(no subject)
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}
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. ;-)