Something I've noticed about many Boomers that I find strange is this assumption that there's something shameful about learning. They seem to believe that they should've reached completeness as a person some time in their late twenties or something, and they're unwilling to admit there might be something worth knowing that they don't know.

Millennials tend to be receptive to learning more. Didn't get taught this in home ec? Let me find a YouTube video or a course at my local library. Had a hard time choosing what language to study in high school? Well, now that I'm grown, time to start learning the one I didn't pick then. A marginalized group has an experience I don't understand - well, who has written about this? Is there a blog? A book? Who can tell me more?

It's not universal - some Boomers like learning, some Millennials cling to ignorance - but asking people I know it seems to break down along these lines.

Books may not change our suffering, books may not protect us from evil, books may not tell us what is good or what is beautiful, and they will certainly not shield us from the common fate of the grave. But books grant us myriad possibilities: the possibilities of change, the possibilities of illumination.

Alberto Manguel (via macrolit)

That one dragon sleeping on his horde of treasure... And it's all books.

“I Draw Dragons To Destroy The Stereotypes About Them”

Library & Archives Canada wins April Fools.

Bonus notes: people in minimum wage jobs can totally afford the extra time it takes to mend clothes, thrift-store shop, and take an hour or so to get to work instead of 15 minutes because they're biking. Because if you're not making a lot of money per hour, this does not imply that you need more hours to get by. 😒

Also, decent-quality clothing in thrift stores isn't equally available to people of every size. And I bet any money this guy would blame you for not getting a job upgrade - or getting any job in the first place! - if he found you wore something shabby and ill-fitting to the interview. Make better choices! he said, pulling his credit card from the space in his wallet right next to his country club membership card.

Can't beat the real thing.

Pocket Princesses 189: Old Tech

Please reblog, do not repost, edit or remove captions.

Facebook Page ~ Instagram

Teach The Truth.

Amen, my sister Malala.

Among my recent reads: Pray the Gay Away: The Extraordinary Lives of Bible Belt Gays by Bernadette Barton

Summary: A sociological study of what it’s like being queer in a social culture where religious ideas govern everyday interactions and an anti-gay version of Christianity is part of the very landscape.

I picked it because: I’ve always been really interested in religious fundamentalist thought and what it’s like to live in that environment, particularly as someone who doesn’t fit into the religious template of “being good”.

Read it if: you like learning about people’s belief systems, but you’re not easily upset by people who hold opinions you find offensive. But you’re less likely to enjoy the book if the opinions you find offensive are those of gay people who say Christianity has wronged or discriminated against them.

Content notes: family strife and abuse of basically every kind mentioned. It’s America, so obviously race comes into it. And obviously, discussions about religion and gender and sexuality.

“To put it into context begin first by imagining yourself in a rural area; the nearest gay establishment is 50 or 90 miles away [. . . ] There aren’t necessarily ever any encounters with gay culture by straight people in this area. This can allow learned, false, negative beliefs to continue for years without having an experience which contradicts these beliefs.”

2017 LITERARY SCAVENGER HUNT

The challenge - over the next 365 days, try to find and read books that fit each of the following categories:

1. A book written any time before you were born. 2. A story about your country’s history. 3. A book about religion or spirituality. 4. A book abut Indigenous people from any part of the world. 5. A classic novel/book that was written in another century. 6. A ghost story. 7. A banned or challenged book. (The ALA keeps a list.) 8. A non-fiction book. 9. A book about people from a different race than your own. 10. A biography, autobiography, or memoir. 11. A book translated from its original language. 12. A book in which the plot involves time travel. 13. A book in which the plot alternates between two different time periods.

(Apparently this never got posted at the time, so I’m posting it now.)

Doctor Seuss is deeper than he first appears.

Do you all remember the Dr. Seuss story about the Sneetches? A group of creatures that appeared in two groups: Sneetches with stars and Sneetches without. The Sneetches with stars found themselves superior while the ones without felt inferior. The oppressed group paid money to a smooth-talking Sylvester McMonkey McBean to have stars placed on their stomachs in order to gain favor with the star-stomached elite only to find that when they did the original star-bellies paid money (to the same man!) to have theirs removed!

Moral: People (Sneetches) with a superiority complex will change the rules and move the finish line every time to hold onto their privilege. Whether you are dark skinned, plus size, first-generation American/college student, too short, queer, or just march to the beat of a different drum, it won’t matter how you try to change to be embraced. It won’t work. Being yourself, embracing yourself, is the only way you’ll ever be happy. Love yourself no matter what you’ve got on your belly. ⭐️

Important information.

Evaluating a News Article: Identifying Fake News Infographic by EasyBib

Extremely useful information for me.

When learning a language it’s good to listen to the sounds of the language as much as possible to you get used to how they sound. Here’s some of my favourite artists to get your started! I’ve included a favourite song for each artist. I realize I have a lot of music from Quebec but I mean, I am Canadian.

Quebec, Canada Les trois accords Coeur de pirate Mes Aïeux Jason Bajada Karkwa Klô Pelgag Marie-Mai Pierre Lapointe

France Joyce Jonathan Vianney Benabar Charles Aznavour

Belgium Stromae

All really valuable information! Help keep libraries funded and free!

Now all I want us to see the previous 11 volumes. I hope each has a slightly different design.

The Henry Irving Shakespeare

Gresham Publishing Co. - c.1906

Cover / Spine design by Talwin Morris

That's pretty sinister, actually.

After Dave Gibbons.