Posts by em1913

Tongue is fully in cheek, fellas. Don't get your teeth in a turmoil. I forget that men seem to treat internet forums like war games. Guess there must be a gene for that. Anyone for Stratego?

As for Pinker, some of his linguistic stuff is interesting, but that's about as much of him as I care for. Although he loses me when he suggests there's a genetic basis for grammar. Generations of eighth-grade English teachers stand ready to refute his argument.

194

Is Being a “Manly Man” a Bad Thing?

by minimus in

jw
friends

so much is said regarding men , in a negative way.

shaving commercials are now lecturing us as to how bad we really are.

men should be less masculine.

em1913

As for the wee tykes on the street who made comments about what they'd like to do to my "fat ass," well, if they're genetically inclined for that kind of behavior, it's a good argument for retroactive abortion. But I don't believe that it came out of their genes, somebody taught them to act that way, and "cultural meme" is a pretty good way to describe it.

194

Is Being a “Manly Man” a Bad Thing?

by minimus in

jw
friends

so much is said regarding men , in a negative way.

shaving commercials are now lecturing us as to how bad we really are.

men should be less masculine.

em1913

I've read some of Pinker, but I find his public persona really smarmy and obnoxious. Not quite Richard Dawkins obnoxious, but not somebody I'd want to have over for supper. And like Dawkins, it's hard for me to see a hard line of separation between the man's media persona and his theories -- he seems to be as interested in building his personal brand as he is in promulgating hard science. I suppose one might do some interesting research on the question of "Are Public Intellectuals Inclined From Birth To Be Dickheads?"

194

Is Being a “Manly Man” a Bad Thing?

by minimus in

jw
friends

so much is said regarding men , in a negative way.

shaving commercials are now lecturing us as to how bad we really are.

men should be less masculine.

em1913

I'd think you'd want to read that book. You seem to put a lot of stock in the findings of one scientist -- here's a chance to get a look at a broad range of the research in his field and see how his methods stack up. But hey, you accept whatever terms you want, I'm not going to nag you about it. But one day, you will read that book, if out of curiosity more than anything else.

As far as blank slates go, well, I have mechanical aptitude -- which neither my mother nor father have. I can act -- which neither of my parents could do. I can't play any musical instrument, although both my parents had natural musical talent. I read constantly although neither of my parents ever read anything more complicated than a newspaper once they got out of high school. So I dunno -- whatever my behavior is I didn't inherit it from them. I wouldn't say we're entirely blank, but neither would I suggest that our traits are engraved in our genes, whether along gender lines or what. At most, we might have an inclination toward certain things, but anything else we have to pick up on our own.

194

Is Being a “Manly Man” a Bad Thing?

by minimus in

jw
friends

so much is said regarding men , in a negative way.

shaving commercials are now lecturing us as to how bad we really are.

men should be less masculine.

em1913

As for catcalls, it isn't even a sexual thing. It's a put-the-woman-in-her-place thing.

I'm not a young woman. At all. I'm overweight, I've got greying hair, I'm broad in the beam and sagging in the ankles. And yet, I can be out front of my workplace doing something on the sidewalk, and a carful of young jackasses can pull up and yell a lewd suggestion. That's not because I'm hawwwwt baby, it's because these little turds think they're putting me in my place, whatever that might be.

And then I turn around and yell "go suck your mother's tit" and they get disabused of that idea real quick. My aunt taught me well.

194

Is Being a “Manly Man” a Bad Thing?

by minimus in

jw
friends

so much is said regarding men , in a negative way.

shaving commercials are now lecturing us as to how bad we really are.

men should be less masculine.

em1913

When you've read and digested "Brain Storm," we'll talk.

194

Is Being a “Manly Man” a Bad Thing?

by minimus in

jw
friends

so much is said regarding men , in a negative way.

shaving commercials are now lecturing us as to how bad we really are.

men should be less masculine.

em1913

Well, you'll have something to do in the morning then. The UK is awful in January, a library's very pleasant place to be.

I tend, to be honest, to be skeptical of the kind of scientific papers that get a lot of play in the news, whether I agree with their conclusions or not. Too often you'll see something presented as BOLD NEW REVELATION STARTLING DISCOVERY ANNOUNCED BY PROFS when in reality, if you actually read the paper, it suggests that a certain thing appears to be true due to certain results but further study is warranted. Many scientists in the public eye are guilty of going along with this kind of media coverage because, you know, publish or perish -- but those You Tube clicks are really where it's at. And yes, a great deal of science is bought and paid for -- the tobacco and petroleum industries, in particular, have long had dirty hands in this regard, and I question anything that comes out of a "think tank."

194

Is Being a “Manly Man” a Bad Thing?

by minimus in

jw
friends

so much is said regarding men , in a negative way.

shaving commercials are now lecturing us as to how bad we really are.

men should be less masculine.

em1913

You seem to think you're in the position to dictate the terms of the conversation here. You're not.

I've invited you to do the research, and I've shown you where to do it, and I've given you a nugget to start from. You're free to accept or reject that challenge if you want, but your rejection of that suggestion doesn't obligate me in any way to do the research for you. If you're sincerely interested in the points I've raised, you'll do the reading for yourself and satisfy yourself in your own mind. If not, then that's your choice. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him think.

Scientific papers don't get "debunked," by the way. They get challenged, they get questioned, they may be refuted or superseded or disproven by subsequent research, but "debunking" is something that only happens in the popular press and on the Internet -- and it usually happens to something that never should have been "bunked" in the first place.

Congratulations on your graduation -- but remember, every day you live is part of your continuing education.

194

Is Being a “Manly Man” a Bad Thing?

by minimus in

jw
friends

so much is said regarding men , in a negative way.

shaving commercials are now lecturing us as to how bad we really are.

men should be less masculine.

em1913

Not at all odd. You're in "uni." You're a student. I've invited you to do your own research on a point. Do it. Research you do yourself will be much more convincing to you than anything some anonymous set of initials on the internet can provide.

But here's a starting point for you: in scientific research, what would you call a scientist whose preferred methodology is the use of data gathered through a process of self-selection? Would you consider it reliable? Or would you weigh self-selection bias in your conclusions? If not, justify your position.