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Zon , Wind , Zee - Janhendrik Dolsman , 2018.

Dutch , b, 1950 -

Oil on panel , 90 x 120 cm.

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(cw: sexual assault) the pedophile -as it is understood outside of academic circles- is a mythical creature. the idea that a complete stranger who kidnaps and sexually assaults kids is their biggest threat is absolutely insane; not one case of CSA (child sexual assault) in a hundred looks like that. CSA is committed almost uniformly by adults in a preestablished position of authority (such as family, family friends, clergy, or teachers) and in a way that a victim who doesn't know what sexual assault looks like will be left unsure what happened to them. without knowing concretely how sex and sexuality works, would you be able to tell the difference between molestation and the various other forms of unwanted physical touch and abuse kids are regularly subjected to? would it even seem that different? but parenthood and the submission of youth to adults as institutions are threatened by the reality of CSA. adults need to justify their ownership of children through an imagined outside threat constantly held at bay through their diligence. the truth - that putting yourself in such a position of authority over children directly enables abuse (including sexual abuse) - is thrown aside.

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April Book Reviews: The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

One of my anticipated new releases for this year. In The Raven Scholar, shunned High Scholar Neema is set to help oversee the trials to pick a new emperor. Until one of the candidates is murdered the night before they begin--thrusting Neema into the role of both investigator and candidate for the Raven faction.

As a long book skeptic, I was initially taken aback at this book's unusual length, clocking in at over seven hundred pages in my edition. But The Raven Scholar earns every one of those pages and more. This book was one of my standout reads for this year, and I wouldn't be surprised if it bags a Hugo nomination next year. The Raven Scholar's fundamental strength is the character writing. Hodgson juggles an ambitious cast, incorporating not only the seven candidates for the throne, but also an ever-expanding web of characters from court. A lesser writer would flounder with differentiating everybody, but Hodgson has a gift for writing highly specific characters, from the gruff reluctant emperor Bersun, to the competent and irreverent chief engineer, to the ambitious and guilt-stricken young Tiger candidate, to Neema herself, bright and prickly and difficult. She never stoops to cheap cliche or one note characters.

The excellently written characters drive the tight plot, which is fast and pacey despite the length of the book. Hodgson works in several specific twists over the course of the novel that made me scream, and the book rarely moves in an easily predicted direction, despite the underlying structure of the imperial trials. The bones of the story are less standard mystery novel than they are court intrigue, as Neema quickly realizes that the murder was politically motivated and orchestrated by major power players. Still, while Neema isn't really a standard "detective", the central murder mystery is complex and twisty, a testament to Hodgson's background writing historical mysteries.

The worldbuilding is relatively generic fantasy, with one point five kingdoms in existence surrounded by an impassable waste, and a vaguely defined three thousand unbroken years of imperial past. It's the sort of thing that would feel threadbare in a lesser novel, but because The Raven Scholar's plot is largely driven by personal character motivation rather than historical or ideological forces, it holds together. Did I mention what a fantastic touch Hodgson has with characters? I'm normally pretty sensitive to thin worldbuilding, but I didn't notice until I stopped to think about it. I did like the distinct personality of the gods and their faction system, though.

WHAT a book. I love court intrigue so much. If the premise sounds at all appealing, I'd highly recommend reading this book. Run, don't walk.

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first of all, through the power of tape anything is possible, so jot that down

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Thanks, google.

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Do me a favour and reblog this with a show you like that was cancelled after only one season. I don't mean shows that were always meant to be miniseries or shows that work perfectly well as a standalone story, or shows that might still get renewed. I mean shows that are and will forever remain unfinished. The more obscure the better.

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Disability pride month PSA that schizophrenia and related disorders often starts to present in your mid 20s, so if things have been getting harder, life is less manageable, you feel less and less connected to reality, don't be afraid to get an assessment. It is not life ending, and living as someone with schizophrenia is worthwhile!!! It is a neurodivergence like any other, one that is disabling but doesn't make you less human. Getting early screenings and treatment is shown to give better outcomes for patients!!

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Read a fucking comic man

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People will literally be doing anything on ao3

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ok typically what i do is i wear Not Home clothes when i'm out of the house and Home clothes when i'm in the house which also double as Asleep clothes but apparently nobody else on earth does this and that's super weird. please help me gather data points/settle an argument

not to panhandle for reblogs but this poll won't work unless someone reblogs it 🥺🥺🥺

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Sufficiantley advanced mutual aid is indistinguishable from government.

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DOT AND BUBBLE We couldn't travel with you. What? Why not? Because you, sir, are not one of us. I mean, you were kind. Although it was your duty to save me. Obviously. I mean, screen-to-screen contact is just about acceptable, but in person? That's impossible.

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I am OBSESSED with Napoleon's mom, like imagine skipping out on your son's coronation as self-made emperor because you're mad at his wife and having to be 19th-century-photoshopped in and then when asked about him you're like "WELL LET'S HOPE HE LASTS"

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Pippin-centric doodles from Book 2 of Fellowship during my recent reread

(comms open!)

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Andy Lovell（British, b.1964）

1 Brecon Rhythms 4 monotype 841 x 594mm via 2 Early Morning Light Lindisfarne silkscreen print  600 x 420mm via 3 Rollers at Cullernose silkscreen print 850 x 440mm via 4 Bathing in Moonlight silkscreen print 600 x 420mm via more