Oct 13 2012

[Thunderdome]

Categories:

Open Thread

by PZ Myers

This is Thunderdome, the unmoderated open thread on Pharyngula. Say what you want, how you want.

Status: UNMODERATED; Previous thread

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632 comments

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501

chigau (棒や石)

20 October 2012 at 4:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

一本目!
502

cm's changeable moniker

20 October 2012 at 6:26 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Dammit, but this is the stupidest comment I’ve seen lately.

Dawkins suffers from that Anglo smugness that derives from having had a quasi-functioning democracy/economy/society for a couple of centuries. I remember it well from my travels. An American or Brit or Aussie (rarely Canadian, interestingly) would start to lecture the denizens of a third world shithole on why they lived in a third world shithole. I would of course cringe and mouth “Sorry” over the shoulder of the lecturer.

I suppose now that 8 years of Bush have turned the US into a third world shithole, we will have to get used to it.

… and four years of Obama, and while still having the biggest economy in the world, and the strongest military, and the most political influence, and, amazingly, still providing the world with its reserve currency, but you know, apparently the US is now as powerless as Mali, Somalia, or Burkina-Faso.

Um, no.

—

I remember one very satisfying episode, though. A German was lecturing a woman from California about how stupid Californians must be to have elected Governor Arnold.

“Yeah,” I chimed in. “You guys elected an Austrian. And the Germans know what happens when you elect an Austrian.”

Apparently, it’s OK to Godwin the Lounge for one’s personal satisfaction.

*shrug*
503

John Morales

20 October 2012 at 7:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

cm, hey!

(See the value of the Thunderdome!)
504

cm's changeable moniker

20 October 2012 at 7:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

We don’t need another hero.

I’m not sure this is an unalloyed good.
505

a_ray_in_dilbert_space

20 October 2012 at 9:04 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

cm,
Have you ever been to the US? It has the Gini coefficient of a third world country. It has 16% of its people living in poverty. You cannot eat fish you catch on the East coast because they have been poisoned by mercury from coal-fired power plantsin the Midwest. It has more citizens who believe in frigging angels than believe in evolution. It is on its way to being Haiti with nukes. Have fun with that.
506

cm's changeable moniker

21 October 2012 at 5:38 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Have you ever been to the US?

I’ve been to LA, San Fran, northern CA, Chicago, NY (lots), and lived for a while in Smallsville, VA.

So, um, maybe not?

http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/magazine/108185/blue-states-are-scandinavia-red-states-are-guatemala
507

cm's changeable moniker

21 October 2012 at 7:48 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Apropos infographic, maybe:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/01/comparing_us_states_countries
508

cm's changeable moniker

21 October 2012 at 2:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Did I break the dome?

On TV now, Secret Universe: The Hidden Life of the Cell.

It’s really cool, made even cooler by having David Tennant narrate.
509

chigau (棒や石)

21 October 2012 at 2:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I dunno cm, the whole site is pretty quiet.
510

chigau (棒や石)

22 October 2012 at 12:16 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

We could tidy up in here…
maybe polish the chains…
sort the whips…
511

nms

22 October 2012 at 4:33 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Crommunist’s gets invaded by MRAs. Well, one MRA.
512

cm's changeable moniker

22 October 2012 at 8:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Holy crap! Romney just triple-downed on the “US Navy is the weakest since 1916″.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/jan/18/mitt-romney/mitt-romney-says-us-navy-smallest-1917-air-force-s/

I really shouldn’t watch these things.
513

chigau (棒や石)

22 October 2012 at 8:51 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

*sigh*
They don’t understand us.
Maybe new curtains to hide … the remains.
514

Rutee Katreya

22 October 2012 at 10:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Yeah, nms. There really aren’t that many MRAs, so they have to ration them out XD

Mind, there’s a shit ton of terrible misogynists (as opposed to run of the mill misogyny we can expect from pretty much everyone), but MRA-dom itself is pretty damn fringe XD
515

Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze–

22 October 2012 at 10:16 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

nms:
I think there are two in that thread. They appear to be tag teaming.
516

nms

23 October 2012 at 12:45 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I wasn’t sure if the other one was an MRA or just incredibly bitter until a later comment.

-

Mind, there’s a shit ton of terrible misogynists (as opposed to run of the mill misogyny we can expect from pretty much everyone), but MRA-dom itself is pretty damn fringe XD

That’s… reassuring? I guess?

And thanks for taking the time to argue with them, Rutee.
517

Rutee Katreya

23 October 2012 at 10:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I only do it while its’ vaguely interesting, it’s… not quite nothing, but it’s not much.
518

chigau (棒や石)

24 October 2012 at 1:31 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I’m so tired.
519

John Morales

24 October 2012 at 1:34 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

chigau, I wish I were just tired, rather than jaded. :|
520

Caine, Divisitrix du mal

24 October 2012 at 1:36 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Audley is at the hospital. Will let you all know when Darkfetus hits the planet.
521

chigau (棒や石)

24 October 2012 at 2:02 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Caine
Thanks.
(for both Threads)
522

Caine, Divisitrix du mal

24 October 2012 at 2:16 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Audley has been sent home, labor progressing too slowly.
523

McC2lhu doesn't want to know what you did there.

24 October 2012 at 4:10 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

labor progressing too slowly

Phew! If there was a ‘u’ in labor things could have become political.
524

Brownian

24 October 2012 at 10:22 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Thanks for the update, Caine.

Go Audley!
525

Portia

24 October 2012 at 2:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Dare I ask what’s the deal with reliwhat?
526

ChasCPeterson

24 October 2012 at 2:35 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

A brief musical history of ~~Canaan Palestine Israel~~ the Levant.
http://vimeo.com/50531435#
527

Tethys

24 October 2012 at 2:36 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Oh reliwhat, come out and plaaaa-a-ayyyy!

Yes folks, reli has > BOOM < been confined to thunderdome. Let the battle begin!
528

Janine: Hallucinating Liar

24 October 2012 at 2:38 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Fuckface seems to think we are all in lockstep and has taken it upon himself to “ask questions”. But being called upon how he conducts himself leads to whines of bullying.

In other words, he is a slimy escapee from a GI tract.
529

chigau (棒や石)

24 October 2012 at 2:39 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Portia
Perhaps reliwhat will explain for xiself.
But I bet xe posts somewhere else and gets bamned.
*sigh*
It’s so hard to find good trolls these days.
530

Ogvorbis: broken and cynical

24 October 2012 at 2:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Well, reliwhat just posted again in Wheeee! and will most likely be banhammered into the middle ages.
531

Thomathy, Holy Trinity of Conflation: Atheist-Secularist-Darwinist

24 October 2012 at 2:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Continued from Wheeee! Here we go again!.

in this case, i’m referring to late term abortions, which were or are common in russia (i don’t know the situation now, i saw the documentary long ago). The problem was that too many late term abortion happened and it was taking it’s toll on doctors. And this is not an argument against abortion, it’s something that makes abortions look bad, thats different, because the pro-choice position mainly talks about early abortions. A thing like that could get “thrown away with the bath water”, because, as i said, it makes abortions look bad, but, in reality, it has value. Indeed, a lawyer named JP White used that point to show that it was immoral to allow abortions only when the ethics committee of the hospital thought it was ok. The reason was, most of the time, the ethics committee would take too much time to make its decision, which would result in late term abortions. And that led to a legislation allowing abortion clinics to exist, even though abortions were illegal.

Unless Russia had really good figures on abortion rates, then I highly doubt if there was a significant number of late-term abortions. It is very easy to look at excellent figures, like those provided in Canada (formerly by StatsCan and now by some other authority), to see that late term abortions are really very rare (and Canada has no laws regarding abortion; no law specifying a cut-off).

That said, even if there were many late-term abortions, that still isn’t bad, nor does it make abortions look bad. What exactly is meant by late-term in this extraordinary Russian case?
532

Thomathy, Holy Trinity of Conflation: Atheist-Secularist-Darwinist

24 October 2012 at 2:51 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Well, reliwhat just posted again in Wheeee! and will most likely be banhammered into the middle ages.

reliwhat probably was writing that post and missed PZ’s because of a lack of refresh during the post writing. I know that happens to me all the time because I don’t often use a text-editor to write my posts and so can’t refresh while I compose.

Not that I guess it matters, since reliwhat might deserve the banhammer regardless of having posted after that comment.
533

reliwhat

24 October 2012 at 2:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

oh, so thats the thunderdome. I guess he could have posted a link.
534

reliwhat

24 October 2012 at 2:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

i had no clue what he was talking about.
535

Tethys

24 October 2012 at 2:56 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Oh look, Chigau’s prediction was accurate.

Reli is a very poor quality troll. Smarmy isn’t a very desirable quality in general. A really good troll usually manages to generate at least one hilarious gift-meme such as quantum tomatoes, goats on fire!, or fractured french fem-titles.
536

Rey Fox

24 October 2012 at 2:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

which is why they’re will never be progress

What exactly is “progress” here? The way I see it, the skeptic community is making baby steps toward progress from all this crap by drafting and enacting sexual harassment policies at conventions and just generally educating everyone about this issue.

That’s what progress looks like to me. Giving more microphones to more creeps and bullies and driving women and other underprivileged classes away from atheism/skepticism would be the antithesis of that.
537

Janine: Hallucinating Liar

24 October 2012 at 3:00 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

i had no clue what he was talking about.

That is because you are too busy JAQing off to think about what is actually being said. Also, because you think that we are all in lock step with each other.

Self centered and self satisfied escapee from a nasal passage.
538

reliwhat

24 October 2012 at 3:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

@ janine

actually, it’s because i didnt know what the thunderdome was.
539

Giliell, Approved Straight Chorus

24 October 2012 at 3:04 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

actually, it’s because i didnt know what the thunderdome was.

Your ability to read stuff like the “frequently read threads” list is only rivalled by your ability to reason…
540

chigau (棒や石)

24 October 2012 at 3:05 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

reliwhat
before you are banned
Which part of “Don’t post anywhere else.” did you not understand?
After reading that you could have looked for something called Thunderdome on any Pharyngula page.
541

Ogvorbis: broken and cynical

24 October 2012 at 3:05 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Mein gott in himmel, could reliwhat actually be having a moment of honesty?
542

Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls

24 October 2012 at 3:07 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

actually, it’s because i didnt know what the thunderdome was.

Typical of asshats who don’t pay any attention to anything other than their mental (or real) masturbations. Like you.
543

reliwhat

24 October 2012 at 3:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

@ chigau

well, i wanted to make my point. michealolsen asked a very good question, and it seemed like my answer wasnt clear enough, so i felt i should re write it. Also, it really doesnt bother me if i get banned. It’s not like i’m gonna have any impact, so i dont really care.
544

PZ Myers

24 October 2012 at 3:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Then why the fuck are you posting here? Liar.
545

Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls

24 October 2012 at 3:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

It’s not like i’m gonna have any impact, so i dont really care.

You won’t have any impact due to terminal stupidity, a lack of proper capitailzation, and lack of links to real evidence, not just propergander movies/videos. In other words, your whole posts falls into what Christopher Hitchens said “That which is asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence”.
546

Ogvorbis: broken and cynical

24 October 2012 at 3:16 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

So, reliwhat, that comment that descended into late term abortions — was that an argument that we should not talk about misogyny, sexism, toxic masculinity, LGBT rights, etc., in the atheist community because it will, like the ‘late term abortion problem’ in Russia, make a good thing (in this case, atheism and actual scepticism) look bad?
547

Thomathy, Holy Trinity of Conflation: Atheist-Secularist-Darwinist

24 October 2012 at 3:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Rey Fox, I’m somewhat loathe to say this, but you are distorting what reliwhat actually said, or intended to say, since it was clarified in the other thread, and responding to a straw-argument. Reliwhat literally never suggested that a microphone be given to creeps or bullies.

which is why they’re will never be progress

That’s about a closed ideology and how if people, particularly the old guard of scepticism, don’t open their minds, there will never be progress.

This isn’t entirely right, but it’s not entirely wrong. And despite what Janine thinks, I believe that a lack of diversity is part of the problem, even if that’s not what RW was writing about. Diversity has had to pretty much be forced into scepticism, and similarly into freethought, atheist and rationalist communities. As RW recounts, she thought it was her place, a safe place, somewhere she was welcome, and was proven wrong, though she clearly has a place in the community and ought to, even if she’s since had to construct that place herself. I have to believe that if the community had been more diverse when she arrived, we might not see the level of vocal misogyny that we see at present or that she encountered then.

I think the same is true for me to some extent, and to other minorities or oppressed people to varying extents. We see virulently anti-gay things come from the MRAs too; they overlap with the homophobes. I can hardly say that I’ve had a problem, but I intentionally sought out spaces, like this one, where I could feel welcome and safe -and I do, even if I feel I’m sometimes standing within a city under siege and on the defensive.

Now there is diversity, to some extent, and those who are representative of that diversity are demanding recognition, equality and an end, within these communities of which we consider ourselves to be part, to behaviour that marginalises, minimizes, hurts and offends us within these communities.

Obviously, RW is getting this reaction from misogynists because there are misogynists, but she’s getting this also because of her mere presence in a place that was, previously, a club that didn’t even have to deal with her.

In episode #379 of The Skeptics’ (sic) Guide to the Universe (the most recent one), there was an interview of Jamy Ian Swiss. He iterated, clearly, that while other groups are welcome into ‘his’ (he said that a lot too) sceptic tent, they weren’t allowed to tell him what skepticism should be about, what it’s focus should be. Well, I consider myself a sceptic, as much as I’m sure he does, and he doesn’t own the community or the movement, and I can define what the purview of scepticism should be just as well as he can. I see a diminishing requirement for the debunking of bigfoot and UFOs and a rising requirement for scepticism about religion and for scepticism in regards to politics and issues of social justice. As big of a tent as people like Jamy Ian Swiss want, they want to define what’s important within that tent and it’s exclusionary of feminism and it sees no room for diversity. Go and do your own thing, but leave my tent alone, he says. That’s a problematic attitude and exactly descriptive of a part of the problem as I see it. If I’m allowed into the tent and if I’m allowed to be a part of the community or movement, then I’m damned well going to be defining it and people like Jamy Ian Swiss can take their exclusionary and narrowly-focused scepticism and shove off. Not only do they not own the movement, they don’t get to dictate whether members of the movement address feminist issues (or whatever) within a movement they consider themselves to be a part of.

(I notice that I got carried away and carried on.)
548

Janine: Hallucinating Liar

24 October 2012 at 3:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

If anyone thinks it is worth your time to talk with reliwhat, it will have to be elsewhere.. I have seen him at Dispatches.

How this blog is going to be boring.

Heh.
549

Janine: Hallucinating Liar

24 October 2012 at 3:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I am THE HIGH PRIESTESS OF TYPOS!
550

PZ Myers

24 October 2012 at 3:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Man, it’s hard to keep trolls around. They’re so fragile and flighty.
551

chigau (棒や石)

24 October 2012 at 3:33 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Well.
So much for that.
552

Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls

24 October 2012 at 3:37 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I suspect reliwhat’s goal was to be banhammered.
553

Thomathy, Holy Trinity of Conflation: Atheist-Secularist-Darwinist

24 October 2012 at 3:39 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I suspect reliwhat’s goal was to be banhammered.

to be a martyr? Reliwhat didn’t seem that smart to me.
554

Thomathy, Holy Trinity of Conflation: Atheist-Secularist-Darwinist

24 October 2012 at 3:40 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Wait, that doesn’t make sense. Reliwhat didn’t seem thoughtful enough for that.
555

anteprepro

24 October 2012 at 3:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

The latest to the Thunderdome is a chew toy that has the consistency of oatmeal and a squeak that sounds like air “rushing” out of a half-deflated balloon? *sigh*
556

Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls

24 October 2012 at 3:45 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Reliwhat did a final post on the “boom” thread which it appears PZ deleted prior to applying the banhammer. Something about Ron Paul. Typical liberturd fuckwittery.
557

Janine: Hallucinating Liar

24 October 2012 at 3:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Nerd, if that is the case, I wish that PZ left it there simply so we could see the final straw.
558

Thomathy, Holy Trinity of Conflation: Atheist-Secularist-Darwinist

24 October 2012 at 3:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Seconded, Janine. I still know little about reliwhat, but I’d like to see what drove the banhammer down past not following simple directions.
559

anteprepro

24 October 2012 at 3:51 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Ah, so reliwhat is banned now? Blink and you miss it. At least the Thunderdome will remain stagnant instead of flooded with banality now. Subtle difference, I admit.
560

Janine: Hallucinating Liar

24 October 2012 at 4:03 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

For those who missed it, here is reliwhat at work.

Yes, he is granting TAA an altruistic motive for his mocking of Amanda Todd. He later argues that he did not say he supported TAA, point out the weasel words he used.
561

Tethys

24 October 2012 at 4:05 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Reliwhat’s last post admitted that he was only waving his dick around, complete with ASCII penis. There was also some blather about how PZ made him do it.
562

Janine: Hallucinating Liar

24 October 2012 at 4:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Thank you, Tethys. I can understand why PZ deleted it. I still wish PZ left the comment and cut off the penis.
563

Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze–

24 October 2012 at 4:18 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Janine:
ow.
Some of us cringe at the thought of that.
564

anteprepro

24 October 2012 at 4:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Here’s an even larger sampling of reliwhat’s brand of inanity, for those who might interested. Sampled from across FTB!

Pharyngula:

Dario Maestripieri post:

At first i was like: Pz seems about right on this, he’s not aggressive or anything, his points are clear, his irony is justified. But then came the “sexist dolts in their comment threads telling them that they’re over-reacting or that what Dr Maestripieri said wasn’t so bad”. So, as soon as someone thinks you might be reacting a little too hard, he’s a sexist. I guess next time ill make a decision, about anything, i’ll make sure i ask you first, because you seem the universal center of ethic knowledge.

How Not to be a Good Person:

Oh man, again with the hate. I see so many people on this site not willing to argue. It’s the “you are with me or you are against me” mentality. And, sure, i’m not talking about everyone on this site, but still. I bet i’m gonna get a truck load of shit just for pointing out the hate. Open your mind people and stay calm.

Why I Despise MRAs:

Wow, now i know that theres a guy, somewhere, who’s an asshole! thx pz, i feel so superior to others now! its awesome!!!!!!!

RON PAUL FOR PREZ, 9-11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB. KISS MY BALLS

Lousy Canuck (first world problems):

But i thought (from reading comments on freethoughtblogs) that there was no lesser suffering, so why give money to those people when we could just all give it to our closet anti-bullying charity???

I’m pretty sure this bullshit is tame compared to the Amazing Asshole thread, and the Relative Levels of Concern thread that Tony has linked to (in the lounge, I believe?). So, yeah.
565

anteprepro

24 October 2012 at 4:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

(I said “sampled across FTB” because I was originally going to include Dispatches, but found out that Tony had mentioned it elsewhere. Also, because I was originally going to include it, but then realized that reliwhat’s “Pretty nice, but you are preaching to the choir”, on Mano Singham’s blog, in regards to Bill Moyers mocking Bill O’Reilly, was just a little too tame to bother mentioning)
566

Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze–

24 October 2012 at 4:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

anteprepro:

Reliwhat’s comments at Dispatches were my first interactions with hir. I suppose I’ve harassed, stalked and bullyied hir now as much as xe stated Janine had.
567

Janine: Hallucinating Liar

24 October 2012 at 4:46 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Hey, I was just trying to shock people into helping out those people who are worse off then reliwhat.
568

Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze–

24 October 2012 at 4:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Janine:
LO-fucking-L!!
569

Caine, Divisitrix du mal

24 October 2012 at 5:01 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Audley has seen the doctor, things are going along, just very slowly. She’s at home with a glass of wine now.
570

Janine: Hallucinating Liar

24 October 2012 at 5:02 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Caine, why are you posting this in Thunderdome?

*laughs*
571

John Morales

24 October 2012 at 5:26 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Thomathy:

In episode #379 of The Skeptics’ (sic) Guide to the Universe (the most recent one), there was an interview of Jamy Ian Swiss.

I don’t know why you put sic there, as there’s nothing wrong with it either grammatically or semantically.
572

John Morales

24 October 2012 at 5:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Chas @26, a most entertaining and enjoyable video, that.

(Thanks!)
573

PZ Myers

24 October 2012 at 9:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Since you asked for it, here’s reliwhat’s brilliant last post:

AT PZ’S REQUEST:

8===============D——- ( o Y o )

RON PAUL FOR PRESIDENT, 9-11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB

PZ MADE ME DO IT. seriously, he did.

The man is a moron.
574

Janine: Hallucinating Liar

24 October 2012 at 10:07 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Thank you, PZ. Reliwhat truly did go out with a whimper.
575

Akira MacKenzie

24 October 2012 at 10:16 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

John Morales @ 71

Either our young idiot here is implying that the denizens of the SGU aren’t really skeptics because they don’t by into his brand of bullshit (whatever), or he’s a pretentious ass who prefers the British English spelling of “skepdic” and scoffs at the our barbaric American misspelling.
576

Akira MacKenzie

24 October 2012 at 10:17 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Edit: …(Whatever that maybe).

Having adult ADHD sucks, by the way.
577

Akira MacKenzie

24 October 2012 at 10:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Actually, after reading his last post @ 47 and and doing Google search, Thomathy appears to be using an archaic spelling. I guess even the British spelling is too gauche for his oh so refined tastes.
578

John Morales

24 October 2012 at 10:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Akira, I doubt it’s the orthographic difference between American and British English that’s at issue, but rather the plurality of the possessive.

(Also, I would not characterise Thomathy as an idiot)
579

John Morales

24 October 2012 at 10:30 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

“8===============D——- ( o Y o )”

Lessee… he wears glasses, has an extraordinarily long nose, and dribbles.

(Onomatopoeic emoticon analysis for free!)
580

Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze–

24 October 2012 at 10:51 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

John:
On accepting the notion of a man gaining the ability to run at light speed after getting splashed with chemicals (which were just struck by lightning), the suspension of disbelief must kick in. Part of that is accepting that he’s not going to have superhuman strength.
581

Ing:Intellectual Terrorist "Starting Tonight, People will Whine"

24 October 2012 at 10:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

@Thomathy

Well JIS gets credit for turning me off of Hitchens with his eulogy. My cognitive dissonance snapped like a twig when I realized JIS was praising Hitch for being such a good skeptic by telling a story demonstrating the man’s closed mindedness and blatant ‘does not give a fuck’ of facts on pet issues.
582

Patricia, OM

24 October 2012 at 10:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Caine – Thanks for the update on Audley. :)

PZ MADE ME DO IT!

Yeah, that’s just about what my last employer’s husband said when he got caught screwing the teenaged kennel boy… YOU MADE ME DO IT! His wife, and the rest of the crew were real impressed.
*SNORT*
583

Ing:Intellectual Terrorist "Starting Tonight, People will Whine"

24 October 2012 at 10:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

@Tony

Please it’s not the chemicals. It’s the speed force. The Chemicals don’t make him run fast they just link him to an extrademensional energy source that can convert friction into acceleration force! That is much more plausible!
584

Ing:Intellectual Terrorist "Starting Tonight, People will Whine"

24 October 2012 at 10:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

PZ MADE ME DO IT!

*blink*…

*head scratch*

Is he referencing the Everyman Hybrid ARG?
585

John Morales

24 October 2012 at 11:04 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

[for anyone confused]

The Flash (vs Sooperman) reference has been mysteriously garnered from here.

(My favourite sooperhero is Dr. Strange, BTW)
586

Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze–

24 October 2012 at 11:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Ing:
Ha!
You’re wrong…and right.

At one point (if we’re talking Barry Allen), he *was* the lightning bolt that struck the chemicals.
I think at present, he generates the Speed Force every time he runs. So Barry’s powers stem from the extradimensional energy field that he creates when he moves (and which became retroactive).
587

Ing:Intellectual Terrorist "Starting Tonight, People will Whine"

24 October 2012 at 11:14 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

@Tony

But it exists beyond Barry because other speedsters tap into it and over accerlation can even get someone trapped in it.

Also fuck the nu52 bullshit and frankly fuck Barry too. The most interesting thing he ever did was die
588

Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze–

24 October 2012 at 11:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

John:
Though Master of the Mystic Arts, Stephen Strange isn’t much of a sooperhero.
589

Ing:Intellectual Terrorist "Starting Tonight, People will Whine"

24 October 2012 at 11:16 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

@Tony

Someone is trying to forget the Dorkage

http://static.flickr.com/3315/3222378781_84552dbf40_b.jpg
590

Akira MacKenzie

24 October 2012 at 11:17 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

John Morales:

(Nods)

In that case, I apologize to Mr. Thomathy. I leapt before I looked.
591

Janine: Hallucinating Liar

24 October 2012 at 11:18 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I am mighty. I have a glow you cannot see. I have a heart as big as the moon. As warm as bathwater. We are superheroes, men, we don’t have time to be charming. The boots of evil were made for walkin’. We’re watching the big picture, friend. We know the score. We are a public service, not glamour boys. Not captains of industry. Keep your vulgar moneys. We are a justice sandwich. No toppings necessary. Living rooms of America, do you catch my drift? Do you dig?
592

Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze–

24 October 2012 at 11:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Ing:
Hells yes.
Even though financial strains have prevented me from buying comics on a regular basis since this time last year or so, once I found out about all the details of The New 52, I was turned off. I’ve been following Marvel and DC for decades and enjoyed both off and on. A huge part of my appreciation stems from the ongoing, serialized nature of the stories. The New 52 ripped that to shreds (after DC had rebooted once fully after Crisis, and with a few other softer reboots), while still trying to keep what they liked. I didn’t like the idea of playing pick and choose what to keep. Either keep all the past, or keep none of it. They’re already seeing problems wrt to keeping Batman and Green Lanterns’ histories largely intact, but altering everyone else’s.
Another thing I disliked was regressing Barbara Gordon from Oracle to Batgirl. Not only was she a positive role model for people with physical disabilities, she had a unique, specialized role in the DCU which wasn’t derived from an existing male character. Returning her to Batgirl is a massive character regression that robs her of her individuality and was, frankly insulting.
I also don’t care for Barry Allen. He wasn’t interesting to me before he died. He became far more interesting as this near-saint that Wally held up as a hero. He lacks personality. Much like Superman.
As a geeky fanboy, I also hated the renumbering of Action Comics and Detective Comics. Action had just under 100 issues before it would have hit 1,000 and became the longest running comic book in history.
/takes off geek hat

BTW, I heard on the radio a few days ago that a Mobile, AL museum is opening a new exhibit on the History of Comic Books. I squealed in the car on hearing that.
593

Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze–

24 October 2012 at 11:25 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Ing:
Aahhhh!
That image-it burns.
594

Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze–

24 October 2012 at 11:26 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Janine:
Your herbal supplement is WAAAAAAAAYYY stronger than mine :)
595

Janine: Hallucinating Liar

24 October 2012 at 11:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I’m sure millions of viewers out there are just wondering what it’s like to wear the tights of justice. Well, it’s tingly and it’s uncomfortable, but it gets the job done and, oh, the job of it.
596

Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze–

24 October 2012 at 11:33 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

At least the tights of justice don’t ride up your ass.
Try wearing the Justice Thong™.
597

John Morales

24 October 2012 at 11:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

For Janine.
598

Janine: Hallucinating Liar

24 October 2012 at 11:38 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

The human mind is a dangerous plaything, boys. When it’s used for evil, watch out. But when it’s used for good, then things are much nicer.
599

John Morales

25 October 2012 at 12:47 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

[references relate to the current Lounge thread]

erikthebassist:

@40: The specific form of your unprofessionalism is not the relevant thing, here — it’s that the caller got to you.

@41: No; unless I totally misread you (and I think I don’t), when you wrote ‘shirking’ you meant ‘repudiating’, and now you write ‘duty’ and ‘responsibility’ when you mean ‘expectation’.

(I admit, when it comes to peer pressure, I have it much easier than you (privilege!) because my nature is contrarian, contumacious and anti-authoritarian. But still.)

–

I should rephrase, as a white man who speaks out against the patriarchy, I’m subject to being called a mangina, a white knight, and all sorts of other insults designed to make me feel as if standing up for any one else’s rights is a derelict act

‘derelict’, eh?

(You do realise that’s a near-synonym to ‘shirker’?

So long as you buy into this paradigm, you will feel conflicted)

In the eyes of those who seek to preserve their power base, I am doing nothing short of shirking my responsibilities, as fucked up as that is.

Hm. I smell ex post facto justification, here.
600

erikthebassist

25 October 2012 at 1:16 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Jim, on the iPad so block quoting is cumbersome ATM, but let me try and respond;

Point one, so you’re saying I need more patience when dealing with my callers, got it. This is true. The sooner I get off the phones the better, and I think management knows that but also knows I bring some value outside of that arena, I’m in line for a move soon, so that problem seems to be solving its self.

Point two; what I actually meant was that toeing the line is expected, and to do otherwise is derelict, yes shirking my responsibility as a white male to the other white males.

So when I say I want to shirk that responsibility, I mean it, you can call it repudiating, but were splitting hairs here.

Point three;

It’s too late for me to google ex post facto justification, but if it means what I think it does, you should get your smelling checked by a doctor.
601

erikthebassist

25 October 2012 at 1:17 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Not Jim, JM, dyac
602

John Morales

25 October 2012 at 1:26 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

erikthebassist, you really think you have a responsibility to uphold patriarchy, the which you shirk when you apply your new-found understanding?

(heh)

Anyway, good night, and good luck in your endeavour to be a better person. FWTW.
603

erikthebassist

25 October 2012 at 1:27 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Going to bed JM, and probably not checking in again until some time tomorrow, but I’m interested in what you have to say going forward.
604

chigau (棒や石)

25 October 2012 at 1:29 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

(My favourite sooperhero is Dr. Strange, BTW)

Great.
Another thing that I have in common with John Morales.
605

erikthebassist

25 October 2012 at 1:30 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

No JM, I think the patriarchy has that expectation of me, which I reject, or am trying to reject.

Fwtw

Goodnight =)
606

John Morales

25 October 2012 at 1:33 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

G’night, Erik.
607

chigau (棒や石)

25 October 2012 at 2:48 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Good.
They all sleep.
Now is the time…
608

Caine, Divisitrix du mal

25 October 2012 at 2:57 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Okay, Audley is being admitted to the hospital again. Keep those tentacles crossed. Will let you all know what’s happening as I find out.
609

theophontes (坏蛋)

25 October 2012 at 3:13 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

@ chigau

Weather is cooling down a bit.

@ All

I better get my arse into gear. There is a movie out now with a mechanical tardigrade (pic) – how cool is that!?

For the boffins and buffs:

wget http://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/graphics/blender/demo/movies/ToS/tears_of_steel_1080p.mov
610

chigau (棒や石)

25 October 2012 at 3:26 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

theophontes
It’s -4°C and They™ have said the s-word.
611

Caine, Divisitrix du mal

25 October 2012 at 5:57 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Just heard from Audley, she’s doing well, all is going smoothly, she’s had her epidural, now they’re just waiting.
612

Thomathy, Holy Trinity of Conflation: Atheist-Secularist-Darwinist

25 October 2012 at 9:03 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I tend toward chiefly British . I wouldn’t like anyone to think that I put it there! I prefer my ‘c’s to be hard …which let me tell you is very difficult to accomplish practically. Odd as it may be, that doesn’t correlate to other consonant clusters, because I’m probably the only speaker I know in my dialect who pronounces words like ‘school’ and ‘schedule’ with /sh/ instead of /sk/. At the risk of sounding redundant, I have a rather unique idiolect; or my idiolect has particularly large variations from my native dialect.

Anyhow, take it with a wink and a nudge. I do love the Rogues, however they spell sceptic.

Thanks, Akira MacKenzie. :P It’s really not an archaic spelling, though. It’s still prevalent. If you were looking at an online dictionary, they tend to be sourced from American dictionaries, so I can see them noting it as archaic instead of ‘chiefly British’. A simple google search of the news will return more than 1700 examples in quite recent time.
613

Thomathy, Holy Trinity of Conflation: Atheist-Secularist-Darwinist

25 October 2012 at 9:07 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

It’s not regret I feel, exactly, at seeing reliwhat’s last post. It’s something deeper and more visceral. My face is now screwed up.
614

Rey Fox

25 October 2012 at 9:37 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Janine:

The human mind is a dangerous plaything, boys.

And, as I’m sure you know, it’s a terrible thing to taste.
615

Rey Fox

25 October 2012 at 9:38 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Might as well let others in on the joke
616

Janine: Hallucinating Liar

25 October 2012 at 9:44 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Everybody was a baby once, Arthur. Oh, sure, maybe not today, or even yesterday. But once. Babies, chum: tiny, dimpled, fleshy mirrors of our us-ness, that we parents hurl into the future, like leathery footballs of hope. And you’ve got to get a good spiral on that baby, or evil will make an interception.
617

ChasCPeterson

25 October 2012 at 11:06 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Another thing that I have in common with John Morales.

hmm. Me 3.
618

Ing:Intellectual Terrorist "Starting Tonight, People will Whine"

25 October 2012 at 11:30 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Anyone else remember the time a villain tried to take Dr. Strange out with a candle that nullified magic, only for Strange to curb stomp the mutter Chicago style? That was awesome
619

Caine, Divisitrix du mal

25 October 2012 at 12:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Darkfetus is on the planet! Received from Mr. Darkheart:

Per the request of my lovely and tired wife, I am pleased to inform you that dark fetus has evolved into dark infant as of 11:37 this morning.
620

Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls

25 October 2012 at 12:26 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Per the request of my lovely and tired wife, I am pleased to inform you that dark fetus has evolved into dark infant as of 11:37 this morning.

*sets out birthday cake with a big zero on it*
621

ChasCPeterson

25 October 2012 at 12:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

dark fetus has evolved into dark infant

Well, that’s good news of course.

(wrong verb though…individual organisms can’t evolve. Either ‘developed’ or, better, ‘been rudely and traumatically forced’ would work)
622

Ing:Intellectual Terrorist "Starting Tonight, People will Whine"

25 October 2012 at 12:40 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

@Chas

Clearly it is a pokemon
623

Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze–

25 October 2012 at 1:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Chas:

dark fetus has ~~evolved~~ morphed into dark infant

Better?
624

Amphiox

25 October 2012 at 1:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Only a day old and already wanting to muscle in on Thunderdome?

Kid’s got gumption!
625

cm's changeable moniker

25 October 2012 at 5:14 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Dr. Audley ZD: Yay for successful transition to DarkBaby! (I couldn’t post from work, but have been F5-ing all day.)

—

Re. “baby baby baby”, it’s on a Chemical Brothers mix somewhere but I can’t find it. *grump*

But I did find this, which should move any 90s funkster:

Freestylers – Don’t Stop the Rock
626

Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze–

25 October 2012 at 8:07 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

X-posted from The Lounge:
I thought other members of the Horde might find this insulting:

Humanism (humanists) hold not harming others as a high value. The Pharyngula Horde in-group (SC is one) does not share this value. This heuristic accounts for much of SC’s phrasing and ~splittery language. (fwiw, I lurked mostly and posted there for the better part of a year and will not return anytime soon. They are largely incapable of self reflection with regard to how non- in group people may perceive them (or simply don’t care). This is despite repeated actual notice from folks who mean well and PZ’s change in comment policy which was intended to blunt some of the Hordes more abusive nature.

So far as the Horde has adopted A+ into its identity, the same behaviours of their in-group have been touted by A+ identifying commentors on the various atheist blogs. This too has been commented upon only to be dismissed as no true A+ers (it’s a leaderles movement so all bad acts aren’t part of the movement if they exist) or that no examples of bad (lack of understanding the world from more than 1 ananlysis frame? unfair? pick your pejorative) acts are in existence.

Despite the negativity I’m displaying here, I do hope the A+ succeed in positive social change.
umanism (humanists) hold not harming others as a high value.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/templeofthefuture/2012/10/bracing-the-salty-current-reason-is-a-humanist-value/

That’s from baal, whom I’m sure many of you have encountered around FtB.

The part that’s really fucking insulting is the bolding (my emphasis).
627

Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze–

25 October 2012 at 9:19 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

For those also on PET, Audley has a pic of her and DarkInfant.
628

theophontes (坏蛋)

26 October 2012 at 1:56 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

@ DarkInfant

*cough*

By the powers invested in me as The Most August & Benevolent Dictator for Life, by the Politburo and the full Assembly of the The Committee of the 37th Pleniary Commission of the 7th Convocation for the 3rd Five-Year Plan of the Peoples’ Comintern of the Ministry of Peace of the Pharyngulite Peoples’ Republic of Southern The Endless Thread, but principally by Unilateral Fiat, I hereby promote you, oh DarkInfant, to full membership of the Thunderdome Politburo.

{Loud applause by the teaming myrmidon minions.}
629

chigau (棒や石)

26 October 2012 at 2:14 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

“Benevolent”?
“Benevolent”????
Who Are You????
benevolent.
feh
630

Tony–Queer Duck Overlord of The Bronze–

26 October 2012 at 2:15 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

theophontes:
I’m sorry to inform you sir, but for such a pronouncement to be valid under the law, you must acquire a 2/3 vote from The Lounge.

::it was in the fine print when you signed the Declaration of Eternal Dictatorship::
631

chigau (棒や石)

26 October 2012 at 2:28 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

theophontes
re:Tony #130
“fine print”‽‽‽
What have you been withholding?
A. R
are you by?
632

PZ Myers

26 October 2012 at 2:28 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

NEW THREAD.

I’m closing this a little early while I have net access. Eric Hovind is threatening to send his ‘students’ to Pharyngula, so I’m putting the unmoderated thread up top where maybe he’ll find it.