Open Thread - Friday, March 8, 2019
"Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance."
- Kofi Annan -
I loved a strong woman and raised a strong woman. I taught my daughter she was in charge of her life and not to yield to misogynists. I am proud to say, the lessons stuck. Many men are intimidated by her. Not because she is intimidating, but because she does not tolerate gender bias and smug misogyny. It is a pleasure to witness her filet a troglodyte.
My daughter was lucky, she had a strong and righteous mother. Sue was a pacifist, a school social worker and an advocate for children. The gentlest and sweetest soul you could meet, unless you crossed her.
When Sue graduated from her undergraduate program, we road tripped from Pittsburgh to south Florida. Sue's mom worked for Immigration and Naturalization and her father had passed. During our trip, the Mariel boatlift transpired, and her mother took an assignment to process Cuban refugees. Her mother went to Fort Chaffee, leaving Sue's younger brother and high school senior sister at home. When we returned from our road trip, the house was rocking. High school kids partying everywhere. I followed Sue into the house and when we arrived at her bedroom, she was confronted by a young man who angrily told her, "We were here first, go away". My anxiety spiked, until Sue took charge. My Sweetie said, "That's my bedroom", reached out and grabbed him by the ear and dragged him down the hall. I never even had to say anything. Damn, I loved that woman, and I am sure glad she loved me back.
I don't think I will say anything else, to avoid making a stupid man statement. I'll just let the ladies do the talking.
Have a great weekend! The thread is OPEN.
Comments
Good morning, Tim ~~
Thank you for those sweet memories of Sue. I enjoy reading about strong women. The strong-woman trait seems to be passing along the line from Sue's mom to your daughter. Nice!
The rise of women into positions of power is getting more interesting every year. Of course, I'm a fan. But, women can be as corrupt as the men they are replacing - they are human, after all, so we must always be diligent. Understanding that power corrupts is a valuable lesson. Staying humble is key.
I'm off to San Diego to visit my brother. We will also take a drive north of LA to visit our other brother. Should be a fun few days. I'm looking forward to this little break.
Daylight savings time kicks in this weekend - glad I'll be traveling.
Have a lovely and productive day and weekend, everyone!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Enjoy
I love visiting San Diego.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
And passing through AZ
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Thanks for the threads
Strong, intelligent women are a force due respect.
Enjoy the weekend.
Lydia Pense on vocals
Heh
I turned the dad band onto Cold Blood. CB does my favorite Muddy/Willie Dixon cover.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
I witness strong women in action every day especially yesterday
We lost Ms. jbob's riding horse yesterday to laminitis. She was a large (17.4 hands) Bay warmblood. Her breed was Trakehner. A breed line with a very long history from Europe. She was super smart an athletic beautiful mover with the "floating trot" this breed is famous for. The horse care and riding crowd around here are mostly females. Our veterinary office is staffed mostly by women. When it comes time to make the hard decisions about when it's best to put an animal down rather than keep trying to heal them these strong women are there helping owners and animals alike. They are there in all kinds of hard conditions caring for the animals with compassion, medical knowledge and bravery. The emotional baggage attached to these situations is a hard thing to bear. I'll post a video about Trakehener horse history below.
Veterinarians are amazing
They can not ask where it hurts or what the symptoms are, plus the animal does not feel well and is frightened. It takes extraordinary stall side manner.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Amazing story of perserverance by the horses and breeders
You are fortunate to have experienced such a horse in your life. Does not make losing one easier and laminitis is so painful understand the decision. Take care.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Good morning Tim and c99
Spent most of my teaching career with women...most of whom were both firm and caring. I never could adhere to the don't smile till after the first of the year (mid way through the school year) concept. I always smiled from day one... maybe guys are scarier by nature? I rarely had behavior problems cause we (student teams) did fun and interesting projects almost everyday. Anyway your story of Sue leading the kid by the ear brought fond memories of my teaching colleagues.
More rain due this weekend starting today. We have had a nice week - cold but sunny. Warmth and rain return, and spring will be bursting soon.
Wishing you all the beauty and warmth of spring. If you can, take time to notice the natural world and appreciate the annual rebirth. All the best!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Almost exclusively women teachers
… through elementary school. Ms. Gengolis taught me to read. Mrs. Stayer, a diminutive woman, near retirement age, taught us to read a map. In 3rd grade! I know adults that struggle with map reading.
I find it aggravating that people tell military veterans, "Thank you for your service", but denigrate teachers. Thank you for your service.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
I don't believe in gender equality. I believe in gender equity.
IMHO, those two additional letters change the state from one of desired fairness to one of desired leveling. Equality is a nebulous term that suggests that everybody will get an equal share and be happy with that.
I don't believe in that. I believe that men and women are fundamentally different, but deserve equity in all things. Fairness, impartiality, equal chances to do what they love, but acknowledging of the facts of biology and social differences.
Equality tries to do away with all that, and claim that if we pretend there are no differences and that everything is just a construct of the mind, that somehow everything will magically be better. The world doesn't work like that, and ignoring data because it doesn't fit the hypothesis is the hallmark of bad thinking, science and general propaganda.
We are never going to get perfect equality. My 5' 3" daughter is never going to have the raw power of my 6' son. However, both are going to get the opportunity to learn to use their skills, get my encouragement and support. That's equity right there. It's not "Equal" that my son is stronger than my daughter. Considering she does weight training and he doesn't, the inequality is even more apparent. Screaming that he needs to somehow handicap himself in order to perform at the same level as her, or that she deserves more advantages to make up for that isn't realistic or Equitable.
My daughter is far more musically talented than he is. Different skill set, different desires, different drives. Should I tell her to stop being so talented because it makes the other kids feel bad? Equality would say Yes, I need to ensure that some random kid with no musical talent has the same opportunity to shine on stage as a girl who spent three years practicing and enjoying something she loves.
I do not believe this to be a distinction without difference. Both of my children deserve the chance to use their gifts to the best of their abilities. If that means I fly in the face of dogma, so be it. Dogma is ever changing these days, and I choose to stand where I find the footing stable.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aucTOcNOIek]
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
I agree; equity
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Was always a given
It has been my great fortune to have always had a natural sense of the strength of the women in my life. Perhaps it is a testament to the my grandmothers, my Mom, my Aunts that I never had any sense of male advantage around my home as a child. It was never a thing.
My oldest sibling has always been our leader. Leaders lead themselves first and foremost. She has always been that way. Never at any time in my life did I feel as if my older brother or myself should be that leader because of testicles.
Furthermore, I can reflect on this fact of my upbringing and say that the men in my life have been made stronger by the women who they lived with, myself included. This was not an either/or thing but a symbiosis. I see it being played out now in the success of my nieces and nephews who have started their families.
It is from this perspective that I have had trouble recognizing misogyny. This past election cycle in particular where it was brought to the fore. It was my wife and my sisters who informed me as to the real world effects. For that I am grateful. Otherwise I would just keep on blundering as if this was not something to be dealt with.
To my leader:
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x37PT-nUXGg]
I think
… being part of the academically accelerated set taught me. Our class rooms were 2/3rds to 3/4ths girls. All bright and confident. I hung out with the girls, ate lunch with the girls and confided in the girls. I always struggled with male social groups because there was always boys/men that I did not like. It's the root cause of why I did not take up golf. I could not stand to spend that much time with the self important loquacious men.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
My male Identity as such
My male identity as such is only possible, as you suggest, through my female points of reference. It has also made my relations within male groups stronger. At the same time, I was never shy with women during my dating period, from my teen years to meeting my future wife. I recall many of my male peers struggling to overcome shyness around girls. All of this I attribute to my having a sense of gender equity as DMW notes in a comment above.
As far as loquacious men on golf courses, they do in fact exist. However, they are also some of the most humble and self-effacing folks I know because the game of golf brings that out of people whether they like it or not. FWIW, I know many women who can be very talkative without much to actually say as well, on and off the golf course.
I get what you are saying
I have a theory that groups of men can exhibit diminished intellectual capacity compared with the individual. The size of the group and the age of the males are both factors. Age is inverse and size is proportional. So a foursome of vintage dudes might work. Probably not as therapeutic as solo on a vintage motorcycle though.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Second verse
Sue absolutely made me a better person. Sue, more so than my parents, converted me from a boy to a man. It sure wish we could dance and hug away a Mavericks show.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
This goes here
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Good morning, Tim. Great pair of musical bookends up there.
I had good luck in most of the women I was around my entire life, strong, intelligent, self-directed and independent minded. It was good for me. Half of the left paw is munged up right now, which makes typing a bear, so I won't.
The Queen of the blues:
probable queen of rockabilly:
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Rockabilly and women
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Awesome. Add this one.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
IM's husband
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
MAGA
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Imma Awsome Political Consultant, Prove Me Wrong
This one is for our glorious El Presidente.
Are you tired of Mike Pence, that milquetoast who won't even spring to action and stab Nancy (we call her "Nancy") when she was flaunting her not-a-man-ness right in your face?
I've got the solution for your 2020 campaign.
Duct tape your socks on, cause this is going to knock them right off!
You aren't ready for this.
Seriously, you aren't ready.
Sure you think you're ready, but trust me, you're not.
For your reelection campaign you need to replace Mike Pence with ... IVANKA!
Trump / Trump 2020!
I've been working on some slogans, what do you think?
Trump / Trump 2020 -- If she wasn't my daughter I'd...
Trump / Trump 2020 -- She's created MILLIONS of jobs!
Trump / Trump 2020 -- I can count on her to pardon me.
Trump / Trump 2020 -- Because Baron won't be old enough to run for 20 years.
OK, then, I'll just invoice the campaign.
"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone
Sure why not?
Can things get more surreal?
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Heh
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Hi Tim
I'm glad you have great, strong women in your life.
[video:https://youtu.be/atyGGbOiNAM]