Daisy

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/FWc3N-on6fk/ this link has a few spoilers: http://multimedia.thetimes.co.za/trailers/...e-world-unseen/ I've been studying social movements recently. And was in South Africa 2 years ago and remember going to the apartheid museum among other experiences. This film just contained so many of those things thrown together. and how hard it is to resist. and to live. but the importance of doing that. what was playing on my mind the most was women's rights. I have a great life, I am not oppressed in that way. There maybe little nuisances but really I don't experience that, and as such it hasn't made me into a raging feminist. I remember in an undergrad class on gender and all the girls there being pretty much the same, and I think that its because although we do experience some sexism (most don't connect it - like what you have to wear in order to work at a bar etc) we otherwise have all these opportunities, it is expected that we have them, we don't think in those terms. But things have been making me think of the importance of it elsewhere. or making me wonder what role I should/could have in it. and also, if I had been in this film, what would I have done. I would like to think I would resist but really would I? I went on a date not too long ago with an Egyptian guy, and when he picked me up asked me what time I had to be back, or rather when my brother had told me that I had to be back, even though he knew he was younger. I mean the guy didn't really think that was the way it worked for me, I think he was just being courteous, but he did explain that it is 2 different cultures and if it was his sisters then that would have been the way. and the last few days I've been researching the Zapatistas in Mexico and what they have been doing in terms of putting in a education and healthcare infrastructure, but the hard-work they are having to do to convince the locals that women are just as able to work and do these things. and then of course there is the middle east. I have heard good things coming from there in terms of some of the leaders wives have been quite prominent in doing stuff to expand women's roles and ideas for themselves. but of course then I read about this british women who married an Egyptian and lived in Dubai, subsequently divorced him but was imprisoned for adultery for 6 months even though she denied it, was just speculation, and now released early and just been given time to remain in the country just long enough to appeal to get the custody of her young children back. so yeah other themes in the film. inter-racial marriage ban in apartheid. of course same-sex attraction. general women's roles stuff. and it was interesting looking at it from the Indian community perspective in apartheid. Celia

How “The NAFTA Flu” Exploded Smithfield Farms Fled US Environmental Laws to Open a Gigantic Pig Farm in Mexico, and All We Got Was this Lousy Swine Flu By Al Giordano Special to The Narco News Bulletin http://narconews.com/Issue57/article3512.html

not the newspapers I read . just don't watch it, or talk about it. the only time I see anything to do with it is when I am here on the predominately US website .

yeah perspective is necessary. that's why I am not worried. the problem with pandemics is not just that people die, but that it brings down whole areas at a time, its the social havoc that happens, which is compounded by people panicking. it is the unusual deaths they are concerned about. They are suggesting they may have found another source of the outbreak that wasn't Mexico city, and the levels of sick are unusually high, destructively high if everyone is ill at the same time. for example (link above):

also to add the mask is contested as being useful, if not causing more problems. the hand-washing yes that is useful. the mask can also just carry the virus around, and spread it that way, especially if you then touch your mask etc.

ahh but some of the speculation is that it is worse in people who have strong immune systems. I think people can over-react. but then you don't want it to be you do you. but i also think even if you did get it there is a very high chance that you will survive. I'm not panicking nor will I stop my life over it (scottish cases have been confirmed). although I would be concerned for my gran etc, she didn't get over pneumonia all that long ago.

Speculations.... The guardian is reporting of speculations that they May have found a possible source for the outbreak. Originating with Smithfield, the worlds biggest pork producer led by US Virginia pork baron Joseph W Luter III, at a factory/farm in eastern Mexico. Of course they are denying it. They are suggesting that it may possibly be carried by flies or could be caught from excretion - at least initially.

I just saw this comment on one of the Guardian articles -don't worry I know it is serious

in the UK 2000 is apparently the average number of deaths from influenza/flu per year, but can rise to about 10,000 in a bad year.

The UK aren't banning travel, saw our health minister on a chat show earlier today. in agreement with the WHO apparently that banning travel does not do anything to stop the threat, but causes lots more of other types of problems. they'll just be watching people who fly back with flu symptoms and deal with them straight away. It is the US that has declared it an international public health emergency. the WHO have said it has pandemic potential, but believe that the world is better equipped to deal with it. they have stopped short of declaring worldwide alert.

it was one of my favourites too

it's about both. but I don't think the warning signs are always that easy to spot. something similar nearly happened at my school, I know when I shouldn't - i was let into some confidential info about a friends brother. the intensity of his feelings were huge, yet I would never have guessed otherwise, although from then on I did try to encourage my friend to be nicer to her brother. I'm just glad that somebody else, a doctor, managed to notice something wasn't right beyond the normal teenage stuff. he's alright now as far as I know, at least he's living an interesting life. celia

yeah it does make sense . And I didn't really expect your answer to the first to be any different to what you said from all that you have said about yourself before . And I do agree about teenagers and uprooting them. My sister and I have experienced that side of things in a negative sense as well, my sister more so than I. Moving schools can be horrible. And I can sympathise with what you are saying about staying somewhere for 3 or 4 years just so the kids can keep what they have - that is certainly what my mum is doing for my brother right now. But it gets more complicated if it is the older child you are waiting for and you have more children below that - you could be waiting for a very long time. but if you know that the kid would have a horrendous transition then more consideration for that is needed. It depends on the personalities and abilities of the children. But I also think that kids can be more resilient than I think some parents give them credit. Maybe the communication is the key bit as you said, if all the parties are informed of what the others think and feel. - the irony for my family a little being my brother would have happily moved for my mum - in fact he sort of wanted to - what he didn't like was all the hanging around - he wanted a decision to be made. but my mum who wanted to protect him hadn't realised he felt this way at all, or that he felt up to being uprooted - she just assumed it would be a bad thing for him. my mum's unhappiness being where she was, was affecting him but she hadn't realised and thought she could just keep coping. regardless of all that we changed things a little, but didn't move . so overall, I do see what you are saying. but I don't think it is as black and white as that and each situation is different. or maybe it is the family dynamics that is the important thing and which will affect the tone of all the things we are discussing.

I recommend this book just for another way of looking at things. it might appeal to you Kevin. Or maybe it won't. But what it is trying to say is create your own way of living based on what makes you happy right where you are. http://www.nowtopians.com/

I think that you can get what the article is sort of pointing towards and live in an urban area too. If you strip the article of certain things, what it is talking about is happiness and perhaps letting go of some of the things that we argue about in these threads around how lives should be lived and expectations. you can certainly have gardens in the city if that is what you want, even community gardens. but I know that is not what you want I think Kevin. I think it is more along the lines of appreciating what you have and the simple things in life, whether they your relationships, hanging out with friends, fashion, whatever it is. just don't let others, and consumerism dictate what you should want and how you go about doing what it is you want (aka the price I suppose) and what your daily life should be made up of doing - don't waste it basically. I agree about your talk of uprooting the family, all should be considered and consulted with before big or even little decisions. However, you do not know whether it is needless. and you do not know whether the girl does enjoy it or whether she will come to enjoy it. you could be denying her some greater enjoyment she doesn't even know she would have had if not exposed to it as a younger person. My family moved to the deep countryside when I was 10. and I grew up there and had a fantastic time in the country. my parents didn't really discuss this with us, maybe I was too young, but they both wanted it, they both wanted to escape (even if they did commute really long distances to work). Now when I was 15 we moved back to the suburbs and I am glad we did (or the children and my mum did) because I was exposed back to another set of life experiences I couldn't have gotten in the same way in the countryside. My sister ended up going back to live with my dad and had another different bringing up to me - but equally valid and full of experiences. Now she and I both live in cities while we study/work. and we appreciate all the more the experience of country living when we get a chance to go back (however I won't be living so rurally ever again I don't think). I suppose I am saying, I think you are judging too harshly the rural lifestyle and making a moral judgement yourself in the possibility that if you did have a family in the future they may benefit from living there but you could be denying them the experience . celia

I like what you say. Sometimes it is nice just to know that other people do think similarly and are critical of what they live in and are surrounded by. The whole, we are the freest people alive business without considering what we are actually slaves to but without the visible chains. --edit:, however at the same time, although I do think the article goes over the top in how it see's the world or america changing for the good, in all sphere's including hollywood, I do think that some of what it says is true and parts of society are changing like that. I don't know how deeply though or how widespread, there are a few trends like that developing in the UK too. And some of the characteristics are lined up with the idea of what you are talking about, getting away from the latent selling machine and numbness that tv commercials and light-news are all about. but I think those selling machines are too big and have too much of a stranglehold to be shaken as easily as by this recession, they will hold on and bend the climate to their advantage, get people sucked in another way.

Oh he was wealthy before the band I think. Or maybe it isn't him, but one of the others. But he is the main songwriter I think. I think I'm biased, I met him once, and I am convinced that he 'stole' my new poncho as it disappeared just after he left the seat next to me. have no other clue what happened to it .

I have to debate the guy sitting on the left. not sure about him . but mcfly been around aggges.

, yeah, he won the 2007 series of Britain's Got Talent and now performs around the world. he has just released his 2nd album I think. this is him performing on stage in Glasgow last year - i love this song, even if it maybe isn't his best ever performance.

we've had this before sort of. Paul Potts.

oops, sorry, I thought for some reason I had posted it in the soapbox.

Since I've started with a few environmental threads I thought I might as well start another. The Age of Stupid is a film that is about to Premi

you shouldn't feel ashamed. it is a personal thing and you can only do it when you are ready. that and she is older. good luck with everything.

thing with her though was it wasn't just in her name, she says she had the info listed on her profile. so that's a bit different? I don't play it so no idea what the profile looks like. can see the issue with the names and wanting to avoid all trouble, but in the profile, banning her on the basis of that if that is what happened is harsh.

I think it sounds like we agree quite a bit here. you mentioned that you don't like gender roles, but then you have come on to talk about leading versus lead. and so I think the poll isn't really about gender roles at all. mark called me butch , but that's not really a reflection on who I am. We are talking about this and it has provided rich discussion because these sorts of things are observable and experience-able, it's just then not something you should try and label maybe. my personality is outspoken and I do speak up. and neither do I like to be told what to do without reason. I like to think and discuss and debate. But it is only fairly recently that I am recognising these things about myself, friends pointing them out lol. So I'm a mixture of quiet, especially around new people and I would have said shy, but then speak to others and I'm told, be serious you are not shy. And true even when I feel uncomfortable I Will talk and debate and raise uncomfortable things when I don't necessarily want the spotlight. and by this I now have quite strong views which must feed into why I like to control my life, I like to understand what is happening around me, so couldn't be passive about things. I have thought about the effect that would have on the partner that would suit me best. I need someone able to stand up to me, to challenge me, to debate with me, to lead, it would be part of what I found as enjoyment. but the same side of that is trust and comfort, or whatever I'm rambling and not really knowing what I am saying. so yeah, we are discussing personalities, people, not gender roles. so maybe your idea of liking being gay because you can get away from them is misguided and part of what you need to rethink ...? Celia