MEN’S MENTAL BOXES AND WOMEN’S MULTIVERSE

There has always been a dialogue about the difference between men and women (Women are from Venus, men are from Mars – or Uranus if you prefer.)  

   

The politically correct answer is that there is no difference in boys and girls.   Only that boys and girls are nurtured differently.   

But anybody who has ever worked with kindergarten children knows that is bullshit.   For the most part, men’s and women’s brains are wired differently from the very beginning.

  

Men compartmentalize their brains – we are good at doing one thing at a time.   Women tend to multitask.

 

My wife will tell me to carry the garbage out, and she will add ‘while you are at it, take out the recyclable bottles and put a new trash bag in the garbage can.'     (I have to be told each step because I can’t see the connections.)

  

I will say ‘OK.’  And then I will take out the garbage, then I will come back in and take out the recyclable bottles, then I will come back in and put a new bag in the garbage can. 

This drives her nutz.   Why don’t I just juggle it all at once like she said and save the trips – and while I am at it clean out the mud room?

  

Because I am not wired that way.

Our bathroom is directly off our living room.     She will begin vacuuming in the living room and then stop and clean out the sink in the bathroom, clean the toilet, replace the toilet paper, refold the towels – then continue vacuuming, but stop and dust the bookshelves and the TV… and two hours later she is frustrated because she still hasn't finished vacuuming.   She cannot do one thing at a time because her brain constantly multitask – that is the way she is wired.

 

Now if I am vacuuming and the sink is dirty; that sink is going to stay dirty until I finish vacuuming and then I will clean it – if I remember it.

Anyone that is married knows there are many differences in men and women:

that is why women can relate to other women… and men can relate to men – but men and women can’t relate – only understand. 

The Ol’Buzzard

Legacy of the Supreme Court

BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID

Now that I have got your attention...

We often hear about a president’s legacy.   In reality, a president’s legacy may only last to the end of his or her term.   The next president, along with a supporting legislature has the ability to overturn and undo much of his predecessor’s accomplishments.   The only real and lasting legacy a president can leave (or in some cases inflict) is his or her choice of an appointment to the Supreme Court.

The basic purpose of the Supreme Court as designed by the founding fathers was to guard our basic human rights and to act as an arbiter against rash legislation.

However, the idea of impartial judges interpreting the law flies in the face of real politics.   At present, and not for the first time, our Court is divided by strict political party agendas.   Thanks to the appointments of George W. our court is leaning decisively conservative, and conservative courts tend to champion conservative legislation.

Franklin D. Roosevelt constantly fought a conservative court in the 1930’s.   That Court , under Chief Justice Charles Hughes, moved to invalidate much of Roosevelt’s National Recovery Act.   Their opposition included the right to form unions, the right of collective bargaining, minimum wage, child labor laws and social security.   One of the early court’s claims was that the National Recovery Act was an attempt to redistribute the wealth from one class to another. Does that sound familiar?

Soon our conservative leaning Court is scheduled to hear arguments against Obama’s Comprehensive Health Care Reform.   Conservative Republicans are claiming the Individual Mandate, requiring the purchase health insurance or payment of a fine, is unconstitutional.   Now one of the most important legislations in history will stand or fall by a decision from this divided assembly.

The question before the Court is whether Congress exceeded its authority, or whether the Mandate is legal, through the right of Congress to control interstate commerce.   The Obama administration justifies its Mandate on the findings in Wickard v. Filburn (1942.)   In this case the court upheld a penalty on a farmer that was paid, by the government, to limit his wheat crop production, but grew extra wheat for his on personal use.   The court found that if all farmers receiving subsidy grew extra crops for their own use it would affect the economy of interstate commerce.

If the Court overturns the Health Care Mandate it will bring into question literally hundreds of New Deal cases based on the authority to regulate commerce.   It would seem the common sense finding would be to uphold the Mandate; however, in a court with strong ideological leanings the Justices may very well vote their personal political prejudices.

This brings me to the conclusion of this post: The next elected president will most likely appoint one or perhaps two new Supreme Court Judges.   If a Republican is elected President it is likely that our Supreme Court will be skewed to the far right as represented by the current Republican Party.   We stand to see our country move backwards sixty years, to a time of corporate power and limited personal freedom. Ultimately we will see the undoing of Roe v. Wade and Gay rights; a supression of freedom of speech, a move to control the internet, a laxing of integration reforms, a crackdown on immigration; and a move toward a religious theocracy.

So be afraid, be very afraid: and get out and vote.

the Ol’Buzzard

THE BETTER NATURE OF MANKIND IS WOMANKIND.

WOMEN THE ENIGMA






Perhaps this is unfair to describe women from the point of view of a man, but that is what this writing is all about – my point of view.

To begin at the beginning we have to begin with women, for that’s where we came from. People, who try to look at our species as somehow separate from the rest of the animal kingdoms on this earth, have not really taken into account women. Women are the quintessential creatures of nature. Their lives are controlled by the rise and fall of the tides, the phases of the moon, and other mysterious physiological functions that we men will never understand.



Young women are a ball of fluctuating emotions and can go from elation to depression in a fraction of a moment, leaving men totally confused.



Let’s back up and look at it from the very basics. Males are the fertilizers, women are the life givers. In some species males extend their roll to protectors, and in some few cases even providers (though this is not necessarily a natural state for the male animal.)



Women are born with this need to procreate. Little girls play house. They play dolls and mommies and daddies. Finally in their late teens this need to procreate connects with their female development and turns into sexual urges. They don’t realize a conscious need to procreate, but are receptive to sexual overtures. They spend the majority of their conscious time concerned about their hair, their clothing, their body and in general, their attractiveness. With pure animal instinct, the young female Homo Sapien exudes sexuality that can drive young males wild. To females, sex is a way to connect with a partner – an attempt to establish a relationship. To males it’s all about sex. Sex is fun, and the more different partners – the more fun. The only reason young women don’t have more sex partners, is that most young men behave stupidly in response to the female’s sexual aura.



The proof of sexuality as animal instinct is child bearing. What sensible person in their right mind would go through childbirth; have their insides and orifice stretched to the point of tearing, and then turn around and go through it again. I have often heard women remark that if men had to have the babies the human race would end – and they are right. But women, being such natural creatures, continue to respond unconsciously to their instinct for procreation and do it again (and again, and again, and again.)



Women and men are totally different in their aggressive tendencies. By nature, women are not aggressive (catty - yes, physical - no.) . Women prefer to get along with each other and are rarely physically threatening. Generally, if women play games together they aren’t competitive games and they aren’t obsessed with winning. They seem more content with just being apart of the group. Women who claim to enjoy football and other contact sports are usually following the sport to impress males. Women watch sports as observers, men watch sports as vicarious participants. Women do not get the same adrenaline rush when a big lineman takes out the quarterback. If by themselves, women aren’t likely to view racing all day Saturday, watch football all day Sunday (leaving the TV only during commercials for a piss, a beer and more potato chips) and then stay up late on Monday night in anticipation of Monday Night Football. Whereas men like movies with violent physical attributes (fighting, sex, killings, sex, stabbings, sex, chases involving cars and motorcycles and sex) women prefer less violent viewing involving emotional situations with the insinuation of sex.



Everyone must admit that sex is the driving force that brings men and women together. Which brings us to the fact that one of the most devastating and fearful realities that all women must face is rape. Rape is abhorrent. There can be no other act as humiliating and debilitating as rape. Women’s natural role in sex is submissive. Men do it and women receive it. Even in the marital bed men often physically restrain their wives at the height of male climax. It is the civilization of society that protects the female.

Man’s propensity for war and rape (which are akin) is deeply implanted in the male’s arcane animal instinct. It is only in the past few centuries that rape has been condemned as the spoils of war. It is easy to see that our basic male instincts are contrary to societal norms. The example is easy: porn debases women; men love to watch porn; men want their wives and daughters to be respected (though they would love their wives to be slutty in bed



The booming population increase and the ability of mass communication have forced civilized socialization on the human male and have allowed women an equal voice in many societies. But, rape is still ignored in many third world countries; and, in some theocracies women are blamed and punished for being the victim of rape.



With the complete liberation of women, and women as a powerful voice in the community and home, we can reach a society where sexual violence against women is not acceptable and not tolerated. We are not there yet. We still have families in this country where women are abused by their husbands, and male children grow up allowing the more primitive instincts of their nature to control their actions.



This brings us to women in the work place. I’m not going to touch this one. Sorry girls, but in a combat situation I would prefer a man guarding my back than a woman.

A woman is not the same woman throughout her life. After menopause, women come into their prime. As older men become set in their ways and doddering, older women become the matriarch: the strength and stability of the race. Mature women see things in a humanitarian light that men are never quite able to achieve. Older women become nurturers and seem to have the ability to live life more fully than older men. Old men live in the past while older women live in the present. I think it is an obvious observation that men peak out at middle-age, but women continue to grow in confidence, ability and poise throughout the last half of their lives.



Our world would be a much more peaceful and humane place if older women were in charge.



There are women in the arts, women in the homes and women in the work places that have made valuable contributions and enrichments to human existence; and I love and respect my wife who is an intelligent and capable woman; but, I’m a male animal, and natures rolls for male and female animals are imprinted differently – these rolls run parallel but do not merge. I can only view and try to understand women through my male filters.



My observations of women have dealt mainly with sex and this is because most of my life I have viewed women mainly as sex objects. The fact that I haven’t viewed women with more depth of character is my short coming and my inability as a male, to understand the female animal.

STRONG WOMEN
Kindergarten teachers in a Yup'ik Eskimo village in southwest Alaska. 
My wife front/right

IT'S A MAN THING.

MALE GENDER

The physical differences between males and females are obvious. The psychological differences, however, are not so obvious, but are astounding. It is absolutely impossible to compare men and women using the same scale. It is also impossible for men to understand women, and I am sure the opposite must also apply.

It’s a mistake to try and describe the differences between sexes (men are from Mars women are from Venus) by looking for some intellectual explanation. This might work if we were totally rational creatures like Spock on Star Trek – but we are not. We are searching too high, pretending we are something we are not. We find it easy to ignore the fact that we are just animals. We walk upright; we have developed a language; we clothe our bodies; and, because of our opposed thumbs, are able to control our environments. But, we are still animals - and male and female animals each have specific functions in the Animal Kingdom.

Maybe that’s to simplistic. What intellect we do possess constantly classes with our instincts. We try to understand our feelings, and justify our actions, while trying to discern the feelings and actions of others. Men are able to understand the actions of other men, because we have similar instincts and feelings, but for a man to actually understand the actions of a woman is impossible. We do not have the same emotional make-up nor share the same instincts. To make things even more impossible, the current politically correct trend is to consider all gender as unisex and deny two hundred and fifty million years of animal development.

So what do we know about men and women? I can tell you about men. I’m an authority on men. I am one.

I can also give you my impression of women, but it must be all conjecture. I can only describe what I see and have experienced after filtering it through my male point of view. ( See next week's Blog.)



MEN



Most men are rational animals. We see things with an analytic view. Math, geometry and science are our best subjects in school. We look at a wobbly chair and know that the screws need to be tightened. If our car make an unknown noise it sends us searching for a cause. We enjoy competitive games. We enjoy an element of danger. We like action movies. We are all capable of anger and killing. We are prone to respond violently to insults, wrongs and injuries. Physical intimidation and war is our natural response for settling differences. We are capable of extreme loyalty to friends and are willing to face death for a principle. We look at all moderately good looking women as sexual objects. We are less concerned with our looks and more concerned with our image. We can have sex without love, but love is synonymous with sex.

We all live in a world that men built: from the pyramids of Egypt to the Big Dig in Boston. Men constructed the cities and the roadways, built governments and fought for conquest. We tamed the oceans and the air and exploited the environment for our species. I’m not saying that what we have is good, and couldn’t have been improved with more female input, but mankind’s place on this earth has been determined by the actions of men.



I mentioned the male ego. Among males you are either a leader, or a follower, or a victim. In young males this position is generally defined by physical prowess. In adult life business success and money may replace physical prowess. However, neither business success, nor money nor physical ability necessarily confers leadership (the alpha male.) Being the alpha (you-th-man) is an attitude. It is total self-confidence and being comfortable with your manhood. The alpha looks at no one as his better and few as his equal. It is total ego. We’re back to animal behavior. The alpha male gets the pick of the females. Every man knows his positions: those that are alpha are confident; those that want-to-be are insecure; those that know they aren’t are followers; and the ostracized turn away from the heard and graze until picked off by the want-to-bes.



Being an alpha male is a great feeling, and regardless of her frustration a woman will never experience that feeling. Only the female with her cross-threaded reality could, at the same time, desire and despise confident manhood.



Now, I know I had a fucked-up childhood. But in the south, young white males of the 1950’s (that is the only group I can speak for) were following a well-defined path to gender identity. You knew that as soon as you could get your driver’s license, fuck a female, drink straight whiskey without gagging, smoke a cigar, chew tobacco, and kill a deer you’d be a man. As a man you could go out to deer camp with the rest of the men – a place where no women were allowed - a place where men were men. You could drink, spit and cuss. You could walk inside with muddy boots, smoke a cigar and dump the ashes on the floor; you could eat raw meat, fart and laugh about it, ogle the calendar of necked women on the wall and tell dirty jokes. With gun in hand and a hangover you would sit on your deer stand and feel like a man. Nietzsche said that men should be trained for war and women for the recreation of the warriors - and young boys who became men in my generation in the south felt like warriors. There was no gender confusion. The male was the alpha animal of the gender and the female was for his recreation.



Women have always been attracted by alpha male behavior. But true to their unfathomable mental processes, once married, women systematically go about neutering their man. “Take your shoes off on the new carpet, smoke outside, you drink too much, don’t drive so fast, not tonight – you’ve already had it once this week.” It is an insidious process that turns the husband into some milk toast that his wife would not have liked when she was single. It really is the fault of the man however, for we’ll do anything for peace and a piece. Like Nietzsche, the ideal situation might be for men to live together in hunting camps and ride their motorcycle down the road to the whorehouse whenever they need feminine companionship



However, in the politically correct United States of today we are encouraged to view males and females as a unisex, genderless soup. Many young males growing up today have no sense of identity. A young male will have female teachers, work under a woman at McDonalds, have a female sergeant when he joins the military, and find female authority figures everywhere he goes. If he ever dares assert his masculinity he will be reminded of his despicable nature and his obligation to always be submissive and genderless. This social more is in total contradiction with the nature of male animal instinct.



I think that the Possum Pledge at the Possum Lodge on the Red Green Show speaks for the politically correct attitude toward manhood: “I am a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess.”



Now, this may sound like I resent women. That is the farthest thing from the truth. I idolize women. They are the most beautiful, desirable, fascinating creatures on the face of the earth. They are so naturally different from men in every way they become our obsession. I was raised to admire women, respect women, protect women and I adore my wife; but, somehow competing against women, to me, seems like an unnatural state.

I am a man, and I make no apologies for it.