(no subject)

[felis_ultharus]

Academia

So we had a rather bland discussion in my Sonnets course today. Compared to the debate about the possibility of free will and mind and self-generating somethings, the topic of homosexuality in the sonnets was rather blasé. Things are getting better -- I brought a ton of books to argue my points, but I didn't need them.

One interesting bit of tension was when our professor, in the last three minutes, suddenly announced that she didn't like the dynamic in the class, and asked us how we would change it.

She's right, of course -- the dynamic is bad. But it's not really her fault. She's put together a great course, but she got lazy students who aren't doing the work. I can't say I'm free from blame, there :/

Gaming

Adapting this module for current D&D has been an interesting exercise. One of the interesting details is that it has stats for every sentient creature who might wander across the characters' paths.

How do I adapt the stats for a peasant wife for third edition? The class is easy -- the Commoner class covers pretty much any individual of the lower classes in D&D third edition. But what about the feats -- the special talents that make every character unique. Humans start with two.

I finally decided on Great Fortitude and Endurance. I figured anyone raising children would need both.

Politics

With everything else in life, I've been neglectful here.

I've decided to better inform myself on the situation in Afghanistan before writing letters. I still don't know how involved the Canadian Armed Forces is in the police and penal system. I really hope we aren't helping to persecute innocent people out there.

Meanwhile, this week, the big event/circus was Harper submitting his judge to American-style judicial review. Rarely mentioned in the mainstream press is that the candidate for the Supreme Court -- Marshall Rothstien -- ruled that gays, lesbians and bisexuals were not constitutionally entitled to equality back in 1983.

That ruling, of course, was later overturned, but nobody asked him if he's changed his mind since. Rothstien is known for being very conservative when interpreting the Charter of Rights -- meaning he likes it watered-down. If the same-sex marriage decision had been in his hands, it would likely not be legal now.

This fits in with Harper's cry of "activist judges" -- meaning judges who believe that human rights should actually be a factor in enforcing the law. Rothstien's not the type to put little things like "justice" and "equality" and "constitution" over the letter of the law.

Oh, and Harper's daycare proposals look to be a disaster. But that's not really news.

In more amusing political news, Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian compared Taiwan's political relationship to the US with the relationship between Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar. Is Taiwan Jack or Ennis...?

Comments

[jenjoou.livejournal.com]

Small classes really don't work if people don't put an effort into it... it's a shame though.

I need Great Fortitude and Endurance to deal with children for a short amount of time. The peasant wife should take as much of it as she can get. ;)

And th Brokeback Mountain thing just makes me laugh... I'm picturing how Bush might be taking this. ^_^

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

I'm picturing how Bush might be taking this. ^_^

If we're talking a Brokeback Mountain scenario, then given the US's usual foreign policy, Taiwan is probably on the receiving end. Thus, Bush wouldn't be taking anything :p

[scottevil.livejournal.com]

Well, it seems Jack Twist is the bottom, so...

One thing that bugs me about Nic is that he always says "homosexual" instead of gay or lesbian or queer. As in, "A homosexual reading of this sonnet..." (because as we know Shakespeare wrote them for his gay lover). I really should pipe up sometime and say "Uh, could you please say 'queer reading' instead?"

That would of course start another Peter-versus-Nic debate, which I would win, like the time he said a F2M rap artist was making more of an effort to assert his masculinity than typical straight male rappers who go on and on about bling-bling and hos and guns. I argued that the F2M's lyrics clearly demonstrated a lack of overt machismo, probably because he had already dealt with his gender role before, during, and after reassignment, and felt no need to prove anything. Meanwhile, the insecurity of the straight male rappers was evident in their ridiculously excessive insistence of their heterosexuality.

Anyway, point is, I won. :) He still loves me, too.

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

"One thing that bugs me about Nic is that he always says "homosexual" instead of gay or lesbian or queer. As in, "A homosexual reading of this sonnet..." (because as we know Shakespeare wrote them for his gay lover). I really should pipe up sometime and say "Uh, could you please say 'queer reading' instead?"

For the word "queer, I'm actually using it less and less in those hallowed halls. Partly because in postmodernism, "queer" means something very different -- it aligns things with queer theory, which actually denies the value of a gay identity, or the existence of a queer community.

Queer theory, more than anything else, is what turned me off postmodernism.

For the rest of the queer world, "queer" is an all-inclusive shorthand. In academia, it's part of the ivory-towerism -- dehumanizing and highly ideological.

Meanwhile, outside the community, straight people I talk to think I'm being homophobic when I use the term.

Homosexual is clinical. But I can sort of see its validity when talking about people with no conscius sense of identity, or who are self-loathing, but who are clearly not interested in women. As you once said, "homosexual by nature, gay by choice, and queer by politics."

There are some homosexuals who don't seem to be gay :/

[scottevil.livejournal.com]

As you once said, "homosexual by nature, gay by choice, and queer by politics."

I know I've said something like that, but when did I say it such that you'd remember?

So is Nic enlightened because he says "homosexual"?

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

It was on the SDMB. It was such a marvellous slogan that perfectly summed up my views, so I adopted it ^_^

There could be different reasons he's using "homosexual," of course. I use it, the religious right uses it -- that's quite a range.

In Nic's case, I think he's pretty enlightened, at least on this issue. On the few occasions it came up, he showed himself to be very open-minded.