Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

[... and a wee bit of experimenting with mirror-related layout]

Alrighty then, my body can stop playing this "crash hard only to be wide awake again an hour later not feeling rested" game, any time now, please. :-(

A thought I had earlier but didn't muster the energy to post at the time: Let's say we have an individual of an "uplifted" species -- genetically engineered by another species to produce sentience ... uh, sapience ... er, "human-like intelligence". (For example, Tayler's elephants, Stanley's Bowman's Wolves, Brin's dolphins.) And furthermore, let us suppose that members of the uplifted race are able to breed with their pre-uplift cousins. Would such a coupling constitute bestiality? Does it make a difference whether the offspring from such a mating would be sterile (like a mule, hinny, or zorse) or fertile (like mutts/mongrels, or like female ligers and tigons), or is sapience where the line is? Does it matter whether the normal mating signals -- pheremones, mating dances, calls -- are the same for the uplifted and non-uplifted races?

A related thought, that I thought it might be in poor taste to post while so many of my friends were in dire straits dealing with the recent trouble (but may be in even poorer taste now that some of them have been turned into zombies themselves): do zombies have sex, and if so, does it count as necrophilia if two zombies have sex with each other? Or is it only necrophilia if one of the parties is alive? And for that matter, what about vampires? Should there be a corresponding term for an obsession or interest in sex with the quick on the part of the (un)dead? (Uh ... 'biophilia'?)

[And how many of you stumbled a bit at my choice of the word 'quick' there? Although http://www.m-w.com lists that as the first definition and doesn't mark it obsolete or archaic, about the only time I hear anyone but me use the word that way is in the specific phrase "the quick and the dead". Is it used elsewise often and I just haven't noticed, or should I be more choosy about when I use it because it comes across as an affectation (or both)?]

Finally, what's that sloshing sound?

• This entry and its comments at GreatestJournal
• This entry and its comments at InsaneJournal
• This entry and its comments at LiveJournal

[... and a wee bit of experimenting with mirror-related layout]

Alrighty then, my body can stop playing this "crash hard only to be wide awake again an hour later not feeling rested" game, any time now, please. :-(

A thought I had earlier but didn't muster the energy to post at the time: Let's say we have an individual of an "uplifted" species -- genetically engineered by another species to produce sentience ... uh, sapience ... er, "human-like intelligence". (For example, Tayler's elephants, Stanley's Bowman's Wolves, Brin's dolphins.) And furthermore, let us suppose that members of the uplifted race are able to breed with their pre-uplift cousins. Would such a coupling constitute bestiality? Does it make a difference whether the offspring from such a mating would be sterile (like a mule, hinny, or zorse) or fertile (like mutts/mongrels, or like female ligers and tigons), or is sapience where the line is? Does it matter whether the normal mating signals -- pheremones, mating dances, calls -- are the same for the uplifted and non-uplifted races?

A related thought, that I thought it might be in poor taste to post while so many of my friends were in dire straits dealing with the recent trouble (but may be in even poorer taste now that some of them have been turned into zombies themselves): do zombies have sex, and if so, does it count as necrophilia if two zombies have sex with each other? Or is it only necrophilia if one of the parties is alive? And for that matter, what about vampires? Should there be a corresponding term for an obsession or interest in sex with the quick on the part of the (un)dead? (Uh ... 'biophilia'?)

[And how many of you stumbled a bit at my choice of the word 'quick' there? Although http://www.m-w.com lists that as the first definition and doesn't mark it obsolete or archaic, about the only time I hear anyone but me use the word that way is in the specific phrase "the quick and the dead". Is it used elsewise often and I just haven't noticed, or should I be more choosy about when I use it because it comes across as an affectation (or both)?]

Finally, what's that sloshing sound?

• This entry and its comments at GreatestJournal
• This entry and its comments at InsaneJournal
• This entry and its comments at LiveJournal

"Patriots honor the country's core values. Idolaters worship symbols. [...]

"The idols in the Bible were presented as objects of scorn because they were often used by immoral leaders to magnify their power at the expense of the people. I will honor the flag this week, but only because I honor this nation's core principles of liberty and justice even more. Idols, on the other hand, are to be tossed in the fire."

-- Isaiah J. Poole, executive editor of TomPaine.com, 2006-07-01

"Patriots honor the country's core values. Idolaters worship symbols. [...]

"The idols in the Bible were presented as objects of scorn because they were often used by immoral leaders to magnify their power at the expense of the people. I will honor the flag this week, but only because I honor this nation's core principles of liberty and justice even more. Idols, on the other hand, are to be tossed in the fire."

-- Isaiah J. Poole, executive editor of TomPaine.com, 2006-07-01