#My man I may be unfit for public life but I am also extremely interested in transnational culinary history and how

[chicago-geniza]

Funniest part is the guy kept trying to Educate everyone about Cuisine and, like, why certain US "ration-style" shelf-stable foods were part of Korean dishes now and I was like. Yeah dude it's the army. Look at Spam musubi elsewhere. It's a combination of colonialism, military occupation, and "international aid"; you see it in Indian street food with canned carrots & peas & potatoes, in the Phillipines, in Hawaii; there's a whole body of scholarship about it, there are cookbooks focused on its specific innovations and "fusions." And he was like visibily annoyed because he was showing off his expertise to his gf and to us, having been to South Korea.

Oh also he humblebragged about never having had Spam so I infodumped about. Spam and also why kosher Spam exists. You're asserting your socioeconomic superiority by gustatory snobism, I have an autism spectrum disorder and will use this opportunity to elucidate the connections between British imperialism, the Israeli military, and US manufacturing industry

[usernames-aren-t-myforte]

You (2018)

Alright, so I’m gonna try my best to articulate my feelings about this show, and more specifically, it’s main character Joe Goldberg. 

So first off, this show... is definitely an intense ride. Technically it’s not perfect (really, what is), but I feel like it’s quality is higher than most things we’ve been given in the last several years. Underneath all the action and drama, there’s a real sincerity and deep character study here.  And in all honesty, that is what I live for, and crave most in my shows/movies. So the fact that I have tons of thoughts about it from the get-go, and that it can spark real discussion among its viewers, makes me happy beyond belief. 

There are a lot of interesting and clever things about this story. One of which that stood out to me first was that, this is a stalker story from a man’s POV, written by a woman. Now of course, a good writer can make any believable character, so I’m not saying this is out of complete and utter shock or anything.  I just think it adds more to how impressively real and genuine this story feels. I’m not an expert on what goes on in a male mind, but reading the book, and watching the show, Caroline Kepnes made capturing a man’s thought process seem effortless, and I am a little blown away by that. I think it’s fantastic. So right away, as a woman, I’m intrigued with getting such a close peek into what’s going on in the brain of someone of the opposite sex. Who doesn’t want that when they get the chance?  

Which leads me to the next point I appreciate: it almost feels like we, the audience/reader are being invasive too. I don’t know about you guys, but I became very aware (especially while reading the book) that we weren’t invited into this guy’s head by him. We’re just there. Snooping into his life and his stalker ways. It feels a little like this scene in the show:

(Which is my absolute FAVORITE omg 😂😂😂😂😂)

So in some ways, it feels like you’re mirroring Joe a little bit. You’re watching/reading this guy’s every move, and making your own judgements and conclusions on them. Plus, the intense curiosity I got while reading the book/watching the show, made me ravenous for more. I devoured this book/show, and would have continued to, no matter how long this story went on. So all at once it seems to make me feel more relatable to Joe, while also feeling a little hypocritical as I judge his thoughts and actions from afar. I think deep down we’re all, to some degree, a little inappropriately nosy and curious. Especially when we have the opportunity to be. So right away going in, on this very vague basis, I can honestly say I relate to Joe a little bit.  That said, here is where I’m going to try and explain my feelings about Joe. Hopefully I’ll be able to convey my thoughts clearly, because when it comes to the more serious stuff like this, I believe it’s important for there to be no misunderstandings. 

Okay. So Joe Goldberg. This slippery little weasel right here. 

Yes, I will start by saying that he is hot, he is attractive, and there is an appealing quality to him. I don’t think it’s wrong to admit that. However, there are some glaring flaws that cannot and should not be ignored. I will get to that in a second. But first, I want to touch on some of the surface things that drew me in about this guy, and makes me uncomfortably aware of the fact that if I didn’t know his dirt, I’d totally be into him. 

#1

He’s smart. He’s well read. The man loves books. I love books. Watching him rebind a damaged hardcover would be a satisfying date for me, I’m not going to lie. 

#2, he’s funny. 

#3, on the surface (and I can’t stress that statement enough ON THE SURFACE) he makes for a pretty dang decent boyfriend. 

#4, when he’s correct about what’s right,

#5, again, he’s pretty relatable sometimes

#6, he seems pretty good at *ahem*

You know. Which is always nice. 

But that’s the surface stuff. Now it’s time for the nitty gritty. The really important part. 

There is a strong Ted Bundy flavor here. He doesn’t seem menacing. He just seems like your every-day, relatable, charming, attractive guy. You wouldn’t feel threatened by him at all if you met him. Even someone as smart as Beck fell for it. 

He was very good at putting his best foot forward.  Hence the surface stuff. Hence the attraction we may feel despite ourselves. However, I do sympathize with him to some degree. And here’s why.  Unlike Ted Bundy, I don’t get the impression that Joe has a bloodlust. Ted Bundy would go and meet women, charm them, woo them, lure them in with the express intention of killing them. That was his endgame. He craved the feeling he got when he tortured, raped, and killed women.  

^ Now Joe IS a killer. There is no sidestepping that. But the reason he feels he can claim he’s not is because, unlike Mr. Bundy, Joe’s motivation with selecting his next girl isn’t murder. It’s finding “love”, in his mind. So I do sympathize with him to some degree, because I can’t label him as a monster, or 100% evil. His surface stuff wasn’t a complete sham. It was merely the best version of himself. His good side. The side of himself he let others see. That’s another way we’re vaguely relatable. We all try to hide the less-than-savory side of ourselves.  The only difference is: Joe’s “bad side” is incredibly dangerous. 

So while his motivation was different, his threat level is still very much up there.

I also got the impression that all the stuff he said about his thoughts on love and wanting to “make it work”- he really believed what he was saying. He genuinely felt that way, regardless of how skewed his perception of the situation was. So while his actions were undeniably wrong, I could feel for the guy, and at least relate to the view he tries to get across. That said, the main problem with Joe is that his reactions are extreme. Especially in the book, the man can be very bipolar. When he perceives things are going well, he’s on top of the world. And when he thinks things are going sour, he’s completely in the pits and hates everything. The man is unstable. No matter how much we can understand his desires or his thought process, the truth of the matter is- he does not function properly. It is important to see him for what he is. But at the same time, I feel it’s okay to feel bad about that. He’s clearly messed up, but it’s okay to still see him as human. Like someone else said in the tag, humanizing =/= excusing. As long as you’re not ride or die with all of his murdering and stalking, it’s okay to sympathize for him. It’s okay to relate.  It’s okay to understand his perspective.  But it’s equally important to grasp the reality of the character. He is a danger to the public. He is not fit to roam free. 

In all fairness, I think they did make him a tad more sympathetic in the show. Because like I said earlier, in the book he was more bipolar, while in the show, he was more consistent in his intense optimism about his relationship with Beck. To watch this unstable guy want something so much, something most of us want, is the most relatable thing there is. 

It’s a thing we generally want most people to enjoy. That’s where the main conflict inside me comes from. Love is a pure thing. And lasting romantic bliss is something most of us wish to attain. So to watch this guy who’s clearly unfit for it, but still genuinely wants it SO badly, makes my heart go out to him a little. Emotionally he is this wounded bird, while in every other way he most definitely is NOT. 

Beck said it best when she pointed out that, no matter his intention, it was not his place to fix her life.  It was HER life, HER choices.  We might objectively see how a certain change could improve someone’s life, but their life is ultimately their own, and we have no right to take charge away from how they choose to lead it. We can only try and find someone who makes decisions we can generally agree with and stand by. This is something Joe couldn’t understand. He sees a girl he likes, he puts her on a pedestal, and he immediately gets to work trying to “help” her, to “save” her. His perception is off on how a relationship works, and what being a “good boyfriend” means.  And again, what messes with your head a little bit, is that he’s not 100% off.  On the surface, he’s a great boyfriend. But his bad side makes him feel like it’s his duty to “protect” his girlfriend in ways that aren’t acceptable or okay.  And he doesn’t realize that his “bad side” is wrong, and proportionally way off from a normal person’s.  

The ideal solution would be for him to go to a mental hospital and get help. But realistically, he’d probably be able to talk his way out of there. So unfortunately, the only place for him is prison.  He is a dangerous man. There is no overlooking it. 

I think in a nutshell, my main feeling toward this character is a big ‘If only’.  If only he were stable, if only his mental health could be improved, if only he had proper boundaries, if only he didn’t kill people. But we have to face the music. No matter how badly we feel for him, and wish for better- the reality is, he’s a dangerous criminal. There’s nothing romantic about that. Plenty to sympathize with, but nothing to excuse. He is ultimately the villain, though he sees himself as, and tries hard to be, the hero. We can’t separate the bad from the good inside him, no matter how much we might want to. Joe Goldberg is an amazing character. He’s intriguing, he’s interesting, he’s fascinating, he’s entertaining. But at the end of the day, you don’t want to date him. Amazingly written, sympathetic character does not always equal good boyfriend material. Ship him with his mental health instead. 

All in all, a solid 9 out of 10. 

[bountyofbeads]

"Trump’s disordered personality...

manifests itself in multiple ways: extreme narcissism...addiction to lying...detachment from reality...affinity for conspiracy theories...petty cheating...and his lack of empathy and sympathy."

Read the whole thing.

https://t.co/3Lq1F4TH8v

Trump Is Not Well

Accepting the reality about the president’s disordered personality is important—even essential.

SEP 9, 2019

Peter Wehner | Published September 9, 2019 | The Atlantic | Posted October 11, 2019 9:00 AM ET |

During the 2016 campaign, I received a phone call from an influential political journalist and author, who was soliciting my thoughts on Donald Trump. Trump’s rise in the Republican Party was still something of a shock, and he wanted to know the things I felt he should keep in mind as he went about the task of covering Trump.

At the top of my list: Talk to psychologists and psychiatrists about the state of Trump’s mental health, since I considered that to be the most important thing when it came to understanding him. It was Trump’s Rosetta stone.

I wasn’t shy about making the same case publicly. During a July 14, 2016, appearance on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, for example, I responded to a pro-Trump caller who was upset that I opposed Trump despite my having been a Republican for my entire adult life and having served in the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations and the George W. Bush White House.

“I don’t oppose Mr. Trump because I think he’s going to lose to Hillary Clinton,” I told Ben from Purcellville, Virginia. “I think he will, but as I said, he may well win. My opposition to him is based on something completely different, which is, first, I think he is temperamentally unfit to be president. I think he’s erratic, I think he’s unprincipled, I think he’s unstable, and I think that he has a personality disorder; I think he’s obsessive. And at the end of the day, having served in the White House for seven years in three administrations and worked for three presidents, one closely, and read a lot of history, I think the main requirement for president of the United States … is temperament, and disposition … whether you have wisdom and judgment and prudence.”

That statement has been validated.

Donald Trump’s disordered personality—his unhealthy patterns of thinking, functioning, and behaving—has become the defining characteristic of his presidency. It manifests itself in multiple ways: his extreme narcissism; his addiction to lying about things large and small, including his finances and bullying and silencing those who could expose them; his detachment from reality, including denying things he said even when there is video evidence to the contrary; his affinity for conspiracy theories; his demand for total loyalty from others while showing none to others; and his self-aggrandizement and petty cheating.

It manifests itself in Trump’s impulsiveness and vindictiveness; his craving for adulation; his misogyny,  predatory sexual behavior, and  sexualization of his daughters; his open admiration for brutal dictators; his remorselessness; and his lack of empathy and sympathy, including  attacking a family whose son died while fighting for this country, mocking a reporter with a disability, and ridiculing a former POW. (When asked about Trump’s feelings for his fellow human beings, Trump’s mentor, the notorious lawyer Roy Cohn, reportedly said, “He pisses ice water.”)

The most recent example is the president’s bizarre fixation on falsely insisting that he was correct to warn that Alabama faced a major risk from Hurricane Dorian, to the point that he doctored a hurricane map with a black Sharpie to include the state as being in the path of the storm.

“He’s deteriorating in plain sight,” one Republican strategist who is in frequent contact with the White House  told Business Insider on Friday. Asked why the president was obsessed with Alabama instead of the states that would actually be affected by the storm, the strategist said, “You should ask a psychiatrist about that; I’m not sure I’m qualified to comment.”

We have repeatedly heard versions of that sentiment over the course of Trump’s presidency. It’s said that speculating on Trump’s mental health is inappropriate and unwise, especially for those who are not formally trained in the field of psychiatry or psychology.

That’s true, up to a point. Yes, it is best to leave it to experts to determine whether Trump satisfies the criteria for a clinical diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, some combination of both, or nothing at all.

But if a clinical diagnosis is beyond my own expertise, Trump’s psychological impairments are obvious to all who are not willfully blind. On a daily basis we see the president’s chaotic, unstable mind on display. Are we supposed to ignore that?

An analogy may be helpful here. If smoke is coming out from under the hood of your car, if you notice puddles of oil under it, if the engine is overheating and you smell burning oil, you don’t have to be a car mechanic to know that something is wrong with your car.

Accepting the reality about Trump’s disordered personality is important and even essential. For one thing, it will help us to better react to Trump’s freak show.

Even now, almost a thousand days into his presidency, the latest Trump outrage elicits shock and disbelief in people. The reaction is, “Can you believe he said that and did this?”

To which my response is, “Why are you surprised?” It’s a shock only if the assumption is that we’re dealing with a psychologically normal human being. We’re not. Trump is profoundly compromised, acting just as you would imagine a person with a disordered personality would. Many Americans haven’t yet come to terms with the fact that we elected as president a man who is deeply damaged, an emotional misfit. But it would be helpful if they did.

Among other things, it would keep us feeling less startled and disoriented, less in a state of constant agitation, less susceptible to provocations. Donald Trump thrives on creating chaos, on gaslighting us, on creating antipathy among Americans, on keeping people on edge and off balance. He wants to dominate our every waking hour. We ought not grant him that power over us.

It might also take some of the edge off the hatred many people feel for Trump. Seeing him for what he is—a terribly damaged soul, a broken man, a person with a disordered mind—should not lessen our revulsion at how Trump mistreats others, at his cruelty and dehumanizing actions. Nor should it weaken our resolve to stand up to it. It does complicate the picture just a bit, though, eliciting some pity and sorrow for Trump.

But above all, accepting the truth about Trump’s mental state will cause us to take more seriously than we have our democratic duty, which is to prevent a psychologically and morally unfit person from becoming president.

The office is too powerful, and the consequences are too dangerous, to allow a person to become president who views morality only through the prism of whether an action advances his own narrow interests, his own distorted desires, his own twisted impulses. When an individual comes to believe his interests and those of the nation he leads are one and the same, it opens the door to all sorts of moral and constitutional devilry.

Whether or not his disorders are diagnosable, the president’s psychological flaws are all too apparent. They were alarming when he took the oath of office; they are worse now. Every day Donald Trump is president is a day of disgrace. And a day of danger.

PETER WEHNER is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He writes widely on political, cultural, religious, and national-security issues, and he is the author of The Death of Politics: How to Heal Our Frayed Republic After Trump.

[robertmcangusgroup]

The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

 Thursday 30th March 2017

 "Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. Mild weather started my day with Bella.. 12c with a high later in the day of 21c or so my Smartphone tells me…. Tourists are starting to arrive.. convertibles can be seen with the roof down, the ice cream store is open once again, raspberry ripple is still unavailable… and may favourite as a child a Jubbly is unheard of… but at 4:00am in the morning thoughts of ice cream and delicacies  from the dark distant past are pushed to the back of the mind for another day as coffee has just brewed and the smell is permeating the house…

MAN ARRESTED AFTER TAXI OFFICE ASSAULT IN GLASGOW…. The assault happened at a taxi office on Paisley Road West. An 18-year-old man has been arrested after two men were assaulted at a taxi office in Glasgow. A 49 year-old taxi driver is being treated in hospital for a head injury and his 51-year-old colleague suffered minor injuries in the incident. The 18-year-old is expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday.

GLASGOW AIRPORT TO OFFER DIRECT FLIGHTS TO INDIA…. Glasgow Airport could be in line to secure Scotland’s first ever direct flights to India. This comes as the UK and Indian governments ease flight restrictions to boost trade and tourism between the countries. As part of the agreement to scrap the limit on the number of flights which can be operated between the UK and India, the UK government wants Indian airlines to look beyond the slot-constrained London Heathrow and add flights to Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham. At present Air India and Jet Airways operate to London Heathrow but are unable to add more flights because of slot constraints. Air India also flies to Birmingham but despite both cities having large Indian populations, currently neither Glasgow nor Manchester offer direct flights to India. The UK’s Aviation Minister, Lord Tariq Ahmad, has held discussion with Chief Executives of Air India, Jet Airways and Vistara on a recent visit to India. While airlines focus largely on Heathrow, the UK government is making a pitch for connections to other airports, such as Glasgow, Manchester and also London Gatwick. Lord Tariq Ahmad, said: “The Indian market is important for us. A major part of my visit was to look at how we can strengthen our relationship,” “People focus on Heathrow, but there are many airports which offer both domestic and international connectivity.”

FINAL OF BIG KARAOKE PUB CHALLENGE TO REVEAL WINNER…. Amateur crooners across Renfrewshire have been battling it out in the Big Karaoke Pub Challenge - and the winner is set to be decided this weekend. Pubs and clubs throughout the Paisley area have been staging their own heats for the fun competition, with contestants now preparing to gather for the final showdown. But the real winner will be Paisley’s ACCORD Hospice, with proceeds from the event being donated to the charity to help it provide vital services. A total of 15 of pubs and clubs signed up for the challenge, with the final taking place at Hamishes’ Hoose, in High Street, Paisley, on Saturday, starting at 8pm.

JOHNSTONE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER WHO STRIPPED OFF AT PROM CAN CONTINUE TEACHING…. A TEACHER at Johnstone High who was sacked over “inappropriate” behaviour at a school prom has won a fight to save his career. Richard Hutchison, 57, taught at the school for 34 years but was suspended and then dismissed after the prom incident saw him remove his trousers and kiss a pupil. He claimed he “pecked” the boy on the cheek as part of a dare after getting drunk at the leavers’ event and sharing a hotel room with pupils on June 12, 2015. Now the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) has ruled that Mr Hutchison is able to continue to teach. Earlier this year, he appeared before a GTCS hearing into his controversial conduct. It was stated that he had intended to drive home from the prom at the Burnhouse Manor Hotel, in Beith, but instead accepted an invitation from male pupils to sleep on their floor. A photograph emerged the day after the event, showing Mr Hutchison sitting on a chair in his pants. Mr Hutchison was suspended after the image was uploaded to mobile messaging service Snapchat. At the GTCS hearing, Mr Hutchison admitted all of the charges against him. However, he insisted he was not unfit to lead a classroom. In its verdict, the GTCS stopped short of ending his career but ruled that his fitness to teach was impaired. It placed restrictions on his registration for two years, which include continued psychological treatment. The GTCS strongly criticised Mr Hutchison over his drunken conduct but concluded there was a low risk of it ever happening again. It said it would be in the public interest not to kick him out of the profession. The final decision report on the hearing noted: “The Panel took the view that the Respondent had been a highly-skilled and popular teacher who had played a full part in the life of the school. “It was satisfied that he had kept up to date since he had not been working as a teacher. It would be in the public interest to retain him in the profession, provided appropriate safeguards could be put in place. There were conditions that could usefully be imposed." Following Mr Hutchison’s suspension from the school, pupils set up an online petition to urge education chiefs to reinstate him. He was sacked by Renfrewshire Council in 2015 following the incident.

BIGGER RENFREWSHIRE TRAINS TO HELP THE TARTAN ARMY HEAD TO HAMPDEN…. RAIL bosses are adding extra capacity to trains operating in Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire this weekend to help the Tartan Army head to Hampden. A bumper crowd is expected at the national stadium on Sunday to cheer on Scotland’s football team in their World Cup qualifier against Slovenia. And the ScotRail Alliance is making it easier for fans to travel. Additional carriages will be added to many services running through Paisley on the Ayr, Ardrossan Harbour and Gourock to Glasgow lines, as well as those operating between Neilston and the city. A ScotRail Alliance spokesperson said: “Trains heading towards Glasgow and Mount Florida will be extremely busy, so make sure you buy your travel tickets before you board. “Please plan your journeys in advance, keeping in mind any connections, by visiting scotrail.co.uk or using the ScotRail app. “The last trains of the night are likely to be very busy, so please aim to catch an earlier service where possible.” The ScotRail Alliance is bringing in extra staff to assist passengers. Supporters who are travelling to the game are also reminded that an alcohol ban will be in place.

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of a jetty on Loch Rannoch, Perth, Scotland at sunset....

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Thursday 30th March 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in ….. Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus