Europeans blamed neighboring peoples as the source of the disease: the French disease, the English disease, etc.
And, of course, condoms were referred to later as 'French letters.'
If condoms were not used, the offspring were called 'bastards.'
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Blaming Syphilis On the Other Guy
In the early part of the sixteenth century, a new disease spread like wildfire in Europe. This was syphilis, a sexually-transmitted disease. It was especially virulent, and was sometimes called the Great Pox, a distinction from smallpox.
Europeans blamed neighboring peoples as the source of the disease: the French disease, the English disease, etc.
And, of course, condoms were referred to later as 'French letters.'
If condoms were not used, the offspring were called 'bastards.'
Europeans blamed neighboring peoples as the source of the disease: the French disease, the English disease, etc.
And, of course, condoms were referred to later as 'French letters.'
If condoms were not used, the offspring were called 'bastards.'
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Sin City, Part Two
Having reviewed the various claimants to the title of 'Sin City' recently, we now have to explore our various options in Eastern North Dakota/Western Minnesota. Let's face it, if people from the coasts think of our neck of the plains at all, 'sin city' does not come easily to mind. Therefore, any touristy initiatives into this area need careful consideration.
First of all, this calls for an occasion for the various cities to pool their resources and develop the infrastructure for whatever vices we choose to adopt as our specialty. Grand Forks or Mankato or Fargo make a small footprint by themselves.
Secondly, we must train our vice providers appropriately so as to be able to compete for the discriminating consumer. For example, if we adopt prostitution as our 'sin,' we need to hire the best tarts from Minneapolis or even Des Moines! Likewise for gluttony. Lutefisk and hot dish sounds like a nonstarter. We need to ramp up our cuisine! Anger is hard, given that we live in a land of Cockaigne.
Vanity is a possibility. We can be vain about our cold weather. We can envy Chicago or Boston, with its culture, New Orleans or San Francisco with its fine food, or Loa Angeles, with its preternaturally thin people and endless sun.
Sloth seems to be the best bet. We don't have to do anything. Who knows, some moneybags will come along and prepare us the run for Congress!
First of all, this calls for an occasion for the various cities to pool their resources and develop the infrastructure for whatever vices we choose to adopt as our specialty. Grand Forks or Mankato or Fargo make a small footprint by themselves.
Secondly, we must train our vice providers appropriately so as to be able to compete for the discriminating consumer. For example, if we adopt prostitution as our 'sin,' we need to hire the best tarts from Minneapolis or even Des Moines! Likewise for gluttony. Lutefisk and hot dish sounds like a nonstarter. We need to ramp up our cuisine! Anger is hard, given that we live in a land of Cockaigne.
Vanity is a possibility. We can be vain about our cold weather. We can envy Chicago or Boston, with its culture, New Orleans or San Francisco with its fine food, or Loa Angeles, with its preternaturally thin people and endless sun.
Sloth seems to be the best bet. We don't have to do anything. Who knows, some moneybags will come along and prepare us the run for Congress!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
No Longer Fighting Sioux
Yesterday, the citizens of North Dakota voted to remove the Fighting Sious nickname and logo from the University of North Dakota.
This was strictly cowing to outside pressure.
Damn the NCAA! May they fall in an open septic tank!
I'm going out to buy some Fighting Sioux sportswear, and wear it irregardless. I'd even visit the NC-f**king Ay Ay wearing it!
Sometimes we have to accomodate the other 49 states. t's not easy to swallow that, though. This should not be construed as a political statement.
This was strictly cowing to outside pressure.
Damn the NCAA! May they fall in an open septic tank!
I'm going out to buy some Fighting Sioux sportswear, and wear it irregardless. I'd even visit the NC-f**king Ay Ay wearing it!
Sometimes we have to accomodate the other 49 states. t's not easy to swallow that, though. This should not be construed as a political statement.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Sin City, Part One
Since I'm thinking about moving to Minneapolis, known here as 'Sin City,' I absent-mindedly looked up Sin City in Wikipedia. The following entries were there:
Atlantic City, New Jersey is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey and a nationally renowned resort city for (gambling, bookmaking, drinking, prostitution, strip clubs, clubbing). The old days, it was also known for organized crime, bookmaking, bootlegging, brothels, illegal gambling, speakeasies, police corruption, political corruption, prostitution.
Baltimore, Maryland, United States, The Block (prostitution, drugs, strip clubs, organized crime)
Lynn, Massachusetts, United States (gambling, prostitution, drinking, drugs, gangs, violence, corruption, brothels, organized crime)
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States (gambling, bookmaking, easy marriage, easy divorce, sex shows, strip clubs, cabarets, prostitution, (However, prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas and Clark County), clubbing, 24-hour liquor sales (as in all of Nevada); quote: "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."). In former days it was known also for organized crime and corruption.
Los Angeles and neighboring Hollywood (film, television, modeling, music, (i.e. glam metal, gangsta rap), paparazzi, plastic surgery, porn industry, publishing industries, sports, tabloids, air pollution, bank robberies, car chases, clubs, drugs, homeless people, gangs, notorious slums in the poorer areas of L.A., (major glamorous destination for many teen runaways).
New York City (films, music, modeling, tabloids, television, paparazzi, formerly porn industry (Times Square), many teenage runaways, organized crime, BDSM clubs, street performers, gangsta rap.
Reno, Nevada (gambling, drinking, strip clubs, clubbing, easy marriage, easy divorce, prostitution, (However, prostitution is illegal in Reno and Washoe County), 24-hour liquor sales, as in all of Nevada.
Tijuana, Mexico (Organized crime, gangs, drug trafficking, clubbing, drinking, police corruption, political corruption, prostitution)
Former Sin Cities:
New York City in the mid to late 19th Century (prostitution, brothels, illegal gambling, notorious slums, pickpocketing, police corruption, political corruption, drugs, gangs, organized crime), Times Square from the mid-1960s until circa 1990 (prostitution, pornography, go-go bars, sex shops, sex shows, squeegee men, strip clubs, clubbing, drugs, organized crime)
New Orleans from 1897 through 1917, Storyville district (prostitution, brothels, gambling, and speakeasies)
Chicago in the 1920s to 1930s (prostitution, bootlegging, cabarets, speakeasies, illegal gambling, bank robberies, police corruption, organized crime, and gang activity)
Galveston, Texas in the 1920s to 1957 (prostitution, organized crime, gambling, speakeasies, drinking, political corruption)
Montreal, which earned a reputation for vice through American tourists fleeing the prohibition laws.
In 1955, Terre Haute, IN was labeled Sin City by the monthly magazine Stag. (reputation for being "wide open", with gambling and a well-developed "red light district").
In the 1980-1990s Michigan City, IN was considered Sin City, with the proliferation of massage parlors
As you can see, a number of places have claimed that title, whether deservedly or not.
Atlantic City, New Jersey is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey and a nationally renowned resort city for (gambling, bookmaking, drinking, prostitution, strip clubs, clubbing). The old days, it was also known for organized crime, bookmaking, bootlegging, brothels, illegal gambling, speakeasies, police corruption, political corruption, prostitution.
Baltimore, Maryland, United States, The Block (prostitution, drugs, strip clubs, organized crime)
Lynn, Massachusetts, United States (gambling, prostitution, drinking, drugs, gangs, violence, corruption, brothels, organized crime)
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States (gambling, bookmaking, easy marriage, easy divorce, sex shows, strip clubs, cabarets, prostitution, (However, prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas and Clark County), clubbing, 24-hour liquor sales (as in all of Nevada); quote: "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."). In former days it was known also for organized crime and corruption.
Los Angeles and neighboring Hollywood (film, television, modeling, music, (i.e. glam metal, gangsta rap), paparazzi, plastic surgery, porn industry, publishing industries, sports, tabloids, air pollution, bank robberies, car chases, clubs, drugs, homeless people, gangs, notorious slums in the poorer areas of L.A., (major glamorous destination for many teen runaways).
New York City (films, music, modeling, tabloids, television, paparazzi, formerly porn industry (Times Square), many teenage runaways, organized crime, BDSM clubs, street performers, gangsta rap.
Reno, Nevada (gambling, drinking, strip clubs, clubbing, easy marriage, easy divorce, prostitution, (However, prostitution is illegal in Reno and Washoe County), 24-hour liquor sales, as in all of Nevada.
Tijuana, Mexico (Organized crime, gangs, drug trafficking, clubbing, drinking, police corruption, political corruption, prostitution)
Former Sin Cities:
New York City in the mid to late 19th Century (prostitution, brothels, illegal gambling, notorious slums, pickpocketing, police corruption, political corruption, drugs, gangs, organized crime), Times Square from the mid-1960s until circa 1990 (prostitution, pornography, go-go bars, sex shops, sex shows, squeegee men, strip clubs, clubbing, drugs, organized crime)
New Orleans from 1897 through 1917, Storyville district (prostitution, brothels, gambling, and speakeasies)
Chicago in the 1920s to 1930s (prostitution, bootlegging, cabarets, speakeasies, illegal gambling, bank robberies, police corruption, organized crime, and gang activity)
Galveston, Texas in the 1920s to 1957 (prostitution, organized crime, gambling, speakeasies, drinking, political corruption)
Montreal, which earned a reputation for vice through American tourists fleeing the prohibition laws.
In 1955, Terre Haute, IN was labeled Sin City by the monthly magazine Stag. (reputation for being "wide open", with gambling and a well-developed "red light district").
In the 1980-1990s Michigan City, IN was considered Sin City, with the proliferation of massage parlors
As you can see, a number of places have claimed that title, whether deservedly or not.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
A Movie That Portrays Women in a Positive Way?
Contestants in the Miss USA Pageant appearing on Sunday night were asked what movie comes to mind when thinking of films that portray women in a positive way?
Miss Ohio Audrey Bolte answered "Pretty Woman," in which Julia Roberts played a prostitute in a remake of the Cinderella story.
The character "came out on top and she didn’t let anybody stay in her path."
Miss Ohio Audrey Bolte answered "Pretty Woman," in which Julia Roberts played a prostitute in a remake of the Cinderella story.
The character "came out on top and she didn’t let anybody stay in her path."
Friday, June 1, 2012
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