Timewaster's Guide Archive

Thanks for your response, A.  I thought of a few more things that I didn't mention in my earlier post, things I was dancing around but didn't actually say. 

I think the danger in the nature/nurture debate comes not from the debate itself but from the political work it is used to day.  It seems many people (certainly not all) who say that homosexuality is completely inborn add the corollary, "therefore people have no choice about engaging in homosexual activity".  I am leery of any argument that says people don't have choices, because I think people have choices in almost all situations.  They may not like the options, but they are there none the less.  On the other hand, saying that homosexuality is entirely a choice or based on environmental concerns comes with the corollary "therefore, people should just not be gay", which in my opinion is not really a rational or helpful argument, much less one that is a reflection of people's actual lived experience. 

And in response to what you said about depression, it might be interesting to note that, while I have depression, medication doesn't cure it.  Years and years of reprogramming cognitive behavior has  helped a ton, but my depression is caused by much more than the  chemicals in my brain.  It is my belief that most things are this way: we become the way we are because of a delicate and complicated interplay between our genetic makeup, our experiences, and our own choices.  But how much comes from which source is impossible to determine, scientifically or otherwise, with our current code of ethics in place.  What we need to be careful of is what political work we're doing with the statements we make about the way other people naturally are, want to be, choose to be, or any combination of the three.  Perhaps we need to be even more careful to make sure we agree with the political work that's being done by the voices we're aligning ourselves with.  I certainly don't want to align myself with voices that deny personal choice, whether they be pro or anti homosexuality, as I think there are voices on each side of the line that want to say that people don't (or shouldn't) choose the way they run their lives.

Sorry, Archon and SE have already claimed both this fish's arms.  Maybe I can get some animatronic arms to replace them. 

Archon--I'd proffer my arm in penance, but you ate that last week.

SE--"Ran around" and "mess around" do indeed mean pretty much the same thing.  But I stand corrected.

Wouldn't you like to know?   

Isaac, if you say yes to this project know that I will mock you mercilessly for your inability to say no.

Whatever.  Parker asked me to write the review.  I wrote the review.  I think it's mostly a publicity thing.  If you don't want to post it, fine, but I'm so tired and stressed right now that I don't want to know about it.  Just delete it and don't tell me.

My favorite review was the one that said it liked Eragon better when it was called Star Wars.