European Tribune - Community, Politics & Progress.

Why would anyone find anyone even remotely interesting who wasn't interested in being equal?

I really haven't the faintest idea, but trust me, they're out there.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 04:39:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I know they are out there, just I have such a mental disconnect that nothing they say make any sense.

Life should consist in at least fifty percent pure waste of time, and the rest doing what you please.

by ceebs (bunchofwankers (at) gmail (dot) com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 04:46:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: 'Notice Me' first comment (4.00 / 3)

I think it's better that way. For you, at least.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 05:52:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Yeah, you know, I just don't get it.

How could someone honestly think, yeah, I'm OK with women not being paid the same for the same work, and I don't think women really need the same educational opportunities as men, and I don't think domestic violence is wrong, and in fact I just really think that women are less important than men and it doesn't really matter what happens to them.

I especially don't get that woman in the video who said something along the lines of I guess a feminist is someone who supports equal rights for women, and then the interviewer asked if she connsidered herself one, and she said no. Because, you know, women should be inferior, which is exactly what her husband said next, essentially.

And my view is that if you don't consider yourself a feminist, then that's basically saying that you think women are and should be inferior to men, and I just don't get how anybody can think that way. I mean, I think that attitude, and that kind of inequality, are actually bad for men, too. But I really don't get why a woman would think that.

It is essentially saying that it'd OK for half of humanity to be considered less-human than the other half, and not entitled to the same rights. And it's one thing (still unacceptable, but not as unimaginable) for someone to think that way when they're in the privileged half, but I just don't get why someone would think that way when they're not.

Sigh.

</rant>

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 04:32:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

That woman aside (who, from the interview I'm almost certain comes from a fundamentalist religion), I don't think most of the women/girls who automatically reject the feminist label are even thinking about equality. They've swallowed the propaganda that equality is already here and that feminists are just angry, humorless, man-haters who like to burn undergarments.

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes

by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 04:46:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: 'Notice Me' first comment (4.00 / 3)

Right. Whereas I'm an angry, humorless man-hater who likes to buy undergarments. Big difference.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 04:47:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: 'Notice Me' first comment (4.00 / 2)

That's a funny comment, so there must be something wrong with it somewhere...

When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Mon Jun 18th, 2007 at 09:05:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: 'Notice Me' first comment (none / 1)

I can't imagine what...

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Mon Jun 18th, 2007 at 09:26:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: 'Notice Me' first comment (4.00 / 2)

There was a documentary on British TV recently about some sort of coaching to teach women to be subservient to their husbands. These women voluntarily submitted to the program. At one point they cut up all their bank cards because "it's so much better if the man handles all the finances". I suppose they'll be happy to be getting a regular allowance from their husbands.

It boggled the mind, because here were more or less outwardly liberated women seeking to be acculturated into submission.

I couldn't watch more than 30 seconds of it, but Barbara sat through a longer spell, in sick fascination I suppose.

Can the last politician to go out the revolving door please turn the lights off?

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Jun 18th, 2007 at 09:11:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: 'Notice Me' first comment (4.00 / 3)

Why would she want a second date with dinosaurs who can't handle feminists? I say, make absolutely certain to discuss feminism on the first date and give yourself the chance of meeting someone worthwhile.

This reminds me a little of this good friend of mine who on the one hand can't seem to meet interesting guys for a long term relationship, and on the other since she lives in SoCal, thinks a boob job may be in order to meet that someone special. Go figure.

by Fete des fous on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:55:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: 'Notice Me' first comment (4.00 / 2)

Did I tell you about this other documentary on British TV about these girls who were getting plastic surgery to look like celebrities and in particular this poor girl who wanted to be Britney spears so she got the boob job, but as this didn't seem enough to whip her out of her shiness she enrolled in pole-dancing classes and wanted to become a stripper? She ultimately failed, I think.

Another one I couldn't stand more than 30 seconds of.

Can the last politician to go out the revolving door please turn the lights off?

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Jun 18th, 2007 at 09:14:52 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Bwa-ha-haaaa.... (4.00 / 4)

All the boy-gnomes but one are at the Friday Paris meet-up. Time for a revolution.

Y'all out there?

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 01:58:06 PM EST

Re: Bwa-ha-haaaa.... (4.00 / 3)

Hang on -- I'm getting my boots...

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes

by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 01:59:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Bwa-ha-haaaa.... (4.00 / 4)

Here, I've got some for ya...

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 02:05:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

is it just me... (4.00 / 3)

...or is "you keep lyin' when you oughtta be truthin'" one of the best lines ever?

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes

by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 02:25:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: is it just me... (4.00 / 3)

I think it says something that there isn't a single verb in English that means "to tell the truth."

That I can think of. Is there?

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 02:29:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: is it just me... (4.00 / 2)

Any English noun or adjective can be used as a verb:

He is a liar = He lies He speaks the truth = He truths

ATinNM truths, however, he's never heard that use before.

Och nu den svenska kocken bakar en Alaskan älg jägare. Bonk! Bonk! Bonk!

by ATinNM on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 02:47:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: is it just me... (4.00 / 3)

It's a learning experience here on EuroTrib. If words are placed between equals signs the typeface changes:

This is normal

this isn't

back to normal

Och nu den svenska kocken bakar en Alaskan älg jägare. Bonk! Bonk! Bonk!

by ATinNM on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 02:51:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: is it just me... (4.00 / 3)

I did not know that.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 02:59:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: is it just me... (4.00 / 2)

Now you do

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:05:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: is it just me... (4.00 / 4)

"Verbing weirds language."

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 02:58:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

LOL! (4.00 / 3)

I think I just found my next sig line!

"Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding."

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes

by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 03:03:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Girl Power Open Thread - Friday (4.00 / 5)

This is exactly why women need to be kept barefoot, preggers, and in the kitchen.

Give them an ounce of power and estrogen poisoning takes over. All kinds of mandatory hurdles and social requirements are emplaced that must be jumped over and met.

Soon ya'all will be talking about sex and our poor male brains will melt out our noses.

8^p

Och nu den svenska kocken bakar en Alaskan älg jägare. Bonk! Bonk! Bonk!

by ATinNM on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 02:28:06 PM EST

Re: Girl Power Open Thread - Friday (4.00 / 9)

More propaganda. They keep pushing this idea that men's brains are located anywhere near their noses....

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 02:31:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

If we had brains near our noses they would not roll out the lower end when we picked up a stick now, would they?

We are for Justice and Mercy, and Truth and Peace, and true Freedom. Edward Burroughs 1659

by edwin on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 03:47:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Girl Power Open Thread - Friday (4.00 / 5)

Speaking of girl power, on Wednesday night I saw a production of 60's chick rock.

Going from Lesley Gore

Nobody knows where my Johnny has gone
Judy left the same time
Why was he holding her hand
When he's supposed to be mine

It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to
Cry if I want to, cry if I want to
You would cry too if it happened to you.

to Janis Joplin

Busted flat in baton rouge, headin for the trains,
Feelin nearly faded as my jeans.
Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained,
Took us all the way to new orleans.
Took my harpoon out of my dirty red bandana
And was blowin sad while bobby sang the blues,
With them windshield wipers slappin time and
Bobby clappin hands we finally sang up every song
That driver knew.

Freedoms just another word for nothin left to lose,
And nothin aint worth nothin but its free,
Feelin good was easy, lord, when bobby sang the blues,
And buddy, that was good enough for me,
Good enough for me and my bobby mcgee.

In the space of an hour was a bit surreal.

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 02:29:05 PM EST

When it's well produced, with a good cast, that is a really fun show.

I worked on a production of it years and years ago -- we actually mounted the same show in two different theaters, and it was like seeing two different shows, even though it was the same set and the same cast. The first theater was in the wealthy 'burbs, with a mostly white audience. The second theater was downtown, with a mostly black audience. Both crowds loved it, but they responded to different things and in different ways.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 02:35:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

There's a whole nother discussion to be had about femanism, music, and race. At the time Leslie Gore was singing about temper tantrums, black women were expressing sexual longing.

Baby, baby
Baby don't leave me
Ooh, please don't leave me
All by myself

I've got this burning, burning
Yearning feelin' inside me
Ooh, deep inside me
And it hurts so bad

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes

by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 03:30:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

The crowd was mostly old white folk, so it had a "people trying to dance at a wedding" vibe. I didn't mind, I generally don't start moving until I hear repetitive thumpy music (in which case I dance involuntarily, especially if I've been consuming alcohol).

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 03:52:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Good choice of lyrics as an example, and just imagine the difference in voice, presence, musical power between the two.

The sixties was like taking off in a rocket.

When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Mon Jun 18th, 2007 at 09:47:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Can you say what caused the rocket to crash-land?

Can the last politician to go out the revolving door please turn the lights off?

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Jun 18th, 2007 at 09:49:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Metaphorically speaking, I guess it didn't achieve orbital velocity.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Mon Jun 18th, 2007 at 09:51:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Subjective speaking. It was "like".

But if you want to look at it more historically, I'd say the rocket didn't really crash land. A great deal of freedom - sexual, cultural - came out of that time and is part of what's simply assumed today. (Though it may now be under fire from fundie conservatives).

What didn't get prolonged was political, economic. Partly because people got a little older, gave up on their demands, settled into doing as well as they could in the system. Partly because a deliberate ideological drive backed by big capital got the neolib narratives out there. And the two synched - a bit of small-is-beautiful libertarianism on the one hand, a bunch of lies about how you-too-can-make-it on the other.

When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Mon Jun 18th, 2007 at 11:24:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Might it be that the era of prosperity that culminated in the 1960's came to a screeching end in the early 1970's oil shocks?

Can the last politician to go out the revolving door please turn the lights off?

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Jun 18th, 2007 at 11:27:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Was this breaking news in the Salon?

Yahoo: Squirrel goes on rampage, injures 3

BERLIN (Reuters) - An aggressive squirrel attacked and injured three people in a German town before a 72-year-old pensioner dispatched the rampaging animal with his crutch.
The squirrel first ran into a house in the southern town of Passau, leapt from behind on a 70-year-old woman, and sank its teeth into her hand, a local police spokesman said Thursday.

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes

by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 03:14:29 PM EST

I could have sworn it was June. But maybe it's April 1st.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 03:15:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Every day is April 1st. Do you ever have weird snippets of stuff pop into your head? There was this poem about April Fool's day by Ogden Nash and things remind me of it every so often. I've looked online before, and never been able to find it. From memory, it starts --

If April is the foolest month I know
I'll make the most of it
I'll sit at the Captain's table on the Ship of Fools
and be the toast of it

then later there's one of the funniest lines:

I'll interpret Kafka for the rifka and rafka

Does anyone know this? I can't be the only one...

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes

by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 03:23:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I have weird stuff pop into my head all the time, but I've never heard of either of those...

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 03:27:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]

In a serious response, it's very unusual for a rodent to contract rabies, but they really had better test that thing, because that's bizarre behavior.

When I was living in North Carolina, three separate rabies epidemics converged on the area around my town, resulting in a huge number of rabies-infected animals, and some very strange animal attacks.

Two rabid beavers attacked people in separate incidents -- one bit the crap out of a little boy's arm, and another tried to climb into a boat with fishermen in it. They hit it with an oar, and it kept trying to climb back in. Eventually they had to beat it to death.

Also, a rabid raccoon chased a little boy through a park near my house. But raccoons are not rodents and it's much more common for them to have rabies....

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 03:25:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I was thinking that same thing, although I've never heard of a squirrel having rabies. In California, a lot of squirrels have bubonic plague. Don't know if it turns them vicious, though.

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes

by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 03:34:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Bubonic plague is endemic to small rodents (squirrels, chipmunks etc) in (broadly) the South-West of the US, and the Asian steppes. It doesn't make them aggressive as rabies does, but it can occasionally be transmitted to man. I remember a case three years or so ago where a couple from NM (maybe AT heard about it) who had a small ranch, were taken ill with plague while on a visit to New York City. Freaked the hotel staff out.

When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Mon Jun 18th, 2007 at 11:53:43 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Yahoo: Singing seniors redefine rock songs

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - Fred Knittle wears his belt up high. His nose is tethered to an oxygen tank, and on stage he's confined to a folding chair. From this unlikely perch, he's turning rock 'n' roll on its head.
Singing Coldplay's "Fix You," Knittle transforms the song into a powerful ballad about a grandfather's healing wisdom. It means something different coming from an 80-year-old retiree suffering from congestive heart failure.
Knittle is a singer for the Young@Heart Chorus, whose members range from 73 to 92 years old. Singing songs they shouldn't even know, at an age when they're expected to be sitting quietly somewhere, they subvert all accepted notions of old and young.
Songs by bands like the Radiohead, OutKast and Nirvana take on a new dimension when performed by these 23 foot-stomping senior citizens. "Fix You" or the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go" become about life and death.
Though little known in America, the Northampton-based Young@Heart has performed from Australia to London, serenaded the king and queen of Norway, been discussed on "The Daily Show," and been documented in an acclaimed film for British television. They're now recording an album tentatively titled "Rockin' At Heaven's Door."

I've never heard of them before. I quite enjoyed the youtube video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2u6k-99qcCE

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes

by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 03:37:50 PM EST

Whoa. That is so diary-worthy. Could lead to a very interestin (and possibly painful) discussion on aging etc.

Check out I Wanna Be Sedated, too.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 03:52:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

There's also an interesting Slate article on the Young@Heart website. Apparently they have imitators.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 04:08:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

It's really odd when there's something like this that happens and something just hasn't made an impact in its country of origin, even more so in this Internet age.

Life should consist in at least fifty percent pure waste of time, and the rest doing what you please.

by ceebs (bunchofwankers (at) gmail (dot) com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 04:08:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

The Ladies should take over more often ;-)

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 04:20:14 PM EST

"The Ladies" (4.00 / 2)

You actually want your ass kicked, don't you?

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes

by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 04:27:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: "The Ladies" (4.00 / 7)

Well he normally has to pay for things like that.

Life should consist in at least fifty percent pure waste of time, and the rest doing what you please.

by ceebs (bunchofwankers (at) gmail (dot) com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 04:32:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

You should perhaps remember that I've been shot at with poison arrows in the Matto Grosso, crash-landed in 2 planes, been drunk several times with Keith Moon and spent some evenings with Coke Escuvido - so a couple of floozies in impractical shoes are not what I call a threat ;-) Love to you all xxx

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 05:38:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

But did you do all those things to impress women?

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 05:45:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

No - I was an employed and reckless documentary cameraman. Don't get me started on the Santana tour of Germany.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 05:54:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: "The Ladies" (4.00 / 3)

Well a man who's been drunk with Keith Moon, and then gone back and done it again show's a reckless disregard for his own safety ;-)

Life should consist in at least fifty percent pure waste of time, and the rest doing what you please.

by ceebs (bunchofwankers (at) gmail (dot) com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 05:46:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: "The Ladies" (4.00 / 3)

I was thinking how naive I was in those days. But then I realised I am still drinking with gangsters, so clearly I am a slow learner. But I learned one trick and that is to always force the game playing your way. Never accept the macho game challenges - always try to find the intellectual challenge, and then lose. Then find another one and lose that too. When the moment comes, play the big challenge and win. Philosophical poker..

It helps also if you wear glasses ;-)

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:02:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Philosophical poker..

I'll have to get myself a deck of cards for that. ;-)

Life should consist in at least fifty percent pure waste of time, and the rest doing what you please.

by ceebs (bunchofwankers (at) gmail (dot) com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 07:25:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: "The Ladies" (4.00 / 3)

Sounds more like your are the threat to yourself. Or to us floozies in impractical shoes. Or to basic good taste at the very least.

xoxoxo

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 05:50:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I've survived this far. But I haven't met the ultimate redhead yet...

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:03:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Strangely I envision you doing that from a Howdah on the back of an elephant.

Life should consist in at least fifty percent pure waste of time, and the rest doing what you please.

by ceebs (bunchofwankers (at) gmail (dot) com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 07:28:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: "The Ladies" (4.00 / 4)

I'm sorry, you're less scared of me than of a plane crash? That's a sure sign that we haven't met yet.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:00:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I don't think one can have much fun in a crashiing plane.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:08:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Being on the receiving end of my withering glare would hurt more.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:12:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I know those so well. But then I deal with actors all the time...

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:20:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

And they always want to be in a play...

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:21:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I am not and have never been an actor.

Everything's different when it's for real.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:27:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

And what, pray, is 'real'? ;-) Is that withering glare 'real'?

If it were, it would be very unattractive. As you know.

The only thing you cannot control is the improvement in skin tension during fertility. ;-)

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:40:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

It's interesting, how you assume I might be concerned about what you think is attractive....

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:54:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

What I think is - agreed - unimportant. What is important, is what you think is 'being real'. We all fool ourselves all the time on that one. ;-)

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 07:06:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Indeed we do.

And some people depend on being able to fool other people, too. :-\

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 07:23:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

So, :-\ (none / 1)

Is that the emoticon for <withering glare> ?

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Jun 16th, 2007 at 06:20:51 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: So, :-\ (none / 1)

Oh, certainly not. No mere emoticon could harness the power of my withering glare.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Sat Jun 16th, 2007 at 06:47:52 AM EST
[ Parent ]

and directors are always shouting "Cut! Check the gate." in the middle of conversations.

Och nu den svenska kocken bakar en Alaskan älg jägare. Bonk! Bonk! Bonk!

by ATinNM on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:32:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

not if the improv's going well. ;-)

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:41:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

What to say when accused of being a lady: (4.00 / 2)

"I'm no lady, I'm a [insert name of profession here]."

Works with practically any job.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 04:44:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Yikes. It's all centered. Can someone fix that?

Oh, yes, I am a feminist. That's why I can't work here anymore. ;)

I'm actually reading 2 books by Laura Kipnis right now...

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 05:09:56 PM EST

Should be fixed, sorry. I forgot to close the center tag. But weirdly, it didn't center everything in my browser. How odd.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 05:14:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Thanks!

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 05:50:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Just back from a 5 day last minute trip to Cyprus. Booked the flight Sunday afternoon, left just after midnight the same day. And now I am back.

Better enjoy the cheap flights while they are still around, eh?

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.

by Starvid (arvid.hallen at gmail.com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 05:32:39 PM EST

And yeah, what are the main population groups of Ayia Napa, Cyprus?

Greek- and Turk Cypriots?

Wrong.

Brits, Swedes, Russians and Norwegians. Astoundingly many signs, commercials and menus etc are in Swedish. This round of colonialism will end far better than New Sweden did.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.

by Starvid (arvid.hallen at gmail.com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 05:37:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Sounds like Sharm el-Sheikh. Main population: Russian, Italian, English, German, French, in that order. Egyptians way outnumbered. Signs and menus in all of those languages, plus several more.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 05:51:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Immanuel Wallerstein's column (4.00 / 6)

Sorry I'm late... The time zones conspire against my participation. Plus I don't get to read ET as much as I would like to -- too much work --- (so the following topic may have been discussed in some form or other previously): I would really like to know people's reaction to this column by Immanuel Wallerstein about the "rationale" or I should perhaps say "rationality" behind the proposed US missle defense sheild:

There is a rational objective behind all of this, and it's hardly a secret.
(...)
Donald Rumsfeld told us what is going on a long time ago. The policy of the present U.S. government is to use the so-called new Europe to constrain and limit the political role of the so-called old Europe - that is, use the east European governments against the west European governments. The United States, especially the Bush regime, does not want to see a strong Europe, one that would pursue a policy separate from that of the United States. And one could say that the Rumsfeld doctrine has been reasonably successful thus far. The point of erecting missile defense shields in east Europe is to protect the United States not against Iran and not against Russia but against west Europe, which explains the German attitude.

"Beware of the man who does not talk, and the dog that does not bark." Cheyenne

by maracatu on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 05:38:36 PM EST

Re: Immanuel Wallerstein's column (4.00 / 2)

Now that is an interesting theory. One should always be aware of long games.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:09:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Immanuel Wallerstein's column (none / 1)

To me it has much greater plausibility than the official reasons given. Anyway, I am convinced it has to do more with European Union politics than with Iran.

"Beware of the man who does not talk, and the dog that does not bark." Cheyenne

by maracatu on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 07:21:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Immanuel Wallerstein's column (none / 1)

It's not a theory. The US has as a strategic objective to prevent the rise of any power that can be even remotely comparable to it. Undermining the European Union is a necessary part of this. I think I read something authoritative in the early 1990's to that effect in the Spanish press and I was quite upset.

Can the last politician to go out the revolving door please turn the lights off?

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Jun 18th, 2007 at 09:55:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Immanuel Wallerstein's column (none / 1)

You must mean the Wolfowitz-Cheney draft Defense Planning Guidance, which was debated here.

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.

by DoDo on Mon Jun 18th, 2007 at 10:08:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Immanuel Wallerstein's column (4.00 / 2)

Quite possibly, thanks.

I remember that thread. Ugh.

Can the last politician to go out the revolving door please turn the lights off?

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Jun 18th, 2007 at 10:10:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Immanuel Wallerstein's column (4.00 / 2)

There's actually a lot of reasons explaining why the Pentagon should be pushing for this missile shield (even if it didn't work at all), of which fear from an Iranian attack is the most implausible. I still think it's more about Russia and elusive dreams of first- strike- capability (the end of MAD).

"If you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles." Sun Tzu

by Turambar (sersguenda at hotmail com) on Sun Jun 17th, 2007 at 08:52:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

i saw those guys, they were singing their tushies off!

gotta go now, one of my favourite tv shows, 'the agency' is going on, on hallmark channel, sky 'bouquet'.

goodish acting, great plots, series permits depth of characterisation development...

anyone else know it?

about feminism...

the best explanation i ever heard for the relations between the genders was that women are here for one reason: to confuse men!

the less they succeed, the more they love trying, and respect the man.

oh yeah, and men can't cheat by blocking them off, they have to have real purpose^TM to survive the 'treatment'.

for some mysterious reason, gay men release women from this genetic obligation, and they can have carefree fun.

i have a lot of fun with my partner, but the above explanation does explain much of her behaviour that otherwise would leave me extremely puzzled.

she finds it funny, and most interestingly, doesn't deny it...

so what do the girls here think...? sorry, i should have said 'women', maybe.

i'll never forget once opening a car door in santa cruz for a very beautiful feminist, c. 1990, and her hissing at me never to do that again...

didn't stop me from falling in unrequited love...

feminism is a very serious subject, and i have thought about it long and hard...(that's how we guys like to think, lol)

my conclusion is that feminism is like a baby that's half-born... the head's out, but the shoulders are having a hard time...

can't reverse the process, but this is a dangerous phase, because the babe was safer in the womb, till it outgrew it, and will be safe once the birth is completed, but right now is really tricky...

the old role models are insufficient for today, and there aren't enough new ones yet, so women are having to invent a new kind of wheel, progressing from the old, familiar, male-proscribed 'square wheel'
model of nurturant submission, to a quasi-androgenous model to take on men in their own fields.

this leads to brittle, rigid 'thatcher types' being the ones most likely to succeed, as men haven't moved enough towards understanding and living our own feminine sides yet.

without the stabilising nurturance of 'mom-at-home' both sexes are growing up more squirrely, (especially the men...)

i'd love to hear helen's take on this....

Peace is not the absence of war -- peace is the absence of fear. Ursula Franklin

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:09:27 PM EST

I wrote a sketch for the show based on an old joke.

Gypsy finds old metal vase on beach of Baltic, rubs it and lo, a genie appears.

"I can grant you a wish"

"What happened to the three wishes?"

"The Baltic is polluted, it has reduced my powers"

"OK - I visit Sweden quite often - relatives, business - what about a motorway from here to Stockholm?"

"That's a lot of concrete, deep piles down 80 meters, it has to be way up above the surface so ships can pass under. No - it's just too much. Try something else."

"I wish I could understand women"

"2 lanes or 4?

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:17:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_dimorphism

hehe...you crack me up, sven..

Peace is not the absence of war -- peace is the absence of fear. Ursula Franklin

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Sat Jun 16th, 2007 at 06:36:22 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Sexual Dimporhism & Leopard Slugs (4.00 / 2)

Initially, many instances of sexual dimorphism would seem to place the organism at a disadvantage. For instance, the bright colouration of male game birds makes them highly visible targets for predators, while the drably coloured females are far better equipped to camouflage themselves. Likewise, the antlers of deer and other forms of natural weaponry are very expensive to grow and carry in terms of the energy consumed by the animal in the process.

The answer to this apparent paradox is that, at a biological level, the reproductive success of an organism is often more important than duration of life. This is particularly apparent in the case of game birds: a male Common Pheasant in the wild often lives no more than 10 months, with females living twice as long. However, a male pheasant's ability to reproduce depends not on how long he lives but whether females will select him to be their mate.

One explanation for why females select more brightly coloured males is that it demonstrates to the female that he is fit in spite of the impediments and therefore a healthy and a good choice to father her chicks. This explanation was first proposed by Amotz Zahavi and is known as the Handicap principle. A human analogy would be a man rolling a cigar with a $100 bill to show off his wealth.

Comparison of sexual dimorphism in birds and their mating habits shows that the time spent in search for mates, staking territories and mating competes with the demands of taking care of young. For birds and in general, it can be stated that the stronger the dimorphism in a species, the more likely is it to be polygamous and the less is the task of caring for offspring shared among the sexes. This theory is developed by R. L. Trivers' in the parental investment theory. It applies to all ecology.

Women I have known want equality, but they certainly don't want to have to look down at their man... The man loses respect, and the woman loses...starts looking.... So men need to be women's equals, but women do not respect a man--anyone--who is their inferior. Flip that round: you are the inferior partner: you are the superior partner: the need for equality.

Now I'm reminded of that strange article in an american newspaper, the article was a call to arms, it mentioned "Finlandisation", NordicStorm diaried the concept...thanks...so I clicked the link and read...the beginning of the article...came to the line about "impotence"....ho ho! It is unmanly not to go to war.

The systematic approach to sex differentiation developed by V. Geodakyan in 1965 considers genotypic sexual dimorphism as a consequence of the asynchronous evolution of sexes; hence, only evolving characters can display it. It appears in the evolution of any character as a "distance" between sexes as a result of any type of selection (natural, sexual or artificial). The direction of the evolution of the character is indicated by the direction of genotypic sexual dimorphism (from the female to the male form of the character).

The evolution of most vertebrate species was accompanied by an increase in body size, while body size in many insect and spider species became smaller in the process of their evolution. Hence, according to the Evolutionary theory of sex, in large vertebrates, males should be larger than females, whereas in small insects and spiders, this relationship is reversed.

The phylogenetic rule of sexual dimorphism was verified as an accurate predictor for a large group (173 species) of lower Crustaceae.

And then there is stasis. There is calm. The war is over, peace reigns. No longer men and women we become "us", we become "you" and "me", where I am you and you are me, in principle, and in practice we meet when we both wish to and from our equality we understand...the value of good shagging...

Don't fight forces, use them R. Buckminster Fuller.

by rg (leopold dot lepster at google mail dot com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:14:25 PM EST

Re: Sexual Dimporhism & Leopard Slugs (4.00 / 3)

Why do people insist on thinking that equality means "sameness"?

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:28:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sexual Dimorphism (none / 1)

Equivalent. Equi-valent. Of equal value.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:43:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sexual Dimorphism (none / 1)

See below.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:56:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sexual Dimporhism &amp; Leopard Slugs (none / 0)

Check out the equals sign.

A = B

So B = A

Equality.

What is wrong with "sameness", btw? It's fine if each of us is the size of a few trillion universes, has a subtle and sublime consciousness of all processes, understanding that all is separate yet combined...and we enjoy cocktails, good live music with dancing and a warm breeze with a beach nearby and plenty of places, both public and private, to lie back and look at...the stars!

Sameness is not boring when the "thing" that finds another like it is not boring. Endless instantiations of....whatever it is we are. Division,

1/2
2/3
17/18

1/1

Equality.

Or maybe, from the inferior postion...multiplication!

1x2
2x3
17x18

Yack yack! We are 98.2 percent similar to chimpanzees and bonobos. We are 50 percent similar to the nemotode family.

Reproduction is usually sexual. Males are usually smaller than females (often very much smaller) and often have a characteristically bent tail for holding the female for copulation. During copulation, one or more chitinized spicules move out of the cloaca and are inserted into genital pore of the female. Amoeboid sperm crawl along the spicule into the female worm. Nematode sperm is thought to be the only eukaryotic cell without the globular protein G-actin.

Eggs may be embryonated or unembryonated when passed by the female, meaning that their fertilized eggs may not yet be developed. In free-living roundworms, the eggs hatch into larva, which eventually grow into adults; in parasitic roundworms, the life cycle is often much more complicated.

Nematodes have a simple nervous system, with a main nerve cord running along the ventral side. Sensory structures at the anterior end are called amphids, while sensory structures at the posterior end are called phasmids.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nematode_worm#Reproduction

Let me check. Nervous system. Main nerve chord. Sensory structures. Hey, mine have evolved! Eggs. Nope. But female humans have eggs. Check. Reproductive sex. Check. Sperm. Check.

And I'm sure it eats and craps. It's a worm. Hole in hole out. I check myself. Hole in hole out. Loadsa worm!

How similar are we? If we are not similar, what are our differences, and do they complement or do they clash? If they complement, what would it mean for someone to have the differences reconciled within their personality? Synthesis towards complexity....sameness is our family. I am the same as the universe, according to R. Buckminster Fuller. He said that the mix of elements within our body is identical with the mix in the universe. Or maybe I'm remembering wrong and maybe if I'm not he made it up!

The human body. With spanish commentary.

Don't fight forces, use them R. Buckminster Fuller.

by rg (leopold dot lepster at google mail dot com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:50:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sexual Dimporhism & Leopard Slugs (4.00 / 2)

People are not mathematical equations.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:55:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sexual Dimporhism & Leopard Slugs (4.00 / 2)

No, they are strange beasts and you are one and I am one, and compared to the chimpanzees--I mean, from a chimp point of view we are identical, except for any large differences in body shape, odour, touch, taste, and vocal sound.

We think we're endlessly different one from the other because....someone makes money from the transaction we pay them for to...understand our difference. Or to mitigate it or to increase it. Money money money.

Why aren't there free food stalls every kilometre or so down the track? Stalls run by cooks who act as doctors and can pick up on any illnesses running around, sort out the menus accordingly....

Well, it wouldn't work at the moment. Difference! Some would steal, some would overeat, some would...do something different. I don't think we'd lose any human quality of value if we just agreed to eat like that, and you're free to pick what you want, and we'd all help out with the various...

Yack yack!

And yet a physicist will tell you that we can be seen as agglomorations of equations. The physics running my fingers is, they say, the same physics running the sun, and the atomic principles underlying all chemistry, organic and inorganic, are the same principles I use to keep my heart pumping, my nails growing, and here "I" does not mean "my consciousness", which, as gate keeper, can get way hung up on all the subtle differences--everything is different because it is there and not here, it is this and not that...difference...Robert Anton Wilson:

We have these millions of signals coming into the brain at any one moment, and the brain sorts out these signals and uses some of them to throw out this picture in front of us. And that is what we call reality.

Well, that's a rough rememberation.

Difference is...shock! It's noticing that A does not equal B, that there is not equality between things but instead things are different.

So equality between men and women can mean "The laws of humans apply equally to men and women." If there's not a law against it....there should be! The puritan edge...

Or...if there's no law against it, how are men and women to negotiate this...activity that has no legal ramifications--for now?

It can mean "The rights and responsibilities humans invoke as members of a community will be equal for men and for women."

Maybe to test the feminist ideas of people we could ask:

"Do you think we should pass a law making it illegal for women to earn as much money as men?"

Or:

"Do you think....

you are banging on, mate?"

Cheers!

Don't fight forces, use them R. Buckminster Fuller.

by rg (leopold dot lepster at google mail dot com) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 07:12:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sexual Dimporhism & Leopard Slugs (4.00 / 3)

Nice video, btw.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 06:29:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

YesMen at canadian Oil Expo (4.00 / 2)

By the time candles supposedly made from remains of a deceased ExxonMobil janitor named Reggie Watts were handed out, an audience of oil and gas professionals attending a keynote luncheon at Calgary's Gas and Oil Exposition realized they'd been had.

...

The premise of the presentation, which included a PowerPoint lecture by "S.K. Wolff," was that as humans begin to die as a result of calamities caused by climate change, their remains could be harvested for an alternative fuel source called "vivoleum" that would eventually replace oil.

Osenberg, supposedly the director of human resources with the vivoleum program, took the stage carrying a lit candle while volunteers handed out candles to the audience.

The approximately 250 assembled guests were told the vivoleum for the candles had been "sourced" from an ExxonMobil maintenance worker who donated it before dying of cancer:YesMen latest hoax

by Fete des fous on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 07:02:53 PM EST

I just thought I should let everyone know I took over the site while no one was looking. Go about your business.

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

by poemless on Fri Jun 15th, 2007 at 07:24:38 PM EST