This week in The Slacktiverse, July 9/10 2011

The Blogaround

This week Ana Mardoll posted
Twilight: D-I-Y Characterization
Why do so many readers see Bella as a null character – a literary figure they can slip easily in and out of – when her character in the text is actually fairly well fleshed out, if rather lacking in depth? Is it possible that by building a character that is characterized by contradictions and oxymorons, the reader is forced to instinctively choose what to keep and what to discard? Are there deeper cultural meanings and philosophical implications to be faced when dealing with an inherently contradictory text, or is Ana just Reading Too Much Into Things? Come help us decide!

This week Ana Mardoll posted
Narnia: World-Building Your Allegory
Allegorical literature can be difficult when the author starts with an end in mind and then has to get there from the beginning. Come help us explore the allegorical implications of Narnia, specifically as it relates to the rulership of both Aslan/Jesus and Jadis/Satan – can a ruler truly be good if he leaves his responsibilities and his borders unprotected? Can a usurper truly be illegitimate if they provide a functioning economy and meaningful border defense? Help us explore this and more in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Chapter 2.

Last week Ana Mardoll posted
Twilight: The Dangers of Idol Worship
It’s odd to see Charlie rave about the wonderful Cullens – their brilliance, their charity, their children! – when he knows so little about them as a family. Is he just naturally good-natured towards the new family, or is there something more at work here? Come see why jumping to conclusions is always dangerous, even when the conclusions being jumped towards are “nice” ones.

This week the former conservative blogger did 3 posts on the internet community "Rapture Ready" (They have a death wish, but it’s a cheerful kind of death wish, It’s Rapture Time! Scotty, Beam Me Up!, Rapture Ready apparently even thinks Christianity is evil/); wrote about how a facebook ad for the "Christian Left" blog got unfairly removed and wrote about hir feelings on patriotic music.

Coleslaw writes: In "Target Practice", I listen to the lyrics of "Grenade" (by Bruno Mars) and reflect on how actions not only speak louder than words, but leave you with clean laundry as well.

In the process of trying to take her work with Tarot further and inviting her readers to help, Literata described what getting a Tarot reading with her is like and wrote a draft of her code of ethics for reading Tarot. She also mused about how an encounter with wildlife felt like a form of recognition.

This week aravind wrote Charming, [Trigger Warning: Homophobic and Racist slurs, Sexism] a short reflection on the obligation of privileged-but-well-meaning folks not to look away from privilege-related hostility on the internet and [Trigger Warning: Forced marriages] a third installment in a deconstruction of The Prince of Persia.

Nick Kiddle writes: I recently posted "Hello sexy!" - about my recent experiences of what I can only assume was intended as sexual harassment; some scattered thoughts on replacing ableist language and, on a lighter note, a recipe for Green Soup that I made earlier in the week.

Storiteller wrote about her pleasant surprise in exploring the city of Indianapolis and eating vegetables "nose-to-tail" style.

Sarah writes: This week I posted we read to find ourselves; or, a bit of grumbling for the day ...on stories and moral lessons.

Laiima writes: this week I posted (1) more speculation about how we relate to others, published (2) what I like and don't like about photographs of people, including myself, and (3) start musing on solitude, and end up with community.

[Trigger warning: violence against women.]

Kit Whitfield has a new post on aggression and objectification in the relationship between artist and audience.

In case you missed this

As of July 9 2011 the world has a new country South Sudan marks its independence.

Things you can do

[Trigger Warning: Sexism, Misogyny, Domestic Violence]

Rumana Monzur, a graduate student at the University of British Columbia, was attacked, mutilated and left blind while visiting her home in Dhaka, Banglasesh. The University of British Columbia has established a scholarship to bring Monzur and her five year old daughter back to Canada and to allow Monzur to continue her education. David Suzuki provided more information about what happened in an article Show your support for Rumana Monzur on his website. The University of British Columbia is accepting donations online and through the mail.

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The Board Administration Team
(hapax, Kit Whitfield and mmy)

Comments

[MercuryBlue]

*cough* country, not county *opens many tabs*

[MercuryBlue]

UBC isn't accepting my donation. Told me there was an error in processing the transaction and my credit card had not been charged, twice on one card and a third time on a second. Hmph.

[The Board Administration Team]

@Thanks MercuryBlue -- fixed it.

[Ross]

I learned of this too late to make This Week In, but I just saw a video on what would happen if God were to disappear. It's a rather beautiful piece of satire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkCuc34hvD4

[Rowen]

At my gym, the TV there consists of CNN, 50 million sports channels, MTV and Bravo. So, I've gotten to know trash TV WAY more intimately then I want. That being said, Jersey Shore has completely taken over whatever thoughts I had about the song "Grenade." And, unfortunately, that's not exactly a good thing.

[MercuryBlue]

Anybody else on Google+? 'Cause here's me.

[truth is life]

I was thinking of sending this in as a "In case you missed this" but didn't. Ah, well. To make up for it, here is the final Shuttle launch on Friday.

[Deird, who loves the new anti-facebook]

I'm on Google+ too...

If anyone wants an invite, just let me know. (I'll need your email, but you can leave it in an anonymous comment on my blog if you like.)

[Raj]

@Deird & MercuryBlue:

My e-mail address is rajtrekker(at)gmail(dot)com. Deird, I have also left a post on your blog.

[Deird, who isn't good at computers]

Raj, I'm not sure if I just invited you once or three times, but hopefully at least one of the invites has arrived...

[Raj]

Deird,

It was 3X, but hey, lots of good things come in threes:

[Jon Maki]

Deird, I'm jonpaul(dot)maki(at)gmail(dot)com. I'd definitely appreciate an invite.

[cyllan]

I also have invites to give out if folks want them and Deird runs out. Those who want to ping me can do so at my gmail address: lilisonna.

[Ross]

Hey all. Did someone mention this here yet? Because it's the most fantastic thing I've read this month: Once Upon A Time. A Fairy Tale About Income Inequality: The Story So Far from Echidne of the Snakes

[Winter]

Ross's link and some coincidental Amazon.com shopping turned up an interesting thought.

I'm reading Patton's War As I Knew It because the local library has a copy and I'd already read Rommel's book. When I went to Amazon.com to see how much a copy of my own would cost, I stumbled over a book on management called Patton on Leadership.

In the current climate of outsourcing, layoffs, etc., I'm rather curious if the author found room for this Patton quote: There is a great deal of talk about loyalty from the bottom to the top. Loyalty from the top down is even more necessary and much less prevalent.