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Feb. 11th, 2007 02:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatOne of the drawbacks of reading one's flist on Sat and Sunday morning - is that you are reading these posts "one-five" days after they've been posted, in which case, you really can't respond to them...well you can, but don't expect the writer to remember what in the heck they wrote or understand the context of your response. Be like waiting five days to respond to an email. Letter's this was doable. IM messaging, lj posts, and emails - in an age in which everyone has instant access and apparently 0 patience, not so much.
The other drawback - is it is a tad overwhelming to read 100 posts in two hours. Although fun too. I scan. Also most people just post pictures or five sentences - so not a problem.
There were, however, at least five different posts, I'd love to comment on. One that really intrigued me was by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rahirah and it sort of covered everyone elses' as a theme:
The fact is, when something is important to us, we want to fit it into our pre-existing structure of Important Stuff, a structure we've been building since we were two years old and that rotten kid next door stole our fire engine. Love or duty? Justice or mercy? Pleasure or virtue? Relatives or absolutes? False dichotomies or excluded middles?
We all construct our own moral geometries, be they Euclidean or hyperbolic or absolute, and when parallel lines comes along, we'll force them to meet - or not - based more upon our own expectations than upon the behavior of the lines. But the lines, however we interpret them, will remain. Chugging off towards infinity, two by two.
The context? Oh, an old fandom battle over the ability of a vampire without a soul to be redeemed.
Within the comments of this post, was another equally interesting bit, bypeasant
about how sometimes you just want to explore something, discuss it - you don't care if people agree or disagree - you are not attempting to persuade, you are merely sharing your thoughts.
Which is what I'm doing here, by the by. But some people don't seem to get that - they feel the need to persuade you, convince.
Other interesting bits courtesy of flist:
1.rozk- came up with the best spec for Heroes - I sort of wish they'd do it but they won't. Too complicated. And doesn't fit with the premise. But would be wicked cool. That Nathan, Claire's biological Mom or fireGal, and Invisible Man were a superhero team led by Bennet under his center's authority - sort of a La Femme Nikita for superpowered beings. And only Invisible Man and maybe Claire's Mom remembers it.
Rozk also clarified something regarding transgender in a post about Ugly Betty - that hit me as quite apt. One's sexual preferences really have nothing to do with one's gender. Or interests for that matter. For example, just because you are a guy who adores Broadway musicals and likes to do flower arrangements, does not make you "gay" or interested sexually in "men". Any more than if you were a gal who loved to play football, do construction work and wear men's clothes makes you "gay" or interested sexually in women. I've met gay men who hated musicals, loved to play football, and were very "masculain". Just as I've met heterosexual men who adored musicals, hated football, and were "effeminate". Same with women. Gender and sexual preference? Not necessarily connected. But we are taught at an early age that they are - so it's hard to wrap our mind around the fact that they aren't. Same with interests - taught that if a boy plays with dolls and a girl plays with trucks, they have gender identity issues or are gay. Not true!
2.buffyannatator linked to an interview with Orson Scott Card, the writer of Ender's Game. Apparently the writer is nothing like the books he writes. A homophobic, militaristic bigot - yet his books according to those reading them are the exact opposite. This is why I try not to read too much about the authors of my favorite books or feel any desire to meet actors, writers, filmmakers - etc - in person. There are a few exceptions of course. But usually the more I know about their personal lives/intent the more it ruins my enjoyment of their work - and I hate that. Also if I'm honest with myself, I could care less what these people think or do in their personal lives, all that interests me is their work and the process that went into creating it. Non-fiction is a different story of course, talking just about fiction here.
I don't quite know why we think we'll love the writer because we love the books. The writer is not the same as the work he/she creates. Plus you are looking at their work through your lense - bringing your ideas, experiences, and views to it, interacting with - so what you are reading is not necessarily what was in the writer's head - part of it was, sure, but you are adding something to it. And - when someone tells a story, if it is a good story - the story takes over, it takes on a life of its own. The writer may give it substance, but he/she does not completely control it. So yes, it is more than possible for you to despise the actors, writers, directors, painters, potters, poets, novelist, what-have-you of your favorite works of art. Why? Because human beings are complex organisms and the work they've created is merely one facet of who they are - and it is also part of the world outside of them, it contains other things they've read and interacted with, and it is being seen through your lense. This is why I still love the character of Preston Burke, even though I strongly disagree with the behavior and politics of the actor portraying him. I can separate his acting ability and performance from his political beliefs, homophobia, etc. One does not necessarily inform the other. And Isiah Washington like all human beings is complex, with multiple facets. Same with TS Eliot, Flannery O'Connor, Orson Scott Card, and Virgina Woolf. While their views/etc do to a degree influence their work - it is not the only thing that does, and more often than not their work can ironically become a contradiction of those views. Shakespeare could have been a misogynoistic ass, but he still created some amazingly interesting female roles. Why? Because it served the story.
3. Masq explains in her lj, as does RozK - why I'm not loving the L Word this season. The only characters I like anymore are Alice, Shane, and Helena. I miss Tina and Bette - they were interesting in the first two seasons. Jenny has become even more narcisstic, self-indugent, manipulative and whiny than before - and I wasn't sure that was even possible.
Have decided to give up on it.
DVR's are really cool things by the way. Apparently I can now, rewind, fastforward and pass during a live television broadcast, even re-watch bits while it is live. Sooo cool.
Finished making gluten-free brownies, filled out some forms for tomorrow, and just vegging.
Low-key day.
The other drawback - is it is a tad overwhelming to read 100 posts in two hours. Although fun too. I scan. Also most people just post pictures or five sentences - so not a problem.
There were, however, at least five different posts, I'd love to comment on. One that really intrigued me was by
rahirah and it sort of covered everyone elses' as a theme:The fact is, when something is important to us, we want to fit it into our pre-existing structure of Important Stuff, a structure we've been building since we were two years old and that rotten kid next door stole our fire engine. Love or duty? Justice or mercy? Pleasure or virtue? Relatives or absolutes? False dichotomies or excluded middles?
We all construct our own moral geometries, be they Euclidean or hyperbolic or absolute, and when parallel lines comes along, we'll force them to meet - or not - based more upon our own expectations than upon the behavior of the lines. But the lines, however we interpret them, will remain. Chugging off towards infinity, two by two.
The context? Oh, an old fandom battle over the ability of a vampire without a soul to be redeemed.
Within the comments of this post, was another equally interesting bit, by
peasantabout how sometimes you just want to explore something, discuss it - you don't care if people agree or disagree - you are not attempting to persuade, you are merely sharing your thoughts.
Which is what I'm doing here, by the by. But some people don't seem to get that - they feel the need to persuade you, convince.
Other interesting bits courtesy of flist:
1.
rozk- came up with the best spec for Heroes - I sort of wish they'd do it but they won't. Too complicated. And doesn't fit with the premise. But would be wicked cool. That Nathan, Claire's biological Mom or fireGal, and Invisible Man were a superhero team led by Bennet under his center's authority - sort of a La Femme Nikita for superpowered beings. And only Invisible Man and maybe Claire's Mom remembers it. Rozk also clarified something regarding transgender in a post about Ugly Betty - that hit me as quite apt. One's sexual preferences really have nothing to do with one's gender. Or interests for that matter. For example, just because you are a guy who adores Broadway musicals and likes to do flower arrangements, does not make you "gay" or interested sexually in "men". Any more than if you were a gal who loved to play football, do construction work and wear men's clothes makes you "gay" or interested sexually in women. I've met gay men who hated musicals, loved to play football, and were very "masculain". Just as I've met heterosexual men who adored musicals, hated football, and were "effeminate". Same with women. Gender and sexual preference? Not necessarily connected. But we are taught at an early age that they are - so it's hard to wrap our mind around the fact that they aren't. Same with interests - taught that if a boy plays with dolls and a girl plays with trucks, they have gender identity issues or are gay. Not true!
2.
buffyannatator linked to an interview with Orson Scott Card, the writer of Ender's Game. Apparently the writer is nothing like the books he writes. A homophobic, militaristic bigot - yet his books according to those reading them are the exact opposite. This is why I try not to read too much about the authors of my favorite books or feel any desire to meet actors, writers, filmmakers - etc - in person. There are a few exceptions of course. But usually the more I know about their personal lives/intent the more it ruins my enjoyment of their work - and I hate that. Also if I'm honest with myself, I could care less what these people think or do in their personal lives, all that interests me is their work and the process that went into creating it. Non-fiction is a different story of course, talking just about fiction here.I don't quite know why we think we'll love the writer because we love the books. The writer is not the same as the work he/she creates. Plus you are looking at their work through your lense - bringing your ideas, experiences, and views to it, interacting with - so what you are reading is not necessarily what was in the writer's head - part of it was, sure, but you are adding something to it. And - when someone tells a story, if it is a good story - the story takes over, it takes on a life of its own. The writer may give it substance, but he/she does not completely control it. So yes, it is more than possible for you to despise the actors, writers, directors, painters, potters, poets, novelist, what-have-you of your favorite works of art. Why? Because human beings are complex organisms and the work they've created is merely one facet of who they are - and it is also part of the world outside of them, it contains other things they've read and interacted with, and it is being seen through your lense. This is why I still love the character of Preston Burke, even though I strongly disagree with the behavior and politics of the actor portraying him. I can separate his acting ability and performance from his political beliefs, homophobia, etc. One does not necessarily inform the other. And Isiah Washington like all human beings is complex, with multiple facets. Same with TS Eliot, Flannery O'Connor, Orson Scott Card, and Virgina Woolf. While their views/etc do to a degree influence their work - it is not the only thing that does, and more often than not their work can ironically become a contradiction of those views. Shakespeare could have been a misogynoistic ass, but he still created some amazingly interesting female roles. Why? Because it served the story.
3. Masq explains in her lj, as does RozK - why I'm not loving the L Word this season. The only characters I like anymore are Alice, Shane, and Helena. I miss Tina and Bette - they were interesting in the first two seasons. Jenny has become even more narcisstic, self-indugent, manipulative and whiny than before - and I wasn't sure that was even possible.
Have decided to give up on it.
DVR's are really cool things by the way. Apparently I can now, rewind, fastforward and pass during a live television broadcast, even re-watch bits while it is live. Sooo cool.
Finished making gluten-free brownies, filled out some forms for tomorrow, and just vegging.
Low-key day.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-02-11 08:46 pm (UTC)I thought most people got e-mail notifications of posts, so if they do post to an old thread you get the notice along w/what they were responding to. But of course sometimes that isn't working properly and the comment is lost in the buried grave of old threads.
I have a terrible time w/e-mail: I'll have someone respond with a single word or two to an e-mail I sent weeks ago, and they didn't leave my e-mail visible. So I have absolutely no idea what their response means or what they were replying to.... I write to dozens of people and I don't always remember what my subject was with each individual.... At least in a letter (through the post office) most people include some clue in their reply. That is no one would just write 'He's fine', in a letter without saying something like: 'You asked about my Father', or some reference to who the 'he' is, but somehow they feel comfortable doing that in an e-mail reply.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-11 09:01 pm (UTC)I got a DVR a while back, and yes they are incredibly cool. I especially like being able to record two channels at once (or even three if it's the right combination). Plus it solves the problem I used to have of my parents assuming that I didn't want stuff if I hadn't watched it after a few days and taping over it.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-11 09:20 pm (UTC)I'll have to keep a DVR in mind, but since I live alone I'm the only one who could screw up my videos!
BTW, don't forget The Office this thursday, it is Joss' episode and from what I hear it'll be a great one!
no subject
Date: 2007-02-11 11:38 pm (UTC)and the other is Bones (just for Stephen Fry, who I missed this past week b/c I was watching FNL instead.)
But there's only so many hours I can watch or tape so going to be
dicey. Am thinking of DVR'ing The Office and 30 Rock, while watching Ugly Betty and Grey's Live. That works better. And DVR'ing FNL while watching Bones live.
Didn't have a choice - since VCR did not work and even when it did, could only tape the channel that was on - ie. could not tape VM while watching House and certainly could not tape House and VM at the same time.
I think DVR's are really giving ad guys a run for their money. Since you can fastforward even during a live program with a DVR. Like I said, wickedly cool.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-12 12:14 am (UTC)the best scene is near the end between Boone/DB and his Psychiatrist/Stephen Fry... it was wonderfully done. Frankly I didn't know that David Boreanaz could do so well!
no subject
Date: 2007-02-13 12:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-11 11:46 pm (UTC)Yep, experienced that. My problem though was that my VCR would only tape whatever show I was watching - it would not tape one show on one channel, while I watched one on another. And it had the funky habit of running out of tape on me at times. Now the thing is completely kaput - am very happy to be rid of it. Only one little problem - I don't know what I'm going to do with the 100 BTVS/ATS/Firefly/Farscape episode tapes. I literally have the complete seasons of BTVS, ATS, and Farscape on tape. And all the original airings of the episodes of Firefly that aired on Fox. Throw them out? Seems like an odd thing to do.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-12 07:31 am (UTC)general
Date: 2007-02-12 01:31 am (UTC)What DVR did you buy? I'd been researching buying one, because my DVD broke for no reason at all, which was pretty annoying, but someone who never used his just gave it to me, so I may hold off in the meanwhile.
So do you regularly eat gluten free?
I've been trying that out lately - did you do the brownies from scratch or from a mix? So far I like the Bob's red mill products I've tried the best - though I've only tried his bread mixes.
Oh and about Hebrew - if you do travel to Israel, everyone in the tech world speaks English - so it won't be a problem. The new job sounds pretty fun, though, and it certainly sounds interesting that you are doing a more international angle. I remember your description of your boss from hell a few years back.
Re: general
Date: 2007-02-12 11:47 pm (UTC)I need to check out costco - next time my pal goes. Don't have an account myself.
Didn't buy a DVR - got one via Time Warner for free. Well not totally for free - they charge a monthly subscription rate like Tivo does - 8.95 on to the cable bill, but the box is owned and maintained by TW.
They also installed it. A Time Warner (cable) DVR can do a lot more than a Tivo or store bought one - you can tape two shows opposite one another for example. Actually more than two - because the cable provider is controlling the output and recording it. While the Tivo is a separate hard-drive with a single tuner controlling it. Highly recommend. I think Plin has one via comcast. If they break down, the cable company fixes.
Yep, I'm gluten intolerant or the better term is gluten-sensitive. I was diagnosed in August 2005 with it and discovered gluten was making me physically ill. Since I went off of it, I've lost weight, rarely have IBS symptoms (which I'd had my entire life up to that point),
rarely get sick (haven't come down with the flu or a cold since I went off), and my moods have stabilized (I'm less depressed and anxious). It solved all those problems. Which mean while I'm probably not celiac, I'm intolerant of glutens. When I have them - it feels like I'm trying to digest expanding glue. Won't lie to you - not an easy diet - you have to exclude everything with wheat, rye, barely, and usually oats. But there are things you can eat. Also some great
mixes.
Yeah, Bob's Red Mill Garbanzo Bean flour is great for pie crust - very crumbly. I use the Gluten-Free Pantry's Chocolat Truffle Brownie mix. Don't make from scratch - since have a tiny kitchen - someday hope to get a decent size kitchen. ;-)
Grits are great. So are potatoes. Rice. I've substituted Suzie's Thin Brown Rice Crackers for crackers. And Amy's Rice Crust Pizza - is really good.
Good to know regarding Israel. The guy I've been talking to over there's English is sketchy, hence the comment.
Thanks. New boss is cool. Brain is fried today though so excuse the uneveness of this response. Spent all day in and out of meetings trying to wrap my head around tech and finance terms and stuff.
We'll see in the next few days if any of it took. ;-)
no subject
Date: 2007-02-12 03:39 am (UTC)I wonder too if sometimes this more participatory culture - where we debate and analyze and sometimes create based on these shows - affects our ability to just surrender to a story. I love all the analysis to be sure, but I wonder if we can activate our critical faculties without bringing in all the expectations
no subject
Date: 2007-02-13 12:47 am (UTC)Agree on your last point. We tend to put unreal expectations on tv shows and art - wanting it to reflect what is in our heads or what we've come up with writing fanfic or in discussion, forgetting that the people writing and creating the art aren't privy to our discussions or what is in our heads regarding it. They are doing it themselves elsewhere. There's nothing more thrilling for a fan to see something on screen that fits what is in their heads or what they came up with. And nothing more disappointing when it isn't what they came up with or something they feared the writers would do and desperately didn't want them to. (ie. "They'd never kill her off! She's my favorite character.") Nope, did it. AAAARGH!!! LOL!