The State of the Connie

[conuly]

1. Yes, I'm definitely on the spectrum, aka autistic, aka diagnosed Asperger's. No, that doesn't mean I can tell you much about this-or-that idea, therapy, or whatever. I mostly restrict myself to rants and links, links and rants.

2. No, I don't want kids. Yes, I like kids. Love 'em, actually - but I also like a little thing I like to call being alone.

3. Yes, I'm pretty sure (barring evidence to the contrary) that I'm fairly asexual and probably straight, though (like always) I could be wrong about this. Had sex. Thought it was overrated. Never got around to telling my mom. No, not gay, even though I do tend to post articles related to gay rights.

4. Yes, I *am* agnostic-bordering-on-atheist, despite my fascination with religion in general. Actually, overcoming my visceral prejudice against religion is, alas, a bit of an ongoing battle. No, I'm not Jewish, even though I post links to a lot of articles on Jewish issues.

5. Position on various issues:

No cure for autism. I like me, thanks very much, and I don't want to be put in a position where people would criticize me for liking who I am.

Yes to abortion. Even stupid ones, like for (say) hair color or whatever other "frivolous" reason you can come up with. If you don't want a kid, you really shouldn't have one.

No to linguistic prescriptivism, except for the few peeves which *I* have. Because I'm a hypocrite.

Yes to a generalized equality for everyone. Because it makes sense. And because this is the sort of thing everybody can stand behind. Equality. Yeah. That's good.

No to the death penalty. I've never understood that one, nor liked it. Come back and talk to me when we can really prove that people have or haven't committed crimes, 100% of the time. We're not there yet - there's still false convictions and spotty sentencing.

5. Um. It's late. I'm going to bed. I'll leave this for a while. Probably forever. You guys can fill in the rest.

Comments

just because I feel like sharing...

[ex-chaos-by-699.livejournal.com]

I don't think most people get around to telling their moms they've had sex, unless they have a particularly open relationship with their mom. After a while though, especially if they see that you're dating, most parents probably tend to assume.

Not sure my mom ever did though. She might well have died thinking I was a virgin. *snerk*

No, I don't want kids. Yes, I like kids. Love 'em, actually - but I also like a little thing I like to call being alone.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Wouldn't say I love kids, but I don't hate them either, and some seem pretty cool. But yeah, I have this massive need for alone time that would probably make me a terrible mother. Among other things.

Most of the other stuff I'd agree with as well, except I'm leaning towards not being against the death penalty (though if they banned it, I wouldn't have a problem necessarily with that either. It's one issue I really don't have strong feelings about one way or another). And I like sex, at least with the right person.

[darkpoole.livejournal.com]

I very nearly could have written this. Well, not the part about loving kids, because while there are certain kids I like to hang with, I mostly avoid them. And I'm definitely (rather than probably) straight.

Well, okay, I don't know about my stand on linguistic prescriptivism, mostly because I haven't a clue what it is.

But otherwise, most of what you wrote is a pretty fair description of my life and outlook. Including the "had sex, thought it was overrated" part, although that's probably from being with the wrong person. I might give it another try someday if I actually meet the right one.

Re: agree with most of foregoing, especially:

[dkmnow.livejournal.com]

conuly: "...I also like a little thing I like to call being alone."

chaos_by_design: "But yeah, I have this massive need for alone time..."

Heh. I'd comment further on this, but that would entail considerably more "togetherness" than I'm in the mood for just now.

*waves politely and closes door*

[lordalfredhenry.livejournal.com]

This is helpful to know. thank you.

[wodhaund.livejournal.com]

You and I are the same on 4. Hurrah!

My mother is convinced that "searching" (as she terms agnostics) is a terribly hopeless form of existence. I rather disagree and think that "searching" is incredibly hopeful, because it keeps open the option for finding something even better than the good you've already got.

Okay, that's worded badly, but I'm in class and you get the point.

Re: agree with most of foregoing, especially:

[conuly]

You win.

[conuly]

Basically, linguistic descriptivism says "this is how people speak, it's silly to say that they all speak their own language incorrectly, let's talk about how people actually use language". This is, in my view, logical. Prescriptivism is "This is how I think the language should be spoken, let's make everybody speak the way I want them to". This is, in my view, mostly silly - and mostly based off of poor knowledge of language anyway.

Re: agree with most of foregoing, especially:

[dkmnow.livejournal.com]

kthx.

BTW, in case you haven't already found it elsewhere, this may be more or less equivalent to the O'Connor 'transcript' you asked about earlier:
http://community.livejournal.com/anti_righty/1223591.html
and another version:
http://www.law.ufl.edu/dedication/speechtext.shtml

Re: agree with most of foregoing, especially:

[conuly]

Oooh, thankies.

[adina77.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm pretty sure (barring evidence to the contrary) that I'm fairly asexual and probably straight, though (like always) I could be wrong about this. Had sex. Thought it was overrated. Never got around to telling my mom. No, not gay, even though I do tend to post articles related to gay rights.

I've always thought you were a virgin still!

[conuly]

Like I said, overrated mostly.

[adina77.livejournal.com]

I can't believe I'm going to ask this but when, how, and who!

[conuly]

Before you met me, the usual way, nobody you know.

[adina77.livejournal.com]

I still can't believe it

[darkpoole.livejournal.com]

Oh. Okay. Well, then I'm right there with you, including the occasional hypocrisy when it comes to my own pet linguistic peeves. Particularly on pronunciation. It's "sher-BET" not "sher-bert", the first "r" in "Feb-RU-ary" isn't silent, and "nuclear" is NOT, and NEVER will be, "nu-Q-ler."

[conuly]

And acsian will never, ever be said ask!

Wait....

Oh dear.

:P

Seriously, I think you've already lost the fight on February. Five bucks says that you lose it on nuclear within... say... three generations. This is based soly on my desire to make stupid bets.

[darkpoole.livejournal.com]

I'd say you're right about February. My American Heritage College Dictionary (from 1982) lists feb'yoo-er'e as a variant pronunciation. So that one was lost at least 25 years ago.

But it's still wrong.

[conuly]

I was specifically taught in the first grade to watch out for "February" becase "the r is silent". That's how everybody I knew and know said (and says!) the word, so don't ask for too much sympathy over *that* choice.

Often, now. There's a case where the t is and is supposed to be silent!

[darkpoole.livejournal.com]

I pronounce the "t" in often. Even though I know it's wrong. One of my own verbal quirks, I guess.

Another weird quirk: I pronounce "proven" with a long "o", like in "professional." No idea where I picked that up, since nobody else does it and I pronounce "prove" "proof" and "proved" correctly.

just because I feel like sharing...

[ex-chaos-by-699.livejournal.com]

I don't think most people get around to telling their moms they've had sex, unless they have a particularly open relationship with their mom. After a while though, especially if they see that you're dating, most parents probably tend to assume.

Not sure my mom ever did though. She might well have died thinking I was a virgin. *snerk*

No, I don't want kids. Yes, I like kids. Love 'em, actually - but I also like a little thing I like to call being alone.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Wouldn't say I love kids, but I don't hate them either, and some seem pretty cool. But yeah, I have this massive need for alone time that would probably make me a terrible mother. Among other things.

Most of the other stuff I'd agree with as well, except I'm leaning towards not being against the death penalty (though if they banned it, I wouldn't have a problem necessarily with that either. It's one issue I really don't have strong feelings about one way or another). And I like sex, at least with the right person.

[darkpoole.livejournal.com]

I very nearly could have written this. Well, not the part about loving kids, because while there are certain kids I like to hang with, I mostly avoid them. And I'm definitely (rather than probably) straight.

Well, okay, I don't know about my stand on linguistic prescriptivism, mostly because I haven't a clue what it is.

But otherwise, most of what you wrote is a pretty fair description of my life and outlook. Including the "had sex, thought it was overrated" part, although that's probably from being with the wrong person. I might give it another try someday if I actually meet the right one.

Re: agree with most of foregoing, especially:

[dkmnow.livejournal.com]

conuly: "...I also like a little thing I like to call being alone."

chaos_by_design: "But yeah, I have this massive need for alone time..."

Heh. I'd comment further on this, but that would entail considerably more "togetherness" than I'm in the mood for just now.

*waves politely and closes door*

[lordalfredhenry.livejournal.com]

This is helpful to know. thank you.

[wodhaund.livejournal.com]

You and I are the same on 4. Hurrah!

My mother is convinced that "searching" (as she terms agnostics) is a terribly hopeless form of existence. I rather disagree and think that "searching" is incredibly hopeful, because it keeps open the option for finding something even better than the good you've already got.

Okay, that's worded badly, but I'm in class and you get the point.

Re: agree with most of foregoing, especially:

[conuly]

You win.

[conuly]

Basically, linguistic descriptivism says "this is how people speak, it's silly to say that they all speak their own language incorrectly, let's talk about how people actually use language". This is, in my view, logical. Prescriptivism is "This is how I think the language should be spoken, let's make everybody speak the way I want them to". This is, in my view, mostly silly - and mostly based off of poor knowledge of language anyway.

Re: agree with most of foregoing, especially:

[dkmnow.livejournal.com]

kthx.

BTW, in case you haven't already found it elsewhere, this may be more or less equivalent to the O'Connor 'transcript' you asked about earlier:
http://community.livejournal.com/anti_righty/1223591.html
and another version:
http://www.law.ufl.edu/dedication/speechtext.shtml

Re: agree with most of foregoing, especially:

[conuly]

Oooh, thankies.

[adina77.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm pretty sure (barring evidence to the contrary) that I'm fairly asexual and probably straight, though (like always) I could be wrong about this. Had sex. Thought it was overrated. Never got around to telling my mom. No, not gay, even though I do tend to post articles related to gay rights.

I've always thought you were a virgin still!

[conuly]

Like I said, overrated mostly.

[adina77.livejournal.com]

I can't believe I'm going to ask this but when, how, and who!

[conuly]

Before you met me, the usual way, nobody you know.

[adina77.livejournal.com]

I still can't believe it

[darkpoole.livejournal.com]

Oh. Okay. Well, then I'm right there with you, including the occasional hypocrisy when it comes to my own pet linguistic peeves. Particularly on pronunciation. It's "sher-BET" not "sher-bert", the first "r" in "Feb-RU-ary" isn't silent, and "nuclear" is NOT, and NEVER will be, "nu-Q-ler."

[conuly]

And acsian will never, ever be said ask!

Wait....

Oh dear.

:P

Seriously, I think you've already lost the fight on February. Five bucks says that you lose it on nuclear within... say... three generations. This is based soly on my desire to make stupid bets.

[darkpoole.livejournal.com]

I'd say you're right about February. My American Heritage College Dictionary (from 1982) lists feb'yoo-er'e as a variant pronunciation. So that one was lost at least 25 years ago.

But it's still wrong.

[conuly]

I was specifically taught in the first grade to watch out for "February" becase "the r is silent". That's how everybody I knew and know said (and says!) the word, so don't ask for too much sympathy over *that* choice.

Often, now. There's a case where the t is and is supposed to be silent!

[darkpoole.livejournal.com]

I pronounce the "t" in often. Even though I know it's wrong. One of my own verbal quirks, I guess.

Another weird quirk: I pronounce "proven" with a long "o", like in "professional." No idea where I picked that up, since nobody else does it and I pronounce "prove" "proof" and "proved" correctly.