Inspired by Dr. Scribblemoose, a post to stay in touch :D

[puddingcat]

Firstly: nannyo, meet lipstickcat. Possibly the only 2 people I know who will be able to sympathise about giving a ferret a pill.


Secondly: Did anyone *not* have a godawful day yesterday? Time seemed to stop at 11.30, nothing got done, nothing went noticeably wrong, and yet I came home wanting to destroy something.

So instead I did some sewing and went round to see dr_wez, ate chips & pizza (but drank fruit juice, so that's ok) and watched American Psycho. Er - yes. Now I've IMDBed it to find out what actually happened, I think I want to see it again and appreciate the humour without wondering "WTF?" every few minutes.

Oooh, and (thanks to daegaer, I've been watching RH Plus! That is how vampires should be. Well, apart from the never-explained eating real food and going out in daylight bits, obv. But they're all pretty and angsty, and pretty and they fight crime!, and are pretty. And there's biting. Mmm, biting.

I have two episodes left, and then it's back to Bleach and the godawful filler section. The things I do for Renji. Mmm, Renji. (I'm still looking for good, *long* fics...)

I'm off to Stockport tonight (boo hiss) to mow the lawn and sort through my mortgage docs and find out whether we're *actually* allowed to rent the houses in the Mews out. Several people *are* doing so, but one of the viewers that's been round wanted to have it in writing. Realistically, I think the house will be bought as a buy-to-let; all the feedback I've had has been "Too small".


More evidence that my cats actually belong in a cartoon: apparently Cleo was so eager to get back into the house this morning that she ran head first into the fridge. One day, I'll catch little tweeting bluebirds flying around her head.


I've also been finding several followup reactions to the train wreck of the OSBP, and finding that I'm actually starting to get interested in feminism. Not as a bra-burning, man-hating, giving-them-a-bad-name sort, but interested and righteously angry. Which is a definite change from previously being upset by all the fuss and Just Getting On With Things.

I still get worried that one of these Real Feminists will read something I've said and get cross with me, but then I worry about that in regard to everyone and everything. Still, surely wanting to learn is a good start, right? Even if it is rather late?

Comments

[crocodilewings.livejournal.com]

If I want to convince someone of something, it is my responsibility to pitch my language and argument to them. If I'm going to attempt to interfere with someone's existing beliefs, I can't expect them to do the legwork.

[puddingcat.livejournal.com]

Ordinarily, I'd agree with you 100%.

When the point under discussion is how women have to change themselves to fit in with men's preferences in a large variety of ways, it becomes a lot harder to stick to.

Also, if the men in question are asking to be helped to understand how women see things, then the language and emotions are part of that; stripping them out and turnign it into ManSpeak makes it an impossible task.

[crocodilewings.livejournal.com]

I think that's more of a parallel than a symptom of the same issue. If France and Poland were experiencing diplomatic strife, Poland would send its communications in its very best French to avoid miscommunication, not to show capitulation to France.

When France responds, you can expect the best Polish they can muster, but if they don't speak very good Polish, there's not a lot you can do. That's the way wars are started.

Do you find male discourse particularly inaccessible?

[puddingcat.livejournal.com]

Do you find male discourse particularly inaccessible?

Not usually, no.

Go and read libellum's post here. Note how many of the male respondents suggest alternative intentions behind some of the actions being described. The easiest way to answer their points is to say "It's not just what he said; it's the way he said it". Which is factual, and accurate - but wholly unquantifiable, and therefore frequently discounted as a valid point.

Much of "female discourse" is based on how things are said. Much of women's issues with how men treat them comes down to how men say and do things. These things are impossible to describe in terms that "male discourse" recognises. Most of the times I've tried to explain why I have a problem with something, I get accused of being oversensitive because I can't pin down in totally objective and factual terms what the problem is. Many of those times, the problem *can't* be put in objective and factual terms.

Re your France & Poland comment, the situation is more that France has been telling Poland how to behave for centuries. Poland is starting to stand up for itself and demand autonomy, in their very best French. France is starting to realise that what it's doing might be considered wrong, and is making an effort to change. And yet France is making no attempt to understand Polish better, even when Poland points out the flaws in thir grammar. At the same time, France is pointing out every little error in Poland's French, and totally ignoring the substance of their argument.

[crocodilewings.livejournal.com]

I've read it.

Although I do believe that certain circumstances call for special measures, I feel that "abandon one of the cornerstones of civil dialogue" is a measure which requires a pretty exceptional circumstance.