I got into a reflective mood as the 10th anniversary of 911 approaches.
1. I remember exactly where I were. In a room in my firm, fifth floor of my building, rain outside. On Paradox forum. Remember as the news kept coming in, and people could not believe it. Paradox was the only reliable source of information, as all news websites were overloaded to a crawl.
2. The last decade was a shitty one for the world - wars, the financial market crisis, the works. But for me it was probably the best one. No longer a kid, I got a career, came out - first to myself, then to my parents, then to friends, coworkers, my boss etc. (I was still deep in the closet 10 years ago, and as far as I can remember, still a virgin). Woosh.
3. My boyfriend was 14 when 911 happened. That's surreal. I was an adult, with a job and whatnot.
Feel free to share your thoughts on this. We have spent 10 years together, you fuckers. :P
You've come out to your boss? Why did you do that? :hmm:
I don't quite get the relation between 9/11 and your career, sexuality or boyfriend.
Quote from: Caliga on September 03, 2011, 01:54:55 PM
You've come out to your boss? Why did you do that? :hmm:
Why would I lie/deny?
Although admittedly the final step was more me being outed.
Saw an ad on TV the other night with Bobby DeNiro looking a million years old and asking you to text $10 donations to the 9/11 memorial fund. The memorial itself looks OK, I guess. Big fountain thing, with a square hole in the middle, I suppose to symbolize the depths of hell to which all Muslim souls descend. Looks way better than that bizarre MLK statue at least.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on September 03, 2011, 02:03:27 PM
Looks way better than that bizarre MLK statue at least.
Raciss
Quote from: Martinus on September 03, 2011, 02:01:53 PM
Why would I lie/deny?
Although admittedly the final step was more me being outed.
Not saying you should hide your orientation or anything like that. I don't know if my boss is gay and I doubt he knows if I am or not. But if you "were outed" then I guess that's different... I was thinking you'd made a point of sharing with him, which is what I thought was odd. :)
If someone sold a celeratory bottle of sparkling wine where the proceeds went to the victory statue, I would definitely buy it.
Quote from: Caliga on September 03, 2011, 02:08:49 PM
Quote from: Martinus on September 03, 2011, 02:01:53 PM
Why would I lie/deny?
Although admittedly the final step was more me being outed.
Not saying you should hide your orientation or anything like that. I don't know if my boss is gay and I doubt he knows if I am or not. But if you "were outed" then I guess that's different... I was thinking you'd made a point of sharing with him, which is what I thought was odd. :)
Well it's a long story.
To start, my boss is female.
She is a very personable person and talks about personal stuff, like her kid or her husband or whatnot, and we spend a lot of time together on transactions etc.
I never outward told her I am gay but I always referred to my current boyfriend as my "partner" or "significant other" (and not "girlfriend" or "boyfriend") so I guess that was a first hint. She also made a point of telling me, whenever the topic turned to anything gay-related, that her nephew is gay and she has many gay friends etc. She also sits on our firm's global diversity committee (on account of being a woman I suppose).
So some time ago, I came out to two people at my work, with whom I hanged out a lot, including one guy. Later on he got into a conflict with his immediate supervisor and eventually left the firm for another one. He had a difficult personality but I usually took his side when my boss asked for my opinions about the conflict. Eventually, after he left, me and her got into a talk about him during our summer retreat a month ago or so (we were both in our cups), and she said she had mixed feelings about him and I insisted he was a good guy. So she told me that she used to like him but then she changed her opinion about him because he outed me to her apparently and she thought it was a dick move on his part. She however assured me she is entirely fine with it and whatnot. And then asked me about my boyfriend and stuff.
So that's how I came out to my boss. :P
While looking for pictures to troll the Americans with, I stumbled onto this and my attention was diverted for a time. :sleep:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ft0.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcQ4Ixgw5_fNR7OJTPRiBm-oZWzdDY65gtNJnRfcIcJ-00yHdkuMGw&hash=602e8215f9cc31f82b4cf315d97865db9f277fab)
To small; didn't read.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on September 03, 2011, 02:03:27 PM
Saw an ad on TV the other night with Bobby DeNiro looking a million years old and asking you to text $10 donations to the 9/11 memorial fund. The memorial itself looks OK, I guess. Big fountain thing, with a square hole in the middle, I suppose to symbolize the depths of hell to which all Muslim souls descend. Looks way better than that bizarre MLK statue at least.
The MLK statue is really weird. It looks like some of the old Soviet war memorials.
i remember on 9/11 finding it incredibly amusing that some girl was breaking down in tears and utterly distraught simply because her cousin happened to be visiting new york city at the time. it made really little sense at all that the cousin would have been in any danger, unlikely to be touring fucking world trade center that early in the day, so i rejected her fears--not publicly, but to myself. later the class had a mini-freak out when we heard a plane fly over the city during the no-fly-zone period. i thought- really? we're worried about an attack on fargo? 7th grade had a lot of stupid people :(
I can't wait till next week when we can have a 9/11 thread about 9/11 and not about Marti's life 10 years ago.
Quote from: Razgovory on September 03, 2011, 03:20:45 PM
The MLK statue is really weird. It looks like some of the old Soviet war memorials.
Yeah I think that was poorly done.
Quote from: LaCroix on September 03, 2011, 04:45:49 PM
7th grade the world had has a lot of stupid people :(
FYPFY. :rolleyes:
Quote from: LaCroix on September 03, 2011, 04:45:49 PM
i remember on 9/11 finding it incredibly amusing that some girl was breaking down in tears and utterly distraught simply because her cousin happened to be visiting new york city at the time. it made really little sense at all that the cousin would have been in any danger, unlikely to be touring fucking world trade center that early in the day, so i rejected her fears--not publicly, but to myself. later the class had a mini-freak out when we heard a plane fly over the city during the no-fly-zone period. i thought- really? we're worried about an attack on fargo? 7th grade had a lot of stupid people :(
For an entire year afterwords the City of Jefferson had a cop monitor the water intake pipe at the river, in case a terrorist decided to poison the water supply of Rat's Ass Missouri. Well, monitor is perhaps the wrong word. The pipe was at the bottom of a cliff in the river, while the cop was at the top of the cliff with about an acre of woodland between him and the river, in a car, asleep.
I remember the backup 747 for the prezdizzle blasting off at Wright-Patt. The fucker almost went vertical.
I remember more of what I did on 9/11 than what I did on almost 9/11.
Quote from: Razgovory on September 03, 2011, 03:20:45 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on September 03, 2011, 02:03:27 PM
Saw an ad on TV the other night with Bobby DeNiro looking a million years old and asking you to text $10 donations to the 9/11 memorial fund. The memorial itself looks OK, I guess. Big fountain thing, with a square hole in the middle, I suppose to symbolize the depths of hell to which all Muslim souls descend. Looks way better than that bizarre MLK statue at least.
The MLK statue is really weird. It looks like some of the old Soviet war memorials.
It was outsourced to the Chinese, so it's not surprising.
I just worry that the West will slacken off in reminding Muslims what happens if you fuck with us. Maybe as a parting gift when we withdraw from Afghanistan we drop a custom 20 megaton airburst on Mecca? :hmm:
Wait until we get our domestic fracking operations up to capacity first. :P
Quote from: Ed Anger on September 03, 2011, 05:39:05 PM
I remember the backup 747 for the prezdizzle blasting off at Wright-Patt. The fucker almost went vertical.
Interesting driving over the Bay Bridge on September 12, and seeing an Aegis cruiser steaming in a circle on air defense picket duty for the Naval Academy and Washington DC.
Quote from: garbon on September 03, 2011, 04:57:26 PM
I can't wait till next week when we can have a 9/11 thread about 9/11 and not about Marti's life 10 years ago.
Bitch. :D
Quote from: Martinus on September 04, 2011, 02:14:48 AM
Quote from: garbon on September 03, 2011, 04:57:26 PM
I can't wait till next week when we can have a 9/11 thread about 9/11 and not about Marti's life 10 years ago.
Bitch. :D
How dare you make our national tragedy about you? Rude.
I make everything about me. *shrug*
Quote from: Razgovory on September 03, 2011, 03:20:45 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on September 03, 2011, 02:03:27 PM
Saw an ad on TV the other night with Bobby DeNiro looking a million years old and asking you to text $10 donations to the 9/11 memorial fund. The memorial itself looks OK, I guess. Big fountain thing, with a square hole in the middle, I suppose to symbolize the depths of hell to which all Muslim souls descend. Looks way better than that bizarre MLK statue at least.
The MLK statue is really weird. It looks like some of the old Soviet war memorials.
I love it. I like how it looks unfinished. Much as MLK's work as left unfinished.
Quote from: Ideologue on September 04, 2011, 09:48:22 AM
I love it. I like how it looks unfinished. Much as MLK's work as left unfinished.
Oh that part is fine. I just can't handle his expression and the way his body has been sculpted. He just looks like some pissed off African-American.
Really it's the pose of the arms. A sort of do no fuck with me or approach me position.
According to Aaron McGruder, King would be pretty pissed off if he came back.
But, yeah, maybe he ought to have more welcoming body language and a gentler expression.
Could be I just like socialist realist statuary.
Quote from: Ideologue on September 04, 2011, 09:48:22 AM
Quote from: Razgovory on September 03, 2011, 03:20:45 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on September 03, 2011, 02:03:27 PM
Saw an ad on TV the other night with Bobby DeNiro looking a million years old and asking you to text $10 donations to the 9/11 memorial fund. The memorial itself looks OK, I guess. Big fountain thing, with a square hole in the middle, I suppose to symbolize the depths of hell to which all Muslim souls descend. Looks way better than that bizarre MLK statue at least.
The MLK statue is really weird. It looks like some of the old Soviet war memorials.
I love it. I like how it looks unfinished. Much as MLK's work as left unfinished.
You would. It's ugly. The soviets were also big into making it look like it was half carved out of the living rock. It dehumanizes the subject.
Quote from: Razgovory on September 04, 2011, 11:18:05 AM
Quote from: Ideologue on September 04, 2011, 09:48:22 AM
Quote from: Razgovory on September 03, 2011, 03:20:45 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on September 03, 2011, 02:03:27 PM
Saw an ad on TV the other night with Bobby DeNiro looking a million years old and asking you to text $10 donations to the 9/11 memorial fund. The memorial itself looks OK, I guess. Big fountain thing, with a square hole in the middle, I suppose to symbolize the depths of hell to which all Muslim souls descend. Looks way better than that bizarre MLK statue at least.
The MLK statue is really weird. It looks like some of the old Soviet war memorials.
I love it. I like how it looks unfinished. Much as MLK's work as left unfinished.
You would. It's ugly. The soviets were also big into making it look like it was half carved out of the living rock. It dehumanizes the subject.
Mythologizes. It
mythologizes the subject.
No, the statues are designed to have a person coming out a formless mass. The individual is subsumed into the mass becoming a mere aspect of state power.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg827.imageshack.us%2Fimg827%2F2548%2F576889sovietveteransofa.jpg&hash=ecd365867029a3eb84429c096b0abf5cd0d3cb05) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/827/576889sovietveteransofa.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg89.imageshack.us%2Fimg89%2F9013%2Fhidious.jpg&hash=059ddf04efa3fbaf735bf0ce4088d4c4fe9da062) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/89/hidious.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)
Mass doesn't necessarily represent state power and there's nothing wrong with dehumanisation in sculpture if it has a greater effect.
But I suppose there's an inherent difficulty in trying to design a memorial to MLK the individual and to the movement he represents. It's difficult to do both.
Having said that I think the statue's ugly and vulgar. It seems to fall between two stools of trying to do something interesting and trying to be quite conservatively figurative. It does neither well.
Quote from: Razgovory on September 04, 2011, 11:54:07 AM
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg827.imageshack.us%2Fimg827%2F2548%2F576889sovietveteransofa.jpg&hash=ecd365867029a3eb84429c096b0abf5cd0d3cb05) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/827/576889sovietveteransofa.jpg/)
Seems like the soldiers are standing up against a wall. That seems realistic, many Russian soldiers stood up against the wall at some point of their lives (usually the very last one).
Quote from: Ideologue on September 04, 2011, 10:42:24 AM
According to Aaron McGruder, King would be pretty pissed off if he came back.
Yes, I loved that Boondocks episode. :lol:
Boondocks is passe' Black Panther bullshit.
I like the King statue, but it would look better if it were John Brown.
Don't like the quote, either.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 04, 2011, 12:12:37 PM
Boondocks is passe' Black Panther bullshit.
Funny, though.
Quote from: RazgovoryNo, the statues are designed to have a person coming out a formless mass. The individual is subsumed into the mass becoming a mere aspect of state power.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.howstuffworks.com%2Fgif%2F40005_1a.jpg&hash=46ea5a0c9981d6fe04856d6735b0cb57374b6da6)
Anyway, if that's the actual purpose, I still like it. The heroes of socialism rise out of the masses and assume the responsibilities of the vanguard. Which, as I said, mythologizes them.
Quote from: Ideologue on September 04, 2011, 01:37:42 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 04, 2011, 12:12:37 PM
Boondocks is passe' Black Panther bullshit.
Funny, though.
Quote from: RazgovoryNo, the statues are designed to have a person coming out a formless mass. The individual is subsumed into the mass becoming a mere aspect of state power.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.howstuffworks.com%2Fgif%2F40005_1a.jpg&hash=46ea5a0c9981d6fe04856d6735b0cb57374b6da6)
Anyway, if that's the actual purpose, I still like it. The heroes of socialism rise out of the masses and assume the responsibilities of the vanguard. Which, as I said, mythologizes them.
Yeah, see they actually carved that one out of the side of a mountain. They didn't find a large stone, bring to the site and half carve it.
Exactly. Those fuckers were lazy.
Around lunchtime on 9/11 my sister phoned me to say someone had told her about a plane hitting the WTC, I thought she was joking/repeating the usual small town stupid gossip, so ignored it.
IIRC, I had a reasonable quantity of large denomination US dollar bills, so was more concerned with seeing what the exchange rate would be doing that day. This was in the days when if an American wanted to buy someone off me, they'd send greenbacks via regular airmail !
I then went up to town to do some shopping, so I spent most of the time of the attacks sitting on the wall opposite Mr Ben's Bike Shop chatting with a girl.
When I eventually came back, I turned on the tv and just caught the first tower falling. :(
As for Marty's OP, I think he's largely wrong, there are many reasons to be optimistic about the world; I think there are less wars going on now than 10 years ago, and exempting the insanity of the Iraq adventure and the botched Afghanistan war, war is becoming less of a legitimate and viable way of settling differences between states.
The events in Burma, Syria, Libya, Egypt, Bahrain and Tunisia demonstrate there's a basic human thirst for freedom and this is a rejection of extremism. To which I'd add Al-Qaeda is in the main a broken force and mainly represents an outdated force in the world.
Quote from: mongers on September 04, 2011, 05:49:10 PM
This was in the days when if an American wanted to buy someone off me, they'd send greenbacks via regular airmail !
...say, Mongers, what is your actual job? :unsure:
Quote from: Ideologue on September 04, 2011, 06:16:22 PM
Quote from: mongers on September 04, 2011, 05:49:10 PM
This was in the days when if an American wanted to buy someone off me, they'd send greenbacks via regular airmail !
...say, Mongers, what is your actual job? :unsure:
Iron mongering, whore mongering, war mongering. All purpose mongering really.
And, not to talk shop, but do you have any Filipinas?
Quote from: Ideologue on September 04, 2011, 06:16:22 PM
Quote from: mongers on September 04, 2011, 05:49:10 PM
This was in the days when if an American wanted to buy someone off me, they'd send greenbacks via regular airmail !
...say, Mongers, what is your actual job? :unsure:
Then I was a collectable toy seller, now I'm a stamp dealer, though given what's happening to market prices for a lot of my stock, well let's just say I'd be better off using them to send out tens of thousands of resumes. :D
Quote from: mongers on September 04, 2011, 06:21:26 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on September 04, 2011, 06:16:22 PM
Quote from: mongers on September 04, 2011, 05:49:10 PM
This was in the days when if an American wanted to buy someone off me, they'd send greenbacks via regular airmail !
...say, Mongers, what is your actual job? :unsure:
Then I was a collectable toy seller
Ok, the slavery, I can live with that. Slavery built the pyramids. But that's fucking cold, man.
Ah, I see....."collectable toys", you'll have known CdM for many years then.