Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Flag *this*.

I have been waxing paranoid about the new "flag?" button all day. Another Blogspot user wrote, "I personally like the part where they say to keep in mind one person's vulgarity is another's poetry...I don't think a nude picture would fall into that category for the general open minded, normal individual..." Thing is, those aren't the ones I worry about. It's the closed-minded, hostile individuals, some of whom I've run into on Blogspot, that I worry about. And then there is the stuff I *say*. I never meant this blog to be for little kids, or anyone's idea of "family-friendly." I'd file it under "adult" if there was such an option. Instead, I and everyone else will be subjected to the sometimes dubious "wisdom of the crowd", and not know who complained and why.

I said it often in my sociology classes; I'll say it here. Groups are bodies and individuals are cells. Not all the cells are trustworthy. There are certain kinds of cells that I don't need anywhere near my part of the body Blogspot, because they only seek to attack. The thing that sucks about a live-and-let-live philosophy of life is not that you yourself have it, but that others don't, and the ones who don't tend to want to control the ones who do. They see a pair of shrugged shoulders as a doormat that invites them to trample all over.

Damn. You'd think I lived with a person whose dominant personality style, according to the Personality Self-Portrait, is Vigilant. It's rubbing off on me. :-) On with the rest, while I can...

For some reason, I've been coming across this irritating idea in various places online for the past few days: "Bisexuality expands your dating pool." Or, "Bisexuality guarantees you a date for Saturday night." I think that's complete and utter bullshit. Just because you aren't particular about gender doesn't mean you aren't particular at all. I know I care about things like intelligence and original thinking. I have preferences for dark hair (or dark stubble and eyebrows ;-) and short people. And there are a million other preferences. The only way I can understand exclusive gayness or straightness is to think of gender as another preference. Just as some other people will prefer blonds or tall people, they'll prefer one gender over the other, and good for us all that someone out there likes what we bring, right?

Of course, just because we have our preferences doesn' t mean that the people we like will like us back. Quite a few exclusively gay, lesbian, and straight people won't date bisexuals. And even if our crush object has no problem with bisexuality, we might just be too nerdy, or too needy, or too fat, or have bad skin, or like the wrong kind of music. Bisexuals are different from both gays and straights, but we also have a lot in common with both communities. We are different from both because we are similar to both. Our dating pool is just differently shaped; it's not bigger.

Woody Allen can go piss on an electric fence. There was no truth or humor to that statement back in the Seventies, either, I'm sure.

Some readers may think I'm being unnecessarily bitchy. No, the bitchness is necessary. I practiced for the belly-dancing competition I've got coming up this weekend and strained my *hip*. OWOWOWOWOW!!!! My lower back hurts, too. I'm going to need a massage or two before this is over. And I'm probably one of three people in America who doesn't particularly *like* massages, too. Also, Aunt Flo has parked her suitcases and started unpacking. Bitch better get packed up by Saturday. Last year, when the fibroids were kicking my ass, I had the option to get a partial hysterectomy--that is, keep my ovaries for hormones, but get rid of my uterus. Every month, for a few days, I feel extremely stupid for not taking my gynecologist up on that deal and getting a myomectomy instead.

And I hope I can post things like that when I need to.

7 comments:

Blogzie said...

Don't hate me, but I've never, ever had a visit from Aunt Flo.

Really.

I hope she goes away soon.

The old bag.

Nancy said...

I can see your situation with the flag thing...I don't think your blog is objectionable. It is not porn with shots of, well not porn!

If people have a problem they can just pass you by. I can see how some may want to flag you, just to get to you, but I don't think Blogger will think you objectionable. I think they will think you are articulate and funny. At least I hope so!

Most of our blogs are not meant for younguns. Mine is more family friendly cuz family reads it. It would not be if I didn't tell anybody about it!

Hopefully, if Blogger gets too many flags and decides it cannot monitor all the people who use this function for hate or revenge, then they will remove it!

sttropezbutler said...

Flags. This makes me crazy as well. Truth be told, I have encountered some blogs and have been deeply offended. I've simply moved along, while thinking to myself that there sure are a lot of ____________ (you fill it in) in the world

Being a relative newcomer to this blogging community it will be interesting to watch the evolution (that word again) in the coming months and years. How long will it take for the "flag" to be abused? Maybe we should all flag ourselves so we aren't listed and we can become our own community...see..I'm losing it already.

Keep posting CL cause I want to keep reading....

STB

jazzi said...

I love your commentary about the live and let live. Reminds me of the general philsophy that should be on the MBOL but often gets forgotten.

The group/cell is a perfect analogy.

Jaded said...

I worry about the likes of Christinexyz and the ex-gay pseudo Christian... they won't like what I say about them and their buddies, and then flag me for persecuting them for their beliefs. That's what I fear will happen. But if Pat Robertson can call for the assassination of a foreign leader with no repercussions, then we should all be able to say whatever the heck we wanna say.

Sorry about the hip. I don't like massages, either. I find them painful rather than relaxing. although, I've been getting headaches from muscle tension in my neck and shoulder. My neighbor is a massage therapist, so she just massages the area that bothers me and not everything else. I don't mind that too much, and it really helps. My belly's too big to allow it to dance in public, but it does sound like fun. Good luck with the competition.

Jaded said...

Oh, and...

I don't call the nasty thing Aunt Flo... I call it Dot. The dot at the end of a sentence is a period, get it? Lame, I know, lol.

I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which can cause endometrial cancer. If I'd know that I couldn't have any more kids, I'd have had them just get rid of all of it when I had my C-section. Ugh.

Karen said...

flags...
I think it is a bunch of crap.
blogs are for writing what you want, not what others feel the need to judge. censorship in an online journal? total crap.

Aunt Flo is quite the little bitch, isn't she? I feel for you.
you just go out and dance your heart out anyway !

hugs,
Karen