The Blogaround
This week Kit Whitfield posted her talk to a class of Creative Writing postgrads at Warwick.
Literata wrote about her experiences with change
over time and explored (Trigger Warning: Rape, power abuse within relationships, victim blaming) how women's
spirituality uses rituals to cope with experiences like rape and
abuse of power dynamics within relationships, with a specific example
drawing on the myth of Inanna. (End Trigger Warning) She also chimed in on a Pagan
controversy by saying that some people were probably missing
the point of metaphors, and then asked whether language
about deity is part of the problem.
Storiteller had an entirely new experience on Memorial Day, marching in her town's parade with her community bicycle group, complete with absurd screw-ups on public access TV, as she describes in National Bike Month, Week 4: Pedaling and Parades. After the weather and mystery critters destroyed the seedlings she delicately raised by hand, she decided to go the lazy route for the rest and just sprout seeds in damp paper towels and plastic bags. This method worked surprisingly well, as she describes in Sprout a Little, Sprout a Lot.
This week Ana Mardoll posted:
Twilight: Privilege Means Never Having To Say You're Sorry
(Trigger Warning: Vehicle Collision, Cultural Appropriation, Brain Damage, Abusive Relationships)
Twilight Recap: Edward and Bella have concluded their dinner conversation and are heading back to Bella's house.
Ana Mardoll draws attention to the quirk in Edward's behavior that leads to Jacob's existence--Edward Cullen [is] a complex, tortured character: He can explain scenting out humans for tracking, and he can explain magical vampire telepathy powers, but he can't bring up vampirism because that particular secret is beyond the possibility of being broached. .
Twilight: Privilege Means Never Having To Say You're Sorry
(Trigger Warning: Vehicle Collision, Cultural Appropriation, Brain Damage, Abusive Relationships)
Twilight Recap: Edward and Bella have concluded their dinner conversation and are heading back to Bella's house.
Ana Mardoll draws attention to the quirk in Edward's behavior that leads to Jacob's existence--Edward Cullen [is] a complex, tortured character: He can explain scenting out humans for tracking, and he can explain magical vampire telepathy powers, but he can't bring up vampirism because that particular secret is beyond the possibility of being broached. .
This week Ana Mardoll posted:
Deconstruction: The Inevitable Avengers Thread
Why do I still feel ambivalent about the whole thing, despite liking it alright in theaters?
Deconstruction: The Inevitable Avengers Thread
Why do I still feel ambivalent about the whole thing, despite liking it alright in theaters?
This week Ana Mardoll posted:
Narnia: The Privilege of Omniscience
(Trigger Warning: Genocide)
Narnia Recap: Caspian has been adopted by two dwarves and a badger
Religious allegories and metaphors are sometimes a bit tricky for me to handle because a lot of times they seem to depend on access to information that, in theory, many of us simply don't have. Or, on the flip side, to the obscuring of information that we sometimes tend to not notice. The Narnia series strikes me is an example of the former, of providing information we don't normally have access to -- and which the other characters most definitely do not have access to -- and then using that to ask us to draw conclusions from there. It's hard for me to grapple with.
Narnia: The Privilege of Omniscience
(Trigger Warning: Genocide)
Narnia Recap: Caspian has been adopted by two dwarves and a badger
Religious allegories and metaphors are sometimes a bit tricky for me to handle because a lot of times they seem to depend on access to information that, in theory, many of us simply don't have. Or, on the flip side, to the obscuring of information that we sometimes tend to not notice. The Narnia series strikes me is an example of the former, of providing information we don't normally have access to -- and which the other characters most definitely do not have access to -- and then using that to ask us to draw conclusions from there. It's hard for me to grapple with.
This week Laiima posted: gender and clothing, my life lacks drama and clearing the stage for new growth, part 1 & part 2.
chris the cynicwrites: This week I viewed the transit of Venus with my sister, I tried to take pictures, but since my camera wouldn't focus on the sun I mostly just got pictures of my sister and me in welding helmets. I continued writing about the game Mirror's Edge with a non spoiler post about my experience playing it and another post about Mirror's Edge in which I spoiled the plot point by point while making excessive commentary.
Coleslaw reports: It has been a week of meteorological, theological, astrological (astronomical, really, but astrological rhymes) and filmological (not a word but "filmology" is) events on my blog. We Could Use Some Rain, but not a storm of the sort described in Rob Bell's Rain, a short, and to my mind problematic film in his Nooma series. Did you win a contest because the competition didn't show up? It Still Counts. A princess, a huntsman, and some dwarves meet In A Dark Wood in the movie Snow White and the Huntsman. I have opinions. Finally, between first and fourth Contact in Venus' transit of the sun, I get to mull over how even simple word meanings are elusive.
By the way, I am chagrined to find that my blogpost Gentleman, criticizing that stupid 1950's picture of a woman in a crinoline and its caption, is now a source for people looking for that picture. Who was the 70's feminist who said, "Every route out of caste leads right back in again"?
By the way, I am chagrined to find that my blogpost Gentleman, criticizing that stupid 1950's picture of a woman in a crinoline and its caption, is now a source for people looking for that picture. Who was the 70's feminist who said, "Every route out of caste leads right back in again"?
J Enigma (the Transhumanist!) writes: First, an update on my novel, The Blue Pimpernel. The ebook is now available through Barnes and Noble. You can find a free sample there, too.
Second, the I blogged about the recall election in Wisconsin, and about a letter that I saw on my facebook news feed directed at people who voted in the recall against Walker. I also state how I wouldn't be surprised if there was some type of fraud involved and lo and behold... I may have been right. I do hate it when my cynicism is justified.
Speaking of cynicism and fascism, I talked a bit about news in my own state - specifically, how the appointed dictator of Muskegon Heights is privatizing that entire school district, voiding all union contracts, and renting the buildings out to charter schools (I used this concept in my novel; I'm rather horrified to see it actually happening here in the real world). Taxation without representation? What's that? The representation part, that is.
Keeping with the same theme (Trigger Warning: Just about everything including misogyny, racism and homophobia) I took a look at the wonderfully misogynistic, racist, homophobic, capitalistic, hateful, anti-American, anti-human platform that the Iowa GOP has adopted it. Every stereotype that you've ever associated with the right is packed into this document. All of the hate, the ignorance, and mind-blowing disconnection from anything remotely resembling reality is all here (A taste: they want to repeal civil rights and remove OSHA). I wheeled out Comic Sans just for this post. Following this is a post dealing with more wonderful right-wing Christian indignation about some inane thing, and some good news: an example of Tim Carney, a Romney supporter, getting thrown off of the air on MSNBC because he tried to play the verbal shell game that right-wingers always try and it blew up in his face.
The last posts are more eclectic. I took a look at the history of Ayn Rand's Anthem and took a look at part of the first chapter (watch for falling anvils with morals on them...) and established immediately why her world not only doesn't work within the confines of the fictional boundaries she was attempting to set, but why it falls on its face right out of the gate because of the protagonist's name. Last but not least, the discovery that dark matter actually exists eluded me last year, so I figured I would share it with others who live behind the curve, like me.
Second, the I blogged about the recall election in Wisconsin, and about a letter that I saw on my facebook news feed directed at people who voted in the recall against Walker. I also state how I wouldn't be surprised if there was some type of fraud involved and lo and behold... I may have been right. I do hate it when my cynicism is justified.
Speaking of cynicism and fascism, I talked a bit about news in my own state - specifically, how the appointed dictator of Muskegon Heights is privatizing that entire school district, voiding all union contracts, and renting the buildings out to charter schools (I used this concept in my novel; I'm rather horrified to see it actually happening here in the real world). Taxation without representation? What's that? The representation part, that is.
Keeping with the same theme (Trigger Warning: Just about everything including misogyny, racism and homophobia) I took a look at the wonderfully misogynistic, racist, homophobic, capitalistic, hateful, anti-American, anti-human platform that the Iowa GOP has adopted it. Every stereotype that you've ever associated with the right is packed into this document. All of the hate, the ignorance, and mind-blowing disconnection from anything remotely resembling reality is all here (A taste: they want to repeal civil rights and remove OSHA). I wheeled out Comic Sans just for this post. Following this is a post dealing with more wonderful right-wing Christian indignation about some inane thing, and some good news: an example of Tim Carney, a Romney supporter, getting thrown off of the air on MSNBC because he tried to play the verbal shell game that right-wingers always try and it blew up in his face.
The last posts are more eclectic. I took a look at the history of Ayn Rand's Anthem and took a look at part of the first chapter (watch for falling anvils with morals on them...) and established immediately why her world not only doesn't work within the confines of the fictional boundaries she was attempting to set, but why it falls on its face right out of the gate because of the protagonist's name. Last but not least, the discovery that dark matter actually exists eluded me last year, so I figured I would share it with others who live behind the curve, like me.
Michael Mock reports: This week at Mock Ramblings, Mock Ramblings, I posted the next piece of Into The Game, composed a filk song about my recent injuries in I Fought The Tree (And The Tree Won), and marveled that someone found my blog through a search on Evangelizing Zombie Children. Previously unknown (to me, anyway) perils of parenting were documented in Let Me Tell You About My Evening, and the Deranged Cultist appears to be working his way back to coherence in Reflections on Diaries. Also, and this should probably go without saying, I should never take up writing children's books.
Last week Ana Mardoll posted:
Twilight: Rape Narratives, Good and Bad
(Trigger Warning: Rape, Victim Blaming, Profanity)
Twilight Recap: Bella and Edward are having dinner in Port Angeles.
Ana Mardoll arrives at the last day of the Chapter 8 posts: You've no idea how dull and repetitive I feel over here. Oh, look, Edward is victim blaming Bella for her own near-rape. Oh, look, Bella is ignoring her own near-rape and Edward's crappy behavior to focus on her personal self-loathing and to slut-shame the waitress for doing her job. Oh, look, these are terrible people and they richly deserve each other and their dull, passive-aggressive romance. *YAWN*
So, there you go, these are terrible people and they richly deserve each other.
Twilight: Rape Narratives, Good and Bad
(Trigger Warning: Rape, Victim Blaming, Profanity)
Twilight Recap: Bella and Edward are having dinner in Port Angeles.
Ana Mardoll arrives at the last day of the Chapter 8 posts: You've no idea how dull and repetitive I feel over here. Oh, look, Edward is victim blaming Bella for her own near-rape. Oh, look, Bella is ignoring her own near-rape and Edward's crappy behavior to focus on her personal self-loathing and to slut-shame the waitress for doing her job. Oh, look, these are terrible people and they richly deserve each other and their dull, passive-aggressive romance. *YAWN*
So, there you go, these are terrible people and they richly deserve each other.
Last week Ana Mardoll posted:
Deconstruction: Callous Helpfulness
(Trigger Warning: Medical Issues, Surgery, Fat Hatred, Dieting)
Ana's trip to a new dermatologist results in a a Fat Acceptance 202 post.
Deconstruction: Callous Helpfulness
(Trigger Warning: Medical Issues, Surgery, Fat Hatred, Dieting)
Ana's trip to a new dermatologist results in a a Fat Acceptance 202 post.
Last week Ana Mardoll posted:
Narnia: Good Hair, Bad Hair
(Trigger Warning: Racism, Murder, Rape, Domestic Violence, Violent Deities, Animal Attacks )
Narnia Recap: Prince Caspian has been told (in flashback form!) about the peoples of Narnia.
Ana posts about racism in the context of (among other things) hair texture.
Narnia: Good Hair, Bad Hair
(Trigger Warning: Racism, Murder, Rape, Domestic Violence, Violent Deities, Animal Attacks )
Narnia Recap: Prince Caspian has been told (in flashback form!) about the peoples of Narnia.
Ana posts about racism in the context of (among other things) hair texture.
In case you missed this
Greek debt crisis: chronic drug shortage risking lives of the sick: Patients groups' warning comes as pharmaceutical companies become increasingly reluctant to deliver drugs on credit [From The Guardian Friday 8 June 2012
Things you can do
[From change.org] It's Time for a Woman Moderator: Equality in the 2012 Presidential Debates!
We already know that no women will be on stage at this year's presidential debates, but what about in the moderator's chair? We were shocked to find out that it has been 20 years since a woman last moderated a presidential debate....Tell the Commission on Presidential Debates to have a woman moderate one of the debates now.
We already know that no women will be on stage at this year's presidential debates, but what about in the moderator's chair? We were shocked to find out that it has been 20 years since a woman last moderated a presidential debate....Tell the Commission on Presidential Debates to have a woman moderate one of the debates now.
--Co-authored by the Slacktiverse Community
The Slacktiverse is a community blog. Content reflects the individual opinions of the contributors. We welcome disagreement in the comment threads, and invite anyone who wishes to present an alternative interpretation of a situation to write and submit a post.
The link to J. Engima's post about dark matter actually existing is broken; the url being used has a superfluous apostrophe at the end.
Posted by: truth is life | Jun 09, 2012 at 09:44 PM
@truth is life: Thanks! -- I had checked it out in my html editing program but sometimes that program will correctly resolve code that TypePad does not.
Posted by: Mmy | Jun 09, 2012 at 11:03 PM
Late addition to Things You Can Do:
The governor of Florida is moving to wipe thousands of Latino names from the voting rolls on specious grounds, despite opposition by the majority of Floridians and warnings from the U.S. Federal government that this action is probably illegal. If he succeeds in wiping them from the rolls, then even if it's found to be illegal, they will probably not be reinstated in time to vote in the coming elections.
The U.S. Attorney General has the power to stop the purge until after its legality is determined, but has not yet moved to do so. MoveOn has a petition asking him to do so:
http://pol.moveon.org/blockflpurge?r_by=43469-23057614-qaJ1Ycx&rc=blockflpurge.confemail.g1
If you're in the U.S., please sign. There are currently 34 states attempting to block 5 million people from exercising their right to vote, mostly POC and the young; this would send a powerful message to them that they won't get away with trying to create an old-white-people-only election.
Posted by: Froborr | Jun 11, 2012 at 04:51 PM