Really? This broad can’t think of one time Jesus got in trouble with the law? Like, once? Where it maybe led to a pretty significant consequence? Not once?
the fact that she equates “breaking the law” with “sin” perfectly fucking encapsulates the religious right in America
He was crucified Paula.
boy literally sacked a church because they were charging people to pray in a church and refusing to do business with disabled people
i love prince eric. from the little mermaid. he’s hilarious. because he seems like one of the most mild-mannered and unassuming princes in the disney canon, but he is also one of the few to actively kill the bad guy. most disney villains die by consequence of the final battle but are not directly killed by the hero/heroine. most of them fall to their deaths or cause their own demise, and sometimes the hero is indirectly responsible because they’ll launch them into that direction or something, but they still don’t bring knife to heart directly.
but then a couple do. and prince eric is my fave out of those few because up until the final act, he is the most chill motherfucker u ever seen. like he is quick to spring to action during the storm scene n stuff, but otherwise? he’s really quiet n sensitive and runs along the beach playing the flute for his big shaggy dog n he smiles like a lil nerd and gets all cute around ariel and he’s so sweet n everything.
AND THEN IN THE FINAL BATTLE THAT MOTHERFUCKER STRAIGHT UP DRIVES A SHIP THROUGH URSULA LIKE WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!! NO WONDER NO ONE IS TRYIN TO LAY SIEGE TO HIS KINGDOM!! ALL THE NEIGHBOURS ARE LIKE “HOLY SHIT DON’T GO THERE! PRINCE ERIC IS A BEAST! HE’LL STRAIGHT UP DRIVE A BOAT THROUGH YOUR BITCH!”
i love him
At the beginning of the movie Prince Eric, without hesitation, jumps into the ocean, in the middle of a storm, and climbs onto a ship that’s on fire, all to rescue his dog.
Then when he’s convinced some mystery woman saved him, he starts looking for her just to thank her. On his way, he meets some mute naked teenage girl who can’t even walk or dress herself, confirms that she’s not the girl he’s looking for, then brings her to stay at his castle anyway, for no particular reason.
No one questions this, just like they don’t question when he shows up three days later with a mysterious woman one morning and says he’s getting married that same day. At said wedding, several witnesses see his fiance turn into a sea monster, which he then murders by piloting a submerged ship pulled up from the bottom of the ocean straight into her.
A week later, he marries the mute girl and the god of the sea himself rises from the ocean to give his blessings. Again, no one questions this.
I’m convinced that Eric had to have done some crazy insane stunts on a regular basis, cause despite him being so chill and relaxed normally, no one bats an eyelash at any of his ridiculous decisions or incredible feats during the course of the film. Clearly they’re all used to it, and rumours of him marrying an ocean princess would only dissuade potential enemies of his country even further.
a common conversation around the kingdom:
“Did you hear what Prince Eric did this morning?”
“Oh gods, not again.”
prince eric is a retired epic level player character
Student: I can’t find any scholarly articles on this subject!
Me: Okay, what’s the subject?
Student: Creating a culture of sharing in west-coast technological companies.
Me: Alright, and what/where have you tried searching?
Student: I searched “creating a culture of sharing in west-coast technological companies” on the library website!
Me:
I’m still mad about this because it happens frequently. Students at all levels of education need library and research instruction–they should get it before graduating high school, they should be getting it in several different classes in college, and there should be something in grad school–seriously, there are people in my master’s program who don’t know anything besides Google.
And don’t say “they should have learned in [previous level of university education].” Do you think every person continues education within a few years of their first degree? THEY DON’T. Even if they did get a then-good introduction to research, you think nothing changed between 2008 and 2018? How about the doctoral student I met today whose last degree–and last experience with academic libraries–was in 1996? How about the guy in my master’s cohort who got his bachelor’s degree in 1987?
Because look. See that very specific topic the student wanted? There may or may not be actual scholarly articles about it. But here are a few things you can do:
First, zoom out. Start broad. Pick a few phrases or keywords, like “tech companies” and “culture.” See what comes up.
Actually, back up. First, does your library’s website search include articles, or do you have to go into a database? My library’s website searches some of our 200+ databases, but not all. And you’ll need to find (in advance search or adjustable limiters that pop up after your initial search) how to limit your search to scholarly and/or peer-reviewed articles.
What other keywords are related or relevant? For the search above, you could use a combination of “silicon valley,” “company/ies” or “organization/s,” “sharing,” “collaborative,” “workplace culture,” “social culture,” “organizational culture,” and those are just the ones I can come up with off the top of my head.
Did you find something that looks promising? Great! What kind of subjects/keywords are attached (usually to the abstract, sometimes in the description section of the online listing)? Those can give you more ideas of what to search. Does it cite any articles? Look at those! Some databases (ilu ProQuest) will also show you a selection of related/similar articles.
If you’re researching a very specific topic, you may not find any/many articles specifically about your subject. You may, for example, have to make do with some articles about west-coast tech companies’ work cultures, and different articles about creating sharing/collaborative environments.
That said, this student did the right thing: they tried what they knew to do, and then reached out for help.
They tried what they knew to do, and then reached out for help.
I get goddamn professors pulling this shit, there is not one single level in the academy where research literacy isn’t lacking.
Concept: an RPG setting including a nation that overthrew the vile Sorcerer-Kings several generations ago after a thousand years of subjugation and instituted a modified form of anarcho-syndicalism, but, well, by then the Aesthetic had become a part of their culture – and radical reform of political institutions is one thing, but some things are more stubborn!
Architecture consists primarily of storm-lashed spires of obsidian and (ethically sourced!) bone, the interiors of which are mostly filled with comfortably appointed apartments, including heavy soundproof window-covers to muffle the frequent thunder.
Fashion tends toward voluminous hooded cloaks, which are eminently practical, given the near-constant grimy drizzle. Fashion also tends toward an excess of thick leather belts and chunky metal buckles, the latter typically fashioned to resemble skulls and leering demonic faces; these are less practical, though as a result few denizens ever find themselves without a handy spot to secure a tool or pouch.
The languages spoken much resemble those of neighbouring nations, though most of the men (and a growing number of women) practice a trick of speaking with a booming sepulchral echo that non-natives can never seem to get the hang of. Many elders also work on perfecting their shrill cackles in their free time.
People carry “skeleton donor” cards indicating their consent to have their remains reanimated after death. Animated skeletons require no luxuries and dislike idleness, but they’re required to take every third day off anyway; most of them spend those days staging elaborate pantomimes and engaging in musical duels with whatever instruments they can get their phalanges on that require neither breath nor skin.
The harbour is patrolled by a tame leviathan that in all honesty would probably just run away if anyone ever mounted a serious assault, but thus far nobody has been willing to test that theory. It quite enjoys having its gills scritched, a predilection that often unnerves visiting mariners.
Every Winter Solstice a volunteer puts on the spiky armour and the ridiculous hat and runs through the streets while village children chase after her and hit her with sticks, and a grand time is had by all.
Do they have a play about the Vile Sorcerer-King and about how his rule was not legitimate just because some watery tart threw a scimitar at him?
They do have that play, but it’s about the immortal Paladin-Queen who rules the nation across the mountain range next door.
(Not actually a terrible place to live, for the most part, but its philosophy of governance definitely emphasises the “Lawful” half of “Lawful Good”; many of its institutions are borderline authoritarian socialist, which leads to some very lively debates at diplomatic events.)
Of course, not only humans inhabit these bleak lands: in the mist-shrouded forests dwell the spider-folk.
Spider-folk include both burrow-dwelling hunters and tree-dwelling web-builders; the smallest are about the size of a housecat, while the largest could give your average dragon a square fight.
Under the reign of the Sorcerer-Kings, the spider-folk were petty nobility, and lorded over the human peasantry with an iron claw. They occupy a more equal station now, of course, and though any true bad blood between the two peoples is generations past, humans still frequently stereotype spider-folk as arrogant and prissy – which, in complete fairness, they often are!
Spider-folk culture is famously litigious. Mock trials are a favourite pastime among their young, and high-profile lawsuits draw large crowds of spectators to witness their thunderous objections and head-spinning reversals. It’s unclear to human observers whether these proceedings represent a functioning legal system or a kind of performance art; in truth, it’s a bit of both.
Though they have little use for clothing, spider-folk are rarely seen without their elaborate and faintly absurd hats. It’s speculated that these were originally adopted in the aftermath of the Sorcerer-Kings’ downfall in order to appear less threatening to humans – it’s difficult to be afraid of someone in a silly hat, after all – but these days it’s simply expected.
Capitalism is only sustainable through a system of violence and social control
I still have a copy of the t*rget team lead guide to dealing with union activity that I nicked from the office when I worked there, it’s mostly the same stuff but it also revealed just how much of their management tactics were intended to frustrate any unionizing activity. For instance, they said that cross-training in multiple departments was the best way to get reliable hours, and encouraged everyone to do it; according to the manual, however, it was their way of keeping departments mixed up and jumbled, making it impossible for any single department to unionize (and forcing anyone who wanted to unionize to get the entire store to do it).
And that’s just part what the store managers are taught. Throughout, it mentions holding off on action and consulting a labor relations officer in the company on how to proceed. Who knows what kind of shady shit the people a step above do?
If you’re in retail and wondering how to go about unionizing, contact an existing retail workers union.
They are all very familiar with the anti-union tactics of retail owners and managers, and will have some advice for you, some literature to distribute, and strategies to counter these tactics. It has historically been extremely hard for retail and fast food employees to unionize specifically because the owners and managers keep us scared, disorganized, and are happy to fire us for unionizing, labor laws be damned. Their entire business model hinges on us being overworked and underpaid. Contact a union for help organizing in your store.
Okay so here’s something that I feel people never take into consideration when using this example- if the cup was full prior, and you poured out half of it, it is totally valid for it to be seen as half empty, and if prior the cup was empty, it would totally make sense that someone would view it as half full. So be aware that past experiences have an affect on how people view things and you telling them to “look on the bright side” is just another way of saying “conform to my mindset”.
there’s going to be a difference sometimes between the stories that you find masterfully crafted and the stories that mean a lot to you personally and those two things don’t have to overlap completely or even at all to make that story worthwhile
and that’s a good thing to remember as a reader/viewer/etc but also as a writer because even if whatever you ultimately write is full of mistakes, someone out there is gonna take it so to heart that it fundamentally changes them as a person. and that is. Huge.
Plot Designing 