Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Has anyone else besides me ever thought it was weird to have New Year's Day in the middle of winter, when everything's dead and old and frozen and miserable and not even close to new? I mean, how totally arbitrary.
Of course, the middle of autumn, when everything's actively in the process of dying and aging and freezing and becoming miserable is no better, for me.
My new year is Easter. It just makes more sense to me. everything's living, young, waking up, renewing itself, bursting with hope and promise and, well, new-ness. Why does the world not march in my army, that's what I want to know...
Some folks get real serious about Samhain. That's cool. I get a little uneasy when people pick Oct. 31 as a sort of Witch Memorial Day, though. I wonder how many of those women and men who were killed in the Burning Times actually thought of themselves as witches, in the same way as some of us in the 21st century might have a self-perception of being Wiccan/Pagan. It seems wrong to me to remember them on a big Witch holiday when some of them, themselves, might not have self-defined as anything but nominally good Christians just trying to live their lives.
However, today is as good a day as any to remember the likes of Giles Corey, whose last words were "more weight".
In other news, I'm going dark for about 30 days, more or less. Most likely more than less. it's GCW time.
For one thing, tomorrow is Nov. 1, the first day of National Novel Writing Month, also the first day of National Record a Solo Album Month, also National Kitchen Cleaning Month, National Paying More Attention To My Job Month, National Bad Decision Regretting Month, National Bedroom Excavating Month, and National Three-Year-Old-Bitter-Obsession-About-Getting-Rejected-from-Smith-College Indulging Month. So, as you can see I got a full plate.
For another thing, I'm running out of civil things I can say. And I'm all about civil. Since I can't say anything nice, maybe it's time I just shut the fuck up. Seriously - I can't think of a single thing that I can offer in any productive manner to any conversation of importance. So, yeah, I surrender, at least for the time being.
One dumbass down, only god-knows-how-many-more to go. Keep up the good work!
I'm not going away mad - I'm not even going away. Consider it the inauguration of National Internet Nonsense Avoiding Month.
Comments, as usual, are wide open and moderated only just barely - for that natural look! y'all know the drill on that.
Of course, the middle of autumn, when everything's actively in the process of dying and aging and freezing and becoming miserable is no better, for me.
My new year is Easter. It just makes more sense to me. everything's living, young, waking up, renewing itself, bursting with hope and promise and, well, new-ness. Why does the world not march in my army, that's what I want to know...
Some folks get real serious about Samhain. That's cool. I get a little uneasy when people pick Oct. 31 as a sort of Witch Memorial Day, though. I wonder how many of those women and men who were killed in the Burning Times actually thought of themselves as witches, in the same way as some of us in the 21st century might have a self-perception of being Wiccan/Pagan. It seems wrong to me to remember them on a big Witch holiday when some of them, themselves, might not have self-defined as anything but nominally good Christians just trying to live their lives.
However, today is as good a day as any to remember the likes of Giles Corey, whose last words were "more weight".
In other news, I'm going dark for about 30 days, more or less. Most likely more than less. it's GCW time.
For one thing, tomorrow is Nov. 1, the first day of National Novel Writing Month, also the first day of National Record a Solo Album Month, also National Kitchen Cleaning Month, National Paying More Attention To My Job Month, National Bad Decision Regretting Month, National Bedroom Excavating Month, and National Three-Year-Old-Bitter-Obsession-About-Getting-Rejected-from-Smith-College Indulging Month. So, as you can see I got a full plate.
For another thing, I'm running out of civil things I can say. And I'm all about civil. Since I can't say anything nice, maybe it's time I just shut the fuck up. Seriously - I can't think of a single thing that I can offer in any productive manner to any conversation of importance. So, yeah, I surrender, at least for the time being.
One dumbass down, only god-knows-how-many-more to go. Keep up the good work!
I'm not going away mad - I'm not even going away. Consider it the inauguration of National Internet Nonsense Avoiding Month.
Comments, as usual, are wide open and moderated only just barely - for that natural look! y'all know the drill on that.
# posted by antiprincess @ 5:45 PM 
Comments:
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oh fuck, i did sign up for that, too, didn't i.
you realize of course i haven't the faintest idea what i'd be writing a novel -about.-
i figure i'll just hire an infinite number of monkeys and see what they can come up with in 30 days.
should be at least as intelligible as anything Dino Girl's had to say, I figure.
you realize of course i haven't the faintest idea what i'd be writing a novel -about.-
i figure i'll just hire an infinite number of monkeys and see what they can come up with in 30 days.
should be at least as intelligible as anything Dino Girl's had to say, I figure.
you realize of course i haven't the faintest idea what i'd be writing a novel -about.-
then you're ahead of the game. imagine if you were 25,000 words into it before you realized you didn't have the faintest idea of what your novel was about...
then you're ahead of the game. imagine if you were 25,000 words into it before you realized you didn't have the faintest idea of what your novel was about...
I'll be there with you!
...or, well, here. In my own little bubble of fiction. But spinning, as it were, the same grindstone.
...or, well, here. In my own little bubble of fiction. But spinning, as it were, the same grindstone.
Belledame, AP - what are your NaNo handles? I'm there under alexmegami, and I'd like to keep track of you both. :)
antiprincess - same as everywhere else.
I'm having a little trouble with the site.
I'm having a LOT of trouble with my story.
I have a whomping great plot. but I don't know what to do with it.
I'm having a little trouble with the site.
I'm having a LOT of trouble with my story.
I have a whomping great plot. but I don't know what to do with it.
Actually, the calendar new year used to be in March-- which makes all kinds of sense to me!
# posted by 
: 11:01 AM
: 11:01 AM
Actually, the calendar new year used to be in March-- which makes all kinds of sense to me!
finally, someone who makes some sense!
excellent!
finally, someone who makes some sense!
excellent!
but in australia new year's is in the middle of summer! so i guess this means that you should be from the southern hemisphere. that's what i think.
i'll miss you while you're gone. but i wish you much much luck on your whomping book.
i'll miss you while you're gone. but i wish you much much luck on your whomping book.
backup comment at Heart's:
an excerpt from Heart's comment on her post "Alliances":
It depresses me. What happened in Nicaragua? That is what needs shouted from the housetops, analyzed up one side and down the other, picked apart, picked to death. To be fair, lots of people have read that post. But it depresses me that whereas thousands and thousands of people will follow and comment on Ampgate or Burqua-gate or Bitch|Lab going off on Ann Bartow for no reason that I can discern or arguments between the radfems and belledamme, Anti-Princess and Amber, not so many thousands will take the time to read and understand what happened in Nicaragua, and what that means for Nicaraguan women, what that means for all women, and even fewer will comment.
I reply:
you flatter me needlessly - I'm certain that thousands and thousands are decidedly NOT following and commenting on whatever I might be saying to whomever I might be saying it to.
But soap operas are more interesting than the evening news, most of the time.
I agree that more people should be paying more attention to stories like these. So I don't understand why you yourself use the heartwrenching stories of women's struggles as a springboard for starting shit yourself, as you did here.
why did you not stay on topic, and not open up further opportunities for slagging on other women?
an excerpt from Heart's comment on her post "Alliances":
It depresses me. What happened in Nicaragua? That is what needs shouted from the housetops, analyzed up one side and down the other, picked apart, picked to death. To be fair, lots of people have read that post. But it depresses me that whereas thousands and thousands of people will follow and comment on Ampgate or Burqua-gate or Bitch|Lab going off on Ann Bartow for no reason that I can discern or arguments between the radfems and belledamme, Anti-Princess and Amber, not so many thousands will take the time to read and understand what happened in Nicaragua, and what that means for Nicaraguan women, what that means for all women, and even fewer will comment.
I reply:
you flatter me needlessly - I'm certain that thousands and thousands are decidedly NOT following and commenting on whatever I might be saying to whomever I might be saying it to.
But soap operas are more interesting than the evening news, most of the time.
I agree that more people should be paying more attention to stories like these. So I don't understand why you yourself use the heartwrenching stories of women's struggles as a springboard for starting shit yourself, as you did here.
why did you not stay on topic, and not open up further opportunities for slagging on other women?
ooh, there you go.
yes, my trifling online dramas are taking away from the struggling women in Nicaragua; your trifling online dramas are, what, helping them? whatever. bfp writes about such stuff -and- calls for action; the reason i'm not fighting with -her-, link to her, follow her, is because unlike some people, she doesn't divert from her own cause with endless reams of bullshit about pr0n and lipstick and blowjobs and so forth. and then try to turn around and blame the people who are basically saying, "look, just because i like this stuff doesn't mean i don't want to help with the -real- stuff, couldja stop attacking me already?" for being 1) too sensitive to what sure -feels- like a lot of gratuitous shaming and blaming 2) too silencing of the people who are trying to bring up these also apparently rilly important issues (if we all stopped giving head at once, including the ones who don't do it anyway, the world would split open! you're so selfish! i have springs coming out of my head!) 3) god, all you "fun feminists" can talk about is your lipstick, blowjobs, selfish selfish pleasures...
It's not the lipstick or blowjobs or even the pr0n, Heart. It's the -crazy-making.- Knock off the bullshit and others will follow. Or keep contributing to the bullshit; but don't then turn around and go why O why don't people want to talk about the -important- things?
Also? It's kind of difficult to try for "thousands and thousands" of readers and deliberately relegate yourself to "the Margins" (no men, no pr0n-tainted, no transgendered, no this, that or the other, cast out this heretic and that one and the other one and...) -at the same time.-
yes, my trifling online dramas are taking away from the struggling women in Nicaragua; your trifling online dramas are, what, helping them? whatever. bfp writes about such stuff -and- calls for action; the reason i'm not fighting with -her-, link to her, follow her, is because unlike some people, she doesn't divert from her own cause with endless reams of bullshit about pr0n and lipstick and blowjobs and so forth. and then try to turn around and blame the people who are basically saying, "look, just because i like this stuff doesn't mean i don't want to help with the -real- stuff, couldja stop attacking me already?" for being 1) too sensitive to what sure -feels- like a lot of gratuitous shaming and blaming 2) too silencing of the people who are trying to bring up these also apparently rilly important issues (if we all stopped giving head at once, including the ones who don't do it anyway, the world would split open! you're so selfish! i have springs coming out of my head!) 3) god, all you "fun feminists" can talk about is your lipstick, blowjobs, selfish selfish pleasures...
It's not the lipstick or blowjobs or even the pr0n, Heart. It's the -crazy-making.- Knock off the bullshit and others will follow. Or keep contributing to the bullshit; but don't then turn around and go why O why don't people want to talk about the -important- things?
Also? It's kind of difficult to try for "thousands and thousands" of readers and deliberately relegate yourself to "the Margins" (no men, no pr0n-tainted, no transgendered, no this, that or the other, cast out this heretic and that one and the other one and...) -at the same time.-
>or Bitch|Lab going off on Ann Bartow for no reason that I can discern>
oh well then there you are. No, no good reason at all. Zuzu, too. No reason. Move along; nothing to see here.
ass.
i mean, she's not stupid, Heart; i rather think she could "discern" what that was actually about if she really tried; it's not as though there aren't dozens of people spelling it out in clear, icy detail.
oh well then there you are. No, no good reason at all. Zuzu, too. No reason. Move along; nothing to see here.
ass.
i mean, she's not stupid, Heart; i rather think she could "discern" what that was actually about if she really tried; it's not as though there aren't dozens of people spelling it out in clear, icy detail.
"look, just because i like this stuff doesn't mean i don't want to help with the -real- stuff, couldja stop attacking me already?"
this really bothers me.
I want to help with the real stuff, and be respected for my helping, because it's no less helpful than anyone else's help.
I want to be able to discuss some of the real stuff without feeling like someone's out there going "why should we even listen to a pro-pornstitution non-feminist handmaiden of the patriarchy like you?"
which is one of my main gripes against the Hearts of the world, in a nutshell.
this really bothers me.
I want to help with the real stuff, and be respected for my helping, because it's no less helpful than anyone else's help.
I want to be able to discuss some of the real stuff without feeling like someone's out there going "why should we even listen to a pro-pornstitution non-feminist handmaiden of the patriarchy like you?"
which is one of my main gripes against the Hearts of the world, in a nutshell.
back on NaNo: inspired by another blogger's approach (she doesn't have a novel but is pledging to write 50,000 words' worth of publishable academic material), i will probably do something similar: 50,000 (or as much as i end up with) words' worth of journalism-worthy/polished blog entries. possible some short stories. iow, keep going, but more so. and then, at the end of the month, if not before, -start sending out.-
50,000 (or as much as i end up with) words' worth of journalism-worthy/polished blog entries.
wicked awesome.
wicked awesome.
antip: the answer is, you -can- discuss it, just not with her.
so, well, you know:
anyway, like i say: brownfemipower is (one of the places/people) where it's at. there are links to others. and per feminism per se: there're so many of us...Lauren at Faux Real Tho! has started some really interesting discussions, riffing off La Lubu's (also excellent, as are the other guests at feministe). Aunt B at tiny cat pants and i were having some great talks. and then there are/is us who were already talking.
she's in the Margins. she's welcome to them. i get the urge, but maybe in this instance, just let sleeping dogs lie, you know? i mean, it pissed me off too, clearly; but there's a reason i'm posting my response -here- rather than there. it has to do with not wishing to further deepen the rather large dent in my skull. you know?
and say, missy, don't you have a novel you're supposed to be working on?
so, well, you know:
anyway, like i say: brownfemipower is (one of the places/people) where it's at. there are links to others. and per feminism per se: there're so many of us...Lauren at Faux Real Tho! has started some really interesting discussions, riffing off La Lubu's (also excellent, as are the other guests at feministe). Aunt B at tiny cat pants and i were having some great talks. and then there are/is us who were already talking.
she's in the Margins. she's welcome to them. i get the urge, but maybe in this instance, just let sleeping dogs lie, you know? i mean, it pissed me off too, clearly; but there's a reason i'm posting my response -here- rather than there. it has to do with not wishing to further deepen the rather large dent in my skull. you know?
and say, missy, don't you have a novel you're supposed to be working on?
yes ma'am.
(sheepish)
I've been feeling a little fractious over the past couple days...assertive...maybe even aggressive...not real sure why.
(sheepish)
I've been feeling a little fractious over the past couple days...assertive...maybe even aggressive...not real sure why.
So i read the Giles Corey entry, and then the link to "pressing." yeesh. execution by elephant-crushing! the rocks were bad enough, no doubt.
i note that
1) we tend to forget how near "barbarousness" is to us at all times, not just in place but time. that's a nice piece of American history right there, isn't it?
2) that this was a part of "common law" is making me rethink my still-barely-formed notion that more reversions to "common law" might generally be a good idea.
hmm.
i note that
1) we tend to forget how near "barbarousness" is to us at all times, not just in place but time. that's a nice piece of American history right there, isn't it?
2) that this was a part of "common law" is making me rethink my still-barely-formed notion that more reversions to "common law" might generally be a good idea.
hmm.
Easter has always been my New Year as well. Spring, resurrection, all that New Life stuff.
Anyone who can write more than 100 words and be coherent throughout has my undying admiration.
Anyone who can write more than 100 words and be coherent throughout has my undying admiration.
wait, we have to be -coherent,- now? uh-oh.
lately i think of Imbolc (around the first of February) as the start of the new cycle. the first signs of movement after the long winter, although it's not yet spring; the holidays are over, the days are getting longer, and it's time to start thinking about waking up from the dreamtime and start planting again.
lately i think of Imbolc (around the first of February) as the start of the new cycle. the first signs of movement after the long winter, although it's not yet spring; the holidays are over, the days are getting longer, and it's time to start thinking about waking up from the dreamtime and start planting again.
I'm doing NANO too - though I haven't registered yet. 6689 words so far.
"I want to help with the real stuff, and be respected for my helping"
But bj's, lippy, heels etc are as much of the real stuff as the oppression in Mexico or abortion in Nicaragua. It's a continuum, surely?
"I want to help with the real stuff, and be respected for my helping"
But bj's, lippy, heels etc are as much of the real stuff as the oppression in Mexico or abortion in Nicaragua. It's a continuum, surely?
# posted by : 7:20 PM
: 7:20 PM
-shrug-. It is and it's not, I guess is the best way I can think of putting it. Yes, -looking- at it; but at least online, what was probably supposed to be "consciousness raising" in the old sense seems to have mutated into...something decidedly unhelpful, imo, for the most part.
maybe ultimately the problem isn't about any of these issues; the problem is in the (word of the week) reification. In the way the symbols become stand-ins for the actual thing, if that makes any sense. iow, sure, talk about the meaning of lipstick; decide for yourself how it feels and what you want to do about it; but when you get into the territory of deciding the lipstick, the heels, the pr0n (I mean the product as media image, not the process of making exploitive stuff) IS the problem, ITSELF, as opposed to the -context- of it, the fact that it's -compulsory- and that the COMPULSORY is ultimately the biggest problem...
I dunno, it's like (forgive me, but it's actually not all that inappropriate, as i'm hoping to post about pretty soon) Carrie Nation coming into the bar and smashing up all the bottles. Or D.A.R.E. "Just say no." And harangue your sisters until they see it your way; that's the other part of it that's the problem. admittedly that shit goes on no matter -what- the subject is; somehow though it's sort of extra-exasperating when it's about fercrissake shaving instead of I don't know what's the best way to respond to what happened in Nicaragua or South Dakota.
btw, antip and whomever, you might be interested in this discussion:
http://fauxrealtho.com/2006/11/02/class-and-feminism-a-disjointed-post-in-five-parts/
maybe ultimately the problem isn't about any of these issues; the problem is in the (word of the week) reification. In the way the symbols become stand-ins for the actual thing, if that makes any sense. iow, sure, talk about the meaning of lipstick; decide for yourself how it feels and what you want to do about it; but when you get into the territory of deciding the lipstick, the heels, the pr0n (I mean the product as media image, not the process of making exploitive stuff) IS the problem, ITSELF, as opposed to the -context- of it, the fact that it's -compulsory- and that the COMPULSORY is ultimately the biggest problem...
I dunno, it's like (forgive me, but it's actually not all that inappropriate, as i'm hoping to post about pretty soon) Carrie Nation coming into the bar and smashing up all the bottles. Or D.A.R.E. "Just say no." And harangue your sisters until they see it your way; that's the other part of it that's the problem. admittedly that shit goes on no matter -what- the subject is; somehow though it's sort of extra-exasperating when it's about fercrissake shaving instead of I don't know what's the best way to respond to what happened in Nicaragua or South Dakota.
btw, antip and whomever, you might be interested in this discussion:
http://fauxrealtho.com/2006/11/02/class-and-feminism-a-disjointed-post-in-five-parts/
...or, well, hell, I said it already, here:
>It's not the lipstick or blowjobs or even the pr0n. It's the -crazy-making.-
>It's not the lipstick or blowjobs or even the pr0n. It's the -crazy-making.-
Winter makes sense as the new years to me because it's the birth of the sun again - the beginning of longer days. But September will always feel like the beginning whenever school starts up.
I'm pretty sure they put New Year's at the most desolate time of year, because they knew that people would never make resolutions in the middle of summer. "What do you need to change about your life?" you'd say to them, despite the warm sunshine. "Oh, I don't know," they'd say, sipping a margarita and playing on the Slip 'n Slide, "Probably nothing. I love and respect myself, this margarita, and watching re-runs in the afternoon."
# posted by : 12:11 PM
: 12:11 PM
welcome, Mr. Kugelmass!
but how many earnestly-made resolutions, crafted during that time of cold, snowy penitence, actually survive the summer anyway?
but how many earnestly-made resolutions, crafted during that time of cold, snowy penitence, actually survive the summer anyway?
They sure don't. But they're a pleasant distraction in the months intervening, as long as you don't also forbid yourself hot chocolate.
# posted by : 11:29 AM
: 11:29 AM
Still trying to play catch-up with all the blog reading but...
Whoa. Where are these "thousands and thousands" who are supposedly hanging on my every word? Reveal yourselves! Oh, and click on my Google ads, so I can quit my day job and become a full-time blogger. Wow. That would rule.
Whoa. Where are these "thousands and thousands" who are supposedly hanging on my every word? Reveal yourselves! Oh, and click on my Google ads, so I can quit my day job and become a full-time blogger. Wow. That would rule.
(Caveat: that last comment was a joke. Sarcasm! I know, of course, that it is in direct violation of Google adsense to ask people to click one's ads. Besides... I think I may have taken down all my Google ads anyway. I don't remember.)
Anyway. I thought that one convo AP and I were having w/ Heart was going pretty well, a few weeks ago... didn't realize it was all just BS. Sigh.
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Anyway. I thought that one convo AP and I were having w/ Heart was going pretty well, a few weeks ago... didn't realize it was all just BS. Sigh.
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