The latest instantiation of the endless thread seems to be all about histories of use of interesting substances. Me, I like to get high on Christopher Walken.
Continue as you were. Flying is optional.
(Current total: 10,058 entries with 969,742 comments.)
Janine, there are trolls here that a lot of us would like to see gone. PZ brought up possibly doing another round of Survivor, so…
I didn’t keep a list this time, and my meds have kicked in, so my memory isn’t doing all that well, especially when I have to concentrate so hard on typing.
Janine:
Robocop was Ichthyic’s suggestion for Survivor in the Sunday thread, I’m just making a note of it here.
What Janine said. Most of the really odious trolls of late don’t last for more than one or two threads. Even Cimourdain and Hyperon only show up occasionally. Fuckosaurus is nowhere to be found.
Makes me wish mythusmage would show up again.
science can’t tell you who to love”
nope, no problem there, really.
all you have to do is ask how any other methodology actually DOES provide regular, verifiable knowledge of how we figure out who we will fall in love with.
..and then it falls apart, since there aren’t any.
besides which, of course, epistemologically speaking, this is NOT outside of the realm of science to be able to answer, as anyone who has studied human physiology and behavior could likely tell ya.
You’re setting yourself up for the scientism straw-man
you nailed it before even needing to continue.
scientism is indeed an easily knocked down strawman.
So, Caine. I can get away with saying this; That is not writing, that is typing.
I am sorry, I had to say it. Good luck getting through what is ailing you.
I know PZ brought up playing Survivor again. But as I said earlier, we hardly have the same troll problem as we had in late 2008, early 2009. (Could that have been Pharyngula’s Golden Age of Trolls?) I cannot see the point.
Sorry, Caine, I get befuzzled nowadays when I try to multitask. That discussion actually was about me trying to explain why the NDoP is a very bad idea; but separation of church and state always manages to elicit the “you’re oppressing me!” meme from Baptists. Bleah.
Ambook, Boy Twin has some interesting discussions with his Scout friends too, given that he’s an atheist. My attitude is, well, it’s good for the others to be exposed to someone who’s thinking for himself.
Can I mention drugs even though I’m about 400 posts late? I’ve never had more than a sip of alcohol, don’t ever take caffeine except for chocolate, never used any illegal substances. Alcohol would probably kill me, caffeine makes me pass out almost instantly, and I don’t really want to experiment further.
I do take several psychiatric medications, and sometimes I think they’re more trouble than they’re worth. I have a precarious balance of ADD drugs that wake me up and anxiety medicines that let me sleep and eat, and antidepressants too.
I’m completely and painfully addicted to the internet, and that’s quite enough of a drug for me. I’ve been stumbleupon clean this whole semester.
In other news, I’ve never eaten anything more exotic than lamb, and I strongly favor a new Survivor! round, (or better yet a showcase of the year’s best trollish posts, a la feministe’s next top troll)
Janine:
Yep, it was. I don’t have a vested interest in another round of Survivor, if we have one, good, if we don’t, fine. (There are people I’d dearly like to see go though.) People asked about current trolls, etc., myself and others have answered.
Leigh:
It’s not just Baptists who get all upsetty and use the persecution card when it comes to separation of church and state. I’ve been quite surprised by some people, who I’d normally consider to be moderate xtians go all frothy over the issue. Then it’s all “this is a Xtian nation, it was founded blah blah blah”. That’s a very entrenched belief.
I’m not too fond of a.human.ape, or whatever the hell his name is. He pissed me off in a major way a few weeks ago.
Oh hey Caine, yeah, the Amy Bishop thread, right? That’s what I was referring to, but I had no idea it was so recent.
Anyway, I despise that fucker with the heat of a thousand white-hot burning suns, each comprised themselves of a thousand even hotter white-hot burning suns.
Update for all of you who put up with my mood swings, spousal unit is in the air on the way to London. Heading down to London on the train and will meet her around noon. Yipee!
It’s an entrenched belief because 1) it’s a primary selling point with hucksters like David Barton, 2) people are so poorly educated that they’re easy to sell that bullshit to, and 3) people like James Dobson make a whole shit-ton of money off the culture wars, so they’re stirring the pot all the damn time.
And here a prayer for you your ownself, Caine:
Sweet FSM, please enhance Caine’s meds in a powerful way. Bring her blessed relief and blissful sleep. Touch her with your noodly appendage and bring her dreams of beer volcanoes and (insert age and sex of choice here) strippers. Ramen.
Leigh:
Now there’s an understatement. Yes, that particular creature is top of the list in needs to be dungeoned. Forever. The things it said were unforgivable. What has particularly galled me though, was his/her continuing to comment in different threads after that, acting like everything was a-okay.
MrFire:
Yes and in http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/02/religion_adaptation_or_by-prod.php
I don’t think anyone likes Hyperon. A loathsome creature, that one.
Very glad to hear that good news, JeffreyD! I guess we’ll miss your good self for a few days, and then get you back all renewed and springy, huh?
@ Kel:
as to the scientism strawman, read Dennet:
that people read this and then say Dennet is establishing science as religion (scientism) is absurd, don’t you agree?
JeffreyD:
WOOHOO! That is the best news, Jeffrey. I’m so happy for you both.
Leigh:
Aaaw, may all your spaghetti be blessed. I’ll bet ya a joint would work better. ;p
I think the ape thing has a personality disorder. I’ve been offline for a while, so I haven’t seen that he’s been back; but he’s on the Straight Auxiliary’s list for a sound thrashing.
Leigh, the ape thing was back recently in several threads, I remember it showing up in the Sunday Sacrilege Soul Edition thread.
I have to say that probably the two main reasons I stopped using recreational drugs (at least on any regular basis) were:
-had to study to get into college
-drugs are expensive, food is a necessity.
got into the habit of both studying hard and not being able to spend any money (being a student, there wasn’t any) on drugs, so got used to not having them around.
seriously, that’s about it. I still get high, just very rarely any more.
of course, I think the appeal itself wears thinner with age too, but I still like to go tidepooling on a sunny day with friends and a fattie for company on occasion, even though I’m now 45.
Walton tried to be nice to him at the beginning, but quickly gave up.
And Hyperon returned the favor in the worst possible way.
And Hyperon returned the favor in the worst possible way.
interestingly, i recall TM saying essentially the exact same thing, almost word for word, as Hyperon did there.
I still go on record as disagreeing (no, Walton, you will not find everyone likes you in life), but I find myself in the minority these days so I rarely bother any more.
For Walton? Huh. I had thought that TM was even less fond of him than he was of everyone else.
Ichthyic:
I don’t know that you’re in the minority. I did note your post on the Sunday Embryo Edition that people tended to give Walton a break due to his “tender” age. Well, I’m not one of them. Just ask Walton. I had problems with him, and said so. To be fair, he responded to what I said and has been much better lately, in my opinion.
However, I have noticed a distinct desire on the part of some people to
motherparent Walton, and that does get on my nerves. Yes, 20 is young, but it ain’t all that young.I do, it’s sad that so often one is put under that scientism straw-man simply for speaking out. It’s not about making a point, it’s about nullifying criticism by pretending that the opponent is oblivious to philosophical boundaries. It’s never true, but it sounds so impressive…
For Walton? Huh. I had thought that TM was even less fond of him than he was of everyone else.
that’s why i recall it. it seemed a bit odd.
nevertheless, he did indeed say at the time (many months ago now, IIRC), that he thought Walton was a great example of an “honest libertarian”, and one of the few people he felt actually presented honest arguments.
this, again IIRC, was in response to my claiming that there simply weren’t any honest libertarians in existence.
Just to pile on Walton, I do get really tired of the threads that turn into Walton-centric monstrosities. Funny thing, I really do not blame Walton as much as I do all of the people who encourage him. Because he no longer annoys the living shit out of me, I do not want to seem overly mean (No! Seriously!) and ask people to stop. But, damn, I wish people would resist going AAAAHHH when he goes on a self loathing binge. I just refuse to get involved.
For an extreme liberal, I am afraid I am not very touchy-feely.
For an extreme liberal, I am afraid I am not very touchy-feely.
heh.
me neither, but then I think that goes without saying, especially if I haven’t had my morning coffee yet.
Well, Walton did call for TM’s banning and writing (funny enough, given we were dicussing Survivor):
TM did go pretty easy on him, considering what Walton wrote and that he’s, well, TM.
ambook@491:
I remember being in a local custom lingerie/dress shop with a friend. The owner easily weighed 500 lbs. [Ever see Dale the Whale on Monk?] He was lounging on a sofa; when my friend asked the price of a nightgown, the sales assistant began to state a price; he interrupted her and said ‘For you [double the price]’. With a sneer. My friend is 5’9″ and wears a size 12. Evidently, if one isn’t a size 0, one isn’t welcome in the shop.
The owner, in addition to being an asshole, was stupid: My friend does wardrobe on a TV show. She kinda spread her treatment around other folk in her profession…
I am trying to recall but frankly, I do not care enough to dig through the rubble but did not the Rookie call for Nerd, Patricia and me to be banned?
Honestly speaking, I think TM would be far more devastating if he dropped the insults and focused purely on argument. He can argue so well that “you dishonest fuckwit” (not sure if he’s ever said those words) is just unnecessary and a distraction.
Though if TM stopped doing that, it just wouldn’t be TM.
Janine,
Well, I don’t remember if he ever asked for you to be banned, but he did call you guys the “gruesome trio”. I was almost sad to see him go. That kid needed A LOT of help.
Hell’s jingle bells, Caine — twenty’s notyoung , it’s friggin’ larval !
Walton’s just about managed to get adopted as the Horde Mascot. Yes, he does jump up on us a little, and occasionally he leaves a turd on the floor. On the plus side, he’s just about stopped humping our legs with the glibertarian nonsense.
Those of us who routinely deal with our own larval spawn are happy to see signs of intellectual growth, so perhaps we overdo the ooh’ing and cooing. We are programmed at this point in our lives to offer positive reinforcement at any sign the ol’ prefrontal cortex has begun to function. He is a little demanding of attention sometimes, but that’s pretty normal for young’uns.
The main thing is, he’s a pretty good kid, and he’s kind of our kid. This might seem an odd place to be fostering a child, but you can’t deny we seem to be doing him some good.
Feynmaniac, that was one of my favorite moments on this blog. Sometimes I still get a random chuckle out of it.
Upon further research he did call for you three to be banned:
(Can’t sleep and am really bored.)
Feynmaniac, the Rookie was begging to get hit with the banhammer. PZ was in a HULK SMASH mood after a rather messy Mabus shit finger painting spree, many dozens of droppings. The Rookie protested and wanted to communicate with the madman.
I did not want to see the fool booted, he was great low comedy. But anyone who argues in defense of Mabus is truly too stupid to tolerate.
Regarding the above, I don’t want to comment on most of it, but I do want to apologise to truth machine (if he’s reading this) for the comment that Feynmaniac linked at #530. It was unfair, and I retract it.
I wish my parents brought me up through a blog.
Well, I there’s also my children. It might be a useful record for their future psychiatrists.
TM could be more devastating? I think not. Besides, I think it’s his style and can do what he damn well pleases unless PZ sees fit to ban him.
And it’s also important to note that at least some of the time he’s arguing with irredeemable idiots who aren’t going to be any more swayed by polite arguments than they are by vitriolic ones.
Sure, I’d prefer it if he cut the regulars who are only a bit wrong some of the time (i.e. me!) some slack. But the fact that reading his comments makes me laugh – a lot – makes up for having been on the receiving end a few times.
Ah, Caine, I see that as soon as the ape thing showed up, you commenced the thrashing (backed up by TM, Jadehawk, Walton, KOPD, and Aratina Cage). The concern troll who threw herself in the line of fire got run off by this able crew, also.
Good work, all!
Ah, thanks for the good wishes Leigh and Caine. On the train right now heading for London. Then a quick run to Paddington for the Express to Heathrow. I feel like a giddy teenager. (laughing at myself) Passion does not have to die when you get older, the fires may not be as hot, but the heat is warm enough and the coals burn for much longer.
Will update from the airport or when I return.
QFT. a.human.ape is a sociopathic nut who seems to enjoy posting sadistic fantasies about the torture and murder of religious people. When he was called out on it, he also revealed himself to be a homophobe in comments he made towards Josh.
Hey now, 20 year olds get a lot of expirience too.
It’s Serious Business (I understand it’s common courtesy to not waste 400 manhours by linking to TVTropes on a thread where people browse during work hours, so I will not).
Uh, here’s a weird question: Am I the only person who doesn’t think any particular troll is really active enough on a regular enough basis to be worth banning just for living under a bridge?
You are right, at least in the present context. We did have Dendy, who frequented us as often as he could and had a vendeta against Pygmy Loris.
Fuck that shit, the great thing about Truth Machine is that he’ll go after anyone who is even the slightest bit wrong. Otherwise how are you going to know that you’re wrong unless someone points it out?
Rutee, Shrieking Harpy of Dooooom wrote:
No, I think much along the same lines. There are idiots I could live without – those that’ve been mentioned – but I think we can deal with them ourselves (using the options of constantly abusing them, or killfiling – or ignoring if killfile isn’t an option) rather than needing to specifically ban anyone.
Most of the trolls serve the purpose of reminding us what we’re up against, and allowing people to get what can be much-needed experience in dealing with them – in a way we need more rather than fewer; I know I learned a lot from arguing with people (and had immense fun abusing particularly odious morons) on the various crackergate threads.
The only thing that really annoys me is a lack of engagement. As long as they present something and react to responses I don’t care how stupid they are.
ambulocetacean:
That’s a lie promoted by various animal-rightist web-pages. Some info here.
Kel wrote:
I meant in terms of abuse, not correction. I’m happy to be corrected; there are times, however, when I’m less than enthusiastic about being called a moron for some slight misunderstanding…
Gaming is a way of life… seriously. It’s even more of a way of life than metal. Being on the fringes of both communities, it’s weird looking at how seriously some take it. Which is why when someone says “X is a religion” just because someone takes something seriously I roll my eyes.
Kel wrote:
I likened it to crack upthread, and that’s not an exaggeration: I cannot have games on my computer at home or that is all I will spend my time doing, to the point of forgoing food and sleep and enduring a level of physical discomfort that leads to permanent injury.
The latter isn’t hyperbole either. My right shoulder flares up from time to time, entirely due to game-playing with a mouse.
That probably comes across as pathetic, but that’s the sad reality of it. I can exercise self-control on pretty much every other aspect of my life (other than maybe SIWOTI) but I just can’t keep myself from playing, playing, playing if there’s a game in front of me.
It’s a shame, because contemporary games look so fucking awesome. But I know I can’t go there or I’ll end up a complete wreck.
John Scanlon,
Wow, thanks for that link. So you can only get toxoplasmosis from kangaroo meat if a cat craps on it first? And roo worms are harmless to humans? Excellent.
I shall quintuple my consumption of kangaroo immediately. My girlfriend’s car has a great big bull-bar on the front so I shall be up at dawn to start running the bastards over.
I’ll clean them at home, put the guts in a wheelbarrow and tip them over the fence into the next-door neighbour’s yard. Since I live in a block of nine flats he won’t be able to pin it on me.
It feels quite refreshing to suddenly be labouring under one fewer mispprehension. Thanks again. :)
I can empathise. Many an hour I spent playing Diablo 2 which I think helped contribute towards my RSI, not to mention Championship Manager used to keep me up at night when I was in school. These days it’s not as bad since I can’t play for long periods without experiencing some discomfort so I’ve learnt to avoid it.
Ding dong….
Paging Rutee to the Southparkthread.
Repeat; paging Rutee to the Southparkthread.
This message is for Rutee, thank you.
Dong ding….
Oh! That makes sense. :-)
(Besides, I only wanted to explain why I personally “don’t care for the topic at all”. I didn’t say nobody should – that would be caring!)
Absolutely. “Nothing makes sense in biology except in the light of evolution” (Dobzhansky), “nothing in evolution makes sense without a good phylogeny” (G. C. Gould & B. MacFadden), “the present is not the key to the past, the past is the key to the present, and to the future” (forgotten, and I’m probably slightly paraphrasing). Any more questions? :-)
<taken aback>
Strange. Me too, and I’ve never had that problem!
Perhaps you’re in compatibility mode? You should not be, because it simulates IE7, which took forever to load ScienceBorg for the last few weeks before IE8 came out.
Ha! Me learning about the world at large and ending up going to Copenhagen are not relevant consequences? And that’s just me!
<facepalm>
<giggle> Another consequence! :-)
And what’s more, the first related video is the trailer of Civilization FIVE. I want to play IV-Beyond-the-Sword at last… :.-(
Yeah.
WTF. I completely missed that; I’ve only noticed his rather extreme, paranoid islamophobia (about which he’s very open; he once said he only comes here to find allies for the Good Fight For Civilization or so). Links, please!
No. The monotremes have AFAIK lost it, the placentals have reduced the 4 receptors to 2 (making placentals red-green blind by default), and the marsupials… apparently have 3 receptors like us.
At least one bat species is completely colorblind.
Fruit and leaves can be distinguished in the blue and yellow, so being red-green blind isn’t a problem for a frugivore; old and young leaves, however, differ by the young leaves being red (this is extremely well visible in the poplars in front of my window right now) and not yet having accumulated all the toxins that protect long-lived leaves in a rainforest. This is what made a duplication of the receptor for green, with a few mutations, an advantage for our ancestors.
Perhaps because fat women are a disappointment to a straight guy who thinks all women have a moral obligation to stay within his desirability bracket? Men aren’t in that bracket to begin with, so nothing changes when they fatten up.
Ah. I need to finish reading that thread.
And Al B. Quirky, who does show up regularly (though seldom), is simply too stupid to count as a troll.
a.human.ape, the one pathologically devoid of empathy, seems to become rare…
:-o
:-)
On the one hand, that’s true; I’ve complained several times.
On the other hand, he most impressively drives the point home that tone is irrelevant!
Reminds me… I still owe him a couple of answers on the soul thread (about whether science can prove and what all those words mean). Haven’t even read beyond my last comment yet.
Oh yes. A day or two before he was banned, he commented late at night. The mask had fallen. He said that late at night like that he was scared shitless of his mortality and stuff… he was a completely different person. He absolutely needs professional help, if he’s still alive.
Speak for yourself! :-)
For the record, rather than treating Walton as a baby, I’ve projected myself into him. A bit too much, as it turns out (most conspicuously, I can’t see any way I could ever have ended up with his taste in music).
And he was banned.
JeffreyD, in the last incarnation of the thread, you were asking for good nonfiction. I recommend Much Depends on Dinner by Margaret Visser. She takes a representative North American dinner–rice, corn, chicken, salt, etc.–and discusses the history of the foods going right back to domestication or discovery.
Not just Pygmy Loris. He also had one against Chimpy and an other against me. Just before the banhammer came down on him, Dendy was taunting me to visit his site. Apparently, he had a post that ‘addressed’ my being a lesbian. I would not do so after his dog shit post he had for Chimpy and me. Also, it became very clear that he posted here just to drive up his site hits.
I very much doubt ambulocetan’s story of cat meat sausages in Australia. If it’s not totally fabricated, then it was probably some student prank. Cat meat is illegal to sell for human consumption in most states. Though I have occasionally heard of Aboriginal people eating feral cats.
Morning Pharyngulites.
I looked for you guys in WoW – but I didn’t see anyone. I made a Troll Mage, so, I’ll look tonight when I get back from work.
WoW has a huge number of servers, you know.
I wouldn’t mind seeing that PZ guy banned. He just totally agrees with every post that is made on this blog. Could he be more of a sycophant? And also, he knows nothing about the joys of gaming.
I was on Kael’Thas like was said.
Just checking for a moment. First I’ll apologize a bit to Janine et all for getting too chatty with Walton.
I am a touchy feely person FWIW so much so I have trouble budgeting my time between people with needs. Some one said co-dependent upthread I think? Uh… yeah.
I just kinda like him to the extent he talks back. He’s not so much a kid kid to me because I feel like it wasn’t all that long ago that I was his age, and I know how much I’ve changed. He’s certainly become more considerate.
Anyway sorry for jumping onto that train some times, I’m sure it can be annoying for all.
Secondly,am I the only one who doesn’t like the survivor game? I’m not concern trolling here, you guys do what you like… but it made me feel kind of dirty.
I don’t think I’d be up for it. The only one of those people I ever got into it with was hyperon and I didn’t even mind that much really.
Ol’Greg, Rev. BDC is not a fan of the game either, so you aren’t alone.
I don’t think we’ve got a big enough roster of trolls just at this moment to have a rousing round of Survivor. The last time, the trolls were pretty toothsome. Since then we’ve had that weird experience over at Greg Laden’s blog and a whole bunch of tone trolling and pearl-clutching over at Mooney’s blog, but not so much here — and precious little from a reliable cast of characters. Sad, that. I fear for our pelts and fangs if this continues.
Done. “Liveblogging his descent into madness” seems to describe it well.
And in most European countries, Switzerland being a notable exception. The meat is said to be very tender but not to everyone’s taste.
Those morons really did deserve it, but I fully agree it shouldn’t be done lightly.
JeffreyD, I second the recommendation of William Least Heat Moon. Blue Highways is one of my favorites.
I also really liked The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy: An Economist Examines the Markets, Power, and Politics of World Trade by Pietra Rivoli.
I can wholeheartedly recommend Jim Hightower’s Thieves in High Places. Populism at its finest.
And speaking of populism, Thomas Frank’s What’s the Matter with Kansas is thought-provoking. It filled in some blanks in my understanding of U.S. political history.
@Leigh –
We’ll have to read Blue Highways – our trips are going to be planned to avoid interstates as much as possible. I feel sort of like I’m redoing high school myself, except without the angst of attending a Catholic girls boarding school.
How does your son manage not to get tossed out of scouts? We’re barely squeaking by with the pantheist thing. Of course, my son did threaten to tell a Board of Review for his Star Scout rank that he believed in the Lords of Kobol (from Battlestar Galactica) and did announce that the Daily Show was his main source of news. The good news is that I have plenty of comparative religion background and have no doubt that I could argue circles around their very silly idea that reverence requires a personal god. It’s a ridiculous idea that you need to have the right kind of sex and believe in a sky spirit in order to be a good citizen, tie knots, and learn to avoid poison ivy.
One of the biggest problems I have with Christians is their silly idea that their way of being reverent is the only way to do it. I think Richard Dawkins and EO Wilson (not to mention PZ’s Sunday Sacrilege about ensoulment)are plenty reverent without a sky spirit personally interested in them to focus on.
I’d have to concur with that.
The current ones are just not consistently annoying enough.
As to computer games : I’ve played 1 Star Trek game to the end, and Doom for one level, and that’s it.I don’t get the whole thing, it’s not for me, waste of time.
Could somebody help me find a link to that inflatable globe creationist idiot? My google-fu sucks today.
Oh, FFS. I didn’t make up the cat meat thing.
It was in the early-mid ’90s and they were having trouble giving the stuff away so they gave me a bag of little sausage bits, which I took back to work to gross people out.
I’ll see if I can find some sort of reference for it.
Well, I haven’t been able to find anything on it, but it absolutely happened.
I had never considered the possibility of it being a prank. I suppose it could have been, but neither of them were laughing.
Boobquake!
I’ve just been invited to the boobquake to happen on Monday, April 26.
Whats a Boobquake? Blag Hag sez:
Sedighi claims that not dressing modestly causes earthquakes. If so, we should be able to test this claim scientifically. You all remember the homeopathy overdose? Time for a Boobquake. On Monday, April 26th, I will wear the most cleavage-showing shirt I own. Yes, the one usually reserved for a night on the town. I encourage other female skeptics to join me and embrace the supposed supernatural power of their breasts. Or short shorts, if that’s your preferred form of immodesty. With the power of our scandalous bodies combined, we should surely produce an earthquake.
This is a grand oppurtunity to participate in the making of some very important science! So come on Women of Pharygula, who is with me? Just think of all the creative ways to dress ‘immodestly’ for science…low cut blouses, fancy red brassiers, too short shorts, tattoos exposed, showing a bit of ankle, too much makeup, or my fave of slutty red nail polish….the possibilities are endless! So who’s with me? Boobquake for Science!
Some Historical Perspective
Holy Batman – the bishop of Bruges just resigned and admitted to being a sexual abuser.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/world/europe/24vatican.html?hp
Why am I so not surprised?
That’s my kind of science !!
(And I wonder if PodBlackCat will participate !(spoiler alert: she won’t..))
And to avoid any sexism claims, I’d be all for male bloggers and scientists posing and blogging in gstrings and with deep insights into manboob cleavage too…:P
Oooh I’m down for the boobquake experiment.
They’ll love it at the office :/ Maybe I’ll just post a pic to the blog.
But that’s cool.
Hell yeah, let the boys be sexy too if they wanna. I’m no fan of enforced modesty.
I seriously don’t get why you put up with such a primitive banking and payment system. I don’t recall the last time I set foot in a physical bank.
Of course, an acquaintance of mine mentioned how while he studied in the US his bank only had drive-thrus in his area, but he didn’t have a car, so he had to get between vehicles and walk up to the window.
::incredulous::
Actually, about the boobs thing, I wish it weren’t just about being sexy. Think about it: most of the women who are affected aren’t even considered sexy. I’m not trying to be mean, I just think that the immodesty of women who “make men lustful” is a freaking joke.
Because people turn around and shame women into modesty for not making men lustful with their bodies too.
Virtue be damned.
Gotta agree with ya, g-strings for science!
Shake it Rorschach!
Boobquake!
You know you’re in trouble when your delusions are based on delusions :
Had a patient the other day(not the one that arrested on me 10 minutes before handover, that was just totally rude and unacceptable behaviour) who was hearing voices telling him that jesus is in fact satan.He was very distressed about it.
I guess that would upset you, if you are into these things.
2 days off yay !! What might I do? Clean the house, read, shop, be productive, exercise?
I have the sinking feeling my mounting cravings for Pharyngula might get in the way of doing anything productive in the end…:-)
I hear you, Ol’Greg. The message should just be “fuck modesty.” Sexiness does not need a place there. Though, actually, flagrant disregard for societal views on modesty has a sexiness of its own. As do confidence and self-empowerment. How I would love to live in a world where men aren’t the pig-ignorant, sexist, manipulative animals that we are. All I can do is keep trying to improve my corner of it.
Nah. I think if he did that he would be a hypocrite. The reason he can get away with his style is that he applies it without prejudice to everyone.
Ol’Greg: As long as we’re going down the ‘not sexy’ road (and it is a wonderfully subjective road), should those of us (overweight males (and yes, I include meself in that ‘un) also reveal our cleavage? Or would that upset the parameters of said experiment?
Now – I would not be sexy in a G-String. I am a twiggish guy – 6’1, 135 pounds. I am white as a sheet, only hairy on my legs, and you can literally count my ribs.
Now – I’ve been told I look sexy in a suit. I could try to get a picture of myself in one, but I don’t think I could unleash that much good-looking man on ya’ll.
I won the third and the fourth time at Bubbleshooter today ^_^
Damn, Kevin, I’m twice the man you are. Literally.
[stares at empty bottle of cherry coke on my desk]
How’d that happen?
@iambilly:
Ridiculously high metabolism is the culprit. I literally weigh the same as an anorexic person my height would weigh. But I eat a lot, and all the time, and good food, too – mostly. So it’s quite weird.
You know, I’m all for shameless cleavage. If you’ve got it flaunt it, sir. And if you don’t have it, try a pair of cut offs and shake that skinny butt.
What is ‘modest’ dress anyway? A burka? That’s a travesty! I remember several years ago when thong underwear became popular for women in the USA. The uproar! What a joke-thongs were seen as instruments of the devil and the women who wore them as shameless hussies. This moronic idea went so far as Principal Accused of Pre-Dance Thong Check.
Teaching respect for girls and women coupled with humane sex education would of course, be much more effective than a ‘Boobquake’. I get it.
But, a Bookquake is just one tiny little protest against these stupid ideas and religious repression and misogeny.
Very true Dust. I think it really just comes down to a completely ingrained belief, which is no less prevalent in Western society, that women
a.) are not smart enough to make decisions about what they want to wear
b.) are some how in control of how random strangers feel about them sexually
c.) have no bodily integrity so that their physsical persons may be groped, searched, raped, covered, or stripped at societies will to conform to whatever *idea* about women gets projected onto them
In my HS, the teachers were allowed to grope you so long as they had concern that you were not wearing a bra.
Why, really why, should I be forced to wear a bra anyway? Because nipples give you an erection? Motherfucka that’s YOUR problem. No one ever asked me if nipples turned me on, ya’ know.
The Indie may not be all that independent anymore, but I still like their reporting.
And I seem to be fast becoming a Clegg-omaniac. Which is rather embarrassing considering how little care I have for Danish politics – as I had confirmed yesterday when I was being (push?)polled for the Social Democrats.
Ossum!
I see the South Park thread is off the front page, so I’ll put this here:
Holie Cow! Ol’Greg, your teachers were allowed to grope you claiming a ‘bra check’!?
That is sick. In my high school days (way, way back :) the only bra checks I remember were from the HS boys running a quick hand up the back to feel for a bra strap. Hee hee, HS boys, so silly.
Yeah, teenage girls and their breasts, dangerous they is, dangerous.
Horray for shameless cleavage. I’m working my pecs out just so I can flaunt them with my tight fitting t-shirts.
In my Catholic boarding school, we had an official rule about having to wear underpants. You can just guess the shenanigans that went on to dare a nun to call you out in class for not wearing them. Taught me a valuable lesson about caution in giving orders or making rules (I believe the Duke Leto Atreides said something similar).
WHAT?!
That is patently unconstitutional. You should have sued the bastards.
Kevin: Beware. Metabolism changes. I used to be 6’1″ and 140 pounds. Now I’m 5’11.5″ and, well, two of you.
Ol’Greg: I don’t think I’ve had a pair of cutoffs since, like, 1978.
I never heard of any of our teachers doing ‘bra checks’, but I do remember one announcement that came over the PA one spring:
Somehow, I don’t think that would go over too well these days. Not as bad as a ‘bra check’, but it would still raise Caine.
Pics or it won’t have happened.
Kevin: Wow, you’re even skinnier than me (I weigh slightly less but am a few inches shorter). Though I haven’t weighed myself in a couple of months, and I think I’ve lost weight in that time.
I’ve certainly lost a bit of muscle mass. I miss the days when I had the time and energy for regular weight-training, and actually had decent-sized pecs and biceps. Now I seem to have reverted to being stick-thin again. :-(
Not ready yet. Give me three more pounds to gain first.
<headshake> X-)
Obvious who was shameless there.
<facepalm>
Because burning your bra is (for, presumably, some reason) a 1968 hippie act of rebellion, which in turn makes you horribly scary and dangerous or something?
But who says a person has to be half dressed to be sexy anyway? Attributes other than bare skin can exude sex appeal.
It’s the lift of an eyebrow, a bit of hair brushing the collar, the angle of his hat.
Somewhat unrelated, before I go to bed…
Nick G, are you planning on attending the Copenhagen convention?? Would be awesome…
And, are any of those danish folks working on a Pharyngufest yet? Compared to this danish business, the aussies and their efforts at setting up a Pharyngula meet and convention social events in Melbourne come across as gifted with almost german efficiency !
@iambilly:
I’m aware – hence why I’m trying to eat healthy. I still do eat a bit too much sugars, but aside from that I eat relatively healthy meals, whole grains, vegetables, low fat.
I figure, might as well start now when I don’t have to worry about it, so that when I do have a change in metabolism, I’m already enjoying the kinds of meals I’ll have to eat to remain in good shape.
WTF?!
Leigh:
Not to me. Sorry, but I consider that an adult, expect to be treated like one. JustALurker is 19, and you wouldn’t know it by her posts. Being considered “oh-so-young-and-tender” is generally only a consideration if someone wants it to be.
Well, he’s not my kid, I don’t consider him a kid, and I don’t consider him to be “pretty good”. Parents already have kids to parent, I think that’s enough.
ambook:
Hmmm, same rule in my catholic school. That may be why I’ve been commando ever since. ;p
I to would not be sexy in a G-string, but for different reasons.
6′, 215, fairly tanned, though elements of a farmer tan working hard right now.
and hairy.
And I’ll just leave it at that.
Beck moving towards religious
profitprophet insanity phase: Beck explains “the plan that [God] would have me articulate, I think, to you”Fron Sili’s link:
This is making me want to vote Lib Dem. I actually strongly agree with both of those policies.
But if I vote Lib Dem, there is a danger of Labour getting back in (in coalition form or otherwise).
@Rev BDC:
Does your name accurately describe your hairiness?
Other than the top of my head, essentially yes.
Meh… the g-string is in the wrong area for where I normally look to find “sexy”.
For me, it’s the eyes. Sexy eyes get me every time. Probably why I find Olivia Wilde so… well… just damn…
And I sure as hell wouldn’t show well in skimpy beach-ware. Back when I was a competitive swimmer I was really well cut. That was almost 20 years ago now though. I’m not particularly tall… only 5’10”. And while I’m still quite athletically active, I’ve always been “stout” and now I’m getting quite pillowy (hmmm… let’s see how many euphemisms I can squeeze into this post) . Have been intending to do something about it for some time… and been finding absolutely wonderful excuses not to.
Mr. “Boobies Cause Earthquakes” has got it all wrong. Earthquakes are obviously caused by the presence of weak-willed men who neither know how to exercise self-control, nor wish to learn how.
Rev,
other than being a bit too tall, it sounds like you could be my stunt double. ;-)
I’d say awesome, but then I’m not sure I’d be giving you a compliment
Don’t get me started on how much highschool sucked. Beginning of the zero tolerance era of rampant paranoia and treating people like convicts with no human rights for their own good.
But whatever… read about the perfectly constitutional strip search of a girl under suspicion of having asprin:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/us/22search.html
Or the lower merion school district’s webcam pics taken of kids in their room (for their safety) of course.
When you try too hard to protect something, you WILL infringe on that something’s rights. I’m not saying that minors don’t need to be protected, but there need to be stringent rules on what constitutes protection.
This video is the latest piece of maudlin propaganda for “American exceptionalism” and mindless patriotism that is being touted by the mormons in my area. I’ve received the recommendation to watch the video more than fifty times, with an about 60-70 other recipients in every email. If you decide to watch it, give it a thumbs down vote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVAhr4hZDJE
The video is titled “We the People” and is mostly a long list of clichés about freedom, followed by a long list of Obama’s supposed sins. Nospopulus created the video, and I suspect them of trying to look like a grass roots movement, when they are actually hired professionals. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/Nospopulus
Meh, having spent the first 18 years of my life (it was about that long right?)essentially under a conservative government I don’t really see why that would be a bad thing. Certainly couldn’t be worse than spending any time under conservative rule.
(always voted Lib Dem personally, not that it mattered living in North East England – I figure you might as well use democracy as it should be used, and hope everyone else does too, rather than voting for the lesser of two evils (would spoil the ballot if I didn’t agree with any of the candidates, probably makes zero difference but I always thought it was morally superior to just not turning up)
Especially when for many, “protection” is actually code for “preventing them from doing shit I don’t approve of”.
I just tried catching up in the “Ebert / video games / art” thread, and I just give up… seems like the argument is on about a 200 post circular cycle… think I’m gonna avoid it for now.
I know it’s not exactly an argument for the LD, but considering the slanders they get, they can’t be all wrong.
Off course, I already knew (through the Goldacre brainwashing) that Evan Harris is a god among men, and I really really really wish I could vote for him.
From the comments:
Yah. My mother impressed on me that she didn’t care what I voted, but I damn well had to vote. Admittedly, part of that may have been a case of “what will the neighbours think?”.
Honestly, sometimes high schools resemble prisons more than anything else. Many schools seem to be more interested in making sure kids follow rules and authorities blindly than equipping the students with knowledge and critical thinking skills.
I was in high school at the beginning of that. My second sophomore year they banned pocket knives. I continued to carry a Swiss Army Knife. Everyone, teachers included, had an SAK or a Buck folder or an Uncle Henry or . . .
My senior year, I took advanced physics. Most of the class was creating the tools to make the measurements — sometimes mechanical, sometimes electrical, sometimes using a computer. An SAK was the best tool possible when dealing with wires and screws.
One day, our vice principal walked into the classroom and told the kid next to me (not my lab partner, he just happened to be next to me) to empty his pockets. Sure enough, a big scary knife with a 2.5 inch blade. The VP ignored the open knife I had sitting on the lab counter. The kid was marched off to the office, kicked out of school for a week and told he could not participate in graduation — they would mail the diploma.
The kid was a dick, but we all thought that what had been done, selective enforcement, was unfair. The next Monday, I came to school with a pocket knife hanging from every belt loop and another kife in a leather sheath. I was not the only one. Three quarters of the upper classes participated in the protest.
The administration tried to stop it but, short of cancelling graduation, there wasn’t much they could do. So they relented and let the dick participate in baccalaureate (which included a 1-hour hell-fire and damnation sermon) and graduation (which included a 1-hour sermon).
In retrospect, not participating in that graduation would have been a good thing.
Sorry the the long ramble. It really is an occupational hazzard.
As always, it’s fascinating how people differ in such things. Eyes are part of the face, and, for me, a face can be beautiful (all the way, at least in theory, to love-at-first-sight), but not sexy. It just can’t. Category error. Does not compute. <throwing up hands> :-)
That said, from what I’ve read, I don’t know how I’d react if one with dilated pupils looked at me.
@Celtic Evolution:
I’m told I have very pretty eyes. They’re hazel, so they’re most of the time a light brown with little specks of green. However, wearing certain colors and in certain lights, my eyes have been known to change colors from very green to almost gold.
Personally I’m most interested in intelligence, a smart girl is extremely sexy to me. Someone who can challenge me mentally makes me melt.
Physically – as I’ve said before on this blog – I am fond of ample posteriors and I am unable to mislead.
in a nutshell
I would be able to, if my college was about a mile further west (he’s MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, whereas I’m in the Oxford East constituency).
If I were voting in Oxford, I would have to vote Lib Dem – the incumbent Labour MP has a very slim majority, and voting Lib Dem would be the surest way to unseat him, as Conservatives in Oxford are fairly weak. But I’m planning to vote Conservative in my home constituency, which is marginal Labour-Conservative with a sitting Labour MP.
My main priority is to remove the current authoritarian, discredited, incompetent bunch of fuckwits we call a (Labour) government. They have presided over an unprecedented erosion of civil liberties (look up the Terrorism Act 2000 and the Criminal Justice Act 2003, for instance), more “tough on crime” bullshit and a relentless policy of increasing the prison population, the introduction of illiberal “hate speech” laws, mass detention of refugees and asylum-seekers, and the creation of a national ID database. And they are desperate to make everyone carry ID cards, too. There would be few things more disastrous than a second Labour term.
Kevin: I’m with you. Intelligence, humour, and a nice arse.
There would be few things more disastrous than a second Labour term. – should, of course, read fourth term. :-(
Something I’ve discovered recently is that that kind of woman I always find myself immediately attracted to is almost always someone I’m not compatible with over the long term…
I tend to find myself attracted to the very outgoing, highly flirtatious, energetic type… center of attention types.
But man do I always regret getting involved with those types. They almost always wind up being needy, attention starved and lacking self-confidence. And I’m simply not the type of person who’s good at showering a person with attention, I enjoy my “alone” time, and am far more socially reserved. I can be romantic as hell, but I just don’t do the “flowery displays”, and I’m not the type who can handle needy people.
Looking back, the best relationships I’ve had have been with the more reserved, quiet, intelligent, and relaxed women I’ve known.
So that’s sort of what I’ve been looking for these days…
The tough part about that is that in my current age group (late 30’s) it seems that all the really great women who fit that mold that I know are snatched up, and the “fiery hellcats” are all that seem to be out there. And I just don’t think I can handle another one of those.
God I hate dating.
@Celtic Evolution:
Yeah. I’m mid-twenties, but I’m still finding it hard because I’m not your typical guy (much more sensitive and nurturing than the average.) Dating does suck.
I know if I ever really get a girlfriend, I’ll be fine, but it’s the acquisition that I’m having problems achieving since I really don’t feel comfortable asking people I work with, and I don’t actually get out that much with work being as long and starting as early as it does.
that’s mild. in my class was a guy who could unsnap a bra through clothing, with a single snap. For several weeks he terrorized all the girls that way, to the point where we all got paranoid about not having him within our field of vision. There was also a lot of standing with the back against the wall.
and this is precisely why you need proportional representation.
and this is why the German’s paranoia with looking even slightly too “Nazi” comes in handy: our schools weren’t in the slightest authoritarian. (though I hear the moral panic is beginning to spread into Germany now, too)
indeed, it annoys the fuck out of me that Americans treat teenagers like little kids, and then the moment they stop being minors everybody expects them to be responsible adults. How, if you never let them develop into responsible adults?!
Walton – meh sounds not unlike a watered down version of what the Conservative party would have done, my take is if you don’t dig what labour did, you sure as hell don’t want to spend any time under a Conservative govt.
I honestly don’t see that the conservatives would have gone any differently on erosion of civil liberties (these are the same people who essentially broke the back of the unions in the early 80’s, de-liberalized the whole country into a mirror of capitalist America (as Thatcher climbed further and further unto Reagan’s pants), turned the NHS pretty much ass backwards and made every attempt to drive the whole private/public partnership, destroyed the rail system (again private/public partnership nonsense) etc etc (it’s hard to think what they didn’t privatize – and when it was ever actually a good thing).
From memory it was always conservatives who were hardline on immigration, and labour less so – perhaps this has changed in the 5 years I’ve been out of the country, but it was always at least my impression that if you were anti-immigrant then voting conservative would be the way to go.
Never really understood what was particularly wrong with ID cards, seems a good idea to me, guess it depends on how it is used etc etc, but having essentially had to have an ID card for the past 5 years, and having every aspect of my life for the past 30 scrutinized by a foreign government in order to get said Id card, I guess I may be somewhat numbed to the whole process.
I guess perhaps the whole nothing more disasterous than a fourth term speaks volumes – given how bad I remember the 4 terms (it was 4 wasn’t it?) of conservative rule being then perhaps this is jsut an inevitability of a party being in power for so long. As such however I wouldn’t necessarily hold your breath – the conservative’s final win came as such a complete and utter shock to the whole country (I still don’t completely believe it happened – I have a suspicion I was drugged) – I had hoped that by now the lib-dems would have taken over as the opposition party most likely to take power rather than the conservatives – shocked infact that this didn’t happen.
Wouldn’t help. In fact, it would make it worse, since hung Parliaments would be even more common. And since Labour-Lib Dems tend to be the most natural coalition, a vote for the Lib Dems would still strengthen the position of Labour.
This is illustrated by the situation in the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, which both use a form of mixed semi-proportional system (the Additional Member system). The Welsh Assembly is currently controlled by a Labour-Lib Dem coalition, and this was also true of the Scottish Parliament until the SNP won a majority in the most recent elections.
Ultimately, I’d rather take my chances with a Conservative government – which might at least be mildly better on civil liberties – than risk five more years of Labour authoritarianism and incompetence.
This is a podcast that is a recording of a mormon mission president verbally abusing young missionaries. The sound quality is not professional, but the talk can be understood … and it’s horrifying. http://samuelutahnite.hipcast.com/download/6a6e7443-3c07-9caa-9062-936c0f91e536.mp3
The Mission President speaking is Allan T. Pratt, and he’s in France, giving the talk on November 4, 2003.
The worst part is Pratt getting into the masturbation theme at about the 20 minute mark. He goes on and on. Apart from the masturbation discussion, Pratt uses other threats. He promises to report missionaries to their Stake Presidents, to send them home, to interfere with their temple recommends, to keep them out of the Celestial Kingdom if they drink a cup of coffee, and to personally come after them if they don’t come up with more baptisms per month, or if they go inactive after they go home: “I will haunt you… and I love you, but I will haunt you.”
For this psychological abuse, mormon parents and many of the missionaries themselves pay the LDS Church.
Other subjects covered in the
talkabuse are the use of private email accounts that are not under the watchful eye of the church, and the sin of working only 40+ hours per week, when they should be working 60 hours a week.BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!
no.
I’m surprised more guys don’t know how to do this. It is nearly exactly the same motion as snapping your fingers with your left hand.
*looks around*
Hey, I only ever did that to women I was involved with. And not in public.
Ewan @#637: Some of that is true, but, as regards your comments about the economy: bear in mind that I’m a classical liberal, not a socialist. I tend to agree with the Lib Dems when it comes to civil liberties and criminal justice policy (though I would go much further than them – I’d completely legalise recreational drugs, for instance). I hate punitivism and “tough on crime” rhetoric; the evidence shows that the approach of locking more and more people up is simply not working, and I’m worried by the systematic erosion of civil liberties as regards things like longer pre-trial detention (under Labour, it’s now 36 hours for most crimes and up to 28 days for “terrorist” offences), as well as by the increasing prison population.
But I’m centre-right when it comes to economics: I believe in a capitalist economy, and think many things are done more efficiently by the private than the public sector. (Though I agree with you that the rail privatisation was a total clusterfuck.)
Conservatives today are at least committed to not introducing ID cards, and actively opposed the passage of the Terrorism Bill which (until it was defeated in the Commons) would have increased pre-trial detention for “terror suspects” to 90 days.
That said, there are still lots of areas where I’m unhappy with Tory policy on justice and civil liberties. Conservatives keep talking about “reducing police paperwork”, for instance: they don’t seem to realise that things like stop-and-search reports and custody reports are required in order to monitor the use of police powers, protect civil liberties and determine whether police are discriminating on the basis of race and class (which still regularly happens, according to several studies). Dismissing it all as “paperwork” is simply ignorant and authoritarian. They’re also committed to building new prisons and continuing the “tough on crime” sentencing mentality, and seem committed to continuing the brutal, authoritarian policy of imprisoning refugees and asylum-seekers in “detention centres” while their appeals are processed. But for all that, they could hardly be worse than Labour.
Sorry for the rant. I had to write about many of these issues in my criminology exam today.
Unhook a bra through clothing? I’ve been married nigh onto 21 years and I still can’t unhook a bra. (((Wife))), however, can take a bra off without removing her blouse. While driving. In a car with a manual transmission. In rush hour traffic. On I-95. In New York City. So can (((Girl))).
I don’t understand.
I was thinking the same thing.
Prude.
Hmm. This was a kid doing it in school, terrorizing the girls? Why wasn’t he slapped down hard?
They were prudes. I was just making sure I didn’t piss them off. The wife would eviscerate me if I did that to her.
by whom? the teachers? they were never told, since it was none of their business.
we took care of him ourselves, which is why it only lasted a few weeks.
I just reälised something (yes, I’m slow).
The last UK election was in 1995, so Walton was ineligible to vote.
The last Troy govnmnt was 1997, 13 years ago, so Walton will have been bloody seven. Thatcher stepped down in 1990, the year out Walton was born.
He has never lived under a Tory government. It all makes sense now.
It pretty much fits my own political ‘views’ when I was a teenager – a sorta ‘rebellion’ against the establishment.
Durrrrrr – I really am as thick as two short planks.
I gaurantee if a boy had tried that in my high school he would have been singing first tenor. Or higher.
And you’ve never once ran into a frontloader?
Lucky :P
Sure… just requires slightly more dexterity… but the payoff is worth it. ;)~
Of course New Labour should be utterly destroyed, their offices razed by bulldozers, their leaders publicly beheaded, their ugly paperweights ground into dust. That’s with the exception of Tony Blair, who should be burned at the stake on the National Mall in DC as a warning to the goddamn Democrats.
The only thing worse than another New Labour term would be a Conservative government.
Our only consolation is that Walton will no longer be a Conservative by 2015, as he’s promised us that he’ll leave the party when they inevitably reduce abortion rights to 22 weeks.
You’ve never noticed some one’s pupils dilate when you look them in the eye?
It happens to me all the time… but then maybe I’m intimidating.
I’m told I am.
I’ve always considered my eyes my only actual attractive feature.
I knew when to try and when to get help.
I think you mean 2005, not 1995. But yes, I was ineligible to vote.
But a correction: I was born in 1989, not 1990. (My 21st birthday is coming up in a month-and-a-bit – in fact, I have a finals exam on my birthday this year.)
Technically I have lived under a Conservative government, but I don’t really remember it. I vaguely remember the ’97 election (it was a very big thing at the time). You’re right that I was very young.
On a related note: I may get to meet Sir John Major (former Conservative Prime Minister) on Tuesday, as he is coming to Oxford.
Wow. 0.7 Tc for that one comment alone.
I think it’s less so in Austria (…pretty much everything is “less so” in Austria…), but the whole dress code thing is unthinkable, for instance. At my school one old teacher tried to order the girls to cover up their navels a few years before her retirement… she was summarily ignored, even by the conservative principal, who may not have been told about it. Banning pocket knives would have been seen as over the top, though I don’t know if anyone ever actually carried one to school.
That is the tragedy!
Then you could simply vote Green.
I’m not sure why, but a coalition of Greens and conservatives isn’t considered unthinkable in Austria; the option has been floated several times now. Yes, Austria’s Greens are left, not right like Latvia’s. There’s nothing remotely similar to the Lib Dems in Austria…
More precisely…
1) Teachers never notice on their own what goes on before, between, or after lessons. Never.
2) The teachers are the enemy.
Point 2 goes far. I remember when the guy who bullied me most often had a remote control on his watch. The geography teacher tried to show us a film, and the bully interfered. The teacher knew what was going on, but not who was doing it, sent the bully out to… I forgot what actually, but something useful, not anything punitive, and then told the class he might not show films at all anymore if that kept happening. I got afraid and said it was useless to say that when the ones it concerned (or some such vague language) weren’t here. Result? After the bully had been scolded, the film watched, and the lesson ended, easily half of the rest of the class – including a proportionate amount of girls, who, at that age, treated me as a moving inanimate obstacle; in other words, many hadn’t talked to me in weeks or months – passed by me one by one and told me I shouldn’t have told on the bully. Telling on people is just not done. Turns out it was the biggest fauxpas involving other people I’ve ever made. The teachers are the enemy, and the enemy’s enemy is a friend.
(Also, the bully had been sent to the principal, who overreacted in some way I forgot. When the bully told me, I actually told him I wouldn’t have told on him if I had known that in advance. In other words, I almost apologized.)
How? :-)
I am amazed sirs.
I have worn bras most of my life and honestly *I* have trouble unhooking them some times.
Having seen some pictures of you that you were gracious enough to share with us a few iterations of teh Thread ago, please excuse me while I profusely disagree.
I don’t mean to sound patronizing, but I think you are probably overlooking a lot.
ROTFLMAO! Day saved.
Well… no.
to be honest, I don’t even precisely remember. But it wasn’t anything particularly violent. You got to remember that I went to a school that consisted (almost) entirely of geeks and nerds.
That’s the thing, they’re easier to remove if you’re not the one wearing it. One could say they are like straightjackets in that fashion.
Plenty of guys in my school knew how. But they didn’t know that some bras didn’t work that way. That was why I wore a front-fastening bra for many years.
or they like you
That and bras with four hooks. I could only ever seem to get up to three at once.
I once has hanging out a pretty girl once with really dilated pupils. I don’t know if that’s how she naturally was or was on drugs (doubt it) or what. Anyway, it was having an effect on me. I later researched it and studies show that large pupils tend to be considered attractive. Also, eye shadow really does it for me too. Eyes really have an affect on me for some reason.
As for non-physical features I have to agree with Kevin: smart girls with sense of humour are really hot!
Word. I knew a lot of guys who knew how to do that. Hell, I’m not a guy, and I know how to do it (back and front).
Not at all. I can easily remove one without disturbing my clothing at all. Any way, I rarely wear one. I went full commando at 14. I wear clothes, that’s enough.
That, to me, is much more impressive.
I wish I could, but bralessness kinda hurts, unless I’m standing still.
http://xkcd.com/457/
Sili – I wonder if perhaps the UK is now going to end up cyclical like that – it took what, 18 years of Tory rule until that was finally broken – and essentially if I recall for similar points Walton is bringing up – authoritarian, civil liberty smashing, with probably an extra dose of rich get richer poor get poorer.
If I remember right (and I may not) the whole getting tough on crime thing was essentially part and parcel of what conservative politics was, it’s weird to think that it wouldnt be any more. Is it not the case that the conservatives kinda ended up not unlike the Republican’s are now in the US – the party that just says no to whatever the party in power wants because they are essentially childish? (I seem to recall that was how they acted from the getgo, other than over Iraq where everyone in Parliament other than maybe one or two MPs were perfectly willing to have the wool pulled over their eyes)
It is also practically inconceivable to me that the Tory’s would have been any better on civil liberties.
Perhaps Walton’s generation need a term of conservative rule, if only to beat into them how much it sucks to live under any period of conservative rule at all (although I guess that depends somewhat on Walton’s socioeconomic status, perhaps it’ll be peachy – I know conservative rule made life progressively more difficult for my family)
I wasn’t hoping for violence. :-) I’m just curious! I never found out how to deal with bullies – ignoring them does not work; violence tended not to be an option (I remember when I had 45 kg and the bully mentioned above had 90); I had to wait till all except one had left the school and the remaining one grew up.
The source I remember explained why. It used the word “readiness”.
I hate eye shadow and eyelash ink. OK, maybe I’m biased because my little sister grossly overdoes eyelash ink, but…
normal ways of dealing with bullies don’t apply to my school. The guy who did that wasn’t much of a bully; more like a class clown whose joke went too far. So he got cut back down to size by the alpha-females.
:-D :-D :-D :-D :-D
I see.
Ah. There never seem to have been such people in my class.
I was 16 when Bush (the lesser) was first elected. I remember thinking “the next 4, or possibly 8, years are gonna be bad”. However, I greatly underestimated how bad.
Yep. I was young too and had no idea what we would be in for. I thought… meh it doesn’t really matter who’s in charge. They’re all the same.
Oh… I… was…wrong.
Back from work. Though I forgot to take a picture of myself in a suit – sorry ladies. *attempt at suaveness*
I’m currently wearing a shirt that proudly demonstrates my geekiness – while listening to a ridiculously geeky song (a medley of anime and video game themes.)
Fixed.
Ah, good. Then we can be sure you’ll vote LibDem.
Remember to ask him how Edwina is doing. (And bring some mushy peas.)
Most days I can’t be bothered with eye makeup. It takes too long, and I don’t see the point of wearing it to work.
You do your best passing as a native, but just occasionally you do slip up.
In my case the bullying petered out when I stopped bawling my eyes out and started bottling everything up.
Seemed like a good idea at the time …
Ewan: Yes, conservatism is often associated with “tough on crime” rhetoric and punitive policies (though these policies are not exclusively the domain of conservatives).
But I’m not really a “conservative”; I’m a classical liberal who happens to support the Conservative Party. I’m broadly centre-right on economic matters (though not in very specific terms, since I really don’t know much about economics), and radically liberal on social issues and civil liberties. This means I don’t have a natural political home, either in the UK or in virtually any country.
Remember that the Onion published this in January 2001:
The catastrophes of the Bush presidency were foreseeable. I remember watching the electoral map into the early morning on November 8, watching the other networks follow Fox’s lead by changing their call of Florida from Gore to Bush. At that moment I didn’t realize it was fraudulent, but I do remember using the word “disaster.”
I never wear makeup – with my thick glasses, it doesn’t show on my eyes, and my skin type is such that it just absorbs any makeup I try to put on.
My daughter, however, as a dramatic goth girl, and wears the most wonderfully creative makeup. It takes her a good half hour to 45 minutes to apply it, but boy! does it look good on her.
@Lynna #639 –
What a hoot that talk was. Especially hearing the glee in the guy’s voice when he was talking about internet pop-ups being “filthy, just filthy,” and how self-abuse by mormon missionaries was the reason that they weren’t attracting more converts.
Yeah, I would NEVER convert to mormonism if I knew that a 19 year old boy might be wanking. That must be why I’m in the state of belief I’m in. Yeah.
I don’t bother with makeup. I did when I was younger, but even then, most people thought I didn’t use it.
Now, I just want to say that spouses who don’t answer emails are annoying.
Just did an asylum physical on a woman who was forced to have an abortion. I am DEFINITELY pro-choice and NOT pro-abortion. That was awful. Nearly as bad as the woman who was raped until she became pregnant and forced to carry it to term. (Another asylum seeker…she got it but on different grounds.) People are monsters when they use reproduction to control each other.
I have a great quote on this that I’ll post tomorrow.
Oh, he was elected. It’s just that only nine people had the right to vote and denied it to everyone else.
You mean because I failed to give the weights in stone? :-þ
the only make-up I ever bother with at all is eyebrows and eyeliner, because without it I don’t actually have visible eyebrows or eyelashes.
:-D :-D :-D
Dianne – you are my hero for doing asylum work. I did some as a lawyer 20 years ago and even today I think several times a month of stories told by a Liberian client. Horrific.
Yes, and here’s why:
Kids learn very quickly that teachers and administrators are incompetent at preventing problems, and habitually unfair in dealing out punishment afterward.
The chances of an equitable outcome are so small, the rational calculation is usually to deal with minor problems extracurricularly, or simply bypass the school and call the police if there is a major problem.
Seconded.
very much so. IANAL, but I’ve met some people who have been granted asylum and heard some very horrible stories. It’s wonderful that you are in a position to try and help, but also that you are able to deal.
No, because you talk amount ‘having mass’ instead of ‘weighing’. Of course, I’m not a native, but it sounds unidiomatic to me, just as if you said “I have twenty-six years” («j’ai vingtdix ans»).
A convicted murderer in the US state of Utah has chosen to be executed by firing squad.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8641280.stm
As an ex-mormon pointed out on another site:
The blood atonement sermon was given by Brigham Young in Salt Lake City in 1857. Here’s an excerpt:
Some say the blood atonement doctrine was, in part, put into action in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. So, go to Utah, commit a grave sin, and then have yourself shot by a firing squad so that you can still proceed straight to the Celestial Kingdom. No other methods of administering the death penalty will do.
Sili,
My French is terrible, but I think you meant vingtsix, not vingtdix. ;-)
@609
Ahem, actually today I am 20. Yeah, I know a day doesn’t make a difference and the only good thing is that in a year from now I can legally drink. But still fact checking is important ;)
And thank you for the compliment! I like the fact that my age doesn’t show, I don’t get along quite well with my age range. But that may also be influenced by the fact I live in Arizona (shudder)
And I just have to chime in and say I completely, vehemently, totally, without a doubt, with every fiber of my being agree that fucking dating sucks.
Happy Birthday JustALurker!
So, go to Utah, commit a grave sin, and then have yourself shot by a firing squad so that you can still proceed straight to the Celestial Kingdom.
wouldn’t there be more blood with a beheading?
I propose the Utah legislature consider a bill for the next legislative caucus:
“Decollation as an addition to standard execution methods.”
ah, for the good old days of executioners with big, sharp, axes.
or maybe they could save salary money by using the guillotine? I mean, there’s a classic for ya.
frankly, having my head cut off and then whipped around so i could quickly see my headless body before blacking out does sound intriguing.
too morbid?
;)
Ahem, actually today I am 20.
*looks up drinking age in Arizona*
ah, they changed it.
one more year to go for you…
still, grats and enjoy the day!
Well happy birthday. Not a significant get drunk or retire birthday, but still something to celebrate. Now if I could only get the Redhead to celebrate my birthday my way (non-event except for cards). *Sigh*
Happy Birthday, JustALurker! Allow me to be an evil influence: have a drink anyway. ;D
without a doubt, with every fiber of my being agree that fucking dating sucks.
strangely, I found dating sucked until after I turned 30, then, all of a sudden, it got a lot easier.
I chalk it up to confidence in just having survived and gained a bunch of good experiences by that time.
I shouldn’t have said anything on the Sunday Sacrilege thread. TM seems to be on a warpath, and I know I’m not up to his weight. *sigh*
(stuffs foot further into her mouth)
No, I just accidentally left off a quatre-.
What? Noöne said the constructions had to be identical!
I shouldn’t have said anything on the Sunday Sacrilege thread
the odd thing on that thread isn’t TM, it’s become PZ.
that’s why I bailed out.
can’t handle arguing with defensive parents.
Becca, don’t worry about it, your post was fine.
I don’t argue with him, I just assume the lying on the back with the paws in the air position. Not that I haven’t my “epic” arguments, but not with him…
Hold you ground with other folks when you feel comfortable.
Ichthyic @701: If you have to die, might as well go out with some drama, and with one last impressive experience. You are, however, the only person I’ve ever encountered who thought about having his severed head view his decapitated body. I’m not sure what this says about you, but to my dismay, I kinda like it.
In other news:
Thank you all for the happy birthday wishes. However, today has been a very shitty day. Therefore I fully plan on getting buzzzzzzzed tonight or tomorrow,depending on when I can get a babysitter for the little one. It may not help the situation but it sure will help me relax and enjoy myself for a little bit =)
Becca, don’t worry about it, your post was fine.
agreed.
Thanks, Caine.
Ahem, actually today I am 20.
look at it this way:
you just started your 3rd decade of life!
doesn’t that sound impressive?
I’m not sure what this says about you
I’m adventurous, brave, and desirous of new experience?
:)
Haha Ichthyic that’s the best spin on a birthday that I’ve ever heard.
Yeah, I hear you. I really haven’t argued with either of the Myers’, but enough other trolls have shown up to warrant a snark or two in their direction.
JustALurker, I always considered each birthday (and particularly 10-year marks, for some reason) to be a personal triumph – to quote Granny Westherwax, “I aint’t ded.” So find yourself a babysitter, and get at least mildly blitzed with your vice-of-choice. Happy birthday!
My spouse is headed homeward, with serious amounts of cider. Yay! (I seriously need that cider. And my spousal unit.)
I don’t know that there’s all that much to argue with PZ about. He’s admitted that she didn’t show much empathy to women in his comment at 1100, and stated as clearly as one can that he totally disagrees with Skatje in her position. All he did was try to explain that she’s under a fair bit of stress from school, which may have contributed to her crankiness. To me, that seemed a perfectly reasonable statement. I’m not quite sure what TM and Paul want more out of PZ. I agree with Josh that the tone over there makes me uncomfortable.
Skatje was given some hard truths about the way her arguments were coming off. Let’s hope she has the insight and fortitude to at least think about what she was told, rather than get all defensive and dismiss it totally out of hand.
I stayed out of the discussion on the Sunday Sacrilege thread. Like Josh, Official SpokesGay, I found it a bit uncomfortable. But the whole discussion was less obnoxious to me than some people found it. I enjoyed reading the comments from both daughter and father, and thought both did a creditable job of stating their positions (granting leeway for youth and inexperience to Skatje).
Maybe I’m missing something here, but with a few exceptions, the conversation on that thread aired some important points, and even managed to get into the difficulties one faces when trying to reconcile opposing views.
Maybe I just don’t view a lot of the comments as be-all-end-all statements, but more like way stations on the road.
And yes, we will be having some conversations about this some time. We can’t now. I’m neck deep in writing, she’s got her last week of classes and finals week to face.
It’s not a matter of being a defensive parent. When people are arguing with what she said, fine, I‘ll be arguing with it. When a brief comment by me turns into accusations that I’m being protective and ignoring the terrible consequences of anti-abortion laws, though, then I’m being mischaracterized by people trying to hide behind the excuse that I’m merely defending my daughter, and that pisses me off.
We were just trying to get him to not dishonestly represent commenters (or at least I was, but my impression is that was what TM was going for as well). It’s not that difficult or complicated, which is what makes it so irritating.
Yawn, Paul, still here? On another thread? What a loser…
@723 – one of the problems here – probably true for any place on the web where feelings run high – is that a misunderstanding, sometimes simply caused by time-lag in responding, sometimes due to mis-reading, can turn into a major pile-on. My mommy-instincts make me want to take some people and give them a time-out, and then, when they’ve calmed down and can be reasonable, ask them to read people’s comments before they react.
it didn’t work with my kids, either.
but you can’t argue with mommy-instincts… just ask Jenny McCarthy.
Nevermind. Suffice it to say that 723 is a mischaracterization. I did not say he ignores the bad ends of abortion laws, I said that Skatje ignoring such showed a lack of empathy (in response to his “you guys don’t get it, she has too much empathy”). This is the whole argument, he’s dishonestly framing things. I’m done with it. It’s kind of sad that when everyone agrees to stop posting, he continues the characterization of the other commenters on a new thread. I: wash my hands of this bullshit, it’s getting ridiculous.
Would you like to be banned, Paul? It would help with your compulsions.
You are the one completely misrepresenting the argument. Again, and jebus but I’m getting tired of saying this, I DON’T AGREE WITH SKATJE. I pointed out that I think she had too much empathy for the embryos, I did not say that she was being kind and loving towards the women who bear them: once again, I think she was lacking in empathy to other women. You turned that around into your comment that I “fail to recognize this as not giving enough ‘benefit of the doubt’ to the woman herself” which is completely wrong, as I repeatedly explained, and as I never once tried to argue against.
Now once more, FUCK OFF. You’re done.
Never said you did.
Anyway, if anyone is taking PZ’s words at face value, please skim the thread. It’s offensive the way he’s been twisting everyone else’s words and trying to make them out to be saying something they are not. I agree the whole conversation is distasteful.
Feel free to ban me, PZ. It will free up some time for me. Just don’t pretend like I’m the one that’s being dishonest here.
PZ:
And rightly so, in my view. I’ve considered Paul to be a massive asshole for quite a long time; I have no idea why I let him out of my killfile before, but he’s right back in. Just my .02 of course.
Oh man, you guys. :(
I bailed out of that thread early because it was giving me a fucking stomach ache.
And here it is still… I looked back. I don’t see where PZ is being too defensive but I don’t speak for him either so whatever.
I think maybe though it does matter, he sees where she’s coming from logically and I get it. There are so many things where there really is no *good* solution and that’s hard for an idealistic person, or any person who truly cares about doing the *right* thing.
True, it’s like the fucking Joker in Batman invented the world some times.
But I digress.
Ugh… butting out now. I hate this topic. If it were up to me I’d have the whole damned little uterus taken out of me and pinned to a wall with a placecard that says “This was my whole being, but without it what am I now but a person?”
oh, FFs. can we please NOT drag this shit into The Thread?
The people whose lives Skatje blithely and arrogantly dismissed as “sob stories” aren’t going to accept an “oh, she’s just cranky” excuse for that dismissal, and PZ isn’t going to accept lack of empathy or arrogance as an explanation for it.
That conversation is going precisely nowhere, and it has neve been about agreeing (or not) with Skatje to begin with.
Oh man, two threads now? I need to get lit.
I’ll say here what I said on the Sacrilege thread – it’s time for the squidly overlord to close the abortion thread. Everything has been said, it’s just that not everyone has said it. (And the tone! is enough to make me reach for smelling salts.)
Happy birthday, JustaLurker.
Now I’m going to shut down the computer, listen to some audiobook on the ipod, and knit my husband’s 19th anniversary socks. He’s simplified my gift giving by announcing that he agrees with Albus Dumbledore and would be grateful if handmade wool socks were to appear for every gift-giving occasion for the rest of his life.
Spouse is home. With cider. I um, have things to do for a while.
I don’t need an excuse actually. I don’t know her and I doubt she would like me anyway. If for some reason I got to know her better and was wrong about that, then great. Otherwise I don’t give a fuck, and she shouldn’t give a fuck what I think either.
Ain’t life grand?
Many happy returns of the day, JustALurker! I raise a toast in your honor. Cin cin!
On the earlier topic of who should be banned:
Cimourdain and a.human.ape are both revolting, hateful trolls who dearly need to be banned.
I agree that Francosaurus deserves to be banned, but I worry that the discussion would bring him back when he hasn’t been here for a while. On the other hand, there’s a case to be made for being proactive.
I will refrain from commenting on Hyperon-Therion, since he was so kind to compliment me on my sharp beard and remarkable embalming.
Er, Rorschach, do you think I’m lying about the cat meat thing? I have to ask because (like Cath) you didn’t address your doubts to me and then after I responded you kept merrily posting without replying.
In commemoration of the passage of SB 1070 in Arizona today, my family and I will be watching “Born in East L.A.” on Netflix tonight.
I raise my first disgusting cheap vodka shot in agreement to this! Followed by orange juice for a chaser since it’s the cheap 10 dollars stuff you get at Fry’s. Seriously, though that Sunday thread was sad and depressing already and now it’s gotten worse when I didn’t think it could. I’m staying out of it completely now.
Don’t worry I won’t get too drunk yet I have a couple of people coming over in enjoy my drunken state with =)
Yes, little one is already at babysitter’s. Said babysitter is a good friend with a boy my daughter’s age so they’ll be having a sleepover until Sunday. WOOT!
Gack. Good luck. ;) I’ll join you with a bourbon.
Now that is a very good friend. Happy birthday, JustALurker!
@741
GAH! I hate living in Arizona. Not to mention the stupid bill about Obama’s birth certificate. See link below. I’m so glad I wasn’t born here. I didn’t even want to move here. I started 8th grade here, and everything they were teaching I had already learned in earlier grades. Their high school science classes were a joke too, not to mention the other classes,which is another reason why I am glad I went into honor classes and then college early. Although, I had one teacher that out right told a student (who had asked) that creationism was a wrong and went on into detail why. My one good story about it though. As far as I know the teacher is still teaching there.
http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2010/04/birthers_and_ballots_arizona_h.html
That is what you’re being. Your comment @ #1005 didn’t even make sense – I have no idea what giving a fetus the “benefit of the doubt” is supposed to mean, and I don’t see how it’s supposed to be possible to empathize with an embryo. She showed no empathy for real girls and women (including people on that thread), so the suggestion that people had her “all wrong” and that it was really an excess of empathy isn’t convincing and for me, frankly, fairly upsetting. (I had earlier linked to a report on girls and women in Kenya and how they’re suffering and dying because of the country’s abortion ban.) Your subsequent clarification really cancelled out your earlier statement, making it agree with tm’s earlier clarification, so I don’t see that you had a point to begin with or why you’re arguing with him.*
And I wasn’t accusing you of being protective. I expect it from a caring parent, especially when harsh things are being said about your child in her absence. Tell me to fuck off and ban me, too. Whatever.
*Yes, that’s me being protective of tm. So be it.
@JustALurker:
I went to UofA back in the late ’80s. I was there when the whole MLK holiday thing went down. I loved Tucson, but now am glad I’m not there anymore.
I confess though, Flagstaff is still on my list of “most desirable places to live.” Mostly because it’s so close to, but not actually in, the Sonoran desert.
Must this happen on this thread too? Really? Sigh.
well I’m gonna go see a friend’s band play so g’night for now and peace
Thank you strange gods. Yes she is a great friend and she doesn’t even want money for it! She’s really great at taking care of both of them so she’s the first I ask. However, I don’t ask often because I don’t want to take advantage of her. I alway offer to repay the favor too but she has a bigger support circle so she doesn’t accept often.
The bad vodka has become a bit of a tradition and a joke among our small circle of friends. It is hilarious when people take more than they can swallow, so to speak. My ex is the champ though, he took a shot though these plastic glasses. They are a straw that wraps around your eyes and hangs off your ears and there’s one end to suck the shot though. A regular shot is quick at least, but with the glasses it’s a bitch to get though. He’s the only one to get though it without throwing up. Of course, he’s a show off so he did it twice =)
Walton:
Happy Birthday; have some stress! :P
David M.:
You mean they didn’t constantly replenish their stock? Where I went to school, we had hot and cold running bullies, all the time.
Thirded. At least.
JustALurker, Happy Birthday. Hopefully the rest of the day will start looking up. :)
Katrina, my husband and I were ‘cussing the AZ bill this evening, and had simultaneous “Born in East L.A.” flashbacks. :)
JustALurker,
Congrats on surviving another orbit.
Thinking about what Becca said about 10-year marks. I just hit one of those earlier this month and was amazed when I looked at the calendar today to realize how long ago that was. Here I had been fretting it for months, now it’s past and I’ve all but forgotten.
It was always Popov for us. :þ Ew, you’re bringing back queasy memories.
omfg.
Well, I’m out for the night. Nothing to do with this mental imagery, though, I swear!
@cicely:
I was foiled by Netflix. “Born in East L.A.” isn’t in their instant queue, so I’m going to catch up on Doctor Who instead.
@JustALurker:
On my 20th birthday, I was just beginning my transition from fundie to atheist. It was a long, drawn out transition. But I trace its beginnings back to that summer. Enjoy your child-free weekend. Sometimes, that’s the best gift there is. ;-)
ambook@735
Hey, ambook – I’m an audiobook fan too! What are you currently listening to?
I’ve just discovered the Modern Scholar series of lectures at audible.com, and am having great fun with medieval history.
If you like mysteries, I also highly recommend The Oxford Murders – murder with a mathematical connection.
To share a bit of what I got at the Regina Spektor gig last night:
Samson
Laughing With
She didn’t play this last night, but it’s worth hearing:
Real Love (cover)
Well, actually I’ve been watching Stargate Universe with my lovely son. I’ll have to check out the audible.com Modern Scholar stuff – audible.com and yarn are my biggest indulgences. I’ve enjoyed listening to and watching a variety of Teaching Company programs over the last couple years, and the lecture notes that come with the programs have great bibliographies for further reading.
I’ve enjoyed Lian Hearn’s Otori books, John LeCarre’s Smiley books, and Bryson’s Short History of Nearly Everything. I’ve also listened to Paradise Lost read aloud – really astonishingly beautiful.
I REALLY wish that Ancestor’s Tale was available in an unabridged audiobook.
so far, my favorites of the Modern Scholar lectures is the Anglo-Saxon World (500 CE – 1000 CE). It was by far the best of the three I’ve listened to. The one on Medieval Literature was interesting – makes me wonder what happened around 1100 CE in S. France that the eroticization of love first entered into stories – before that, the sagas were all about bravery and honor and (maybe) friendship, and women were barely mentioned, if at all – certainly not as love interests. I’m going to have to do some more research, see if I can’t find out what changed and why.
If you’re into cosmology, The First Three Minutes is also good. I’ve listened to it twice, and will probably do so again.
Yeah, audible.com is probably my biggest major expense, after the satellite connection for my internet.
but, of course, my biggest weakness is trashy romances – not so much in audio, though.
ambook @692: (Blush) Thanks. I feel the same about you: I tend to think that the lawyers have the harder job on this one. I only have to answer the question “could these [sometimes gross] injuries have been caused in the way the client says they were?” The lawyers have to take it from there, deal with the head games the INS plays, cope with clients who are severely traumatized and probably overwhelmed by their new circumstances, and live with it if they fail and the client is sent back to a country that’s likely to kill them. That’s serious heroism.
enjoy a thoroughly fun and carefree birthday weekend :-)
——-
also, belated kudos to all the people who are currently, have formerly (and will in the future, *hinthint*) work to help refugees/Asylum applicants.
that was not grammatically correct. fuck it.
@Dianne and ambook: I just found out today that our local library offers audio books for download via iTunes. Might be worth investigating in your area.
Nah, it just sounded rather like a prank…
Skatje discussion on the Myers’ dinner table please, and not in here !
Dating in the 30s was easier than 20s, but since I turned 40 I’ve lost all interest, can’t muster the energy.Maybe I go and buy a cat someday.
Apparently the Westboro Baptist Church has added a new event to their calendar:
Haters To-Do List
5/22/2010 3:00-4:00pm Fulton, MS
This would be Constance McMillen’s graduation, shortly after her non-prom.
This may be the first time Fred Phelps will have a receptive audience for his hate. They’ll probably join in every chorus.
Rorschach, Ah, OK, I wasn’t sure what you meant.
If the production and sale of cat meat was illegal in Victoria at the time (say ’94 to early ’96 at the latest) I suppose it must have been a prank. But WTF? They had straight faces and I didn’t see anyone filming it.
But I suspect I might have lost one of my favourite stories now. I can’t really keep telling it and then tacking on “but it was probably just a prank”. Goddammit.
Re Westboro/Constance: Un-fucking-believable. Or all too believeable.
It must take so much energy to hate. Do you think hate as a way of life makes for a miserable existence, or do you think they actually enjoy it?
ambulocetacean:
I think, for some people, like Fred Phelps and others who are moderate in comparison, hate becomes a Raison d’être. Without it, they have nothing. It’s a passion, like any other.
New thread here.