Comments

  1. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    Right, broboxley, Rachel Maddow is just an entertainer. She is just as likely to make up stories as those I mentioned earlier.

  3. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    There’s a rumor that the arrival of a little hordeling is imminent.

    Well, yeah, but it’ll be a lot more wrinkly than that.

  4. ibyea says

    Broboxley, she backs up all her arguments with evidence. So it doens’t matter if she is just an entertainer.

  5. John Morales says

    broboxley:

    you want facts, check a news site, not an entertainment show

    You’re cute when you expose your naivety. :)

  6. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    I’ve become so used to the MRA’s and anti feminists who don’t back down and realize how wrong they are that I’m impressed at jaredwolf’s apology.

  7. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    Huh…I guess it was more than just me wondering about broboxley’s reasons for disliking Rachel Maddow.

  8. Mattir says

    Shoot me now – bad evo psych profundities were delivered to me, and I did not respond all that charitably,

  9. broboxley OT says

    She is just as likely to make up stories as those I mentioned earlier.

    well except for that coulter creature
    so tell me what drudge makes up?

  11. broboxley OT says

    cute pic on todays thread. eldest boy’s ex gf shows up for a visit with a 14 month girl in tow. Due to stuff I wont discuss she is married to the baby’s purported father, due to timing it may well be my sons child, her (ex GF) mom wanted my son to meet the baby as he was there thru the conception(maybe) until dang near delivery. Baby was cute. Blind Boston terrier not impressed.

  12. Patricia, OM says

    I’m having some of “those sessions” in my therapy and it isn’t going well yet. So this is just a drive by to say hi, and check on the Darkling.

    Whew, haven’t missed her yet.
    :D

  13. Patricia, OM says

    Mattir – Did you see Franklin Habit at Rhinebeck? Do you know what has happened to him? He’s been AWOL since July. I’m really worried about him.

  14. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    I’ve become so used to the MRA’s and anti feminists who don’t back down and realize how wrong they are that I’m impressed at jaredwolf’s apology.

    Link?

  19. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    I’m having a blast drinking wine and listening to NonStampCollectors’ YouTube videos!

  20. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    Ing:
    I get your point. If he really recognizes his error, future posts will support that. Anyone can apologize, but do they actually mean it?
    The initial apology (without exception; it wasn’t a NOTpology) does seem sincere though.

  21. John Morales says

    Tony @19, you’ve got the possessive apostrophe wrong, but I too have had a blast watching NSC’s videos.

  22. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    Here is your link, Azkyroth.

    Thanks; I often don’t follow comment threads outside of the lounge, given how depressing they tend to be. :/

  23. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    Pretty Lounge-rupt! How ya’ll doing? I’ve been hearing from Audley that she’s in a very slow, uncomfortable labor and got sent back home. Has she been updating everyone?

    xxoo

  24. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    I just had a truly delicious beer.

    Unfortunately, it’s a limited release from ~ a year ago that’s long since sold out. :'(

  25. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    Also, I got the last of the four midterms I took last week back today. They’re all grades I can live with :D

    Unfortunately, the amount by which my work in PHYS 106 last semester was misgraded was not enough to change my letter grade for the class. :(

    In other news, my ex claims that she is not, in fact, actually engaged to the guy she told us we should commit her if we ever got back together with; rather, she’s Facebook-engaged to him, while remaining “just friends” *cough* in order to discourage a creep who’s hitting on her persistently at AA meetings. *facepalm*

  26. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    John:
    I have to admit I’m not good with apostrophes’ :) sometimes. I’m also bad at punctuation within (and without) parenthesis.

  27. Patricia, OM says

    Josh – As a non-birther I’m sitting on the park bench wringing my hands and drinking wine over the impending Darkling. Come sit by me, we can knit, drink, and Oh Dear together. There will be three of us, because I am beside myself with worry. (It’s silly of me to worry without cause, but birth is cause enough. Worry.)

    Everyone else is welcome as well to join in, if you don’t knit or drink I have a huge stash of Walnettos to share.

    Worrying blather…

  28. Ichthyic says

    news.google.com is an aggregator like drudge

    I finally gave up on google news as an aggregator when the top news story a few days back was what Obama planned to eat for dinner while preparing for the 3rd debate.

    I have found that similar things have been happening to google news over the last few months. It seems to have gone way downhill to the point where all I get as headlines are complete fucking trivia.

    I have to go to Reuters or online newspapers directly to search for relevant real news, then go to places that vet the news to figure out what’s the spin that the online newspapers are using that day.

    Is it just me, or is actually GETTING real news becoming a chore on the internet?

  29. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    Patricia:
    I’d love to join.
    I imagine most of us are anxiously awaiting the arrival of DarkInfant (though Audley *probably* has us beat there).

  30. erikthebassist says

    Ughhh, so after that meeting yesterday that I talked about in the previous thread, I absolutely stuck my foot in my fucking mouth today.

    One of the ways we deal with stress is the mute button. Everyone does it, we hit that sucker and spew invective at the users who call in. You wouldn’t believe how combative these people can be. It amazes me that they call in because their PC is borked, and then want to either argue with us, or complain to us, like we had something to do with borking it.

    We get nasty… We say things with that mute button pressed we would never say to their face, and so I hit the mute button today with a caller who was exceptionally obnoxious. Every time I asked her to do something she ignored me and did something else. She was combative, argumentative and doing her best to make the whole experience unpleasant for both of us.

    At one point she sniped at me pretty hard and I hit the mute button and said “don’t get snippy with me little girl“… and it was loud. It was later in the day so there were only about 4 of us left on the phones, I know everyone heard it.

    As soon as I said it, my heart sank and I felt sick.

    I’m fucking mortified. How in the hell do I shake myself of this ingrained crap that makes me say shit like that in the heat of the moment? Fuck fuck fuck fuck, I just want to crawl in a hole and die.

    I don’t have the slightest clue how to recover from this. I think I might need counseling to get to the bottom of it and figure out why something like that would even be a thought in my head much less become words that escape my lips.

  31. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    Ichthyic:

    then go to places that vet the news to figure out what’s the spin that the online newspapers are using that day.

    Any recommendations on good sites for that?

  32. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    erik:
    Hugs.
    Dude, I’m sorry.

    I wish I had more to offer.

  33. Ichthyic says

    Any recommendations on good sites for that?

    frankly, no. I use customizable aggregators (like Pulse) to search for news items, then go look at the sources for the news items, then I typically use blogs, like Pharyngula, where interesting news gets vetted by dozens of people with different opinions.

    There are dozens I use though. Seems the best way, really, as someone typically has figured out what the reality is for any given bit of news.

    I used to use places like factcheck, but I’ve noted they are now rather unreliable, mostly because they have been forced into “fair and balanced” mode.

    The skeptic in me remains unconvinced that at any point in time, I have a real good sense of what is really going on in the world, but it’s the best system I have come up with so far.

    let me know if you stumble on something better?

  34. Patricia, OM says

    Tony have a seat, let the hand wringing, knitting and drinking begin.

    Erikthebassist – Stick a fork in you, you’re done. The fact that you are fucking mortified says you get it. This little girl bets you never do it again.

  35. erikthebassist says

    Thanks Tony, I guess I’m really starting to come to terms with my privilege, and having to take a hard look at myself. I have a lot of work to do. I’ll take the hugs.

  36. Menyambal --- Sambal's Little Helper says

    I made my first attempt at making coleslaw today. I got it ‘way too coarse, but I know what to do next time. Making the dressing brought back memories of watching my mom make hers, so I’ll add some vinegar and some honey to the mix. I’ll also try to lock the cat out of the kitchen—I don’t know what she was after, but she damn near got slawtered.

    Speaking of old memories, I realized why it creeps me out to pus away a fluffy cat when doing dishes in hot water. I used to have to pluck chickens after dipping them in boiling water, and the feel of hot, wet fluff is a trigger for me. (If I ever have to clean another chicken, I’m going to inflate the skin with a bike pump, peel it back to filet off the white meat, then cut off the legs and thighs and forget the rest. No skin, no giblets, no plucking, no gutting, no trauma.)

  37. John Morales says

    erikthebassist, my advice to you is to employ that to which I refer as ‘bureaucratic mode’.

    (When on the job, at least)

  38. erikthebassist says

    I hope you’re right Patricia, but its certainly a wake up call that I’m still a work in progress when it comes to shirking the patriarchy.

  39. John Morales says

    erikthebassist, you may wish to look up to what ‘shirking’ refers &msash; that is, the evasion of a duty.

  40. erikthebassist says

    JM, I’m not worried about my job, that isn’t the kind of thing that gets one fired, and in this environment probably won’t cost me anything at all (and it should) I am worried about where it came from and how I exorcise that crap from my mind though.

  41. erikthebassist says

    @39

    JM, exactly what I meant, because propping up the status quo of the patriarchy can almost seem like a duty, a responsibility, when you consider the peer pressure often encountered by those who are trying to fight it.

  42. Patricia, OM says

    Erik – You’re OK. Realization is the biggest step.

    I work in a veterans office which is so full of hard core agony. We are all raw. You don’t work there, so give yourself nine stitches of ease.

    You caught it. Yer good. Now carry on. :)

  43. chigau (棒や石) says

    erikthebassist
    Good for you.
    As a recovering racist/sexist/ableist/religionist, when I knee-jerk lash out at someoneasshole, I usually go with
    That Which They Fear Most.
    call a homophobe a “closeted gay”
    call a misogynist a “girl”
    call a racist as “covering his genetic history”
    etc.
    This shit is still so often the first thing in my brain.
    I usually manage to (mostly) not say or type it out loud.
    So, yay for baby steps.

  44. erikthebassist says

    I should rephrase, as a white man who speaks out against the patriarchy, I’m subject to being called a mangina, a white knight, and all sorts of other insults designed to make me feel as if standing up for any one else’s rights is a derelict act. In the eyes of those who seek to preserve their power base, I am doing nothing short of shirking my responsibilities, as fucked up as that is.

  45. says

    so tell me what drudge makes up?

    LOL. the drudge report is a fucking lies-aggregator with headlines that often completely misrepresent the articles linked to:

    “Biden credits stimulus for fire station — funded under Bush.”
    “ENEMIES LIST: WHITE HOUSE PLOTS LIMBAUGH COVERAGE”
    “HILL REPUBLICAN: STIMULUS GIVES CASH TO ILLEGALS”
    “Iran Nuke ‘This Year’…”
    “Obama Inaugural Could Bankrupt DC”

    et cetera ad nauseam (especialy on the topic of climate change)

  46. erikthebassist says

    Thanks for the support folks, but really, I’m going to continue to feel horrible about it for a while, as I should.

  47. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    Come sit by me, we can knit, drink, and Oh Dear together.

    Oh yes, Patricia. And we can drink the mint juleps Stedman totally didn’t actually have.

    I remembered to bring my knitting on a day/biz trip to NY today and went like a mofo on the plane and in the airport. Don’t tell Audley—-it’s the blanket I’m only half-done with. Ah well; every mother gets enough receiving blankets. This one will be big enough for DF to use for years. That’s what I’m tellin’ myself. Ayuh.

  48. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    Don’t be so hard on yourself Erik. We all slip. I sure do. Recognizing it and realizing there’s a time and a place (out of earshot) is a big thing. But I fail a lot.

  49. Patricia, OM says

    Wow. I’ve never heard the term mangina.

    Wow.

    Is this the same as “pussy whipped”? Because I’m floundering here. My dear departed husband got called that in the 1980’s when I answered NO to a question he got asked about me by another man.

  50. John Morales says

    erikthebassist, since my kindness is not obvious to a normal person, my response to you is in the Thunderdome.

  51. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    Oh, and nice ego-booster tonight. Friend I haven’t seen for four years (and two years before heart attack, still beefy porky SpokesGay) and I went to dinner.

    “How much weight have you lost!?”

    “I can’t believe you’re in your late 30s. . you don’t look like you could be. You look better than I’ve ever seen you.”

    I said, “Maybe I’m born with it. . .but maybe it’s Maybelline.”

    Thank you, quality make-up from Mac that goes on the skin un-detectable and takes you from on-camera interview to night on the town, no fuss, no muss! LOL.

  52. says

    Good morning

    Patricia
    Hugs for therapy and being Audley-worried.
    I guess as a former borther I’m just glad it isn’t me ;)

    Ichthyic
    Thank you for your recommendations.
    I’m not looking for a replacement of the laptop, I just don’t want to tow it to college every day (it may be personal taste but I find that a mass of people sitting behind a laptop screen really kills any class-room setting. And ince I know myself I also don’t want to be tempered to write on Pharyngula instead ;). Ican work on a computer in the library as well.

  53. Patricia, OM says

    Erik – Pffft – you have felt horrible enough. You’re good. You got it. Now come sit with me and Josh.

    Josh – Oh hell, I am so Oh Dearing. The whole birth thing scares me to death! So Let’s sit together and knit. (and drink) Just mailed off another eggplant hat to Audley’s mister. They should be so cute together. You got me beat with a blanket!

  54. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    I’ll entwine my knots with you any time, Patricia, Continental or English-style. I don’t have you beat, though. My feckin’ blanket’s not done and you’ve already posted a hat!

    I’m sure Audley will be fine. Got an email update earlier that she got sent back home because way slow labor, and kinda painful, but Dr.’s advice was to put her feet up and have some wine, which she was most pleased about!

  55. erikthebassist says

    Chigau, interesting how you couched that, as recovering from these perspectives.

    I was raised by mom and sister, I’ve always thought women should have equal rights.

    The first person to give me a job as a professional musician was black, and I’ve always thought that black people should have equal rights.

    I have gay friends and have always thought gay people should have equal rights.

    But this elevator gate / atheism + schism has taken all of that to a whole different and deeper level for me.

    It’s easy to say I believe in equal rights, it’s much harder to actually surrender my privilege at every opportunity so these equal rights ideals have some chance at becoming a reality.

  56. Patricia, OM says

    Giliell – Thank you. I’m not sure what vomiting during therapy means.
    My therapist called today to see if I am OK, so that is good. This death stuff is so hard. Thanks. Thanks for the hugs.

  57. Patricia, OM says

    Josh – Well hell, let’s all have some wine with Audley! Sounds good to me. *smirk*

  58. Patricia, OM says

    erik – for fucks sake, you’re fine. You got it.

    I’m going to bed. Goodnight sweethearts.

  60. chigau (棒や石) says

    erik #55
    It gets easier all the time.
    Every time a Them™ (women, boss, acquaintance) becomes We™ (mom, co-worker, friend), the Walls are weakened.
    and We go from there.

  61. says

    Patricia
    Hmm, don’t have to deal with your stuff, but with my stuff I know that really the moment it got real bad was also the moment I started to get better, when I was down at the root of the problem and could work my way up from there.

  62. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    I am weak. I miss the Lounge.

    Dark Infant here yet? No?
    I’ll just sit in the corner here and wait.

  63. crowepps says

    Got an email update earlier that she got sent back home because way slow labor

    Hmmm – maybe DarkSpawn is holding out for Halloween?

  64. rq says

    I hope DarkSpawn arrives soon and safely. I don’t know how to knit, but maybe I can crochet on the bench with the rest of you knitters.

    I can echo Giliell in saying that I’m just glad it’s not me this time; giving birth terrifies me, even though it’s been three safe and healthy times. *shudder*
    In the meanwhile, may Audley enjoy her wine!

  65. ednaz says

    I don’t know how to knit or crochet, so I will just wring my hands.

    It’s good to read you, Beatrice. : )

  67. Maureen Brian says

    broboxley OT,

    You really do need to be Very Firmly Thumped.

    Dr Maddow – yes, that’s her – is primarily a political scientist. She has the DPhil from Oxford if proof were needed. The fact that she’s a world-class communicator and funny – oh! noes! – is just the cherry in one of her cocktails.

    I’m not sure what they taught you at kindergarten but ‘making fun of something’ is not the same as ‘making something up’ despite the similarity in the phrases.

  70. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    Audley writes that she’s in hospital now, getting ready to deliver, I presume.

  73. Menyambal --- Sambal's Little Helper says

    Caine and Josh, thanks.

    Rachel Maddow is a great communicator, witty, erudite and so much more. She presents facts, shows her sources and backs them up. Who the hell can think she is making stuff up?

  74. Ichthyic says

    on this or another recent thread, someone rhetorically asked how it is that women could ever vote republican, given what the GoP’s current platform is.

    Well, I wish I could ask the person from Nevada who is featured in this article:

    http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gEz7DM2dmYte9zeT5DhDpdnJWQEw?docId=CNG.3793d4e5cdb4c22580dc6d86ea1ac7fc.4c1

    Brethauer, who made the 45-minute drive from Carson City to Reno to see Romney, said that while she is determined to give Romney her first-ever presidential vote on November 6, the outrage over Mourdock is valid.

    *shakes head sadly*

  75. Ichthyic says

    …Brethauer will look back on her very first vote in 10 years, and realize what a complete ass she was to vote directly against her own best interests.

    I know, because the same thing happened to me after I voted for Ronald Reagan as my first opportunity to vote.

    *shakes head sadly, again, thinking about it*

    sure shot myself in the foot there.

  79. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    I know, Caine. I’m still up cuz I’m decompressing from madcap work and not going into the office tomorrow cuz gonna work all weekend. Figured if I was up I might as well be one of the carrier pigeons:)

  84. says

    @ Josh

    Did you ever get the snailmail I sent you (posted about a month ago)?

    I made a large loaf of sourdough yesterday. Mixed white, wholewheat and maseca (¡Para hacer Tamales!) together with starter, a few drops of vinegar, salt and a large dollop of olive oil. I left it as a very soft and fluffy mix with a coat of flour and sesamie seeds and bunged it in a Dutch oven at 260 C. My God (by which I am obviously refering to Phoenicia, PBUH) but it’s delicious!

  85. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    Oh lord, Theo, did I forget to tell you I got the package? Stupid me! I did, I did, and thank you! I even showed it to my overnight house guest. So sorry that I’ve been remiss; work travel has been a nightmare but that’s no excuse to slack off.

    Phoenicia has been in a dormant state in my fridge. Now that it’s fall she shall rise again!

  92. Gen, Uppity Ingrate. says

    Die Antwoord. Sho. Wat kan ek sê?

    Kind of in two minds. They are really, really brilliant satirists and it’s true that blackface isn’t a thing here – but don’t tell me that means they don’t know what it is or why/how it’s offensive, especially in the context of a song/video commenting on the sell-out of american rap/music scene.

  94. Tigger_the_Wing says

    *Keeping all appendages crossed for the safe delivery of the Darkling*

    Please may I join the yarn wranglers on the porch? I’m just finishing a crocheted blanket for Number 5 Grandchild, due very, very soon. Birth is scary. Even though I’ve survived it several times and have absolutely no chance of ever having to go through it again, I still get on tenterhooks (and have nightmares) when someone else is going through it.

  95. says

    HI there
    So, let’s hopt the DF hurries up in her attempts to become the DI

    Hi beatrice
    Missed you, too!

    +++
    Ha!
    Snatched the cool topic for my presentation and paper. Those kids just don’t know what the really interesting topics are yet.

  96. birgerjohansson says

    Kang and Kodos: (looks at image of human infant, drools)
    .

    “Top Obama Aide Brushes Off American Teen Killed In Drone Strike.
    Robert Gibbs Says Anwar al-Awlaki’s Son, Killed By Drone Strike, Needs ‘Far More Responsible Father'” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/24/robert-gibbs-anwar-al-awlaki_n_2012438.html
    “Pennsylvania Bill Includes Provision Requiring Women To Prove They Were Raped” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/24/pennsylvania-welfare-benefits-rape_n_2012417.html
    Shady bank deals: “Dimon Whining” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-lux/dimon-whining_b_2009082.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
    Eternal War: “Meet the New Consensus, Same as the Old” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-peron/perpetual-war_b_2013007.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
    “Indispensable 20th Century Italian Sci-Fi” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/electric-literature/indispensable-20th-centur_b_2011194.html

  99. John Morales says

    Giliell,

    From what she told she’s in good care and all we can do now is to run pathways into a carpet like a 1950′s father outside the delivery ward.

    Smoking like a chimney, in that milieu.

  100. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    That was an unseasonably warm night. 66 degrees F at the moment.

  102. opposablethumbs says

    Thank you for the updates, Caine!

    All tentacles crossed.

    Just found out in the last hour that work is going to be insane for a few weeks, so I’ll probably miss lots of things (but will maintain crossed tentacles for Audley, for DF/DI, and for all Horders for whom it is meet that tentacles be crossed)

    PS go you for your presentation and paper plans, Giliell :) – having some small idea what an absolute nightmare it’s been for you to get to this, it’s wonderful to see you feeling and being so positive about it – that merits champagne and confetti in itself!

  103. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    baby baby baby baby baby baby baby badger baby baby baby baby baby baby

  106. Tigger_the_Wing says

    Thanks for the update, Caine! Epidurals are wonderful things.

    *Joins in cries of encouragement*

  110. lexie says

    Hi Beatrice, glad to see you’re back I’ve missed reading your stuff.

    Caine, glad to hear Audley is doing ok.

  111. w00dview says

    Menyambal@79:

    Rachel Maddow is a great communicator, witty, erudite and so much more. She presents facts, shows her sources and backs them up. Who the hell can think she is making stuff up?

    Because in today’s fair and balanced media, liberals who point out the lies and deceit of conservatives are just as bad as conservatives who lie and deceive. True objective journalism just ignores or even accepts at face value propaganda that is spewed by corporations or politicians, don’t ya know.

  112. dianne says

    Yay for Audley and the darkinfant about to enter the world! (Jittering wildly about all the things that can go wrong in a delivery. But they usually don’t.)

  114. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    Rev. BigDumbChimp,

    I don’t know what you’re talking about.

    *whistles innocently*

  115. says

    baby baby baby baby baby baby baby badger baby baby baby baby baby baby

    Great. Now I’ve got that Justin Bieber tune stuck in my head.

  117. broboxley OT says

    Sigh, #73 #67
    Fact
    http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/07/30/1207728109.abstract

    A plausible hypothesis to explain these observations is that injection only triggers earthquakes if injected fluids reach and relieve friction on a suitably oriented, nearby fault that is experiencing regional tectonic stress.

    Maddow
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebSId76bd2Y
    her spin “Earthquakes never happen there”

    Most of North America east of the Rocky Mountains has infrequent earthquakes.

    http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usb000d78i#summary

    by a geologist
    http://www.ketknbc.com/news/geologist-says-fault-line-not-fracking-to-blame-for-east-texas-earthquakes

    conclusion Maddow is an entertainer who spins the story like Mathews Howard Stern O’Reilly

  118. says

    What I love about Google News is when news sources pop up in the results that are just hilariously flaky…

    For reasons unknown, at one point these stories from some ‘ZOMG Aliens Are Probing Us!’ type site kept popping up on my front page. Went on for a couple days… So reading down I’d get stories about the state of the European economy, some entertainment fluff, something on American presidential polls, and then some headline about an object that hovered over a cornfield and emitted noises before speeding off, or how the military is still denying that, well, obviously, there really are radio signals being beamed down from ET…

    It amused me, mind, the mix of the mundane and the sci fi. It’s like: Orson Welles is alive and well and working at Google.

  119. Tigger_the_Wing says

    Damnation, I can’t keep my eyes open. It’s just past midnight and the latest Hordeling hasn’t yet made an appearance. I simply cannot stay awake much longer but I don’t want to miss the event. Waaaaaahhhh! *pouts*

    What’s a Justin Bieber tune?

  121. Gregory Greenwood says

    I would like to add my encouragement to Audley. All appendages remain crossed.

    Tigger_the_Wing @ 119;

    What’s a Justin Bieber tune?

    You really are better off not knowing. This is one of those instances were ignorance truly is bliss…

  123. says

    What’s a Justin Bieber tune?

    It’s a Very Bad Thing.

    I’m assuming from your innocence you don’t know what a Justin Bieber is, then, either.

    Also a Very Bad Thing.

    Speaking of…

    (Clears throat, reads from speech…)

    Speaking on behalf of the Canadian people, I would hereby like to apologize to the world for the release of the Justin Bieber into your midst.

    It was an inexcusable error, and one which we–along now with of all Earth’s people–now know to our profound regret can never be undone.

    In our defense, it was felt that the security protocols at our brand new level V earworm containment and research facility were adequate…

    We now realize how naive we were. And how proud.

    We were proud. And we were curious. And we thought to ourselves, it has never been done. So could it be?

    You’d think we’ve have learned by now. After the horrors of the Celine Dion project, the fallout from the Bryan Adams debacle–even after the first, halting, tentative steps that led to Paul Anka–we should have known…

    But all of it, dreadful as it was, seems only to have been prologue. We were building to this, heedless of the misery we had wrought, only asking ourselves: can we make something more terrifyingly annoying, still? Is it possible? Do acoustics and physics permit it?

    We now know that it is, and that they do. And the cost of this knowledge, all the world now knows.

    Thank you, and good night. And if it is any consolation to the rest of you, you should now know that, as propitiation for our disastrous judgement in this matter, I and all the research team will, shortly, be boarding a bus to a secure facility, where we shall end our lives in suitable fashion: listening to William Shatner pretend to sing until our brains ooze out our ear canals.

    And, again, our apologies.

  124. Rev. BigDumbChimp says

    A facebook post from my brother this morning. He works as a financial planner, an industry full of right wing tax haters.

    More than 80 CEO’s from the largest companies in the US are calling for action on the US deficit. In their statement they claim the only feasible way to do this is to increase revenue and cut spending. Well, it now seems the only people in the country that think the budget can be balanced with no increase in taxes are Mitt Romney and the tea party.

    A couple side points to consider when deciding if raising taxes on the rich makes sense.

    -taxes as a percent of GDP are near 60 year lows

    -only twice has the highest marginal tax brackets been lower 1925-31 and 1988-1992 incase you do not pay attention these were not good economic times.

    – last time the wealth gap was this big was around 1929 (once again not good economic times)

    FYI…this article can be found in that leftist paper referred to as the Wall Street Journal.

  125. rq says

    I also do not know what a Justin Bieber tune is (wasn’t aware that what he was producing counts as ‘tune’). Once I saw the badger among the babies, I’ve been singing ‘Mushroom! Mushroom!’ to myself all afternoon.
    Also, I have never heard William Shatner sing. Patrick Stewart, on the other hand… ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3rFNbSKpEE )

    How’s that baby coming along?

  128. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    Gimme a ‘B’!

    Gimme a ‘Y’!

    Gimme an ‘A’!

    Gimme a ‘B’!

    What’s that spell?!?!

    Oh.

    Nevermind.

    Damn spell check doesn’t work for cheers.

    Speaking on behalf of the Canadian people, I would hereby like to apologize to the world for the release of the Justin Bieber into your midst.

    After all that acid rain we sent up to Canada, you give us Bieber? That is not a good bargain. The US got rooked.

  129. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    When my SiL (Wife’s Brother’s Wife) was pregnant, they knew it would be (plumbing-wise) a girl. They decided on the name ‘Abigail’ and started calling her Abby long before she was born. For the baby shower, Wife thought it would be fun to get some ribbon with ‘Abby’ printed on it. So she went to the craft store that does printed ribbons and asked for a hundred feet of ribbon with A-B-B-Y on it.

    The woman at the craft store looked down her nose at Wife and said, in a voice dripping with condescension and scorn, “It is spelled B-A-B-Y.”

    Wife looked at her and said, “Only if her name is going to be Babigail. Good bye.” She left and went elsewhere for the ribbon.

  130. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    Sorry for the ignorance, but what is so terrible about the kid? He gets lots of hate, but I don’t really distinguish between his “this song will erase itself from your memory in five seconds” and all the others of that kind.

  131. broboxley OT says

    News sites that are useful
    http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html Que Oriented but national and international
    http://www.aljazeera.com/ good for all news except when discussing Israel
    where Israel continously shoots itself in the foot
    http://www.ynetnews.com/home/0,7340,L-3083,00.html

    Lebanon, Syria news
    http://www.naharnet.com/

    Turkey
    http://www.turkishweekly.net/

    Europe
    http://www.afp.com/en

    Japan
    http://english.kyodonews.jp/

    Asia
    http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/home.htm
    http://www.hindustantimes.com/

    Africa
    http://news.iafrica.com/

  136. opposablethumbs says

    Beatrice, I’m not here right now but just wanted to note how much you are rocking on the Rebecca thread. That is all.

    (I will keep sneaking a peek from time to time, of course, seeing as how it may be somebody’s birthday today :-D)

  137. blf says

    Hilarious: The world’s worst typos — in pictures.

     ───────────────────────────────────

    You guys know you can’t eat this baby right?

    Add some MUSHROOMS! and cheese and it’ll be O—— Ahhhhh… Hum, yes, there is a problem. Blasted thing hasn’t shown up yet. Pepper might fix it, though. A really Biiiigggg Snnnnneeeeeeezeee…

    (This has been the attempt at a tastytasteless joke for the moment. We now return you to the normal randomised babblings…)

     ───────────────────────────────────

    [S]upper tonight is scheduled to consist of Giant MUSHROOMS with (goat’s) CHEESE on top (though I have to confess that they will be accompanied by salad). No goats will actually be present, though I suppose there will be a kid.

    Should we be alert to the possibility of an incoming penguin, or is this (as I suspect) insufficient motivation to tempt any penguin away from CHEESE HEAVEN in the LAND OF CHEESES?

    Didn’t see this in time. Unless the mildly deranged penguin can borrow or sneak into the TARDIS without the extremely angry mouse noticing, you’re probably safe. Now.

    The mildly deranged penguin wants to know what kind of goat. The vintage matters. The best goat’s cheese is, apparently, from the blue-fur goats which gaze on the lowland tagliatelle during winter before climbing into the Western Atlantian Alps searching for subterrestrial South-facing tree calamari during the brief summer, finely chopped by clever-wielding eels the year after a noble rot, then left to sun-dry before being packed away for fermenting for several decades.

    I’m told a true connoisseur can tell which eel chopped up the goat, and whether or not it cheated by using a samurai sword.

  138. otrame says

    Beatrice,

    He is just the latest attempt to get the kids to listen to “something decent”. It only works on preteens and very young teenagers. These acts are always the subject of ridicule. Dick Clarke made a lot of money pushing this sort of thing. AFAIAC Beiber’s just the latest.

  139. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    *Looks like the Pullet Patrol™ is putting the finishing touches on a box of Pullet Plushies™ for the DarkInfant™*

  140. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    Caine, go ahead and take a break. I can update people if anything happens.

  141. birgerjohansson says

    “Facing Prison for Protesting Stop-and-Frisk” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zeeshan-aleem/on-facing-a-year-in-priso_b_2013542.html?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=Politics
    — — — — — — — — — —
    From Slate: “It Stands to Reason, Skeptics Can Be Sexist Too” http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2012/10/sexism_in_the_skeptic_community_i_spoke_out_then_came_the_rape_threats.html
    — — — — — —
    Cancer research:
    Better prognosis for early blast clearance in leukemia http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-prognosis-early-blast-clearance-leukemia.html
    Researchers uncover new target for cancer research http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-uncover-cancer.html
    Genome analysis of pancreas tumours reveals new pathway http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-genome-analysis-pancreas-tumors-reveals.html

  145. Rawnaeris, FREEZE PEACHES says

    Sitting with tentacles crossed for Audley.

    Can I join the knitting bench?

  148. Aratina Cage says

    @Ichthyic

    Is it just me, or is actually GETTING real news becoming a chore on the internet?

    It’s bad alright. I get sick of Google News sending me links to right-wing publications. I’ll have to check out Pulse.

    @broboxley
    Yes, Maddow is just like Bill O’Reilly! *eyeroll* (Or were you being sarcastic? Can’t tell, sorry.)

    And BABY!

  149. mythbri says

    Ugh. I keep refreshing every five minutes just in case there’s any news about DarkFetus—>DarkInfant and Audley.

    My sister-in-law had the first grandchild on both (all – blended family) sides in June. She said that there was no way she was even going to attempt delivery without an epidural. Unfortunately, her epidural failed. Fortunately, she was only in hard labor for five hours, and she and the resulting CUTE LITTLE NIECE OMG SO CUTE is doing great.

    I’ll just keep refreshing.

    And refreshing.

  151. blf says

    it could still be upwards of 24 hours…

    So the plan to delay delivery until Teh Dark One is a teenager is still on?

  152. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    True. For her first child, my sister was in labor for over twenty four hours.

    It is so hard to predict these things.

  153. mythbri says

    On the subject of Rachel Maddow, she is absolutely a fantastic communicator, seemingly genuinely nice and incredibly professional. She has only improved MSNBC.

    I recently listened to the audio version of her book Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power. She has a lot of interesting history and perspective. I loved (in the sense that I was absolutely terrified by) the section about nuclear whoopsies, and she has many good points about the societal consequences of going to war a deterrent for the U.S. at large. “We are a nation that has become at peace with being at war,” she says (or perhaps quotes – I’m not sure).

    However, I found that the impression she gives of U.S. service members being upstanding, noble, hard-working and most-capable-people-for-the-job very troubling in comparison to the hard look she takes at the military industrial complex and private military contractors. She goes into great detail about the contractors in Bosnia who bought young girls for sexual gratification, about how they were committing fraud against the U.S. Government AND over-charging them. But she never seems to acknowledge that the members of U.S. armed forces – not just contractors – are capable of bad things without consequences, including offenses committed against their fellow service members.

    All in all, though, it was a great book. Maddow reads it very well and very expressively, for those of you who might be interested in the audio version. And I loved how she dedicated it to Dick Cheney with the explanation “Please please please let me interview you.”

  155. Sarahface, who is trying to break the lurking habit says

    Catching up on the thread, I was so worried that I’d missed the arrival of the new Hordeling… But I haven’t! I just have to hope that if she doesn’t arrive in the next 7 or so hours, she holds on till I can read again. (Maybe not, because that’s a pretty long time – full day of lectures/labs tomorrow.)

    —
    Babybabybabybabybabybabybabybabybabybabybabybabybabybaby.
    (Consider it my contribution to the chant.)

    And now, I must get on with writing my essay.

  157. Louis says

    Caine,

    Not terrible thanks, and you?

    I’m up to my eyeballs in stuff here atm. Fun though!

    Louis

  158. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    Thanks to Caine and Josh for the updates on DarkFetus.

    ****
    A voodoo curse upon whomever got that damned Justin Beiber song stuck in my head.

  159. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    Tony, sing Private Dancer at the top of your lungs. Guaranteed to kill any earwigs in your head.

  160. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    opposablethumbs,

    Oh, thanks.

    One day, I’m going to be able to take a compliment without thinking “You must have confused me with someone else”.

  161. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    If you go down in the lounge today you’re sure of a big surprise
    If you go down in the lounge today you’d better go in disguise
    For every squid that ever there was gather there for certain
    Because today’s the day the Darkhearts have their baaaaaaby!

    Hopefully.

  162. says

    opposablethumbs
    Thanks. This afternoon I was sitting in the library thinking “wow, last year this time I turned off the radio whenever they mentioned to road past the university in the traffic news”, so I guess this really counts as progress.

    And I think I have to bother pelamun, although I have no idea what his knowledge in sociolinguistics is. Any other sociolinguists here?

  163. Rawnaeris, FREEZE PEACHES says

    FossilFishy, please please tell me that the tune to that is Tim Minchin’s “Bears Don’t Dig On Dancing” because that is what I read it to.

  164. says

    Colin Powell endorsed Obama this morning. More details below, but broboxley beware, the details come from The Rachel Maddow Blog, source of entertainment, not news. Video of Powell’s endorsement is also available at the link.

    [transcript of Colin Powell’s announcement]
    When he took over the country was in very, very difficult straits, we were in one of the worst recessions we had seen in recent times, close to a depression. The fiscal system was collapsing. Wall Street was in chaos. We had 800,000 jobs lost in that first month of the Obama administration and unemployment would peak a few months later at 10%. So we were in real trouble. The auto industry was collapsing. The housing industry was starting to collapse, and we were in very difficult straits.

    And I saw over the next several years stabilization come back in the financial community, housing is now starting to pick up after four years, it’s starting to pick up. Consumer confidence is rising. So I think generally we’ve come out of the dive and we’re starting to gain altitude. It doesn’t mean we are problem solved, there are lots of problems still out there. The unemployment rate is too high. People are still hurting in housing. But I see that we are starting to rise up. I also saw the President get us out of one war, start to get us out of a second war and did not get us into any new wars. And finally, I think that the actions he’s taken with respect to protecting us from terrorism have been very, very solid. And so I think we ought to keep on the track that we are on.”

    … I don’t imagine the endorsement will swing a significant number of votes to the president, but it doesn’t hurt to have a popular Republican endorsing Obama on national television, either. For that matter, for Bush’s former Secretary of State — a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs — to tell a national audience that Romney simply isn’t credible on international affairs should reinforce doubts about the candidate’s readiness.

  165. says

    Colin Powell did not stop at endorsing Obama today, he went on to diss Romney with lots of detail.

    POWELL: The governor, who was speaking on Monday night at the debate, was saying things that were quite different from what he said earlier. So I’m not quite sure which Governor Romney we would be getting with respect to foreign policy.

    CBS: What concerns do you have about Governor Romney’s foreign policy?

    POWELL: Well, it’s hard to fix it. I mean, it’s a moving target. One day he has a certain strong view about staying in Afghanistan, but then on Monday night he agrees with the withdrawal. Same thing in Iraq. On almost every issue that was discussed on Monday night, Governor Romney agreed with the President with some nuances. But this is quite a different set of foreign policy views than he had earlier in the campaign. And my concern, which I’ve expressed previously in a public way, is that sometimes I don’t sense that he has thought through these issues as thoroughly as he should have, and he gets advice from his campaign staff that he then has to adjust to modify as he goes along.

    CBS: Are you concerned about the people that are advising Governor Romney?

    POWELL: I think there’s some very, very strong neo-conservative views that are presented by the Governor that I have some trouble with. There are other issues as well, not just the economy and foreign policy. I’m more comfortable with President Obama and his administration when it comes to issues like what are we going to do about climate, what are we going to do about immigration? What are we going to do about education? Lots of things like that. I do not want to see the new Obamacare plan thrown off the table. It has issues, you have to fix some things in that plan. But what I see when I look at that plan is 30 million of our fellow citizens will now be covered by insurance. And I think that’s good. We’re one of the few nations in the world, with our size, population and wealth, that does not have universal health care.

  166. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    Blame lexie, I interpreted her as “I miss hearing you whinge and complain about stuff” ;)

    I was at a job interview yesterday. The man said that he’d probably tell me that I got the job if this were the last day of interviews. Unfortunately, it was only the end of the fourth day out of twelve. 350 people in total. And then I couldn’t sleep and got upset because I convinced myself that he was actually mocking me, because I don’t feel I did well at all. Angry hiss at my stupid paranoid brain.

  168. says

    We’ve discussed the reprehensible remarks made by Richard Mourdock, and the fact that Romney endorses Mourdock.
    Janine’s post.
    My post.
    Matt Penfold’s post.
    My post.
    There were more comments, but we do have a link-per-post limit.

    The dunderheaded Republican, Richard Mourdock, is not going to get away with letting his remarks slide out of the news cycle. Even Jay Leno was on the case when he interviewed Obama on “The Tonight Show.” I liked the tie-in to the Supreme court.

    [Obama speaking] This underscores, though, this is exactly why you don’t want a bunch of politicians — mostly male — making decisions about women’s health care decisions. Women are capable of making these decisions in consultation with their partners, with their doctors. And, you know, for politicians to want to intrude in this stuff, often times without any information, is a huge problem. And this is obviously a part of what’s at stake in this election. You’ve got a Supreme Court that, typically a president is going to have probably another couple of appointments during the course of his term. And, you know, Roe vs. Wade is probably hanging in the balance. You’ve got issues like Planned Parenthood where, you know, that organization provides millions of women cervical cancer screenings, mammograms, all kinds of basic healthcare.

    And so I think it’s really important for us to — to understand that women are capable of making these decisions and that these are not just women’s issues. These are family issues.”

  169. cicely says

    From The Onion: Latest Study Finds Cancer Cells Now Cruelly Mocking Researchers

    (by way of In the Pipeline).
    –
    Josh!
    *pouncehugs*
    –
    Caine!
    *pouncehugs&chocolate
    –
    Ooooh! Walnettos!
    *sitting on bench between Patricias*
    –

    Is it just me, or is actually GETTING real news becoming a chore on the internet?

    It’s not just you.
    –

    I am worried about where it came from and how I exorcise that crap from my mind though.

    Practice, practice, practice.

    And maybe some public grovelling. Nothing like a humiliating memory to discourage repitition. You’ve made a good start, here.
    –
    Beatrice!
    *hugs*
    –
    Appreciation for DarkChild Updates.
    –
    A well-timed epidural is a thing of joy and beauty forever.
    –

    You guys know you can’t eat this baby right?

    Oh, but we can.

    We just won’t.
    –

  171. dianne says

    From The Onion: Latest Study Finds Cancer Cells Now Cruelly Mocking Researchers

    The Onion is so behind the times. Anyone who’s ever worked with a HeLa cell can tell you that cancer cells have been flipping us the pseudopod for decades.

  173. says

    In his official biography, Mourdock lists his religion as “Evangelical Christian.” No surprise.

    For those that may have missed it in the previous chapter of the [Lounge], here is Mourdock’s notpology:

    “God creates life, and that was my point. God does not want rape, and by no means was I suggesting that he does. Rape is a horrible thing, and for anyone to twist my words otherwise is absurd and sick,” stated Richard Mourdock.

    So, yeah, horrible that you got raped and all. God would never order that done, and neither would I, the great interpreter of God, Richard Mourdock.

    But, yeah, God would order that you get pregnant via rape. The pregnancy is the good part. We, the Mourdockian government will force you to bear the baby to term.

  174. says

    “God creates life, and that was my point. God does not want rape, and by no means was I suggesting that he does. Rape is a horrible thing, and for anyone to twist my words otherwise is absurd and sick,” stated Richard Mourdock.

    Except that God intends pregnancy through rape…ergo he is a rapist. It’s like saying God intends genocide via atomic bombing, but denying that God wants atomic bombing.

  175. Matt Penfold says

    I would still like a theologian, sopmisticated or otherwise, to explain to me how a woman getting pregnant because she was raped can be part of God’s plan, but her getting a termination in such a situation cannot.

  176. says

    Here is a 7:35 minute segment in which Maddow presented an overview of the dramatic backward slide on abortion access. There may be too many facts, all presented within a broader context, for broboxley, and not enough entertainment. But, hey, you can’t always get what you want.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#49220085

    The segment is from September 28, 2012. There are a lot more available on the same site. Choose “Reproductive rights” in the “Features” menu.

    The “Features” menu also offers Maddow’s excellent coverage of Afhanistan and of Uganda, as well as many other new-rich features.

  178. Matt Penfold says

    Oh, shit, I see I spelled Afghanistan incorrectly in my previous post. Sigh.

    DarkFetus is coming into an imperfect world.

    Well if she stays in until she is a teen, then maybe we can get everyone spelling Afghanistan correctly.

    Actually, what a ghastly thought, giving birth to a teenager. Most parents need 13 years to get used to the idea of being parent to a teen.

  182. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    Glad that I do not have a Twitter account.

    Not even a direct death threat is enough to suspend an account.

    Hello, While we understand your frustration and the severity of your issue, we have found that the reported account is currently not in violation of the Twitter Rules at this time. We have a policy against violent threats, but the content of this account lacks the specificity to meet the criteria of an actionable threat. While we cannot suspend or remove content for violation of this rule, it may be important to address the actual threat rather than the online posting alone. We strongly encourage you to contact your local authorities to assess the validity of the threat. By contacting and working with your local authorities, you may be able to defuse the threat and address the root of the issue. Websites such as Twitter do not have the ability to investigate and assess a threat or apprehend and prosecute individuals. If contacted by law enforcement directly, we can work with them and provide the necessary information for their investigation of your issue.

    This was the tweet.

    #joemygod you are against nature & God. if i could meet you i would murder you. And i will not die before i kill atleast 10 gays. #Promise

    As long as it is not specific, please, feel free to threaten as many people as you want.

  184. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    This twitter thing sounds less and less appealing.

    —

    Baby?

  188. says

    Darkfetus is on the planet! Received from Mr. Darkheart:

    Per the request of my lovely and tired wife, I am pleased to inform you that dark fetus has evolved into dark infant as of 11:37 this morning.

  195. says

    @Janine

    Yeah let me go to Twitter to find the leak.

    http://comedychat.co.uk/2012/09/05/comedians-using-their-fans-for-co-ordinated-safety-in-numbers-bullying/

    MissSpidey was swamped by hundreds of mentions, from hundreds of users. These tweets, as I’ve said, mocked her physical appearance as being “old” and “ugly” – in reality, she is neither. Then it took a more sinister turn, and MissSpidey found that her address had been tracked down and was being published by the “FieldMice”, who were also threatening violence. Then she started to receive death threats – Noel Fielding was, as you’d expect, copied in on much of this by the fans seeking his approval, so presumably knew what was going on. MissSpidey tried to counter the avalanche of hostility by using the official mechanisms in place for doing so: she started to block and report the users, eventually ending up suspended from Twitter for “aggressive blocking.” I know, isn’t it?

  196. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    Aggressive blocking? Audley, let the DarkFetus through! Stop blocking her and let her ou . . . .

    Oh.

    Twitter.

    [Emily LaTella voice]Nevermind.[/voice]

  197. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    Per the request of my lovely and tired wife, I am pleased to inform you that dark fetus has evolved into dark infant as of 11:37 this morning.

    Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!! Kermie arms!!!!!!!!! Yayyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!

  199. says

    MissSpidey suffers from Cyclothymic disorder. Twitter was a vital support network for her. With that suddenly taken away – through no fault of her own – and with a continuing barrage of hateful, hurtful messages being continually delivered to her, MissSpidey lost hope. She tried to end her own life.

    Back to Fielding, and he’s now in a narcissistic rage over the whole affair, continuing to repeatedly tweet about MissSpidey, advocating a namechange from “Twitter” to “Cunt Platform”, and talking about how he’s a “horrible boy who likes to pull the legs off spiders.” A fairly lame attempt at contrition is made, before he RT’s a supportive fan, then immediately goes back into “fuck em” mode. Then we get a spot of victim blaming for good measure before, finally, Fielding thanks his followers for the support.

    Twitter’s TOS are laughable. They will let people be bullied into suicide and then punish people for trying to use their service while avoiding the bullying.

  201. cicely says

    Darkfetus is on the planet!

    And the crowd goes wild!!!
    *confetti&fireworks&bacon&booze&dancingkittehs*
    G’night, Caine!
    :)
    –

  203. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    Spokesgay peers into DarkFetus’ bassinette:

    “He has his father’s eyes.”

  206. chigau (棒や石) says

    OK
    Is there anything interesting going on on the rest of FtB?
    —–
    When can we expect baby pictures?

  208. mythbri says

    @Josh, take those out of her mouth. ;)

    YAYYYYYYYYYY FOR WEE BAIRN DARKINFANT!

    Congratulations, Audley and Mr.!

  212. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    Have a good rest, Caine.

    Thanks for staying up to keep us informed.

  213. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    We still have some birthday cake left, and the first grog/swill is on the house.

  214. Sarahface, who is trying to break the lurking habit says

    Ooooh, yaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy! Conga rats to all involved, good wishes to everyone here, and welcome, little DarkInfant. :) I hope you enjoy your stay on this planet.

  216. says

    Beatrice:

    Have a good rest, Caine.

    Thanks for staying up to keep us informed.

    Oh, I had the easy part. :D I am wandering off to nap, though. Just one more thing for today – packages had better arrive at JAL’s doorstep, then everything will be right with the universe today.

  217. says

    Turning and turning in the widening gyre
    The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
    Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
    Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
    The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
    The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
    The best lack all conviction, while the worst
    Are full of passionate intensity.

    Surely some revelation is at hand;
    Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
    The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
    When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
    Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
    A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
    A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
    Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
    Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
    The darkness drops again; but now I know
    That twenty centuries of stony sleep
    Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
    And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
    Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

  218. Maureen Brian says

    The new Hordeling shares her birthday not only with my later partner, Terry, but with Georges Bizet, Pablo Picasso and Zadie Smith.

    This kid is going to be talented!

  221. Rey Fox says

    Voltaire may have prayed for his enemies to be ridiculous, but I don’t know if that’s really making life any better. We have the rape baby candidate, whose name is “Mourdock”, which couldn’t be a much more evil-sounding name, and we have Akin, who looks like the physical manifestation of Mr. Burns. And they might both be voted into Congress.

  222. erikthebassist says

    ing @ 174

    The entire religion rests on the non-consensual pregnancy of a virgin. Apparently if gawd wants you pregnant, he doesn’t much care how you end up becoming so.

    Speaking of pregnancy, yay for Darkfetus!

    I’m seriously wondering if some creolurkers are thinking that with this much celebration over a new hordling, it absolutely MUST be the anti-christ.

    Did any one check darkfetuses scalp for the signature of the beast?

  225. opposablethumbs says

    Yay DarkInfant!

    Conga rats to Audley and Mr. Darkheart! confetti-champagne-streamers-fireworks!!!!!
    *\o/**\o/**\o/**\o/**\o/**\o/**\o/**\o/**\o/**\o/**\o/**\o/**\o/**\o/*

  226. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    Apparently if gawd wants you pregnant, he doesn’t much care how you end up becoming so.

    But! God doesn’t want you to get pregnant if you aren’t married or weren’t raped. That kind of pregnancy happens by accident and has nothing whatsoever to do with God’s wishes (but he still doesn’t want you to abort it).

  230. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    Happy ejection. ^.^

    ::snicker::
    ::giggle::

    This ain’t no toaster oven we’re talking about here :)

  231. Amphiox says

    Voltaire may have prayed for his enemies to be ridiculous, but I don’t know if that’s really making life any better.

    I’m not all that certain Voltaire cared all that much about making life better. Funnier, maybe, but not necessarily better.

    He was, IIRC, a rather famous misanthrope….

  232. ImaginesABeach says

    Yay DarkInfant!

    for whoever asked about Justin Bieber, above – speaking his name in my house has been almost banned since he made this almost Mourdockian statement to Rolling Stone:

    In the article, the writer states that Bieber is “definitely” against abortion, quoting him as saying, “I really don’t believe in abortion. … I think [an embryo] is a human. It’s like killing a baby.” When the writer asks if that also refers to incidents of rape, Bieber replies, ‘Um. Well, I think that’s really sad [referring to abortion], but everything happens for a reason. I don’t know how that would be a reason. I guess I haven’t been in that position, so I wouldn’t be able to judge that.’

    GirlChild, BoyChild, and GirlsBestFriend know that the only acceptable way to refer to him in my home or car is as “the misogynistic asshole.”

  233. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    ImaginesABeach,

    Now that’s a reason to disapprove of Bieber. I’m going from “who the fuck cares” to not liking him.

  235. dianne says

    Yay! Congratulations to the darkcouple and their new darkinfant! I predict the darkfather will soon be introduced to a brand new concept: meconium. It’s green, it’s sticky, it’s sterile! Newborns make lots…

  238. Amphiox says

    GirlChild, BoyChild, and GirlsBestFriend know that the only acceptable way to refer to him in my home or car is as “the misogynistic asshole.”

    I wouldn’t completely write off Justin Bieber as a lost cause yet.

    http://www.celebessence.com/2012/09/27/justin-biebers-wife-of-7-months-avalanna-routh-loses-battle-to-cancer/

    In fact, the vibe I got from that interview was that he kind of got an “oh shit I didn’t think about that” moment when the topic of rape came up (hence the “I guess I haven’t been in that position” comment he tacked on at the end), and it might even be the start of a turning point for him to becoming a more empathetic and better informed adult on that particular subject.

    Or not. Time will tell I suppose.

    But he does belong within an age demographic where in my experience a whole lot of otherwise liberal and decent young people are instinctively and uninformedly anti-choice, and many, many of them do in fact change their minds after gaining some life experience and doing some actual examination of what the anti-choice position actually entails for women’s autonomy.

  239. Portia says

    ImaginesABeach, that’s a legit reason to dislike Beiber. I would note that I think most of the vitriol comes his way because his appeal is to young girls. That category of entertainment gets more grief than is due, I think.

    Disclaimer, I do not like him or his music. Just puttin’ it out there.

  240. dianne says

    an age demographic where in my experience a whole lot of otherwise liberal and decent young people are instinctively and uninformedly anti-choice,

    I don’t know about this. In my, admittedly anecdotal, experience, a “liberal” man of college age will be a Republican by the time he’s 30. And I advised my niece, who believes that she would never have an abortion no matter what but doesn’t think her choice should be codified into law, to never date a “pro-life” man. A man who wants to make use of your uterus by force will want to make use of your vagina by force too.

  242. Portia says

    Rawnaeris, I heard FossilFishy’s rhyme to this. But that could be because my mom played it on vinyl throughout my childhood. : )

  243. ednaz says

    Hooray Hooray Hooray Hooray!

    Hooray for The Darkheart Family!!

    Hooray Hooray Hooray Hooray!

  244. craftybunny says

    Delurking to send my heartiest congratulations to Audley and the Mr, and welcome to the world little DarkInfant!

  247. broboxley OT says

    well played bodyform
    response to a man poking fun at their sanitary napkins ad on facebook

  248. says

    Congratulations, Audley and family!

    Baby anecdote:

    Was at this lunch just this last hour with some old friends, kind of company I get together with kinda five times decadely, y’know…

    Someone asked about another of our company, not present, she’d known was expecting. I happened to know she’d delivered, last week, and so got to sharing around Facebook photos on phone of said wee one et mère. We at lunch mostly of an age where our first and seconds are some years back now and changing to new schools, so on, some even onto high school, some approaching university, which we’d just been discussing.

    It was innocent enough, I guess, the confusion. The new mother wasn’t present, lives on another continent, now. I thought this was understood… This and the fact, from the discussion we’d just had that I’m rather past the ‘new father’ stage myself, and have been for a few years, anyway. Figured this should be clear enough, considering the photos shared ’round in the standard ‘how’s everyone’s children’ stage of conversation just a few minutes previously had included some of my actual progeny.

    … but people, seeing the newborn, kept congratulating me on the birth anyway.

    Eventually, I gave up explaining, and just started saying: ‘Thanks. We’re very proud’.

    Well, y’know… noisy place, baby on a phone. So I guess, hey, whatever.

    In unrelated:

    I’m not all that certain Voltaire cared all that much about making life better. Funnier, maybe, but not necessarily better.

    I think I may be with him on this.

    Technically, it’s not so much that I don’t care about the former. It’s just that the latter seems a little more achievable, from here.

  250. Portia says

    Tony –

    bahahhaha I sure do hope they do that. Please please burn your votes, you wacked-out conservaturds.

    Jesus as president…Once he signed that executive order turning all the water to wine, the motto “Great Lakes, Great Times” would have a fun new meaning.

  251. dianne says

    Jesus isn’t eligible to be president. At least not of the US: not born in the US. I don’t know if there’s any formal ruling on whether a zombie can be president or not.

  252. Portia says

    Isn’t there something in Mormonism about Jesus being born in North America? Or am I thinking of Native Americans being the cursed offspring of Cain? Or was it Ishmael? Damn. My mythology recall is slipping.

    …but then there the age thing. Poor guy missed the age requirement by 2 years. Or is he eternal? Does afterlife count in the calculation?

    …so many questions.

  254. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    from Tony’s link:

    If it’s inevitable, just relax and enjoy it.

    I am now imagining a police officer telling him that after he tries to lay charges against someone who’s punched him in the face.

  255. A. R says

    Congratulations to the Darkheart family on the birth of their daughter!

    Also, a prompt, tweedy (I got a new jacket today!) pouncehug to Caine!

  256. dianne says

    Also, I think the “fiscal conservative” Republicans would be in for a surprise when Jesus started chasing the money changers out of the temple (i.e. ending tax exemption for churches), feeding the poor (i.e. expanding food stamps) and curing the sick (i.e. universal health insurance.)

  257. JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness says

    Hooray for DarkInfant!!!! Glad everything went well and that everyone is doing okay.
    –
    –

    Also, Caine, your little something of four boxes of books has certainly arrived just now! Now I have shelves of books! Books that I’ve wanted to read, books I’ve read and wanted a copy of, books that I remember from childhood that I look forward to reading to Little One and books that look so interesting to read.

    The Adopted Kitty is loving the boxes as a pet bed, play toys and scratching posts. I imagine he’s going to have to battle the Little One for them once she gets home from school.

  258. Portia says

    I almost forgot to say,

    Hi Mb>lexie! Good to read you.

    Beatrice, glad you’re back. Sorry the interview stressed you out. *hugs*

  259. says

    Just thought I’d pop back in to say something:

    Yay DarkInfant! Congrats to Audley and family, and a stiff-tentacled welcome to the littlest member of the Horde!

  260. Hekuni Cat, MQG says

    Yay! DarkInfant has arrived safe and sound. Congratulations, Audley and Mr. Darkheart! And thank you for sharing this joy with us. *hugs*

  263. Amphiox says

    Also, I think the “fiscal conservative” Republicans would be in for a surprise when Jesus started chasing the money changers out of the temple (i.e. ending tax exemption for churches), feeding the poor (i.e. expanding food stamps) and curing the sick (i.e. universal health insurance.)

    Most of the time (if they even think that far), they’ll say that Jesus did these things privately, as a private citizen.

    Of course they don’t notice the cognitive dissonance of them wanting tomake Jesus the government.

    The most direct biblical parallel to the modern holier-than-thou Republicans are the Pharisees who helped crucify their lord.

    If Jesus really did return today it would be these Republicans who would be first in line to send him to the gurney for a lethal injection.

  264. says

    and curing the sick (i.e. universal health insurance.)

    I grant you the money changers and the poor, but universal health care? I dunno. Seems to me like Jesus did a lot of picking and choosing of the people he would heal. I mean there were crowds and things weren’t there, but at any point do we see him stretch his hand over a crowd and say “all of you are cured”? or spend days standing at the head of a slowly advancing line of sick people, not leaving till everyone in a town was well? No, I think the healing was more about the photo ops for him.

  266. says

    JAL:

    Also, Caine, your little something of four boxes of books has certainly arrived just now! Now I have shelves of books! Books that I’ve wanted to read, books I’ve read and wanted a copy of, books that I remember from childhood that I look forward to reading to Little One and books that look so interesting to read.

    The Adopted Kitty is loving the boxes as a pet bed, play toys and scratching posts. I imagine he’s going to have to battle the Little One for them once she gets home from school.

    Aaaaw, happiness! Let me know how Five Quarters of the Orange is, I haven’t picked up a copy for myself yet. I couldn’t resist the silly Hedgehog & Pony Detective books for little one, they have stickers! And bookmarks!

  267. dianne says

    Seems to me like Jesus did a lot of picking and choosing of the people he would heal.

    Faith healing’s like that. If he’d had techniques that worked…

  268. says

    brobroxley @172

    Thanks Lynna for the maddow link but I prefer to get my CBS news from CBS

    Yes, the story originated at CBS, and was picked up by Maddow. The difference is that commentary, valuable commentary from my point of view, was added at The Maddow Blog. That’s why I linked to the Maddow source, and not to CBS.

    Suit yourself.

  269. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    dianne:

    If he’d had techniques that worked…

    …like the time honored homeopathic healing process

  271. says

    Chorus lines of conga rats, dressed in tutus and sparkly bling, for the arrival of Dark Infant.

    Dear Dark Infant,

    I’m sure you are adorable, but we have all taken a pact not to eat you anyway.

    Stay the fuck away from Twitter.

    PharyngulAuntie,

    Lynna

  272. JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness says

    Aaaaw, happiness! Let me know how Five Quarters of the Orange is, I haven’t picked up a copy for myself yet.

    Will do.

    I couldn’t resist the silly Hedgehog & Pony Detective books for little one, they have stickers! And bookmarks!

    I knooow. I’m so jealous! I loved them so much growing up and am tempted to steal them away (lol) but can’t wait to see her face when she gets home.

    Also, the Adopted Kitty is seriously channeling the Little One right now. He’s entangled in her necklaces, boas and hiding up the piles of boxes like a badly constructed fort. It’s adorable. I can’t wait to see what happens when Little One gets home in an hour and half.

  273. Maureen Brian says

    Wasn’t Jesus always in trouble for hanging out with tax collectors and fallen women?

    I only ask because I don’t think the ReThugs have read that far in their bibles.

  274. mildlymagnificent says

    Goody. Now the infant is here …….

    …. we get a chance to go back and pick up the stitches we dropped while trying to knit to the rhythm of that wretched song.

  275. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    Sigh.

    A small yellow Piper Cub is currently circling downtown Scranton pulling a banner that reads: “Big Bird Says Vote For Romney.”

    Do they think they are funny?

  276. says

    JAL:

    I knooow. I’m so jealous! I loved them so much growing up and am tempted to steal them away (lol) but can’t wait to see her face when she gets home.

    Uh oh…bookfight! :D What kind of books does little one like? I forgot to ask, so I was a little lost going through boxes of sprog books. Any particular ones, type, age group?

  280. Socio-gen, something something... says

    *peeks in quick … ctrl+f “DarkFetus” … Kermie waves*

    Congratulations, Audley and Mr. Darkheart!
    Welcome DarkInfant, and congratulations on a successful entrance!!

    *rushes back to class*

  282. says

    Yet another Republican CEO is sending thinly veiled threats to his employees. Theses CEO letters and emails amount to “Vote for Romney, or else.” Some of the CEO’s have threatened “personal consequences” if employees vote the “wrong” way. Some companies have attempted to track employee contributions to the Romney campaign, encouraging (ordering?) $2,500 per employee.

    The newest CEO we’re adding to the list is Mike White, chairman and owner of Rite-Hite.

    Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel link.
    Mike White … told employees in an email this week that all employees “should understand the personal consequences to them of having our tax rates increase dramatically if President Obama is re-elected, forcing taxpayers to fund President Obama’s future deficits and social programs (including Obamacare), which require bigger government.”

    The email stunned some employees. One employee said he felt threatened by the email….

    In his email, White said neither he nor the company wanted to “prejudice any employee for their political views and totally respect your right to vote as you choose. I am simply trying to present the facts as I know them and to protect the business you have helped build! Please think carefully about your vote on Nov. 6.”

    Uh … just saying you respect an employee’s right to vote as they choose doesn’t cut it when you then go on to send a detailed and threatening email that can be boiled down to “Vote for Romney or risk losing your job.”

    White’s email also appears to fall under a provision of state elections law. That law states: “No employer or agent of an employer may distribute to any employee printed matter containing any threat, notice or information that if a particular ticket of a political party or organization or candidate is elected or any referendum question is adopted or rejected, work in the employer’s place or establishment will cease, in whole or in part, or the place or establishment will be closed, or the salaries or wages of the employees will be reduced, or other threats intended to influence the political opinions or actions of the employees.”…

    … White said the company’s profits would not be reinvested [if Obama is elected]. Instead, he wrote, “the money will be sent into the abyss that is Washington, D.C. So, on top of the burden of having your personal taxes increase dramatically, which they will, your RSP contributions and healthy retirement are also at risk…

    I think that, not only is White ethically wrong here, he is also factually wrong. Obama’s existing tax proposal would not increase Rite-Hite’s worker’s personal income tax.
    Link to story of Arthur Allen,, CEO of ASG Software, sending threatening email to his employees.
    Link to article about David Siegel, CEO of Westgate Resorts, threatening to fire his employees if Obama is elected.
    Link to story about the Koch Brothers using their clout as bosses to round up votes for Romney.
    Link to video of Mitt Romney telling business owners to encourage their employees to vote for him. (Contains the usual “I can’t tell you how to vote” disclaimer, but is clear in its intent to scare employees into voting Republican.)

  283. Amblebury says

    Huzzah, Darkinfant has arrived and a new Darkfamily is formed!

    It’s Friday here, I could wet the baby’s head. Or pout and sulk following my immunisation for meningococcal disease this afternoon.

    Wetting the baby’s head it is.

  284. says

    Tina Fey blasted Todd Akin today:

    … “Todd Akin claims that women can’t really get pregnant from a legitimate rape because the body secretes hormones,” Fey told the crowd. “Now I can’t even finish this sentence without getting dumber; it’s making me dumber when I say it—but it’s something about the body not being able to get pregnant when it’s under physical stress. Mr. Akin, I think you are confusing the phrase ‘legitimate rape’ with the phrase ‘competitive gymnastics.'”
    …
    “If I have to listen to one more gray-faced man with a two-dollar haircut explain to me what rape is, I’m gonna lose my mind,” Fey added. “I watch these guys and I’m, like, ‘What is happening? Am I a secretary on Mad Men? What’s happening?'”

  285. broboxley OT says

    #282 Lynna,
    thanks for the links. A good boss will not tell his employees how to vote. Sounds like those employers need to retire and sell the business to someone interested in running them. It takes work, not just profit to be successful

  286. islander says

    I haven’t browsed Pharyngula in a good while, but you all popped into my head when the subject librarian couldn’t help me with finding info for my research paper.

    I’m comparing the three major monotheisms. In Judaism and Christianity, you often hear people say “I’m a Jew, but I don’t even believe in God,” or “I’m a Christian, but I don’t actually believe in the resurrection or that Jesus was anything more than a moral teacher.” But you don’t see this in Islam, and I want to explore this phenomenon.

    The trouble is I can’t find any literature on this! Surely I’m not the first to notice this… Does anyone know where I can find something on this?

  287. Ichthyic says

    But you don’t see this in Islam

    I’m curious as to how you made such a strong conclusion.

  289. Rey Fox says

    “We’re not trying to tell you how to vote or anything, but just realize that if Obama wins, then our shareholders won’t be as obscenely rich as before, and so you’ll all be fired.”

  292. lexie says

    Conga rats to the darkhearts! Baby picture????

    Thanks Caine and Josh for the updates.

    Beatrice – that would not be a totally inaccurate interpretation ;)

    Portia – hi to you too

    ImaginesABeach – Is only Justin Beiber referred to as “the misogynistic asshole”, because a whole gamut of people could be justly referred to such?

  293. Tethys says

    Hooray for Audley and darkinfant!! Welcome to the world, we are so happy you have arrived safely! *confetti*

  294. Tigger_the_Wing says

    Congratulations on the safe arrival of Darkbaby! Wonderful news to wake up to this morning.

    May all concerned get plenty of sleep.

  295. says

    Women get together and make a video prompting women to vote for candidates that will protect women’s rights:

    Features Leslie Gore.

  297. cm's changeable moniker says

    Jesus isn’t eligible to be president. At least not of the US: not born in the US.

    And, not old enough.

    Unless you count the 1979-ish years of undeath.

  298. Ichthyic says

    “We’re not trying to tell you how to vote or anything, but just realize that if Obama wins, then our shareholders won’t be as obscenely rich as before, and so you’ll all be fired.”

    you know, the really funny thing is, even taken on its face value, this statement is not accurate.

    People got bloody fucking rich under Clinton, for example.

    In fact, you can look at the last 50 years and the trends are pretty clear that the best economies were usually created under democratic leadership.

    the people who own companies who say otherwise are just as ignorant as any creationist rube, and love to shoot themselves in the foot.

  299. Ichthyic says

    Unless you count the 1979-ish years of undeath.

    wouldn’t that disqualify him from being human as well?

    IIRC, being human is also a required qualification for POTUS.

  300. islander says

    Icthyic,

    I could be very wrong. I’ve just never heard someone make the claim, and I spoke with the Dean of the PoliSci department about it and he essentially said “you’re on to something.” The PoliSci librarian nodded when I said it, so I guess I thought this was the case. I couldn’t find any scholarly articles in our database on this, but I found plenty on secular Judaism and secular Christianity. To be clear, I’m not talking about Muslims who don’t follow the tenets of Islam, I’m talking about deists or atheists who call themselves Muslims.

    I know there are people in countries that call themselves Muslims in the interest of their safety, but I’m interested in people who honestly think of themselves as Muslims without believing the Quran is true and Muhammed is the Prophet. What would be a working term? Secular Muslim? Cultural Muslim?

    I will try the email broboxley, thank you.

  301. raven says

    ..
    ….
    ..Utah Republican activist facing rape charges found dead after jail release
    By Jennifer Dobner | Reuters – 20 hrs ago…….

    SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) – A Utah Tea Party activist and Republican fundraiser charged with more than two dozen felony counts of rape and sexual assault has died from an apparent suicide just four days after he was freed from jail on bail, his attorney said on Wednesday

    FYI. In case Lynna hasn’t posted it yet.

    This guy was also a Mormon FWIW. He met his victims on an online Mormon dating site. I can’t think of too many places that sound less appealing.

    This is sort of a pattern with the Tea Partyists. That MD is Tennessee is so pro forced birther that he wanted his girl friend to get an abortion so his wife wouldn’t find out. Walsh from Illinois owed $100,000 in child support, Darrell Issa has numerous arrests for arson and weapons violations and so on.

    Not sure what it all means. Maybe you have to be devoid of empathy and anti-social to belong to it.

  302. Ichthyic says

    I’ve just never heard someone make the claim,

    nor have I, but I get that I’m pretty ignorant wrt to Islamic communities.

    Hell, I never knew there were atheist jews until about 10 years ago.

  303. Ichthyic says

    What would be a working term? Secular Muslim? Cultural Muslim?

    well, comparing to what I said about atheist Jews, the ones I’ve met would likely identify with “cultural judaism”, but I haven’t a clue if this has been formalized in the literature.

    I wish I could help more, but I’ll lay odds that there are indeed “cultural Muslims” extant in the world.

  304. cm's changeable moniker says

    Unless you count the 1979-ish years of undeath.

    wouldn’t that disqualify him from being human as well?

    Well, human remains are considered human. But I think:

    shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years

    … is probably all you need, and:

    and been fourteen years a resident within the United States

    … is just icing on the cake. ;-)

  305. Ichthyic says

    Well, human remains are considered human

    well, technically human remains are considered human remains, hence the addendum to “human”.

  306. Tigger_the_Wing says

    My sister and brother-in-law are cultural Muslims, FWIW, so the species isn’t non-existent.

    Lodger just walked in and told me that on the news there were a lot of Democrat voters being interviewed and asked why the Presidential race is so close. To his amusement not one of them answered anything but “I don’t know” or “I’ve no idea”.

    It seems that the popularity of RMoney is as baffling in his country of origin as it is to the rest of the world.

  307. broboxley OT says

    One legged, one armed marine throwing out the first pitch in the world series, got it over the plate.

  308. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    It seems that the popularity of RMoney is as baffling in his country of origin as it is to the rest of the world.

    I wish a reporter would ask me that question. My response would be: “Because Mitt is an older white male and Obama is black.” Honestly, Mitt is such a fuckup that if Obama was white he’d probably be leading by 10 or more points.

  310. Ichthyic says

    Honestly, Mitt is such a fuckup that if Obama was white he’d probably be leading by 10 or more points.

    the evidence tends to side with this, unfortunately.

    it’s certainly not the only reason, but it’s enough of one to cover a 10 point spread.

  311. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    Ichthyic:

    Post racist my pasty white arse.

    Our 91-year-old neighbor is voting for Romney. Even though his budget (well, the Ryan Teabag budget) will force her to sell her house to live, she just doesn’t trust Obama. Translation? He’s black.

  312. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    Welcome to the world Darkinfant. It’s a strange and wondrous place full of secrets and mysteries, knowledge and facts, joy and excitement and even sadness and despair. There’s a beauty in all this chaos, but just now I’m sure you’re having a hard time seeing that. In fact, right now the things you see best are objects with high contrast, black next to white and the like.

    Don’t worry little Darkling, as time goes by you’ll get used to those eyes and a whole rich world of colour, shade and subtlety will open up before you. You’ll start to recognise things, remember them even. Like that man who’s been hanging around a lot. You know the one, he’s got a goofy, tired grin and keeps saying that he loves you very much.

    Of course you already recognise Mum. She’s been carrying you beneath her heart for the better part of a year. Her sounds are your sounds and her arms around you are a comfort unlike anything else.

    There’s something you should know about your mother, Darkinfant: she already sees in colour. She sees the world in more than shades of black and white. She sees the world in all it’s rich palate of evidence and reason. The tones of “I don’t know.” and “Let’s find out.” and perhaps most importantly “I was wrong.” are as familiar to her as your many moods will become. That’s important little Darkling, so very important.

    So I say to you, the freshest of the fresh new persons in the world, on behalf of myself, a very minor member of the Great Tenticalled Horde of honourary auntsuses and unclesuses here, that when you have trouble seeing, when the chaotic shades of the world become overwhelming: go ask your mother. She’ll see you right, and the world, your world, will be all the better for it.

  314. Ichthyic says

    Translation? He’s black.

    oh, I think it’s more than that, but yeah, that’s surely a part of it.

    in support of “more than that”, I repeat the story of my own father, who voted for W (twice), even though i printed out for him reams of documentation, which he dutifully read AND agreed with, that W’s policies were actually NOT in his best interests.

    authoritarian personalities are very hard to sway with rational argument.

  315. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    oh, I think it’s more than that, but yeah, that’s surely a part of it.

    With our neighbor, I really do think it is all racism. She is a life-long Democrat. She was very involved in labour unions in the shoe factories that used to be around here. 2008 was the first time, ever, that she did not vote for a Democratic Presidential candidate. And she’ll do it again next month.

  316. says

    Oh my gosh oh my gosh, DarkInfant!! Congratulations to the Darkheart family!

    —

    Ing #217: Did you just post The Second Coming in honor of DarkInfant? That is the best thing ever. I think you just won all the geek points in the world.

  317. thunk, Blob Alert! says

    But he does belong within an age demographic where in my experience a whole lot of otherwise liberal and decent young people are instinctively and uninformedly anti-choice, and many, many of them do in fact change their minds after gaining some life experience and doing some actual examination of what the anti-choice position actually entails for women’s autonomy.

    For a while, I was somewhat anti-choice (in the no-abortions-past-viability) camp, until the Horde knocked some sense into my. Even last weekend, I had some of my classmates (and a teacher) tell me that “no abortions except for rape and incest” is an acceptable “compromise” between pro-and anti-choice. I think I felt nauseous. Then they criticized me for not tolerating their views enough. Blech.

  319. Ichthyic says

    With our neighbor, I really do think it is all racism. She is a life-long Democrat.

    that does seem to support the idea that his color is the primary factor wrt to your neighbor.

  320. broboxley OT says

    Ichthyic part of it is class as well. Poor whites are used to the great white ones, born rich, ivy league sneering down at them as the poor glare in envy and hope.

    When one of their class rises through to the rich, ivy league schools and sneers like the other rich, his new friends, forsaking where he came from they get bitter and cling to what they know.

    The first campaign was about hope, change, and they voted for that. This election cycle is about not being quite as shitty as the other guy. Bitter people as well as racists are in the mix. Not enough to affect the electoral college but it will be close.

  321. Ichthyic says

    …oh forgot to mention:

    The first time my pop voted for W, I point blank asked him why right after.

    his answer, and I quote:

    “How could I vote for someone with name like ‘Gore’? I mean really… ‘Gore’.”

    I kid you not.

  322. broboxley OT says

    #322 someone I know votes straight republican just to cancel out her brother’s straight democratic vote over an argument that took place over 38 years ago.

  324. Ichthyic says

    just to cancel out her brother’s straight democratic vote

    people who don’t take responsibility for the democratic process do not deserve to participate in it, IMO.

  325. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    FossilFishy:
    That was immensely touching.
    It brings tears to my eyes.

    You should write greeting, birthday, holiday…any cards.

    Eulogies too.

    I mean, damn.

  326. Ichthyic says

    warmonger and the racist on the same ticket….

    yeah, that’ll work to solve Israel’s problems for sure!

    *sigh*

  327. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    I thought other members of the Horde might find this insulting:

    Humanism (humanists) hold not harming others as a high value. The Pharyngula Horde in-group (SC is one) does not share this value. This heuristic accounts for much of SC’s phrasing and ~splittery language. (fwiw, I lurked mostly and posted there for the better part of a year and will not return anytime soon. They are largely incapable of self reflection with regard to how non- in group people may perceive them (or simply don’t care). This is despite repeated actual notice from folks who mean well and PZ’s change in comment policy which was intended to blunt some of the Hordes more abusive nature.

    So far as the Horde has adopted A+ into its identity, the same behaviours of their in-group have been touted by A+ identifying commentors on the various atheist blogs. This too has been commented upon only to be dismissed as no true A+ers (it’s a leaderles movement so all bad acts aren’t part of the movement if they exist) or that no examples of bad (lack of understanding the world from more than 1 ananlysis frame? unfair? pick your pejorative) acts are in existence.

    Despite the negativity I’m displaying here, I do hope the A+ succeed in positive social change.
    umanism (humanists) hold not harming others as a high value.
    http://www.patheos.com/blogs/templeofthefuture/2012/10/bracing-the-salty-current-reason-is-a-humanist-value/

    That’s from baal, whom I’m sure many of you have encountered around FtB.

    The part that’s really fucking insulting is the bolding (my emphasis).

  329. Tigger_the_Wing says

    FossilFishy,

    #312 is the most amazing, moving, writing. Astonishing. Thank you.

    *Goes off to fetch a hanky*. Something stuck in both my eyes, I think. BRB.

  330. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    FossilFishy:
    I can’t remember if you’re on PET or not, but I think it would be a great place to post that message as well.
    If you’re not, may I copy/paste?

  332. DLC says

    1) Welcome DarkBaby. Best wishes to you and your parents.

    2) Mitt Romney is a .. um wait.. this is Lounge.. have to be polite. . .

    Mitt Romney is a crumb. A corporate pirate who has never grown from when he led a gang of youths to chase down a boy and cut his hair in private school, because the victim had committed the sin of being different. Romney is a bully who has never had a comeuppance. I would not vote for Mitt Romney if you gave me a shoebox full of money.

    3) On Obama and Racism. Post racist society ? no. just submerged racism. Many can still hear the dog-whistles.

  333. says

    Thanks, Tony.

    (And damn, I’m trying to organize my Fromm writings while enjoying PRAS.*)

    I didn’t know Croft had responded, but I just started reading and…

    …Atheism+, by infusing atheism with a commitment to an explicit set of positive values…

    This is ridiculous, and exactly what I said, in the post he’s responding to, is the sort of condescending bullshit we’re tired of.

    Doesn’t bode well.

    *Go, Uli!

  334. Ichthyic says

    Despite the negativity I’m displaying here, I do hope the A+ succeed in positive social change.

    we’ll pray for you too.

  335. Ichthyic says

    This is ridiculous, and exactly what I said, in the post he’s responding to, is the sort of condescending bullshit we’re tired of.

    I dunno… that language sounds very splittery to me.

    :P

  336. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    SC:
    I’ve been out of the Project Runway loop for a season or two, so I didn’t know the All Stars was on. I’m guessing 9 pm Central (US)?

    ____
    I left a comment to Baal pretty much demanding an apology from hir to all the regulars here, as that insulted was painted with a broad brush (though you were the only member named).

  337. Ichthyic says

    IMO, all the “in-group” stuff people like Baal refer to is likely mostly based on projection.

    They are authoritarian personalities looking FOR ways to CREATE in-groups within the atheist community, and one of the best ways to do that is by creating a strawman of a subsection of a community, and then attempting to demonize it.

    I saw this a LOT when I spent just a few days lurking over at the slimepit, while it was still primarily on ERV’s blog.

  338. says

    @erikthebassist way back upthread (& I haven’t read any subsequent comments)

    I came here to the lounge for a few minutes because I was feeling so broken and disheartened by Al Stefanelli’s post here (http://t.co/crGLHaBz DO NOT GO THERE unless you’re prepared to get sad or really pissed off or both), and thought something here might make me feel better.

    And you did. Hugs. It makes all the difference in the world when someone gets it and wants to change. Thank you.

    Oh, and I don’t know that you need counselling to figure out why stuff like that comes out of your mouth. It’s floating around and infects everyone.

  339. Ichthyic says

    …Heck, I see it with Ben Goren over on Jerry’s blog too.

    He’s been feverishly working at strawmanning FTB and A+ to try and garner a cadre of supporters there.

    it’s quite sad, really, given that he only started doing that when a lot of people here rightly took him to task for a rather poor analogy regarding abortion(?) he tried to defend here a while back.

    the level of pettiness is just astonishing.

  341. strange gods before me ॐ says

    islander,

    I’m comparing the three major monotheisms. In Judaism and Christianity, you often hear people say “I’m a Jew, but I don’t even believe in God,” or “I’m a Christian, but I don’t actually believe in the resurrection or that Jesus was anything more than a moral teacher.” But you don’t see this in Islam

    I do. Offline I personally know at least one agnostic Muslim man, and I know several Muslims who don’t believe portions of the Quran.

    You can find some in any poll which asks the two separate questions: “what is your religion” and “do you believe in God”.

    Rather than dig for those polls which I’ve seen before, the easiest thing to do is consult the General Social Survey.

    Row: god
    Column: relig

    You’ll get the raw numbers (unadjusted for known sampling errors) by setting Weight to No weight. For the purpose of simply demonstrating that they exist, that’s the weighting I’m using. You may have other needs.

    Of 44 Muslims in the United States,

    2 said “I don’t believe in God.”
    1 said “I don’t know whether there is a God and I don’t believe there is any way to find out.”
    2 said “I don’t believe in a personal God, but I do believe in a Higher Power of some kind.”
    2 said “I find myself believing in God some of the time, but not at others.” 9 said “While I have doubts, I feel that I do believe in God.”
    28 said “I know God really exists and I have no doubts about it.”

    The number of respondents is small, so don’t be too confident in the percentages. But the first two groups should correspond to Muslim atheists, Muslim agnostics, and the third might be Muslim deists or wooists.

    I’m interested in people who honestly think of themselves as Muslims without believing the Quran is true and Muhammed is the Prophet.

    In my experience you’ll find a lot more Muslims who don’t believe everything in the Quran than those who’ll say Muhammad is not a prophet. And neither are necessarily atheist, or agnostic or in any way unconfident about what they believe.

    What would be a working term? Secular Muslim? Cultural Muslim?

    IMO, secular shouldn’t be used as a synonym for disbelief.

    Cultural Muslim might do what you want, but perhaps it corresponds to a larger set than you’re pointing at. Maybe you can do without a working term?

  342. mythbri says

    FossilFishy, I wish you would comment more often. You always have such beautiful things to say.

    ….

    With regard to the Mormon Tea Party rapist, I hardly even know how to express what I’m feeling about that. I have friends who use Mormon dating sites.

    I hate that the Church tells women that they only have value, can only be exalted, can only have a full life by marrying and submitting to a man. I hate that this dead asshole rapist took advantage of the market that the Church created so he could violate human beings. I can only be glad that he’ll never do it again.

  343. broboxley OT says

    324 Ichthyic unfortunately trying to do anything about it would result in large scale removal of what few civil rights we have left.
    voter registration form mississippi 1955
    http://www.crmvet.org/info/ms-littest55.pdf
    how it works
    http://www.crmvet.org/info/ms-test.htm

    Note that Questions #18 and #19 allows the Registrars to choose which section of the Mississippi constitution an applicant has to write and interpret. They could assign a complex section filled with legalese and convoluted sentences, or they could assign a simple one or two-sentence section.

    For example a white applicant might be asked to copy out and interpret:

    ARTICLE 12 Section 240. All elections by the people shall be by ballot.

    While a Black applicant might be asked to copy and interpret:

    ARTICLE 7 Section 182. The power to tax corporations and their property shall never be surrendered or abridged by any contract or grant to which the state or any political subdivision thereof may be a party, except that the Legislature may grant exemption from taxation in the encouragement of manufactures and other new enterprises of public utility extending for a period of not exceeding ten (10) years on each such enterprise hereafter constructed, and may grant exemptions not exceeding ten (10) years on each addition thereto or expansion thereof, and may grant exemptions not exceeding ten (10) years on future additions to or expansions of existing manufactures and other enterprises of public utility. The time of each exemption shall commence from the date of completion of the new enterprise, and from the date of completion of each addition or expansion, for which an exemption is granted. When the Legislature grants such exemptions for a period of ten (10) years or less, it shall be done by general laws, which shall distinctly enumerate the classes of manufactures and other new enterprises of public utility, entitled to such exemptions, and shall prescribe the mode and manner in which the right to such exemptions shall be determined. SOURCES: Laws 1961, ch. 9, 1st Extraordinary Session, effective October 16, 1961. NOTE: The 1961 amendment to Section 182 was proposed by Laws 1961, ch. 9, 1st Extraordinary Session, and upon ratification by the electorate on October 3, 1961, was inserted by proclamation of the Secretary of State on October 16, 1961.
    Then it is entirely up to the Registrar’s sole judgement if the applicant’s answer to Questions #19 and #20 are adequate.

    that’s not a place to go back to

  344. Ichthyic says

    I read that post by Al, and posted this:

    “Tom is so her bitch; she just ordered him to go fetch her some pizza—and he went without a word.”

    See, they even used a dude as an example. Not exactly misogynist, now, is it?

    wow. that’s a level of disconnect I rarely see in someone intelligent. I’ll mark it for future reference.

    seriously, he really can’t see how that EXACT phrase is tremendously misogynistic, simply because the names have been changed?

    amazing.

  345. A. R says

    I posted this on PET a few minutes ago. I was amused by myself enough to post it here:

    I think the first action of an A. R presidency would be to end the war in Afghanistan NOW, then take half of the defense budget give half of that to the NSF. Then I would dismantle Medicare and Medicaid, and replace them with a French-style system. The other bit of money from slashing the defense budget would be divided equally between to fund that program and a revamped social security and government assistance program. Oh, yeah, and I’d reinstate a version of the Assault weapons ban, repeal every one of the Bush tax cuts, make sure taxes on those making over 1 million per year equated to at least 45% of income (if not 50%), set a national renewable energy standard of 50% within 10 years, tear down most of the DEA, reform the FDA (so it actually does its job), institute a tougher carbon tax, end tax exemptions for religious organizations (the money goes straight to education), institute a 0.01% tax on financial transactions over 100 million, set the estate tax as a sliding scale with a max at 60% (valued from liquid assets), institute a truly progressive tax code, ban protests within 100 yards of a medical facility with a permanent 30 yard bubble around healthcare workers and patients, force repeal of state-level antiabortion laws, remove all restrictions on abortion and contraception, abolish the death penalty nationwide, severely restrict drone missions, make the process of obtaining visas and green cards straightforward and reasonable, provide a path to citizenship for every resident, legal or illegal, ban privately-owned prisons, end our diplomatic presence in the Vatican (also, terminate our recognition of its statehood), put most of the Bush administration (and quite a bit of the Obama administration) on trial for crimes against humanity, charge most of the leadership of the corporations that led us into the recession with securities fraud, and strengthen the endangered species act. Did I leave anything out?

    I’m not sure what catchy name I could give this platform. Ideas?

  346. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    while enjoying PRAS.

    I’ll be obtained the episodes and burning DVD’s under duress from the Redhead. Failure is not an option….

  347. broboxley OT says

    #345 AR
    the “Spend the entire 8 years defending your administration in the USSC” party?

  348. carlie says

    Here’s as creative as I am. It’s a little sing-song-y chant:

    There is a baaaaay-bee
    Belongs to Auuuu-dley
    And Mr. Auuuu-dley

    ….
    ….

    And it’s a baaaaay-bee

  349. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    Thanks Tony, blogofmyself, Tigger and possibly Portia.

    Oh, and Tony, come closer, I’ve got a secret to share: [whispers] I cheat. I often post on things that already have heightened emotions attached to them. I’m not sure I could do generic stuff like cards, though eulogies, yeah, I could handle that if I knew enough about the person.

    I’m not on PET. My intent, as is often the case with this sort of posts, over and above just letting my own feelings out, is to put paid to the Straw Vulcan perception of skeptics. And hopefully to reinforce the positive aspects of our shared values. So to that end I’d be honoured if you were to post it in PET.

  350. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    In fact, you can look at the last 50 years and the trends are pretty clear that the best economies were usually created under democratic leadership.

    the people who own companies who say otherwise are just as ignorant as any creationist rube, and love to shoot themselves in the foot.

    What’s the point of being obscenely rich if you aren’t surrounded by impoverished serfs to lord over?

  351. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    mythbri:

    FossilFishy, I wish you would comment more often. You always have such beautiful things to say.

    Sometimes I do too. However, the sporadic nature of these wonderful posts makes it that much more special.

  352. Ichthyic says

    What’s the point of being obscenely rich if you aren’t surrounded by impoverished serfs to lord over?

    touche’

  353. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    FossilFishy:
    Thanks.
    I’ve crossposted your message.

    ****

    If anyone else is on PET, Audley has a pic up.

  354. says

    A question for anyone keeping furry little rat friends. After taking a 4 year break, I am once again hosting 2 rats. I have always had females, but this time got 2 males. My question: are boy rats messier by nature than the girls? My girls all learned to latrine mostly on their own very quickly while these boys seem to poop/pee where ever is convenient. Thoughts and experience on this very much appreciated.

  355. says

    Good evening, all!

    First of all, I can’t thank Teh Horde enough for the love you sent my way. I’ve read through this thread and you guys are the best.

    I just wanted to take a quick moment to let you all know that DarkInfant and I are both doing extremely well and the hospital staff has been taking excellent care of us. She is currently asleep against my chest* and Mr Darkheart is contentedly snoring in the bed beside us.

    Life is good.

    *Not for long, diaper blow out. But after I take care of this mess, if anyone wants an amusing (not gross, promise) labor story, I’ve got one for you. :)

  357. broboxley OT says

    FIFY
    What’s the point of being obscenely rich if you aren’t surrounded by the lesser rich to lord over?

    Serfs are furniture

    Watch the born in rich, they hand their coat to a minion without checking to see if the minion has a clue. If the minion doesn’t have a clue they are given the gimlet eye (different from the hairy eyeball but much, much colder) and the “incident” and the minion is never heard from again

  358. Ichthyic says

    I just wanted to take a quick moment to let you all know that DarkInfant and I are both doing extremely well and the hospital staff has been taking excellent care of us. She is currently asleep against my chest* and Mr Darkheart is contentedly snoring in the bed beside us.

    harrumble!

  360. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    squeee!

    Audley:
    I’m so glad things are proceeding smoothly for you and your family.
    Will look forward to the labor story.

  361. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    Dutchgirl:
    I’d say the best person for advice would be Caine. I think a few others here have had rats over time, but I’m drawing a blank at the moment.

  362. Ichthyic says

    I’ve had rats too, but…

    I have to admit I never even thought at the time you COULD “litterbox” train them!

    boy, that would have saved a lot of cleanup time.

  363. cicely says

    Joe!
    pouncehug*
    –
    Tigger, we’ve run into some turbulence in getting a linkable pic of the Overly-Upholstered Quad-Cane of Destiny. I like your pink unicorn—if only it could, somehow, be both Seen and Unseen, it would be Paradoxically Perfect!
    :) :) :)
    –

    One legged, one armed marine throwing out the first pitch in the world series, got it over the plate.

    Awesome!
    –
    FossilFishy:
    *sniffle*
    –
    *hugs* for Audley and DarkInfant.

    But after I take care of this mess, if anyone wants an amusing (not gross, promise) labor story, I’ve got one for you. :)

    Yes, please!
    :)
    –

  364. says

    Audley: Yay! I am so glad you and DarkInfant are doing well. Congratulations again to you and Mr. Darkheart. I’m looking forward to the labor story.

  365. Tigger_the_Wing says

    Cicely, don’t worry – I’ll be patient! My cane is called Not Very, as in Not Very Invisible Pink Unicorn. When I explained this to the Lord High Cardiologist and his retinue after she had been admired at my hospital bedside, I distinctly heard at least two people snickering. =^_^=

    Yes please to another birth story to add to the collection! One can never have too many!

  366. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    Hooray, for poo bombs and happy parents and healthy bubs and amusing (not gross) birthin’ stories! At some point I hope there’s a link to a pic that those of us who aren’t on PET can see. Privacy and safety concerns come first of course, so that’s just a hope rather than a request.

    mythbri: Thanks for that but Tony has the right of it. Less is more I think. And besides, I have to be moved myself to write things like that, which happens infrequently.

  368. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    Malala’s father speaks out

    I have seen doomsday and survived, you might say. Malala has been honoured by the nation, by the world, by people of all classes, of all creeds, of all colours. I am grateful for that. But I am a father. I respect all those feelings but the only priority now is the life of my daughter and her total rehabilitation.

    I’m glad she’s recovering so well.
    I’m happy to see the devotion from her father.
    I’m also happy to see her father acknowledge the efforts of medical staff in saving the life of his daughter. No mention of a higher power.

  370. Portia says

    FossilFishy

    Thanks Tony, blogofmyself, Tigger and possibly Portia.

    Definitely Portia. Er, me. I am on the list of people who really appreciate your writing.

    I often post on things that already have heightened emotions attached to them.

    FWIW, I recall some of your posts that were not related to another topic being discussed, and they were just as moving and beautiful. (If that’s what you meant). Your post to Darkinfant made me miss my mom. In a good way.

    Audley
    Hooray for healthy happy family. Can’t wait to hear your story.

  373. says

    Okay, so all was going well, and I was almost done pushing (although I wasn’t aware of just how close exactly. Hello, epidural!), when my nurse said something funny (though damned if I remember what it was now). I guffawed and pushed DarkInfant the rest of the way out.

    My doc, who has been practicing for 35 years, has never had a patient “laugh a baby out.” Needless to say, he was impressed. :D

  374. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    kristinc:
    Thanks to *someone* sparking a Justin Beiber conversation earlier, I read that song to the tune of ” Baby baby baby ohhh “

  376. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    A. Noyd:
    The apology does seem genuine, but I wonder if he truly understands why he was wrong. Telling people here that they were “right about everything” makes me question that.

  377. Ichthyic says

    Hello, epidural!

    Ha, called that one yesterday :)

    My doc, who has been practicing for 35 years, has never had a patient “laugh a baby out.” Needless to say, he was impressed. :D

    actually, it seems to make sense to me, laughter moves your diaphragm, which could actually affect contractions, or create needed space as it moves up and out of the way.

    I wonder if Doc will experiment with his next patient…

    “laughing is working doctor!”

    “uh, ok, try sneezing!”

  380. Ray, rude-ass yankee says

    Congratulations to the DarkHearts! Welcome to this crazy/interesting/crazy world DarkInfant! Did I mention it’s crazy out here? May you find much love and many hugs.

    carlie@348,
    Why do I hear that in Sandra Bullock’s voice?

  382. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    I guffawed and pushed DarkInfant the rest of the way out.

    Oh, hell yes! That’s beautiful. I’m calling 8 years old as the first time the DI tells you she’s sick of hearing that story. ;)

  385. Portia says

    Audley, that’s freaking great :D

    Carlie, I like your song. It made me laugh. :D

    I’m all :D tonight.

  386. mythbri says

    Audley, I can’t imagine a better way than to laugh someone into the world. ;) I think it bodes well for DarkInfant’s no-doubt-excellent sense of humor. I’m glad your epidural took.

  387. erikthebassist says

    Oh and that link I posted, check out how many of the idiot YouTube commenters are more concerned that the bass player, Henrik, looks somewhat feminine, than they are that he’s one of the most bad ass amazing bass players they will ever hear in their pathetic little lives.

    Yet another thing misogyny shits all over.

  388. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    he’s one of the most bad ass amazing bass players they will ever hear in their pathetic little lives.

    Oh yes indeed. Not only hear, but see too. Watch his left hand, there’s not a picowatt of wasted energy there, fan-fucking-tastic. And I have to say that didn’t think that I’d ever hear popping that could be described as tasteful, but there it was. Thanks for the link.

  389. chigau (棒や石) says

    “laugh a baby out.”
    blimey, I ♥ this space!
    *happyjoyhugs* to all the Darks

  392. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    chigau:
    Interesting.
    I do wonder what he means by “conversation”. Blog commenting doesn’t lend itself to proper conversation.

    ****
    Yeah, marriage is all about love of one man and one woman. Except when teenage girls are given away to settle disputes.

    Like chattel.
    They treated the girls like they weren’t even human.
    I can’t even grasp that.

  394. says

    I love bashing Eric and all but as a mater of principle I will not be engaging his little brats. We are not some fucking goats to take his little shit stain students out to see for a field trip. I refuse to be his “education” prop. If we really want to screw him over and good we should actually consider not feeding the trolls. No response, nothing. Just make it a huge waste of time for them.

  395. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    Audley,

    Awwwww, I’ll be smiling the whole day because of you. You laughed the DarkInfant out.

    I’m glad you had such a great delivery. Yay for epidural and the funny nurse.

  396. Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze– says

    Ing:
    Be fair, he’s going to have help irritating and trolling.
    How many sockpuppets can one have simultaneously?

  400. Sarahface, who is trying to break the lurking habit says

    FossilFishy, #312:
    Oh, that’s a gorgeous piece of writing. I feels like it should be printed out and kept along with all the other baby stuff ’til DI is maybe 11/12? And then she can read it and know that, scattered around the world, she has lots and lots of people who were thinking of her and her mum, hoping everything would go well, and generally cheering from the sidelines.
    —
    Essay still not going well. Due in in 9 hours, I’ve done 1/3 of it. And 6 of those hours are unusable. So I should probably actually get on with it.

  401. Sarahface, who is trying to break the lurking habit says

    Audley! Congratulations! :) And I love your birth story, it inspires feelings of warm&fuzziness.

  404. Louis says

    Audley,

    Congratulations to you and your family.

    Mmmmm new baby. Now do we have that with the red wine or the white wine? I always forget.

    ;-)

    Louis

  405. Ichthyic says

    Now do we have that with the red wine or the white wine? I always forget.

    it’s a mammal.

    red, obviously.

  408. rq says

    FossilFishy, that was one beautiful welcome letter.

    And since I’m joining the crowd again today – Audley, congratulations again, to you and also DarkFather (they say daddy’s snores are soothing to the baby… I’m inclined to agree)! I’m very glad everything went smoothly and (as it turns out) hilariously. :) Lucky you and your epidural (slightly jealous).

  409. Louis says

    Ichthyic,

    Hmmm but one can have veal with white wine if one so chooses…

    Mind you, since I am going through a BBQ-neonate phase atm, a robust red will cope best with my sauce…

    Louis

  410. Louis says

    Also, GiggleBirth, I want one…not personally you understand, but it is pretty AWESOME!

    Louis

  411. McC2lhu doesn't want to know what you did there. says

    To Audley and newly expanded family:

    Hugest congratulations to you all. You will be tired and cranky for a while, but when you are tying the little shoes, getting laughs at your funny faces and happy noises at your improvised poetry and songs, you will feel quite a bit more awesome than you have ever felt before, making the moments of fatigue seem ridiculously trivial. Have fun, and mind the spit-ups.

    Also, if EITHER mom or dad feel depression or anxiety anytime in the next several months, take it up with your physician immediately. Don’t hesitate a moment. It will make sure all of you stay in the happy place you should be.

  412. McC2lhu doesn't want to know what you did there. says

    Pleh…spent a couple of hours poking holes in pro-Rmoney rhetoric on Yahoo comments. What a thankless job. Smirking douchecanoes who obviously didn’t read enough to comprehend my posts, and certainly didn’t bother trying to refute what I said, and respond with name calling, are still allowed to vote. Frustration central. Every time Lynna puts up another Mormie/GOP whackiness post, though, I feel enthused again to wade back into the shallow end of the gene pool to hopefully kick a few enemy neurons into action enough to think about ramifications of a Rmoney administration.

  414. blf says

    Malala Yousafzai’s courage can start new movement for global education:

    Solidarity with Taliban victim Malala Yousafzai could show leaders they must deliver on pledge of education for girls

    Less than two weeks after being left for dead by the Taliban, Malala Yousafzai is standing up on her own two feet.

    Her remarkable progress, reported by doctors at the specialist unit of a brilliant hospital that I [Gordon Brown (UN special envoy for global education)] know well — Queen Elizabeth, in Selly Oak, Birmingham — reveals yet another dimension of the courage and resilience of the world’s most famous 14-year-old girl.

    Today, signatures on the Malala petition — led by the UN education envoy site, Avaaz, Women of the World and others, and reached on iammalala.org — are approaching 1m. The petition calls for action to ensure every girl has a place at school in Pakistan and around the world. It is directed to Pakistan’s president, Asif Ali Zardari, and to the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon.

    I will present the petition to the president during a trip to Pakistan on 10 November, a month after Malala’s shooting. This day has been designated as a global day of action for Malala — and I’m calling on you to make your voice heard in support of this amazing young woman and in support of the cause that she championed.

    The petition is at http://educationenvoy.org/

  415. blf says

    Pakistan Taliban threaten another child activist after Malala shooting:

    Hinna Khan, 17, warned in phone calls that she will be next owing to her participation in her parents’ work to help women

    A young activist from the same area of Pakistan as Malala Yousafzai … has been warned in a threatening phone call that she will be next.

    Hinna Khan, a 17-year-old from Swat, was named during a call made to her mother’s mobile phone two days after Malala … was attacked …

    Hinna’s father, Reyatullah Khan, said: “The Taliban have kidnapped me and tortured me in the past for promoting women’s development, but now they are threatening the entire family.”

    Khan has long publicly opposed the Taliban and in 2008 he gathered a “jirga” of locals to denounce the extremists for forcing schools to close down in Swat. Since 1999 he and his wife have worked through their own organisation to promote development and literacy programmes that support women.
    …
    Those Pakistanis who most oppose the Taliban have been disappointed that the attempted murder of Malala has not prompted another military crackdown against the Taliban, particularly in their sanctuaries in the tribal agency of north Waziristan.

    The US has long demanded such a move, and some commentators believe Pakistan’s army chief, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, has been anxious to mount a major operation before the onset of winter. But President Asif Ali Zardari has since said there was no national “consensus” for the army to tackle militants in the area.

    Fun-loving guys, aren’t they?
    Sign the petition at http://iammalala.org and let them — and others, such as President Asif Ali Zardari — know just how much you approve of shooting girls to keep the world’s supply of cooties ignorant, barefoot, and laughing out babies.

  416. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    Giliell,

    I’m sure you remember our friend Timon for Tea. If you crave a good laugh this morning, do read this .

    I know you don’t comment on B&W any more, but considering you too have a history with Timon for Tea, this comment is worth venturing there for.

  417. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    Seriously, that from a guy who got warned by Ophelia for baiting me by calling me misogynist after I pointed out some of his sexist positions about women.

    I see this is going to be a LOL day.

  418. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    *sigh*

    The woopid, it burns! While my son and I were away, my wife had to take poor old dog to the vet – she (p.o.d.) was limping badly from her arthritis, had temporarily and messily lost control of her hindquarters (mini-stroke?), and was even refusing food. The vet didn’t diagnose the temporary loss of control, prescribed painkillers at a cost of £85 for a month’s supply (there’s no NHS for dogs, but we hope the insurance will cough up), but also wanted to perform acupuncture on her! Wife refused, I’m sure much more politely than I’d have done, and fortunately the painkillers have been very effective. Still, we have to face the fact that at 13, and having slowed down a great deal over the last year, she probably doesn’t have much longer. :-(

  419. blf says

    Meanwhile, in the USArseholiest TTTT (thugs, theeparty, taliban, and theocracy) shitepile, Republican Richard Mourdock: I gained votes after rape remarks:

    Indiana Senate candidate says popularity unaffected after saying ‘God intended’ pregnancies from rape ‘to happen’

    The Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock said on Thursday that he had gained voters as a result of his claim that pregnancies from rape are “something that God intended to happen”.

    … Mourdock said on Thursday that his popularity had been unaffected by the fallout. Asked about voters who might not vote for him because of the remarks, Mourdock said: “I haven’t heard of those voters,” the Indianapolis Star reported.
    …
    Asked if his campaign had gained votes after the abortion comment, the Star said Mourdock replied: “I know we did.”

    Mourdock’s assertion may come as surprise within his own party. The Senate candidate was the subject of headlines for the second day in a row on Thursday, with criticism coming from prominent Republicans as well as [President Obama].

  420. opposablethumbs says

    Audley, that has to be about the nicest labour story I’ve ever heard :-D

    Great to know that all parties are well, and to see you sitting up posting with DI asleep ::goes very slightly soft around the edges. Ahem. Resumes stiff upper lip; glares::

    My OH used to play computer games with Spawn#1 in his arms when she was awake in the small hours, while I got some kip. It doesn’t seem to have had any lasting ill effect on her … :)

    I wonder what she will think of this when she is older (hey, you are screen-capping this thread for posterity, aren’t you? It might be fun for her to see all this one day! Hi, older DarkChild! ::waves across the pond and the intervening years::)

  421. carlie says

    Audley – you win all the birth stories, FOREVER. Every time there’s one of those gatherings where women start to swap horrible birth stories and one-up each other on how awful it is, you can just shrug and say “I laughed and my baby came out”, and glide off leaving silence and confusion in your wake. :)

    I hadn’t thought of it that way, but my song was definitely done with a Sandra Bullock-y style of goofy awkward dance moves and hesitations. Although, the Copacabana version might supplant it in my mind.

    Seconding the comment above about if you start to feel depressed. It’s ok, taking care of a baby is hard, and you’ve got a zillion hormones going right now, and if you feel bad you take care of that shit and fast. Just call your OB up and they’ll know what to do.

  422. says

    Thank you so much, everyone! I ♥ you all.

    It’s almost 7 am here and I’ve gotten very little sleep, but that’s okay. I had the nursery take DarkInfant until her next feeding, but I just wanted to check in before I crashed for a little while.

    I’m tired and sore and stinky… but I’m absolutely in love. DarkInfant is nothing short of perfection. We’ve been doing a lot of “skin to skin” contact to soothe her and the first time Mr Darkheart snuggled up with DI was incredible and I of course bawled my eyes out. It’s been that kind of day.

    Anyway, for you non-PETers, I’ll have a picture of her up on my blog as soon as I get a good one where she doesn’t look like Ed Koch in a bad toupée. ;)

  424. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    quickly adds more smooches to the pile

  425. says

    Audley
    Get some sleep, we can wait.
    And if by the start of next week you feel an urge to cry, cry, cry, just do so.

    beatrice
    He’s just precious.
    He’s never said a sexist thing in his whole life! And we know it’s true because he says so!

  426. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    That whole conversation turned more bizarre than I thought it possible.

  428. says

    Poo bombs!

    Recalled this television ad, always gets a laugh out of me.

    I swear the little one did that to me. It was one of those late night nappie-changes and she didn’t only poop in my face and on the couch but she also hit the wall 2m behind me…
    Fortunately she was exclusively breastfed at that time, which made it a bit less disgusting.

  429. opposablethumbs says

    Brazenly kitteh-containing birthday gif for Audley and DI :-)

    (a friend re-posted this from tumblr – I don’t know the original source. Also, according to preview this doesn’t embed – honest! Apologies if it does!!!!):

    http://i.imgur.com/j3pYz.gif

  430. Sarahface, who is trying to break the lurking habit says

    opposablethumbs: d’awwwwwwww <3 I love that gif

  431. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    Things just don’t get any cuter than that gif… Except maybe pics of somebody’s newborn (nudge nudge wink wink to Audley)

  432. blf says

    Dressing up for Halloween: a feminist’s guide:

    Sexy nurse, sexy devil, sexy bunny — what’s going on with costumes? Don’t be scared to wear things over your underwear
    …
    A vagina
    Difficulty factor: Maximum
    Sexy Factor: Infinite
    Expense: Enormous
    Scare Factor: Cuddly

    The most feministy costume of the lot. There are ready-made vagina costumes out there, but expect to spend a fortune. Much better to invest in 50m of salmon-pink fabric, a sewing machine, and hours and hours of your time. However, the payoff will be so worth it. Bonus points if you add some Freudian teeth.

  433. thunk, Blob Alert! says

    I’m afraid I have bad news.
    Hurricane Sandy is forecast to interact with a large trough near the US East Coast, and likely to turn left and hit somewhere either side of New Jersey, in about 4 days.

    This interaction is likely to lead to massive deepening of the storm, to somewhere in the neighborhood of 940-950 mb, and cause its wind field to massively expand in size (this is already happening). It will become somewhat of an uneasy hybrid of a hurricane and a nor’easter.

    Large amounts of wind damage over a wide area, as well as precipitation, are expected. The massive size of the storm is also likely to lead to very large waves and storm surges.

    If you are living on the US East Coast, I recommend reviewing your hurricane preparedness plans, and stocking up on essential supplies.

  435. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    thunk:

    In NEPA, we are already watching Sancy with trepidation. It appears to be following the same track that Dianne did in 1955. Which dumped up to 1 metre of rain over the Pocono Plateau in a three-day period. When storms turn west or northwest from off the Atlantic seaboard, they have a tendency to stall out (witness Lee and the other one last year). Oh, joy and happiness unforeseen!

  436. broboxley OT says

    I like Biden’s attitude. Link is below for fair use purposes, not a recommendation to read further.

    “Later in the campaign, a twenty-three-year-old fundraising staffer got into a car with Biden with a list of names and phone numbers: ‘Okay, Senator, time to do some fundraising calls,’” Connaughton writes. “Biden looked at him and said, ‘Get the f**k out of the car.’”

    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/82897_Page3.html

  437. Thomathy, Holy Trinity of Conflation: Atheist-Secularist-Darwinist says

    Congratulations to Audley and the Dark Family! I know I’m late to the party, but last I tuned in, all were waiting with baited breath still.
    ______

    I am undergoing a couple of small procedures on my face and jaw in about four hours, a left and right temporomandibular joint arthrocentesis as well as a lingual frenectomy. I will be unconscious for the procedures, but I will be just fine!

    You should all know that after this I will have a more mobile and less painful jaw as well as a longer tongue. I’ve been waiting for these procedures for a while now and I’m kind of excited that I’m finally upon the date of surgery.

    Obviously, I’ve imagined some new things I can do with a longer tongue and a more mobile jaw, not the least of which are sexual. I will be able to lick my dinner plates without getting my nose covered in sauce! I’ll be able to lick ice cream cones instead of eating them (I’m not sure whether I’ll like that or not …ice cream lickers tend to suffer from ice cream dripping and I can’t abide a mess or lost ice cream). I will be able to stick my tongue out a people! I’ll be able to painlessly open my jaw to its full extent in order to eat large sushi rolls all at once. There are other things, but I’ll find that out as I go.

    First, I have a practically liquid diet for the two weeks while I recover and exercises to do in order to ensure scar tissue doesn’t actually shorten my tongue and tighten my jaw.

    I might not be posting for a while, cause I’m staying elsewhere while I recover and elsewhere has a bad connection and I’ll be high on pain killers anyhow. I would be staying at home with my good connection and high on pain killers, but Thomathy’s Other (who has not previously been mentioned) has his elderly parents coming to visit and they don’t know about his gayness or my existence and that, sadly, needs to be maintained until they die (which probably isn’t a long time from now, though they are proving to have excellent longevity so far). Which is just bad timing, but life is messy.

    Which is all to say bye bye! Until I can post again, that is.

    Best of everything to the Dark family and to the newest edition to the Horde!

  438. imkindaokay says

    I’ll admit I’m a sockpuppet of Ryankwilkinson but it’s because I just have to say this:

    I am sorry.

    I was wrong. I didn’t realise the magnitude of sexism/racism that exists in this world, in my part of the world, until I arrived at uni.

    I didn’t realise how much these ‘lads’ and ‘ladpages’ and other such things needed to be fought.

    The epiphany came yesterday: when one of my flatmates said there was no such thing as sexism or racism.

    But I have to thank FTB (especially pharyngula) for helping me.

    Block me/delete me, I am a sockpuppet, but, I couldn’t go around with this guilty conscience for too long.

    Sorry. Thank you.

  440. dianne says

    we are already watching Sancy with trepidation. It appears to be following the same track that Dianne did in 1955.

    Sadly, my first thought was “what could I have been doing in 1995 [misreading the date, obviously] that is still upsetting people?”

  441. blf says

    [M]y first thought was “what could I have been doing in 1995 … that is still upsetting people?”

    Do you want the full list, or just the edited highlights?

  442. dianne says

    I refuse to take the blame for anything that happened in 1955 though. I wasn’t even a secondary oocyte yet then and my time machine is strictly virtual.

  444. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    Thomathy,

    Good luck with the surgery and recovery!

    —

    imkindaokay/Ryankwilkinson,

    I’m glad you realized you were wrong. Kudos for coming here to apologize.
    I wouldn’t mind you staying around, if chief poopyhead decides to give you a second chance.

  445. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    imkindaokay/Ryankwilkinson:

    Thank you.

    Thomathy:

    So I guess the rice crackers, jawbreakers, hard-shell tacos, popcorn and other stuff is out? Well, unless you run it all through a blender, of course.

    You have my sympathy. Last fall, I had 1 1/2 teeth extracted and 21 fillings filled within a 64-day period.

    Be safe.

  447. opposablethumbs says

    Thomathy, all the best for a perfect surgery and fast, good-drugs-fuelled recovery. That sounds a bit daunting, but you sound like you’re ready for it and in the right frame of mind.

    One of my Spawn had a lingual frenectomy a few years ago (in order to be able to wear braces … :sigh:: … but it’s all over now and the braces are GONE) and it seemed to be just fine (I know it’s only part of your situation, but anyway, go you).

    Sorry about your OH’s elderly parents, that is … well that is nasty shit and I’m sorry you both have to cope with it. Argh. Why can’t people just love their kids, fuck it.

    imkindaokay aka ryan – wow, good for you! For having your eyes and ears open, and for your integrity in coming back to say this. I wasn’t sure before but I imagine you must be (by my measure) quite young if you’re just starting uni … anyway, it’s good to see you and I hope maybe you’ll decide to stick around.

  448. Rey Fox says

    I’m curious… since when does Eric Hovind even HAVE students?

    Those types always have to surround themselves with loving acolytes, don’t they?

    Audley – you win all the birth stories, FOREVER. Every time there’s one of those gatherings where women start to swap horrible birth stories and one-up each other on how awful it is, you can just shrug and say “I laughed and my baby came out”, and glide off leaving silence and confusion in your wake. :)

    Quoted for quotiness.

  450. blf says

    … in need of a really good laugh

    Oh great, there’s gonna be zillions of babies zooming around.
    (Checks ‘fridge…) On the other hand, I am running a bit low. Pop a few over this way, please.

  451. Portia says

    broboxley:

    That dog looks like its having so much fun. I might actually be persuaded to have a dog if it came trained that way!

  452. Portia says

    There’s a Romney banner ad at the top of the page here for me. Funny the adbots can even pick up Rmoney for data collection purposes. ha. There’s also the “language professors hate him!” one, to which I say “Dude, everyone hates Rmoney!”

  453. says

    Audley: Best birth story ever. That is literally the sweetest thing I have ever heard. I’m so glad you, DI, and Mr. Darkheart are so happy.

    Thomathy: I hope your surgery goes well and that your recovery is speedy and complete.

  455. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    Portia,

    I’m sure their daughter will have a lovely life with that man as her father (at least if they stay together/keep contact).

  456. cicely says

    My doc, who has been practicing for 35 years, has never had a patient “laugh a baby out.”

    “This is the way the world begins; not with a whimper, but with a laugh!”
    –
    Thomathy, best of luck!
    –

  457. blf says

    There’s no getting away from anatomy in art class:

    One of the upsides, or downsides, depending on your comic sensibility, of teaching art is that you will never be short of creative offerings to entertain you
    …
    Maybe another teacher would have been angry or disappointed … but honestly my first thought was this: if at least one of my students has acquired the skill, planning and artistic ability to construct a life size penis sculpture under the nose of an admittedly fairly useless substitute teacher, maybe they are learning something after all.

  458. Portia says

    Beatrice:
    Yeah, what a gem of a father, huh. Maybe he’ll require plastic surgery. : P

    ====
    [whine ahead]

    My aunt was going to have a costume party tonight (her birthday is Halloween). She just called to say she’s moving to next Saturday…which happens to be my birthday. When she does something she knows is inconsiderate, she has a knack for telling me the reasons it’s not a big deal. Sigh.

  459. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    Oh great. The excursion from the zoo is here.
    That is, on Thunderdome.

  463. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    They are disappointing. It’s like he let a bunch of ten-year-olds loose on a break from their clown school.

  466. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    Shoo, shoo! Bad boy. Back into Thunderdome!

  467. Portia says

    Godbots, if you insist on bringing it here you might find yourself unable to comment anywhere on Pharyngula. Listen to Beatrice, and SHOO.

  468. ctbn says

    Haha. Lots of conversation going on over there. Where do you stand when it comes to God and the afterlife?

  472. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    What the fuck? Is this some sort of school assignment from a rabid right wing authoritarian Christianis Dominionist school?

  473. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    Shoo! *brandishes a broom*
    Out of the living room

  476. Portia says

    It’s as good a place as any. You don’t go tromping around someone’s house in rooms where you’re not invited. Don’t do it here.

  477. cavarly4calvary says

    We just are here to have an open discussion. just curious… how you know for sure there is no God?

  478. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    We just are here to have an open discussion. just curious… how you know for sure there is no God?

    Please go over to Thunderdome and get out of this thread. You are not welcome here (by me (I can’t speak for everyone)).

  481. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    Oy, what did I tell you?

    PZ’s message on Thunderdome:

    We’ve got Eric Hovind planning to send his ‘students’ here on Friday. They should post here [::] in the unmoderated thread.

  482. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    Do not be a fucking shitstain, cavarly4calvary, and go to the thread that was provided for you.

  485. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    Portia, I have dealt with these flying monkey before. They will not show any humor at all. Sarcasm is beyond them.

  486. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    This blog is a place for an open topic discussion. Did I read it wrong somewhere??

    Yes you read it wrong.

  487. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    Why aren’t we welcome here??

    Because our host asked that you confine yourselves to one thread for this school assignment.

  489. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    The fact that you are ignoring the stated wish of the owner of this blog shows that you have no fucking respect, ctbn.

    What a bunch of bloody stupid gits.

  491. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    Why are you being so offensive, fuckface4rudeness?

    You cannot show the least bit of respect for others.

  492. broboxley OT says

    490 cavarly4calvary the religious instruction/discussion is not here, it is the other thread that has been opened for you and yours. This thread is for relaxation and for folks not to be annoyed. Obviously you are annoying people in this thread. Go to the thread provided to you. People will answer your questions there. Not here. Is that clear enough for you?

  493. Richard Austin says

    This thread is an open discussion thread, but it is also heavily moderated and, while most topics are allowed, certain behaviors are not.

    If your desire is to make a good impression, take your discussion to the place where the owner of the blog has requested you go. If your desire is to be douches, then we have no reason to be polite. Either way, you shouldn’t be posting here.

  494. Rey Fox says

    If it’s anything like last time, where they all just spouted presuppositionalist stuff about God being the necessary ground of for knowledge, then this will be a colossal waste of time.

  496. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    Why are you so defensive?

    Why are you being an asshole? Head over to Thunderdome and join the Gish Gallop like all of your classmates.

  498. Beatrice, anti-imperialist anti-racist Islamophobiaphobic leftist says

    Portia,

    I don’t blame you. All of them spouting the same shit (I mean almost literally repeating the same comments), and they call this place a hive mind! It’s taxing and stupid.

  499. Rey Fox says

    Because I know a God that knows EVERYTHING, and He can’t lie.
    1peter315
    26 October 2012 at 10:52 am

    How do you know anything to be true?

    Called it.

    One more thing before I drop the subject for the sake of preserving the atmosphere, in case any of Hovind’s students are still reading here: We don’t want you on this thread because this is the Lounge, which is where we have pleasant conversation with each other about our lives topics of shared interest. It is not where we argue with creationists. Many of us get enough exposure to the dominant privileged religion of the United States in our daily lives, hence we need an escape from all that noise.