Canadrien

doglets: actually all of my systems are nervous

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:11:26 -0400

doglets:

actually all of my systems are nervous

teachingliteracy: Geogami 4-piece suit for bed by Dutch Snurk...

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:10:50 -0400

teachingliteracy:

Geogami 4-piece suit for bed by Dutch Snurk is a bedding set printed with 3D origami artwork on both sides.

mr-derp-herpin: blua: What the city is missing: Thierry...

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:51:50 -0400

San Francisco

Paris

Tokyo

Los Angeles

Hong Kong

Rio de Janeiro

New York City

mr-derp-herpin:

blua:

What the city is missing: Thierry Cohen photographs cityscapes and then photographs deserts at night, combing the two to show us what our cities would look like with the lights off. The stars are not enhanced, they are actual photos from relative latitudes that would expose the same starry sky view if it weren’t for light pollution. Click on each photo to see which city it is.

Light pollution and pollution in general

solarbird: theannieplanet: im laughing so hard also this is...

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:51:08 -0400

solarbird:

theannieplanet:

im laughing so hard

also this is important

fucktheory: Roots (click) I’ve read a good amount over the...

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:07:11 -0400

fucktheory:

Roots

(click)

I’ve read a good amount over the years.

Once you’ve read a certain amount of material in the same vein or genre, it becomes harder and harder for that type of writing to surprise you, to shock you, to grab you by the neck and reorganize every idea in your head. There’s nothing wrong with that - it’s just how the mind works. This is equally true whether the material you’re reading is an endless series of romance or detective novels, or an endless series of academic essays in queer theory. You learn to appreciate craftsmanship; you might enjoy a particularly well-turned phrase; certain ideas stick with you. But that shock, that jolt that can happen when you first discover something - that tends to fade.

Given this inevitable consequences of habit on the workings of the mind, Eve Sedgwick’s work holds a special place in my heart for two reasons. The first and, frankly, more banal reason is that I read Between Men and The Epistemology of the Closet in quick succession right before I went off to university, and each of those books separately and together changed my thinking permanently.

Between Men introduced me to the idea - surprising to me at the time - that homophobia and violence against homosexuals is closely linked with and related to misogyny and violence against women. This was the first time I’d encountered the idea that the political investments of feminists and gay men might align in important ways; it was also the first time I’d encountered the idea of Foucauldian power - the notion that different oppressions and different identities might be organized in different ways by the same kind of structures or the same kind of socio-political pressure. Between Men, in other words, teaches its reader the danger in distinguishing unilaterally between closely-related phenomena.

The Epistemology of the Closet, meanwhile, worked in some ways to undo the lessons of Between Men; by generating a set of conceptual and critical tools for what she called anti-homophobic inquiry, Sedgwick not only played a key role in teaching me the value of strategic alliance but also the important of careful and rigorous distinction, the ways in which the presumption of identity and alliance can hide crucial linkages between forms of power, discourse, and oppression. The Epistemology of the Closet, in other words, teaches its reader the danger in unifying without reflection closely-related but fundamentally distinct phenomena.

That these two books complement rather than contradict each other is a testament to the brilliant refinement of Sedgwick’s mind, her concepts, and her intellectual project. Each of Sedgwick’s books takes risks, goes in unexpected directions, creates infinite possibilities at every turn. She was never afraid to change, to dare, to revise, and to me, that bravery - that self-reflexivity - is the most important mark of a true and committed critical thinker. There are many smart and insightful critics; there are far fewer brave critics, and in this regard, Sedgwick stood head and shoulders above the vast majority of her contemporaries.

But for me, the most incredible aspect of Sedgwick’s work as I sit and write about it today isn’t how brave it was in its day - that part is impressive, but boldness isn’t necessarily a testament for the ages. What’s incredible about these books, today, is that they haven’t lost a single iota of their ability to jolt, to excite, to inspire, and to challenge me. Gender Trouble, Of Grammatology, Ecrits…so many of the books that used to shock and awe me as an undergraduate have largely lost their effect. Many of them I’ve had to reject entirely. But Sedgwick never gets old, or dull, or predictable. Even the essays I’ve read 5-6 times still have the power to surprise and illuminate.

A key part of Sedgwick’s enduring appeal, to me, is how prescient she was; like most truly great thinkers, Sedgwick was light years ahead of the curve. Where so much ’90s queer theory is rapidly become quaint and even naive, the full implications of Sedgwick’s ideas are just beginning to unfold. So yes, yes to this article. We need Sedgwick’s insights and wisdom. We need them now more than ever. If you’re interested in the topics I write about, in the way I approach them, or in the kind of concepts I generate, you need to go read Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick’s work.

fat-birds: mumblingsage: snarkeet: billiondollarbooty: jeffre...

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:52:09 -0400

fat-birds:

mumblingsage:

snarkeet:

billiondollarbooty:

jeffreymann:

White Blue Peacock

This bird is a crossbreed between blue and white peacocks. The result is one spectacular creature.

wow, I haven’t seen such a dramatic display of genetic mosaicism before.

It’s a Shiny Pokemon.

There are two kinds of people.

this needed to be on this blog because of reasons

Oh Fuck Me, The Sun’s Coming Up Again: An Autobiographical Invective

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:57:25 -0400

Oh Fuck Me, The Sun’s Coming Up Again: An Autobiographical Invective

inothernews: oh man, that previous post right there fulfills your “man, i read some stupid-ass shit...

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:41:02 -0400

inothernews:

oh man, that previous post right there fulfills your “man, i read some stupid-ass shit on the internet” quota for the rest of the fiscal year.

BLOGGING via TYPEWRITER.: I do not approve of my country's cultural decay.

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:40:55 -0400

BLOGGING via TYPEWRITER.: I do not approve of my country's cultural decay.:

the-voodoo-blue-fj-that-cruises:

littlemisandristthings:

the-voodoo-blue-fj-that-cruises:

Something has to give.

Do you mean to say that it’s decaying simply because it’s becoming more accepting of those that aren’t traditional?

Well, for starters, political correctness,…

Photo

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:49:53 -0400

What's a game wall?

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:46:00 -0400

The wall all of my games, movies, aaand a few books from criacow are strategically propped up against. Currently missing the TV.

I’m sure it could use a more creative name.

This is my wall, Raoul.

vaterorlaag replied to your post: Bored? Avoiding all kinds of work? Let’s… I have a lot of...

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:34:07 -0400

vaterorlaag replied to your post: Bored? Avoiding all kinds of work? Let’s…

I have a lot of shit I need to get done, and I’m organizing my files on this computer. Granted, that WILL make a lot of future tasks easier, but still.

Ahaha, I actually make “organize the files on my computer” a weekly thing because I cannot stand clutter on my desktop. It does really make life easier. Go go go.

Right now I’m just reorganizing my game wall and I can’t really justify this in terms of anything but utter, total procrastination.

… And I am okay with that.

Bored? Avoiding all kinds of work? Let’s reorganize the living room!

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:25:47 -0400

Bored? Avoiding all kinds of work?

Let’s reorganize the living room!

archatlas: Cityscapes Tim Jarosz

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:00:52 -0400

archatlas:

Cityscapes Tim Jarosz

archilista: Restoration of the Church-Fortress of San Pietro...

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:00:35 -0400

archilista:

Restoration of the Church-Fortress of San Pietro | LDA studio

vurtual: Námafjall, Iceland (by Zanthia)

Sun, 19 May 2013 07:55:55 -0400

hot mud pool

no swimming

Crater

vurtual:

Námafjall, Iceland (by Zanthia)

reblog if your existence as flesh is a nightmare from which you can never wake

Sun, 19 May 2013 06:52:52 -0400

iipikachuii: Zachary…GRAB IT.

Sat, 18 May 2013 20:43:06 -0400

iipikachuii:

Zachary…GRAB IT.

devidsketchbook: ARCTIC ICE PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANET LITTLE...

Sat, 18 May 2013 20:42:24 -0400

Photographer Janet Little Jeffers | Posted by devidsketchbook.com

Photographer Janet Little Jeffers | Posted by devidsketchbook.com

Photographer Janet Little Jeffers | Posted by devidsketchbook.com

Photographer Janet Little Jeffers | Posted by devidsketchbook.com

Photographer Janet Little Jeffers | Posted by devidsketchbook.com

devidsketchbook:

ARCTIC ICE PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANET LITTLE JEFFERS

Baltimore based photographer Janet Little Jeffers (facebook / flickr) - Through the viewfinder of a camera, Janet explores the unexpected and unexamined details of the natural and manmade world. Her photographs capture intriguing glimpses that may surprise the viewer, inviting a closer look at subjects that normally attract little attention. [see more “Arctic 2012”]

Photo

Sat, 18 May 2013 17:39:46 -0400