Roselightfairy

“I was going to get my masters degree but then it was 2020, so yeah”

“I was cast in a play and then it was 2020”

It was invented by one person for a specific purpose - to have a universalizable way of establishing historical dates, rather than having to deal with dynastically based date systems. And it was a really good idea. This is not surprising, since Bede is basically the father of Historiography. He also is the guy who gave us the notion of Primary Sources. Bede is amazing.

When a guy revolutionizes the entire way calendaring is done, he has the right to set his zero point wherever he pleases.

People have pointed out that one problem with CE notation is that it presents itself as neutral when it is exactly the same system as AD. What exactly is "common" about this era? The zero point doesn't become neutral just by effacing its source.

(Also BCE is nonsense. Just use negative numbers)

It makes sense for scholarly tradition to not want to be tied to a specific religion. But scholarly tradition is very enthusiastic about being tied to earlier scholarly tradition. The convention of AD was established by a scholar for a scholarly purpose. We know his name. We know what he was doing, and why, and how. And he was doing it better than anybody else. That is worth honoring.

Rather than pretending that it's a neutral system, acknowledge that it's not. It's not some naturally occurring "common era," it's the system developed by Bede, centered around dates that were important to him personally (but which he intended to be universally applicable).

I have been informed that Bede notation may in fact have been first devised by Dionysus the Humble of Scythia to calculate the date of Easter more accurately. But my broader point stands.

going to the bigger store because i needed to pick up some stuff my usual store doesnt carry. the cashier is a guy about my age. when it's my turn, i say hi, and he goes EITHER "oh, dressed in pink" or "seeing life through rose-tinted glasses" (and if you wonder how on earth i could mix these two statements: in french it sounds very close. anyway)

i go, "what?"

he goes, "pink."

i go, "what?"

"your shirt. it's pink."

"indeed it is"

"thats a choice. better not go to russia huh"

"what?"

"yeah, they won't like your shirt"

"they are prejudiced against cactii in russia?"

"what?"

(i point to the cactus print)

"no, i mean, people like you, they're illegal. in russia."

"people with cactus print shirts?"

"no."

(i blink unhelpfully at him)

"no, you know. men who dress in women's... colors. they dont like that"

"oh then, we're both in danger"

"what?"

(he blinks at me unhelpfully. i point to his shirt, a delightfully purple-leaning burgundy, which i recognize because i have the exact same shirt in my own wardrobe)

"your shirt. it's burgundy."

"what?? no. no it's not. it's red!"

"oh no, no, trust me. this is the loveliest burgundy i've seen ☺️ and i would know. bye!"

(he was staring at his shirt in a mix of panic and disbelief as i left)

- I can't make everyone happy

- As long as I'm not using A.I, my writing is fine

- The first draft is not the final draft

- My story is going well

- The first draft is not the final draft

- The first draft doesn't need to be perfect it is not the final draft

- It is not the final draft stop

- For fucks sake, stop perfecting the first draft

- Some grammar is allowed to be broken while writing dialog