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Mar. 26th, 2015 08:54 pmThursday nights have turned out to be an excellent night for doing laundry. No one in the basement, the machines all to myself. Lovely.
Not so lovely a day though, warmer than it has been of late, but rainy. And not serious rain either...that foggy mist that just seeps into your bones and makes you hurt and creak as you walk - and least for me at any rate. Injure yourself and you will hurt whenever it rains.
Still plodding through Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - which has turned into a historical romance novel, personally I found it more interesting as a historical time travel tale. Perhaps I should read Connie Willis. Although right now, I'm tempted to pick up Jonathan Cabal Necromancer or Terry Prachett's Going Postal. I'm craving humor.
Hmmm, I could read my copy of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Addams, which I've yet to read.
Mixed thoughts on being obsessed with television shows and fandom - while it was fun discussing them on the internet with folks, I didn't really enjoy the heated disagreements.
Also the internet, or so I've begun to realize, is prone to hyperbole. It's either A or B, no in between, no spectrum. One extreme or the other. And then there were the folks who would condemn you for liking or loving a character or paint that character in such a negative light in order to build up their own. They did the same thing with books, tv shows, religions, philosophies, pretty much everything.
I wonder if they have realized yet that this tactic just does not work. You do not persuade someone to change their perspective by attacking, condemning or criticizing what they love, enjoy or thought was entertaining and made them happy - you just royally piss them off. I noticed this happening with the 50 Shades of Grey battles on the internet. People were just ripping each other to shreds and getting nowhere. They weren't changing each others minds - all they were doing is alienating each other. [And seriously, over 50 Shades of Grey, and prior to that, Twilight??? (Will we ever be able to use those words in a sentence without thinking of those books? Ugh. Pop Media Culture. Ugh.) Honestly, if you are that worried about domestic violence or abuse, go donate money Here or volunteer at a shelter. It's far more productive than fighting over a book (or movie) that can be interpreted more than one way on the internet. And I thought the fights over Buffy were bad, it doesn't hold a candle to the Twilight and 50 Shades fights. People are NASTY to each other.]
This is also true of religious beliefs and philosophies - you do not win an argument by telling someone they are an idiot for believing in God and souls or for that matter a "soulless amoral creep" for not believing in God and souls (particularly if they don't believe in souls). You just piss them off. Insults do not win arguments.
You'd think this would be obvious, but nooo. The more heated the argument, the more likely it will derail with the two people parting as well no longer friends. Actually, you'll be lucky if they are speaking terms. Which sort of is counter-productive. I mean why bother having a debate - if you can't reach a meeting of the minds? Plus, you've killed a potential friendship - and over what? A fight over which vampire in a television series was better? Seriously? Or which Doctor Who companion was the best ever and should be hooked with the Doctor?
If being involved in a fandom or interacting on the internet for that matter has taught me anything -- it is that it is better not to engage in a debate when you feel passionately about the subject matter or out of anger. It will only end in tears and metaphorical bloodshed.
Now? I have discovered that I no longer have any patience for those types of debates. When they've happened to me this year - I either deleted the post, deleted the responses, or walked away. I don't want or need that level of negativity in my general orbit. I like to argue, but not to fight. I like to discuss...to analyze, to pull it apart. But not to be embarrassed or condemned. I think, no I know it is possible to have a debate or a discussion without hurting each other - I do it all the time at work.
I think this is a reaction to attempting to fill my life with positive energy over negative energy. Which is admittedly easier said than done. How else am I to get rid of my bunions? (That was a joke). At any rate am making progress.
Oh, co-worker and I were discussing Seinfield, which he tells me that he didn't enjoy and thought all the people were crappy to each other. So we're having this general discussion about the series...when all of a sudden he does a complete 180, and states...that he personally knows Seinfield, knew Seinfield's Mom, and has three scripts from the series, including one that is signed by Seinfield. How great a guy Seinfield is, how great the actors were, and Seinfield's stand-up is hilarious. This, by the way, happens to me all the time in NYC. I've never quite gotten used to it.
Not so lovely a day though, warmer than it has been of late, but rainy. And not serious rain either...that foggy mist that just seeps into your bones and makes you hurt and creak as you walk - and least for me at any rate. Injure yourself and you will hurt whenever it rains.
Still plodding through Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - which has turned into a historical romance novel, personally I found it more interesting as a historical time travel tale. Perhaps I should read Connie Willis. Although right now, I'm tempted to pick up Jonathan Cabal Necromancer or Terry Prachett's Going Postal. I'm craving humor.
Hmmm, I could read my copy of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Addams, which I've yet to read.
Mixed thoughts on being obsessed with television shows and fandom - while it was fun discussing them on the internet with folks, I didn't really enjoy the heated disagreements.
Also the internet, or so I've begun to realize, is prone to hyperbole. It's either A or B, no in between, no spectrum. One extreme or the other. And then there were the folks who would condemn you for liking or loving a character or paint that character in such a negative light in order to build up their own. They did the same thing with books, tv shows, religions, philosophies, pretty much everything.
I wonder if they have realized yet that this tactic just does not work. You do not persuade someone to change their perspective by attacking, condemning or criticizing what they love, enjoy or thought was entertaining and made them happy - you just royally piss them off. I noticed this happening with the 50 Shades of Grey battles on the internet. People were just ripping each other to shreds and getting nowhere. They weren't changing each others minds - all they were doing is alienating each other. [And seriously, over 50 Shades of Grey, and prior to that, Twilight??? (Will we ever be able to use those words in a sentence without thinking of those books? Ugh. Pop Media Culture. Ugh.) Honestly, if you are that worried about domestic violence or abuse, go donate money Here or volunteer at a shelter. It's far more productive than fighting over a book (or movie) that can be interpreted more than one way on the internet. And I thought the fights over Buffy were bad, it doesn't hold a candle to the Twilight and 50 Shades fights. People are NASTY to each other.]
This is also true of religious beliefs and philosophies - you do not win an argument by telling someone they are an idiot for believing in God and souls or for that matter a "soulless amoral creep" for not believing in God and souls (particularly if they don't believe in souls). You just piss them off. Insults do not win arguments.
You'd think this would be obvious, but nooo. The more heated the argument, the more likely it will derail with the two people parting as well no longer friends. Actually, you'll be lucky if they are speaking terms. Which sort of is counter-productive. I mean why bother having a debate - if you can't reach a meeting of the minds? Plus, you've killed a potential friendship - and over what? A fight over which vampire in a television series was better? Seriously? Or which Doctor Who companion was the best ever and should be hooked with the Doctor?
If being involved in a fandom or interacting on the internet for that matter has taught me anything -- it is that it is better not to engage in a debate when you feel passionately about the subject matter or out of anger. It will only end in tears and metaphorical bloodshed.
Now? I have discovered that I no longer have any patience for those types of debates. When they've happened to me this year - I either deleted the post, deleted the responses, or walked away. I don't want or need that level of negativity in my general orbit. I like to argue, but not to fight. I like to discuss...to analyze, to pull it apart. But not to be embarrassed or condemned. I think, no I know it is possible to have a debate or a discussion without hurting each other - I do it all the time at work.
I think this is a reaction to attempting to fill my life with positive energy over negative energy. Which is admittedly easier said than done. How else am I to get rid of my bunions? (That was a joke). At any rate am making progress.
Oh, co-worker and I were discussing Seinfield, which he tells me that he didn't enjoy and thought all the people were crappy to each other. So we're having this general discussion about the series...when all of a sudden he does a complete 180, and states...that he personally knows Seinfield, knew Seinfield's Mom, and has three scripts from the series, including one that is signed by Seinfield. How great a guy Seinfield is, how great the actors were, and Seinfield's stand-up is hilarious. This, by the way, happens to me all the time in NYC. I've never quite gotten used to it.