Limping on home


Alas, this is my very last day in Iceland. I’m packing up and cleaning up, and heading off to the airport this afternoon, then flying for 6 hours. I estimate that I’ll get home about 10pm Central time, when I will flop into bed and may not move for a long, long time.

You know what that means: the blog will be neglected even more than it has lately. Behave yourselves! I don’t want to get home to find beer spilled all over the carpet and bras dangling from the ceiling fan. If you’ve left bloody creationist entrails all over the place…well, that’s OK. I’ll clean those up when I get home.

Also when I get home, I’ll be putting up the much-delayed Carnival of Evolution. It’s been delayed because Iceland happened, and I’ve been terribly distracted by marvels of nature. Sadly, my laptop also seems to be dying a death of paroxymal seizures — I’m hoping to be able to diagnose it and fix it when I get home, and barring that, I’ll be able to use one of the other laptops at home, but right now I’m limited to the iPad, which isn’t so great for longer writing projects.

So, epic foreign saga time is almost over, look for Pharyngula to be back to its old self Monday morning.

Comments

  1. Ichthyic says

    I’m limited to the iPad, which isn’t so great for longer writing projects.

    yup.

    that’s why I went with an Asus Transformer.

    keyboard docking for the win.

  2. gazda says

    I hope you managed to visit the city of Husavik as well. Their Phallological Museum would sure be a nice addition in the US. Preferrably next to the Creation museum…

  3. Olav says

    I do not have an iPad, so forgive my ignorance: can’t you just plug a keyboard into one? Or perhaps even use a Bluetooth keyboard?

  4. Ichthyic says

    Or perhaps even use a Bluetooth keyboard?

    bluetooth works, but it eats the battery.

  5. says

    I didn’t bring my portable keyboard. 2½ weeks of living out of a suitcase demands stringent self-restrictions on what I could carry.

  6. 'Tis Himself says

    2½ weeks of living out of a suitcase

    As an economist, I feel obligated to give you some advice. If you were prompt with your mortgage or rent payments, you could continue to live at home.

    No thanks required, I’m pleased to explain how the economy works to you sciency people.

  7. says

    Yeah, in the current climate, you’re more likely to find heaps of MRA and slimepit denizen entrails than creationist entrails. And it isn’t over yet.

  8. says

    hyperdeath,

    the environment here is self-correcting, which is why the slimepitters can’t get a foot in. So I wouldn’t worry about them too much. I’m more worried about self-proclaimed allies on FtB who turn out to be censors and liars and hypocrites.

  9. says

    Creationists aren’t the problem. The problem is that the slimepit has started to metastatise into parts of FTB.

    Have no fear. I’m sure by now they’re absorbed in reading about William Lane Craig.

  10. says

    Have no fear. I’m sure by now they’re absorbed in reading about William Lane Craig.

    I see you’ve been over at Hallquist’s place. That new post of his makes me laugh, cry and vomit all at the same time.

  11. says

    I see you’ve been over at Hallquist’s place. That new post of his makes me laugh, cry and vomit all at the same time.

    My response was exactly the same. I went with the laughter.

  12. flatlander100 says

    On neglecting Pharyangula: I’m sad to note that on several recent occasions you have allowed life to interfere with blogging. Get a grip, man! Priorties!

  13. julian says

    Speaking of Hallquist, did anyone else notice his weak-wristed defense of Miller and how he ignored every single cruel and entirely off the wall misogynistic thing said about Watson? Is that just the level we’ve gotten to? Where anything and everything is expected to be said of Watson so no one bats an eye lash?

  14. Ogvorbis says

    did anyone else notice his weak-wristed defense

    Using homosexuality as an insult is not appropriate. The English language is rich with possibilities for insults — why use gendered or anit-gay insults when there are good ones out there?

  15. julian says

    Weak-wristed is an anti-gay insult?

    Sorry that’s the first I’ve heard of that.

  16. Ogvorbis says

    I may have phrased that poorly. It claims that the person to whom you refer is gay and is using that implication as an insult. ‘Weak-wristed’ is right up there with swinging hips, a lisp, and probably some other stereotypes that have been used for, in some cases, hundreds of years in terms of a main-stream association with male homosexuality. Sorry I was unclear.

  17. says

    Well, it pinged my radar, and I found this:

    And here’s what [Michael] Savage wrote about the post-election fiasco in Florida two and a half years ago: ” Were the ballot machines homophobic because some weak-wristed types had insufficient strength to press hard enough to register a vote? (This coming as close to them making anything pregnant for as long as they live.) “

    Like “limp-wristed,” should be avoided.

    ***

    Is that just the level we’ve gotten to? Where anything and everything is expected to be said of Watson so no one bats an eye lash?

    What’s most aggravating is Orac‘s ignorantly throwing in there to support the “too much invective from both sides and everyone should tone it down” nonsense and to suggest that there’s “probably” been more aimed at Watson than Grothe. Apparently, I can still be disappointed.

  18. old man jenkins ॐ says

    Have no fear. I’m sure by now they’re absorbed in reading about William Lane Craig.

    lol

    I clicked on his post about Judith Jarvis Thomson’s violinist — which he said he was quite proud of! — and wondered why he didn’t just save himself the trouble by linking to old Pharyngula comment threads.

  19. says

    julian, don’t you know that’s not a reasonable response? Where’s the “I didn’t know so it wasn’t my intent and therefore it can’t be an insult”? Where’s the “How dare you call me a raging homophobe!”? Where’s the “Language police! What are people gonna be banned from saying next?”? Where’s the “We use it down at the pub all the time, and no gay guys seem to mind”? Where’s the “Show me the dictionary entries that say it always has that connotation”?…

    :)

  20. Ogvorbis says

    My mistake. I honestly had no idea it had that connotation.

    No problem. I understand. I have lost track of the number of things I have learned (and then forgotten and learned again) hanging around Pharyngula.

    By the way, your correct response should have been:

    No it isn’t because I don’t use it that way. All my friends use it and it isn’t even a reference to homosexuls no how! Here’s a carefully cherry-picked definition of the phrase and see, it just means weak and effeminate, not gay so you are like a hive mind of hyper political correctitude and a big meany!

    Phhhfftt! :)

  21. objdart says

    Not to derail things too much, but Icthyic, how do you like the asus transform?

  22. says

    PZ was a great guest, we really showed him a lot in the time he was here and I’m sure a good long sleep is needed. Also being daylight out at midnight didn’t help his sleep schedule.

  23. Rip Steakface says

    Huh, I never knew that “weak-wristed” had an anti-gay connotation either. I know that limp-wristed did, but never equated the two. I will avoid weak-wristed in the future.

    Honestly, the first thing that comes to mind for me is a bad percussionist, since wrists and fingers are the things that need to have the strongest muscles if you’re going to be a good percussionist. However, as stated, I’m striking that from my dictionary.

  24. dano says

    I will pray for a safe journey home for you and your friends PZ. Sorry that’s just how I roll. On a side not weak wristed is not a very common phrase in MN (as PZ can attest to) but makes perfect sense when you think of the phrase he is “limp wristed”. I don’t use the latter but have heard it many times before in a bar setting.

  25. Evader, the parasite-infested branch on the evolutionary tree says

    Hehe @ #11

    Don’t worry, I know I’m stupid. That doesn’t mean that I like that, but as they say “Take thy due place”.

  26. tccc says

    As long as we are talking gendered or orientation based insults, could some please explain to me why ‘douche’ and its variations are not considered gender based?

    To me douche and its variations when used as an insult are clearly gender related and are based on the idea that a women’s genitals are dirty and disgusting.

    Could someone please explain to me why this word and its kin are given a free pass but other equally gender based insults are not?

  27. Usernames are stupid says

    To me douche and its variations when used as an insult are clearly gender related and are based on the idea that a women’s genitals are dirty and disgusting.

    A douche can be used to clean any orifice or body part. It is not simply water, but can contain medicine/drugs. Men can use douches as well.

    A medicated enema would fall into this category. And we all know how rectums are dirty and disgusting, right?

  28. chigau (違う) says

    tccc
    Vaginal douching is, at best, completely useless; at worst, actively harmful to the women who use it.
    Calling someone a douche is calling them useless or actively harmful.

  29. Ichthyic says

    Not here, though. Those liars will be expunged if they show either of their faces here.

    we do have a very irritating Zombie that needs to be put in the Pen though.

  30. Cipher, OM, MQ says

    tccc, basically, what chigau said, but here’s a more detailed explanation if you want, courtesy of Caine:

    Douching was a male idea and invention, and for generations, women were told that of course, they must douche, otherwise it was icky for the men. Douching is physically dangerous and it’s absolutely unnecessary.

    Douching was a terribly anti-woman practice designed to make women feel ashamed about their natural body odor. Repeated douching can wash away the lining of the uterus, making it not just pointless but dangerous. Douching can lead to infections and increases the risk of ectopic pregnancies and pelvic inflammatory disease.

    Douche and douchebag make very fitting insults in certain situations. Think about it.

  31. ibbica says

    [ / lurking ]

    @8, 10, 11…

    Well, on the one hand, this whole recent kerfuffle has allowed me to whittle down my ‘blogs I should read regularly’ list substantially. I get enough of this sort of crap* in my daily life, I don’t have the energy or patience to fight it online too (but I applaud and thank those who do!). Given the availability of a few spaces where I feel safe and welcome, yeah, I’ll choose those for my free time, tyvm.

    Here’s hoping your flight is/was uneventful, PZ! :)

    (*apologists, and deniers, and clueless bumbling idiots, and the willfully ignorant, and unchecked trolls. Just so we’re clear.)

    [ lurking ]

  32. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    I will pray for a safe journey home for you and your friends PZ.

    Why bother? Your deity doesn’t exist in the first place, prayer doesn’t work in the second, and those words are an insult to atheists in the third. If you meant it to be nice, it failed utterly and totally. What a delusional unthinking loser.

  33. Agent Silversmith, Feathered Patella Association says

    I will pray for a safe journey home for you and your friends PZ. Sorry that’s just how I roll.

    That’s a tic worth overcoming.

  34. benedic says

    Gazda 3
    The Museum which would look well in Washington DC at Husavik, when you studied at it, has moved to, but not yet opened in, Reykjavik