my lovely wife sometimes feeds me tidbits from mothering.com

[semillama]

aka the hippie mom woo fest, aka home of the craziest, overmoderated, uncritical batshit insane message board ever. Seriously. It makes the DUngeon look like this forum. And when I say "uncritical" I mean that any form of criticism of another poster's beliefs or statements gets shut down like Motown, baby. It's the type of forum that Turtlensue would be banned from before she finished typing in her name to sign up. There's a lot of leftie hippie woo-ness there, but there's also a minority group of highly religious types who also practice the "natural" childraising techniques popular amongst the earthier moms.

There's some good mothering advice to be gleaned from the site, to be sure, but one needs a strong bullshit filter.

Besides the standard pro-infectious disease and homeopathy woobaggery, she sometimes tells me about things like:

The neo-pagans who are appropriating the tradition from hard-core Muslims of covering themselves with chadors or burkas, and claiming it as some sort of pagan thing.

and the latest: Is Obama the Anti-christ? (or, Yes Virginia, there IS a difference between the US Mint and the Franklin mint...)

"I, for one, am one who believes it is quite possible, and it has nothing to do with race at all. The Bible says the anti-christ will raise up out of nowhere. There has already been some talk of going to a 2-world currency...just a step away from the one world currency prophesied in the Bible. People will believe this person to be Messiah-like and will rely on him to bring about world peace which he will for a time. I just am watching what will happen in Israel...the second there is a peace treaty signed with Israel, we'll know for sure. I realize it is a bit early to tell at this point, it is just speculation, but things just are adding up to something strange. I worked overnight lastnight, and watching infomercials, they've already released a half-dollar with Obama's face on it (The Franklin Mint...not sure if that is real oney or not), but when you order yours you get STAMPS with Obama's face on it. There's already a city in Florida that is naming a street after him.
Aren't these things usually reserved for after a president has passed or at least until he is THE PRESIDENT? It's just all a little too much too fast, and it really makes me think it is a definate possibility. Keeping my eyes on Israel, as I said before."

[onager]

1. Fascinating...like a bad car wreck. Thanks.

The neo-pagans who are appropriating the tradition from hard-core Muslims of covering themselves with chadors or burkas, and claiming it as some sort of pagan thing.

WTF? Have some irony, it's good for our blood...

Some Islamic scholars make a sort-of similar argument. But they use it to argue AGAINST the Walking-Giant-Trashbag Look.

They trace the idea of fully covered women back to Persian royalty, and say it's just a bad idea early Muslims picked up from them. The Persians of that time qualify as pagans, I guess. Though when Neos start yammering about pagans, they usually seem to mean Druids and such.

This subject is a major topic in Leila Ahmed's book Women & Gender in Islam. A great read. Ahmed concludes that if Islam changes its treatment of women, those changes must come from within the Islamic community itself.

[trotsky]

2. "woobaggery".... *SNORT*

That's awesome. You come up with it?

What's a "2-world currency," anyway? Jeebus if these people had just half a lick of sense imagine how much better off we'd all be.

[semillama]

6. I want to say I did, but I'm not certain.

Woobaggery may come from douche-baggery, the condition of being a douche bag. I'm certain I've heard the term douche-bbaggery around somewhere.

[enki23]

9. that was one of the big questions that lept out at me too. a 2-world currency

i would imagine that it would mean one currency that is used exclusively on two different worlds. i suppose what they actually mean is that our world was soon moving to having only two currencies (where the hell they got *that* idea, i have none). if what they actually fear is the euro giving the dollar an (ahem) run for its money then you'd have to wonder whether we didn't already have a de facto one world currency, and are now going in the other direction.

in any case, gibberish is as gibberish does. and my one year old speaks the language of the angels.

[salvorhardin]

3. Neo-pagans and burkas?

The neo-pagans who are appropriating the tradition from hard-core Muslims of covering themselves with chadors or burkas, and claiming it as some sort of pagan thing.

That's a new one to me. What is their reasoning?

[WoodrowFan]

4. linkie?

LOL. have you got a link? i want to nominate the Franklin mint one for a Stundie but I can't find that particular comment.

thanks. 8-)

[semillama]

7. It was actually posted on another board she frequents

It's apparently a private forum made up of people banned from the mothering.com boards for daring to question other posters. It doesn't seem to show up in search engines - sorry about that!

[WoodrowFan]

8. darn

darn. thanks for sharing though, it's certainly Stundie worthy!


Um, did anybody point out that the Franklin Mint is not a REAL mint???

[Heddi]

5. Anyone who does not know

that the Franklin Mint is not, ahem, "real money" should be immediately stripped of all rights and priveleges regarding breeding, reproducing, breathing, driving, and voting.

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. Or tell them to send all their dodgy coins and notes from the other one

to yourself, for safe dispersal; while they can keep the genuine Franklin Mint stuff. And tell them it makes great lightning conductors, too.

[NoodleBoy]

11. wow, so, tons of people bitch about a world that's constantly fighting, and the second a real

peacemaker enters the stage some idiots start saying "ANTICHRIST!!!11!1"

fucking people.

[enki23]

13. their retarded "prophecy" says the big bad guy will seem like a good guy

therefore, they prefer bad guys, who they know can't possibly be the big bad guy. eg. "bush can't be the antichrist, because everyone hates him and his disastrous policies."

it's a hell of a recipe for barking fucking insanity.

[NoodleBoy]

14. but the people who say this stuff about Obama aren't all a part of that twisted death cult.

[enki23]

15. true. i read your "antichrist!!!11" too literally. which, in hindsight... well, you know.

.

[dawgmom]

12. Interesting mixes

La Leche League. My BFF was a member for many years, and a leader. It's a group that attracts what I like to call "the Militant Mommies." In addition to promoting breastfeeding (a very good thing) they also try to promote a style of parenting that is very positive, and with which I wholeheartedly agree. The interesting thing, however, is that the group does tend to attract two very different types. As you said, the earth mother hippie dippie types, and the hard core fundamentalist, radical stay-at-home Mom contingent. My friend was always walking a tightrope between the two, trying to educate, and trying to work around all the woo . It's through her that I first learned about the anti-vax movement, and homeopathy.