ultimately something about feeling smart and engaging with a particular type of speculation about life feels essential to its popularity. i forget who said it, but a modern author said something like “any sufficiently advanced science fiction is indistinguishable from theology”.

the main takeaway is clearly the nihilism. perhaps this is why it fits the spirit of the 2010s, and not the 2020s. although you can philosophically square it, maybe, nihilism doesn’t fit with today’s hyper politicization. i dont think all individuals were politicized in 2013. https://hell.twtr.plus/media/ea51dc94cda0e97445a9c7fcdda195f5ead5466eaca7f3765f44a5008431abd9.file

why? hard to say. you have the sci-fi: to me, its unclear who said it, but theres a slightly self aggrandizing quote, “science fiction is the literature of ideas” (…as though other literature isnt). this fits the “you have to have a high IQ to understand rick and morty” meme.

in a few weeks, rick and morty will have debuted 12 years ago. to even bring it up now feels cringe, yet its immense popularity clearly meant something about the zeitgeist. now that we’re five years into the 2020s, it seems like this show may have captured the spirit of the 2010s https://hell.twtr.plus/media/9ce4a65b0538a7b799a3f67487b53a387dd92276f8cde56db9593c91fc851e7c.file

there should clearly be some entity like santa claus, or the various spooky beings, but for thanksgiving. some kind of legendary turkey, an ascended watchful pilgrim who returns once a year, anything - this is an obvious hole in the american year end narrative.

interesting development in mariology (theology of the virgin mary) a few days ago from the vatican. i read this book a few years ago and thought it was interesting if anyone is looking to pick something up: https://hell.twtr.plus/media/5d0e3e4f1c90aba437a7fe9b2529ecd2fbdc38766ccc54c9c42c92976cd28d11.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/e22426dd56158a71a8088ad0c694eb93c30b4eda2aa1b85c42b27785601f921f.file

here we are at the advent bazaar with owen jr a few years ago. always a good time. (comics are still paused as we are presently hustling a few last minute machinations.) https://hell.twtr.plus/media/33700d0057101cb2995372933d4bd249c575f3c8ec98745548d351e148aeb360.file

will never forget my wife walking down the aisle to bach’s “file number 8162”

western classical composers would write the most beautiful song of all time and then title it “work #174, song in F major”

overall i think these are interesting as you're looking at the sun itself here. the idea of a light body or a luminosity associated with the spirit or divinity is essentially universal - such a strong theme that it even comes through in these otherwise modern "fine art" images: https://hell.twtr.plus/media/f2c491754f31acc2253ac71116019e524d1a36d6d4269ab64e06f23b3b1c5600.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/3bafd35dd627e843939b0a7f5076272f221b58021d785a5c900b3284ee6e074b.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/c36fb0b3e39e47f2fb4cbfca706d51da47c593a8eabace9eeee66a3d542f8d65.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/b56d19efd23504de172009269cff4b7992f0472d36597b5307a5d113a1056974.file