Yes people, it is not no longer an obscure word used by cooler than hip teens, gangsta-rappers and the occasional redhead blogger. "Sexting" is among the new words accepted by the Oxford Dictionaries online. The other soon-to-be classics are: "onliner", "scareware", "cyberbullying", "clickjacking", "Tbh"(to be honest), and "fnarr fnarr" (which I had no idea of. Marsian influence? No, apparently it means sniggering. )
Technology and short acronyms are creeping their way into our dialectic, whether we like it or not. If this shortening of announced words gets any more trendier, I wonder if in 50 years we all talking legitimately with cut down words. A new language?
Let me present to you: the map of drinking around our sweet planet. To be honest, I really thought Australia would be higher. And North America. Oh Europe, you really should know better. How did your country fare out in this?
This post is dedicated to my anonymous male friend, who is battling with these demons, as we speak. I am talking about those pesky late-night moments, when the thought creeps into your consciousness -is s/he worth it? Shall I go on? Is this meant to be? Decisions, decisions. To be, or not to be.
(That is the question. Still. )
Yes, those scientists of the 1930s were crafty. They came up with a scientifically formulated rating chart to ease those tensions clouding your judgment. See, it is easy to rank the spouse! Much like giving points in the Eurovision song contest, this table gives you all the answers. Hmm, better keep that suspiciousness under the belt. So not ladylike. Aw, I do hope she keeps over the 24 points!
Well, this picture would not be perfect without the opposite, now would it?
Let´s introduce the Husband chart, or in other words, is the dude worth keeping around anymore.
Like a lot of these 1930s "inventions", this one was criticized as well. Really? And I thought this was so scientific and accurate! No way! Poor George Crane. The shrinks don´t always get it right.
Personal bias be damned.
Although most people who read the test today find it humorous and obviously dated, Crane did attempt to make it scientific. His method was to interview 600 husbands on their wives’ positive and negative qualities. Then he listed the 50 demerits and merits that arose most frequently. Crane, did admit to using a personal bias in weighting the items that he thought were most important in marriage.(Via neatorama)
Religion is a sensitive topic. The ones with strong beliefs on its power are always eager to defend its importance for our existence. How can one be human without spiritual guidance, a system that molds our choices and provides safety from lingering fears on pure arbitrariness in the universe? For some of us, atheism is simply absurd. Spiritual vacuum is feared, condemned and it can even be considered a morally questionable representation of the character at large.
I do recognize the feeling of shelter religion brings, it is easier to live with someone/something giving straight answers to everything (no matter how correct they are). There is no uncertainty or questioning of choices: things are, as given. It is a matter of placing your ultimate trust in the hands of someone, and something. This trust can be easily exploited, however.
When there is demand, there is supply. A friend of mine had an intriguing encounter with this specific church in the past. Well-dressed, well-spoken woman on the streets of Brighton offers a free personality test. After the test (which in its complexity was nothing but random general questions of nothing important) the results were given. No surprises there, the need for help was regarded as immediate. My friend was apparently "in dire emotional stress and going nowhere" without intervention. Relief would come in the form of dianetics. And countless courses, I assume. Without going into specifics of Scientology, as I suspect most of us have heard the stories on thetans, aliens, suppressive persons, auditing and the perils of modern psychiatry, I present some hip music by the church of Scientology.
In 1986, Scientology put out an album of songs created by no other that the great L. Ron Hubbard himself.
The lyrics are exactly what one would imagine, preaching the ARC triangle, devils of psychiatry etc. This is "the Road to Freedom" , indeed.
