• 14 Posts
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Joined 2 years ago
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Cake day: September 13th, 2023

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  • andros_rex@lemmy.worldtomemes@lemmy.worldBooks
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    3 hours ago

    A goal of mine is to ensure that my library is preserved in some fashion after I die, because I do believe it would be valuable. Many of the books I have are out of print, rare, and obscure. I have a fantasy of a library room set aside with my collection - a couple of comfortable chairs in a little nook.

    Especially with the way that AI has polluted information sources online, I think having a collection of the printed word which is guaranteed to be vetted and written by humans would be useful. The religious material I think also could be helpful in preserving history - eg, I have versions of Mormon books which are likely not consistent with current doctrine.


  • andros_rex@lemmy.worldtomemes@lemmy.worldBooks
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    5 hours ago

    My apartment is 60% books. I don’t have enough bookshelves, I have most loaded to the point where they are bending and there are piles of books stacked on top. Stacks and stacks and stacks.

    I think my library is almost an art project at this point. I thrift a lot, check out library discard sales and have a bunch of things I bought when you could get books on Amazon for a penny + shipping. I often pick up 5-10 a week, because at the thrift shop that’s maybe $10 at most. (Goodwill is getting precious, but the really ratty ones are often prime spots.)

    Very little fiction. Mostly textbooks and history and language and arcane computer things and strange religious literature and philosophy and paranormal arcana. Obscure things - I mostly collect things that I wouldn’t normally be able to find in a library.

    My ex hated my books and wanted to work out a deal where I’d have to give up two for every one I took in. Now I am free to live in a pile of stacks. I don’t care if it looks “messy” or “cluttered.” It represents my mind.







  • They recruit high schoolers without other options.

    I worked in one of the worst high schools in the nation. There were recruiters in our cafeteria every day. They gave me periodic tables with National Guard branding (which you can be sure I used, because I only had 1000 prints a month, and 500 of those had to be on my own paper.)

    Imagine - you aren’t going to be able to get into or afford college. Your dad is in jail. Your mom is working three jobs, none of which provide your family with health insurance. The places that are hiring are McDonald’s and Walmart.

    The only people that you know in your community that have insurance and can afford a house - they are former military. You have already seen people go down extremely dark paths - you probably do know someone who joined a gang and you might have attended their funeral. Your pastor tells you that the military will teach you discipline and protect your from that fate.

    There are other reasons too. The military is really the only route you have for college if you don’t have the financial resources.

    I don’t think you imagine yourself killing people either. Most of what the military does isn’t directly related to combat.

    I think this video might be an interesting perspective too.



  • I had a friend who got into it and would get emotionally upset when I’d make fun of JR Bob Dobbs. Which was depressing, because I felt that was the whole point to Dobbs.

    I’ve been a member of the Church for more than ten years and take it more seriously than I should. (I paid my $30 to Bobb when it was $30. Can’t wait for my flying pleasure saucer, already planned for where I’m turning my lasers.)

    What the fuck.

    Did they not participate in any form of Subgenius activity, consume any form of Subgenius art? Did they not listen to the Hour of Slack?

    Like, listen to the Agent and Mr. Dobbs. Listen to the way we talk about Connie. Listen to the story about the Subgenius who gets lost on their way to to the Devival and ends up getting their corpse gang banged by wolves, dogs and cops. How on earth would you think that you are supposed to be reverent when talking about Bob?