Emphatic agreement

[liv]

pleonastic said something really cool about gender and mystery and stereotyping and conformity recently. Even though it's personal opinion rather than a statement of fact, I think it's a really good summary of what is wrong with a lot of received ideas about romance and how gender plays into that.

And on the subject of how a lot of journalism is based on stereotyping assumptions, The Gimp Parade linked to an article about media portrayals of disability that really struck a chord with me. There are definitely worse ways of talking about disability than the type that article discusses, but it's a very good example of how one type of basically well-intentioned journalism can be annoying.

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Today has been more or less: I went to synagogue and was called to the Torah, but was sufficiently dopey early on Monday morning that I messed it up. Not badly, not in a way that actually has religious import, but on a choreographic level, but it's still annoying because I do in fact know what I'm doing.

Got to work and found that I couldn't do my planned experiments for various annoying trivial reasons. This would be less infuriating if it didn't keep happening rather too often. I was also thwarted in my plan of starting an exercise programme, because the instructor was ill. Then we did our monthly lab cleaning, which depresses me because it reminds me how much time has passed without making much measurable progresses, as much as because cleaning is boring.

I managed to lose my keys (thankfully temporarily) in a way that was so silly it was actually amusing. They fell out of my bag when I was getting something else, I heard them fall but then couldn't find them anywhere. Eventually my colleagues helped me in the search; the great thing about working with scientists is that they ask questions like Did they fall downwards? Anyway, the keys showed up precariously balanced on the cross-strut of a chair, which is only slightly less unlikely than the hypothesis that they might have fallen upwards.

The most irritating irritation is that I have clean forgotten the PIN to my main bank account. I have had the same PIN for more years that I probably ought to, and have never forgotten it before. But now all I can remember is various door codes and similar four-digit numbers which are trivial enough that I can get away with writing them down anyway. I assume the bank will have a mechanism for dealing with dopey customers, but it's hassle I can do without.

To catch up on the weekend, while I'm at it: on Friday evening we went out as a group for a Chinese meal. It was a perfectly pleasant evening, and my new jacket got an outing, and was much admired. But the restaurant, New Peking City in Östermalm, contrived to make it impossible to eat within even my lax standards of kosher observance. Other than that, the shabbat service was fun and I spent most of the rest of the weekend pottering around and unwinding. I managed to get a convincing win at CivII on the King level, and I'm trying to pretend I'm not proud of that.

Comments

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

Told a bunch of corporate lawyers at lunch about the MMR scandal. & :-) Mentioned you, if not by name. (I so enjoy your thoughtful posts, and your links here are no exception.)

Sorry that your day was...far, so very far from perfect.

[mistressdickens.livejournal.com]

Hello!

I just thought I should introduce myself, seeing as I have just added you! I live with eli (or sunflowerinrain, or sfr - she has too many names) Anyway, Eli showed me your journal, and since i'm a book worm, and i wanna know new things to read, I thought i'd add you. Anyway, hello :)

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

I managed to get a convincing win at CivII on the King level, and I'm trying to pretend I'm not proud of that.

Well, I'll be proud of you for it whether you are proud of yourself or not.

[ploni-bat-ploni.livejournal.com]

Just got back from my Home Country!

Sorry to hear that your day didn't go well, although your weekend sounded real nice: King Level at Civ? Man, I never made it that far so definately be proud!

Feel like a little celebration for my simchah tonight? I emailed you about it. Might pick up your mood a bit and I do still have that portwine and a Duvel beer in the fridge that I won't be drinking and which has your name on it...

[syllopsium.livejournal.com]

It's considerably easier to stereotype someone as 'simplistic' whilst ignoring a host of other factors, or 'too complex to understand' (so you won't bother), instead of actually taking the time to understand someone's viewpoint. This usually involves personal change, which many people tend to avoid.