July 14 is Bastille Day, so it's time to celebrate the French Revolution and to eat cake! If you need another reason to eat cake, it's Commentarama Open Thread Day too, so the floor is open...
Interesting.......Looking to my left on Commentarama's webpage under Rasmussen Polls I see that "85% think christian photographer has right to turn down same-sex wedding job." I prefer to read it that 15% think it's okay to force christian photographer to do a job he doesn't want to do. (You know...free market and that sort of thing shouldn't apply here).
I'd like to see if that 15% is okay with themselves being forced to do something they don't want to do.
Patriot, of course that is the real,problem, legally compelling private business owners and churches to provide services. There is already a several cases winding their way through the courts of wedding related business owners who declined to provide flowers, photography, etc and who Btw were specifically targeted knowing they would decline...
But Obama "promised" that churches were safe. I believe he said that in regards abortifacients too...
10J - By "storm the sucker" do you mean the Bastille, the cakes or this open thread? I just need to know whether I need to to go to France, bake a cake, or what...
Excellent point, Patriot, which prompts my mind to offer this to any in that 15%, as well as same- (or opposite-) sex couples who would force a church to marry them: show up in the pews every week.
The article mentions the great book War on Men by Dr. Helen Smith, which I highly recommend.
By the way, by a DOJ mandate, if you are a man and is charged w/ sexual assault/rape on a college campus the burden of proof for being found guilty by the college is 51/49. And only one person in Congress has brought it up. Only one: John McCain
I am happy about his stance on the DOJ thing. He is, from what I know, the only man or woman in Congress to bring it up. None of the big conservatives have yet to do so. And this is one that should be really close to conservatives, yet no one is talking about it. Its sickening.
No matter. A good read with a lot of valid points. Men are the last oppressed minority. Subsequently, can hardly wait for my government goodies to come. Then everybody will get a piece of candy from our masters and we can all go to the sea shore.
For those who have not read it, the book is about the fact that men are not engaging in society. They are not getting married and they are, for the most part, sticking to their video games and porn.
Most pundits (right and left, usually right) say that men need to "Man Up". That they are losers and should be getting married.
Dr. Helen Smith points out that our society and legal code has made marriage and relationships simply unappealing to men through a biased view in Family Law and a guilty-until-proven-innocent mentality towards men accused of rape, molestation, or domestic violence and the overall demonization and mockery of men and fathers in the media.
Simply put, society has created incentives for men against getting married.
1. I've seen these same statistics presented in the same ways over and over and yet they never amount to anything. In other words, the feminists have been declaring the death of men in one form or another since I was a child, and yet, men keep right on running everything. The disconnect is that the statistics miss some key points.
It's like the belief that grades in school equate to success in the real world. If that were true, then women would be the most successful by far. Or if degrees mattered, then blacks would dominate the country. But they don't because the idea that grades/degrees equate to success misses the key points that the subject matter is more important than the grades and choices made after graduation drive careers.
2. When you talk about "males" you paint with too broad of a brush. Black males skew all statistics of "males" -- education, income, incarceration. Similarly, with men dying younger that women, when you include seniors, you skew everything again.
Moreover, and this will sound elitist but it's true, not all people matter the same. When you reach the top, you find almost exclusively men. Ditto on the bottom. What this means is that success/failure for males is a matter of choice and men are more likely to take chances... whereas women are more likely to take the safe path -- which is why so many end up working for government.
3. Marriage rates and divorce rates vary greatly by generation (Baby Boomer blowing the curve to the negative), so any analysis that doesn't account for that doesn't work.
4. It's not clear that marriage is that great of a thing in the modern world. Conservatives view marriage as a magic bullet that makes coupling possible. It's a lot more complicated than that.
5. Even if there was a problem, the worst possible thing that could happen to men would be the government trying to help them. You would just end up reinforcing the values of the lowest class.
6. In my experience, law has almost no effect on human behavior. I cannot imagine a significant number of men saying, "I'll avoid women because rape laws could endanger me." It might effect people who have been through something like that certainly, but that's a statistically insignificant number of men.
Andrew, as a burned-out, single man who gave up on ever finding a meaningful relationship before I even finished college, I agree with Kit 100%. Might I add, if the value of both the article and book is only to enrage femNazis and prove how they've been nothing but destructive to our society, then I'm all for it.
BTW, I think you should know I'm very depressed...
'Belt, I trust you are referring to storming the cake? :-)
I know correlation doesn't mean causation, but it certainly deserves scrutiny when policies discouraging marriage accompany a decline in marriage. It's a bit chicken-and-egg-ish, I'm sure. For my part, I suspect the decline in marriage precedes well-intended policies meant to cope with the event. In either case, the current status quo does nothing to incentivize a reversal of the trend--though I acknowledge therein lies another open question.
K, at this point, any advice is good advice. Thanks. Glad to hear everything turned out well for your friend.
Actually, I was being a bit snarky. I was doing a bad imitation of Marvin the Paranoid Android. There are just so few characters I've been able to relate to in life. LIFE...don't...talk to me about...LIFE!!!
Tryanmax, true. It's more complex, but I'm sure there's truth in the links Kit has provided. As for the cake, well, I actually prefer the classic American Dairy Queen Blizzard to French pastries.
Just watched End of Watch on Netflix. That is an incredibly intense movie. The direction, the acting and the action are perfectly on point, though the fact all of the principles carry around cameras feels a bit contrived, as does the ending. Still, an extremely satisfying movie.
The tense situation continues in Belgrade. Rumors now swirl that the Austrian legation may be attacked. (Whether the rumors indicate this would be by an individual, a mob, or a rogue faction of the Serbian government is unclear.) In Britain, 20,000 naval reservists are called up, though there is no call for alarm. They’re going to practice a test mobilization as part of annual summer maneuvers. Getting even more frustrated, Germany puts more pressure on Serbia. This time, German Ambassador Tschirschky tells Berchtold that if Austria doesn’t settle things with Serbia, it may lose its Great Power status in Europe- and that German support (the ‘blank check’) may be revoked. Meanwhile, Dr. Wiesner files his report on the investigation in Sarajevo. Though six of the seven conspirators have been apprehended, little has been learned. Wiesner’s report indicates that the conspirators were Bosnian Serbs who’d been recruited in Belgrade; that they had received help from a Serbian official who gave them pistols, grenades, and cyanide; and that Serbian officials had helped them sneak across the border. However, this information could amount to nothing more than fanatical nationalist Serbs committing a crime while being assisted by a rogue civil servant and corrupt border guards who were easily bribed. Wiesner concludes: "There is nothing to indicate the Serbian Government knew about the plot.” Thanks to the hopeless incompetence of the investigator, Police Judge Leo Pfeffer, that’s as much as officials in Bosnia know. In fact, Pfeffer interrogated the prisoners so slowly they often tapped out coded messages between their cells; allowing them to coordinate their changing stories and prevent Pfeffer from learning about the actual involvement of Serbia.
At this point, I’d like to hit the brakes and provide a little more background on Serbia's clandestine affairs. What the investigation failed to establish was the conspirators’ connection to a Serbian group called the Black Hand. The group was founded in 1901 by radical Serbian army officers with the goal of uniting all European territories whose majority populations were made up of southern Slavic groups- a “kingdom of the Southern Slavs” (“Yugoslavia”). Two years later, in 1903, the group assassinated Serbian King Alexander I and Queen Draga for being too friendly to Austria-Hungary, subsequently replacing them with a royal couple more hostile to Austria. In 1908, these same officers founded ‘Narodna Odbrana’ (“National Defense”) in response to Austria’s annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. This group organized southern Slavs and spread propaganda both in Serbia and beyond. The Black Hand (now also known as ‘Union or Death’) was reformed in 1911 as Narodna’s more radical offshoot, willing to commit violence instead of just propagandizing. In 1914, the head of the Black Hand, Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijevic, nicknamed Apis, ‘the Bee,’ (who also happened to be the head of Serbian Military Intelligence) planned the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. In other words, one of Serbia’s most powerful Army officers just happened to be running a terrorist organization on the side.
After having Sarajevo native Danilo Ilitch recruit the conspirators (five teenagers dying from tuberculosis who, therefore, had nothing to lose), Apis had them trained and sent across the border. However, once the possibility of war with Austria was realized, attempts were made by both Serbian Prime Minister Pasic (who is seen as a pacifist enemy of the Black Hand), and by the Black Hand itself to stop the plot. Their attempts were too little, too late. The only order that reached the conspirators was a ‘STOP’ order from Apis himself (he was ordered to do so by other officers in the Black Hand). Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; Princip and the others ignored it and went ahead. NOTE: None of this will come out until during and after the war.
Although the report failed to implicate the Serbian government, Berchtold thinks it will be enough for now. Some historians believe he may have simply assumed the proper evidence would be uncovered before the ultimatum was sent to Serbia. At any rate, he hopes this will be enough to get Tisza to sign off on military action when he meets with the Hungarian Prime Minister tomorrow. Later that day, Berchtold discusses his plans with Tschirschky, Ballplatz Chief of Section Count Johann Forgach, and retired Austrian diplomat Count Heinrich von Lutzow. Because Lutzow is his senior, Berchtold sees him as a kind of unofficial advisor. During the talk, Lutzow calls the idea of “localizing” a conflict with Serbia “fantasy.” He leaves deeply concerned over Berchtold’s plans.
T-Rav: Believe it or not, the majority of Japanese women are NOT anime fans, so you'd have a much better than 50 percent shot at avoiding it. I brought up anime to my friend's wife and she just sort of rolled her eyes.
Its no shock the jury let Zimmerman get away with it. Hopefully the next black person the play cop stalks kills him before he kills them. Or maybe some vigilante will take him down. Or maybe he dies of old age. Time will tell.
Rustbelt, you and the others can count me as another member of the Commentarama Singles Club. I've never had any luck in that area my entire life, and at my age having only one almost-relationship with a completely psychotic girl I only knew online is just a bit pathetic. I've thought about going on dating sites myself, but I'm pretty sure I'll just get laughed off of one until I somehow manage to improve my professional situation. I'll keep the Japanese one in mind as well, though I don't know how much luck I'd have there. I'm not an anime watcher, but most of the games I play do have a strong anime influence, so I'm not sure how well that would go over. >_>
I used to read Dr. Helen's blog sporadically a while back and always found it interesting if nothing else. I don't know if I've ever noticed anything like she writes about in my own life, even when I was at a large state university, but it's interesting to think about nonetheless. The redefinition of sexual harassment to something that broad is disturbing, though, and as frustrating as he can be I'm glad McCain's taken note of it.
The intrigue of WWI is getting more interesting to read as well... This series has been quite educational and a great read. Keep up the good work, Rustbelt!
Internet dating is the future and it makes sense. I know a LOT of people who've met that way and they are much happier than people who met the other way because they're more compatible. In fact, there was an article about this the other day that more people meet their spouses online now than in real life and they have longer and better relationships.
And that makes sense because when you go online, you can zero in on people who are likely to share your interests. Basically, you have a much broader choice of people and you rule out the obvious false positives you can't rule out when you walk into a bar. Also, these people tend to get to know each other before they actually meet, which means you are more likely to know what you're getting than you would meeting someone randomly. Honestly, the stupid way to do it is to wander the world aimlessly and hope you find someone.
And as for people who want to attach stigma to it, well, they can go f-themselves. They are wrong and they are being proven more wrong all the time. Moreover, what business is it of anyone's how you met your spouse?
After having Sarajevo native Danilo Ilitch recruit the conspirators (five teenagers dying from tuberculosis who, therefore, had nothing to lose), Apis had them trained and sent across the border. However, once the possibility of war with Austria was realized, attempts were made by both Serbian Prime Minister Pasic (who is seen as a pacifist enemy of the Black Hand), and by the Black Hand itself to stop the plot. Their attempts were too little, too late. The only order that reached the conspirators was a ‘STOP’ order from Apis himself (he was ordered to do so by other officers in the Black Hand). Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; Princip and the others ignored it and went ahead. NOTE: None of this will come out until during and after the war.
Although the report failed to implicate the Serbian government, Berchtold thinks it will be enough for now. Some historians believe he may have simply assumed the proper evidence would be uncovered before the ultimatum was sent to Serbia. At any rate, he hopes this will be enough to get Tisza to sign off on military action when he meets with the Hungarian Prime Minister tomorrow. Later that day, Berchtold discusses his plans with Tschirschky, Ballplatz Chief of Section Count Johann Forgach, and retired Austrian diplomat Count Heinrich von Lutzow. Because Lutzow is his senior, Berchtold sees him as a kind of unofficial advisor. During the talk, Lutzow calls the idea of “localizing” a conflict with Serbia “fantasy.” He leaves deeply concerned over Berchtold’s plans.
By the way, I have to admit, 'Pacific Rim' wasn't terrible. It promised giant robots vs. giant monsters and it delivered- although I had to wait half of the way through. (My brother elbowed me when I groaned after the cliches started 10 minutes in. I definitely called it when I thought "an hour of pointless character-building before it gets good.") Fortunately, the scientists- who I'll call Bobcat-Goldthwait-Without-a-Speech-Impediment and Caricacure-of-Aleister-Crowley-with-a-Cane- with hilarious and worth the cost of admission alone. Now, there were some quick "global warming has the planet suitable for the aliens thing." blah, blah, blah... At points, I was wondering if I'd have to watch "Godzilla vs. Monster Zero" to wash the taste out of my mouth. Then Ron Pearlman appeared on screen- as a monster-body-parts dealer dressed as a rap star livin' large, complete with gold-plated shoes. ("Somebody with way too much money to spend," my brother quipped.) So, it wasn't awful. It did fulfill That Scifi Guy's action movie quota of a hero (Sam Wortingt- er, uh- Lifeless-esque bland), a douche (another robot driver), weird-looking geek (the aforementioned duo), multiple red shirts, and a girl.
Andrew.....I believe you are right about the future of dating being internet related. Heck, a lot of "old" actions are now being done via the internets. When people are applying for jobs, many firms HR dept. will search all the applicant's social media sites to see what they're in to. People do this all the time to each other, not only when they start seeing each other, but even friends. A look at most young adults Facebook page can tell a lot about them. Anything from their avatar to likes and dislikes. I hear all too often that my kids will "defriend" someone they know based on a linked article or site they've posted.
So, having tried the main internet dating site for members of a certain generation, I can tell you that online personas can be just as fake as real-life personas, and while you might meet someone who shares many of the same traits you do, you still have to actually meet them and spend time with them before you can safely say you are compatible. The old infatuation versus love.
With that said, the internet is still a great place to find potential partners. And it is here to stay, albeit with more video options before meeting. Example, don't spend time on these sites without a 'recent' picture of the potential friend posted and verified.
I have been happily married now for 14 years. I met my wife at work (we were residents together). She used to give me crap about dating nurses but dating nurses was great. They always asked me out and paid and I didn't have to put out.
I'm actually glad to hear Pacific Rim wasn't terrible. I wanted to see it due to two words: Ron Pearlman.
I too am also enjoying the WWI history lesson.
Vive la France! I love what they have done with potatoes and toast.
I've met people in real life and online, though I haven't actually done a dating service... I tend to stumble across people.
In my experience, whatever works works and I'm happy for people however they meet. I do get annoyed though with people who look down on others because of the way they met. Just be happy that people are meeting.
Probably got it from all those prairie dogs (I call them prairie rats) that these crazy colorado people are always trying to protect.
I can come up with far scarier etiologies but most likely it is due to poisoning from the either the far left or far right. Maybe you are a targeted individual being tortured by the government via GWEN towers.
Koshcat, I would imagine ebola is a lot worse. Or zombism... brains, brains!. Or incontinent zombism... bran, bran!
I like to think I was poisoned by a secret agency above the NSA for speaking truth to power that one time when I said that thing. Power to the people! Actually, it was probably Rick Santorum.
I'll send Jesse Ventura out to investigate your "illness".
In the meantime, stop buying tamales from the vans on the side of the road. I don't care how yummy they are. If you come down with leukemia or something, I'll take care of you...cash up front. :)
It was my silly political 'scorecard' question from a few days ago, wasn't it? I knew it! Andrew was a healthy, functioning human being before I posted that... and now look at him.
I'm so sorry!
(Hmmm... if it had that kind of effect, maybe I should email it to MSNBC and see what happens... perhaps I can twist this horror into an agent for good instead of evil!)
Interesting thoughts about online dating all around. Given my interests, outlook on life, and such it doesn't seem like a bad bet provided I can turn some of this mess in my life around. I haven't seen people look down on it down here (if anything I get told to try them frequently), but it really shouldn't matter how people meet as long as it works out all right. And I also just realized that the names of the women along the bottom of the Japanese dating site are all Chinese. Hmm...
Hungarian Prime Minister Tisza returns to Vienna and meets with Berchtold. After weeks of back-and-forth debate, Tisza finally yields and declares his support for possible military action against Serbia. According to my sources, there are two possible explanations for Tisza’s change of heart. Count Tisza’s initial reluctance to support such action was never unexpected. Educated in Berlin, he would’ve preferred doing business with up-and-coming Germany, rather having to work with creaking-at-the-gears Austria. (He regarded Germany’s Iron Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, as his role model.) His primary goal is maintaining Hungary’s authority within the empire, working with the Austrians and undermining the Slavs when such actions suit that goal. According to Sean McMeekin (“July 1914”), Tisza was mainly worn down by the pressure being brought by other officials. It seems the demonstrations in Belgrade, along with the anti-Austrian tone of the Serbian papers, have gotten on his nerves. Also, the unwavering support of Germany has greatly impressed him. But according to S.L.A. Marshall ("World War I"), Tisza’s main concern continued to be the empire’s designs on a possible post-war Serbia. Again concerned that any annexed Serbian territory would only add more Slavic subjects- under Vienna's jurisdiction- to the empire, and thus weaken Hungary’s authority, he asks Berchtold point-blank if there will be any territorial demands on Serbia. Berchtold says “no”- lying right to Tisza’s face. Whatever the reason, Tisza now believes the empire must “put an end to the unendurable state of affairs in the southeast (Serbia).” However, he adds one more condition in return for his support: that the demands and ultimatum (which will eventually be combined into one official document) be approved by the full Austrian Council of Ministers. The Council, however, can’t meet until July 19th (likely due to scheduling conflicts coupled with the need for continuing secrecy). Because Berchtold still needs the head of the Hungarian government to agree to the ultimatum, he agrees. As the two finish their meeting, Berchtold also agrees to make one more change to the list of demands to be sent to Serbia. Tisza had (for diplomatic reasons) objected to the word “ultimatum” in the document. Berchtold changes it to a “note with a time limit” (recalling Conrad’s recommendation). He and his staff now continue work on the actual note. Meanwhile, the Austrian embassies in Berlin and St. Petersburg are ordered to continue denying rumors of a planned Austrian attack on Serbia.
Thanks Daniel. I know a lot of "old schoolers" who make a big deal of looking down on people who do things in ways they didn't back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Recent quotes I found humorous:
1. The worst thing the government ever did was break up AT&T.
Have you noticed the crazy clothes these young people are wearing? My father wore the same suit to work every day his whole life. Now you walk into an office and everyone's dressed like clowns!
And what about aeroplanes!? If man was meant to fly, he'da been born with wings.
"God in his wisdom has provided man with natural forks - his fingers. Therefore it is an insult to Him to substitute artificial metallic forks for them when eating."
70 comments:
storm the sucker
English definition of French word "Bastille" = "White House"?
Interesting.......Looking to my left on Commentarama's webpage under Rasmussen Polls I see that "85% think christian photographer has right to turn down same-sex wedding job." I prefer to read it that 15% think it's okay to force christian photographer to do a job he doesn't want to do. (You know...free market and that sort of thing shouldn't apply here).
I'd like to see if that 15% is okay with themselves being forced to do something they don't want to do.
Merci de me le rappeler. J'aime regarder Amélie en La Fête Nationale.
(I couldn't have said that w/o Google Translate. I still may not have said anything.)
Mon plaisir! Viva l'Amelie...eh...La Fete Nationale de France!!
Patriot, of course that is the real,problem, legally compelling private business owners and churches to provide services. There is already a several cases winding their way through the courts of wedding related business owners who declined to provide flowers, photography, etc and who Btw were specifically targeted knowing they would decline...
But Obama "promised" that churches were safe. I believe he said that in regards abortifacients too...
10J - By "storm the sucker" do you mean the Bastille, the cakes or this open thread? I just need to know whether I need to to go to France, bake a cake, or what...
I'm all for storming the cake!
Excellent point, Patriot, which prompts my mind to offer this to any in that 15%, as well as same- (or opposite-) sex couples who would force a church to marry them: show up in the pews every week.
arg...
That said, I second storming the cake.
Liberté, égalité, fraternité.
Pick two. Cake? I'm in.
Can we just have cake without celebrating Bastille Day? Because, I would prefer that.
Article from FoxNews.com "Men -- the new second class citizens"
Worth a read.
LINK
The article mentions the great book War on Men by Dr. Helen Smith, which I highly recommend.
By the way, by a DOJ mandate, if you are a man and is charged w/ sexual assault/rape on a college campus the burden of proof for being found guilty by the college is 51/49.
And only one person in Congress has brought it up. Only one: John McCain
Kit, McCain has been doing a lot of good things lately. I'm going to talk about his latest thing this week.
T_Rav, Think of Bastille Day as the thing that would eventually weaken France enough that they needed to sell us some swampland.
Andrew,
I am happy about his stance on the DOJ thing. He is, from what I know, the only man or woman in Congress to bring it up. None of the big conservatives have yet to do so. And this is one that should be really close to conservatives, yet no one is talking about it.
Its sickening.
Also, if none of ya'll have read Dr. Helen Smith's Men on Strike do so now (or very soon).
Amazon Link
Kit: Isn't Smith's book "Men on Strike"?
No matter. A good read with a lot of valid points. Men are the last oppressed minority. Subsequently, can hardly wait for my government goodies to come. Then everybody will get a piece of candy from our masters and we can all go to the sea shore.
"Isn't Smith's book "Men on Strike"? "
Yes, you are right.
Kit, They're busy with their derangement at the moment. Don't ruin their fun.
K,
You are also right on another point: It is a good read.
I'm trying to recommend it to as many people as I can -Men and Women.
For those who have not read it, the book is about the fact that men are not engaging in society. They are not getting married and they are, for the most part, sticking to their video games and porn.
Most pundits (right and left, usually right) say that men need to "Man Up". That they are losers and should be getting married.
Dr. Helen Smith points out that our society and legal code has made marriage and relationships simply unappealing to men through a biased view in Family Law and a guilty-until-proven-innocent mentality towards men accused of rape, molestation, or domestic violence and the overall demonization and mockery of men and fathers in the media.
Simply put, society has created incentives for men against getting married.
And then complains about them not getting married.
Kit, sounds like just another day in utopia. :-P
Kit, Let me take the counterpoint...
1. I've seen these same statistics presented in the same ways over and over and yet they never amount to anything. In other words, the feminists have been declaring the death of men in one form or another since I was a child, and yet, men keep right on running everything. The disconnect is that the statistics miss some key points.
It's like the belief that grades in school equate to success in the real world. If that were true, then women would be the most successful by far. Or if degrees mattered, then blacks would dominate the country. But they don't because the idea that grades/degrees equate to success misses the key points that the subject matter is more important than the grades and choices made after graduation drive careers.
2. When you talk about "males" you paint with too broad of a brush. Black males skew all statistics of "males" -- education, income, incarceration. Similarly, with men dying younger that women, when you include seniors, you skew everything again.
Moreover, and this will sound elitist but it's true, not all people matter the same. When you reach the top, you find almost exclusively men. Ditto on the bottom. What this means is that success/failure for males is a matter of choice and men are more likely to take chances... whereas women are more likely to take the safe path -- which is why so many end up working for government.
3. Marriage rates and divorce rates vary greatly by generation (Baby Boomer blowing the curve to the negative), so any analysis that doesn't account for that doesn't work.
4. It's not clear that marriage is that great of a thing in the modern world. Conservatives view marriage as a magic bullet that makes coupling possible. It's a lot more complicated than that.
5. Even if there was a problem, the worst possible thing that could happen to men would be the government trying to help them. You would just end up reinforcing the values of the lowest class.
6. In my experience, law has almost no effect on human behavior. I cannot imagine a significant number of men saying, "I'll avoid women because rape laws could endanger me." It might effect people who have been through something like that certainly, but that's a statistically insignificant number of men.
Andrew, as a burned-out, single man who gave up on ever finding a meaningful relationship before I even finished college, I agree with Kit 100%.
Might I add, if the value of both the article and book is only to enrage femNazis and prove how they've been nothing but destructive to our society, then I'm all for it.
BTW, I think you should know I'm very depressed...
P.S. Tryanmax hit the bull's eye
Rustbelt - Sorry to hear that you are depressed. One possible solution Here.
A friend couldn't find a match amongst American women and ended up marrying a Japanese Catholic. 3 kids later he's quite a happy guy.
'Belt, I trust you are referring to storming the cake? :-)
I know correlation doesn't mean causation, but it certainly deserves scrutiny when policies discouraging marriage accompany a decline in marriage. It's a bit chicken-and-egg-ish, I'm sure. For my part, I suspect the decline in marriage precedes well-intended policies meant to cope with the event. In either case, the current status quo does nothing to incentivize a reversal of the trend--though I acknowledge therein lies another open question.
K, at this point, any advice is good advice. Thanks. Glad to hear everything turned out well for your friend.
Actually, I was being a bit snarky. I was doing a bad imitation of Marvin the Paranoid Android. There are just so few characters I've been able to relate to in life. LIFE...don't...talk to me about...LIFE!!!
Tryanmax, true. It's more complex, but I'm sure there's truth in the links Kit has provided. As for the cake, well, I actually prefer the classic American Dairy Queen Blizzard to French pastries.
Just watched End of Watch on Netflix. That is an incredibly intense movie. The direction, the acting and the action are perfectly on point, though the fact all of the principles carry around cameras feels a bit contrived, as does the ending. Still, an extremely satisfying movie.
Countdown to Catastrophe
JULY 13, 1914 (99 years ago today…)
The tense situation continues in Belgrade. Rumors now swirl that the Austrian legation may be attacked. (Whether the rumors indicate this would be by an individual, a mob, or a rogue faction of the Serbian government is unclear.)
In Britain, 20,000 naval reservists are called up, though there is no call for alarm. They’re going to practice a test mobilization as part of annual summer maneuvers.
Getting even more frustrated, Germany puts more pressure on Serbia. This time, German Ambassador Tschirschky tells Berchtold that if Austria doesn’t settle things with Serbia, it may lose its Great Power status in Europe- and that German support (the ‘blank check’) may be revoked.
Meanwhile, Dr. Wiesner files his report on the investigation in Sarajevo. Though six of the seven conspirators have been apprehended, little has been learned. Wiesner’s report indicates that the conspirators were Bosnian Serbs who’d been recruited in Belgrade; that they had received help from a Serbian official who gave them pistols, grenades, and cyanide; and that Serbian officials had helped them sneak across the border. However, this information could amount to nothing more than fanatical nationalist Serbs committing a crime while being assisted by a rogue civil servant and corrupt border guards who were easily bribed. Wiesner concludes: "There is nothing to indicate the Serbian Government knew about the plot.” Thanks to the hopeless incompetence of the investigator, Police Judge Leo Pfeffer, that’s as much as officials in Bosnia know. In fact, Pfeffer interrogated the prisoners so slowly they often tapped out coded messages between their cells; allowing them to coordinate their changing stories and prevent Pfeffer from learning about the actual involvement of Serbia.
At this point, I’d like to hit the brakes and provide a little more background on Serbia's clandestine affairs. What the investigation failed to establish was the conspirators’ connection to a Serbian group called the Black Hand. The group was founded in 1901 by radical Serbian army officers with the goal of uniting all European territories whose majority populations were made up of southern Slavic groups- a “kingdom of the Southern Slavs” (“Yugoslavia”). Two years later, in 1903, the group assassinated Serbian King Alexander I and Queen Draga for being too friendly to Austria-Hungary, subsequently replacing them with a royal couple more hostile to Austria. In 1908, these same officers founded ‘Narodna Odbrana’ (“National Defense”) in response to Austria’s annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. This group organized southern Slavs and spread propaganda both in Serbia and beyond. The Black Hand (now also known as ‘Union or Death’) was reformed in 1911 as Narodna’s more radical offshoot, willing to commit violence instead of just propagandizing. In 1914, the head of the Black Hand, Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijevic, nicknamed Apis, ‘the Bee,’ (who also happened to be the head of Serbian Military Intelligence) planned the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. In other words, one of Serbia’s most powerful Army officers just happened to be running a terrorist organization on the side.
(continued...)
I don't know how I feel about dating a Japanese woman. It might expose me to undue quantities of anime.
I'll be gone next week, so you guys have fun. :-)
After having Sarajevo native Danilo Ilitch recruit the conspirators (five teenagers dying from tuberculosis who, therefore, had nothing to lose), Apis had them trained and sent across the border. However, once the possibility of war with Austria was realized, attempts were made by both Serbian Prime Minister Pasic (who is seen as a pacifist enemy of the Black Hand), and by the Black Hand itself to stop the plot. Their attempts were too little, too late. The only order that reached the conspirators was a ‘STOP’ order from Apis himself (he was ordered to do so by other officers in the Black Hand). Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; Princip and the others ignored it and went ahead.
NOTE: None of this will come out until during and after the war.
Although the report failed to implicate the Serbian government, Berchtold thinks it will be enough for now. Some historians believe he may have simply assumed the proper evidence would be uncovered before the ultimatum was sent to Serbia. At any rate, he hopes this will be enough to get Tisza to sign off on military action when he meets with the Hungarian Prime Minister tomorrow.
Later that day, Berchtold discusses his plans with Tschirschky, Ballplatz Chief of Section Count Johann Forgach, and retired Austrian diplomat Count Heinrich von Lutzow. Because Lutzow is his senior, Berchtold sees him as a kind of unofficial advisor. During the talk, Lutzow calls the idea of “localizing” a conflict with Serbia “fantasy.” He leaves deeply concerned over Berchtold’s plans.
T-Rav: Believe it or not, the majority of Japanese women are NOT anime fans, so you'd have a much better than 50 percent shot at avoiding it. I brought up anime to my friend's wife and she just sort of rolled her eyes.
Zimmerman Acquitted!
Zimmermann not guilty, thank God. Batten down the hatches if you live in certain parts of Florida.
Its no shock the jury let Zimmerman get away with it. Hopefully the next black person the play cop stalks kills him before he kills them. Or maybe some vigilante will take him down. Or maybe he dies of old age. Time will tell.
Rustbelt, you and the others can count me as another member of the Commentarama Singles Club. I've never had any luck in that area my entire life, and at my age having only one almost-relationship with a completely psychotic girl I only knew online is just a bit pathetic. I've thought about going on dating sites myself, but I'm pretty sure I'll just get laughed off of one until I somehow manage to improve my professional situation. I'll keep the Japanese one in mind as well, though I don't know how much luck I'd have there. I'm not an anime watcher, but most of the games I play do have a strong anime influence, so I'm not sure how well that would go over. >_>
I used to read Dr. Helen's blog sporadically a while back and always found it interesting if nothing else. I don't know if I've ever noticed anything like she writes about in my own life, even when I was at a large state university, but it's interesting to think about nonetheless. The redefinition of sexual harassment to something that broad is disturbing, though, and as frustrating as he can be I'm glad McCain's taken note of it.
The intrigue of WWI is getting more interesting to read as well... This series has been quite educational and a great read. Keep up the good work, Rustbelt!
- Daniel
Fine, we'll turn the place into a singles site.
BTW, folks...
Internet dating is the future and it makes sense. I know a LOT of people who've met that way and they are much happier than people who met the other way because they're more compatible. In fact, there was an article about this the other day that more people meet their spouses online now than in real life and they have longer and better relationships.
And that makes sense because when you go online, you can zero in on people who are likely to share your interests. Basically, you have a much broader choice of people and you rule out the obvious false positives you can't rule out when you walk into a bar. Also, these people tend to get to know each other before they actually meet, which means you are more likely to know what you're getting than you would meeting someone randomly. Honestly, the stupid way to do it is to wander the world aimlessly and hope you find someone.
And as for people who want to attach stigma to it, well, they can go f-themselves. They are wrong and they are being proven more wrong all the time. Moreover, what business is it of anyone's how you met your spouse?
So give it a shot. You've got nothing to lose.
Oh Bev - I meant the Bastille of course :)
Andrew - I have to tell you, I've been happily married for some 40 years, so I probably won't be doing any internet dating. I'm not judgin' though. :)
Jed, Congrats! :)
Still... the mob has spoken. We're becoming a dating site.
Oh, and carpe cakum!
Hm...the second half of my post got eaten. Geez. Well, I wasn't around to re-post. My brothers talked me into going to see 'Pacific Rim' this evening.
But I'll re-post to make sure it gets in.
Daniel, I'm glad not to be alone (pun intended) on this issue. And thanks for the support on the WWI series. I'm glad you like it!
JULY 13, 1914 (continued...)
After having Sarajevo native Danilo Ilitch recruit the conspirators (five teenagers dying from tuberculosis who, therefore, had nothing to lose), Apis had them trained and sent across the border. However, once the possibility of war with Austria was realized, attempts were made by both Serbian Prime Minister Pasic (who is seen as a pacifist enemy of the Black Hand), and by the Black Hand itself to stop the plot. Their attempts were too little, too late. The only order that reached the conspirators was a ‘STOP’ order from Apis himself (he was ordered to do so by other officers in the Black Hand). Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; Princip and the others ignored it and went ahead.
NOTE: None of this will come out until during and after the war.
Although the report failed to implicate the Serbian government, Berchtold thinks it will be enough for now. Some historians believe he may have simply assumed the proper evidence would be uncovered before the ultimatum was sent to Serbia. At any rate, he hopes this will be enough to get Tisza to sign off on military action when he meets with the Hungarian Prime Minister tomorrow.
Later that day, Berchtold discusses his plans with Tschirschky, Ballplatz Chief of Section Count Johann Forgach, and retired Austrian diplomat Count Heinrich von Lutzow. Because Lutzow is his senior, Berchtold sees him as a kind of unofficial advisor. During the talk, Lutzow calls the idea of “localizing” a conflict with Serbia “fantasy.” He leaves deeply concerned over Berchtold’s plans.
Now, we'll see if it stays up this time!
By the way, I have to admit, 'Pacific Rim' wasn't terrible. It promised giant robots vs. giant monsters and it delivered- although I had to wait half of the way through. (My brother elbowed me when I groaned after the cliches started 10 minutes in. I definitely called it when I thought "an hour of pointless character-building before it gets good.") Fortunately, the scientists- who I'll call Bobcat-Goldthwait-Without-a-Speech-Impediment and Caricacure-of-Aleister-Crowley-with-a-Cane- with hilarious and worth the cost of admission alone. Now, there were some quick "global warming has the planet suitable for the aliens thing." blah, blah, blah... At points, I was wondering if I'd have to watch "Godzilla vs. Monster Zero" to wash the taste out of my mouth. Then Ron Pearlman appeared on screen- as a monster-body-parts dealer dressed as a rap star livin' large, complete with gold-plated shoes. ("Somebody with way too much money to spend," my brother quipped.)
So, it wasn't awful. It did fulfill That Scifi Guy's action movie quota of a hero (Sam Wortingt- er, uh- Lifeless-esque bland), a douche (another robot driver), weird-looking geek (the aforementioned duo), multiple red shirts, and a girl.
(Here's what I'm talking about: Part 1, Part 2.
So, not awful. Better than I thought. Good summer popcorn flick.
(Previous post removed due to link issues.)
I don´t know much about internet dating but I know this: for God´s sake stay away from women with e-mail handles like stonerwitch73.
Andrew.....I believe you are right about the future of dating being internet related. Heck, a lot of "old" actions are now being done via the internets. When people are applying for jobs, many firms HR dept. will search all the applicant's social media sites to see what they're in to. People do this all the time to each other, not only when they start seeing each other, but even friends. A look at most young adults Facebook page can tell a lot about them. Anything from their avatar to likes and dislikes. I hear all too often that my kids will "defriend" someone they know based on a linked article or site they've posted.
So, having tried the main internet dating site for members of a certain generation, I can tell you that online personas can be just as fake as real-life personas, and while you might meet someone who shares many of the same traits you do, you still have to actually meet them and spend time with them before you can safely say you are compatible. The old infatuation versus love.
With that said, the internet is still a great place to find potential partners. And it is here to stay, albeit with more video options before meeting. Example, don't spend time on these sites without a 'recent' picture of the potential friend posted and verified.
Does anyone know of a free program to resize a video I shot on my phone? It is too large to send as is.
I have been happily married now for 14 years. I met my wife at work (we were residents together). She used to give me crap about dating nurses but dating nurses was great. They always asked me out and paid and I didn't have to put out.
I'm actually glad to hear Pacific Rim wasn't terrible. I wanted to see it due to two words: Ron Pearlman.
I too am also enjoying the WWI history lesson.
Vive la France! I love what they have done with potatoes and toast.
Bev, Sorry, I have no idea.
I've met people in real life and online, though I haven't actually done a dating service... I tend to stumble across people.
In my experience, whatever works works and I'm happy for people however they meet. I do get annoyed though with people who look down on others because of the way they met. Just be happy that people are meeting.
BTW, There is an article tonight, but I'm not sure if I can write articles all week. Still feverish... probably dying... could be plague.
The plague...Don't even joke about that...Get well! I will post something for tuesand wed. Just get well.
Thanks Bev! :)
Probably got it from all those prairie dogs (I call them prairie rats) that these crazy colorado people are always trying to protect.
I can come up with far scarier etiologies but most likely it is due to poisoning from the either the far left or far right. Maybe you are a targeted individual being tortured by the government via GWEN towers.
Koshcat, I would imagine ebola is a lot worse. Or zombism... brains, brains!. Or incontinent zombism... bran, bran!
I like to think I was poisoned by a secret agency above the NSA for speaking truth to power that one time when I said that thing. Power to the people! Actually, it was probably Rick Santorum.
I'll send Jesse Ventura out to investigate your "illness".
In the meantime, stop buying tamales from the vans on the side of the road. I don't care how yummy they are. If you come down with leukemia or something, I'll take care of you...cash up front. :)
Jesse the body! Awesome.
LOL! You know, I see a lot of those lately. I have been tempted actually. LOL!
If I ever get leukemia, I'll come see you! :)
It was my silly political 'scorecard' question from a few days ago, wasn't it? I knew it! Andrew was a healthy, functioning human being before I posted that... and now look at him.
I'm so sorry!
(Hmmm... if it had that kind of effect, maybe I should email it to MSNBC and see what happens... perhaps I can twist this horror into an agent for good instead of evil!)
Hope you get well soon, Andrew!
Andrew -
Get well soon!
(It's been too long since the last Sunday debate.) :-)
And unfortunately, I'm too busy at the moment to conjure up an article for this week.
Backthrow, Thanks!
No, it wasn't the scorecard. It was probably the prairie dog tomales Rick Santorum sent me in the mail.
That said, it would be nice to have that kind of power! Send away to MSNBC... who knows what will happen! :)
Scott, We expect big things from you at the Container Store! :)
Interesting thoughts about online dating all around. Given my interests, outlook on life, and such it doesn't seem like a bad bet provided I can turn some of this mess in my life around. I haven't seen people look down on it down here (if anything I get told to try them frequently), but it really shouldn't matter how people meet as long as it works out all right. And I also just realized that the names of the women along the bottom of the Japanese dating site are all Chinese. Hmm...
Well, in any case feel better soon Andrew!
- Daniel
Countdown to Catastrophe
JULY 14, 1914 (99 years ago today…)
Hungarian Prime Minister Tisza returns to Vienna and meets with Berchtold. After weeks of back-and-forth debate, Tisza finally yields and declares his support for possible military action against Serbia. According to my sources, there are two possible explanations for Tisza’s change of heart.
Count Tisza’s initial reluctance to support such action was never unexpected. Educated in Berlin, he would’ve preferred doing business with up-and-coming Germany, rather having to work with creaking-at-the-gears Austria. (He regarded Germany’s Iron Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, as his role model.) His primary goal is maintaining Hungary’s authority within the empire, working with the Austrians and undermining the Slavs when such actions suit that goal.
According to Sean McMeekin (“July 1914”), Tisza was mainly worn down by the pressure being brought by other officials. It seems the demonstrations in Belgrade, along with the anti-Austrian tone of the Serbian papers, have gotten on his nerves. Also, the unwavering support of Germany has greatly impressed him.
But according to S.L.A. Marshall ("World War I"), Tisza’s main concern continued to be the empire’s designs on a possible post-war Serbia. Again concerned that any annexed Serbian territory would only add more Slavic subjects- under Vienna's jurisdiction- to the empire, and thus weaken Hungary’s authority, he asks Berchtold point-blank if there will be any territorial demands on Serbia. Berchtold says “no”- lying right to Tisza’s face.
Whatever the reason, Tisza now believes the empire must “put an end to the unendurable state of affairs in the southeast (Serbia).” However, he adds one more condition in return for his support: that the demands and ultimatum (which will eventually be combined into one official document) be approved by the full Austrian Council of Ministers. The Council, however, can’t meet until July 19th (likely due to scheduling conflicts coupled with the need for continuing secrecy). Because Berchtold still needs the head of the Hungarian government to agree to the ultimatum, he agrees.
As the two finish their meeting, Berchtold also agrees to make one more change to the list of demands to be sent to Serbia. Tisza had (for diplomatic reasons) objected to the word “ultimatum” in the document. Berchtold changes it to a “note with a time limit” (recalling Conrad’s recommendation). He and his staff now continue work on the actual note.
Meanwhile, the Austrian embassies in Berlin and St. Petersburg are ordered to continue denying rumors of a planned Austrian attack on Serbia.
Thanks Daniel. I know a lot of "old schoolers" who make a big deal of looking down on people who do things in ways they didn't back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Recent quotes I found humorous:
1. The worst thing the government ever did was break up AT&T.
2. What does anybody need a cell phone for?
Have you noticed the crazy clothes these young people are wearing? My father wore the same suit to work every day his whole life. Now you walk into an office and everyone's dressed like clowns!
And what about aeroplanes!? If man was meant to fly, he'da been born with wings.
"God in his wisdom has provided man with natural forks - his fingers. Therefore it is an insult to Him to substitute artificial metallic forks for them when eating."
tryanmax, That is an awesome quote I will need to use on someone at one point.
What I don't understand is the reflex: "I don't personally like X/see a use for X, ergo X should not be."
All this talk of Online Dating reminds me of a music video by Felicia Day for the web show The Guild.
"Do You Wanna Date My Avatar?"
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