I loved your Aella article. I’m on your side - I have moral objections to the promotion of sex work, and I think her blithe recommendation is risky. But despite that, there is something very compelling about her, and I like her regardless.
Thanks for the interesting piece on Aella. For some reason I'm more discomfited by her aversion to frequent showers than the orgy stuff (not sure how I would possibly make it through the world without a nice hot shower every morning).
In terms of Aella as an anthropologist for sexuality -- wouldn't that be like making that asshole who "wins" all the hot dog eating contests a restaurant reviewer? ("Golden Corral Buffet: 5 stars. They may glare at you, but legally they can't kick you out until they close!")
30 years ago I read a book by Roddenberry on the creation of Star Trek. It detailed the amount of letters and memos he had to write to launch the programme and then to keep it aloft.
Fascinating and detailed and inspiring. No mention of happy endings. You are right about separating the man from the show (which has bought almost as much joy to me over the years as LOTR).
When I was a kid I read all the official Making Of... books which portrayed Roddenberry as a godlike figure ('the Great Bird of the Galaxy', indeed), so for me discovering what he was really like was both shocking and fascinating. It does amuse me that TNG (and everything since) exists in part because his other ideas were so useless he could never get them off the ground.
When I was in middle school I had to do a book report on a biography so I pulled Gene Roddenberry's off the school library shelf because I was/am a huge Trek fan.
Happy endings and sleezy casting demands abounded. My poor 12-year-old self was crushed.
The Soy Right… this kind of writing—good writing and clever—is a great example of the use of language and ideology to frame things in a way that sets up anyone who might disagree as wrong, stupid or evil. The energy spent by the left on virtue signaling and the ever expanding rules of membership to a smaller and smaller tent is why they kicked our butts. We are not made weaker by flexibility in our thinking, nor by an embrace of the gray, rather we are made better when we reject simple dichotomies.
Thank you, Helen, for all of this. I particularly enjoy the gift links to such great writing, although it seems I may be one of those lefty libs that some of your other readers disparage. Attempting to keep calm and carry on.
How lovely to be able to communicate so quickly. As my Mum would have said, we have to keep a stiff upper lip. Heading for 80 this summer, my British heritage still shines through my naturalized American citizenship. TTFN
Oh! Now I am even more excited for your new book. When I sent you that book about Freud and his women from your wishlist I wondered what you were up to - now you have given a little taste here and I am ready for the whole dish. Bring it!
Oh the pennies. I remember when they got rid of one and two cent coins in Australia. Very controversial. Massive learning curve to understand rounding up and rounding down. Like, does $1.97 round up to $2.00 or down to $1.95? You can see how it's going to go in the US.
I loved your Aella article. I’m on your side - I have moral objections to the promotion of sex work, and I think her blithe recommendation is risky. But despite that, there is something very compelling about her, and I like her regardless.
Thanks for the interesting piece on Aella. For some reason I'm more discomfited by her aversion to frequent showers than the orgy stuff (not sure how I would possibly make it through the world without a nice hot shower every morning).
In terms of Aella as an anthropologist for sexuality -- wouldn't that be like making that asshole who "wins" all the hot dog eating contests a restaurant reviewer? ("Golden Corral Buffet: 5 stars. They may glare at you, but legally they can't kick you out until they close!")
30 years ago I read a book by Roddenberry on the creation of Star Trek. It detailed the amount of letters and memos he had to write to launch the programme and then to keep it aloft.
Fascinating and detailed and inspiring. No mention of happy endings. You are right about separating the man from the show (which has bought almost as much joy to me over the years as LOTR).
When I was a kid I read all the official Making Of... books which portrayed Roddenberry as a godlike figure ('the Great Bird of the Galaxy', indeed), so for me discovering what he was really like was both shocking and fascinating. It does amuse me that TNG (and everything since) exists in part because his other ideas were so useless he could never get them off the ground.
When I was in middle school I had to do a book report on a biography so I pulled Gene Roddenberry's off the school library shelf because I was/am a huge Trek fan.
Happy endings and sleezy casting demands abounded. My poor 12-year-old self was crushed.
The Soy Right… this kind of writing—good writing and clever—is a great example of the use of language and ideology to frame things in a way that sets up anyone who might disagree as wrong, stupid or evil. The energy spent by the left on virtue signaling and the ever expanding rules of membership to a smaller and smaller tent is why they kicked our butts. We are not made weaker by flexibility in our thinking, nor by an embrace of the gray, rather we are made better when we reject simple dichotomies.
Sorry you didn’t like it, I thought it was funny — and squarely aimed at ludicrous influencers rather than everyday voters.
Thank you, Helen, for all of this. I particularly enjoy the gift links to such great writing, although it seems I may be one of those lefty libs that some of your other readers disparage. Attempting to keep calm and carry on.
The rule here is that you have to out up with pieces being rude about your political tendency’s excesses, whatever that political tendency might be.
How lovely to be able to communicate so quickly. As my Mum would have said, we have to keep a stiff upper lip. Heading for 80 this summer, my British heritage still shines through my naturalized American citizenship. TTFN
Yes. But isn’t it the nature of the left to tend towards internal purism, while the right tends towards external populism?
Thanks for the gift links!
Oh! Now I am even more excited for your new book. When I sent you that book about Freud and his women from your wishlist I wondered what you were up to - now you have given a little taste here and I am ready for the whole dish. Bring it!
Oh the pennies. I remember when they got rid of one and two cent coins in Australia. Very controversial. Massive learning curve to understand rounding up and rounding down. Like, does $1.97 round up to $2.00 or down to $1.95? You can see how it's going to go in the US.