Comments

  1. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    Sarahface, I’m really not up on most things FB—I usually avoid it and use it only for work purposes (for example, I ignore friend invites from family and actual friends). No interest in getting caught up in it.

    So I don’t what “Facebook-married” means? Is that a thing?

  2. Pyra says

    Awwwww, penguin! Love penguins. Had to make my outburst. I don’t know anyone that loves them as much as me.

  3. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    Oh, btw. . . are there any Horde members near Quebec City? I’ll be there for a few days in October for a conference and having a meal or beer would be nice. If so, my email is spokesgay at gmail.

  4. says

    Portcullised.

    From the article about Tyler Clementi:

    what prompted a promising college freshman to kill himself?

    Holy shit I am SO TIRED of people/journalists/news sources acting like the answer to this is anything other than FUCKING OBVIOUS.

    I mean really, honest headlines would read “Hateful homophobic attitudes cause yet another promising college freshman to kill himself”.

  5. Sarahface says

    So I don’t what “Facebook-married” means? Is that a thing?

    It’s just where your relationship status says you’re married to someone when you aren’t, and in all probability you aren’t actually in a relationship at all.
    It seems to be ridiculously popular among my age-group.

  6. says

    Sarahface:

    It’s just where your relationship status says you’re married to someone when you aren’t, and in all probability you aren’t actually in a relationship at all.
    It seems to be ridiculously popular among my age-group.

    That’s so…. third grade.

  7. says

    Sarahface –

    Yeah, a lot of students (mostly undergrads — so, yes, third grade) at my school are facebook-married. It pisses me off. I know it’s unfair of me, but it annoys me for the purely selfish and unreasonable reason that even when I’m in a real relationship I don’t feel comfortable putting it on facebook. And here everyone’s married to each other.

  8. cicely says

    …and, it appears, every card anyone either wrote to either of us during our marriage. Including cards to each other.

    *hugs&chocolate&booze&fuzzykittehs*

    I found Helen Mirren believable in RED.

    Patricia: You are awesome.

    That is all.

    I am a true heretic I like peas and horses and think cats are preferable to cephalopods. Do I now get burnt at the stake? What is the ritual for heretics here? Please do not chase me away with burning pitchforks because I like it here.

    lexie, IMO cats and cephalopods share top billing in their categories; Awesomeness In A Terrestrial Mammal, and Awesomeness In An Aquatic Invertebrate, respectively.

    AFAIK, we don’t have a set ritual for punishing heretics, but make it up as we go. And we save the burning pitchforks for uprooting the peas.

    Waffles!!!
    I can haz pecans in mine, plz?

  9. Tethys says

    Beatrice (last thread)

    Podcast goes up in half an hour or did I fail in reading the clock?

    It is scheduled for tomorrow at 5 pm CMT.

  10. cicely says

    Oooh, look! Baby penguin!

    Obviously, it will be fitted for its death-ray later.

    I mean really, honest headlines would read “Hateful homophobic attitudes cause yet another promising college freshman to kill himself”.

    Yes.

  11. Beatrice says

    Thanks, Tethys.
    I thought it was Saturday, checked today and again managed to read Saturday instead of Sunday.

  12. says

    cicely:

    I found Helen Mirren believable in RED.

    I went on a rather long diatribe about the lack of quality movie stars under a certain age because of that movie, which I think I’ve watched 4-5 times now. Same with The Expendables in the area of action stars, which is a movie I guess some people think is sexist but I figure is probably more 1980s homoerotic.

  13. Beatrice says

    I went on a rather long diatribe about the lack of quality movie stars under a certain age because of that movie, which I think I’ve watched 4-5 times now.

    When I start counting awesome movie actors, the list usually mostly consist of older generations. Helen Mirren is definitely among them, as is a large part of main cast of Red.

  14. Crudely Wrott says

    Farewell to Neil Armstrong, moonwalker.

    That’s one last step for a man . . .

    *dabs eye, remembers*

  15. says

    So I wake up to news that Neil Armstrong has died and the US is slipping forever into a new dark ages where rape has been defined away, public education dismantled, and millions are left with nothing to eat and no way to get medical care.

    And these are just the first-world problems.

    Does anyone share this sense of impending doom or do I still need to wait until my dopamine receptors iron themselves out to make any judgments?

    Or do I need to take a break from the internet. But 90% of my social life exists online! How will I live??

  16. didgen says

    I need some assistance please, have just become the owner of two refugees from the animal shelter, a tiny malnourished eight week old ragdoll kitten who came complete with fleas and an equally tiny lilac male Siamese. Need names desperately, but every time I think much about giving them names I just seem to track back to thinking about the beautiful tortie that I said goodbye to after twentyfive years. Maybe I should have waited longer. I miss my Autumn cat.

  17. carlie says

    didgen – would it be a tribute to call them Spring and Summer, or too close for comfort?

  18. Crudely Wrott says

    didgen, I once had a poor little cat come into my care. He was so skinny and thin. He had two breaks in his tail, too tall ears and a white triangle on his chin. His shoulder blades stuck out and his ungainly legs were a sight to behold.

    I named him Angular. He seemed to like the name; he came when called . . .

    One dog that I had, a solid black lab, got stuck with the name Whitey.

    I like descriptive names that refer to some obvious and outstanding quality of the individual critter. Sort of like mine.

    Whatever you end up calling them, just call them often. They’ll love you for it.

  19. says

    Azkyroth

    Man, I’ve had those moments. Hugs if you want ‘em.

    Patricia, OM

    Perhaps it’s time to sink into the pink tub with some pink bubble bath.

    You’ve given me a great idea how to soothe my own ragey state. And your bathroom sounds like the one at my mother’s house. When she moved in she had a mint green and Mamie pink monstrosity on her hands. Somehow the perfect shower curtain seems to have tamed the beast a bit.

    Carlie

    a sugar delivery system flavored lightly of lemon.

    That must be why I could eat so many…

    I went and fought a house fire yesterday. The house was a total loss. I am still feeling sad, though there were no human injuries whatsoever. They’re not sure his kitty got out safely, and we didn’t find it. And I’m still recovering physically. Fires always give me migraines. /whine, thanks for reading

  20. says

    Giliell

    You’ve given me interesting things to think about re: sexualization/idealization of late teen women. Thank you. (That reads creepier on the page than I intended…you get my meaning)

  21. says

    Not to spam the thread, but I’m interested in your opinion, Giliell, as to what would be an ideal age of consent. I have some conflicting thoughts on the topic myself. It was quite a lively discussion during a class I took on sex crimes.

  22. says

    I think we’ve found a winner for the Great Guitar Selection Thingy 2012… penultimate chance for you folks to click on my name, go to my blog, and vote on the future Horde-Hammer, Official SpokesGuitar.

  23. says

    Hey, Giliell, saw you over on the Scientific American Surly Amy post. If you want a Lucy pendant, and they’re all sold out, just send here a message. She does custom work for no extra cost as long as it’s one of her standards.

  24. Lyn M: Necrodunker of death, nothing but net says

    Don’t know how I forgot this one:

    Summer Glau, Firefly and Serenity

  25. Lyn M: Necrodunker of death, nothing but net says

    Also Chell.

    Well, if Gordon Freeman qualifies, so does Chell.

  26. vaiyt says

    I just went over to RPGnet and saw a spat of the usual clueless doodz railing against Teh Political Correctness and spouting the usual It Was Always This Way, This Isn’t Important Stop Complaining, I Just Don’t See The Problem, Why Are You Intolerant Of My Intolerance etc.

  27. Lyn M: Necrodunker of death, nothing but net says

    I never saw it. I’ve been in China a loooooooong time. It’s different here.

  28. vaiyt says

    Shit, pressed submit too soon. Just wanted to say I feel sad and I love you guys for helping make this place free of bullshit.

  29. thunk, sour grape says

    Portia:

    I don’t really know. I like to think of myself as capable of deciding sexual matters although I am under the age of consent, but I don’t know about other people. Ideally, one could test maturity, but I don’t know how that’s done.

    Caine:

    I see Basil shares my taste for mashed potatoes, though i like mine with sunflower oil and sans peas.

  30. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Joe:
    That was an ensemble tv show. Summer Glau wasn’t the headliner. Boy do I remember not liking that show.

  31. Trebuchet says

    Losing Neil Armstrong has made me very sad. So I’ll try to think about happier things…like hurling pumpkins.

    You’d never have guessed it from my user name but I have a passion for catapults. And though it’s a little early, I’ll take my mind off Neil by posting the following:

    Just three weeks from today is the fifth (already?) Snohomish, WA, Pumpkin Hurl! And if you’re into such things, there’s an associated Medieval Faire. Ten pound pumkins will be flying up to 1500 feet! (Maybe more, depending on who shows up.) I’ll be there just flinging little ones, but hey, it gets me in the pits. So if you’ll be in the Tacoma/Everett/Olympia/Bellingham/Bremerton area on September 15, stop on by. I’ll be the small orange/black machine probably nearest the crowd line. Introduce yourself, maybe you’ll get to pull a trigger.

  32. Lyn M: Necrodunker of death, nothing but net says

    improbablejoe

    You have no idea. Actual being in China Chinese food is nothing like back home Chinese food. Even dim sum, which seemed authentic to me in Canada. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the back in Canada Chinese food, but the stuff here, well … been here nearly 9 years and never had a bad meal.

  33. says

    Tony,

    I don’t think you voted on my Great Guitar Selection Thingy, so your comments don’t actually matter. Plus, that whole show was all about the women in the cast, pick one. Or two. Or three. Or four, if you count hugely pregnant in real life Busy Phillips.

  34. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    I don’t really know. I like to think of myself as capable of deciding sexual matters although I am under the age of consent, but I don’t know about other people. Ideally, one could test maturity, but I don’t know how that’s done.

    My gut instinct is somewhere between 16-18 is a good baseline, and that emancipated minor status ought to carry with it majority status for consent purposes.

  35. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    (Or, alternatively, that you ought to be able to apply for something analogous to emancipation for consent purposes. I’m not sure what the requirements should be, offhand…)

  36. says

    Lyn M,

    I have some idea. I was in Puerto Rico for 8 days last summer, and every meal I had in every little greasy spoon I could find on the island for just a couple of bucks was just wonderful. We’re going back next year and booking a tour of the even more out of the way food shacks. We could die of pork overdose!

  37. says

    My gut instinct is somewhere between 16-18 is a good baseline,

    Yeah, whatever the age, I think that the 2-3 year buffers are a great idea. That is, if the AOC is 18, a 19 year old doesn’t get burned for life for consensual sex with a 17 year old.

    Thunk – that’s the main problem, is that everyone is different. There’s no way to really tell who is and is not ready. An age of consent is obviously an imperfect solution, but I have no alternative suggestions.

  38. thunk, may or may not be onomotopoeia says

    Portia:

    Yes, this whole thing replays itself in most things with lower age limits. These tend to really annoy me, but there are few other ways to draw a line.

  39. thunk, may or may not be onomotopoeia says

    Portia: I’d go more 3-4 years, but I really think it depends on the individual case.

  40. Lyn M: Necrodunker of death, nothing but net says

    improbable joe

    Oh well, then, you do know. And yes, the little out of the way places can blow you away.
    I remember this noodle guy who worked only at night in an alley beside the enclosed housing area I was in. You could barely see him, but the flare from his wok was like a guide. He had three oxy-acetelyn torchs fixed on a ring, that focussed on his wok. His wife (I was not introduced but she seemed to be his wife) had sheets of noodle dough she would cut into strips when you ordered. Then he would put in about 7 ingredients, from pots and sacks — OK, 7 pots or sacks, one consisted of a blend of hot spices with chunks of garlic in it, so maybe 20 different things actually went in. Next, onto the torches, and he stir fried, tossed, etc. Last, into a little white box, and handed to you. All this for about 66 cents. And gooooood. Oh hell yeah.

  41. says

    Thunk — you’re talking to a person who turned 18 a day after a presidential election. It was heartbreaking for this budding political activist. I feel your frustration and totally concur.

  42. says

    Thunk – funny you should say that because I actually first typed 3-4. But I get funny skeevy feelings about a 20 year old and a 16 year old, at opposite ends of the maturity scale. And the “depends on the situation” part is exactly the problem, isn’t it.

  43. thunk, may or may not be onomotopoeia says

    Portia:

    Thunk — you’re talking to a person who turned 18 a day after a presidential election. It was heartbreaking for this budding political activist. I feel your frustration and totally concur.

    Ouch.

    (also, your nym link is borked)

  44. chigau (違う) says

    Tonight is steak night.
    Also shrimp and scallops.
    baked squash and candied yams
    and Caesar salad
    and nanaimo bars
    *burp*

  45. markr1957 Inc. says

    My youth was so long ago I don’t know how well I should trust my memory, but if I could die for my country at 17 I can think of no good reason I should have to die with my virginity intact.

    If any age restriction should exist it should be that you can’t go to war until you’re 21 or older. How many dead people should any 19 year old have to see? You can’t fix the damage that does to your head!

  46. John Morales says

    Improbable Joe:

    I’m still waiting for the ultimate ramen recipe, and votes on my blog. Both, please.

    You’re waiting for the last ever recipe for prepackaged instant food?

    (Also, I can’t vote on your blog, having never seen it)

  47. ImaginesABeach says

    Well, I spent the almost entire day doing funeral things. Up at 5 to get myself and my family dressed and out the door by 6am. 4 hours in the car driving to northern Minnesota. 3 hours at the visitation, funeral, lunch. 4 hours in the car driving home. I’m tired and heading for bed soon, but had to pass on these observations:

    1) If your family name is “Cease”, and you decide to own a chain of funeral homes, consider not using the family name in the name of the business. GirlChild took one look, and said, in a very 13 year old voice, “Really, that’s the best name you can come up with?” http://www.ceasefuneralhome.com/fh/home/home.cfm?fh_id=11968 (Our family member’s funeral was across the street from one of these facilities).

    2) If you are in charge of assigning priests to Catholic churches, and you are asked to find a priest for a church that is located within the boundaries of an Ojibwe reservation, do not assume that just ANY Indian will be appropriate – those who are being transferred from a diocese on the Indian subcontinent are probably not what the parishioners had in mind.

    3) Those of you who are used to Minnesota Lutheran funerals will be amazed to know that there is apparently no law requiring Jell-o salad at funeral lunches.

    4) The pew I was sitting in had 3 atheists, 1 undecided, a vice president of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, and a gay couple that has been together for almost 40 years. No lightening struck the pew (the PP VP and 1 of the gay men even took communion).

    5) The priest choose our table to sit at during lunch. He tried to make small talk with GirlChild, who doesn’t really like small talk any better than I do, but who handled it beautifully. Unfortunately for him, he asked her where she usually attends church. She looked a little surprised, as she does not usually get asked this question, but she just smiled and said, “typically, we don’t go to church.” She later told me that she wanted to tell him that she’s an atheist, but didn’t want to be confrontational at her great-uncle’s funeral. Love my GirlChild.

  48. Amblebury says

    Hello toutes les gens. I’m just dropping in, from my long-weekend break in Central Otago, the Deep South of NZ. Where they make very passable Pinot Noir. So passable in fact,that you can remind yourself what a hangover feels like. And then wish you hadn’t.

    Ah well.

    I’ll catch up when I’m back at base. Which will be just after rat-spaying day, IIRC.

  49. Lyn M: Necrodunker of death, nothing but net says

    Imaginesabeach

    She looked a little surprised, as she does not usually get asked this question, but she just smiled and said, “typically, we don’t go to church.” She later told me that she wanted to tell him that she’s an atheist, but didn’t want to be confrontational at her great-uncle’s funeral. Love my GirlChild.

    Very diplomatic answer. Honest, yet not confrontational. The “typically” was superb. Please pass on my respect, in whatever way you feel best.

  50. John Morales says

    Improbable Joe,

    And feel free to continue to not see my blog.

    You informed me you were waiting for votes, I in turn informed you why I was not in a position to vote.

    (But thanks for your permission)

  51. says

    that’s punishment for using your sewing shears on paper.

    Oh, *I* never did. I thought I had my children enough in fear of my wrath that they would not even dream of using my sewing shears, but obviously my reign of terror needs a little reinforcement.

  52. Crudely Wrott says

    @Imaginesabeach
    GirlChild deserves an extra special hug. Please pass this one on to her.

    I’ve long noticed that youngsters are most likely inclined to speak honestly. We old farts should take notice and not forget our own early days of hearing and thinking.

    And, ah, way to be a parent, apparently. ;~)

  53. John Morales says

    Improbable Joe, that’s extremely easy to figure out, but it would require your co-operation. :)

  54. says

    So, ramen recipes?

    I’m going to try a stir-fry of chicken, peas, cabbage, and onions, in a teriyaki sauce with extra ginger and a touch of chili paste. Then I’ll add the noodles at the end, and see what happens.

  55. says

    John Morales,

    It needs my input? It seems to me based on your comments towards me that you’re so disgusted with everything I post that you would do a backflip to stop having to read my comments.

  56. chigau (違う) says

    John Morales
    When a commenter’s name appears in blue and shows an underline and a cursor change when you move the cursor over it, that is a link.
    Often it links to the commenter’s blog.

  57. John Morales says

    Improbable Joe, you do me an injustice; I read every comment.

    (But if there’s no comment there to read, then I can’t read it, can I? :) )

  58. ImaginesABeach says

    And, least it seem like I don’t adore BoyChild too – He was awesome – It’s always a little iffy when you get your child with ADHD up and right into a 4 hour car ride, followed by 3 hours of boring churchy funeral stuff, while knowing that a 4 hour car ride is coming up. But he was a perfect gentleman. He shook hands with all the old men and hugged all the old women, and engaged in conversation with them as if there were no place he’d rather be. He didn’t get squirrely at all, and he charmed everyone.

  59. John Morales says

    chigau, I know you mean well, but I’m fully aware of that.

    (I wrote that I hadn’t seen it, not that I was unaware of its existence)

  60. chigau (違う) says

    Improbable Joe
    That sounds fine.
    I hope you remember to throw away the ramen’s flavor-packet.

  61. says

    John Morales

    I read every comment.

    But when you read mine, they force you to behave like a completely terrible human being, and I would love to spare you the pain of that.

  62. John Morales says

    chigau, so, you’re telling me you aren’t well-meaning? :)

    (It’s OK, I forgive you)

  63. hotshoe says

    So, ramen recipes?

    I’m going to try a stir-fry of chicken, peas, cabbage, and onions, in a teriyaki sauce with extra ginger and a touch of chili paste. Then I’ll add the noodles at the end, and see what happens.

    That’ll work fine.

    As far as recipes go, my not-at-all-humble opinion is that recipes for noodle dishes are useless. Noodles and their sauces/accompaniments/meal stretchers should be composed according to what you already have on hand (or what was on sale at the market when you shopped) and what smells good to you as you’re cooking.

    Once you have your basic cooking procedure, how much is it going to help you to have someone’s recipe saying “mince 1 inch piece of ginger and 2 cloves of garlic …”? What if you have 4 cloves of garlic and you want to use them up because they’re looking a little soft? Will it ruin the perfect recipe? I doubt it.

    It does sound like you’re going to end up with something more like chow mein than ramen (not soupy) and that will actually be good.

  64. says

    hotshoe,

    I see what you mean, except that some noodles work better with some sauces. Ramen doesn’t seem right to combine with a jar of Prego, and rice noodles don’t seem to work with alfredo, you know?

  65. John Morales says

    chigau, hopefully, you refer to commensal and mutualistic flora rather than to parasites.

  66. says

    I rarely post comments because I usually don’t have time, but since I’m laid up with a broken foot, I be less of a lurker here. It’s feels a little strange to start now after so many years. So by introduction, I am a Dutch woman living in Hawaii (where the age of consent was 14 until very recent).

  67. Crudely Wrott says

    @ Imaginesabeach, #82

    Well then, pass on a hug to BoyChild too, as well as a grinning thumbs up. He sounds like a right gentleman.

  68. Crudely Wrott says

    I wish I were still living on the west coast of Florida. They have a hurricane coming. (I just heard that the Republican convention has been delayed for a day due to the blessing of an invisible supernatural spook, pbuh.)

    Lots of years ago my friend and I swam out in the Gulf during a cat2 storm. We had a small inflatable raft. It took us thirty minutes to get past the breakers. After that we paddled/towed the raft (I had swim fins, he had a one by four) out to a buoy a mile offshore that marked the entrance to the pass that led to Sarasota Bay .

    The waves were mostly twelve to fifteen feet high. Some higher. While down in the trough between two waves we saw dark shadows moving rapidly inside the face of the wave behind. Several waves later, in another trough, two dolphins exploded from the seaward wave and flew right over our heads, almost within touching distance. They splashed into the back of the landward wave. Moments later a pilot whale soared clear of the water about a hundred yards to starboard and came down with a smacking sound that was audible above the wind. Small fish were jumping all around us. It seemed as if the life in the sea were as rowdy and enthusiastic as we were. Yahoo!!! Big water!!! Big wind!!! Big time!!!

    We washed ashore a couple of miles south of where we put in, winded and giddy and without our raft. It left us in the surf somewhere on our way back to shore. We never could remember just when.

    I’d do it again if I were still there, just to celebrate with creation. Yahoo!!!

  69. hotshoe says

    I made the cheater’s version of fudge this afternoon because I’m depressed – and because I found a four-pound bag of chocolate chips in a box in the living room. I bought them for holiday baking last winter so I knew they would still be okay but have lost some of their glossy charm. Good to transform some by melting.

    Here’s the idea:
    Have ready a shallow pan or dish, eg a glass 8×8 square baking pan. Butter the inside lightly. If you want, put a sheet of baking parchment in the bottom of the dish. You can have two edges of the parchment extend out past the edges of the dish; that makes neat:”handles” when it comes time to serve, but it’s been years since I remembered to buy parchment paper, and I don’t miss it.
    In a large microwave-safe glass bowl, melt 2 ounces butter (one-half stick) – 15 seconds or less. It’s okay if it’s not completely melted. Pour into the bowl the contents of one can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk NOT EVAPORATED milk. It’s okay to use fat-free or low-fat condensed milk. Stir just a few strokes to combine butter and milk but don’t worry about getting it completely mixed. Add one pound semisweet chocolate chips (3 cups chips) *Note* the standard bag of chocolate chips is only 12 ounces — that’s not enough — so buy more and measure out 3 cups. It’s okay to use one pound coarsely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate instead of chips.
    Heat in the microwave over for one minute. Some of the chocolate will be melting, but not all. Stir briefly to distribute the melty part into the milk. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. IF all the chocolate has softened and the mixture gets completely smooth when you stir, you’re done. IF not, return to microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir again. When the mixture is just smooth, scrape into the prepared pan. Don’t fool with it too much. Level the top a bit. Set it aside to get firm. Don’t refrigerate.

    Use a spatula to scoop up and eat whatever remnants of fudge clung to the mixing bowl. Goes good with graham crackers and coffee.

    After a few hours, the fudge in the serving pan will be solid enough to cut into small squares and share with your family and friends.

    Or not. If you don’t have anyone you want to share your batch of fudge with, promise me you won’t eat it all in two days. Make it last a week, at least. Store in an tightly-covered container at room temperature (unless your room temp is over 80 degrees, in which case store airtight in the fridge.)

  70. didgen says

    Thank you Carlie, Crudely Wrott, Audley for your name suggestions. I’m going to try Spring and Summer, see how they respond. These kitties are just a little out of luck for us, our Autumn was old but much loved. Now we’re at 4 cats,
    2 dogs all rescue or stray critters. Improbable Joe I have a really good recipe for a cold shrimp and veggie raiment salad if you are interested.

  71. Lyn M: Necrodunker of death, nothing but net says

    veggie raiment salad

    Pictures tiny jackets and skirts for carrots. No shoes though.

  72. NuMad says

    The ultimate ramen recipe would be the last one you ever need, since it can’t be topped!

    I doubt it’s at the back of an instant ramen wrapper, however, which is where I get mine.

  73. Hekuni Cat, MQG says

    Giliell, I’m so sorry about your grandmother. *hugs*

    Caine:

    Gytha has the disconcerting habit of climbing up the inside of your pant leg.

    :D :D :D Does she get out under her own power? Or do you need to extract her?

    Louis:

    I am honoured to share ownership of Vasco with Hekuni Cat. I like to share!

    Thank you. I am likewise honoured and like to share. Vasco is adorable.

  74. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Crudely:

    I wish I were still living on the west coast of Florida. They have a hurricane coming. (I just heard that the Republican convention has been delayed for a day due to the blessing of an invisible supernatural spook, pbuh.)

    If you’d like to swap with me, PLEASE.
    I live in Pensacola, Florida and I’m *not* looking forward to this damnable hurricane. We haven’t had one since Hurricane Ivan, which devastated this region. It was my first hurricane as an independent adult. I don’t relish living through another.
    (it’s funny, but one of my roomies, T, hasn’t lived through a hurrican since she moved to Pensacola several years ago. She’s excited about it. She seems to have a romanticized view of natural disasters, having been through several other types. I don’t share her enjoyment. Nor, I imagine, would the people that lost their jobs, homes, and livelihoods during Ivan.)

  75. says

    First time poster here.

    So I was reading through the latest Nature and came across something that was kind of disturbing. Take a look at the title and intro blurb of the “World View” article:

    “Sometimes Science Must Give Way to Religion

    The Higgs boson, and its role in providing a rational explanation for the Universe, is only part of the story, says Daniel Sarewitz. ”

    It’s pretty much a bog standard “other ways of knowing” sermon.

    Really, Nature? You can do better than this. Thankfully, the comments set them straight, but I felt that the wider internet should be alerted as well as the Tentacled Horde in particular. The article can be found online here: http://go.nature.com/oari6p

  76. hotshoe says

    hotshoe,

    I see what you mean, except that some noodles work better with some sauces. Ramen doesn’t seem right to combine with a jar of Prego, and rice noodles don’t seem to work with alfredo, you know?

    Well, Top-Ramen type noodles are just another wheat pasta, essentially no different than rotini or spaghetti, so I don’t see why they wouldn’t go okay with tomato-based sauce. Since we don’t eat packaged ramen, I can’t actually give it a try but I wouldn’t rule it out as a concept.

    I do get the picture of rice noodles and alfredo being a cloying mess. But even there, I’ve had some wonderful cream-curry dishes with rice noodles. I imagine you’d have to make the alfredo more milky-buttery and less cheesy for rice noodles to work with it. Stir in steamed broccoli and lots of chopped fresh parsley. Definitely rules out “alfredo sauce” from a jar – that’s an abomination, anyways.

  77. says

    didgen…

    … not to be rude, and not to shout without reason, but as far as your recipe is concerned, if I could afford shrimp and veggies then WHY IN THE FYUCK WOULD I BE EATING RAMEN?!?!?!?!?!?!

    Sorry about that, you were saying? :)

  78. thunk, may or may not be onomotopoeia says

    Ouch, Tony.

    I remembered in my hurricane geekery that you are right in the cone.

    Me, living in land-locked Illinois, have only had remnants of hurricanes. My sympathies, and good luck!

    *sends parcel of dry air*

  79. thunk, may or may not be onomotopoeia says

    Me, living in land-locked Illinois, have only

    I, at this late hour, do not know how to use proper grammar either.

  80. ronsullivan says

    # 64: If your family name is “Cease”,

    Have you met de sister?

    I’m way threadrupt, but I’m sorry to hear of so many funerals. Last one I was at included a naked guy with horns on, but it was still sad. I’m tired of deaths and they keep happening, mostly to the wrong people.

    I’m not dead yet.

    Oddest personal news I have to report is having some of my photos appear (with permission but without pay, natch) in the HuffPo the other day, in a piece about recent wingnut hilarity vis-a-vis an art piece that I actually like, the Sol Grotto part of the Natural Discourse installation at the UC Berkeley Bot Garden. Local HP editor found a Flickr set I’d posted—I take notes with a pocket camera while Joe scribbles on paper, and these polished up amusingly, I thought. HP guy did include a link to the Chron column we’d written about the thing, at least.

    Is it a sign of getting old and burned out that I keep catching myself doing things for free and then getting mad at myself for it? Things that once upon a time I’d want to get paid for, and/or once upon another time I’d do for free without thinking twice because For The Cause. Emotionally, I’m ready to retire. Financially, duh, no.

    I’m not dead yet but I am wearing out.

    Wow, I’m not usually this gloomy these days.

    Winter’s coming; we had the first fall-migrant landbird in the yard yesterday, a youngish western flycatcher. For some reason the resident Anna’s hummer found it necessary to face off with this kid and sing at it. Get off my twig!

    But we found a hammock and it’s hanging out there and, between bouts of ridiculous earth-moving attempts in the garden, so are we.

  81. lcaution says

    PZ posted a penguin? A cute, fuzzy, adorable penguin? I’m stunned, in shock. Has he been replaced by a robot? Or has the first week of classes been too much for him? I feel faint. The atheist world will never be the same. A baby penguin today, a kitten tomorrow? Miracles do happen. Sigh.

  82. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Joe:

    I don’t think you voted on my Great Guitar Selection Thingy, so your comments don’t actually matter.

    Fine, I’ll take my toys (and the liquor from the Lounge cabinet, heh heh) and go home.
    No one loves the caramel colored bald gay guy :(
    Everyone wants a Brownian, or Louis, or a Spokesgay…
    ****
    ImaginesABeach:
    GirlChild rocks! That response to the priest was classic and totally appropriate.
    ****
    Dutchgirl:
    Welcome!

  83. John Morales says

    lcaution, you might take a look at the last few Lounge instantiations if you care to see more miracles. ;)

  84. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Boiling Billy:
    Welcome to the Lounge (I really want some drums to pound when new people venture in).
    ****
    I saw the Mystery Machine today.
    Driving back home after dropping T at work, I did a *triple take*(not recommended when driving, I hasten to add). It looked *just* like The Scooby Gang’s van. It made me wish there was a way to live out a Scooby Doo mystery. Imagine chasing fake ghosts and demons and witches and Mono Tiki Tia…

  85. says

    Thanks Tony, and stay safe. Not a fan of hurricanes myself, nor would I go in the ocean during one unless I wanted to end up half way to California.

  86. Boiling Billy says

    Thanks for the welcome, and apologies for the repost. Good to know someone was on top of it! :)

  87. hotshoe says

    ronsullivan –

    the Sol Grotto part of the Natural Discourse installation at the UC Berkeley Bot Garden.

    I’m going there next Thursday, err, Thursday the 6th, free day.

    I thought I remembered seeing your name on a garden column but SFgate isn’t giving me any search results. Do you feel like linking to your work ?

  88. John Morales says

    Billy, some would have taken offence at that, so thank you!

    (Subtle are the ways of the Sith)

  89. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    I’m seeing fucking RED right now.
    From Greta’s blog:

    Lol at Greta thinking anyone takes her seriously after her nude pic:

    http://embruns.net/images/nude-calendar-greta-2012.jpg

    Expecting us to take a whore seriously is when you know Feminist Thought Blogs has gone too far.

    BTW, I don’t like Rebecca Watson either (she’s another person who only wants to talk about feminism, not atheism) but I still respect her as a person.

    And before anyone accuses me of being a prude, I’ve masturbated to that nude pic of Greta lots of times before.

    I’m not even joking, I like mature women and I’m a huge fan of MILF porn.

    But I separate whores from women I take seriously and I separate feminism from atheism advocacy.

    Leave the atheism up to the real atheists (like Dawkins) and stop with the feminism bullshit, alright?
    http://freethoughtblogs.com/greta/2012/08/24/mencallmethings-fuckin-hoe-fuckin-feminazi-slut/#comment-91075

    How the hell does someone talk like that? What is wrong with this person?
    I really, really cannot understand.
    I’m so mad I’m about to cry.

  90. John Morales says

    Tony, I find your lack of faith… disturbing.

    <claws fingers and exerts the Force>

  91. hotshoe says

    I’m seeing fucking RED right now.
    From Greta’s blog:

    Lol at Greta thinking anyone takes her seriously after her nude pic:

    http://embruns.net/images/nude-calendar-greta-2012.jpg

    Expecting us to take a whore seriously is when you know Feminist Thought Blogs has gone too far.

    Oh, it’s that slimy jizzball named “wondering”. That waste of skin is one reason that FtB needs an all-blogs banning utility.

    I’m guessing that Greta didn’t put her blog comments on full moderation while she gave her speech this afternoon and she’s still busy? We can certainly hope “wondering” meets his well-deserved bannination once she sees that.
    If there were divine justice, or practical magic, it would be more fair to disappear that comment before Greta saw it …

  92. cicely says

    ImaginesABeach: Kudos for GirlChild! Clearly you have taught her well.
    :)

    I thought I had my children enough in fear of my wrath that they would not even dream of using my sewing shears, but obviously my reign of terror needs a little reinforcement.

    *nodding sagely*
    Cattle prod.

    And it sounds as if BoyChild is a credit to his parentals, as well.

    Welcome in, Dutchgirl! Sorry about your foot.

    Also welcome in to Boiling Billy.

    Tony, I shall keep all my tentacles crossed for your safety in the face of the Monster Tornado (with extra water).

    ‘Night, all.

  93. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    hotshoe:
    Oh, so ‘wondering’ has been around?
    Ick.
    I hope to *never* see a post by him again.

  94. Crudely Wrott says

    The experience I related at #99 was a once off. I really don’t like hurricanes. They have a bad habit of spoiling lives. I have had to clean up after a couple and counsel folks who were devastated by the winds and the water. I was in Houston when Alicia came ashore and while there wasn’t so much wind the amount of water overwhelmed so many folks.Together we survived and most of us are still around to swap stories.

    If I may, another hurricane story, this one from childhood.

    In 1955 hurricane Carol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Carol) barreled up the east coast and paid a visit to my house. I was four years old at the time. I wasn’t aware that a big storm was coming and, from talking to my parents, no one was fully informed outside of knowing that some sort of rainy blowy weather was on the way.

    Carol came ashore on Long Island, NY, just about this time of year and the next day swept into New England with winds in excess of 75 miles per hour. I was, due to my parent’s choices, living in southeast New Hampshire, just outside of Portsmouth. I had spent most of that particular morning riding my new tricycle up and down the driveway and along the sidewalks. I recall a certain quality in the air, an expectancy, an urgency, and found it most stimulating.

    At some point in the day when the wind was becoming precocious and tugging at my hat, my mother came to the back door and called me. She said that I needed to come inside right away. She had the radio on and had gotten the warning, you see.Today we know a week or better in advance but that was then. I got off my trike, leaving it in the driveway, and went inside.

    Ma told me that a big wind was blowing as she served up some grahams and OJ. So distracted, I failed to notice the increasing wind until, at length, the noise it made couldn’t be ignored. I went to the back door and looked out to see the trees in the neighbor’s yard bending and losing leaves. Leaves and papers and chunks of stuff were flying past. It was so exciting for me, never having seen the likes of it before.

    Just outside the door, just past the glass in the middle of the driveway, was my trike. The wind gave it a nudge and it moved a foot or so. I saw the pedals rotate. At that moment my throat tightened and I started to open the door. I couldn’t budge it. The pressure of the wind was so much stronger than me. A few moments later, just a heartbeat, my trike started rolling again. Pointed toward the street with the wind behind it my prize possession, my ride, my wheels, accelerated down the driveway. As it passed out of the wind shadow of the house it began to turn right at the urging of the gale. It passed the small maple that Dad had planted, now bent horizontal, passed the sidewalk and was in the street! Somehow it completed a ninety degree turn and straightened out, now moving swiftly down the middle of the street. In a moment it passed form sight behind the neighbor’s house and was gone. That was the last I ever saw of it.

    I was so mad!! The wind had stolen from me! I wanted to run outside and catch it by its throat and throttle it. I wanted to kick it in its knees and make it hurt and make it stop. I wanted to force it to turn around and blow back to me that which it had stolen. I wanted my angry, hot tears to stop. I wanted to peddle against the wind. I pushed harder on the door. Ma came and fetched me up, speaking with an edge of fear in her voice. I slept poorly that night as the wind gradually spent itself upon the rooftop.

    I am fortunate that I have never suffered any greater damage from a hurricane. One good thing came to me as a result of Carol. About a month later I got a way cool, green pedal tractor. A John Deere like one of the local farmers had. I peddled that thing like mad thinking all the time that no matter how hard the wind can blow I could survive.

    That spirit still dwells with me to this day. Should I know that another hurricane was coming my way, though, I’d get the hell out of the way. And I’d take my tricycle with me!

  95. JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness says

    If there were divine justice, or practical magic, it would be more fair to disappear that comment before Greta saw it …

    Er…I understand the sentiment behind this though but that prospect doesn’t leave me with a good feeling.

    I know if someone, be it divine or magical or simply a person with access to my blog command, I’d be pissed that something was removed without my knowledge or consent, especially if it’s done because that someone thought I couldn’t handle it. That just seems so…condescending and disrespectful.

  96. John Morales says

    Meh; Greta did that picture for a good cause, and she knew what she was doing.

    The attempted insult by that pissant (that she must be a whore because she’s unashamed and unfettered (and wank-worthy!) and therefore not to be taken seriously) should be like the yapping of toy dogs to her.

    PS Tony, you must be strong in the Force (my claw-fingers have cramped and you’re still not choking!).

  97. Crudely Wrott says

    If there were divine justice, or practical magic, it would be more fair to disappear that comment before Greta saw it …

    In the long run it is likely that letting fools declare their own foolishness is more punishing than whatever others may say.

    If so, what need for divine (!?) justice or practical (!?) magic?

  98. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    The attempted insult by that pissant (that she must be a whore because she’s unashamed and unfettered (and wank-worthy!) and therefore not to be taken seriously) should be like the yapping of toy dogs to her.

    John, shut up.

  99. Crudely Wrott says

    Whoa, John.
    Harken unto Josh.
    Dammit, dude*

    *a greenhorn, a tenderfoot. one who is unfamiliar with or dismissive of the ways and means of an unaccustomed place or environment; specifically tourists who visit cattle ranches in the summer and pretend to be year round cowboys. See Code of the West

  100. Crudely Wrott says

    I withdraw and apologize for my previous comment. My rancor should not be directed at John Morales. The fault lies in my not reading closely enough and missing the context.

    John, I’m sorry and guilty as all get out.

    *definition of “dude” not withdrawn. it is still valid and why guys call each other “dude” is beyond me even given the fluidity of language. >this dude shows his age<

  101. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    John:
    Nope.
    I lack the midichlorians necessary for your Force Choke to work on me :)

  102. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    John:
    The fact that people like wondering say crap like that is indicative of the deeply rooted sexism and misogyny in our culture. It’s not akin to the yapping of annoying dogs. It’s misogynistic shit that continues to oppress women.

  103. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Crudely:
    ::blinks::
    If that comment was intended to be rancor, the intensity flew right over my head.

  104. opposablethumbs says

    ImaginesABeach, your GirlChild is indeed awesome. I wish I had half her poise and savoir-faire – or half as much courtesy and forbearance as BoyChild. My respects to them both.
    .
    Hi DutchGirl and Boiling Billy, put your feet up (especially the temporarily incapacitated foot) and have a drink.
    .

    No one loves the caramel colored bald gay guy :(

    ahem … :)
    .
    I’ve scraped better than that excrescence wondering off the sole of my shoe. Way to demonstrate the case for A+

  105. says

    portia

    Not to spam the thread, but I’m interested in your opinion, Giliell, as to what would be an ideal age of consent. I have some conflicting thoughts on the topic myself. It was quite a lively discussion during a class I took on sex crimes.

    Interesting discussions ain’t spamming ;)
    As to your question, I’m actually against drawing one line as age of consent. I actually like how German law sees this: There are different lines for different situations. Young people are sexual beings, they can have consensual, safe sex* and they should be able to explore their sexuality with peers. Which includes a 16 yo and a 19 yo, and a 16 yo and a 14 yo. The most important factor is power and coertion, so laws should make it illegal between a person who has power or authority over the minor. No sex between adults and uner 16 yo, no sex between 16-18 yo and people of authority like teachers, priests, employers, sports coaches.
    This doesn’t touch the problem of exploitation, objectification and fetishization of young women, of course. That’s a different topic.

    * Education is, of course, paramount. There’s a pretty troublesome development in some parts, especially in the poor parts of big cities where sex and alcohol are the only avaible pleasures and since those kids don’t pay any attention in school (because they won’t get a job anyway, why bother) and can’t even afford the youth magazine BRAVO which has probably done more for sex ed than schools. Their culture is extremely rapey and STDs and teen pregnancies are extremely high. Still, nothing that laws about sex will change.

    Thunk — you’re talking to a person who turned 18 a day after a presidential election. It was heartbreaking for this budding political activist. I feel your frustration and totally concur.

    My mum got married at age 18. Only, at that time you came of age at 21 (yes, my dad was her legal guardian, built in abuse permit). The year she turned 21 the age was lowered to 18 and came into effect 4 weeks after her birthday.

    Alethea
    I know, I already ordered small flying scissors in blue. It was that “hmm, those are nice, and those are nice, but if she had that in blue it would be the thing, and maybe that one, too” and when I had checked with her on the scissors the Lucy was gone and in the meantime I decided to make my sister a gift and she wouldn’t really appreciate Lucy

    imagines a beach
    High five for girl-child, and for boy child, too.
    I think that people who don’t know your child really well will often be lost as to why you’re so proud of something they do that doesn’t seem that noteworthy. But you know how much effort that took them.

    kristinc

    Oh, *I* never did. I thought I had my children enough in fear of my wrath that they would not even dream of using my sewing shears, but obviously my reign of terror needs a little reinforcement.

    Ha! I knew it was the family!

    Thank you, Hekuni Cat

    ronsullivan
    Uhm, shouldn’t they at least have to ask for your permission?
    *hugs* if you want them

    markr1957 Inc.
    Nothing to add there.

    Tony
    It’s not prudery that is his crime, it’s total vile misogyny.

    ++++

    No one loves the caramel colored bald gay guy :(

    If it were caramel-flavoured….
    Guys could get so many more blowjobs if their dicks tasted of chocolate…

  106. Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge says

    A donkey with WiFi? I could use one here!

    And while we’re at it, could you add a pair of IRC server hasters, and a caramel-tasting guy (bald/gay optional) to the order?

  107. Socio-gen, something something... says

    Good morning, folks!

    Utterly threadrupt after two days of travel, a day of recuperative sleep and food consumption, an ugh-early Saturday morning bus ride into Fargo after a baggage mix-up on my part*, catching up with people I haven’t seen in 9 weeks, and getting ready for classes on Monday.

    *3:40am, in a dark yard, with eyes gummy from lack of sleep, and two nearly-identical black rolling cases. *shrug* Things happen.

    *quick skim of the thread*

    ImaginesABeach:
    Condolences your loss. Sounds like GirlChild has a future in diplomacy, should she want one.

    kristinc:
    But of course. I had a pair of metal snips that were found in the refrigerator after I broke down and bought new ones. I’ve never come up with a likely scenario to explain that.

    Improbable Joe:
    Voted.

    Trebuchet:
    Ever been to the Punkin’ Chunkin in Delaware? Eldest Son and I went in 2003 and had a blast. He still goes every year, though it’s gotten crazy-huge since it was featured on Mythbusters.

    Hatchetfish:
    Donkeys…with wi-fi?! Um…wow. Maybe I should get some to roam The County Time Forgot when I next visit home.

  108. StevoR says

    Dreamt the other night of power being derived from hot sand -sand at the beach underfoot on a hot summers day. Fallng like skydiving over a landscape of that too with a castellated pattern beach “island” they were building to reap energy from an artificial sandy island just above sea level where sand soaked in infrared converted to energy.

    Is this a plausible~ish idea? That’s workable? Why would / does (beach-type) sand -especially its uppernmost layers – heat up so well and can we gain energy from it relative to than other substances?

    (Yeah, know we use silicon in photovoltaic cells, but aside from that piles and beaches and sandbars of sandgrains ’emselves I’m “thinking” <i(imagining /dreaming / wondering about) here.)

  109. Ogvorbis: faucibus desultor singulari says

    Hello, all.

    Happy Friday to all.

    Remember when I said that I was releived that the last shoe had finally dropped, re. Cub Scouts? I was wrong.

    I am so fucking tired. Physically (no sleep) and mentally tired.

  110. Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge says

    Uncle Ogvorbis! Hi! And so sorry for your distress. Hugs available over USB.

  111. markr1957 Inc. says

    @ Giliell – I just needed to get that out there, and the Lounge is the only place I feel safe enough to open up. I thank each and every one of you for that.

  112. McC2lhu saw what you did there. says

    @Crudely Wrott:

    I liked your hurricane stories. Thanks for those.

    @KG #147:

    My wife thought of Mr. Bean when she read that story too. I’m glad the story is making traction. Maybe it will dissuade other well-intentioned art vandals to just leave stuff the fuck alone (unless they actually have letters in front of their name for art restoration).

  113. Louis says

    I just made proper spaghetti carbonara with eggs and cream, and Horde Inspired baked apple parcels.

    I am now going to have a coronary episode.

    I am also trying to decide precisely when to start drinking for tonight’s podcast. it’s 15:40 here in the UK, I have to be “ready” for ~23:00, I’m thinking that’s at least a bottle of Jager and eight pints before kick off.

    Louis

  114. Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge says

    Swedish Chef’s chocolate moose is a classic. And bigger than a chocolate mouse.

  115. says

    Emails from Tampa — illustrative of Republican intellectual capital gathered in the sunshine state.

    A progressive group called on Republican National Committee leader Pat Rogers to step down on Friday after emails showed him telling New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez’s staff that meeting with a group of American Indians “dishonored” Gen. George Armstrong Custer, the 19th century commander who killed scores of American Indians.

    “The state is going to hell,” Rogers, who is a member of the GOP executive committee and is currently in Tampa for the RNC convention, wrote in a June 8 email released by Progress Now New Mexico. Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Col. Allen Weh “would not have dishonored Col Custer in this manner,” he wrote….

    I would just like to note that Custer was a white man and that many American Indians have brownish or reddish-brownish skin. It’s true that some American Indians can pass for white, but that’s no reason to show them respect. And to have a Governor with the last name of Martinez hobnobbing with Indians — it’s all too much for a Republican in Tampa to bear. /sarcasm

    http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/susana_martinez_custer.php

  116. says

    Lot’s of people are paying to see an anti-Obama film.

    Becoming the top-grossing documentary of the year, “2016: Obama’s America” earns $2.2 million for the day to outpace “Premium Rush,” “Hit & Run” and “The Apparition.”

    Dinesh D’Souza and John Sullivan’s conservative documentary … expanded nationwide …
    The anti-Barack Obama film is now the top-grossing documentary of the year (excluding nature docs), besting the $3.5 million earned by Bully.

    http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-shocker-anti-obama-doc-365455

  117. says

    Wired Magazine gets into the history and the technology of the Americas cup.

    videos and text at the link.

    Excerpt:

    Next, accompanied by the terrible groaning howl of rope straining under maximum tension, the boat starts to tip up onto its side. One of the hulls lifts free of the water. “Hike out!” Kostecki barks, and the crew races—half running, half speed-climbing—to the high side of the boat. “Sorry, mate,” says one sailor after trampling across my back and flinging himself over the breaching hull. Their weight is the only thing keeping us from flipping. To gain maximum leverage they hang off the boat upside down, facing up, with their feet tangled in the netting and everything past their knees cantilevered over the side. The goal is not to bring our wayward hull back to the water but rather to bring it as close to the surface as possible without touching down. Flying the hull eliminates its drag. Flitting across the water, literally and figuratively on edge, the black carbon-fiber boat takes on a distinctly alien, insectoid grace. The next America’s Cup race takes place in 2013, but one thing is already sure: The event’s pioneers wouldn’t recognize their sport now.

  118. says

    Katherine Lorraine @170, how do you think they snagged your credit card? Any ideas? Did you end up with any dates?

    In other news, a former moderate Republican, past Florida Governor Charlie Crist, has endorsed President Obama. Writing in the Tampa Bay Times, Crist explains,

    As Republicans gather in Tampa to nominate Mitt Romney, Americans can expect to hear tales of how President Obama has failed to work with their party or turn the economy around.

    But an element of their party has pitched so far to the extreme right on issues important to women, immigrants, seniors and students that they’ve proven incapable of governing for the people. Look no further than the inclusion of the Akin amendment in the Republican Party platform, which bans abortion, even for rape victims.

    The truth is that the party has failed to demonstrate the kind of leadership or seriousness voters deserve.

  119. opposablethumbs says

    Ogvorbis, that’s …… fuck, I’m so sorry. I wish the Horde could go back in time, for you and for others here.

    I hope you’re OK.

  120. says

    @Lynna / Gilliel:

    No idea. Maybe one of those password hacks? I used Battle.Net and they got hacked, so maybe they got it through there.

    As far as financial risks, I should be fine. That’s why I use credit exclusively. If it’s debit or from checking, then it’s pretty much on you. But if it’s credit, it’s the bank’s money so they clear it easily.

  121. Pteryxx says

    Protecting voting by – taking voting rights away from the disabled: (bolds mine)

    http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2012/08/01/voting-rights-questioned/16154/

    In Minnesota, a fight is brewing in court and in the state legislature. At issue is whether or not adults who are under the care of guardians — including many with disabilities — should be eligible to vote.

    Currently, such individuals are able to cast ballots unless a judge has determined otherwise. But in a lawsuit making its way through federal court a group is arguing that the state’s constitution does not extend the right to vote to those with guardians.

    Meanwhile a proposal in the Minnesota legislature would require a judge to assess voting eligibility for people with guardians. Like those behind the lawsuit, the bill’s sponsor — who has guardianship over her own sister with a disability — said she wants to ensure that no one is being taken advantage of, citing cases where people with disabilities have allegedly been influenced by caretakers at the polls.

    From the source article:

    http://www.startribune.com/politics/164098296.html

    “I want to vote,” said Dave McMahan, a 61-year-old military veteran with mental illness who lives in a Minneapolis group home and has his affairs controlled by a legal guardian. “I’ve been through sweat and blood to vote. I don’t want my rights taken away, because I fought for my rights here in the United States and expect to keep them that way.”

    Equally passionate is Ron Kaus of Duluth, an activist and plaintiff in a federal lawsuit that has raised the issue. Citing allegations in Crow Wing County in 2010, Kaus worries that disabled people have been hauled to the polls and told whom to vote for, which would be a crime. “It’s one of the sickest form of exploitation, political abuse,” he said.

    At stake are the voting rights of an estimated 22,000 people whose affairs are controlled in varying degrees under guardianships. Under current law, they retain the right to vote unless a judge takes it away. That presumption, and its apparent conflict with the state Constitution, has been questioned in the lawsuit and in debate at the Legislature earlier this year.

  122. Ogvorbis: faucibus desultor singulari says

    I wish the Horde could go back in time, for you and for others here.

    But then I wouldn’t be who I am which would mean you would have no reason to go back in time to fix me which means I wouldn’t be fixed which means you would need to go back in time to fix me which would mean you would have no reason to go back in time to fix me which means I wouldn’t be fixed which means you would need to go back in time to fix me which would mean you would have no reason to go back in time to fix me which means I wouldn’t be fixed which means you would need to go back in time to fix me which would mean you would have no reason to go back in time to fix me which means I wouldn’t be fixed which means you would need to go back in time to fix me which would mean etc.

    I hope you’re OK.

    I’m doing okay. Tired but okay. I spent most of last night wondering about the other kids — three boys, at least one girl (scout leader’s daughter?). Maybe I should try to look them up? Maybe I should leave well enough alone? Who knows. It’s like a dripping water torture — little memories keep breaking loose into my conscious memory. None as big as the fucking photographs, but they keep on coming.

    Between that and the ‘PTSD-like symptoms’ from TWC I am amazed I function as well as I do.

  123. says

    In an attempt to figure out what the heck makes Mitt Romney tick, Daily Kos journalist Jon Perr presents an interesting theory in The Father, the Son and the Holy Vote.

    … Team Romney continues to fret over the “empathy gap” with Barack Obama. His supporters struggle to explain the paradox between Mitt’s apparent dedication and generosity to those within his small circle of family, friends, business colleagues and fellow church members, and his jaw-dropping detachment towards everyone outside it. …

    As it turns out, in January Nixonland author Rick Perlstein offered what may be the keenest insight into the mind of Mitt thus far. In his almost Shakespearean tale of filial piety gone wrong, Mitt is an undoubting Hamlet figure, the son who must avenge his beloved father George’s 1968 defeat most foul at the hands of Richard Nixon. As Ann Romney put it, “He is why Mitt is running.” But to succeed in his quest for his party’s nomination, Mitt the Redeemer had to become Mitt the Repudiator. In pursuit of votes, the son cast aside the bluntness, candor and authenticity that also made his father politically vulnerable, replacing it with secrecy, serial flip-flopping and almost pathological dissembling about what he believes and what he would do. The result, as a quick glance at his positions on taxes, civil rights, education and unions shows, is that Mitt Romney has essentially become George Romney’s opposite.

    Which is more than a little ironic—and disturbing. After all, Mitt has used the dad he idolized as a human shield for years, telling Americans that he”saw” his father march with Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s (he didn’t see that) and fondly remembered joining Pop for Detroit’s Golden Jubilee in 1946 (Mitt wasn’t born yet). But even more than a mask for Mitt to wear to connect to workers and minority voters, father George Romney became a proxy for the rags-to-riches story his son obviously lacked. In February, for example, Mitt used George’s humble roots as a substitute for his own privileged background:…

  124. ChasCPeterson says

    how do you think they snagged your credit card?

    Temporarily employed clerks at off-brand gas stations are notorious for this.

  125. says

    Well, the Great Guitar Selection Thingy is over… I’m sure some of you are relieved, a couple will be disappointed, and the rest are thinking “Whu? Huh? Whazzit? Banana bread!”

  126. Pteryxx says

    more interesting news from Disability Scoop (yes I just found a neat new website, why?) ;>

    Students with disabilities are being suspended from school at about twice the rate of their typically developing peers, with odds soaring even higher depending on the child’s race.

    Some 13 percent of kids with special needs across the country were suspended during the 2009-2010 school year. That compares with just over 7 percent of other students.

    […]

    While all students with disabilities experienced a higher rate of suspension, the report finds that black children with disabilities were even more likely to be disciplined with 25 percent of kindergarten through 12th-graders given out-of-school suspensions.

    http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2012/08/08/kids-suspended-twice/16201/

  127. says

    In good news, Todd “legitimate rape” Akin is trailing Claire McCaskill by nine points in the Missouri Senate race. Even in Missouri, the Democrat may hold onto her Senate seat.

    In “oh, no, not again” news, President Obama thinks Republicans will be more willing to compromise and to work with him if he wins reelection. Link. No, President Obama, no they won’t work with you. They will work against you. And some of the crazier ones will tout “Plan B,” by which they mean armed revolution. Don’t trust Republicans with any of your agendas. You’ll have to limp toward strengthening the middle class all on your own.

  128. says

    Writing in The Daily Beast, Michael Tomasky provides an in-depth look at how Romney and Ryan peddle distorted facts and outright lies to Seniors.

    In other news, things are already going wrong in Florida.

    Link.

    When I started counting, inside the perimeter of the Tampa Bay Times Forum, the number of machine guns strapped to National Guard or Secret Service personnel totaled 28. All roads but one leading to the Forum … were barricaded …

    Ditching the car, it took an hour to make it inside through twisting paths marked by security fences and confused guards. …
    This is no way to run a convention, and it isn’t even raining yet.

    The reason, according to Reince Priebus, the Republican Party chairman, is that the Secret Service insisted on closing its tents as Tropical Storm Isaac approached, reducing the number of entrance points to the convention center complex. And that produced mass confusion with journalists and others trying to make their hit times for live TV appearances. When the convention actually starts, this could mean endless headaches for everyone—not just the media—trying to get to their seats and work spaces….

    The more troubling news is the Secret Service decision not to allow umbrellas within the perimeter.

    “What are we going to do with all of these people standing out in the rain for long periods of time?” sighs an exasperated Preibus whose predecessor, former RNC chairman Michael Steele, told me he and a committee chose this locale years ago. One of the deciding factors, he said, was research showing that a hurricane hadn’t hit Tampa during the last week of August in 100 years….

    It’s a shame that Republicans are having such a rough time in the “Strip Club Capital” of the United States.

  129. says

    Okay, you knew this issue just wasn’t going away. The underbelly of the GOP is really, and I do mean “really,” mad at Mitt Romney for backing Todd Akin in his abortion ban for victims of rape.
    Link.

    If you say that every child in the womb is a person, but it’s OK to kill babies conceived in rape, that’s a horrible position to take.

    Politicians like Akin, who represent the clear contrast and strong conservatism desired by the tea party, are a real threat to the old Northeastern establishment Republicans like Romney. And thus that establishment savages him [Akin]—violently and in unison. Call it a political gang rape…

    Fed up with nutbags portraying Akin as a rape victim? I am.

    “The Romney-Ryan ticket putting out a statement on Monday that said, ‘Hey, if you’re raped, you can kill your kid if you want,’ that went over like a fart in church,” …

    Several major anti-abortion organizations are rallying around him [Akin], including the Family Research Council and the Susan B. Anthony List, as well as state-level groups like Missouri Right to Life, which said in a statement that it “supports Congressman Akin’s defense of the life of an innocent unborn child conceived by rape.”

  130. Ogvorbis: faucibus desultor singulari says

    Wait. I thought the party line was that if it was really rape, women couldn’t get pregnant so if she got pregnant it couldn’t be rape which makes her a slut who has to be punished with the greatest gift a woman can be given (a baby)? How come the anti-woman brigade never notices that the lies are contradictory?

  131. Patricia, OM says

    Pink update: So far nothing has worked removing the old adhesive from the tile. The advise, chemicals and razor scrapers we bought from three different flooring shops all failed. I’ve thrown a bath mat over it & stomped out. *snort*

  132. Pteryxx says

    How come the anti-woman brigade never notices that the lies are contradictory?

    Og: pointing out contradictions is bullying. Nice people never point out contradictions.

  133. Trebuchet says

    @#153, Socio-gen:

    Ever been to the Punkin’ Chunkin in Delaware? Eldest Son and I went in 2003 and had a blast. He still goes every year, though it’s gotten crazy-huge since it was featured on Mythbusters.

    Nope. Still hope to someday, however. Something about the 3000 miles or so plus having spent the last eight years taking care of dying parents put the kibosh on that. I actually got nervous being more than 100 miles away.

    Our local events are VERY different from the Big Chunk. Half a dozen or so machines, great camaraderie, casual atmosphere, lots of hurling. The guys in Delaware get one shot a day!

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

    Want to use your laptop comfortably while lying flat in bed? Here’s a way.

    Get yourself a collapsible tripod. I found an old, good-quality video-cam tripod for $1 at a garage sale.

    Get a flat shoelace and thread it through the hinge of your laptop—carefully. Tie the shoelace into a loop, with some slack in it.

    Hook the slack of the shoelace over something at the top of the tripod, so the bottom of the laptop rests against two of the tripod legs.

    Lie down, put those two legs of the tripod on either side of what was once your waist, with the third between your legs, and start adjusting all the variables to fit your form, your tripod, your laptop, your shoelace and your preferences.

    Hint: Do all this before you need to.

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

    Sorry, that previous comment/hint could have been phased better:

    Want to use your laptop comfortably while lying flat in bed? Here’s a way.

    Get yourself a collapsible tripod. I found an old, good-quality video-cam tripod for $1 at a garage sale.

    Get a flat shoelace and thread it through the two outer sides of the hinge of your laptop—carefully. Tie the shoelace into a loop, with some slack in it.

    Hook the slack of the shoelace over something at the top of the tripod, so the bottom of the laptop rests against two of the tripod legs.

    Lie down, put those two legs of the tripod on either side of what was once your waist, with the third between your legs, and start adjusting all the variables to fit your form, your tripod, your laptop, your shoelace and your preferences.

    Hint: Do all this before you need to.

  136. Tethys says

    Patricia

    I sympathize with your adhesive frustrations. I wrote you a long comment in the last thread #156.

    Removing linoleum adhesive is tedious. This is another method that should remove the major part of the adhesive.

    *Wear gloves when working with dry ice!*

    Place a ½ to ¼ pound of dry ice on a metal tray and place it directly on the adhesive for about 30 seconds. This will cause the adhesive to become brittle; it can now be chipped away with a scraper. Move the tray onto the next patch of adhesive while scraping. This will make the job go faster. When all the adhesive is lifted, sweep the area clear of any residue.

  137. portia says

    Tony:

    I’m so mad I’m about to cry.

    Let’s break stuff. I have some old dishes we could throw against the wall.

    ImaginesABeach –

    I think I could use some lessons from GirlChild. Such aplomb : )

    Og

    Glad to hear you’re ok in spite of it all. Take care.

    Giliell

    My mum got married at age 18. Only, at that time you came of age at 21 (yes, my dad was her legal guardian, built in abuse permit). The year she turned 21 the age was lowered to 18 and came into effect 4 weeks after her birthday.

    That’s brutal!

    As to the age of consent, I think we agree. I am absolutely of the mind that young people should be educated and encouraged to engage in sex safely, if they so wish. I’m not sure if you saw, but Thunk and I had a brief discussion about the “buffers” (I’m not sure what else to call them) that would prevent a 19 year old, say, from being punished for consensual relations with a 17 year old. I totally agree with your other caveats, too, wrt people in authority over youngsters.

    markr1957 Inc.

    I don’t have much to add either, but I agree.

    Katherine

    Now I have to get my credit card renewed and tell everyone who uses that credit card that I’ll have a different one.

    What a hassle. Sorry that happened : /

  138. opposablethumbs says

    It was a silly thing for me to say, Og, I’m sorry. I see you as such a constructive, positive person – I wasn’t thinking in terms of “fixing” but of stopping.
    More to the point, I’m just going to go on trying to listen and look out for the kids in my life who I meet via the neighbourhood or school etc.

  139. Patricia, OM says

    Tethys – Thanks for the two replies on the tile and adhesive! Naughty Marvin is fascinated. His question is: will the dry ice harm or lift the old tile? It was put doen in 1952.

    Expect champagne to gush out of your USB if when it works!

  140. Patricia, OM says

    portia – If the adhesive in “The Pink” turns out to be alien spawned, can I come over to your house? I’ll throw things and swear like a fury while you and Tony break stuff. I’ll bring grog & stinky cheese.

  141. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    portia:
    How did you know I like to break things when I’m mad? Especially plates and glasses.
    I remember an incident at a job several years ago that pissed me off to the point that I had to walk away from the bar. I walked into the kitchen, grabbed a tumbler and walked outside to smash it somewhere. I realized though that anywhere I smashed it, I would have to clean it up and if I didn’t someone would walk through broken glass or drive across it, and that wouldn’t be good.
    I need a designated spot. An “in case of emergency, break glass here“.
    ****
    Menyambal:
    You mean I didn’t have to spend money on a folding laptop table? I bought one and it’s perfect. There are days I’m in bed, just laying around lazy with my laptop perfectly positioned on the table. It even has a cup holder for drinks (not that my clumsy ass is going to put liquid next to electronics).
    ****
    Lynna:

    In “oh, no, not again” news, President Obama thinks Republicans will be more willing to compromise and to work with him if he wins reelection.

    Has anyone compiled a list of the times Republicans *have* wanted to work with the President?
    I can’t imagine it’s a long list.
    I wish they’d come right out and say they don’t like a black man in office.

    His supporters struggle to explain the paradox between Mitt’s apparent dedication and generosity to those within his small circle of family, friends, business colleagues and fellow church members, and his jaw-dropping detachment towards everyone outside it. …

    For the life of me, I can’t understand how someone who grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, who hasn’t struggled like poor and middle class Americans, and who is quite wealthy would be unable to sympathize with the vast majority of Americans. Golly, he’s just one of us. He should easily be able to relate to us.
    ::rolls eyes::
    ****
    Katherine:
    Damn. I’m sorry to hear that.
    Hopefully everything gets cleared up with little stress on your part.
    ****
    I love hearing those ads on the radio for psychics. After spending *far* too long in Books-A-Million last night, I got in my car to head home and was enthralled by an ad for California Psychics.
    From their website:

    DISCLAIMER – NO PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
    INFORMATION PROVIDED THROUGH OUR SERVICES, ON THE WEB SITE AND IN CALIFORNIA PSYCHICS MATERIALS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN HOROSCOPES, TELEPHONE AND E-MAIL CONSULTATIONS, AS WELL AS THE TEXT, GRAPHICS, IMAGES, AND TOOLS POSTED ON VARIOUS PAGES, IS FOR INFORMATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. INFORMATION FROM CALIFORNIA PSYCHICS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR ANY PROFESSIONAL ADVICE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO (A) PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT OR (B) PROFESSIONAL FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVICE OR GUIDANCE, OR (C) PROFESSIONAL LEGAL ADVICE.
    http://www.californiapsychics.com/about/Terms-of-Service.aspx#SatisfactionGuarantee

    They all but admit that it’s a load of hogwash and not to trust what information you’re given. Yet the radio ad featured people who were just astonished at how accurate their reading was.
    ::second eye roll of the day::

  142. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Patricia:
    Can you bring the champagne along?
    I’m craving a mimosa or two.
    Sunday brunch, breaking dishes, drinking mimosas, imagining an all pink bathroom.
    Sounds like FUN!

  143. portia says

    I needed to facepalm, so I read some comments over at Greta’s place. I know I’m behind, but:

    Here’s the thing, Greta. The vast majority of atheists are interested in social justice. However, many of them are not interested in social justice as defined by FtB and Skepchick.

    http://freethoughtblogs.com/greta/2012/08/22/what-atheism-plus-might-mean-for-atheist-organizations/#comment-90259

    What I cannot for the life of me figure out is why they care what anyone at FtB or Skepchick thinks of them if they think they’re so horribly misguided. I just…can’t get my head around it. I mean, I understand that all most of them are just unrepentant bigots who are uncomfortable with turning tides, but how do they think they’re being coherent when they say “Everything you think is stoopid!” and then “It matters when you call me out for my bigotry!”

    gah.

    Can anyone explain what I’m missing?

  144. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    ‘Lo and behold, there’s an ad for California Psychics at the top of this very page…_blecch_

  145. says

    Don’t you hate it when you notice that something has some nice mold growing on it when you’re halfway through eating it? *puke*

    portia
    I did indeed. I think that we have a much more relaxed relationship with teens and sex over here than there is in the States and I think that this freaking out about TEENS FUCKING 11!!!! doesn’t stem so much from a desire to protect teens against abuse but from prudery.

    Ogvorbis
    I’m so sorry that you’re still dealing with more of this. I can’t tell you what to do, obviously, just offer my sympathies.

    ++++
    If you could chose between French peach-soap and French verbena-lemon-soap, which one would you pick?

  146. portia says

    Patricia, OM

    Yes, please, join the smashing party. “Smelly” is my favorite kind of cheese.

    Tony

    How did you know I like to break things when I’m mad?

    I sensed a kindred spirit in you.

  147. portia says

    Giliell

    this freaking out about TEENS FUCKING 11!!!! doesn’t stem so much from a desire to protect teens against abuse but from prudery.

    QFT.

    Based on what little research I’ve done, we’d have a much lower teen pregnancy rate if we would just lighten the fuck up about teen sex and teach them stuff. Not to mention the emotional and psychological benefits of shedding the shame of having sexual desires at exactly the point when they’re beginning.

  148. ronsullivan says

    Dammit, logging in via yahoo is easy but it loses my clickable name-link AND my Carl Buell Gravatar.

    Gilliel, the HP guy asked for and got my permission and I made my pix downloadable to make it easier for him. They were basically throwaways; I hadn’t taken or uploaded them for publication, or maybe I’d’ve felt otherwise. If you want to see REALLY good shots of the thing, find Saxon Holt’s site.

    Copy & paste if need be; nothing’s working for me today including half my right hand, dammit.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronsullivan/sets/72157630613299214

    hotshoe, the easiest way to find our stuff on the sfgate site is to click on Home & Garden (under “living”) and put “The Dirt” + Eaton into the searchbox. Joe’s name is first on the byline ’cause alphabetical order. Honest, it was my idea. Though there might be older stuff available from when I wrote solo for the Chron and the (Hearst) Examiner.

    Christ all Friday, I’m old.

  149. Louis says

    Whoa whoa WHOA!

    Teens fuck? Okay, why wasn’t I informed…

    …oh yeah, I remember now.

    {Goes to the dirty old man corner}

    Mussen frussen grrrrrrr

    Louis

  150. says

    Oh, Neko Case, I am disappoint. For the use of misogynist language, and because Pilgrims didn’t burn witches. They hanged them, except for one man who was pressed to death under a pile of rocks.

    Markr1957 Inc.: It’s not so much teenagers having sex as teenagers having sex with adults who relish the power differential.

    Ramen: I typically use a very small portion of the seasoning packet, drain the noodles, then add chopped seaweed (which I’ve rinsed of salt beforehand), sautéed garlic, ginger powder, and a little chicken or seafood (usually mussels).

    Crudely Wrott:

    I’ve long noticed that youngsters are most likely inclined to speak honestly.

    In children, “honest” is frequently a euphemism for “without tact or compassion” — and I hasten to add that I am not describing GirlChild, who has more aplomb and finesse than many adults do. Also, children do lie. I dealt with plenty of malicious “honesty” and malicious lies at the hands of my peers when I was that age, and younger as well.

    My rancor should not be directed at John Morales.

    No, you were right the first time.

    Dutchgirl, sorry to hear about your foot. I broke my right fifth metatarsal this spring and am only now really getting back on track.

    Tony, agreed regarding natural disasters. And the poorer one is, the more one has to fear — from nature, but also from one’s neighbors, the cops, and the insurance company. I hope you stay safe.

    How the hell does someone talk like that?

    That is a comment from a person whose self-esteem is predicated on allegedly being superior to an entire class of people unlike himself. I find it revolting but entirely unsurprising.

    Hello, Boiling Billy. Yeah, that article annoyed a lot of people here.

    John, it’s really easy to dictate how people who are not you should feel about insults that are aimed at people who are not you.

    Ogvorbis, I am so sorry.

    Lynna: Fuck these racist pieces of ignorant shit. Yeah, that’s not fluffy and kind. IDGAF. Hate.

    Katherine: Jesus christ, that sucks. I’m glad your risks will be minimal.

    Giliell: French verbena-lemon soap, hands down. I love peaches but peach-scented products are often sickly-sweet.

    Portia, the fundies don’t care if fewer teens get pregnant or not. They want to keep women and girls in line with the threat of unwanted children and poverty.

  151. hotshoe says

    If you could chose between French peach-soap and French verbena-lemon-soap, which one would you pick?

    Lemon verbena, no contest.

    Peach is a fairly nice smell in itself, but flowery-fruity scents are putrid when combined with soap. Moldy.

    Citrusy-herbal scents, on the other hand, smell clean in themselves and combine well with the soap.

    Enjoy!

  152. Ogvorbis: broken says

    It was a silly thing for me to say, Og, I’m sorry. I see you as such a constructive, positive person – I wasn’t thinking in terms of “fixing” but of stopping.

    No, it was not a silly thing to say (write?)! Stopping what happened from happening would have fixed some of what is wrong with me so either way it works.

    I think what is troubling me the most, right now, is some of the activities I engaged in, under ‘supervision’ of the abuser, with other children, including a girl at least two or three years younger than I (and when you are nine or ten, that’s a big difference). Does she know that I was not doing this for pleasure? or to hurt her? that I was doing this because I knew (at the time (I know better, now)) that I had no choice? And what an insult to her that, until a week or so ago, I didn’t even remember her. I don’t even remember her name but I feel like I have wronged her by forgetting about her while at the same time hoping that she understands, now, what happened.

    Shit, I really am a mess right now, ain’t I?

    Can you bring the champagne along?

    Instead of champagne (sham pain), I can be a realpain, does that count?

    If you could chose between French peach-soap and French verbena-lemon-soap, which one would you pick?

    Neither. Almond soap (with or without oatmeal). Or lemon and ginger soap.

  153. hotshoe says

    hotshoe, the easiest way to find our stuff on the sfgate site is to click on Home & Garden (under “living”) and put “The Dirt” + Eaton into the searchbox. Joe’s name is first on the byline ’cause alphabetical order. Honest, it was my idea. Though there might be older stuff available from when I wrote solo for the Chron and the (Hearst) Examiner.

    Christ all Friday, I’m old.

    Thanks, ronsullivan.

    For everyone else who wants to follow along, the site he’s talking about is SFGate.com, the online site of the San Francisco Chronicle daily newspaper. I suspect the paper version is barely hanging on, but they do have lots of original content (plus the website allows unlimited free access to the news, so maybe better for browsing than, say, LATimes or NYTimes.)

    Sorry you’re feeling “old” today.

  154. thunk, may or may not be onomotopoeia says

    Louis:

    Whoa whoa WHOA!

    Teens fuck? Okay, why wasn’t I informed…

    …oh yeah, I remember now.

    Local regulations prohibit that, but you know about rules at boarding schools*.

    *Not me, I’m a good kid.

    Portia:

    Yes, power differential is a big no-no. Close-in-age is fine, but more than a few years or any hint of that sends up red flags.

  155. Tethys says

    Patricia

    . His question is: will the dry ice harm or lift the old tile? It was put doen in 1952.

    It shouldn’t as long as the tile isn’t cracked or loose. The cold doesn’t penetrate far into the tile by the time the adhesive is brittle.

    Keep the scraper force oblique to the tile surface, and it should be fine. If it is the same 50’s type of installation I typically see here, it is set into a mortar bed, and usually requires sledgehammers, crowbars, and cutting out the walls and sub-flooring (with tile still attached) to uninstall it.

    The dry ice trick is pretty cool when it works. You don’t need to use a lot of force, and the adhesive fractures off the tile.

    I also throw a towel over the dry ice container to avoid
    absent-mindedly grabbing the metal container with a bare hand, or any contact with bare skin.

  156. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    John Loftus is unhinged, no hyperbole:

    I mean this most emphatically. Recent events with prominent Freethought Bloggers embracing Atheism Plus, a hate-filled “us or them” herd mentality that seeks to exclude some unnamed (so far) atheists from the so-called atheism “movement,”

    There’s no part of that that isn’t wrong. I’m actually unable to understand how a person could think that.

  157. portia says

    Ms. Daisy Cutter

    Yeah, racism is totally over, man. ~:(

    Sweet Jebus on a stick, it just keeps getting worse, not sure I can make it all the way through this.

  158. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Can you bring the champagne along?

    That’s a form of swill, not grog. Available of course, in a permanently dirty looking flute…

  159. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    I couldn’t, Portia. Had to stop halfway. And the social support for it. . .audience laughter, host laughter (never getting beyond the uncomfortable-but-won’t-confront-it phase).

  160. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Giliell:
    Verbena lemon soap. All the way.
    ****
    Louis:
    What, teens didn’t have sex when you were hitting your stride in puberty?
    Hate to break this to ya, but sometimes they try to keep their virginity by having *anal* sex.
    Hope this doesn’t shatter more illusions for you :)
    ****
    Oggie:
    I’m sorry for what you’ve gone through, but don’t you think you’ve made strides to become a better person? I may not know you IRL, but the person you present yourself as here is *not* arealpain.

  161. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    Hate to break this to ya, but sometimes they try to keep their virginity by having *anal* sex.

    Yeah. Cuz it’s not intimate at all to have a penis/digit all up inside the back-end of your digestive tract.

  162. Gnumann, soon to be known as Gnumann+ (with no irony at all) says

    That Lofthus piece…

    Yuck.

    How can a presumably thinking man claim the air here is filled with drama and promise a drama-free network (yeah! Right!) while at the same time tailouring his text to be as offensive as possible?

  163. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    Loftus on convention organizing:

    Instead, if you want a non-drama speaker then look no farther than Skeptic Blogs.

    Loftus on what FtB is:

    If you presently blog at Freethought Blogs and want out of that slime pit, come here

    Loftus demonstrating that his approach is totally not dramatic or “hate-filled”:

    If Freethought Bloggers continue to maintain Atheism Plus, a McCarthyism type of an attitude, then kick them to the curb. I mean that.

  164. portia says

    Josh

    Cuz it’s not intimate at all to have a penis/digit all up inside the back-end of your digestive tract.

    No blood on the sheets = no Real Sex™ /snark


    I was hoping the video wouldn’t head downhill after the host told her not to use a racial slur, but boy she doubledquadrupled down! My jaw literally dropped at the spiral she took. I really do wish it were more socially acceptable to be like “Hey! Stop being a fucking racist!”

  165. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Josh:
    Ugh!
    What is going on in Loftus’ head?
    Wait, I don’t want to know.
    Between crap like that and the pushback against A+, people are seriously freaking out over *nothing*.
    ****
    I’ll pose this question here, as I did over at Greta’s:
    In discussing A+, numerous people have brought forth the argument that A+ is an elitist movement with members who think they’re better than certain kinds of people. This is said negatively.
    Why is it bad to feel you’re better than misogynist scum, homophobes, or transphobes?
    Ace of Sevens tried to explain it to me, but I still can’t grasp it.

  166. portia says

    (In case I was unclear, I mean blood from damage to the hymen, which doesn’t even happen in all cases of first PIV…ugh the problems with the social construct of virginity are endless).

  167. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    *interruption*
    Made good use of having the in-laws here visiting their eldest daughter. I was able to get most of six months worth of debris from the mail sorted, shredded and filed, filling a couple of garbage bags with confetti from the shredder in the process. Not completely done, but I can handle it from here, as it is a small stack.
    */interruption*

  168. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    Ooops! Loftus sense of entitled Officialness slip is showing:

    Besides, there are literally tons of credentialed atheist speakers who could do better.

    Embarrassing. Like watching a plumber’s association write angry letters to the paper objecting to being called a trade, not a Profession.

  169. says

    Loftus:

    If you are tired of the FreeThought Blogs drama, we are the refreshing alternative

    I LOL’ed. Was I supposed to take him seriously?

    Portia/Josh, I didn’t watch the whole video. The first minute made my brain hurt. I’m not sorry to have missed her doubling down and, worse, being confronted with no more than ambivalent chiding.

    Tony:

    Hate to break this to ya, but sometimes they try to keep their virginity by having *anal* sex.

    TechnicalVirgin dot com.

    That is all.

    Excepting a few people like Natalie Reed, those who are flipping their shit or waxing oh so concerned over A+ are the same slimers and their concern-troll enablers who couldn’t deal with Rebecca Watson saying, “Guys, don’t do that.” I realize we’re supposed to embrace the principle of charity now, but in this case it conflicts with Occam’s Razor.

  170. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    In case I was unclear, I mean blood from damage to the hymen, which doesn’t even happen in all cases of first PIV

    I hear you. I’m sure I tore the Redhead’s hymen with heavy petting long before any PIV occurring. */TMI*

  171. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    I hear you. I’m sure I tore the Redhead’s hymen with heavy petting long before any PIV occurring. */TMI*

    Scissor me timbers!

  172. Louis says

    Tony, Josh,

    Sadly I know all about it. I am trying to maintain a pose of innocence and maturity ahead of this podcast thingy ce soir. I believe I have failed dismally.

    I remember reading something about abstinence only programmes and the increase in Teh Analz.

    I did make a LOL.

    Louis

  173. cicely says

    I had a pair of metal snips that were found in the refrigerator after I broke down and bought new ones. I’ve never come up with a likely scenario to explain that.

    On the other hand, I found it easy enough, in retrospect, to explain why my good fabric scissors were in the freezer. I was cutting fabric for a sideless surcoat (back in the day, before I reluctantly conceded that I have no measurable talent for sewing), and noticed that I needed to get more ice in my cup; so I went into the kitchen, dual-wielding, and was able to open the freezer door (small freezer, atop refrigerator) with the scissor-bearing hand…but had to put the scissors down to take the lid off the cup, fill with ice, and re-lid the cup. There being no conveniently near-by table or countertop, I obviously and absentmindedly set the scissors down just for a minute on the shelf next to the ice bin…and promptly editted them out of my data-stream. And forgot to insert them back in. And did not, as I filled and closed the cup, in any way perceive their continued presence on the freezer shelf. Where The Husband found them, later, after I had rampaged through the entire house searching for them.

    (Because otherwise, it wouldn’t be funny, and reality is based on prat-fall level humor, that’s why.)

    *hugs* and moral support for Ogvorbis. And *moarhugs*.

    Spaghetti carbonara….*droooool* That’s my very favoritest kind of pasta dish.

    […] meeting with a group of American Indians “dishonored” Gen. George Armstrong Custer […]

    O-o

    *hugs* for Kitty. We had a bout of stolen IDitis a few months ago. Luckily the bank had no trouble believing that we weren’t debitting things from Saudi Arabia; but then, the bank had suffered a bit of a security breach a while before, so I’m sure we weren’t the only ones.

    How come the anti-woman brigade never notices that the lies are contradictory?

    Og: pointing out contradictions is bullying. Nice people never point out contradictions.

    Even worse—it’s anti-Biblical.

  174. Rey Fox says

    They want to be in our clubhouse so badly, don’t they?

    As we keep pointing out, they can have their dictionary atheist apathy or their parallel non-feminist non-equality movement which…I’m sure accomplishes…lots and lots of things, oh yes.

    Lynna: Seriously? Custer? One of history’s biggest losers? Why?

    Hugs and sympathy for Ogvorbis and Giliell. My grandmother had a stroke recently, so things have been tough for my family back in Boise.

  175. says

    Giliell,

    Apt description, come to think of it… since Loftus broke his own mission statement with his latest screed. He’s so desperate to have people take him seriously that no one can take him seriously.

  176. carlie says

    I am breaking into the middle of everything to announce that ParaNorman is AWESOME. The plot is a little boring, and there’s a part near the end that drags a bit, but holy cow. Hilarious and then some, and the animation is drop-dead beautiful.

  177. thunk, may or may not be onomotopoeia says

    Portia:

    “Hey! Stop being a fucking racist!”

    But that’s $SWEARING! No matter what else is in this phrase, it’s BAD!

  178. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Josh:
    I don’t know if I feel like even venturing into Loftus’ Slimepit 2.0. Does he appear to have many followers?
    ****
    Joe:
    What is his mission statement?
    “To strive to be the antithesis of FreeThoughtBlogs?”
    “To use critical thinking, reasoning, logic, and science as rarely as possible to reach a conclusion?”

  179. says

    If you presently blog at Freethought Blogs and want out of that slime pit, come here

    So…we’re the slimepit now? Interesting. Who’s McCarthy, Ed? PZ? (I would include Ophelia or Greta, but ya can’t have a woman heading up the inquisition, amirite?)

  180. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Giliell:

    Having read that in the middle of a discussion of “hymen”, combined with Loftus, it read “missionary statement”.
    It’s late here :)

    It’s not late here in the US.
    We *are* the only country that matter.
    Look how exceptional we are.
    ::ducks to avoid the flying hymen::

  181. Sarahface says

    I am trying to maintain a pose of innocence and maturity […]

    I’m trying to imagine an innocent and mature Louis based on the little I know about you. It’s pretty much impossible, even in jest.

  182. says

    Tony,

    Here’s the bit that’s funny:

    Skeptic Blogs has been designed to be a network community of skeptical bloggers, podcasters and Vbloggers. Our intention is not to antagonize any other skeptical or freethought blogs.

    Lots of posts about hating FtB, for a blog devoted to not antagonizing freethought bloggers.

  183. says

    Oh, and Justin Vacula blogs there, and WE’RE the bad guys… because Vacula slobbers over how wonderful Loftus is, no doubt. Stroking his mighty ego is the only goal Loftus has for the atheist movement, which is why he’s always so disappointed and bitter.

  184. says

    Improbable Joe:

    Lots of posts about hating FtB, for a blog devoted to not antagonizing freethought bloggers.

    Oh, in fairness, I don’t think Loftus is successfully antagonizing anyone. Amusing them, yes.

  185. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Ms. Daisy (I keep seeing that post referring to you as Miss Daisy):

    Well, yeah. Where do you think little Tea Partiers come from?

    -Wait, does that mean the GOP sits around shatting out Tea Partiers while shitting on women?
    ****

    Joe:
    No irony there [re: Loftus’ mission statement] at all. Nope. Nothing to see here folks. Keep walking.
    :::third eye roll in a 24 hour time frame:::

  186. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    Yeah. Cuz it’s not intimate at all to have a penis/digit all up inside the back-end of your digestive tract.

    Of course it’s intimate. This is rules lawyering.

    A particularly dangerous form, given how anal-retentive rules lawyers tend to be… >.>

  187. portia says

    Whadayamean, rules lawyering?

    Nerd

    When discussing hymens, I’m not sure there’s such a thing as TMI.

  188. portia says

    Tony

    ::ducks to avoid the flying hymen::

    I’m picturing a very weird duck flying with a hymen clasped desperately in his beak. And it’s not even late here…*scrambles to manufacture an excuse*

  189. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    When discussing hymens, I’m not sure there’s such a thing as TMI.

    Well, we started dating in High School, dated in College, and finally married when I was in Graduate School. Anybody think our virginity came into play on the wedding night?

  190. portia says

    Well…that depends. Do you mean your Spiritual Virginity?

    I actually have an acquaintance who started dating her husband in freshman year of high school and abstained until she was out of college and they married. More power to ’em, I guess.

  191. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Do you mean your Spiritual Virginity™ ?

    *snicker, tee-hee* Let’s just say, like rational adults, it was something to but behind us.

    I actually have an acquaintance who started dating her husband in freshman year of high school and abstained until she was out of college and they married.

    Why? Doesn’t make sense, unless a lie is involved (they started early, but no progeny resulted). Last I looked 96% start early, and the other 4% lie.

  192. portia says

    I honestly believe them about their chastity. She really enjoys being holier-than-thou, and if she either did it or lied about it, then her whole sense of self would be tarnished, I think. I mean, I don’t agree with abstaining on religious grounds, obviously, and I think it’s a far wiser thing to test out compatibility in sex-matters before committing forever. But, I don’t like shaming people for not having sex almost as much as I dislike the opposite, so I try to withhold judgment.

  193. portia says

    As to anal or oral, she told me they had a “bikini rule.” That is, anything that would be covered by a bikini was off-limits. Interestingly, I suppose, that would leave room* for sodomy of either kind… I just realized that and now I’m having a giggle fit that I never thought it before when she sanctimoniously elaborated on their boundaries.

    *Because I don’t think her husband has ever worn a bikini. That I know of.

  194. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    so I try to withhold judgment.

    *snicker* EVERYBODY lies about sex–until alone and anonymous.

  195. Socio-gen, something something... says

    Ogvorbis:
    I’m so sorry that you are going through this. *hugs* if you want them.

    Pterryx:
    Taking away the voting rights of the disabled? What the hell?? Accommodations are not difficult to provide, and there are only a very few reasons to disallow a voter. Being under someone’s guardianship is not one of them. Being unable to understand the voting process, or being disoriented to time, place, or purpose would be.

    In 12 years of working polls, I had to do that exactly once, with a voter who had dementia (and wanted to cast his ballot for Jimmy Carter).

    Trebuchet:
    Yes, those things definitely makes traveling a much lower priority. Your event sounds much more fun, however. When I went, you could get close enough to see most, if not all, the participants. Now, according to my son, the crowds are so large that you’re lucky if you get to see more than a dozen or so.

    Giliell:

    I think that we have a much more relaxed relationship with teens and sex over here than there is in the States and I think that this freaking out about TEENS FUCKING 11!!!! doesn’t stem so much from a desire to protect teens against abuse but from prudery.

    Absolutely! Anyone with Netflix who hasn’t seen it should check out Let’s Talk about Sex — a documentary that looks at the differences in attitudes toward teen sex in western Europe and the US, and how the US is failing to protect its teens as a result.

    My favorite part is when they ask kids in the US and (I think) the Netherlands about using protection. The kids in the Netherlands are pulling condoms out of purses, pockets, etc, and explaining that they would think a person who didn’t carry their own was disrespectful of their partner. Switch to the US and almost no teen admitted to carrying any, and almost all said they’d think it was disrespectful if someone did. Gee — can’t imagine why the US has the highest per capita rate of teen pregnancies and STDs.

    When I first watched it, I was really uncomfortable with the idea of parents allowing kids to have sex at home but after a few days of thinking, I realized that it’s actually a much better idea. So many of the abuses possible in a teenager’s relationship could be prevented just by the fact that they don’t have to hide their sex life. Teenagers in the documentary are shown as having the freedom to explore their sexuality while remaining in a safe framework.

    Also: lemon verbena soap. Mmmm….love lemon scents!

    portia: Oh the social constructs! My favorite is the Hymen of Mythic Proportions in romance novels (particularly historicals which frequently feature virgin heroines). First, that bugger is apparently located half-way up the vagina and second, it is apparently tougher than rhino hide, since the Mighty Wang of Doom is required to punch, shove, or otherwise violently destroy it.

    I devoured those things as an early teen, and I remember being surprised (and quite concerned) when my first time did not feature blood, pain, or really anything other than “WHOA! I like!”

    cicely:
    *nods* Yep. I’m betting it was something similar in my case. Or probably I was supposed to be putting something in the fridge and left the snips, taking the whatever. I once put the tea kettle in the fridge and the milk carton on the stove. It took a lot of scrubbing to stop the house from filling with a burned milk smell everytime that burner was used.

  196. says

    Well hello. This is my first comment! Been reading PZ for a while now and want to toss out a question. Does anybody have a good skeptic article (or has PZ ever posted) discussing the pros of the use of animals in medical research?

  197. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    discussing the pros of the use of animals in medical research?

    You aren’t a regular reader, so shut the fuck up. PZ’s attitude is obvious with even three months of reading.

  198. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Oh, and Erik, my attitude is this is the first syrninge of and anticancer drug to be injected in vivo. You or a rat??? Which describes most others attitudes.

  199. Patricia, OM says

    Tethys – Thanks for the reply. We were out looking for dry ice. Which of course we can’t get on the lawds day.

    Wait a minute, Louis said he had never been convicted of sow humping. You lot quit picking on him.

  200. ronsullivan says

    Re: Hotshoe, Ron Sullivan is a woman. :)

    Sorry, ronsullivan, my mistake.

    No problem; it would be extremely silly of me to take offense at that. It has been the source of some amusement on all sides, the number of people we meet who are surprised that we aren’t a gay male couple. Sometimes I femme it up, wear my hair down and a long skirt, that sort of thing. Just for ya-knows.

    The slow death of print media is personally painful——both of us, Joe especially, have watched lots of interesting publications sink under us. It’s not the particular medium I care about, it’s getting paid for the work.

    Y’all want TMI re: hymens? I personally don’t remember ever having one. (shrug) I used to ride my bike a lot when I was a pre-teen, though.

  201. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Oops, I think I just broke a plate. Am I drunk from champagne?
    Where’s that dustpan?

  202. portia says

    I personally don’t remember ever having one.

    Sounds much more pleasant than not knowing you had one til it caused significant discomfort.

  203. portia says

    Here ya go, Tony. Just don’t break the flute, then we’ll have to drink the champagne from the bowls.

  204. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Portia:
    She enjoys being holier than thou?
    She thinks she’s somehow better than other people because she waited until marriage to have sex?
    Um, ok.
    Oh, and I can’t imagine a bikini is comfortable for a guy…the little guys would probably pop out all the time. And don’t be a SHOWer (rather than a GROWer).

  205. portia says

    Ms. Daisy, you are to blame for all the looks I am getting for rolling in my chair at this coffeehouse. I hope you’re happy.

  206. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    portia:
    I’m sophistimacated.
    I would drink from the bottle!
    ****
    Ms. Daisy:
    Ok, now I have an image of Gilbert Godfrey flying through air clasping a hymen in his, um, beak.

  207. portia says

    She thinks she’s somehow better than other people because she waited until marriage to have sex?

    If I could understand her reasoning, I’d be a godbot still myself. But yes, she does sincerely believe such nonsense. I mean, it’s really just one of the reasons she thinks she’s better than other people…

  208. spaceboy says

    This is Erik from above. Um, Nerd, thanks for the warm welcome! Obviously you’re against animals in medical research but have no problem eating them! Nice! And I thought this was the thread where people are supposed to be NICE.
    Seriously, I have been reading PZ for a while and don’t recall him discussing this issue. I am having troubles finding non-biased info on the issue both pro and cons.

  209. portia says

    spaceboy:

    Nerd stepped out, so I’ll just say I think you misunderstood what Nerd said.

  210. Patricia, OM says

    Thanks Portia, I feel better now.

    If I don’t get my knitting done I’m in for a major talking to by certain members of the horde.

  211. Pteryxx says

    Horde alert: StarStuff is stuck in Georgia and needs help.

    “So my tire just blew on my way home in the middle of nowhere in Georgia. I don’t have a spare or AAA anymore. Oh and my first day of classes starts tomorrow morning. And it’s getting dark and I’m all alone. I haven’t figured out what to do yet.”

    She’s in contact via PET or we can relay word through chat; I’ll open #theendlesschat for the purpose (see IRC info in the Pharyngula sidebar; mibbit will work.)

  212. Patricia, OM says

    This is the place to be nice. But no place in Pharyngula is designated where we have to eat teh stoopid. PZ has been perfectly clear about his views on animal testing. Go have a look, I’m not doing your homework for you.

  213. cicely says

    For the life of me, I can’t understand how someone who grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, who hasn’t struggled like poor and middle class Americans, and who is quite wealthy would be unable to sympathize with the vast majority of Americans. Golly, he’s just one of us. He should easily be able to relate to us.

    I know, right?

    There’s this man I know here in Springfield, not remotely as wealthy as Rmoney, who owns a few businesses here and elsewhere, and who could not understand why his employees would be interested in pay raises that amounted to less than a dollar an hour; it was such a trivial sum! (Though not, we note, sufficiently trivial for him to part with it!) I mean, 50 cents an hour, 40 hours a week—that’s only $20 a week! About $80 a month! Why bother???

    Of course, he later Got Religion, joined the largest local church, and no longer has any consideration at all for anyone not a member of that congregation; he used to at least pretend not to cheat customers and lie to people…but then, he now uses a different definition of “people”.

    If you could chose between French peach-soap and French verbena-lemon-soap, which one would you pick?

    I’d pick the verbena-lemon. It sounds more refreshing, less nomnomnom.

    Rey, I’m sorry about your grandmother. *hug*

    Whadayamean, rules lawyering?

    Using and abusing loopholes, and exploiting technicalities and typos, in order to prevent that Great DM In The Sky from Making Rocks Fall on their party.

  214. spaceboy says

    Portia, I think you’re right. Doh!

    Beatrice, thanks! Ha, I passed over that post of his because I thought he was just bashing kittens again. lol

    Pteryxx, thank you thank you! Man, sometimes I suck at searching for the info I want on these interwebby things!

  215. spaceboy says

    Patricia, teh stoopid goes both ways. I didn’t ask about his views (of which I am aware), I was asking about a post specifically about the pros and good points to bring up when debating about it. I have been looking but apparently I’m not very good at searching the internet sometimes and wouldn’t have thrown the question out there if i had been successful in my own search.

  216. portia says

    cicely Thanks for elaborating. I had a hunch it was something like that.

    Patricia, always glad to be of service. Knit on! I am interested in pictures if it ever works out.

  217. broboxley OT says

    im in north georgia so if i can be of help shoot me an email at williamoxley at netscape dot com. I monitor that all the time. I also have tools and parts

  218. portia says

    I have been looking

    But you didn’t seem to have been reading, as you claimed, because there was post in the not-too-distant past about animal research. And sources within that post. I think your apparent unawareness of that set off bullshit-alarms. At least for me it did. I wouldn’t advise getting defensive at this point.

  219. broboxley OT says

    #296 Pteryxx sent a few fb messages with my phone number to Psycho and a few others. Also my email is above

  220. hotshoe says

    Well crap, looks like I’ve lost my linky thingy mojo too.
    *pouts*

    Does this help?
    Amiga cardigan

    It’s a nice shape and looks comfortable and practical. (Not long enough in the back for my taste.) What color are you making ?

  221. carlie says

    If I could understand her reasoning, I’d be a godbot still myself. But yes, she does sincerely believe such nonsense. I mean, it’s really just one of the reasons she thinks she’s better than other people…

    Seriously? I can barely even count the number of couples I know who got married far too young specifically because they couldn’t stand to wait any longer to have sex and their God wouldn’t let them unless they were married. Not coincidentally, there was a rash of divorces in their 30s.

  222. says

    Using and abusing loopholes, and exploiting technicalities and typos, in order to prevent that Great DM In The Sky from Making Rocks Fall on their party.

    Actually in my experience calling the rules on the DM is the quickest way to get magic rocks to fall and kill everyone.

  223. chigau (違う) says

    I reckon I’ll be home in about 49 hours.
    I reckon I’ll be having my first alcoholic beverage since August 8 in about 43.5 hours.
    Weather willing.

  224. says

    Seriously, I have been reading PZ for a while and don’t recall him discussing this issue.

    Seriously, ‘spaceboy’, you haven’t been reading at all if you’ve missed the recent (within the last year) posts on animal experimentation, there have been several at least.

    Also, with remarks like “oh, I thought that was kitten bashing LOL”, you’re displaying your idiocy, your inability to read and your apparent desire to have everyone else do your work for you.

    Yeah, we’re supposed to be nice, however, it helps if you don’t waltz in here acting the asshole and demonstrating that you not only don’t read PZ’s posts, you don’t do so well on basic reading comprehension altogether.

  225. hotshoe says

    I’m knitting a big shawl for my mom because she’s moving to someplace just a little colder than she’s used to. She’s never been a shawl-type of person, so I’m really hoping this will work. I bought a copy of the pattern for Color Affection, and now I’m making so many modifications that I might just as well have cast on and improvised the whole thing. Ah, well, Veera deserves compensation just for the inspiration if nothing else.

    I’m sorta near the beginning of the short row section and I’ve had to do half rows of un-knitting several times because I overshoot the wrap where I’m supposed to turn and work back. I knit without looking while I read, so I depend on feel – and it’s really easy to get flying with those endless rows of garter stitch.

  226. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    At Barnes and noble looking at a book called BABY SIGN LANGUAGE? Um, I didn’t think babies were able to understand sign language or learn it. Am I missing something?

  227. portia says

    Thunk

    But that’s $SWEARING! No matter what else is in this phrase, it’s BAD!

    Inorite?! I sometimes think that “racist” itself is “bad word” the way people react when I use it. See: headlines calling statements “racially insensitive.” I mean, how hard is it for a media outlet to just call somebody’s statement RACIST?

    Carlie

    I can barely even count the number of couples I know who got married far too young specifically because they couldn’t stand to wait any longer to have sex and their God wouldn’t let them unless they were married. Not coincidentally, there was a rash of divorces in their 30s.

    Yeah, I know people like that too. One such couple is getting married within 10 months of meeting and 6 months of getting engaged. I’m not sure that’s the case with them, because that would be a weakness of character, you see, and they couldn’t have that. They took a good 7-8 years to get married. I don’t see divorce on the horizon either, because that would also be beneath them, etc.

    hotshoe

    Very cool. I have rudimentary knitting skills and am envious of your cool-sounding project.

  228. ImaginesABeach says

    Tony – Good mothers know that they should teach their babies sign language from the first week, otherwise we have failed and our children will never succeed in life.

    Actually, there is research that babies too young to speak can communicate with sign language. I don’t know if there are controlled longitudinal studies looking at whether it makes a difference long term.

  229. cicely says

    Actually in my experience calling the rules on the DM is the quickest way to get magic rocks to fall and kill everyone.

    In Real D&D, yeah; but these people aren’t in touch with reality even with their fantasy.
    :P

  230. portia says

    Tony: yes, you are. Very young children can sign before they can speak. It works amazingly well when they need to tell you what they want/need. I think it’s more trendy lately. “milk” “more” “please” etc. My two year old niece still uses “please” whenever she says it verbally.

  231. Ogvorbis: broken says

    I’m sorry for what you’ve gone through, but don’t you think you’ve made strides to become a better person? I may not know you IRL, but the person you present yourself as here is *not* arealpain.

    I feel like I do a really good job pretending to be whole, pretending to be a good person, pretending to be an adult. I’ve been pretending long enough that I’m not sure what the real me is. I know that I was a child, that I really didn’t see a choice, that what I did was not of my own volition, but, damnit! she was a little kid (so was I, but that’s not the point!) and I had forgotten she even existed! which is so completely unfair to her. I don’t even remember her name — what’s more unforgiveable? The act, or that I forgot who she was, forgot that she even existed? I’m good at pretending that I am a better person but there’s a big part of me that knows better.

    Thanks for your support. I appreciate it.

    Cuz it’s not intimate at all to have a penis/digit all up inside the back-end of your digestive tract.

    Depends on the circumstances. It can be quite intimate, or it can be a source of a lifetime of guilt. Which I suppose is still intimate, but . . .

    My grandmother had a stroke recently, so things have been tough for my family back in Boise.

    Damn, Rey, that sucks. I hope she is getting the care she needs.

    And it pisses me off big time that I live in a country so assbackwards that I have to actually hope that.

  232. portia says

    ImaginesABeach – I hadn’t considered the element of UberMom that factored into the trend. Society sucks.

  233. portia says

    That’s interesting. My niece is endlessly talkative at 30 months, and started signing at maybe 12. (not sure) I wonder if it does affect the speech development in some kids. *goes off to research*

  234. Ogvorbis: broken says

    My sister waited until she was almost four and then began speaking in full, grammatically correct sentences. According to our older sister, she would wait until she thought everyone was asleep and then practice.

    Girl started talking before she was three, Boy was about the same. They are both, however, still occasionally unintelligible. And they both still sign occasionally. One sign, specifically.

  235. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    From a month ago, PZ and animal testing.

    Obviously you’re against animals in medical research but have no problem eating them!

    I specifically asked you if I should inject you or a rat with a new untested drug. You didn’t answer the question. Do so before you embarrass yourself with equivocation.

  236. broboxley OT says

    Portia, my son was tested by Docs, their theory was that his older brothers spoke for him as they were more in tune with each others signs. His first sentence was “pass the potatoes” unfortunately he hasn’t shut up since

  237. says

    In Real D&D, yeah; but these people aren’t in touch with reality even with their fantasy.
    :P

    For example a DM would most definitely thus conspire to have a troll rip off a rule lawyering player’s arm and them beat him to death with his own rod of wounder.

  238. Patricia, OM says

    Hotshoe – Amiga is too short for me too, so I bought extra yarn. Just going to make it as long as I damn well please. That probably makes me an uppity knitter.

    The yarn is Madelinetosh merino fingering Caravan. I got it half price, normally I can’t afford $18.75 per skein yarn. It’s on the Madelinetosh website, which I won’t try borking again. Beautiful color.

    I’ve seen that shawl you’re doing over at the yarn harlots place. Very nice!

  239. portia says

    broboxley

    Gotcha. So the docs didn’t think it was the sign language per se?

    Now I want potatoes.

  240. says

    Oh come on, 3 post rule, remember? Also, you can search the site for blog posts and arguments, but locating a decent scholarly article is rather harder. Hi Erik/spaceboy. Yes, you got Nerd backwards. I think he might have got you backwards, too.

    Giliell, I’d go for the verbena. I dislike most fruit scents, except citrus. Lemon is very refreshing.

    Og, have some *hugs*. And I got these doughnuts last night, at an end of day discount. Which do I shove in the USB for you? The cinnamon-sugar, or the caramel iced with sprinkles? (Sorry, the choc and pink have gone already)

    John Morales has the highest foot-in-mouth syndrome ever, but I think he most likely meant the “yapping of tiny dogs” as a comment on Greta’s strength. It’s not that the fuckwits are unimportant, it’s that she is so great in comparison that they *seem* unimportant. THEY ARE AS INSECTS BEFORE HER MIGHT!! COWER BRIEF MORTALS! (I’m sure he will correct me if I’m wrong.)

  241. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    chigau:
    It sounds like *someone* is looking forward to a refreshing adult beverage.
    What’s your poison?
    ****
    To all:
    Re: babies and signing- Thank you. I had no idea. I think maybe I thought certain brain functions needed to be more developed before signing became possible. Also, I *know* I was thinking about signing from an adult perspective (i.e. being able to hold conversations), rather than a babies’.
    That’s incredibly cool.

  242. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Spaceboy, either animals or humans are tested for drug toxicity. If humans, either you volunteer or you are a hypocrite. Think carefully. I have, and see a place for animal testing with proper restraints, which are in place. Or, it is you as the guinea pig, as there is no realistic alternative anybody has shown to exist to get the information required by the regulatory agencies.

  243. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Alethea:
    I was just at Dunkin Donuts and I only got one chocolate glazed donut. By golly though, I love the cinnamon sugar coated ones too.

  244. says

    Tony, mitts off, they’re for Og! (Classic cinnamon sugar are the best, especially if they’re still warm.)

    A couple of friends of mine taught their baby sign, and they said it was just brilliant. When Baby C cried, she was able to sign what she wanted – change, milk, hugs, more, yes, no. They say it made life SO much easier. Baby C has grown up to be a gifted child, and she gave up signing once she could talk well enough.

    I gather YMMV, not all kids/parents can make it work. But it’s not crazy. Babies have physical reasons for not being able to verbalise, so giving them a different communication option can be very helpful.

  245. Ogvorbis: broken says

    Alethea:

    Thanks for the virtual donuts but, I have to confess, I really don’t like donuts. Sorry.

  246. Pteryxx says

    broboxley, thanks so much and my apologies – I was afk and thought someone else was watching this thread. As far as I can tell, StarStuff’s okay now – she got someone to come fix her flat tire and folks sent her enough money by PayPal to pay the guy. She announced about 15 minutes ago that she’s back on the road. So, thanks, and thanks Horde! Stand down.

  247. Ogvorbis: broken says

    Patricia:

    I like pie. There’s a local place that makes a fantastic blueberry pie. They had an explosion recently, though. The blast was heard 3.1415 miles away. And 22 out of 7 workers were injured. Sad, really.

  248. portia says

    I have peach crisp and vanilla ice cream. And I’m willing to share the comfort food.

    Patricia, I have an unbroken plate just begging for pumpkin pie. :D

  249. Amphiox says

    Also, with remarks like “oh, I thought that was kitten bashing LOL”, you’re displaying your idiocy

    Indeed, if I recall correctly, there is actually one denizen of the Dungeon who is there primarily for excessively creepy felicidal kitten bashing.

    Which has got to be the most embarrassing way to end up in the Dungeon I can think of….

  250. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    According to our older sister, she would wait until she thought everyone was asleep and then practice.

    My kind of kid. Oh, I could imagine liking her at that age.

  251. carlie says

    Not to slight anyone, but Ogvorbis, you’re right in the top group of Pharyngulites I haven’t met yet that I’d really really like to meet. I think you’re pretty awesome.

    On speaking – my grandmother swears that the first words she ever heard me speak were a complete sentence requesting chocolate cake. I have no reason to doubt that desire would have spurred me to engage in appropriate communication. ;)

    The talk of lemon bars earlier gave me the craving for same. this recipe is about to come out of the oven.

  252. broboxley OT says

    lyrics from elsewhere
    We found her with her face down in the pillow
    Clinging to his picture for dear life
    We laid her next to him beneath the willow
    While the angels sang a whiskey lullaby

    Caine, reason to be worried?

  253. Patricia, OM says

    Oggie – An explosion in a local pie factory will break Brownians heart. We’d better never speak of the thing again. Seriously, thats sad the workers got hurt.

    Portia – Stand by for pie! ——-> *poof*

  254. trinioler says

    While its still a bit empty, we’ve made a start over at https://a-plus-scribe.com/ of doing some awesomeness. Consider this the official announcement.

    Wheeeeeeeeeeeee

    This all makes me so so so so inordinately happy. Oh and Rebecca gave her permission in PZ’s hangout! Whoot!

  255. carlie says

    trinioler – awesome. I noticed a few hard returns got lost in my section; will there be a way to submit corrections to the site?

  256. chigau (違う) says

    For aroma therapy, I offer the scent of the tundra in autumn.
    It’s kind of junipery, cinnamony, blueberryy with just a hint of Arctic Ocean.
    —-
    Tony
    I currently favor dark rum (brand Lemon Hart)

  257. Socio-gen, something something... says

    Tony:
    When we were 5 & 6yo, my sister P. and I learned to sign because the older of my two brothers was diagnosed with about 20% of normal hearing when he was around 18 months. He picked it up incredibly quickly, I’m sure because of necessity. By the time H. was 2, he was as conversant as a hearing 2yo.

    P. and I tended to use signs (ASL or our own made-up ones) to “narrate” our words — a habit neither of us managed to break, even though H.’s hearing was nearly normal by the time he was 7 or so. Honestly, I look like I’m doing some kind of performance piece if the subject is one I’m passionate about.

    broboxley:

    … their theory was that his older brothers spoke for him as they were more in tune with each others signs. His first sentence was “pass the potatoes”…

    I think this must be common in younger siblings. My youngest sister B. didn’t just do all my youngest brother’s talking for him, she did all his decision-making. At a church dinner when J. was 5-ish, one of the serving ladies asked him if he wanted mashed potatoes. He turned to B. and asked, “Do I like mashed potatoes?”

    I have strawberry shortcake to share, with your choice of vanilla ice cream or real “made-it-myself” whipped cream.

  258. trinioler says

    Comment from one of the transcription volunteers:
    “is PZ’s beard fuzzing up the microphone?”

  259. carlie says

    trinioler – oooo, sniny!

    Bars are out of oven, won’t be cool enough to taste until tomorrow. Mmmm, tomorrow.

  260. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Sometimes I wish I weren’t so picky. I’m not a fan of anything custard-like (so no creme brulee). I don’t like cheesecake of any sort. I don’t like ice cream cake. I *really* don’t like tiramisu. I don’t like *any* kind of pie (don’t say it..).
    I characterize myself as a vanilla dessert person. Give me a warm brownie NO NUTS (leave that one alone too) with vanilla ice cream. Or warm cookies with milk (chocolate chip, oatmeal, sugar, or peanut butter). Or a simple cake* (my favorite is Duncan Hines yellow cake with chocolate frosting). Donuts are cool too (regular or chocolate glazed, cinnamon sugar, and even plain). I absolutely *love* blueberry muffins-especially when they’re sprinkled with a bit of sugar and a dab o’ butter.

    *even with cakes, I’m picky. I despise anything coconut, so guess what’s out. I don’t like baked fruit, so I don’t want any cake that has that in it. I do *love* red velvet cake though.

  261. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    carlie:
    They have to cool down *that* much? Nothing like brownies or cookies I guess.

  262. says

    I think not having to talk as early is just common among younger siblings. We taught my daughter a lot of signs when she was a baby and toddler and it really neat how well she could communicate her thoughts and interests with signs (cat, dog, baby, glasses, phone, book, car and light were among her frequently used signs, besides the usual food and drink ones). She was kind of late to talk intelligibly to people outside our immediate family, but within the range of normal, and her pediatrician specifically assured us it wasn’t the signing. She won’t shut the hell up now (8).

    In other news:

    Today the house down the street had a yard sale. This house has been occupied for who knows how long by a WWII vet and his Scandinavian bride. They have a basement the size of Texas and apparently for 50+ years they have kept everything. They have yard sales every year or two and you’d think they’d be out of cool stuff but no. And everything is always ridiculously cheap. Needless to say, checking it out was Not Optional.

    The first thing I spotted was a coat. A wool coat, maybe cashmere, camel color, lined in beautiful peachy-pink satin. Absolutely flawless condition. No tag inside, so it’s either custom tailor work or homemade by an expert sewist. Hand pricked detailing all around the collars and cuffs. And it fits me perfectly. I mean, I know there are vintage boutiques where this coat would cost me almost $300. Just the lucite buttons would be like $50.

    I was looking through the rest of the stuff and the lady of the house came along and before I could ask her how much she wanted for it she said I can just take it. She gave me that coat. I am still in shock. I tried to ask her if she had it made, or if she made it, but she just kept telling me it was all right, I could have it.

  263. Patricia, OM says

    I’m out. Regardless of all haranges, that damned Bulldog will not cook supper.

  264. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    broboxley:
    A quick search of Google for Lemon Hart doesn’t turn up anywhere to buy it (I just did a quick search, not one in depth). Apparently it’s made in Guyana and bottled in Canada.
    Here’s one producer of the rum. I couldn’t find someone who sold it. Perhaps you’ll need to visit Canada.
    http://www.mosaiqinc.com/

  265. chigau (違う) says

    broboxley
    I’m in Edmonton, Alberta and I can get Lemon Hart at pretty much any liquor store.

    internet is a pain
    I’m going to bed

  266. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    kristinc:
    Wow.
    It sounds like you and this coat are a good match.
    The woman who gave it to you was quite kind.

  267. says

    Rat report:

    Zoe is doing remarkably well. She doesn’t look like the same ratlet at all. She has not re-bloated (yet) and has actually grown. Her teeth are now the proper shade of orange, which means she is finally getting the nutrition she needs.

    Carrot was bloating up something terrible, but the shit started coming out tonight and is still coming out, bit by bit. He will be getting an enema (at least one) to get him all the way flushed out. He is still active and eating and his teeth are starting to colour.

    So, the new diet is working. Incredibly well, so far. No fuss with the other rats as far as baby food goes, they love the stuff (all except the fruit, they want no part of that.) Sweet potatoes are a hit, mashed potatoes are fine as long as there’s a bag of peas mixed in and they all love watermelon. Keeping the tentacles crossed that this keeps on working.

  268. says

    Caine, can you contact me please? I’m in big trouble and I think you may have the contact details for someone I need to get in touch with urgently for advice. {username}@gmail.com. Thanks.

  269. Paul says

    Threadrupt.

    cicely suggested D&D last thread as a method to help visualization. I actually tried that before. If you want an idea how it went, think Bender’s Game before he has his epiphany and goes into Cornwood. I think I was the most boring player ever until I started just thinking of it as a narrative. There was absolutely no visualization even at that point, but at least I was able to react in-character to prompts and think of some interesting ways to go.

    Anyone know of anything interesting going on in the San Francisco Bay area this upcoming Thursday/Friday? I’m up in the general area for business and just sitting in the hotel room catching up on shows or playing WoW gets pretty boring.

  270. Rey Fox says

    I tried to ask her if she had it made, or if she made it, but she just kept telling me it was all right, I could have it.

    You do realize that that’s the start of a horror story, right?

  271. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Caine:
    Good to hear that Zoe and Carrot are doing better. You should let them know that I’m planning to stage a take over of the world and my first act as leader of the New World Order will be to create a city sized cafeteria to hold…you guessed it: the worlds largest food fight!
    Guess what food will be used first…heh heh.
    Peas in a slingshot.
    Peas compressed into cannonball size and shot out of a rocket.
    Instead of spit wads, pea balls.
    and much, much more!

    (should I mention that the gymnasium will have a split pea soup pool for American Gladiators style competition)
    ****
    META: [I really have no idea where all that just came from]

  272. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Rey Fox:
    That being the case, you’re supposed to continue the horror story. Y’know like campfire tales. So what’s next for the haunted coat?
    It reminds me of Friday the 13th: The Series

    “Lewis Vendredi made a deal with the devil to sell cursed antiques. But he broke the pact, and it cost him his soul. Now, his niece Micki, and her cousin Ryan have inherited the store… and with it, the curse. Now they must get everything back and the real terror begins.” — prologue that opened each episode

    ****
    I wonder if this is an American thing, but why do many people give their vehicles a gender? My, um, not yet BF told me he’s taking his car apart to clean him. I’ve known people over the years who call their cars a her or a him. Usually it’s guys, though I think I’ve heard of women doing it occasionally.

  273. says

    @paul
    I don’t really visualize when I’m gaming either, taking a narrative tack like you do. I do the same thing when reading: I don’t really ‘see a picture’ in my head, I just have a conception of what’s going on.

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

    Kristinc, congrats on the coat. Wow.

    I do like garage sales, and some days I score well. My ukulele was a garage sale item—I paid a LOT less that it was worth, and had my first musical instrument, ever. I was given an odd-looking MP3 player this weekend, for free, while asking about another, and had a cable that fit it, and downloaded the manual, and now have it working fine. And as I said earlier, I got a tripod that I now have my laptop hanging from, which saves my buying an expensive table/holder to allow me to use it while lying flat in bed.

    But that coat … wow. Wear it in good health.

  275. Pteryxx says

    FYI, StarStuff is home safely now. She says some local strangers stopped to help her and contacted the tire guy to get her on her way.

  276. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    How cool would this be?

    Dubbed “space travel on Earth,” the new tech combines the idea of maglev — trains that are suspended by magnets — with vacuum tubes. By removing air resistance and friction from the equation, the new vactrains could reach speeds of up to 4,000 miles per hour. You could travel from New York to Los Angeles in only 45 minutes, or from New York to London in an hour. At those speeds, you would arrive at your destination at a time before you left.
    Read more at http://www.tecca.com/news/2012/06/13/et3-vactrain-travel/#3q3ZX9GrjJUWuPQW.99

  277. theophontes (坏蛋) says

    threadcrupt

    @ Caine

    Good news about the ratties, Zoe and Carrot.

    In other news: Theo might not know this yet, but it has struck me that he has three virtual sisters: Molly, Maxxy & Retro. (That they coincidentally just happen to be kittehz is OK, right?)

    @ cicely, blf

    OK, I must capitulate. Peas ARE ebil!

    (link:Pea plant grows in man’s lung.)

  278. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    Tony: curious; do you like Boston Cream Pie? Perhaps if one doesn’t call it “pie?”

  279. says

    Good morning

    I hope Starstuff is OK, given that it’s been some hours since the news

    +++

    Actually in my experience calling the rules on the DM is the quickest way to get magic rocks to fall and kill everyone.

    Pianos. Here it would be pianos. Also, if our DM decided to “try something new” it would somehhow end up in hurt for my character. If somebody rolled a total failure, too…

    +++
    sign language
    They’re actually offering classes for “baby signs” here. I figured it’s just another one of those “more mum than thou” things that’s after my time and money.
    Although I must say that both kids were early and good talkers. They both spoke in full gramatical sentences way before their 3rd birthday.
    Often kids make a huge leap in development at the point when they finally have to. My friend’s son went from cryptic 2 word sentences (because mummy would understand him anyway) to full gramatical sentences within 6 weeks of kindergarten. Mr.’s cousin only started speaking once her older brother was out of kindergarten and my second cousin’s first recorded sentence was “My sister doesn’t let me use the hammock!”

    kristinc
    That’s cool. Maybe at this point she was just happy that somebody would get it who knew what it was.

    Caine
    I’m glad the ratties are doing mostly fine. Give Gytha a belly scratch from us.

    ++++
    Teens having sex at home. Colour me surprised, where else are they supposed to have it? It think we really have a different attitude in Europe in general and my family in special. (I remember my cousin telling Mr. all about their respective contraception problems with her having problems with the pill and him being allergic to latex. She was 16 at that point and he was giving her math lessons)

  280. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Azkyroth:
    I’ve never tried Boston Cream Pie.
    If it’s anything like the texture (and now that I think of it-consistency-I don’t like whipped cream for that reason) of pie or cheesecake, I’m not likely to care for it.
    I think the texture of foods is the primary reason I don’t care for many things (tomatoes and mushrooms spring to mind immediately).
    ****
    Giliell:
    Pteryxx mentioned that StarStuff is A-OK. Thank goodness :)

  281. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    I’m so excited. /sarcasm
    I get to go later today and cash a savings bond my parents sent to help me financially. Then I have to gas up the car (hopefully I can find convenience stores with gas), but copious amounts of water (if I can), dog food and cat food, and darnit, there was something else.
    All of this is dependent on if I can cash in the bond. I’m worried financial institutions might be closed tomorrow. Many places are not open for the next several days. Schools and colleges have completely closed or cancelled classes. I overheard some members of the military mentioning that the base is on lockdown (?).
    Yet, my roomie T, and my notBF K both aren’t taking the hurricane seriously. The former hasn’t been through one, and she has a romanticized view of what it’s like to live through one. The latter thinks it’s not that big a deal b/c it’s only a Tropical Storm at the moment. ::SIGH::
    As if preparing for the worst is a bad thing.

  282. says

    Tony
    Thanx for the info. Must have missed that post.
    Glad she is alright.
    Hope you can get the things you need and aaaaargh, people who think that preparation is useless. But I admit that it’s frightening to prepare for such a situation, but pulling a blanket over your head is not going to make it go away.
    Can you get water treatment tablets?

  283. John Morales says

    [meta]

    Alethea,

    John Morales has the highest foot-in-mouth syndrome ever, but I think he most likely meant the “yapping of tiny dogs” as a comment on Greta’s strength. It’s not that the fuckwits are unimportant, it’s that she is so great in comparison that they *seem* unimportant. THEY ARE AS INSECTS BEFORE HER MIGHT!! COWER BRIEF MORTALS! (I’m sure he will correct me if I’m wrong.)

    Pretty close; but I suppose even that sentiment might be problematic to some.

    I did phrase things badly, I guess: when I wrote ‘she should’, it was in the light that it was overnight and meant to refer to how I imagined it would impact her when she did get to see it, rather than to telling her how she should react. This, because Tony seemed rather upset about it.

    (FWIW, when Josh told me to “shut up”, I shut up)

  284. birgerjohansson says

    Tony, I think it would be safer to fill the tunnel/pipeline with a gas that offers minimum drag at ambient pressure. Helium? Or maybe argon is cheaper?

  285. didgen says

    Improbable Joe
    I wasn’t trying to make any assumptions about your financial situation, I live on social ssecurity since an unfortunate problem with anoxia after a surgery took me permanently out of the job market. I understand about being short on money hence my asking if you were interested. These days I buy my shrimp 4 or 5 at a time rather than by the lb. Sorry if I overstepped.

  286. blf says

    Nice editorial in The Grauniad, US Republican convention: an ocean of difference:

    A Republican win in November would be a domestic disaster for America and show that the gulf between America and the rest of the developed world is widening even more

    It may sometimes be tempting to dismiss the Conservatives in Britain as, at heart and in gut, a radical, government slashing, tax cutting, culturally reactionary party committed to dismantling everything about the welfare state and the social market. … [I]n most of the party, sometimes uneasily, these impulses are held in check, especially at the top, by overwhelming political and economic realities.

    If, though, you want to see a party that really is all these things and proud of it, look across the ocean to the US Republicans…

    … [T]he Republicans are a party in which there is no significant internal division over the claim that taxes must be slashed, that all government programmes other than defence must be cut, that the government economic stimulus should be undone, the federal pension system privatised, the federal healthcare insurance law abolished, that climate change is a hoax, that a high wall should be built along America’s southern border, that abortion in all but the tiniest exceptions should be a crime, that gun control laws are a threat to freedom, that civil partnerships and gay marriage should be outlawed, that Iran’s nuclear programme should be destroyed and more Jewish settlements encouraged in the occupied Palestinian territories. Oh, and a lot of them still think Mr Obama isn’t really an American too, while Mr Romney is a member of a church that believes Jesus travelled to America.

    How far Mr Romney himself really believes many of these things may still, on some level, be an unknown. … [T]he reality now is that he has embraced his party’s radical right, especially by nominating Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his running-mate.

    … [I]t’s only the Republicans who propose to slash every bit of government spending except for defence. And it’s only the Republicans who not only refuse to even consider raising taxes (which are comparatively extremely low) to balance the budget, but who also want to cut those taxes further across the board. Mr Ryan … would abolish most of the meagre taxes on things like dividends, capital gains and inheritance which are almost the only ones that people like Mr Romney … actually pay.

    A quibble: I believe the claim that the thugs want “abortion in all but the tiniest exceptions should be a crime” to be incorrect. Doesn’t the (proposed?) platform thuggary want to make abortion illegal without any exceptions? (I don’t think it says what the punishment for the aborting mothers should be, however.

  287. says

    Tielserrath, e-mail sent.

    Theophontes:

    Theo might not know this yet, but it has struck me that he has three virtual sisters: Molly, Maxxy & Retro. (That they coincidentally just happen to be kittehz is OK, right?)

    Oh yes, that’s fine. Theo doesn’t mind cats.

    Giliell:

    Give Gytha a belly scratch from us.

    She’s on her way to the clinic for surgery, so a belly scratch is out. I’ll give her gentle pets later on when she’s home.

  288. Beatrice says

    Tony,

    I think you would like Sacher Torte. Chocolate cake with a thin layer of apricot glaze and a thin layer of chocolate glaze on the top. Simple, yet heavenly.

  289. ImaginesABeach says

    blf – to the best of my knowledge, no Republican running for office has said that abortion to save the life of the mother who is in imminent danger of dying should be illegal. Which is not to say that some don’t believe that, just that they won’t admit it.

  290. says

    Giliell:
    “More mum than thou” is an apt description. Instead of being a useful tool for parents to use, baby signing is looked at as “OMG! You don’t teach your baby to sign?? Well, she’ll never get into Yale now.”

    I’m not teaching DarkFetus to sign.

  291. says

    Tony:
    I’m sorry to hear about your distaste for most desserts. Duncan Hines, really?
    :-/

    Speaking of, the mousse was a success! After my niece ate a whole shitload of it, my SiL asked what was in it. “Coffee and rum” was not the answer she was hoping to hear. :D

  292. birgerjohansson says

    Regarding the Republican convention;
    Since Baal -the god of storms- is a rival to Yahweh, it was plain stupid to have a political event featuring thousands of fundamentalists smack in the middle of hurricane territory.
    Floridans should sue GoP for putting their state in harm’s way.
    I am aware of the legal concept “act of God” but it is usually understood that the god in question is Yahweh, not Baal, so it should not interfere with a class-action suit.

  293. thunk, may or may not be onomotopoeia says

    Hi all.

    Best of wishes to Tony, so that he may escape the worst.

    Everyone… *pouncehug*.

  294. says

    Audley

    Speaking of, the mousse was a success! After my niece ate a whole shitload of it, my SiL asked what was in it. “Coffee and rum” was not the answer she was hoping to hear. :D

    what did she expect? Valium?

    “More mum than thou” is an apt description. Instead of being a useful tool for parents to use, baby signing is looked at as “OMG! You don’t teach your baby to sign?? Well, she’ll never get into Yale now.”

    What’s the use of getting her into Yale anyway if apparently she’s supposed to dedicate her life to teach her own kids sign language, do baby massage, aroma and colour therapy, early musical education (can’t you just sing you child a fucking nursery song and buy them something to make noise with?), baby swimming, some of the little babbies have timetables fuller than highschool students and COEs.
    I took #1 to baby-swimming because it was fun, the teacher was down to earth and it did us good (and yes, I also mean having social contacts there).

    +++
    Sigh, once you’ve taken the red pill, it’s just everywhere. I went to an online sex-shop because I need, well, stuff. The vibrators get advertised as tools, toys, gadgets. The masturbators are the perfect woman: always willing, always there. All naturalistic just like real women! (apart from the obvious lack of arms, legs and heads* and also I don’t think that most vaginas stick out between the buttocks).
    But it’s kind of ironical that us women get the advertising with the technical details while the guys get the emotional advertising…

    *No, I’m not saying that women without arms and legs aren’t women, I hope you get what I’m saying

  295. dianne says

    “OMG! You don’t teach your baby to sign?? Well, she’ll never get into Yale now.”

    Why would I want my kid to go to the college that “educated” Bush the elder and others like him?

  296. Beatrice says

    *pouncehug*

    Every time someone writes this, I imagine a person squating, preparing for the attack and jumping at the other with arms splayed ridiculously.

  297. says

    Giliell:
    I have no idea what my SiL expected. Perhaps she expected the instant Jello “mousse” stuff?

    I’m actually looking forward to baby swimming– I love to swim myself, so I think it should be a blast. The local Jewish community center has swim classes followed by mom/baby “free swim”, so I’m probably going to sign us up for that. :)

    Re sex toys: you weren’t desparaging women with no limbs, but rather a “tube pussy”, right? (I was originally gling to call it “pussy in a can”, but that sounds kind of painful.)

  298. says

    Dianne:
    My dirty little secret is that I have Republican family members who don’t view the Bush presidency as the unmitigated disaster that it was.

    Regardless, they haven’t said any stupid shit about parenting to me because they simply don’t know what I plan to do. I do know that ridiculous judgements they lay on other parents, though.

  299. says

    Coffee and rum – if the rum puts the kid to sleep and the coffee wakes them up, there’s a fine line of neutrality somewhere in there…

    Audley, I’m not even a mother, and I do know it’s your choice. But, well, it was just so AWESOME seeing an 8 month old ask explicitly for what she wanted, rather than just screaming incoherently. I suggest you do consider it. The not-screaming part was especially good.

  300. blf says

    ImaginesABeach—: The thugs don’t have to say it, the proposed thuggary is apparently so easily read as there are no exceptions that it’s almost explicit. Also from The Grauniad, Republican party endorses abortion ban without exceptions ahead of convention (last week, my emboldening):

    The Republican party, which has supported a constitutional ban on abortion since 1984, has once again officially endorsed such a ban without exceptions for rape, incest or a threat to the mother’s life, according to reports.

    The draft document is similar to platforms adopted in 2008, 2004 and 2000, according to CNN, which first reported the draft language. It states: “Faithful to the ‘self-evident’ truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed,” the draft platform declares.

    The RNC [Republican Majority for Choice] position is that the platform should be welcoming of different views on different social issues, but at the “very least there should be exemptions for rape, incest and to save the life of a mother”.

    Some pro-choice Republicans say the current draft of the abortion plank in the platform, although bad, is less extreme than in previous years.

    Ann Stone, of Republicans for Choice, said: “It is bad, but it is not as bad as in the past. We have made some minute progress. It doesn’t have exemptions and it doesn’t not have exemptions. In 1992, there was an explicit reference to having no exemptions. The language is very vague and less inflammatory. The only other thing that is mildly positive is that they did not come out and embrace personhood.”

    Former president George W Bush … supported exemptions for abortion in cases of rape incest and when a woman’s life was in danger.

    I suppose that not saying there aren’t exemptions (exceptions) might be construed — as some are reported as doing — a step away from the Dark Ages, but I’m unconvinced. It’s not explicit that there are exceptions, it’s only the currently-proposed thuggary, it’s a political nattering and therefore mostly lies, and the entire concept of no choice for the prospective parents is utterly wrong. Neither teenagers nor wombs are for conscription.

  301. carlie says

    Am I allowed to ask what the hell is with Richard Dawkins here, or is that Thunderdome material? Because his Twitter is getting insufferable.

  302. Pteryxx says

    well, it says ‘respect all the commenters’ so as long as Dawkins doesn’t show up to comment here…

    …yeesh, way to double down on the dismissive victim-blaming, [insert personal attack here].

  303. dianne says

    My dirty little secret is that I have Republican family members who don’t view the Bush presidency as the unmitigated disaster that it was.

    Well, if you grade on a sliding scale, I’ll say that Bush I’s presidency wasn’t quite as bad as Reagan’s. Or Bush II’s. So “unmitigated disaster” might be a touch strong…

  304. dianne says

    I was thinking of W who, if I’m not mistaken, was also a Yalie.

    Looked it up. Apparently, he is. I had the idea that he was not, for some reason, possibly his apparent intellectual function.

    Between Bush the younger and Reagan…kind of a tough call. Reagan threatened to destroy the world, planned to put dissidents in concentration camps, supported Pol Pot, and committed high treason, but Dubya started two wars, one entirely unprovoked, started the overt use of torture as an interrogation technique, eroded women’s rights, started a major economic downturn from which we may never recover…just hard to say who was worse.

  305. blf says

    The mildly deranged penguin is of several minds — nothing new there — as to whether or not this edition’s mascot is really a penguin.

    For: Cute. Natural tuxedo. Teeth-filled beak that frightens a T. Rex (but possibly not forty-foot high killer rats). No peas.

    Against: No cheese. No MUSHROOMS! No trebuchet. Not wearing a bowler and tutu whilst drinking a Margarita, smoking a hookah, and break-dancing to an electric bombarde, kazoo, and unsuspecting bystanders orchestra.

    The Nays seem to have it ?

  306. lexie says

    Would anyone like to defend A+ on the A+ podcast thread, the currently the discussion has descended into minutia (a discussion on the definition of community), I have SWOTI syndrome but also have been sleeping very poorly and I want to try and get some sleep, does anyone want to take over? :)

  307. lexie says

    Sorry just ignore me, I don’t know why I would be so mean as to knowingly inflict SWOTI syndrome on anyone else. I’m normally nice :)

  308. portia says

    I can’t visualize either. My mother said I was the least imaginative kid.

    Garage sales/craigslist/thrift shops are my great weakness. I bought 5 oldish wooden chairs on Saturday, with the intent to paint and reupholster the cushions. Very excited about them. Then it unexpectedly rained. Should I toss the cushions and reconstruct them? Or is there hope for them to dry out sufficiently and not succumb to mildew? Any tips are appreciated.

    Have you all seen this? I know that PZ took down in glorious fashion the study that said that circumcision helps prevent HIV infection, but I’m not familiar with the other literature.

    http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/08/27/159955340/pediatricians-decide-boys-are-better-off-circumcised-than-not?utm_source=npr&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=20120827

  309. lexie says

    If anyone reads the previous two posts please ignore, sorry, we seem to have reached some sort of consensus on ‘community’. Sorry

  310. Beatrice says

    lexie,

    Don’t apologize so much. :)

    I think that colinmackay is not arguing in good faith and since I was reading something of interest for the past hour or so, I didn’t want to waste time arguing with him any more.

  311. thunk, may or may not be onomotopoeia says

    A sudden breakthrough of tropical moisture has made thunkland surprisingly wet.

    Together with remnants of Isaac coming in about 6 days, this should provide some drought relief hopefully.

  312. Beatrice says

    Honest Toddler:

    Someone just tweeted to me about putting a baby bird back in its nest. Why? It failed the first test. Game over.

    *snicker*

  313. lexie says

    Beatrice,

    I will try to refrain from apologizing so much, almost everyone I know has told me I do it too much. When I was a kid I was told that a lot of things which definitely weren’t my fault were and was also told not to annoy people (basically by talking to them) and some very silly part of me still feels responsible for most things which go wrong and feeling like I am annoying people merely by talking to them. (now tempted to apologize again but am refraining ☺)

    I think I agree with you about colinmackay. Why the hell do all these people hate A+ so much if you don’t want to be part fine but stop telling us we can’t be. I hope that whatever you were reading was enjoyable.

    Anyway I am definitely going to bed as it’s past midnight.

    Goodnight.

  314. blf says

    Someone just tweeted to me about putting a baby bird back in its nest. Why? It failed the first test. Game over.

    The person standing below with a open roasting pan failed.

  315. Beatrice says

    lexie,

    I can identify with a lot of your comment #434. I’m still being made to feel guilty about things I rationally know I can’t be guilty for (you’ll see if you ever stumble upon one of my rants about my family situation). So, while I don’t know details of your situation, I think I at least partially get it.

    I don’t think we’ve ever talked until now, but I haven’t found your comments to others annoying. Quite the opposite.

    Good night.

  316. says

    @246

    Lynna: Seriously? Custer? One of history’s biggest losers? Why?

    Possible answers:
    Custer worship is centered in Texas. Logic is not centered in Texas.
    Custer is white and he was defeated tricked by humans with darker skin.
    Custer had lovely, long, wavy locks of hair.

    ….Texans chose to remember him as a friend, “the Stuart of the North…once our foe, but a generous and manly one.” Papers throughout the state clamored for the right to raise a volunteer force: “Texas deserves the honor of attempting to wipe out the Sioux,” the Austin State Gazette insisted. Resolutions passed at a public meeting in Dallas, and a reunion of Hood’s Texas Brigade in Bryan praised Custer as “a rare and magnanimous officer.” The state legislature passed a resolution of condolence, subsequently published as a congressional document, noting that Custer had “endeared” himself to Texans by his frontier service.

    http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fcu36

    http://custerlives.com/custer20.htm

  317. says

    Forgot to mention in my Custer post that New Mexico is too close to Texas. Custer-worship seeps into surrounding states.

    The view from Indian Country.

    The Republican National Committee (RNC) is standing by a top leader with the organization who said that Col. George Armstrong Custer was “dishonored” when New Mexico’s governor met with American Indians earlier this year.

    The embattled RNC executive committee member is Pat Rogers, a GOP lobbyist and partner with the Modrall law firm of Albuquerque, New Mexico. He wrote the following words in an e-mail to the staff of Republican New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez in June after her tribal meeting was announced: “The state is going to hell. Col. [Allen] Weh would not have dishonored Col. Custer in this manner.” Weh was a Republican candidate for state governor who ran against Martinez in 2010….

    Rogers’ apology came in an August 25 Albuquerque Journal article, in which he said he was attempting to be funny: “I made a poor attempt at humor in a private e-mail, and it’s being twisted by a partisan group,” he told the newspaper. “I certainly intended no offense, but I do apologize.”

    Many American Indians have not taken Rogers’ words as a joke, and the RNC has not heeded calls for a reprimand. Officials there also did not acknowledge that he has not apologized directly to American Indians….

    “It is appalling that one of the leading organizers of the RNC is spewing such garbage,” said Rhonda LeValdo-Gayton, president of the Native American Journalists Association. “I wonder if he even knows that Custer didn’t deal with the tribes in New Mexico?”

  318. says

    Moments of Mormon Madness. This entry comes from ex-mormon “badfish.”

    Heber Valley Camp…

    This place is amazing. It rarely gets mentioned in criticism of the church because it has the perfect cover story: Its Girl’s Camp!

    Description: 10,000 acres of pristine Aspen and Pine covered forest land with a lake, immaculately maintained roads and hiking trails, cabins with flush-toilets & kitchens, and campsites named after Mormon royalty families like Hinkley, Smith, and Snow. There is a 20-30 million dollar road built scaling up from Heber Valley up to these camp sites…The construction of this road was a massive project requiring cutting into the mountainside … The road has a ditch running along side lined with crushed red-rock. …The elevation is 7,500 – 10,000 feet. The property has Zip Lines and other challenge courses staffed with free cult labor. Million dollar cabins surround the property.

    Where: about a 30 minute drive South-East of Park City in the Mountains East of Heber City, UT.

    How its used: Girl’s Camp, Mormon family reunions, and “General Authority families-only” retreats.

    The Oppressive Rules: Modest dress only. No shorts of any kind are allowed, not even full knee-length. No sleeveless shirts, not even for kids. “dress and grooming should be modest, tasteful, and conform to LDS Church standards.” Cranky old cult members are on staff to go ape-Sh7%@ on you if you even think of flashing shoulder or cankle. They will also get in your grill complete with priesthood authority if you don’t park in the prescribed manner.

    The blocked out weeks in September and October for the church hierarchy’s families is what I have a problem with. …They get this place to themselves without having to mix with the regular members. The volunteer “missionaries” are at their beck and call during this time to maintain the property, take out their garbage, provide security, and staff the zip lines and lake safety squads. This is essentially a mountain retreat perk for the leaders of the church and an abuse of church funds and resources. What is the annual budget for this property? Nobody knows because there hasn’t been financial transparency from the church since the early 1960s, you know back in the “good old days” when blacks were not allowed in temples.

    Official link: http://www.hebervalleycamp.org/….

  319. says

    Portia,
    I just read the NPR article you linked to and… yeah. It doesn’t say anything new, really and I’m left wondering that if circumcision is so great, why isn’t Europe a hot spot for STDs and cervical cancer and whatnot?

    Anyway, since the pediatricians are basing their recommendations on the studies done in Africa, I think it would be best to keep PZ’s criticisms in mind:

    The analysis points out a few new things I hadn’t noticed, in addition to the bad experimental design and the inflated statistics: the results were confounded by the fact that the newly circumcised individuals also got additional counseling about safe sex, and were restricted in their sexual practices by their surgical wounds. It’s bad research coming to impractical and unrealistic conclusions, and they suggest that there are better answers than promoting this shaky idea that circumcision reduces the risk of AIDS.

    http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2012/07/02/no-more-mangled-wee-wees/

    I’m leftt wondering what’s in it for the doctors promoting circumcision.

  320. says

    Iowa Congressman Steve King never tires of showing off his finely honed intellect.

    Among King’s more notable statements are his calling the Department of Agriculture’s settlement with black farmers “slavery reparations,” and his recent defense of Missouri Rep. Todd Akin — in which he said that he did not personally know any child who had become pregnant through statutory rape or incest.

    http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/steve-king-ad-he-says-what-were-thinkin

  321. cicely says

    For example a DM would most definitely thus conspire to have a troll rip off a rule lawyering player’s arm and them beat him to death with his own rod of wounder.

    Or have the government of their cash-up-base city rules-lawyer them out of the greater portion of their hard-“earned” swag. With, of course, plenty of local back-up (magical and otherwise) to ensure compliance.
    *evil grin*

    So, I have Avogadro’s number, but what the hell is his phone number?

    According to this tee shirt (for which I have a desperate and continuing case of WANT!), it’s 602-1023.

    Her first words were, “Would somebody pass the goddamned potatoes?”

    :D :D :D

    Good to hear that Zoe and Carrot are doing better.

    I tried to ask her if she had it made, or if she made it, but she just kept telling me it was all right, I could have it.

    You do realize that that’s the start of a horror story, right?

    Possibly even a book of short stories, suitable for treatment as a horror series. Tales of the Travelling Coat? Travelling Coat-tales?

    In any case…kristinc, whatever you do…don’t put your hands in the pockets!

    (link:Pea plant grows in man’s lung.)

    See?!?

    Watch for pods.

  322. portia says

    I’m leftt wondering what’s in it for the doctors promoting circumcision.

    *dons tinfoil hat* Me too. I’ve always scoffed at the idea that it was for hospital’s profit, or some such, but I don’t know.

    In all seriousness, I just do not understand the logic. Why cut off a part of the body when we could just teach people how to prevent STD infection? Oh wait, we already discussed the reasons for not teaching rational approaches to sex. Sigh.

  323. cicely says

    Every time someone writes this, I imagine a person squating, preparing for the attack and jumping at the other with arms splayed ridiculously.

    In my case, you should imagine that the sqatting-and-lurking is being done from the cover of tall grass. Twitching tail-tip optional.
    :)

  324. says

    Ah yes. That sweet, sweet circumcision money.

    Also remember: circumcision became a thing in the US as an antimasturbatory measure. It had nothing to do with health or cleanliness* at all.

    *Well, except you could clean your pee pee** by barely touching it. ‘Cos the more time you spend touching it, the higher likelihood that you’re gonna whack it.

    **I’m disappointed that “pee” isn’t in my dictionary.

  325. says

    In the wake of Akin flaking out, Mitt Romney has come full circle and is now boasting about Romneycare. Here’s an interesting point, Romneycare covers abortion, while Obamacare does not.

    Say WHAT? I mean, this is the guy who ran as fast as his stilted gait would carry him away from his healthcare achievements as Governor …. then boasted about Romneycare …. then scurried away … then hemmed and hawed. But to be on the Romneycare bandwagon because it provides coverage for women’s reproductive health? What will his fellow Republicans say?

    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/27/1124663/-Aaaaaaand-now-Mitt-Romney-likes-birth-control-and-abortion-again

    In other news, Daily Kos pointed out grammar errors on Todd Akin’s website page that featured a giant fetus, so Akin’s team tried to correct the errors, and they also aborted the fetus. The page used to say, “Tell McCaskill That Your Standing With Todd Akin!” They corrected the error to read, “Tell McCaskill That Your’re Standing With Todd Akin!” So close.

    After a third try, they finally got it right.
    Screen grabs of previous errors.

  326. portia says

    Also remember: circumcision became a thing in the US as an antimasturbatory measure.

    brb breaking stuff.

  327. says

    What a pity, what a shame. Donald Trump won’t be speaking at the Republican convention in Tampa after all.

    That’s okay, Trump will still be in Florida to accept the “Statesman of the Year,” award. Camp Trump is putting out eyebrow-raising statements about the event in Sarasota:

    “The RNC cancelled Monday. Mr. Trump will not be in Tampa,” Michael Cohen, Trump’s spokesman, wrote in an e-mail Saturday evening. “However he is still going tomorrow to Sarasota. The Statesman event is now even bigger than before as all the reporters are heading to Sarasota.”

    Washington Post coverage noted that,

    The Sarasota Republican Party, if not all the reporters, agreed, saying in a statement that Trump was “bigger than Isaac.”

  328. portia says

    Trump was “bigger than Isaac.”

    Ego or hair?

    bah-dum-bum.

    Ok. there’s lotsa broken stuff but I feel better.

    Lest I shirk my virtual rat-parenting duties, I wish the ratties all the best today, Caine! Gentle pets for all.

  329. ImaginesABeach says

    Many state Medicaid agencies are no longer paying for routine circumcision (generally there is an expcetion for medical necessity). In my state, approximately 1/3 of births are covered by public programs. That’s a lot of babies.

    On the other hand, the theory might be that if we can’t do disease prevention education, a little circumcision can’t hurt in the fight against disease.

    I’m not endorsing either theory, just putting them out there.

  330. says

    Re: circumcision… I have a foreskin, I see no actual benefit to it, so can I sell it on the black market to one of those poor(but hopefully rich in cash!) souls who thinks that they were mutilated by their parents/society?

  331. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Giliell:

    Can you get water treatment tablets?

    I suppose I could if I knew what the heck they were and where to get them at. I take it this is something used by hikers to purify their water or something?
    ****

    Beatrice:
    I’ve never been a fan of apricots, but I haven’t tried apricot glaze. With the added flavor of the cake and the chocolate glaze, it might taste a bit different than an apricot. If nothing else, I would try it :)
    ****
    cicely @444:
    clicking on the link(s) you provided takes you to the site with the tee shirt you want (by clicking on ‘this’) and an auto parts website (by clicking on ‘tee shirt’).
    Thought that was amusing.

  332. broboxley OT says

    Portia #449 ya mean I could have been hitting it 20 times a day when I was 14 instead of ten times a day? I feel ripped off

  333. says

    ImaginesABeach:
    The problem is (which I quoted above), there really isn’t any evidence that circumcision does anything to prevent the spread of disease– the research has been highly flawed in favor of *snip snipping*. And since the arguments for circumcision change based on what’s acceptable (stop touching yourself, cleanliness, disease control), I have a huge problem giving anyone the benefit of the doubt on the matter.

  334. says

    Calling all Birders!

    Anyone know where I can get a (second-hand) paperback of the out-of-print A Guide to the Birds of Wallacea: Sulawesi, The Mollucas and Lesser Sunda Islands?

    Tried Amazon, ebay, etc.. No luck. Even The Oriental Bird Club can’t help me, ((although they say you can apparently get copies (in Indonesian only) in Jakarta)). The closest I can get is the Birds of Sulawesi, but that obviously doesn’t cover the whole area.

    I’m not leaving until December (but I’ve been looking for this book for four months already).

    …. now I’m going to have to read every post here for months in the unlikely event that someone replies. :)
    …. or contact me on fb (same nym).

  335. thunk, may or may not be onomotopoeia says

    Lynna:

    Trump? Bigger than Isaac? Hahahahhahahahahahahhahahahaahahaha!!!

    Though seriously, with the level of energy dissipated by a large tropical cyclone (25 TJ in the case of this storm), it’s rather hard to stop.

  336. thunk, may or may not be onomotopoeia says

    (Also note that Issac’s storm surge destructivity rating is currently 2.6– roughly equivalent to a normal example of that category of cane, but a bit high in recent experience.)

  337. Antiochus Epiphanes says

    I have a foreskin, I see no actual benefit to it, so can I sell it on the black market to one of those poor(but hopefully rich in cash!) souls who thinks that they were mutilated by their parents/society?

    Do you keep it in a jar, or are you offering to circumcize yourself for money?

    Either way, I suggest that you charge for shipping and handling.

    Especially handling.

  338. cicely says

    Tony: Huh. ‘Tee shirt’ wasn’t set up as a link, and doesn’t appear as one on my screen. And I can’t think why auto parts would make any sense, in context.

  339. says

    I’m planning on charging for the 37 years I’ve been caring for my foreskin, plus for the surgery, 6-8 weeks recovery time, and a little something just because I’m greedy.

  340. says

    Kristin:

    She gave me that coat.

    OMFG. Wow.

    Tielserrath:

    I’m in big trouble

    I hope it can be worked out. :(

    Tony:

    I wonder if this is an American thing, but why do many people give their vehicles a gender?

    I don’t get that, myself.

    I hope T. and K. can be persuaded to take Isaac seriously. Things can change pretty fast — and the ever-warmer Gulf waters don’t augur well for milder storms.

    Pteryxx:

    StarStuff is home safely now.

    Good.

    blf, I think the Guardian may be a bit too blithe about the Tories. “It can’t happen here” is a dangerous attitude. Canada used to think it could never become like us… and then Stephen Harper got into office, and his administration is doing everything in its power to make the country more like the U.S.

    Caine, I hope Gytha is doing well now.

    Giliell:

    what did she expect? Valium?

    I would totally eat a mousse made with Valium.

    Audley, I am snerking at the phrase “tube pussy.” It should be a band name.

    Lexie and Beatrice, I hear you on both the “everything is your fault” and “don’t annoy people” things. Nobody continues to inflict the guilt on me, but old mental habits are hard to break.

    Joe:

    I have a foreskin, I see no actual benefit to it, so can I sell it on the black market to one of those poor(but hopefully rich in cash!) souls who thinks that they were mutilated by their parents/society?

    Don’t use eBay. You’d have to worry about bids being… retracted.

  341. says

    Giliell:

    I figured it’s just another one of those “more mum than thou” things that’s after my time and money.

    Eh, I figure it’s more one of those things that’s after your time and money by getting you to pay for something you could easily figure out yourself. Like the craft stores that charge for “classes” on gluing felt flowers to headbands. I certainly didn’t need any books or classes, we just either used ASL signs we already knew or made them up. It’s not rocket science.

    Instead of being a useful tool for parents to use, baby signing is looked at as “OMG! You don’t teach your baby to sign?? Well, she’ll never get into Yale now.”

    Yeah, that too. But take it from me, it’s a lot/i> of fun. (Plus you get the added fun of freaking out the Yale parents by cheerfully DOIN IT RONG.)

  342. says

    So Improbable Joe, from his position of priviledge, can’t understand some circumcised man wishing that a very sensitive and pleasure-giving bit of their body had not been cut off without their permission, and comes on here and portrays the unwillingly mutilated as whiners and makes jokes anout it?

    Nice going, Joe.

    I’m trying to imnagine the reponses if JM had said that shit.

  343. says

    Completely off every other subject, but isn’t technology awesome and funny? I’ve got a couple of digital guitar effects pedals, one for echo and another for reverb, that like any other effects pedal can be dialed in by way of turning the knobs. Or, I can use my iPhone to download settings created by other guitar players, including people you’ve actually heard of like Joe Perry from Aerosmith, and that sometimes contain sounds that can’t be gotten by turning the knobs. That’s cool.

    The funny bit? The settings go from my phone to the pedals by holding the phone up the the guitar’s pickup, and then the phone spits out a series of beeps like old-school fax/dial-up modems that travel through the guitar and into the pedals. It just tickles me every time I do it!

  344. says

    I kind of hate Twitter. Great for following, bad for responding and following responses. Gosh, and so few characters to work with.

    I feel there is this huge disconnect when people talk about this. Haven’t those people followed that whole year since Elevatorgate and before, all those, whatnow 30.000+ blog posts and forum threads and comments?

    And then I get it. No, they didn’t.

    Many of them probably didn’t really follow all that.

    They think we are really imagining the dissing and dismissing and that we are hysterically overreacting and NOW just reacting to he trolls we raised ourselves.

    I don’t know what to tell such a person.

  345. says

    So Improbable Joe, from his position of priviledge, can’t understand some circumcised man wishing that a very sensitive and pleasure-giving bit of their body had not been cut off without their permission, and comes on here and portrays the unwillingly mutilated as whiners and makes jokes anout it?

    Nice going, Joe.

    I’m trying to imnagine the reponses if JM had said that shit.

    I was just going to laugh. I’m still going to laugh, but first I’m going to comment on something mildly important:

    very sensitive and pleasure-giving bit of their body

    Really? Based on what? Because I made clear that my foreskin doesn’t actually seem to do anything except collect secretions and occasionally lint. I’m afraid that those people who lack a foreskin have done themselves a serious disservice by creating a fetish/mythology about the wonders of the foreskin. I’ve listened to a lot of the rhetoric, and frankly I see a whole bunch of irrational expectations of how sex with a foreskin would be significantly different from sex without one.

    You know what you rarely hear? “Gimme an extra-flap-of-skin-job, baby!” or other euphemisms for sex acts designed to create pleasure by specifically targeting the foreskin. Fondle the scrotum, suck the balls, maybe lick the nipples, even finger in the butt. Not really much with the foreskin, which according to some people who don’t have one, is possibly the source of “real” pleasure that they are missing out on. I’m guessing there’s a reason for that.

  346. Louis says

    Improbable Joe,

    Really? Based on what? Because I made clear that my foreskin doesn’t actually seem to do anything except collect secretions and occasionally lint.

    Really? I can pick up buns with mine…

    Louis

  347. carlie says

    Rush Limbaugh is saying that the national weather service faked its predictions on the hurricane because of an Obama conspiracy to wreck the Republican National Convention. SERIOUSLY.

  348. says

    carlie – loved this quote (my bold)

    Limbaugh claimed there was “one of the biggest, one of the largest shifts in model forecast I have seen since 1997 when I moved down [to Florida] and started caring about this stuff.”

  349. says

    RTL:

    Limbaugh claimed there was “one of the biggest, one of the largest shifts in model forecast I have seen since 1997 when I moved down [to Florida] and started caring lying about this stuff.”

    Also, it couldn’t be that the models are changing due to global climate change, because Al Gore made that up during the same marijuana-addled evening that he invented the internet.

  350. says

    Daisy, no thanks because I can unfortunately imagine. I’m guessing it exists for sad men who blame their other real problems on the lack of foreskin and have fetishized the turtleneck.

  351. says

    Daisy, two feets firmly on the board. I’m referencing a specific sort of person, not everyone who lacks a foreskin or who is against circumcision. Hell, I’m vaguely against circumcision myself… I don’t think it really matters either way, so the “tie goes to the runner” and you don’t do surgery without a compelling reason rather than a “eh, it doesn’t usually hurt and might occasionally help.”

  352. says

    I was mainly reacting to the implication in the last joke that a certain sexual practice was only for losers. It was one of those jokes that was probably better reserved for people who would be absolutely certain you were joking, you know?

  353. says

    Tell me I’m stupid or uninformed, but would it be possible, in this day and age of internet technology, to make up a system of news feeds that works like twitter and/or google news that you subscribed to based on catch phrases? That gives out Emails with links?

    But coming from a certain group of people who collect those links instead of the whole internet that doesn’t know you very well?

    If someone makes this a billion dollar thing, can I get credits?

  354. carlie says

    Joe – RTL’s a good one, just hasn’t been around a lot lately since you’ve been here. Isn’t a fly-by-night fight-picker.