Definitions by Grinning Cat

Partnership Culture

A model of culture and human relations based on partnership, linking, and respect. Women and men are equally valued; both men and women can be nonviolent, empathetic, and caring.

Opposite to Dominator Culture.

In a partnership system...

Humans have many possibilities.

Difference is valued.

Power is used to empower and nurture through hierarchies of actualization.

Competition means striving for excellence.

People cooperate for mutual benefit.

Economic structures are equitable.

Nature is highly valued.

Morality of sensitivity, caring, and respect.

(Based on the Center for Partnership Studies' summary of points from Riane Eisler's _The Power of Partnership_ and David Korten's _The Great Turning_)

We, too, in America are in the mist of an revolution. A transformation from a domination culture that views the world as fleeting and open to exploitation, to a partnership culture that wants its society to be permanent and seeks to partner with the world to create harmony.
(Eric Stewart)

Partnership Culture by Grinning Cat March 28, 2013

man box 

The rules for "acting like a man"; the mentality, behaviors and restrictions that many men and boys are socialized to conform to. These tenets of the "cult of masculinity" are both symptoms and enablers of Dominator Culture. They can be so pervasive as to be almost invisible; yet they lead men to disrespect, mistreat, and abuse women and each other.

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THE MAN BOX

Demonstrate power/control (especially over women)

Aggression - Dominance - yell - intimidate

Do not cry openly or express emotions (except for anger)

Do not express weakness or fear - "take it"

Don't back down - don't make mistakes

Do not be "like a woman"

Heterosexual

Have lots of sex with women - "conquests"

Do not be "like a gay man"

Tough/Athletic/Competitive/Strength/Courage

Make Decisions - Never ask for help

Women viewed as property/objects (especially sexual objects)
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(Based largely on Tony Porter's TED talk "A Call to Men")

This is the love of my life, my daughter Jay. The world I envision for her -- how do I want men to be acting and behaving? ... I need you working with me and me working with you on how we raise our sons and teach them to be men -- that it's okay to not be dominating, that it's okay to have feelings and emotions, that it's okay to promote equality, that it's okay to have women who are just friends and that's it, that it's okay to be whole, that my liberation as a man is tied to your liberation as a woman.

I remember asking a nine-year-old boy ... "What would life be like for you, if you didn't have to adhere to this man box?" He said to me, "I would be free."

man box by Grinning Cat March 28, 2013

ain't 

am not, are not, is not; have not, has not; do not, does not, did not.

"Ain't" ain't a word 'cause "ain't" ain't in the dictionary.

ain't by Grinning Cat January 8, 2013

noise-to-signal ratio

The proportion of irrelevant, off-topic, inflammatory, nonsensical, spammy, screaming, content-free, trolling, or otherwise useless statements to actual useful, worthwhile communication.

From the informal sense of signal to noise ratio, but inverted to emphasize the "noise".

"That discussion board used to be a great place to talk about politics, but now the noise-to-signal ratio is through the roof!"

"Typically, a demagogue actually benefits from nonsensical, contradictory and inflammatory statements and agendas. Ironically, the higher the noise-to-signal ratio, the more effective they become since any useful information would actually rein them in."
(adapted from Raul and JonG)

noise-to-signal ratio by Grinning Cat October 10, 2012

Thinkering 

Getting down on one knee, curling one's wrist to one's chin, and looking up, mimicking the pose of Auguste Rodin's classic sculpture "The Thinker".

(Created by Dave Silverman, reported by Staks Rosch, "Thinkering: The atheist answer to Tebowing", Dec. 30, 2011, examiner.com)

In response to the fundamentalist craze of Tebowing, American Atheists President Dave Silverman has come up with an atheist version called "Thinkering."
Someone commented that the pose looked too similar to Tebowing, to which Silverman responded: "That's the point. The difference is we don't bow our heads in blind submission, rather we consider and conclude for ourselves."

Thinkering by Grinning Cat March 10, 2012

picardize 

To change the ending of a minor-key piece of music to a major key, adding a Picardy third (tierce de Picardie).

One can loosely refer to music that already has a Picardy third ending as "self-picardizing". Some examples include the "Little" Fugue in G Minor by J.S. Bach, "And I Love Her" by The Beatles, "Roundabout" by Yes, and N.I.B. by Black Sabbath.

"The last chord here is D minor. Do you really want to picardize it, using D major instead?"
"Yes, Number One, make it so."

picardize by Grinning Cat March 10, 2012

endorphin walrus 

Someone who's intensely, happily sated, such as after great food or sex, to the point that they can't do anything more than flop around.

(As used by Elsa Moriarty in cracked.com's "The 6 Most Counterproductive PSAs of All Time")

"You're spent after most anything fun, from sex to exercise to an intense round of Mega Man 2. That satisfied, post-coital and -foodal period is one of the best parts of the experience -- when every desire has been sated, and you're so happy you can do nothing but flop around like an endorphin walrus."

endorphin walrus by Grinning Cat March 7, 2012