Saturday, December 8, 2012

When Is It Right To Bully?

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The United States often sticks its nose where it's not wanted. It's fair to say that a foreign nation might better handle its business if left to its own devices, without outside interference.

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WORD FOR TODAY

bully
Verb
Use superior strength or influence to intimidate, typically to force another to do what the bully wants.

According to Wikipedia . . .

Bullying is the use of force or coercion to abuse or intimidate others. The behavior can be habitual and involve an imbalance of social or physical power. It can include verbal harassment or threat, physical assault or coercion and may be directed repeatedly towards particular victims, perhaps on grounds of race, religion, gender, sexuality, or ability. The victim of bullying is sometimes referred to as a "target".

Additionally . . .

Bullying consists of three basic types of abuse – emotional, verbal, and physical. It typically involves subtle methods of coercion such as intimidation. Bullying behavior may include name calling, verbal or written abuse, exclusion from activities, exclusion from social situations, physical abuse, or coercion.

And . . .

As the verb to bully is defined as simply "forcing one's way aggressively or by intimidation", the term may generally apply to any life experience where one is motivated primarily by intimidation instead of by more positive goals such as mutually shared interests and benefits. As such, any figure of authority or power which may use intimidation as a primary means of motivating others, such as a neighborhood "protection racket don", a national dictator, a childhood ring-leader, a terrorist, a terrorist organization, or even a ruthless business CEO, could rightfully be referred to as a bully. According to psychologist Pauline Rennie-Peyton, we each face the possibility of being bullied in any phase of our lives.

Another name for bullying is mobbing, a common phenomenon in the form of group bullying at school. This type of bullying involves 'ganging up' on someone using tactics of rumor, innuendo, discrediting, isolating, intimidating, and above all, making it look as if the targeted person is responsible (victim blaming).

Sound familiar?

Iran must stop building nuclear devices because they are being mobbed or bullied by a group of other nations who fear the possibility that Iran is preparing to build nuclear weapons.

Which they undoubtedly are doing, in my opinion.

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BORN ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Born: December 8, 1925
Died May 16, 1990

Samuel George "Sammy" Davis, Jr. was an American entertainer. Primarily a dancer and singer, he was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities.

Davis started as a child vaudevillian who became known for his performances on Broadway and Las Vegas. He went on to become a world famous recording artist, television and film star. Davis was also a member of Frank Sinatra's "Rat Pack".



Born: December 8, 1953
Age: 58 years old

Kimila Ann "Kim" Basinger is an American actress, singer, and former fashion model.

She is known for her portrayals of Domino Petachi, the Bond girl in Never Say Never Again (1983), and Vicki Vale, the female lead in Batman (1989). Basinger received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture nomination for her work in The Natural (1984). She won an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in L.A. Confidential (1997). Basinger also acted in the movies 9½ Weeks (1986), I Dreamed of Africa (as Kuki Gallmann) and 8 Mile (2002).



Born: December 8, 1933
Died: November 25, 1998

Clerow Wilson, Jr., known professionally as Flip Wilson, was an American comedian and actor. In the early 1970s, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series, The Flip Wilson Show. The series earned Wilson a Golden Globe and two Emmy Awards.

In January 1972, Time magazine featured Wilson's image on their cover and named him "TV's first black superstar"



Born: December 8, 1953
Died: April 10, 1992

Samuel Burl "Sam" Kinison was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Kinison was known for his intense, harsh and politically incorrect genre humor. A former Pentecostal preacher, he performed stand-up routines that were most often characterized by an intense style, similar to enthusiastic preachers, punctuated by his trademark scream. He died in a car accident on April 10, 1992.

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If you let a bully come in your front yard, he'll be on your porch the next day and the day after that he'll rape your wife in your own bed.
--Lyndon B. Johnson

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