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Sociology 310 and 500 (9/28/2005)

Death and Dying

Today's lecture on immortality, the symbolic and questions regarding real immortality. We will be discussing these topics for the next few class periods.

Discussion: What are your thoughts regarding immortality?

Assignment for next week: A short presenation on the burial customs of one culture. It may be your own, or one you are familiar with, or something that intrigues you.

Sociology of Deviance

First, please notify the professor of the deviant subculture you have chose to study in more depth.

Lecture on the History of Sexual Deviance During the Italian Middle Ages

Discussion: Do you believe that there are consensual (in which all parties are of age, and give clear free and willing consent) sexual acts that are deviant enough to be rightfully considered crimes?

Assignment: Begin your research, and bring in one discussion topic for class from your findings.

Anyone who makes fun of my hat gets detention.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Welcome to class.

*shrugs*

The gods have it, some mortals can get it, and it's probably more trouble than it's worth.

So immortality requires sacrifice for mortals?

Sometimes, depends on the method they gain it by. The form said sacrifice would take varies as well.

You believe in symbolic immortality, but not immortality as a real phenomenon. That is interesting. What about the men you listed gave them the ability to achieve this immortality in your opinion? Their talent? Cultural significance? Sexual provocation of the audience? Something more supernatural?

"I think I may agree," Archie comments. "I admit I haven't given much thought to immortality, but it occurs to me now that the people I think of as 'immortal,' I see as such because they have led legendary lives. So I would say immortality, to me, is how one lives on in the memory of others."

"I used to think that death was the end of all things. Flick of the light switch and you're done. Lately I've been getting the sneaky suspicion that there might be more to life than that. Especially since there appear to be several gods, incarnations of death, dream and other scary dieties running around campus."

"But I guess there's another definition to immortality where one's works are left behind and not forgotten even with the passing of time."

After class Marty leaves Dr. Grissom a note.

Dr. Grissom? I have a personal/professional issue that I need a staff members' assistance with. Can you help me?

Grissom sends Marty a message.

Perhaps. Would you like to discuss the issue in private, or after class?

After class is fine

Why don't you let me know when you are ready, and I will do my best to help you out, Martin. I'll be in the same classroom for most of the day ~~doing weird experiments~~ working on lesson plans.

[OOC: Can we say it is after class now? Or would you prefer a separate post?]

Then meet me here. (http://www.livejournal.com/users/oatmanspatient/5062.html)

Not the end. Not really. Seems like it. There's the other side, where they all go, they all cross over.

*Stark waves his hands agitatedly as he speaks, then abruptly stops*

Sometimes they leave pieces behind. Voices, thoughts, pieces of them in my head...

You believe that the dead linger on in the living world through those that remain?

*He frowns*
I know.
They leave pieces behind when I help them cross.

But...yes, sometimes they live on because we want them to and we remember. Have to remember them. I remember her. Always.

"We all leave a trace, don't we? I'm sure she'd want you to remember her."

Grissom gives him a reassuring smile.

*He sighed. They didn't understand, but how could they?*

Yes...we do.

Marty listens to Stark and shivers a little.

From my experience, the spirit is the only thing that is immortal. People die, their physical selves cease functioning, but sometimes... Their spirit, soul, whatever it is that helps them to be doesn't... go anywhere.

I do believe anyone can be immortal if you remember them, though. As long as you hold onto the memories.

Welcome.

Subculture - umm, Goth. Sure.

If two adults consent, who are we to judge? The tricky part is when you try to determine whether either of those adults truly consent or whether they have been 'brain-washed' or manipulated in some way to believe they want to consent to such acts.

This type of goth (http://www.religioustolerance.org/goth.htm) or this type of goth (http://www.utexas.edu/courses/clubmed/12visigoth.jpg)?

Determining consent is difficult - societal restraints must be considered as well. Although I am loath to bring up the topic of peer pressure, it is a good example.

Uhh... the first. I think.

"Hey, teach," Angelus said. "And my feeling is no. Long as everybody's happy, who are we to judge?"

[ooc: Assume he said he'd do work on deviance in Ireland in the early 1700s since boy could he phone that one in. Just don't ask me to write the paper ;) ]

"Hello Angelus. I suppose personal feelings must be taken into consideration as well, good point."

"After all," Angelus continued, "sometimes deviant is in the eye of the beholder. What might come off as bad to one person might be affectionate to somebody else."

[ooc: Damn it! *gets to typing* *looks for stylesheet on how to handle footnotes* Stupid vampire...]

"I agree with that statement completely. I've had some personal experience with that myself."

~~*cough* riding crop *cough*~~

"Misunderstandings can be horrible," Angelus agreed. "Just look at my time in detention."

[ooc: Task master!]

"It can be difficult to reconcile what you intend to say or do, and how people will perceive it. You haven't had any more problems with that, have you?"

"Not so far," Angelus held up crossed fingers in the universal sign of someone hoping for continued good luck. "I've been doing my best to try to send clear messages. Plus I've stopped using daggers."

Can I do the porn industry as a deviant subculture?

You might want to narrow your focus a bit, there is a lot of porn out there. But yes, you may.

*grins*

Got any suggestions on what to focus on?

"Oh, the options are really limitless. There's your basic bondage, webcam/voyeur, gangbang, softcore, tranny and glbt, hirstute, foot fetishists, smoking fetishists, balloon fetishists, plushies, watersports, bloodsports... you name it. Hentai is rather fascinating, if disturbing. Brings a whole new meaning to that tentacle monster in the basement."

Hmmm, bondage is tempting, but bloodsports is, too. I'll probably do one or the other.

[OOC: *dies*]

Being a bit immortal myself, I'd really rather not deal with it at all.

Grissom smiles, "Understandable."

An envelope is slid beneath the door of Dr. Grissom's office. It contains the following:

1. Note of excuse from Mr. and Mrs. Addams, citing a family emergency for Wednesday's absence from classes 9/28-9/29.

2. A short note concerning Wednesday's choice of Deviant Subculture.

Professor,

As deviance is defined as veering from the accepted standards of normal and the students here encompass every possible vision and interpretation of 'normal', I'm hoping that you will accept 'Suburbanites' as my deviant subculture of choice.

W. Addams

3. A second note:

Professor,

RE: My missed classwork from 9/28/05:

Discussion: Do you believe that there are consensual (in which all parties are of age, and give clear free and willing consent) sexual acts that are deviant enough to be rightfully considered crimes?

No.

Assignment: Begin your research, and bring in one discussion topic for class from your findings.

Clipped to the above is a picture of the cast of Desperate Housewives and a post-it promising further materials in time for the next class.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Sociology 310 and 500 (9/28/2005)

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((Player pleads forgiveness))

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