karen’s Neighbors

2012 and all that

nobody@vox.com(DoctorD) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:53:01 -0800

I saw the movie today--this is its opening weekend--and really enjoyed it quite a bit. Many reviews, though, have been quite critical (although the audience reception worldwide has been huge).

The criticism is hard for me to understand. I wonder if the problem isn't a concern that people might take the story seriously as some kind of prediction. But really, really--what could the Mayans have possibly figured out about the distant future of planet earth? Are people so gullible that they don't believe in evolution, but they do believe in an ancient forecast of the apocalypse? They think global warming isn't really a problem, but that the alignment of the stars in 2012 is?

One concern for me is that there were an awful lot of collapsing buildings. If I lived in New York, and especially if I had lost a loved one on 9/11, I would be deeply offended. There is a moral issue, too, in that 6 billion or so people die from the events the movie portrays, but we only care about a dozen or so principal characters.

Still, as movies go, it is pretty good. I have enjoyed a lot of science fiction movies, without being too concerned about whether or not the stories were very plausible. Plausibility isn't the point. Viewed purely as entertainment, and as a demonstration of the art of cinematography and special effects, 2012 s rather impressive. And there are some excellent cast members.

I didn't buy any popcorn, though: first time I haven't in decades. It has just gotten to cost too much.

One forecast I would offer, based on what I saw. If you want to visit Yellowstone National Park, 2012 might be a good year to go. The crowds are likely to be smaller then.

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08:28 @carbonnet: glad ur okay!

nobody@vox.com(Austin1234) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:02:48 -0800

08:28 @carbonnet: glad ur okay! #
12:42 Driving back from Santa Barbara, happy and tired. #

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HPV vaccination

nobody@vox.com(lauowolf) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:47:00 -0800

I'd been wondering why they were only vaccinating girls, when boys are a transmission vector.
And if you were trying to wipe out a virus, wouldn't you want to eliminate the source and all.

Logically, if you want to protect your girls, you need to vaccinate the boys too, no?
Is not a single-gender virus.

I just came across this:

"HPV vaccine will eventually be available for boys and men ages 9 to 26 because the Food and Drug Administration approved it for prevention of genital warts in October."

Well, that's nice.
Wouldn't want them getting warts on their little heehaws in the course of transmitting potentially lethel germies....

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Picking chestnuts

nobody@vox.com(aa) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:08:15 -0800

It's going to be some good Thanksgiving eats this year!

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Tweets for Today

nobody@vox.com(Nob Seki) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:01:47 -0800

10:58 @neohawk よく考えたら11/21（土）でもいい気がしてきた。ご予定は？ #
12:20 ミシュランガイドの歴史を見て最初に驚いたのは、ミシュランマンという名前だと思っていたタイヤのキャラが実は「ビバンダム」という名前だったこと #MiGuideTrivia bit.ly/X60Qf #
13:05 @neohawk じゃあ11/21にしましょう、シャンの日。さて食べ物は、今日はどんな趣向で行きますかねー？ #
15:37 ミシュランガイドの歴史は、歴史好きの私にとって楽しい発見の連続。なんとノルマ\xE3 \x83\xB3ディ上陸作戦の地図として、1939年版ミシュランガイドが再版され連合軍に配られたとか！ #MiGuideTrivia bit.ly/RLU70 #
21:08 @kenjieno's song just started! (kenji_eno live › ustre.am/3zdV) #

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Scapegoats

nobody@vox.com(Fiona) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:38:23 -0800

Scapegoat

In Biblical times, the Scapegoat was an important community ritual, whereby a litany of the sins and tribulations of the tribe were recited, and symbolically laden onto the back of a goat. The goat was then released into the desert, to bear their burdens away.

A cleansing had occurred, through the ritual of naming and atonement.

~ Melissa Penn

~*~
But scapegoating isn’t about ritual anymore, is it?

We don’t make masks, or sacrifice goats – we sacrifice people – people who challenge our status quo, make us feel uncomfortable, do things we don’t agree with or think are ‘right’ – or people who fail to do what we have decided they ’should have’ done. Scapegoats are people who are just plain vulnerable to the hostile social, psychological discrediting routine some people use to shift accountability, responsibility, guilt and blame away from themselves. As was said in a recent Tricycle post, “if you want to hurt someone, demonize them first.”

Scapegoats are sisters, brothers, fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, lovers, husbands, wives, ex-anyones, co-workers – they sit beside you in restaurants, on buses, and at your dinner table.

Scapegoats are never born. They are made.

Scapegoat could be me …
or you.

Thoughts to ponder:

Do you feel you have been scapegoated in your family?
Can you be self aware enough to see where you may have scapegoated others in your family?
What might change in your family if people could deal openly and compassionately with the issue of scapegoating?

[reposted from E-Strange]

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16:36 Just came across a

nobody@vox.com(Austin1234) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:02:31 -0800

16:36 Just came across a cyclist down on the road, thankfully he's okay and now on his way home #

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An ominous dump run

nobody@vox.com(aa) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:55:43 -0800

It seemed about to rain all day. Glad it didn't, we accomplished a lot.

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Yet again, I must ask: WTF, VOX?

nobody@vox.com(brownamazon) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:33:38 -0800

Fuckity FUCK. I just tried to post and upload a video. I got the following existential error message from Vox:

"Sadly, your search couldn’t be completed. You could try again, but it still might not work. The world is a very unpredictable place. For this, we are truly sorry."

That sounds very, um, Protestant.

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This dumpster is fighting breast cancer

nobody@vox.com(RedScylla) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:37:38 -0800

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime\xAE 6.5 or higher is required.

1114091536.jpg

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