Octopus escapes! Everyone cheer!
We caught this Octopus in a shrimp trap here in Alaska. It had crawled in through a 3 inch opening and terrorized our catch of spot prawns, killing and eating several of them, and then, attached itself to the bait jar and unscrewed the lid to open for dessert of prepared shrimp bait pellets! We decided to let this brilliant creature go (option was to eat it! …yum!) as I respected it’s intelligence and genius. We set it on the deck and let it “escape” on it’s own… Cool fun with a sea creature!
Episode CCXCVI: Cowboys & Creationists.
No problem. That is, obviously (I hope, anyway), an extremely short and simple version.
I am fascinated, though, by the conservative viewpoint when it comes to necessary public services. If private capital cannot operate it at a profit then, obviously, it is not needed and should disappear. If government operates it and it requires a subsidy then, obviously, the public does not need it and it should disappear. However, if a government operation breaks even then, obviously, private capital could be making a huge profit with it (due to the obvious innefficiency of government) and it should be privatized immediately. Amtrak, Conrail, the US Post Office, commuter rail, subways, street trolleys, you name it, the triple-standard of conservatism will always have the right answer (and it will usually be what will hurt the poor and middle class the most).
Private Ogvorbis,
Yes, I’d seen this explained similarly before (perhaps even by you), but I think it needs constant reiteration to drive the point home. As as you say it’s not just about Amtrack. Definitely not tl;dr.
JM, re: 421: Man, I don’t even fucking know. You were being dismissive again, I was being pissy again, it was this whole bad thing. “Why do you always have to be such an asshole about things that other people like?” was I think the gist of what I was on about.
Via Hank Fox: “They Fucking Hate You” by John Cole
https://proxy.freethought.online/bluecollaratheist/2012/02/05/they-fucking-hate-you/
*headtilt*
If this makes sense… and so far it does… then we’re not dealing with people who actually think we’re gender-traitors, or race-traitors, or patriotism-traitors, or marriage-traitors, or baby-killers, or whatever the shamename is for the particular issue under discussion.
We’re hate-traitors, plain and simple. We betray the “value” of hating the Other.
I disagree. They view us as traitors to humanity (humanity, in this case, being those white Christians who adhere to fundamentalist literalism).
It’s more than “marginally” over-the-top, it’s a skewed characterization, and I don’t presently care to get involved in people’s personal disputes or grudges. There’s been far too much of this around here lately. Can we please just stick to the issues?
This. Stop being such an obnoxious fuckhead, whoever-you-are.
The essay claims that fundamentalist literalism is an excuse to justify hatred, instead of the CAUSE of that hatred. That makes sense, considering how rabid the fundies are about literal reading of the hating parts of the bible (or whatever) while ignoring the love and tolerance parts.
I can see that. Especially as the parts about love and tolerance are the only parts of the bible which are not viewed as literal.
*hugs to Caine* Why thank you ^.^ That made me feel very better.
*very belated hugs to Nerd and Redhead* Everyone above is right – it’s wonderful that Redhead has such a caring companion.
Stupid Satyrica. *kicks it* I’m frustrated because I just discovered that my adorable OTP couple becomes problematic in later chapters. Encolpius has definitely been a little controlling and possessive, but I figured that was just standard-issue Roman stuff so I kinda overlooked it. But no, apparently he hits Giton later :( Jerkface.
Grrrrr. Apropos of nothing at Pharyngula, being deprived of access to antidepressants/psych meds has certainly made me aware of how much stupid bullshit there is surrounding them in popular conception. It is so frustrating to me to see people resist taking meds they clearly could really use because of anti-med bullshit when I would probably cheerfully cut off a toe for access to a prescribing physician. Fucking be grateful for what you have, people!
dontpanic:
Who the fuck are you and why are you in our lounge moaning about a regular commenter?
I suggest putting that shovel away and leaving.
theophontes @461:
Oh, okay. For a second there I thought it was something I could do to fix my mistake. Was awake way too long yesterday, and not very with-it. Again, sorry for possibly depriving you of your fabulous prizes. Hee.
This. This, this, a thousand times this!
Multiply large numbers without actually calculating! OK, you may have to occasionally add 1 to something. Video.
HULK SMASH
Still not.
I still don’t get it. What’s the insult to him (not praying for his mother?), and what’s the insight?
Yes yes yes!!!
Meditate on this: “Flectere si nequeo superos, Achaeronta movebo.”
And eat your rainbow cake. *handing rainbow cake over, whatever that is* :-)
Seconded!
(emphasis added)
Now that’s interesting. *disagree* *disagree* :-)
Reminds me of my parents’ friends from Rwanda. They visited last summer and told a few stories of people they had known… each ending in il a été tué, “he has been killed”.
Impressive! I’ll pass this on to the deniers over at Tet Zoo. :-)
Not surprised Rahmstorf is working on the research.
Yeah, it didn’t happen this time. I take solace in the fact that more than one third voted for the openly gay, green Haavisto. And I don’t think Niinistö is truly evil like all US Republican candidates seem to be.
It’s still disappointing. Niinistö is a banker, Haavisto a peacemaker. Talk about priorities.
dontpanic
I you have received such treatment from SC, you should identify which ‘nym you were using at the time so the rest of us can evaluate it for ourselves.
If you type as a concerned by-sitter, why are you bringing this up now?
John Morales: “I see my question @420 remains outstanding.”
Well, I slept, woke, ate, drank coffee, took the kids sledging, took smallest kid to the hospital to get her forehead glued together (yes, those two are related), bathed her, put the others to bed, and now, I’m back on the computer.
If you’re going to snark, I’m disinclined to reply.
*petulant pout* :)
—
“Insight” was an inadequate formulation. I want to upgrade it to “ability to convey insight into his characters’ psychological state through inner monologue and smash-cut literary and philosophical allusions”.
There’s an earthy, immediate, physicality to his writing that I love (one favourite: “grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of faintly scented urine”), and a poetic sensibility (“He turned abruptly his great searching eyes from the sea to Stephen’s face.”), but y’know, if you don’t like it, it’s OK.
Kid was satisfyingly surprised and impressed with his rainbow cake — I frosted it with plain white and told him I had racked my brains till the night before trying to figure out the perfect themed cake for him, and well, he was 13, so I decided it was time for a classic adult cake. Then we cut it. Hee.
kristinc,
We are grateful … as long as those antidepressants/psych meds aren’t somehow serotonin related, in which case “itz ‘da evil” … or so some would argue ’cause “[they] have a book”.
walton,
For the most part I thought you held your own in the “is it a good novel” discussion. I’ve argued the same point before; still wondering why Moby Dick is so highly regarded … read it, didn’t get it. On the other hand, I thought LOTR was tosh.
Caine,
Piss off. I’ve been reading and commenting on PZ’s blog since before he moved to SciBlogs; long before SC showed up. I’ll comment on SC’s take-no-prisoners tactics if I like — when several instances pile up over the course of a week or so to the point I can’t ignore it any more. I don’t particularly care that she’s a “regular”. And you can try to bully me back into silence, it might even work; it would be fitting with her usual style. Ah, yes, I forget, only she (and those on her side) are allowed to be hyper-aggressive, everyone else must be calm and reasoned and never say anything a mite bit hyperbolic.
For those that are confused: “perhaps that’s marginally over-the-top” might perhaps been a bit of an understatement. But it doesn’t mean that there isn’t a core truth to my comment about how she approaches discussions. Then again that’s another of her tactics: an apparent willful misunderstanding what the other is saying. Anyone who took my “marginally” literally without a hint of sarcasm deserves the moniker of “dim”.
Just watched Up, With Chris Hayes for the first time, and I cheered a bit when I suddenly noticed that all the four experts and authors he had as guests, were women.
It’s a bit sad that that’s something to notice, but here’s to progress! *swigs beer*
dontpanic, yeah, yeah, you are the original commenter, that’s why everyone knows who you are. :eyeroll:
Just cleaned my desk. Esme is not impressed. Or happy.
519: nuh uh, you’re not sucking ME into this. I said it was apropos of nothing at Pharyngula and I meant it.
You’re not kidding about “earthy physicality”. As I recall, the part about kidneys for breakfast was followed later in the same chapter by a detailed description of the protagonist’s bowel movement.
Kristinc:
Nice! I think that was a fabulous idea.
@ Sili
How is that show? I’ve been meaning to catch it, but I don’t usually wake up early (aka, before noon) on the weekends.
changeable moniker
Best wishes for the kid with the damaged forehead
kristinc
Hope you took pics of the face when you cut the cake
+++++
OMG, I’ve just read the birth anouncement of a poor child called Malicia. Some parents need to be hit over the head with a dictionary.
And we’ll comment on how you’re a fucking asshole and we’d prefer you to quit treading shit all over the lounge, if we like. I don’t give two microfucks who you are or how long you’ve been here. Your comments under this nym in this thread have been worthless, shitty blather, amounting to nothing more or less than baiting of a commenter. Go work out your issues someplace that’s else.
Giliell
Are they Mormon?
chigau,
I wasn’t commenting on things she’s argued with me here, and I never claimed to be doing so, but on how she’s dealt with others recently here in the TET. SciBlog’s search capabilities suck too much to be useful for pointing out old instances if you’re going to argue that I can only comment if it’s happened to me and I can point to it. If that’s the case then, well, it’s pretty weak sauce.
The tactics I saw are the same as they were back on SciBlogs and are a primary reason I chose to reduce my reading of comments and stopped posting in Pharyngula completely (which admittedly wasn’t all that often). I’m not asking to re-fight old arguments from SciBlogs, I’m calling out bad behaviour that I came upon when I decided to refamiliarize myself with the TET. I even linked to one case in my post, and referenced another (her creepy<eyeroll> “creepy” comments) as well as what seemed to be bullying of walton. Also above in this episode you see her dredging up the old serotonin fight as a cudgel. Well, I’m just playing the same game. Goose, gander and all.
Caine,
Did I claim to be the original commenter? No, all I claimed to be was a long-time reader, occasional commenter. One who’s competent to comment on SC or any other “regular”‘s behaviour. You know, that thing you tried to be so dismissive about?
chigau
Probably not.
There are only about 38.000 Mormons in Germany, so, that’s improbable.
But really, are people never thinking about what name they’re punishing their children with?
changeable moniker: Thanks. I feel energized to give Ulysses another shot.
Otherwise: The contributions of many of the commenters here are worthwhile even if it sometimes takes a little work to understand them. SC, walton, KG, consciousness razor, dhorvath, Chas, drbunsen (welcome back) and others have embiggened my spirit of late. I appreciate your take-no-prisoners approach, and willingness to deal with complexity head-on. Thanks to you all.
FWIW: I could use someone like SC, KG, or walton kicking my ass daily. If I had scads of money, I would gladly take any of you on retainer as my metaphysical personal trainers.
Giliell:
I’m reminded of footnote in Lords and Ladies:
**Morticia would have been better. ;p
AFAICT you are making a personal attack on SC. You aren’t the threadcop, and Walton is quite capable of defending himself.
I’m not familiar with your nym at all, but I am finding your unprovoked attack far more annoying than the regular tl/dr debates between SC and Walton.
dontpanic
Nope. The first word of my #516 was supposed to be “If”.
carlie, we used to have a kitty who liked to hole-punch paper with his teeth. Single sheets, mostly, but he did manage to get hold of the occasional few pages of a paperback. We think that he did it for the crunchies.
–
Not in the Catholic Church, it isn’t.
–
Private Ogvorbis, thanks for the bit on Amtrak. Not at all a teal deer!
–
and * sigh * this is why I rarely even try to follow the long point/counterpoint debates.
My poor, aged brain just can’t keep up.
I thought SC was “bullying” Josh.
Good grief, that’s a horrible name. I can’t help coming up with names for future siblings.
Invidia, Odium, Atrocitas…..
Chigau, there was a discussion, argument, whatever between Josh & SC. It’s been let go.
As for ‘dontpanic’, there was someone posting as ‘Don’t Panic’ at sciblogs, from ’06 to ’09, a sporadic poster, by no means prolific or regular. They seem to be under the impression they were incredibly memorable. *shrug*
What the grudge against SC is all about, I don’t know and I don’t care.
Caine,
I don’t think I expressed any indication that I thought my past was “incredibly memorable”, but if that’s how you read it then perhaps you should work on reading comprehension. I only mentioned my history because of the casual dismissal of my concerns because they were against a “regular”. Hmmm, your search-fu is better than mine I guess, though I thought I’d commented in both ’10 and ’11, whatever
As for the last line, I’ll tell you even if you don’t care: SC’s tendency to hound, berate, and bully. That you don’t care: that says something about you. *shrug*
Tethys,
Oh, I have the highest confidence in walton. That was just the ‘final straw’, the last of several instances of SC’s behaviour that I found objectionable. But I don’t think it was so much a personal attack, but an attack on the way she frames issues. Maybe it all just PTSD from the serotonin wars and I’ve never recovered. I guess I shouldn’t let it trigger me so.
Okay, I apologize to any and all. I was probably over-the-top for a variety of reasons including suffering sleep deprivation (due to sleep apnea) and having to take a weekend 08:00-16:00 shift sitting in an overheated control room with a very noisy air conditioner 5 ft away. Yeah, it’s 40F outside but we’re running an air conditioner because they turn of the building’s HVAC on weekends and a room with ~30 computers in it gets hot. Grumpy me. Sorry.
I don’t know about anyone else, but here’s why I’m going to casually dismiss your concerns: I have no respect for you. I don’t know who you are. You have built up absolutely no cushion for me or anyone else to put up with shitty, stupid assholery from you. See, your behavior would be shitty and stupid coming from anyone, but from a lot of commenters, I’d chalk it up to them having an off day, or a bad week. I’d tell them to back off, address specific problems I have with their comments, but I wouldn’t be ready to tell them to fuck off. You? You started at ground level, and as Caine pointed out, you’re digging. You came in here and your first act was to start flailing at a respected commenter in a way that was both completely over the top and clearly based on a personal grudge. Nice job. Now fuck off.
Ah, now we’ve cross-posted… Yes, that makes slightly more sense. I’m still irritated with you for being an asshole. But at least it makes sense. So to my “fuck off” I will add “and hopefully get some rest soon.”
Yes, I was being a bit of an asshole. Sorry. Now that I’ve had some time to literally “cool off” I think I can put old grudges sufficiently behind me to not comment on them further.
dontpanic:
My sympathies, I’ve worked in those conditions before, they’re made for misery.
On a different topic. Can I rant a bit about schools? Fucking IEP’s, how do they work? If a child isn’t making it in regular 8th grade classes because of pyscho/social issues and you put them in a smaller “self contained” class, don’t treat them as if they were literally retarded (if it isn’t the issue), giving them 5th/6th grade work they’ve already mastered. All after having reassured us during the IEP meeting that he’d be doing the same work just in a setting more suitable to his needs.
And don’t go into a panic every time he mentions “bashing his head in”; yeah, we don’t need to go to the suicide prevention services for the 10th time for an “evaluation” just for you, the school, to know that that exact expression is his way of expressing frustration. I could tell you that; I have told you that. Use a little reasonable judgement of your own. sigh.
Okay, looks like we’re in the market for woo-less homeschool material to finish out the year. A child that is very smart and quick to learn, but hates to read and who’s handwriting and spelling is atrocious. We’ll try to re-integrate him next year w/ high school, but we’ve got to squeeze all of 8th grade into the rest of the year. Suggestions?
I think the best person to talk with about homeschooling issues would be Mattir, but she hasn’t been around lately. Perhaps someone on PET can put out the signal for her.
Randomly jumping around:
I think that says more about Moorcock that it does about Tolkien.
—
@Walton, I’m reassured (and: happy, pleased) that you know Alan Garner. (Weirdstone, Gomrath, and Elidor are still on my shelves after many “can these books go in boxes in the loft?” purges.) The connection between reality, sense-of-place, and magic, is something he does really well.
—
Yeats. Well, that would fit with Joyce. :)
Related: Louis MacNeice – Thalassa:
—
@Og, you have no idea how happy I am to see a “t” at the end of “relict”. :)
Oh, and, Your Finger, You Fool. Just because. ;)
Any Seattle Pharyngulites? It looks like I may be in the city, downtown, during the day either Valentine’s day or the day after.
I took in a pair of knitting needles and skein of yarn to the Redhead. I did the cast-on after being taught what to do, and a modern formless sculpture appeared during an attempt at one-handed knitting. I think she’s plotting the next attempt, and itching for me to bring in her Kninja Knitter needles for some payback…
Nerd, yay for progress! I imagine the desire to get back to her regular Kninja Knitterness will be good for her on a couple of levels.
Nerd
Yay
Get BIG needles and BIG yarn.
Redhead knows how to knit, her body is just being uncooperative.
Just googled “rainbow cake”.
WANT.
Someday, when I’m not consumed by manuscripts and urgent lab work, I’m going to learn how to make layered cakes.
Mom made a scrumptious pork loin roast for dinner. We have so much leftover that I’m thinking sandwiches, as she suggested, are a good idea. The question is, what do you put on such a sandwich? All I can come up with is the usual mayo or BBQ sauce.
—————————————
Woot woot for the Redhead! I suspect she misses her usual Kninja Knitter ways so much that she’s got plans to spend as much time as possible catching up?
—————————————-
Where on this bloody green earth is blf? I miss the mildly deranged penguin, and she seems to only show up when he’s around. Besides, I want to try and sneak some of her cheese stash while she’s not looking.
—————————————-
Rather than spend my birthday at home, I’ll be visiting my friend up in Rochester. Damned expensive to go by train, but I figure with the costs of getting to an airport that offers flights to there, plus the airfare, would add up the same amount. I only wish I could have the day after President’s Day off so I could spend my proper birthday with her instead of having to come home. Ah well, I’ll get to do some traveling, which I like, and I’ve never been to Rochester before so hey, maybe I’ll find new stamping ground.
Hey, Nutmeg, if it helps any the version I went for only had two layers; I did the kind where you divide the batter, color each batch and then pour red-orange-yellow in one pan and green-blue-purple in the other. I just used the one box of cake mix since the party was not large. It turned out just beautiful.
As long as you have cake pans your cake doesn’t stick to, and use lots of delicious frosting, a two layer cake is pretty easy to manage.
Blf remains on the missing list. I wish someone knew how to contact him, it’s been a long while. I wish Elroy (boygenius) would show back up too.
PTI
re: pork sandwiches
NO mayo!!!!
mustard
hot, if you have it.
I’ve been reading this ACLU report about migrant deaths on the US-Mexico border. The federal government’s “tougher border security” policies have led directly to the deaths of thousands of men, women and children attempting to cross the border, whether from exposure and heat exhaustion, injuries, or homicide.
The report is intensely painful to read. Not only does the US policy deliberately force unauthorized migrants to cross the most dangerous areas of the desert, the Border Patrol is itself directly responsible for deaths and inhuman treatment:
As ever, it’s particularly bad for women and children:
Next time you hear some rich white politician talking about how we need “tougher border security” and to “enforce America’s immigration laws”, remember that this is what they are supporting. This is why immigration reform is a human rights issue. And this is why those who demonize immigrants, and who argue for tougher immigration restrictions, make me very angry.
Pork sandwich
Onion, avocado, lettuce, tomato, with some green salsa in a separate container to prevent soggy sandwich syndrome.
—
Yay for the Redhead! Knitting would indeed be therapeutic. Perhaps you could check into one of the clamp contraptions that are made for one handed needle-workers?
—
dontpanic
I don’t know thing one about homeschooling. I appreciate the apology and recognition that you were behaving poorly. Being hot and cranky is not enjoyable.
—
I love this mental image.
is iron more important than narwhals?
Oh internets, you are the best invention ever! Every day I learn new and unexpected things from you such as how to make Rainbow Cake in a Jar.
What a great thing to send to far-away spawn.
We discussed that for a bit. Postponed for the moment.
She’s more worried that the extended care rehab may have a different “dress code”. Sigh.
Rainbow cake in a jar! That is mindblowingly awesome.
In the mood for some Beat. People from the US would know as the English Beat.
I Confess
Wine And Grine/Stand Down Margaret
Save It For Later
Mirror In The Bathroom
Chigau, I don’t get your Narwhal joke. (at least I think it’s a joke?)
Narwhal Song
In A Jar-Dinosaur
@Giliell, I suspect Malicia’s parents knew very well what they were doing. It strikes me as Goth, not uneducated. I’m reminded of Pratchett’s teen vampires – who go round calling themselves Mary or Pamela or John instead of their perfectly good traditional names like Lacrimosa and Vlad, and wear colourful clothes and pretend to drink … wine.
Tethys
I’m sorry I clicked “submit”.
It’s not a joke at all.
Just real-life bitterness intruding.
Two layers of cake sounds more my speed, although the six-layer cakes were gorgeous. I have a mental image of a three-layer cake in Easter egg colours – maybe I’ll try that for a spring celebration.
The cakes in jars are awesome! How have I never heard of cakes in jars before? I’m going to try that at the earliest opportunity.
Slow (diurnal event) again.
So, Madonna fucked-up, eh?
AAAAAUUUUGGHHHH! Narwhal earworm!
Maybe I can scrub it with some Hildegarde.
Yeah. She missed a step she was climbing for about two seconds then recovered. Headline news brought to you by some of the most vicious, misogynist scumbaggery I’ve ever seen tonight in people commenting on her performance. Crossposted from Physioproffe’s place:
Josh: it was via the subject of Madonna that my mother first introduced me to the idea that a woman can be “amoral” due to what she wears on her body (this was back when Madonna was zomg wearing underwear on the outside). And my mom wasn’t even a scary fundie nutbag or anything, just … maybe not very thoughtful about the kind of woman-hatred and shaming she was inculcating in her young daughter.
It makes me shake with rage, kristin. My eyes have been opened these past two years to how we’re wallowing in and gagging on pervasive misogyny. Madonna just happens to be the most convenient and acceptable celebrity target. All the shit flung at her is analogous (at a much lower level, of course)to people who say to rape victims “what did you expect wearing that dress to that party?” Because Madonna used sexuality on her terms to sell herself she’s now a Pass Around Party Doll and should expect to have the elasticity of her vagina discussed and to be lied about, mocked, and spit on for it. She’s public property, basically a non-sentient hole.
Goddamn I hate people.
I totally missed that as I just watched the game with my SO. It sounds disgusting. *Hugs Josh.*
How could I not love a person who dances like this?
Power And The Passion
Read About It
Jimmy Sharman’s Boxers
Minutes To Midnight
I was just thinking that it could maybe have been worse: my mother could have used Madonna’s costumes to introduce me to the concept of Having Respect For Yourself, where “Respect For Yourself” is a euphemism for “Visibly Manifested Desire To Not Be Raped”.
Ugh.
pHred @7. Next time, hire me. I will ask for a list of terms, correctly spelled, and something about what they mean, if you have time to give it. I will research, highlight, and query. I won’t assume.
Good night! Must go to bed.
“[Slitscan’s audience] is best visualized as a vicious, lazy, profoundly ignorant, perpetually hungry organism craving the warm god-flesh of the anointed. Personally I like to imagine something the size of a baby hippo, the color of a week-old boiled potato, that lives by itself, in the dark, in a double-wide on the outskirts of Topeka. It’s covered with eyes and it sweats constantly. The sweat runs into those eyes and makes them sting. It has no mouth, Laney, no genitals, and can only express its mute extremes of murderous rage and infantile desire by changing the channels on a universal remote. Or by voting in presidential elections.”
― William Gibson, Idoru
In penance for the Narwhal earworm, I give you Ane Braun.
Do you Remember
Koop Island Blues
Lullaby for Grown-ups
Didn’t see the halftime show, but I’m not surprised at people’s reactions. Madonna has always stuck in the craws of certain segments of the population, and ever since she pretty much said, “Hey, they were wrong when they told you that your sexuality is evil and shouldn’t be enjoyed – PARTY TIME!” people have been nothing short of flat-out contemptuous. Because it’s not right for a woman to be that comfortable with herself, much less tell others that it’s OK to be so.
Wake me up when we’ve moved far beyond this knuckle-dragging, “she my property! But this one public property!” stage. I’m going to bed.
…Oh dammit, I’ve got work tomorrow. *sigh*
Any missteps that Madonna did cannot be as bad as the bloody fooking Who did. And I speak as someone who never liked Madge and love every record that Keith Moon was on. And when you get down to it, Keith Moon was a much worse person than Madonna, not that anyone will get all over his corpse for that.
Besides, the biggest misstep in a Super Bowl Halftime belongs to Micheal Jackson, check out the SS back up dancers after the 2:40 mark. I was on the phone with a friend at the time and she had the same reaction as me, WTF?
Tethys, thanks but that won’t help because there’s no you-tube access at work. I’m limited to what’s on my nano. Hildegarde, Micheline van Hauten, Lotte Lenya, Edith Piaf, Nina Simone, Flap! Mzaza, hey, I only just realised they are ALL women… I do like some menz too, honest! Plus there are blokes singing in some of the Hildegard, and Michelin’s Jacques Brel album.
My best wishes to both the Redhead and the Nerd.
janine:
NOW’S ZE TIME ON SHPROCKETS VEN WE DANCE!
I hate it when trackback links backwash.
Therrin, eh, no one seems to care much, nobody is remarkably stale even amidst the abundance of assholes and trolls on the net. Just another person seeking to brand themselves as a unique little snowflake, all kinds of special and better than the other stupid snowflakes.
Boring.
Wooo-hoooo
Good morning.
I’m back from the dentist.
I had my last case of cavities removed.
I didn’t get a follow-up appointment.
I made it without anaesthetics (no, there’s nothing wrong about them. Only that I normally regard “looking and dribbling from your mouth like a boxer dog worse than 10 min of pain. It’s just that the wisdom-tooth incident left me pretty shaky and I’m glad it’s getting better.)
Alethea
If the parents did that on purpose they deserve to be slapped with a book on child psychology instead of the dictionary. Jesus Haploid Christ, children aren’t paper-cut dolls. They’re people who’ll have to live with that name for the rest of their lives. The joke wears out pretty quickly, but the name lasts for a long time.
If people want to hand out creative names they should get pets. Other dogs won’t laugh at Gummi-Arabicum for the silly name.
I’m in agreement there!
Though now I think of it, they can still change their names when they reach adulthood. Perhaps Alice. Not very German, though. Marlies?
Alice would be OK, Marlies, too. Alicia is quite popular at the moment.
I always thought that children should be able to sue their parents for shitty names. You know, some possible monetary compensation for 18 years of teasing and being made fun off and having to spell the name five fucking times every time anybody needs to write it down.
Contracts for this month weren’t extended so it turns out I’ve been volunteering this couple of days. Oh, and accounts are blocked so we probably won’t be paid for January for quite some time (that could mean months). I’m still here only to arrange things so that boss isn’t left with a mess.
Did I mention this is a government institution? So much for security in working in public/government sector.
Not to mention that we only found out because boss called “them” because of something else, who knows how long they would have us coming here otherwise. That pisses me off.
That characterisation does fit the “Scourging of the Shire” section at the end, although not LotR as a whole. The “baddies” here are louts rather than fiends: they bully people and beat them up, they lounge against walls, swear, and pick their teeth in public – but they don’t go in for mass slaughter: they look very like working-class male adolescents seen through the eyes of an upper-middle-class child.
It’s certainly true that Tolkien knew what war was like; for the British, and particularly the upper and upper-middle classes, WWI was considerably worse than WWII: total casualties were higher, and junior army officers, usually drawn from those classes, had a very high mortality as they were expected to lead from the front, which often involved advancing across the no-man’s-land between the trenches into concentrated machine-gun fire. But this experience does not find its war in any obvious sense into LotR: its battle scenes are completely unrealistic even for the kind of quasi-medieval warfare depicted – consider Gimli and Legolas carefully counting the dozens of orcs they kill in the heat of a supposedly desperate struggle at Helm’s Deep.
Beatrice@594,
That really stinks – commiserations.
KG,
Makes perfect sense to a D&D player; they’re high level compared to the orcs.
(It’s fantasy — duh)
Yeah, I foresee spending a lot of time in these parts.
At least I might grow some fangs if any decent trolls appear during the day.
beatrice
Shit that sucks. Hope at least money comes soon and that you’ll find a better job soon.
We Are Young -Fun. feat. Janelle Monae (Lyrics) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnQhWMPJZwg
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
(Huffpo warning)
Let Them Eat Task Forces http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charles-ferguson/financial-crimes-unit_b_1254274.html?ref=uk
I am forwarding this because the facts are as described in other news media. B J
The Laughing Coyote at 244
“regarding teens hating their parents, I think there might be a bit of a difference between actual hating, and moments of feeling like you hate them.”
The distinction plays a big role in this graphic novel: ”Locke And Key: Welcome to Lovecraft” (much recommended)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Locke-Key-Lovecraft-Joe-Hill/dp/1600103847/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328533278&sr=1-1#_
And since I bought this graphic novel just a week before this topic came up, it proves that I possess psychic powers. Send me all your money and I will tell you your future!
beatrice; bloody hell :(
–
Antiochus Epiphanes
Gosh, really? Thanks :)
–
Chutney, avocado, sliced apple or apple sauce, seeded mustard, lettuce, grated carrot & beet(root), swiss cheese, sundried tomato, antipasto, oh I could go on…
Hear hear!
Also hear hear! When were they last sighted?
–
walton:
Oh … no.
Aaaaaand that’s where I skip to the end. Sorry :/
–
Alien in a jar
–
janine:
Trivia note: he’s now the Federal Minister for Education, formerly Environment.
–
Without LoTR, and its conventions, there would be no D&D and its conventions.
Early in my sixth grade year, we moved from Arizona (where there were 14 other kids in my grade) to Maryland (where there were 214 in my grade). It was, to say the least, culture shock. One nice thing, though, was that the school was brand new; no more mid-1930s CCC building.
Unfortunately, they had problems with the HVAC system and, being a new late-1970s school, there were few windows. The air conditioning didn’t work. At all. So from mid-September (when I got there) to early October, we were roasting (and, in this school district, once you hit Middle School, no one could wear shorts (though the girls could wear very short skirts).
About October 5 they got the air conditioning to work. They said they were doing it to make sure it actually worked. It did. And they could not turn it off. So we began wearing our jackets and knit hats in class (they relaxed the ‘no hat’ rule for that). Especially when it got to January with the AC still running full bore. Apparently, they could not just turn it off as that would also turn of the air circulators.
To top it off, that year the UMW went on strike. Which meant that the power companies couldn’t get enough coal. Which meant that all government buildings tried to reduce electrical use. So there we are, in a brand-spanking new school, wearing our hats and coats and scarfs and gloves, in the dark, reading our history book that was published in 1950 (it referred to all Muslims as Saracens (no, not kidding)). We looked like something out of a Dickens story (though with far fewer words).
Eventually, the AC was turned off and we got heat. Like, 80F heat. Like roasting. As in you really do not want to be in a room with a bunch of 12-year-olds who have not discovered deoderant (or (for some) regular bathing) yet hot. So we were warm. And wearing t-shirts to school in February.
The problem was, they could not turn the heat off. Which was bearable in the winter. But once we hit May and June down in Maryland, it got bad. More than one classroom hit 100F. And, because of ice storms and snow storms back in January and February, we stayed in school until the end of June. In Maryland. With the heat on. With the bathing and puberty and lack of deoderant problems. I swear that school maintained the fug long after I went to the high school.
So I understand odd temperatures and buildings.
Matter of fact, I am sitting at my desk, right next to an air exchanger, wearing a turtleneck, a thinsulate vest, a wool scarf, and a trooper hat.
Well, relic and relict have different meanings, so why wouldn’t people do that?
Does she crochet? Wife does and I notice that she uses one hand for the hood and the other hand only steadies the product. (If this is useless, ignore it.)
Good to hear about the progress. The Redhead is in my thoughts.
Put the pork loin slices on a toasted Kaiser bun with a little salt, some good cold slaw, and sliced dill pickles.
And brown stone-ground mustard.
With a birthday gift card, I picked up a copy of the complete fiction of HP Lovecraft at B&N. Only $20. For an 1100-page hardcover with all of his fiction. Cool.
Not a Madonna fan, but damn, that was an entertaining show.
Congrats! Been there. Done that. Still paying the bill. And, with the two absessed tooths removed, I have not had a single sinus infection. Tell me again why dental care is not considered health care?
That is bad. You have my sympathy. On the positive side, though, according to the GOP, you and your co-volunteers just created 800 new jobs by reducing federal payroll. And I wish I were joking. I got a letter from my representative telling me that he is working to help my family by slashing the federal workforce but is being blocked by socialists who favour huge government. I sent off another letter to him to be ignored.
Have any buildings inexplicably fallen down recently anywhere? If so, you found the penguin. Or reports of flying cats?
And welcome back, drbunsen.
birger – I have suuuuch a crush on Janelle Monae. I don’t understand how anyone can watch her perform and not immediately think she is the absolute best thing ever. So glad she’s getting more media exposure.
All Hail Tpyos, may hir naem be foreevr!
“Hood” should be “hook.” Makes much more sense that way.
Re the recent I get email: man, I miss drugs sometimes.
I mean, the woman’s first solo album was a two-part concept piece based on Metropolis. How can anyone not love that?
Janelle Monae, Cold War
Many Moons
Beatrice that is so fucked up. I’m sorry and I hope you get something a lot better.
Fantasy does not preclude realistic elements – duh.
All-relatives-at-once Ogvorbis
It is, at least by the conservative socialist christian commie-fuckers over here. They won’t give you shiny new fangs if you break them on a troll, but you get the basic repairs and check-ups done.
So at least I can simply wallop in my physical pain (ouch, it hurts right now)
++++
There really must be a difference between organic carrots and conventional ones. My allergy thinks they’re twice as bad.
In case anyone’s interested, today is the sixtieth anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen’s* accession to the throne, which occurred on this day in 1952.
(*Elizabeth II, that is. Coincidentally, the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II, also celebrated the fortieth anniversary of her accession recently.)
It’s amazing to think that she’s been Queen not only for my whole life, but for that of my parents’ generation too. And how much the world has changed in sixty years. The Guardian has a year-by-year pictorial history of her reign here.
Amazing. This is one of those things that I know but I still am somewhat surprised when I actually read it.
And on another note, Rick Astley just turned 46.
walton and Brother Og: fascinating.
CBC news mentioned Elizabethh II this morning.
Private Ogvorbis, OM ,
You probably got a wrong country. I’m not creating any new jobs in US, but we have been hearing a similar fantasy since the new government came into power in December.
I think I generated a couple of hundred jobs by not getting the contract extended. I hope I’ll get one of them.
I love how governments promise cutting jobs and lowering unemployment in the same sentence.
Thank you all for the sympathy. We’ll see how long it lasts when I start spending even more time here. *evil laugh*
Beatrice:
Sorry. My mecentrism is showing.
I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if some GOP asshat declared that when (fill-in-a-socialist-country (and by socialist, I mean one with health care or a decent infrastructure)) gets rid of their government workers, ‘Merkin unemployment will dissappear.
Come to think of it, I wonder why I haven’t heard that argument yet.
It’s a little-known fact that she’s largely responsible for the changes. It was she who gave Crick and Watson the vital hint that they should consider a double-helical structure for DNA, designed the first integrated circuit, insisted that lasers would indeed find the multifarious uses that they now have, pointed out that the microwave background radiation disposed of the steady-state theory, finally proved Fermat’s last theorem, invented the Internet and the World-Wide Web, and both discovered the virus causing AIDS, and devised the HAART treatment that has slashed the death rate from it – all without taking any of the credit. In the political world it was the Queen who, behind the scenes, avoided the nuclear devastation that threatened the world in the Cuban missile crisis, convinced Nixon he must withdraw from Vietnam and open contacts with China, persuaded the Soviet Politburo to choose Michael Sergeyevich Gorbachev as General Secretary and guided him step-by-step through the tricky process of ending the Cold War, and brought F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela together to negotiate a peaceful end to apartheid. Truly, not so much a woman as a goddess, who will surely reign forever over her grateful and blissful subjects!
Theophontes, #343:
It’s not that conservatives used to be environmentalists; it’s that environmentalism used to be conservative. It arose out of the desire of elites to keep their hunting playgrounds pristine. Classism remains an issue in environmentalism; preserving the wilderness is certainly important, but I wish more people gave a damn about environmental justice in urban areas.
Nerd, what Hekuni Cat said at #347: Please take care of yourself. For you, and for the Redhead.
KG, #358:
I only read the first book, years ago. That series is said to be wonderfully cracky. What didn’t Ayla end up inventing?
PTI, #386: Ugh, your mom has my utmost sympathies. Sciatica is the worst physical pain I have ever had in my life. I hope she is able to get relief through physical therapy, rather than needing surgery.
KG, #401: I think I saw that movie. Frank Miller wrote the screenplay.
Ing, #405: Around these parts it’s pretty much a Comcast/Verizon duopoly. I share your hate.
Kristinc, #435: I brought home smoked salmon last night. Kitteh went NUTS. I let her nibble the tiny bits off the cardboard insert while I vacuum-sealed most of it for the freezer.
Ogvorbis, #469: If you’re a fan of the song “Finnegan’s Wake,” check to see if you can find the version by the defunct duo The Mollys, which has a punk sensibility.
Kristinc, #511: Agreed 100%. Feeling guilty about taking meds caused me no end of grief for years.
Walton, #524:
You say this like it’s a bad thing.
Also, obligatory.
Walton at #559:
RAGE.
Giliell, #590:
Agreed. It’s bad enough when people with lots of kids give them all the same first initial and dress them all alike; the Duggars are only the most extreme example of this. Don’t saddle them with a horrible name.
Beatrice, #594: Sympathies. Do you have enough to get by on for now?
Carlie, #604:
I’m not a big fan, but she is indeed immensely talented.
Someone I used to speak to dismissed her immediately for not having been inspired by Neal Stephenson and not being into his preferred genre, which is industrial. This is the same person to whom I sent the link to Kate Miller-Heidke’s “Facebook Song” and who said he didn’t get it, because it obviously wasn’t aimed at someone of his generation (baby boomer, FWIW). 0_o
Shit. Pretend I put the “http://” in that link.
Girl has quite a few albums by both Dropkick Murphy and The Mollys. I need to get her to email them to me. I like folk music (well, Irish and American, that is). And I like some of the unusual takes that today’s musicians have on them. Dick Gaughan doing Bells of Rhymney, for example. Not sure what to call his style, but I like it.
I’ve still got my mug somewhere from the silver jubilee.
Carlie – I love Janelle Monae’s sense of style. Her clothes, her hair… it just works.
As far as I remember, she hadn’t quite got round to the nuclear reactor or programmable computer at the point (halfway through The Plains of Passage) where I bailed out!
Wake Up Sheeple* http://www.xkcd.com/
We are doomed! Doomed!
*(Apologies If you have already seen this)
Just getting my first exposure to Janelle Monae, thanks to the mentions in here. Liking what I’m hearing and seeing!
Ms. Daisy Cutter,
I live with my parents who both still work, so I’m not in nearly as much trouble as some of my colleagues, but the unemployment is currently very high here. I was hoping to keep this job for as long as possible.
There were some weak plans of finally moving out and sharing an apartment with a friend I know from uni, but I can’t exactly pay rent now.
Beatrice, I’m glad you have food and shelter. I hope you manage to get the remaining money owed you soon.
Nerd, appreciate the updates on the Redhead and you. Take care of yourself a bit as well. I sacrificed a Teahadist for the Redhead.
Good news, skin cancer seems to be about beaten for the nonce. Go Team!
Awesome news, Jeffrey!
*giggles* Oh, I see… so Lyndon LaRouche is right that she’s secretly the most powerful woman in the world?
Well, Her Majesty might well inherit the longevity of her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who passed away at the age of one hundred and two. Of course, this would mean that the Prince of Wales – who is already the longest-serving heir-apparent in British history – would be in his eightieth year when he becomes King.*
(*The only other Prince of Wales who held that title for a comparably long time – Queen Victoria’s son, the future Edward VII – reportedly occupied his time with gambling and extramarital liaisons, including a long-running affair with the actress Lillie Langtry. He was also an important figure in the world of fashion; it was he who established the modern custom of wearing black tie with a dinner jacket at semi-formal evening events, for example. If I remember rightly, he was the first to make it acceptable for a gentleman actually to unfurl and use an umbrella in public, it having previously been the custom that the rolled umbrella was to be carried but never used. He was also rather plump, being nicknamed “Prince Tum-Tum”, and is credited with introducing the now-traditional practice of eating roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for Sunday lunch.
We can, perhaps, be grateful that the present Prince, while a less colourful figure, has chosen instead to dedicate his time and money to the more productive pursuits of environmental activism and sustainable agriculture.)
*confetti, cheap whistles, grog pouring*
beatrice: *hugs* Hope you’re able to find a new job. I understand the worries: I might well be in a similar position a year from now.
(And yes, the glee that some conservatives seem to take in laying off government employees is extremely depressing.)
It’s not news that mormons dominate most levels of society in Utah. But it still surprises me when yet another sneaky mormonish method is exposed. The theocracy is functioning, sometimes just below the radar.
As most people already know, mormons make up about 60% of the population in Utah, but mostly white, mostly male, and all mormon priesthood holders of the “mantle of authority” hold about 85% of all leadership positions. This includes prisons. They run the prisons in Utah.
A lot of Pharyngulites have read the book “Under the Banner of Heaven.” It’s being made into a film, and in order to research for the film, some of the producers have been interviewing a barking mad mormon who took the concepts of “revelation” from God and of “building the kingdom” too seriously, so seriously that he murdered an innocent woman and her baby.
Mormons don’t like the idea of this film, and those in a position to do so are putting up roadblocks.
The comment below was posted on the Recovery from Mormonism forum today. I don’t have any way to confirm the information.
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,410052
I get to correct Walton on a matter of royal trivia!
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002)
A friend, now alas no more, bet me £10 at evens that even if he (my friend) were to be immortal, Prince Charles would never be his sovereign: he thought the current queen would outlive him. But with both parents long-lived, no known unhealthy habits or medical problems, and the best medical care, he’s quite likely to reach his 90s I would think, and I can’t see him stepping aside for William.
Beatrice:
I was not trying to make light of your situation and I really do sympathize. I hope things work out for you. And I am glad you have a place to park.
This is a GOOD THING!
This poll on same-sex marriage in Maryland needs some Pharyngulating.
*sigh* Ok, so I was a few months off. She was nearly one hundred and two. (I had the years of birth and death in my mind, but forgot the exact date.) But I bet you can’t tell me Princess Michael of Kent’s maiden name from memory. Or explain exactly how the Queen is related to the former ducal House of Teck. :-p
(If you can do both of these things without checking Wikipedia, I’ll be extremely impressed.)
Yeah, it has been so long, this is a cliche. So be it.
God save the queen
We mean it, man
The empire’s gone.
JeffreyD – hooray!
I defy anyone to find a comment in which the person is against gay marriage and does not use god, religion, or other code words for the same (such as tradition) to justify their stance.
Depressing as hell.
Congrats, JeffreyD!
Sympathies, Beatrice.
Nerd, keep us updated. I second the idea on bigger stuff to knit with; maybe size 15 needles and a large smooth, worsted yarn.
More Janelle Monae, showcasing her range in styles:
57821
Make the Bus (which includes the awesome line “You’ve got Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep under your pillow”)
She was in concert right in town a few months ago, when I was out on a business trip. I was a sad camper.
Oh, I didn’t think you were saying anything unkind. I too was joking about “creating jobs” all by myself because it’s basically what politicians are trying to convince us is happening.
Still haven’t told you that I saw 3 knitters in the cafeteria a few days ago. All female as culturally expected, but all young (university students in the first few years).
I’ve also taken Nutmeg’s advice and googled “rainbow cake”. Teh awesum.
The casts that were made specially for me are finished now. ^_^ Yes, world, Diceratosaurus really does have 5 fingers per hand, not 4, bizarre though that is. At least the specimen described in 1902 does.
Pressure on canines = good. *nodnod*
One of these I can see actually happening. Odio eterno al calcio moderno (“eternal hate for modern soccer”) is the creed of the Italian Old Believers in soccer who refuse to participate in the Reformation.
For awesome, verily, is she.
(Almost metaphysically interesting that of all things a narwhal is mentioned there.)
Seconded :-)
Very good question. But the first thing I thought of when reading this is the Star Trek episode where Kirk and Spock land on that Nazi planet (…b… b… bear with me) and are caught and whipped; Kirk develops red streaks on his back, Spock green ones.
Seconded.
WTF?
LOL! You haven’t made me laugh like this in months. :-D
…it’s funny because it’s true…
Now that would be awesome.
…Pretty much the same for me.
You know, if that horror were turned into a movie, it’d be a comedy. People would need to be transported from the cinema to the hospital by helicopter because of acute, stinging lower chest pain.
…um… no. There isn’t actually a word spelled relic. All there is is the fact that /k/ is aspirated in English, so that the cluster /kt/ is difficult to impossible, in stark contrast to languages that don’t aspirate.
what is this I don’t even
Or raising the pension age and lowering unemployment.
Wànsuì! Wànsuì! Wànwànsuì!
(…Ignore the bullshit about nián and suì in that article. As far as I was taught, suì is simply a verb, “to be _ years old”, while nián is the noun “year”.)
The next I read was…
Doesn’t it sort of fit? :-)
Nunc est bibendum!!! *grabs bottle of… tap water from the cafeteria*
Isn’t that sort of cruel? First he’s prepared to be king for all his youth and beyond, and then he gets to wait in unemployment for decade after decade?
“Semi”?!?!?
*slowly backs away from computer*
*runs away screaming*
Indeed it does.
Yes 47.61% (1,630 votes)
No 52.39% (1,794 votes)
Total Votes: 3,424
*takes awf and nukes Thread from orbit*
The thing about the Internet is that nobody can prove he didn’t. And you left out all mention of search engines anyway.
My dad is for gay marriage, IIRC, but against adoption rights for gay couples. Why? Because teh ghey might be contagious. *sigh*
The subject practically never comes up, so I don’t know if I’ve convinced him otherwise.
David Marjanovic: I plugged Diceratosaurus into Google Images… no dice. I got suggestions for Diceratops and ceratosaurus instead.
What is this strange dinosaur, with hands so much like mine own?
walton,
She didn’t have a name at all, just a number – that’s why they let her call herself by her husband’s name when she married. But I’m afraid the number escapes me ;-)
Her paternal grandmother was Mary of Teck IIRC, so presumably her paternal grandmother’s father was the Duke.
Oh, yes. For formal evening events, the correct dress was, and is, the more elaborate white tie and tails. Today you’re unlikely to encounter it unless you go to a formal dinner with a head of state or an ambassador, though.
Damn. Don’t have my copy of “The Rise of the Amphibians” to hand, but is that the one with the extra set of clavicles? A Carboniferous nectrian (I think?)?
I always thought that a relic was an object that was old, a relict was, specifically, some physical or linguistic trait that has held on without having any currentuse or function. Like an appendix. Or the word, ‘hayna.’
Looks it up.
Shit. Nevermind.
Hey, I have cool news. There is a pilot project for Kindergarten in my region involving a half day of outdoors nature immersion and a regular half day classroom environment. Because it’s a pilot project there is more interest than space with ten boy and ten girl spaces made available for this fall’s class and fifty odd parents interested in their children being involved. For some inexplicable reason the school board would not run a lottery to determine who received a space and instead put it out as a first come first served with registration opening today at eight a.m.
We knew this would involve waiting in line from before the offices opened today and one of our friends who was also interested in getting her child into the program called yesterday at three thirty in the afternoon to let us know the line had started and she was number two. I packed up and headed over, spot five was ours and barring any idiosyncrasies in their selection procedure that gives our child a spot in the program.
_
On a side note, sitting around in a camp chair and sleeping bag can be a comfortable way to sleep with the correct pillow insertion and orientation. I was wedged into my bag so tight I couldn’t really move and slept excellently.
_
Secondary side note. in a not so stunning turn, there were twenty parents waiting by eight a.m. to get a spot for a male child and only eight parents looking for a female spot. Sample size is small, but it’s hard not to infer from that a bias in how parents view their children. This was certainly supported by some of the idle conversation that was going on.
Not a dinosaur at all. It’s a relative of Diplocaulus, Diploceraspis, Peronedon Keraterpeton and Batrachiderpeton – probably an amphibian, but that’s the very question my research is about.
What? Do you mean the cleithra, which pretty much everyone except us and the salamanders has?
Yes! :-)
Marie-Christine Anna Agnes Hedwig Freiin von Reibnitz. (Confusingly, the German Wikipedia has Baronin von Reibnitz; my understanding was that the daughter of a Freiherr, the German equivalent to “Baron”, was a Freiin. Perhaps David M or pelamun can correct me here.)
(All wives of princes, in the British Royal Family, get called by their husbands’ names and titles upon marriage. That’s why Catherine is now “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge”; if Prince William had not been given a dukedom, she would have become “Her Royal Highness Princess William of Wales”. This used to be the case in foreign royal families as well, but the custom in this regard seems to have changed in most countries other than Britain.)
Correct: Her Serene Highness Princess Mary of Teck married the Duke of York, who later became King George V, and is thus the Queen’s paternal grandmother. However, to be extremely pedantic, this isn’t the whole extent of their relationship, since Princess Mary was also the daughter of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, a granddaughter of George III, who married Francis, Duke of Teck.
(Also, Diceratops is a wasp… the dinosaur with the same name was renamed Nedoceratops and is probably Triceratops anyway, but here I get into the Torosaurus flamewar… *flee*)
(It was also renamed Diceratus by someone who hadn’t yet seen the Nedoceratops paper and didn’t know Greek. Nedoceratops of course has priority.)
Fucking stop it right now!
Dhorvath: What a cool sounding program. I’m curious though. Do you live in a place that has a climate suitable for year-round outdoor immersion? I can imagine that spending half a day with 20 five year olds would be trying enough without having to worry about them either freezing or getting overheated.
Hey what’s going on in tet… look a conversation about dinosaurs, and what’s this Walton talking about the roaOHMYGODMAKEITSTOP
Found it!
(Currently one of my recreational reading books. And I am gobsmacked that I remembered that.)
Again, I’m amazed I remembered that much of it.
I can’t get over how wrong the ‘wrist’ and ‘ankle’ elements of the early amphibians look. Some with what looks like a handful of gravel, others with no ossified elements between the distal limb bone and the fingers/toes. To my eye, they just look wrong. No real wrist or ankle. Or, at least, nothing specialized/derived.
Is that so? The word Baron does exist, though I’ve noticed it’s not very common.
Maybe German makes more distinctions than other languages here. Prinz(essin) is reserved for the sons/daughters of kings, all others go by Fürst(in), for instance the rulers of Liechtenstein and Monaco.
However, the word “baronet” doesn’t exist in German.
That used to be the case with all wives in the Western world in general.
Huh. Those are not the cleithra. I need to have a look at that – thanks for notifying me; for a couple of fairly good reasons, I haven’t read The Rise of Amphibians.
Anyway, I’m told at least one team is redescribing Diceratosaurus right now, so I won’t need to do that on my own.
And the book is here on the shelf. Anyway, gotta run.
Seriously, this political ad is so fucking racist that I was speechless when I first watched it.
AE,
I live in Victoria B.C. We seldom dip below zero in the winter and days over 25 might be over ten during the school year, but I would be surprised. We do have frequent rain, but seldom severe downpours, more drizzle, mist, and moderate rainfall. Out of 180 school days I would anticipate perhaps three to five would be unsuitable for outdoors with five year olds for three hours.
The program will involve a lot of forest time and a fair bit of shore time as both are walking distance from the school, the grounds back onto Royal Roads University which has an extensive forest buffer around the campus and the school is a fifteen minute walk from Esquimalt lagoon which features both salt water, brackish, and fresh environments. It’s very exciting.
So, are you a lumper, or a splitter?
Who? What?
Well, initially it was about a specific Carboniferous nectridean (thanks for the correction on the family — I am still amazed I got as much as I did), which is a primitive amphibian, but, if the good Doktor jumps in to my lumper or splitter trap, this could get reall interesting. So no, not a dinosaur initially.
Don’t get too excited. I think that’s about it on that particular animal.
It is actually a very entertaining book. (And I freakin’ LOVE Amazon because I can actually find and get these books!)
???
The Oxford English Dictionary begs to differ.
The etymology in the OED for “relic” –lacking the final “t” — goes back to Anglo-Norman, Old French (relique), and classical Latin (reliquiae), for pity’s sake.
There’s also a note in the etymology: “Compare relict n., which shows considerable semantic overlap; the sense development of the two words has probably shown considerable mutual influence.”
Here in Los Angeles, “formal” means you bought a new pair of jeans to wear.
Okay, not really – we have occasional formal events, like charity balls and such, where tails are expected, but even semi-formal wear isn’t required at most places. For example, I can think of no restaurant (other than for NYE parties) that even require a tie, though a jacket is usually “requested”. Many’s the time I’ve gone out after work (to which I generally wear a three-piece) and been better dressed than any of the staff or other patrons. The fact that I have own multiple semi-formal suits (including three that are, technically tuxedos) and only 2 pairs of jeans means I should probably move.
Starstuff,
That is appalling. I want it to be a fake, but I know better.
Private Ogvorbis, you know that I meant Walton and KG and the fucking royal family line.
Do I really need to drag out the lime?
Holy crap, Dhorvath! What if some of the parents had several kids they wanted in? Could a quiverfull parent at the head of the line take all the spots?
When it comes to dinosaurs, my main contribution is waving my hands around and saying “I have a big head, and little arms! I’m just not sure how well this plan was thought through!”
Thank you for sharing the good news, Jeffrey :)
Janine with the triple six.
___
Carlie,
Quiverfulls send their kids to school? Seriously, they did give a guarantee to twins that if one made the cut both would be in, but I still think a lottery would have been fairer.
I was more concerned about single parents or those with a job that didn’t allow for sitting around of an evening outside a public building.
That ad is rather racist. It is also a lie. Manufacturing jobs are not ending up in China because of liberal Democrats. It is because corporations get a better profit margin doing business in a country where workers have no rights.
I do not know who Peter Hoefstra is but I already know he is a lying spleen weasel.
NEW THREAD!