OT: Insert assorted swear words here.

[Merryprankster]

I've got a month long conference to attend, and the read ahead documents number in the tens, and most are around 30 pages. The conference starts in two weeks.

Who are the retards that did this and where do I go to kill them?!

[Mr Punch]

I blame GDA. Go to the training forum; you'll find him there.

[Merryprankster]

*throws on requisite MMA wear, grows some bizzare facial hair and gets a few more tattoos, while jumping on the "bench only* exercise routine*

GDA.... I'm comin' for YOU!

[Mr Punch]

That's the way to do it!

Oh, wait! He's behiiiind youuuu!

[Merryprankster]

*quickly protects brownstar from violation, squeals like a little girl, runs off in a panic*

[Mr Punch]

*quickly protects brownstar from violation, squeals like a little girl, runs off in a panic*

What is this 'brownstar' of which you speak, and are you suggesting that yon GDA would indeed be intent on violating it?

*also runs away shrieking*

[Merryprankster]

I don't know what GDA is capable of.

I heard something once, involving monkeys, midgets and molasses, but swore never to speak of it.

[Merryprankster]

OMG... I just wasted 20 minutes reading a 28 page paper loaded with citations, making the most banal and obvious of points.

I fear for the writer's capabilities - who gave this butt-monkey a computer?! And, I fear for the poor fool that recommended the article in the read-ahead package. I hope I have little interaction with them.

[Merryprankster]

Ah, but now I'm on a good one.

A non-banal point:

"When cultural difference is given social relevance, the relationship is politicized and thereby becomes ethnic. Both choice and constraint characterize ethnicity."

[Mr Punch]

Ah, but now I'm on a good one.

A non-banal point:

"When cultural difference is given social relevance, the relationship is politicized and thereby becomes ethnic. Both choice and constraint characterize ethnicity."

What relationship? That between two different cultures? It's a bit difficult to tell without context.

How can a relationship become ethnic?

Are you a sociologist? Dang, and I thought you were a sensible, logical, scientific fellow!

[Mr Punch]

And don't bring butt-monkeys into it... GDA will be all over it for sure!

[Merryprankster]

No, I'm not a sociologist. I'm an international affairs guy. But I find that my leanings tend to be towards the constructivist side of the house with some neo-liberal tempering, vice realist/neo-realist.

His point is that when cultural differences (subjective or otherwise) between two groups starts to have some kind of RELATIVE impact on their lives (ie, one group is better off, or has more power or, is simply DEFINED and has different, competing interests), then an ethnic group is created because you've got an "us" and a "them," the very basis of identity.

The creation of "Hispanic" in the U.S. for instance, is an ethnic group which has no basis in anything other than a common language and from the new world. Never mind that a Guatemalan and a Puerto Rican are way different. That ethnic group undoubtedly exists. Or an even starker contrast - the Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda - almost completely artificial, created by the Belgians.

The issue of choice and constraint is important: People choose to belong to that group in that they accept that the ethnic group exists - in essence they imbue the identity, artificial or not, with legitimacy (like the Hutus and Tutsis). They could have just rejected the identity, but didn't and embraced it to some degree or other. A Guatemalan and Puerto Rican might highlight some differences between themselves, but might also classify themselves as hispanic.

And constraint: it tells you who is in your group and who isn't - is a Brazilian Hispanic? Some people might argue they speak Portuguese, so no, but they ARE Latinos, etc.

It was highly relevant to his article, which revolved around accommodation politics in deeply divided societies (Netherlands, Israel, India as case studies), because it was about the ebb and flow of identity and the impact that had on each country's politics....and the impact each country's politics had on identity.

[Kristoffer]

this should be about posting swear words.

[golden arhat]

What is this 'brownstar' of which you speak, and are you suggesting that yon GDA would indeed be intent on violating it?

*also runs away shrieking*

u never knoe

but everythings fair game for that guy

[Merryprankster]

It's true. All is fair in love, war and GDA.