Shutterbug's Cornucopia of Photography & Fanfic

I'm not a major league blogger. Please bear with me.

[rhube]

It is so, so important to accept and absorb that other people can, will, and do enjoy fiction in other ways to you.

I keep seeing posts FURIOUS that some readers need to find at least some character in a text relatable in order to enjoy the book, INSISTING that 'YOU' can enjoy books where everyone is horrible if you really apply yourself.

No. NO. YOU can enjoy that. I can't. I have a PhD and an Eng Lit degree and what you need to absorb - what you really need to absorb - is that a book that you personally do not like can have value.

When someone tells you that THEY need to relate to at least one character to enjoy the book, they are not saying that a book CANNOT BE ENJOYABLE, by SOMEONE, they are telling you their personal preferences. Which are valid.

Here are just some of the works I have no trouble admitting have value that I do not like at all:

Wuthering Heights

Ulysses

Robinson Crusoe

Mrs Dalloway

Le Morte d'Arthur

These are not bad books, although we can surely engage in literary critique about them. They are all, in fact, important books. I completely understand why we study them and agree that we should continue to do so.

I don't like them.

That says nothing about whether or not YOU are able to enjoy them and enjoy the things that made me nope out.

You have GOT to embrace the fact that not everyone has to be able to enjoy the things you do in order to be capable of understanding, analysing, or even just talking about them.

It is not a moral or intellectual failing to not like certain types of book. Nor does it imply that you are criticising those who do like those books.

Grow up.

[shutterbug5269]

I won't lie the only book I ever read that bored me enough to put me directly to sleep was: "To Kill A Mockingbird "

And ive read much longer books with much less acclaim.

[shutterbug5269]

Christians need to thump their Bibles less and read them more often.

Notably Matthew 24:36

"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."

[shutterbug5269]

Hi, my name is Mosab , I’m from Gaza, and like many here, I’ve lost more than I ever thought I could bear — my family, my home, my sense of safety, and the simple moments that once gave life meaning. 💔

I’m not writing this to ask too much of anyone. I’m sharing a piece of my story — not because I want sympathy, but because I still believe someone, somewhere, might care enough to listen.

If this message finds you at the wrong time, I understand.

I’m truly sorry if it feels like an interruption.

➡️ Please feel free to DM me if you'd rather not receive asks from me — I'll make sure not to contact you again. 🤍

✨ If you do feel moved to help — even by sharing — it means more than words can say.

Every repost, every bit of care, helps keep hope alive in a place that has seen too much darkness.

🙏 Thank you for taking the time to read.

📌 Post Link

Wishing you peace, healing, and comfort — wherever you are.

With deep appreciation

I have compassion for your plight, don't get me wrong, this has been the inevitable, regrettable consequence of war for as long as civilization has existed.

Perhaps starting a war with Israel was a monumentally bad idea. There's a reason why the rest of the Middle east stopped doing it decades ago.

[shutterbug5269]

Question asked on facebook: "What is your writing superpower?"

My answer: "Apparently writing believable serial killers."

[shutterbug5269]

hey dumbass google when israel started existing because it was 75 years ago. anyway YOU ARE SUPPORTING GENOCIDE. THAT IS WHAT ISRAEL IS DOING. IT'S GENOCIDE. JUST BECAUSE THE JEWISH PEOPLE WERE VICTIMS OF GENOCIDE DOES NOT MEAN THAT ISRAEL CAN COMMIT GENOCIDE TOO. GO FUCKING KILL YOURSELF OR GROW A FUCKING BRAIN YOU PIECE OF SHIT.

Calling me names doesnt make me wrong. It doesn't even anger me much.

1. Believe it or not, I do feel great sympathy for the Palestinians in Gaza. Hamas put them in a terrible position so they could have their war with Israel.

2. The Nation of Israel at least existed once before in recorded history (granted it coexisted with the Roman Empire) Palestine as a nation never existed within recorded history. Not even 100 years ago. Prior to WW1 the region was ruled by the Ottoman Empire. Before that it was one of the most contested regions in history. (The Crusades)

There has never been a period of time where it was ever ruled by Palestinians.

Nice job making things worse for "Palestine" by convincing the Israeli people to unite behind Netanyahu by the way. He likely won't get any internal pushback now. 1300 dead or abducted civilians tends to do that.

[shutterbug5269]

AND FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA PALESTINE WILL BE FREE IS NOT A CALL FOR GENOCIDE IT IS LITERALLY JUST SAYING THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE WILL BE FREE FROM THE *********GENOCIDE******** THAT ISRAEL IS COMMITTING. but you clearly don't have a fucking brain OR compassion for other people.

Seems to me that's how HAMAS seems to interpret it. They were even okay putting those very civilians on the firing line while they hide like the cowards they are. This is exactly what they wanted to happen.

How were was Israel committing genocide before October 7th? In fact most of their civilian population was against going to war... well until Oct. 7th.

What Hamas did on Oct 7th is called an ACT OF WAR by international convention by the way. The United States NUKED the last country that did that to us. After firebombing them back into the stone age.

As I said, don't like being in a war with the most powerful military in the region? The answer is simple.

DONT START ONE.

[circumpolarvampire]

When the death toll for Gaza goes up from disease, Israel will claim deniability, that those deaths were not deliberate and calculated. You see it with how settlers will talk about the genocide of Natives, that most of us "just died from disease then colonizers 'accidentally spread'". It is NEVER an accident. Famines and Diseases and always used as tool for genocide by colonizers

[shutterbug5269]

How are Israelis colonizing a city (Jerusalem) that their people built?

Might I remind you, Palestinians would not be dying if Hamas WHOM THEY HAD INVITED INTO GAZA hadn't started a war.

Are civilian deaths regrettable, yes. But they are an unavoidable consequence of starting a war.

[i-am-aprl]

Next time you see a video of a child dying remember this, the war could have be stopped but US vetoed this.

[shutterbug5269]

The war could have been prevented, but HAMAS had to start one.

Last time I checked, attacking a Sovereign nation, murdering and kidnapping its civilians is an act of war.

Don't want a war? Don't start one.

[i-am-aprl]

It's been 55 days and 75 years

[shutterbug5269]

Jews built Jerusalem.

Every single Muslim (and Christian for that matter) holy site in Jerusalem is built on a Jewish foundation. (Including the Dome of the Rock) The Israeli government has been kind enough to leave them in place and allow pilgrimages to continue.

Short of finishing the work Hitler's Nazi party started and committing genocide. (and make no mistake that's what the phrase "from the river to the sea" is calling for) Isreal isn't going anywhere, nor will it relinquish its capital city.

Every Islamic and Arab state in the region embarrassed themselves publicly and militarily trying since 1948.

If peace is truly your goal then maybe it's time to let go and build something new.

[a-book-of-creatures]

When I return a library book, I make sure to walk there holding it in my hands instead of in my bag. This is enrichment before it gets returned to the cold limbo of the stacks

[a-book-of-creatures]

omg I didn’t realize that

[destinationtoast]

Thank you to all the librarians and library workers chiming in:

(and more in the notes!)

[shutterbug5269]

When I was 3, my family moved next door to the West Winfield public library.

By the time I was 10, I would regularly take out a stack of books on Friday and the librarian would always be perplexed when I would bring them all back on Monday to get more because I'd read them all.

Ms. Casey put me to work when I was 8, I was in there so often.

[ibtisams-deactivated20240709]

We are very close to a temporary 5 day ceasefire in order to exchange women and children hostages and allow aid into Gaza.

I hope everyone continues to put pressure on their local representatives and urge them to call for a ceasefire to ensure the Israeli government allows this to happen. If you’re from the UK, US, Canada or Australia here is a linktree with resources on how you can call/email your local reps

[shutterbug5269]

If they can guarantee Hamas will actually abide by it, then I'm all for it.

If Hamas uses it as an excuse to cross the border and murder even more Israeli citizens, then don't ever expect Israel to do it again.

[wordbunch]

the best thing about living alone is the fact that i can put on any lotr movie at any given time and simply have a blast 😌

[shutterbug5269]

In my case, I am free to replay season 1 of Andor as many times as I like.

[papillon-de-porcelaine]

"Oh being a writer must be so cool and artistic"

No being a writer is frantically googling shit like this at 1 am on a work night

[shutterbug5269]

It started to disturb ME how easily I was able to get into the head of serial killers (3XK and Jack the Ripper)

But yeah... the level of research I did for some of my Castle fiction boggles the mind.

[universejunction]

"You seem kind" (source)

[dduane]

:)

[shutterbug5269]

There is a time to be kind and a time to tell people a truth they might not want to hear, which is often kinder in theblong run than a well intentioned lie.

Rather like tearing off a band-aid.

That's no reason to be a complete asshat, mind you, but a little snark or salt to get the point across isn't always a bad thing.

[3cops-and-a-writer]

I can promise you this.

[shutterbug5269]

If you remember one thing about Richard Castle then remember this:

He absolutely, positively loves his daughter. Period.

Thank you for attending my TED Talk.

[shutyourmoustache]

You’ve been visited by the Halloween moose. May god have mercy on your soul.

[synebluetoo]

Jesus, look at the size of that thing. Bloody hell. His pumpkin now. 

[alex51324]

It took some time for my brain to parse the antlers, and until then, I thought this was a bear.  

[ignescent]

So the first time I saw this, I thought the moose was really short with a weirdly big head, because it was the height of the mailbox. I’ve now realized it’s kneeling and am once again afraid of just how /big/ moose are.

[scifigrl47]

I like how the pumpkin at the base of the mailbox looks like it’s watching this attack and screaming in horror.

[jayska-nxl]

Being Canadian is amazing because you get to watch everyone else not comprehend the utter size of moose

[gothiccharmschool]

Halloween Moose is one of the holiday cryptid group that Sasha the Christmas Tiger belongs to.  

[brennacedria]

[shutterbug5269]

What does the 800 pound bull moose eat?

Anything he effing wants.

[clementine-kesh]

i love when a star trek episode opens on a happy little celebration because you know the rest of the episode is gonna be the most fucked up shit you’ve ever seen in your life

[shutterbug5269]

It's a tradition going all the way back to TOS.

Just watch "Balance of Terror"