Careers ruined or at risk from accusations of sexual misconduct

[linus]

(05-06-2018, 01:39 PM)pbrower2a Wrote: Could liberals be finding an issue on which to embrace chastity as an ideal? They have excused sex between consenting adults, but not between children, between adults and children, or in which there is no consent. They are even sacrificing some of their political and cultural icons. Nobody gets a pass for being black (Cosby) or having lost parents in the Holocaust (Polanski). Maybe the Hollywood studios and world pop music scene protects someone still useful.  Farewell, casting couch -- and good riddance!

I will see more cause to believe that the change is real when I find that a pro athlete loses his job for sexual harassment.

I would guess that nailing an older executive for sexual harassment is a good way to open a spot in a corporate hierarchy.

On your last point, in particular, I think that the whole discussion around diversity - especially at the top - turns on symbolism. As in, it's good to have women, people of color, lgbt people, and others in high profile positions almost as an end in itself. Which, okay, true enough.

But what's more often missing from this conversation is that it seems to have a self-perpetuating impact. Those people in turn help to elevate other women, poc, lgbt people, etc - in some cases people who might not otherwise have gotten the opportunities.

I can speak to some of this stuff from personal experience. I'd always wanted to be a writer, and thought that regardless of whether or not I ever got success in more glam gigs (writing scripts, plays, etc), I should have a more practical fallback. So, for years, I tried to break into technical writing in the streaming media sub-sector of IT. And for years, despite a pretty good portfolio, I didn't get so much as an interview.

Fast forward to early this year. A script I've been working on gets a little buzz from a certain entertainment-related site, and within a couple months (April Fool's no less - I thought it might be some strange/cruel joke at first), I get an fb message from a Hollywood producer (most recent credit was last year's "Beauty and the Beast"). So, things starting to happen. And I don't think it's a coincidence that he's a part of writer/director Bill Condon's circle (which is one of the few making studio features that includes a substantial number of out gay men, including he and Condon both). Being an out gay man (25 years last year) it doesn't surprise me that (provided it continues to happen) it happened this way. Also, I'm inclined to suspect that if there was any kind of diversity among the gatekeepers of the streaming media outfits in these parts (most of which are mid-sized) I might've gotten an in too.

And I'll say too I don't think this all or at least always fall along political lines. Yes, liberals may be more supportive of civil rights, women's rights, lgbt equality, etc., but it doesn't always mean in practice that more supposedly "woke" organizations are actually that in practice. I care more about who's in the board room and executive suites than what their website and ads and donations to ngos say about their Commitment to Diversity. Heck, there's an out gay male anchor at Fox News (as well as CNN). Et tu, MSNBC?

[pbrower2a]

(05-10-2018, 01:59 PM)linus Wrote:

(05-06-2018, 01:39 PM)pbrower2a Wrote: Could liberals be finding an issue on which to embrace chastity as an ideal? They have excused sex between consenting adults, but not between children, between adults and children, or in which there is no consent. They are even sacrificing some of their political and cultural icons. Nobody gets a pass for being black (Cosby) or having lost parents in the Holocaust (Polanski). Maybe the Hollywood studios and world pop music scene protects someone still useful.  Farewell, casting couch -- and good riddance!

I will see more cause to believe that the change is real when I find that a pro athlete loses his job for sexual harassment.

I would guess that nailing an older executive for sexual harassment is a good way to open a spot in a corporate hierarchy.

On your last point, in particular, I think that the whole discussion around diversity - especially at the top - turns on symbolism. As in, it's good to have women, people of color, lgbt people, and others in high profile positions almost as an end in itself. Which, okay, true enough.

Extant elites do not yield power except out of fear. If they are wise they protect something that allows them economic viability (property rights for the white majority in South Africa) in return for giving up political power. So if one uses South Africa as an example -- the white minority could yield power to multiracial democracy  so long as the multiracial democracy would leave property rights unchallenged.

Property rights are far easier to enshrine than is bureaucratic power, which may explain why the transition from Communism to democracy was a failure in Russia. Bureaucratic privilege may be just as lucrative as ownership, which explains why executive elites rarely become small-business owners. Starting a small business (professional practices excluded) is usually more characteristic of proles than of educated elites. Property has the defense of formal title as bureaucratic power does not. As with the nomenklatura of the old Soviet Union  in  which free enterprise was rare but bureaucratic privilege was a dominating reality, bureaucratic privilege tended to be passed down from parent to child when possible. What privleged parent wants his offspring to become 'mere' factory workers or laborers on a collective farm?America's economic elite acts much in parallel, and it is similarly entrenched -- and it is mostly quite reactionary in its politics.

The command of any entrenched elite toward the masses seems to be much the same, whatever the time, stated ideology, or technology, seems much the same:

Suffer for my power, my privilege, and my gain, you expendable peon! That could as easily be a feudal lord, a planter, or a member of the Soviet nomenklatura -- or a member of America's executive elite. Power corrupts, even if it is 'only' economic or bureaucratic power.

Quote:But what's more often missing from this conversation is that it seems to have a self-perpetuating impact. Those people in turn help to elevate other women, poc, lgbt people, etc - in some cases people who might not otherwise have gotten the opportunities.

Women? The offspring of male elites only rarely pass power down to women qua women -- the power goes to women of similar social background. So the 'old boy's club' tolerates an auxiliary. Tell me when miscegenation becomes commonplace among elites... and I do not mean between white people and such 'honorary whites' as East Asians and Hispanics who are much more Caucasoid than anything else.

Creative elites might be less bigoted, but creativity and bureaucracy do not mesh well. Real power in America is still ownership and management. It usually takes a Crisis Era to topple entrenched elites, but should our elites mess up badly enough (as did the big landowners, tycoons, and executives who backed Hitler and similar leaders in central and southeastern Europe) they will be toppled themselves -- dispossessed and divested of power and influence. Or for that matter, the planters of the antebellum South who were stripped of slaves.

Quote:I can speak to some of this stuff from personal experience. I'd always wanted to be a writer, and thought that regardless of whether or not I ever got success in more glam gigs (writing scripts, plays, etc), I should have a more practical fallback. So, for years, I tried to break into technical writing in the streaming media sub-sector of IT. And for years, despite a pretty good portfolio, I didn't get so much as an interview.

Much like the stand-up comedian who does night gigs at the club while keeping his day job as a barber... Barbering is practical for making a living. It may take years to hone the portfolio, including the supposedly-magic 10 thousand hours of laborious preparation that Malcolm Gladwell  shows is necessary for achieving the greatness necessary for doing things so well that it looks natural... he seems to hold that there are no 'naturals' in any field of athletic or creative activity. this applies as much to painters as to violinists. Talent is if little significance except to child prodigies who still have much to refine to achieve greatness. In business, the ten thousand hours are necessary drudgery of collecting on delinquent accounts, retaining 'wayward' customers, and prospecting for clients. In the publishing industry, I might guess that many promising writers spend much time in the not-so-creative activity of indexing books. Seventy hours a weak of such drudgery for below-average compensation for three years not only enriches your bosses and organizations but makes you prime 'executive material'. What else could you be doing? Dating? Watching sports or series TV?

Commerce still needs its laborers, clerks, enforcers, and low-level craftsmen. "Don't give up the day job" of an auto-parts clerk, goes the advice of the practical-minded loved one.

Quote:Fast forward to early this year. A script I've been working on gets a little buzz from a certain entertainment-related site, and within a couple months (April Fool's no less - I thought it might be some strange/cruel joke at first), I get an fb message from a Hollywood producer (most recent credit was last year's "Beauty and the Beast"). So, things starting to happen. And I don't think it's a coincidence that he's a part of writer/director Bill Condon's circle (which is one of the few making studio features that includes a substantial number of out gay men, including he and Condon both). Being an out gay man (25 years last year) it doesn't surprise me that (provided it continues to happen) it happened this way. Also, I'm inclined to suspect that if there was any kind of diversity among the gatekeepers of the streaming media outfits in these parts (most of which are mid-sized) I might've gotten an in too.

And once you get things rolling, you can't stop them. Farewell, 'day job that pays the rent, cab fare, and groceries'!

Quote:And I'll say too I don't think this all or at least always fall along political lines. Yes, liberals may be more supportive of civil rights, women's rights, lgbt equality, etc., but it doesn't always mean in practice that more supposedly "woke" organizations are actually that in practice. I care more about who's in the board room and executive suites than what their website and ads and donations to ngos say about their Commitment to Diversity. Heck, there's an out gay male anchor at Fox News (as well as CNN). Et tu, MSNBC?

I'm not naming names about MSNBC. This news anchor can make Trump corruption seem like something out of a novel by Arthur Conan-Doyle or Agatha Christie. It can be addictive. So can be the novels.

[pbrower2a]

Iowa -- a Democratic candidate for Governor 'suspends his campaign' on allegations of you-know-what.

Quote:Iowa state Sen. Nate Boulton announced Thursday he is suspending his campaign for governor just weeks before the Democratic primary, following allegations of sexual misconduct from multiple women.

"Today, I am suspending my campaign for governor," Boulton wrote in a statement to supporters. Boulton, in the statement, thanked his staff and the campaign he ran, stressing that "Democrats must win in November so we can begin to turn our state around."

"These last 48 hours have been trying. I again offer an apology to those whom I have harmed in any way. It is my hope there is some positive that can come from this moment as we strive to be the better people we can be in the coming days, weeks, months, and years. I know that will be my task moving on from here."


Boulton, one of the top tier candidates in the Democratic primary competing to face Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, was accused by three women of sexual misconduct in a report published by the Des Moines Register on Wednesday. Boulton did not deny the allegations, initially telling the paper that he did "not have the same recollection."

One woman told the paper that Boulton had grabbed her inappropriately in a bar in 2015. The two other allegations dated from Boulton's time in law school, when women said he had rubbed himself against them.

Boulton was in second place in the Democratic primary in a recent Des Moines Register poll, and he had racked up endorsements from labor unions, state lawmakers and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.
Other candidates were quick to denounce Boulton after the report.

“Fred has been very clear that sexual harassment and misconduct has no place in our society and will not be tolerated,” Michelle Gajewski, the campaign manager for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Fred Hubbell said in a statement.

Boulton was part of a six-candidate Democratic field vying for the right to take on Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds in the fall. Reynolds assumed the governorship after former Gov. Terry Branstad became ambassador to China. Retired businessman Fred Hubbell is the frontrunner in the primary, but 24 percent of respondents in the Register poll said they were undecided as of last week.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/2...uct-607135

[beechnut79]

(05-25-2018, 03:17 AM)pbrower2a Wrote: Iowa -- a Democratic candidate for Governor 'suspends his campaign' on allegations of you-know-what.

Quote:Iowa state Sen. Nate Boulton announced Thursday he is suspending his campaign for governor just weeks before the Democratic primary, following allegations of sexual misconduct from multiple women.

"Today, I am suspending my campaign for governor," Boulton wrote in a statement to supporters. Boulton, in the statement, thanked his staff and the campaign he ran, stressing that "Democrats must win in November so we can begin to turn our state around."

"These last 48 hours have been trying. I again offer an apology to those whom I have harmed in any way. It is my hope there is some positive that can come from this moment as we strive to be the better people we can be in the coming days, weeks, months, and years. I know that will be my task moving on from here."


Boulton, one of the top tier candidates in the Democratic primary competing to face Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, was accused by three women of sexual misconduct in a report published by the Des Moines Register on Wednesday. Boulton did not deny the allegations, initially telling the paper that he did "not have the same recollection."

One woman told the paper that Boulton had grabbed her inappropriately in a bar in 2015. The two other allegations dated from Boulton's time in law school, when women said he had rubbed himself against them.

Boulton was in second place in the Democratic primary in a recent Des Moines Register poll, and he had racked up endorsements from labor unions, state lawmakers and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.
Other candidates were quick to denounce Boulton after the report.

“Fred has been very clear that sexual harassment and misconduct has no place in our society and will not be tolerated,” Michelle Gajewski, the campaign manager for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Fred Hubbell said in a statement.

Boulton was part of a six-candidate Democratic field vying for the right to take on Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds in the fall. Reynolds assumed the governorship after former Gov. Terry Branstad became ambassador to China. Retired businessman Fred Hubbell is the frontrunner in the primary, but 24 percent of respondents in the Register poll said they were undecided as of last week.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/2...uct-607135

A few posts back there was hint that a legendary musician was about to be called out big time for the sexual assault issue. Could the answer to that be R. Kelly?

[pbrower2a]

The Sin of Silence -- sexual abuse and evangelical Protestant churches (Washington Post)



Across the United States, evangelical churches are failing to protect victims of sexual abuse among their members. As the #MeToo movement has swept into communities of faith, several high-profile leaders have fallen: Paige Patterson, the president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, was forced into early retirement this month after reports that he’d told a rape victim to forgive her assailant rather than call the police. Illinois megachurch pastor Bill Hybels similarly retired early after several women said he’d dispensed lewd comments, unwanted kisses and invitations to hotel rooms.

So many Christian churches in the United States do so much good — nourishing the soul, comforting the sick, providing services, counseling congregants, teaching Jesus’s example, and even working to fight sexual abuse and harassment. But like in any community of faith, there is also sin — often silenced, ignored and denied — and it is much more common than many want to believe. It has often led to failures by evangelicals to report sexual abuse, respond appropriately to victims and change the institutional cultures that enabled the abuse in the first place.


Without a centralized theological body, evangelical policies and cultures vary radically, and while some church leaders have worked to prevent abuse and harassment, many have not. The causes are manifold: authoritarian leadership, twisted theology, institutional protection, obliviousness about the problem and, perhaps most shocking, a diminishment of the trauma sexual abuse creates — especially surprising in a church culture that believes strongly in the sanctity of sex. “Sexual abuse is the most underreported thing — both in and outside the church — that exists,” says Boz Tchividjian, a grandson of Billy Graham and a former Florida assistant state attorney.

As a prosecutor, Tchividjian saw dozens of sexual abuse victims harmed by a church’s response to them. (In one case, a pastor did not report a sexual offender in his church because the man had repented. The offender was arrested only after he had abused five more children.) In 2004, Tchividjian founded the nonprofit organization Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE), which trains Christian institutions in how to prevent sexual abuse and performs independent investigations when churches face an abuse crisis. Tchividjian says sexual abuse in evangelicalism rivals the Catholic Church scandal of the early 2000s.

......

The sex advice columnist and LGBT rights advocate Dan Savage, tired of what he called the hypocrisy of conservatives who believe that gays molest children, compiled his own list that documents more than 100 instances of youth pastors around the country who, between 2008 and 2016, were accused of, arrested for or convicted of sexually abusing minors in a religious setting.

The problem in collecting data stems, in part, from the loose or nonexistent hierarchy in evangelicalism. Catholic Church abusers benefited from an institutional cover-up, but that same bureaucracy enabled reporters to document a systemic scandal. In contrast, most evangelical groups prize the autonomy of local congregations, with major institutions like the Southern Baptist Convention having no authority to enforce a standard operating procedure among member churches. This means researchers attempting to study this issue have to comb through publicly available documents.

........

The evangelical defense of God-fearing offenders extends to the political realm. Franklin Graham, CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, said President Trump’s “grab them by the p—y” comments and other crude language didn’t matter because “all of us are sinners.” During Roy Moore’s recent Senate campaign, a poll conducted by JMC Analytics of likely Alabama voters found that 39 percent of evangelicals were more likely to vote for Moore after multiple accusations that he’d initiated sexual contact with teenagers when he was in his 30s. “It comes down to a question [of] who is more credible in the eyes of the voters — the candidate or the accuser,” Jerry Falwell Jr., president of the evangelical Liberty University, said at the time. “. . . And I believe [Moore] is telling the truth.”

Why are so many evangelicals (who also devote resources to fighting sex trafficking or funding shelters for battered women) so dismissive of the women in their own pews? Roger Canaff, a former New York state prosecutor who specialized in child sexual abuse, tells me that many worshipers he encountered felt persecuted by the secular culture around them — and disinclined to reach out to their persecutors for help in solving problems. This is the same dynamic that drove a cover-up culture among ultra-Orthodox communities in New York, where rabbis insisted on dealing with child abusers internally, according to several analysts. (So it is not entirely a "Christian" phenomenon, and an authoritarian climate within a non-Christian religious tradition can have much the same effect -- PB)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post...4021d6a804

[pbrower2a]

Retired Catholic cardinal.

Quote:The Vatican has asked retired Washington, D.C., Archbishop Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, to cease public ministry after finding he was credibly accused of sexually abusing a teenager almost 50 years ago, the archdiocese and McCarrick said on Wednesday.

McCarrick is among the highest-ranking of the more than 6,700 U.S. Roman Catholic clerics to be accused of sexually abusing children since the church’s sex abuse scandal broke in 2002, according to BishopAccountability.org, a private group that tracks the allegations.

McCarrick, 87, was accused of sexually abusing a teenager when he was a priest in New York, he said in a statement. He said he was innocent, but an investigation by the Church found the allegations to be credible and substantiated, the archdiocese said in a statement.
 
“The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, at the direction of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has instructed Cardinal McCarrick that he is to refrain from any public ministry or activity until a definite decision is made,” the archdiocese said. McCarrick said he would follow the Vatican’s instruction.

“While I have absolutely no recollection of this reported abuse, and believe in my innocence, I am sorry for the pain the person who brought the charges has gone through,” McCarrick said in a statement.

The clergy sex abuse scandal erupted in Boston and rippled around the globe as abuse was found in many countries, costing the church billions of dollars in settlements and undercutting its moral authority.

Pope Francis has worked to address the scandal, meeting twice with victims of clergy sex abuse. He came under heavy criticism in January, when he vigorously defended Chilean Bishop Juan Barros, who was accused of witnessing a priest’s abuse of boys and doing nothing to stop it.

After returning to the Vatican, the Pope sent an investigator to speak to victims and witnesses, and accepted three Chilean bishops’ resignations. In an interview with Reuters, he said he may accept additional bishops’ resignations.

In addition to the priests accused of sexually assaulting children, high-powered leaders including former Boston Archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law were accused of allowing accused priests to continue to minister to children. Law died in December.

“This is an absolutely stunning revelation … The fact that the Church itself is finding it is credible and substantiated suggests that it indeed is because the Church does not say that lightly,” said Anne Barrett Doyle, a board member at BishopAccountability.org.

Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Scott Malone and Marguerita Choy

ttps://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/catholic-cardinal-washington-accused-sex-abuse/

[beechnut79]

(06-20-2018, 12:52 PM)pbrower2a Wrote: Retired Catholic cardinal.

Quote:The Vatican has asked retired Washington, D.C., Archbishop Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, to cease public ministry after finding he was credibly accused of sexually abusing a teenager almost 50 years ago, the archdiocese and McCarrick said on Wednesday.

McCarrick is among the highest-ranking of the more than 6,700 U.S. Roman Catholic clerics to be accused of sexually abusing children since the church’s sex abuse scandal broke in 2002, according to BishopAccountability.org, a private group that tracks the allegations.

McCarrick, 87, was accused of sexually abusing a teenager when he was a priest in New York, he said in a statement. He said he was innocent, but an investigation by the Church found the allegations to be credible and substantiated, the archdiocese said in a statement.
 
“The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, at the direction of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has instructed Cardinal McCarrick that he is to refrain from any public ministry or activity until a definite decision is made,” the archdiocese said. McCarrick said he would follow the Vatican’s instruction.

“While I have absolutely no recollection of this reported abuse, and believe in my innocence, I am sorry for the pain the person who brought the charges has gone through,” McCarrick said in a statement.

The clergy sex abuse scandal erupted in Boston and rippled around the globe as abuse was found in many countries, costing the church billions of dollars in settlements and undercutting its moral authority.

Pope Francis has worked to address the scandal, meeting twice with victims of clergy sex abuse. He came under heavy criticism in January, when he vigorously defended Chilean Bishop Juan Barros, who was accused of witnessing a priest’s abuse of boys and doing nothing to stop it.

After returning to the Vatican, the Pope sent an investigator to speak to victims and witnesses, and accepted three Chilean bishops’ resignations. In an interview with Reuters, he said he may accept additional bishops’ resignations.

In addition to the priests accused of sexually assaulting children, high-powered leaders including former Boston Archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law were accused of allowing accused priests to continue to minister to children. Law died in December.

“This is an absolutely stunning revelation … The fact that the Church itself is finding it is credible and substantiated suggests that it indeed is because the Church does not say that lightly,” said Anne Barrett Doyle, a board member at BishopAccountability.org.

Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Scott Malone and Marguerita Choy

ttps://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/catholic-cardinal-washington-accused-sex-abuse/

The sexual assault allegations seem to just keep coming, albeit not at quite the feverish pace they were following the revelations against Cosby and Weinstein. You know who the real losers in all this are, don't you? The well-intentioned men of the world who would never think of resorting to these types of actions. It makes it a lot harder to get dates, among other things. They days when a man was invited to drive to a lady's house to pick her up for a date are long gone. This trend began circa late 1970s following the movie "Looking for Mr. Goodbar", which was about a woman murdered by a singles' bar pickup. One good thing about the trend of meeting in public places was that we didn't have to muddle through sets of complex directions the way we did in the pre-GPS era. Gee, we never thought there'd ever be anything like GPS at that time.

I never married in large part because during that late 1970s/early 1980s time frame I was having way too much fun with single life. Using low-budget dating services which were around at the time before the very pricey ones emerged and also attending singles functions such as large dances and game nights, and going to the lakefront beaches during the summer months, I always managed to have an available supply of women at my fingertips in case I wanted a night out. I severely question whether that lifestyle is even possible today.

[pbrower2a]

I had problems with the ladies because I have trouble keeping my eyes focused -- or getting them stuck looking some wrong direction. In my opinion, if my eyes cheat, that is a triviality in contrast to something else. Having Asperger's without a clue gave me trouble getting and holding jobs -- and without a clue about a cause.

If I were in a culture that arranges marriages, I would be an early and obvious match. But children would be a disaster because of genetic factors. Like attracts alike, and the double dose could mean children damned to institutionalization for severe autism.

I am not an alcoholic, addict, or violent person, and I am definitely not a pervert. Self-righteous? Sure, but I at least have some moral compass. A good income would have made me desirable -- but if we wanted children, it would have been wise for us to adopt.

[beechnut79]

(06-26-2018, 11:13 AM)pbrower2a Wrote: I had problems with the ladies because I have trouble keeping my eyes focused -- or getting them stuck looking some wrong direction. In my opinion, if my eyes cheat, that is a triviality in contrast to something else. Having Asperger's without a clue gave me trouble getting and holding jobs -- and without a clue about a cause.  

If I were in a culture that arranges marriages, I would be an early and obvious match. But children would be a disaster because of genetic factors. Like attracts alike, and the double dose could mean children damned to institutionalization for severe autism.

I am not an alcoholic, addict, or violent person, and I am definitely not a pervert. Self-righteous? Sure, but I at least have some moral compass. A good income would have made me desirable -- but if we wanted children, it would have been wise for us to adopt.

Your first sentence was often my story as well. I have though always been enthralled by good looking, sharp dressed women. That may have been handed down by my mother, who was a very well-dressed woman in her younger days. (Not so much after turning 50, however). And I had the same difficulty you did in getting and holding jobs as well as getting and holding the interest of women, although I did my share of unloading them as well. I am also an Aspie and until the condition was made public in the late 1990s we had no idea what was holding us back and keeping us from having success.  Today I am more willing to accept the limitations of the condition than I was at that time. I did have to work harder to obtain that available supply of women I mentioned in my last post than I believe the average person does. Seems as if prejudice against the socially awkward is one of the last prejudices that still seems socially acceptable.

Can't help wonder if sooner or later those of us with the condition will finally gain increased social and occupational parity. If I was ever to write an autobiography its title would no doubt be "Ladies' Man Dreams", as I did have a dream of being one who was sought after by a multitude of women. As sheltered as I was growing up I still somehow managed to know that this kind of lifestyle existed. In the beginning, however, I desired the stability of having one primary woman in my life and be married. But I knew all along that I would never have made a good parent to a child. When you say that like attracts like, I wonder if you mean that we might be better attracted to someone who also has this condition or a similar one? I probably won't write the autobiography though as I can't believe there would be any interests outside of a small circle of friends and acquaintances. On another thread I asked whether the very term "Ladies' Man" has now taken on derogatory properties. I fully believe that it has. Somehow I was at least partially able to pull it off back in those less judgmental times yet many of my encounters turned out to be "one and done". Which is another way of saying that it always seemed as if I turned more women off than on.

Which brings me to another related subject. Do you feel that the stigma against paid companionship will ever disappear? Not all paid companionship has to be sexual, but due to the increasing judgmentalism, unkindness and uptightness in the society, I often wonder if those who seek suitable companionship might end up having to pay for it. And, when do you feel that the PTB will begin to realize that prohibition of sex work (the current PC term for prostitution) has been no more successful that it was with liquor nearly a century ago?

[Eric the Green]

(05-25-2018, 03:17 AM)pbrower2a Wrote: Iowa -- a Democratic candidate for Governor 'suspends his campaign' on allegations of you-know-what.

Quote:Iowa state Sen. Nate Boulton announced Thursday he is suspending his campaign for governor just weeks before the Democratic primary, following allegations of sexual misconduct from multiple women.

"Today, I am suspending my campaign for governor," Boulton wrote in a statement to supporters. Boulton, in the statement, thanked his staff and the campaign he ran, stressing that "Democrats must win in November so we can begin to turn our state around."

"These last 48 hours have been trying. I again offer an apology to those whom I have harmed in any way. It is my hope there is some positive that can come from this moment as we strive to be the better people we can be in the coming days, weeks, months, and years. I know that will be my task moving on from here."


Boulton, one of the top tier candidates in the Democratic primary competing to face Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, was accused by three women of sexual misconduct in a report published by the Des Moines Register on Wednesday. Boulton did not deny the allegations, initially telling the paper that he did "not have the same recollection."

One woman told the paper that Boulton had grabbed her inappropriately in a bar in 2015. The two other allegations dated from Boulton's time in law school, when women said he had rubbed himself against them.

Boulton was in second place in the Democratic primary in a recent Des Moines Register poll, and he had racked up endorsements from labor unions, state lawmakers and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.
Other candidates were quick to denounce Boulton after the report.

“Fred has been very clear that sexual harassment and misconduct has no place in our society and will not be tolerated,” Michelle Gajewski, the campaign manager for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Fred Hubbell said in a statement.

Boulton was part of a six-candidate Democratic field vying for the right to take on Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds in the fall. Reynolds assumed the governorship after former Gov. Terry Branstad became ambassador to China. Retired businessman Fred Hubbell is the frontrunner in the primary, but 24 percent of respondents in the Register poll said they were undecided as of last week.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/2...uct-607135

Wow, sounds like he was hounded out over nothing, at least in the law school cases. And this was not abuse of power either. I am disappointed in this trend. These are mostly bad times in many ways. Increasingly repressive and cruel, all over the world.

[pbrower2a]

(06-27-2018, 08:00 AM)beechnut79 Wrote:

(06-26-2018, 11:13 AM)pbrower2a Wrote: I had problems with the ladies because I have trouble keeping my eyes focused -- or getting them stuck looking some wrong direction. In my opinion, if my eyes cheat, that is a triviality in contrast to something else. Having Asperger's without a clue gave me trouble getting and holding jobs -- and without a clue about a cause.  

If I were in a culture that arranges marriages, I would be an early and obvious match. But children would be a disaster because of genetic factors. Like attracts alike, and the double dose could mean children damned to institutionalization for severe autism.

I am not an alcoholic, addict, or violent person, and I am definitely not a pervert. Self-righteous? Sure, but I at least have some moral compass. A good income would have made me desirable -- but if we wanted children, it would have been wise for us to adopt.

Your first sentence was often my story as well. I have though always been enthralled by good looking, sharp dressed women. That may have been handed down by my mother, who was a very well-dressed woman in her younger days. (Not so much after turning 50, however). And I had the same difficulty you did in getting and holding jobs as well as getting and holding the interest of women, although I did my share of unloading them as well. I am also an Aspie and until the condition was made public in the late 1990s we had no idea what was holding us back and keeping us from having success.  Today I am more willing to accept the limitations of the condition than I was at that time. I did have to work harder to obtain that available supply of women I mentioned in my last post than I believe the average person does. Seems as if prejudice against the socially awkward is one of the last prejudices that still seems socially acceptable.

I had my idea of what I wanted -- intelligent so that we would be able to hold a conversation, good morals (nobody to ensnare me into some bad situation or who sleeps with anything that moves, and I don't mean a flea that jumped off a family pet), good looks to break the ice... ethnicity probably as a question of culture more than anything else.

Had I been diagnosed with Asperger's in the 1990s I could have still had a good life. The American economic system may still be sexist, classist, and somewhat racist, but it has been sympathetic to handicapped people so long as they don't try to do jobs for which not having the handicap is a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ). So I could never qualify for a job as a clerk-typist... but I might be steered into something where I could be showcased as a handicapped person with obvious ability but whose handicap is no detriment to the requirements, formal or informal, of the job.

Quote:Can't help wonder if sooner or later those of us with the condition will finally gain increased social and occupational parity. If I was ever to write an autobiography its title would no doubt be "Ladies' Man Dreams", as I did have a dream of being one who was sought after by a multitude of women. As sheltered as I was growing up I still somehow managed to know that this kind of lifestyle existed. In the beginning, however, I desired the stability of having one primary woman in my life and be married. But I knew all along that I would never have made a good parent to a child. When you say that like attracts like, I wonder if you mean that we might be better attracted to someone who also has this condition or a similar one? I probably won't write the autobiography though as I can't believe there would be any interests outside of a small circle of friends and acquaintances. On another thread I asked whether the very term "Ladies' Man" has now taken on derogatory properties. I fully believe that it has. Somehow I was at least partially able to pull it off back in those less judgmental times yet many of my encounters turned out to be "one and done". Which is another way of saying that it always seemed as if I turned more women off than on.

For some jobs, Asperger's syndrome is practically an occupational asset -- now. Like attracts like? I think you have exactly what I mean. I have heard of successful black-white interracial marriages, the couple is so similar that the difference in melanin is the biggest of all differences, and such shared traits as educational attainment, academic and interests, recreational preferences, religious and moral values, politics, and tastes in music are much the same.

I'm a fan of classical music nearly to the exclusion of all else, and I like my classical music long, reflective, and either joyous or cathartic. So that alone might make me a tougher match? Or does it make me more of a stereotype?

When it comes to the risk of siring children with extreme autism, it might be better if people wit Asperger's were coached to become... homosexual.

Quote:Which brings me to another related subject. Do you feel that the stigma against paid companionship will ever disappear? Not all paid companionship has to be sexual, but due to the increasing judgmentalism, unkindness and uptightness in the society, I often wonder if those who seek suitable companionship might end up having to pay for it. And, when do you feel that the PTB will begin to realize that prohibition of sex work (the current PC term for prostitution) has been no more successful that it was with liquor nearly a century ago?

It will be suspect because it will suggest prostitution. In the current conservative mood on sexuality (same-sex marriage accepted for such conservative reasons as law and order and promotion of intact families explaining the exception) I cannot imagine the nationwide legalization of prostitution.

The prohibition of liquor began in a 3T as a war measure, never had the practical support of more than a bare plurality, and was steadily shown over time to do more harm than good. Crackdowns on underage drinking and drunk driving -- and social stigma against pregnant women drinking alcohol (to prevent birth defects including fetal alcohol syndrome) are evident today. Heck, I even have thought of a ditty against boating while drunk (to the tune of What do We Do With a Drunken Boater?)

What do we do with a drunken boater,
What do we do with a drunken boater,
What do we do with a drunken boater,
Here in Indiana.

Put him in the pokey till he's sober,
Put him in the pokey till he's sober,
Put him in the pokey till he's sober,
Here in Indiana.

Passenger or pilot, cops are looking for you!
Passenger or pilot, you will still be busted!
Passenger or pilot, just don't waste your good times!
Here in Indiana.

It's a crime to drink and boat in Indiana!
It's a crime to drink and boat in Indiana!
It's a crime to drink and boat in Indiana!
On our lakes and rivers!

"Indiana" fits the meter well, but I could as easily use "Arizona", "Pennsylvania" or "West Virginia".
 New York, Michigan, or Ohio? Not so well.

Figuring that drunken boating is a contributor to a large share of accidental drownings as well as boating accidents, I can imagine its usefulness.

[beechnut79]

(06-27-2018, 12:56 PM)pbrower2a Wrote:

(06-27-2018, 08:00 AM)beechnut79 Wrote:

(06-26-2018, 11:13 AM)pbrower2a Wrote: I had problems with the ladies because I have trouble keeping my eyes focused -- or getting them stuck looking some wrong direction. In my opinion, if my eyes cheat, that is a triviality in contrast to something else. Having Asperger's without a clue gave me trouble getting and holding jobs -- and without a clue about a cause.  

If I were in a culture that arranges marriages, I would be an early and obvious match. But children would be a disaster because of genetic factors. Like attracts alike, and the double dose could mean children damned to institutionalization for severe autism.

I am not an alcoholic, addict, or violent person, and I am definitely not a pervert. Self-righteous? Sure, but I at least have some moral compass. A good income would have made me desirable -- but if we wanted children, it would have been wise for us to adopt.

Your first sentence was often my story as well. I have though always been enthralled by good looking, sharp dressed women. That may have been handed down by my mother, who was a very well-dressed woman in her younger days. (Not so much after turning 50, however). And I had the same difficulty you did in getting and holding jobs as well as getting and holding the interest of women, although I did my share of unloading them as well. I am also an Aspie and until the condition was made public in the late 1990s we had no idea what was holding us back and keeping us from having success.  Today I am more willing to accept the limitations of the condition than I was at that time. I did have to work harder to obtain that available supply of women I mentioned in my last post than I believe the average person does. Seems as if prejudice against the socially awkward is one of the last prejudices that still seems socially acceptable.

I had my idea of what I wanted -- intelligent so that we would be able to hold a conversation, good morals (nobody to ensnare me into some bad situation or who sleeps with anything that moves, and I don't mean a flea that jumped off a family pet), good looks to break the ice... ethnicity probably as a question of culture more than anything else.

Had I been diagnosed with Asperger's in the 1990s I could have still had a good life. The American economic system may still be sexist, classist, and somewhat racist, but it has been sympathetic to handicapped people so long as they don't try to do jobs for which not having the handicap is a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ). So I could never qualify for a job as a clerk-typist... but I might be steered into something where I could be showcased as a handicapped person with obvious ability but whose handicap is no detriment to the requirements, formal or informal, of the job.

Quote:Can't help wonder if sooner or later those of us with the condition will finally gain increased social and occupational parity. If I was ever to write an autobiography its title would no doubt be "Ladies' Man Dreams", as I did have a dream of being one who was sought after by a multitude of women. As sheltered as I was growing up I still somehow managed to know that this kind of lifestyle existed. In the beginning, however, I desired the stability of having one primary woman in my life and be married. But I knew all along that I would never have made a good parent to a child. When you say that like attracts like, I wonder if you mean that we might be better attracted to someone who also has this condition or a similar one? I probably won't write the autobiography though as I can't believe there would be any interests outside of a small circle of friends and acquaintances. On another thread I asked whether the very term "Ladies' Man" has now taken on derogatory properties. I fully believe that it has. Somehow I was at least partially able to pull it off back in those less judgmental times yet many of my encounters turned out to be "one and done". Which is another way of saying that it always seemed as if I turned more women off than on.

For some jobs, Asperger's syndrome is practically an occupational asset -- now. Like attracts like? I think you have exactly what I mean. I have heard of successful black-white interracial marriages, the couple is so similar that the difference in melanin is the biggest of all differences, and such shared traits as educational attainment, academic and interests, recreational preferences, religious and moral values, politics, and tastes in music are much the same.

I'm a fan of  classical music nearly to the exclusion of all else, and I like my classical music long, reflective, and either joyous or cathartic. So that alone might make me a tougher match? Or does it make me more of a stereotype?

When it comes to the risk of siring children with extreme autism, it might be better if people wit Asperger's were coached to become... homosexual.  

Quote:Which brings me to another related subject. Do you feel that the stigma against paid companionship will ever disappear? Not all paid companionship has to be sexual, but due to the increasing judgmentalism, unkindness and uptightness in the society, I often wonder if those who seek suitable companionship might end up having to pay for it. And, when do you feel that the PTB will begin to realize that prohibition of sex work (the current PC term for prostitution) has been no more successful that it was with liquor nearly a century ago?

It will be suspect because it will suggest prostitution. In the current conservative mood on sexuality (same-sex marriage accepted for such conservative reasons as law and order and promotion of intact families explaining the exception) I cannot imagine the nationwide legalization of prostitution.

The prohibition of liquor began in a 3T as a war measure, never had the practical support of more than a bare plurality, and was steadily shown over time to do more harm than good. Crackdowns on underage drinking and drunk driving -- and social stigma against pregnant women drinking alcohol (to prevent birth defects including fetal alcohol syndrome) are evident today. Heck, I even have thought of a ditty against boating while drunk (to the tune of What do We Do With a Drunken Boater?)

What do we do with a drunken boater,
What do we do with a drunken boater,
What do we do with a drunken boater,
Here in Indiana.

Put him in the pokey till he's sober,
Put him in the pokey till he's sober,
Put him in the pokey till he's sober,
Here in Indiana.

Passenger or pilot, cops are looking for you!
Passenger or pilot, you will still be busted!
Passenger or pilot, just don't waste your good times!
Here in Indiana.

It's a crime to drink and boat in Indiana!
It's a crime to drink and boat in Indiana!
It's a crime to drink and boat in Indiana!
On our lakes and rivers!

"Indiana" fits the meter well, but I could as easily use "Arizona", "Pennsylvania" or "West Virginia".
 New York, Michigan, or Ohio? Not so well.

Figuring that drunken boating is a contributor to a large share of accidental drownings as well as boating accidents, I can imagine its usefulness.

What do you feel got us into the current conservative mood on sexuality? We obviously though haven't returned to the scarlet letter days, and probably never will.

We probably missed our best chance to move toward sex work legalization during those freer, more swinging times of the 70s and early 80s. But no doubt the reason it didn't become a central issue was that for most it was so easy to get it for free.

And WWI was over by the time liquor prohibition began. It was for the most part a product of the WCTU (Women's Christian Temperance Union), ironically at a time when women didn't have anywhere near the economic and political clout that they do today.

[pbrower2a]

(06-28-2018, 10:11 AM)beechnut79 Wrote: What do you feel got us into the current conservative mood on sexuality? We obviously though haven't returned to the scarlet letter days, and probably never will.

We probably missed our best chance to move toward sex work legalization during those freer, more swinging times of the 70s and early 80s. But no doubt the reason it didn't become a central issue was that for most it was so easy to get it for free.

And WWI was over by the time liquor prohibition began. It was for the most part a product of the WCTU (Women's Christian Temperance Union), ironically at a time when women didn't have anywhere near the economic and political clout that they do today.

1. a large number of children born out of wedlock, often with overtones of class *welfare) and raace (biracial children born to white women). Such was a consequence of the sexual revolution.

2. AIDS. Enough said about that.' Swinging' sexuality began to get the perception of excessive risk.

3. Tales of child sexual abuse and a climate becoming increasingly hostile to such.

4. the rise of the Religious Right in the 1970s amd especially the 1980s.

It might seem that the struggle of homosexuals to get marital rights would look like a big liberal win -- but much of the struggle involved appealing to conservative concerns, including child welfare and law--and-order. People who find that a loved one has been gay-bashed or threatened with such see something very wrong with gay-bashing. It's a violent act, and even for a fundamentalist Christian it means that the homosexual beaten to death can never receive the Witness of Jesus that might lead the homosexual into a 'straight' orientation.

[pbrower2a]

Whoops -- the song name is "What Do You Do with a Drunken Sailor?"

[beechnut79]

(06-28-2018, 12:36 PM)pbrower2a Wrote:

(06-28-2018, 10:11 AM)beechnut79 Wrote: What do you feel got us into the current conservative mood on sexuality? We obviously though haven't returned to the scarlet letter days, and probably never will.

We probably missed our best chance to move toward sex work legalization during those freer, more swinging times of the 70s and early 80s. But no doubt the reason it didn't become a central issue was that for most it was so easy to get it for free.

And WWI was over by the time liquor prohibition began. It was for the most part a product of the WCTU (Women's Christian Temperance Union), ironically at a time when women didn't have anywhere near the economic and political clout that they do today.

1. a large number of children born out of wedlock, often with overtones of class *welfare) and raace (biracial children born to white women). Such was a consequence of the sexual revolution.

2. AIDS. Enough said about that.' Swinging' sexuality began to get the perception of excessive risk.

3. Tales of child sexual abuse and a climate becoming increasingly hostile to such.

4. the rise of the Religious Right in the 1970s amd especially the 1980s.

It might seem that the struggle of homosexuals to get marital rights would look like a big liberal win -- but much of the struggle involved appealing to conservative concerns, including child welfare and law--and-order. People who find that a loved one has been gay-bashed or threatened with such see something very wrong with gay-bashing. It's a violent act, and even for a fundamentalist Christian it means that the homosexual beaten to death can never receive the Witness of Jesus that might lead the homosexual into a 'straight' orientation.

1. Do you feel that the wave of sexual assault and harassment allegations is also a consequence of the sexual revolution, even to the point of it being considered its dark side? Because the actions are so revolting, it may not be a popular opinion at the moment, but I am disturbed by the fact that many allegations are slamming those involved before there can be any due process, which is supposed to be guaranteed in criminal cases but seem not to apply in the workplace. Also the concept of innocent until proven guilty doesn't seem to apply there either. Punish the truly guilty, yes. But why can't it be approached with open-mindedness and willingness to be flexible. After all, anyone can take any comment made by another out of context if they just happen to be in a bad mood. We seem to have become both too sensitive and too insensitive at the same time. I do, for better or worse, find it quite disturbing that today so many are being shown the door for things they many have only received counseling for in times past.

2. The AIDS issue isn't really that much in the news anymore even though no positive cure has been found. But there are medications now available to prolong the life of a person exposed to the point that it is no longer quite the automatic death sentence that it once was. Besides, statistically we have a much greater probability of getting killed on the highways.

3. What do believe is behind the increasing hostile approached although such acts can never be truly justified?

4. Where does the Religious Right have that much political clout? Church attendance continue to decline throughout the denominations. If they had that much power, especially in Christian communities, wouldn't we have returned to a mindset where it is considered blasphemy to shop on Sundays?

5. (My own add-on) Can we only imagine what it means to have a heart-centered, passionate, liberated mind? More accurately, whey can't we moved toward a time when this kind of approach might be treated as an asset rather than a liability? For more on this one look at the thread I started about being unkind and less caring.

[pbrower2a]

(06-30-2018, 02:35 PM)beechnut79 Wrote:

(06-28-2018, 12:36 PM)pbrower2a Wrote:

(06-28-2018, 10:11 AM)beechnut79 Wrote: What do you feel got us into the current conservative mood on sexuality? We obviously though haven't returned to the scarlet letter days, and probably never will.

We probably missed our best chance to move toward sex work legalization during those freer, more swinging times of the 70s and early 80s. But no doubt the reason it didn't become a central issue was that for most it was so easy to get it for free.

And WWI was over by the time liquor prohibition began. It was for the most part a product of the WCTU (Women's Christian Temperance Union), ironically at a time when women didn't have anywhere near the economic and political clout that they do today.

1. a large number of children born out of wedlock, often with overtones of class *welfare) and raace (biracial children born to white women). Such was a consequence of the sexual revolution.

2. AIDS. Enough said about that.' Swinging' sexuality began to get the perception of excessive risk.

3. Tales of child sexual abuse and a climate becoming increasingly hostile to such.

4. the rise of the Religious Right in the 1970s and especially the 1980s.

It might seem that the struggle of homosexuals to get marital rights would look like a big liberal win -- but much of the struggle involved appealing to conservative concerns, including child welfare and law--and-order. People who find that a loved one has been gay-bashed or threatened with such see something very wrong with gay-bashing. It's a violent act, and even for a fundamentalist Christian it means that the homosexual beaten to death can never receive the Witness of Jesus that might lead the homosexual into a 'straight' orientation.

1. Do you feel that the wave of sexual assault and harassment allegations is also a consequence of the sexual revolution, even to the point of it being considered its dark side? Because the actions are so revolting, it may not be a popular opinion at the moment, but I am disturbed by the fact that many allegations are slamming those involved before there can be any due process, which is supposed to be guaranteed in criminal cases but seem not to apply in the workplace. Also the concept of innocent until proven guilty doesn't seem to apply there either. Punish the truly guilty, yes. But why can't it be approached with open-mindedness and willingness to be flexible. After all, anyone can take any comment made by another out of context if they just happen to be in a bad mood. We seem to have become both too sensitive and too insensitive at the same time. I do, for better or worse, find it quite disturbing that today so many are being shown the door for things they many have only received counseling for in times past.

Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words... people will always have sexual fantasies. Hollywood is infamous for exploiting those. Many men would love to have Scarlett Johannsen-- a Jewish mind in a Scandinavian body sounds sexy to me.

This said, sex brings out the stupidest behavior in us all. To put it kindly, any two morons who can't do anything else can have sex, which may explain why there are so many morons. People say dumb things that come off sexist or politically incorrect. We should expect this, as we are not saints. Problems come of course with the inexcusable assault or quid pro quo.

I still think that much is being covered up. People got away with a lot because of the question of credibility.

Quote:2. The AIDS issue isn't really that much in the news anymore even though no positive cure has been found. But there are medications now available to prolong the life of a person exposed to the point that it is no longer quite the automatic death sentence that it once was. Besides, statistically we have a much greater probability of getting killed on the highways.

True, but it mattered greatly in the past. If people are surviving twenty years with AIDS instead of seven, AIDS is something to avoid getting. Having caught myself dozing off behind the wheel, I try to ensure that I am not driving at such times, or that if I must drive, I am prepared to stop and take a nap even if I am a couple of miles from my destination. We all must contemplate the seriousness of risks and the rewards for taking the risk.

Quote:3. What do believe is behind the increasing hostile approach although such acts can never be truly justified?

It used to be easier to hide, especially in the authoritarian family in which any show of dissent was seen as a grave sin. Plenty of people used to feel an entitlement to beat children severely as 'discipline'. Such 'discipline' might have enforced incest. Or, in the ultimate example of traditional authoritarianism, the legendary jus primae noctis .

Quote:4. Where does the Religious Right have that much political clout? Church attendance continue to decline throughout the denominations. If they had that much power, especially in Christian communities, wouldn't we have returned to a mindset where it is considered blasphemy to shop on Sundays?

The denominations -- fundamentalist churches are often non-denominational, and thus pastors are exempt from supervision by a bishop or other such authority. (bishop, from episcopos, literally overseer). Such gives a pastor great leeway to tell his flock exactly what to do in ways that might be heretical or at least set off warning signals in some denominations. While denominations have been weakening, fundamentalist non-denominational churches are still growing.

The fault with the low formality is that these churches cannot get the funds for lobbying state, local, and federal governments. They do not have networks -- yet -- but that would reduce the power of the clergy.

Quote:5. (My own add-on) Can we only imagine what it means to have a heart-centered, passionate, liberated mind? More accurately, whey can't we moved toward a time when this kind of approach might be treated as an asset rather than a liability? For more on this one look at the thread I started about being unkind and less caring.

I am tempted to believe that the post-industrial world will give people freedom from the drudgery of the forty-hour workweek, much as the modernization of the economy as a necessary consequence of the Crash of 1929 made necessary shorter hours and more leisure. We cannot reasonably expect to work just to built personal fortunes (economic reality requires consumption as a driver of economic activity) or to buy stuff that we can never use (basically, hoarding). The only alternative to expanded leisure is a more oppressive economy in which people work more hours solely to enrich elites -- and that will go over badly.

But with more leisure, most of us will find that we use it for enrichment of our personal lives, lest we discover how empty our souls really are. We can buy more experiences, but let us remember well: few of us ever have a peak experience in the presence of some computer, TV, or even movie screen. We will mostly need more education just to deal with the added leisure unless the time is to become alienation. Mindless travel? Does anyone expect to find much delight in traveling the whole expanse of Interstate 35 between Duluth and Laredo? (OK, I have been on it 'only' between Des Moines and San Antonio). Interstate 80 from Cleveland to Cheyenne is no delight, either.

We should be teaching our children to appreciate great literature, art, music, and drama. Those are never wastes of time. Our physical education in schools should have a focus more on individual sports and outdoor recreation instead of team sports. I will remember some hiking and camping experiences more than many other events in my life. That's more important than making some big deal in a monetary transaction. Economic gain is at most a means to an end, and status symbols have meaning only in a milieu of mass poverty. We need to make time precious even if we get oodles of it. Having nothing but time and nothing constructive to do with it? That's what prison is.

[pbrower2a]

Here we go again.

Rep. Jim Jordan, the powerful Republican congressman from Ohio, is being accused by former wrestlers he coached more than two decades ago at Ohio State University of failing to stop the team doctor from molesting them and other students.
The university announced in April that it was investigating accusations that Dr. Richard Strauss, who died in 2005, abused team members when he was the team doctor from the mid-1970s to late 1990s.

Jordan, who was assistant wrestling coach at the university from 1986 to 1994, has repeatedly said he knew nothing of the abuse until former students began speaking out this spring. His denials, however, have been met with skepticism and anger from some former members of the wrestling team.

Three former wrestlers told NBC News that it was common knowledge that Strauss showered regularly with the students and inappropriately touched them during appointments, and said it would have been impossible for Jordan to be unaware; one wrestler said he told Jordan directly about the abuse.

Former head coach Russ Hellickson, Jordan's mentor, said in a recent video — made by Mike DiSabato, a former wrestler — that Hellickson had told Strauss that he was being too "hands on” with students.

DiSabato, whose allegations against Strauss prompted Ohio State to open its investigation, called Jordan a “liar.”
“I considered Jim Jordan a friend,” DiSabato said. “But at the end of the day, he is absolutely lying if he says he doesn’t know what was going on.”

DiSabato said he reached out to Jordan this year, before going to the university, to tell Jordan that he planned to go public with his allegations. Jordan told him to “please leave me out of it,” DiSabato said. “He asked me not to get him involved.”

Source: NBC News.

[pbrower2a]

As a straight male, I cannot imagine a more depressing place than the boy's or men's locker room.

[pbrower2a]

This is not a new episode of Parks and Recreation.

Quote:Four women have accused Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill ® of inappropriately touching them at a bar in March, according to a confidential memo obtained by the Indianapolis Star.

The allegations are the subject of an investigation by the Indiana General Assembly. The memo, prepared by the law firm Taft Stettinius & Hollister, came at the request of state lawmakers, the Star reported.

The memo alleges that Hill put his hands under one female lawmaker's clothes and grabbed her buttocks. It also alleges that the attorney general grabbed a legislative employee's buttocks, as well, and inappropriately hugged and touched two other employees.

At one point, the memo alleges, Hill told women at the bar that they needed to "show a little skin" if they wanted to get served faster.


The alleged touching and groping by Hill came at a party to celebrate the end of the legislative session. Hill, according to the memo, was "very intoxicated" at the gathering.

Hill denied the allegations in a statement to the Star, saying that "at no time was my behavior inappropriate nor did I touch anyone in an inappropriate manner."

"The atmosphere was light and jovial, as would be expected in a bar," Hill said, according to the Star. "I interacted with several people — talking, laughing, and telling stories."

http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/...e-touching

[pbrower2a]

Exclusive: Kimberly Guilfoyle Left Fox News After Investigation Into Misconduct Allegations, Sources Say

Sources tell HuffPost that Guilfoyle, who is dating Donald Trump Jr., engaged in emotionally abusive behavior and showed colleagues personal photos of male genitalia.


When it was revealed last week that longtime Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle would be leaving the network, some Fox News and White House insiders were surprised that she was choosing to move on from the cable news channel and head to a pro-Donald Trump super PAC. For nearly two years — even once rumors eventually kicked up that she might join the Trump administration — Guilfoyle said that, as a single mother, she had to think of her son’s financial future and couldn’t afford to leave the high-paying gig, multiple sources told HuffPost.

Guilfoyle’s departure was initially billed as her decision. However, as HuffPost first reported last week, multiple sources said she did not leave the network voluntarily. They said Guilfoyle was informed her time at Fox News was up following a human resources investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior including sexual misconduct, and that her lawyers had been involved since the spring. Sources also said that despite being told she would have to leave by July, Guilfoyle repeatedly attempted to delay her exit and tried to have her allies appeal to Rupert Murdoch, the executive chairman of 21st Century Fox, the parent company of Fox News, to let her stay at the network.

This story is based on interviews conducted over the past year with 21 sources inside and outside Fox News and 21st Century Fox. All sources spoke to HuffPost on the condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorized to speak to the press, did not want to raise Guilfoyle’s ire or have signed nondisclosure agreements that prevent them from speaking to others about their experiences.

Guilfoyle announced Tuesday that she had left Fox News.

In response to an email with a list of 19 detailed questions, Guilfoyle’s attorney John Singer wrote the following statement:

Quote:“Any accusations of Kimberly engaging in inappropriate work-place conduct are unequivocally baseless and have been viciously made by disgruntled and self-interested employees. During her lengthy and decorated tenure with the company, Kimberly was beloved, well-respected, and supportive of anyone she ever met. It’s utterly preposterous that there are those who are nefariously and greedily twisting innocent conversations amongst close friends into much more than what it actually was for financial gain. Kimberly has happily moved onto the next chapter of her life and hopes others will do the same.”

Multiple sources told HuffPost that Guilfoyle’s exit from Fox News, where she had worked since 2006, came after her alleged inappropriate workplace behavior could no longer be tolerated by the network. Vanity Fair, which broke the story about Guilfoyle leaving the network, and The Daily Beast, which reported that Fox News staff allegedly waged a “hostile whisper campaign” against Guilfoyle, have said she crossed the line by using network makeup artists for personal outings, but the accusations Guilfoyle faced were much more serious.

Six sources said Guilfoyle’s behavior included (I am not going to relate this disgusting, explicit behavior), regularly discussing sexual matters at work and engaging in emotionally abusive behavior toward hair and makeup artists and support staff.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kim...5aba96f4de

Comment: I have no idea of how true this is. This is not the sort of story that one wants in plain sight of children.

FoX Propaganda is a Channel snake pit, and I would never allow children to watch it.