Doing Important Research On This Fine Sunday Morning

Lila Shapiro does an amazing job at explaining Gaiman's family history with the church of scientology and how that fucked him up as a child, without ever implying that the trauma excuses his actions as a grown man. the entire article is masterfully written but that part really stuck out to me. she provides context so well but it never veers into a justification whatsoever. and that said, i also think we should pay attention to that part and talk about it. of course, primarily we should uphold the victims' voices and their experiences. but i also think we need to talk about scientology. something needs to be done about that goddamn cult. i knew about the financial blackmail and insane psychological abuse they do, but i had no idea prior to this that they punished children this way. it's fucking insane

I keep hate-reading plague literature from the medieval era, but as depressed as it makes me there is always one historical tidbit that makes me feel a little bittersweet and I like to revisit it. That’s the story of the village of Eyam.

Had a feeling Tumblr might appreciate this

bitter aloe adorned with the webs of a dome spider (Cyrtophora moluccensis)

Launching my first art blogs with a small comic based on the amazing words of Ursula K. Le Guin!

this is awesome but why did they use this pic

Spill-footed lacewing larvae, Myiodactylinae, Nymphidae, Neuroptera (related to owlflies and antlions)

Found in Australia

Adult in the same subfamily:

Photos 1-4 by normfarmerimages, 5 by tjeales, 6-8 by doggy48, 9-10 by sofiazed1, and 11 (adult) bystreglystendec

correct me if i’m wrong cos i don’t watch dune.. but i’ve seen people call paul a tragic character. except isn’t he a whole white coloniser tricking indigenous poc into believing he’s a prophet to serve his own interests? that’s inherently evil that cannot be a tragic character imo

so yes that is correct that is what happens. the tragedy is that he is a sixteen year old boy who gets a vision of this happening and he is TERRIFIED and absolutely does not want this to happen at all. He does not want the holy war he does not want to be the chosen one he initially very much wants to fight alongside the fremen as equals trying to liberate themselves from their current colonizer without becoming the messiah because they have common political cause.

And then the entire second half of the first book (and the second movie) are about the concessions he makes to himself bit by bit by bit (well it’s the only way to save his mom and sister. well it’s the only way to prevent nuclear war. well he does want his revenge. well maybe he IS special.) Until by the end he has lost 100% of his humanity, fully wants to be the messiah and is willing to manipulate people into thinking so, and has declared himself duke of arrakis in his father’s name and made a play for the imperial throne.

you’re right that it’s evil. the book and these movies agree with you. the tragedy is watching a child who desperately wanted to avoid this slowly completely lose himself to it anyways. i don’t think “tragic” and “evil” are inherently mutually exclusive.