Genetic discrimination by insurers and employers is still looming on the horizon.

[jackshoegazer]

I may not support shopping at Wal*Mart, but I have no qualms about accepting free boxes from them. So tomorrow morning I will go to the China-in-America-Cheap-Plastic-Crap-Outpost and collect a large variety of boxes in a multitude of shapes and sizes.

Until then, I'm going to dig my stored bits out of the garage and start going through it all. Ethan has to extricate his toys from Benjamin's (the roommate's son) sometime soon, which I predict will cause much bickering and shouts of "No, that's mine, retard!"

My roommate's cousin is here for the weekend visiting from Chicago. He's brought his kids with him, a boy of six and a girl of eight. They are friendly and well behaved, so it's not been a total terror to have them around. I made scrambled eggs and French toast this morning before they informed me they don't usually eat breakfast. Weird.

According to various meteorologists, it is going to be rain and thunderstorms all afternoon and evening. I had best go close my sunroof.

This place is beautiful. Why aren't I moving there? Oh, I don't even know where it is.

I'm almost finished with The World According to Garp. I think it hit a little too close to home, as Jacqui's on a career track to university teaching and I'm on the path of the writer and stay-at-home dad. IF this book has said anything, it's that lust causes big problems.

This is probably why Crowley placed it on such a high pedestal, under the conditions that you absolutely control and channel it in healthy directions.  Jung even expanded Freud's limited view of libido-as-lust to define libido as the totality of psychic energy.  Garp does his worst work when he's paying attention to his lusts and not his path.  Once this crashes in the most horribly, dramatic way, he begins his best work yet.

I hope I'm over that hump already.  No pun intended.

Comments

[antarcticlust.livejournal.com]

To me, a dynamic sexual relationship is crucial to a healthy emotional relationship, and it's possible to channel those lusts together and be, as Dan Savage has said, "total whores for one another; because that's love."

I think it's really powerful that Irving had the balls (no pun intended either) to protray Garp as doing his worst work when he's at his worst personally. So many people fall into a trap where they think they need to suffer to create; they need to be a cheating, lying alcoholic to be a better writer. Being in a committed relationship isn't seen as bohemian, sexy, or creative enough, with the rare exception of iconic muse sorts of relationships.

Lust's power is in its ability to take control and guide us on its own path, a path of distraction and dishonesty (in that we're allowing something else to contradict our otherwise steadfast beliefs and actions). If you have a healthy expression of lust, however, you control its manifestation. This is one of the reason I (and Dan Savage has also said this) think that it's important to always be exploring in a relationship, to constantly be new people for one another sexually and intimately, while maintaining that root, that core.

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

I can't argue one little bit. I totally agree.

[antarcticlust.livejournal.com]

I guess it's a good thing we're in a relationship. :)

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

I suppose so :D

[antarcticlust.livejournal.com]

The picture reminds me of some parts of Vermont, though the mountains are different.

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

I bet you it's in Europe somewhere.

[antarcticlust.livejournal.com]

Oh, I don't doubt that. I'd say Scandanavia, or central Europe for sure, if I had to guess. But the flat river valley within the mountains with little churches and things reminds me of Vermont.

[atomic-goo.livejournal.com]

I want breakfast with David Bowie! What are those kids missing?

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

Monkeys?

[oxy-irony.livejournal.com]

Oooh, that IS beautiful...

Great job finding some boxes. ;)

No breakfast? Weird. My dad doesn't eat breakfast, either, though...

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

Breakfast is my favorite. I am King of Breakfasts. Various combinations of egg and milk are my most powerful minions.

[oxy-irony.livejournal.com]

I am Queen of Breakfasts. My minions are numerous variations of waffles and pancakes, with the ocassional muffin.

We must be siblings, then.

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

Apparently. Thank the Gods our respective parents, Break & Fast separated us at birth and gave us separate kingdoms so we didn't scheme and plot eachothers murders over our feeding territory!

[oxy-irony.livejournal.com]

Thank the Gods, indeed! I'll gladly allow you your minions if you allow me mine. We shall rule in peace, and agree to aid one another during wartime. I hear the Lord of Lunch is planning an attack on Muffins...

[kiwikat.livejournal.com]

the beautiful place that you linked looks exactly like a valley i've been to in switzerland. it's where the thermal pools are...

mmmmm thermal pools............

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

I've never been :(

[kiwikat.livejournal.com]

also i thought you said no more john irving because he's too depressing? what about that? huh? huh?

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

He is very depressing, but then, so is life a lot, so hey, I'm not really missing anything. Besides, there's usually hope in there somewhere, with a definite you-reap-what-you-dow lesson.

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

SOW not DOW

[kiwikat.livejournal.com]

everyone commenting on your journal looks like YOU now because they're all using your icons.

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

Everyone is ME. I'm the ultimate narcissist.

[kiwikat.livejournal.com]

commentspam is my new religion.

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

SPAM is my religion.

[kiwikat.livejournal.com]

my camera ran out of batteries before my drive home, otherwise i SO would have stopped at the free spam museum in austin minnesota to take photos for you.

of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are these: it might have been.

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

I'll probably icon the Giant.

[antarcticlust.livejournal.com]

But apparantly not on my journal.

[kiwikat.livejournal.com]

sorry : (

you always seem so serious and i never know what to say.

[narcissuskisses.livejournal.com]

The meteorologists in Madison predicted rain and/or storms for the last five days. And they've been soooo wrong. I mean, I look at the radar on channel 3's web site, and there is NOTHING anywhere near WI, yet they continue with this 'scattered showers and thunderstorms' BS. I know meteorology isn't an exact science, but come on. /rant about local weather-people

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

I've always said that meteorology is the only job where you can be wrong over half the time and still have a job. Then Bush proved me wrong so now I have to include the Presidency and Weathermen.