Sometimes even the villains have standards

I was rambling on the issue of museums and human remains and how certain populations are more likely to have their bodies put on display to be gawked at and then went "well I guess the Pompeii casts were of Europeans. there are bones in there right?" and Googled it to make sure, at which point I confirmed that yes there are bones in there, but more interestingly DNA testing revealed that a cast of an adult holding a child everyone assumed was a mother and child were, in fact, a man and a kid entirely unrelated to him. Honestly that's more moving to me. Maybe they were connected in a way other than blood, but maybe a stranger saw a child when the world was ending and thought the one thing he could do was hold them.

People who argue that it is in human nature to be cruel and ruthless, and that only the fittest should survive, any of that crap. They could not be more wrong. It is in human nature to love and to protect. Or we would not any of us fucking be here.

@radley-writes 😭

"Stop saying 15 year olds with weird interests are cringe, they're 15" this is true however you should also stop saying adults with weird interests are cringe because who gives a shit

To wit:

I want to share some wisdom from my high school art teacher.

In my AP Art class, there was a girl who was just starting to experiment with mixed media. At this point she was still playing around, trying to decide what direction she wanted to go with her portfolio. So one critique day, she brought in an abstract canvas with some rhinestone highlights and painted and real peacock feathers. She loved sparkles and peacock feathers so she thought she’d try introducing them a *little*. And after everyone had given some input, the teacher gave her his advice, VERY roughly paraphrased here:

“So here’s the thing… I do not like this style. These are just elements that do not speak to me personally, but I see that you like them, and you’re doing interesting things with them.

“My biggest critique is, I only merely *dislike* this piece. I want you to make me HATE it. Go crazy with the things that you like. Don’t hold back trying to make it palatable to people like me. Because I am NEVER going to like it. And if the audience does not like it, it should drive them crazy seeing how much YOU love it.”

Her portfolio was chock full of neon colors and glitter and rhinestones and splashes of peacock feathers and it was a delight. Our teacher despised every piece lol, but she got great marks and I think even won some awards. And more importantly, she was happy and proud of the results. Because she didn’t limit herself by trying to appeal to people who were never going to enjoy what she enjoyed.

Takeaway here: be as cringe as you want. Don’t limit yourself based on other ppl’s tastes. They’re not you, and you are incredible 💕

Candle salad - 1959

Honestly, in my work as a therapist, I’m seeing this A Lot, and tbh I still don’t have a satisfactory approach to it. A heavy dose of Existentialist “create your own Purpose” tempered with “when the plane’s going down, put your own oxygen mask on first”, but… yeah, there is no ethical way to work on individual emotional distress without acknowledging the systemic socioeconomic, geopolitical fuckery going on at the moment, and the sheer grief that comes with it.

This is one of those areas where like on the one hand as a chronic moderate-severe depressive this shit hits me hard and on the other I’m watching people technically more mentally healthy than me struggle with the vast pointless mess of existence for the first time and it’s a trip.

Some tips from the inside, in case they help:

- life has always been pointless. Or rather, we have always been unable to control the relative point-fulness of life. The factors involved in opening the possibilities of who can have a large scale impact where are so insanely complex that they can at best only be pieced together imperfectly in retrospect

- the only thing that has changed is your awareness of this fact. No, seriously. The sun will eventually swallow the planet; at any moment without our knowledge or control the sun could flare in weird ways that will kill us all; etc. There was geopolitical and socioeconomic fuckery as bad or worse going on before: you just didn’t see it. Promise.

- you do what you can with what you have. You do what’s in front of you. Humanity has survived all of this before; it may survive it again. It may not. You can only do what you can: take what lessons exist from the past and apply them.

- sometimes it is just that bad and they are totally out to get you. The question is, what do you do about it?

- almost without exception in human history the answer has been “build community; support the one you have; reach out to connect MORE and to make the world more kind and less hateful than before.”

- recognize you’re trying to tackle god-level problems with a brain originally meant for keeping small proto-fish from being eaten. Treat that part of your brain like a very anxious toddler or rescue pitbull. Give it small measurable victories and successes even if you have to make them up. Make sure it’s fed and watered and has enough rest. Medicate it if you have to - there’s nothing wrong with that. The opposite, in fact.

We are hairless plains apes living in a thin skin of atmosphere between spinning liquid superheated death and the void of absolute cold, sustained by the radiation of a supermassive explosion that will kill us at the slightest excuse. We have always been unlikely and implausible and probably doomed which means every moment we are able to live, thrive and help others do so is an incredible victory. Don’t quit now. ❤️

Holy fuck I needed this

Kindle the Light, Shelter the Light, Protect the Light, Be the Light.

We can none of us save the world alone, we can only save each other: by thus is the world saved.  Everyone helps someone.

Wow I so needed this. I’m also sending it to my therapist.

“Recognize that you’re trying to tackle god-level problems with a brain originally meant for keeping a small proto-fish from being eaten” 😭 okay

workshop break :]

PSA: never discuss private affairs in your DMs, especially contraception and abortion. Social media moguls will absolutely sell you out to the government. There are already cases of people being charged based on evidence in their DMs.

@thevaguestoffeeling You're absolutely right.

If you are part of a vulnerable group - LGBT+, ethnic minority, women, religious minority, teen, anyone - do not think they won't hand your DMs to a government looking to persecute you. Yes, including feckin' Tumblr.

i figured this was common knowledge, but in case you don't know - NO social media messaging service like this is safe to discuss such things. i've heard signal is good and i know it has a great reputation, but never ever ever trust a company to not hand over your data and DMs in a heartbeat

I couldn’t decide between one alastor or two so have them all!! 🤎🍫♥️

the phantom of the opera and the hunchback of notre dame? opposite ends of same spectrum 

And beauty and beast falls somewhere in the middle

someone do a graph

you rang?

I couldn’t resist

This is the science I’m here for

@brightlotusmoon

New information revealed by the Hazbin Playbill

Also the first time the term "Archangel" has been used officially in the series.

Wei Wuxian made the Bonding/Binding Talisman...

Solely because he got inspired by getting tied with a sacred forehead ribbon to his crush.

Look at him admiring the handiwork wrapped around his wrist.

Not to mention that that's the only talisman he made that's colored blue.

This came to me as I saw this post, so please allow me to scream about the significance of WWX showing off his latest creation, and asking LWJ for his thoughts on the proposed names for the talisman here! And how, knowingly or unknowingly, WWX probably endeared himself even more to LWJ.

WWX introduced the talisman to LWJ by saying this: “这是我自创的符咒⋯⋯要我给它取个什么名字好呢？是同袍还是无衣好啊？ / This is a talisman I created myself ... What should I call it? Should I call it Sharing Robes or No Clothes?” (yes, this is the literal translation #notkidding #netflixmadeitsoundbetter)

Knowing WWX, the cheeky names probably allude to their shared experience in the Cold Pond where he saw LWJ unclothed (无衣) and also where they had LWJ’s headband tied around their wrists (同袍). But cheekiness aside, his choice of names actually shows his depth of wisdom and reaffirms his commitment to keep to his promises and uphold justice.

Both 无衣 and 同袍 come from a line in a famous poem called “无衣”. This poem can be found in China’s oldest anthology of verses called “诗经 / The Classic of Poetry”. 诗经 is one of the Five Classics compiled by Confucius, and has always been reverently studied and memorised by scholars. WWX’s obvious inspiration for the names of his talisman would not have escaped the attention of LWJ. By using these names, he shows off his scholarly wisdom and his knowledge of classic Chinese literature.

More importantly, WWX has also put much thought into the choice of the poem. The line in the poem is “岂曰无衣？ 与子同袍 / How can you say you have no clothes? I will take my robe to share with you”. The poem is actually a call to rally soldiers, or a war cry of sorts. It describes the people’s eagerness and readiness to take up arms to fight for the state. Even if an army recruit does not have anything suitable to wear, his comrade will share his garments willingly so that they can fight side-by-side for the same cause.

The blue of the talisman, and the fact that it binds two parties at the wrists, would definitely remind LWJ of their shared promise at the Cold Pond (LWJ: “忘机 身为蓝氏后人 义不容辞 一定会完成前辈遗愿 / As a descendent of the Lan clan, I am obligated to do so and will do my best to accomplish your wish” and WWX: “我也义不容辞 / I am obligated too”). WWX is thus likening their shared promise to a common beloved cause and their association to comradeship. He is telling LWJ that LWJ is not alone in shouldering this moral obligation, and both of them will uphold their promise together.

As the audience, we all know that LWJ was impressed by WWX’s promise to protect the weak, uphold justice, and live with a clear conscience. During the lantern scene, as WWX was making the promise, LWJ had looked at him with unmasked surprise and tenderness. This moment reinforces what LWJ has just started to discover about WWX, allowing LWJ to continue to see WWX in a new light and with special respect, beyond his apparent penchant for mischief.

And thus we come to the ending of this cute scene between the both of them — although LWJ again tells WWX that the latter is “无聊 / Boring”, he doesn’t reject having WWX accompany him for the rest of their Yin Metal adventure.

Untamed Heritage Post

Watching parents pass down their cultural practices fills my heart up. 🥹

frostiron dance-off au

Wow, I did not see that coming.