Tumblr crosspost (1 November 2020)

Interesting note in the morning’s reading—Danielle Clarke’s introduction to the Penguin edition of Isabella Whitney’s, Mary Sidney’s, and Aemilia Lanyer’s poetry:

it [Mary Sidney’s translation of the Psalms] is neither a close literal translation based upon original sources, nor an entirely original undertaking. However … the Sidney Psalter is mainstream in its relationship to its sources—it is only in the post-Romantic period that literary dependence is seen as detrimental to the value of a text.

Tagged: #i get snarky 'you need to read Real Original Work' posts on my dash now and again #with the clear assumption that Real Original Work is some static inherently worthwhile category #as if the entire concepts of a) originality and b) artistic worth aren't hugely contingent on place and era #derivative work has an incredibly rich and complex history and people are either 'lalala what history' or 'that doesn't count for reasons' #anyway

Tumblr crosspost (1 November 2020)

I reblogged this and added:

To clarify: the quote above is about translation, but Clarke argues for the early modern value for “literary dependence” with regard to imitation and appropriation of earlier sources, as well.

Tumblr crosspost (1 November 2020)

me, reading a poem from 1573: I don’t … understand what she’s saying? at all?? why did I even choose this life? my career is doomed, my life is doomed, ALL IS DOOM

me, reading a second time ten minutes later: oh, now I see. nvm

Tagged: #studying an era that isn't /really/ my thing apart from about 15 specific works is ... a touch disheartening at times #i also study things i /am/ into but that exam is five weeks off

Tumblr crosspost (1 November 2020)

I was really looking forward to getting to non-translated English texts in my reading and totally forgot that I included Montaigne on my list and he’s next up.

On the one hand: argh

On the other hand: Montaigne!! 💕

Tagged: #my 16th cent advisor asked why i put montaigne on my list and i sheepishly said 'because i like him' #and that was good enough for him

Huh! (not a crosspost)

I stopped posting at Tumblr (last post was 6 days ago) for reasons other than "social experiment" (lol)— basically because a) my trust in Tumblr as a platform took a nosedive and b) posting makes it more difficult to keep track of where I'm at in cross-posting. That said, I've lost a few followers over the last few days of doing nothing over there except liking posts (I've also gained some, but lost more than I've gained) and I'm kind of morbidly curious how many I'll lose before I've backed up everything I want to back up and reach a decision on how I'm going to do fandom henceforth. (I'm provisionally thinking that maybe I'll redirect to here—e.g., post answers to asks here and then reply on Tumblr with a link to the DW post.)

In any case, it's always genuinely interesting to see how many people stick around as long as they find you an entertaining producer of ~content and who sticks around in a more lasting way. Most of these people don't know me and have never personally interacted with me, so it's not a personal slight for them to unfollow when I'm no longer entertaining them—that's why they were there in the first place. But it's easy to forget that that's what's going on most of the time.

Tumblr crosspost (2 November 2020)

I’m not sure why it is, but one of the little tics that I’ve noticed in student work/fic/video games/etc is omitting commas around names.

That is, usually when using a name, it’s like: “Isn’t that right, Ana?” or “Zahra, this belongs to you.”

But I’ve seen the commas left out a lot across various media (“Isn’t that right Ana?”). It’s not some terrible wrongdoing or anything; I’m just curious why that usage in particular gets dropped so often and so widely.

Tumblr crosspost (2 November 2020)

I reblogged this post and added:

35 pages in and, yup, he’s still one of my absolute faves:

“I want us to be doing things, prolonging life’s duties as much as we can; I want Death to find me planting my cabbages.”

(From “To philosophize is to learn how to die”)

Tumblr crosspost (2 November 2020)

steinbecks responded to this post:

what book is this?

I replied:

The Essays: A Selection (the selection is some 400 pgs) by Michel de Montaigne (original author, lived in the later sixteenth century) and M. A. Screech (translator and editor of the Penguin Classics edition).

There’s a lot that’s super intriguing (and often beautifully put), especially considering when it was written, and I understand that Screech’s translation is excellent.

Tumblr crosspost (2 November 2020)

I unfortunately had to delay my further re-reading of Montaigne to dig into my secondary sources but the book I’m currently on (Jonathan Dollimore’s Radical Tragedy) has a pretty great acknowledgment:

No one so far mentioned can be held responsible for any shortcomings which remain; all such I cheerfully attribute to my friend, Shelley Twist, in particular to the year he came to stay at the house in London.

Tumblr crosspost (2 November 2020)

The latest GOP attack ad that YouTube inflicted on me informed me that Democrats are smug and tell people they’re racist and want to raise taxes, and … uh, guilty as charged?

Tagged: #i know there are ads that are genuinely horrific but somehow i only get the ridiculous ones

Tumblr crosspost (3 November 2020)

I reblogged a post from steinbecks which included a screencap of Anthony Oliveira/meakoopa on Twitter saying "everyone has a sandwich that they think about for the rest of their life."

I added:

#lol it has to be the filet mignon hamburger i got in la #with a brioche bun and gruyère cheese #it was the most extra hamburger i've eaten in my life #thank you for enabling the experience :P

[ETA 3/5/2024: for context, steinbecks and I met up in LA in 2015 or 2016 and went to a Mediterranean restaurant, where I meant to get Greek food but was distracted by the most extra hamburger description I'd ever seen in my life. She encouraged me to Experience it and it was, indeed, an experience. I did get baklava for dessert, though :P]

Tumblr crosspost (3 November 2020)

tyrellia responded to this post:

Wasn’t it implied to be a Numenorean blade, though? They had like. Hella elf magic compared to the Third Age - not quite Noldor, but still

I replied:

It was made in Arnor in the Third Age. That’s why it was specifically enchanted against the Witch-king.

[ETA 3/5/2024: I didn't say it at the time, but the fandom tendency to either deny Númenóreans' special abilities or treat them as Elves Lite/attribute their abilities to Elves is one of my peak pet peeves, so I was probably more brusque than I needed to be.]

tyrellia responded:

Huh. I could have sworn it was Westernesse-made - guess I need to re-read lol

I replied:

It is described as “work of Westernesse,” but in the broader sense of Númenórean:

“So passed the sword of the Barrow-downs, work of Westernesse. But glad would he have been to know its fate who wrought it slowly long ago in the North-kingdom.”

Tumblr crosspost (3 November 2020)

I haven’t cracked open a book today >_<

Tagged: #i need to!!! i just #...yeah

Tumblr crosspost (3 November 2020)

Just going to put all my anxious election liveblogging under cuts/tags:

( Read more... )

Tumblr crosspost (3 November 2020)

I reblogged this post and added:

Ohio, otoh, seems to be somewhat less Republican than usual, so it could go either way at this point.

NC state control apparently looks dubious.

Pennsylvania is barely even counting yet.

The worries I saw about New York were … uh, unnecessary.

Later on, I reblogged the posts again, and added:

NC is looking bad, according to the NYT :(

Colorado has been called for Biden (and the Senate race looks good).

It’s hard to see anything but a fairly close election unless something big happens or TX comes through.

Tumblr crosspost (3 November 2020)

My best friend called and we talked about various things for several hours, which was probably for the best.

Tumblr crosspost (3 November 2020)

*screams into a bag*

I then reblogged this post and added:

NE-2 has been called for Biden, which has only one electoral vote, but if it comes down to the wire…

Tumblr crosspost (3 November 2020)

I’m trying to convince myself not to rant about things unrelated to the election, since I know the anxiety around the election is making everything that much more aggravating … but I’m getting some responses to a post of mine that are deeply irritating.

Tagged: #and i feel like i shouldn't really respond #so

Tumblr crosspost (4 November 2020)

In response to this post, tree said:

as a resident bad influence, i say do it.

incognitajones said:

honestly it would be a relief to hear a rant about something else right now!

I replied:

Hah, well, it’s this thing that happens now and then where I make a post about one character and get replies/reblogs making it all about some other character. This case was particularly aggravating, though, because my post was about how incredibly cool obscure [Character A] is and I’m getting these notes making it about fan favorites, even though there’s no evidence that those favorites had anything whatsoever to do with it.

Tumblr crosspost (4 November 2020)

I think one of the more intriguing remarks about Elrond in all of LOTR is Aragorn’s when he comes to the Houses of Healing:

“Would that Elrond were here, for he is the eldest of all our race, and has the greater power.”

Rambling under the cut!

( Read more... )

Tumblr crosspost (4 November 2020)

The wider the popular vote gap gets, the more I remember 2016. >_< >_< >_<

Tumblr crosspost (5 November 2020)

No matter who wins, this is going to be a damn weird map.

lantur responded:

I’m really interested in seeing whether Arizona, Wisconsin, and Michigan stay blue in the future.

I replied:

I think they could go either way depending on the election tbh. It seems like T’s personal unpopularity is doing a lot of heavy lifting rn … it’d be harder to beat a normal GOP incumbent. And while Michigan and Wisconsin are safe this year, AZ could still swing.

Tumblr crosspost (5 November 2020)

Trump currently leads Biden by ~100,000 in Pennsylvania. There are about 500,000 left to count, so it’s all going to depend on those.

Biden would need around 63% or more of the remaining votes in Georgia to win; the votes left do seem to lean blue, though we’ll have to see if they lean blue enough.

Biden is slightly ahead in Arizona, but the remaining ballots are likely to be reddish (calling it early for him was a really weird choice by Fox and AP).

NC is pretty safe for Trump IMO (though it’ll be very narrow percentage-wise).

NV is pretty safe for Biden at this point; he’s ahead and apart from a few thousand outlying votes, the remaining votes seem to be mostly in the Las Vegas area.

( Read more... )

Tumblr crosspost (5 November 2020)

ajsd;fjk;ads

Georgia has dipped from 50-49 to 49-49 with a difference of some 7000 votes.

Pennsylvania has dropped to a difference of 78,000 votes (from ~100,000 earlier) with a bunch more to count.

heget responded:

texas disappointed me but GA hasn’t (and look, within a decade or two TX is flipping and the Sun Belt too)

I replied:

Looks like the difference is now 3000-odd in Georgia!

Tumblr crosspost (5 November 2020)

T is ahead in Georgia by less than 2000 votes, which means that Biden only needs to win a little over half of the remainder to take the lead.

ncfan responded:

I’ve heard most of the uncounted votes are from Clayton County, which has been a Democratic stronghold for a long time, so I’m feeling LUCKY

I replied:

I’ve also heard that they’re expecting a bunch from Clayton! *crosses fingers*

ncfan responded:

I have been legal voting age for nine years; I have been waiting NINE YEARS for this

I replied:

I can only imagine!! I really hope Biden pulls through (and seems pretty likely at this point)