Stressed out on Caffeine!

Yesterday's post was monumentally serious. I need to follow it up with silliness... but in all seriousness, people in North America are clueless as to how to make an espresso. It is quite pitiful. The worse part is that they are completely unaware of their own ineptitude at making a decent espresso. So much so that, so called, espresso cafés like Starbucks now litter the landscape. Yet what people mainly order from these places is not espresso, but oddly concocted espresso drinks. You know all those latte/mochaccino type deals. I think they might be ordering all of those things because North Americans couldn't make a good espresso to save their lives and need to mask their bad espresso under all this foamy dressing. I know that's what I do when I'm at a café here. I am so sure that the espresso is going to be awful that I always order a cappuccino, because that will usually be drinkable.

This is NOT the case when I am in Portugal or at home. At my house I have a really great little espresso machine that I know how to use properly and Portugal has simply the best espresso I have ever had at almost any café in the whole of the country. See, your espresso SHOULD have a layer of tan coffee foam resting on the black espresso. This foamy tan stuff should be thick enough that it stays glued to the sides of your espresso cup as you drink it. If all you see is black when you look into your coffee cup you know you are in for some bad espresso. I don't think many people in North America understand this. So I am often invited to these cafés to have espresso drinks with people who think they like espresso, but don't really. In fact they usually say they don't actually like espresso, they just like these highfalutin espresso "drinks". Perhaps it is because they've never had a half decent espresso. Either way I would like them to stop talking like espresso some kind of phenomenon in North America, when they so clearly have no idea what good espresso is like! :P

Oh... and a picture of espresso in Portugal! Do you see the tan foam?

Feminism vs. Equality

The people who know me call me a feminist. I have always found that a bit difficult to take ownership of because I am male. It's not that I am not for the ideals of feminism at all, but the fact that I am a man makes me sometimes feel like I am treading on someone else's ground. I prefer Equalitist. I mean that is what I really believe in. The fact is that there is no inherent difference between women and men other than the purely physiological differences that are obvious. I despise the concept of gender and the idea that women think/act in one way and men in another. It is all just a societal fabrication that gets enforced as we grow up. Luckily or unluckily, depending on your point of view, I grew up almost completely without any of those myths about what boys should do/act vs. what girls should do/act. I simply don't view men and women as being all that different and it really bothers me when people are made to feel like they have to do things to fit their gender stereotype. Examples like men need to have short hair, women having to shave their bodies, each gender having to wear a certain type of clothing really upset me and I don't stay quiet about it.

All of this would be characterized by many as classic (2nd wave) feminist thought. This would be fine with me, but in my experience there is a whole section of feminist thought goes beyond deconstructing gender and promoting equality. I have encountered a tract of thought that centres on assigning blame to men. And not only assigning blame, but expounding on how men will always be the problem and will always act to further the patriarchy. These people create a world where men and women are in constant opposition to each other and that the role of men is to try to be the oppressor. I can't get behind that. I find it too be deeply sexist and offensive, not to mention counterproductive.

It was my most resent confrontation with people who expounded such a view that left me wanting to be as far away from my old blog as possible. I just can't even muster the energy to debate these people when they shout slogans and childish rhetoric at me. With that in mind, I happily secede the word and concept of Feminism to them. They can have it; I don't care. I rather be an Equalitist anyway, because that is what I truly believe in. So I guess under the current climate I rather not be called a Feminist, not because I don't subscribe to the ideals that most feminists believe in, but because being a man I feel like I don't have the right to define the word and some of the definitions are in complete opposition to what I feel is right.

And for something lighter... a picture from the debate that led to this conclusion:

HANDS DOWN, it was the most consensus EVER reached at this table.

Introduction

I am fleeing from another blog populated by immature numskulls who are so caught up in the idea of gender that they have determined that men should be excluded from certain discussion groups. The whole basis for their sexist discrimination is the concept of creating a "safe place". A safe place, as if only men can do harm or are such insensitive clouts that their mere presence will foul the community. Yes, it is true that the most heinous, lewd comments I have seen have been perpetrated by men and the worst part was their own ignorance to the offence they were creating. I have no cache here, but I can assure I was never one of those, nor was I ever accused of being such. I am, as always, as polite and respectful of other's spaces as I can be. I feel it is important to make every effort to be respectful of other people's words.

So this here is different. There is a lack of the community aspect that I once enjoyed on the other blog. I will admit to missing that, but I will attempt to keep this one fresh and full of nice little diatribes for all to enjoy as well as some pictorial & musical breaks from all the words. I guess I could just use the old blog just for blogging, but I kinda feel like a fresh start would be nice.