sundries

[rm]

A dueling society is a polite society. Seriously, without advocating violence in any way, shape or form, I need to note that as I listen to the batshit insanity that is the healthcare debate (and it's not about healthcare, it's about insurance. I don't want affordable insurance; I want affordable, responsive healthcare that doesn't think the way to cut costs is to tell me, as a woman, that it's all in my head) that once upon a not very long time ago, calling someone out as a liar, particularly someone who was not lying, in public, was grounds for a duel at dawn. So would have been casting aspersions about place of birth, religious adherence and the personal grooming habits of one's children. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE DISCOURSE, and I feel like people are engaging in it simply because there are apparently no repercussions whatsoever. It appalls me.

[ETA: Okay, before anyone else rants at me about dueling -- yes, I know that was a shitty solution too, as traditions of honor were largely used as ways to provoke fights and skill at violence often won out over who was actually correct. Please remember that I'm a student of classical and historical fencing, and that sometimes I'm slightly wry about it. Historically speaking, if one calls "you're a liar" it had to be dealt with, as, at minimum, someone trying to start a fight -- this is my point. Today it's just dealt with as a somehow reasonable part of the political discourse.]

[ETA2: I am not misquoting Heinlein. I am repeating a remark that has often been the subject of discussion in my fencing salle.]

Okay, we are not going on the Cunard cruise. The scheduling is too complicated with Patty's school obligations. But! We're already seriously looking at another cruise that leaves from NYC in early January and are going to talk through some other options this weekend and then just get it booked.

While we were away, someone was stabbed to death in front of our subway stop at 9:45 at night.

I am writing Jack/Weeping Angels for the omnijaxual fest.

My mood is somewhat better than yesterday, but still wonky.

In a moment of temporal hilarity, it seems the next DWNY meetup featuring a special guest is at the same time as the Nick Cave reading on Monday. Inconvenient, but amusing.

I'd like to finish the Bristol abstract tonight.

Okay, I see my friendslist getting all excited about S2 of their new favorite cracky show, Merlin, but do I really need to tell you there will be one or two gutting deaths at the end of this season, and then when they bring it back for S3, it'll actually appear to be well-crafted television drama which will end with Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies? Only the Slash!Dragon will survive. Oh Torchwood, you have scarred me.

Comments

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

It's an awesome book. (I've moved the rant to my journal; apologies.)

What he actually said is "an armed society is a polite society", but he was referring to dueling in practice.

[rm.livejournal.com]

No, it's cool. You got me to clarify before like 20 other people came after me, so hopefully it's a more reasoned convo now!

To be frank, I bristled less at what you had to say than at the possibility anyone could think I get any of my worldview from Heinlein, who is an author I tend not to be generous about, despite having enjoyed some aspects of some of his books.

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

I loved Heinlein growing up... nowadays I have antibodies.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I only ever read a few and got turned off pretty fast by the time-traveling incestuous redhead sex situations.

Letter to late Heinlein

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

YOUR ID PLEASE KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS KTHXBAI.

Re: Letter to late Heinlein

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Hee!

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. Eww yuck.

[guruwench.livejournal.com]

*sporfles at icon* :)

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Starship Troopers is ridiculously close to Real Life in my country that when I read it the first time I did not notice the Fascism.

... I still like it though, as well as Stranger in a Strange Lang, if only because I can now grok things more easily.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I have a deep, crazy, irrational love for the utterly batshit Starship Troopers movie.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

It's the green goo from the Bugs.
And dismemberment. There's nothing more entertaining than dismemberment when it happens in such an arbitrary and utterly brainless manner.

Also the FX rock, all the phallic and yonic imagery are too good.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

I do recall quite enjoying the lunacy of it, yes.

And once I'd taken the fascistic society of ST as read, it was a reasonably enjoyable book (though I'm told that there are various revised editions available - earlier ones are better because they predate Late Heinlein's rewrites).

For war-related SF of that general period, I still prefer "The Forever War".

[blucrowlaughing.livejournal.com]

and to add a SF war book series : War Against the Chtorr - David Gerrold

it has its flaws but like a social disease I feel the need to spread it :)

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Oo. Gerrold is a name I've heard from elsewhere - will have to investigate.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

It's something I can Enjoy as a B-Sci-fi horror movie entiled Bug Hunt On Outpost IX.
As an adaptation, it's an attrocity.

In the movie, all the aliens are monsters.
In the book, none of them are.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Ah.
You see, I was all growed before he wrote any of that, ah, material.
Heinlein got me through a painful childhood, and I owe him. Your circumstances, obviously, completely different story.
For me, Heinlein's previous work earned him the right to write those later um, books. I wouldn't recomend them to someone who was just staring out in SpecFic, and I would recomend his earlier work to someone, depending on the someone.

Everyone gets a season three.