Milevens, with all due respect, what's wrong with you?
I've been going around in circles for fifteen minutes trying to find your opinions on the ship, why you like it, what you would have liked to see more of, or how you would have improved the ending, but all I find are criticisms of Byler.
Where are your multi-paragraph essays, headcanons, theories, predictions...?
Did you hide them, do you have a secret password, or what? I need character analysis and I don't have time to spend another fifteen minutes searching.
Tell me where they are.
Help.
You know technology literacy is dying because I saw this meme with 76k likes
F11 the full screen button? You’re scared of the full screen button? F10?? It opens the menu bar???
Computers are so scary what if I accidentally hit F12 in a steam game and it takes a screenshot. What if I press shift + F12 while in word and accidentally save my document 😖
it's healthy for academics to have professional feuds. enrichment activity
Holy shit. "The demese ef the Ne'enderthels: Wes lengege a fecter?" published in the Science magazine
short but sweet
You guys do know you're supposed to reblog things, right
"well i like this post but i'm worried my followers might not" fuck your followers. The entire point of tumblr is to cause irreparable psychic damage to your followers. We are locked in mortal combat on the astral plane. You must win. You Must Win. You Must Destroy Them.
The Buddhist Roots of Air Nomad Pacifism
Since my post on bodhisattavas seems to have a lot of fans, I’m going to talk a little about Air Nomad pacifism and how it relates to Buddhist ideals, particularly this idea called ahimsa.
Ahimsa isn’t exclusive to Buddhism—it also is common in Hinduism and Jainism; its most famous practitioner, Mahatma Gandhi, was a Jain.
Here’s the definition I found on the Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia:
“Ahimsa means Kindness and non-violence [sic] towards all living things including Animals [sic]; it respects living beings as a unity, the belief that all living things are connected.”
This seems very similar to the philosophy that Aang believes in, where life is valuable even in “the tiniest spider-fly caught in its own web.” (Sozin’s Comet Part 2: The Old Masters.)
Aang further notes that he “only uses violence in necessary defense”. While this may seem contradictory to complete pacifism, the Tibetan Encyclopedia further notes that “ahimsa recognizes self-defense when necessary.” So Aang was not betraying his beliefs or being a hypocrite because he often participated in combat.
There appear to be differences between Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain conceptions of ahimsa; since the Air Nomads are heavily inspired by Buddhist societies like the Tibetans, Bhutanese, and Shaolin monks, we’ll focus on the Buddhist version.
Buddhist monks are traditionally vegetarian. Some are permitted to eat meat so long as the animal has not been specifically killed for them. Aang and the Air Nomads don’t appear to fall under that category, since he objects to the idea of eating meat in “The Headband” when he knows that the food was clearly not designed with him in mind. This style of vegetarianism is more common among Jains than Buddhists.
A common anti-Aang argument I’ve seen is that Aang is a hypocrite because he objects to killing Ozai when he does things throughout the series that could very easily have killed people. Putting aside whether or not this is true, it wouldn’t necessarily make him hypocritical. This is particularly true if we look at the Theravada interpretation. (Yes, Tibetan Buddhism is closer to Mahayana, but as we all know ATLA’s inspirations are as mixed-up as its animals.)
According to the Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia—which admittedly may not be a good source for Theravada information, please correct me if this is wrong—in order for killing to produce bad karma, the person doing it must have intent to kill. Thus, while accidental deaths in battle may not be fully aligned with ahimsa, it would be unlikely to give bad karma unless Aang was fully aware of what he was doing. As we all know that Aang is twelve, this is unlikely. It’s especially unlikely when talking about the time he merged with the Ocean Spirit, because he had very little control there.
Under the above discussion, the only killing that would induce truly bad karma would be the death of the buzzard wasp, and that occurred when Aang was under a great deal of stress.
Another thing that intrigues me: Avatar Yangchen’s speech that Aang should “sacrifice his own spiritual needs for that of the world” seems to suggest that he should accept the bad karma that would come with killing Ozai if that is the only way for the world to be safe. That’s a…pretty bold statement.
I’m glad Aang didn’t choose that route. You should be, too, because my limited research suggests that Buddhist monks who kill others cease to be monks. In an entirely monastic culture like the Air Nomads, you can imagine how horrible such a fate would sound.
(Given that in the prequel books, Jesa’s airbending is weakened after she violates the Air Nomad’s belief systems, I suspect ahimsa and airbending ability are deeply intertwined. If Aang had killed Ozai, his bending might well have been irreversibly damaged.)
And, of course, as not just the Avatar but also the last airbender, Aang’s responsibilities are greater than most. If he were to kill Ozai—and thus possibly lose connection with huge chunks of his culture (monasticism and bending), he wouldn’t have been able to truly raise Tenzin in Air Nomad traditions, and the entire culture would have been lost. Sure, airbending came back after Harmonic Convergence, but without actual living Air Nomads like Tenzin and his kids, they would have been a completely different culture.
So I’m happy Aang stuck to his beliefs. I’m happy he didn’t kill Ozai. And I think you all should be happy, too.
does anyone remember that post someone made tracking the full moons in atla to establish a pretty accurate timeline of events? wanna hook a girl up?
23 years old and I just made the connection that people on the northern hemisphere have a different view of the moon than people on the southern hemisphere.
I was a whole like, 40ish years old when I went to the equatorial region for the first time. My North American ass went to Colombia and first off, could not fuckin handle the fact that while it felt like summer (80-90F, humid), the sun went down on the dot of 6pm every night and rose at 6am every morning. There I was at 7pm fully beliving it was midnight, because it was both dark and hot. Like, I'm used to early dark! but it's cold when it's dark early! I could NOT handle it.
And then, there in the dark, pitch-midnight-summer-black at 7pm, up pops this lovely crescent moon and it is
fucking SIDEWAYS
i had NEVER EVER EVER realized, despite knowing my whole life that the moon is a spherical object rotating around Earth, also a spherical object, that it would be at different angles from different spots on Earth.
It's the MOON! How can it be DIFFERENT! My poor patient partner drew me a diagram and I was like listen I know all of that but I cannot actually handle it. Nobody warned me the moon looks different.
So yeah my feeble mind was BLOWN, all y'all world travelers/residents can laugh at me now. Knowing it is one thing, experiencing it is something else, and I did NOT see it coming.
I remember being in the pagan scene in my twenties and being faintly annoyed by the omnipresent triple moon symbol: )O(
... because I'm from the southern hemisphere and it Doesn't Look Like That here. And (O) does not look anywhere near as cool.
The wikipedia article on Lunar Phases has really cool videos of the moon’s phases this year for both the northern and southern hemispheres! It’s highly detailed and shows how not only are the phases different in shadow but also that the face of the moon looks different in each hemisphere too!
Also a big fan of this diagram which shows the phases at more specific latitudes (including the “sideways” look at the equator!):
If I were in academia I would love to do some proper research into if and how the differing appearances of the moon's phases impact the mythologies and folklores of different parts of the world.
I swear I'm not crazy. I've lived my whole life in the Southern Hemisphere and grew up seeing the phases as they do in the Northern Hemisphere. Now, suddenly, after the pandemic, the phases are appearing as they do in the Southern Hemisphere. It's ridiculous, but it's driving me crazy because it seems like no one else has noticed, and I spent my entire childhood/early adolescence obsessed with the universe, so you can't tell me I just wasn't paying attention or that I'm confused 🙃
The problem with having a child with an attorney that has spoken to the child like an adult since birth is that she's 4 years old and she's negotiating the order in which we're going to complete tasks as a family to best suit her idea of an ideal day.
Penny: We go home, we play the mirror game, we have dessert, we play more games, we have fun deal?
Me: Okay well actually we're going to go home, have dinner, then dessert, then we can play your video game, then tubby then bed
Penny: Okay no tubby, games first, deal?
Me: This is not - what is happening right now?
Penny: Dada?
Dada: Arbitration?
Penny: DEALS!
Every single thing in our lives has become a negotiation and it is frankly ridiculous as it is hilarious.
Penny: I want to use bare foot when we go outside
Me: I didn't know we were going outside but you have to wear shoes girl
Penny: okay but what about I use bare foot's but at Penny's house? This deal?
Me: you know what yeah fine if you agree to not fight about shoes when we leave the house you can be barefoot in the back yard, deal.
Penny: -sticks her hand out expectantly- we deal?
I think I just made a verbal contract with a 4 year old.
She's attempting to establish evidence I think
Penny: but I want to go shool pwease
Dada: okay well it is 8pm, so you have to go to sleep now
Penny: okay but I see my fwiends at shool now please, deal?
Dada: Darling no one is at school, all your friends are asleep as well.
Penny: all Penny's fwiends are sweep? What about we... get in Dadas car and check to see watch them sweep, yes deal?
Dada: I cannot begin to explain to you why that can not happen
The great thing about being beholden to Penny the Deals Warlock is that she is also beholden to the art of the deal
Me: (watching Penny scoot her step stool over to where we keep the candy jar): hey honey we're literally walking out the door to go get dinner, maybe we wait on the candy okay?
Penny: Oh but I will have some candy?
Me: Why don't you come have some mac and cheese and then when we get home you can have some candy, deal?
Penny: (running out the door) oh, yes this is deals!
We are visiting my family and Papa has quickly had to pay patronage to Penny the Deals Warlock
Papa: (yesterday morning, when Penny was a little grumpy) What about you come downstairs and we'll have some waffles and then tomorrow Papa will take you to the Diner in town for breakfast?
Penny: (extending her tiny hand to a VERY confused man) this is deal?
Papa: (not knowing hes entering a literal contract) uhm yeah deal.
-smash cut to 6:30 AM this morning-
Penny (running down the hallway in bare feet) 👹BREAKFAST DEALS👹
Penny has a canker sore to end all canker sores, to the point where she hasn't been able to eat so we had to make some deals surrounding getting some medicine on it because a hungry Penny Rose is like a angry demon queen
Me: Okay baby this is going to suck. This is going to hurt real bad for a second and then it's going to feel weird and then it's going to feel good. You're going to hate it. But if you let Mama get these three medicines in and on you [Listerine, Antacid, Tylenol] you can scream it out and then we'll go get some ice cream! Deal?
Penny: (obviously not thrilled with this idea) okay, three big shreams, three medicines, ice cream ... it will suck... ice cream ... deal. (Sticks out hand and we shake on it)
Me: okay let's do this I'm so sorry (starts the process)
Penny: ( In between her big screams ) IM GONNA GET LOTS OF FRINKLES
My husband is trying to make a deal with Penny to get upstairs and get in the bath tub
Penny: I will go upstairs and get my body clean but you hafta titch me, deal?
Dada: I would love to make this deal with you kid but I literally have no idea what you are saying- I don't know what the terms are, you're speaking a language I don't speak
Penny: you have to titch me like mama does okay DEAL!? (Sticks tiny hand out aggressively)
Dada: (looks at me bewildered for help)
Me: ( starts making a quick tick tick tick sound imitating a stop watch like I'm timing her, while penny jumps around yelling YES TITCH ME LIKE THAT)
Dada: In what world was I ever going to figure that out, thank you for acting as our legal interpreter yes deal let's go!
and off she sprints.
Penny does not want to go to bed, but man is it time for her to go to bed
Penny: But I don't want to be sleeping, I want to stay up now! I want to see Grampy and Cozy and Guppie and Papa!
Mama: What if we video call all the grands and say good night to everyone? If we do that will you then go to bed no fussing?
Penny: Oh yes, this is deals! -sticks her hand out to shake-
** we make the rounds and video call all her grandparents, they are all already in bed and say good night and penny hangs up the last video call and toddles into bed with minimal fussing **
Penny : (after a few minutes of silence, over the video monitor, to herself in her dark bedroom) I hafta respect da deals.
Every morning Penny wakes up, and she asks if we have decorated her house with "Halloween every where" and every morning I have had to tell her not yet baby but soon. This last morning Penny had to go to pre k a little earlier then she is used to cause Daddy had court and I had a dentist appointment, which made her a little bummed out... or so I thought
Me: Hey baby do you want to make a deal about school?
Penny: (immediately sticks out her hand, literally no hesitation, her entire demeanor changing in an instant) yes let's deals, I will be big and brave and go to school no fussing, and you will put Halloween every where all over my house, okay this is deals Mama??
I think I just got hustled by a 4 year old...
A tangentially related update :
Penny: (is doing some strange interpretive dance to let us know she's not a fan of the cup we've chosen to put her juice in, mind you this is the only clean cup at this moment. She is hopping up and down, and swinging her arm like an elephant trunk, she is pirouetting, her hands are on her hips. Shes is completely silent)
Husband: (exasperated) okay but DID you make a deal with SOMETHING while you were pregnant ? It's the only explanation I can come up with.
sometimes people will ask me if penny is still making deals and here is an update for you to let you know:
Husband: okay, you can not leave your room until someone comes and gets you okay? You're getting up way too early and we're guests in Papa and Guppies house so you stay and play in your room and someone will come get you when you can come out of your room tomorrow morning, deal?
Penny: (hand extended, plotting) deal
-smash cut to the next morning, penny is NOT in her room at the allotted 7:30 AM retrieve Penny Rose Time, we find her in bed cuddled up with my mom and dad watching a movie-
Penny: (hands out in a "calm down" gesture) LISTEN LISTEN I DIDNT LEAVE! I DIDNT- I didn't break da deals! I just knocked on the door until Papa came and got me.
Papa: (laughing hysterically) WELL DONT SNITCH!
Penny: I DIDNT DO NOTHING I KEPT MY DEALS! YOU JUS SAID SOMEONE HAD TO COME GET ME! PAPA COME GET ME!
(so we have to be insanely detailed in our deals because she did knock on her bed room door and yell PAPA! PAPA! PAPA! At 4:30 in the morning until my dad came and got her and you know what that's on us 🤣)
presenting: seasons 1-5 cumulative merthur data analysis
+ data visualisation:
here are the final findings:
- arthur glances at merlin’s mouth 209 times. merlin returns 108. arthur remains the thirstier participant from pilot to finale, at no point did this gap meaningfully close. arthur pendragon may be a king, but statistically speaking, he is also the most embarrassing participant in this show. that’s just science.
- merlin’s slutty little neck appears 144 times, with 127 of those occurring in seasons 1-2 alone. the dramatic collapse after season 2 leads to a near-total disappearance of The Throat in seasons 3-5. this decline also coincides with the upward trend in merlin’s homicide rate beginning in season 3. this data strongly suggests an inverse relationship between throat exposure and his emotional stability: as his hope and happiness diminishes, both his body count and his neckerchief rises.
- arthur makes physical contact with merlin 312 times across the series: 250 instances of normal human contact and 62 incidents classified as Freak Behaviour (thrown objects, aggressive manhandling, and weapon-adjacent foreplay).
- for two characters who spend nearly every waking moment together, rely on each other emotionally and physically, and repeatedly risk their lives for one another, there is something deeply unwell about the fact that they only refer to each other as “friends” a total of 20 times. statistically speaking they would rather die, kill, or stare at each other’s mouths than verbally acknowledge what they are to each other.
- finally, arthur being told that he’s loved only 7 times across the entire show is actually insane when you consider how badly he wants it :/
this now concludes the analysis. thank you for following this longitudinal study. we are all worse off. please direct all complaints to the BBC itself.
