sundries

[rm]

More fucking annoying rumours about Torchwood air dates in Britain. Can we just know already so we know when to plan our viewing parties/hiding from the Internet. I suppose sooner is better though. We'll know and we'll get on with things.

It's almost warm and sunny today. Let's see if it lasts. The plants are cranky. Also, something about the most recent additions (the two pepper plants) tips it all over from the sad little pots on our fire-escape to a real garden.

This morning I picked up the dry-cleaning:

- one vintage military coat
- one black three-piece suit

and dropped off the new dry-cleaning:

- 5 dress shirts: medium blue-grey, light blue, white with dark-blue pinstripes, white with light-blue pinstripes, white.
- one white silk aviator scarf (it was a gift, okay?!?!)
- one raw silk scarf from India.

Yes, my life is fucking ridiculous.

It occurs to me that I've never written a story about a tailor. This must be corrected as I have so many strong emotional resonances with the idea of bending over clothes. There is something of mourning in my mind in the tending of fabric. So yes, I think, I need to write a bunch of stories with various characters who tend to clothes. It is a good quiet thing.

Rhetorical device you can lose: "no offense meant." Because really, when said, how often is that true?

Iran Iran Iran. Please listen. Please witness. I am not sure there is anything else we can do. I follow it as I can on Twitter. Students locked into dorms as riot police come for them. Pictures of someone's friend beaten or shot -- there is too much blood in the twitpic to tell; they are not allowed to remove him to a hospital; no one knows much first aid; his friends update us on whether they think he is going to die.

Some good guidance on how you can help digitally is here: http://www.boingboing.net/2009/06/16/cyberwar-guide-for-i.html

Comments

[saomigray.livejournal.com]

"Rhetorical device you can lose: "no offense meant." Because really, when said, how often is that true?"

Here is how I interpret the statement:

*I think you are the type to take offense where none is intended.
*I believe you can't tell when someone is trying to offend you.
*I am intentionally saying something I know is likely to offend you.

Usually whatever is being said is not something that I would have been offended by, but the assumption I would take offense bugs me.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

It's disrespectful and condescending, almost always. I don't think that I ever use it other than as a gag. I think it is generally intended to be used as the other kind of gag.
I am about to insult you,or I just have, but I require you not to notice.
In my mind, it a relative of being told that you don't have a sense of humour, somehow.

[glinda-w.livejournal.com]

In my experience, "no offence meant" is almost invariably used as a "get out of jail free" card. The person saying it knows damned well that they're being offensive, but by saying that they think they'll get a pass. If they're called on it, the next thing will be an accusation that you're being oversensitive.

(Grrrr.)