Words and Swords

So. Um. JK Rowling decided to take an upskirt photo of a trans woman, posted it to social media, and when she got heat for it, said that it was the trans woman’s fault for choosing to dress that way.

Like, cool, JK, you have spent the last decade proving that its never been about feminism and its been your own bigotry the entire time, and then hammered in the fucking nail by committing a sex crime

This means:

If you draw a hard line between "drug" and "medicine" based on current legality where you live (or any other criteria) you've gone wrong somewhere,

If you think legality and/or prescription status tells you all you need about a substance's capacity to do massive harm to someone's body, mind or well-being you've gone wrong somewhere,

If you think legality and/or prescription status tells you all you need about a substance's capacity to contribute meaningfully to someone's healing, function or happiness you've gone wrong somewhere,

But it was done that way regardless.

Here's the Lindisfarne Gospels.

Here's the Book of Kells.

“I had time to run home and pack a bag and get to the beach where the boats were waiting,” said a member of Namaygoosisagagun First Nation (Collins). “We literally had minutes to get on the boats and flee before it took our town. “Once we left my house finally after packing what I could in a pack sack, the fire was right behind our place. We had to run to the beach and once we got there, it was only moments before the fire had jumped over the (train) track and was coming for us.”

it has since been confirmed that namaygoosisagagun first nation has completely burnt to the ground. if you would like to help the community navigate an ongoing crisis, i urge you to donate to the anishinabek nation 7th generation, a registered charity seeking to improve the lives of first nations people. donations are going directly to members of namaygoosisagagun first nation.

Their page on CanadaHelps / CanaDon:

The simple act of holding a camera in my homeland of Western Sahara can be a crime. When Sahrawi film-makers and journalists attempt to document everyday life under Moroccan occupation, they can often end up in prison cells. For the Moroccan regime, a camera in the hands of a Sahrawi threatens its official narrative that Western Sahara is part of Morocco. In contrast, when celebrated international names in the film industry wish to capture an ideal picture for an epic journey, and decide that our land is exotic enough to shoot the desired scenes, they are welcomed, escorted and granted access by the same authorities that usually deny us that right. [...] Nolan’s choice to film in an occupied territory highlights the extractivist practices embedded in the western film industry. Western cinema has often been complicit in mining stories and immaterial culture from the global south at a scale no smaller than the material resources mined by the western colonial industrial complex. International film crews parachute in, shoot our faces, clothing, dunes and material culture, then fly off. For them, it seems we are simply decorative elements for their sets and back in New York, London or Paris, they gain prestige, box-office returns and awards. For Nolan’s Dakhla shoot, he appears to have neither sought our consent nor considered the ethics of in effect helping to prop up and legitimise Morocco’s occupation, thus making the space even more unsafe for Sahrawis living under it. He is actively participating in a state-sponsored PR campaign designed to legitimise an illegal occupation.

"I don't know, you're wearing a mask."

"How about now?"

"You're kinda mid, tbh" or "I don't have time for questions" are both valid responses

I might translate this article later today. This one was the most complete one, even in Italian news it's not talked about that much.

Concerns about prop disposal as filming on new Nolan film comes to a close

INSIDER NEWSDESK | 3 September 2025

Lipari was chosen for the scene where Odysseus encounters the Sirens

SICILY - First it made headlines for its grandeur, and now the film The Odyssey by Christopher Nolan, shot on the island of Lipari, is sparking controversy due to the production’s inappropriate decisions regarding the disposal of certain props.

The issue concerns plastic skeletons and other props that were found by some divers on the seabed of the stunning waters surrounding the island, part of the Aeolian archipelago. At depths of at least 18 meters, installations and props were discovered that risk damaging a natural marine habitat that is under protection, writes Il Fatto Quotidiano.

The incident was reported by Giusi Savarino, the regional environmental councillor, who received the report from the Lipari Harbor Master’s Office and has requested the intervention of ARPA (the Regional Environmental Protection Agency) to investigate possible harm to marine species in the Pietra del Bagno area.

“Along with the permit (environmental impact assessment),” said Councillor Savarino, “we also issued precise rules and guidelines to protect the area from an environmental standpoint. The discoveries made in recent days are a cause for serious concern, and for this reason, we will be intervening with ARPA to determine the possible impact of these materials on the habitat and marine species in this area of significant natural value.

“We are happy to host international film projects and are always willing to support these productions,” he continued, “but no one should think they can take advantage of our hospitality by disrespecting our natural treasures.”

In the letter sent to ARPA, the Environmental Councillor requested an urgent inspection and monitoring of the seabed at Pietra del Bagno, along with a technical assessment to determine any damage to the marine ecosystem.

Filming took place in April and concluded at the end of the month, involving major Hollywood stars: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron in a film that tells the story of Odysseus, set to be released in July 2026. Lipari was chosen for its beauty, to depict the scene where Odysseus (played by Matt Damon) encounters the Sirens.

But the same beauty that led to its selection was not preserved by the production, which may now face criminal consequences for what happened. The damage comes three years after the devastating fire that destroyed much of Stromboli’s Mediterranean scrubland, caused by another film crew shooting a movie about firefighters starring Ambra Angiolini. That crew had lit a “controlled” fire which then got out of hand.

Nonetheless, the show went on, and the series aired despite protests from the residents of Stromboli. Now this new incident reignites the debate around film and TV productions that choose Mediterranean gems as filming locations but fail to respect the rules that protect these beautiful places.

More Italian sources here (you can use your browser translator to translate them for you):

Facebook video posted by the Regional Councillor of Sicily mentioned in all the articles (I can translate it for people if they want although what she says is summed up in the caption)

Rai News (Rai is the national broadcasting service in Italy, like BBC for the UK so pretty trustworthy)

La Repubblica (possibly the most important Italian newspaper, the article is behind a paywall)

Quotidiano Nazionale (National Newspaper)

Lascimmiapensa (this is an independent news website for entertainment)

comic for a little seattle anthology i did. this is my cat db cooper :)

[Image ID: The Destiel confession meme edited so that Dean answers 'JK Rowling posted upskirt photos of a woman on Twitter' to Cas 'I love you'. /End ID]

No one doing this should be allowed to call themselves a feminist.

and better