:: Womit ::

:: Wednesday, April 30, 2003 ::

The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to Purgatory!

Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
Level | Score
Purgatory | High
Level 1 - Limbo | Moderate
Level 2 | Moderate
Level 3 | Very Low
Level 4 | Very Low
Level 5 | High
Level 6 - The City of Dis | Very Low
Level 7 | Low
Level 8- the Malebolge | Moderate
Level 9 - Cocytus | Low

Level descriptions: http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-information.html
Take the test: http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-test.html
:: 6:21 PM [+] ::
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Anastasia ~
(Greek)


~ meaning ~
Resurrection


~ motivation ~
Is motivated by a desire to succeed


~ character ~
Supportive of others


~ feelings ~
Always appears happy


~ intelligence ~
Has an inventive mind


~ spiritual ~
Thrives on harmony


~ nature ~
Is caring and considerate


~ inherent ~
Demonstrates refinement


:: 6:57 PM [+] ::
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Did you ever have to read Ayn Rand? I did. That`s why this is really really funny. (edited for content because well, my father reads this. *snerk*)

A few things from the The 25 Most Inappropriate Things An Objectivist Can Say During Sex
by Jason Roth

"Now that's what I call standing up for what you believe in."

"I haven't had this much fun since I rejected the concept of God."

"Would you like me to concretize that for you?"

"There's nothing like grasping the objectivity of values. And what values they are."

"John? Who is John?"

:: 1:28 AM [+] ::
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Another aside. Riff, I weep for your immortal soul. Bun Bun`s penchant for violence is understandable, but Riff...you`re the resident coolie. Why`d you do that to Sam? Sam`s da man. Er, vampire.
:: 1:17 AM [+] ::
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Oh by the way, if you`re in the States could you ask your senator or rep to advise the president NOT to bomb N. Korea? Because I`m in Japan and I would really like it if it wasn`t the target of North Korean rage. At least until I leave.
:: 12:48 AM [+] ::
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I heard a Japanese person say something really racist the other day.

"All Korean people smell like kimchi."

Yup, I was shocked at the blatant racism of that statement. Okay, actually I laughed at the blatant racism of that statement, it was either that or bawl my eyes out at the stupidity of humanity. I told my friend Kate and then we drank some beers and then we made fun of a different person so we could warm up and then we came up with a few of our own. I mean, if Koreans smell like kimchi (which they DON`T, I`m making that statement now) then what stereotypical items do other nationalities smell like? (warning: this will be offensive. why don`t you drink a few beers and come back later?)

Canadians smell like moose, beaver, or maple syrup unless you are French Canadian in which case you smell like poutine or Celine Dion.
Americans smell like greasy food or regime change or conversatives.
The Dutch smell like mayonnaise on french fries or prostitution or weed. Or all three at once.
Germans smell like crematoriums and sauerkraut.
The French smell like defeat and chocolate croissants.
Africans, all Africans, smell like poverty and AIDS.

Then we were distracted by an inuki and had to feed it soba noodles.
:: 12:45 AM [+] ::
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I was taking a shower today when something struck me. "Is this military action in Iraq, by definition, war?"

You see, I`m an English teacher and a hack writer and have a degree in chemistry. God is in the details and very often so is the truth. So I bent my mind to the question of definition and found that no, what is going on in Iraq is not war. In fact, by the Constitution of the US, it`s not even legal.

“The Constitution expressly and exclusively vests in the Legislature the power of declaring a state of war [and] the power of raising armies. A delegation of such powers [to the president] would have struck, not only at the fabric of our Constitution, but at the foundation of all well organized and well checked governments. The separation of the power of declaring war from that of conducting it, is wisely contrived to exclude the danger of its being declared for the sake of its being conducted.” - Madison

Therefore, under our system of government although the president is personally convinced that war against a certain nation is just and morally right, he is nevertheless prohibited by our supreme law of the land from waging it unless he first secures a declaration of war from Congress. That was precisely why presidents Wilson and Roosevelt, who both believed that U.S. intervention in World Wars I and II was right and just, nevertheless had to wait for a congressional declaration of war before entering the conflict. And the fact that later presidents have violated the declaration-of-war requirement does not operate as a grant of power for other presidents to do the same.

What about the congressional resolution that granted President Bush the power to wage war against unnamed nations and organizations that the president determines were linked to the September 11 attacks? Doesn’t that constitute a congressional declaration of war? No, it is instead a congressional grant to the president of Caesar-like powers to wage war, a grant that the Constitution does not authorize Congress to make.

Therefore, when a U.S. president wages what might otherwise be considered a just war, if he has failed to secure a congressional declaration of war, he is waging an illegal war — illegal from the standpoint of our own legal and governmental system. And when the American people support any such war, no matter how just and right they believe it is, they are standing not only against their own principles and heritage, not only against their own system of government and laws, but also against the only barrier standing between them and the tyranny of their own government — the Constitution.

I`m not out to blame - oh wait. Yes I am. I am placing the blame of this firmly on the shoulders of the representatives of the citizens of the US sitting on Capitol Hill for not having the backbone to fight for what rights are granted to them by the Constitution and instead doling out `Caesar-like powers` to wage military action here and there. Whether or not this current president is engaging in abuse of power is not the issue to me, the fact that a precedent has been established that allows a president to do such things - blatantly overstepping the powers granted by the document that establishes the rule and law of my country - means that abuse is a possibility and the `tyranny of their own government` is that much closer at hand.

This post isn`t meant to be paranoid fear mongering. It`s about that oath I am going to take - the one that begins, "I am an American soldier - sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States." I do not take those words lightly and neither should anyone else. It`s not about a president or a congress. It`s about the definition of my country - the Constitution; that document that has guided our country for over 200 years.

Dear lord. Does anyone think like this anymore? Am I a pathetic vision in rusted chainmail, tilting at windmills? Should I give up the ghost?

Ain`t gonna happen. I`m a Daughter of the Revolution - got a card with my name on it and everything. Being a pain in the ass is in my blood. ^_~
:: 10:47 PM [+] ::
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I had a culturally enlightening weekend. I went to Hiroshima with a friend and we saw a comparative art exhibit on representations of Buddha in India and Pakistan. I don't immediately associate Buddhism with those countries and it was really interesting. The Greco-Roman influence was really very apparent in the Pakistani pieces and the Indian pieces made me feel very natsukashii...reminding me of all that time I spent studying art during summer during college. It was interesting to compare the buddhas with the nagas, lakshmi, and yaksha. Yup, I had culture coming out of my pores when we left.

We also saw the documentary, Bowling for Columbine. Michael Moore posed many interesting questions that I think all Americans as responsible citizens should be asking themselves. The main question we should be asking is - why, with all the problems it has such as maritime states, French-Canadians, Celine Dion, and high unemployment rates, are Canadians loved more than their southern neighbors? This movie answers that question and poses many more.

I'm off the opinion that a) the average American citizen has the right to bear arms and b) the Constitution's second amendment doesn't say jack shite about bullets. :) As Chris Rock pointed out, if bullets cost 5000 dollars there would be no such thing as innocent bystanders. "You know he musta done something wrong. There was 50,000 dollars worth of ammo in his ass!"

Thanks to enetation for their lovely comment hosting service. Feel free to introduce yourself and say hi, inflate my ego by telling me how awesome I am, or just abuse the CAPS LOCK key like I know my father will. (love ya, dadoo!)
:: 11:19 AM [+] ::
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Read, digest, and understand Debra then check out the remarks in the fray. Can I get a hallelujah from the congregation? If I die in a combat zone...
:: 2:59 AM [+] ::
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While the column had a few good points, I think the overall effect was ruined with gross generalization and speculation that hurt the final message - Japan has hentai, it came to be in a way that differed from western porn, and Japanese people view its existence in a way different than our own.

John`s column made some good points about who the hentai genre is marketed too, why American audiences sometimes are confused or offended by hentai (in ways they may not be offended by non-animated porn), and gives very interesting speculation on the development of hentai (I would hardly draw a direct parallel between ukiyo-e and hentai videos at the local truck stop, but that`s another response in itself. ;) )

All of the previous comments are well made and I understand that John`s column is his opinion only. However armchair science and attempting to draw a conclusion between Japan`s low rates of sexual crimes and hentai is a [I]very[/I] erroneous conclusion. And even though John prefaces the comments with this:

[I]It's not my intention to begin a debate over the psychological effects of pornography or women's rights or unproven speculation..[/I]

this is indeed what he does later when he says that

[I]Japan is home to the world's greatest amount of comic and animation pornography, yet Japan has one of the developed world's lowest per capita rates of sexual crime.[/I]

That comment is an unproven speculation right there that can be refuted with a study in the methodology of crime statistics and reporting. Many Asian countries have low rates of sexual crime compared to the US, but time and again this has often been linked to a culture of silence that shames and degrades women who attempt to identify their assailants and have their attackers sent to jail.

[I]Japanese society recognizes that it's natural for grown men to be attracted to young, cute females. It's a purely instinctive animal condition. Hentai manga and anime expresses and indulges this desire in a safe, non-harmful, socially acceptable way. [/I]

Many Asian countries (Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia to name a few) also have high rates of child prostitution. There are whole prostitution areas catering to Japanese business men who buy the virginity of children so that they will not be at risk for AIDS. This too is a `socially acceptable` way of indulging in desire - but would one say that it is safe and non-harmful? If we are drawing conclusions between hentai and low crime rate, could we also not draw more direct conclusions between hentai that continuously exploits the image of young girls and the child/slave prostitution that occurs? I only throw this idea to be the devil`s advocate. I have found no studies that link hentai and child prostitution. But the reasoning above can be applied to other, more extreme `socially acceptable` situations. Social acceptance and cultural `norms` should not be used as a reason for something to exist.

Also I find this idea...that people are

[I]unwilling to accept the idea that other countries have moral values and cultures that are different but no less valid than our own[/I]

a blanket statement that is used all too often to justify actions and cultural `norms` that we would find abhorrent if going on in front of us. When confronted with a different cultural norm than our own, it is important to try and understand the roots of that norm, whether in religious, social or a political context, but when such a cultural `norm` involves pain, degredation, loss of life or personal liberty - should that `norm` be tolerated?

John, your column reaches so many people and they take your opinions very seriously. I would hate for armchair science to shape someone`s view of something as serious as this topic.

Sincerely,
Stacey Kerns

:: 8:33 PM [+] ::
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I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED!!!!!!!!!

Last night on TV there was a program that was about celebrities and their brushes with psychos. A LARGE portion of this show was dedicated to the experiences of young girls in the numerous pop bands that the entertainment industry produces over here. And a large portion of THAT was dedicated to these young girls experiences on the subways and trains of Japan at the hands - literally - of the perverts that ride on them.

Chikans are sick nasty men that feel up women during crowded subway and train rides during rush hours. This show went over how "it doesn`t only happen to normal people. It can happen to celebrities too!" But let me list the points of this show that absolutely DISGUSTED me.

First off were the graphic re-enactments of these violations. NOT NECESSARY. I do not want to see a good two or three minutes of two actors - one playing the young innocent school girl and the other the lecherous adult - doing that on television. Ever. Everyone knows or can imagine what that experience entails so why did the show have to go into different camera angles and focus on faces and everything?!! Absolutely muck. I was appalled at the lack of taste of that. Total and complete voyeurism.

Second off were the actual scenarios themselves. They were re-enactments, but they were all true. One highlighted a young star who was being accosted. A young man pulled her away and helped her off the train - and then grabbed her breasts as "payment" for helping her! Another was about a group of school boys who ganged up on a young lady on a train and had their fun - in front of a train full of people! I`m not sure what pissed me off more; the obvious nature of these violations and the fact that no one did a damn thing to help these kids or the fact that these kids did nothing themselves!!!

Blah, blah, blah, blah, different culture = BULLSHIT! There are no excuses for that behavior! I do not care what any one says. I will not listen. I can sit here and dissect a cultural norm as easily as the next person, but in the very core of my being my heart cries, "THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR ANY OF THAT!"

And the fact that these young women didn`t know what to do, how to react, and could only stand there speaks volumes about a culture. Who is teaching these young girls that this is okay? Why aren`t they being informed that if someone touches them, they should kick and bite and scream? Yes, yes, quiet, mannered, nice young girls, blah blah blah polite society can kiss my grits! You can be polite and nice but not put up with behavior like that!

And what about the people standing around not doing a damn thing for these poor kids? I kept getting flashes of my kids at junior high and imagining them in the same situation and I went nuts. I swore that if I saw that happening in front of me, that pervert would be hunting for their genitalia after I got done with them.

Then I found I was putting myself in their places. Those violations on them were violations to me. I wondered if any man would even dare try pulling that shite on me. I`m a gaijin, so maybe not. I spent many a commercial break detailing in my head what would happen to the man if that ever occurred. Call the police? Yeah. Afterwards. After I had my revenge involving screaming at him in the middle of the train until he ran off the train, following him off the train, and then kicking him and stomping on his hands until every tiny bone was splintered. That would ensure that he would think long and hard before ever putting his hands on anyone ever again.

But the FINAL OUTRAGE! The hosts of the show, in a grand gesture of civic responsibility, decided to detail how young women can keep this from occurring. There were a few good suggestions, such as not standing by the door where men will cop a feel as they walk out, riding with friends if you are travelling on trains late at night - commonsense stuff. Moving on to a Japanese way of dealing with problems, they highlighted that a company is making a little tiny taser (in the form of a pink pig OMG...) that can be used to "deter" someone who is copping a feel. They also said that if that didn`t work you could use a safety pin and "gently press the sharp end against the back of his hand." (Me watching the show: GO FOR THE EYE!!! STAB THE BASTARD IN THE EYE!!!!). All of these tips I could handle - they were pretty straight forward. Until....

Announcer: And remember to dress modestly on the train or you will only be inviting unwanted attention on yourself. (cut to girl on train, wearing a skirt and low cut blouse. Men leer at her. New scene. Same girl is wearing all black, a long sweater and pants. No men are paying attention to her.)

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!!!! So if you aren`t dressed as a nun then it`s your fault some nasty pervert touches you?! What about all those celebrities who were school girls and wearing their school uniforms that have a skirt? Is it their fault too?

That message was broadcast on national television!

When I got done screaming at the TV and beating the shite out of a luckless "chikan substitute" pillow, I threw the video "Elizabeth" into the VCR and watched Cate Blanchett take no guff from any man and become undisputed ruler of England. That made me feel a little better. Writing this out made me feel a lot better. Plotting horrific ways for chikans to be tortured is also making me feel better.

Chikans beware. Kiken no Stace might be riding your subway car...
:: 7:12 PM [+] ::
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