from the good old Friends page

[ellenkushner]

rozk recommends web-comic La Muse.

megmccarron wonders if gender is really as dead as they say (and, fine English teacher that she is, is Specific and Gives Examples of surpassing horror).

I had a great time yesterday with my 17-year-old nephew, who was visiting from Cleveland on his first solo trip. NYC put on its best for him: the Korean waitress at our regular sushi lunch joint came over and hugged us and expressed enthusiasm over meeting him (and wanted to know where Ohio was); while his mom had said there was no way we could get a tour of NYU since they'd all been full for weeks, we just walked up and joined the tag end of one, despite having no official Visitor tags, and got inside a dorm (this is the Kushner Technique, a combination of chutzpah and luck - and faith in both - which is, I suspect how my grandfather got out of Russia in 1917 [having deserted the White Army with a supply wagon on its way to the front] . . . . A fine old Family Tradition), and then went to the info office where we started to ask about self-guided tours and were told, "Oh, there's a tour starting in 10 minutes you can join." This time we got tags. After, we repaired to a little bakery where he ate a fancy-schmancy homemade Moon Pie, and I discussed the credibility of something called a Coca Cola Cake with the Argentine countergirl (who says her Israeli boss is always bringing her stuff to eat) - "Would you like a taste?" she asked, and cut me a nice little slice, which we enjoyed tremendously.

Comments

[semioticwarrior.livejournal.com]

While elimination of gender itself would make life unspeakably boring, IMO, I'd dance in the streets if gender stereotypes and the marketing thereof were to die quietly in a corner somewhere.

Both the "boy" and "girl" dolls in that entry were frightening. My son wanted a "Daddy" doll in the worst way, and we both left the store at the point of tears when the only dolls available were either anatomically impossible prostitute role models for girls or steroided-up rage machines where even the "good guys" had machine guns and ate babies.

No wonder they say not to trust anyone over 30. I've had enough.

[scbutler.livejournal.com]

Too bad Zhivago never thought of that.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

He did not, of course, admit to any of this 'til he was in his 70's and reasonably sure no one would catch up with him . . . .