Raveren @raverenn - Tumblr Blog

What if we banned all advertising? Not regulate it—abolish it. This proposal would transform manipulation machines, and maybe save democracy

Even as an advertiser (especially as an advertiser), I am convinced that outlawing advertising is the best thing we can do for our world now. More than gun control. More than tackling climate change. More than lowering the price of eggs. Removing these advanced manipulation tools would force everyone—politicians included—to snap back into reality. By outlawing advertising, the machinery of mass delusion would lose its most addictive and toxic fuel.

I started out reading this smugly saying to myself yeah, right.

But by the end I'm sold. Let's ban advertising.

We can start small, maybe with city ordinances. Then roll it out county wide, then at the state level. Once other states see how quiet and sane things can be, they'll adopt the ban too. The ones that don't will remain snarling islands of rage & delusion until the people move away.

Let's ban advertising.

pronouncingitwang

at some point in your life you will be boiling fruit, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a pot to make a syrup or jam. the instructions will tell you to simmer for a certain amt of time. your timer will go off and you will look at the pot and go, "hm, this doesn't look thick enough. maybe i'll let it go for another 10 minutes." this is the devil speaking. it's only so liquid right now because it is at boiling point. it will thicken when it cools down. learn from the follies of my youth and do not let this happen to you

yokowan

at some point in your life you will be making a sauce or a stew in which you need to add cornstarch to thicken it. and you will prepare a slurry of starch in cold water and think "this looks like way too little starch to thicken this amount of liquid." this is the devil speaking. cornstarch instantly polymerizes at 95°C and if you add too much it will turn into an impossibly thick goop.

le-jardin-inculte

at some point in your life you will be making some sort of cream based dessert that requires gelatin to thicken it. and you will soak some gelatin sheets in water and think "this is too few gelatin sheets for this amount of cream." this is the devil speaking. it will thicken in the fridge and if you add too much you will end up with milk jelly

shithowdy

at some point in your life you will be baking cookies. you will take the sheet out after twelve minutes as the recipe instructs and the cookies will still be glistening and soft. "these don't seem cooked enough," you will think to yourself, "i should place them back into the oven until their edges are nice and golden." this is the devil talking. this is how you get dry, overdone cookies. the cookies will continue to bake on the warm sheet for several more minutes and then harden up after sitting on a rack for a while. trust the process. trust the process.

whitachi

at some point in your life you will be adding a small pasta to a soup and you will think "that is not enough small pasta." this is the devil talking. the pasta will absorb the stock and expand. this is how you end up with a soup that is a solid mass of soggy ditalini.

araceil

At some point in your life you will be adding garlic to a dish and you will think "that is not enough garlic." These are angels speaking. They are correct. Add more garlic.

#always add more garlic

fuck-customers

frontmansdefender

circumgutter

Thrilled to inform everyone that this video passes the Bechdel test

cxbin-pxrsephone

“But EPIC isn’t accurate either!”

I’m sorry but I’m gonna judge a movie with a 250 million budget and Oscar winning director harsher than I judge a musical made by a (formerly) smaller artist that started posting his music on TikTok for the fun of it

myfairkatiecat

Well, and also Epic and Nolan’s Odyssey (which to be clear, I also did enjoy watching as a film, independently to the story it adapted) have entirely different ways in which they change what they are adapting.

Epic is an interesting case because it’s both adapting incredibly famous events in Greek mythology and telling its own tragedy, the impact of which is felt such that even the bittersweet happy ending makes everyone cry.

Epic the Musical is NOT called “The Odyssey: The Musical.” Because it’s not The Odyssey: The Musical. It does adapt the tale of the Odyssey, but the overarching plot arc and moral tale come from the mind of Jorge Rivera-Herrans, and the events and characters of the Odyssey are adapted in a way that is faithful enough to feel representative of the tale but ultimately are adjusted to serve that larger story goal, which Jorge never pretended was something he took from the original Odyssey.

Epic works because it’s adapting the Odyssey without claiming to tell the story of the Odyssey. It tells the story of Epic through the legendary tales of the Odyssey, which is a subtle difference, but one that was executed very well.

Nolan’s Odyssey movie, on the other hand, feels from the way it is set up as though it should be portraying the story of the Odyssey, and then it doesn’t.

Here’s the thing, though: I actually do like the tale told through Nolan’s Odyssey. I think the way it’s filmed, the way it’s set up, and the way the motifs pull together is very well done. The centrality of the invented Zeus’ law and the way Athena’s character was handled (which is completely antithetical to the original story, but impactful in its own way) were executed well. But at the same time, it just comes with this feeling of claiming to be something it isn’t. If the film wasn’t the Odyssey, I’d enjoy it better, because it is a good story, it just deeply is not the story it claims to be. In fact, I’d say Epic the Musical actually tiptoes closer to the Odyssey story than a movie called the Odyssey.

And that’s honestly the reason why Epic is, to me, a better adaptation—not necessarily because it’s a better-told story (I also personally believe that, but also think that’s something that would be more debatable if we could watch Nolan’s film without any prior knowledge of Greek mythology or even knowing he was adapting something to begin with), but because it delivers the story it claims to be in a masterful way.

mysticalfolklore

So, I haven't watched the movie yet (and based on what I've learned, I don't plan to waste my money on it either) but everything I have learned about it just shows such a........lack of heart and passion for the actual tale.

Nolan almost tried to force his own ideals of what the greek myth should have been on this story. As if he's trying to prove he's better than Homer (a nonsensical thought indeed). You see him making executive decisions that basically amputate the tale.

- the scene of Nobody is removed because he claims it as a "pun" when it was a portrayal of Odysseus' wit. His fans defend him by saying it wasn't abole to be fitted but like how do you cut something so integral from a tale and justify it with THAT? Would you cut the part of Sleeping Beauty's curse because you couldn't "fit it in"?

- the whole situation with Menelaus and Helen. An unnecessary aspect that could've been removed from the movie (notice how he had space for this OOC stuff he WANTED in the movie but not the Nobody part but ok?). It paints Helen less as a nuanced character who was still a beloved wife into Nolan's idea of "every greek husband was abusive. Of course he makes her an example of what punishment befalls wives who run away." To add insult to injury, he hires a WOC actress to play Helen and then he scars her character. (I can rant on this all day but i digress)

- From what I've seen, there are two major scenes where the greeks (and more specifically Odysseus himself) destroys the temples of Athena in Troy then in Ithaca. Athena. His patron Goddess. The one person he would never want to tick off like ever. This atheistic undertones and mindset of these sacred spaces not having actual power that Nolan projects is so delusional and far removed from what actual Greek culture was. Temples were often used as sanctuaries specifically because no one wanted to risk shedding blood in them. Read up what happened in the original Illiad with Cassandra and why Little Ajax was essentially excommunicated from the rest of the Army. Bottom line, Odysseus would not do that. If you claim the protagonist of your story is a certain prominent and renowned individual, it is generally wise to emulate that person in your story and not make him some weird OC with the same name.

I can honestly go on to talk about all the other ways he lobotomized this tale but we'd be here all day. And then afterwards, he very audaciously presents it as an accurate adaptation and his fans attack anyone who says anything because we're all killjoys and should "learn to enjoy a movie without acting like a know-it-all". But my fellows, your precious Director basically invited every single classicist and mythology expert by claiming it as 'the Odyssey'.

If it only looks like duck but doesn't sound or act like one, then that's not a duck. That's some horrifying entity wearing the skin of a duck. Why? Because it knew people would come to see the duck.

Final point, i agree with OP on the points about Epic. People (read Nolan's worshippers) have started degrading it by calling it a "tiktok musical" but really how awful is it that your multimillion dollar movie pales in comparison to this? Jorge was always upfront of the changes he made and he NEVER dismissed the parts he didn't add as being "irrelevant" or a "joke". He does not degrade the source material for his own validation. And it's clear that he spent years lovingly going through this story to adapt it with heart and soul and THAT'S what people appreciate the most. We yearn for Ithaca and Penelope alongside Jorge's Odysseus. That is a TALENT. Granted, maybe Nolan also makes you feel something. I can't speak on that. But that does not diminish Epic the Musical's impact. It's unfortunate how many of Nolan's fans have been acting sanctimonious about how much "better" their adaptation is. Especially when it's...just not.

And they are very hypocritical about it too. Can't compare it to Homer's Odyssey cause "oh my gosh it's an adaptation. Do you NOT understand how oral storytelling traditions work??? Every story retold changes, how dare you complain it's not the same?!" But at the same time, they trash Epic the Musical, stating things like "it's a stupid tiktok musical. It's not even accurate so Nolan's version is obviously better" and "oh i bet you've never even read the actual poem. You probably just watched the tiktok musical and think you're an expert" and stuff along those lines(and before anyone feels attacked, this is something that's been told to me so I'm speaking from experience. Yeah some people are even more aggressive in replies)

Anyways, in conclusion, maybe it would have been better for Nolan to just create a new Greek soldier if he was going to be this callous towards a tale that is a huge part of a state's cultural identity but then again, Zendaya wore 3000 year old Iranian artefacts to the premier as god forsaken in earrings so honestly did anyone who worked on this movie have a lick of idea that cultural appropriation is an awful thing to do?

#the odyssey #epic the musical #yeah epic feels more in the spirit of it

eleilinnrallin

This is a reminder for those who handmake Christmas presents that now is not too early to start. It may in fact be a good time to start if you have a lot to make/your craft takes a long time. You should maybe start it now, whether that's brainstorming or actually doing the crafts!

newtsoftheworldunite

Translating this into tumblr's preferred public service announcement format for this kind of alert:

kimberlychapman

Or this preferred Tumblr announcement system:

bitchesgetriches

Most major corporations — from airlines to social media platforms — now aspire to become unregulated banks. Bankification today accounts for

apatosaurus

This is a long read, but worth it. Some takeaways:

-Don’t use “buy now pay later.” The fine print isn’t what it seems.

-The fine print on medical financing, store credit cards, and contactless payment is also not what it seems.

-Payday loans are still predatory, even when offered by your employer

-Rewards programs are an income stream for the companies that run them. The points systems are manipulated so that the house always wins. They depend on people leaving money in rewards accounts and not in interest-bearing traditional bank accounts.

-Electronic payment apps like VenMo are not banks. You don’t earn interest. Your money is not protected.

-Your financial information is not private if your money is not kept in a regulated bank.

-None of this is regulated by the FDIC. Your money is not protected if it is held by a non-bank doing banking business. Our economy is not protected from the collapse of financial institutions that are not banks.

-The Biden administration was making progress in increasing accountability for non-banks operating as predatory financial services providers. The current administration is reversing those protections to favor corporations.

mierac

Oh boy.

A third of younger Americans hold their savings on nonbank tech platforms like Venmo

PEOPLE! DO NOT LEAVE YOUR MONEY IN VENMO OR APPLE PAY OR ANY OF THIS SHIT. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GO FIND A REAL BANK OR A CREDIT UNION.

If Venmo were to close tomorrow all your money would vanish. There's no insurance or guarantee on any of these things. I know banks aren't great but legit banks will have the "FDIC insured" logo on their doors and websites, which means if my bank goes under tomorrow I still get my money back. Also I guarantee you there is a credit union somewhere in your town, go find it.

You can leave some money in Venmo or Apple pay or whatever, but NOT ALL OF IT for the love of God.

jenniferdub

FYI this is what the logo looks like and Apple Cash is FDIC insured.

idroolinmysleep

No, it's misleading. Go to Green Dot's T&Cs, search for "FDIC," and you'll come across this:

your funds are insured up to $250,000 by the FDIC in the event Green Dot Bank fails

In the event Green Dot Bank fails. Meaning the only time your money is protected is if Green Dot goes under. Not if Apple goes under (unlikely, granted). Or if Apple changes its terms (entirely possible). Or if you got scammed. Or if Apple freezes your account because they think you're the one scamming. Or any of the other countless mishaps your money could suffer. Green Dot is insured, but Apple Cash is not.

This is the disclaimer (highlighted) you see before you set up Apple Cash:

heywriters

I really need my followers, especially younger ones, to read this.

And DO NOT get store credit cards, they are money sucks and difficult to cancel.

julevanwilde

As someone who's worked in the industry for a decade now, here's a quick rundown (US specific,) of what your schools and parents didn't teach you:

For the love of god get an account at a federally insured institution. Look for FDIC (banks) or NCUA (credit unions) insured and regulated financial institution. They are legally required to have this status publicly available and accessible so it's not hard to find.

The FDIC and/or NCUA will insure your accounts up to $250,000 PER AUTHORIZED SIGNER and per account type. These are factors to max your coverage to even higher than $250k but the key point is that if something happens to your bank or accounts there, that first $250k of your money is secured anyway.

Banks are for profit. Credit Unions are exactly what it sounds like: unions. They are not for profit and member owned.

Bigger institutions have more money and resources at their disposal; they have the fancier apps, 24/7 phone banking and more locations. But watch out! They are no different than any other large corporation you've heard of when it comes to ethics. Smaller institutions have more limitations, and lesser size is not an indicator of morality, but it's something to consider when choosing where to keep your money.

These institutions, regardless of what kind you choose, will offer interest bearing accounts. Money Market Savings and Time Accounts (also called Certificates of Deposit,) are popular choices to put the money you already have to work for you. You can earn money just for having your money in an interest bearing account type.

All financial institutions charge fees of one sort or another. They are offering products and services, after all. Nothing is free! They will also disclose options to avoid paying those fees, usually based around meeting specific criteria such as minimum balances or direct deposits.

Take this information and do your own research so that you can make an informed decision. Now you know what to look for! Don't be taken advantage of!

#banks #finances #money

porterdavis

myrandomstuffpage

Support your local library 📚

injuries-in-dust

Good news to get through July 2026

what-even-is-thiss

Yeah I saw the lovecraftian horrors and didn’t succumb to madness. What- no I’m not a cultist, James. For Christ’s sake. What you’re forgetting my friend is that HP Lovecraft wasn’t a flexible man. His brain simply wasn’t stretchy enough to take it all in. I however, have short term memory issues. Flexibility is the name of the game when you can’t remember if you ate lunch or not. What’s the size of the universe? Big. You knew that already, James. Come on now. You don’t need to witness the terrifying ocean at the base of the entirety of reality itself to know that. Pass the brandy.

what-even-is-thiss

You must imagine the character I’ve created here wearing a suit and a monocle, by the way.

thesilvertophat

During a Eldritch Horrors based tabletop RPG my character was a young dandy who wasn't particularly interested in all this monster mystery stuff but his father (my brother's character) was a researcher who WAS very into it, so Bertie went along to make sure the old man didn't get into too much trouble. It was your average Eldritch Horrors RPG in that you don't make your characters with the expectation that they will survive for very long, both the game itself and the genre are very intent on turning your characters inside out, driving them insane, and blowing them up in no particular order.

The thing was, everything in this nightmare hellscape just seemed to keep coming up Bertie because the man was too stupid to realize what genre he was in. Every time he had to roll for a sanity check whenever he saw something crazy, the dice treated him so well that he just... didn't get it. Gee that sure is a funny costume. There's something wrong with that dog. These mean guys in stupid hats are trying to hurt that young lady, we can't have that! I had not built him this way, his intelligence stats weren't even that bad, random chance just made it so that this man was living a scooby doo adventure while everyone else was being consumed by The Horrors. The final straw was at the end of an adventure when Bertie escaped from the cultist headquarters by breaking out through the mansion's front window on a motorcycle with a hot rescued sacrificial maiden clinging to his back and leading the cultists on a merry chase through the hedge maze while the other adventurers escaped. His sanity score? HIGHER than when the adventure had begun. He had found the whole experience quite thrilling and felt very good about life in general! Bertie retired from adventuring to marry the maiden he rescued and care for his aging father and delight and bemuse his friends at the gentleman's club with stories of his 'wacky' adventures. I didn't want to risk breaking his ridiculous lucky streak.