History vs. Gender Normative Fiction AND Kung Fu Panda as Inspiration

[alanajoli]

While I'm not keeping up with blogs, I do keep up with the articles on Tor.com from time to time. Today I read a great one by Liz Bourke about why saying "it's the past, it was just like that" isn't a good excuse to make all of your female characters simpering, or all of your characters heteronormative. It's well worth reading, and some contributors in the comments section had other interesting historical tidbits that defy the "it's history, it was like that" argument on non-gender issue topics.

In completely different news, I've been having a little anxiety about my black belt test coming up in less that two months. I've also been meaning to rewatch Kung Fu Panda as inspiration for my Choice of Games kung fu project (among other live action films -- although a kung fu practitioner friend of mine claims Kung Fu Panda is the best kung fu film ever made as far as films that reflect actual kung fu philosophy -- take that as you will). The result: not only am I even more excited to get in the zone on Choice of Kung Fu (tentative title), but I encountered a quote that drained my anxiety:

Quit, don't quit? Noodles, don't noodles? You are too concerned about what was and what will be.

So: stop worrying. Live in the moment. "Noodles, don't noodles," will now be my mantra.