#moral backbone of worms

[hussyknee]

Trying to prompt the words "targeted" "Israeli air strike" and "blew up civilians" out of Western news outlets like a parent coaxing a recalcitrant child at a preschool play.

[essercipertuttienonperse]

Can I say that i lot of people were complaining about dwd and they all went to the cinema making all this ridiculous circus worthy for the clowns plus every l*rries being even slightly angry at harry are ok now because he jumped around with a only the brave flag😒 everything is forgotten. Gosh they really share a brain. I read a comment on Twitter which is the truest thing ever ‘harry fandom doesn’t care about moral and feminism, they only care about him and this is really obvious’ and damn how right is this

harry styles acts the way he does because he knows that most people, especially his fans, are fundamentally stupid and incredibly easy to manipulate and exploit (and also that the public opinion can always be bought)

[thewertsearch]

GG: you said you are asking me permission first and i appreciate that GG: but if you are asking im afraid my answer is no! AT: oKAY, i RESPECT THAT, AT: bUT, i WONDER, GG: what? AT: i WONDER IF A TRULY SELF CONFIDENT GUY, wITH THE BEST SELF ESTEEM THERE IS, wOULD EVEN NEED TO ASK, AT: mAYBE THE BEST GUY WOULD JUST KNOW HE WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL, aND WOULD DO IT ANYWAY BECAUSE IT IS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, aND EVERYONE ELSE'S,

I don't think Tavros is just emulating Vriska here. This is a very Alternian mindset, and it's one we've seen before.

Alternia is, after all, an empire. It's a society whose idea of success is inexorably tied to violence and domination - so if you're trying to be a better troll, you'll probably gravitate to both, even if you don't realize it.

It's not really about your personality, either. Karkat is, by all accounts, one of the more moral trolls in the party - but as we've seen above, even he's got those imperial instincts. This sort of thing is insidious, and once it worms its way into your brain, it can be hard to shake.

Tavros is a very straightforward example. He's finally gained some 'confidence' - and what's his first impulse?

To seize a useful resource from an alien, and use it against her will.

GG: that would be smug and arrogant and would make you a bully!!! [...] AT: yOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT ALL THAT, i'LL RESPECT YOUR WISHES, AT: oR, AT: wILL i? };) GG: nooooooooo dont dont dont dont dont GG: im serious GG: uuuuggghh i think my headache is coming back AT: i WAS jUST, AT: mAKING A JOKE, AT: sORRY, }:(

This dude cannot read a room. Truly, the anti-Terezi.

Oh, leave off.

AG: Next time you decide to open your heart to an alien girl…….. AG: Make sure her chat client isn't 8eing holographically projected for all to see, ok?

This exploit should apply to chat clients of any size, provided the screen is visible. Maybe John's Pesterchum Glasses were a better investment than I thought.

AG: Jade let you down too easy. She's too nice! Someone's got to tear into you for that appalling display, and once again, guess who's shoulders that falls on? AG: That's right. Vriska's, as usual.

Tavros probably does need someone to explain what he did wrong, but it should be anyone but Vriska. This is obviously just going to be more bullying, and no actual advice.

AT: i THINK SHE HAS THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF NICENESS, pERSONALLY, AT: aN AMOUNT THAT IS SOME, iNSTEAD OF, AT: nONE,

Showing backbone against Vriska, eh? Finally, a constructive use for all that confidence.

Progress is progress, even when it's just a minor clapback.

AG: Hey, I'm nice when it matters, [...]

Nope, I'm calling Vriska's bluff. What nice things has she done so far, exactly?

Sure, she made Tavros the rocket chair, but only after mercilessly tormenting him for his physical condition, which she caused.

Plus, this wasn't even a real apology gift. She kept bullying him after that, and is literally doing so as we speak.

I guess she also made Aradia's soulbot, as an 'apology' for murdering her with her own boyfriend. To be precise, she had Equius make it, with horrific results that she should probably have seen coming.

She also thought that it would be 'nice' to tell Terezi that her blindness 'wasn't that bad'. This conversation was kind of complicated, though, and I'm not sure what her actual intention was.

Anyway, it's pretty clear that Vriska doesn't really grok what 'nice' means. She gives Tavros a rocket chair, continues to torment him, and doesn't understand the contradiction, because she doesn't think his feelings actually matter.

[...] and where it doesn't strangul8te the critical development of people I give a shit a8out, ok?

"After all, no one was ever nice to ME, and look how gr8 I turned out! When you think about it, it's actually a GOOD thing that no one ever showed me kindness! It made me strong! Don't you want to 8e stroooooooong, Pupa? ::::D"

I'm reminded of this exchange from Hivebent. Kanaya recommends that Vriska practice some basic self-care, and Vriska completely flies off the handle, furious at the mere suggestion that she should be kind to herself.

Vriska thinks kindness will harm her. She refuses to accept it, and avoids showing it to anyone, which makes her remarkably consistent in her cruelty. I'm willing to bet that there's nothing she's said to Tavros that she hasn't already said to herself.

[skyscratch-wc]

Wind Rambling

Minor Spoilers Ahead

Honestly I've been thinking about this stuff since I've seen a few posts with sections of Wind regarding the nine lives/Splashstar situation.

I know the authors don't really care about continuity with previous books but like, Brokenstar and Tigerstar both got 9 lives. Both were murderers. And lied. A lot. The arguments of the current leaders that StarClan will indicate if Splashstar is lying are completely bogus because of that one fact. StarClan has proven before that they don't care. So long as you show up at the Moonpool they'll give you the lives. Probably. Unless you are Nightstar or Sunstar. The line in the sand for life-giving is very inconsistent. Splash absolutely shouldn't get 9 lives but the whole argument for StarClan indicating if he's lying or not holds no water whatsoever given their past life-giving habits.

Anywho I know the books won't follow that since they're leaning into godless Splashtail. I very much dislike seeing wc lean so heavily into the antagonists being godless heathens. Not a great message tbh. Someone's religious-ness has little to do with their moral backbone. But the messaging of this series is a whole other can of worms that numerous other people have dug into.

*sighs* I wish they actually followed the continuity and established world building of previous arcs. But no. We can't have that I guess.

[treason-and-plot]

REPLIES TO SAFFY LAMBASTING LIAM

@windermeresimblr

Wow! There's Saffy's backbone.

Yeah she's not known for holding back!

@drudragonrose

She's with a boy her own age that she actually likes. Be gone worm!

@ivorycrayon

Man, you write shades of grey so well. It’s hard to root for anybody, but it’s also hard to condemn anybody completely because all your characters’ actions are way too complex. “He’s wrong but..” “She shouldn’t have to deal with this but..” I could use your characters if I ever taught ethics class 😂 (except for Anita, that is, I always struggle to find any redeeming qualities in that lady :P)

Thank you so much Ash! I love writing morally grey characters who have questionable (but hopefully relatable) motives so it's extremely heartening to read your comment. And I love how steadfast you've always been in your opinion of Anita, lol!

@keoni-chan

I don't like this one bit. I hope Liam's brand new backbone doesn't evolve into an "if I can't have you..."-situation 😱

who knows what might have happened if fate hadn't intervened....

@dresdendarlin

Oooh it’s his snapping moment. He’s gonna do something drastic and crazier next.

@batsheba

Ok, now let's see if he, the creep Liam, can process this information?! Whatever happens I hope Saffy will be ok... I'm worried Liam will do something utterly stupid and potentially dangerous.

@oasislandingresident

Ooooh shit's about to go down!!! 🍿

@kimmiessimmies

I'm with @batsheba, this is not going to go down well with Liam...

@wannabecatwriter

Be careful, Saffron. He's in a weird mindstate now.

@bool-prop

Oh no. He's going to snap.

@muses-circle

🤦

@muses-circle

Liam will either have a meltdown right there, in the parking lot, or he'll wait until he's in the middle of class and doing something worse. I'm worried about what his breaking point will look like.

@muses-circle

And Saffron, men DO leave their wives. It's call divorce, honey. Life isn't as black and white as you think.

I didn't write Saffy's speech very well...what she was trying to say was that it's a well-known fact that married men never leave their wives for their side-pieces! She was actually quite enraged that Liam turned out to be the statistical anomaly, lol. That was the last thing she wanted to happen!

@echoweaver

Woo. Saffron's right, but wow she's still got so much growing up to do. OTOH, Liam seemed to be with her in large part because she verbally abused him. It's such a messed up puppy.

Yeah, he seems to derive a perverse satisfaction from being the victim and indulging in self-defeating behaviour. It's also not an accident that the two women in his life routinely humiliate and criticise him.😬

@sweetnovember77

Saffy's words can devastate ANYONE with strong emotions toward another person. It's like a knife to the heart.

Yeah, Saffy can be very acid-tongued. He probably deserved the wake up call but Saffy can count herself very lucky he didn't snap or do something as drastic as Stephanie.

@anamoon63

😮 This is not going to end well. I wish Saffy had been a little more diplomatic. 😔

It definitely did not end well, but fortunately for Saffy she was not the one who was impacted the most! I hope at the very least she learns some important life lessons from this whole sorry experience.

@simsaralove

I really hope this will make Mr. Yucky realize he better go live in the Twinbrook swamps and not make him do something stupid and ruin Saffy’s happiness 😭

@justanothersimsblog

I'd tell her to slap him but I think he likes that so... maybe knee him in the balls then lol

lol he is such a pathetic masochist that he would probably enjoy that too!😆

@greywardenconsort

He's a monster thru & thru

A sad, spineless, loser monster.

@streetlites

That's gotta sting. Bwahahah. Also, what did he think she was going to do? Leap into his arms? She was never like that toward him to begin with.

@mysimsloveaffair

They are both better off without each other. Saffy is doing him a favor and he doesn't even know it. SMH

Liam was always doomed by his poor life decisions and victim mentality. I'm also thinking that it was possible he had affairs as a passive-aggressive form of revenge, but didn't count on falling so heavily for Saffy. In any case, I think he got what he deserved.

[colorisbyshe]

right but piracy does not inherently spread word of mouth (i only vaguely know what loona is so not even specifically about that, just generally), it only encourages others to check out that thing if you actually talk about the fact that you pirated it. and even then the same principle applies if you talk about the fact that you watched/listened to it legally

Yes. And also no.

Searching is also engagement. You know how we laugh at posts about how “google searches for X spiked after Y Event,” yeah… companies know that shit too. Searching for content is a form of engagement.

And I’m gonna be honest, if you have so little self control you can’t even keep yourself from listening to a song performed by a group you supposedly like, knowing the song was against their wishes… I don’t doubt you’re also watching the performances (giving them views, propelling them in algorithm), still following twitters, etc..

Do I think in a broader sense, there is a way for piracy to lessen the harm? Sure, I can come up with instances where there’s no material impact. I can even name instances where legally purchasing “problematic” goods will have negligible impact.

But in the midst of a boycott, where you are literally agreeing that not only is the content “problematic” (which could perhaps imply that critical engagement is possible, ie “i’m aware of the flaws and am against them but find it having enough valuable to still work with that”) but rather so egregious you’re supporting collective effort to completely knee cap it… why are you jumping through so many hoops to still engage with it?

Why do you want to derive enjoyment from a song that made a dozen women fucking miserable?

Where is your moral backbone?

Like, I get it, we all have different moral lines and imperfections. I won’t claim to be only consuming morally perfect content. There are lines I will and won’t cross and they might not be everyone else’s lines. That’s more or less fine. Or maybe not fine but just how people work as flawed beings.

But what the fuck is the point of claiming you’re pro-boycott if you’re waiting on someone to legally purchase and then upload it for you?

That’s not a boycott.

That is performativity and selfishness masked as “haha fuck corporate, I still get to worship their products but this time for free!!!”

You can’t say fuck BBC and then eat regurgitated worms out their mouth like some bird brained idiot. You just can’t.

[hpmort]

Thinking about this one twitter thread I somewhat participated in; it was about The Killing Joke, and how people misinterpreted the whole “one bad day” thing, moral philosophy-type stuff about that, Jim Gordon disproving the Joker’s thesis

Anyways, my contribution was talking about Worm Parahumans, and how everyone’s powers trace back to One Bad Day, and that about 80% of parahumans were villains- but that 1/5 people still chose to do good. And there’s all sorts of stuff at play there, and also I couldn’t make it very far as it’s kind of a slog, but the idea I explained in a nutshell, that kind of strength:

A world where there’s no grand background behind it, no personality altering tumors, but there’s still those numbers at play. The initial thought is a superhero setting, but it could also be magic or something, just the general idea of having One Bad Day give you some kind of immense power, or other advantage, and 80% of people become, if not outright villains, at least jerks due to the trauma? But again, there are also those that don’t.

Actually this could be worked into some kind of metaphor for trauma or something? I don’t think that that is the way it was in Worm, but I did not get far in.

Anyways I like the idea that having a negative experience of that level will twist and break most people, but that a select few will stand strong despite it- as Leslie Fish sang

“Can you keep your head

Your backbone or your heart?

We all found out the answer on the day it fell apart”

(and most people can’t; I know I didn’t)

[nottherealajhq]

okay but what if we're neutral (neither)

Not much of a side a picker? CAN'T SEEM TO FIND ITS WAYS? WELL. WELL WELL. Scientists speak in their CIRCLES and say, and say.... A firm Diagnosis with.... NO MORAL BACKBONE?!!? Goodness! There's a WORM MOON BEFORE US! let's go PLAY in the DIRT and the MUD!!!! C:

[forgivenpunishment]

⩥ @halcyon--mind || the other side [Drabble] [x]

They can't share their affections in this building, with so many professionals around. If anyone saw them kiss or hug, he could have just cause to be fired.

God, does he want to though.

The building is strange—it's one of those generic sorts of office buildings that companies rent floors of, but by a cursory study of the tenants it appears there are none that match his employer's. Something puts him on edge as the elevator rises to a floor seemingly unoccupied by anyone. He brings this up to their guide, and they simply answer that the company is a new tenant and they haven't put up their signage yet.

It makes sense... but...

Maybe Mona is getting restationed here, if they're so new. That's fine; he'll follow. At this point he's getting paid for something he'd be doing anyway—he loves Mona. Wolfwood promised to protect Mona. He doesn't plan on breaking that promise.

The most he can offer is a worried glance before she enters the conference room.

Nothing seems to add up. Wolfwood feels as though he's going insane, seeing sure signs of the Eye of Michael worming their way into Mona's work. He—against his moral backbone (as wobbly as that is)—has started vetting Mona's mail and poking around where he shouldn't be. He hates being like this. Generally, if Wolfwood wouldn't want it done to him, he wouldn't do such a thing to someone he cares about—but she's in danger, damn it!

Potentially.

He sighs, leaning against the wall to begin the hours long wait for Mona to be done. As Wolfwood pulls out his box of cigarettes and puts one between his lips, one of the armored guards next to the door clears his throat and shakes his head slowly. A no smoking sign glares at him from underneath the conference room's number.

Goddammit.

Footsteps—orderly, almost marching, footsteps—echo from both ends of the hallway. They're getting closer, almost as if they're closing him in...

His fingers tease the Punisher's straps. Something is wrong.

Focus flickers between both of the door's guards—they're both completely relaxed. Another of the doctors' guards down the hall appears on edge. This has to be a trap. The bindings come off of the Punisher as marching turns to running; Wolfwood can hear the sure sound of guns jostling in the hands of soldiers.

As he's about to brace himself, one of the door guards lunges at him, aiming to disarm him. Nicholas easily uses the guard's momentum against him, flipping him over his head and onto the floor, then using his weapon to melee his head, knocking him unconscious. Easy.

The other personnel guard is not as skilled, and finds himself wrestling with the door guard and disarmed. There's no time to help him, Wolfwood's eyes lock onto the door to the conference room as alarms blare and a lockdown is issued. He reaches out to the door handle, but is knocked aside by one of the Eye of Michael's uncanny grunts.

Quick reactions lead him to swing the Punisher like a battering ram into the grunt's midsection and fire, swiftly taking them out. More grunts appear, overwhelming him. He swats several aside at a time, shooting at the rest as they attempt to run him down. Stronger henchmen fire at him with their own machine guns; it doesn't appear they've been given the order to take Wolfwood alive this time. That's fine—he can fight through this—he needs to protect Mona—

Despite his efforts to thin the waves of Eye of Michael soldiers out, more appear from behind and fire at his back point-blank. He lets out a gasp of pain, reaches for a vial, but before he can put it to his lips, a single pistol shot breaks the glass, pouring the contents uselessly on the floor. That's fine—he has more—he has more—

Like a stampede of toma, Wolfwood is trampled until he falls to the ground. He grasps on the door, scratching at the surface until his nailbeds bleed, leaving bloody handprints. More shots ring out, piercing his chest and neck. He can't breathe—can't yell—

"Mo—na—"

The living henchmen cease, then part. A familiar figure approaches—Wolfwood can't lift a finger against him.

"You've fulfilled your contract, Nicholas the Punisher. Your services are no longer needed," Doctor Conrad analyzes Wolfwood as one would a broken down car, "Based on your performance, however, we must withdraw our payment. Instead, we will pay you with further Blessings—upgrades, treatments, and training. We've noticed faults in your code, as it were."

His vision begins to fade, Conrad's voice is little more than an echo that he can barely understand. He wants to scream, but he can't.

"Doctor Coulter will be informed of your unfortunate death and provided with a new, fully-functional guardian. She has a divine purpose to fulfill, after all. Don't worry about yourself—I have no intention of letting one of my creations perish at my hands. Good night, Nicholas."

Another shot strikes true, breaking Wolfwood's wrist as he reaches feebly for a vial—his sidearm—anything. It's the last of his strength; the pain is overbearing. With nothing left in the tank and blood pooling around him, he passes out.

Boneless, helpless, and useless, the Punisher is lifted away and taken out of the facility. He's loaded into a truck and taken away into the desert—to Mona, he is as good as dead. A sacrifice for her safety, not knowing that the very people she will be working for have brought her lover deep, deep underground to suffer a fate worse than death.

[yourenotsylviaplath]

I can't believe we finally have the Tory party imploding in an unelectable mess and the man waiting to pick up the slack is Kier fucking Starmer, a man with the moral backbone of a worm on a string and the personality of a rug.

[righteousdelusions]

rereading part 2 thoughts (part 2)

For all that Yuko is a crazy fangirl using a hero to justify her want for blood, i kinda like that she's not far off in that "Chainsaw Man kills bad guys" without nuance.

Also her saying the reality of CSM going to her school disappointing because he doesn't stop bullies, only devils. How would a Denji like that even look like, considering he... Doesn't have a solid grasp in human morality conventions...

Those panels where the bubble is behind the window... So cool

It's probably just a japanese school clothes convention (?) but i like how the devil hunters look like Jotaro. I think they are organized in a way that makes sense, if they were dealing with a weaker devil they could've had a chance...

This type of club should be illegal, then again, with so many deaths, i guess it's logical that people just don't know how to regulate things like teenagers wanting to be heros

Gives more weight to the theory that Yoshida's organization wants to make people avoid seeing devils in a more positive light or people think making contracts with devils is good

Btw why is the Justice Devil preying on so many kids? First the class prez, now Yuko. It seems as if its looking for something, maybe Justice also wanted to fight Chainsaw Man...

Yoru having a guerrilla armament hiding in almost every classroom is kinda badass. Also the fact she wanted to use Yukos body parts, because Yuko is Asa's. Yoru is neutral to this lesbian drama, but waiting to see what'll happen next. She's like me watching telenovelas

So messed up that she compared herself to the gun devil.... Her sense of justice is completely warped up. But that's the thing about justice right.... The way people use it.... And why they fear it....

Becoming a symbol once again is relevant... It really makes me wonder what will happen to Denji sjsjs

It's interesting that Yoru asked what Yuko offered in exchange and Yuko said nothing. I don't remember if they say it later, that's why I'm re reading. If Yuko is just lying, then that's funny. Of Yuko really didn't have to offer anything, then the Justice Devil was super duper using her for the shady reason they use school girls.

Klk reference

Yoru looking at the power of possessions coming from deep love with surprise... She already tried to found Asa a bf please don't get ideas in your head sjsj

Like a child's justice.... Pure revenge. The believe that just destroying the school will bring peace... Also justice devil is so funny for contracting with two morally dubious high school girls in love

The fact she blamed someone else because she couldn't accept SHE hurt Asa. Funny. But not funny haha

Never meet your heroes absjsj

You know Yoru feels smug that Denji is indeed Chainsaw Man like she told Asa to keep talking to him. Well, that if she recognized him

I suppose Denji tries to reveal things slowly because he thinks that makes him look more cool. I personally would've just transformed in front of the tv cameramen. But i guess we wouldn't have a plot

Also Denji trying to convince the frightened girl that he's human <\3

I don't understand why Yoshida hand signal has to be like that... Unnecessary

Also I've always thought Fujimoto's male hands had way too long fingers but it makes sense if he reads BL like ajsjsjsk long finger yaoi men Aki and Yoshida. You know he's giggling while drawing them

The way the girl looked at Asa... I wonder if she'll start a rumour...

Hilarious that they live in a world so bleak and dark and yet they say a girl has no backbone if she makes a deal with the devil... Truly a realistic depiction of society, kudos to Fujimoto

That dream is so cool... Visually i mean. Kinda makes me think Asa will keep killing every innocent that comes in contact with her.... Whatever it does mean, it will be sad. That Yuko sword must be powerful too...

Door leitmotif

Would you still love me if I was a worm

Also did she become a fiend and if she did, were Yukos feeling enough to mix with Justice, or Justice is just letting Yuko do whatever because if fits their plan

Yuko: I'm a bad person because I did something good to you because I wanted to be friends. Me: sure that's a sound logic, totally not warped up by loneliness and fan culture

Other people's thought drown her head. She can tell she doesn't really think that's justice... I guess, in order for true justice to happen, you need absolute truth. But truth is sooo warped up by people's perception of things... And a human can't hold all that in her head. So it seems justice is fickle. But i don't want to analyze justice too much as a concept, because Fujimoto and me come from two totally different cultures.... Also Fujimoto just does whatever anyway, like it's more about the vibe than a deep set philosophy. Then again Makima was pure domination in every sense of the world, so we shouldn't underestimate this story

Was Yuko fighting a complete possession? Also she's confirming here that yeah, Justice is at school looking for something.

Asa but you deserve to laugh, it's absolutely hilarious ajajsjs

Never promise to give back something like that... It's manga curse

That man is way more muscular than Yoshida c'mon, i don't think it'll be him but welp, we have to wait

Chainsaw Man part 2: Chainsaw Men

I like the art style a lot but the shadows are a bit distracting, they look too cartoony.... What's the point of that? Maybe it just looks cool

[sacrilegious-skeletal-scribe]

gaelic storms and lightning shaped like a wave hello

‘let them renounce their power, and we will not blame them their inheritance’

‘but should the children of kings uphold their titles’

‘they are then responsible for the blood spilt to write them’

a paraphrase, for a sentiment i have carried with me since i first laid eyes on it

it wormed its way down my throat, parasitic, declares propaganda in thick, decisive letters

(symbiotic, offers a bolt of fire, threaded around my heart since i’ve been able lose arguments)

still, can this truly be encouraged? this joy, jubilation? 

upon the death of a ruler, a position of power over countries so often distal

a non-citizen with accepted veto power on their human rights

still, but still beg morals that i never really worked out the backbone for

that was a person, with a life, impacts on other people

(was a person, they whisper, and it echoes down my spine like gospel)

no great sleep is lost, for the pain of her reign was felt by many

(and documented better)

but does this cheer belong to me?

my ancestors, perhaps. my distant contemporaries, certainly, but still…

there is graffiti grinding against my lungs, painted in wet cement

its artists had novice hands, but their medium was not without strengths

and even in cauterized certainty, wounds that have been sealed several times over

scar tissue brandished, branded like armor

(name it what you must before they get a chance to correct you)

sympathized joy has no lesser value than its brother

but is this frisson caused by that sibling? some combination? does it matter?

(you are a child of absent homeland, but a child nonetheless)

those isles lay across a distant ocean, and never have i called them home

but there is blood under my caked muscles

that sings of emerald fields and cobbled streets

of pride and bloodstained teeth and dance done in desperation, in defiance

there is awe, respect, for a strain of a virus, coiled around their home

a people in refusal to fake sympathy for the symbol of their denied independence 

for the symbol of raided arts, colonies under chokeholds, poverty dehumanized

from the comfort of million euro estates

this is not the first time a placeholder of power has toppled

when the opportunity of change is not assured

but so much closer than any had hoped of it

this is not the first people i couldn’t not cheer on from time zones between us

not the first time pride and excitement came in sympathy

disregarding the distance, though aware of

but it is the first one i almost belongedabandonedsmiletowardsfractionedbetween

sympathetic emotion is no less potent

it is bridge between human experience

but my empathy is quite insistent on unfolding itself on this grinning knoll

stolen valor, spits doubt, fueled by observed grief and whatever restraint it can twist beneath it

(eat mae ass, call Irish ancestors, reaching towards high shelves, in honor of the occasion)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Gladiator (2000)

You don’t know how big a deal Gladiator was unless you were there. This Ridley Scott picture isn't doing anything THAT new, but the delivery fills you with excitement. The performances are excellent, the special effects hold up remarkably well. You latch onto the story, revel in the carnage and leave feeling pumped.

In AD 180, the elderly Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Oliver Reed) arrives as his favourite General, Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russel Crowe) crushes the last of the Germanic tribes under the might of his army. Knowing his son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) is unfit to rule, Aurelius prepares to leave the throne to Maximus. When the Emperor is assassinated, Maximus is betrayed, left for dead and eventually sold to a gladiator trainer.

You can see the picture’s $100 million+ budget on the screen and it looks glorious. From the freezing battlefield of Northern Europe to the Colosseum in Rome, it’s a gorgeous, epic-looking film. You feel every bone-crushing blow, you eagerly lap up every drop of blood spilt. “Are you ENTERTAINED?!” Asks Maximus. Oh yes, yes we are. How could you not be, seeing our hero claw his way towards the top, using military strategy to defy the odds while the vile Commodus remains unpunished for murdering his father? Every victory in the arena is an act of defiance, a way to stick it to the villain. Seeing Commodus squirm never gets old. He’s powerful but pathetic. With none of the moral backbone needed to be a leader and always eager to cheat, the part could’ve easily been over-the-top and more than once, it dances on that edge but Joaquin Phoenix saves it. He’s like a spoiled little kid with his finger on the big red button. Everyone has always paid homage to him and he's confused that with love. You would’ve been invested in the story regardless of the characters but with these two on the opposing sides, the 155-minute running time feels like nothing.

Every battle has you on the edge of your seat and the dire odds Maximus faces fill you with a boiling mix of excitement and outrage. You can’t wait for Maximus to single-handedly hand Rome back to its people… except he doesn’t. I’m not spoiling the film’s ending, I’m telling you how he fits in this world. While Gladiator has many action scenes, I’d categorize it as a political drama/thriller first and foremost. Commodus is nuts and everyone knows it. The people closest to him have been fearing his rule and they’ve been preparing. All they needed was someone to push that first domino. Maximus happens to be that someone. All he wants is freedom but he’s a slave. A slave to the arena and to those who want to exploit him for their own devices. He might play along, particularly if his former lover Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) is the one doing the talking but ultimately, he’s a cog in a machine.

There’s plenty of inhuman carnage in Gladiator but the characters are made human. You come to know and like Maximus’ fellow gladiators, you sympathize for the many people trapped by the system that’s in place. Even Commodus - disgusting worm as he may be - is kind of pitiful. You want him violently eliminated... but not right right away.

I’m not sure if Gladiator would’ve gotten my vote for the “Best Picture” Oscar in 2000 but you can see why it won. This movie is a big deal. It’s memorable and exciting. You have a great time giving a “thumbs up” to the hero and a “thumbs down” to the villain. Ridley Scott’s direction and an excellent cast make the film intense even when it focuses on the characters slowly maneuvering around each other and figuring out the right time to strike. (Theatrical cut on Blu-ray, November 23, 2019)

[sandersgrey]

Some of you people have the moral backbone of a liquified worm and it shows

[rockislandadultreads]

Staff Favorites: Nonfiction Picks

In honor of Book Lovers Day on Tuesday, August 9th, this week’s recommendations will feature staff favorites here at the Rock Island Public Library!

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

It's early autumn 1964. Two straight-A students head off to school, and when only one of them returns home, Chesney Yelverton is coaxed from retirement and assigned to what proves to be the most difficult and deadly case of his career. From the shining notorious East Side, When You Are Engulfed in Flames confirms once again that David Sedaris is a master of mystery and suspense. Or how about... when set on fire, most of us either fumble for our wallets or waste valuable time feeling sorry for ourselves. David Sedaris has studied this phenomenon, and his resulting insights may very well save your life. Author of the national bestsellers Should You Be Attacked By Snakes and If You Are Surrounded by Mean Ghosts, David Sedaris, with When You Are Engulfed in Flames, is clearly at the top of his game. Oh, all right... David Sedaris has written yet another book of essays (his sixth). Subjects include a parasitic worm that once lived in his mother-in-law's leg, an encounter with a dingo, and the recreational use of an external catheter. Also recounted is the buying of a human skeleton and the author's attempt to quit smoking In Tokyo. Master of nothing, at the dead center of his game, Sedaris proves that when you play with matches, you sometimes light the whole pack on fire.

Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby

Gadsby's unique stand-up special Nanette was a viral success that left audiences captivated by her blistering honesty and her ability to create both tension and laughter in a single moment. But while her worldwide fame might have looked like an overnight sensation, her path from open mic to the global stage was hard-fought and anything but linear. Ten Steps to Nanette traces Gadsby's growth as a queer person from Tasmania - where homosexuality was illegal until 1997 - to her ever-evolving relationship with comedy, to her struggle with late-in-life diagnoses of autism and ADHD, and finally to the backbone of Nanette - the renouncement of self-deprecation, the rejection of misogyny, and the moral significance of truth-telling. Equal parts harrowing and hilarious, Ten Steps to Nanette continues Gadsby's tradition of confounding expectations and norms, properly introducing us to one of the most explosive, formative voices of our time.

Kitty Cornered by Bob Tarte

Bob Tarte had his first encounter with a cat when he was two and a half years old. He should have learned his lesson then, from Fluffy. But as he says, “I listened to my heart instead, and that always leads to trouble.” In this tell-all of how the Tarte household grew from one recalcitrant cat to six - including a hard-to-manage stray named Frannie - Tarte confesses to allowing these interlopers to shape his and his wife’s life, from their dining habits to their sleeping arrangements to the placement and furriness of their furniture. But more than that, Bob begins seeing Frannie and the other cats as unlikely instructors in the art of achieving contentment, even in the face of illness and injury. Bewitched by the unknowable nature of domesticated cats, he realizes that sometimes wildness and mystery are exactly what he needs. With the winning humor and uncanny ability to capture the soul of the animal world that made Enslaved by Ducks a success, Tarte shows us that life with animals gives us a way out of our narrow human perspective to glimpse something larger, more enduring, and more grounded in the simplicities of love - and catnip.

The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman

Birds are astonishingly intelligent creatures. According to revolutionary new research, some birds rival primates and even humans in their remarkable forms of intelligence. In The Genius of Birds, acclaimed author Jennifer Ackerman explores their newly discovered brilliance and how it came about. As she travels around the world to the most cutting-edge frontiers of research, Ackerman not only tells the story of the recently uncovered genius of birds, but also delves deeply into the latest findings about the bird brain itself that are shifting our view of what it means to be intelligent. At once personal yet scientific, richly informative and beautifully written, The Genius of Birds celebrates the triumphs of these surprising and fiercely intelligent creatures.

[thelesbianpoirot]

Love finding fans of Aziraphale and Crowley who, without a doubt, they'd play like a fiddle because the fan's moral backbone is looser than a gummy worm.

I'm sorry, I don't understand what this means completely. Either this is too American or it is worded strangely. Are you saying Az & Crowley wouldn't like me? Well that's fine, they aren't real.