#what is dissertation

[stargirl230]

state of you // 花城

qifrey cover redraw! because i realized what's better than drawing blorbo once is drawing blorbo four times

(no reposts; reblogs appreciated)

[bobbybobinabitch]

while we're on the subject i think we need to talk about jack abbot's quiet panic when robby is on the roof. bc robby being in his spot is Not Normal and he's trying not to freak out. and yeah he does a great job keeping that shit under wraps bc he's literally trained to stay calm under pressure. but the alarmed look in his eye. the desperate way he jumps from comedic to heartfelt to argumentative, trying to find something, ANYTHING, that he can say to get robby to step away from that ledge. the way he leans against the railing, makes himself small. creates an intimate space that invites robby to open up to him, then demands unwavering eye contact while delivering affirmations. robby talking jack down is a given, almost routine. jack talking robby down is unthinkable, and he is terrified.

[official-linguistics-post]

on reconstruction and historical linguistics

to follow up on today's reblog, i want to comment briefly on the apparent misapprehension that linguistic reconstruction is just guesswork with a fancy name, because that's not accurate!

reconstruction is based on specific, well-attested constraints of linguistic development. we know from centuries of investigation that languages tend to change in predictable ways. we also have a decent understanding of the complexities introduced by phenomena like language contact, which can result in borrowing on multiple structural levels. our methods are well established and borne out by evidence.

comparative reconstruction involves applying these known constraints ("rules") in reverse on a collected body of words in related descendant languages. when possible, we also incorporate historical written evidence, which often provides midpoint references for changes in progress. it is always recognized by historical linguists that reconstruction can be imperfect; we cannot know what information has been lost.

the results of reconstruction can be mixed, but i'll let campbell (2013:144) explain:

How Realistic are Reconstructed Proto-languages? The success of any given reconstruction depends on the material at hand to work with and the ability of the comparative linguist to figure out what happened in the history of the languages being compared. In cases where the daughter languages preserve clear evidence of what the parent language had, a reconstruction can be very successful, matching closely the actual spoken ancestral language from which the compared daughters descend. However, there are many cases in which all the daughters lose or merge formerly contrasting sounds or eliminate earlier alternations through analogy, or lose morphological categories due to changes of various sorts. We cannot recover things about the proto-language via the comparative method if the daughters simply do not preserve evidence of them. In cases where the evidence is severely limited or unclear, we often make mistakes. We make the best inferences we can based on the evidence available and on everything we know about the nature of human languages and linguistic change. We do the best we can with what we have to work with. Often the results are very good; sometimes they are less complete. In general, the longer in the past the proto-language split up, the more linguistic changes will have accumulated and the more difficult it becomes to reconstruct with full success. (emphasis mine)

or, to quote labov's (1982:20) pithier if less optimistic approach:

Historical linguistics may be characterized as the art of making the best use of bad data, in the sense that the fragments of the literary record that remain are the results of historical accidents beyond the control of the investigator.

in sum, historical linguists are very realistic about what we can achieve, but the confidence we do have is genuinely well earned, because linguistics is a scientific field and we treat our investigations with rigor.

---

Campbell, Lyle. 2013. Historical Linguistics: An Introduction. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Labov, William. 1982. "Building on Empirical Foundations." In Perspectives on Historical Linguistics. Winifred P. Lehmann and Yakov Malkiel, eds. Pp. 17-92. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

[igneous-crocnroll]

sketch I meant to post on Friday, for the last Fat Dragon Friday of the year! A relaxing, reclined lass, that regulars of this blog will certainly recognize 😉

[breadandlottery]

[mapofyourstars]

there was not a wrathful bone in this boy's body before his mama died.

[satoruxx]

who do you think would be more devoted, satoru, suguru or shoko?

oh em gee hi nonnie :333 it's been a milennia since i got a sashisu ask so i'm VERY sorry for the novel !!

well.... i think they all have their moments but most devoted would probably be suguru. AND I WILL EXPLAIN WHY !!!!

i just think suguru tends to be very selfish when it comes to love. not like.. in a bad way... but to him love means that he has already given himself to you completely. he expects it to be understood that his love runs so deep he physically cannot fathom letting you go. suguru has always been extremely loyal to what's his—whether that be his morals or his friends. i think he puts a lot of value into making connections. so for him, when it comes to love, i think he would be very steadfast in it—often finding it difficult to disentangle himself from those emotions. and i feel like that depth is what makes him the most likely to become obsessive over devotion. (like... cult leader suguru would become so fixated on the idea of devoting himself to you that it can start becoming almost parasitic) basically, suguru could absolutely devote himself completely to you, and in a normal relationship that translates into extreme and fierce loyalty. but any kind of toxic or twisted dynamic and that's turning obsessive and probably too emotionally dependent.

satoru is definitely devoted but in a very generous way. he can love you so deeply but be alright with letting you go. to him, that's the biggest act of love he can commit. he sees a lot of drawbacks in letting you be with him, so he would much rather devote himself from afar and let you live a life he probably cannot give you. in other words, his emotional investment in you may not always come across as fully attentive because his perception of dedication can be too focused on what he deems is best. satoru's devotion plays on a fine line between his loyalty to you and his loyalty to his own ideas. he has such a strong connection to his own ideals that once he perceives something, he will always do what he feels is best in that situation. the problem is that might not be the most pleasant thing for you—but if he thinks you're better off with someone else he will let you go. (see i don't think suguru would be able to do that. suguru will never be able to give you up.)

shoko's devotion is the most subtle, but i think it would be the most stable. it might take her a while to get to that stage (i don't think it's as easy for her to fall into obsession compared to the other two) but she will be dedicated to you. shoko may not be the most expressive, but she is the most emotionally grounded. she has always shown consistent loyalty to things she values, so i think her devotion to you would be dependable and pretty nurturing. i also think she has a very mature perspective on her relationship with you, and she'd be more concerned with creating and maintaining that bond. so basically... i think she'd be the most consistently devoted if that makes sense.

so yeah, suguru is the most intensely devoted, but his devotion is easy to become entangled with other emotions. satoru is devoted, but it's more external. he tends to do things for you that he feels is right. and shoko is the devoted in the most stable way.

[st0rmyskies]

What Your Favorite Link Says About You

A.k.a. The Links as tarot cards/your rising sign/your blood type.

Time

You're likely an older Zelda fan. Ibuprofen has become a food group for you. Anyone who thinks OoT isn't the greatest Zelda game has you clutching your pearls and tutting. Kids these days don't know how good they have it.

You are a person to whom young people come for advice, either in your career or in life in general. You're happy to give it, especially because you love to help, but on the inside you're silently screaming, What?? Why me???

You may have trouble sleeping through the night. Even if it's not every night, there are some where you just can't turn your brain off and worries or worst-case scenarios just keep playing and replaying ad nauseaum.

You enjoy time in solitude to appreciate the beauty of nature. I bet you know how to braid a mean daisy crown.

“The flow of time is always cruel...” - Some event in your life took your innocence from you, perhaps much too early. You grew up quickly because of it.

Legend

Either you had a crush on the emo kid in high school or you were the emo kid in high school.

You might be jaded by the world, but you still have a solid work ethic and a soft heart despite it all. Even if you hide it all beneath a healthy layer of sass.

You possess a multitude of skills, not all of which are related. Anytime a friend needs a piece of clothing mended or a picture frame hung on the wall or a leak in a faucet addressed, you have the tools and the willingness to help.

Either you have a history of moving frequently when you were young, or you have a restless spirit. You may never quite feel 'at home' in any given place.

"But, verily, it be the nature of dreams to end." - You’ve suffered a meaningful loss in your life and you have a hard time opening up again because of it. 

Hyrule

You root for the underdog, or perhaps you are the underdog. Any of those "against all odds" stories just hit you square in the chest.

Somewhat quiet by nature, you do vital work behind the scenes but you aren't the type to seek out a leadership position. Leave the limelight to somebody else, please.

You might sell yourself short when it comes to your skills and abilities, but you should believe in yourself, man! You can do it!!

You have a capricious streak in you that rears its head now and again. That smile can look sharp and devilish in the right light.

"It's dangerous to go alone!" - You either already have or are destined to find 'that one person' with whom you can open up and truly be yourself. 

Twilight

I'm willing to put money on the fact that Twilight Princess was your first Zelda game.

You have a strong sense of justice and get really bent out of shape when you encounter unfairness or flaw in the system, whatever that may be. You might be considered an outsider in some way because of this.

You're the friend who scoops spiders up in a cup and sets them outside. Live and let live.

You were the 'wolf kid' in middle school. Come on, those amazing tie dye shirts? Wolf Woman? Julie of the Wolves?? Even if you kept it inside, it was there in some way.

"Your current power would disgrace the proud green of the hero's tunic you wear." - You put a lot of stock in the opinions of others and hold yourself to a higher standard because of it. Sometimes that standard isn't achievable, though, so try to be kind to yourself. 

Sky

You, my friend, have a soft heart. You're generally a happy-go-lucky sort of person. You're likely to make excuses for those who've been mean to you in the past and come out as friends on the other side.

You're crafty, or at the very least good with your hands. You're the type to give someone a handmade gift rather than go buy something for them for their birthday, a holiday, etc.

You have a strong affinity for your friends. If anything bad were to happen to them, you'd turn violent at the drop of a hat.

You may have some level of chronic illness that affects you. Although you might do things in a different way or at your own pace, though, you still come out on top.

"You fight like no man or demon I have ever known." - You have the capability for great things. World-changing sorts of things. Don't give up!

Wild

You're some flavor of neurodivergent, if I had to guess I'd say ADHD. You have 42 tabs open in your brain at any given time and you have no idea which one the music is coming from.

You're an incredibly creative person, although you might have trouble finishing tasks/works-in-progress. Doesn't mean you didn't learn something along the way!

Rigid guidelines or deadlines stress you out. You'd rather be given a goal and decide for yourself when and how to get there. When you do have a deadline, you're a bit of a procrastinator.

Sometimes you don’t get the 'right' way to do things, but you carve your own path--although sometimes it's unorthodox--and get there in your own time.

"Courage need not be remembered, for it is never forgotten." - In spite of how your life changes you, for better or for worse, you have a driving inspiration or ethic or vocation that moves you forward at all costs.

Warriors

Those who don't know you well tend to boil you down to one or two trite traits. In reality, you contain multitudes. Most people couldn't handle all of you, not that they deserve to know even part of you.

You tend to lay it on thick--be that your charm, attitude, or whatever else your social shield might be--because you're hiding some deeper secret or insecurity at your core.

You're the mom friend or the planner in your group, or perhaps you're the oldest child. You’ll pass on an authority role if and when you can, but likely you’re still involved in some supervisory capacity in a given situation. 

You kill spiders with fire. Show NO mercy.

"You dare raise the blade of evil's bane to me? So be it. Hyrule's blood will be on your hands." - You have strong convictions and you aren't afraid to take risks, major risks, to do what you know to be right.

Four

Babe, if you ain't short, you've got short person energy. You scare me a little bit tbh.

You were praised for not being a problem child growing up, or for being very responsible at a young age.

You have a vivid imagination! You may have had an imaginary friend as a child or lived in your own little world altogether. I bet your notebook pages were strewn with little doodles in school.

You're a lover of information. If you could choose between an afternoon at the library or a movie matinee, it would be the former.

"Hanging around with you fools is dangerous for my health." - You're the snark friend, aren't you.  

Wind

You are extroverted to a fault. You need the company of others to recharge that social battery. The quintessential golden retriever friend.

You had active involvement in the music and theatre department. I'd be surprised if you weren't in at least one show in high school.

Having adventures is where it's at! You're a big fan of travel, either cross-country road trips or international flights. You could happily live out of a suitcase.

You tend to make friends easily wherever you go. If everyone in this classroom/workplace/bar doesn't know your name already, they will pretty quick.

"I have been waiting for you, boy... Do not betray my expectations.” - Against all odds, you've proven yourself to be worthy of great things. Screw what fate has in store! You're the type to take your own destiny by the 'nads.

[sentientheat]

dennis takes a mental health day x capitalist realism

iasip 16.08 - dennis takes a mental health day, mark fisher - capitalist realism

[thisantithesis]

klance fic that focuses on the time keith spent on the space whale and the horrors that he went through and then learning how to reintegrate with the team again after being gone for two years when for them it was only a couple months pls save meeeeeee

[thefirstknife]

I can’t help but feel like savathuns about to go down a familiar road as we did, but won’t get the same ending. Shes emotional, angry, had the sibling she had a chance to save ripped from her hands. She’s going to want revenge, and I think it might be the last thing she seeks.

she’s already made it clear she wants that, she’s already scheming again. But her brood is her own, cunning, wise, smart enough to know when to jump ship. Luzaku already dipped, she knew staying by sav’s side wasn’t worth it. And when the rest wise up? See their leader is sending them to die for some “revenge” for a dead family member they don’t know? Seeing her let her emotions take reign and send them into a battle they otherwise wouldn’t want? I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a call for new leadership.

would she die from this? I doubt it. She no doubt has plans for betrayal, I wouldn’t put it past her. However, shed no doubly be left without an alley at her side. I think it’d be ironic, wouldn’t it? Savathun, the hive god who wanted to break away from the “game” as she called it, got what she wanted, to not be involved in the grand scheme of things. What did it cost her? Everything… the hive god who wanted to be just “left alone” gets exactly what she craves… not a single person at her side, and not a soul to care for her.

I personally don't think she wanted to save Oryx, especially not that version of him, which was pretty much set in his ways and not entirely true to the Oryx she knew. Especially after she tried to reason with him and offered him the Light and it angered him greatly. I think that really got to her and it was probably the most honest and real she ever was, but Oryx's rejection of it made her more jaded. It was a chance, but he refused it and it's not even the Oryx she knew: the Echo was just a twisted memory of him. But I think that what she's mostly angry with us about is that we destroyed a powerful artifact that she could've used for herself in whatever way she wanted to.

Savathun's feelings about her family are complicated and she definitely feels something for them, but it's always on some condition and the level of usefulness they have for her. Savathun loves her siblings and her family, but she loves herself the most. She did not care when we killed the actual Oryx, or any of his children, or any of her children, nor does she care about a daughter she left in a time loop to infinitely die over and over.

I also think that she will be left alone with nobody at her side and nobody to care for her. And I can't find it in me to feel sorry for her. She rejected every single option to be reached and to change and to do better. Her whole angry speech was entirely hollow to me. Her telling us that we crossed a line? Her calling us "the Traveler's pet"?

This is, btw, incredible for me narratively, Savathun is SUCH a good character, genuinely one of the best characters in the whole story. Her hypocrisy and manipulation and the ways she affected the universe are peak. But I think that at the end of the day, she can't keep getting away with it, so to speak. After all that in the finale, I am really hoping that one day she will be dealt with like everybody else who thrived on destruction, atrocities and suffering of others. Unless, of course, she decides she's had enough of that and finally embraces the second chance she got.

And all of this is what makes her probably the most compelling character in the whole franchise. I really do want to see unhinged Savathun from now on, and also how she'll deal with Xivu and how Xivu will deal with her.

[samepicofgarnet]

I will reveal the answer at the end of this week

[madhels-enby-boyfriend]

And what if I said that Madeline ‘stole’ all of Helen’s boyfriends not because she wanted them or to hurt her (though if we’re being honest she did love that side effect) but because that is her Helen and the idea of her being with someone else and leaving her/loving and being loved by someone else, was absolutely unbearable.

Like yes part of the reason she ‘stole’ Ernest was because she hated Helen having a better life than her, but I think an equally big part of the reason was that she’s just possessive, jealous, and can’t stand the idea of Helen having someone other than her.

[real-batman-thinker]

People say that dc stands for disregard canon and haha yes funny but also let’s talk about that. It’s is literally a modern mythology!

(Spoiler: I can love and hate Bruce Wayne and all of your headcanons are actually canon)

The idea of “canon” is actually quite new in terms of human storytelling goes. Especially before we started writing non-religious texts, we have spent centuries we were telling ourselves and our communities the variations of the same stories over and over again.

Our memories aren’t perfect and the stories aren’t being told in a vacuum. This meant that each version shifted to meet the storyteller, story receiver, and the context in which it’s told.

This meant that while there was some nebulous core that all the variants of a story floated around, there was a level of flexibility embedded into the medium.

That’s why, for example, we can see so many different variations of Greek myths all claiming to be the “real truthful version” of the myth. It’s not that alternative versions of the myth were lies or uninformed, it’s just that the myth was too big to be held by any one story.

Similarly, DC comics and their characters have been in public imagination for 100~ years. These stories and characters are MASSIVE. There is no possible way to contain it all in one story, and that wouldn’t be fun or impactful, hence, why they are always resetting things.

It is also helpful to think about collective storytelling and the fact that even specific comic runs are rarely the result of one individual lone wolfing it out.

So if we know that the DC world is too big to be confined to a single story, that those stories are collectively created, AND that stories exist to fill needs – then all our fan speculation here is contributing to the myth of the DC characters!

If there is a need for themes/strengths/moral lessons that speak to the tumblr audience and if the story can fit, and still be identified as being in line enough with the original myth, that it is a part of the mythology (as simple as that)!

And I know there tends to be this weird reverence for commercialized work (and an inverse undervaluing of the importance of fan works), BUT with how long DC has been running it is likely that every person who has been contributing to the comics (at least for the past forty years) was once a fan. It has always been fan-work.

But yeah, as long as you can make a compelling argument for it’s connection to the nebulous story core (and such arguements whether implicit or explicit are necessary for any head canon/interpretation to go viral on this website) then you are joining your ancestors in a long line of contribution to mythology!

Happy myth making :)

[regulusrules]

To AJ Barner who wrote an entire PhD dissertation about fanfiction:

if you are here on tumblr, please i just want to talk (AND YOUR AO3 ACCOUNT)

From: "I Opened a Book and in I Strode": Fanfiction and Imaginative Reading

Edit: check the reblogs to see the series of me trying to find the fic

[lacorse]

i think they should make up and choose gay love .... something something love conquers all