A letter on Justice and Open Debate

[gosub]

A Letter on Justice and Open Debate

July 7, 2020 The below letter will be appearing in the Letters section of the magazine’s October issue. We welcome responses at letters@harpers.org Our cultural institutions are facing a moment of trial. Powerful protests for racial and social justice are leading to overdue demands for police...

harpers.org

 

[killer b]

What is this and why should we read it?

 

[FridgeMagnet]

This looks like the usual wank to me.

Also it's been posted twice. I'll close the other one.

 

[wayward bob]

k, this looks totes relevant

<reads if its worth it or not>

xx

 

[wayward bob]

What is this and why should we read it?

cos privilege, obvs

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I must say though that while moving through tabs it did remind me that there is a sale on mechanical pencils at Cult Pens right now - Mechanical Pencil Day Offers | Cult Pens - though it's arguable whether I need any more mechanical pencils. On the other hand my GraphGear 1000 was nicked a few months ago and I'd quite like another one, or something equally good. So that's some positive effect.

(ETA: ends Thursday)

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

I must say though that while moving through tabs it did remind me that there is a sale on mechanical pencils at Cult Pens right now - Mechanical Pencil Day Offers | Cult Pens - though it's arguable whether I need any more mechanical pencils. On the other hand my GraphGear 1000 was nicked a few months ago and I'd quite like another one, or something equally good. So that's some positive effect.

(ETA: ends Thursday)

I'm glad that you bring that up. I had an eraser emergency last week. I had an urgent need to buy fancy Japanese gotchyapon erasers, Sadly, none were available because I live in a cultural and economic backwater. I had to settle for a set of brush pens. Sad.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I'm glad that you bring that up. I had an eraser emergency last week. I had an urgent need to buy fancy Japanese gotchyapon erasers, Sadly, none were available because I live in a cultural and economic backwater. I had to settle for a set of brush pens. Sad.

Ooh, that's a point, I do need proper erasers as well - I had a decent Staedtler one but that got stolen as well (somebody nicked my bag from a pub when pubs were still open, which had a nice bamboo fibre pencil case full of my best stationery, but you know, you say that to the cops and they just look blankly at you). I'm trying to work through some exercises in an art book at the moment and obviously fancy erasers and pencils are entirely necessary. Well that's settled it then, definitely going to have to make an order.

I understand that Jetpens is a good site for the US.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Ooh, that's a point, I do need proper erasers as well - I had a decent Staedtler one but that got stolen as well (somebody nicked my bag from a pub when pubs were still open, which had a nice bamboo fibre pencil case full of my best stationery, but you know, you say that to the cops and they just look blankly at you). I'm trying to work through some exercises in an art book at the moment and obviously fancy erasers and pencils are entirely necessary. Well that's settled it then, definitely going to have to make an order.

I understand that Jetpens is a good site for the US.

I'm sorry to hear about your bag being stolen. There's no substitute for proper stationary supplies. What book are you working through? I'm trying to pick up with the art again by setting aside some time every day to practice.

Jetpens, huh?

 

[wayward bob]

I understand that Jetpens is a good site for the US.

some people have no shame

smh

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I'm sorry to hear about your bag being stolen. There's no substitute for proper stationary supplies. What book are you working through? I'm trying to pick up with the art again by setting aside some time every day to practice.

Jetpens, huh?

Steve Huston's "Figure Drawing for Artists". A family member gave me it a while back and it just sort of sat on my coffee table but I picked it up recently and it's actually really good. Huston has apparently taught a bunch of artists at Dreamworks and Disney and places and his method seems pretty easy to understand and follow (so far).

On the other hand, let's face it, improving your art skills is mostly based on doing a whole load of bad drawings until you get better at it. Best to do that in a structured way but you need the pencils and the paper.



Jetpens and Goulet Pens are the sites I remember most of the US people talking about, though the latter I think may be particularly good for fountain pens?

 

[FridgeMagnet]

some people have no shame

smh

Hey I'm pushing stationery websites on a transatlantic basis here.

I like Cult Pens though, they send you Haribo and cute paperclips with each order.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Steve Huston's "Figure Drawing for Artists". A family member gave me it a while back and it just sort of sat on my coffee table but I picked it up recently and it's actually really good. Huston has apparently taught a bunch of artists at Dreamworks and Disney and places and his method seems pretty easy to understand and follow (so far).

On the other hand, let's face it, improving your art skills is mostly based on doing a whole load of bad drawings until you get better at it. Best to do that in a structured way but you need the pencils and the paper.

View attachment 221294

Jetpens and Goulet Pens are the sites I remember most of the US people talking about, though the latter I think may be particularly good for fountain pens?

That looks like it might be a decent book. One of the things I've been wanting to work on is drawing the figure, but I have limited time before school starts again.

Looked at the Jetpens site and found some of the old fashioned Parker Jotter pens, which were my gateway pen. I used to swear by those for taking notes:

JetPens.com - Parker Jotter Premium Ballpoint Pen - Bond Street Black with Gold Trim - Medium Point

Sporting an iconic streamlined designed, the Parker Jotter continues to be as timelessly cool and professional as when it was first released over 60 years ago. This pen features a sleek all-metal barrel and comes installed with blue Quinkflow ink, an advanced ballpoint ink that's been specially...

www.jetpens.com

I also found enough erasers to satisfy that itch.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

some people have no shame

smh

Stationary addiction is one of the more shameful addictions, I will admit.

 

[Johnny Vodka]

What other thread was this on then?

 

[Sasaferrato]

I must say though that while moving through tabs it did remind me that there is a sale on mechanical pencils at Cult Pens right now - Mechanical Pencil Day Offers | Cult Pens - though it's arguable whether I need any more mechanical pencils. On the other hand my GraphGear 1000 was nicked a few months ago and I'd quite like another one, or something equally good. So that's some positive effect.

(ETA: ends Thursday)

Will you stop referencing Cult Pens? Every bloody time you do it, it costs me money!

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Will you stop referencing Cult Pens? Every bloody time you do it, it costs me money!

I'm tempted to drop a lot of money on a pencil sharpener. My last one was one of the old fashioned classroom pencil sharpeners. It finally gave up the ghost after decades of faithful service. This one will probably last me a while:

Cult Pens - the widest range of pens and pencils on the planet!

The finest UK online pen shop: 24,000+ products at great prices. Secure ordering. Expert knowledge. Best customer service. Free UK delivery and worldwide shipping.

www.cultpens.com

 

[William of Walworth]

I also found enough erasers to satisfy that itch.

Cats!!!!!

 

[Kevbad the Bad]

What other thread was this on then?

Careful now. That comment was almost relevant.

 

[Idris2002]

I'm tempted to drop a lot of money on a pencil sharpener. My last one was one of the old fashioned classroom pencil sharpeners. It finally gave up the ghost after decades of faithful service. This one will probably last me a while:

View attachment 221368

We had one of those in Miss Moriarty's class in Halifax (yes I know that name sounds like something out of a Neil Gaiman book, but that was her name, really).

As for the OP, there is a streak of intolerance among the "lumpen bourgeoisie" who make up much of the US "left" and who regularly parade themselves on twitter - but their major effect is to help pin down the boundaries of that "left", to the point where the inverted commas will never not be required.

 

[Raheem]

I must say though that while moving through tabs it did remind me that there is a sale on mechanical pencils at Cult Pens right now - Mechanical Pencil Day Offers | Cult Pens - though it's arguable whether I need any more mechanical pencils. On the other hand my GraphGear 1000 was nicked a few months ago and I'd quite like another one, or something equally good. So that's some positive effect.

(ETA: ends Thursday)

One of the difficulties I find with pens is that there are certain people who tend to do all the writing, and then when you do some writing but you are writing something different, they say you are erasing and you should not do this. If you are unhappy, you should write something different.

 

[Johnny Vodka]

Careful now. That comment was almost relevant.

I must be missing something.

 

[nogojones]

Now everyones working from home I guess you just can't rob the stationary cupboard like normal people any more

 

[killer b]

Now everyones working from home I guess you just can't rob the stationary cupboard like normal people any more

I've been nipping into the office to pick up essential paperwork

 

[flypanam]

Notorious transphobe (Rowling) and a star of cancel culture (Weiss) sign a letter supporting free speech. (Some of those others like Karp should know better, and Noam will sign anything.)

Although given the numerous platforms they speak from it seems like a demand that they not be questioned by the great unwashed. I doubt Weiss has ever supported Finklestein right to free speech.

 

[gosub]

The problem with 'the letter' | CNN

Jeff Yang says it's hard not to see "the letter" -- "A Letter on Justice and Open Debate," published by Harper's Magazine and signed by over 150 authors, journalists, artists and intellectuals from J.K. Rowling to Noam Chomsky -- as an elegantly written affirmation of privilege.

edition.cnn.com

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Now everyones working from home I guess you just can't rob the stationary cupboard like normal people any more

Never has the good stuff anyway. The only worthwhile thing in them is scissors, and those vanish within seconds of them arriving, ending up in someone's desk drawer.

I did get some star shaped post-its from work once but that was from a conference thing.

 

[Idris2002]

Notorious transphobe (Rowling) and a star of cancel culture (Weiss) sign a letter supporting free speech. (Some of those others like Karp should know better, and Noam will sign anything.)

Although given the numerous platforms they speak from it seems like a demand that they not be questioned by the great unwashed. I doubt Weiss has ever supported Finklestein right to free speech.

Chomsky has, though.

As for there being no such thing as "cancel culture", these people certainly ended up cancelled, and for no good reason in most cases:

Stop Firing the Innocent

America needs a reckoning over racism. Punishing people who did not do anything wrong harms that important cause.

www.theatlantic.com

The online twats who do and defend this stuff would reply "but dude, we have to like, stop racism". I don't think these people have any sincere concern about racism or its consequences whatsoever. The goal is to bully, humiliate, and if possible destroy other people. Look at the way Angela Nagle (whose work I am in basic agreement with, yes) was driven off twitter. I have never seen any of her detractors issue anything similar against Trump (may he burn in the hellfires) or people of that ilk. A lefty Irish bitch who was getting too big for her boots - that was a different story.

 

[flypanam]

Noam Chomsky, and maybe Heer should know better than to sign a letter that is basically a call for those of us who don't have multiple platforms to express our views, should question the signatories and their lofty position. No one here is arguing cancel culture doesn't exist, it does, and a lot of those signatories are exponents of it. Look how many of those signatories write for the NYT, the Atlantic, and have a vested interest in keeping the focus of debate narrow and unchallenging to capital. Use their position for force people out of jobs, lose tenure, and encourage a stay silent cuture.

Frum and Goldberg exponents of a clash of civilisations. Kasparov espouses Fomenko for christ sake. and Lilla and Yaglesis tremble in fear of working class Americans.

Once again the liberals are pleading that they are the real victims. Fuck that.

 

[Idris2002]

You can take the boy out of the SWP but you can't take the SWP out of the boy.

"Delta Farce"