Latest Posts by bibliofran - Page 2

Thank you!!

I know so much of the pre-election messaging is like VOTE!!! VOTE!!! IF YOU DON’T VOTE YOU’RE A MONSTER!! and that can get tiring after so many elections. So I want to take a moment after this election to say: so many of you clearly did get out and vote, despite not always having the most inspiring options, and with SO much on the line 18-29 year olds specifically helped win some of the most important and impactful races across America. So from one of the many “just vote” scolds on the internet: thank you!!

Thank you to everyone who voted!  Even if the race wasn’t as close in your area, your vote made a difference.

Here is a neat thing to think of forever: look at “maximum room occupancy” signs — they are everywhere in offices and hotels and restaurants and shops.

If you see one at or around 63, take a good, long look at how physically small the room is!

May this haunt you forever should you think “my vote doesn’t matter. Even though I can vote, I won’t.”

Via

If you live in the United States, can legally vote, and have not already done so, please vote on November 8, 2022.  Specifically, vote for people who are not fascists, who will support everyone’s bodily autonomy, and who believe that LGBTQ+ people deserve rights.

If you need voting information and can’t find it yourself, call or email your local library.  They will probably have everything handy (because you are almost certainly not the only person with questions), but they will find it for you if necessary!  The only thing they won’t tell you is whom to vote for.

Some states will allow you to register at the polls if you are not already registered.  Even if you can’t register for this election, do it now so you’re ready for the next one.

Reminder: tomorrow’s Election Day. If you haven’t voted, take a moment to look up the voting centers near you and hours of operation

Some states mandate time off to allow employees to vote. Some don’t. If your state does, be firm in your right to take time to vote if you cannot any other time

Don’t let those self-righteous old fascist fucks get comfortable. Even if you think there’s no chance, make ‘em sweat

Please vote!  No matter what the political bots say, there is a world of difference between Democrats and Republicans, and every vote matters.

Also, make sure to look at the candidates and vote in your local races.  A lot of work is being done on school boards, library boards, town councils, and other very local levels to ban books, limit what can be taught to children, restrict library programs, and much more that chips away at your rights.  

How do I put this gently . . . You fuckers wanna see Trump actually face consequences - see Roe protected - not lose all the progress of the past 2 years under Biden? (yes ik we need more to be done i know) YOU HAVE TO FUCKING VOTE IN THE MID TERMS - POLLS ARE SHOWING A RED RESURGANCE BC PEOPLE HATE INFLATION AND THEY'RE VOTING REPUBLICAN LIKE IT'LL DO SOMETHING TO STOP IT.

You have the right to vote safely!  If you have been avoiding registering to vote in the US due to domestic violence or threat of violence, please check out the resources for your state.  In Wisconsin, this includes threats to someone in your household, as well as yourself and your child/ward.

[image description: a tweet by user @indigenousAI saying

“fun fact: as a DV survivor i cannot register to vote because doing so makes my address public. anyone who is fleeing or hiding from an abuser is automatically disenfranchised from the political process and this is a feature, not a bug”]

Election day in the US is less than 2 months away.  If you are legally allowed to vote, start planning!  Make sure you are registered.  Look into whether you qualify for an absentee ballot, so you have more time to research the candidates and issues.  If you will need help turning in your ballot or getting to the polls, figure out what you need and who you can ask.

Even if you feel like none of the candidates are good, vote for the person who will do the least harm.  (Hint: it’s not a Republican.)

The system is rigged. The advantages for the wealthy are immediate and endless.

Congressional funding for this program is running out, so it will be suspended. The free COVID-19 tests will no longer be available for people in the US as of September 2, 2022.  I you haven’t already ordered your tests, do it soon!

people in the us if you haven't already ordered your 3 sets of covid rapid test kits to be sent through the mail yet, do it now because they're ending the program on September 2nd 2022

Vote in every election, for every position!  Some really horrible racist and anti-LGBTQ+ groups are getting power on school boards, library boards, city councils, and other local legislative bodies.  One of the reasons they can do it is because it doesn’t take many votes to get them in office.  Once they’re in, they can start supporting book bans, curriculum changes, anti-trans measures, and more.

Finding out who you want to vote for takes time, and it can be hard at the local level, but it’s incredibly important.  If you can, register to vote by mail so that you have more time to look at your ballot and research the candidates.  If not, try to find ballot information online or see if your local paper runs any information about the candidates.  If you need help, ask at your local library!  (You don’t have to tell them how you plan to vote, just ask for help finding out who is on the ballot.)  

Collect up the junk mail that candidates send out.  Some of them share mailers, so figuring out one of them will give you an idea on the others.  Contact organizations that you approve of and find out who they support.  If you’re really desperate, contact organizations that you don’t approve of and find out who they support, so you know who to vote against.

Start learning the dog whistles and warning signs.  “Parental rights” is starting to mean “the right to say what other people’s kids can read and learn.”  Moms for Liberty wants the liberty to deny the existence of LGBTQ+ people.

It’s “just one more vote” the same way a tough journey is “just one more step.”

If you’re truly “pro-life,” support affordable health care (including contraception) and safe food, water, and shelter for everyone.  Prioritizing a collection of cells over an actual person is not about life, it’s about control.

This is a pro-choice blog.

It’s an I wanted this baby but at my anatomy scan I found out my baby will die after it’s born blog.

It’s an I’m not financially, mentally or emotionally stable enough to bring a child into this world blog.

It’s an I can’t live with the result of my sexual assault blog.

It’s an I miscarried but the fetus will not evacuate on its own blog.

It’s an I will die if I carry this to term blog.

It’s an I don’t want to be fucking pregnant blog.

It’s a pro-choice blog.

If you see this decision as a win, educate yourself. People with uteruses WILL die. And if that’s okay with you, don’t claim you’re pro-life.

Oh, and a big, fat FUCK YOU.

Exactly!!  Take it from someone who is Queer and Old -- rainbow capitalism is definitely an improvement.  Could corporations do better?  Yes!  Should we keep pushing them to do better?  Absolutely!

However, it’s important to remember that rainbow capitalism means the corporations want (and think they can get) more money from the LGBTQIA+ community than from homophobes.  That’s definitely a step in the right direction.

i’d rather have rainbow capitalism then living in constant fear of discovery. the woman in the pride flag disney t-shirt might be missing the nuance, but at least i know i can be myself. a street full of rainbow flags makes me more comfortable holding a mans hand. look. corporations aren’t your friend. they will sell to whoever will buy. but kids seeing gay everything every year is only ever a good thing, and a massive improvement in history

This is an excellent set of explanations of many of the dangers of making abortion illegal.  If you don’t believe that these things will happen, take a look at the laws currently on the books, being written and shoved through conservative legislatures, and being proposed now.

It’s lovely to say that “mainstream pro-lifers” don’t support certain things.  However, the fact is that the people who are writing and preparing to enforce the laws do.  Or at least, they support using the “pro-life” movement to build their power and tear down other people.

Another thing everyone needs to remember is that the medical term for a miscarriage is a spontaneous abortion, and they will try to criminalize that, too.

As many as half of all pregnancies end in spontaneous abortion. Oftentimes the pregnant person does not know they have been pregnant.

I have been pregnant 13 times that i know of, and have required a D&C for a couple of them so I didn’t go septic and die. (Celiac disease causes spontaneous abortion in many people, and we didn’t know i had it, only that I miscarried a lot). I have had one live birth. One. The other 12, they’d like to make crimes.

So. You know. Been thinking about that a lot today.

They are absolutely coming for contraception, on top of everything else listed above.  Legislation is in the works now to classify abortion as a homicide, beginning at the moment of fertilization.  That takes out many of the more effective forms of contraception.  We need to work together to stop this, or it will only get worse.

Hey. They’re coming for ALL OF US.

Didn’t want to append this to a well-written post about how conservatives in the US are angling to eliminate gay marriage. But.

They’re coming for gay marriage and for interracial marriage and “fornicators” (people who engage in consensual sex acts outside marriage*), and they’re going to ban contraception if they can. They’re testing steps to prevent co-housing too. Basically if you’re not a white Evangelical in a nuclear family with a desire to have hordes of children, your rights are in danger right now.

As long as we keep fretting about only our own groups, we’re not going to get very far. All of these civil rights were achieved through alliances between marginalized groups. We’re all in danger right now because we’ve allowed exclusionists – many of whom are bots or campaigns created by right-wingers – to divide us with nonsense about “ADOS” and “the q slur” and “class first” anti-woke leftism. Right-wingers have always understood that divide and conquer is the easiest way to deal with the left; we have always been a coalition of disparate groups with disparate needs that puts some of those needs aside when it’s time to fight for something. We’re not ready to fight right now. But we can start getting ready, and the easiest way to do that is to remember that you are not the only group under threat right now.

Boost other groups’ campaigns and attempts to raise awareness. Learn to exclude the people calling for exclusion, because most of them aren’t actually on your side. Read the histories of successful civil rights efforts, and pay attention to how they formed those alliances. This is work that takes years. Fixing everything that’s broken in our society cannot be done quickly or easily – but for fuck’s sake, try to get your head out of your navel and look around.  See your fellow soldiers, and put your shield alongside theirs, fast. We got incoming.

*Many states still have laws on the books that make everything from oral sex to shacking up illegal. And best believe Evangelicals want those laws enforced again.

Please remember that you CANNOT rely on rulings like this.  A conservative administration could force the FDA to change its ruling, with little or no warning.  The only way to protect access to abortion in the US is by voting out anti-abortion politicians at all levels.

Don’t get me wrong -- I think this is a great move by the FDA!  Despite the headline, though, there is no guarantee that everyone in the US will always be able to get abortion pills by mail.

Finally, some good news.

👉🏿 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/16/health/abortion-pills-fda.html

The government does not have the right to force me to use my organs to save someone else's life.

in light of the texas abortion ban here’s a reminder to stop debating what counts as a human, baby, or life with pro-lifers because that is not a debate you can win. you can not win a philosophical debate about what counts as a person, and you will not change their minds.

what can be proven is that in no situation under united states law is an individual legally obligated to lend their body or organs for the sake of another life. 

4.5 million people each year are in need of blood transfusion, the entire process of donating blood takes a little over an hour, it’s free, and a single pint of blood can save up to 3 peoples lives, but there is no legal obligation or requirement to donate blood in place. 

it is illegal to take organs from deceased peoples’ bodies without permission. CORPSES. bodily integrity is prioritized by law, even after death.

it doesn’t fucking matter whether a fetus is a person, whether a fetus is alive, whether a fetus has a soul. it literally doesn’t matter. pro-lifers set up the argument through that lens (hence their name) to evoke empathy and pity and take the focus away from the actual process of pregnancy, which changes a person’s body FOREVER. that is not an exaggeration. whether the pregnancy is complicated and high-risk or totally smooth sailing, the birthing person will physically never be the same. if they’re lucky, they’ll come out of it with weight gain, differently shaped breasts, and changes to the cervix/vagina. if they aren’t, there’s a fucking laundry list of potential complications that could arise, that may eventually fix themselves, need surgical or therapeutic intervention, or never go away, like varicose veins, separation of the abdominal muscles, incontinence, prolapse, diabetes, postpartum depression, and chronic pain, just off the top of my head. and this makes no mention of the very real possibility of income disruption, as well as the financial cost of giving birth, and the chance of fucking death, which is even higher for underserved communities like black women.

there is no basis for a governing body forcing an individual to lend their body or organs for the sake of another life. that is the argument. period the end.

I love this idea!  However, I think you could do Midsummer Night’s Dream if you start and end the play outside (or next door, whatever) and use the large, labyrinthine coffee shop from Tempest for the woods.  Bonus points if the mechanicals do Pyramus and Thisbe as if it were set in a coffee shop!

Coffee shop AU, except the original media’s setting is otherwise largely unaltered – it just has a coffee shop in it now, or the nearest remotely plausible equivalent.

Apparently by reblogging this screenshot.  I’m not *quite* this bad right now, but being social is hard for me at the best of times.

Spreading the word in case this helps someone.  Stay safe!

hey so protip if you have abusive parents and need to get around the house as quietly as possible, stay close to furniture and other heavy stuff because the floor is settled there and it’s less likely to creak

One of the soap vendors at my local Ren Faire has a big sign, “SOAP,” outside of their shop.  There are bars of soap displayed prominently.  The person handing out samples usually says, “Would you like a sample of soap?” or something similar.  

They also have a chalkboard where they tally the soap eaters for the day.  There are almost always at least 10-20.  On a hot day, when people have been hitting the beer booths heavily, they can get more than 50.

The market for this card may be larger than you think.

I’m still reeling over the fact when I went with my friend to a renaissance fair, there was a lady who was handing out samples. My friend took a bite of it and all I heard was

“My lord that’s soap”

Me: Oooh, my friend / Tumblr-buddy has a new interest!  I don’t have the time, mental energy, etc. for it, but I like seeing them enjoy things.  Yay -- lots of happy posts!

*gets a new interest* ah.......... time to annoy my followers with 1 685 5753 6969 posts they did not ask for

Also, remember to vote your whole ballot and to vote in non-presidential elections.  The Senate is at least as responsible for two of the last three conservative Supreme Court Justices as Trump.

I am begging you to fucking vote. On November 3rd, early, and in all your local elections to come.

Friendship to the max!  Lumberjanes is awesome, and I desperately hope that the show does it justice.  

The comics are fun and silly and teach a lot about friendship and being yourself without getting preachy.  While the core group of friends have a lot in common, they each have distinct personalities, interests, and abilities.  They also support one another, even where their interests don’t overlap.

Plus, instead of cursing, they swear on the names of historical women.  “Holy Ida B. Wells!”  “What the Sally Ride?”

IM NOT GONNA ASSUME ANYTHING BUT…NEW GAY SHOW TO BE OBSESSED WITH?? COMING SOON??

I’m ready for my catradora/lumity ass to be ~fed~ ✨🌈✨🌈✨

This is very well done, and I love the Small God series.  However, I read the title, and my first thought was, “Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of Elder Bunnies!”  And now I can’t stop thinking that.

What is he an elder of?

No one knows, exactly.

Not an elder of rabbits, since foxes can also be fluffy, as can cats, and so very many of the other dangers that stalk the night looking for a belly full of bunny; the prince with a thousand enemies can run and run forever, but in time, his legs will always be exhausted, and he will always be caught.  So no, he is not an elder of bunnies.

Not an elder of plush toys, which slip from his realm as they lose their youthful vigor and dewy softness, slipping into the realm of the Skin Horse, small god of Involuntary Reality.  He doesn’t save them, doesn’t protect them, doesn’t particularly mourn them once they are gone.  So no, he is not an elder of stuffed things.

Perhaps he is an elder of an aesthetic, of the ones who realize early on that a suitable amount of fluffiness can conceal an infinite number of knives, the ones who dress the hatred in their hearts in lace and bows and pretty pinkness in order to seem more harmless than they are.  He is an elder of appearances, and a small god of that which seems defenseless but is all the more dangerous because of that illusion’s grasp.

He is not a small god of goodness or of evil, but of the misunderstood and picked upon that can nonetheless defend itself no matter the danger.  Even rabbits, the icon of softness and vulnerability, have claws that catch and jaws that bite, and the foxes of the world forget this at their peril.

.……………………………

Artist Lee Moyer (The Doom That Came to Atlantic City, Starstruck) and author Seanan McGuire (Middlegame, Every Heart a Doorway) have joined forces to bring you icons and stories of the small deities who manage our modern world, from the God of Social Distancing to the God of Finding a Parking Space.

Join in each week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for a guide to the many tiny divinities:

Tumblr: https://smallgodseries.tumblr.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallgodseries

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallgodseries/

Homepage: http://www.smallgodseries.com/

Tell your senators to follow the precedent Mitch McConnell set in 2016 and wait until after the inauguration to select a new Supreme Court Justice.

Vote.  Vote your entire ballot.  Vote to protect yourself, your family and friends, your community, and your country.  Yes, it’s that important.

People need to fully understand what RGB’s death means. It’s not just a vacancy on the supreme court that could be potentially filled by a conservative Justice - that’s an awful thought, but that’s not the main problem. 

The problem, is that this is EXACTLY the opportunity Republicans have been looking for for decades. If a conservative nominee is pushed through before the election, and I’m hoping it won’t but if it does, that will lead to a Republican majority in the Supreme Court. And you can bet your life, literally, that they will work to roll back every progressive law they can. 

The concept of a separation of church and state is already a joke in this country, but it will get so much worse. 

But more than that? Even if a nominee isn’t pushed through… 

The vacancy RGB left behind will motivate Republicans to come out to vote in droves. 

THAT is what everyone needs to understand. This is a once in a life time opportunity for the Republicans. You think you don’t want to vote for Biden because he’s not exactly who you want? Because he’s not progressive enough or liberal enough? 

What about all the Republicans who may not support Trump, but want a Republican majority on the Supreme Court? The ones who may not like him, but would be willing to deal with him for four more years if it means controlling the Supreme Court for the next 40?

It’s awful and unfortunate that RGB died so close to the election. Throughout her life she worked tirelessly to fight for equality. Don’t let her life be in vain. 

Now more than ever, it’s important to vote. Everyone. Down the entire ballot. 

I’m lucky enough to live in California, a historically Blue state. But those of my followers who live in Red states, you especially need to call your representatives in the Senate and tell them to postpone any nomination. Cite Mitch McConnell’s own actions in 2016. Anything you can do to add pressure. Remind them who they really work for: you, their constituents. 

We cannot give up the fight. We can’t. Your vote matters. If it didn’t, why would the GOP be trying so hard to take it away? Make sure you’re registered. If you want to mail in your ballot then drop it off at designated polling stations instead of the post office to ensure it’s counted in time. 

I don’t have many followers so I don’t know who will see this, but please, reblog this. Spread the information. RBG’s death will galvanize Republicans out to vote en masse. We can’t afford to be apathetic or disenfranchised. We can make a difference, but not if we don’t bother to try. 

@one-time-i-dreamt @thebibliosphere

Patrick Stewart has gotten to my favorite Shakespeare sonnet, 130!

Love people for who they are, not some idealized version of who you or society think they should be.

@supervillainny (who is also super awesome!) asked for positive reblogs today, so have some fluffy Cauldron Paws shorts.

Cauldron Paws: A collection of short exploratory comics about my little magical mouse and demon cat characters and the world they inhabit.

They were in one of the first silent comics I ever posted  - Calling up a friend

This is great advice if you are able to travel to the ballot drop-off location or have someone you trust deliver it for you.

Also, check the requirements on your absentee ballot carefully!  In Wisconsin, the envelope for an absentee ballot needs to be signed on the outside by both the voter and a witness.  I think it needs the witness’ address, too.  If that information is missing, the ballot is NOT counted.  Check the requirements as soon as possible after you get your ballot so you have time to make arrangements, if necessary.

OK So with the shit with the USPS going on:

1. Check your Voter registration to make sure everything is up to date.  If you can, request a Mail-In Ballot.  I live in CO, where all elections are Mail-In only now, so I get one anyway.

2. Fill out your ballot per the instructions on your Ballot.  Some Notes:

Read Instructions thoroughly, and fill out your Ballot in private.

Do NOT post pictures of your Ballot as this may invalidate it.  DO Post pictures of your “I Voted” sticker.

Make sure to vote for all the offices up for election- as important as the presidential election is, your mayor, governer, local school board and sherrif have a MUCH bigger impact on your immediate safety and quality of life.  Google your candidates, look up the Leauge of Women Voter’s Guides for a reliably Impartial rundown of your local candidates. 

Remember also that it is better to have someone in office that is only moderately incompotent, than it is to have someone that actively wants you dead.  It is the first step to having someone worthwhile next time.

If you wanted a third party option, your local elections are the best place to do this- my own city council has several Green Party members and it got me city-sponsored single-stream recycling! Its also moving the state legislature significantly farther left.

3. INSTEAD OF MAILING IT- LOOK UP WHERE YOUR BALLOT DROP-OFF LOCATIONS ARE. 

They’re boxes you drive or walk or bus or bike or whatever up to and drop your ballot in, and the elections officials will have it that evening. Pros of Ballot Drop-Off:

Can be turned in the same day you reccive your ballot, if you want to get this over with ASAP

Open 24/7, so you can drop it off whenever

Absolutely guaranteed to get your vote counted, regardless of what Donald does with the Post Office.

No waiting in line

No exposing yourself to the coronavirus

Most cities will have several ballot Drop-Off locations, at places like the grocery store, the county courthouse, city hall, at high schools etc.  Google your town or county name and “Ballot Drop Off Locations” and it’ll give you directions even.

Absolutely Save the USPS, but this is the BEST way to make sure your vote gets counted this

Seriously, if you live in the US, make a plan NOW so that you are ready to vote.

Make sure you are registered to vote.  Many states are “cleaning up” voter rolls, so double-check.

Decide what you are willing to compromise on and what is a deal-breaker for you.  You probably won’t find someone who is a perfect fit, but you can definitely find candidates that are better or worse.

If you aren’t sure whether voting in person will be safe for you by November, find out what you need to do to vote by mail.  Check your state and local requirements for voting by mail or voting early (when it might be less crowded) if you can’t vote by mail.  You may need to request the ballot in advance or send in some form of identification.  Some areas require a witness’ signature on mail-in ballots, which can be hard if you’re are quarantined alone.  Some areas require mail-in ballots to be received or postmarked by a certain date; some have drop-off locations in addition to accepting ballots by mail.  Make a plan NOW so you are ready by November.

While you are voting for (or against) a presidential candidate, remember to look at the rest of your ballot!  Even if you aren’t voting for a presidential candidate, look at the rest of the ballot!  The president has a lot of power, but the senators and representatives can do a lot to support or block the president.  Your state, county, city, and other local governments can also have a big impact on your life.  Most of their decisions will have an immediate effect on you.  Plus, in many cases, this is where presidents and congress-critters get started.  If you don’t like the choices at the top level, start changing the people closer to you.

Every vote counts!  Yes, even at the presidential level.  However, the farther down the ballot you go, the more your vote is going to count.  This applies even more on local primaries and elections that don’t affect national positions.  The pool of voters is smaller in local elections, and many people who can vote won’t bother.  Take a little time to find out as much as you can about your local candidates, and vote for the ones who support most of your values.  

It’s easier to take time to check out candidates and issues if you are voting by mail.  However, even if you are voting on election day, you can frequently see what is on the ballot in advance, so you can do your research.  Make sure you understand those awkwardly worded (”Do you support removing the proposition that opposes...?”) questions and convoluted propositions, so that you’re voting for what you really want.

Plan ahead and vote!

Yo Biden just announced an infrastructure devolopment/clean energy/environmental justice plan and it's honesty pretty fucking amazing and much more ambitious than I ever would have expected from him, goddamn. He's trying to Eisenhower/New Deal our way out of the economic collapse.

Some notable points addressed by this plan:

Expanding American railway systems

Fixing the crumbling roads, bridges, dams, etc. that haven't been kept up

Capping abandoned oil wells

Undoing Trump's financial bailout policies for unclean energy companies

Reinvesting in American-made automotive companies

Getting America to 100% clean energy by 2035

Fixing air, water, and ground pollution issues that disproportionately affect poc

Getting justice for victims of environmental racism

Reinstating a bunch of environmental and medical jobs Trump had cut

Getting the US back on the Paris Agreement/Climate Accord

If you’re in the US, see if your local library has Hoopla!  They carry all five seasons of Leverage with no ads.

Hoopla is an online service libraries can provide.  The library pays for each thing people check out on Hoopla, so there is a limit to how much you can check out each month.  It’s completely free to you with no ads though.  You can watch on your browser or through Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, or a bunch of other devices.

If you’re willing to go with physical media, your local library may have Leverage DVDs that you can check out, if they don’t have Hoopla or you want to binge faster.

Any chance you know where I can watch the first season of leverage? i know its on hulu but i really cant afford to drop the money it wants for the subscription, and im having no luck finding working streams for some reason. I really want to get into it

It used to be on Netflix but then it disappeared... It is on Amazon, but it’s only free with ads if you have Amazon Prime. And there are...captioning issues... But! If captioning isn’t a concern and you have Amazon Prime, you can watch it on there, which is what I did (though captions were definitely a concern and I sent a lot of peeved complaints in).

Aside from that, tubi appears to have Leverage available to watch free? I swear I saw a post going around a while ago where folks could watch Leverage free and with bonus stuff from the creators... But I don’t know where I saw it and who reblogged it...

Anyone else have advice as to where to watch Leverage? Help an anon get into this absolutely amazing show!!

The way the days are blending together right now is not helping me remember to post regularly.  I really do have a poem for every day of April, honest!

We left off with the importance of the name you give yourself.  La Sirena y el Pescador, by Elisa Chavez, looks at the power taken by those who claim to speak for you, particularly when you cannot speak directly for yourself.

Not all differences in translation are that problematic though.  Matsuo Basho's Frog Haiku has many different translations into English because parts of it do not have equivalent words.  The various translators use different methods to evoke the tone and "feel" of the original poem.

That leads us to the ultimate in poetry style disputes: Haiku vs. Limericks!  (Don't worry, we'll get to sonnets later in the month.)