Alaska funded Palin kids' travel

[Karen]

I am surprised, quite, that you think LH cannot communicate with women. As the youngest of the family, he had a strong-willed mother and two older sisters - as well as an older brother, but the age spread is such that he was in college by the time LH hit kindergarten.

He was raised to communicate well with, and respect women.

Now, by the way I believe it was Richard, not LH who used the term "hen fest." I have never thought of "hen party" as a derogatory term, frankly, just a descriptive one of what often happens in a gathering of women - we talk, we chatter, the more of us, the more noise we make! Hen=female. Not that men don't gab, but their voices tend to be lower pitched, so it's a lower rumble of noise. A gab fest is a gab fest, but a hen fest is all girls.

[sparks19]

I am surprised, quite, that you think LH cannot communicate with women. As the youngest of the family, he had a strong-willed mother and two older sisters - as well as an older brother, but the age spread is such that he was in college by the time LH hit kindergarten.

He was raised to communicate well with, and respect women.

Now, by the way I believe it was Richard, not LH who used the term "hen fest." I have never thought of "hen party" as a derogatory term, frankly, just a descriptive one of what often happens in a gathering of women - we talk, we chatter, the more of us, the more noise we make! Hen=female. Not that men don't gab, but their voices tend to be lower pitched, so it's a lower rumble of noise. A gab fest is a gab fest, but a hen fest is all girls.

They don't gab if there is a ball game on TV lol.

I find men are experts at communicating for an afternoon where not one word is uttered except "anyone want another beer while I'm up"

Like when we have a family gathering and all the cousins end up in the living room watching football. The ladies are in the dining room (usually indulging in the desserts lol) talking it up... and the living room is completely silent unless someone scores lol.

and when a group of women get together there is usually more than one conversation going on.. the talking gets loud, it gets fast and it gets high pitched and it SOUNDS like a hen house

[K9soul]

and when a group of women get together there is usually more than one conversation going on.. the talking gets loud, it gets fast and it gets high pitched and it SOUNDS like a hen house

I guess I'm more an exception to the norm then . I tend to become quiet in a large group or else speak lower one-on-one with someone off away from the main group. I hate competing with a lot of noise. In my ex's family gatherings however, the men were just as loud or louder than the women. It was a big family with a noisy bunch, where-as I was raised in a quiet house with just me and my mother. At the big gatherings, I always retreated to a quieter room after a couple hours to get a break!

[Edwina's Secretary]

If you read Deborah Tannen's book one of the things she talks about...when women talk to each other they nod. This is how women (normally) communicate. It is an indication of "I'm listening." If you look at a group of women talking they look like those dogs with the wiggly heads in the back of automobiles.

When men nod it is -- in "men speak" if you will, a sign of agreement.

The breakdown can occur when a woman is non-verbally saying "I am listening" and the man is non-verbally hearing "I agree with you."

And of course, when the man does not nod...women hear "not listening."

It is a very interesting area of study that crosses cultures as well.

And can be useful to understanding each other.

Perhaps this could be a visual that contributed to the term "hen party" all though I have never heard that term used in any "endearing" way!

[Lady's Human]

ES, I wasn't insulting WOMEN in general. It was again, a specific comment on specific comments and behavior, not anyone in general.

When men nod it is -- in "men speak" if you will, a sign of agreement.

Bollocks, to be polite. As with all non-verbal communication, it is situational, and dependent on far more than just gender.

If that's a great revelation in the book, then the book should be in the recycling bin.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Gosh darn it LH...there you go bein polite and respectful again.

Let's see...what all are you an expert about....

By golly...the list is just too dang long.

Sorry Karen....but if that silly photo joke of women toting while men didn't was offensive enough to men for you to shut it down....

Can you REALLY say that to say to some that they are like "a bunch of old biddies" is not an insult???

I realize you have to take care of your brother and all but...

[Lady's Human]

Classic, ES.

If you can't debate, denigrate.

Karen doesn't "take care of me" nor do I take care of her.

You may want to take a course in civil debate, emphasis on CIVIL.

[RICHARD]

If that's a great revelation in the book, then the book should be in the recycling bin.

LOL, you may want to take a look at that sentence, I can see some followers of a certain religion taking that statement as an attack on a certain book,
King James or not!

[lizbud]

I hate competing with a lot of noise. In my ex's family gatherings however, the men were just as loud or louder than the women. It was a big family with a noisy bunch, where-as I was raised in a quiet house with just me and my mother. I always retreated to a quieter room after a couple hours to get a break!

You would have had a hard time ( or be a different person) if you had grown up in my family. I was raised with four rowdy brothers & only one
sister who was 10 years younger than me. You had to speak up and
hold your own, or be lost in the shuffle.

[sparks19]

I guess I'm more an exception to the norm then . I tend to become quiet in a large group or else speak lower one-on-one with someone off away from the main group. I hate competing with a lot of noise. In my ex's family gatherings however, the men were just as loud or louder than the women. It was a big family with a noisy bunch, where-as I was raised in a quiet house with just me and my mother. At the big gatherings, I always retreated to a quieter room after a couple hours to get a break!

LOL there are always exceptions to the rule

I am LOUD... I always will be loud lol. My whole family (with the exception of my mother) is LOOOOOOUUUUUUUDDDDDD. lol

So my father also doesn't fit into the category of "quiet if there is a ball game on" the only time he is quiet is when he is asleep lol.

[RICHARD]

I find men are experts at communicating for an afternoon where not one word is uttered except "anyone want another beer while I'm up"

Please,
You know that is not true. To use a political term, You are out of touch.

We also know-

WHERE'S the remote.
Grab me some chips honey.
RUN!, RUN!, RUN!, &#$*&$
What the eff was that?
What the eff was that all about?
This ref/ump is blind/on the take!
You just had to hit/catch it, stupid!
GO!, GO!, GO!, GO!,GO!, GO!, Yah!!!!!!
and

This one isn't cold.

[sparks19]

Please,
You know that is not true. To use a political term, You are out of touch.

We also know-

WHERE'S the remote.
Grab me some chips honey.
RUN!, RUN!, RUN!, &#$*&$
What the eff was that?
What the eff was that all about?
This ref/ump is blind/on the take!
You just had to hit/catch it, stupid!
GO!, GO!, GO!, GO!,GO!, GO!, Yah!!!!!!
and

This one isn't cold.

ah dangit.

I'm a failure lol.

How could I forget all of those. Except Brian doesn't ask me to grab the chips... probably because I have eaten them already lol

I guess I have just been too busy dancing But I like to have some fun in life instead of being a grumpus bumpus all the time (that's what we call Hannah, our one year old, when she is in a grumpy mood lol)

[Edwina's Secretary]

He was raised to communicate well with, and respect women.

Now, by the way I believe it was Richard, not LH who used the term "hen fest."

A spirited defense of your little brother Karen! And my apologies if I misattributed one of the demeaning insults used against women.

He did use "Old French Canuck women at bingo on Friday night." "Bunch of old biddies at the bingo hall."

I have to tell you...my strong-willed mother would have washed out my brother's mouth with soap if he had been so insulting to women!

[Karen]

A spirited defense of your little brother Karen! And my apologies if I misattributed one of the demeaning insults used against women.

He did use "Old French Canuck women at bingo on Friday night." "Bunch of old biddies at the bingo hall."

I have to tell you...my strong-willed mother would have washed out my brother's mouth with soap if he had been so insulting to women!

My very strong-willed mother might have uttered either of those phrases.
One can respect women without having to never utter a critical word about anyone belonging to that gender. Heck, he'd be accused of pandering if he did.

Have you ever been to a bingo hall in an old mill town on a Friday night? It is quite an interesting experience - there was always plenty of smoke, at my height of 5' 6" I towered over nearly everyone, and the noise level of gossip and chatter could have fooled a casual observer into thinking the bingo was not taken very seriously! Woe be unto thee who made that mistake!