Yeah, quotes in the first person about killing the reader--it has nothing to do with Firefly. That's just creepifying for the context. There are so many other FF quotes, even just from Mal. Why that one?

As a (former) University administrator, I would have called his department chair, said we were concerned, and asked if s/he would facilitate a meeting. At the meeting, I would have said "that's a great quote, but taken out of context, some people might see it as a threat. Is there a particular reason that you used it, and is there something else that might communicate your point?"

As much as I am an advocate for free speech, I think that the University was right to want to take some action. They just took all of the wrong ones.

They just took all of the wrong ones.

Based just on that article, I'm not sure we know that. The writing was very biased and alarmist - it wouldn't surprise me at all to learn it wasn't the whole story.

For some people, it's difficult to put themselves in another's shoes. Also, it's a rationalization to say, "those other people must have done something wrong to end up in that place." This happens often in rape trials as well. "Well, that couldn't happen to me" is a way your mind protects itself from something icky, uncomfortable, terrifying. Trying to walk people back from that thinking is difficult to impossible.

Yeah, I did a little musing about this on my blog post today WRT random violence that just happened in my little corner of the world.

This is true. Perhaps they did begin with the department administration and he refused.

How was your vacation, by the way?

Vacation was great.* Lots of hiking and animals. Amazing that one can get tired of buffalo, but it happens. I have gone through all my Yellowstone pictures, so I hope to get that blog post up today and the Tetons tomorrow, but I also am seeing Renée Fleming at the opera tonight, so who knows. I wasn't counting on having work craziness today.

*Aside from having money stolen on the Jackson rafting trip, that is. But, since my sister was paying for everything, I can't really complain. The company was mortified and I think I might get it back, but we were incommunicado during the Yellowstone bit so I'm not sure what will happen.

At one point some Members of Congress were challenged to live on a food stamp budget - they'd have the amount that they'd have if they were trying to live on food stamps and let them actually see how "much" it was. There weren't many takers but those who tried it were AMAZED at how little it actually bought.

Firefly poster gets censored at Wisconsin University. Via Nathan Fillion's Twitter Feed

As much as I am an advocate for free speech, I think that the University was right to want to take some action

And yeah. I mean, what exactly was he trying to communicate with that quote, anyway? Other than "I'm a huge geek." Context is important, and I would be kind of wigged out if I saw that without knowing the source.

"I aim to misbehave" would have been better. Or, frankly, any one of dozens of Firefly quotes.

megan, you're back! Yay! I do want to hear about your trip.

But stolen money is YIKES. Did they steal it out of the boats, or was it money you left with the rafting company?

I can't wait to see the pictures, megan. And yeah, the buffalo got kind of boring for me, too. But I did see a bear in Yellowstone, with some cubs! I wanted to see a moose, though.