The World at Large: What Pleases You? What Pains You?
Hedgehog
Dear Erich,
I love playing soccer for two hours each evening and good cups of tea
in the morning. I relish a good book, of which there are many, and a
good laugh, of which there are billions. I love to watch politics and
listen to NPR; and I crave a good hike into the middle of no where with
my lunch strapped to my back. I love spending time, cliche?, with my
wife, evnethough I give her thousands of reasons to beat me up. I love
a great, hair raising, rock and roll song.
I hate stupidity and whiners. I hate being unemployed, when it
happens. I deplore ignorance and people who think they are funny. I
can't stand people who spend cash with total disregard for what's
important in life. I hate John Tesh. I cannot fathom a two party
political system and I detest smug, arrogant and self-absorbed geezers
who think that because they fought in WWII, or smoked pot at woodstock
and/or lived through the 60's, that they are, some how, entitled to
superior treatment from the world.
Later,
H
David O'Bedlam
On Mon, 19 Aug 1996, Erich Schwarz wrote:
>
> I've been mulling over the state of the world around me,
WHY?
> and thinking about what I find encouraging, versus what I find
> appalling or worrisome.
What you find encouraging? Hmm.. I don't do that often; they might
revoke my membership in the Gloomy Fogeys Militia without returning
those exhorbitant fees and deposits.
> What about all of you out there?
>
> What events in the world outside your own immediate life
> in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
Well, a little over a year: "OJ NOT GUILTY."
> What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
Outside my own life, not much. I've insulated myself from Major Social
Problems that I can't hope to affect. I'm still pissed off that our work
for marijuana legalization in the mid-70s didn't come to much, if most
women voters don't want the ERA then maybe they're better off, and the
Gulf War ended before much rioting happened; my quota of disillusioning
disappointments, one per decade, has been met already.
As for the other "Big News," well, planes crash, bombers bomb and the
earth quakes. Big fucking deal. Those problems that I think should be
solved -- for example feeding the starving children of Calcutta --seem
pretty low on everybody else's priority list; they rather spew slogans
concerning really inane shit going on Bosnia, for example, or rave on
about a "millenium" that only means anything to Xtians anyway.
Fuck 'em if they can't do the obvious. Let 'em hack each other up with
machetes if they really insist. (Tho it's too bad we can't feed the kids
in refugee camps with the resulting surplus meat.)
That's it basically: if they can't do the obvious I just won't care.
> Discuss. Being the irrepressible net.ranter that I am,
> I certainly will post my own stuff,
Oh good. Let's see what we AGREE on here.
> but for once I'd like to see what other people are thinking first.
Hey, c'mon! Get a grip on yourself! Guzzle a gallon of coffee and then
huff a double dose of asthma inhaler or something!
TheDavid
Erich Schwarz
I've been mulling over the state of the world around me,
and thinking about what I find encouraging, versus what I find
appalling or worrisome.
What about all of you out there?
What events in the world outside your own immediate life
in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
Discuss. Being the irrepressible net.ranter that I am,
I certainly will post my own stuff, but for once I'd like
to see what other people are thinking first.
--Erich Schwarz
Kelly T. Conlon
Erich Schwarz <sch...@cubsps.bio.columbia.edu> wrote:
> What events in the world outside your own immediate life
>in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
Virtually nothing.
KTC
--
Kelly T Conlon / con...@mcmail.cis.mcmaster.ca / "Any belief in
Creators or Purpose is wishful thinking. And when you point out that
perhaps ALL thinking is wishful, reactions of intense irritation give
evidence that we are not dealing with logic but with faith." WS Burroughs
Chris Moorehead
Hedgehog <us03...@interramp.com> wrote:
>Later,
>H
I say elect this man President!
chris
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Christopher J. Moorehead
Professional Engineer/Dadaist
Toronto, Canada
moor...@inforamp.net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It happens sometimes. People just explode. Natural causes."
- Repo Man
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
James Walker
On Mon, 19 Aug 1996, Erich Schwarz wrote:
> What events in the world outside your own immediate life
> in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
The federalist victory in the Quebec referendum last October. The
passage of Bill C-33, making sexual orientation a prohibited grounds of
discrimination in the Canadian charter. The willingness of the Isrealis
and Palestinians, despite terrorist actions, to go ahead with the peace
plan.
> What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
The narrowness of the federalist victory in the referendum, and
Parizeau's comments afterwards. The nastiness of opponents to Bill C-33,
not only within the Reform Party, but also from Liberal backbenchers like
Roseanne Skoke. The assassination of Rabin, and the election of Netenyahu
(sp?). The inter-ethnic conflicts in the Balkans and in parts of
Africa. The passage of the Helms-Burton act and the "Defence of
Marriage" act in the US.
Just when I think the world is beginning to get a little better, and
people are becoming more tolerant of differences, some jerk or group of
jerks goes and does something stupid.
James
-------------------------------------------------------------------
James A. Walker E-mail: s06...@aix1.uottawa.ca
Department of Linguistics WWW: http://www.uottawa.ca/~s061297
University of Ottawa "Gai tuhng ngaap gong"
V-X
On Mon, 19 Aug 1996 01:25:45 -0400, Erich Schwarz wrote:
> What events in the world outside your own immediate life
>in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
Dazzle ships.
I know they didn't happen in the last year, but I was just thinking
about them the other day, and I thought, "I'm so happy that I live in
a world where dazzle camoflage was invented and *worked.*" I just wish
they hadn't gone and invented radar and sonar and rendered it
obsolete.
> What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
Right now I'm having a particularly bad attack of my chronic stomach
problems. It's seven AM, I haven't been to bed, and I've been on the
toilet for the past forty-five minutes or so, reading _Then Again,
Maybe I Won't_, which--believe me--is nowhere near as good as you
thought it was when you were a kid.
Thats as far as I can think, right now.
Sigh.
**http://www.ungh.com. It's Web Design. And It's So Much More!**
"When I watch TV and see those poor, starving kids all over the
world, I can't help but cry. I mean, I'd love to be skinny like
that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff."
--Mariah Carey
SUZANNE FORTIN
Oooooh! *Outside* my immediate life! *blush*.
Encouraging:
The referendum results. The greater openness to of French Quebeckers
towards Anglo Quebeckers. The loosening up of language laws in Quebec.
Canadians are actively trying to find ways to promote national unity.
Lucien Bouchard, Quebec's premier, is slipping in popularity.
Discouraging:
Lessee, where do I begin. The right wing economic turn. The growth of
the Reform Party. Rumbles of BC and Alberta Separatists; people in
English Canada saying 'let Quebec go!" (thanks for remembering all us
loyal federalists); polarization in the linguistic debate in Quebec;
growing support for sovereignty among youth; dying federalists (a lot of
them are old); the constitutional question is nowhere near being solved;
The NDP (the party I support at the national level) is at 7-12% depending
on whom you believe.
But on the whole I try not to let these events depress me too much.
There's no time for useless self-pity; you just got to dust yourself off
and try harder.
Suzanne Fortin MINERVA, a Catholic e-zine:
Quebec City, Canada http://www.maths.tcd.ie/~thomas/minerva/6
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do not send me unsolicited commercial e-mail
SUZANNE FORTIN
I haven't seen Erich's original post yet, but I'll take a crack it anyway:
What in my immediate life has made me happy or encouraged me?
Reading St. Teresa of Avila's autobiography and learning all about her. I
love that woman. I want to learn Spanish and read all her letters in the
original version. I have dubbed her patron of the ridiculous in my mind,
and my patron, because my life is so ridiculous (heh, watch all the easy
cracks people are going to make at that line.) My life is ridiculous
because I'm an Anglo at a French university doing a history degree; my
grades aren't as good as they should be because I can't express myself in
written French as well as I would like, so I get markes docked; and so my
average is not the greatest, despite having profited much from my
education; and nonetheless, I somehow aspire to a Master's degree in
history. I hope to finish my honours at another university in English so I
can bring my average up; and despite all the crap I have had to go through
because of French proficiency requirements, and my grades, I still want
that damned Masters; and my life is ridiculous because of my home life
(which I won't get into); and my wish to be involved in political life
(I'm always in the minority). Nonetheless, I aspire anyway, and hope
against hope I aspire, like St. Teresa did when she tried to establish her
convent with a friend and a friendly priest, despite the almost total
opposition of the Spanish high clergy (and she eventually suceeded by the
way). And St. Teresa, you understand, was not a highly educated woman.
From this I derive much inspiration and faith. And for this I have adopted
her as my patron. And she has inspired much encouragement for me.
Another thing which has given me hope is my desire to continue my
education at another university in English; probably Concordia U. or
McGill. It has motivated me very much. I feel like new avenues are
opening up.
Another thing which encourages me is my boyfriend's unwavering love for
me, even though I confess I'm not always so good to him. We've been dating
for 5 1/2 years. He is so good and willing to serve me and do all sorts of
things for me. He's so cool. We planned a deadline for a wedding (not a
date though mind you), although as of yet I am not formerly engaged,
though he has asked me for my ring size. I'm just wondering what the hell
he's waiting for. Our deadline is Nov. 22 1999, my 26th birthday. We set it
in order to not make the wait so long, and I must admit, having a date in
mind is psychologically reassuring, and it does make marriage seem like
more of reality rather than some distant dream.
I've also greatly improved the way I write poetry. Which is always
encouraging.
My essay in my seminar in British history. It earned a B+ (B- when you
subtract marks for French mistakes). It was on a complicated topic--
"Strict Settlement"-- basically about British inheritance laws in the
Early Modern Period. I was glad because I managed to make use of all sorts
of good arguments on a topic which the teacher herself confessed made her
want to pull out her hair when she did research on the same thing. It felt
good to do a decent job on something so difficult.
Now what discourages me:
--My dysfunctional family. Too depressing.
--My mother got rid of my two cats. I miss their presence. But I can't
bring a new one home because my nephew is allergic and he comes over a
lot. As is my boyfriend. And it's depressing going to a pet shop because
I would take a kitty home in an instant if I could.
--Worrying about money. I wonder if I'll be able to go to Concordia next
year.
--My grades. Getting better, but not so good.
--nationalism in Quebec. It's ugly.
--The right wing economic turn. Like coporations have the monopoly on
economic truth. No one wants to see what the lil guy needs.
Overall, I must say, I'm more of a happy go lucky type with occasional
bouts of non-clinical depression that I usually remedy through my faith
and a good cheer-up conversation with my boyfriend.
Timothy Burke
In article <schwarz-1908...@chalfie-mac.bio.columbia.edu>,
sch...@cubsps.bio.columbia.edu (Erich Schwarz) wrote:
> What events in the world outside your own immediate life
> in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
Geez, not much. I hadn't thought about it, but once you asked, I can't
think of any event that's made me really happy deep in my gut since the
inauguration of Nelson Mandela.
Well, maybe the life on Mars thing, that got me pretty excited. Ok, one
recent thing.
> What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
I'm beyond depression, I sometimes think, which is not good...I'm starting
to find cynical detachment and resignation a surprisingly second-nature
way to view the world. Although thinking about your first question
depressed me.
As for enraged or irritated, well, pretty much most mornings when I read
the paper, there's a little something which pisses me off. I guess the
latest things on my shit list are a) the media treatment of that security
guard from the Olympics; b) any and all comers in the Presidential race;
c) baseball owners; d) obscure (to Americans) matters in Zimbabwean and
South African politics.
Patrick Farley
> In article <schwarz-1908...@chalfie-mac.bio.columbia.edu>,
> sch...@cubsps.bio.columbia.edu (Erich Schwarz) wrote:
> > What events in the world outside your own immediate life
> > in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
Discovery of possible life on Mars.
Publication of BuckyWorks by J. Baldwin.
(see a preview at http://www.wnet.org:80/bucky/buckyworkswf.html)
Proliferation of the Web
Self-destruction of the Radical Right
Resurrection of utopian ideas in pop culture (e.g. ravers, tekkies)
Crackers the Corporate Crime Fighting Chicken, on Michael Moore's
brilliant show TV NATION (see the homepage at
http://www.xwinds.com/tv/tvnation.html )
> > What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
Polly Klaas' death. Pat Buchanan's presidential campaign. Demise of OMNI
magazine. Kids killing other kids. Media's reaction to all of the above.
It's not so much events that pain me, it's the lack of imagination
between events. I am so fucking sick of people who take pride in being
pessimists. I can't stand people who congratulate themselves on being
"realists" when their "realism" is nothing but an inability to imagine
better circumstances.
There are more pieces waiting to be placed on the board. The game is far
from over. I refuse to lower my expectations.
--
________________________________________________________________________
Patrick Sean Farley (http://www.resort.com/~prime8)
________________________________________________________________________
David O'Bedlam
On 19 Aug 1996, Kelly T. Conlon wrote:
> Erich Schwarz <sch...@cubsps.bio.columbia.edu> wrote:
>
> > What events in the world outside your own immediate life
> >in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
>
> Virtually nothing.
Oh shit, we agree on something.
The
Amanda Wilson
> I've been mulling over the state of the world around me,
>and thinking about what I find encouraging, versus what I find
>appalling or worrisome.
>
> What about all of you out there?
>
> What events in the world outside your own immediate life
>in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
This may sound shallow, but it's nearing September, and my team.
my Texas Rangers, with whom I've lived and died every year since I
was six, are leading the AL West.
I don't want to hear a word from ZZYZX or any of you other Mariner's
fans. I wouldn't let myself hope until recently, but this year I do
have hope that I'll get to see my team in the post season.
You see, the Texas Rangers began life as the second iteration of the
Washington Senators. The first became the Minnesota Twins. They had a
long losing tradition, but it was somewhat offset by winning in the
early days of MLB, as well as by winning a couple of World Series in
the 80s.
However, the franchise that is the Rangers has never won anything.
this year, I have some hope.
> What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
As far as this goes, there's been enough happening in my personal life
the last year that honestly, I haven't been paying too much attention
to the depressing facets of current events. I skim those and don't
dwell.
I'm sure if I thought about it, I could come up with something.
-- amanda
Amanda Wilson is a...@wolfenet.com
Why not check out the asgx web stuff at www.ungh.com?
"If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing badly."
Douglas Lathrop
Erich Schwarz <sch...@cubsps.bio.columbia.edu> wrote:
: I've been mulling over the state of the world around me,
: and thinking about what I find encouraging, versus what I find
: appalling or worrisome.
: What about all of you out there?
: What events in the world outside your own immediate life
: in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
To be honest, none - at least none recently. The last time I felt
genuinely encouraged about the direction the world was headed was after
the Berlin Wall came down.
I felt a brief flutter of optimism after Bill Clinton was elected -
thereby denying a second term to a President who was arguably the most
downright evil man ever to occupy the Oval Office - but then Clinton
himself went and ruined it for me by turning out to be a complete idiot.
So basically, the last seven years have been famine for me as far as
global optimism is concerned. Whatever hope I have been able to dredge up
has come from my own life, and those of my friends.
: What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
The general reaction to the discovery that life had once existed on Mars -
ranging from cynical disbelief to blind New Agey acceptance to
Bible-thumping condemnation. If this is how we react to what might be the
most universe-shattering news of this century, then we deserve to
quarantine ourselves on this planet and roast in our own stupidity.
Each time Dr. Jack Kevorkian commits cold-blooded murder and gets away
with it because people think that some lives are less worth living than
others.
The L.A. riots - along with the way that people seem to have forgotten
they happened, and why.
Everything about the O.J. Simpson case - the media circus, the book deals,
and the fact that someone killed two people and got clean away. (And
never mind that it happens all the time - is that supposed to make me feel
better?)
The right wing of the Republican Party - which, from what I saw of it at
the convention, has only just begun its power-grab.
Shall I go on?
Doug (feeling not-very optimistic today)
--
D O U G L A S P. L A T H R O P
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A.S.G-X Poster Child - Two words: Bon Vivant! - The NeuFreud of the USENET
Visit Stately PAPER CUT MANOR! http://www.primenet.com/~lathrop/index.html
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Kelly Reeves-Thomas
In <321A5D...@kafka.cks.com> Patrick Farley
<cock...@kafka.cks.com> writes:
>
>It's not so much events that pain me, it's the lack of imagination
>between events. I am so fucking sick of people who take pride in being
>pessimists. I can't stand people who congratulate themselves on being
>"realists" when their "realism" is nothing but an inability to imagine
>better circumstances.
>
>There are more pieces waiting to be placed on the board. The game is
far
>from over. I refuse to lower my expectations.
>
Good for you.
Your comments reminded me of why I think Henry Kissenger was the worst
Secretary of State in the U.S., or at least the most overrated. The
man had no vision. When the wall came down, his jaw dropped. Millions
of East Germans had a vision that it would collapse. Not Mr. Kissenger
(or most other intelligence weenies). When Nelson Mandela visited the
United States (or it might have been Kissenger visiting South Africa,
but I don't recall it that way), Mr. Kissenger stated that he never
thought he would see the day when apartheid would come to and end and
blacks and whites in South Africa would live as equals. Again, no
vision.
I keep thinking of the thousands of people who lost their lives because
no one in the political establishment had a vision of something other
than military and political upheaval. How can you work for peace
without visualizing it? You can't. I hope the souls of those who died
in vain haunt his dreams throughout eternity.
Sorry to digress. I'm just in a funk today.
Kelly
Kelly Reeves-Thomas
In <tburke1-2108...@mac12.pearson.swarthmore.edu>
tbu...@cc.swarthmore.edu (Timothy Burke) writes:
>
>The fall of the Wall is another matter. It's astonishing and really
rather
>suspicious (given the utility that the idea of the "Evil Empire" had
for
>Reaganauts) that gazillions of dollars in intelligence as well as the
>collected efforts of Kremlinologists galore didn't even detect a whiff
of
>the possibility of the East Bloc's collapse, when many observers on
the
>ground hinted that such a thing could happen--or told their superiors
that
>it was happening once it all started.
There were a few analysts talking about the collapse of the wall. My
husband and I lived in Berlin from 1986 to 1990. Rob was a Russian
linguist-turned-analyst. In 1988, he sent reports to the Pentagon
talking about the eventual collapse of communism and the opening of the
borders between the East and West. The military geeks and policy wonks
laughed at him. Still, he persisted, sending report after report
regarding the collapse of communism in East Germany. No one listened.
I was employed by the West German govt. to work with a US military
intelligence unit. I said teh same thing. The wall would come down.
Germany would someday reunite. For over a year we saw intelligence
reports regarding demonstrations, secret meetings of East Germans
trying to overthrow the govt., etc. I used this information to bolster
my argument that the wall would fall. I was deemed a flaming liberal.
No one listened to me.
In grad school (MA in International Relations) I made the same
arguments, without the help of classified information. One hard core
professor labelen me a loon. He certainly wasn't listening.
On Novemeber 11, 1989, when we returned to our jobs after spending the
weekend dancing on top of the wall, people listened. Then they all
hopped on the "it-was-inevitable" bandwagon.
I was surprised by that it happened so quickly. I had guessed another
two to five years.
Washington didn't want to hear that the Wall would fall and communism
would collapse because thousands of people would lose their identities
as Cold War warriors. The intelligence and military organizations were
too narrow-minded to see anything else.
Kelly
Christopher Silvey
> with it because people think that some lives are less worth living than
> others.
ahve one question. Isn't it the person who is living that life who has to make that
decision? I gaurentee you that Jack is not seeking out people with advertisements.
People are seeking him out. And if people are steadfast in their decision to die,
wouldn't euthenasia be better then a bullet or pills? Neither of which are a guarentee
of success?
Erich Schwarz
Kelly Conlon wrote:
> Erich Schwarz <sch...@cubsps.bio.columbia.edu> wrote:
>
> > What events in the world outside your own immediate life
> >in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
>
> Virtually nothing.
Well, *there's* a man who knows his mind! :^}
--Erich
Mad Max
In article <321A5D...@kafka.cks.com>,
Patrick Farley <cock...@kafka.cks.com> wrote:
>> In article <schwarz-1908...@chalfie-mac.bio.columbia.edu>,
>
>> > What events in the world outside your own immediate life
>> > in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
>
And the fact that it probably failed, miserably, and croaked. Gives ya hope,
eh?
>Proliferation of the Web
This is a *good* thing? You want more illiterate nutcases traipsing across
the net? Perhaps another 5 million AOL'ers clogging the lines downloading
oodles of 'neat grafix, d00d!'?
Damn, but the web is a curse. At least one had to be barely competent to
figure out how to ftp or use an archie search.
>
>Self-destruction of the Radical Right
*boggle*
Which country are we talking about? Not the U.S., surely.
>
>Resurrection of utopian ideas in pop culture (e.g. ravers, tekkies)
*boggling again*
along with homophobia, raving religious fundamentalists, white supremacists,
terrorism of every stripe, etc. etc. Fanatics seem more numerous every year.
>
>Crackers the Corporate Crime Fighting Chicken, on Michael Moore's
>brilliant show TV NATION (see the homepage at
>http://www.xwinds.com/tv/tvnation.html )
and TV Nation is *dead*.
Y'see, it's a matter of perspective. What you view as hopeful, I see as a
sure sign that the Antichrist is coming and he's gonna win...and win big.
Mad Max
(a realist *grins*)
"Get thee to a nunnery! Oh, and while you're at it,
take me with you - I've always had a thing for nuns."
- Mad Max, shortly before being ejected from a
Catholics convention in San Diego.
Douglas Lathrop
Christopher Silvey <csi...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
: > with it because people think that some lives are less worth living than
: > others.
: I am sure you feel very passionate about this subject, however with that being said I
: ahve one question. Isn't it the person who is living that life who has to make that
: decision? I gaurentee you that Jack is not seeking out people with advertisements.
: People are seeking him out. And if people are steadfast in their decision to die,
: wouldn't euthenasia be better then a bullet or pills? Neither of which are a guarentee
: of success?
I refuse to turn Erich's thread into a euthanasia flamewar. Take it to
the Kevorkian thread if you really want to know.
Oh, and set your margins to 78 characters. Please?
Timothy Burke
In article <4vdml7$f...@sjx-ixn2.ix.netcom.com>,
kel...@ix.netcom.com(Kelly Reeves-Thomas) wrote:
> Your comments reminded me of why I think Henry Kissenger was the worst
> Secretary of State in the U.S., or at least the most overrated. The
> man had no vision. When the wall came down, his jaw dropped. Millions
> of East Germans had a vision that it would collapse. Not Mr. Kissenger
> (or most other intelligence weenies). When Nelson Mandela visited the
> United States (or it might have been Kissenger visiting South Africa,
> but I don't recall it that way), Mr. Kissenger stated that he never
> thought he would see the day when apartheid would come to and end and
> blacks and whites in South Africa would live as equals. Again, no
> vision.
To be mildly fair to Henry the K (something I'd never thought I'd ask
people to be, given that the man is basically a war criminal), the end of
apartheid was a pretty hard thing to imagine even for people who had
dedicated their lives to ending it. The first thing I did as a graduate
student was attend a conference in Canada with a lot of ANC-UDF stalwarts,
southern African historians and so on; this was in spring 1988. The
resistance had had the teeth kicked out of it, innumerable people were in
detention or dead, and the apartheid state looked like it was settling in
for a long and bloody haul. I've never been at any other event where the
collective mood was so grim. Activists and scholars, foreigners and South
Africans alike were in despair. I think if I had leapt up in the middle of
the meeting and said, "Within two years, Mandela will be free, and another
two years later, he'll be President", people would have thrown rotten
fruit at me.
Brandi Weed
What I found, thinking about this thread, is that the things that
depress me seem to be very broad-scale (the way the Republican party
is moving, TWA Flight 800, what seems like an overall increase in
meanness, ignorance, and fear) but what pleases me seem to be very
personal, even trivial (the acquisition of an Edward Gorey
fortunetelling deck, the release of an excellent print of Keaton's The
General on video, listening to the latest Dead Can Dance album).
I suppose that's why I'm not going into much detail other than the
overall observation...
--
Brandi Weed
bra...@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us
http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/~brandi/
Kim Rollins
first question:
There's a place I go to birdwatch that abuts a parking lot for the nearby
University of Washington. Twenty years ago it was a landfill and the only
creatures it supported were rats and filthy gulls. For reasons unknown to
me the University decided to stop dumping there, throw a thin layer of
dirt over it, and turn it into a nature preserve. Every time I go there I
see new living things; this year there are green herons nesting in the
central pond. The trees are still fairly scanty and a lot of the plants
that have sprung up are non-natives (purple loosestrife and blackberries),
and occasionally one is bothered by, say, the spectre of an old rubber
tire poking through the marsh, but overall things have filled in and the
air is always thick with the songs of birds. I was there a few weeks ago,
trying to decompress from an unnecessary verbal altercation with someone I
really didn't want to to be fighting with, and the second I stepped out of
my car I was awash with calm. I picked up the remnants of a tiny
robin's-egg-blue robin's egg, and I was filled with this sense of
continuity with nature, every living thing beginning with an egg.
Every time I'm there I'm amazed at the variety and profusion of life that
has emerged in what is really an eyeblink of time. It makes me feel like
no matter how much abuse people heap upon the earth -- or one another --
there is always hope, there is always the possibility for recovery, that
nothing ever really gets broken beyond repair.
second question:
If we confine ourselves to recent events, I'd say having the stereo stolen
out of my car while it was parked a few yards away from my house last
weekend is right up there. While I can't report feelings of rage and
violation that some theft victims suffer from, I do feel a sense of loss
and a weariness that nowhere in the world is left that I can feel really
safe. The silence in my car depresses me rather than angers me. There
isn't any music in my life because some person thought that the fifty
bucks he could get for my stereo was more valuable than my pleasure at
listening to it. I guess I see it as symptomatic of an alarmingly large
subset of society that seems to exist without a conscience, that think
that as long as they can further their own needs and avoid punishment that
there is no reason to refrain from harming other people.
--KR
Amanda Wilson
On Tue, 20 Aug 1996 11:59:58 GMT, a...@wolfenet.com (Amanda Wilson)
wrote:
>> What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
>I'm sure if I thought about it, I could come up with something.
I did.
Joseph Brodsky died in the last year. It's not a major event, I know,
but it meant a lot to me. His death leaves poetry with one less
advocate. It leaves the world with one less clear, strong vision, and
one less ringing voice.
I suppose the thing that really impacted me was the way he died:
younger than he should, of heart disease caused by alcoholism.
What am I to make of a world where a poet can't see except through a
haze?
All I know is that reading his _Watermark_, made me want to write
again, and that there won't be any more of that inspiration, for me or
for anybody.
-- amanda
Amanda Wilson is a...@wolfenet.com
Find waycool stuff on the web at www.ungh.com
"This is who I am, and if you can't deal,
a) whatever, and b) get a bigger deck of cards." -- Clay Colwell
Chuck Lipsig
sch...@cubsps.bio.columbia.edu (Erich Schwarz) wrote:
> I've been mulling over the state of the world around me,
>and thinking about what I find encouraging, versus what I find
>appalling or worrisome.
> What about all of you out there?
> What events in the world outside your own immediate life
>in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
> What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
Oh, outside my immediate life. 8>)
Not much has either encouraged or pained me. The Olympics certainly
cheered me up some -- Though NBC's coverage sucked.
Frankly, this is a year that lacks extremes. Much as I loathe Clinton,
neither the worst of his policies, nor the best of the GOP-Freshmen (IMO, in
both cases) have come to pass. I'm indifferent to the GOP candidate, Dole,
though Kemp's presence on the ticket may lead be to vote for him and not
vote Libertarian this time 'round.
The finding of life from Mars is certainly interesting, but it's the first
chapter -- or even the first sentence -- not all that Earth-shaking. And
not all that unexpected.
The variety of human tragedies -- TWA 800 being the most recent -- are
unpleasant. They're also part of life.
Now ask me again in a year, when China is supposed to get Hong Kong back,
and we'll see if I'm feeling less blah about everything.
Chuck Lipsig lip...@atlantic.net Gainesville, FL
Finn MacCool. Well, that's the world saved for another day.
Mad Max
In article <4vfhvn$8...@sjx-ixn5.ix.netcom.com>,
kel...@ix.netcom.com(Kelly Reeves-Thomas) wrote:
[nice post on short-sighted people of all stripes]
>Washington didn't want to hear that the Wall would fall and communism
>would collapse because thousands of people would lose their identities
>as Cold War warriors. The intelligence and military organizations were
>too narrow-minded to see anything else.
>
In the early 80's I spent a year analyzing the dynamics of U.S.-Soviet
interaction as part of an overall project concerning war theory. At the time,
I wrote a paper wherein I stated that the situation was highly unstable and
that the most probable outcome was the collapse of the Soviet Union, the
breakup of the Warsaw Pact, and the reunification of Germany. The second most
likely scenario - but one which lagged behind by far - was a theater-wide war
initiated by the Soviet Union once the empire concluded that collapse was
otherwise inevitable, leading to a limited nuclear exchange.
My paper wasn't even graded. It was returned to me, whereupon I was told to
rewrite it from a 'realistic' perspective focusing on the second outcome
alone. The primary outcome, I was told, was 'pure fantasy' and 'would never
happen'.
I dearly would've liked to have seen the professor's face in '89 when the wall
fell without a shot being fired.
Mad Max
Kim Rollins
SUZANNE FORTIN <aaa...@agora.ulaval.ca> writes
|Oooooh! *Outside* my immediate life!
Sorry, I missed this qualification in my answers as well.
blah blah me me blah blah me me me blah
--KR
"Serial yakker! Save yourself!"
Todd Arnold
Erich Schwarz <sch...@cubsps.bio.columbia.edu> wrote in article
<schwarz-1908...@chalfie-mac.bio.columbia.edu>...
:
: What events in the world outside your own immediate life
: in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
Tough question. Not much really. How about realizing that the
phrase 'history repeats itself'' is a crock of shit. That and
discovering the internet as playground vs. just a work thing.
:What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
That's easy. I only just discovered the Newsgroups a couple of
months ago. And the amount of racial, sexual, and religious
bigotry I encounter out here never ceases to shock, enrage, and
deeply sadden me. In that order.
R. Scott MacDonald
Erich asked what events outside our own lives has pained us.
The things that really get to me in the news concern horrific events
where innocent people die, and we had the TWA downing and that awful
mudslide in Spain, as well as the Quebec floods closer to home. Combined
with the death of Jeff Krosnoff at the Toronto Indy, July seemed
difficult.
As well, there were two recent cases involving dog owners who tied
their dogs to the back of their cars and accelerated, one to *discipline*
her dog, the other for no stated reason. Those two stories really upset
me, because we have cats and a dog and I cannot imagine animals having to
needlessly suffer at the hands of their ignorant or abusive owners. It
breaks my heart to read about spousal, child or animal abuse. It's also
something I don't get : no one forces you to marry or live with someone,
to have children, or to have a pet. I know it's really about control, and
I guess that's a part of human nature I don't get, because it's so far
removed from my reality.
--Anne-Marie
Sara Filiz Hively
In article <321b371a...@news1.wolfenet.com>,
a...@wolfenet.com (Amanda Wilson) wrote:
>Joseph Brodsky died in the last year. It's not a major event, I know,
>but it meant a lot to me. His death leaves poetry with one less
>advocate. It leaves the world with one less clear, strong vision, and
>one less ringing voice.
>
>I suppose the thing that really impacted me was the way he died:
>younger than he should, of heart disease caused by alcoholism.
>
>What am I to make of a world where a poet can't see except through a
>haze?
That the more things change, the more they stay the same? Poets have been
drinking themselves to death through the ages (novelists and painters and
musicians are known for this too). Hypersensitivity has pros and cons - often
goes with rather self-isolating personality traits, for one thing, and doesn't
always come with the necessary balance of transcendent joy in life. Not to be
too chilly about it. I've been around too many brilliant artistic
self-destructive types, I guess.
Sara (sigh)
Saint TheDavid, Actor & Martyr
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
On Thu, 22 Aug 96 23:30:12 GMT, Sara Filiz Hively (sf...@cornell.edu) posted:
[...]
: That the more things change, the more they stay the same?
: Poets have been drinking themselves to death through the ages (novelists
: and painters and musicians are known for this too).
Or shooting themselves in the face, whether or not we drink. (I don't.)
: Hypersensitivity has pros and cons - often goes with rather
: self-isolating personality traits, for one thing,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Such as what? Can you give us some examples?
: and doesn't always come with the necessary balance of transcendent
: joy in life.
You mean some creative folk don't get full-fledged manic episodes?
But if they're not True Bipolars how can they claim enlightenment?
: Not to be too chilly about it. I've been around too many brilliant
: artistic self-destructive types, I guess.
That I doubt as we have yet to meet. Besides, you ain't seen nuthin'
like ME before -- I transcend "self-destructiveness" by munching my
own liver, which "miraculously" regrows while I sleep to sustain me
for yet another bilious day.
: Sara (sigh)
Indeed.
TheDavid
P.S. Marry me? And/or send money?
- --
mo' shameless self-pomo | Copyright (C) 1996 By TheDavid, UnLtd.
MO' SHAMELESS SELF-POMO | http://www.clark.net/pub/thedavid/trythis.html
......................................................................
"You might as well be shameless." -JETh...@ix.netcom.com, on alt.angst
........................................................................
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Diana Ben-Aaron
In <Pine.A32.3.91.960820...@aix1.uottawa.ca> James Walker <s06...@aix1.uottawa.ca> writes:
>On Mon, 19 Aug 1996, Erich Schwarz wrote:
>> What events in the world outside your own immediate life
>> in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged you?
With Windows 95, Microsoft began to allow filenames longer than 8+3.
(On the other hand, I don't have Windows 95 yet, and the people here who
do say it eats hard disks.)
This year's Miss Finland is not blonde. In fact, she has a Nigerian
father and surname. I realize beauty contests are silly, but Lola
Odosuga has gotten consistently good press and I hope that indirectly
makes life a bit easier for the Africans here, who are normally depicted
in newspapers as "Somali welfare spongers," criminals, or helpless
victims of skinhead attacks. You have to start somewhere.
>> What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
In the Old Town of Tallinn, which is a beautifully preserved
centuries-old Hanseatic quarter, there is now a McDonald's. Not even a
discreet "theme" McDonald's that blends into its surroundings, but an
in-your-face, we-can-buy-the-world-nyeaah-nyeaah McDonald's. For this,
the Berlin Wall fell?
Diana
John J. Allison
> What events in the world outside your own immediate life
> in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged you?
The spirit of the Guatemalan people, who continue to struggle for
peace and a real, participatory democracy. I went there for spring
break and the passion of the students was infectious and exciting.
OTOH, the pain of years of oppression and massacres was also quite
touching, esp. considering the role of the US in promoting it.
Back to the first hand, the Mayan people have a wonderful culture
and it is encouraging to see it still alive.
> What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
The US political process. All "3" parties. I didn't think I could
get any more apathetic but all major players have not impressed me.
--
, jja
Tim Irvin
In article <4vhfhh$n...@news.atlantic.net>, lip...@atlantic.net (Chuck
Lipsig) wrote:
> Not much has either encouraged or pained me. The Olympics certainly
> cheered me up some -- Though NBC's coverage sucked.
Yes, I'm an American, but I *would* have liked to see other Olympians
perform, thank you...
> Frankly, this is a year that lacks extremes. Much as I loathe Clinton,
> neither the worst of his policies, nor the best of the GOP-Freshmen (IMO, in
> both cases) have come to pass. I'm indifferent to the GOP candidate, Dole,
> though Kemp's presence on the ticket may lead be to vote for him and not
> vote Libertarian this time 'round.
Perhaps. I've always been a fan of Kemp. Unlike most Republicans, he
preaches that *everyone* can make it--and when you hear him speak, you
believe that he's actually sincere. He wants *all* races and all classes
to rise up. No one has spread this message in the Republican Party as
successfully as Jack Kemp in many, *many* years--not since the New Deal,
I'm sure.
> The finding of life from Mars is certainly interesting, but it's the first
> chapter -- or even the first sentence -- not all that Earth-shaking. And
> not all that unexpected.
>
> The variety of human tragedies -- TWA 800 being the most recent -- are
> unpleasant. They're also part of life.
And the problem is that statists use every problem as an excuse to control
every aspect of our lives.
I'd rather risk a one-in-a-million accident than turn my freedom over to
statists.
--
Tim Irvin, zig...@netgate.net :: Softball '96: 31G / 23-7-1 / .505, 2 HR
WWW: http://www.netgate.net/~ziggy29/
A young couple's blueprint to escape the rat race...
http://www.netgate.net/~ziggy29/e2000.html
steven r kleinedler
In article <4vjq7a$g...@vesuri.Helsinki.FI>,
Diana Ben-Aaron <bena...@cc.helsinki.fi> wrote:
>
>In the Old Town of Tallinn, which is a beautifully preserved
>centuries-old Hanseatic quarter, there is now a McDonald's. Not even a
>discreet "theme" McDonald's that blends into its surroundings, but an
>in-your-face, we-can-buy-the-world-nyeaah-nyeaah McDonald's. For this,
>the Berlin Wall fell?
>
There are now some McDonalds in the heart of Prague, but that's not
what got me the most. The opera house is in front of this huge open
space, and it's a beautiful building. The second time I was in Prague,
i approached it from kind-of north, and in front of the beautiful
building, was this huge bandstand, one either side of which were these
huge, probably 40-60 foot tall inflatable Coke bottles, and this
huge banner that screamed: COKE! TO JE ONO! ("coke! that's the one!")
That's when I knew the west won the Cold War.
>Diana
>
>
--
This message has been brought to you by Steve Kleinedler.
Sheilagh M.B.E. O'Hare
In article <3219c7b8...@snews.zippo.com>, V-X <v...@wolfenet.com> wrote:
>Dazzle ships.
>
>I know they didn't happen in the last year, but I was just thinking
>about them the other day, and I thought, "I'm so happy that I live in
>a world where dazzle camoflage was invented and *worked.*" I just wish
>they hadn't gone and invented radar and sonar and rendered it
>obsolete.
Plese.. what is dazzle in this context? I'm picturing Pricilla in fatigues
with enough sequins to be pleasing, and it's just not tuning in quite right..
sheil
Steve Andrews
In article <schwarz-1908...@chalfie-mac.bio.columbia.edu> Erich
Schwarz, sch...@cubsps.bio.columbia.edu writes:
> I've been mulling over the state of the world around me,
>and thinking about what I find encouraging, versus what I find
>appalling or worrisome.
>
> What about all of you out there?
>
>
> What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
>
>I certainly will post my own stuff, but for once I'd like
>to see what other people are thinking first.
Boy, that's a pretty unusual thought on Usenet; be careful, or the
netpolice will be after you soon :)
Anyhow...
Off the top of my head, the bad stuff first:
Friend of mine getting divorced; he's 28, has a 2 year old son, and
his wife said "I don;t love you anymore." We both have (had) similar
lives, and it was a shock to see his life turned upside down. I was real
upset about this for several days, and it's really changed his outlook on
life.
In the world as a whole, the genocide in Rwanda gets to me somehow.
There's no oil that we (USA) need there, so we don't care if Hutus and
Tutsis try hard to exterminate each other; the unbelievable scale of the
killings boggles my mind.
Every day, seeing more stories about kids who are
abused/neglected/whatever committing violent crimes, or being the victims
of said violent crimes. Especially the numerous kids of people who have
proven over and over again that they can't be responsible parents. My
wife, as a teacher, is expected by society to 'teach' kids whose parents
don't even care about them. Forget about 'reaching' high school kids;
most of them were lost in elementary school, and I'd love to teach their
parents a thing or two about raising kids. Irresponsible parents (and
people in general) who refuse to take responsibility for their kids and
their actions (like deciding to have kids) really piss me off.
The good stuff will be posted tomorrow.
Steve A.
stephen...@gsfc.nasa.gov http://sandrews.gsfc.nasa.gov
PS Good thread!
dylan
Sheilagh M.B.E. O'Hare (mar...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu) wrote:
Dazzle was used in and around WW I
Dazzle camoflage is a funky kind of camo by which ships were painted with
bold, straight lines at different angles, with the resultant shapes painted
in different colors. The result made it hard for submarines to accurately
determine range and was surprisingly successful.
Needless to say, the Admiralty didn't like it much; it made their all
important warships look pretty goofy :)
Radar made dazzle obsolete.
hth
dylan
--
dylan "Ohhhh...I'm gonna lose
John D. Murray my job, just because I'm
Philadelphia, PA dangerously unqualified."
dy...@netaxs.com - H. Simpson
Brian Upton
srkl...@midway.uchicago.edu (steven r kleinedler) wrote:
>There are now some McDonalds in the heart of Prague, but that's not
>what got me the most. The opera house is in front of this huge open
>space, and it's a beautiful building. The second time I was in Prague,
>i approached it from kind-of north, and in front of the beautiful
>building, was this huge bandstand, one either side of which were these
>huge, probably 40-60 foot tall inflatable Coke bottles, and this
>huge banner that screamed: COKE! TO JE ONO! ("coke! that's the one!")
>That's when I knew the west won the Cold War.
There've been lots of things recently that have reminded me that the
West won -- like the Chinese gymnasts at the Olympics giving each
other high fives. I love seeing American culture taken up around the
globe, particularly when it gets reworked in weird local ways --
Japanese heavy metal, Russian country and western music ... .
Brian Upton
mar...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Sheilagh M.B.E. O'Hare) wrote:
>In article <3219c7b8...@snews.zippo.com>, V-X <v...@wolfenet.com> wrote:
>>Dazzle ships.
>>
>>I know they didn't happen in the last year, but I was just thinking
>>about them the other day, and I thought, "I'm so happy that I live in
>>a world where dazzle camoflage was invented and *worked.*" I just wish
>>they hadn't gone and invented radar and sonar and rendered it
>>obsolete.
>Plese.. what is dazzle in this context? I'm picturing Pricilla in fatigues
>with enough sequins to be pleasing, and it's just not tuning in quite right..
Dazzle was a form of camoflage used on navy warships around the turn
of the century. It didn't look like the army paint jobs we typically
think of as camoflage. It consisted of bold slashes and stripes in
bright colors that were calculated to make the ship blend into the
shimmer of the ocean at a distance. From what I've read the navy
brass always hated it and couldn't repaint their fleets quickly enough
when radar made visual recognition of targets obsolete.
Just a couple of weeks ago I was complaining about the passing of
dazzle camoflage to Elizabeth. The world's navies would be so much
cooler if they'd kept it around.
Good one, V-X.
V-X
On 26 Aug 1996 13:36:42 GMT, dylan wrote:
>Sheilagh M.B.E. O'Hare (mar...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu) wrote:
>: In article <3219c7b8...@snews.zippo.com>, V-X <v...@wolfenet.com> wrote:
>: >Dazzle ships.
>: >
>: >I know they didn't happen in the last year, but I was just thinking
>: >about them the other day, and I thought, "I'm so happy that I live in
>: >a world where dazzle camoflage was invented and *worked.*" I just wish
>: >they hadn't gone and invented radar and sonar and rendered it
>: >obsolete.
>:
>: Plese.. what is dazzle in this context? I'm picturing Pricilla in fatigues
>: with enough sequins to be pleasing, and it's just not tuning in quite right..
>: sheil
>
>Dazzle was used in and around WW I
What he said.
I don't have any photos around here that I can find, but I do have the
catalog from a show at Oxford several years ago called "The Fallen,"
of work by painters killed in WWI. One British artist painted pretty
much nothing but ships, and I've scanned and posted a penicil and
watercolor drawing and a watercolor by him. They're at
http://www.ungh.com/dazzle1.jpg
http://www.ungh.com/dazzle2.jpg
respectively.
BTW, the artist's name was Geoffrey Allfree. He's really a minor
leaguer, especially in the stellar company of the likes of Raymond
Duchamp-Villon, Franz Marc and August Macke, but he's no piker,
either. He was commissioned by the Imperial War Artists Commision to
make a record of naval subjects--ships in drydock, ships aground,
ships, ships, ships, basically. He got to do very few oils because his
duties as a gunboat commander kept getting in the way--what survives
him are mostly sketches and watercolors and very quick oil studies,
but I think they're lovely.
On September 29, 1918, he reported that his boat's engines were unsafe
for the conditions ahead, and was ordered to proceed anyway. The
engines failed, and the ship was dashed against rocks and sank. Alfree
was left with one dinghy, himself, and one crew member--the others
having been ordered to lifeboats (which sank). Alfree ordered the crew
member into the dinghy, producing the one survivor of the _Mary Rose_,
and attempted to swim to shore. His body was never found.
Thus endeth the book report.
Visit the Jack Chick Archive and the ASG-X Home Page
http://www.ungh.com
It's Web Design. It's Luv. And It's So Much More!
"When I was reading comics, we had 15 earths and we *liked* it."
--ZZYXZ
Kelly Reeves-Thomas
In <4vv0r3$b...@redstone.interpath.net> brian...@virtus.com (Brian
influence of American culture around the world, you should read "Video
Nights in Kathmandu" by Pico Iyer. It details the author's travel
throughout Asia in the 1980s. It's a great book. Probably not up to
Elliot's high standards, though, so you might ask him for a review.
Kelly
Erich Schwarz
V-X wrote:
> BTW, the artist's name was Geoffrey Allfree...
>
> On September 29, 1918, he reported that his boat's engines were unsafe
> for the conditions ahead, and was ordered to proceed anyway. The
> engines failed, and the ship was dashed against rocks and sank. Alfree
> was left with one dinghy, himself, and one crew member--the others
> having been ordered to lifeboats (which sank). Alfree ordered the crew
> member into the dinghy, producing the one survivor of the _Mary Rose_,
> and attempted to swim to shore. His body was never found.
>:^} Cool story. But you've just reminded us all of why
Britain, very suddenly, experienced such a drop in its power from 1914
on. A *very* large number of its best people were killed from 1914-1918.
--Erich Schwarz
Paul Johnson
kel...@ix.netcom.com(Kelly Reeves-Thomas) writes:
>If you want to intensify your angst and analyze the depressing
>influence of American culture around the world, you should read "Video
>Nights in Kathmandu" by Pico Iyer. It details the author's travel
>throughout Asia in the 1980s. It's a great book.
I'll second that recommendation. I read the book 4 years ago for an
international business course and it was one of the highlights. Hearing
the former P&G exec. tell us stories about his time in Asia was good
too.
Paul Johnson
Charlotte NC, as exciting as a trip to the bank
http://www.vnet.net/users/pjohnson/index.html
crescere scientia et gratia
Steve Andrews
In article <schwarz-1908...@chalfie-mac.bio.columbia.edu>
Erich Schwarz (sch...@cubsps.bio.columbia.edu) wrote:
> I've been mulling over the state of the world around me,
>and thinking about what I find encouraging, versus what I find
>appalling or worrisome.
>
> What about all of you out there?
>
> What events in the world outside your own immediate life
>in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
>
> What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
>
> Discuss. Being the irrepressible net.ranter that I am,
>I certainly will post my own stuff, but for once I'd like
>to see what other people are thinking first.
The bad was yesterday, let's see what good I can come up with.
Not a hell of a lot in the world at large; mostly individual acts, not
those of societies or governments at large. It still seems up to the
individual(s) to do what's good. The fall of the Berlin Wall, the fall
of apartheid, people's responses to the rash of church burnings in this
country, or the work of Habitat for Humanity (which could be the largest
home builder in the country by 2000).
This may sound a little strange, but here's one from a few decades back
(breaking the 'past year' criteria). The vote to go to war with Japan in
1941 was completely lopsided, 350+ to 1. The one? A woman
representative from ?? (Wisconsin, I think), who was a lifelong pacifist
(again, IIRC). As messed up as this country can be, it produced a person
who held to her beliefs, who tried to 'raise the bar', so to speak, on
the behavior of people and a country, in the midst of the strongest
emotions and rhetoric. I believe that WWII had to be fought, but if we
had been able to do things different before the 1940's, much of it could
have been avoided. I wonder what the world would be like if _everyone_
in the world was more pacifist. I don't know why this episode stands
out, but I like to think that it shows that a few people are still
growing and evolving, and that this country can produce people like that,
who actually got elected to Congress.
Speaking of pacifists, I also like the fact that people like the Amish,
or Mennonites, are allowed to live their lifestyle and practice what they
preach with little interference from the big bad guvmint (tm).
On a very personal note (breaking the 'outside your own immediate life'
criteria), my second daughter is the most courageous, encouraging person
I know of. She was born 15 weeks premature, and was only 655 grams (1 lb
7.2 oz) and 30.5 cm (12 in) long. She's suffered bleeding on the brain,
slight retinopathy (damage to the retina), pneumonia, spinal meningitis
(both at 500 grams), weeks on a ventilator, underdeveloped lungs, etc.
She's had half a dozen blood transfusions, 3 or 4 spinal taps, steroid
treatments, and other medical procedures done. She's now 16.5 weeks old,
2010 grams (4 lb 6.8 oz), and is 41 cm long now (16 in). Her eyes are
great, her bleeding has broken up, her hearing is okay, and she's eating
from a bottle for all her meals. The doctors and nurses who work in the
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit are some of the greatest people we know.
They are very professional, helpful, friendly, and caring. My daughter
has been fiesty from day one, and whenever I get upset or depressed about
my 'problems' or aches and pains, I think of what she's gone through.
The fact that a very tiny baby can fight and survive the way my daughter
did is unbelievable. I know the survival or treatment of very low
birthweight babies can be controversial sometimes. It raises ethical,
moral, and legal issues that society at large is unprepared for (trust
me, we've been there). I don't take much for granted anymore; I wouldn't
wish this on anyone, but the strength and fiestiness of my daughter is so
encouraging I can barely describe it.
Sorry to be so longwinded, but this has been our life since May 3rd;
hopefully Courtney will be home in a week or so, and then the new
adventure begins.
Steve Andrews
In article <schwarz-1908...@chalfie-mac.bio.columbia.edu>
<4vdme0$s...@nnrp1.news.primenet.com>,
Douglas Lathrop <lat...@primenet.com> wrote:
>
> Erich Schwarz <sch...@cubsps.bio.columbia.edu> wrote:
> : I've been mulling over the state of the world around me,
> : and thinking about what I find encouraging, versus what I find
> : appalling or worrisome.
> : What about all of you out there?
> : What events in the world outside your own immediate life
> : in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
[snip]
> The general reaction to the discovery that life had once existed on Mars -
> ranging from cynical disbelief to blind New Agey acceptance to
> Bible-thumping condemnation.
Gotta agree with you here, Doug. People are willing to believe in
massive government conspiracy theories and UFO abductions without
good evidence to back it up, but show them rigorous, peer-reviewed
scientific work, and they act like it's just a matter of NASA publicity
hounds trying to get more taxpayer money to spend 'in space' instead of
'on the earth' (where do they think _I_ live and spend my money, for
example;
the moon?)
> If this is how we react to what might be the
> most universe-shattering news of this century, then we deserve to
> quarantine ourselves on this planet and roast in our own stupidity.
Nah, let _them_ stay here; the rest of us will inherit the solar system
(and
beyond, I hope).
steven r kleinedler
>
>> What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
>
I just read that Gov. Wilson in California has decided to cut all
funding for prenatal care of pregannt illegal aliens in California.
Not only does this seem stupid from an eventual down the road cost
standpoint, but how can all of those pro-life-rah-rah-Republicans
that I saw in Escondido on the tube last week go along with this?
(Ie, if one is pro-life but not outraged by Wilson's action, isn't
there a big contradiction there?)
I also just read that the Pentagon knew about that bunker in Iraq
that the soldiers blew up during the war having all those chemical
weapons. People scoffed when Vietnam soldiers brought up the issue
of this kind of thing would probably happen, and lo and behold....
I just wanted to get those two things off my chest.
Martin Bosworth
Erich Schwarz (sch...@cubsps.bio.columbia.edu) wrote:
: I've been mulling over the state of the world around me,
: and thinking about what I find encouraging, versus what I find
: appalling or worrisome.
: What about all of you out there?
: What events in the world outside your own immediate life
: in the past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
Optimists R' Us, at your service!
1: Watching the avatar of all that is hypocritcal, dogmatic, selfish,
closeminded, sleazy, and flat-out evil in American politics collapse into a
275 lb. shadow of himself, thanks to his own hubris. If you think I'm talking
about Newtie, well, here's a smokeless cigar. Congrats.
2: Working alongside senior citizens at Common Cause in DC. These folks have
been fighting for campaign finance reform since *before I was born*. Humbling,
to say the least.
3: The president of my university, John "The World Is Mine" Silber, finally
gave up the ghost--well, partially, anyway--after 25 years of running BU like
it was his own little fiefdom. The consequences of this affect people all over
the world, believe it or not.
4: The notion that people would seriously consider an African-American as a
presidential candidate (and my qualms with Colin Powell are many), to the
point of mounting a grassroots effort, indicates that we *have* made great
progress these past three decades.
5: The massive success of filmmaker Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi, Desperado,
From Dusk Till Dawn) is an inspiration, not only to work hard, but to be
creative--something sadly lacking the world over.
6: Bill Clinton. Waffler, rightwing tilter, lack of moral center, big chin,
big belly, etc. All of these things were supposed to have repeatedly spelled
doom for the man over the past four years. His ability to not only withstand
the assault, but to come out on top, will always earn him my respect, no
matter what.
7: Pantera, White Zombie, KMFDM, Gravity Kills, Stabbing Westward, Filter,
Biohazard, and Soundgarden all proving that, in this age of Blandest
Morrissette and Hootie and the Blandfish, aggressive music isn't dead.
8: Finally, and most importantly:
It was confirmed that, at one time, we were not alone in the universe. There
is, indeed, life out there.
The new developments in AIDS treatments may go a long way towards ensuring
that there will be more life *here*.
: What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
Oh man, too many to list, but I love pain, so:
The power of the Religious Right. NAFTA. The assassination of Rabin. The
Defense of Marriage Act. The welfare bill. The Telecommunications Act.
The serious lack of quality genre TV (including the atrocious Voyager, the
cancellation of Nowhere Man, and all these X-Files knockoffs popping up.).
Metallica completely selling out their integrity. The astronomical increase
in Young Republicans around me. The continued presence of Al D'amato, Steve
Stockman, Steve Largent, Tom DeLay, Helen Chenoweth, Dick Armey, Chris Smith,
et al. in the Congress. The daily torrents of death and slaughter all over the
world that no one seems to care about. The proliferation of Net.idiots (IF
that offends you, well, THIS MEANS YOU!). The ease with which people can sluff
off their obligations to each other, to the man/woman/child on the street, and
to the world.
Hmm. Still happy you asked, Erich? 8^)
Martin (wrath, who is of two minds on everything. Just ask...well, us)
Bosworth
Marco Anglesio
Martin Bosworth (wr...@bu.edu) wrote:
: Metallica completely selling out their integrity. The astronomical increase
Hey. If you listen to their music over the last decade, they've been
moving to their new (softer?) sound for quite a while. They stopped
playing death metal qua death metal a long time ago, when Jason Newsted
joined the group (he was a veteran _speed_ metal bassist). That's not a
lack of integrity - really, their music is hardly overproduced - but just
moving in a direction you don't like.
Well, tough shit.
And no, I don't like their new album any more than you do.
See, not everyone sells out. Sometimes they go to hell on their own.
---
Marco Anglesio ma...@comport-intl.com m...@cyberus.ca 3m...@qlink.queensu.ca
** systems programmer/analyst, COM:PORT INT'L LLC Ottawa, Ontario, Canada **
Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing-Wernher von Braun
Stan Wonn
In article <DwwKB...@midway.uchicago.edu>,
srkl...@midway.uchicago.edu (steven r kleinedler) wrote:
>I just read that Gov. Wilson in California has decided to cut all
>funding for prenatal care of pregannt illegal aliens in California.
>
>Not only does this seem stupid from an eventual down the road cost
>standpoint, but how can all of those pro-life-rah-rah-Republicans
>that I saw in Escondido on the tube last week go along with this?
>(Ie, if one is pro-life but not outraged by Wilson's action, isn't
>there a big contradiction there?)
Well, yes, actually (though Wilson himself is pro-choice). But as
Barney Frank once said of the anti-abortion crowd, "Sure, they're
'pro-life' -- they believe life begins at conception and ends at
birth." :-) For the vast majority of the a-a folks (except for
certain otherwise politically progressive Catholics and
evangelicals), I think Frank's remark was on the money.
Stan
--
Stan Wonn | Mission District, San Francisco, CA USA | wo...@primenet.com
http://www.primenet.com/~wonn, the one true Pleasuredome in SF!
"We defeated Bill Clinton's plan to replace veteran's health care with
socialized medicine." -- actual quote from the '96 GOP platform
V-X
On 29 Aug 1996 00:38:28 GMT, Martin Bosworth wrote:
>7: Pantera, White Zombie, KMFDM, Gravity Kills, Stabbing Westward, Filter,
>Biohazard, and Soundgarden all proving that, in this age of Blandest
>Morrissette and Hootie and the Blandfish, aggressive music isn't dead.
I only take issue with two items on this list:
1. Gravity Kills? Are you kidding? That single rocked, but I bought the album,
listened to it once, lost it, and haven't missed it.
2. KMFDM--I guess they're okay. I guess I shouldn't whine about them, since
they're nice people and I just did a video for them.
But KMFDM?
V-"Looking around, hoping TVT doesn't see this before he gets his final
check."-X
Visit the Jack Chick Archive and the ASG-X Home Page
http://www.ungh.com
It's Web Design. It's Luv. And It's So Much More!
"When I was reading comics, we had 15 earths and we *liked* it."
--ZZYZX
Timothy Burke
> 3: The president of my university, John "The World Is Mine" Silber, finally
> gave up the ghost--well, partially, anyway--after 25 years of running BU like
> it was his own little fiefdom. The consequences of this affect people all over
> the world, believe it or not.
Of course, he's doing his best to help screw Adelphi as well on his way
out...Silber may be the single most loathsome person American academia has
birthed in the 20th Century, and that's saying a lot.
SUZANNE FORTIN
On Thu, 29 Aug 1996, steven r kleinedler wrote:
> >
> >> What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
> >
>
> I just read that Gov. Wilson in California has decided to cut all
> funding for prenatal care of pregannt illegal aliens in California.
>
> Not only does this seem stupid from an eventual down the road cost
> standpoint, but how can all of those pro-life-rah-rah-Republicans
> that I saw in Escondido on the tube last week go along with this?
> (Ie, if one is pro-life but not outraged by Wilson's action, isn't
> there a big contradiction there?)
>
From what I've seen, the subset of those who support the cut to social
programs tend to be evangelical types, for some reason. I guess it has
something to do with some sort of traditional protestant self-reliance
ethic, although I confess that many conservative Catholics go along with
Republican economics...even though in my estimation, it is contarary to
Church social teaching. The American Bishops say that they don't want to
tell anyone how to vote, but they've said that abortion is not
necessarily the only issue Catholics should consider in making their
decision-- in other words, you could in good conscience vote for Clinton,
in spite of his pro-abortion stance. The American Bishops are not happy
with the way Republicans are making cuts to social programs, as they
think that by cutting the safety net, more women will have abortions.
This is to show that not all pro-lifers are against social programs; it
just seems that those who are against are the most vocal.
Suzanne Fortin MINERVA, a Catholic e-zine:
Quebec City, Canada http://www.maths.tcd.ie/~thomas/minerva/6
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do not send me unsolicited commercial e-mail
û
Diana ben-Aaron
steven r kleinedler wrote:
> I just read that Gov. Wilson in California has decided to cut all
> funding for prenatal care of pregannt illegal aliens in California.
>
My first thought on reading this was, "oh, we're back in the
Life on Mars thread."
Diana
Martin Bosworth
Marco Anglesio (3m...@qlink.queensu.ca) wrote:
: Martin Bosworth (wr...@bu.edu) wrote:
: : Metallica completely selling out their integrity. The astronomical increase
: Hey. If you listen to their music over the last decade, they've been
: moving to their new (softer?) sound for quite a while. They stopped
: playing death metal qua death metal a long time ago, when Jason Newsted
: joined the group (he was a veteran _speed_ metal bassist). That's not a
: lack of integrity - really, their music is hardly overproduced - but just
: moving in a direction you don't like.
Yours is a theory that has been advanced by many factions in the "Metallica
Sell Out Debate", Marco. As it is, I've gotten used to debunking it.
First off, a few clarifications: Metallica are not and never were *death*
metal. Even on "Kill 'Em All". They were the pioneers of *thrash* metal,
which basically was traditional metal played at hardcore speeds, more
"realistic" lyrical content, and more aggressive vocals (less yodeling a la'
Maiden and Priest, more yelling a la' Black Flag and Discharge). You want
death metal? Start with Morbid Angel's "Altars of Madness", and work your way
(ahem) down.
Anyone who doesn't think Metallica can be overproduced hasn't listened to
"Master of Puppets" at the proper volume. There are six or seven guitar tracks
going on the title track, and on "Disposable Heroes".
Newsted often gets the blame for their sound change. In fact, he co-wrote
*one* song on "And Justice For All", and *one* on the Black Album. The guy is
an excellent bassist, but make no mistake, he and Hammett had no control over
Metallica's direction--the writing, arranging, and co-producing were all
handled by Hetfield and Ulrich.
The facts are these: Metallica went double-platinum plus with "Justice", their
darkest, most uncompromisingly heavy album ever. Suddenly, they had a taste of
the good life, and began to imagine how much more money they could make.
Thus, the Black Album. On its own, it's a classic, and I'm proud to say I have
it. But you can't look at it and say it's a natural progression from
"Justice". Not even. The songs are almost all tailor-made for radio and video play,
including a major softening of lyrical content. Don't tell me that Hetfield's
noted anti-war stance in "Disposable Heroes" and "Fight Fire With Fire" could
naturally become the jingoistic sentiments of "Don't Tread On Me". James went
from writing about capital punishment, drug abuse, suicide, and religious
hypocrisy to songs about the Boogieman, basically. Mind you, the Black Album
does have its share of lyrical gems--but none of these got released as
singles.
This approach, coupled with much kissing up to MTV and radio stations, and a
general abandonment of the "we'll do it our way" ethos, garnered them all the
fame and fortune they'd ever want. Who in his right mind would blow that off?
Make no mistake, Marco. Metallica sold out for the bucks. They could have
been successful beyond anyone's dreams on their own terms, but they wanted the
easy life.
I can't even read interviews with them anymore. They've willingly deprived
themselves of having anything interesting to say, and when I see them, all I
see is a slap in the face to the music and culture that helped me through the
most painful years of my life thus far. *You* don't have to tell me "tough
shit", because they already have.
: See, not everyone sells out. Sometimes they go to hell on their own.
But this road was paved with anything *but* good intentions.
Martin (wrath, see why this pisses me off?)
Bosworth
Chuck Lipsig
wo...@primenet.com (Stan Wonn) wrote:
>In article <DwwKB...@midway.uchicago.edu>,
> srkl...@midway.uchicago.edu (steven r kleinedler) wrote:
>>I just read that Gov. Wilson in California has decided to cut all
>>funding for prenatal care of pregannt illegal aliens in California.
>>
>>Not only does this seem stupid from an eventual down the road cost
>>standpoint, but how can all of those pro-life-rah-rah-Republicans
>>that I saw in Escondido on the tube last week go along with this?
>>(Ie, if one is pro-life but not outraged by Wilson's action, isn't
>>there a big contradiction there?)
>Well, yes, actually (though Wilson himself is pro-choice). But as
>Barney Frank once said of the anti-abortion crowd, "Sure, they're
>'pro-life' -- they believe life begins at conception and ends at
>birth." :-) For the vast majority of the a-a folks (except for
>certain otherwise politically progressive Catholics and
>evangelicals), I think Frank's remark was on the money.
Not in my experience.
Back when the Alachua County Freenet actually allowed enough experience, I
once responded to this argument by, among other points, noting that the
local pro-life community had a shelter for single mothers in need of care.
Someone responded that that shelter "didn't count."
"Why?" I basically asked.
"Because it's pro-life," is the summary of the response.
So I guess if private charity doesn't count, then Frank's remark is on
the money. Otherwise....
Chuck Lipsig lip...@atlantic.net Gainesville, FL
They'll take my caffeine when they pry the cola from my dead, icy-cold,
refreshing hands.
Marco Anglesio
Martin Bosworth (wr...@bu.edu) wrote:
: Marco Anglesio (3m...@qlink.queensu.ca) wrote:
: : Martin Bosworth (wr...@bu.edu) wrote:
: : : Metallica completely selling out their integrity. The astronomical increase
:
: : Hey. If you listen to their music over the last decade, they've been
: : moving to their new (softer?) sound for quite a while. They stopped
: : playing death metal qua death metal a long time ago, when Jason Newsted
: : joined the group (he was a veteran _speed_ metal bassist). That's not a
: : lack of integrity - really, their music is hardly overproduced - but just
: : moving in a direction you don't like.
:
: Yours is a theory that has been advanced by many factions in the "Metallica
: Sell Out Debate", Marco. As it is, I've gotten used to debunking it.
: Newsted often gets the blame for their sound change. In fact, he co-wrote
: *one* song on "And Justice For All", and *one* on the Black Album. The guy is
: an excellent bassist, but make no mistake, he and Hammett had no control over
: Metallica's direction--the writing, arranging, and co-producing were all
: handled by Hetfield and Ulrich.
That reminds me of one of the conspiracy theories on the alternica page.
But I digress.
Have you read Newsted's interview when he received the Bassist of the Year
in Bass Player (1992, I think)? He has very strong progressive influences,
at least in self-description. In fact he spent a paragraph or two fawning
over another former Bassist of the Year : Rush's Geddy Lee.
Also, in the Live Sh*t box set, Newsted quotes Rush extensively when he
goes off and comps. I haven't listened to it recently so I can't say which
songs exactly and when, but in the extended solo he segues into an
extended quote of "YYZ" (1982). That's not to say that Rush is a weak,
limp-wristed band (of course, a friend of mine spotted Geddy Lee in
Toronto's Theatre Books bookstore) but it does mean that at least he was
moving away from thrash.
The bassist is a very important part of a band - really, the bassist
provides much of the band's feel. But I might be biased.
marco
V-X
On 2 Sep 1996 17:08:20 GMT, Marco Anglesio wrote:
>Martin Bosworth (wr...@bu.edu) wrote:
>: Marco Anglesio (3m...@qlink.queensu.ca) wrote:
>: : Martin Bosworth (wr...@bu.edu) wrote:
>: : : Metallica completely selling out their integrity. The astronomical increase
>:
>: : Hey. If you listen to their music over the last decade, they've been
>: : moving to their new (softer?) sound for quite a while. They stopped
>: : playing death metal qua death metal a long time ago, when Jason Newsted
>: : joined the group (he was a veteran _speed_ metal bassist). That's not a
>: : lack of integrity - really, their music is hardly overproduced - but just
>: : moving in a direction you don't like.
>:
>: Yours is a theory that has been advanced by many factions in the "Metallica
>: Sell Out Debate", Marco. As it is, I've gotten used to debunking it.
All I know is I haven't really liked them since Master of Puppets.
V-"Not a Metallica.geek, but used to like them quite a bit."-X
Visit the Jack Chick Archive and the ASG-X Home Page
http://www.ungh.com
UNGH: It's Web Design. It's Luv. And It's So Much More!
Stan Wonn
In article <50ep5v$u...@news.atlantic.net>,
lip...@atlantic.net (Chuck Lipsig) wrote:
>local pro-life community had a shelter for single mothers in need of
>care.
OK, Chuck, but one example does not a generalization make...even on
USENET. :)
Stan
though God knows, enough try...
Chuck Lipsig
wo...@primenet.com (Stan Wonn) wrote:
>In article <50ep5v$u...@news.atlantic.net>,
> lip...@atlantic.net (Chuck Lipsig) wrote:
>>local pro-life community had a shelter for single mothers in need of
>>care.
>OK, Chuck, but one example does not a generalization make...even on
>USENET. :)
>Stan
>though God knows, enough try...
Nor does providing an example mean I'm generalizing from it. It's been my
general experience that Fundamentalists are among the most generous at
providing private charity and aid.
Everyone has their bogeyman.
Chuck Lipsig lip...@atlantic.net Gainesville, FL
And I include myself in the above statement.
pjohnson
Stan Wonn (wo...@primenet.com) wrote:
: In article <50ep5v$u...@news.atlantic.net>,
: lip...@atlantic.net (Chuck Lipsig) wrote:
: >local pro-life community had a shelter for single mothers in need of
: >care.
: OK, Chuck, but one example does not a generalization make...even on
: USENET. :)
Stan, I know of at least 2 others in Northern NJ. They are out there.
And I'm sure if you look you can find them other places. They are
(in my experience) low key about themselves since the women there have
been thrown out of their houses or had to leave to have a child they
want. That usually means they aren't very cheerful about what's going
on.
--
Paul Johnson
at home again in Charlotte NC
Stan Wonn
In article <50jt4p$b...@ralph.vnet.net>,
pjoh...@jazzmin.vnet.net (pjohnson) wrote:
>Stan, I know of at least 2 others in Northern NJ. They are out >there.
>And I'm sure if you look you can find them other places. They are
>(in my experience) low key about themselves since the women there >have been
thrown out of their houses or had to leave to have a child >they want. That
usually means they aren't very cheerful about what's >going on.
Paul, I don't doubt they exist. But I have yet to see that they represent
anything more than a minority of the anti-abortion folks. It's much easier to
see people like Randall Terry or groups like the Christian Coalition, who
combine their opposition to abortion (which I respect, though disagree with)
with calls to end most welfare programs to poor women.
BTW, on that latter issue, I know various Catholic bishops opposed the welfare
"reform" proposals, at least in part, because they felt it would *encourage*
abortion...
Stan
V-X
On 4 Sep 1996 12:36:41 GMT, pjohnson wrote:
>Stan Wonn (wo...@primenet.com) wrote:
>: In article <50ep5v$u...@news.atlantic.net>,
>: lip...@atlantic.net (Chuck Lipsig) wrote:
>
>: >local pro-life community had a shelter for single mothers in need of
>: >care.
>
>: OK, Chuck, but one example does not a generalization make...even on
>: USENET. :)
>
>Stan, I know of at least 2 others in Northern NJ. They are out there.
>And I'm sure if you look you can find them other places. They are
>(in my experience) low key about themselves since the women there have
>been thrown out of their houses or had to leave to have a child they
>want. That usually means they aren't very cheerful about what's going
>on.
And I, as the local ex-representative of horrifying pro-life groups,
can tell you, Stan, that *most* pro-life groups, especially the ones
you hate most, have varying degrees of aid available, limited only by
the financial resources of the organization. The help ranges from
shelter houses, to placement in homes, to food, clothing, baby items
(like cribs and car seats) and pre-and-post-natal care.
Most of them spend more than they can actually afford on this stuff,
too, and rely heavily on continual sudden bursts of good will on the
part of their membership.
H.T.H.
Chuck Lipsig
wo...@primenet.com (Stan Wonn) wrote:
>In article <50jt4p$b...@ralph.vnet.net>,
> pjoh...@jazzmin.vnet.net (pjohnson) wrote:
>>Stan, I know of at least 2 others in Northern NJ. They are out >there.
>>And I'm sure if you look you can find them other places. They are
>>(in my experience) low key about themselves since the women there
>>have been thrown out of their houses or had to leave to have a child
>>they want. That usually means they aren't very cheerful about what's
>>going on.
>Paul, I don't doubt they exist. But I have yet to see that they represent
>anything more than a minority of the anti-abortion folks. It's much easier to
>see people like Randall Terry or groups like the Christian Coalition, who
>combine their opposition to abortion (which I respect, though disagree with)
>with calls to end most welfare programs to poor women.
Stan, you're still confusing two concepts. Just because a person calls
for the end of welfare programs, doesn't mean that they are not generous or
active in providing private charity. Indeed, often they are doing so in the
belief that the government welfare programs hurt poor women.
Chuck Lipsig lip...@atlantic.net Gainesville, FL
Finn MacCool. Well, that's the world saved for another day.
Stan Wonn
In article <510ubu$7...@news.atlantic.net>,
lip...@atlantic.net (Chuck Lipsig) wrote:
> Stan, you're still confusing two concepts. Just because a person
>calls for the end of welfare programs, doesn't mean that they are
>not generous or active in providing private charity. Indeed, often
>they are doing so in the belief that the government welfare programs
>hurt poor women.
I wasn't going to respond to any more postings on this subject, but
you just forced me to, Chuck. No, I'm not confusing anything here.
Yes, there are some people who do engage in a lot of private charity,
and bully for them.
But that's a long way from getting to the point where private charity
can take care of *all* societal needs, as you libertarian-inclined
folks seem to think it can. Maybe you should do a reality check
sometime -- go by one of the local nonprofit agencies (e.g., an
AIDS service organization or a battered women's shelter) and ask THEM
if they think the private sector would take care of it all. I think
the chances are pretty good that their answer would be "hell no."
pjohnson
Stan Wonn (wo...@primenet.com) wrote:
: In article <50jt4p$b...@ralph.vnet.net>,
: pjoh...@jazzmin.vnet.net (pjohnson) wrote:
: >Stan, I know of at least 2 others in Northern NJ. They are out >there.
: >And I'm sure if you look you can find them other places. They are
: >(in my experience) low key about themselves since the women there >have been
: thrown out of their houses or had to leave to have a child >they want. That
: usually means they aren't very cheerful about what's >going on.
: Paul, I don't doubt they exist. But I have yet to see that they represent
: anything more than a minority of the anti-abortion folks. It's much easier
: to see people like Randall Terry or groups like the Christian Coalition, who
: combine their opposition to abortion (which I respect, though disagree with)
: with calls to end most welfare programs to poor women.
*bing!* "Its much easier to see" is the key to your above statement above.
Just because the Randell Terry's of the world can scream and get attention
doesn't mean that they represent the majority of the views on the topic or
that they even represent a large minority. The represent a vocal minority,
and that makes for a good story on the 6 o'clock news.
Micky DuPree
In article <schwarz-1908...@chalfie-mac.bio.columbia.edu>,
sch...@cubsps.bio.columbia.edu (Erich Schwarz) wrote:
: What events in the world outside your own immediate life in the
: past year have made you feel most happy or encouraged?
Rattling off the top of my head, the judicial victories over the CDA and
Colorado's Amendment 2. ... Pat Buchanan's presidential campaign running
rather conclusively out of gas. The factionalization of the Republican
Party. ... The CIA finally admitting it was involved in some Latin
American death squads. (The FOIA doesn't just need more teeth, it needs
great slashing fangs.) ... While these may seem like only "negative"
victories, they say to me that various reactionary and/or authoritarian
elements are in a losing struggle with the trans-generational seep of
liberalism into the mainstream. ... The defeat of the Communist
candidate for president in Russia.
: What events pained you, enraged you, or depressed you?
Well, on the other hand, certain other authoritarian elements are on the
rise: the war on drugs may get tobacco added to the list and the entire
U.S. seems to be ready to accept curfews as an answer to pipe bombs.
I'm trying to shake off impressions that the militia angle is covertly
encouraged by said authoritarian elements in order to inspire public
demand for curtailment of civil liberties. ... Pro-authoritarian
judicial decisions. ... The gutting of antitrust protections in the U.S.
telecommunications industry. ... A certain nervousness I get about
people all over the U.S. political spectrum seeming to await the arrival
of a political Messiah to deliver them. If this guy ever does show up,
I can guarantee that reason won't prevail.
There are other things that I should be upset or happy about, but I kind
of take them for granted because as far as I'm concerned, they're
following the script for better or worse. Advances in medicine, for
example, or the increasing gap between rich and poor in America.
The whole life on Mars riff has been exceptionally tingly, potentially
one of the most profound things in the history of Mankind, and here it
is happening on my watch, so to speak. I'm trying to stay detached for
a while, though, because I really don't want to deal with the mood
backlash I'd get from any, "Oops," somewhere down the line.
-Micky