Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

^ It was kind of the coming-of-age novel for that generation. JD Saliinger = Douglas Coupland.

Female genital mutilation is practiced by Muslims, Christians, Jews, and various tribal religions. Some religious leaders endorse it, some condone it, so although religion may play a role, it's really not the main issue. The truth is that it's more of a cultural problem. In the regional areas in which it is commonly practiced it is often considered a prerequisite for marriage. And many of these girls do not have economic alternatives to marriage (such as the ability to provide a living for themselves as adults). Thus, many parents opt for FGM for their girls thinking they are doing the right thing.

Understanding the cultural context is the best way to help prevent this practice. Which is why blaming it on the Muslim faith is counterproductive and oversimplified. Organizations trying to end FGM try to convince both parents to refuse FGM and to convince bachelors to marry uncut women. Also, they have created new coming of age rituals for girls in order to start a new tradition.

I think it's interesting the reporter doesn't ask similar questions about the boys being circumcised. Also, even tho these women seem to think that their faith is in agreement with the practice they also say that the practice makes girls "calm" and one says it makes them "grow tall and beautiful". So, I would say that these ideas along with the insistence that it's a religious practice are all just part of the rationalization and justification of the act.

Wow, this stuff really gets me. I never saw the first episode but did see most episodes. However, for the life of me, I can't recall now what happens at the end of the series. How did everyone end up?

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Whoa. Just read all that happened on the WikiPedia page... This show always touches me. Not sure why, but I imagine it's because I was coming of age when it originally aired and I guess I related a lot to the old Kevmeister back then.

A few points:

1. Nobody is doing any nude scene, especially not full frontal. Nobody wants to see computer nerds naked.
2. Kulpims is the resident fluffer, in case anybody just needs a pick-me-up.
3. It is not a romantic comedy, because we couldn't get Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan to resurrect their careers.
4. Blankfist is not allowed within 50 feet of Kulpims' mom, and he knows it. The law is the law.
5. Anybody with no vowels in their username will be killed off within the first ten seconds of their screen time, by a Vanna White impersonator.
6. There will be no bestiality, unless blankfist's mom wants a role. But let her know this isn't Beethoven 5, okay?
7. 90 percent of the people on this site will be extras, because I don't have a clue about most of you.
8. Nobody will be coming of age, coming out of the closet, coming clean or coming to grip with a deep-seated emotional problem. There will be no coming in this movie at all.

That is all for now.

KP is a slut.

Okay, now that is all.

This sounds like it will be wonderously bizzare. Can't wait to see the results! Except for the inevitable blankfist /kronoposeidon coming of age scenes.

So, you do not believe that any of the things I pointed have pointed out so far are “logically defensible?” The DOE report is wrong. It is based on faulty pricing assumptions and talks about profitability of expansion under those conditions. The assumption that there is not enough oil to make a difference in this country is false as well. The surveys of some of the areas that we could drill that were conducted in the 80’s used outdated equipment and faulty methods. Their estimations have been proven completely wrong by enormous amounts. You do not think we reached a common ground by agreeing that the current situation will promote conservation and exploration of alternatives? I have said much more than “I disagree.” I have cited factual information and discussed the reports you have posted.

Do I think drilling will bring back $1.50/gal gasoline? This is a loaded question considering prices have *never* been rock steady. We have built up an anti-oil mentality in this country over many years, blocked expansion, and brought a majority of the price increase on ourselves. I most definitely believe that drilling coupled with releasing a small portion of our reserves to the market will drop prices. You may not immediately drop to a solid $1.50/gal, but gas prices always have been and always will be in flux. Newer estimates are placing the number of barrels in the OCS conservatively at 86 billion. That will definitely make a difference in our domestic supply vs. imports. Don’t forget there are even more untapped oil reserves throughout this country besides the OCS that can be drilled as well. This is even excluding all the oil shale resources which the US has in abundance. As I see it, the only reason to oppose drilling comes from beliefs that it will destroy the environment which is a myth.

As for global warming, I’ve discussed it many times here before. The last I can remember was in Fedquip’s sift talk post claiming the debate is over here:
http://nature.videosift.com/talk/The-Decade-long-Conversation-to-nowhere
I’m tired of rewriting the same information over and over again. If you want to pick a category off of Wikipedia to pigeonhole me I would say I can fall under:
Global warming is not occurring or has ceased
Believe accuracy of IPCC climate projections is inadequate
Believe global warming is primarily caused by natural processes.
Those all cover my general beliefs. Warming trends ended nearly a decade ago. I think global warming is based in fear and is used to push particular agendas through the threat of a coming apocalypse. I also believe our understanding of the Earth and its complex climate patterns is still very limited. As more evidence is uncovered of warming periods prior to the industrial revolution which were even more intense than the one experienced at the height of the global warming frenzy, I think we begin to see just how little we really know. Talk is even beginning now of global cooling as the fears of a coming ice age are about to be recycled.

http://www.mms.gov/offshore/
http://www.johncornyn.com/posts/345

Great clip.

I just thought I'd contribute another book I'm busy reading because it's extremely relevant to this topic. It's called "Generation on Hold: Coming of Age in the Late Twentieth Century" by Professors James Cote & Anton Alahar.

It has some great information and statistics on the failings of mass education systems (in Canada and the U.S), and talks about the political economy and it's effect on adolescents including gender intensification, identity manipulation etc etc. It's a great read.

At last! The solution to all the energy problems of the world! Billions and Billions of kitties acting in eternal servitude, chained permanently to revolving treadmills, generating the energy humanity requires to survive the coming dark ages! We'l finally have our revenge! BWAA HAA HAA!

You're first Issy- payback for 500 damn cutesy videos!

Lithic, I was shocked too that anyone could take 24 seriously. That was until I saw an interview with an instructor at West point. He found that many of his students thought Jack Bauer's character was heroic, and said they would do "whatever it took" to get information that would save American lives.

Young recruits are often naive, full of patriotic zeal, and eager to go out and prove themselves heroes. That's what makes them so malleable, and it's exactly why we go out and recruit kids directly from high school.

I don't mean any insult to brave young people who want to help their country. But maturity, sound judgment, and empathy really are things that come with age. And we shouldn't let anyone lacking those qualities care for prisoners, or deal with foreign civilians.

It's Transformers all over again Leave the coming of age teenagers in their own movies, stop tainting everything!

I still love this song. Back in the 70's, I used to laugh at the guys who always listened to 50's music. My grandfolks always listened to Big Band. I guess when we come of age, certain songs just have more meaning.

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose.... The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of time.
But it was a beginning."

Robert Jordan fought a valiant fight against cancer. It is a sad day, Robert Jordan will be missed. RIP

For more info visit Dragonmount.

Superbad sucked. The only character that stands out is McLovin, and he plays the straight man to a couple of morons....call me old-fashioned-this film was gratuitous crapola.....how's this for a coming of age classic...."A Boy and His Dog"-

You're assuming the monk thinks like you, Glu. He could also be ignoring the question because, since he recognises that with more and more exposure to Han culture, his religion could indeed become obsolete and that it makes sense, as you observed, to focus on the positive aspect of his culture, which is that peace and harmony is valued and nurtured within a unique family structure.

These people are not monotheists, but they are deeply spiritual and the rituals they perform at all the important milestones in life, like births and naming ceremonies, coming of age ceremonies and wakes, have played a huge part in shaping their amazing culture.

"Nothing is more cathartic than the heartache and bitter, bitter tears"

Does such misery and cynicism come with age? Dear God I better OD soon!