reject the melancholy cabbage

So I’m researching ways to make negatives that aren’t just yes/no systems and apparently...

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:17:47 -0700

So I’m researching ways to make negatives that aren’t just yes/no systems and apparently English’s system used to be four-way, and not two-way? I had no idea. You’d say yea and nay for the expected answer to a yes/no question and yes and no for the unexpected. I mention this because Thomas More gives an entirely sassy exegesis of this and I think it’s relevant to some interests on my dash:

I would not here note by the way that Tyndale here translateth no for nay, for it is but a trifle and mistaking of the Englishe worde : saving that ye shoulde see that he whych in two so plain Englishe wordes, and so common as in naye and no can not tell when he should take the one and when the tother, is not for translating into Englishe a man very mete. For the use of these two wordes in aunswering a question is this. No aunswereth the question framed by the affirmative [sic]. As for ensample if a manne should aske Tindall himselfe: ys an heretike meete to translate Holy Scripture into Englishe ? Lo to thys question if he will aunswere trew Englishe, he must aunswere nay and not no. But and if the question be asked hym thus lo: is not an heretike mete to translate Holy Scripture into Englishe ? To this question if he will aunswere trewe Englishe, he must aunswere no and not nay. And a lyke difference is there betwene these two adverbs ye and yes. For if the question bee framed unto Tindall by the affirmative in thys fashion. If an heretique falsely translate the New Testament into Englishe, to make his false heresyes seem the word of Godde, be his bokes worthy to be burned ? To this questyon asked in thys wyse, yf he will aunswere true Englishe, he must aunswere ye and not yes. But now if the question be asked him thus lo; by the negative. If an heretike falsely translate the Newe Testament into Englishe to make his false heresyee seme the word of God, be not hys bokes well worthy to be burned ? To thys question in thys fashion framed if he will aunswere trewe Englishe he may not aunswere ye but he must answere yes, and say yes marry be they, bothe the translation and the translatour, and al that wyll hold wyth them.

—Thomas More, The Confutation of Tyndale’s Answer, pp. 430

To my mild chagrin, this is a real-ish rule and not a Latinate peeve, despite the fact that More himself gets it wrong in his explanation at least once. :P

oakttree: nextian: Things that are probably not good things: the overwhelming urge, whenever you...

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:19:00 -0700

oakttree:

nextian:

Things that are probably not good things: the overwhelming urge, whenever you see the word “Kazakh,” to whisper, “…kazakh v’nitkazek”

(although technically it’s “khazak, khazak v’nitkhazek”)

I feel very strongly that if I’m starting with a perfectly good velar stop I should ruin all the other words in the sentence and turn their uvular fricatives into stops too. Otherwise there is no point to the exercise.

Things that are probably not good things: the overwhelming urge, whenever you see the word...

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:10:04 -0700

Things that are probably not good things: the overwhelming urge, whenever you see the word “Kazakh,” to whisper, “…kazakh v’nitkazek”

rebeccamock: A Year In Trees A made this animated/print piece...

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:10:40 -0700

rebeccamock:

A Year In Trees

A made this animated/print piece to accompany the beautiful op-ed story “A Year in Trees” for the NY Times. I was really excited to try animating something like this. Thanks AD’s Erich Nagler and Aviva Michaelov !

slowartday: Will Barnet The top one was used as the cover of...

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:46:00 -0700

slowartday:

Will Barnet

The top one was used as the cover of the Queen’s Gambit, by Walter Tevis, which I read on @lionpyh’s recommendation and loved completely.

ancientpeoples: Terracotta Vase in the Form of a Lobster...

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:16:45 -0700

ancientpeoples:

Terracotta Vase in the Form of a Lobster Claw

ca. 460 BC

Greek, Classical

Because so many aspects of Greek life depended on the sea, a vase in the shape of a lobster claw is not surprising. It is, however, exceptional and may be a variant of the askos—a bag-shaped oil container provided with a vertical mouth and strap handle. The Dionysiac iconography of the lobster claw suggests that it was a novelty item used at symposia (drinking parties).

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art

thesongoftoday: Dissolve Me || alt-J

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:48:48 -0700

thesongoftoday:

Dissolve Me || alt-J

thominoz: Know that since mid-September, when you still...

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:40:08 -0700

thominoz:

Know that since mid-September, when you still regarded me as a tiresome little knocker on your door, I held you as Keats + Christ + Elijah + my Colonel + my father-confessor + Amenophis IV in profile.

What’s that mathematically?

In effect it is this: that I love you, dispassionately, so much, so very much, dear Fellow, that the blasting little smile you wear on reading this can’t hurt me in the least.

If you consider what the above Names have severally done for me, you will know what you are doing. And you have fixed my Life – however short.

Excerpt of a letter from Wilfred Owen to Siegfried Sassoon

ourlightsinvain: themousygirlscreams: The Mountain Goats - No...

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:06:58 -0700

ourlightsinvain:

themousygirlscreams:

The Mountain Goats - No Children

our friends say it’s darkest before the sun rises/we’re pretty sure they’re all wrong.

You are super smart and funny and I wish I knew you better. Also would very much like to hear more of your music.

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:05:07 -0700

I honestly think you're really cool and it makes me happy that you think some of the stuff I've done is cool and also that you're still into Homestuck when most of the ~old guard~ have moved on. You're also into a lot of stuff that I am not into AT ALL and yet I have never once considered unfollowing you because I dig your personality so much.

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:05:01 -0700

future au » karkat ♦ kanaya

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:35:48 -0700

future au » karkat ♦ kanaya

nightmare-kisser: negacrow: nightmareloki: newvagabond: Omfg....

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:21:01 -0700

nightmare-kisser:

negacrow:

nightmareloki:

newvagabond:

Omfg.

OH MY GOD

Well, that was unexpected.

I’M SCREAMING

i always laugh when you caplock your excitement because somehow it always catches me off guard like 'whoa tumblr user nextian is so GOOD AT WORDS and is a baby lawyer and whoa dang she also yells in chatspeak' it's great. it was super great to see you that one time and i hope we can meet again! you will always be my senpai a little bit for some reason and i think you're really cool.

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:47:07 -0700

I SOMETIMES FORGET WE'VE TECHNICALLY KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR YEARS NOW because I don't really get how the passage of time works anyway you are a terrible person and I don't know why we're friends I think you followed me home for something, xoxoxoxo answer more of your text messages :* --a beautiful secret lady admirer with amazing legs obviously

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:32:21 -0700

you are adorable but wrong about putting fruits into non-fruit salad salads

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:31:47 -0700

those are STRONG WORDS coming from someone who turns into Piglet on a blustery day

nex is a very cool and fun and frank and talented person who i am not as cool as (no though you are GREAT and i always love reading your posts and i don't think any of the things you rep could have a better representative than you)

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:31:13 -0700

ANONYMOUSLY TELL ME YOUR HONEST OPINION ABOUT ME. I CAN’T REPLY, UNLESS ITS RELEVANT OR INFORMATIVE. OR IF I HAVE A REALLY GOOD GIF.

Wed, 15 May 2013 22:51:04 -0700

baruyon: A belated birthday gift for Loppi, of her character...

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:48:54 -0700

baruyon:

A belated birthday gift for Loppi, of her character Victor! ;o;

So I was discussing this with courtyardhound and realized I’d never fully articulated it to...

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:22:00 -0700

So I was discussing this with courtyardhound and realized I’d never fully articulated it to myself, but I would like to suggest that Act 2 of the IA storyline only takes place because… (comprehensive Imperial Agent spoilers under the read more)

…the Star Cabal wants you there!

See, the SIS’ plan is absolutely necessary to the Star Cabal— they need the Shadow Arsenal. They need it enough that Hunter is willing to burn his most commonly used face to get it. But it would’ve been a lot harder without an imperial agent, and it would have been totally impossible with an imperial agent who was just faking it instead of mind controlled away from reporting their goals. Yet the Republic Senate “recently” believed in its chances of success so much they give Kothe carte blanche. It’s strongly suggested that the Star Cabal, through Hunter, helped Ardun Kothe plan the rest of the op and, of course, got the SIS your keywords. Which is more likely:

Intelligence independently decided to send Ardun Kothe the perfect asset, not just for his lifelong dream mission, but for the secret Star Cabal spy in his ranks who is clearly drooling strategically and personally over the idea of having a pet Cipher agent and whose entire purpose with the SIS is complete once Ardun Kothe’s pie-in-the-sky mission is over. They did this despite the fact that Ardun Kothe is “the best spymaster the SIS has,” and we know he’s a little gullible, but they had absolutely no reason to believe this kind of deep cover op would fool him—and indeed, it doesn’t. They also sent the one agent who was fitted with an Instant Treason Switch and who has no knowledge of her own weakness— meaning that not only did they send someone who has mind control keywords, but also really good reasons to actually flip if she ever finds out about them. The Star Cabal pulled that asset’s dossier and were like, LMAO, WOW, what a WEIRD COINCIDENCE, but instead of keeping the intel to themselves like they do with everything else, informed Ardun Kothe— who would very probably have used the agent either way— about your keywords. Intelligence is beary sorry. :(
The Star Cabal, who we know gave Ardun Kothe a lot of the necessary intel in the first place, provided him with the missing piece he needed by making sure that Intelligence’s new restrained agent went straight to his arms.

I mean, 1) isn’t impossible.It just seems like an unlikely chain of coincidence, when we know it’s in the Cabal’s interests, capabilities, and modus operandi to just get you sent on the mission in the first place.

This probably seems more likely to me because there are agents (*coughs* Sares, I’m looking at you) who are terrible at infiltration. You can really play the Agent as the most imperial, fascist, duty-bound douchebag imaginable, and if so, it is totally incomprehensible that they’d decide to send you as the person who is totally flipping no really.

I also just like it. Your special job for which only you can be trusted is an excuse for Hunter to pick up a spare pet agent and simplify his assault on the Shadow Arsenal. The whole Agent storyline is no matter how much you think you’re braced for being betrayed and used, there’s always more to come. It’s yet another chance for the world to remind Cipher Nine that they’re designed to be a pawn.