So I'm back in the U.S. California just now. Then briefly Houston, before heading back to Rhode Island for the school year. I had an amazing time in England. You can read all the gory details in my
Buxton Blog, if you like. I even managed to pick up a troll over there! That's my second in as many months. Go me.
Expect a number of rather short posts from me in the near future as I skim through things I've missed in the past month.
Welcome back. Things have been a bit slow in the blogosphere. Alright, I'm dying to know--what is your secret for finding trolls? So many of us have been trying for years to get one of our very own and you have two in as many months. Lucky bastard.
ReplyDeleteOh, I have a question for you regarding Texas' laws. Should I vote for 2? If I vote for it and get rid of marriage, this is a vote for equality but of course (given your analysis) this would be equality through leveling down. Should I vote against it and protect the present inequalities?
Two good questions, Clayton!
ReplyDeleteI have no idea where trolls come from or how to attract them. I think getting a troll is sort of like falling in love: it works best when you're not trying.
As for Proposition 2, there are compelling arguments on both sides. At the theoretic level, equality is definitely a good thing, and that counts in favor of Prop 2. Then again, familes do seem to be good things, and that seems to count against it at the theoretical level.
I think that in the end, pragmatic considerations become the more relevant ones. On the one hand, the amendment will in fact be misused to discriminate against gay couples. On the other hand, it would in fact be funny for marriage to be illegal in Texas.
If it were me, I'd vote against it. Too bad I'm not in Texas any more.
I was being somewhat facetious when I asked whether to vote on 2. Your analysis that it would nullify marriage may well be correct, but it will be lost on the people who missed this in the first place. I'll cast my vote against so it is almost as if you yourself got to vote against it, no?
ReplyDeleteAre you equating finding a troll and finding true love? [ed., inside joke about the abuse of 'to equate']
A troll is a person who posts deliberately inflammatory messages. It's a negative term, meant to apply only to people who post inappropriately.
ReplyDeleteIn the case of my two trolls, they are anonymous posters who post with the apparent primary motive of hurting my feelings. Rather than discussing the issues I raise, they find personally insulting things to say about me and my friends.
Most people find them annoying. Often, so do I. Sometimes I just find them amusing.
I don't know, I have a hard time understanding the phenomenon. It doesn't strike me as boredom, because they keep coming back, and they're very passionate about it. It seems to me that they're very, very bitter about something or other, and for some reason they have the idea that it's worthwhile to try to make me feel bad.
ReplyDeleteScan through the comments throughout my Buxton blog if you want an idea for the sort of thing I'm talking about.
I agree, it's very sad.