Check this out. A mash-up of the Russian Army circa, uh, very early 19th century breakdancing (or however you say that in Russian) and Run-DMC.
Evolution, not just for mosquitos, fruit flies and bad pop music.
Thanks to neuron culture for the link. Science. So useful, in so many ways.
It is often said that before you die your life passes before your eyes. It is in fact true. It's called living. -Terry Pratchett
19 comments:
Haha, this is great!
BTW, I just found out that two of my better comments were deleted off an article at Deseret News. They left up some of my others, but the important ones were removed. What's really frustrating is that they left up some of the other pro-gay comments by others, but they seemed mostly to be of the hateful "mormons suck" variety. My comments, which included a bit of my life story and a rather logical point about the difference between temple marriage and civil marriage, were removed. If I didn't know better, I'd say someone was trying to make it look like all pro-gay commenters were haters and illogical. Hmm.
Sorry if it sounds like I'm pissed*, but I am. I NEVER get my posts deleted, because I always make sure to be especially polite when I'm in unfriendly territory.
*Hope that word is OK. If not, please let me know and I'll avoid it in the future. I swear I'm not a potty-mouth!
Oh, dear Conservative Republican, I'm a Courtney Love fan, so you need not be worried about accidentally offending me, unless you call me Republican, horrors! (Kidding !)
djinn,
I figured, but always like to make sure.
BTW, I can tell you're a pretty awesome person, so feel free to call me Jon. (And no, I'm not THAT Jon from over at FMH. What a pain in the rear that guy can be. )
I have noticed the same thing, I've spent way too much time trying to get Mormons to loosen up a bit on their opposition to Gay marriage. My main plan of attack (perhaps useless, perhaps not) has been to point out the fact that marriage is a "CIVIL" right; that is, granted by the government, and thus, any individual's personal beief about the religious nature is totally separate.
How well has this worked? I couldn't get some girl on Feminist Mormon Housewives to even admit that marriage was a civil right--the examples that a lawyer, not a bishop was required to end a marriage, the secular nature of tax law, probate law, etc., also only made her cry. Sigh.
I had a similar conversation with someone on Mormon Mentality that refused to admit that marriage is a civil right.
They have to delete those comments, because their ownly argument is that Marriage = religion, not state. The fact that they're wrong, well, that's what the delete button is for.
I could go on and on, and seem to be doing just that. When the "marriage has always been that way" I pull out puritan civil unions, berdache (male marriage in native american societies) and the pervasive polygyny practices.
Nothing. The argument is just "God said so." All one can hope for is that someone will read the comments and have an epiphany.
Oh, mentioning refulsal of exultation (not priesthood, though correct, not the important part of the story) to black men can also get you banned/but also may get people thinking.
Oh, and its lovely meeting you, Jon.
--Genie
Oh, you should definitely check out Charo singing "Love will keep us together." Everyone should; plus it took me an entire hour to discover it, so, selfishly, I'd like someone else to appreciate it.
Genie,
Ah, no wonder you have that username!
The "God said so" line that seems to be the only idea that some members (including a lot of my relatives) seem capable of understanding is one of the main reasons I've never become a member of the LDS Church. As I said before, I'm probably the most LDS-knowledgeable, non-LDS person on the planet, LOL. I used to go to a ton of LDS activities with my relatives, from baptisms to church basketball games to sacrament meetings, you name it, I was there. But as I've said elsewhere, despite my prayer and reading of the scriptures and everything else, I couldn't get past my experiences with many of the members. This led to me feeling like an outsider. I longed for the sense of community the Church provided, but I also knew that I wasn't ready to take that significant step (and once I knew I was gay, I realized that I would forever be an outsider to the Church which I wanted to belong and an outcast to the family that I wanted to love me).
On a slightly more positive note, I realize now that it's a good thing that I didn't join the LDS Church before coming to terms with my sexual orientation. Sometimes I'd read some post by a married, gay, mormon man and I'd go, "Wow, he's got the temple, family and kids. He's so lucky!" And then I'd read his posts more thoroughly and realize how unhappy he really is. Would I really trade this life with a loving man for the life of the white picket fence, a wife, kids, and years of living in the closet? Of course not. But that doesn't mean I don't get a case of the 'what ifs' from time to time.
BTW, thanks for suggesting that I focus on the exultation aspect of the racist past of the LDS Church instead of the priesthood aspect. Most LDS I talk to only discuss blacks in the priesthood without mentioning the bigger picture (if they're willing to talk about racism at all), so I'm used to hearing the issue framed in that way. No reason to limit myself to their framing of the issue though. Like you said, maybe it'll get some of them to think.
Jon
I'm impressed by your wisdom For many years my totally awesome hairdresser was a man who voluntarily joined the Mormon chuch when he was about 19, in spite of well-meaning folk (whose gaydar was turned up higher than his) that it might not be such a good idea.
Roger, being gay and incredibly efficient (what is that?) rapidly rose up in the ranks until he was the executive secretary of the state president, I believe. Right around here he, Roger, discovered evergreen meetings, and word of Roger's inclination leaked out, in spite of the fact that he was morally pure at the time. Such a phrase, must quote Courtney for just a second "When I was a teenage whore....) OK, back to normal.
Anyway, he was fired from his job, and either excommunicated or threatened with same. Happy ending. Evergreen turned out the best possible place to pick un unbearbly hot gay mormon boys (what is is with the mormon genes) one of which he found, and last I heard the two of them were going off to live with his mom in her final illness (Damn you gay men, being so decent, no way t0 win a political campaign).
So, congrats on missng a bullett. But like me, it sounds like you still have those that you care aboout... what to do? Suggestions appreciated.
Oh, and as to the nom-de-blog. Djinn's are spirits in the Sufi religion, neither male nor female, neither good nor ill. Awesome here.
Plus, they spin. For the last three years I have been constantly dizzy, if you haven't read my rather excessive posts on the subject and currently can barely get out of bed without help. So, djinn, spinning.
Oh, the Roger and efficiency comment I must comment a bit more on (warning, may be offensive.) My favorite Biologist ever, E.O. Wilson, says being gay gives men a 10 point IQ boost; been unable to find a monograph on the suject, but that may just due to the controversal nature of the subject matter. It was a compliment; plus I find it inherently interesting.
yrs, for certain values of yours,
Genie
What do you do? Your blogger post is singularly uninformative. You don't have to tell me, it's an item of interest, of no real serious meaning. my boyfriend takes care of me. Thank goodness. Otherwise, I'd be in horrible straits, sleeping under a bridge, dead, etc., but such a job position doesn't impress on a resume.
Well, aren't you smart! I simply remembered having watched some B-grade horror flick years ago in which it was mentioned that the word 'Genie' comes from djinn. I think I googled at the time to verify that it was true (horror films, after all, are such a reliable source!), but I didn't read much beyond that. Very interesting info.
I'm really sorry to hear about your health. I'll be sure to say a special prayer for you. I read some of the past posts categorized under 'dizziness'. Did I read correctly that you're going in for that special treatment on monday? If so, that's great news!
OK, topics I didn't respond to in previous comments:
That Charo vid is hilarious!
Interesting to hear about the possible connection between gays and higher IQs. I must admit that I do know a lot of homos who are pretty darn stupid though, LOL.
I'm a mathematician. My fiance is a writer. Filling out my blogger profile (and possibly starting a blog of my own) is something I've been meaning to do.
Jon
Seems sort of like krumping too. Don't the dancers look like they are on opposing sides of a dispute at times?
There is something like that in western dancing as well, with grinders and a lot of other moves.
I still remember dancing like that in the 70s ;)
What a great flashback.
Rather than pushing gay marriage, you ought to push gay weddings. You will find that is an interesting place to start the discussion.
As for the racism, that is basically a cultural indictment. The question then becomes were the LDS of the time more or less racist than the culture they were embedded in. The answer is less, so mostly by taking that approach (and the implications you are trying to draw, which are contrary to the doctrine), you are just either picking on the uneducated or annoying the informed.
Stephen, admittedly I'm coming in on the tail end of a totally different discussion about racism and LDS, and admittedly I know precious little about LDS, but even if LDS was less racist than the surrounding culture(which is VERY open to question), the specificity of it's claims about the relationship of the various races to one another and to G*d make it seem even worse than just ordinary, run-of-the-mill, ignorant racism of the hoi-polloi. It was G*d-approved racism......very dangerous stuff!
Whew knew racism russian dancing was so interesting?
In answer to your question about whether or not Mormonism was more or less racist than the surrounding culture, I admit to much less knowledge, but Mormonism is the only non-itty-bitty Chrisian religion of which I am aware that said blacks (or people with a tiny tiny bit of black blood) couldn't get into heaven. A great job has been done since 1978 of obscuring this fact.
Well, they could be servants forever more. Fun times. Guess someone has to clean the bathroom in heaven.
warning warning warning, long Mark E. Peterson quote ahead (he also hated catholics, but I'll leave that story for another time.) For those of you not in the know, Mark E Peterson was an apostle, that is a very important person in Mormonism sustained as a "Prophet, seer, and revelator. (I feel a music post coming if I find an appropriate video.)
Think of the Negro, cursed as to the priesthood.... This Negro, who, in the pre-existence lived the type of life which justified the lord in sending him to earth in the lineage of Cain with a black skin.... In spite of all he did in the pre-existent life, the Lord is willing, if the Negro accepts the gospel with real, sincere faith, and is really converted, to give him the blessings of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. If that Negro is faithful all his days, he can and will enter the celestial kingdom. He will go there as a servant, but he will get a celestial resurrection. He will get a place in the celestial glory.
So, in answer to some question asked what, three of four chapters ago, Yes, Mormonism was explicitly, and proudly, more racist in its teachings than other comparable denominations. It also held onto them for much longer.
Some religions, like the Southern Baptists, adapted by forming a sort of apartheid, but they never said -- hey, you guys over there, get of of my cloud, and don't forget to hand the harp back on your way out.
I meant my rather harsh, last, comment to refer to the institutional church; not individual mormons; their beliefs, who knows? But I do know that I actually a student at BYU (heavens!) when the revelation came down and great rejoicing was heard over the land.
I expect the same to happen when the Gerentocracy changes their minds about gay marriage. Individual mormons, who, in spite of my total panic mode state when such a presence, have always struck me as terribly decent people. Of course, being an individual mormon myself (for large values of Mormon) one might take that with a grain of sahalish alder smoked salt. Yum.
I think I need to clarify that most of the members I've met over the years have been very decent people. In fact, most are very, VERY nice people who are more than willing to help others in a time of need. My complaints have more to do with the pick-and-choose approach to scripture and history, refusal to recognize weak moments in LDS history, and the relatively poor debating skills of some of the more vocal and active members of the Church.
Oh, and Stephen, from my perspective, the Church was definitely more racist for a longer period of time than the nation. It'll be the same with homosexuality, I'm sure, but I will still cheer the day it chooses the right decision in that area.
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