Spin-off discussion #1: Actual taboos

http://cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com/846610.html

I notice I listed taboos like "don't support mandatory cycle helmets" not "don't be racist", even though the latter is hopefully more verboten, and I'm not quite sure why.

I think things on the boundary of acceptability get more attention, because they come up more often, and people feel insecure about them. So cycle helmets are likely to start a big discussion, but racism may just get a "don't say that". (Or unfortunately, possibly, many people may be too tired to continue the debate, assuming anyone who hasn't got it yet, won't ever get it.)

But I'm not sure why? Is it because I took anti-racism, anti-sexism, etc to be so obvious that people who disagree are just wrong, rather than breaking a taboo? But that's not right -- it clearly is a taboo, it's just that I can't imagine holding a belief extreme enough to break it, even though I'm sure most of used to at some point in our lives.

Or is it that everyone agrees racism is a lot worse, but there's more people for whom cycle helmets personally affect them, so there's more emotion? I don't think so, but I'm not sure.

Is there a difference between the two groups? Is there any reason the less-wrong ones felt more like a taboo than the more-wrong ones?

TV remote

Where might my virgin media remote have hidden itself?

I had it last week, but I think I left it on the table and my cleaner (or landlord?) put it the "obvious" place but I can't work out where that is. It's not by the TV nor the other remotes. I don't THINK I packed it...

Brave

Good things

1. The animation is gorgeous, having realistic completely animated characters is amazing.

2. The basic plot is perfectly good, and if you're a bit less jaded than me, I can imagine falling in love with it.

3. The basic message of choosing what you want to grow up as is a good one.

4. All the characters, even the stereotypical ones, are nice and often interesting.

Bad things

1. I'm sick of films that say "yes, the protagonist can break expectations and do whatever they want, but everyone else has to tamely accept gender stereotypes". Yes, that's a message which goes on being necessary, but can we have some messages which say "it's ok to have a go at doing what you want, it won't ALWAYS be a giant disaster that needs an exceptional hero to avert"?

2. The story was perfectly good, but all other pixar films, have blown me away in some way, this fulfilled everything I might have expected, but didn't really say "wow, I'd never have thought of that".

( Nitpicks )