No Self-Control

Via goddess_of_impe, the Modesty Survey: men get to vote on what features of female dress/behaviour present them with a 'stumbling block', so women know what to avoid. Example statements from the survey (answer options range from 'strong disagree' to 'strong agree'):

Necklaces draw too much attention to the neck.
Necklaces that create a "V" are a stumbling block.
A purse with the strap diagonally across the chest draws too much attention to the bust.
Bare feet are not a stumbling block.
Seeing a girl take off a pullover (i.e. a shirt that must be pulled over the head) is a stumbling block, even if she is wearing a modest shirt underneath.
It is a stumbling block for a girl wearing pants to sit cross-legged (i.e. Indian style).
It is a stumbling block to see a girl lying down, even if she's just hanging out on the floor or on a couch with her friends.

Now, I haven't seen the results, so it could be that the guys who respond are taking responsibility for themselves... but honestly, it annoys me that some of these are even being ASKED. If some poor woman is looking to an online poll to tell her whether wearing her purse across the body is going to Lead Men Into Sin - and apparently at least one is, since these questions were submitted by female readers - something is deeply screwed up somewhere.*

( Ranting. )

From the comment forums:

"This is something that will help ladies know what the majority of men are troubled by in a women’s dress. There are many people that build houses and serve meals. Alex and Brett’s vision is different. But it is equally useful and important."

...no, it really isn't.

*And yes, all this goes for the relevant branches of Islam too. And any other group that feels like pulling this 'we have such a high regard for women that they get to make all the sacrifices that we are too weak to be trusted with' crap.

Gaming excerpt

From yesterday's Aramia game (not verbatim, but close):

MAGISTRATE: "So, Bishop Hamish [leader of the Crown's forces in the region] ordered you to retrieve the dragon eggs and turn them over to our agent in Woodsedge."

TYLIS: "Yes."

M: "And when you got to Woodsedge, you gave two of the eggs to our agent and kept the third concealed in your backpack."

T: "Yes."

M: "And your plea to the charge of 'disobeying orders' was...?"

T: "Not guilty."

M: "You don't want to alter that plea?"

T: "No."

The PCs got convicted on that charge (the other three got a finding of extenuating circumstances, Tylis didn't) but narrowly managed to escape conviction on 'desertion' and 'treason' by finding an influential character witness who told the court that they weren't malicious, just incompetent. So they got off with a year's exile to the Frozen North (TM) instead of being hanged, drawn, quartered, and burned.

BTW, when levelling up a character it is probably not a good idea to talk loudly about how much your Swim, Climb, Balance, and Jump skills suck within earshot of the GM. It may not change my plans for the game, but it will certainly make me more gleeful about them :-)

In other news, cocker spaniel + laser pointer = instant amusement for dog and human alike.