Here's a good post to watch from YWN. What began as an innocuous, fairly tame post seems to be going down the slippery slope here.
It's so funny to me how predictable the direction of these posts can be, this one at least so far. Act I - innocent question. Act II - seemingly innocent question about tznius. Act III - clarification that seemingly innocent question about tznius is really a thinly veiled impetus for tznius flame war. Act IV - tznius flame war degenerating to immature, idiotic personal insults.
How Shakespearean. Let's see how this plays out.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Shabbos
Just wanted to let the world know that I am so looking forward to two meals of good food on Friday night that I'm running 15 miles a day instead of 4.
Just kidding. But I'm still salivating.
Also, looking forward to seeing a long lost friend - let's hear it for V-I-C!!
Just kidding. But I'm still salivating.
Also, looking forward to seeing a long lost friend - let's hear it for V-I-C!!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Judging a book by its cover - and a whole side rant
I came across this article on a nice, juicy Jewish news web site. Read the article title, look at the comments, then actually read the article.
I love the the way sites like this portray the 'news' with attention-grabbing headlines that have little to do with the actual article. VIN news knows exactly how people react once they throw the word "gossip" into the equation. It's really just a way to stir up idiotic discussion in the comments section - barely anyone, except for one lone comment, noticed that the study's definition of "gossip" as an activity with health benefit is not quite synonymous with what we would call lashon hara. Take a look at comment #4 for a nice, hearty laugh, if you need a pick-me-up today, BTW.
I'm surprised tznius wasn't dragged in to the discussions here, given the propensity of these sites' commentators to link the most obscure news story with that topic. Which brings a slowly spreading evil smile to my face that my wife knows all too well as a thought flashes across my mind - look at some of the posts that elicit tznius discussions on that other font of journalistic wisdom, YWN. Seriously, if innocent stories or posts about bubby's beano cholent recipe (OK, I'm exaggerating, but not much) elicit virulent posts on the decadent degradation of tznius amongst our holy bnos yisroel, there's something screwy in YOUR brain, my friend. If you're thinking about tznius that much, get professional help. My guess is that something other than normal bodily functions are going on in your bathroom, and you just gotta be defensive. I apologize for the, um, inappropriateness of that remark, but probably true to some extent.
Which brings me by way of natural segway to another pet peeve. Can't we let or leave discussions or lamentations on or of tznius issues or problems to women??? Or include them in the klal's discussion (besides the usual classroom lectures on inches, hemlines, and bodily areas)??? We read about kol koreh after asifa after speech after proclamation after blah blah blah on or about this issue, largely uttered by men to men instructing men on how to be manly about 'bettering' our wives. I'm not ch"v saying that achieving the highest levels of tznius in dress is not desirable. Nor am I denigrating those who make the decision to approach the issue this way. I just think it don't WORK. Does anyone really think most women want to be dictated to? Does anyone really see that constant harping on just one corner of the concept of 'hatzneia leches' can distort the chinuch we should giving our kids on what it really means?
Please comment - will this approach likely and generally turn our women onto or off of at least to attempt achieving a higher level of tznius than they already may observe? Does the incessant drumbeat of the "tznius = long sleeves and skirts" credo REALLY educate our children on what tznius means, in totality? I'm curious.
And I have absolutely no idea why this even crossed my mind at 3:00 PM EST.
I love the the way sites like this portray the 'news' with attention-grabbing headlines that have little to do with the actual article. VIN news knows exactly how people react once they throw the word "gossip" into the equation. It's really just a way to stir up idiotic discussion in the comments section - barely anyone, except for one lone comment, noticed that the study's definition of "gossip" as an activity with health benefit is not quite synonymous with what we would call lashon hara. Take a look at comment #4 for a nice, hearty laugh, if you need a pick-me-up today, BTW.
I'm surprised tznius wasn't dragged in to the discussions here, given the propensity of these sites' commentators to link the most obscure news story with that topic. Which brings a slowly spreading evil smile to my face that my wife knows all too well as a thought flashes across my mind - look at some of the posts that elicit tznius discussions on that other font of journalistic wisdom, YWN. Seriously, if innocent stories or posts about bubby's beano cholent recipe (OK, I'm exaggerating, but not much) elicit virulent posts on the decadent degradation of tznius amongst our holy bnos yisroel, there's something screwy in YOUR brain, my friend. If you're thinking about tznius that much, get professional help. My guess is that something other than normal bodily functions are going on in your bathroom, and you just gotta be defensive. I apologize for the, um, inappropriateness of that remark, but probably true to some extent.
Which brings me by way of natural segway to another pet peeve. Can't we let or leave discussions or lamentations on or of tznius issues or problems to women??? Or include them in the klal's discussion (besides the usual classroom lectures on inches, hemlines, and bodily areas)??? We read about kol koreh after asifa after speech after proclamation after blah blah blah on or about this issue, largely uttered by men to men instructing men on how to be manly about 'bettering' our wives. I'm not ch"v saying that achieving the highest levels of tznius in dress is not desirable. Nor am I denigrating those who make the decision to approach the issue this way. I just think it don't WORK. Does anyone really think most women want to be dictated to? Does anyone really see that constant harping on just one corner of the concept of 'hatzneia leches' can distort the chinuch we should giving our kids on what it really means?
Please comment - will this approach likely and generally turn our women onto or off of at least to attempt achieving a higher level of tznius than they already may observe? Does the incessant drumbeat of the "tznius = long sleeves and skirts" credo REALLY educate our children on what tznius means, in totality? I'm curious.
And I have absolutely no idea why this even crossed my mind at 3:00 PM EST.
Who's singin' in the rain?
I think this "post" went out without a post - I hit the enter button after typing in the title (very witty, I must say), thinking it'd get me to the actual post section, when it really just posted the title - and nothing else, I think. If that happened, sorry.
Anyway, with all the glorious, wonderful, life giving rain we've been having, that's been turning NYC into a beautiful babbling brook of brown sludge (oh, how I love NYC! but that's a different post), got me to thinking. Who is financially benefiting from all this rain (even if it's just a few $$$) right now or sometime in the near future? I'll start a short list here; please comment and let me know what you think and add to it! Here it is, no particular order (actually in order of which came to my mind first):
Umbrella sellers - duh
Street sweepers, if they get paid hourly
Vacation package companies (if they're adept enough at marketing to convince ppl to get away from the rain to a lush paradise)
Movie theaters
Movie rental companies
Drug companies who manufacture antidepressants
Indoor paintball
Retailers
Gutter cleaning services
Landscapers (or teenagers roaming the streets with lawnmowers)
Places that sell windshield wipers
Bowling alleys
Please add. Thanks!
Anyway, with all the glorious, wonderful, life giving rain we've been having, that's been turning NYC into a beautiful babbling brook of brown sludge (oh, how I love NYC! but that's a different post), got me to thinking. Who is financially benefiting from all this rain (even if it's just a few $$$) right now or sometime in the near future? I'll start a short list here; please comment and let me know what you think and add to it! Here it is, no particular order (actually in order of which came to my mind first):
Umbrella sellers - duh
Street sweepers, if they get paid hourly
Vacation package companies (if they're adept enough at marketing to convince ppl to get away from the rain to a lush paradise)
Movie theaters
Movie rental companies
Drug companies who manufacture antidepressants
Indoor paintball
Retailers
Gutter cleaning services
Landscapers (or teenagers roaming the streets with lawnmowers)
Places that sell windshield wipers
Bowling alleys
Please add. Thanks!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
