=== ANCHOR POEM === ════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────── If you've seen Spirited Away, in the first few scenes of the movie the main character's parents are taken by food and turned into pigs. They lacked temperance, and gave in to temptation. Their journey was not of a wave, but that of a black-hole - accretted and pulled toward the ultimate expression of that particular intuition. The good news is they could always be turned back, just pull that part out like drawing sickness from a wound, and huzzah! Good as new. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────────┘ === SIMILARITY RANKED === --- #1 fediverse/5515 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────── ┌─────────────────────────────┐ │ CW: andor-season-2-spoilers │ └─────────────────────────────┘ all revolutions have a cost. for example, in Andor Season 2 there is a character named Syril Karn. He's part of the first Imperial generation of children (human, at least, some species probably grow fast?) this first generation reflects the good and the bad that the empire could be. There are aspects of good AND bad in Syril. For example, his rigid adherence to truth, justice, and all the other things he holds dear are POTENTIAL good things that the Empire could have instilled within it's culture. Unfortunately, this spirit is lost when he suffers a head injury and dies as part of the Ghorman massacre. Dedra Meero has some good qualities as well, such as her unflinching resolve and unwavering dedication to pursuing her charge. She's a hunter. Cats aren't evil just because they are ambush predators, and neither is she. However, she IS evil because of all the evil things she does. Her character isn't evil, her actions are. She too is spiritually lost as a sacrifice to the Empire. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────┘ --- #2 fediverse/2632 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────── not much to do now but wait. you know how the story goes. promising recruit drops out of basic because she refused to do immoral things. but, she's shown too much to the internet, so she's kind of in a bad spot. at least until the next time she gets abused. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────┘ --- #3 messages/446 --- ═════════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────── Every month, a new ship arrives in port. It bears with it many souls who come seeking gold, glory, or bloodshed. Your job is to make sure they all get jobs that are suited to them. If you don't, they'll start to starve and become brigands. If you feed them, they get bored and become brigands. If you entertain them, they are useless and you'll be overcome with monsters. If you police them, they'll go to your rivals. You do this by building guilds which can identify and train the best potential candidates. You can invest in more time spent identifying, training, and equipping, but the more time they spend on those things the less resources they'll have to process more people through their systems. On the other end, you get a hero, or perhaps something similar. They do battle with the mordaunts and strive to better the kingdom. You reward them with bounties and they can find treasure on their adventures - how weird, it seems to just... Spawn from the earth. Almost like it's an elemental property of the land. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧══════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────┘ --- #4 fediverse/3357 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────── bad people are cursed with evil. a person cannot be evil. they can deal with such evil in their lives that twists them, and causes them to spike out and harm others, but they are not evil themselves. some twists are too hard to mend. some healings leave people a shadow of what they once were, or might have been. but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. deprive power, supply kindness, in that order. if you cannot deprive power, then reduce harm. if you cannot reduce harm, then contest, defeat, or overcome. A twisted person may be slain if death is on the line. You get what you wish for, but you don't always get to choose who. Don't let them choose. They will choose poorly. ... I find that death is very rarely on the table, though. Generally they'll make their intentions apparent. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────┘ --- #5 fediverse/4200 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────── ┌──────────────────────┐ │ CW: drugs-mentioned │ └──────────────────────┘ "doing too many drugs" is a traitorous act, abusive really, to your past self, and their hopes and dreams. or maybe your past self owes you a debt, for they never thought to think of you. What are you to aspire to if not the dreams of your past? and now you're here. wherever "here" is here... ... ... wait, you wanted me to talk? it's now! It's the present! ah nevermind. you were twelve years old when you first set eyes upon this game: https://youtu.be/qeNhQQXvpxQ bam, there ya go, there's yer story, he was gonna give all the imp balls to the last one at the end, to say "you were truly the strongest, here, have these precious stones of your kin" but he never got there, so they died with him, a thief. ... the end... (too final, I think - maybe we could spin it into a "part two"?) ah, I'll try I guess? dunno how. maybe he could wander the spirit world and find his traitorous body, the one that kept his soul as a home. Somewhere it'll turn up, and then he'll be ready and free from his roam... ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────┘ --- #6 fediverse/4068 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────── there will always be people who shine in moments of strife yet those people will inevitably fail, just as a toothbrush bristle looses it's strength or a pencil loses it's lead the trick is to test them in times of peace, so you can know their value during times that lack it, the trick is to replace them before they become stalin never forget that power corrupts, yet power must be wielded by the worthy, else we fall into shame and despair. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────┘ --- #7 fediverse/5277 --- ╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────┐ ║ ┌──────────────────────┐ │ ║ │ CW: ~dnd │ │ ║ └──────────────────────┘ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ @user-1788 │ ║ │ ║ if a dragon on a pile cannot claim what it yearns for, it can throw piles of │ ║ minerals at the ape warriors made of steel and then it's fate will appear. │ ║ what trifles does all else seem to compare! you should give me your whole │ ║ hoard because I dazzled you with my charisma score -..- │ ║ │ ║ ha, like I'd fall for that again twice. oh? I already did? and this is the │ ║ second twice? well, then no-more of that behavior, I say, with my elven │ ║ tongue, "beware! for dragons blood runs silver when unicorned." │ ║ │ ║ the bigger the hoard, the bigger the dragon. if you want me to come along, │ ║ you'll need to hire at least 3 other men to carry my ballista. In addition, │ ║ I'll need seven weeks worth of supplies. If all else comes to ruin, me and my │ ║ boys will have that dragon-sized-spider impaled on it's own fate threadwheel │ ║ before... well... y'know it might take more than seven weeks, we just... can't │ ║ find the dragon. We've been wandering all through the blasted peaks, and │ ║ there's nothin'! Maybe it requires climbing gear? │ ╟─────────┐ ┌───────────┤ ║ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╚═════════╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════───┴──────────┘ --- #8 fediverse/4676 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────── ... but I needed to choose lawful-good at character creation in order to play a paladin. the guard looks at you with confusion, decides you're hallucinating and dangerous (because of the sword) and forcibly detains you wait, what did you think I was going to say? Did you think I was going to advocate for crimes on a public forum?? what am I a gopher? do you take me for a lemur in jamaica? am I truly so triceratops to you that you'd think I'd do something so washing machine? Get real, I'd never byzantium my way into such a utterly coherent and clearly intentional and not at all arcane situation. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────┘ --- #9 fediverse/5444 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────── if the good guys always win, the bad will slink into the shadows and do dastardly deeds out of sight. if the bad guys always win, the spark of goodness will wink out. I think I'd prefer if they were cowering in our wake. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────┘ --- #10 fediverse/2558 --- ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────┐ ║ ┌──────────────────────┐ │ ║ │ CW: pol │ │ ║ └──────────────────────┘ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ if you happen to glance out your window and see like, 40 trans or punks │ ║ outside depending on where you are you're likely to say hi or open fire. │ ║ │ ║ like, just the impact of such an intense visual for some of the more restful │ ║ parts of society might trigger the kind of reaction that someone who's woken │ ║ up by a scary dream, bolt of lightning, or like, forcible police arrest in the │ ║ middle of the night type of thing might display. │ ║ │ ║ like, they'd probably have an instinctual defensive reaction because, like, │ ║ what else are you gonna do the tiger's literally here to eat your pinky toes │ ║ and your kid's toes too │ ║ │ ║ so, keep that in mind. maybe send the fit nurse who's friendly and good with │ ║ talking to people. or like, a schoolteacher who's kind of un-hatable. │ ║ │ ║ diplomacy is important! but also, like... know your audience, right? like if │ ║ you're in the third reich, you probably want to show strength. or, like, avoid │ ║ that part of town, and save it for your allies-in-training to handle. use your │ ║ best judgement. meet in middle. │ ╟─────────┐ ┌───────────┤ ║ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╚═════════╧══════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────┴──────────┘ --- #11 fediverse/6186 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────── ┌──────────────────────┐ │ CW: cursed-maybe │ └──────────────────────┘ people are afraid of robo dogs but... like... robo-horses centaurs even [scary scary ogre] rarrraaar i'm gonna eat ur bones bwahahaha evil necromancer ahhhhhhh scary -- stack overflow -- did you know in the movie They Live they give a fairly specific formula to creating the glasses themselves? I wonder if anyone's tried that I wonder what they then did see kinda wish big corporations would use their research division to like, rethink the oldest of prophecies? or okay hear me out or solve difficult human problems ... ah but where's the profit "she's getting stoned at home" meanwhile she made something of such beauty she felt simply sublime I wonder what it'd feel like to get your spine replaced with a metal rod I bet my posture would be amazing ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────┘ --- #12 fediverse/4521 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────── I have between one and ten hundred visits to my website every day, but I don't really post it anywhere new anymore. I also have zero followers on Neocities. On Mastodon, I have ~70 followers, most of whom are inactive. Seventy is a good amount, a normal amount, a reasonable amount, an unsuspicious amount, and yet every time I see someone wearing the colors I can't help but wonder if they know me. I'm too busy being furious to be lonely. I used to be, before I realized how important I am. How important? Just as much as you are, I know it. I'm a sprinter. I didn't spec into endurance at character creation. Nobody chastises the mage for skipping leg day. I act in fits and bursts. I am sharp like a scalpel, but needles dull just a bit when piercing the lid of the HRT. Good thing I'm not made out of metal, I can bend myself back into place, so long as everyone else can keep pace. I don't know who needs to hear this, but you do. you are crucial. Listen to this. Care for yourself and for others, do it for u ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────┘ --- #13 fediverse_boost/5513 --- ◀─╔═════════════════════════════[BOOST]══════════════════════════════────────────╗ ║ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ║ ║ │ While everything is indeed horrible, you are not obligated to solely focus on the horror. The availability of a constant stream of bad news does not make that news valuable by itself. Paying constant attention is not "doing something." So if the information isn't actionable, filter it. │ ║ ║ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ║ ╠─────────┐ ┌───────────╣ ║ similar │ chronological │ different ║ ╚═════════╧════════════════════════════════════════════════════════────┴───────╝─▶ --- #14 fediverse/4031 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────── if you want to "not think about a purple elephant", the first step is to imagine yourself slaying it ... okay how about cthulu - if you don't want to imagine cthulu nomming on our gravity well, then picture yourself wielding a bright burning blade of fire and vengeance and pay special attention to the way that you cauterize each tentacle as you slice them one by one at first, and then in a massive flurry at best, ultimately leading to the incomparable brightness that radiates out from your shining blade of the sky, which blinds the poor beast who can't see you as you approach, piercing the skull and then going home for some toast if you can get good at that, then you can wield magic ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────┘ --- #15 fediverse/2806 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────── ┌────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ CW: politics-social-media-spirituality │ └────────────────────────────────────────┘ pretend this is an allegory for social media. [it's not an allegory] yeah that's why I said pretend. okay imagine that you are sitting in a rock in a forest. far away, about 100 feet away, there are other people, but you can't see them because the underbrush is sooooo dense. they are also sitting on rocks. you can speak to them, and share your thoughts - but you don't know exactly where they're coming from because the sound has to bounce around off so many different plants and such. [that's not how that works] shut up so, if you want to say anything important, it's important to have the right tone, because people 2 or 3 clearings away can't really make out your words - but they might hear your tone if you yell very loud. the energy of the space you inhabit is the only thing that really matters. the words that you say are just snickering to a friend, but the expression on your face, the beating of the drum of your heart that reaches forth... that's what matters most. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────┘ --- #16 fediverse/1339 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────────── ┌─────────────────────────────────┐ │ CW: vague-reference-to-politics │ └─────────────────────────────────┘ @user-521 I can't stand mean comedy. Or cringe comedy. It just, doesn't make sense to me? And I get physically upset when people are put in difficult situations that you're supposed to laugh at for some reason. Like my goodness what kind of values are they seeking to instill in their audience with this kind of propaganda amiright ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────────────┘ --- #17 fediverse/2211 --- ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────┐ ║ I know that a normal life is what you wanted. It's what I want, too. But don't │ ║ shoot the messenger; they took it once, from you. │ ║ │ ║ I know you wanted to be happy. You still can be, it's true! Your life is but a │ ║ story, and your heart does shine through. │ ║ │ ║ I know it seems unending. Ive never seen it rain like this monsoon! It seems │ ║ to just get worse and worse, every time you turn on the tube. │ ║ │ ║ It's not something that can be suffered, it's rising past your shoes. But │ ║ they're on borrowed time, and Death will soon be repaid his dues. │ ║ │ ║ They say that when the whole village hates the preacher, his flock becomes a │ ║ pack. And frankly I think we're all just a bit sick, of the lies that keep │ ║ their sins intact. │ ║ │ ║ When swallowed by endless traumas, and hope is enshrouded in gloom, there's │ ║ not much to work for, except the aversion of our shared doom. │ ║ │ ║ There are no grand narratives, no great and calamitous struggle. Just the │ ║ moments of honored resistance, against a foe too broad to wrestle. │ ║ │ ║ At least, if you're alone. You're not. │ ╟─────────┐ ┌───────────┤ ║ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╚═════════╧══════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────┴──────────┘ --- #18 fediverse/3966 --- ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────┐ ║ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ ║ │ CW: re: Thoughts// anarchist //whatever │ │ ║ └─────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ @user-1298 │ ║ │ ║ I believe that self defence is a myth, and should not be relied upon, because │ ║ anyone who is rotten in their heart might prey upon you (who might defend │ ║ yourself) just as easily as a cripple in a cart or a grannie walking her cats │ ║ in the park. │ ║ │ ║ The process you're describing is exile. And that works when you can cast │ ║ people out of your stone-walled town. But in the modern era, there are no │ ║ places for these people to go, so we hold them with cruel iron bars in cages │ ║ far underground. │ ║ │ ║ It's not ideal, but would you rather they find someone else to harm, or would │ ║ you rather invite power's corruption into your heart and take an oath to │ ║ protect the weak and innocent? │ ║ │ ║ Evil is everyone's problem. It lurks within us, and leaps forth in times of │ ║ turmoil and stress. We are human savages, after all, and our nature is that of │ ║ a wild beast given a spark of intelligence through countless generations of │ ║ gossip and generosity. │ ║ │ ║ Humans are good for the most part. Some have lead poisoning │ ╟─────────┐ ┌───────────┤ ║ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╚═════════╧══════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────┴──────────┘ --- #19 fediverse/2089 --- ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────┐ ║ "ah nuts, the crows are back. Better give them some diced-up carrots so they │ ║ shut up." │ ║ │ ║ BAD, this teaches them to "sing" for attention which is annoying af │ ║ │ ║ "Hmmm, this carrot looks kinda withered. I'm going to dice it up to throw to │ ║ the birds because it's better than rotting in a dump" │ ║ │ ║ BETTER, because you're being sustainable and nourishing local wildlife, │ ║ │ ║ "That songbird is beautiful! And that squirrel is building a nest. I'm going │ ║ to throw some of this pre-diced carrot that I keep in an air-tight container │ ║ on my porch to them so they feel rewarded for doing things that I want" │ ║ │ ║ EVEN BETTER, but requires more effort and forethought │ ║ │ ║ [noooo didn't you read ranger rick as a kid you're not supposed to feed the │ ║ wildlife because it'll teach them to trust humans in a world where humans can │ ║ be total assholes to them and also we don't want them hanging out in cities │ ║ because they might get run over or whatever] │ ║ │ ║ listen, they're gonna live where they can find food. And if they can't find it │ ║ in the woods, they'll liv │ ╟─────────┐ ┌───────────┤ ║ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╚═════════╧══════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────┴──────────┘ --- #20 fediverse/1722 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────── ┌──────────────────────┐ │ CW: food-mentioned │ └──────────────────────┘ harsh lessons of adulthood - sometimes food is not eaten for the taste, but rather for how it will make you feel slightly better in the next few days. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────────┘ |