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Amen

Monday, October 30th, 2006

I hadn’t planned to post more, but I ran across this post that I felt compelled to reproduce. There’s a lot worth noting here: the peaceful nature of the people who protested; the peaceful armed response of adult members of their community — to me, this second amendment issue goes to the heart of civil rights. The fact that the police didn’t push things the way they were pushed in the Deep South. The pathetic response of government and the NAACP. The willingness of the media to largely smother the story.

Father and son waiting to be served
Photo Credit: Tully of Stubbornfacts.us

And, of course, the ultimate willingness of the owner, that terrible capitalist, to say “Serve them… I’m losing too much money.” Capitalism works better than socialism in diminishing racism. I wish I could say “eradicating” not “diminishing”, but I can’t. Neither ideology really does that, sadly. I certainly wish he’d said “Serve them… it’s wrong not to”, but take what victories one can.

Some people are quite rightly remembered and renowned in the history books for their lives and achievements. Many more, no less deserving, slip into the shadows of history and are forgotten.

In Wichita, Kansas, near the corner of Broadway and Douglas, there is a small plaza tucked in between two buildings. On one wall of the plaza is a sculpture of a lunch counter with several people sitting at it. It’s so very life-like that in nice weather people routinely sit down on the empty stools to eat their lunches at the counter. There is no plaque to explain the sculpture.

If there were, that plaque would note that on July 19, 1958, several black teenagers, members of the local NAACP chapter, entered the downtown Dockum Drug Store (then the largest drug store chain in the state) and sat down at the lunch counter. They were ignored. They kept coming back and sitting at the counter, from before lunch through the dinner hour, at least twice a week for the next several weeks. They sat quietly, creating no disturbance, but refusing to leave without being served.

And they changed things. Nearly two years before Greensboro, widely credited with starting the sit-in movement that expanded from civil-rights protests throughout the 60’s into admittedly crazed political and economic protests in the late 60’s and 70’s… it all began there.

I’ve neither truck nor trade with the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. I think affirmative action is a disturbing form of racism embedded in our government that needs to be rooted out.

But I’ll salute to my dying days those men and women who fought to serve (in our armed forces) and to be served (at our lunch counters). God Bless them.
And historians may come to say much of it began there, in Wichita, Kansas.

-wolfe

Posted in history, race, social | 10 Comments »

Sunday Sonnets

Monday, October 30th, 2006

I thank poster Zogmama for this excellent suggestion, including the title. Properly speaking, very few of the poems, songs, and works of prose that I write about here will be sonnets. But it’s a nice bit of alliteration, and so it remains.

I’ll post all (or much) of a poem I quite like, then comment a bit on it. Much of what I examine, as some posters have noted, will have a touch of melancholy to it. Much of what I like features things like time, water, often the sea itself, mother to us all.

I’ll sometimes tell a story, or a few stories about how the poem came into my life, or why I feel it means a great deal to me.

Today, I’d planned to write about Tennyson’s Ulysses. But then I thought… well, that’s a very well known poem, probably everyone here has read it. While it’s worth chatting about, it’s hardly worth being the inaugural one.

There’s certainly a little bit of melancholy in this tale, and to this poem. Yet there is joy as well. And then, Friday, it became obvious to me. A poem that meant a great deal to me, yet one I’d refused to read for the better part of a decade.

The moment I was out of sight of the crowd I’d read it in front of, I’d thrown the Oxford Book of English Verse — a wonderful book — in a garbage can. Suffice to say, I had some feelings about this poem, or, rather, what it represented.

And now, my tale.

In my salad days (I mean in the Shakespearean sense, not the modern US sense), I was unsure about whether or not to pursue graduate studies, to continue on in academia. It wasn’t that I felt I lacked the intellectual capability; it was more a case of feeling profoundly unsuited to the academic environment.

I didn’t want to work for a government (or governmental agency). And I didn’t want to head a research lab — ever. And I was beginning to discover the byzantine nature of academic politics, which was making me question whether or not I wanted to dwell in the house of Derrida.

And so, back in the summer of 199x, I set out on a journey. I’d read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I had a (new to me) Honda that I’d paid a mighty $8,000.00 for. I’d the usual camping supplies, a good pair of boots, several pairs of clean socks, a good rifle, clean underwear, soap, the usual accoutrements.

In times of doubt, where does one go?

One can go to the sea, as I’ve suggested.

One can go to the mountains: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains, from whence cometh my deliverance.” (Ps. 121).

One can go to a trusted advisor.

I decided to do all three.

I fear that this shall have to be the closing of part I of this tale; I’d written more than I intended, and I’ve yet to respond to all of your comments and emails from Friday on.

The poem shall come, as shall more of this tale, which, I assure you, has a mostly happy ending.

On another note, I’d a great weekend, decompressing before more work. Perhaps I’ll write about wolfe’s escaping the crowd of intelligent yet witlessly chattering females to talk about guns and dogs with men; perhaps I’ll write about wolfe’s crashing (in a computational sense) the grocery store; or perhaps more on blind dates.

Whether or not I write about it, it was a great weekend, and I hope yours was the same.

End of Part I.

-wolfe

Posted in personal, poetry | 4 Comments »

Shut up and Sing!

Thursday, October 26th, 2006

Content advisory: Some language and images not suitable for young viewers. Nothing that wouldn’t be seen on an American supermarket Magazine cover early in the 21st century though. This one’s also very long.

If you want to start downloading this video to get an advance of what I’m going to be linking (or hate reading lots of words), here goes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BZ6aqgvdFI

(But if you hate reading lots of words, you’re on the wrong blog).

“Shut up and Sing!“. I’ve mixed feelings about that phrase — even leaving aside its rudeness. To explain it, I’m going to need some time. Here in North America, Hollywood and the music industry are overwhelmingly left-wing. I could — and probably shall — write a whole other blog post on why I think this is so, but that’s another story. (Rudyard Kipling, C.P. Snow, and Stalin all have useful comments on this).

Beccy Cole
Slightly Pouty? Check.
Entertainment Industry? Check.
Politically reliable views? Uh…

For those of us on the starboard side of life, it can be a bit tedious. You find a great writer, artist, or songwriter who’s work you really enjoy, and *presto* you discover that he or she not only disagrees with everything you believe in but holds you in utter contempt for believing it.

Read the Bible? You’re likely an inbred ignorant moron.

Voted Republican? You must be a redneck racist.

Really, I don’t expect the people I pay to entertain me (via Nielson ratings, or via buying their songs, CD’s, going to their movies) to share my views. I don’t remotely mind them expressing theirs, even, possibly, as part of their performance. (This latter is much dodgier, since I paid to see them perform).
I do mind it when they spew out contempt for me and what I believe in.

This has nothing to do with free speech, and everything to do with freedom of choice, freedom of association, and free markets.

The Dixie Chicks are a good example.

Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks. Entertainment Weekly 2 May 2003
Photo Illustration.

In the days before the Iraq War, the Dixie Chicks were touring the UK. Natalie Maines, their lead singer, said at a concert in London, “Just so you know, we’re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas”.

This shocked many Americans of divers political views. It was viewed as poor form of her to criticize the President while on foreign soil and poor judgment to criticize him when the country was on the verge of war.

Needless to say, many conservative country music fans (US country music fans tend to be conservative as opposed to liberal) announced they’d stop buying the Dixie Chicks’ CDs.

The photo illustration above pretty much encapsulates the media firestorm at the time.

I happen to think President Bush phrased it succinctly, though not as eloquently as he could have. Of course the Dixie Chicks response… well lets just say that made Bush look like Demosthenes, Socrates, Cicero, Jackson, Patton, Sojourner Truth, Jefferson, Bryan, Churchill and Arouet rolled into one:

‘’The Dixie Chicks are free to speak their mind,’’ Bush told Tom Brokaw at the time, adding, ‘’They shouldn’t have their feelings hurt just because some people don’t want to buy their records when they speak out. You know, freedom is a two-way street.’’

After watching this footage, Maines repeats the president’s comment about how the group shouldn’t have their ‘’feelings hurt,’’ incredulous, and then says, ‘’What a dumb f—.’’ She then looks into the camera, as if addressing Bush, and reiterates, ‘’You’re a dumb f—.’’

Bush had it right. They’ve got a total right to say whatever the #$)* they want about him — without being called traitors, sluts, or Saddam’s angels. They don’t have a right to not have people be offended; they don’t have a right to evade the consequences in a free market economy of their speech.

There should be no governmental consequences for insulting the president… that’s a no-brainer. But for people to say “Hey. I don’t like this. I’m not going to buy their tunes anymore” … well, that’s life.

Freedom is indeed a two-way street; they are totally free to trash him, and people are free not to buy their albums.

If you don’t want to suffer negative financial consequences of your political views as an entertainer, then, well, Shut up and Sing!

Note how the Chicks responded. This, in my view (I welcome disagreement from gwallan) is how most of those on the left typically respond: with invective and a total “I miss the point” attitude of arrogance, conceit and entitlement that only a media culture heavily in bed with them could support. (Not to say Conservatives are never ill-mannered or irrational either).

“You’re a dumb f—”? Yeah, real persuasive argument there, Socrates.

By implication, everyone that agrees with Bush’s point on freedom is also a dumb f—. Thanks Chicks. Last album of yours I’ll buy.

Now here’s a reverse example, from the other side of the world.

Beccy Cole, the pouting minstrelette portrayed at the top.

She’s got a superb song, “Poster Girl” that is the emotional parallel to the “You’re a dumb f—” response from the Dixie Chicks, yet logically, its the antithesis.

Yes, it’s saccharine, sappy, and a touch maudlin. If you loathe country music, you may well not like this. But the lyrics are well worth listening to.

It’s a response to her fans who heavily criticize her support of Australia’s war efforts “On the wrong side of the world”.
It beats “You’re a dumb f—” as a response to fans with whom you disagree.

Poster Girl (lyrics copyright by Beccy Cole Music Pty Ltd. Transcribed by wolfe)

Maybe I’m naive to think we all could get along
So i read your words and all I ask is that you hear my song
You ripped my poster off the wall
‘Cuz I’m the singer that went to the War

You see no good in me at all.
Well pardon me if I believe I haven’t got it wrong
And before you turn your back on me I’ll sing you
One more song

Cuz I shook hands with the diggers [Australian SAS] on the wrong side of the world
With a wife at home that holds her breath and brand new baby girl
And the digger fights for freedom and a job that must be done
And I let go of his hand so proud to be Australian

And if unlike me if you feel no pride at all
Then go ahead and take me off the wall
Because I prefer to be a poster girl on the wrong side of the world

And I’m just the girl that sings the crazy songs
Not qualified to sit and judge
I’ve been right and I know I’ve been wrong
but I’m for peace and I’m for love.

And I admire the burning fire that causes you to fight
I only wish the wrong side of the world had the same right

Now that’s a response to critics. Polite, respectful, and an attempt to intellectually and emotionally engage.

One can, by all means, [I don't] dismiss her arguments, but not, I think her sincerity and civility.

She’s got it right. She’s just the girl who sings the crazy songs… but here’s her world view, and here’s why she does what she does.

I’ll take Beccy Cole from the far side (but emphatically not the Wrong side) of the world any day, over the Dixie Chicks. I’d hope people of good will from the left would take her attitude and decency over that of the Dixie Chicks.

So: ‘Shut up and Sing!’ ?  No. Just explain, and treat those who disagree with you respectfully and decently.

-wolfe

Posted in babes, politics, social | 55 Comments »

Very busy

Wednesday, October 25th, 2006

My main job’s got me overcommitted, and on the academic side, I’m also trying to help some colleagues with the responses to referees for a paper. Lots of email I haven’t responded to; I’ll try to do so shortly, but little blogging for the next day or three.

-wolfe

Posted in personal | 4 Comments »

Friday Boobies 2!

Friday, October 20th, 2006

Boobies!

Ah yes, here we reconcile ourselves with the fact that we’re dealing with the blog of a heterosexual male who seems to like boobies. Not just the birds.

It’s an intriguing challenge for me. I’ve a number of (heterosexual female readers) [wolfe pauses to consider Female in the clutches of the #6 Humlon from Battlestar Galactica ...]

Where was I? Oh yes. To produce Friday Boobies! episodes that are quite sexual but not offensive. Or not totally. And I invite comment, especially constructive criticism.

Now, I could post the boobies of female posters, but no, no, that would be a shortcut at this stage. Better, yes, to focus on some form of commentary. And I am serious about this. Serially, as Al Gore would say.

Well mostly serial. Or seriously, as republicans might say.

Halloween costumes seem to be going in a somewhat depressing direction. I’m going to only post adult female ones, but there are a lot of them, this year, that seem to portray women as children/young teens. That’s… disturbing.

The New York Times comments on that. And upon women filling out a costume.

19cost11901.jpg

Photo From NY Times.More to follow, tonight, including maybe ‘Jake’.

(Seriously, needs more commentary, just in a rush to get to work.)

 

 

Posted in babes, gender | 13 Comments »

Evolution?

Friday, October 20th, 2006

I’ve talked about evolution news and criticized intelligent design on scientific grounds. (I happen to believe in it, but I agree it’s not very good science). Now here’s something really nutty from someone who claims to be an “evolutionary theorist” and works for the London School of Economics. Granted, Mick Jagger’s, Cherie Blair’s and James Hacker’s alma mater may not be the sine qua non of intellectualism, but can it really be that bad?

Apparently yes.

Humanity may split into two sub-species in 100,000 years’ time as predicted by HG Wells, an expert has said.

Evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry of the London School of Economics expects a genetic upper class and a dim-witted underclass to emerge.

lseevolution4.jpg
Go gay (for male readers), and date the ‘genitals removed’ 7′ tall guy that looks like Adolf Hitler with two mouths, or the troglodyte possibly female creature? Decisions, decisions for our descendants in 100,000 years, according to this chap from the LSE. Image credit:BBC News.

The human race would peak in the year 3000, he said - before a decline due to dependence on technology.

People would become choosier about their sexual partners, causing humanity to divide into sub-species, he added.

The descendants of the genetic upper class would be tall, slim, healthy, attractive, intelligent, and creative and a far cry from the “underclass” humans who would have evolved into dim-witted, ugly, squat goblin-like creatures.

Race ‘ironed out’

But in the nearer future, humans will evolve in 1,000 years into giants between 6ft and 7ft tall, he predicts, while life-spans will have extended to 120 years, Dr Curry claims.

Physical appearance, driven by indicators of health, youth and fertility, will improve, he says, while men will exhibit symmetrical facial features, look athletic, and have squarer jaws, deeper voices and bigger penises.

Women, on the other hand, will develop lighter, smooth, hairless skin, large clear eyes, pert breasts, glossy hair, and even features, he adds. Racial differences will be ironed out by interbreeding, producing a uniform race of coffee-coloured people.

The BBC thinks this is worth reporting on?

Peak in the year 3000? (For, presumably, evolutionary reasons)?

Look, I’m all for pert breasts, glossy hair and if I get upgraded to be a big swinging dick, great, but, given that every feature ascribed to women (and men) can be replicated via drugs/surgery/cosmetics today, it seems somewhat unlikely that we’ll have a big evolutionary push in this direction.

And in a mere 1000 years technology will be our downfall? This is an awfully weak argument.

“Science” like this, is roughly as valid as a faculty member of the LSE saying “Jesus will return again, as prophesized, by the year 3000″. Yeah, it could happen. And it is at least a falsifiable prediction, if we wait long enough. But it’s basically made up out of whole cloth.

NB- They do call him “Dr Curry” and, unless the English have changed radically over the last 10 years, that’s a hat tip that he’s not yet a recognized professor, academic or scholar. Or sloppy journalism, which, given the rest of the article, may well be the case. The BBC is generally a reliably left-wing outfit though, with passable science journalism.

Hat tip: Pharyngula, self described as a blog on “Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations [I shan't go there] from a godless liberal”, namely associate professor at University of Minnesota, Morris. [For non-US readers, U of M (twin cities) is generally reasonably well regarded as a general scientific/engineering university. I've little idea how their Morris campus -- 250 km from the twin cities -- stacks up in biology or anything, but it certainly can't be terrible... unlike the LSE!].

I do suspect reception of any ID/conservative people there would be quite hostile, judging by how he’s been quoted in the media.

In any event, there’s my boring science post of the day. Next up, if I’ve time… Friday boobies!

-wolfe

Posted in gender, news, race, religion, science | 53 Comments »

Calling Smallville

Wednesday, October 18th, 2006

Short shrift for most posting this week, as I’m very busy with work, but I found this story interesting.

Ground-Penetrating Radar locates buried meteorite in Kansas farm field.

“It validates the technique so we can use something similar to that instrument when we go to Mars,” said Patricia Reiff, director of the Rice Space Institute.

Such GPR systems had been used in the past to locate smaller meteorites through the ice in Antarctica. But until the Kansas dig, the technology had not been successfully used for ground detection in heavy soils — like on Mars — to find meteorites or water there.

The dig was likely the most documented excavation yet of a meteorite find.

Meteorite buried below a Kansas farm? Hmm… below, an ultra-scientific reconstruction of what the meteorite may have looked like:

superman-meteorite1.jpg
Image via Planete-Smallville; Warner Brothers image.

In related news, small boy lifts car over his head.

-wolfe

Posted in news, science | No Comments »

Despicable.

Sunday, October 15th, 2006

This post has been updated since originally being filed.

Poverty stricken mother of the baby Keanu Reeves is adopting tells her story.

The mother of the little girl adopted by Keanu Reeves in Malawi has described her feelings of confusion and powerlessness in the face of the actor’s determination to take her only surviving child away.

Peasant Yohane Banda, who can barely read or write, admitted she didn’t fully understand what was happening when she went to court on Thursday in her best clothes to see for the first and only time the man who was offering her 13-month-old daughter a new life in the West.

All she knew, as she sat in her dirt-stained cotton skirt, a check blouse and her treasured black denim jacket at the High Court in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, was that the dark-haired caucasian man standing before him her in a black suit was hoping to take her daughter away.

Yohane’s court ordeal will further intensify criticism that Reeves had flown into the poor African country and used his wealth and celebrity status to try to steamroller authorities into granting a fast-track adoption.

…

Meanwhile Yohane, 31, whose husband Maro died a week after their daughter was born, was left to reflect on the confusing events of her day in court with Reeves.

This is despicable. Wealthy western men are able to rip away a child from a loving mother, a recent widow?

Are we not revolted by this!?

And why all the CRAP about how she was dressed? What does that matter? “dirt-stained cotton skirt”? Her “treasured black denim jacket”? How condescending and contemptuous of her. Come on, that’s all a blatant invitation to disrespect her. And her background as a peasant? vs. Reeve’s as a movie star!? WTF!?

That is so sexist. My Lord. If the situation were reversed, would we be talking about how a father was dressed? Disgusting.

Would we be dismissing him in that way via his social status? Despicable.

Moreover, some say Reeves has an odd sexual background. What if he might be trying to be some kind of ghastly pedophile and abuse that young girl. If nothing else, can he really raise her properly?

Oh wait.

Sorry.

I got that entire story totally wrong. It’s not Keanu Reeves; it’s Madonna. Yohane is not a widow, but a widower who lost his beloved wife. The child isn’t a girl, but a boy.

So there’s no problem. It’s just a dad and son being split up, and a woman is in control.

Commenting on his background, and the way he’s dressed is perfectly appropriate, it shows how much more important Madonna is than he.

Cool beans. Back to normal, all. No need for outrage. (And no, I don’t think Mr. Reeves is remotely a pedophile, just a bad actor who nevertheless entertains millions.)

UPDATE: Thanks to Biz for spotting a missed gender change on my part, rectified above via strikeout.

Some below seem to have the impression that I am suggesting it’s harder for a man to give up a child than a woman, or that the story of a woman being forced to give up her child to a foreigner is somehow less important than a man. This is not the case at all; by doing the gender reversal I was trying to point this out. Evidently this was a decidedly unsuccessful effort on my part — and/or I’m wrong on what I do believe — that flying in and taking a child away from a loving parent who doesn’t fully know or understand what’s going on (rather than helping the parent) is a bad thing. 

I also believe far more effort is generally made to prevent a child being separated from his/her mother than his/her father. I readily admit Zogmama’s counterexample of Jolie’s adoption is a good one.

I also think the oft-made feminist complaint that reporters focus overly on a woman’s clothing is neatly countered here; Biz makes the excellent point, below, that this is in part a matter of bad reporting.
-wolfe

Posted in gender, news, politics, social | 30 Comments »

Happy Birthday!

Friday, October 13th, 2006

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

– John Masefield, Sea-Fever

Happy Birthday to the United States Navy. The Navy’s ancestor, the Continental Navy, was established by the Continental Congress 13 October, 1775, early on in the American Revolution.

First Navy Jack
Public Domain Image, Wikipedia Commons.
First US Naval Jack, flown 13 October 1775-31 December 1776.
Flown during 1976, and, from 1980, by the single ship in
the Navy with the longest active service.
From 2002, it has once again become the authorized
US Navy Jack for the duration of the Global War on Terror.

God Bless and protect all those who serve these United States and every faithful ally.

-wolfe

Posted in military, news | 9 Comments »

Friday Boobies

Friday, October 13th, 2006

This has fun pics, but please look at my post below on what the Israeli Ambassador said.

I have no choice. I’m very sorry. But Zogmama has forced me to post this. She said something about frequency of twin-headed snakes — which is high — and the requirement to post boobie pics.

I might be very slightly mischaracterizing what she said. Only slightly though. Surely.

So here we go. Boobie pics.

Blue Footed Boobie

Blue Footed Boobie:

These aren’t antarctic, but Galapagos in origin. They look kind of cross-eyed when viewed head on, and they have a peculiar mating dance. As a result, the Spanish characterized them as ‘bobos’ (clowns), hence ‘boobies’. That said, they dive spectacularly, have some red-footed cousins, and are generally very good hunters.

Boobies!

Oh. You wanted something else? Pfft, I’ve a number of female readers so they are less excited by boobies than you and I. Err… You and me, ladies!!!

OK, OK, here’s a boobie pic.

Caucasian brunette woman breastfeeding baby

Credit: Schools of Public Health; FolicAcid.net

Boobies!!!

Oh. Ok.

 

Caprice

 

 

Boobies!

-wolfe

Posted in babes, gender, science | 18 Comments »

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