#Culture Matters

[notquiteaghost]

a little adhd thing i do is i'll open spotify n then spend ten minutes cycling thru playlists & albums until i work out what i opened spotify to listen to. i can only hold like ten albums in my working memory so this is frequently a process

anyway sometimes this means i search for genre playlists & then have to slog through spotify's genre playlists & i never enjoy this but i just specifically searched "instrumental jazz" and, like. how are even spotify's JAZZ playlists 95% white musicians. this isn't good! it's just made by white people! mediocrely!

anyway two. i got there i'm listening to mulatu astatke

[surkeart]

be free!!

[billherbert23]

Three Campaign Songs

Resuming for now the Executive Quatrains series which followed Imperator Trumpo’s first Reign of Stupor to post these three campaign songs, one of which features in What Rough Beast: Poems on Trump and Trumpism edited by Merryn Williams and Rip Bulkeley, available for download from Culture Matters here.

They took the most hopefullest 2nd song, as well as an EQ from Trumpo’s first 100 days (back when he first threatened to blow up the world).

*

Even now, O race demented, there is time to change your ways;

Use once more what's worth the using. If we 'scape, the more the praise

That we fought our fight with wisdom; or if all is lost for good,

Let the tree on which they hang us be at least of decent wood.

(Aristophanes)

1

Trumpo eats his cow and hen:

patty, nugget - meals for men -

tries to shit em out by sayin

all things must pass

See his giant straining face

statesmanlike and full of grace

Elvis sang in such a place

all flesh is grass

Some eat cats and some eat dogs

some love humans, others hogs

Dionysus told some frogs

all things must pass

Facts and virtues, what are these?

Some have egos to appease

others, learn to use your knees

all flesh is grass

2

Said Trumpo to Hamlet,

what the hell is an arras?

Is this play in the pay of Kamala Harris?

Said Trumpo to Hitler,

we’ll always have Paris -

that and the laughter of Kamala Harris.

Said Trumpo to Stormy,

here’s the nub: I’m embarrassed,

I can’t lay a glove on that Kamala Harris.

Said Trumpo to Putin,

how near, Vlad, too far is!

I’d blow up the world - would Kamala Harris?

3

The shining city? Shock and awe?

Show no pity. Grab and paw.

Last time he won yr empire fell:

if he can’t reign now - he’ll ruin Hell.

His army of Deplorables

thought Liberty deflowerable:

the only Acts of Congress they

conceive of happen in the hay.

Trumpo’s tower of golden trash

is trailers stacked on griftered cash.

Ye whose belts are tightened rust,

yr bet’s a twofer: Double n Bust.

[kimludcom]

Culture Shocks and Extremely Offensive Customs: What You Need to Know Before Traveling

[the-blueprint]

@Wisdom

[okechukwuokugo1-blog]

Celebrating Milestones as a traditional way of life - When a child grows the first tooth, it is a milestone not only the parents but the entire hamlet celebrates. By tradition, whoever notices the new tooth and announces it openly has to celebrate the milestone by giving the child a unique gift according to the tradition observed by the people in the area. This is the traditional practice of the race I came from in West Africa. This tradition encourages the spirit of “see a great milestone, announce, and celebrate it!” But some who want to dodge responsibility can see the new tooth and pretend not to see it to avoid announcing and giving the child the required gifts they deserve. This kind of spirit dampens and does not encourage the brotherhood and support needed to lively up wholesome interactions and encouragement. It is good not only to remember the traditions that help foster brotherliness but to maintain such practices and take it further and apply the principle in some other communal or societal advancement. So when you see a worthy positive groundbreaking innovation, business, or achievement from your neighbors or community, pinpoint it, announce it, and encourage the one who did it to spur others on to do more positive things. I am Okechukwu Okugo. You can contact me to discuss writing, editing, publishing services, etc. (Call +1 347-741-3446 or email okechukwuokugo@gmail.com).

[linasphere]

Stepping into the serene enclave of Masters Courtyard in Tallinn’s Old Town felt like stepping back in time to an era when craftsmanship was revered and artisans poured their hearts into their creations. As I wandered through the cobblestone courtyard, framed by medieval architecture and adorned with the whispers of centuries past, I couldn’t help but be captivated by the palpable sense of history and tradition that permeated the air. This hidden gem, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of modern life, offered a sanctuary where the art of craftsmanship was not only preserved but celebrated. From the diverse arts and crafts workshops to the cosy guest rooms and the renowned café Chocolaterie, every corner of Masters Courtyard seemed to echo with the spirit of creativity and dedication. Here, amidst the tranquil beauty of the courtyard, professional craftsmen and artists breathed life into their unique pieces, inviting visitors like myself to witness the magic of their creative process first-hand. I felt grateful for the opportunity to experience a little piece of Tallinn’s historic tradition of craftsmanship, a tradition that continues to thrive against the tide of modernity.

[nimixo]

Beyond Buzzwords: 3 Powerful Ways Your Actions Define Your Brand

It’s important to realize that brand is much more than a logo and slogan. A brand is who your company is: how you function and make decisions. -Joanna McFarland, Co-founder of HopSkipDrive

#brandauthenticity #BeyondTheLogo #actionspeakslouder #culturematters #CustomerLove #employerbranding #MeaningfulImpact #Nimixo #MotivationalQuotes #motivationfriday

[algoworks]

Algoworks celebrated Republic Day with a twist! Our talented employees showcased their artistic side in a clay-making competition with the theme 'Culture of India.'

From intricate designs to imaginative sculptures, it was a creative explosion! 🇮🇳🎨 Unity in diversity was not just a concept, but a masterpiece in every creation. Kudos to our amazing team! 🙌

[blackexcellence]

Happy Juneteenth Tumblr✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼

[orionsangel86]

There is something about proudly proclaiming a show "tumblrista catnip" that makes me emotional.

Something about how for years tumblrinas were ridiculed by show creators.

Something about Supernatural having a meta episode set at a convention with all the weirdo fans that made the main characters uncomfortable. Something something about Becky and the message that fangirls are gross and obsessive.

Something about Sherlock and the way fans were portrayed as crazy obsessive nutjobs for trying to figure out how he faked his death.

Something about creators mocking fandoms, dismissing them as freaks. Something about queer people not being welcome to engage in their creations because "why do you have to make everything gay?"

Something about the malicious culture of queerbaiting throughout the 2000s/2010s, followed by Bury Your Gays tropes across the media landscape because hell, you should be grateful we even gave you queer characters to begin with - and everyone dies in our show! You ain't special!

Something about Destiel questions being banned from conventions...

And then...

Something instead about Good Omens, and letting the story adapt naturally, embracing the fanbase and leaning into the fanservice.

Something about Our Flag Means Death, and the genuine outpouring of love and affection between cast, crew, and fandom that culminated in an explosion of fanworks that were never once mocked or deemed gross or wrong.

Something about Sandman, and staunchly digging in their heels on the queerness of it all, refusing to give in to the homophobes and instead avidly mocking THEM on social media rather than us.

Something about the writers hearing about fandoms favourite ships and excitedly stating that YES! We DID lean into that because it happened naturally and made sense.

Something about a firefighter coming out as bisexual after 7 seasons...

So yeah, something about a new high quality show made FOR US. By creators that love US. Respect US, and WANT our love.

Something about US FINALLY being a target audience for the best shows being made on TV now.

Tumblrista catnip. Creators saying "we made this for you. You are important. Your voices have been heard."

It just... all got a bit overwhelming for a moment there.

[violottie]

"They've been gone for years and I haven't forgotten" 🇵🇸, from Randi, 16/May/2024:

[secret-diary-of-an-fa]

Small Infinities is Out and Free to Download!

Yo ho ho, fuckarinos! I've got a book out! I said it would be out later this year and none of you believed me (which is fair enough- I do talk a lot of shite). The point is that the non-profit left-wing press Culture Matters has seen fit to put out a collection of my short fiction, entitled Small Infinities as a free PDF download, which you can obtain HERE. It has an introduction by the internationally acclaimed poet and essayist Fran Lock (we're actually related, but shh- don't tell anyone).

I've got to say, it's a real pleasure to actually be putting some creative stuff out into the world, rather just moaning about how shit everything else is. Over the last few years (as my readers will know) I've become increasingly frustrated with a media landscape that has coopted the language and visual signifiers of progressivism in order to promote a shallow, middle-class rainbow capitalism that praises itself for its forward-thinking attitude while marginalising alienated groups who aren't #trending that week and doing bugger all to address real, systemic injustice. I've become doubly frustrated because, through cheap, show-offy gender-flips, straight-to-camera diatribes cribbed from the Twitter rants of well-meaning dingdongs and the slow transformation of diversity into a tedious box-ticking exercise, this media often taints or ruins the IP it's drawing on. And so, Small Infinities is an ACTUALLY left-wing, progressive book that amounts to me side-eyeing the fuck out of the rest of genre fiction then going "HOLD MY BEER!" (I don't drink beer. Spoiler alert: I just handed someone a jugful of urine sample).

But what is Small Infinities, besides me mooning the rest of western culture? Well, it's a fucking trip for a start! The opening story is called Enlightenment for All! (which CM published as a stand-alone awhile back) and its a multigenerational saga spanning 20,000 years that is both a quest to discover the meaning of life itself and an in-depth exploration of class dynamics as they relate to the physical geography of a divided world. Then, however, there are stories like What Atoms Really Want, in which the nature of infinity itself is confronted by people shrinking between microcosmic sub-universes and stories like The Cascade, in which street magicians and stage magicians are organised into warring guilds and do battle in the streets of London like old-timey Cockney crime firms. There are stories about living chess pieces solving neo-noir mysteries and stories about living guns being grown on bushes by corrupt arms-farmers. There are stories in which Victorian ghosts describe their sex lives and stories in which living cartoons spring into the real world and learn the power of drugs and sleaze! I could go on- really, this book is jam-packed with weird, out-there, head-fucky goodness.

Of course, if all of this sounds a bit abstract and hark-at-me-ish, it's also worth noting that there's plenty of visceral stuff for good, old-fashioned manly men (and manly women) to get behind. There's fight epic fight scenes between wizards and unspeakable magical horrors! There's fat chicks in skimpy outfits! There's terrifying alien species (though they might not be what they seem)! There's hauntings and daring escapes and guys getting their feet eaten off with acid! It's a riot!

If it sounds like your sort of riot, then- once again- you can download it for FREE FREE FREE, right HERE! The actual download link is at the bottom of the page, below the intro by Fran Lock. Enjoy!

[sleeplessv0id]

"mental health matters!" until your screaming and crying in the early hours of the morning over losing something as miniscule as your phone charger. but the reason your crying isn't actually about the charger, or your favorite pen you can't find.

little things add up.

[the-blueprint]

@megan.milan