Gobsmacked

[pecunium]

Lindsay Beyerstein's (Majikthise) father died a few days back. I didn't know him, but in the strange way the web makes so many of us feel close to so many others, I was saddened.

We all die too young, and he was young. Younger than my father. A while back I was, as is my wont, vocal in a conversation at her place. She sent me a note, thanking me for chiming in. I was flattered, and pleased, because it was one of those conversations which went overboard (feel free to take a guess on the topic; there might be a prize).

She asked if there was anything I wanted her to point people to, as she was adding me to her blogroll. When I mentioned Am I a "L"iberal" she promptly pointed people to it.

She also, from time to time, made it plain she was actually reading this little corner of the web, not just listing it on the sidebar.

So, when she said she was going to be AFK for a while, and asking for contributions, I offered her some pictures; because she and I have also talked about cameras/photos, and it seemed the least I could do.

She accepted them, by way of offering me posting rights, because she didn't want to mistreat my, "art."

So, for those of you who want to see a picture of mine, which hasn't been, and won't be, posted here, it's over there.

When I post something over there, I'll put a link up here.

Comments

[jmhm.livejournal.com]

She's a good woman.

[saoba.livejournal.com]

it was one of those conversations which went overboard (feel free to take a guess on the topic; there might be a prize).

I'd have to guess... cooking. Because you are one of the most rational people I know talking seriously about 'why torture is wrong'.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

No kewpie for you. It was torture.

I may be rational, but I am not restrained on the topic.

There are lots of people who are less rational (or straight-up dishonest) about the subject. I've been known to be less than completely rational when it comes to them.

Go look at the recent Slacktivist post on torture (ca. June 10), for an example of that loss of restraint.

TK

[don-fitch.livejournal.com]

You may be -- and, indeed are, largely -- rational on the topic of torture, but at the same time you're not entirely unemotional. Which is as it should be, because emotion is a part of being human. There are certainly perils in being too emotional, and in being driven by the wrong emotions, and the world might well be better-off with more Reason & less Emotion, but there is good cause for using the word "sociopath" to describe a person lacking in emotions.

And I remember Greg (or perhaps it was Jim -- they were big on being Identical Twins at the time) bringing up the analogy that emotion is the car's engine, and reason is its steering mechanism.

[don-fitch.livejournal.com]

That should, of course, have been "Greg (or Jim...) Benford". *sigh* (I plead lack of sleep and surplus of heat, rather than stupidity or senility. That's my story and I'll stick with it.)