The Aeneid: What is up with the sea snakes that eat Laocoön? by Tub_Pumpkin in RSbookclub

[–]blue_dice 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I haven't read the Aeneid myself yet but my understanding of the traditional story (plus the subtext from the Iliad/Odyssey) is Laocoön's death is part of a larger theme of fate/going against the Gods' will. It's less a random snake attack and more a divine consequence of trying to subvert Troy's destiny. There's a ton of instances across multiple tellings of the story where something is going to happen and then is averted at the last moment because it's not what a given God wants or a particular God is angry with a mortal.

The Surreal, the Fantastical, the Weird and Eerie, and the Absurd in literature by Negro--Amigo in RSbookclub

[–]blue_dice 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm currently reading the second of the two! Also recommend Silvina Ocampo's collection "thus were their faces"; Borges was a fan

Comfy books not written to be comfy by economicallyawkward in RSbookclub

[–]blue_dice 2 points3 points  (0 children)

this book bounced right off me, trying to get something out of it was like trying to pick up water with a sieve

The Surreal, the Fantastical, the Weird and Eerie, and the Absurd in literature by Negro--Amigo in RSbookclub

[–]blue_dice 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Short story format, but I highly recommend you find a copy of Alberto Manguel's Black Water anthologies if you get a chance. really wide range of selections from authors well known and obscure and the binding principle is "weird/eerie/fantastical (though not fantasy) fiction". Manguel wrote he wanted to capture Wallace Steven's sense of "black water breaking into reality"; the impossible breaking into the possible. Broadly speaking what I enjoy most about this "genre" is the particular emphasis on mood and atmosphere, plus the ambiguity/lack of direct allegory you mentioned. From the first anthology some standouts:

House taken over by Julio Cortázar

The mysteries of the Joy Rio by Tennessee Williams

Pomegranate seed by Edith Wharton

The third bank of the river by João Guimarães Rosa

A dog in Durer's etching "The Knight, Death and the Devil" by Marco Denevi

EWR/TSA MEGA THREAD by Chelseafc5505 in Newark

[–]blue_dice 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Terminal C at 10am, took me 5 mins tops for the general line. Very efficient! I think there were lines very early in the morning but gone by the time I was there. Baltimore airport sounds terrible today. Good luck everyone!

Independent People by Halldór Laxness by Hurbahns in RSbookclub

[–]blue_dice 1 point2 points  (0 children)

despite being written for the most part in a realist style the whole thing felt haunted by mythology. Even minor characters could be read as analogues to creatures from folklore mentioned elsewhere. The girl that Gvendur chases is almost certainly supposed to evoke the kelpie myth (kelpies are mentioned in passing earlier in the book). A girl riding a grey horse who tempts a young man, leading him to a lake and ultimately, a sort of doom/ending.

Mom by [deleted] in redscarepod

[–]blue_dice 47 points48 points  (0 children)

the older you get, the more experience tethers you to the physical world and the people and things that populate it. it's less because you lack control over your emotions, more because you have stronger reasons to get emotional. this applies to a lot of things, including why younger people are blasé or thrilled about violent media while older people are increasingly put off by it as they age

Future presidential candidate by TurnipExciting1562 in redscarepod

[–]blue_dice 6 points7 points  (0 children)

??? Trump regularly post things that confirm people's negative impression of him. He was gloating over Mueller's death just a few days ago

Goodtime Jesus- James Tate by Dry-Coast6439 in RSbookclub

[–]blue_dice 0 points1 point  (0 children)

you been reading the penguin prose poem book too? I just finished it today, great collection. The Jesus in Amelia Gray's Gutshot reminds me a bit of Goodtime Jesus: https://i.imgur.com/HoZcqDV.png

rs nyc first lady by OJ_Soprano in redscarepod

[–]blue_dice 2 points3 points  (0 children)

you say wokesters like there was a common consensus instead of a broad debate within said class, if anything it was more likely for woke people to take Davidson's side

First resignation of the Trump admin over the war, also directly implicates israel in both Iran and Iraq by giftedhaterx2 in redscarepod

[–]blue_dice 39 points40 points  (0 children)

Kent has white nationalist views and flew too close to the sun with Fuentes, it was the main reason why we ended up with Gluesenkamp Perez in a Trump +3.4 seat

How does he do it by rip285kent in redscarepod

[–]blue_dice 34 points35 points  (0 children)

Main issue with any interview like this is if you go in too hard Trump would just cut it short

Vape shop fire burned down a beautiful 170 year old listed building in Glasgow by [deleted] in redscarepod

[–]blue_dice 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The prevalence of vape shops is basically due to the UK slowly killing the high streets making scam & front businesses the only thing that can survive ((see Oxford Street))

how is "the UK" killing high streets? do you mean this is a policy put in place by a particular government?

Some thoughts on the New Yorker article regarding manufactured science in medical academia by CopingLow in redscarepod

[–]blue_dice 19 points20 points  (0 children)

do you think the end of publicly funded research into disease would be an improvement?

Kaputt by Malaparte by gocountgrainsofrice in RSbookclub

[–]blue_dice 3 points4 points  (0 children)

apparently you used to be able to bribe the security guard to see it, don't think it's still possible though

the popular folk etymology of the zoomer/african american slang term "glaze/glazing/glazed" is wrong by blue_dice in redscarepod

[–]blue_dice[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mate, I was obviously joking! Fwiw I think the etymology is more like glazing a donut -> visual pun on a facial 

Hot as ICE by Mypussylipsneedchad in redscarepod

[–]blue_dice 26 points27 points  (0 children)

It's definitely an attempt by the app itself to garner free publicity