Stuff that's too good for the shoutbox but not enough for its own thread

[AnonymousIdiotSavant]

North Korea blame loss to U.S. on players getting struck by lightning - Dirty Tackle - World SoccerBlog - Yahoo! Sports

North Korea blame loss to U.S. on players getting struck by lightning

A couple of second-half goals gave the U.S. a 2-0 win over North Korea and a strong start to their Women's World Cup run. The eighth-ranked North Koreans have the youngest team in the tournament with an average age of 20. Still, their discipline and skill gave the U.S. a lot of trouble in the first half before controversial starter Lauren Cheney justified her selection by heading in the first goal in the 54th minute and defender Rachel Buehler scored a second in the 76th minute.

After the match, North Korea manager Kwang Min Kim shocked the congregated press by revealing that his side isn't just the youngest team, but it is also the only team in the tournament that's been struck by lightning.

From the BBC:

"When we stayed in Pyongyang during training our players were hit by lightning, and more than five of them were hospitalised," said coach Kim.

"Some stayed in hospital and then came to Germany later than the rest of us. The goalkeeper and the four defenders were most affected, and some midfielders as well. The physicians said the players were not capable of participating in the tournament.

"But World Cup football is the most important and significant event for a footballer, so they don't want to think about anything but football.

"The fact that they played could be called abnormal, the result of very strong will."

Given the secretive nature of the North Koreans, we may never know if this is true or not. The players aren't allowed to speak to the press, their training sessions are protected by security guards and closed to outsiders, and their public appearances regularly get canceled. Plus, it is curious that Kim only mentioned this freak occurrence after his team lost.

If it is true, a lightning strike that just so happened to injure four defenders and disrupt their training could explain why their back line seemed to fall apart in the second half after holding the U.S. scoreless in the first. But even if it's not true, it's still a tremendous excuse that others should now try in everyday life.

[Zichao]

Mills and Boon 'cause marital breakdown' - Telegraph

Wow. Okay, everyone's aware of the Torygraph's tough on women, tough on the causes of women attitude, but we're rapidly approaching Yellow Wallpaper territory here.

[Gilles de Rais]

Awesome! I think they're on to something... How many men dream of their big white wedding, hmmm?

[Zichao]

Either that, or the fact that if you've got an unsatisfying marriage you're far more likely to turn to Mills and Boon for relief.

[Gilles de Rais]

Your jujistu is strong, young one. Yes, that's a possible explanation as well.

But my personal experience is that little girls get obsessed with princess stuff way early, before sex or marriage is even understood/known, let alone a real possibility... And that, even over the wishes of the parents.

From an obsession with princess stuff comes all the evil of delusion and too-high-expectations...

And, c'mon, we both hate "Madame Bovary" but that was basically the whole argument of the guy. And, in the 19C, as I keep saying, some parents were barring their teenage daughters from reading Walter Scott kind of stuff...

[Zichao]

I could agree with the conclusion that all women are easily-led morons, but I feel that in the circumstances my opinion wouldn't be worth very much...

[Gilles de Rais]

And I am mostly yanking your chain... OTOH, it doesn't have to be just women who are easily led morons... Men might be just as easily led morons but it'll about something else... Or differently...

[contracycle]

It's also about the sheer quantity of reinforcement. The idea that her marriage is the most important day in a woman's life is relentlessly promoted. There's even a reality show on now in which the tension arises from having the groom do all the wedding planning, thereby sabotaging the brides hoped-for big day experience.

I don't see that it useful to observe this and to take from it the idea that women are being insulted by those who deconstruct these assumptions rather than by the people who hammer them out. Mills & Boon have a lovely little feedback loop going - create unrealistic images of romance, and then sell escapist solace to the disapointed.

[Zichao]

At least a failed marriage only affects those directly involved, unlike, say, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which are the product of equally unrealistic, stereotypically male fantasies.

[Gilles de Rais]

Ah but do males go to war because they're unhappy with their sex lives? If that's the case (as Alain Souchon does imply in "Sous les jupes des filles" Dailymotion - Alain Souchon-Sous Les Jupes Des Filles - une vidéo Music - "Under girls' skirts") then Iraq war can be traced back directly to Mills and Boons...

Yeah, I am not being entirely serious...

But, as you yourself said: 99% of humanity are morons. That would imply then that 99% of women are morons... So, don't worry, we are all equally moronic, present company excluded...