- Insecure minds wired for pattern-finding. (Thanks to a couple of folks.)
- Saudi cleric thinks women showing two eyes is just too seductive, and has called for women to wear a full veil that reveals only one eye.
- A brief history of disbelief: a documentary on atheism, viewable online.
- From National Geographic, the best science images of 2008.
I “enjoy” how the entire premise to subjugate a woman in the middle east is that men can’t possibly control themselves if even one square centimeter of her is showing. Maybe there is something to be said for our society where you can see, for example, EYES (and boobs, and skin, and…well everything else) just about anywhere. Men have learned that they’re just body parts and women don’t deserved to be raped just for having them and wanting to, for example, SEE.
@Kimbo Jones: Maybe all the women in saudi arabia need to dress with freddy kruger masks, then maybe they won’t have a problem with the overly sex-crazed men over there. Or maybe the clerics need to stfu and get freaking life. I don’t think the reason for the subjugation of women is that men over there have no self control, it is merely what has rapidly become the justification for it.
ok, the science images totally rock. thanks for the pleasant wake up call, jen :)
So d’ya reckon they’ll be removing all the lamp posts and pavement post boxes in Saudi Arabia so the poor women with no depth perception wont walk into them?
@Jon D: Not unless they cause the men some sort of sexual arousal. I’m assuming that it will be viewed as some sort of justice for women being the evil seductresses that they are.
The article about insecure minds finding patterns is so interesting.
@Jon D: Tsk, what are the harlots doing outside in the first place? Evil one-eyed temptresses.
In case someone doesn’t realize it, last sentence in the previous statement is meant as sarcasm. I have no idea how such things would be viewed, and I think it highly unlikely that, despite this particular clerics influence, that the overall Saudi society will in fact start forcing the wearing of this particular garb, resulting in the loss of depth perception.
My previous statement, though Amanda made my point in a much wittier fashion.
And how about a simple strap of cloth that covers both eyes to men? That would prevent them from seeing not just women, but anything that could tempt them into sin. And it would be much cheaper, too!
@Andrés Diplotti: Drat, you beat me to it, I was thinking the same thing! Although, I would go further and demand full veils for men. Alternatively, the real “solution” to this whole problem is the third option suggested in this clip from Blackadder II.
Also, science pictures are delicious!
I think this cleric is on to something because whenever I see a skepchick avatar I just can’t keep my hands out of my pants!
So you’re trying to tell me that the overweight, trailer-borne woman in a mumu with the Georgian accent is only insecure? And that conspiracy theorists only feel a lack of control? You must all be working for The Man! Stop questioning my sexuality!
That aside, a documentary on disbelief not hosted by Richard Dawkins? I’ll believe that when I (have time to) see it.
Wow.. the findings in that insecure minds article could be applied to so many areas: politics, drug use (hallucinations and paranoia), being worried your partner is cheating, work related stress and so on.. good find!!
Obviously, that cleric’s never heard of Veronica Lake.
I agree with Kimbo’s statement above that their entire premise is silly. Maybe the clerics should spend their time teaching their male church members a little self-control.
I have no sympathy for these idiots. I suggest they wrap the blindfold (that they suggest for the women) around their own necks and hang themselves from the nearest lamp post.
@jtradke: HA, just as I cannot keep MY hands out of MY pants whenever I see T-Rex. Rowr!
And a note on the best science images — boy did National Science Foundation drop the ball on that one, big time! “Squid suckers” has appeared in my RSS feed at least six times, but this is the first I’ve noticed the first-place winner. GO SQUID SUCKERS!
That Jonathan Miller documentary is highly recommended, by the way. I watched it a few months ago, and it’s very good stuff. It provides particularly good coverage of the ancient atheists, which is a good perspective considering that most people seem to view atheism as starting with Dawkins or, if they’re feeling particularly generous, Bertrand Russell.
I heard about the insecurity study on NPR on the ride home from work. My first thought was how it dovetailed with the study that shows that political conservatives are basically scared of the world. This shows a nice correlation between fundies and conservatives. They are both scared of a world that is too complex for them to understand.
Thank you so much for the science pics. They made me smile.
Maybe the best thing for the men in SA wouldn’t be a blindfold. That could fall off after all. Maybe they should just have their eyes surgically removed. Then they wouldn’t ever have to worry about seeing something offensive.
Doesn’t the bible say something like “if thy eye offend thee pluck it out.” Or something like that?
That first post is insightful. I know that when I’m driving in the mountains late at night, my fear of hitting a deer leads to me thinking I’m seeing deer *everywhere*! Mailboxes, tree limbs…. oh wait, that last one WAS a deer…
Best science images and no astronomy? Pshaw…
Misogyny makes me sick. The problem isn’t seductiveness, just a hatred of females, thus any solution that involves self-control on the part of the men is clearly unacceptable. Blech…
“Squid Suckers!” A great name for a rock band! :-D
Thanks, Jen, for that insecurity/pattern article. I was so intrigued, I went and grabbed a copy of the actual Science article from the college library.
(I’m still reading it.)
For me, it says so much about people, and even think it applies to things like “hypnotism” (which is a subject I’m fascinated by).
I also think it speaks to how the Skeptics community might go about spreading critical thinking skills: teach people control. Also, “self-affirmation”, as they described it, reversed the results… so this is another trick up the skeptical sleeve.
Which is another great name for a band: “The Skeptical Sleeve”. And their first album could be “Aren’t You Gunna Look That Up On Snopes”.
Or perhaps I’m just out of control and perceive the article as meaning more than it does. Shit!
(cut to Richard Dreyfus sculpting mashed potatoes)
“This means something. This is important. “
@killyosaur42 and QuestionAuthority: I can’t speak to what is actually the reason they do what they do; I just find it funny that men are happy to have everyone *believe* that’s the reason. They seem okay with “we are weak and lack self control” over “we are strong and make the laws”. So essentially the women have to do the extra work to make up for the men being admitted childish idiots. Silly. Silly silly silly.
Taking every fourth letter of that insecurity article tells me my girlfriend is cheating on me.
I had heard about that study on NPR Science Friday and wondered if they were ever going to mention religion in that list of ‘illusory patterns’ such as UFOs, Bigfoot, Loch Ness Monster, etc…but alas it never happened.
One eye visible? What’s wrong with those mesh veil burkas where you can’t see in, but the entity inside can look out?
Like this: http://www.trekearth.com/ gallery/photo253709.htm