This is the lounge. You can discuss anything you want, but you will do it kindly.
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Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
This is the lounge. You can discuss anything you want, but you will do it kindly.
Status: Heavily Moderated; Previous thread
Oarsman grins a toothy smile…
What on Earth is that thing?
Oh, a Promachoteuthis sulcus would have been prime, if not genuinely toothy.
[reprise from pre-portcullis]
Or strokes. The Redhead could benefit by walking, even if only one side needs augmentation.
Giliell, I’ll just leave this basket of hugs waiting here for you. I hope you can get some restful sleep.
Apropos of nothing – except Megalonychidae and Bradypodidae:
I’ve just realised that I pluralise /sləʊθ/ as /sləʊðz/ but /slɔːθ/ as /slɔːθs/ (modulo sibilant voicing).
Anybody see the trailer to the new Scarlet Johannson movie “Lucy?” Looks exciting, except for the major scientific flub. Contrary to popular belief, we use all of our brains. We just use 10% at a time.
I have some pictures, including tiny toads with tiny toes.
~
I keep seeing different rationales for the “10% of our brains” myth, but I don’t believe there ever was a reason, it just came out of nowhere and attracted a lot of woo. None of the rationales bear any examination, and none bear repeating with any authority. It’s just wrong, full stop, period, point, the end.
Giliell, here are a bunch of hugs for when you wake up.
Yessssssss. A 20-screener in reply to a crackpot like in the good old times.
Using 100 % at a time would be something like an enormous epileptic seizure, right?
Giliell:
I’m so sorry for that situation.
I can relate more than my adolescent-era brain probably allows me to remember.
*bighugs*
Hope you get some peace.
carlie:
Has the new season of the Fosters started yet?
Giliell
I’m sending massive amounts of comfy hugs. I know this situation and I’m so sorry anyone has to experience it.
No advice…… just standing silently with you in support.
Anyone got something I can hit?
Ophelia wrote about a victim blaming shitbag who wants gay people to stop having PRIDE parades bc it causes people to bash queers.
Fucking asshole piece of shit!
NelC #9
It’s actually pretty easy to track down. It originated in Lowell Thomas’ introduction to Dale Carnegie’s massively popular book How to Win Friends and Influence People, an essay sometimes republished separately as “A Shortcut To Distinction”. Thomas cites Professor William James of Harvard as his source, but he’s badly garbling James’ research, and his formulation was further garbled by popular culture. In fact, what James said was basically that kids who got good nutrition and good education tended to be higher intellectual achievers as adults, and therefore many people now (or rather then) adults who hadn’t got very good nutrition and/or education as children would be higher intellectual achievers now if they had, and thus had not fully realized their potential (the 10% figure was something Thomas made up entirely). This is pretty much correct, and frankly not all that surprising, nor does it imply anything in particular other than that we should try to ensure kids have good nutrition and education, which is kind of a given anyway on my view.
Hope it’s not a threadjack, but my boss is hiring! He’s been too busy to give me a formal blurb, but I’ll give a quick summary of what I understand the job to entail (since it’s basically my job description as well):
Title: Programmer/Developer
Specific tools used: Java, MVC frameworks (we use Angular for our current project), Maven, HTML5, Javascript, and a general understanding of Linux/Unix
Pay: Ample, with health care, dental, disability, and IRA. Can’t speak for boss here, obviously.
Location: Remote development team. Company base in PST, but we contract with Western Europe (i.e. if you live in California, be prepared to do meetings at 6am on a regular basis)
Boss: Awesome. Met him through an old friend, extremely congenial working environment.
If anybody is interested… I’m really bad at following forums, but email me at g_r_a_n_v_o_l_d @ gmail.com (obviously without the spaces — and yes, I’m afraid of spiders and robots). I will try to check back in here, but … might not respond immediately.
Should go without saying that the only reason I’m posting that job announcement here is because I love this community (albeit as an infrequent contributor), and I thought someone here might be in need of opportunity or know someone who is.
For the Horde!
PatrickG
Sounds great, but I only have about half the qualifications so far, and that’s stretching it.
On another note, any Pathfinder players around here interested in an experimental realm-building game? I’ve been recruited to help playtest a set of (totally unofficial) rules for running a fiefdom and similar, subdivided by what aspect of things you’re involved with. It’ll be played online through Roll20, on Pacific time. He’s looking for one more player. Here’s the setting and additional rules.
Portia – yes! Tomorrow (Monday) makes week 3. But, I forgot to watch entirely last week. Last week’s is on Monday night at 6pm eastern, with the new (3rd) episode on at 9pm eastern. (the 7 and 8 hours are for last week’s and this week’s Switched At Birth). The 1st episode was confusing, because rather than do a set of flashbacks or starting where they left off, it was starting a few months later, but then flashing back without warning of any kind, so it was like scene: Brandon’s hand is ok! next scene: Brandon’s in the hospital with his hand! next scene: Brandon’s playing the piano! next scene: brandon is recovering from hand surgery! I wish I could have seen it twice to figure it all out. And timewise, I’m not sure what’s going on – based on Brandon’s hand recovery it appears to be at least 3 months, but based on the progress on Callie’s adoption, it seems like the next week after last season’s finale. So.
PatrickG – that’s really nice of you to do. :)
carlie:
Oooooh I miss Switched at Birth so much. I’m off to see if I’ll get llucky with hulu
PatrickG – That’s super awesome to do. I only wish I had the correct array of skills to take advantage.
Tony – Well, yeah, if you don’t do everything in your power to present yourself as super heteronormative and beg desperately and quietly to maybe be treated as a human being, then clearly you deserve the bigoted ignorance of the populace. And let’s just ignore that queer rights have only exploded in the last decade or two largely because queer groups abandoned the sofly, softly begging approach and just went balls to the wall in self-celebration and education. Almost like confrontation is key to activism despite the advice of those who want activism to slow down. Sigh.
Oh and since we’re putting out some personal calls for stuff… Me, Siggy (from The Asexual Agenda), and Olivia from Skepchick are getting together to plan out a panel proposition for FTBCon and we wanted to extend an invitation to anyone posting or lurking here who identifies as ace-spectrum who would be willing to jump in and join our panel so that we get a diversity of perspectives. You can email me at cerberussadlyno AT gmail DOT com or just post here to let me know.
@ Dallilama in particular, and others:
What I posted is sort of a skill set that *I* have to have. I know the project my boss is hiring for will involve other things, but he’s very much of the mind that current technologies are easily learnable, and that if you can do anything in the programming realm, you can pretty easily pick up other skills.
In other words, if you have programming experience.. it doesn’t have to be specifically those things. That’s just intended to give people an idea of the type of skills involved.
What he’s really against is people who are hard to work with. :)
PatrickG:
That’s a really nice thing you’re doing.
****
Cerberus:
Lovely to see you ’round these parts again.
Travis Mamone (#7)
I’m not excited about it because it’s chock full of racism. (This reblog is a more accessible version of the same thing.)
~*~*~*~*~*~
Tony (#15)
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone of an oppressed class so spectacularly miss the point of pride before.
PatrickG
Well, I have a basic grounding in Java and HTML, but not much more than that. but I don’t know anything about Maven or any Javascript. I’m pretty familiar with *nix systems, though.
@ Dalillama: If you’re comfortable sending me a CV/Resume, I can forward it on. At the address above. If not, let’s work out something else.
PatrickG
email sent.
Actually, I do play Pathfinder (more precisely, Pathfinder rules for the Faerun setting). Sounds interesting – we recently devised something similar, never got around testing it though. But I don’t think right now I would be reliable enough to playtest anything… if you could share a few more details besides “Pacific time” though, I could be more decisive about yes or no!
Nice to see there are other roleplayers around.
My #31 was of course referring to Dalillama’s #19. Grrr.
gorogh
Weekly ‘meetings’, during the day pacific time, further details to be worked out, IIRC.
Well, I’m back.
Tomorrow.
PatrickG, your boss sounds like an awesome guy to work for in our industry.
Wishing you luck, Dalillama.
Is that a real fish? What… what is it :/
Dalillama, will try to get in touch with you tomorrow, off to bed now.
Good night Lounge!
Random musing:
–Metallica, “Invisible Kid”
This resonates with me a lot. I want to be left alone, sure… but I also want my humans close by in case I need them.
Anybody else?
@jste: Yeah, no kidding. Especially after reading about so many issues in our industry in these and other parts…
On the other hand, it’s a small company that contracts with the UN. He’s not working in the more corporate “how many tickets have you closed recently?” world.
This guy claims his restaurant isn’t a Nazi cafe and that the Nazi’s didn’t slaughter anyone:
“Nazi goreng”, huh? They could offer “Nazi putih”, plain rice, which would mean “white Nazi”. Or they could just shut down and apologize. “Maaf”, I think it was.
*hugs* (esp. for Giliell, if there have been other serious happenings include yourself here, since I’m seriously ‘rupt and I apologize that I haven’t read all the comments) and *minion umbrellas* and *balloons* and *waves* to the Lounge in general.
As I’ve been saying, I’m still alive, the choir is still alive, and… well, generally speaking, things are going better. I’ve learned to tune the whiners out, plus last night I had a chance to sort of informally survey the populace (as it were) about their impressions of this trip, and even the people who I expected to have some constructive criticism to say came out and told me they were having an excellent time and that the trip in general has been excellent for them. What a weight. Just up and flew away. And I let down my hair and had a great evening, which resulted in everyone being (unnecessarily) worried about the state of my head this morning.
Oh, except for those rumours the perennial whiners started spreading about me and one of the choir menfolks. He is a flirt, and he’s my kind of flirt, so we get along famously, but we haven’t been up to any kind of shenanigans that would warrant rumouring. HA the best thing about this? He was wearing a white shirt today, and from hugging one of the
girlsyoung women, someone’s foundation cream got smeared onto it rather visibly. Expert analysis and opinion stated that it is mine, because I suppose possibly the colour matches a vague idea of what the colour of my foundation cream would be… except I don’t use any. Ever. So in addition to being whiners, they’re also stupid.Then our *ahem* Master Driver #1, who already got the sharp side of my tongue for pulling some impressively dangerous maneuvers a couple of days ago, pulled another circus-worthy maneuver, and got more from the sharp side of my tongue…. which then led him to complaining to the Chief Whiner, who later complained to everyone else that I just don’t understand how difficult it is to be the last car in a convoy. Well, I’ll say one thing: both times? They weren’t the last car in the convoy. And being last does not qualify you to pull stupid, dangerous, dangerous stunts (like pulling across 2 lanes of highway while braking without signalling in reasonably decent traffic – while carrying 6 passengers for whose lives you are responsible). This is a 40+ year old man who cannot get it into his head that, as a driver taking responsibility for part of a group, maybe he should try following the rules for a while. :P Asshole.
Today I walked through Ye Olde University-Tyme Neighbourhoode, and I think that out of all the city locations I’ve been re-visiting, that’s the one I miss most. Good old Roncesvalles. Bought a couple of books at the old used bookstore and chatted with the salesperson, bought a coffee at the Timothy’s on the corner just like I used to, photographed my grandma’s house… In general, I needed that walk to sort myself out.
Tomorrow our artistic director arrives. He’ll be having a few words about the quality of our singing. That, or he just won’t give a shit anymore. Everyone’s a bit apprehensive about it, though. But only a little.
The best news? I bought a bus ticket to Waterloo (okay, fine, Kitchener). *surreptitious glances in CaitieCat‘s direction* Guess who I’m going to visit tomorrow?
For those discussing the Lounge Commune, we have an urgent vacancy for dentists. No one has signed up for that position yet. And as Dalillama says, it’s not about survival – it’s about rebuilding civilization.
Yay all of us!
[endnote]
Could yer take a look at this, please.
https://proxy.freethought.online/yemmynisting/2014/06/30/nigerian-atheist-mubarak-bala-held-hostage-in-a-psychiatric-ward-for-renouncing-islam-and-non-belief-in-god/
I got sent to psychiatrists when I wanted out of an organization, once.
17 PatrickG
Fyi, I sent that information to my Roomie who’s an unemployed programmer. He doesn’t post here, spends most of his time reading and practicing, but he’s a good guy.
@ JAL: Excellent, I’m off to bed but will look for an email. If he has any problems contacting me (gmail spam filter is sometimes inappropriately aggressive) , let me know here.
Oh, well, I guess I should have read all of Kaveh’s post before commenting. I composed a long response about libertarianism, hit submit and then saw his warning:
I didn’t directly insult anyone, but my closing line probably violates his decree. I’m in moderation over there, but I copy/pasted my comment to Facebook, so here it is:
I of course included links to the sources of my figures, but they didn’t appear when I copy pasted.
Ah well. Perhaps he’ll read it. I don’t know that I’ll want to comment there much anyways. Civility is overrated, especially in the face of assholishness.
Early life stress can leave lasting impacts on the brain (child maltreatment or poverty) http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-06-early-life-stress-impacts-brain.html
Blame Canada? Team unearths what may be secret weapon against antibiotic resistance (Canadian fungus) http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-06-team-unearths-secret-weapon-antibiotic.html
This guy is my idol. I model my life after him. “Wally gets a work-related injury” http://www.dilbert.com/2014-06-28/
The horror gets worse: Savile ‘may have been adviser to Cameron’ http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2014/06/29/savile-may-have-been-adviser-to-cameron/
.
US Republicans: ‘Gay workers’ rights will only extend to the hot ones’ http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2014/06/19/us-republicans-gay-workers-rights-will-only-extend-to-the-hot-ones/
Late and ‘rupt; just want to send a very large consignment of hugs to Giliell. Shit, I hope you and your sister are OK. And your mum. I’m sorry she’s being so bloody impossible about acknowledging that she is in deep health trouble and needs to ask for and accept professional help instead of effectively dumping on her family … again and again.
Also, Tony! that’s an excellent comment.
Good work Tony. Fortunately, that species of malign parasitic organism you discuss (Rand) has not gained a foothold on this continent.
Iraq knocked out; ISIS to face Kurds in second round http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2014/06/15/iraq-knocked-out-isis-to-face-kurds-in-second-round/
Random question, does anyone here have a favourite geological epoch? Mine’s the Carboniferous, on account of the giant amphibians and dragonflies.
newenlightenment my epoch would be the Cambrian: so many weird and wonderful biological forms.
rq you have my sympathies for your family problems and your choir tribulations. It sounds very much like when we took the orchestra on tour: you knew who was going to cause problem…and they never let you down! There’s one band member who I still have a dislike for due to their behavior on tour. When everyone else is mucking in and helping to take equipment on and off the coach, the refused to help. They then sat on the coach complaining about how long it took to get going. Well, if you’d help it would be quicker! /rant
Tony I really hope you get the job.
Giliell I’m sorry to hear about your problems. *hugs* are available as always.
Garh…couldn’t get to sleep last night til 5am, turning over and over, then slept til 9:30 or so.
Then stood up. Or tried to. I’m all question-mark-y. Back is frakking nightmarish, cartoony levels of pain. Like, reaching over to the small table beside me to lift my drink hurts enough to make me cry out. And I’m not exactly incapable of bearing up under a certain amount; anything strong enough to make me noisy is…not small.
FFS.
And rq is coming to visit today. Stupid back! I need more from you! Damnit. Under no circumstances are you allowed to make that difficult! Do not fail in your mission, back!
Alright, meds, get in there and Do Yo Stuff.
Ow. Sorry to be kinda ‘rupt. *hugs* and commiserations and congratulations offered, as appropriate.
Caitie I hope your back improves for rq’s visit. I hope it doesn’t detract from the meeting. Enjoy your sub-lounge liaison.
Oh ye gods who don’t exist, I thank you for my doctor and her willingness to make sure I have the means for pain relief.
Aggressive treatment (read: a few tens of mg of opiates, along with a certain dosage of That Herb Compassionate), a tea-and-donut delivery by the Ex-cellent*, and some pixelpeople’s pistol-punishment later, I feel at a rough approximation of human again. Still in pain, still not moving well, but with enough of a cotton-layer around my nerve endings to make it a little less urgently awful.
Three cheers for the modern pharmer, long may they compound in peace.
* Being a cultural dyke has benefits.
Thanks, bassmike, a strong and sturdily-callused bassist’s hand up is a comfort in hard times. May you continue to constantly pluck up in happiness and good music. :)
*gentle hugs* for Caitie
Have fun with rq today and say hello from me
*hoards all the hugs*
Well, apparently I hallucinated last night and so did everybody else.
Today my mother’s opinion is that everything is fine, we’re all idiots, if my sister ever calls the ambulance again there will be trouble (she didn’t even notice I was there) all trimmed with a threat of violence against my dad (I must admit that compassion for him runs a little low after the shit he pulled on me)
newenlightenment, a favorite epoch? Mh now you’ve given me something to think about. Not sure I will reach a conclusion anytime soon.
Caitie, I like the expression, “That Herb Compassionate”. Will try to remember it.
Yeah. That seems very worthy of consideration. Seriously though, Tony @40, why is it that most of the time some non-expert brings up the term “controversy”, there really is none? Teach the holocaust controversy? Wtf.
Oh and an afterthought for Morgan @Lounge 465, #642… I would love to live in a place like that, having always been a mountain person. Not too high altitudes/bleak stone, but as long as there are forests, I love it; spent much of my childhood in such areas. Plus, your honorary grandbaby sounds pleasant enough. Still, I usually am wary of children… those tiny hands and constant need for attention…
Giliell
Hoping things get better for you.
General message to all: I’m a bit threadrupt right now, what with the dog-related sadness. But wanted to thank you all again for your gentle support. I can’t tell you how much better simple condolences are than folks offering advice on how I should deal with this. I know they mean well, but seriously? Guh. Anyways, just wanted to sprinkle a bit of appreciation for y’all. Thanks.
FUCK SCOTUS
Tony!
I know! Can you believe this? The corporate choke-hold on politics in this country is sickening. I want to hope for a turnaround, but I think we’re pretty much boned.
awakeinmo, if it’s even the tiniest bit helpful then I’m very glad. Hope you are OK.
CaitieCat I hope you and rq have a great visit – I’m so sorry the pain is acting up like a, like a rethuglican or something. Glad you have something to make it marginally less unbearable. Hope you are able to enjoy meeting, in spite of it.
My OH has chronic pain – nothing like your levels, I think, but enough to throw sleep and enjoyment out the window, and we have basically no idea how to deal with it. He’s tried various meds, had nasty side effects for not a lot of benefit, and therefore dropped them again after what seemed like a fair try of a couple of months or so each. :-((((
awakeinmo:
Yeah, it’s sickening. This case is even worse, bc of the double whammy of corporate chokehold meets religious exemptions.
****
Gorogh:
I noticed one piece of salient information from that same Salon article:
I didn’t know this. I puts things into some perspective. Doesn’t change anything. They still largely dedicated a restaurant to Hitler and the Nazi’s.
Giliell, *all the hugs*
Kudos to PatrickG for being awesome.
CaitieCat is meeting rq is meeting CaitieCat. Argh, I’m envious!
Saw reruns of a very old show. I almost forgot how good it was (if we ignore all the casual sexism). I had a huge crush on one of the characters (actors? not sure, haven’t seen the guy anywhere else).
I had good taste.
Beatrice:
Wholeheartedly seconded.
What’s the color of envy?
I’m excited my own self. rq is someone I like a whole bunch.
Careful work has meant I can now walk around a bit, using my cane. I don’t usually use it indoors, since it’s usually to keep off chronic pain, not to make it possible to walk.
Today, it’s for walking. But, on the up side, walking! :)
Always gotta look for the up side. oppthumbs, my sympathies with your OH. I don’t mind whether it’s terrible or ‘just’ painful – chronic pain is a really unpleasant way to live, so don’t ever feel you need to apologize to me for saying something hurts. That I also hurt in no way invalidates anyone else’s pain; if anything, given I’m used to it, as it were, it’s probably easier for me than for a lot of folks, and I’m glad of that, both in that it makes it possible for me to live more easily, and that it means other people aren’t living with this crap. Less pain overall = happier Caitie, whoever it is that gets the relief. :)
Now to get my dinner out of the oven, after Craig was kind enough to stick it in for me. I’m not sure whether rq intends to arrive at 2:30, or leave where she is at 2:30, but SQUEEFUL ME because how lovely to get a much-wanted visit when I’m having a bad pain day?
Tony,
Beige?
CaitieCat:
I think that’s such a good thing. I’m quite happy for the both of you :)
****
As I’m sure most around here know, I’m a comic book fan. Usually it’s the superhero genre, but there are times when I branch out. There’s a new series debuting in Serptember from BOOM! Studios called ‘Wild’s End’, which sounds really interesting. There *is* a but. A *big* BUT:
One word.
One word is all it took to frustrate me. They get to skirt around racial diversity bc we’re dealing with anthropomorphized animals. But gender? Why the ever loving hell are all four of the main characters men? There are a few lettered pages of art at the link. I find I like the art and the characterization. I may still get the series, but darnit, I’m dismayed at the lack of gender diversity.
Oh, and I can’t look at the word elevator without thinking of the misogynistic mess created by the shitstains who mischaracterized Rebecca Watson’s reasonable advice.
Serptember?
Sheesh.
rq‘s on the bus and she’s coming this way
And nothing like doggerel to help me to say
Just how squeeful I feel,
And so gleeful it’s real
Cause today is the day
That rq comes to play!
The Potato Whisperer is on the bus, I say again, she is on the bus.
CaitieCat out.
(cause I’m gonna lie down for an hour or so before she gets here, horizontal time costs less pain than vertical does)
Oh, and a teachable moment for dealing with people with chronic pain and/or physical disability of movement-restriction kinds. One thing I’m really pleased about is that rq, on hearing that my back was in bad shape but that I said nothing about cancelling, didn’t bring it up. She trusted that I know myself well enough to know what I’m willing to commit to. That’s a lovely gift.
Too often, i find that people won’t invite me to things, because they assume for me that I’d not be able to do whatever it is, or that I wouldn’t be willing to spend my pain on it. Or when I say I’m having a tough day, they immediately start trying to reschedule, even if I haven’t mentioned it. That’s frustrating. I do completely understand the polite and caring impulse, but it ends up feeling like they’re not seeing me, they’re seeing my disability, and me only second. It means a lot to me, as it does to many people with similar issues (but not, of course, all; the message is agency!), to be included just as anyone else is in the invitation, and given the agency to choose/assess whether or not I’m able to attend/take part for myself, rather than being ‘protected’ by well-meaning and undoubtedly loving friends.
Yes, it’s possible that I will decline going to the Metro Zoo, because yes, it is a lot of walking. On the other hand, maybe I’ll decide that I’d enjoy seeing such a lovely facility, and even though the animals make me kind of sad, I can also appreciate their beauty and learn stuff about them, and I can always appreciate time with my friends and people who love me. And sometimes I’ll decide that that enjoyment is worth what it will cost me, that borrowing the spoons from tomorrow would be an investment I’m willing to make. The impulse to ‘protect’ me leads, instead, to diminishing me, to dismissing my understanding of and ability to live with my disability.
For me, at least, that’s the way to do it: respect my agency, and treat me like any other friend. I’m experienced at managing my disability, and am a pretty good judge of what I want to ‘spend my pain’ on, as I tend to put it. It’s my pain – let me choose how to spend it. :)
In no way is this aimed at anyone in particular; rq‘s millimetre-perfect response just reminded me that it’s a good point to bring up when talking to a group including the temporarily able-bodied (insofar as this weirdly binary term applies).
CaitieCat:
Thank you for sharing that teachable moment. I’m one of those people who likely wouldn’t have thought of that. Thanks should also go to rq.
Dove Men is for men. We get it. You don’t have to repeat the word in that half-robotic, probably meant to sound manly voice ten times in one commercial.
Love this song, ‘Cmon Talk’ by Bernhoft.
The lyrics can be found here
I am, in fact, on the bus. Apparently they all have wifi now.
Also, I am currently blushing because apparently I can done some things right.
Okay, I’m actually a bit too excited to hang out here, so I’m going to go stare my apprehension out the window.
*minion umbrellas* for everyone, colour of choice!
Giliell! *restocks hug truck and sweet chai supplies*
That’s 12 1/2 of the large screens here at work. I’ve now surpassed that with a 16-screener in the same thread.
I’m working on the question of whether any of the giant ones really were amphibians (meaning: more closely related to today’s amphibians than to us). So far, the answer seems to be “no”… :-)
Thirded!
Traditionally green…?
You get it. Men, however, are really afraid of using female-coded cosmetics and smelling like a woman or something; we need a lot of reassurance. Especially given the fact that the word dove is itself female-coded.
Patriarchy is fear.
Tony’s comment upthread about a new comic books series due out in September called Wild’s End reminded me of my favorite chapter in The Wind in the Willows… Chapter 7, Piper At The Gates of Dawn. Here it is. http://www.writewords.org.uk/library/9030.asp
I’ve not reread it in many many years.
Pharyngula is an astonishing place. And I am grateful.
My thoughts on the SCOTUS ruling. Originally posted to Facebook.
I would love to see an atheist owned company, or a company owned by religious people who do not belong to a faith group opposed to abortion, sue to get the same deal Hobby Lobby did. Or a publicly traded company that can’t claim *any* particular religious motivation.
Hobby Lobby getting such a deal gives people of a specific class of religions an advantage in law over people not of that class of religions, and the law should not advantage one set of believers(or non believers) over another. This ruling does just that.
So, other companies, that don’t have an out from that requirement? Sue. Sue the government if they don’t give you the same deal Hobby Lobby got. Fair and equal treatment to all faith groups, and those with no faith, should be the law.
Or, of course, SCOTUS could grow some sense and simply overturn todays ruling.
CaitieCat that was a good teachable moment. I thought about it … and it totally makes sense. And then I caught myself thinking “b- b – but I couldn’t just say nothing … ”
I would be scared of being rude and callous. So I was wondering … If I were in a situation like that, I guess I’d want to say something like “Is there anything I can do that would make it easier for us to get to X/more comfortable for you to get around X …?” or, yanno, something along those lines. Would that be an all right thing to do …. ?
It doesn’t exactly come up with my OH, because he says there really isn’t anything (sitting, standing etc.) that makes any difference to him one way or the other anyway :-\
In local news……. our bridge reopened. Yeah, cheaper gas is closer now.
“Which billboard should we put up?
With Eric Cantor on his way to retirement, Mitch McConnell is next up on the list of Republican leaders to knock off. Wouldn’t it be great to send Mitch into retirement?
First up, we are putting up a billboard right in the heart of Kentucky. We’re looking to you to decide which billboard to put up. Make your pick. »”
In addition to the three presented options, there’s “Other”, which you can describe!
“Solar Panel Acreage Needed to Power the Entire Planet: 158 mi x 158 mi” – note that “EU-25” means “the EU when it had 25 members”, meaning today’s 28 minus Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia.
“Sign and send the petition: Demand FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler [misspelled “Wheeler–” in the suggested letter] hold public hearings on net neutrality.”
“Republican candidate is convinced his opponent is dead and using a body double as a stand-in” – in other words, Republicanism and delusion are no longer incompatible.
At the same time, “Erick Erickson (yes him) NAILS it” by saying: “I’m just not sure what the Republican Party really stands for any more other than telling Obama no and telling our own corporate interests yes. That’s not much of a platform.” In other words, Republicanism and the slightest amount of intelligence are no longer compatible.
Multimillionaire warns his fellow rich people that the pitchforks are coming.
Assorted news. I recommend the comments; one of them leads to this article on the US being a failed state that caves to threats of murder from the company formerly known as Blackwater.
Video in German: defying al-Qaida, from which it originally split off, ISIS has declared Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi the Caliph and Imam of All Muslims and calls for oaths of allegiance from the Islamists of the world. Obama is sending “up to 300 military advisors” to what remains of Iraq.
Hey Horde,
Check out my new gravitar! I actually DREW this dodo. And I am no kind of artist. Holy Maude I’m proud of myself!
morgan:
Nice gravatar.
I can easily make out your pic. Other commenters have pics that are difficult for me to comprehend (Dalillama, Portia, and opposablethumbs all have gravatars that I can’t make out for the life of me).
Awww, Rotten Tomatoes rates the latest Transformers movie as the *worst* of all Michael Bay’s movies. Of course he’s fucking rich, so why should he care?
Tony! my friend, your gravitar is still not showing up here. I gotta figure this out. Does anyone know if this could have anything to do with Adblock?
I’m still wondering why my gravatar refuses to show:(
morgan
I am impressed; you’re certainly a far better artist than I am.
Tony!
It’s kind of unclear at that scale, yeah. It’s this panel from the Girl Genius webcomic.
morgan
My adblock isn’t stopping it.
Thanks Dalillama. That is huge praise. I actually gave up drawing before I turned 10. I have a twin sister who is a fabulous artist with absolutely no sense of taste or art. But my idiotic parents used to sit us down together and have us COMPETE against each other to see who was better. Of course I always lost. And that was just their every day garden variety stupid. They were breathtaking when they really geared up the cluelessness.
gworroll:
I get emails with Lounge updates, and I can see a gravatar image in your comments (an animal of some sort), but I don’t see an image here in the Lounge. Odd.
****
morgan:
Seconding Dalillama’s compliment. I think I need a nap, bc I glossed over most of your comment (which doesn’t happen often. I usually read every word of everyone’s comments). All my brain registered was “check out my new gravatar”.
That is a beautiful image. Such amazing detail. How long did it take you to finish?
Damn, Morgan, that’s good. You are very talented.
morgan, your dodo is fantastic. It even has character and an expression, as well as being an accurate and instantly recognisable dodo!
Mine is unfortunately too small to make out in this format, but it’s a rabbit in the precambrian (created by Glendon Mellow of The Flying Trilobite (“Art in Awe of Science” at glendonmellow.com)
Gosh folks. I’m blushing. I actually started drawing this bird about six months ago. I picked it up again about two weeks ago and it has taken me all of that time. Of course, I drew the whole bird, and I used a composite of various dodo photos and drawings to come up with this. I chose the dodo because being represented by an extinct old bird appeals to my snarky side.
Hmmmmmm…….. okay……….. maybe I’ll try some more drawing. It might help create some of that elusive distilled hope.
Tony! – Any chance it’s my twitter pic? That’s what should be showing, anyways. https://twitter.com/g_worroll
For some reason FtB is stuck on my Facebook profile pic. Which I nuked because I wanted at least a slight separation between my real identity and what I do in more public social media spaces. Though only very slight, I’d be shocked if most of you had any serious trouble finding my Facebook page if you put any amount of effort into finding it. It’s more flagging of different domains than being anonymous or pseudonymous.
I’m thinking about CaitieCat and rq having a damn good time right about now.
::: dripping envy :::
Morgan, that’s a great dodo! Even as small as it is on my tablet, it has personality.
That’s awful. So, so shitty. And that just reminded me of a similar case in my own family – which is still having repercussions now, many decades and two generations later. I’m really sorry. I’m really angry with your parents. And I really like your dodo.
morgan
I like the dodo, too! Do you have the whole pic up somewhere to see?
Dalillama:
Thanks for that link to Girl Genius. Now I’m reading the series :)
****
Gworroll:
Yep, it’s the same image.
Hello all. Apologies in advance for the whiny whine whine I’m going to whine. Whiny JRFDeux is whiny.
So tonight is the last evening I see my kids for a month. I don’t get to have them again until the evening of July 31. They’re both still wee, and I love them to bits. Their mom gets them for the entire month. I do get to call them often though, and I told them if they missed their Dad they can call me anytime, day or night.
I took lots of photos of them this past weekend. We went 5-pin bowling and we all had a blast.
Gonna give them extra long hugs tonight after I feed them dinner. I have to return them to their mom at bedtime.
*whine*
jrfdeux:
I don’t think that’s whiny in the slightest–you’re completely justified in feeling sorrow. And even though I don’t have children, I completely empathize with you. You love your children and you’re going to miss them.
::hugs if you want them::
Everybody, you are making me cry. Wow, I’m gobsmacked. Yes, so much of what my parents did was so, so very wrong. And pretty much served to destroy a lot of my life. But, fuck their dead selves, I’m still here. I almost didn’t use the dodo pic. I’m always afraid of being mocked.
I don’t have the whole dodo posted because I drew it on very oversized paper. The head is the only part I could get scanned. And there are still some details I want to refine on the feet. So when it is done I’m going to swallow my fear and take a photo of it and post it. And now that I’ve said this publicly, I’m committed. O Maude, maybe this is a very good thing.
jrfdeux
You aren’t whining. Your sorrow is justified. And very painful. I’m guessing the wee ones will be missing you too. Be well.
Tony! – Hmm. Well, if FtB is able to use it, even in only part of the system, I suppose that’s a good sign it’s working on Gravatar’s end. Twitter it was uploaded directly, and I think I uploaded it directly to WordPress too.
Hmm. Is there a tech email address or soemthing I could try to see if this can be fixed on FtBs end?
People,
I’m mostly a lurker, I’ve posted twice (? maybe), probably inder the nym “Narlaquin” (Feel free to verify me, not that you need my permission or blessing.) I need your help. My fiancee has just told me that as a teenager.(between 13 and 15, as far as she can remember – She’s now 48), her best friends father used to touch her before she (the friend) was allowed to come out. This involved penetration. This was 30-ish years ago. We live in the UK. What do we do now? Feel free to point me to a better place.
D
D,
What does your fiancee want to do now?
morgan:
You’re not going to be mocked here (and believe me when I tell you that if anyone tried to–it wouldn’t be any of the regulars for one, and for two-whoever this hypothetical person is would get the verbal smackdown so fast their head would spin).
I think it is.
Oh, and because my brain is all kinda wacky…your Dodo could be the official Commune animal. It could serve as a reminder of how close humanity came to extinction in the wake of a zombie plague, and our tenacity and desire to not wind up like the animal. More than that, we want to not just survive, we want to rebuild, and we’re willing to work together to achieve that goal.
Enh, maybe I thought too much about it.
****
Hey ya’ll, check this out. This songwriter took Justice Ginsberg’s dissent in the Hobby Lobby case and turned it into a song. It’s raw (the dude has written a song a day for 2000 days), but still poignant.
http://thinkprogress.org/culture/2014/06/30/3455091/ginsbergs-epic-dissent-in-hobby-lobby-is-already-a-song/
****
The Squeaking:
Welcome (back) to the Lounge.
I wish I had some advice for you and your fiance.
I do have hugs of sympathy though. Lots and lots of those. If you think it would be appropriate, feel free to convey my sympathy to her.
jrfdeux
*hugs*
morgan
I know of a number of people who sell their drawings on a professional/semiprofessional basis who don’t hold a candle to the quality of even the piece I can see, let alone the whole thing.
The Squeaking
What you can do is to be there for her and be supportive. Beyond that I have little advice but much long distance support for you both.
gorogh
re: the pathfinder game, my skype username is my ‘nym with a 1 at the end, if you happen to use skype (the DM does, and that’s how I communicate with him). Alternately blaine*delancey (no star) at the google mail.
@morgan #107
She doesn’t know / She#s not sure. Right now, there is a fair old bit of alcohol being consumed. There is enough guilt (Was it my fault? Did I lead him on?) to gold plate your house. She’s worrying about what to say to her children. And what about her grand-children? I’m telling her that the guy has grand-children of his own. He probably has great grand-children.
The Squeaking:
Seconding Dalillama’s advice. Being there to support her is deeply important. Words of encouragement are a good idea.
It breaks my heart to hear that she’s questioning herself, though I’ve come to learn this is common for victims of sexual assault. She absolutely did not lead him on, and she is not guilty in any way. The choice was completely his. It is not her fault.
@Tony TQS & @Dalilama,SG
Thank you for your kind words.
@Everyone else
She is just feeling so GUILTY. She is apologising to you, me, us, them, the 1982 Algerian World Cup side, the coffee cups. GUILT is the thing. She hates the way that Mr Anonymous (moi) has now involved the Interwebz.
She shouldn’t have told me. I shouldn’t have told you.
Oh this is wonderful. More happy tears.
Sixth grader Laura Arrington conducted an incredibly important science project:
You go girl!
The Squeaking
That’s a normal response. The guilt, I mean. It happens to a lot of survivors, for… well… a lot of reasons. Some of it is societal victim-blaming. Some of it is internalized victim-blaming. And there’s a lot of “If only I’d done this instead of that”-ing going on.
morgan #103: Programs like Photoshop can take several scans and stitch them together, so you could scan your Dodo piece by piece and just use a command to put them all together into a single file. If you don’t have access to Photoshop I bet one of the Horde’s artists could do it.
Also artistic abuse should be a thing, IMHO. So many people had their arting toxicified into a source of pain.
—
*offers anklehugs* for The Squeaking. It is not her fault. It’s never the victim’s fault; it’s just difficult to grasp this when it’s us. You’re doing a good thing to be there for her.
Well, rq just left about ten minutes ago, and I’m all saddified. But before she left, I was all kinds of happified, so the saddification is only bringing me to a sort of middling-happy place, which is pretty good for me.
She’s as lovely in person as she is in print, as friendly and brilliant and easy to be around and nice-huggingly warm as expected. I have a selfie of us even. We talked like old friends within moments, and I got three different hugs out of the deal. SQUEE doesn’t begin to cover it.
Now I’m going to go lie back down, because I’ve got some big sore going on, but I’m going to lie down with a big smile on my face. Envy me, Loungers, for I am lucky. :)
The Squeaking
As Tony said, absolutely no guilt attaches to her. I cannot phrase or emphasize this strongly enough. The fact that she’s feeling guilty is quite common, and there’s a lot of reasons for that, many of which relate to being in a society steeped in misogyny (we all are), but nevertheless, she is not, in any way, responsible for the abuser’s actions. I am in a position akin to yours (my husband experienced childhood abuse, and I’ve also been close to many others who have as well), but in my experience, it helps for people in your and my place to keep emphasizing that one, that she’s not responsible, and all the guilt is on her attacker.
TheSqueaking, just as WMDKitty said: guilt is the most common experience of survivors by far. The best advice I can give you on supporting your fiancee is as you’ve been given already: listen to your fiancee, and follow the lead you’re given. Let her set the terms of how she can be helped, if you can help her, and just remember to listen way more than you talk.
When I worked as a front-line volunteer for a sexual assault helpline (answering calls from survivors), our guideline was to only speak when asked a question, or when the other person otherwise clearly indicated they wanted some input, even if that’s just an “I’m still listening” noise. Else, just listening and providing feedback that suits what the person needs.
Many partners of survivors find themselves getting angry on their partners’ behalf, and if I have one specific piece of advice, it is that this is only helpful if your partner indicates it might be, and it’s better to assume that it wouldn’t be. Doesn’t mean you can’t be angry, but expressing that anger might best be saved for when it won’t be your partner’s burden to help assuage it – vent to your therapist, or some other safe place where the venting won’t cause your partner any more trouble.
Remember that women are strongly socialized to be empathetic to the point of self-sacrifice and to be the peacemakers, so indulging your anger will push her into supporting you and caretaking for your anger, rather than facing her own issues with your support, as she (and you) would probably prefer. Some survivors do find value in this kind of response, but unless she is evidently one, it is better (IMO) to err on the side of caution, and deal with your strong emotions on you-time, not we-time.
I hope your fiancee can find some peace, and that you’re able to help her as you obviously want to be able to.
further to The Squeaking #112: for what it’s worth, a LOT of us regulars here are survivors of some sort of sexual abuse or other. She’s not alone, and neither are you. That said it’s up to her how much she wants to talk about it, so I suggest you make a point of giving no details here, for her privacy and peace of mind.
I don’t know any specific resources in the UK but a quick search found this resource center:
http://www.isurvive.org/resources/uk-resources/
Total stranger and fellow survivor on the internet gives best wishes to you both.
because folks may need this: Neil deGrasse Tyson dancing
youtube link
oppthumbs, yes, that would be fine, and in fact rq did exactly that, asking if there was anything she could do or bring. It isn’t the offer of help that’s an issue, it’s the usurpation of agency in help-decisions. Just as with having someone insist on carrying your luggage for you: if you’re looking tired, it’s one thing, but if it’s being done solely because you’re a woman, it feels like they’re taking away a choice from you because of some characteristic unrelated to whether you can do the job.
And morgan, I’m one of those people who could stitch the scans or photos for you, I’ve got Photoshop CS6 and I know how to use it. :) I’ve been doing graphic design/layout since a part-time job in university, lo these many decades ago: I was handed a 400-page literal manuscript, and asked to make it into camera-ready copy in a dodgy version of Ventura Publisher, semi-converted to have Russian-language menus and support (the manuscript was a textbook for first-year Russian students). :)
If you scan the parts of the image, and give me a photo of the whole thing, I can stitch it up for you in no time.
“Twas a dark and stormy night” here at Casa la Pelirroja. A cool front moved through, dropping the temps about 15 F, and mother nature is definitely grumbling. There appears by Doppler radar to be an encore over by the Mississippi. Could be a long night.
@CaitieCat, gd,
Please find attached one InternetFlavouredBigBoxOfChocolates..
@Pterryx, WMDKitty – CAPITAL S!, DL – SG , T tQS, And anyone else who I’ve missed
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Now, how can I explain to her that it’s not her fault, because as she knows, (and you, being random internet SURVIVORS and me don’t know,) it’s all her fault, I’ve read every single message out loud to her.
She’s now having sympathy with Rolf Harris and his treatmeant. I ain’t arguing.
Fucking Fed Up with cracks about Two Little Boys, Tie Me Kangaroo Down and All the Rest..She thinks he’s Innocent.
The Squeaking, it’s hard to understand that abuse done to you wasn’t your fault. Some of us have been wrestling with it for years, little by little, layer by layer. We can even tell other survivors ‘that wasn’t your fault’ and simultaneously believe that our own situation WAS our fault because… reasons! different! somehow. For the moment you might just have to give her space… (and contact a survivor resource yourself; often they can offer help to the confidants of survivors, too, who are part of their support system.)
It ought to be bloody obvious that little kids don’t go around seducing full-grown, powerful, upstanding citizens into becoming abusers. Especially since the same abusers go through victim after victim for years! /rant
The Squeaking
I have little further advice to offer, other than to keep on keeping on as best as you can. Continue adding reassurances and support as needed. Don’t know who Rolf Harris is, so I’m not gonna comment on that part.
jrfdeux – I’ve done nothing but whine lately. And I’d be lost without my kids around for that long, so whine away.
morgan, that dodo is fierce!
Yeah, my dodo IS fierce! Thanks everyone for all the art support. You have no idea (or maybe you do) of what an astonishing thing you have done for me.
Dalillama:
Curiously enough, Alex Gabriel has a new post about Rolf Harris:
https://proxy.freethought.online/godlessness/2014/06/30/rolf-harris-the-day-it-turned-out-nice-men-can-be-predators/
I have no idea who this person is either, so I’m going to check it out.
I tried out a new Korean restaurant today. They serve almost everything with a fried yellow croaker that still has all its bones and its head and skin (though it was gutted and scaled). I was brave and tried it, even though I have a bit of a phobia about eating whole fish (or any animal flesh that still has too many other bits attached). Turned out to be quite tasty. Scary looking, but tasty. The rest of the food was excellent as well.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
morgan (#86)
Try disabling your adblocker and reloading the page to see if the gravatar shows up. But if you can see mine, you should be able to see Tony’s.
In order to fully honor Hobby Lobby’s personhood and its religious convictions, we should compel it to produce a corporate offspring (subsidiary) every nine months.
Not until it marries another corporation of the same faith and different gender, A Noyd.
There are decencies, after all.
I’m ‘rupt but I have *hugs* and *rum*
….
morgan ‽
your dodo is magnificent
Minorly ‘rupt.
*hugdump with assorted condiments*; everyone help yourselves.
:)
–
David!
*chocolate-y pouncehug*
“Dolaritos”???
:)
–
20
–
…Well this is random. Anyone from Australia care to verify whether this wacky tumblr stuff about wild birds attacking y’all is true? (asking for a friend)
from feministbatwoman
includes this image
Hearing some of you don’t know who Rolf Harris is makes me feel kind of old, since he was still very popular when I was a little kid in the ’70s. His lack of public profile in North America these days meant I found out second hand about the allegations.
I think we’re going to hear about more older celebs being accused of abusive behaviour in the next few years, as some people finally feel able to come forward to tell their stories, and want to get some form of justice before it’s too late. For example late last year British folk singer Roy Harper was charged with sex crimes against an underage girl dating back to the mid ’70s.
Fuck you again Zimmerman. You are a racist asshole:
http://news.yahoo.com/judge-dismisses-zimmermans-lawsuit-against-nbc-144154685.html
No you fucker, your actions that night, your words, and your history point to you being a racist fuckface.
Someone commented on opinions of lawyers earlier. The legal profession would get much better press if it would adopt and enforce an actual code of ethics.
Good morning
Waiting to see if my sis shows up for coffee or whether I’ll get a message in an hour that she slept late…
+++
morgan
That Dodo is brilliant. I first thought is was a foto taken from a model in an exhibition or something
Goodness gracious me.
One thing we’re constantly doing is to tell the little one that her drawings are beautiful and that she’s doing great with her 4 years and that of course you can’t compare her pics to her sister’s who’s older and more practised.
jrfdeux
You’re not whining. The thought not to see my kids for a full month alone makes me want to get up and get them home from school and kindergarten….
The Squeaking
Lots of support for you and your fiancée.
I think you’ve already gotten tons of good advice, so let me pile on it
-Anger
I think that a bit of anger displayed can actually be helpful. I suffered a different kind of abuse as a kid and my husband or other people displaying shock and anger at what people had done to me helped me greatly to readjust my views, cause I’d been gaslighted all my life to believe that everything was my fault and that it hadn’t been bad anyway. But don’t make it about you and look whether your fiancée appreciates it or not. If she fears that you’ll get angry every time she talks about it, she won’t talk about it.
-You have been harmed, too
At first glance this makes no sense. After all, you weren’t the person abused, you didn’t have to live with this all your life. But quite obviously right now you’re angry and in distress and suffering. Abuse, especially sexual abuse can devastate whole communities. Recognize your own feelings and that they are legitimate. Having said that:
-Don’t make it about you
As others have mentioned, find a place where you can make it about you. A therapist, a counselor, a good friend who’s willing to do this. It gets me back to my first point: If your partner thinks that this burdens you too much, it will only add to their guilt. My husband showing anger on my behalf could be helpful. My husband displaying too much emotional distress could shut me up. I would feel too needy, too demanding, I was fucking up his life, too, I needed to shut up or I would drive him away. That was not helpful.
-Tell her she can tell you to shut up
That’s probably very hard for her, I know how hard it was for me, but by now saying “Please stop, you’re not helpful right now” is a great thing.
Of course you have to be able to take it. Don’t be sad or hurt or make any “I was just trying to help you” remarks. If she can say it, if it helps her then that’s your goal, right? It’s not about SWOTI
+++
And here she comes
Morgan, I observe (using the “view selection source” feature of my browser) that Tony!‘s avatar is sourced from facebook, where the ones that you can see are sourced from gravatar. There are blocking addons that can be configured to selectively block such sites as facebook. Do you have such an addon?
Two points for The Squeaking: It is truly not possible for that abuse to have been Fiancée’s ‘fault’. The abuser was an adult, in a position of authority and responsibility. That position made him solely responsible to say ‘no’ (or exit the scene) regardless of any actual or imagined provocation. Notice that the ‘actual or imaginary’ qualification covers anything she may have done or failed to do that might have, in any sense, seemed provocative or enabling: it’s still strictly his doings, not hers.
Second, I was married for 15+ years to a victim of sexual abuse (read on before reacting). I finally came to realize that she did not want to become a survivor; she wanted to stay a victim, milking that status for all she was worth. I don’t know what she got out of playing the victim game, but she seemed to enjoy it.
(Yes, I know that sounds a bit like George Will’s nonsense from last week. At least, I’m not generalizing from
n=1toAll. I’m pointing out, from my Aspieness, a possibility of [hopefully] low probability.)The Squeaking, I just want to offer my support and best wishes to both of you. I can’t add to what some of the Horde have said upthread, which seems to me to be spot on. I very much hope it helps. And as others have said, it does not matter one whit what she may or may not have done, said, worn, anything. Not. One. Whit. There was an adult right there, 20-30 years her senior, in a position of authority in every meaningful sense. It was his responsibility; he decided to abuse a minor. I’m very sorry for the harm done to her and to you who love her.
.
Giliell, hope you and your sister are OK and recovered after your mum’s latest :-\
.
Sympathies, jrfdeux! Your kids must know they are very much loved. Hope it doesn’t feel like too long before they are with you again.
.
Of course, that’s it! Thank you for distilling it into the essence, CaitieCat.
If anyone is interested here is a great article on John Currence and others in the food industry fighting against the recent onslaught of religion based discrimination State laws targeted at homosexuals .
John is a James Beard award winning chef in Oxford, MS who is is doing his part to fight against their new religious based discrimination laws in his state as well as doing great community conscious work. I don’t know John, only met him a couple times but I know his wife fairly well. They are good people doing good things. It’s not a short article but it’s a great read. Some of it is a little “inside baseball” on the food industry but a worthy read.
Chef John Currence Wants To Save Mississippi From Itself
Caitie I glad you and rq had a good time. Sadly, I don’t think I’ll ever get the chance to meet up with any ‘loungers’, but I guess you never know. Also, I will definitely take on board your ‘teaching moment’. Bass player’s salute to you.
The Squeaking I wish I could add more, but I have never had to face anything like what you describe, so I leave it to others to advise.
Morgan I agree with everyone else that your Dodo is excellent!
jebus, proofread
Happy Canada Day!
Okay I’m seriously threadrupt, but appreciate to have a word for it. Let me just throw in my sympathies for you, The Squeaking, and may both your fiancée and yourself sort that out in a way that works for you.
Dalillama, I just added you in Skype for the Pathfinder thingy.
And carlie, I now have the puffin cam on my secondary screen for hours on end (and that is saying a lot, I am not into birds usually…). It is very soothing, thanks again. Unfortunately, the sound gets interrupted every few seconds, might be a transmission problem.
Today is another desperate scramble to get experimental animals — I’m driving to St Cloud to pick up a couple of tankfuls, I hope. If they deliver them this time (last week they told me after I got there that my order was mysteriously cancelled). And if they aren’t scraggly thin starved beasties that I’ll have to fatten up for three months.
Then tomorrow I drive back to Minneapolis for Convergence, and turn into a total mess for a week.
PZed, in six more months, in an alley in the rougher part of St. Louis:
“Come on, man, just a few fish.”
Skeezy dude shakes head.
“One breeding pair, I’m desperate here.”
Skeezy dude: “I told ya, brah, I got nothin’.”
“A cluster of fertilized eggs? A cut-out picture from a National Geographic?
“I JUST NEED A FUCKIN’ HIT!”
Skeezy dude backs slowly away from the biologist…
Good luck on your travels, PZ, drive safely.
*imagines PZ in a puddle in The Thing on the Doorstep-fashion*
Just reminded me I should finish up the shooting script I was working on for that story, Gorogh. My temporary-flatmate Craig is a moviemaker by avocation, and we started collaborating on that project a couple of years ago, before my depression knocked it out of my awareness. We were working on our third iteration of the script…I wonder if I know which hard drive it’s hidden on? We’re updating it, setting it now and using our local region as a stand-in for New England (not an unreasonable stand-in, I’ve been in both places for long enough to know). Very little has to change to make it work as a now-story, too.
Lovecraft is, arguably, public domain now (having died in 1937, more than 75 years ago), so I’d expect to start seeing movies made based on his stuff more soon.
Lookame, talking about writing stuff. Maybe I really am getting less depressed. Huh.
Mhm. It’s old news really (and strangely, little hype about it), but it just occurred to me I throw it in here anyway. Wonder when and how this will end.
via http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/06/28/ebola-west-africa-outbreak/11615045/
Well, it’s not like it’s happening in places that white USans like to travel to generally, so as far as the US media are concerned, it’s happening on the far side of Neptune. And the US government only gets interested when there are Important Humanitarian Considerations, like “What will happen to our consumers and their need for cheap gas if we don’t intervene in this Middle Eastern country?” or “How will Wal-mart be able to offer Low, Low Prices if they have to send ships from China the long way around instead of through the Canal?”
So they’re pretty much on their own. If they wanted help, they should have chosen to live in a more geopolitically important region.
“:()(J#$KJOLMM CKKKKKKKK^^^^^^!(&@*l>LO
BREAK BREAK
Caitie wakes up. “Shit! I think Republicans hacked my brain! Did I say anything stupid?”
Caitie, this is awesome. Lovecraft would be the first name that came to mind if someone asked me about favorite authors or fandom (issues like his racism notwithstanding; don’t make a movie adoption of The Street, mind you; I might also vainly add that I was a fan before it became cool…). I have been trying to get my hand on some of the independent Lovecraft movies for some time now, but it’s hard sometimes.
In any case, I encourage you in the strongest terms to proceed! Let me know if there is anything I can do to support you.
LOL – ever had a secret wish to see your name in lights as an Executive Producer? ;)
Although…when we were writing before, Kickstarter didn’t exist.
Hmm.
Yes I was thinking in that direction. I don’t have much to give, but I know a few people who know a few more etc., and many of them do like to play Arkham Horror, for one thing…
I have been helping an old lady setting up posters about a runaway cat for the last three weeks. This weekend, I got a call from another old lady who had observed a homeless cat hanging about the place for a week. It was not the one I was looking for, but it was obviously very hungry.
I let it crash in my place for a day and on Monday it got a temporary home with Djurskyddet (“animal rescue”) while waiting for the owner to turn up, or a new owner to be found.
.
Since I already have a cat (a male who is quite particular about the apartment being HIS domain) I let my own cat stay with a neighbour (he has been with the neighbour before when I am out of town so he had no problems with it) . Lots of juggling when you have territorial critters.
When my tomcat got back, he was obviously stressed about smelling an intruder, and even hissed at me at the beginning. It reminds me that cats are very much governed by instinct and not as long domesticated as dogs. When smelling an intruder, the fllght/fight instinct is switched on and can easily be triggered.
.
Well, if you’re interested in a method I came up with to make Arkham Horror a LOT scarier to play, here:
1) Use a gamemaster, with a representative board of some sort – doesn’t have to be a full-size one, just large enough to show the locations/streets and be able to hold monsters. This board is kept secret from the players.
2) The Ancient One is unidentified at first. Each turn someone is in the Library, the Magick Shoppe, the Curiosity Shop, or the Silver Twilight Lodge (and probably a couple of other spaces on sub-boards. haven’t tried it with an expansion board yet), they may make a Lore (-1) check to attempt to identify the Ancient One, in addition to their normal encounter/activity.
3) Gates open without notice, and are not placed on the player board until a character is within one movement of them. For true hard-core, don’t allow players to communicate when they’re not in the same place (this kinda ruins the cooperatively fun part of the game, so I don’t recommend it).
4) Monsters, similarly, do not appear on the board until a character is within one movement of them, and if they move out of that range of all players, are removed from the player board until re-sighted.
5) Encounters are read by the gamemaster, who offers choices without revealing the consequences of the choice: “You see the Sheldon Gang. You may attempt to sneak up on them: Make a Sneak (-2) check.” Then wait for the player to choose whether they’re going to try it, before giving them the consequence. And don’t tell them what would have happened if they’d had a different result.
6) Last, because this game is MUCH harder, I recommend making a table listing all the unstable locations you’re using, and adding in extra clue tokens each turn. We’ve tried using a d12 (for the main board only), with 11 locations on the main board, and toss in a d4’s worth of extra clues each turn. So, if you roll a 3 on the d4, there are three extra clues, which are each placed using the d12.
The extra clue tokens are because you have to spend a lot more time walking around trying to find the gates and monsters, and because Ambush monsters become a LOT scarier, and because Lloigor/Colour Out of Space type mass-damage things become downright evil, and you will come to LOATHE the Hound of Tindalos’ dreadful ability. Also, monster surge becomes…yikes. And not knowing the Ancient One means a monster you thought you could handle suddenly has two extra toughness, or is Overwhelming, or something unexpected.
At some point, if we finish playtesting them and can solve Captain Jack’s troublesome special ability (regeneration), I’ll offer up our Torchwood Investigator cards. They’re a fun bunch, whose special abilities are okay in themselves, but better when they’re working as a team. Solving Jack is the tricky one. There are a lot of rules he breaks by existing.
Oh – and monsters that are one space away are unidentified: just “there’s something there.”
Following up on the Ebola outbreak, this also seems to be highly relevant. I really have no clue, but I assume some of the attitudes encountered are simply due to wrong medical concepts – furthermore, I can imagine some extent of post-colonial scepticism, too.
Source is in German unfortunately, but there you go.
Caitie, that sounds like some great ideas. Our house rules already include your 5), and 2) to an extent (we only reveal the Ancient One after he exhibits one clear signature ability, or the Doom Tracker is almost full). But I will suggest trying out those rules, we wanted to schedule a game soon anyway. The only concern I have that it’ll lead to some confusion with all the parallel board management.
Republicans in Kansas show us what Not to do. They think they set up an example for other states to follow in the conservative how-to-succeed category. Instead Governor Sam Brownback’s policies have failed … and not for the first time.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/29/upshot/kansas-tax-cut-leaves-brownback-with-less-money.html
The plan has had two years in which to bear fruit. Instead, it has resulted in financial disaster.
This “tax cuts for the wealthy create jobs” myth has got to go, but it remains a basic policy for all conservatives.
In case you think Kansas may be just be suffering from the general financial malaise affecting the USA, no. Kansas is doing worse than neighboring states, and it is doing worse than the USA as a whole.
Yeah, your GM has to know the rules down, and can’t be a player. But they’re not playing against the players, just facilitating the players getting to play with less information. So the GM draws the Mythos card and implements it largely secretly: placing new clues, gates, monsters, and only telling the players about those events which happen where they can see them. We found a small coloured disc or marker for each player on the GM’s board helped to cover this, as the GM could quickly see what was where.
The environment is described physically, but as little game-specific information as possible is given with it. “Arkham is under a huge blizzard, slowing you down. You feel fatigued, but also your senses are sharper.” I’m making these examples up, btw, not reading them, so don’t look for them. In that example, I’d tell the players that they’re down a movement point, because that’s apparent as soon as they begin moving in the snow. That they have an unexpected bonus die on their Sneak check because of their improved senses is something i’d keep to myself, until they made a Sneak or Evade check, and i told them to add a die.
For ease of play, move the monsters on the playing board just as they do on the GM board, only removing them if they move and stay out of sight of all players. We tried a fog-of-war thing where if you lost sight, the marker stayed put, but it’s really unwieldy to manage, and annoying to track which monsters are known to be where their markers are, and which are only an old estimate, and how old an estimate, and so on. Instead, we use them as a reflection of the GM’s board, only visible when the players are in position to see them.
One fast player, of course, can “see” more than half the board in one run down the side – a five-space move – in that time looking at every location on that side of the board, and every street location on that board. It just requires a slightly different form of purposeful play, and because it means you’re using characters to recon-by-movement, we found that handing out more Clue tokens helped to replace the lost resource-gathering capacity: recon players need to be tooled up, too, because they will run into unexpected monsters, and they will be stuck in the street when the
Flying PiñataMi-Go come calling, or even something scary.We have always used 5) regularly as well, and we strictly do not read the cards outside of our immediate needs. Which is why last week when we played, though we’ve owned the game for several years and played it dozens and dozens of times, we had three encounters in the game that none of us had ever heard before. Usually we hit maybe one, on a good night two, but three in one game was pretty cool.
The concept of this variant is basically to give the players the least information we can, in order to enhance the Lovecraftian horror of the unknown. As a game designer/critic, I love their dedication to “information in front of you” design. We look at the rules maybe once or twice a game, at most, for some esoteric interaction, but otherwise all the information you need is always in front of you.
But, it conflicts somewhat with the nature of the material, in that “all the information you need is right there” is not how most people would describe their favourite Lovecraft story. So I thought for a while about how we could take some of that information away in a way that leaves it accessible when needed.
Theoretically, one could use a desktop-sized tablet to make an app that would do the job the GM is doing in this scenario, but it’s going to be a while before that happens. So I did this. I’d love to hear back from anyone who uses any of it, whether they find it enhances the game or not.
Craig runs a gamer’s show called The Gamers’ Table on Youtube, where he and a couple of friends review games of various sorts. He’s amenable to the idea of me starting a blog under the same banner, writing about my ideas in game design and adaptation/hybridization, that sort of thing. This variant could, I think, make a really good and potentially widely-interesting article/post.
Happy Canada Day, Eh?
As chigau said. :)
Paul LePage, the addlepated governor of Maine, has said and done lots of startling, WTF things. Now we find out that he might be more dangerous than we thought. He has been meeting with members of Sovereign Citizens groups … and he likes them.
Remember Cliven Bundy? He and many of his supporters are “Sovereign Citizens.” LePage had law enforcement officials in Maine, as well as some members of his staff, look into a proposal by Sovereign Citizens to arrest and execute Democratic leaders of Maine’s state legislature.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/casting-paul-lepage-more-alarming-light
LePage met with the Sovereign Citizens eight times.
http://www.pressherald.com/2014/07/01/lepage-meetings-with-extreme-conspiracy-group-questioned/
LePage disputes the claim that he discussed using violence with the group, but “McCarthy, one of the men who met with LePage, said the group discussed their concerns about Eves and Alfond [Democratic Party leaders], and that the penalty for high treason hasn’t changed in 100 years.
“And I didn’t say it, but the governor said it,” McCarthy said. “I never opened my mouth and said the word. The governor looked at us and looked at his buddy (presumably an unidentified aide) and said, ‘They’re talking about hanging them.’ I said, ‘Praise the Lord, let’s hang a few. We’ll be done with this crap.’ ”
More cat stuff: “The Uncanny” Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzQaoI8F1qA&feature=player_detailpage Cats…Bwahahahahaha
I read “addlepated” as “maladapted”.
In other news,
e.g. http://www.polygon.com/2014/7/1/5860204/dragon-age-inquisition-bioware-gay-character
Don’t read the comments though.
Thanks again for the input Caitie, I will let you know once we adopt one or the other idea. I wouldn’t want to change the character of the game too much, so we will get there step by step.
Btw one other house rule of ours I really recommend is cooperative combat. It simply works that with n investigators engaging a monster at the same time, the monster has [toughness]=[original toughness]*n-(n-1). So if you don’t want to risk going against that Dhole on your own and decide to tackle it with n=2 investigators, it’s toughness would increase to 3*2-(2-1)=5, but both investigators could roll their dice to whittle it down.
I was rather ignorant about Canada Day. Figured I’d fix that.
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I got a chuckle out of CaitieCat’s @148 :)
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And bc I was curious about whether or not Lovecraft’s writings are in the public domain:
http://lovecraft.wikia.com/wiki/Copyright_status_of_works_by_H._P._Lovecraft
The entry later states that it’s likely his work is in the public domain, but that’s not a definite fact. I wonder how it could be determined what the status of his work is.
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‘addlepated’ is a cool word :)
testing
Hey, can somebody explain to me why some people write “xtians” when referring to “Christians”? I assume it’s derived from “Xmas” being a replacement for “Christmas”, but I thought the reason it was called “Xmas” was to make the holiday more secular (X can equal whatever you want to celebrate). That doesn’t make any sense when refering to the religious group, because they aren’t trying to be universally inclusive, the group only includes Christians, not any other -tians you want.
Bojac6:
I do it sometimes as something of an abbreviation of ‘christians’.
There are times I find it easier to type out as well. My typing speed is decent, but I’ve noticed some words I mess up the spelling of, and ‘christian’ is one of them. I find I don’t misspell ‘xtian’ that often (of course I don’t use it often). I believe raven uses ‘xtian’ frequently, but other than hir, I can’t think of many commenters who use the word on a regular basis.
re: the works of Lovecraft-
Not exactly the final word on the status of his works I was looking for.
http://lovecraft.wikia.com/wiki/Copyright_status_of_works_by_H._P._Lovecraft
Tried to post 2 comments with information about the copyright status of Lovecraft’s works from the link above, and both got eaten. I wonder if they’re in PZs filter?
http: //lovecraft.wikia.com/wiki/ Copyright_status_of_works_by_H._P._Lovecraft
Something about this link trips the spam filter. I’ve tried twice to link to this wiki and my comment gets eaten.
While the original reason would be that the Greek letter Χ is the first letter of the word (as in Χριστος), I’d go with brevity as a reason for an increasingly frequent use. And a slightly derogatory component.
The spam filter is odd. I’ve tried more than once to include a link to the HP Lovecraft wiki page (not his wikipedia page), and each time my comment is eaten up. I wonder why that is…
Oh that’s founded in nothing but my personal semantics.
Eaten up you say… interesting…
Perhaps it was A Comment that Loungers Were Not Meant To Read?
Hear hear, Caitie. Or better not.
CaitieCat, Gorogh:
Maybe the dark ones did not want the truth to come out…
…no matter their efforts, I will not stop. The truth is out there, and I will bring it to the people!
Famous last words…
Many of them do choose exactly that. And then they drown in the Mediterranean, and/or the watchmen on the walls of Fortress Europe catch them and send them back.
Nope. There’s no mathematical variable involved there. X is the first letter of Christ.
Oops. I was too slow.
Even if late, FTFY.
Exactly the edit I would have made in light of DM’s response, thanks Gorogh. :)
Sorry, I just realized I’m kinda flying in Captain Obvious mode AND spam mode at the same time. Will shut up for a while.
Belated *hugs* for Giliell.
Family Drama sucks.
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*hugs* and sympathies for rq.
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*careful, gentle hugs* for CaitieCat, and stern admonitions to the evil Back; straighten up and behave yourself!
*whisper/whimper*
(I wish I was meeting rq and CaitieCat….)
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Tony!:
Sideways, and running.
I cannot believe the number of people who think that this could never turn around and bite them on the butt.
FFFFUUUUUUU
(Later)
A sickly, putrescent yellowy-green, with slight phosphorescent effects.
(Even Later)
I’m looking forward to the upcoming Groo vs. Conan mini-series.
:)
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morgan ?!, that is one very handsome dodo!
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Hi, The Squeaking; Welcome Back In!…and my sympathies.
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****tweak****tweak****
Oh lawdy! Now Tony’s gravitar shows up here but not in T’dome.
Technology….. How do you do it?
morgan:
I understand how you feel.
I woke up today and had a new gravatar pic. The one I had set up vanished on its own (I haven’t attempted to tweak anything in a day and a half), and this other one showed up. I’m not going to mess with it again. Who knows what many tentacled entity might show up in place of my face…
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Have ya’ll heard about this:
http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2014/07/01/gays-right-marry-kentucky-judge-rules/11900313/
Gorogh:
No need to shut up. I’m glad you’ve chosen to comment here.
Similarly, I think I recall CaitieCat mentioning way back when she started posting here that her commenting might be sparse around here (or something to that effect). I’m glad to see that she chose to hang around here more. You both bring your own unique perspectives and personalities to the mix, and add to the warm, friendly, caring atmosphere in The Lounge. I’m glad to have you both in whatever capacity you choose.
You mean, who knows when you might accidentally let your real face show up?
Thanks Tony, I appreciate that. But, apart from the actual fear that I might annoy others, I positively annoy myself sometimes, so I leave myself no other choice than issue a call to order. If I do so in public, it helps me stick to that resolution. Does that make sense?
Oh and I have a stupid application to write. Hate it, but have to. So uhm… lurking I am, but still trying not to post until the evening.
Now that I’m at it though, another encouraging development in your link in #185. And Caitie @181, you’re welcome! And dianne, don’t ask questions you don’t want to hear an answer for!
I’m to tired to understand this, but apparently it’s cause for optimism? Title: “Why the Hobby Lobby Ruling Will Be Mostly Irrelevant Soon”.
Even self-illustratingly so.
Ehehe don’t be too hard on yourself, David Marjanović. And I have no clue concerning the conclusion from your, but right now I find myself willing to believe anyone who asserts – with any sort of confidence – that it’s really not a bad thing*.
Damn it.
And damn it. I’m not even drunk.
*The good thing is, we’ll find out soon enough…
Given my current mood, I’m all for the elder gods coming back–as long as they eat Scalia first.
… of course.
Well, before me anyway. “First” might be altogether too merciful. I just want to see the Supremes get consumed by the Elder Gods, preferably after having their buffer zone ignored.
Not going to happen. Even Azathoth would spurn him, and Azathoth is not picky.
*chuckles*
Did you watch Rachel Maddow @buffer zone?
Does it strike anybody else as the perfectly logical development when putting all the “not a scientist”-rhethoric (e.g. here, maybe here as the most recent example) in context with this?
*takes all the hugs*
So, one of my professors assigned a number of texts for us to read in preparation for the lectures.
So far we’ve had Marx, Althusser, Gramsci, Bordieu… Your typical Saturday afternoon reads. Don’t forget Said. Never forget Said.
This week is a more modern text I consider quite good:
Only I have the idea that it’s going to fly a mile above the heads of my fellow students.
Lots of talk about white supremacy, the Other, ministrelsy, blackface, white privilege….
Look at this BULLSHIT:
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/06/hobby-lobby-isnt-waging-a-war-on-women/373717/
Throughout the entire article, the author takes pains to seem like she understands both sides. She’s trying to achieve some middle ground that enables both sides to be right and wrong simultaneously.
She fails spectacularly, IMO.
The basis for Hobby Lobby’s complaints rests on their so-called religious freedom.
The basis for the opposition rests on the fact that access to contraception is part of women’s health, and therefore an essential part of healthcare.
Hobby Lobby denies or rejects the importance of women’s health, not based on reason and evidence. Not based on science and empiricism, but on religious grounds. They think they have the right to dictate to their employees what type of health insurance they can have bc religion. They don’t.
I note that no matter which way the decision went, the owners of Hobby Lobby wouldn’t have been measurably impacted. They could still practice their religious beliefs with no interference. If they didn’t want to purchase or utilize birth control, they wouldn’t have to, even if SCOTUS ruled against them.
But not so for women. Depending on the outcome of the decision, the lives of women could be made measurably easier, or more difficult. As we saw with the SCOTUS decision, basic healthcare for women has become more difficult. Access to contraception is not easy for many women. Paying for contraception is not easy for many women.
It seems like this came down to a conflict between religious beliefs and women’s health. Despite the wealth of information available to SCOTUS, information that proves that access to contraception makes the lives of women that much better, they opted to side with Hobby Lobby, thus showing a preference to religion, over women’s health. They’re saying that religious beliefs are more important. I Am Not A Lawyer (IANAL), but when rights are in conflict, I think it is important to determine who would stand to be harmed the most and in what ways. Were Hobby Lobby to lose, they would not have been measurably harmed. If they could be said to lose anything, it would be some vaguely defined notion of religious liberty. Instead, women lost. Now women’s health has been unduly burdened in a measurable way bc SCOTUS chose to side with religious liberty proponents.
I’m NOT sorry, but when religious beliefs come up against human rights, those religious beliefs ought to lose. I just wish SCOTUS agreed with that.
“Professional courtesy.”
*rimshot*
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Gorogh,
Actually, there is a long history of such movements in the US. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Know_Nothing
Many of the anti-slavery Know Nothings eventually found their way into the Republican party–a big tent even at its inception.
Hahaha how charming…
In a more serious vein, I am not sure this is actually aligned to my point. The “know nothing”-aspect in that party seems to refer to its secretive nature (as in “I know nothing about the inner workings or plans of my party”), whereas the (arguably) recent republican non-talking point seems to refer to a sort of non-committal excusing gesture to the politician’s [scientific, economic, etc.] illiteracy.
Or am I mistaken here?
Notes the above from Gorogh. Not having much luck with the not posting, eh?
*sobs quietly*
Portia
How did the important case go on Monday? Well, I hope.
I would think that someone defending the historicity of Jesus, when I mention the lack of contemporary sources, and the lack of reference to contemporary sources in the later writings that do exist- someone trying to overcome that I would expect to mention the hypothesized Q document. If Q’s mere existence could be put on solid ground, it would likely constitute the best evidence for a historical Jesus we have. If the content could be put on solid ground, I’d be just about ready to call it in favor of “the dude was real”.
Of course, going from “a real person is behind these stories” to “these stories are completely true” is a big jump and even the original manuscript of Q in its entirety would be woefully insufficient, but at least it would be a start.
That’s weird… A week or so ago my Internets modem didn’t want to power-up. I keep meaning to contact the ISP to get a new one (it’s supplied as part of the package), but forgetting. So every now and then I tried powering it up again, on the off-chance the Gremlins decided to move to a less abusive locale.
They may have. Sort of. As you can guess, they apparently did move. The modem powered-up.
Now it is the network switch which is unhappy, and going blink blink. (Not sure what that means, I’ll have to find the manual (gasp! documentation?!) or something…) So, at the moment, the home network is mostly down, with just the computer plugged directly into the modem.
It occurs to me I’ve got an old switch somewhere which I thought blew up in a lightening strike several yonks ago. (Which, I suppose, might have been what happened… there was an electrical storm the night before the modem wouldn’t power-up — and is the reason I powered it down in the first place.) I should perhaps try that old switch.
Bloody Gremlins. They’re almost as annoying as peas. Almost.
http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2014/07/01/starz-to-develop-american-gods-fuller-green-announced-as-showrunners/
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Skulls. They’re what’s for dinner.
Actually they would probably be dessert.
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http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/07/an-abandoned-bangkok-shopping-mall-hides-a-fishy-secret/
gworroll:
What is this hypothesized Q document you’re talking about?
Well … bound to be some upcoming Moments of Mormon Madness associated with this:
Nothing arrogant or insulting about that phrase “natural human family,” no, nothing at all.
The Sutherland Institute is composed of mostly mormons, mormons so conservative that even LDS church leaders occasionally have to distance themselves. (Issues related to education and immigration have caused LDS leaders to pointedly refrain from backing up the Sutherland Institutes addlepated policies.)
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/conservative-conference-planned-in-utah
Tony!
The books of Matthew and Luke in the New Testament appear to be working from the same precursor document, of which there are no longer any extant copies. This document is referred to as the Q document, (from German Quelle, or Source).
@Tony
What Dalillama said. The Q document hasWikipedia page, if you want to know more.
random awesomeness because sometimes going down the tumblr rabbit hole yields treasures.
Ursula Vernon – Toad Words
Dalillama, A. Noyd:
Thank you both.
More diversity in the ‘Arrow’ cast:
I’m home. Mission accomplished: 60 new fish added to the system. Also, while I was away, the existing fish finally started laying a few eggs, and my students got to see them for the first time without me there. Maybe I’m finally going to get this summer research program going.
Except now I have to pack up an expedition worth of science demo stuff into two cars. We leave for Convergence tomorrow morning!
Finally. Made some headway on that application, but not as much as I would have liked. Anyway, I’m at home now and determined to get at least halfway through Dexter Season 8 tonight (one thing I seriously hate is that there are only normo-attractive people in the series, especially the background actors; this is stupid; if you’re going to have scenes in gyms or strip clubs, fine, but please add some flavor except plastic). But first, the new 24 episode; always feels weird to type in “fox.com”.
Also, just had a pitcher of Blue Moon with my boss while watching the 90 minutes of USA vs. Belgium. Game is still going on.
I like to throw in some random insults against peas. Hate ’em.
Glad to hear it, PZed. :)
I just heard from Smokey the Advocate (aka Portia), who’s out watching the US-Belgium game at a pub, and celebrating having won her case: NOT GUILTY!, she e-mailed me.
And that US-Belgium game – no spoiler, in case someone’s watching later, but holy cats, what a superb game this has been.
I was bored, so I took this Which Deadly Sin Are You Guilty Of quiz thingy.
I got Sloth.
Uhm… yeah. Totally guilty, here. I’m, like, the poster-kitty for Sloth.
Nice, thanks for the info and kudos to Portia!
WMDKitty,
:D nice. Also,
First it didn’t compute anything because there is no social media site I checked (because there was no social media site I checked). I ended up picking Twitter anyway, so here we are!
Looks like House Republicans are looking for more ways to hide the fact that they are influenced by free trips and other goodies from lobbyists. The Koch brothers will certainly benefit from the freedom to give more expense-paid trips to Congress critters:
National Journal link.
I can get envious alright. Test seems legit!
Well, good job Belgium.
2-1 in overtime isn’t bad though.
Yea Portia!!!
I got envy.
I’ve never seen a Ryan Gosling movie, so I picked the Notebook, which was the only movie I recognized.
The bit about people only posting positive experiences on social media is *so* not true. I’ve seen plenty of negative experiences from people (at least on Facebook).
Not bad, Esteleth? Take it from me*, that was outstanding by the US. Tim Howard may have just had the best game by a goalkeeper in a World Cup that I’ve ever seen. Fifteen+ saves, many of them top-drawer.
No shame at all for the US in that game. The sheer quality of this Belgian team, being able to keep a star like Lukaku waiting on the bench for impact substitution, would be very hard to beat for most teams. They’re strong at all places in their lineup, including maybe one of the top three keepers in the world in Courtois. Before the Cup started, they were the team I was recommending to low-info friends for a low-odds pick to go far in the tournament.
They sure looked buckets better than England did in this tourney, the US.
* My resume: I started playing at 4, played varsity for high school and university, began refereeing when I was 28 (19 years ago), coaching when I was 32, and been a fan of England and Tottenham since…well, birth, really. In the great Victorian concept, my mother happened to be emotionally very affected by England winning the World Cup just a month before I was born. I think the football hormones bathed my developing mind, and I was hooked for life. I’ve long since forgiven her, of course, because I love the game so much. Shh, I know.
I lost 60 pounds eating McDonald’s:
I don’t think that’s the type of meal plan many people go by.
No mention is made of how many people lack knowledge about nutrition. He also doesn’t recognize that many parents rely of fast food bc its convenient (especially when you don’t have time to cook for your kids).
Oh yes, Howard was on fire. I am impressed. I’m also pleased that the US scored the only goal Belgium has allowed this cup.
So yes, we went out with style.
Esteleth @229:
Not quite; Belgium 2 Algeria 1 in group play.
ARE YOU TELLING ME THE TALKING HEADS ON ESPN LIED?!!
*over-the-top fake outrage*
David Finch, the upcoming artist on DC Comics’ Wonder Woman, is reluctant to refer to the titular character as a feminist:
Why don’t you want to say feminist? Is it a bad word? Would it be bad for a hugely feminist icon to not be referred to as a feminist?
One of his Tweets:
Does this mean feminists aren’t fallible human beings? I think Finch, like many people, doesn’t understand feminism.
BTW, the first link above contains an image of Wonder Woman that is *crappy*.
Rupt and exhausted so I narcissistically searched for my nym
Thanks for asking after my case, morgan:D
and thanks Cait for relaying for me:D
Thanks for the grats Gorogh, hope you’re well (Ima catch up, I hope)
And thanks to Tony for the happy email.
I feel like the system worked today. It doesn’t always, or even often, and I’m not just saying that because I won. I feel good about this not guilty. Weeeee.
This is my victory dance. I’m not a good dancer. But for the moment, I don’t feel like a half-bad lawyer:)
Thanks for the new post-nym, Cait!
Nice victory dance there Smokey!
Tony! – While that experiment certainly doesn’t show McDonalds to be a generally great idea, it doe show that it’s not the automatically terrible thing it is often made out to be.
The best solution, rather than going after fast food, would be to improve nutritional education and ensure food providers give information on the nutritional content of their food. Which in a sane world the right wing would love- they claim to be all about personal choice. This would simply enable people to make these choices for themselves, rather than for whoever made the most clever TV ad.
Funny how the right wing doesn’t like that. “People should make their own choices- and be allowed to refuse to give any information which is relevant to anothers choice”
Portia, way to go! Woot!
Speaking of eating and what’s good for you, this week in the ESL class I volunteer in, we’re on a unit about health. The current subsection of the textbook for the health unit stresses how eating three meals a day is healthy. We just happened to arrive at this subsection on the first week of Ramadan. In a class where at least a third of the students are Muslim. The instructor had to jump through some serious hoops to be culturally sensitive and make an exception for purposeful fasting.
Hurray, Portia!
*champagne*
–
I got…Wrath???
I could see Sloth…but I don’t think I am a Wrathful person.
:(
–
gworroll:
Overall, I agree with you, but I do think fast food restaurants (FFR) contribute to health issues like obesity:
I agree that improving nutritional education (especially among children) and ensuring guests have access to nutritional information at FFR are both of great importance, it might be helpful to reduce the number of FFR within a certain range of schools.
Below, I found some info I thought might be interesting, and relevant to the above (but not to any specific point I was making)
Ten most popular McDonald’s menu items.
That is a lot of fries in one day.
Here are the nutrition facts from McDonald’s as of 7/1/14.
Pharyngula Too: The Wrath of Cicely!
A. Noyd:
While I understand that, and to an extent support it, Muslims are still human beings. 3 meals a day benefits them too. I don’t want anyone forced to eat, but I find it amusing to carve out an exception to human health bc of religion, and oh boy as I just typed that sentence, I’m reminded of SCOTUS.
Grats, Portia!
—
That silyl quiz. I got Wrath too, which was amusing. Some of the questions really needed an extra option or two. “Pick one of these Ryan Gosling movies:” – Where is my “who the hell is ryan gosling?” option?
*hugs* and *minion umbrellas*
I may be late to the party, but CaitieCat is about the awesomest person ever (together with all other pharyngulite loungers I have so far met). As she said, we had an awesome but quiet time, and the hours that I had went way, way, way too fast. If I had a chance to go again, I would. Immediately.
Y’all may be amused to know… Remember how I said that some people started some rumour about me and one of the basses? Well. Unbeknownst to anyone else, he actually made me an offer. I have had a hard time refusing, but we both took a couple of days to think it over, and nothing’s going to come of it, except a potentially lovely and close friendship. We actually understand each other rather well. So, really, no loss in the end. Except, damn, I haven’t felt that turned on and attracted and attractive in years. But that’s what having a busy home-work-kids schedule does.
I’m pretty confident that if Husband and I had more time for ourselves, we could rekindle the Flames of Amazing Attraction. It’s just that I haven’t been ages somewhere by myself with people not my family, so it’s like relearning a whole new social dynamic.
Love to you all!
I swear, once this is over, I’ll catch up.
Is there any reason for anyone to think that “three meals a day is healthy”?
chigau:
Good question, and an assumption that I’ve long held (which I don’t have a firm basis for holding…need to fix that). I’m checking now, but thus far, the recommendation for 3 meals a day (or 6 smaller meals) is aimed at people trying to lose weight, rather than an optimal number of meals for the average person to consume in a day.
http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/PolicyDoc/PolicyDoc.pdf
Even the above document from the USDA doesn’t have a recommended number of meals. It gives nutrition recommendations, such as the amount of fiber, protein, carbohydrates, etc that one needs. It discusses which areas Americans need to cut back on, and which ones they need to increase. It’s strange, because I wouldn’t think it would be good to consume all your daily nutrients in one meal (say, lunch), bc what happens when you get hungry the rest of the day? Obviously, going hungry is not a good idea, but there’s just no advice that says “eat 6 small meals a day”.
Aside from that, I haven’t found a source for the recommended number of meals per day.
Tony (#241)
The Muslim students are all vocally supportive of that (with a few who are adamant about three plus a snack being better). If it were a health class, that might be another thing. Though, criticizing Ramadan in a health class would take decent knowledge of how it’s unhealthy. (Like, given that meals during Ramadan are managed to make up for the fasting, I’d think the greater concern would be the not drinking anything part or the dangers of fasting while diabetic.)
~*~*~*~*~*~
chigau (#244)
Actually, my anthropology class (years ago) taught that it depends a lot on ingrained cultural routines that determine when you get hungry, the type of food you eat, and how strenuous your workday is. Not eating when you’re hungry is bad, but if you grew up eating two meals a day, everything else being normal, you’ll only feel hungry twice a day. I don’t know how true that is, but it’s what we learned.
Just a general comment
If we want to go all Natural™…
Our Ancestors™ ate when there was food and didn’t eat when there was no food.
Some people still do that.
Time of day is not very relevant.
It’s always weird reading news stories written in past tense a few minutes after an event. It is nice finding out almost immediately what some commotion was all about, though. In this case, a fire about a mile away from me. The building is a block or two away from one of the fire stations here, but that station must have had most of its units dispatched elsewhere. I heard a ton of units coming from the other direction when it started.
Good morning
Seven Deadly Sins
I always say that on a good day I manage 6 out of 7, but sloth and lust are incompatible if done right.
Apparently I’m Pride
I’ll take that if they paint it in rainbow colours ;)
Ramadan
I guess a lot of the “those crazy muslims” sentiment, whether dressed up as “crazy muslims” or “honest concerns” comes from a lack of information, because the Qran is surprisingly sensible on this issue (even Allah has his 5 minutes). No fasting for the elderly, sick, pregnant women, kids, women who menstruate, people who do hard work. So there isn’t actually any problem with a diuretic taking care of their health. There’s also a rule nowadays that if you live in a nordic country or far in the South you can go by Mekka time. You don’t have to starve yourself in Finland.
Nutrition in general
I recently read an article that made a lot of sense to me. The problem isn’t so much information. Apart from a few things that are really misleading or surprising (since we talked about McD, I recently checked out the nutritional values of a Frappée. Holy shit, that thing has as many calories as a pizza!), we generally know what is healthy and what isn’t. I think that many of us can relate to this.
The thing is more that first of all, our bodies are the result of millenia of food shortage. Apparently you can see those patterns in prehistoric skeletons as well: growth happened or was arrested depending on whether people had food or not. That’s why sugar and fat make us happy.
Secondly, we reinforce that link by having the “best”, the fattest and sweetest food on occasions we associate with positive emotions. Just think Christmas or birthdays or even a summer barbecue with friends. Nobody nibbles kale and celery at a summer barbecue.
And that doesn’t even touch the whole issue of food deserts, middle class privilege, time, school/canteen food etc.
rq
It’s nice to know that you are still desired, isn’t it?
But I hear you with how difficult it is to keep the lovers alive while the parents have a really busy time. And I only have 2 kids, not three. I regularly want to hit people who suggest rules like have one date night a week, get a babysitter and go out”. Do these people actually have kids, and jobs, and a tight budget? We’re always trying to carve out some time for the two of us. Even if it’s just for a drink on the balcony on a Saturday evening.
Giliell (#250)
Yeah, the article I linked covered that Islam doesn’t require sick people to fast but points out that many diabetics still try anyway.
Apparently, that can be a problem with Ramadan, too! People are feeling festive, so they cram a lot of junk food into the 6 hours they’re allowed to eat.
rq it’s always good to find that someone finds you attractive. I think your caution approach is a good one.
Giliell I only have one child and trying to sort out parent only time is hard enough! Even spontaneous events have to be planned well in advance!
Belated congratulations to Portia – you deserve to feel great about that!
Assorted hugs and waves to the Horde. Reading the Lounge is kind of a beacon in the day, really!
If any moslems up here have problems with Ramadan (sun only down for three hours) I will just say “I grant thee dispensation in the name of Buddha*”.
*Buddha is no god, so technically it would not violate the Allah is the only Allah clause.
— — — — — — —
Moderate Syrian Rebel Application Form http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2014/06/moderate-syrian-rebel-application-form.html?mobify=0
.
i-Gun http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2014/06/igun.html
Ayuh, that’s about how our schedule works: we plan spontaneous sex (or anything else) about 2 days in advance, with the assumption that it might not happen at all.
I love how you’re all (generally speaking, I presume) so non-judgmental about possible extra-marital affairs. It makes me feel less guilty for having feelings.
But I’m actually quite proud of myself for handling it so maturely, instead of being spontaneous and then having to deal with my emotional and retrospectively guilty self. Because that’s how it would be. I guess learning that whole ‘more communication’ thing has been useful.
Tell me that’s an Oscar Wilde quote. It is too awesome for contemporary people to make.
You can’t possibly be suggesting that contemporary people can’t invent awesome quotes all on their lonesome? Personally, I think bassmike makes some pretty good ones most of the time.
Hehe – no, quite the contrary. That was meant as a compliment: Kudos to bassmike.
rq we all have all sorts of feelings, but only you can judge as to what action to take on them. These things are never simple and none of us know the circumstances except you. It sounds like you’ve handled it very well. Occasions like choir tours can be very highly charged, so being mature is commendable.
Many years ago (when I was single) I unexpectedly ended up in a situation where (as far as I could tell) an offer was made to me. The person concerned was in a relationship with someone else at the time so I declined as I did not want to be responsible for causing any distress to anyone. I did not like the person who would potentially be hurt, so the less charitable part of me required some convincing! I still think I did the right thing.
bassmike
Sounds like you did. *high five* for handling musical tours maturely! ;) We totally rock.
Congrats, Portia!
rq – it is so nice to be flattered, isn’t it? Good on you for talking through it in a grown-up way. :) I don’t have a lot of advice on the marriage – we didn’t take time for ourselves, and our marriage suffered greatly for way too long. All I can say is that kids eventually grow up and take less time, and at the end of it you do realize how amazing it is that the other person stuck with you through it all, and you each appreciate each other so much more once you have the time to stop and think about what all you went through together.
But why? Fasting all day isn’t “healthy”, and the point of doing it is to show that you’re willing to sacrifice yourself for your religion. It’s not supposed to be “get healthy month”, it’s “do something that hurts to show how your willpower and how dedicated you are to your god and your religion” month.
carlie
Yeah, but stigmatizing people isn’t cool either. We all know how “unhealthy!” is flung at people as an insult and a way to ostracize them.
I’m already glad that they have reached advanced stages of “can be dragged to all kinds of events”. So we don’t have to decide between “things the kids like” and “things we like” (which almost always gets decided in favour of the kids because they would ruin the things we like anyway).
rq
Let me put it like this: While there is no deeper reason why the bedroom door is stuck, there’s a damn good reason why it doesn’t get fixed. I swear the little one smells it when we have some adult time…
As for this extramarital thing: You’re an adult and you know what’s best for you. People work in more than one way.
Not Oscar, just me. *blushes*
Oh yes, we rock! *high five*
::continues to think that rq is the bees knees, only more so::
.
::reads on a bit. Continues to have xtrmly high opinion of Horders::
rq is definitely all the bending joints of all the Anthophilae.
And I have a selfie picture of us on my chesterfield*, and it’s probably one of the least flattering pictures of me I’ve ever seen, and I’m going to put it up on the web today for y’all to see anyway, because of the bees’knees-ness of rq, who is also in the picture (and gave permission for its posting).
Proud of myself this morning because I overcame my anxiety and Got Some Shit Done. I’ve not paid the rent yet, because my welfare is late, because they needed a form from my doctor. I dropped off the form last Tuesday, but they hadn’t contacted me about picking it up yet, so I called this a.m., and found out that it is now ready. But it’s Wensdy, and they close up early on Wensdies. I can’t physically get there before they close up.
Now, many times, this would have been the cue for despair and shutdown. I’d have shut down til tomorrow, and then panicked to find a way to get there, get back to the social services office, and get the form in, maybe to get my money by Friday, else to be a week late in paying it next Monday.
Instead, I called the social worker, asked if it could be faxed over, she said it could provided the original follows within a week, got the number, called the office back, and got them to do the thing with the thing, so the thing gets done. As it were. Sorry for the technical jargon.
So now instead I can pay the rent tomorrow (just about, in the British sense, but better that than the US sense). Which will make the landlord happy.
Now, can I sustain the momentum and get some other stuff done? Wish me the good fortune which does not exist, pull your thumbs in a futile but supportive gesture, all that stuff, k? Thx.
* It’s a Canadian thing. I don’t actually call it that, but it’s a fun name for a couch or sofa, no?
Transatlantic thumbs up for Caitie . It sounds like you’re on a roll.
I wanted to call bullshit on that McDonalds article, but I’m not really coherent right now. Too hungry. But that meal plan looks horrible.
I made a woman cry today. I feel so bad. She’s under pressure and I made an insensitive comment. It’s not really untrue, but I should have been more diplomatic.
Last night I read a short story by Frank Herbert that I had never before run across. Passage for Piano. Dated (written about when I was born) but a good story.
(sorry, that’s all I gots today)
About that adult time, we’ve got two adult offspring attending college while living at home, and the last… yeeesh, ten years, about, has also been filled with Aged Parental crises of one sort or another. Sadly, we’re down to one AP now, but my mom’s needs are ever-expanding. The offspring pull their weight around here, and I love them, but they are always underfoot.
So even if we had time for us that was more than the occasional lunch out while running errands, we wouldn’t have the energy. I could do with some me-time, too, but the only way to get that is leave the house, and what I really want to do is find a bad movie to watch while I do craftsy things.
I guess that’s why they call us the “Sandwich Generation”.
CaitieCat, best wishes!
I mentioned that I thought Tim Howard had been historically good as the US’ goalkeeper in the game against Belgium.
History agrees. When you concede two goals as a keeper, lose the game, and are still the consensus best player, you’ve played a blinder. As World Cup goalies, I’d put his name in the mix with men like Vasily Rats, Joel Bats, the evil but brilliant Schumacher, and the ever-dominating Kahn.
The US does seem to turn out some quality keepers.
But of course. We here in the US are very used to people shooting at us.
Well, yes, but goalkeepers are the ones who lean toward the shots…:)
Well, many of us tend to lean towards the shots. Whisky, rum, . . .
In case no one has linked to it, yet.
‘Cause it is awesome…and topical!
–
CaitieCat, congrats on Getting Some Shit Done.
:)
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Flu, tetanus, whooping cough….
–
Random things….
Extra-marital affairs… About ten years ago when I was about 55 I was visiting my younger sister. She owns a small rural cafe and there were a few locals hanging about. I had a charming conversation with one young fellow who was at least 30 years my junior. The conversation lasted long into the evening. I finally said good night. My sister subsequently pointed out the the lad was hitting on me for all he was worth. Duh. The fact that I was married made no difference to him, nor to me, because the whole concept was so inconceivable to me that I was oblivious. Had I realized the intent I probably would have laughed and hurt his feelings.
Chesterfield…….. We always called the couch the Chesterfield. But then, my mother was from Canada.
Off to cook a sugar-free, gluten-free birthday cake for a good friend. And it will be yummy.
carlie (#261)
From what I understand, the sacrifice is the inconvenience more than anything done to one’s health because there are lots of practices set up to compensate for the dangers of fasting all day. (Assuming they follow the practices, which, being people, they don’t always.) The inconvenience of, say, eating your second meal of the day at 2am.
I think this presentation of Tim Howard’s awesomeness:
http://thebiglead.com/2014/07/01/tim-howard-vs-belgium-here-are-all-16-saves-from-his-historic-world-cup-performance/
Hi all!
****
I’ll take more of this please:
The writer, Leslie Salzillo :
I don’t think this happens enough. More of the democrats with political power need to speak up and say these things.
Eddy’s in the space-time continuum….
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I’ve never like Marseille. Apparently the police don’t either, so much so that they tried to blow up the airport, French police ‘lose’ explosives at Marseille airport: “Sniffer dogs fail to find explosives during training exercise and gendarmes apparently forget where they hid them”.
Nelson Eddy? Eddy Gourmet? Eddy Rabbit?
Took him long enough:
I don’t see what’s so complicated here though. Target is not a literal warzone. There is no reason to openly carry guns while you’re shopping for diapers, televisions, or cereal. Just as importantly, customers have no idea the intent of gundamentalists. They’ve no way of knowing if someone is a responsible gun owner (grrr…if they were, they wouldn’t carry them into Target, but I digress) or if they’re going to be a murderous assclam. That creates an environment of fear and terror which does seem at odds with a business. What business wants their customers to be worried about their lives while they’re trying to shop? This is a good decision here, even if it’s too long in coming.
The Eddy whose Chesterfield sofa it is.
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Ed, Ed, and Eddy!
There is apparently an instrumental peice by that name, Eddy’s in the Space-Time Continuum, by Jumbotronic.
Eh, aren’t we all :-\
Right there in the eddies with Eddy. Hopefully he’s not the Ripper after all, though.
Go, CaitieCat!
Hooray for getting things done!
http://www.newsarama.com/21482-ouch-adhd-s-captain-america-statistics-song-skewers-the-united-states.html
It’s that time of year again.
Preeeeeeeety Fireworks.
Patriotism.
False sense of exceptionalism.
Worship of the Founding Fathers as if they’re nigh unto deities.
Ignorance of history-both modern and ancient (hey, Republicans forget things they said a few years ago, we can’t blame them for not knowing stuff from a few hundred years ago; that’s like ancient news, man)
I would swear we did this last year and the year before (and if you’re FOX News, you do it everyday, except possibly for the fireworks; but I bet they have fireworks in the background everytime they say BENGHAZI!)
Yup, it’s almost the 4th of July. How do I know? I heard fireworks on June 30 (and I really did–at like 2 am; it’s a good thing I didn’t need to be asleep for work bc that might have woken me-hey there’s something else exceptional about the US…our unemployment rates). I don’t care for fireworks. I’ve got nothing against people enjoying them, but I’ve seen more than enough bright sparkly, sploding things, I don’t need more. I figure once you’ve seen a few, you’ve seen them all (I’m aware there are exceptions, but I don’t make it to the huge celebrations where the amount of fireworks used would make a gundamentalist get a raging hardon at the thought of all the destruction that such splosions could cause).
In honor of the impending celebration of all things people think are great about the US, but if they paid attention to facts, they’d realize really, really aren’t true…where was I going with this again? Oh yeah, for your listening pleasure:
http://www.newsarama.com/21482-ouch-adhd-s-captain-america-statistics-song-skewers-the-united-states.html
Let none doubt, I am the current owner of the Snark Hat!
Fireworks, and firework rockets / mortars: Spreading Teh Chemtrails at low altitude.
This year’s fireworks have a “seek gun fondler’s bum” feature.
Fireworks are a “false flag” operation to distract from Benghazi. Because Obama.
FEMA will be launching fireworks from black drones to herd people to the trains to take them to the reeducation camps.
(What other nutty rumours can we start…)
I know some Loungers don’t care for spiders, but how far would you go to kill one?
Though not quite “nuke ’em from orbit”, one Kansas woman set her house on fire trying to kill a spider
In all seriousness, I’m glad no one was harmed, and the duplex remains structurally sound.
Fireworks at the White House mean that Obama is trying to distract from the continuing moral decline of the US he orchestrated. And still he fails to show his birth certificate.
Obama secretly supported Belgium in a plot to deject the American people and thus pass anti-freedom laws while everyone was distracted…
In more serious news, there is a tropical storm east of florida. The good news is that I have something to do this summer. The bad news is for anyone going to North Carolina soon…
As brought up by Birgerjohannson, religious practice in the polar regions is tricky, partially because of the lack of a coherent day-night cycle. Space is even harder; I believe there was a conference in Malaysia to figure out how astronauts should practice Islam.
I have, after great study of the charges against our Kenyan Muslim Atheist Communist Usurper and considerable mulling over the evidence provided by the brave patriots on the Right, come to the conclusion that there is only one way that Obama could have perpetrated all of the offenses of which he is accused.
He’s a time traveler. An evil time traveler. Barack Obama is The Master.
I think my brain just melted.
President Obama killed Buffy?
I thought that was bunnies. Or maybe midgets.
You refer to Lord Edward “Eddy” Chesterfield. I presume?
Obama has used HAARP technology to artificially create Tropical Storm (soon to be hurricane) Arthur which will affect the area between the carolina outer banks and Long Island on July 4th thus preventing millions of Real Americans (older white men in giant gas-guzzling SUVs and pickup trucks) will be prevented celebrating Fourth of July with fireworks, firearms, firecooking, firesex, and fireracism.
Oh, I get it now – Obama is Glory.
I’ll just go try to reboot my brain now…
Anne D:
If Obama is the Master, and the Master is dead
and if Obama is Glory and Glory is dead
that means Obama is The First Evil!
Oddly enough, isn’t that like being the Antichrist?
PZ recently wrote about Stefan Molyneux aka Captain Douchebag (I made that part up). Captain D had this to say at the recent MRA conference:
One wonders why the fathers weren’t present during those 5 years.
One also wonders how fathers have so little influence in the lives of their children.
From “we don’t need no stinking regulation” and “we don’t need public oversight” Texas comes this alarming news:
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/texas-abbott-drive-around-look-dangerous-chemicals
I hope this fuckupedness from Abbott bites him hard. Wendy Davis needs a break.
Oggie
Hah, that’s an extra level of the joke I never got before. The initial remark was a reference to the second or third book of the Hitchhiker’s Trilogy; when alien Ford Prefect and hapless Earthman Arthur Dent are trapped in Earth’s prehistoric past (long story), they see a Chesterfield sofa drifting across a field. Arthur inquires where it came from, and Ford replies “Eddies in the space-time continuum” “Who’s Eddy?” and cue Abbott and Costello routine. I’ve noticed that Hitchhiker fans are as bad or worse than Python fans about assuming everyone’s seen/read the source material as many times as they have (I’m guilty of both myself, I admit). I have no doubt that the Jumbotronic song title is derived from the books. Tony referenced the title of a popular cartoon (which I personally cannot stand), the title characters of which share a given name.
Fathers are only significant if you need them to slut shame, i.e. need to pressure women into obtaining an owner aka get married before having children. Once they are properly owned, of course, the fathers can disappear and it matters not at all because everything that goes wrong with young children is due to the mothers. Well, ok, there is one exception: Fathers are important if the children involved are racial or ethnic minorities and you need an explanation for why they’re doing poorly in school other than having no resources. In that case, fathers are to blame almost coequally with mothers.
Me? In a bad mood? I can’t imagine where you got that idea.
Bryan C. Sykes, Rhettman[*] A. Mullis, Christophe Hagenmuller, Terry W. Melton and Michel Sartori (2014): Genetic analysis of hair samples attributed to yeti, bigfoot and other anomalous primates, Proceedings of the Royal Society – B: Biological Sciences 281: article number 20140161. Open access!
Contains an interesting, unexpected result: Himalayan brown bears may contain admixture from ice-age polar bears. This was known from other populations of brown bears, but I think they’re all closer to the modern range of polar bears…
* Seriously?!?
Apparently, Limbaugh is experiencing a boycott, and it really hurts him to the point that there’s collateral damage!
Already dumped on another thread, but just in case: “What if a Muslim Company Used the ‘Hobby Lobby’ Decision to Impose Its Values on White Christians?”
One further wonders whether “promiscuity” really belongs into that list of troubles.
Dalillama:
No, that was not a HGttG reference. That was me being weird. Honest.
Doomed to repeat history. Death included.
Oggie
I meant that cicely was making a HttG reference originally. I may not have been totally coherent, because I was also trying to compost something else, and also it’s bastard humid right now and the temperature’s rising, which doesn’t help my focus.
…Yup, he’s called “Rhettman” in the very short pdf (3 pages), too. I assume “he” because of “-man”.
Just as expected:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/religious-groups-lgbt-hiring-hobby-lobby
Tony!
Yes, I think you’ve got it!
Dalillama:
Sorry. My mistake.
Meet The Conservative Journalist Who Reported The Cochran Bribery Allegations
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/charles-johnson-thad-cochran-mississippi
Sad, but we’ve come to expect this: no journalistic integrity whatsoever from rightwing hooligans.
Is there something strange about “Rhettman”?
Just to avoid confusion, this is still Anne D. I just decided to prettify up my name a little bit.
I love this place. There’s nowhere else I could joke about Obama, BtVS and Dr Who and not be greeted with either incomprehension or outrage.
Anne:
If you’re a gumbie cat, does that mean you’re malleable (or is that just ‘Gumby’)?
Tony!:
One of the cats in ee cummings Book of Practical Cats
So, Anne, will you be teaching the mice crocheting and tatting?
“New specimen of Archaeopteryx provides insights into the evolution of pennaceous feathers” – the description of the 11th (skeletal) specimen, in Nature.
Abstract (references removed):
Stunning photos behind the paywall; even more stunning figures in the Extended Data Figures (not part of the Supplementary Information!), which seem not to be behind the paywall. – In particular, now we finally know where the tail feathers ended.
Further quotes (references removed):
“Although Archaeopteryx still plays a pivotal role in discussions of avialan origins and basal relationships, information on the plumage of this crucial taxon has so far mainly been limited to the London [1st] and Berlin [2nd] specimens, with some additional information from the recently described Thermopolis [10th] specimen.”
“The plumage of the new specimen is preserved mainly as imprints, with a few patches showing possible preservation of organic material.”
“The body plumage of Archaeopteryx consists of bilaterally symmetrical pennaceous feathers, possessing long, thin and slightly curved rhachides with regularly oriented barbs, forming narrow vanes (Fig. 2d). Parts of the neck plumage had separated from the cervical vertebrae with the skull and are preserved between the vertebral column and the skull remains (Fig. 1 and Extended Data Fig. 3); they show that pennaceous feathers also covered the neck up to the head.”
“These finds contradict an interpretation of the plumage of Archaeopteryx based on the Berlin specimen, according to which the number of primaries is reduced and the coverts are extremely elongated. Thus, the wing morphology of Archaeopteryx conforms to that of modern birds, as previously suggested (see Extended Data Fig. 5 and Supplementary Information).”
“For the first time the distal end of the tail is completely preserved in Archaeopteryx (Fig. 2e). The distal rectrices are symmetrical in shape and extremely long, measuring about 99–114 mm (up to 61% of the length of the bony tail). The rhachis morphology resembles that of the wing feathers. The preserved shape of the tail plumage is probably narrower than originally, because some rectrices are completely covered by others. The distal end of the tail is bifurcated (Fig. 2e), but it cannot be ruled out that this might be caused by a moulting process of the terminal feather, which would indicate a centrifugal moulting pattern as in recent birds. Lateral rectrices are slightly shorter than distal ones and clearly asymmetrical in shape (Fig. 2f). This may suggest that the tail of Archaeopteryx possessed an additional aerodynamic function increasing the total lift of the animal.”
There are phylogenetic surprises; for instance, birds and troodontids come out as closer to each other than either are to the dromaeosaurids. Balaur remains on the bird side of things, and Rahonavis remains a dromaeosaurid. Jinfengopteryx is far out, man.
“These results contradict the hypothesis that the flapping flight of modern birds was preceded by a four-winged gliding stage, and indicates that flight ability in Avialae and Microraptor evolved convergently and was functionally different.”
“The current results show that pennaceous feathers were present in the common ancestor of Pennaraptora. As in extant birds, this feather type probably fulfilled several biological roles related to body insulation, manoeuvrability, brooding, camouflage and display. However, given the great diversity of pennaceous feathers found within different body regions and across the phylogeny, it seems plausible that the evolution of this feather type (especially in the wing, hindlimbs and tail) was primarily driven by display functions. These structures then represented an exaptation that was repeatedly, and probably convergently, recruited for aerodynamic functions. This indicates that the origin and evolution of flight in theropod dinosaurs were more complex than previously thought, and (as already shown for other anatomical complexes, for example forelimb myology and breathing apparatus) could draw on structures that evolved in different functional contexts.”
In very different news, I got an e-mail titled “BREAKING: Victory at TARGET!” It quotes John Mulligan, the CEO of Target, as saying: “Bringing firearms to Target creates an environment that is at odds with the family-friendly shopping and work experience we strive to create.” This is sourced by a footnote that goes nowhere.
Of course. “Rhett” is bizarre enough, but at least there’s famous precedent; adding “-man” is not just bizarre, but doesn’t even fit the Mormon pattern of “random jumble of letters that is pronounceable in English”.
Old Gumbie Cat from Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by TS Eliot
/pedant
::hurrying in order to be able to contribute a trivial rectification for I think the first time ever in the Lounge, and I bet that by the time I finish typing this sentence it will be factually incorrect because someone else will have said it first … ::
Petition to reverse the Hobby Lobby decision.
… and Don Marquis gave us the immortal and utterly wonderful mehitabel …
and I confused him with ee cummings because of the no caps thing.
re: fast food, weight and health, starting with Tony’s link at #228
Important things to keep in mind: This person can lose weight on a carefully crafted McDonalds menu ≠ anyone can lose weight on the McDonalds menu, and really, really ≠ McDonalds food is healthy/good for you. But this crap:
is really the worst part of the article. It’s part and parcel of the way that libertarian bullshit has wormed its way into every corner of society, along with those assholes over in the Hobby Lobby thread castigating people for not having options about where they shop. It’s the way people insist on making every fucking thing about personal choice made via contracausal free will and furthermore the ‘choices’ you make are each and every one a test of your moral character, such that if you suffer in any way whatsoever, it’s because you’re evil, weak, stupid, or otherwise morally deficient (and yes, on this view those latter two things are, indeed, considered moral failings). This perspective of course completely ignores social pressures and economic realities, not to mention the myriad of more subtle influences that fill our environment. Not least among these are our innate desires (mentioned already by others) for fats and sugars, and the fact that junk food providers have spent millions of dollars and tens if not hundreds of thousands of person-hours into carefully crafting their foods to stimulate appetites but not stimulate feelings of satiety (see Kessler’s The End of Overeating for more on this), essentially using our underlying physiological responses to make an end-run around concious choice (there are many, many ways of doing this with other types of common reflexes, and marketers have gotten quite good at some of them), which is why there need to be fucking regulations not just about what information is provided but about what people are actually allowed to sell and in what fucking quantities.
gworrol#235
This has been done some places. It has no effect. See above for why.
And it’s always just another anti-regulation dogwhistle. They mean that you should have the choice to pay $10 for a shit sandwich or $100 for an actual meal (containing undisclosed but probably lower amounts of fecal matter). What’s that? You can’t afford $100 per meal? Well you should have chosen to be rich like me. Enjoy your shit sandwich, peon.
No it wouldn’t, anymore than it does now, because the nutritional content isn’t the major reason for the choice. The fact that it’s all you can spare the money/time for, the fact that no place in miles sells anything else anyway the fact that you need some kind of pleasant stimulus after the hell morning you’ve had at your shithole job, to cushion you for the hell afternoon, but you’re not allowed a beer or a bowl and couldn’t afford one anyway, these are what drive the ‘choices’ to eat fast food/junk food. Nutritional information is basically irrelevant.
Wrong again, they’d just keep putting misleading bs about their supposed nutritional edge over the other chains; look at diet food.
Dalillama:
Yeah, that carefully crafted McDonald’s meal doesn’t reflect how many people actually eat. I mean, geez, look at that breakfast he ate. I *like* oatmel, but really, how many people are eating that on a regular basis? No, they’re going for the McGriddle (which I admit to liking once or twice a year) or an Egg McMuffin. That’s part of the reason I included a link to the top 10 menu items at McDonald’s. Of them, the only thing that appears nutritional are the salads, but even they are loaded with sodium, and empty calories (and that’s before the addition of dressing).
I learned something today. There’s racism behind the history of marijuana criminalization in the US:
(excerpt)
I guess it’s summer.
30°C (86°F).
I’ve watered the patio plants twice today. So far.
Justice Alito’s decision in the Hobby Lobby case should not come as a surprise. Here’s some background on Alito that begins in November 2012, right after Obama won the presidential election.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/07/02/3455366/the-most-partisan-justice/
Tony
Spiders are serious business. If you ever see me macgyvering up a flamethrower, run.
opposablethumbs:
Damnit! You are, of course, correct. Wrong title. Wrong poet. Nice to know I am me.
Tony! @324:
I will have to look for it, but I also seem to remember the term ‘marijuana’ showing up in the yellow press at the time of the Spanish-American War — those evil Spanish soldiers all hopped up on marijuana commiting (mostly imaginary) attrocities.
FIFY. >.>
Oggie
meh
It’s all cats.
I made the same misattribution but was too late to comment.
Tony! I wouldn’t advise testing me for malleability.
Ogvorbis, knitting and crochet, yes, but sadly, I don’t tat.
opposablethumbs, that’s the one. “On whom well-ordered households depend” beats the hell out of “reliable-dog-geyser-person”. Although I also feel a certain kinship with Susan Sto-Helit, as being the one who always tips the wee out of the shoe after everyone else has panicked.
cross posted from the ‘Dome:
A comment I left at Think Progress about the Missouri Governor vetoing a 72 hour waiting period on abortions:
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/07/02/3456058/missouri-veto-abortion-waiting-period/?fb_comment_id=fbc_675018552574086_675058382570103_675058382570103
This was a response I got:
The fuck. So I’m wrong for stating a truth? Women have told me they were happy to get an abortion. I’m not lying when I say this.
I also see the commenter assumes I’m heterosexual.
That kinda pissed me off. I’m unreservedly pro-choice, with no exceptions and I’m quite vocal about that, so the insinuations being made are fucking irritating.
O.o
wondering what a ‘malleability test’ would look like.
At last, the 60s Batman tv show has a dvd/blu ray release date!!
Tony! Just remember that while some cats may look soft and squashy, they are predators, and fully armed with claws and teeth.
Anne:
That not something I could forget. My cats remind me of it every once in a while and that’s just when we play :)
Ogvorbis, I’m quietly confident that this will prove to be the one and only time I get in first on a minor mis-remembering. Mind you, I’m happy to spend the other 99.999….. % of the time reading and learning from you and the rest of the Horde! :-)
Femalleability, then?
*Old Gumbie Cat opens one eye and unsheaths a sharp and shiny claw in Azkyroth’s direction. Having made her point, she curls up and goes back to sleep, purring.*
Well fuck. I learned around noon today that I will give a 45 min presentation tomorrow at noon (I didn’t strictly have to agree to it, but it would be such a missed chance to present some ideas that I hardly have a choice). Have a lump in my stomach ever since and am not quite sure I will sleep at all tonight. Not only because of the stress, mind you, but because I need the time to work on it.
What’s most unacceptable about this is that I have asked if I could present something two weeks ago, and only today got the “good news”. Grrrrrrr.
I don’t have to start entirely from scratch in terms of content, but in terms of rationale and argumentative structure I do. And I obviously have no time to practice or anything. It’s not a large panel, but important to me; plus many unknown variables in terms of who will attend. Double Grrrr.
I’m a bit rupt.
Gorogh:
Good luck, that really sucks. : ( I know you can do it!
The wind is carrying all the smells from the bar and grill down the block. Oh man. I’m getting unreasonably hungry
Good luck, Gorogh.
Thanks folks that really does help. Making headway but it still sucks, perfectionism and all.
Oh btw does anyone live in Washington, DC? I don’t have any plans for Saturday yet…
Maybe I should elaborate @Washington, I’ve never been there before, so I certainly want to look around a bit, museums and the like. If a Horde member wanted to accompany me, that would certainly be nice!
*continues pushing around slides and pixels*
Gorogh:
I’m not there, but I love the museums. Naturally, I was attracted to the crime and punishment museum.
The Holocaust Museum is a…I don’t want to say. “a must” …but I’d encourage you to check it out.
Enjoy!
I’m having it out with a good friend about our issues. They have partly arisen because he has flipped out on me over politics over and over. (He’s libertarian). He just admitted to me that he thought I was faking being a liberal in order to “make it” in my profession. He thought I was lying. He literally couldn’t grasp that someone would…believe what I believe. This from a Mormon.
…I can’t even process this.
I hate family drama.
:( :( :( :( :(
–
*squeee!*
(Later)
Petition signed.
–
Good luck with your presentation, Gorogh!
–
cicely:
me too:(
esp when they put you in the middle
Happily, I am on the side-lines of this one.
Still sucks, though.
–
Very
*hugs*
I haz a content belly. Pizza and cookies. Nom Nom
****
Well look at this! Kudos to her (the Navy should be ashamed that its taken this long though).
cicely
*hugs* Hope it’s resolved soon.
portia
Congratulations on the case, sympathies for your current crogglement.
Just got my paycheck, confirming tat I am indeed short on the rent again. I hate being poor.
Dalillama:
Damn. I’m sorry to hear that.
Dalillama:
Thanks and *hugs* to you.
–
Today a legal assistant in my office asked “Don’t you feel guilty getting someone off like that?”
Dirty jokes aside…I was flabbergasted. Like…this is sort of the point of our business….to advocate….successfully….
Gorogh:
I hope you’re having success working on your presentation.
****
cicely:
Sorry to hear about the family drama. Hope it gets resolved speedily.
This is drive-by and mostly threadrupt. It has been a busy and interesting week so far.
I turned 52 on Monday–and spent the morning at the Supreme Court pro-choice demonstration. It was very hard to be standing there and then hear the devastating news. Despite the news, however, I did have a very nice birthday.
Today I went 4-0 and took first place in a local Magic the Gathering standard tournament with my Monored Devotion Deck. This is the best win I have ever had. And to think I almost didn’t go tonight because I was feeling a bit under the weather. (This is true in several senses as it was raining pretty hard at the time.)
I’ll leave this huge pile of *hugs, pouncehugs, and chocolate* for all who want/need them. Please take care.
Hekuni Cat:
Belated Happy Birthday Pouncehugs!
*drags himself to bed and tries to get two hours of sleep before he has to get up to catch his flight*
Thanks for the good wishes everyone, I appreciate it. Hope nobody was praying for me though!
We only pray on Sunday. PZs day of rest :)
Portia, !!!headdesk!!! (honestly, a mormon questioning somebody’s principles … ? There must be some kind of meters going spoing all over the place)
Gorogh, good luck!
Hekuni Cat, happy belated birthday! (sounds like a great way to spend it, despite that news)
cicely, glad you’re on the sidelines, but ugh – commiserations. I hate that shit.
Dalillama, shit I’m sorry. Wish I had more than just hugs.
Tony!, I thought we preyed on Sundays? There’s plenty o’ good tasty theism-and-bigotry-mockin’ on a Sunday!
I hope your presentation goes well Gorogh
Happy Birthday Hekuni Cat
*hug* and grog to all.
Daughter used the potty again this morning, so last week wasn’t a fluke!
Happy belated, Hekuni Cat!! *pounce hugs&helium balloons&fluffy kittens*
Good morning
cicely
You can sit here in the family drama afflicted corner. I bought Fudge today
Hekuni Cat
*belated birthday pouncehugs*
My great grandma, who was born at the end of the 19th century, was arrested and sentenced because she protested against the German ban on abortions. That same fucking law is still on the books. I’m wondering if, should I have great-granddaughters one day, they will have to keep on fighting or whether by the turn of the next century women have finally become people.
+++
From the department of “we used to be smarter but can’t exactly remember when”:
Last night my RPG crew was here. Two of the four arrived a bit early and helped me laying teh table and everything. My friend A. offered to take out the rubbish and I gave him my keys to the dumpsters. After they left I went straight to bed. This morning I found an email and several messages from my friend A. He still had my keys, but he set off as soon as I called and we still made it on time for #1’s school.
+++
Musing about RPGs: It kind of struck me how our RPG characters often really reflect what we have and want in real life. Me, with my wonderful husband and children, I’m playing somebody who wants lots of casual sex, adventure, and whose ambition is to be found worthy to join her church’s armed branch. My friend’s, who is involuntarily single, wants to find a husband and settle down…
+++
From the department of “don’t try “because I say so” with me”.
Today was sauna-day for me at the swimming pool (4 times exercise = 1 time sauna). The swimming pool has reduced prices for kids, students, disabled people… So I wnated to pay the reduced price for the sauna as well. “We only have reduced prices for disabled people at the sauna”. OK, can you tell me where it says so? “Everywhere!” Show me please. “Uhm, right, it doesn’t say so, but that’s how it is!” Look, I just want to be clear about the rules and for that there mist be a place where the rules are written. “You’ve gotta wait for my colleague” OK. Colleague: “It’s like that!” Sure, where can I look this up so I can know in advance what I have to pay? “Nowhere, but it’s like that!” Look, you really need to have this in writing or everybody can just say what they want. “Well, I’ll tell my boss to fix it!”
Jeezes, first rule of holes. You don’t go on defending your complete lack of documentation and act like your costumers are uppity for wanting reliable information that conforms to legal regulations.
+++
Mini rant: #1 got hooked on “TopModel” (warning, annoying music on autoplay). They are all white and they all have eyes bigger than their mouth and they are all standing like they really need to go to the loo.
It tells you how much I love my gran that I bought a book so she can give it to #1 as a birthday present. I bought the “Fantasy Model” under great pains. At least the Mermaid doesn’t have a thigh gap.
You know, generally I refuse to shame the kids for liking shit society tells them they should like, but this is on the border of obscene.
When scepticism gets out of hand http://www.gocomics.com/getfuzzy/2014/06/20
.
I have found the perfect spokesman for the tea party http://www.gocomics.com/getfuzzy/2014/06/18
.
June is a rough month for Father Time http://wpcomics.washingtonpost.com/client/wpc/pb/2014/06/30/
.
Chinese reading habits: http://wpcomics.washingtonpost.com/client/wpc/pb/2014/06/28/
Glittering reception celebrates Britain’s biggest twats http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/celebrity/downing-street-reception-celebrates-britains-biggest-twats-2014070188159
— — —
Tony Blair applies to be Caliph http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/international/blair-applies-to-be-caliph-2014070188142 “ I am already a figure both universally known and universally hated in the West, which is great positioning for ISIS.”
— — —
Medieval-style, literal surnames to be reintroduced http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/literal-surnames-to-be-reintroduced-2014070388223 Medieval-style surnames that describe a person’s job or characteristics are to be brought back, the British government has announced. The move will make it easier to assess someone’s suitability for a job or social interaction thanks to surnames such as Electrician, Accountant, Friendly, Pisshead and Twat.
.
The spokesman added that if crime-related surnames, such as Simon Murderer and Barry Insurance Fraudster, had been introduced earlier it “would have saved a lot of police time”.
G’morn all. Woke up early today to stare at satellite imagery of Hurricane Arthur… (big bad storm)
Also likely threadrupt for the next few days.
And today’s link dump.
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Kickstarter for capitalism! Agriculture is mostly an oligopoly nowadays. “Ten agro-chemical firms own 73% of the commercial seed market, and 93% of seed varieties have gone extinct. In the US alone 85% of apple varieties have disappeared.”
“But farmers are resisting, saving seeds in banks and barns across the world. Now they have devised a revolutionary project — the first ever, non profit “eBay” of seed where any farmer, anywhere can source a wide variety cheaper than from the chemical companies. This global online store could re-flood the market with all kinds of seeds and slowly break the monopoly that is putting our food future at risk!
This is the most innovative agricultural idea in decades. But chemical companies bully and sue those that get in their way, and farmers are calling on us to support them. If we raise enough now we can help them launch the online site, support seed storing in key countries, finance marketing and advertising, and fund the legal defense to fight back.
Pledge to help kick start this revolutionary project — Avaaz will only process donations if we raise enough to launch the whole initiative.”
Not sure why the companies are called “chemical”, but otherwise this idea looks good to me. There’s a lot more information, especially links to news articles, in the e-mail I got.
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“Here’s How Vancouver Responded to London’s ‘Anti-Homeless Spikes’” – good news!
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“Denounce the Supreme Court’s disgusting ruling that corporations can deny women birth control coverage.”
“Sign the pledge: Boycott Hobby Lobby”
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Pledge to donate for a TV ad that will point out that the big fossil-fuel companies in the US are getting at least 20 billion $ in subsidies, apparently per year.
“As Congress debates yet another round of budget negotiation, perhaps no programs are less worthy of government support than those which subsidize Big Oil, Gas, and Coal.
We need to be sure the public and our representatives in Washington know what’s really going on, and not get duped by industry spin. Help us place this important ad on the air, so we can push our Representatives in Washington to end this wasteful spending, and promote policies that protect our children’s futures.”
“Thief” was in fact a traditional surname in Mongolia till the communists came, abolished the whole system and burnt the records or something. So was “Family of seven drunks”.
This is why, when surnames were reintroduced in the late 90s, it was decided to let people decide on their own surnames rather than trying to dig up the old ones. Of course, half the country is called Borjigin* now, but…
* Chinggiz Khaan’s clan, as I’m sure you’ve guessed.
Hekuni Cat! =^_^= *pouncehug* *very fancy chocolate*
Re. thread “Muslim creationists are as obtuse as the Christian kind”.
Check the name of the creationist! He is a proxy for Dr. Davros, operating from within the Kaled dome!
At the clients’ place I’m hanging around this week:
One guy had a tab open on conservapedia- homosexual agenda, yesterday. He didn’t seem embarrased that I saw, so I figured it was sincere and not just informing hinself about weird bigots. It was confirmed today when he pulled out the bible during lunch break.
How sad. And I even found him likeable. No horns or green skin, even.
Beatrice, I can confirm, from personal, being-beaten-up-and-receiving-death-threats experience, that bigots against queerfolk come in all sizes, shapes, range of human colours, and genders, but that unless they have a very unusual fashion sense, they almost never have horns or green skin, or any other convenient external identifier, beyond a “Hi, I’m a Mormon missionary named Gary!” sticker, perhaps.
Oh, and the woman I accidentaly made cry yesterday was a bit sour towards me in the morning but we were fine by the afternoon. I left her in a good mood.
That made the day a bit better.
I hope everyone is doing well. I kinda just parachute in here in the afternoons, drop a couple of words and then close the laptop and go out for a walk.
Nice life that, with 8-hour workdays (at least this week).
That’s great news, Beatrice, about patching things up so quickly and easily with your colleague. Good social skills, you! :)
CaitieCat,
sorry, that was a bad attempt at jokingly going crap, how could I even accidentaly find a person like that likeable? Ewww.
I’m really sorry about all you’ve suffered from bigots. *hugs*
CaitieCat,
Oh, I was horrible. I don’t know how to deal with people in tears, especially when they are strangers to me.
She did all the work by being really nice and not holding my words against me for long.
I knew it was, and no harm, no foul, promise. Just gave me a sad, reminding me that it would be so much easier a world if they came with horns. :(
I brought some of it on myself, to an extent, and I was aware it would happen; the death threats and some of the beatings-up were when I was leading a local campaign in favour of a provincial same-sex rights omnibus bill. I wrote op-eds in local papers, was interviewed on TV, radio, and in print, and generally made a huge nuisance of myself trying to get visibility and convince our local MPPs to vote in favour. I got death threats on the phone (which, with the newly-deployed Caller ID, were probably an error on their part), by letter, and a couple delivered in person to my door by their issuers. I met them at the door with my buddy “Lou” Slugger (you may have heard of him in his baseball connection), and was glad this country doesn’t go big for the whole handgun thing.
I even gave an interview to a local student paper, in which she asked me how I could stand up and do so when I was receiving such threats (serious enough that the police were aware, and there was a trace-back on my line until the vote had gone by). I pointed out that I was single, that I lived nowhere near my family of origin (who didn’t support me anyway) who didn’t share my surname, and I had no kids or even pets. The only person being endangered by my activism was me, and as a former soldier, I was perfectly willing to accept personal danger for things I believed in.
That played pretty well, actually, got mentioned in some of the other local press, and favourably.
I failed utterly, unfortunately. Of the locals, six of them, five were NDP (the government party, and my party, and nominally leftists), and four of them, along with the sixth local who’s a Catholic and bigot, voted against the measure.
And we lost by nine votes. Meaning if I’d swung the four local NDP MPPs to vote for the measure, we’d have been within a single vote of passing. If I’d swung all the local votes, we’d have passed it, but that couldn’t be done, as Mike bloody Farnan in Cambridge wouldn’t have voted to support queer people unless the Pope told him to. And that butthead JP2 never listened to me, not once, and I wrote him like half a dozen times asking him to stop being suck a jackass. No, I really did.
Bob Rae betrayed us; he should never have made it a free vote. I spoke to Marion Boyd (a hetero mensch to the gay community, if there ever was one), who’d introduced the bill, later, and she admitted she’d had a HUGE blowup argument with him about it, that if ever the NDP wanted to have a signature piece of legislation, something to erase the bad taste of the Social Contract, their Orwellian name for an austerity programme that fucked over a LOT of their voters, then this was it.
And so it never came to pass that we had a law mandating belt-onions, though I certainly tried.
CaitieCat I’m impressed with anyone who can stick to their guns under such overt displays of hatred. I have even more respect for you than before..which is going some. Your experiences, and those of others in the horde, emphasize how fortunately mundane my life has been so far.
BTW you talked about posting a photo yesterday. Did I miss it?
You did not miss it. I ran out of Getting Shit Done juice.
I refilled my glass this morning, so let’s see. What did I make the password for that public flickr I made a few weeks ago? Hmm. When I figure that out, or get annoyed and reset it, then I’ll post the pic.
I was thinking, à propos de rien, that it would be cool if we had a Pharyngulounge flickr account, where we could submit pictures that we wanted one another to be able to access, without having to expose private accounts to any asshole who happens to read along. I’d be willing to be an administrator of it, as long as there were someone else who did so as well, for when the Black Dog is sitting on my chest insisting we play.
It would inevitably mean that certain assholes would have stuff they could use to do more Photoshop-harrassment, but if we can cope with that, it might be a nice addition?
-=-=-
Separately – it’s funny, Beatrice, because people say that, but it doesn’t seem exceptional to me. I just…happened to be the one who was there. Not many people had my advantages in being so free of others to endanger (fsv of ‘advantage’, in being alone in the world at the time other than a few friends), a decent ability to make my arguments, and a face white enough to get attention when I made them. I wasn’t completely alone in it, either, my friend Yvon was with me for much of it. He was 6’4″ and an amateur kickboxing champion, so I definitely felt a lot less worried at public events we both went to. :)
He died, later. Fucking HIV. I’ve lost so many friends to that.
But it didn’t, and doesn’t, seem like an unusually brave thing to do. Is that weird? Maybe, I guess. But it was just a thing that needed doing, and I was the closest person with the ability to do it. Or not do it, as it turned out, but the ability to at least have a go.
But thank you, I appreciate your kind words, very much.
Some time, I have to tell the story of when I tried to get the local city councils to declare Pride Day. That was fun.
Here’s an interesting-sounding book.
–
*gathering up hugs and snuggling into ’em*
Thanks, gang.
Family drama on top of arguably the most stress-filled couple of weeks we’ve had at the office in something like 15 years—and it ain’t over yet—makes cicely a seething ball of anxiety.
Seethe, seethe, seethe. If it goes on much longer, I’ll turn into a seethe.
–
*hugs* for Dalillama.
If I had money, I’d send you some.
Heck, I’d send some to everyPharyngulite who’s in need of cash.
*sigh*
–
Hekuni Cat!
*pouncehug*
Happy (belated) birthday!
*beverage(s) of choice and chocolates*
Also, congrats on the Magic win.
–
*settling in next to Giliell*
Trade you some dark chocolate M&Ms for fudge?
My characters tend to have a lot more artistic talent (exhibited as Skills, or however the game system arranges hobbies and suchlike), in any of several various areas, than I have in Real Life.
–
CaitieCat,
I think that was bassmike you meant there, but I second his words. You’re awesome, and you absolutely have a lot to be proud of.
Grb, you’re quite right. And thank you.
And sorry, bassmike, for misidentifying you, though at least Beatrice is a lovely person to be misidentified as. :)
And thank you, too.
I think that covers it.
cicely
If your M&Ms are free of peanuts I’ll share.
Peanuts and sweet don’t go together in my world.
Caitie
I don’t think you failed. You will have greatly educated lots of people, prepaing the way for others who came after you.
*hugs*
beatrice
I once got my adult students to cry. that was so horrible.
My eyes just started leaking, at work.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jul/02/terry-pratchett-cancel-appearance-alzheimers-discworld
Oh, and for once the comments don’t need to be avoided.
Giliell, unfortunately (from the sharing-with-friends pov) peanuts are involved in my M&Ms. I love ’em.
+1
–
katybe
:( :( :( :( :(
Now my eyes are leaking, too.
–
I’m offering hugs to everyone, just because.
katybe, I’m not crying, I’ve just got something in my eye.
Yeah. And guess what, 70% of those 5.7 million people are women. I am one of them.
Daily Kos link.
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/economy/obama-middle-class-issues-drive-my-agenda
Conservatives are explaining the backlash against the Hobby Lobby decision as, basically, whores and sluts want to have consequence-free sex.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/hobby-lobby-conservatives-contraceptives-sex
It’s funny how in Rush Limbaugh’s world, babies are caused by women having sex.
Not men. Men are apparently not involved. If women would just stop having sex, there would be no pregnancies. Men should keep having sex, apparnetly.
So what he’s really saying is, “Guys, get out there and get you some GAY SEX!”
Nice action from moderate christians:
Think Progress link.
CaitieCat @392, you made me laugh out loud with that analysis.
http://jezebel.com/is-justice-scalias-wife-an-anti-abortion-pregnancy-coun-1566238671 See this page about Scalia’s wife. Possible source for some of his anti-choice attitudes?
Bigots are flipping their shit because Burger King wrapped its Whopper in pro-gay foil.
Lots of FB status updates, complete with names, regarding opposition to the foil wrapping.
Shouldn’t The New Civil Rights Movement have redacted the names though?
Oops. Borked the html. Having a crappy day. Still haven’t been contacted about the job, so now I gotta move on. Feel like my best friend/roommate doesn’t like me or want to talk to me. I’ve been home almost all day, every day for nearly a month, and we’ve had the equivalent of maybe a 15 minute conversation. It kinda hurts my feelings. I’m lonely. I’m alone. I feel like a loser.
My folks are able to help me with the rent, which is good.
Hekuni Cat!
Happy bday.
Cicely
I haven’t read that one, but I strongly recommend Buckell’s work in general
Lynna389
And this kind of bs is why I really don’t want to see the U.S. adopt a Canadian-style plan; because if we do, the whole thing will be organized at the state level, and we’ll have the same crap with healthcare we have with UI or food stamps, where the conservative states can (and will) just fuck people (especially people who happen to be women, queers, or a little too brown) over for laughs while the Feds do nothing.
Tony!:
Almost makes me willing to eat at Burger King.
I wonder if they will create a wrapper for the ones freaking out over this? Maybe a white wrapper, with a pointed hood?
I’m glad your parents were able to help out Dalillama. Stressing about necessities in life is so damned frustrating.
Tony!
*hugs* You’re not a loser, I’m sorry you’re feeling isolated just now. I’d drop by, but you know, other side of the continent.
Funding this guy, Bill Gothard, reveals the depths of the Green family’s fundamentalism when it comes to religion. Their Hobby Lobby court battle is just part of the picture.
The article also presents details of the funding provided by Hobby Lobby: $299,000 here, $3.5 million there, a training center in New Zealand, etc.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/07/hobby-lobby-bill-gothard-institute-basic-life-principles
‘No animals were harmed in the making of this film-where did this come from?
Glad to see someone’s written the article that occurred to me right after the Hobby Lobby travesty of a decision: Why Corporations Should Have the Right to Bear Arms.
Coming soon: corporate rights to access Social Security based on their previous income after they turn 65, corporate claims to direct representation in legislative bodies because no taxation without representation duh, corporate claims to having gender and/or race where it suits them to do so, corporate rights to not be discriminated against based on their income or other inherent qualities – what, you think you can just choose not to buy a corporation’s products because you think ‘those filthy fossil fuel corporations are just thugs and thieves’? RACIST! – and corporate access to public welfare rolls in a direct way, since they’re people and all and frequently have no income to declare.
The Long Earth is my reading for this trip. I’m grateful for everything Terry Pratchett has shared with us.
… and there’s definitely some dust in my eye.
*big hugs* for Tony!.
You’re not a loser.
And if you were within feasible visiting distance, I would drop in on you like a ton of bricks.
But politely.
I’d call first.
–
Hobby Lobby has two locations here in Springfield. One of them is twinned with Mardel, a “retail chain specializing in Christian office and educational supplies”, started by one of the Green family.
–
CaitieCat, your link was too good not to drop on my Facebook page.
This should be very interesting!
:)
–
Here’s the type of good timing I almost never benefit from:
Had a few errands to run, about an hour’s worth.
Got in the car, started driving, pulled over at the corner because I decided I didn’t like the CD that was in and wanted to change it.
Looked down the road (it’s a hill, so I could see further by then), noticed “huh, pretty cloudy over that direction I am about to go”.
Popped the cd out, and immediately heard “BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP” on the radio station, followed by the information that a severe storm was headed this way with weak rotation and hail, and would be at my location in approximately 25 minutes.
So, I went around the block and came back home.
I can already hear the thunder now.
If I a) hadn’t removed the cd, b) hadn’t had the radio on that particular station, c) had it loud enough to hear, d) had the statement start at that exact time, and e) been close enough to home to warrant stopping, I would have gotten caught out in the middle of it and been quite unhappy, not to mention stuck out when the basement might be taking on water.
In my olden days, I would have considered this a miracle of God looking out for me, rather than just good timing. But, you know, good timing. And not unusual for me to be switching out music, and having the radio on, and having the NWS issuing weather bulletins when they could do some good.
On a related note, I’ve noticed in the last year or so that short-term weather prediction has gotten really good. I can be watching the future radar cast online, and rain will hit within about 10 minutes of the predicted time. Humans are neat in our scientific powers!
And now it’s raining, exactly on schedule. Time to open up all the windows to let the cold breeze in.
Tony!
You’re so very incredibly distantly far from being a loser. And I’m sorry you’re feeling lonely.
Interesting preliminary finding that I’ve been right all along about sleep-deprivation causing diminished pain tolerance, for which I’ve coined the phrase “insomnialgia”; the related concept that higher pain can make it difficult to sleep (thus instigating a brutal feedback loop), I call “painsomnia”. I like the former neologism better than the latter.
But these two things are the bane of my existence. When put alongside the incessant sleep disturbances brought on by the Black Dog’s whining and howling, my conditions reinforce and exacerbate each other in a hideous way. Being depressed/anxious keeps me awake. Being awake means my pain tolerance is lowered. Lower pain tolerance means I’m in more pain. More pain makes me anxious and depressed, as well as keeping me from sleeping in a more direct way. Anxiety and depression make it harder to sleep. And the carousel goes round and round.
Is it not bizarre that, in the so-called socialist paradise of central Canada, there is some question whether this pair of conditions constitutes a disability?
If I believed in luck, I’d be really bummed about my life.
Fortunately, I don’t. And there’s a lot of good about my life, so fuck that noise. I choose to fight on.
Crap, forgot the link. Emphasize preliminary findings.
http://www.vox.com/2014/6/10/5796676/the-weird-and-terrible-effects-of-sleep-deprivation
No password recall yet. Time for the Afternoon Lie-Down. As usual, I got about four hours of sleep last night, and three hours of “lying down and waiting for pain to go away enough to sit up and be productive”, so I supplement with a couple of hours in the afternoon when I can. I never, ever, sleep more than four hours at a go, and rarely more than six hours in a given overall session of lying down: lie down at 1am, sleep by 2 or 3, wake at 7 because it’s time for meds, lie down for an hour, maybe sleep for an hour, maybe not. I don’t sleep more than four because four is the maximum time my pain can be reduced to the point where I can sleep, short of some kind of IV drip.
Also, on another and related note, “I FUCKING HATE OPIATE-RELATED ITCHING,” she said, trying to stop the bleeding from her shins and tops of her feet. “Yeah, opiates, just fun fun fun all the time, from the constipation to the incessant itching. Gimme some!”
Crap, now I sprained my eyeballs again. Anyone have a number for a good eyeropractor? Subluxation of the optical bone due to excessive strain from prolific eyerolling is a serious issue!
‘Rupt, will try to catch up over the holiday weekend.
***
In related news, I’m glad I didn’t have to work a full day today, because I was able to get home and take the pug out before the storms got here. Saw a pretty impressive lightening show while I was walking him though.
***
Hurricane Arthur folks, stay safe please!
Caitie
*hugs*
carlie
Well, cosmic coincidence can also work in your favour
+++
Can we stop looking for a Woman to Blame™ , please? I’m pretty sure Scalia is capable of being nasty on his own. You could make the same argument in the other direction: Influenced by his views she got engaged in “pro-life”.
+++
If I’d been smart I’d have checked the recipe for ingredients I need before I went shopping this morning.
Also, weather forecast isn’t good for Saturday. Which means getting this flat into a presentable shape. I guess that will be done mostly by packing stuff into boxes and putting it in the basement until Monday.
At least I’m crafty and can occupy five girls with something fun.
Severe thunderstorm rolling through. so, time to lock up the buildings and walk across the wide parking area to my car. Fun.
Yay, the wider wheelchair arrived, and I got the Redhead transferred to it. Less pressure points was her first comment. One advantage I see so far, is that the support for her left arm is slightly farther away, and her elbow is no longer trying to fall off the support on the outside. Still working on getting the left brake rubber/plastic handle off so I can put in a brake extender.
That’s State Senator Brandon Smith, Republican from Kentucky, speaking at a meeting to discuss new EPA rules.
Average temperature on Mars is about minus 67 degrees Fahrenheit.
http://fatlip.leoweekly.com/2014/07/03/sen-brandon-smith-has-important-things-to-say-about-climate-change-mars/
Comment #411:
Oh, no, no, no, no. Sorry I worded that so poorly. I did not mean to imply that Scalia’s wife was responsible for his attitudes. Only meant to imply that she might be a factor. Yes, quite possible and likely that they influence each other in bolstering anti-choice attitudes.
I posted that info about Scalia’s wife way too quickly, without thinking it through. I apologize.
#HobbyLobbyLove is a thing, but it’s not going well —
Daily Kos link.
Congrats on the new wheelchair, Nerd. Hope it makes the Redhead more comfortable.
In other news, raising the minimum wage is good for everybody.
Daily Kos link.
George Takei had something to say about Hobby Lobby.
Raw Story source.
A tracking company, EQT Corporation, in Pennsylvania has decided to buy everybody off:
Raw Story link.
I presume an offering to Tpyos, meant to type fracking. And a million dollars ahousehold sound like the appropriate offering….
And…I got the letter saying I’m not disabled enough.
FFS. Dust in my eyes indeed. :/
Now into the hell of appeals.
Yes, Nerd, you are correct. I totally let autocorrect get one over on me. Fracking companies must be making tons of moola. Buying people off for whatever amount shouldn’t be allowed. Those companies are making a big environmental mess, and they know it.
Tony!, I’m pissed off for you and sorry. You are an exceptionally ace bloke, and if there were any godsdamn justice in the universe …. argh. I’m sorry you feel alone. I know we’re all a lot of miles away and shit, and that’s not fair, but we know you are a very very intelligent compassionate eloquent and also fun person. I really hope you catch a break. Also Dalillama, who I think is incredibly wise and outstandingly smart. And CaitieCat I think you are amazing and I admire you and I hate the pain that treats you so badly.
Tonight was the last ever school concert. SonSpawn played in a few numbers (and the jazz band played one of his compositions), it was fun. Kind of sad, though, ’cause it was the last one – at school, that is. Next one is extramural.
[‘rupt]
*minion umbrellas* for everyone
First concert down. Middling to good. At least it wasn’t our solo concert, was the sacred music group concert. Worst part? The men’s voices missing their entry in one of the first pieces, requiring an in-concert do-over (the shame!). Best part? Our solo songs. Not our best ever ever but good enough for the audience, and considering we’ve got some sopranos and tenors suffering from too much humid air and we were technically saving our voices, a decent job all-round.
Then I nearly fainted because my skirt is just about too tight and taking it off gave me too much of a head rush. Time to re-sew the buttons! :)
*hugs*
[/’rupt]
Cerberus I dropped you an email.
Tony! *hugs*
Oggie how’s that laptop treating you?
Hi. I don’t post here much, though I read Pharyngula and all you’re comments often.
I’m looking for some help/direction.
A close family member has recently begun getting help for his alcoholism, which is great. However, he stopped going to AA after a few meetings because of all the god god GOD. (He’s described himself in the past as a taoist, though he seems to be more and more agnostic and hopefully on the road to full atheism recently, but that’s neither here nor there…) The meetings were very uncomfortable, and so he has tried to self manage, but he seems to be spiraling into other addictions and making other bad choices that he has described as thrill seeking, and he’s reached out for some advice from us (my spouse and I).
So, where are the support groups in our community? What can we do? I’m honestly not sure where to look. We live in Colorado, and I think he’d benefit most from a group support situation. Money is a factor as his job has cut back his hours significantly, and he has no health insurance right now.
Any help in pointing us in the right direction is much appreciated. I hope this is the right place to post something like this.
** Sorry for spelling and grammar! Typing one handed while I feed my offspring.
Saysomething:
Welcome to the Lounge.
Your question is perfectly appropriate here, and I wish I had some advice to offer you (I don’t, sadly). Perhaps one of the others will be able to give you some advice. I hope your family member is able to get the help he needs.
Saysomething,
Secular Organizations for Sobriety is run out of CFI West in Hollywood, CA. by Jim Christopher, a really nice guy. There are chapters in most states. If there isn’t one close enough to your family member, contact Jim directly. He is easy to reach and he answers his calls and emails.
Good luck.
http://www.sossobriety.org/home.html
saysomething
As morgan notes, there’s SOS, it looks like they’ve currently got three in Colorado, in Denver, Louisville and Kiowa. SMART Recovery also has a good reputation, although I don’t have any direct knowledge.
saysomething:
I asked around, and a friend did some digging. He found this: http://www.thefix.com/content/non-12-step-fellowships-and-programs
Nerd, congrats on the wider wheelchair; it made such a difference when I got mine! Not only the lack of pressure points, but also it became easier to wheel it, in spite of also being heavier-duty—the sides were rubbing against the wheels, and the friction often made for an uncomfortable amount of heat.
The only problem is that some doorways are just almost too narrow to get through—and are too narrow for anything but being pushed through. In any case, it’s now advisable for me/us to get lined up as straight in front of the door as possible.
–
O.o
o.O
The Stupid is strong with this one!
–
:( :( :(
I’m sorry.
*careful, gentle fluffy-hugs*
–
saysomething:
1) Welcome In!
2) Is there a local Freethinkers group? If so, perhaps someone there might be able to advise you on locally-available-and-secular resources?
–
My mom just got here. She brought an adolescent kitty from Michigan, five hour drive in a carrier. The little guy was terrified. So I took it over to its “forever home” at my cousin’s. Her husband was so enthusiastic he opened the carrier right away before we could stop him. The kitty is now a forest animal, I’m afraid. Maybe he’ll come back, not sure. But….sigh.
–
Yesterday I told S to stop gchatting me to make small talk. It was so hard to set the boundary, it hurt. But I know it was the healthy choice, and it protects me from the side of me that really wants to talk to him. Breakups suck.
–
*minion umbrellas all around*
rq:
Glad the performance went well:)
Dalillama;
*hugs*
saysomething:
welcome in. I don’t have advice but I’m glad you unlurked.
Portia
Tell cousin to put food out by the door; it’ll attract wildlife, but it might attract the cat too.
Interesting. The EMT truck is sitting in front of our house, and if the next door neighbors called, I see no lights on in their house.
So, I was wondering why my irony meter exploded the other day. It turns out that Fox News decided to steal the logo from Bioshock Infinite, a game where you go around shooting at a group of racist religious fanatics who worship the founding fathers, in order to promote the work of some Californian racist anti-immigration fanatics who worship the founding fathers. Not that the average Fox News viewer will ever realize this since their average viewership tends towards old.
Frankly, I just pity the satirists. It must be frustrating for them to spend time trying to think up things so ridiculous that no one would ever do it, only to find out that someone has already seriously done or suggested it.
Question for the Horde.
Over at B&W, I came up with some examples to illustrate how sexist and homophobic slurs work. I’m curious if these are good examples, or if I’m wrong, or maybe a little of both. They’re here and here.
“It’s funny how in Rush Limbaugh’s world, babies are caused by women having sex”
Parthenogenesis + homosexuality? He has maybe mixed up so many different far-right tropes that logic becomes irrelevant.
From Ed Brayton’s blog:
“Satan is Behind Gay Marriage”
He likes to throw the rice when the grooms (or brides) leave the church, the ol’ softy
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/barber-gay-marriage-brainchild-satan
(excerpt)
It’s worth it to read the whole story.
http://thehawkeyeinitiative.com/page/7
Links to dump.
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The Daily Mash: “Americans ‘must be kept away from football’ – THE international community is working to stop America getting into football and beating everyone.”
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“In a frightening surrender of free speech rights to corporate profits, more and more states have begun adopting laws to punish activists for taping or photographing on farms. Unsurprisingly, these suppressive laws have the backing of the meat industry and their lobbyists.
According to the New York Times, footage obtained by activists of illegal animal cruelty on factory farms have lead to prosecutions in many states. And such video documentation is among the main tools activists use to blow the whistle on particularly cruel and exploitative conditions.”
Petition to state legislatures “by opposing any law interfering with a citizens’ right to document illegal activity in the agricultural industry”, on the grounds that that’s protected by the First Amendment.
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“When religious non-profit organizations objected to covering birth control, President Obama changed the rules. He required insurance companies to cover contraception for employees of these organizations for free, while the remainder of their health care flowed through their employer as it always had.
Now, all President Obama has to do is change the rules again — by making insurance companies cover the costs of contraception for the employees who were hurt by the Hobby Lobby ruling — and once again all working women will have the reproductive care they deserve.”
Petition to him to do that.
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Petition to CNBC to “apologize for soliciting ‘global warming is a hoax’ story”. Context: “In 2013, a report by Media Matters for America found that ‘… more than half of CNBC’s climate change coverage was misleading. Twenty-four out of the 47 substantial mentions or segments on climate change on CNBC, or just over 51 percent of coverage, cast doubt on whether manmade climate change existed.'”
Hi there
Anybody got some spare hours for me?
Also, I made my first attempt at Rainbow cake. The stuff looks like the food fight from Hook.
I hope it stays like that….
My family loves that movie so much. We do not understand why it was so roundly panned.
The South Is Essentially A Solid, Grim Block Of Poverty http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/02/poverty-increase-map_n_5548577.html
Hobby Lobby Still Covers Vasectomies And Viagra http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/30/hobby-lobby-viagra_n_5543916.html
I hate to have to repeat myself and beg for attention, but I admit I’d hoped for a touch more than just cicely (for which, thank you dear) and Portia acknowledging something kinda huge for me: my disability claim was denied. Meaning, I’m stuck trying to live on 626/month. I don’t care what currency it’s in, living on it is HARD, and stressful as hell, and it’d be really nice to have a little supportivenesd maybe?
Please?
Caitie
I could swear I’d written some kind words for you, but apparently I didn’t post them.
Let me pour out all my love towards you.
You know you can raise the Horde signal, right?
Tony You’re about as far from a loser as I can imagine. You’re just experiencing bad times at the moment. It will get better. Also your examples of sexism and homophobia @437 sound good to me. The first one is not a million miles away from the experience that I had that I mentioned when I first joined the Horde.
Giliell I wish I had some spare hours! Time is such a rare commodity, especially once kids appear on the scene.
Caitie that Black Dog is a horrible creature that haunts so many of us. I hope its visits to you are brief and infrequent.
More *hugs* and *minion umbrellas* to all especially to Portia ; break ups are horrible.
Caitie posted my previous entry as your last one was coming in. Of course you have my support. It’ss horrible that you have to prove how disabled you are, and the criteria flexible enough be fair.
Commencing infodump:
.
NB! Prehistoric circle dated to same summer 2049 BC as Seahenge neighbour http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/jul/03/prehistoric-circle-dated-same-seahenge-2049-bc
.
What the…! Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2014: the shortlist – in pictures http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/jul/02/-sp-astronomy-photographer-of-the-year-2014-shortlist-in-pictures
.
Tokyo toilet exhibition: giant poo slides and singing toilet seats – video http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2014/jul/02/tokyo-toilet-exhibition-singing-toilet-seats-video
CaitieCat
Have *hugs*.
CaitieCat, hugs and crossed appendages for you.
Tony:
Thanks for spreading knowledge:)
–
Cait:
What’s entailed in the appeal process?
*hugs*
–
In my stuff I got back from S (we only exchanged last week) was a box of books from college I had forgotten about. Some of them are relics of past political beliefs, but some foreshadow the future of my beliefs. I saved a book from my Gnostic Gospels class, called Lost Christianities. I’m glad to have it back. My mom (the one who raised me as a conservative Christian homeschooler) is going to read it. She’s come a long way since I was a kid, just like I have.
–
coffee, croissants, and hanging out with my mom. Happy Holiday:)
Also, thanks, bassmike. *hugs* back.
Caitie, I’ve been away for a bit, and I just saw your previous.
Is there anything – hordefunding, helping with appeals – that we can do to help you through this?
Thanks. Sorry to whinge abt it, but I can’t stop crying at the stupidity of this decision?
Smokey, dunno yet. I can’t actially read the damn letter, bc every time i pick it up to try, i start crying so hard i literally cant see. Hell, its happening NOW, which is makimg Tpyosvery happy with me and my phone and my general overdampness.
FUCK! I wish my partner were in-country, and not currently waiting out the iminent demise of her mother. I promised her no stress or drama until her mum goes, so I don’t even want to tell her – i will, but i feel like i suck for needing to do so.
But yeah, we’re going to have to revive the GoFundMe drive to keep me roofed and medicated. :( I’m so fucking sick of being a fucking burden all the time.
FUUUUUUUUUCK!!!1?!11!!
Thanks for support and venting space.
CaitieCat
That really blows, and I’m sorry you have to deal with all that red tape and bull.
Cait:
*bighugs*
Would you like me to look at the letter and see if there’s a way I can at least tell you if you have a little while before you have to face it, give you some emotional time-cushion?
Smokey dear woman, I could not be more grateful of you cd do thsy. Once again, i am typing blindish. I shoild go to my laptop, ican touchtype way better on a kb than a tpuchscrern.
Obvsly. I’ll e-mail a scan or photos or something. Thx.
Tpuchscrern. Yes. Perfect representation of my day.
CaitieCat, all I can offer is *hugs*
Fuck, CaitieCat, I’m sorry. There is no way in the world someone dealing with these kinds of pain levels is not “disabled enough”, and the fact that you are forced to go through hoops to “prove it” is bullshit. I wish I could send more than just hugs and wishes, godsdammit.
Cait:
Oof, I hate the small screen typing, too. *hugs*
I’ll look for your email.
My mom and I are going to go march in a parade to support my favorite judicial candidate (who is a lovely woman and a friend) so if it takes me a little while, fear not. If I can’t open the image on my phone, I’ll at the very least acknowledge receipt if I can.
*hugs*
Tony, that’s likely because of the corporatist assault on art within the US, with new additions to the copyright length every time a major corporation might otherwise lose financial control of something. It’ s made US copyright law into a complete dog’s breakfast (aftet the pooch disgorges and reingests said meal, and further digestive processes lead to the ejection of something looking vaguely like the latest decision by the SCOTUS).
For most of the world, Lovecraft is completely public domain. In the oligarchy south of my border, its status depends on who’s trying to make money off him, and how much speech their corporate personae spent in the most recent national legislative auction.
I meant election, really I did, dunno how the other slipped out. ;)
Is there a word for a person one once considered a friend, until one realized that said person was actually more interested in being a drama vampire, rather than helping one through difficult times, so one took steps to remove said person from one’s life?
Also, is there a word for being so drunk that when said person calls, one makes the poor decision to commit to seeing that person tonight?
It’s going to be a long, bad weekend.
Giliell:
I’ve never heard of Rainbow Cake. Is it different from other cakes in taste, or is it just a visual thing?
****
CaitieCat:
“Not disabled enough”?! That’s bullshit. I’m so sorry CaitieCat.
awakeinmo:
As Far As I Know (AFAIK for those unfamiliar with the acronym) there are no words for both of those. Perhaps we could come up with something.
Tony!
Indeed. There is the word “frenemy,” but it doesn’t quite fit, because this person wasn’t particularly malicious. She just cares more about her own drama fix than about anyone’s feelings.
As for the second word, for now I’ll just use the phrase “well, I’m an idiot.”
But in better news, my mom just called and invited me to go with her and dad to Cahokia Mounds tomorrow. It’ll be fun on a bun!
Cait, being disabled but not disabled enough in the stupid, cruel opinion of government agencies just sucks big time. Virtual hugs are not much, but I send truckloads your way.
Catiecat:
See if there is a local lawyer specializing in disability law.
And massive hugs. That is absurd. I detest this shitty idea that, since one or two people gamed the system and got benefits they might not have been eligible for, we need to to make the rules so stringent that 1/4 of the people who need the benefits get shit on.
On a lighter note, Wife just watched a small girl (aged 3 or 4) run through the visitor center. She was heading for the elevator. She was slapping herself on the chest with both hands. While chanting, “I wanta push up! I wanta push up!” Her mother was laughing. Dad looked shocked.
So you don’t use the mildly deranged penguin’s approach of going though the wall instead?
Seems that would be easier in wheelchair than as a penguin. You should be able to reach higher speed (wheels vs. waddling), especially with a few rockets mounted on the back. Just make sure the rockets are pointing in a direction that maximizes the forward speed. Most other directions do not work, except maybe in circles, where you could then drill downwards — or if yer
particularly clevermildly deranged — forwards (or perhaps even upwards, helicopter-style).And if yer squeamish about hitting the wall yerself, install a battering ram. Or a jar of peas.
The battering ram can also be used as a jousting pole to ward off the evil horses.
And with the right sort of rockets, and perhaps some accessorizing explosives, you too can be a firework tonight! (Just leave the peas someplace dangerous, “crop dusting” the viewing audience with peas Is Seriously Ungroovy.)
Last night, on my salad, I had cooked and chilled baby peas (still crisp and delicious), along with sugar snap peas and snow peas. And it was good. Went quite well with the Welsh-style cheddar from Vermont.
No reason for telling all y’all this.
Well, I’m waiting for an MDP reaction, but other than that, no reason.
Mars, Pennsylvania ?
(One of sections in the linked-to Ye Pfffft! of All Knowledge article is titled “Notable Martians”…)
Oddly, Mars, Pennsylvania had nothing to do with the invention of the Mars Light.
CaitieCat
*hugs*. L knows the benefits dance all too well.
*massive hugs* for CaitieCat, I have emailed.
We’re about midway through our heavy-on-singing rehearsal/concert program.
Two days ago: rehearsal 19.00 – 22.00;
Yesterday: rehearsal 8.00 – 12.00, rehearsal 13.00 – 15.00, concert at 16.00;
Today: rehearsal 8.00 – 12.00, cancelled rehearsal (to save voices) from 13.00 – 15.00, free time until 17.30, concert at 19.00
Tomorrow: rehearsal 8.00 – 12.00…
We have now lost and so-far recovered one soprano, one tenor, and just lost another tenor. No one’s used to air conditioning, plus it’s hot and humid outside, so everyone’s voices are going wonky (including mine). But we have to get into shape, tonight’s our big solo concert night. :/ The nerves are already working up quite a bit, I only hope my voice co-operates and that cough stays away.
I would also like to note that my life is more or less complete: I am Lounging in not just a church, but a Cathedral. :)
May I recommend a rather amazing modern invention?… It’s called the chair. (Wheels and rockets optional.)
Avoids all sorts of problems with sitting on (or in) vegetables and other plant matter, such as having a curious caterpillar (the larval insect, not the bulldozer) crawl around inside yer ear, or annoying a pea by treading on it. On the other hand, a sufficiently large Caterpillar bulldozer will at least delay the pea for a few moments… — and has a chair for the driver !
(Please note that a chair is not the same thing as a choir. Choirs are used to invade Canada. Chairs are for sitting in and watching the invading choir.)
blf
Oh, I thought you meant the French kind of chair you can put on salads. Never mind.
Hello again my lovelies! I hate to barge in and ask for advice*, but hey, if not in the Lounge, where else?
Teh Darkling and I will be taking a 6 hour road trip to visit friends next week and I’m trying to make it as comfortable as possible for her (she’s 20 months old). Right now, I’m planning to break the trip into two legs– we’ll be stopping in Boston for a few hours to see my old roommie and have lunch and maybe take a nap– and I’ll have toys and books and snack cups/sippy cups for her in the car.
Is there anything else I can do?
*Okay, not really.
Chœurs are good for that, yeah…
If you can keep it cool, several sorts of chair salads made with fresh baby should make the trip without problem. Just don’t sit in the salad.
Darkling is no longer a baby. Hm, I’ll have to find a fresh baby…
Alexandra
– If at all possible, try and set up an extra in-case stop somewhere, or at least know where emergency changing can occur (that unexpected diarrhea can reeeeally suck…);
– Try and leave as close to naptime as possible, perhaps a bit later while keeping her awake (this is, of course, assuming she has a naptime), since then she is more likely to spend much of the first leg sleeping rather than wondering when you’re going to get out of the car (I always found it easier to have them sleep while driving, then get some exercise and excitement, with continued napping afterwards – just saves on the attention-seeking, especially if I’m at the wheel);
– Music – whether it calms her down or not, make sure it won’t drive you nuts;
– Most of all, if it takes you longer than expected, don’t worry about it. Beginning of June, I had two lovely trips all planned out with myself and the three children, Ottawa to Toronto and then London (plus return), and even with the best of intentions and no particular delays, we were constantly behind schedule. So just expect that you won’t be 100% on time everywhere. :)
…unless yer driving a Caterpillar bulldozer, that is. They are a bit slow, so you’d have problems keep the chair salad cool for the duration.
Make two salads then…
rq:
Music! Genius! I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.
We’re not pushing ourselves at all, it’s a 6 hour trip straight through, but we’re leaving by 9 am and expect to be at our final destination between 7 and 8. My friends are incredibly understanding when it comes to dealing with kids (despite the fact that they’re child free).
Also, we’ll be on major highways most of the way and I (at least) know the stops along the Mass Pike.
And to complicate matters, C just started potty training.
Which is the temperature on Mars thread? I have lost track. (of so many things …)
rq:
::sniff sniff::
You listened to the Emperor didn’t you? You gave in to the dark side, and now we’ve lost you. You’ve become…a theist!
::Runs away screaming::
Yesterday my neighbor suggested that my dog is in heaven now. I didn’t have the heart to tell her my dog wasn’t christian.
Wow, Tony, that comment came right from space, eh*?
* Canadianism to establish politeness and lower probability that you will assess this dreadful pun as being intentional. Weaponised Canucking.
awakeinmo:
Wait, I thought animals didn’t go to heaven.
Sheesh, I can’t keep all these religious rules straight.
awakeinmo, if you talk to the right people, I hear your dog could be a Mormon pretty easily.
/grim humour
CaitieCat:
bad pun was bad (in a good way though :)
Getting ready to go to a barbecue by my employer with L. Difficulty: social anxiety issues, especially for L. Speaking of ‘not disabled enough’, and related problems, I wish to hell that the doctors he’s able to see occasionally would prescribe him the medication that helped again instead of insisting that he really should try a different med and see if that works (usually but not always an antidepressant), but they never do (indeed, the charity clinic where he gets most of his care is now prohibited from dispensing or prescribing the right medication anymore). Occasionally, they’ll mutter something about ‘drug-seeking’, which is frankly bullshit. I mean, yes, he is seeking drugs, because they’re the appropriate medication for his condition, and help. But no, if you want a specific medication because it works, you’re a worthless junkie. I fucking hate this shithole of a country.
Tony, the only scientific information on animal-heaven interaction I have comes from the Right Irreverend Scientist known as CAKE: Sheep Go To Heaven, Goats Go To Hell.
Apparently.
Dalillama:
Hugs for you and L. I hope you’re both able to enjoy the barbeque.
****
CaitieCat:
Yeah, but where does a Shoop go?
Incidentally, I thought this was an awesome comment from anteprepro in the Mansplaining thread:
I’m soooo tempted to tweak my nym.