because he doesn't care about them.

And maybe Sentinel is that careless! Maybe he genuinely believes his own lies at this point! It's been a long time, his ego is swollen, the power has gone to his head, maybe he's convinced himself that the Primes just bored him, or maybe he's truly always been an apathetic twit. But either way, why in the world would Sentinel admit to vulnerabilities in any of his villain speeches to his enemies?

During Sentinel's encounter with the Quintessons, you can see that he's TERRIFIED of them. (For good reason! They're scary here!) Maybe he betrayed the Primes partially out of fear for his own survival; because he thought that brokering a deal of submission was the only way out of the war for himself. But this golden Prime, sole ruler of Cybertron, after years upon years of smiling tyranny, is probably not going to admit to his old foe, his living mistake, Alpha Trion, that he was and still is scared out of his damn mind.

(EDIT: One of the things that Sentinel says to Alpha Trion is that he had to spend half of his time watching the Primes "lose a war" and the other half of his time listening to them go on about "honor". I think the first part of that sentence demands some attention. Sentinel potentially genuinely thought that the Primes were going to lose the war! Or he's just insulting Alpha Trion because he's an asshole and he can, but it's possible that part of his motivation is that he lost hope and saw surrender as the only avenue of escape.)

Sentinel stole Megatronus's transformation cog! He set himself up as a false Prime! There's a lot to be inferred there about envy and jealousy and a desire for glory and worship. We don't know the exact societal setup under the original Primes, but it was also wartime, so maybe Sentinel's life as a not-Prime during a grueling war sucked somehow and his resentment eventually boiled over. Maybe his life was actually pretty good and he just snapped because he wanted everything. But either way, this smug villain high on his victory, boasting to his prisoners, is not going to suddenly admit to seething feelings of inferiority and/or confess the details of his wartime suffering to STARSCREAM.

It's possible that Sentinel genuinely thought that he was meant to be a Prime! Maybe he thought that the Matrix needed someone new to wield it to be effective! Maybe Sentinel used to be religious and thought that the war was going badly because the wrong person had the Matrix and thus Primus was unhappy with them all. But then the Matrix straight-up dissolved in his hands and his dreams and faith all came crashing down! (I'm aware that there's no proof of this! My point is...) But someone as proud as Sentinel is not going to talk about the excruciating dismay of not being considered worthy to the likes of D-16! Sentinel is too busy being cruel!

Like, I do understand personally not enjoying Sentinel as a villain! That's fine! I liked him, but I will easily agree that there are tweaks that could have been made to give him greater depth, to show greater depth, as could have been done with all of the characters here. I would argue that his relative simplicity allowed for more room for the arcs of Optimus Prime and Megatron, but he could have definitely been more interesting. For sure! They could have given him some different scenes where he might actually voice more vulnerabilities.

But it bugged me from a general characterization standpoint that this lying liar who lies might be taken entirely at face value regarding his motivations. Especially when talking to his enemies. Like, come on.

[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?

[shunin-gumis]

Designs of Happiness - Track A15

L4mps Main Story Translation

Title: ep.3 No Sugar

Characters: Ryui, Toi

Summary: Stranded at the airport, Ryui gets into a discussion about "fatalism" with a certain person.

Thank you aca @463ce6, myun @/myuntachis and Niri for helping me with proofing!

Also please do note there's mentions of the holocaust in this chapter.

Location: Tokyo Metropolis International Airport - Lobby

Ryui: (Hm… Do I get hot milk tea or chai?)

Ryui: (Well, milk tea’s always been my first choice, but if they’re using some garbage like skimmed milk instead of whole milk, then chai’s the only answer.)

Ryui: (Sometimes I get to find some cool stores that not only use whole milk, but even warm the milk-pitcher so the tea comes out perfect. Now that’s the good shit.)

Ryui: Anyone else here that ordered milk tea? If there’s a milk pitcher lying around then at least I’d know they serve whole milk here… 

Ryui: …… 

Ryui: Damn, I’m surrounded by coffee drinkers… 

??: …What do you think about a café au lait​?

Ryui: …Ha?

??: Café au lait​, with ice. 

Ryui: Fuck off. Don’t talk to me. 

Employee: Have you decided on your order~?

Ryui: …… 

??: Espresso. 

Ryui: …Hot milk tea.

Employee: Would you like milk or lemon in your–

Ryui: Milk.

Employee: Hot or iced?

Ryui: Hot.

Ryui: (I said I wanted hot milk tea from the fucking start…)

Employee: Understood~ Please wait for a few minutes~

??: A human who is rude to a worker is never well liked by his peers.

Ryui: Then don’t piss me off in the first place.

??: Kukuku… 

Announcer: This is an announcement for passengers of flight ZE302 to Aomori, ZAL Airlines.

Ryui: ��!

Announcer: We apologize for the continued delays and cancellation of flights due to the persistent bad weather in the area.

Announcer: Attention. This is an announcement for passengers of flight ZE302 to Aomori, ZAL Airlines….

Ryui: …Dammit.

??: Will you curse upon the airline company next? Despite knowing that they are not responsible for the poor weather. 

Ryui: I didn’t say shit.

Ryui: (Still, why the fuck is it that only the flights to Aomori keep getting cancelled—)

Ryui: …I’m shit out of luck.

??: This has no bearing on your luck. It was already fated, long before your birth, that you were to be stranded here at this point in time.

??: I must also add that Toi being selected as the human sacrifice for the Shiramitsu family in your stead was– 

Ryui: Shut the fuck up already. Divination? Fate? Couldn’t care less about what divine bullshit comes outta your fatalist ass. 

Ryui: I don’t believe in that crap. Not in your words, and definitely not in fate. I’m leaving HAMA today, one way or another. 

??: Ku-Hahaha…! Indeed, I just remembered. I have something of import that I must share with you. 

Ryui: Ha?

??: It is quite the heartening tale, one that should fill you with courage. I wonder when it was… or which country it originated from.

??: Once upon a time, there were humans who were put to death simply for being of a different race. They would be stuffed one after the other into trains, only to be led to concentration camps, where no one could leave with their lives.

??: What absurd tyranny! Despair seeped through the cracks wherever you looked…! 

??: And yet, there was one who did not lose himself amongst the despair, a certain psychologist. He held on to hope, and managed to escape with his life in the end. Do you know what it was that he believed in?

Ryui: *sigh* I really don’t give a shit.

??: He had faith. That he was responsible for his own fate. That he would create his future with his own actions. That he was the “protagonist” of his own life, you see.

Ryui: …… 

??: When one is unable to maintain control even over their very life, it would seem that focusing on the fact that they have control over their own choices gives them a sense of freedom. I suppose that is one way for humans to achieve what they perceive as happiness. 

??: In other words— To have hot milk tea is a choice you have made towards achieving your own happiness.

Ryui: …What the hell are you trying to say?

??: I simply hope that you get your tea as you ordered. Hot, with milk.

Ryui: What?

Employee: Here’s your order~

Ryui: …… 

Employee: An espresso, and an iced café au lait​.

??: HAHAHA!

Ryui: Oi, did you even listen to a fucking word I said? I ordered a damn hot milk tea!

Employee: Huh? Really…?

Ryui: For fuck’s sake, fine! Just leave it.

Employee: And uh… what do you mean by that?

Ryui: I said I’ll take the damned iced café au lait​!

Employee: Oh… but… 

Ryui: Don’t make me repeat myself. I said it’s fine, so it’s fucking fine.

Ryui: Hand it over. And get on with your job.

Employee: Got it~ Sorry for the trouble~

Ryui: …… 

??: My, you look like you’re in high spirits.

Ryui: You asshole, you started spouting all that shit about happiness and hope just to fuck with me, knowing that I was gonna get a café au lait​?

??: What will you say next? Are you going to say “my fault for trusting that dumbass” so you can pretend you still have any power?

Ryui: Talking shit about the worker will get people to hate you, asshole.

??: Kuku… In any case, you must understand by now.

??: No matter how you may try to avoid your fate— In the end, you will be subjected to a force that you cannot control, and brought back to where you belong.

??: For that is “destiny.”

Ryui: …… 

??: Even if you manage to reach Aomori and find the roots of your bloodline, it will not change the path that you must follow. That is what the heavens have decided with this “cancellation.”

Ryui: …You’re just trying to push your narrative after everything’s said and done. Outsiders should just shut the fuck up already.

Ryui: If I can’t use this path, then I just have to find another. 

??: You humans are unable to see your own destiny, and so you choose to see a sweet dream. Akin to an infant, watching you struggle fills me with such pity that I can’t help but find it adorable.

Ryui: Stop being fucking gross. 

??: And how was the café au lait​?

Ryui: Ain’t enough sugar.

Notes:

The psychologist mentioned in the chapter is Viktor Emil Frankl, an Austrian psychologist and holocaust survivor. He founded logotherapy, a school of psychotherapy that describes a search for life’s meaning as the central human motivational force. 

In particular, freedom of will is highlighted in this chapter which is defined as a space to shape one’s life within the limits of specific possibilities.

It’s also important to note that Frankl considered a connection to the spiritual dimension an important factor to finding meaning in one’s life.

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Masterlist

[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.