#quick-ish post

[mitigatedchaos]

The function of this passage of this post...

[ argumate ]

but it's not difficult to take many right wing beliefs at face value when people will repeatedly tell you them out loud to your face: - foreigners are evil / lesser people - women should know their place - there should be "consequences" for sex, especially out of marriage - authority must be respected - one religion is true and other religions are demonic - people that suffer deserve it etc. etc.

...is to (1) compress the perceived range of right-wing opinions down to one (unflattering) position for each issue...

[ argumate ]

like imagine you're opposing slavery for an extreme example: you can spend a lot of time trying to get inside the head of slaveowners and those who support them only to come away with the idea that these are bastards manipulating rubes, like I do think that ideas are important and it's good to know how people structure and frame their ideology, but it's not a left/right split in the way that you suggest and I think it's more useful to do a good job explaining your own ideas to present a positive vision for the future.

...and (2) imply that they are largely the result of "bastards manipulating rubes," and thus the "bastards" won't change position because they are cynically pursuing those positions for their own advantage, while the rubes won't change position because they are dumb.

Now, of course, this is a vibes-based objection, in some ways. He doesn't explicitly narrow it. He carefully feathers the post, to borrow an analogy from image editing software, softening the boundaries - as expected of someone who has spent years practicing arguing on the Internet. (This isn't a bad thing, per se.)

We could read it as more pan-ideological, but he later writes:

[ argumate ]

framing the appeal to empathy in terms like "Trump would not have been elected if his opponents just understood what the people wanted" is facile because if you oppose Trump's policies then enacting those same policies to prevent his election would achieve nothing, in fact it would normalise the very ideas you don't want to spread, and even if you did attempt to out-Trump Trump he might still win on charisma anyway.

He deleted the entire policy range between "what Trump is doing" and "what Democrats are doing," so if Democrats were to moderate in any way, this would be "just doing what Trump is doing."

The obvious reason to do this, to delete the entire middle of the policy range, is if you don't want Democrats to moderate. That is, to change.

As I joked:

[ mitigatedchaos ]

Advisor: "Comrade Governor, our polling shows that if we do not finish building the train line that we already promised everyone we would build, the Fascists will win the election." Comrade Governor: "No compromise with Fascism! We will not build the train, do you understand?"

There are things that Trump doesn't want to do (e.g. state-funded high-speed rail), that Democrats (ostensibly) want to do, that Democrats are doing a poor job at. California Democrats actually building the train line they promised is not "just doing what Trump wants."

You don't have to beat Trump by out-Trumping him.

Argumate brings up the intractability of conflicting interests...

[ argumate ]

secondly one "side" being better or worse at cognitive empathy makes little difference in practice to issues where interests are opposed: understanding where someone is coming from does not unlock a magic sequence of words that changes their mind (if anything it might reveal how difficult it is to shift their opinion).

However, I think my overall objection that the position is too rigid, to take one of my responses as an angle...

[ mitigatedchaos ]

You can often just choose to have different interests, by choosing to have a different conception of your interests, and make deals in order to alter the scope and intensity of the conflict. [...] Yes, a university maximizer is inherently in conflict with taxpayers, but the university president could just choose to be a university president instead of a university maximizer.

...is correct.

Though, considering your initial response, it was probably the wrong choice on my part to immediately jump to this more abstract and speculative reading. (It's a bit of a vibes-based argument going in both directions, anyway.)

Anyhow.

[ philippesaner ]

To summarize the dispute as "we're right-wingers and he should become a right-winger" is dumb as hell.

Consider the idea of a positive right to clean, potable water.

Clean drinking water doesn't just appear out of nowhere, and it isn't just a matter of removing something (like an oil rig) one time. Clean drinking water is the result of filtration systems, sewage processing, and management of nearby pollution. This, in turn, requires capital (for filters and wastewater treatment plants), labor (for deployment, operation, and maintenance), and governance (to identify and punish polluters, prevent looters from destroying the treatment plants, rebuild pipe networks, and so on). That, in turn, requires industrial plants to produce the filters and replacement parts, governance systems to enable the long-term capital investment in the production plants, punishing corruption to prevent the siphoning off of funds from filter production, and so on.

The simple demand to give everyone free, clean drinking water flows backwards to grant the moral authorization for an entire society, with factories, police, prisons, property, housing, and even enforced social norms.

Is this "right-wing," or is this just "logistics"?

I describe myself as currently right-leaning, in accordance with my balance of obligations and the existing coalitional makeup in the current moment, though I also don't think I have the same level of equalizing impulse, so I do think there is some genuine difference of opinion, and it isn't solely about logistics.

[ @argumate ]

I just don't think that's a good description of reality? like if "Democrats" were more empathic they would do this and that to win; Trump is one of the least empathic people alive and he won, he's constantly failing to understand the most basic things and being surprised by it and still winning, a severe lack of cognitive empathy or cognitive ability in general doesn't mean you can't win, he's the perfect example of that!

...what.

a better question might be how the entire Republican party could be hijacked by Trump, a washed up property investor / cable TV personality with no background in politics or particular knowledge or interest in the subject, why were they so incapable of recognising what the median voter wanted and giving it to them? billionaires richer than Trump, sons of ex-presidents, party operatives, each of them got completely blindsided by this incompetent!

Argumate, have you read the Dao Dejing?

[royaltea000]

[stress relief doodle] just wanted to let you guys know that he’s always had those stupid tassels dw

[originalartblog]

A quick-ish 3D render inspired by Dazai's bolo tie because I don't use my skills for fun enough ✨

[kyurochurro]

late night monkee doodles!! just tryin' to study 'em :D

[toxintouch]

TOUCHSTARVED WISH LIST:

✦ Vere going absolutely feral after he sees the MC getting hurt ✦

It's a Soulless that hurts them?  The monster barely gets a swipe in before Vere is on it.  He's ripping it apart with his fucking teeth.  He can't stop growling, even after the thing is already dead, blood dripping down his face, splattering his chest, smeared all over his chains.

He's a force of nature - beautiful and deadly in equal measure.  

His ears are going to stay pinned back for a while.  He can't relax.  MC can try to calm him down and comfort him but his disposition won't go back to normal until he's satisfied.  (Satisfied with patching them up, fussing over them in a way that's just this side of an insult.)  He'll take them to bed, but only in the most literal sense.  (He just wants to listen to their heartbeat with his tail wrapped around them until he feels better.)

 . . . But what if it is a human who does it? Say, someone from the Senobium… 

Vere wants to blot them from the face of the earth but he can't.  Not with the collar on.  He has to resort to trickery or manipulation if he wants MC's assailant to stop.

 (And he has to act unaffected.  He can't let on…)

 It's absolutely maddening because he could squash their attacker like a bug if he wasn't so chained.  He wouldn't have to watch this happen if -- he shouldn't have to watch this happen, they're his -- but he can't stop it, not the way he wants to.  His hackles are up.  His claws absolutely itch with the need to tear this vermin to shreds.  His handlers will write it off as hunger, blood lust.  (They'll be right, if only partially.)

Bonus Points: Vere seeks Kuras' help willingly in order to save MC's life.

 The MC getting grievously injured…

Vere picking them up bridal style and carrying them to Kuras' clinic. 

He doesn't wait in the line.  (Not that there's going to be much of a line, people scatter like rats once they see his face.)  

He'll break down the goddamn door if he has to.  He doesn't say a word, just snarls at Kuras and refuses to be removed from the room while MC is treated.

 (Does he fume in the corner the whole time?  Or does he hover near Kuras, distrusting the angel, accepting the proximity despite his distaste?)

 Kuras doesn't say anything either.  He just gets to work.

[moron-rights]

end cards please, an epilogue, please, I’m begging

[iaconite]

if the showrunners are smart they would have continue with the muslim armand storyline instead of brushing it off under the carpet. there's a lot of material they can use to convey his struggle with his belief, and how he try to connect with it. his view on mortality and death, align perfectly with islamic theology; a peace, and a way out where you can rest. not to mention that alienating feeling as most of us queer muslim feel, where you try your best to fit into the mold but feel like your existence is, wrong.

[cartarg]

the usual -_-

[breadhalfburnt]

good lorg.

[cyberpunkaddict]

"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly." - Langston Hughes

“I love you to the moon and back.”

Prologue, Part 1

[hurricanek8art]

Thank you @tiredassmage for the literal swift kick in the pants and behold the inaugural K8's SWTOR OC Bio extravaganza (maybe?!?! I don't know what I'm doing and I'm still not happy with this but anyways 🥴). Starting with:

Aja Verdona: The Commander

Homeworld: Naboo (birth world; Odessen (adopted)

Born: 3664BBY/21 ATC (age 21 at start; frozen in carbonite for 5 years, currently 34)

Species: Human

Occupation: Commander of the Eternal Alliance

Affiliations: Jedi Order, Eternal Alliance

Romances: Rass Ordo

Masters: Several, most prominently Connelly Draay (OC) and Orgus Din

Apprentices: Vega Kodral (OC)

Hero of Tython, Throne-breaker, Outlander, Commander—Aja Verdona has borne many titles throughout her life, but none have ever been able to outweigh her dedication and drive to protecting the galaxy. Arriving on Tython a hotheaded and arrogant young woman who was letting her 'grand destiny', her abandonment issues and her fear of failure push her to the edge, Aja found herself taken under the wing of Orgus Din. What followed was a whirlwind three years that saw her pushed to the edge of her sanity and beyond, the murder of the first Master to stick by her side despite all of her flaws and intensity, an eight-month stint as the mind-controlled pet attack dog of the Sith Emperor, and an unexpected quest to slay Vitiate once and for all. When that was undone by the actions of the Revanites several years later, Aja resumed her quest, determined to do what the Force had chosen her to do long before she was even born, leading her to mature and grow in the nearly two decades since her journey began, conquering her past anger, and defeated Tenebrae time and time again. But now that Tenebrae is gone, and new, different threats and challenges threaten to overwhelm her—the warmongering of Heta Kol, machinations of Darth Malgus, training a stubborn and determined young Padawan, and Aja's sudden, unexpected feelings for a Mandalorian warrior. Now, Aja is faced with a new question: what is she without the threat of Tenebrae constantly hanging over her head, especially now that a new prophecy threatens all she holds dear? And what will she choose to become?

[gammija]

it's a bit of a fandom joke that Martin is good at lying to authority figures (elias, peter, even jon with his CV), but i wonder if his CV is the first of it, or if he had to learn younger

we don't get a lot of info on his mum, but we do know a few things. she's stubborn, too unwell to support both herself and a child, hates Martin, awful.

Probably too proud to ever ask for help, much less from Martin, much less to weather the indignity of having to ask her only son to drop out of high school to support the both of them. So it was probably Martin's idea, and i bet he was already trying to work full time at whatever paying job he was able to get, a while before he actually officially dropped out

just leaving in the morning, after helping his mum, telling her he was going to go to school and then going to work, hoping school wouldn't call about his absences while she was awake

on a sidenote, it makes a lot of sense that he would start lying about his age specifically - minimum wage practically doubles between being 17 and 21. and when minimum wage still didn't pay enough to support two adults, well, it's a small step to try and fill up those extra years with some extra credentials

[dontvap0rdawave]

Prism can we get an Owa Owa? :D

[garyfiddlesticksdammit]

OREGON TRAIL?!?!?

i made a drawing to go with the oregon trail transcript of the three

oregon trail transcript is below... (it is long so be careful if you don't want it to take up tumblr tag space. this is a warnign)

oregon trail transcript (kind of) with 3/5 being the trio...

Adding a read more so it doesn't take up a ton of space on the tag <33 this is also literally just a game of oregon trail with haru, aoi, and shion

I wrote this a small notebook my programming class was giving out for free???? then at one point i had a bit of free time and so oregon trail with the trio happened 👍👍 this is barely actualy saihate station content jsyall konw but i thought itw as fun soo

Transcript:

-banker -grueling pace (overall) -bare bones

people > -something -haru -shion -aoi -notebook

started in April

note // I didn't transcribe it yet by this point so this is just what i remembered

shion has a broken arm

shion has exhaustion

aoi has measles

notebook has measles

haru has measles

notebook has died

-May 16, 1848 -(didn't document a location)

Weather - warm Health - very poor Food - 1008 Ibs Miles Traveled - 932

-Trail divides > Green River Crossing

aoi has measles

haru has dysentery

haru has died

-at a river > takes a ferry > safe

-found wild fruit

aoi has died

-May 28, 1848 -Soda Springs

Weather - cool Health - very poor Food - 993 Ibs Miles Traveled - 1133

-rations > meager

-found wild fruit

-pass Fort Hall

-wrong trail > lost two days

-June 10, 1848 -Snake River

Weather - cool Health - poor (!!) Food - 961 Ibs Miles Traveled - 1372

-more than halfway there :)

people > -something -shion

-at a river > hired help > safe

-wrong trail > lost five days

-rough trail

Health - poor > fair > poor (i wanted to note that fair)

-pass Fort Boise

-bad water -little water

-heavy fog > lost one day

-June 29, 1848 -Blue Mountains

Weather - cool Health - poor Food - 885 Ibs Miles Traveled - 1646

-trail divides > head for The Dalles

-little water

-wrong trail > lost two days

-inadequate grass

-July 7, 1848 -The Dalles

Weather - warm Health - poor Food - 853 Ibs Miles Traveled - 1771

-almost there (!!)

-trail divides > Take the Barlow Toll Road > pay $15 dollars

shion has measles

shion has a broken leg

-inadequate grass

-July 12, 1848 -Williamette Valley

OREGON!!

people > -something -shion

End Points Tally...

2 people in very poor health - 400

1 wagon - 50

20 oxen - 80

5 spare wagon parts - 10

8 sets of clothing - 16

200 bullets - 4

833 Ibs of food - 92

Total - 685

[whumpypepsigal]

Hi! Did you get round to watching Novocaine? I just got back from the cinema. It didn't do much for me whumpwise (it's not the same if Nate mostly walks it off) but I did really enjoy the vibes and had quite a lot of giggles at the wackiness of the situations. Jack's an absolute bumbling delight

YES I DID! it’s so good. i enjoyed it very much and jack quaid is VERY charming and like you said he is a“bumbling delight” <3!!! he played a whumpee with inability to feel pain so well. 10/10 for me.

[marclef]

THE EYHM COLLECTION GROWS!!!! managed to make some space without having to move too much so they can all be together!!

(i made the smaller ones into stickers bc i'm running out of picture frames!! hope that's ok!)

THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE WHO'S GIFTED THESE TO ME THOUGH!!! I'M CALLING ALL OF YOU OUT HERE BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!! ❤❤❤❤❤

*sharp inhale* @eskariolis-con-salsa @oddpizza @woobab @the-little-knight @moon9931 @misdreavusplush @noodletime @witch-tower-au !!!!!!!

hope you all have a good holiday season!! love you all! *MWAH*