Link salad 'n other stuff
I am not impressed that the holiday cards I bought last year are not where I left them. Of course, obviously I did not actually leave them where I thought I did - which would be the same place I've put them for the last eight years - but I can't find them elsewhere either. Perhaps I imagined that I bought some? Only I clearly remember thinking as to whether I should buy them or not since I was trying not to be here by this time (and definitely wouldn't bother packing blank cards!), and deciding to go ahead anyway figuring I could just give them to my mother or something in that case. *sigh* I do have some but not enough, and I know I got two or three boxes of 'em. Their MIA-ness annoys moi.
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Some links for your perusal:
Fuck Euphemisms. This is a blog entry that compares common obscenities to the high-falutin' bloodless euphemisms that pervade public speech today. Thought-provoking. Perhaps especially because I personally am very good at phrasing things in just such niceties and I don't know that I've ever really considered the larger ramifications of that. Although, that may be because I'm also perfectly willing to tell you to fuck off if I deem that necessary. ;-D
tightropegirl (writer for House) has an update on the WGA strike that also mentions a way in which fans can make a direct statement to the AMPTP, with pencils. It's actually pretty fascinating, her take on other writers' growing awareness of fans as a collective force. I've been thinking about all this, and wondering if the things that have happened in fandom this year - FanLib, the crackdowns/backtracking on LJ, all of that - has served as preparation for *this* particular fight, or more specifically even as having shown fandom that yes, it can work together as a collective body regardless of which door was used as the entryway, and thus has allowed for the strong, instant support and response to the strike. I like to think so, in any case.
Aside from being the moniker of San Francisco's bus transit system, "muni" is apparently also short for "Mountain unicycling." Who knew? (Nobody tell Tré, 'kay?)
This one is not on the whimsical side: a round-up of links and exposition surrounding the suicide of Megan Meier, colloquially known as the MySpace suicide due to its circumstances. For my personal reaction, Megan's decision to take her life is ultimately not that surprising, unfortunately; it fits a fairly standard pattern and while it's definitely tragic, it's not as unusual as I wish it were. It's when you factor in the other half of the equation that my ire gets roused: the mother of a former friend of Megan's had a fake MySpace as a teenage boy and chatted up Megan (and others) for the express purpose of finding out their opinions of her daughter. Fake MySpaces are a dime a dozen, but to essentially stalk your own daughter's friends? What the fuck is WRONG with people???
To end on a sweeter (snarkier!) note, here lies a bunch of Metalocalypse quote icons. :D Funny even if you don't watch the show!
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I'm tired, which is ludicrous as it's quite early in the evening yet. The American Music Awards are on in a couple of hours and I want to watch them, being an awards show whore. :D I haven't been sleeping well though so I might have to watch for a bit and skip the end. I think I need to be up early every day this week. :-/ Except Thursday - I have that off, since it's American Thanksgiving. I want to go downtown during the day but dammit, it doesn't have to be until the afternoon!
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Some links for your perusal:
Fuck Euphemisms. This is a blog entry that compares common obscenities to the high-falutin' bloodless euphemisms that pervade public speech today. Thought-provoking. Perhaps especially because I personally am very good at phrasing things in just such niceties and I don't know that I've ever really considered the larger ramifications of that. Although, that may be because I'm also perfectly willing to tell you to fuck off if I deem that necessary. ;-D
tightropegirl (writer for House) has an update on the WGA strike that also mentions a way in which fans can make a direct statement to the AMPTP, with pencils. It's actually pretty fascinating, her take on other writers' growing awareness of fans as a collective force. I've been thinking about all this, and wondering if the things that have happened in fandom this year - FanLib, the crackdowns/backtracking on LJ, all of that - has served as preparation for *this* particular fight, or more specifically even as having shown fandom that yes, it can work together as a collective body regardless of which door was used as the entryway, and thus has allowed for the strong, instant support and response to the strike. I like to think so, in any case.
Aside from being the moniker of San Francisco's bus transit system, "muni" is apparently also short for "Mountain unicycling." Who knew? (Nobody tell Tré, 'kay?)
This one is not on the whimsical side: a round-up of links and exposition surrounding the suicide of Megan Meier, colloquially known as the MySpace suicide due to its circumstances. For my personal reaction, Megan's decision to take her life is ultimately not that surprising, unfortunately; it fits a fairly standard pattern and while it's definitely tragic, it's not as unusual as I wish it were. It's when you factor in the other half of the equation that my ire gets roused: the mother of a former friend of Megan's had a fake MySpace as a teenage boy and chatted up Megan (and others) for the express purpose of finding out their opinions of her daughter. Fake MySpaces are a dime a dozen, but to essentially stalk your own daughter's friends? What the fuck is WRONG with people???
To end on a sweeter (snarkier!) note, here lies a bunch of Metalocalypse quote icons. :D Funny even if you don't watch the show!
-----
I'm tired, which is ludicrous as it's quite early in the evening yet. The American Music Awards are on in a couple of hours and I want to watch them, being an awards show whore. :D I haven't been sleeping well though so I might have to watch for a bit and skip the end. I think I need to be up early every day this week. :-/ Except Thursday - I have that off, since it's American Thanksgiving. I want to go downtown during the day but dammit, it doesn't have to be until the afternoon!