Excuse Me 2015-05-28

[DinkyInky]

Even if the lifeguard... or uh, attendant? Not sure what he is for the resort. Even if he was complained to directly, he's got every plausible right to inform Atsali about it. When it comes right down to it, most people will care about keeping their job over almost anything else. It sounds like this might be a case of a higher up telling him to remind Atsali about the last time she was spoken to. Judging by the way it was phrased.

Also is anyone else really confused about this place being a resort? Like I thought we were dealing with a para-only public pool. Imagining maybe 2-3 lifeguards, a bunch of kids swimming and their moms gabbing by the poolside. With it being a resort, the entire situation changes. We're dealing with private property, and to be frank they can throw you out for almost any damned reason they want as long as they don't discriminate based on religion or race/species in paras case.

There might also be an issue of them being concerned about her age. Paranormal's seem a somewhat close knit community, and to be perfectly honest I doubt that the staff of this resort aren't aware of who Miss Gilchrist and her family are connected to. They'd also know that she's only sixteen years old. I brought it up when we saw the bikini Jin picked out(good job Jin) but I'll say it here now. I 100% understand why people might feel uncomfortable. This might not really be about her being a voluptuous girl in a bikini, it might be because she's young.

The only reason I say this is because, quite simply, eyes wander. People are going to look, some are going to like what they see. Some even still might try to approach the six foot+ blonde girl not realizing she's a kid still. I think that the higher ups at the resort could simply be trying to cover their own asses. Maybe not in the best way, but as Catwampus said you can't change society by having your Big Bad Aunt's growl and make scary faces.

The thing is it's not a case of CYA, she was heavily covered up last time, and they kicked her and Pickle out despite her being more than modest. If I remember correctly, racing suit(I'll assume until PTB says otherwise) custom fitted for her physique, and shorts is far cry from the teeny suits worn today, and if he was the same person, the comment can be made regarding such.

I still despite clearing my cache and bookmarks and a hard reboot of all devices cannot see it, so I'm just responding to facts given.

[Akeche]

I think that just confuses me further. Really the racing/one piece thing Atsali wore last time was what she's comfortable wearing. Why didn't they let her wear that again here? Instead we've got Jin giving her a bikini which is 100% meant to be provocative in comparison. Going in with the intention to fix a problem is one thing, but that's literally trying to create an issue. The previous lady was silly, but I could reasonably understand why a few other people might have issues with this new suit.

[DinkyInky]

I think that just confuses me further. Really the racing/one piece thing Atsali wore last time was what she's comfortable wearing. Why didn't they let her wear that again here? Instead we've got Jin giving her a bikini which is 100% meant to be provocative in comparison. Going in with the intention to fix a problem is one thing, but that's literally trying to create an issue. The previous lady was silly, but I could reasonably understand why a few other people might have issues with this new suit.

I think Jin is going to make a not so subtle point that in comparison, the last suit was perfect, and whoever complained needs to keep their trap shut.

[oldmanmickey]

There's a book I've heard of (need to track it down and read it cover-to-cover) which reportedly makes a very good case that the United States can be modeled as a group of several different and distinct social cultures...

Aha. “American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America" by Colin Woodard.

Here's his take on how the different nations view issues such as violence, the death penalty, and gun control.

Time to hit a bookstore, I think.

you sure its not The Nine Nations of North America by Joel Garreau?

[captnq]

*shakes head* (quoting Collossus) "Americans, strange people.."

But but but but- Atsali! She... *looks around then whispers* She has thingies!
Thingies that make me tingle!
SHE MUST BE TAH EVALZ!!!

But seriously...

It's why America is so successful. Truth is, we work so very very hard because we are all terribly sexually repressed. Trust me, the moment I gave up sex because it was simply too much hassle, my GPA went up 0.8 points. Now, while America isn't completely over run with purtanical values, even a little bit of sexual repression over two hundred plus years adds up.

[Dave]

you sure its not The Nine Nations of North America by Joel Garreau?

The one I had heard about was definitely Woodard's fairly recent book.

Woodard acknowledges Garreau's work, and several others in his discussion:

The precise delineation of the eleven nations—which I have explored at length in my latest book, American Nations—is original to me, but I’m certainly not the first person to observe that such national divisions exist. Kevin Phillips, a Republican Party campaign strategist, recognized the boundaries and values of several of these nations in 1969 and used them to correctly prophesy two decades of American political development in his politico cult classic The Emerging Republican Majority. Joel Garreau, a Washington Post editor, argued that our continent was divided into rival power blocs in The Nine Nations of North America, though his ahistorical approach undermined the identification of the nations. The Pulitzer Prize–winning historian David Hackett Fischer detailed the origins and early evolution of four of these nations in his magisterial Albion’s Seed and later added New France. Russell Shorto described the salient characteristics of New Netherland in The Island at the Center of the World. And the list goes on.

[Dave]

I think that just confuses me further. Really the racing/one piece thing Atsali wore last time was what she's comfortable wearing. Why didn't they let her wear that again here? Instead we've got Jin giving her a bikini which is 100% meant to be provocative in comparison. Going in with the intention to fix a problem is one thing, but that's literally trying to create an issue. The previous lady was silly, but I could reasonably understand why a few other people might have issues with this new suit.

I think Jin is going to make a not so subtle point that in comparison, the last suit was perfect, and whoever complained needs to keep their trap shut.

That, for certain. Suggesting a bikini probably serves two additional purposes:

1. It probably raises the odds of a confrontation (the same objection occurring) to nearly 100%, and
2. Since it's the same kind of suit that many others at the pool are wearing, it will make it impossible for the complainer to argue that s/he is complaining about the suit itself - thus making it certain that s/he is objecting to Atsali individually.

[Catawampus]

I was accused of trying to start an international incident at my last Reforger... but as it was against a French observer, I was able to explain that there was no risk involved...

Heh.
I was present for an international incident in Bosnia in ninety... six?
I don't remember- anyway, I was the US liaison to to the local UK forces- namely, the Royal Marines.
We found ourselves in territory right near the French forces and the lads decided that they..fancied a bit of wine.. which, it so happens, can be found in French field rations...

I was once tasked with simulating a nuclear attack for training purposes.

After the complications from my simulation were finally dealt with, I was never asked to do anything such as that again.

I think that just confuses me further. Really the racing/one piece thing Atsali wore last time was what she's comfortable wearing. Why didn't they let her wear that again here? Instead we've got Jin giving her a bikini which is 100% meant to be provocative in comparison. Going in with the intention to fix a problem is one thing, but that's literally trying to create an issue. The previous lady was silly, but I could reasonably understand why a few other people might have issues with this new suit.

It's hard to say, since we've yet to see how this whole scenario plays out and just what Jin had in mind. My take on it is that she might point out that what Atsali is currently wearing is no different from what many others are wearing. If it was the more conservative outfit that Atsali was wearing the previous time, then the message would be more along the lines of, "Well, it's okay for her to be here so long as she wears outfits that are different from everybody else, which is required because she looks sexy". That probably wouldn't be the message that Jin is wanting to put through. She's going for the idea that Atsali can wear the same as anybody else can wear, not that Atsali ought to be required to take special precautions due to shame about her body.

Aha. “American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America" by Colin Woodard.

Here's his take on how the different nations view issues such as violence, the death penalty, and gun control.

Time to hit a bookstore, I think.

you sure its not The Nine Nations of North America by Joel Garreau?

There's also Albion's Seed by Whatzizname Fischer, which was apparently a big seller and had something to do with the theme. Or you could look at Randolph Bourne's "Trans-National America" or Horace Kallan's (Kallen's?) Cultural Pluralism and the American Idea, which are earlier and more seminal works on the matter.

[Warrl]

Well it's hard to paint the entire country with a single brush. Simply put our country is so damned big, that you cannot represent the entire nation going by a single stereotype.

There are other facets of America's size (and parts of Canada count into that too) that often escape people from pretty much anywhere else in the world:

It's a very language-homogenous area. Pick a random place in the US's 48 contiguous states and find out what the dominant language is. Pick a random direction and travel 500 kilometers. If you don't cross into Mexico, the dominant language stays the same the entire trip. Pick a random spot in Europe and then travel 500 kilometers in a random direction, you're almost certainly changing languages at least once and probably twice - often more than twice.

(Yes, I'm serious. Most Americans, but few Europeans, speak a dominant language of everywhere within a 500-KM drive of their home. And Europeans talk about Americans' limited language skills.)

And while we aren't exactly culturally homogenous, our different cultures are mostly not regional.

Just seems odd that I'm the only one, well I was the only one, rooting for the poor underpaid worker to not be ground into a fine paste just for doing his job.

I don't want him literally ground into a fine paste. Metaphorically, maybe. Because he isn't doing his job, which is to apply the rules consistently. If Atsali's suit is too revealing, probably over half the females in the pool need to be told to cover up or leave. More likely, there's a prudish busybody who needs to be told to SHUT up or leave.

“American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America" by Colin Woodard.

Here's his take on how the different nations view issues such as violence, the death penalty, and gun control.

I can't speak so much to other portions of the country, but if those were independent nations I suspect that the Left Coast would probably have a vote on separating Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco into a separate country of their own... and I don't know if it would pass in those metropolitan areas, but it would easily get a majority everywhere else.

It wouldn't surprise me much to see Austin, TX expelled from whatever it's included in either.

[Akeche]

It's hard to say, since we've yet to see how this whole scenario plays out and just what Jin had in mind. My take on it is that she might point out that what Atsali is currently wearing is no different from what many others are wearing. If it was the more conservative outfit that Atsali was wearing the previous time, then the message would be more along the lines of, "Well, it's okay for her to be here so long as she wears outfits that are different from everybody else, which is required because she looks sexy". That probably wouldn't be the message that Jin is wanting to put through. She's going for the idea that Atsali can wear the same as anybody else can wear, not that Atsali ought to be required to take special precautions due to shame about her body.

Eh, her wearing the previous suit might not have been so much shame as wanting to be able to actually have fun at the pool. The point of this little trip is of course to resolve the overall issue, but by doing it this way Atsali is being deprived of any ability to run around and have fun. She said it herself after putting that top on. If she runs around playing with her sister, bounces a beach ball around, or maybe even simply goes swimming... She's gonna bounce right out of that top. No wonder she looked annoyed and grumpy to the IBT Squad, she must have been bored out of her mind.

[jwhouk]

There's a book I've heard of (need to track it down and read it cover-to-cover) which reportedly makes a very good case that the United States can be modeled as a group of several different and distinct social cultures...

Aha. “American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America" by Colin Woodard.

Here's his take on how the different nations view issues such as violence, the death penalty, and gun control.

Time to hit a bookstore, I think.

I do have a quarrel with that. I'd suggest that most of the Midwest is not "Yankeedom" but "Heartland".

[jwhouk]

...

[BrickJAK]

Just seems odd that I'm the only one, well I was the only one, rooting for the poor underpaid worker to not be ground into a fine paste just for doing his job.

The way he's carrying himself does not strike me as a poor underpaid worker. He's carrying himself like the stereotypical English butler/French Maitre'd. One who treats others as beneath him due to his station in the establishment.

This will be reinforced if he becomes extremely kiss-assy if the aunts confront him.
"Oh, my apologies ma'am. I did not realize the young lady was of your circles."

[jwhouk]

I'm putting it down right now - he's an anuramorph.


(Go ahead, look it up, get the inside joke, and laugh.)

[BrickJAK]

I'm putting it down right now - he's an anuramorph.


(Go ahead, look it up, get the inside joke, and laugh.)

PUN JAR ... and escargot is not an acceptable fee.

[Dave]

I'm putting it down right now - he's an anuramorph.

(Go ahead, look it up, get the inside joke, and laugh.)

(You, too, could have a fateful run-in with a large amount of melted garlic butter... paying the Pun Jar might protect you from that, but then again it might not)

[scantrontb]

The way he's carrying himself does not strike me as a poor underpaid worker. He's carrying himself like the stereotypical English butler/French Maitre'd. One who treats others as beneath him due to his station in the establishment.

This will be reinforced if he becomes extremely kiss-assy if the aunts confront him.
"Oh, my apologies ma'am. I did not realize the young lady was of your circles."

i agree, to me he's got that stereo-typical (yep, i went there) look of a prissy busy-body dweeb kiss-ass that everybody picked on in school and never got a date... he's looking for some payback... and I'll go so far as to say that he IS an employee otherwise how could he enforce the "or get kicked out" threat?... one that is NOT acting on the behalf of an anonymous "patron that complained", I'll bet HE'S the one initiating the complaint... and is actually in the process of an Ego-boosting Power-trip, and he is using the threat of getting kicked out as leverage to get "something" (exactly what is best left unsaid) from Atsali in gratitude for him "making the problem go away"... of course it went away... he was the one causing it... remember what a whole bunch of us said to various posters when some rather risque pics of Atsali were posted by Paul... and that this is one of the in-comic results of her going thru puberty... now she get's to react to the perverts out there. who MAY not know that she's still under age... but then again, maybe he does and it doesn't mean squat to him how old she is, when all he see's is T&A...

[jwhouk]

PUN JAR ... and escargot is not an acceptable fee.

(You, too, could have a fateful run-in with a large amount of melted garlic butter... paying the Pun Jar might protect you from that, but then again it might not)

I don't think the Pun Jar cares for Frog Legs, but I'll dump some in with the melted garlic butter, just to be safe...

[Thor]

I can't speak so much to other portions of the country, but if those were independent nations I suspect that the Left Coast would probably have a vote on separating Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco into a separate country of their own... and I don't know if it would pass in those metropolitan areas, but it would easily get a majority everywhere else.

As a Portland-Metro resident, I say, "Yes, please!" I would be more than content to be part of a successful secession.

And after Seattle/Portland/SF were excised, We'd all laugh merrily at the rest of the region trying to pay for services after over half the tax base was suddenly gone.

[Atomic]

A note about why Jin is insisting on a daring-ish swimsuit for Atasli to challenge the rule: It's the opressor who shapes the protest. The bully want's your lunch money? Deny him. Don't want you in the Library? Go to the library. Not allowed to dance? Dance anyway. Your physique is not to our liking? Here -- see some more (but no more than anybody else in here)!

She/Jin is not challenging the dress code -- they're attacking the drone "enforcing" the rules. That's what's going on.