Dora Reads is the book blog of a Bookish Rebel, supporting the Diversity Movement, bringing you Queer views and mental health advocacy, slipping in a lot of non-bookish content, and spreading reading to the goddamn world! :) (All posts may contain Amazon links, which are affiliate, unless marked otherwise. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. USA ONLY - please do not make UK purchases with my links)
Showing posts with label Nerd Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nerd Church. Show all posts
Sunday 10 November 2019
Nerd Church - Why I Love WW1 Poetry
Morbid li'l goth-emo child that I am, I LOVE World War One poetry.
I read it all year round: Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, Isaac Rosenburg, Ivor Gurney, Edmund Blunden, Rupert Brooke...
*sighs happily*
So, seeing as how it's Rememberance Sunday, and it's the 11th of November tomorrow, I figured I'd let you in on the beautiful jewel of life that is WW1 poetry.
(Note: when I use the phrase 'WW1 poetry' I mean English-language WW1 poetry, mainly from British soldiers, with the odd Commonwealth soldier chucked in for good luck.
I'm sure that other nationalities also wrote poetry in a variety of languages and styles, but the WW1 poetry I and most people in the UK are familiar with is that I've just described.)
Sunday 3 November 2019
Nerd Church - Whose Dystopia Is This? A Discussion of Marginalisations in Dystopian Fiction, Focussing On Vox by Christina Dalcher
(Warning: this post discusses persecution of marginalised groups, sometimes in detail)
Dystopia, as a genre, is largely based on the oppression – either knowingly or unknowingly – of groups of people.
...Usually in a way that seems extreme in the context of the author’s cultural background, or else involves sufficient robots and sh** to convince us that this world is The Future™.
Sunday 27 October 2019
Nerd Church - 39
(Warning: this post discusses human trafficking, modern slavery, racism, anti-immigrant sentiment, and the tragic deaths of 39 immigrants)
For those of you outside the UK, who may not know, 39 immigrants were found dead this week in a lorry in Essex.
They were probably Vietnamese, but the details are still a bit fuzzy..
Sunday 20 October 2019
Nerd Church - Have A Little Consideration! (...And Treat Your Neighbours Right)
I think that some people - not everyone, but some people - need to re-evaluate their common decency, and the consideration that they may or may not have for the people around them.
Because sometimes, people do sh** that ain't a lot to them, but is, in fact, a big deal to other people.
Image by Prawny from Pixabay |
My neighbours have dogs.
They're lovely dogs. Adorable af.
But they like to chase cats. And I have cats.
Wednesday 16 October 2019
Month in Review(s) - September 2019
September!
(This wrap-up isn't late, it's casually timed 😎)
September was cool.
I had another cold, but that's pretty much my life tbh.
I also had my birthday! Woo! Birthday!
Although, I did have a few mixed feelings this year...
Sunday 13 October 2019
Nerd Church - Dyscalculia (Part 2: The Real World)
Dyscalculia is a maths learning difficulty that affects a lot of things that other people find easy and/or straight-forward.
Today, I figured I'd give you a real-life example of how Dyscalculia affects me.
You can catch up on my first post about Dyscalculia, which includes a lot of general info., here.
Image by TeroVesalainen from Pixabay |
A real-world Dyscalculia example: catching the goddamn train
Sunday 6 October 2019
Nerd Church - Dyscalculia (Part 1: What Is Dyscalculia?)
I've mentioned in passing before now that I have a learning problem - condition, disability, whatever you wanna call it - called dyscalculia.
So I figured it was about time (ha, you'll see why that's a pun soon,) that I let you know what that entails, and why that means I struggle with a lot of things that most people find easy.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay |
Disclaimer time: I am not a medical, educational, or neurological expert. I’m a Welsh chick with a blog.
So, what is dyscalculia?
In its simplest explanation, dyscalculia is the maths version of dyslexia.
It affects numeracy, rather than literacy, and also affects a lot of things related to mathematical ways of seeing the world that most people don't actually associate with maths.
In its simplest explanation, dyscalculia is the maths version of dyslexia.
It affects numeracy, rather than literacy, and also affects a lot of things related to mathematical ways of seeing the world that most people don't actually associate with maths.
Sunday 29 September 2019
Nerd Church - The Writer Diaries: Writing Vs Self-Care
While my aim is to write every day (y'know, like all the advice seems to say you should if you wanna be successful as an author,) some days I just can't.
That's not strictly true - I usually end up writing something in a day: blogging, tweeting, e-mails, work stuff, etc.
But I don't always manage to work on my work-in-progress (WIP) every day.
Sunday 22 September 2019
Nerd Church - An Unpopular Opinion On the 'Don't Feed the Trolls' Campaign
There's a new campaign in the UK using the previously informal hashtag of #DontFeedTheTrolls.
The Center For Countering Digital Hate advises that you don't engage with trolls.
Ignore, block, report. Rinse, repeat.
Now, that's certainly not a bad option for dealing with trolling.
And you should ALWAYS feel that you can use the mute, block, report options, or some variant thereof, if you want to.
Cos you owe no-one, and you need to protect your mental health. Take care, ok?
So, what's my unpopular opinion?
Sunday 15 September 2019
Nerd Church - It's My Birthday! (And I'll Cry If I Want To)
...Not that I'm particularly aiming to. But I'll give myself the option!
Yes, the day this post is published (15th Sep, unless I pushed 'Publish' instead of 'Schedule' again! 😅) is my birthday!
While I'm hoping to have fun and enjoy myself today... I have had some mixed feelings in the days leading up to today.
See, for my entire life, my birthday has been a few days before my grandfather's.
Tuesday 10 September 2019
Month in Review(s) - August 2019
August was not as hot here in the UK!!!!!
Thank whatever deity, divine power, or cosmic entity that may be listening!
Don't get me wrong, there were still days which were officially too hot. But there were less of them. *sighs happily*
Unfortunately, I spent most of August with a cold.
Because I'm one of those people who will catch every virus imaginable after a galandular-fever-like illness screwed my immune system over when I was 16. Good times.
Sunday 8 September 2019
Nerd Church - Caffeinated Current Events: We're Really F**ked (Like, More Than We Were Before)
I'm full of coffee, so let's try to figure out the state of the UK, shall we?
I don't know if you've been paying attention to UK politics lately, but it basically goes a little something like this:
Our Prime Minister is somehow Boris Johnson.
Because we apparently haven't suffered enough yet.
Sunday 25 August 2019
Nerd Church - Escapism, Reality, the Power of Stories, and Brigsby Bear
Films, books, media, stories.
They’re how we talk, communicate, connect with each other, with the world around us, and how we understand ourselves.
At least, that’s true for me, maybe it’s not for you.
Or maybe you just think it’s not the way it is for you 😉
...when I was making the graphic I somehow wrote 'realism' instead of reality but *shrugs* same diff I suppose! 😅 |
There’s an amazing, adorable, and, in places, heart-breaking, film called Brigsby Bear.
I love it.
It’s one of those films which rips your heart out, hands it to you, and then is like ‘look! This is what your heart looks like! Look at all the blood and gunk and stuff!’ (Metaphorically, of course.)
It’s hard to talk about Brigsby Bear without either a) getting spoiler-y, or b) descending into fangirling to such an extent that all I’m doing is making a series of inarticulate noises.
I love it.
It’s one of those films which rips your heart out, hands it to you, and then is like ‘look! This is what your heart looks like! Look at all the blood and gunk and stuff!’ (Metaphorically, of course.)
It’s hard to talk about Brigsby Bear without either a) getting spoiler-y, or b) descending into fangirling to such an extent that all I’m doing is making a series of inarticulate noises.
Sunday 18 August 2019
Nerd Church - You're Capable (I Promise)
There will be times in your life, dearest nerdlets, when you feel like you're not capable of understanding something, or learning to do something, or actually goddamn doing the thing - whatever the thing may be.
But you ARE capable!
I know, I know - so easy to say.
(Except it's not - for me, it's def. not.)
Image by Shahid Abdullah from Pixabay
I love bad puns in visual form, ok? 😅 I couldn't resist.
|
I don't mean that all you have to do is decide you wanna be a rock star, and then, if you want it bad enough, it'll magically happen.
Life doesn't work like that.
If you don't play any instruments, you won't wake up tomorrow as a rock star. Simple as.
But that doesn't mean you're incapable of being a rock star. It'll take a lot of work, a lot of luck, and a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but you can do it.
...Or it might still not happen.
Sunday 11 August 2019
Nerd Church - America, You Got a Problem With Guns
(Warning: this post discusses the El Paso and Dayton shootings, and the American gun culture)
I'm sure this has been said time and time again.
While people are still out there dying, I will add my voice to that, time and time again.
America has a gun problem.
Wednesday 7 August 2019
Month in Review(s) - July 2019
July was too goddamned hot.
I spelled Gorffennaf wrong in the graphic - oops! 😅 |
I'm not built for anything past 23C, and it hit, like 31C.
I know to some of you who live in hotter places than the UK, that's nothing but... it's really not nothing to us!
I'm not a nice person when I'm hot - I'm grumpy af and just want to make the world suffer.
Also, I live in Wales. Summer is traditionally one big rain shower - WTAF with this heat?!
Sunday 4 August 2019
Nerd Church - Do We REALLY Value the ART?
I love Fine Art, and have done since I was a teensy babbi.
(Which slightly confused my parents who were expecting a child rather than an art, music, and literature lover, but anyways...)
I'm not so much of a fan of Modern Art, though, 'cos it tends to be either ugly or pretentious af - or sometimes both. Lol.
Sunday 28 July 2019
Nerd Church - My New Self-Care Strategy
(Warning: this post discusses low self-esteem and Depression)
I have a plan!
My plan is this: to treat myself BETTER than I think I deserve.
'Hang on Cee!' I hear you cry (well, I don't but it's a structural narrative device,) 'What the hell are you talking about?!'
Let's rewind.
Sunday 21 July 2019
Nerd Church - Trump Is A Racist, and Other Obvious Things That Still Have To Be Said
(Warning: this post discusses all things Trump, inc. racism, bigotry, and alleged sexual assault, inc. Jeffrey Epstein and paedophilia)
Trump is a racist.
He is a sexist, a homophobe, an ableist, a transphobe, an Islamophobe.
Trump is pretty much any kind of bigot or general a**hole you can think of.
I don't know why people are still surprised, but some people seem to be.
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay |
Sunday 14 July 2019
Nerd Church - Casual Homophobia: A Thousand Cuts
(Warning: this post discusses several instances of homophobia, and the feelings caused.)
I use the term homophobia here as a catch-all for all types of bigotry against LGBTQ+ people.
When I was very, very, small, someone I love - an adult - said something that stuck a tiny dagger into my heart.
They said, "...it shows being Gay as something natural. Which it's not."
And a teeny-tiny voice in my small child brain said, 'But what about me?' and then I stamped it down very, very, hard.
Partly because I didn't know what I meant. What about me? What was I?
Well, if straight was the natural... then I was straight? Right?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)