Month: August 2008

SF Sunday: machines and freedom from slavery

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From my Quotes File (which you can see serving up random quotes at the bottom of the sidebar):

The fact is, that civilization requires slaves. The Greeks were quite right there. Unless there are slaves to do the ugly, horrible, uninteresting work, culture, and contemplation become almost impossible. Human slavery is wrong, insecure, and demoralizing. On mechanical slavery, on the slavery of the machine, the future of the world depends.
Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900)

I find the search for the perfect robot society a continuing feature of SF novels,

Bedside Manner

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I shared this on my eljay the other day, and thought some Hoydenizens might appreciate it. ‘Tis a conversation I had with my son, known online as The Lad, the other day after school. I wish I could adequately communicate the tone of voice and the flourishes.

“Hi. I’m Doctor Lad.”

“Hi, Doctor.”

“I’m going to have to take an X-ray. Zzht. zzp, zzp, zht. Ohhhhh.” [serious look]

Saturday Links: “Ethnic” Food, Mother-Blaming, and more on sexy sports uniforms

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Hoydenizen Vegan About Town has a terrific post up: “talking about things to eat (or: how the words people use to describe food make me feel like a freak)“. An excerpt:

I read Jay Rayner’s attempt at a week of veganism, where he suggests that “ethnic is the default position for the vegan.” I bet he uses ‘exotic’ ingredients in his cooking, too. I have an ethnicity; we all have ethnicities: the fact that the food I grew up with is easier to veganise than the stuff he ate as a child doesn’t make me ‘ethnic,’ it makes me Chinese. Using these words trivializes the decision I have made to be vegan, and it others my family and my whole freaking life, because using words like that aren’t just saying that I’m ‘different,’ they’re saying that I’m ‘other.’ And he is not alone in this, many people are guilty of this all the time. That you’re trying something you’ve never before heard of doesn’t make it ‘exotic,’ it makes it new to you.

Friday Hoyden: who’s your hoyden?

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And when were you last hoydenish?

Open nomination thread for your favourite hoydens: any woman with a whiff of unconventionality about her!

Yes, stay-at home mums absolutely do count: there’s nothing to stop us being audacious, exuberant, and boisterous in our mothering. And you can count yourself, too, if you’ve done anything particularly hoydenish lately. Here’s me:

Big Brother Friday Fauxpology: Mo’s been in the headmaster’s office before, hasn’t he?

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Just thought I’d revisit Big Brother UK with a little “Oh no he didn’t!” post.

As clip one begins, Mikey, the blind cross-dressing Scotsman radio dude, has just had his hair shaved off as part of a task. The task involved the housemates cutting or clipping their hair such that the combined hair filled a flask to the top.

[Transcripts/summaries of clips are at the bottom of the post.]

I’m guessing Mo would justify this action, outside the house, as being just him, paragon of equalism, treating everyone equally badly. You can sure tell that he’s been in that hot chair before, and knows exactly the script to follow, though he still stumbles over it. It grates.