What Did You Learn Today?

[Saya]

I learned TWO things today. One, you can make yarn out of plastic bags and apparently even newspapers. I must go collect plastic bags from others (I use totes) and test this out.

The second thing I learned was that Queen Victoria was quite a misogynistic pig:

"I am most anxious to enlist everyone who can speak or write to join in checking this mad, wicked folly of 'Women's Rights', with all its attendant horrors, on which her poor feeble sex is bent, forgetting every sense of womanly feelings and propriety. Feminists ought to get a good whipping. Were woman to 'unsex' themselves by claiming equality with men, they would become the most hateful, heathen and disgusting of beings and would surely perish without male protection."

[zerademark]

Originally Posted by Saya

The second thing I learned was that Queen Victoria was quite a misogynistic pig:

"I am most anxious to enlist everyone who can speak or write to join in checking this mad, wicked folly of 'Women's Rights', with all its attendant horrors, on which her poor feeble sex is bent, forgetting every sense of womanly feelings and propriety. Feminists ought to get a good whipping. Were woman to 'unsex' themselves by claiming equality with men, they would become the most hateful, heathen and disgusting of beings and would surely perish without male protection."

Yup, that pretty much sums the thoughts of most women of that time. Badly enough, in my country people still think like that. ><

I learned today that most people would rather hold on to their own believes faithfully and blindly than doing some research themselves to see if they're right.

(conflict with some classmates about Christmas and it's pagan origins)

[Saya]

Originally Posted by zerademark

Yup, that pretty much sums the thoughts of most women of that time. Badly enough, in my country people still think like that. ><

Well, men too. Its just....WOW. The one lady in the entire country in a position of power and she didn't want to afford any power to any other woman? Why was she different? Why could she speak in public but cheer on when Lucy Stone was told to remain silent and let the men speak?

I learned today that most people would rather hold on to their own believes faithfully and blindly than doing some research themselves to see if they're right.

(conflict with some classmates about Christmas and it's pagan origins)

As long as you didn't pull the Zeitgeist shit where "ITS ALL A LIE ITS A PAGAN RELIGION".

[zerademark]

Originally Posted by Saya

Well, men too. Its just....WOW. The one lady in the entire country in a position of power and she didn't want to afford any power to any other woman? Why was she different? Why could she speak in public but cheer on when Lucy Stone was told to remain silent and let the men speak?

Humans are very complex to understand. Wasn't she BTW looked down to by the Catholic church?

As long as you didn't pull the Zeitgeist shit where "ITS ALL A LIE ITS A PAGAN RELIGION".

Nope, or at least that didn't go out my mouth. It wasn't much a ripoff as it was an adaption. The date was just moved on 25 december. But you know, some people just cant stand any critism on the things they support.

[Delkaetre]

I learned not to buy extra lean beef mince when making bolognese. Less than 5% fat and it loses the right texture. It's not forming the rich sauce that I can usually make, it's staying together in tough clumps.

I only bought it by accident, because it was the only 500g pack of beef mince on the shelf. Next time I'll buy two 250g packs of decent meat instead. It'll cost more, but the result will be much better.

I've also learned that there is a red wine called Red Dragon, and I will shortly learn whether it's actually drinkable or strictly a cooking wine.

[Ben Lahnger]

Originally Posted by zerademark

I learned today that most people would rather hold on to their own believes faithfully and blindly than doing some research themselves to see if they're right.

(conflict with some classmates about Christmas and it's pagan origins)

I think you meant beliefs, right?

I had a friend have a similar experience with some classmates. They were waiting for a high school class to start (the subject was English, I think) and she was having an argument with a stubborn young man who rebuffed her every statement about how Christmas was originally a pagan celebration of the Winter Solstice that was coopted by the Christian movement. He was adamantly certain she was wrong, would not be moved and said he has had to correct people about this misconception all his life.

Then the class started. In her high school they frequently watched movies and other videos in the classes. The teacher announced that they were going to view the History Channel documentary "Christmas Unwrapped - The History of Christmas".

The young man's jaw dropped as the show proceeded to trace the roots of Christmas back to its earliest beginnings as a pagan Roman holiday of feasting. After the show ended, he turned to my friend and said, "My whole life has been a lie."

Bwah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah!

BTW, this special is available as part of the 4 episode compilation "The History of Christmas" for a better price.

[Ben Lahnger]

Actually, the date wasn't moved. Originally according to the Julian Calendar, the Winter Solstice occured on Dec. 25th (which was inaccurate, but nobody knew it at the time.) So that was the date of the original pagan celebration. Christ's "birth" was moved to December 25th to coopt the pagan holiday and convert the heathens. Then the calendar was fixed and the Solstice was moved to the correct date, so that we now know that December 25th is neither the Solstice or Christ's birthday.

[Saya]

I don't get why its such a big deal to some people though, all religions "steal" from each other. I read somewhere once that we got Hotei (the Fat Buddha) from a previous Chinese folklore figure, we just gave him longer ear lobes.

[Ben Lahnger]

Borrowing is one thing, trying to take over and eliminate another belief system is a little different.

[Saya]

You mean like when the pagans totally persecuted and martyred Christians? XD

[Ben Lahnger]

Which came first?

BTW, yes, that was just as wrong.

[Saya]

Yeah early Christians were heavily persecuted until the fourth century, and died in a lot of nasty gory ways. Then the Romans converted to Christianity and brought Christmas with them really.

[Ben Lahnger]

And even those that didn't want to come along for the ride. None of which discounts my point that the Christian movement co-opted the pagan celebration.

I wouldn't call it borrowing ... it was an intent to change the date and rituals to a different cause, and to some extent it worked. That's not a crime on the order of torture or murder, but it is history that should be remembered.

[Saya]

Well the Romans just weren't exactly known for their religious tolerance, when they became Christian it didn't get better.

Its just the attitude that Christians "stole" Christmas from the pagans like it was a personal vendetta against every Wiccan today grinds my gears. Every pagan I know personally acts like its their cross to bear (hehe) every 25th of December, when they snort and say "They STOLE it from us, I celebrate YULE instead." and act all sullen whenever Jesus is mentioned. Or atheists who treat it as a GOTCHA! somehow. Its a fact and an intertesting one that should be remembered, but not something anyone alive should feel somehow offended by either way. Its a fun holiday and as a Buddhist I'm totally stealing it too from the Christians I guess by secularizing it.

I have been awake now for 29 hours straight so I apologize if I don't make a whole lot of sense.

[Ben Lahnger]

No, you make good sense. Wouldn't have known you've been up that long. Hope you get sleep soon (if you want it.)

My reaction in quoting the history is a rebuttal to all those people who get in my face about "keeping Christ in Christmas". So I always want to tell them to keep Christ out of my December 25th celebration.

But I'm with you on the idea that more tolerance to everyone's differences would be a blessing.

[Naked Lunch]

Life is short. Have as smuch fun as possible.

[zerademark]

Originally Posted by Ben Lahnger

No, you make good sense. Wouldn't have known you've been up that long. Hope you get sleep soon (if you want it.)

My reaction in quoting the history is a rebuttal to all those people who get in my face about "keeping Christ in Christmas". So I always want to tell them to keep Christ out of my December 25th celebration.

But I'm with you on the idea that more tolerance to everyone's differences would be a blessing.

Nowadays the whole "celebrating Christ's birthday" seem to have faded behind commercialisation. *points at Santa Cola*

I'm with you on your last statement though.

Life is short. Have as smuch fun as possible.

*High-five*

[Anarasha]

I learnt that I should truly expect the unexpected as we got half a metre of snow in Denmark for the first time in over 10 years.

[Saya]

I learned that when they used to surgically castrate people, they would replace the testes with prosthetic balls. Like 12g glass balls. Or balls made of ivory. Plastic balls were a popular choice in the 70s.

Its sadistic and a horrible practice, but its late and I can't help to think what if someone inserted Baoding balls and what that would sound like when the guy scratches himself.

[Shadowagony]

Curbs are not your friend when you are piss drunk.

[M.Valdemar]

Not to mention the health benefits...

[hollowmaggot]

Making a smaller size out of a pattern piece is really difficult. In so many ways.

[Ben Lahnger]

When people won't take NO for an answer, it's a damn nuisance!

[Solumina]

That my coworkers are as dumb as the guests. I was seriously asked if ducks become geese when they grow up. This woman is going to college, I fear for society

[MissCheyenne]

That reminds me of a girl I used to know who swore blind that a baby pigeon that we found and had injured itself was a duck. She tried to put it in a bathtub full of water so it could swim.