The 'system', cartoons, saying no evil

Poput wanted deaths and sex in cartoons disallowed at the dinner convened yesterday in honor of Usman. Remembering the trauma of Octupus Prime’s death in Transformer’s movie and the heart rending galactic funeral orchestracted in fornt of our snot riddled noseys, we all agreed but I thought cartoon sex should linger on to give the uninitiated some training. Poput took it as a personal attack and told everyone I was an over sexed child who at the tender age of 11 saw some chemistry between Dick and George of the Famous Five. Thankfully enough Usman supported me and said the two were always doing it in those tunnels they lost themselves in islands and mountains. Tis true. That’s what they were Famous for. There was chemistry. I don’t know why everyone forgets how jealous George was of Jo when she and Dick became chummy. I should be licensed to make a politically incorrect version of Famous Five. In which (as much as I love the woman for the beautiful book addiction she gave me) I will note all her racist tendencies and make much of omissions such as how come the childun’s never had to potty in the wild? I will have to soon (hopefully) potty in the wild. Had most rational, articulate (yay for me ) conversation with Iali today and got permission for seven day trek as long as I finish the work for the conference. It’s a conference I am quite cheesed off about. Forget investment from there, they don’t even want to travel to have a dialogue with a panel of like minded businessmen. Quite strict observance of their travel advisory. But still. The accommodation and cooperation is mostly at the geo-political level. There is no talk nor room for any economic alliance which just goes to show the overriding importance of rhetoric and such cream and froth needed to push your way ahead. More pressing need for a third space for the politically incorrect like White Ninja. It’s macabre but hilarious.

There is so much that has gone/will probably go on at LUMS but survival and expediency merits keeping silent. From smaller issues of using clout to larger of sexual harassment. At least one was brought to account this week even if it took a month to do so. These larger misdemeanors just remind me of the smaller ones from not stepping up to responsibility you took when you take your students traveling outside the country to more ambivalent issues of insisting your TA spend time with you before and after class to refusing to grade someone because they don’t come to your office often enough. In the spectrum of battles to pick it’s just so much easier to decide which ones to let go off. Even if it’s the smarter choice for you, it’s never the right choice for you and everyone else. There is no such thing as working within the system. Shirazi has a point “When a person says the system works, what they're really saying is I'm not hurting”

Since choices more than intentions make the person we are; choose to live with having what we can get instead of giving it up for an alternative that seems floozy. If it seems floozy, there is no commitment. Academically and practically. Friday lunch in the RA room ranged over disappointment at reading Sen boiling it all down to elements to “have”; abstract notions such as “protective security”. About how difficult it is in the academic world to label yourselves as more than reactionary. One step ahead and you’re not even a legitimate source to study. To the point that the only “radicals” we have are Chomsky and Stiglitz. Quite the funny.