First night's in the books! - 27 March 2008

[silveradept]

It was a pretty short set, and not as much for playing, so the chops didn’t get totally exhausted. More shows to arrive, of course. In a few weeks, ask me again. It’s also late, and so I should be sleeping. There may be a bit less snark and text associated with things tonight.

Internationally, fighting in Iraq has intensified as the government bids for control. Which doesn’t stop the Pentagon from spinning it into something positive. And in a study that will set the hawks salivating, supposedly when the media is more anti-war, the attack frequency increases.

Elsewhere in the world, Dennis Prager finds the coverage given to Palestine in comparison to Tibet to be indicative of several factors and prejudices. Speaking of Tibet, the Polish Prime Minister is not going to be present at the opening ceremony for the Olympics in Beijing.

And in a true moment of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Mexico has anti-emo protests going on.

On the domestic front, the economic crunch is getting worse. Even those who can afford their mortgages, after doing the calculations, sometimes appear to come out ahead by walking away from their mortgages. So they do. This creates headaches for the banks and other lenders, of course. And screws mightily with the economy. Then again, job losses and laws designed at punishing illegal immigrants are doing their share in some towns. So while the housing thing is helping, there are other forces at work. Which could mean that sovereign wealth funds take on a bigger share of what they already have.

Let me say this (again) to start the stupid files - while those whose faith was strong have been able to heal the sick, for most of us, go to see a doctor in addition to praying. That way the 11 year-old daughter with the treatable diabetes doesn't die. Continuing on in the stupid files, pulling a gun on the deliverymen because they won't take their shoes off is a bit extreme, ya?

Cal Thomas falls into the trap of believing that the lack of two-parent households is the cause for ills in the African-American community. So it’s not them being black, it’s that they’re one-parent households. It seems like a step forward, even though it isn’t at all. But it might be enough to deflect away any criticism of racism. Although it does invite an accusation of being sexist.

Staying in religious areas for a bit, first Christian kitsch, and then Star Wars advertisements (which are religious to some), and then back to an article about how much George Bush really isn't a Christian by Christian standards.

Google may be in trouble, as one of its managers may have fibbed to Congress about the percentage and prevalence of African-American workers at the search company.

A federal appeals court has ruled that persons on the tarmac are cargo, not people, and thus not entitled to things like fresh air, water, or being able to use the bathrooms.

And through all of that, and pretty speeches, and the like, slavery still exists and is used to make profit in human trafficking and prostitution. Doesn’t that just make you feel warm and fuzzy? No? Well, perhaps some contributions from our Unabashed Feminism department will help. Bureau Chief ldragoon takes a couple big swings, linking to prepubescent girls getting eyebrow pluckings and Brazilian waxes, and not for any particular reason other than to make the little girls concerned about their bodies and images at an early age. This assault is also being picked up in children’s books, as the Sweet Valley High books are getting reprinted, keeping in details about how the girls are still "perfect size" X. No, no, no! Whatever happened to childhood’s innocence? There’s no need to start exposing and imposing the sick and twisted ideas that our society has about women at that age. In fact, it’s not fair nor right to try and impose those ideas on a girl before she’s even developed the faculties to analyze it and call it the bullshit it is. ldragoon goes “Hulk Smash” and declares that she's going to write a manuscript where the girls are normal girls.

With regard to candidates in the United States general election, John McCain gave a speech today outlining a collaborative foreign policy, while continuing to insist that he won’t budge on Iraq.

A Gallup Poll suggests Democrats will vote for The Other Guy if their candidate doesn't get the nod. This would definitely make a Bad Ending for the election 2008 dating sim. Thing is, the candidates are still pretty even-up, and 22% of Democrats said Senator Obama should withdraw, and a different 22% percent said Senator Clinton should turn aside.

In science (SCIENCE!), organic matter has been found on a Saturnian moon, and reversible suspended animation is possible in small animals using sewer gas. Also, take a peek at some concept laptops and a virtual avatar that mimics you on screen. And, following up from a previous event, Richard Dawkings reviews the events at the Expelled! premiere as well as the movie itself

Last for tonight, there was going to be something here about how sex and flirting works in Japan, but the post has since been locked down, and I have no transcripts.

Okay, there’s a postscript, but it’s my professional self telling you to take a look at The Forbidden Library, composed strictly of books that have been banned or challenged (using the ALA challenged list and another book as the sources).

So, bedlikething. Now.

Comments

[draxynnic.livejournal.com]

While Prager has a point, I can't say I like the way he seems to be using it to score points against the left side of politics. China is a business with a thin veneer of socialism these days anyway. The lack of a free press in China, and the fact that Israel is just that much of an easier target, is sufficient without claiming that the likely misplaced focus is due to people's preferences on how to manage an economy.

A more ironic thing is that Israel is a fairly civilised country - there's the expectation that condemnation may actually lead them to withholding the lash. China, on the other hand, would just ignore it. In fact, the policy of engaging with China may actually be the best thing for Tibet in the long run, by keeping it at least communicating with the rest of the world rather than going back into a "the whole world is against us" stance like Iran did after Bush gave that stupid Axis of Evil speech. The question, of course, is whether there'll be a Tibet left by the time that China has a chance to pay attention.

I really wouldn't find it surprising if anti-war media does lead to more attacks. Realistically, the guerillas aren't going to push the West out militarily - the real war is being fought in the court of public opinion. If there are a lot of people in the media saying that the war is unwinnable and we should cut our losses and run, that encourages the militias that if they can make it just a little more expensive they may provoke a premature withdrawal.

[uncle-pervy.livejournal.com]

I'd like to read supacat's post on flirting & sex in Japan but they've locked it to friends-only so I can't read it. You wouldn't happen to have a copy or access to it that could be copypasta'ed to me?

[silveradept]

I'm afraid not. It was interesting, though - the highlight version of it was that the freedom that we have in America for positioning and such is not the same there, where roles and rules are strictly defined. that, and actually saying that you're interested in someone is definitely way too direct.

[uncle-pervy.livejournal.com]

Well it's not surprising considering that the Diet is still having to wrestle with the Constitution of Japan concerning Princess Aiko's potential ascendency to the Chrysanthemum Throne and the standing law of "No women may assume the throne."

As for proclamations of love, I've figured that out thanks to anime, for the most part. If you watch some slice-of-life show and one character "proclaims their love" for the other main character, they always seem to say tsuki desu or dai tsuki desu which is "I like you" or "I REALLY like you" but not love, which is "ai".

However, I think that's changing at a tremendous pace nowadays in Japanese society. Kids are kids and since, as we all know, Japan's 10 years in the future to everyone else I wouldn't be surprised to see and hear of boys and girls getting more and more straight-forward in their proclamations of love. Now as to whether they're follow it up with the "Horizontal Mambo" is another thing entirely but what the hey...

Thanks for at least giving me a head's up on that, shisho (librarian) or perhaps I should just call ya aisho (book lover)?

[silveradept]

Japan in ten years time will be interesting. There are going to be some campaigns to raise the fertility rate soon, which might lead to some loosening of the protocols.

Anyway, I'm not sure which is more accurate, but both will do. Probably Shisho when thinking professionally, aisho when not.

[aurora77]

I've read a lot of the titles in the Forbidden Library. I may not agree with all of the authors or the ideas they put forth, but there's no good reason to ban them. It's ridiculous. Each person (or parents, in the case of children) can decide for themself what is appropriate or not. Banning a book is forcing that decision on everyone else, not to mention raising curiousity. I remember reading some books that were challenged at my school. When I was done, my thoughts usually were, "That's it? That's what the big deal was about? Pfft. Stupid adults."

[silveradept]

I know. The actual material is almost never as good as the anticipation. All of the stuff that was supposed to be raunchy depictions of stuff? Turned out to be that someone casually mentioned that someone was topless.

[uncle-pervy.livejournal.com]

I think the best way to describe it is to just mention the M*A*S*H* episode "The Moon is Blue." The real movie was banned as a "blue movie" in the 50's by a number of local reivew boards due to it's frank sex talk. Poor Hawkeye pulls all the strings he can to get it & show it for the guys & gals...without fully knowing why it was banned in the first place. He just heard it was something to do with sex and his ample imagination filled in the blanks. When they aired the movie in the camp and they realized it was pretty much a pathetic movie without anything to redeem it, Hawk's figuratively tarred & feathered.

Just mention "The Moon is Blue" and any film buff'll know exactly what it is you're talking about.