sundries

[rm]

Yesterday, while cooking, a tiny droplet of hot vinegar wound up in my eye. It didn't hurt nearly as much as you'd think, but I was achy and annoyed all night. And it still feels a bit weird today. Of all things! I was wearing glasses!

I'm really struggling with finishing any of my writing projects lately, but I'm just accepting it, which means I'm less depressed and crazy than I was post-con. It's amazing what that advance thing did for my ego.

Who saw South Park last night? For all I know it was a repeat, but it was weirdly salient to something I'm working on (two somethings, actually) and was sort of hilarious to me.

Periodically, like the rest of America, I become obsessed with the Duggars. But it's not about the 19 kids or whatever it is. It's about the structure of the sentences on their website (and that of their oldest son who is now married). And it's not that god is in every sentence. It's the cadence, which is sharp, chirpy and monotonous. Where does it come from? What circuits of the brain does it excite to read things structured in that way? I've seen this same cadence of myriad other Quiverfull sites, and I can't get over it. Largely because it reminds me of how viscerally we respond to cadence. Something about that cadence makes us get sucked in or believe or be horrified (depending on who we are) -- above and beyond the content. My own work, my own LJ, is so focused on cadence, I now wonder if that's what sets off some people's shit about me as much, if not more, than what I am actually saying.

An arrest has been made in the murder of Annie Le. Things of interest in the reporting:

- "we don't know what other relationship they may have had" -- do we get this language when men murder men? No we do not!
- the suspect was a member of an Asian appreciation club in his high school. Thu suspect is also white. Will fetishization and some sort of racist expectation of submission of Asian women play a role in this? I'm betting on it.
- Early on in yesterday's reporting about the suspect (who was not named as such at the time) the New York Times reported that the non suspect's companion was seen. The companion was noted repeatedly, without gender. This fascinated me. Later, we discovered that she was female. Why should it matter? It doesn't, but I was unaccountably anxious (archaic meaning: desirous, anticipatory; not nervous) to know until that information was revealed in a later edit to the story. What does that say about journalism? What does that say about me?
- Actually the companion angle is interesting because the woman and, I believe, her brother-in-law also worked in the lab. Which may make other narratives I have suggested for this thing less likely.
- No, I have no idea why I'm this interested in this case, although I suppose it has to do with the intersection of gender, intelligence and entitlement that I expect to see emerge out of it.

And now we're on to fictional murder. Girl Number 9. I'm not a fan of web-only programming by an large (it's too coy) or stuff that is super short (because I'm a details man), but I'm weirdly thinking I'm actually going to dig the crap outta this, even if I already have a strong suspicion about where it's going naratively (a fact which may make me slightly insane). Also, I never knew James Moran wrote for Spooks (I know, bad!); I have to fangirl him for that next time I run into him. I FUCKING LOVE THAT SHOW.

GLUTEN-FREE CINNAMON BUNS ARE HERE!

Comments

[mellacita.livejournal.com]

GLUTEN-FREE CINNAMON BUNS ARE HERE!

Where?! How?! Are they any good??

Also, I find it hilarious that Gareth's character's boss is played by the woman who played Yvonne Hartmann on Doctor Who.

[rm.livejournal.com]

kinnkinnick. Surprisingly good, but definitely should be heated.

(and, I KNOW -- it's like AU for the win).

[sykii.livejournal.com]

I have the same reaction to the Duggars' cadence as you do. Things that clearly attract a lot of people, but which seem so overwhelmingly aesthetically uninspiring and alienating to me (Quiverfull, Scientology) are always puzzling and interesting.
The blog "No Longer Quivering" is written primarily by two women who a) got involved in QF stuff as adults and b) are extremely intelligent, aware of it, and proud of it. One of them was even raised by two moms.
It's really, really fascinating and I highly recommend it.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I'm really glad other people share the fascination (FLDS, also! although you know I come with extra bonus insight there), as I always feel weird for being so sincerely curious about this stuff that I also find deeply repellent. (also everyone keeps telling me about that blog. must find)

[sykii.livejournal.com]

http://nolongerquivering.wordpress.com/

The site can be a little confusing to navigate, as it's two main writers telling their stories in chapters, with occasional other contributors or news items. There is a woman who was in the Hare Krishna for years and years who also writes there occasionally about patriarchy in that system. I think they've got the links set up in order somewhere.

The most moving and sad thing I've read there recently is about how to submit properly to someone you know is nowhere near as intelligent or competent as you are.

[delle.livejournal.com]

The most moving and sad thing I've read there recently is about how to submit properly to someone you know is nowhere near as intelligent or competent as you are.

I..... WHAT?!?!?!? I just .... 'boggled' barely scratches the surface. Thank god I married someone that wants a partner, not a doormat.

(pardon the interruption.)

[kargashina.livejournal.com]

well that was a rabbit hole.. i worry about my sister-in law and this stuff sometimes

[sykii.livejournal.com]

Gender, intelligence, entitlement, women in "men's fields", ongoing apathy on Ivy League campuses about stalking and domestic violence (doesn't appear to have played a role here, but it's something I heard over and over in the wake of her disappearance), and potentially stanky race issues.
It would be weird NOT to be interested in it.

[dabhug.livejournal.com]

This.

[rainkatt.livejournal.com]

YES.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to Girl Number 9 as well (I do not like GDL's scruff! Either grow a proper beard or keep it clean ARRGH! This is what happens when you grow up with a man who works a beard really well).
I hope it's good enough to warrant a bit more length, I do not like leanness when it comes to details and characters and such.

The sharpness of cadence can, obviously, be found in prayer. I don't like the chirpiness of that as it distracts me from text, and I find that if the cadence is slower and more flowing along with having punctuated sharp moments I get it better.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

It's the cadence, which is sharp, chirpy and monotonous. Where does it come from?

Pentecostalism.

I am not joking.

Welcome to the first 15 years of my life.

[gallo-de-pelea.livejournal.com]

Huh. This... this explains a lot about some experiences I've had. Hmm.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

Mind you, not all of them, but really, google a pentecostal or Assembly Of God church and 9/10 times you'll see...similarities.

[sethg]

When I was an undergrad, despite my general social cluelessness, I did notice the phenomenon of white men who had A Thing for Asian women. The line about the suspect's membership in the Asian Awareness Club leaped out at me, and I'm sorry that the reporter didn't do more to follow up on it (e.g., what kind of relationships did he have with female members of the club)?

[browneyedgirl65.livejournal.com]

I've noticed that phenomenon as well (particularly being in an Japanese martial art) and ... I just Don't Get it. As well, I don't understand why it annoys the hell out of me. I mean, I like a specific body type/appearance myself in those I'm attracted to, and I'm hard put to describe why this seems to go way beyond that...

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

It goes beyond the usual "my type" thing and turns into a skeevy "they all look alike and act alike and make excellent Geisha passive pet servants" thing. They think dating an Asian woman will be like having a Chihuahua that wears little outfits and can cook.

[xtricks.livejournal.com]

Well, I also think that if it were a man who'd been murdered, it's unlikely that there would have been so much press coverage in the first place which can be interpreted as either a: a decent sense of privacy or b: no one cares nearly as much if it's a man.

I've only been following it in the surface articles but I've seen nothing that gets into either mysogyny or racism so far. There were the usualy questions of why, but the police were quick to bring up teh fact that it's workplace related and no one is persuing some race/gender tangent. Her fiance's family is also Jewish, or at least, attends temple and no one is making big hay of that either as far as I can tell. For a gruesome murder of a pretty young woman near her wedding day it seems pretty non-skany, actually.

No doubt whatever made-for-TV/DVD movie that gets made of it will be much more unpleasant.

[smirnoffmule.livejournal.com]

Well, I also think that if it were a man who'd been murdered, it's unlikely that there would have been so much press coverage in the first place which can be interpreted as either a: a decent sense of privacy or b: no one cares nearly as much if it's a man.

Or, when a woman gets murdered, people's first assumption is that it's going to be sex-related somehow, and therefore sordid intrigue. Or, a good story needs a good victim, and women make the best victims in the eyes of the press.

Or, most likely a little from each column plus a few others, but it's an interesting question.

[xtricks.livejournal.com]

Offhand, I can't really think of an easy way to report murder investigations in progress that isn't likely to be full off fail since all that sort of coverage is is guesses and usually based on pretty lame assumptions about the victims, the families involved, the possible suspects and so on.

[isil-helyanwe.livejournal.com]

Okay, so I went on the Duggars' website and so... they're a reality TV familly? And their thing is that they have some sort of child army a la Cheaper By The Dozen?

See, I sound sarcastic but I actually kind of really want to watch their show.

[isil-helyanwe.livejournal.com]

Pretty soon they're going to run out of names beginning with 'J'.

[askeladden.livejournal.com]

I feel sorry for Jinger. I mean, seriously. Jinger?! Poor kid. I'm assuming it's a soft g rather than a hard g, but either way, it's horrible.

[jackolantern.livejournal.com]

That reminds me of the Chingers from Bill the Galactic Hero (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_the_Galactic_Hero).

[rm.livejournal.com]

Child army FOR GOD.

[gaaneden.livejournal.com]

Have you watched anything off of webserials.com? I really like what I've watched from there (The Black Dawn and Project X).

[lefaym.livejournal.com]

I'm rather fascinated by all that Quiverfull stuff too, although I don't tend to follow the Duggars. I'm more interested in how the families who don't have a huge house and tax-exempt status get by, all the while holding families like the Duggars up as some ideal.

I also follow No Longer Quivering, which is written by a couple of women who left the Quiverfull movement over the last few years (plus a number of other guest bloggers who have escaped patriarchal religious sects) -- Vyckie, the woman who does the most blogging, once ran a Quiverfull homeschool magazine, and she'll often post articles that she wrote back in the day simply to show how insidious the mindset was. I think it'd be quite interesting to compare her writing now to what it was back then.

[browneyedgirl65.livejournal.com]

One thing about the Duggars...given the number of children, the statistics are likely that at least one of them is gay. If that ever does become public, I can only imagine the meltdown. At teh same time, I hope whoever it is, if there is one, *can* get out of there with minimal damage...

So for me it's very much of a kind with watching a possible train wreck.

As for the cadence and such, I know exactly what you mean. although nothing about their site trips that for me. I have, however, read books that utterly seduced me with their phrasing and cadence and is why I have a certain specific set of authors I love...mostly for the way they write and use words, than that their books are by themselves completely awesome (tho for me the two go together fairly often).

[opheliastorn.livejournal.com]

Asian Appreciation Club??? WTF sort of school allows something as creepy as that?

[rm.livejournal.com]

It's usually a case of a school saying "we don't want there to be a club just for [x] students" so they call it some weird cultural appreciation thing so there can be an Italian club or whatever, although yeah, just have an Asian Students Association or whatever.

[riverrocks.livejournal.com]

when I was in college (decades ago) we had the human/gay resource center for that same kind of reason. and we were so glad to have a place to hide out from the bashings and death threats that most folks didn't even question it until much later.

[opheliastorn.livejournal.com]

Oh, clubs like that are cool, and we had them at my high school and uni, too. I didn't realise that an 'appreciation club' was the same as a regular cultural club ...

I'm glad that you had a safe space, though it's awful that your school had so toxic an atmosphere.

[opheliastorn.livejournal.com]

Ah. Well, cultural students' associations my brain can deal with! It's the 'appreciation' bit that got me - seems very 'now let me stand back here and observe you, o interesting specimen of my fetish.' Ick.

[jackolantern.livejournal.com]

Although it's almost Godwin's-Law-ish to invoke Orwell, the remark about the cadence reminds me of the bits in Nineteen Eighty-Four where he describes the cadence of dedicated Newspeak speakers as "duckspeak"--it wasn't just the limited vocabulary of Newspeak that limited abstract thought but that rat-a-tat-tat rhythm of it.