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anarcho-smarmyism · 2 months

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i have intelligent talented and creative friends who can't imagine any world outside of capitalism because "they don't read", so I can't even get them to read Ursula K. Le Guin or other speculative sci-fi that imagines a better world, much less any kind of theory. guys in IT making 6 figures who will listen to audiobooks in the background IF THEY MUST but wont crack a book open if they can possibly avoid it. often it's adhd and/or dyslexia related, trauma related, etc, and I know that's a bitch to deal with, but frankly, I have undiagnosed+untreated adhd w/ dyslexia too; i was traumatized by home life and school too. the only reason im able to read like I am is that I was so poor growing up that, tho i didnt get the help i needed for being ND, even when my classmates had ipads and smartphones in elementary, my main entertainment was always fiction books. ive had years of practice honing this skill, learning to find relevant information in dry texts and learn how a text could be manipulating me. so. this isn't about Classism and Elitism, and it isn't ableist to say reading is a fundamental skill that you need to work on if at all possible even if it's difficult, and it doesn't dismiss all oral tradition of any kind, either. I'm sorry but unless you want to become intellectually dependent on BreadTube youtubers and leftie streamers and Twitter blue check marks who DO actually read theory, history, philosophy, and fiction -usually because they had the benefit of a white middle-class upbringing and socioeconomic privilege!- you really, really do need to read, and read often, and eventually read nonfiction at least sometimes. it strengthens your discernment and your ability to think for yourself.

tl;dr: how are you gonna reblog that "no one is immune to propaganda" meme, but accuse anyone encouraging you to develop your "recognizing propaganda and manipulation" skills of being elitist? how is this anything but regular anti-intellectualism?

#edited to fix a typo i missed the first time LOL see what i mean #edit number TWO because i found two words i wrote out of order🙃🫠

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theartofdreaming1 · 3 years

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The Hunger Games Reread, Chapters 1-3; a scene from chapter 3: Madge gives Katniss her Mockingjay pin

You can find my long, rambling thoughts on the first three chapters regarding this week’s prompt under the cut:

heart:

The bread and the dandelion are such fitting symbols for Peeta and Katniss and perfectly encapsulate the basis of their relationship and what inherent values connect these two!

Bread = genuine act of kindness:

Genuine acts of kindness are pivotal moments representing who they are. Because the books are from Katniss’ perspective, her acts of kindness are often barely acknowledged by herself; the fact that two chapters into this book Katniss is already volunteering herself to participate in a literal fight to the death for her sister speaks for itself, of course. Also, basically anything involving Prim - not drowning Buttercup, her affectionate teasing (“little duck”) - clearly shows what a generous and kind person Katniss is. And despite acting like she does not care about people that are not in her inner circle, we often catch glimpses of Katniss caring for the people in district 12 and feeling for the plight of its inhabitants.

Peeta burning those loaves of bread on purpose to give to Katniss, despite the painful consequences for himself (what did his mother hit him with?!) is also just a perfect example of how seemingly small acts can have big, meaningful consequences.

I also love how through their genuine acts of kindness, both Peeta and Katniss become incredibly powerful, lasting symbols of hope (Katniss volunteering for Prim lays the foundation for her becoming the Mockingjay, Peeta giving Katniss the bread causes her to forever associate him with warmth, strength, and... well, hope). Unlike the antagonists of the story (Snow/Coin) who artifcially craft/exploit already existing symbols for their uses (the roses/Mockingjay), Katniss and Peeta never intended for their acts to have such a big effect - but this is exactly why they are so powerful: genuine kindness has a much bigger impact than any artificiality/machinations can ever hopw to achieve

Dandelion = finding/seeking hope

Dandelions are bright, determined, but also very useful and can provide you with food - all these traits can be found in both Peeta and Katniss or are, at least, traits they value (Katniss isn’t necessarily the most chipper person, I guess, but she is drawn to genuinely kind, optimistic people).

mind:

It really hit me this time around how Katniss joking around with Gale with the berries in chapter 1 (”Happy Hunger Games!”) is a big forshadowing moment for how Katniss is going to win the Games (and in more ways than one: not just by being a victor, but also by forcing the Game Makers to allow for two victors to exist)!

I have read the books only twice so far (always at breakneck speed, in 2-4 days) and am now listening to the audiobook for the second time (until I can get my grubby hands on my own printed editions)

soul:

I always really liked Madge and the quiet warmth and fierceness she brings into the story. When she gives Katniss the Mockingjay pin before she has to leave for the Capitol and Katniss suddenly realizes that Madge actually is her friend 😭 Since Madge was also always more of an outsider due to her social status and had her sick mother to care for, I think it’s pretty safe to say that Katniss also completely underestimates (as she is wont to do) how important she is to Madge... I’m really sad that Madge didn’t even make it into the movies!

#thgagain #the hunger games #hunger games #katniss everdeen #madge undersee #peeta mellark #everlark #my sketches and drawings #thg #went a little overboard regarding the symbols (especially bread)#but we just discussed symbols in my literature class (specifically inherent meaning vs assigning meaning to sth)#and I couldn't stop thinking about thg and how fake and scheming Snow and Coin are vs sweet genuine everlark

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nightandstarlight · 7 years

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Demeter, Apollo, Ares, Centaur, Siren, Nymph, Agamemnon, Jason, Sun Chariot, Caduceus, Aegis, Golden Fleece, Olympus, Tartarus, Elysium, Ogygia, The Labyrinth? :3c

Asdfghjkdhslñ so many omfg why iLY ((I have to say tho i didnt really think about having to answer more than one of these at a time before i rbed the qs and since im on mobile and theres no way im gonna remember all of them im probsbly gonna do one first and then like edit this post to add the rest or something so it might take a while))

‡Demeter: do you have any pets?

>Unfortunately i dont my dad never wanted us to have any :// last time i had an actual pet living in my house i think it was when i was like 10 y/o or so and they were a couple of turtles who used to escape all the goddamn time like we would literally find them on the street trying to get away from our house even tho we had a enormous backyard and we treated them as well as we possibly could?? idk they prolly hated us so my parents mightve given them away i dont even remember,,, and thenn like two years ago i think i got a pet sheep called peter.. Peter the sheep was only around for a week tho and he wasnt even officially my pet but i loved him as if he were i still miss him and think about him often.. basically that summer when we went to visit my dads brother in misiones we took him with us from my dads farm ? (not really my dads farm but i dont wanna get too sidetracked here lmao) to my uncles farm for breeding or whatever so it was a solid 6-7 drive with him in the bed of our truck and me just starting at him and trying to get attention goD i never thought id care about a sheep that much anyway once we got to misiones we couldnt take him straight away to my uncles farm for whatever logistics reason i never asked about because all it meant was that he would have to stay in my uncles backyard for a couple of days and i would get to spend more time with him !! so thats what happened !! I took tons of pics and recorded him doing nothing and loved him from afar and then i was there when we dropped him off at my uncles farm.. and then i never saw him again.. the saddest part is that weeks later when we were all back home my uncled called my dad to let him know that Peter wasnt even fit for breeding bc rumour has it he had a third testicule lmao so he was technically useless rip peter the sheep ,,, aaaand now that i live alone i really wanna get like a cat or something but i never learned how to take care of anything so im scared i wont know how to if i have to do it all by myself

if i could add tags to this on mobile id apologize for talking so much about peter instead of just answering the question but i cant soz

‡Apollo: What kind of music are you into?

>alt/pop/rock/indie/pop punk,, i dont really like defining it by genres because who knows for sure what do they even mean anymore but the second best way i have to describe my music taste is ~basic white girl who thinks shes special~ and that makes me feel even weirder,, if you want i could try to make a playlist once im back in my apartment like next week or so lmk

‡Ares: whats a big pet peeve of yours?

>probably when people dont listen,, (u mean deaf people?? thats pretty fucked up dude) no lmao i mean people who pretend to listen but dont care about what you have to say or even worse when theyre so self absorbed that they dont even try to act like theyre paying attention and just straight up talk on top of you or interrup you constantly and not even bc they have something important to say but just because they can like whyy ohh or even worse when they do all that and then have the nerve get angry/offended if you dont pay enough attention to them??? Boyyy oh boy i hate that but i *cough love my parents i love themm

‡Centaur: Last book you read?

>all the bright places by jennifer niven,, didnt actually read it but i listened to the audiobook a week ago so i think that counts,, and if audiobooks dont count i read Evenfall by Santino Hassel back in march

‡Siren: Last song you listened to?

>((when i answered this (at 3:30am) i wasnt listening to anything but)) spotify says it was devil in me by halsey,, rn (13:40) im listening to alone by halsey

‡Nymph: Last dream you remember?

>i cant remember any recent ones atm but a couple of weeks ago i dreamt i was dating veronica from riverdale?? I probably posted something on here about that and it was so sweeett other than that idk maybe something about my classmates i see some of them pretty often in my dreams and theyre usually really nice cause i almost never remember any bad dreams/nightmares

‡Agamemnon: whats an achievement that youre proud of?

>i cant think of anything rn maybe getting into uni or coming out to my mom

‡Jason: have you ever travelled abroad?

>nope,, the closest i was to leaving the country was in 2014 when i was gonna go with my english teacher and class to nyc i got my papers and everything ready but then everyone started to come up with reasons why they couldnt go so i was gonna have to go completly alone/with friends of my teacher and their students which i didnt know at all so i got scared and decided not to 3 i know (hope) i’ll get another chance to go tho

‡Sun Chariot: whats your favorite mythological creature

>umm maybe sirens or gorgons im not 100%sure

‡Caduceus: whats your favorite color

>too many for different purposes but mostly purple?

‡Aegis: whats your favorite book or series?

>all for the game by nora sakavic atm

‡Golden Fleece: whats your favorite animal?

>ive loved dolphins since i was a kid but felines are too perfect in too many ways they make me weak at the knees

‡Olympus: describe your dream job

>so i know id looove to have an office job really stable and monotonous and everything like translating books but i also know that im terrified of getting stuck? And i feel like a job like that doesnt really leave much room to grow professionally so even if at the time im happy with just doing that the idea of looking back one day and realizing i sat at a desk and did the same thing for 20 years is not the best (which is ironic bc im wasting my youth ™ doing exsclty that for free basically but yea idk ) Dream job as in actually ~dream~ job would have to be like whatever people did on that show extreme makeover home edition?? I used to be obsessed with that show when i was a kid and i still think its a great idea even if its not as extra and over the top like that was id love to help people that way i could also make this longer but its lowkey too personal

‡Tartarus: Whats a short term goal you hope to achieve?

>going back to therapy and not quitting this time? making friends? Id say improving myself as a person but i feel like thats more of a long term goal but not hating myself rn would be nice,, also something tangible would have to be passing my calc II final that i shouldve taken a year ago and didnt cause i got scared + too depressed to study properly lmaao

‡Elysium: if you could have a superpower, what would it be?

>telekinesis and or being able to teletransport sounds cool

‡Ogygia: describe your dream husband/wife/life partner?

>patient, better at comunication than i am, respectful but that should be obvious, loves puns and bad/dad jokes, loves me? Also loves kids and is okay with adopting cause i definitely wanna adopt childrepn someday

‡The Labyrinth: have you ever died and came back as a vampire?

>not sure if im allowed to talk about this but i bet no one is gonna read all this cause its wayy too long lmao also i dont care anyway so yes, yes i have

half a day later im done!!! i know its a lot I hope its not too boring tho lmao

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kimbachronicles · 6 years

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Mirrors

“Other people are the mirrors in which we see ourselves”

- Shonda Rhimes

January, 2018

I’m not sure what time it is when I hear the quote, but I’m listening to the audiobook verson of Year of Yes, by Shonda Rhimes and I’m starting to feel it. I’m not really sure which chapter, since the audio version is different, but probably about 2 or so hours into listening I’m starting to get it, starting to really like the book. It’s at some point that I hear the quote “other people are the mirror in which we see ourselves.” It’s a quote I think I’d heard before and it’s beginning to resonate with me. I write it down and file it in my drafts, I know I have something to say but I just need a little time to think about it.

2.7.18

It’s 8:15pm and I’m laying down reading about an upcoming workshop by one of the students I work with around disability and creative design. It’s at this time I’m sort of neurotically enthralled in my inbox since, after 30 years on earth I finally have developed a strategy for checking and processing my inbox, you know like normal people do. Instead of seeing 24,847 unread mail, after just 4 days I’m down to 5, fluctuating of course between 0 and however many I’ve obsessively tracked, read, converted to tasks, as needed, and archived. Dont worry I didnt read all of that mail. I just archived about 99.999 percent…I digress.

I’m looking in my Tumblr drafts and low and behold (ok, a bit dramatic. It’s not really that surprising, since I only have 1 other draft piece) I see the quote. And I wont lie- I’ve seen it before and not just before I wrote it. Like, I’ve seen it in my drafts, playing peek-a-boo about 4 times, not knowing what to write. But now I start writing….

What does this quote mean to me?….Well, it resonates with me. Umm…but that clearly goes without saying… How can I illustrate it?…

I used to think I was immortal. I could never die, like a spirit that can’t be killed, a larger than life story, a big boss, a top notch legend..but then life happened and before long the only words I could speak spewed out my mouth like the heaping pile of cow dung that just came out of my head and onto this blog.

I never thought I was immortal, or that I couldn’t die, or that I was a spirit, please: I thought about death almost as much as food and trust me - food and I have always had a sort of sordid love affair…and I didn’t believe in spirits, spirituality or anything mystical or arguably not logic-based. In fact, I never seemed to draw in people who were imaginative enough to woo me toward some fantastical other worldly sense of self. I thought too skeptically of religiosity and for me, spirituality was faux religion - an imposter; and terms like “god” and “angel” were really perversions to control the social order….ok, so I lied, but I’m not a liar…not just yet.

Words, like people, are mirrors- pathways into thinking, perceiving and being, that help us traverse and transcend, occupy and monopolize spaces and places of self actualization. In other words, we see what we want to see, we believe what we want to believe and we make sense in whatever language that makes sense to us.

The truth is a little more complex. A glass that is half full is half empty. And so is our understanding of things …And people… mirrors just help us to see that which is tanigible and yet intangible, similar, dissimilar, meaningful, beautiful…and ugly, complete and incomplete, resonant and disonant…about us in other things…people. The truth is I actually did feel immortal- living and breathing in day dreams, caught in futuristic things, thinking I was something so amazing that I didn’t have to be grounded in reality, while simultaneously fearing death….

The truth is…I was deeply anti-spiritual, anti any kind of deeper than surface understanding, deeper than the physical manifastation, deeply logical, fancying those who rejected any talk of deepness for fear that I may discover something amazing within….within me, yet within me, I felt this vibrational spiritual animal, spiritual creature, feeling so emotionally connected to others, so intensely connected that I would grow up to cherish the power of a spiritual realm that rivals the analytical prowess that my mind - so enthralled in the inner workings of the world, began to reject it’s sole application to all things provable and real, but now extending to that which cannot be experienced by the five senses..

And just like that, the words that seemed to spout out my mouth like cow dung (in the metaphorical, not literal sense of course,) have now become something different, something fantastical, something metamorphosed into something more… and I, in the face of my friends, family and loved ones, can be seen in more than one light. The confused, emotional, and disorganized guy I always imagine and am imagined as, becomes a free-spirited, passionate and adaptable creature who sees things beyond and below the surface.

I become the multidimensional, complex being that I am. Like truth, it requires believing in the beauty and courting with the curses of my existence. Seeing me and allowing me to be seen, seeing them as well through each reflection, each mirror. This is a dilemma for sure. But it is a messy, yet beautiful one, a pathway to our evolution, a re-imagining of ourselves and a fateful push to be and see the harmony within and without more gracefully, more fully and more abundantly.

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beths-escape-from-reality · 7 years

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Hey Guys!

Since it is the start of a new year I have decided a couple of kind of year wrap up posts, if that makes sense. So today I am going to be telling you all about my Top 15 Reads from 2016, and why I loved these ones so much. Letsa go!

I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

This is a lovely story about grief, love and finding yourself. You follow twins Noah and Jude as they basically, figure out who they are and where they fit into the world. The story is told from alternative perspectives, but also from different times. Noah’s segments are all from when they where aged 13-14, and Jude’s are from age 16. This story is really beautiful and poignant but also funny and lovely. If you are after a beautiful YA contemporary, then this is the book for you, I didn’t want to put it down. Only downside, I listened to the audiobook of this, and it was read by the guy that did the Percy Jackson books, and it was very weird to begin with lol.

Dash And Lily’s Book Of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

if you are looking for a book that will make you smile, laugh and fall in love, then this is the one for you. The story revolves around two 16 year olds, Dash and Lily, who have never met, but share a lot in common. Set over the Christmas period, you watch as the pair communicate with each other through a little red notebook, filled with dares, and slowly fall for each other. I love this book. The characters are absolutely adorable, the story is incredible and several times I found myself laughing out loud on trains because of it.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

If you are a fan of Divergent and/or Hunger Games, then this is the trilogy for you. Set in an alternative USA, you are thrown into a world where love has been branded a contagious disease, and at 18, everyone is forced to have a procedure called ‘the Cure’. You follow 17 year old Lena as she nears the date of her procedure. For Lena, the cure is what she has longed for, ever since her mother died, that is until she meets Alex, and then it all changed. This brilliant dystopian trilogy is full of twists and turns, highs and lows, love and death. Everything that you could ever want in a book.

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

This is an incredible book that tackles some really different topics in a very tactful and often funny way. In this lovely little book you follow a young teenage girl who is struggling with anxiety. As someone who suffers with this I love this book, due to how well it handles the topic and how accurately it portrays it. I absolutely love this book. I feel liked this is one of those books that everyone should read, because of how well it handles the topic.

The Martian by Andy Weirr

I don’t generally read sci-fi books, but after several people recommended it to me, I decided to give it a go and honestly this book is incredible. It is funny and dramatic and honestly brilliant. Set on Mars you follow astronaut Mark Watney as he struggles to survive on the planet and find a way home. This book is honestly hilarious, which is not something you would think upon hearing what it is about, but it really is. It opens with the line ‘Well, I’m pretty much fucked’ which sums up the feel of this book perfectly.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

This is a beautiful story about magic and love. Once you start this book, you wont want to put it down. The main story follows Celia and Marco, two magicians that have been bound to complete against each other in a game of magic. You follow them as they help to create ‘Le Cirque Des Reves’, a magical circus that will fill your dreams, compete and fall in love. With beautiful writing, intriguing storylines and stunning characters, this is a book that you cant help but fall in love with. You will want to read it in one sitting.

Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth

If you are looking for a dystopian series that will completely pull you in, this is the one for you. This trilogy is truly incredible. Set in a future USA, you follow 16 year old Tris as she tries to navigate her way through the complex but restricting world in which she lives. You follow her as she discovers who she is, falls in love and saves the people that she loves, multiple times. This trilogy is incredibly well written and very gripping. You cant help but be pulled into the story. They are the perfect books to lose yourself in.

We Were Liars E Lockheart

Set on a private island, you follow Cadence as she slowly uncovers the events that scared her family. This young adult contemporary will break your heart. It grips you from page one, pulling you in. You will not be able to put it down. It is a truly stunning book with so many twists and turns it will leave you dizzy. This is one of my favourite reads of the year. (although word of warning, do not read any reviews before reading it. Just trust me on that one).

When We Collided by Emery Lord

This book is a stunning young adult contemporary. It follows two main characters, Jonah and Vivi as they spend their summer falling in love with each other. Vivi whirls into town, this vibrant, bundle of energy and turns Jonah’s life upside down. All is not as simple as it may seem though. Jonah is still grieving his father, dealing with his mothers break down and trying to play parent to his three young siblings and Vivi has plenty of demons herself. It is a beautiful story about love and loss, darkness and light. It is truly wonderful.

The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan

Another brilliant trilogy by Rick Riordan. Featuring Egyptian gods, this is one of those series that you will want to read back to back. You just cant put them down.

Half Bad Trilogy by Sally Green

I fell completely in love with this trilogy as soon as I picked up Half Bad and I honestly couldn’t put them down. You follow a young boy as he navigates his way through the dangerous world in which he lives. A world of magic. These books are so addictively good and very different from what you would expect them to be. These books have so much going on in them. Love, death, torture, magic, family, drama and so much more. If you are over 18, read these books.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

I cannot even begin to describe the sheer range of emotions that I have for this book. I simultaneously loved and hated it. Moyes’ is an incredible author. The way in which she writes just feels so realistic that you find yourself being dragged into the story. This is why this book is so painful to read. You feel as if you are there, living it all. ‘Me Before You’ is such a heartbreaking story, about loss and love. Moyes’ characters are so lifelike that it is almost frightening. I know I say this quite a lot, but everybody should read this book. Yes it is harrowing and heartbreaking, and I cried my way through it, but it has such a poignant message to hit. Such a staggering plot. I loved it. And know you would too. If you are only going to read one book this year, make it ‘Me Before You’.

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child by J K Rowling

I don’t really feel as if I need to say a lot about this one. Although this one isn’t set in summer time it is just a really lovely, easy read. Essentially this book, well play, is the eighth instalment in the Harry Potter series. It is set 19 years after Deathly Hallows and follows Harry’s youngest son, Albus. The play picks up at the epilogue from DH and follows Albus as he basically discovers who he really is. There are lots of twists and turns in the story, there is friendship and magic and I personally loved it. You will laugh, gasp and cry. There are also some life lessons in this, which is very J K. I read this book in a matter of hours. It is a very easy read.

Penryn And The End Of Days by Susan E E

I’m not going to say to much about this series as I have spoken about it so much already, but it is incredible. I absolutely love it. Set in a post apocalyptic world, where angles are ravaging the world. This book is full of loss and love, pain and glory. If you like books like The Hunger Games or Divergent, you need to read these incredible books.

The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

This trilogy is just perfect. These books are just jam packed. There is always something going on. They are books that you can really sink your teeth in to. I love them. There is action and drama, love and betrayal, fighting and death. There is just so much going on in them. The trilogy is set in the 1870’s and follows Tessa, a 17 year old American girl, as she is thrown into a world that she never knew existed. You learn all about the shadow hunter world as she does. You discover who she is, fall in love as she does, make friends along side her and fight with her. These books really draw you in and keep you guessing throughout them. You never know what is around the corner. They are the perfect books to curl up with on a cold Sunday.

And there we have it, those are my top 15 reads of last year. Although, I will admit that I actually found it very hard to make this list because last year I loved so much of what I read. I read some truly incredible books and it was so hard to decide which ones I loved most, so I do just want to mention a couple that only just lost out on this list. So, here are a few honourable mentions.

The Girl Online Series by Zoe Sugg

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

What Light by Jay Asher

Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Summer Days and Summer Nights by Various

Fly On The Wall by E Lockhart

A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig

So yeah, as you can see it was very difficult for me to decide but anyway. I hope that you have enjoyed today’s post and I will see you all again very soon.

Top 15 Reads Of 2016 Hey Guys! Since it is the start of a new year I have decided a couple of kind of year wrap up posts, if that makes sense.

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