Is the West best?
January 6th, 2009 – 10:53 AMA question for Think Again readers: As you comment on the following post, please add your thoughts about the potential survival of the blog after my role as a metro columnist ceases.
Would it make sense to continue Think Again if I do just one or two posts a week? Do you believe that you and others would keep reading without a new post every day to spark discussion? How might readers take a role in raising new topics? I look forward to your thoughts.
Cultural relativism — the West’s dominant worldview today — teaches that all cultural cups are simultaneously half-full and half-empty. For every defect we in the West notice elsewhere, we are quickly reminded of a corresponding blot on our own cultural character.
Some despotic regime is persecuting its citizens? “Well, what of America’s treatment of the Indians?,” comes the response. An objection to Islamic-inspired violence is quickly met with a reminder of the Christian Crusades.
We’re particularly susceptible to this kind of thinking in the West, because we adhere to the principle of individual equality. Sometimes, mistakenly, we transpose that principle to cultures, countries and religions.
Ibn Warraq (a psyeudonym used by a critic of Islam raised in Pakistan) is decidedly not a cultural relativist. Last October, he participated in a London debate and spoke in support of the proposition that “We should not be reluctant to assert the superiority of Western values.” He summarized his argument in the winter issue of City Journal:
The great ideas of the West”rationalism, self-criticism, the disinterested search for truth, the separation of church and state, the rule of law and equality under the law, freedom of thought and expression, human rights, and liberal democracy”are superior to any others devised by humankind.
It was the West that took steps to abolish slavery; the calls for abolition did not resonate even in Africa, where rival tribes sold black prisoners into slavery. The West has secured freedoms for women and racial and other minorities to an extent unimaginable 60 years ago.
The West recognizes and defends the rights of the individual: we are free to think what we want, to read what we want, to practice our religion, to live lives of our choosing.
The scientific and material fruit of this free inquiry has been prodigious, observes Warraq. Almost every scientific advance in the last 500 years originated in the West. Societies flourish when they model themselves on Western principles, and refugees everywhere make extraordinary sacrifices to come here.
Warraq’s less than flattering assessment of non-Western cultures pulls no punches:
A culture that gave the world the novel; the music of Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert; and the paintings of Michelangelo, da Vinci, and Rembrandt does not need lessons from societies whose idea of heaven, peopled with female virgins, resembles a cosmic brothel. Nor does the West need lectures on the superior virtue of societies in which women are kept in subjection under sharia, endure genital mutilation, are stoned to death for alleged adultery, and are married off against their will at the age of nine; societies that deny the rights of supposedly lower castes; societies that execute homosexuals and apostates.
The West has no use for sanctimonious homilies from societies that cannot provide clean drinking water or sewage systems, that make no provisions for the handicapped, and that leave 40 to 50 percent of their citizens illiterate.
In some respects, Warraq’s assessment is over the top (”cosmic brothels”) and relies too readily on the anecdotal (”married off at the age of nine”). The lack of freedom and progress outside the West is amply supported by evidence from a variety of measures. Rhetorical overkill isn’t necessary.
Nor should we in the West be overly sanguine about modern liberal democracy. Warraq is correct that the West’s material and scientific output is unparalleled, but what of our contemporary cultural output? Is our freedom and prosperity notable today in good measure for producing a tidal wave of conspicuous consumption and pleasure-seeking?
If that’s as far as we go, Islamic and other non-western cultures will continue to fill a void of “meaning” for millions around the world.
In short, it’s important not only — as Warraq puts it — to “live lives of our choosing,” but to “choose” well. But the fact remains: the cultural cup of the West is much more than half-full. With all its warts, the West is still the best.
236 Responses to "Is the West best?"
Jim Morrison thought so
The west is the best
The west is the best
Get here, and we’ll do the rest
[…] Katherine Kersten – […]
“Would it make sense to continue Think Again if I do just one or two posts a week? Do you believe that you and others would keep reading without a new post every day to spark discussion? How might readers take a role in raising new topics?”
Considering that the discussions on this blog tend to evolve independent of whatever topic is posted, and continue until a new topic is posted, the answer is yes to all these questions.
It’s that freewheeling nature that I find appealing, and not duplicated in any of the other Strib blogs.
“How might readers take a role in raising new topics?”
Things get slow type….
Gay Marriage
“A culture that gave the world the novel; the music of Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert; and the paintings of Michelangelo, da Vinci, and Rembrandt…”
and Chemical Warfare
and Nuclear Warfare
and Biological warfare
and the Holocaust
is still maybe a little better than the East, but only by a thin hair.
Where uias GFio
Roioswe3vekltr
my dog typed that. I think he wants to know where Go is?
“Would it make sense to continue Think Again if I do just one or two posts a week?”
Sure. The Friday posts routinely generate dialog all weekend (although it’s rarely on topic).
“Do you believe that you and others would keep reading without a new post every day to spark discussion?”
Probably. Maybe less frequently though. All I ask is that at least one of the posts each week is new material and not ‘here’s my favorite diatribe from ten years ago…’
“How might readers take a role in raising new topics?”
Don’t we already?
My additional advice:
Get a different host for the blog than whoever currebtly hosts it for the Strib. Glitchy slow-loading…
Get hooked up with google ads or someting like that so if you actually generate a lot of readers you’ll get paid by the links they click from your blog. You shouldn’t do this for free, but I ain’t payin’ ya directly…
Should this blog continue? Not for the sake of the “discussion”. The majority of the comments here are infantile and polarized beyond belief. One of the worst blogs in that sense that I’ve ever seen. I’ve posted a few times in the hopes of some actual communication taking place, but I haven’t seen it happen.
Of course, Katherine doesn’t write those comments. She just inspires them.
jriemerm, so if the comments here are infantile and polarized beyond belief…why are you here….
See ya
Got no time for an ego-driven self-absorbed personage with little to no sense of humor. Pull your head out and get a life.
“I’ve posted a few times in the hopes of some actual communication taking place, but I haven’t seen it happen.”
Thanks for the comments jriemerm. Are you the same jriemerm who is the President of the “Our sh^t don’t Stink” club.
Thanks Jr. No one ever said that before.
Well, looks like jriemerm did a hit and run. Just couldn’t stick around and support the opinion. Yep, grow a set.
I do a lot of blogging from my phone when I’m at work. Once a column gets to about 200 posts, my phone won’t load it because it is too long. So right now, I can read this column, but not yesterday’s. So updates a couple times a week wouldn’t do a lot for me. Unless they were Wednesdays and Fridays. Those would work best for me. But that’s just me. I think people would visit less with just a couple updates a week. But maybe not…
Jr, how very insightful. Feeling left out of the fun? We don’t feel bad, nobody likes you anyways.
“Do you believe that you and others would keep reading without a new post every day to spark discussion? How might readers take a role in raising new topics? I look forward to your thoughts.”
The majority of us have issues staying on track anyway without roaming into proveious discussions and/or coming up with new ones…
..especially Tiny. Tiny never stays on track.
Combined we could probably take on the best of Mensa or at the very best cofuse them so badly they’d fall of that intellectual ledge between genius and psychopath … as an example, look at D2. At one point in time he was a genius, but then his theories were questioned and if one were to look at his current website, you’d see the rantings of a loon.
So yeah .. I think that if you left us on our own we’d be okay.
And sometimes you should let GO moderate.
KK, how about monday, wednesday and fridays. Three days a week will keep it rocking. Besides, the topic changes so often on this blog throughout the day that people come back (like jriemerm) just to see what we’re up to here.
“Once a column gets to about 200 posts, my phone won’t load it because it is too long.”
Just another reason not to buy myself an Iphone.
“If we believe the [Bear Stearns internal report is] ANYWHERE CLOSE to accurate, I think we should close the funds now…. If [the report] is correct, then the entire subprime market is toast.” — Tannin in internal e-mail to Cioffi on April 22, 2007
“So from a structural point of view, from an asset point of view, from a surveillance point of view, we’re very comfortable with exactly where we are.” — Tannin to investors on April 25, 2007
This has a certain Jeff Skilling ring to it dont you think?
“..especially Tiny. Tiny never stays on track. “
Tiny has OCD plus he’s probably bipolar and he bores easily. Plus he had a heart attack and owns a Pug…so cut him some slack. He’s “special”. Should really be on some kind of public assistance or something.
Katherine,
The potential survival of this blog after your role ceases will continue the same as it is now. Posting once/twice a week will still pull in bloggers.
Raising a new topic and staying on a new topic are two different things. New topics come up all the time; but as time continues, it seems to end up with the guys wanting to talk about one thing (maybe two things).
I’d like to see the guys get a “bar” and start drinking Sam Adams until they can no longer spell Sam Adams.
Hypocrates unite! What the he!!, just proves one more time that you can’t believe a d@mn thing they tell you out there.
“I’d like to see the guys get a “bar” and start drinking Sam Adams until they can no longer spell Sam Adams.”
Check.
Tiny’s “Special” all right…you GOT a heart tiny? Hmmm…
A blog toast to you iamme.
I think Iamme wants to do an oppressed woman article ..
.. and then an article about how oppressed women aren’t really oppressed but just confused about what their role should really be ..
..no matter what .. it will somehow revert to cannibal polar bears .. but it will probably focus on one gender for at least 10 posts instead of the whole thing because Tiny will interject about some picture or something ..
..or his Pug will puke and he won’t know why.
“Turkey holds suspicious Iran-Venezuela shipment”
“Obama May Use Chavez as Test for Talking With Foes”
You know if this guy was a smart as everyone says he’d do an end around and we’d wake up one day and he’d be visiting Cuba. Screw Chavez.
“Should really be on some kind of public assistance or something.”
Translation = send all your aluminum cans to Tiny.
“You know if this guy was a smart as everyone says he’d do an end around and we’d wake up one day and he’d be visiting Cuba. Screw Chavez. ”
Maybe he’ll just make him feel noted. Wait till he’s on the rug then pull it out?
“.. and then an article about how oppressed women aren’t really oppressed but just confused about what their role should really be ..”
If there were ever a time in history, I’d say we’re seeing where men are confused about what their role should really be.
But then, I could be viewing this wrong. Could be that both genders are having trust issues in today’s world.
Harry Reid. “Enough partisanship we’re in this together”.
WHAT A BUNCH OF BS
“Hypocrates unite! ”
Did he have multiple personalities?
Cuz that would be cool.
Wow senator byrd 50 years as a member of Congress and 35 years as a member of the K.K.K. What a great man.
“If there were ever a time in history, I’d say we’re seeing where men are confused about what their role should really be.
But then, I could be viewing this wrong. Could be that both genders are having trust issues in today’s world.”
This is exactly why it’s best to trust yourself.
If you think that means .. “if it feels great do it” .. it doesn’t (D2 is like that).
The vast majority of us have a good idea between right and wrong. There’s opportunity for blurry lines, but the vast majority of us know where the blur ends and the ‘you may not want to do that’ begins.
This doesn’t mean we don’t have our own life to live and decisions to make .. not by any means.
Mark, actually, an iPhone doesn’t have that problem. I have a Samsung Instinct. There are a host of other problems with blogging on an iPhone though. I want to try the Blackberry Storm. I think that’s going to be the best touch screen smart phone out there, but there are a ton of new ones and I haven’t kept up with all of them…
“Wow senator byrd 50 years as a member of Congress and 35 years as a member of the K.K.K. What a great man. ”
He’s difficult to understand sometimes.
“I have a Samsung Instinct. ”
I have the one that won’t break when it gets run over or falls off the top of the truck when you’re driving down the road.
“The vast majority of us have a good idea between right and wrong.”
Yeah, now if we would just put it into action. I read the news (what a load) and listen to the news (again, what a load), do they really expect us to believe that crap they try to dish us. Puke…
Ratings, that’s what it’s about. Not truth.
AmericanWoman says to jriemerm:
“Pull your head out…”
tiny litess says to jriemerm:
…”Our sh^t don’t Stink”…
Greg63 says to jriemerm:
you must eat alot of p00p.
AmericanWoman says jriemer:
“…grow a set.”
DJ says to jriemerm:
“…nobody likes you anyways.”
…and none of you can imagine what I mean by infantile.
I come by every once in a while to see what the local ultra-right is having for breakfast. SOS, as the soldiers used to call chipped beef on toast. Know what I mean?
“as the soldiers used to call chipped beef on toast. Know what I mean?”
No
Samsung makes very durable phones and I don’t break my phones ever. The only phone I’ve ever had that was mostly ruined was a Sanyo that was in my buddies pocket. He was drunk and fell off the dock into the water. He held his beer above his head and didn’t spill a drop or get any water in it. My phone survived after a night of sitting in front of the fan with the battery removed. But after that, the battery didn’t last that long, so I ended up getting a new phone anyways. But I’ve had this phone for about 4 months and haven’t had any problems. But I’ve only dropped it a couple times.
jriemerm, yeah we know what you mean. You just don’t seem to get it…your perception of us and our topics are moot.
You seem (by your postings) to believe that you are better than the rest of us, well then bow down (however, on this blog you might want to watch were your blog butt lands) and give yourself a pat.
I realize that you are fundamentaly more profound than any one of us so you might want to return to where you came from and blog to your hearts content there.
Where’s leland8? Lord I miss him. I’m sure he’d get a kick outta jriemerm.
SOS = cream chipped beef = sh!t on a shingle.
“I come by every once in a while to see what the local ultra-right is having for breakfast. SOS, as the soldiers used to call chipped beef on toast. Know what I mean? ”
Yes .. I ate it.
But you eat something entirely different.
Ultra-right? Moi? HAAA!!!!
Moron has been redefined.
I inadvertently ran my previous phone (Nokia) through the wash in my jeans pocket.
It did not survive that.
Hey Jr, if you don’t like be here, then leave. Nobody is going to make you a hotdish. Nobody cares if you stay or not, but, if you’re going to hang out for a bit, feel free to say something that’s not just another lame ass criticism of the bloggers. Try putting in some input. Challenge Mark to a discussion. Bring up a topic and see what people think. Your puckered attitude is as infantile as anything else anyone has written here today. Join the fun, have a good discussion, have some fun, or shut up and leave.
dubble, is that like laundering money…done that!
JR,
If you actually paid attention you’d know that 75% of us regular Think Again posters are centrist skeptics with a history of drug use, NOT ultra-right trolls. People who come in sanctimoniously wagging their fingers get a playground welcome.
Not sure why we of all people are attracted to Katherine’s forum.
Then of course there’s Dare2. I suppose he fits your bill.
“Hey Jr, if you don’t like be here, then leave. Nobody is going to make you a hotdish. ”
FUNERAL HOTDISH!!!
No tatortot hotdish for you JR! You don’t qualify!
One of my buddies at work has one of those new google Android phones. It’s pretty cool. Thicker than an iPhone though, but it has an actual keypad which appeals to the Luddite in me.
It comes loaded with this cool bubble level ap… you can set your phone on the table and it tells you whether the table is really on the horizontal plane. Might be handy if you were gluing up drain pipe. Or you could just get a bubble level.
Wow, technology. Here I sit with a celphone I rarely use, an ancient computor and no particular interest in upgrading….what a loser.
“I come by every once in a while to see what the local ultra-right is having for breakfast.”
The local ultra-right usually shows up around dinnertime. Occasionally, on Fridays, you can catch him at breakfast.
The local ultra-right usually shows up around dinnertime. Occasionally, on Fridays, you can catch him at breakfast.
Lay some Yiddish on him or something will ya MT. JR’s giving your “people” a bad name.
“The local ultra-right usually shows up around dinnertime. Occasionally, on Fridays, you can catch him at breakfast.”
Who’s that?
The cell phone is the worst invention ever forced down the throats of society.
It’s ushered in new level of rudeness, made the roads and parking lots more dangerous, and it’s impossible to go anywhere without having someone standing in your way with their face plastered in front of their phone.
If you ever read about a serial killer
leaving his victims with a cell phone shoved up their a$$, have some sympathy for him.
That would be D2.
JR’s giving your “people” a bad name.
Naah, I’ll just say something infantile.
GooGoo GaGa
Ice Cweem, Yay!
“If you ever read about a serial killer leaving his victims with a cell phone shoved up their a$$, have some sympathy for him.”
He’ll get off on a tech-nicality…
Okay bad joke, pretty poor…sad really.
“That would be D2.”
No way!
This is the best translation of D2.
He’ll taunt the police by calling the phone.
Somebody will have to reach in and answer it.
The FBI will have to hire a proctologist as a consultant.
“The FBI will have to hire a proctologist as a consultant. ”
I think we all know of a certain amateur proctologist from this board ..
you’ll need to wait till he gets back from the factory though.
Mark
The FBI will have to hire a proctologist as a consultant.
Hey Mark why don’t you apply. You surely know your way around the a$$.
“I think we all know of a certain amateur proctologist from this board ..
you’ll need to wait till he gets back from the factory though. ”
He’s got a new iPhone and he’s trying to figure out how to get it stuck on “vibrate”.
I’ve got to believe someone has come up with a hack iPhone ap that acuates the vibrator non-stop until the batteries wear down. It’s just too obvious for someone not to have thought of that yet.
“You surely know your way around the a$$. ”
For many of us heterosexual males, we prefer to know our way around it.
And then there are others who like to be in it.
“Hey Mark why don’t you apply. You surely know your way around the a$$.”
Nothing better than a nice female posterior.
“It’s just too obvious for someone not to have thought of that yet.”
Didn’t he mention something about moving ‘up’ to R&D this month at the factory?
Mark
Nothing better than a nice female posterior.
Nothing better?!! Are you sure you were the one who impregnated your wife?
One night I tuned in to the Bill Maher show and he was reporting on some survey that indicated heterosexual an@l intercourse was way up among teens. The reason they commonly gave was it was a way to have sex without violating their abstinence pedges. Maher surmised that abstinence-only sex ed sure was teaching kids to think outside the box.
“sex ed sure was teaching kids to think outside the box.”
HA! Yeah! Outside the BOX!!!
Okay, calming down now. My apologies JR. How immature of me.
HA!!!!
DAR .. THAT was funny.
At the same time, it’s pretty sad. Maybe people oughta rethink the whole abstinence thing ..
“Are you sure you were the one who impregnated your wife?”
Man MOI, ouch. Sad that you went there.
“Maher surmised that abstinence-only sex ed sure was teaching kids to think outside the box.”
That is funny, and true.
Heck of a lot more creative than my method of abstinence through being a dork.
“Nothing better?!! Are you sure you were the one who impregnated your wife?”
Wow MOI, you really have no limit do you?
“At the same time, it’s pretty sad. ”
A scary footnote is that I’ve seen the trend he was talking about corroborated in a couple other articles and the kids who see sodomy as an end-run (no pun intended) around their abstinence pledges also don’t tend to think their practice puts them at risk for contracting disease, so incomplete is the information they’ve been given.
“Some despotic regime is persecuting its citizens? “Well, what of America’s treatment of the Indians?,” comes the response. An objection to Islamic-inspired violence is quickly met with a reminder of the Christian Crusades.”
Here’s my thought on that:
What if you move in to a new house, and eggs are thrown at your windows every night from the neighbors… …And you go to the neighbors and ask them to stop because it’s messy and it’s morally wrong… And the neighbors say, “Well, the guys that lived here before you did the same thing to us…”
Mark
Wow MOI, you really have no limit do you?
Guess not - when someone blames me for their own shortcummings.
Oh yeah, topic.
is the West best, is the West best.
I saw Kanye West on Saturday Night Live a couple weeks ago and he stunk up the joint. Just terrible. Almost as bad as Ashlee Simpson.
So in a nutshell, abstinence only has resulted in more of our at risk youth falling through the cracks.
Maher reporting something….Yeah, we’re gonna need something more than just Maher reporting on it. Probably no more true than the 9/11 conspiracy.
“A scary footnote is that I’ve seen the trend he was talking about corroborated in a couple other articles and the kids who see sodomy as an end-run (no pun intended) around their abstinence pledges also don’t tend to think their practice puts them at risk for contracting disease, so incomplete is the information they’ve been given.”
Demand how they be taught, but turn your head to the obvious.
“Guess not - when someone blames me for their own shortcummings.”
What was that about taking things seriously?
“Probably no more true than the 9/11 conspiracy. ”
Which one? the Truther’s assertion that thermite charges were planted throughout the WTC? Or the Bush one that the Iraqis had something to do with it?
“Wow MOI, you really have no limit do you? ”
Apparently he doesn’t. He seems to be very fascinated with butts.
MOI .. please don’t stare at my butt.
Geez, you two are hitting low and nasty.
MOI .. please don’t stare at my butt.
But Greg, with your nice long pretty hair and girlie website, along with that butt - its making me think of jumping the fence.
Don’t make me pull out the blog whip and spank you two.
Geez, you two are hitting low and nasty.
Just the way Little Markie likes it.
You can always count on Greg and AW to latch onto a subject when an@l is involved.
“Which one? the Truther’s assertion that thermite charges were planted throughout the WTC? Or the Bush one that the Iraqis had something to do with it?”
I like to call that the barrel of monkey’s.
I wonder why people kept looking for all these theories when it was simply a group of extremists doing something terrible.
Extremism doesn’t work. The proof is what we saw happen. There’s a lesson there, but very few people want to recognize it.
DJ
You can always count on Greg and AW to latch onto a subject when an@l is involved.
You seem to be getting your nose in there too.
Okay MOI, EBF yesterday and Mark today. Seems you pick a target of the day and attack at every turn.
EBF and Mark allow it by attacking back. That’s what blogging is.
So tell me…when’s it my turn?
Greg
Which one is not the point. The point is, Maher is about as credible as TrueBlue, D2 and Downtown Dan.
“You can always count on Greg and AW to latch onto a subject when an@l is involved. ”
I NEVER MET HER!
DJ, again, again and AGAIN…I NEVER SAID I DO THE REAR BUMP AND GRUNT! I merely stated (months ago) that imaginative sex is interesting and to have an open mind with it.
Although…a firm butt is a progressive butt.
“So tell me…when’s it my turn?”
Just tell M_O_I that the Constitution gives you the right to pursuit of happiness. He’ll be all over you like a fly on a turd.
“Just tell M_O_I that the Constitution gives you the right to pursuit of happiness.”
Doesn’t it?
DAR
Just tell M_O_I that the Constitution gives you the right to pursuit of happiness.
NO IT DOESN’T!!!! YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!!
The pursuit of happiness is nowhere in the constitution.
DAR you are a tool!!!
“Which one is not the point. The point is, Maher is about as credible as TrueBlue, D2 and Downtown Dan.”
No argument there.
If Maher was the only place I heard it (and I can’t even recall what study he cited) I wouldn’t think much of it other than it was a good setup for a punchline. But I’ve seen similar stuff reported elsewhere from credible sources. Last one I saw was researchers at Harvard.
Ultimately, whatever the curriculum says to teach, the practical result is only going to be as good as the teacher. And even the best teacher knows that a percentage of their students aren’t going to let the lesson sink in.
“Which one is not the point. The point is, Maher is about as credible as TrueBlue, D2 and Downtown Dan. ”
..or Bill O’Reilly, or Keith Olbermann, or Sean Hannity, or Rachel Maddow, or …any other number who claim themselves as credible.
What we know with absolute certainty, is that a group of people who were led and instructed by one person decided to follow a plan he approved.
What we have yet to accomplish is capturing and or dismantling in it’s entirety, an organization which operates in a very extreme manner. That extremism resulted in a tradgedy for this nation.
For all the other theories .. that remains the absolute.
You seem to be getting your nose in there too.
I must have missed where I posted something.
Yesterday, you wrote this:
Have you grown up yet? Let’s revisit some of your childish remarks you have made when your child is born and you have had some real adult responsibilities.
Nothing funnier than when a immature adult (in age only) gets smacked in the face with life.
Today you write this:
But Greg, with your nice long pretty hair and girlie website, along with that butt - its making me think of jumping the fence.
Guess not - when someone blames me for their own shortcummings.
Nothing better?!! Are you sure you were the one who impregnated your wife?
Nice MOI. I see having kids has made you a wise and very mature old man.
“DAR
Just tell M_O_I that the Constitution gives you the right to pursuit of happiness.
NO IT DOESN’T!!!! YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!!
The pursuit of happiness is nowhere in the constitution.
DAR you are a tool!!! ”
Of course it doesn’t. I know you well enough to know that’s one of your buttons.
Funny that you and AW both went for it.
If I’m a tool, so are you. But I’m like a Makita compound mitre saw and you’re like, idunno, a prybar or an inclined plane. You know, a simple tool.
MOI, so what does give you the right to pursuit of happiness?
I thought:
Freedom (which seems to be an illusion)
A right to voice my opinion (which also seems to be in question)
Equal rights as a human being (Aaah, questionable also)
I see the problem, our Constitution isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. Sad but true.
DJ you truly are exceptionally ungifted, aren’t you.
This is the same argument you presented yesterday.
Again as I explained yesterday, having potty humor and having adult responsibilities are not mutually exclusive.
Do I need to go slower for you.
“But Greg, with your nice long pretty hair and girlie website, along with that butt - its making me think of jumping the fence.”
Now just because you can’t satisfy one gender doesn’t mean you’ll be able to accomplish it with another.
Perhaps you should go on a trip with D2 and his toychest .. south of the border .. maybe it’s just a species thing?
DAR
I was being facetious.
“Again as I explained yesterday, having potty humor and having adult responsibilities are not mutually exclusive”
Why?
Greg
Now just because you can’t satisfy one gender doesn’t mean you’ll be able to accomplish it with another.
Yes I know. But hey, Little Markie is giving me lessons. So I got that goin’ for me.
Greg
“why”
Because one can have potty humor and one can have adult responsibilities. Just because one has adult responsibilities doesn’t mean one gives up thier potty humor.
“Yes I know. But hey, Little Markie is giving me lessons. So I got that goin’ for me.”
Of course, this assumes you’re willing to learn.
“Because one can have potty humor and one can have adult responsibilities. Just because one has adult responsibilities doesn’t mean one gives up thier potty humor.”
To DJ’s point, you seemed to say otherwise previously.
So which is it?
I mean, it’s not in the constitution so ..
Of course, this assumes you’re willing to learn.
Oh I am always willing to learn. So far I have learned you don’t push the button. Still waiting for more morsels of wisdom from the young and foolish little markie.
“I merely stated (months ago) that imaginative sex is interesting and to have an open mind with it.”
Great!
Let me get the chicken costume out of dry cleaner, call up my friends the Bolivian midgets, and we’ll meet you in the coffee aisle of the nearest Cub foods.
Bring roller skates.
And a cell phone.
“And a cell phone. ”
that takes pictures.
Greg
To DJ’s point, you seemed to say otherwise previously.
No I did not. I never said otherwise. That is where DJ is wrong.
DJ attributed someone else’s crap to me. THe only thing I was saying was that little markie talks like he knows adult responsibilities (which had nothing to with potty humor) when he in actuality is young and has not had any adult responsibilities. AND that when his child is born, life is going to smack him up side the head - meaning that being a father to and caring for a child is adult responsibility is going to smack him upside the head.
“Still waiting for more morsels of wisdom from the young and foolish little markie.”
Why is he foolish?
Gee, guess I found out I am NOT allowed a sense of humor on this blog!
dubble, get a grip on yourself pal and tug.
Greg
Why is he foolish?
That is a good question. Let’s ask him.
Little markie, why are you so foolish?
“DJ attributed someone else’s crap to me. THe only thing I was saying was that little markie talks like he knows adult responsibilities (which had nothing to with potty humor) when he in actuality is young and has not had any adult responsibilities. AND that when his child is born, life is going to smack him up side the head - meaning that being a father to and caring for a child is adult responsibility is going to smack him upside the head.”
Sooo .. you have to have a child to understand adult responsibility?
Hmmm .. would a teacher be able to understand adult responsibilities?
What about someone who runs and operates an organization that supplies well-being to children? Would they understand responsibility?
What about someone who’s child died .. would they no longer understand repsponsibility?
Define adult responsiblities because I’m not sure I understand what it’s supposed to be based upon what you’re sharing .. or at least I’m not understanding your definition.
DAR
I would take being a simple tool over a makida mitre compound saw, any day of the week.
That simple tool, does its job well and without complaints, without power, and without any other help. And it will do it year after year after year.
The saw on the other hand, will only last a little while and needs much more than itself to do its job, like electricity.
But hey we digress. Lets get back to you pushing my button. Did I like it?
“That is a good question. Let’s ask him.
Little markie, why are you so foolish?”
But Mark never implied he was foolish. You/MOI did thus it’s you who needs to provide the definition of why he’s foolish and I’d suppose that same reasoning would be the basis of why you/moi would not be foolish?
mthalo, can I bring the handcuffs…pleeeease.
DJ you truly are exceptionally ungifted, aren’t you.
Depends what area you are talking about. I don’t claim to be gifted in everything.
having potty humor and having adult responsibilities are not mutually exclusive.
So? When did I say anything about adult responsibilities? I said mature. Learn to read. Do I need to go slower for you?
DJ attributed someone else’s crap to me.
Bull fvcking sh!t. Everything I quoted was a quote from you. Everything I “attributed” to you was from those quotes.
Greg
You bring up excellent question but they are unrelated to my original post to Little Markie - “adult responsibilities” was more of a euphanism for having a child. Little markie was doling out advice on how to raise a child. He doesn’t have one yet. That was most if not all of the point yesterday.
Dont bother Greg. You dont have kids and are therefor only a child with no adult responsibilies. Just surrender to MOI’s wisdom and trust that he has your best interests at heart.
DJ
Bull fvcking sh!t. Everything I quoted was a quote from you. Everything I “attributed” to you was from those quotes.
Sure they are me quotes but what you inferred from them are not from me. You pulled the quotes out of context and then attached some other meaning (someone else’s crap).
Apparently I have to go even slower.
At no time, did I ever compare potty humor to immaturity. Which is what you were saying I was comparing.
“You bring up excellent question but they are unrelated to my original post to Little Markie - “adult responsibilities” was more of a euphanism for having a child. Little markie was doling out advice on how to raise a child. He doesn’t have one yet. That was most if not all of the point yesterday.”
That euphanism implies that in order to udnerstand adult responsibilities you need to be a parent.
So if a 16-year old has a child she’ll be an adult?
I’m not sure he was ‘doling’ out anything, I did however, read his opinions.
Interestingly enough, a Catholic priest wouldn’t have children (at least they normally don’t .. I’m confidnet that 99% of them are childless) but many people ask that same priest for advice raising their children.
I guess my opinion is that I’ve seen many parents who probably shouldn’t give advice towards good parenting and/or being responsible.
Maybe it’s a task that has no exclusivity?
“Little markie was doling out advice on how to raise a child.”
So you slam EBF every chance you get when you know this is a lie. I never did this. Any way you brought up my wife being pregnant as a way to prove my lack of credibility for questioning your treatment of EBF. Thats the truth. Im not qualified to speak to you are question your motives because my child hasnt been born yet according to you.
I asked Iamme if she still tucked her kids in after she commented on Travolta’s son. That is not giving advice. Man you are one incredible @sshole.
So you slam EBF every chance you get for lying when you know this is a lie?
sorry for this miss type.
Maybe it’s a task that has no exclusivity?
maybe - given all the examples you gave - I would have to agree. I appreciate your viewpoint.
So I will rephrase, Little Markie needs to refrain from giving out advice or questioning others about child raising because given what he has said, he obviously knows squat about raising a child.
“Little Markie needs to refrain from giving out advice or questioning others about child raising because given what he has said, he obviously knows squat about raising a child.”
So now I cant ask a question? Listen you dont like me, fine. I could give a sh:t. But dont tell me I cant ask a question.
“Dont bother Greg. You dont have kids and are therefor only a child with no adult responsibilies. Just surrender to MOI’s wisdom and trust that he has your best interests at heart.”
See, I’m not so sure he does. This is the guy that thinks D2 should be able to carry a firearm in public.
That just doesn’t scream common sense to me .. does it you?
And see, I’ve just got this thing stuck in my head that some folks who are convinced that because they’re parents they’re ..well .. wiser doesn’t quite work.
Anyway this wasnt NOT why you first brought it up. You brought it up because I was giving you sh:t over EBF and I called you a douche bag. Thats why. It had nothing to do innitially with my question to Iamme. To say otherwise is back peddeling and a lie.
“mthalo, can I bring the handcuffs…pleeeease”
I have no problem with that, but I’m not sure about the Bolivians.
Little markie
Go back and look. You were not just ‘asking’ a question. You were questioning Iamme for checking on her child at 16?
Here is what you posted At 16? What could happen to them? Or did they have a tendency to sneak out at night?
yeah - you are lying and back peddling.
Wow,
All this bickering probably never would have started, had I not mentioned my desire to see someone killed with their cell phone shoved up their ass.
I need to control my super powers a little better.
here is a more complete post
Little markie
Go back and look. You were not just ‘asking’ a question. You were questioning Iamme for checking on her child at 16?
Here is what you posted.
First you posted Do you or did you tuck your 16 year old son in?
Then we she answered yes.. you posted At 16? What could happen to them? Or did they have a tendency to sneak out at night?
yeah - you are lying and back peddling.
My husband and I have been guardians to troubled teens. Teens who’s parents (of all ages) didn’t know how to deal with their own children. Self-centered parents who put their needs first and seemed to forget that their own children needed and wanted their guidence and love. So they brought their children to us.
Having children doesn’t equal maturity. All it means is that these people had sex and got the result of a beautiful child. To some that meant everything to others…nothing.
Like everything else it’s what you do with the results of your own actions or don’t do for that matter.
You guys are so focused on this issue that I had to speak up.
Again, NO PARENT is perfect. All we can do is our best and hope for a good and healthy out come. If you can’t handle the responsibility…wrap it and strap it!
I asked a question. Thats it. I was trying to find out if she thinks all parents need to check their kids out before they go to bed. Thats it. And you slammed me before this question was even asked.
“marketplace_of_ideas says:
January 5th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Mark
happy new year. When is the baby due? Have you grown up yet? Let’s revisit some of your childish remarks you have made when your child is born and you have had some real adult responsibilities.
Nothing funnier than when a immature adult (in age only) gets smacked in the face with life.”
Note the time.
“iamme says:
January 5th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I have an off-topic question.
I’m aware that Jett Travolta’s parents are devastated by his death. The kid had a nanny. He went to bed early.
My question is, even if a child has a nanny, don’t parents check on their children before they themselves go to bed?
Having a nanny is nice, but parents should still do a check in with their kids.
Deacon Blues says:
January 5th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
“Having a nanny is nice, but parents should still do a check in with their kids.”
Do you or did you tuck your 16 year old son in?
iamme says:
January 5th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
“Do you or did you tuck your 16 year old son in?”
I said check in on them, not tuck them in. There’s a difference.
I always peeked in their rooms to see if my sons were okay.
Deacon Blues says:
January 5th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
“I always peeked in their rooms to see if my sons were okay.”
At 16? What could happen to them? Or did they have a tendency to sneak out at night?”
See those time MOI? You’re bringin up my wife and the baby was a direct response to me questioning you about EBF. IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IAMME because I hadnt said anything to her yet. Your LYING. Then you went on to explain it here:
“marketplace_of_ideas says:
January 5th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Little Markie
So Ill ask a third time, what does my wife’s pregnancy have to do with my comment about you and EBF?
And I will answer you a third time. ITS ABOUT CREDIBILITY. Since you are not in your right mind, because your wife is pregnant, how could you possiblity be passing judgment on how I am interacting with EBF. (or in better words - showing how wrong EBF is)”
mthalo, I love midgets! Fur handcuffs for them!
Youre such an unbelievebale liar MOI. I had the gall to give you sh:t over your constant abuse of EBF and you claim I cant question you because my wife is pregnant. That was at 12:24. I didnt ask Iamme a question until 12:35. You unbelievable piece of lying of sh:t.
Im SOOOO sorry to have asked a question of Iamme and presumed I was credible enough to comment on you MOI. My sincerest appologies.
“So I will rephrase, Little Markie needs to refrain from giving out advice or questioning others about child raising because given what he has said, he obviously knows squat about raising a child.”
And you base his knowledge solely on your own as a comparison? This implies your parental skills are unquestionable - that you are without err in parenting.
Nice lying Little Markie…way to only pull out posts to support your fabricated position instead of telling the whole truth. (You convienently left out the posts inbetween that tell the whole truth, but then again, it was only yesterday,, one could go back and see)
This is what I mean about credibility.
Greg
And you base his knowledge solely on your own as a comparison? This implies your parental skills are unquestionable - that you are without err in parenting.
No greg, look what I posted yesterday about myself concerning my own parenting.
I am basing this knowledge on the idiot remarks little markie makes.
little markie
My sincerest appologies.
Apology accept.
At no time, did I ever compare potty humor to immaturity. Which is what you were saying I was comparing.
OOOhhhhh… My mistake old man. See, my computer seems to have made an error. Because when I looked back at yesterday’s blog, it claims you said this:
BTW - your use of “douche bag” as an insult only further proves how immature you are right now.
But don’t worry. Maybe I’ll just write a letter to the Strib management because they must have made a mistake. Or maybe I just need a new computer. My mistake.
One time at work my whole department was gathered together and our VP was giving a little talk. He started out saying that he’d read about a study that showed people using a cell phone whilst driving were equally impaired to someone who had a BAC of .10.
I thought, oh that’s nice, he’s warning us about something that could get us killed because he cares. But then he kept talking. He related an incident where some school district in CA got sued into bankruptcy because some flaky teacher was doing a parent conference on her cell phone in traffic and caused a 12-car pileup. The lawyers for the victims’ insurance companies found out it it was a work call and went to town. So the jist of his little talk was don’t take work-related calls while driving because we don’t want to be exposed to the liability.
Our own mortality was a secondary concern to him.
If I ever get in a wreck because of someone talking on their phone it wouldn’t occur to me to sue their employer. But I might try the phone-in-their-butt thing.
Alright already!!!
Can you agree to disagree and move on!?
Please, enough.
The battle of wits is giving me a blog headache.
DJ
I think that we are using two different definitions for potty humor right now.
I agree that under your definition of potty humor I did condemn the use of potty humor and then use potty humor myself. Thank you for pointing out the apparent inconsistancy.
(You convienently left out the posts inbetween that tell the whole truth, but then again, it was only yesterday,, one could go back and see)
Prove it old man. I just read the whole conversation. I read it pretty much exactly as Mark did.
“way to only pull out posts to support your fabricated position instead of telling the whole truth. (You convienently left out the posts inbetween that tell the whole truth, but then again, it was only yesterday,, one could go back and see)”
Are you seriously trying to say your comments about my wife and baby were a result of my question to Iamme? You want to go with that? Ill post the whole fvcking thread then. Just pay attention to the time line you fvcking liar.
Deacon Blues says:
January 5th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
“Where in KK’s column does she say that? NO WHERE.
Who is the “some people”? EBF DOESN’T TELL US.
Even if he did tell us, how are they connected to KK? THEY ARE NOT”
You’re an idiot. We all know there are people in the world who think all the things EBF mentions. Did EBF ever say that KK said that? Did he even imply it?
Just keep being a douche bag, its a real talent you have. There is nothing worse than a wasted talent.
Evil Baby Fauvel says:
January 5th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Well, I see that moi is back to being a blog bully. What a windbag.
Where in KK’s column does she say that? NO WHERE.
No, she didn’t say that in today’s column. That does not mean that no one at all says these things.
Who is the “some people”? EBF DOESN’T TELL US.
Oh, you need me to tell you who says these things? I thought you were less ignorant than that; I see I gave you too much credit, moi. Let’s start with the Christian Right and “ex-gay” organizations like “Exodus.” Visit the websites of Focus on the Family, Concerned Women for America, and other conservative Christian sites and you’ll find plenty of claims that gay men and lesbians choose their orientations and can change them.
Even if he did tell us, how are they connected to KK? THEY ARE NOT
I see a connection, and I’ll bet JonR and I aren’t the only ones. Today’s column is about sexual selfishness. My immediate reaction to that concept was that it is selfish to ask gay men and lesbians to try to change their sexual orientations or to marry opposite-sex partners. It is selfish because the position asks gay men and lesbians to sacrifice a personal part of themselves for the expectations of others. Or to put it more simply, it is selfish because it asks gay men and lesbians to live their lives for the happiness of others instead of for their own happiness. Given your myopic proclivity, moi, perhaps the connection was too broad for you to see. That does not mean it does not exist.
Furthermore, EBF continues his non-personal responsibility and failure to man up.
Fvck you, moi. This line was old and stale months ago. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has grown tired of it.
BTW – did anyone catch one of his previous posts where he is excited about not working and living off others
Living off of others? No. I have savings that I earned – savings that I can now use to pay my bills until I find another way to earn a living. If — if — I choose to collect unemployment benefits – benefits to which I am entitled – I will meet every obligation expected in return (which means that I’ll be looking damned hard to find work). A few weeks off at my own expense is not “living off others,” and you damned well know it, marketfvck.
moi, I am sick and tired of your personal judgments about me. They are exaggerated caricatures of what you think I’m like based only on what I post here. You yourself said the other day that you don’t know me other than through my posts here. So what makes you think you’re qualified to draw all of these conclusions about me? Of course you aren’t at all qualified to draw these broad-brush conclusions. You simply try to paint me in a bad light because you dislike me and my positions. You can’t rebut my positions, so you resort to attacking me personally.
Haven’t you figured out that people see through this tiresome game of yours?
So EBF, isn’t it possible that society should determine what is equal for society rather than you?
I am entitled to my opinion, moi. You are entitled to yours. Please stop attacking me because you disagree with me. If you can’t debate the issues, just shut up.
Oh EBF, nice attempt at apologizing and manning up, NOT! You didn’t attribute the apology to me and you surely did not change your argument when we caught you lying.
I apologized for my oversight. If you don’t want to accept it, then don’t. I don’t care.
As for “lying,” I did not intend to misrepresent your position. I was trying to write a hasty post before leaving for the airport. I had already lost my internet connection (and my post) once. I made a mistake because I was in a hurry. You’re twisting an honest mistake into a “lie” because you dislike me and my positions. You leap at every chance to use the smallest transgression against me – but we’ve come to expect that kind of childish behavior from the likes of you.
marketplace_of_ideas says:
January 5th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Mark
happy new year. When is the baby due? Have you grown up yet? Let’s revisit some of your childish remarks you have made when your child is born and you have had some real adult responsibilities.
Nothing funnier than when a immature adult (in age only) gets smacked in the face with life.
Deacon Blues says:
January 5th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
“When is the baby due?”
April.
“Have you grown up yet?”
You hurt my feelings MOI. Really Im sitting here sobbing.
“Nothing funnier than when a immature adult (in age only) gets smacked in the face with life.”
This baby wasnt and acident. It was planned. No one is getting smaked.
” Let’s revisit some of your childish remarks you have made when your child is born and you have had some real adult responsibilities.”
Ah yes. The public defender wants to lecture on adult responsibilities. Learn me some adult responsibilites douche bag.
Try and get your wife to play with your balls a little bit. Your too tense.
dubble_a_ron says:
January 5th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
If MOI talks while he types, I bet there’s dried spittle all over his monitor.
iamme says:
January 5th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I have an off-topic question.
I’m aware that Jett Travolta’s parents are devastated by his death. The kid had a nanny. He went to bed early.
My question is, even if a child has a nanny, don’t parents check on their children before they themselves go to bed?
Having a nanny is nice, but parents should still do a check in with their kids.
dubble_a_ron says:
January 5th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
“Try and get your wife to play with your balls a little bit…”
Is that one of the “10 tips to drive him wild” that they’re always advertising on the Cosmo cover?
I’ve never actually read a Cosmo.
Deacon Blues says:
January 5th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
“Having a nanny is nice, but parents should still do a check in with their kids.”
Do you or did you tuck your 16 year old son in?
little markie
All you are doing is proving over and over - you did more than just ‘ask’ a question.
You were questioning how Iamme was raising her child.
Keep posting. All you are showing me is that you are proving you are a liar.
DJ
Prove it old man. I just read the whole conversation. I read it pretty much exactly as Mark did.
How does that not surprise me!!
Listen MOI, bottom line and its all right there, I gave you sh:t about EBF, you said I was immature because I dont have kids. THEN I asked Iamme a question. NOW you are trying to spin it.
little markie
You can try and spin it anyway you want. You and I know the the truth, while at least I do.
By the way, do you think that your comment to Iamme was the first idiot comment you have ever made? You seem to think that this blog started with yesterday.
Keep tryin’ to get people to believe you - you already have DJ convinced. Lets see who else you can get?
Am I invisable here?
I’m questioning my mortality here.
What the heck.
Mthalo, I love coffee. It doesn’t argue with me. It doesn’t talk back. It doesn’t ask me for my car keys…yep, love my coffee.
I think that we are using two different definitions for potty humor right now.
Hmmm… the Bill Clinton approach. Shoulda seen that one coming.
How does that not surprise me!!
I figured you wouldn’t even attempt to prove it. Just admit you’re wrong. MAN UP AND TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!! MAN UP AND TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!! MAN UP AND TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!! MAN UP AND TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!! MAN UP AND TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!! MAN UP AND TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!! MAN UP AND TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!! MAN UP AND TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!! MAN UP AND TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!! MAN UP AND TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!!
“You were questioning how Iamme was raising her child.”
Dont tell me what I was doing. I asked a question to try and figure out why she thought Travolta made a mistake. I wanted her opinion on why checking on a 16 year old is necessary. I passed no judgement whatsoever. Your problem is you wont tolerate a person like mye with no kids from even asking a question. And you were further pissed off that I questioned your abuse of EBF on a daily basis and the motivation behind that! You obviously think Im beneath you and your insinuation that Im losing my mind because my wife is pregnant was your innitial reason for saying I have no credibility. At this point we all know it wasnt realted to Iamme’s question because the time line is obvious.
Are my parenting skills in question because I gave my hyper child coffee which calmed her down? Possibly. It worked and we’re both grateful.
Am I invisable here?
I thought we already decided that you look better in “warm clothes.” Not invisible.
little markie,
wow, your last posts shows us you are losing your mind.
don’t take this blog or me so seriously.
“You can try and spin it anyway you want. You and I know the the truth, while at least I do.”
Like you said MOI, its all right there on yesterday’s thread. Anyone who wants to read it can.
“By the way, do you think that your comment to Iamme was the first idiot comment you have ever made?”
Not by a long shot. But Im more convinced now than ever that having kids isnt a way to stop the stupid idiotic comments from flowing as you are a prime example of a parent making idiotic comments. Now if you want to continue with this claim you slammed my lack of parenting experience as a result of what I said to Iamme and not what I said to you, then go ahead.
OK AW, I’m done with MOI. He’s a liar and won’t admit it. So what’s up? It’s good to see you back here more regularly again. We all miss Leland. The blog has taken a hit since he left. Personally, I blame you. You left and he had no one to woo. :)
How’s the kid doing? How old is she? Single? Fun? Cute? :P
HELLO? HELLO? HELLO? Oh, hell.
DJ
Awesome use of capitalization and bold. Nevertheless, you really need to get a grasp on reality. you and I were talking about two different things.
“Prove it old man. I just read the whole conversation. I read it pretty much exactly as Mark did.
How does that not surprise me!!”
Um .. I pretty much read as DJ did and also am not seeing what you’re implying MOI.
I am formulating an opinion that you/MOI can be somewhat narrow which may be driven by a lack of self-confidence.
But that’s just me .. maybe you try too hard? Overcompensate?
AW
i am not a doctor nor am I an expert in this area.
However, I do have some experience with ADD/ADHD.
They say stimulants react opposite to ADD/ADHD children. In other words, coffee (caffiene) would calm an ADD/ADHD child down.
DJ, you hitting on my daughter? She’s 18 will be 19 in a few months, I think she’s beautiful, she’s funny with a sick sense of humor (like the mama), she has a contagious laugh, she’s creative and fun.
I miss leland :(
“However, I do have some experience with ADD/ADHD.”
How?
“They say stimulants react opposite to ADD/ADHD children.”
They?
Mark
Looks like I found your button. (You did say I only pick on EBF, just wanted to show you i could pick on someone else)
DJ
You are right, I was wrong. But, I wanted to keep pushin’ Mark’s button today.
AW
You probably already know what I posted but thought I would anyway.
Hey everyone, have a nice day.
If giving your daughter coffee was enough to settle down the hyperness, I’d call that a successful self-medication.
A doctor would have prescribed her speed.
” (You did say I only pick on EBF, just wanted to show you i could pick on someone else)”
The Maestro. A real talent for being an @ss and pushing buttons.
you hitting on my daughter? She’s 18 will be 19 in a few months
I was inquiring. :)
That’s too young for me which means I wasn’t hitting on her.
You are right, I was wrong.
I know.
But, I wanted to keep pushin’ Mark’s button today.
What a complete waste of time and blog space.
“If giving your daughter coffee was enough to settle down the hyperness, I’d call that a successful self-medication.
A doctor would have prescribed her speed.”
You’re probably right. When I worked in the public school system it seemed it was readily dispensed for many.
Of course, I had my own opinion that maybe parents needed to stop focusing on ’stuff’ and start focusing on being parents.
Maybe having it all means allocating priorities and sub-priorities.
Mark explained a very good rationale several weeks ago and a schedule to match it.
“You are right, I was wrong. But, I wanted to keep pushin’ Mark’s button today.”
Interesting that maturity was the focus of the subject matter .. perhaps we were trying to define irony?
“Hey everyone, have a nice day.”
How D2esque ..
“Mark explained a very good rationale several weeks ago and a schedule to match it.”
I did? You mean the higher ed and carear vs. not working and staying home?
Ok, I have to leave for a class to learn how to lose some of this weight I’ve put on lately without exercising, so have a good evening all.
You guys have worn me out today, it’s been interesting to say the least.
I’ve got a couple meetings I need to attend.
Hang in there. Big smooch for all of you! Ha, ha, ha….watcha ya gonna do with that! HA! Group hug! Group grope? Oh, well take it easy.
“Mthalo, I love coffee. It doesn’t argue with me. It doesn’t talk back. It doesn’t ask me for my car keys…yep, love my coffee.”
Best of all, if it does keep you awake at night, it doesn’t do so by releasing disgusting noises and putrid smells the way spouses are known to do.
“I did? You mean the higher ed and carear vs. not working and staying home? ”
Yep .. it was thought out and planned. Balance but with the priority really being the child.
Hey .. I appreciated it?
“MAN UP AND TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!!”
A simple act which, if everyone did, would eliminate the need for lawyers.
There’s some irony.
“Of course, I had my own opinion that maybe parents needed to stop focusing on ’stuff’ and start focusing on being parents.”
After the Columbone shootings happened, I remember thinking that my Mom would have noticed if I were filing down a shotgun barrel in my room.
I agree with Greg’s assessment that too many parents in our culture are too busy with their career aspirations to properly parent their children. Then their alienated kids (even the normal ones that don’t murder their peers) reward them later on by shoving them in a nursing home when their parents are too old to mow their own lawn.
Now, in a lot of non-Western cultures like India the whole extended family is living under one roof and everyone’s behavior (not just the kids’) is subjected to close scrutiny and measured against expectations of how one should conduct onesself.
An Indian acquaintance told me there’s a lot of support for whoever is sick or hurting at the moment but it also makes you crazy sometimes because someone is second-guessing everything you do all the time. Imagine if Katherine were your mother in law and could hear whenever you made whoopie. And had all sorts of advice regarding whether it’s the right time to do it and not enough or too much.
Is the Western or Eastern family living model better? Hard to tell. I know the whole arranged marriage thing could be a drag. But so must be sitting at the staring window at an old folks’ home, listening to tiny intermittently yelling, “bullsh!t!”.
” Hard to tell. I know the whole arranged marriage thing could be a drag. But so must be sitting at the staring window at an old folks’ home, listening to tiny intermittently yelling, “bullsh!t!”. ”
I think you just clarified there could be a hell.
I for one would try to latch on to GO’s lead and flash the nurses ..
..it would be far more productive and who know’s? You might even get a little?
“look at D2. At one point in time he was a genius”
Thanks Greg. I appreciate that!
“Is the West the Best?”
Synagogue set ablaze and anti-Semitic assaults soar in UK following Israel’s invasion of Gaza
Nice suicidal immigration policy they have in Europe. They are well on their way to becoming Eurabia.
Another ACORN member charged with Voter Registration Fraud.
www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-mo-voterfraudcharges,0,2391787.story
It’s comforting to know that the man in charge, Mark Ritchie has close ties to the democrat vote fraud group ACORN. This is a highly skilled and organized vote fraud group, and explains how Mark Ritchie could pull off an extremely unlikely 1000 vote swing in the recount to give a phoney lead to Al Franken.
“No tatortot hotdish for you JR! You don’t qualify! ”
Man I love that stuff. Will that stuff clog up my stent deal?
“Obama Wants Journalist Gupta for Surgeon General”
Oh man, guys… FatBoy hates this guy. They where going at it on Larry one time over the Cuban Health deal and FatBoy was calling this guy a phony and all this stuff. Oh man..
Is this going to be the greatest 4 years ever?
FatBoy = Rush? or is it someguy that drives a FatBoy?
I never liked those .. not very nice handling at higher speeds.
“Man I love that stuff. Will that stuff clog up my stent deal? ”
Change it up a bit and use ground turkey instead of beef. Use the low sodium soup..add some extra green beans and less corn. Don’t use the canned vegetables.
Who puts corn and beans in tatortot hotdish?
“Who puts corn and beans in tatortot hotdish? ”
Everyone who does not live in Big Lake.
“Change it up a bit and use ground turkey instead of beef.”
Tiny,
Buffalo is much better for you than beef, maybe give that a shot if Turkey doesn’t do it for you. We load up on ground buffalo whenever we go to Pierre, and we use it instead of ground beef.
The conversation sure got boring after I left… sheesh…
“The conversation sure got boring after I left… sheesh…”
It’s funny how you jumped in after you saw “Turkey”, DJ.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotdish
www.recipezaar.com/Tater-Tot-Hotdish-191512
www.kottke.org/03/11/tator-tot-hotdish
It’s funny how you jumped in after you saw “Turkey”
Is that a fat joke? Otherwise, I don’t get it.
“en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotdish”
HA!!! D2 can’t even get hotdish right!!!
“Is that a fat joke? Otherwise, I don’t get it.”
I think he’s trying to imply that your: (don’t jump off a bridge or anything now)
A Turkey. I believe them’s fightin’ words in Big Lake.
“HA!!! D2 can’t even get hotdish right!!!”
He’s probably going to call it soci@list tator tot hotdish or something.
I can see the headlines ..
‘The soci@list Al Franken was voted in by the communist like voter fraudulent group ACORN so they could make Tator Tot Hot Dish recipes always include vegetables’
I’m a turkey? Is that Big Lake talk for “you’re a chicken”?
“A Turkey. I believe them’s fightin’ words in Big Lake. ”
Maybe they see Turkey’s like a women with loose morals?
I mean .. that would make perfect sense wouldn’t it?
“Buffalo is much better for you than beef, maybe give that a shot if Turkey doesn’t do it for you. We load up on ground buffalo whenever we go to Pierre, and we use it instead of ground beef.”
Guys, Buffalo, Turkey, and Pierre are all what??
I think D2 was making a play on words, not people.
‘The soci@list Al Franken was voted in by the communist like voter fraudulent group ACORN so they could make Tator Tot Hot Dish recipes always include vegetables’
Change you can believe in!
Guys, Buffalo, Turkey, and Pierre are all what??
Got me?
“I think D2 was making a play on words, not people.”
You’re giving him WAY to much credit.
“Guys, Buffalo, Turkey, and Pierre are all what??”
Things D2 shoots? Especially that Pierre guy since he’s french and stuff.
This is better than reading the comics any day!
My wife makes an excellent tator tot hotdish (one of my favorites), and there are no extra vegetables added. Don’t get me wrong, I love vegetables, I just like them better as a side with it.
DJ,
I was just giving you a hard time with the Turkey remark.
“This is better than reading the comics any day! ”
I’m gonna think positive and regard that as some kind of compliment .. or something .. maybe.
“You’re giving him WAY to much credit.”
I get no respect! Let me tell ya about it…..
“I was just giving you a hard time with the Turkey remark.”
Now I get it iamme.
I know. I just didn’t get it. Still don’t. But that’s cool.
Well look at the time!
If that’s as far as we go, Islamic and other non-western cultures will continue to fill a void of “meaning” for millions around the world.
A “void of meaning”? Bliss seems to believe the meaning of life is to know and serve the mythical egomaniacal god who made him for that purpose. (God as Jon Lovitz - “Get to know me!”) If dedicating your life to serving an invisible friend is a more worthy choice than the guy who dedicates his life to becoming the tiddlywinks champion on his block, I don’t see it.
It’s up to the individual to give his or her life meaning and to decide if he or she has chosen well. Is it a better choice to live in a loveless marriage for the sake of your children’s happiness, or is it a better choice to make your own happiness your highest priority?
Rand would say it’s the latter, that your own happiness should be your primary concern, selfishness your highest virtue. Makes sense to me.
I see the problem, our Constitution isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. Sad but true.
Wotta maroon.
your own happiness should be your primary concern, selfishness your highest virtue. Makes sense to me.
You must not have many friends. Probably never held a girlfriend for very long either. But… whatever makes you happy I guess…
You must not have many friends. Probably never held a girlfriend for very long either. But… whatever makes you happy I guess…
You misunderstand, as usual. Making yourself happy doesn’t preclude making other people happy. Sometimes making other people happy is the best way
to be happy yourself. Christmas morning, watching little kids unwrap the presents you got them, for example.
“You misunderstand, as usual. Making yourself happy doesn’t preclude making other people happy. Sometimes making other people happy is the best way
to be happy yourself. Christmas morning, watching little kids unwrap the presents you got them, for example.”
I don’t think he misunderstands. DJ, like most people, understands ’selfish’ to be a negative attribute. If you read the original sentance it sounds rather unappealing however, if you take the entire content it becomes more.
Selfishness at its base is not to extoll upon self .. instead it’s to expand self to others. At least that’s what I’ve understood. The point where selfishness turns to selflessness.
The base statement ‘your own happiness should be your primary concern, selfishness your highest virtue’ sounds cold and lonely. It sounds like a life that would be void of happiness and quite exclusionary. But if taken in a larger concept to include the selfishness of bringing joy to others (which we probably have difficulty admitting to), it does kind of make sense.
“Sometimes making other people happy is the best way to be happy yourself.”
This is so true.
Whether you make yourself happy or make someone/pet happy sounds like a win/win situation.
Ok, so there’s one example of giving making you happy too. What about when your kid or wife wants something and you just don’t want to do it. What if your wife asks you to do the dishes every day? Eventually, the feeling that you are making her happy wears off and you just want her to do the dishes. So do you just be selfish and tell her you’re not going to do them anymore, or do you just do them unselfishly because you love her? You apparently would do the former, which means you would be a terribly selfish friend and spouse and father and any other relationship you enter. You’re one of those people who, when you first get to know them, seems like a good guy, but once your selflessness stops making you feel good, you would turn into the kind of friend who won’t do anything for you, but just wants everything for themselves.
Good luck buddy.
DJ ..
Hey .. I’m not promoting the concept, just trying to understand it. Where selfishness turns to selflessness for the pure joy. In short, you become selfish for personal joy which may be acquired by selflessness.
That’s just the concept and an approach some may take but others won’t choose to.
Siddartha (novel by Herman Hesse) had some kind of concept like that … where selflessness without selfishness becomes moot and potentially something of negative value.
“”This is Obama whom the American machine of lies tried to portray as the rescuer who will change the policy of America,” al-Zawahiri said,”
Oh..thats it!
“Sometimes making other people happy is the best way to be happy yourself.”
Doubly so if you’re married to them.
Greg, I understand what you’re saying. My post was directed at Odin. My point is that selfishness won’t always make you selfless. Often times, it will just make you selfish. Sure, giving to kids makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but not everything is like that, and if you can’t be selfless for non-selfish reasons, there aren’t many people who are going to like you.
“.. and if you can’t be selfless for non-selfish reasons, there aren’t many people who are going to like you.”
I’d agree entirely. That’s why the concept walks a very fine line.
Just how far does ‘it’s better to give than too receive’ extend? Is there a point where giving is bad?
I think there is.
“I think there is.”
Its not so much the giving but the concept of not making a kid work or see the whole of a concept. A rich kid with lots of stuff isnt necessarily bad if their parents make them work too. And hard work at that not pansy pump gas at the boat landing on Lake Minnetonka work. Ive seen rich kids who work hard and value what they have and Ive seen some spoiled rotten trailer park kids.
I think hard work is the key.
I wonder if Go’s getting killed by that weather out?
“I think hard work is the key”
NO KIDDING! Seriously, it seems that’s been lost to so many.
We really have become a society of unrealistic expectations…and a large part of this is from ..well, greed. It’s even come to the point where in order to ‘keep up’ your kids stuff is part of the ‘look’.
I remember seeing kids when I was younger get ‘things’ from their parents that I had to work for. I’ll readily admit that it was a bummer at the time, but I’m so thankful for that now .. it’s one of those gifts you never understand until much later in life.
Then again, maybe I’m just weird and don’t get it ..
“I wonder if Go’s getting killed by that weather out? ”
No kidding .. did they lose power again?
Naked cannibal polar bears are pulling those lines down ..
My point is that selfishness won’t always make you selfless.
You seem to have been brainwashed into believing selflessness is a good thing. Self is composed of values and beliefs. When you act selflessly, you act contrary to those things. It’s a betrayal of self. Why would you consider that a good thing?
You also misunderstand selfishness. The mother who gives her baby milk and goes hungry herself is being selfish. She doesn’t want her baby to suffer, even at the cost of her own life. Selfless would be giving the milk to someone else’s baby. Extreme selflessness would be giving the milk to a baby that
wasn’t hungry, while she and her baby starved.
As for your dishwashing scenario, washing the dishes is a selfish act because you want your girlfriend to be happy. Selfless would be washing the dishes of someone whose values and beliefs you didn’t share.
“Selfless would be washing the dishes of someone whose values and beliefs you didn’t share.”
Greg,
You know what you need to do now, wash D2’s dishes. Don’t be a selfish pig.
HA!
This blog is dastardly slow for posting. Geez, one word and it took forever.
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Katherine Kersten writes a weekly column for the Star Tribune's Sunday Opinion Exchange section. The column covers a broad range of topics reflecting her experiences and interests.
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