Everything

is always infinitely more complicated than we believe it is.

Sexuality/identity

What we really need is not for society to accept new labels, new groups (homosexuality, bisexuality, asexuality... various fetishes... polyamory) but to do away with the need for labels and groups completely. It's too complex, contradictory and fluid a thing, on every scale (and there are at least two different, intersecting scales here - strength of drive and type of attraction - and possibly more) to be categorised. And, while it's true that we always have to generalise because otherwise communication is impossible (reality is always more complex than the words that try to capture it, but we do need to talk about it nevertheless), I'm not sure that having more opportunity to differentiate really helps much, in this particular area of human experience. Having a whole *bunch* of minorities I could identify as does not help me.

Perhaps this is one area of life where we should just try to learn to live with the fact that... life just doesn't always *fit* all those neat little boxes we make up in our minds? That sometimes it really is amorphous, ever-changing, and possibly even weird beyond description... (and also, that this is a feature and not a bug. Repeat after me, society: DEVIANCE DOES NOT EQUAL ILLNESS.)

Cultural identity would be another such area.

We need fewer boundaries, fewer mental demarcation lines.

Oh, and I'd also like world peace, please.

Improvised croutons

So, yesterday I was making croutons (to go with a tomato and zucchini stew) when my friend/roommate came into the kitchen. The following conversation developed:

Friend: What are you cooking?
Hmpf: Croutons.
Friend: Ah. *Improvised* croutons.
Hmpf: Why 'improvised'?
Friend: Well, shouldn't they be spicy?
Hmpf: ... I could put some spices in, but that's not really how croutons are supposed to be. They're just white bread, diced and fried/roasted in a pan.
Friend: But they're usually store-bought.
Hmpf: ...

So, apparently, food that is freshly prepared is 'improvised'. Proper food is store-bought.

*cries*

*remembers other roommate bringing home pancake-mix-in-a-bottle; cries some more*

The Lakes 2.06

White dog shit! Bwahahah!

ETA: So... is that a clause in all of John Simm's contracts or what? "Script needs to include reference to white dog shit?"

Granted, I've only seen The Lakes and Life on Mars so far. *g*

Or is it a general British symbol for the past? Why haven't I encountered it before?