Viewpoints

There's lots of stuff I like to read and think about, and I'm going to talk about some of it here.

Language:
Language is the window to our world, to our minds. The words we use say a lot about the people we are. I have a Master's degree in Linguistics (utterly useless for making any sort of money, btw) because I love the topic so much. Particular areas of interest for me are sexism in language, language change, dialects and the sociological implications of speaking a non-standard dialect. I'm also very interested in grammar (don't worry, I won't be grading comments!), historical changes in language, taboo language and swearing. I know the difference between its and it's, but my fingers often don't, so no mocking me if I bugger it up. Also, I use plenty of non-standard language. That's just me.

Religion
Particularly, I am interested in the way that religions influence government and the mores of society. I am fascinated by the way religion shapes our world. And often infuriated by the way that people use religion to push their agendas of hatred and intolerance.

Politics:
Seriously, how could one NOT find politics fascinating? People acting in their own self-interest, all the while pretending to act in mine and yours. It's reality TV at its finest.

Feminism:
Oooh, the f-word. Trying to take power from men is quite possibly the most dangerous act a person can make. It results in beatings, murders, wars and even genocide. The reason that women are subjugated is about power, and the unwilingness of men to share it. Feminism, as defined by me, is the movement toward sharing power equally.

Let me be clear here: I like men. I like them a lot. I find them fun to talk to, fun to argue with, fun to work with, and a good lot of fun to fuck. Ditto women. I am not the kind of feminist who wants women and men to melt into one fluid gender. I like and celebrate our differences. What I don't like are misogynist pigs. Of either gender. Or any gender in between. Stereotypes annoy me, but I understand where they come from. I'm guilty of it myself, try as I might. I intend to blog about this a fair bit.

Healthcare:
Health care, especially in Canada, is a particular interest of mine. From the fiscal and political end of it, to the patriarchy within it.. Fair warning, one of my worst prejudices is against doctors. I really really hate them. Not all of them, mind you, but ... oh, virtually every one I've ever dealt with. And I've dealt with way more than my fair share. I've been misdiagnosed, so's my Mom. Doctors killed my Dad. They let my kids suffer (because I "over-react to their whining". It wasn't until their Dad came to the appointments that anyone actually looked into the problems.) So, no, I will not be reasonable about doctors. I will try not to be completely irrational though.

Abortion:
HOT BUTTON! A topic guaranteed to cause disagreements and vitriol.
I am pro-choice because I am pro-life. This means I am completely aware the rate of abortion does not go down when the procedure is illegal. Instead, the maternal death rate goes up. Death vs. More Death. Those are the choices. I'll take Death, thanks. And in the meantime, I'll work to see that there is less death by promoting condom use, pill use, alternative sex acts (especially for teens! When I was one, we called it doing "everything but..." No pregnancy risk, but plenty of fun). Also, I think reducing the stigma on adoption would be great (here's a cross-over with language: What do you call the child you've given up for adoption? You no longer have claim to "my daughter/son", the adoptive parents get that. We don't even have a word for it. How are we supposed to talk about it reasonably?) And I'd like to see universal childcare (not the joke of $100/mo that I've dubbed the Harper Hundred*) so that childcare doesn't bankrupt families.

The only way to prevent abortion is to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Period.

Misc:
Other shit I like to talk about includes domestic violence, rape - the ultimate hate crime, kids, the public school system, pregnancy (I'm pregnant now with my third and final kid), human rights, and you know, pretty much anything.

*The Harper Hundred actually helps my family a lot. This is *only* because I don't have to pay for child care. Being able to be home (and work a few hours a week elsewhere) is more possible with the extra hundred (soon to be $200). It's great for me. But it's utterly ridiculous for the vast majority of other Canadians, and I'm a good enough socialist to recognise that just because something is good for me, doesn't mean it's a good overall program.

So that's it. More when the urge strikes me. In the meantime, the 2 year old has been quiet for way too long... I smell trouble.