Odds and Ends

[asato_muraki]

I've been writing a lot, my friends. Actual fiction, even. About 5000 words of that this week-- a good run for me, and the week's not over yet.

***

I've also noticed something else I've been doing lately. I'll type a post to a thread on a forum, or a blog or LJ, and then not post it. Because the last thing I ask myself before posting anything is, "Do I really want to deal with what some folks might try to make of this?"

On forums, the answer almost always seems to be, "Oh, hell no."

I did that with a blog post last night, basically going into the biological, instinctive and societal reasons why a question or statement of appreciation can also be perceived as a threat, even when no threat is intended. I thought it was funny and explained the idea clearly enough, but it got a little too personal in places. So I posted it and then switched it to private.

I guess I had visions of it being linked all over and starting a storm of poo with me at its epicenter. That is probably my delusions of grandeur speaking, but just the remote possibility was enough to give me pause.

My goal when it comes to internet slapfights is simple. I refuse to speak for anyone other than myself, and I will not tilt at windmills.

***

We took my husband's grandmother to the Birmingham zoo some years ago, and wheeled her around in a rented wheel chair. She was an awesome lady. As we passed by the elephant habitat, this one elephant pointed its behind at us and displayed its massive excretory prowess. It was one of those things that is so awful you can't help but watch. After about a minute (the elephant was still going) my Beloved's grandmother said, "Do we have to sit here and watch this?"

We realized, quite suddenly, that we did not, in fact, have to watch the elephant poop.

I want to live in a world where clueless sexism is like an elephant pooping-- loud, smelly and oddly fascinating, but not terribly relevant. I choose to live there, now. ;)

***

I think I finally got the idea that will make my first Lethe chapter work, but danged if it won't probably be a better first chapter than the Mobius chapter, just from a scene-setting standpoint. I suppose I'll worry about that later.

Comments

[biggelois.livejournal.com]

I wondered where that post went. I saw it, went for my coffee and then it was gone when I had gotten my head together. You had some seriously valid points there and I so do understand the threat/not threat situations.

Keep Museboy going. I can't believe the discipline you're showing.

[asatomuraki.livejournal.com]

Yeah-- it's not a realm of absolutes, but one of perceptions. That makes it all the more vexing when well-meaning people try to quantify it in definitive terms, I think.

I'm glad that you thought I had some valid points. That kind of makes me feel better. ;)

Keep Museboy going. I can't believe the discipline you're showing.

I'm whipping the poor thing like a mule. Poor, abused Museboy. I can't really believe the discipline I'm showing, either. O_o

[goody-scrivener.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if I saw your post. I think I'm getting confused between you and hominysnark since you're both talking about the same pages. Anyway, I'd avoided going to the journal from which that discussion was sparked until whoever's post today came up on my friendslist.

After reading the second post on his journal where he tries to clarify some things, it does seem like there was some semblance of control involved. The people with the pins were a fairly small, known group and still had - and used - complete discretion even if they were wearing a "yes" pin. I'm a little intrigued at his choice of name considering that some of his posts on the subject claim that men were as likely to be the subjects as women. Given the apparent fact that they all knew each other (even as a six degrees sort of thing), I'm a little less squicked. But only a little. I can so easily see it exploding beyond the boundaries implied by the existence of the buttons and becoming a major problem, which I think is exactly where you were headed.

[asatomuraki.livejournal.com]

My post was up for less than ten minutes around midnight (local time) which means you probably saw Hominy's. She's a bit more outspoken than I am. ;)

Mine had no mention of Boobgate at all, just the observation that smaller weaker beings can easily be intimidated by larger, stronger ones, even when the larger, stronger ones don't mean to do it. That's just nature. (It was a bit jokier and more anecdotal than that, but that was the gist.)

I'm fine with the small group having a good time. That doesn't affect me. And environment where Harlan Ellison can grab a Nebula winner's boob, on stage, after giving her the award? Not okay. Proselytizing a consensual petting movement isn't going to improve that environment, or make most women feel terribly safe, however well-meaning the poor, clueless guy was. (You have to be clueless to word things the way he did, and then be surprised that people took offense.) It's just too easy for that kind of thing to get out of hand.

I, however, am content to let the concept self-correct, as it has by now, I think.

[archaeologist-d.livejournal.com]

I can certainly understand not posting just because people could get their knickers in a twist about it. Sometimes I wished I'd not posted some things because they do come back to haunt you.


LOL on the elephant. I had a similar experience with a rhino. Did you know they have huge penises? I didn't. But the rhino was showing his off. I must have stood there for a couple of minutes and then realized I really didn't want to be looking at it.

[asatomuraki.livejournal.com]

I guess when the kids were very small and we had just moved to a new city, it was much easier for me to get deeply involved in communities on the internet. But now I really don't feel up to spending the time and energy it takes to make nice after someone takes what you say as an insult, or, I dunno, just wants to fight.

Animals are interesting. They never rationalize their physicality, they just go with it, you know?