Sexiest Man?

Those Bonobos were very sexy weren't they? It must be our puritanical ethic that has kept that story mostly under wraps... that and that the same puritanical streak is usually mixed up with an "I don't believe in evolution" twist. <gag me>

Thanks for the first hand report of the MORON story. I love the joke that she was fired for giving away state secrets. I'm shocked and dismayed to hear there are right-wingers in Canada. I don't get it.

It IS our 'puritanical' notions of sexuality (though actually, it's probably more historically correct to pin it on Catholicism) which supresses such information. And usually this suppression is greater in your country than in Canada. The fellow here who runs our version of MTV (called Much Music) was recently talking about what gets censored on MTV and said that it seemed a nipple could only be shown if a bullet was involved. This is such clear cultural insanity that it takes my breath away.

We do have right wingers here too. They are much the same as yours in philosophy. And we also are blessed with fundamentalists worming their way onto hospital boards (to prevent abortions) and school boards (to stop drugs and sex ed and the evil 'homosexual adgenda').

or agenda, take your pick.

I don't like any agendas. Lists. I go for lists.

How so many people can be so sure of themselves... knocking other people who are only trying to get along as best they can... it seems so unfair.

We have, as you know, the same problem with censorship. Show people being blown up, women being raped, vicious criminal activity... that's fine. But a loving relationship between consenting adults --- AAAWK... THAT's Dangerous!

I don't know about this puritanical ethic being a Catholic thing (I really don't.) When I was a Catholic, and I am still basically shriven despite my Daoist ways... sexuality wasn't so bad. Even the homosexuality of a lot of priests was known and ignored. But it was the new Puritans who think Catholics aren't Christians (and I had a grandma believed precisely this way) who had the long-sleeved clothing and the don't wear red, and the no dancing rules. My grandma would draw in sleeves to cover our bare arms when we'd send her school pictures. We were being brazen... in 4th grade. Sex wasn't even mentioned. I don't think they knew what it was. I'm sure my mother was a surprise to her.

Now we're a little off the topic of the sexiest man and onto something so much more interesting. Which is, sex. It's true.......sex just doesn't get the attention it deserves in our society. But gratification in general is not given it's proper due either. We're a guilty, neurotic bunch of people.

On this topic, I have a full store of soapboxes (and anger...I feel like that guy at the end of Bridge on the River Kwai..."Madness! It's all madness!") at the ready. But I shan't pull them out.

Briefly, on the historical reference, scholars (the ones I agree with, at least) put the blame pretty squarely on Augustine for his deep influence on notions of sexuality. That's circa 400, so consequences are reflected up throughout Christian thought. Luther and Calvin were odd ducks here too (each influenced by Augustine) and all three looked mainly to Paul for inspiration. So, if anyone finds a good time machine at some yard sale, any one of these guys, each prsonally messed up on matters sexual, could be done away with to the advantage of us all.

There is a classic old science fiction short story, set in the future where commercial time travel exists as a vacation option. The main character receieves the standard warnings from the time travel operator to NOT step off the elevated path, because any effect he causes in the past will have unknown consequences to the future. The traveler is somewhat distracted however, due to a critical election in his world where a very bad guy has just almost won the leadership, and when our character finally gets to some beautiful primordial past, he momentarily steps off the path and kills a flower. When he returns to his time, the bad guy has won the election....

So....who here stepped on the god damned flower???

St Augustine is my least favorite saint, except for that dastardly evil St. Paul. He was, I think, a liar, as Augustine was a reformed creep.

However, if you look at the Catholics of today or even Catholics as the Protest began and you'll find a wide variation of beliefs.

Let me see, what was it Luther said, I just read it... Women should remain at home, sit still, keep house, and bear and bring up children. Martin Luther (1483-1546)

The "sit still" part I assume has to do with sex... It makes no other sense.

I suppose that everyone knows that Affleck was re-jected by Harvard, even though he had high SATs.

I never, ever step on flowers! (or ants.)

Piffka:

The "sitting" part may have had something to do with the "birthing stools".
Were the birthing stools still being used at that time?


Glad I missed that part of history!

I think when he says bearing children, he's probably thinking of the bearing down a woman must do.

So nope, I think it either means sex or not speaking.

"Males play the greatest role in stirring up bloodbaths. They do most of the killing, and they do most of the dying. This makes men sound pretty atrocious. And indeed they are. Males by far outdo females in aggression. Remove the testicles from a rooster, and it becomes a peace-loving bird. Sew the testes back into its stomach, and the masculine hormones once again flood the fowl's bloodstream. Now the recently mild-mannered chicken struts off to start a fight."

.... Howard Bloom, op. cit.


Well, I say that's a buncha poppycock, and if I had the time, I'd refute that good and proper. But right now I gotta go wring a turkey's neck.

Birds are v. different from humans, though their hormone research is being actively funded to examine our own.

Little mini-dinosaurs, that's what I think. Have you ever had a rooster? Mean little creatures, almost all. The more females, the meaner they get. There has to be some connection and maybe testosterone is it.

The male display, song and territorial aggression is dependent on their testosterone, andrenalin and estrogen levels -- which are keyed to sunlight and other environmental factors. I have a list somewhere... it is surprising.

edit -- I do know how to spell adrenaline, most of the time.

The story you're thinking of, Blatham, is Ray Bradbury's "A Sound Like Thunder."

Roosters are, indeed, vicious. I had scars on my back at the age of four, inflicted by a big cock, when I entered the hen-house unnanounced. Scared the you-know-what out of me.

Speaking of Sean Connery, I saw a Barbara Walters interview with good ole Sean once. Barbara asked him about an incident in which he had carried out some sort of physical abuse on a female (I think his wife, maybe). In any case dear ole Sean was making excuses sort of like, "women like to be put in their place" and "it's ok to hit a woman if she's done something to deserve it." I don't remember the exact details, but I do remember Barbara Walters (I think it was Barbara) was very startled and clearly upset with Mr. Connery's answers. Did anyone else see this interview?

As far as who caused sexual repression, I think it's very largely caused by individuals with conflicts about sex. Some neurotics can be very sick and come up with the most severely dysfunctional solutions for sexual conflict. I anticipate that someone, probably Blatham, will come along here and tell me about other societies that are more peaceful and are less sexually hung up. But before this takes place, let me speculate........I suspect we might want to, if we could, look at the hormone levels or ratios of the individuals in those societies (talking off the top of my head here) and we might find some major genetic difference which explains the reduction of conflict surrounding sex. Sex get's most people and societies worked up and neurotic conflicts abound. If a certain pathological solution to sexual conflict (like the religions spawned by Calvin, Luther or St. augustine, for instance) becomes institutionalized, then I think we have a sociological or anthopological explanation that goes hand in hand with the psychoanalytic one.

And on the subject of men vs. women and who causes wars and violence........I think the responsibility for this is shared by members of both sexes. Levels of testosterone do correlate with levels of aggression, but the testosterone is causing a fight over something. And it is often over who is going to get the girl. And it comes naturally for both men and women to tease and flirt.......so it seems to me that we're all one big happy family. And of course, we should not forget that some women have higher testosterone levels than other women and some men.

OK, I just tought of one more sexy man. Jack Nicholson. I love his devilish smile and naughty attitude. Very sexy.

Lola- Yeah! But I've always thought that Nicholson would be a handful to live with. I don't get the impression that he is the easiest guy!

You might prefer a guy like me then -- I got the same sort of hairline as Nicholson, without bein' a handful. In fact, my doctor refused to give me Viagra, saying it would be like puttin' a new flagpole on a condemned building.

LOL Debacle!!!!!

A new flagpole on a condemned building is still a new flagpole!

Don't trust your wife's judgement.
Look at what she married.






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