omnia disce. videbus postea nihil esse superfluum

Bard • 29 • they/them • nerd with a capital "N" • purveyor of language oddities • sometime poet and musician • Medievalist

[lipstickhamlet]

i can't fucking deal with toxic fans anymore. if you're still supporting h*nry b*lingbroke honestly just block me. he LITERALLY d*posed richard the second and refuses to ransom edmund mortimer which is,,,, literally so fucking problematic?? plus i heard somewhere he was going to make a voyage to the holy land to wash the blood off his guilty hand but so shaken as he is, so wan with care, he decided not to go which is uhhh,,, fuckin yikes.

[wiisagi-maiingan]

I think we apply conspiratorial thinking to things way more than we should (though I think the basleine for conspiracies we should believe in is zero in general), from individuals to large scale ideas. Most people are not thinking about the specific ways to hurt someone or a group of people as much as possible, they simply don't care when that harm happens.

Most abusers are not doing math in their head to figure out the perfect way to manipulate their victims, they're just self-centered and cruel and they take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. Most abusers are not thinking "these are the steps I need to take to isolate my partner/child/friend/etc from everyone but me", they're just possessive and controlling in general.

In the same vein, most corporations are not thinking up ways to poison water sources or put lead into food or make cars more dangerous to drive; those things are just the consequences of cutting safety measures and labor rights to make a profit and corporations care more about the money they make than the harm being done, especially when the only consequences are a slap on the wrist. Marginalized groups are hurt the worst by this not because there is a targeted effort to wipe us all out but because we are simply not valued by society as a whole.

It's very easy to fall into this mindset because we don't want to think that our pain is often just a side effect of someone's actions, but the reality is that there isn't some grand conspiracy or a huge chunk of our society who are evil geniuses solely dedicated to hurting people. Most people are just. . . selfish and cruel and more focused on themselves than on how they're hurting other people. There is no shadowy group of people steepling their fingers as they plan their next waste plant to deliberately poison a town's lake. That just isn't what's happening.

[most-likely-shadowhisker]

Nine rings were made for men. Seven for the dwarves, three for the elves, and one for the big guy himself. One, three, seven, nine. There is but a set of five missing to complete the sequence of odd numbers. I propose that this missing set of rings of power was gifted to a mysterious someone by their true love, along with a partridge in a pear tree (among other things). In this essay I will-

[eilooxara]

Oat milk was discovered much more recently than you may have known. Like many now-familiar technologies, it was discovered by accident during the Apollo program when NASA discovered what a zero-g environment does to goat milk.

[ot3]

the nasty trick is that making friends is pretty easy but managing to keep in touch with everyone is next to impossible

[sandersstudies]

Every time you go in a public place and something ISN’T disgusting it’s because somebody cleaned it. Every time you feel comfortable using a public bathroom or sitting at a restaurant table or setting something on a gas station counter or playing on a playground it’s because somebody cleaned it.

Thank you to everyone who cleans the world, especially those who are underpaid and under appreciated.

[my-life-is-a-sidequest]

I worked in a supermarket for 7 years and I don't think I can understate just how much cleaning you had to do for it to look clean (it very often where not in the places you aren't supposed to see)

[sandersstudies]

True for food service, retail establishments, gyms, outdoor areas, schools, religious buildings, office buildings, etc. People usually only notice when a space is NOT clean, meanwhile every time a space is clean it’s only because of the diligent work of janitors, maintenance staff, custodians, parks workers, or volunteers.

[tuesdayisfordancing]

Syllable count is so faaaake. (I am looking up Double Dactyl poems and have repeatedly run into “oh I see if I squash this into one syllable it works” but like the difference between saying a word as one syllable vs two syllables is not concrete. To me anyway.

[discoursedrome]

I have a really acute sensibility for syllable count and stress, to the point where it feels physically slimy to have to go back and reread a line to make it work, but it's interesting to me how strictness about rhyme and metre is most strongly associated with written poetry, since the reader needs to reconstruct it smoothly in their head without ever having heard it recited. Meanwhile, though, the actual successor to the popular verse of the past is not written poetry at all but hip-hop, which has far more latitude to bend these strictures because it's received as a canonical performance to which the transcript is more like a libretto. There are so many metrical cheats that work elegantly if you deliver them with intention, but seem clumsy to someone reading blind!

[digihowl]

more ppl need to get hooked on this drug called album in order. not enough people on album in order these days

[kata4a]

higgledy piggledy dactyls and dimeter seem to be everyone's lyrical friend

what kind of force will it take (I conjecture) to antimemetically rout out this trend

[xenostalgic]

Any poster of verses refined is at present to dactyls inclined. But what follows this phase and becomes the next craze for the meter-appreciative mind?

[tokkibean]

i do not “delete sentences” when they start “hindering the plot” i COPY PASTE THEM into a SEPARATE DOC made just for keeping all my USELESS LINES that i will also NEVER USE so therefore i should JUST DELETE THEM but i DONT because id FEEL BAD if i did

[harpyharpyharpy]

You don't actually have to kill your darlings. You can just put them in the oubliette #myoubliette

[wandrenowlereacts]

I'mma supposed to be continuing my reading of the Middle English poetry book, but, well... I got distracted. But can you blame me? It's Geoffrey of Monmouth! And not only did he write the HRB (my beloved), he also wrote the "Vita Merlini."

Now, what is the "Vita"? It is essentially about the life of Merlin (where he's a menace to everyone and where he is a huge nature nerd). Since the premise sounded very fun, I simply had to read it (which I did... in both English and Spanish 😆). Let's dive in! 🤿

So, Monmouth sets the stage by talking about Merlin, King of the Demetae to his patrons. Then, he jumps full into the narrative. As is typical, there's a war going on. Merlin and other kings are fighting against this other king. There's a lot of fighting, bloodshed and the loss of soldiers.

Among the dead are Merlin's three younger brothers. The loss of his brothers affects Merlin so much that he goes mad with grief and runs into the forest (but he absolutely hates the winter season🤣).

Merlin's wife, Guendolena, and his sister, Ganieda, do everything in their power to bring him back home, so they can take care of him. The problem is that Merlin is super good at evading them.

Ganieda has a search party looking for her missing brother. At long last, Merlin is found and brought back to civilization. The method used was music to soothe Merlin's soul. Merlin's wife and sister are super happy to see him. All is well until Merlin goes mad again and decides that he's definitely going into the woods.

Ganieda tries to reason with her brother. Basically...

Ganieda: You're leaving? Again?

Merlin: The woods call me.

Ganieda: What about your family? Your wife? Me, your sister?

Merlin: I have a calling... Look for a new husband for my wife. I don't care. Now, toodles!

And so, Merlin goes off into the the woods (after he practically divorces his wife). Naturally, Ganieda doesn't give up because her brother definitely needs the help. And after searching for him, she finally finds him and takes him captive. His brother-in-law Rodarcus tries to entertain him and give him stuff, but Merlin is not enthused.

Moreover, Merlin absolutely hates crowds (which gives him more reason to run into the woods). On one occasion, Rodarcus is trying to get Merlin to engage with him and Ganieda comes into the room. Rodarcus is happy to see her and greets her with a kiss, and notices she has leaf in her hair (which prompts him to remove it).

The action of the leaf removal prompts Merlin to laugh. Rodarcus is curious about it, so he asks. Merlin tells him he'll do so if his brother-in-law lets him go. Rodarcus accepts. And so, Merlin proceeds to throw his sister under the bus because "Bruh, she's cheating on you. She was having a rendezvous in the bushes."

Ganieda proceeds to do damage control ASAP (but she's absolutely not happy with her brother). She makes Merlin look bad in front of her husband by making it seem as if he's mad. Merlin happily goes back to frolicking into the woods.

Times goes by. Merlin's ex-wife, Guendolena, moves on with her life and gets married. Merlin finds out and decides to pay her a visit. He's all like, "Yo, Guendolena, I brought you a wedding gift!"

The woman is genuinely happy to see her ex-husband, thinking that he means the well wishes. Merlin comes riding a stag, bringing a lot of livestock. Guendolena's new husband finds the whole thing amusing. At seeing his ex-wife's husband, Merlin rips the poor stag's antlers and proceeds to hurl said antlers at his ex-wife's new husband (which unfortunately kills the man). Then, Merlin goes back into the woods again.

Only Ganieda keeps trying to get her brother some help with varying degrees of failure. At long last, Ganieda ends up building her brother a home in the woods, so that he's safe. 😂 Of course, Merlin being Merlin asks for something so extra such as 70 doors (what the hell will he do with that many doors? Who knows? 🤣).

More time passes. Ganieda constantly visits her brother. They talk and they just spent time together. One day, Merlin is like, "Hey, um, I'm sorry to tell you this, but Rodarcus died. Also, could you tell my buddy Telgesinus to come by? I want to discuss stuff with him."

As it turns out, Merlin's predictions are very much true. Ganieda arrives home to the news her husband is dead. She sees Telgesinus, whom she tells to go to Merlin. Afterwards, Ganieda goes through the motions of preparing the funeral, mourning her husband, among other things.

Meanwhile, Merlin and Telgesinus proceed to geek out, discussing Isidore of Seville's work, Etymologiae (which in turn is based on different ancient works). Both also talk about Arthur, who is resting in Avalon. There's also the mention of Morgan and her nine sisters.

Just when the conversation is winding out, Merlin's servants come announcing about a new spring that has sprung. Merlin and his buddy go to see it, and Merlin drinks water from it. Essentially...

Merlin: Oh... It seems I'm no longer mad. I wonder how this happened.

Telgesinus: It was most definitely the spring.

Cue both men discussing about the new spring and its healing properties. Word gets out that Merlin is no longer mad and his court wants him back to rule. To which, Merlin is like, "Hell no! I'm super old."

More talking happens and a madman appears. Said madman turns out to be an old friend from Merlin's youth, who went mad because of an apple. You see, Merlin had a lover (this why friends with benefits doesn't work) in his youth that tried to poison him via apples because he broke up with her. But Merlin didn't turn mad. Instead, Merlin's friends ended up being the ones going mad because of the apples.

Anyway, the madman (whose name is Maeldinus) gets healed of his madness, thanks to the spring. Everything ends with Merlin gaining three roommates: his sister and his two friends. Oh, and Ganieda inherits her brother's future seeing powers (which Merlin no longer has).

Lesson? Get the help you need so that you don't become mad and chaotic like Merlin.

Thoughts on the "Vita"? It was very delightful. The most memorable parts were Merlin throwing Ganieda under the bus, him riding a stag and him having a friends with benefits relationship that ended up in disaster. It's now one of my favorites, alongside the HRB. 😁

[spoonierbard]

When Merlin heard his ex-wife was getting married, he invited himself to the stag party and provided his own stag

[pandioncristatus]

Higgledy piggledy,

King Ozymandias

rendered in stone with a

strident decree.

Says our dear traveller

(unsentimentally)

"All that remains is his

foot and his knee."

[copperbadge]

I’m working on an audio transcript using voice recognition technology, and this gentleman has a very nice accent, but when he says “got” the word is often noted down as “God”.

We don’t know what God tested and what God registered as true or untrue. 

We don’t know what God entered into the code since the last time we tested. 

We don’t know what God ticketed as an issue and what just God ignored.

Now we know what God changed, but we don’t have a record of what God approved. 

[jumpingjacktrash]

“We don’t know what God ticketed as an issue and what just God ignored.“

[animatedamerican]

voice recognition theology

[boviboy]

unclear. adj. of or pertaining to an uncle

[butterflypeaflowertea]

i wish i was one of those girls from classical mythology……. i could just turn into a cypress tree or a crystalline lake and be done with it

[delphinidin4]

“It is extraordinary that nobody nowadays under the stress of great troubles is turned into stone or a bird or a tree or some inanimate object; they used to undergo such metamorphoses in ancient times (or so they say), though whether that is myth or a true story I know not. Maybe it would be better to change one’s nature into something that lacks all feeling, rather than be so sensitive to evil. Had that been possible, these calamities would in all probability have turned me to stone.” ― Anna Comnena, The Alexiad, written ca. 1148

[80s-v-i-b-e]

*Gazing into the sky on the porch* I used to be cringe too, son. *I take a long sip from my can of beer* Only thing that changed was I stopped cringin'.

[gregtom]

[k-simplex-deactivated20241001]

Happy Pride