No one can dispute that Trump has done everything in his power to keep us from getting drawn into endless, bitter quagmires like this one.

The ferocity toward Lenona here is difficult to understand.

I like her contributions, even when I don't see what she's getting at. She's obviously got a considerable catalog of thoughts and observations that she's been mulling and documenting for a very long time.

And there's the sense that if we ever met, she could weave that material into a lot of really good conversation, even if our social interests aren't concentric. (I'd probable pull a few responses from my own collection of internet cites and articles. It's a directory named "Paglia": 6,593 Files, 211 Folders.)

I came in late to this particular discussion and am just not that deeply attentive. But as regards this point from Lenona:

> putting down girls AND shunning
> those boys who stand up for
> girls is still just fine

In the most general sense possible, I think young boys realize they're going to be intimately contending, often somewhat competitively, with women across their lifetimes, and they're worried about being smothered... Especially if they're better at sports than at socializing, as a lot of young men are. In the very years when the last fruit of their athletic fantasies is falling off the tree, we might expect some rhetoric which puffs up their spirits for this oncoming engagement. (Their coaches are probably clumsy, too.)

...If you see what I mean.

Paglia was the one who best illuminated the unavoidable and unending dustup between masculine and feminine nature. It isn't an attitude problem or a communication failure. It's eternal and purposeful, and people who are smart and strong keep it under control within their own hearts and their own relationships… If only after they grow up.

The other day I was commenting to Cousin Dave about the changes in the energy outlook.

Remember Yogi Berra on predictions?

Oh.

A recent study published in Nature Chemistry finds that 39 percent of respondents in eight European countries say they "agree" with the statement that "I would like to live in a world where chemical substances don't exist." Another 39 percent say the "slightly agree" or "slightly disagree" with this statement. Similarly, 40% say "they do everything I can to avoid contact with chemical substances in my daily life."

https://reason.com/2019/12/23/study-finds-almost-40-percent-of-people-in-eight-european-nations-would-like-to-live-in-a-world-where-chemical-substances-dont-exist/

For a magazine that pushes climate change activists as saints, Vogue doesn’t seem all that concerned with the issue.

In an article published last week that has been making the rounds on social media recently, the British Vogue editors explained where they would be spending their upcoming holidays. Their responses brought to mind the snobbery and elitism of “Frasier” characters.

https://www.dailywire.com/news/vogue-editors-show-how-alarmingly-out-of-touch-they-are-get-roasted-online

Dear Santa,

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/u-s-navy-gets-new-heavily-armed-port-patrol-boat

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that federal judges cannot officiate weddings because some were appointed by Republican President Donald Trump.

Cuomo, a Democrat and outspoken Trump critic, outlined his reasoning for vetoing a New York bill that would have let federal judges officiate weddings in the blue state.

“I cannot in good conscience support legislation that would authorize such actions by federal judges who are appointed by this federal administration,” Cuomo said in a statement.

“President Trump does not embody who we are as New Yorkers. The cornerstones that built our great state are diversity, tolerance, and inclusion. Based on these reasons, I must veto this bill,” Cuomo added in the Dec. 20 statement.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/ny-governor-federal-judges-cant-officiate-weddings-because-some-are-appointed-by-trump_3183030.html

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that federal judges cannot officiate weddings because some were appointed by Republican President Donald Trump. ~ from a link by Sixclaws at December 24, 2019 9:08 AM

That's the stupidest thing I've read all week. Andrew Cuomo really is a very petty little man. Does being married by a Republican-appointed judge not count as much as being married by a Democrat-appointed judge? Is there a different ceremony? Are the marriage licenses marked differently?

Or does Cuomo somehow think that barring Trump-appointed federal judges from performing marriage ceremonies will cause New Yorkers considering voting for Trump to change their minds?

As the most tepid kind of sports observer, ten episodes is a lot of episodes, even for Michael Jordan.

But he was an enormous figure in public life, so there are probably a few interesting things to learn about him: Maybe an episode and a half's worth... So long as it has a lot of high-res footage of his flashiest playing.

Otherwise, this 2013 piece covered a lot of it.

Crid, thanks.

But whatever happened to the days when parents didn't want teachers OR coaches using foul language of any kind in front of young people? As in, you know, wanting kids to learn that vulgarity, overall, is a bad thing?

As in, you know, wanting kids to learn that vulgarity, overall, is a bad thing?

The 1950s called, they want their cultural standards back. That ship sailed a long, long time ago. Do you really think that parents who won't bat an eye at the antics of Madonna, or 2LiveCrew's lyrics are going be upset that junior refers to females as hoes?

Junior, it's OK for those people to be rude and vulgar, but not you. I expect you to be a perfect gentleman.

That requires a role model. Yeah, I'm looking at you mom, and you too, dad. Become the person you want your child to be. Or at least act the part. Fake it until you make it. Who knows? it might stick.

After looking at Crid's MJ link, I saw some references to Carmen Electra. Then I looked over and saw she was trending on twitter. Huh.

On the other hand, I don't follow bouncyball. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

What is this 'dad' thing you talk of IRA?

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/unmarried-childbearing.htm

With 40% of kids born out of wedlock and 50% of marriages ending in divorce only 30% of kids will graduate with their biological father sill in the picture. And that number is still falling.

> But whatever happened
> to the days...

You're 100% right. IJS this isn't something that gets fixed, because it's part of the human condition. The Western mind, expressed most graciously in the United States, did a very good job of suppressing ghe stupidity across a couple of generations... Which was remarkable, because the last strong flavor of that was in the politically correct 1990's, and the earlier broad understanding that women were not to be clumsily denigrated was probably cooking the 1920's. Citizens of those two generations, sitting in the same room for an hour at age 30, would have thought the other was categorically insane.

The wretched responses to 9/11 are blended here: First, America re-ennobled a kind of "security" employment at airports and elsewhere for which a socially and sexually incompetent man could hope to earn a living by poking around in women's underwear with constabulary authority. And across the America of my youth, that shit was not happening, at least not proudly. (Except in the Catholic church, etc.)

Secondly, those who responded to the attacks by thinking 'we-have-to-be-more-sensitive-to-other-cultures' decided it was better to import the rest of the world's counter-feminist primitivism than to repel that stupidity at the border as immigrants arrived.


(Made that all up just now, but sincerely believe it's true.)

And across the America of my youth, that shit was not happening, at least not proudly. (Except in the Catholic church, etc.) ~ Crid at December 24, 2019 10:10 AM

Mostly, I'd agree with you, but I bet if you checked into the backgrounds and psychologies of some of the constabulary authorities of your youth, especially in smaller towns, you'd be shocked and dismayed at what you'd find. Bull Connor was not a psychologically well-adjusted man.

Certainly.... An earlier draft of those sentences included the words "however unevenly." But again, this is part of the human condition.

I mean, Bull Conner is not a name that conjurers sentimental remembrance of southern America at her inclusive but un-intrusive best. The wider culture despised him.

For a magazine that pushes climate change activists as saints, Vogue doesn’t seem all that concerned with the issue. ~ I R A Darth Aggie at December 24, 2019 8:53 AM

When have climate change activist ever really made real sacrifices for their own professed beliefs? - jetting all over the world to attend climate conferences at some of the most expensive real estate in the world. Sacrifices are fine for the "Great Unwashed" but not for the elites.

When it comes to sacrificing their own comfort for climate change mandates, these wealthy climate activists simply purchase an indulgence or two and jet off to enjoy an indulgent lifestyle. And they publish that lifestyle because authority comes from lifestyle, right? If you want to have authority with the cool climate change kids, you'd better be tweeting from Gstaad and not Toledo.

The indeterminate value of a good education.

So your bot watched a bunch of Christmas shows and wrote a holiday screenplay?

We see a SINGLE MOTHER refilling snow globes with Christmas juice. She is widow. Her husband died in every war.

SINGLE MOTHER:
I refill globes better than Jesus Claus, yet still my twins are dad-free. Why? They need double dad.

BUSINESS MAN enters the shop. He wears clothes that cost money. His hands are briefcases, and he's Hallmark hot.

SINGLE MOTHER (cont'd):
Hi. Do your globes lack wet? Hurry. Christmess attacks soon.

Goggles, that is fucking golden

I think I saw that movie on Lifetime. Or Hallmark. Or SyFy.

Santa is bones. *shudder*

If that movie was on SyFy, it wouldn't be a businessman, but a shady captain of a freighter who is actually a lovable loser. Takes legitimate cargo now and again, but is more of a smuggler, taking the occasional salvage job, or sometimes outright theft.

Let's go be bad guys!

Bet you wish you'd let me bring grenades!

> that movie on Lifetime. Or Hallmark.

Dood.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Darth, today's SyFy lineup included Santa Jaws and 12 Disasters of Christmas. If you've never seen them, don't bother.

This is the same channel that brought the world the multi-headed shark attack movies from 2 heads through 6 and all the Sharknado movies. You're giving SyFy way too much credit for airing stuff that makes sense.

SyFy is to monster movies what Lifetime is to psychotic babysitter movies - home to the worst of them.

That ship sailed a long, long time ago.
___________________________________________

Darth, you're ignoring the fact that parents still, as a rule, don't want teachers - whether in kindergarten or later on - using profanity in front of students. So why should coaches not be held to the same standard?

leona, most parents don't want a coach of their kindergarten- and elementary-aged children using profanity either, profanity will not motivate most kindergarten- and elementary-aged children, and most coaches at that level won't use profanity around charges at that age. In fact, most coaches of children that age are parents of children that age themselves. Very few kindergarten- and elementary-aged children are on teams with a paid coach whose livelihood depends upon the outcome of each game.

My point was, of course: If one can motivate young people without profanity - or without YELLING - one should be able to do so with teens as well. Also, if profanity and yelling don't work well, maybe that means the kid doesn't really want to be spending so much time on sports in the first place?

Besides, yelling is nothing more than a sign that the adult isn't really in control of the situation.

From Miss Manners (granted, this is about parents, not coaches, but it's still relevant):

"One surprising but useful byproduct of being a doting parent is that the child doted upon gets upset when that parent is unhappy with him. The more cheerful and satisfied the normal state of the parent, the easier it is to register displeasure. Thus, a surly parent may have to resort to terrible measures to convince the child that there has been any loss of satisfaction, since none was apparent anyway; but a happy parent may be able to instill awe and remorse with only a severe look. This is an incentive, if any were needed, for maintaining an affectionate and pleasant household. Your truly devoted parent has incredible power. Miss Manners has known them to wither children into fearful obedience with only the quiet statement 'I am disappointed in you.'

"Along with physical violence, emotional violence is outlawed by Miss Manners as a means of punishment. It is not necessary to assassinate a person's entire character in order to clear it of undesirable practices. 'Clean up that mess this minute' is a permissible parental remark; 'you're a slob' is not. Keeping the complaint within boundaries is, she admits, difficult. Family life is conducive to the development of amateur lawyers, and there is always a temptation to make a more significant case. But 'why do you always get everything wrong?' is not a question that leads to self-improvement, whereas 'why are you leaving that dish in the sink instead of washing it?' while no more sensible, may be."
____________________________________

And, Darth -

If the city of Rome could bear the agony of breaking away from forcing gladiators to hack each other to death for the sake of "entertainment," it seems to me it shouldn't be relatively hard to bring back civility. (Not to mention slavery - not that that battle is exactly over.)

As someone once said: "Why should we let it all hang out? It took us thousands of years to tuck it all in."

if profanity and yelling don't work well,
______________________________________________

Or: If you have to RESORT to profanity and yelling, in sports...