Musings on the Political Discussion in "Wearing a Dress ...

[weeladdie18]

Fifty years ago we were on holiday in Cornwall and sailed up to Frenchman's Creek in the family boat.....This creek was the inspiration for
a tale of a love affair between a rich English Lady and a French Pirate......today I was in a meeting in a sailing club a mile down the river from this creek.

Last summer I was sailing in a club Drascombe Lugger with my new found friends on the river to a Barbie on the opposite bank of the river on my birthday.

Life goes on .......weeladdie

[weeladdie18]

Morag, who lived on Shetland visited her GP and announced that as she was 97 she was aware that it was almost time for her to 'go', so she expressed a wish that when it happened she would like to be cremated.

The good Dr. McKinley informed her that as there were no facilities for cremation on the islands she would have to go to the mainland, Aberdeen or somewhere to be cremated.

Morag thought about this for a few seconds and than said: 'Doctor, I think we'll forget about this cremation business. You see, I get ever so sick on the boat!'

Tom

Well done Tom.....Could Morag join the Shetland Fire Brigade and get the job done on the cheap ? ............L.O.L.

[Daryl]

Personally, my final instructions to my executor stipulate "... least expensive method possible to dispose of the remains. Once the mind is gone, the body has no worth nor value." I'm certainly not going to care what happens to the "vehicle" once the driver is dead. Depending on how I go, this might be donating the thing to science to train future medics. However, the way I currently anticipate meeting my end is at the exit of work onto Massachusetts Route 9 some afternoon when hit by some moron playing with a cell' 'phone instead of piloting his/her monster truck competently (which will obviate any "value to science or future generations").

I just had my will stipulate that my execut[rix|or] could deal with my remains as he or she sees fit. I plan to be around long enough that the possibilities may change, so rather than updating my will each time I will just instruct those persons verbally as to my preferences. Those preferences amount to "don't spend a lot of money on it but try to be environmentally friendly if you can. If sky burial is an option, that's fine with me." A re-animated menace like from science fiction stories would probably be fine too. I mean, for me the world will no longer exist and that possibility might let me die with a chuckle.

[Daryl]

Decomposition releases methane, which is a far more potent greenhouse gas than the carbon dioxide released by burning. Disposing of vegtation by drying and burning is almost certainly better for the atmosphere than composting it, but I don't know if the same holds for human bodies.

We needn't worry about this in either case. All biomass carbon comes from processes that remove carbon from the atmosphere. The cycle of life is practically the definition of "renewable"; a carbon-neutral zero sum. Methane from the rotting husks of vegetation, or the animals that ate the vegetation, breaks down into ordinary CO2 very rapidly, and rotting biomass has been the norm on the planet since well before humans. The biggest concern with methane is the sudden release of enormous quantities of it that could happen if we reach a temperature tipping-point and start melting the tundra, not its ordinary daily production by life in the biosphere.

Now one could say "sure, in the long term it's a zero sum, but we are in an atmospheric-carbon crisis right now and anything we can do in the short term might help us avoid a tipping point, so we are morally obliged to do what we can." I'd agree with that were it not for the effort that ensuring dry-and-burn entails; effort that is itself probably not carbon-neutral. A little bit of yard waste, dealt with by hand, sure, maybe it's worth the greenie feelgood, but don't reward yourself for the hard work by driving to the local DQ for a cone.

[Daryl]

Ones that affect how a nation views itself with respect to the world are more consequential. It always amazes me as an outsider that a people need to repeat "we are number one", and fetishise their own symbols so much.

I think every national culture does this to an extent. It may not involve a flag, but I think most people take at least some level of pride in their homeland. Generally in my experience, most people believe they are number one. True humility is in short supply the world over.

As for me, I think there are things America could learn from other countries. As for what we're "number one" on, is a matter of statistics on one hand, and sentiment on the other.

The U.S. has plenty of things to be proud of and ashamed of. But in all fairness, lots of nations fall in the same category. We've made some mistakes, but such is the cost of experimentation.

It also amazes me that this seems in tandem with a deep insecurity. I've never heard anyone else worry so much about threats to their country's very existence, with less reason to do so. This seems by design, hailing from a time when the threat of European powers undoing the revolution was more real. I've read where it was actually only about 25% of America that was behind independence, but that 25% cared deeply whilst most others were kind of on the fence. Creating a founding mythology of a thing SO precious and SO in need of defence, was a strategically sound move at that time. American exceptionalism served a purpose then, but now it seems quaint and odd, and sometimes dangerous to both the world and America's own interests. Being ready willing and able to serve in military adventures like Viet Nam and Iraq, is, I think, a sign that the America fetish has some serious downsides. I would go so far as to say that it makes for both an undue sense of insecurity as well as an undue sense of invulnerability.

There is sound psychology in this, but I think the comment might be unfairly generalizing the American populace. One look at our politics proves that we generally don't agree on much. The "star spangled patriotism" we are speaking of really isn't as common as outsiders might think. I think most Americans are just too busy trying to survive to bother with it.

Ideally the flag should stand for diversity. Our former defacto motto "E Pluribus unum" demonstrates this message. It translates to "out of one, many", and is the primary reason I reject the current motto. Not for any gripe with religion, but that the motto only represents a certain class and culture, and that culture can be pretty damned obnoxious about it.

But make no mistake, most Americans know we aren't the best in the world at everything. We do have a certain level of pride and I think that's okay. It's only the ultra obnoxious that dominate our airwaves. As my folks often say "just because you've seen it on TV, doesn't make it true."

I've covered a lot of ground in my life, been through big cities and small towns and interacted with thousands on top of thousands of people. I've never seen someone get shot, never witnessed a riot, a large protest, a lynching, and only very few scuffles. I only recently shook hands with a senator, and that was a first.

98% of this land just isn't represented in our media. I'll ask our neighbors abroad to please don't judge us by that. Look at the diverse opinions on the matter right here on this forum....

Interesting. I've witnessed many very large protests, the largest one of which took place in Washington D.C. and was presided over by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. (a fun weekend let me tell you) I've done a lot of driving stateside and can tell you the one thing that really sticks out for all us furriners is the ubiquity of star spangled banners, even being hung from the fronts and sides of people's homes. You can't even witness that many Canadian flags in Canada on Canada Day (our national patriotic holiday, July 1).

Another big one we furriners notice is hands over hearts and removed hats when your (very lovely) anthem is sung at sporting events.

It all just seems so at odds with our experience of ordinary Americans, who tend to be very generous and gregarious and not at all insular in person.

So when Team America World Police came out, you just know we were howling with laughter, and belting out the chorus of the theme song along with the movie every time. Honestly, we can't think of any nicer people who are so weird.

[Daryl]

I tried to take Jenn's advice and ease off and relax . But as long as people keep making insensitive remarks I find it impossible .

So Daryl let me get this straight my patriotism and respect for my national symbols is nothing more than a "quaint and odd fetish"

It seems so in degree. Your choice of "nothing more" to describe my intent reveals that you are feeling offended. I'll set the record straight. Solemn patriotism and respect for national symbols are healthy things, in my opinion. It seems rather more than merely that, for some non-small proportion of Americans, when viewed from the outside.

[Sinned]

Maybe we are just a bit more laid back over here but I agree with Daryl in that we just don't get so heated about the patriotism thing. Furriners can say what they like about our country, flag, national anthem and queen but try and invade us and we take that personally. All things in moderation.

[moonshadow]

Interesting. I've witnessed many very large protests, the largest one of which took place in Washington D.C. and was presided over by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

Certainly, I'm not saying there aren't protest events in the U.S. They are just not scattered everywhere like is depicted in our news broadcast. Also, finding a protest taking place in D.C. is like finding sick people in a hospital. D.C. is basically the political nucleus of the U.S.

I've done a lot of driving stateside and can tell you the one thing that really sticks out for all us furriners is the ubiquity of star spangled banners, even being hung from the fronts and sides of people's homes.

Yes, Americans do like their flags, but usually there is no harm in this.

So when Team America World Police came out, you just know we were howling with laughter, and belting out the chorus of the theme song along with the movie every time. Honestly, we can't think of any nicer people who are so weird.

You might be surprised at how many Americans can (and do) laugh our ourselves. Most of us know we can be goof balls sometimes.

Also, I'd like to point out, that in the culture of every nation, I see a level of pride taking place. I believe this is healthy enough. Sure, perhaps someday we can join together and explore the stars as a unified race, but we're just not there yet. It takes time.

But come on, lets be honest, every nation thinks it's number one in their own way, many of the nations of the world seem to be pretty unified in thinking America is full of bumbling dunces in cowboy hats.

One thing I think is cool about America, is our culture is a hodgepodge of the cultures of the world. It has basically been the nucleus of immigration since it's founding, and as a result boast a very diverse populous. It seems every nationality and culture is represented somewhere here in the states, and no matter who you are, or from where you call home, you'll likely find a friend here... somewhere. And I think that's makes this a special place.

[Pdxfashionpioneer]

Honestly, we can't think of any nicer people who are so weird.

Thank you so much Darryl, because I can't think of any people so well known for being nice as you Canadians! And for the record, most of us take a certain amount of pride in how much weirdness we have here. Or as Moonshadow more elegantly put it.

One thing I think is cool about America, is our culture is a hodgepodge of the cultures of the world. It has basically been the nucleus of immigration since it's founding, and as a result boast a very diverse populous. It seems every nationality and culture is represented somewhere here in the states, and no matter who you are, or from where you call home, you'll likely find a friend here... somewhere. And I think that's makes this a special place.

On top of all that despite what Trump says and how some of his followers feel, anybody from anywhere can be an American and be accepted as such.

Eighty years ago the Fascists looked down on us Yanks as "a mongrel nation." We not only embraced that as a point of pride, but showed them that it was one of our greatest strengths.

[Sinned]

I like the quote of Homer Simpson, "Canada? Why should we leave America to visit America junior?"

[dillon]

I like the quote of Homer Simpson, "Canada? Why should we leave America to visit America junior?"

I like the reflection on Canada that suggested the nation was perfectly positioned to have British culture, French cuisine, and American technology, but somehow ended up with British cuisine, French technology, and American culture.

[Daryl]

Honestly, we can't think of any nicer people who are so weird.

Thank you so much Darryl, because I can't think of any people so well known for being nice as you Canadians! And for the record, most of us take a certain amount of pride in how much weirdness we have here. Or as Moonshadow more elegantly put it.

One thing I think is cool about America, is our culture is a hodgepodge of the cultures of the world. It has basically been the nucleus of immigration since it's founding, and as a result boast a very diverse populous. It seems every nationality and culture is represented somewhere here in the states, and no matter who you are, or from where you call home, you'll likely find a friend here... somewhere. And I think that's makes this a special place.

On top of all that despite what Trump says and how some of his followers feel, anybody from anywhere can be an American and be accepted as such.

Eighty years ago the Fascists looked down on us Yanks as "a mongrel nation." We not only embraced that as a point of pride, but showed them that it was one of our greatest strengths.

There are still a lot of reactionaries both here and there who don't get how such variety is actually a strength. Too many. But really, it's hard for them to get a lot of traction, because the evidence is so against them. I ride a bus here and a gaggle of Muslim girls, full gear, is sitting beside me on their way home from school. I hear them talk and if my eyes hadn't been open I wouldn't have guessed they were part of our diversity, it all being Justin Bieber this and Drake that.

We used to say that we had a cultural mosaic while the U.S. considered itself a melting pot. In reality, both are true, for both of us. Three cheers for hodgepodge!

[Daryl]

Maybe we are just a bit more laid back over here but I agree with Daryl in that we just don't get so heated about the patriotism thing. Furriners can say what they like about our country, flag, national anthem and queen but try and invade us and we take that personally. All things in moderation.

Heck, when furriners try to invade you, we take that personally over here, too.

[Daryl]

I like the quote of Homer Simpson, "Canada? Why should we leave America to visit America junior?"

I like the reflection on Canada that suggested the nation was perfectly positioned to have British culture, French cuisine, and American technology, but somehow ended up with British cuisine, French technology, and American culture.

Wince. (I've been watching a lot of Southpark lately, to build up my resilience.)

Number one travel destination for Canadians: the United States of America.

Worst insult furriners give Canadians: calling them Americans.

[weeladdie18]

Somewhere there is a 1943 documentary of a Scottish settlement in what was French Nova Scotia...The Scots were living their own Style with their own Piper.

The Original piper stowed away on the emigrant ship and paid his way by piping his way across the Atlantic.

There was even a clip of the old Grand Banks Schooners......motorised with the masts removed and still with salt cod on board .

Close by was a German community