12 Sept 2000 
 
Warning -- tirade coming on.  Personal details aired, and stack blown. 
 
I really wish I could dump my brain's core sometimes, but as it is, I will have to dig 
the filth out of my brain by hand (ew). 
 
So.  Given my experience this past weekend in Minneapolis at the University of 
Minnesota, at a workshop entitled "Connecting Women in Mathematical Sciences to 
Industry", reading various things written by various people, and considering the 
maturity and annoyance levels of various people I know... I'm just getting peeved. 
 
One thing I find very annoying is the way some people have of taking everything 
personally, or politically, or (most annoying of all) both.  The ones who take 
everything personally are, in a way, the most annoying, for solipsism has always been 
considered unendearing in others.  Clue to some:  the world doesn't really give a shit 
about you.  That old lady who just cut in your lane very, very slowly wasn't giving a 
thought to you.  You have been visited by impersonal rudeness (and danger) not an 
example of a conspiracy of the world against you. 
 
The political can be annoying, for often such people seem to lack consistency between 
their words and their actions, especially when their own convenience is concerned.   
Let's see here -- one cannot claim the moral high ground against pornography on the 
internet and then publish one of the most lewd stories, trying to make sure it gets the 
widest possible circulation by putting it on the internet.  One cannot claim to fight 
against oppression of females, claim to be a high-powered feminist and then 1) dismiss 
all statements by females that undermine your world view, 2) as a woman yourself act 
helpless and weak.  One cannot plead for tolerance as the highest virtue, esp. in 
tolerating one's own views, and then denigrate the views of others.  One cannot claim 
to hold a general discussion where all people's views will be considered, and then bat 
down the person from Berkeley because she's at "an elite institution" (sorry to get so 
detailed, but I doubt the people involved will ever read this).  One not claim to be a 
religion of love and life and advocate the killing of abortion doctors.  One cannot 
claim to be an environmentalist and drive an SUV.  I'm sorry, there's no way around 
that one.  One cannot claim one's business is being responsible by limiting the number 
of napkins your customers use and installing hand dryers, while your coffee is ruining 
rainforests, exploiting third world countries, and let's not even go into the 
wastefulness of your paper cups... 
 
Okay, in old world terms, people may call this hypocrisy.  I'm feeling ornery today, so 
I'm just going to call it stupidity.  The reason I have for doing this is based on 
personal experience.  In a few cases, I have pointed out the apparent hypocrisy to 
those involved; usually, I had not been the only person to do so.  However, the target 
of this enforcement of logic usually denied that there had been any contradiction 
whatsoever.  Sometimes, even more infuriatingly, such people try to take the moral high 
ground, proclaiming they =must= publish Ken Starr's report to rid this country of such 
filthy leadership, they =must= physically threaten and actually shoot abortion doctors 
to prevent more killing, we =must= fight a war for peace. 
 
The old-timers had a saying for this "you can't have your cake and eat it, too."  You 
can't try to impose your morality on others, if you don't yourself follow it when you 
find it inconvenient.  Parents who try the "Do as I say, not as I do" approach of child 
rearing always seemed surprised that, after years of Marlboros pointing at 
their children, hoarse voices saying, "Look what cigs did to me, they're coffin nails 
kid, I don't want to ever catch you smoking", their offspring are sucking on Marlboros 
of their own. 
 
Well, I've decided to be intolerant.  I'm not going to listen to other people's views 
if they're just trying to make the world more convenient for them.  Dammit, I'm going 
to make the world more convenient for =me=.  First, I'm going to abolish all cars. 
 
I'll wait for that to be implemented before I tell y'all the rest of my manifesto.