Look At This Boy!!

you ever just sit and realise u can’t remember 80% of your childhood? like … what happened? who am i ..?

Incredibles 2 review (kinda spoilers)

Just saw Incredibles 2 yesterday and it was 💯 % worth the wait!!!! Every bit of it!!!! The animation was beautiful the story was awesome and the action was everywhere!!!!

Now to get into the feels of this movie. Honestly the movie itself didn’t really make me cry, but there were a lot of emotions going around in me when watching it. You feel happy and excited with Helen taking on the superhero life and saving the day and you feel like laughing at Bob when he is trying to figure out being a stay home parent. “Math is math!!”

One thing I noticed about Helen returning as Elastagirl is that she is relatively better at being a superhero than her husband. I don’t think that this means that she is a better superhero than Bob period. I think that we are seeing Elastagirl at one of her highest points, and we see Mr. Incredible at one of his lowest when we saw him in the first movie. In the first movie, Mr. Incredible felt reckless and cheated at the prospect of being forced into retirement, and because of that he he made a lot of rash decisions (such as collapse a burning building). In this movie, however, we see Helen is laser focused on her job at hand and because she thinks everything is okay at home with her family, she doesn’t feel reckless and so she feels no need to worry.

So I don’t feel like Elastagirl is better the Mr. Incredible, I feel like she she is just more focused at it because she feels like her family and situation is secure.

Debunking more myths in the GFFA: the Jedi and the clones.

I wrote a post debunking the various myths about how “the Jedi condone slavery”, a while ago. Something I had omitted (because it’s such a big topic) was the following two statements that concern the clone troopers’ relations with the Jedi:

“The clones were genetically bred to have accelerated growth, so they’re technically child soldiers.”

“The clones were slaves of the Jedi.”

Both the above statements are inaccurate, let’s explore why. 

“The clones were child soldiers”

Let’s get the easy one out of the way first, because it’s a logic that cuts both ways. If age is our only determination of the maturity of a Star Wars character, then Grogu is not a baby. He is aged 50, and is thus a middle-aged man.

Who cruelly eats the babies of a woman…

… and knowingly tortures animals for his own sadistic pleasure.

Of course, I’m kidding. Grogu’s none of the above things.

The narrative frames him as a cute baby who does innocent baby stuff. Him eating the eggs is played off as comedic, as is him lifting with the frog. To this day, some fans still call him “Baby Yoda”.

Conversely, despite the clones being 10/14-years-old, their actions, behaviors, way of thinking, sense of humor, morals etc, are all those of an adult.

Like, Ahsoka is technically older than Rex in this scene.

The scene doesn’t portray them as peers, though. This isn’t written as “a teen and a tween talking”. No, Rex looks, acts and behaves like a grown-up and is thus framed as such by the narrative.

You can make the argument “they’re child soldiers”, but (unless you’re doing so in bad faith) you’d also have to argue that “Grogu’s an adult”.

“The clones were the Jedi’s slaves”

Nope. For all intents and purposes, they’re in the same boat as the Jedi, who George Lucas stated multiple times had been drafted to fight in the war.

Again: both the Jedi (monk/diplomats untrained for fighting on a battlefield) and clones (literally bred en masse only to fight) are being forced to fight by Palpatine and the Senate.

Though, on paper, the clones were commissioned by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, it was actually done by the Sith (who either manipulated or assassinated Sifo-Dyas then stole his identity, depending on the continuity you choose to adhere to). The rest of the Jedi had no idea these clones were being created.

So while the clones are slaves… they’re not owned by the Jedi.

They’re the army of the Republic, they belong to the Senate. This isn’t exactly a scoop, they refer to the clones as something to purchase…

… and manufacture.

As far as the Senate’s concerned, clones are property, like droids. 

Like there’s a whole subplot in The Bad Batch about this very point: after the war, the clones are decommissioned and left out to dry because they literally have no rights, they served their purpose.

The only trooper to ever canonically blame the Jedi for the clones’ enslavement is Slick, who the narrative frames as having been bribed and manipulated by Asajj Ventress into betraying his comrades.

Also, the only canonical Jedi shown to ever be mean, dismissive or mistreating the clones in any way, is Pong Krell.

And it’s eventually revealed he’s in fact a full-on traitor, hence why the story frames him as an antagonistic dick from the moment he’s introduced. He doesn’t represent the Jedi in any way.

We know this because the other Jedi we’ve been shown are always prioritizing their clones’ lives over theirs, if given the chance.

Finally, if we wanna get even more specific… as Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), the clones belong to Palpatine. 

Palpatine who is a Sith Lord. 

Palpatine who arranged for the creation of the clones and had them all injected with a chip that would activate upon hearing a code-word…

… and forced them to murder their Jedi without hesitation or remorse.

When you bear all that  ⬆️  in mind and when you read this quote by George Lucas…

“The Jedi won’t lead droids. Their whole basis is connecting with the life force. They’d just say, ‘That’s not the way we operate. We don’t function with non-life-forms.” So if there is to be a Republic army, it would have to be an army of humans.”    - The Star Wars Archives: 1999-2005, 2020  

… narratively-speaking, everything falls into place.

Sidious knows that:

If he orchestrates a war designed to thin the Jedi’s numbers, corrupt their values and plunge the galaxy into chaos…

If he wants to draft the Jedi - peace-keeping diplomats who’d never willingly join the fray - to fight in his war…

… then the only way they won’t resist the draft and abstain from fighting is if they think joining the conflict will save lives.

So he creates a set of cruel, sadistic villains for them to face, opponents who will target innocent civilians at every turn…

… and instead of lifeless droids, he prepares for the Jedi an army of men… living, mortal people who, despite being well-trained, will be completely out of their league when facing the likes of Dooku…

… Ventress…

… Grievous…

… Savage Opress…

… or the defoliator, a tank that annihilates organic matter.

Thus, in order to save as many clone and civilian lives, the Jedi join the fray despite knowing that doing so will corrupt their values. 

And as the war rages on, a bond of respect is formed between the two groups.

Clearly, the Jedi don’t like the fact that the Republic is using the clones to fight a war, but for that matter, they don’t like being in a war, in fact they advocated against it.

However, it’s happening regardless of their issues with the idea or personal philosophies. Said The Clone Wars writer Henry Gilroy:

“I’d rather not get into the Jedi’s philosophical issues about an army of living beings created to fight, but the Jedi are in a tough spot themselves, being peacekeepers turned warriors trying to save the Republic.”

And bear in mind, the Jedi are basically space psychics, the clones are living beings that they can individually feel in the Force… 

… so the Jedi feel every death but need to move on, regardless, only being able to mourn the troopers at the end of every battle.

We see this in the Legends continuity too, by the way.

(that is, when the writers actually try to engage with the narrative)

Also, if you ask the clones, they’re grateful the Jedi have their backs.

When Depa Billaba voices her concerns about how the war is impacting the Jedi’s principles, troopers Grey and Styles are quick to make it clear how grateful they all are for the Jedi’s involvement:

So the clones aren’t the Jedi’s slaves. If anything, they’re both slaves of the Republic (considering how low the Jedi’s status actually is in the hierarchy).

Only I’d argue the clones have it much, much worse. 

The Senate sees the Jedi as “ugh, the holier-than-thou space-monk lapdogs who work for us”… but a Jedi has the option to give up that responsibility. They can leave the Order, no fuss or stigma. 

A clone trooper cannot leave the GAR! If they do, they’re marked for treason and execution. Again, they’re not perceived as “people”.

And it doesn’t help that the Kaminoans, the clones’ very creators, see the troopers as products/units/merchandise. A notion that the Jedi are quick to correct whenever they get the chance.

How The Clone Wars writers describe the clones’ relationship with the Jedi.

Keep reading

❤️💛💚💙💜🖤🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁

I know so many people are hurting right now. I know so many people are struggling with all sorts of aspects of emotional onslaught S8 left them with. I get it. I do, and I am so sorry you are struggling right now. I wish I could speak some magical words or take some magical actions that would resolve your pain, but sadly I can’t.

All I can offer you are these words. Words which I’ve taken so deeply to heart.

For my~~~

Allurance Shippers: You loved this ship and created this ship before it was canon. You can still love and create this ship. It’s OK to be devastated. It’s OK to feel slighted and betrayed, but what’s not OK is stopping your creations. Turn your pain into beauty. Keep shipping. Keep creating. Nothing stopped you before, nothing should stop you now.

Sheith Shippers: I love you all. I know you feel betrayed at the moment. So many events led you to believe that Sheith could really be canon, you were misguided and disserviced. Your anger and pain is justified, but do not stop creating. You shipped Sheith with no canon proof of its existence. You grasped onto small moments and turned them into beautiful stories and art. The lack of canon Sheith prior to S8 did not stop you from creating before, it should not stop you now.

Allura Stans: I am so sorry for your loss. We’ve all felt this so deeply, but canon does not direct your creations. Keep writing. Keep drawing. Keep Allura alive through your creations. It’s the least she deserves. Don’t give up on her.

Shiro Stans: Shiro has suffered since the beginning. If you feel his ending was stifled and dishonest, it’s ok. Shiro has always deserved better. The most wonderful thing is that you can create a better world for him. Do not stop creating him. He can live happily, in whatever way you feel he best deserves, through your work.

And to everyone else that is feeling betrayed, misguided or is hurting in any way from S8, for whatever reason. Just remember to be safe. Remember to take care of yourself both mentally and physically. Remember to not give up. Remember to keep creating. Our fandom does not need to be filled with hate and anguish right now. We may not be able to change canon, but we can create whatever we want.

And always, always remember: Patience Yields Focus.

I love you all.

I needed this

Hey all I made a poll expanding other to add rogue one and Andor characters go vote in that one. After both these polls finish I will make a final poll comparing the two winners to see who is truly the saddest death on Star Wars.

⚠️🚨URGENT🚨⚠️

⚠️🚨THIS IS NOT A DRILL🚨⚠️

MORE BELOW

KOSAS FATE IS BEING DECIDIED TO DAY (OR SOME TIME THIS WEEK)

THIS IS NOT A RUMOR

THIS IS NOT A DRILL

THIS HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY CONFIRMED BY BLUMENTHAL AND BLACKBURN THEMSELVES

WE CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN FOR THE GOOD OF FREE SPEECH FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND A SAFE INTERNET

THIS BILL WILL HAVE CATASTROPHIC WORLDWIDE EFFECTS

THIS BILL CANNOT PASS

CALL YOUR REPS SENATORS HOUSE WHATEVER

MAKE SOME FUCKING NOISE

BE THE BIGGEST FUCKING HEADACHE YOU CAN BE

LINK FOR RESOURCES:

HELP STOP KOSA

HELP STOP KOSA

HELP STOP KOSA

DEAR EDUCATIONALLY NEGLECTED HOMESCHOOLERS

I’ve gathered some resources and tips and tricks on self-educating after educational neglect. This is only what I did and what I know helped me. I’m about to graduate college with honors after having no education past the age of 9. I wouldn’t be here without the following. Everything is free, and at/well above the standard for education in the US.

The holy grail: Khan Academy. Nearly every course you could take is available here, in order and by grade level. Their open-source free courses rival some of the college classes I’ve taken. This is your most solid resource.

For inattentive types: Crash Course offers a variety of courses that are snappy, entertaining, and extremely rewarding. They work for my ADHD brain. They also have college prep advice, which is essential if you’re looking to go to higher education with no classroom experience.

To catch up on your reading: There are certain books that you may have read had you gone to school that you’ve missed out on. This list is the most well-rounded and can fill you in on both children’s books and classic novels that are essential or at least extremely helpful to be familiar with. You can find a majority of these easily at a local library (and some for free in PDF form online low key). There are a few higher level classics in here that I’d highly recommend. If it doesn’t work for you, I’d always recommend asking your local librarian.

*BE AWARE* The book list I recommend suggests you read Harry Potter books, and given their transphobic author you may or may not want to read them. If you choose to, I’d highly recommend buying the books secondhand or borrowing from a library to avoid financially supporting a living author with dangerous and damaging views.

TEST, TEST, TEST: Again, Khan Academy is your go-to for this. I don’t personally like standardized testing, but going through SAT and ACT courses was the best way I found to really reveal my gaps so that I could supplement.

Finally: As much as you can, enjoy the process. Education can be thrilling and teach you so much about yourself, and help shape your view of the world. It can get frustrating, but I’d like to encourage you that everyone can learn. No pace is the perfect pace, and your learning style is the right learning style for you. In teaching yourself, be patient, be kind, and indulge in the subjects you really enjoy without neglecting others. You are your teacher. Give yourself what others chose not to.

Crash Course

Courses - Crash Course

If you’re ever put in charge of a national economy, there are a few things you should try to avoid. Before you laugh, just remember, you COU

Khan Academy

Khan Academy | Free Online Courses, Lessons & Practice

Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. Khan Aca

Discovery

100 Books to Read Before You Die

It's morbid, but have you ever wondered what books to read before you die? Start with this list of 100 must-read books.