A puzzle by Fremdfirma

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

Were you in drag, by any chance?

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 3:06 PM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

I'm not sure if we're even, I had yoghurt come out of my nose.

***************************************************************

Silence is consent.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 3:36 PM

Sorry about the yogurt, Rue, but I asked for a very specific reason. And I was serious.

(I know - hard to believe, right?) :)

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 3:51 PM

Damn your quick, Mikey.

A Burqa, actually - and he DIDN'T EVEN SEE ME.

Dressed in black, broad freakin daylight, moving towards him, and it was like I DIDN'T EVEN EXIST.

I didn't pull the strike, neither, wanted to leave no doubt whatever in his mind that he'd have been Dead Right There, had that been a Kris instead of a dummy, he *will* have a bruise.

It never, ever, not bloody once entered his consciousness that a man would even *think* of wearing such a thing, cause he still has some gender role and superiority issues he needs to work on, badly.

And now he's got a good damned reason why.

I also pointed out that it *could* have been a woman, an angry woman, and the result would have been much the same because the burqa never registered to him whatever as "person", but object, background, scenery, and continuing to regard women like that is one way to made damned sure that *actually* happens to his ass sooner or later, since this is america, and women don't take too well to being scorned around here.

Then slapped the rubber knife in his hand, and told him to keep it, and make sure he had it with him when he went to meditate on the Sin of Pride, before it kills his stubborn ass.

Like I said, he's got a lot to think about.

I am admittedly curious as hell to see what he does about it, since he hates the fanatics of his homeland with a passion bordering on religious fervor itself, and whether he's wise enough to conquer his prejudices.

Especially since about five minutes after he does imma get a "Holy Shiite" (pun oh so intended) phone call when the lightbulb comes on...

-Frem

PS - Goddamn them things are stifling, how the HELL do they wear em in the friggin desert, ugggh!
That in and of itself oughta be considered torture, it's just inhumane.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 3:59 PM

I dunno, I'm picturing a fuzzy weather beaten cyborg with a nice obvious scar or two, mid-height, stocky frame, and definite kill-your-ass musculature, and I'm really not seeing Frem pulling off a floral print.

A bhurka or traditional Imam robes, on the other hand...

EDIT: I meant cyborg in the nicest and whoa holy heck way possible.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 4:00 PM

Aha, burqa. Yay.

And now I know how to spell burqa.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 4:33 PM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

AH !

***************************************************************

Silence is consent.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 4:48 PM

Hey Frem, I happened to be reading something about the Detroit area a few months ago that I've been meaning to ask you about but kept forgetting. Thought this might be as good a place as any to ask... If not, say so, I'll just remove this.

Detroit is your current hunting grounds, right? Do you know Oakman Boulevard and Woodrow Wilson Avenue? In the literature I was reading, where it said "city beautification," "clean-up," "park," and plans for "affordable housing," does that mean what I think it means?

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 5:00 PM

That's what I was counting on - the idea that he's so inculcated into his culture that he'd never even notice a woman, much less consider a woman any kind of threat to him. In certain cultures, women still can move in and out of a room without even being noticed.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 8:30 PM

Quote:
I'm really not seeing Frem pulling off a floral print.

Ummm

I collect hawaiian shirts, see - not classics or anything like that, just garden variety cheap ones, preferentially the ugliest, most HIDEOUS, heinous tragedies of fashion imagineable, just *because* they're so eye-searingly offensive that no one notices the weapon printing...

So mindbendingly horrific they just make peoples eyes cringe away, see ?

http://www.btdirect.com/store/en_US/images/closeup/ p87441c.jpg
(link spaced for your own safety, you were warned!)

And thus when I need to pack some iron on a blisteringly hot day, rare that it is in Michigan (contrary to my nieces opinion, we're NOT six miles south of the north pole, nor are we populated extensively by vikings with longboats...) I can do it without raising a fuss - although in michigan you're more likely to get someone laughing at my puny little popgun than screaming "omg he's got a gun" and getting all weak in the knees about it.

You're close, though, just kinda lean and mean instead of stocky, and now picture that with a horrific hawaiian shirt and safari shorts, mirror sunglasses, with the Borgomatic in all it's techno glory on the right side - and a reeking cheap cigar.

Seriously, people cross the STREET to get further away.
(which is what I want, innit ?)
Really though, it's all about social camoflauge, done right you can be a nerve rending annoyance, bringer of fear, or just plain flat out invisible - do people really even "SEE" one more mechanic at an auto shop, one more stock clerk in a store, one more uniform in the middle of dozens, anywhere ?
Or is it all just background noise to them ?

Heavy and stifling that it is however, you could hide any damned thing up to a freakin rocket launcher under one of them burqas and no one would even notice if it DID bulge here and there cause you're all but invisible to people culturally conditioned to not see you, not even LOOK at you...

And when yon imam starts to mentally chew on that one for a while, he is going to shit a cinderblock, and I think y'all might know WHY.

Quote:
Detroit is your current hunting grounds, right? Do you know Oakman Boulevard and Woodrow Wilson Avenue? In the literature I was reading, where it said "city beautification," "clean-up," "park," and plans for "affordable housing," does that mean what I think it means?

That it's a freakin disaster and no one is admitting it ?
That behind the pretty shiny lights of the rapacious casinos who'll toss you out for even daring to win at nickel slots, Detroit looks a lot like Beirut AFTER they bombed it ?

Here, this'll give you an idea, it's someones documentary work in progress, and pretty freakin impressive - carries the concept better than I can, anyways.
http://www.doobybrain.com/2009/01/30/documentary-about-the-decay-of-de
troit/
(Seriously, WATCH this, at least say 8-10 minutes of it.)

ETA: That's not an added sound effect for atmosphere, that ghostly howl is the sound of the wind around here, which is pretty constant any time but high summer, and goes up and down in pitch depending on how hard it's blowing - my niece found it the most memorable thing, other than the cold, of her xmas visit up here, and I guess a lotta folk find it pretty eerie, especially in the really desolated areas.

ETA2: The old hippie dude who does most of the talking is kind of an example, most of the farmers around here are a lot like that, good solid folk, decent and humane...
But threatening them is a bad, bad idea, and tends to wind up their friends a bit, which include people like me.

This piece here is telling, Mister Martin is exaggerating, but not by very bloody much.
http://www.almartinraw.com/public/column417.html

We consider the PMCs to be "The Enemy" and while it might be more profitable, we don't do gated communities - we do real neighborhoods, what's left of em, not just on moral grounds but on job security and safety issues, besides which any lazy git can sit in a little kiosk all night and pretend they're actually accomplishing something other than providing a bit of theatre - as if skells ain't gonna jump the back fence while you're half asleep in your damn comfy little chair ?

Eff that, you work for me, you WALK the friggin routes, pay your debts in shoe leather, you betcha - avoids gettin fat and lazy, gives situational awareness, and allows writing off those boots on your taxes, cause you'll wear out a pair every 2-3 months.

But yes, it is turning into armed camps, pockets of humanity in a wasteland, and I have taken up defending these folk from both skells and predatory "protectors" like the local so-called police - all the while hoping against hope and working my ass off trying to turn it around before it goes where I've known for twenty some years it's gonna.

But we're ready for that, too - choose LIFE, even when it's ugly.

-Frem

There always has to be a price.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 11:16 AM

LITTLEBIRD

Speaking of carrying weapons hidden behind colorful Hawaiian shirts, I was wondering if there is a thread here dealing with guns vs. no guns? From a personal, not legal or starting a revolution viewpoint. I understand needing them for ones job.

I have never felt the need or had the desire to own one, but now I am starting to wonder with the direction the country seems to be going in.

I think I was the one hold out on the gun issue when I was hanging out with the libertarians. Being a little crazy and all I never thought it was a good idea for me personally. That, plus being of the whole peace and love mind set.

And I realize being a hippie and an (ex) libertarian seems a bit strange. I don't know how to explain it. I like self sufficiency, less gov, but have major disagreements with the other party that shall not be named.

The one time I came under personal attack I went berserker and had the dude running out of my apt. screaming and crying. I was pissed. But he only had a knife.

If there is already a thread dealing with this I would appreciate a redirect. thanks.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 12:21 PM

LittleBird, there've been many, MANY discussions dealing with guns-vs-no-guns. And we're all over the map on the issue.

I'm about as lefty-liberal-looney as anyone here, but I loves me some guns. I enjoy target shooting, never hunted, don't plan on killing anyone, but love the machinery aspects of it. I appreciate a fine sniper rifle the way some people appreciate a vintage Ferrari (I like those, too, but rifles tend to be quite a bit cheaper, as well as easier to maintain. :P )

So I'm that rarest of all political creatures: The well-armed Democrat. :)

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 1:02 PM

Quote:
You're close, though, just kinda lean and mean instead of stocky,

It was one or the other based on what I know. I was going to go with lean initially because you mentioned malnutrition when you were young, and because I can't think of ANY revolutionary type anarchist figures who aren't really, really lean. But then I thought maybe you might have bulked up as you got older, so... yeah.

Anyway, now I'm going to forever think of you as Wash, only with a dark streak and part werewolf.

Interesting... Yes, that's what I thought. And what's even more sad is that this is being touted as a success story to the United States government. Who isn't going to look deeper or care that it's all actually going to hell. Some pencil pusher in Detroit is just making up projects to pretend things are better than they are and to get more funding because it looks good on paper.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 1:10 PM

I feel the same way, LittleBird, I've never really had the automatic fear response that The Authority has tried to instill in everyone when they see a gun, and so I've never really been impressed into feeling like I want/need one myself.

Generally I figure that when someone triggers my crazy side, that gun isn't going to do them a whole lot of good. If they shoot me, it just pisses me off more.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 3:41 PM

Well, the light armor adds a bit, not to mention the merest hint of a spare tire as the big four-O approaches, but generally a puny little whelp, imposing only on force of personality.
(Edna Mode from The Incredibles is a good comparison)

As for guns, many, many discussions...oh yes.
To me, it's just a tool, no more scary than a jigsaw or power drill, both of which are equally dangerous if you have no clue what you're doing with one.

Ironically, I don't carry it on the job, there's just about nowhere in site three you'd have a clear line of fire without endangering someone, and there's no real threat to merit bothering.

If one is interested, I can make suggestions, but as a general rule to me it's just a tool, no more to get all upset about than a spare tire, fire extinguisher or smoke alarm, things you'd prefer to never need, but should the situation arise, come in pretty damned handy.

"it's just an object, doesn't mean what you think."
-River Tam

-F

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, January 28, 2010 12:31 AM

LITTLEBIRD

Kwicko ... "The well-armed democrat" :)

Byte ... Agreed. So far. Still thinking about it.

Frem ... "It's just a tool." I suppose I could pick one up and examine it from that perspective and see how it made me feel.

When River said, "it's just an object, doesn't mean what you think", while at the same time seeing in her minds eye the stick instead of the gun, my first thought was past 'programming' coming up that was originally meant to desensitize her to what she was really doing. But I could be wrong.

Wish I could just have a phaser set on stun.

Thank's for your thought's on this.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, January 28, 2010 9:11 AM