Linkies

First: If you are a LiveJournal user and you don't follow news, you probably should. Anyway, the most important bit is that LiveJournal now has new settings & flagging tools for "adult content," which you can read more about here. Note that by default, your search settings are "Use Moderate Filtering"--filter out explicit adult content. My guess is that many of you, when you do use the search feature, don't want to filter any results out at all, so it's a good idea to go to your viewing options (settings) page and change that.

Right then. In news unrelated to LJ, but related to the late great TV show Firefly: "I, Malcolm" by Nathan Fillion. Oh, Captain! (Link via musesfool.)

Unrelated (or at least not directly related) to any Joss Whedon show, nancylebov links to The Fantasy of Being Thin. The essay begins with this quote:

Obese patients are often encouraged to believe that weight loss is an appropriate way to combat depression, save a failing marriage, or increase the chance of career success. The irrationality of hopes pinned on weight loss is so striking that dieting might almost be likened to superstitious behavior…. Passing from childhood into adolescence, leaving home, marrying, starting a new job, having a baby, experiencing marital difficulties, adjusting to children leaving home, and growing old — all these life situations may become unexamined reasons to diet. In other instances, concerns over weight mask even more serious problems.”

-Wooley and Garner, from “Obesity treatment: the high cost of false hope,” published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, vol. 91, no. 10, 1991.

Many of you will recognize that the essay applies to more than just dieting. "Because, you see, the Fantasy of Being Thin is not just about becoming small enough to be perceived as more acceptable. It is about becoming an entirely different person – one with far more courage, confidence, and luck than the fat you has." Replace "being thin" and "fat" with, oh, "having a college degree" and "being a college dropout" or whatever other combination of words applies in your life.

Gee, way to entice me, mr. Grinch

Physically, I was doing a little better today than yesterday. Emotionally, for various reasons, I've had feelings of loneliness alternating with rage. Illness is really cramping my style, you know?

I did walk a bit over two miles, though I'm not sure I should have. Among other things, I went in to attempt to deal with some bureaucrap, only to find out that their computer system was down and the workers were all frustrated too, saying they'll call me "as soon as we have working computers again." When might that be? "Your guess is as good as ours." Agggh.

Major accomplishment: My first chance to really stock up on groceries since Thanksgiving. Other accomplishment: One load of laundry.

I'm trying hard not to throw up right now. Just thought you should know.

Atmospheric conditions--in the evening, at least--were such that the only clouds in the sky were long, long clouds formed from contrails, clouds extending across half the sky to converge at a single point.

Not thinking at all well at the moment. Distracted by my body. Imprisoned by my body, it feels like. Refrain of the day: "I never had a chance." You don't want to know.

Enough of me. Nights like this, I can only moan about how the things I want most would only hurt me, and what's the point in that? I'm unhappy. I have now recorded my unhappiness. Let's move on.

MegaHAL says:

Over time desire shall fall and lie to me, mr. Grinch,
your unmistakable gaze opening all the webbing in the sky.

through the phantom twilight fleeting,
drive we to flee.
come to me in the universe,
the mouse is in, the barn lofts piled
up the stairs.

This evening twilight, the contrails-turned-clouds did look rather like webbing. Does the Grinch, with heart grown three sizes larger, have such power to make the sky open up still further? Why should we flee? Flee from what? Flee where? Aren't we already in the universe? Is the mouse a happy mouse? Happier than me?