Phi Tau - old Phi Sig

Posted on 2/21/2008 by Jim Charanis.
Categories: Phi Sigs.

Phi Tau - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I had no idea - 

The Tau chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa has a history of being progressive about its membership. Until 1952, the Phi Sigma Kappa national organization did not have a formal policy regarding membership of ethnic or religious minorities in its written charter or regulations. However, an informal "Gentleman’s Agreement" encouraged local chapters not to admit minorities to membership.[4] This agreement was finally written into the national organization’s bylawsat the 1952 Phi Sigma Kappa national convention. The Bedford Resolution, adopted by a small majority, read: "That the fraternity’s tradition be maintained in the sense that there be no pledging or initiating of Negro men until such time as they are acceptable to all chapters."[4] Phi Sigma Kappa chapters atBoston University and Knox College were both expelled from the national organization in 1953 for pledging African-American students. The Tau Chapter had been quietly opposed to this agreement, and had already admitted several Jewish men into the house. A campus-wide referendum on the desegregation of fraternities in 1954 resulted in a slim majority of Dartmouth students favoring mandatory desegregation of fraternities by 1960. This became a binding policy of the college administration.[5]

The stylized Greek letters ΦΣΚ appear in a wrought iron railing on the southwest corner of the 1928 residence, photographed in 1995.

Many Dartmouth Phi Sigma Kappas held out hope that the national organization might eventually reverse the Bedford Resolution, but were dismayed at the racist attitudes of the leadership. Several national organization leaders and their wives visited Dartmouth for a party celebrating the Tau chapter’s 50th anniversary in May, 1955. National President A.L. Atcheson, District Director Bob Abbe, and District Deputy Sam Sargent all attended. Abbe was reported to have commented to several brothers, including Dick Taft, class of 1956 and then vice-president of the chapter, "Well, it’s this way. We’ve got to watch out for all minority groups; not just the Negroes. In different areas you’ve got to watch out for different things, sometimes it’s Italians, sometimes it’s Jews, sometimes it’s Negroes."[4] Unbeknownst to Abbe, Dick Taft was Jewish. Many in the chapter were outraged and proposals to "go local" or to affiliate with a different national fraternity were debated at the house meeting immediately following the visit, but no consensus was reached at the time with the end of the academic year rapidly approaching.[4]
The movement to secede from the Phi Sigma Kappa national was rejuvenated in the early winter of 1956. Richard Scobie, class of 1956, and then outgoing chapter president, personally resigned his affiliation with the national fraternity in a letter in which he accused Phi Sigma Kappa of "black reactionary ideals." A financial dispute between the national and the Tau chapter had also exacerbated to the point of threatened legal action. A motion to disaffiliate with Phi Sigma Kappa was introduced at the chapter’s weekly house meeting on February 22, 1956. A week later debate continued, and the first vote to disaffiliate failed to gain the two-thirds majoritycalled for in the motion with a result of 41 local, 20 national, and 3 abstaining. A week later on March 7, 1956, the Tau chapter voted again to permanently separate from the national organization, with the ballot this time passing 54 local to 7 national. After briefly considering Phi Sigma Tau, the house decided to name themselves Phi Tau Fraternity. The history of the separation was chronicled by Dick Scobie for his senior thesis.[4]

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Passive Aggressive

Posted on 2/12/2008 by Jim Charanis.
Categories: Social.

Is there anything more frustrating then a passive aggressive person.  Its that combination of punch-n-tickle with blind "I don’t know what you mean" after a mean comment.  You hear it from people who are close enough to you to know about you and yet somehow hostile towards you. Whether its in a competitive situation or socially stressful, or a personal spat between friends or lovers. 

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it: passive, sometimes obstructionist resistance to following authoritative instructions in interpersonal or occupational situations. It can manifest itself as resentment, stubbornness, procrastination, sullenness, or repeated failure to accomplish requested tasks for which one is assumed, often explicitly, to be responsible. It is a defense mechanism and, more often than not, only partly conscious. For example, people who are passive-aggressive might take so long to get ready for a party they do not wish to attend, that the party is nearly over by the time they arrive. Alternatively, leaving notes to avoid face-to-face discussion/confrontation is another form of passive-aggressive behavior.

I know I’ve done it, sometimes I’m just outright aggressive.  And more then not - it makes me aggressive when someone is passive aggressive

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Bob Dole Defends John McCain

Posted on 2/6/2008 by Jim Charanis.
Categories: Politics.

Bob Dole Defends John McCain in Letter to Rush Limbaugh - You Decide 08!

I used to listen to Rush but I don’t anymore.  I’m 42, working hard to give my family the best and tired of angry mindless airbags like Rush.  

The way he spins, is no different then Hannity or the other liberal loud mouths.  For example, he sums up what he thinks is a slam at Dole - saying Dole told Hannity that he didn’t support McCain, this is from Rush’s website and radio talk show:

From Hannity’s show: “DOLE:  My heart’s kind of with McCain, but you know, again, I’ve stayed out of it. I don’t have any dog — I don’t want to say dog, some may say that’s saying we don’t have a good candidate, but I don’t have anybody in this fight.”

From Rush’s show (they weren’t talking to each other) RUSH: 

“So he sends me the letter. He wants to sing the praises of McCain and he ends up saying on television last night, he doesn’t have anybody in this fight.  Let me read to you the letter. "Dear Rush:  I’ve not seen yo…”

“…. All I know is they raise huge question marks.  But to sit here and to witness the manipulation of Bob Dole with a letter to me leaked to the public, to criticize Mitt Romney for attacking a war hero when no such thing happened; when Bob Dole’s letter is not an endorsement of anybody; when Bob Dole’s le…”

“….Here’s the quote: "If I believe the country will suffer with either Hillary, Obama, or McCain, I would just as soon the Democrats take the hit rather than a Republican causing the debacle, and I would prefer not to have conservative Republicans in the House and Congress paralyzed by having to support out of party loyalty a Republican president who is not conservative."

….."If I believe the country will suffer with either Hillary, Obama, or McCain, I would just as soon the Democrats take the hit rather than the Republicans cause the debacle."  By "if," I meant it’s unknown yet.  It’s in the future.  This is February, folks.  The general election is November, and what I meant when I told this to Howard Kurtz, "if," parentheses, "down the road I think…" It’s an open question yet, and yet everybody reading this thinks that I’ve just said, "Screw it! I’m voting Hillary or Obama."  That’s not what that meant to say.  I clarify it.”

Rush you don’t know what you meant to say or what you are saying half the time. Dole said his heart is with McCain - he does support him, he just isn’t sure he can win.  Does Rush actually think Huckabee or Romney will win?  I think Rush wants Hillary to win so he has something to talk about on his show for the next four years!  That is disgraceful!

The conservatives in this country are really disappointing me with the way they are attacking McCain and Dole.  This is a damn good letter and very reasonable.  Mitt’s just saying what they want to hear and polarizing with positions on Abortion and Immigration that just create an enormous amount of insane focus on issues that won’t determine my children’s future.  All the talk about McCain not supporting tax cuts is half-told. If the congress would cut spending he would support them.  I like his positions there too.  I’m more concerned with psychotic fundamentalists blowing up my countries buildings, out of hand spending in congress and by our current president, and the promise of a president the world will respect.  I don’t see that with Mitt, Huckabee is a good talker but I don’t see it there either and certainly not with the Democratic candidates.  Come on, an egomaniac and a child?  Grow up people and lets fix the real problems. 

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Getting DVD’s and Video on your iPod

Posted on 2/2/2008 by Jim Charanis.
Categories: Gadgets.

Great summary from The Apple Blog:

Using Your Mac Wisely: Video Content | The Apple Blog

 of the options you have to get video on iTunes and iPod.  For the promise of the iTouch and AppleTV.  Content is King and I only embraced the iPod when I could put all of the CD’s I purchased on it. This makes it worthwhile to start watching on the small screen.  But I haven’t got one yet.  DJ was the first in our house to get an iPod Nano FAT and watch videos.  Most of them his own animations.  

 

 

 

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