#how to draw a perfect square with a compass

[novy2sirius]

LOVE ASTRO NOTES

— volume one

Navigation: My directory // Tutorials

₊˚⊹ ᰔ I personally consider Neptune to be a love planet because it’s the higher octave of Venus and also because it represents fascination, compassion, and intense spiritual connections. Some people view this as bad for love because of it representing delusion but I think in order to manifest good things into your life and relationships you must have some level of delusion occurring. It’s why Neptune represents both manifestation and delusion. Planets topics typically coincide

₊˚⊹ ᰔ 8th house stelliums have a natural allure that draws everyone in and makes people addicted to being around them. Specifically the planets signs involved (Example: if you have an 8h stellium with the sun, moon, and mercury you will attract lots of leo, cancer, gemini, and virgo placements). 8h planets show who is most seduced, obsessed, and infatuated with us

₊˚⊹ ᰔ Venus in the 8th house people will love the darkest parts of you and the most vibrant parts of you. They wanna know all the horrible things you’ve done and the good things you’ve done. They will love you regardless because they become that infatuated with their partners that there’s nothing that could make them hate them

₊˚⊹ ᰔ People with Saturn in the 7th house don’t always marry late sometimes they just have age gaps in their relationships or marry someone that has Saturn-like qualities/Capricorn or Aquarius placements

₊˚⊹ ᰔ People with strong Venus to Chiron aspects can struggle a lot with their love life i’ve noticed. They tend to get divorced at least once in their life unless there’s placements or multiple aspects contradicting this energy

₊˚⊹ ᰔ Sometimes it doesn’t matter how good your synastry or composite chart looks with a person you’re in love with. If someone takes on a bunch of challenging energy from their chart and is at a low vibration/low point in their life then the relationship won’t last regardless. This is why i always say there is no “perfect synastry/composite charts”. I also don’t believe having a ton of “challenging aspects” (squares, oppositions, and sometimes conjunctions depending on the traits taken on) will make a relationship doomed to end. These only show problem areas or tension/confusion that can be worked through and being rewards (similar to Saturnian energy)

₊˚⊹ ᰔ A lot of oppositions in synastry indicates twin flames. This is because the universe is hypothetically yin yang, so naturally opposite signs will always attract. The oppositions aren’t complete opposites though (and yes i know the name of the aspect can be misleading) they do have differences, but are quite similar in their core as well as mirrors of each other in a way. Example: Opposite signs Gemini and Sagittarius are both energetic, curious, and intelligent but still have qualities that differ at the same time

₊˚⊹ ᰔ People view Saturn as something scary in composite charts and synastry and tend to forget that Saturn isn’t just the planet of challenges but also the planet of endurance and longevity. Many people in long term relationships (of all kinds) will have strong Saturn synastry or prominent Saturn energy in composite; Example: Capricorn stelliums, Aquarius stelliums, Saturn in the 1st house, etc (in composite). Sure Saturn can show obstacles in a relationship in composite/synastry, but it also shows areas where you both endure hardships and can show whether a relationship is likely to last long term

₊˚⊹ ᰔ An 11th house stellium in composite charts can indicate soulmates. This is because due to derivative astrology this house represents soulmates. It’s often looked at as a friendship placement but people forget this is also the house of soulmates, desire, and companionship

₊˚⊹ ᰔ Having Fama synastry with your partner can mean you are likely to gain more popularity when around them (Example: Hailey Bieber has a Pisces Fama and didn’t get famous from Justin Bieber but did blow up a lot more when she started dating him and he has a Pisces stellium)

₊˚⊹ ᰔ The Groom and Briede asteroid can tell if you’ll marry someone or not. The method I use has never failed for anyone i’ve tried it on. I made a previous post about it if you want more information — 🌷

₊˚⊹ ᰔ The Klytia asteroid (73) can tell if there is unrequited love in synastry. Example: Klytia conjunct Venus synastry can indicate that the Klytia person has unreturned love for the Venus person — of course this can be counteracted by opposing energies such as a strong moon to venus aspect

₊˚⊹ ᰔ The Valentine asteroid (447) in the 1st/7th house in composite charts can indicate being each other’s true loves. Even if you broke up this would be a relationship you never forgot and that stuck with you forever. With this placement in composite you would do absolutely anything for each other and sacrifice anything for one another

₊˚⊹ ᰔ The Yosakoi asteroid (10547) can tell about forbidden love in synastry and composite charts. Example: if you have yosakoi in the 4th house in a composite chart with someone it can mean your family tries to keep you away from each other and doesn’t approve of your relationship

[leejenowrld]

heart to heart — spoiler

pairing — surgeon! na jaemin x intern! y/n

genre — smut, fluff, angst, age gap (10 years, jaemin is older)

word count — 2.9k

authors note — this is quite a generous and lengthy spoiler, fans of ‘love me back’ and ‘back to you’ will appreciate this one a lot. if you’re not familiar with the other two stories in the ‘love and games universe’ then my only advice would be… become familiar LOL, anyways enjoy my loves <3 don’t say i never gave you anything 🫶

Hayoung’s eyes glitter with mischievous delight as she leans closer, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. She’s always been the resident sleuth, devouring every headline, every whisper in the intern’s lounge, cataloguing names and dates like precious specimens in a private menagerie. For her, uncovering the hidden ties that bind people is as satisfying as stitching new stories into a patchwork quilt. Tonight, she’s your guide through an exclusive gallery of Jaemin’s inner circle, each figure more beguiling than the last.

You draw in a shaky breath and edge nearer to the one‐way glass. Hayoung raises a slender finger toward the towering silhouette at the room’s center, a man whose presence feels as inevitable as gravity itself. His broad shoulders fill the crisp lines of his navy blazer, the fabric stretched ever so slightly across a sculpted chest, each inhale subtly flexing muscle beneath starched cotton. His trousers fall in a perfect, confidence-infused drape, hinting at powerful thighs honed by hours on hardwood courts. A tumble of dark curls grazes the nape of his neck, and when he turns, the faint arc of a smirk reveals a jaw so sharply carved it could slice through the hum of conversation. Even from here you catch the swirl of his cologne, something smoky, dark wood warmed by sunlight and feel the air shift around him. In that moment, Lee Jeno is less a man in a room and more a gravitational force: utterly magnetic, a living testament to strength and elegance entwined.

“That’s Lee Jeno, he doesn’t need an introduction. Everyone knows him, the most influential NBA player of his time.” She murmurs, voice hushed as if narrating a masterpiece. “See how he stands, shoulders squared like the corner of a backboard, every line of his tailored suit whispering discipline and power? He’s an NBA legend, record-breaker, triple-double maestro, the kind of athlete whose name is etched into every stat sheet and every fan’s heart. But more than that, he’s been Jaemin’s north star since they were toddlers dreaming of the same impossible things. He was the first to learn of Haeun’s little heartbeat, sneaking into the NICU at dawn to cradle the tiniest secret in his enormous hands. Off the court, he’s quietly philanthropic, rumor has it he quietly funds scholarships for underprivileged kids in his hometown, though he’d never brag. The media paints him as unflappable, the perfect poster boy for athletic excellence, but those who know him well call him fiercely loyal, the kind of man who shows up whether you’ve invited him or not.”

She lets that settle, then nods toward the woman at his side. “And that,” she continues, “is his fiancée, a vision of composure in couture. They met in college, drifted apart, then discovered that some bonds refuse to break. Their love story is whispered about in fashion circles and sports columns alike: soulful reunions, secret late-night text threads, wedding bells set to ring in just a few weeks. It’s the sort of romance you’d write a novel about—timeless, improbable, and entirely, irrepressibly theirs.”

Hayoung tells you that beyond the fairytale love story, she is every bit her own force of nature: the celebrated face of APEX, a powerhouse executive whose razor-sharp intellect and unflinching moral compass have steered global design initiatives and social impact campaigns for over a decade. In boardrooms she commands deference, in studio ateliers she inspires apprentices, and in every exhibition she curates she challenges viewers to see beauty as a catalyst for change. Each year, she and Jeno co-host the hospital’s signature gala, an evening of crystal chandeliers and whispered promises, where proceeds underwrite life-saving surgeries for families who simply can’t shoulder the cost. Hayoung recalls one gala night to you in particular. When little Haeun, clutching Bunny in one hand and a crayon-scrawled invitation in the other, was lifted onto the stage to present a check; the room hushed as the child’s earnest smile lit every heart, and tears of joy stained even the driest cheeks. It was a moment that crystallized their shared mission, to tether privilege to purpose, and to kindle hope in every young life they touch. Each December, they dispatch carefully curated gifts to every child in the ward—small treasures that, come Christmas morning, become lifelong keepsakes.

“Ryujin and Shotaro’s story is kind of a real-life fairy tale,” Hayoung begins, voice warm. “They met during college, he was mastering a contemporary routine, she was perfecting a lyrical piece and sparks flew over perfect pirouettes. Together they opened a tiny dance school in a repurposed loft, teaching six students and dreaming of bigger things. Now? Twelve studios later, they’ve trained hundreds of young dancers, from hopeful amateurs to budding professionals, and their outreach programs have given every child, no matter their background, a chance to feel the magic of movement. They’re always giggling when they talk about how their after-class water breaks turned into marathon brainstorming sessions. ‘What if we could heal with dance?’ and how every new studio opening felt like adding another heartbeat to the city’s rhythm.”

“And that dream brought them here,” she continues, tipping her voice conspiratorially. “Ryujin and Shotaro now co-design the hospital’s pediatric dance-therapy wing, turning sterile hallways into places where little feet learn strength and resilience. They’ve taught Haeun to pirouette past her fears, remember that time she insisted on ‘just one more spin’ even after her echo scan?—and they’ve choreographed holiday performances where she’s always the star. Their partnership isn’t just about fundraising or fancy recitals; it’s about showing every child that joy and healing can bloom side by side, and proving that sometimes the purest medicine comes in the form of music, movement, and a whole lot of love.”

“You see that hot guy by the window? That’s Lee Donghyuck, he’s a sports anchor whose name you can’t scroll past without wanting to know more. He’s the guy who turned a sideline gesture into a signature catchphrase, but off-camera he’s even more impressive: he spearheaded last year’s ‘Heart Run,’ a charity marathon that raised millions for the pediatric ward, and personally negotiated with sponsors so every dollar went straight to families in need. He’s brokered equipment donations, hosted fundraising luncheons in that very lounge, and somehow still remembers every child’s name who’s ever cross-checked him for an autograph. And don’t think he lets Haeun escape his radar. last month he rolled out a mini basketball hoop next to her play corner, just her size, and taught her how to drain a ‘baby three-pointer’ with a flourish. She squealed so loud you could hear it through the corridor, and he bent down afterward, ruffled her curls, and whispered, ‘You’re my MVP, princess.’ Even now she’s peeking at him, cheeks lighting up every time he offers a thumbs-up from across the room. With Donghyuck, it’s never just television bravado, it’s genuine joy in every high-five and every fundraiser he champions, a constant reminder that heroes come in many uniforms.”

She shifts her gaze to another figure: graceful, magnetic. “And finally, that’s Jang Karina. She doesn’t need any introduction, she’s a fashion powerhouse, her silhouette feels sculpted by intention. Karina began as a runway model whose charisma captivated editors and buyers alike; today she presides over a global design empire, her eponymous label celebrated for its architectural lines and daring palettes, while her beauty brand, praised for its clean formulas and bold pigments, has soared into the multimillion-dollar stratosphere. She pioneers mentorship programs for young designers, spearheads sustainable textile initiatives in collaboration with leading research labs, and curates charity auctions that funnel life-saving funds to children’s hospitals around the world. Every accolade she collects, Vogue cover shoots, Council of Fashion Designers awards, front-row appearances at the Met Gala, has been earned by a woman who learned to temper brilliance with empathy, who moved beyond the runway’s glare into the quiet confidence of a leader whose influence stretches from boardrooms to breaking bread with those she protects.”

“Karina and Dr. Na have a tenderness, a shared history written in soft confidences and midnight phone calls. They met during college before either dreamed of a spotlight, she, a striver fresh from design school; he, a busy surgical resident moonlighting to pay his rent. He didn’t like her in college, but they ran into each other in New York and started fucking intensely. Their first real date was over steaming bowls of bibimbap in a corner café, trading fears and ambitions until the staff nudged them out at closing time. Then life intervened—back-to-back seasons for her, grueling on-call marathons for him—and they drifted apart, each chasing dreams they’d once whispered to each other. They’re not really romantic but I’m sure they still fuck, I could bet on it, that’s how confident I am that I’m correct. They’re co-architects of Haeun’s world. She’s the first to arrive with balloons and homemade cookies on scan days, the one whose laugh draws Haeun from any shyness. Karina helps Dr. Na with Haeun a lot.”

Begrudgingly, you learn that they were lovers once, in that brief, incandescent season before parenthood reshaped his every horizon; the memory of their closeness still simmers behind Karina’s steady gaze. Now she arrives at the hospital not as a distant star but as a second mother to Haeun, smoothing stray curls with the gentlest touch and laughing through bedtime stories whispered in the playroom’s lamplight. When she bends to offer Haeun her lap, the little girl curls in as naturally as into her father’s arms, murmuring “Mama Rina” with the surety of a heart that instinctively knows where comfort lives. In every pivot of her poised stride and every warm look she casts at Dr. Na, you sense the unspoken vow: that this chosen family, wrought from loss and love, will hold its orbit against any darkness that dares encroach.

Her tone softens, eyes drifting back through the glass as if she can already see their silhouettes in the corridor. “They’re legends in their own right. Jeno, with championships and record-breaking buzzer-beaters that make arenas tremble; Karina, whose gowns have rewritten the language of fashion and whose makeup line is in every beauty editor’s kit; Ryujin and Shotaro, whose dance therapy programs have coaxed laughter and movement from children who’d forgotten how to feel joy; Donghyuck, whose voice carries stories of triumph on screens that millions tune in to each night. But none of that matters here. What binds them isn’t fame or fortune, it’s this hospital. This place saved Haeun when her own mother tried to end her life before she even drew a single breath, when she was left to die alone on the rooftop. Doctors patched her broken heart; nurses soothed her frightened sobs; researchers here keep rewriting the rules of what sick children can endure. Every gala Karina co-hosts, every scholarship Jeno underwrites, every dance-floor fund Shotaro and Ryujin open, all of it funnels back into this ward. They fund free surgeries for babies born blue-liped, they underwrite outreach clinics in forgotten towns, they sponsor scholarship nurses who stay to care for children no matter the cost. They do it all because of Haeun. Because she survived the darkness, they learned what true rescue means, and found a way to pay her back in light.”

Your heart twists in your chest as you watch Karina cradle Haeun at the edge of the room, tiny arms fluttering around Karina’s neck like fledgling wings seeking warmth. Karina’s hair tumbles over her shoulders in waves of midnight silk, each strand catching the light of the conference wing’s golden glow. Her posture is an unspoken manifesto of poise: spine straight as a ballet barre, shoulders soft but unyielding, gaze warm enough to melt the iciest boardroom. Haeun’s laughter resonates like a chime, and Karina responds with a low, musical hum, her fingers tracing idle patterns in Haeun’s curls. You step back, scrubs suddenly heavy on your skin, as though you’ve walked into a painting you were never meant to touch. The distance between you and this effortless grace stretches taut, and you wonder how you—ten years her junior, still mastering knotting sutures and bedside manner—could ever bridge the gap. You feel like a child intruding on a world you can’t touch: awkward in your youth, your intern’s scrubs swallowed by the hush of designer silks and tailored blazers. 

Your cheeks burn when you realize how small you feel here: stripped of your usual confidence, every inch of your skin prickles with self-consciousness. You recall the times you braided Haeun’s hair, the soft “thank you, my wuv” she pressed against your palm, and you ache to belong in that gentle space again. But here, in the orbit of Karina’s radiance, you are merely a shadow, an earnest trainee whose greatest accolade is a passing nod from Dr. Na. While Karina, in the privacy of their past, has lost herself on his cock a million times, a fiery intimacy you ache to claim as your own. You tighten your grip on the edge of your clipboard, fingernails biting into the paper, and force your gaze back to the room. Yet even as you try to anchor yourself, your eyes betray you, drifting back to Karina’s measured smile, the easy way she curls a lock of Haeun’s hair behind her ear, the quiet assurance that you can never duplicate.

It’s not merely Karina’s beauty that stings, it’s her history, her accomplishments writ large in the world Jaemin inhabits. You think of the single-family flats you shared with overwhelmed roommates, long shifts of charting before dawn, the perpetual undercurrent of imposter syndrome that thrums beneath your every success. Karina, by contrast, has carved an empire from thread and vision, her name sewn onto the seats of fashion capitals from Paris to Tokyo. She is the creative force behind runway shows that have shaped decades of style; the philanthropist whose gala soirées have raised millions for pediatric research; the mentor whose apprentices now stand on stage in their own right. And here she is, bending gentle and unguarded over Haeun—an innocent whose life Karina helped to celebrate, whose future she pledged to support long before you ever learned your first surgical knot.

You flush all the way to your fingertips as you recall Hayoung’s hushed confession about Karina and Dr. Na’s secret trysts—how Karina’s satin lips once pressed against his throat in the moonlight, how she gasped his name as his fingers tangled in her platinum-blonde waves. Your pulse hammers when you imagine those heated nights, Karina draped over him like silk, whispering his name between breathless moans. You bite your lip, thighs trembling, picturing yourself in her place—skin slick, lips parted, arching beneath his touch as he buries himself deep inside you. Every polished step in these hospital halls suddenly feels charged with forbidden promise: could those same strong hands guide your body, curl you into whispered ecstasy until you’re nothing but warm, quivering mush in his arms? The thought sends a delicious shiver down your spine, and you press a hand to your chest, breathing unevenly, desperate for even a flicker of that raw, unfiltered passion Karina once claimed as her birthright.

Karina’s presence is almost mythic: hair that falls in glossy waves around a face sculpted by years of confidence, eyes that have both softened at a child’s smile and hardened at the cruelties of fashion backstage. She embodies refinement and resolve—each step a whisper of silk, each laugh a note of genuine warmth. Haeun clings to her as though born knowing Karina’s arms are safe harbors: tiny fingers threading through Karina’s familiarity, curls brushing Karina’s velvet collar. You watch that bond and ache—you’re not certain you could learn the art of such effortless love, not sure you could anchor Haeun’s heart as deeply, as naturally, as one who has guided her through every high-profile gala and quiet bedtime story alike. In that moment, you feel the full weight of your inexperience, the impossibility of matching a grace so honed, so intrinsic. The envy blossoms bitterly in your chest, and you wonder if you will ever find your own place in Haeun’s world beyond the shadow of these legends.

You turn your gaze inward, the harsh white of hospital walls receding as memory and desire entwine into a single, bitter bloom. You recall the early mornings when you and Haeun would share cereal in the NICU hallway, your voice the only anchor to her frightened world. You remember the fear that distilled your every thought when her tiny chest stuttered for breath, and the primal desire to be the guardian of her heart. Yet here, in the glow of polished floors and the gentle murmur of celebrities-turned-family, you feel neither hero nor protector. only an outsider whose worth is measured in clinical competence, not in the kind of love that sees without pretense. The ache in your ribs intensifies, a reminder that motherhood, in its many forms, is not won by credentials or passion alone but by the quiet alchemy of trust, time, and intimacy. You realize that Karina has woven herself into Haeun’s life with every shared story, every whispered promise, every dance lesson sponsored and every stolen cuddle. And you, still learning the rhythms of both scalpels and lullabies, are left yearning for a place in the soft tapestry they have created. You close your eyes for a moment, drawing a shaky breath, and resolve to carve out your own kind of sanctuary, a space in Haeun’s world defined by your devotion, your sleepless nights, your relentless hope that even the most fragile hearts can find new wings.

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[antinousletmehit]

Don't be shy give us the drafts 😈

Telemachus adjusted his drafting table, the low hum of the college studio room filling the air as he meticulously worked on his latest architectural blueprint. He had a midterm project due, and Professor Hephaestus had made it clear that he expected perfection. “Still drawing your little squares and triangles, Telemachus?” came a familiar, mocking voice from behind.

Telemachus sighed but didn’t look up. “Hello, Antinous.” Antinous, y/n’s older brother, sauntered into the room, his forensic textbooks tucked under his arm. His sharp grin made it clear he was in the mood to antagonize. “You know, while you’re busy doodling, some of us are out here studying real sciences. Forensics, the stuff that actually solves mysteries and makes a difference.”

Telemachus rolled his eyes. “And yet, here you are, interrupting me instead of solving mysteries.”

“Antinous!” Y/n’s voice cut through the room like a knife. She strode in, her physcology notes in hand and an exasperated expression on her face. “Are you seriously bothering Telemachus again?”

Antinous leaned casually against the wall, clearly unfazed. “I’m just trying to inspire the kid. Maybe he’ll switch to a major with some… weight.”

“Being an architect requires more creativity and discipline than you’ll ever understand,” she snapped, planting her hands on her hips. “You can’t just tear people down because you think your major is better. Also, maybe focus on your own work instead of harassing others.”

Telemachus smirked at her lecture but quickly covered it with a cough. “It’s fine, y/n. I’m used to it.”

“No, it’s not fine,” she said, glaring at her brother.

Antinous groaned, dramatically throwing his hands up. “Fine, fine! I’m leaving. Have fun with your rulers and compasses, Telemachus.”

As Antinous strolled out, she sighed and sat next to Telemachus. “Don’t listen to him. He’s just jealous because you’re better at focusing than he is.”

Telemachus chuckled. “I appreciate the backup. I don’t know how you deal with him.”

She shrugged. “He’s my brother. It’s a full-time job keeping him in line. Anyway, need a break? I brought coffee.”

“Please,” Telemachus said, setting his pencil down. “You’re a lifesaver.” And as they sipped their coffee, Antinous’ teasing was quickly forgotten—at least until the next time he decided to crash their study session.

——

In Antinous and Eurymachus’ shared dorm, the atmosphere was a mix of chaos and disarray. Girl’s panties were strewn across the floor, empty takeout containers balanced precariously on the edge of the desk, and the faint smell of cologne hung in the air. Eurymachus was sprawled on his bed, scrolling through his phone, clearly uninterested in the pile of ELA assignments stacked on his desk. Antinous paced the room like a caged lion, his arms flailing as he launched into yet another rant.

“I’m telling you, Eurymachus,” Antinous started, his voice sharp with frustration, “y/n is way too young to be hanging out with guys like Telemachus. She’s barely even out of high school, and now she thinks she can just… what? Be friends with him like it’s nothing?”

Eurymachus didn’t even look up from his phone. “Dude, she’s in college. Same as you. She’s not a kid.”

“She is a kid,” Antinous snapped, pointing an accusatory finger in the air. “She’s my baby sister. She has no idea how guys think, how manipulative they can be. And Telemachus? Don’t even get me started. He’s got that whole quiet, ‘I’m-so-serious’ vibe going on. It’s suspicious!”

Eurymachus finally glanced up, smirking lazily. “Suspicious? Or are you just jealous she’s spending more time with him than with you?”

Antinous froze mid pace, glaring at Eurymachus. “Jealous? Of Telemachus? Don’t be ridiculous. I just think she’s too naïve to see through people’s motives. She doesn’t need to be wasting her time on some guy who spends all day drawing buildings.”

Eurymachus shrugged, clearly unimpressed. “Look, man, you can’t micromanage her life forever. She’s not a kid anymore, and she’s gonna make her own choices. If Telemachus is the guy she wants to hang out with, what’s the big deal?”

Antinous groaned, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “The big deal is that she doesn’t know what she’s doing. And don’t act like you’d be fine if your sister was hanging out with some random guy.”

Eurymachus chuckled, setting his phone down. “Good thing I don’t have a sister, then. But if I did? I’d probably trust her to figure it out on her own. You’re just being overprotective, man. Let her live a little.”

Antinous shook his head, still unconvinced. “You don’t get it. She’s y/n. She’s too young, too trusting. And Telemachus is probably just pretending to be nice so he can—”

“Can what?” Eurymachus interrupted, raising an eyebrow. “Ask her out? Fall in love? God forbid, right? What’s the worst that could happen, Antinous? She’s not some helpless little kid anymore.” Antinous scowled but didn’t respond. Instead, he resumed his pacing, muttering under his breath about “reckless friendships” and “guys who think they’re smarter than they are.”

Eurymachus, clearly amused by the entire situation, grabbed his phone again and settled back into his bed. “You’re gonna give yourself a heart attack, man. Just let it go. Who knows? Maybe Telemachus isn’t as bad as you think.”

“Unlikely,” Antinous muttered, though his pacing slowed slightly. Still, the thought of his baby sister being anywhere near Telemachus—or any guy—left him bristling with frustration.

[squeakadeeks]

Much like for the other OCverses, heres my stockpile of Delta stuff + the full lore. I dont draw it as much and only settled on its style very recently but well. here you go.

this is an outdated design lineup but it conveys the general vibe, in order its Rhea, Rem, Pierrot, and Raken.

Raken is the ""boss"" as the nightmare lord, something akin to a librarian of nightmares (creating, cataloging, and dispatching nightmares.) he took on Rem as his acolyte first and the two have been working together for thousands of years, Pierrot defected from the dream kingdom more recently (hundreds of years ago) after learning of the dream queen's plans, and Rhea is a very very new addition (few months).

the main conflict is the dreaming kingdom, the main regency that creates and dispatches dreams, going awol and trying to protect people from the waking world by trapping them in neverending, perfect dreams. Raken and Rem get that this is Not Great and are working to stop them and save people.

Rhea and Rem are the main protagonists, both are talented lucid dreamers that are able to manipulate the environment and reality around them.

Rem is wicked smart and extremely competent. Rem is the sort of head hech between the three henchmen. At first hes this charming, upbeat organized friend trying to preserve their morale during their fundamentally morally complex and messy task of giving people nightmares to wake them up. He’s someone Rhea and Pierrot turn to for advice, and he calls the shots outside of Raken.

Oh also he doesnt have eyes because he voluntarily gave them up as a display of loyalty to Raken, of which Raken did not ask for and was deeply disturbed by but whats done is done.

Rhea is sociable and charismatic.  Shes optimistic and has an intense, perfectionistic ambitious drive. She doesnt just want to solve the problem, she wants to solve it the best its ever been done with triumphant applause. She works very hard to find a “perfect” resolution that convinces the dream queen to stop, addresses the harshness of the waking world, and doesn’t involve giving people a worse alternative in the form of horrific nightmares every night, as unrealistic as that outcome is. Rhea is very skilled with dreaming magic largely from natural talent and unusual creative angles to problems. she also thrives with the cutie patootie offensive, charming people instead of having to fight them.

Rhea and Rem are these top of the line prodigies, and Pierrot is just......sort of there. He’s not especially talented in any one category, nor is he immediately deft from a social perspective. Pierrot is sort of a loser ngl, hes nowhere nears as talented, skilled, smart, or capable as the others, he just wants to do the right thing and for his life to be easier but hes constantly stuck in situations that are over his head, perpetually struggling. He has a good heart and strong moral compass and is actually able to see problems far more clearly than Rhea, who gets tunnel vision around perfectionism, and Rem, who gets swayed by his emotions very easily.

For the first half of the story, the three henchmen are best friends, but after Rhea defects to do her own thing and Pierrot goes with her, Rem snaps and they go from "besties squad" to squaring up on sight. Rem takes them leaving as directly personal, a "youre bad and I hate you" instead of "hey i dont want to give people nightmares anymore". if you watched the she-ra reboot, its a lot like how catra processes things.

after they leave he goes full sicko mode and starts creating nightmares for a less noble cause, from "i have to do this for the greater good" to "fuck you 10,000 years spider mouth hatman torture nexus blast" and is obsessively fixated on Rhea and Pierrot. Through unfortunate events he inherits the title of nightmare lord and things Do Not Go Well once he takes the mantle. (because Rem used to be a real person but Raken is a pure dream denizen, at one point during a fight Rem says "I wish you didnt exist" and since Rem is objectively real but Raken only exists in the dream concious space....he accidentally deletes his dad and finding out him and rhea can do that freaks him the fuck out even further)

while the dream kingdom is getting more desperate in their attempts to "save people" and Rem is going completely off his rocker in the corner, poor Rhea ends up being the only and only person trying to pull everything back together.

I have a few alternative endings about what happens as the resolution depending on how mean i want to be, but most of them involve Rhea finding some hodgepodge solution and waking up again, Rem finally chilling the fuck out and becoming a more stable nightmare lord.

At some point I keep meaning to draw the foil trio in the dreaming kingdom, Lélio (Rem's foil who has everything he wants), Isabella (Rhea's foil because if you think im not also going to write an insane wlw situationship you are wrong) and the sandman as Pierrot's foil. Also the dream queen and more tangibly what the two kingdoms look like between dreams and nightmares but ideas are many and energy is little.

[finishinglinepress]

FLP BOOK OF THE DAY: Filing Order by John Delaney

On SALE: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/filing-order-by-john-delaney/

Though only a few of these #poems are standard sonnets, John has been intrigued to experiment within their fourteen lines, sometimes with rhyme and a variety of structures, while still maintaining their strong (to him) argumentative, metaphorical nature. Read each “Poem as Map.” From “Newborn” to “Cremation,” from crossing the “Continental Divide” to straddling the hemispheres “At the Equator,” from “When I Grow Up (Since You Asked)” to “Riding an E-Bike at Seventy,” the poems in Filing Order cover the spectrum of #time and #place. They acknowledge we all have “Breaking Points” and “So Much Sadness/Sorrow Coming.” They recommend reading a “Selected Bibliography” and taking in “Scenic Views.” The poet asks “Let Me Tell You What I Think.” Say yes, okay. Listen “To the End”: “And that is how I spent my life with you. / The years were fledgling songbirds; then they flew.”

After retiring as curator of historic maps at Princeton University Library, John moved out to Port Townsend, WA, and has traveled widely, preferring remote, natural settings. Since that transition, he’s published Waypoints (2017), a collection of place poems, Twenty Questions (2019), a chapbook, Delicate Arch (2022), poems and photographs of national parks and monuments, and Galápagos (2023), a collaborative chapbook of his son Andrew’s photographs and his poems. Nile, a chapbook of poems and photographs about Egypt, appeared in 2024.

PRAISE FOR Filing Order by John Delaney:

John Delaney knows how to organise a poem around an idea and develop it structurally within the small compass of a sonnet’s 14 lines. Not many poets today seem to be able to do that. Once you open this book, his poems of memory and family, time, loss and hope, will surely draw you in as they drew me in, and you will go on reading.

–John Fuller, English poet, Oxford professor, author of The Sonnet, editor of The Oxford Book of Sonnets

John Delaney is talking to you. You should listen. In Filing Order you’ll see the world through the eyes of animals, a penguin family, several dogs, absent parents (and their vacation slides.) These all-short poems are the perfect size if you’re out of time (or simply impatient). There’s nothing longer than a page (with the exception of the multi-part Newborn – but you have to give babies some leeway). But don’t let their brevity distract you. Each has a weight to it. John could teach a master class in how to end a poem to leave the reader wondering if they’re still breathing. It’s all in here… life changes, death, divorce, downsizing. There’s a personal nostalgia that lands squarely in our universal experience. Read these poems before time slaughters you too. Filing Order is the evidence that John Delaney was here. It’s irrefutable.

–Rick Lupert, poet, author of It’s Spritz O’Clock Somewhere, and God Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion, proprietor of PoetrySuperHighway.com

Please share/please repost #flpauthor #preorder #AwesomeCoverArt #poetrybook #read #poems #time #place #life #nature #family #loss #hope

[arthistorywithelys]

Shape Composition (2/2): Order

I'm not sure if anyone else has done this before, but I didn't see anything similar in the student examples. I will simply assume it hasn't been done, despite its visual simplicity.

In the interest of brevity, the top of this post will contain only the information necessary for grading. Should you be interested in seeing it, I have elected to include more in-depth documentation of the process below the cut.

I began by drawing my 8x10 space, covering the edges in masking tape, and covered the remaining space in titanium white. I then took a 4x4 square painted in mars black and cut it into triangles, pasting each triangle in a square formation, as seen above.

Now, this piece took me an abnormal amount of time. I know cut and paste assignments are supposed to be quick and uncomplicated. Unfortunately, when I began to plan the composition as I always do, the idea grew legs of its own and I had no choice but to follow it.

Here is the original concept, drawn hastily in my sketchbook to use as a reference later on. You will notice that the size of the area I drew is proportional to the 8x10 rectangle.

This is the skeleton of the project. It's also the mouth of the rabbithole I fell down while I was coming up with ideas.

The piece is meant to be viewed in tandem with another assignment for this class, as they are thematically linked. This one in particular is inspired by the geometric concept of flipping a regular polygon along an axis over and over again. The axis, in this case, being one side of each square. Visual guide below.

* The lines in red are the axes. The other colors are there to show where each square was cut from.

As I was developing this idea, I noticed something interesting. If you were to draw a point that bisects every individual axis, you end up with a fibonacci spiral.

This took me a long time because a project of this nature requires a level of precision that is just not humanly possible. Even being as meticulous about it as I could, the squares still aren't perfect. I also had to adjust the placement of the triangles so that they wouldn't go off the page, resulting in a more extreme curve in some places. (I chalked it up to the fact that it's in a 3:4 aspect ratio, which a fibonacci spiral isn't exactly suited to fit in.)

I think if I were creating this digitally, or at least with different tools at my disposal (i.e. laser cutter, projector, 9:16 frame, more comprehensive understanding of trigonometry, etc.) then I'd be able to create something that is more in line with what I was aiming for— technical perfectionism. The closest I could get without spending hours on calculations that would make Pythagoras cry was with the following method:

I took a ruler, compass, protractor, pencil, and an exacto knife.

I measured the side of the square, and placed the point of my compass along one vertex, swinging it to create a quarter-circle that touches both adjacent vertices.

I repeated this process on each vertex.

I then found the points where two of my curved lines met, and drew a point.

Taking two points parallel to each other and using a ruler as a straight edge, I drew two lines that are perpendicular to the edges of each square.

The points where each line bisects the edges of the square create the diagonals along which I'd be cutting.

** This is a separate square of paper, made strictly for demonstration.

The dots in blue are the corners where I placed the compass. The yellow dots are the points where I laid my straight edge to create the perpendicular lines, and the red lines are where I would cut with my exacto knife.

You may have noted that I stopped at 7 squares when I seemingly could have kept going. Unfortunately, as the pieces I was working with got smaller and smaller, so did comfortable room for error. In theory, the pattern is a fractal, and can extend off into infinity despite being derived from a finite area. I wouldn't know how to recreate that without breaking several laws of physics, though.

[greatparadisestrawberry]

You will have to play the grown up role today and keep things more serious.

Imagine life as an intricate tapestry, a weave of fine threads that form the beautiful picture of your daily existence. As you enter this day, you step into a scene reminiscent of a vibrant marketplace - full of energy, color, and at times overwhelming cacophony. The air is thick with the scents and sounds of life's bazaar: merchants calling out their wares, the hustle and bustle of myriad souls each pursuing their quests. In such an environment, it's not unusual to encounter pockets where drama unfolds like street performers commanding attention with daring feats.

Alarm bells may ring in these moments-striking chords akin to clanging cymbals amidst the orchestra of your day-and while they might startle or tempt you towards distraction, remember that these are but fleeting performances on your journey through the market square. Keep yourself attuned to your inner compass; let its steady hum be your guide through this sensory carnival. Eyes downcast upon the cobblestones beneath your feet symbolize focus; stride forward with purposeful steps as if navigating by starlight on a clear night.

General:

In this bustling theatre set before you, maintain distance from conflicts that resemble fire-eaters drawing crowds yet singeing those who stand too close. Your giving nature glimmers brightly like polished brass in sunlight-a beacon for moths masquerading as butterflies-but resist flitting toward every flare-up in need. Trust that by tending to your own merchandise-to use our metaphor-you fortify not just yourself but also provide calm assurance to others around you.

Health:

Your body is akin to precious silk-resilient yet requiring gentle care. Amidst today's commotion, prioritize self-care rituals as one would handle delicate fabrics: attentively and without haste. Nourish yourself with wholesome sustenance; consider meals as thoughtfully selected spices which enhance rather than overpowering natural flavors.

Seek movement like a weaver rhythmically pushing his loom shuttle back and forth-not hurriedly or aggressively-to create muscle harmony rather than tension within the threads.

Rest must come naturally too; view sleep as embroidery done carefully over time-a process never rushed lest stitches become knotted or uneven.

Love:

The romantic avenues today hold promise much like secluded side-streets off the main thoroughfare offer respite from clamor-as well as opportunities for serendipitous encounters.

If partnered already think about how shared laughter can serve as wind-chimes tinkling harmoniously on breezy days-focus on creating joyful symphonies together amongst any dissonance outside.

For those seeking companionship tread softly along love's mosaic pathways allowing curiosity rather than urgency guide explorations-it is often in quiet corners where unexpected treasures lie undiscovered waiting only for patient seekers.

Work:

Consider work tasks today as assembling robust pottery-one doesn't simply slap clay onto wheel expect masterpieces emerge instantaneously instead methodical shaping under attentive hands leads creation durable beauty.

Approach professional challenges calmly decisively remembering haste makes waste steadiness breeds quality when setting pieces kiln patience ensures they're fired perfection withstand tests time usage alike energize projects thoughtful innovation tempering passion practicality forge enduring legacies field expertise

As dusk settles upon market closing stands packing away wares reflect accomplishments knowing tomorrow offers new canvas paint fresh experiences until then savor satisfaction well-spent secure knowledge preserved integrity avoided unnecessary dramas still extended compassion far-reaching ripple effects beyond immediate sight

[educationalinstrument1]

Math Lab Equipments Manufacturers, Suppliers and Exporters in India 

Math Lab Equipment List:

Geo Board-Square (Wooden):

Handcrafted Geo Board-Square made from premium quality wood.

Ideal for geometry enthusiasts, educators, and students.

Enhance spatial awareness and geometric understanding.

Durable and eco-friendly construction ensures long-lasting use.

Perfect for classroom activities, homeschooling, or recreational learning.

How to use: Place rubber bands around the pegs to create various shapes and patterns. Use it to explore concepts like area, perimeter, and symmetry. It is great for teaching about polygons and tessellations.

Where: suitable for classrooms, homeschooling environments, educational centers, and recreational spaces. 

2. Geo Board-Circle (Wooden):

Crafted from high-quality wood, the Geo Board-Circle offers a unique approach to geometry learning.

Explore the properties of circles, angles, and arcs in a tactile and engaging way.

Versatile tool suitable for students, teachers, and math enthusiasts.

Encourages hands-on exploration and problem-solving skills.

Smooth surfaces and sturdy construction ensure durability and safety.

How to use: Stretch rubber bands around the pegs to create circles, sectors, and other circular shapes. Use it to understand concepts like circumference, radius, and central angles.

Where: Ideal for classrooms, homeschooling settings, tutoring centers, and STEM workshop

3. Geometry Box (Plastic):

A comprehensive geometry set is housed in a durable plastic box.

Includes essential tools such as rulers, protractors, compasses, and more.

Perfect for students, architects, engineers, and drafters.

Portable and lightweight design for convenient use on-the-go.

Ensures precision and accuracy in geometric drawings and measurements.

How to use: Utilize the tools provided to measure angles, draw shapes, and solve geometric problems. Ideal for geometry assignments, technical drawings, and architectural designs.

Where: Suitable for classrooms, drafting studios, engineering offices, and fieldwork. 

4. Conic Section (Wooden):

Handcrafted Conic section model made from durable wood materials.

Illustrates the properties and equations of conic sections with precision.

Ideal visual aid for students studying advanced geometry or calculus.

Enhances understanding of parabolas, ellipses, and hyperbolas.

sturdy base provides stability for display and demonstration purposes.

How to use: Use the model to visualize the different types of conic sections and their respective equations. Great for classroom demonstrations, tutoring sessions, and self-study.

Where: Recommended for advanced math classrooms, college mathematics departments, and tutoring centers. 

5. Transparent Geometrical Shapes:

Set of transparent geometrical shapes for hands-on learning and exploration.

Made from high-quality acrylic material for clarity and durability.

Allows students to see through the shapes for better visualization of concepts.

Includes various shapes such as triangles, rectangles, pentagons, and more.

Enhances spatial reasoning and geometric understanding in learners of all ages.

How to use: Arrange the transparent shapes to explore concepts like congruence, similarity, and transformations. Perfect for overlaying on graphs or other visual aids to illustrate geometric principles.

Where: Suitable for classrooms, STEM labs, Montessori schools, and educational toy stores. 

6. Cylinder cut in parts (wooden):

The wooden cylinder model was cut into sections for educational purposes.

Allows students to examine the cross-sections of a cylinder in detail.

Made from solid wood for durability and longevity.

Enhances understanding of volume, surface area, and geometric properties.

Provides a tactile and visual aid for geometry lessons and demonstrations.

How to use: Arrange the cylinder sections to understand how different cross-sections affect the shape and properties of the cylinder. It is useful for teaching about circles, cylinders, and 3D geometry.

Where: Recommended for math classrooms, STEM workshops, homeschooling environments, and educational supply stores. 

[mathsciencetuition]

Practical Applications of Angles in Everyday Life

Angles are all around us, and though you might not notice them at first glance, they play a pivotal role in our daily lives. Whether you're navigating the streets, building a house, or simply enjoying a sunset, angles are there, silently shaping the world we live in. In this delightful journey, we're going to explore the intriguing world of angles, shedding light on their various types and revealing how a solid foundation in maths tuition can help us uncover their hidden presence in the real world.

What is an Angle?

Before we embark on our journey to explore angles in real life, let's grasp the fundamental concept of what an angle is. An angle is the geometric figure formed when two rays, or line segments, meet at a common endpoint called the vertex. Angles are typically measured in degrees and can range from 0° (a flat line) to 360° (a full circle).

Types of Angles:

Angles come in various flavours, each with its unique characteristics and applications. Let's take a look at some of the most common types:

Acute Angle:

An acute angle is one that measures less than 90 degrees. Think of it as a slim slice of pizza or the hands on a clock when it's still morning.

Acute Angle in Real Life:

·         The roof of a house is often designed with acute angles to ensure efficient rainwater runoff.

·         Scissors have blades that form acute angles to enable precise cutting.

·         The slice of pizza you're about to devour, forming an acute angle at its tip.

·         The corners of a folded book page, ensuring you pick up where you left off.

Obtuse Angle:

In contrast, an obtuse angle measures more than 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees. It's like the obtuse cousin of the acute angle, a bit more open.

Obtuse Angle in Real Life:

·         The angle formed between the seat and supporting chains on a swing is an obtuse angle, helping distribute weight and maintain balance.

·         Bridge supports often create obtuse angles to provide stability and evenly distribute the load.

·         The bend in your elbow when you're savouring your morning cereal.

·         The wide V-shape of a pair of open scissors, facilitating cutting with precision.

Right Angle:

A right angle is a perfectly square angle that measures precisely 90 degrees. It's as sharp as it gets!

Right Angle in Real Life:

·         The corners of picture frames, where art meets geometry in perfect harmony.

·         The edges of a book, reminding you where to open it and continue your reading journey.

·         The corners of a room where walls meet the floor and ceiling, defining the structure of your living space.

Straight Angle:

Imagine a line that extends infinitely in both directions – the angle it forms with itself is a straight angle, measuring a flat 180 degrees.

Straight Angle in Real Life:

·         The intersection of two roads on your way to work, ensuring smooth traffic flow.

·         The fold in a ruler, providing a straight edge for drawing and measuring.

·         The separation between opposite sides of a river or bridge, allowing for passage.

Reflex Angle:

Now, step beyond 180 degrees, and you have a reflex angle – an angle that's wider than a straight angle but smaller than a full circle.

Reflex Angle in Real Life:

·         When using a compass to draw a wide circle, the opening of the compass creates a reflex angle.

·         Bay windows in architecture often feature panes that form convex shapes, showcasing reflex angles.

·         The minute hand on a clock as it sweeps past the 12 o'clock mark, measuring time with precision.

Complete Angle:

A complete angle, as the name suggests, covers an entire circle, measuring a full 360 degrees. It's like a dance move that goes all the way around.

Complete Angle in Real Life:

·         Ferris wheels, such as those found in amusement parks, create complete angles in the space inside the wheel as passengers rotate.

·         Some car wheels have circular rims with spokes that form complete angles, contributing to the wheel's design and function.

·         The compass needle pointing north, guiding adventurers and explorers.

·         The hands of a clock completing their daily journey, marking the passage of time with elegance.

Uses of Angles in Daily Life:

Now that we've unveiled the diverse world of angles, it's time to understand their practical significance in our daily routines.

·         Navigation: Angles are critical in navigation, whether you're using a compass to find your way through the wilderness or reading a map to plan your road trip.

·         Architecture: Architects and builders rely heavily on angles to ensure the structural integrity and aesthetics of buildings. Right angles are particularly crucial for maintaining square corners and walls.

·         Sports: From the launch angle of a golf ball to the trajectory of a basketball shot, angles play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of various sports.

·         Art and Design: Artists and designers use angles to create visually appealing compositions. Whether it's the angle of brush strokes or the positioning of elements in a graphic design, angles add depth and interest.

·         Engineering: Engineers use angles to calculate stress, strain, and load distribution in structures, machinery, and bridges. Understanding angles is vital for ensuring the safety and efficiency of these systems.

·         Photography: Photographers often manipulate angles to capture the perfect shot. The angle at which light falls on a subject can dramatically change the mood and impact of a photograph.

Before we wrap up our exploration of angles in the real world, let's consider how crucial they are in an educational setting. Many students grapple with geometry, struggling to grasp the significance of angles and their applications. This is where dedicated institutions like Miracle Learning Centre, a renowned Maths tuition centre, come into play.

With expert guidance and innovative teaching methods, Maths tuition becomes more than just numbers and formulas; it becomes a doorway to understanding the world around us. These centres transform angles from abstract concepts into tangible tools that students can use to unravel the mysteries of science, architecture, and technology.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, while angles might appear as abstract mathematical concepts, they hold a vital place in our everyday experiences. From the acute angles of pizza slices to the complete angles of compass needles, these geometric elements intricately shape our world. If you're keen on exploring angles further and improving your understanding, think about enrolling in math tuition.

Miracle Learning Centre, for instance, provides valuable resources and expertise to help you excel in angles and mathematics. For more information on angles and the educational opportunities they offer, check out their website today. It's your gateway to unraveling the mysteries of angles and expanding your mathematical knowledge.

[drawingtutorialforkids]

How to Draw Perfect Circle & Square in One Try

How to draw perfect Circle & Square in one try & how to draw a perfect square with a compass. como desenhar um quadradohow to draw perfect Square how to draw a perfect square in one try how to draw perfect Circle how to draw a Circle how to draw perfect Circle in one try how to draw a perfect square, বৃত্ত আঁকার নিয়ম ও চতুর্ভুজ আঁকার নিয়ম   ★.★ ✔Subscribe ✔Like ✔Share ✔Comment ★.★ SUBSCRIBE: https://www.tinyurl.com/FarinKhanArt

[christopher5418183]

Week 1 Studio Tutorial

This week we learnt how to use a range of drawing instruments to create different shapes and patterns on our page. Part 1 of the exercise included drawing two different figures. I initially was going to draw the first figure by trying to calculating where all the points the star would touch the circle but then i realised that there were no need for calculation since i had the top and bottom point of the circle and could use the set square with the 30 and 60 degree angles to create the equilateral triangles. Taping my page down on the page and using a combination of the t square and set square, I was able to easily and accurately create the required.

The second figure was slightly trickier but was not too hard since I had now gotten used to how I should use my instruments. I first drew the circles, including the circles required for the rounded objects using a compass, and the smaller circles using the circle template. By using the set square with 45 degrees I could create a cross in the centre and then offset it to the required length on each side connecting the two inner circles. After creating the shapes inside the circle, I could then round the edges using the circle template and complete the pattern. One thing I could have done better on my second figure was the outer circle. I pressed to hard into the centre create a large hole and slightly offset my circle which can be seen on the right of the circle.

Part 2 required creating a shape using the different instruments but also cutting the same shape out 4 times. The triangles in the shape required helped me picture how I could draw my shape. I also knew that I didn't need to draw all the triangles to create the shape. By creating an equilateral triangle with sides of 120mm, I could easily measure the base of the triangle and create a 60 degree angle using the set square on both ends of the bottom of the triangle. after creating the bottoms I could then use the 60 on the set square again to create a line from the bottom right point of the shape to the top left of the triangle. I was then able to cut out the shape using a metal ruler and knife and create 4 even shapes. All the shapes were quite close but not perfect. After I created the first shape, I should have drawn the following shapes and then checked them using the shape I had. I should have also cut on the outside of the line slightly so that I could slowly remove material and constantly check them using my first piece.

[foreverlogical]

American organized religion is facing a downward spiral crisis of its own creation. The latest effort by conservative Catholic bishops to use abortion as a cudgel to deny President Biden communion is a perfect example of this self-sabotage:

The Roman Catholic bishops of the United States, flouting a warning from the Vatican, have overwhelmingly voted to draft guidance on the sacrament of the Eucharist, advancing a push by conservative bishops to deny President Biden communion because of his support of abortion rights.

The decision, made public on Friday afternoon, is aimed at the nation’s second Catholic president, perhaps the most religiously observant commander in chief since Jimmy Carter, and exposes bitter divisions in American Catholicism. It capped three days of contentious debate at a virtual June meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The measure was approved by a vote of 73 percent in favor and 24 percent opposed.

It’s honestly astonishing. President Biden is devout Catholic who attends church with uncommon regularity. He wears his faith on his sleeve and uses it to guide his moral decisions. He has suffered personal tragedies that would break many people, and somehow maintained an almost maddening optimism about America, his fellow human beings (even his Republican opponents) and the Divine itself. A religious organization suffering dramatic declines that was serious about maintaining its influence on this earth should be elated to have such a person as arguably the most powerful person in the world.

But not the leadership of the Roman Catholic bishops, which stands well to the political right of the laity. They aligned themselves strongly with Donald Trump, one of the most personally reprobate men imaginable, an inveterate avoider of church with a personality so far from that of the textual Jesus Christ that conservative Christians had to rationalize their support for him as an “imperfect vessel” or a modern-day Cyrus—the unbeliever who nonetheless helped the faithful. It would be difficult to imagine a more cruel, mean-spirited, narcissistic and vainglorious person than Trump, a more perfect icon of the seven deadly sins.

They took no action to attempt to deny communion to Trump despite his offensive personality and his heresies on nearly every point of Christian doctrine in the New Testament–including, notably, the death penalty. But they’ve decided to draw the line against Biden on abortion, an issue that famously does not actually appear in the Bible and requires tortured textual interpretations to justify doctrinal enforcement. This despite the fact that Catholics split their votes for Biden and Trump almost evenly.

The decision by the bishops to take greater offense to a fellow Catholic over abortion than, say, the abuse of migrant children or the the state murder of prisoners by a grinning philanderer illustrates their real motivations. The bishops are not acting in the interest of their faith or their flock; they’re acting as agents of the warped moral morass that is American Conservatism, Inc. They are prioritizing control of women’s bodies over every other spiritual or secular importance. In so doing, they are rapidly alienating at least half of what remains of the American church’s adherents.

Relatedly, protestant pastors are struggling to control the growth of QAnon conspiracies in their congregations. The QAnon cult is partly just the latest gloss on Satanic panic and Great Awakening movements in the past. But it is also a form of apostasy, a bizarre heretical substitution of Donald Trump for the avenging Jesus of the Book of Revelation, come to punish the wicked in a fallen world, vindicate the ostracized true believers, and usher in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.  In the case of the Q faithful, the flaming sword of Jesus wreaking havoc against the devotees of the Antichrist has been replaced with the mass executions of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and fellow liberals at Gitmo by secret military tribunals.

Much like the conservative Catholic bishops, QAnon adherents substitute their profane racial and sexual insecurities and temporal partisan allegiances for authentic spiritual connection and compassion. But the pastors of America’s white evangelical churches largely have only themselves the blame: they have allowed their culture to become dominated by the hard right with little pushback. White evangelical America is now a very distinct subculture on social and economic issues from most of the rest of America, including even other Americans of faith. It was only a matter of time before lashing their beliefs to the altar of partisan culture wars would end up with the sacrifice of their faith itself to the golden idol of Donald Trump.

It is no surprise, then, that an increasingly progressive America has recoiled in horror, fleeing churches and abandoning the religious organizations that have set themselves squarely at war with multicultural democracy.

Religion could find a footing even in a socially liberal world where science and technology have supplanted so much of what was previously the mystery of the divine. Young generations beset by existential environmental and economic crises in the face of an intransigent political system have little secular grounding for hope in the future. Faith could provide some irrational courage in the face of despair, much as it has done for President Biden.

But that would require religious leaders to abandon the American revanchist conservative project. For the time being, however, it appears they would prefer to take a Hail Mary pass at an authoritarian theocracy to gain the world even if it means losing their soul—and their faithful—in the bargain.

If you enjoyed this article, consider making a donation to help us produce more like it. The Washington Monthly was founded in 1969 to tell the stories of how government really works —and how to make it work better. More than fifty years later, the need for incisive analysis and new, progressive policy ideas is clearer than ever. As a nonprofit, we rely on support from readers like you.

YES, I'LL MAKE A DONATION

[boxboysandotherwhump]

Alice arrives at the safe-house.

This Chapter surely was a challenge, but I really like how the ending turned out. :3

@whumptywhumpdump @ashintheairlikesnow @whumpfigure @yet-another-heathen

CW: wuhmpee threatens another whumpee, Harvey tries though he really does, fucky head space of whumpee, past dehumanization

The first rays of dawn break through gray autumn clouds as Nathan‘s car pulls into the driveway of Lee Yang‘s old two story farmhouse.

Alice watches the clouds, their belly‘s, dark rumbling cotton puffs, carrying a storm to come. His nose presses against the cold backseat window. Five snores next to him. The car‘s radio turns of with a quiet beep and Nathan flashes a bright smile over his shoulder.

„Finally there. Ya ready t‘ meet Lee?“

Yes‘sir.“ Alice shoots back and suppresses a yawn. How Nathan is nearly vibrating with excitement after he drove the entire night, car flying over highways and rocky side streets, was beyond even Alice.

„Great. Than grab ya bag and off we go.“

Golden light illuminates the window next to the red front door and casts a golden square on the porch, the first step of the stairs going down to the muddy path that leads up to the house. The old sneakers Alice had gotten from the nice nurse squelsh with every step he takes. Trailing Nathan with the respectful distance of one and a half steps. Alice could keep the perfect distance blindfolded. Had to in training often enough. The phantom pain of his shock collar tingles over his neck and sends a shiver down his spine.

Nathan rings the doorbell. Blue eyes sparkling as the door opens seconds later. „Lee ma man, so good t see ya!“

Alice leans to the side, snatching a glimpse of a smile all white shining teeth in a face with high cheekbones and thick eyebrows, before the two man crush each other in a tight hug.

„It has been a while.“ Lee agrees. Both man hold on another second before finally letting go of each other and round dark eyes spot Alice. Lee smiles. „It is so nice to finally meet you Alice. My name is Lee.“

„The pleasure‘s all mine.“ Alice grins back. A small yawn escapes him and Lee‘s smile widens. Nose wrinkling.

„Should we go inside? I only just started the coffee machine.“ Lee grins at his friend but Nathan shakes his head.

„Na man, I‘m gonna hit the road again. Wanna be back at my house before the game starts. Promised Julian to watch it with him.“

Worry nestles in the furrow of Lee‘s brows but he doesn‘t try to stop him. Only cautions Nathan to drive safely before he ushers Alice and five into the house.

It is warm in the foyer. Lee stands in the hallway, illuminated by soft nightlights. There are even tiny LED‘s, in every step of the staircase leading up to the second floor, Alice notices, relieve washing over him like a warm wave.

That should keep them away, for sure. Fucking breathers are worse than the faceless one.

The soft hum of a coffee machine comes from the end of the hallway. Carries the warm rich scent through the house. It tickles Alice nose, enticing with every inhale.

Still, he hopes he isn‘t expected to drink it and stay awake any longer. His head started to pound an hour ago and he wouldn‘t survive one more without sleep. Five yawns next to him, dead on his feet.  

„It seems it is only the two of us for now, hm?“ Lee muses.

„Yeah.“ Alice breaths, while five mutters a silent, „rude,“ under his breath.

„How about I get you some fresh clothes from the laundry room.“ Lee gestures. „And show you your room after, so you can get some rest?“

„The idea sounds splendid Sir.“

Pressing cold fingertips to his temples Alice watches Lee disappear through the last door on the left. Sighing at the small reprieve of soothing touch. Even if its just his own.

A quiet treacherous part of him longs for his master. Yearns for the warm big hands that had held him through the very pain they had inflicted. Skilled fingers massaging cooling ointment into burning bruises. Dry lips murmuring praise in his ear.

His freshly fused yaw-bone aches.

„You the new one?“ A voice like grave yard gravel whispers from the end of the stairs and Alice whirls around.

On the last bottom stair stands a young man, half swallowed by shadows. The stair lights lick on pale bare feet. Dip into the divots of scars on his right hand. Light pink lines crossing pale long fingers that twitch faintly. Scarred knuckles crack softly with the movements.

„Yeah. I guess I am.“ Alice grins. Eyes wandering up the mans dark sweatshirt to land on his face. Pale scarred skin, a smatter of freckles smeared across high cheekbones, a nose crooked from being broken to often.

His smile is not returned. The other just stares at him. Unblinking sea glass green eyes drinking Alice in.

„Can I offer a nice Chianti to our livers, Sir?“ five whispers and Alice has to suppress a laugh, eyes growing wide as he snorts, coughs into his fist at the last moment.

The other furrows a sparse red eyebrow. The ghost of an expression, Alice isn‘t quite sure flitted over the other face at all.

„I‘m Alice.“ He tries again. Thrusts his hand forward. „Nice to meet you.“

The other stumbles backwards, up a step, in a motion that looks still oddly gracious. Pale eyes narrow.

„Try to touch me again; I‘ll put your head through the wall.“, he hisses, upper lip wrinkling. Showing a flash of straight white teeth.

A sheepish smile shifts the wound dressings on Alice face, tugs on his skin. He lifts his hands, palms out, placating. „Sorry. Really, I didn‘t mean to make you uncomfortable.“

The smile stretches into a toothy grin and he laughs. „But please wait with that til I‘ve healed up from the first time. Even though it wasn‘t the wall but masters hallway dresser. Massive thing. Antique.“ Alice mouth scrunches into the tiniest scowl. „I guess my blood ruined it though.“ He shakes his head, getting rid of some thought like a dog would of water. „Anyway. You can twist my arm until it hurts, if that‘d make you feel better?“

The other stares at Alice outstretched arm. Back up to his smiling, softly flushed face. Honey brown eyes look at him almost... expectantly?

He shakes his head, the fraction of a motion from left to right, eerily light eyes never leaving Alice face.

„No.“, he rasps. After a small pause. „Thank you?“

„Oh.“, Alice drops his arm. His smile falters. „Okay.“

„Harvey, please.“ Lee strides down the hall, in long measured steps. A bundle of fabric is clutched under his right arm, bicep flexing. A kind seriousness lives in the curve of his mouth. The set of his brows. The soft crinkle around one eye, hint of his half smile. „We did talk about this. It‘s hard to make friends when you threaten every new person you meet with terrible violence.“

„I don‘t do friendship.“ Harvey mumbles and stalks up the stairs as Lee‘s mouth opens, ready to retaliate. Lee stares after his back, almost at the top pf the stairs and sighs softly. He turns back to Alice. The expression on his face softens, gentles like his voice.

„And Alice.“ Lee places a stack of well worn clothes and soft towels into Alice hands. They smell after a laundry detergent with flowers printed on the bottle. Like spring and fresh starts in the middle of an autumn full of endings and withering deaths. „You do not have to pay for mistakes with pain here. Nor for anything else. Okay?“

The muscles of Alice face draw tight, crumbling in confusion. He glances over to five who flashes him an encouraging smile. Five who had always been there and held him through the roughest patches of training. Who had never been trained for pain himself but had helped him in his first sessions of romantic training before his owner had announced he wanted Alice only as a platonic and not-

Of course!  

He tilts his head just so to the side, tries to get it right after so long and smiles up at Lee‘s gentle face. Drinking in those round dark eyes, the soft curve of his  lips. Lips that surely like to kiss as sweetly as the words taste that fell from them. Alice wasn‘t trained for gentle but he could try.

„Yeah sure. I know all the other ways to earn,“ he squeezes the fabric in his hands, „all of this, too.“

Well, all the other ways was a bit of a stretch, maybe, possible, a little, but he would just ask five for a little training‘s refresher and everything would run like clockwork.

Or so Alice thought until Lees face fell.

„No that is- I did not mean mean it like that.“ A broad hand cards through thick black hair. Tousles the short bowl-cut to total disarray. „You do not have to earn anything here. It‘s, uhm, you can see it all as a gift. Yes? No strings attached.“

„Gift?“ Five echos. His beautiful pale face mirrors Alice own disbelieve.  

Honey brown eyes narrow in suspicion. „Why would you just- gift all that to us?“

„U-“ Lee begins, stops himself. „Because you deserve a safe place to breath and heal. Just like our Harvey and all the other rescues. Like every other person.“

„Person huh?“ The towels are soft under Alice fingers as he grips them. Tight. The smile twitching on his lips hurts in a way he can‘t quiet grasp. This pain isn‘t a good pain. „Haven‘t been called that in a while.“

„Well.“ There is a hardness buried deep under all the compassion coloring Lee‘s words. Steel hidden beneath silk. „You should get used to hearing the truth here. But for now, let me show you your room.“ Lee‘s back to business clap echoes through the entryway. Rough palms slap together, while he nods towards the staircase with a smile. „You must be terribly tired after the long journey.“

A yawn breaks free from Alice mouth. Topples the cheeky reply from the tip of his tongue, so for once he falls silent and follows his new keeper up the stairs.

[sanstropfremir]

it's kingdom time for real!!! the first episode is here and mnet finally uploaded the stages from like a month ago so i can actually watch them more than once to review.

happy to see them all actually performing. not the most interesting stages overall, but it was the 100sec one-take so i wasn’t expecting anything crazy. like the performance stages, this is about what i expected at this point in the show.

ranking under the cut, i have Opinions(tm) and they are not all pretty.

(anyone that’s seeing this for the first time, i’m a trained performance designer with over 30 credits and a decade of experience, yes i can talk about this with authority)

a few general notes:

this type of stage that mnet has built is called a traverse, or alley, stage. named exactly for the reason you think. it’s characterized by a narrow playing space with audience on opposite sides, and two entrances on either end. so mnet had a pretty typical setup. there are some advantages to this type of stage:

because of the narrow stage space and usually smaller audience capacity, the performer and audience are in much closer proximity

because of the shape of the space, blocking (choreography but for not-dance) can travel well and be very dynamic

it’s uncommon outside of midsize/small productions so there’s some novelty for the casual theatre goer

however! there are some pitfalls with this type of stage. the hardest type of stage to work with is (theatre) in the round. theatre in the round is characterized by being....in the round. that means the audience is placed 360 degrees around the playing space. which means that they can see everything; every entrance, every exit, every performer’s back, 360 degree sightlines means there is nowhere to hide. and in a medium that relies on concealment to create magic, it’s a tough stage to work with. not saying it doesn’t work. some of the most incredible shows i’ve been to have been theatre in the round, but when you go to those type of shows, as an audience member you understand that there will be some scenes where you only see the actors’ backs. there is no perfect seat in the round. the reverse is true as well, the actors can only act to those in front of them. and like i stated previously, on the production end it becomes difficult to hide things like props/set/costume changes that you might have been able to in another type of theatre. why am i talking about theatre in the round? because traverse works on exactly the same principle. even though the audience is only on two sides, the same issues still arise. directionality is key: a director has to be careful of how exactly the stage gets blocked.

why am i talking about stage formats? because the space always informs the performance, that’s why. i think mnet made a sort of smart choice to build a traverse stage. since the ‘audience’ is a video camera, that eliminates the need to play to the opposing seating banks, and opens up more staging opportunities. it’s a fancy looking stage that does what they need it to. 

now here’s my gripes. if you’re going to specifically orient a stage so that it is by nature directional, why are you broadcasting in a format where direction doesn’t matter? if the camera has no fixed position, then you’ve just skipped directly into in the round staging without taking into account the function of the space. it's a round peg in a square hole; yes it fits, but you can see the spaces where it doesn’t quite match up. for a very obvious example, any shot that is not staring directly down the barrel of the stage from left or right has audience in it. and not enough to be worthy of a reaction shots (because those are just cut in in post), but enough to just be there. why would you do that when you could just.....not? just go properly in the round and then you wouldn’t have that distraction. especially when the audience is wearing white. also, there are only so many ways you can stage on a traverse, you’re pretty much limited to directional points on a compass, because there are literal risers in the way. because of the way most groups are choreographed, the member layouts lean more towards having the members in a line than they do layering the members deep. this configuration is fine on a proscenium stage (which is what most stages are), and would even be fine on a traverse stage if you were playing to the risers. you could even do some interesting choreo alterations. but! because mnet has decided that the camera is perpendicular to the risers, that means that most of the formations are not optimized for the stage dimensions and are in fact the opposite dimensions. most of these groups are doing their longest blocking across the shortest area of stage, which is dumb. although it isn't much of a problem because the stage is still very large, but it's still a bizarre choice on behalf of mnet. why would you not arrange the stage so you have more clearance for the camera, the audience, and also the performers? i would have to check back over the rtk performances, but im pretty sure at one point they switch to an in the round stage. why are you not doing that from the start? this would also allow for more built setpieces. although it does remain to be seen if they do switch after this episode, since this particular challenge was a one-take with minimal props/set pieces. which segues to my next point: these groups barely took up the parameters of the challenge, or utilized them effectively! this is also mnet’s fault, mnet if you say that you’re gonna do a one-take, don't cut between seven other cameras!! show us the power of that single point of view! let the groups actually do some interesting blocking with the path of the camera! there’s so many interesting things they could have done, but no!! had to be boring!! i know this is technically an introductory stage, but i also don't care. these groups have (relatively) competent ADs and stylists, they can think outside the box.

ok now here’s my actual rankings:

1. btob

sorry babies, none of you can match them vocally. love you ateez but you sure fucked up picking them to go after you because they blew you out of the fucking water. and everyone else, but ateez cumulatively is the weakest vocally. more on that later. like the performance stage they showcased their strengths and the experience (and training) shows. good use of the directional stage having three vs one that came together in the middle. loved the white suit variations, im especially a sucker for a belted suit jacket. loved peniel's gigantic trench and massive earrings, very mid 90s, his stylist definitely took a lesson in how to accessorize very short hair. always love good use of fog. uniform colour theme, all elements were there to support the vocals. no complaints, chef’s kiss.

2. ikon

hey baby groups? see bobby having fun? do that more. i know you think performance face is sexy and serious but none of you know how to act and you all look dead inside on stage. the lights may be on but nobody’s home. anyways. excellent beginning formation, excellent ending formation, no complicated position changes that make the camera give you motion sickness. fun choreo that they are obviously having fun performing, which goes sooooo far in the success of a performance. only group so far to use silence as an effective device, and the arrangement was interesting and suited to the song+performance. i think it was smart of them not to deploy bobby right away, although it would have been funny to watch after whatever it was that stray kids was trying to do. again, like btob and also sf9, sticking to their strengths. costumes fun and fitting, indicative of both the colour of the group and of the song. nice detail in the monochrome and the black accent details.

3. sf9

taeyang is that bitch and they only way this would have been better is if he had actually grabbed the ties of those two other members (if you think i am going to remember anyone's names other than the people i already know you are wrong). love the confidence to waste a good chunk of your 90 seconds for walking and standing in formation. actual good use of one-take directional camera, even though they ruined it once they started dancing. choreo perfectly fine, lighting good complementary colour scheme, costumes nothing to write home about, surprisingly good projection design? wasn’t expecting that. im not the biggest fan white suit jackets over black shirts but ill give it a pass for the proper suit accessorizing.

4. ateez

i applaud your dedication to the pirate gimmick but boys you don't need that anymore, i promise. hongjoong's lil bloody cough was a fun gag that didn't draw too much attention but fit with the theme. came out of the gate strong with an actual clear narrative, which can be a challenge to do in 100 seconds, and the only group to have a narrative. also actual camera choreo! that was interesting! mnet stop fucking cutting to overhead shots! apparently im destined to always be beefing with the ateez stylists because what was the point of all that? very little variation in texture or pattern on matte all black just made any relevant details disappear. torch gimmick and end formation fun, and the arrangement had an obvious climax. weird and kinda fun projection design, but not helped by concert-style stage lighting. pick one or the other lighting designer, don't make them fight like that! props to them for actually having their mics on the whole time, even though they are probably the weakest group vocally. im also going to be beefing with the choreographer because they are always making seonghwa sing while doing ridiculous moves that make him go offkey. ateez has some of the stronger 4th gen vocals, but they're at a disadvantage because a) none of them have proper vocal training, and b) their main vocal is not actually a skilled singer and is destroying his voice.not a lot of vocals for them to showcase this stage and that was probably for the best. hanya (@changdyke) is in charge of vocals critique and will have more to say about this than me, even though i am also trained. im just here to talk about the production.

5. the boyz

im neutral to positive on tbz because i did really like their danger stage from rtk. this performance is just....fine. I don’t like the arrangement, but that's mostly personal opinion. but it doesn't have a conclusive end and the whole dissonance thing isn't really working for me in this instance. the choreo is quite flippy and tricking is not necessary for an interesting choreo. i did like the throwback/use of modern choreo, i think that's a strong choice for them and it's not something that many other groups are doing, so they should stick more to that than to tricking. the camera choreo is also not good. here’s where the clearance issues and fighting against the stage layout happen! stop making a handheld do a 180! are you trying to make us motion sick? to be fair, this is not the most egregious one, but at least ateez got it right by having a person lead the camera in a particular pattern. also, what even is the theme here? leatherclad boys in the forest? nobody give me any shit saying it's based off one of their music videos or whatever, that shouldn't matter. there should be a clear theme that can be easily identified without prior knowledge of the group, especially when this is an introductory stage and they are a relatively young group. none of the other groups have this issue. that being said, at least the costumes were interesting to look at, although thematically confusing. good use of accessories, texture, and bedazzling to make the black stand out against the stage. the hands in front of the camera were kind of fun but didnt really mean anything? again, back to the lack of clear concept. i did like them reaching out to pull that member forward, it would have been better if they had just left it at that.

6. stray kids

the more i watch this the more i hate it. im not even sorry about it anymore. starters, and i will admit this upfront: i do not like most 4th gen music, so the spiderman meme groups are already operating on a deficit in my point of view. and i particularly did not like this arrangement. same as with tbz, why did it not have a conclusive end? also overuse of sound effects. and stop saying your fucking band name! the only musician that’s allowed to do that is jason derulo and thats because hes a meme now. but twice in 100 seconds? no. and what was the point of that logo/crown reveal? im tired of crown reveals we have seen them so many times by now, we don't need to see it again. was it meant to be that they were carving it into the ground?? very unclear. there was an attempt with camera choreo, and i will admit that the pan up and then back down to the ‘wolf pack’ was probably the strongest moment in the whole performance. the lights were in their mouths, by the way. however, the rest of the choreo is all over the map, quite literally. as with tbz there’s a lot of members in the group and so in order for everyone to get their screen time they break down into smaller groups, which i don't disagree with on principle, but here.........the breakdowns are just tricking, which although eyecatching, does not a very compelling or cohesive choreo make. even the unison choreo is weird, obviously its stylized horror but it just looks awkward and strange. you can make awkward/unattractive choreo work (see taemin’s want, or even move, to some extent)***, but skz doesn't have an ounce of the charisma that taemin has so it just looks awkward. also, that rapid switch between opposite sides of the stage? nausea inducing. ateez was the one with the pirate concept but skz apparently trying to make us seasick. im not gonna say anything about that rap other than it was bad, why was that allowed on stage. the sparkthrower was fun but that's like the 14th gimmick in this 100 second stage and that’s too many gimmicks. costumes are truly nothing to write home about, extremely unclear relation to the theme. if you're gonna be wolves then at least have some fur accents or something. the makeup effects were a bit over the top and not necessary in the actual performance. a hairdresser needs to thin out felix’s hair because he looks like he's wearing one of those lego hair helmets. oh, i did like that one guy’s shirt with the collarbone cutout, but again: how is that relevant to the theme? cmon people!!!! design the whole experience!! im sure there’s more i could write but holy shit this is long and im tired and also i don't want to watch this stage anymore.

ok im done. jesus this is long. again, this is just the intro stage so i suspect that some of my complaints will become null next week, but we’ll have to see! well, what i actually want to see is changmin insulting children but i’m not holding out hope for that to happen. hopefully we see some more spectacle-y stages and i can really go in.

***this is not me saying that taemin has a bad choreo that he’s making the best of. want is purposefully choreographed that way in order to showcase taemin’s ability. same with move. the point of want is that it IS awkward and should not be seductive or appealing and yet it still is. almost like....it’s in the name of the song or something.....

[funknrolll]

Michael Jackson's They Don't Care About Us: The relevancy of the unmatched protest-masterpiece still actual today.

They Don't Care About Us, was perhaps the most monumental and relevant form of audiovisual protest, which force was specifically to draw the attention to social and political issues such as hate, racism, prejudice, police brutality. The form of art is cultivating an ideological allegiance with the greater social plight for minorities. With his art, Michael became the voice of the voiceless, of the oppressed, of the neglected, of the abused. Yes, Michael Jackson was THE voice.

Hi music lovers, today's topic is Michael Jackson's They Don't Care About Us the song and the music video.

It was from September 1994 to March 1995 that Michael recorded and released HIStory, his 5th studio album. The work was one of the artist's most personal artistic outputs, where music turned into a mirror reflecting Michael's deepest sorrows, fears, anger, and frustrations. It was then when Michael let his music speak louder, providing a perfect clap back to all those who questioned and speculated. The album was a double-disc of greatest hits, HIStory Begins, and new material HIStory Continues.

Speaking of They Don't Care About Us, it is the second track on HIStory Continues, following Scream and precedent to Stranger In Moscow. The song is a straightforward response to the ruthless and ubiquitous injustices perpetrated upon him and more in general upon black people by the racist forces of the white cultural hegemony. Extremely compelling is the aura of pure rage and frustration articulated in They Don't Care About Us, both in the record and in the two poignant and groundbreaking music videos (The Prison version and the clip shot in Brazil), released to accompany the track as a single.

Personally, when I began to approach Michael's music, I did not quite understand the real deep meaning and message the song was delivering. However, as I grew up, I developed interest and curiosity regarding the significance of this timeless masterpiece. Particularly the visual interpretation caught my attention. Hence, this article will entail the information I found through my research. The two videoclips released, were, and still are, wildly exhaustive pieces of art, expressly crafted to challenge our very seldom corrupt societies, people's beliefs and mindsets.

Moreover, in these short movies, the artist did not miss the chance to channel his frustrations and rage through his distinct blueprint that turned everything he did into pure gold. There is a broad range of aspects that compose the audiovisual endeavors that are worth discussing. These elements comprehend the lyrics, the human rights violation, racism, and social injustices; all these perspectives are the fulcrum of the whole work. The acute and fierce language contributed to making the artistic output more impactful.

It is now interesting to also analyze They Don't Care About Us from a Post-Colonialism theoretical standpoint. Firstly, for those not familiar with the Post-Colonialism theories, it is a study of all the effects colonialism had on cultures and societies, concerning both European countries, that brutally conquered other nations, and how the lands and populations won responded and most importantly resisted those invasions and trespasses. Furthermore, the study of Post-Colonialism as a body of theory has and is still going through three major stages. The initial one entails the first phase of awareness of the social, psychological, and cultural unjust condition of inequality and exploitation, enforced by being in a colonized state. Secondly, a struggle for ethnic, cultural, political, and economic autonomy begins. As a consequence, there will be a growing awareness of cultural overlap. Eventually, I would say that some of the post-Colonial elements are quite evident in the two music videos.

The song and the two music videos are eloquent protests against racism. Michael speaking in the first person gives a platform to all the voiceless minorities, offering an accurate and poignant depiction of their conditions of merciless oppression, that stripped minorities of their humanity, pride, and most importantly their rights. Related to the concept of racism, with a simple yet efficacious line, Michael addresses the still hugely relevant and actual issue of police abuse and brutality, which is the central theme of the Prison Version short movie. The artistic output was magistrally filmed by the genius Spike Lee, in a real prison in Queens, New York. The opening sequence shows black schoolchildren standing behind a wire fence in the snow, chanting the chorus of the song, providing a visual accompaniment to the introduction we hear on the record. As the beat kicks in, the scene displayed is quite impressive and provocative, because it employs a poignant and immaculate montage of explicit documentary footage.

The clips complementing the short film are retrieved from the footage of the Rodney King beating and subsequent LA riots and the brutal police beatings of African American people. We then witness the swell of an atomic mushroom cloud, followed swiftly by footage of a Japanese child sitting alone and crying amid a devastated Hiroshima. Alongside, we see a close-up image of an African boy face swarming with flies, then the assassination attempt on George Wallace. Subsequently, come on the screen, some pictures of the student rebellion on Tiananmen Square in China, and finally some footage from the Vietnam War. All these footages contribute to making the video so harsh to the point of getting the audience uncomfortable. In the scenes taken in the cell, Michael appears to be haunted by the ghosts of beaten people.

his film stands out for its immediacy and accuracy, yet these clips do not incite destruction nor hatred, but rather the opposite. Indeed, those footages are stressing compassion, a peaceful reaction to a hurtful and horrible situation, and political reunification. Thus, this is another reason why there is not even a trace of violence or sign incitement to hatred or aggressive reactions. Those were not merely television images, but real-life pictures of a horrid reality of human humiliation, abuse, and suffering that sadly surround us everywhere, that break into our everyday lives through television, social media and computer screens. In the video, the tension is palpable yet, the revolt is peaceful and not suppressed by the guards. However, Michael openly expresses his anger with demonstrative insolence. For instance, he sweeps tableware off, hits a guard's baton right in front of his face. Interestingly, the artist is the only prisoner who moves freely and around the dining room, demonstrating against the disregard for human rights and laws by authorities. During the whole short film, Michael tries to convince people to fight for their rights, raising the spirit of protest against oppression and humiliation.

However, in reality, prison riots never end with prisoners slamming fists against the tables or dancing on top of them and, Michael was very well aware of it. The last scene of the video shows the artist free and running up the stairs, glancing back, running away from the penitentiary in a Brazilian favela (might this be the red thread that connects the first short movie with the second video?) while his scream still lingers in the air … Leaving eventually an open question which is asked through ASL American Sign Language: "I don't know what lies ahead… Where will this spirit of struggle lead me, where will it further manifest?" This part honestly gave me chills!

The second version of They Don't Care About Us was shot in Brazil in February 1997, precisely some parts were filmed in the central district of Salvador de Bahia. The footage where Michael is wearing the iconic Olodum t-shirt and dances with Brazilian people was taken in a favela in Rio. However, for the artist, it was quite a struggle to manage to shoot the short movie in Brazil because the local authorities intended to prohibit the filming, expressing their dislike for the project, given that it would have shown the country in an unfavorable light. Yet other authorities approved the project because it would have been an influential means to draw the world's attention to the condition of poverty. Thus, the region might have benefitted from having such a big platform offered by one of the most prominent artists on earth. However, after the Brazilian government allowed to film the video for 20 days, it changed its mind abruptly and reduced, vastly, the filming period to 5 days only. The Brazilian version opens with a girl speaking in Portuguese saying: “Michael, eles nao ligam pra gente.” which means “they don’t care about us.”, then showing the whole favela with an aerial shot. Eventually, Michael gets out of a door and starts performing.

Although this version is still impactful and manages to deliver the message impeccably, I would say that it presents some fundamental differences from the so-called prison version. Indeed, even though some policemen who look stern and indifferent are part of the short movie, in the Brazilian clip, the atmosphere is quite different from the previous one. As a matter of fact, the festive whirlwind of colors, rhythms, and dances are what reminds the audience of the social meaning of the song.

Furthermore, the vivacious and colorful performance is backed by members of the local cultural and musical group: Olodum. The organization was and still is of particular importance as one of its primary purposes was to combat racism and help cultivate a sense of self-pride and affirmed identity among the Afro-Brazilian community in the region. The organization as well provides a springboard for the promotion of civil rights on behalf of all marginalized groups. Hence, it was not a mystery the reason why Michael was aligned with Olodum, to the point that he supported the organization by wearing their merchandise in his short movie. The display of solidarity was reciprocated, through the act of the collective performance of the group’s musicians who contributed with an additional layer of live percussions and vocals, over Michael’s original studio recording.

Moreover, the language as well plays a fundamental role in this creative output. Indeed, the lyrics and the whole message delivered with this piece were not exuding revenge or aggressiveness, which were typically used to fuel accusations and rage. Au contraire, the song is the manifestation of the indignation and the energy of resistance, empowering self-control and fortitude against repressions. Hence, I would say that the song does not contain a single trace of aggressiveness, and its content and energy stay perfectly within boundaries. The language and expressions employed to address the issues are particularly relevant to explain the horrid effects colonialism and post-colonialism have had on the populations affected and thus to protest against the neglect of fundamental human rights.

Furthermore, it is interesting to point out that the element of the language expresses the manifestation of spiritual endurance and disobedience against the oppressors and lying accusers immaculately and, therefore, the dualism between the artist singing in the first person and the "Us" contained in the title and refrain of the song. Although TDCAU is addressing some social and political injustices, it may as well be true that Michael has attempted to convey his frustrations and anger in this piece, turning them into a timeless audiovisual work of art. Arguably, this could as well be the reason why the artist decided to release two variants of the short movie, the prison video featuring a crude and powerful documentary and the flamboyant, colorful Brazilian clip.

Furthermore, another element related to the Post-Colonialism discourse is how the artist and more in general black people and minorities are very seldom victims of unjust and appalling stereotypes that are addressed in the line “Don’t You Black Or White Me". This brief but straightforward segment of the song could be subjected to double interpretation. On the one hand, there is Michael Jackson, a man, a human being, a son, a brother, a father, a friend, who from the day he was born was put under the magnifying lenses of the whole world, his audience and tabloids. Most of the times he was judged, wrongly, bullied I would say, to the point that he could not even enjoy his life anymore without the anxiety of being abused, ridiculed and humiliated by people who did not take a second of their lives to do their research on his works, life, and what he stood for. Therefore, this line, specifically, is how the artist expressed his frustration towards those utterly racist reactions towards him. On the other hand, Michael decided to extend this statement to a broader scale, becoming the brave advocate who gave voice to all the voiceless people who were victims of racism, prejudice, ignorance in all their nuances and degrees.

Moreover, as Michael responded to the critiques received for the straightforward and sharp lyrics during a press release for the New York Times in 1996 " The song, in fact, is about the pain of prejudice and hate and is a way to draw attention to social and political problems. I am the voice of the accused and the attacked. I am the voice of everyone. I am the skinhead, I am the Jew, I am the black man, I am the white man. I am not the one who was attacking. It is about the injustices to young people and how the system can wrongfully accuse them. I am angry and outraged that I could be so misinterpreted." He was the voice of the angry and outraged voiceless.

To conclude, They Don’t Care About Us with its first-person narration, the refrain, and the two iconic music videos, the socially and politically challenging lyrics and message, relates to the problems minorities face every day. They don’t really care about us means they, the society, privileged white people, the governments, do not care about the minorities, about the voiceless who have been abused, oppressed, robbed of their rights. They don’t really care about the people. The challenging lyrics and footages in the prison version offer us a chance to reflect on the importance of these topics. Not to mention the actuality of the song, which is remarkably accurate and relatable to the modern world and times we are living in. This artistic output is the greatest, most compelling and influential statement against every injustice perpetrated against all human mankind, and will forever be part of Michael's and the world's legacy. Therefore, the questions my reflection generated are: is this the world we want to live in? Are these the world and the society we want our children to grow up into? Is this the world without prejudice, ignorance, abuse, oppression, no equality, and equity we want for ourselves? And for the white folks like me: are we using our privilege wisely, to uplift, amplify the voices, the needs and wants of our brothers and sisters who are part of minorities and are facing some serious major struggles and discomforts? As Michael asked at the end of the short movie: “ I don’t know what lies ahead… Where will this spirit of struggle further manifest?”

Reflect deeply.

Thank you for your attention💜 Peace. G✨

[goldie-claws]

6 and 11 for any f/o(s)! ^^ (@lilacslovers)

Thank u for the ask @lilacslovers ! Ngl it was tough to pick who so I’ll do Sephiroth bc I have some thoughts about my favourite catboy (also btw when I say Squeenix I mean Square Enix. It’s just my nickname for them lmao)

6) what are some tropes that fan art of your f/o tends to follow? - From what I have seen over the years and through osmosis lmao, is fanart loves making him the dark and brooding type which is arguably completely untrue lmao (even an official Advent Children poster does it! I mean look at this ghdfkg).

Plus since FFVII (his home game which I think is important to add) he was more of a guy who just kept to himself before he became a villain? Which I’d argue gets blown up a bit to make him a ‘Why are we still here? Just to suffer?’ kinda guy by fanart and maybe fans but I haven’t spoken to any FF fans indepth since I grabbed him as an F/O lmao.

And since FFVII even Squeenix have misinterpreted his character (Advent Children being an example of that also, naturally) so imo and depending on who you ask, his original incarnation is the most TRUE version of him (That and the remake! They did a really good job imo in going back to his original character :>).

Sephiroth is just a weird guy obsessed with spending Mother’s Day with his alien madre and also becoming a god on the side. He maybe look like the brooding type because anime sword, long hair, black cloak but in reality he is just a catboy baby! I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever seen someone perfect the :3 face like he can lmao.

He wants to cause problems on purpose and I’d let him. Just watch out for any glasses of water he plans on knocking over to spite you.

11) do you think it’s better to have a copious amount of content for your f/o, even with the risk of finding a lot of ship art, or better to have a lot less? - Slightly leaning towards less fanart imo. He’s a very particular character to write/draw etc due to how even Squeenix and fans handle him, so finding that pure FFVII characterisation of him may be tough to find.

Especially since he is THE original Sans Undertale eg. popular character every fangirl of any age loved, which then leads to him being woobiefied (eg. made more pitiful/likeable) and like, I’ll agree his past is fucked up and he deserves pity in some places, but not ALL the time (past does not excuse actions) which some fanart may emphasis and forget that he is THE signature villain and very important to the history of games and villains in general.

Sephiroth is a genuinely frightening and scary character for many many reasons (hell, there’s even one scene where Cloud is actually paralysed with fear over seeing Sephiroth in front of him, to the point he can’t defend himself with his buster sword like in previous encounters). It’s very obvious in the remake he completely lacks empathy and a moral compass (eg. he stabs another evil character who is threatening Cloud’s group, only to immediately turn around and stab a good character for no reason other than maybe(?) spite or because he’s a troll lmao), which I think many people have forgotted bc haha hot boy!!! Again, there’s a reason he is THE villain of video game history, and why I make it where my S/I’s form a bond with him BEFORE he becomes evil lmao. Otherwise there would be no hope in befriending him.