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A Woman’s Story

raganwald.posterous.com

171–180 of 210 posts

Re: A Woman’s Story

#171
post #148

There are a lot of stories lately of women not taken for intelligent or made fun of, but I don't see that happen here at all. Recalling from a previous news item, a women said that men always told her to "lighten up" (assuming that means something along the lines "don't whine, I didn't mean it that seriously", it doesn't translate). Well either I'm one of the bastards, or the culture is different here. It appears her…

Perhaps this story is also about a person who overcame many obstacles to do somethng nobody thought was possible. If that doesn't belong on HN, what does?

Re: A Woman’s Story

#172
post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> That's because in the past, the IQ tests were not fair, objective and colour-blind, but were set up in such a way as to bias against poorer people (which will be mostly black in the USA). This isn't true at all. They haven't been shown to be biased, merely that blacks score lower. Extensive research has show that IQ tests have equal predictive power for blacks and whites. "Disparate impact" merely means that blacks…

Most IQ tests - at least ones I've seen - are highly trainable, both in general (you learn to think certain way) and in particular (you learn to solve specific type of test). So while tests aren't race-dependent and there's no reason to think they might be, they definitely can be culture-dependent and income (or, more precisely, education level and type) dependent. So while the test is an objective measure, it in an…

I've taken a bunch of IQ tests over the years with some wildly different scores. I score pretty well. I'm also very sceptical of their general utility.

The between the lowest and highest score I ever received on an IQ test is 45 points. That really doesn't sound like an objective measure of anything much (The lowest was when I was stressed, running on no sleep, the test was sprung on me with no warning and had US cultural aspects when I'm from the UK - things like talking about quarters and dimes. The highest was when I had practiced math & logic problems to win a bet that I couldn't add ten points to my IQ :-)

I find the idea of anybody using an IQ test as a factor in employment laughable. As far as I'm concerned any company using an IQ test is hanging a big red sign on the front of their organisation that says "we don't understand what kind of employees we want".

Re: A Woman’s Story

#173

The most sencere respect for what Gwen did and achieved. I can't tell more and only draw my hat (bad translation of a german saying, please don't hold it against me!).

OT, but it sounds like you're trying to say "I've got nothing more to say, I just tip my hat [to her]." As in, no more words required, just a show of respect.

Re: A Woman’s Story

#174

The most sencere respect for what Gwen did and achieved. I can't tell more and only draw my hat (bad translation of a german saying, please don't hold it against me!).

OT, but it sounds like you're trying to say "I've got nothing more to say, I just tip my hat [to her]." As in, no more words required, just a show of respect.

Yep, that's it! Hope that's not considered spam.

Re: A Woman’s Story

#175
post #100

'In Toronto, they could marry, but they couldn’t rent an apartment together as landlords were afraid of “trouble."' A bit off-topic, but I'm somewhat shocked by this (and my own ignorance). I know about the US, but this was an issue in Canada?

Given that it was 60 years ago, I'm not so surprised.

For what is worth, even today the majority of landlords in Japan will not rent to foreigners.

Re: A Woman’s Story

#176
post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apparently fascist is even worse! You know what - if someone, anyone, can tell me why it's absolutely necessary to persecute racists and fascists, yet utterly and completely wrong to persecute communists, I'll go whole hog and buy the R-word. Operators are standing by...

Because on one side you are discriminating against people, and on the other you aren't? They're not just opposite ends of the same spectrum, they're completely different. The opposite of communism isn't facism, it's capitalism - and the opporsite of facism isn't communism, it's just non-racism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulak

I can even anticipate your response:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman

Re: A Woman’s Story

#177
post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because on one side you are discriminating against people, and on the other you aren't? They're not just opposite ends of the same spectrum, they're completely different. The opposite of communism isn't facism, it's capitalism - and the opporsite of facism isn't communism, it's just non-racism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulak I can even anticipate your response: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman

> this fallacy modifies the subject of the assertion to exclude the specific case or others like it by rhetoric, without reference to any specific objective rule

I don't need to do that.. I just need to point out that by picking an example of what one or more communists did or said doesn't make their actions a part of communism.

The only logical fallacy here is yours - I could equally point at some American murderers and say "capitalism is terrible, look at those capitalists murdering people for money".

So good job anticipating my response... the response of pointing out that your argument is basically bullshit, because sadly for you it isn't easy to back up racism.

Re: A Woman’s Story

#178
post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This the old trope that now-a-days the pendulum has swung too far and women, blacks etc. are now in a privileged position compared to white, straight, anglo men. Nonsense. And spreads the idea that all black people shouldn't be where they are in the company and are all tricksters who are rubbish at their job.

Yeah, sucks that a supermajority of elected politicians, upper management, rich people, and influential cultural figures are all women of color who speak Spanish. Poor white anglo dude, his plight makes me weep.

It's not clear to me what the "privilege" of these few thousand people (who obviously achieved their positions by stealing them from worthy persons of color) has to do with the admissions odds of a million random Americans, black, white, purple or green.

But here, this might help you with your weeping problem:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2117695/Brutal-home-...

Reported only overseas (with a helpful sidebar of tits) and in the local press. Nobody needs to weep for the kulak, the Jew, the enemy of the workers and peasants. But whoa - if some rapacious Jew defends himself against a good Aryan worker who's only trying to grind his head into the pavement, my gosh, well, that's an interplanetary sensation.

Re: A Woman’s Story

#179
post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apparently fascist is even worse! You know what - if someone, anyone, can tell me why it's absolutely necessary to persecute racists and fascists, yet utterly and completely wrong to persecute communists, I'll go whole hog and buy the R-word. Operators are standing by...

I don't think it is the operators that are standing by. Folk in white coats with reassuring expressions maybe.

Alas, you could be all too right!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_abuse_of_psychiatry_i...

Re: A Woman’s Story

#180
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Assuming this isn't a trick... There are two likely scenarios: 1) The employers are racist biggots based on things that don't correlate with job performance. In this case betting against them is a winning strategy. 2) The employers are racist based on observed data from previous hires. Based on that they assume that a person with an Arab name is less able to perform. This may not be fair for the individual, but may b…

It's really not that simple. Racism never is - it is much more pervasive, and more insidious than the stereotypical examples of Klansmen with guns. There is a third, and much more likely scenario: 3) The employers' perceptions of Arabs is subtly colored by popular opinion and stereotypes as exists in pop culture and media. Much of these depictions and stereotypes appear harmless, but cumulatively add up to something…

Sorry I wasn't clear. When I mean bet against this, I don't mean that it will collapse anytime soon -- it properly won't.

What I mean is that as a founder of a business there is some people out there whoes skills are incorrectly priced by the market.

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