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Improperlycookedblowfish

Improperlycookedblowfish

Joined June 2016

review
Improperlycookedblowfish
Monika: Masked Ball | Thilde Barboni
Mehso-so

Overall, the dialogue was weird and the plot at times was very contrived. This comic needed an extra 40 pages to flesh out the characters and the plot. March's art is was kept me reading this comic. When he colors his own work he can create great atmosphere. With that being said, I will probably pick up the second volume. If only for March's art.

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Improperlycookedblowfish
Milk and Honey | Rupi Kaur
Pickpick

Heart wrenching. Definitely a must read.

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Improperlycookedblowfish
Garden of Flesh | Gilbert Hernandez
Mehso-so

It's was alright. If sexually explicit retelling of biblical stories are your thing, check this out.

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Improperlycookedblowfish
Human Acts | Han Kang
Pickpick

It's not often I come across an author whose work is actually worth the hype. As with the Vegetarian, this book was surreal and haunting. Parts of this book with stick me. I'd say, thus far, Human Acts is Kang's best novel. Can't wait for more of her work to be published in English. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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Improperlycookedblowfish
Last Look | Charles Burns
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Small B&N haul.

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Improperlycookedblowfish
Daphnis and Chloe | Longus, Paul Turner
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Improperlycookedblowfish
Pickpick

I feel like only cat people like myself will enjoy this. The poems are not great but they're cute. The Edward Gorey illustrations are great. Love his work.

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Improperlycookedblowfish
By Night in Chile | Roberto Bolao
Mehso-so

I don't know how to feel about this book. Some parts were really engaging. Other parts were just meh. Has anyone else read some Bolaño? What do y'all think?

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Improperlycookedblowfish
Saga, Vol. 1 | Brian K. Vaughan
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I will probably be spending my time reading comics while the storm passes.

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Improperlycookedblowfish
The Age of Earthquakes: A Toolbox for the Extreme Present | Douglas Coupland, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Shumon Basar
Pickpick

Weird.

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Improperlycookedblowfish
Boy's Club | Matt Furie
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It's kind of ridiculous that Pepe is now considered a racist meme. #feelsbadman

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Improperlycookedblowfish
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Just some thoughts.

BookishFeminist I do agree with sharing a diversity of viewpoints but the buck stops with folks who are pro-human rights violations. I read a lot of stuff from folks who are against BLM, feminism, etc & the logic doesn't hold up IMO-it's often a way to prevent others from having rights. I love supporting constructive back and forth dialogue about w/ diff views bc that's the only way they will be solved, but I won't promote people who don't generate elitism. 8y
BookishFeminist Also I disagree with elevating the opinions of those without a personal stake in certain issues- if you're against Islam but you don't come from a Muslim background, that's discriminatory and not generating open discussion. I have lots of conservative friends I discuss these things with and happily support them, but I would never do it to the exclusion of people from other diverse backgrounds. I love engaging with POC with different views ... 8y
BookishFeminist ... on these issues though as long as it adds to constructive problem-solving discussion, even if I don't agree. IMO a lot of the problem lately is people passing biases that lead to the loss of lives etc off for politics and elevating those voices rather than those whose livelihoods are being negatively affected (or killed) is tenuous at best and doesn't promote diversity as much as it does one side's bias. 8y
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BookishFeminist To me I couldn't care less how people identify politically- I care about what you have to say about issues, whether it's constructive and/or substantive or whether you or your family are personally impacted. People on both sides of the aisle are problematic, and I don't support the liberals who do this against ___ group of people either. Great example: not here for white feminism. Lives at stake is different and more important than politics IMO. 8y
Improperlycookedblowfish 'If you're against Islam but not from muslim background that's discriminatory...' Islam is a religious/political ideology. It's not a race. I, non Muslim can't critique the ideology because it might offend someone? Give me a break. That in it of itself is closing off the conversation. 8y
Improperlycookedblowfish Overall I see where you are coming from. The problem arises on what's considered constructive. I think we have different views on that. @BookishFeminist 8y
BookishFeminist I didn't say you couldn't critique! Critiquing isn't the same as being against something. We may share different views in what's considered constructive, but I am open to and listen to all viewpoints even the discriminatory ones. But that is also not the same as promoting discriminatory views for supporting diversity- listening sure, but promoting is different. Whenever someone disagrees, I go for empathy and try to see why they hold that view. 8y
BookishFeminist Engaging in viewpoints is embracing diversity whether you agree or disagree with someone. To me, I take an individualistic approach and back away from labels but I apply them where someone else would like me to or where it adds value to a viewpoint. Those with more privilege can have viewpoints but they're not the ones affected by oppression bc of the labels everyone else places on them. Having opinions and making judgment calls are different. 8y
BookishFeminist Also I respect and see where you're coming from but please refrain from dismissive language like "give me a break"—you don't have to agree (nor do I expect you to) but my opinions are also valid. It's hard to type coherent thoughts like this within the character limit & things may come across a little muddled unintentionally, so please ask if something seems weird. My views on Islamophobia definitely cannot be summed up or dismissed in a sentence. 8y
5 likes9 comments
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Improperlycookedblowfish
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Just some thoughts. Pls be civil. 1/2

BookishMarginalia It's Martin Luther King Jr's dream writ large. I don't think we are there yet, which is why diversity does matter. 8y
BookishFeminist Just posted a bunch of comments on your other post. I agree with @BookishMarginalia, I don't think we are there yet. This sounds a lot like "colorblind" theory. It sounds nice in theory but in reality it still means that people who've been dealing with systemic oppression for hundreds of years won't get a chance. To many POC & LGBT folks they consider it part of their identity and IMO if they want it to be, it's my responsibility not to ignore ... 8y
BookishFeminist ... that bc choosing and exercising our identity is what gives us autonomy/agency as people. Ignoring things like gender & race in our current political climate is very similar to erasing a part of some folks' self-given identity and also ignores the years of oppression people "like them" has faced. As much as I hate identity culture as well it's hard to break from bc it doesn't acknowledge long existing power dynamics bw race, gender, religion. 8y
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becausetrains @Improperlycookedblowfish I see your point, but if we discard identity politics, whose identity do we all adopt and whose community identities do we discard? The people who need to use diversity as a political tactic are the ones who've already had it used against them to try to eliminate their culture and keep them from moving forward. 8y
Improperlycookedblowfish @BookishFeminist Let me preface what I'm to say with I do think poc do face issues in the west. With that being said systematic oppression is the stuff of fairy tales. White people aren't inherently racist (saying that they are is racist) Systematic oppression is definitely a reality in the east (one of the only regions in the world that feminism is really needed imo.) 8y
Improperlycookedblowfish @BookishFeminist Intersectional feminism has done more to divide people than to bring people together. Most people are not bigots. All that matter is how we treat others.We don't live in a white supremacist patriarchy. What people don't like is having an ideology shoved down their throats and being called names if that don't agree with that said ideology. 8y
Improperlycookedblowfish @BookishFeminist I'd to consider myself a feminist. But modern feminism has a bigotry problem and that's why most people stay away from the movement. 8y
BookishFeminist Honestly asking, have you read stuff about intersectional feminism rather than stuff just online that may be homecooked? Feminism is not an ideology meant to divide. Systemic oppression is very much not a thing of fairy tales. That isn't opinion, that is fact from the years of reading and research with I've done on criminal justice & social justice to back it up with statistics. I don't think it's fair to say most people stay away from the ... 8y
BookishFeminist ...movement. There is certainly a counter movement but that doesn't necessarily represent the majority. Perhaps in your community (I don't know where you live) it does but overall I disagree. Feminism isn't an ideology to shove down throats, it's simply a belief that all people in society should have political, economic and social equality. A lot of modern people who identify within the movement do not espouse this, I agree, but that isn't... 8y
BookishFeminist ...the movement or the ideology, those are the people. Intersectional feminism and womanism are the belief that there are additional factors on top of gender that can add layers of unintended discrimination. It is not the belief that people should be separate and make extra identities, it is the belief that people should be considered as individuals with all the specific problems they may face, some systemically, some individually. 8y
BookishFeminist Racism is not necessarily intentional, & it is only committed by those with privilege. Reverse racism is not academically accepted rhetoric bc it means a person with social privilege is discriminating un/intentionally against someone of another race. I am not saying that I think prejudice against white people is fair—I don't support any generalized bias—but when it's done by a group w/o privilege it's prejudice, not racism bc racism implies power. 8y
BookishFeminist Also out of curiosity why do you not think systemic racism, sexism, etc, is not valid? And is there a more specific reason you have for being against modern feminism? I've been involved for years and most folks I come across are empathetic and curious where the dissent comes from. Not trying to convert you- just asking bc I think these convos are important. It sounds like you've just had awful experiences with some folks! :( 8y
BookishFeminist Also I want to note that this is difficult stuff to convey online so I hope none of this comes across the wrong way. This character limit has me balking since it's hard to sum up the complexity of these theories without sounding like a jerk. 8y
Improperlycookedblowfish @BookishFeminist I'm against modern feminism because it's puts ideology and feelings over facts. Things like rape culture and the wage gap have been debunked. Promoting these things (especially rape culture) hurts women more than helps them. Women in the west are not an oppressed class. Let's not to say there are not issues to tackle (decriminalization of sex work) but most of the job has been done. 8y
BookishFeminist @Improperlycookedblowfish How have they been debunked? They are still very present both in scientific, social and economic studies. There isn't anything called "modern feminism" so I'm not sure what you're referring to- and I don't see how discussing these issues hurts women. Because of the awareness of these issues workplaces have gotten to be safer places for women. IMO oppression doesn't mean you can't also have privilege. They are not ... 8y
Improperlycookedblowfish @BookishFeminist I disagree. Anyone can be racist. Power and privilege not required. Saying that white people have privilege seems to me like a justification for reverse racism. Again this is why I hard time calling myself a feminist. How about not being racist and sexist to anybody regardless of race and gender? 8y
BookishFeminist ...mutually exclusive. Are women treated super oppressively in the US all the time? No, but rape is a very present and scary statistic to look at. But microaggressions have been shown through studies to lead to greater oppression of and violence against women so to say the discussion stops the second women start having some rights and more safety doesn't mean there isn't progress to be made, which you even say, & that's all feminism's about. 8y
BookishFeminist @Improperlycookedblowfish I wasn't stating opinion- it's widely accepted statistic fact & definition from scholarly sources. It's my area of study. I do not think it's fair to generalize feminism as a whole as you're characterizing it- that's not what the movement is based on though many have taken extreme stances. I am going to disengage bc I am sensing a dismissive tone- I want to hear your opinion but it doesn't sound like you're open to mine. 8y
BookishFeminist I hope you have a good day and recommend this book if you're grappling some modern feminist's problems. It's a great resource to learn about feminism, including its many issues and what others have been misinforming others about it, while also addressing that it's a fluid concept because we are all individuals and express ourselves differently. Feminism welcomes a variety of opinions & people & wish you hadn't had bad experiences with it. 8y
becausetrains @Improperlycookedblowfish what are your sources for debunking rape culture and wage gaps? 8y
6 likes20 comments
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Improperlycookedblowfish
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October TBR. So excited. 😁😁😁

MrBook I absolutely love your handle by the way 😆👏🏻😎👌🏻 8y
12 likes3 comments
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Tonight's reading. I have yet to read Grant Morrison's run on Doom Patrol. As a fan, I should be ashamed of myself. I must remedy this immediately.

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Improperlycookedblowfish
By Night in Chile | Roberto Bolao
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Currently reading.

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Improperlycookedblowfish
Pond | Claire-Louise Bennett
Pickpick

It's was a delightful read. Experimental fiction is not always my cup of tea but Pond worked for me. The writing is absolutely beautiful but other than that nothing stood out to me. It's a quick read. Definitely worth the pick up. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

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Improperlycookedblowfish
Pond | Claire-Louise Bennett
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Quite an odd book but I'm really enjoying it so far.

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Improperlycookedblowfish
Pickpick

Absolutely loved this book. Herrera can packs a lot into 100 pages but it does not feel overwhelming. It's brutal and gritty but human at its very core. Can't praise this book enough! Yuri Herrera has yet to disappoint. Can't wait to read more. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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Improperlycookedblowfish
The Fire Next Time | James Baldwin
Pickpick

My first Baldwin book and I really enjoyed it. Such a small book, packs a big punch. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Improperlycookedblowfish
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Here is another example from Orwell's review of Mein Kampf. I get why people compare Trump to Hitler. I still think the comparison is a bit of an extreme.

Julsmarshall I would agree, an extreme, but dangerously closer than I ever thought someone would get in modern history. And getting seemingly closer each day 😞 8y
11 likes1 comment
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Improperlycookedblowfish
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From Orwell's review of Mein Kampf. I'm not one to compare Trump to Hitler but I can see why people do.

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Improperlycookedblowfish
Pickpick

Loved this essay. Need I say more? Lol.

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Book Depository haul. 😆

MrBook Niiiiice! Give me anything Orwell. 8y
CherylDeFranceschi Fantastic haul! 8y
RealLifeReading Names for the sea was a pretty entertaining read! 8y
14 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Improperlycookedblowfish
The World of Sex | Henry Miller
Mehso-so

I'm not sure of The World of Sex is an appropriate title for this book. It's about finding oneself. It beautifully written but it all over the place. I found myself rereading certain to keep track of where the books was going. Might read again. Definitely want to read more of Henry Miller's work.

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Improperlycookedblowfish
The Feminist Porn Book: The Politics of Producing Pleasure | Tristan Taormino, Constance Penley, Celine Shimizu, Mireille Miller-Young
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Sex positive feminist Betty Dodson commenting on a Women Against Pornography conference that took place sometime in the 80's. Unfortunately what she said is still relevant to current mainstream feminism. Imo.

zembla It's too bad she also uses the old "why aren't they focusing on REAL problems?" chestnut — that always smacks of derailing to me. 8y
Improperlycookedblowfish @christinamcc I can see where you were coming from. I don't see it that way. According to her all they were doing was appealing to emotion. What conversation is being derailed? It doesn't seem to me like they intended on having one. 8y
Improperlycookedblowfish @christinamcc Dodson later goes on to claim that this Women Against Pornography group pushed for censorship of porn without clearly defining what's pornographic material an what is not. This seems to me like a group that wants to ban something they don't like. They're not really interested in convos 8y
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Improperlycookedblowfish @christinamcc I see this a lot in current mainstream feminism. This unwillingness to engage with those they disagree with. 8y
zembla I personally would agree that SOME porn is hateful and promotes degrading views of women. It's totally fine if you disagree! Either way, I don't know context and I don't know what this particular group's point was, but to imply "this isn't worth considering when people are dying!!" seems derailing. 8y
zembla A lot of feminism, and political awareness generally, involves looking closely at things that are easy to take for granted. It's not just about putting out fires (tackling huge, immediate issues like war and poverty); it's also about examining powerful beliefs/attitudes that keep those fires raging. 8y
zembla I believe that's worth doing and doing well (with intellectual honesty, empathy, and respect). When we say "but this is trivial because there are bigger issues," we shut out insights that could help us deal with those issues. Big issues and everyday attitudes are connected — it's and/also, not eithe 8y
zembla *not either/or. (I was trying to edit down to 300 characters when I accidentally hit Send! Enough of my emdash abuse :) ) 8y
10 likes8 comments
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Improperlycookedblowfish
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Time for some comics.

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The Feminist Porn Book: The Politics of Producing Pleasure | Tristan Taormino, Constance Penley, Celine Shimizu, Mireille Miller-Young
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I've only read the introduction and I'm really enjoying this. Quite a refreshing read so far. I haven't stumbled upon many sex positive feminist text. Wish there were more of them.

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Improperlycookedblowfish
The Fishermen: A Novel | Chigozie Obioma
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Small B&N haul. 😀

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Improperlycookedblowfish
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My first Saunders. So far, I'm enjoying it. 😀

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Improperlycookedblowfish
Lady Audley's Secret | Mary Elizabeth Braddon
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Enjoying this book so far.

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Improperlycookedblowfish
Dhalgren | Samuel R. Delany
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Started my first Delany novel. Not sure if it was wise to start with this one but oh well, I'm committed to reading it. 😆

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Improperlycookedblowfish
Pickpick

Not what I was expecting. It was amazing. One of the best OGN's I've read in a while. This probably means I should read some more of Gaiman's work. The art was phenomenal. As I would expect coming from twins Moon and Ba.

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Excited to read this!

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Started this book today. Have been in the mood for some magical realism.

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Improperlycookedblowfish
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Pickpick

I love unlikeable characters. I really enjoyed this one. Towards the end it started to remind me of Venus in Furs. Interesting exploration of relationships. Funny at times. Not for everyone but I recommend it.

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Improperlycookedblowfish
Injection, Volume 1 | Warren Ellis
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This final issue of the second arc was great! Can't wait for more at the end of the year. Injection is a interesting blend of magic and scifi totally worth checking out.

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Time to read some comics. Hopefully the final issue of Rachel Rising is great.

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This book is fucked up but I'm enjoying it so far.