musing

[ajva]

Random pensification sparked by a comment from josh_the_cat in adjectivemarcus's journal.

It's really annoying when people go on and on about a subject you know a lot about, and they quite clearly know very little and are wrong about many things, but you have to listen to them because 'everyone is entitled to their opinion'. I had this experience yesterday, when I was in a debate with someone about the implications of the BBC threatening to pull its channels from BSkyB. Now, this is my job. But they didn't see that as a reason that I might be any more right than them. It used to piss me off no end also when people would give advice about music and the band. Fucking endlessly. Everyone's pet subject, you see. 'You should send a demo tape to record companies'. 'You should dress like X'. 'You should play a festival'. 'You need to sharpen your sound'. I really used to hate that.

Comments

if only!

[thekumquat.livejournal.com]

In mindless minds, microbiologist=scientist=someone who knows everything about every possible science there is.

So obviously when I was doing a PhD in cell/molecular/developmental/neuro/onco/histo biology, which admittedly with my MA and MSc in Random Biochem Stuff means I can blag my way through and/or provide a fairly informed opinion on many a biomed-related discussion, my mum would phone me regularly, quote a random New Scientist headline at me, and then say "So what's all this about then?"

Fortunately my opinion or lack thereof wasn't important, as within a sentence I'd be hearing all about how terrible and unnatural it/scientists/the Government/the Americans/the organ transplant was, with varying degrees of complete inaccuracy. I still don't think she believes me that bacteria aren't plants (which she was taught in high school in the late 50s), which is about the only one I've tried to persue. life's too short to try most of the rest of it, which tends to depend on the religion of the day (catholic, buddhist or aetheist).

My favourite:
Mum has acquired hifi with CD player, and invites me to put a CD on.
"But not one of your CDs. I don't know what's on them."
"How about this one; you said you liked it a couple days ago."
"No! I don't want any of your CDs in my machine. They've probably all got viruses from that disgusting heavy metal stuff you listen to and I don't want to get ill."

Yes, she really did think that heavy metal bands have diseases which are transmitted via the CD and CD players to other people. Shortly after she pointed to an article on computer viruses and said "Told you so."

Re: if only!

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

have your mum and adjectivemarcus's mum met?

Re: if only!

[thekumquat.livejournal.com]

Heh. I think it was before LJ that we came up with the idea of "Big Mother" - a reality TV programme where various of our parents (my mum, adjectivemarcus's, the_maenad's, baratron's, and various other contenders) get locked in a house for the summer.

Thing is, they'd probably get on fine, whinging about the world going to pot and the ingratitude of their children...

[ciphergoth.livejournal.com]

So where's the problem? So long as you never let them out, everyone's happy!