Comments

  1. mildlymagnificent says

    Fossilfishy just lives in the state where the race is held.

    I always thought the holiday was for Melbourne only – because traffic chaos. But the rest of the country comes to a virtual standstill for anything from a few minutes to a whole rowdy afternoon after a liquid lunch. It’s also an opportunity for people who’ve never been to a racetrack, never placed a bet, never read a form guide to become instant know-it-alls on the chances of the horse they’ve never heard of that was their allocation in the office/workplace sweepstakes.

  2. birgerjohansson says

    When local gunsmiths start churning out perfect copies of 0.5 in and 14.5 mm sniper rifles, the concept of “bulletproof cars” will become obsolete.
    Why use inaccurate RPGs at nearly point-blank range and risk return fire when you can take potshots at anything (except the front armour of a main battle tank) from several hundred yards?

    Fortumately, there is a limited supply of good marksmen so the Taliban and others will have to restrict their use to high-value targets.
    — — — — — — — —
    BTW did I remember mentioning the documentary “Cheaper than therapy” about veterans in the US?

  3. says

    See this is the good thing about being a doctor, got one of my collegues to cut open my foot to remove some foreign body today. It’s throbbing now tho. Will get up early tomorrow to follow the US election, the 2008 thread here was a blast, so hopefully PZ will give us another one today….Right, PZ?

    That Chris Rock message for the election

  4. Pteryxx says

    via Jezebel: kicker Chris Kluwe (of BEAUTIFULLY UNIQUE SPARKLEPONIES fame) has pulled his blog from the Pioneer Press after the paper published an anti-gay-marriage editorial.

    Kluwe went on to write that the editorial tried “to confuse people through obfuscation and selected presentation of arguments.” He’s now live-tweeting his first reading of Atlas Shrugged, which he bought at the airport before the Vikings got on their plane to Seattle for tomorrow’s game. (He’s not a fan.)

    In a piece on Kluwe’s exit and the editorial, David Brauer of MinnPost notes that this power play hits the Pioneer-Press right where it hurts: “[Kluwe’s] ‘Out of Bounds’ blog has occasionally brought six-figure page views.”

    http://jezebel.com/5956509/chris-kluwe-leaves-the-pioneer+press-after-the-paper-publishes-an-anti+gay-marriage-editorial?tag=election-2012

  5. birgerjohansson says

    The coolest news since Dolly the cloned sheep:

    “Researchers discover how mole rat wards off cancer” http://phys.org/news/2012-11-mole-rat-wards-cancer.html
    Two different mechanisms, one for each species of mole rat!
    — — — — —
    I want those anti-cancer genes inserted into my genome, pronto !!!
    I suppose one could start by germline treatment of small monkeys to see there are no lethal side effects, but since we are talking about fucking cancer, I will be happy with any non-lethal side effects.

    Now, give me a set of genes to drastically reduce the risk of dementia, and a set of genes to postpone senescence…

  6. says

    @birgerjohannson,

    naked mole rats are my fav animal, because they not only don’t get cancer, but they also have no pain receptors and grow extremely old. It’s like god is rubbing it in there with his alleged fav species homo sapiens: “See what I could have done for you nenenene”

  7. rq says

    rorschach @7

    We’ll see who is laughing and how much when those mole rats take over the world. It’ll be a fight between them and the octopi, who just need a slight memory boost, and they’re good to go…

  8. blf says

    The Nostril Theory of USAlien Politics…

    There are, broadly speaking, two sorts of people in the world: Those whose nostril on the one side of their face is bigger than the one on the other side (the Nostrilites) and those where the one on the other side is bigger (the Nostrilistas). Roughly equal numbers of people are Nostrilites as are Nostrilistas, neither is overwhelmingly predominant.

    There are numerous minorities, such as those with one nostril, or more than two, or who have artificially enlarged / shrunken a nostril, or who have added nostrils, not always to the nose. Two extreme outliers are the Überantis, who claim to have none, and the Superdupes, who claim to be able to adjust the number, size, and location of their nostrils. The claims are difficult to validate, with mostly anecdotal stories and photographs that are either obviously faked, manipulated, inconclusive, or disputed.

    Historically, power shifts between the Nostrilites and Nostrilistas on a fairly regular and remarkably fair basis, and coalitions of the two (not always very willing or happy about it) are commonplace. Both groups realize they need at least the partial collusion of the other to line their palms without getting caught, and, on rare occasions, not irritate the vast majority of people, whatever their nostrils.

    A useful tactic is to enlist the support of the various minorities, generally in return for supporting the more acceptable parts of each minority’s interests and concerns. The Nostrilistas are usually supported by, and assist, the three-or-more nostrils, whilst the Nostrilites align with the one nostrils. The Überantis and Superdupes, being the extreme and unacceptable fringe, tend to be ignored, albeit the Ancient Texts tolerate their existence.

    In the last few decades, some of the Überantis have dropped — or at least no longer say in public — their more extreme demands, such as plugging up everyone’s nostrils or cutting off the noses of anyone with nostrils. These “moderate” Überantis now hold some positions of power or influence within the Nostrilistas, much to the disgust of the old-school Nostrilistas.

    As a consequence, the more obviously extreme Überantis have joined the Nostrilistas. These newer Nostrilistas, the Übernostrilistas, are now mostly driving Nostrilista policies. Completely expectedly, given the “moderate” Überantis tendency towards obfuscation, the new Nostrilista policies and positions change from moment to moment. The record for a new Nostrilista policy staying the same is about four seconds.

    The increasingly disgusted old-school Nostrilistas are marginalized, driven out, die off, or have their noses punched in, in the traditional form of Überanti debate. Some join the Nostrilites.

    The Nostrilites gleefully laugh and rub their hands (after stuffing the palm-grease into their wallets) and imagine a future where the Nostrilistas are not relevant and they, the Nostrilites, have unlimited and continuing power. The Nostrilites don’t actually do anything — other than eat Big Dinners with Major Donors — leaving it to the new Nostrilistas to self-implode.

    Nostrilista obfuscation — or at least not having your nose punched in — is surprisingly popular, much to the discomfort of the Nostrilites when they care to notice such things. The Nostrilites’s strategy of doing nothing meshes neatly with the new Nostrilistas say-anything-pretend-to-do-anything instant “solutions”, resulting in a gradual takeover of the halls of power, influence, and palm-greasing by the Übernostrilistas.

    The Übernostrilistas don’t collude with the Nostrilites, leading to stalemate and many noses being punched in. The Nostrilites, especially those whose noses have been punched in or who don’t want their nose punched in, learn to talk funny and mumble about more palm-grease being needed. They still don’t do anything…

    Meanwhile, the rubes vote. Nostrilista or Nostrilite?

  9. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    Just about everyone rolls their eyes about “The Race That Stops the Nation” but pretty much all take the day off anyway. I’m not sure how the actual holiday works and my wife is refusing to tell me, “Better figure that out honey, it’s going to be on your citizenship test.” I think she wants me to get deported.

  10. rq says

    FossilFishy

    Warn her about the dangers of deportation to other countries. Perhaps her natural compassion will take the upper hand and she’ll help you out with this tough question. :)

    I’m pretty sure the purpose of the holiday is to roll more money in to the racing industry, but more information here . (I like the part about issuing ladies’ tickets, because ‘where the ladies go, the men will follow’.)
    Turns out, in the first-ever Melbourne Cup in 1861, Archer beat Mormon. Anyone believe in signs?

  11. opposablethumbs says

    Sympathies and hugs to the temporarily exiled triskelthecat. I hope you are able to go home before too long!

  12. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    Something has died in my shop. Unfortunately my sense of smell isn’t that great so I’m going to have to let it get a bit riper before I can find it. Blargh. – Fossilfishy

    Borrow a dog?

  13. birgerjohansson says

    The octopi also need genes to postpone senescence, and to produce air breathing organs.
    The mole rats may counter by evolving the ability to spit venom at long ranges.
    — — — — — —
    The primate analogues to honey badgers are Finns and Australians. “plucky” does not cover it.

  14. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    Borrow a dog?

    Now there’s something I hadn’t considered. My initial thought was that I wouldn’t want to deal with the mess of a dog getting a hold of a rotting carcass. But in all likelyhood the smell is a deceased mouse hiding in a drawer or behind something. We’re right next door to a butcher and he baits for mice and sometimes they crawl into my shop to die. If I can’t suss out where it is tomorrow I might make a few calls to dog owning friends.

  15. rq says

    But watch out, if the butcher poisons the mice, then you don’t want a dog eating that mouse. Let it sniff it out, but not eat it.

  16. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    rq: I’m Canadian. The worst that will happen to me if I get deported is having to endure hockey season again.

  17. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    rq, good point. I rather suspect that it won’t come to any cainine assistance though. By tomorrow morning it should be ripe enough for me to track it down. (Oh yes, I’m so looking forward to work, why do you ask?)

  18. says

    rq
    Coffee is the fuel I’m running on.
    Now I’m trying to figure out with my Bulgarian counterpart what time-zones weR’e actually in. I’m going to starve tonight. I work from 6-9, then I have an hour to pick up the kids, tuck them in and then at 10 I have to chat to this nice woman for an hour….

  19. rq says

    FossilFishy

    Oh the horrors of hockey season! Be warned, that particular plea to your wife’s compassion might not work this year, as the NHL season still has not begun. :( So that one’s a non-argument.
    As for the ripeness, I was going to recommend waiting it out, because if it’s small enough, it’ll probably get consumed pretty quickly by even smaller things. That being said, you (and the butcher) probably don’t want the resulting flesh flies around (not that they’ll make much of a difference in the general fly population of Australia). And also, in the dry-bone stages, it’s likely to attract roaches, as well. But it won’t smell anymore! :) Good luck, though.

    Giliell

    Chat with snacks? Or do you have a moratorium on food at the computer? Alternatively, just pretend like it’s ramadan and you’ll get to break your fast after all is done by glutting yourself on all that is delicious in your fridge. :P

  20. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    The octopi also need genes to postpone senescence, and to produce air breathing organs.
    The mole rats may counter by evolving the ability to spit venom at long ranges.

    Surely a good project for the aspiring mad scientist: genetically engineer a cephalopod * mole rat * spitting cobra, and take over the world.

    Mwah-ha-ha-hah!

  21. ImaginesABeach says

    Tony – this probably isn’t your washer problem, but around 7 years ago, I went to the laundry room and found a whole bunch of water on the floor. Checked the sink, the water softener and the washer and found nothing. Realized the sound of running water I was hearing was the outside hose, and ran outside to find BoyChild had put the hose into the dryer vent.

    You could check on the garden hose…

  22. rq says

    Nick Gotts

    Now that’s an idea. I wonder what it would look like?

    +++

    In other news, I finally decided to take some action and I wrote a critical letter/note to a local cell company, for placing a TV ad condoning violence against women. Nothing particularly bitter, and I wonder what their response will be, but I’m surprisingly nervous about it. :/

  23. says

    rq
    Sadly, this video chat is part of my college class and has to be recorded, so me munching a plate of spaghetti isn’t that good an idea. (Currently I’m debating myself whether I can quote Pratchett in my presentation. There’s Pratchett for everything)
    +++

    Talking about water and leaks, the repair people are working on it and they’re already done annoying me.
    +++

    The horror of sports?
    European or World-Cup, football. The nature of German premier league means it doesn’t culminate in a big final match which I appreciate a lot, but the international competitions are hell, hell, hell, especially since extatic celebrations start earlier and earlier in the tournament…

  24. rq says

    Giliell

    Well, that sucks. :( Pratchett will have to do, I suppose. Good luck finding a quote!

    +++

    Re: Sports
    The Latvian KHL team is currently doing very poorly; the country is in a depression, and, worst of all, people discuss the fired coach more than current political affairs.
    I don’t like it when Latvia hosts international competitions; at least when they’re elsewhere, most die-hard fans go, too, and leave the rest of us in peace.

    +++

    I also just publicly posted my opinion about the TV ad to my Latvian-version-of-Facebook. I’m nervous. Should I be? I am. Very.

  25. says

    rq
    I know which quote I want to use. I need to introduce the concept of Orientalism quickly to people who most likely don’t know it. It’s when he discusses “undiscovered land”, i.e. undiscovered by people who count. I’m pretty sure it’s in “Witches Abroad” which is, of course, the one Pratchett I can’t find at the moment…

  26. birgerjohansson says

    Regarding nostrils: Let us be grateful that we are descended from katharrines (nostrils facing down).
    The plathyrrine (New World) primates have their nostrils angled out to the sides, which would make blowing your nose awkward.

  27. birgerjohansson says

    Genetically engineered Finn-octopi hybrids? Critters that *could* kick your ass, but are too busy distilling hooch.
    — — — — — — — —
    “I need to introduce the concept of Orientalism quickly to people who most likely don’t know it”
    Yes, while many know that Iran is not arabic, they know buggerall about anything else.

    Pratchett: Mountins named (from the local language) “Just a mountin”, Yet another mountain” and “Your finger you fool”.
    From “The Light Fantastic”, the second Discworld novel.

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

    Giliell,

    If you can remember from approximately which part of the story the quote you want comes from, I have the book right here.

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

    Is it this?

    Of course, lots of dwarfs, trolls, native people, trappers, hunters and the merely badly lost had discovered it on an almost daily basis for thousands of years. But they weren’t explorers and didn’t count.

    WHich is a footnote for:

    Some way downriver from the waterfall, which was the second highest anywhere on the Disc and had been discovered in the Year of the Revolving Crab by the noted explorer Guy de Yoyo,* Granny Weatherwax sat in front of a small fire with a towel around her shoulders and steamed.

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

    (looking for the link for the right edition)

  31. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    Hi, all.

    Had another one of those dreams last night. I won’t subject you to details but the dream triggered another memory — sometimes it was his wife taking the photos as he did things to us. I don’t know how much longer I can this.

    ==========

    Got a phone call this morning from a number shown on my phone as “UNAVAILABLE” and a woman told me that my polling station had moved. I asked who she worked for and she said “Lexington County Election Board.” I told her I was in Luzerne County and asked to speak to a supervisor and she hung up. What the fuck? Was this a wrong number or voter suppression?

  32. birgerjohansson says

    Scientists find Achilles’ heel of [some] cancer cells http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-scientists-achilles-heel-cancer-cells.html

    Hypergravity helping aircraft fly further [by reducing weight of turbine blades] http://phys.org/news/2012-11-hypergravity-aircraft.html
    -First they madea microgravity experiment on board a rocket launched from Esrange in North Sweden, and worked out that an alloy could be created even better in higher than normal gravity.
    — — — — — — —
    Ogvorbis, can you report the incident to the police?

  33. dianne says

    Random political reflection: You know who really ran the government like a business-at least a business that the CEO wanted to succeed rather than one the CEO was running into the ground for the tax write off? Clinton.

    I know Clinton was far from perfect, but he did a number of things quite professionally. He instituted changes that vastly improved the VA system. (I worked at VAs before and after Clinton and there was a serious night and day difference.) He appointed someone who had experience in disaster management to head FEMA. He funded the NIH, which is a job generator. Bush, in contrast, acted like a kid who wanted his friends to get all the best toys and whose only clear motivation was to beat his father in something.

    The current campaign has been the same. Obama’s campaign has been generally quite professional whereas Romney’s been acting like a spoiled brat who thinks he should be entitled to the presidency because…well, because he is. For example, shooting his mouth off in front of a camera and then claiming that the camera sitting directly in front of him was “hidden.”

    So where did this meme that the Republicans were the “business-like” ones come from? Because it sure isn’t consistent with reality.

  34. Portia says

    Azkyroth

    Freeze…potatoes.
    Have you done this successfully before?

    I can’t quite remember. But I know that sweet potatoes have worked before, so I thought I’d give it a shot. Does it sound implausible?

    Tony

    …therefore God :)

    Hooray! New washer-related dogma!

    Alethea

    Frozen mashed potato works pretty well.

    Cool, thanks.

    -===-

    Good news! I am going to go get sworn in to practice in federal court this morning by a very cool lady.

    -===-

    Then I’m going to go vote.

    -===-

    Last night, during cider-making, a friend of a friend made a comment that for some reason made me respond with “Well, I turned out atheist, so…” He looked almost creeped out, and said “What is with all these atheists?! I keep meeting them everywhere. That’s two now.” I said “That you know of. OOOoooooOOOOOooooOOOO” Pretty sure he thinks I’m weird. That was the goal though.

  35. dianne says

    Oggie: Seconding the suggestion that you report the call to the police. Also, any local reporters and vote monitors you can get ahold of. It might be an innocent mistake, but it’s more likely a deliberate attempt to suppress voting.

  36. dianne says

    Also, Oggie, if you’re not getting professional help for the dreams and other PTSD symptoms, do so. If you’re getting some, consider changing your caregiver or at least discussing with him or her that you’re having more dreams and things aren’t working for you. Don’t wait until it’s a crisis. And hugs through your USB if you want them. They can also be converted to bacon, wine, chocolate, cuddly kittens or calming manatees if those work better for you.

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

    Giliell @10:
    apologies. I must have missed that comment. I’ll go reread.

    ****

    Pteryxx:

    Thanks for the link to that. Chris Kluwe continues his track record of totes awesomeness!

    ****

    Oggie:
    Aw man. Sorry to hear about the dream. Have you discussed the abuse you went through with anyone in meatspace?

  38. says

    Ogvorbis
    MOar hugses

    Portia
    How do we have to address you now, y’r honour?

    +++
    There’s a first attempt at Italian Cantuccini in the oven. Making cookies is one of my favourite activities with the kids because they can both participate equally despite the age difference, it’s less of a mess than other things, it’s relatively cheap and COOKIES!

    +++
    I also had to freak out the young woman who works as a help in the Anglistic library. I kindly informed her that the student computer automatically loaded some links to porn sites. I really hadn’t seen anything like that before. I mean, her reaction, not the porn-links *gg*

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

    re: cantuccini

    With almonds, right? That should be delicious.
    I’ve never tried making them.

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

    My oven is busy too. I’ve made one of those “throw in every vegetable you can find” pots, with a bit of minced meat, and eggs and grana padano on top.

  41. blf says

    …and grana padano on top.

    I read that as “…and Granny somebody on top.”

    And then thought, Groovy! An evil witch.
    With almonds.

  42. Esteleth, Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo says

    Cross-posted from the Civic Duty thread.

    I voted.

    The minuses: Odd smell. Voting place was at a rec center, and it smelled of musty locker room.
    The plusses: Short line. Free coffee! A man came in, loudly announced that it was his first time voting, because he got his citizenship papers two weeks previously, and then proudly showed them to everyone. The poll workers congratulated him and everyone applauded.

    There weren’t any ballot questions, just various people running for office.

  43. blf says

    I hate Tuesdays and I want to look at something delicious.

    You eat days of the week?

    (Wonders what is excreted later…)

  44. Pteryxx says

    Via JT’s election open thread: report voter suppression tactics to the DOJ here:

    If you are being pestered by these people, notify the DoJ by calling 1-800-253-3931. Spread the word.

    http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/

    Contact form, address, etc:

    http://www.justice.gov/crt/spec_topics/election2012/election2012contact.php

    JT’s open thread:

    http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wwjtd/2012/11/election-open-thread/

    (going to crosspost to PZ’s civic duty thread)

  45. says

    Cantuccini
    200g flour
    170g sugar
    100g ground almonds
    2 eggs
    1 eggyolk
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1 tblsp vanilla-sugar
    1 tblsp Amaretto (I didn’t have any and used cherry schnaps)
    a few drops of bitter almond extract
    150 g whole unpeeled almonds

    I always roast almonds, ground and whole before using them, they taste much better that way.
    Mix everything together. That is messy. Form three loafs. that is even messier.
    Bake them for 20 minutes at 180°
    take out and cut into 1 cm slices and bake for a few minutes more. Keep oldest child away from them if you want to have any.

  46. rq says

    Thanks, Giliell . Copy and pasted and will attempt soon.
    Winter is cookie season in this house and new kinds are always welcome.

  47. blf says

    [Where did] sunday came from?

    Fell off the back of a lorry when they were delivering the Earth’s bearings. I have no idea who it was supposed to be delivered to, but they are probably still wondering what happened to the shipment of concentrated pea-flavored drain cleaner.

  48. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Sigh, did some training at work last Friday, then they went and updated a chunk of the SOPs yesterday, so retraining is needed now. Now to see if I can stay awake enough to get through the stack.

  49. Esteleth, Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo says

    A recipe:

    Cinnamon-nut swirl sweet bread.

    1. Make a standard white bread dough. Add a pinch extra sugar.
    2. After rising, split into loaves according to batch, then roll flat until 1-2 cm thick. Brush with melted butter, then sprinkle with chopped nuts and cinnamon and sugar in a 0.5 cup:2 tablespoon sugar:cinnamon ratio.
    3. Roll up like pastry, put in bread pan, bake as ordinary white bread.

    NOTE: SOAK PANS IMMEDIATELY AFTER BAKING TO PREVENT GLUE.

  50. broboxley OT says

    heh
    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/dowbiggin-new-agreement-will-get-done-in-spite-of-bettman-fehr/article4959120/

    It’s election night in the U.S. Tuesday, and that means news types trying to read results under pressure and generally making a hash out of it. We’ve never understood why the big networks, with their herds of sportscasters, don’t employ them to deliver the fast-breaking electoral-college scores or results from Cuyahoga County.

    Instead we’ll see quavering reporters melting in the spotlight like Albert Brooks in Broadcast News. C’mon NBC free up your Bob Costas. CBS liberate the Jim Nantz. ABC get Chris “Boomer” Berman to say the President’s numbers are going “Back, back back back…” . Get the winners and losers right in real time. America will thank you.

  51. rq says

    Thank you for that one, too, Esteleth . And yes, washing the pans after baking something sugary and buttery… I forgot, once.
    Unfortunately I spent a lot of time washing it, afterwards. Several weeks, in fact.

    blf

    re: Sunday – Actually, it just tagged along with the other 6 in order to give people the opportunity to say cool words like ‘hebdomadary’ (which always makes me think of camels).

  52. Portia says

    Giliell

    How do we have to address you now, y’r honour?

    Ha! Well, since I am now licensed federally and in two states, I’m thinking “Once, Twice, Three Time a Lawyer” will be my punny title of the day. Otherwise, I’m still just a regular lawyer. The really great news of this is that the judge who swore me in was a lawyer two years ago when I interned in her office. She now does appointments for indigent defendants. She gave me all the information on how to get on the list for appointments. I’m really excited to start this new adventure.

  53. cicely says

    Esteleth: Incoming. In the case of a misfire, please advise.

    Markita Lynda—but this is dogma. Do not try to confuse me with facts. Or “facts”. Or even facts.

    *evenmoarhugs* for Ogvorbis; and you were being repressed.

  54. says

    @birgerjohansen #3
    It’s not really a problem. .50 cal rifles aren’t that hard to come by; if insurgents, terrorists, etc. really wanted those things, they’d get their hands on them. The thing is that it takes a really good shot for them to be any good, and you can get an RPG launcher for about the same amount of money/effort, and those are really a lot better at killing people in vehicles, so no one really bothers much.

    @Ogvorbis:
    More hugs and another recommendation that you discuss the dreams w/ a therapist.

    Also, I voted a couple days ago, we’ve had mail in ballots in
    Oregon for ages.

  55. says

    I hope everyone in the Zone of Voting gets a chance to vote today, votes the way I want them to, and manages to sway enough friends and family to ensure the correct outcome.

    Also, get ready for tomorrow, the all important START OF THE 2014 MID-TERM ELECTION SEASON!! :(

  56. Ichthyic says

    left my comment, feel free to thrash these assholes

    wait… he was arrested for making… “terroristic threats”

    wtf?

    sounds like abuse of the Homeland Security act on the part of the cops to me.

    just how common IS it to have this as a charge in the US now?

  57. Ichthyic says

    ah, nevermind, I think the “terroristic threats” relate to a previous charge of abduction at knifepoint or something.

  58. broboxley OT says

    #Ichthyic the legal charge of assault

    Assault is an act that creates an apprehension in another of an imminent, harmful, or offensive contact.

    has been in decline, police prefer the new charge

    (a) Offense defined.–A person commits the crime of
    terroristic threats if the person communicates, either directly
    or indirectly, a threat to:
    (1) commit any crime of violence with intent to
    terrorize another;
    (2) cause evacuation of a building, place of assembly or
    facility of public transportation; or
    (3) otherwise cause serious public inconvenience, or
    cause terror or serious public inconvenience with reckless disregard of the risk of causing such terror or inconvenience.

    the 3rd instance is so broad spitting on a sidewalk can get you run in.

  59. dianne says

    has this then been abused by police in apprehending suspects?

    The probability that it hasn’t been abused sometime, somewhere is so low as to be unmeasurable. For example, the person in comment 80. It might be interesting to find out how often it’s being abused and whether that abuse is more common than abuse of, for example, laws about resisting arrest or assault of a police officer (i.e. a suspect “assaulting” an officer by hitting his or her head against the officer’s baton.)

  60. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    So where did this meme that the Republicans were the “business-like” ones come from?

    The euphemistic sense of “business?”

  61. broboxley OT says

    #90 Ichthyic any tool to overcharge is pounced upon by police agencies. At the federal level the current president has expanded government encroachment on private liberties and that attitude has trickled down to the cops on the street. We have a pretty decent country department where I am but the nearby town cops/government have a history of being abusive to the point I and others will not spend any money there.

    Its getting bad. Next thing I see is neighborhood councils being setup where tinhorn beaurocrats will issue asbo notices and fines with zero juidicial oversight or redress. That’s when the people will start to revolt.

  62. Ichthyic says

    . We have a pretty decent country department where I am but the nearby town cops/government have a history of being abusive to the point I and others will not spend any money there.

    wow, I have to say it’s refreshingly different here with your average approach to policing, where cooperation rather than strong-arm tactics are heavily favored.

    cops here are genuinely people worth striking up a conversation with when you see them on the street.

    that said, at the higher levels, there have been some abuses of note in the last couple of years, the Kim Dotcom issue being the latest, and that being at the behest and influence of… you guessed it: Americans. Americans obviously in the pocket of the RIAA, btw, and abusing the DMCA in the process.

    but, like I said, that’s more at the level of the equivalent to the US “FBI” than the way beat cops are taught to handle issues here.

    cops here are approachable, affable; not taught to use intimidation as a control mechanism.

    it is indeed a refreshing change.

    I hope it doesn’t get fucked up.

  63. ImaginesABeach says

    I have winter coats for JAL (or her mom) and Little One, hats and gloves for the family, a couple of sweaters, blankets, and more stuff to come. Everyone I know has winter stuff lying around, and they are happy to donate it to keep a family safe. So, if the decision is to move north, you will not freeze any more than the rest of us.

  64. says

    How come that a self proclaimed shy person who doesn’T want to get started because she’s afraid she won’t have anything to contribute to the conversation doesn’t let you get in a word and has to be reminded that it’s freaking 11pm already?

    But she was really nice and pleasant to talk to and now I’m cold, hungry and have a headache

  65. rq says

    Giliell

    I was just going to wish you a good conversation.
    I see it has gone well.
    I hope you have a restful rest of the evening/night and that some sleep cures the headache. :)

    +++

    Good night to all. I’m glad another Tuesday has been finished. Took a while, but it’s done now.

  66. says

    Staten Island residents are in need of underwear. Somebody notify the mormons. This is an opportunity they shouldn’t miss.

    “It’s like a third-world nation,” Molinaro said in a phone interview on Tuesday’s Good Day New York.

    He says so much other clothing has been donated that they are not accepting anymore.

    “What we do need right now is underwear; undergarments for children and adults,” Molinaro says. “That we need desperately.”

    Molinaro says that people can bring underwear to Miller Field on Father Capodanno Blvd. or New Dorp Lane.

    http://www.myfoxny.com/story/20015067/plea-for-underwear-on-staten-island

  67. Portia says

    Thank you all for the ammunition against the jerkwads on facebook who are proclaiming that “Why should we have to vote for the lesser of two ebils!?!?!” As if it’s a super original intellectual thing to say.

  68. JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness says

    I have winter coats for JAL (or her mom) and Little One, hats and gloves for the family, a couple of sweaters, blankets, and more stuff to come. Everyone I know has winter stuff lying around, and they are happy to donate it to keep a family safe. So, if the decision is to move north, you will not freeze any more than the rest of us.

    Yay for not freezing!

    Seriously, it’s November and still so hot here. I was told by everyone “oh, you’ll adjust”. Pfffft. Apparently, not. Seriously, people here like 90 with a nice breeze. I need 20 degrees cooler with a breeze works just fine for me. I may have lived here 9 years but I still grew up in MI. I always have to sleep with a blanket. Can you just imagine how suffocating and terrible that is here? Even still in November.

    Panic has sifted to pissed and irritated. I’m ready to pack.

    If only it were that easy.

  69. Ichthyic says

    So, I’m off to bed now
    Whe I get up again the election horror will most certainly be over and Cthulu will have risen from the sea anyway
    Good night.

    well, sweet dreams then…and may you and yours be eaten first.

  70. says

    @rq, no we don’t have a national holiday for a horse race. Victoria has a state holiday. The rest of us go to work, and generally have some kind of work party. At mine there were staff races (walking and running a 2.5km course), sweepstakes, a sausage sizzle and a fashionplate & best hat competition.

    It’s generally good fun, a nice chance to relax a bit with your workmates. Actually attending the race would be stupid – a great way to spoil all the fun: Marieke Hardy’s piece is not wrong!

    Has everybody voted for the lesser evil?

  71. Portia says

    Has everybody voted for the lesser evil?

    I have, and in several local races I actually had the pleasure of voting for a good choice.

  72. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    Some cooking therapy today.

    Homemade egg rolls (well, I bought the wrappers (I’m not all that into pain)) with port, cabbage, onions, sweet peppers, baby corn, ginger, garlic, carrots, and snap peas. We ate some of the egg rolls and the rest are now unfried in the freezer.

  73. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Has everybody voted for the lesser evil?

    Not as bad as the Louisiana governor’s race that had a confirmed racist versus an ex-governor convicted of corruption. As the corrupt politician quipped, it takes a person with two good hands to vote for me, one hand to hold his nose, the other to push the lever. He won.

  74. ImaginesABeach says

    I’ve voted for the lesser evil for President, and with great joy for US Representative, because no matter who wins, Michele Bachmann is no longer my rep (yay redistricting). I also voted NO on a measure to put marriage restriction in the State constitution. Now I need to go to the gym because I’m getting a bit obsessive about watching the results, and the polls in my state don’t close for an hour and a half.

  75. says

    I got to vote for the lesser evil for president, and an even closer choice for Senate… Tim fucking Kaine has been running as a better Republican than George Allen, and Allen has responded by attacking Kaine… from the left. Just wonderful.

  76. mildlymagnificent says

    Aha! I’m watching the Oz coverage of the election results. And we, of course, are not restricted in calling the result in the way that the US networks are. If I get anything … interesting? … I’ll let you know.

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

    ImaginesABeach:
    How did the excrebale Mrs. Bachmann even get elected?

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

    Alethea:
    I voted for the guy who *doesn’t* want to turn the clock back on women’s rights by 50 years…

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

    https://proxy.freethought.online/kagin/2012/11/06/proof-that-some-churches-are-trying-to-influence-todays-election/ links to a churchly voting guide in my state. According to them, I voted for all the greater-evil people.

    I’m gonna go eat another chicken pot pie. My wife made them using her marvelous pie crust, and they are yummy. And I am very, very lucky.

    I’m not sure if my tummy can handle election returns, with or without food.

  80. cicely says

    Whe I get up again the election horror will most certainly be over and Cthulu will have risen from the sea anyway

    …and hopefully have Eaten Us All First before we wake up.

  81. Portia says

    I just had an epiphany and now I’m not sure I have any place giving SO any grief for checking football scores like an obsessed person before the game is over.

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

    Hey, those of you on the other side of the planet, where it’s tomorrow!

    Who is the winner?

    :)

  83. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    Sorry Tony. I’ve been too busy making sure my robot butler polishes my hover-cycle correctly to check.

  84. broboxley OT says

    Portia’s link @128 for the WIN!
    all unopposed local races got my name for the write in except for Sheriff who is a decent guy. Bill the Cat for unopposed anyone else

  85. mildlymagnificent says

    Okaaaay.

    Right now. Elizabeth Warren has her senate seat in Massachusetts. That ghastly gift-from-God man looks to be gone.

    The last call I saw (we’re now back to the too cautious Americans) gave Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio, tentatively, to Obama.

    US commentators 158(O)to 154(R). We, being brave, have already given California and other western states to their routinely expected outcomes so we’re running 217 to 167. Totally pointless just yet, but the thing to watch is the body language in the two conference centres, Romney’s lot are a lot quieter and a bit frowny compared to Obama’s cheery and rather loud crowd.

  86. mildlymagnificent says

    And Florida! Looking too tight for Romney and pretty good for Obama. Virginia is genuinely too close to call.

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

    Portia:
    That’s better than a White Zinfandel giggle…

  88. broboxley OT says

    predictions again
    Obama as president
    repos pick up a few seats in congress lose a few in senate
    4 more years of crap government with the winners being the 1% the rest of us get to eat shit sandwiches and like it.
    :-(

  89. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    JAL, keep in mind that for the most part, the red states ((except for Texas) do not have as much of a population and less electoral votes. While more of the land space is “red”; New York, New Jersey, Illinois and other most populous states do counter act a few of those states.

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

    May Todd Akin fall into obscurity on some island (go keep the Others company).

  91. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    And Florida! Looking too tight for Romney and pretty good for Obama.

    Heh! Remember 2000.

  92. mildlymagnificent says

    Exit polls favour Obama in Wisconsin and Nevada. Oh yawn, yet another explanation of why we’re allowed to hear it and USAnians can’t because of the effect on turnout for local and state elections.

    And now the former Gov of Virginia is telling us Romney has Florida and Virginia definitely, no doubt, in the bag. I’m not convinced.

  93. Portia says

    Tony:

    That’s better than a White Zinfandel giggle…

    Isn’t *anything* better than White Zin *anything*? :) (I say that bartender to bartender).

  94. mildlymagnificent says

    Virginia, North Carolina, Florida.

    Can’t recite the reasoning from our electoral genius here (and he really is good) – but he says if Obama takes just one of these, Romney’s done for, even if he picks up Ohio.

    Does that make sense? I think I’m losing my mind.

  95. broboxley OT says

    yes I can has biscuits! for years my attempts at making biscuits failed. Even Josh’s recipe left bricks to be hurled at the dog. Thank you Krusteze Pancake mix. Just add enough water to be stiff, into the muffing pan for 15 minutes at 400F and I now only have 3 left of 12 and the dog is pissed because no one threw a tooth cleaner at him.

  96. cicely says

    Akins’ ass might be out?

    God, I hope so!

    Heh! Remember 2000.

    Let’s play Name That Nightmare!

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

    Akin is out? Voting against that guy felt like the most important vote I ever cast.

    I was going to go around and write “legitimate” on his posters, but didn’t want to get beat up.

    The Republican area headquarters is just down the street. Any ideas for a rude gesture of derision?

    Claire McCaskill, by the way, spent money during the Repub primaries supporting Akin, so she’d have him to run against. Somebody that clever deserved my vote.

    On a personal note, the kids are dyeing their hair a-fricking-gain. They always ruin a set of towels doing that, and make the bathroom look like a crime scene.

  98. Ichthyic says

    Heh! Remember 2000.

    sure as fuck popped my bubble.

    remember 2004?

    I sure do, it’s why I’m here instead of there.

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

    Remember 2000? I still have a briefcase given me by one of the international election observers that we qualified for after that election. One more way W Bush made this a third-world country.

  100. mildlymagnificent says

    New Hampshire definitely Obama.

    Exit polling 74% Obama voters cited healthcare as affecting their vote. Not sure if that’s national figure.

    Now giving Wisconsin to Obama.

  101. Ichthyic says

    4 more years of crap government with the winners being the 1% the rest of us get to eat shit sandwiches and like it.

    I’ll take “shit sandwich” over being told my government plans to go on yet another killing spree using the military in Iran, or wherever.

    I’ll take shit sandwich any day of the week, rather than feeling I am living in a country that felt justified in wiping out hundreds of thousands in a war that had no basis for execution beyond the willful thinking of ignorant zealots.

    the shit sandwich Obama is serving sounds much tastier, and less bloody, that the one W served up.

    oh, and it also doesn’t come with a side of “shut the fuck up and get back in the kitchen and make babies because you don’t matter, women”

    not all shit sandwiches taste the same.

  102. mildlymagnificent says

    227 to 178 now Romney given Arizona.

    Ohio, Florida, NC and Virginia still in play.

  103. mildlymagnificent says

    AFP says Akin definitely gone. Joins Mourdock in the now you’ll really be ashamed bin.

  104. mildlymagnificent says

    92% of Florida vote counted, Obama still ahead.
    50% of Ohio counted, Romney only getting 47% of those.

    The view here is that if Obama wins either of them, he’s won.

    Romney ahead in both NC and Virginia.

  105. says

    mildlymagnificent,

    Florida is 29 EV, Virginia is 13, Ohio is 18, North Carolina is 15. Obama is at 148 as of right now, and he’s virtually guaranteed 70 from the West Coast states, which puts him at 218. Very likely Obama also picks up Nevada(5) and Colorado(9), and he has a chance of winning Minnesota(10), Wisconsin(10) and Iowa(6), which would put Obama as high as 258… and only needing 13 EV more to put him over the top. Romney needs to win some of those flyover states AND VA, NC, and FL to stop Obama’s march to the sea. Obama can lose all sorts of states and still win, Romney needs everything to fall exactly his way.

  106. mildlymagnificent says

    Sarah Palin is apparently ‘puzzled’ that so many citizens could make this mistake (can’t remember the word reported).

    Obama now up to 240 EC votes.

  107. mildlymagnificent says

    Joe, that’s the way it’s reported here.

    Basically, once Michigan went to Obama all the heads in Romney’s camp sagged on the shoulders.

    We’ve already given Obama Wisconsin. Now Washington as well.

  108. mildlymagnificent says

    People are already leaving the Republican ‘celebration’ at the Boston conference centre. There were apparently some feeble cheers at a transient improvement in the news from Florida, then all went quiet again.

  109. says

    CNN has Obama at 238, and of the remaining states only ONE of them is solid Romney. Romney pretty much can’t win at this point, unless he sweeps FL, VA, NC, OH plus one other swing state.

  110. says

    So Nate Silver pretty much called it dead on. Obama wins the 3 Western states that still haven’t been called, and he hits 274. Everything else is gravy, if he picks up Ohio and Florida that puts Obama up to… math is hard… 321 to 217?

  111. mildlymagnificent says

    Iowa and New Mexico now in Obama’s count of 250.

    Jeb Bush has apparently called Romney to advise the Florida’s gone to Obama.

  112. broboxley OT says

    I’ll take shit sandwich any day of the week, rather than feeling I am living in a country that felt justified in wiping out hundreds of thousands in a war that had no basis for execution beyond the willful thinking of ignorant zealots.
    Obama continued same and authorized killing American “shit sandwiches” just because, without a judge without any justification at all, with his kids with him because he was rude on the internet in a place where we dont have any troops or a declaration of war.
    Want to kill someone? Drag him in front of any kangaroo court and then kill em, leave the children alone.

  113. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Obama wins!

    *Does a little dance. Not so much to set off an earthquake though.*

  114. mildlymagnificent says

    That would be …. that Florida’s gone.

    Fox network says Ohio for Obama!

    Doesn’t matter whether USA people willing to call it. Chicago is dancing. We’re calling it a win.

  115. says

    Obama’s leading Florida by 42K at 95% voting, and could still squeak out Virginia since people were still voting 2+ hours after the polls “closed” and the long lines were in the Democrating-leaning areas… not coincidentally, to suppress voting. Virginia is the difference between a solid win and an EV blowout.

  116. broboxley OT says

    argh bad blockquoting. Will withdraw and leave the gloating about the shock and awe of the next 4 years to you’all. I has a sad for the poor, for the neglected for a least a mild yay for women but nothing will change as far as mkatlkill trying to wipe out as many native americans as possible by assigning money for goods to the white interests she represents

  117. says

    broboxley OT,

    Yeah yeah… look, this “celebration” is like when you manage to get your crappy car to drive cross-country on a spare tire, having to refill the radiator with water every hour for the last 600 miles, and nothing but an AM radio. You’re happy because at least you didn’t have to abandon your stuff and hitchhike, not because the trip was awesome and you have a great car. Obama sucks, but he sucks in ways that Romney sucks as bad or worse, and Romney sucks in a couple of extra ways on top of that.

    Obama being president is like a kick in the groin, Romney would have been a knife in the gut.

  118. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    Thank you Americans, you chose the better of the two choices even if he’s far from perfect. Or so it appears to this outsider.

    But now? Now it begins. To those who felt like they were holding their nose to vote for Obama: now is the time to start building a viable third option. You’ve got four years to make it so you can vote with a clear conscience. Best of luck, and I mean that quite sincerely with no snark whatsoever. I’d love to see this world’s military and cultural powerhouse run by an honestly progressive leadership.

  119. says

    Oh, and not for nothing, but the Obama victory seems to have carried some better people into the Senate, and carried some ballot initiatives across the finish line, so that’s something too.

    Come on Florida!!

  120. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    Fair enough Portia. It really was the best realistic result.

  121. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    As a sorbet to cleanse the political pallet I give you a funny little time travel story that I found, pre-Godwined for your pleasure.

  122. mildlymagnificent says

    And while I sit here gleefully anticipating that concession speech from that man, I’m going to ride my hobby horse and block people’s view.

    Anyone who lives in a state with Republican representatives, please write to them and ask them whether they’re going to let their arms be twisted to sign on the dotted line that unelected creep, Grover Norquist, will put in front of them to undermine democratic principles. Such an unqualified, unalterable commitment should be anathema to people who are supposed to respond to constituents’ needs when circumstances change.

  123. Ichthyic says

    I could wish for better, but I am happy with this. Now what will limbaugh and trump do?

    well, if they’re anything like O’REilly, they’re lamenting the end of “traditional america” due to whitie being outvoted.

    no shit.

  124. Ichthyic says

    Obama continued same and authorized killing American

    war in iraq continued was it?

    nope.

    war in afghanistan going gangbusters still?

    nope.

    war with Iran on the horizon?

    nope.

    fuck, are u really that dense?

  125. says

    I’m gonna repost this here, because it is just too funny:

    That Fox “News” thing was the saddest thing I’ve seen in a pretty long while…

    For those of you who missed it, when the Fox analysts called it for Obama, they basically stopped doing a normal broadcast, and Megyn Kelly (Blonde #7, I think) walked back there to ask the analysts if they were really really REALLY sure? Maybe they could check their numbers one more time, please please please?

  126. Ichthyic says

    Marijuana LEGALIZED IN COLORADO!

    that’s news.

    CA rejected it, but colorado passes it?

    wtf?

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

    Wow.

    This means God didn’t want any of the Republican nominees to win the Presidency.

  128. Ichthyic says

    it doesn’t even matter if Obama wins Ohio now, he won Nevada and Colorado.

    Obama currently has 271, even without Ohio.

  129. Rev. BigDumbChimp says

    if you are on twitter promote #trumpisaclown

    Just follow @therealtrump ton see him in action

  130. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    My fucking heart breaks for Fucking Karl Fuckface Rove The Turdblossom. He has lost The Math!

  131. Portia says

    My fundamentalist GOP Congressman just got booted by my Democratic now-Congresswoman. *happy dance* :D :D :D

  132. chigau (棒や石) says

    Tentative Yay‽
    When we have elections in Canada or I follow one in Britain (for example) the top hits on google usually include the official government elections website.
    Why not the USA?
    or am I just google-fuless?

  133. ednaz says

    Portia @ 178

    I reserve the right to wallow in unmitigated, unexamined joy over these results.

    O.K. if I second that? : )

    (hee hee)

  134. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    Damn, that’s close Jadehawk. In any part of the world I’ve lived in that a vote that close* would result in weeks of uncertainty while they counted, re-counted and re-re-counted.

    *should it stay that way.

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

    The Fox News website was more definite than MSNBC that Obama has won.

    It feels like Christmas Eve to me. All the work and worry is over, and tomorrow is going to be a good day.

  136. says

    In any part of the world I’ve lived in that a vote that close* would result in weeks of uncertainty while they counted, re-counted and re-re-counted.

    might happen. OTOH, this is ND so you know: “when in doubt, the Republican won”

  137. Portia says

    O.K. if I second that? : )

    Join me! The party is in full swing over here. Well, the two of us are pretty happy anyway. Merlot?

  138. says

    I can’t believe I did this shit sober! Woo!

    Anyhoo, I’m off to bed. Celebrate for me, would you? I’m not satisfied until all the votes are in, and we get to see exactly how bad Rmoney got beat.

  139. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    Mitten’s having kittens
    But the people they have spoke.
    Rommey’s going balmy
    But Colorado gets to toke.
    This earth has a dearth
    Of sense and sanity,
    But some folk saw right through
    His crazy Christianity.

    [Best I could do. Clearly I’m no Cuttlefish]

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

    FossilFishy for the win!
    Where would you like your silver plated Internet shipped?

  141. JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness says

    I reserve the right to wallow in unmitigated, unexamined joy over these results.

    Oh, I’m so joining in with this.

  142. ednaz says

    Portia @ 202 –

    Join me! The party is in full swing over here. Well, the two of us are pretty happy anyway. Merlot?

    Yes, please!! : )

    Hee hee! JAL is joining us!

  143. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    Where would you like your silver plated Internet shipped?

    To Obama, with Romney’s electoral head perched delicately on top.

    The gift card should read:

    To: The Prez Elect.

    Just a friendly reminder of what happens when religion and politics get too cozy. Cheers.

    From: The rest of the world.

  144. JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness says

    Oh, yes I’m joining. Burgers from the neighbors grilling and cheap vodka for a rum and coke. Now there’s long drunken neighbors, who have been so awesome with my situation, debating about politics.

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I feel happy and normal. Today was a good day.

  145. says

    So, I wake to a world in which coffee is still legal.
    Yay!
    Thank you on behalf of the rest of the world, especially some 500.000 Iranian civilians who now have quite better prospects not to die in a war. And now please pressure OBama and don’t let him off the hook.

  146. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    CNN still has not called Florida. This is verging on parody.

  147. rq says

    Good morning to all, and a very good one, indeed!
    It’s too early to drink, but I’ll have the post-election party tonight. :)
    I am very glad and very relieved for all of you in America, as well as for those of us who live in countries that idolize America and see it as THE example to follow (politically).

  148. rq says

    And to all Australians, apologies for believeing Melbourne Cup Day was a national holiday. I was always under the impression. Oh well; being a state holiday only makes it a little less… whatever it was before.
    All the parties sound like a lot of silly fun, though!

    +++

    Loving the racist comments about Obama’s victory over at this end. Damn, but we’re a white country.

  149. rq says

    AND (doing this piecemeal because have things on stove that need checking) anyone know anything about that ligament under the tongue, and what to do if it’s too short? The middle one, apparently, has a short one, and the dentist recommends cutting; however, he just got compliments from the doctor about how clearly he speaks, AND he’s not yet 3…
    Is the dentist trying to intervene too early, or should we be looking into it more?

  150. blf says

    The power of math! Nate Silver has won…
    Now the “War on Math” begins with the chicken-entrail-reading “pundits” desperately trying to explain why Nate and this mathematics-based predictions are clearly false and inferior to the entrails and preying to the Great Sky Faerie. As The Grauniad put it yesterday:

    Most unexpected hate figure

    No contest: it was nerdy New York Times statistician Nate Silver, whose implacable refusal to stop predicting an Obama win drove Republicans, and less numerate pundits, into a frenzy. How, they demanded, could his computer model keep showing such good news for the Democrats when old hands, like NBC’s Joe Scarborough — simply by sniffing the air and studying their guts — knew that the race was “tight as a tick”? This was the election of “unskewed” polls (translation: polls revised retroactively in order to favour your chosen candidate). And you can expect the “war on math” to get worse: as pollsters and campaigners get ever more sophisticated in their data-collection, commentators paid to speculate about the horse-race see their livelihoods at risk.

    (Yes, there are valid reasons to criticize Mr Silver’s model…)

  151. says

    rq
    Can you get a second opinion from another dentist or logopedrician (is that the word? Or is it logopedist? You know, the person with speech therapy)

    Well, I just returned from the dentist. My tooth is still open, let’s see how it does. If it stays quiet we’ll try the root canal filling again, if anything happens it’s out…

  152. blf says

    I fink this has already been mentioned, but Teh tRump has suffered a total meltdown, Donald Trump launches Twitter tirade over Barack Obama’s victory:

    Tycoon attacks electoral college system and calls result a ‘disgusting injustice’

    Lets fight like hell and stop this great and disgusting injustice! The world is laughing at us.

    This election is a total sham and a travesty. We are not a democracy!


    He also suggested representatives “shouldn’t give anything to Obama unless he terminates Obamacare”.

    Like a stuck clock, he may have one plausible point, whingeing about the Electoral College: “The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy.”

  153. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    The world is laughing at us. – Donald Trump

    He’s evidently using the royal “us” there.

  154. Ichthyic says

    twitter is overflowing with teeth-gnashing rethuglicans looking to migrate away from the US.

    who the bloody fuck would have these tweakers?

    any ideas?

  155. Ichthyic says

    Like a stuck clock, he may have one plausible point, whingeing about the Electoral College: “The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy.”

    Obama won the popular vote too.

  156. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    rq@218,

    I’d say if he’s speaking OK, probably no need to do anything about it yet, so yes, get a second opinion (my son had this, and my wife’s a speech therapist). It may stretch, but if not, it can be cut, or not, when your child is old enough to decide for hirself. Apart from speech, there’s two issues: keeping the teeth clean – but with good dental care that should be OK, at 17 my son has had no cavities – and, um, the important role of the tongue in intimate relationships.

  157. rq says

    Giliell

    We probably will get a second opinion. The mother of a friend of ours is a speech therapist (it’s logopēds in Latvian, yah, not sure how it actually is in English), so we’ll probably just call them up for a visit and ask her. All the reading I’ve got in since last night point to surgical correction only in severe cases, and this is definitely not a severe case.
    But still, I hate the doctors here sometimes, they’re full of all kinds of scare tactics. I’m not sure what they get out of it, but we’ve had doctors tell us all kinds of reasons for doing things, and when we tell them it’s our third child and the first two were about the same, the reaction is, ‘Oh, ok then…’
    The children’s neurologist (not as heavy as it sounds – just looks at nerve development, whether they’re more-or-less on schedule, reflexes etc.) was very pleased with him and didn’t mention his tongue. She actually complimented him on his extremely (for not-yet-3) speech, and I trust her. She’s one of the doctors here that I like, who takes it easy and doesn’t make me worry needlessly.
    The dentist, this is the second time he’s seen her, and the Husband took them this time, and her first reaction was ‘Oh MY, how does he even EAT properly, that’s why he’s lisping, that needs to be corrected NOW!’ That kind of reaction makes me think, Ok, second opinion time… Especially since she specifically recommended another doctor in another clinic for the procedure, who’s apparently very good. Hmm…

    Good luck with your own dental worries. :/ Tooth fixing never sounds fun, and always makes me think of medieval torture. Sorry, I guess that doesn’t help, especially since I speak from a lack of experience in the situation.
    I am the lucky recipient of excellent tooth genes, and have never had anything fixed (besides getting the wisdom teeth pulled – most terrifying experience of my life, due to full anaesthetic). I dread the day when my teeth go bad on me. Also, I hope the children get MY tooth genes, and not the Husband’s. They can have the rest of his fine features, especially the eyes, but it would be nice if they got my excellent tooth genes.

    re: Trump – Well, the world IS laughing at them. All the royal Trump, that is. I am. :)

  158. rq says

    Nick @227

    Thanks for that, yes, we do clean the teeth regularly, and so far so good (he IS only 2 and a half…). At least now we know to keep an eye on it, but my google-fu says that it can all correct itself right up to the ripe old age of 6, so now I’m not too worried (just a bit uneasy; I hate the idea of surgical procedures on little children, even when necessary). See above comment about doctors here.

  159. blf says

    who the bloody fuck would have these tweakers?

    N.Korea could use their expertise & money.
    Israel seems desperate to introduce apartheid.
    Iran is theocracy. (So is Utah, albeit neither is right kind…)
    And I presume the taliban, et al., is always looking for suicide bomber recruits.

    So many choices…
    I’d suggest rocketing them into the Sun, except I can think of much better uses for the fleet of powerful rockets that would be needed.

    (Before anyone gets their panties in a twist at any of the above over-generalizations, please realize there is a certain amount of snark and exaggeration-for-effect going on…)

  160. says

    rq
    I hate it when docs treat patients, especially children as good with production check-lists instead of biological systems with lots of variation.
    Little one lisps, too, but her speech is so much advanced for a 3 yo that that’s actually the reason why you notice the lisp . Oh, and I lisped, too. My family tried to get me to shay “shit, shit, shit” and all I said was “sit, sit, sit”.

    Talking about kids and docs, I need to call the university hospital for the little one’s kidney-check-up. And I’m quite annoyed. Because when I was there in February they told me to come back in 12 months but they wrote the GP that control was in 6 months so when I showed up for her regular check-up it looked like I had neglected her medical care…

  161. rq says

    Giliell

    Here, it’s my own responsibility to return all reports from specialists to the GP. So I can just not give her the info, and she’ll never know if I’m neglecting care or not. :P
    But they certainly do like assigning all kinds of specialists to children. Very young children. I think they get government money out of the reference, for which I can’t necessarily blame them because doctors here are horribly underpaid (except a few in very well-established private practice, but even they like specialists a lot). Still, I wish more attention went to the actual patient.
    And yes, that whole thing about children and check-lists and charts. A bit of variation here or there, and they worry that your child will grow up to be some kind of weird physical abnormality – because children who aren’t potty-trained by age 3 will always be peeing in their pants.

  162. says

    rq
    Well, I could do that, too, but since my pediatrician knows that she’s lacking in the kidney department and her documents say so, too, it’s a well-established medical fact, so I could hardly hide.
    Now I have an appointment in 3 weeks and I’ll ask the doctor how that happened.
    I think my pediatrician well believed me because I have an excellent record of keeping them up to date with their check-ups and vaccinations, but I don’t like looking like I had screwed this in any way.

  163. says

    Yep, I’m not trying to build up a reputation for using sexual terms instead of the correct ones :)

    *brrr*
    And I just noticed that the reason why I’m still freezing after I turned up the heating is not that I’m getting a cold and am tired (ok, I am tired), but because the central heating has apparently been turned off…

  164. rq says

    Wow, yeah, ok everything makes sense now. :) I actually missed the missing ‘up’ because I automatically read it in the sentence. But yes, clarity in that situation is good.
    If you’ve been up-to-date, hopefully your pediatrician will forgive you. And I hope things go well for your daughter’s kidneys.
    (I wasn’t suggesting you hide from appointments; I know a lot of parents here who do, because the specialists don’t have a responsibility to inform the GP, and it’s easy for them. Thank goodness that doesn’t work for vaccinations, though, they’re pretty good at pestering parents to get their children vaccinated, although people still avoid that like the plague, too.)

  165. rq says

    Central heating turned off? If it’s relatively warm outside, maybe it just thinks you don’t need it.

  166. says

    And I hope things go well for your daughter’s kidneys.

    Kidney. Just one, which is the reason we have to go for check-ups. No big deal, the one she has is working perfectly and if i had to describe her to you in ten items then “lacks a kidney” wouldn’t be amongst them. So, it’s really just to see early if anything needs to be done.

    And no, it’s not warm. But i spotted a “heating repair” car outside, so it looks like they’re working on it.

  167. rq says

    Kidney, then. Sorry. Sometimes my reading comprehension is bad.
    Hooray for heating repair; hope everything is nice and toasty (but not too toasty) soon.

  168. birgerjohansson says

    A few scadenfreude links
    The Five Stages of Fox News Grief http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2012/11/07/karl_rove_on_fox_news_the_five_stages_of_conservative_grief.html

    Drudge Handled Obama’s Win Just About How You’d Expect http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2012/11/07/drudge_how_the_drudge_report_reported_obama_s_victory_or_didn_t.html

    Cheer Up, GOP: We Just Re-Elected a Republican President
    http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/frame_game/2012/11/obama_the_moderate_republican_what_the_2012_election_should_teach_the_gop.html
    — — — — — — —

    It is logical: in a choice between, say, a wife beating drug pusher, and a crazy mass murderer who dumps radioactive waste in children’s playgrounds, people will tend to choose the wife beating drug pusher.
    .
    Now I am afraid the bugdget negotiations will lead to a compromise mandating wife beating & dumping toxic waste in playgrounds.

  169. birgerjohansson says

    “rocketing them into the Sun”

    The Simpsons already did that.

    Mengele might recommend Paraguay.

  170. rq says

    I love it, when correcting a translation, when I take the very first sentence apart into very tiny, very little pieces. Bodes well for the rest; basically it becomes a re-translation.
    At least this time it’s short and non-controversial subject-matter.

  171. blf says

    [T]he bugdget negotiations will lead to a compromise mandating wife beating & dumping toxic waste in playgrounds.

    Splitter! Mandating dumping wives — and beating up toxic waste — in playgrounds is obviously a more sensible compromise…

    (Then, of course, having a baby roast.)

  172. dianne says

    @Gileill 232: That sounds like their screw up, not yours. Since they likely know this too, they’re probably going to be the mood to “forgive” you pretty easily.

  173. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    A couple of you have suggested seeing a therapist about my dreams. I have seen a therapist for my “PTSD-like symptoms” but I am scared shitless about talking to anyone about the cub scouts in meatspace. It terrifies me.

    ==========

    One of the right-wingers I know: “Obama only won because he let all the illegals vote. And they suppressed the GOP turnout. And they fiddled with the voting machines. And Romney wasn’t conservative enough.” Not verbatim, not all at the same time, but all said in the last hour. [turns up Zen — currently playing some Bach organ music. at high volume]

  174. dianne says

    I am scared shitless about talking to anyone about the cub scouts in meatspace. It terrifies me.

    Possibly Stupidest Suggestion Ever and if so ignore, but could you find a therapist willing to work with you over the internet? If it’s easier for you to discuss it via email, that might be the way to start.

  175. blf says

    [turns up Zen — currently playing some Bach organ music. at high volume]

    Apropos of nothing much, one of the bartenders at the local I frequent has got good taste in music (not quite the same as my tastes, but what he choose is good), and is also a drummer (but not in any band that I know of), put Switched-On Bach on the other night. I haven’t heard any of that in years and it still sounds groovy…

  176. rq says

    Ogvorbis

    Sorry if this just sounds like a whole lot of unwanted advice and bandwagon-jumping, but I’m going to agree with dianne @255, try to start with something like email or writing it down for a therapist, anything that makes it a little bit easier, but please, please, go see someone.
    I have no doubt that it is – and will be – absolutely terrifying, but the longer you wait, the more you give yourself a chance to build up the anticipation, and it will only make it more difficult with time.
    At least try to arrange a meeting/writing with a therapist, and just the action of setting up a date or a specific meeting might make the next step a little bit easier.
    (I’m not trying to downplay the fear and the terror, but sometimes facing it with simple organizational things helps, just a little bit.)
    Please see someone.
    Lots of good thoughts and hugs, if wanted, from me.

  177. Portia says

    Me on facebook: “Dear Republicans,
    Please feel free to move to Canada. It’s way more conservative up there, promise.”

    Not an obscure joke, right? Ignorants threatening to move to Canada if Obama wins, I’m telling them, go ahead, you’ll love it. But I get this, from two cousins of mine (both of whom are stationed in European countries with the US military):

    Cousin 1: “Grow up! Some day you will see the truth behind your foolish views.”
    Cousin 2: “Portia, I think what Cousin 1 meant to say is that you have friends and family that are republicans as well, and what makes our country great is the right we have to disagree and vote on different issues. If people you don’t agree with moved to Canada it wouldn’t make our Country a democracy and there would be no reason our husbands, sisters, fathers, brothers, cousins :) are in foreign countries fighting/supporting our/your freedom and right to express your political views.”

    *sigh*

  178. rq says

    I love Bach organ works: the resonance, the power(ful) chords, the intricacy of full-body playing… So good, even without any kind of modernization. They sound best at high volume. Absolutely.
    I have a soft spot for his unaccompanied violin and cello sonatas, though. Because writing layered melodies which should be played by multiple instruments for just the one violin/cello is badass.

  179. blf says

    Snow!

    Looks out the window… Nope. Just twilight. Nice and sunny today, but won’t be warm enough to eat outside this evening. (Still trying to decide where to go to have a nice celebratory “Thugs lost!” dinner tonight.)

  180. rq says

    chigau

    Snow?

    Portia

    The saddest part is that with the current government, you’re not too far off. (Although, for the hardcore Republican, all that socialized health care might be a bit much… But if the commies don’t get ’em, the winter might.)

    But yes, Canada doesn’t want them. I don’t think anybody does.

  181. Portia says

    rq:

    I was mostly thinking the socialized medicine, especially since that’s their one of their biggest “The world is eeeeenddddiiiing” things about Obama. (Not that Obamacare=socialized medicine)

    Anyway, who would want them. Sigh.

  182. rq says

    chigau

    Oh. I was expecting to be excited for you. Now I see it is not necessary.
    Spring is coming.

  183. says

    @ chigau / Portia

    Canada doesn’t want them.

    Here a short list of other countries that don’t want them:

    (in Asia) Myanmar Nepal Philippines Singapore Sri Lanka Taiwan Tajikistan Thailand Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Vietnam Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia China India Indonesia Japan Kazakhstan North Korea South Korea Kyrgyzstan Laos Malaysia Maldives Mongolia (Middle East) Afghanistan Algeria Azerbaijan Bahrain Egypt Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Libya Morocco Oman Pakistan Qatar Saudi Arabia Somalia Syria Tunisia Turkey United Arab Emirates Yemen (Europe) Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kosovo Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Vatican City (Americas) Canada Greenland Mexico United States of America Antigua and Barbuda The Bahamas Barbados Belize Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Nicaragua Panama Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago (Africa) Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo Cote d’Ivoire Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Orania Rwanda Sao Tome and Principe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone South Africa South Sudan Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe (Oceania) Australia East Timor Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Federated States of Micronesia Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu The People’s Democratic Republic of Southern The Endless Thread.

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

    What’s this about OK voters approving of a republican backed move to end affirmative action in state government hiring, education and contracting?

  185. chigau (棒や石) says

    I dunno, theophontes.
    The People’s Democratic Republic of Southern The Endless Thread‘s larder is kinda empty.

  186. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    They would be welcome in Glennbekistan.

    Doubtlessly, that would be seeking shelter while their merciful father in the sky sets about destroying the US.

    Thus santified, they can come back and set up a new and improved US without all of the evil feminists, LGBT, african-americans, secularist and scientists.

    NO NATE SILVERS ALLOWED

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

    rq: I’m on my phone, so I can’t link, but I read that at PBS.org (by way of Google news).

  188. Beatrice says

    I’ve realized that I have probably been taking a useless herbal remedy for years: Iceland moss throat pills.
    I use it for sore throat and coughing. I always felt that it worked, but I guess that was just placebo effect.

    So, definitely placebo effect or maybe some actual influence, does anyone know?

  189. cicely says

    So, so relieved. I couldn’t have stomached the shitburger with mayo on whitebread.

    I reserve the right to wallow in unmitigated, unexamined joy over these results.

    *wallowing*

    Wikihistory is an awesome little story.

    Tony, OK is chock-full of racist-fundamentalist-redneck dumbfucks.

    And I say this as someone from OK, and most of whose relatives still live in OK.

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

    Beatrice: that reminds me of all those alt med “remedies”. T likes to take xtra doses of vitamin C when she feels a cold coming on. Recently she felt sick and mentioned taking some. So I decided to look up how effective vitamin C was at combating the common cold. I believe I read a round up of multiple studies-IIRC @ the Cochrane Collaboration-all of which stating vitamin C is not effective at preventing, mitigating or eliminating the common cold. It took me maybe 10 minutes to find that. I didn’t and still don’t know how to broach that with her. Or how to correct people when they’re misinformed.

  191. rq says

    Beatrice

    Well, iceland moss has long been used as a folk remedy, but we all know what that sort of label is worth. According to here , it has been recommended for medicinal use, but not for sore throats.
    This place seems to have a bit more information on it, but it’s extremely vague.

    Personally, I’m inclined to say it’s more of a placebo effect, with the mild benefits mostly just due to the fact that you’re moisturizing your throat, rather than any particularly active ingredient. Then again, I came to this conclusion after a 10 minute internet search.
    That being said, it might have some sort of anti-bacterial properties (a lot of plants seem to), but I doubt those are strong enough to reduce swelling or to combat anything that has decided to take root in your throat.
    I actually like these capsules (taste-wise), so I will continue to use them (within limits), especially since they don’t seem to be poisonous. And if the placebo effect works, why not take advantage of it? :)

  192. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    At least on Thanksgiving Day in the US, the far right can have a collective orgasm as they imagine they are fighting back against a North Korean invasion of the US.

    WOLVERINES!

  193. Richard Austin says

    Oklahoma SQ 789:
    Would not allow affirmative action programs in state hiring, contracting and education programs. Affirmative action is state policies in place aimed at increasing diversity in state hiring, contacting and education giving weight or preference to underrepresented groups such as women and minorities.

    40.81 against, 59.19 for.
    NewsOK.com

  194. chigau (棒や石) says

    I can’t open my back door.
    I hafta start at the front door and shovel my way to the back.

  195. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    I can’t open my back door.
    I hafta start at the front door and shovel my way to the back.

    I read this twice. Then my little brain finally connected the word ‘snow’ and it all made sense.

    Unless this is a veiled reference to horses or peas?

  196. Beatrice says

    I’ve tried doing some internet searches, but most results go to pages similar to the one rq mentions in #286. Which only shows that yes, it’s probably just placebo.

    Tony,
    Oh, the “just take more vitamin C” cures. The other kind of throat pills I have are mostly vitamin C. It looks like all the throat soothers are mostly useless.
    Might as well just eat mint candy. At least it’s cheaper.

  197. says

    Hey Og, around when I first started getting therapy was around the time that I accepted certain experiences in my life as having been rape. I knew that therapy would be able to help me deal with the fallout from that, but I really really wasn’t ready to talk about it in detail or to say “the r-word” out loud.

    What I did was I told my new therapist that something bad had happened to me about 8 years prior, that it was affecting my stress and anxiety levels and my relationship and causing PTSD-like symptoms, but that I wasn’t ready to talk about the bad thing yet.

    She respected that, and after several months of therapy I was ready to talk about it. In the meantime she helped me manage my anxiety and stuff without probing into the roots.

  198. says

    Do I read correctly that Icelandic moss is used for thickening sometimes? Sort of like carrageenan? Maybe that’s the root of the idea that it’s good for throats, that it’s mucilaginous and would coat inflamed tissue (like pectin, which now that I think about it I have no idea whether that’s effective either).

  199. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    . . . I first started getting therapy was around the time that I accepted certain experiences in my life as having been rape.

    Not sure if I’m even that far, yet. I mean, I recognize what happened but, save for about three or four days a month when I really get down, I think I’m doing okay. I think I have far more problems dealing with the flashbacks and dreams and panic attacks from 9/11 than from my childhood mistakes.

    No dreams last night (that I remember), slept rather well. Woke up with a goat on my face. Warm and snuggly. So all is good.

  200. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    META

    mucilaginous

    One of the things I love about science is the cool words to describe things.

  201. rq says

    kristinc @298
    That one site does use the word ‘mucilaginous’ a lot, and wikipedia mentions that it is sometimes used in the place of starch as a thickening agent. So… Yes. Probably.
    Science has awesome words. Win science!

  202. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    Oggy
    “goat”?

    Well, a stuffed goat. Actually, a Folkmanis goat puppet. Named Briar.

  203. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    OK
    A goat puppet.

    Worse than that. There’s more than one.

    You don’t want to know what I was picturing.

    I have been drunk twice in my life. The last time I was drunk, I put my hand through a plate glass window. I have never, though, woken up from a good drunk under a goat. It felt like a goat had crapped in my mouth, but there was no goat.

    Honest.

  204. Beatrice says

    Ogvorbis,

    Oh well, I didn’t know you were into that kind of thing. That goat was a real erm… asshole for not staying the night.

  205. Portia says

    It’s interesting to watch the sickening-sweet shine come off my uber conservative Bible-thumping cousin (the third sister chimed in) when she realizes I’m beyond “help.” It just got nasty.

  206. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    How many other goats/puppets/goat puppets do you have…?

    Flannel, Briar, Feta, Pete Ziege, Jahlbak, Clover (who is not a puppet), and Ophelia. Why?

  207. rq says

    Ogvorbis

    Just wondering. I love the names. :) I had a stuffed wombat named Edgar Wombat Marsupial III when I was little. He’s still hanging around the house somewhere; I try to keep him from the littler hands.

    Portia

    Sympathies. It must be tough losing family like that.

  208. says

    Good evening
    Today I really realized how exhausted yesterday had left me. Apart from the 6 am to 11:30 pm schedule I also slept badly last night. I think I should have gotten up and looked at the news when #1 came snuggeling into my bed at 3am. So, I’m hoping for a better night tonight.

    +++

    About 10cm of heavy, wet snow.

    Now, if you were an Eskimo you’s have your own word for it! ;)

    +++
    Ogvorbis
    Folkmanis makes the most gorgeous puppets on earth.

  209. rq says

    Giliell / Ogvorbis

    Beautiful puppets indeed! I was not familiar with Folkmanis, but those are some awesome, awesome puppets.

  210. Ichthyic says

    @Ichthyic #189
    Oregon’s failed too. I don’t get it. What did the WA campaign do that ours missed, I wonder?

    scuttlebutt is that the one in Oregon was missing some key factors major supporters of legalization were pushing for, so they decided not to support this one.

    hopefully a better one will come along.

    California though?

    that was just fucked up. It was a good bill.

  211. Ichthyic says

    read the comment at the bottom for what actually happened

    yeesh.

    this is a small thing I love about NZ; cops here are trained NOT to be confrontational in their approach.

    you simply don’t hear stories of cops doing shit like this here, nor cops shooting people for walking on the wrong side of the street, nor cops beating people senseless at rallys, etc etc.

  212. Richard Austin says

    Ichthyic:

    California though?

    that was just fucked up. It was a good bill.

    You have to remember that CA is a huge state with a fairly significant red bloc.

    For Prop 19, Los Angeles as a whole declined it by a 4% margin (48-52); that’s 20% of the state right there, voter-wise, and one of the more liberal areas. Frankly, I think that was largely due to the crappy dispensary laws in LA City/County (there was a huge uproar about it at pretty much the same time). The only counties that actually supported it were pretty much the coastal counties from Santa Barbara to Sonoma, and it was facing 30s-level support in a lot of the red counties. Without main-line support in Los Angeles, it wasn’t going to happen.

    We just had a similar problem with revoking the death penalty: LA and the bay area supported, but only SF itself had a high support and most of the red counties were very against revoking it. So, it failed.

  213. broboxley OT says

    ok it turns out that I have plantar fasciitis on my right foot. Got the inserts, the sleep boot and now I want some good woolen socks. The usual suspects around here don’t stock them. Any ideas?

  214. birgerjohansson says

    Folk remedy?
    Naah, I will just mix garlic, fermented herring, Icelandic håkarl meat and turpentine.
    — — — — —
    I watched a sweet romantic program today. Stewie Griffin finally met a girl with the same interests.
    Then they tricked India to start a nuclear war with Pakistan.

  215. chigau (棒や石) says

    I’m going shoveling again.
    I’m beginning to think that one ought to get the snow-blower out before the first foot of snow.
    And I can’t find the roof-rake.

  216. chigau (棒や石) says

    And who here thinks that warm-fuzzy track-pants, ideal for wearing while shoveling should have fucking pockets?

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

    I just realized that Al Sharpton looks like a human bobblehead…

  218. says

    Three weeks.

    Three weeks, and I’ll be on the 2012 North American Tour of Interstate 40, stops TBA. :)

    Three weeks and I’ll be on my way to be with my wife again, and I’m NEVER going to be away from her like this again no matter what. No more having to carry a handgun to feel safe while walking my dog. No more living in this loud, obnoxious, boundary-violating ghetto culture. No more none of this depressing shit that has made me miserable over the last 13 months, and no more being angry when I’m not being depressed. No more of none of this shit.

    *grins* I’m going to fucking get through this. And I’m not even drunk while I’m saying so.

  219. ImaginesABeach says

    Joe, I know you have been miserable where you have been living, and I know you don’t feel safe there, and frankly, I would probably feel the same. But please reconsider your use of the word ghetto – it’s a racially charged word even when you don’t mean it to be.

  220. broboxley OT says

    ” No more living in this loud, obnoxious, boundary-violating hiphop culture.”
    “No more living in this loud, obnoxious, boundary-violating latino culture.”
    “No more living in this loud, obnoxious, boundary-violating redneck culture.”
    “No more living in this loud, obnoxious, boundary-violating schtel culture.”
    any of the above should be fine.

  221. says

    ImaginesABeach,

    Maybe so, but how else am I supposed to walk around singing In The Ghetto without the word “ghetto”? I just managed to get my wife to start doing the backup singer parts!

    Seriously, “ghetto” is the correct word, including the racial component. Erasing the word doesn’t change the fact of the place, or the underlying troubles. This is the high-crime, high-poverty, low-education urban neighborhood with a very low percentage of white people living in it. If you think the WORD is racially charged, try living here.

    Buut… whatever. I don’t need to use the word for you to know where I live and what it is like.

  222. cicely says

    And who here thinks that warm-fuzzy track-pants, ideal for wearing while shoveling should have fucking pockets?

    *raising hand*
    I’m a firm believer in pockets for most pants.

  223. Jessa says

    I’m a firm believer in pockets for most pants.

    And real pockets. Not the stupid faux pockets that clothing designers tend to put on women’s pants. It annoys me to no end that I have to go to the boys’ section to find sweatpants with pockets.

  224. broboxley OT says

    sweats need pockets so you dont have to obviously jam your hand down the front to adjust comfort levels

  225. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    And I can’t find the roof-rake.

    Damn the ice-dam, full Swede ahead!
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    Perhaps, as Mrs. Fishy suggests, sometimes I should just keep things in my head.

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

    broboxley, I once got a nice pair of wool socks from Bass Pro shops as a prize in a lottery http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Navigation?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&searchTerm=wool+socks

    As for pants with pockets: As I age, I carry more and more stuff in my pockets. I just added a waterproof lighter, and I don’t even smoke. I wish I could still fit into the pants I found in Indonesia—they have a pocket that will take the wallet I got there, which I don’t call a “billfold” because it was so long that bills didn’t need to fold; which is a nice, deep pocket (I’d offer to send them to you, but I have this delusion I’ll fit into them again). Although there were other pants that I got there that had no pocket depth at all (hint: it is a fricking waste of time trying to see if your nice knife got to the lost-and-found in an Indonesian airport (heck, an airport guard stole a knife right out of my luggage, after he made me put it in there (and it was the knife I’d used to scare off a gang of thieves))).

    As for shovelling snow, there’s a reason I don’t live in Michigan any more.

  227. broboxley OT says

    I live in cherokee county GA USA. The head of the teaparty TM lives here. We also have a large latino population and used to be a hotbed of moonshiners but their decendants are cooking meth instead.
    I was pleased today to stop at the local walmart (please correct my description with the proper terminology)and upon checkout they had a new trainee young (early 20’s) who was either transgendered (confused as to terminology here looked like a lady but didn’t start that way) or intersexed (same issue) presenting as a lady. Wife didn’t notice but daughter made a rude comment about her looks when we went outside. I explained to her what she saw was a person who preferred to dress that way because of their sexual orientation or lack therof and she was fine with that. As for the trainee I asked her if she was catching on to the routine and the trainer, an old white fart like me said she was doing just fine. The young lady just smiled.

    Now if freakin Walmart in backward county fuck GA can be lgtb friendly there is hope for America after all.

  228. chigau (棒や石) says

    We have gained access to the access to the snow-blower.
    Our vehicle is parked a block away (couldn’t get it into the driveway).
    It has stopped snowing.

  229. Jessa says

    broboxley:

    Regarding your wool sock problem: do you know any knitters? Two skeins of worsted weight wool yarn and size 8 US double-pointed needles yields a nice pair of wool socks. Otherwise, Bass Pro Shops, Gander Mountain, or farm supply stores usually have a good supply of wool socks.

  230. Rob says

    So here’s an American-in-New Zealand’s view of the election and the reaction to his views from Kiwis.

    Pretty typical. Not all Kiwi’s are fans of Obama, but we recognise a bad bad thing when we see it.

  231. broboxley OT says

    #346 rob here is an american’s viewpoint of why he voted for Obama. He is a friend of mine
    http://forum.iwethey.org/forum/post/show.iwt?postid=365914

    Never have I felt so bad about somebody I voted for winning. Now, when he’s blithely shredding civil rights or blowing up civilians in countries we are not at war with, I’m complicit. When he starts a war with Iran in a few months, I’m partially to blame. When he appoints the most conservative Democrats to be on a council with Republicans to come up with another Grand Bargain to destroy my future, I voted for the spineless shitweasel.
    Oh, well… a thing done has an end. At least the fucking attack ads are over.

  232. Rob says

    I feel your pain broboxley and wish all of you over there the best of luck. partly out of self interest of course. If you’re screwed so are we.

  233. screechymonkey says

    Got another election schadenfreude link for you, from a self-proclaimed “right libertarian” who is despairing that America is dead because Obama is a communist Nazi and the gas chambers are just a couple of years away. His solution? Yelling at clerks in stores that accept EBT. Oh, and defriending Democrats on Facebook. FREEEDOMMM!!!!!!

    The comments are awesome, too — he alternates between yelling at liberals who have stopped by to mock him, and yelling at fellow libertarians trying to talk him down from the ledge because damnit AMERICA DIED TODAY!!!!111!!

  234. rq says

    Good morning to all, and three cheers for those of us not clearing snow!

    chigau

    You leave me wondering how much snow you actually had, if you couldn’t get the car into the drive with 5 – 10cm of the stuff.
    I agree about the sweats, though. As cicely said, all pants should have pockets. Of some kind.

    +++

    Monday was vomiting child, today it is fever child. The winter season has arrived. I’m getting that paranoid feeling again, where everything I do has the secondary thought of, ‘How can I avoid the germs on this?’

  235. blf says

    I got a sweet potato that is about 3 pounds.

    Seems a bit expensive.

     ────────────────────────────────

    [T]here’s always Antarctica. But I’d feel sorry for the penguins.

    The mildly deranged one has noted your concern. And your suggestion. Neither is conducive to maintaining a healthy cheeseboard. You. Have. Been. Warned.

     ────────────────────────────────

    The problem with moving snow around with a shovel is it makes room for more snow. Excepting Her Mildlyness, Supreme Generalissimo for All Eternity of All Multiverses, snow isn’t very popular. So why make room for more of it?

    Leave the snow alone. Then any new snow won’t stay as there’s no room for it.

  236. Ichthyic says

    So here’s an American-in-New Zealand’s view of the election and the reaction to his views from Kiwis.

    I’m proud of the comments to that article.

    Keeps reinforcing the idea I came to the right place.

  237. says

    HI there
    Yay: prof approved the concept for my presenation

    rq

    Sometimes I wonder about the company I’m trying to keep

    Yeah, but what can you do, they’re your kids ;)
    Feel your pain with sick kids. Mine haven’t been ill for a full 4 days! I know it’s a sign of normal development, but it’s an annoying one.

    +++
    From Screechymonkey’s link:

    Some may choose to push secession in their state legislatures. Others may choose to leave the U.S. for good (Costa Rica, Switzerland, Italy, Argentina, Hong Kong, Israel).

    Now I’m gleefully imagining those arrogant American Libertarians being in Italy, getting dealt with in Italian (what do you mean you don’t speak English?), then accusing somebody loudly of being a communist and getting a “no, that’s not a communist, I am” back…

  238. opposablethumbs says

    How can I avoid the germs on this?

    Incineration.

    Sometimes I wonder about the company I’m trying to keep.

    It is not entirely impossible that the direct or indirect influence of the mildly deranged penguin may be detected in blf’s response to you, rq.

    Of course, one could always take off and nuke the germs from orbit … but then you would inevitably find out (just before the closing credits) that the readings were coming from inside the spacecraft

  239. Beatrice says

    Not only pants, skirts and dresses should have pockets too.

    My throat is on fire. My lungs hurt.

    I finished three of four parts of IELTS this morning. I’ve been sick the last couple of days, and since my cold usually ends with a couple of days of painful coughing, I was afraid that I will have a coughing fit or three during the testing today. That would be seriously inconvenient, especially during the listening test. So I had cold medication this morning, then popped a couple of throat pills (the real ones, not some C vitamin crap) and hoped for the best.
    I didn’t cough too much, but now everything hurts even more than usually.

  240. rq says

    Yay Giliell and the presentation!
    Also, thanks for the giggle about communists and libertarians in Italy. :D

    At least my kids seem to do things on a one-day basis. So far. We’ve been through the whole chicken pox-scarlatina-hardcore flu routine, and I’m hoping none of those make a comeback. But when they get sick, I always get that feeling of dread, that me or the Husband is next… And we all know how much fun children can be when you’re down with fever and miserableness yourself. So far, so good.
    And tonight, I’m going to have one for normal development.

    opposablethumbs

    I think I’ll nuke the germs from orbit, but go by myself and leave blf down here, with the germs. That way I can get a direct report on the germ situation, and, you know, keep my distance from the derangedness of penguins and those under the influence.

  241. Beatrice says

    Thanks, Giliell. These intertubes must work really well, the tea was here before you even sent it. ;)

  242. rq says

    Beatrice

    Get well soon, and good luck with the test! I’m glad the medication held out for the test.
    I recommend cranberries with ginger in tea with honey. :) Yes, it’s a home remedy, but it probably tastes better than those fermented herring mentioned earlier… (Not to mention Iceland moss.)

  243. says

    rq
    Good luck with keeping germs at bay. Kids are vaccinated against chickenpox but scarlet fever is their favourite disease to have. Little one had it 4 times, #1 had it three times and I picked it up 2. But they seem to get better, the last round they weren’t very ill or miserable (except for being locked in for 3 days). And Yay antibiotics!

    BTW, I take enough Vit C for all of you. Not because I’m trying to take lots of Vit C, but because I have to take some other supplements and somehow they all combine it with Vit C.

  244. opposablethumbs says

    Must be tachyon tea.

    rq, in that case better look out for the mildly deranged penguin’s trebuchet-based cheese-delivery system (or the tunnelling possibly sentient cider). blf has mysterious involvement with some powerful special effects going on ;)

  245. rq says

    So, Giliell , if you’re taking enough vittaminn C for all of us, then, because we’re on the same internet page as you, all of that goodness should also transfer to us, and, hence, keep all illness at bay! Right? :)

    Scarlatina can come back??? I thought it was a one-time, immune-system-battle-to-the-death-type deal… Ah well. I just hope that the next time around, it won’t be as severe (and #3 hasn’t had it yet, that and chicken pox, but he’ll be getting the cp vaccine, at least…). Last (first) time the kids had it, eldest had rashes all over and the then-youngest (now-middle)’s throat swelled almost shut – listening to him breathe was a terrible agony, two nights in a row, and very frightening, but it’s all in the past now. He just has a small residual fear of any kind of throat ache, even though he was barely a year and a half. Also, he got the chickenpox (bad) before we could vaccinate him, because eldest brought it home (after being vaccinated).
    As far as I can tell, disease works in mysterious ways. :(

  246. says

    rq
    Yeah, sadly scarlet fever is Strep B and they come in mnay tribes and are hard to kill :(
    Good luck for the youngest making it to the vaccination withou chickenpox.
    I had chickenpox on my 21st birthday. I locked myself up in the bathroom and never wanted to leave again…

    Gotta run

  247. Beatrice says

    wtf?

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/nov/08/breast-surgeon-face-criminal-investigation

    Ian Stuart Paterson, a breast cancer specialist who worked at NHS and private hospitals in the Midlands from 1994 until last month, is suspected of misdiagnosing at least 450 of the women with breast cancer when they were in fact healthy, and then performing unnecessary “lumpectomy” surgery.

    The surgeon also performed unconventional “cleavage-sparing” mastectomies on 700 other women, despite the procedure not being sanctioned in the UK. The technique involved leaving breast tissue around the cleavage area for cosmetic reasons but went against national guidelines which state that no excess tissue should be left behind as this could lead to a return of the cancer.

  248. Beatrice says

    I can’t find an article in English, but a clinic in Serbia just made one of anti-abortionist worst nightmares come true. They published an advert for a discount on abortions on a web site.

    Get your abortion NOW! with a 25% discount!! [note: this is me joking, I haven’t seen the advert. It got pulled due to all the shit they were getting ])

    The clinic got into some trouble with the national health department.

  249. Beatrice says

    re: #371

    It looks like this case has been dragging for a while. I found an article from December 2011 which says that General Medical Council banned him in July (of 2011, I presume). The today’s article says he’s been working until last month.

    Strange.

  250. blf says

    I think I’ll nuke the germs from orbit, but go by myself and leave blf down here, with the germs [Well, at least they ain’t peas or horses…]. That way I can get a direct report on the germ situation [Evolving, albeit probably not into a horse or pea…], and, you know, keep my distance from the derangedness of penguins [You think being in orbit is safe? Braahhaawwww!!!1!!!] and those under the influence [Huh? No germs — nor, sadly, any peas or horses — have been harmed in the making of these comments.].

    [B]etter look out for the mildly deranged penguin’s trebuchet-based cheese-delivery system [Cat. Kitty delivery system.] (or the tunnelling possibly sentient cider [Definitely sentient — it likes cricket and is waiting for the England-India tests… but stooopid, it seems to thinks England needs help embarrassing everyone.]). blf has mysterious involvement with some powerful special effects going on [Yeah, the lair is now mostly pea-proof.]

  251. blf says

    I found an article from December 2011 which says that General Medical Council banned him in July (of 2011, I presume). [Today]’s article says he’s been working until last month.

    Strange.

    Go the GMC site (his registration number is 2703453). It says that from 06-Jul-2011 to 29-Oct-2012 (when he was suspended) he had “conditions” attached, which include:

    5. He must not carry out breast surgery.

    6. He must confine his medical practice, either in the NHS or privately, to a. general surgery work, b. out-patient consultations with patients with breast disease.

    I have no idea about the GMC’s procedures (albeit I assume they are also at the side), but presume he was being “investigated” or something…

  252. dianne says

    Get your abortion NOW! with a 25% discount!

    And me inconveniently not pregnant. Drat! I do so hate missing these opportunities.

  253. Rawnaeris, FREEZE PEACHES says

    Hmm. This will probably get portcullised, but wish Mr. Rawnaeris luck. He’s got one solid job offer, and a potential second.

    We should know by next week if we will be moving to Georgia or Illinois in Feb.

    Personally I hope we move to Illinois, because then I’ll get to work on my Masters in Library Science. *crosses fingers*

    *laughs at self for crossing fingers*

  254. rq says

    Beatrice @374

    I was thinking more along the lines of package deals – you know, “BARGAIN!!Only this week!! FREE tube ligation following your 20%-off abortion!” (The question is, 20% off what…?

  255. rq says

    Beatrice @374

    I was thinking more along the lines of package deals – you know, “BARGAIN!!Only this week!! FREE tube ligation following your 20%-off abortion!” (The question is, 20% off what…?)

  256. says

    Rawnaeris
    Fingers are crossed

    +++
    oh-ohh
    I just got seriously told off by my mum in law. In essence I don’t police #1’s looks enough. Today she put on her leopard print dress, which she actually nicked from my sister. Lady’s size 6 short dress with half sleeves is a pretty long dress for a 5yo and she loves it.
    She disapproves of her wearing it to kindergarten. I said I didn’t pick it. She said she would stop her and not allow it if she was me. I guess it’s just too slutty. I told her that my rule is that kids who dress themselves pick their clothes themsleves. I only reserve the right to veto something climatically inappropriate.
    I love her, but sometimes she’s just kleinkariert. Oh, and she put out Mr.’s clothes for him even when he was already in highschool…

  257. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    rq:

    That’ll be enough of that. There are more than enough commercials on the tele which repeat themselves.

  258. rq says

    Giliell

    That last sentence explains everything… Mothers who insist on putting their son’s clothes out beyond the age of 5 consider anything not vetted by them inappropriate. Personal experience. (I’m hoping I wil never, ever be like that.)
    I like your clothes-choosing policy. We ran into issues when the middle one showed fashion sense before the age of 2, by refusing to wear certain colours.

    blf

    What else has a vaccine, while you’re at it?

    Rawnaeris

    Best of luck to Mr. Rawnaeris and to you!!!

  259. says

    rq
    Well, she still hasn’t gotten over the fact that he’s been wearing his hair long for the last 20 years and she’s a bit disappointed because I think he looked terrible on the pics from the 1980s. OK, everybody does, but his hair is very thick and totally unmanageable beyond tying it back in a ponytail.

  260. rq says

    Giliell

    Up to her death, my mother-in-law couldn’t get over the fact that her son married me. :) Things had gotten better from the initial few times, but still. There was no way she could understand why he was more likely to take my side than hers.
    At least his clothing wasn’t an issue. :P

  261. blf says

    What else has a vaccine, while you’re at it?

    Well, things that don’t include Wingnuttery, Mildly Deranged Pengunits, peas, getting out of bed, and Portcullisization.

    Some of the lessor-known vaccines are for Missing Socksia (but only the left half of a pair, and it doesn’t work very well), STUCK CAPS KEY, and Snakes&Ladders. Sadly, the experimental vaccine for tpoys done’st wrko. incrasineg bumner fot yps,o

  262. ednaz says

    Rawnaeris, FREEZE PEACHES @ 384

    Best of Luck to You and Mr. Rawnaeris!

    *also crossing fingers* : )

  263. rq says

    blf
    Pengunits?

    Giliell

    That was part of my MIL’s charm, too, but since she lived a few towns away, it wasn’t a daily or even a weekly thing.
    Hopefully she’ll get better as the children get older and she sees that they’re turning out fine. On the other hand, the older generation seems often inclined to rail against the folly of youth in eternity.

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

    opposablethumbs:

    Of course, one could always take off and nuke the germs from orbit

    Hey, it worked in Aliens. Of course the queen was still alive…

  265. ednaz says

    Giliell, Approved Straight Chorus @ 389

    oh-ohh
    I just got seriously told off by my mum in law. In essence I don’t police #1′s looks enough.

    You have my sympathies.

  266. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    Odd.

    In Kings Canyon National Park, there is a:

    Darwin Mountain.

    Evolution Valley.

    Evolution Creek.

    Darwin Bench.

    Darwin Canyon.

    And Lamarck Mountain.

    I thought that Lamarckian evolution was shown to be in error. Long ago.

  267. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    Giliell, oh what fun that is. My MiL stopped that sort of nonsense very shortly after she gave my daughter a haircut without asking us first. Mind you, it wasn’t the unauthorised haircut that did it. I was annoyed by her presumption but not overly, after all, hair grows and the bub didn’t mind.

    For some reason that remains unfathomable to me while I was taking her to task for the hair she confessed to putting the Small Fry in the ute (pickup truck) without using a car seat. That of course was a much bigger topic. Her reasoning was “Nothing happened.” and “I never wore a seat belt growing up, much less a car seat.” There was no getting through to her and I’m afraid I ended up yelling “That’s not your decision to make! She goes in her seat or she doesn’t go in the car.”

    Later I did some basic (probably incorrect) calculations and pointed out that if they’d had a crash at the speed she admitted driving at it would have been the equivalent of around a 3.3 meter fall. My question as to whether or not she would let her granddaughter stand unsecured next to a drop that high went unanswered.

    In the end it worked out well. From that time on she’s been quite good about keeping her opinion to herself and working within our notions of childrearing.

  268. says

    Gilliel, your presentation is the one which includes the Pratchett reference, is it not? There’s yet another one, from Unseen Academicals p. 46, where there is a reference to the Ankh-Morpork Trespassers Society, with a footnote explaining:
    “Originally the Explorers’ Society until Lord Vetinari forcibly insisted that most of the places ‘discovered’ by the society’s members already had people living in them, who were already trying to sell snakes to the newcomers.”

  269. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    For those, like my whole household, suffering from a cold there’s some evidence that zinc does in fact help.

    A Cochrane Summery.

    I found it here, a fascinating curation of the literature on supplements.

  270. Beatrice says

    I found it here, a fascinating curation of the literature on supplements.

    Uuuh, that page is getting bookmarked for future reference.

  271. rq says

    FossilFishy

    Zinc has been a long-standing remedy in the family against cold sores – have a sore? Put zinc on it; it dries right out, and disappears about 2 – 3 days faster.
    Didn’t know about colds in general, though. I’ll look into some tasty lozenges! :)

  272. cicely says

    *hugs* for Beatrice. Get well soon.

    rq, I have never been anywhere near Toronto in my whole life. I was especially nowhere near Toronto on Sunday morning. And I know this is true, ’cause I slept in ’til noon on Sunday. And I have a witness.

    IOW: I haz an alibi.

    Best of luck to Mr. Rawnaeris on the job offers.

    What else has a vaccine, while you’re at it?

    Well, things that don’t include Wingnuttery, Mildly Deranged Pengunits, peas, getting out of bed, and Portcullisization.

    And Horses. Unfortunately, there is still no vaccine for Horses, probably owing to Their fell influence on the intersection of politics and research grant approvals. You just can’t get R&D money for it.

  273. rq says

    cicely

    re: Horse vaccines
    Also, they’re just so damn CUTE with those long noses and big, limpid brown eyes. And the police uniforms!

    I wonder, is your witness believable enough for your alibi to hold up?

  274. rq says

    re: Snake Oil page

    The only one I’d like to get more information about is cranberries. I have to remember where I read it, but there was a study on cranberries (or their extract) having some influence on bacterial ability to form biofilms, thus somewhat decreasing the possibilities of some infections. But this is from memory; will do some google searching tomorrow, unless someone has the information on hand.
    Then again, on the snake-oil page, cranberries are in the ‘conflicting’ stage of the bubble race, so I suppose it’s not all that bad… Great berries for other things, anyhow.

  275. dianne says

    I think they have a vaccine for that now.

    But what if it’s a killed virus vaccine with mercury in it and it makes me all autistic? I could lose my ability to read people’s faces and become an introvert who preferred blogging to face to face interactions.

    Oh.

    Never mind.

  276. cicely says

    rq

    My alibi should hold up, no problem. The Husband is known to everyone who knows him as an Honest Man (sometimes tediously so). Additionally, Son and a long list of my friends and acquaintances can confirm that I am next to impossible to pry out of bed before noon on a weekend; and since there was no SCA event or family emergency involved, nor was it Skepticon, the chance that I would willingly bestir myself on behalf of just one Horse, a helluva long way away, on a chilly Sunday morning (after a late Saturday night), approaches zero.

    Large numbers of Horses, close at hand, in mid-afternoon…possibly.

    Sub in dried cranberries for the raisins in raisin-oatmeal cookies, especially with pecan chunks, and you have a cookie that I like even better than chocolate chip.
    *drool*

  277. cicely says

    Oh, and also…I would not mess about with snapping the tendons of individual Horses; not an efficient use of time and resources, plus all the disadvantages of proximity.

    This is why there is napalm!, delivered from a sensible distance (say, from orbit), to a target-rich environment.

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

    cicely:
    I found that Mr. Ed box set you wanted for xmas :)

    (a horse is a horse of course of course)

  279. dianne says

    Oh, and she put out Mr.’s clothes for him even when he was already in highschool…

    TMI alert: My relatives still more or less pick out my clothes. Mostly my partner does at this point. I simply never have been able to care two shits about how I dressed. Besides, he has to look at me more than I do.

  280. rq says

    cicely
    I don’t understand… Cranberries better than chocolate chips? I agree!
    We agree on so much else, but the Horses… I can’t get over it. It’s too much. It is a Deep Rift and a Great Divide between us.
    And fine, I’ll accept your alibi, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have some minions running around, thinking that every little single horse they take out for you will gain them favour.

  281. rq says

    Beatrice @419

    It’s been done, which is why I’m more careful with my tongue these days. Plus, if you mix cranberries + chocolate chips + white chocolate chips + nuts (I prefer walnuts and almonds), you get a cookie that is more filling than cookie, plus it’s practically healthy… And still DELICIOUS. :)

  282. Beatrice says

    rq,

    Those cookies must be held together by sheer force of will, unless you are using finely ground almonds as a substitute for (part of) the flour.

  283. cicely says

    Tony:

    Clearly you have mistaken me for my sister—who has always been succeptible to Their influences. When we were kids, she had a whole shelf-full of Horse idols.

    It was disgusting.

    rq:
    I don’t have minions; my Charisma stat isn’t high enough. Instead, I must rely on my Logical, Well-Reasoned Arguments; or, that failing, dogma.

  284. says

    dianne

    Besides, he has to look at me more than I do.

    I guess that’s a point. We picked my dad’s clothes when we went somewhere public, restaurant or such ’cause he’s colourblind…

    Fossil Fishy
    Oh no, she’s not as bad as that.
    She doesn’t do anything she knows we disapprove of and is very careful to ask before she does something we might disapprove of. But she disagrees mightily with me raising the kids on the principle that actions have consequences and that with duties come rights. So, if they don’t get dressed at all they go to kindergarten in their underwear, and if they do get dressed themselves they get to pick their clothes. Apart from it not being my business, I don’t see an issue with the leopard dress anyway.

    Dalillama
    Yes, that presentation. Thanks for the quote. I’m afraid I can’t use it sinc unfortunately the presentation isn’t about Pratchett and it’s a bit daring to use him at all, but I need to explain Orientalism in a hurry and I think that quote does part of the work (the other part will be done by some Indiana Jones pictures and, well, a scientific definition)

  285. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    Found one for Ogvorbis. :D

    Not me. I’m just overhead. Keep unauthorized people out, make sure no one misbehaves in fire camp, keep an eye on all of the expensive shit that helps keep the fire camp, and all the firefighters, working. Closest I get to flamey-flamey is sometimes breathing smoke in large doses (not my cigars). And these are good fires. It may be ugly as hell in the short term, but in the long term, the forest gets much healthier.

  286. rq says

    cicely

    I’m betting on the dogma. That’s what it was yesterday, at any rate.

    Beatrice

    It isn’t so bad, if you use everything in smaller amounts. But grinding the almonds finely does help. :) Alternatively, add a bit of extra butter and a bit of extra flour to the recipe. :)

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

    Horses? There’s joke somewhere about girls liking horses even though they are big, clumsy, stupid and smell bad, while girls dislike boys for much the same reasons.

    White chocolate? Eww. That’s a contradiction in terms, an oxymoron, and an abomination. It’s nothing but flavorless fat … which is better than no fat at all, isn’t it, so I’m cool, I guess. (Just don’t ask me to eat it by itself. (Not that you were going to.))

  288. rq says

    Menyambal

    No, I wasn’t going to.

    +++

    Anyway I am being called away by Powers stronger than this thread. Good night to all, and to all, a good horse-y night! :)

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

    rq:

    Anyway I am being called away by Powers stronger than this thread.

    When the priesthood comes a callin’, you’re supposed to say NO.

  290. Esteleth, Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo says

    Update on the Get-JAL-Outta-Dodge Fund: It looks like JAL has found a place – a furnished place at that. She needs $1200 for first month rent and deposit, plus a TBD pet deposit (let’s say $250 for the sake of argument). Also, ~$300 for getting from where she is now to where she needs to go.
    Donations have been trickling in steadily, and as of right now there is about $700 in the fund. Which means that there needs to be another $1050 for all this to work. Once there’s $1200 (i.e. another $500), she can rent the apartment and work on getting there. As of right now, I have 3 or 4 people who have said that they will be sending money on payday or that there are checks in the mail. Based on what I’ve already gotten, I’m going to assume that this is going to add up to somewhere in the neighborhood of $400.
    So! Things are looking pretty good. At the risk of sounding like an NPR pledge drive, can I ask if people could help push this the rest of the way? :D

  291. cicely says

    And when the Horses come a-callin’, you just say “Neigh!”

    ‘Cause that’s the only language they understand.

  292. ImaginesABeach says

    Esteleth – I added a little. If someone reminds me NEXT Thursday or Friday, I should be able to kick in a little more.