I'm a nice guy, I guess.

[silveradept]

So much so that I'll save damsels in distress by taking their umpiring shift, sacrificing a wander about the art fair to do so. Oh, well, there's always Friday... or tomorrow, if I wanted to get up. So I took a four-game shift tonight after begging for some money from one of the places that was handing it out. I'll know how well my begging went tomorrow.

Microsoft agrees to self-police and play more fair in the competitive environment. Coming hot on the heels of getting a beatdown from the European commission about anti-trust stuff, it's no wonder that Microsoft is trying to appease everyone, so that their bottom line doesn't suffer too greatly.

Weapons to protect oneself in office politics. Xacto-style shuriken - for decorative purpose only, don't use them as they're sharp and will hurt someone.

The President finally exercises his first veto - voting down the opening of new stem-cell research lines. You may direct all correspondence to: Mr. George W. Bush, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500. Remember, sending explosives or abrasive chemicals is a violation of federal post law. Sending a blistering invective about the stupidity of the decision is not. On a realistic scale, my SCIENCE!-following friends, how far back does Mr. Bush set progress with his decision?

Speaking of setting progress back, this image-sidebar-recommendation thing on corporal punishment suggests that in the Christian household, "smacking" can be applied as long as 15 mintues, if necessary. I'm sorry, I call that "child abuse" if it carries on for this long, regardless of the grievousness of the offense. Not to mention that physical punishment only works for so long. The other bullet points in this list are just as scary and authoritarian - they're designed to make a child cower in fear of their parents rather than to cuddle and confide in them. I wonder how many regularly "smacked" children end up in the care of social services. On a different tack, scary, scary, people who think atheists have no moral/ethical imperative to do good things. Among other things. Since when did belief in God become a critical component of knowing what's good and what's not? After all, science is not a faith, but it still produces things that are considered positive and negative, no god(s) necessary. (Although, if you want some gods, try Godchecker.com

Work schedules need to be more flexible - most of the workforce has 'social jet lag'. This is true - some days you just need to sleep in longer, regardless of what you did the night before.

Bloggers blocked in India to stop "extremism". Slippery slope here, people. Start sliding and you'll find it's very well greased.

Alien Ant Farm. No, not the band.

Last marks for tonight - A potential reason why people are so opposed to gay marriage, even when supportive of gay rights. A quest for a gender identity in a word where gender identity is becoming even more and more fluid, flexible, and flux. I wonder if it's really true - that the people who don't think of gays as abominations condemned by God or second-class citizens of some sort really are worried about losing what they probably consider their last bastion of "proper" gender identity. How do you respond to that in such a way that these people will embrace the fluidity and permit homosexuals to join the ranks of the married?

Comments

[brynnmyrddin.livejournal.com]

The shuriken is so amusing, more so because I know a handful of guys who would actually make one if given the chance.

The smacking bit is just horrifying.
"A smack leaves the offense forever in the past" and "if the child is still angry after the smack, you have not smacked hard enough" are so wrong! Not only does "smacking" in that sense constitute child abuse, but it almost guarantees that the child will become either extremely withdrawn or violent toward their peers. It also destroys any respect the child has for the adult and for authority in general. Fear does not equate to respect. This is a recipe for pushing a child into becoming either suicidal or highly abusive as an adult, and frankly, it's disturbing. People who advocate "smacking" should be beat on a regular basis and see how they like it; they should also be sterilized. No child deserves to be abused.

[brynnmyrddin.livejournal.com]

Sorry for the mini-rant, I'm really touchy on that subject. I guess I've just known too many people who've ended up badly because of that...

[greyweirdo.livejournal.com]

Why should you be sorry? You're only stating facts. Everything you said there was true, and it only takes about three minutes research to find all the studies you need to prove it.

Of course I've got a similar reaction to the concept as you do, so that might skew my vision.

[torakiyoshi.livejournal.com]

"Smack" should be replaced with "spanked", which can be seen if you read the bullets carefully. I was spanked as a child for various offenses, and I believe that a good spanking is what many children these days need. Too many of our children are lacking basic moral disciplines and believe they are entitled to behave the way they do because do-gooders have decided that a firm spanking is child abuse. As far as I am concerned those do-gooders harm the child far more through a sickening form of neglect than a proper, open-handed spanking ever can. This is reflected in my classrooms in the behavior of many teens.

Or, to put it in the words of the wisest man who ever lived: "spare the rod*, spoil the child."

Have teh best

-=TK

* Note: I do not advocate the use of a rod-- an open hand will suffice.

[torakiyoshi.livejournal.com]

Rather than make a mess in Silver's journal, I've opened a forum on my own for this discussion. I welcome your reply (http://torakiyoshi.livejournal.com/648670.html) there.

Have teh best

-=TK