Lauren forwarded me this essay: “Talking to a woman” - a letter to a Liberal Man. I’ve done all of these things, and will surely do them all again. All men need to be meditating on these points every day to lessen their occurance.
I just got off the phone with my mother, and one of the things we talked about were the different “standard flavor profiles” we know about… basic seasonings that you can add to any of a number of different dishes to give them a certain taste.
Although I’ve labeled these things by their region of origin, obviously each of these places has a rich and varied cuisine. It’s just that these are the spices I associate with recipes we’ve made from these regions.
Here’s what we came up with… does anyone know any others?
Mexican
- cumin, oregano, cilantro, lime
Indian
- cumin, coriander, turmeric
Thai
- red chili, peanut, cilantro
American Savory
- garlic, onion, black pepper
American Herb
- rosemary, thyme, celery
Cajun
- celery, onions, peppers, cayenne, thyme, garlic, black pepper
Italian
- basil, garlic, oregano
Provence
- garlic, thyme, basil
Greek
- oregano and mint; or dill; or cinnamon
Chinese
- soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vinegar
I just did a little housecleaning on Planet Informatics, the aggregator for all the great blogging coming out of my alma mater. In addition to adding Jenny and Travis, I upgraded to the newest version of Planet Planet, and guess what? We can finally embed YouTube videos:
Yay!
Here’s a great video that explains quantum physics in way that everyone can understand, and I think everyone will enjoy:
Fellow nerds, this is the best thing I have ever seen.
1, 2, 3, kick it.
Warning: this post deals with sexual assault.
I saw this over on Women’s Space/The Margins:
According to the video, in the US the average age of entry into prostitution is 13. Average means that half of prostitutes start at this age or younger*. If that’s not horrifying enough, try this on for size:
These girls are being charged as criminals for prostitution.
Earth to the government: these girls are too young to consent to “prostitution”. If you are 13, and your pimp and your johns are 30, it’s not sex, it’s rape. If you are worried that you are going to be beaten or killed if you don’t have sex with your client, it’s not sex, it’s rape. If your pimp got you hooked on drugs as a child and he is forcing you to have sex for drugs, it’s not sex, it’s rape.
It’s wrong for men to have sex with prostitutes because of the likelihood the prostitute is in one of these scenarios. It’s wrong for men to sell these women’s bodies. It’s wrong for the (mostly male) police to arrest these women, it’s wrong for (mostly male) attorneys to prosecute them, it’s wrong for (mostly male) judges to allow the cases in their courts, and it’s wrong for juries to convict them.
It is right to grant them immunity. It is right to give them access to sexual abuse shelters. It is right to give them access to medical care and counseling services. It is right to help them clear their records and get back into school or jobs.
And honestly, I think it’s wrong for men to go to strip clubs and watch porn for the same reasons. To this day, I’m guilty of watching porn, but I think I should stop. As a group, we men need all the help we can get, and this film looks like good help.
And if you try to tell me about this prostitute or that porn actress who is “choosing” that career, I will remind you that 90% of young women involved in prostitution were sexually abused as children. Estimates for porn actresses are similar. These women don’t need us to support their pimps and producers, they need therapy. They need a way out.
Prostitutes are not the problem, and it’s not women’s responsibility to fix this. It’s ours. Men need to leave prostitutes, strippers, and porn actresses alone.
* assuming a normal distribution
Caption:
“Strawberry Shortcake is a berry sweet, spunky red-haired girl with enough optimism to fill a strawberry field! She believes things are growing better all the time and puts her heart in all she does! No wonder she has so many berry good friends!”
Translation:
“Strawberry Shortcake, who takes a bashful stance, actively courts the camera, and wears a short skirt to show off her legs, is nice, and takes a lot of bullshit without speaking out against it. She has enough optimism to fill a strawberry field. Her optimism prevents her from getting angry. No one likes an angry girl! She believes things are growing better all the time, and doesn’t like to focus on enduring problems like those crazy feminists always do. What Negative Nellys! She puts her heart into all she does. With enough heart, who needs brains or experience? Her many friends are evidence that she’s doing things right. The patriarchy takes care of its own.”
Caption:
“Huckleberry Pie lives in Huckleberry Briar. His house is a tree fort with lookout port, skateboard ramps, and even secret entrances! He’s adventurous and fun, and zooms over on his skateboard to visit his friends.”
Translation:
“Huckleberry Pie, who stands confidently and can only be bothered for a second to glance at the camera before he continues skateboarding, lives somewhere cool. He owns property, and things happen there. There’s need for a lookout port and secret entrances, that’s how important the things are that happen there. He has a skateboard ramp because unlike Strawberry he has a body and does things with his body. It’s best Strawberry doesn’t know she has a body because her body is owned by men. Huckeberry takes risks and goes on adventures, while Strawberry takes care of the “optimism”. He actively constructs a social network for himself, whereas Strawberry just draws people to her with her virtue.”
In order to prepare for my new career as a musician, I needed some glamour shots:
There’s a concept called flow in pop psychology. It’s what happens when athletes achieve the singular focus required to achieve superhuman feats. It’s what happens when chess players drift away so completely into the world of knights and pawns that they can play a brilliant move without really knowing why.
It’s what happens when you become so much a part of what you are doing that the parts of you that are needed for the job at hand are imbued with all of the energy and focus you can muster, while the rest of your unneeded body and mind stand so silent that they seem to disappear.
We all have different gifts, and can enter this flow state at certain times. Certain people only hit this stride while creating art, or playing sports. Others hit this state while working on difficult math problems or while telling stories to a playful crowd of friends. Some people, like Martin Luther King, and like many other preachers before and after him, enter this flow state from behind the pulpit or the podium.
After watching Barack Obama’s speech, it’s clear he’s one of those people. His speech started off slowly and at times he felt cold, listing off his well rehearsed hopes. But he gathered his momentum with great skill, playing the crowd in an expert crescendo. And as he entered the last minutes of his time, with his supporters reaching an ever increasing frenzy, he hit his stride.
He found flow.
And that’s a magical thing. That’s a really magical thing. It’s the difference between craft and art.
I know people say there’s more to being president than speaking well. And they’re right. But he’s got good judgement, a good heart, and he’s spent a lot of years working to better government from without and within.
And those things, in a person who can truly speak to people, is about all I need in a president.
Except in public bathrooms where there’s a free urinal.
In home bathrooms, everyone should pee sitting down. There’s no reason to pee standing up. It’s not faster. It’s not easier. It’s not better in any way.
What it IS is messier. Way messier. Like, months-old-pee-spray-on-the-wall-behind-the-toilet messier.
And it’s supposedly manlier. But seriously, if you’re trying to prove your manliness while you’re alone in the bathroom…
… you’ve got some shit that needs letting go.