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The comment thread in my post of yesterday on language etymology and word choicse is quite amazing — Go check it out.
A Whiff of Colonialism —
rosefox on the Spinrad column, and non-Eurocentric writing. The discussion isn't the least bit about me, quite the opposite, but it does cause me to consider myself. This is a complex topic for me, because of my own background. I'm solidly in the privileged class of white, male, Anglo-Saxon, tall(ish), well-educated, well-employed, etc. etc. Yet I spent most of my childhood in non-white, non-Anglophone countries, and I have a non-white daughter growing up in my house. My experience of culture, privilege and race is far more complex than you could ever assume from seeing my face in an author photo, or reading my utterly English name on a book spine. Yet one of the reasons I've generally stopped talking about race and culture on this blog is that every time I do, a meaningful portion of readers see my name and face and assume I'm another clueless privileged white guy, and respond accordingly with either vitriol, scorn or earnest attempts at re-education. It's hardly a tragedy for the public discourse that some privileged white guy's words about race have been tuned out, but it saddens me personally to self-censor.
Syphilis: Menace to Industry — Classic poster art. Somehow I never quite thought of industrial productivity as a primary motivator for safe sex.
Constructing a marble machine — Impressive (and obsessive) as all get out. (Thanks towillyumtx.)
Habitable Planets: Working the Odds — Drake, Drake, duck!
Still Taking Exception — Daniel Larison on American Exceptionalism, Obama, and his critics on the Right.
?otD: What color are your parachute pants?
3/11/2010
Writing time yesterday: 1 hours
Body movement: 30 minute stationary bike ride
Hours slept: 7.5 (solid)
This morning's weigh-in: 231.4
Yesterday's chemo stress index: 3/10
Currently reading: [between books]
A Whiff of Colonialism —
rosefox on the Spinrad column, and non-Eurocentric writing. The discussion isn't the least bit about me, quite the opposite, but it does cause me to consider myself. This is a complex topic for me, because of my own background. I'm solidly in the privileged class of white, male, Anglo-Saxon, tall(ish), well-educated, well-employed, etc. etc. Yet I spent most of my childhood in non-white, non-Anglophone countries, and I have a non-white daughter growing up in my house. My experience of culture, privilege and race is far more complex than you could ever assume from seeing my face in an author photo, or reading my utterly English name on a book spine. Yet one of the reasons I've generally stopped talking about race and culture on this blog is that every time I do, a meaningful portion of readers see my name and face and assume I'm another clueless privileged white guy, and respond accordingly with either vitriol, scorn or earnest attempts at re-education. It's hardly a tragedy for the public discourse that some privileged white guy's words about race have been tuned out, but it saddens me personally to self-censor.Syphilis: Menace to Industry — Classic poster art. Somehow I never quite thought of industrial productivity as a primary motivator for safe sex.
Constructing a marble machine — Impressive (and obsessive) as all get out. (Thanks to
willyumtx.)Habitable Planets: Working the Odds — Drake, Drake, duck!
Still Taking Exception — Daniel Larison on American Exceptionalism, Obama, and his critics on the Right.
?otD: What color are your parachute pants?
3/11/2010
Writing time yesterday: 1 hours
Body movement: 30 minute stationary bike ride
Hours slept: 7.5 (solid)
This morning's weigh-in: 231.4
Yesterday's chemo stress index: 3/10
Currently reading: [between books]
