Saturday, July 27, 2013
Transcending Cultural Differences
Alas, Copperhead is already gone from Bluelight Cinemas. I didn't have time to watch it this week. The grilling was ok last night, though much of the meat was a bit too dry - we didn't prepare the fire adequately - not enough heat at first. Lesson learned, for that particular grill at least. I don't think I will drive to any of the other theaters that are still showing the movie - they are rather far. There are the video on demand services, but I may wait until it is available on disc.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
And the Push for Reprogramming Continues
Debra Meyerson: How Companies Can Increase Safety and Boost Gender Equity
A study of oil rigs shows that a different approach to male-dominated environments can change corporate culture.
Hypermasculinity that develops in the absence of workplace friendship and camaraderie, and the breakdown of communal ties? And the exploitation of men by employers for the sake of increasing profits? It's not the data, but the interpretation and the causal analysis. What's better for the company's bottom line, employees who bond together as a group, providing mutual support and aiming at the welfare of the group, or competitive individuals?
A study of oil rigs shows that a different approach to male-dominated environments can change corporate culture.
Hypermasculinity that develops in the absence of workplace friendship and camaraderie, and the breakdown of communal ties? And the exploitation of men by employers for the sake of increasing profits? It's not the data, but the interpretation and the causal analysis. What's better for the company's bottom line, employees who bond together as a group, providing mutual support and aiming at the welfare of the group, or competitive individuals?
The Greencards, "Black, Black Water"
The Greencards will be performing at Don Quixote's on August 19 and the Freight and Salvage on August 15.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
What Happened to the Italian City-States?
One part of the picture.
Medievalists.net: The Territorial Strategy of the Italian City-State - academia.edu
Medievalists.net: The Territorial Strategy of the Italian City-State - academia.edu
Blood on Their Hands
Catholic World Report: The Arab Springtime is a Nightmare for Syrian Christians by Alessandra Nucci
Middle Eastern Christians decry how Western media misrepresent the increasingly violent events in Syria.
Middle Eastern Christians decry how Western media misrepresent the increasingly violent events in Syria.
Two Saturdays ago, I was present at The Hackensaw Boys show in San Francisco. The opening act was the Beauty Operators - a local acoustic string band, which played some covers of songs. The crowd enjoyed that. I appreciated the more "traditional" stuff more. The Beauty Operators are ok, but they were playing for an hour and a half, which meant less time for me for The Hackensaw Boys, since I had to catch public transportation before it shut down.
I thought the Hackensaw Boys were fun, and I enjoyed the music, even if it could get repetitive for some (the beat at least). (I didn't feel so at the time.) I wasn't sure about the band before I got there, despite having listened to some of the youtube videos, but I don't regret giving it a chance, and would attend another of their performances, if possible. I didn't have time to pick up a CD, as I was in a rush to catch transportation out of the city, but purchasing one of their CDs wasn't really a priority at the moment.
It was a different sort of crowd from what you might find in the SF dance clubs near the red-light district or Mission. Evidence of the increasing gentrification of San Francisco? 99% young white adults - no families, middle-class incomes, living it up during their 20s and early 30s? The scene at the In and Out in San Bruno I visited later that night was more reflective of the multicultural reality of California's major population areas. There was one other Asian there that I saw; I didn't see any other members of non-white groups.
I overhead a male (hipster?) remarking that was probably the only authentic "white people music" the white people had nowadays, comparing it to the stuff on the radio. How many of those attending are regulars at the Brick & Mortar? They turned the floor in front of the stage into a mosh pit. Well, I exaggerate - they weren't that rough and frenzied; it was mostly side-stepping, swaying, and shaking - the typical white people dancing you'd see. Most didn't seem to know any traditional dances, though there were a few couples doing some couple dancing. They might want to check out the Ashkenaz to learn how to dance or clog. Even some swing dancing would have been appropriate at times. I couldn't help but think that the music merited something better - but the crowd was enjoying the music and having fun, at least? The band appreciated that. That the audience members lack roots or culture isn't wholly their fault.
Do the members of the band possess any sort of strong Southern identity, as it is based in central Virginia? How many of those in the audience actually disdain the South, even while appreciating the music that originates there? But what can they offer, other than some bland, politically correct, cosmopolitan, ideologically-based identity? That night it was just more good music to be consumed, separated from the culture and people from whom it originated.
There were quite a few cute brunettes present, most with their boyfriends, and one by herself. The last one disappeared during the break between The Beauty Operators and The Hackensaw Boys. (She probably moved to a different part of the room
though during the break.(It is true that I saw them only in the dark. My opinion might be different if there more lighting.) The Brick and Mortar isn't bad, even if it is located in a less than ideal neighborhood. (Another contrast to the people attending that night's event.) The bar looked to well-stocked. As the focus is on the music, there aren't many seats or tables there; I couldn't tell how clean the floor was, but you probably wouldn't want to lie on it anyway. There was also a pair of blondes - sisters?
Looking at the brunettes I was reminded of an online comment that Asian females have the worst waist to hip ratios. Certainly the Korean entertainment industry tends to seek thinness as the ideal. WHR is an objective marker of attractiveness, and men are programmed to find a better ratio more attractive.
Related:
A video of a Contra Dance Flash Mob at Grand Central Terminal:
John Krumm offers his perspective on the communal dimension of dancing: What is Good Community Dancing?
Contra Dance Links
There seems to be a lot of S[W]PL angst about gentrification - an example of the Left devouring its own, as many of those whites with nice jobs and money have 'progessive' values. They don't target those who are benefiting from gentrification as much as the tech companies that are driving the change, but those tech companies are known for promoting 'progressive' values as well, e.g. Google.
Geek-driven gentrification threatens San Francisco's bohemian appeal
Gentrification no longer a dirty word
The Chronicle Discovers Gentrification in San Francisco
I Left My Home in San Francisco: The rise of the white, middle-class anti-gentrifiers
WATCH: SF Gentrification 2.0 -- For Better Or Worse?
Anti-gentrification activists “GET OUT” with Pride - SF Bay Guardian
Anti-Gentrification Block Party to Provide Rare Opportunity to Beat Candy Out of Google Buses
An Article About Gentrification in Oakland That Isn't Going to Make You Feel Good About Yourself
Do you see Gentrification and an influx of Hipsters and/or Yuppies from SF lately in Oakland?
Position on Gentrification - San Francisco Urban Agriculture Alliance
What are the history and effects of gentrification?
Local Protest, Global Movements: Capital, Community, and State in San Francisco by Karl Beitel
Why San Francisco Is (or Used to Be) Different: Progressive Activists and Neighborhoods Had a Big Impact by G. William Domhoff
From 1999: I'm the Enemy
I thought the Hackensaw Boys were fun, and I enjoyed the music, even if it could get repetitive for some (the beat at least). (I didn't feel so at the time.) I wasn't sure about the band before I got there, despite having listened to some of the youtube videos, but I don't regret giving it a chance, and would attend another of their performances, if possible. I didn't have time to pick up a CD, as I was in a rush to catch transportation out of the city, but purchasing one of their CDs wasn't really a priority at the moment.
It was a different sort of crowd from what you might find in the SF dance clubs near the red-light district or Mission. Evidence of the increasing gentrification of San Francisco? 99% young white adults - no families, middle-class incomes, living it up during their 20s and early 30s? The scene at the In and Out in San Bruno I visited later that night was more reflective of the multicultural reality of California's major population areas. There was one other Asian there that I saw; I didn't see any other members of non-white groups.
I overhead a male (hipster?) remarking that was probably the only authentic "white people music" the white people had nowadays, comparing it to the stuff on the radio. How many of those attending are regulars at the Brick & Mortar? They turned the floor in front of the stage into a mosh pit. Well, I exaggerate - they weren't that rough and frenzied; it was mostly side-stepping, swaying, and shaking - the typical white people dancing you'd see. Most didn't seem to know any traditional dances, though there were a few couples doing some couple dancing. They might want to check out the Ashkenaz to learn how to dance or clog. Even some swing dancing would have been appropriate at times. I couldn't help but think that the music merited something better - but the crowd was enjoying the music and having fun, at least? The band appreciated that. That the audience members lack roots or culture isn't wholly their fault.
Do the members of the band possess any sort of strong Southern identity, as it is based in central Virginia? How many of those in the audience actually disdain the South, even while appreciating the music that originates there? But what can they offer, other than some bland, politically correct, cosmopolitan, ideologically-based identity? That night it was just more good music to be consumed, separated from the culture and people from whom it originated.
There were quite a few cute brunettes present, most with their boyfriends, and one by herself. The last one disappeared during the break between The Beauty Operators and The Hackensaw Boys. (She probably moved to a different part of the room
though during the break.(It is true that I saw them only in the dark. My opinion might be different if there more lighting.) The Brick and Mortar isn't bad, even if it is located in a less than ideal neighborhood. (Another contrast to the people attending that night's event.) The bar looked to well-stocked. As the focus is on the music, there aren't many seats or tables there; I couldn't tell how clean the floor was, but you probably wouldn't want to lie on it anyway. There was also a pair of blondes - sisters?
Looking at the brunettes I was reminded of an online comment that Asian females have the worst waist to hip ratios. Certainly the Korean entertainment industry tends to seek thinness as the ideal. WHR is an objective marker of attractiveness, and men are programmed to find a better ratio more attractive.
Related:
A video of a Contra Dance Flash Mob at Grand Central Terminal:
John Krumm offers his perspective on the communal dimension of dancing: What is Good Community Dancing?
Contra Dance Links
There seems to be a lot of S[W]PL angst about gentrification - an example of the Left devouring its own, as many of those whites with nice jobs and money have 'progessive' values. They don't target those who are benefiting from gentrification as much as the tech companies that are driving the change, but those tech companies are known for promoting 'progressive' values as well, e.g. Google.
Geek-driven gentrification threatens San Francisco's bohemian appeal
Gentrification no longer a dirty word
The Chronicle Discovers Gentrification in San Francisco
I Left My Home in San Francisco: The rise of the white, middle-class anti-gentrifiers
WATCH: SF Gentrification 2.0 -- For Better Or Worse?
Anti-gentrification activists “GET OUT” with Pride - SF Bay Guardian
Anti-Gentrification Block Party to Provide Rare Opportunity to Beat Candy Out of Google Buses
An Article About Gentrification in Oakland That Isn't Going to Make You Feel Good About Yourself
Do you see Gentrification and an influx of Hipsters and/or Yuppies from SF lately in Oakland?
Position on Gentrification - San Francisco Urban Agriculture Alliance
What are the history and effects of gentrification?
Local Protest, Global Movements: Capital, Community, and State in San Francisco by Karl Beitel
Why San Francisco Is (or Used to Be) Different: Progressive Activists and Neighborhoods Had a Big Impact by G. William Domhoff
From 1999: I'm the Enemy
Paleo for Endurance Athletes
Paleo's Latest Converts
And something on testosterone: 10 Ways to Keep Testosterone Levels High
The idea behind eating and training "primally" (embracing animal fats, eliminating grains, minimizing carbohydrate intake, and eschewing "chronic cardio" for short, explosive efforts) is to gain strength without gaining weight, train the body to run on fat as a primary fuel source, and naturally maintain high levels of testosterone.
And something on testosterone: 10 Ways to Keep Testosterone Levels High
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
More on "Rights Talk"
Rights: Wrong? by Michael Bradley
Related:
A Brief History of Sex Ed: How We Reached Today’s Madness by Miriam Grossman
The Legal Circus That Killed Proposition 8
Related:
A Brief History of Sex Ed: How We Reached Today’s Madness by Miriam Grossman
The Legal Circus That Killed Proposition 8
Is There a Place for Southern Conservatism in Uhmerica?
The Right’s Civil War by Daniel McCarthy
From Harry Jaffa to Jack Hunter, attitudes toward Lincoln have shown what conservatives think about centralized power today.
There are some comments about Jack Hunter at CHT.
From Harry Jaffa to Jack Hunter, attitudes toward Lincoln have shown what conservatives think about centralized power today.
There are some comments about Jack Hunter at CHT.
Schumacher Center for a New Economics: The Relevance of E. F. Schumacher in the 21st Century by John Fullerton
Actually, much of it was based on Christianity, Catholic Social Teaching in particular.
If you examine Schumacher’s personal library, which is carefully stewarded at the E. F. Schumacher Society in the Berkshires, you will find that most of the texts are not about economics. Instead, they include the great philosophical and spiritual texts from all traditions. Schumacher’s gift and genius was to derive economic principles and ideas from these teachings, to have the courage to speak the truth, despite knowing it often flew in the face of conventional economic thinking, and to make the truth accessible with his clear and witty prose. What emerges is certainly not the final word on the economics of permanence. Some of his thinking is outdated, or simply missed the mark. But as a foundation to build upon, it is invaluable. The reason his ideas about economics ring true is because they are built upon these wisdom traditions. The contradictions of modern economics are gone.
Actually, much of it was based on Christianity, Catholic Social Teaching in particular.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Douglas Fry on War
War not part of human nature: Science study
Murders were far more common for personal reasons than tribal conflict in modern hunter-gatherer cultures, anthropologist Douglas Fry found, suggesting early humans weren’t prone to go to war until civilization came around.
Is it natural for humans to make war? New study of tribal societies reveals conflict is an alien concept
More ammo for the anarcho-primmitivists.
I would love to read about what sort of practices existed within the tribe and between tribes for mediating disputes and questions of honor - rituals of formalized aggression?
Lethal Aggression in Mobile Forager Bands and Implications for the Origins of War by Douglas P. Fry and Patrik Söderberg
Latest Skirmish Over Ancestral Violence Strikes Blow for Peace by Elizabeth Culotta
Related:
Life Without War
Worlds Without War
Beyond War - OUP
War, Peace, and Human Nature
Murders were far more common for personal reasons than tribal conflict in modern hunter-gatherer cultures, anthropologist Douglas Fry found, suggesting early humans weren’t prone to go to war until civilization came around.
Is it natural for humans to make war? New study of tribal societies reveals conflict is an alien concept
More ammo for the anarcho-primmitivists.
I would love to read about what sort of practices existed within the tribe and between tribes for mediating disputes and questions of honor - rituals of formalized aggression?
Lethal Aggression in Mobile Forager Bands and Implications for the Origins of War by Douglas P. Fry and Patrik Söderberg
Latest Skirmish Over Ancestral Violence Strikes Blow for Peace by Elizabeth Culotta
Related:
Life Without War
Worlds Without War
Beyond War - OUP
War, Peace, and Human Nature
2013 Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival.
August 8-11 this year. Some information on who will be performing there: First Stage Performers Are Set For NCBS Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival.
There is also the Brown Barn Bluegrass Festival in Gilroy, October 11-13. Performance Schedule For Brown Barn Bluegrass Festival Announced.
There is also the Brown Barn Bluegrass Festival in Gilroy, October 11-13. Performance Schedule For Brown Barn Bluegrass Festival Announced.
Live Science: Why Do Americans and Brits Have Different Accents? by Natalie Wolchover
"What's surprising, though, is that Hollywood costume dramas get it all wrong: The Patriots and the Redcoats spoke with accents that were much closer to the contemporary American accent than to the Queen's English."
Related:
How Americans Have Reshaped Language By JOHN McWHORTER
The Adventure of English - Part 1 (alt)
Anglo-Saxon - The History of English (1/10)
ASMR softly spoken Southern accent roleplay with typing
Southern American English
"What's surprising, though, is that Hollywood costume dramas get it all wrong: The Patriots and the Redcoats spoke with accents that were much closer to the contemporary American accent than to the Queen's English."
Related:
How Americans Have Reshaped Language By JOHN McWHORTER
The Adventure of English - Part 1 (alt)
Anglo-Saxon - The History of English (1/10)
ASMR softly spoken Southern accent roleplay with typing
Southern American English
It's not just the European ethnic enclaves that are disappearing.
Made a stop in San Jose Japantown on Saturday afternoon, as someone wrote on her FB page that she would be appearing there for an event. It was a weekend afternoon, but there weren't many people on the streets. Not many toursts, as far as I could tell. (There was a cutie, next to whom I parked briefly until I decided to move the car since it was supposed to be in a tow-away zone for yesterday's event.)
The Buddhist Church on 5th St. is worth a look; I didn't go inside and I found out later from the people leaving that there was a Saturday service taking place at that time. Saturday vigil service so people don't have to go to temple on Sunday? How many families attending the temple have roots in area? Probably a significant number, but how many still live in immediate vicinity?
There are some new apartments in the area, but how many of the residents are Japanese-American? Most of the patrons for the Japanese restaurants seem to come from out of the area. It seems to me that SJ Japantown has lost its character as an ethnic neighborhood, as a living community - what ties to its past do those who frequent it or own businesses there have? Is it attractive as a tourist area? Will there be a demand that the city subsidize the neighborhood in some way if the businesses there begin to fail? While the neighborhood may be of historical interest, how many people other than your SWPLs care?
There are some markers and signs talking. bout the history of Japanese immigrants in America. One made mention of the ban on Japanese immigrants (among others) in the 1920s. I suppose that this is supposed to elicit the reaction that such a law was unfair or unjust, but there is no right to immigrate. I see no evidence that as the Japanese have assimilated, they have retained some set of "conservative" values.
SF Chinatown (old and new) are still around - but I suspect most of the immigrants are now from parts of China other than Hong Kong or Canton. Has anyone done a demographic survey on those areas? How many Cantonese-spearkers remain? Those Cantonese-speakers who have money probably choose to live elsewhere. It's been a while since I've walked by the neighborhood schools, are there many children left, or is Chinatown increasingly occupied by the elderly?
Made a stop in San Jose Japantown on Saturday afternoon, as someone wrote on her FB page that she would be appearing there for an event. It was a weekend afternoon, but there weren't many people on the streets. Not many toursts, as far as I could tell. (There was a cutie, next to whom I parked briefly until I decided to move the car since it was supposed to be in a tow-away zone for yesterday's event.)
The Buddhist Church on 5th St. is worth a look; I didn't go inside and I found out later from the people leaving that there was a Saturday service taking place at that time. Saturday vigil service so people don't have to go to temple on Sunday? How many families attending the temple have roots in area? Probably a significant number, but how many still live in immediate vicinity?
There are some new apartments in the area, but how many of the residents are Japanese-American? Most of the patrons for the Japanese restaurants seem to come from out of the area. It seems to me that SJ Japantown has lost its character as an ethnic neighborhood, as a living community - what ties to its past do those who frequent it or own businesses there have? Is it attractive as a tourist area? Will there be a demand that the city subsidize the neighborhood in some way if the businesses there begin to fail? While the neighborhood may be of historical interest, how many people other than your SWPLs care?
There are some markers and signs talking. bout the history of Japanese immigrants in America. One made mention of the ban on Japanese immigrants (among others) in the 1920s. I suppose that this is supposed to elicit the reaction that such a law was unfair or unjust, but there is no right to immigrate. I see no evidence that as the Japanese have assimilated, they have retained some set of "conservative" values.
SF Chinatown (old and new) are still around - but I suspect most of the immigrants are now from parts of China other than Hong Kong or Canton. Has anyone done a demographic survey on those areas? How many Cantonese-spearkers remain? Those Cantonese-speakers who have money probably choose to live elsewhere. It's been a while since I've walked by the neighborhood schools, are there many children left, or is Chinatown increasingly occupied by the elderly?
Sunday, July 21, 2013
An interview with Dom Alcuin Reid about Sacra Liturgia 2013
CWR: The Future of Liturgical Formation and Renewal
CWR: Given this, how did the conference explore the relationship between liturgical renewal and the New Evangelization?
Dom Reid: This relationship is the raison d’être for Sacra Liturgia 2013. Bishop Rey is not a liturgical scholar, he is diocesan bishop, and it is from the standpoint of that particular vocation that he so profoundly appreciates the role of the liturgy. As he said in his introduction to the conference: “As a bishop it is my duty to do all I can to promote the New Evangelization initiated by Blessed John Paul II...the New Evangelization must be founded on the faithful and fruitful celebration of the Sacred Liturgy as given to us by the Church in her tradition—Western and Eastern.” When first we discussed the possibility of a conference this focus was clear and we invited speakers to base their considerations on it.
Abbot Nault made some important observations about this. Drawing on the work of Louis Bouyer he noted that the liturgy “cannot be reduced to being an instrument for something else, which would end up being a pick-and-mix of catechesis, formation for Christian living, and ritual;” i.e., the liturgy is not primarily a tool of catechesis or evangelization. Rather, he argued that “a correct ‘use’ of the liturgy” is necessary, “a ‘use’ which can be a source of great pastoral and evangelical fruitfulness.” As he pointed out, “it is only when we let liturgy be ‘useless’ that it reveals the extent of its ‘usefulness’ in the life of the Church and the New Evangelization!”
A response from an editor at The Oil Drum to the Forbes article. He affirms:
I would agree with this assessment. He ends:
They noted that repetition of the basic information, beyond a certain point, was counter-productive. So it is with the Peak Oil story. The facts, in neither case, change, but the amount of new information while accumulating (vide the superb work that Leanan has done with Drumbeat over the years) is often repetitive or confirmatory of earlier stories and thus harder to turn into interesting and exciting new material. There are developing stories that justify continued interest in the topic, but the slow pace with which some of the stories unfold make it difficult to sustain interest.
I would agree with this assessment. He ends:
And with that off my chest I will return to writing about the evolving problems. My hope at the founding of TOD was that it would chronicle the events through the Peak, it got to nearly the Peak, though I don’t anticipate that this will be a pleasant story beyond that point. But, that coverage will now shift to being only at a new location at a time chosen by the TOD editors.
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