Unpopular thoughts

[valarltd]

1) I don't believe in hard work. If you have to work hard, you're a) doing it wrong b) probably shouldn't be attempting the task. I don't believe it leads to success. Interpersonal relations lead to success. Luck leads to breaks that lead to success. I see too many people working hard and not making it while too many goof-offs climb.

2) I only have so much privilege-checking interest. If I want to wear a batik broomstick skirt or a man's suit, eat Taco Bell, write sexy men kissing each other or kissing sexy women or sexy aliens or any combination of the above, use family slang that includes words from at least five languages and participate in a pseudo-Celtic moon ritual, then that's what I'm doing. Get over yourself.

I'm reasonable. I don't worship pantheons that aren't mine. I don't borrow cultural clothing (until it arrives in Wal-Mart's mainstream). But you can't tell me having dinner at Fu Gai is a problem for anything but my daily points. Do not even try to give me "by having Chinese food, you are not only participating in cultural tourism and colonialism, you are propping up a repressive and sexist government." I just wanted an egg roll and to contribute to a local small business owner instead of a national franchise. Hold the oppression.

3) I only have so much outrage. Do not ask me to expend it on things that are commmonplace. Very little humans do to each other surprises or horrifies me anymore. I prefer to channel the outrage into activity where it will do something useful.

4) My blog, my space, my rules. No gendered insults. No attacking another commenter on a personal level. Ideas are fair game. "That's a dumb idea" is not the same as "you're dumb." This is not, however, a Safe Space. I will talk about almost anything and there will be NO warnings.

5) I don't believe in challenges. That which doesn't kill you weakens you so the next thing can. Challenge is a soft word for "failure."

Comments

[jess-faraday.livejournal.com]

I disagree about hard work, but, regarding I only have so much privilege-checking interest. Oh my gosh, thank you. Sensitivity is great. Let's all aspire not to be a$$holes. But seriously, it's possible to find harm and offense in everything a person does in the course of their day, from the wheaties they eat for breakfast to the toilet paper they use to wipe their bottoms. Much more productive to pick one's battles instead of letting Fear of Offending frighten one into catatonia.

[morgan-lowri.livejournal.com]

Big YES to number three. My doctor actually agreed with my choice to stop watching the news because it's all just extremely stressful global disasters that I can do nothing about. I get angry/upset/worried for people who are half a world away, and my fretting does nothing to help them. I contribute to charities when I can, but really, I'd usually rather participate in helping our local community. Even then, when I read the Oregonian, I skip most of the bad stuff and move on to local events and things I can vote on or do something about.

The whole schtick of 'if you're not outraged you're not paying attention' is true. But, what does my outrage help? Certainly not my blood pressure or my sense of well-being. It also doesn't feed the starving or shield the innocent from bullets and bombs.

I'd rather share the other half of my sandwich with a girl on a street corner who's down on her luck, attend the local Polish festival that benefits several charities, give spare change to Powell's and New Seasons so that they can buy books and meals for those who need them, and give my extra clothes to Goodwill. These steps actually accomplish something and take brief moments of my time. No outrage required. ^_^

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Seriously, in my Pro-life days, I used to feel guilty for eating Chinese food because of their national abortion policy.

[celestinenox]

I can agree with the vast majority of this, except number one. While I'd like to agree with this (because I believe everyone would be lazy given the opportunity), I just can't. Mostly because of writing. I love it, but it's hard work. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I'm doing it the only way I know how. I wish it came easier, but it doesn't, and I can't give it up entirely because I don't know who I'd be if I wasn't flailing over at least three different writing projects. :/

But, that's me and not you. :)

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Writing is work. I never said I don't believe in work. But hard work, really hard work, where you beat your head against the wall and just.can't. do. it., where you sweat and strain and end up with major damage to your body for pay that isn't enough to live on, that's usually an indication that you're doing it wrong.

I understand the flail. Having a bit of it myself. I started a straight-up horror story. I've started it three times. It's due next Sunday, eight days. Since none of those tales is coming, I know they aren't the story I need to tell right now. I've done the "on a deadline, gotta pull the teeth" writing. It never ends well.

Someone was rude about what you eat?

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

I whack them about the face and head with a large sign emblazoned "Mind Your Own Damned Business". Humph.

Re: Someone was rude about what you eat?

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

It was more a response to this article (http://www.feministing.com/archives/018498.html). She seems to be claiming that at some murky ever-moving point, interest in another culture becomes appropriation.

[synamontwist.livejournal.com]

OMG! Number 2!

I had a college professor tell me I should not see King Kong because it was so racist. Big Black "Ape" chaseing the little white woman.She was dead serious too.

I was dumbfounded. That would never have occured to me in a million years! I swear some people LOOK for shit to be offended about.-shakes head-