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Valnorran
July 17th, 2002, 12:13 PM
Why is it that every time I interview for a position teaching social studies one of the first things I'm asked is, "Can you coach?"

Why is attempted murder treated as a lesser crime than murder? The reasoning here is that the perpetrator deserves a lesser sentence because he has lousy aim?

Lord, I'll be glad when the cadeverous look is passe. I don't know why, but every time I hear some talking head remarking how heavy Kate Winslet or Alicia Silverstone is I just want to punch his lights out. Personally I find both of them to be gorgeous. I saw part of the movie Salena the other day and for the first time I saw the legendary huge butt of Jennifer Lopez. Huge? Lord, I thought it was one of the finest specimens I'd ever seen, and I've been a long time observer! The last Victoria's Secret catalog I perused did not have a single decent backside in the whole lot! I was devestated! How do these women even have the energy to stand up? I go six hours without food and cannibalism starts to sound like a viable option. Now Lopez looks just like all the other female celebrities: from the neck up, gorgeous. From the neck down, featureless. And then, to top it all off, their photoes are touched up to make them look even more wasted. They're already undernourished and still it is not good enough for the fashion industry. Clothing companies would save a fortune if they just bought a bunch of skeletons to show their clothes instead of paying models to do it. People actually think this is attractive? Why would anyone want to sleep with these chicks? It'd be like sleeping with a bundle of kindling. Who decides this is attractive? Whoever it is needs a swift kick in the rear. Hey buddy, those round things just below her waiste? Those are called hips. She's supposed to have them, conveniently placed for a pair of hands to rest upon. They're one of the defining characteristics of the female figure. Oh, I forgot. Women aren't supposed to have figures. I long for the day when women are allowed to look like healthy human beings instead of POWs.

Why is it such a heinous cime to hold people accountable for their actions or pass judgement? If you pass no judgements then how the hell do you form an opinion or make a decision? If people aren't going to be held accountable for their actions, why do we act so surprised when they do anything they please?

Why do we have exit exams in schools but allow the students virtually unlimited chances to pass them? Why is there teacher accountability but no student accountability?

Some years ago I was in my university's library when I happened to noticed a female student breastfeeding her infant. She did not cover herself with a blanket or practice any descretion or decorum whatsoever. Upon seeing what she was doing, I quickly looked away, knowing that if she caught me looking I would be hit with a harrassment charge. Personally, I think if she's got the right to whip 'em out in public I've got the right to watch, but I'm quite sure the university, the media, the law, the general public, etc. would not see it that way. Besides, the baby was obscuring my view. But why is breast feeding in public acceptable? Well, she's not showing off her breasts, she's engaging in a natural process. Well, when I urinate I'm not showing off my penis, I'm engaging in a natural process (one which, unlike breast feeding, we all must engage in at one time or another), yet if I do it publicly it's called indecent exposure. From a purely legal standpoint, I see no difference, yet apparently there is one. Puzzling...

Why is it if you call someone a dirty SOB the law has little or nothing to say about it, but if you call him some sort of racial slur it can literally become a federal case? I'm not advocating racism, mind you, but whatever happened to sticks and stones? Throughout our lives we are all going to get called some pretty mean things. Have we degenerated to the point that as grown men and women we cannot deal with it and move on? I, for one, would feel like a complete moron running to a federal judge and whining, "Your Honor! Your Honor! He called me a name!" When I was teaching I got damned sick and tired of being labelled a racist every time I attempted to discipline a student who happened to be black (and I steadfastly refuse to use the term African American. If you were born in this country, you're an American. Simple, isn't it? But then, we can never allow it to be simple). I also noticed it is a mortal sin to refer to groups of American Indians (not Native Americans. They originated someplace else.) as tribes. I fail to see anything remotely offensive in this. My ancestors are constantly referred to as "the barbarian tribes of Europe". Doesn't bother me in the slightest. In fact, it inspires a curious sort of pride. It seems to me that people purporting to be fighting racism have, in their zeal to emphasize differences, exacerbated it.

Why is it a criminal psycopath who guns down innocent civilians needs to be nurtered and understood but an innocent civilian who guns down a criminal psycopath needs to be locked up and burned?

Why is it a man who defends a lady's honor will face criminal charges? Chivalry is not only dead, it's also a felony.

Gods help me but sometimes, in the quietest depths of my soul, I truly wish they would reinstitute dueling.

Why is it that Americans, the wealthiest people on the planet, are also the most unhappy? It's the Protestant Work Ethic run amok. Just like the Red Queen telling Alice that she must run as fast as she can to stay where she was, we must work harder and harder, both mom and dad, just to maintain the same standard of living that, twenty years ago, could be maintained on dad's salary alone. We kill ourselves and each other over money. Why? It's valuable. Why is it valuable? Because we said so.

How is it an all-loving god can hate people? I've seen protesters holding signs saying "God Hates Fags" then talk about the prince of peace. *shakes head and says, oookaaaayy*

Why is it that no matter what you give people they're going to bitch about it? There's no pleasing them. People complain about a prolonged dry spell, then gripe about the rain when it comes. If you're a Democrat, you're a bleeding heart. If you're a Republican you're a tyrannical fascist. If you're neither you're a fence sitter. If you're confident and assertive, you're arrogant and insensitive. If you're humble and sensitive, you're a wimp. If you give people work they complain. If you don't, they gripe about being bored.

Jim Morrison said it best when he sang, "People are strange."


*sigh* Good night, Nurse, I am spent! Ranting and raving over (for now, anyway!).

rootwork13
July 17th, 2002, 01:21 PM
:boing: "Why is it that every time I interview for a position teaching social studies one of the first things I'm asked is, "Can you coach?" :boing:
Assuming you are male (yeah, assumptions make asses of us all, or so I heard about 22 years ago in grad school), dear heart, you must, MUST remember that athletic prowess in our young people is much more important that a classical, well-rounded education. We don't give a flying flip if they can read the employment app at Long John Silver's, just so they can WIN ONE FOR THE HOME TEAM!!!!
Slap outta meds over here, looks like all I can offer is some Calms Forte or some Old Charter..... (harrumps loudly, impresses the HELL out of the cats, and makes for the whiskey) :shift:

Haedis
July 17th, 2002, 01:40 PM
*gives standing ovation*

Lauralu
July 17th, 2002, 01:41 PM
People ARE very strange. The thing I do to make it through the days that seem like they will never end is look at them, shake my head, and tell myself that they have some problems within themselves that they need to deal with. It's sad to think that you can't do anything about them, but, y'know, if you hit them (like we'd all like to), they'd cry and make themselves the victims. People love to be hypocrites but hate to admit it, thus in turn being the ultimate hypocrite. "sigh" I guess ranting and raving is the only way to get it out of your system, since you can't change people. Gee, that sounds depressing. Just remember that you have the ability to see the faults with the world and have the intellegence and integrity to not take part of them.

Storm
July 17th, 2002, 01:52 PM
Rant away. I love your coments on women's physique. I am 5'3" and a healthy fit 125 lbs. I think I look good, softly athletic :). My sister-in-law is 5'4" and 95 lbs. At every family gathering she brags about how she is the thinnest there and all I think is "yick, you look like a concentration camp victim." And I was looking at ELLE at my moms and the models in there are just as bad.

In defense of Nursing mothers it is very hard to be stuck at home so as not to offend anyone(consider most infants nurse every 1-3 hours). I was never comfortable doing it in public so I stayed home and suffered great depression as a result. But on the few times I ventured out I found the bathroom a horrible place to nurse. Some places have great lounges to duck into. I personally don't see anything wrong with it but I do think it rude not to cover up. Yes Americans have a thing with breast and we aren't as enlightened as other countries but that is the way it is and out of respect I would cover up.

cherrywind
July 17th, 2002, 02:09 PM
Why is it that every time I interview for a position teaching social studies one of the first things I'm asked is, "Can you coach?"
Because you are male people think you must be interested in sports. It's stupid, I know. I'm sure they don't ask all women that question. Gender norms in our society elude logic.

Why is attempted murder treated as a lesser crime than murder? The reasoning here is that the perpetrator deserves a lesser sentence because he has lousy aim?
Essentially, yes. I've never understood the reasoning either. If anything they should be punished more just because they're too stupid to pull it off properly ;).

Lord, I'll be glad when the cadeverous look is passe.
Me too. People can't seem to decipher between cardaverous and healthy.

Why is it such a heinous cime to hold people accountable for their actions or pass judgement?
I don't think it is at all. However, it can go overboard.

But why is breast feeding in public acceptable?
Good question. I think it has to do with the nurturant aspect of it. The baby has to eat. Should the woman wait until she gets home even though it may be crying? You can wait to pee, a baby can't wait to eat. So no, peeing a breast feeding are definately not the same.

Why is it if you call someone a dirty SOB the law has little or nothing to say about it, but if you call him some sort of racial slur it can literally become a federal case?
First of all, I don't think just calling somebody a racial slur will cause a federal court case. Secondly, the system, however screwed up it is, is trying to deal with the idea of hate crimes.

Why is it a criminal psycopath who guns down innocent civilians needs to be nurtered and understood but an innocent civilian who guns down a criminal psycopath needs to be locked up and burned?
I don't think that happens the majority of the time. I can't think of a case where someone who committed mass murder has been treated like they have a disease. Maybe they'll received some sort of treatment while in prison, but I think these advocates of treatment are just that, advocates. Our legal system is still heavily based upon the Classical ideas of criminology despite what treatments might be offered in correctional facilites.

Why is it that Americans, the wealthiest people on the planet, are also the most unhappy?
All I have to say is: I think Ethiopians with no food, clean water, health care, proper shelter, etc. are a little more unhappy. I'm just saying, I don't think you can honestly say that Americans are the most unhappy people in the world.

How is it an all-loving god can hate people?
Who the hell knows. I think it's stupid myself. A lot of the reasoning about hating "fags" though has to do with the fact that a lot of Christians (not all of course, I know there are the liberal ones who would not agree) homosexuals is because they are seen as willfully sinning and going against God's will. Those people would see homosexuality has something you choose and not something that is innate. I just did a whole essay on this, heh.

Why is it that no matter what you give people they're going to bitch about it?
Because in a society as heterogeneous as western society is, it's impossible for everybody to reach agreement on anything.

As for exit exams, I wouldn't really know since I have no clue what they are.
*whew* :) Good stuff, thought provoking.

LunaWitch
July 17th, 2002, 02:22 PM
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :nonono:

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! Someone said everything I feel.
I laughed and laughed, and then I thought, hmmm maybe I should be crying instead?

Awesome speech, are you running in 2004?

TheTempestuous1
July 17th, 2002, 02:42 PM
Loved the cadaverous comment Valnorran! I was reading Cosmopolitian today, and you are continually faced with impossibly skinny women.. it just pisses me off because I am by no means 'chunky,' but my size average size 12 enevitably ends up seeming too big in this society sometimes. Even when you know you aren't fat, these kind of thoughts just get into women's heads. I had always wondered how men could even be attracted to women like that, who in my mind look like prepubecent holocaust victims. As you said "Why would anyone want to sleep with these chicks? " Bravo! And thanks for your rant, I enjoyed it!

FaeRain
July 17th, 2002, 03:10 PM
Ah, some of us are underweight and unable to be curvaceous due to medical reasons. Not everyone who's skinny chooses to be that way. I would much rather have actual hips instead of protruding hipbones, believe me.

FaeRain

cherrywind
July 17th, 2002, 04:02 PM
some of us are underweight and unable to be curvaceous due to medical reasons.
Of course :). My entire boyfriend's family is like that (as is he, although he's not a girl). I think the Valnorran just meant in mass media the only way women are portrayed as being attractive is the almost heroin chic look. I see a huge difference between somebody starving themselves to be pretty and somebody who is naturally like that. At least for me, I can usually see the difference.

Storm
July 17th, 2002, 04:15 PM
Oh yes and my sister-in-law wont eat more than an apple a day to stay 95lbs and she freaked when she hit 98. So yes..acknowledge difference.

flar7
July 17th, 2002, 04:16 PM
actually a very disturbing reason behind the "thin" look.:rolleyes:

Haedis
July 17th, 2002, 04:23 PM
I cant stand fashion magazines showing all anorexic models. my cynicism takes over and it gets to the point where I comment "god does THAT chick have a tapeworm too?"

Valnorran
July 17th, 2002, 07:02 PM
Yes, I intended no disrespect to women who are naturally thin. I believe the technical term for such people is ectomorph, and I can usually tell if she's normally like that or if she starves herself. For example, a young woman I work with eats fast food on an almost daily basis yet her backside could fit into the palm of my hand, though she is pretty. Celine Dion is, I think, another example. The pictures I saw of her while she was pregnant made her look like she was shoplifting a volley ball; skinny as ever except for the little pooch under her shirt. Remaining skinny through a pregnancy and giving birth to a healthy child is, I think, a pretty good indicator that one is just naturally thin! Still, it seems like her face gets prettier and prettier every time I see her. But for myself, I like a set of hips I can rest my hands on and a backside I can sink my fingers into. I don't know why this thin craze makes me so angry. I remember in college a young woman who felt she desperately needed to lose five pounds. What are you going to do, I wondered, shave your head? That was all she had left. She was a very attractive woman of petite build. I don't think five pounds, gained or lost, is even going to be visible. For some reason it just deeply disturbed me that this pretty young woman felt that way. It's not as if Kate Winslet or Alicia Silverstone are close, personal friends of mine, yet it enraged me to hear the things that were being said about these two stunning women. The other night Batman and Robin was on TBS. I'm watching Alicia suit up in her Batgirl costume and all I can do is have my mouth hang open and, after several seconds, say in my best Wil Smith,"...damn." If that doesn't meet the standard, the powers that be of the fashion world are clinically deluded.

The positive responses are quite warming. It's nice to know I'm not quite as archaic as I think I am!

Old Witch
July 17th, 2002, 08:43 PM
I loved that Rant!!!........Would like to hear more in the future.........

Flaire-FireStar
July 17th, 2002, 10:14 PM
Now Lopez looks just like all the other female celebrities: from the neck up, gorgeous. From the neck down, featureless.

*pats tummy* I'm not exactly supermodel-skinny...Nor will I ever be (my bones are a whole lot bigger than theirs are.....:p). And I wouldn't win the swimsuit competition at a beauty contest either - if they could even get me into a swimsuit. I refuse to leave the house without at least 2 layers of clothing on to cover myself up. ;)


:nonono: well said though, Valnorran. :)

Squiddy
July 17th, 2002, 11:45 PM
Thanks for your "rant," Valnorran. Loved every syllable of it!

Here's something my boss shared with me. No truer words of wisdom have ever been uttered...

You might want to write this down.... ;)


"It takes a lot of monkeys to make a circus."


~Squiddy

AutumnWitchie
July 18th, 2002, 08:17 PM
Great rant! Being a plus size girl I love hearing guys say they want a real sizd woman. My hubby is very happy with my curves and me....well I'm learning to love em. If you want to see a magazine with curvy women check out Grace. The models are gorgious. Especially Kate Dillion.

www.gracestyle.com

materra
July 20th, 2002, 10:44 AM
Too true...excellent rant. By the way, when I taught they asked the female staff if they could coach girl sports? Field hockey, badmiitton, swimming? And afterschool activities. Homemakers Club, photography, Crafts and sewing.... :eek:

I'll never forget the first time I introduced an unknowing, unthinking guy from work to a member of the Amazon Rugby team and he made a comment about American football and women not being able to play it. I loved her comment on "why would we want to play a wuss sport like that?"

SpikesPet5150
July 20th, 2002, 05:55 PM
Thanks for your friggin AWESOME rant!! You have a way with words, my friend... bloody brilliant.

I'm not quite to plus size yet, but I could easily get there soon. And my boyfriend LOVES my curves! It's nice to know that other men out there like their women with curves and some meat on them. My friend Jami told me that she likes my body type more than the other girls in our little circle of friends (which completely made my day) even though I'm more overweight than all of them. Everyone else could be considered skinny. But she said I look healthy, and I have a glow, and I have curves, baby. :)
~Bree