The Syndicate

Sloonei wrote:

What annoys you most about other players?

Disagreement with me. But also silence. I like all the chatter in the world.

What is the greatest invention in the last 200 years?

This thing we're all currently using; the one that's full of cats and naked people. I wish we'd make better use of it, though.

If you could achieve anything, what would you want to achieve?

Peace of mind, happiness, satisfaction, etc. I have never been the type to set many particular or material goals for myself, but my aim has always been to be as comfortable and at peace with life as I can manage.
But, for a material/physical goal, I think I'd like to climb some mountains. And travel to every continent. Maybe get something published at some point in my life.

Forgive me if I'm starting to sound like a motivational speaker.

thellama73 wrote:

FZ. wrote:If an alien came to visit earth, and you were his host, where would you take him?

I hope he answers "to the government for prompt vivisection."

thellama73 wrote:

Turnip Head wrote:Novels allow for the author to meander through meaningless subplots and pointless description, it's easy to lose sight of the true story.

Hey now, I LIKE meaningless subplots and pointless description!

thellama73 wrote:

FZ. wrote: Really? Why? Where would you choose?

The United States is currently the lesser of 196 evils, but I wouldn't mind staying a while in Wales either.

thellama73 wrote:

FZ. wrote:

thellama73 wrote:

FZ. wrote:Glad to know that you're doing things you believe in, but don't forget you and I live in democratic regimes.

I know. It's a real shame.

I know. If I had the choice, I'd want to live in North Korea.

That's an odd preference. I have to say I disagree with you there.

thellama73 wrote:

FZ. wrote:Glad to know that you're doing things you believe in, but don't forget you and I live in democratic regimes.

I know. It's a real shame.

thellama73 wrote:Oh, and I don't agree that nothing is black or white. :P

thellama73 wrote:

FZ. wrote: A. I disagree on the numbers being wrong, but I see no point in arguing about this any further, because we won't settle it.
Why do you disagree about the numbers? Is it because you have researched it and know how the number is calculated? Because I have and I do.
No, I didn't calculate the exact numbers, and when I disagreed it wasn't about the exact numbers, but about the general idea. What I do have are court cases and verdicts given regarding incidents of that nature (that are true for where I live). For example, a woman and a man, both working in a big department store, both in the same position, working the same hours and the woman was making 70% (a little more than two thirds) of what the man was. Now we get back to the question of what each of them was asking when they made their negotiations for a personal working contract. While the woman actually only asked for 3500, the man asked for 6000 and got 5000. So we address the first question of why did she ask half of what he did. If you don't see that as stemming from a cultural problem, I don't really know what to tell you. If you are your cultural socialization is consistently planting the seeds of you being the worst choice for a job (you'll leave to have babies, you'll leave early when your kids are sick, you're not as qualified because you don't put as many hours as men, etc'), you either don't think you deserve that much, or you fear you won't get the job if you ask for that money.
In that specific case, the woman actually found out that the man was making more than her and went to the boss to ask them to equate her salary. She was naturally declined because of the terms of the starting negotiation. This is just one example. There are so many more, and lots of them, with the gaps existing for different reasons. Those are the ones that reached the court. I assume there are a lot more that don't because women aren't even aware.

B. All men that make more than women, are just better at their jobs. Sure.
That is not remotely what I said, and you know it.
I do know

C. While I agree that if a men asks for a raise and gets it and a women who doesn't, doesn't get it, it's not prejudice, I think the deeper, culturally important question is why do more men ask for a raise and women don't. If it's because they fear the consequences, that's a problem. Moreover, just because women didn't ask to have the right to vote back when they couldn't, didn't make it right, just as it wasn't right for minorities to not have the same opportunities as whites.
I agree with your last sentence. The rest of your post is speculation. Why would you assume that women are afraid to ask for a raise? (or more importantly, legitimately afraid. If they are afraid for no reason, that is not discrimination.)

D. Since men can't get pregnant yet, it will always be the women who will be the more "risky" investment. But if we expect human kind to have continuity and families to grow, we have to give women the same opportunities and benefits we give men, more so, since women are already paying a higher personal price in their careers for being those who give birth.
I completely agree that women should have the same opportunities and benefits as men. I am not disputing that. I am disputing bad math and bad statistics that casts women in the role of perpetual victims when we don't actually have much evidence for that being the case.

thellama73 wrote:

FZ. wrote: 1. Were you home schooled? Would you do that again if you had the choice (assuming you didn't, back then)?
Yep! I did have the choice, and would absolutely do it again. It was awesome.
I wish we could do that with our kids. At least one of us would have to quite working, and none of us really want to do that, and mostly, I don't trust myself to give my kids everything they need to know. But I truly admire those who do (and do it well)

2. Skeptical of empiricism? hmm, so what would you use instead?
Logic. Observation is of course necessary as well, but the way statistical models are used are very easily manipulated to get the result you want.
While that may be true, it's still the best option we have, in my opinion. Probably like democracy, monogamy etc' ...
3. Haha, to my typo. Sorry. Why would you eat something you hate?
So that he would not be around any more to spread his ideas.
Well, I actually would like to meet him, so if you find him, let me know before you eat him.

4. But basically, if you have a man and a woman in the same position and one makes 2/3 of the other, I'd say that qualifies as injustice and prejudice.
But that 2/3rds number isn't true, and even if it were, it depends on what you mean by "the same position." There are many factors that influence pay. If the man asks for a raise and gets it because he asked, and the woman doesn't ask for a raise and doesn't receive one, is that prejudice? I don't think so. If the woman and the man have the same job title, but one does a better job than the other, is it unjust to pay them differently? I don't think so. If they have the same job title, but one has expressed the desire to quit work and raise a family, is it unjust for the employer to pay less for an investment that won't be as likely to pay off? I don't think so. The truth is we don't know the specifics of these situations, and we don't know the reasons behind pay differences.

A. I disagree on the numbers being wrong, but I see no point in arguing about this any further, because we won't settle it.
B. All men that make more than women, are just better at their jobs. Sure.
C. While I agree that if a men asks for a raise and gets it and a women who doesn't, doesn't get it, it's not prejudice, I think the deeper, culturally important question is why do more men ask for a raise and women don't. If it's because they fear the consequences, that's a problem. Moreover, just because women didn't ask to have the right to vote back when they couldn't, didn't make it right, just as it wasn't right for minorities to not have the same opportunities as whites.
D. Since men can't get pregnant yet, it will always be the women who will be the more "risky" investment. But if we expect human kind to have continuity and families to grow, we have to give women the same opportunities and benefits we give men, more so, since women are already paying a higher personal price in their careers for being those who give birth.

thellama73 wrote:

FZ. wrote: What type of group would you say you associated yourself with in high school? Were you an outsider or a part of the popular circles?
I didn't go to high school, but I was a pretty introverted kid. I had a few friends but mostly kept to myself or hung out with my sister.

If you weren't a writer, what would you do? or like to do even if you're not skilled for it?
I tried to be a composer for a while. I would have liked to do that, because music is great.

what would you like to learn that you haven't yet?
God, everything. Chemistry, about fifty languages, architecture, painting, botany, medicine, and on and on.

Is there a research question that you'd like to study or explore?
Not really. As an economist, I have done a lot of this sort of thing and the conclusion it has led me to is to be skeptical of empiricism.

Who would you rather meat for lunch: Karl Marx, or Bill Gates?
I am going to take your typo literally and say I would eat Karl Marx, because Communism is my most hated thing in the whole world.

Oh, and a comment about an answer you gave Bea earlier: I think women, even though they've come a long way in terms of rights, still make less money compared to men in the same position, are far less likely to be in high ranks and management positions in almost all fields, even though they constitute at least 50% of the population, so saying there's been progress is one thing, but saying we've reached equality in opportunities and rights is another, and is sadly wrong.
Just wanted to throw my two cents.
That's fine. I disagree. There are still people who discriminate against women, true, but there are also people who discriminate against men, or white people, or Americans. No one is ever going to be totally free from prejudice. The "women make less than men for doing the same job" is a bogus statistic, just drawn from comparing the average wages of men and women, which says nothing about "the same job." There may be reasons other than discrimination that fewer women are in management positions. I think it is wrong to assume discrimination without evidence.

It's important to acknowledge that there are areas where women have vast institutional advantages over men as well. Women are given child custody by default, even if they are the worse parent. Women are able to falsely accuse men of rape, ruining the man's life, often without consequence to themselves. Women are able to terminate men's children without consulting them. Women host panel discussions called "Are Men Necessary" to everyone's amusement (can you imagine "Are Women Necessary?" "Are Jews Necessary?" "Are Blacks Necessary?") So equal treatment goes both ways.

None of this has anything to do with "rights," by the way.

thellama73 wrote:

FZ. wrote: So you're a writer. How did that happen? Was it something you always wanted to do
Not really. I was always sort of good at it, and I just sort of fell into it because people kept offering to pay me for it. I started writing novels when someone pointed me in the direction of National Novel Writing Month and I thought it would be fun to try. I've done one every year since.

Were you the type that always had to write something, or were you a late bloomer?
Definitely a late bloomer. My mom once assigned me a creative writing project as a kid, because she was worried I wouldn't know how to do it, and I plagiarized the first page of Shogun. I only started writing voluntarily in my late teens, and only started writing novels in my late twenties.

What do you like most about doing it?
I like coming up with ideas. Ideas are fun. Making those ideas into coherent books is hard, though.

Are you happy?
I have always been a generally happy person. I have my down periods, but yes, I would say that in general I am quite happy.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
I would like freedom to be more highly valued than it is.

What do you think is the greatest invention of the last 200 years?
The greatest invention of all time is undeniably the printing press, but in the last 200 years, I guess it would have to be the internet.

Name something that is overrated, and something that is underestimated.
I think parades and fireworks displays are vastly overrated. Yodeling is underestimated. Have you ever heard such sounds of pure joy as yodeling?

If you could have any trait that you lack, which would you choose?
Why are you implying that I lack traits? Do you think so lowly of me? I guess tact would be the answer, but I think the most important trait is perspective, and I like to think I have it, at least in a small way.

birdwithteeth11 wrote:

FZ. wrote:Do you have a dream?
What would make you really mad?
What makes you happy?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What kind of view would you most want to have when you look out your window?

Asking questions is a lot more fun than answering them And it takes 5% of the time...

I have a dream....that one day my four children.....oh wait, wrong dream.

My ultimate dream is to have a successful career climbing as high as I can in my company, then find the right woman, get married, settle down, and have 2 or 3 kids. For a more personal one, I would someday love to build my own recording studio and just sit around, learn to play as many instruments as I could, and record all different types of music. That might not happen until I retire but I can live with it.

Music, hanging out with family and friends, work actually does for the most part, but it's more because of my very likely promotion this year. When I get to actually be large and in charge!

Grow up? I think I should learn and mature, but why do I have to "grow up"? I refuse to do so! :P

Well right now, it's everything covered in snow. And I love looking at snow, so that would be my answer.

Maybe I should turn some of these around on you. And here you thought you were done being asked questions.

thellama73 wrote:

FZ. wrote:I actually enjoyed llama's questions, though I have a feeling I didn't pass his test

I was hoping to get more controversial statements out of you, but otherwise you did great. You'd make a good politician.

S~V~S wrote:Do you use vinegar as a condiment? I put it on fried potatoes and vegetables, and people look at me like i am on drugs. I like seeking kindred vinegar spirits

Hedgeowl wrote:So many good questions already asked. I'll add a few more.

Coffee or Tea? I think coffee. The problem with tea is the huge gap between what the amazing smells promise, especially when it's a fresh blend, and the very mild to nonexistent taste. There are exceptions, but basically, that's how I see it

Comfort Food? Sweet things, and things you can munch on

A book you liked recently? A book that's not in a language you can't read Would be Winter in Lisbon. It's by a Portuguese author that I really like. It's called Winter in Lisbon. I'm sure it was translated. Also, just started Precious life by Alice Munro

Where do you want to travel that you haven't yet? Japan, Spain, south America

What place would you love to see again? I think I've said it, but I would want to go to Italy with my husband

How old are your children?

bea wrote:

FZ. wrote:

bea wrote:What did you think of Man of Steal?

Complicated answer. Most of the movie, I was fangirling over the fact I was watching a Superman movie. But as the time passed, I started feeling more uncomfortable with the choices that have been made, which I felt compromised the character's core personality. And since I don't care that much about special effects, I was left feeling kind of cheated.Moreover, looking back at it, the bottom line to me is, if you take Superman out of the equation, it was an alien invasion movie, and I really don't like those types of movies.

I'm glad you felt that way honestly. I heard so many people ranting and raving about it and the media gave it a lot of coverage and stuff that I though my impression as well as the impression of the hubby and his buddy were odd. They didn't care as much for it as they could have. All I could say was "You know what would have helped this movie a lot? Plot. And Dialogue." Seemed to "arty" for a Superhero origin story ya know?

Mongoose wrote:I've enjoyed getting to know you better this week, FZ!

What is your favorite condiment?

Dom wrote:

FZ. wrote:

Dom wrote:FZ, I must know: what is the meaning behind the username?

I'm afraid it's less interesting than you think, and a bit more embarrassing.
First of all, since I came from Kryptonsite, and I thought people who met me there would find it easier to recognize me by how they call me there. K-site is a site originally created for everything related to the show Smallville (which was my guilty pleasure and much more), the show about Superman before he became Superman. Anyway, the Phantom Zone is a fictional prison dimension featured in the Superman comic, and since I really liked Tom Welling, the lead actor (if you'd see him, you would too Besides, I have a weakness for the character of Clark Kent ), I named myself FanTom Zoner, as in a resident fan. It was a silly play of words, but what was more stupid was the fact I forgot capital letters, so it came out as fantom zoner, and just looked like I suck at spelling I thought I'd save myself that embarrassing part, but thanks that's what you're here for

<3

I love that story.
That's not dissimilar to how I named myself jska108 on other forums before people got to know my real name. (Jack Shephard, Kate Austen 108). It's a Lost thing.

bea wrote:What did you think of Man of Steal?

Mongoose wrote:

FZ. wrote:
Oh, OK I am female in my thirties (obscure much?)

I am also a female in my 30s! Or my very late 20s, as I like to say.

* What scents do you like?

* Did you have a nice breakfast today?

* What is the last film you saw in theaters? In your DVD player?

bea wrote:FZ!!!! Thank you for all of your well thought answers to both mine and other's questions. (I loved the answer to the beatles question btw. I sometimes like to be a smart Alick and answer that question with "George Martin." lol.)

also - A/S/L = age, sex, location. *giggles* - typicly when I hung out in chat rooms, skeevy males used to ask that to every girl who came in. I was pretty sure you were female (and I know we've talked briefly) but I couldn't quite remember and was drunk.

also also - if you feel that some of the more in depth questions would be more appropriate to PM (the reading list etc) don't hesitate to use that option as well. Also regarding the reading list, I could read journal articles or some books - IDK how much I'd get out of toooo scientificly clinical stuff. The psych I would understand. Some of the brain terms I might struggle with, but I like a challenge. Also - if you think there's anything good that's been written with the "general public" in mind - that would rock. My BFF Male Version was a history major in school. He's very good at recommending history books that are written for the general public that still have their facts straight and are full of good stuff - ya know? Thank you for thinking about this. It means the world to me.

Also also also - Muppet Mafia would rock!! Here or there!!! And if you lot that came here from there are any judge of character, it does seem like a pretty rad site.

Also also also also - (yea, I've seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail too many times ) Thank you for your patience with my storm of questions. It occured to me that because I'm still getting to know you, I had a lot more questions for you than I would someone I know very well like say, SVS or Sockface.

Aaaaaaaaaaand - a small question because this *is* a question thread.....

What was your favorite toy as a child?

FZ. wrote:Sorry, the last post was me writing half asleep.
I'll be back tomorrow to fix it.

Roxy wrote:Hi FZ

I love that everyone can get to know the new kid on the block this way. Lots of great and fun questions let me add my own

John, George, Paul or Ringo - Pick one.

If you could have Superman for one day at your disposal what would you have him do for you?

If you could meet in person anyone on KSite who would it be? K4J He's the mysterious of them all.

Do you enjoy shots of tequila?

What are your favorite shoes to wear or none?

Bubble baths or long showers?

Star Trek or Star Wars?

Mongoose wrote:What was the best day of your life like?

Spacedaisy wrote:Beatles? Simon and Garfunkel? Eric Clapton? We must now officially be Besties. Just saying.

Favorite board game?

Are you a morning person or night person?

Structured and self disciplined or spontaneous and free spirited?

Do you listen to Cream?

Matahari wrote:Wow thank you FZ! You just explained things better to me than either of my parents doctors ever did.

I'm glad your home is a place where you are happy and feel connected, even if you don't tell us where it is.

Mongoose wrote:

FZ. wrote:

Mongoose wrote:What exactly is the function of a rubber duck?

last one before I go again.
It's for taking out your frustrations (by squeezing it), and for helping you feel like you're in a lake when taking a bath.

I love this answer.

Lizzy wrote:Hey FZ! I wanted to let people finish you off with their questions first before I started bombarding you with my own. But I'm so jealous of of your travels and your work really sounds amazing k.

1. Are you an adrenaline junkie and do you fancy extreme sports? No and no. Do I seem like one?
2. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate or white chocolate? Mostly milk, but people keep telling me that it's not real chocolate , so I can enjoy dark chocolate every so often
3. How would you describe your style in terms of dressing? Mostly casual. I need to feel comfortable, though I can enjoy dressing up when in the mood
4. Favourite season and why. Probably Winter, because where I live, Summers are too hot, and transition seasons are too crazy. The Winter here is amazing. It's not too cold, and there won't be a day without the sun coming out to say hello.
5. Favourite word. In English, probably "prerogative"
6. Are you a good cook? What's your favourite dish to make? I'm a decent cook. Favorite dish to make, would be soups. I have so many, they are easy to make, and mostly, I love eating them. I also like making special salads and pies
I'll stop. For now.

FZ. wrote:[quote="S~V~S]
Where would you prefer to live if money, family, etc., were not factors?

I missed this one. I think I'd choose my country. There are problems,I don't like a lot of things, but it's me. It's the language, the culture, the people. I can't trade it. I'd be lost without it. I think this poem sums it up for me:

A man is nothing but a soil of a small country,
nothing but the shape of his native landscape,
nothing but what his ears recorded
when they were new and really heard,
what his eyes saw, before they had their fill of seeing