zerostao

wang chung

wave

current

a semi automatic baseball bat is better than nothing for many. would you rather have the ball bat, sword, staff, bow, whip, tomahawk. it depends on the individual and some are just not wired/cutout/capable for such action. Even some with guns freeze and fail to perform, about 1/3 I think---even those who are in combat or leo units. And if you're under attack on whatever level of crime, unless you have guards posted closeby, it is common sense to be able to defend yourself,,if you want to add until the proper authorities arrive, that is you, because uttering that would cause me to lose my breakfast.

Truly

z

Someone once told me that when you find yourself deep in a hole that you should stop digging. I wanted to pass that advice on to you.

Taomeow, I think you should stay. I was there in the thread when it went down, and I was staying out of the crossfire between your and jonesboy's exchange. I think ZYD's initial Mod Notification is a post that should be hidden, retracted and apologized for, either by him or Admin. Initially, I wondered if perhaps ZYD was trying to inject some humor in hopes of de-escalation, but that attempt missed by a wide mark as it Flamed beyond any posts or exchange posted on the history of the thread, and that is saying something. I felt compelled to reply to ZYD's Mod post, and his response was "so be it"---and I read that as he intended it to come across as fucked up as it read. Maybe some bum that has never been a mod will consider to take on the role. Being a Mod can take a toll over time. I've heard 'butthurt' used, and among guys, it's no biggie, I personally would not direct that adjective towards a female, due to possible (intended or not) connotations, but that's me. Either way, there is no reason (unless you feel totally sure about it) for you to leave.

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Sarah Winnemucca's Life among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims is a transformative work for several reasons. This is her autobiography and memoirs, and it was a virtuous attempt to bridge understanding between the cultures of Native Americans with the newly arrived and dominant European settlers. Winnemucca asserts an ideal that is a respectful, complementary, symbiotic, and reciprocal relative to a relationship with the "other" by enacting Indigenous feminism as a social project to serve and save her Piute tribe. At the beginning of chapter one, Winnemucca describes the apprehension felt by the Piute symbolically by the approach of the settlers; "They came like a lion, yes, like a roaring lion, and have continued so ever since, and I have never forgotten their first coming" (Winnemucca). Winnemucca embodies the bridge of understanding between the two cultures. She offers a philosophy that is complementary, both similar and different, simultaneously incorporating and critically responding to the aggressive polarity of colonialist gender roles. She uses translations and mediations of gender and crossover to advantage among the European settlers and Piutes. She presents a clear understanding of the complexity of language and cultural translation needed to relate and reflect social constructs and actions. Winnemucca presents herself to allow people to judge her on how her actions are reflected by her words. By doing so she is complementary and reciprocal, presenting her culture's traditions setting a path for fellow Piutes and also the European settlers. Winnemucca demonstrates a self-determined sovereignty by asserting her agency and participating in the developing "inclusive" American national identity. Her Indigenous feminism simultaneously critiques the power based dominant discourse and actions as enforcing binaries and hierarchies rather than communal needs. " You call my people bloodseeking. My people did not seek to kill them, nor did they steal their horses, – no, no, far from it. During the winter my people helped them. They gave them such as they had to eat. They did not hold out their hands and say:– "You can't have anything to eat unless you pay me." No, – no such word was used by us savages at that time; and the persons I am speaking of are living yet; they could speak for us if they choose to do so" (Winnemucca). Winnemucca transcends being a Piute woman. She reflects a myriad of possible genders, races, and cultures, blending into a nationality. She moves across identities with various social and political positions beyond simplistic binaries. Winnemucca attempts to break down the barriers of gender and race, within a traditional Piute context. Her reciprocity reveals another layer of the conflict: cross-cultural understanding, acceptance, mediation, and translation. Chapter Two, Domestic and Social Moralities is heartfelt, charming, and humanistic. She tells of warrior women and suggests that the (1882) Congress in Washington could use a few women. Here is another passage where Winnemucca presents a different but similar example; "The men are in the inner circle, for there would be too much smoke for the women inside. The men never talk without smoking first. The women sit behind them in another circle, and if the children wish to hear, they can be there too. The women know as much as the men do, and their advice is often asked. We have a republic as well as you. The council-tent is our Congress, and anybody can speak who has anything to say, women and all. They are always interested in what their husbands are doing and thinking about" (Winnemucca). I posted already how the Cherokee were a matriarchal society. The Piute may have been patriarchal, yet, they included the women at all levels. I think if I had an opportunity to start a new society, it wouldn't be purely patriarchal or matriarchal; I think basing it on the Piute model would be a thought.

Crisis? What crisis?

The Cardinals sound sweet today. When I returned after a three-year absence at the cottage the starlings were here. Last summer I watched as cardinals tried to gain access to the yard. Starlings met them in mid-air collisions around the hedgerow. I have some nice trees and the creek bank, but trees and creeks are not in short supply here. So, I have no idea why my yard is a turf battle. I do not put seed out. No starlings this year so far. Interesting link, I think. Ravens and evolution.

knowledge and wisdom, two different things IMO) a 'good talker' uses concise language, eloquent is something else-- I do have a weakness for eloquent people- - However, simple and concise is preferred. State your point/case in clear, understandable language. For me, clever is one of those tricky words. I think most use that word as a positive descriptor. I don't. Clever is not wisdom. Clever could be a tactic; a two move cheap shot sort of thing.

We're living in the perfect passive pervasive panoptical utopia prison.

0

z

Billy Beer

I think it was Oscar Wilde that said: "I can resist everything except temptation." And I used to be like that, even when I knew beyond all doubt, that I was making a terrible choice. Then one day I resisted temptation and felt empowered. I don't want to get cliche and go Sun Tzu, but conquering oneself is a milestone. Over time with small, infrequent successes I began having more frequent success and with those experiences my confidence built. Do I still strike out sometimes? Yes, I do, but I have a much higher success rate these days. I am no less spontaneous either. I liked your reference to gongfu; I see it that way myself.