pphaneuf: (Sleepy Head)
[personal profile] pphaneuf
Had a good time today, after a bit of a low with lots of stress and tiredness. I'm tired now, granted, but it's just because it's so damned late, so it's okay.

I got a Canon 28mm/f1.8 USM on order. I've been wanting that lens for a long time, saving up and stuff (since june? whew!), and now I'll be getting it soon. This will be an excellent walkaround lens. I was really missing the way my 50mm/f1.8 was on a film body (with the 20D, it comes out as an 80mm), and this will come out as about 45mm, with USM to boot (fast and silent!), it will be very nice.

I'm feeling semi-social. I want to see some people pretty hard, but large crowds are putting me off a bit. And I want to keep things simple. So I don't think I'll do Shadow Court.

Still feeling like making a "mix tape" (on a CD, really), even had picked a first track, Ministry's "Stigmata". Then I wasn't so sure how to follow it up properly, but got another idea for another mix tape, starting with Einstürzende Neubauten's "NNNAAAMMM". This one, I have a better idea of what else I'd put on, but the immediate track after the opening eludes me. This is kind of fun, I just listen to everything I have on random, attentive to what would go well with an air pressure valve exhausting... Heh.

Had some interesting discussion tonight with the lady [livejournal.com profile] azrhey. Apparently, some people use labels in really wretched ways. I think we need some labels, you know, "words" we call them, so that we can communicate about things, but these people are just weird. An example brought up was that say I had just one girlfriend at the moment, then I wouldn't be poly. Of course not, since I don't have more than one girlfriend! Duh! I really wonder, is a guy that doesn't have a girlfriend not hetero, then?

In essence, it comes down to the label describing me, rather than me trying to fit some label that's being applied. It's difficult having an alternative lifestyle this way, though, because there's all those alternative subcultures that are minorities and when they encounter someone who'd fit, they're all about that subculture's aspect. It's a subtle difference, but you get to see it. And as I discussed with [livejournal.com profile] elliptic_curve before, this is annoying, because all the books and resources, they get done by the "enthusiastic" people (like The Ethical Slut, a really good example of this). It doesn't make them bad resources, it just makes them bloody annoying to read!

Through some brief exchange with [livejournal.com profile] feygele, I guess I'm just queer. And queer theory seems fitting, particularly the bit about how "it questions the use of socially assigned categories based on the division between those who share some habit or lifestyle and those who do not".

For example, I was reflecting upon some suggestion of going to a swinging club that had been offered to me. I can see how I could possibly fit the definition of a swinger, but that I don't want to belong to that subculture at all. It's the same, to a lesser extent, with poly. I'm just who I am, I do things some way, and while you could call it that, it feels a bit uncomfortable sometimes when it's done.

It brings back this memory where I was in a bar, about to kiss a girl I know, and she was saying "well, we shouldn't you're with so-and-so", and the other girl with her (who I knew too) just said very loudly that "it was okay, he's poly". Gah, talk about being labeled from all sides at once!
(deleted comment)

Date: 2005-10-28 06:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pphaneuf.livejournal.com
Hahaha! And I thought I was one of your "favourite persons"? What does that get me? A kneeing! LOL!

I agree that names for things are necessary, but it's when they aren't clearly defined enough that you can get confused with some other group of people, but you want nothing to do with that other group, then using that label on you can get on your nerves.

For me, there's the old annoying hacker versus cracker. I used to think I was a hacker, but now, I just admit that the meaning has been almost completely perverted, and I just use the term in the appropriate company.

While I make fun of those people in these subcultures, I do understand how they feel a bit. Sometimes, when you're in such a minority among society that you basically know very few or nobody directly who shares your beliefs, it's exciting to encounter someone who does (or seems like he does). If he doesn't completely, you'd probably be willing to overlook a few disagreements, in the excitation. And your relation with this person would be defined as "he shares my subculture".

I'm okay with being part of a bunch of subcultures, I just want my relationships with people (friends and all, not just girlfriend-type) not to be defined by that, but rather because they think I'm cool and fun, and I think likewise.
(deleted comment)

Date: 2005-10-29 08:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pphaneuf.livejournal.com
Hahaha! "Grok it", you're awesome! Yeah, I grok...

Date: 2005-10-28 06:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pphaneuf.livejournal.com
And I still feel rambly, apparently. :-)

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