#seldom to the good

[lightdancer1]

Next book on the list done and that means I get to beat one of my favorite dead horses

The ghost of Cannae, in particular, and the idea of military historians admiring the flamboyant loser of wars over the more successful and less flamboyant winners. Hannibal Barca, the greatest Carthaginian general in the history of the great Carthage, cast a very long shadow with his most famous victory, and the first double envelopment in military history. He also signally lost the war.

The reasons for this stem from much of the more flawed elements of prior military cultures and what they chose to focus on, or to not focus on, and why they did. I admit that, I can freely see it. Cannae, Chancellorsville, and Austerlitz make sterling narratives. The ability of the victors to negate all that by careful use of political-strategic and logistic abilities to raise and supply troop numbers too large to be broken do not.

Thus the Punic Wars are defined by the man who did much to ruin the great Carthage in pursuit of a vendetta where he did win some of the most spectacular victories over Rome, and not by the Soviet-style ability of the Roman Republic to go 'destroy three armies? Here's six more, all of them larger than the ones you beat at such staggering cost fuck your mother.'

And that ultimately is the reality of these wars, as Goldworthy lays out. The Republic raised colossal armies and fought wars for victory or 'Carthago Delenda Est.' The price for this was equally colossal, setting in motion the rise of professional private armies loyal to the military strongmen whose battles culminated at Actium and the rise of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty and the first phase of the Roman Empire ruled by the Emperors.

And this too is a lesson that could and should have been emphasized in the military histories and academies of times past and almost never really is. The price of victory can be as ruinous and transformative as the price of defeat. Wars are not things to be embarked on lightly, and they unleash forces that are not readily controlled even by the victors, while the price of defeat can be unaffordable.

10/10

[natjennie]

my favorite blooper? thanks for asking I think it's the one when fanny goes "ooaauuuhh prophylactic." and pat says "you what?" and fanny goes "a gentleman's sheath" and then ben breaks and jim looks at the camera like this.

[wowitsverycool]

sigh...................... i think we need to get 2016 undertale fandom levels of annoying. we need to take drastic measures. i want ISAT not just to be popular but to be NOTORIOUS. do you understand. do you understand me

[holisticfansstuff]

Bravo!

[rainbowgaez]

one thing about being a trans woman in a male dominated space is that before you start transitioning (and early into it), you will just be off-putting to other men. it sucks, but in my experience that just made it easier to avoid people i probably wouldn't have gotten along with anyway.

however, after you hit a certain threshold in transition and performative presentation, you become fly tape for the most desperate kind of weird guys imaginable. you might think this is an improvement. it's better to be liked than shunned and cold-shouldered—and it's hard to argue with that—but the thing about these weird dudes is that they are often not very perceptive, introspective or self-aware, and that complicates an already complicated situation.

you see, they are parched. for weeks, months, years, they've been searching for a pretty girl who they believe is as verifiably skilled and knowledgeable as they think they are. and after suffering through the sweltering sausage desert that is their hobby or interest, they've stumbled upon an oasis. they become infatuated, assured their journey has come to an end so long as they can flatter and impress their way into your heart, something they're woefully confident in their ability to achieve usually. their narrow view of reason is eclipsed because something girl shaped is the perfect size to obscure it.

this is something that pretty much any femme presenting person has probably had to deal with at some point, but as a trans woman it has placed me in this really awkward spot multiple times. most of the time it comes down to two questions:

do they know, and are they going to be weird about it?

i know, ideally, it wouldn't matter, and hopefully i can just turn down their advances and they'll take a hint and fuck off. but that's just the ideal scenario, and like i said earlier, these guys aren't good at picking up hints.

so if they persist, it's like. what do i do? do i tell them in hopes they'll lose interest? that's just one possibility out of several that come from doing that. earlier when i asked "are they going to be weird about it," it's important to mention "weird" means more than one thing in this context. are they suddenly going to start acting angry and violent toward me as if my personal existence is an attempt to deceive them? are they going to become more interested and thereby even harder to make go away? did they somehow already know and that's why they were interested in the first place?

all questions i never want to have to ask nor do i want answered but things i feel i have to occupy myself with to make sure i don't end up in an even worse situation

[canisalbus]

I've followed your art for I think a handful of years now across a few accounts/platforms and while I always admired and love your art, i just wanted to say how much I ADORE your Vasco and Machete art. They bring me so much joy and I keep sending them to my girlfriend who isn't on Tumblr. I love learning more about them!! I love seeing them interact!!! I want to know more but I'm awful at coming up with Good Questions so also a big thank you to the other people prompting more art and info about them!!

That's so sweet, thank you! I'm glad to hear you like them! ;_;

Somehow it always makes me just a little bit emotional when people tell me they're showing my art to their non-tumblr friends and family.

[nyctoheart]

I’m not watching another hollywood animated movie again unless it has the same level of outside-the-box creativity put into Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

[apostate-in-an-alcove]

I genuinely don't get what you people see in The Secret History cause the hype around it sure as fuck was wrong.

[siena-sevenwits]

.

[rainoverthewindow]

Best Buds

[punchandspade]

I have no immunity against Lucas Gregorowicz in Der Pass. They came at me with glasses. I had no chance at all.

[buildarocketboys]

btw if you somehow in the year of our lord 2023 haven't listened to elbow's seminal, mercury prize-winning 2008 album the seldom seen kid then what are you doing?! go listen to it right now!

[shokos-lazy-life]

Guys....guys...about the Kamados...

Also spoilers!

Just finished reading this damn sobfest manga and a question here,specifically about the dad,

as in are we sure Tanjuro,the Kamado patriarch,didn't die because he overtaxed himself with the Sun Breathing?

We sure he didn't die because of the demon slayer mark or something?

Like it's never specified what age he was when he died but he seemed young if ill and the Kamado's wouldn't know that they are essentially performing superhuman and really taxing feats,yeah?

Like Tanjiro specified his father had the same damn mark he himself is developing and Hinokami Kagura is essentially just Sun Breathing for dummies so...?

I mean the official reason for the death of the Kamado patriarch is basically an unspecified illness and I am totally ready to accept that too!

Don't get me wrong this story is tear jerking enough without the implications of the blessing of inhuman strength also basically being a curse for everyone involved.

But yeah this thought won't leave me alone and since I am sick right now and possibly delirious if this post makes no sense I apologize.

But really,realistically Kamado's wouldn't know what the damn breathing is and anyone else would have just called a random wasting sickness.

At the same time,they did live on a mountain so maybe the dad just caught pneumonia or something?

But like he was wrestling bears at one point and dancing the Hinokami for hours apparently,and Tanjiro describes that as actual debilitating pain and a stamina and strength sapping effort of only pulling one of the forms,imagine dancing it consecutively for hours?

Man no wonder Tanjiro just seems to be so good at this too!

He had the most difficult form of breathing as a yearly tradition!

No but really this damn breathing form and breathing in general was dropping people left and right and most of the Hashiras got their mark in the end but imagine being a normal man and pulling this superhuman bullshit as a yearly tradition that lasts hours?

Damn the entire Kamado family is something else.

It also gives credence to that whole adage about no hero ever had a happy life but thankfully we had the power of friendship on our side.

In other words Kamado's are crazy but that's nothing new.

On the side note,apparently the realest and smartest person here is evidently Tengen.

Man came there,saw,conquered and dipped.

No but really how pissed of would you be if you basically killed this world's version of basically Satan and then the very thing that gave you the strength to do it,kills you?

It's probably nothing and I hope it was just some random illness or something but jeez the coincidence and implications are not giving me any joy.

[fluffypotatey]

personally, i like to imagine during the beginning of “Done For”, Ody’s crew is just running around the room as little piglets while he’s questioning Circe about what happened to them

[canisalbus]

Vasco makes me so happy c': his soft eyes, warm tones and just everything about him makes me feel so warm UGH. And I adore his clothing style too. He just seems like such a sweet lad oh my! Thank you for sharing your beautiful characters with us <33

Thank you! I'm glad he brightens your days! ;_;

I keep thinking how doglike he is in the way he acts. He's excitable, emotional, humorous and has a certain freeness to him. He may get sad or angry occasionally but bounces back quickly. He's friendly to everyone unless given a good reason not to. He loves his favorite people fiercely and unconditionally.

[izayoichan]

On good days, and on bad days, always talk. 🎶

(poses by @herecirmsims )