#which exists to protect a society from suffering further

[wardevilwins]

Why is it the War Devil?

Obviously, I am fascinated by the concept of the War Devil. There is a way in which her presence in the story is uniquely Japanese. Since WWII, the question of how to process the Empire’s defeat has hung over Japanese society. On the conservative side, there is a long project to minimize the realities of the War, especially atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army. Alongside this, there is the concerted effort within the legislature to repeal Article 9 of the constitution, the article which forbids the Japanese government from raising an army. On the left, there is a desire for genuine reconciliation and strong support for article 9. However, the effort has not gained much of a foothold. Japan is, much like the United States, a strongly conservative country.

For example, when the historian Ienaga Saburo wrote his textbook “New Japanese History” for public schools in 1953, the government initially approved his manuscript, but when he resubmitted a revised version two years later, they demanded that 216 revisions be made. Revisions included minimizing the Rape of Nanking, adding a mention of public support for the Russo-Japanese war, etc. Straightforward government censorship of established historical fact.

Ienaga sued the government for damages arguing that he was protected by Article 21, the right to free speech. Note: his book was not a state standard. It was simply one of many textbooks available for use by schools. A district court ruled that the government’s demands didn’t constitute censorship, but did constitute an abuse of authority and granted monetary settlement. An appeal to the High court rejected the monetary settlement, and the Supreme Court upheld the appeal.

In other words, the Japanese Government was granted the right to dictate the facts of history “for the public good” in the words of the rulings. Realities of war were erased from the public consciousness with the intent to control the narrative around the Fallen Empire. And the state reasoning was a paternalistic appeal to the greater good of humanity. If this reminds you of Makima’s plan in part one, I am sure that is not a coincidence.

This is a metaphor that I think was broadly missed by the international audience. The idea that War should be forgotten for the sake of humanity, this is the ideology behind historical revisionism. Fujimoto is looking directly at the way that political power in Japan is used to manipulate public understanding of history. Pieces of the past are erased, eaten, and forgotten.

This is why I don’t lend much credence to the idea that Chainsaw Man actually modifies the fabric of the universe somehow when he eats a devil. It is not that the world changes, it is that people forget about it. It’s not that our forgotten sixth sense was deleted. We just forgot it used to exist. It disappeared, perhaps as a part of Chainsaw Man’s attack. And then we forgot.

The main reason I think of it this way is because of the parallel with historical revisionism. Right now in Florida the state government is attempting to erase the suffering of African slaves brought to America from the school curriculum. If they maintain this for three generations, no one in the state of Florida will know of this true part of history. It will be forgotten. Humanity in Florida will have forgotten a part of slavery. We don’t need supernatural mechanics to explain historical ignorance. This happens all the time.

Yoru describes this phenomenon in more detail: “War became a thing of books and movies.” Yoru became weakened as humanity became less afraid of war. Parts of the war that really happened are not gone, but have been consigned to unreality. They exist only at a distance. It is only one step further along this axis until they are completely forgotten, until they aren’t thought about at all.

This idea of forgetting War is directly relevant to the political conflicts around Article 9. This conflict is split as I mentioned, but the reality of the situation is more complex. During the occupation, the US Government directed the drafting of the new Japanese constitution. In a real sense, Japan was literally Americanized. The text of Article 9 reads:

Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.

In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.

This is part of Chapter 2 in the Articles of the Japanese Constitution. Other chapters contain multiple articles. This is the only article in chapter 2 which is titled “Renunciation of War.” To date, Japan is the only country in the world to include a renunciation of war in its constitution.

Of course, Article 9 doesn’t exist out of the kindness of the Japanese people’s peace loving hearts. It exists because the US military thought that the Japanese people were so intrinsically bloodthirsty, that if they didn’t dismantle the empire and remove their ability to raise an army, there could never be peace.

That said, Japanese politicians were involved in the drafting of the constitution as well. Since the war began in China in 1928, a significant faction even among the hawkish types were exasperated with the boneheaded aggression. But the fascists had control of the Emperor, the key figurehead. Once that was lost, cooler heads who were open to the idea of a peaceful Japan stepped in.

So Article 9 starts with this complex identity. On the one hand, it is an imposition by the occupying force, on the other hand, it is a reconciliation within Japan around mistakes the nation made. This remains the case going forward. Because soon after the occupation ends, the Korean War begins.

America, having secured a foothold in the region, realizes that militarily neutering their nearest ally may have been a tactical mistake. But they also still don’t really trust the Japanese government. So they make a move. The US signs a controversial security-treaty with Japan that creates the “National Security Force” to act as a military police. Japanese conservatives then use this precedent to begin building a military under the premise of it being for “self defense.” Thus the JSDF, Japanese Self Defense Force, is born. This was all done with explicit American support.

The American’s didn’t want to team up with the JSDF per se. They wanted Japan to manufacture weapons to create a short supply line towards the Korean front. The creation of the JSDF gives the Japanese government permission to permit manufacturing of military machinery, which was originally taken to be forbidden by Article 9.

Since it’s founding, the JSDF has gradually crept further and further towards active military activity. The final line was crossed in the Iraq war. At the behest of George W. Bush, Prime Minister Koizumi approved a battalion of Japanese soldiers to act in conjunction with the US military for the invasion of Iraq.

This occurs in 2004, in the wake of the 90s. Japan re-enters war in a real way. At this point, article 9 is essentially window dressing on a country which has what amounts to a fully functional military force. But, the existence of article 9 creates a public perception of Japan as being removed from war, even as it actively participates.

You can see now why when Yoru appeared in chapter 98 I was immediately excited. The idea of the War Devil coming back is a stab at the powers that be trying to paper over their militaristic intentions with political rhetoric. Conservatives are currently moving to repeal article 9. This was one of Shinzo Abe’s major objectives. But he failed to achieve it.

So the struggle continues under the current leadership. And in that context, Fujimoto is placing War front and center. War that has been forgotten but will come back. War that, should she return to full power, will turn legions of young men into weapons.

It’s a subtle but also daring message. The debate plays out in politics but is notably absent from public discourse. Japan is different from American in that political conflict doesn’t dominate its media landscape. Generally speaking, the media is running cover for the government.

So to see someone go after this idea of forgotten war, of war coming back from a weakened state, and to highlight the latent threat it poses, is quite refreshing. Once again, Fujimoto manages to subtly weave a cogent political message into the threads of his story, not necessarily by trying to push a particular narrative, but simply by reflecting in his work the political realities he sees in his society.

#chainsaw man analysis #japanese politics #Yoru #war devil #chainsaw man #manga analysis #ienaga saburou #war #Japanese self defense force #jsdf

[in-with-the-blues]

hello! because i am completely delusional (and i've also had a six of crows/percy jackson crossover idea in my mind for the last month), here i'll recount why i think kaz brekker and luke castellan are somewhat similar, and the parallels between them.

first of all, if you are watching the percy jackson & the olympians tv show and haven't read the books or gotten spoiled, stop reading because this post will contain spoilers for the books. and obviously, spoilers for the six of crows duology.

before i start, i'd like to say that i haven't actually read the percy jackson books, but i have seen enough spoilers and read luke's fandom wiki to somewhat know what i'm talking about, but if you feel that i'm mistaking luke's characterization, please feel free to point it out. so without much further ado, let's begin :)

the main point that i feel begins this madness of a comparison is that kaz would, at least in my opinion, absolutely be a child of hermes if he existed in the riordanverse. why? hermes is the god of boundaries, travelers, thieves, commerce, cunning, wit, and politics: all except the first two and the last encapsulate the various parts of kaz's character pretty well, and it could be argued that kaz is good at politics, given how much of crooked kingdom revolves around them, and kaz was technically a traveler when he first arrived in ketterdam with jordie, up until he crawled out of the harbour and made the city his home. the boundaries part could be related to how kaz crossed the line of morality & co when he became kaz brekker but i feel like i'm stretching it too far so i'll leave it at that. hermes is also the psychopomp who helps guide the souls of the dead to the afterlife, which means leading them to charon and the acharon/styx; kaz has a special connection (i.e. trauma) to water and death, with how he nearly died in the reaper's barge surrounded by corpses and then used jordie's corpse as a lifeboat to the ketterdam harbour, so it could be taken as a psychopomp-related theme about him? as a plus, almost all of kaz's schemes include sneaky stuff like trickery, lying and crime, so that's why i think he can be compared more to hermes rather than athena as i've commonly seen. and even though i doubt luke would be thrilled about it, he also is pretty similar to hermes.

kaz and luke, as people, have made it their lives' mission to get revenge against those who have wronged them (pekka rollins and the olympians) to the point that that thirst for revenge and the traumas that led to them have defined them as people, plus it has caused them to put in danger (without meaning to or not) the people they care about/set out to protect: kaz completely screwed up the plan to get out of the ice court because he went rogue and went looking for rollins, and later didn't take into account that rollins could be working with van eck and they all nearly died, and luke harmed a lot of demigods + annabeth and thalia, even though he wanted things to be better for them, which was obviously not what kronos was planning to do once he disposed of olympus, all because he was blind with rage at how the gods didn't move a finger to help their children in their inherently dangerous lives that they didn't ask for.

i want to point out their disrespect for authority for a bit; it's a theme in both sagas (at least from my understanding it is) how authority figures disregard children's suffering, from how the previously mentioned olympians + the titans don't really care about demigods, who are just children and in constant danger because monsters or they're sent into quests for the gods and die, and ketterdam... it is straight-up corrupt and pretty bad. anyways, what i'm trying to say is that luke and kaz are both byproducts of the societies they've been discarded by. i once saw a post that called luke what every demigod could become under the right circumstances, a nobody in the cabin of nobodies, and irrelevant enough to go unnoticed but smart enough to almost topple olympus (i don't remember the exact words they used but i'm pretty sure it's something like this), and this is what kaz is: just one of the tons of kids that get scammed and eaten whole by ketterdam, but smart enough to rise to the top and take revenge for what was done to him.

however, this is where their differences start to appear, because luke definitely had an altruistic goal when he meant for demigods to get actually noticed by the gods, but he was a radical and his hatred + kronos' manipulations turned him into something worse. sure, he had their well-being in mind, though it didn't exactly look like it when he let kronos possess him and started a war that killed lots of demigods, or when he blackmailed silena into being a spy and allowed for annabeth to hold the literal sky, but in the end he did make the right choice. kaz, on the other hand, only had revenge for himself and his brother in mind, and all the things he did to get on the road that would allow him that were terrible and of his own choice and doing. was cheating, scamming, conning, murdering, maiming, stealing and a lot else i don't remember crucial to get revenge on the man that ruined his life, even though it was very destructive for ketterdam and for kaz himself, and considering jordie would have urged him to get away from the city and make a better life for himself? it was to get revenge, but it's not like he would die from not doing it, and though turning himself into a ''monster'' was vital to his safety and life, that was his choice—he chose to be dirtyhands. luke also chose to revive kronos and go to war against olympus, but kronos also manipulated and mentally tortured luke, so not everything was a 100% on him. for kronos' sake, luke chose to become more ruthless and cruel, while kaz chose to be that for his reputation and his revenge. nonetheless, luke still is a backstabber and traitor to his friends and family, and sure, kaz's a bastard, but he always looked after the crows and didn't mean them harm. there's also the fact that luke only got out of the deep ass vengeance cave he was in when he sacrificed himself to kill kronos and told percy to not let what happened to him and ethan happen again, while kaz got his revenge + got retribution for all of the crows and then helps inej take down the slavers and pleasure houses.

(also, getting the olympians locked up in tartarus sounds like a good revenge plan, but telling the man who ruined your life that you buried his son alive and not telling him where he is until he remembers your dead brother's name, all while all you're telling's him a bluff? disturbing, yes, and that they both came to do that is just sad, but it doesn't stop kaz's scene from being iconic. anyways back to business).

kaz and luke had undeniably fucked up childhoods, but i'd like to point out what they did after The Thing happened. kaz lived on the streets and had to steal and do stuff to survive while looking for hertzoon, found him as the king of the barrel and then joined the dregs and started to create his reputation for safety and for revenge, and much later met his friends. luke had a lot of Things, so i'll go over them briefly. after he ran away from his crazy mother he lived on the streets and had to learn how to fight monsters, then met thalia and later annabeth and took care of them as family. after he met his father, he was angry and picked fights with monsters which equals danger for all. after thalia was turned into a tree by zeus, he resented the olympians even more & grieved for his friend. after he got sent into the quest by hermes and got his scar, he was furious that they denied him the chance to get glory by doing something already done and his resentment got worse, and that's when kronos slipped into his mind & everything went to hell. now, you may be wondering where the hell i'm going with this, to which i present you how they both chose the destructive path, but while luke got from good to bad to worse to good at the very last moment, kaz got from bad to worse to kinda good to his crew and to inej. basically, kaz found people who stuck with him and he in turn stuck with them, while luke completely alienated everyone, then betrayed them and lost them. however, it could be noted that the crows are outcasts so it makes sense they'd stick together, while luke's friends and family likely wouldn't agree to betray the olympians because they're their parents and they want to be loved by them, so there's no way they'd join kronos, so yeah, they had different people around them.

in conclusion, kaz and luke both got into a path of revenge that led to lots of bad things for both ketterdam and camp half-blood, kaz found people who stuck with him and decided to get better while luke nearly burned everything to the ground, then realised what he'd done to the people he claimed to protect and made the right choice. so yeah, this got way longer than i expected and i definitely have a thing for grey morality, and these two were children who didn't deserve the tragedy that befell them. i can't wait to see how they adapt luke in the show and hope that the six of crows spin-off gets saved so we can see the crows again! hope you enjoyed my very long ranting :)

#i listened to what the water gave me in a loop while writing this #do with that knowledge what you will #kaz brekker #luke castellan #six of crows #crooked kingdom #percy jackon and the olympians #pjo tv spoilers #pjo spoilers #shadow and bone #save shadow and bone #six of crows spinoff #third army #grishaverse

[serialreblogger]

the thing about the joker

is that - well, even canonically, he’s not actually “insane.” in the most canonical version of his backstory (bc there are many conflicting incarnations, but this one is the touchstone for a lot of later canon), he was part of a street gang before falling into a vat of Nondescript Toxic Waste that damaged his melanin production and That’s It. he supposedly “lost his mind” after seeing his reflection, which is absurd on many levels. no. he’s not “insane.” what he is, is an angry white boy.

the thing about the joker is that he exults in his own uncontainability. He laughs, because all of gotham - all the world - is built to be his playground. the only lunatic thing about him is the lunacy of ~Society~, to borrow from the joker’s own playbook; the lunacy of the joker lies in the world that grants him power: in the inheritance of loss: in white privilege, and what it means for everyone else.

“to prove a point.” those were the joker’s exact words, when he shot and paralyzed Barbara Gordon. she asked why: he laughed. “to prove a point.”

because that’s all he ever does. he hurts people because he can. and because all the power in the world can’t save him from getting hurt - and isn’t that just peachy?

because the thing about the joker is that he can get hurt. he has been hurt. but he has so much more capacity to harm than to be harmed. he is immortal. he and he alone will never have to face the consequences of the hurt that he inflicts on other people.

so then: why not hurt them? misery loves company, after all.

the joker is the embodiment and end result of our own social system: the madness of the exception: the laughter of the white man: the imprecation to smile, as he kills you.

(no one ever says it, i find, but it’s still true: barbara deserves to kill him.)

and who, then, is the batman? if the joker is the yin to his yang? if they’re two sides of one irredeemable coin, if they represent the “balance” of an unjustifiable system - who is he if not another white man?

because he is. Bruce Wayne is a white boy born into unspeakable privilege and forced to endure suffering anyway; who copes with his suffering by taking it out on others; who copes with his suffering, not by taking advantage of the world as it is, but by attempting to reshape it. to make it in his own image - as if it isn’t already his, as if claiming it further will crush out the pain.

the batman is the benevolent oppressor to the joker’s malevolent one. he changes nothing, in the end. two privileged white boys with their own respective navel-gazing grudges - where, after all, lies the difference between benevolence and malevolence?

because they are not “chaos” and “order.” not really. They are laissez-faire laughter and law. Joker exults in the disease of the system, Batman seeks to treat its symptoms, but neither of them will ever change anything about the root cause. because they may have suffered the faults of this system, but they still benefit so much more from it as it exists. Uphold it or break it, neither of them wants to change the law.

but the law is only as good as the people it’s made to protect. and who does that law protect, really?

waylon jones is, in one issue, explicitly depicted as Black. between that and his skin disorder, there has never once been room for his character to be any more than a monster: king croc is, always, a character to be violated and brutalized, over and over and over and still - always - written as the villain. (he tried so hard to scrape out a place for himself, so many times, in so many incarnations, and each and every time he finds himself relegated once more to the sewers. he will never be anyone’s king. there is no place under the sun for people like him.)

victor fries only ever wanted to save his wife, and a capitalist mogul decided a few extra numbers on his eight-digit paycheck were more important than the people whose lives depended on that money. fries’ body was damaged to disability by that choice, left without the resources to find a cure for his wife, and he robbed banks because there was no other option available to him. we seem to have forgotten, or maybe never really understood, why that matters. why a desperate man trying to save his life and that of his loved ones under the crushing gears of capitalism is a villain, and the one who stops him is our hero. why, under the law batman upholds, a bank vault and a CEO’s hoard is worth more than a life.

poison ivy just wants to live, too. wants a life not defined by the devastation of her body, of the beings that exist as extensions of her, a life where green and growing things are not commodities to be plowed up and poisoned and destroyed for the sake of another man’s profit. these are villains; they are written as such. these are their motives.

who does batman fight for, really? who is our hero, this emblem of our law?

is he our hero? ours, the broken and bleeding members of the world he claims to protect?

who does the law protect, except him - him, and the joker?

#i'm having another Moment over batman friends #this is not a bruce wayne hate post #for the record. there is so much to be said in a bruce wayne hate post about child abuse and authorship and diversity of canon #but this isn't about bruce wayne. it isn't even really about the joker #i'm stuck on batman. batman as a story. batman as a myth #because the myths we tell and the threads that run consistently through them despite the multitude of tellers and times - #those say so much more than people give them credit for #who batman is - who his villains are - what those heroes and rogues represent? that *matters.* on a level wholly distinct from comic fandom #because one of the few things that remains true of batman across his many incarnations and authors and settings and media #is that: he stands for the law. (except for all the ways in which he breaks it.) his only role is to catch the criminals #when he loses control and begins dispensing Punishment he must be drawn back from the edge. because that is not Batman #Batman is Jim Gordon's only deputy. Batman is the myth of the Good Cop #and the joker? the joker is batman without the law #this too is one of the few strains that carry through nearly all tellings. the joker is never his opposite: #the joker is him without a direction. without restraint. without limits. without control #and these things say a lot about the world beyond batman. about the storytellers behind him. who - to them - is a hero? who is human? #and who is a monster? the joker is a monster because he is lawless. because he is ''mad.'' because he looks Wrong #bruce wayne is a hero because he is lawful. a dark hero because he walks very close to the line of that law - but lawful still #and what is that law? what law do these storytellers see fit to uphold? for which characters does that law do any good? #which characters explicitly harmed by that law are disposable? which are villains by birth? #the fact that someone made the creative decision to depict king croc as Black in a 2008 graphic novel wherein he went cannibal - #the fact that the issue where babs was assaulted and paralyzed was also the issue in which batman sat down and sympathized with the joker - #that all of these villains are neurodivergent or queer-coded or intersex or disabled or Disfigured or just plain not white - #it says a lot. not just about the comics; about the world in which so many writers have crafted this consistent narrative of heroic cruelty #the world that accepts these as our villains. these as our heroes. it says a lot. and it *matters.* #batman #dc comics #linden writes an essay #linden's originals #linden in the tags

[lexiklecksi]

Happy international women’s day!

I wanted to write an intelligent post for this international women’s day, but frankly, I am exhausted. Exhausted of discussing my rights, freedom, existence and sexuality with strangers online. Exhausted of leaving my social media bubble which consists of cool, queer and feminist people to get hit by reality.

There are still too many people who think women’s rights aren’t human rights. And that is unbelievable to me because whether you identify as a woman or not, we need to care about all people in this society. I’m also exhausted about discussing why we still need feminism and why gender equality benefits all genders. But I’m also inspired.

Inspired by all these magnificent women on here who continue to fight for their rights, empower other women and inspire me to not give up the fight. Inspired by all the nonbinary folks and feminist men out there who show their identity even when they are constantly getting harassed. For all the brave people who have suffered from sexual harassment and abuse but chose to live with their trauma.

I know that I am incredibly privileged and I always considered myself to not be a victim of this patriarchal society. But the more I think about all the comments others made about my body, the way some people keep questioning my skills and competence just because I am a woman ….

The gender pay gap and the gender data gap are real, so please educate yourself. Women are still being discriminated against in all aspects of their lives, from their own home to public spaces to the court room. Even in a workplace environment, whether it is harassment or getting paid less than their male colleagues. And I’m not even in a position to talk about working mothers, who have to juggle being there for their children and working full-time while facing uninvited judgment for it.

Let’s face reality: Nobody wants to be a victim, we want to be empowered, to feel free and live our lives the way we deem right. And I hope that’s possible in the near future, at least where I live, but there’s so much to work on. So let’s work on smashing the patriarchy together!

And even though some feminists might disagree with me on this: patriarchal structures suppress everyone who isn’t rich or in power and that includes most men. So it’s not just the female urge to smash the patriarchy, it’s the human urge to free ourselves from the societal, political and religious suppression that tries to hold us down, keep us small and hush our voices. Feel free to discuss this topic further in the comments, this is a safe space.

If anyone feels the need to write something hateful in my comment section, I will delete it. That’s just to ensure my own mental health and to protect the people reading this post and comments. I am open to discussion, but my rights are not up for a debate.

Let’s smash the patriarchy together!

Noted: When I speak of women, of course that includes trans women.

#happy international women’s day #international women's day #smash the binary #smash the patriarchy #feminism #intersectionalfeminist

[quirofiliac]

kira doesn't like children. this is simply a fact of life; it'll never change and is most certainly not up for debate. kira yoshikage isn't good with children and has come to terms with that quite easily.

he's never understood the desires of those around him-- claiming that it's a "biological need" or that children are "the future". it's never appealed to him and, whenever he's in earshot of such assertions, found himself pushing back more and more as time went on. children, to kira, are both people and "things" simultaneously. he doesn't see the point in handling them with (this is a bit of an unintentional pun... or was it better said as wordplay?) "kid gloves" and always regards them like he would an adult. this is only when he's forced -- which is rare but not entirely absent -- to, however.

his parents, especially his mother, have always wanted a child. kira just so happened to be that very child. it remains unclear to him if he were ever intended to have any siblings (he suspects they would've been absorbed in the womb.) as neither his mother nor his father made any further attempts after his birth. his mother, especially... kimiko-- oh, dear, sweet kimiko? her tender heart's too delicate! it'd probably shatter if she'd have to suffer through another complication!

no, the thought alone was already too much for her. her loving, caring husband, yoshihiro, too... he would never let the thought cross his mind for any longer than a second. kira was their "miracle child", and they'd like to keep it that way.

with those little anecdotes in mind, kira himself never quite managed to grasp the importance of children. even when he was spoiled day in and day out by his parents on sheer principle of being their child, he's always found it difficult to acclimate. their attention was, at best, stifling and, at worst, absolutely overwhelming and suffocating. he wondered if all parents did that, especially to his fellow classmates (and then, much later, his coworkers.) who strove for straight A's and perfect attendance.

it didn't take long for him to realize that that wasn't the case.

children are not beings that require any sort of special treatment. kira views them as a "commodity" of sort-- they are dirty, loud, and oftentimes... destructive. he doesn't necessarily view them as an unimportant variable within life (to do so would diminish his own existence as one. and that was merely too existential for an average guy like himself to ponder on.) but would never consider them as a "higher priority" like so many in society do. he does not view them as exempt from responsibility nor does he fathom why so many adults -- you'd think they'd know better... -- are privy to protect them.

when he was a child, his parents never bothered to properly discipline him. it wasn't standard within the household, mostly due to kira's own behavior. he was what many would call a "good kid", a boy that "kept to himself" and a boy that "did as he was told". he never thought of it as imperative to "act out". weighing the pros and cons of "acting out" always steered him in the proper direction: peace and quiet versus crowding and unnecessary attention... it's no surprise what eventually (no, that's a hyperbole. it wasn't "eventually"... kira knew immediately.) won out in the end.

kira's of the opinion, however, that had he lashed out as a child? he most likely would've deserved a beating. corporal punishment to him isn't up for debate-- it simply was a route that more parents should take. too many parents (mothers especially.) were afraid of hurting their precious, little baby's feelings... it got under kira's skin in a way he didn't think possible.

hearing a baby cry in the store, at least three-to-five aisles down, wasn't a mere inconvenience. instead, it was a disruption. plain and simple. kira views parents (why should he care about their situation? that was their choice and their choice alone.) as the catalyst of a child's behavior. it's no mistake that this logic, bizarrely, does not apply to him because, again, kira's never had to go through it. he was privileged compared to many other children, and he recognizes this fact but doesn't intend on "acting" upon it. since birth, he knew exactly how to act and when to act.

his parents, while undoubtedly flawed people, raised kira with the best of intentions. there's no argument as to why he's never received discipline... it's simply because he's never done anything to deserve it.

he's unable to say the rest for kids and their ilk. teenagers were not exempt from that and were, in fact, held up to even higher standards. whereas children could maybe get off with the excuse of being "underdeveloped", teenagers were grown. they should know better and yet insist on behaving the total opposite. it's frustrating for him, time again and again, to witness with seemingly no disciplinary actions in place.

after all, why should he be the one to "take care" of someone else's children? by that point, it's safer to assume that they shouldn't have had kids in the first place. kira has no problem whatsoever in testing (and, of course, proving it.) this theory, either.

#＊ 💥 断片：headcanon. #child abuse tw /

[thorsvinur]

Þórr as a Figure of Healthy Masculinity

Though as with any of the gods of pre-Christian Scandinavia Þórr is a multifaceted figure, with a great presence and personality but not infallible or unquestionable, one element of his personality that stands out to me personally is a sense of healthy traditional masculinity, as far as one can define "traditional" in this context. While projecting modern attitudes and discourse onto peoples of the past and ancient deities is generally not advisable beyond perhaps surface level comparisons and analyses, I do think that these traits can be extracted from the very source material itself which has survived.

To begin, Þórr exemplifies the archetype of a strong and brave man who defends his loved ones, namely with regards to his wife Sif, an example appearing in Skáldskaparmál when her hair is cut by Loki. He doesn't fly into an indiscriminate rage, destroying all and everything around him, nor does he shy away from a necessary confrontation. Rather, he makes his clear determination and focuses upon the responsible party with purpose and confidence, ensuring that her prized hair is returned in one form or another.

In the case of the jötunn Hrungnir declaring his wish to kill all of the Æsir except Freyja and Sif, both of whom he would bed, Þórr engages in a duel with him and quickly slays him. Perhaps more extreme than is logically necessary, but again targeted and done with bravery defending the honor of those he cares about. Though it guarantees his death, in the prophecy of Ragnarök told in Völuspá he also fights the world serpent Jörmungandr, and in a more present tense of the remaining myths he protects the world of man from the forces which would otherwise devour and destroy it.

But this is not a bloodthirsty man killing for the sake of killing, doing so to the point of genocide and extermination. Rather, as is stated in Hárbarðsljóð, he slays what is necessary of the Jötnar and Þursar to ensure the safety of humanity, neutralizing the active threat while preserving the balance of forces. This represents as well the concept of a community or society seeking to preserve its existence and remove the threats immediate to it such as predators, starvation, hostile forces, etc. while allowing for the natural world and its dangers to carry on and other peoples live their lives beyond the extent of such threats. This is an approach which, though fortunately gaining popularity in many places today, would be a much better balance than has been commonplace for centuries or more beforehand.

Þórr breaks beyond the limits of fragility that often plague unhealthy or toxic masculinity as well, even if only for a worthy purpose. When his hammer is stolen and possessed by the jötunn Þrymr in Þrymskviða and the only accepted trade would be the unwilling Freyja as his bride, Þórr commits to the culturally transgressive act of crossdressing as Freyja to fool the thief into unwittingly bestowing his hammer to him once again. His hammer restored to him, he removes the disguise and brings his retribution upon those who wronged him and would exploit the act in order to coerce Freyja into marriage. In this context it is obvious that Þórr loathes the idea of dressing as a bride, and he likely even comes to suffer ridicule thereafter for it, but his masculinity is strong and confident enough and his hammer dear enough that he is willing to undertake this act in order to right this wrong, notably rather than attempting to force Freyja into marriage once she confirms her resistance to it.

Þórr is often regarded as a god of and friend to the common people, both today and seemingly by evidence of his widespread popularity in Early Medieval Scandinavia. But perhaps the breadth of his friendship extends even further. In Hárbarðsljóð it is declared by Óðinn in the guise of the ferryman Hárbarðr that while his halls are populated by kings and great warriors, Þórr has but mere slaves populating his. It's unclear whether this is simply an insult directed at Þórr by a god praised notably by warriors and kings, or whether there may be an element of truth to it, but if the latter is true and the circumstances are paralleled between the halls of the two then it may be that Þórr welcomes the formerly enslaved into his hall after death as a sort of posthumous liberator. In such a role, Þórr is not only protecting mankind from the forces which would otherwise devour and destroy them, but also raising up the oppressed even if after their passing from Miðgarðr.

Þórr exemplifies the figure of a man possessed of bravery, strength and confidence; willing to defend what and whom he cares for in a reasonable manner, and not afraid of or averse to taking an active part in enacting justice for offenses to himself or his loved ones. He defends those who need it, and uplifts those who suffer oppression. In all of this, he is also secure and confident enough not to shy away from the unpleasant necessities which justice may require, nor to force others to bear them in order to preserve his own ego. He is as the man who takes an active role in his own life and problems, but does not deny help to those who need it; a role model for healthy masculinity in these respects.

#thor #asatru #heathen #heathenry #forn sed #Þórr #pagan #norse

[jwhenvs3000w24]

The Timeless Merit of Ancient Things

"There is no peculiar merit in ancient things, but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole, and if these parts are scattered throughout time, then the maintenance of integrity entails a knowledge, a memory, of ancient things. …. To think, feel or act as though the past is done with, is equivalent to believing that a railway station through which our train has just passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it." - Edward Hyams

In a world driven forward by advancement and innovation, it can be easy to fall into the trap of believing that the past retains little importance to our present lives. Yet, as this quote suggests, the knowledge found throughout history has profound value. While ancient artifacts and events may appear distant or irrelevant, their value lies not in their age but in the lessons they hold. Personally, I believe history is one of the greatest teachers. Even within the course of my life, my successes and, more importantly, my failures have shaped the person I have become. Integrity requires the gathering of information and the forming of connections to gain a more complete perspective. It's about forming the knowledge needed to connect us with our past and guide us toward our future. To maintain integrity when faced with the uncertainty of the past, we must acquire a deep knowledge of ancient events and objects. Like a quilt, without the careful stitching of its patches, history loses its coherence; our understanding of the world suffers without the incorporation of historical context. I thought the quote's use of the train station analogy was a very effective way to support its claims further. The analogy uses each stop at a train station to represent a moment in history. To be ignorant of the significance of these stations once the train has passed through them is to miss the importance and knowledge the journey holds. Each station, however brief, contributes to the plot of the whole trip. Similarly, each period in history contributes to a better understanding of how things came to be, no matter how distant.

History serves as our roadmap, guiding us through the struggles of the present and illuminating the path forward. For example, the environmental movement sparked by Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring" catalyzed a shift in public consciousness and laid the groundwork for critical environmental legislation (Beck et al., 2019). Though written decades ago, her work continues to create impacts today, reminding us of the power of individual actions. Moreover, interpreting history is not only for increasing our knowledge but a call to action. By documenting memories of both successes and tragedies, we commemorate the sacrifices of those who came before us and empower ourselves to shape a better future. As a community, we must embrace our heritage to cultivate a society built on principles of justice, equity, and compassion. For instance, Remembrance Day is a good example of commemorating the sacrifices of those who came before us. Every November 11 since the First World War, Canada has dedicated the day to honour the bravery and sacrifice of those who served our country and acknowledge our responsibility to recognize and respect the peace they fought to protect (Government of Canada, 2021). As a kid, I didn't fully appreciate the importance of Remembrance Day. However, after joining Air Cadets and hearing the experiences of Canadian veterans, I gained great respect for those who have served our country and the impacts their actions had.

In conclusion, while ancient objects or events may lack merit at first glance, their significance lies in their ability to give insight into periods of history. As we navigate the challenges of our modern world, we must not forget the wisdom and lessons from the past.

Government of Canada. (2021). Why Remember?. https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/a-day-of-remembrance/why

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Chapter 5: Guiding Principles of Interpretation. In Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World (pp. 304). Sagamore Venture.

[senadimell]

AI art thoughts

Thinking about the AI artist thing (that’s apparently been going on on Twitter?) because it popped up in a discord server.

People seem to be asking the wrong questions. “Is this art?” is a fundamentally unenlightening question because some people use ‘art’ to mean “creative work that evokes good emotions/thoughts; an aspirational goal” and some people use art to mean “work that challenges perceptions; a neutral description.” People can talk in circles around each other all day and never get further when art means “good” for one party and “a thing that exists” for the other party.

Human component, creativity, beauty, etc...these are things that can’t easily be quantified and there’s at least a good century’s worth of people labeling infamous artworks as “not art,” so if you want to wade into that discussion, I’ll point people to Marcel Duchamp’s Readymades and maybe throw in a dash of Worhol and the Pop Art movement, and while we’re at it, let’s add debates about photography’s status as art/an artistic medium and why not add the camera obscura in as well.

Long story short, art is not fundamentally different from technology at a splitting-hairs level. Selecting pigments requires technical knowledge. Representing one thing in a symbolic way is a kind of invention (and I’m talking even at the basic level of ochre paints in caves or the invention of speech. Not that those things are basic, but that “technology” feels like a complicated thing but everything was new once). I can make music on a piano and maybe that stirs the soul but at the end of the day I’m also pushing buttons to move levers and strike strings. Any kind of music that’s not singing wordlessly involves a technology. Any art that’s not prop-less, shoeless dance requires manipulation of the physical world and requires some kind of technical knowledge. You’re not going to answer any AI debate by an appeal to “machines invalidate art!” because a paintbrush is also a technology and there’s no commonly accepted metric for the existence of souls.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t meaningful questions or statements to be made about AI-generated images if we lay aside the “is this art?” statement. I think we should also stop pretending that Art is/should be above the influence of Soulless things like Money and Politics because I’m pretty sure money and compensation has been part of the debate for longer than the English language has existed. Instead, I propose questions such as:

Who is the artist? (Who do I consider to be the artist, who does my society consider to be the artist, and who does that definition include or exclude? Why? Who thinks one thing vs. another/what are the competing interpretations? What are the societal implications of that judgement?)

Is this exploitive? (yes, next question)

Under what conditions? (complicated answer involving consent and unintended consequences)

Who should be compensated? How?

Will this restructure professional creative industries? (yes)

How? (similar ways that it has in other industries; cutting out a swathe of workers by automating their jobs, reducing ‘grunt work’ like generating tens or hundreds of images for a customer who will only pick 1 or 4 of them and shifting the focus of the profession to other avenues, much like the advent of computer calculation and computerized databases has drastically reduced the time it takes to run statistical analyses and has shifted the focus of research to generating better datasets and freed resources to other avenues while also (probably) reducing overall opportunities in the field; probably a bunch of other foreseen and more than a few unforeseen consequences as well)

Who benefits and who suffers from the increasing use, commercialization, &/or legitimization of AI-generated images? Who is considered expendable and who is considered worth protecting? Who may be targeted by it? By whom?

Which subjects will likely be promoted by this technology? Which subjects will be restricted? How? Why? By whom? What response is needed?

What is required for this technology to function? Where are the people involved? What ecological and economic resources? What response is needed?

What are the legal ramifications of this technology? Who will have access to codified state protection in theory? In practice? What about access to community protection? Professional protection? What response is needed?

What movements or technology is this similar to in the past, and how have people responded to it? How is it different? How are contemporary responses similar &/or different to historical responses? What effects did past technology/art have on society, and what can we learn from that impact?

Is it moral to continue refining/developing/selling AI tech to generate words/images?

Is it moral to use AI to generate images etc., and under what conditions?

Is it moral to purchase AI-generated images etc., and under what conditions?

Do the socioeconomic implications of AI work change my/our reaction to it? What does that mean to me/us? What conclusions is my community sharing with me, and how can I learn from it? What conclusion do I wish to share with my community, and what do I hope they will learn? How do these exchanges of experiences change our preconceptions?

Knowing the above questions, how should we/I approach AI-generated images? Who disagrees? Why? How should we engage with them?

Should we/I continue to support it or should we limit it? In what forums? in what forms? How should we support it or limit it? Individually? Socially? Professionally? Legally and if so, at what level and by which branch of government?

In other words, “is this ‘art’ or not?” is honestly a dead end and that shows in the discussion by the evidences people bring up to support their point (the “it’s art” people bring up how it’s similar to things commonly considered art, and “it’s not art” usually bring up things like Soul or Human Expression but also a lot of human socioeconomic concerns for Actual Artists and how we value them).

A lot of people saying “AI-generated images are not art” mean “AI-generated images are not good (for us)” and I think that the above questions offer more specific ways to ask and answer that question.

#art discussion #man i would like to study some art history sometime #of course i have my own inclinations about what i think is art (aspirational) and what i think is Bad Art #and i certainly have a sense of what i think is insufficiently like our collective definition of art and thus is not art but smthing else #but i'm prepared to play devil's advocate and have accepted that there's not going to be a definitive answer to "what is art?*

[quirkwizard]

What do you think about the theory that not only was Midoriya born with a quirk that was taken from him but it was this very quirk that was eventually given to a quirkless Tenko Shimura by AFO (timeline would be a little close assuming it was stolen when he was a baby and immediately gave it to Tenko). It would not only add further parallels between the two characters and connect them beyond being there roles as successors but also explain there personality’s contradictions, (1/5)

where as Tomura despite himself saying he only wants to destroy everything over time has made room for his friends and ultimately sees the injustices in there society as a something that needs to be destroyed so no one would suffer like he did, meanwhile Midoriya selflessness and intense desire to save everyone with no regard to his own self slowly destroys himself in the process. If a quirk has an impact on personality then logic would dictate the body would try to balance this, but if you remove an intense “negative” emotions then it leaves an imbalance of intense “positive” emotions, (2/5)

which is why Midoriya has the personality of a cinnamon roll with an unnatural drive to break every bone in his body to help everyone. There’s also the fact OFA (possibly) seems to manifest differently depending on the users desires with the power, All Might wanted to be a symbol so that’s why he can bulk up, and Midroiya desires to have power to save people, even if it destroys him in the process. You can see that the injuries Shigaraki had during the end of the Redestro fight are drawn almost the exact same as Midoriya’s broken limbs during the sports tournament with Shoto when he repeatedly breaks his fingers over and over. (3/5)

I think this would work as a better reveal than a “I am your father” line as it would allow AFO to point out that Midoriya’s mere existence was the cause of so much suffering, and he could possibly even twist the idea that Midoriya subconsciously recognized his quirk all this time and that he didn’t want to save Tomura and instead he just wanted his quirk back (totally a lie AFO would use to unnerve him and make him question his ideas and motivations). (4/5)

If this is the case then that means not only would Shigaraki learn that everything bad that happened to him was AFO’s fault but there is the chance that as Midoriya has slowly builds his form in the realm of OFA, he may end up “regrowing” the decay quirk back, and use it to destroy AFO by making some kind of ultimate sacrifice, at best being unable to be a hero and at worst dying. (5/5)

I’ve talked about this before, but I really want to discuss want you presented.

I've never liked the theory, and I think you talking about it made me like it even less. Going by the evidence you presented, you need to make some seriously massive leaps with what we already know or ignore what has been established. Like how their Quirks match up with their personalities. You need to take some steps to try and justify that. Okay, so Tomura has some friends. That doesn't change the fact that he wants to destroy everything out of a sense of nihilism and misanthropy. Just because a character has some depth beyond their Quirk doesn’t mean it’s not their Quirk. Just because Bakugou wants to save protect people doesn’t mean "Explosion" isn’t his Quirk. Which do you think lines up better with "Decay"? Izuku "I will do everything in my power to save and protect everyone" Midoriya, or Tomura "I hate everything, thus I want to destroy everything without any regard for the people I am hurting" Shigaraki? Then there's stuff about personality and emotions, which doesn't line up with anything we've seen or know. And you're trying to tell me that Izuku isn't a culmination of all the positive and negative influences on his life, with his need to sacrifice being a mix of the heroic qualities of All Might and the sense of inferiority, but because some Quirk made him that way. We also already have an explanation for why Izuku hurts himself when he uses "One For All," and it’s not because it manifests differently for people, so why add another one?

Even if you get to the meat of the topic, I still don’t believe it. On top of all the logical hoops you have to jump through to justify that Izuku had a Quirk in the first place, you need to do a lot more to justify that he had "Decay". As they are five years apart, Izuku would have had to manifest this Quirk as a one year old. If Izuku had "Decay" as a one year old, how is he or anyone around him even alive? We saw what happened when Tenko used it. You're seriously telling me an infant had one of the most dangerous and uncontrollable Quirks in the series and didn't kill themselves or their parents by accident? I don't buy it. And yes, these characters have parallels, a lot of them. But how does that justify Izuku having "Decay"? What would be the point of any of this? To give Izuku another connection to Tomura? There are already plenty of those in the story, ones that don't require such massive leaps in logic. Trying to make Izuku guilty? That seems really off as well, because how could you possibly justify blaming someone or yourself for something they have zero control over? That's like someone knocking you out, stealing your kidney, using it to save a mob boss, and then trying to blame you for all the crimes he committed. And all that stuff you mentioned about how it would change the story? You could very easily still have that. Just have it be Tomura’s thing instead of passing it to Izuku. Have him realize all the awful things All For One has done to him and have Tomura turn "Decay" on him, either killing him or weakening him. It would be much stronger to give Tomura that moment than Izuku's.

#My Hero Academia #Quirks #Midoriya Izuku #Deku #Tomura Shigaraki #Decay #All For One #MHA Meta #MHA Theory

[randomidiocyncrazies]

some more musings on the HaruJin Utena AU:

If Yuujin is going to be the Sword instead of the Bride—specifically in order to present as an active character with agency and to preserve Haru’s hero-worship—I think him being to shapeshift according to his wielder’s preference could be kind of cool...

In Utena, the Rose Bride is stated to be an empty vessel (because they don’t see Anthy as a person), so Yuujin shifting his sword-form to reflect his current wielder’s preference is a hint that his agency is limited without stating it explicitly? Like, the audience sees his sword form looking different depending on who is wielding him, but are never explicitly told whether these differences are voluntary on Yuujin’s part or not—key elements probably look the same (color scheme and basic decorative elements etc) but he becomes a different type of sword/blade depending on his wielder.

Hm... going a step further, would he be able to become different types of weapons/tools in the hands of different wielders? I envisioned him as a sword because that’s like a ‘classic’ hero weapon, but I think it’d be kind of cool if he’s a shield for Haru—both to reflect Haru’s nature as someone who’s motivated to protect other people, and to reflect the initial (perceived) dynamic between the two where Yuujin is assumed to be Haru’s protector

But then again... Hero/Protagonist is the key concept attached to Haru and Yuujin, and swords are heavily associated with heroes...

Haru has to lose Yuujin at least once:

I think Knight is a good candidate for the role, since Haru did lose Yuujin to him (and, combined with the loss of Gatchmon, motivated Haru to progress in his character development in Appmon canon).

Plus, Haru was taken in by Knight before the guy showed his true colors... there’s some similarity with Utena and Touga’s first match, though Touga put in a lot more effort to specifically manipulate Utena

On the other hand, I think it’d be interesting if Rei got his hands on Yuujin for a short while, and it’s part of why he’s so suspicious of him—maybe Rei dug deeper into the system and found weird data discrepancies surrounding Yuujin’s records like in Appmon canon, or there’s a suspicious lack of information about how Yuujin became the Hero’s Sword (Hero’s Boon? Hero’s Weapon? idk) etc.

If we try to incorporate Hajime being turned into Sleepmon in this AU, maybe Hajime is also a weapon (and locked in his weapon form???) But then Yuujin’s connection to Leviathan would be way too obvious, since it establishes a link between Leviathan and people who can turn into weapons...

Also, to replicate the relationship between Yuujin and YJ-14 for this AU, maybe... YJ-14 is the real Hero’s Sword? Yuujin is just a decoy/sheath for the real sword, which is why he’s not really aware of his time as a weapon. This is veering away from Utena territory though.

Maybe the Hero’s Sword (YJ-14) is the key to freeing Leviathan from whatever prison its been exiled to? It must be wielded by human hands—because tools are created by humans to serve specific functions etc—so Leviathan lacks the ability to directly use the Hero’s Sword, but can manipulate humans into doing it for him.

Or maybe the Hero’s Sword is to get to Minerva so Leviathan can absorb her, rather than freeing Leviathan from exile?

As for why Yuujin exists, maybe YJ-14 or Leviathan created him as a lure to tempt/incentivize people to use the sword (much like how Yuujin is originally a persona crafted to blend into human society to gather data on Haru in Appmon canon)—after all, Yuujin is much more personable than YJ-14 or Leviathan.

Unlike Anthy, who is ‘present’ for all her suffering and previous cycles, Yuujin’s memories are either reset upon each attempt to free Leviathan/get to Minerva, or this is the first attempt of such a system. I personally like the vibe of there having been multiple previous attempts, but I haven’t come up with justifications for why the previous attempts have failed.

The central conflict isn’t about the cycle of abuse and systemic oppression like in Utena, but about autonomy/agency.

I think a point of contention between Haru and YJ-14 (and Leviathan) is the concept of “a tool is created to serve its purpose, nothing more and nothing less” vs “nobody is should be treated as a tool—even if they’re created as one, they should gain the right to decide their own fate”

Meanwhile, a lowkey conflict might be Yuujin’s “I don’t mind being your sword/a tool in your hands” vs Haru’s increasing discomfort because he sees Yuujin as person

Maybe off topic, but it would be neat to address Eri’s workaholic tendencies too? idk how to fit it in though

Alas, I still haven’t found a way to incorporate the appmons in this AU...

#appmon #appmon spoilers #Utena AU #harujin

[wishgrantingdarkness]

A theory about the life or Arda and the meaning of Tom Bombadil

If you consider Middle-Earth or Arda as the main character of Tolkiens entire fiction with Eru Iluvatar as it's parent then perharps Tom Bombadil's role has a possible explanation.

-The "birth of the Valar and Maiar" outside of the world is like a child first forming at the womb with every sort of potential possible and no clue how to use it.

-Melkor's rebellion and the song shaping the world is actually Arda's birth, the child leaves the womb and cries upon entering a world it has no control of.

-Melkor's struggle against it's siblings before the first age are like a child's struggles with walking, speaking and conceptual thinking which often has them failing and starting over until getting the hang of it.

-The lamps of the world are the child becoming self aware of their own existence and their breaking represents the end of innocence as the child becomes aware of good and evil.

-The abandonment of Middle-Earth by the Valar towards Aman represents the moment a child must leave their home and face society on their own for their education, mom and dad cannot follow you into school.

-The awakening of the elves and their corruption by Melkor is basically a young child facing the dangers of the world and failing without it's parents support.

-Elves being immortal, fair and creative represent the untainted imagination of a young child to craft all wonders while orcs being rotten, ugly and destructive represent the negative emotions reducing that potential to petty and pointless cruelty.

-Melkor being defeated and captured by the Valar is the equivalent of a child coming home from that first confrontation with nature and society and receiving all support and guidance the parents can give to prevent their despair and suffering.

-The fall of the two threes, the stealing of the Silmarillions, the willing departure of elves from Aman with kinslaying involved and most importantly the renaming of Melkor to Morgoth are actually the brutal transition between childhood and adulthood called puberty. The child becomes a teenager not just rejecting their parents protection but actively seeking confrontation with society and nature to carve itself a place in the world.

-The failures of the elves to defeat Morgoth and the awakening of men is actually the most brutal point of a teenager growing up, it is the point they learn about their limitations and mortality. The faith the teenager has in it's own imagination to solve all problems in the world shatters before the sheer colossal weight of reality and upon realizing that failure and death are unavoidable they stop being elves and become men.

-The War of Wrath and the downfall of Morgoth at the height of his power are the crossroads everyone must face upon reaching adulthood. Your parents rescue you from the pitfall of teenage stupidity and bring you home one last time to set you straight before telling you that it's time to leave the house for good.

-The choices given at this crossroads are represented by the ones given to elves, half-elves and Sauron. Elves must return to Aman or fade from the world, half-elves can choose to become men and remain on Middle-Earth to die and Sauron can face the consequences of his actions or run towards the darkness. Each choice has a fundamental meaning in early adulthood and hence why their consequences shape the second age.

-Elves by this point become an alegory for childhood memories you must leave behind, men cannot be immortal children and hence their only choice is to be cherished in Aman which is the ageless realm of imagination or be completely forgotten as you age further.

-Half-elves who become men are a representation of adults choosing to face the difficulties of life now fully aware of their weakness and mortality.

-Sauron refusing judgement and becoming a new dark lord represents men rejecting to grow up and twisting their imagination to justify further walking down the path of evil.

-When Sauron comes in the form of Annatar towards the elves and helps them forge the rings, it represents all sorts of ideologies and easy solutions preying on your childhood memories to convince you that utopias are possible and that there is a magical answer to aging and death.

-When Sauron makes the One Ring and puts it on his finger to control all the others it represents the reality of cults and ideologies robbing people of their freewill and virtues in the name of impossible utopias which lead to misery and slavery in the form of Mordor, the land of shadows.

-The wars between elves and Sauron over the rings represent, due to the rings power to ward off aging, the mental battle in a young adult's mind between his fading childhood memories and the corrupted immaturity that twists them into present nightmares.

-The arrival of Numenorians who quickly defeat Sauron at his strongest when the elves couldn't represent adult society stepping up to confront immature people and demanding them to give up their pretentions of grandeur that trap them in evil. You are not an eternal child much less the king of the world and if you act like a tyrant then better and more successful people will kick down your door and drag you into humiliation.

-The fall of Numenor represents the temptation that men, once reaching their peak success as adults refuse to accept aging and death despite being fully aware of them.

-The ban of the Valar is the divine decree that death is just unavoidable but rich and successful men who refuse God will rise against nature itself with all their might to try and become immortal. It also represent willingness to betray the very parents whose love and nurture made you the succesful person you are.

-What becomes most egregious during Numenor's corruption is that Sauron teaches men to worship Morgoth instead of himself, the allegory for immaturity and ideological false promise gives place to fullblown selfish evil as men openly revolting against the rules of nature cannot lie to themselves anymore about pretending to have higher moral justifications for their evil.

-This comes to a head when Eru Iluvatar sinks Numenor, removes Aman from Arda and permanently removes Sauron's ability to take a fair shape that can fool the hearts of men. Men at their strongest who rebel against God will fail and destroy all they build, lose all their connection to the good memories of childhood they cherished and ultimately their very imagination will become devoid of anything beautiful that drives them to justify their evils.

-The founding of Arnor and Gondor with the last alliance between men and elves ultimately pushing Sauron to a corner and cutting the One Ring from his finger represents the repentance of men by acknowleging the good of his childhood memories, honoring his parents and ultimately using his morals to cast aside temptation towards immortality and utopia.

-The refusal to destroy the One Ring there and then also means that said temptations will not fade during a man's life and that even if lost and forgotten in the human mind like how the One Ring got lost in Middle-Earth they will one day resurface as you grown older and wearier.

-The third age itself with all powers in Middle-Earth losing magic and might unless tied to a magical ring represents an adult past their prime coming to terms with his reduced capacity to create something as great as they once did as even their strongest childhood memories are forced to return to the land of dreams without a strong ideological push to remain relevant.

-The War of the Ring itself is the final temptation of the human spirit upon approaching death. This is best represented between the struggles of Gandalf, Galadriel, Saruman and Sauron.

-Gandalf represents faith in God and duty tempered by all the hardships a man endured during life, that he must use a ring of power to aid in his struggle is proof that a wise man can turn even a false promise into good action without becoming corrupt. The fact that Gandalf dies fighting a Balrog, which is a primordial evil encompassing all ages of the world and represents all sins a man made during life is a perfect alegory for repentance. That Gandalf is brought back to life stronger and greater by God upon repenting is the realization of the Christian promise of ressurection through unwavering faith in divine good.

-Galadriel represents the fairest and most wonderful of childhood memories that clings to you even if your memory is kept fresh by a false promise such as a ring of power, that this cherished memory gives the heroes all equipment and encouragement they need for the arduous journey while facing ultimate temptation herself is a brilliant way of telling that your deepest held ideals and dreams in life do matter when facing death but they must step back and relinquish their claims to you as you accept the end of your life.

-Saruman represents the fool who at the end of his life gives up on his faith and fruitlessly tries to claim a piece of immortality by selling himself to evil while pretending to be in control, what was once a great being ends up meeting the most inglorious and pathetic death after rejecting all attempts to repent before God.

-Sauron represents damnation, the man who long refused God to build himself a material empire through evil. Sauron is much stronger militarily and magically than any opposition he faces in the current era just like many men rise to call themselves gods by sacrificing all morals and genuinelly believe themselves invincible upon looking at the wealth and troops they amassed in life. However, Sauron is missing his One Ring, he is missing the ultimate false promise he made to achieve his power and keep it forever. What this means is that the lie old evil men tell themselves about living forever can never become true, death is coming for them to reap away all material power they have accumulated and they will not escape even if they pretend with all their twisted imagination that they can.

-The journey of the One Ring with a Hobbit towards Mount Doom represents an innocent good willed outsider marching through all deception and material power a self-proclaimed god can muster just to reach a dying old evil man and tell him that his time is up.

-That Frodo falters and Gollum falls into the pit of fire by divine providence taking the One Ring with him is an affirmation that no mortal men is above corruption, an immensely rich and powerful evil old man can buy off any would be assassin with the ultimate false promise he made but he can never bargain with God. All evil Sauron did to keep himself alive and greater than all his foes has no meaning in the face of God just pulling his life support and casting him into the void.

-When Sauron dies, his forces crumble despite vastly outnumbering the armies of his enemies because they really have no reason to follow his will once the false promise of immortality he made died with him.

-Finally once the Age of Men begins with humanity rejecting impossible utopias of immortality, which represents a man on his deathbed looking at his children with the sense of having educated them properly to live on after he is gone, we get to Gandalf taking his time off for a long conversation with Tom Bombadil before departing towards Aman the land of dreams.

-The meaning of Tom Bombadil in this context is that a good man who firmly held to his faith until the end of his life can reconnect with his inner child without regret or shame of the life he lived. Tom Bombadil represents the inherent good nature every man has inside themselves during their entire lives, all the joy and goodwill that no matter how ugly the world gets can remain pure even when faced with the ultimate false promise of the One Ring.

-Tom Bombadil is the Christian ideal that every man, no matter how gravely they sinned, can find salvation because even if all of Middle-Earth fell to shadow there is still good in humanity that just cannot be corrupted or destroyed.

#lord of the rings #lotr #tom bombadil #sauron #galadriel #gandalf #saruman #arda #middle-earth #melkor #morgoth #eru iluvatar #valar #frodo #gollum #rings of power #one ring #christianity #death #salvation

[gear-project]

. . .

Been playing Code Vein a lot lately... and it's been opening up my ego and Dark Sides a lot. I didn't get to express my OC creativity in the past, but now that I have done so to an extent, there's just a lot there in this game that is both interesting and unsettling.

Years prior, I watched the Underworld film series by Len Wiseman, Kevin Grevioux, and Danny McBride... and while I won't say there are parallels, I will say part of my creativity stems from that side of Vampire Storytelling.

Code Vein is a lighter, kinder side to the idea of Revenant Vampires, and really it's a different kind of expression than you would normally consider.

A closed-off society, powerless starving (and levied) Revenants whose only power is to suffer with immortality, and yet still is the fearsome, gruesome, monstrous side of their power involving Blood Codes and Blood Veils, which aid in their fighting capabilities and transform them in to mechanical beasts who feast on those who lost themselves and transformed in to even greater beasts.

And the very people who transformed their Nightmarish world in to what it is are their gaol-ers (jailers). Even if victory is achieved, it is very fleeting and pyrrhic... and the ones burdened with the greatest powers are transformed in to something greater than human and are never the same from what they once were.

And if it weren't for those who wish to push themselves to greater heights (and lesser sense of humanity), then those who still resembled being human would never get a chance to live their lives.

As if every aspect of being a Revenant was nothing but a curse... this story burrows deep in to the spine and chest cavity of the human condition, like an evil parasite.

The story functions as a Betrayal and attempt at Murder, further leading in to Slavery and Abuse, and then of course is the sense of isolation one gets by WEARING A MASK that is both protection and a very piece of one's self.

A mask containing one's own blood that is filtered through a device meant to stave off a miasma meant to drive all Revenants mad with bloodlust.

Even so much as a wiff of the miasma would drive anyone to frenzy, even if they just drank their daily ration of Blood Beads.

That Mask contains and isolates the people with exception to the scant few shelters that exist in the ruined and bored-out world they now live in, kindness and neighborly actions being few and far between.

Fear of Starvation, Fear of Domination, Fear of Monsters, Fear of the next Corner containing an Ambush. Fear of the Distorted, Fear of Corpses that aren't actually Dead, Fear of the Crumbling and Malfested world that has now taken shape through the very blood that now devours and permeates everything.

Rivers and Fountains of Blood, and those dark twisted beings that feast upon it... a dank, dark, rotten smell that only further invites hunger.

To live the "life" of a Monster that was once Human... to become the Darkness itself and conquer it... That is what Code Vein (the Game) is about.

And I deeply enjoy it.

#Personal Musings #This isn't a Code Vein blog! #Vampires #Code Vein #Revenants

[yeonjaeie]

Blog Essay

Reflecion on the quote: “The soil in their native land is dear to all the hearts of mankind” - Cicero

An impressive phrase can be found while reading Greek mythology. As Pandora couldn't resist her curiosity and opened the box, all kinds of disasters and evil minds were on humans. Then, Zeus judged the whole land with water. After that, Prometheus' son and wife survived and were told to throw a stone into the soil through the oracle that said to throw the mother's bone behind their backs. The thrown stone soon becomes a new humanity and builds the world. In other words, the earth is the mother of all mankind. Because the earth sprouted life, nurtured it, and put it to rest in its arms. To me, the existence of a mother can be said to be Korea, my motherland. Korea has always been an object of longing for me, as one who grew up abroad for a long time. Korea, which gave me the place where I lived and the sense of belonging that the individual 'I' could fully deceive, has become an unforgettable love for me. 

Imagine a life wandering as a stranger losing one's own country. I dare assume that it feels like losing one's home and family. This generation is an era of a lot of war. As so, I feel grateful that my country is appreciating peace while other countries are fighting to protect and regain their countries. Therefore, the war that takes away the place of life and tramples on their lives, must be ended as soon as possible. We should love and pledge to protect our country more than anyone else because there is no guarantee that my land will be safe forever. 

Korea is a small country in the East that has a history of 5,000 years. Countless records show that the number of foreign invasions is more than 1,000 times. In other words, Korea has been invaded by foreign powers once every five years since the beginning of its history. This is not an old story; it was something that I shared right away with my grandparents. Nevertheless, the Republic of Korea overcame numerous attacks and remained firmly in place for over 50 centuries. Despite numerous persecutions, we defended and inherited our language and culture. I know that my nation's seniors made great efforts and sacrifices on their journey from the world's poorest to the Republic of Korea as it is now after suffering a war, more than 70 years ago. And that is the reason that I must lead the future of Korea through their teachings. 

Currently, the Republic of Korea is suffering from low birth rates and various political and economic problems. It is becoming an unreasonable society, and the polarization is being maximized due to various reasons such as political, gender, and generational differences. Some give up their lives in Korea and seek another place to live, while others are struggling to make their country a better place to live. Even I, the Korean youth who will lead the future of Korea, do not know how the future of my country will unfold in the future. Yet, I believe that those of us who were born on this land inherited good things, and have grown through good influence, should make efforts to return the favor of this land.

I love the warm affection of Koreans. I love my warm grandmother's food, the house my family lived in, the beautiful sceneries of mountains and seas, the unique culture, and the firm beliefs. We must manage and preserve them well and pass them on to future generations. This is because it is both a courtesy to the seniors who value this land and to our motherland. Also, as a young generation of the Republic of Korea living now, I should try my best to develop this land further and live as one with all the people of Korea. It will take a lot of sacrifice and effort to make sure that people living in this land can look at the Republic of Korea with pride to love and cherish my country. I hope that we can see a better and more proud Korea in the future.

[a-shared-experience]

Despite feeling under the weather I hope that I have prepared enough for my interview.

I think it’s a great opportunity to support the companies vision and mission and guide decisions based on the demographic we serve and the integrity we hope to maintain as change makers.

I believe that community engagement , as well as, empowering the affected demographic by way of connecting and expanding allyship amongst vulnerable minorities will continue to inspire us all to create and offer the vital services which are few and far between in this country. Most noticeably in this province.

I understand that it’s a duty to act honestly and diligently to protect the integrity of the organization and holds me personally accountable to my passion and dedication to social responsibility.

My why is based on a firm foundational belief that we as a society are failing our communities based on archaic ideology and that people who face complex health needs are denied their human right to exist here without constant suffering. They are being used as pawns to continue the pursuit of criminality which is disproportionately targeted to the mentally ill and is indicative of long standing systemic racism beginning with colonization of indigenous peoples.

I believe that the success of an organization is completely reliant on the integrity of its staff. I am able to represent a passionate engagement , a similar understanding of operations from a staffing perspective having worked in our nightlife industry offering progressive harm reduction strategies such as public education , drug checking services and providing a space where people who use drugs feel they can show up authentically and be included. I also work full time as a frontline worker directly with people who use drugs, people experiencing transitional or chronic homelessness, people identifying as a minority , and have a good understanding of the complexities each unique group is facing. I am well versed on the public health crisis we face and am continuously learning to ensure best practice and affective advocacy.

I also am a peer who uses drugs and has suffered as the minority from traumatic experience, mental health injury and a vast array of stigma which has touched every part of my life including health care , employment and interpersonal relationships. I understand the privilege I have to be able to speak on behalf of the afflicted and consider myself blessed and of service to those who cannot

On a person level I believe this opportunity will help further develop my leadership skills which ultimately will make me a better ally in the fight against the war on drugs. It will broaden my contacts and connect me with like minded individuals in pursuit of driving real change. It will offer me the ability to grow beyond what I know as frontline harm reduction , personal injustice and overdose response - hopefully advancing my understanding of operations and growing as an individual. The empowerment of each peer is the strengthening of our communities and the beliefs we hold within them.

I believe that no one person can do this but see your organization as the foundation to allow each person to have a voice that can no longer be silenced by injustice.

I hope as a peer and professional to offer profound insight and work together with your team to support the underserved in ways which lift them out of hardship, poverty and oppression and for inclusion and acceptance of our right to choose for ourselves.

K… wish me luck.

[humanrightsreportersghana]

MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY 2023

Ghana joins the world to commemorate this year’s Human Rights Day which falls on today December 10, 2023, marking the anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

In alignment with this year's theme, "Freedom, Equality and Justice for All" which emphasizes the importance of resilience, solidarity, and the role of individuals in the protection and promotion of human rights, my message to you all is that lets try and  inspire collective action and strengthen human rights endeavors across the globe. Let us all be aware that the interconnected nature of human rights and the fundamental belief is that all individuals are entitled to the same freedoms and protections.

Despite the longstanding existence of human rights frameworks and international agreements, countless individuals still suffer from abuses and inequalities, which the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated.

The path to truly universal human rights coverage lies within solidarity — people from all walks of life coming together to uphold the dignity and worth of every human being. Today, many human rights defenders, activists, and organizations have continued their work in the face of adversity, showing remarkable strength and perseverance.

The significance of their efforts in creating more just and equitable societies where individuals can exercise their rights without fear of reprisal or discrimination. On this momentous occasion, I called upon state actors and global institutions to recommit to their duties to protect and fulfil human rights as delineated by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent international covenants.

I humbly and truly acknowledged that the journey toward achieving these goals is a collective one and therefore urges governments to actively engage with civil society and local communities to address human rights challenges and to work together in crafting solutions that respect the agency and dignity of all. In terms of the practical steps towards bridging the gaps in human rights protection, I want to suggest enhancing educational efforts to raise awareness about individual rights and responsibilities and urged for more robust mechanisms for holding perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable.

Additionally, let me also use this occasion to emphasize the need for more inclusive human rights dialogues that consider the voices of marginalized and underrepresented populations. In conclusion, the reflections and actions that follow the 2023 Human Rights Day will be crucial to carry forward the torch of human dignity, freedom, and equality for all.

#Humanrightsreportersgh

#HumanRightsDay2023

#StandUp4HumanRights

#DigitalRights

#EqualityForAll

#UDHR

[ooreopieysz]

Rich and Poor in the Pandemic Era: Paradigm Changes in Wealth Distribution

Introduction The Pandemi Covid-19 era has changed many aspects of human life, including in the distribution of wealth. This pandemic has brought a significant impact on the global economy, resulting in a decrease in income and economic inequality which further worsen the gap between rich and poor. In this article, we will discuss about paradigm changes in the distribution of wealth in this Pandemic era and their impact on the community. I. Decrease in income and unemployment One of the biggest impacts of Pandemi Covid-19 is the decrease in income and increased unemployment. Many companies suffered significant losses, resulting in salary cuts, mass layoffs, and even the closing of the business. As a result, many workers lost their sources of income and were ensnared in a poverty circle that was difficult to get out. II. Increasing economic inequality Economic inequality that existed before Pandemic was increasingly exacerbated by this crisis. Billionaires and large companies are still able to survive and even increase their wealth, while most people face serious financial difficulties. This gap has further strengthened the control of wealth by a handful of rich people, while the majority of people continue to struggle to meet their basic needs. III. Paradigm changes in wealth distribution Pandemi Covid-19 has forced us to see the paradigm of existing wealth distribution. It is time to question an unfair and non -continuous system that allows the concentration of extreme wealth. As society, we must move towards a more inclusive and fair approach in dividing the country's wealth. IV. Challenges and solutions Realizing paradigm changes in wealth distribution is not easy. There are many challenges that must be faced, including resistance from those who have personal interests in maintaining the status quo. However, there are several steps that can be taken to change the existing system: 1. Increased tax for the rich: the government can implement a more fair tax policy to balance the distribution of wealth. A higher tax for the rich can be used to support social welfare programs and strengthen social safety nets. 2. Investment in Education and Training: Increasing access and quality of education and training can help reduce gaps in opportunities and skills. This will open the way for disadvantaged people to increase social mobility and increase their income. 3. Encourage entrepreneurship and innovation: The government must create an environment that supports entrepreneurship and innovation. This will provide opportunities for the community to create new jobs and increase their own income. 4. Strengthening Social Safety Net: The government must increase social protection for people who are vulnerable and need. Strong social assistance programs and health insurance will help protect them from unexpected economic impacts. Conclusion Pandemi Covid-19 has become a test for the existing economic system and distribution of wealth. The increasingly deteriorating gap between rich and poor has forced us to change the paradigm in dividing the country's wealth. In improving economic inequality, the government needs to take strict steps to provide justice and opportunities for all citizens. Only by making the necessary changes, we can build a more inclusive and sustainable society in this Pandemic era.

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