Paradoxical

Yesterday icarusancalion posted a public recantation of her position on one of her Buddhist teachers - Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, and temple she used to attend, Kunzang Palyul Choling.

"My real name is Michelle Grissom, formerly Ani Dechen Drolma. I wish that I could reach every person who has read or heard of The Buddha From Brooklyn, or who has heard the slander I've spread through blogs and as Longchenpa on Wikipedia -- now being helplessly replicated everywhere against my will -- because I lied."

As part of coming to terms with what she's done, besides the public announcement, icarusancalion has asked us to pass this on. In spreading this link (and feel free to do so yourselves, please), we are helping to counteract the disinformation that icarusancalion spread about a worthy female Lama and a perfectly normal Buddhist temple.

So, 5 things I'm grateful for on this Friday are:

1. Tax refunds & being able to claim them online with minimal effort
2. Warmer days as Spring approaches, and cheaper power bills
3. Free medical care in NZ; M had knee surgery last week & is on a lot of drugs, all paid for by ACC
4. Heroes Season 3 and Outrageous Fortune Season 6
5. B cooking all our meals this week, because I've been otherwise occupied

 Swedish parents keep 2-year-old's gender secret

Favourite series include:

Patricia Cornwell; Scarpetta seriesI also like fanfic, mostly in the following fandoms:

I had a job interview this morning, and it went really, really well.  Both interviewers were easy to talk to and I felt very relaxed.  Plus, I actually had answers for all their questions, so the prep I did last night obviously helped.  I can totally see myself working and fitting in well there!  But, you know, even if I don't make the short list for this job, it's reassuring to know that I still interview well.  I was on a high when I got home!

Also, my wonderful FIL-to-be gave me a ride to & from the interview, so I didn't even have to bother with the bus (he was headed that way anyway, but it's still really awesome of him to detour for me)!

I can't wait til the boys get home: they've been in Wellington for the last few days, working.  It's a long, wet and slightly treacherous eight-hour journey home for them today, so I'm a little nervous about it.

 I do things that people do.

I woke up late this morning, and didn't bother to make my bed.  I had toast and coffee for breakfast, and left the dishes on the bench.  I showered and brushed my teeth.  I got dressed in jeans and a sweater because it was cool.  I sat at my desk to check my email, blogs and web comics.  I played World of Warcraft.

And then I did something that girl gamers do.

I explained the difference between a male treating a female like a sexual object and a female having a sexual identity to several males who just seen another male kicked out of their guild for repeatedly making sexual comments to a 16-year-old female guild member, even after she asked him to stop.  We had a discussion about power and stereotypes and human rights.

Why is this something that girl gamers do?  Because prior to my intervention, the guys had been joking around about the incident, including making sexual comments about the girl involved (things like "I'd like a piece of that young ass too").  You know, because when you joke about something, you obviously don't mean it, and therefore it's okay to keep saying it.  That way nobody will be offended.  As long as you put a smiley face at the end.  :)

This attitude is something gamers are especially prone to, as they're already in the mental zone to "relax, have fun" - and so everything becomes a source of amusement.  What they don't realise is that their fun can infringe on another's, and that's when it stops being okay.  When a 16-year-old girl doesn't want to raid with her guild because she doesn't want to play with a guy who can't take no for an answer, she isn't having fun.  When the females in guild have to type instead of being able to speak on Vent because they don't want to have to deal with the sexual comments that would ensue, they aren't having fun (trust me, there's a big difference in fun level when ya can't talk to your fellow gamers).

"But," Dave tells me, "There are lots of girl gamers who act like sex objects!"

"How do you mean?" I ask, "What do they do exactly?"

"Well... they make sexual innuendos and jokes!  They talk on Vent in low, bedroom voices!  They post their pics on the guild forums, usually with cleavage shots!"

So, in other words, they act like men with boobs.  Therefore it's okay to treat them as a non-person there for your gratification only?

"Well... no?"

Slut: a woman who acts like men do.

So, my 23-year-old brother saw Zeitgeist, the Movie online, and has become a fanboi.  I recall hearing about it a couple of years ago, but never actually got around to watching it, until my bro made me sit down with him and watch.  I lasted 20 minutes, but apparently the film lasts just over two hours.

When I was studying at university, the one thing that was repeated over and over by my lecturers was "cite your sources".  It's one thing to draw a conclusion from a wide range of sources if you can actually show how you reached that conclusion, and another to make broad generalisations and act as if they're a given, when you don't bother to prove 'em.  Guess what Zeitgeist does?

Bro & I then had a little debate about religion, which, you know, soon turned into an actual fight (hey, we're siblings; it's what we do).  And, no doubt, we'll fight about it again.  He's an atheist, because, like me, he always felt Christianity to be wrong.  I'm a pagan mystic, because I realised that there was more to god and religion than monotheism.  

Anyyyyyyyyyyyway, what I was wondering was whether any of y'all can recommend sites that discuss Zeitgeist, the Movie? - especially the religion part of it.  Alternatively, if you've seen it, what do you think of it?

Attention WoW fans: this may be the most epic post ever made on the Shaman forums.

"Many of you shaman's have requested me that I add guide to kill fellow shamans brothers. YOU ARE TRAITORS. You must love your shamans. When you see shamans you use do not fight. use spectral wolf ability and you dance with the other spectral wolves."

( The best parts? )

In a recent post, ms_katonic linked to an article discussing geeky women and that got me to thinking. I too consider myself a geek - which is probably pretty typical of most Dreamwidth users as it stands! However, in addition to being obsessed with blog, auction & comic websites, I also spend a fair amount of time playing computer games. For most of the past four years, the game of choice has been World of Warcraft (and yes, I tried Warhammer Online instead, but my laptop couldn't handle it).

( Because of this, I consider myself a geek and a gamer. )

I've spent the morning cleaning my dishes and laundry. It has left me feeling very peaceful, a sensation that is no doubt helped by the weather.

It's a beautiful day; clear blue sky with only a few fluffy white clouds in the distance, heat radiating through my open windows, a light breeze occasionally stirring the leaves. My lawn is freshly mowed, and the green is pale against the dark jade & ruby foliage of the hedge. The trellis bordering my deck is a crisp white that reflects the sun, where it manages to peek over the bulk of the house. All in all, it's a banquet of colours to delight the senses.



I'm currently sitting in my living room, beside the sliding door that opens onto the deck, and I can feel both the warmth of the sun and the intermittent soft breeze. I've got Kings of Leon playing in the background, the cat lounging at my feet, a good book ("Kissing the Limitless" by T. Thorn Coyle) sitting beside me, and a bunch of awesome emails in my inbox.

I love days like this.