Are you awake?

Are you awake? Are you aware? Are you paying attention?

If you're not, what are you missing?

It's pretty much my life-philosophy, as much as I have one -- the thing I see out of the corner of my eye is equal to the thing square in front of me, so it behoves me to look for them all.

In story-telling, it's even more important to be aware. Because sometimes the moment of realization comes up and bites you on the nose, or dances with veils on your desk... and sometimes it sneaks up on you. Until you are awake, and looking for the pattern, the connection, the hints and clues are just meaningless bits and fragments; life-noise.

Once the connection appears, tho? Magic.

In obviously-related news, I figured out what "Strong Earth" is about! Both layers (the obvious plot, and the underlying applicable-to-the-reader theme). And suddenly the title makes sense.

Now if I could just manage to write more than 300 words a day, that would be real progress. This story required so much fact-checking and rethinking (and rejiggering as history refuses to bend) that it's flowing smoothly but very very slowly. Frustrating as hell.


"Strong Earth"

oh bugger that for a lark....

Have you heard about the New Rules According to Six Apart's Morality Police?

"Thousands of LiveJournal customers are rebelling against the company's recent decision to censor hundreds of sex-themed discussion groups, a broad swath that has led to the removal of literary critiques and fan-written fiction about Harry Potter.

LiveJournal, which is owned by San Francisco-based Six Apart, confirmed Wednesday that it deleted around 500 journals this week in hopes of better "protecting children." It said the deletion was prompted by activist groups, including one called Warriors for Innocence that claims to track sites promoting pedophilia, the sexual abuse of minors, and other illegal activities."

The article then goes on to point out that

"Legal experts say LiveJournal is clearly not liable for fictional stories and related discussions posted by its users, thanks to a 1996 federal law immunizing Web-based discussion forums from lawsuits. 'If the content is otherwise legal, then LiveJournal has no obligation to police its site or remove any legal content it finds,' said Eric Goldman, who teaches at the Santa Clara University School of Law. "

(emphasis mine)

EtA: mind you, if something crosses the boundries into illegality, I agree it should go. But using a broadsword instead of a scalpel just proves you're a moron, and defending the broadsword means you're a moron without a PR person.

etA2: this post hasn't been verified yet, but it suggests that the so-called "Warriors For Innocence" have ties to several radical and extremely racists 'Christian militia" groups. You know, the kind that say if you're anything other than Them, you're a god-hating, child-abusing, liberal-voting, devil-worshiping....

hey. Has anyone told this group that LJ's mascot is a goat? And that they're based in San Francisco?



Anyone else really tempted to list "highly sexualized goat-pr0n" as an interest, to see how long it takes to get their account deleted as being "bad for the CHILdren?"

I'm not going to jump ship just yet -- I'm digging in and fighting back the only way I know how -- with words here, and a hit to their wallet there. I encourage everyone else to do the same. Leaving just makes these anally troubled organizations think they've taken the field without resistence. Hell no, I won't go. And if it takes posting explicit pr0n to this journal to make a point, well, my family's always been a big fan of civil disobedience....

this is all windrose's fault...

ETA: Some of the nasty words that SixApart is targeting as 'dangerous to children':

Rape. Abuse. Also: Incest. Pedophiles. Censorship.

Words are dangerous, yes. Banning them even more so. Refusing to allow people a place to discuss matters of danger (which they did, in reportedly shutting down comms and journals of survivors) is the most dangerous thing of all.

All right, we got a 'mea culpa, we screwed the pooch on this one' apology from his kneejerk highness the CEO. Yeah boys and girls, you did. Fix it, and we can be friends again. But I trust you about as far as I can throw your shiny new headquarters....

-------------------------------------------

So, with all due respect to Sting and The Police

forgive me, Lord, for I have filked...

(to the tune of "Don't Stand So Close To Me")

That LJ, the subject
Of pervy fantasy
These posters are so nervy
Know what they want to say
Inside them there's longing
This post’s an open page
Site marking – it’s all legal
despite what the Warriors say.

Don't post, don't post so
Don't post so honestly
Don't post, don't post so
Don't post so honestly

Six Apart is so nervous
They cave so easily
Sometimes it’s not the smartest thing
To be such wussy geeks
press pressure, it’s building
So bad it makes them look
Rude comments, sharks waiting
other journals are making hay

Don't post, don't post so
Don't post so honestly
Don't post, don't post so
Don't post so honestly

Strong talk in the journals
Fighting back as best they can
Bad words in the comments
The accusations fly
They try to deny it
Say its for ‘our own good’
banning all speech of
That book by Nabokov

Don't post, don't post so
Don't post so honestly
Don't post, don't post so
Don't post so honestly

Don't post, don't post so
Don't post so honestly