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100 songs that changed history
Time Out explores the music that changed the course of world events
Breakdown of the songs that changed history
'Blowin' in the Wind' – Bob Dylan (1962)Chosen by Everything Everything
The band say: 'Blowin' in the Wind': Bob Dylan's classic has been used as a protest anthem ever since its release in 1962. It was considered a civil rights anthem and Sam Cooke thought it could be lent to the cause and began to perform it as part of his live set. It was later an anthem for the Vietnam anti-war movement and more recently in Iraq anti-war protests.'
'Self Destruction' – Stop The Violence Movement (1989)
Outraged by the death of a fan during a show by his outfit Boogie Down Productions, legendary rapper KRS-One assembled a dream team of East Coast MCs, including Public Enemy, Stetsasonic and Kool Moe Dee, to record peace-promoting anthem 'Self-Destruction'. The world's inner cities have been untroubled by violence ever since. Not really – in fact, KRS recorded a new version in 2008 (called 'Self-Construction') to try to stop the violence again. But 'Self Destruction', and the Stop The Violence Movement campaign, was an important milestone in establishing the soul of hip hop and demonstrating its potential for positive social change, giving birth to what is now referred to as the 'conscious philosophy'.
'American Idiot' – Green Day (2004)
In the early Noughties, this pop-punk trio were on the slippery slope to irrelevancy, but when an entire album's worth of recorded songs were stolen, Billie Joe and co went back to the drawing board. Drawing inspiration from the Bush's ham-fisted leadership, the band produced a career-rejuvenating punk rock concept record that went on to shift 14 million units. The title track was a rallying three-chord cry encouraging music lovers to question their neo-conservative government and the media's brainwash agenda. For the first time in decades, political pop was a mainstream mega-smash
'Mississippi Goddam' – Nina Simone (1964)
The roots of one of one of the most nuanced protest songs ever were anything but calm. After a spate of Klan killings in 1963, the murder of four children at Alabama's 16th Street Baptist Church sent Nina Simone into such a rage that she initially attempted to assemble a crude zip gun. Talked down by her husband, she took her fury immediately to the piano and within an hour had 'Mississippi Goddam'. Incredibly, it transcends its manic creation. After lulling the listener in with a jaunty show tune rhythm, Simone subtly changes key from G to E at which point she bombards them with a relentless, beautiful torrent of anger and outrage over the slow speed of change. Though banned in several Southern states, it was a long-overdue articulation that resonated hugely until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and beyond.
'Symphony No. 7' – Dmitri Shostakovich (1942)Chosen by Dan Cruickshank, art historian, honorary fellow of the Royal Institution of British Artists, author and TV/radio broadcaster
'The Leningrad premiere of Shostakovich's 7th Symphony was given on the 9 August 1942 - and perhaps never before in history had music been used as such a direct weapon of war. The city had been under siege by Nazi Germany for nearly a year but continued to resist. Its people needed their morale and spirits lifted, and the Symphony was intended to do that. It was also to proclaim the spirit of resolve and resistance to the Germans. The Leningrad premier was to be an act of defiance and of war, but it was also to be symbolic. The 9th of August – the day chosen for the performance – was also the date Hitler has chosen to celebrate the expected fall of Leningrad. Loudspeakers broadcast the performance to the whole city and to the encircling German army, with the premiere preceded by a bombardment of the German positions and a military sortie. The city endured – no doubt partly thanks to this Symphony – until relieved in January 1944.'
'Bird of Prey' – Uriah Heep (1971)
No wonder Mikhail Gorbachev was increasingly given the cold (war) shoulder throughout the '80s, until he was challenged (unsuccessfully) by a coup in 1991. After opening up the USSR politically and culturally with his radical glasnost policy, which pinnacle of Western musical achievement did he first usher through the Iron Curtain? UK prog-rock/fantasy-metal quintet Uriah Heep. This song was first in a set played over ten nights in December 1987 at Moscow's Olympic Stadium,to around 180,000 people, and it marked a breakthrough in terms of the recognition of, and hunger for, Western rock music and pop culture in the USSR. All we can say is – we're sorry.
'What's Going On?' – Marvin Gaye (1971)As picked by Wild Beasts' Hayden Thorpe
'In retrospect there wasn't really anyone on par with Gaye at that point in terms of how he cut across so many boundaries. He was this sort of sex symbol, and he was cutting across the racist culture of America at the time. It's a highly politicised song, when lot of soul music at that time was supposed to be good time music, keeping people in their place and keeping people happy. All of a sudden, here was Gaye cutting across all that and making quite a poignant expression of people's dissatisfaction. He grew his beard at that time as a symbol of his alliance with all those black guys going to Vietnam to fight for a country they didn't even support. The effeminate sound of the song and how sensual he sang is also quite remarkable when singing about such a robust subject. He delivers it in an almost erotic way, which is pretty remarkable I think.'
'Symphony No. 9' – Ludwig van Beethoven (1824)
Whether or not Beethoven's perennially popular ninth symphony (colloquially known as 'Ode to Joy') has changed history itself, it's certainly been the soundtrack for more dramatic national transitions than any other ditty. Leonard Bernstein performed it (retitled 'Ode to Freedom') at a concert to mark the fall of the Berlin Wall (although, we must say, it's no 'Looking for Freedom') before it was adopted as the official anthem of the European Union. 'Ode to Joy' also became the placeholder national anthem for the newly established state of Kosovo in recognition of the EU's role in the nation's creation. Small wonder, though – after its debut performance in Vienna, police had to stop the crowd from giving Beethoven standing ovations, as the composer's popularity ran the risk of riling the Austrian emperor.
'Nothing to My Name' – Cui Jian (1989)
Although this song catapulted Cui Jian into stardom four years earlier, it was adopted by students occupying Tiananmen Square in 1989. Lyrically opaque, it conveyed a sense of longing that enabled it to be interpreted as a love song or a plea for political solidarity. A ponderous, Springsteen-style rock ballad featuring suona (Chinese oboe) and dizi (bamboo flute), it was performed by Cui Jian in the square and seized on as a protest song. Interestingly, he now denies that it was one. Of course, 'Nothing to My Name' did not result in immediate change, but it is the anthem around which widespread agitation for greater freedoms in China first coalesced.
'Billie Jean' – Michael Jackson (1983)
'Billie Jean' didn't so much change the landscape of pop as mark its transition from art form to industry. Although the selling of pop had always been big business, 'Billie Jean' was the product of an expensive, high-tech production line helmed by composer/producer/all-round genius Quincy Jones. The track was mixed 91 times before it was considered ready for release. The results were clearly worth the investment – 'Billie Jean' broke MTV's (unofficial) colour barrier by being the first video by a black artist to enter heavy rotation on the channel, and the track's success bankrolled the 'Thriller' video, which contributed to the LP becoming the bestselling album of all time.


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Tweet One of my favorite things to do in New York City is take Karate Boy and head out on a Staycation. Last week I invited a dear Mummy friend Tamara and her kids to join us on a short but fabulous trip to the Hamptons, Sag Harbor to be exact. A two hour drive "Read more"
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By Mike Benbow Special to The Herald
STANWOOD — It isn't often that a community festival focuses on visitors from far away, but that's what the Port Susan Birding and Snow Goose Festival is all about.
In its eighth year, the Stanwood-area festival on Feb. 23 and 24 will focus on geese, swans and other shorebirds from the far north.
The event is a birder's delight, offering expert speakers and a variety of guided and unguided trips to the area's top sites for birding.
And the best part about it is that attendance is free.
Speakers include Charles Duncan, executive director of the Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network, and Rob Butler, an expert on shorebird conservation. Their visit to the area acknowledges the region's recent designation as a site of importance to the survival of shorebirds. Some 20,000 shorebirds migrate to the deltas of the Stillaguamish and Skagit rivers each winter.
Duncan will talk about his organization and its work. Butler will talk about the importance of protecting shorebirds and tell the story of the migration of the sandpiper.
Back for the third year in a row is Vasily Baranyuk, a senior scientist with Russia's Wrangel Island Nature Preserve, the breeding ground for the snow geese that visit this area. Baranyuk has studied the snow geese for 20 years.
There will be seminars on identifying shorebirds and waterfowl, and basic information about bald eagles.
In addition to seminars, talks and videos, there are field trips, including visits to the Nature Conservancy's property on Port Susan Bay, which just underwent a major restoration project.
Kat Morgan, Port Susan program manager for the conservancy, said the $4 million project finished last fall basically pared down an existing dike. The project returned about 150 acres of marginal farmland to the Stillaguamish River estuary, where it will provide more habitat for salmon and shorebirds.
There will be two tours of the property each day of the festival, and Morgan said she will be leading some of them to show people the work and talk about what it's intended to accomplish.
There will be other guided tours to look at shorebirds, a bus tour to see snow geese and swans, and a trip to Iverson Spit on Camano Island. Visitors will be steered to local birding sites for self-guided trips.
Registration online is required for many of the trips. Go to www.snowgoosefest.org.
Snow goose festival
Speakers, seminars and trips about a variety of birds.
When: Feb. 23 and 24.
Where: 27108 102nd Ave. NW, Stanwood.
Cost: Free.
Online: www.snowgoosefest.org. Trips fill up fast, so register early.


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Back-To-School Tax Free Weekend Info
TAMPA, Fla. (970 WFLA) - The Florida sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, August 1, 2014, and ends at midnight on Sunday, August 3, 2014.
During this period, no Florida sales tax or local option tax will be collected on sales of clothing, footwear, and certain accessories selling for $100 or less per item – this is an increase from $75 or less per item in 2013.
In addition, no tax will be collected on certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item, and on the first $750 of the sales price for computers and certain computer-related accessories when purchased for noncommercial home or personal use.
Items qualifying as back-to-school that are purchased online will also be tax-free.
A few things NOT tax free are briefcases, suitcases, garment bags, cellular phones, video game consoles, digital media receivers, televisions, and any devices that are not primarily designed to process data are NOT tax exempt during the holiday period.
CLICK HERE to see a list of all items for the back-to-school holiday from the state of Florida's web site


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NU Board of Regents to meet June 14
- 06/06/2007
In morning sessions, the Board of Regents will hear presentations on state funding, the operating budget, tuition recommendations and upcoming capital improvement projects.
The capital improvement update will provide information about: the University of Nebraska Medical Center's College of Dentistry, located on the East Campus at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; expansion and renovation of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation facility at the University of Nebraska at Omaha; and a real estate purchase and transfer to acquire Omaha Public Power District property adjacent to the southwest edge of the UNMC campus. The update also includes a proposal to renovate and update the 85-year-old Whittier Building near UNL to operate a modern research laboratory, office, and child care facility for use by UNL faculty, staff and students.
Also in morning sessions, the Board will be briefed on the proposed University operating budget and tuition increase. President James B. Milliken will recommend the approval of a 5 percent tuition increase for 2007-08, plus the 1 percent tuition assessment necessary to provide matching funds for NU building renovations authorized by LB 605. If the proposed increase is enacted, a resident undergraduate student would pay $9.50 more per credit hour at UNL, $8.75 more per credit hour at UNO and $7.75 more at UNK.
Last year a similar tuition increase at NU fell below the increases at comparative institutions, and the total tuition rates at UNL, UNO and UNK remained considerably below the average of their campus peers. Also, Milliken pointed out, additional financial aid will be available next year from reallocated University funds through the Tuition Assistance Program, $1 million in appropriations from the Legislature, and a significant increase in the Pell Grant for each eligible student.
"One of the keys for economic opportunity for Nebraskans is affordable access to a quality education, and that is our priority at the University of Nebraska," Milliken said. "We know that affordability is already a barrier to some, and we have set a goal of keeping tuition increases moderate and predictable, and increasing the amount of financial aid."
If approved, the University will have kept tuition increases for the past three consecutive years considerably lower than the significant increases during 2000-2005. In the early part of the decade, dramatic decreases in state support – including a 4.7 percent reduction in 2003-04 – led to NU budget cuts and four years of steep increases in tuition. "The Board of Regents, the chancellors and I pledged to keep tuition increases moderate and predictable – provided we received adequate state support," Milliken said. "Because of just such support from the Legislature and the Governor, we are now in a position to do that again this year."
Under the biennial budget recommended by the Appropriations Committee and signed into law by the governor, state funding for the university will increase by 4 percent in 2007-08, and 4.1 percent in 2008-09. This will address some but not all of the University's mandatory expenses for next year, such as salaries, utilities and maintaining our buildings, Milliken said. Even with the proposed increase in tuition, the University will be required to reallocate funds to meet these expenses.
The agenda for morning committee meetings follows:
8 a.m. Board Briefing
Topic: State Budget/Legislative Report
Presenter: James B. Milliken, President, University of Nebraska
8:30 a.m. Strategic Framework Task Force
Topic: State Funding, Tuition and Faculty Merit Compensation
Presenter: Chris Kabourek, Director of Budget, University of Nebraska
Topic: Need-Based Aid, 3-Year Accountability Measure
Presenter: President Milliken
Additional Topics: Dashboard Performance Indicators
Schedule for Setting Performance Indicators
9:30 a.m. Business Affairs Committee
Topic: 2008 Tuition and Operating Budget
Presenter: Chris Kabourek, Director of Budget, University of Nebraska
Topic: Capital Projects Review: Whittier at UNL; UNMC College of Dentistry at UNL; UNMC real estate purchase; Health, Physical Education and Recreation facility expansion/renovation at UNO
Presenters: Harvey Perlman, Chancellor, UNL
Don Leuenberger, Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance, UNMC
Julie Totten, Interim Vice Chancellor for Administration, UNO
11 a.m. Academic Affairs Committee/Strategic Framework Task Force
Topic: Creating a Culture of Excellent Teaching
Presenter: Linda Pratt, Executive Vice President and Provost, NU
Joy Ritchie, Chairperson, Department of English, UNL
Peter Longo, Chairperson, Department of Political Science, UNK
Dan Wheeler, Department Head, Ag Leadership, Education and Communications, UNL/IANR
Kyle Meyer, Associate Professor, Allied Health, UNMC
Theresa Barron-McKeagney, Director, School of Social Work, UNO
Highlights of the 1 p.m. afternoon board meeting include:
- Approval for a new Bachelor of Science in Information Assurance at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, a new interdisciplinary undergraduate major that addresses this rapidly expanding science that deals with problems in the understanding of the design, development, implementation and life cycle support of secure information systems.
- Approval for a new Master of Laws (LL.M.) with a focus in Space and Telecommunications Law in the College of Law at UNL. No American law school offers an LL.M. degree in either space law or telecommunications, so this degree should be in high demand and provide UNL the opportunity to become the premier American program in this area.
- Approval to name the new residence hall at the University of Nebraska at Kearney the William R. Nester Hall, in honor of Nester, former UNK Chancellor and Kearney State College President.
- Approval to name the new Multicultural Center at UNL the John D. "Jackie" Gaughan Multicultural Center, recognizing the patriarch of the Gaughan family for the family's generous support for construction of the Center.
- Approval of a program contract for UNMC – in cooperation with the University of Wyoming - to support the professional training of dental students from Wyoming.
For additional information contact:
Mary Kay Roth
(402) 472-7127


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I have been preparing my Anzac Day tribute which I will post in the next few days, but I just had to share this first.
This was the Memorial Service held at Yeronga for the Twentieth Anniversary of the Gallipoli landing.
As can be seen from this page there was community involvement with various Scout and Guide groups and also the Premier of Queensland.
My Great-Great-Grandfather George Howard Busby, my Gallipoli veteran was a member of the 15/26 Battalion, the Guard of Honour for this Memorial Service.
We can only imagine the thoughts going through the Returned Soldiers minds during this day.


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Here is a photograph showing the Whit walks circa 1966.
More specifically it shows the Zion Congregational group of walkers including yours truly and my sister standing outside Middletons shop on Market Street.:) There are many old familiar faces on here... including the lady to the right who was a much loved teacher at Zion Sunday School called Gladys. Another favourite was Margaret who can be seen to the back of the group.
Some names I can remember
Martin Wilson, Philip Park , Linda Shepley, Jacqueline Heathcoat, Janet Shepley, Jean Nohas, Ann Lofthouse, Howard Whittingham, Shaun Taylor, Linda Easter, Russell Hamer.
If you are on this photo but not listed please let me know and I'll add your name to the list.
Wednesday, 31 July 2013
Zion whit walks
Posted by Hydonian at Wednesday, July 31, 2013
3 comments:
I knew Russell Hamer years ago but can't identify him on the photo. Which one is him? He used to go out with my sister.
- Wednesday, 31 July, 2013
I have this photo somewhere. The lady on the right is Gladys Hodgson and the young lady back left is my oldest, dearest friend in the whole world, Margaret Gilson. Gladys is no longer with us, but Margaret is now working her socks off at Holy Trinity!
- Wednesday, 31 July, 2013
- Hydonian said...
Russell is the little boy on the far right with his fingers in his mouth :)
- Wednesday, 31 July, 2013
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All the boys from One Direction are taking a couple...
Help Me?
- by Swiftie2213
- Rating:
- Published: 31 Dec 2013
- Updated: 13 Jan 2014
- Status: In Progress
Hi my name is Giavana but call me Gia. I am suicidal. I've tried to kill myself 3 times and failed. I also cut. It's like a addiction and I can't stop. My parents died when I was 5 so now I live in a orphanage where everyone hates me. And one more thing. Music is my life. What happens when Niall saves her? What happens when she meets a girl named Sophia? Is it good or bad news?
Join MovellasFind out what all the buzz is about. Join now to start sharing your creativity and passion
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She has doubts
Hi Meredith,
I'm 30 and I've been with my boyfriend "Mike" for almost 2 years. We met on Match.com a couple of months after I had broken up with my previous boyfriend of over 6 years. My previous relationship was very rocky and unhealthy; we had many trust issues over the years and I was never fully comfortable in the relationship. After meeting "Mike," I felt like I had met the person I was going to marry. I fell fast and hard. Six months after dating, we moved in together. Things have slowly been going downhill (on my end) from there. He is a wonderful person and boyfriend, he goes out of his way for me, we enjoy doing many of the same things, we come from a similar background, and we have similar thoughts about the future. He is definitely "good" for me.
But lately I've been unsure if he is the one for me. I can't really put my finger on what it is, sometimes I don't feel like we laugh at the same things, or he doesn't quite understand my humor. Sometimes I feel like our conversation is lacking, or that he doesn't really challenge my intellect or want to talk about things I want to talk about. He tries so hard to make me happy, but I still sometimes just feel like something is missing, or that there's someone out there that may be better for me. But I've always been a very questioning person, and so maybe no matter who I'm with, I will always ask, "Is this person right for me?"
Am I overthinking this? Do I stay with him, knowing that he has all of these great qualities and would make a wonderful husband and father, or do I try to start over, knowing that these creeping doubts will probably never go away?
– Confused in Metrowest
I hate telling people to end relationships that have a lot going for them, but if this is a nagging feeling and you can't let it go, you have to walk away.
I'm not convinced that there's anyone better for you out there, by the way. I mean, there probably is, but I can't promise that you'll find him anytime soon. This breakup can't be about you making the assumption that once you let go of this, you'll find someone else. This has to be about you not wanting to spend your life with this guy -- and accepting that you don't know what will happen next.
Many of us are prone to doubt and will always wonder what we might be missing. But in the best relationships we can say, "I'm not curious enough to let go of what I have -- because what I have is pretty awesome."
You sound annoyed. And you didn't express any fear about what life would be like without him. You didn't tell us that you'd miss him if he went away. That says a lot, doesn't it?
Readers? Should she stay with Mike? Are there better partners for her? Will she always doubt her relationships? Is her former relationship relevant? Help.
– Meredith


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Anne Lindbergh, daughter of Charles and Anne Morrow, was my English teacher for four years. In the beginning I was mostly fascinated with the story of her kidnapped brother, of which she never spoke. It didn't take long for me to forget her father, mother, and brother; she was an amazing teacher with abundant patience, joy, and love which I have not experienced in another.
My interest in the Lindbergh story was recently revived when I read a review for Melanie Benjamin's latest novel The Aviator's Wife. The novel is Anne Morrow Lindbergh, in fictionalized first person, telling her story from her time at Smith when she first met Charles, through their difficult marriage, to his death. In between we learn of Anne's struggle to remain true to herself, her family, and to a man she deeply loved but who often treated her poorly. Through their entire marriage she remains in her husband's heroic shadow even though in her own right she was an accomplished pilot and a celebrated author across many genres.
Melanie Benjamin has written a moving novel, illuminating the struggles of a woman who in life was incredibly private. I can't help but wonder if she timed her release with Anne Morrow Lindbergh's final work, published posthumously last year, entitled Against Wind and Tile: Letters and Journals, 1947-1986, on purpose. Maybe she wanted to draft behind Mrs. Lindbergh's recent book of essays. Regardless, I thought it was a great read.
On a related note, Nova has just aired an interesting program Who Killed Lindbergh's Baby? which you can watch online at www.pbs.org.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh
I have spent ten years studying Anne Morrow Lindbergh and give classes and presentations on her life and accomplishments. I would not spend 10 minutes trying to better understand and appreciate the woman depicted in "The Aviator's Wife."
Mrs. Lindbergh was a pioneering aviator, and was given the prestigious Hubbard Medal by National Geographic for her work with Charles in their flights charting routes for Pan Am in the 1930s. She spent nearly six months and traveled 30,000 miles in a single-engine aircraft flying in a big circle around the Atlantic; this was after their similar trip to the Orient. She wrote two best-selling books about these trips, and with her own abilities and craft became a noted author. (As of today, after more than 100 years, the Hubbard Medal has only been given out for 22 events and/or people.)
Mrs. Lindbergh published 13 books in her lifetime. Gift From the Sea, first published in 1955, is still in print. Over many years, she also wrote numerous articles for various magazines. Perhaps the most revealing book is the one that came out last spring, a book of letters and diaries spanning 1946 to 1986, Against Wind and Tide. Reeve Lindbergh and other family members spent four years going through 40 years of writing, some of it the most personal and revealing writing of Mrs. Lindbergh. It's a treasure for all her admirers, and especially for someone who has spent years learning about her.
Ms. Benjamin treats the Lindberghs with disrespect when she writes that Charles laughed and clapped when Bruno Hauptmann was executed for the kidnapping of Charles, Jr. Charles was a different duck, for sure, but even that would be out of character. Ms. Benjamin described the Lindberghs and their employees through Anne's thoughts when they were looking throughout the house for little Charlie the night of the kidnapping. She said, ". . . I had the strangest urge to laugh, for we resembled nothing more than characters in a Marx Brothers movie." Again, in such a frantic time for such a sensitive and thoughtful person, I don't think Mrs. Lindbergh would be anywhere near a laugh or even a smile, let alone a thought about the Marx Brothers.
Ms. Benjamin treats some subjects in a laughable manner. She made it appear that the Lindberghs and Amelia Earhart had great disdain for each other; nothing could be further from the truth. If Ms. Benjamin had read the diaries and books of both Anne and Amelia, she would know that they admired and had great respect for each other. And why be flip and characterize it otherwise when the truth itself is so interesting. (There are literally dozens of inaccuracies in the book.)
Ms. Benjamin was likewise sketchy and flip in occasionally dropping in the names of Robert Goddard and Alexis Carrel, people who were import to Charles and his story. She also mentions that Charles became the spokesman for America First and describes it as " . . . that ragtag group of individuals. . . ." That "ragtag" group included Potter Stewart, Sargent Shriver and Gerald Ford; they were headed by former four-star General Robert Wood, then Chairman of the Board of Sears.
But what about Rilke and Antoine de St. Exupery, people who were not only important to her but had a great influence on Anne? They were not mentioned. She loved poetry and would either memorize or read poetry for hours flying with Charles sitting in that back cockpit. This notion was not conveyed in the book either.
Mrs. Lindbergh was a woman of substance -- highly educated, incredibly literate and wonderfully expressive in her writing. In her author's notes, Ms. Benjamin said that "the inner life can be explored only in novels, not histories -- or even diaries or letters." Mrs. Lindbergh's letters and diaries are all about her inner life and they are cohesive and well thought out. They are truly thoughtful in all ways about every aspect of her life. I would urge everyone to read the series of now six books of letters and diaries to even begin to understand this woman. I'd rather pursue the remarkable woman Mrs. Lindbergh was in order to learn and understand more about her compelling life than to spend even a minute with the one-dimensional aviator's wife and the disparaged life portrayed in this book.
(Much of the research and work I've been doing on Mrs. Lindbergh is discussed on my website, www.moonshellspublishing.com -- and on the blog embedded it that (or found separately) -- www.teawithmrslindbergh.com. ).


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Griffin TuneBuds White Headphones : Thump Away!
Features of Griffin TuneBuds White Headphones:
- Lightweight (12 grams), enhanced-bass, noise-isolation technologies.
- Comes with different sizes of washable silicone ear buds for comfortable fit.
- 46" earphone cable.
- Zippered carry-case included.
Order your Griffin TuneBuds White Headphones here at Mr.Gadget Australia today!
Labels: EarThumps, Griffin, iPod Headphones, TuneBuds, White Earphones, White Headphones


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During the month of May the Barrick Film Series presents New York based Filmmaker Jessie Stead. Stead's single channel motion picture How To Quit Smoking At The Moon Hotel (2013).
The movie will be shown inside of Barrick Museum auditorium during the following days and times:
- Tue. and Thur., 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Sat., Noon - 5 p.m.
Starring Director Jessie Stead as "a moonlighter" this neo-nocturne details a few small transactions staged in a coin operated elevator at a downloaded lunar hotel.
Jessie Stead produces and distributes work in overlapping and re-mixable patterns of cinema, installation, music and other forms of cross-disciplined art. Posing as a film director in an on-going real life performance piece, Stead's single channel motion-pictures have been featured internationally. Recent presentations include the Greater New York Cinema exhibition at MoMA PS1, Anthology Film Archives, the London Film Festival and the New York Film Festival. Exhibitions and events orchestrated by Stead and key collaborators including her art-band HARIBO have recently been presented at mixed venues including Peforma 11, Akershus Kunstsenter, Soloway Gallery, nightclubs and many other places.
For more information about the director visit www.jessiestead.com


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Five quick hits from Nick Saban's Monday press conference:
1. Alabama head coach Nick Saban was extremely complimentary of undefeated Mississippi State Monday morning.
"This is without a doubt the best team we've played this season," he said.
The Bulldogs are averaging 235.9 passing yards and 181 rushing yards per game, have one of the better defenses in the SEC, and lead the nation with a plus-16 turnover margin.
2. A.J. McCarron went 17-of-22 for a career-high 306 yards and four touchdowns against Tennessee and now leads the nation in pass efficiency.
Monday, Saban talked about his quarterback.
"He makes a lot of good choices and decisions," he said. "AJ has been a really good leader for us and has affected the other players on the team. The last couple of weeks, I think we've really come together offensively in terms of consistency and balance.
"He's been able to process information and get the ball where he's supposed to for the most part pretty efficiently and effectively."
3. Saban was also asked—and didn't get riled up about—McCarron as a Heisman contender and other players up for national awards. Saban explained that the program is "all for" their guys getting recognized for their efforts as long as those external factors don't go to their heads and distract them from the team's ultimate goal.
Saban said, "Everybody knows what that recipe is for them" in terms of staying focused, and then referenced his mother's carrot cake.
"I love that carrot cake, but if she changes the ingredients, the cake doesn't taste the same," he said. "Same thing with players. I think that's important regardless of what external factors are out there. You need to focus on what you need to do to play well in the game."
4. True freshmen Amari Cooper and T.J. Yeldon were honored as Players of the Week for their efforts against Tennessee—they combined for 291 yards and four touchdowns on 22 touches. Saban was asked how the youngsters have been able to fit into the system so quickly, and of course he praised the two, but also said that it's easier to contribute as a young player at certain positions more so than others.
"If you're an offensive lineman, you've got to know who to block on every play, every pass protection, and every mistake you make, somebody's going to get blown up," he said. "At running back, if you can carry the ball effectively and learn the five or six running plays you've got, you can do that and contribute. You can be a very good receiver and be effective in running certain pass routes.
"I think the two guys we have that are contributing offensively for us the most have become pretty complete players for us pretty quickly. That speaks to their maturity, preparation, how they practice, what they do every day."
5. Mississippi State has the league's No. 1 rusher in LaDarius Perkins, who's been racking up 103.43 yards per game.
"They've got a really good scheme that they run the ball with and lots of multiples in terms of how they present it, how they try to confuse defensive players," Saban said. "He's very quick, very instinctive. He's tough. Runs behind his pads and is hard to tackle."
For more Alabama coverage, follow Laken Litman on Twitter!


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The softball doubleheader between the Brevard College Tornados softball team and the King College Tornado has been canceled today due to inclement weather. The games, which were to be played in Bristol, Tenn. will be rescheduled at a later date.
The Tornados are currently 10-4 under head coach Britne' Stubbs in their first full season as full members of the NCAA Division II and the South Atlantic Conference.
Make sure to check back with BCTornados.com for updates as the Tornados coaches call in with information about today's scheduled games.


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Greenbilt was founded on the principles of creating a healthy and sustainable lifestyle for every one of our customers. There are four elements that are required in the development of a green efficient home; Energy Efficiency, Water Conservation, Waste Management, and Air Quality. It is the way we combine these four elements that presents the home owner with the best of both worlds, saving money, and saving the environment.
Here at Greenbilt, we can provide you a Green Efficient home for the same price of a conventional home. There is a vast menu of "a la carte" features that we carry for our customers to fit any need or desire they may have. If you're building a custom home, why not consider going green with Greenbilt Homes?
For any questions of inquiries, I want to encourage you to give me a call. This is my work, this is my passion.
Mike Manning
Mike Manning


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'I spoke to a representative for the Buffalo News, who told me they were surprised by the great demand for the medallions. So now, you can place an order with the paper for either individual player medallions or the full set of 24. However, you will still need each coupon for each player you wish to buy.'
Sabres Medallions Hard to Find
March 27, 2007 Submitted by
Via: WGRZ-TV


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Please select the collections below you wish to search within.
Title: Alfred and William Waud Collection
The London-born Wauds' specialty was producing drawings--from quick sketches to finished works--of
places, people, and events assigned to them by editors. These drawings were the basis for wood engraved illustrations
in the periodicals published by their employers. Alfred Waud was hired by the New York Illustrated News in 1860 and he
remained with the News for nearly two years covering the opening months of the Civil War before joining the staff of
Harper's Weekly in early 1862. William Waud worked as a special artist during the Civil War for Frank Leslie's Illustrated
Newspaper. The Waud Collection presents a visually fascinating history of America in the mid-19th century, covering
visually subjects as diverse as the reconstructed South, and the townships that dotted both banks of the nation's largest
river system.
Contact: Historic New Orleans Collection; email@example.com
More information about this Collection
Browse items in this Collection
Title: Harper's Weekly Journal and Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper
Harper's Weekly, a new era in American journalism dawned in the 1850s with the advent of magazines and newspapers that combined general-interest content, and lavish illustrations. Its context of escalating sectional animosity over slavery inhibited the newspaper's coverage and undermined the potentially unifying character of a nationwide audience.
Contact: Angela Proctor; firstname.lastname@example.com; 225 771-2854


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Buy an Axon, Axon II, or Axon Mote and build a great robot, while helping to support SoR.
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
The rig will be mounted on a 8-12 ft jib so needs to have a good controller wireless possibly might be a good option but not crucial
My research suggests that the Axon2 would be really suitable for this as an encoder, but its a new area for me.
My parts assumption is :Servo motorSpeed control motorAXON IIController ... ps2 controller software to record actionsBatteriesIs this correct?
Could you recommend the motor & parts choices for this system?
We are due to start principal photography on the film we want to use this for late Jan.
Can you have a film credit as tech advisor ... of course... lol
Its the electronic side I'm not familiar with.
A simple flow diagram etc then id be fine , and having spoked to a few Motion control companies they are all offering various options . However I have received conflicting responses so just asking for clarity as to the flow and of course any recommended software, preferably open source.
I'll need both control and the recording .Having seen the Axon used on various servos , motors setups ,it seemed the ideal controller to use with lets say a ps2 controller and a laptop.
Are there any particular quadrature encoders you would recommend ?


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For the first time in four decades of polling, a majority of Americans now favor legalizing marijuana, according to a survey released today by the Pew Research Center.
The center found that 52 percent of 1,501 adults surveyed last month favor legalization, up 11 percentage points since 2010.
The increase "suggests that some of this change is relatively recent," said Carroll Doherty, associate director of the Washington-based Pew Research Center.
The survey found that 65 percent of people between ages 18 and 32 favor legalizing marijuana, up from 36 percent in 2008.
There has also been a change among the Baby Boomer generation - half now support legalization, up from 24 percent in 1996.
Generation X, those born between 1965 and 1980, favor legalization by 54 percent, and support among the Silent Generation, those born between 1925 and 1942, has jumped from 17 percent to 32 percent since 2002, according to the survey.
The survey validates the beliefs of the Drug Policy Alliance, which means ending marijuana prohibition is not just a mainstream issue but a reform that will occur, said Stephen Gutwillig, deputy executive director of programs for the Los Angeles-based group.
"This is going to happen, and it is a question of how and how quickly," Gutwillig said.
A Field Poll released in February found that 54 percent of Californians were in favor of legalizing marijuana.
California is one of the key states the pro-marijuana movement is eyeing for a ballot initiative during the 2016 presidential election, Gutwillig said.
"That decision hasn't been made yet," he said, "but there's obvious advantages to concentrating on a win in California to capitalize on the momentum and to address the level of support that already exists here."
Voters in Colorado and Washington state legalized the use of marijuana during the November election.
"There's definitely going to be more activity on the part of marijuana advocates," said Jack Pitney, a politics and government professor at Claremont McKenna College. "They're going to take this as a sign that the wind is at their back. "
Initiatives proposed during a mid-term election face an older electorate as opposed to younger voters who lean in favor of legalization, Pitney said.
Passage of an initiative legalizing marijuana also depends on the wording of the measure and the amount of resources proponents have to get their message out to voters, he said.
A large part of the Pew survey includes Americans' views on enforcement of marijuana laws on both the federal and state level.
About 72 percent of those polled say efforts by the government to enforce marijuana laws cost more than they're worth, according to the survey.
About 60 percent say the federal government should not enforce federal laws prohibiting the use of marijuana in states where it is legal.
Doherty said that not only have the views of marijuana changed, but there is agreement among people of different political persuasions.
Of the people surveyed, 78 percent of independents, 71 percent of Democrats and 67 percent of Republicans agree government enforcement of marijuana laws cost more than they're worth.
About 64 percent of independents, 59 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Republicans are opposed to the federal government enforcing marijuana laws in states where it's legal.
"These issues tend to get viewed through a red/blue prism," Doherty said. "There's a conservative/liberal tension. In this case, there seems to be agreement that it's just not worth the resources. "
Pitney said limiting the role of the federal government is a conservative value.
"You could make a fairly strong conservative case for legalizing marijuana," he said. "You could agree on a federal level, (restricting marijuana) greatly increases federal power. "
The economy has also played a factor in the recent increase in support of legalization, Pitney said.
Rather than spend money enforcing marijuana laws and incarcerating offenders, taxation of marijuana could lead to revenues, he said.
"A lot of people see this as way of shifting marijuana from the debit side of the ledger to the credit side of the ledger," he said. "Given the fiscal situation, that seems like a pretty good deal. "
The survey also found that an increasing percentage of Americans have tried marijuana.
About 48 percent of those polled said they have tried it, up from 38 percent a decade ago.
About half of all age groups, except for those 65 and up, say they have tried marijuana.
The views that marijuana use is immoral or that it is a "gateway drug" have also decreased, Doherty said.
"Even people who have never tried it are more supportive of legalization than they used to be," he said, "and it's really been an across-the-board shift."
Pew pollers questioned 1,501 people throughout the country from March 13 to 17.


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no, the software is in beta for developers, so you will need to get your UDID registered. You can google it as some developers sell some of their 100 device spaces.
and the Ipad 2 JB, gets pushed aside, again.........
The iPad 2 Jailbreak gets pushed aside but there an IOS 5 jailbreak....I'm starting to give up on an iPad 2 jailbreak and except it for what it is....a limited apple device
can i get a #winning?
The next iphone isnt due till fall, so we are waiting for another 3-4 months on top of the 3-4 months we have already waited. I am trying to be patient, but its hard, when all the empty promises are floating around and I see all the effort they are putting into the IOS 5 JB. If the JB for the ipad 2 comes at the same time as IOS 5, i choose IOS 5.
LOL, I would have to fight my wife for my old ipad original and I dont think she will part with it. I would lose. She makes it a point of pointing out hers is JB and mine isnt. She thinks she is sooo kool, lol.
There are a lot of very silly people. This release is fo developers an people beta testing apps. It is not supposed to be a fully functional release!
I have got tired of waiting on the jailbreak. Have been trying to sell my iPad 2 with no luck. iOS devices are useless without the jailbreak. I knew they would wait to release a jailbreak until iOS 5 launches.
I've been modding cellphones & devices for 10 years now, never have I heard of waiting to release the hack or jailbreak. New firmware gets release, you hack it, it's the natue of modding. a constant cycle.
What is it that jail breaking gives you that makes your iPad2 "useless" without it?


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Alice Cooper asking for questions for film screening Q&A
Listen to Alice Cooper on iHeartRadio
Alice Cooper plans to present more than just his film when his new "doc opera" arrives in theaters.
The rocker is also preparing a special "Keep Calm & Ask Alice" Q&A video session, which will follow showings of Super Duper Alice Cooper. He's asking fans to submit questions to be posted on the film's Facebook page, as well as review the entries and vote for their favorites. Alice will then look through the 20 questions that receive the most votes and personally pick the ones he wants to answer.
Questions must be sent in before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Saturday night. Voting closes on Monday at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Additional details are available at SuperDuperAliceCooper.com.
Super Duper Alice Cooper will begin its run in theaters on May 30th.
Photo Credit Getty Images


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REDLANDS - The city's Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission is planning to give a tour of parks Saturday.
The stops on the public tour will include Israel Beal Park, Redlands Sports Park, and A.K. Smiley Public Library.
The Parks Division maintains 14 parks totalling more than 143 acres.
The tour will depart from City Hall at 35 Cajon St. at 8 a.m. and will last three to four hours. Limited seating is available on the tour van on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants may also meet at City Hall and follow the van to each location with their own transportation.
Redlands park amenities include basketball courts, picnic areas, playgrounds, and spaces for live theater and music performances. There are also citrus groves and fisheries.
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission is composed of eight residents and one student liaison, appointed to advise the city's Parks and Recreation staff and the City Council on the development and operation of parks and recreation programs.
Advisory commissioner Joe Gonzales said he wants to show people the decline of the parks in the area due to a lack of funding. He said people should be aware of the lack of facilities at the parks for children.
"It affects the kids through the whole city," said Gonzales. "They need a lot of fixing up."
"At one time, we had the best parks," said Gonzales. "Some people still come, but not like they used to."
The next Parks Commission meeting will be at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Civic Center Conference Room, 35 Cajon St., Suite 200.
For more information, call 909-798-7655.


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David Bowie among winners at Brit Awards
Listen to David Bowie on iHeartRadio
David Bowie has another Brit Award to his credit. The rocker got the nod for British Male Solo Artist. He didn't attend the ceremony, but was still prepared to accept an award. Model Kate Moss appeared on his behalf, saying Bowie asked her "to say this."
Bowie also expressed his gratitude, saying it was "a great way to end the day," and ended with an appeal to Scotland to remain a part of the United Kingdom.
Bowie's win -- and his no-show -- came as no surprise to presenter Noel Gallagher. In reading the winner's name he said it was "predictably David Bowie." He then scolded the excited audience members hoping the rock legend would make an appearance, saying "David Bowie is too cool for that."
Bowie was also up for British Album of the Year for The Next Day, his first studio album in ten years. But that prize went to the Arctic Monkeys' AM.
Arctic Monkeys were the big winner at the event, taking the British Group award along with the Album honor. Daft Punk, Bruno Mars, and Lorde earned awards as well. The Brit Awards 2014 were presented in a ceremony in London on Wednesday.
Photo Credit Getty Images


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I always dreamed of performing. I use to have my hair...
Curiosity 2
- by ohbutniall
- Rating:
- Published: 25 Dec 2014
- Updated: 7 Jan 2016
- Status: In Progress
Curiosity killed the cat, but did satisfaction bring actually bring it back? Sequel to Curiosity. Mature Content, Language, Violence. Read at own risk, and don't you dare steal my ideas.
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To the endless cultural tug-of-war between New York and Los Angeles, add now the competitive claims on the soul of Ada Louise Huxtable, the doyenne of architectural letters who died this January. In a genteel ceremony (with piano accompaniment) held this Tuesday at the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium of the Metropolitan Museum of Art under the auspices of the J. Paul Getty Trust, representatives of each city claimed her mantel in a revealing memorial that pried Ada Louise from her native New York to give her to the nation via Los Angeles.
Robert Shapiro, board president of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass.—where Ada Louise summered in a beloved ranch house and championed historic preservation against urban development by freeway—opened the event in an auditorium full of the East Coast architecture establishment, a group whose opinions she did so much to shape over at least two generations. Shapiro said, "She didn't want a memorial but she didn't say anything about a memorial tribute." The indomitable Ms. Huxtable was, for once, in no position to have the last word.
"I have heard the expression 'lean in' a lot lately. Ada Louise was leaning in, and a lot, and in her own way, with her own style, inducing us all to follow in her footsteps. I can't think of a better role model for women, or for any of us, for that matter. She may have been demure in stature, but she was a great talent." —Frank Gehry, FAIA
In a droll sound clip, with his ironic edge clearly sanded off by affection, fellow American Acadamician Garrison Keillor remembered that Ada Louise was born in an apartment building on Central Park West that "breathed Paris," and virtually raised by an adoptive family of other related Beaux Arts buildings, such as Penn Station, the New York Yacht Club, Grand Central, and the New York Public Library, which set a high standard for her appreciation of the power of buildings to shape people and dignify public space. In archival clips, Charlie Rose interviewed the ever-alert Ada Louise, whom he caught off guard when he complimented her on her "amazingly wonderful face": "I'm in shock," she replied. "That will give me a year of pleasure, what you just said."
"She had a kind of perfect pitch and her readers trusted her. They saw her passion and her knowledge and her unending degree of common sense, and all these things together made readers feel that she was writing for them, that every word was part of a conversation—a conversation that existed just for them." —Paul Goldberger
Architecture critics Paul Goldberger and Christopher Hawthorne spoke about her mentorship from their respective points of view at The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. James Cuno, president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, affirming the Getty's claim to her, recounted the many stages of her direct and indirect involvement with the Getty, including her role on the committee selecting its architect, Richard Meier, FAIA (who was in the audience).
"It has become common, even fashionable, to use Ada Louise's name as a shorthand for criticism that is tough, savvy, politically minded, concerned real estate power plays and the life of the street and the city, rather than with the formal achievements or failures of single buildings by well-known architects. … But what has struck me time and again in going back to her criticism, more than toughness and fearlessness is its breadth and variety—and in fact how often she did write about single buildings, either reviewing them once they were complete or assessing proposed designs years away from opening." —Christopher Hawthorne
Los Angeles architect Frank Gehry, the only architect speaking, then came to the podium and couldn't resist noting that he had "submitted for the Getty." He remembered her tough but ultimately encouraging writing, and their bouts as jurors on the Pritzker Prize, when she won him over (and everyone else) to her opinion with her well-argued and persistent persuasions.
"She fought the good fight against urban renewal, which wiped out whole blocks of the past with bulldozers. She loved cities, and the experience of cities and especially this one, and she envied people from the sticks who could come and be knocked by the massiveness and the density of New York City. She did not care for Washington, which she described as a city of mock palaces clearly built for clerks, a city of endless corridors, of the big, the bland and the banal." —Garrison Keillor
Nearly all the speakers quoted from Huxtable's greatest hits—though most of her articles during the prime of her career at The New York Times were about issues in New York and its orbit cities, Los Angeles is now the repository of her legacy, where her archives now reside at the Getty—and her words sailed over everything else that was said by virtue of their clarity, acumen, and catch, proving that her architectural observations, however acute, were delivered with such writerly skill that it was the fusion of observation with rhetoric that powered her critiques.
"Practicing as a young architect on the West Coast was a lot under the radar. Even though I think I wished for her attention, I was scared of it. When she finally poked her nose into my world, she was a tough critic, as everybody explained, [but] wonderful, the words were beautiful. She was positive, critical, encouraging. She used her power to get people thinking and caring about architecture, in a meaningful way. This was no small feat. I look around the city and others around the world, and see her influence and legacy." —Frank Gehry, FAIA
Her indelible prose virtually tattooed buildings: When she damned, it was not with faint praise but full body blows, ad aedificum if not exactly ad hominem. The steely little lady had New York street smarts, but delivered with a well-bred diction that still jumps off the page. As speakers noted, the understructure of her architectural value system was authenticity, but she also wrote by the same standards: She was no phony. If her style and presence were stately, her critiques always had the courage and spirit she admired in buildings: The bite still stings, and the values she espoused will continue to endure. Her writing will live.
Correction, June 7: A previous version of this story quoted Christopher Hawthorne describing Huxtable's criticism as "short" and "stabby," instead of "tough" and "savvy." See the corrected quote in paragraph seven above.


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Cath Elliott, a left-wing feminist activist of a type that is now probably an endangered species, today offered CIF a passionate denunciation of religion as, basically, a tool of patriarchal oppression. God - always a "He", of course, despite recent attempts at gender inclusivity - offers the message that "life exists for men, while the best women can hope for is some kind of reward in the next one, as long as we do as we're told". She has "dabbled" in religion - in her mind, having once had a Rastafarian boyfriend counts as dabbling - but feminism always got in the way. Religion, says Elliott, is responsible for most of the ills that befall women, whether it's honour crimes, or inferior education, or AIDS. Nor is any of this likely to change. Invoking imagery from the prophecies of Isaiah, she concludes, "As the lion is never going to lie down with the lamb, so the church is never going to passively cede any control to women: it's simply not in their interest."
Elliott was responding to a bizarre article by Julie Burchill in which the former journalistic wild child announced that she was now a "Christian Zionist" and "Christian feminist" who believed "literally" in the "God of the Jews and the Protestants" (but not, it seems, the God of the Muslims). For her part, Elliott thinks that "Christian feminist" is an oxymoron, "on a par with compassionate conservative". (Actually, Cath, "compassionate conservative" isn't an oxymoron, it's a tautology. Rather like "champagne socialist".) Also on her mind was the debate on Sharia law instigated by the Archbishop of Canterbury. As she notes, giving official blessing to religious-based systems of law that discriminate against women may sound multicultural and "inclusive" - and thus liberal - but what it actually means is "one rule for us and another for our Muslim sisters."
This is an argument on the Left that, until recently, seemed to have been won by the multiculturalists, with feminists who dared to criticise the desire of some women to drape themselves in burqas risking the dreaded taunt of Islamophobia. Feminism, along with other forms of secularism, when subjected to the mental contortionism demanded by "liberal" ideology, turned out to be just another form of Western triumphalism and intellectual arrogance. If no culture was inherently superior to any other then how can modern European/American notions of female equality be imposed on "communities" who cleave to different value systems? Take the hijab, or even the burqa. Can such garments really be claimed to "oppress" women? Surely, proclaim the pro-Islam feminists, the opposite is the case: it is the desire of women to beautify themselves for male visual delectation that oppresses; the veil is a raiment of liberation.
I detect a few signs of a fightback. One was the recent (seemingly successful) campaign to save the Southall Black Sisters, a feminist activist group whose work among disadvantaged minority women dates back to the days when skin colour mattered more than religion as a source of identity. How long ago that now seems. In an article earlier this month for the New Statesman, SBS leader Pragna Patel faced the problem head on. The prevailing multi-faith approach, she complained, "institutionalises the undemocratic power of so called 'moderate' (authoritarian if not fundamentalist) religious leaders at all levels of society." As a result,
Civil society is actively encouraged to organise around exclusive religious identities, and religious bodies are encouraged to take over spaces once occupied by progressive secular groups and, indeed, by a secular welfare state. In the process, a complex web of social, political and cultural processes are reduced by both state and community leaders into purely religious values, while concepts of human rights, equality and discrimination are turned on their head.
It is in this context that Cath Elliott makes her attack on the inherent misogyny of religion. She's careful to point out flaws in Christianity first. But she goes on:
Christianity is and always has been antithetical to women's freedom and equality, but it's certainly not alone in this. Whether it's one of the world's major faiths or an off-the-wall cult, religion means one thing and one thing only for those women unfortunate enough to get caught up in it: oppression. It's the patriarchy made manifest, male-dominated, set up by men to protect and perpetuate their power.
Is it, though? Historically, religious power structures have been dominated by men. Traditionally, too, the image of God has been a male image. Theologians, of course, claim that God is pure spirit, beyond male and female; but it's difficult to read the Bible without getting the distinct impression that the Deity is a bloke. The Bible, indeed, is full of "patriarchal attitudes". Paul calls on women to obey their husbands, "for the husband is head of the wife"; the Book of Proverbs laments that a virtuous woman is a rarity, whose "price is far above rubies". Leviticus has some very strange things to say about menstruation. In the Koran, meanwhile, husbands are allowed to chastise (and probably beat) "disobedient" wives.
There are, of course, significant women in the Bible (though less than there are men): one thinks of both Marys, Rebecca and Rachel from Genesis, heroines like Ruth and Deborah. Harold Bloom even argued that the author of the earliest sections of the Bible might have been a woman, so prominent were they in the story. Yet the most memorable women in the Bible are villainesses, or portrayed as such, names that have come down as shorthands for female treacherousness or depravity: Jezebel, Delilah, Salome, above all Eve. Eve's "sin" kick-starts the entire soteriological machinery of Christianity: it was what Jesus was supposedly come to save us all from. As for Mary the Virgin, while her cult is sometimes held out as an example of Christianity's feminine dimension, she can equally seen as an impossible ideal, her virgin motherhood proof of the Church's horror of female sexuality.
If Christianity is bad, Islam would seem to be a whole lot worse. Apologists may point to rights of inheritance and divorce "given" to women by Mohammed (in fact, they often turn out to reflect the social norms of the society in which the prophet was born, as demonstrated by his independently wealthy first wife Khadija); but however progressive Islam might have seemed in the 7th century, those days are long gone. Women under Sharia law have inferior rights of inheritance and divorce; their testimony is worth less than that of a man; they can only marry with the permission of a male relative. Women under Islam are often kept in a condition of perpetual childhood. Islam also gives cover to patriarchal notions of family honour: arranged marriages, dress codes (in which women are identified as the instruments of male temptation), an obsession with virginity on marriage (female virginity, that is). Even the cruel practice of genital mutilation is given religious sanction.
But then most organised religions can be condemned in similar terms. Hinduism, despite its pantheon of powerful and sexually active goddesses, once promoted widow-burning and still treats widowed women with considerable cruelty. None of the Sikh gurus were female, for all that religion's claims to sexual equality. There's only one female Tibetan lama (and she's a Chinese puppet). Scientology forced poor Katie Holmes to give birth in silence.
And yet, if religion really is nothing more than a mechanism by which men oppress women, how does one account for the apparent fact (consistent in most surveys) that women are generally more religious than men. More women attend church every sunday; women are more likely to pray and to express belief in God. Men are less likely to be interested in religion, and considerably more likely to be atheists. These factors are more pronounced in western, post-Christian societies where faith is no longer required for social conformity, suggesting that whatever it is that religion offers people (solace, community, hope for an afterlife or direct spiritual experience) appeals to women more than it does men. Of course, we're talking of statistical averages rather than any particular individual.
Outside of the male-dominated priesthoods, it's women who traditionally passed on religious devotion within families and who often enforced communal religious norms. Women have collaborated with, indeed instigated, forced marriages and even honour killings; they have mutilated the genitalia of their own daughters; they have climbed willingly onto funeral pyres or denounced their neighbours as witches. Men have often been bystanders in the misogynistic oppression of women, by women, in the name of religion or morality. Feminists such as Cath Elliott also tend to ignore the obvious fact that many of the most vocal and passionate opponents of abortion are religiously motivated women.
It might be added that the moral requirements made by religions on their followers aren't necessarily sexist. There's nothing sexist about the requirement to love your neighbour, to be faithful to your spouse (while religions have often indulged the double standard, they do not, generally, proclaim it) or to pray for guidance to a higher power. Religion imposes duties on men to honour their wives and provide for their families; old-fashioned, patronising duties, perhaps, yet these were moral norms that served to mitigate the worst excesses of male dominance.
And while the preponderance of female churchgoers is a phenomenon of the modern West, female religiosity is certainly nothing new. It was women who sustained the early church and were the most enthusiastic followers of ancient mystery cults such as that of Isis. Throughout the centuries, many girls have been romantically attracted to the life of a nun. Indeed, notwithstanding its exclusively male hierarchy, the Christian church has for most of European history been the only institution (with the possible exception of the brothel) that offered women independence, education, even power. A religious woman could be a scholar, a mystic, a poet, a businesswoman, the absolute ruler (subject only to the Pope) of her order, potentially a saint. A secular woman, unless a queen, could only be a wife.
It would be possible, indeed, to turn Elliot's whole argument upside-down and suggest that exclusively male priesthoods originated as a mechanism for preserving male dominance in an arena that would otherwise have been dominated by women. Something that, given the role of religion in organising society and policing moral norms, could hardly be allowed in a male-dominated culture. Since the opening of the Anglican priesthood to women, numbers of female ordinations have outstripped male; in another few decades the Church of England will probably have become as female dominated as nursing.
Then there's Islam. In its externals, Islam is more clearly male-orientated than any other major religion. It segregates the sexes, and encourages women to conceal their bodies, hair and sometimes even faces for reasons of "modesty". As we have seen, Sharia discriminates in important respects against women. Women are barred from many mosques: in others, they are relegated to peripheral areas or forced to sit behind a curtain - all to prevent their sexuality from polluting the minds of the men present. Young Muslim males openly practise a sexual double standard, demanding virginity from prospective wives while themselves sleeping around. Yet among British converts to Islam, women outnumber men two to one. And, often to their families' horror and shame, they not only submit to wearing the hijab but become vocal and enthusiastic proponents.
Islam often strikes unbelievers as being like other religions, only more so. And what appeals to some women particularly about Islam, it seems to me, may be something inherent in many forms of worship. The word Islam, we're often told, means "submission". An alternative translation is "peace". Perhaps the Latin pax carries a similar tension: the Pax Romana was, after all, the outcome of imperial conquest. Islam is the psychological relief you feel when you hand over responsibility for your life to a higher power. It's the comfortable feeling that comes when someone else is in control.
What I'm suggesting here is that many women have a psychological need to be dominated - even in some cases abused - and that it is this need, above all, that religion supplies. God is the ultimate alpha male, the wise, loving father and strong protector. Religion answers the evolutionary need for security, but also darker urges too. Just as female mosochists outnumber their male equivalents, and women often stay with abusive partners, so even a religion that patronises, marginalises and oppresses women will answer their deeply-felt needs. This is an aspect of female psychology that feminists like Cath Elliott do not understand; or if they do understand, they hate, and because they condemn it they put it all down to social conditioning or immemorial male oppression. Perhaps they are simply disappointed in their God-fearing sisters. Perhaps they are right to be. But in most cases, and certainly in modern Britain, it is not men who are using religion to oppress women. On the contrary, in some cases women who can't find male oppressors are turning instead to God.
I don't think Julie Burchill herself belongs to that category, however. Her new-found Anglican religiosity seems more closely connected with her dislike of Islam or what she likes to call "Roman Catholickism" than a hankering after spirituality. Her desire to be contrarian and politically incorrect makes her sneer at atheists who want to be on "the winning side". She may think that she needs God; she undoubtedly thinks that God needs Julie Burchill.
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
God v the feminists
Cath Elliott, a left-wing feminist activist of a type that is now probably an endangered species, today offered CIF a passionate denunciation of religion as, basically, a tool of patriarchal oppression. God - always a "He", of course, despite recent attempts at gender inclusivity - offers the message that "life exists for men, while the best women can hope for is some kind of reward in the next one, as long as we do as we're told". She has "dabbled" in religion - in her mind, having once had a Rastafarian boyfriend counts as dabbling - but feminism always got in the way. Religion, says Elliott, is responsible for most of the ills that befall women, whether it's honour crimes, or inferior education, or AIDS. Nor is any of this likely to change. Invoking imagery from the prophecies of Isaiah, she concludes, "As the lion is never going to lie down with the lamb, so the church is never going to passively cede any control to women: it's simply not in their interest."
Posted by Heresiarch at 6:29 pm
20 comments:
- Gannet said...
Just as female mosochists outnumber their male equivalents,
Where do you get your numbers from? Judging by the respective numbers of female professional dominatrixes, compared to the almost non-existent male dominator market, I would say that male masochists are anything but a minority in the kinkier strata of society.
- 19 August 2008 at 21:29
- The Heresiarch said...
I have my sources. Let's just say that those who are in a position to know assure me that it's the case. Though I, too, initially found it surprising, given the market conditions: I assume it's simply that female "subs" don't usually need to pay.
- 20 August 2008 at 08:23
Another very good post that will take me a while to digest.
Julie Burchill - oh, how a period of total silence from her would be welcome on every subject. I wouldn't mind but she is such a crap writer.
Re: male oppression, I suppose every ideological movement in history except feminism has been male-dominated. So, yes, religion is just one example of ideology that can clobber the sistas.
However (here it comes) there is a difference between an ideology that can be reasoned with and one that can't. 'God said do this, so do as God says or I will flog/jail/kill you' is indeed oppressive in my book. But then, my book is not a sacred text.
Not sure about why women are more religious than men (in general). Aren't women simply more social than me, more willing to join a group but less likely to want to lead it? Doesn't religion offer women instant social networking, with all the gossip and so on?
- 20 August 2008 at 09:21
From my own observations, I'd say that women are less eager than men to engage in the kind of confrontational critical thinking that would lead one to become an atheist (and maybe even these days a feminist?). For them perhaps the community that comes with the church out-ways the question of whether or not it is in fact right or true. Here's an example: in an evening class full of women, when the subject of homoeopathy came up, my wife didn't feel she needed to disillusion her class mates with the scientific explanation of why homoeopathy cannot work. She didn't feel it was worth disrupting the social group with awkwardness over a point of fact.
- 20 August 2008 at 15:53
Think you're spot on about Burchill Heresiarch - indeed your last paragraph says (I do believe) something new about her, which is remarkable, considering the rhetoric generated by her.
I think you're harsh on Cath though - far from being a figure of the past, I believe she is just the sort of person you wnat to debate with whether you agree with her or not. Her threads generate more light than heat, which is largely due to her, I think.
Glad I took your advice and went back to CIF - will just pick my threads more carefully!
- 22 August 2008 at 08:49
- The Heresiarch said...
I didn't say Cath was a figure from the past: I said she was an "endangered species". I'm not necessarily being harsh about her: I mean that her brand of feminism is of the seventies/eighties variety. I was contrasting her laser-like concentration on the issue of gender with the more recent tendency towards moral relativism. There's an absoluteness to old-style feminism, as seen very strongly in this piece, which stated quite bluntly that "religion means one thing and one thing only for those women unfortunate enough to get caught up in it: oppression." As the subsequent discussion showed, there's much more to it than that.
As for Cif, even as you return (as a dog...) I think I'm coming round to your point of view: your brilliant metaphor of it as flypaper, in particular. Plus I had another entirely innocent contribution removed yesterday - one that had picked up a dozen "recommends". How can they do that? Besides, it wastes too much time. I think I'll concentrate on cultivating my own garden. Though I doubt I'll be able to ignore it entirely.
- 22 August 2008 at 09:22
Fair enough about Cath Heresiarch - sorry I misread you. I saw your Cif post go (and mine) and protested about it and Cath said on the thread that she didn't get the moderation either.
I was driven away from Cif before by my righteous indignation over the mad Masroor blog, and took another wee break there because like Mujokan i was bored with my own repetitions, and now i think I'm going to take longer breaks because it is hard work posting - I like to look and see if someone has made the point I'm making but IT TAKES SO LONG and I do have other words to write for money)) agghh.
Well thank goodness for Heresy Corner!
- 22 August 2008 at 15:25
- WeepingCross said...
Christians themselves generally find the preponderance of females in the pews a puzzle. My impression is that most of the factors contributors have mentioned here make sense, but I'm really not convinced by the masochism argument; yet I can't think of any sociological study that would throw any light on the matter. My own hunch has always been that women are less inclined to swallow the fantasy of self-reliance than men are: they know they're not in control of things, whereas men kid themselves they can be.
Religious women do, however, have a long history of pointing out (often to their great cost) that according to the sacred text concerned, God doesn't actually appear to say quite what the hierarchy tends to say he says. Argument over what God has said is where reason enters the process.
Ms Burchill is of course mistaken in this as in other respects. I wonder how she will cope with the clause of the Creed 'I believe in one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church'? I haven't heard anyone use the word 'Protestant' seriously in years.
- 23 August 2008 at 19:49
- The Heresiarch said...
And yet, strangely, there was a report in today's Telegraph that large numbers of women are deserting the churches - more than 50,000 a year - and taking up witchcraft. The report claims that they're inspired by Buffy - rather late in the day, surely. Acc. Dr Krisin Aune, "Young women tend to express egalitarian values and dislike the traditionalism and hierarchies they imagine are integral to the church."
And then it quotes Christina Rees as saying, "What this research reveals is that a lot of people are put off by traditional stances and attitudes. We still have a long way to go before women, particularly young women, feel as included in the church as men do."
Which made me think - where are all the men who feel included? This doesn't make any sense.
- 23 August 2008 at 20:07
- WeepingCross said...
You can't expect Christina Rees to make sense!!
In fact the argument for years has been that men are put off active involvement in churches because, apart from the chap up front, they're dominated by women. I find that much closer to real life.
The Buffy remark must surely emanate from someone who knows nothing about it. Yes, early on in Buffy Wicca looked sassy and cool. Then an entire season's story arc concerned it destroying the main character involved. That kind of ambiguity was one of the things that made the serial fun. Oh, and a personable young girl kicking the crap out of vampires, of course.
- 24 August 2008 at 23:11
You and Weeping Cross must be right
'The Buffy remark must surely emanate from someone who knows nothing about it'.
Our eldest became interested in Wicca through watching Buffy and still considers herself loosely to be something of a Wiccan - but the figure of 50,000 a year is mad. The Telegraph is prone to planted stories, some sinister (a CIA story linking Saddam and 9/11) and others just bonkers like this.
- 25 August 2008 at 16:26
"Women under Sharia law have inferior rights of inheritance and divorce; their testimony is worth less than that of a man; they can only marry with the permission of a male relative. Women under Islam are often kept in a condition of perpetual childhood. Islam also gives cover to patriarchal notions of family honour: arranged marriages, dress codes (in which women are identified as the instruments of male temptation), an obsession with virginity on marriage (female virginity, that is). Even the cruel practice of genital mutilation is given religious sanction."
How does repeating the standard stereotypes and misconceptions prove any of your points here?
Does the actions of the wahabbi cult/sect represent the whole world of Islam and its followers?
A few corrections/points
*The testimony of women ie equal to men.
Your quote applies to the instance of financial/commercial transactions where 2 women are required to prevent any fraud, as women were not involved in business/commerce at that time.
It clealr states in the Quran that this only applies to financial/commercial transactions but some only like to read the first verse and ignore this part.
In todays world women are involved business world and finance/commerce is done through lawyers/accountants so this requirement will not be relevant any more.
In regard to inheritance the rules apply when the person dies intestate.
A person can make a will and leave everything to wife , sister, daughter or mother.
Further there is nothing in sharia to stop women from going to mosque.
The actions of the men folk respresnt them and not the religion. In some parts of the musim world there are women Imams, including in UK.
Further FGM is a cultural practice found in north and west Africa which predates all religions.
In the overwhelming majority of muslim world it is an alien practice.
The fact that such practice is found amongst sections of muslims does not make it islamic or part of muslim faith.
Yes there are patriarchial structures in muslim world, the extreme example being in Saudi arabia where women are not allowed to even drive, abused and their rights not respected.
The fact that the abusers claim their religion sanctions their abuse does not mean it is so.
- 28 August 2008 at 17:50
- The Heresiarch said...
I'm well aware that there are Muslim reformers and feminists who take a progressive view of Sharia. Get back to me when a majority of traditionally-minded male religious scholars - the ones who actually get to make most of the decisions - come round to your point of view.
- 28 August 2008 at 17:55
but how does a inaccurate and misleading quote that women's testimony is worth half of man prove your point?
It clearly states in the Quran and not by any reformers that it applies to financial/commercial transactions only for reasons stated already. The quran verse states in a matters of finance/commerce.
You still insist that the testimony applies to all situations?
- 28 August 2008 at 18:12
- The Heresiarch said...
Sharia has been interpreted in a discriminatory way for many centuries and continues to be today. If that interpretation has been wrong, or can be brought up to date, that has not stopped millions of women form living under the mistaken interpretation - and doing so willingly, with meek acceptance, just as some willingly wear veils. This article was an attempt to address that paradox. But it's not just Islam. Most religions have discriminated against women (that was Cath Elliot's point) and yet women tend to be more religious than men (which was my point).
And give me some sort of name, please. It's confusing having an argument with "anonymous". A bit like trying to have a conversation with a woman wearing a full-face veil.
- 28 August 2008 at 18:23
"Sharia has been interpreted in a discriminatory way for many centuries and continues to be today."
I politely ask if this statement is based on evidence?
Yusuf Hamza a muslim scholar and expert on Sharia relates of legal injunctions that are more than 1,000 years old that grant women legal rights to domestic help at the expense of their husbands.
Further 3 out of 4 Sunni schools of Jurispreudence consider domestic chores outside the scope of a woman's legal responsibilities toward her husband.
The Schools have been around for over 1000 years.
Further the veiling of women was a custom adopted from Byzantine Greeks by the Ottoman Turks which then spread throught some parts of muslim world.
Dressing modestly applies to both men and women and not just women.
" If that interpretation has been wrong, or can be brought up to date, that has not stopped millions of women form living under the mistaken interpretation - and doing so willingly, with meek acceptance, just as some willingly wear veils."
Firstly testimony is mentioned in a number of times in Quran.
In one instance in relation to financial/commercial/debt transactions it states clearly that two women are required as means to protect from fraud.
There can not be any ambiguity or wrong interpretation.
What has been happening is a misconception that is repeated without being checked for accuracy so that now it is accepted as true.
Further those that do make claim quote cherry picked the verse from the Quran omitting the reference to financial/commercial transaction part.
The reference from Quran is Qur'an 2:282.
Again this is not to deny the status and position of women in muslim parts of the world where
Patriarchial structures have become entrenched especially in Saudi Arabia which have nothing to do with the religion but have become "Islamised".
I appreciate the point you are making.
- 28 August 2008 at 23:29
Jim B:
Your post seems to indulge in obscurantism - my wife is muslim and I'm aware of certain facts it seems you are fudging:
"Further there is nothing in sharia to stop women from going to mosque. "
Yes, as along as they sit in their corner - which is usually small and separated from the men.
"Further those that do make claim quote cherry picked the verse from the Quran omitting the reference to financial/commercial transaction part."
What point are you making about the Quranic verse 2.282 applying "only" to commercial or financial transactions? By stating that those who ignore the "financial/commercial transaction part" you seem to be stating, well of course women are equal - except - when it comes to financial and commerical trnasactions. How is that fair or equal?
"In todays world women are involved business world and finance/commerce is done through lawyers/accountants so this requirement will not be relevant any more."
You forget what ALL if not most islamic scholars and theologians say - Islam and therefore the quran is a religion and book for ALL time. There is none of, og sorry, that part of the quran/hadith is irrelevant today, sorry please ignore it. This is exactly the point the Islamic purists make about western muslims - they accuse their islam of not conforming to the original texts - Ahmed Deedat, Zakir Naik for 2 such examples.
And yes I agree, , there are a lot of requirements in islam that are totally irrelevant for modern 21st century life. The ridiculous obessession about not using your left hand for eating for one. Many others as well.
""Sharia has been interpreted in a discriminatory way for many centuries and continues to be today."
I politely ask if this statement is based on evidence?"
Yes - it is. This is ridiculous. Are you seriously questioning whether sharia has been "interpreted" in a discriminating way???! You yourself suggest the discrimination in a latter part of your post: " Again this is not to deny the status and position of women in muslim parts of the world where
Patriarchial structures have become entrenched especially in Saudi Arabia"
I live in South Africa. The sharia laws relating to the unequal inheritance rights of women IS enforced amongst muslim women. The only way muslim women can contest it is by going to out secular courts. Not by seeking more imams or shariah courts.
"Further FGM is a cultural practice found in north and west Africa which predates all religions.
In the overwhelming majority of muslim world it is an alien practice.
The fact that such practice is found amongst sections of muslims does not make it islamic or part of muslim faith."
I dont understand this and have heard this excuse many times - wherby people say something is "cultural" and not "religious" in order to try and excuse their religion from its crimes - is religion not one of the constituents of culture alongside tradition?
Also, i dont understand what ""Further FGM is a cultural practice found in north and west Africa which predates all religions" has got to do with anything? Certain if not all Jews have a prohibition on eating pork - would you seriously contend that not eating pork is "unIslamic" just because the prohibition of pork predates Islam?! Fasting is another practise that Islam didnt invent (Hinduism etc) - is this also "unIslamic"
An act of a religion, whether it arrived with the religion or whether the religious followers adopted a certain practise at a latter time does not exclude the act from being called religious.
The same with FGM. FGM like you state is practised in traditional African tribes such as the Masia community, but I find it interesting how many Islamic countries (or those with a large muslim population) practise it or used to practise it - Egypt, Saudi, Indonesia, Sudan, Eritrea, Ghana, Nigeria, Djibouti, Kenya, Côte d'Ivoire, somewhat here in South Africa (my wife was almost circumscised but narrowly escaped it). If you want supporting sources on this please ask - these countries are either Islamic or have large muslim proportions and still practise it - here in South Africa, muslims thankfully only make up about 1.5% of the population, yet you still get muslims practising it.
There have been many times in the history of Islam where religious leaders quoted hadith authority to support their case that FGM is/was islamic.
There is nothing in the quran to support it although there ARE hadith quotes:
'Um Atiyyat al-Ansariyyah said: A woman used to perform circumcision in Medina. The Prophet (pbuh) said to her: Do not cut too severely as that is better for a woman and more desirable for a husband'."
Sunan Abu-Dawud, Book 41:
"When a man sits between the four parts (arms and legs of his wife) and the two circumcised parts meet, then ghusl is obligatory."
hadith (349) in Sahih Muslim
In Egypt, a number of Fatwas have been issued by the influential Egyptian Fatwa Committee on FGM:
" 1949-MAY-28: They decided that it is not a sin to reject female circumcision.
1951-JUN-23: They stated that female circumcision is desirable because it curbs "nature" (i.e. sexual drive among women). It stated that medical concerns over the practice are irrelevant.
1981-JAN-29: The Great Sheikh of Al-Azhar (the most famous University of the Islamic World) stated that parents must follow the lessons of Mohammed and not listen to medical authorities because the latter often change their minds. Parents must do their duty and have their daughters circumcised."
It is not considered Islamic NOW the same way all of a sudden slavery became "unchristian" in the 1800's in the US/UK.
If we wait for religious people to decide what is "true" islam and what is "true" christianity or what is "true" religion when humanity decides on moral issues (while certain religious ppl are perpetuating atroticites like FGM, suicide bombing etc) we will surely overburden ourselves on unnecesary waffle that the religious cannot decide on themselves while they inflict pain to others.
"The fact that the abusers claim their religion sanctions their abuse does not mean it is so."
Hmmmmm - so when believers are quoting a particular "holy" text to us then I guess we have no right to attribute it to their religious beliefs?
You seem to hover between accepting islamic law traditions of the past:
("Yusuf Hamza a muslim scholar and expert on Sharia relates of legal injunctions that are more than 1,000 years old that grant women legal rights to domestic help at the expense of their husbands.")
yet when it doesnt fit into your modern 21st century morals then you quickly denounce an act as "unIslamic"
("The fact that the abusers claim their religion sanctions their abuse does not mean it is so") I find that interesting because in the cases where you merely assert something is "unIslamic", there actually ARE muslim scholars stating that such and such is in the hadith or quran or islamic law etc.
I applaud you for standing up for modern secular values (more so if you stand up to those who actually say the Quran or hadith qualifies them to some despicable deed rather than those who merely point out the truth of the disgusting holy texts), I do have a problem with the truth of some of your statements however - I have been involved in muslim communities since high school and this denial of 1 of the roots of certain problems I find quite intolerable.
- 15 January 2009 at 15:12
- apashiol said...
From what can be gleaned of ancient tribal cults, women and homosexual men were quite prominent. For example the cults of the Levantine goddesses. Religion then consisted more of sympathetic magic. It is likely the reason for the signs of female influence early in the Bible.
As societies grew larger the more masculine mode of organisation started to predominate and with that male gods. Religion was restructured with priesthoods ousting the older ways. Most of the taboos of the Pentateuch were to outlaw practices that had once been sacred. The prohibitions against homosexuality were mainly concerned with men availing themselves of the services of qadeshim, the homosexual priests who served alongside the priestesses in the temples. There is no need to create taboos around things that aren't somehow tempting. Even the animals that were considered abominations by the later Jews were sacred animals before. You can look at each of the forbidden animals in the Bible and see that they held special significance for the surrounding pagans. Even the dove that became an emblem of the Holy Spirit was originally sacred because of its reputation for promiscuity and thus valued by people who saw the sex act as powerful magic.
Stoning to death those who broke the rules was an effective way to 'domesticate' the population, especially the female part.
You don't have to posit some idyllic Matriarchal prehistory to see how oppressive religious rules could winnow out intransigent females leaving those who are more compliant and apt to submit.
So your observation about the masochism of women today doesn't preclude millennia of shaping by cultural forces to bring that about.
The reason men in general don't need religion is because society has been structured to suit them for thousands of years.
Even today the vast number of mediums and psychics are women and gay men. Imagining you have access to mystical powers takes the sting out of the fact that you are denied real power. Magical thinking is a refuge of the powerless.
- 25 January 2009 at 01:08
>>>I have my sources. Let's just say that those who are in a position to know assure me that it's the case.>>>
Yeah, right.
We sho' is massakistik, right Heresy?
- 8 March 2009 at 06:29
- Endivio Roquefort I said...
"Judging by the respective numbers of female professional dominatrixes, compared to the almost non-existent male dominator market, I would say that male masochists are anything but a minority in the kinkier strata of society."
We are a minority. It should be perfectly obvious that the fact there's a "market" at all for dominatrixes is that whipping men is an activity most women find unutterably tedious, on a par with beating dusty carpets or scrubbing grime out of shirt collars. Hence, it's something you have to pay them to get them to do at all. Women who are able to pretend to actually enjoy it can therefore command astronomical sums. Whereas men on the whole don't need to be paid to sexually humiliate women who express an interest in being so humiliated. There are plenty who will quite happily perform this service for no reward at all. My theory is that it's the rarity/novelty value of the experience that determines its value. Women enjoy pretty much absolute power over men in a normal relationship, so they don't feel any need to adorn this with symbolic expression, much less in front of a camera.
- 7 November 2010 at 20:16