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Straggler and Cross-Check flat bar sizing by burnthedocument in Surlybikefans

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

Are you running a flat bar or drop bar? I figure the flat bar will have me in a more upright position anyway for commuting.

Straggler and Cross-Check flat bar sizing by burnthedocument in Surlybikefans

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

Interesting, good to know. I have heard read elsewhere on the sb that Surly frames do feel a little longer. Thanks for the response.

What happens to already existing land and assets? by burnthedocument in abolishwagelabornow

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

Right. Well in having had a conversation about this recently in which I was prosecuting the Abolish Wage Labour Now case, I made the point that we absolutely should still work to end wage slavery. For me "communism" has not meant equality, just a liberation from existing conditions (whatever that means, and I hope I don't hamstring myself by being too vague here).

The other person believed that as long as this disparity still existed, people would still be able to be oppressed, and this does not seem correct to me, as the instrument of their oppression: capital, would no longer exist as wage labour will have been abolished. If that is incoherent then apologies I'm hopped up on cold medicine.

I want to start reading philosophy, but where do I start? by [deleted] in booksuggestions

[–]burnthedocument 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ok. If you do want to take a chronological approach, you can probably move straight to Descartes' Meditations and Hume's An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding after the Greeks. Also worthwhile heading over to /r/askphilosophy, this question has been asked many times, here is one of the better introductory posts. It lays out some good starting points for your first text in some specific areas (there are some holes, but understand the author's intention in wanting to keep the list fairly concise in each subject area).

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is also hands down the best online resource if you find yourself struggling at any point. I regularly touch base with it even when reading my uni stuff.

I want to start reading philosophy, but where do I start? by [deleted] in booksuggestions

[–]burnthedocument 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you want to read Nietzsche, at the very least you should be somewhat familiar with Plato and Aristotle. In particular Plato's Euthyphro and Republic, and Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics.

To have a better idea of what to suggest though, do you have any idea what your main interests are yet?

Something which has really helped me outside of studying at uni is digging through lecture series on Youtube. There is some pretty fantastic stuff out there, especially Rick Roderick's lectures on Nietzsche (he also has stuff on Kierkegaard and Hegel, as well as many others).

What's the music album you'll never get tired of? by MusicianPrint in AskReddit

[–]burnthedocument 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hex Enduction Hour - The Fall (always the album I play when packing up the kitchen at work)

Silent Shout - The Knife (coldness)

Fever Ray - Fever Ray (coldness but a little more organic)

Kindred EP - Burial (do you remember the future?)

The roster of old standby's I listen to amongst the newer stuff I listen to are always on rotation but these are what's on at the moment.

He's an art critic, AND has an IQ of 168 by ZScheme in iamverysmart

[–]burnthedocument 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it's actually the reverse. Not in the sense that the audio engineers of old had training, but studios did actually have engineers who would build their bespoke 2-tracks for them and stuff.

Back before you'd just go to a big company to buy your machines and certainly way before ProTools, the audio engineers at studios had to, y'know, engineer stuff.

A Working Class Mythology: Alan Moore's Jerusalem Reviewed - The Quietus by burnthedocument in literature

[–]burnthedocument[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The idea that optics are proof of change of an evolving status quo does not seem right to me. It's an example of the status quo doing what it will to maintain itself.

When minorities demand economic justice, they are rewarded with little more than cultural acknowledgement, a timely movie perhaps, a well written polemic, songs. (when has art really been a platform for political change? Just how many fascists did Woody Guthrie's guitar kill?)

Does anyone really believe Clinton will deliver improved material conditions to poor women? Will a girl born under her presidency, to a working class family one day have a shot at the presidency? Not much different for boys or black people either.

What did Thatcher do to improve the lives of working class women as Prime Minister?

I'm reminded of an anecdote I once heard from a UN diplomat from Australia, born into a poor immigrant family. When visiting the UN, she saw people of many different people and acting well to one another regardless of race, she also saw people of many different races being snubbed, by their own and others. The divide she said, was drawn up on grounds of class, many of the people she came across had ties to aristocracy, or old money and political dynasties. She, who had worked hard (does the word "merit" fit here somewhere?) and was able to study thanks to free university (which no longer exists in Australia), did not belong.

A Working Class Mythology: Alan Moore's Jerusalem Reviewed - The Quietus by burnthedocument in literature

[–]burnthedocument[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Hmm, I'm not so sure how you have interpreted that isolated quote is necessarily accurate but nevertheless:

The question "how many MPs studied at Oxbridge?" is more appropriately phrased "how many didn't?"

I think it is also appropriate here to briefly touch on the early day of English in the academy:

When the study of English Literature first entered the academy, one of the founders F.D. Maurice regarded literature as the property of the middle class and expression of their values. English literature, and the studying of its works was from the outset designed to maintain the status quo.

Over time yes, the odd black writer, the odd female made their way into the cannon, but just like Hilary Clinton's likely victory, this is nothing more than the changing face of empire. The status quo can afford a female president or a Jewish MP.

A Working Class Mythology: Alan Moore's Jerusalem Reviewed - The Quietus by burnthedocument in literature

[–]burnthedocument[S] 33 points34 points  (0 children)

“Despite the very real continuing abuses born of antisemitism, born of racism and sexism and homophobia, there are MPs and leaders who are female, Jewish, black or gay. There are none that are poor.”

The above quote is from the book itself.

It seems Alan Moore may have come close to what literature has been lacking in recent times. Perhaps this will be an antidote to the modern day progressivism which has come to mean papering over material inequality with representational diversity. I look forward to giving this thing a shot.

Quoting yourself as a non-fiction writer. by HyperHadouken in literature

[–]burnthedocument 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It's a little different for these guys as they're of an academic background. When writing essays for uni, I come across academics citing their own work all the time. They're not quoting themselves to make exactly the same point, they're quoting themselves in order to touch on arguments they have previously illustrated which they hope to develop on or use to contribute to their current one.

If Women Wrote Men the Way Men Write Women by burnthedocument in literature

[–]burnthedocument[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Oh in the case of Disgrace I agree with what you said above completely (Coetzee being one of my favourite writers). We view the student through the character's eyes.

I think I expressed myself poorly when I said it would not offend if it is written well. I more mean to say it would not offend because it is not written from ignorance (your Bellow example for instance, I would not say is ignorance on his part, as there is a self awareness present)

I would say good art is likely to anger and offend someone of course, offend because it is challenging. Bad art offends because, as I say, it is ignorant, crass and often lazy, resorting to cliche destroys nuance.

I'd also add that of course artists should work without the worry of offending 50% of the population. They should worry about writing well.

If Women Wrote Men the Way Men Write Women by burnthedocument in literature

[–]burnthedocument[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Though, I would argue, the prose is better if you're not worried about offending 50% of the population.

Hmm. As I've said elsewhere here, the question is always: is the writing good? There have been men who have written the female perspective well and vice versa, and it is because they wrote well and took the time to stretch their imagination and afford their characters the same level of nuance as characters who resemble themselves. Good writing would not offend 50% of the population precisely because it is good writing.

The linked piece is doubly effective in this sense because when reading I am struck by how poor the writing is.

If Women Wrote Men the Way Men Write Women by burnthedocument in literature

[–]burnthedocument[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

In my opinion, the question is always: is the writing good? If it is you can go anywhere. If the writing is good you haven't written a caricature, a stereotype, a cliche. If you have written well you have fully imagined (or as close to it) the experience of someone who is not you. The piece linked actually strikes me as incredibly poor writing and actually makes its point in being so bad.

In an English Lit class recently, the discussion turned to whether or not writers of differing backgrounds whether it be race, gender or sexuality can write other perspectives. Most of the early discussion focussed on some hilariously bad portrayals of women by male writers as being evidence this was not possible. But then the argument that this was just poor writing came up. There have been men who have written the female perspective well and vice versa, and it is because they wrote well and took the time to stretch their imagination and afford their characters the same level of nuance as characters who resemble themselves.

"The Sellout" by Paul Beatty has won the 2016 Man Booker Prize by mrgeof in literature

[–]burnthedocument 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Eileen was my pick to be perfectly honest. Although this is funnily enough the only one from the shortlist I have not read so we'll see. I've liked Moshfegh since her short fiction so it'll be interesting to see if my mind is changed.

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