jk,
Yeah, the second line lacks coherence. It was in there to point to the fact that one is no longer even free to die (or to complete one's death). I guess the additional connotations of the Liberty Bell in American history are a distraction.
I've come out of a tradition where folks "know" that the benefits of imposing their beliefs on others far outweigh the rights of those people to "ruin their lives" by living or thinking the wrong way. They see it as a responsibility to love, aid and guide those who are less fortunate and unaware or uncaring of the judgement to come. Most of these believers cannot bring themselves to even consider that the constraints they want to impose and the doctrine they teach could be a negative influence. The thought that their "good" could be anybody's "evil" is quickly dismissed.
The (wryly) amusing thing is that they can look at the advance of other religions (e.g. Islam) and easily identify the evil. *sigh*
Some of those phrases are excellent, especially the last, which is a powerful image. I don't like the second line. It's kind of a reach.
BTW, isn't writing a lot like playing jazz or doing anything that requires letting go and absorption into the moment? You find not the same vein but another that works, perhaps its cousin, only when you cease striving to return to that vanished spot in time.
Why do some people, the believers, feel compelled to press their views on the rest? I come from a tradition - which like any tradition believes it has at least something "best" about itself (or why exist?)- but which takes the explicit point of view that what others do is their business. The need to impose belief is first cousin to evil.
I read on the Internet that the more brilliant you are, the more you doubt yourself. Not, of course, that I believe everything I read on the Internet, but who knows? Maybe it's true. Maybe you're really this century's Chaucer.
a) A zombie
b) A zmobie or zobmie from the Kingdom of Loathing
c) An Internet lynch mob
d) Something incredibly witty, which I, in my dozy state, am missing completely.
I suppose it's always possible that the German regulations did allow for such an absurd situation as forced prostitution. All it takes for that to come about is two separate bureaucratic departments each setting regulations based on what they see as fair and reasonable: one that demands that any legitimate business can offer jobs to the unemployed, and the other that demands that an unemployed person can't reject a job offer and keep getting benefits. When the two sets of regulations are used together, an absurd situation arises that neither department predicted.
Under those conditions, a petty-minded rule-following employment officer could have threatened a woman with loss of benefits if she didn't take a job as a sex worker. But let's face it, even the most officious worker wouldn't do that unless someone had really pissed them off. If it did come to that, the usual process of appeal to higher authority should have been followed, and, given time, the rules would be changed.
The WND's agenda is pretty clear. They wanted to present a "Look what happens when you legalize prostitution" argument. They had no interest in presenting any information on whether the woman's claims were true, or, if they were, what steps were being taken to remedy the problem. To them it's fear to feed to the fundie masses.
It's all academic now. Here's an update where a reporter has taken the trouble to get the other side of the story:
A spokesman for the Federal Labour Office said that if job seekers said they were prepared to work as, for example, dancers in strip bars, advisers could put them in touch with any suitable employers, but vacancies would not be displayed in job centres.
He also stressed job centres would not look for prostitutes on behalf of brothels, nor offer sex industry jobs to people who had not specifically mentioned it as an area of interest.
Speculation has grown over recent weeks that Germany's new welfare reforms, obliging the long-term unemployed to take any available job or risk losing their benefits, could lead to women being offered jobs in the sex industry.
"One can't expect everyone to be prepared to work in the sex industry," Ms Luft said.
"Plus if people aren't very attractive they aren't going to make much money."
It's looking good to me. I particularly like the subtle off-grey in the background. Very classy. I ought to redo mine, and all. It's had the same lame-O picture on it forever.
Lovely limericks, too (in the next post). Had a good chuckle over those.
Thanks rudiger.
There's probably a rich supply of googlewhack-juice in the oedilf definitions. The transcendentalism + acetylsalicylic whack was from a lucky coincidence between a page of one author's limericks with a randomly chosen limerick in the page banner. It's a googlewhack that might disappear the next time google indexes the OEDILF pages.
i could not find your e-mail on this website (i didnt spend much time looking though) i just wanted to tell you that your website is a googlewhack for the words transcendentalism and acetylsalicylic
Most definitely.
Although Chauncy set a bad example by doing too much hands-on gardening, I'm happy to quote his "I like to watch" line completely out of context. ;)
jk,
Yeah, the second line lacks coherence. It was in there to point to the fact that one is no longer even free to die (or to complete one's death). I guess the additional connotations of the Liberty Bell in American history are a distraction.
I've come out of a tradition where folks "know" that the benefits of imposing their beliefs on others far outweigh the rights of those people to "ruin their lives" by living or thinking the wrong way. They see it as a responsibility to love, aid and guide those who are less fortunate and unaware or uncaring of the judgement to come. Most of these believers cannot bring themselves to even consider that the constraints they want to impose and the doctrine they teach could be a negative influence. The thought that their "good" could be anybody's "evil" is quickly dismissed.
The (wryly) amusing thing is that they can look at the advance of other religions (e.g. Islam) and easily identify the evil. *sigh*
Some of those phrases are excellent, especially the last, which is a powerful image. I don't like the second line. It's kind of a reach.
BTW, isn't writing a lot like playing jazz or doing anything that requires letting go and absorption into the moment? You find not the same vein but another that works, perhaps its cousin, only when you cease striving to return to that vanished spot in time.
Why do some people, the believers, feel compelled to press their views on the rest? I come from a tradition - which like any tradition believes it has at least something "best" about itself (or why exist?)- but which takes the explicit point of view that what others do is their business. The need to impose belief is first cousin to evil.
Ah, but without these illusory victories, what would remain?
/pessimism
I wish.
Maybe if I build up and maintain the delusion for long enough...
http://www.virgilanti.com/journal/pivot/entry.php?id=433
I read on the Internet that the more brilliant you are, the more you doubt yourself. Not, of course, that I believe everything I read on the Internet, but who knows? Maybe it's true. Maybe you're really this century's Chaucer.
The Victor Hugo paired with bulging bubo really got me.
Ha, ha! That was great. Lots of brilliant words in there, and all, and the structure really added to the amusement value. More! More!
a) A zombie
b) A zmobie or zobmie from the Kingdom of Loathing
c) An Internet lynch mob
d) Something incredibly witty, which I, in my dozy state, am missing completely.
These spam comments are the pits. Just wait till they start sneaking past your blacklist.... Sigh.
I suppose it's always possible that the German regulations did allow for such an absurd situation as forced prostitution. All it takes for that to come about is two separate bureaucratic departments each setting regulations based on what they see as fair and reasonable: one that demands that any legitimate business can offer jobs to the unemployed, and the other that demands that an unemployed person can't reject a job offer and keep getting benefits. When the two sets of regulations are used together, an absurd situation arises that neither department predicted.
Under those conditions, a petty-minded rule-following employment officer could have threatened a woman with loss of benefits if she didn't take a job as a sex worker. But let's face it, even the most officious worker wouldn't do that unless someone had really pissed them off. If it did come to that, the usual process of appeal to higher authority should have been followed, and, given time, the rules would be changed.
The WND's agenda is pretty clear. They wanted to present a "Look what happens when you legalize prostitution" argument. They had no interest in presenting any information on whether the woman's claims were true, or, if they were, what steps were being taken to remedy the problem. To them it's fear to feed to the fundie masses.
It's all academic now. Here's an update where a reporter has taken the trouble to get the other side of the story:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200502/s1293331.htm
A spokesman for the Federal Labour Office said that if job seekers said they were prepared to work as, for example, dancers in strip bars, advisers could put them in touch with any suitable employers, but vacancies would not be displayed in job centres.
He also stressed job centres would not look for prostitutes on behalf of brothels, nor offer sex industry jobs to people who had not specifically mentioned it as an area of interest.
Speculation has grown over recent weeks that Germany's new welfare reforms, obliging the long-term unemployed to take any available job or risk losing their benefits, could lead to women being offered jobs in the sex industry.
"One can't expect everyone to be prepared to work in the sex industry," Ms Luft said.
"Plus if people aren't very attractive they aren't going to make much money."
Hah! They were on about that over at eatpoo.com. I knew it was too good...er, bad...to be true. Good for a laugh, though.
It's a common problem. I need to update the rest of my site. It's been languishing while my attention's been elsewhere.
It's looking good to me. I particularly like the subtle off-grey in the background. Very classy. I ought to redo mine, and all. It's had the same lame-O picture on it forever.
Lovely limericks, too (in the next post). Had a good chuckle over those.
I like the last two, the last one a lot. "ebbs and floes" is priceless.
Good call, JK. I've bumped it up a little. You may have to hit refresh to force it to reread the style sheet.
The text is a little small for me. I can bump it up once, but doing it twice makes the headings wrap wrong.
The last one is the best, technically as well as in terms of amusement. Bonzer stuff, mate. (Ha, ha! Bonzer! I said "bonzer"!)
need a limerick for my mother on her birthday
Thanks rudiger.
There's probably a rich supply of googlewhack-juice in the oedilf definitions. The transcendentalism + acetylsalicylic whack was from a lucky coincidence between a page of one author's limericks with a randomly chosen limerick in the page banner. It's a googlewhack that might disappear the next time google indexes the OEDILF pages.
i could not find your e-mail on this website (i didnt spend much time looking though) i just wanted to tell you that your website is a googlewhack for the words transcendentalism and acetylsalicylic
-rudiger
Love the site Virge, how many OEDILFers actually visit you?
In re Peter Sellers, saw a preview for the remake of The Pink Panther with Steve Martin. Made me realize anew how special Sellers was.
Most definitely.
Although Chauncy set a bad example by doing too much hands-on gardening, I'm happy to quote his "I like to watch" line completely out of context. ;)
Is that Chauncy Gardiner?
:D:D:D
An artist who collects cow hairballs!
*steps back for better perspective*
When humans aren't expressing stupidity in group behaviour, they can be entertaining and endearing.