finderofstuff

01:39 am: Writer's Block: Comic Instinct


Might as well do one of these, since I know the answer. Yes they do. I've seen dogs and cats both play pranks, and I wouldn't be surprised if other animals do too.
Sissi, for example, loved to turn on the tap in our old apartment and would wait to see how long it would take me to hear. She'd also grab my leg from hiding to make me jump... that to me is a sense of humour if it's anything.
Of course, Sissi is also completely insane, but that's another story.

Tags: writer's block

09:20 pm: Just a reminder
I am not now, nor have I ever, been involved in the smuggling of lemurs.

That is all.

07:13 pm: Just a little bit excited. Really. I'm not completely worked up at all.
Neil Gaiman was signing books in Paris this afternoon, and not only was I able to get my copy of American Gods signed, but he was taking the time to chat with each and every fan for a moment!
So I was not only able to meet my favourite living author, but he signed my copy of my favourite of his books, shook my hand and took the time to talk to me!

I'm so far resisting the urge to run laps around the apartment.

06:31 pm: A request
With the recent passage of the hate crimes bill in the United States and several states moving towards marriage equality, there is likely to be a large number of chain e-mails chock full of lies waiting to be made fun of. If you get one, please make sure you send it to me before you delete it.

Tags: dangerous modern wisdom, spot the spin

12:41 pm: Update on my condition (good news)
I'm sort of out of the hospital now, I have to go back twice a day for treatment until Monday, but am otherwise doing much better.

From the sounds of it, because I responded so well to the corticoid treatments I won't need to move on the other, more extreme, methods. I'll be relying mostly on endocrine treatments paired with the occasional use of corticoids, which I can certainly live with.

Thank you everyone for the well wishes!

01:55 pm: Going to be away for a couple of days
As some/all/a couple of you might know, Monday I ended up having to be checked into the Dermatology department of Cochin Hospital here in Paris.

To make a long story short, since I am just on an afternoon's leave, over the course of three days my psoriasis, which had been receding for months suddenly, and rather painfully, expanded to cover nearly 80% of my skin, and my feet, calves and at times elbows did their balloon impressions. Alice and I walked to the nearest hospital, thinking it was some sort of allergic reaction, because my psoriasis had never done that before.

I was taken to Cochin as soon as possible, because the one I was in wasn't equipped to deal with the problem. As of today (Wednesday) I'll likely be there for at least two more days if not longer.

A lot of progress has been made, as evidenced by the fact that it was safe for me to come home and I didn't end up in mind-numbing pain from it. The hospital food for the most part isn't too scary, I'm happy to say, although there is a definite lack of tea (only served at breakfast). I'm taking a couple of snacks and some tea bags to get me through.

So not much else to tell. The problem is being taken care of, and hopefully I'll be out before the weekend. Feel free to leave well-wishes here, on Facebook, or to send them by e-mail.

11:55 am: A followup to "A Declaration"
Alice looked up the word "sexualism", which is seems is an accepted term that means the same thing I wanted to express with "orientationism", only much shorter and easier on the tongue.

So, true to my word, I will be using that term in acknowledgement that it's better suited to the task.



The original post, for those who missed it: http://finderofstuff.livejournal.com/17773.html

Tags: dangerous modern wisdom

09:11 am: Annoyed at Hollywood
I wanted to like Watchmen... I really did.

I suppose one of these days I'll remember that just because someone has shown to the world that something can be done right and be successful it won't always follow that people pay attention. So it was with Watchmen.


I had my first "oh, that's not good" moment during the opening credits, a sad state of affairs because the concept for the credits was a solid one.

What followed was a torrent of violence, and far too much of it. I do not object to violence in a drama, at least if the violence advances the plot somehow, or develops the character. What Watchmen did was precisely the opposite. Nearly every costumed hero is shown as willing and able to kill, a complete undermining of the way the characters are developed in the comic. The rogue costume is willing to kill because he will "never compromise", the simple showcase of his extremist black and white mentality. One of the sanctioned costumes enjoys killing, a trait used by the government of the alternate United States. The others may use violence, but do not intentionally kill.

The movie Watchmen made the most significant mistake that was possible in adapting a comic to the screen. They forgot that comics have their own internal laws and consistencies. Costumed crime-fighters like Batman and Superman don't kill because they don't have to. The internal laws of the comic dictate that villains can be taken alive, and in such a world a "hero" willing to kill is committing an act that is monstrously unnecessary. The Watchmen comic makes sense because it takes place in a world of that type.

The movie instead operates under that laws of an action film. Life is cheap and easily taken. Fights are graphic and bloody, more often than not resulting in the death of one side or the other. In a world like this, a "hero" unwilling to kill is soft, even weak.

This change in the internal logic alters the significance of the characters who did kill. Their actions in the plot didn't change, and thus the significance of their brutality became subdued. In a story intended to be character driven like Watchmen, no greater mistake could be made that changing a defining trait of a major character.

There are further problems with the movie, but none I could talk about without giving spoilers. There are changes that made sense in the plot due to the limitations of putting such a complex story on screen, but there were too many changes that seemed utterly random.

My best description of the movie is to sum it up thusly: The movie would be the end result of taking all subtlety out of the graphic novel and replacing it with violence.


I'm glad I bought my ticket on sale.

Tags: movie review

06:08 am: A Declaration
I no longer accept as legitimate the general usage of the term “homophobia”.

For some time I have personally refused to use the term, finding the equation of bigotry with my acrophobia and demophobia distasteful. A recent conversation has spurred me to make public and elaborate on this choice, hopefully to inspire others to follow my lead.

I don't deny that there are legitimately homophobic people in existence, in fact I have known at least one. In this rare case I would not object to the use of the term. This is not the same a bigotry, though, as it is perfectly possible for a homophobe to fully support equality for all people, regardless of orientation. Few people would casually accept judeophobia as a substitute for anti-Semitism, or gynophobia as interchangeable with sexism. This seemed a basic enough reason to me to no longer use homophobia in that sense myself. However, the aforementioned conversation brought to my mind a more important issue surrounding the term, and the deeper reason for my declaration to no longer accept it.

Hidden within the common usage of “homophobia” is a deeper bigotry. Substituting “a fear of homosexuals or homosexuality” for bigotry makes a significant, and significantly wrong, presumption. It divides people into the categories of heterosexual and homosexual, and acknowledges only bigotry against the latter. By linguistic fiat, it downplays and dismisses bigotry against anyone outside that absolute binary distinction.

Sadly, one need not dig too deeply to find examples of prejudice directed at any sexual orientation. It's all too common to hear in debates on equal marriage that if same-sex couples are granted the right to marry plural marriages will need to be legalized for bisexuals. Casual denials of the existence of asexuals is similarly easy to find. In fact, as I'm typing this into my word processor, the automatic spell check is denying that the word asexual is a noun as well as an adjective.

Unless a more acceptable term than “homophobia” enters common usage, I will be using my own personal term of orientationism. I will explain why it is important that I do so, just as I am here. I will insist that the entire spectrum of sexual orientations does exist, and that every prejudice regarding those within it is important. I will refuse bigots the dignity of insisting their opinions amount to nothing more than fear.

I will ask others to join me in this.

Tags: dangerous modern wisdom

06:39 am: Writer's Block: Animal Instinct


I've never done one of these before, but I might as well give this one a shot. I'd have a hard time choosing mine, but in the end there is only one choice that I think would be the right one. I'd take a platypus. Any animal that is that bizarre in the real world would have to be just as much fun given supernatural sentience.

Tags: writer's block

01:19 am: Spot the Spin: War on Christmas Edition!
Courtesy of chibirubygurl (one of these days I'll learn how to do those fancy links), I have another chain e-mail to play with!

Without further ado, let the fun begin!

>Stand up for Christmas....
>*Twas the month before Christmas*
>*When all through our land,*
>*Not a Christian was praying*
>*Nor taking a stand.*

Yes, I know what you mean, you can hardly turn on the tv without hearing some pundit talking about how Christians should just accept that other holidays exist and all traditions should be treated equally, like that noted egalitarian Bill O'Reilly and his ilk.

>*'Cause the PC Police had taken away*
>*And the reason for Christmas - no one could say.*
>*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*
>*About Shepherds, and Wise Men, and Angels and things.*

It's true, I can remember the last time I was in North America... the police had boarded up all the churches, and last year around this time there were all the posters going up around town saying that the decoration of houses would result in confiscation of property and arrest.
Don't even get me started on the secret police going into everyone's homes to make sure that children are only being told about their religion and culture in the schools!

>*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say,*
>* December 25th is just a 'Holiday '.*

Ugh, nothing gets me so upset as all those non-Christians wanting to be treated as valid people with valid beliefs. How ridiculous of them to have such silly thoughts.

>*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*
>*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*
>*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*
>*Something was changing, something quite odd! *

Preach it! Why... wait... are you telling me "Like a Virgin" isn't a Christmas Carol? On no! I have to warn the kids, they went carolling!

>*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*
>*In hopes of selling books by Franken or Fonda.*
>*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*
>* At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.*

It's like a game of Hide and Seek! Let me look for it... where could it be... oh! There it is! It's on the decorations for sale! And it see it there on some of those cards, too! How sneaky of it to hide in with all those other words. Doesn't it know that too many words are confusing to some people? They might get all mixed up and start to think all those Muslims and black people deserve respect or something...

>*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*
>*You won't hear the word Christmas;
>it won't touch your ears.*
>*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*
>*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*

That's right! I deserve to be able to go about my life without having to remember that Muslims and Jews exist!

>*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*
>*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !*
>*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*
>*To eliminate Jesus, in every public matter.*

Yeah! Those people aren't true Christians! Why, John Kerry is a... *gasp*... he a CATHOLIC! How could someone like that be allowed in the Senate! Doesn't he know that it's for True Christians only?

>*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*
>* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*
>*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged or discarded*
>*The reason for the season, was stopped before it started.*

I know! Why, some of those silly historians with their "research" and "facts" are even saying that Christmas started out as a pagan holiday! How dare they try to steal away all the traditions that were stolen fair and square from other cultures! They belong to us now!

>*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*
>*Sipping your Starbucks, Listen to me.*

>*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*
>*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,not Happy Holiday !*

Testify! It's time to put all those other holiday tradtions in their place! If you can't join the majority, go back to your own country!

>Please, all Christians join together and wish everyone you meet during the holidays a MERRY >CHRISTMAS
>
>Christ is The Reason for the Christ-mas Season!

That's right! It's time to strike back! Go to your calendars and cross off all those other holidays!
Hanukah, you have to go! It doesn't matter that Jesus would have celebrated you, your time is done!
Kwanzaa! You should never have existed! Don't you know that we brought all those Africans over here as slaves to free them from non-Christian traditions! You're undoing all that good work! They should be thanking us, not making new traditions!
Ramadan! That's a holiday for the terrorists! They hate our freedom of religion, so we need to save it by taking away theirs!
Okay, are there any others... whew, it looks like the world is safe from all those scary unfamiliar things, now I'll never have to deal with people being different from me ever again...



*Disclaimer* Because this is the internet, and the internet is serious business, I feel the need to point out that I do not actually hold any of the bigoted view alluded to in my commentary, and I do not hate Christians.

Tags: dangerous modern wisdom, spot the spin

11:39 pm: News
Today Alice and I made a huge decision about the path our lives are going to take.

As soon as we can afford it, hopefully in the coming Spring, Alice and I will be moving back to Canada.

There are a lot of reasons for this, but the big underlying one is work. Alice wants to work as a translator, and that means having to study at least one other language and then get another degree on top of that first before she can do it here in France. For me to work, I'll need a degree myself. Until then we'd be stuck doing dead end jobs, and neither of us wants that. If we move to Canada, it will be a lot easier to find real work for both of us.

This move has been in the works for a long time, but today a joking conversation with an aquaintaince of Alice's in Vancouver brought it all out in the open. I think we both knew this would have to happen eventually, as much as both of us would like to stay here in France. BC has a lot to offer us too, though, and the climate there should be livable for Alice. She's been missing Canada anyways. Sometimes I think she misses it more than I do.

I think this is really for the best. I'll miss living in France, but Alice and I will be happy to live wherever we settle in British Columbia.

08:17 pm: This has me rather annoyed
I've just confirmed with Elections Canada that as an expatriot with no intention of returning to Canada I no longer have the right to vote. Needless to say I am not happy about this.

As the law stands, in order to vote I have to have lived outside of Canada for less than five years, and I must have the intention of returning to Canada to live at some point in the future. Because of Alice's asthma, returning wouldn't be an option for me.

There is also no minister in charge of voting rights, so there is no-one to go to directly with the hope of having this remedied. So, I have a favour to ask. If any of you find yourself face to face with a canidate, or if you're attending an all canidates debate, please take the time to ask about extending voting rights to expatriots.

09:35 pm: Good news everyone!
I may be slightly disappointed with anyone who doesn't hear the voice of Hubert Farnsworth when they read that. Anyways...

I have an interview for some volunteer work early next month! There's a family here in the 15th who are looking for someone to play with their autistic son, so Alice sent them my CV (resume, for those in North America). They called today, and are going to mail the information on the method of play therapy they're using so I can read it over before the interview and call them with any questions.
Needless to say I'm looking forward to this. I've been out of work far too long.

Oh, also, I've had e-mail back for over a week and forgot to mention it...

11:36 am: Heat, enemy of Ian
I do not do well in heat. This is something I have learned over the years. It makes me moody, prevents me from sleeping properly, and is generally unpleasant.
This year I'm experiencing, for the first time in my life, what heat is like away from the dry prairies.


Please keep this in mind if I seem to be in some sort of foul temper.

09:32 pm: A bit out of touch
The server that handles my e-mail seems to be down, so I've been a bit out of touch for the last couple of days. So if anyone has sent me any mail, it's probably best to let me know what it was here. I have no idea when I'll have full e-mail access again, I'll make another entry when I do.

Of course, this message getting to people on my e-mail list would depend on the people on my e-mail list actually reading this or otherwise acknowledging my existance, which... well, let's say that segment of the population isn't very high at the moment.

So, yeah, my regular e-mail is out of commission for now, let's just leave it at that.

04:50 pm: Yes, I'm a food geek. What of it?
I have found a way to get the first nine seasons of Good Eats. Is there anything better than little twenty minute parcels of recipes and food history?

I'll be distracted for some time to come.

06:37 pm: A thought about Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition
Alice was just looking for a price on a copy of D&D 3.5 in french, and found out they are out of print.
I suddenly realised what D&D 4th is. It's New Coke.

I'm sure some of you might remember the legendary New Coke disaster. If not, it can't be hard to find the story online. Now we just have to wait and see if history will repeat itself, with WotC releasing the 3.5 books as D&D Classic, or if they'll stick it out with the 4th edition out of pure stubborness.

10:55 am: Another round
After posting the last e-mail from my archive, I thought it might be fun to post yet another disection of a propaganda chain.
Remember, if you get any of these, please send them to me before you delete them. This could become a regular feature of my livejournal, and that would make me very happy.

Now, without further ado, here we go!

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

Subject: Re: FW: How many zeros in a billion?


Ooh! Ooh! It's time to play spot the spin! I love these type of
chain e-mails, they're so much fun to disect! (I'm actually not kidding
about that, I had a ball spotting lies and fascist imagery in the Red
Fridays e-mail.)

On Tue, 3 Jun 2008, [person who shall remain anonymous] wrote:

>
> thought you might find this interesting
>
>
> How many zeros in a billion?
>
> This is too true to be funny. The next time you hear a politician use the
> word 'b illion' in a casual manner, think about whether you want the
> 'politicians' spending YOUR tax money. A billion is a difficult number to
> comprehend,but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that
> figure into some perspective in one of its releases.


> A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
> B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
> C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
> D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two f eet.
> E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our
> government is spending it.

Okay, admittedly that was pretty interesting. So what does the writer
look at to target for all that money? The occupation of Iraq and
Afghanistan? Foreign military aid to assorted dicators? Corparate welfare?
What could it be? Oh, the suspense!

> While this thought is still fresh in our brain, let's take a look at New
> Orleans It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division
> Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D), is presently asking the Congress for
> $250 BILLION to rebuild New Orleans . Interesting number, what does it
> mean?

Of course, rebuilding New Orleans! We can't have money going to help
the darkies now, can we?

> A. Well, if you are one of 484,674 residents ofNew Orleans (every man,
> woman, child), you each get $516,528.< /SPAN>
> B. Or, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home
> gets $1,329,787.
> C. Or, if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012.
> Washington, D. C

And just how many families have you heard of that got million dollar
payouts? I remember hearing about homes for rich people build near a
football stadium in Alabama getting funding. I remember hearing about docks
being rebuilt using the money. I recall hearing about how quickly the
French Quarter was rebuilt, but then that's where the upper class whites
live, so that's okay, I guess. But poor families striking it rich just for
living in a city where the government forgot to build the dikes up to the
level their own disaster services recommended... haven't heard about that.

> < HELLO! > Are all your calculators broken??

[Long list of assorted taxes snipped]

I just love how some of the ideas like School Taxes, Unemployment
Taxes, and Worker's Comp are shoved in there as unnessisary taxes, as if
making sure kids get educated and someone who finds themselves out of work
due to layoffs or injury has help are bad ideas. And of course Corporate
Income Taxes and Luxury Taxes are evil, aren't they?

> STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Not one of these ta xes existed 100 years
> ago,and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely
> no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom
> stayed home to raise the kids. What happened? Can you spell 'politicians!'

Of course at the time Mom didn't have any option but to stay home and
raise the kids back then, and even if she didn't want to stay home barefoot
and pregnant it was her husband's priviledge under the law to force the
issue pretty much any way he wanted to.
But other than that it was a great time to be alive! Unless you were a
woman, black, gay, pretty much any racial minority, poor, trying to join a
union, old, jewish... but if you were a male WASP, oh what a time it was!

> And I still have to 'press 1' for English.

Spanish is the language of El Diablo, I guess.

> I hope this goes around the USA at least 100 times What the heck
> happened?????
>

Of course they aren't going to bring up all the benefits in an e-mail
like this of public health care, public education, government departments
like the Food and Drug Administration (You want safe food? How dare you!),
I could go on...

I love e-mails like this, it's like they're not even trying to be
subtle in their propaganda. The sad thing is people actually fall for
things like this and vote for someone who will claim to want to spend less
money in government, but just wants to spend less on things that will
actually help their average constituents.

That's all I can say for this one offhand, feel free to forward this
back to the person who forwarded the original to you! If we learn to stop
the spin, we can start to make a difference and raise the public discourse!

"Don't hate the media, become the media!" -Jello Biafra

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


If anyone wants to see it, I can copy and paste the long list of taxes I snipped from the e-mail, but needless to say it pretty much included all of them.

Tags: dangerous modern wisdom, spot the spin

07:26 pm: A favour for Kevin
My oldest brother Kevin just informed me that the mayor of Edmonton is holding a Red Friday this week.

A little over a year ago, I was sent one of the two "Red Friday" e-mails that have circulated Canada, which started my love of looking for the political propaganda in "grassroots" e-mail campaigns of the sort. Seriously, if anyone gets any of them, please, please, do not delete them until after you've sent them to me.

I never did send our my critique of the e-mail to everyone, but with one publically planned in Edmonton now might be a good time to share it with the world. So without further ado, my take on the Red Friday campaign, copied and pasted from my e-mail archive.


************************************************************************************************
>
>
> What are RED FRIDAYS ?
>
> PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE EMAIL AND YOU WILL SEE
> WHAT
> IS MEANT BY: RED FRIDAY.
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------
>
> Last week, while traveling in Canada on business,
> I noticed a soldier traveling with a folded flag,
> but did not put two-and-two together. After we
> boarded our flight, I turned to the soldier, who'd
> been invited to sit in First Class (across from
> me), and inquired if he was heading home.

Heading home of a civilian flight? Coffins are always brought back on
military planes.
Also, why is he holding the folded flag? The flag is keep draped over
the coffin until the funeral, where it is folded and presented to the
family.

>
> No, he responded.
>
> Heading out, I asked?
>
> No. I'm escorting a soldier home.
>
> Going to pick him up?
>
> No. He is with me right now. He was killed in
> Iraq. I'm taking him home to his family.
>

Canadian and killed in Iraq... no need to point out the problem there.
The original story was about an American soldier. Also notice the lack of
departing point and destination. The story is written to be as generic as
possible without being obvious.

> The realization of what he had been asked to do,
> hit me like a punch to the gut. It was an honor
> for him. He told me that, although he didn't know
> the soldier, he had delivered the news of his
> passing to the soldier's family and felt as if he
> knew them after many conversations in so few days.
> I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said,
> Thank you. Thank you for doing what you do so my
> family and I can do what we do.
>

The sergeant delivered the news? Total breach of protocol. The family
is always told by an commisioned officer, not a non-com. He wouldn't have
been allowed to stay for days, either.

> Upon landing in Canada the pilot stopped short of
> the gate and made the following announcement over
> the intercom.
>

Stopped short of the gate to use the intercom? Was there a problem
with the one in the cockpit?

> "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to note that
> we have had the honor of having Sergeant Steeley
> of the Canadian Armed Forces join us on this
> flight. He is escorting a fallen comrade back home
> to his family. I ask that you please remain in
> your seats when we open the forward door to allow
> Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive his fellow
> soldier. We will then turn off the seat belt
> sign."
>

Again, he wasn't a Canadian, and here's where the story really falls
apart. Bodies from Iraq are brought back at night. Even if a body were
being transported to a small airport on a civilian flight, attention would
not be drawn to the fact that it was on board.
Also notice the soldier being brought home is never given a name. The
names of the war dead a accessable to the public, not those who escort the
bodies home.

> Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed
> the Sergeant saluting the casket as it was brought
> off the plane, and his action made me realize that
> I am proud to be a Canadian.
>

This paragraph is my favorite. Everyone stays in their seat, but the
author sees the casket coming off the plane! That's some business school he
went to, teaching him to be in two places at once!

> So here's a public Thank You to Our Military Men
> and Women for what you do so we can live the way
> we do.
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------
>
> Red Fridays
>
> Very soon, you will see a great many people
> wearing RED every Friday.
>
> The reason, Canadians who support our troops used
> to be called the "silent majority." We are no
> longer silent, and are voicing our love for God,
> country and home in record breaking numbers. We
> are not organized, boisterous or overbearing.
>

Invoking God, hallmark of the the American right. Canadians rarely
attempt to tie religious fervour with patriotism, we generally have better
taste than that.

> Many Canadians, like you, me and all our friends,
> simply want to recognize that the vast majority of
> Canada supports our troops. Our idea of showing
> solidarity and support for our troops with dignity
> and respect starts this Friday -- and continues
> each and every Friday until the troops all come
> home, sending a deafening message that ... every
> Canadian who supports our men and women afar, will
> wear something RED. It could be just a small RED
> ribbon.
>

Remember, in US media speak "support the troops" means "support the
war". This is a code phrase for those who want the illegal occupation of
Iraq to continue, contrary to the wishes of the majority of Americans and
definately the vast majority of Iraqis.

> By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make Canada
> on every Friday a sea of RED, much like a
> homecoming football game in the bleachers. If
> every one of us who loves this country, will share
> this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and
> family, it will not be long before Canada is
> covered in RED and it will let our troops know the
> once "silent" majority is on their side more than
> ever, certainly more than the media lets on.
>

If this was really a Canadian message, would the author have used a
football analogy? Any Canadian with a lick of sense would talk hockey to
stir up patriotism.
Also note the attack on the media at the end. American right
propaganda at it's finest. Portray the media as being against the
mainstream, and to trust the "grassroots" ideas like this. In reality, most
of the American media companies have been cheerleading the invasion and
occupation since day one, and are the ones saying the media is against it!

> The first thing a soldier says when asked, "What
> can we do to make things better for you?" is ...
> "We need your support and your prayers."
>

Again, showing a combination of patriotism and religion, American right
strikes again.

> Let's get the word out and lead with class and
> dignity, by example, and wear something RED every
> Friday.
>
> IF YOU AGREE -- THEN SEND THIS ON.
>
> IF YOU COULDN'T CARE LESS -- THEN HIT THE DELETE
> BUTTON.
>
> IT IS YOUR CHOICE!
>
Base appeal to a gut reaction, if you love your country you have to
support this. Emotional manipulation.
If you fell for this e-mail, don't feel bad. American propaganda is
the best in the world, the envy of every dictatorship that's existed for the
last sixty years.
Remember to forward this e-mail to anyone who sends you a message about
"Red Fridays", and anyone you sent it to before you got this message.

Now, to help you feel better, here's a link to a video with lots of
kittens!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPk-WORiZNA
************************************************************************************************

Sadly, this is just pointing out factual and logical errors and the obvious propaganda. I had originally planned to do a sequel commentary about the fascist imagery of Red Fridays, but never did get around to it at the time.
I suppose it falls to me to do it now.

I never did like the idea of Red Fridays. Something about it never seemed right to me. I'd heard about them long before I'd gotten the e-mail, when the attempt was made to start them in the US.
Not long before this e-mail arrived, I had read an essay by Italian author Umberto Eco from the New York Review of Books entitled "Ur-Fascism". I'll post a link to the entire article at the end of this entry. The essay helped me understand my sudden unease at the idea of Red Fridays, particularily over the idea of a Canada "covered in red". Even reading it now the images of black shirts or brown shirts comes to mind. These things do not come out of nowhere.
There should be no mistaking that Red Fridays are an appeal to authoritarianism. One must think of the subtle messages being presented. They are often quite subtle, but with practice they are not hard to find.

First we have the soldier who died for his country. There is no hint of how he died, what his name or rank was, but the thought of his death is greatly moving to the fictional presenter of the story. This is not because of the tragedy of his death, he is moved by the sacrifice in service of the nation. Supporting the soldiers becomes not a question of keeping them safe, but honouring service to the nation, and to the government. Remember that every time you hear soldiers referred to as "heroes" simply for being in the military. It scares me when I do.

Later on, the Sergeant's name is given as "Steeley". This isn't so subtle, steel is strong, so a soldier with a name like that would be seen as being strong as well with a name that seems right out of a comic book. The representative of the military is strong to show that the military is strong. Do not forget, though, that he too is moved by the death of a fellow soldier that he never knew. The military honours patriotic sacrifice, that's the signal we are meant to receive.

Thirdly, I will point out the actions of the properly dutiful citizens on the plane. There is no arguement or voices of frustration as they are asked to wait while the coffin is unloaded, there is no question that the soldier, especially a fallen soldier, is more important than they are.

Finally, and so very importantly, do not ignore the message after the story that a free media is not to be trusted, that a free media does not report the truth to the people. I should not need to explain why that is a deeply frightening idea.

This is just the symbolism I could find at a quick reread of the e-mail. I don't doubt there is much more to find.
Red Fridays are not a healthy act of patriotism. They are an appeal to authoritarianism, to trusting the government more than we trust ourselves to know what is best for our country and for the world. It is about believing that a True Citizen is one who either serves in the military or who does not question those who serve in the military.

Remember to always question what is meant and done by every organized campaign. What are their methods? What imagery do they use? Do not trust those who preach mindless submission or mindless rebellion. Think for yourself. Speak up. Ask questions. Expose lies.

You can start by telling people about Red Fridays, what they are really all about.




Here is the Umberto Eco essay. http://www.pegc.us/archive/Articles/eco_ur-fascism.pdf

Tags: dangerous modern wisdom, spot the spin