{ today I am feeling "that my icon is appropriate" because "WEIRD ASS DREAM." With thanks! M. }

[delga]

LOLZ. xkcd.com for the win.

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Eventually I will have to go to the library to drop off those books I ended up hating. Also: must check The Mother's phone to see if xanitia texted back. (She's in D! Admittedly, working, but: in D!)

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I HAD THE ODDEST DREAM. Claire Forlani was living in a cabin with MARK HARMON of all people. Except Jeffrey Dean Morgan WANTED HER and would walk past the end of her plot of land and look at her LONGINGLY. And then they'd exchange conversations using their own bastardised form of sign language, and Harmon would be JEALOUS and ASSERT HIS MANLINESS by trying to drag Forlani away. AND THEN SHE INVITES JDM TO EAT IN THE CABIN AND IT IS VERY TENSE. Eventually, though, she chooses Harmon over JDM, sends the latter packing (because, um, it's open season?) and tells Harmon to "take [her] back to the city".

GUYS. WHAT THE FUCK. Some sort of weird soap opera that infiltrated my brain last night, obvs.

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The Indians are here; they're quite nice, as I remember, but I still don't have much to say to them. And my Gujarati is weak, yo. I feel shamed. Every time I go to open my mouth, horrible, misshapen sounds come out. It's painful and made of woe.

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Relatedly (kinda), it's International Blog About Racism Week. Believe you me, I have opinions on EVERYTHING but I'm also reluctant to make my opinions known. I'm pretty certain everybody gets that racism=not cool, but I think people get confused as to which way racism runs, and the issues of defending majorities against minorities, as much as the other way around. So, I don't worry about that too much, and I avoid it when the topic comes up in fandom - hello, Doctor Who - even though my recent interrogation of Ziva David suggests some worrying ideas regarding power, gender and culture. This isn't entirely on the up and up, I should talk more about race as it pertains to the world I live in (and less as it pertains to my particular case, but we speak from a source of experience, right?), but I'm reluctant to get into it, the same way that I'm reluctant to get into gender/sex issues outside of an academic context. Some of this is due to a personal lethargy when speaking about these subjects; some of its to do with knowing that my lethargy is shared. But we should be talking. Discussion has greater merits, says the hypocrite.

So here's what I think: don't use language that you know is racist, even if that's the comfortable thing to do in your community of people. The hardest thing, I think, is when you're talking about national stereotypes - certain peoples being better at making cars, or better academically. Question stereotypes as presented in the media, de-code your news broadcasts. Remember that poll I was so annoyed about? That's what I'm talking about. Institutionalised racism, careless use of language; selling stories on sensationalised, niche data. You don't have to know what you're saying in order for it to be a racist thing to say. I also think being aware of your own preferences is pretty key. I've said many, many times before, if there are two characters in a show, blonde and brunette, I'm probably going to favour the brunette. If there's an Asian character in the show, I feel an affinity with that character, same if there's a British character. But I take that into account when I talk about them, and when I talk about the fandom as a whole.

Mostly, I think people need to think about their language, their behaviour, their attitudes. We need to be aware of how we perceive the world, and how we use language. My biggest pet peeve is how 'terrorism'/'acts of terrorism' are phrases that have become connected to the Middle East, and how much of that language was transported to England, not only after 9/11, but especially after 7/7, as though the British hadn't been dealing with acts of terrorism from the IRA for decades before that. Think about what you are reading, hearing, saying. Think about the language you use. Think about things like White privilege, the reasons for politically correct language, and why PC is being derrided by society at large.

And now a link that may be useful to you: Terms, definitions, and disclaimers. I hope other people participate because I know that they are more articulate, and more sensible than I am.

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The Dad just called. I'm working tonight from 6pm-10pm. No clue who I'm working with, or what I'll be doing, or if there'll be a wage at the end of it. I'm not terribly annoyed or anything, just a little irritated by instructions voiced as enquiries &c. Say what you mean, or don't say it.