|
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
07-27-2020, 11:47 AM
|
| |
Was excited to get my K1000 back today—every wheel, hinge, and lever feels tighter. Crystal clear viewfinder. I used to be incredulous about the supposed "new camera smell," but not anymore. Allow me to contribute my testimony to Eric's great reputation.
|
|
Forum: General Talk
08-10-2012, 06:54 AM
|
| |
Does it really matter? Let's face it. Both countries are a PITA if you're not into being tolerant of their culture. They both seem to have this big chip on their shoulder sometimes. I'm sure that the people that live there think the very same of the rest of the world sometimes but I must admit I don't get either country sometimes at all. Their politicians seem even more wacked than my own and that's really saying something considering how nutty things have been here politically speaking of late. The individuals I've met from there, that's one thing, they seem mostly nice if culturally opposite to anything I consider remotely sane sometimes, but the culture and customs of countries with an Islamic bent they really don't appeal to me much at all.
I would not want to be a woman in a place like Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, or Egypt these days. I'm sorry, but I do feel that way. If I can't even walk down a public street and not have to cover my face and my entire body or risk being groped and harassed then I just don't really want anything to do with places like that. There are a lot of interesting things about these places that I really love to see someday. To finally explore the Valley of the Kings, work on a dig in Iraq, that's long been a dream of mine, but it's just not going to happen. When I was a kid I used to dream of spending time in Egypt, Iraq, Iran, seeing all those wonderful old things.
But now I see what it's like to live there, how women are treated there and I don't think I really want to go there. Not if it it means I am likely to be mistreated as a guest in their countries simply because I have a vag instead of a dick. I shouldn't have to go in a bus, in a tour group with the protection of men to see such things, but it's a fact that unless I want to risk being treated like that I actually do have to and even the presence of men is no guarantee these days that I won't be harassed or worse yet kidnapped or blown up. I mean let's face it they don't issue all those travel warnings all the time for no reason. Even for a man going on a trip to Egypt or Iraq/Iran these days is not without considerable risk these days.
Ideally I tend think people should have a right to believe whatever they want, follow whatever religion they will, or not, but in reality when a whole country tends toward the extreme, towards that much violence and sexism I can't help but be wary of it. I'm not saying my own culture can't be batshiz crazy too, because it sure can, and we surely do have our share of fundamentalist sexist idiots here too, but I'm still far better off as a woman here than I ever would be living in a place like Iran or Iraq or Egypt. Yeah, I still might get groped or worse here. But if I hauled off and decked guy for doing it? I wouldn't end up with my hands cut off or goodness forbid married to him or something like that. Big difference.
When the men of Iraq and Iran et all can get their act together and treat their women more like people than dumb cows fit only to breed and not be seen then I'll try to care more about what they want out of the rest of the world. I'll try to have more respect for them and for their place in it. But not until they do. Not until I can walk down their streets with my face unhidden and not likely be molested. I sometimes really wish my country would just back off and get out of places like that actually. Leave them to their own mess. That's pretty inhuman of me, I guess, but I'm really sick of it. The eternal fighting, the never ending wars over religion, oil, land and other things. People blowing each other up in terrorist acts, destroying priceless works of ancient art in the name of faith. Women in countries like this being treated like absolute shiz. I mean it's INSANE and gosh when WILL it ever stop?
|
|
Forum: General Talk
05-23-2012, 09:57 PM
|
| |
the brutal dictators in the middle east that keep their people in poverty with no human rights, while hiding behind religious rhetoric and anti west propaganda to divert attention away from thier own greed and brutality and corruption?
I think I'd rather blame them.
We paid for the freakin oil, if we didn't, somebody else would have... we sold them weapons..if we didn't somebody else would have... why they choose to buy guns and rpg's whle their children starve.. is beyond my comprehension, but I refuse to accept blame for the actions of others. Shame on them for trying to blame us for what their people are doing. We don't hand out guns at church here, we don't send our kids to terrorist training camps, we don't preach genocide of the jews. bottom line... these people cause their own problems then blame everybody else on the planet except themselves. Hypothetically, If they succeeded in killing off all the jews and all the americans today, they'd be blaming the africans, the dutch and the french tomorrow... and if the french were gone they'd start on the nepalese, japanese and mexicans. and nothing in thier own countries would change until the people overthrow thier governments and abandon or reform thier religion.
i personally think the arab spring revolution may in fact be the beginning of the solution to all the violence in the middle east IF the people win over their government and religious oppressors... God bless them and save them. if ever there were people in need of peace at last.
|
|
Forum: General Talk
02-05-2012, 04:47 AM
|
| |
Well, I'm no expert either. I've been interested enough to follow what goes on in Syria; I suppose it is the most active current scene of the 'Arab spring', inspiring both hope and grave concern. As a part of that I have been posting links to stories about the developments figuring others might be interested (or that any rate it would not be too much of a disturbance :)).
The (very brief) history of it is that of a country ruled by an iron-fisted autocratic regime. When the former top man, Hafez al-Assad died and was replaced by his son Bashar in 2000, there was a period of 'Damascus spring', when it seemed that the system might be headed towards reform, but in the end the regime chose to resume repression. Despite this, the 'Arab spring' apparently re-kindled the Damascus one and this time the regime has been unable to stamp this out, instead it seems that the opposition has slowly but steadily been getting more organized and powerful. Currently the country appears to be in a state between civil unrest and civil war, very close to the latter; it is difficult to say exactly where the line gets crossed, this is not helped by the regime restricting the operation of foreign press (and controlling the domestic one as well as access to the Internet within the country).
My guess is that the situation continues to develop towards an actual civil war. The UN plan (blocked by Russia and China) sought to prevent this by having Bashar al-Assad to step down. This would have implied the rest of the regime carrying on and implementing reforms, which further implied the current regime giving up power down the line (which seldom happens, but at least that could have softened the transition).
A problem with predicting what might happen is that it is not as clear who actually is in power as it was when Hafez al-Assad was the de-facto dictator. Actually, the contenders may not know themselves: e.g. accepting the Arab League plan which called for an immediate end of violence against the civilians and then carrying on with that in front of the Arab League observers could simply mean the younger al-Assad does not fully control the army / security services.
|
|
Forum: General Talk
01-30-2012, 12:28 AM
|
| |
Yes it is still them (Iran) being morons.
It may come earlier than they (The EU) had planned for but they still planned on NOT having Iran's oil.
Iran needs to sell their oil which is why they are pissed that the EU won't buy it from them. So they refuse to sell it? thereby shooting themselves in the foot and causing the very thing they fear (not selling their oil).
MORONS! on every level.
Iran is nothing more than a bully. And a weak one at that. They rely on fear and intimidation to keep their own people in control and they think fear and intimidation works on other countries as well. And to a few smaller countries it may. But not so America and the EU and other major countries. We call a bully a bully and call them on their threats and what does Iran do? NOTHING. Because they are bullies.
They threatened a US carrier battle-group not to return or they will be destroyed and intimated to the world that the carrier left due to Iranian threats. The Carrier left because she had commitments elsewhere and could care less of Iranian threats. The replacement carrier showed up on time and on schedule and not a whimper of protest much less action on the part of the Iranians.
I have stated it elsewhere on this thread and other sites. Iran has ZERO ability to win a military confrontation with just a single carrier battlegroup. much less that we can field multiple carrier battlegroups and that is JUST the US Navy, throw in our Marines, Air Force, and Army....
It'll be a slaughter and Iran knows it.
We called their bluff, and Iran knows it is holding a pair of deuces.
It's time for them to fold.
But they're morons, so they won't. They'll keep on bluffing that they have a full house even with their cards face up on the table.
|
