my favourite thing about contrapuntal poetry is getting emotionally devastated three distinct times in the span of thirty seconds. the way the middle bridge connects their longing across the sea? absolute genius.
I spent the afternoon arranging our books by size and color (and it’s so satisfying and looks amazing) and my partner came home and stared in shock at the bookcase and then said “i’m a librarian, you can’t do this.”
it has occurred me during this process that apparently not everyone thinks about books by what color they are? like, literally when i’m looking for a book, i picture it in my mind. i have a very…tactile experience with the books i read and idk! i thought everyone did that lol.
my partner was like “how will i find [this book] for instance” and i replied “easy, it’s purple” and he looked at me like i was a witch.
This actually is interesting in terms of information-seeking behavior, which is a thing librarians think about a lot and often actually study (some library jobs require you to publish, and academic librarians, for instance, will often use the students at the college they work at to study how they search for information in order to figure out how to best provide them services).
When you go for an MLS (Master’s of Library Science, which is a thing, and which is usually required for “professional-level” library work [which is also a weird and contentious concept that I won’t go into here]), one of the things you study is the organization of information. This deals with how to determine what a book or other material is “about"—a concept we tongue-in-cheek call “aboutness"—and how to convey that to a potential user of the item and make it easy for them to find. Things like keywords and subject headings, do I put this book about how often wild birds attack aerial drones in with books about birds or with books about technology, if its a fictional novel do I put fantasy in it’s own section or mix it in with all of the other fiction, so on and so on.
OP is organizing books by how they would look for them. OP’s partner is thinking in terms of aboutness. This is a system that works for OP because it’s their personal library: they know basically what books they own and they only own books that are relevant to them, and if they know what the book looks like, that can be a quick way to find it.
In a library that assumes the public (or people who do not own that particular collection of books) are using the collection, that doesn’t work. Books are often re-issued in multiple covers, or re-bound in new covers when they get worn out, and if the user doesn’t know what the book looks like or is expecting a different cover, they’re lost. That’s why non-personal libraries used standardized cataloging systems like the Dewey Decimal System or Library of Congress System to organize a book by what it’s “about”, and then put books about the same or similar topics together, marked with labels and signage so a person unfamiliar with the book or collection can find their way to it.
Basically, OP’s system works for their own personal library, because it’s best suited to how the primary user—OP themselves—looks for books. OP’s librarian partner is coming from a background of thinking in terms of a public-facing collection, where aboutness is the key criteria and communicating it to a user unfamiliar with the collection is the priority.
With the whole "Markiplier making his own DVD copies of Iron Lung to sell" thing, it's been fascinating and slightly concerning how many people seem to genuinely believe that if a physical release isn't coming from a giant corporation, it must automatically be a bootleg.
Look at me.
Look me directly in the eyes while I say this.
You can just make things.
You can simply create something and put it into the world.
That's allowed.
People have been doing it for centuries.
They sell blank VHS tapes. They sell blank DVDs. Blank CDs. You can buy flash drives by the bucketful if you really want to. If you create a movie, an album, a game, a documentary, or a four-hour video essay about the mating habits of fictional space goblins, you are entirely permitted to put that thing on physical media and sell it.
That is not piracy.
Piracy is taking something that belongs to someone else and reproducing or distributing it without permission.
If I buy a DVD of a movie, I own that copy of the movie. I do not own the movie itself. I didn't acquire the rights to duplicate it, press a thousand copies, and start selling them out of my garage like I've become the regional distributor for Warner Bros.
The copyright, distribution rights, and intellectual property still belong to whoever created it or whoever legally acquired those rights.
If I start burning copies of Iron Lung and selling them myself without Markiplier's permission, that's piracy.
If Markiplier, who made and owns the rights to Iron Lung, burns copies and sells them himself, that's just distribution.
He's the rights holder.
He's distributing his own work.
If you made it, if it came from your own mind, your own work, your own time, your own resources, then congratulations. You own the thing. You don't need a corporation to bless it with legitimacy.
The corporation is not what makes it real.
The fact that it exists is what makes it real.
I think we've accidentally spent so many years living inside a world dominated by mass-produced media that some people have developed the strange assumption that all media emerges from a factory somewhere. As if films naturally occur in shrink-wrapped plastic cases and descend from the heavens aboard a pallet truck.
But independent artists have been burning discs, dubbing tapes, printing books, pressing records, and mailing things directly to people for longer than many of us have been alive.
Read 10-12! The flashback sequence is over, it's present day again, and I still have 12 long years chapters to go!
More shit I found funny enough to write down:
Literally Odysseus when his crew open the wind bag: maybe I should just die.
Odysseus, seeing signs of people on a strange island: I should go investigate.
Also Odysseus, remembering the Laestrygonians: ... oooor I can send my crew to investigate for me again!
Lmao it literally just says Hermes gives Odysseus potent drugs XD
Eurylochus, after Odysseus says Circe's chill now: ok I'm not saying I don't trust your judgement, but I totally don't trust your judgement.
Odysseus: omfg why won't you just die already.
Odysseus, after talking with Circe: ok, the good news is we're free to go. The bad news is, we're taking a detour to literal hell.
His crew: bro wtf.
Odysseus tries to hug his mum THREE TIMES. No notes. Just that.
Literally in hell. The crew, probably: ok captain, we got what we came for, now lets please leaaave.
Odysseus: guys, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity! I wonder how many dead heroes I can personally interview :D
Odysseus, about Scylla: I can totally take her!
A few minutes later: ... ok so I can't take her, fucking rOW FOR YOUR LIVES!
Odysseus having flashbacks: guys, if we stop on that island, we die.
Eurylochus, like a little bitch: but we're all tiiiired! Aren't we guys??
Odysseus: ... God fucking damnit, we're doomed.
The children crew the moment the teacher- I mean, Odysseus, leaves the classroom- *cough* ship: so I know we were explicitly told not to do this one thing, but what if we did that one thing?
Odysseus, after taking yet another mistimed nap and coming back to disaster: WHY ARE YOU? THE WAY YOU ARE??
Helios to the other gods: if you don't kill those guys, I will quit!
Odysseus, after his ship gets blown up and everyone dies: fuck that shit, imma LIVE! *clings like a bat*
Ok so. I have no excuse for taking so long. But! The good news is I FINALLY hunkered down and finished the Odyssey in one night :D
It was long! And fun! It was much more political scheming than I thought it'd be lol
Anyway here's some highlights and musings from my midnight readings, much longer than my others 'cause it's like 12 books at once:
The Phaeacians after reaching Ithaca and neatly dropping both a sleeping Odysseus and his vast loot on the sand: peace out, bro.
Aww man why'd you have to do the Phaeacians like that, Poseidon?
Odysseus, hearing that he's FINALLY made it home, tears in his eyes: proceeds to elaborately lie.
Odysseus: has trust issues from trauma.
Athena: awww, see this is why I like you!
Odysseus, hearing his son is in Sparta: you let my son sail? over the sea that took 10 years of my life??
Odysseus, professional liar, hearing that people lied to his wife about him: liars? I HATE liars >:( I would never lie.
Also Odysseus: lies about his life story again, multiple times.
LMAO Athena tells Telemachus he's gotta go, and he immediately kicks Pisistratus in the ribs to wake him up XD
Telemachus: hey so can I maybe not say hi to your dad again? He's like those old grandparents who never let you go without telling a thousand stories.
Pisistratus, after thinking for one second: I gotchu homie.
Odysseus might be projecting juuust a little when Eumaeus greets Telemachus
Athena makes Odysseus taller, again XD
FATHER AND SON REUNION!!
Tele: uh dad? Surely you're not suggesting we fight 108 men on our own?? Please tell me we have backup.
Ody: how's Athena and Zeus sound as backup?
Tele: ... yeah ok fine.
No!! Argos :(
Lol. Odysseus and Athena both: test the suitors to find the innocent from guilty! (Inwardly: yeah they're all gonna die)
Telemachus when Eumaeus insults Antinous to defend Ody: whoa whoa. No need to speak to Antinous like that, my friend... Allow me >:D
Antinous: throws a stool at Odysseus.
Odysseus, Telemachus, and Penelope: so you have chosen death
Lol the sneeze :D
Ah yes, Homer can't help but mention Odysseus' fine thighs XD
Odysseus, deeply torn between flat out killing this guy with one blow or just "lightly jabbing" him uncontiously. Decisions, decisions...
Odysseus @ Amphinomus: hey. You seem nice. Don't come to school tomorrow
Athena just loves making her mortals taller and more beautiful, huh XD
Penelope after Athena made her take a nap: ah, what a gentle sleep. If only Artemis would kill me :D
Penelope, Telemachus, and basically all of the palace staff at any and all opportunities: mayhaps? death? to all the suitors? 👀
Awww, Odysseus told her to watch over his parents, and that she should re-marry if he wasn't back before Telemachus became an adult 🥺
Penelope, swindling the suitors out of their money: shame on you, for not lavishing me with gifts to seduce me!
Odysseus: hell yes that's my wife <3
A second stool has been thrown. This one was dodged. RIP the wine-steward
Odysseus really can't help showering Penelope with compliments, comparing her to the gods, and a king
Poor Penelope :( Let her not-make her shroud in peace
Wine dark sea mention :D
Odysseus, once again lying about his life story, this time to his WIFE. Smh
Penelope calling the city of Troy "Destroy" with such spite is amazing.
Penelope and Euryclea: stranger, you remind me so much of Odysseus. You're just... really alike for some reason.
Odysseus: haha yeah weird coincidence, right?
Autolycus: ah yes, I shall name my grandson "he who causes pain" ✨
Penelope @ the man that is totally not Odysseus: hey, unrelated to anything at all, I had a dream where my husband returned and killed all my suitors. How WEIRD, right? If ONLY it would come true!
"Nobody but your cunning pulled you through the monster's cave you thought would be your death." Nobody. Ha!
"deep in his heart it seemed she stood beside him, knew him, now, at last..." 🥺💙
Now an oxhoof has been thrown at him?? Athena, why
Wow, Telemachus is almost as good a liar as his dad!
Ooh Telemachus almost strung it!!
Odysseus has the bow. Ayyyy you're all fucked now >:D
LMAO did Athena just fly up into the rafters while still looking like Mentor? XD
Odysseus: I'm cleaning house
He's playing a wedding song! As Odysseus and Penelope reunite!! <3
Athena made him taller again XD
Strange woman! Strange man! 🥰
Odysseus: exCUSE ME? You moved our BED? How did you move our bed?? It's a TREE for gods sake! I carved it with my own two hands! What did you DO to our BED-
ATHENA! HOLDS BACK THE LITERAL DAWN!! She's their #1 shipper fr <3
Brief interlude in the Underworld: Achilles' and Patroclus' bones are in the same urn... and they were urn-mates
Amphimedon: and that's how Odysseus killed me-
Agamemnon: Ah classic Odysseus. And what a great wife he has! So loyal. Unlike MY WIFE-
Odysseus, torn between revealing himself and happily reuniting with his aged father, or testing whether he recognises him: time to lie about my life story again!
Not every one of Odysseus' family at some point wondering if he was just a dream 🥺😭
His fake name is "Man of Strife" this time. I see you, Odysseus...
Odysseus for the first time drops the act in favour of comforting a crying family member. Character development /j
There Athena goes again, this time making Laertes taller XD
Lol, Athena stepping in (STILL looking like Mentor XD) to force a peace. Didn't realise it ended on this note, but cool
So there you are, number one employee at your company, team lead, bringing in more profit by yourself than the rest of the employees combined and everyone knows it. And then one day, against the advice of all the other team leads, the CEO violates a safety measure, and yeah, people start dying.
Everyone knows it's the CEO's fault. Everyone knows how to fix it. But the CEO does nothing, digs his head in the sand, and pretends like shit is normal. And people are dying.
So you, young hotshot that you are, call an all hands meeting and get a specialist to explain what the problem is. It's easily solved, but it will cost money, and that money is going to have to come from the CEO.
The CEO throws a shitfit. He doesn't want to solve the problem. He doesn't want to admit under overwhelming evidence that it's his fault. But he agrees to do so under one condition--he's not paying to fix it--you are. He's taking your bonus and you can get fucked. As it turns out, the CEO, whose entire pile of wealth has come directly from your hard work, thinks you fucking suck.
Not a single one of your colleagues protests on your behalf, probably because they know that if they speak up, he'll just take their bonuses, too.
So what do you do? Do you continue working for Mr. "idc if my employees die as long as I get mine?" Do you quit? Do you take the wealth you've accumulated working for this guy and go home? Do you stab the worst boss you've ever had in front of every other employee at the company?
“Haha remember when murder-hornets were gonna be a thing? What a nothingburger.”
Yes, because the Washington state government activated like a sleeper-cell and ruthlessly, systematically hunted them down and annihilated them.
“Y2K came to nothing amirite?”
Yes because an army of software engineers working around the clock, losing sleep, and busting ass till the last minute prevented it from happening.
“Remember the hole in the ozone layer?”
You mean the one that was fixed through rigorous world wide government action?
One of the root problems of our society is a refusal or inability by media to articulate that all those “it’s gonna be an apocalypse” disasters were not disasters because we collectively did something about them.
The good news is this is actually quite correctable. I maintain my firm belief that we as humans are capable of solving almost all of our problems, when we decide to do so.
And I still think that’s going to happen. I don’t know when or how, but I do know that abandoning hope won’t help bring it about.
And I refuse to let the cynics own a chunk of my heart.
“scientists don’t want you know” is a phrase that always cracks me up because if you actually meet a scientist they will be shaking and crying like an overstimulated chihuahua with the need to let you know
guys i’m so sorry to say this but exercising and indulging in hobbies rather than scrolling on your phone for 200 hours actually does improve your mood and overall mental health, this has deeply upset me more than anyone
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