Book Club With A

[ashstfu]

i feel totally normal about this and the scope of my desire is completely average

[1five1two]

'Woman with a mirror and Death'. Hans Thoma. 1880.

[nosherbetlemons]

in a way, tua s4 is an inspiring example to all of us that inconsistent shit writing can get a netflix green light. looking forward to all your fics, novels, art, books etc in the future

[nosherbetlemons]

as far as I'm concerned, s4 ended here

[nosherbetlemons]

me after tua s4

[nosherbetlemons]

A Mess, In Six Parts

The final season of The Umbrella Academy ruins all the character development we have seen build up. The reason many of these beloved characters were beloved in the first place is dented and, dare I say, ruined, by lazy tropes and bad writing.

Episode 5 and the clusterfuck of Lila and Five is awful for several reasons; including but not limited to the sheer age difference visible on screen, lack of realistic build up and even worse handling of the fallout. Pre s4, Lila, Five and Diego's characters and storylines were often the highlight of the plot and to see writers squander that for bad storytelling is sad to see. It's not even that Lila and Deigo's relationship had to go the distance, and I'd argue that the boredom and repetitiveness of their marriage was a smart choice to further explore characters. Rather, it's the uninteresting trope of cheating with the brother that makes little sense, and even stranger lack of resolution that seems characteristic of TUA's lack of interest in coherence.

As usual the first episode of the season are interesting but TUA makes no effort to really bring that energy throughout. Imo this has been a problem since season 2. Some bright lights of the season: Klaus' sobriety + germophobia, Luther with golden retriever energy and Jean and Gene's delightful screen presence.

[mndvx]

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY — Final Season, August 8 2024

[reemillustrated]

snoopy encourages you to buy a new book!

[vodkatales]

For old times sake is actually such a heartbreaking and beautiful sentiment. Like, let’s do it for the love that used to be here. It is reason enough.

[moonlitfairytale]

Ocean Voung, from Time is a mother

[cowboylikesubai]

i woke up shivering from my dream this morning (it had you in it)

@/heavensghost on tumblr / unknown / richard siken / susan orlean / cool about it by boygenius / @/annalaura_art on tiktok / @/annalaura_art on tiktok / for your own good by leah horlick / the night we met by lord huron / richard siken / trista mateer / text: I thought id know you forever.. by Olivia Ruby - art: Watchmen by Dave Gibbons et al

[nosherbetlemons]

61-72-74-69-66-69-63-69-61-6C

For my first trick of the night,’ the magician coos, audience rapt. ‘I’ll turn $2 into millions.’ An hour of tagging for two dollars, CAPTCHA defeated, A new paradigm created.

First-of-its-kind gets a round of applause, Ingenious, mysterious algorithm under lock and key, Keen sense of market, Keener sense of blood in the water, Vulnerable for the taking. Crimson on my muzzle, Green, green so much green in my pocket.

‘For my second trick of the night,’ crows the magician, ‘$2 gives purpose.’ Injured fawn only limps so far when you need a doe, Better when Doe is chained already. Source her, open a lock, Fresh air for peanuts, but purpose, Purpose is invaluable in enclosure. Create a panopticon that will find her, As a grandmother in ages, Still Doe, no longer useful.

‘For my last trick–,’ the magician chokes, 6172746966696369616C and stuck. ‘Did you get the pupil dilations?’ Each micrometer a jagged edge, Doe, Stag, Fawn in the audience, Paying to be whetstone with their minds.

In ‘AI Goes To Jail’ by Wired in November 2023, journalists explore the cost and benefits of taking AI labeling tasks to women’s prisons in Sweden. What is the end of the line? And why does it pay so little? Note: 6172746966696369616C is the word ‘artificial’ in ASCII Hex.

[nosherbetlemons]

Painting the World

The whitest of white coats my tongue, heavier than lead, holding me back, painting my anger pale,  thankful for a pause to the browning, redding of a green world. And yet, the brown of my people, lands slowly drowning, choked by the yellows, reds, silvers of consumption, of a land faraway, pays doubly for the white of patent, for the white of paint. And waits.  And whites.

~ nosherbetlemons

In response to scientists at Purdue creating the whitest of paints to help cool buildings without A.C., a huge step to helping personal emissions in climate change. This poem reflects the conflicting optimism and apprehension of such innovation stemming from the compounded environmental and financial cost paid repeatedly by the Global South.

linked here x

[nosherbetlemons]

Shakespeare, 'Henry V' / Kenneth Grahame, 'Dream Days' ; 'The Reluctant Dragon'/ Paolo Ucello, 'Saint George and the Dragon' / The National Gallery, London / Odilon Redon, 'Saint Georges et le dragon' / Elif Batuman, 'The Idiot' / Kenneth Grahame, 'Dream Days' ; 'The Reluctant Dragon'

A reflection on myth-making and the creation of Saint George through the guise of subjugation and heroism. - @nosherbetlemons

[nosherbetlemons]

I viewed a symbolist retelling of the Saint George and the Dragon myth this weekend, and was moved by the colour and texture and what the artist chose not to show - the actual killing of the dragon. The drama and theater of the painting overshadows the plot (the death, the violence) and I was left to think about the created heroism that Saint George has.

Christian theology looks to Saint George as a cannonized symbol of bravery and chivalry. Historically, however, the trope that the story conveys predates Christian doctrine altogether. The same themes and motifs are aplenty in Greek and Roman literature, and even within the proto-Christian myths, it is not George, but his comrade who slays the dragon.

Still, the myth endures, but I ask that we reflect on what goes into making the character of Saint George so brave? What of the dragon? And of the princess?

The web weave I created is a meditation on these questions and cracks in the otherwise perfect facade

[nosherbetlemons]

Shakespeare, 'Henry V' / Kenneth Grahame, 'Dream Days' ; 'The Reluctant Dragon'/ Paolo Ucello, 'Saint George and the Dragon' / The National Gallery, London / Odilon Redon, 'Saint Georges et le dragon' / Elif Batuman, 'The Idiot' / Kenneth Grahame, 'Dream Days' ; 'The Reluctant Dragon'

A reflection on myth-making and the creation of Saint George through the guise of subjugation and heroism. - @nosherbetlemons