Hello from London!

[AngelicaS1780]

All my books are dog eared
..

You really are my sister from another mister.

 

[where_is_RUTH]

All my books are dog eared

They look loved... my other half doesn’t let me read his books because of how they look after they travelled in my bag for a lengthy commute with hairbrush, umbrella, etc... plus I tend to drop them in the bath occasionally...

Scrap paper, receipts, actual book marks I've bought, free book marks, pens (temporarily) ... [IN AN EMERGENCY] place the open book upside down... Even price stickers -folded in half... But never, ever, dog eared...

I'll allow mass murder
Voting liberal
And being vegetarian...

But our friendship might not last this

 

[AlliaPotestas]

You really are my sister from another mister.

Haha! They just look loved don’t they? A book should look read

 

[AlliaPotestas]

Scrap paper, receipts, actual book marks I've bought, free book marks, pens (temporarily) ... [IN AN EMERGENCY] place the open book upside down... Even price stickers -folded in half... But never, ever, dog eared...

I'll allow mass murder
Voting liberal
And being vegetarian...

But our friendship might not last this

I have book marks and when I don’t I use a train ticket normally... the dog ears mostly come from the books being jumbled around with my clutter while I walk... but hey, I least I’m reading... and surely the image of a book on my tits forgives the odd bath accident?

 

[where_is_RUTH]

You really are my sister from another mister.

Hey you. Hope life is good.

And my bath is so hot, I barely get out alive!

 

[where_is_RUTH]

Motorboat your tits

 

[MrDevereaux]

I'm with the 'don't crack the spine' brigade! I have a copy of 1984 (paperback) that has been read seven or eight times over the years; front cover has some markings, but otherwise, the spine is more or less intact. Only books in my library that have cracked spines are charity shop bargains, or read by ex.

Speaking of which, I need to get reading again. It's Nanowrimo, I'm tempted to write this year, but only a half baked idea.

Oh. Morning, all.

 

[AlliaPotestas]

I'm with the 'don't crack the spine' brigade! I have a copy of 1984 (paperback) that has been read seven or eight times over the years; front cover has some markings, but otherwise, the spine is more or less intact. Only books in my library that have cracked spines are charity shop bargains, or read by ex.

Speaking of which, I need to get reading again. It's Nanowrimo, I'm tempted to write this year, but only a half baked idea.

Oh. Morning, all.

1. You’re a bunch of anal freaks...

2. Who reads 1984 seven or eight times? Depressed me enough the first time round...

 

[MrDevereaux]

1. You’re a bunch of anal freaks...

2. Who reads 1984 seven or eight times? Depressed me enough the first time round...

Freak. Yes. Anal freak? You should see the CD collection!

I read it back in school (many years ago) when I had a massive crush on the teacher. It's a satire on society, taken as some as being predictive of the state we are in ...

 

[AlliaPotestas]

Freak. Yes. Anal freak? You should see the CD collection!

I read it back in school (many years ago) when I had a massive crush on the teacher. It's a satire on society, taken as some as being predictive of the state we are in ...

It terrified me enough that I had no desire to pick it up for a second reading... maybe I should...

 

[MrDevereaux]

If you do, look at it like some dark comedy. Winston has these ideas about how to bring down society and out of the blue this woman comes along ... Weird, eh?

It's like some deep, twisted fantasy ...

 

[AlliaPotestas]

If you do, look at it like some dark comedy. Winston has these ideas about how to bring down society and out of the blue this woman comes along ... Weird, eh?

It's like some deep, twisted fantasy ...

I struggled to find the comedy... and I suspect I would find less today...

 

[MrDevereaux]

I struggled to find the comedy... and I suspect I would find less today...

It's one of those days. I don't have the Friday feeling.

 

[AlliaPotestas]

It's one of those days. I don't have the Friday feeling.

The problem with 1984 is reading it in a climate where we know women are being raped to death in North Korean work camps... of course that is why it is an important book but the people who should read it most won’t.

Perhaps I should find the satire if read in a utopia...

Gosh - that was miserable as fuck... I shall find the Friday feeling later, xx

 

[MrDevereaux]

The problem with 1984 is reading it in a climate where we know women are being raped to death in North Korean work camps... of course that is why it is an important book but the people who should read it most won’t.

Perhaps I should find the satire if read in a utopia...

Gosh - that was miserable as fuck... I shall find the Friday feeling later, xx

We're living in a climate where, as connected as we are digitally, we are disconnected from the real world; we are desensitised to violence and injustice because of the media. We are subject to images of the horrors of humanity, it's too easy to think: that's happening miles away, we don't need to think about it, because it's not like that could happen here. Well. Wake up call.

Pop culture references now: there's an ingenious sequence in Die Hard 4.0. Terrorists hijack the news (our most *trusted* source of information) and broadcast a video of the White House being blown up, leading people to lose their shit and get out on the street (in the film everyone's local to the White House) only to see that the WH is intact.

Media, generally, is controlled by people with an agenda (IMO) ... look at the coverage given by the BBC to Cuntservative compared to Labour. They GRILL Corbyn far tougher than any other politician. There are suspicions, crazy theories, that the BBC is in the back pocket of the Govt. What people see is what the media wants people to see, not always what is of prominence.

Movements like the (hashtag)metoo open eyes to what really goes on and that it is unjust. There is complacency to sexual discrimination and assault. Outdated attitudes prevail. It's about speaking out about practices, behaviours that have been accepted, perpetuated and challenging those behaviours. If the cases in the media were isolated, it would be easy to surmise that it's select individuals at fault for behaving inappropriately, but IT'S NOT, it's a culture of entitlement.

I wrote a novel many years ago, left it untouched for years because I knew redrafting it would be like wading through mud (it's very heavy with metaphor and abstractions), I've picked it up recently and let a writing buddy critique it. I had not realised the narrator is a casual misogynist! When it's pointed out, it made me think 'shit, that's how it comes across ... it needs changing.

 

[MrDevereaux]

Perhaps I should find the satire if read in a utopia...

The society, political system that Orwell sets up is unsustainable. The past is constantly changed to support the present. Simple things are kept in shortage as a means of subjugation, controlling you at a level that is unthinkable in our society. Housing is not repaired, streets are left uncleaned; more effort is put into sustaining oppression than on maintaining standards of living.

The Party seeks to control the thought processes of the individual by creating a culture where your individuality is stripped from you; you are forced to participate in clubs and leagues that limit your free time, they keep you engaged with the idea of celebrating your own oppression. Children are taught to be watchful of their parents, denouncing them as thought criminals, the basic, fundamental relationship between parent and child is abused, broken down by the system.

Even the Proles are controlled at a level that keeps them passive (the Lottery incident in the pub, the creation and broadcast of songs). In spite of Winston's belief that 'if there is hope, it lies in the Proles', the culture created by the BB entity is pervasive.

It's unsustainable. It is depressing.

 

[thefishfryer]

It terrified me enough that I had no desire to pick it up for a second reading... maybe I should...

I've read 1984 twice, once as a teenager and again in the last ten years. It's not nearly as scary now, largely because we are now living or have lived through a good deal of the dystopia he foretold and still appear to be surviving.

 

[AlliaPotestas]

We're living in a climate where, as connected as we are digitally, we are disconnected from the real world; we are desensitised to violence and injustice because of the media. We are subject to images of the horrors of humanity, it's too easy to think: that's happening miles away, we don't need to think about it, because it's not like that could happen here. Well. Wake up call.

Pop culture references now: there's an ingenious sequence in Die Hard 4.0. Terrorists hijack the news (our most *trusted* source of information) and broadcast a video of the White House being blown up, leading people to lose their shit and get out on the street (in the film everyone's local to the White House) only to see that the WH is intact.

Media, generally, is controlled by people with an agenda (IMO) ... look at the coverage given by the BBC to Cuntservative compared to Labour. They GRILL Corbyn far tougher than any other politician. There are suspicions, crazy theories, that the BBC is in the back pocket of the Govt. What people see is what the media wants people to see, not always what is of prominence.

Movements like the (hashtag)metoo open eyes to what really goes on and that it is unjust. There is complacency to sexual discrimination and assault. Outdated attitudes prevail. It's about speaking out about practices, behaviours that have been accepted, perpetuated and challenging those behaviours. If the cases in the media were isolated, it would be easy to surmise that it's select individuals at fault for behaving inappropriately, but IT'S NOT, it's a culture of entitlement.

I wrote a novel many years ago, left it untouched for years because I knew redrafting it would be like wading through mud (it's very heavy with metaphor and abstractions), I've picked it up recently and let a writing buddy critique it. I had not realised the narrator is a casual misogynist! When it's pointed out, it made me think 'shit, that's how it comes across ... it needs changing.

Corbs doesn’t do himself any favours to be fair... and the fact that
Laura Kuenssberg needed protection when she attended the labour conference because of the numerous death and rape threats made by party members is utterly shameful. It’s of note that female journalists didn’t need that protection at other mainstream party events. That has happened on Corbyn’s watch and frankly he has let it... a hard left got him in, and won’t do anything to piss them off...

I’ve said it before, Oona King for PM - give me an intelligent, compassionate realist anyday... but thanks to cuntface Galloway we lost her... so I am stuck between a rock and a hard place... I struggle with Labour because I loved Labour and they have sort of broke my heart... it isn’t a party I recognise. Hay-ho - maybe one day it will be Jess Philips for PM... it’s about time we had a mouthy Brummie feminist running things...

ps - good luck with the novel!

 

[AlliaPotestas]

I've read 1984 twice, once as a teenager and again in the last ten years. It's not nearly as scary now, largely because we are now living or have lived through a good deal of the dystopia he foretold and still appear to be surviving.

Maybe I should re-read it...

 

[londoner2]

Where do I start?

Oops... Mention of Mary Poppins brings to mind the chimney cleaning euphemism...

 

[MrDevereaux]

Cleaning the pipes is a good one!

 

[MrDevereaux]

Corbs doesn’t do himself any favours to be fair... and the fact that
Laura Kuenssberg needed protection when she attended the labour conference because of the numerous death and rape threats made by party members is utterly shameful. It’s of note that female journalists didn’t need that protection at other mainstream party events. That has happened on Corbyn’s watch and frankly he has let it... a hard left got him in, and won’t do anything to piss them off...

I’ve said it before, Oona King for PM - give me an intelligent, compassionate realist anyday... but thanks to cuntface Galloway we lost her... so I am stuck between a rock and a hard place... I struggle with Labour because I loved Labour and they have sort of broke my heart... it isn’t a party I recognise. Hay-ho - maybe one day it will be Jess Philips for PM... it’s about time we had a mouthy Brummie feminist running things...

ps - good luck with the novel!

It is a sad state of affairs when anyone needs that level of protection.

Thanks for the 'good luck'. I'll let you know how the drafting gets on!

 

[Polranny]

Juxtaposition of Mary Poppins and 1984 is intriguing. Anyone prepared to write a prologue?

 

[MrDevereaux]

Mary Poppins in 1984? Surreal. She could keep all sorts in her bag, make a fortune on the black market ... sadly, "a spoonful of saccharine helps the medicine go down" does not have the same ring.

Dick Van Dyke dancing on the rooftops of Airstrip One.

 

[Polranny]

Bring 'shitty shitty bang bang' into the mix. The Orwell and Pussy Galore went to sea and landed on Airstrip One in a Lear jet!