Shut the fuck up, Akira. So tired of that douchebag’s constant sneering at everybody else, not infrequently laced with misogyny, alternating with whining about how poor widdle Akira because he’s “fat, ugly, poor, and bipolar.” No, asshole, people hate you because you’re a whiny shitbucket who doesn’t acknowledge the privileges he does have.
Audley: “Worst Things For Sale” reminds me of WhoWouldBuyThat.com, which did for eBay what Regretsy does for Etsy. It’s still up, but they haven’t updated in six years.
John: That Stross novel sounds really cool, except “QUILTBAG” (and, worse, “GLITTERBAG”) give me hives as acronyms.
Carlie:
when a friend says something sexist, reply with “Really? I like women, myself.”
Good morning everybody. In four days I shall be moving from one apartment to the next and I’m not yet collapsed into a frothing, anxious ball of crazy :D
I’m sure by Monday night I will be doing that, but hey. I can enjoy my weekend at least.
Katherine
4 days?
I’ll be sure to have bread and salt ready for you.
++++
Small yay:
Embroidery supplies arrived.
Now I have fresh needles for until they break and enough stabilizer for about 375 new projects (that would be like 18 months or so)
GODDAMN [insert profanity blizzard of choice] CKERS.
No criminal charges will be filed in the fatal police shooting of Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr., a 68-year-old Marine vet. He was shot to death in his White Plains, NY apartment after his medical alert device accidentally went off and signalled police to his apartment. According to reports, audio recordings captured by that device showed that a responding officer used racial slurs in addressing the man.
I now have a stack of student essays on the oil industry and on water resources that I need to grade by Monday sitting on my desk scaring me. Sigh.
On the plus side – my book is out! And they even did an electronic version (which was a surprise to me). (Kindle and Nook that I have found)
I mentioned this ages ago in the endless thread and then immediately got buried in grading and keeping up with the semester, so I never followed up.
On the off chance that anyone is interested in this topic – it is a textbook on Forensic Geoscience and it does even discuss fossils and the basic concept of the Law of Fossil Succession (i.e. evolution happens!)
Katherine – Good luck with the move. Hope it goes smoothly.
Giliell – 375? Whoa. I am lucky if I can complete 1 sewing project.
Just discovered rot in the casing of my front door. It is embarrassingly bad. And the door also has a giant crack down one of the panels. So, off to the home improvement store to see how much replacing the entire front door “system” is going to run me.
Of course there will be no charges. If we don’t admit that police can be wrong and that police officers can be and often are racist, murderous fucks, the problem won’t exist and every time something like this happens the police will pretend it’s an exception, an unfortunate tragedy where no one is to blame (except the guy who went and got himself shot, creating problems for his murderers those nice officers).
/bitter
Psych-Oh
Remember, We’Re talking about machine embroidery where a project can mean that I spend 5min setting up the machine and collect the finished item 2 hours later. It’s also the only thing that probably keeps me from breaking down and dissolving in a sticky puddle on the floor of life completely, so ut’s definetly worth every minute.
@6: Forget the profanity. What this calls for is money. Specifically, donations to the campaigns of any candidate for city council, mayor, judge (if it’s an elected position in White Plains), dogcatcher, whatever-the-fuck who will run on a platform of reforming the police and ridding them of ALL the racist idiots who did this and their supervisors and the top level of the organization. And then do the same to the judiciary. It’s clear that White Plains’ government is riddled with racist assholes and a simple profanity storm of any sort won’t change that. The only question is is the population likewise so racist that a campaign by a reformer has no chance? The answer might be yes.
Good morning, All! I lost the thread completely last night due to packing etc, so please accept appropriate warm wishes, sympathies and congratulations. I promise to catch up on the drive if possible.
(looking up) Katherine, good luck with your move! I hear you on the stress/aggro of moving. Keep the mantra “in a few days this will all be behind me” and perhaps a selection of powerfully soothing drinks on hand, if possible! If you would welcome a tip from one who has moved far too many times – pack one box with your first night essentials in it – your favorite comfort food, any necessary pot/kettle etc, your nightly toiletries, a change of clothes and assorted other things you would really miss that first night, but which might otherwise be scattered throughout a bunch of boxes. Mark the box clearly OPEN FIRST, and advise your friends/helpers to put that box right in the kitchen where you will find it easily. This can really make a difference on that first chaotic day.
pteryxx, I don’t even know if I can think about this right now. It feels like so much horror is just piling up around us and I am seriously wondering where the fuck it is all leading. :-( Thanks for spreading the word, though. I am pretty sure the only hope is to keep sounding the alarm.
Good morning, thunk! I hope you weren’t kept up by storms last night! In fact, I hope everyone came through the stormy night without damage/with a little sleep.
Eldest niftydottir is on her way in from the city with a present for her younger sister. We are leaving around noon (driving about 7 hours). Graduation tomorrow.
Giliell – Ahhh, machine! Sounds much more soothing than doing it all by hand. I’ve always wanted a quilting machine. I can quilt small quilts on my regular machine, but the few larger quilts I’ve made, I’ve hired someone to do the machine quilting (I will never quilt by hand).
But if the ni…natives accomplished stuff on their own (like hair color, or ancient ruins) what about the civilisatory influence of The Aryans???? (snark)
I’ll be sure to have bread and salt ready for you.
Huh. My mother gave me both when I moved into my first (and only) apartment. I thought it was a Jewish thing. Is it a general Middle-to-Eastern European thing?
Pteryxx, re Kenneth Chamberlain: What the fuck is that shit. Between that and CeCe McDonald just in the last few days, fuck this country, really. Dianne is right, but just at the moment I’m stuck in FUCK SHITCOCK mode.
But if the ni…natives accomplished stuff on their own (like hair color, or ancient ruins) what about the civilisatory influence of The Aryans???? (snark)
Bread & salt is also a Midwestern thing.
++++++++++++++
Well goddammit, my old blogging partner just emailed and said his multiple myeloma/plasma cell cytoma is out of remission and will be fatal in the next few months.
Huh. My mother gave me both when I moved into my first (and only) apartment. I thought it was a Jewish thing. Is it a general Middle-to-Eastern European thing?
In WWII, the German army was widely greeted with bread and salt in the Ukraine, because the poor Ukrainians hoped to be liberated from Stalin. (That was a case of “be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.”) I haven’t encountered this custom west of there, though.
Sailor, I’m really sorry about your old blogging partner. Fuck cancer.
A little Googling turns up mostly Jewish-related links for bread and salt, but also some from predominantly Muslim countries — for example, a Moroccan proverb “By bread and salt we are united.” One link says that the custom originated in Russia. Who knows, maybe Jews in the Diaspora brought it there.
Sometimes a broom is included. “The bread is so we never go hungry, the salt is so life is always flavorful, and the broom is to sweep our troubles away.”
@22 Ms. Daisy Cutter thanks for the humor link. Somehow I clearly don’t have dirty enough mind this morning though :-/ I totally missed a couple of those.
The first thing I thought of when the bread/salt thing came up was a certain scene in A Storm of Swords (I think that’s what book it happened in, anyway).
Katherine, I just moved to a new apartment a few weeks ago and I’m still kicking! If it makes you feel any better, I bet you’ll have your stuff unpacked before I do.
Has anyone seen Cabin in the Woods? I want to see it tonight, but my friends all seem busy so I may end up going by myself. I haven’t done that since the last Resident Evil was in theaters and I was bug-bombing my house; I really hope Cabin is better than that movie was.
Rhode Island Pharyngulites—I’m going to be in the Warwick/Cranston (yes, that Cranston) area tonight, Friday, for a short biz trip over the weekend. Anyone wanna get together for dinner? If so, please email spokesgay @ gmail for more contact info.
Louis – I am in a fuck some of the things mood, also can’t go into detail. But I’ll share a drink with you in the corner and you can use me for the schadenfreude.
Oh, BTW, CCC is here, or at least there’s an ad for them in the cafeteria. Of course they dropped the middle C and just call themselves “campus für christus”.
And in other news, I just fixed a leaky vacuum hose on one of the fleet vans. *flexs muscles!* I feel like I can do anything (but I’m going to sit here and eat a muffin).
I like that. :-)
Niftyboy is up and eating! Must be Esteleth’s amazing soup! (plus two ibuprofens and a good long sleep).
:-)
FSM almighty, do I hate Human Ape.
I think that was a rare attempt at snark, not an announcement that he’s really going to buy Philip Morris shares.
But then, he’s evil enough that I can’t claim it’s beyond him.
Nah. Star Trek is quite clear that Vulcans lack all sexual urges when they’re not in pon farr.
Try telling that to slashfic authors. If they have decided that X and Y are lovers, or should be, nothing will stop them from writing them as such. Not even the show/book/movie itself.
Sometimes all it takes is the two characters looking at each other onscreen for more than two seconds. Hell, there’s tons of slash for characters who are deadly foes, or who never even met.
I knew most of that. I’m just saying some of those authors are, in fact, wrong as far as Word of God [insert TV Tropes link here] is concerned.
And of course Hitchens famous quote “extraordinary claims etc”
Sagan or older.
It is so bad that it was listed on TVTropes.
ROTFL! X-D
The things I learn on Pharyngula…
But my question is this: does the teapot contain tea?
Unknowable.
Ineffable mystery and stuff.
Wait, I stand corrected. There was one where they were going to do one, until Gandalf (yes, Gandalf. It was LotR) stopped it and said that a magic hole was going to open.
A literally magic hole, right?
Speaking of tea, is this the Happiness tea mentioned above?
Here’s an update completely lacking in solid information: my initial MRI showed dark spots in my brain. (I prefer the more descriptive “brain rot”.) Still may have had a stroke in addition to having unspecified brain rot. Nobody knows for sure.
Will have another MRI today, this time with contrast (special Multiple Sclerosis protocol).
Except for that tiny little downer of a possible MS diagnosis, I had a good day on Wednesday. Didn’t fall down. Went to lunch with my brother.
I still have to type with one hand, so lower all expectations. Even finding reading is somewhat trying.
Also, I am so fucking sick of Amazon. Now I can’t cancel my order that hasn’t shipped and when I tried to contact customer service, I got bounced to the sign in page after I submitted all my info.
Google Doodle is cool.
++++++++++++++
Lynna, ♥ and *hugs*, too.
also, aren’t there supposed to be dark spots? The contrast MRI seems like a good idea, much more info.
***********°**
I just saw the future. After I get off work today I predict I’ll get seriously hammered … and try to start putting together a retrospective of my friend so he can understand what he means to me while he’s still here to enjoy it.
Lynna, are those dark spots on the T1 or T2 sequence? (Or both?) Were they also visible on a CT scan?
MS usually turns up as bright spots on MRI, not dark. Dark spots most commonly are due to old mini-strokes in people with a history of cardiovascular problems. The mini-strokes are typically asymptomatic but may represent a systemic condition that has risk of future, bigger strokes. Another common source of dark spots are calcium deposits, which most commonly is a benign, essentially normal, variant.
So you should stay optimistic, at least for now.
(“Brain rot” is best diagnosed behaviorally…. Doesn’t matter what the scan looks like so long as the organ is producing working outputs….)
T Ready was a neo-nazi baby killer who was ordained into Mormon priesthood by ousted and former Arizona State Senator
JT Ready and Russell Pearce
Russell Pearce. Pearce has advocated Operation Wetback (his words not mine) policies and self deportation laws that have spurred a series of increased hate crimes in Arizona due to the nature of xenophobic political Arizona leaders. Latinos have been sounding the alarm to this regard when we saw Russell Pearce and Sheriff Joe Arpaio begin their racial profiling tactics against my people.
Now we have a situation where we see another baby who was murdered and hate crimes continue to increase in our State of Arizona. I believe the Mormon Church (and all religious organizations for that matter who “preach” loving our neighbors) should take a stronger position regarding their members who are part of hate groups and advocate hate laws against fellow man. I’m not saying excommunicating individuals is the right thing, however, I believe the Mormon Church ought to consider taking Temple Cards away from people like JT Ready, Russell Pearce, and even Mitt Romney. [For the record: Mitt Romney has aligned himself with Kris Kobach (legal arm of FAIR) who helped lay the legal groundwork for S.B. 1070, Arizona's recently passed anti-immigrant law.]
[...]
Here’s a bit of a picker-upper: Ask Me Another is now available. It’s a new NPR quiz show with Jonathan Coulton. I heard an excerpt and it sounded pretty fun, and they finally started broadcasting: link to npr page
What is your prognosis for regaining control of the hand/side of body affected?
I don’t have a prognosis yet, Josh. My bet is on rehab being required, no matter what the cause.
If MS is the problem, my understanding is that new, exciting and unpredictable problems can come and go until such time as I mercifully kick the bucket.
Re the question about T1 and T2, I don’t know. I didn’t know enough to ask. Next time I will. I may have misunderstood about “dark” versus “light” in my benighted brain. I didn’t have a CT scan. My doc was trying to save me money. That didn’t work out.
I had a small amount of savings. Soon I will have none. The healthcare industry needs me to give it a hand up.
Adam Yauch, one-third of the pioneering hip-hop group the Beastie Boys, has died at the age of 48, Rolling Stone has learned. Yauch, also known as MCA, had been in treatment for cancer since 2009. The rapper was diagnosed in 2009 after discovering a tumor in his salivary gland.
I had a small amount of savings. Soon I will have none.
Oh god, Lynna. I am so, so sorry to hear this.
Fuck. This just isn’t fair. The richest country in the world is refusing to take care of its citizens and for what? This makes me so angry I could scream.
Caine: Mwah! Good point, I might bury my head in something technical until I feel good.
I’m still fuck the planet and everyone on it. However, coffee is brewing, lenses are switched, much warmer clothes are on, heading back to the blind. So far, Downy woodpeckers (male & female), Hairy woodpecker, male, Collared dove, Cowbird, Black-capped Chickadee, several types of Sparrow, Goldfinches, House Finch, Grackle and Blue Jay.
The Sailor @59, I saw that story about the neo-nazi mormon killing a group of people and himself. It’s a measure of my disability and fatigue that I didn’t manage to comment on it yesterday. Oddly, (or perhaps not so oddly), I thought when I first heard the story that the shooter was mormon. Also suspected one of the “barrels” found on site would be found to contain water storage or some other latter-day armageddon prep.
I would like to know how many other men in the neo-nazi group are mormon.
(((Many Hugs))) to Lynna. It’s so unfair that apart from the health worries you also have to worry about your savings
+++++
Kids can be cute.
While I was perparing dinner, Mr. was at the computer.
Last thing to do was to boil the potatoes, so when they were in the pot, I went to the living room and told Mr. that I’d like to use the laptop now.
The little one told me she could help me.
She went over to Mr., grabbed his hand, pulled it and told him “get off there, daddy!”
Oh,Lynna I’m so sorry. I really do wish the bestest, fastest recovery possible. Fuck strokes. Fuck MS.
If MS is the problem, my understanding is that new, exciting and unpredictable problems can come and go until such time as I mercifully kick the bucket.
Yeah, I’ve had two MS attacks that were bad. Lost total vision in right eye and then my legs went numb from the waist down. Random spasms galore is normal.
They figured out it was MS after the second attack. During the first they gave me the MS or stroke diagnosis. Did the MRI and no brain damage so just shipped out SOL. Then bright spots showed up after my leg attack.
Of course, my diagnosis isn’t “official”. >:(
Fuck this shit. I raise a class in commiseration. I wish I could do more.
Oh shit fuck
I just had a pretty bad fallout with Mr.
Told him that he didn’t sound very supportive and we were actually on the way to resolve things when I dared to laugh at a Freudian slip he made and he stormed off to hang up the laundry.
Now I’m torn between wanting him to come back quickly and wanting his to sleep in the fucking basement.
Elizabeth Warren is under fire cause she used to list herself as a Native American. Her great-great-grandmother is Cherokee. She’s a Native American, and this is a big controversy…
WHY?!
She’s obviously proud of her heritage. This is a good thing, and yet she’s being dragged into controversies about this stupidest of issues.
I just saw the future. After I get off work today I predict I’ll get seriously hammered … and try to start putting together a retrospective of my friend so he can understand what he means to me while he’s still here to enjoy it.
The Sailor @59, I saw that story about the neo-nazi mormon killing a group of people and himself. It’s a measure of my disability and fatigue that I didn’t manage to comment on it yesterday.
Just trying to pick up the slack till you feel better;-)
+++++++++++++++
Politics, why you so crazy?
Because the GOP has nothing, so they make shit up.
+++++++++++++++
In eye news, it’s really starting to appear that exposure to sunlight is a large factor in reducing the onset & progression of myopia during formative years.
Katherine, as I understand the freakout, they are upset because she isn’t an official member of the tribe (probably because the descent is too distant). Of course, a huge proportion of people in OK have Native ancestors. Then there’s how Harvard has included her in their listing of minority professors. Which, to the nutjobs, implies that she’s touting her Native ancestry. Of course, they’re (conveniently) forgetting that women are minorities in academia.
Katherine – I think a lot of the anger also has to do with how it came out; the article I read said that a reporter asked her about having been listed as Native American, and she claimed that she had no knowledge of it and wouldn’t have advertised herself that way. Then they went out and found all the times she had advertised herself that way.
Hey, is anyone else going to see The Avengers this weekend?
I wish! Maybe I can persuade Son to take me to see it for Mother’s Day….
- *manymanymanymany hugs* and *alltheboozeyoucandrink* for The Sailor. So, so sorry to hear about your blogging partner’s relapse.
-
Louis, please take as many *hugs* as your local fuckedupedness requires.
Fridays are usually better than this….
- *hugs* and *hearts* for Lynna. And *chocobacon*.
-
I just saw the future. After I get off work today I predict I’ll get seriously hammered … and try to start putting together a retrospective of my friend so he can understand what he means to me while he’s still here to enjoy it.
Excellent plan!
-
Dammit,*HUGS* and *BOOZE* for everybody. I hope the suckstorm passes soon.
-
Hi, woden.
-
I would ask for a moment of silence to mourn the passing of danielhaven. He has been banned.
*sets up round of grog and swill for everyone, and then heads out in full hazmat suit with full godbot decontamintion gear to clean up the splat of stoopidity*
My classes are almost done. I have a student presentation to attend at 5pm, and then…I’m going to see The Avengers at 7. I have very low expectations, having seen the component precursors, so there’s even a chance I’ll enjoy myself.
One benefit to this blog is that even if I hate it, it will provide fodder for a ranty post. My life is just win:win everywhere.
(Classes will be done, but I still have term papers trickling in this coming week, and one last final exam. Then I fly off to Arizona next weekend. Then the deluge of travel begins.)
I’m seeing The Avengers tomorrow. I don’t expect The Hours or Gangs of New York; I do expect a chaotic bunch of awesome special effects and fight scenes with a smattering of humorous dialogue thrown in.
PZ,
The trick is not to expect Oscar bait. It’s a fluff summer blockbuster with a good cast– The Avengers should be hella entertaining, if nothing else.
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel (From: I Get Email)
*Who [the Prince of Darkness], let’s face it, is a much more interesting literary character than God. For example: when was the last time you played a video game that featured Yahweh?
A wonderful little tale where the hero, Ulric von Beck, is asked by Lucifer to find the cure to the worlds pain, and thus reunite Lucifer with God. In the end,
Wikipedia:
after many adventures, von Bek eventually finds the Holy Grail, and discovers that it will set mankind on the path to self-redemption through rationality, without the help of God or the hindrance of Lucifer.
Really?! I played through that and I never saw him. I knew you could find the Four Horses, but I did not know The Dark One himself made an appearance. Cool!
112
Crip Dyke, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden
Oh, Daisy – that thread, totally had me, but then:
Morgoth Bauglir says:
May 1, 2012 at 3:12 pm
I lost three Silmarils and got cast into the Void, and you don’t hear me whine. Sauron loses one crappy little Ring, and they make a whole damn Trilogy out of it. There is no bloody way I’m letting that whiny excuse of a Dark Lord back on my side when the Dagor Dagorach comes to pass.
Reading that was the moment I began to choke. I lost the ability to breathe, then when my throat unlocked I was gasping and nearly coughing up blood.
Went to meet old coworkers. Two beers left me with a pleasant buzz and I’m itching for a troll to play with, but there’s only dano. And he’s just too pathetic.
Ethan,
It’s been a while since I’ve played (and I’ve played a whole shit load of games in the meantime) and I can’t for the life of me remember where I found him. According to the wikis I’ve looked at, the devil is a “confirmed rumor”, but I can’t give you any more detail than that.
I hereby propose a new and, IMNSHO, better SCA: The Sexually Creative Androgynes. Membership is now open. Donations can be sent to me. I promise to do more good with them than Edwina would.
Josh, what if all reality-oriented ‘merkuns settled in Rhode Island or some other suitably small state?
If you voted as a bloc, there would be enough of you to make real changes, like making political representation fully proportional thus disbanding the two-party system (but with a 5% barrier, to keep neo-Nazis and suchlike out).
You could get a statewide single-payer health insurance, a justice system based on logic instead of… whatever the current system is based on.
Other stuff: Good public service television, like BBC.
Education that works… the list goes on and on.
I am not suggesting you create a carbon copy of this or that European country (although Norway is nice), just that you avoid creating a carbon copy of “gilded age” USA, which seems to be the way USA is headed.
USA as a whole may need generations to “normalise” to western Europe standard, but there is no reason that everyone must suffer.
— — — — — —
(OT) Some countries hit hardest by the crisis see an upsurge in extremist groups (sounds familiar).
When Greece holds the election this weekend a neo-Nazi party is expected to get into parliament.
In Ungary, there is a militia who pledge to protect the ethnic Hungarian majority from “opression” by the minorities (the usual suspects: Jews, gypsies and homosexuals). The ruling party is pandering to them and a appointed theater director that has introduced anti-semitic plays.
Fortunately, the European Union has reacted to the changes in the constitution and threaten to kick ass (Hungary needs economic support from the rest of EU).
121
Crip Dyke, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden
Sailor #23, I am so sorry to read this. :( Sending sympathy your way. I hope your blogging partners last days are as full of love as possible. :( shit
Louis, also sympathy. It sounds like you need a stiff drink. I’m raising a virtual glass to you for better days ahead.
You too, carlie – cheers (I am sending) to both of you.
Lynna – so glad to see you. Not a fan of the update but so glad you had a better day. Sending interweb love to your computer right now.(I haz a hotspot while driving)
Clearly, I’m going to be offering up libations to the gods for several peoples’ good health and happiness tonight when we arrive.
sailor again #51 what a fucking BRILLIANT idea! I just burst into tears. DO it. You will never regret it (wish I had done something similar)
Hell, Caine, you too? #52 :( Opening back up cylinder of interweb love – pouring into interweb hotspot funnel).
Amphiox, yay! I hope you are right about the old stroke evidence on the brain. I remember something about that, too, but am not a doctor or medical professional. It could be transient mini strokes have caused that, though!
Lynna, I hope that the MRI shows the best possible news. Hugs.
Dr. Audley @92, Amazon may not be able to cancel your order because it might be in a truck ready to go out in a few hours or bundled into the middle of a bale of books for your city. You might get it soon.
Sailor, so sorry to hear about your friend. A retrospective now sounds like a great idea. On the other hand, the triple klein bottle looks awesome! Did you make it?
Caine, I’d like to see the pictures! Maybe later you’ll be able to get pix of eggs! (happy)
Gilliel – (hug) if you want one – it is always hard at the end of a long day and tempers can be stretched thin. I hope you both are laughing together soon.
Katherine – OMFG, what next? I am sending Elizabeth another ten bucks as soon as we get to our destination. Fuck that. Also Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
good riddance danielhaven. (I’ll join the round Nerd, thanks! (what the hell, I am on the road but I’m not driving)
P.Z. Glad you are nearly finished with the term! Enjoy the Avengers tonight – or the evening anyway!
Esteleth (hugs if wanted) I hate when that mind freeze happens. TGIF?
Just north of Indianapolis now – this hotspot thingie of Mr Nifty’s is the bomb! I can work while we drive (or, actually, spend an hour reading TET on PHaryngula!).
*grabs a pile of *hot chocolate, puppies, rainbows, hugs* and drops it in the middle of the lounge*
Seriously, it sounds like things are sucky for a lot of people right now. I hope next week is better for all of you.
—–
We’re at the part of early May where the summer students (read: lab minions) are traveling in threes and staring at the equipment in bewilderment. Does it really take three of them to not understand their results, when one person could not understand the results just as well?
I like it much better in July, when the students are all trained properly and they can do the grunt work.
This thread and last (as much as I can be caught up, but I admit to some skimming here and there)
Fuck, if someone called ME that, I’d change my WordPress handle immediately.
A t-shirt has also been suggested. I admit, it is something of a badge of honor.
Mister’s birthday is on the 18th. If he can take Thursday & Friday, I might get him home for a whole 5 days! Excitement.
Happy birthday to Mister. I hope it works out.
Toddler’s birthday is tomorrow. She announced today, “I’m two-my-old!”
“clop” is an onomatopoeia modelled on “fap”.
Speaking of onomatopoeia of sex, my current crush gave me an excellent one recently: the sound of running downhill in flip-flops. Apparently she was at a big camping event, and the people next to her were feeling very…amorous…but she was sleeping. In her dream she was running downhill in flip-flops, unable to slow down or stop. Then she woke up to the sound still going on.
Pteryxx, I am happy to see that a school is taking a more reasonable approach with traumatized children, but I’m sad that this is considered revolutionary. Everything that was described in the article is what I was taught to do a decade ago in my education classes at Oral Roberts University (not exactly a bastion of liberal fluffiness). That shit was not unknown. It was simply unpracticed.
“Let me insert myself right here,” said ’ to the young and innocent simple verb. “You might be a bit tense, presently, but soon you’ll be feeling more…possessive.”
♥
No, it isn’t a given, but it is true many times – and many people don’t know that (or don’t care).
Yup. I’ve said it before, and it applies more for younger kids than for teenagers (but it still applies), helping children involves more than just working with the children. You have got to be able to understand their parents as well. And I find that aspect much more challenging. Alerting teachers that Parents™ are not monolith and may have issues (related or unrelated to the children’s, perhaps even caused by them) is important. It’s an often overlooked area in teacher training (or folks just fall out of it over time because it’s exhausting).
Universal peace love and understanding for the perpetrator and making the victim feel responsible doesn’t work that well when the offences are criminal ones in the real world.
I’m not sure letting teenagers be misogynistic homophobic monsters is really “Universal peace love and understanding.”
By the way, the people who “don’t know” and/or “don’t care” – they find a way to “not know” and “not care” no matter the situation or background.
How about you reread your own words from the same post:
I seriously cannot stand people making assumptions and generalisations which aren’t true, they don’t fucking help.
I know you have your own experiences, but seriously, teachers have very difficult jobs and do not get proper support, even if they’ve had proper training.
And, for the record, my teacher training contained virtually nothing about how to deal with parents. It just said you might have to learn how to. Also, burnout. It’s pretty serious. My old boss wouldn’t hire anyone full time. It’s that bad. Reminders and new approaches can be invigorating. And it said many, not most.
My first thought was the same as Daze’s: Sounds like an Unintended Badge of Honor® to me! ;^)
Indeed :-)
So tired of that douchebag’s constant sneering at everybody else, not infrequently laced with misogyny, alternating with whining about how poor widdle Akira because he’s “fat, ugly, poor, and bipolar.”
Srsly? He’s still around doing that shit?
Good luck with the move, Kat. I know moving sucks :-/
Hey, is anyone else going to see The Avengers this weekend?
I would like to, but I’m not sure it’ll happen.
*hugs* to Sailor. I’m really sorry.
And *hugs* to Lynna. Here’s to hoping for a good prognosis.
The little one told me she could help me.
She went over to Mr., grabbed his hand, pulled it and told him “get off there, daddy!”
So cute. Teach ‘em young ;-)
Hater.
Truth.
Now I’m torn between wanting him to come back quickly and wanting his to sleep in the fucking basement.
:-( But I know what you mean. That’s my usual response to domestic disputes. Not that I’ve had any for a while.
they are upset because she isn’t an official member of the tribe (probably because the descent is too distant).
That’s not so. You still get scholarships for being 1/16 in the US. I’m nearly 1/4, but none of my relatives were on the rolls, and also I am super fair with blue eyes and red hair, so I never claim it unless it comes up. I lived in Oklahoma long enough to know better than to pose. (And from the reporting I read on it, so did she. But I haven’t read more in the last few days.)
Then they went out and found all the times she had advertised herself that way.
Oops. That’s not cool.
Both children have been super cute today. I needed a good day at this job. Perhaps I can keep my momentum going and get myself caught up on my copyediting.
Oh, and all of Alabama’s anti-choice, anti-woman legislation is dead for the session. None of it passed. (Although I think one HB is still iffy.) A few senators filibustered what little bit was still pending, and multiple citizens spoke up at the public hearing (11 against to 1 for). Being active works!
Well, TET, it was fun while it lasted, but I’m off again. Be sure to post zillions of comments in my absence.
We’re at the part of early May where the summer students (read: lab minions) are traveling in threes and staring at the equipment in bewilderment. Does it really take three of them to not understand their results, when one person could not understand the results just as well?
Richard Austin: I’m going to imagine everyone in the building as a Terry Pratchett character now. This will help distract me from the fact that they’re in the building, dammit! I got used to the wonderful silence during exam period and grading time.
@ 120: Hungary, not Ungary (it is “Ungern” in Swedish and as I am very tired languages get mixed in my brain)
“Mexican experts find ancient blood on stone knives” http://phys.org/news/2012-05-mexican-experts-ancient-blood-stone.html
Human sacrifice was big in Mesoamerica as far back as 2000 years ago. Of course, the Romans were killing far more people just for sport at the same time period…
Meanwhile, could you use some voice recognition software? It’s something I’ve been thinking about for the Redhead.
My son is an IT professional at WOOT! We discussed voice recognition software briefly. Will come back to the subject if it looks like disability is going to be long term.
Rorschach et. al., thank you for the good wishes and for commiseration. I may end up with a backlog of chocolate, bacon, booze, and baked goods. Will have to collect later. Oh, and more ghey sex with Brownian was offered as well.
138
Crip Dyke, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden
I’ve said it before, and it applies more for younger kids than for teenagers (but it still applies), helping children involves more than just working with the children. You have got to be able to understand their parents as well. And I find that aspect much more challenging.
Unfortunately, that only goes so far. I was a multi-trauma kid, who had an Upper Class, well-to-do, privileged family. Those types of families are excellent at appearing functional. They are often ‘pillar of the community’ families.
When a kid is being abused in such a situation, not only are they not believed, they are often openly scoffed at, by adults, for being an ungrateful little snot.
In the rare event of a teacher or other adult noticing something amiss and saying something, well, they get threatened, usually effectively.
Granted, this isn’t the average case or situation, however, it’s an especially bad one.
@Caine, I always love checking out your shots, but there is something particularly awesome in bird images for me. Especially when they have contrasting iris colors like the grackles; so expressive! I see so many behaviors that I “get” since I got my parrot (eight years ago?). Watching excitement, interest or contentment with pinpointing and body posture is very cool. With your lenses can you see the pupils move when they’re excited?
Plus this sounds nuts, but I look at their skinny legs/feet and think about play-nibbling at my Beaky’s cool little feet (lips only, no teeth obviously). There is a near tactile sense when I’m looking at other birds, a kind of “I know what that feels like” recognition.
The ability of an upper-class abuser to get away with just about anything by pulling the “Don’t you know who I am” card – or for them to never have to pull it at all because everyone knows that it is there is very real.
Frequently, the only people that would dare challenge this are people who are also of upper class, or utter outsiders who have nothing to lose.
Add small-town insularity to the mess, and it can get even harder.
Well wishes to Sailor, Caine, Carlie (I actually missed why you need them, but somebody else mentioned you, so add mine to the pile), Louis, and anyone else I’ve missed.
And to Lynna… please do not hesitate to light the bat signal if the Save Lynna’s Brain® fund needs another infusion!
***
DrDMFM:
Black pepper inhibits the formation of new fat cells and lowers blood pressure.
SRSLY? I shudder to think how much fatter I’d be if I didn’t love the stuff so!
***
Katherine, Esteleth, Carlie, et al.:
Re Elizabeth Warren, I confess I haven’t done a deep study of it, but my impression from what I have read was that she’s only ever claimed that her family told her she was of Cherokee descent. While she’s been listed as a “minority” professor in a couple places, AFAIK she’s never made any claim other than what is apparently true: That she’s of Cherokee ancestry, based on her family’s oral history.
As for Harvard, what I read seems to suggest that it was the school, rather than Warren, that may have exaggerated her minority identity, for its own purposes. I’ve read several accounts of the hiring decision process at the various universities where she’s been on faculty, and all of them (including Harvard) say her Native American heritage was never even mentioned during employment discussions.
I’m on her campaign’s e-mail list (as an early donor[1]), and to the best of my knowledge, she’s never traded on (or even mentioned) her Native American identity for political purposes.
Maybe she’s more culpable in this than it appears to me at first blush… but she’d have to be a lot more culpable before I’d start see it as a good reason to question the wisdom of replacing a conservative Republican male underwear model with a progressive Democratic female intellectual in the U.S. Senate.
Jus’ sayin’….
***
[1] I’m donating to — and when the time comes, will phonebank or doorknock for — Warren in MA and Kirsten Gillibrand in NY to compensate for the fact that, here in The Year of the Republican War on Women™, the very best of the Dem candidates for CT’s open Senate seat is a man.
Lynna, I am glad your son has some skills which might be helpful if you need to make adjustments to make computer participation easier and less fatiguing.
With your lenses can you see the pupils move when they’re excited?
If I’m simply observing with it, while waiting for other birds to show up. When I’m shooting, I don’t notice anything – it happens much too fast and I multi-shoot, so I often don’t know what I’ve got until I’m going through the photos. My absolute favourite eyes are Dove eyes (oh, that red!) and Grackle eyes. Doves in particular listen to the shutter click and often respond to it, sometimes in odd ways, such as lifting one wing.
Grackles also provide immense entertainment. They do not grok pine trees. At all. They slide down them, fall through them, etc. (Massive pine trees are used to navigate down to the deck railing and feeders by a host of smaller birds, the grackles try to imitate this, without much success.)
There is a near tactile sense when I’m looking at other birds, a kind of “I know what that feels like” recognition.
Wow, that’s a whole new dimension on bird watching! :D
Bill #142 I missed the reference to black pepper but Oh how I hope it is true! Mr Nifty has hypertension and a family history of serious heart disease so anything we can do re diet is a plus!
Also Bill, why didn’t I think of signing up for campaigning/knocking on doors etc? Probably because my own state races are a nightmare, but I could cross state lines to help out Tammy, couldn’t I? :D
Ugh, wait – am I allowed to do that? Newly inducted citizen here. :) FYI, two more (new and rational new citizens, I mean) coming from the nifty family this year, if all goes well!
The ability of an upper-class abuser to get away with just about anything by pulling the “Don’t you know who I am” card – or for them to never have to pull it at all because everyone knows that it is there is very real.
It is and it’s unfortunate, because most of those abused kids throw their lives away in an attempt to escape or throw it away by deciding to murder.
It’s really very weird, because I myself have an instant bias against privileged kids who claim abuse. A societal bias which manages to get instilled and ingrained no matter what.
LDtR, I’m sorry to hear about your brother-in-law, and I’m sorry that I missed that earlier.
Jules, yes, Akira is still popping into various threads from time to time to be an asshole, when he’s not being a creep. He left a couple of comments in the recent G-spot thread that I really could have done without reading.
Oh, and all of Alabama’s anti-choice, anti-woman legislation is dead for the session.
YAY.
Caine, dem’s some nice boids!
Birger, there are some astute comments on that article about human sacrifice.
@Caine, I’m chuckling at the descriptions of doves and grackles (we have mourning doves but no grackles out here). There is a seriouly clownish element to birdwatching at times. I remember once watching a juvenile scrub jay become absolutely confused after bathing. It had just figured out this whole flying thing, but didn’t know that you get heavier when wet. It made a failed attempt at getting back to a tree, and then stood on the ground looking around. I image it was contemplating its wings, “What the hell, these things used to work!”
Wow, that’s a whole new dimension on bird watching! :D
It was an entirely unanticipated effect of getting a companion parrot. I mean, the wild birds are very different from parrots, and a number of his mannerisms are learned because of human socialization*, but you’d be surprised just how much you can see shared gestures as emotional expression. Plus knowing how feet feel, or fluffing cheeks provides a strange intimacy with the bird you’re watching.
*Seriously, it’s not normal for parrots to lift a foot to be picked up, pet people they love by stroking with the whole body, to present themselves for head scritches, ask you to hold the beak for grinding/cleaning through body language, throw and pounce on jingling plastic or shiny crinkle balls like a cat. But it’s damned cute.
Ugh, wait – am I allowed to do that? Newly inducted citizen here.
Regardless of your citizenship status, I think you could volunteer in any case. Even if you were undocumented, volunteer work ≠ employment, so I think that would be legal… though I’m guessing most campaigns would prefer not to knowingly use undocumented volunteers due to political risk. Since you’re a citizen, regardless of how recently, you can donate funds to any campaign you choose[1]. There are federal limits on total contributions to campaigns, and individual states have their own laws regarding contributions to state races, but there’s no general prohibition against donating to campaigns in other states.
FYI, two more (new and rational new citizens, I mean) coming from the nifty family this year, if all goes well!
Congratulations and welcom to you, and we’re waiting eagerly for the rest of the niftyfamily invasion: We can use all the rational citizens we can get!
***
[1] I think it’s illegal for foreign nationals to donate to U.S. campaigns, but I’m not 100% sure… and I’m not sure on which side of the line legal resident aliens fall.
First of all the atheist American landscape is dominated by science preaching white men; and this is not a welcoming environment for Latinos or people of color. If the American atheist movement wasn’t so dogmatic about science as the great equalizer, and/ or so condescending about the religiosity in communities of color [bold is my emphasis], then we could have a conversation that doesn’t replicate the racial and religious hierarchy that people of color are familiar with. White conference organizers often construct atheism and race as a black and white issue, so this leaves us feeling unwelcome. And why would we go somewhere that ignores us or thinks so little of us? A form of humanism which addresses social issues that have the greatest impact on people of color could help Latinos achieve self-determination. More Latino atheist leaders are necessary as are public voices opposing religion, and more people willing to share their non-believer status.
Because I’m tired of hearing privileged white d00dz make snide remarks about how they can’t understand why those people don’t just up and become atheists.
We don’t have grackles here but I imagine they’re not too different from starlings? Which are loud, saucy, party-crashing clowns most of the time.
Last summer the family of chickadees in the neighbor’s tree fledged into our yard. Four or five utterly clumsy baby chickadees trying to master the whole “flutter from branch to branch” thing with lots of very ungraceful missing the target, slipping and falling, and generally tripping over themselves. Hours of Charlie-Chaplinesque entertainment!
I remember once watching a juvenile scrub jay become absolutely confused after bathing. It had just figured out this whole flying thing, but didn’t know that you get heavier when wet. It made a failed attempt at getting back to a tree, and then stood on the ground looking around. I image it was contemplating its wings, “What the hell, these things used to work!”
Aaaw, sweet thing! My absolute favourite time to set up my blinds and spend 12 hours out shooting is when all the juveniles are out and about and adventuring the first time. One of my all time fave moments was sitting in a blind by my little box elder maple – I have flowers planted around it, so it’s a good spot for worm hunting. A juvenile grackle was terribly excited, having discovered worms! and was busy digging one up. That was successful, so it grabbed one end of the worm in its beak, whereupon the worm curled around, twice, around the grackle’s beak. The juvenile was having a fit, hopping about, trying to figure out how to get that fucking worm off!
They are so much fun when they are figuring out the world.
I am good for fucking nothing tonight. (Tonight? HAH! Methinks I underestimate)
Thanks for the good thoughts folks, but I am an undeserving recipient. Save them for the worthy. I am an angry, over-privileged, whiny hypocrite, a worthless piece of shit floating in the toilet bowl of society…I suppose like many Western men, I guess I’m just dealing with some annoying stuff at the moment. I hate not being good enough. Sorry to burden anyone with it. Sorry enough not to comment? Ha! I guess not. But then I am {ahem} “mildly judgement impaired”. A bottle of Sailor Jerry’s and two bottle of claret will do that to one.
I just need to unload a giant FUUUUUUUCK somewhere I suppose. Why do we do this? Why do we as humans ever do this? Why show a weakness or express a frustration? It only ever gets us shat on.
Fuck it. I shall attempt to cheer myself up by telling a joke:
Q. How many Freudians does it take to change a lightbulb?
A. Two. One to change the lightbulb and the other to hold my penis…mother…ladder. (damn)
I went to the zoo the other day. It only had one animal in it. A dog. It was a Shitzu.
Oh come on, that’s comedy fucking gold. Bah! I need more alcohol, I can still hear the voices.
At least they’re not fucking grockles. I fucking hate grockles.*
Louis
* Actual hate may not match that advertised. See previous comments today about mood and haircut. Mood has not been improved by alcohol, cocaine and marijuana. Self destructive tendencies on the other hand….Fucking marvellous. Will I regret it tomorrow? Yes. Do I care now? No. Am I angrily out of control…nah…I’m able to post on the interwebs. I’m alllllllll gooooooood. For given values of alllllll and goooood.
Also, whilst I’m at it, Jeremy Clarkson is an {insert suitable insult here} and I would very much enjoy performing {insert act of comedy violence possibly based on a chocolate weapon here}. Oh yes.
Josh, what if all reality-oriented ‘merkuns settled in Rhode Island or some other suitably small state?
If you voted as a bloc, there would be enough of you to make real changes, like making political representation fully proportional thus disbanding the two-party system (but with a 5% barrier, to keep neo-Nazis and suchlike out).
One difficulty with proportional representation: since it’s based on party affiliation, independent candidates don’t fit into the system very well. Another difficulty: if the elected representatives are geographically based, some ridings will have a representative other than the one that got the most votes in that riding. Another difficulty: proportional representation leads to a proliferation of small parties and in parliamentary systems (UK, Canada, etc, not US) it can become almost impossible to form a government.
Many years ago, Scientific American had an interesting article on voting systems by a guru on the subject. Short form summary: all known voting systems sometimes lead to counter-intuitive results.
Update: However, a few years ago a new voting system based on internet polling of some type was proposed and claimed to be free of weird results. I do not know if this held up to scrutiny, and I don’t remember the details. Those interested are pointed to Google and Wikipedia.
I’m in Cranston, Rhode Island. Yeah. That Cranston. Home of Jessica Ahlquist and the model for the city of Quahog in Family Guy. It’s an industrial shit hole. More later (and it’s horrible)—out the door to get some fried clams.
He breathed in. Breathed out. Writes columns for The Sun…
…oh you want more?
Sorry. My tolerance levels for the week have been exceeded. I’m in an official Mood. I could cheerfully murder a bus load of merry orphans. Well…I could give them a very mean look at least.
By the way, am I wrong in noting a certain tetchiness in your fine self of late? Perhaps we are twin souls of mardiness, linked across the oceans by a torrent of righteous bile and splenetic venom?
Forgive me. I become viciously sarcastic when pissed. The self loathing tends to emerge.
Race you to unconsciousness. I’ll warn you, even though you’re a sailor I have a cast iron liver, a British passport, and many years of rugby excellence behind me! ;-)
Bill, thanks! (151). I did already discover that I was eligible to make modest donations to campaigns back when I was a legal permanent resident (hello 2008 and 2010!), but what I was really wondering about was if volunteers can cross state lines to assist in a campaign for someone in another state, even though we obviously cannot vote in that state. It doesn’t seem like it would be illegal, but I will check to be sure. The candidate I’d like to help out is Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin. http://www.tammybaldwin.com/splash/
Last summer the family of chickadees in the neighbor’s tree fledged into our yard. Four or five utterly clumsy baby chickadees trying to master the whole “flutter from branch to branch” thing with lots of very ungraceful missing the target, slipping and falling, and generally tripping over themselves. Hours of Charlie-Chaplinesque entertainment!
A few years ago, a family of Steller’s Jays raised a brood on a branch over our deck. My brother and I happened to be there on ‘fledging’ day, and it was pretty unforgettable.
There was an obvious ‘runt’, a little guy having trouble keeping up. At one point he fell out of the tree and was stuck hanging from some bark by one claw, cheeping piteously.
What I found really interesting is the way his siblings all stood around in the trees waiting and chirping at him… I was just about to render some assistance when he righted himself and went back up the tree on his own. And off they went, the stronger siblings constantly pausing to let their weaker sibling catch up.
It surprised me because I’d always assumed the stronger siblings wouldn’t particularly care about the ‘weakling’.
Hmmm perhaps you have a point. However, even in my more clear moments of reality appreciation I fail to see this assessment as untrue. Oh don’t worry…you should see what I think of other people! ;-)
Louis
P.S. I’ll be sweetness an light tomorrow…well, maybe Monday. Tonight…the lampposts are looking at me wrong…
By the way, am I wrong in noting a certain tetchiness in your fine self of late?
Oh my, is that ever the understatement. A certain tetchiness, while having a quaint descriptive value, comes nowhere close.
Perhaps we are twin souls of mardiness, linked across the oceans by a torrent of righteous bile and splenetic venom?
This sounds about right.
I become viciously sarcastic
This tends to be my day to day state, however, it is very much amplified at the moment. I am about to declare myself useless, I’m not willing to concentrate on work, I’m not fit for company, either. Perhaps I shall go eat worms. ;)
Ahhhh yes. Long thin skinny ones, short fat fuzzy ones, icky wicky sticky wicky worms.
I may join you at the bottom of the garden.
Although…and I seem to be quoting Hicks a lot today…it’s like the People Who Hate People Party. We have a meeting, are you going? Yes? Then I’m not fucking going! ;-)
I am however participating in the Ancient British Sport of Surly Drinking and Self Loathing. I may have a kebab and argue with it. It seems like a suitably futile thing to do.
No fair, John. Pancreas the Parade Pisser hath well and truly declared there is no solace for me in alcohol or alcohol soaked worms (not that I ever fell for that one, anyway.)
On my wedding day, my wife and best men set me up to shoot the worm. A proper, imported, red worm in a proper, imported bottle of Mescal.
I didn’t know this until, after my speech, where I politely thanked the bride’s family, the bridesmaids, my best men etc for everything, the cheeky fuckers presented me with a half pint glass of Mescal containing the worm and said that I had agreed to shoot it if I ever got married.
The sound of 220 people jeering had a strange effect on my nervous system and a bolted the lot, worm included, without an intake of breath. Something impossible any other time due to previous “experiences” with Mescal/tequila.
All stories of hallucinations derived thereof are exaggerated/fictional.
It does produce impressively aromatic turds several hours later. Just thought I should share…no…wait…where are you going…I have photos…I have scratch and sniff stickers…guys…guys…
Also, Boris got re-elected as London Mayor, proving unarguably that my fellow citizens are largely fuckwits fooled by floppy hair and a posh accent. The man if a turd biscuit of the first water and went to a public school that I personally beat at rugby.
Wedding update: we’ve figured out how to fit 50 people in a small museum! AND the staff offered to dress up the mastodon for the event (he’s getting a bow tie!)
Caine, I certainly don’t want to discount your experiences or the experiences of any other abused child. I just think assuming all bad or inept teachers want to be bad or inept is not a very good strategy when compared to providing them with education and new perspectives. Having more experience in schools than my own time as a student, I’ve seen things go both ways.
The system is flawed. Fuck, society is flawed. But sometimes people aren’t as bad as they were once they learn a bit.
Louis, *cheers, shug* I’ve had a good day, but it is a bit wobbly at this point (which means I need to be as well).
Lies Down to Reason, I’m sorry for you and your family.
The Muddy Creek Saloon has a country ‘n’ western band in the street, blaring ‘music’. Drunk bikers and way too loud country music. This is not helping.
I should add that I’m not arguing Intent Is Magic. I’m not interested in redeeming someone who has allowed abuse to go unchecked. I’m talking about keeping teachers from making the same kinds of mistakes in the future.
Ignorance or malice comes into play in preventing further damage, but it’s pretty useless for correcting what’s already been done.
Wedding update: we’ve figured out how to fit 50 people in a small museum! AND the staff offered to dress up the mastodon for the event (he’s getting a bow tie!)
Ing,
Woo hoo! Museum weddings rock! And the staff sounds freaking awesome.
(No mastadon at my wedding, sadly. It was at a science museum, so there was a life-sized Charles Steinmetz model that my sister spilled a cocktail all over.)
Nice birdies, Caine.
I miss grackles, I moved out of their turf long ago.
—
There were some barn-swallows (probably) nesting in a shed that had a 4-foot window. The adult went in and out with no problem. When the fledglings were trying to get home, they kept flying at the HUGE gap and veering off.
The adults sometimes sat on the window ledge yelling encouragement vocalising and sometimes demonstrated.
It was getting dark but I think all the younguns got home safe.
I am an angry, over-privileged, whiny hypocrite, a worthless piece of shit floating in the toilet bowl of society…
I disagree, but I am not very effective this evening at effusive words of comfort. So I will attempt to cheer you up with a heartwarming story about a zookeeper, a monkey, and a life-saving rimjob.
Well you have me. I could be licking monkey sphincter. Mind you, given the level of tonight’s indulgence, I imagine I will be viciously savaged by the Beer Monkey.*
Louis
* He steals your money, beats the crap out of you and shits in your mouth. Damn you Beer Monkey. Damn you!
I didn’t assume that or say that – where the fuck did I detail teachers? Jesus Christ. Fine, whatever, have it your way, I don’t care.
Um. The entire fucking premise was teachers. Did you forget or ignore where the comments spawned from?
Sorry I can’t read you goddamb mind and figure out that while the rest of us were commenting on a school’s policy, you were talking about…fairies? janitors? ham sammiches?
FFS, don’t blame me if you missed the premise. It’s not as of every fucking post I made about this wasn’t obviously in the context of teacher training.
Found about fifty morel mushrooms today in the wood behind the house. I now need a massive quantity of butter, several pounds of asparagus, and about two dozen eggs. It’s mushroom asparagus omelet time!
YOU DIDN’T LIKE MUSHROOM HUNTING? What’s wrong with you?
My father used to take me out deep into the forests of the Cascades — we’d drive for hours down these old logging roads, until we reached these weirdly ancient patches of western hemlock and Doug firs, and we’d go wandering. The silence of those forests was magical. You’d hear nothing but the distant sighing of the wind in the tree tops, and even our steps were quieted in the spongy moss of the undergrowth. I loved those places.
A. R
I’m lucky to get 4 spears.
I thought they were all dead.
—
PZ
I’ve done that!
But I was supposed to be looking for archaeology sites.
(and not my Dad)
Louis@156, Hey, I can still hear the voices too! I’m trying to drown them in alcohol, and I’m full of mean looks.
Josh@159, Fuck Cranston!
Ing@178, A mastodon in a bow tie? I love it, sounds awesome!
chigau@189 Yay, Rum!
Lynna, Sailor, Lies Down to Reason & all who need it, sympathies and best wishes (along with obligatory bacon and chocolate). Makes me sad I don’t have the resources to help my fellow Pharyngulites.
Buzzing like a big dog, need to crawl to bed. Smiles greet you with the dawn, night y’all.
My problem with mushroom hunting is I don’t know mushrooms well enough to identify which ones I see. If I compare the mushrooms I see to a mushroom identification book, each one looks like it could be either of the following:
Ambrosia Mushroom: This mushroom is considered one of the great delicacies of the world. The pleasure of the taste has been compared to sexual orgasm. In 2002 100 grams of Ambrosia Mushrooms sold for over $10,000. It also cures acne.
Grim Reaper Mushroom: Warning! Coming within 3 meters of this fungus can cause a slow, hideously painful death as the body becomes liquified. Napalm is the only effective pesticide for this mushroom.
I didn’t have a CT scan. My doc was trying to save me money. That didn’t work out.
If he was suspecting MS I wouldn’t have, as MS is invisible on CT scans. Mini-strokes may have shown up on a CT as small dark spots.
They figured out it was MS after the second attack. During the first they gave me the MS or stroke diagnosis.
One actually needs two episodes separated in time or place (ie different parts of the CNS) to meet the diagnostic criteria for MS. An MRI finding can count as one episode even if it is asymptomatic (if the other episode is symptomatic – ie two MRI findings with no symptoms doesn’t make the diagnosis), but it is not absolutely necessary if the 2 clinical episodes are typical enough. The time separation may be months apart.
This is of course small comfort for someone having to deal with the possibility after only one episode.
As I work in Canada, it is hard for me to imagine how difficult it must be to have this diagnosis in the US if one doesn’t have insurance.
….aaaand along comes the derailing white d00d, right on time.
Must be nice, to be unable to intuitively grok the existence of a hierarchy of needs and that some people will be lower on it than oneself.
Thanks — it’s a slow night, I’m going to need some serious chewtoy action.
Which also tails nicely into my reason for posting here, which is being proud of my response to a bunch of mansplainers on Occupy Vancouver’s Facebook page:
I agree. What could be less important than whether half the group is comfortable within the group, and whether they are being taken seriously? Why, they’re only HALF the group! We have a whole other half to think about!
I swear to God, this fucking hotel contracts with a company who actually throttles the naturally occurring bandwidth to make it even slower. I could wave my laptop in the air and pick up more Wifi with no connection at all.
7 seconds. To load Google’s home page. The simplest, least-coded page on Earth. I actually get to watch the browser go through machinations that should be invisible because they’re instantaneous. “Sending request. . . .”, “Connecting to host. . .” For Google.com.
I know it’s easy to get spoiled, but at this point high speed Internet is as essential as any other public utility. It’s not “just the Internet”, it’s the real world where we work. This is so unacceptable. What the hell are hotels thinking? How is it possible in this day and age that customer demand seems to be doing nothing to alleviate this problem?
Argh, it’s so infuriating. If I thought indignant letters and promises never to darken the chain’s doorstep again would bear any fruit I would. You know what a pain in the ass I can be. But they wouldn’t. Seems one needs a mass temper tantrum or boycott these days to make any company fix even the most obvious oversight.
Surprisingly, I have never had trouble with internet access at hotels, ever (other than the occasional hotel not having any at all), in either Canada or the USA.
PZ: Sorry to incur your ire, but I just don’t like mushrooms. And so, their hunting is a giant waste of time for me.
You need to work on precision no less than on comprehension.
Leaving aside that mushrooms are not known to hunt, there may well be more bases for going out foraging for them than merely a personal predilection for them (in fact, PZ stated as much)
I found quite a few black morels in mid-March this year near Oscoda Michigan but most were too small to bother with (inch to an inch and a quarter). Much to my chagrin I have yet to get back out to look for more. I think I found a huge patch of P. cyanescens behind my Uncles place where the trees have fallen. Of course not being sure I have no plans to putting them to the test. The morels on the other hand were delicious!
Hrrmmm… last fall there was this giant (to my eyes, anyway; maybe a foot in diameter) ball of frilly fungus growing at the base of an oak tree in my front yard. Stupidly, I treated it as a pest and got rid of it… after which my wife did a bit of Googling and decided it had probably been a Hen-of-the-Woods (aka Maitake) mushroom.
Not sure I’d'a had the courage to eat it even if I’d known, but still….
Josh, leaving aside that I referred to precision rather than correctness, ‘their’ is a possessive relating to the object of the previous sentence (the subject was ‘I’).
Are there truffles in Vermont? Somehow I never think of them as coming from anywhere but Europe. A recent episode of Bones (which is set in the DC area) featured truffle hunting as a plot point, and I wasn’t sure how plausible that was.
And so, their hunting is a giant waste of time for me.
Can be translated as, “And so the hunting of them, mushrooms, is a giant waste of time for me.” It has nothing at all to do with the ‘I’ subject in the previous sentence. Really.
Lies Down to Reason, you and your family have my condolences. Take care during this difficult time.
Audley:
No mastadon at my wedding, sadly.
Mine either. But then it was at the courthouse, which for some strange reason did not have any mastadons in residence.
Caine, your bird pictures are splendid. I really like the ones with the chickadee and mourning doves. Both birds are favorites of mine. So far, I’ve heard our mourning dove pair every morning this week. Alas, our yard has yet to attract any chickadees–or at least none that I have ever seen.
Chloe, our Calico cat, talks to the birds in our yard. She makes noises I’ve never heard from another cat and only directs them at the birds out the window. Chloe makes no attempt hide while doing so and often seems disappointed when the birds don’t respond. Because she’s been doing it since we got her (as a rescue cat), I don’t know where she picked up her enthusiasm for avian conversation. =^_^=
thunk, it was not your English that I was primarily addressing (the “leaving aside” indicates a parenthetical), but your imputation that the basis for hunting mushrooms must be that one likes them.
Thunk, I’m convinced your construction was just fine. A little archaic, but correct. I’m struggling to find the linguistic terms to use to describe it accurately enough for a Google search.
Grammar warz, uh-huh. Personally, I just take a more functional approach to language; if it gets the content across, I couldn’t care less about its exact form.
Grammar warz, uh-huh. Personally, I just take a more functional approach to language; if it gets the content across, I couldn’t care less about its exact form.
Grr.
Grr.
You’re making me regret defending your arch phrasing.
Oh get off it, Morales. It’s perfectly obvious you were using a parenthetical to denote secondary considerations. It was your parenthetical I disputed.
Oh, I think I missed thunk. I wanted to say hi. I haven’t been posting much since I have this whole job thing… thank goodness it’s temporary, working overnight is for chumps. Anyway, I noticed your intro and wanted to say welcome too! I got my start in the itnernets back in the day posting on http://www.heartless-bitches.com, but I think Pharyngula may be even cooler, so you’re in a good place.
Gonna drink some whiskey now and try to relax after a grueling week of nighttime data entry.
Also, in memory of MCA and in honor of the Beastie Boys, allow me to share this bit of awesomeness: Sabotage vs. Battlestar Galactica. It’s a frame by frame tribute. I wonder how big the overlap between Beastie Boys fans and BSG fans is. Well, if that’s you then you’ll looo000oove this. And you’ll get a giant SQUEEE and big bugs from me! (Unless you don’t like being touched. In which case I proffer booze and brownies and bacon.)
Lies Down to Reason, I’m very sorry. Hope you (all) have plenty of loving support around; sorry that it is needed :(((
Ing, I love the bowtie-on-mastodon idea. Pics, yeah?
Louis, do not listen to the blandishments of the Beer Monkey. You know they live to hang over people and piss on them.
Grammar is sekretly (very sekretly) teh cool. I once had to tell a client that no, it wasn’t a mistake in my translation because using what looks like a plural (as in “if I were you”) is really the last dying gasp of the shadow of the fragments of the remnants of the subjunctive in English, which I want to pet and feed on whoms.
As per the Inexorable Law of the Internetz I will now proceed to make at least 3.4 assorted errors per word from this comment forth.
Fucking piece of shit. I don’t know what happened with the links in my last comment, but they don’t work – and I can’t work out what the problem is; every time I try to create a link using ‘a href’ etc. it borks.
Good morning
So the waters have calmed down around here.
No, he actually never noticed that he’d made a very funny slip of tongue and yes, I had suspected that and wanted to tell him but he’d already stormed off.
But anyway, how does he fucking dare to walk out on me like that and shut me down like that the first moment my perceived behaviour is less than perfect.
Yes, I know, these are hard times for him, too. Can’t help it. I’m fighting for my fucking survival here because I need to get out of this as long as there’s a bit of me left, so if he can’t take that he can fuck off.
He seemed a bit shocked when I told him.
Caine
I love the grackels. Nothing as brilliant different colours of black.
Now I need to browse me designs for those gorgeous leather cuffs they features on UT
Lies Down to Reason
I’m sorry about your BiL
(((hugs))) and chocolate coming through your port.
Orange Utan, that makes sense. When I copied the links it was from the search page rather than the URL bar, so the ‘http://’ wouldn’t have been included.
It’s not a specific wordpress fault. Leaving the http off a link in any software will have the same issue.
The specific problem here was indeed with WordPress: when the scheme component of the URL is not specified, it automatically treats anchor tag references as relative and prepends the page’s full address.
With a bit of smarter coding, WordPress would only do that when a fragment identifier token (#) was seen, and only otherwise prepend the HTTP scheme as default.
(They would still have failed without this, of course, but in a different way)
Many years ago, Scientific American had an interesting article on voting systems by a guru on the subject. Short form summary: all known voting systems sometimes lead to counter-intuitive results. – RFW
See Arrow’s impossibility theorem, and the related Gibbard-Satterthwaite theorem and Duggan-Schwartz theorem – actual mathematical proofs that if there are more than 2 alternatives, no voting system can guarantee to avoid all of a list of democratically undesirable outcomes. Interesting, but IMNSHO, not of real political significance, because in practice, factors such as voter registration systems, the weather, and the spatial distribution and nature of polling stations (for example, putting them in churches apparently increases the right-wing vote while locating them in schools has the opposite effect), make a sizeable difference to outcomes.
With a bit of smarter coding, WordPress would only do that when a fragment identifier token (#) was seen, and only otherwise prepend the HTTP scheme as default.
And what if you wanted to link to another free thought page and didn’t specify the domain? How many exceptions are going to have to be coded?
Commiserations to Sailor, LDtR, Caine, Louis, anyone I’ve missed. Loved the grackle, Caine.
Apart from the appalling Boris Johnson being re-elected as Mayor of London (Labour made a big mistake putting Ken Livingstone up again), local election results here in Ukania showed a considerable swing away from the coalition government parties, with Labour, the Scottish Nats and the Greens doing well. Here in Aberdeen, unfortunately, the swing from LibDems to Labour was probably not enough to block a daft scheme to spend tens of millions on the Union Terrace Gardens plan, at a time when school teacher numbers and provision for people with disabilities are being slashed. Bankruptcy beckons in a few years’ time, if the huge increase in business rates the finance depends on fails to materialise.
Does anyone know why there is a smiley face at the bottom left corner of the page, just under “switch to our mobile site”?
It’s used by wordpress.com to gather stats about sites using WordPress. It’s served from stats.wordpress.com, so every time someone loads Pharyngula, stats.wordpress.com will receive a request telling them that.
Daisy:
Oooooo, I love the South of France soaps. Mr Darkheart has been using their almond bar soap, which normally I really, really like too*. My issue is that lately, my skin has both dry patches and breakouts, so I’m trying to find something that will even that out a little bit.
This LifeLock commercial is the MOST. DRAMATIC. COMMERCIAL. EVER! “If Jack had LifeLock, he could’ve got a message right away. Thieves are out there trying to steal your identity! If you don’t get LifeLock, you could lose everything!!!!11!”
Sure, you’ll find a scattering of people who want do destroy Great Satan America, or shoot abortion doctors, or overthrow ZOG, but they’re a minority,…
My still sleeping brain kept read ZOG…ZOG? ZOG? You mean this guy?
Ouch. I’m having a weird issue with Amazon in that it says the thing was signed for and received, but I’ve got no notice of it at all in my mailbox. I’ll check when I get home.
[...]
Writer and activist Dan Savage has said that he accepts National Organization for Marriage (NOM) spokesman Brian Brown’s challenge to a debate, according to the blog Towleroad.
Brown laid down the challenge on Tuesday, incensed about a month-old video of Savage challenging a group of teen Christians’ notions on the Bible. Brown wrote on NOM’s official blog, “Let me lay down a public challenge to Dan Savage right here and now: You want to savage the Bible? Christian morality? Traditional marriage? Pope Benedict? I’m here, you name the time and the place and let’s see what a big man you are in a debate with someone who can talk back. It’s easy to make high-school girls cry by picking on them. Let’s pick on someone our own size!
“I’m here, any time, any place you name, Dan Savage,” said Brown, “You will find out out how venal and ridiculous your views of these things are if you dare to accept a challenge.”
[...]
Personally, I just take a more functional approach to language; if it gets the content across, I couldn’t care less about its exact form.
That’s like saying, “I just take a more functional approach to food; if it nourishes me, I couldn’t care less about what it tastes like.”
Interesting way to look at things. I see the pursuit of proper grammar as similar to the pursuit of wine; for some people it’s great, but others just don’t care. (Food may be similar, but just a more base desire which almost everybody prefers).
W/r/t grammar, I’d say I’m in the middle between the extremes of “not caring” and “grammar fan”.
You’re right to note (in a later comment), that sometimes the correct usage sounds stilted and unnatural. This is particularly a problem in formalisms related to case that are slowly becoming extinct in everyday usage, such as the who/whom distinction… but in the current case, the natural-sounding usage is actually no less correct than the unnatural, pedantic-sounding one.
This refers to Frank VanderSloot, the wealthy Romney backer who sues into silence anyone who investigates his background. He’s been taken on earlier by Glen Greenwald in Salon:
thunk & Daze (which, if you say it out loud, sounds like it should be the name of a vaudeville act… or perhaps the authors of an overrated guide to good writing):
Personally, I just take a more functional approach to language; if it gets the content across, I couldn’t care less about its exact form.
That’s like saying, “I just take a more functional approach to food; if it nourishes me, I couldn’t care less about what it tastes like.”
Interesting way to look at things. I see the pursuit of proper grammar as similar to the pursuit of wine; for some people it’s great, but others just don’t care.
I like the food analogy better, but maybe we can expand it to food and drink: You can take a strictly utilitarian approach or be almost fetishistic about the aesthetics and details or anything in between; you can care a lot or a little or nearly not at all about the craft of creating it; but at a minimum, it must be competent in any case.
For food and drink, competency involves providing adequate calories, nutrients, and hydration, while not being toxic; for language, it involves accurately conveying the intended information, ideas, and feelings without creating “toxic” distractions for the audience.
Issues of grammar, style, and usage that break the competency of utterance are Very Important Indeed®; those that do not can be fun to kick around on a Saturday!
Now I have to go out and run some errands; later, y’all!
Possibly UPS just forgot to leave the notice. I hate UPS. I’ve hated UPS since I worked for a company that had to ship stuff with UPS or FedEx – I liked FedEx more cause I never had problems.
@Bill:
Right. I was being facetious. :D
Although I do like how some of those adjusted sentences sound better than the other way. “with which I can sympathize” sounds better to my ear than “I can sympathize with.”
Chris Mooney was on Up with Chris Hayes today talking about his latest book on how conservatives’ brains are fundamentally different and inalterable from liberals’ brains. It’s a little hard to watch. They even throw in a pouty evolution denier and a political “centrist” to make audience heads explode.
Yeah, I generally like FedEx way better too, Kat. But I’m having a very specific issue with our new delivery person– they’re leaving things on our front stoop without a signature or anything. Our former delivery guy was awesome and I wish we still had him. :(
Afternoon, everyone! I’m five or so threads behind, but I hope everyone is well and hugs to all who aren’t.
I was talking to a friend of mine last night and I wanted to drop by TET to ask a question:
Friend told me she’s going to be doing an independent study on asexuality as part of her master’s program. Since I thought I remembered seeing here a couple of people who identify as asexual, I told her I could drop a note here about her project if anyone willing to help by participating in an interview. She won’t be at the interview stage until probably fall-ish, though, but I wanted to mention it early.
If anyone is willing, I’ll be checking TET periodically through the weekend and can put you in touch.
This refers to Frank VanderSloot, the wealthy Romney backer who sues into silence anyone who investigates his background.
Dude had his lawyers pressure Maddow. She responded by not giving an inch, and by carefully producing a follow-up segment based on facts and backed up with first-hand testimony.
VanderSloot is scary. Everyone should be afraid of him. He managed to bring the Idaho Falls Post Register to the brink of ruin.
Please stop talking about China, or learn to say fucking Bay-djing. It’s a simple fucking affricate. It’s the fucking way “j” is meant to be pronounced in English. It’s not fucking French. Stop stop saying fucking Bay-shing. You make me want to fucking punch the fucking computer.
[...]
While public employees are allowed to speak as citizens on matters of public concern, U.S. District Judge Raymond Jackson ruled that clicking the “like” button does not amount to expressive speech. In other words, it’s not the same as writing out a message and posting it on the site.
[...]
they’re leaving things on our front stoop without a signature or anything.
We had a FedEx guy leave our computer and monitor on our front stoop when we weren’t at home. We were really angry about it and called, and it turned out he had forged our name on the signature sheet. It later turned out that he thought he was doing us a favor because the day before he had stopped by asking for directions, and I thought it was our delivery, so he thought we were really anxious to get it and didn’t want us to have to callback the next day for it. How do I know all this?
Because he got fired. And then showed up at our house to apologize. And then showed up again with a letter of support he had written for himself, presumably from us, wanting us to sign it. I did try to call and smooth things over with his boss, but it sounded like the boss was just waiting for one more thing to go wrong to fire him over, so it didn’t do any good. I felt really bad, but again, forgery.
@ Nerd, cake has to be easier to transport than frozen delights.
Happy birthday Redhead!
++++++++++++++
@ Sili 324: Kimmel was funny, Obama was funnier. Maybe he has better writers.
++++++++++++++
Speaking of presidents, FDR- “Here is an amazing paradox! The very employers and politicians and publishers who talk most loudly of class antagonism and the destruction of the American system now undermine that system by this attempt to coerce the votes of the wage earners of this country.
It is the 1936 version of the old threat to close down the factory or the office if a particular candidate does not win. It is an old strategy of tyrants to delude their victims into fighting their battles for them.”
Yeah, Janine, you’re probably right. Me, I have fond memories of being a speech-and-debate nerd in a bus full of other speech-and-debate nerds singing pretty much the whole Croce songbook on the way home from HS speech tournaments.
We didn’t have the term emo back then, but try listening to weepy girls read Sylvia Plath’s Daddy in Poetry Interpretation competition, then singing Lover’s Cross and Operator all the way home!
hope there was much cake, and maybe a bit of ale too
That cake was a success. However, ale was nowhere to be seen, and since we were in a public area near the nurse’s station, impractical to sneak some in. One of her friends did bring in some “spicy” guacamole and corn chips. It may have seen an onion or pepper in passing, but I couldn’t work up one bead of sweat from it. The Redhead’s version of guacamole is good for thirty seconds or so of sweat.
We didn’t have the term emo back then, but try listening to weepy girls read Sylvia Plath’s Daddy in Poetry Interpretation competition
I have only ever heard that done once, but it scared the living hell out of me back in high school. I almost fell out of my chair.
In retrospect I figure that means she was probably pretty good.
Mmmmmmm arepas. Or rather, arepa. I swear, all the guy needed to do was give me that so sweetly delicious corn cake plus the grilled chicken and veggies, sans the rice, and I’d still have been blissfully satisfied. The rice was too salty for my taste.
————————————————
After reading up on IBS and what foods make it worse, Mom has changed to a (mostly) gluten-free diet. She still gets things she can’t eat, only because I can, but overall the changes she’s making are ones that don’t affect me adversely. Really, it’s the perfect excuse to cook with some ingredients I’ve been wanting to try, like quinoa.
She’s also found that eating healthy actually is cheaper, since it limits you in terms of what you can buy. No complaints here. Besides, I can just buy my own milk from the little neighborhood market (she’s switched to soy, which I like enough to drink when there’s no moo juice around, but I greatly prefer the latter).
————————————————-
Damn, the sky’s still overcast. I wanted to see the supermoon tonight!
————————————————-
*dumps two armloads of hugs, chocolate, and other treats on the floor for all who need them*
————————————————-
My best friend’s dad died on Wednesday. I haven’t heard from her yet, but there’s no way anyone in the family is taking this well.
Don’t even worry about it, Esteleth. I was morosing all over my FB friends at the same time. It happens.
—
*hugs to PTI* That’s too bad about your friend’s dad :(
Lawyers, Gun$ and Money has collected some of the responses (and recalls that Naomi Schaefer Riley has previously argued that women who get raped after going out for drinks should “know better”.) It’s worth reading the rebuttal by the students themselves.
Even better, when challenged on her piece, she doubled down, and in a following piece offered up this little fuck you to people who accused her of not knowing of which she speaks:
Finally, since this is a blog about academia and not journalism, I’ll forgive the commenters for not understanding that it is not my job to read entire dissertations before I write a 500-word piece about them. I read some academic publications (as they relate to other research I do), but there are not enough hours in the day or money in the world to get me to read a dissertation on historical black midwifery.
Historical black midwifery. I mean, if Naomi’s not gonna read it, what are these students wasting their time writing it for? Jeez.
So, if that bottle of I Hate Humanity has anything left in it, mind passing it my way for a swig?
Who wants to read a dissertation on Historical Black Midwifery?
<Raises Hand>
SRSLY, to whom does that not sound like a rich and intriguing subject? I haven’t clicked through to Riley’s article, but from the title, I thought she would be on about the quality of the writing or research. Turns out she’s just rejecting a whole field of study out of hand based on the titles of dissertations she hasn’t even read? Fuck that shit!
Arrgh! Now I have read Riley’s piece, and… actually, I had a bitter little bit of snark in mind here, riffing on a couple of my previous comments, but it dawns on me that, owing to a couple other recent comments, the timing would be seriously off, so I’ll just have to make do with…
My parents did seek professional help for me. Unfortunately, I grew up in Jesusville.
Once more, I feel fortunate. Some of my ancestry is from the southern US, I was neither born nor raised there. The suburban Chicago area is relatively secular.
SRSLY, to whom does that not sound like a rich and intriguing subject?
Well, you know right wingers. If it was titled, “Midwifery in a time when racism existed, not like now when it’s all solved” I’m sure it’d be a best seller.
Hugs to PTI and Esteleth, as desired.
Yes. Threadrupt, but hugs to all who want/need them.
Esteleth, I lived in Galesburg for four years. I have some idea. But most people in Illinois know that there is a huge difference between Chicagoland and the rest of the state.
My hometown’s biggest landmark is the largest cross in the continental US.
198 feet tall. White fiberglass. Lit 24/7.
Originally it was going to be 200 feet, but then someone said that at 200 feet, it must be registered with the FAA. Enter libertarians, because OMG the gubmint will do something bad.
Finally, since this is a blog about academia and not journalism, I’ll forgive the commenters for not understanding that it is not my job to read entire dissertations before I write a 500-word piece about them.
Wow. That’s practically a tenure breaking level of stupidity. Hope someone on her promotions committee takes note. It is absolutely an academic’s job to read the entire dissertation before making any public comment on it.
Also, Wiki mentions that it is not the largest free-standing cross in America. And then I start thinking, “free-standing”? Does that category imply that there are taller crosses out there supported by guy wires?
Then I wonder why I’m not out drinking. Then I remember that it’s Cinco De Mayo.
I caned the raspberries.
Caning the raspberries means putting on long sleeves, a hoody, a brimmed hat, trousers and diving into the mess with your clippers.
(have a fire going)
Cut out the dead stuff:
“you’re dead” *snip*
“you’re dead” *snip*
“you’re dead” *snip* oops
“you’re dead” *snip*
etc.
and Fire Good!
Bleh. I’m writing my term paper and part of it is how male Roman slaves used anti-slave slurs and social-status-centered threats to bond with each other. It’s actually really hard to talk about clearly.
I’m also feeling ill :( I had a setback yesterday and most of the past two days have been sucked into the black hole of trying to deal with it. I won’t go into detail here, just because I already posted about it on PET and don’t need to pour it out here too, but for now I’m just trying to cling really tightly to the fact that I was making real progress, I was feeling better, and I will get back to where I was. But bleh… it’s very frustrating to have this happen so soon after I was feeling so much better.
Yes, the ad was racist. PopChips’ apology was a total not-pology. This report was completely idiotic, the person should’ve been “yes, it was racist.”
I’m glad I don’t like PopChips anyway. Also, this seems of a piece with Kutcher’s established douchebaggery.
Thunk, the reading of a well-wrought phrase, sentence, paragraph, essay, or book is a pleasure of life. I don’t know that it’s of the same calibre as the pleasures of eating, sex, or music, but many people would argue that it is.
Of similar importance, a well-wrought phrase, sentence, paragraph, essay, or book can change minds in a way that a grammatically functional but uninspiring phrase, sentence, paragraph, essay, or book cannot. This does not make the reader “shallow.” This is how human communication works, which is why advertising is a huge business.
Bill:
There are some instances where the sentence is wrong (e.g., “That’s where I sleep at,” in which the at is unnecessary and redundant)…
Even that’s not “wrong.” Redundancy features in numerous languages and dialects. The “at” is a common feature of AAVE, or at least some dialects thereof.
FWIW, when it comes to the grammatical arguments that have been hashed out in this thread, I tend to err on the side of formalism, only because that’s how I was taught.
Lynna, Rachel Maddow continues to earn my admiration.
Sailor: Once again, I am glad I’m not on Facebook.
Carlie, you shouldn’t feel bad for being the last straw in that FedEx guy’s career. Imagine if he’d forged the name of someone who’d ordered medication but didn’t want it left on their porch, stoop, etc., and then the medication was stolen. And the fact that he showed up a second time “with a letter of support he had written for himself, presumably from us, wanting us to sign it” does not speak well of him.
Cipher, sorry you’re feeling ill. Also, that bit about Roman slaves doesn’t sound hard to explain; it reminds me of oppressed minorities reclaiming slurs and of the “ball-busting” ethos of the locker room.
Yeah :( It’s not actually hard to explain, it’s just kind of hard for me to talk about in any useful way. “Here. Here are some slaves who appear to be doing that. So… there ya go.”
the reading of a well-wrought phrase, sentence, paragraph, essay, or book is a pleasure of life.
I had to try to explain to someone, at Easter, why I would read the same book more than once. Did I forget what happened in it, she wanted to know. The book in question was I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. *headdesk headdesk headdesk* I wish I had thought to ask her if she only ever listened to the same piece of music once; even among complete idiots that should have gotten the point across.
Cipher: *usbtreats* Sorry you’re feeling poorly. The Roman slave behavior does sound familiar. And interesting.
Giant crosses and other displays of overt religiosity that aren’t Mediæval or Gothic = feckin’ creepy.
I can see people building these Brobdingnagian whack-offeries in ye olden days because of the lack of science libraries. What’s the official modern excuse?
Good morning
So far the “almost as good as antibiotics” stuff fails to show any effect. Sad, there were even what seems like legit studies to support it.
Finally, since this is a blog about academia and not journalism, I’ll forgive the commenters for not understanding that it is not my job to read entire dissertations before I write a 500-word piece about them.
Is this just badly written, or does she really mean to say that academics just browse the headlines, while journalists read for comprehension?
Have she been hit with the bizarro-ray? (I know that’s not the name, but I’ve just spent ten minutes unsuccessfully trying to track down the origin story of Bizarro, so deal.)
How embarrassing. I’m not a re-reader, myself. I guess I just don’t have what it takes to appreciate art.
I’ve only re-read Agatha Christie – because I did indeed forget I’d read the stories before.
Oh – and textbooks for reference.
–o–
Finally, since this is a blog about academia and not journalism, I’ll forgive the commenters for not understanding that it is not my job to read entire dissertations before I write a 500-word piece about them.
I think we’ve just found the explanation for what 800 ft Jesus never returned.
Sili – I read it as exactly the opposite, that she’s saying since this is an academic blog, everyone criticizing her is an academic who doesn’t understand the way journalists work. See. academics might expect a person to actually read something before commenting on it, but she’s a journalist, and of course they don’t go and do research before writing articles. Who would bother doing research just to bang out 500 words? Sheesh.
Recently someone erected the world’s ugliest cross near a highway in Mississauga, a suburb of Toronto. It’s made from giant industrial pipes and looks like a prime target for lightning strikes. The church appears to be an independent one-man show. I wonder if or how they got zoning permission. It looms over the surrounding houses and is lighted by spotlights at night.
Urgh, I just tore a muscle in my butt I didn’t even know I had. And no, not even from some tantric Kamasutra totes exiting sex, no, from simply floor-sweeping.
Tsss…
Also, I hate this fucking princess stuff.
Yes, I know I repeat myself. The latest trigger? #1 is unhappy about her haircolour. It’s not “yellow” like that of fairies and princesses. Well, thank you Disney and Princess Lillyfee, you’ve managed to give a beautiful, healthy 4yo (they’re all beautiful) body image issues. Fuck you.
I am reasonably certain that anyone who has driven through the Midwest have been through Effingham.
Not for nothing is it located at the crossing of the road that goes from Baltimore/Washington to Salt Lake City and the one that goes from Chicago to New Orleans.
There is a shitton of traffic of all varieties going through that town. It has one of the largest police departments in the state, and its not because the populace is paranoid (though they are)
Actually sounds pretty freaking fascinating to me. But what the hell do I know? I’m just some east coast, elitist, liberal feminazi or some shit.
Giliell:
#1 is unhappy about her haircolour. It’s not “yellow” like that of fairies and princesses.
*speechless!*
It’s not just pink, it’s blonde, too? That’s… terrible.
Anyway, since I have started to feel like a real human being lately, today I’m going to start getting the nursery in order. In other words, I’m cleaning all of the crap out and scrubbing down everything. My landlord gave me permission to paint that room (which is now buttery yellow), so I’m going to get some paint samples (I’m aiming for a pale sea foam green) and order some dinosaur stencils for the walls.
When I was a wary and lonely 5-year-old, I thought that if I were blond I’d be popular. I used to draw pictures of myself with floor-length blond hair.
Just read in Scientific American that stress reduces brain activity in our prefrontal lobe, where we’re most rational and controlled, and gives free rein to our more primitive areas where cravings, addictive behaviour, panic, and emotion hold sway. Our minds go blank at the critical moment. We revert to smoking, eat junk food, drink too much, go on spending sprees.
Two generic drugs that are used for blood pressure, prazosin and guanfacine, seem to help inhibit the stress reaction. Prazosin is being tested on people with PTSD and guanfacine helps to keep people from taking up smoking again. Also, meditation, deep, slow breathing, and relaxation exercises have been shown to help. (Sci. Am., April 2012, “This is your brain on meltdown”)
It’s not just pink, it’s blonde, too? That’s… terrible.
Of course!
Didn’t you know, you can’t be a real fairy or princess unless you’re lily-white and blonde.
Makes me angry when I hear my daughter say it, but it breaks my heart when I see her kindergarten friend whose dad is Afro-American paint herself and her sister with apricot skin and blonde hair. It must be so hard and confusing for her being more or less the only non-white people she knows (her parents are divorced so she doesn’t even see her father much) living in a culture where white is the absolute default (and I somehow doubt that her mother is very aware of that problem)
Didn’t you know, you can’t be a real fairy or princess unless you’re lily-white and blonde.
Yeah, I guess I just never thought of it that way. When I was growing up (the dark days of the 80s), there just wasn’t the same amount of princess crap floating around. Of course, the standards of beauty weren’t that much different than they are now, it just didn’t seem to be targeted at girls that young.
I could always be wrong– my mom did a pretty damned good job of raising my sisters and me without all of those pressures.
It must be so hard and confusing for her being more or less the only non-white people she knows (her parents are divorced so she doesn’t even see her father much) living in a culture where white is the absolute default (and I somehow doubt that her mother is very aware of that problem)
I mowed the laaaaaaawn! It’s finally warm enough to mow the lawn!
Of course, it’s kid of overly warm. We somehow didn’t have the nice go outside but it’s not too hot spring weather at all. Again.
I have driven past the effin’ big Effingham cross dozens of times. It is indeed effin’ big. It is only three hours away from the world’s largest candle in one direction, and three hours the other direction to the world’s largest rocking chair.
You’ve caught yourself being sexist, fat shaming and homophobic in one comment? That’s a high bar to pass! Don’t worry. I still love ya! I do all those things before breakfast!
The trick is not to not do them absolutely, no one is perfect. The trick is to not do them as far as you possibly can. Anyone who knows your from here knows that you are hardly some unrepentant bigot. If you fuck up, you fuck up. Hell I fuck up all the time, what the hell lets you off the hook? ;-)
If it helps, I didn’t notice your comment. Mind you, I haven’t noticed much but the bottom of a gutter this last two days.
Anyway, this one time Caine called me a {insert worst possible slur of bigoted nature you can imagine here}. True story. Honest. She had to stop being a lesbian and everything.
Good morning
So far the “almost as good as antibiotics” stuff fails to show any effect. Sad, there were even what seems like legit studies to support it.
But I have new new cuffs
Those are gorgeous, gilliel. What are they made of? Worked leather? I really love that gryphon.
Also sympathies on the princess crap. The ex ex’s kid is two, and I dread the day she starts worrying about her own appearance like that. Of course if she brings any of that to me, I’ll do my best to explain to her that we are all so much more than our external appearance, but I hope I do it right.
This is for David Marjanović, and Ogvorbis, and anyone else who occasionally “experiments” with “casual” palaeontology. Sure, you’re (mostly) adults. You think you can handle it.
Fuck do I ever get sick of christians carefully christsplainin to me that if you ‘Discern through the Holy Spirit,’ black is actually white, up is down, and god telling people to stone their disobedient children to death and forcing rape victims to marry their rapists is actually just another sign of his holy everlasting and eternal love.
Fucking pukesome.
426
Part-Time Insomniac, Zombie Porcupine Nox Arcana Fan
I’d suggest massive doses of Belle and Tiana, Gillel, but I’m not sure the latter is yet considered a “Disney Princess.” I dunno, is Mulan considered a princess? Still, she saved a whole country and didn’t even have to wear full makeup to do so.
————————————————-
I admit it, I watched one ep of MLP:FIM purely for the Benny Hill reference. It was a nice way to waste some time, but I don’t think the show’s gonna hold my attention.
So, my brother-in-law found some dinosaur wall decals for the nursery* and I couldn’t help but notice the description:
Get ready for a prehistoric party! These dinosaur wall decals bring the world of T-Rexes and Triceratopses into your boy’s bedroom, playroom, or even the bathroom!
*headdesk* *headdesk* *headddesk*
Dinosaurs are the exclusive property of boys now? Jesus Christ, I am already so sick of this shit and I haven’t even spawned yet!
Alas, there are very few monographs on any temnospondyls.
[humour]
Well, c’mon, doctor, it’s not like temnospondyls are anything exciting like dinosaurs, right? It it’s not a dino (or pterosaur, or one of the seagoing reptiles, or a mammoth (which (in popular culture) are all dinosaurs)) there’s no point in studying them, right?
[/humour]
(I have actually found myself far more interested in the radiation of archosaurs post P/T extinction event and the ‘birth’ of the dinosaur clade than I am in dinosaurs themselves. The Triassic was bizarroland for land vertebrates.)
3: Fox “Newz” ignores the entire election, ‘cos who the hell cares about France, anyway?
They sure as hell cared during the runup to Gulf War Redux! When the French pointed out that there was very little evidence (and none of that was good) showing that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, Faux News freaked out. Remember the US Congress changing from French fries to freedom fries to punish the awful Frogs?
This Yale New Testament course is pretty good. At least after hearing Mark Goodacre’s and others’ non-standard interpretations – it allows me shout “No-o-o-o!” on occasion. (Actually I’ve only just gotten to Matthew so I don’t know what’s gonna be said about Q.)
He does have a slightly non-standard view on the dating on Mark though. He leans towards it predating the destruction of the Temple – but of course only just. And he suggests it’s written in Galilee, which certainly is news to me.
I’d suggest massive doses of Belle and Tiana, Gillel, but I’m not sure the latter is yet considered a “Disney Princess.” I dunno, is Mulan considered a princess? Still, she saved a whole country and didn’t even have to wear full makeup to do so.
Oh yes, they’re part of the Princess Emporium, together with Pocahontas, but they’re kind of the ugly little cousins the real princesses have to take to the ball with them or mummy won’t let them go either.
Yeah, I think that Mulan might be good, especially #2. And I’ve thought about Shrek, too. Fiona kicks ass. Oh, and I’ve just watched Hoodwinked, I really have to get that on DVD.
BTW, Disney managed to lighten Pocahonta’s skin noticably in their latest edition of the doll.
Audley
I’d include a note that you had considered buying them but will now look for some dinosaurs that could decorate a girl’s room, too.
TLC
It’s embroidered leather.
Got the idea from Urban Threads and I’m now making a bunch of them for my shop and as presents. Finally something to do with the leather I bought some time ago because, hey, it’s LEATHER!
Ogvorbis
You know what’s the real deal? You noticed that you fucked up. That makes you better than probably 99% of people, so give yourself a rest and delight us with fire-stories.
Pleaaaaase.
Remember the US Congress changing from French fries to freedom fries to punish the awful Frogs?
Ha ha, yes! But just in the Congressional cafeteria or whatever.
Still, that was a case of the French doing something blatantly distasteful directly to the US, unlike their elections, which don’t really impact us (immediately, anyway. Foreign policy-wise it will be a different story). Plus, I wouldn’t want to try to explain the French election system to the average Fox viewer.
You know what’s the real deal? You noticed that you fucked up. That makes you better than probably 99% of people,
It still pisses me off, and, more to the point, scares me, that I let that through.
so give yourself a rest
I go on vacation in one hour. Off to visit Wife’s family in Florida for a week.
and delight us with fire-stories.
Pleaaaaase.
You have a warped idea of ‘delight’.
Plus, I wouldn’t want to try to explain the French election system to the average Fox viewer.
Hell, they can’t even explain the US electoral process to the average Faux viewer. They consistently conflate the idea of voter fraud and registration fraud. They pretend voter suppression does not exist. They hire ‘news consultants’ so they can run for public office. And they can’t figure out why African American and Latino voters are allowed to vote.
I’m still reading, but trying real hard to only comment when I actually have something useful to add.
fwiw, Bro Og, you’re one of my favouritest people on here (irrelevant, but I felt like saying so)
and mainly
you caught it practically before the pixels were dry on the screen. Which is a hell of a lot more than most of us do.
Also, have a good holiday and come back thoroughly r&r’d
Romney campaign adverts linking the center-right Obama with the Socialist Hollande. – Brother Ogvorbis
My guess is that Obama won’t even be willing to meet Hollande until after 6 November. After that, of course, it may be of no interest to Hollande to meet Obama.
The Greek election looks like producing completely chaos – it’s possible no party will get more than 20%. Currently the centre right New Democracy Party are leading with just over 20% (down from 33%), a new left coalition, Syriza, second with just over 15%, PASOK (the so-called socialists) third with about 14% (down from 43%), and a new anti-bailout centre-right party fourth. Alarmingly, the neo-Nazi* Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn) look like getting into Parliament with around 7%.
* No, that’s not an exaggeration. Take a look at the symbol on their flag, and read the violent rhetoric.
It doesn’t start until about 2 minutes 35 seconds in, before that you have the end of The Archers, but as a fan of the longest running soap in the world I can recommend that too.
Romney campaign adverts linking the center-right Obama with the Socialist Hollande.
Yes, watching European politicians trying to “line up” with their American “counterparts” is always a bit amusing.
Because if you talk about politics, Merkel, Sarkozy and Obama should get along like a house on fire, yet they still have to pretend that somehow they have differences and that Obama should be more friends with Hollande of German Social Democrats.
@KG
On Greek election: Oh no, I hate it when fascists take advantage of economic chaos. People are so panicky that they are willing to go for anything.
694 comments
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Muse
4 May 2012 at 7:02 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I was starting to wonder if we were going to break 1000 on that last thread. Ah memories of TET past…
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Gynofascist in a Spiffy Hugo Boss Uniform
4 May 2012 at 7:04 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Shut the fuck up, Akira. So tired of that douchebag’s constant sneering at everybody else, not infrequently laced with misogyny, alternating with whining about how poor widdle Akira because he’s “fat, ugly, poor, and bipolar.” No, asshole, people hate you because you’re a whiny shitbucket who doesn’t acknowledge the privileges he does have.
Audley: “Worst Things For Sale” reminds me of WhoWouldBuyThat.com, which did for eBay what Regretsy does for Etsy. It’s still up, but they haven’t updated in six years.
John: That Stross novel sounds really cool, except “QUILTBAG” (and, worse, “GLITTERBAG”) give me hives as acronyms.
Carlie:
That’s brilliant.
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Gynofascist in a Spiffy Hugo Boss Uniform
4 May 2012 at 7:05 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sigh. “whining about how everybody hates poor widdle Akira.”
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
4 May 2012 at 7:09 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Good morning everybody. In four days I shall be moving from one apartment to the next and I’m not yet collapsed into a frothing, anxious ball of crazy :D
I’m sure by Monday night I will be doing that, but hey. I can enjoy my weekend at least.
Giliell, not to be confused with The Borg
4 May 2012 at 7:13 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Katherine
4 days?
I’ll be sure to have bread and salt ready for you.
++++
Small yay:
Embroidery supplies arrived.
Now I have fresh needles for until they break and enough stabilizer for about 375 new projects (that would be like 18 months or so)
Pteryxx
4 May 2012 at 8:03 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
GODDAMN [insert profanity blizzard of choice] CKERS.
http://boingboing.net/2012/05/03/update-on-killing-of-elderly-b.html
pHred
4 May 2012 at 8:04 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I now have a stack of student essays on the oil industry and on water resources that I need to grade by Monday sitting on my desk scaring me. Sigh.
On the plus side – my book is out! And they even did an electronic version (which was a surprise to me). (Kindle and Nook that I have found)
I mentioned this ages ago in the endless thread and then immediately got buried in grading and keeping up with the semester, so I never followed up.
On the off chance that anyone is interested in this topic – it is a textbook on Forensic Geoscience and it does even discuss fossils and the basic concept of the Law of Fossil Succession (i.e. evolution happens!)
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Forensic-Geoscience-Elisa-Bergslien/dp/1405160543/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336136288&sr=8-1
Psych-Oh
4 May 2012 at 8:05 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Katherine – Good luck with the move. Hope it goes smoothly.
Giliell – 375? Whoa. I am lucky if I can complete 1 sewing project.
Just discovered rot in the casing of my front door. It is embarrassingly bad. And the door also has a giant crack down one of the panels. So, off to the home improvement store to see how much replacing the entire front door “system” is going to run me.
And, good morning.
thunk
4 May 2012 at 8:14 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
G’morn everyone. I really like today’s new convective outlook . It’s weirdly shaped. And not over me.
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
4 May 2012 at 8:22 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Kat,
Woo hoo!
If there’s anything that makes me into a mess, it’s moving. I hates it, I hates it, I hates it!
Hey, is anyone else going to see The Avengers this weekend?
Beatrice, anormalement indécente
4 May 2012 at 8:22 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Of course there will be no charges. If we don’t admit that police can be wrong and that police officers can be and often are racist, murderous fucks, the problem won’t exist and every time something like this happens the police will pretend it’s an exception, an unfortunate tragedy where no one is to blame (except the guy who went and got himself shot, creating problems for
his murderersthose nice officers)./bitter
spamamander, hellmart survivor
4 May 2012 at 8:24 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@6
I’m not sure a profanity blizzard would be adequate.
Tsunami? Hurricane? Nuclear blast?
I’ll leave it to someone else to provide the invective however, because I am at an utter and complete loss for words.
Giliell, not to be confused with The Borg
4 May 2012 at 8:36 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Psych-Oh
Remember, We’Re talking about machine embroidery where a project can mean that I spend 5min setting up the machine and collect the finished item 2 hours later. It’s also the only thing that probably keeps me from breaking down and dissolving in a sticky puddle on the floor of life completely, so ut’s definetly worth every minute.
dianne
4 May 2012 at 8:36 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@6: Forget the profanity. What this calls for is money. Specifically, donations to the campaigns of any candidate for city council, mayor, judge (if it’s an elected position in White Plains), dogcatcher, whatever-the-fuck who will run on a platform of reforming the police and ridding them of ALL the racist idiots who did this and their supervisors and the top level of the organization. And then do the same to the judiciary. It’s clear that White Plains’ government is riddled with racist assholes and a simple profanity storm of any sort won’t change that. The only question is is the population likewise so racist that a campaign by a reformer has no chance? The answer might be yes.
niftyatheist
4 May 2012 at 8:37 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Good morning, All! I lost the thread completely last night due to packing etc, so please accept appropriate warm wishes, sympathies and congratulations. I promise to catch up on the drive if possible.
(looking up) Katherine, good luck with your move! I hear you on the stress/aggro of moving. Keep the mantra “in a few days this will all be behind me” and perhaps a selection of powerfully soothing drinks on hand, if possible! If you would welcome a tip from one who has moved far too many times – pack one box with your first night essentials in it – your favorite comfort food, any necessary pot/kettle etc, your nightly toiletries, a change of clothes and assorted other things you would really miss that first night, but which might otherwise be scattered throughout a bunch of boxes. Mark the box clearly OPEN FIRST, and advise your friends/helpers to put that box right in the kitchen where you will find it easily. This can really make a difference on that first chaotic day.
pteryxx, I don’t even know if I can think about this right now. It feels like so much horror is just piling up around us and I am seriously wondering where the fuck it is all leading. :-( Thanks for spreading the word, though. I am pretty sure the only hope is to keep sounding the alarm.
Good morning, thunk! I hope you weren’t kept up by storms last night! In fact, I hope everyone came through the stormy night without damage/with a little sleep.
Eldest niftydottir is on her way in from the city with a present for her younger sister. We are leaving around noon (driving about 7 hours). Graduation tomorrow.
thunk
4 May 2012 at 8:44 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Pt’xx:
Oh wow. I’m at a loss for words.
Psych-Oh
4 May 2012 at 9:10 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Giliell – Ahhh, machine! Sounds much more soothing than doing it all by hand. I’ve always wanted a quilting machine. I can quilt small quilts on my regular machine, but the few larger quilts I’ve made, I’ve hired someone to do the machine quilting (I will never quilt by hand).
birgerjohansson
4 May 2012 at 9:23 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Nature News: “Blonde hair evolved more than once” http://www.nature.com/news/blonde-hair-evolved-more-than-once-1.10587
But if the ni…natives accomplished stuff on their own (like hair color, or ancient ruins) what about the civilisatory influence of The Aryans???? (snark)
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Gynofascist in a Spiffy Hugo Boss Uniform
4 May 2012 at 9:24 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Giliell:
Huh. My mother gave me both when I moved into my first (and only) apartment. I thought it was a Jewish thing. Is it a general Middle-to-Eastern European thing?
Pteryxx, re Kenneth Chamberlain: What the fuck is that shit. Between that and CeCe McDonald just in the last few days, fuck this country, really. Dianne is right, but just at the moment I’m stuck in FUCK SHITCOCK mode.
The Sailor
4 May 2012 at 9:33 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ahh, splendor in the glass.
David Marjanović
4 May 2012 at 9:37 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Black pepper inhibits the formation of new fat cells and lowers blood pressure.
I’ll catch up later.
Heh.
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Gynofascist in a Spiffy Hugo Boss Uniform
4 May 2012 at 9:38 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Funniest comic book fails. A few sexist panels. Lots of unintentional homoerotica.
The Sailor
4 May 2012 at 9:43 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Bread & salt is also a Midwestern thing.
++++++++++++++
Well goddammit, my old blogging partner just emailed and said his multiple myeloma/plasma cell cytoma is out of remission and will be fatal in the next few months.
This fucking sucks.
Sili
4 May 2012 at 9:48 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
We were given bread and salt in a greeting ceremony when we visited Moscow.
carlie
4 May 2012 at 9:51 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ms. Daisy Cutter, those are hilarious.
I think bread and salt has been a thing everywhere there was bread. And probably salt was in the places where there wasn’t bread.
David Marjanović
4 May 2012 at 9:53 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
In WWII, the German army was widely greeted with bread and salt in the Ukraine, because the poor Ukrainians hoped to be liberated from Stalin. (That was a case of “be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.”) I haven’t encountered this custom west of there, though.
Sili
4 May 2012 at 9:53 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I don’t know what is worse – the snails or the spelling:
(The snails, of course. I hate, hate, hate snails.)
The Sailor
4 May 2012 at 9:54 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ms. Daisy Cutter, this link from yours is also hilarious:
http://www.smosh.com/smosh-pit/photos/worst-comic-book-fails-ever
DLC
4 May 2012 at 9:55 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The cat video was hugely funny. thanks PZ, I needed funny.
Those of you who’re moving: good luck, I hope it goes smoothly.
The Sailor: I’m sorry to hear of your friend. Yeah, cancer sucks.
There’s nothing good I can say.
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Gynofascist in a Spiffy Hugo Boss Uniform
4 May 2012 at 10:00 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sailor, I’m really sorry about your old blogging partner. Fuck cancer.
A little Googling turns up mostly Jewish-related links for bread and salt, but also some from predominantly Muslim countries — for example, a Moroccan proverb “By bread and salt we are united.” One link says that the custom originated in Russia. Who knows, maybe Jews in the Diaspora brought it there.
Sometimes a broom is included. “The bread is so we never go hungry, the salt is so life is always flavorful, and the broom is to sweep our troubles away.”
Giliell, not to be confused with The Borg
4 May 2012 at 10:04 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sailor
Shit, I’m sorry for your friend
Salt and Bread
I know it as an Eastern European/Russian tradition.
And I find it nice, that’s why I usually do it when friends move.
There are many more Jewish/Jiddish customs and words around than most people would know.
pHred
4 May 2012 at 10:05 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@22 Ms. Daisy Cutter thanks for the humor link. Somehow I clearly don’t have dirty enough mind this morning though :-/ I totally missed a couple of those.
I have been loving Escher Girls http://eschergirls.tumblr.com/
hillaryrettig
4 May 2012 at 10:07 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I knew the video was going to be Henri just from the title!
Hang in there, Henri, je t’aime.
opposablethumbs
4 May 2012 at 10:25 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The Sailor, I’m so sorry. I can’t begin to imagine how awful that is.
Predator Handshake
4 May 2012 at 10:27 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The first thing I thought of when the bread/salt thing came up was a certain scene in A Storm of Swords (I think that’s what book it happened in, anyway).
Katherine, I just moved to a new apartment a few weeks ago and I’m still kicking! If it makes you feel any better, I bet you’ll have your stuff unpacked before I do.
Has anyone seen Cabin in the Woods? I want to see it tonight, but my friends all seem busy so I may end up going by myself. I haven’t done that since the last Resident Evil was in theaters and I was bug-bombing my house; I really hope Cabin is better than that movie was.
Louis
4 May 2012 at 10:40 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Without going into detail: fuck everything.
Therefore alcohol.
Louis
Chrisco
4 May 2012 at 10:48 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Apparently i just come here for the videos ;)
Chrisco
4 May 2012 at 10:50 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Also, symapthy given to you Sailor. I know about losing a close friend.
Josh, Official SpokesGay
4 May 2012 at 10:53 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Rhode Island Pharyngulites—I’m going to be in the Warwick/Cranston (yes, that Cranston) area tonight, Friday, for a short biz trip over the weekend. Anyone wanna get together for dinner? If so, please email spokesgay @ gmail for more contact info.
carlie
4 May 2012 at 10:56 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Man, Sailor, I’m sorry.
Louis – I am in a fuck some of the things mood, also can’t go into detail. But I’ll share a drink with you in the corner and you can use me for the schadenfreude.
David Marjanović
4 May 2012 at 11:01 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Caught up till comment 802 of last subthread. :-/
Oh, BTW, CCC is here, or at least there’s an ad for them in the cafeteria. Of course they dropped the middle C and just call themselves “campus für christus”.
I like that. :-)
:-)
I think that was a rare attempt at snark, not an announcement that he’s really going to buy Philip Morris shares.
But then, he’s evil enough that I can’t claim it’s beyond him.
I knew most of that. I’m just saying some of those authors are, in fact, wrong as far as Word of God [insert TV Tropes link here] is concerned.
Sagan or older.
ROTFL! X-D
The things I learn on Pharyngula…
Unknowable.
Ineffable mystery and stuff.
A literally magic hole, right?
Nope.
(Now please stop me before I get word rage. Some corporations love to hack words apart just so they can put them in two lines or something.)
Ah, fun with dative and accusative. I love that. =8-)
X-D
Oh well. Who’d'a thunk it.
Lynna, OM
4 May 2012 at 11:12 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Here’s an update completely lacking in solid information: my initial MRI showed dark spots in my brain. (I prefer the more descriptive “brain rot”.) Still may have had a stroke in addition to having unspecified brain rot. Nobody knows for sure.
Will have another MRI today, this time with contrast (special Multiple Sclerosis protocol).
Except for that tiny little downer of a possible MS diagnosis, I had a good day on Wednesday. Didn’t fall down. Went to lunch with my brother.
I still have to type with one hand, so lower all expectations. Even finding reading is somewhat trying.
I love you all.
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
4 May 2012 at 11:17 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Gah! All that stuff I ordered from Amazon the other night (bag balm, cotton gloves, and a new measuring cup set) hasn’t shipped yet. WTF?
Josh, Official SpokesGay
4 May 2012 at 11:17 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh Lynna, we love you too! Down with brain rot. Will. Not. Have.
What is your prognosis for regaining control of the hand/side of body affected?
carlie
4 May 2012 at 11:21 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Dark humor to follow:
Brain cloud?
But for reals, lots of love and hugs and hot tea and chocolate to you.
Rey Fox
4 May 2012 at 11:22 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Love you too, Lynna. Hope your prognosis/diagnosis/whatevernosis improves.
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
4 May 2012 at 11:26 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lynna,
♥ and *hugs*
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
4 May 2012 at 11:44 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Love you too Lynna!!!
slignot
4 May 2012 at 11:46 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lynna,
Love you too. Brain rot sounds terrifying. *hugs, High West whiskey and chocolate*
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
4 May 2012 at 11:54 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Also, I am so fucking sick of Amazon. Now I can’t cancel my order that hasn’t shipped and when I tried to contact customer service, I got bounced to the sign in page after I submitted all my info.
*Audley smash!*
The Sailor
4 May 2012 at 11:56 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Google Doodle is cool.
++++++++++++++
Lynna, ♥ and *hugs*, too.
also, aren’t there supposed to be dark spots? The contrast MRI seems like a good idea, much more info.
***********°**
I just saw the future. After I get off work today I predict I’ll get seriously hammered … and try to start putting together a retrospective of my friend so he can understand what he means to me while he’s still here to enjoy it.
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 11:57 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Louis:
Caine:
Without going into detail: fuck everything.
Therefore work.
I wish, I wish on the alcohol.
Lynna, much love!
The Sailor, I am so sorry.
Amphiox
4 May 2012 at 11:59 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lynna, are those dark spots on the T1 or T2 sequence? (Or both?) Were they also visible on a CT scan?
MS usually turns up as bright spots on MRI, not dark. Dark spots most commonly are due to old mini-strokes in people with a history of cardiovascular problems. The mini-strokes are typically asymptomatic but may represent a systemic condition that has risk of future, bigger strokes. Another common source of dark spots are calcium deposits, which most commonly is a benign, essentially normal, variant.
So you should stay optimistic, at least for now.
(“Brain rot” is best diagnosed behaviorally…. Doesn’t matter what the scan looks like so long as the organ is producing working outputs….)
Louis
4 May 2012 at 12:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lynna,
You have it properly rough. My sympathies. And also relief at seeing you here! :-)
Louis
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Gynofascist in a Spiffy Hugo Boss Uniform
4 May 2012 at 12:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hugs, Lynna.
Louis, Carlie, and Caine: I hope whatever is going wrong for each of you improves.
AJ Milne
4 May 2012 at 12:02 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This.
Louis
4 May 2012 at 12:02 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Carlie,
Ok, I’m in the “surly and swearing at passers-by” corner, come over and join me and we can abuse the public at large.
Louis
P.S. Caine: Mwah! Good point, I might bury my head in something technical until I feel good.
rorschach
4 May 2012 at 12:04 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lynna, all the best from afar ! Hope it all turns out to be not as bad as it may sound now !
The Sailor
4 May 2012 at 12:07 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sailor’s, Lynna’s Moments of Mor(m)on Madness
Illuminata, Genie in the Beer Bottle
4 May 2012 at 12:08 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’ll send that, Louis. Pass the rum.
Lies Down to Reason
4 May 2012 at 12:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Just smacked my first troll (on this site, anyway).
The Sailor @23, so sorry to hear about your friend. My brother-in-law is also terminally ill.
carlie
4 May 2012 at 12:18 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Louis – sounds good.
Here’s a bit of a picker-upper: Ask Me Another is now available. It’s a new NPR quiz show with Jonathan Coulton. I heard an excerpt and it sounded pretty fun, and they finally started broadcasting: link to npr page
Lynna, OM
4 May 2012 at 12:21 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I don’t have a prognosis yet, Josh. My bet is on rehab being required, no matter what the cause.
If MS is the problem, my understanding is that new, exciting and unpredictable problems can come and go until such time as I mercifully kick the bucket.
Re the question about T1 and T2, I don’t know. I didn’t know enough to ask. Next time I will. I may have misunderstood about “dark” versus “light” in my benighted brain. I didn’t have a CT scan. My doc was trying to save me money. That didn’t work out.
I had a small amount of savings. Soon I will have none. The healthcare industry needs me to give it a hand up.
Rev. BigDumbChimp
4 May 2012 at 12:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Holy shit
MCA has died
opposablethumbs
4 May 2012 at 12:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lynna, many hugs and crossed tentacles for your ongoing diagnostic tests.
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
4 May 2012 at 12:31 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh god, Lynna. I am so, so sorry to hear this.
Fuck. This just isn’t fair. The richest country in the world is refusing to take care of its citizens and for what? This makes me so angry I could scream.
Rev. BigDumbChimp
4 May 2012 at 12:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Shadrach
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
4 May 2012 at 12:33 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Rev:
Nooooooooooooooo!
That’s it. I’m leaving work and going back to bed.
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 12:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Louis:
I’m still fuck the planet and everyone on it. However, coffee is brewing, lenses are switched, much warmer clothes are on, heading back to the blind. So far, Downy woodpeckers (male & female), Hairy woodpecker, male, Collared dove, Cowbird, Black-capped Chickadee, several types of Sparrow, Goldfinches, House Finch, Grackle and Blue Jay.
Daisy, ♥
DLC
4 May 2012 at 12:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lynna : good luck on the brain-work.
Louis : the Nuns came in and took all the rum. another reason to damn the catholics. (offer void where prohibited, YMMV)
Sailor : yeah, they’re a right proper set of bastards, aren’t they.
chigau (副)
4 May 2012 at 12:37 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lynna
**hugs**
everyone else
*hugs*
I made banana bread.
I’ll share.
Lynna, OM
4 May 2012 at 12:46 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The Sailor @59, I saw that story about the neo-nazi mormon killing a group of people and himself. It’s a measure of my disability and fatigue that I didn’t manage to comment on it yesterday. Oddly, (or perhaps not so oddly), I thought when I first heard the story that the shooter was mormon. Also suspected one of the “barrels” found on site would be found to contain water storage or some other latter-day armageddon prep.
I would like to know how many other men in the neo-nazi group are mormon.
Ex-mormons are discussing the story here: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,491633
Rachel Maddow had the best coverage by far:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#47288639
Most, but not all of Maddow’s coverage replicated on YouTube (quality also not quite as good):
Lynna, OM
4 May 2012 at 12:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh, fuck. I goofed up with the YouTube video. Apologies.
Giliell, not to be confused with The Borg
4 May 2012 at 12:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Good evening
(((Many Hugs))) to Lynna. It’s so unfair that apart from the health worries you also have to worry about your savings
+++++
Kids can be cute.
While I was perparing dinner, Mr. was at the computer.
Last thing to do was to boil the potatoes, so when they were in the pot, I went to the living room and told Mr. that I’d like to use the laptop now.
The little one told me she could help me.
She went over to Mr., grabbed his hand, pulled it and told him “get off there, daddy!”
Just_A_Lurker
4 May 2012 at 1:00 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh,Lynna I’m so sorry. I really do wish the bestest, fastest recovery possible. Fuck strokes. Fuck MS.
Yeah, I’ve had two MS attacks that were bad. Lost total vision in right eye and then my legs went numb from the waist down. Random spasms galore is normal.
They figured out it was MS after the second attack. During the first they gave me the MS or stroke diagnosis. Did the MRI and no brain damage so just shipped out SOL. Then bright spots showed up after my leg attack.
Of course, my diagnosis isn’t “official”. >:(
Fuck this shit. I raise a class in commiseration. I wish I could do more.
Rev. BigDumbChimp
4 May 2012 at 1:05 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
My man MCA’s got a beard like a billy goat
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
4 May 2012 at 1:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
‘Cos now we’re posting Beastie Boys videos: Sabotage
Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls
4 May 2012 at 1:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lynna, hope the doctors identify something.
Meanwhile, could you use some voice recognition software? It’s something I’ve been thinking about for the Redhead.
Rev. BigDumbChimp
4 May 2012 at 1:25 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This next one is the first song off our new album
woden
4 May 2012 at 1:35 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Introduced the workplace to Tom Waits today.
They’re giving me a wide berth. Probably because I have all the knives…
Also, hi horde. :-)
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
4 May 2012 at 1:45 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hi woden!
I ♥ Tom Waits, but Mr Darkheart has said that he sounds like “a cat yowling while someone hits garbage cans”.
Hater.
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 1:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Got a robin gathering grass for a nest right before battery death. Both batteries charging now. I need new ones.
Giliell, not to be confused with The Borg
4 May 2012 at 2:09 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh shit fuck
I just had a pretty bad fallout with Mr.
Told him that he didn’t sound very supportive and we were actually on the way to resolve things when I dared to laugh at a Freudian slip he made and he stormed off to hang up the laundry.
Now I’m torn between wanting him to come back quickly and wanting his to sleep in the fucking basement.
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
4 May 2012 at 2:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I… what?
Elizabeth Warren is under fire cause she used to list herself as a Native American. Her great-great-grandmother is Cherokee. She’s a Native American, and this is a big controversy…
WHY?!
She’s obviously proud of her heritage. This is a good thing, and yet she’s being dragged into controversies about this stupidest of issues.
Politics, why you so crazy?
The Laughing Coyote (Canis Sativa)
4 May 2012 at 2:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m sure your friend will appreciate this.
The Sailor
4 May 2012 at 2:19 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Just trying to pick up the slack till you feel better;-)
+++++++++++++++
Because the GOP has nothing, so they make shit up.
+++++++++++++++
In eye news, it’s really starting to appear that exposure to sunlight is a large factor in reducing the onset & progression of myopia during formative years.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
4 May 2012 at 2:21 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Katherine, as I understand the freakout, they are upset because she isn’t an official member of the tribe (probably because the descent is too distant). Of course, a huge proportion of people in OK have Native ancestors. Then there’s how Harvard has included her in their listing of minority professors. Which, to the nutjobs, implies that she’s touting her Native ancestry. Of course, they’re (conveniently) forgetting that women are minorities in academia.
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
4 May 2012 at 2:25 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Esteleth:
It’s just headpoundingly silly. But yea, what The Sailor said above, it’s cause the GOP has nothing else.
feralboy12
4 May 2012 at 2:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I would ask for a moment of silence to mourn the passing of danielhaven. He has been banned.
Okay, long enough.
Menyambal: Making sambal isn't exactly dragon magic.
4 May 2012 at 2:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I have one of that Attenti il Gato plaque in the vid. (I’d go check the spelling but there is a cat in the way.)
rorschach
4 May 2012 at 2:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Mr Darkheart has issues.
How curious. That’s exactly my future, once this night shift ends in 3 hours from now !
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
4 May 2012 at 2:38 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Rorschach,
Not gonna argue with you there.
Feralboy,
Awe, that’s so sad.
No, wait. It’s not sad at all!
(Which thread?)
Annnnnnnnnd, Amazon can go fuck itself right in the fucking ear. They can’t cancel my order, either, even though IT HASN’T SHIPPED YET! *headdesk!*
nms
4 May 2012 at 2:39 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
If you try to knock him you’ll get mocked
carlie
4 May 2012 at 2:40 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Katherine – I think a lot of the anger also has to do with how it came out; the article I read said that a reporter asked her about having been listed as Native American, and she claimed that she had no knowledge of it and wouldn’t have advertised herself that way. Then they went out and found all the times she had advertised herself that way.
Hekuni Cat
4 May 2012 at 2:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
pHred, congratulations on your book.
Kat, good luck with your move (and keeping your sanity).
Sailor, I’m so sorry about your friend.
Lynna, *hugs* *chocolate* Thank you for the updates. ♥ ♥ ♥
Louis and Carlie I’m sorry things are so rough right now. *hugs*
Caine:
May we see the pictures? ♥ ♥ ♥ Also, *hugs*
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 2:43 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Kat Lorraine:
Blood quantum.
cicely. Just cicely.
4 May 2012 at 2:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Extra Game tonight! Woohoo!!!
-
I wish! Maybe I can persuade Son to take me to see it for Mother’s Day….
-
*manymanymanymany hugs* and *alltheboozeyoucandrink* for The Sailor. So, so sorry to hear about your blogging partner’s relapse.
-
Louis, please take as many *hugs* as your local fuckedupedness requires.
Fridays are usually better than this….
-
*hugs* and *hearts* for Lynna. And *chocobacon*.
-
Excellent plan!
-
Dammit,*HUGS* and *BOOZE* for everybody. I hope the suckstorm passes soon.
-
Hi, woden.
-
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 2:46 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hekuni Cat:
Eventually, working on them now. :)
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
4 May 2012 at 2:46 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Never mind, I found it.
Excelsior!
rorschach
4 May 2012 at 2:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
From Hitch-22 audiobook :
“They told me to fuck off, so off I fucked.”
Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls
4 May 2012 at 2:52 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*sets up round of grog and swill for everyone, and then heads out in full hazmat suit with full godbot decontamintion gear to clean up the splat of stoopidity*
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Gynofascist in a Spiffy Hugo Boss Uniform
4 May 2012 at 2:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
David “Son of Sam” Berkowitz is the video guest at a prayer conference. Because he found jeeezzzzuuussss and now runs a “prison ministry.”
PZ Myers
4 May 2012 at 2:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
My classes are almost done. I have a student presentation to attend at 5pm, and then…I’m going to see The Avengers at 7. I have very low expectations, having seen the component precursors, so there’s even a chance I’ll enjoy myself.
One benefit to this blog is that even if I hate it, it will provide fodder for a ranty post. My life is just win:win everywhere.
(Classes will be done, but I still have term papers trickling in this coming week, and one last final exam. Then I fly off to Arizona next weekend. Then the deluge of travel begins.)
Richard Austin
4 May 2012 at 3:00 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m seeing The Avengers tomorrow. I don’t expect The Hours or Gangs of New York; I do expect a chaotic bunch of awesome special effects and fight scenes with a smattering of humorous dialogue thrown in.
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Gynofascist in a Spiffy Hugo Boss Uniform
4 May 2012 at 3:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
For the LOTR fans: Epic thread is epic.
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
4 May 2012 at 3:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
PZ,
The trick is not to expect Oscar bait. It’s a fluff summer blockbuster with a good cast– The Avengers should be hella entertaining, if nothing else.
Now, The Dark Knight Rises on the other hand…
LuminiferousEthan
4 May 2012 at 3:31 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel (From: I Get Email)
This just sparked my curiosity, has anyone read The Warhound and the Worlds Pain?
A wonderful little tale where the hero, Ulric von Beck, is asked by Lucifer to find the cure to the worlds pain, and thus reunite Lucifer with God. In the end,
Wikipedia:
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
4 May 2012 at 3:35 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ugh. Was talking to Boss, and he asked me a basic question and I blanked on it.
Dammit, I hate feeling like a moron.
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
4 May 2012 at 3:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ethan,
Sorry, no. I was thinking of Red Dead Redemption* when I wrote that. :D
It almost sounds very… His Dark Materials, though.
*The devil shows up in the desert. He’s actually a very minor character, but still cool as hell.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
4 May 2012 at 3:45 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sweet lord that thread was amazing, Daisy!
Now all my co-workers are wondering who the madwoman giggling is.
LuminiferousEthan
4 May 2012 at 3:52 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Dr. Audley Z,
Really?! I played through that and I never saw him. I knew you could find the Four Horses, but I did not know The Dark One himself made an appearance. Cool!
Crip Dyke, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden
4 May 2012 at 3:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh, Daisy – that thread, totally had me, but then:
Reading that was the moment I began to choke. I lost the ability to breathe, then when my throat unlocked I was gasping and nearly coughing up blood.
Don’t do that without a warning, will ya?
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
4 May 2012 at 4:00 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Crip Dyke,
I found Beren saying that he had a flashlight, then someone else saying that he had a flashlight to be even funnier.
Because the Silmaril is totes a flashlight. :D
cicely. Just cicely.
4 May 2012 at 4:04 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ms. Daisy Cutter, that thread is beyond epic! And I notice a familiar ‘nym in them thar comments….
There’s also an epic bit about Bombadil linked, here. Do not miss it, gang!
-
Yup. I’ve read most of Moorcock’s “Eternal Champion” books. The von Beck familiy motto, thereafter: “Do Thou The Devil’s Work”.
-
slignot
4 May 2012 at 4:05 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This.
Beatrice, anormalement indécente
4 May 2012 at 4:07 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Went to meet old coworkers. Two beers left me with a pleasant buzz and I’m itching for a troll to play with, but there’s only dano. And he’s just too pathetic.
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
4 May 2012 at 4:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ethan,
It’s been a while since I’ve played (and I’ve played a whole shit load of games in the meantime) and I can’t for the life of me remember where I found him. According to the wikis I’ve looked at, the devil is a “confirmed rumor”, but I can’t give you any more detail than that.
Sorry. :(
The Laughing Coyote (Canis Sativa)
4 May 2012 at 4:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Beatrice: I bit the dano. I couldn’t help myself, really. Smarmy little shit eater is what he is.
Crip Dyke, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden
4 May 2012 at 4:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Per my comment on the ER thread,
I hereby propose a new and, IMNSHO, better SCA: The Sexually Creative Androgynes. Membership is now open. Donations can be sent to me. I promise to do more good with them than Edwina would.
birgerjohansson
4 May 2012 at 4:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Josh, what if all reality-oriented ‘merkuns settled in Rhode Island or some other suitably small state?
If you voted as a bloc, there would be enough of you to make real changes, like making political representation fully proportional thus disbanding the two-party system (but with a 5% barrier, to keep neo-Nazis and suchlike out).
You could get a statewide single-payer health insurance, a justice system based on logic instead of… whatever the current system is based on.
Other stuff: Good public service television, like BBC.
Education that works… the list goes on and on.
I am not suggesting you create a carbon copy of this or that European country (although Norway is nice), just that you avoid creating a carbon copy of “gilded age” USA, which seems to be the way USA is headed.
USA as a whole may need generations to “normalise” to western Europe standard, but there is no reason that everyone must suffer.
— — — — — —
(OT) Some countries hit hardest by the crisis see an upsurge in extremist groups (sounds familiar).
When Greece holds the election this weekend a neo-Nazi party is expected to get into parliament.
In Ungary, there is a militia who pledge to protect the ethnic Hungarian majority from “opression” by the minorities (the usual suspects: Jews, gypsies and homosexuals). The ruling party is pandering to them and a appointed theater director that has introduced anti-semitic plays.
Fortunately, the European Union has reacted to the changes in the constitution and threaten to kick ass (Hungary needs economic support from the rest of EU).
Crip Dyke, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden
4 May 2012 at 4:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
good what I’m not saying.
niftyatheist
4 May 2012 at 4:17 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sailor #23, I am so sorry to read this. :( Sending sympathy your way. I hope your blogging partners last days are as full of love as possible. :( shit
Louis, also sympathy. It sounds like you need a stiff drink. I’m raising a virtual glass to you for better days ahead.
You too, carlie – cheers (I am sending) to both of you.
Lynna – so glad to see you. Not a fan of the update but so glad you had a better day. Sending interweb love to your computer right now.(I haz a hotspot while driving)
Clearly, I’m going to be offering up libations to the gods for several peoples’ good health and happiness tonight when we arrive.
sailor again #51 what a fucking BRILLIANT idea! I just burst into tears. DO it. You will never regret it (wish I had done something similar)
Hell, Caine, you too? #52 :( Opening back up cylinder of interweb love – pouring into interweb hotspot funnel).
Amphiox, yay! I hope you are right about the old stroke evidence on the brain. I remember something about that, too, but am not a doctor or medical professional. It could be transient mini strokes have caused that, though!
chigau (副)
4 May 2012 at 4:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Gotta run.
Could someone point to the danielhaven banning?
Thanks.
Type at you later.
Sili
4 May 2012 at 4:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thanks Dyke, but I can’t pass for female, I fear. Even were I remove the ‘stache.
And I’m not exactly creätive either.
cm's changeable moniker
4 May 2012 at 4:30 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Video? Old!
http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2012/04/10/episode-cccxvi-now-im-going-to-australia/comment-page-2/#comment-310521
Do I get a credit?
Markita Lynda—damn climate change!
4 May 2012 at 4:31 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lynna, I hope that the MRI shows the best possible news. Hugs.
Dr. Audley @92, Amazon may not be able to cancel your order because it might be in a truck ready to go out in a few hours or bundled into the middle of a bale of books for your city. You might get it soon.
Sailor, so sorry to hear about your friend. A retrospective now sounds like a great idea. On the other hand, the triple klein bottle looks awesome! Did you make it?
niftyatheist
4 May 2012 at 4:31 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Caine, I’d like to see the pictures! Maybe later you’ll be able to get pix of eggs! (happy)
Gilliel – (hug) if you want one – it is always hard at the end of a long day and tempers can be stretched thin. I hope you both are laughing together soon.
Katherine – OMFG, what next? I am sending Elizabeth another ten bucks as soon as we get to our destination. Fuck that. Also Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
good riddance danielhaven. (I’ll join the round Nerd, thanks! (what the hell, I am on the road but I’m not driving)
P.Z. Glad you are nearly finished with the term! Enjoy the Avengers tonight – or the evening anyway!
Esteleth (hugs if wanted) I hate when that mind freeze happens. TGIF?
Just north of Indianapolis now – this hotspot thingie of Mr Nifty’s is the bomb! I can work while we drive (or, actually, spend an hour reading TET on PHaryngula!).
niftyatheist
4 May 2012 at 4:37 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
P.S> If AJ Milne is around, thanks for the inspiration this morning on PZs I get email thread. You gave me a lightbulb moment! (the Lyle Lovett video)
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
4 May 2012 at 4:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Markita,
Well, crap. It’s been listed as “shipping soon” for days now– I knew I should have cancelled it yesterday. *grumbles*
Nutmeg
4 May 2012 at 4:43 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*reads thread*
*grabs a pile of *hot chocolate, puppies, rainbows, hugs* and drops it in the middle of the lounge*
Seriously, it sounds like things are sucky for a lot of people right now. I hope next week is better for all of you.
—–
We’re at the part of early May where the summer students (read: lab minions) are traveling in threes and staring at the equipment in bewilderment. Does it really take three of them to not understand their results, when one person could not understand the results just as well?
I like it much better in July, when the students are all trained properly and they can do the grunt work.
Jules
4 May 2012 at 4:47 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This thread and last (as much as I can be caught up, but I admit to some skimming here and there)
A t-shirt has also been suggested. I admit, it is something of a badge of honor.
Happy birthday to Mister. I hope it works out.
Toddler’s birthday is tomorrow. She announced today, “I’m two-my-old!”
Speaking of onomatopoeia of sex, my current crush gave me an excellent one recently: the sound of running downhill in flip-flops. Apparently she was at a big camping event, and the people next to her were feeling very…amorous…but she was sleeping. In her dream she was running downhill in flip-flops, unable to slow down or stop. Then she woke up to the sound still going on.
Pteryxx, I am happy to see that a school is taking a more reasonable approach with traumatized children, but I’m sad that this is considered revolutionary. Everything that was described in the article is what I was taught to do a decade ago in my education classes at Oral Roberts University (not exactly a bastion of liberal fluffiness). That shit was not unknown. It was simply unpracticed.
♥
Yup. I’ve said it before, and it applies more for younger kids than for teenagers (but it still applies), helping children involves more than just working with the children. You have got to be able to understand their parents as well. And I find that aspect much more challenging. Alerting teachers that Parents™ are not monolith and may have issues (related or unrelated to the children’s, perhaps even caused by them) is important. It’s an often overlooked area in teacher training (or folks just fall out of it over time because it’s exhausting).
I’m not sure letting teenagers be misogynistic homophobic monsters is really “Universal peace love and understanding.”
How about you reread your own words from the same post:
I know you have your own experiences, but seriously, teachers have very difficult jobs and do not get proper support, even if they’ve had proper training.
And, for the record, my teacher training contained virtually nothing about how to deal with parents. It just said you might have to learn how to. Also, burnout. It’s pretty serious. My old boss wouldn’t hire anyone full time. It’s that bad. Reminders and new approaches can be invigorating. And it said many, not most.
Indeed :-)
Srsly? He’s still around doing that shit?
Good luck with the move, Kat. I know moving sucks :-/
I would like to, but I’m not sure it’ll happen.
*hugs* to Sailor. I’m really sorry.
And *hugs* to Lynna. Here’s to hoping for a good prognosis.
So cute. Teach ‘em young ;-)
Truth.
:-( But I know what you mean. That’s my usual response to domestic disputes. Not that I’ve had any for a while.
That’s not so. You still get scholarships for being 1/16 in the US. I’m nearly 1/4, but none of my relatives were on the rolls, and also I am super fair with blue eyes and red hair, so I never claim it unless it comes up. I lived in Oklahoma long enough to know better than to pose. (And from the reporting I read on it, so did she. But I haven’t read more in the last few days.)
Oops. That’s not cool.
Both children have been super cute today. I needed a good day at this job. Perhaps I can keep my momentum going and get myself caught up on my copyediting.
Oh, and all of Alabama’s anti-choice, anti-woman legislation is dead for the session. None of it passed. (Although I think one HB is still iffy.) A few senators filibustered what little bit was still pending, and multiple citizens spoke up at the public hearing (11 against to 1 for). Being active works!
Well, TET, it was fun while it lasted, but I’m off again. Be sure to post zillions of comments in my absence.
Richard Austin
4 May 2012 at 4:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Nutmeg:
As long as they’re not wearing gray robes…
Nutmeg
4 May 2012 at 4:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Richard Austin: I’m going to imagine everyone in the building as a Terry Pratchett character now. This will help distract me from the fact that they’re in the building, dammit! I got used to the wonderful silence during exam period and grading time.
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 4:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Some boids and a Wrongway* slideshow.
*Fox squirrel, part of the Wrongway clan.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
4 May 2012 at 4:56 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Aaaah
I have learned an important lesson: when you have open sores in your mouth, a spicy burrito is not good for dinner.
Owie. :(
birgerjohansson
4 May 2012 at 5:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@ 120: Hungary, not Ungary (it is “Ungern” in Swedish and as I am very tired languages get mixed in my brain)
“Mexican experts find ancient blood on stone knives” http://phys.org/news/2012-05-mexican-experts-ancient-blood-stone.html
Human sacrifice was big in Mesoamerica as far back as 2000 years ago. Of course, the Romans were killing far more people just for sport at the same time period…
Lynna, OM
4 May 2012 at 5:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@78
My son is an IT professional at WOOT! We discussed voice recognition software briefly. Will come back to the subject if it looks like disability is going to be long term.
Rorschach et. al., thank you for the good wishes and for commiseration. I may end up with a backlog of chocolate, bacon, booze, and baked goods. Will have to collect later. Oh, and more ghey sex with Brownian was offered as well.
Crip Dyke, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden
4 May 2012 at 5:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lynna: “more ghey sex with Brownian was offered as well.”
Some people have all the luck.
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 5:43 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Unfortunately, that only goes so far. I was a multi-trauma kid, who had an Upper Class, well-to-do, privileged family. Those types of families are excellent at appearing functional. They are often ‘pillar of the community’ families.
When a kid is being abused in such a situation, not only are they not believed, they are often openly scoffed at, by adults, for being an ungrateful little snot.
In the rare event of a teacher or other adult noticing something amiss and saying something, well, they get threatened, usually effectively.
Granted, this isn’t the average case or situation, however, it’s an especially bad one.
slignot
4 May 2012 at 5:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Caine, I always love checking out your shots, but there is something particularly awesome in bird images for me. Especially when they have contrasting iris colors like the grackles; so expressive! I see so many behaviors that I “get” since I got my parrot (eight years ago?). Watching excitement, interest or contentment with pinpointing and body posture is very cool. With your lenses can you see the pupils move when they’re excited?
Plus this sounds nuts, but I look at their skinny legs/feet and think about play-nibbling at my Beaky’s cool little feet (lips only, no teeth obviously). There is a near tactile sense when I’m looking at other birds, a kind of “I know what that feels like” recognition.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
4 May 2012 at 5:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Caine, you are correct.
The ability of an upper-class abuser to get away with just about anything by pulling the “Don’t you know who I am” card – or for them to never have to pull it at all because everyone knows that it is there is very real.
Frequently, the only people that would dare challenge this are people who are also of upper class, or utter outsiders who have nothing to lose.
Add small-town insularity to the mess, and it can get even harder.
Bill Dauphin, avec fromage
4 May 2012 at 6:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Well wishes to Sailor, Caine, Carlie (I actually missed why you need them, but somebody else mentioned you, so add mine to the pile), Louis, and anyone else I’ve missed.
And to Lynna… please do not hesitate to light the bat signal if the Save Lynna’s Brain® fund needs another infusion!
***
DrDMFM:
SRSLY? I shudder to think how much fatter I’d be if I didn’t love the stuff so!
***
Katherine, Esteleth, Carlie, et al.:
Re Elizabeth Warren, I confess I haven’t done a deep study of it, but my impression from what I have read was that she’s only ever claimed that her family told her she was of Cherokee descent. While she’s been listed as a “minority” professor in a couple places, AFAIK she’s never made any claim other than what is apparently true: That she’s of Cherokee ancestry, based on her family’s oral history.
As for Harvard, what I read seems to suggest that it was the school, rather than Warren, that may have exaggerated her minority identity, for its own purposes. I’ve read several accounts of the hiring decision process at the various universities where she’s been on faculty, and all of them (including Harvard) say her Native American heritage was never even mentioned during employment discussions.
I’m on her campaign’s e-mail list (as an early donor[1]), and to the best of my knowledge, she’s never traded on (or even mentioned) her Native American identity for political purposes.
Maybe she’s more culpable in this than it appears to me at first blush… but she’d have to be a lot more culpable before I’d start see it as a good reason to question the wisdom of replacing a conservative Republican male underwear model with a progressive Democratic female intellectual in the U.S. Senate.
Jus’ sayin’….
***
[1] I’m donating to — and when the time comes, will phonebank or doorknock for — Warren in MA and Kirsten Gillibrand in NY to compensate for the fact that, here in The Year of the Republican War on Women™, the very best of the Dem candidates for CT’s open Senate seat is a man.
niftyatheist
4 May 2012 at 6:14 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lynna, I am glad your son has some skills which might be helpful if you need to make adjustments to make computer participation easier and less fatiguing.
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 6:19 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Slignot:
If I’m simply observing with it, while waiting for other birds to show up. When I’m shooting, I don’t notice anything – it happens much too fast and I multi-shoot, so I often don’t know what I’ve got until I’m going through the photos. My absolute favourite eyes are Dove eyes (oh, that red!) and Grackle eyes. Doves in particular listen to the shutter click and often respond to it, sometimes in odd ways, such as lifting one wing.
Grackles also provide immense entertainment. They do not grok pine trees. At all. They slide down them, fall through them, etc. (Massive pine trees are used to navigate down to the deck railing and feeders by a host of smaller birds, the grackles try to imitate this, without much success.)
Wow, that’s a whole new dimension on bird watching! :D
niftyatheist
4 May 2012 at 6:21 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Bill #142 I missed the reference to black pepper but Oh how I hope it is true! Mr Nifty has hypertension and a family history of serious heart disease so anything we can do re diet is a plus!
Also Bill, why didn’t I think of signing up for campaigning/knocking on doors etc? Probably because my own state races are a nightmare, but I could cross state lines to help out Tammy, couldn’t I? :D
niftyatheist
4 May 2012 at 6:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ugh, wait – am I allowed to do that? Newly inducted citizen here. :) FYI, two more (new and rational new citizens, I mean) coming from the nifty family this year, if all goes well!
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 6:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Esteleth:
It is and it’s unfortunate, because most of those abused kids throw their lives away in an attempt to escape or throw it away by deciding to murder.
It’s really very weird, because I myself have an instant bias against privileged kids who claim abuse. A societal bias which manages to get instilled and ingrained no matter what.
Sili
4 May 2012 at 6:35 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This amuses me. But of course I’m “a concrete feminist”, so what do I know.
(Please don’t get me started on what counts as ‘artists’ in this country. Fucktard Leth.)
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Gynofascist in a Spiffy Hugo Boss Uniform
4 May 2012 at 6:35 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
LDtR, I’m sorry to hear about your brother-in-law, and I’m sorry that I missed that earlier.
Jules, yes, Akira is still popping into various threads from time to time to be an asshole, when he’s not being a creep. He left a couple of comments in the recent G-spot thread that I really could have done without reading.
YAY.
Caine, dem’s some nice boids!
Birger, there are some astute comments on that article about human sacrifice.
slignot
4 May 2012 at 6:38 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Caine, I’m chuckling at the descriptions of doves and grackles (we have mourning doves but no grackles out here). There is a seriouly clownish element to birdwatching at times. I remember once watching a juvenile scrub jay become absolutely confused after bathing. It had just figured out this whole flying thing, but didn’t know that you get heavier when wet. It made a failed attempt at getting back to a tree, and then stood on the ground looking around. I image it was contemplating its wings, “What the hell, these things used to work!”
It was an entirely unanticipated effect of getting a companion parrot. I mean, the wild birds are very different from parrots, and a number of his mannerisms are learned because of human socialization*, but you’d be surprised just how much you can see shared gestures as emotional expression. Plus knowing how feet feel, or fluffing cheeks provides a strange intimacy with the bird you’re watching.
*Seriously, it’s not normal for parrots to lift a foot to be picked up, pet people they love by stroking with the whole body, to present themselves for head scritches, ask you to hold the beak for grinding/cleaning through body language, throw and pounce on jingling plastic or shiny crinkle balls like a cat. But it’s damned cute.
Bill Dauphin, avec fromage
4 May 2012 at 6:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
niftyatheist:
Regardless of your citizenship status, I think you could volunteer in any case. Even if you were undocumented, volunteer work ≠ employment, so I think that would be legal… though I’m guessing most campaigns would prefer not to knowingly use undocumented volunteers due to political risk. Since you’re a citizen, regardless of how recently, you can donate funds to any campaign you choose[1]. There are federal limits on total contributions to campaigns, and individual states have their own laws regarding contributions to state races, but there’s no general prohibition against donating to campaigns in other states.
Congratulations and welcom to you, and we’re waiting eagerly for the rest of the niftyfamily invasion: We can use all the rational citizens we can get!
***
[1] I think it’s illegal for foreign nationals to donate to U.S. campaigns, but I’m not 100% sure… and I’m not sure on which side of the line legal resident aliens fall.
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Gynofascist in a Spiffy Hugo Boss Uniform
4 May 2012 at 6:43 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Good interview on Black Skeptics with Latina atheist Diane Arellano. I wanted to emphasize this:
Because I’m tired of hearing privileged white d00dz make snide remarks about how they can’t understand why those people don’t just up and become atheists.
kristinc, ~bitter and resigned~
4 May 2012 at 6:45 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
We don’t have grackles here but I imagine they’re not too different from starlings? Which are loud, saucy, party-crashing clowns most of the time.
Last summer the family of chickadees in the neighbor’s tree fledged into our yard. Four or five utterly clumsy baby chickadees trying to master the whole “flutter from branch to branch” thing with lots of very ungraceful missing the target, slipping and falling, and generally tripping over themselves. Hours of Charlie-Chaplinesque entertainment!
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 6:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Daisy:
Thank you! :)
Slignot:
Aaaw, sweet thing! My absolute favourite time to set up my blinds and spend 12 hours out shooting is when all the juveniles are out and about and adventuring the first time. One of my all time fave moments was sitting in a blind by my little box elder maple – I have flowers planted around it, so it’s a good spot for worm hunting. A juvenile grackle was terribly excited, having discovered worms! and was busy digging one up. That was successful, so it grabbed one end of the worm in its beak, whereupon the worm curled around, twice, around the grackle’s beak. The juvenile was having a fit, hopping about, trying to figure out how to get that fucking worm off!
They are so much fun when they are figuring out the world.
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 6:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Kristinc:
They have a lot in common with starlings. :D
Louis
4 May 2012 at 6:56 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I am good for fucking nothing tonight. (Tonight? HAH! Methinks I underestimate)
Thanks for the good thoughts folks, but I am an undeserving recipient. Save them for the worthy. I am an angry, over-privileged, whiny hypocrite, a worthless piece of shit floating in the toilet bowl of society…I suppose like many Western men, I guess I’m just dealing with some annoying stuff at the moment. I hate not being good enough. Sorry to burden anyone with it. Sorry enough not to comment? Ha! I guess not. But then I am {ahem} “mildly judgement impaired”. A bottle of Sailor Jerry’s and two bottle of claret will do that to one.
I just need to unload a giant FUUUUUUUCK somewhere I suppose. Why do we do this? Why do we as humans ever do this? Why show a weakness or express a frustration? It only ever gets us shat on.
Fuck it. I shall attempt to cheer myself up by telling a joke:
Q. How many Freudians does it take to change a lightbulb?
A. Two. One to change the lightbulb and the other to hold my penis…mother…ladder. (damn)
I went to the zoo the other day. It only had one animal in it. A dog. It was a Shitzu.
Oh come on, that’s comedy fucking gold. Bah! I need more alcohol, I can still hear the voices.
Louis
Louis
4 May 2012 at 7:03 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
At least they’re not fucking grockles. I fucking hate grockles.*
Louis
* Actual hate may not match that advertised. See previous comments today about mood and haircut. Mood has not been improved by alcohol, cocaine and marijuana. Self destructive tendencies on the other hand….Fucking marvellous. Will I regret it tomorrow? Yes. Do I care now? No. Am I angrily out of control…nah…I’m able to post on the interwebs. I’m alllllllll gooooooood. For given values of alllllll and goooood.
Also, whilst I’m at it, Jeremy Clarkson is an {insert suitable insult here} and I would very much enjoy performing {insert act of comedy violence possibly based on a chocolate weapon here}. Oh yes.
RFW
4 May 2012 at 7:05 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@ 120 birgerjohansson says:
One difficulty with proportional representation: since it’s based on party affiliation, independent candidates don’t fit into the system very well. Another difficulty: if the elected representatives are geographically based, some ridings will have a representative other than the one that got the most votes in that riding. Another difficulty: proportional representation leads to a proliferation of small parties and in parliamentary systems (UK, Canada, etc, not US) it can become almost impossible to form a government.
Many years ago, Scientific American had an interesting article on voting systems by a guru on the subject. Short form summary: all known voting systems sometimes lead to counter-intuitive results.
Update: However, a few years ago a new voting system based on internet polling of some type was proposed and claimed to be free of weird results. I do not know if this held up to scrutiny, and I don’t remember the details. Those interested are pointed to Google and Wikipedia.
Josh, Official SpokesGay
4 May 2012 at 7:08 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m in Cranston, Rhode Island. Yeah. That Cranston. Home of Jessica Ahlquist and the model for the city of Quahog in Family Guy. It’s an industrial shit hole. More later (and it’s horrible)—out the door to get some fried clams.
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 7:08 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Louis, I can’t stand grockles, either. I do not want to know what Clarkson has now said or done.
The Sailor
4 May 2012 at 7:17 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
What Louis said @ 156, minus the claret.
and definitely NOT what Louis said @ 157.
He has a 5 hour start on me but I’m catching up quickly.
Louis
4 May 2012 at 7:18 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Caine,
He breathed in. Breathed out. Writes columns for The Sun…
…oh you want more?
Sorry. My tolerance levels for the week have been exceeded. I’m in an official Mood. I could cheerfully murder a bus load of merry orphans. Well…I could give them a very mean look at least.
By the way, am I wrong in noting a certain tetchiness in your fine self of late? Perhaps we are twin souls of mardiness, linked across the oceans by a torrent of righteous bile and splenetic venom?
Forgive me. I become viciously sarcastic when pissed. The self loathing tends to emerge.
Louis
Louis
4 May 2012 at 7:20 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The Sailor,
Race you to unconsciousness. I’ll warn you, even though you’re a sailor I have a cast iron liver, a British passport, and many years of rugby excellence behind me! ;-)
Louis
niftyatheist
4 May 2012 at 7:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Bill, thanks! (151). I did already discover that I was eligible to make modest donations to campaigns back when I was a legal permanent resident (hello 2008 and 2010!), but what I was really wondering about was if volunteers can cross state lines to assist in a campaign for someone in another state, even though we obviously cannot vote in that state. It doesn’t seem like it would be illegal, but I will check to be sure. The candidate I’d like to help out is Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin. http://www.tammybaldwin.com/splash/
niftyatheist
4 May 2012 at 7:26 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Josh, we’ve seen pictures of that place – take care! Enjoy the fried clams!
The Laughing Coyote (Canis Sativa)
4 May 2012 at 7:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
A few years ago, a family of Steller’s Jays raised a brood on a branch over our deck. My brother and I happened to be there on ‘fledging’ day, and it was pretty unforgettable.
There was an obvious ‘runt’, a little guy having trouble keeping up. At one point he fell out of the tree and was stuck hanging from some bark by one claw, cheeping piteously.
What I found really interesting is the way his siblings all stood around in the trees waiting and chirping at him… I was just about to render some assistance when he righted himself and went back up the tree on his own. And off they went, the stronger siblings constantly pausing to let their weaker sibling catch up.
It surprised me because I’d always assumed the stronger siblings wouldn’t particularly care about the ‘weakling’.
John Morales
4 May 2012 at 7:30 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Louis:
Such maudlinness!
(You’d do better to employ a relative, rather than an absolute scale to your self-judgement)
Louis
4 May 2012 at 7:36 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
John,
Hmmm perhaps you have a point. However, even in my more clear moments of reality appreciation I fail to see this assessment as untrue. Oh don’t worry…you should see what I think of other people! ;-)
Louis
P.S. I’ll be sweetness an light tomorrow…well, maybe Monday. Tonight…the lampposts are looking at me wrong…
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 7:43 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Louis:
Oh my, is that ever the understatement. A certain tetchiness, while having a quaint descriptive value, comes nowhere close.
This sounds about right.
This tends to be my day to day state, however, it is very much amplified at the moment. I am about to declare myself useless, I’m not willing to concentrate on work, I’m not fit for company, either. Perhaps I shall go eat worms. ;)
Lies Down to Reason
4 May 2012 at 7:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ms. Daisy Cutter, thanks for your wishes.
Just got word that the BIL is in the active process of dying and probably won’t last the night.
I’m probably going to have to bugger off for a while to be with my husband. But I’ll be back.
:-(
John Morales
4 May 2012 at 7:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Why is there a worm in bottles of tequila?
Louis
4 May 2012 at 7:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Caine,
Ahhhh yes. Long thin skinny ones, short fat fuzzy ones, icky wicky sticky wicky worms.
I may join you at the bottom of the garden.
Although…and I seem to be quoting Hicks a lot today…it’s like the People Who Hate People Party. We have a meeting, are you going? Yes? Then I’m not fucking going! ;-)
I am however participating in the Ancient British Sport of Surly Drinking and Self Loathing. I may have a kebab and argue with it. It seems like a suitably futile thing to do.
Louis
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 7:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lies Down to Reason, my condolences to you and yours. A difficult time for you all.
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 7:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
No fair, John. Pancreas the Parade Pisser hath well and truly declared there is no solace for me in alcohol or alcohol soaked worms (not that I ever fell for that one, anyway.)
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 7:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Louis:
I may do this with a ham sammich.
Louis
4 May 2012 at 7:56 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
John, #171,
On my wedding day, my wife and best men set me up to shoot the worm. A proper, imported, red worm in a proper, imported bottle of Mescal.
I didn’t know this until, after my speech, where I politely thanked the bride’s family, the bridesmaids, my best men etc for everything, the cheeky fuckers presented me with a half pint glass of Mescal containing the worm and said that I had agreed to shoot it if I ever got married.
The sound of 220 people jeering had a strange effect on my nervous system and a bolted the lot, worm included, without an intake of breath. Something impossible any other time due to previous “experiences” with Mescal/tequila.
All stories of hallucinations derived thereof are exaggerated/fictional.
It does produce impressively aromatic turds several hours later. Just thought I should share…no…wait…where are you going…I have photos…I have scratch and sniff stickers…guys…guys…
Louis
Louis
4 May 2012 at 8:09 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Also, Boris got re-elected as London Mayor, proving unarguably that my fellow citizens are largely fuckwits fooled by floppy hair and a posh accent. The man if a turd biscuit of the first water and went to a public school that I personally beat at rugby.
There can be no higher condemnation.
Louis
Ing: I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream So I Comment Instead
4 May 2012 at 8:25 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Wedding update: we’ve figured out how to fit 50 people in a small museum! AND the staff offered to dress up the mastodon for the event (he’s getting a bow tie!)
Jules
4 May 2012 at 8:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Caine, I certainly don’t want to discount your experiences or the experiences of any other abused child. I just think assuming all bad or inept teachers want to be bad or inept is not a very good strategy when compared to providing them with education and new perspectives. Having more experience in schools than my own time as a student, I’ve seen things go both ways.
The system is flawed. Fuck, society is flawed. But sometimes people aren’t as bad as they were once they learn a bit.
Louis, *cheers, shug* I’ve had a good day, but it is a bit wobbly at this point (which means I need to be as well).
Lies Down to Reason, I’m sorry for you and your family.
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 8:33 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The Muddy Creek Saloon has a country ‘n’ western band in the street, blaring ‘music’. Drunk bikers and way too loud country music. This is not helping.
Jules
4 May 2012 at 8:33 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I should add that I’m not arguing Intent Is Magic. I’m not interested in redeeming someone who has allowed abuse to go unchecked. I’m talking about keeping teachers from making the same kinds of mistakes in the future.
Ignorance or malice comes into play in preventing further damage, but it’s pretty useless for correcting what’s already been done.
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 8:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ing:
Oh, that is fantastic! I demand photos.
Caine, Fleur du mal, OM
4 May 2012 at 8:37 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I didn’t assume that or say that – where the fuck did I detail teachers? Jesus Christ. Fine, whatever, have it your way, I don’t care.
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
4 May 2012 at 8:45 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ing,
Woo hoo! Museum weddings rock! And the staff sounds freaking awesome.
(No mastadon at my wedding, sadly. It was at a science museum, so there was a life-sized Charles Steinmetz model that my sister spilled a cocktail all over.)
chigau (副)
4 May 2012 at 8:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Nice birdies, Caine.
I miss grackles, I moved out of their turf long ago.
—
There were some barn-swallows (probably) nesting in a shed that had a 4-foot window. The adult went in and out with no problem. When the fledglings were trying to get home, they kept flying at the HUGE gap and veering off.
The adults sometimes sat on the window ledge
yelling encouragementvocalising and sometimes demonstrated.It was getting dark but I think all the younguns got home safe.
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Gynofascist in a Spiffy Hugo Boss Uniform
4 May 2012 at 8:51 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Louis:
I disagree, but I am not very effective this evening at effusive words of comfort. So I will attempt to cheer you up with a heartwarming story about a zookeeper, a monkey, and a life-saving rimjob.
No, really.
LDtR: Thinking of you.
Ing, the idea of a bow tie on a mastodon is simply delightful.
Louis
4 May 2012 at 8:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ms Daisy Cutter,
Well you have me. I could be licking monkey sphincter. Mind you, given the level of tonight’s indulgence, I imagine I will be viciously savaged by the Beer Monkey.*
Louis
* He steals your money, beats the crap out of you and shits in your mouth. Damn you Beer Monkey. Damn you!
Ing: I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream So I Comment Instead
4 May 2012 at 9:06 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The Staff is good…save that they deleted us from the calender THREE times because volunteers apparently thought it was a joke.
chigau (副)
4 May 2012 at 9:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Louis
*big*hugs*
You think Beer Monkey is scary, try this.
http://satwcomic.com/the-scariest-ghost-ever
and
http://satwcomic.com/no-beer-left
and
http://satwcomic.com/nordic-halloween
(I’m out of beer. It’s rum tonight.)
Jules
4 May 2012 at 9:18 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Um. The entire fucking premise was teachers. Did you forget or ignore where the comments spawned from?
Sorry I can’t read you goddamb mind and figure out that while the rest of us were commenting on a school’s policy, you were talking about…fairies? janitors? ham sammiches?
FFS, don’t blame me if you missed the premise. It’s not as of every fucking post I made about this wasn’t obviously in the context of teacher training.
A. R
4 May 2012 at 9:21 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Found about fifty morel mushrooms today in the wood behind the house. I now need a massive quantity of butter, several pounds of asparagus, and about two dozen eggs. It’s mushroom asparagus omelet time!
thunk
4 May 2012 at 9:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hello there. I’ve been facing a minor cold today, ‘s been mildly annoying.
Everyone sicker than me: get well soon!
Ing: Congratulations on the museum wedding. :)
And everyone else: Have fun, enjoy the weekend!
*Heads off to stare at more road maps* :p
thunk
4 May 2012 at 9:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
A.R:
Once, I got dragged along on a mushroom-hunting trip. I didn’t really like it.
A. R
4 May 2012 at 9:33 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
thunk: It can indeed be quite boring if one does not find mushrooms. Talisker in a hip flask helps I’m told.
thunk
4 May 2012 at 9:36 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
A. R:
Sadly, local laws may prohibit this means of coping with lack of mushrooms.
chigau (副)
4 May 2012 at 9:45 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
thunk
What kind of mushrooms were you hunting?
—-
A. R
In a few days I will have *runs outside* *counts* 4 spears of asparagus!
Is that enough?
A. R
4 May 2012 at 9:45 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
thunk: Very true. Perhaps finding a certain other kind of mushroom would help?
A. R
4 May 2012 at 9:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
chigau: I think you need more than that. I’ve actually blanched some of my garden asparagus to make white asparagus. Very tasty.
PZ Myers
4 May 2012 at 10:00 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
YOU DIDN’T LIKE MUSHROOM HUNTING? What’s wrong with you?
My father used to take me out deep into the forests of the Cascades — we’d drive for hours down these old logging roads, until we reached these weirdly ancient patches of western hemlock and Doug firs, and we’d go wandering. The silence of those forests was magical. You’d hear nothing but the distant sighing of the wind in the tree tops, and even our steps were quieted in the spongy moss of the undergrowth. I loved those places.
Oh, yeah, and there were mushrooms, too.
chigau (副)
4 May 2012 at 10:08 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
A. R
I’m lucky to get 4 spears.
I thought they were all dead.
—
PZ
I’ve done that!
But I was supposed to be looking for arch
aeology sites.(and not my Dad)
Ray, rude-ass yankee
4 May 2012 at 10:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Louis@156, Hey, I can still hear the voices too! I’m trying to drown them in alcohol, and I’m full of mean looks.
Josh@159, Fuck Cranston!
Ing@178, A mastodon in a bow tie? I love it, sounds awesome!
chigau@189 Yay, Rum!
Lynna, Sailor, Lies Down to Reason & all who need it, sympathies and best wishes (along with obligatory bacon and chocolate). Makes me sad I don’t have the resources to help my fellow Pharyngulites.
Buzzing like a big dog, need to crawl to bed. Smiles greet you with the dawn, night y’all.
'Tis Himself
4 May 2012 at 10:16 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
My problem with mushroom hunting is I don’t know mushrooms well enough to identify which ones I see. If I compare the mushrooms I see to a mushroom identification book, each one looks like it could be either of the following:
Ambrosia Mushroom: This mushroom is considered one of the great delicacies of the world. The pleasure of the taste has been compared to sexual orgasm. In 2002 100 grams of Ambrosia Mushrooms sold for over $10,000. It also cures acne.
Grim Reaper Mushroom: Warning! Coming within 3 meters of this fungus can cause a slow, hideously painful death as the body becomes liquified. Napalm is the only effective pesticide for this mushroom.
Janine: History’s Greatest Monster
4 May 2012 at 10:19 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Get ill, lose your savings.
For a country that likes to tell itself that it celebrates the individual, the US does what it can to undercut individuals.
Best of luck for Lynna.
chigau (副)
4 May 2012 at 10:20 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
‘Tis
The local Botanic Garden offers courses on mushroom hunting.
I’ve never seen that Napalm thing.
Perhaps I should sign-up this year.
*fire good!!*
Amphiox
4 May 2012 at 10:31 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
If he was suspecting MS I wouldn’t have, as MS is invisible on CT scans. Mini-strokes may have shown up on a CT as small dark spots.
One actually needs two episodes separated in time or place (ie different parts of the CNS) to meet the diagnostic criteria for MS. An MRI finding can count as one episode even if it is asymptomatic (if the other episode is symptomatic – ie two MRI findings with no symptoms doesn’t make the diagnosis), but it is not absolutely necessary if the 2 clinical episodes are typical enough. The time separation may be months apart.
This is of course small comfort for someone having to deal with the possibility after only one episode.
As I work in Canada, it is hard for me to imagine how difficult it must be to have this diagnosis in the US if one doesn’t have insurance.
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Gynofascist in a Spiffy Hugo Boss Uniform
4 May 2012 at 10:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
….aaaand along comes the derailing white d00d, right on time.
Must be nice, to be unable to intuitively grok the existence of a hierarchy of needs and that some people will be lower on it than oneself.
John Morales
4 May 2012 at 10:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hunting mushrooms, eh?
Only mushrooms for which I ever went foraging were “goldtops” (Psilocybe cubensis), back in my youth.
Amphiox
4 May 2012 at 10:46 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The only place where I dare hunt mushrooms is a supermarket.
Even there, it’s an iffy, hit-or-miss proposition for me.
Setár, self-appointed Elf-lord of social justice
4 May 2012 at 10:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
MDC #206:
Thanks — it’s a slow night, I’m going to need some serious chewtoy action.
Which also tails nicely into my reason for posting here, which is being proud of my response to a bunch of mansplainers on Occupy Vancouver’s Facebook page:
thunk
4 May 2012 at 10:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
PZ: Sorry to incur your ire, but I just don’t like mushrooms. And so, their hunting is a giant waste of time for me.
Josh, Official SpokesGay
4 May 2012 at 11:05 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
God. Damned. Hotel. Internet.
I swear to God, this fucking hotel contracts with a company who actually throttles the naturally occurring bandwidth to make it even slower. I could wave my laptop in the air and pick up more Wifi with no connection at all.
7 seconds. To load Google’s home page. The simplest, least-coded page on Earth. I actually get to watch the browser go through machinations that should be invisible because they’re instantaneous. “Sending request. . . .”, “Connecting to host. . .” For Google.com.
I know it’s easy to get spoiled, but at this point high speed Internet is as essential as any other public utility. It’s not “just the Internet”, it’s the real world where we work. This is so unacceptable. What the hell are hotels thinking? How is it possible in this day and age that customer demand seems to be doing nothing to alleviate this problem?
chigau (副)
4 May 2012 at 11:09 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
thunk
I don’t think PZ was ire-ed.
He had a happy time in the woods with his Da.
Mushrooms were just an excuse.
chigau (副)
4 May 2012 at 11:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Josh
I hear you.
The inter-city bus I use has better internet than many hotels.
If a moving bus can manage, why not a stationary hotel?
Setár, self-appointed Elf-lord of social justice
4 May 2012 at 11:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Said customers do not own stock in the hotel, and are thus meaningless.
Josh, Official SpokesGay
4 May 2012 at 11:16 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Argh, it’s so infuriating. If I thought indignant letters and promises never to darken the chain’s doorstep again would bear any fruit I would. You know what a pain in the ass I can be. But they wouldn’t. Seems one needs a mass temper tantrum or boycott these days to make any company fix even the most obvious oversight.
Amphiox
4 May 2012 at 11:40 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Surprisingly, I have never had trouble with internet access at hotels, ever (other than the occasional hotel not having any at all), in either Canada or the USA.
Perhaps I’ve just been lucky…
John Morales
4 May 2012 at 11:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
thunk:
You need to work on precision no less than on comprehension.
Leaving aside that mushrooms are not known to hunt, there may well be more bases for going out foraging for them than merely a personal predilection for them (in fact, PZ stated as much)
Amphiox
4 May 2012 at 11:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Customer demand actually having an impact on corporation behavior? What libertarian kool-aid have you been drinking?
The real world doesn’t work that way!
ericpaulsen
4 May 2012 at 11:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I found quite a few black morels in mid-March this year near Oscoda Michigan but most were too small to bother with (inch to an inch and a quarter). Much to my chagrin I have yet to get back out to look for more. I think I found a huge patch of P. cyanescens behind my Uncles place where the trees have fallen. Of course not being sure I have no plans to putting them to the test. The morels on the other hand were delicious!
Josh, Official SpokesGay
4 May 2012 at 11:47 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
You err, John:
The construction, “their hunting” is a perfectly grammatical one and proper in context. It means “the hunting of them (mushrooms).”
Josh, Official SpokesGay
4 May 2012 at 11:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I should like to be able to tromp through the Vermont woods and find truffles, I must say.
chigau (副)
4 May 2012 at 11:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
thunk
John Morales wise is. Learn from him you should.
;) ;) ;)
Bill Dauphin, avec fromage
4 May 2012 at 11:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hrrmmm… last fall there was this giant (to my eyes, anyway; maybe a foot in diameter) ball of frilly fungus growing at the base of an oak tree in my front yard. Stupidly, I treated it as a pest and got rid of it… after which my wife did a bit of Googling and decided it had probably been a Hen-of-the-Woods (aka Maitake) mushroom.
Not sure I’d'a had the courage to eat it even if I’d known, but still….
chigau (副)
4 May 2012 at 11:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
thunk
Josh, also, wise is etc.
John Morales
4 May 2012 at 11:56 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Josh, leaving aside that I referred to precision rather than correctness, ‘their’ is a possessive relating to the object of the previous sentence (the subject was ‘I’).
Bill Dauphin, avec fromage
4 May 2012 at 11:58 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Josh:
Are there truffles in Vermont? Somehow I never think of them as coming from anywhere but Europe. A recent episode of Bones (which is set in the DC area) featured truffle hunting as a plot point, and I wasn’t sure how plausible that was.
Josh, Official SpokesGay
5 May 2012 at 12:06 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
John, I’m sorry, but you are incorrect:
Can be translated as, “And so the hunting of them, mushrooms, is a giant waste of time for me.” It has nothing at all to do with the ‘I’ subject in the previous sentence. Really.
thunk
5 May 2012 at 12:08 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
John Morales:
Bah then; whatever you said.
Josh, Official SpokesGay
5 May 2012 at 12:09 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Bill, I don’t think there are truffles in Vermont, but I fervently want to believe there are. It’s an act of faith and hope.
/puke:)
chigau (副)
5 May 2012 at 12:10 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
oooh!
Josh vs John
grammer warz!!!
(please continue, I want to learn)
thunk
5 May 2012 at 12:11 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
My English is a bit screwy today (it usually is). Feel free to point and laugh at it.
thunk
5 May 2012 at 12:12 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Chigau: and yay, i’m the ball!
Every war has to involve a ball, right?
John Morales
5 May 2012 at 12:12 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
For you, chigau:
I just don’t like the beastie boys. And so, their music is a giant waste of time for me.
Hekuni Cat
5 May 2012 at 12:13 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lies Down to Reason, you and your family have my condolences. Take care during this difficult time.
Audley:
Mine either. But then it was at the courthouse, which for some strange reason did not have any mastadons in residence.
Caine, your bird pictures are splendid. I really like the ones with the chickadee and mourning doves. Both birds are favorites of mine. So far, I’ve heard our mourning dove pair every morning this week. Alas, our yard has yet to attract any chickadees–or at least none that I have ever seen.
Chloe, our Calico cat, talks to the birds in our yard. She makes noises I’ve never heard from another cat and only directs them at the birds out the window. Chloe makes no attempt hide while doing so and often seems disappointed when the birds don’t respond. Because she’s been doing it since we got her (as a rescue cat), I don’t know where she picked up her enthusiasm for avian conversation. =^_^=
John Morales
5 May 2012 at 12:15 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
thunk, it was not your English that I was primarily addressing (the “leaving aside” indicates a parenthetical), but your imputation that the basis for hunting mushrooms must be that one likes them.
Josh, Official SpokesGay
5 May 2012 at 12:15 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thunk, I’m convinced your construction was just fine. A little archaic, but correct. I’m struggling to find the linguistic terms to use to describe it accurately enough for a Google search.
thunk
5 May 2012 at 12:16 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I never liked long walks in the forest either.
Grammar warz, uh-huh. Personally, I just take a more functional approach to language; if it gets the content across, I couldn’t care less about its exact form.
thunk
5 May 2012 at 12:17 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
John: Bah. Well then, I was mistaken. (and doing a good job of misconstruing everybody today).
Josh, Official SpokesGay
5 May 2012 at 12:18 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Grr.
Grr.
You’re making me regret defending your arch phrasing.
Josh, Official SpokesGay
5 May 2012 at 12:19 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh get off it, Morales. It’s perfectly obvious you were using a parenthetical to denote secondary considerations. It was your parenthetical I disputed.
kristinc, ~bitter and resigned~
5 May 2012 at 12:24 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*popcorn*
chigau (副)
5 May 2012 at 12:25 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
John Morales #233
Oh dear.
I am doing my 日本語 homework.
That’s a toughie…
(no, that is just fucking nonpossible)
John Morales
5 May 2012 at 12:33 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
chigau, I did two years of Nipponese at the secondary level.
I’ve pretty much forgotten what I learnt.
(ka, ki, ku, ke, ko)
chigau (副)
5 May 2012 at 12:34 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Josh, OM
Please remember that {thunk} is 15 years old and {John Morales} is about 137 gazillion.
Josh, Official SpokesGay
5 May 2012 at 12:36 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh my, just 15? Touche, thunk!
I already knew John was encrusted with the barnacles of age (which I am also accruing at an alarming rate).
thunk
5 May 2012 at 12:40 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Josh:
Yeah, surprising, ain’t it? :p
thunk
5 May 2012 at 12:43 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Well, I’m off to bed. Have fun with grammar and other things you might be discussing. :)
Josh, Official SpokesGay
5 May 2012 at 12:43 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Indeed, thunk. But not shocking. I was a precocious young one too.
chigau (副)
5 May 2012 at 12:44 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
John Morales
(ya,_,_,_,yo)
yup. 日本語 is pure joy.
chigau (副)
5 May 2012 at 12:54 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I was not precocious at 15, I was just an asshole.
(OK. I had 30 IQ* points on all the teachers …)
{*3 digits!!!!!}
SallyStrange: bottom-feeding, work-shy peasant
5 May 2012 at 1:19 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh, I think I missed thunk. I wanted to say hi. I haven’t been posting much since I have this whole job thing… thank goodness it’s temporary, working overnight is for chumps. Anyway, I noticed your intro and wanted to say welcome too! I got my start in the itnernets back in the day posting on http://www.heartless-bitches.com, but I think Pharyngula may be even cooler, so you’re in a good place.
Gonna drink some whiskey now and try to relax after a grueling week of nighttime data entry.
chigau (副)
5 May 2012 at 1:27 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Since Everyone is asleep, a small correction for #249
(ya,_,yu,_,yo)
[There. Doesn't Everyone feel better?]
SallyStrange: bottom-feeding, work-shy peasant
5 May 2012 at 1:27 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Also, in memory of MCA and in honor of the Beastie Boys, allow me to share this bit of awesomeness: Sabotage vs. Battlestar Galactica. It’s a frame by frame tribute. I wonder how big the overlap between Beastie Boys fans and BSG fans is. Well, if that’s you then you’ll looo000oove this. And you’ll get a giant SQUEEE and big bugs from me! (Unless you don’t like being touched. In which case I proffer booze and brownies and bacon.)
rorschach
5 May 2012 at 1:58 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m looking forward to my daily Mandarin from next week. The language, not the fruit. I don’t even know if they have fruit in China.
The Sailor
5 May 2012 at 2:23 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ummm … I just … so, … no comment.
SallyStrange: bottom-feeding, work-shy peasant
5 May 2012 at 2:41 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
??
You no likey squee/hugs? :(
Wowbagger, Madman of Insleyfarne
5 May 2012 at 2:59 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Am on a bit of a Pet Shop Boys bender this afternoon.
It’s a Sin
What Have I Done to Deserve This?
Heart
opposablethumbs
5 May 2012 at 3:02 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lies Down to Reason, I’m very sorry. Hope you (all) have plenty of loving support around; sorry that it is needed :(((
Ing, I love the bowtie-on-mastodon idea. Pics, yeah?
Louis, do not listen to the blandishments of the Beer Monkey. You know they live to hang over people and piss on them.
Grammar is sekretly (very sekretly) teh cool. I once had to tell a client that no, it wasn’t a mistake in my translation because using what looks like a plural (as in “if I were you”) is really the last dying gasp of the shadow of the fragments of the remnants of the subjunctive in English, which I want to pet and feed on whoms.
As per the Inexorable Law of the Internetz I will now proceed to make at least 3.4 assorted errors per word from this comment forth.
The ILI is retroactive.
Wowbagger, Madman of Insleyfarne
5 May 2012 at 3:11 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Fucking piece of shit. I don’t know what happened with the links in my last comment, but they don’t work – and I can’t work out what the problem is; every time I try to create a link using ‘a href’ etc. it borks.
Sorry about that.
Wowbagger, Madman of Insleyfarne
5 May 2012 at 3:14 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
It may well be because I’m using Midori – not by choice; it’s because it’s the only browser that FtB doesn’t crash on my Ubuntu machine.
rorschach
5 May 2012 at 3:15 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
wowbagger, this is the wordpress idiocy that makes links appear internal when you don’t have a “http” in it.
Wowbagger, Madman of Insleyfarne
5 May 2012 at 3:21 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh, okay. Well that’s handy to know.
Orange Utan
5 May 2012 at 3:38 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@rorschach
It’s not a specific wordpress fault. Leaving the http off a link in any software will have the same issue.
Giliell, not to be confused with The Borg
5 May 2012 at 3:54 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Good morning
So the waters have calmed down around here.
No, he actually never noticed that he’d made a very funny slip of tongue and yes, I had suspected that and wanted to tell him but he’d already stormed off.
But anyway, how does he fucking dare to walk out on me like that and shut me down like that the first moment my perceived behaviour is less than perfect.
Yes, I know, these are hard times for him, too. Can’t help it. I’m fighting for my fucking survival here because I need to get out of this as long as there’s a bit of me left, so if he can’t take that he can fuck off.
He seemed a bit shocked when I told him.
Caine
I love the grackels. Nothing as brilliant different colours of black.
Now I need to browse me designs for those gorgeous leather cuffs they features on UT
Lies Down to Reason
I’m sorry about your BiL
(((hugs))) and chocolate coming through your port.
Wowbagger, Madman of Insleyfarne
5 May 2012 at 3:59 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Orange Utan, that makes sense. When I copied the links it was from the search page rather than the URL bar, so the ‘http://’ wouldn’t have been included.
I’ll attempt to remember that for next time.
John Morales
5 May 2012 at 4:18 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Orange Utan:
The specific problem here was indeed with WordPress: when the scheme component of the URL is not specified, it automatically treats anchor tag references as relative and prepends the page’s full address.
With a bit of smarter coding, WordPress would only do that when a fragment identifier token (#) was seen, and only otherwise prepend the HTTP scheme as default.
(They would still have failed without this, of course, but in a different way)
KG
5 May 2012 at 4:42 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
See Arrow’s impossibility theorem, and the related Gibbard-Satterthwaite theorem and Duggan-Schwartz theorem – actual mathematical proofs that if there are more than 2 alternatives, no voting system can guarantee to avoid all of a list of democratically undesirable outcomes. Interesting, but IMNSHO, not of real political significance, because in practice, factors such as voter registration systems, the weather, and the spatial distribution and nature of polling stations (for example, putting them in churches apparently increases the right-wing vote while locating them in schools has the opposite effect), make a sizeable difference to outcomes.
Orange Utan
5 May 2012 at 4:56 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@John Morales
And what if you wanted to link to another free thought page and didn’t specify the domain? How many exceptions are going to have to be coded?
<a href=”/blaghag”>Blag Hag</a>
Orange Utan
5 May 2012 at 4:59 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Also, wordpress doesn’t prepend the post url to the link. It’s the web browsers themselves that treat it as a relative link with no protocol listed.
Standard browser behaviour.
KG
5 May 2012 at 5:00 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Commiserations to Sailor, LDtR, Caine, Louis, anyone I’ve missed. Loved the grackle, Caine.
Apart from the appalling Boris Johnson being re-elected as Mayor of London (Labour made a big mistake putting Ken Livingstone up again), local election results here in Ukania showed a considerable swing away from the coalition government parties, with Labour, the Scottish Nats and the Greens doing well. Here in Aberdeen, unfortunately, the swing from LibDems to Labour was probably not enough to block a daft scheme to spend tens of millions on the Union Terrace Gardens plan, at a time when school teacher numbers and provision for people with disabilities are being slashed. Bankruptcy beckons in a few years’ time, if the huge increase in business rates the finance depends on fails to materialise.
Cosmic Teapot, purveyor of cakes and beer.
5 May 2012 at 5:59 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Does anyone know why there is a smiley face at the bottom left corner of the page, just under “switch to our mobile site”?
'Tis Himself
5 May 2012 at 6:06 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I can answer that question in three simple words:
StevoR
5 May 2012 at 6:16 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Think some folks here may be interested in this doco via Australian ABC TV :
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2012/04/27/3490298.htm
On Mitt Romney & his Mormonism and how creepy it is and some of the things Bishop Mitt Romney – yes, bishop apparently – did.
Interesting doco – although it may be somewhat hard for US viewers to view given the iView system or so I gather.
carlie
5 May 2012 at 6:37 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
SallyStrange – read the quoted text again. :D
Thanks for the good wishes. I wish I could say more, but there are confidentiality issues. It’ll be a rough week.
Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls
5 May 2012 at 6:53 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
My USWAG would be an end-of-page mark.
rorschach
5 May 2012 at 6:56 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
So Davison’s dead I hear. Well, there you go, Death of a clown.
Come to think of it, Ha Ha said the clown.
rorschach
5 May 2012 at 6:58 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh, and naturally, Davy’s on the road again
SallyStrange: bottom-feeding, work-shy peasant
5 May 2012 at 7:01 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Carlie -
bugs.
d’oh
I haz a tired.
That made me laugh tho.
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
5 May 2012 at 7:07 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
vHey it’s Saturday. Guess where Kat is!
At work -_-
Oh, and @PZ:
It’s “which which I can sympathize,” not “I can sympathize with” /grammar pedant ^^
'Tis Himself
5 May 2012 at 7:50 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Shouldn’t that be “with which I can sympathize”?
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
5 May 2012 at 7:56 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Tis Himself:
Yes.
Isn’t there an Internet Law that states something like “when one critiques another’s grammar, they will make a grammatical error”?
Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls
5 May 2012 at 7:58 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[interruption]
Today is the Redhead’s birthday. Have cake and card, will transport to Rehab.
First a haircut.
[/interruption]
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
5 May 2012 at 8:06 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Happy birthday Redhead!
Sili
5 May 2012 at 8:08 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Muphry’s Law, yes.
Or the Bierce-Hartmann-Skitt-McKean Law of Prescriptivist Retaliation.
Sili
5 May 2012 at 8:12 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
And that’s style, not grammar.
Google “Hot Dryden-on-Jonson action”.
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
5 May 2012 at 8:13 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Grammer and mushrooms, oh my!
Giliell:
*chocolate*
I tried an organic peppermint soap today* and holeeee shiiiit, I feel really clean! :)
*Not Dr Bronner’s, Dr Woods. My supermarket doesn’t carry Dr Bronner’s and I’d like to think that Woods is his arch-nemises.
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Gynofascist in a Spiffy Hugo Boss Uniform
5 May 2012 at 8:18 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Setar, I just read that thread on Occupy Vancouver. Fuck…
Thunk:
That’s like saying, “I just take a more functional approach to food; if it nourishes me, I couldn’t care less about what it tastes like.”
Josh:
Oh, please. You look 10 years younger than you actually are.
Happy Birthday to the Redhead!
Audley, I showered a little while ago with a combination of this and this, and I feel amazingly clean.
rorschach
5 May 2012 at 8:23 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
YMCA
I’ve got some football to watch, later all…
The Sailor
5 May 2012 at 8:23 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Kitty, “This is something up with which I will not put.”
Moggie
5 May 2012 at 8:31 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
It’s used by wordpress.com to gather stats about sites using WordPress. It’s served from stats.wordpress.com, so every time someone loads Pharyngula, stats.wordpress.com will receive a request telling them that.
Louis
5 May 2012 at 8:39 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ow.
Ow ow ow ow.
The Beer Monkey has savaged me. Shat in my mouth, stolen my money and punched me repeatedly in the face.
Good. I deserve it.
I think I’ll repeat the experiment to make sure.
Louis
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
5 May 2012 at 8:45 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Daisy:
Oooooo, I love the South of France soaps. Mr Darkheart has been using their almond bar soap, which normally I really, really like too*. My issue is that lately, my skin has both dry patches and breakouts, so I’m trying to find something that will even that out a little bit.
My first experiment has been with peppermint and shea butter liquid soap and so far, so good– no itchies!
Nerd,
Happy happy joy joy for the Redhead’s birthday!
Kitty,
You’re at work today? That’s some serious bullshit right there.
*I cannot stand anything with a heavy, artificial scent and anything with moisturizing cream or whatever just doesn’t feel clean.
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
5 May 2012 at 8:51 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@The Sailor:
See, that’s the problem with grammar. Sometimes correct grammar sounds sillier, which is why you don’t do it for everything.
Lynna, OM
5 May 2012 at 9:37 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Republicans, get in my vagina!
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/87be7156f5/republicans-get-in-my-vagina?playlist=featured_videos
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
5 May 2012 at 9:39 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Audley:
Nah, it’s my own fault for having major depressive episodes (wait, that’s not my fault at all?!)
I have no leave. I need to get 6 hours of comp time so I can move to my new apartment on Tuesday, so I’m working on Saturday for six hours.
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
5 May 2012 at 9:46 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Kat,
Ugh. That still sucks.
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
5 May 2012 at 9:52 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
OH MY FSM that CNN report was the worst ever!
Ashton Kutcher made a PopChips ad where he put on brown face as an Indian man. The two worst things about it:
PopChips’ response “we didn’t intend to offend anyone.”
The news report about it was full of intent is not fucking magic fails. Good god.
Yes, the ad was racist. PopChips’ apology was a total not-pology. This report was completely idiotic, the person should’ve been “yes, it was racist.”
Good god…
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
5 May 2012 at 10:00 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Speaking of ads.
This LifeLock commercial is the MOST. DRAMATIC. COMMERCIAL. EVER! “If Jack had LifeLock, he could’ve got a message right away. Thieves are out there trying to steal your identity! If you don’t get LifeLock, you could lose everything!!!!11!”
Antiochus Epiphanes
5 May 2012 at 10:17 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
In the most recent post on profiling, PZ wrote:
My still sleeping brain kept read ZOG…ZOG? ZOG? You mean this guy?
Lynna, OM
5 May 2012 at 10:18 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Rachel Maddow talks about Idaho, Idaho Falls, politics, and being threatened by lawyers working for one of the richest mormons in Idaho.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#47302840
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
5 May 2012 at 10:21 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Okay, that Amazon order I was complaining about yesterday?
It still hasn’t fucking shipped.
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
5 May 2012 at 10:24 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Audley:
Ouch. I’m having a weird issue with Amazon in that it says the thing was signed for and received, but I’ve got no notice of it at all in my mailbox. I’ll check when I get home.
The Sailor
5 May 2012 at 10:25 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Pass the popcorn.
thunk
5 May 2012 at 10:35 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ms. Daisy Cutter:
Interesting way to look at things. I see the pursuit of proper grammar as similar to the pursuit of wine; for some people it’s great, but others just don’t care. (Food may be similar, but just a more base desire which almost everybody prefers).
W/r/t grammar, I’d say I’m in the middle between the extremes of “not caring” and “grammar fan”.
Rey Fox
5 May 2012 at 10:38 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yes, yes, yes, and yes.
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
5 May 2012 at 10:40 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Kat,
Is it a problem with Amazon or UPS?
Bill Dauphin, avec fromage
5 May 2012 at 10:40 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Katherine (and respondent):
Either way, it’s not actually a rule that you can’t have a preposition at the end of a sentence (or independent clause, to be more precise). There are some instances where the sentence is wrong (e.g., “That’s where I sleep at,” in which the at is unnecessary and redundant), but “…I can sympathize with” is not one of them.
You’re right to note (in a later comment), that sometimes the correct usage sounds stilted and unnatural. This is particularly a problem in formalisms related to case that are slowly becoming extinct in everyday usage, such as the who/whom distinction… but in the current case, the natural-sounding usage is actually no less correct than the unnatural, pedantic-sounding one.
Similarly, BTW, it’s not always wrong to split infinitives, either.
Pteryxx
5 May 2012 at 10:46 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This refers to Frank VanderSloot, the wealthy Romney backer who sues into silence anyone who investigates his background. He’s been taken on earlier by Glen Greenwald in Salon:
http://www.salon.com/2012/02/17/billionaire_romney_donor_uses_threats_to_silence_critics/
And Maddow followed that up previously:
http://www.salon.com/2012/02/21/maddow_on_frank_vandersloot/
Bill Dauphin, avec fromage
5 May 2012 at 10:53 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
thunk & Daze (which, if you say it out loud, sounds like it should be the name of a vaudeville act… or perhaps the authors of an overrated guide to good writing):
I like the food analogy better, but maybe we can expand it to food and drink: You can take a strictly utilitarian approach or be almost fetishistic about the aesthetics and details or anything in between; you can care a lot or a little or nearly not at all about the craft of creating it; but at a minimum, it must be competent in any case.
For food and drink, competency involves providing adequate calories, nutrients, and hydration, while not being toxic; for language, it involves accurately conveying the intended information, ideas, and feelings without creating “toxic” distractions for the audience.
Issues of grammar, style, and usage that break the competency of utterance are Very Important Indeed®; those that do not can be fun to kick around on a Saturday!
Now I have to go out and run some errands; later, y’all!
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
5 May 2012 at 10:53 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Audley:
Possibly UPS just forgot to leave the notice. I hate UPS. I’ve hated UPS since I worked for a company that had to ship stuff with UPS or FedEx – I liked FedEx more cause I never had problems.
@Bill:
Right. I was being facetious. :D
Although I do like how some of those adjusted sentences sound better than the other way. “with which I can sympathize” sounds better to my ear than “I can sympathize with.”
Aratina Cage
5 May 2012 at 10:55 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Chris Mooney was on Up with Chris Hayes today talking about his latest book on how conservatives’ brains are fundamentally different and inalterable from liberals’ brains. It’s a little hard to watch. They even throw in a pouty evolution denier and a political “centrist” to make audience heads explode.
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
5 May 2012 at 11:18 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yeah, I generally like FedEx way better too, Kat. But I’m having a very specific issue with our new delivery person– they’re leaving things on our front stoop without a signature or anything. Our former delivery guy was awesome and I wish we still had him. :(
Squigit
5 May 2012 at 12:02 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Afternoon, everyone! I’m five or so threads behind, but I hope everyone is well and hugs to all who aren’t.
I was talking to a friend of mine last night and I wanted to drop by TET to ask a question:
Friend told me she’s going to be doing an independent study on asexuality as part of her master’s program. Since I thought I remembered seeing here a couple of people who identify as asexual, I told her I could drop a note here about her project if anyone willing to help by participating in an interview. She won’t be at the interview stage until probably fall-ish, though, but I wanted to mention it early.
If anyone is willing, I’ll be checking TET periodically through the weekend and can put you in touch.
Lynna, OM
5 May 2012 at 12:18 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@308
Bill Dauphin, avec fromage
5 May 2012 at 1:04 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Kat:
D’Oh! Evidently my humor detector was inadvertently set to Stun.
Sili
5 May 2012 at 2:59 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Dear Rachel Maddow,
Please stop talking about China, or learn to say fucking Bay-djing. It’s a simple fucking affricate. It’s the fucking way “j” is meant to be pronounced in English. It’s not fucking French. Stop stop saying fucking Bay-shing. You make me want to fucking punch the fucking computer.
/’prescriptivist’ rant
chigau (副)
5 May 2012 at 3:14 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
and the capital city of Japan is not Toe Key Yoh.
(sorry, Sili. I just thought I’d jump on your bandwagon)
Antiochus Epiphanes
5 May 2012 at 3:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sili: Why don’t you zhump off a brizh?
Hekuni Cat
5 May 2012 at 3:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Happy Birthday, Redhead!
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
5 May 2012 at 3:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hey hey. I saw The Avengers and I ♥ Mark Ruffalo.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
5 May 2012 at 3:40 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Grumble grumble grumble.
Got an email this morning.
Seems there’s a recall of pet food. Checked, and it is what I feed Morgan.
I buy kibble in bulk and store it in a big plastic bin.
Store is doing a no-questions-asked swap of the affected brands, but I’m now dreading having to drag 30 lb of kibble in a plastic bin to a store.
Of course, the alternative is a sick cat.
The Sailor
5 May 2012 at 4:00 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
WTF!?
carlie
5 May 2012 at 4:22 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
We had a FedEx guy leave our computer and monitor on our front stoop when we weren’t at home. We were really angry about it and called, and it turned out he had forged our name on the signature sheet. It later turned out that he thought he was doing us a favor because the day before he had stopped by asking for directions, and I thought it was our delivery, so he thought we were really anxious to get it and didn’t want us to have to callback the next day for it. How do I know all this?
Because he got fired. And then showed up at our house to apologize. And then showed up again with a letter of support he had written for himself, presumably from us, wanting us to sign it. I did try to call and smooth things over with his boss, but it sounded like the boss was just waiting for one more thing to go wrong to fire him over, so it didn’t do any good. I felt really bad, but again, forgery.
Sili
5 May 2012 at 5:26 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m finally listening to Jimmy Kimmel’s comedy roast, and I think I’m a bad, bad person. So help me God, I laughed at the Maddow-is-a-dyke joke.
opposablethumbs
5 May 2012 at 5:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Happy Birthday to the Redhead – hope there was much cake, and maybe a bit of ale too :)
The Laughing Coyote (Canis Sativa)
5 May 2012 at 5:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Happy Birthday, Redhead!
The Sailor
5 May 2012 at 6:39 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@ Nerd, cake has to be easier to transport than frozen delights.
Happy birthday Redhead!
++++++++++++++
@ Sili 324: Kimmel was funny, Obama was funnier. Maybe he has better writers.
++++++++++++++
Speaking of presidents, FDR- “Here is an amazing paradox! The very employers and politicians and publishers who talk most loudly of class antagonism and the destruction of the American system now undermine that system by this attempt to coerce the votes of the wage earners of this country.
It is the 1936 version of the old threat to close down the factory or the office if a particular candidate does not win. It is an old strategy of tyrants to delude their victims into fighting their battles for them.”
Louis
5 May 2012 at 6:52 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Drunk.
Merry thing to everyone.
Louis
nigelTheBold, who sings like a needle to the ear
5 May 2012 at 6:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Eva Lucien knows who I am. That’s flattering, and kinda scary.
nigelTheBold, who sings like a needle to the ear
5 May 2012 at 7:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Louis: me to. And to everyone: this bout is the shit. Seriously.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
5 May 2012 at 7:36 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Okay, I’m ignorant. I googled Eva Lucien, and got a whole lot of nothing.
I am not yet drunk, but I’m getting that way.
Bill Dauphin, avec fromage
5 May 2012 at 7:39 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This Eva Lucien? Cool.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
5 May 2012 at 7:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ah. Pretty + tattoos? + fire.
Neat.
I need more beer.
There is apparently a local liquor store that delivers. HMMMM
Janine: History’s Greatest Monster
5 May 2012 at 7:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I am boggled. Who is the worse person, Governor Ultrasound of Virginia or Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona?
nigelTheBold, who sings like a needle to the ear
5 May 2012 at 7:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Bill Dauphin: no. She’s equally cool, without the fire. More wheels, though.
ruteekatreya
5 May 2012 at 7:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
No, actually, racists can’t ruin a lovely day spent talking with the girlfriend, however much they try.
Bill Dauphin, avec fromage
5 May 2012 at 8:00 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ah, then perhaps this Eva Lucien?
<ShamefulConfession>It only just dawned on me, after I realized it was a nom de derby, that “Eva Lucien” is a pun.</ShamefulConfession>
nigelTheBold, who sings like a needle to the ear
5 May 2012 at 8:04 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Bill Dauphin: yep. Got it.
I’m such a fanboi. She knows me as Nigel.
Cipher, OM
5 May 2012 at 8:05 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Aww, it didn’t dawn on me at all til you said that. Cos I was pronouncing it AY-va Lucy-EN in my head.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
5 May 2012 at 8:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ha! I was doing the AY-va pronunciation too. Helps that Eva is a name commonly used in my family.
We’re English on that side. Hello Yorkshire!
[ ] ☜ Stereotypes go here. Ask me about our other commonly used names. We have about 6 that we just cycle.
A. R
5 May 2012 at 8:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Massive migraine. Ibuprofen is not working very well, so I think I may have to go hunting for another kind of mushroom.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
5 May 2012 at 8:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*hands A.R. extra-strength headache medicine*
Feel better!
Cipher, OM
5 May 2012 at 8:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Boo, migraines. *pats*
I’m just lethargic and foggy, which is WAY better than having a migraine.
Bill Dauphin, avec fromage
5 May 2012 at 8:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m sorry, Nigel, but it must be done.
(I’d love to know whether roller derby girls love that song or hate it; I’m guessing it’s nothing in between.)
Janine: History’s Greatest Monster
5 May 2012 at 8:30 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Bill Dauphin, not sure that the current generation of roller derby participants are even aware of who Jim Croce was.
Bill Dauphin, avec fromage
5 May 2012 at 8:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yeah, Janine, you’re probably right. Me, I have fond memories of being a speech-and-debate nerd in a bus full of other speech-and-debate nerds singing pretty much the whole Croce songbook on the way home from HS speech tournaments.
We didn’t have the term emo back then, but try listening to weepy girls read Sylvia Plath’s Daddy in Poetry Interpretation competition, then singing Lover’s Cross and Operator all the way home!
Janine: History’s Greatest Monster
5 May 2012 at 8:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I was on the chess team. Some of the guys loved yelling; “The! King! Is! An! Attacking! Piece!”
I missed out on the Sylvia Plath.
Bill Dauphin, avec fromage
5 May 2012 at 8:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Of course, he did have another side:
Workin’ at the Car Wash Blues
Rapid Roy (That Stock Car Boy)
Bad Bad Leroy Brown (Listen for the word menz! ;^> )
Don’t Mess Around With Jim
Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls
5 May 2012 at 8:56 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
That cake was a success. However, ale was nowhere to be seen, and since we were in a public area near the nurse’s station, impractical to sneak some in. One of her friends did bring in some “spicy” guacamole and corn chips. It may have seen an onion or pepper in passing, but I couldn’t work up one bead of sweat from it. The Redhead’s version of guacamole is good for thirty seconds or so of sweat.
Cipher, OM
5 May 2012 at 8:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I have only ever heard that done once, but it scared the living hell out of me back in high school. I almost fell out of my chair.
In retrospect I figure that means she was probably pretty good.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
5 May 2012 at 9:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I was going to post an anecdote about my high school life, but it was too depressing.
Fuck it all.
Janine: History’s Greatest Monster
5 May 2012 at 9:03 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Here is to hoping that Redhead can soon consume ale or seven-day-old grog in peace.
Janine: History’s Greatest Monster
5 May 2012 at 9:04 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
What? The best years of your life?
There was some stuff I could laugh at.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
5 May 2012 at 9:06 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Best years of my life?
Fuck that shit.
If high school was the highlight of my life, I would be dead.
Seriously, suicidal ideation in a depressed 16-year-old is bad. “Treating” the problem with liberal applications of Jebus makes it worse.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
5 May 2012 at 9:08 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Fuck, sorry for getting all morose all over the place.
Part-Time Insomniac, Zombie Porcupine Nox Arcana Fan
5 May 2012 at 9:09 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Mmmmmmm arepas. Or rather, arepa. I swear, all the guy needed to do was give me that so sweetly delicious corn cake plus the grilled chicken and veggies, sans the rice, and I’d still have been blissfully satisfied. The rice was too salty for my taste.
————————————————
After reading up on IBS and what foods make it worse, Mom has changed to a (mostly) gluten-free diet. She still gets things she can’t eat, only because I can, but overall the changes she’s making are ones that don’t affect me adversely. Really, it’s the perfect excuse to cook with some ingredients I’ve been wanting to try, like quinoa.
She’s also found that eating healthy actually is cheaper, since it limits you in terms of what you can buy. No complaints here. Besides, I can just buy my own milk from the little neighborhood market (she’s switched to soy, which I like enough to drink when there’s no moo juice around, but I greatly prefer the latter).
————————————————-
Damn, the sky’s still overcast. I wanted to see the supermoon tonight!
————————————————-
*dumps two armloads of hugs, chocolate, and other treats on the floor for all who need them*
————————————————-
My best friend’s dad died on Wednesday. I haven’t heard from her yet, but there’s no way anyone in the family is taking this well.
Cipher, OM
5 May 2012 at 9:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Don’t even worry about it, Esteleth. I was morosing all over my FB friends at the same time. It happens.
—
*hugs to PTI* That’s too bad about your friend’s dad :(
ruteekatreya
5 May 2012 at 9:14 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hugs if you’d like them, Esteleth.
Brownian
5 May 2012 at 9:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ugh, fuck:
So, the Chronicle of Higher Education blog published a piece by Naomi Schaefer Riley titled “The Most Persuasive Case for Eliminating Black Studies? Just Read the Dissertations” in which she singled out three dissertations by graduate students in Black Studies as a “collection of left-wing victimization claptrap”.
Lawyers, Gun$ and Money has collected some of the responses (and recalls that Naomi Schaefer Riley has previously argued that women who get raped after going out for drinks should “know better”.) It’s worth reading the rebuttal by the students themselves.
Even better, when challenged on her piece, she doubled down, and in a following piece offered up this little fuck you to people who accused her of not knowing of which she speaks:
Historical black midwifery. I mean, if Naomi’s not gonna read it, what are these students wasting their time writing it for? Jeez.
So, if that bottle of I Hate Humanity has anything left in it, mind passing it my way for a swig?
Janine: History’s Greatest Monster
5 May 2012 at 9:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Esteleth, no need to apologize. I feel fortunate that the adults around me sought professional help for me, not sunday school.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
5 May 2012 at 9:19 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Janine,
My parents did seek professional help for me. Unfortunately, I grew up in Jesusville.
And people apparently ask my siblings why I refuse the friends requests on FB of the people who bullied me in high school. Or why I never come “home.”
Fuckers.
Bill Dauphin, avec fromage
5 May 2012 at 9:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Who wants to read a dissertation on Historical Black Midwifery?
<Raises Hand>
SRSLY, to whom does that not sound like a rich and intriguing subject? I haven’t clicked through to Riley’s article, but from the title, I thought she would be on about the quality of the writing or research. Turns out she’s just rejecting a whole field of study out of hand based on the titles of dissertations she hasn’t even read? Fuck that shit!
***
Hugs to PTI and Esteleth, as desired.
***
Gotta go finish cleaning the oven now….
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
5 May 2012 at 9:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Random non-depressing aside: can anyone tell me what the everloving fuck is going on here?
Bill Dauphin, avec fromage
5 May 2012 at 9:38 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Arrgh! Now I have read Riley’s piece, and… actually, I had a bitter little bit of snark in mind here, riffing on a couple of my previous comments, but it dawns on me that, owing to a couple other recent comments, the timing would be seriously off, so I’ll just have to make do with…
ARRGH!!!!
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
5 May 2012 at 9:40 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Bill, go ahead. I read the CHE thing, and it is so WTF-ery that go ahead and spew.
*sips tea*
*makes popcorn*
Janine: History’s Greatest Monster
5 May 2012 at 9:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Once more, I feel fortunate. Some of my ancestry is from the southern US, I was neither born nor raised there. The suburban Chicago area is relatively secular.
Brownian
5 May 2012 at 9:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Well, you know right wingers. If it was titled, “Midwifery in a time when racism existed, not like now when it’s all solved” I’m sure it’d be a best seller.
Yes. Threadrupt, but hugs to all who want/need them.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
5 May 2012 at 9:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Suburban Chicago?
I grew up Downstate. Like, very Downstate. If you’ve ever driven down 57…
Janine: History’s Greatest Monster
5 May 2012 at 9:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Esteleth, I lived in Galesburg for four years. I have some idea. But most people in Illinois know that there is a huge difference between Chicagoland and the rest of the state.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
5 May 2012 at 9:52 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
My hometown’s biggest landmark is the largest cross in the continental US.
198 feet tall. White fiberglass. Lit 24/7.
Originally it was going to be 200 feet, but then someone said that at 200 feet, it must be registered with the FAA. Enter libertarians, because OMG the gubmint will do something bad.
dianne
5 May 2012 at 9:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Finally, since this is a blog about academia and not journalism, I’ll forgive the commenters for not understanding that it is not my job to read entire dissertations before I write a 500-word piece about them.
Wow. That’s practically a tenure breaking level of stupidity. Hope someone on her promotions committee takes note. It is absolutely an academic’s job to read the entire dissertation before making any public comment on it.
Janine: History’s Greatest Monster
5 May 2012 at 9:59 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
198 ft cross?
Ugh.
Esteleth, have I said I am feeling fortunate?
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
5 May 2012 at 10:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Tell me, Janine, have you seen that fucker in person? Or did you just type “198 foot cross Downstate IL” into google?
Hekuni Cat
5 May 2012 at 10:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Esteleth and PTI, *hugs*
dianne
5 May 2012 at 10:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Am I the only one who looks at that 198 foot tall cross and worries that it is about to fall on someone? It looks tilted.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
5 May 2012 at 10:04 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Dianne, perversely enough, the pfft has a better picture of the monstrosity than its official website.
And no, it doesn’t tilt. There is a billboard advertising a porn shack next to it.
Janine: History’s Greatest Monster
5 May 2012 at 10:06 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I have not been through Effingham in almost thirty years.
All I typed into google was “198 ft cross”.
Nutmeg
5 May 2012 at 10:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
No 198-foot crosses here, but we’ve got weird small-town statues. I’ve visited an alarming number of these.
*****
Saturday night data analysis! 1172 spreadsheet rows down, 47988 to go!
And that’s before I get to stats. I’m going to go cheer myself up with a microwaved smore.
thunk
5 May 2012 at 10:35 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Janine:
O_o I live in said area.
thunk
5 May 2012 at 10:40 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Nutmeg:
What sort of data analysis? And good luck on the stats!
STAAAAAAAAAATS! (as a quiz bowl friend would say)
John Morales
5 May 2012 at 10:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
thunk, you do know to what the adverb ‘relatively’ refers, no?
Rey Fox
5 May 2012 at 10:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Also, Wiki mentions that it is not the largest free-standing cross in America. And then I start thinking, “free-standing”? Does that category imply that there are taller crosses out there supported by guy wires?
Then I wonder why I’m not out drinking. Then I remember that it’s Cinco De Mayo.
thunk
5 May 2012 at 11:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
John: Yes, I do. My O_o was meant to imply that I live where Janine referred to.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
5 May 2012 at 11:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Rey Fox, “free-standing” probably is meant to be “not attached to a building.”
Nutmeg
5 May 2012 at 11:20 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Identifying genes. A large portion of the data is noise and repetitive crap. Hence the need for smores.
John Morales
5 May 2012 at 11:30 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
thunk, ah.
(I too have an issue with ambiguous over-terseness, at times)
thunk
5 May 2012 at 11:51 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Nutmeg: ah. *tosses some smores*
John Morales: ‘s fine.
chigau (副)
5 May 2012 at 11:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I caned the raspberries.
Caning the raspberries means putting on long sleeves, a hoody, a brimmed hat, trousers and diving into the mess with your clippers.
(have a fire going)
Cut out the dead stuff:
“you’re dead” *snip*
“you’re dead” *snip*
“you’re dead” *snip* oops
“you’re dead” *snip*
etc.
and Fire Good!
chigau (副)
6 May 2012 at 12:29 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Fine then.
Good night.
Cipher, OM
6 May 2012 at 12:48 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Bleh. I’m writing my term paper and part of it is how male Roman slaves used anti-slave slurs and social-status-centered threats to bond with each other. It’s actually really hard to talk about clearly.
Cipher, OM
6 May 2012 at 1:11 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m also feeling ill :( I had a setback yesterday and most of the past two days have been sucked into the black hole of trying to deal with it. I won’t go into detail here, just because I already posted about it on PET and don’t need to pour it out here too, but for now I’m just trying to cling really tightly to the fact that I was making real progress, I was feeling better, and I will get back to where I was. But bleh… it’s very frustrating to have this happen so soon after I was feeling so much better.
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Gynofascist in a Spiffy Hugo Boss Uniform
6 May 2012 at 1:29 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Kitty:
I’m glad I don’t like PopChips anyway. Also, this seems of a piece with Kutcher’s established douchebaggery.
Thunk, the reading of a well-wrought phrase, sentence, paragraph, essay, or book is a pleasure of life. I don’t know that it’s of the same calibre as the pleasures of eating, sex, or music, but many people would argue that it is.
Of similar importance, a well-wrought phrase, sentence, paragraph, essay, or book can change minds in a way that a grammatically functional but uninspiring phrase, sentence, paragraph, essay, or book cannot. This does not make the reader “shallow.” This is how human communication works, which is why advertising is a huge business.
Bill:
Even that’s not “wrong.” Redundancy features in numerous languages and dialects. The “at” is a common feature of AAVE, or at least some dialects thereof.
FWIW, when it comes to the grammatical arguments that have been hashed out in this thread, I tend to err on the side of formalism, only because that’s how I was taught.
Lynna, Rachel Maddow continues to earn my admiration.
Sailor: Once again, I am glad I’m not on Facebook.
Carlie, you shouldn’t feel bad for being the last straw in that FedEx guy’s career. Imagine if he’d forged the name of someone who’d ordered medication but didn’t want it left on their porch, stoop, etc., and then the medication was stolen. And the fact that he showed up a second time “with a letter of support he had written for himself, presumably from us, wanting us to sign it” does not speak well of him.
Cipher, sorry you’re feeling ill. Also, that bit about Roman slaves doesn’t sound hard to explain; it reminds me of oppressed minorities reclaiming slurs and of the “ball-busting” ethos of the locker room.
Cipher, OM
6 May 2012 at 1:31 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yeah :( It’s not actually hard to explain, it’s just kind of hard for me to talk about in any useful way. “Here. Here are some slaves who appear to be doing that. So… there ya go.”
kristinc, ~bitter and resigned~
6 May 2012 at 1:45 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
chigau: did you at least make the raspberries say “thank you sir, may I have another” in between goes?
kristinc, ~bitter and resigned~
6 May 2012 at 1:50 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I had to try to explain to someone, at Easter, why I would read the same book more than once. Did I forget what happened in it, she wanted to know. The book in question was I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. *headdesk headdesk headdesk* I wish I had thought to ask her if she only ever listened to the same piece of music once; even among complete idiots that should have gotten the point across.
Cipher: *usbtreats* Sorry you’re feeling poorly. The Roman slave behavior does sound familiar. And interesting.
McCthulhu - resentful that McHastur is taller.
6 May 2012 at 2:24 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Giant crosses and other displays of overt religiosity that aren’t Mediæval or Gothic = feckin’ creepy.
I can see people building these Brobdingnagian whack-offeries in ye olden days because of the lack of science libraries. What’s the official modern excuse?
Ichthyic
6 May 2012 at 3:18 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
National Geographic provides this instructional video on how to resolve conflicts:
Giliell, not to be confused with The Borg
6 May 2012 at 4:04 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Good morning
So far the “almost as good as antibiotics” stuff fails to show any effect. Sad, there were even what seems like legit studies to support it.
But I have new new cuffs
Cipher, OM
6 May 2012 at 4:11 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Teehee. Not quite what I was expecting based on that description. But very pretty!
opposablethumbs
6 May 2012 at 8:45 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Get-better wishes to Cipher. Otherwise a bit ‘rupt.
Sili
6 May 2012 at 9:35 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Is this just badly written, or does she really mean to say that academics just browse the headlines, while journalists read for comprehension?
Have she been hit with the bizarro-ray? (I know that’s not the name, but I’ve just spent ten minutes unsuccessfully trying to track down the origin story of Bizarro, so deal.)
Sili
6 May 2012 at 9:44 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
How embarrassing. I’m not a re-reader, myself. I guess I just don’t have what it takes to appreciate art.
I’ve only re-read Agatha Christie – because I did indeed forget I’d read the stories before.
Oh – and textbooks for reference.
–o–
I think we’ve just found the explanation for what 800 ft Jesus never returned.
Rev. BigDumbChimp
6 May 2012 at 9:45 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Newt Ginghrich and Michelle Bachmann on Face the nation.
The egotistic asshole and stupidity level is through the roof.
carlie
6 May 2012 at 9:56 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sili – I read it as exactly the opposite, that she’s saying since this is an academic blog, everyone criticizing her is an academic who doesn’t understand the way journalists work. See. academics might expect a person to actually read something before commenting on it, but she’s a journalist, and of course they don’t go and do research before writing articles. Who would bother doing research just to bang out 500 words? Sheesh.
Antiochus Epiphanes
6 May 2012 at 10:15 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
If Jesus did return, he might find an 800 foot cross triggering.
Markita Lynda—damn climate change!
6 May 2012 at 10:21 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Recently someone erected the world’s ugliest cross near a highway in Mississauga, a suburb of Toronto. It’s made from giant industrial pipes and looks like a prime target for lightning strikes. The church appears to be an independent one-man show. I wonder if or how they got zoning permission. It looms over the surrounding houses and is lighted by spotlights at night.
Antiochus Epiphanes
6 May 2012 at 10:50 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Not for nothing but I have been through Effingham many times.
It is Effing Awesome.
Giliell, not to be confused with The Borg
6 May 2012 at 10:58 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Urgh, I just tore a muscle in my butt I didn’t even know I had. And no, not even from some tantric Kamasutra totes exiting sex, no, from simply floor-sweeping.
Tsss…
Also, I hate this fucking princess stuff.
Yes, I know I repeat myself. The latest trigger? #1 is unhappy about her haircolour. It’s not “yellow” like that of fairies and princesses. Well, thank you Disney and Princess Lillyfee, you’ve managed to give a beautiful, healthy 4yo (they’re all beautiful) body image issues. Fuck you.
Esteleth, Who is Totally Not a Dog or Ferret
6 May 2012 at 11:02 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I am reasonably certain that anyone who has driven through the Midwest have been through Effingham.
Not for nothing is it located at the crossing of the road that goes from Baltimore/Washington to Salt Lake City and the one that goes from Chicago to New Orleans.
There is a shitton of traffic of all varieties going through that town. It has one of the largest police departments in the state, and its not because the populace is paranoid (though they are)
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Gynofascist in a Spiffy Hugo Boss Uniform
6 May 2012 at 11:11 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Kristinc:
I LOL’ed.
I also thought about a friend who does “Gorean cooking,” speaking the parts of the foodstuffs:
“I am free cream, and I shall not be whipped!”
“You are cream, and it is in your nature to be whipped.” ***whirrr***
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
6 May 2012 at 11:16 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Brownian:
Actually sounds pretty freaking fascinating to me. But what the hell do I know? I’m just some east coast, elitist, liberal feminazi or some shit.
Giliell:
*speechless!*
It’s not just pink, it’s blonde, too? That’s… terrible.
Anyway, since I have started to feel like a real human being lately, today I’m going to start getting the nursery in order. In other words, I’m cleaning all of the crap out and scrubbing down everything. My landlord gave me permission to paint that room (which is now buttery yellow), so I’m going to get some paint samples (I’m aiming for a pale sea foam green) and order some dinosaur stencils for the walls.
Markita Lynda—damn climate change!
6 May 2012 at 11:45 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
When I was a wary and lonely 5-year-old, I thought that if I were blond I’d be popular. I used to draw pictures of myself with floor-length blond hair.
Markita Lynda—damn climate change!
6 May 2012 at 11:46 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Where’s Brother Ogvorbis?
Just read in Scientific American that stress reduces brain activity in our prefrontal lobe, where we’re most rational and controlled, and gives free rein to our more primitive areas where cravings, addictive behaviour, panic, and emotion hold sway. Our minds go blank at the critical moment. We revert to smoking, eat junk food, drink too much, go on spending sprees.
Two generic drugs that are used for blood pressure, prazosin and guanfacine, seem to help inhibit the stress reaction. Prazosin is being tested on people with PTSD and guanfacine helps to keep people from taking up smoking again. Also, meditation, deep, slow breathing, and relaxation exercises have been shown to help. (Sci. Am., April 2012, “This is your brain on meltdown”)
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
6 May 2012 at 11:50 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Markita:
He said that he was taking a break a few days (?) ago.
Brother Ogvorbis: Advanced Accolyte of Tpyos
6 May 2012 at 12:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m sorta here.
I caught myself managing to be sexist, homophobic and fat shaming in one comment on TET.
I’m still reading, but trying real hard to only comment when I actually have something useful to add.
Don’t know if it’ll work or not.
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
6 May 2012 at 12:09 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oggie:
You know that a bunch of us don’t want you to leave, right?
I mean, you’ve gotta do what is right for you, but I just don’t want you to think that we’re pushing you out of here.
Giliell, not to be confused with The Borg
6 May 2012 at 12:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Of course!
Didn’t you know, you can’t be a real fairy or princess unless you’re lily-white and blonde.
Makes me angry when I hear my daughter say it, but it breaks my heart when I see her kindergarten friend whose dad is Afro-American paint herself and her sister with apricot skin and blonde hair. It must be so hard and confusing for her being more or less the only non-white people she knows (her parents are divorced so she doesn’t even see her father much) living in a culture where white is the absolute default (and I somehow doubt that her mother is very aware of that problem)
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
6 May 2012 at 12:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Giliell:
Yeah, I guess I just never thought of it that way. When I was growing up (the dark days of the 80s), there just wasn’t the same amount of princess crap floating around. Of course, the standards of beauty weren’t that much different than they are now, it just didn’t seem to be targeted at girls that young.
I could always be wrong– my mom did a pretty damned good job of raising my sisters and me without all of those pressures.
God, that is terrible.
carlie
6 May 2012 at 12:45 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I mowed the laaaaaaawn! It’s finally warm enough to mow the lawn!
Of course, it’s kid of overly warm. We somehow didn’t have the nice go outside but it’s not too hot spring weather at all. Again.
I have driven past the effin’ big Effingham cross dozens of times. It is indeed effin’ big. It is only three hours away from the world’s largest candle in one direction, and three hours the other direction to the world’s largest rocking chair.
Louis
6 May 2012 at 12:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ogvorbis,
You’ve caught yourself being sexist, fat shaming and homophobic in one comment? That’s a high bar to pass! Don’t worry. I still love ya! I do all those things before breakfast!
The trick is not to not do them absolutely, no one is perfect. The trick is to not do them as far as you possibly can. Anyone who knows your from here knows that you are hardly some unrepentant bigot. If you fuck up, you fuck up. Hell I fuck up all the time, what the hell lets you off the hook? ;-)
If it helps, I didn’t notice your comment. Mind you, I haven’t noticed much but the bottom of a gutter this last two days.
Anyway, this one time Caine called me a {insert worst possible slur of bigoted nature you can imagine here}. True story. Honest. She had to stop being a lesbian and everything.
{Runs and hides}
Louis
The Laughing Coyote (Canis Sativa)
6 May 2012 at 1:17 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Those are gorgeous, gilliel. What are they made of? Worked leather? I really love that gryphon.
Also sympathies on the princess crap. The ex ex’s kid is two, and I dread the day she starts worrying about her own appearance like that. Of course if she brings any of that to me, I’ll do my best to explain to her that we are all so much more than our external appearance, but I hope I do it right.
Sili
6 May 2012 at 1:22 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I know from bigotry; I’m rather a bigot myself. I’d say you’re in the clear.
But for that same reason it’s not my place to judge.
Better people than me have already given you the all-clear.
Cipher, OM
6 May 2012 at 1:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I went from “just woke up my eyes are blurry blehhh” to “:D!” in the two seconds it took me to read and understand that.
Owlmirror
6 May 2012 at 1:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This is for David Marjanović, and Ogvorbis, and anyone else who occasionally “experiments” with “casual” palaeontology. Sure, you’re (mostly) adults. You think you can handle it.
But think of the children…!!
http://theradula.blogspot.com/2012/05/know-signs.html
“I’m not angry, I just want to know where you got those temnospondyl monographs.”
The Laughing Coyote (Canis Sativa)
6 May 2012 at 1:52 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Fuck do I ever get sick of christians carefully christsplainin to me that if you ‘Discern through the Holy Spirit,’ black is actually white, up is down, and god telling people to stone their disobedient children to death and forcing rape victims to marry their rapists is actually just another sign of his holy everlasting and eternal love.
Fucking pukesome.
Part-Time Insomniac, Zombie Porcupine Nox Arcana Fan
6 May 2012 at 1:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’d suggest massive doses of Belle and Tiana, Gillel, but I’m not sure the latter is yet considered a “Disney Princess.” I dunno, is Mulan considered a princess? Still, she saved a whole country and didn’t even have to wear full makeup to do so.
————————————————-
I admit it, I watched one ep of MLP:FIM purely for the Benny Hill reference. It was a nice way to waste some time, but I don’t think the show’s gonna hold my attention.
A. R
6 May 2012 at 2:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Migraine gone! Now to finish the literature review I’ve been putting off for the last year.
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
6 May 2012 at 2:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
GAH!
So, my brother-in-law found some dinosaur wall decals for the nursery* and I couldn’t help but notice the description:
*headdesk* *headdesk* *headddesk*
Dinosaurs are the exclusive property of boys now? Jesus Christ, I am already so sick of this shit and I haven’t even spawned yet!
*He works in a paint store. :)
David Marjanović
6 May 2012 at 2:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Awesome awesome awesome! And that really is a (cast of a) Heterodontosaurus skull! Toothy goodness!
Alas, there are very few monographs on any temnospondyls.
carlie
6 May 2012 at 2:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Audley – argh! I sent them a note on their contact form telling them it made me sad.
ibyea
6 May 2012 at 2:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hollande wins French election!!: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/05/201256172746159731.html
Brother Ogvorbis: Advanced Accolyte of Tpyos
6 May 2012 at 2:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[humour]
Well, c’mon, doctor, it’s not like temnospondyls are anything exciting like dinosaurs, right? It it’s not a dino (or pterosaur, or one of the seagoing reptiles, or a mammoth (which (in popular culture) are all dinosaurs)) there’s no point in studying them, right?
[/humour]
(I have actually found myself far more interested in the radiation of archosaurs post P/T extinction event and the ‘birth’ of the dinosaur clade than I am in dinosaurs themselves. The Triassic was bizarroland for land vertebrates.)
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
6 May 2012 at 2:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Carlie:
I hadn’t even thought of that. I think I’ll do the same thing, but after I’ve calmed down enough not to include too many swears.
Brother Ogvorbis: Advanced Accolyte of Tpyos
6 May 2012 at 2:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Two predictions:
1: a Faux News freakout over a socialist ousting an
assholeconservative.2: Romney campaign adverts linking the center-right Obama with the Socialist Hollande.
Anyone want to give me odds?
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
6 May 2012 at 3:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oggie:
3: Fox “Newz” ignores the entire election, ‘cos who the hell cares about France, anyway?
Brother Ogvorbis: Advanced Accolyte of Tpyos
6 May 2012 at 3:08 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
They sure as hell cared during the runup to Gulf War Redux! When the French pointed out that there was very little evidence (and none of that was good) showing that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, Faux News freaked out. Remember the US Congress changing from French fries to freedom fries to punish the awful Frogs?
Sili
6 May 2012 at 3:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This Yale New Testament course is pretty good. At least after hearing Mark Goodacre’s and others’ non-standard interpretations – it allows me shout “No-o-o-o!” on occasion. (Actually I’ve only just gotten to Matthew so I don’t know what’s gonna be said about Q.)
He does have a slightly non-standard view on the dating on Mark though. He leans towards it predating the destruction of the Temple – but of course only just. And he suggests it’s written in Galilee, which certainly is news to me.
Giliell, not to be confused with The Borg
6 May 2012 at 3:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh yes, they’re part of the Princess Emporium, together with Pocahontas, but they’re kind of the ugly little cousins the real princesses have to take to the ball with them or mummy won’t let them go either.
Yeah, I think that Mulan might be good, especially #2. And I’ve thought about Shrek, too. Fiona kicks ass. Oh, and I’ve just watched Hoodwinked, I really have to get that on DVD.
BTW, Disney managed to lighten Pocahonta’s skin noticably in their latest edition of the doll.
Audley
I’d include a note that you had considered buying them but will now look for some dinosaurs that could decorate a girl’s room, too.
TLC
It’s embroidered leather.
Got the idea from Urban Threads and I’m now making a bunch of them for my shop and as presents. Finally something to do with the leather I bought some time ago because, hey, it’s LEATHER!
Ogvorbis
You know what’s the real deal? You noticed that you fucked up. That makes you better than probably 99% of people, so give yourself a rest and delight us with fire-stories.
Pleaaaaase.
Dr. Audley Z. Darkheart, liar and scoundrel
6 May 2012 at 3:16 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oggie:
Ha ha, yes! But just in the Congressional cafeteria or whatever.
Still, that was a case of the French doing something blatantly distasteful directly to the US, unlike their elections, which don’t really impact us (immediately, anyway. Foreign policy-wise it will be a different story). Plus, I wouldn’t want to try to explain the French election system to the average Fox viewer.
“Why they got so many danged elections, Jethro?”
Brother Ogvorbis: Advanced Accolyte of Tpyos
6 May 2012 at 3:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
It still pisses me off, and, more to the point, scares me, that I let that through.
I go on vacation in one hour. Off to visit Wife’s family in Florida for a week.
You have a warped idea of ‘delight’.
Hell, they can’t even explain the US electoral process to the average Faux viewer. They consistently conflate the idea of voter fraud and registration fraud. They pretend voter suppression does not exist. They hire ‘news consultants’ so they can run for public office. And they can’t figure out why African American and Latino voters are allowed to vote.
cm's changeable moniker
6 May 2012 at 3:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Two swallows and a swift! It’s summer!
Too bad no-one told the weather (cold, grey, damp).
[Insert joke about English summer here.]
Brother Ogvorbis: Advanced Accolyte of Tpyos
6 May 2012 at 3:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Those are not jokes.
birgerjohansson
6 May 2012 at 4:03 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Estelleh
““Don’t you know who I am”
In the Discworld novels, commander Sam Vimes of the City Watch teaches the new watchmen that the appropriate response is “yes, you’re nicked”!
Rorschach, there were once. Mao presumably had them all shot.
Pteryxx
6 May 2012 at 4:04 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
IIRC, there’s a burger joint off I-30 that still lists Freedom Fries on their menu. Here in Texas, of course.
opposablethumbs
6 May 2012 at 4:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
fwiw, Bro Og, you’re one of my favouritest people on here (irrelevant, but I felt like saying so)
and mainly
you caught it practically before the pixels were dry on the screen. Which is a hell of a lot more than most of us do.
Also, have a good holiday and come back thoroughly r&r’d
KG
6 May 2012 at 4:26 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
My guess is that Obama won’t even be willing to meet Hollande until after 6 November. After that, of course, it may be of no interest to Hollande to meet Obama.
The Greek election looks like producing completely chaos – it’s possible no party will get more than 20%. Currently the centre right New Democracy Party are leading with just over 20% (down from 33%), a new left coalition, Syriza, second with just over 15%, PASOK (the so-called socialists) third with about 14% (down from 43%), and a new anti-bailout centre-right party fourth. Alarmingly, the neo-Nazi* Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn) look like getting into Parliament with around 7%.
* No, that’s not an exaggeration. Take a look at the symbol on their flag, and read the violent rhetoric.
feralboy12
6 May 2012 at 4:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
“Would you like some liberty cabbage* with those fries?”
feralboy12
6 May 2012 at 4:33 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*aka sauerkraut, WWI era.
Grumps
6 May 2012 at 4:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Just in case anyone’s interested Tim Minchin was on the BBC’s Desert Island Discs this morning
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01h2kvd/Desert_Island_Discs_Tim_Minchin/
available everywhere I think.
Rey Fox
6 May 2012 at 4:37 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Pink dinosaurs with bows on their heads? *runs*
Grumps
6 May 2012 at 4:40 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
It doesn’t start until about 2 minutes 35 seconds in, before that you have the end of The Archers, but as a fan of the longest running soap in the world I can recommend that too.
Giliell, not to be confused with The Borg
6 May 2012 at 4:59 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yes, watching European politicians trying to “line up” with their American “counterparts” is always a bit amusing.
Because if you talk about politics, Merkel, Sarkozy and Obama should get along like a house on fire, yet they still have to pretend that somehow they have differences and that Obama should be more friends with Hollande of German Social Democrats.
Brother Ogvorbis
Have a good holiday!
Can you outrun a velociraptor?
ibyea
6 May 2012 at 5:08 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@KG
On Greek election: Oh no, I hate it when fascists take advantage of economic chaos. People are so panicky that they are willing to go for anything.
Sili
6 May 2012 at 5:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ask, and ye shall receive.