Damn, PZ, are you spying on me? The last 3 or 4 videos at the top of TET were all videos I had just watched on Youtube. What are you, some kind of mind reader?
I got an A in my grad class. However, my paper… does not seem to have gone terribly well. There was an email from the professor to the whole class in which a lot of things I know I did right were covered, but the one very significant mistake I appear to have made… was extremely important to my paper.
Well that teensy little gas bag just isn’t going to provide nearly enough lift to get you off the ground. I like steampunk as much as anybody, but could we please stay within the realm of the plausible?
Also, space is a vacuum, so the lasers wouldn’t go “pew! pew! pew!”
Doctorzoom: I also read somewhere that since there are no air molecules in space to reflect light, the lasers wouldn’t be visible unless you were looking directly into them.
Apologies if I mangled the shit out of this explanation. Physics isn’t exactly my bag.
Ing: Also, remember that lasers only cause explosions if they hit an explosive substance. (Also, is there magnetic containment on your plasma, or is it naked?)
Totally off topic but Facebook has just unilaterally changed users’ email addresses, I think this a totally unwarranted and authoritarian disregard for our basic human rights and an intolerable intrusion of our privacy (whatever the terms and conditions say).
Personally, I feel like withdrawing from Facebook altogether, but instead I’m going to use my account to do as much damage as possible to Facebook, and I hope it will collapse.
I will invite friends to invite friends to spread the word: make Facebook About Face or Perish.
I’m inviting pharyngulites to consider following a similar course of action.
Well, if I remember my Star Wars physics, their laser weapons are actually lasers. And they don’t cause explosions, they just burn holes. Which is accurate, tbh. Exploding happens when fuel tanks/oxygen reservoirs/engines get holes poked through them.
The other major weapon in SW-verse is the so-called “ion cannon,” which is apparently just a directed EMP.
Doctorzoom: I also read somewhere that since there are no air molecules in space to reflect light, the lasers wouldn’t be visible unless you were looking directly into them.
In the latter case, they wouldn’t be visible for long. Hence the warning notice you’ll see in numerous labs: “do not look into laser with remaining eye”.
A.R., I’m not sure (can look at Wookiepedia <-yes that's the name of the SW wiki), but I do think that the stuff in guns/rifles is simply a smaller version of the big cannons.
There are references to plasma bombs – they're treated with the sort of reverent horror as nukes are in our culture – and they are carefully contrasted with their "conventional" weapons.
Hmm, they have something called a blaster, which fires some kind of particle beam, though they also make it seem like it’s a type of laser. They also have turbolasers which apparently are giant blasters, and laser cannons, which are also particle beam weapons. Thus Star Wars lasers are not true lasers, but something more like a Star Trek phaser.
Esteleth: Yeah, otherwise I would be totally clueless. I call the sword thingys giant burning light penises on occasion if that gives you an idea of how much I know about Star Wars.
Ing: Also, remember that lasers only cause explosions if they hit an explosive substance. (Also, is there magnetic containment on your plasma, or is it naked?)
If enough of the target were vaporized rapidly enough, it would expand explosively. The glowing fireballs Hollywood has taught us to expect from “explosions” are a different matter, though.
It’s basically a retcon-from-ignorant-filmmaker-mess. A small sample:
Blasters were a considerable improvement over the archaic laser design. Instead of a coherent beam of light, the blaster fired a compressed, focused, high-energy particle-beam that was very destructive, commonly referred to as a “bolt”. The composition and characteristics of the blaster bolt could vary depending on the means used to produce it.
The less common blaster was a plasma based design, like those used by the Grand Army of the Republic. Plasma-based blasters were effective against all targets, but even more so against droids because of the nature of plasma as a superheated, ionized gas. Droids were vulnerable to ion energy, so ion weapons are a natural choice against a droid army. This explained the use of the BlasTech DC-series in the Clone wars.
, I think this a totally unwarranted and authoritarian disregard for our basic human rights and an intolerable intrusion of our privacy (whatever the terms and conditions say).
“If you’re not paying for it, you’re not the customer, you’re the product.”
Way off topic, but Swedish diplomat Sverker Åström has died aged 96.
No non-Swedes (and quite few Swedes) knew about him, but he was essential for setting up the Stockholm international conference about pollution and the environment in 1972 (this was before international pledges regarding the environment were tagged anti-American).
He was quite a renaissance man, who translated Michelangelo’s love poems after learning Italian late in life.
Also, several members of the Swedish security police were convinced he must be a spy, because Burgess and MacLean were spies (If you are homosexual, you automatically become a spy, unless you are named J. Edgar Hoover).
Okay, I’ve seriously had enough of Thunderdouche. Have you seen how he’s ‘edited’ his original ‘MYSOGINIST’ post to mock Amy Roth, whose copyrighted material he used without permission. FUCK THIS GUY.
A HR dep trying to do something doesn’t mean a HR dep doing it right.
Indeed. From my own experience of HR departments, this would appear to be industry-standard practice for nerd productivity enhancement. Facebook is the exception: it’s not blocked because the HR people enjoy it too much themselves.
Corn: Grain corn is an incredibly useful commodity, and HFCS and corn starch aren’t the only products it is used for. But yes, corn shouldn’t be in everything I buy at the store.
Canned soup has HCFS in it now. Why?!!? Who sweetens beef and vegetable soup?!?? That aside, I’m pretty sure that corn makes a decent feedstock for making certain plastics.
Oh, I confess. I’ve been PZ’s sock puppet all along. All those heated debates back in my libertarian days? That was just me trying to get more pageviews by arguing with myself.
(I’m kidding. I’m not PZ. He could never fake the British accent.)
(But of course, PZ has an even bigger secret. Ever wondered how he’s able to write blog posts, hold down a full-time teaching job, and make thousands of comments on his own blog every day under hundreds of pseudonyms? He’s not human. He’s actually Marvin the android wearing a false beard. He thought it would be a good way to waste a few years while sitting around waiting for the universe to end.*)
A flying machine with a walkway on the outside?
Actually, Igor Sikorsky’s giant Russian aircraft of 1912 had a balcony to the rear of the passenger compartment where passengers could take a short stroll outside in mid-flight. Current airliners rarely offer this refinement.
— — — — — — —
Is there any name for fiction in a post-victorian technological setting?
You know, Art Noveau, the first pulp magazines, aircraft that have started using internal combustion engines (or very 1920s-looking isotope batteries) robots who no longer must rely on steam for locomotion et cetera.
I was super-active in it the other day and started a crapload of subthreads, but now I just don’t have the energy to keep up with it. Should I have even have posted anything if I didn’t have the dedication to keep going at it?
The term Steampunk is often expanded beyond the Victorian era to encompass the Edwardian period. After that it gets into Dieselpunk (think Skycaptain and the world of tomorrow). Art Nouveau stuff would probably still be considered Steampunk.
On the contrary, my dear Walton.
*gulps Black Velvet*
You coming to Rhinebeck?
Alas, I am an ocean away, and this year I have no money. :-( I should be able to come next year, though, if I manage to secure pupillage and hence actually have an income.
Not wanting to derail the Thunderfoot thread further, I hope it’s ok I blow off some steam here.
Why is it every fucking time some nitwit comes in with a gendered insult it’s the same fucking script:
Nitwit: [insert gendered slur based on names for sex organ here]!
Someone: please don’t say that [+explainations]
Nitwit: But in my area that doesn’t mean sex organ at all
Someone: yes it does, and anyway we don’t care for your ideosyncratic use
Nitwit: But..but… “gay” has changed meaning. Yes it has! That’s my get-out-of-jail-card!!!
Firstly, I’m not a native English speaker, but if I was to refer to “my [name for sex organ] – english-speaking people everywhere would take this as a reference to my sex organ. Even though e.g. “twat” would be seen as a bit quaint, I’m fairly certain it would be understood as an organ an not a person.
Secondly: why don’t people ever reflect on why [name for sex organ] is an insult if it doesn’t refer to said organ at all?
And finally (and possibly related): why can’t they see that “gay” is no relation at all (and on a side note, isn’t “gay” on the “be careful”-list for steeped-in-big-P-persons like me and (usually mr.) Nitwit?
That would explain the mass concentrations (mascons) under the lunar crust; P Z;s external hardware, linked telepathically to the organic avatar/ infiltration unit. The “beard” is a mass of antennae.
— — — — — — — —
So are any of you travelling to rural sites where you will have a chance to view the Perseid meteors ca. Aug 12th ?
— — — —
My cat is stoned on painkillers the vet provided to make it easier for him to urinate*, now he is leaning over the keyboard and purring.
*The blood samples showed no problems, he may have urinary tract inflammation, but since he has some temporary pain in the lower back it is possible that it simply hurts when he sits down in the litter box. Anyway he is peeing normally now that he got painkillers.
TLC: Port is always delicious (until it isn’t) so long as you always pass the decanter to the left and never let it touch the table. Because if you do, shit hits the fan.
I have a confession to make. I visited JT’s blog right now. And he… he gave link to livestreaming of kittens. *whimper*
Are 7 kittens enough to make me forget about all of his fails? Well, no, they aren’t. But they’re pretty damn close.
pentatomid,
Theropods; let’s reverse-engineer some emus. Those birds are already mean, if their vestigal wings were turned into proper arms and their beaks regained teeth you would have someting that would intimidate anything smaller than a lion.
— — — — — —
“pass the decanter to the left and never let it touch the table”
In the edwardian-era “Ripping Yarns” by the Monthy Python gang, passing the port to the right was cause for suicide by revolver helpfully provided by the other dinner guests.
This might be more pertinent for “Dispatches from the Culture Wars” but WTF.
“17 injured as lightning strikes Peace & Love music festival” http://www.thelocal.se/41668/20120626/
So you see, Yahweh has finally punished those hippie anti-American libruls… wait, it happened six time zones to the east of the US! Oh, well, nobody claims God is perfect.
I would like to state upfront that I’m so threadrupt that I need new qualifiers to describe quite how threadrupt I am.
I thought the promise of FREEDOM(TM) would mean I got more time to keep up with things, but it turns out that’s wrong. And I was late to the Thunderfoot party, so it took forever to catch up on that.
/excuses
I feel like I’m missing out on half this conversation, because I’ve never seen Star Wars. (I know. It’s on my to do, someday list, though.)
On the cute things front – everyone has already said all the cute things I would have said. Except possibly adorably awkward newborn baby antelopes, when they’re all legs and just trying to stand.
Remember – it’ ok (even encouraged) to skip I – III. (You can always watch them later if you develop a deep enthusiasm and/or a love for self-flagellation).
Marcus Brigstock presented a Radio 4 show of that name, and later a TV program.
It involved celebrities have to do things they had never done before, like read a book by Jane Austen, or see Hamlet, or listen to “Dark side of the Moon”.
I read a blogpost that – rather rightly – suggested a different order of viewing the films, that presents them as a coherent whole and nonetheless preserves the films as standalone pieces and keeps the Big Mucking Cliffhangers in place.
The order:
(1) A New Hope
(2) The Empire Strikes Back
(3) Attack of the Clones
(4) Revenge of the Sith
and
(5) Return of the Jedi.
(The Phantom Menace is optional to wach later)
That way, the progression works like this:
You meet Luke. He’s whiny, but meets all these people who tell him all these things. He becomes a soldier, the war goes on, plot plot plot.
Then!!!
Han gets frozen, Yoda drops his “There is another” line, and Luke gets the horror-shock of his life.
Now: go back in time 20-odd years. See the backstory.
Then: you are set for the dénouement of the whole story: how will Vader’s life end? What is the fate of the Skywalkers?
Marcus Brigstock presented a Radio 4 show of that name, and later a TV program.
I loved that (radio) show. I hope they’ll do more of it. I didn’t know there was a TV version, though.
Remember – it’s ok (even encouraged) to skip I – III
I keep hearing this – the more I hear it, the more I get that “is it *really* that bad? I guess I’ll have to find out for myself…” attitude. And I know that if I give in to these impulses, I’ll regret it, but even so…
Ing: Also, remember that lasers only cause explosions if they hit an explosive substance. (Also, is there magnetic containment on your plasma, or is it naked?)
Oh noted. Lasers are for cutting, not blowing up. I was leaning that save for some banks on ships the main use of them would be for defense grids.
As for the plasma; the aesthetic was that it would look like a fireball and have an approximate range before it disperse. While that would seem like a disadvantage to the weapon it’s chosen specifically for that quality (so not to hit something really really far away you don’t want to if you miss your target)
Thanks for the hugs and chocolate folks. But the fact they’re being proffered to me shows that I went too far. In my desire to share my sympathy with Katherine in a way that showed that I might have some faint, probably inaccurate, analogous understanding I made it too much about me. By way of mitigation I offer this platypup, it comes pre-squeeed.
Au contraire, mon cher Walton, au contraire ::polishes monocle::
@ thunk
A court in Germany has ruled that circumcising young boys for religious reasons amounts to bodily harm.
About bloody time! (and FGM was already illegal; I see the article doesn’t mention how successful they’ve been at actually eradicating it though). Still, a step in the right direction – and I love the reasoning –
the “fundamental right of the child to bodily integrity outweighed the fundamental rights of the parents”.
Circumcision, it decided, contravenes “interests of the child to decide later in life on his religious beliefs”.
Ing,
Like “set decoherence fo 500K km.” It would be cool if it was adjustable. Then cosmic baddie can disregard conventions in a “screw it, Imma blow all them hosers up!” kind of way, causing him to accidentally blow up the one thing he cared about. (trite Mike is trite. Maybe the first bit is useful anyway.)
Yeah part of the idea is that technology at that level can make weapons advanced enough to be doomsday weapons…so they actually have to consciously scale the effect back so it can be of actual use. ((Doomsday weapons to exist but only if you basically want to either pull a nuclear stand off by threatening use, or throw a hissy fit and destroy a target rather than take it))
Ing: Nice one with the plasma weapons. I can’t think of any story I’ve read with that sort of space weaponry short of OS Star Trek. Such a thing would present great opportunities for “Oh shit! All hands brace, brace, brace!” kinda scenes what with the visceral nature of an infernal fireball coming to eat your ship.
I was also wondering if your heavy water creatures would be in conflict with humans. Perhaps you addressed this before and I missed it, but if so, why would they bother with anything other than going full doomsday, or at least credibly threatening such?
TLC: You’re right. Some scifi “lasers” are actually particle beam weapons, which can emit their own light sans air particles.
Is that why Dr. Evil kept using finger quotes when talking about his laser?
The term Steampunk is often expanded beyond the Victorian era to encompass the Edwardian period. After that it gets into Dieselpunk (think Skycaptain and the world of tomorrow).
What about all the Cold War era mythologizing going on? Would that be Leaded Gasoline Punk? Perhaps International Style Punk? What The Punks Rebelled Against Punk?
The following is material from the ERV slimepit, please approach with caution:
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PZ Myers
25 June 2012 at 8:17 am
What? Who in their right mind sees the word “slimepit” and thinks “vagina”? If we called it “dungheap”, would they be speculating that it’s a reference to their penises?
Their associations are terribly revealing, I think.
Once again, Peezus reveals his obsession with our cocks and implies that his own might be a funny shape. I mean that ‘pit’ implies ‘vagina’ baffles him but ‘heap’ implies ‘penis’? Who the fuck has a ‘heap’ shaped penis?
Our associations Peezus? Keep your mind off my dick or I’m calling hotel security!
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In other news:
Ing: Yep, I love your plasma weapon idea. Rather like the plasma torpedoes the TOS Romulans had.
Esteleth: Hmm, considering I’ve never seen the films, I might watch them in that order.
So today was my last day at work. Rest of the week is vacation I got pressured into taking but fuck it. Turned in keys and everything and got the paper work to file my last grievance and harassment report. I almost didn’t because I might be long gone before anything is processed but the union asked me to for the sake of record for future employees so I sucked it up and did my duty rather than avoid teh dramalama. Still applying to jobs nothing yet. Getting really worried.
And here I thought PZ could do all of us sockpuppets because he cloned himself in 2002. Think about it. He’s a biologist. . . all those Biologists know all those Satanic Science things. He has a lab and students to help him. He clones himself and then the extras take on some of his speaking engagements and lecture duties, and other clones make comments here, keeping him free to hang out with The Trophy Wife™.
Epic Plan, except well, you can’t keep your mouth shut about these things, can we ?
I really cannot convey how odd I find it that the New York Sheep and Wool Festival (aka Rhinebeck) has become a Pharyngula Horde Event. It’s fabulous, and I’m grateful for everyone, but it’s really a bit odd.
I spent the entire day working on the front of my house, making it look a bit less like the rural poor Southern relatives’ yards. I’m exhausted, but SonSpawn has baked chocolate chip cookies.
Never watched Thunderd00d, and am now glad that I don’t have to. Also, hooray for Women in Secularism II – I’m adding it to the calendar NAO.
Gnumann:
Remember – it’ ok (even encouraged) to skip I – III. (You can always watch them later if you develop a deep enthusiasm and/or a love for self-flagellation).
Wow. The Oatmeal’s Operation BearLove Good, Cancer Bad has blown the fuck up. The lawyer for funnyjunk are suing to stop the money going to charity and his wife is calling Inman an internet Hilter. WTF? Yeah, this is totally like Hilter. *eyeroll*
I dislike that article’s use of tone trolling and hatred of insults in general. Plus they conveniently leave out the fact Inman has never asked people to harass the lawyer and has asked them to stop it. Inman telling them to fuck off is no excuse for going all Rambo against the charities, which made the internet turn their hatred onto the lawyer, instead of just on funnyjunk.
110
Part-Time Insomniac, Zombie Porcupine Nox Arcana Fan
I’m not sure what brought it on, but I had a dream last night that left me feeling a bit chilled when I woke.
As I do more often at night now that school’s over, I went online to game with my guildmates. I think there were only one or two names on the party list that belong to actual members IRL. Anyway, one party member asks another to pass the star so they can invite someone to join.
Then I got a tell that says (more or less), “Viy (my main character’s name), it’s gotten worse. We’re looking at mass extinction of life in the sea. And it’s for real, I just learned that every species of whale in the world is on the verge of nonexistence.” They even gave me a link to a video about it.
The last thing I saw before waking up was a video of a lone whale sounding. Let’s just say I’m now wondering if that sort of scenario really isn’t far off, and if it does happen, what’s going to happen to the rest of life on the planet.
The scare about my paper was, let’s say, misguided.
:D
(This is what my brain does to me: finds every opportunity to tell me I have done something wrong. I am getting better at recognizing that in general, but apparently not when it comes to Scary Territory like grad class work.)
(In related news: It is probably not a good idea to email my professor the following: “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”)
—
Well, work was pretty good today. More Zoe cuteness. She refused to go to the play area with the other small dogs because she wanted to loll about on the couch. So I let her loll about on the couch. A while later when I went to do the laundry near her she started staring at me and going Rhff. Rhff. Rhff. and hitting her front paws on the couch in my direction. This was because she wanted me to sit down, as far as I can tell. At least, when I did, she was all jumping on me and wagging her tail. It was pretty adorable.
—
After work I went to see my brother’s new apartment, which was large and surreal and very nice, and then got sad again for no reason. So that’s dumb. But other than that, nice day. :) I’m reading a Stephen King novel (11/22/63) and noting how different/impossible the book would have had to be if the protagonist wasn’t Mr. Straighty Abel McWhiterson. Next up: Eve Sedgwick. If anyone has other good academic basic feminist theory to recommend, or a semiotics 101-type discussion (preferably the sort of thing I can cite in papers), that would be good.
The last thing I saw before waking up was a video of a lone whale sounding. Let’s just say I’m now wondering if that sort of scenario really isn’t far off, and if it does happen, what’s going to happen to the rest of life on the planet.
Katherine @86:
Hugs, followed by chocolate, followed by puppies *and* kittens, and bacon (I hear it makes everything better)
Oh, and tiny mouse carrying baby mouse is adorable squared.
~~~
dianne:
Can we please go back to fighting religion again ?
No. It’s over. We won. Now we’re just fighting the insurgents that don’t realize the war is long since over. It’s really been over since people started putting lightening rods on churches.
Can I come live in that dream world…pretty please?
(with chocolate on top)
@Ing
My sympathies on the job and sick front. Hopefully you find something soon. I got my first callback in 2 months today, but I missed the call so I have to wait until tomorrow to get back to them.
And the reason I popped in just now, which I forgot during the previous two posts. I hope the fever goes down a bit soon.
I’m working on a blog post comparing various libertrolls from various blogs, with the aim of creating an index of tells for when they start JAQing off. I’d appreciate recommendations for good places to find such threadshitters. I’m already going through the recent Ron Paul thread here.
124
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
I think the idea of an in-depth analysis of libertarian trolls is a great idea (and I don’t think one of the Slimepitters would go amiss either, if anyone has the stomach to study the shit they say in any depth).
I usually just follow the three-times rule: If I find myself repeating something three times, that means that the person is not actually listening to me.
For instance:
Libertarian Troll: Why should I have to pay taxes so the evil government can give it to poor people in food stamps? We should let the free market decide!
Me: We give food stamps because we are, as a nation, (and obviously excluding you) not malicious assholes who like to watch people starve. The food stamp program also generates economic activity, above and beyond what it costs.
LT: Right, but why do I have to pay TAXES (which are totes theft) to the government to do that!? Charities! Free market!
Me: Uh, we do it through the government to ensure universality of access. I don’t want your church-based charity turning me away because I won’t listen to a sermon before they give me my sandwich. Also, like I said, we do it because it makes fiscal sense, and also because it’s the right fucking thing to do.
LT: (Cartman voice)But why my tax moneeeeeeeeey?!
Me:…*throws Libertarian Troll into a volcano*
125
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
The scare about my paper was, let’s say, misguided.
:D
Yay! So you have pretty much aced the year/course?!? ::confetti:: :-)
Um, might that mean you would consider letting Pharyngulite Horders read it? You remember I was thinking it sounded like a really interesting subject. And I was also wondering if you’d consider letting me show it to a Classics-student friend and her Classics-teacher girlfriend – with all your identifying information filed off by you first, of course. (I don’t know them irl but only as internet friends. The Classics-student is the one who has written fanfic in Latin; her Classics-teacher girlfriend (not her teacher; a teacher (which I mention only because if it were her own teacher that could be dodgy) aids and abets).
But ONLY if you are totally 100% completely ok with that, obviously, and if I am annoying-bothering-upsetting you or you have the least misgiving about it please say no and I will apologise sincerely and promise I won’t ask again.
I am multiply ‘rupt. Happy thoughts to all who need them, commiserations to those who need those, and metaphorical arse kickings for any lingering morons (although I don’t doubt that these have been adequately doled out by the usual folks).
Dry skin
Bad dinners like the one we went to last night
E-mail
Technology in general
My closet
Washing my hair
Bras
Funerals
Illness everywhere
Polls that show that 32 percent of the American people believe in creationism
Polls
Fox TV
The collapse of the dollar
Bar mitzvahs
Mammograms
Dead flowers
The sound of the vacuum cleaner
Bills
E-mail. I know I already said it, but I want to emphasize it.
Small print
Panels on Women in Film
Taking off makeup every night
What I Will Miss
My kids
Nick
Spring
Fall
Waffles
The concept of waffles
Bacon
A walk in the park
The idea of a walk in the park
The park
Shakespeare in the Park
The bed
Reading in bed
Fireworks
Laughs
The view out the window
Twinkle lights
Butter
Dinner at home just the two of us
Dinner with friends
Dinner with friends in cities where none of us lives
Paris
Next year in Istanbul
Pride and Prejudice
The Christmas tree
Thanksgiving dinner
One for the table
The dogwood
Taking a bath
Coming over the bridge to Manhattan
Pie
I am up to my eyeballs in work, so joy must be constrained by need!
Louis
* Oh I suppose I could be all po-faced and try to demonstrate how professional and serious I am by commenting on caffeine being the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the world and how it can affect mood and sundry. But you know what? I’m a) certain you are smart and knowledgeable enough to know this stuff, and b) secure enough in my abilities not to mention it…
The harassment threads really depress me. It hits home; I’m painfully aware that I used to be one of those creepy clueless sexist guys, when I was a teenager of fourteen or so. As an adult, having developed more empathy, I’ve learned just how harmful that kind of behaviour is. But a great many men still just don’t get it, apparently.
So, I crunched the numbers. I don’t think my next paycheck is going to be enough to keep me in the black. I had some unexpected expenses this month, and put off some bills to the next paycheck.
And so is his sofa.
-
Livestreamed babby kittehs….. *sappy grin*
- *hugs* for Ing. Hopefully things will improve on the employment front.
-
After the Next Great Extinction, life will recover. The surviving species (cockroaches and MRSA) will eventually spawn species to fill out a whole new ecosystem. Eventually, their sentient descendents will take their offspring to museums, where they will marvel at the mounted skeletons of those weird, extinct species who wore their exoskeletons on the inside!
-
I can probably chip in a little bit at least, if you got any good suggestions on how to send you money internationally without it being very expensive, a pain in the rear or paypal.
Feel free to send me an email at randy.gnumann@[that place who doesn't like pseudonyms in it's +].com
147
Part-Time Insomniac, Zombie Porcupine Nox Arcana Fan
Esteleth: I might have some to spare, but I’ll check first to be sure I won’t make you an empty promise. Is there any way the money could be sent that won’t be a pain in the ass to get arranged?
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What the hell is with all the 3D copies of Brave? It’s not showing at the theater downtown, so I thought downloading was an option. But noooo, it’s all 3D. And they’re all blurry because of that!
*sigh* I guess I’ll drag myself down to the mall, but I don’t have to be happy about going there just to see a movie. I now wish they’d never closed that theater in Milford – at least it was a standalone and not located in a building that’s stuffed with people by eleven o’clock.
When I chipped in on the “tropes vs women in games”-project I used my amazon account to pay. Does anybody know if that’s an option for individuals without too much hassle?
Esteleth, I snail-mailed a (small) check (via Josh) last time. IIRC, Josh gathered payments via HIS paypal and his snail-mail, for security, and then forwarded it all to the recipient.
I can mail a smallish check again, directly if you’re willing to gmail me.
After the Next Great Extinction, life will recover. The surviving species (cockroaches and MRSA) will eventually spawn species to fill out a whole new ecosystem.
A great read on precisely this subject: Quammen’s Planet of Weeds
Classic opener: “Hope is a duty from which paleontologists are exempt.”
I have been following the case of David Prosser. It is a case study in clueless male privilege in action. Prosser is a Supreme Court Justice, and is a former Republican congressman.
The commission contends Prosser violated judicial ethics when he allegedly wrapped his hands around Justice Ann Walsh Bradley’s throat during an argument last year. The commission wants the court to appoint a three-judge panel to consider its complaint.
Prosser maintains panel formation takes a formal order from the court. He’s trying to make sure that doesn’t happen by demanding the justices recuse themselves from the matter because they witnessed the altercation.
The documents also provide Prosser’s fullest account yet of another incident the commission investigated.
Prosser was told at his formal appearance in September 2011 that his testimony would not be under oath, but Prosser insisted that he speak under oath. He was then sworn in.
Much of the formal appearance centered on a separate incident, in February 2010, when Prosser during a closed meeting of the court told Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson he would “destroy her” and called her a “bitch.”
In his testimony before the commission, Prosser said he believed the judicial ethics code does not apply to justices when they are in such closed conferences.
“If you (on the commission) are going to assume the role of kind of oversight and review and criticism of things that are said confidentially in closed conference, whether it’s about cases or about other court business, you are assuming an enormous power and you’re completely unraveling the freedom of speech,” he testified. “It will have a chilling effect on discussion. It will be contrary to our rules.”
A Supreme Court Justice testified that “My right to use gendered slurs in private proceedings is a matter of free speech!”.
He then goes on a hole-digging spree of truly epic proportions.
Prosser has acknowledged his comments to Abrahamson in the past, but he more fully described them in his testimony. He said his full statement was that if Abrahamson tried to destroy him, he would destroy her. That would consist of telling reporters the truth about how Abrahamson “abuses the staff, how she abuses other justices, how she abuses judges,” Prosser told the commission.
He said he in no way meant he would physically harm Abrahamson by saying he would destroy her.
He alleged that Abrahamson and Bradley at the time were trying to find an opponent to run against him. He said that was unusual and unfair because he supported their past campaigns.
“I’m a little annoyed that the people I have helped so consistently turned against me and stabbed me in the back,” he said.
He said Abrahamson slighted him in a number of ways, such as by dominating ceremonies where new lawyers were sworn in when those duties should have fallen to him.
“It’s not only rather obvious partisanship of a judicial nature, it is rather obvious emasculation,” he testified.
He went to great pains to testify under oath that his pee-pee’s feelings ™ are the most important thing ever! o_O
*brain asplode*
I posted this at TF, after some moron went on a whinging “what about teh childrenz” rant about the need for FtB to adopt a no-bad-words tone policy. Thought I should also cross post it here. You all have no idea how wonderful you’ve been for our little weird family.
I have teenagers who hang out on Pharyngula and FtB. I have been astonishingly grateful for the wonderful mentoring they’ve received from those naughty, naughty, name-calling fiends. They’ve learned to call stupid arguments stupid, perhaps not on the first presentation thereof, but certainly after some repetitions and doubling-down and JAQing off. They’ve learned to insert [citation needed] into real life conversations and to identify fallacious arguments by type and subtype. They know what an actual ad hominem is, and why it’s not just calling someone a bad name. They’ve learned to argue on the internet, with and without using invective. They’ve been inspired to insist that their dad not use gendered insults (seeing a 16 year old guy tell this to his very argumentative father, in a flatly unemotional tone of voice, was fantastic). They’ve gone to parties at conventions, they’ve gone to bars (with me or other actual grown-up types), they’ve observed harassing behavior and learned to identify it as the fault of the harasser. They’ve learned about fashion and sexual ethics without god (Greta Christina), trans issues (Natalie Reed), mental illness (WWJTD), racism (Crommunist, Black Skeptics), philosophy (B&W, Richard Carrier, Camels with Hammers), and political and constitutional issues (Ed Brayton). They’ve learned quite a bit of actual science, both in blog posts and comment threads.
They’ve even learned about why it’s not okay to be a Chill Girl™, not okay to dismiss other people’s experiences, and not okay to employ PUA tactics to get laid. These last lessons were all due to the severely confrontational tone of the wonderful Pharyngula Horde.
Keep it up, Horde. Welcome, teen skeptics. This is a wonderful place for you.
Tell me about it. It’s literally like having a youtube creationist troll writing entire blogposts: random caps, no actual substance… It’s kinda scary actually.
Wow – the tone troll for protekting teh childrenz on TB is now insisting that my experiences of parenting teens who read FtB is mere anecdote and that I need to “check my privilege” and protect the vulnerable teens and young adults from the big mean FtB commentariat.
Here is Fred Clark, showing once more that not all Christians are hate-filled idiots.
You can make a good, respectable living in this country deliberately lying about LGBT people or about women, telling lie after lie intended to disenfranchise, marginalize and otherwise harm them. Such lies will bring you great rewards — your own radio show, your own parachurch organization, cable guest spots and a multi-book deal. And such lies will almost never be condemned as a violation of “civility.”
The condemnation of “incivility” is reserved, instead, for the forbidden act of pointing out that the liars are lying.
Apparently my use of the word “whinging” would put me in violation of the Protect Teh Childrenz™ harassment policy. Good thing these morons don’t actually listen to how the Spawns actually talk when confronted with arguments such as the ones in support of TF…
Also, ANECDATA!!! And CHECK YOUR PRIVILEGE!!!1111eleventy!! These are, in the mind of the ERVites, at least, magic words that mean that you don’t have to consider what other people have experienced. Because it totes doesn’t count if it’s not from a White Menz.
(I would take the call for a non-harassment policy on FtB more seriously if FtB had a population of r/atheism types who posted rape threats about 15 year old girls and were upvoted as a result. As this hasn’t happened, though….)
(Dear Horde: please forgive the impending multiple posts; I really want to make sure to reach all the locals. I know not everyone keeps up with comments consistently, so I’ll be posting this occasionally the next few days to try to catch everyone.)
Please stop over and complete this poll so I can get an idea of the RSVPs for the various activities we have coming up. Once the poll is complete, ALL planning for activities will be via email; please put your information in so you get all the where/when details! Email me if you have any questions!
Ick. I’ve spent all day trying to avoid diagnosing a young pregnant woman with a condition that will mean that she has to terminate the pregnancy or die. It didn’t work. She friggin has it. Any pro-life lurkers out there, if you want to reduce the number of abortions and especially later abortions that occur, fund studies into other methods for treating pre-eclampsia and its evil twin HELLP syndrome. Because I flat out guarantee this one wouldn’t have happened if there’d been an alternative.
Yay! So you have pretty much aced the year/course?!? ::confetti:: :-)
Um, might that mean you would consider letting Pharyngulite Horders read it?
Yep, I have! *dance party*
I’m going to put off answering that for a while. You don’t need to apologize for it, I’m actually excited to share my work, but I first of all need to make some corrections, and then I also am actually thinking of developing the paper further – this was class-level good, but I’d like to work on making it publishable-level good, and I won’t know until I get the actual copy of my paper back how much time and effort that’s going to take.
Ick. I’ve spent all day trying to avoid diagnosing a young pregnant woman with a condition that will mean that she has to terminate the pregnancy or die. It didn’t work. She friggin has it.
:(
I’m sorry. That sounds like a terrible situation for her, and pretty damn unpleasant for you as well.
*hugs and swill*
Thanks, Cipher. It could have been worse, I suppose. This could have happened in a Catholic hospital in Arizona. At least we have an OB who is competent in induction and D & E and ready to do whichever is best for the patient and she is most comfortable with. And the administration isn’t going to make a fuss and try to fire anyone.
Cipher, that’s wonderful! And however you decide – to develop it, to publish (wow!) or anything else – do tell us on TET how it goes. And dancing, ululating rats all round! :-)
.
Dianne, that’s so sad. If only the so-called “pro-life” people actually cared about real living people and put their effort and resources into helping pregnant women who want their pregnancy and actual children who have already been born – instead of into controlling women who don’t want to be (or want to be but sadly can’t safely be) pregnant.
Dianne, I’m so sorry for you and the young woman. And I’m immensely thankful that there are professionals like you to do such work.
One of the greatest thing about the Pharyngula Teen group is that they grow up to be, oh, Walton, or ibyea, or thunk or… There are a lot of them out there. The Other Mr. Mattir and I have no extended family at all, and it’s been fairly tough for the Spawns not to have any cousins, aunts, uncles, or grandparents. Over the last 3 years, they’ve both commented that because of Pharyngula, they feel like they really have a wonderful, worldwide extended family. Every kid needs an Aunt Caine, an Uncle DDMFM, and an Uncle Spokesgay.
Somebody, I cannot remember who, wrote the history of TET, starting with “in the beginning was Titanboa” and the whole Alan Clarke bit. It was brilliant. Was that back on SB? Is it lost for all time? Does anyone know what I’m thinking of? Not Nerd’S opera, although we are overdue for another act.
A great read on precisely this subject: Quammen’s Planet of Weeds
Thanks, Chas; bookmarked, hopefully for later download onto my Nook (and first deliberately non-Game-related text I’ve chosen for that purpose; wheee!).
- *manyhugs* for Esteleth. I’m only sad that I couldn’t contribute to your cause for blubbing.
:(
-
kristinc, very professional-looking!
- *hugs* for dianne. I’m sorry both for you and for your patient.
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I really hope I’m able to go again this year.
I hope you’re able to go again this year, too. :)
For me, it’s just a cross-town drive, so this is my main chance to meet Pharyngulites in meatspace. (‘Meetspace’? Hmmm….) Only, this year…hopefully no smoking wheelchair wreckage. That definitely put a damper on my last years’ Skepticon experience.
-
@ thunk – Doctor David MotherFucking Marjanovic. The most erudite human being I’ve ever met. Currently occupied digging up temnospondyls and assorted Fossils of Satan™, hence not on TET as much as usual.
@Josh Spokesgay – Rhinebeck is October 20 & 21 this year. Onion Girl, Muse and I are getting together this weekend to begin our scheming.
There will also be a Camp Pharyngula at a hostel-lodge type facility, in a park near Washington DC over Martin Luther King weekend, 2013.
I have a story for the horde. Pretty vanilla, but fun. (Ahem.)
So, I am on the streets of Manhattan talking on my phone to a friend in Salt Lake City. I say “Since you’re in Salt Lake City, you should go to a specialty tailor and get one of those Mormon outfits they have sex in, that would be fun to own.” Then I walk into the drugstore. An older gentleman who was standing next to me outside follows me into the store and tells me he’s Mormon. I say “ok.” and walk away. As I leave the store, I see him waiting for me at the end of the aisle. I approach him, and at a respectful distance ask him “Are you alright?”
Him- “What you said was very ignorant.”
Me- “ok”
Him- “They [the garb I guess?] are sacred.”
Me- “To you.”
Him- “All religions have their sacred clothes.”
Me- “Have a good night.”
Anti-gay nonsense aside, there is, er, was this funny quote:
“They should be able to continue to live by traditions that have worked and served the organization well for a millennium.” It has now been edited to say “century”. Hope someone got a screenshot.
thunk: I’ve played ONE multiplayer game so far (need to fix my account). It’s a lot less scary with backup, and sharing tasks… might share a server sometime with another rookie?
For your amusement, I am a Bad Mommy. Onion Girl will have to chastise me severely this weekend. In the words of the immortal plhearn,
I sincerely think your children are fucked, if you really even have any. These comments contain some of the most disgustingly biased vitriol I’ve seen in a long time. If you think the dishonest arguing in these comments is helpful to your kids then you need to be reported to social services.
On the plus side, I’m being criticized by someone who tosses the misandrist and feminazi labels around on youtube, sticks an extra [e] into PZ’s name, and complains that Pharyngula is not educational because it’s too liberal. I may have to cross stitch the whole thing onto a wall hanging…
I take a few minutes from saying Bad Werdz™ to SonSpawn (who’s the only one at home at the moment, DaughterSpawn being occupied attempting to convey reality to Mormon Boy Scouts this week…) to inform you that we rent a bunch of hotel rooms and have a private room at a restaurant on Saturday night. And there’s … {drumroll} maple sugar cotton candy at Rhinebeck.
Yep. And you can fondle an almost infinite variety of fluffiez. And wear your woolens, assuming the weather’s the same as it’s been the last couple years. It’s amazing.
I just spent some time perusing Abbie’s ongoing endless thread. Those people don’t seem to have lives that include regular stuff, like jobs and art and music and kids and family. They do, however, follow Pharyngula far more closely than any actual Pharyngula commenter in the history of the blog.
Josh, I’m sorry for your tailbone. But I strongly suspect the spider is actually dead now, so please maintain some perspective and work on your empathy. (joking)
and also need to fix account, and totally afraid to go out of peaceful. :/
I hear that… just now an Ender teleported next to me and if I hadn’t already taken a bio break I’d have wet myself. *twitch* well, if I get the server software straightened out I’ll mention it here and see what responds. ~;>
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RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
As if I needed another reason to feel like shit, I started reading this recent article in Rolling Stone about people literally living in their cars because of the recession and the total shittiness of the US’ welfare system.
Of particular note is the parts talking about how these people sought help from government welfare agencies, but were turned away because they may have been almost broke and in crisis, but they weren’t totally there yet. This is what pisses me off about the welfare system as it’s currently run in America: the amount of money and assets one is allowed to have is so low that if welfare helps you and you start to struggle out of poverty, they then go “oops, you’re making too much, you have too many assets!” and they cut the support out from under you and you slip back into poverty. I don’t consider “helping” to be perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
It kinda sickens me that in a superficial way, that means I agree with some conservatives that “the welfare system is broken”, but I come at it all the way from the other side. The problem with the welfare system is that the benefits are far too low and have far too many strings attached.
It kinda sickens me that in a superficial way, that means I agree with some conservatives that “the welfare system is broken”,
Don’t worry. I think the one thing everyone, from the fucking far-right monsters to the far-left bliss-ninnies, can agree on is that shit is fucked up and bullshit. *nods*
Oof. I read through Thunderchrist’s latest word salad bar, and the comments over there are a fucking mess.
I don’t know how many more times I can see Justicar respond to just about any comment with “BUT BUT WHAT ABOUT REBECCA WATSON! SHE SAID THIS AND I DON’T LIKE IT! MEH!!!”
My response (currently in moderation) to a commenter on Deacon Duncan’s “Sexual Panhandling” post, who still clings to the notion that ‘both sides’ need to tone it down:
Because those of us who are pissed off at all of the dishonest, derailing, condescending, goalpost-dragging, dismissing, ignorant bigots who double down when challenged and run to their slimepits to scream LIES SLANDER CENSORSHIP BIAS when we get tired of their crap are just as bad as the dishonest, derailing, condescending, goalpost-dragging, dismissing, ignorant bigots who double down when challenged and run to their slimepits to scream LIES SLANDER CENSORSHIP BIAS when we get tired of their crap.
And the reason we’re just as bad is…we’re pissed off because we’re tired of their crap.
When the fuck did spewing crap and getting tired of said crap become equally wrong? For that matter, when the fuck was it ever wrong to get tired of said crap? And why is it also wrong to express being tired of this crap?
Clinging to the fence makes you a worse ally, not a better one =/
Go Marjanovic!
Are temnospondyls the ones with intricate teeth, or am I thinking of another kind of amphibian critter?
— — — — — — — —
If ultrasound devices using “metamaterials” succeed in getting a fourfold improvement of image quality, fetuses with conditions that doom them will be spotted earlier in pregnancy.
But I assume this particular tragedy was spotted through samples of amniotic fluid?
— — —- —- —-
The best praise ever was when Charlie Chaplin was condemned by then vice president Richard Nixon in the fifties.
The best praise ever was when Charlie Chaplin was condemned by then vice president Richard Nixon in the fifties.
I have always wondered if the stories about Eisenhower being consistently asked by the media what useful things Nixon had done and responding “Hmm…I can’t think of anything right now, try me next week” are really true.
he American public is fed up with the criminalization of cannabis. And now, more and more politicians are finally starting to get the message. This afternoon, members of the Chicago City C
ouncil voted overwhelmingly to halt the practice of arresting minor marijuana offenders. By a vote of 43 to 3, members of the Council approved a new municipal ordinance that reduces most marijuana possession offenses to a ticket-like offense — no arrest, no jail, and no criminal record. http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/992813/chicago_decriminalizes_marijuana_possession_with_near-unanimous_vote/
I’m kind of in the same boat ala the extended cut. I just can’t be bothered to pick it up. They handwave the whole matter, and it won’t make sense to me, and I just don’t care anymore. I’ll watch the ending on YouTube sometime if I can feel arsed to do it them.
I prefer my own thoughts, and that the whole indoctrination theory is actually the legitimate ending, and there’s actual closure and not a handwave of established canon.
re temnospondyls – the wiki page is very good, in-depth and readable. If I read it right, “intricate teeth” might refer to labyrinthodonts? But I was taught “labyrinthodont” in CVA just recently. Anyway, temnospondyls were the big diverse shovel-headed amphibians, notable for vicious palate fangs.
Temnospondyls have been known since the early nineteenth century and were initially thought to be reptiles. They were described at various times as batrachians, stegocephalians, and labyrinthodonts, although these names are now rarely used.
World’s greatest impact site found in Greenland. The remains of a gigantic, three-billion-year-old meteorite impact discovered in Greenland http://www.geus.dk/geuspage-uk.htm
The healthcare decision’s about to be released. I’m really conflicted. Keeping the law would help a lot of people, but if it’s overturned we could push for single-payer instead.
I was hoping you would have an opinion on it, since I don’t follow the games closely. Oh well.
Oh I have an opinion all right, especially looking back at things that were developed and cut ‘for time’ and at the rest of the policy around it. I just didn’t want to bore people. Later if you want I’ll give my rant on why I think the big picture makes this total shit.
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RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
I don’t know what CNN’s problem is, but I’ve heard from multiple sources that what Justice Roberts said was that the individual mandate won’t stand under the Commerce Clause (I think), but that it can be counted as a tax, i.e. if one doesn’t buy insurance they can be taxed. That means the mandate is enforceable and has been upheld.
I don’t think CNN actually reads shit they report half the time. (Ditto most nooz.)
Wow! What if the administration had owned a pair of huevos and actually started with medicare for everyone? This would have been an impressive day. Oh well. If it gets more people decently covered, it’s a start.
Okay – so affordable care act was upheld by a 5-4 decision. Looks like Roberts authored the majority with a concurrence by Ginsberg. Scalia, Kennedy, Alito and Thomas dissenting.
Mandate upheld as a tax rather than through the commerce clause.
Slightly surprised Scalia ruled for and Kennedy against. But then again Kennedy seems to favor his status as a swing vote more than any sense of intellect or compassion.
It’s especially vacuous as, even though we might not have children, we fucking WERE children. Some parents seem to suddenly give themselves selective amnesia and forget everything about their childhood.
For example for me anything of sex on TV wasn’t traumatic as a tyke (I didn’t understand it enough to even notice) but people’s REACTION was.
Slightly surprised Scalia ruled for and Kennedy against. But then again Kennedy seems to favor his status as a swing vote more than any sense of intellect or compassion.
Okay – so affordable care act was upheld by a 5-4 decision. Looks like Roberts authored the majority with a concurrence by Ginsberg. Scalia, Kennedy, Alito and Thomas dissenting.
was read as
Okay – so affordable care act was upheld by a 5-4 decision. Looks like Roberts authored the majority with a concurrence by Ginsberg, Scalia, Kennedy. Alito and Thomas dissenting.
In that case I’m shocked Scalia is willing to be such a blatant partisan POS. Ok not shocked…more smugly affirmed
Ugh I really wish the sexism bullshit didn’t exist literally everywhere I go online. Dudebros are the creepiest fucking things ever. Pharyngula has spoiled me to expect decent commentators.
Stephanie’s latest again points out something that ought to have been obvious (I’m ashamed I didn’t see it). Conference harassment policies need to protect the people who agitated for harassment policies.
The facts of the matter here are that Rebecca Watson and the outspoken feminists of FtB and a few of the people we talk with and about have a bunch of cyberstalkers. These are people who get together to talk about what we write, our speeches, our tweets, our postings on Facebook, pictures of us available on the web. They glean the personal information we use to make ourselves and our topics more relatable and go back years to try to dig up dirt. They lie when they can’t find anything ugly enough for them. They built a fucking wiki dedicated to us. Not only that, but every bit of them talking about this stuff is meant to damage us. We have cyberstalkers.
What is the reaction to this? Very little frankly. The media company that wanted to go more family-friendly is still hosting the stalking activity, now under their very own logo. (Thanks, National Geographic!) Despite the fact that we’ve been talking about this for months, and dealt publicly with two threats to conference speakers that have come from our stalkers, people still claim we have no reason to ever feel threatened.
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onion girl, OM; social workers do it with paperwork
Josh, you have definitely been a Very Very Bad Uncle. Onion Girl will probably have to spank you.
Wah…HEY, now! Spanking must be scheduled at least three weeks in advance, accompanied by the official Spanking Request form, Medical Clearance Form, and Clothing Destruction Waiver. In triplicate. There are PROCEDURES here! This willy-nilly free-love bleeding-heart liberal free range spanking is NOT acceptable. ;)
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ DC LOCALS:
(Dear Horde: please forgive the impending multiple posts; I really want to make sure to reach all the locals. I know not everyone keeps up with comments consistently, so I’ll be posting this occasionally the next few days to try to catch everyone.)
Please stop over and complete this poll so I can get an idea of the RSVPs for the various activities we have coming up. Once the poll is complete, ALL planning for activities will be via email; please put your information in so you get all the where/when details! Email me if you have any questions!
Ahem. Absolutely nothing to do with any of the important stuff going on – this is purely a personal thing, but it is a happy! So I will tell you.
.
I just found out about two hours ago that – barring disasters – the just-turned-sixteen, non-neuro-typical-and-didn’t-even-learn-to-talk-until-halfway-through-primary-school, jazz-crazy SonSpawn will be …
.
deep breath
.
only fucking playing on stage in front of thousands and probably TV cameras in the godsdamn Tower of London (the “Americas Stage”) in about a month from now, as part of the “River of Music” celebrations for the (silly) Olympics – with Jazz at Lincoln Center and Wynton Marsalis?!?!?!?!?elebenty zillion and three!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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for about 30 seconds, probably. He’s one of three kids picked to play with them.
.
I may be hyperventilating a bit just now. Wynton Marsalis. Holy shit.
.
When I think of how hard it was for him to learn to talk – to go to school – to cope with other kids …
.
It’s not big stuff, but it’s big for him.
I think the most amusing bit of this healthcare thing is watching my conservative FB friends whinge on about it when they most likely benefit from the ACA in some form or another.
Every time I try to open an image file I get a message “Windows Live Image and Movie Viewer Requires Mandatory Update” or something to that effect. The computer then gives a confirmation that it’s from Microsoft. Is this a virus trying to install itself or am I being paranoid? Either way ti seems bizarre.
I can’t give any advice about technology, but that reminds me that I keep getting distracted from crocheting. I started my first “real” project, a scarf made out of granny half-squares/triangles. I got six or seven triangles into it and then wandered off to do something else.
I also am still completely clueless about knitting. I’ve tried books and videos, but I think I need an actual knitter to help me.
Well, it’s a relief that Rhinebeck is in New York and not Germany (thanks, Wikipedia) but I don’t get to travel much.
I wouldn’t say I’m an expert crocheter, but I practiced a lot before starting my project and I’m almost to that “I can do this in front of the TV and not really pay attention to what I’m doing without royally fucking up” stage of proficiency. My mom tells me that’s how she finished so many afghans: she’d watch All My Children and when it was over a blanket appeared.
I have teenagers who hang out on Pharyngula and FtB. I have been astonishingly grateful for the wonderful mentoring they’ve received from those naughty, naughty, name-calling fiends.
Just like to add a little bit to this… I’m a teenager who hangs out/reads/comments occasionally on Pharyngula. I’ve learned a lot here too. Some of the things, like being a decent human being, I’d started learning before (still learning, of course, but I used to be a Junior Chill Girl(tm) extraordinaire), but a lot of the things, like logical fallacies and stuff, I hadn’t known much about before. I was also only most of the way through deconverting when I first read anything here, and it just built on what I was already thinking about because of Greta. So Pharyngula’s been a wonderful place for me.
only fucking playing on stage in front of thousands and probably TV cameras in the godsdamn Tower of London (the “Americas Stage”) in about a month from now, as part of the “River of Music” celebrations for the (silly) Olympics – with Jazz at Lincoln Center and Wynton Marsalis?!?!?!?!?
Ooooh congratulations! :) I would go, but I’ve just looked it up and there are no tickets left :( Nevertheless, that’s incredible, as is your SonSpawn.
You’re a damaged human being because of these comments here. It’s hurt you on a fundamental level to where you can no longer function because of those mean nasty comments!
SCORE! I just got a case of 100 Aero bars for 50 cents/unit!
*Jealous*
No no, you’re completely wrong.
You’re a damaged human being because of these comments here. It’s hurt you on a fundamental level to where you can no longer function because of those mean nasty comments!
Ah yes. I can no longer function, and there’s an AI that posts for me instead. This entire thing is like a large scale Turing test, and you’ve just rumbled it. Damn, I need new places to test.
305
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
Actually, I could probably skip my one class on Friday and Monday and use those days for travel days…so it’s possible I could go to Rhinebeck. I wish I had more time though, I dunno when I’d get another chance to go to New York.
I’m in Oklahoma, though. If I have the money to fly, where’s the closest airport to Rhinebeck?
RahXeophon, Rhinebeck is just north (~20 miles) of Poughkeepsie, which is the end of the NYC commuter rail system. If you wanted to fly into NYC and then hop on the train to Poughkeepsie (which is a 1:40 hr trip), then it may be that someone would be able to pick you up there.
Alternatively, there may be some smallish airports more close by.
Setar:
When the fuck did spewing crap and getting tired of said crap become equally wrong?
They never did [become equally wrong]. Some people live in Bizarro World.
~~
Rev @251:
Thanks for that video.
I remember it from Transformers: The Movie.
Still can’t believe they thought killing Optimus Prime was a good idea (and the backlash bore that out). I never twigged to Rodimus Prime, or the fact that Arcee was the *only* female Transformer (I know the Autobots *sounded* and acted male, but somehow I don’t think Cybertronians have the same sense of gender–or any at all–humanity does). I did rather like Galvatron, though I missed Megatron.
“Now all we need is a little Energon; and a lot of luck.”-Optimus Prime
~~
thunk @268:
I love the “You don’t have kids, so you can’t talk about this” argument. {sarcasm}
~~
Ing:
Pharyngula has spoiled me to expect decent commentators.
I second that.
Of course I can picture the whiners rolling their eyes complaining about the “harsh words” and “bluntness” of posters here.
~~
Taking a guess: Thunderf00t.
‘Thanks’
I guess I should be glad he’s not salient enough in my mind to pop up at the mere sight of those two letters.
Perhaps one day he’ll be Thunderflounce and stick with vlogging, not blogging.
Yes. Of course I’m a damaged human being as a result of all this swearing. My brain tells be otherwise, but how can I trust it when I don’t have kids of my own? I can’t possibly understand anything if I don’t have spawn!
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RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
Regarding Chill Girls™:
Once upon a time, we were having an argument with an antifeminist twit. Said twit posted the following:
why the hell would I have a problem with women? The issue lies with thinking that forming maginal side groups is the answer. That isn’t equality. But, hey, if you want to it will allow the people at conferences to tell the chill girls like me from the unhinged girls shaking their fists at supposed, vague injustices.
(Lost in the sciborked explosion, found via Caine’s comment on Jadehawk’s blog)
Chill Girl, at some point, picked up as being one of the preferred terms for referring to women who think feminist women should just stfu because sexism doesn’t bother them.
{Major Trigger Warning}
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Last night, shortly before the close of work, a woman came in with a small group of people. She was noticeably upset, and nearly in tears. Initially, from what parts of the conversation I unintentionally overheard, it seemed as if she had some relationship problems with her boyfriend. I discovered it was far worse than that when she came to pay her tab. She was doing her best to hold back her tears. She told me that she was homeless at the age of 11 and was trying to escape the summer heat when she accepted a strangers’ offer to sit in his car to enjoy the air conditioning. She then told me a few details about how this monster raped her and then dumped her at a gas station, after giving her $5 (but taking her purse and the few clothes she had). Upon callng a friend, she was advised to go to the police. She did that and they promptly dismissed her (fucking pieces of shit).
She said that she’s been in therapy in the years following, but she was unable to get too emotionally close to a man.
Recently, she had found a man that she thought she could develop a relationship with. She told him about her rape, and he promised he wouldn’t abandon her (I didn’t ask any details about her attack, but I gather she was abandoned by her family and/or friends). So was does this fucking pile of excrement do?
They go out drinking last night and meet a group of people (most of which they don’t know). In the midst of this, he sees an old friend/sex partner and proceeds to leave her–in this group of people she doesn’t know.
She told me that her feelings of anxiety were building after she discovered that he’d left. He had a stranger give her the car keys for him and didn’t return.
Through it all, she mentioned several times that she felt guilty. That it was her fault.
From the point that she told me she was raped, I stopped doing everything and just listened (I offered her a hug, which she declined). I didn’t say much (I’m still not sure what to say in this situation), but I *did* say several times (in as compassionate a voice as I could) that it
Was. Not. Her. Fault. It was the fault of the slimebag.
All she wanted was relief from the heat. He was the piece of shit that raped her. He was the shitbag that made the choice to violate her.
I offered to call her a cab which she declined. She apologized to me for dumping this on me (to which I responded that there was nothing to apologize for and that I was sorry for everything that happened to her).
After she departed (with the only other person that she knew in this group), I was left so enraged I couldn’t hold back the tears. I also wish I could have helped her in some way.
I just still can’t even comprehend or fathom how someone could rape another human being. The act is so reprehensible and repugnant…there are no words.
I didn’t know I could hate someone I didn’t even know. But I hate the fucker who raped this woman (and I’m pissed that the police dismissed her; she was fucking 11 years old).
Is there anything I could/should have said/done?
Pentamoid, as I recall, Lilandra was some one who was making comments to the effect that women complaining about sexual harassment were just whinging too much/being unrealistic – something along those lines – on the first Thunderf00t post. I’m not 100% sure, I’ll have to check.
I do remember reading what she wrote, and thinking it was off beam. It surprised me to hear she was Aronra’s wife. As I said, I’m a fan of his.
Nothing or it but to hold my nose and take the plunge back into the Thunderf00t threads…
This sounds interesting.
From Discovery Magazine:
1 Marvin Gaye breaks it down in “Let’s Get It On”—what could be simpler? Psychologists at the University of Texas at Austin take a different view. They surveyed 444 people [pdf] and found 237 reasons why people have sex.
2 “I was drunk” made the top 50 for women; “to get a favor” made the top 50 for men.http://discovermagazine.com/2012/jun/03-things-you-didnt-know-about-sex
As I understand it, it’s a girl or woman who generally doesn’t care about ‘lesser’ harassment, tells other people to ‘stop getting so uptight about it all, because it isn’t that bad’, and seems to value male attention more than concerns about sexism/harassment/whathaveyou etc.
Prime examples are that letter that Mallorie Nasrallah wrote however-long-ago-it-was, and the commenters that come into any sexism/harassment thread and say, “Well, I’m a woman, and I’ve never had a problem with it. You feminists get worked up over nothing.”
Oh Tony. *hugs* I don’t know, myself. I think what you said sounds right. Just offering support of the non-creepy variety, believing her, and noticeably caring about it is going to do some good, after what she’s been through. Considering your job, you might want to look into getting resources on hand for survivors – like a card or a number for a place, or anything else like that – but that’s just a general suggestion and not having it isn’t a bad thing. Her boyfriend is a fucking asshole though.
Tony, I think you did fine, and as much as can be expected since you’re a stranger, too. Seconding having a card or number for a local crisis center available; I carry a few cards from my local shelter and have handed out a dozen over the years. I’ve seen a few bars with a crisis number posted in the restrooms.
Onion Girl, Mattir and I are meeting to plan this week. We’ll be posting more information soon. Those of you interested who haven’t come before – we’re pretty good about hooking people up with rides and the like, so long as you’re okay with random whackos off the internet are your speed.
If you have any questions, you can contact me at google’s email service at museclio42.
Tony, hereyougo.
The last one is a link to where she pissed me off to such an extent that I’m still seething about it months later. She was also in the naked revolutionaries calendar, which is notable but unrelated.
Okay, I’ve got a general idea about prices for airfare to New York, it’s gonna be somewhere between 400 and 500 dollars. Where’s the best place to stay for the festival in Rhinebeck?
RahXephon – Onion Girl and I tend to organize a hotel that we all stay at. We tend to share rides and rooms and meals. It’s probably worth thinking about it less as a trip to see sheep and more as a tiny relax-a-con.
I love when I hear music that moves me and gives me goosebumps, and gets me feeling so good and advances humanist/atheist/secular goals! Shelley Segal does that. In spades!
Cipher:
I just read one of those links. I completely understand why you would still be angry.
By FSM, what the heck is going on in Mallorie’s head that she says shit like that?
Thank you all so much! I can’t quite believe it’ll actually happen (something’s bound to occur that’ll make them change their plans … or something … I don’t know! I never said I was a rational sentient life-form!) – but it’s so cool that he got invited. And thank you for saying such lovely things. Thank you thank you thank you! ::hugs Horde with huge internet hugs::
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Tony, that’s such a horrible, brutally unfair story. That bastard – and then to be abandoned like that, jesus that poor woman. You wonder how can human beings exist who are so arrogant, who are capable of just not seeing , not caring to see the humanity of someone else, of treating another person like a thing. You did everything you could, I think. You helped as much as possible. I hope if I am ever in trouble in a strange place, among strangers – or if anyone I know is – that we meet someone like you.
I’ve been quiet lately because I’ve been insanely busy. I’m leaving for a week-long canoe trip on Saturday and I’ve had a whole bunch of preparation to do. I’m still nowhere near done, but I’m taking tomorrow off to organize gear, so hopefully I’ll be ready.
I just wanted to say that reading here has been keeping me (somewhat) sane in the past couple of weeks. You all remind me that there are lots of decent, rational people in the world. I hope to meet some of you in person someday.
I’ll be around a little bit tomorrow if I have time, and then first thing Saturday morning I’m saying goodbye to civilization for 8 days. I’m a little nervous – I’m doing pretty much all of the organizing, and I haven’t done any trips longer than 3 nights before now. But I’m going with my dad and my uncle, so theoretically I should be able to let them handle some of the responsibility. Hopefully once we actually get out there for a couple of days, I’ll be able to relax and stop worrying so much.
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RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
RahXephon – Onion Girl and I tend to organize a hotel that we all stay at. We tend to share rides and rooms and meals. It’s probably worth thinking about it less as a trip to see sheep and more as a tiny relax-a-con.
Mattir @228. Oh, damn! I think the SO will be doing an athletic feat the weekend of Rhinebeck in another city entirely; and I must be there to cheer him on. I hate to miss Uncle Spokesgay and all the other Hordelings, not to mention bail on driving a few people down from Canada. I won’t be able to attend unless he switches to a similar event on a different weekend.
temnospondyls were the big diverse shovel-headed amphibians, notable for vicious palate fangs.
I was watching a TV show on seabirds (fulmars?) and had to stop it and go back and forth in slow motion to get a good look at the pattern of teeth on the palate of a baby bird.
Bummer. Can’t make Rhinebeck. We have a micro conference the next weekend and mrs. G can’t get two long weekends in a row, no way, no how. Not even with the promise of goats. Maybe next year. Plus, by then my knitting won’t be as embarrassing.
A Lansing-based civil rights attorney who has held positions with the Michigan Republican Party and Department of Corrections, questioned in a widely distributed email today whether armed rebellion was justified over the Supreme Court ruling upholding Obamacare.
Matthew Davis sent the email moments after the Supreme Court ruling to numerous new media outlets and limited government activists with the headline: “Is Armed Rebellion Now Justified?”
He stressed that he wasn’t calling for armed rebellion but added his own personal note to the email, saying, “… here’s my response. And yes, I mean it.”
He said he was writing with an “eye toward asking at what point the Republic is in peril.”
“There are times government has to do things to get what it wants and holds a gun to your head,” Davis said. “I’m saying at some point, we have to ask the question when do we turn that gun around and say no and resist.
365
Part-Time Insomniac, Zombie Porcupine Nox Arcana Fan
Opposablethumbs, what great news! Congrats to you both! Is your son nervous about performing?
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Connection has been dropping in and out all day. It’s annoying when you’ve got videos to watch in order to do homework. And blog posts to make, threads to keep up with /whinewhineFirstWorldproblems
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Jesus Fuck, Tony, that poor lady! Glad you were around, though, to lend an ear and supportive words. What a shitbiscuit her boyfriend was! I hope she finds it in herself to not let this pass without comment.
“Is Armed Rebellion Now Justified?” Jesus fuck, why would the Supreme Court upholding the legitimacy of the democratically-elected government’s legislation be grounds for armed rebellion? What kind of crack are they smoking?
Nopety, nope. That’s big stuff for anyone. I spent a decade playing music, er, professionally would be stretching it a mite, let’s just say I got payed, and I never came close to landing that kind of gig. Fantastic news!
[Plays fanfare in B-major, 'cause if D-minor is the saddest chord of all then B-major must be the happiest.]
They’re whining on Wall Street Journal that they can afford neither the premium nor the penalty *to insure other people.* It isn’t for other people, it’s for their own families. And if they really can’t afford healthcare under the ACA, the government will subsidize 95% of their premium–so what the hell are they whining about?
Pentamoid, as I recall, Lilandra was some one who was making comments to the effect that women complaining about sexual harassment were just whinging too much/being unrealistic – something along those lines – on the first Thunderf00t post. I’m not 100% sure, I’ll have to check.
I do remember reading what she wrote, and thinking it was off beam. It surprised me to hear she was Aronra’s wife. As I said, I’m a fan of his.
Ah, I see. That is a bit disappointing, although this says nothing about Aron’s own position on the subject (I hope).
Nothing or it but to hold my nose and take the plunge back into the Thunderf00t threads…
Christ, NOOOOOOOOOOOO! Seriously, you do not have to go back into that slimy chasm on my account. I’ll check it out myself.
I've been reading Pharyngula for about three years now and have also been an on and off lurker during this time, though I've also occasionally commented here (,which was like the 3 or 4 times, using atleast three different nyms coz I forgot usernames/disposable email ids between those times and ended up making new ones) and other FTB blogs.
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This is the first time I'm posting to TET, but not TZT. And I must admit I've been wanting to post here for a long time, and join in in all the fun y'all have so much of here: the sharing and support and camaraderie and long queues for ghey secks with Brownian and all that, but have been putting off until now.
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Mostly because I'm a bit of an outsider to most of the things you people have in common;I'm not from an English speaking country nor from a western one, I don't get many of the relatively less well known(obscure to me) references to music, tv, film, art, politics, food, society etc. in the anglosphere. And also mostly because I'm a bit of a sociophobe myself :-)
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But the real reason I've sucked it up, gathered some courage and decided to venture out at this time, *sheepish grin*, is because I’m in a terrible state of flummox right now and could use a little advicey help from you people, if that doesn’t come across as a lil too self-centered of me. I feel I really really don’t have anyone else I could go to for well informed and rational and ethical guidance about this particular thing.
(“It” isn’t anything extraordinary, “it” is rather mundane, but somewhat complicated in my situation)
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I've got to run to work now, I'll check back soon. Do let me know if I'm being even a bit more entitled than I should(?) be in asking for help this way. Clue me in and I'll um…change topics.
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Thanks for listening.
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P.S: How does one put in line breaks in here? Sorry for the slightly weird looking chevrons-run-amuk-amidst-the-text.
Dawkins’ rhetoric is that evolution is the only story there is. He writes lyrically about how satisfying he finds his own place in the Darwinian web of life. But, to my ear, he protests a bit too much. If he really finds his own set of answers so utterly fulfilling, why fulminate so loudly against those who aren’t totally convinced? Doesn’t it denote a lack of confidence in his solution? Like the latently gay homophobe, irresistibly drawn to gay bars, (if only to denounce them in the name of Yahweh) Dawkins is obsessed with religion. He wants to convince himself that he’s more cosmically significant than he insists he is.http://blog.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/2012/05/repent-brother-dawkins/
The author of the above, Charles Foster, seems familiar with Richard Dawkins. Yet, he fails to understand why Dr. Dawkins takes issue with religion. It makes me wonder how people like him see the world. Do they look at the world and see beauty and joy, but none of the pain and misery? Do they see the harm done in the name of religion and attribute it to some other cause (or do they not believe that religion has even *done* any harm)?
I’m leaving for a week-long canoe trip on Saturday and I’ve had a whole bunch of preparation to do.
Oooh, sounds like fun.
I hope you enjoy yourself.
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Gyeong Hwa
Rant ahead, feel free to ignore if you don’t know who I am: White liberals who are oblivious to white privilege and their own racism needs to go find a decaying porcupine and fuck themselves with it.
This makes me wonder. How do you help people open their eyes to privilege or racism (I know there’s bound to be multiple ways)?
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Giliell:
Wooo-hooo, look who’s back!
No, I won’t be able to read up on what I missed, but I’ll try to catch up on this incarnation at least :)
We knew you would return…if we prayed hard enough :)
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Vilem Saptar:
This is the first time I’m posting to TET, but not TZT. And I must admit I’ve been wanting to post here for a long time, and join in in all the fun y’all have so much of here: the sharing and support and camaraderie and long queues for ghey secks with Brownian and all that, but have been putting off until now.
Welcome in!
I believe you’ll have to sign in for the ‘ghey secks with Brownian’ line. See Louis for details (you may even get a shot or two of Jager)
I feel I really really don’t have anyone else I could go to for well informed and rational and ethical guidance about this particular thing.
(“It” isn’t anything extraordinary, “it” is rather mundane, but somewhat complicated in my situation)
I know exactly what you mean about the people here. I enjoy coming here and getting a dose of real people who give a shit (or ten or twenty) about other humans.
P.S: How does one put in line breaks in here?
I second that question. I’ve been wondering how to do that for a while.
Two Sudanese men currently detained in Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre in London have been on hunger strike for 37 days in protest against their indefinite detention, and are determined to continue until they are released. Visitors and human rights activists supporting their cases are extremely concerned for their health.
Tarik Adam Rhama and Ali Abdullah Ahmed began their strike on 22 May in Campsfield IRC (Kidlington, nr. Oxford) but have since been moved to Harmondsworth. Tarik reports that he was subject to torture while imprisoned in Sudan, while a medical examination could not show conclusively that Ali is over 18. Both should therefore fall under UKBA’s category of “persons considered unsuitable for detention.” Their state of health and the fact that neither of their removals is imminent argue further for their release.
Both men are non-Arab Darfuris and are therefore classed by current case law as being at risk of persecution should they be returned to Darfur; Tarik was arrested in 2008 in Khartoum and believes he would be killed if he were to be returned to Sudan. His father is from the Tunjur tribe and his mother is from the Nuba mountains, a region whose inhabitants are currently the target of considerable persecution at the hands of the Sudanese government; upon his arrival in Dover in March 2012, he was immediately detained, then moved to Campsfield, where he began his strike after being in detention without indication of when he might be released for over two months.
There are further complaints relating to inhumane treatment and lack of medical care in detention; an independent doctor’s report described observations of Ali’s vital signs taken by the detention centre during his strike as “sporadic.” At one point, staff at Harmondsworth ignored Tarik’s request for a lower bed when he complained that after 30 days of only water he was too weak to climb up to the top bunk bed he was allocated. He is not receiving regular attention from a doctor, but only from a nurse, despite extreme stomach pain and stabbing pains in his chest, as well as back pain from a pre-existing condition. He cannot walk without difficulty or speak loudly. He is not kept informed of what will happen to him.
Access to legal advice with appropriate translation has also been very infrequent. At over thirty days into his hunger strike, although legal appointments had been conducted with translators present, they had been Algerian or Iraqi rather than speakers of Sudanese Arabic.
Thanks Pentamoid. I read back through the comments on the MISOGYNIST! post, couldn’t find Lilandra and just didn’t have the stomach to check all the comments on Thunderf00t’s two subsequent posts.
Know when the Harvard Humanists gave Seth MacFarlane the “Humanist of the Year” award and I expressed disbelief and anger at it? You know how I’ve always said since that he’s a terrible example of humanism and I’m ashamed at the Harvard Humanists for essentially trying to be hip?
Here’s a paragraph from the review of “Ted:”
But eventually MacFarlane’s formula – consisting of filthy, ethnically offensive jokes, scatalogical humor, tacky pop culture references and random cameos – begins to wear thin. (There were two Sept. 11 on-lines in “Ted,” one zinger involving rape, and lazy gay jokes too numerous to track.)
Thank you, Part-Time Insomniac and FossilFishy! He’s not nervous yet, though I expect he will be as it gets closer.
It is a big deal in that sense, FF, and he was incredibly lucky to land it. He’s a decent enough player for his age, I guess, but of course a big part of anything like this is luck – just happening to be a cute kid in the right place (on this particular local youth outreach scheme) at the right time. Will definitely be telling him to practice a lot! :-)
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Have a great trip, Nutmeg! So does this mean your dad and uncle get to have you as trip leader? Hope they behave!
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Vilem Saptar, welcome in. What part of the world are you from, if you don’t mind my asking? I take your point about cultural references – don’t hesitate to ask, though, if one’s particularly puzzling (I’m a Brit, and I don’t get some of the cultural references the younger whippersnappers bandy about ::mutter, grumble::)
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Dawkins is obsessed with religion. He wants to convince himself that he’s more cosmically significant than he insists he is.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Idiot. Conveniently hasn’t noticed … well, pretty much everything Dawkins ever wrote about the pernicious effects of religion.
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Walton, oh fuck. How can they be so inhuman. To anyone, let alone to such vulnerable people!
I don’t suppose there’s much if anything to choose between the major parties on this issue, or is Labour even the slightest bit better than the Tories or LibDems?
The FAQ version of “All you Ever Wanted to Know About Rhinebeck But Forgot to Ask” will be hitting a TET near you by most likely Monday; hang tight till then. :)
Short answers:
*Planes, trains, buses, dragons, llamas or automobiles are all acceptable means of transport and there will be assistance getting to and from each from multiple directions.
*We rent out several rooms in a hotel and share space; we’ll be offering lots of different ways (including pre-paying costs over several months) to try to make it as affordable for everyone as possible.
*Activities include the afore-mentioned Rhinebeck festival with its maple-syrup cotton candy, a fancy dinner out at a local restaurant and much godless socializing.
*Actual fiber/sheep/wool/crafty inclination is not required, though you can certainly learn if desired.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ DC LOCALS:
(Dear Horde: please forgive the impending multiple posts; I really want to make sure to reach all the locals. I know not everyone keeps up with comments consistently, so I’ll be posting this occasionally the next few days to try to catch everyone.)
Please stop over and complete this poll so I can get an idea of the RSVPs for the various activities we have coming up. Once the poll is complete, ALL planning for activities will be via email; please put your information in so you get all the where/when details! Email me if you have any questions!
Steveo~ is a fucking racist genocvidal ass and the amount of tolerence he and people like him get in these circles shows the endemic racism of FFB and skeptic culture. No one would tolerate his ignorance and barbarism directed to any other group
Revisiting “Study resets date of earliest animal life by 30 million years” http://phys.org/news/2012-06-resets-date-earliest-animal-life.html
Cue for creationists to scream “Bah! Humbug!”
Or someone will look at the fossil traces and claim it was actually made by pixies.
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“Slamming Israel = ‘you’re all Judaeophobes’?”
(Godwin alert)
Even if you use the same criticism that the political opposition *inside Israel* use, you will be condemned as a Hitler clone.
Complaining about the inflation of the use of anti-semite accusations = Hitler
Everyone who has another opinion = Hitler.
Even mild criticism = Hitler.
Saying the prime minister has a rather loud tie = Hitler.
Dianne
That’s so sad. I have three friends who suffered from HELLP at different stadiums of their pregnancies with the expected results :(
kristinc
That’s great stuff you sewed!
Mattir
On the plus side, I’m being criticized by someone who tosses the misandrist and feminazi labels around on youtube, sticks an extra [e] into PZ’s name, and complains that Pharyngula is not educational because it’s too liberal. I may have to cross stitch the whole thing onto a wall hanging…
Make two, so each spawn can have it as a family-heirloom!
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So, TF is the disappointment I expected him to be? No surprise there. I stopped listening to anything he said after “Hiter wasn’t all bad he built the Autobahn” in a blog TV show…
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re: bad words
#1 got herself into trouble for calling her dad an asshole. I don’t mind cursing, but usually mind calling people names as long as you don’t know what those words actually mean.
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And now since I had a lot of time to think without the distraction of the internet, can I do a bit of crowdsourcing since there are many non-neurotypical people/ parents of non-neurotypical people here?
I’ve been thinking about #1
She’s very bright
Yeah, I know, bragging parents, but she’s doing end of 1st grade maths intuitively, her favourite game is “which animal starts with which letter”, yesterday she drew a house with perspective and she’s only turning 5 next week.
And it’s not like I trained her to do those things, I’m trying to walk that fine line between not actively encouraging her (being bored in 1st grade is bad) and not discouraging her, trying to occupy her mind with other things (like English).
Now, that’s not the thing I’m worrying about.
But she also has no friends and just keeps to herself. It’s not because the other kids don’t like her or don’t want to play with her. She’s greeted very friendlily whenever we meet any of them.
It’s also not that she doesn’t understand social interactions. She engages “normally” with her sister and us, has become a lot more outgoing since she started kindergarten, shows empathy and thinks about what she could do for other people, what makes them happy.
And she is, for all I can tell, perfectly happy and content herself. She chooses to be alone, to play quietly and not to engage.
Does that sound somewhat familiar to any of you?
Your daughter’s more or less the same age as mine, she turns 5 in a couple of weeks. My observation of her cohort is that the full range of human traits can be seen in them. Some folk just like to keep to themselves and if she’s capable of socially appropriate interactions when needed then I wouldn’t worry too much.
Have you spoken to her kinder teacher(s) about this? My daughter’s teachers keep notes on the students to pass on to their grade one teachers as a head’s up on needs, behaviour, and development. Signs of autism spectrum and the like are very much the sort of thing they look for. I asked if I could see that report, just to get a non-proudparent take on her. They were perfectly happy to let me see it, though I haven’t done so yet. An outsider who’s an experience professional in the observation of children in all their messy, crazy human variety, might be able to set your mind at ease.
Now, if you want some unwarranted worrying, try this on for size: the kinder’s teacher’s assistant is going for an equivalency degree in early childhood education. She has decades of experience and as I understand it they do some tests and if she passes she can become qualified as a full fledged teacher. Part of her assessment is to write up a report on a child and she asked if she could do it on my daughter! My immediate thought was, “What’s wrong with with my baby!?”
How stupid is that? The truth is she’s a smart, well behaved kid who’s main fault is that she’s pretty bossy. She’s prefect for this *because* their’s nothing wrong with her. I can totally see that there might be confidentiality problems with using a student who’s developmentally disabled in some way, or who has behaviour problems or the like and yet my first instinct was to panic. That’s the problem with loving someone so much who’s not yet fully developed, every little thing can be magnified out of all proportion both good and bad.
In other news LA TOUR starts tomorrow!!! You can keep your Superbowls, your Stanley Cups, your Euro’s, your Boxing Day tests and your bloody Olympics for that matter. Watching grown men in peacock lyrcra suffering for my entertainment for three weeks rocks. The fact that my wedding anniversary and my daughter’s birthday are in the middle of it just makes this next month THE. BEST. TIME. OF. THE. YEAR!
If anyone wanted an example of white “liberal” privileged racist FUCKS, StevoR. I am close to actively wishing real fucking harm on the asshole. But that would be wrong! Because wishing injury on one person specifically is mean but wishing it on a fucking sub continent is just sensible because OOOOH TERRORISTS OGGIDY BOOGIDY BOO!
And his attitude is prevalent in skeptic/atheist community. I’m getting sick of the whole fucking group and environment. Fucking hypocrites bashing religion and they can’t even get their own (comparatively much smaller) backyard in order. The fact that there’s an actual fight to “should we address issues that actually impact people” just shows that the entire thing is one big fucking circle jerk. It is a white man’s club because that’s how people want it, just one more variant on the Freemason/Country Club bullshit.
FossilFishy
Yeah, talking to her “teacher” (ehm, that’s not the appropriate equivalent in German) was what got me started again. The one “worry” that I have is that she’s not showing off in kindergarten, which made the teacher a bit doubtfull about letting her start the preschool-program after the holidays.
No, she’s absolutely not bossy. She tries with her sister and us, but in a group, when queue is formed, she’ll be at the back for all eternity.
Also, health care reform. Now that the Supreme Court has blessed it, could we PLEASE implement as soon as possible? I’ve got this other patient who is delaying appropriate care for a heart condition because of lack of insurance and we’ve had to undertake some fiscally questionable moves to make sure s/he gets appropriate care. (Because no one could actually stomach the idea of making medically questionable moves to give him/her fiscally appropriate care.)
I don’t suppose there’s much if anything to choose between the major parties on this issue, or is Labour even the slightest bit better than the Tories or LibDems?
But things are getting worse. Thanks to the Tories’ cuts, most immigration cases, other than asylum cases and those where the individual is detained, will no longer be funded by legal aid. As a result of the cuts, charities offering immigration legal advice have been forced to shut down. And the Tories are now bringing in some changes to the Immigration Rules which will mean that you can’t bring your non-EU-national spouse or partner to live with you in the UK unless you can show that you’re earning at least £18,500 a year. In other words, the unemployed and those on low incomes are deliberately penalized.
Holy crap, StevoR has completely lost it. Sooo, along with “women are people” now folks have to learn “people living in other countries are people” too. Gah.
Ok let me first specifically that I do not mean a personal attack or believe there is any maliciousness. That said; I want to point out that someone got a ban warning for asking PZ “aren’t you paid by tax money” and StevoR has been going on for ages with this uncomented.
I’m not saying PZ is bigoted or anything, far from it. I am just saying that this is the culture of skepticism. It’s accepted, it’s tolerated. And that to me is unacceptable.
Jeebus fucking Christ, Geert Wilders. Fuck, things are bad indeed. To a large extent, I blame Christopher Hitchens for this sentiment being so common in atheist circles. After all, way too many ‘free thinkers’ were/are blind Hitchens-worshippers.
PZ, IF YOU HAPPEN TO READ THIS: PLEASE, A BANHAMMER MAY BE NEEDED IN THE ‘TF REPLIES’ THREAD!
Jeebus fucking Christ, Geert Wilders. Fuck, things are bad indeed. To a large extent, I blame Christopher Hitchens for this sentiment being so common in atheist circles. After all, way too many ‘free thinkers’ were/are blind Hitchens-worshippers.
Yes. I turned against St. Christopher after the SGU memorial episode. I could not escape the conclusion that he was being praised for cognitive and intellectual honesty faults that would be hammered on anyone outside ‘the tribe’. Swiss’s story is the one that broke me.
I have come across one of those commentators, Steve Obserki, before. He was arguing it is a breach of advertisers civil rights no to be a allowed to lie in ads.
Yeah, I’ve actually never been that much of a hitch fan. I mean, the stuff about atheism sensu strictu was okay, but he was a sexist, racist asshole. I never understood why this was so rarely pointed out.
well heck. Thanks y’all for taking this on. I don’t know much about atheism or Israel-worship, but I can sure tell that “kill ‘em all and let God sort them out” doesn’t get better with ‘god’ taken out of it.
I do not hate Israel. I want Israel to exist and to be stable. I also want it to be a good neighbor and to be STABLE. I feel too often that it basically courts disaster due to ideological reasons. I also can’t escape the notion that the idea that Israel is a Jewish state absolutely, cannot be separated from the idea of it being a Jewish Supremacist state; and feel that allowing it to live by a myth of a Chosen People/Master Race is a profound perversion of the lessons we should have learned from the Holocaust.
My summer hollies started today, so I’m thoroughly enjoying sitting outside drinking wine and swatting mosquitoes. The only true fly in my ointment is the fact that a nearby army depot (abt 30 miles away) seem to be testing ammo tonight. Regular, but luckily fairly quiet, explosions have been going on for the last two hours.
From the speculative commune/people’s democratic republic/Pharyngulite utopia point of view, is this good or bad? Shall we tolerate this (Finnish Army not being terribly threatening in reality) or should we start making plans on taking over the depot? Shouldn’t be too difficult for a small, dedicated, professional guerrilla group.
I do not hate Israel. I want Israel to exist and to be stable. I also want it to be a good neighbor and to be STABLE. I feel too often that it basically courts disaster due to ideological reasons. I also can’t escape the notion that the idea that Israel is a Jewish state absolutely, cannot be separated from the idea of it being a Jewish Supremacist state; and feel that allowing it to live by a myth of a Chosen People/Master Race is a profound perversion of the lessons we should have learned from the Holocaust.
My thoughts on Israel pretty much exactly.
I actually wished I had participated a bit more in countering StevoR’s bullshit, but this stuff gets to me quite hard and I feared I wouldn’t be able to write anything coherent. You see, I had a friend who lived in Israel for a couple of years because his dad worked for the UN and he witnessed Israel “protecting innocent people”. The stories he came back with… Well, not pretty, I’ll say that much.
Israel is one of those topics that I, being a liberal Jew, start twitching when it comes up. I believe that Israel needs to exist. I believe that it needs to not be expansionist assholes. I believe that the religious Jews are ruining something that the secularists created. I’d like to see Israel’s neighbors admit that Israel has a right to exist. I’d like to see a better government and the end to the settlements. I’d like to see Israel’s neighbors (excepting Jordan) admit that they refused to allow Palestinians in their countries, and that the they mostly don’t give a shit about the Palestinian except as a club against the existence of Israel. I’d like to see the Palestinians integrated as much as they want to be into Israeli society. I’d like to see the religious out of power. I’d like people to rememeber that most Israelis are secularists. I’d like the Dominionists to stop looking at Israel as a playing piece in their eschatology.
I wouldn’t presume to make any demands on how Freethoughtblogs is run, but I can’t help but feel that the addition of Thunderf00t was a mistake.
It’s not just his recent halfwitted posts – those could be chalked up to ignorance – it’s the kind of commentaries we’re getting there.
Those comment threads are downright ugly. They’re full of Rebecca-haters and dripping with “feminazi” style rhetoric.
My stance on Israel is that expressed by Ing and Muse.
Also, I have a deep and abiding loathing for the way that (apparently) the Dominionists have convinced everyone that they !!! love Israel !!! when the totally do not.
I agree completely, and you’re not the first to voice that concern. I’ll go further: not only do his posts ooze with ignorance, they’re also very poorly written. They also very much give the impression of being a deliberate slap in the face to other FTBloggers, not to mention the accompanying videos he made on youtube.
I have join Thunk on this. Don’t know enough, but I love to follow the thread, just in case I might learn something. Which isn’t likely, given my pink ladybrain and the fact I’m into the third glass of a very fetching little tempranillo, since this little minnie has just started her holidays, first time in more than three years!
Has TF shown any sign of moderating comments here at all? I gather youtube comments (in general) are a bloody free-for-all unless a poster a) actively and busily moderates or b) disables commenting altogether. No idea how or whether TF moderates comments on his youtube channel.
To a large extent, I blame Christopher Hitchens for this sentiment being so common in atheist circles. After all, way too many ‘free thinkers’ were/are blind Hitchens-worshippers.
Oh my yes. The fact that so many ignored (and still ignore) his racism and sexism has bothered me for a long time. For ages it seemed like the only “skeptics” I could find were all bloviating misogynists who worshiped at his altar.
That didn’t come out right. What I meant to express is the fact that I really do enjoy and appreciate people discussing topics that are somewhat foreign to me, and I always enjoy learning more. If I’m too drunk to get anything out of the convo, then that’s my problem.
@432.Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge :
I have join Thunk on this. Don’t know enough, but I love to follow the thread, just in case I might learn something. Which isn’t likely, given my pink ladybrain and the fact I’m into the third glass of a very fetching little tempranillo, since this little minnie has just started her holidays, first time in more than three years!
Ah hell, I get drunk as and still manage to learn things. Sometimes. If I remember them.
I was lucky enough to be very interested in science from when I was a small kid, which lead me to skepticism without any real ‘role model’ in mind. If I had stumbled into Hitchens’ stuff early on (or his sheep, for that matter), I don’t think I would be actively involved (well, online at least) in the skeptic or atheist community now.
Your Muslim friends; what are they like and how did you get to know them and how much do you share and have in common?
Which ones? My Muslim friends, acquaintances, and relatives are as varied as my Jewish, Hindi, Buddhist, Christian, and atheist friends, acquaintances, and relatives. So I can’t really give you a sensible answer. Depending on which person you’re talking about, the answer might be “at a professional meeting and we share an interest in curing MDS” or “at a wedding and we share a fondness for my cousin/her husband” or “at gaming night and we share a liking for Carcassonne.” To name three random answers.
I once met this really hot chick at a lesbian bar. We went back to her place and fucked like bunnies.
I was awakened at like 4 am by her getting up to wash for her fajr prayers.
This is an anecdote, apropos of nothing.
But StevoR will probably say that she wasn’t really a Muslim, what with the whole “sleeping with women,” “was in a bar,” and “non-homicidal maniac” things.
I’ve only had one Muslim friend that I knew of, and he was an Iranian student in the same college class as me. The only reason it even came up was that he missed different holidays than the rest of us, so I helped him catch up on the classes he missed. (He also introduced me to Middle Eastern cuisine, which I still enjoy to this day.)
I know several muslims. We get along just fine and yes, they know I’m an atheist and they aren’t bothered by it. They treat me just like they treat their other friends, which include a lot of christians, by the way.
StevoR : Just wondering: do you have friends who aren’t atheists? Christians? Jews? Sikh? Why?
Yes. A few very Christian friends.
One I got to know through my brother – a friend of his who is very Christian and, in fact, done some missionary work of sorts. I attended his wedding and had to bite my tongue at the creationist parts (& yikes were there creationist parts!) but he’s a good person even though I disagree with him on a lot of things, I can talk to him and we get on fine.
Another very Christian bloke via a writing group I belong to. He’s a real character and ha shis own strange experiences. Helps me out. Again, no problem discussing things although he’ svery set in his views and somewhat, oaky, much more prickly and opinionated than I am! He’s quite political, his views on religion are, well kinda different from most Christians, he’s a bit radical, a good person but very anti-athiest. But nice.
People are all different.You have to take EACH INDIVIDUAL as they come. There is no “typical” type for any race, creed, etc.
My favorite way of putting this I stole from a comic. He was pointing out the error of trying to group people by their race, sex, religion, etc. He said (approximately), ” Why hate a GROUP of people for their religion, race or sex when there are so many reasons to hate people on an INDIVIDUAL basis.”
Obviously a tongue in cheek way of saying take people as they come, don’t assume anything. The longer I live, the more I find this to be true.
732 comments
Skip to comment form ↓
A. R
26 June 2012 at 2:08 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I think I’ll leave the cages in the last thread.
pentatomid
26 June 2012 at 2:08 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’ll just repost this here:
Damn, tiny cute mouse… Here’s a cute baby water rail I stumbled accross on one of my nature walks! I figured some theropod cuteness was needed.
pentatomid
26 June 2012 at 2:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Damn, PZ, are you spying on me? The last 3 or 4 videos at the top of TET were all videos I had just watched on Youtube. What are you, some kind of mind reader?
Captaintripps
26 June 2012 at 2:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I like turtles.
Cipher, OM, Fighting Fucktoy
26 June 2012 at 2:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I got an A in my grad class. However, my paper… does not seem to have gone terribly well. There was an email from the professor to the whole class in which a lot of things I know I did right were covered, but the one very significant mistake I appear to have made… was extremely important to my paper.
I’ll have to wait and see.
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
26 June 2012 at 2:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I like them too, Tripps.
Part-Time Insomniac, Zombie Porcupine Nox Arcana Fan
26 June 2012 at 2:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*sings* Come Josephine, my flying machine . . .
doktorzoom
26 June 2012 at 2:17 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Well that teensy little gas bag just isn’t going to provide nearly enough lift to get you off the ground. I like steampunk as much as anybody, but could we please stay within the realm of the plausible?
Also, space is a vacuum, so the lasers wouldn’t go “pew! pew! pew!”
Thank you for your attention to these details.
pentatomid
26 June 2012 at 2:22 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
doctorzoom,
Pfff… Way to spoil the fun.
The Laughing Coyote (Canis Sativa)
26 June 2012 at 2:26 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Doctorzoom: I also read somewhere that since there are no air molecules in space to reflect light, the lasers wouldn’t be visible unless you were looking directly into them.
Apologies if I mangled the shit out of this explanation. Physics isn’t exactly my bag.
Sili
26 June 2012 at 2:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Shame if anything happened to it.
(Why, yes. I did indeed just get a letter from my insurers.)
A. R
26 June 2012 at 2:31 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
TLC: You’re right. Some scifi “lasers” are actually particle beam weapons, which can emit their own light sans air particles.
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
26 June 2012 at 2:35 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Sili:
That’s a nice everything you got there, be a shame if something happened to it.
Sssssssssss….
A. R
26 June 2012 at 2:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[A. R. dumps a truckload of cats and ocelots into the thread, encases himself in obsidian]
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
26 June 2012 at 2:45 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
oooh kitty!
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
26 June 2012 at 2:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
In the setting I’m making lasers are invisible in space…which is why they’re effective :-p
The main weaponry are either torpedos fired ala rail guns or bursts of plasma.
chigau (違う)
26 June 2012 at 2:51 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
One Yay! for Cipher and one pending.
Have a kitten, there seem to be plenty.
A. R
26 June 2012 at 2:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ing: Also, remember that lasers only cause explosions if they hit an explosive substance. (Also, is there magnetic containment on your plasma, or is it naked?)
Beatrice
26 June 2012 at 2:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sleeping Puppy Gets Bath From Kitty
jand
26 June 2012 at 2:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Totally off topic but Facebook has just unilaterally changed users’ email addresses, I think this a totally unwarranted and authoritarian disregard for our basic human rights and an intolerable intrusion of our privacy (whatever the terms and conditions say).
Personally, I feel like withdrawing from Facebook altogether, but instead I’m going to use my account to do as much damage as possible to Facebook, and I hope it will collapse.
I will invite friends to invite friends to spread the word: make Facebook About Face or Perish.
I’m inviting pharyngulites to consider following a similar course of action.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
26 June 2012 at 2:58 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Well, if I remember my Star Wars physics, their laser weapons are actually lasers. And they don’t cause explosions, they just burn holes. Which is accurate, tbh. Exploding happens when fuel tanks/oxygen reservoirs/engines get holes poked through them.
The other major weapon in SW-verse is the so-called “ion cannon,” which is apparently just a directed EMP.
A. R
26 June 2012 at 3:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Esteleth: I’m not a Star Wars person, but I think they use some kind of plasma in the smaller weapons. the bigger ones I’m not sure of.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
26 June 2012 at 3:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Of course, how exactly the same thing knocks a human out and delivers a directed EMP punch to an electronic device is a bit…off.
Unless it works by shorting out nerves. This seems a bit, uh, lethal.
Moggie
26 June 2012 at 3:03 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
TLC:
In the latter case, they wouldn’t be visible for long. Hence the warning notice you’ll see in numerous labs: “do not look into laser with remaining eye”.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
26 June 2012 at 3:04 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
A.R., I’m not sure (can look at Wookiepedia <-yes that's the name of the SW wiki), but I do think that the stuff in guns/rifles is simply a smaller version of the big cannons.
There are references to plasma bombs – they're treated with the sort of reverent horror as nukes are in our culture – and they are carefully contrasted with their "conventional" weapons.
PZ Myers
26 June 2012 at 3:09 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh, pentatomid, that’s so silly. Don’t you know you’re all my sock puppets? This is the most solipsistic blog ever.
A. R
26 June 2012 at 3:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hmm, they have something called a blaster, which fires some kind of particle beam, though they also make it seem like it’s a type of laser. They also have turbolasers which apparently are giant blasters, and laser cannons, which are also particle beam weapons. Thus Star Wars lasers are not true lasers, but something more like a Star Trek phaser.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
26 June 2012 at 3:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Did you just look at Wookiepedia? For no apparent reason, my workplace blocks it.
A. R
26 June 2012 at 3:16 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Esteleth: Yeah, otherwise I would be totally clueless. I call the sword thingys giant burning light penises on occasion if that gives you an idea of how much I know about Star Wars.
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven
26 June 2012 at 3:19 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
If enough of the target were vaporized rapidly enough, it would expand explosively. The glowing fireballs Hollywood has taught us to expect from “explosions” are a different matter, though.
Momo Elektra
26 June 2012 at 3:20 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@ A. R
That’s Spaceballs, I think.
http://www.popsci.com/files/imagecache/article_image_large/articles/spaceballs2.jpg
A. R
26 June 2012 at 3:21 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Azkyroth: That’s true.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
26 June 2012 at 3:21 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
!!!! light penises!!!!
(have you seen Spaceballs?!)
Gnumann, quisling of the MRA nation
26 June 2012 at 3:22 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
It’s basically a retcon-from-ignorant-filmmaker-mess. A small sample:
linky
This is about blasters, but it also says blaster=laser cannon on the laser cannon entry.
Also:
Maintaining nerd productivity?
/speculation
pentatomid
26 June 2012 at 3:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
PZ,
Well that would explain a lot…
Sili
26 June 2012 at 3:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
“If you’re not paying for it, you’re not the customer, you’re the product.”
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
26 June 2012 at 3:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Gnumann,
For no apparent reason, my workplace blocks it.
Maintaining nerd productivity?
On the not-blocked list (from personal experience today):
-FTB
-SciBlogs
-Facebook
-Cracked
pentatomid
26 June 2012 at 3:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Spaceballs?! Wow, that takes me back! I love that movie!
birgerjohansson
26 June 2012 at 3:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Way off topic, but Swedish diplomat Sverker Åström has died aged 96.
No non-Swedes (and quite few Swedes) knew about him, but he was essential for setting up the Stockholm international conference about pollution and the environment in 1972 (this was before international pledges regarding the environment were tagged anti-American).
He was quite a renaissance man, who translated Michelangelo’s love poems after learning Italian late in life.
Also, several members of the Swedish security police were convinced he must be a spy, because Burgess and MacLean were spies (If you are homosexual, you automatically become a spy, unless you are named J. Edgar Hoover).
(Swedish-language link:
Sverker Åström död vid 96 års ålder http://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/betytt-oerhort-mycket )
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
26 June 2012 at 3:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Bah! I fail at html!
Retrying:
Gnumann:
On the not-blocked list (from personal experience today):
-FTB
-SciBlogs
-Facebook
-Cracked
Gnumann, quisling of the MRA nation
26 June 2012 at 3:31 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Esteleth:
A HR dep trying to do something doesn’t mean a HR dep doing it right.
A. R
26 June 2012 at 3:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Spaceballs: I’ve never seen it, in fact, I’m pretty happy that someone actually did that!
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
26 June 2012 at 3:33 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I also work for a university, Gnumann.
I wonder the hue and cry if they blocked FB.
Walton
26 June 2012 at 3:47 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh, personally, I think trilobites are cute. (They were my favourite exhibit at the DC Natural History Museum.)
pentatomid
26 June 2012 at 3:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Okay, I’ve seriously had enough of Thunderdouche. Have you seen how he’s ‘edited’ his original ‘MYSOGINIST’ post to mock Amy Roth, whose copyrighted material he used without permission. FUCK THIS GUY.
Stella
26 June 2012 at 3:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Indeed. From my own experience of HR departments, this would appear to be industry-standard practice for nerd productivity enhancement. Facebook is the exception: it’s not blocked because the HR people enjoy it too much themselves.
Lynna, OM
26 June 2012 at 3:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sometimes I forget that I am just one of Poopyhead’s sock puppets.
When that happens, I lose all sense of purpose.
Sili
26 June 2012 at 3:52 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ah. Nemo was kind enough to remind me where I’d ever heard of Leah not-all-that-Libresco’s blog.
Dalillama
26 June 2012 at 3:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@A.R. (#139 in the last thread)
Canned soup has HCFS in it now. Why?!!? Who sweetens beef and vegetable soup?!?? That aside, I’m pretty sure that corn makes a decent feedstock for making certain plastics.
Walton
26 June 2012 at 3:56 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh, I confess. I’ve been PZ’s sock puppet all along. All those heated debates back in my libertarian days? That was just me trying to get more pageviews by arguing with myself.
(I’m kidding. I’m not PZ. He could never fake the British accent.)
(But of course, PZ has an even bigger secret. Ever wondered how he’s able to write blog posts, hold down a full-time teaching job, and make thousands of comments on his own blog every day under hundreds of pseudonyms? He’s not human. He’s actually Marvin the android wearing a false beard. He thought it would be a good way to waste a few years while sitting around waiting for the universe to end.*)
(*Brain the size of a planet, etc.)
Walton
26 June 2012 at 3:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Apologies. I shouldn’t post after drinking port.
birgerjohansson
26 June 2012 at 4:02 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
A flying machine with a walkway on the outside?
Actually, Igor Sikorsky’s giant Russian aircraft of 1912 had a balcony to the rear of the passenger compartment where passengers could take a short stroll outside in mid-flight. Current airliners rarely offer this refinement.
— — — — — — —
Is there any name for fiction in a post-victorian technological setting?
You know, Art Noveau, the first pulp magazines, aircraft that have started using internal combustion engines (or very 1920s-looking isotope batteries) robots who no longer must rely on steam for locomotion et cetera.
birgerjohansson
26 June 2012 at 4:05 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
In vino veritas.
Walton, I have always suspected PZ was cheating somehow, you are only wrong aout the details. Parallel universes? A hive of clones?
Beatrice
26 June 2012 at 4:09 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
By mentioning Marvin, you made me think of Alan Rickman.
Don’t apologize.
emburii
26 June 2012 at 4:09 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*eyes Hallqust’s post on Jason*
I was super-active in it the other day and started a crapload of subthreads, but now I just don’t have the energy to keep up with it. Should I have even have posted anything if I didn’t have the dedication to keep going at it?
pentatomid
26 June 2012 at 4:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
birgerjohansson,
The term Steampunk is often expanded beyond the Victorian era to encompass the Edwardian period. After that it gets into Dieselpunk (think Skycaptain and the world of tomorrow). Art Nouveau stuff would probably still be considered Steampunk.
Sili
26 June 2012 at 4:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
On the contrary, my dear Walton.
*gulps Black Velvet*
You coming to Rhinebeck?
Sili
26 June 2012 at 4:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Robur.
Walton
26 June 2012 at 4:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Alas, I am an ocean away, and this year I have no money. :-( I should be able to come next year, though, if I manage to secure pupillage and hence actually have an income.
Gnumann, quisling of the MRA nation
26 June 2012 at 4:17 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Not wanting to derail the Thunderfoot thread further, I hope it’s ok I blow off some steam here.
Why is it every fucking time some nitwit comes in with a gendered insult it’s the same fucking script:
Nitwit: [insert gendered slur based on names for sex organ here]!
Someone: please don’t say that [+explainations]
Nitwit: But in my area that doesn’t mean sex organ at all
Someone: yes it does, and anyway we don’t care for your ideosyncratic use
Nitwit: But..but… “gay” has changed meaning. Yes it has! That’s my get-out-of-jail-card!!!
Firstly, I’m not a native English speaker, but if I was to refer to “my [name for sex organ] – english-speaking people everywhere would take this as a reference to my sex organ. Even though e.g. “twat” would be seen as a bit quaint, I’m fairly certain it would be understood as an organ an not a person.
Secondly: why don’t people ever reflect on why [name for sex organ] is an insult if it doesn’t refer to said organ at all?
And finally (and possibly related): why can’t they see that “gay” is no relation at all (and on a side note, isn’t “gay” on the “be careful”-list for steeped-in-big-P-persons like me and (usually mr.) Nitwit?
The Laughing Coyote (Canis Sativa)
26 June 2012 at 4:17 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
for some reason I always thought Walton was a non-drinker. Shows what I know.
How was the port? Was it delicious?
Moggie
26 June 2012 at 4:17 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Beatrice:
Heathen! As much as I like Alan Rickman in other things, there’s only one true Marvin, and that’s Stephen Moore.
birgerjohansson:
Eddies in the space-time continuum?
birgerjohansson
26 June 2012 at 4:18 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
(*Brain the size of a planet, etc.)
That would explain the mass concentrations (mascons) under the lunar crust; P Z;s external hardware, linked telepathically to the organic avatar/ infiltration unit. The “beard” is a mass of antennae.
— — — — — — — —
So are any of you travelling to rural sites where you will have a chance to view the Perseid meteors ca. Aug 12th ?
— — — —
My cat is stoned on painkillers the vet provided to make it easier for him to urinate*, now he is leaning over the keyboard and purring.
*The blood samples showed no problems, he may have urinary tract inflammation, but since he has some temporary pain in the lower back it is possible that it simply hurts when he sits down in the litter box. Anyway he is peeing normally now that he got painkillers.
Moggie
26 June 2012 at 4:19 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sigh, quote borked. Never mind; nothing worsens a lame joke like repeating it.
Sili
26 June 2012 at 4:20 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Pity.
I don’t know if I’ll make 2013. I’m pondering getting a house/flat of my own, so I’ll have to start watching my consumption.
A. R
26 June 2012 at 4:22 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
TLC: Port is always delicious (until it isn’t) so long as you always pass the decanter to the left and never let it touch the table. Because if you do, shit hits the fan.
Beatrice
26 June 2012 at 4:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I have a confession to make. I visited JT’s blog right now. And he… he gave link to livestreaming of kittens. *whimper*
Are 7 kittens enough to make me forget about all of his fails? Well, no, they aren’t. But they’re pretty damn close.
Kittens!!!! being all cute and kitteny
Sili
26 June 2012 at 4:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lucky sod.
My right eye is acting up, and I can’t determine if it’s a foreign object or a scratch on the cornea.
Gonna be fun do the examination of the kids tomorrow while crying. I’m sure that’ll put them at ease.
(As it happens, judging from their written work, crying will be called for.)
birgerjohansson
26 June 2012 at 4:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
pentatomid,
Theropods; let’s reverse-engineer some emus. Those birds are already mean, if their vestigal wings were turned into proper arms and their beaks regained teeth you would have someting that would intimidate anything smaller than a lion.
— — — — — —
“pass the decanter to the left and never let it touch the table”
In the edwardian-era “Ripping Yarns” by the Monthy Python gang, passing the port to the right was cause for suicide by revolver helpfully provided by the other dinner guests.
birgerjohansson
26 June 2012 at 4:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This might be more pertinent for “Dispatches from the Culture Wars” but WTF.
“17 injured as lightning strikes Peace & Love music festival” http://www.thelocal.se/41668/20120626/
So you see, Yahweh has finally punished those hippie anti-American libruls… wait, it happened six time zones to the east of the US! Oh, well, nobody claims God is perfect.
Moggie
26 June 2012 at 5:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Swedish hippies must be damn tough if they can shrug off a lightning strike. And just think, they’ve probably gained some super powers from this!
Sarahface
26 June 2012 at 5:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I would like to state upfront that I’m so threadrupt that I need new qualifiers to describe quite how threadrupt I am.
I thought the promise of FREEDOM(TM) would mean I got more time to keep up with things, but it turns out that’s wrong. And I was late to the Thunderfoot party, so it took forever to catch up on that.
/excuses
I feel like I’m missing out on half this conversation, because I’ve never seen Star Wars. (I know. It’s on my to do, someday list, though.)
On the cute things front – everyone has already said all the cute things I would have said. Except possibly adorably awkward newborn baby antelopes, when they’re all legs and just trying to stand.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
26 June 2012 at 5:52 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
You’ve never seen Star Wars?
Who cares?
You probably know 90% of the plot already.
Gnumann, quisling of the MRA nation
26 June 2012 at 5:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Remember – it’ ok (even encouraged) to skip I – III. (You can always watch them later if you develop a deep enthusiasm and/or a love for self-flagellation).
Matt Penfold
26 June 2012 at 5:58 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Marcus Brigstock presented a Radio 4 show of that name, and later a TV program.
It involved celebrities have to do things they had never done before, like read a book by Jane Austen, or see Hamlet, or listen to “Dark side of the Moon”.
It was good stuff.
cm's changeable moniker
26 June 2012 at 5:59 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Drive-by dropoff: Van Gogh’s Starry Night, made with dominoes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GWI0A9o_5E
.
Matt Penfold
26 June 2012 at 5:59 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
She would if she knows the plot of Hamlet.
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
26 June 2012 at 6:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18604664
*spares the pontification*
billgunn
26 June 2012 at 6:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Nice video – shame about the song.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
26 June 2012 at 6:36 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I read a blogpost that – rather rightly – suggested a different order of viewing the films, that presents them as a coherent whole and nonetheless preserves the films as standalone pieces and keeps the Big Mucking Cliffhangers in place.
The order:
(1) A New Hope
(2) The Empire Strikes Back
(3) Attack of the Clones
(4) Revenge of the Sith
and
(5) Return of the Jedi.
(The Phantom Menace is optional to wach later)
That way, the progression works like this:
You meet Luke. He’s whiny, but meets all these people who tell him all these things. He becomes a soldier, the war goes on, plot plot plot.
Then!!!
Han gets frozen, Yoda drops his “There is another” line, and Luke gets the horror-shock of his life.
Now: go back in time 20-odd years. See the backstory.
Then: you are set for the dénouement of the whole story: how will Vader’s life end? What is the fate of the Skywalkers?
Sarahface
26 June 2012 at 6:36 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I loved that (radio) show. I hope they’ll do more of it. I didn’t know there was a TV version, though.
I keep hearing this – the more I hear it, the more I get that “is it *really* that bad? I guess I’ll have to find out for myself…” attitude. And I know that if I give in to these impulses, I’ll regret it, but even so…
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
26 June 2012 at 6:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I-III aren’t that bad, they just (esp. I) suffer in comparison to the others. Also, 30 years of pent-up anticipation going off like a damp squib.
Basically, the original trilogy is rightly lauded as a cinematic masterpiece. I-III are…okay. But only okay.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
26 June 2012 at 6:43 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
A lot of the nerd rage re: I-III can be summed up thusly:
(1) Jar-Jar Binks
and
(2) midi-chlorians.
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
26 June 2012 at 6:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh noted. Lasers are for cutting, not blowing up. I was leaning that save for some banks on ships the main use of them would be for defense grids.
As for the plasma; the aesthetic was that it would look like a fireball and have an approximate range before it disperse. While that would seem like a disadvantage to the weapon it’s chosen specifically for that quality (so not to hit something really really far away you don’t want to if you miss your target)
Gyeong Hwa
26 June 2012 at 6:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Internets I miss you!
So homophobes are boycotting Oreo over gay cookies. MOAR cookies for me!
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker)
26 June 2012 at 6:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thanks for the hugs and chocolate folks. But the fact they’re being proffered to me shows that I went too far. In my desire to share my sympathy with Katherine in a way that showed that I might have some faint, probably inaccurate, analogous understanding I made it too much about me. By way of mitigation I offer this platypup, it comes pre-squeeed.
opposablethumbs
26 June 2012 at 7:06 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Au contraire, mon cher Walton, au contraire ::polishes monocle::
@ thunk
About bloody time! (and FGM was already illegal; I see the article doesn’t mention how successful they’ve been at actually eradicating it though). Still, a step in the right direction – and I love the reasoning –
Yay for this particular German court.
MikeG
26 June 2012 at 7:08 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ing,
Like “set decoherence fo 500K km.” It would be cool if it was adjustable. Then cosmic baddie can disregard conventions in a “screw it, Imma blow all them hosers up!” kind of way, causing him to accidentally blow up the one thing he cared about. (trite Mike is trite. Maybe the first bit is useful anyway.)
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
26 June 2012 at 7:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@MikeG
Yeah part of the idea is that technology at that level can make weapons advanced enough to be doomsday weapons…so they actually have to consciously scale the effect back so it can be of actual use. ((Doomsday weapons to exist but only if you basically want to either pull a nuclear stand off by threatening use, or throw a hissy fit and destroy a target rather than take it))
birgerjohansson
26 June 2012 at 7:20 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The academic jungle: Ecosystem model reveals why women are driven out of science
http://phys.org/news/2012-06-academic-jungle-ecosystem-reveals-women.html
MikeG
26 June 2012 at 7:20 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sounds good, Ing.
Between you and Katherine, i’m practicing my “Shut up and take my money!”
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker)
26 June 2012 at 7:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ing: Nice one with the plasma weapons. I can’t think of any story I’ve read with that sort of space weaponry short of OS Star Trek. Such a thing would present great opportunities for “Oh shit! All hands brace, brace, brace!” kinda scenes what with the visceral nature of an infernal fireball coming to eat your ship.
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker)
26 June 2012 at 7:30 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I was also wondering if your heavy water creatures would be in conflict with humans. Perhaps you addressed this before and I missed it, but if so, why would they bother with anything other than going full doomsday, or at least credibly threatening such?
opposablethumbs
26 June 2012 at 7:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Goodness, I hadn’t seen (when posting) that PZ has just done a whole new post on the German court decision. Yay!
Rey Fox
26 June 2012 at 7:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Is that why Dr. Evil kept using finger quotes when talking about his laser?
What about all the Cold War era mythologizing going on? Would that be Leaded Gasoline Punk? Perhaps International Style Punk? What The Punks Rebelled Against Punk?
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
26 June 2012 at 8:09 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Rey Fox
Post WWII is Atomic Punk
AJ Milne
26 June 2012 at 8:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
MOAR for my kids. I don’t like the things much, myself. But damn straight I’ll give ‘em some support.
A. R
26 June 2012 at 8:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
–WARNING–
The following is material from the ERV slimepit, please approach with caution:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
PZ Myers
25 June 2012 at 8:17 am
What? Who in their right mind sees the word “slimepit” and thinks “vagina”? If we called it “dungheap”, would they be speculating that it’s a reference to their penises?
Their associations are terribly revealing, I think.
Once again, Peezus reveals his obsession with our cocks and implies that his own might be a funny shape. I mean that ‘pit’ implies ‘vagina’ baffles him but ‘heap’ implies ‘penis’? Who the fuck has a ‘heap’ shaped penis?
Our associations Peezus? Keep your mind off my dick or I’m calling hotel security!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
–
In other news:
Ing: Yep, I love your plasma weapon idea. Rather like the plasma torpedoes the TOS Romulans had.
Esteleth: Hmm, considering I’ve never seen the films, I might watch them in that order.
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
26 June 2012 at 8:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
So today was my last day at work. Rest of the week is vacation I got pressured into taking but fuck it. Turned in keys and everything and got the paper work to file my last grievance and harassment report. I almost didn’t because I might be long gone before anything is processed but the union asked me to for the sake of record for future employees so I sucked it up and did my duty rather than avoid teh dramalama. Still applying to jobs nothing yet. Getting really worried.
DLC
26 June 2012 at 8:30 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
And here I thought PZ could do all of us sockpuppets because he cloned himself in 2002. Think about it. He’s a biologist. . . all those Biologists know all those Satanic Science things. He has a lab and students to help him. He clones himself and then the extras take on some of his speaking engagements and lecture duties, and other clones make comments here, keeping him free to hang out with The Trophy Wife™.
Epic Plan, except well, you can’t keep your mouth shut about these things, can we ?
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
26 June 2012 at 8:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
oh also useless today due to being sick as a dog…ugh. Probably gonna have to move soon too due to rent being too high.
Tony... therefore God
26 June 2012 at 8:51 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
(*Brain the size of a planet, etc.)
Oh I see:
PZ = Mogo
(wondering how many will know what I’m talking about…)
Mattir
26 June 2012 at 8:52 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I really cannot convey how odd I find it that the New York Sheep and Wool Festival (aka Rhinebeck) has become a Pharyngula Horde Event. It’s fabulous, and I’m grateful for everyone, but it’s really a bit odd.
I spent the entire day working on the front of my house, making it look a bit less like the rural poor Southern relatives’ yards. I’m exhausted, but SonSpawn has baked chocolate chip cookies.
Never watched Thunderd00d, and am now glad that I don’t have to. Also, hooray for Women in Secularism II – I’m adding it to the calendar NAO.
Tony... therefore God
26 June 2012 at 8:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Gnumann:
Remember – it’ ok (even encouraged) to skip I – III. (You can always watch them later if you develop a deep enthusiasm and/or a love for self-flagellation).
At least watch the fight with Darth Maul in Ep.1
John Morales
26 June 2012 at 8:58 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Tony:
This is the internet; only those who care not to bother shan’t.
John Morales
26 June 2012 at 8:59 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
(I snickered audibly the first time I encountered that)
Tony... therefore God
26 June 2012 at 9:00 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ing:
Hopefully you’ll be able to find a job fairly quick.
Tony... therefore God
26 June 2012 at 9:02 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
John @105:
Ah, but you cheated… :)
JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness
26 June 2012 at 9:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Wow. The Oatmeal’s Operation BearLove Good, Cancer Bad has blown the fuck up. The lawyer for funnyjunk are suing to stop the money going to charity and his wife is calling Inman an internet Hilter. WTF? Yeah, this is totally like Hilter. *eyeroll*
I dislike that article’s use of tone trolling and hatred of insults in general. Plus they conveniently leave out the fact Inman has never asked people to harass the lawyer and has asked them to stop it. Inman telling them to fuck off is no excuse for going all Rambo against the charities, which made the internet turn their hatred onto the lawyer, instead of just on funnyjunk.
Part-Time Insomniac, Zombie Porcupine Nox Arcana Fan
26 June 2012 at 9:16 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m not sure what brought it on, but I had a dream last night that left me feeling a bit chilled when I woke.
As I do more often at night now that school’s over, I went online to game with my guildmates. I think there were only one or two names on the party list that belong to actual members IRL. Anyway, one party member asks another to pass the star so they can invite someone to join.
Then I got a tell that says (more or less), “Viy (my main character’s name), it’s gotten worse. We’re looking at mass extinction of life in the sea. And it’s for real, I just learned that every species of whale in the world is on the verge of nonexistence.” They even gave me a link to a video about it.
The last thing I saw before waking up was a video of a lone whale sounding. Let’s just say I’m now wondering if that sort of scenario really isn’t far off, and if it does happen, what’s going to happen to the rest of life on the planet.
John Morales
26 June 2012 at 9:17 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Tony, I’m the type of guy who checks out the ending of books if their reading becomes tiresome.
(I also re-read good books after a suitable interval)
Cipher, OM, Fighting Fucktoy
26 June 2012 at 9:18 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The scare about my paper was, let’s say, misguided.
:D
(This is what my brain does to me: finds every opportunity to tell me I have done something wrong. I am getting better at recognizing that in general, but apparently not when it comes to Scary Territory like grad class work.)
(In related news: It is probably not a good idea to email my professor the following: “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”)
—
Well, work was pretty good today. More Zoe cuteness. She refused to go to the play area with the other small dogs because she wanted to loll about on the couch. So I let her loll about on the couch. A while later when I went to do the laundry near her she started staring at me and going Rhff. Rhff. Rhff. and hitting her front paws on the couch in my direction. This was because she wanted me to sit down, as far as I can tell. At least, when I did, she was all jumping on me and wagging her tail. It was pretty adorable.
—
After work I went to see my brother’s new apartment, which was large and surreal and very nice, and then got sad again for no reason. So that’s dumb. But other than that, nice day. :) I’m reading a Stephen King novel (11/22/63) and noting how different/impossible the book would have had to be if the protagonist wasn’t Mr. Straighty Abel McWhiterson. Next up: Eve Sedgwick. If anyone has other good academic basic feminist theory to recommend, or a semiotics 101-type discussion (preferably the sort of thing I can cite in papers), that would be good.
John Morales
26 June 2012 at 9:19 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
PTI,
What happened after the last Great Extinction?
(Cosmic angst?)
Tony... therefore God
26 June 2012 at 9:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[from previous TET thread]:
Matt:
Just cook the joint whole in water
I thought you’re supposed to *smoke* them…
~~~
Katherine @86:
Hugs, followed by chocolate, followed by puppies *and* kittens, and bacon (I hear it makes everything better)
Oh, and tiny mouse carrying baby mouse is adorable squared.
~~~
dianne:
Can we please go back to fighting religion again ?
No. It’s over. We won. Now we’re just fighting the insurgents that don’t realize the war is long since over. It’s really been over since people started putting lightening rods on churches.
Can I come live in that dream world…pretty please?
(with chocolate on top)
~~~
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
26 June 2012 at 9:31 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Aw, fuck.
A check I forgot about hit. Which means a second check is going to bounce.
I get paid on Friday, which will help, but that entire paycheck is going towards bills.
I’ll be lucky if I have more than $100 left after everything is done.
*flail*
amblebury
26 June 2012 at 9:59 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Threadbare?
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
26 June 2012 at 10:08 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Just got a Twitter that transsexualism/transgenderism is being dropped as a disorder from DSM-V
Balstrome
26 June 2012 at 10:08 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
A bit of random, the Creationist Wheel of Fortune, sorta.
http://unfollowingjesus.com/files/2012/06/wheel.jpg
Tony... therefore God
26 June 2012 at 10:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Caine:
(random hug for no particular reason; saw this and made me think of you):
http://freethoughtblogs.com/zinniajones/2012/06/adorable-rats-of-the-day/#comments
A. R
26 June 2012 at 11:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[X-Post TET/TZT]
Christian group backs away from ex gay therapy.
Dalillama
26 June 2012 at 11:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Ing
My sympathies on the job and sick front. Hopefully you find something soon. I got my first callback in 2 months today, but I missed the call so I have to wait until tomorrow to get back to them.
Dalillama
26 June 2012 at 11:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@ Caine
Yay for the paper and double yay for cute little dogs.
Dalillama
26 June 2012 at 11:46 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
And the reason I popped in just now, which I forgot during the previous two posts. I hope the fever goes down a bit soon.
I’m working on a blog post comparing various libertrolls from various blogs, with the aim of creating an index of tells for when they start JAQing off. I’d appreciate recommendations for good places to find such threadshitters. I’m already going through the recent Ron Paul thread here.
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
26 June 2012 at 11:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Dalillama
I think the idea of an in-depth analysis of libertarian trolls is a great idea (and I don’t think one of the Slimepitters would go amiss either, if anyone has the stomach to study the shit they say in any depth).
I usually just follow the three-times rule: If I find myself repeating something three times, that means that the person is not actually listening to me.
For instance:
Libertarian Troll: Why should I have to pay taxes so the evil government can give it to poor people in food stamps? We should let the free market decide!
Me: We give food stamps because we are, as a nation, (and obviously excluding you) not malicious assholes who like to watch people starve. The food stamp program also generates economic activity, above and beyond what it costs.
LT: Right, but why do I have to pay TAXES (which are totes theft) to the government to do that!? Charities! Free market!
Me: Uh, we do it through the government to ensure universality of access. I don’t want your church-based charity turning me away because I won’t listen to a sermon before they give me my sandwich. Also, like I said, we do it because it makes fiscal sense, and also because it’s the right fucking thing to do.
LT: (Cartman voice)But why my tax moneeeeeeeeey?!
Me:…*throws Libertarian Troll into a volcano*
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
27 June 2012 at 12:02 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Heh, actually, I think most libertarian arguments can just be mentally swapped with “But what about my tax moneeeeeey?!” said in Cartman’s voice.
chigau (違う)
27 June 2012 at 12:59 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ing
*hugs* and hopes for a great new job.
Amphiox
27 June 2012 at 1:16 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Life recovered.
It took about 10 million years.
The previously dominant species weren’t part of the recovery.
Cipher, OM, Fighting Fucktoy
27 June 2012 at 1:45 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*reading the Code of Conduct thread*
I just… hate so many people so much.
Not y’all though. Y’all are all good.
opposablethumbs
27 June 2012 at 4:57 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Cipher
Yay! So you have pretty much aced the year/course?!? ::confetti:: :-)
Um, might that mean you would consider letting Pharyngulite Horders read it? You remember I was thinking it sounded like a really interesting subject. And I was also wondering if you’d consider letting me show it to a Classics-student friend and her Classics-teacher girlfriend – with all your identifying information filed off by you first, of course. (I don’t know them irl but only as internet friends. The Classics-student is the one who has written fanfic in Latin; her Classics-teacher girlfriend (not her teacher; a teacher (which I mention only because if it were her own teacher that could be dodgy) aids and abets).
But ONLY if you are totally 100% completely ok with that, obviously, and if I am annoying-bothering-upsetting you or you have the least misgiving about it please say no and I will apologise sincerely and promise I won’t ask again.
birgerjohansson
27 June 2012 at 5:10 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
“A reasonable trade-off”
http://cartoonbox.slate.com/tedrall/2012/06/27/
Louis
27 June 2012 at 6:46 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I am multiply ‘rupt. Happy thoughts to all who need them, commiserations to those who need those, and metaphorical arse kickings for any lingering morons (although I don’t doubt that these have been adequately doled out by the usual folks).
I hope y’all are well.
Louis
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
27 June 2012 at 6:50 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m gonna have to do massive upheavals of my non-nymmed blog – a few things changed of note and must be fixed!
@Louis:
I am well. More calmed down than recently, a lot more awake, though I do need to go get some coffee.
Psych-Oh
27 June 2012 at 6:52 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
RahXephon – It is my experience that most people who complain about where their tax money is going really don’t pay all that much tax money.
Good Morning, everyone.
Rev. BigDumbChimp
27 June 2012 at 7:12 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Nora Ephron’s lists of things she will and will not miss.
Beatrice
27 June 2012 at 7:25 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
People are stupid.
I knew that already, but they really don’t have to put such an effort in proving the point. Really.
Louis
27 June 2012 at 7:30 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Katherine Lorraine,
I am glad you’re well. Coffee is always needed!*
I am up to my eyeballs in work, so joy must be constrained by need!
Louis
* Oh I suppose I could be all po-faced and try to demonstrate how professional and serious I am by commenting on caffeine being the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the world and how it can affect mood and sundry. But you know what? I’m a) certain you are smart and knowledgeable enough to know this stuff, and b) secure enough in my abilities not to mention it…
…oh…erm…fuck! ;-)
Walton
27 June 2012 at 7:31 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The harassment threads really depress me. It hits home; I’m painfully aware that I used to be one of those creepy clueless sexist guys, when I was a teenager of fourteen or so. As an adult, having developed more empathy, I’ve learned just how harmful that kind of behaviour is. But a great many men still just don’t get it, apparently.
Walton
27 June 2012 at 7:35 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
(Or don’t care, which is worse.)
birgerjohansson
27 June 2012 at 8:49 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ing, I hope you get well soon.
— — — — — — — — —
“NYC: Protest in Support of Jailed Indonesian Atheist Alexander Aan” http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/2012/06/26/nyc-protest-in-support-of-jailed-indonesian-atheist-alexander-aan/
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
27 June 2012 at 8:51 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
So, I crunched the numbers. I don’t think my next paycheck is going to be enough to keep me in the black. I had some unexpected expenses this month, and put off some bills to the next paycheck.
But I can’t keep putting them off.
Fuck!
I hate to do this, but, um…help?
cicely ("No-one of Consequence")
27 June 2012 at 10:37 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Stoopid morning. Can’t brain.
:(
-
myeck waters
27 June 2012 at 10:37 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Inspired by Louis’ “hippocracy” post in another thread, I give you:
The Ad Houyhnhnm fallacy: dismissing someone’s arguments because they are a talking horse.
Also known as the Wilbur Post Hoc fallacy.
cicely ("No-one of Consequence")
27 June 2012 at 10:39 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Too stoopid to Preview. Sorries.
:(
-
pentatomid
27 June 2012 at 10:46 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Christ on a fruitcake, Tf00t has posted another response to PZ, and it ain’t pretty. Aaaaaargh!
Happiestsadist
27 June 2012 at 10:54 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Esteleth: If I had anything at all to spare, I would. As it stands, I have $0, and the cat is at the vet’s now.
Gnumann, quisling of the MRA nation
27 June 2012 at 11:09 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@ Estheleth:
I can probably chip in a little bit at least, if you got any good suggestions on how to send you money internationally without it being very expensive, a pain in the rear or paypal.
Feel free to send me an email at randy.gnumann@[that place who doesn't like pseudonyms in it's +].com
Part-Time Insomniac, Zombie Porcupine Nox Arcana Fan
27 June 2012 at 11:22 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Esteleth: I might have some to spare, but I’ll check first to be sure I won’t make you an empty promise. Is there any way the money could be sent that won’t be a pain in the ass to get arranged?
——————————————–
What the hell is with all the 3D copies of Brave? It’s not showing at the theater downtown, so I thought downloading was an option. But noooo, it’s all 3D. And they’re all blurry because of that!
*sigh* I guess I’ll drag myself down to the mall, but I don’t have to be happy about going there just to see a movie. I now wish they’d never closed that theater in Milford – at least it was a standalone and not located in a building that’s stuffed with people by eleven o’clock.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
27 June 2012 at 11:27 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Well, I do have a Paypal account. But other than that, I really don’t know, other than snailmailing checks or whatever.
I know Josh has taken the lead in coordinating these things previously. I’m not sure how he did stuff.
Gnumann, quisling of the MRA nation
27 June 2012 at 11:32 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
When I chipped in on the “tropes vs women in games”-project I used my amazon account to pay. Does anybody know if that’s an option for individuals without too much hassle?
ImaginesABeach
27 June 2012 at 12:06 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Esteleth -
I don’t get that whole “paypal” thing (get off my lawn), but can offer some modest help if you want to e-mail me at camandpete at that “y” dot com.
Josh used his paypal account for the smart kids, and accepted paper by snailmail from the rest of us.
Pteryxx
27 June 2012 at 12:09 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Esteleth, I snail-mailed a (small) check (via Josh) last time. IIRC, Josh gathered payments via HIS paypal and his snail-mail, for security, and then forwarded it all to the recipient.
I can mail a smallish check again, directly if you’re willing to gmail me.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
27 June 2012 at 12:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Well, my email is esteleth AT gmail.
Because I’m creative about nyms and stuff.
Richard Austin
27 June 2012 at 12:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hrm, Colorado’s getting worse. Has Og been around? I missed the entire thread last week.
ImaginesABeach
27 June 2012 at 12:30 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ogvorbis is in Colorado without access to the internet.
Richard Austin
27 June 2012 at 12:35 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
ImaginesABeach:
Was afraid of that. Here’s to hoping for may more fire stories.
ChasCPeterson
27 June 2012 at 12:37 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
A great read on precisely this subject: Quammen’s Planet of Weeds
Classic opener: “Hope is a duty from which paleontologists are exempt.”
Dalillama
27 June 2012 at 12:52 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@louis
Yeah, it’s also the only drug you can buy with foodstamps.
ImaginesABeach
27 June 2012 at 1:51 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
If I didn’t have a Weird Internet Crush (TM) on SallyStrange before this, I certainly do after this comment on the Code of Conduct thread:
And of course, she follows through on her plan brilliantly.
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
27 June 2012 at 2:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Uh still feel so sick…but need to put in job aps. Ugh…
Tethys
27 June 2012 at 2:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I have been following the case of David Prosser. It is a case study in clueless male privilege in action. Prosser is a Supreme Court Justice, and is a former Republican congressman.
Wisconsin: Judicial regulators again demand panel in Prosser case
Prosser has a history of issues with his female colleagues and subsequent attention of the ethics committee.
Prosser’s story of conflict with Supreme Court colleague detailed in records
A Supreme Court Justice testified that “My right to use gendered slurs in private proceedings is a matter of free speech!”.
He then goes on a hole-digging spree of truly epic proportions.
He went to great pains to testify under oath that his pee-pee’s feelings ™ are the most important thing ever!
o_O
*brain asplode*
Mattir
27 June 2012 at 2:17 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I posted this at TF, after some moron went on a whinging “what about teh childrenz” rant about the need for FtB to adopt a no-bad-words tone policy. Thought I should also cross post it here. You all have no idea how wonderful you’ve been for our little weird family.
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
27 June 2012 at 2:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ok in all seriousness. FFB, did anyone get a writing sample from Thunderfoot before hand? Because his formatting and communication SUCKS.
pentatomid
27 June 2012 at 2:30 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
We are Ing,
Tell me about it. It’s literally like having a youtube creationist troll writing entire blogposts: random caps, no actual substance… It’s kinda scary actually.
Mattir
27 June 2012 at 2:36 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Wow – the tone troll for protekting teh childrenz on TB is now insisting that my experiences of parenting teens who read FtB is mere anecdote and that I need to “check my privilege” and protect the vulnerable teens and young adults from the big mean FtB commentariat.
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
27 June 2012 at 2:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh yes but god forbid we say something about screaming CUNT.
Mattir
27 June 2012 at 2:45 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
ibyea, thunk, any of the rest of you whippersnappers, SHUT YOUR EARS before anyone says any Bad Words.
Mattir
27 June 2012 at 2:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Ing –
ANECDATA! (Is that like some sort of magic word?)
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
27 June 2012 at 2:51 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Their complaint about bad words reminds me of the 1940s TV skit from Mitchell and Webb
Link
otrame
27 June 2012 at 2:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Here is Fred Clark, showing once more that not all Christians are hate-filled idiots.
QFFT
Mattir
27 June 2012 at 2:58 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Apparently my use of the word “whinging” would put me in violation of the Protect Teh Childrenz™ harassment policy. Good thing these morons don’t actually listen to how the Spawns actually talk when confronted with arguments such as the ones in support of TF…
Also, ANECDATA!!! And CHECK YOUR PRIVILEGE!!!1111eleventy!! These are, in the mind of the ERVites, at least, magic words that mean that you don’t have to consider what other people have experienced. Because it totes doesn’t count if it’s not from a White Menz.
(I would take the call for a non-harassment policy on FtB more seriously if FtB had a population of r/atheism types who posted rape threats about 15 year old girls and were upvoted as a result. As this hasn’t happened, though….)
Psych-Oh
27 June 2012 at 3:06 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Esteleth – I sent a bit. If you are still short when you need to make your payments, let me know.
Therrin
27 June 2012 at 3:08 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Beatrice,
I hate you so much for that live kitten strea–Oooh, mommy just showed up!
onion girl, OM; social workers do it with paperwork
27 June 2012 at 3:21 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
DC LOCALS:
(Dear Horde: please forgive the impending multiple posts; I really want to make sure to reach all the locals. I know not everyone keeps up with comments consistently, so I’ll be posting this occasionally the next few days to try to catch everyone.)
Please stop over and complete this poll so I can get an idea of the RSVPs for the various activities we have coming up. Once the poll is complete, ALL planning for activities will be via email; please put your information in so you get all the where/when details! Email me if you have any questions!
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
27 June 2012 at 3:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
UGH *headdesk* In sick stupor I put the same mistake on e-mail letters to almost every job I applied to today.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
27 June 2012 at 4:52 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
…
Everyone, I really don’t know what to say. I got home from work and logged into PayPal (work blocks it, because…?)
There is enough money from various people to pay my rent. Jebus.
So, my bills are all covered, and I have a cushion left over.
Thank you all SO MUCH
Seriously, I am blubbing.
kristinc, ~ringy dingy~
27 June 2012 at 5:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I am completely threadrupt.
But I did make an awesome cosmetic bag and brush roll! http://mystuffwhatimade.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/cosmetics-set/
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
27 June 2012 at 5:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Esteleth:
I can and would help out, but you’ve raised enough already. Hooray!
Mattir: ZOMG, think of the children!!!
But what you said fits me to a T.
Well aside from going to con bars, but that will be remedied next week.
dianne
27 June 2012 at 5:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ick. I’ve spent all day trying to avoid diagnosing a young pregnant woman with a condition that will mean that she has to terminate the pregnancy or die. It didn’t work. She friggin has it. Any pro-life lurkers out there, if you want to reduce the number of abortions and especially later abortions that occur, fund studies into other methods for treating pre-eclampsia and its evil twin HELLP syndrome. Because I flat out guarantee this one wouldn’t have happened if there’d been an alternative.
Cipher, OM, Fighting Fucktoy
27 June 2012 at 5:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yep, I have! *dance party*
I’m going to put off answering that for a while. You don’t need to apologize for it, I’m actually excited to share my work, but I first of all need to make some corrections, and then I also am actually thinking of developing the paper further – this was class-level good, but I’d like to work on making it publishable-level good, and I won’t know until I get the actual copy of my paper back how much time and effort that’s going to take.
Cipher, OM, Fighting Fucktoy
27 June 2012 at 5:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
:(
I’m sorry. That sounds like a terrible situation for her, and pretty damn unpleasant for you as well.
*hugs and swill*
amblebury
27 June 2012 at 5:36 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yay Esteleth! :)
Dianne, ow that’s difficult. I’d never heard of HELLP syndrome :(
I loved Nora Ephron’s list – thanks Rev.BDC
Mattir – your teens and mine should get together for a “civil conversation” sometime – - hilarity would ensue.
Yay Cipher for your good results!
dianne
27 June 2012 at 5:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thanks, Cipher. It could have been worse, I suppose. This could have happened in a Catholic hospital in Arizona. At least we have an OB who is competent in induction and D & E and ready to do whichever is best for the patient and she is most comfortable with. And the administration isn’t going to make a fuss and try to fire anyone.
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
27 June 2012 at 5:45 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Amblebury: Ooh! Me too!
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
27 June 2012 at 5:47 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
That’s terrible, dianne.
I’m presuming that this was a wanted pregnancy for her? How sad. :(
*hugs* and *puppies* for you and *healing thoughts* for her.
Gnumann, quisling of the MRA nation
27 June 2012 at 5:52 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
That is very good to hear!
opposablethumbs
27 June 2012 at 6:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Cipher, that’s wonderful! And however you decide – to develop it, to publish (wow!) or anything else – do tell us on TET how it goes. And dancing, ululating rats all round! :-)
.
Dianne, that’s so sad. If only the so-called “pro-life” people actually cared about real living people and put their effort and resources into helping pregnant women who want their pregnancy and actual children who have already been born – instead of into controlling women who don’t want to be (or want to be but sadly can’t safely be) pregnant.
amblebury
27 June 2012 at 6:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
You bet. Wouldn’t that be great? All the Teenpharynguloids getting together.
michaeld
27 June 2012 at 6:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Blerg flops from another foray into the TF threads.
So… endless thread…. did some people start commenting not knowing what it was?
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
27 June 2012 at 6:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/27/us/florida-cannibal-attack/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn
Weed made “zombie” eat old man’s face? WTF?
Dalillama
27 June 2012 at 6:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yay Cipher and Esteleth. Dianne, that’s a bummer all right. In personal good news, I have a job again as of tomorrow.
michaeld
27 June 2012 at 6:58 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yay jobz! Congrats Dalillama hope your first day goes well.
Erülóra Maikalambe
27 June 2012 at 7:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
So Jessica Ahlquist is speaking at Skepticon. I really hope I’m able to go again this year.
Mattir
27 June 2012 at 8:06 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Dianne, I’m so sorry for you and the young woman. And I’m immensely thankful that there are professionals like you to do such work.
One of the greatest thing about the Pharyngula Teen group is that they grow up to be, oh, Walton, or ibyea, or thunk or… There are a lot of them out there. The Other Mr. Mattir and I have no extended family at all, and it’s been fairly tough for the Spawns not to have any cousins, aunts, uncles, or grandparents. Over the last 3 years, they’ve both commented that because of Pharyngula, they feel like they really have a wonderful, worldwide extended family. Every kid needs an Aunt Caine, an Uncle DDMFM, and an Uncle Spokesgay.
Hooray for Internet AlloFamilies!
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
27 June 2012 at 8:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Weedmonkey, has pot ever made you crave human flesh?
Josh, Official SpokesBrah
27 June 2012 at 8:26 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
That’s darling! I must try to get to Rhinebeck this year. When in Oct. is it again?
Josh, Official SpokesBrah
27 June 2012 at 8:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
In case anyone gives a shit I’m on Twitter as Official SpokesGay.
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
27 June 2012 at 8:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Dianne:
Oh ouchee for both of you. ‘s sad.
Mattir:
Who’s DDMFM?
But yeah, I don’t get much companionship either, especially in the summer. And my parents aren’t on the same wavelength either (lots of tone trolling)
ImaginesABeach
27 June 2012 at 8:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Somebody, I cannot remember who, wrote the history of TET, starting with “in the beginning was Titanboa” and the whole Alan Clarke bit. It was brilliant. Was that back on SB? Is it lost for all time? Does anyone know what I’m thinking of? Not Nerd’S opera, although we are overdue for another act.
cicely ("No-one of Consequence")
27 June 2012 at 8:56 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
All hail Benedryl, restorer of brainz!
(Eventually. After the coma wears off.)
-
Thanks, Chas; bookmarked, hopefully for later download onto my Nook (and first deliberately non-Game-related text I’ve chosen for that purpose; wheee!).
-
*manyhugs* for Esteleth. I’m only sad that I couldn’t contribute to your cause for blubbing.
:(
-
kristinc, very professional-looking!
-
*hugs* for dianne. I’m sorry both for you and for your patient.
-
I hope you’re able to go again this year, too. :)
For me, it’s just a cross-town drive, so this is my main chance to meet Pharyngulites in meatspace. (‘Meetspace’? Hmmm….) Only, this year…hopefully no smoking wheelchair wreckage. That definitely put a damper on my last years’ Skepticon experience.
-
Hooray!
-
Mattir
27 June 2012 at 9:00 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@ thunk – Doctor David MotherFucking Marjanovic. The most erudite human being I’ve ever met. Currently occupied digging up temnospondyls and assorted Fossils of Satan™, hence not on TET as much as usual.
@Josh Spokesgay – Rhinebeck is October 20 & 21 this year. Onion Girl, Muse and I are getting together this weekend to begin our scheming.
There will also be a Camp Pharyngula at a hostel-lodge type facility, in a park near Washington DC over Martin Luther King weekend, 2013.
spondee
27 June 2012 at 9:08 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I have a story for the horde. Pretty vanilla, but fun. (Ahem.)
So, I am on the streets of Manhattan talking on my phone to a friend in Salt Lake City. I say “Since you’re in Salt Lake City, you should go to a specialty tailor and get one of those Mormon outfits they have sex in, that would be fun to own.” Then I walk into the drugstore. An older gentleman who was standing next to me outside follows me into the store and tells me he’s Mormon. I say “ok.” and walk away. As I leave the store, I see him waiting for me at the end of the aisle. I approach him, and at a respectful distance ask him “Are you alright?”
Him- “What you said was very ignorant.”
Me- “ok”
Him- “They [the garb I guess?] are sacred.”
Me- “To you.”
Him- “All religions have their sacred clothes.”
Me- “Have a good night.”
A mild exchange, but it struck me. Wierdos.
spondee
kellyclowers
27 June 2012 at 9:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Anyone seen this Chuck Norris post about the Boy Scouts of America?
http://www.facebook.com/officialchucknorrispage/posts/413280958710578
Anti-gay nonsense aside, there is, er, was this funny quote:
“They should be able to continue to live by traditions that have worked and served the organization well for a millennium.” It has now been edited to say “century”. Hope someone got a screenshot.
ImaginesABeach
27 June 2012 at 9:18 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thunk
DDMMFM – The keeper of ALL the knowledge
ImaginesABeach
27 June 2012 at 9:19 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
How did that extra M get in there.
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
27 June 2012 at 9:22 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
IaB:
Agreed.
And cocoa shell tea (if i’m getting that right).
chigau (違う)
27 June 2012 at 9:25 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I am just back on Pharyngula after about 10 hours.
I am NOT going to read the 400+ on the comic opera thread.
Is anything else going on?
ImaginesABeach
27 June 2012 at 9:35 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thunk
Yes, cocoa shell tea.
Chigau,
Same assholes, different day
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
27 June 2012 at 9:36 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*500 adorable kittens rain on chigau*
*a self-ambulatory keg of chigau’s favorite drink rolls over and taps itself*
Pteryxx
27 June 2012 at 9:36 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
(random)
Ooo! I just started playing Minecraft this week, so for once I actually understood an otherwise incomprehensible reference! *twitch* *twitch*
chigau (違う)
27 June 2012 at 9:45 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh well.
Maybe I’ll just have a hot bath.
chigau (違う)
27 June 2012 at 9:47 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
ooh kitties and rum!
Thanks, Esteleth!
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
27 June 2012 at 9:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
To other Mass Effect Fans. Extended Cut came out. Anyone have thoughts.
I looked it up, decided I couldn’t’ be bothered. I’m embittered.
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
27 June 2012 at 9:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Pteryxx:
Me too.
Pteryxx
27 June 2012 at 9:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
thunk: I’ve played ONE multiplayer game so far (need to fix my account). It’s a lot less scary with backup, and sharing tasks… might share a server sometime with another rookie?
Josh, Official SpokesSimperer
27 June 2012 at 10:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Mattir!–My October is hella busy but by sheer luck it looks like I can probly make Rhinebeck! Please you and oniongirl include me in any updates/info.
Where does one stay during the festival? Is it hotels and such, or camping, or just what?
Mattir
27 June 2012 at 10:22 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
For your amusement, I am a Bad Mommy. Onion Girl will have to chastise me severely this weekend. In the words of the immortal plhearn,
On the plus side, I’m being criticized by someone who tosses the misandrist and feminazi labels around on youtube, sticks an extra [e] into PZ’s name, and complains that Pharyngula is not educational because it’s too liberal. I may have to cross stitch the whole thing onto a wall hanging…
Mattir
27 June 2012 at 10:25 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Josh –
I take a few minutes from saying Bad Werdz™ to SonSpawn (who’s the only one at home at the moment, DaughterSpawn being occupied attempting to convey reality to Mormon Boy Scouts this week…) to inform you that we rent a bunch of hotel rooms and have a private room at a restaurant on Saturday night. And there’s … {drumroll} maple sugar cotton candy at Rhinebeck.
Now back to the Bad Werdz. Bwahahahaha…
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
27 June 2012 at 10:25 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Pt’xx: ah no. Much too shy.
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
27 June 2012 at 10:26 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
and also need to fix account, and totally afraid to go out of peaceful. :/
Josh, Official SpokesSimperer
27 June 2012 at 10:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
OMG, looking at the Rhinebeck festival—please tell me I can pet and hug some sheep and little lambies. I want to cuddle with a whole pile of them.
Mattir
27 June 2012 at 10:31 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yep. And you can fondle an almost infinite variety of fluffiez. And wear your woolens, assuming the weather’s the same as it’s been the last couple years. It’s amazing.
Now back to being a Very Bad Parent.
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
27 June 2012 at 10:33 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
What’s Rhinebeck?
Mattir:
I envy the spawn. They have you as a Very Bad Parent.
amblebury
27 June 2012 at 10:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Mattir, I salute you. I’ve done my best, but I’ve never attained that level of accolade.
Also, until now I didn’t know the MF in DDMFM stood for MotherFucking. Brilliant.
MissEla
27 June 2012 at 10:59 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Rhinebeck–oh, if only I weren’t so far away. :( But if anyone attends the Sewing & Stitchery Expo in Puyallup, WA, we could say hi there.
Mattir
27 June 2012 at 11:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
There is something very bizarrely affirming in being scolded about bad parenting by the misandrist-feminazi-Meyers-hater crowd.
Cipher, OM, Fighting Fucktoy
27 June 2012 at 11:02 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I miss DDMFM :(
Josh, Official SpokesSimperer
27 June 2012 at 11:31 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
There, there. I’ll be your Very Bad Uncle. (!)
Right? Where the hell is David?
Mattir
27 June 2012 at 11:35 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
David is off gallivanting with Jules, digging up temnospondyls or something.
Josh, you have definitely been a Very Very Bad Uncle. Onion Girl will probably have to spank you.
Josh, Official SpokesSimperer
27 June 2012 at 11:43 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
♫ I…..love to love you baby. . .♫
Josh, Official SpokesSimperer
27 June 2012 at 11:47 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Cross-posted:
Holy fucking shit. A spider just crawled up my ass crack and bit me on the tailbone before exiting my underwear. I think I’m going to start screaming.
chigau (違う)
27 June 2012 at 11:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Josh
Oh, sweetie, thank you sooo much for that image.
Josh, Official SpokesSimperer
27 June 2012 at 11:51 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Piss off! You think I’m happy about it? It’s not your tail bone that got bit!
:))
Mattir
27 June 2012 at 11:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I just spent some time perusing Abbie’s ongoing endless thread. Those people don’t seem to have lives that include regular stuff, like jobs and art and music and kids and family. They do, however, follow Pharyngula far more closely than any actual Pharyngula commenter in the history of the blog.
Josh, I’m sorry for your tailbone. But I strongly suspect the spider is actually dead now, so please maintain some perspective and work on your empathy. (joking)
chigau (違う)
27 June 2012 at 11:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
True.
But I bet we aren’t the only ones checking all the cracks.
Josh, Official SpokesSimperer
28 June 2012 at 12:01 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
One can only hope. Here’s my attempt at empathy:
[Trigger Warning: Arachnicide]: DIE MOTHERFUCKING 8-LEGGER!
I highly advise it. Checking my junk SUPER carefully before bed. Bastards.
Pteryxx
28 June 2012 at 12:04 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
thunk:
I hear that… just now an Ender teleported next to me and if I hadn’t already taken a bio break I’d have wet myself. *twitch* well, if I get the server software straightened out I’ll mention it here and see what responds. ~;>
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
28 June 2012 at 12:12 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
As if I needed another reason to feel like shit, I started reading this recent article in Rolling Stone about people literally living in their cars because of the recession and the total shittiness of the US’ welfare system.
Of particular note is the parts talking about how these people sought help from government welfare agencies, but were turned away because they may have been almost broke and in crisis, but they weren’t totally there yet. This is what pisses me off about the welfare system as it’s currently run in America: the amount of money and assets one is allowed to have is so low that if welfare helps you and you start to struggle out of poverty, they then go “oops, you’re making too much, you have too many assets!” and they cut the support out from under you and you slip back into poverty. I don’t consider “helping” to be perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
It kinda sickens me that in a superficial way, that means I agree with some conservatives that “the welfare system is broken”, but I come at it all the way from the other side. The problem with the welfare system is that the benefits are far too low and have far too many strings attached.
Cipher, OM, Fighting Fucktoy
28 June 2012 at 12:24 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Don’t worry. I think the one thing everyone, from the fucking far-right monsters to the far-left bliss-ninnies, can agree on is that shit is fucked up and bullshit. *nods*
Weed Monkey
28 June 2012 at 1:00 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ing
In the sense of craving carnal knowledge. Masturbation helps.
Bah, I should actually change my ‘nym to Weedless Monkey. Last weekend I smoked more than in the previous year all together – and it wasn’t very much.
ibyea
28 June 2012 at 2:38 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Ing
I was hoping you would have an opinion on it, since I don’t follow the games closely. Oh well.
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
28 June 2012 at 2:45 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oof. I read through Thunderchrist’s latest word salad bar, and the comments over there are a fucking mess.
I don’t know how many more times I can see Justicar respond to just about any comment with “BUT BUT WHAT ABOUT REBECCA WATSON! SHE SAID THIS AND I DON’T LIKE IT! MEH!!!”
Setár, self-appointed Elf-Sheriff of the Pharyngula Star Chamber
28 June 2012 at 3:07 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
So, apparently, if one of the trolls residing in the dungeon managed to get on the SCOTUS, we’d have to free them because they’d no longer be a troll.
Setár, self-appointed Elf-Sheriff of the Pharyngula Star Chamber
28 June 2012 at 3:51 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Canada is now officially a corporate state.
amblebury
28 June 2012 at 4:33 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Quoth LILAPWL. Or something like that. Spouse is home after teh while away, and I’ve perhaps had a drop too much on the strength of it.
That’s a sad because Aronra is pretty cool, IMO.
-
But that’s ‘cos I’m squiffy, don’t mind me.
Setár, self-appointed Elf-Sheriff of the Pharyngula Star Chamber
28 June 2012 at 4:38 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
My response (currently in moderation) to a commenter on Deacon Duncan’s “Sexual Panhandling” post, who still clings to the notion that ‘both sides’ need to tone it down:
Because those of us who are pissed off at all of the dishonest, derailing, condescending, goalpost-dragging, dismissing, ignorant bigots who double down when challenged and run to their slimepits to scream LIES SLANDER CENSORSHIP BIAS when we get tired of their crap are just as bad as the dishonest, derailing, condescending, goalpost-dragging, dismissing, ignorant bigots who double down when challenged and run to their slimepits to scream LIES SLANDER CENSORSHIP BIAS when we get tired of their crap.
And the reason we’re just as bad is…we’re pissed off because we’re tired of their crap.
When the fuck did spewing crap and getting tired of said crap become equally wrong? For that matter, when the fuck was it ever wrong to get tired of said crap? And why is it also wrong to express being tired of this crap?
Clinging to the fence makes you a worse ally, not a better one =/
birgerjohansson
28 June 2012 at 5:00 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
“Currently occupied digging up temnospondyls ”
Go Marjanovic!
Are temnospondyls the ones with intricate teeth, or am I thinking of another kind of amphibian critter?
— — — — — — — —
If ultrasound devices using “metamaterials” succeed in getting a fourfold improvement of image quality, fetuses with conditions that doom them will be spotted earlier in pregnancy.
But I assume this particular tragedy was spotted through samples of amniotic fluid?
— — —- —- —-
The best praise ever was when Charlie Chaplin was condemned by then vice president Richard Nixon in the fifties.
Setár, self-appointed Elf-Sheriff of the Pharyngula Star Chamber
28 June 2012 at 5:06 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I have always wondered if the stories about Eisenhower being consistently asked by the media what useful things Nixon had done and responding “Hmm…I can’t think of anything right now, try me next week” are really true.
Tony... therefore God
28 June 2012 at 5:41 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Book Lovers, over here.
Courtesy of my sister, I present one incredibly cool summertime list of recommended books:
Oh, and here’s something for the cannabis lovers:
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
28 June 2012 at 7:01 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Ing:
I’m kind of in the same boat ala the extended cut. I just can’t be bothered to pick it up. They handwave the whole matter, and it won’t make sense to me, and I just don’t care anymore. I’ll watch the ending on YouTube sometime if I can feel arsed to do it them.
I prefer my own thoughts, and that the whole indoctrination theory is actually the legitimate ending, and there’s actual closure and not a handwave of established canon.
birgerjohansson
28 June 2012 at 7:20 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
“Dinosaurs warm up” http://www.nature.com/news/dinosaurs-warm-up-1.10897
— — — — — —
Sea versus senators http://www.nature.com/news/sea-versus-senators-1.10893 I am reminded of king Canute.
— — — — — —
Sweden to give illegal immigrants healthcare http://www.thelocal.se/41702/20120628/
Rev. BigDumbChimp
28 June 2012 at 7:46 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Just because I’m feeling a bit sadistic today and someone did it to me,
I give you this.
Pteryxx
28 June 2012 at 8:01 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
re temnospondyls – the wiki page is very good, in-depth and readable. If I read it right, “intricate teeth” might refer to labyrinthodonts? But I was taught “labyrinthodont” in CVA just recently. Anyway, temnospondyls were the big diverse shovel-headed amphibians, notable for vicious palate fangs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temnospondyli
Simpler:
http://www.hmnh.org/archives/2005/09/18/dispatch-from-the-permocarboniferous-temnospondyl/
Way more complicated:
http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2007/06/29/temnospondyls-the-early-years/
birgerjohansson
28 June 2012 at 8:54 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
World’s greatest impact site found in Greenland. The remains of a gigantic, three-billion-year-old meteorite impact discovered in Greenland http://www.geus.dk/geuspage-uk.htm
Other cool Greenland stuff: Ichthyostega http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthyostega
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
28 June 2012 at 9:03 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The healthcare decision’s about to be released. I’m really conflicted. Keeping the law would help a lot of people, but if it’s overturned we could push for single-payer instead.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
28 June 2012 at 9:14 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
CNN is reporting that the individual mandate has been struck down.
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
28 June 2012 at 9:14 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh I have an opinion all right, especially looking back at things that were developed and cut ‘for time’ and at the rest of the policy around it. I just didn’t want to bore people. Later if you want I’ll give my rant on why I think the big picture makes this total shit.
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
28 June 2012 at 9:18 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Esteleth
I don’t know what CNN’s problem is, but I’ve heard from multiple sources that what Justice Roberts said was that the individual mandate won’t stand under the Commerce Clause (I think), but that it can be counted as a tax, i.e. if one doesn’t buy insurance they can be taxed. That means the mandate is enforceable and has been upheld.
I don’t think CNN actually reads shit they report half the time. (Ditto most nooz.)
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
28 June 2012 at 9:20 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yeah, I just checked cnn.com and there was squat about that. I may have misheard someone bloviating on ifs.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
28 June 2012 at 9:21 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
NYTimes says 5-4 upholding.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
28 June 2012 at 9:25 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
CNN also says that CJ Roberts was in the majority. Of 5. Does that mean that Kennedy dissented?
My mind, she is blown.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
28 June 2012 at 9:40 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The text of the opinions are here.
And now, I actually have to go to work. Whee!
cicely ("No-one of Consequence")
28 June 2012 at 9:41 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Me, too.
:(
-
McC2lhu iz not nu.
28 June 2012 at 9:44 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Wow! What if the administration had owned a pair of huevos and actually started with medicare for everyone? This would have been an impressive day. Oh well. If it gets more people decently covered, it’s a start.
Muse
28 June 2012 at 9:44 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Okay – so affordable care act was upheld by a 5-4 decision. Looks like Roberts authored the majority with a concurrence by Ginsberg. Scalia, Kennedy, Alito and Thomas dissenting.
Mandate upheld as a tax rather than through the commerce clause.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
28 June 2012 at 9:50 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I just love the fact that the mandate has been upheld as a tax.
*dons poncho for protection of exploding rightwing heads^
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
28 June 2012 at 9:50 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
No.
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
28 June 2012 at 10:50 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Slightly surprised Scalia ruled for and Kennedy against. But then again Kennedy seems to favor his status as a swing vote more than any sense of intellect or compassion.
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
28 June 2012 at 10:52 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
So…
Why is it that adults typically make the “ONOZ Bad Words Think of the CHILDRENNNZZZ!!!!” argument”?
And when I point it out the them, they say “Oh you don’t understand, because you don’t have kids of your own?”
Nice way to shut me up, there.
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
28 June 2012 at 10:52 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
out *to* them.
Proofreading!
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
28 June 2012 at 10:59 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ing,
Scalia ruled against. It was Roberts that voted for.
Still, surprising.
Does not entirely salvage my opinion of Roberts from the Citizens United trashcan, but it helps.
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
28 June 2012 at 11:00 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Thunk
It’s especially vacuous as, even though we might not have children, we fucking WERE children. Some parents seem to suddenly give themselves selective amnesia and forget everything about their childhood.
For example for me anything of sex on TV wasn’t traumatic as a tyke (I didn’t understand it enough to even notice) but people’s REACTION was.
Sili
28 June 2012 at 11:00 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Who/what/where is “TF”?
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
28 June 2012 at 11:01 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Sili
Taking a guess: Thunderf00t.
The numbers are IQ
Rev. BigDumbChimp
28 June 2012 at 11:02 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Did you mean Roberts?
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
28 June 2012 at 11:09 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Shit I misread
was read as
In that case I’m shocked Scalia is willing to be such a blatant partisan POS. Ok not shocked…more smugly affirmed
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
28 June 2012 at 11:18 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ginsberg is a BAMF.
She snidely points out that Scalia’s dissent in this case is a contraction of his own opinion in the medical marijuana case.
Damn, I love that woman.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
28 June 2012 at 11:20 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Obama name-checks Romney in his statement.
Ha!
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
28 June 2012 at 11:39 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ugh I really wish the sexism bullshit didn’t exist literally everywhere I go online. Dudebros are the creepiest fucking things ever. Pharyngula has spoiled me to expect decent commentators.
Pteryxx
28 June 2012 at 11:49 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
(Nothing to do with healthcare)
Stephanie’s latest again points out something that ought to have been obvious (I’m ashamed I didn’t see it). Conference harassment policies need to protect the people who agitated for harassment policies.
http://freethoughtblogs.com/almostdiamonds/2012/06/28/is-cyberstalking-abuse
onion girl, OM; social workers do it with paperwork
28 June 2012 at 12:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Wah…HEY, now! Spanking must be scheduled at least three weeks in advance, accompanied by the official Spanking Request form, Medical Clearance Form, and Clothing Destruction Waiver. In triplicate. There are PROCEDURES here! This willy-nilly free-love bleeding-heart liberal free range spanking is NOT acceptable. ;)
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
DC LOCALS:
(Dear Horde: please forgive the impending multiple posts; I really want to make sure to reach all the locals. I know not everyone keeps up with comments consistently, so I’ll be posting this occasionally the next few days to try to catch everyone.)
Please stop over and complete this poll so I can get an idea of the RSVPs for the various activities we have coming up. Once the poll is complete, ALL planning for activities will be via email; please put your information in so you get all the where/when details! Email me if you have any questions!
Sili
28 June 2012 at 12:05 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
‘Thanks’
I guess I should be glad he’s not salient enough in my mind to pop up at the mere sight of those two letters.
opposablethumbs
28 June 2012 at 12:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ahem. Absolutely nothing to do with any of the important stuff going on – this is purely a personal thing, but it is a happy! So I will tell you.
.
I just found out about two hours ago that – barring disasters – the just-turned-sixteen, non-neuro-typical-and-didn’t-even-learn-to-talk-until-halfway-through-primary-school, jazz-crazy SonSpawn will be …
.
deep breath
.
only fucking playing on stage in front of thousands and probably TV cameras in the godsdamn Tower of London (the “Americas Stage”) in about a month from now, as part of the “River of Music” celebrations for the (silly) Olympics – with Jazz at Lincoln Center and Wynton Marsalis?!?!?!?!?elebenty zillion and three!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
.
for about 30 seconds, probably. He’s one of three kids picked to play with them.
.
I may be hyperventilating a bit just now. Wynton Marsalis. Holy shit.
.
When I think of how hard it was for him to learn to talk – to go to school – to cope with other kids …
.
It’s not big stuff, but it’s big for him.
ImaginesABeach
28 June 2012 at 12:51 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Not big stuff? opposablethumbs, I’d say that is HUGE stuff.
Cipher, OM, Fighting Fucktoy
28 June 2012 at 1:02 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
opposeablethumbs, Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! That’s fantastic!
Nutmeg
28 June 2012 at 1:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
opposablethumbs: Yay for your SonSpawn! I’m sure he’ll be great.
opposablethumbs
28 June 2012 at 1:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thank you!!!
I so hope there are no sudden changes of plan/disasters or anything and it really does happen – tentacles crossed!
Hell, even if it all goes pear-shaped for some reason, it’s still nice that they picked him. So exciting! ::bounces::
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
28 June 2012 at 1:39 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@opposablethumbs:
Holy crap that’s awesome. Sooooo jealous!
Sili
28 June 2012 at 1:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’ve just cooked corn-on-the-cob. I’m not sure I see what the fuss is about.
Sili
28 June 2012 at 2:00 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Congrats! Thumbs!
Or rather: Congrats, opposablepinkie!
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
28 June 2012 at 2:00 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sili,
Did you roll it in melted butter and add salt and pepper?
Do you have hot dogs, beans, a pie?
Are you outside on a glorious summer day with good company?
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
28 June 2012 at 2:09 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I think the most amusing bit of this healthcare thing is watching my conservative FB friends whinge on about it when they most likely benefit from the ACA in some form or another.
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
28 June 2012 at 2:30 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sorry for stupid question
Every time I try to open an image file I get a message “Windows Live Image and Movie Viewer Requires Mandatory Update” or something to that effect. The computer then gives a confirmation that it’s from Microsoft. Is this a virus trying to install itself or am I being paranoid? Either way ti seems bizarre.
Rev. BigDumbChimp
28 June 2012 at 2:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Germany looks to be in trouble.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
28 June 2012 at 2:38 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*petulant whine* Ravelry has rolled out a new mobile page, but every time I go to it on my phone, it redirects me to the full page!
pentatomid
28 June 2012 at 2:46 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Opposablethumbs,
Yay for you and your son! That’s really pretty damn awesome!
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
28 June 2012 at 2:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Esteleth
I can’t give any advice about technology, but that reminds me that I keep getting distracted from crocheting. I started my first “real” project, a scarf made out of granny half-squares/triangles. I got six or seven triangles into it and then wandered off to do something else.
I also am still completely clueless about knitting. I’ve tried books and videos, but I think I need an actual knitter to help me.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
28 June 2012 at 2:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Are you coming to Rhinebeck, Rah? If so, you can learn to knit from me, or one of the other knitters. :D
We can trade: I am useless at crocheting.
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
28 June 2012 at 2:58 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
So many people going to Rhinebeck. Kitty’s getting nervous! XD
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
28 June 2012 at 3:00 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Well, it’s a relief that Rhinebeck is in New York and not Germany (thanks, Wikipedia) but I don’t get to travel much.
I wouldn’t say I’m an expert crocheter, but I practiced a lot before starting my project and I’m almost to that “I can do this in front of the TV and not really pay attention to what I’m doing without royally fucking up” stage of proficiency. My mom tells me that’s how she finished so many afghans: she’d watch All My Children and when it was over a blanket appeared.
Sarahface
28 June 2012 at 3:03 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Just like to add a little bit to this… I’m a teenager who hangs out/reads/comments occasionally on Pharyngula. I’ve learned a lot here too. Some of the things, like being a decent human being, I’d started learning before (still learning, of course, but I used to be a Junior Chill Girl(tm) extraordinaire), but a lot of the things, like logical fallacies and stuff, I hadn’t known much about before. I was also only most of the way through deconverting when I first read anything here, and it just built on what I was already thinking about because of Greta. So Pharyngula’s been a wonderful place for me.
Ooooh congratulations! :) I would go, but I’ve just looked it up and there are no tickets left :( Nevertheless, that’s incredible, as is your SonSpawn.
A. R
28 June 2012 at 3:06 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
SCORE! I just got a case of 100 Aero bars for 50 cents/unit!
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
28 June 2012 at 3:09 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Sarah:
No no, you’re completely wrong.
You’re a damaged human being because of these comments here. It’s hurt you on a fundamental level to where you can no longer function because of those mean nasty comments!
Illuminata, Genie in the Beer Bottle
28 June 2012 at 3:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I can help! I have my own biz making knit stuff. What do you want to learn?
And RHINEBECK!@!!!!!!! When is that!!! I missed it last year!!!!!
Sarahface
28 June 2012 at 3:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*Jealous*
Ah yes. I can no longer function, and there’s an AI that posts for me instead. This entire thing is like a large scale Turing test, and you’ve just rumbled it. Damn, I need new places to test.
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
28 June 2012 at 3:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Actually, I could probably skip my one class on Friday and Monday and use those days for travel days…so it’s possible I could go to Rhinebeck. I wish I had more time though, I dunno when I’d get another chance to go to New York.
I’m in Oklahoma, though. If I have the money to fly, where’s the closest airport to Rhinebeck?
Pteryxx
28 June 2012 at 3:14 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ing: I dunno what is “Windows Live Essentials” but I did a search on the error phrase you gave and it seems legit:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windowslive/forum/messenger-wlinstall/mandatory-update-to-windows-live-essentials-is-now/0816b1b7-71ff-44f7-8d74-52505bbbf290
I just view images with the default Windows Image and Fax Viewer, or Irfanview (or GIMP etc).
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
28 June 2012 at 3:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
How you do it? lol
myeck waters
28 June 2012 at 3:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hooray for OpposableSpawn! That sounds awesome.
pentatomid
28 June 2012 at 3:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Who is lilandra (apart from AronRa’s wife, obviously), and why would it be sad that she is Aronra’s wife (for me as an Aronra fan)?
Pteryxx
28 June 2012 at 3:16 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
err – “legit” as in “typical Microsoft bloated interfere-ware that causes more problems than it solves” from reading the comments, but YMMV. <_<
Sili
28 June 2012 at 3:19 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Esteleth,
Yes.
No, no, no.
No and no.
I see what I’m doing wrong.
At least I have some nice, cheapo plonk, and I’m going on a company picnic tomorrow.
(Don’t ask me how many kids I had to flunk yesterday. Let’s just say I went for a nap around 5 and woke up late for a meeting at 8.)
((am))
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
28 June 2012 at 3:19 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
RahXeophon, Rhinebeck is just north (~20 miles) of Poughkeepsie, which is the end of the NYC commuter rail system. If you wanted to fly into NYC and then hop on the train to Poughkeepsie (which is a 1:40 hr trip), then it may be that someone would be able to pick you up there.
Alternatively, there may be some smallish airports more close by.
Tony... therefore God
28 June 2012 at 3:21 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Setar:
When the fuck did spewing crap and getting tired of said crap become equally wrong?
They never did [become equally wrong]. Some people live in Bizarro World.
~~
Rev @251:
Thanks for that video.
I remember it from Transformers: The Movie.
Still can’t believe they thought killing Optimus Prime was a good idea (and the backlash bore that out). I never twigged to Rodimus Prime, or the fact that Arcee was the *only* female Transformer (I know the Autobots *sounded* and acted male, but somehow I don’t think Cybertronians have the same sense of gender–or any at all–humanity does). I did rather like Galvatron, though I missed Megatron.
“Now all we need is a little Energon; and a lot of luck.”-Optimus Prime
~~
thunk @268:
I love the “You don’t have kids, so you can’t talk about this” argument. {sarcasm}
~~
Ing:
Pharyngula has spoiled me to expect decent commentators.
I second that.
Of course I can picture the whiners rolling their eyes complaining about the “harsh words” and “bluntness” of posters here.
~~
Taking a guess: Thunderf00t.
‘Thanks’
I guess I should be glad he’s not salient enough in my mind to pop up at the mere sight of those two letters.
Perhaps one day he’ll be Thunderflounce and stick with vlogging, not blogging.
Funny Diva
28 June 2012 at 3:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Katherine @302
‘Dult-splaining FTW!
Sili and corn-on-cob
Sometimes it’s not worth the fuss. But when it’s fresh-picked and sugar-sweet, cooked al dente? That’s what the fuss is about!
Tony... therefore God
28 June 2012 at 3:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
opposablethumbs:
It’s not big stuff, but it’s big for him.
If it’s big stuff for him, and big stuff for you, then it’s big stuff.
I’m very happy and excited for you and the family.
~~
Esteleth:
Sili,
Did you roll it in melted butter and add salt and pepper?
pssst…add some cayenne powder and garlic powder (looooove garlic) to that mix…
Sili
28 June 2012 at 3:26 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I can only do knit and purl.
But I guess I should practise before October. (And finish spinning my bag of wool …)
Pteryxx
28 June 2012 at 3:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
news! In case StarStuff doesn’t toot her own horn enough:
http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/06/hello-secular-woman
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
28 June 2012 at 3:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hello Sarahface!’
Great you’re here! *highfive*
Just one question, what’s a “Chill Girl”?
Opposablethumbs:
WOOT for spawn!
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
28 June 2012 at 3:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Kat:
Yes. Of course I’m a damaged human being as a result of all this swearing. My brain tells be otherwise, but how can I trust it when I don’t have kids of my own? I can’t possibly understand anything if I don’t have spawn!
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
28 June 2012 at 3:36 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I wish I had a travel agent or something to help me with this, I’m not all that great at planning trips, lol.
Cipher, OM, Fighting Fucktoy
28 June 2012 at 3:39 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Regarding Chill Girls™:
Once upon a time, we were having an argument with an antifeminist twit. Said twit posted the following:
(Lost in the sciborked explosion, found via Caine’s comment on Jadehawk’s blog)
Chill Girl, at some point, picked up as being one of the preferred terms for referring to women who think feminist women should just stfu because sexism doesn’t bother them.
Tony... therefore God
28 June 2012 at 3:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Horde:
{Major Trigger Warning}
.
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.
.
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Last night, shortly before the close of work, a woman came in with a small group of people. She was noticeably upset, and nearly in tears. Initially, from what parts of the conversation I unintentionally overheard, it seemed as if she had some relationship problems with her boyfriend. I discovered it was far worse than that when she came to pay her tab. She was doing her best to hold back her tears. She told me that she was homeless at the age of 11 and was trying to escape the summer heat when she accepted a strangers’ offer to sit in his car to enjoy the air conditioning. She then told me a few details about how this monster raped her and then dumped her at a gas station, after giving her $5 (but taking her purse and the few clothes she had). Upon callng a friend, she was advised to go to the police. She did that and they promptly dismissed her (fucking pieces of shit).
She said that she’s been in therapy in the years following, but she was unable to get too emotionally close to a man.
Recently, she had found a man that she thought she could develop a relationship with. She told him about her rape, and he promised he wouldn’t abandon her (I didn’t ask any details about her attack, but I gather she was abandoned by her family and/or friends). So was does this fucking pile of excrement do?
They go out drinking last night and meet a group of people (most of which they don’t know). In the midst of this, he sees an old friend/sex partner and proceeds to leave her–in this group of people she doesn’t know.
She told me that her feelings of anxiety were building after she discovered that he’d left. He had a stranger give her the car keys for him and didn’t return.
Through it all, she mentioned several times that she felt guilty. That it was her fault.
From the point that she told me she was raped, I stopped doing everything and just listened (I offered her a hug, which she declined). I didn’t say much (I’m still not sure what to say in this situation), but I *did* say several times (in as compassionate a voice as I could) that it
Was. Not. Her. Fault. It was the fault of the slimebag.
All she wanted was relief from the heat. He was the piece of shit that raped her. He was the shitbag that made the choice to violate her.
I offered to call her a cab which she declined. She apologized to me for dumping this on me (to which I responded that there was nothing to apologize for and that I was sorry for everything that happened to her).
After she departed (with the only other person that she knew in this group), I was left so enraged I couldn’t hold back the tears. I also wish I could have helped her in some way.
I just still can’t even comprehend or fathom how someone could rape another human being. The act is so reprehensible and repugnant…there are no words.
I didn’t know I could hate someone I didn’t even know. But I hate the fucker who raped this woman (and I’m pissed that the police dismissed her; she was fucking 11 years old).
Is there anything I could/should have said/done?
amblebury
28 June 2012 at 3:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
‘morning!
Pentamoid, as I recall, Lilandra was some one who was making comments to the effect that women complaining about sexual harassment were just whinging too much/being unrealistic – something along those lines – on the first Thunderf00t post. I’m not 100% sure, I’ll have to check.
I do remember reading what she wrote, and thinking it was off beam. It surprised me to hear she was Aronra’s wife. As I said, I’m a fan of his.
Nothing or it but to hold my nose and take the plunge back into the Thunderf00t threads…
amblebury
28 June 2012 at 3:51 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
For it, not or it.
Typos is up bright and early this morning.
Tony... therefore God
28 June 2012 at 3:56 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This sounds interesting.
From Discovery Magazine:
1 Marvin Gaye breaks it down in “Let’s Get It On”—what could be simpler? Psychologists at the University of Texas at Austin take a different view. They surveyed 444 people [pdf] and found 237 reasons why people have sex.
2 “I was drunk” made the top 50 for women; “to get a favor” made the top 50 for men.http://discovermagazine.com/2012/jun/03-things-you-didnt-know-about-sex
Sarahface
28 June 2012 at 3:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
As I understand it, it’s a girl or woman who generally doesn’t care about ‘lesser’ harassment, tells other people to ‘stop getting so uptight about it all, because it isn’t that bad’, and seems to value male attention more than concerns about sexism/harassment/whathaveyou etc.
Prime examples are that letter that Mallorie Nasrallah wrote however-long-ago-it-was, and the commenters that come into any sexism/harassment thread and say, “Well, I’m a woman, and I’ve never had a problem with it. You feminists get worked up over nothing.”
Cipher, OM, Fighting Fucktoy
28 June 2012 at 3:58 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh Tony. *hugs* I don’t know, myself. I think what you said sounds right. Just offering support of the non-creepy variety, believing her, and noticeably caring about it is going to do some good, after what she’s been through. Considering your job, you might want to look into getting resources on hand for survivors – like a card or a number for a place, or anything else like that – but that’s just a general suggestion and not having it isn’t a bad thing. Her boyfriend is a fucking asshole though.
Sarahface
28 June 2012 at 4:00 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@thunk
Or, what Cipher said above.
And *returns highfive*
amblebury
28 June 2012 at 4:02 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
opposablethumbs That’s such great news I teared up. Well done son.
Tony, That’s so awful, I’m glad you were there for her. I don’t know what else you could have done and I hope she gets the help she deserves
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
28 June 2012 at 4:03 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sarahface, cipher, ahz.
nice to meet a fellow Impressionable Yoot ™.
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
28 June 2012 at 4:04 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Tony.
Ouch. Just… no. This is repugnant on ALL levels… and then some. Terribly sorry for the woman there.
Cipher, OM, Fighting Fucktoy
28 June 2012 at 4:04 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Fucking Mallorie Nasrallah.
*sigh*
Pteryxx
28 June 2012 at 4:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Tony, I think you did fine, and as much as can be expected since you’re a stranger, too. Seconding having a card or number for a local crisis center available; I carry a few cards from my local shelter and have handed out a dozen over the years. I’ve seen a few bars with a crisis number posted in the restrooms.
rorschach
28 June 2012 at 4:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
On the bright side, now I can sleep in Monday morning.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
28 June 2012 at 4:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
What did she do now, cipher?
Cipher, OM, Fighting Fucktoy
28 June 2012 at 4:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Nothing new. She just keeps coming up in conversation, and I really dislike her, and I’m feeling very vocal and sigh-ful today :P
Matt Penfold
28 June 2012 at 4:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
That result surprised me. Italy did not look that good against England.
Matt Penfold
28 June 2012 at 4:39 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Well she is the archetypal chill-girl.
Tony... therefore God
28 June 2012 at 4:43 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Cipher:
Fucking Mallorie Nasrallah.
should I ask?
::I’m clueless::
Cipher, OM, Fighting Fucktoy
28 June 2012 at 4:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Complete with the seething vat of hateful, empathy-free nastiness you always see when you scratch the Chill surface.
Muse
28 June 2012 at 4:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Rhinebeck-interested people.
Onion Girl, Mattir and I are meeting to plan this week. We’ll be posting more information soon. Those of you interested who haven’t come before – we’re pretty good about hooking people up with rides and the like, so long as you’re okay with random whackos off the internet are your speed.
If you have any questions, you can contact me at google’s email service at museclio42.
Cipher, OM, Fighting Fucktoy
28 June 2012 at 4:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Tony, here you go.
The last one is a link to where she pissed me off to such an extent that I’m still seething about it months later. She was also in the naked revolutionaries calendar, which is notable but unrelated.
Muse
28 June 2012 at 4:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Clearly I should have proofread… sorry!
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
28 June 2012 at 4:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Okay, I’ve got a general idea about prices for airfare to New York, it’s gonna be somewhere between 400 and 500 dollars. Where’s the best place to stay for the festival in Rhinebeck?
Muse
28 June 2012 at 4:59 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
RahXephon – Onion Girl and I tend to organize a hotel that we all stay at. We tend to share rides and rooms and meals. It’s probably worth thinking about it less as a trip to see sheep and more as a tiny relax-a-con.
A. R
28 June 2012 at 4:59 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
So I think I saw Brownian’s doppelganger today. Or perhaps his eeeebil (likely fundie) twin. In either case, I was concerned.
Tony... therefore God
28 June 2012 at 5:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I love when I hear music that moves me and gives me goosebumps, and gets me feeling so good and advances humanist/atheist/secular goals!
Shelley Segal does that. In spades!
(discovered courtesy of http://www.SecularWoman.org/products)
Tony... therefore God
28 June 2012 at 5:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Cipher:
I just read one of those links. I completely understand why you would still be angry.
By FSM, what the heck is going on in Mallorie’s head that she says shit like that?
cicely ("No-one of Consequence")
28 June 2012 at 5:58 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*confetti* and huzzah! for opposablethumbs and SonSpawn.
-
And cicely’s getting envious. :(
-
opposablethumbs
28 June 2012 at 6:31 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thank you all so much! I can’t quite believe it’ll actually happen (something’s bound to occur that’ll make them change their plans … or something … I don’t know! I never said I was a rational sentient life-form!) – but it’s so cool that he got invited. And thank you for saying such lovely things. Thank you thank you thank you! ::hugs Horde with huge internet hugs::
.
Tony, that’s such a horrible, brutally unfair story. That bastard – and then to be abandoned like that, jesus that poor woman. You wonder how can human beings exist who are so arrogant, who are capable of just not seeing , not caring to see the humanity of someone else, of treating another person like a thing. You did everything you could, I think. You helped as much as possible. I hope if I am ever in trouble in a strange place, among strangers – or if anyone I know is – that we meet someone like you.
Nutmeg
28 June 2012 at 6:36 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hi, all!
I’ve been quiet lately because I’ve been insanely busy. I’m leaving for a week-long canoe trip on Saturday and I’ve had a whole bunch of preparation to do. I’m still nowhere near done, but I’m taking tomorrow off to organize gear, so hopefully I’ll be ready.
I just wanted to say that reading here has been keeping me (somewhat) sane in the past couple of weeks. You all remind me that there are lots of decent, rational people in the world. I hope to meet some of you in person someday.
I’ll be around a little bit tomorrow if I have time, and then first thing Saturday morning I’m saying goodbye to civilization for 8 days. I’m a little nervous – I’m doing pretty much all of the organizing, and I haven’t done any trips longer than 3 nights before now. But I’m going with my dad and my uncle, so theoretically I should be able to let them handle some of the responsibility. Hopefully once we actually get out there for a couple of days, I’ll be able to relax and stop worrying so much.
RahXephon, Waahmbulance Driver for St. Entitlement's Hospital
28 June 2012 at 6:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh, okay. Do you need my email or something?
Markita Lynda—damn climate change!
28 June 2012 at 7:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Mattir @228. Oh, damn! I think the SO will be doing an athletic feat the weekend of Rhinebeck in another city entirely; and I must be there to cheer him on. I hate to miss Uncle Spokesgay and all the other Hordelings, not to mention bail on driving a few people down from Canada. I won’t be able to attend unless he switches to a similar event on a different weekend.
Markita Lynda—damn climate change!
28 June 2012 at 7:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@228 was to say temnospondyls in Poland, I believe.
Markita Lynda—damn climate change!
28 June 2012 at 7:17 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Pteryxx,
I was watching a TV show on seabirds (fulmars?) and had to stop it and go back and forth in slow motion to get a good look at the pattern of teeth on the palate of a baby bird.
birgerjohansson
28 June 2012 at 7:21 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Pottery 20,000 years old found in a Chinese cave http://phys.org/news/2012-06-pottery-years-chinese-cave.html
.
But…they are up-staging the Holy Land!!! Bloody (racial term)!!
— — — — — — —
Life span of ovarian grafts longer than expected http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-life-span-ovarian-grafts-longer.html
— — — — — — —
Photosynthesis re-wired: Chemists use nanowires to power photosynthesis http://phys.org/news/2012-06-photosynthesis-re-wired-chemists-nanowires-power.html
Really elegant.
Markita Lynda—damn climate change!
28 June 2012 at 7:22 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG) @268,
“Oh noes Bad words think of the childrenzzz” (approximately).
I dropped that idea in a hurry after passing by a playground where one four-year-old was telling another one to fuck off. About thirty years ago.
There aren’t any innocent little ears to protect.
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
28 June 2012 at 7:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Markita:
Yes. It was a sarcasm.
Markita Lynda—damn climate change!
28 June 2012 at 7:37 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh, I recognized a nice snark. I’m just agreeing with you that it’s futile.
Opposablethumbs, congratulations to your son.
MikeG
28 June 2012 at 7:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Bummer. Can’t make Rhinebeck. We have a micro conference the next weekend and mrs. G can’t get two long weekends in a row, no way, no how. Not even with the promise of goats. Maybe next year. Plus, by then my knitting won’t be as embarrassing.
Erülóra Maikalambe
28 June 2012 at 8:17 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
cicely
Agreed. That was a pretty crappy seat you got stuck in.
Gyeong Hwa
28 June 2012 at 8:39 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Rant ahead, feel free to ignore if you don’t know who I am:
White liberals who are oblivious to white privilege and their own racism needs to go find a decaying porcupine and fuck themselves with it.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
28 June 2012 at 8:58 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Quoted for fucking truth.
Rev. BigDumbChimp
28 June 2012 at 9:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
And the worms make themselves known
Part-Time Insomniac, Zombie Porcupine Nox Arcana Fan
28 June 2012 at 9:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Opposablethumbs, what great news! Congrats to you both! Is your son nervous about performing?
——————————————–
Connection has been dropping in and out all day. It’s annoying when you’ve got videos to watch in order to do homework. And blog posts to make, threads to keep up with /whinewhineFirstWorldproblems
——————————————–
Jesus Fuck, Tony, that poor lady! Glad you were around, though, to lend an ear and supportive words. What a shitbiscuit her boyfriend was! I hope she finds it in herself to not let this pass without comment.
Markita Lynda—damn climate change!
28 June 2012 at 9:16 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ing, what happened?
Tony, you did just right.
“Is Armed Rebellion Now Justified?” Jesus fuck, why would the Supreme Court upholding the legitimacy of the democratically-elected government’s legislation be grounds for armed rebellion? What kind of crack are they smoking?
amblebury
28 June 2012 at 9:18 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This may have been posted before.
I think they may have had safe search on. There’s only one other way this could have gone, I’m told.
http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2012/06/with-no-human-supervision-16000-computers-learn-to-recognize-cats/
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker)
28 June 2012 at 9:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
opposablethumbs @282
Nopety, nope. That’s big stuff for anyone. I spent a decade playing music, er, professionally would be stretching it a mite, let’s just say I got payed, and I never came close to landing that kind of gig. Fantastic news!
[Plays fanfare in B-major, 'cause if D-minor is the saddest chord of all then B-major must be the happiest.]
A. R
28 June 2012 at 9:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
PZ: scifi is back at it on TZT, as boring and repetitive as ever, and still on Gould.
Armed rebellion cranks: Hmm, I think that (treason) might be the only constitutionally defined crime…
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
28 June 2012 at 9:58 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Markita
In regards to what? You’ll have to narrow the scope of the question down for me
Markita Lynda—damn climate change!
28 June 2012 at 9:58 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
They’re whining on Wall Street Journal that they can afford neither the premium nor the penalty *to insure other people.* It isn’t for other people, it’s for their own families. And if they really can’t afford healthcare under the ACA, the government will subsidize 95% of their premium–so what the hell are they whining about?
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
28 June 2012 at 10:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m with A.R. Shiloh/Syfy’s biggest problem is that he literally just repeats his script every month or so.
Markita Lynda—damn climate change!
28 June 2012 at 10:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
You were cursing privileged white folks.
cicely ("No-one of Consequence")
28 June 2012 at 10:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*hug* for Tony. And I feel so, so sorry for that woman.
Her boyfriend requires a porcupine of his very own.
-
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 2:45 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ah, I see. That is a bit disappointing, although this says nothing about Aron’s own position on the subject (I hope).
Christ, NOOOOOOOOOOOO! Seriously, you do not have to go back into that slimy chasm on my account. I’ll check it out myself.
Giliell, not to be confused with The Borg
29 June 2012 at 4:26 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Wooo-hooo, look who’s back!
No, I won’t be able to read up on what I missed, but I’ll try to catch up on this incarnation at least :)
Daviiiiiiid
Can you shoot me a mail at nymÄTyahooPUNKTde? So we can swap phone-numbers for Berlin?
Vilem Saptar
29 June 2012 at 4:34 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
(X-posted to TZT)
Hi Horde.
<
I've been reading Pharyngula for about three years now and have also been an on and off lurker during this time, though I've also occasionally commented here (,which was like the 3 or 4 times, using atleast three different nyms coz I forgot usernames/disposable email ids between those times and ended up making new ones) and other FTB blogs.
<
This is the first time I'm posting to TET, but not TZT. And I must admit I've been wanting to post here for a long time, and join in in all the fun y'all have so much of here: the sharing and support and camaraderie and long queues for ghey secks with Brownian and all that, but have been putting off until now.
<
Mostly because I'm a bit of an outsider to most of the things you people have in common;I'm not from an English speaking country nor from a western one, I don't get many of the relatively less well known(obscure to me) references to music, tv, film, art, politics, food, society etc. in the anglosphere. And also mostly because I'm a bit of a sociophobe myself :-)
<
But the real reason I've sucked it up, gathered some courage and decided to venture out at this time, *sheepish grin*, is because I’m in a terrible state of flummox right now and could use a little advicey help from you people, if that doesn’t come across as a lil too self-centered of me. I feel I really really don’t have anyone else I could go to for well informed and rational and ethical guidance about this particular thing.
(“It” isn’t anything extraordinary, “it” is rather mundane, but somewhat complicated in my situation)
<
I've got to run to work now, I'll check back soon. Do let me know if I'm being even a bit more entitled than I should(?) be in asking for help this way. Clue me in and I'll um…change topics.
<
Thanks for listening.
<
P.S: How does one put in line breaks in here? Sorry for the slightly weird looking chevrons-run-amuk-amidst-the-text.
birgerjohansson
29 June 2012 at 4:37 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Uranium nitride compound: ‘Trophy molecule’ breakthrough http://phys.org/news/2012-06-trophy-molecule-breakthrough.html
— — — — —
Explained: Near-miss asteroids (w/ Video) http://phys.org/news/2012-06-near-miss-asteroids-video.html
— — — — — — — —
Study resets date of earliest animal life by 30 million years http://phys.org/news/2012-06-resets-date-earliest-animal-life.html
The comment thread is great fun!
— — — — —
Maya archaeologists unearth new 2012 monument http://phys.org/news/2012-06-maya-archaeologists-unearth-monument.html
— — — — — — — —
Study on fungi helps explain coal formation and may advance future biofuels production http://phys.org/news/2012-06-fungi-coal-formation-advance-future.html
Tony... therefore God
29 June 2012 at 4:38 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The author of the above, Charles Foster, seems familiar with Richard Dawkins. Yet, he fails to understand why Dr. Dawkins takes issue with religion. It makes me wonder how people like him see the world. Do they look at the world and see beauty and joy, but none of the pain and misery? Do they see the harm done in the name of religion and attribute it to some other cause (or do they not believe that religion has even *done* any harm)?
Tony... therefore God
29 June 2012 at 4:57 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Nutmeg @351:
Oooh, sounds like fun.
I hope you enjoy yourself.
~~
Gyeong Hwa
This makes me wonder. How do you help people open their eyes to privilege or racism (I know there’s bound to be multiple ways)?
~~
Giliell:
Wooo-hooo, look who’s back!
No, I won’t be able to read up on what I missed, but I’ll try to catch up on this incarnation at least :)
We knew you would return…if we prayed hard enough :)
~~
Vilem Saptar:
Welcome in!
I believe you’ll have to sign in for the ‘ghey secks with Brownian’ line. See Louis for details (you may even get a shot or two of Jager)
I know exactly what you mean about the people here. I enjoy coming here and getting a dose of real people who give a shit (or ten or twenty) about other humans.
I second that question. I’ve been wondering how to do that for a while.
Walton
29 June 2012 at 5:00 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This is why I’m angry about immigration detention.
amblebury
29 June 2012 at 5:12 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thanks Pentamoid. I read back through the comments on the MISOGYNIST! post, couldn’t find Lilandra and just didn’t have the stomach to check all the comments on Thunderf00t’s two subsequent posts.
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort
29 June 2012 at 6:02 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Know when the Harvard Humanists gave Seth MacFarlane the “Humanist of the Year” award and I expressed disbelief and anger at it? You know how I’ve always said since that he’s a terrible example of humanism and I’m ashamed at the Harvard Humanists for essentially trying to be hip?
Here’s a paragraph from the review of “Ted:”
opposablethumbs
29 June 2012 at 6:46 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thank you, Part-Time Insomniac and FossilFishy! He’s not nervous yet, though I expect he will be as it gets closer.
It is a big deal in that sense, FF, and he was incredibly lucky to land it. He’s a decent enough player for his age, I guess, but of course a big part of anything like this is luck – just happening to be a cute kid in the right place (on this particular local youth outreach scheme) at the right time. Will definitely be telling him to practice a lot! :-)
.
Have a great trip, Nutmeg! So does this mean your dad and uncle get to have you as trip leader? Hope they behave!
.
Vilem Saptar, welcome in. What part of the world are you from, if you don’t mind my asking? I take your point about cultural references – don’t hesitate to ask, though, if one’s particularly puzzling (I’m a Brit, and I don’t get some of the cultural references the younger whippersnappers bandy about ::mutter, grumble::)
.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Idiot. Conveniently hasn’t noticed … well, pretty much everything Dawkins ever wrote about the pernicious effects of religion.
.
Walton, oh fuck. How can they be so inhuman. To anyone, let alone to such vulnerable people!
I don’t suppose there’s much if anything to choose between the major parties on this issue, or is Labour even the slightest bit better than the Tories or LibDems?
ImaginesABeach
29 June 2012 at 6:48 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Rev. -
I can’t believe you didn’t quote the headline on that story.
Do they really think that the second line is anything other than obvious?
ImaginesABeach
29 June 2012 at 6:48 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Vilem -
TET is a fine place to ask for advice. Some of the best people EVER are here.
Rev. BigDumbChimp
29 June 2012 at 7:00 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
But Walton if they would just start eating everything would be ok. So it’s their fault.
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 7:06 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hello and welcome Vilem.
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 7:08 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I see StevoR has been very active doing the ‘OMG MUSLIMS ARE DALEKS AND MUST BE DESTROYED!’-thing over on the ‘Thunderfoot replies’ thread. Urgh.
Pteryxx
29 June 2012 at 7:44 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
re StevoR: wtf? Slamming Israel = ‘you’re all Judaeophobes’?
onion girl, OM; social workers do it with paperwork
29 June 2012 at 7:46 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The FAQ version of “All you Ever Wanted to Know About Rhinebeck But Forgot to Ask” will be hitting a TET near you by most likely Monday; hang tight till then. :)
Short answers:
*Planes, trains, buses, dragons, llamas or automobiles are all acceptable means of transport and there will be assistance getting to and from each from multiple directions.
*We rent out several rooms in a hotel and share space; we’ll be offering lots of different ways (including pre-paying costs over several months) to try to make it as affordable for everyone as possible.
*Activities include the afore-mentioned Rhinebeck festival with its maple-syrup cotton candy, a fancy dinner out at a local restaurant and much godless socializing.
*Actual fiber/sheep/wool/crafty inclination is not required, though you can certainly learn if desired.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
DC LOCALS:
(Dear Horde: please forgive the impending multiple posts; I really want to make sure to reach all the locals. I know not everyone keeps up with comments consistently, so I’ll be posting this occasionally the next few days to try to catch everyone.)
Please stop over and complete this poll so I can get an idea of the RSVPs for the various activities we have coming up. Once the poll is complete, ALL planning for activities will be via email; please put your information in so you get all the where/when details! Email me if you have any questions!
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 7:50 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Apparantly, yes. He’s gone completely berserk.
Illuminata, Genie in the Beer Bottle
29 June 2012 at 8:01 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
You Tube. And patience. Lots and Lots and Lots and Lots and Lots of patience.
birgerjohansson
29 June 2012 at 8:09 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Shit! “Secularist academic jailed in Turkey” http://www.nature.com/news/secularist-academic-jailed-in-turkey-1.10891
— — — — —
How the brain views race http://www.nature.com/news/how-the-brain-views-race-1.10886
— — — —
‘Death carrot’ could hold the key to new cancer drugs http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21983-death-carrot-could-hold-the-key-to-new-cancer-drugs.html
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
29 June 2012 at 8:15 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m going to ne a jerk
Steveo~ is a fucking racist genocvidal ass and the amount of tolerence he and people like him get in these circles shows the endemic racism of FFB and skeptic culture. No one would tolerate his ignorance and barbarism directed to any other group
birgerjohansson
29 June 2012 at 8:20 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Revisiting “Study resets date of earliest animal life by 30 million years” http://phys.org/news/2012-06-resets-date-earliest-animal-life.html
Cue for creationists to scream “Bah! Humbug!”
Or someone will look at the fossil traces and claim it was actually made by pixies.
— — — — — — — — —
“Slamming Israel = ‘you’re all Judaeophobes’?”
(Godwin alert)
Even if you use the same criticism that the political opposition *inside Israel* use, you will be condemned as a Hitler clone.
Complaining about the inflation of the use of anti-semite accusations = Hitler
Everyone who has another opinion = Hitler.
Even mild criticism = Hitler.
Saying the prime minister has a rather loud tie = Hitler.
Giliell, not to be confused with The Borg
29 June 2012 at 8:20 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Catching up…
Dianne
That’s so sad. I have three friends who suffered from HELLP at different stadiums of their pregnancies with the expected results :(
kristinc
That’s great stuff you sewed!
Mattir
Make two, so each spawn can have it as a family-heirloom!
opposablethumbs
Yaaayyyyyyyyy!!!!
Congratulations!
+++++
So, TF is the disappointment I expected him to be? No surprise there. I stopped listening to anything he said after “Hiter wasn’t all bad he built the Autobahn” in a blog TV show…
++++++
re: bad words
#1 got herself into trouble for calling her dad an asshole. I don’t mind cursing, but usually mind calling people names as long as you don’t know what those words actually mean.
++++
And now since I had a lot of time to think without the distraction of the internet, can I do a bit of crowdsourcing since there are many non-neurotypical people/ parents of non-neurotypical people here?
I’ve been thinking about #1
She’s very bright
Yeah, I know, bragging parents, but she’s doing end of 1st grade maths intuitively, her favourite game is “which animal starts with which letter”, yesterday she drew a house with perspective and she’s only turning 5 next week.
And it’s not like I trained her to do those things, I’m trying to walk that fine line between not actively encouraging her (being bored in 1st grade is bad) and not discouraging her, trying to occupy her mind with other things (like English).
Now, that’s not the thing I’m worrying about.
But she also has no friends and just keeps to herself. It’s not because the other kids don’t like her or don’t want to play with her. She’s greeted very friendlily whenever we meet any of them.
It’s also not that she doesn’t understand social interactions. She engages “normally” with her sister and us, has become a lot more outgoing since she started kindergarten, shows empathy and thinks about what she could do for other people, what makes them happy.
And she is, for all I can tell, perfectly happy and content herself. She chooses to be alone, to play quietly and not to engage.
Does that sound somewhat familiar to any of you?
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker)
29 June 2012 at 9:01 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Giliell
Your daughter’s more or less the same age as mine, she turns 5 in a couple of weeks. My observation of her cohort is that the full range of human traits can be seen in them. Some folk just like to keep to themselves and if she’s capable of socially appropriate interactions when needed then I wouldn’t worry too much.
Have you spoken to her kinder teacher(s) about this? My daughter’s teachers keep notes on the students to pass on to their grade one teachers as a head’s up on needs, behaviour, and development. Signs of autism spectrum and the like are very much the sort of thing they look for. I asked if I could see that report, just to get a non-proudparent take on her. They were perfectly happy to let me see it, though I haven’t done so yet. An outsider who’s an experience professional in the observation of children in all their messy, crazy human variety, might be able to set your mind at ease.
Now, if you want some unwarranted worrying, try this on for size: the kinder’s teacher’s assistant is going for an equivalency degree in early childhood education. She has decades of experience and as I understand it they do some tests and if she passes she can become qualified as a full fledged teacher. Part of her assessment is to write up a report on a child and she asked if she could do it on my daughter! My immediate thought was, “What’s wrong with with my baby!?”
How stupid is that? The truth is she’s a smart, well behaved kid who’s main fault is that she’s pretty bossy. She’s prefect for this *because* their’s nothing wrong with her. I can totally see that there might be confidentiality problems with using a student who’s developmentally disabled in some way, or who has behaviour problems or the like and yet my first instinct was to panic. That’s the problem with loving someone so much who’s not yet fully developed, every little thing can be magnified out of all proportion both good and bad.
In other news LA TOUR starts tomorrow!!! You can keep your Superbowls, your Stanley Cups, your Euro’s, your Boxing Day tests and your bloody Olympics for that matter. Watching grown men in peacock lyrcra suffering for my entertainment for three weeks rocks. The fact that my wedding anniversary and my daughter’s birthday are in the middle of it just makes this next month THE. BEST. TIME. OF. THE. YEAR!
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
29 June 2012 at 9:02 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
If anyone wanted an example of white “liberal” privileged racist FUCKS, StevoR. I am close to actively wishing real fucking harm on the asshole. But that would be wrong! Because wishing injury on one person specifically is mean but wishing it on a fucking sub continent is just sensible because OOOOH TERRORISTS OGGIDY BOOGIDY BOO!
And his attitude is prevalent in skeptic/atheist community. I’m getting sick of the whole fucking group and environment. Fucking hypocrites bashing religion and they can’t even get their own (comparatively much smaller) backyard in order. The fact that there’s an actual fight to “should we address issues that actually impact people” just shows that the entire thing is one big fucking circle jerk. It is a white man’s club because that’s how people want it, just one more variant on the Freemason/Country Club bullshit.
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker)
29 June 2012 at 9:05 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
their’s = there’s. Time to go to bed.
Giliell, not to be confused with The Borg
29 June 2012 at 9:11 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
FossilFishy
Yeah, talking to her “teacher” (ehm, that’s not the appropriate equivalent in German) was what got me started again. The one “worry” that I have is that she’s not showing off in kindergarten, which made the teacher a bit doubtfull about letting her start the preschool-program after the holidays.
No, she’s absolutely not bossy. She tries with her sister and us, but in a group, when queue is formed, she’ll be at the back for all eternity.
BTW, time to pick her up
dianne
29 June 2012 at 9:19 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yay, Gilell’s back! Does that mean you’ve got a new laptop?
The lady I mentioned is doing better after a life saving D&E. Isn’t it lucky that we have several OBs here who know how to do them?
dianne
29 June 2012 at 9:23 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Also, health care reform. Now that the Supreme Court has blessed it, could we PLEASE implement as soon as possible? I’ve got this other patient who is delaying appropriate care for a heart condition because of lack of insurance and we’ve had to undertake some fiscally questionable moves to make sure s/he gets appropriate care. (Because no one could actually stomach the idea of making medically questionable moves to give him/her fiscally appropriate care.)
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 9:28 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
We are Ing,
Yep, StevoR is being pretty horrible. I genuinely find him quite scary right now.
Walton
29 June 2012 at 9:33 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
There’s not much difference – both the last Labour government and the current mostly-Tory one have been particularly nasty to immigrants. (It was on the Labour government’s watch that women went on hunger strike at the privately-run Yarl’s Wood immigration detention centre. And thanks to Blair’s policies, asylum-seekers who aren’t detained are banned from working and expected to live on £35 a week.)
But things are getting worse. Thanks to the Tories’ cuts, most immigration cases, other than asylum cases and those where the individual is detained, will no longer be funded by legal aid. As a result of the cuts, charities offering immigration legal advice have been forced to shut down. And the Tories are now bringing in some changes to the Immigration Rules which will mean that you can’t bring your non-EU-national spouse or partner to live with you in the UK unless you can show that you’re earning at least £18,500 a year. In other words, the unemployed and those on low incomes are deliberately penalized.
Pteryxx
29 June 2012 at 9:42 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Holy crap, StevoR has completely lost it. Sooo, along with “women are people” now folks have to learn “people living in other countries are people” too. Gah.
Walton
29 June 2012 at 9:49 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’ll never understand why the mere mention of Muslims seems to send him into an irrational homicidal rage. :-/
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
29 June 2012 at 9:49 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ok let me first specifically that I do not mean a personal attack or believe there is any maliciousness. That said; I want to point out that someone got a ban warning for asking PZ “aren’t you paid by tax money” and StevoR has been going on for ages with this uncomented.
I’m not saying PZ is bigoted or anything, far from it. I am just saying that this is the culture of skepticism. It’s accepted, it’s tolerated. And that to me is unacceptable.
Walton
29 June 2012 at 9:57 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I agree. To be honest, it’s extremely disturbing to me that Pat Condell, and others who think similarly, continue to be influential in the atheist and skeptic movements. This is commonplace; on other Freethoughtblogs I’ve crossed swords with some extreme Islamophobes, making disturbing comments like “Islam needs to be contained and not allowed to mix with civilized people,” and expressing admiration for Geert Wilders.
Walton
29 June 2012 at 10:05 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ing: FWIW, PZ has now threatened StevoR with a ban.
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 10:06 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Walton,
Jeebus fucking Christ, Geert Wilders. Fuck, things are bad indeed. To a large extent, I blame Christopher Hitchens for this sentiment being so common in atheist circles. After all, way too many ‘free thinkers’ were/are blind Hitchens-worshippers.
PZ, IF YOU HAPPEN TO READ THIS: PLEASE, A BANHAMMER MAY BE NEEDED IN THE ‘TF REPLIES’ THREAD!
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
29 June 2012 at 10:06 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Walton
I observed, and to which I am glad…ish (I’m ina really really bad mood today). I still stand by my point though.
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 10:07 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Damn it, I should really refresh the page before I comment.
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
29 June 2012 at 10:09 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yes. I turned against St. Christopher after the SGU memorial episode. I could not escape the conclusion that he was being praised for cognitive and intellectual honesty faults that would be hammered on anyone outside ‘the tribe’. Swiss’s story is the one that broke me.
Matt Penfold
29 June 2012 at 10:13 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Walton,
I have come across one of those commentators, Steve Obserki, before. He was arguing it is a breach of advertisers civil rights no to be a allowed to lie in ads.
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 10:13 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yeah, I’ve actually never been that much of a hitch fan. I mean, the stuff about atheism sensu strictu was okay, but he was a sexist, racist asshole. I never understood why this was so rarely pointed out.
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
29 June 2012 at 10:15 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@Pentatomid
Because people need clergy apparently.
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 10:15 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ahem, ‘stricto’.
Hail Tpyos!
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 10:16 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
We are ing,
Sadly, that is what it looks like.
Pteryxx
29 June 2012 at 10:19 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
well heck. Thanks y’all for taking this on. I don’t know much about atheism or Israel-worship, but I can sure tell that “kill ‘em all and let God sort them out” doesn’t get better with ‘god’ taken out of it.
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
29 June 2012 at 10:21 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I do not hate Israel. I want Israel to exist and to be stable. I also want it to be a good neighbor and to be STABLE. I feel too often that it basically courts disaster due to ideological reasons. I also can’t escape the notion that the idea that Israel is a Jewish state absolutely, cannot be separated from the idea of it being a Jewish Supremacist state; and feel that allowing it to live by a myth of a Chosen People/Master Race is a profound perversion of the lessons we should have learned from the Holocaust.
Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge
29 June 2012 at 10:29 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hi Thread!
My summer hollies started today, so I’m thoroughly enjoying sitting outside drinking wine and swatting mosquitoes. The only true fly in my ointment is the fact that a nearby army depot (abt 30 miles away) seem to be testing ammo tonight. Regular, but luckily fairly quiet, explosions have been going on for the last two hours.
From the speculative commune/people’s democratic republic/Pharyngulite utopia point of view, is this good or bad? Shall we tolerate this (Finnish Army not being terribly threatening in reality) or should we start making plans on taking over the depot? Shouldn’t be too difficult for a small, dedicated, professional guerrilla group.
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 10:29 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
My thoughts on Israel pretty much exactly.
I actually wished I had participated a bit more in countering StevoR’s bullshit, but this stuff gets to me quite hard and I feared I wouldn’t be able to write anything coherent. You see, I had a friend who lived in Israel for a couple of years because his dad worked for the UN and he witnessed Israel “protecting innocent people”. The stories he came back with… Well, not pretty, I’ll say that much.
Muse
29 June 2012 at 10:40 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Israel is one of those topics that I, being a liberal Jew, start twitching when it comes up. I believe that Israel needs to exist. I believe that it needs to not be expansionist assholes. I believe that the religious Jews are ruining something that the secularists created. I’d like to see Israel’s neighbors admit that Israel has a right to exist. I’d like to see a better government and the end to the settlements. I’d like to see Israel’s neighbors (excepting Jordan) admit that they refused to allow Palestinians in their countries, and that the they mostly don’t give a shit about the Palestinian except as a club against the existence of Israel. I’d like to see the Palestinians integrated as much as they want to be into Israeli society. I’d like to see the religious out of power. I’d like people to rememeber that most Israelis are secularists. I’d like the Dominionists to stop looking at Israel as a playing piece in their eschatology.
I’d like to be able to have some damn nuance.
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
29 June 2012 at 10:45 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hia.
Oh, Israel. Mostly I’ve stayed out of that discussion, seeing as I know little, but I sorta agree with Ing.
ImaginesABeach
29 June 2012 at 10:50 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone exercised the same mature judgment as thunk did there?
LykeX
29 June 2012 at 11:07 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I wouldn’t presume to make any demands on how Freethoughtblogs is run, but I can’t help but feel that the addition of Thunderf00t was a mistake.
It’s not just his recent halfwitted posts – those could be chalked up to ignorance – it’s the kind of commentaries we’re getting there.
Those comment threads are downright ugly. They’re full of Rebecca-haters and dripping with “feminazi” style rhetoric.
I swear, it makes me tired.
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 11:09 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh, yes. What a beautiful world this would be!
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
29 June 2012 at 11:10 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
My stance on Israel is that expressed by Ing and Muse.
Also, I have a deep and abiding loathing for the way that (apparently) the Dominionists have convinced everyone that they !!! love Israel !!! when the totally do not.
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 11:13 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
LykeX,
I agree completely, and you’re not the first to voice that concern. I’ll go further: not only do his posts ooze with ignorance, they’re also very poorly written. They also very much give the impression of being a deliberate slap in the face to other FTBloggers, not to mention the accompanying videos he made on youtube.
thunk = ∫ SQRRAWK! d(MQG)
29 June 2012 at 11:15 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Imaginesabeach:
Of course!
Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge
29 June 2012 at 11:20 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I have join Thunk on this. Don’t know enough, but I love to follow the thread, just in case I might learn something. Which isn’t likely, given my pink ladybrain and the fact I’m into the third glass of a very fetching little tempranillo, since this little minnie has just started her holidays, first time in more than three years!
Pteryxx
29 June 2012 at 11:20 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Has TF shown any sign of moderating comments here at all? I gather youtube comments (in general) are a bloody free-for-all unless a poster a) actively and busily moderates or b) disables commenting altogether. No idea how or whether TF moderates comments on his youtube channel.
Caerie
29 June 2012 at 11:22 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
pentatomid:
Oh my yes. The fact that so many ignored (and still ignore) his racism and sexism has bothered me for a long time. For ages it seemed like the only “skeptics” I could find were all bloviating misogynists who worshiped at his altar.
Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge
29 June 2012 at 11:27 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Um. Myself @432:
That didn’t come out right. What I meant to express is the fact that I really do enjoy and appreciate people discussing topics that are somewhat foreign to me, and I always enjoy learning more. If I’m too drunk to get anything out of the convo, then that’s my problem.
StevoR
29 June 2012 at 11:30 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@ Ing :
If you haven’t already blocked me.
Please can I just ask.
Your Muslim friends; what are they like and how did you get to know them and how much do you share and have in common?
Hope this is okay, my apologies if not.
StevoR
29 June 2012 at 11:32 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Arrgh. Keeping out of Israel discussion.
(Forcibly holds back own hands.)
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
29 June 2012 at 11:33 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Am I the only one sniffing out the beginning of a “no true
ScotsmanMuslim” rhetorical binge?Muse
29 June 2012 at 11:34 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
StevoR – what’s the point of that question to Ing?
StevoR
29 June 2012 at 11:35 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@432.Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge :
Ah hell, I get drunk as and still manage to learn things. Sometimes. If I remember them.
Oh & happy holidays!
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 11:35 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Caerie,
I was lucky enough to be very interested in science from when I was a small kid, which lead me to skepticism without any real ‘role model’ in mind. If I had stumbled into Hitchens’ stuff early on (or his sheep, for that matter), I don’t think I would be actively involved (well, online at least) in the skeptic or atheist community now.
StevoR
29 June 2012 at 11:36 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@ Muse : Curiosity.
Wanting to understand.
StevoR
29 June 2012 at 11:38 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
It baffles me.
dianne
29 June 2012 at 11:38 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Your Muslim friends; what are they like and how did you get to know them and how much do you share and have in common?
Which ones? My Muslim friends, acquaintances, and relatives are as varied as my Jewish, Hindi, Buddhist, Christian, and atheist friends, acquaintances, and relatives. So I can’t really give you a sensible answer. Depending on which person you’re talking about, the answer might be “at a professional meeting and we share an interest in curing MDS” or “at a wedding and we share a fondness for my cousin/her husband” or “at gaming night and we share a liking for Carcassonne.” To name three random answers.
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
29 June 2012 at 11:39 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Maybe, StevoR, Muslim people are people, and you make friends with them the same way you make friends with anyone else?
Concept!
StevoR
29 June 2012 at 11:39 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m under PZ’s ban threat anyhow.
Won’t argue.
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 11:43 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
StevoR,
Just wondering: do you have friends who aren’t atheists? Christians? Jews? Sikh?
Why?
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 11:43 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
What are they like?
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
29 June 2012 at 11:43 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I once met this really hot chick at a lesbian bar. We went back to her place and fucked like bunnies.
I was awakened at like 4 am by her getting up to wash for her fajr prayers.
This is an anecdote, apropos of nothing.
But StevoR will probably say that she wasn’t really a Muslim, what with the whole “sleeping with women,” “was in a bar,” and “non-homicidal maniac” things.
StevoR
29 June 2012 at 11:45 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
diannne : Cheers. I guess.
They treat you like ..?
Esteleth, Raging Dyke of Fuck Mountain
29 June 2012 at 11:45 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
For context, I should say that I was a believing Christian at the time.
Pteryxx
29 June 2012 at 11:46 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’ve only had one Muslim friend that I knew of, and he was an Iranian student in the same college class as me. The only reason it even came up was that he missed different holidays than the rest of us, so I helped him catch up on the classes he missed. (He also introduced me to Middle Eastern cuisine, which I still enjoy to this day.)
pentatomid
29 June 2012 at 11:55 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I know several muslims. We get along just fine and yes, they know I’m an atheist and they aren’t bothered by it. They treat me just like they treat their other friends, which include a lot of christians, by the way.
StevoR
29 June 2012 at 11:56 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
@pentatomid asks :
Yes. A few very Christian friends.
One I got to know through my brother – a friend of his who is very Christian and, in fact, done some missionary work of sorts. I attended his wedding and had to bite my tongue at the creationist parts (& yikes were there creationist parts!) but he’s a good person even though I disagree with him on a lot of things, I can talk to him and we get on fine.
Another very Christian bloke via a writing group I belong to. He’s a real character and ha shis own strange experiences. Helps me out. Again, no problem discussing things although he’ svery set in his views and somewhat, oaky, much more prickly and opinionated than I am! He’s quite political, his views on religion are, well kinda different from most Christians, he’s a bit radical, a good person but very anti-athiest. But nice.
starsend42
29 June 2012 at 11:57 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
StevoR~
People are all different.You have to take EACH INDIVIDUAL as they come. There is no “typical” type for any race, creed, etc.
My favorite way of putting this I stole from a comic. He was pointing out the error of trying to group people by their race, sex, religion, etc. He said (approximately), ” Why hate a GROUP of people for their religion, race or sex when there are so many reasons to hate people on an INDIVIDUAL basis.”
Obviously a tongue in cheek way of saying take people as they come, don’t assume anything. The longer I live, the more I find this to be true.
StarsEnd42
Cipher, OM, Fighting Fucktoy
29 June 2012 at 11:58 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*sob*
I haven’t even had my coffee yet and already people are fucking assholes.
"We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective"
29 June 2012 at 11:59 am (UTC -5)