Zen Baby's New Writeupshttp://everything2.com/?node=New%20Writeups%20Atom%20Feed&foruser=Zen Baby2000-08-24T16:43:24ZWhen you call a girl beautiful, what does it mean? (idea)http://m.everything2.com/user/Zen+Baby/writeups/When+you+call+a+girl+beautiful%252C+what+does+it+mean%253FZen Babyhttp://m.everything2.com/user/Zen+Baby2000-08-24T16:43:24Z2000-08-24T16:43:24Z<p>You've met her, you like her, you want to take it a step further, you look into her eyes and say <i>"You are so beautiful."</i> </p>
<p>The question is this: why is this such a good thing to say to a <a href="/title/woman">woman</a>? Basically we're congratulating a woman for conforming to a <a href="/title/socially+determined">socially determined</a> <a href="/title/aesthetic">aesthetic</a> <a href="/title/principle">principle</a> -in what way does this make her a good or worthwhile person? Why is this considered one of the highest <a href="/title/compliments">compliments</a> you can give a woman? You look great in slacks, therefore you deserve to be treated nicely.</p>
<p>To my mind it reflects a social position that places the success of a woman on how good she looks - a variation on the social structure that determines a woman's value by the number of children she has.</p>Where does the money come from? (idea)http://m.everything2.com/user/Zen+Baby/writeups/Where+does+the+money+come+from%253FZen Babyhttp://m.everything2.com/user/Zen+Baby2000-07-13T14:12:23Z2000-07-13T14:12:23Z<p>A <a href="/title/serious+question">serious question</a>.</p>
<p>The <a href="/title/central+government">central government</a> lends money to banks, <a href="/title/charging+interest">charging interest</a>. The banks lend money to companies and consumers, charging a higher rate of interest. Companies must have credit in order to buy the <a href="/title/natural+resources">natural resources</a> necessary to make goods to sell to the people. The companies pay back the banks. But now they owe the banks more money than before. Fair enough, they've made money, so they can afford to pay it back.</p>
<p>But all the money comes from a central source, notably the <a href="/title/Federal+Reserve">Federal Reserve</a> in America. They give out all the cash. Then they expect to get back more than they put out. It seems the only way to maintain this kind of system is through <a href="/title/bankruptcy">bankruptcy</a> - someone along the way has to give all their money to someone, the central cash distribution agency must write off their loan. The amount of money in the system stays equal to the amount given out.</p>
<p>I realise this question may seem laughably simple to many of you, but I am perplexed. I must assume I'<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…I am a sexist (idea)http://m.everything2.com/user/Zen+Baby/writeups/I+am+a+sexistZen Babyhttp://m.everything2.com/user/Zen+Baby2000-07-06T15:07:38Z2000-07-06T15:07:38Z<p>I sense a <a href="/title/note">note</a> of...<a href="/title/bitterness">bitterness</a>...perhaps?</p>
<ul><li>I have received <a href="/title/flowers">flowers</a> from <a href="/title/women">women</a>.
<li>Most <a href="/title/women">women</a> I have <a href="/title/dated">dated</a> have <a href="/title/insisted">insisted</a> on <a href="/title/paying">paying</a> for <a href="/title/half">half</a>.
<li> Some have paid for <a href="/title/the+whole+thing">the whole thing</a>
<li> Currently, my <a href="/title/girlfriend">girlfriend</a> is <a href="/title/earning">earning</a> far more than <a href="/title/I">I</a>. She insists on paying for more than half of our <a href="/title/living+expenses">living expenses</a>
<li>Etc, etc, <a href="/title/etc">etc</a>.
<!-- close mismatched tag --></li><!-- close mismatched tag --></li><!-- close mismatched tag --></li><!-- close mismatched tag --></li><!-- close mismatched tag --></li></ul>
<p>In my <a href="/title/limited+experience">limited experience</a>, <a href="/title/men+who+complain">men who complain</a> about the how women want unfair advantages are:
<ol><li><a href="/title/Privileged+members">Privileged members</a> of a <a href="/title/first+world">first world</a> society that don't really understand female inequality - <a href="/title/female+circumcision">female circumcision</a> is not a myth.
<li>Confusing sexual frustration with social issues.
<!-- close mismatched tag --></li><!-- close mismatched tag --></li></ol>
</p>
<p>Feminism is not about who pays for dinner. It's about <a href="/title/women%2527s+rights">women's rights</a> to make their own <a href="/title/decisions">decisions</a> and <a href="/title/determine">determine</a> their own future on an <a href="/title/equal+basis">equal basis</a>. </p>arabic slang (idea)http://m.everything2.com/user/Zen+Baby/writeups/arabic+slangZen Babyhttp://m.everything2.com/user/Zen+Baby2000-06-30T14:58:39Z2000-06-30T14:58:39Z<ul>
<li><u>Eshta</u>: <a href="/title/literally">literally</a> '<a href="/title/cream">cream</a>'. Used like '<a href="/title/Cool">Cool</a>', only more so; eg "What did you think of that <a href="/title/joint">joint</a>? Eshta!"</li>
<li><u>Yani</u>: literally 'I mean'. Used like '<a href="/title/Like">Like</a>'; a filler; eg "I <a href="/title/think+it">think it</a> would be better if we were, yani, friends."</li>
<li><u>arbatashar</u>: Literally, <a href="/title/14">14</a>. Refers to the 14th day of the Islamic lunar month, which indicates the <a href="/title/full+moon">full moon</a>. Means good, but in a <a href="/title/pure">pure</a> way, unlike eshta(above) which is more <a href="/title/rich">rich</a>, <a href="/title/decadent">decadent</a>; eg "<a href="/title/How+are+you%253F">How are you?</a>" Arbatashar."</li>
<li><u>Fil mishmish</u>: Literally, with the apricots. Means, never. eg "<a href="/title/When+will+we+three+meet+again%253F">When will we three meet again?</a>" "Fil Mishmish."</li>
<li><u>enta andek dum</u>: "You have blood!" Mind your manners, that's shameful., eg "<a href="/title/If+I+told+you+you+had+a+beautiful+body%252C+would+you+hold+it+against+me%253F">If I told you you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?</a>" "Enta andek dum!"</li>
</ul>
<p>Um, that's it for now. Please note I am still learning arabic, so no responsibility assumed for having mistaken a deadly insult for friendly slang and in so doing ending the life of a noder on holiday in Egypt.</p>Post-e blues (idea)http://m.everything2.com/user/Zen+Baby/writeups/Post-e+bluesZen Babyhttp://m.everything2.com/user/Zen+Baby2000-06-28T10:32:29Z2000-06-28T10:32:29Z<p>The <a href="/title/terrible+feeling">terrible feeling</a> that somehow the <a href="/title/beautiful">beautiful</a> <a href="/title/thoughts">thoughts</a> you shared with <a href="/title/people">people</a> over the <a href="/title/week-end">week-end</a> have not made the <a href="/title/world">world</a> a <a href="/title/better">better</a> <a href="/title/place">place</a>.</p>The problem of life and death (idea)http://m.everything2.com/user/Zen+Baby/writeups/The+problem+of+life+and+deathZen Babyhttp://m.everything2.com/user/Zen+Baby2000-06-26T18:01:33Z2000-06-26T18:01:33Z<p>After <a href="/title/pondering">pondering</a> and <a href="/title/failing">failing</a> to find <a href="/title/anything">anything</a> which wasn't <a href="/title/absurd">absurd</a> I realised I was being <a href="/title/absurd">absurd</a> and that <a href="/title/death">death</a> was not <a href="/title/absurd">absurd</a>.</p>
<p>Like, I'm going to <a href="/title/die">die</a>. It's <a href="/title/scary">scary</a>. <a href="/title/Nothing">Nothing</a> to be done, no <a href="/title/way">way</a> to <a href="/title/stop">stop</a> it. It's <a href="/title/coming">coming</a>.</p>
<p>But it's <a href="/title/comforting">comforting</a>, in a <a href="/title/weird">weird</a> way to <a href="/title/know">know</a> that there is something <a href="/title/serious">serious</a> which must be <a href="/title/solved">solved</a> or it will result in <a href="/title/suffering">suffering</a> and general <a href="/title/bitching">bitching</a>.</p>
<p>But how to do it? How to stop being <a href="/title/afraid">afraid</a> of the the Big D.? Not just saying <i>I'm not afraid of Death</i> but really, deeply, <b>meaning</b> it?</p>