Topic Poll

Let me briefly hijack this back in the direction of lofty minded analysis. Recall that when I started this thread, the concept was to decide things by vote. We have voted, and now it has become a long bunch of harrumphing harrangues of the sort you hear out of old men wearing rigs in Pariliament. I once interviewed researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Study and learned that two of the most hereditable/genetically determined human personality traits were what might be termed authoritarianism/propriety/religiosity on the one hand, and Bohemianism/free spiritedness/anythinggoes bonvivant-ism on the other. Obviously, people can fit anywhere along this spectrum, but these are sort of the normal extremes. It seems to me that whenever you get human groups together, these extremes recognize their kindred spirits as well as their natural antagonists. The former justify their righteousness on the grounds of basic decency; the latter justify their rightness on free thinking, open mindedness, and tolerance to alternative possibilities. It's almost like Absolute vs. Relativistic ethics. What is striking to me in this debate is that all the women seem to me, at least, to be reasonable. Peter Cruise, too, seems eminently reasonable. And many other of the fellows, as well, especially those whose wit lacks venom seem reasonable. These groups never get along terribly well because they are trying to prove the moral superiority of their personality: control vs. live and let live; censor vs. let anything fly. If not censor, then try to hound off-topic subjects into other rooms, where I can virtually guarantee anyone here claiming to find such topics such wastes of time are much more likely to view than, say, toe craps and what to do about them. The most poignant things I've read on these threads lately are 1) Beth's daughter's healthy diagnosis, 2) SeaGurls isolation somewhere out in Oregon/Washington State, where she swims by her self and this is as close as she can find to true team camaraderie, and 3) the twin sisterhood of Beth and Fortess (I am an identical twin myself, so I feel for anyone who wants to have such a wonderful relationship.) The people who want to control things--and correct me if I am wrong--have all been men, and what they want to control tends to be primarily, when it comes down to it, flirtingesque spice of life conversations. I went out with my team tonight in Pittsburgh, and granted, a few who would have disagreed with the topics decided not to come, but over the course of the evening we talked about everything from hand dominance and natural freestyle breathing side, to "fluffing", to Happy Endings. Ribald? Certainly. But a lot of people find this stuff amusing, and where really is the harm. It breaks my heart to think that SeaGurl is out in the boonies of the wild west, surrounded by Aryan Nation Posse Comitatus training camps, swimming by herself, and having no place in the world besides right here where she can catch up on the catch up stroke drill as well as fluffing techniques. Put me in the Long Live Bohemianism Camp. Surely my mind is wandering this late in the evening and something entirely appropriate was intended here. ;)

Let me briefly hijack this back in the direction of lofty minded analysis. Recall that when I started this thread, the concept was to decide things by vote. We have voted, and now it has become a long bunch of harrumphing harrangues of the sort you hear out of old men wearing rigs in Pariliament. I once interviewed researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Study and learned that two of the most hereditable/genetically determined human personality traits were what might be termed authoritarianism/propriety/religiosity on the one hand, and Bohemianism/free spiritedness/anythinggoes bonvivant-ism on the other. Obviously, people can fit anywhere along this spectrum, but these are sort of the normal extremes. It seems to me that whenever you get human groups together, these extremes recognize their kindred spirits as well as their natural antagonists. The former justify their righteousness on the grounds of basic decency; the latter justify their rightness on free thinking, open mindedness, and tolerance to alternative possibilities. It's almost like Absolute vs. Relativistic ethics. What is striking to me in this debate is that all the women seem to me, at least, to be reasonable. Peter Cruise, too, seems eminently reasonable. And many other of the fellows, as well, especially those whose wit lacks venom seem reasonable. These groups never get along terribly well because they are trying to prove the moral superiority of their personality: control vs. live and let live; censor vs. let anything fly. If not censor, then try to hound off-topic subjects into other rooms, where I can virtually guarantee anyone here claiming to find such topics such wastes of time are much more likely to view than, say, toe craps and what to do about them. The most poignant things I've read on these threads lately are 1) Beth's daughter's healthy diagnosis, 2) SeaGurls isolation somewhere out in Oregon/Washington State, where she swims by her self and this is as close as she can find to true team camaraderie, and 3) the twin sisterhood of Beth and Fortess (I am an identical twin myself, so I feel for anyone who wants to have such a wonderful relationship.) The people who want to control things--and correct me if I am wrong--have all been men, and what they want to control tends to be primarily, when it comes down to it, flirtingesque spice of life conversations. I went out with my team tonight in Pittsburgh, and granted, a few who would have disagreed with the topics decided not to come, but over the course of the evening we talked about everything from hand dominance and natural freestyle breathing side, to "fluffing", to Happy Endings. Ribald? Certainly. But a lot of people find this stuff amusing, and where really is the harm. It breaks my heart to think that SeaGurl is out in the boonies of the wild west, surrounded by Aryan Nation Posse Comitatus training camps, swimming by herself, and having no place in the world besides right here where she can catch up on the catch up stroke drill as well as fluffing techniques. Put me in the Long Live Bohemianism Camp. Surely my mind is wandering this late in the evening and something entirely appropriate was intended here. ;)