VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - A Canadian city under pressure for alleged sexual harassment within its fire department has ordered firefighters to wear only boxer-style underwear.
Richmond, British Columbia will spend C$16,000 ($14,200) to buy six pairs of underwear for each firefighter in a bid to make firehalls in the suburb of Vancouver more gender neutral, a newspaper reported on Tuesday.
"We supply firefighters with various pieces of gear such as gloves, now it's underwear," city official Ted Townsend told the Vancouver Sun, saying it was part of the "integration of the sexes in the workplace."
A recent investigation of the department described its workplace culture as "characterized by juvenile and hostile behavior" toward female firefighters by their male colleagues.
#1
I say - tell people who want anything other than pierced ears that it only comes in a package deal with a brain piercing as well...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
10/28/2006 9:35 Comments ||
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#2
Though it has gotten very little publicity, there are an enormous number of cases of flesh-eating bacterial infections (necrotizing fasciitis) (MRSA).
Happening mostly in hospitals as iatrogenic infections and in prisons, I know that Arizona has in the hundreds of cases every year.
They have traced many of the infections to the fact that the bacteria commonly live in the nasal passages of a high percentage of the population, acting as a serious "infection of opportunity" when the immune system is weakened or other circumstances permit.
For this reason, a few hospitals are now giving a nasal spray to patients prior to surgery.
If at all possible before having surgery, it would be a good idea to request or otherwise arrange for this.
#3
Its no surprise that some people might refuse to draw a distinction between piercing an ear and any other body part. However, there seems to be some sort of latent masochism or predisposition to self-mutilation when it comes to lancing some of the most sensitive areas of the human body.
It has become common practice to pierce the tongue, lips, nipples and even the penis or clitoris and labia. These are the absolute most sensitive areas of the entire human anatomy, with nerve clusters whose local density probably exceeds that of the human forebrain. To voluntarily interfere with, inhibit the signaling of and even intentionally mutilate these regions shows an indifference, disregard or possible disrespect for ones physiognomy.
It is difficult in the extreme not to attach deeper meaning to such aberrant activities. I call them aberrant because much of the information transmitted by these given regions has to do with the most intense feelings of pleasure that can be experienced by the human mind. That during periods of heightened arousal, sensations of pain and pleasure easily become confused, in no way mitigates the fact that piercing of these areas fundamentally inhibits their neural functionality.
It belabors the obvious to emphasize the way that many people with multiple piercings do so in an attempt to flaunt conventional appearance and possibly even seek to appall or evoke revulsion in people less disposed to such behavior. Let us disregard this notion for the moment. There still remains a strong suggestion of masochistic inclination in people who have pierced especially sensitive areas like the tongue, nipples or genitals. To actively seek alteration in the function of these vital sensory regions betrays a not-so-subtle rejection of the human condition.
To interfere with or voluntarily reduce the amount of perceivable pleasure that can be obtained from ones body in many respects represents a serious psychological pathology. This relates, at least in some extent, to the recent upsurge of cutting; The practice of voluntarily lacerating ones skin in order to obtain sensation, typically during phases of intense emotional depression. Similar in aspect to how people will pull out their hair or claw at their own faces during episodes of intense grief, the practice of cutting does not require such emotionally overwhelming triggers as the death of a loved one.
In summary, piercing of extremely sensitive areas strongly connotes high-risk behavior without a significant chance of commensurate reward, save that of peer recognition or approval. This sort of nihilistic conduct points towards individuals who actively seek to delimit the scope of personal experience with the sole benefit of antagonizing both their own bodies and conventional society. That people voluntarily undergo these physical alterations knowing that they can have extremely negative outcomes, like in the article above, or other side effects like permanent neural damage or disfigurement betokens a strong susceptibility to negative body image or even self-hatred.
Perhaps others here have more insight or professional experience related to this topic. Id be curious to hear how accurate my own observations are pertaining to this highly dubious practice.
#7
Sweet merciful crap! That was one hell of an interseting profoundly disturbing article, A5089!
For sheer bogglometric amplitude, this little snippet takes the cake:
Oh, you haven't heard about "bug-chasing"? Rolling Stone did a big expose on this new underground movement last February. Very simply, "bug-chasers" are people for whom getting infected with the AIDS virus is the ultimate sexual experience. You heard it right: The main focus of their lives is to actively seek out sexual encounters that will infect them with HIV.
It is almost difficult to believe that modern culture has become so death oriented. I'm happy to report that I have always rejected the recent obsession with symbols and rituals of death (e.g., skulls, slasher pics, devil worship, etc.). None of it has the least appeal to me. This "bug chasing" simply defies all reason and illustrates the ultimate impact of moral ennui upon the uncreative mind.
You are right, in that the author indulges in some significant moralizing. While bits of it are not to my taste, I feel that Kupelian still makes several very important points. The following one highlights just how perilous exposure to the mindless ravening beast of popular culture can be for young children. It also goes a long way towards explaining why parents no longer have the luxury of moral flaccidity.
Your being any way other than genuinely virtuous not perfect, mind you, but honestly and diligently seeking do the right thing at all times will drive your children crazy. Here's how the craziness unfolds: Children deserve and desperately need firmness, patience, fairness, limits, kindness, insight and a good, non-hypocritical example. In other words, they need genuine parental love and guidance. If they dont get this, they will resent you. Even if you can't see it, even if they can't see it and deny it, they will resent you for failing to give them real love.
Thank you so much for linking this article, A5089. It confirms nearly everything I wrote in my original post, which was entirely off the cuff after a mug or two of tea this morning. I really appreciate you taking my musings seriously enough to provide some confirmation of them. Likewise you as well, Mike. Evidently, I am on to something.
BEAUMONT, Calif. -- As flames roared through the canyons of Southern California, authorities increased the reward to $500,000 Friday for the arrest of the arsonist responsible for the deaths of four firefighters in the nation's worst such tragedy in five years.
A fifth firefighter lay in grave condition with burns over 90 percent of his body.
Firefighters labored through thick smoke as curtains of wind-whipped orange flame pushed through uninhabited brushland about 90 miles east of Los Angeles. The blaze that broke out Thursday destroyed about 10 structures, including homes, forced 700 people to flee, and flushed coyotes and other wildlife into the open.
Continued on Page 49
#2
a half mil might make friends turn in friends. When they get the right guy(s) - burn em alive. F*CKERS. I don't want to hear a scumbag defense atty tell me how the kid was beaten or humiliated as a child. Burn em
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/28/2006 17:58 Comments ||
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#3
My client was tortured with cigarette lighters and matches as a teen. He was also forced to inhale second-hand smoke.
They're purdy skeery! Like programming a VCR TiVo!
City officials and Hispanic community leaders objected Thursday to the federal government's plans to put monitors at city polling places on Election Day, saying those efforts could discourage people from voting. "It's like video poker. I always lose my shoit. Dat's pretty damn discouragin'."
The Department of Justice this month asked a federal judge to authorize appointment of monitors beginning with the upcoming Nov. 7 election and ending in 2009. The government accused the city of failing to provide sufficient election materials in Spanish and not recruiting enough bilingual poll workers. "Hey, if we do dis right, how can we holler 'bout it bein' stolen?"
But City Solicitor Romulo L. Diaz Jr. said at a news conference Thursday that the federal government could not guarantee him that federal monitors wouldn't follow voters into polling booths. It would be better to appoint local monitors, he said. "Youse guys don' unnerstan' how tings woik 'roun' here."
The Justice Department said Thursday that monitors would not enter the booths without voter permission. "Voting is private. We follow the law."
"Heh, Feds is losers."
"No federal observers would ever enter a voting booth unless specifically requested by and with the expressed permission of a voter, and to suggest otherwise is just untrue," spokeswoman Cynthia Magnuson told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Still, local attorney Luis P. Diaz, who also attended Thursday's news conference with other community leaders, said that "we're very, very concerned about having Big Brother taking care of us." "Just take a powder or sumpin', We got dis covered."
The federal lawsuit contends the city violated the federal Voting Rights Act by allowing only poll workers some of whom did not speak Spanish to help Hispanic voters cast ballots. The law permits voters who require assistance to request help from someone they know. "Fuhgeddaboudit. We knows what dey want, whassamatta wid yew?"
Diaz, the city solicitor, said Philadelphia has been helping to accommodate non-English speakers at the polls for more than three decades. The city plans to recruit about 200 translators to help at the more than 150 polling places expected to need translation services this year, he said. It's like wonna dem tradishuns, y'know?
About 10 percent of Philadelphia's 1.4 million residents are Hispanic, according to 2004 Census figures cited in the suit. But the government estimates that about 36 percent of voting-age Hispanics in the city have limited English skills. We like it dat way.
#1
City officials and Hispanic community leaders objected Thursday to the federal government's plans to put monitors at city polling places on Election Day, saying those efforts could discourage people from voting.
My, what a hundred years does. Back then, white Democratic politicians objected to federal troops posted at southern polling places, there to insure the rights of blacks to vote. So, in the muck the Hayes/Tilden election, the Democrats got the Posse Comitatus Act under the guise of protecting civil liberties, but in fact to insure that blacks would lose their right to vote, and just about every other right, in the south for a hundred years. In the end, its not about rights, not about equality, not about fairness. Its about power.
#3
PC only applies if its used by someone you don't like or support. If a Democrat were to use Federal troops to impose law, the neo-socialist liberals would cheer. You know the standard 'for me but not for thee' principle.
Election supervisors in disgraced former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley's Florida congressional district can post signs telling voters that ballots cast for Foley will count for his Republican replacement candidate, an appeals court ruled on Friday. But the signs must also include information about the Democratic and independent candidates in the race, the First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee ruled.
The Republicans' replacement nominee, Joe Negron, asked election supervisors to post signs at the polls telling voters that ballots cast for the disgraced Foley will actually go to Negron. Democrats sued.
Foley, a six-term Republican congressman, resigned his office and checked into an alcohol rehab center on September 29 amid public scandal over lewd electronic messages he sent to teenage male congressional aides. It was too late to take Foley's name off the ballot for the November 7 election, which will determine whether the Democrats wrest control of Congress from the Republicans.
The Republicans' replacement nominee, Joe Negron, asked election supervisors to post signs at the polls telling voters that ballots cast for the disgraced Foley will actually go to Negron. Democrats sued, contending such signs would amount to partisan political ads, which are prohibited within 100 feet of a polling place. A state court agreed and banned the signs.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/28/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Negron's campaign slogan, which reminds people how to vote for him, is:
The Lahore High Court has quashed a Hudood case registered against a newly wed couple and allowed them to move to the place of their choice. The court observed that once the girl had denied the allegations of abduction, there was no reason to continue court proceedings against the couple. Muhammad Bashir of Sargodha registered a case against Yasin, alleging that he had kidnapped his daughter Nusrat. Yasin moved a writ petition seeking cancellation of the FIR on the grounds that he had not kidnapped the girl, but married her of her free will. The girl recorded her statement, saying no one had kidnapped her and she married Yasin by choice.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/28/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
This is going to make for a tense Thanksgiving dinner.
Emirates Airline signed a contract for 10 Boeing 747-8Fs, and announced purchase rights for a further 10 747-8Fs. The combined value of these 20 aircraft is worth an estimated US$5.6 billion at list prices. The contract for the 10 Boeing 747-8Fs formalises the airlines order, announced at the Farnborough Air Show earlier this year.
The contract was signed in Dubai by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, and Ken Schultz, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Sales Director.
Sheikh Ahmed said, Our order for the 747-8Fs will be essential in helping us service our rapidly growing network of 28 freighter destinations which include exclusive freighter services in Bangalore, Lilongwe, Gothenburg, Amsterdam, and Taipei. Our cargo operations currently also serve Emirates 85 destinations as belly-hold space in our scheduled passenger services.
The 747-8Fs will effectively meet Emirates SkyCargos increasing requirement for additional capacity and operational flexibility.
The firm order of 10 aircraft is valued at approximately $2.8 billion at list prices and is scheduled for first delivery in 2010.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The Lahore High Court has quashed a Hudood case registered against a newly wed couple and allowed them to move to the place of their choice. The court observed that once the girl had denied the allegations of abduction, there was no reason to continue court proceedings against the couple. Muhammad Bashir of Sargodha registered a case against Yasin, alleging that he had kidnapped his daughter Nusrat. Yasin moved a writ petition seeking cancellation of the FIR on the grounds that he had not kidnapped the girl, but married her of her free will. The girl recorded her statement, saying no one had kidnapped her and she married Yasin by choice.
