Tuesday 15 May 2001

Pic of the day: Puberty tree. Wonder if this is the first time it flowers? Certainly it is a small tree, and the flowers are few. Funny, the flowers are the reproductive organs of plants, but we don't think they are indecent. We think they are beautiful. If a sentient being was so removed from our means of reproductions as we are from the plants, would they not also think our reproduction was beautiful rather than indencent?

Taking myself too seriously?

Aaargh! I was trying to write a yellow entry for today, using the picture I did not use yesterday. But the entry turned deep red instead, and I decided not to upload it without sleeping first. Ack. I seem to be growing responsible. I am worried that if I write or paint anything partly erotic, I may tempt some reader to sin. Hmf. Why just about sex? Certainly most sins are about other things.

What will be next? Should I not write about my new computer because it may tempt people to covet it? Should I try to dumb down so people don't envy my intelligence? Should I stop writing about my wonderful best friend so people don't get jealous? Should I avoid pointing out stupidity in politics so people don't get angry? Should I avoid mentioning chocolate because someone might be inspired to go on a choco binge?

I hate to limit myself. But I hate to hurt others where they are most vulnerable. And if they are like me, they are most vulnerable where they are least logical. And this, in our society, probably means food and sex and religion. I hope I am not already doing some harm by mentioning the three in one breath. As the game manual for Mandate of Heaven points out: "Never underestimate the combination of devils and army in one sentence."

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*Sigh* Why can't people just be innocent and playful and slightly indecent like me? But of course that is a lot to expect. After all, we descend in an unbroken line from people who have had sex, either from Adam & Eve or more likely from some lowly worm-like animal which first was created as male and female. (Or both of the above.) Since then, it has just gone on and on. True, in some people the reproductive force is diverted, but rarely extinguished. So I guess I should not underestimate it.

A while ago, there was a question on a journal related mailing list: "Who are you not writing for?" My reply was, in short: The pervs. Now I am slightly indecent myself, but only very innocently. For some reason people seem to overestimate my depravity. It seems I cannot spend a night on IRC with Lady Chaos without hearing "Itland! Don't think that thought!" "Itland! Ecchi! Eww!" Even the gays worry over me.(1) Really, I am not a cesshole of depravity. I am just smart. It doesn't take all that much to understand dirty jokes even if you've never been there. Not if you remember almost every story you have heard, good or bad, through forty years.

(1) What is the world's shortest homoerotic joke?(2) I'll spell it backwards for your purity convenience: ".elam eht ni si hcezC ehT" If you really want to know and you don't get it, you may try to read it out loud (after reversing the spelling, of course). Nobody will think you are saying anything hentai.

(2) You may think of this as a cannibal joke, but I think this is an improvement. Cannibalism is generally more creepy.