Comments

  1. Beatrice says

    Almost lost this when the thread closed:

    A woman who got declared our country’s homophobe of the decade by some human rights organizations, who at some point voted against the Law for Prevention of Discrimination, just got elected into the nation’s Human Rights Board.
    She was a candidate supported by the bishops. Gotta love politics.

  2. opposablethumbs says

    Giliell, the dragon is a real stunner. Gorgeous, and there’s nothing like having a unique handmade animal (I still have the one my mother made me when I was a kid).

    Can we have some dragon-themed areas in the commune? If we make it past basic survival, of course.

    I want gates like Gaudi’s dragon gate in Barcelona.

    Also, love the squid. Any part of the commune which is not dragon-themed may be squid-themed (obviously)

  3. says

    I knew that baby squid was named Squeeee!, for that’s what I said as soon as I saw it.

    Random blather: Thanks to a defective heart, I’m horribly sensitive to caffeine and generally have to avoid it if I want to keep from becoming a jittery, adrenaline-drenched mess. Luckily, I’ve discovered that if I heat up 3/4 of a mug of milk, throw in some cocoa and cinnamon so it has flavor to it, and then top that off with full caff coffee, I can drink it without becoming ill.

    This has improved my morning immensely.

  4. vaiyt says

    I knew that baby squid was named Squeeee!, for that’s what I said as soon as I saw it.

    I’m gonna call it George!

  6. pHred says

    That is the most amazingly cute cephalopod that I think I have ever seen. Squeee!

    You would think that the one thing that a student could accomplish would be to successfully write their name on the piece of paper for which they are going to get bonus points… and you would also be wrong. Forgot to write their name – wrote name so intelligibly “icheteroblurrr” ??? I have no idea what it says – wrote first name only (in a class of 162 students) and while I do have amazingly few repeats there are multiple Adams, no Eves this term though.

    Sigh. I am supposed to be grading, which is why I have been reading the Welp, I’m all convinced thread instead. Wow – just wow! Makes my intro class look coherent and utterly brilliant.

  7. Emrysmyrddin says

    Throwing in a Squeeeeee! and an obligatory follow-on GLOMP! for this gorgeous little ceph.
    .
    My OH says no pet squid allowed: in a one-bed flat it could get tricky. We’d come out of the bedroom one morning to find it out of its tank and cooking our bacon.

  9. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    Did PZ clip off most of the EXPOSED thread? I’m only seeing a total of 100 posts.

  11. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    So, today has gone like this so far:
    1. Wake up.
    2. Check email, Facebork, and Twitter.
    3. Get out of bed.
    4. Verify that “Today = Payday” is in fact reflected in my bank balance. Shuffle money around.
    5. Buy Christmas presents from saved carts on various websites
    6. Clean cat shit off the floor ( >_< )
    7. Go to work
    8. Win a free cup of tea
    9. Read FTB.

    And it is only 10:15 am! What's next?! :D

  13. says

    Tony:

    Probably, the thread with all the bunnehs was by chris Jeez harding… and the one with the troll that came in calling everyone here ugly before pz let the women at him was welp…

    If either of those help .

  17. birgerjohansson says

    (Initiating shotgun news item scattering)

    Mars Rover Curiosity Featured in MAD Magazine http://www.space.com/18860-mars-rover-curiosity-mad-magazine.html
    — — — — — — — — —
    Laser drills could relight geothermal energy dreams http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21628955.900-laser-drills-could-relight-geothermal-energy-dreams.html
    Problem: If the beam hits fluid, it will heat the liquid instead of the rock face.. maybe time for a new “Manhattan project” approach to get a reliable technical solution to cheap geothermal drilling.
    .
    Search for aliens poses game theory dilemma http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21628954.200-search-for-aliens-poses-game-theory-dilemma.html
    .
    Another year wasted by climate negotiators http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21628953.200-another-year-wasted-by-climate-negotiators.html
    .
    Permian mass extinction triggered by humble microbe (fed by nickel from lava). http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21628954.400-permian-mass-extinction-triggered-by-humble-microbe.html

  18. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    Last night I made the mistake of staying up late reading James Tiptree.

    Jebus.

    That woman could write so well, but damn.

  21. pHred says

    Oh Goody! I have been

    chosen as a potential candidate to represent your professional community in the 2012 Edition of Worldwide Who’s Who.

    Gotta love professional spam.

  22. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    Joe:
    In the comics, she’s called Rescue (as in ‘search and…’; tho I don’t know if I like her having such a passive role, especially when said role was determined by Stark) rather than Ironwoman.

  23. says

    Tony!
    You mentioned my asshole sister in That Other Thread™ and I would just like to report that she is no longer being an asshole* to me, yay! I’m not making excuses for her (‘cos lord knows I’m still pissed off), but it seems as though she was jealous of me ‘cos I just pretty much herp a derped my way through my pregnancy when her docs have her in twice a week for monitoring ‘cos she’s high risk (due to age) and she’s been stressed out and worried the entire time. Thank goodness that her due date is on Monday– she just needs not to be pregnant anymore.

    Anyway, I’ve decided to forgive her ‘cos life is just too damned short to hold a grudge and she has made it absolutely clear that she loves DarkBaby. I wouldn’t want to take that away from either one of them.

    *Well, no more so than usual, anyway. She has always had a pretty high baseline for assholish behavior to begin with.

  24. says

    I see this story was linked @16. I’m going to repeat it because I am just that fucking angry about the incorrigible stupidity behind it.

    When I saw the story this morning, it was a “Not this again!” moment.

    A Southern California judge is being publicly admonished for saying a rape victim “didn’t put up a fight” during her assault and that if someone doesn’t want sexual intercourse, the body “will not permit that to happen.”…

    This intractable, hard-as-a-rock ignorance is depressing. And it comes from that special place where mostly older white men hold women in such disregard that any excuse to shame women is welcomed, is lovingly fed.

    BTW, I am irredeemably threadrupt, so if this has been discussed already, my apologies.

  25. Beatrice says

    Pope is being his sweetheart self:
    http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2012/12/ill-papa-same-sex-marriage-is-threat-to.html

    There is also a need to acknowledge and promote the natural structure of marriage as the union of a man and a woman in the face of attempts to make it juridically equivalent to radically different types of union. Such attempts actually harm and help to destabilize marriage, obscuring its specific nature and its indispensable role in society. These principles are not truths of faith, nor are they simply a corollary of the right to religious freedom. They are inscribed in human nature itself, accessible to reason and thus common to all humanity. The Church’s efforts to promote them are not therefore confessional in character, but addressed to all people, whatever their religious affiliation. Efforts of this kind are all the more necessary the more these principles are denied or misunderstood, since this constitutes an offence against the truth of the human person, with serious harm to justice and peace.” – Pope Ratzinger, in a message to promote World Peace Day 2013.

  26. says

    More coverage of the Judge in California who had some odd views on rape. This is excerpted from The Maddow Blog:

    Link.
    … According to materials released yesterday, the judge said, “I’m not a gynecologist, but I can tell you something. If someone doesn’t want to have sexual intercourse, the body shuts down. The body will not permit that to happen unless a lot of damage in inflicted, and we heard nothing about that in this case. That tells me that the victim in this case, although she wasn’t necessarily willing, she didn’t put up a fight.”

    Johnson added that the rape of Gurel’s victim was “technical,” and not “a real, live criminal case.”

    While this is clearly both twisted and nauseating, it’s also a reminder that Todd Akin’s ridiculous perspective on rape was not an aberration. There are still far too many conservatives who actually think this way….

  28. george3 says

    vaiyt & michaeld
    Is that supposed to be funny?
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    Because I thought it was.
    Am actually wearing a t-shirt covered in octopodi at this very moment.
    G

  29. says

    Tony… “Rescue”?!?! Gag me with a repulsor ray.

    Although to be fair, not everyone needs to be the warrior, and it is OK for women to hold support roles. I don’t mind this when it is a case of beefing up an existing character to a more proactive role. Where comics lose me is when they create new characters unburdened by continuity and slide them into the same old stereotypical roles. That and the artwork, and the constant sexism.

  32. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    Audley:
    I just read about that shooting at Think Progress. 14 children have died. I cannot stop crying.
    [Meta]
    Can we fucking talk about gun control NOW??!!

  33. F [disappearing] says

    Esteleth

    Yeah, Sheldon was something else. Especially if you are sensitive to that sort of darkness, then wowheavy, indeed.

    Lynna

    I don’t know if Judge I’mNotAGynecologistBut has been discussed here yet, but I ran into His Dishonor over at Zingularity, necessitating an intercranial acid wash.

    Squid

    Cephalopod, thy name is Squeeee!

  34. silomowbray says

    The fatality numbers are climbing, still mostly little kids. I think I’m really starting to lose it. :-(

    FUCK.

  35. says

    Well… the right-wingers have already weighed in on the school shooting, to complain about how schools are ‘no gun zones’ and I guess they think the teachers should all be packing heat as a solution.

  36. Beatrice says

    Is rq or Caerie around? I’m ready to revise my opinion on that Literacy privilege post, thanks to ahmetduran.

    —–

    WTF? Shooting in an elementary school? It’s not like shooting at teenagers makes any more sense, but murdering little kids is just horrible and heartbreaking.

  40. silomowbray says

    From the Twitter link posted by Improbable Joe above:

    Shooters attack an elementary school in CT – another “gun-free zone.” Makes children sitting ducks.

    Say that to the parents, Fischer, you piece of filth. It’s just like you to make it about you and your masturbatory fantasies instead of the EIGHTEEN MURDERED LITTLE KIDS AND THEIR PARENTS you slimey piece of shit.

  41. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    Joe:
    Those right wingers can fuck themselves. Gun violence continues to rage out of control in the U.S. i do not want to own one. I also don’t want to make them illegal. I *do* think it should be much harder for the populace to acquire one and handguns should be the only thing an average citizen can have.
    In addition, the Second Amendment needs to be revisited and possibly reinterpreted for modern society.

  42. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    Wait, so in an elementary school, just who was supposed to be packing heat?

    Has there been any information as to who/what was the gunman’s target?

  46. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    Esteleth:
    Hard to link on my phone, but Think Progress has some information about the shooting.

  47. silomowbray says

    I am going to hug my kids so tight when I pick them up from school today.

    Oh my breaking heart I can’t imagine what the parents of those murdered children are going through right now. I just can’t even grasp the idea of that much pain. :-( :-( :-(

  50. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    Apparently, an entire classroom (children and adults) is “unaccounted for.”

    Pardon me, I’m going to go be sick.

  51. Beatrice says

    Apparently, an entire classroom (children and adults) is “unaccounted for.”

    *horrified beyond words*

  53. silomowbray says

    And also the nine adults murdered. One was the school principal, another was the school psychologist. I didn’t mean to not mention them, they have families too. :-(

  57. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    Jebus. NBC just said that the way the students heard of it was when the intercom came on, and gunshots and screams could be heard over the intercom.

  60. Emrysmyrddin says

    They’re reporting in the UK (LBC Radio) that the shooter was ‘connected with the school’. CBS are reporting that the shooter was the father of a student there.
    .
    Usual caveats about 24-hr news reporting applies.
    .
    Fucking hell.

  61. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    Beatrice, I’m reading that as “27 people, including an entire classroom.”

    Also, apparently, the principal and school shrink.

  63. says

    Yeah CTV (in canada) is reporting up to 27 people dead, maybe 18 children and a classroom is unaccounted for (they previously suggested they may have fled the school). 3 people were sent to hospital, 1 shooter dead, 1 person in custody (possibly unrelated) and they are talking to the famillies and getting the facts straight before the cops make an official release on the numbers.

  66. Richard Austin says

    Piecing together a lot of stuff, looks like a man – possibly the father of one of the children – came in and killed as many people as possible in a kindergarten class (likely where most of the 18 children came from; that’s about a class size).

  67. silomowbray says

    I’m going from horror to horror. How many of those grieving parents bought and wrapped holiday gifts for their now dead children? Wrote their names on the tags, from Santa? Looked forward to seeing their children’s beautiful little faces light up when they saw their presents? I feel like throwing up all over again. The parents are going to have to relive this horror so many times over. FUCK FUCK FUCK.

  68. cicely (Possibly Too-Easily Amused) says

    The Mayan Doomsday’s effect on survival outcomes in clinical trials
    (by way of     In the Pipeline)
    –
    [squidpic]
    Awwwww!
    –

    When I saw the story this morning, it was a “Not this again!” moment.

    For me, too. Flashback to Todd “Legitimate Rape” Akins. Did Not Want.
    –

    Can we fucking talk about gun control NOW??!!

    Tony, Tony, Tony! Don’t be ridiculous! Those guns were victims, too. They didn’t ask to be used to hurt anybody!

    Will no one think of the guns?!?
    </extreme, bitter sarcasm and loathing>
    –

  69. embraceyourinnercrone says

    I live in Connecticut and I can’t watch the news as I want to throw up every time I think about this. Some of my coworkers have kids in school in Newtown (that’s where Sandy Hook Elementary is). I can’t imagine what they are going through right now. This is a K through 4 school (age 5 through 9 years).
    How are the kids ever going to be able to face walking back into that school?

  70. dianne says

    I saw this first on a TV in the waiting room and the only thing I could think was whether this was my kid’s school and feel ashamed relief on hearing that it was somewhere else. Someone else’s kids dying. This time. For absolutely no reason except that people in the US won’t give up guns. No matter how many people die. I wish I’d never had a child to put at such a risk.

    There’ll be more. This sort of shooting always causes people to go out and buy more guns. And some of them will get used. In accidental shootings, in personal murders, in mass killings. More dead children, because we’d rather have dead children than risk being unable to buy a gun to commit murder with. Because it’s time to admit it: guns have no purpose but killing and on the east coast of the US at least, no purpose but killing people.

  71. farqlue says

    NRA members and gun advocates around the country will react to this tragedy as they always have to mass shootings… by buying more guns. This tragedy would not have happened without the help of the NRA, its membership, gun manufacturers, and anyone else who has worked to lessen gun restrictions in this country.

  72. Grumps says

    Weeping

    It’s at times like this I wish religion was true…. I wish there was some easy comfort available to the families of those children, I wish they were all going to heaven and would see their mums and dads again..

    .. oh fuck!!

  73. dianne says

    I wish there was some easy comfort available to the families of those children, I wish they were all going to heaven and would see their mums and dads again..

    It wouldn’t matter. Let’s say there were a heaven where the children would eventually be reunited with their parents. Years later. The parents wouldn’t be the same people. The children wouldn’t be the kids they were-they’d be older, different people from the ones that the parents would have raised. Not even Heaven could fix this evil. And if there were a God, then God allowed it to happen. Knowing this.

  74. says

    In addition, the Second Amendment needs to be revisited and possibly reinterpreted for modern society.

    Reinterpreted anyway. I’ve always held that it takes some pretty serious twisting of the language to get universal unlimited gun ownership out of it. “Well-regulated militia” being the key phrase, and keeping in mind that ‘regulated’ in this context would refer to ‘trained and disciplined’ rather than its more common modern usage, we have a well-regulated milita: it’s called the National Guard. I have no problem at all with trained members of said militia having access to guns, although I think the actual need for armed defence of the U.S. in the foreseeable future is negligible regardless of our available military forces. In fact, I’d be quite happy if they were pretty much the only ones with guns; we don’t really need a standing army, and having one is unconstitutional anyhow, and I’d like to see a lot fewer armed cops wandering around too. (and if it seems like I’m going on a bit of a tangent, I am, because I work in an elementary school and I really don’t want to think about the current topic.)

  75. rq says

    I think I’m going to be quiet on the thread for the rest of the evening. I don’t think the children are frustrating me anymore.

    (Beatrice, about ahmetduran – yeah, apparently in his case, illiteracy goes with dumb.)

  76. Pteryxx says

    Yeah, I’m taking a break. After I followed the live updates from the Clackamas mall shooting, I mentioned to a friend that I called a 25% chance of another mass shooting between then and Christmas. This shit shouldn’t BE business as usual.

  78. dianne says

    This shit shouldn’t BE business as usual.

    And yet it is. And will be until we have reasonable gun control.

  79. opposablethumbs says

    Oh fuck. Following it on the TV news in the UK just now.

    Yes, surely this is the time to talk about gun control? It’s not that this never happens in other countries, of course it’s not (Dunblane, in Scotland, 1996 …) , but it’s just that much easier in the US for sick fucks to get hold of weapons that enable them to kill more people. How is it that the NRA can get away with not seeing this?

    Those poor families. Those poor kids. It’s heartbreaking.

  80. opposablethumbs says

    Good point Dalillama. How the hell does “well regulated militia” get twisted into “practically anyone can buy practically any firepower they want, any place anytime”?

  81. ednaz says

    *horrified for the families, the friends, the loved ones, the entire Newton community*

    –

    *for us all*

  82. rq says

    Good night; going to go be horrified with Husband, who is railing about the craziness of all Americans (but I made him retract the blanket statement).
    Good night.

  83. Beatrice says

    rq,

    My father is probably going to go on a “those crazy Americans killing each other again” rant tomorrow too.

    Good night.

  85. bobo says

    http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/article/2012/12/13/abortion-doesn%E2%80%99t-unrape-you-following-election-disaster-anti-abortion-activists-l

    “Abortion Doesn’t Unrape You:” Following Election Disaster, Anti-Choice Activists Look to Re-frame Discussion of Rape

    While abortion-rights groups seek to expose lawmakers and candidates who oppose abortion even in the case of rape and incest, anti-choice advocacy groups are trying to figure out how to sell the argument that abortion should be banned.

  86. Beatrice says

    dianne,

    I know. I rant too. But my father’s rant usually has some variant of “good, they should all kill each other”.

  87. bobo says

    Damn, saw this after I posted:

    http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/article/2012/12/14/california-judge-reprimanded-rape-comment-has-history-doubting-victims

    The alternative news source also reported that this was not Johnson’s only instance or victim shaming or picking light sentences for sexual assailants. Johnson also openly ridiculed a second victim of a different attacker in court, and reduced another perpetrator’s felony to a misdemeanor so he would not be subject to the state’s “Three Strikes” law.

  89. rowanvt says

    OMG I can post comments now suddenly! Haven’t been able to since the format change. So much sorrow. LET THERE BE REJOICING!

  90. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    I am disgusted with made2heal’s comments directed towards Jadehawk (in the Shermer thread). They go beyond insults into violent imagery that is fucked up.

  91. Rey Fox says

    When I was in Mumbai earlier this year, during a conversation with a very nice Indian grad student, she asked me, “You don’t own a gun, do you?”

  92. Ichthyic says

    “Abortion Doesn’t Unrape You:” Following Election Disaster, Anti-Choice Activists Look to Re-frame Discussion of Rape

    no, indeed, forced birth does exactly the opposite: It forces you to re-live your rape forever! whee!

    I really do hope they DO try this approach.

    idiots.

  93. Rey Fox says

    and reduced another perpetrator’s felony to a misdemeanor so he would not be subject to the state’s “Three Strikes” law.

    Gosh, you mean they’re not consistent with their “lock ’em up and throw away the key” mentality? Knock me over with a feather!

  94. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    I also don’t want to make them illegal. I *do* think it should be much harder for the populace to acquire one and handguns should be the only thing an average citizen can have.

    If this isn’t the wrong time for it… :/

    The phrasing I hit upon recently is “I don’t have a problem with responsible gun owners. I just have a problem believing people who claim to be responsible but LOSE THEIR SHIT when anyone suggests making it harder for people who aren’t to get guns.”

  96. says

    I handed in the women’s suffrage paper exactly one hour past the absolute deadline for papers for this semester. I really hope my professor really likes me >.<

  97. says

    “Abortion Doesn’t Unrape You:” Following Election Disaster, Anti-Choice Activists Look to Re-frame Discussion of Rape

    well, actually it kinda does, in the sense that you’ll “only” have one “person” violating your bodily autonomy, instead of two. I can’t imagine anything more traumatizing after one traumatic loss of bodily autonomy than having to immediately experience another, but this time for 9 months straight

  99. bobo says

    MichaelD, thanks for the backup over at No country, those guys are delusional

    When people straight up lie, when everything out of there mouths is a lie, its hard to rebut what they say b/c you will be there for an hour refuting.every.single.fucking.thing!

  100. pHred says

    Ugh. I don’t get to play here often and have been so busy this semester that I have been planning to try and go back to read Chris Clarke’s stuff from pretty much since he joined PZ. So today, of all days, I came back for a visit and find illiterate sexist trolls and then complete tragedy being co-opted by some twit with a semi-automatic, a martyr complex and a fear of black helicopters.

    Right, so I am taking The Onion’s advice, except I will curl up in bed rather than under my desk, since I have a totally rational fear of the dust rhino’s that live under there and would never presume to occupy their territory. Cookies sound like a lovely idea, but I haven’t the energy.

    It certainly puts my gripes about my students lack of ability to write coherent sentences into perspective. What a day.

  101. Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries says

    Totally rupt, but hello everybody. Did I miss any important commune planning sessions?

  102. Serendipitydawg(rebel without paws) says

    Season’s greetings, horde.

    Has anyone successfully changed email adresses here? The link that was emailed to the new address elicits:

    You attempted to access the “Freethought Blogs” dashboard, but you do not currently have privileges on this site. If you believe you should be able to access the “Freethought Blogs” dashboard, please contact your network administrator.

    and my profile shows the change as still pending.

  104. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    You attempted to access the “Freethought Blogs” dashboard, but you do not currently have privileges on this site. If you believe you should be able to access the “Freethought Blogs” dashboard, please contact your network administrator.

    I’ve been having this problem too, everywhere.

  108. StevoR says

    Poll to possibly pharyngulate here :

    http://ninemsn.com.au/

    VOTE : Does the US need tougher gun laws?

    Yes = 37,250

    No = 3,517

    ***

    Already heading in the right direction but a bit of help couldn’t hurt surely?

    Note that these ninemsn polls are only up for a day or so so get in quickly if you’re going to.

    (Posted on the Newtown murders thread as well – hope that’s okay, apologies and please let me know if not.)

  109. StevoR says

    @105.Audley Z. Darkheart (liar, scoundrel, broski) :

    Aaaaaaand let’s pretend I came close to spelling your name correctly, Serendipitydawg

    That’s why I prefer to use cut’n’paste for commenters names.

  111. Serendipitydawg(rebel without paws) says

    Thanks Audley, I’ll try again later.

    There was a vogue for ‘dawg some time back… anything will do, really :-)

  115. John Morales says

    As ॐ has noted multiple times, the “Freethought Blogs” dashboard link here is flawed and instead of
    http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/wp-admin/
    it needs to be
    http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/wp-admin/user

  116. Serendipitydawg(rebel without paws) says

    @StevoR

    That’s why I prefer to use cut’n’paste for commenters names.

    Me too, though it’s a pain on this tablet, so I generally type it & get it wrong 50% of the time.

  117. Serendipitydawg(rebel without paws) says

    As ॐ has noted multiple times, the “Freethought Blogs” dashboard link here is flawed

    Well and good if one has been keeping up…

    Appreciate the info though, thanks John.

  120. Serendipitydawg(rebel without paws) says

    Thanks to John Morales and ॐ… all it needs now is for someone to correct the email template..

  121. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    Congrats on DarkNiece, Audley.
    ****
    Portia:
    The bulk of today has been expressions of rage and sorrow over the mass shooting in CT. No commune talk (perhaps tomorrow-I don’t know about you all, but I’m enthralled with the commune discussion).

  122. John Morales says

    If only they’d typoed it in the Constitution as “the right to bare arms”!

    (Possibly inappropriate levity)

  123. Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries says

    Ah, I sort of figured that would be a prominent topic. I’m not sure I have the heart to catch up on that discussion, honestly. Maybe I’ll just stay behind the curve for now. I’m sure rq and Beatrice will have more commune ideas when they are up. :)

  124. Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries says

    I have a dilemma. A friend told me a prestigious local firm is hiring an associate to handle litigation in areas I really like. I also like being my own boss. I have no idea if I’d get the job, but I’m nervous about applying even. Gah. Partly because I didn’t apply for a lot of jobs after law school because I was sure no one would hire me. So if I apply, people will probably find out, and then I will be rejected, and then, and then…somebody talk me into applying please.

  125. ImaginesABeach says

    Portia – If you don’t apply, you won’t get the job. Perhaps rather than applying, start by calling the partner in charge of screening candidates to discuss the job. It may be that the partner is a jerk that you wouldn’t want to work for. It may be that you hit it off well, and the partner suggests you apply. And it may be something in between.

  126. Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries says

    ImaginesABeach, that’t not a bad idea at all. I was told which partner to send my resume to, if I was interested. So there’s that

  127. John Morales says

    Portia, I agree with ImaginesABeach: surely the situation is more nuanced than applying or not applying being your only options; you could express interest and seek information as to what the position entails as a starting point.

  128. cicely (Possibly Too-Easily Amused) says

    Portia, do I recall correctly that you were having exasperations of a sexist nature with a more-senior person where you are now? If so, don’t forget to put that in the scales, when deciding whether to apply.
    –

  129. bobo says

    From an idiot over at NO Country, he knows what feminists are doing, esp in regards to the shooting:

    Dee wrote:

    Half of all children are boys you know. MRAs advocate for boys. You know, the same boys that feminists think should have rocks thrown at them. It’s funny that Elam anticipated that opportunistic feminists will try to exploit this tragedy. How sad.

    FEMINISTS THROW ROCKS AT BOYS

  130. Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries says

    Thanks, John. Good point.

    Cicely: that’s where the plot thickens. You are correct in your remembering. Sexist Lawyer is not exactly my boss, but I do subcontract work for him, and he’s really adding to my client roster lately. He left this other firm on bad terms about 7 or 8 months ago. He was likely largely at fault, I think. He will probably lose his shit if I go to that firm, and I’m a little worried he will find out if I apply. (Word travels incredibly fast in this legal community).

  131. David Marjanović says

    Squeeee!

    Brings to mind my favorite random facebook status update: “disappointed to learn that a group of squids isn’t called a squad”.

    Winsome.

    Permian mass extinction triggered by humble microbe

    Yeah… maybe. From there: “When Rothman’s group analysed the genome of Methanosarcina – a methanogen responsible for most of Earth’s biogenic methane today – they discovered that the microbe gained this ability about 231 million years ago.” How in the fuck did they calibrate that in the absence of a fossil record??? And how large are the fucking error bars!?!?!

    The mainstream explanation nowadays is that the lava flows in central and western Siberia ignited fucktons of coal, turning it into methane, carbon dioxide, and other unpleasantries.

    Oh Goody! I have been

    chosen as a potential candidate to represent your professional community in the 2012 Edition of Worldwide Who’s Who.

    What, only now? What took you so long? :-)

    In addition, the Second Amendment needs to be revisited and possibly reinterpreted for modern society.

    As I keep saying, the very fact that it isn’t obvious what it means proves that it must be amended.

    As far as I can tell, it means “we don’t want a standing army, because that can be used by the government to oppress people; instead, the people should keep guns at home and take them to war when necessary, and therefore their right to have guns mustn’t be infringed”. Well… there is a standing army. There are also political parties, and the population of DC doesn’t consist exclusively of Congressmen [men!] and their families, but I digress.

    Meanwhile, pelamun has mentioned on Facebook that there once was a school massacre in Japan. Instead of a gun, a knife was used. 22 children were… injured. No deaths.

    I handed in the women’s suffrage paper exactly one hour past the absolute deadline for papers for this semester. I really hope my professor really likes me >.<

    *20 tons of calming manatees*

    bueño

    ¡Viva el hipercorrectivismo! :-)

    Poll to possibly pharyngulate here :

    http://ninemsn.com.au/

    Must be full of Australians, so there’s not much of a point in pharyngulating it :-)

    Good news everyone! My asshole sister, who isn’t being an asshole anymore, JUST HAD HER BABY GIRL!

    DarkInfant’s tiny cousin has arrived!

    *confetti and champagne!*

    Yaaaaaaaaaaay! DarkNiece! :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

    (I’m the fastest typer of smileys on the planet.)

  132. David Marjanović says

    I must avoid trying to catch up with the last 2 months. Could somebody summarize the commune discussion? :-9

  133. cicely (Possibly Too-Easily Amused) says

    Summary: We have, as a group, many skillz that would be useful to the survival of any post-apocalyptic commune/civilization re-start. This prospect has broad appeal among the commentariat. And we should get on this right away.
    –

  137. says

    Oh, hi David M, long time no see!!!

    Please, tech help required here. How to retweet tweets over 140 characters? I know that Tweetdeck won’t allow it anymore, and it drives me insane not to be able to do that. Does anyone know?

  138. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    On a day when life seems so very fragile and fleeting. On a day when working alone means the constant tug of my family’s absence threatens to topple my peace of mind. On a day when my vision is clouded, smeared with the opaque residue of secondhand grief, on such a day I am more than grateful for this place.

    I know that here I can find people who not only feel as I do, but who can express it with an astounding persistence informed by a knowledge far beyond my own. I know that here there are a multitude of such people, so that no matter the time, no matter the subject, no matter the depth of ignorance and hate, here there will always be a voice to cry “Fuck no!” to the evil little shits of the world.

    Words are not enough.

    Words are all I have.

    Please take these words and understand that they are as stuffed full of truth as I can achieve by the frail, subjective means of written language.

    In a world that has an unlimited capacity for pain you ease my struggle to exist in such a profound way that I cannot fathom giving even a single individual meaningful, commensurate recompense, let alone the whole roiling horde of you.

    Thank you.

    Thank you all.

  141. Hekuni Cat, MQG says

    Hi Everyone! I am totally threadrupt, so *hugs* to everyone who needs them, also congratulations to all to whom the sentiment applies. :D :D

    ******************
    I am in a very good mood right now. I have finished battling the dust dinosaurs that were inhabiting the upper level of my house, which puts me almost back on schedule* despite the time I lost during my three-week migraine cycle. Yay!

    *Provided I ignore all those things that had to be pushed into the future because other things had to take presidence :D :D
    ******************
    cicely, Caine, and David Marjanović – *pouncehugs* [If you’re not around, they’re perfectly happy waiting around until you are.]

    ******************
    And thank you to everyone participating in the recent misogyny threads. I always learn a lot and am so grateful for the time and energy you put into battling MRA stupidity.

  142. rq says

    FossilFishy
    That is my waking-up thought and I more than agree.

    cicely
    Yup, that about sums it up. I think today/tomorrow when the kids go down for their naps (here’s hoping it happens) I’ll try to summarize the conversation up to now in spreadsheet form.

    Audley
    Congrats on being a DarkAunt, and congrats to the Asshole Sister to being less of one, and most of all, congrats to her on a successful birth event!

    Portia
    Definitely talk to the partner, get an idea about this. It sounds like it could be a fantastic opportunity!!

    David Marjanovic
    Now to join the commune it’s up to you to list some useful/non-useful skills you may have (anything from embroidery to unbending nails to having a keen eye for poisonous mushrooms), and they’ll be fit into the rest of the commune. No skill is too uselss, no skill is too small to be commune-worthy. Family and useful friends may also be brought.

    +++

    Yesterday, the world was white and still and cold. Today, it is white and fast and cold.

  143. rq says

    Gah. Major gun tragedy in the US, and the online news site I use from Canada puts their most right-wing conservative correspondent on it… I don’t even want to read what she’s writing this time.

  144. Beatrice says

    You know how PZ says everyone is a racist, at least a bit?

    Went to a store, the saleswoman was a POC. After we started talking while mum was browsing my first thought was “Wow, she speaks Croatian really well”. Thankfully, the second thought was “You fool”.

  145. opposablethumbs says

    Congratulations to Formerly Asshole Sister, Audley, and yay for the safe arrival of DarkNiece (aka DarkCousin). And cuddles to the Darkling, also :-)

    A big pile of hugs and heartfelt thanks to you all. When putrescent shithead sexist trolls come and slime all over the place, and people wave guns right on the Newtown thread ffs I am more grateful than ever that you are here and make this place the mental oasis of humanity and (mostly :-) ) sanity that it is. Sometimes just knowing that there are people who understand – and who are often vastly knowledgeable – about pretty much everything from sexism to statistics to humour to politics to the care and feeding of cephalopods, and who are such good people, just makes all the difference. So, thank you PZ and thank you Horde.

  147. rq says

    Somebody tell me to get back to work. I have 36 pages to finish before the weekend is up, and at this rate, my weekend will be stretching well into Monday.

  148. says

    Beatrice

    You know how PZ says everyone is a racist, at least a bit?

    Went to a store, the saleswoman was a POC. After we started talking while mum was browsing my first thought was “Wow, she speaks Croatian really well”. Thankfully, the second thought was “You fool”.

    You caught it, you never said it out loud. No harm done, right?

    Every now and then I catch myself with similar thoughts, but I try to analyse them and think of them as learning experiences.

  149. says

    @ David Marjanović

    I must avoid trying to catch up with the last 2 months. Could somebody summarize the commune discussion? :-9

    Teh tardigrade has gone from mere Benevolent Dictator for Life to the status of Pharyngulitic Divine Being.

    ~;>-0=|

  150. says

    Long time mostly lurker seeks commune ticket.
    Between spouse and I we bring the following skills:
    Gardening, vegetable fermentation/preservation, basic cheese and yogurt making, charcuterie, brewing, pottery/kiln building, general and ob/gyn nursing, microbiology, sewing/pattern making, knitting, chicken husbandry, soap making, haberdashery (no reason not to have a well decorated hat during the apocalypse), corset making, decent flute playing, bad bass playing, backgrounds in history and science, baking, darn fine cooking skills.
    Assets:
    Seed, book and fabric collections. Three laying hens, two dogs and two cats. large fermentation crock, pressure canner/autoclave.

    Can we come too?

  151. rq says

    MikeG
    Just for the fermentation crock and pressure canner, yes. Of course. Even if you had half that list. Or a tenth (as long as the fermentation crock is on it). ;) Fine, we more-or-less accept anyone who shares the ideals of a Free and Just Society, Separation of Church and State, a Good Science Education for All, and General Quirks and Character Flaws. Because we can.

    Thumbs up for charcuterie (mmmm bacon and smoked meats in winter); cheese and yoghurt are skills I have not yet seen mentioned, and while we seem to have a few brewers on board, the more, the merrier (amirite?).
    Hats. Those might go well with the monocles we plan on having, should we be so successful as to find a glass grinder. Now all that’s missing is canes, although I suppose anyone reasonably versed in carpentry could make some fancy canes.
    Welcome to the Grope of Pharyngulites!

  152. opposablethumbs says

    Great to see you again, David Marjanović! Your contributions are among those I most look forward to reading.

  154. rq says

    Actually, theophontes, you’ll have to battle it out with Dalillama and birgerjohansson (see previous thread here and here (comments 513 and 581, respectively)) and probably the Mildly Deranged Penguin, as well (don’t remember which previous thread).
    Too many deities already… something’s amiss with this whole religion thing.

  155. Beatrice says

    I hope someone calls the lift company on Monday. Lift in my building is usually something visitors not used to it are scared of, but the sounds it’s currently making scare even me.

  156. rq says

    Beatrice
    You have one of those freaky, Soviet-era, small, smelly and loud elevators, too? They shake a lot and that clunking is never an encouraging noise… I don’t use them if I can help it (thank goodness for the first floor), but I’m always scared they’ll just randomly stop or fall down. Oh and also some very entrepreneurial people have a tendency to steal the brakes (coloured metal market, hello…) from time to time. :/

  157. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    Hi, folks.

    Congrats, AuntAudley!

    Spent yesterday running in circles (without scissors!).

    Found out about Sandy Hook last night. Went to bed and read Pratchett for about three hours.

    Wife and I are actually sharing a day off together.

    Today, I am making Imperial Stout Beef Stew.

    Broil or roast two sweet peppers until the skin chars. Cool, peel, remove the placenta and seeds, and roughly chop.

    1.5 pounds stew meat, roughly chopped.
    4 onions, roughly chopped.
    10 cloves garlic, roughly chopped.
    1 tablespoon olive oil.

    Sweat the beef, onions and garlic in a pot with a little salt and pepper until the onions are translucent and the beef is browned. Add

    1 bottle of Imperial Stout
    1 tablespoon rosemary
    1 22oz can of chopped tomatoes, with juice.
    the roasted peppers.

    Heat gently until there is circulation. Add

    2 large red potatoes, roughly chopped.

    turn to low (I’m doing this in a crock pot (except for broiling the peppers and sweating the beef)) and allow to simmer until done.

    I will be serving it with homemade focaccia and some Adirondack Chocolate Ale.

  158. Beatrice says

    rq,

    It doesn’t smell (except when the neighbor with a very old dog drags the poor thing on a walk and it pisses all over), but it’s small, loud and shaky. It’s about 20 years old, I think. Maybe more.

    I live on the 13th floor, so I walk only when the old thing breaks down.

  159. rq says

    Beatrice
    Eek! 13th floor?? Heights that high up freak me out. :/ And yeah, elevator essential!

    Ogvorbis
    That sounds delicious. Copy-pasting for future reference.

    +++

    Got into the mental illness-gun violence discussion (a bit) on Facebook (friend saying the knife violence in China and gun violence in the US are both a result of too much mental illness going unrecognized). I feel capable, due to all the people here who are still at it.

  160. Pteryxx says

    “roughly chop” sounds like it needs a cleaver or othr knife with some weight to it, and an actual cutting board, neh?

  161. rq says

    Pteryxx
    Not necessarily… If you cut in thick slices, then slice the slices into largeish pieces, you should have something ‘roughly chopped’.
    …. Oh. Oh, I get it. Roughly/rudely chopped as opposed to smoothly/nicely?

  163. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    “roughly chop” sounds like it needs a cleaver or othr knife with some weight to it, and an actual cutting board, neh?

    No. I just mean to chop it but don’t worry too much if the pieces are different sizes. Not dices, not minced. Larger pieces.

    And I used a Chinese cleaver — 8 inch by 4 inch blade so yeah, there was some heft to it.

    ==

    Oooh. So sorry, Carie. How can you read a computer screen?

  166. rq says

    Ogvorbis
    I make the effort to read computer screens, but it’s definitely best not to during migraines. :/

    Caerie
    Sympathies. Pain alleviation methods of your choice from me to you. :( (Flopping around a la dying fish and moaning sounds like my usual method. Glad I’m not the only one.)

  167. Beatrice says

    Resting eyes is boring, unless I’m actually asleep. I usually stay glued to the screen with a violent headache too, Caerie. But resting is a better idea. Take care.

    —-
    rq,

    I’d go with yes.

  168. Pteryxx says

    yay for Pharyngula random banner images. That goes a long way toward making the weird changed style feel homey.

  171. opposablethumbs says

    rq, I’d go with yes too – not because of any intrinsic quality but because of the associations.

  172. rq says

    Ok. So someone calling a spree killing based on ‘aggrieved entitlement’ (as voiced in one of the threads here) a ‘frustrated entitlement hissy fit’ is being an ass, right?

  173. jose says

    I’m using the Stylish addon to make this web a little less heavy on the eyes and I thought I’d share just in case. A couple previews and the tweaks.

    I haven’t done testing or anything. My resolution is 1440×900 so if you have a different one or use a different browser, sadly everything will look out of place probably.

  174. Beatrice says

    Jesus, I can’t listen to the tortured sounds of the lift any more. I hope it won’t be used much during the night.

  177. Beatrice says

    Nepenthe,

    http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/40603/what-is-the-origin-of-hissy-fit

    The 1967 usage is the first recorded usage that they [Oxford English Dictionary] give, so the phrase is relatively new. They suggest that this use of hissy is tied to hysterics, and they add:

    Also 19– hissie, hussy, huzzy.

    U.S. [Perhaps influenced by hysteric n.] = hissy fit n. at Additions.

    1934 Amer. Speech 9 71 Hissy is probably provincial slang. I have heard it for eight or ten years. He threw a hissy or He had a hissy means that a person in question was very disturbed and very angry.
    …

    It seems possible that hissy came first–someone would go into hysterics and throw a tantrum if they didn’t get their way. This eventually changed to become a hissy fit, or a “fit of hysterics”. Note that there isn’t a firm indication of origins, but this is the theory presented by the OED.

  178. rq says

    I’ve only ever heard it referred to girls or women throwing hissy fits (usually by being uppity or getting angry about feminist issues). When I was younger, it was a general term for showing negative emotion. “Don’t have a hissy fit” and all that…

  179. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Took the Redhead in for a blood lipid panel this morning. Since she decide on oatmeal and fish for last week, my orders are to let the eggnog, Xmas goodies (care package from the neighborhood tea) and chili begin…

  180. Beatrice says

    I just googled the info above, my opinion that the wording is sexists was more a “feeling” than any concrete knowledge before that.

  181. rq says

    Also Nepenthe I think the connection to cats is a sexist association, too, since the hissing and clawing of cats is often associated with so-called ‘girl fights’ (you know, slapping at each other and the like).
    I’d had some sort of impression that it came from ‘hysterics’. Thanks for that informative explanation, Beatrice.

  182. chigau (Chiggers) says

    I haven’t heard ‘hissy-fit’ in years but when I was growing up it was used for females and males.

  183. Beatrice says

    I have no idea what I’ve done wrong this time, but I have been informed that I’m crazy. Again. Yay. And I have been trying to be nice and keep my mouth shut when needed, hoping to avoid this for as long as possible.

    If I go and argue about being treated like shit, I will be taunted until I start yelling and then called crazy again, a monster who makes other people’s lives miserable. If I try defending myself I will be accused of fighting for no other reason than because I am a crazy who likes to torture people.

    I am screaming inside, but I am quiet out loud, so I just wanted to write this.

  184. says

    Beatrice
    *hugs* if desired. Roommate has that problem w/her family all the time. L used to, back when he still spoke to them. (I don’t know if it’s family in your case, but nevertheless, you have my sympathies)

  186. rq says

    Beatrice
    I dedicate this hulk smash to you.
    I really hope things quiet down again soon. :(
    You’re not crazy (well, not in the negative way implied, at any rate… I can’t speak for your love for question marks and ability to pass citrus fruit via USB and penchant for hanging out with socially justice-minded people on the internet). *hugs*

  188. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    I forgot to mention that I plan to put a cup of peas in my beef stew. Mostly for colour. The pale green will make a nice contrast with the dark brownish red of the stew.

    I haven’t heard ‘hissy-fit’ in years but when I was growing up it was used for females and males.

    When I was younger, ‘hissy fit’ was used to refer to both men and women. However, when used to refer to men, it had the connotation that he was not acting like a man but was instead acting like a girl/woman. Not sure if that was a local usage or not.

    Beatrice: unfortunately, that is a tactic often used by bulielys. And it is a win-win situation for them. If you do not object, you do not fight it, you do not call them out for their attack, they have won. If you do call them out and object, they win because you reacted. YOu have my (useless) sympathy.

    I don’t think you are crazy (or at least, no crazier than a ‘normal’ human).

  189. Beatrice says

    *grabs the hugs from rq*

    Chocolate and bacon are not things I would combine, but if Tony wants to send those two things separately, I would love to eat the chocolate today and leave the bacon to go with eggs tomorrow morning. ;)

    …Have you ever actually tried bacon and chocolate? I can’t imagine how those two tastes would go together.

  190. opposablethumbs says

    Fuck, Beatrice, I’m sorry. And I think I have some idea how that feels. To be always in the wrong, no matter what the subject; to be the one to blame for everything that goes wrong in any aspect of the family dynamic.

    It won’t last forever. Hang in there, it won’t last forever.

  191. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    …Have you ever actually tried bacon and chocolate? I can’t imagine how those two tastes would go together.

    Yes.

    Smokey salty chocolatey. Excellent.

  192. rq says

    I can see chocolate-covered bacon being pretty delicious. Kind of like salted nuts roasted in sugar and cinnamon, but better.

  193. Beatrice says

    Ogvorbis,

    It’s not useless because it calms me. I’m not any less hurt, but communicating that and seeing a nice response helps me calm myself and not let my thoughts go in bad directions.

    —
    opposablethumbs,

    26 and counting, but I’ll move out eventually. :)
    Another reason to hate underpaid training for – a complete financial dependance.

    And well, we’re both usually blamed (mum and I, I think this time it was mum who actually angered him), I’m just the one who gets it worse because I don’t take it as easily.

  194. opposablethumbs says

    I experimentally bought a bar of Green & Black’s dark milk chocolate with flakes of sea-salt the other day. It’s quite nice – nice enough to finish the bar over the course of a few days – but I don’t think I’d get it again.
    I prefer chocolate with some pepper or chili, but they don’t make a dark milk version of that :(

    (by dark milk I mean their high-cacao version of milk chocolate, I think it’s 34%)

  195. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    Since when is XIR a slur against trans*folks?
    I thought it was a gender neutral term, not a third gender pronoun.

  196. Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries says

    Chocolate and bacon. YES.

    Beatrice, I’m sorry. I feel like your initial frustrated post described the exchange I had this morning with SO. I’m sorry. It sucks. Hugs.

  197. Beatrice says

    I will be making Christmas cookies on Monday and Tuesday. Melted chocolate is needed for some of those cookies.

    I have bacon.

    Hmmm. I’ll try it.

  198. Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries says

    I think I’ve mentioned it before but….bacon fudge.

  199. Beatrice says

    Portia,

    I’m sorry you had to deal with the same thing *hugs back*.

    —

    And sympathy for opposablethumbs too, since you indicated that the situation is something you are personally familiar with.

  200. Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries says

    Thanks, Beatrice. I just hate gaslighting so much. And I wish I could just yell “STOP GASLIGHTING ME” in the middle of a conversation.

  201. opposablethumbs says

    I get what you mean, Beatrice. Is there anyone in the family he will listen to? Of course that’s only any good if that person is perceptive enough to get some idea of what is going on …

    It’s always weird when conversations criss-cross each other because of course someone else will always post while you’re typing and then when you hit “submit comment” it comes out underneath something else and looks … odd!

  202. rq says

    Beatrice
    Go for it and let me know how it goes. :)

    opposablethumbs
    I know I can get a hot chili version here, but it’s only for dark-dark chocolate. Although I haven’t looked; maybe I can find some for medium-dark chocolate.

    Portia
    Then *hugs* and hulksmash for you too. :(

    +++

    Beatrice and Portia, You’re both reminding me that I need to get on my Christmas cookie baking. Damn this lengthy translation.

    +++

    Tony
    I have no idea… Because I’m working under the same assumption you are: gender-neutral, not third-gender. :/ Where?

  204. Beatrice says

    Portia,

    The first time I learned of the term gaslighting and its meaning (from an article at Feministe, I think), it rang so many bells my head started spinning.

  205. Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries says

    Beatrice, Right?!?! When you learn that there’s a name for that concept, and have a framework for identifying it, it’s like all the pieces fall into place.

    rq, thank you. Hugs accepted.

  206. Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries says

    I think I may have first heard of gaslighting from Cliff Pervocracy, but I’m not certain. I love xir writing. (If that’s not the correct pronoun for a genderqueer person, I’m sorry. I’m bad at remembering what the non-gendered pronouns are).

  207. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    Just took the focaccia out of the oven. Nicely carmelized crust. We have some soppresata and some really sharp cheddar. Will the bread last until dinner?

  208. Beatrice says

    opposablethumbs,

    We are about it as far as close family goes.

    He has a brother and a sister, but…complicated family relations.

  209. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    rq:
    In the ‘cray cray’ thread, Crissa whined about Caine referring to her as ‘xir’. Claimed it was a slur. Cue the eyeroll on my part, bc I cannot imagine Caine using any slurs.

  211. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    Extends hands…may I have some foccacia?

    Won’t work. One of the bugs in Windows XP is that it goes into the USB as foccacia and comes out the other end as acacia. Sorry.

  213. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    Today, I am making Imperial Stout Beef Stew.

    …I’ll get back to you on how a weight-for-weight substitution of portabello mushrooms goes. O.o

  214. rq says

    I want focaccia, too, with cheddar, and I’m betting it won’t last until dinner. The USB is open, for what it’s worth.

    I had not heard the term ‘gaslighting’. Where can I read about it?

    And yes, it’s funny when conversations criss-cross. I find it somewhat confusing sometimes, but… One of the minor drawbacks of modern technological society. It’s just a weird sort of… non-real-life* conversational quirk. Plus, sometimes someone says something brilliantly interesting before my plain and ordinary comments. And then I can sit here and feel inadequate yet enjoy someone else’s words.

    * By ‘real life’ I mean non-digital, not to imply that any of you are fake or figments of my imagination.

  215. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    It seems possible that hissy came first–someone would go into hysterics and throw a tantrum if they didn’t get their way. This eventually changed to become a hissy fit, or a “fit of hysterics”. Note that there isn’t a firm indication of origins, but this is the theory presented by the OED.

    Weird; I’d always assumed it was related to cat hissing/aggression/distress behaviors.

  219. rq says

    Azkyroth
    Possibly related to two women/girls arguing sometimes referred to as a cat-fight.

    Portia
    Thanks for the links, I’ll read them piecemeal in order to expand all available procrastination. :) (Although even with procrastination progress is good, which makes me wonder how much work I could get done if I really put my mind to it.)

  220. Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries says

    rq, I always look forward to reading your comments. And it didn’t come off as self-pity. :) I wish we were in closer time zones (or more similar sleep schedules) so our commenting schedules overlapped more closely.

  221. rq says

    Thanks Beatrice too. :)
    The wikipedia entry is explanatory, but I’ll be going through the other materials during the evening.

  223. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    I have no idea what I’ve done wrong this time, but I have been informed that I’m crazy. Again. Yay. And I have been trying to be nice and keep my mouth shut when needed, hoping to avoid this for as long as possible.

    If I go and argue about being treated like shit, I will be taunted until I start yelling and then called crazy again, a monster who makes other people’s lives miserable. If I try defending myself I will be accused of fighting for no other reason than because I am a crazy who likes to torture people.

    I am screaming inside, but I am quiet out loud, so I just wanted to write this.

    Shit. I’m so sorry; this seriously sucks. :(

    Thanks, Beatrice. I just hate gaslighting so much. And I wish I could just yell “STOP GASLIGHTING ME” in the middle of a conversation.

    I’ve done that once or twice. It helped *ME* anyway.

  224. Krasnaya Koshka says

    TRIGGER WARNING: (Death of a brother)

    This is the eighth anniversary of the day my baby brother died. Justin. He was 23. He was high on meth and crashed my mother’s Jeep Cherokee into a huge rock on the side of the road. His best friend, Mike, lived for a few hours afterwards, but died soon thereafter.

    Justin already had three children and was not paying for any of them. He felt he was above that. Justin had never held a job.

    When he was born, our family was a fucking mess. It was. I was seriously unhappy that Mom had abandoned me and my three younger siblings in 1980 and then come back from Colorado with a new husband (great!) in 1981, and pregnant. My father is a monster. Nothing more need be said about him.

    (This has a point beyond whining, I promise.)

    So I was 16 when Justin was born. And my junior year (when he was 9 months old, I became his mother. Mom had to work (as per usual) because her new husband was a coke addict/alcoholic and I took Justin to high school with me, in a wagon. It was tough at first because the joke was that the most notorious dyke at school had a baby.

    But he was adorable and students loved him and he was very quiet. He was an amazing baby. After all the turmoil of my young life, here was baby hope! He made me fall in love with children and imagine I could maybe grasp my long-lost innocence by proxy.

    The problem was I was a lesbian, of course. And had to graduate early so I could move out. My mom was vehemently anti-gay. (Oddly, my drunken step-father, a Catholic man, was the only one who gave me solace through this ordeal. He said he loved me more than his religion. He loved me as me. He then drunkenly tried to molest me, but that’s another sad story of betrayal. I still love him for being there for me when I needed an adult.)

    So I moved out and established myself and then had Justin visit me in my apartment as much as humanly possible. He was so sweet.

    I got in a car accident, broke four vertebrae in my spine, had to move back to my mom’s. Justin was very proud he was able to bring me milk and help me open the fridge. I couldn’t.

    When he was 4 and at my apartment he saw me and my then gf kiss.

    “Shersher (his name for me), you’re a gril.”

    “Yes, Justin.”

    “And Jackie’s a gril.”

    “Yes, Justin.”

    “Where’s the boy?”

    “You’re the boy, Justin.”

    “Ah!” He went back to coloring.

    Then I moved to San Francisco, because I had the opportunity to leave Arizona. My mom had divorced my step-dad and I helped her financially when I possibly could. In the summers, I brought Justin up to SF (I had a bunch of roommates and they all helped me take care of him).

    Two of the last summers Justin was 11 and 12. I was a raging meth addict by then. I hid it, of course, and was highly functioning (I’ve never been unemployed, by great luck) but I was a mess.

    This brings my great guilt into it. Y’know I was a meth addict for eight years but I never died from it. I also never had children because I knew I couldn’t take care of them (well, being a dyke really helps in that way, too). I also have not driven since I was 21. I was a terrible driver, regardless of intoxicated or no.

    I wrote to Justin at least once a month and sent him CDs (I worked in a record store). But I did lose contact with him. My sister makes sure I know how distant I was from him and how she was closer. She also doesn’t seem to get that she’s straight and was not pelted with eggs and rocks like I was. So she could be closer, in Arizona.

    I got out of rehab just in time to see Justin a few months before he died. I’m happy for that.

    Sorry for my self-centeredness but I have no place to vent this anymore. I feel a bit lost.

  225. rq says

    Portia
    Well, it felt like self-pity when I wrote it, but at least it didn’t come off that way. And yes, I agree, time zones should overlap more. :) I enjoy your conversation as well.

  226. Beatrice says

    Krasnaya Koshka

    That’s heartbreaking. You have my sympathy and virtual *hugs*. I wish I could somehow relieve your guilt, but all I can say is what happened was not your fault.

  227. rq says

    Krasnaya Koshka
    *hugshugshugs* if you want them and a hot drink with or without a shot, as you wish. :(
    I’m jsut crying all over the place the past couple of days. I’m so sorry for your brother. :(

  228. Krasnaya Koshka says

    Beatrice, thank you. I had to cut my sister off from interactions from me (for more than this) but my mom feels the need to bring messages to me. Hence this post. I don’t like to dwell, normally.

    In regards to “Americans and their guns” from above and your father’s sentiments: my gf believes Americans will all just shoot each other, eventually. She’s not happy about it but she seems to think it’s going to happen.

    When I first moved here (Saint Petersburg), the two most common questions to me were, “Are you religious?” and “Do you have a gun?” No and no.

  229. Krasnaya Koshka says

    rq, thank you! With a shot, thanks.

    And I live on the 14th floor! ;)

    Sometimes crying is a very good thing. I hope it’s not a horrible thing for you. (I do try to keep up with the lounge before posting but I sometimes miss things, especially when I’m typing for a long time. At least we’re in the same time zone, nearly.)

  230. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    If only they’d typoed it in the Constitution as “the right to bare arms”! – John Morales

    I’ve actually seen it in this form, from a gun nut (who also turned out to be a frequenter of Stormfront, but I didn’t know that at the time). He also used: “You can have my guns when you take them from my cold dead hands”. I told him that it was probably his insistence on exercising his right to bare arms that had given him cold dead hands. He didn’t get it.

  231. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    Krasnays Koshka, rq, Beatrice – my sympathies. David M. – good to see you here!

  232. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    …I’ll get back to you on how a weight-for-weight substitution of portabello mushrooms goes. O.o

    No idea on weight substitution. The chopped beef was about 2 inches by 4 inches by 7 inches in volume (which is, let me see, er, 28 times. . . about 56 inches of meat).

    I’m sorry, the self-pity was uncalled for. I retract.

    I didn’t read it as self-pity. Besides, sometimes a little self-pity is entirely appropriate.

    Krasnaya Koshka:

    USB hugs. And chocolate. And bacon. (all optional, of course)

  233. rq says

    Krasnaya Koshka
    Don’t worry, I go through phases – sometimes I cry a lot, sometimes not so much, but on average I suppose I do it more than most. :) So it’s ok, it’s just a bit tiring, considering I’ve been a bit sleepless lately (nothing of significance, just teething child and work all at once).

    Tony
    Thanks for the support! :) (A few comments up.)

    Nick Gotts
    The Right to Bare Arms – :) *laughs*

  234. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    Can’t tell you how happy I am to be delivered a “don’t worry about how society shits on a group you’re part of, you’re fine. Because you’re not like them” message today.

    Knowing that I’m a special snowflake really makes me feel better, y’know?

    Ah, well.

    No point in getting upset about it, because I’m sure it was totes a joke, and as we all know, jokes don’t matter.

  235. rq says

    Hot drink for you, too, Esteleth, your choice with/without shots and what kind.

    +++

    Good night, all. I’m going to go dream about the commune for some good times and laughs.

  236. opposablethumbs says

    Krasnaya Koshka, seconding Beatrice – it wasn’t your fault. You know this, right, but hey it never hurts to say so!

    I’m so sorry. So sorry. I hope you get a lot of hugs from your gf and and hug-equivalents from the amazing cat tonight.

  237. says

    I’ve got nothing much to add tonight… love and hugs and booze/chocolate-by-USB for those who need it.

    After spending the morning shopping for clothing so I wouldn’t look and smell like a bum on our first night out with what we’re hoping will be new friends… the proto-friends have come down with the stomach flu that has run through my wife’s place of work. I guess we’re going out on our own… but we have to go out, because I now wear a trilby fedora hat thing. My wife insisted on buying it for me while telling me that she will allow me to wear it.

    Good night and good luck my friends!

  238. Krasnaya Koshka says

    Thanks, Nick. And Ogvorbis, I’ll take hugs chocolate and bacon. (There is no “normal” bacon here.) :)

    rq, yes. Crying is exhausting. I can never seem to cry, which is disconcerting to me. Sometimes I really want to but I usually just get sick to my stomach.

    Sweet dreams. Or, as they say here, “Spoiki Noki”.

  240. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    Krasnaya:
    My deepest sympathies. Thank you for sharing that with us and I am glad you feel comfortable opening up here. No need to feel bad about that.

  241. ednaz says

    Beatrice – You have my sympathies.
    I had a similar situation with my mother.
    Sending hot tea and *hugs*

    rq – Pleasant sleep to you and little teething one. and *hugs* too

  242. ednaz says

    Krasnaya – I am sorry for your pain.
    And it is true, it is not your fault.
    Sending *hugs* your way.

  243. Krasnaya Koshka says

    Tony, I’ve been reading here since early 2007 and only started commenting in late 2010 (after I’d read ALL the archives–hahaha). Pharyngula commenters are like very intelligent family to me. Thank you! You’ve always been especially welcoming and I appreciate that very much.

    ednaz, I always enjoy your comments and appreciate your kind words.

    It’s now after 3am here so I’m off to bed. Read you in the morning. :)

  244. Krasnaya Koshka says

    Oh, opposablethumbs, I missed your comment! Yes, Tosha, the amazing red-point Siamese is sleeping on me as I type. Time to put us both to bed. Thank you!

  245. Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says

    Threadrupt.

    Popped in to say a couple things and ask a question.

    Yes I know that I’ve been gone from here since the summer – what with moving, trying to integrate with my partner’s kids as a family and a step-mom, *and* first term of law school [which everyone says is the worst], there simply hasn’t been much time.

    And, yes, I recognize the irony that I’ve been all over Pharyngula for the last 4 days even though this is actually finals time (my last one on monday).

    No, I shouldn’t be here, but yes brains get saturated and if i go too far from my computer, I feel guilty, but I have to do something to take a break – like I won’t study if I can get my brain back on track but I’m busy doing something else, but reading & commenting on FtB totally won’t prevent me from getting back to my work as fast as possible. Sure.

    But it is what it is, and I don’t think I’ve failed any exams yet (we’ll see when I get my grades).

    Anyway, it’s nice to see so many of you again. A call out to a few:

    Esteleth – I absolutely love the gingerbread line!
    Audley – how is the incubation progressing?
    Icthyic – No problem with the bit about delusions and the APA. Happy to do it.

    Now a couple questions. My macbook pro was a complete lemon. 4 hard drive replacements required in a bit over 2 years. They ripped out almost all the guts but the motherboard, processor, graphix card, and screen the 3rd time the drive failed. Now they’re giving me a replacement. They offered me a perfectly good 13″, base model. It would have been better than my current laptop in everything but ram. it would have been free.

    But no, I had to upgrade to a retina display, and while I was at it I was concerned about storage space (not that concerned, but a bit) and it was only a bit more to upgrade to the 15″ retina display and have the larger drive come standard.

    So I’ve just spent $1k of my new $3k scholarship before I even get it in January. But these things happen, and I’ve had a lot of bad from 2009-2012, [though it’s decidedly better now that I’ve made it to law school and out of portland and gotten my house sold]. So splurging on an upgrade when I would have gotten a perfectly good computer free is something I’m willing to live with.

    The problem is now I have to get some sort of protective sleeve (not a whole computer bag – disability makes it hard to carry anything without a well-made backpack, I just want something to protect the computer from knocking around with all the other things in the backpack).

    And I’m just pissy about getting the right one. On the plus side, this led to quite a successful and amusing search for “vitruvian octopus” (damn I love living in the internet age – although my first search for “vitruvian mollusc” was a bust), but i still haven’t found something that’s really what I want (unless the pattern above is on a laptop sleeve somewhere).

    Anyone here crafty? Anyone here actually MAKE laptop/etc covers (I think I remember some people saying that they make kindle/nook/ipad covers a while back)? I would pay a slightly unreasonable price to anyone who wanted to make something paleontological, cephalopodan, otherwise geeky, or just plain cool. New computer in 2 weeks, but I’m willing to live without a sleeve for a few weeks after that.

    I’d love to have one with a paleo-theme, or a mathy-sciencey theme. I actually like the graphic in the new Pharyngula banner, and cephalopods (including nautiluses)

  246. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    My craftiness ends at delivering you a knitted laptop bag in about a year, Crip Dyke.

    But as someone else with a MBP, I whole-heartedly agree with your “protective sleeve” suggestion.

  247. Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says

    I paint D&D minis, when I’m not too busy.

    My craftiness would be limited to using a jewel saw to remove a USB port and replace it with a two-handed sword, so a knitted bag in a year is one up on me.

  249. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    I paint D&D minis, when I’m not too busy.

    Sorry. I just had a vision of “My Elf jumps into his +3 Mini Cooper and races down the round tunnel, doing three corkscrew loops, and escapes from the 101 Trolls that are chasing him!”

  250. FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker) says

    Damn timezones. For later then.

    Krasnaya Koshka : The fact that I can read the story of your life, written by your own hand, fills me with awe at your strength and courage. I cherish the fact that you are here to tell us about yourself despite the horrendous circumstances from whence you came. I’m honoured that you feel safe enough here to be so open. Thank you for that. I hope that venting here brings you some measure of peace.

    [adds to the pile of hugz, chocolate and bacon]

  252. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Ground meat cooked, onion, garlic, and jalopenos sauting, ready to add tomato, chili beans, and a couple types of kidney beans, and large variety of spices. Serve with cornbread. Redhead recipe chile.

  253. John Morales says

    Nerd, I have no idea what “chili beans” may be, but I certainly use kidney beans for chili con carne.

    (Yum!)

  254. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    Query:
    I made a pot of chili 3 weeks ago and stuck it in my fridge. I just looked at it. It is not hairy, and it smells like cold chili.

    Should I be worried? Hesitate to eat it?

  255. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Nerd, I have no idea what “chili beans” may be, but I certainly use kidney beans for chili con carne.

    Chili beans. I have two cans of commercial beans (Southgate brand) the Redhead bought to add to the pot.

  256. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Should I be worried? Hesitate to eat it?

    If your refrigerator is like ours, no problem. It almost freezes anything stored there.

  259. John Morales says

    Esteleth, the only problem is if bacteria have formed spores that won’t be denatured by thorough heating (at least 90C for at least 3 minutes), but that’s unlikely if there’s no evident smell or discolouration and the chili was put into refrigeration once it cooled down (and was kept covered during that time) and has been kept refrigerated all the time.

    (Still, I personally wouldn’t eat it — but then, I have the luxury of not being strapped for money and so not having any need to eat even potentially suspect food)

  260. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    For anyone feeling experimental, chili tastes fantastic over a bed of rice. Growing up, my parents used white rice. I prefer whole grain these days. Chili atop pearled couscous is also good. As I think of this, I wonder if chili over risotto might be good too.

    Now I want some chili.

  261. Pteryxx says

    Tony: in Seattle they taught me to put chili over a bed of pasta. (Some weird people put it on potatoes, i’ve heard…)

  262. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    I made a pot of chili 3 weeks ago and stuck it in my fridge. I just looked at it. It is not hairy, and it smells like cold chili.

    Should I be worried? Hesitate to eat it?

    Ordinarily I would freeze something like that overnight and then eat upon thawing in the fridge. Dividing it into containers would expedite the process if you have them.

  264. Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says

    peppers make anything last longer

    It’s unlikely it’s gone off without changing the scent, but I suppose it could happen. I would microwave or freeze what you aren’t going to eat in the next day or two, though. Either one would help – microwaving will slam the clock back on any microbial growth, freezing will merely pause it (most of the microbes will survive freezing just fine, but go dormant for a while – and they won’t wake up right away on thawing). But microwaving doesn’t necessarily heat evenly and you might dry out part in order to get the center heated.

    If that sounds like trouble, either just freeze it as suggested, or put it into a pot and re-cook it before putting away what you don’t use.

  265. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    So…

    Heating it to a boil, rehydrating as necessary, then taking it to neighborhood potluck, yes/no?

  266. John Morales says

    Esteleth, ‘potluck’ is an amusing word to me, and probably apposite in this context.

    (So long as you partake of it, I think it would be nice of you to do so)

  267. John Morales says

    BTW, much like curries and stews, I am of the opinion that chili gets better the day after it’s been cooked, and better yet the day after that.

  268. carlie says

    As I think of this, I wonder if chili over risotto might be good too.

    Don’t forget chili mac. And chili cheese dogs.

    I would approach the chili cautiously. Boil, test a couple of spoonfuls, wait until next day (with it cooled and in fridge), if you’re still ok, boil again and go ahead and eat.

  269. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    That the word “potluck” contains the word “luck” is a linguistic coincidence, seeing how it is an Anglicization of the Chinook potlatch.

    Of course, the practice of potlatch and the practice of a common potluck are not that similar either.

    *shrug*

  271. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    Really?

    Interesting.

    I was taught that potluck came from potlatch.

    Maybe I’ll just say smorgasbord instead. :D

  272. John Morales says

    Esteleth, :)

    (And, totally OOT as it may be, I admire that you overcame your triggering over on the other thread earlier today, at least enough to remain on the site. Kudos)

  273. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    Well, I ordered a pizza, took a shower, ate the pizza, and then listened to Praire Home Companion.

    Just what the doctor ordered.

  275. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    Ever listen to the News From Lake Wobegon, Morales?

    It is a wonderful little town…

  276. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    So…
    I’m (finally) reading the “That’s not a response” thread.

    And I have gotten to @559. And the commenter who shows up and says “soupy boobs.”

    And I am laughing.

  277. Socio-gen, something something... says

    Hello all! So very, very threadrupt but FINALLY this semester is over (well, minus one paper that just needs to be printed and turned in on Wednesday). In two weeks, I managed to write three 10+ page papers, created my first ever video project (which involved working on a Mac with Final Cut Pro and made me hate Apple so much I may not even eat applesauce again), finish my Quantitative research project (depressing as hell — 30% of women surveyed thought the percentage of men needed to have the “ideal government” would be over 71%), wrote the paper, did a poster presentation, AND gave a speech to the class on it. Plus managed to find enough classes to fill my schedule for next semester, finally (after having to talk to all the profs and got overrides since most of the classes were full by the time my adviser could see me to give me my registration access code), and ordered my books. All done on about 4 hours of sleep a night.
    —
    Congrats to those celebrating special moments. Condolences to those in trying times.
    —
    Found out earlier today that the principal of the Sandy Hook school lived in Bradford County for a couple years as a youngster. Strange how that little tie somehow makes this senseless tragedy all the more painful.
    .
    A number of my Facebook friends and family from PA surprised me by discussing the need for gun control — and these are “typical” good ol’ boys (and girls) who’ve been around weapons since they were toddlers. Although none of them would give up their hunting rifles or even their handguns, they were all strongly against anyone outside the military or law enforcement owning semi-auto or automatic weapons or clips that have no purpose other than to kill large numbers of people in the shortest amount of time. Restores a bit of my faith in humanity, especially since too many others are posting stupid ass “moar guns!” and “moar Jeebus” nonsense.

  280. says

    Tonight has been an ugly, ugly night of dealing with PTSD. I knew it was coming, though. It’s felt like I’ve had an emotional abscess on the verge of bursting for a while now.

    The question of whether or not I’ll be able to sleep tonight remains up in the air, though.

    But! No more migraine. Eh, I’ll take what victories I can get.

  281. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    APHC is hands-down the funniest thing around today.

    But the humor is quite topical. A basic knowledge of Midwestern (and Midwestern Scandihoovian) tropes is required to get many of the jokes.

  282. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    carlie:
    Never tried chili mac…hmmm…
    ****
    Pteryxx:
    Chili over potatoes is odd indeed

  283. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    Esteleth:
    Your ‘prairie’ typo reads like ‘prayer’. I got a good chuckle imagining you listening to a Prayer Home Companion.

  284. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    Tony, I waited all night in the pouring rain while I was recovering from a splinched crawdad infestation for you to notice that!

    How could you?

    /Garrison Keillor voice

  285. says

    Chili? I’ll pour some chili over damned near anything. Potatoes, rice, pasta, bread. Veggies, especially steamed broccoli and cheddar cheese, or any sort of squash. Traditional red chili with or without beans, white bean chicken chili, green chili with tomatillos, even vegetarian chili with huge chunks of mushrooms.

  286. Sophia, Michelin-starred General of the First Mediterranean Iron Chef Batallion says

    Rewatching some of my old favourite silly movies as part of coping mechanisms for court proceedings and other such stressful things…

    I am so irritated. I used to love the utter awfulness of the cube trilogy. I still do, in a sense, but after watching cube zero and the original cube again – Why the hell is the token black guy the one who turns psychotic and tries to kill the poor, innocent white people? :(

    SAD FACE. Oh well. I guess I can still enjoy them for their badness. I just hope the other movies I have lined up don’t have as many annoying surprises.

  287. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    Joe:
    Wow. You have tried some variations on chili.

    ****
    I turn 37 in an hour. Going out for a few drinks. I want to do something fun or interesting tomorrow, but no idea what (lack of funds places strict limits on options).

  288. says

    Sophia, once you see it, you can never unsee it. It is a bit difficult to view popular culture stuff when I see all the underlying biases. In the plus column, at least I’m not being mindlessly brainwashed by it quite as much.

    But speaking of Iron Chefing, I just bought a bright green santoku knife. I still don’t have my stuff from the move out of storage yet, and I still need to cook, so I bought a goofy green knife to chop veggies with. Green is my signature color… and yeah, I hear that in my head as Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias talking about pink, so sue me. :)

  290. John Morales says

    Tony, you have any museums or galleries that are free-admission nearby?

    (If you haven’t been to one for some time, it might be fun and/or interesting)

    —

    PS 37, nice!

    (Young enough to still have it, old enough to be mature — you’re in your prime!)

  292. says

    Tony, you get a whole Monty Python year, so use it wisely. And as far as chili… why not? Why not try anything/everything you can? Chili is relatively cheap, the ingredients are rarely “premium” and the dish is really conducive to random substitution. As long as you find a pepper-to-cumin ratio that you’re happy with, the rest is kind of up in the air. I can make you a bowl of clam chili that will knock your socks off… if you like clams.

    When I’m semi-broke and bored and need entertainment, sometimes I go shopping. I really play it up though… I’ll spend a few extra minutes grooming and I’ll wear clothing somewhat nicer than my normal day-to-day, I might even get a haircut with what little money I have. I’ll spend some time psyching myself up an pretending that I’m just a few days from a mighty-fine windfall, and then I’ll hit every store with stuff I’m interested in. I’ll wear my nicest watch and pretend I’m interested in upgrading, or drag my Les Paul to the local guitar shop and say I’m looking for an amp, anything to convince the salesperson that I’m someone who actually has the money to buy nice things.

  293. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    John, I rather like your idea. I may look into it.

    It’s funny, my father says pretty much the same thing about being in your 30s.

  295. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    Hmm. Who was it that mentioned LoveTribe a few days ago?

    It jumped to mind and I Googled it. It sounds amazing, and there’s a chapter in my city…anyone have more information about it?

  297. Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says

    Azkyroth –

    I was a heavily involved member of LoveTribe Portland – which also happens to be the founding city and led to friendships with LT founders.

    I have had some great experiences and a couple bad experiences, but really the bad experiences were me showing up and getting triggered b/c of bad things in my past or in my brain *not* because things were happening at LT that would be bad for most people.

    Ask me about it later and I’ll tell you more. Last final from first term law on Monday. I become human again @ around 4 or so in the afternoon (B.C. time)

  298. says

    @ chigau

    Benign AND Benevolent

    Teh Politburo is growing from strength to strength. Sniny new uniforms are being shipped this way as we speak.

    @ rq

    Too many deities already… something’s amiss with this whole religion thing.

    My accession to the realms of the divine is not of my doing – it is due to a spontaneous epiphany on the part of the myriad myrmidon masses.

    @ Tony

    Hippo birdies!

    …

    I am off to lay a floor.

    *clucks*

  299. Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says

    Potluck –

    yes, it occurred in the 16th century, but was almost never used and was forgotten quickly. When it reappeared again it *was* a derivation of Potlatch. The fact that it existed before didn’t really have any impact at all on the emergence of the word in the 19th century among english speakers in NorthAmerica.

    At least that’s what my research into it seemed to show, and even your link doesn’t contradict it. It says nothing about the use of the word between 1600 and 1800 – which is when, according to what I read, it wasn’t in use (or at least it apparently wasn’t in use by the time of Cromwell in the 1650s). It may very well have been a literary neologism of Nashe’s that didn’t catch on, though obviously he may also have been picking up something he heard elsewhere that he thought was poetic or just a good turn of phrase).

    Also, the word seems to have a different meaning in Nashe’s use, which (combined with its apparent disappearance from the written record for so long) strengthens the case that Potluck was re-created on encountering the Chinook and Salish.

  300. John Morales says

    Crip Dyke, I take no issue with its re-creation or reappearance in North America — the which doesn’t diminish that I perceive it as amusingly appositeness in the context Esteleth used.

  301. Menyambal --- son of a son of a bachelor says

    Tony, many happies on your birthday.

    You might give yourself a set of suspenders—we mentioned them a few days back—as they are only a dollar or so at a thrift store, or $10 new at a cheap store. Just to try them out. I like them for comfort, mostly, as a belt squeezes when I sit, but they make me look good, as they do help my posture. When I wear a belt, I tend to let my tummy out to hold the belt up, but when I wear suspenders, I remember to keep my tummy in, chest out and shoulders back. Plus I tend to wear tighter shirts under them, which reminds me to keep eating less.(I have to find the longer ones, as I am tall through the torso, so be aware they come in different lengths.) Right now I am rocking a pair of dressy suspenders holding up dressy pants from the thrift store, over a tie-dye T-shirt my daughter made for me. If I can wear that, I am sure you can carry them off with style.

    As for chili, my greatest improvement was adding chunks of pork to ground-beef chili—it has to simmer a long time, until all is tender. I used to make a huge pot and freeze meal-sized containers, which made for a lot of easy, quick and cheap meals. By the way, a legend has it that chili was invented to hide the flavor of meat that was turning bad, and the long simmering killed the germs, and I tend to follow that idea.

  303. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    Second the suspenders thing. I wound up wearing a pair for a rented tuxedo in August and they were the most amazingly comfortable things ever. Now I just need to work up the courage to get and wear some. >.>

  304. Sophia, Michelin-starred General of the First Mediterranean Iron Chef Batallion says

    Mm. Knives :D

    I’m a bit of a stickler for really good knives – it’s the chef training in action. I NEED to do my apprenticeship! Just have to wait a few years until my little one is old enough to have a few evenings a week away from his mum and… you know… find a fantastic chef at an awesome restaurant to train me to Use the Forks.

    I have my own gigantic case of knives and assorted kitchen equipment that I carry around whenever I’m cooking. It’s like a giant silver briefcase and it never fails to scare the heck out of people when I pull out the massive butcher’s knife. Such a useful piece of kit if you want perfect steaks or need to get at some chops and don’t have a bone saw :P

    Chilli… Mm. I’ve been making heaps of that lately! Seeing as I’m Australian and have no close by cultural influence to go on as far as Tex Mex cuisine goes mine is probably WAY off the mark as far as authenticity is concerned but HOLY JEEBUS it’s delicious. (If I do say so myself. yes.)
    I like to use dried kidney beans, but the canned ones are great. I also like to make my own roasted veg salsa with fresh ingredients and add that to the chili close to the end of cooking, adds a whole new dimension of flavour. OM NOM NOM!

    I’d give out the recipe, but as lots of you are chilli connoisseurs and I just make it up each time on the spot I probably won’t. Unless people are just kinda curious, or want to compare ingredients for interest’s sake :)

  305. rq says

    Good morning!!

    Happy birthday!!! to Tony. :) I got you some suspenders; they didn’t have anything more colourful, I wanted something in shades of blue with red for you. Hope you have a good day and lots of hugs and confetti!!!
    (I bought some awesome suspenders for Husband at that store, but they don’t seem to have too many online selections. :( Made me sad.)

    +++

    I wish teething was a painless pastime. Or at least a sleep-inducing one. I dream of 8 straight hours of sleep…

  306. Sophia, Michelin-starred General of the First Mediterranean Iron Chef Batallion says

    Sharing the feelings about teething little ones. Mine’s going for tooth #4 with more waiting in the wings.

  308. rq says

    Sophia
    And they say motherhood is a joy. ;) Probably will be, looking back on things about 18 years from now.

    Haven’t made chili in ages. Should probably look into that… It’s about the only food in which I’ll eat the kidney beans (or any other kind of bean besides string beans).

  309. strange gods before me ॐ says

    Obama picks Kerry for Secretary of State

    Yes, it’s a terrible idea, opening up Kerry’s seat for Scott Brown to challenge again in a non-presidential election year (those years are better for Republicans).

  310. says

    Well, I think it’s a terrible idea mainly because Hillary seemed to have it covered, and is retiring only to prepare for her run for President in ’16, from what I read.

  313. strange gods before me ॐ says

    *checks clock*

    Should be Tony’s birthday now in any of the world’s five real time zones.

    Happy birthday!

  314. opposablethumbs says

    Happy Birthday Tony!!!!! confetti-sparklers-champagne!!!!!

    I wish you all the best for your next circumnavigation of the sun, and a bouquet of hugs is on its way to you via USB.

    Sympathies to all those with teething troubles, whether literal or metaphorical.

    In other news, you probably know that the Atheist Census is back up at last after the DoS attack? Spread the word! Maybe our Squidly Overlord will mention it?

  315. says

    In other news, you probably know that the Atheist Census is back up at last after the DoS attack?

    I find that Census a fairly useless endeavour, the results will never be representative anyway, and I’m not sure what it is meant to tell us even if it was representative. A bit like AAI’s twitter feeds really.

  317. opposablethumbs says

    It’s highly unlikely to be representative, certainly, for a lot of reasons. But it will still be quite fun if there are lots of responses.

  318. rq says

    I

    hate

    shopping

    with

    children.
    TONY I NEED YOU!!!

    Just going to leave that up there.
    (The exchange rate is terrible.)

  319. rq says

    As for atheist census, it’s a neat idea just for quirk-value, but I don’t think any kind of representative data could be achieved, because it relies on self-reporting.
    I like it, just for interest, because I am now one of a very select group of people – all those atheists here in Latvia. Woo!

  321. says

    hi socio-gen.

    i’ve recently realized, via the A+ map, that you’re apparently the 3rd pharyngulite/A+ person in this area. it almost feels like a crowd ;-)

  322. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!!!!!!!!!

    I hate Mondays!

    192 emails. Apparently, when we migrated from iNotes to gMail, I lost my installed spam filters. I know I can put them back in, but there were about 400 extant addresses in there and maybe 1 in 4 are still active spammers. Sigh. I guess I’ll just populate it one spamail at a time.

    Tony:

    Happy birthday.

    I am off to lay a floor.

    As long as the floor enthusiastically consents, go for it!

    Jadehawk:

    Where is this map?

  323. rq says

    Ogvorbis
    I was under the impression that it’s an ogvorbisaturday. Because two-day difference or something.
    But I guess the spammail converted your days, too.
    Lucky! :P

  324. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    I was under the impression that it’s an ogvorbisaturday

    My schedule changed. I’ve gone from calendarnormative Monday and Tuesday lieu days to calendarnormative Friday and Saturday. So today is Monday. At least through early April.

    Then again, Thursday is my last day of work this year. I don’t go back to work until January 3d. :) Only four more days of work this year.

  325. carlie says

    Happy birthday, Tony!!!!! I am only a hair older than you – this does indeed seem, to me, to be the good time. Old enough to finally know better, young enough to have some gumption and the stamina to go with it. :) But then again, every decade so far I’ve decided that this one is the best, so I’m sure I’ll be singing the praises of the 40s soon. The bane of my youth was being the youngest of my peers, so I’ve always yearned for more age. :)

  326. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    rq @417:
    :::cue theme song to Mighty Mouse:::
    Heeeeeere I come to save the day. The queer shoop is on the way.

  327. Beatrice says

    My mum tunred out to be Pharyngula material. We went to a crafts fair and she bought herself an octopus necklace.
    (Which I am going to steal borrow occasionally)

  328. Beatrice says

    They also had really amazing wall clocks made of old records. Brilliant! There was one that I thought of buying, but it got sold while I was walking around deciding whether I should shell out for the clock or not. (Damn my indecisiveness)

    In the end, I got a hand decorated glass vase for myself.

  330. rq says

    Tony
    THIS ONE!!! :)

    Beatrice
    Amazing. Cephalopod-lovers are everywhere. My sister is one, too. She drinks Kraken rum. You should see if your mum likes the stuff, too… :)
    My shopping catch of the day: a hand-made pea-green horse I have name cecily Cecilia. Any resemblance to internet personas is coincidental and not intentional at all. The proceeds of the sale of the horse go towards supporting low-income seniors in the country. (It’s a whole boutique owned by a non-profit that sells stuff hand-made by persons of low-income or no employment at all – they name their own price (which they get), and the slight price increase gets donated to a charity of the customer’s choice.)

  331. rq says

    Beatrice
    Too bad about the clock, though. :( That’s the one thing I dislike about small hand-craft markets, if you’re indecisive (especially for things that are a leetle beet pricy), you end up losing out.

  332. Beatrice says

    rq,

    I’m going to miss chatting here in the mornings. I don’t mind getting up early, so I might dedicate a half an hour for coffee and Pharyngula before leaving for work (and damn, saying I’m going to work sounds so good), but that will be nothing compared to spending most of my days here.

  333. rq says

    Beatrice
    Ah, you leave me alone on these long, lonely European days, when everyone else is out being productive or sleeping and I while away the hours translating strange texts and refreshing my Pharyngula comments pages…
    I bet it feels amazing to say you’ll be going to work.
    And, while the thought is probably attractive, I would say don’t dedicate that half-hour. I do that often, and my half-hour usually ends about 3 (unproductive) hours later. I don’t know how self-disciplined you are, but in that respect, I am the suck.

  334. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    I dislike so many of the ads on FtB. I know it’s third party advertisers, but damn, we have ‘Defund Planned Parenthood’ ads splashed across the main page!

  335. Beatrice says

    rq,

    I’ll probably get up before the parents either way, to get ready in peace and then slowly drink coffee until the time to leave comes. Unless I decide to get up really really early, there is no way I could spend hours online before leaving the house.

    I don’t plan to spend much time online at work, I wouldn’t want to leave a bad impression. I’ll just have to wait and see how my future colleagues work, when’s the time for a bit of a coffee break and similar.

  336. Pteryxx says

    re half an hour: Digital timers with beepy alarms are our friends. ;>

    Happy revolution around the Sun day Tony!

    —

    Via Libby Anne, the chancellor of Patrick Henry College says the LGBT student group can’t exist. Literally can’t exist.

    It’s simple, really. Homosexuals can’t exist at Patrick Henry College because the students sign an honor code, Farris claimed.

    “[Homosexuals] could not sign our honor code,” Farris said, adding that he considers the actions of gay men and women “sinful.”

    “Part of the honor code is to be sexually pure,” he added.

    …

    “We don’t think that there are any such students,” Farris said of gays and lesbians at his college.

    Farris said the school’s administration believes Queer at Patrick Henry College is a “hoax.”

    Queer at PHC had the Best Response:

    Quick! Clap if you believe in fairies!

    http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/2012/12/patrick-henry-colleges-nonexistent-gay-students.html

  337. a_ray_in_dilbert_space says

    Tony, Allow me to add wishes for a happy birthday! May no one offer to pray for you today.

  339. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    Baffling email of the day.

    From: [estelethsibling]
    To: [Esteleth]
    Hey!
    So I was surfing the internet, and I know you use the screenname “esteleth” in some places, and there’s someone on this website called “Phryngula” [sic] using that name! Maybe you should sue them for copyright infringement lol
    [Estelethsibling]

    ಠ_ಠ

    For added WTF: remember the EvPsych podcast and how someone wandered into the background on my end?

    That was Estelethsibling

  340. Pteryxx says

    random animal squee-ing: CLOUDED LEOPARDS HAVE SQUIRREL FEET HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS EEEEEEE

    Their hind feet can point backwards, like squirrels’ feet do, so they can descend trees headfirst… which OTHER CATS CANNOT DO (except the margay) EEEEE yeah facts science all that EEEEEE

    cute pic

    moar pic

  343. carlie says

    Esteleth – I was going to say it was slightly amusing how your sister didn’t recognize it was you, then I got to the WTF part and snort-laughed. :D

    I just found out that nobody in my house, not my husband or either child, has ever heard Dominic the Donkey. Seriously??? I know part of my own family is Italian, but I thought it had wider recognition. And we’ve lived in what has historically been a majority-Italian city for the last 10 years, and it’s on the radio at Christmas every year. How has this lacuna existed?

  344. Socio-gen, something something... says

    *fireworks* Happy birthday, Tony!! *confetti*
    —
    Jadehawk:
    Hi! Yup, I’m over here in central Moorhead. *waves* I haven’t been checking the A+ forum too much — the BBS style makes it harder for me to follow conversations and… well, lack of time.
    .
    Given our similar interests, we’ve probably crossed paths, though it’s hard to know without some sort of cephalopodic signal. (Note to self: need to buy squidly-type pin.) If you see a short woman dressed for the Arctic Circle and resembling the kid in A Christmas Story” that’s probably me. :)

  345. says

    Happy birthday, Tony!

    I’m doing my baking for the week and shall dedicate one delicious baked good to you, though I haven’t figured out how to send it through the USB yet.

    –

    Esteleth, that’s hilarious. Just not recognizing you would have been funny enough, but after the podcast…

    –

    I’m seriously pondering just crawling back into bed and pretending the day is over once I’m done in the kitchen. I’m feeling like a big raw nerve and am sure if I have to actually speak to anyone I’m going to be far less pleasant than I’d like to be.

  349. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    I just found out that nobody in my house, not my husband or either child, has ever heard Dominic the Donkey.

    I had never heard that one until I moved to Northeast PA. Here, it is a ‘holiday classic’ that gets lots of air time. HeeHaw, HeeHaw, HeeHaa! I would have been quite happy to die without ever hearing it even once. More annoying than the damn dogs doing Jingle Bells.

  350. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    Who among the Horde will take up the Star Trek-ian job of devising a way to ship foodstuffs via USB?

  352. Pteryxx says

    Who among the Horde will take up the Star Trek-ian job of devising a way to ship foodstuffs via USB?

    USB-connected 3D printer loaded with chocolate, icing, and an edible flour-based pastry printing matrix, for a start…

    <_<

    *goes to printer supply shop, orders a refrigerator-compatible dessert printing unit, cracks it with a wrench and eats it directly…*

  353. says

    Good evening
    Hell I think I’m glad I was really not online much this weekend.
    The little time I was here was bad enough…

    Audley
    Yay for Darkniece. I’m a bit jealous ’cause the Darkbaby has so many cousins.

    beatrice

    I live on the 13th floor, so I walk only when the old thing breaks down.

    Me, too. Thankfully we have 2 elevators.

    Krasnaya Koshka
    I’m so sorry.

    Daviiiiiiiiiid
    *pouncehug*

    Tony
    Happy Birthday!!!

    +++
    And now for some warm fuzzy feeling, I got asked whether I wanted the little dragon as featured project or tutorial on Urban Threads. That would put me next to people like Caine and the Darkheart Duckie Quilt.

  354. Krasnaya Koshka says

    FossilFishy @ 249 – I know I’ve said before that I love how much you love your daughter. I feel comfortable here because, while I never knew men in my early life worth trusting, I’ve known men in my adult life that have been so lovely. And then I read many more men here that break open my crusty heart even more.

    Dalillama, thank you, too.

  355. Krasnaya Koshka says

    I never understood the appeal of Steel Magnolias but

    Happy Birthday, Tony!

    And I feel bad that I missed wishing SallyStrange a happy birthday, so с днем рождени, Тони и Салли!

  356. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    O.O *major* WTF moment:

    Azzy’s 8 year old daughter: “some women like to get their booty done.”

    Azzy: “…WHAT?”

    Apparently she was A) discussing beauty parlors and B) enunciating poorly, but it was quite startling. O.o

  358. Krasnaya Koshka says

    Giliell, thank you. I love your comments and look forward to your input. I highly respect you.

  359. rq says

    Giliell
    Hooray on being featured! :) The dragon deserves it, and so do you, of course!

    Azkyroth
    Kids these days. :)

    Pteryxx
    At that rate, the rest of us will never get anything from you…

  360. Krasnaya Koshka says

    Ooh, I forgot to mention, my gf and I are expert mushroom hunters. Last summer we had such an overflow that we sold many baskets. I know the difference between frying and pickling mushrooms and even know the plants to pick to pickle them with. Without salt, of course, this would be a problem. Also, Russian woods are fraught with edible mushrooms while American woods are not*.

    *Except for Alaska. They have an amazing bounty of humongous mushrooms, edible.

  361. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    rq!!!

    Ready for a vacation —or just ready to start dreaming of one? Ethical Traveler, a nonprofit organization that is a project of Earth Island Institute, just released its annual list of the top places to hit if you want to pack your conscience on your holiday. “Where we go —where we spend our travel dollars—has real economic and political significance,” the organization says. “Ethical Traveler believes that mindful travel can bring many benefits, both personal and global. By choosing our destinations well and remembering our roles as citizen diplomats, we can create international goodwill and help change the world for the better.”
    […]
    5. Latvia

    Earning a spot on the list for a consecutive year makes Latvian Americans like myself proud. Ethical Traveler praises the Baltic nation for press freedom, flourishing democracy, pollution-free waters, and “most improved country on the Environmental Protection Index.” The report authors write that “Virtually half of Latvia is unspoiled nature —a safe haven to countless protected species. Very strong culture of ecotourism (including preservation of habitat and culture).“

    They get a demerit, however, for being tough on non-citizens.

    http://www.alternet.org/environment/pack-your-bags-ethical-traveler-shares-10-best-destinations-2013

    Now I just need money for a trip!

  364. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    Hey! Crip Dyke!

    I found a pattern for a knitted laptop case. What do you think?

    Like I said, I tend to work slowly. So I’d probably deliver it 6-8 months. What do you think?

  365. says

    Krasnaya Koshka
    Thanks
    And yay for hunting mushrooms.
    Haven’t done that since I was a kid with my grandparents. And then we would fry them in butter with onions and parsley. *nomnomnom*
    My grandpa go “caught” “stealing” mushrooms when he was way over 80. Well, the people who owned the weekend-house weren’t there anyway and he’s been collecting mushrooms there before the house had been built….

    +++
    rq
    Thanks.
    And you know, it just feels so. damn. good. when the people whom you consider the coolest bunch in embroidery ask you for your expertise.

  366. Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says

    Wow. Popped in here right after you posted about knitting.

    I actually kind of love it. Are you seriously offering to knit for me? I thought you were kind of joking. But if you’re into it, I would love to have an Esteleth the hyper-gingervore original. Of course I would pay for the yarn. We can talk on e-mail if you like. my primary handle at the google mail, corporate extension will work.

    I’ll probably get something for the meantime as well – sleeve-ish – to protect it in my backpack, but the bag would be really, really fun.

  367. Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says

    Tony:

    I take it that it is now officially your birthday in quite a number of time zones – including mine? Well, then, I wish you a very very hippo birdie, 2 ewes. (No, I’m not above plagiarizing Sandra Boynton).

  368. rq says

    Krasnaya Koshka
    I will mark you down for mushrooming, then. We had no one brave enough until now. :)

    Tony @361
    One of our main exports is tourism. Latvia was voted most beautiful country or something like that several months ago in one of those (I think) eco-tourism sites. I don’t feel like searching it out now (late and I still have work to do).
    What they say about nature is correct – a lot of untouched nature, but it’s a small country so there aren’t too many large untouched areas. But it’s pretty.
    Ecotourism and organic farming are normal every day things, just because it’s a small rural-ish country.
    I would disagree with the idea of freedom of the press and flourishing democracy. Although, I suppose if the system is implemented, it doesn’t much matter if it works or not to be labelled as such.
    You should come sometime (I know, money, but when). Warning, though (although things may improve by then) – not only are Latvians tough on foreigners, they are also tough on gays. But it’s ok, I work in law enforcement. :)

  369. mildlymagnificent says

    Happy Birthday Tony!

    Choccies, hugs, nice food (not bacon, eewww), cuddly blankets, quiet babies to all who need them.

    News. Daughter #1 is getting married next year!

  370. rq says

    mildlymagnificent
    Congratulations to daughter#1!!! *more confetti, champagne, chocolate, and better spirits*

  373. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    Crip Dyke:
    Yeah, I think I spill over into multiple time zones :)

    btw, did you see Dalillama’s comment upthread @251 about possible covers for your laptop?

  374. says

    I just went for a run for the first time in about two months. It was short, but it made me sweat and breathe hard. Feels good.

    I think I can make it through the solstice. I can’t wait til the light starts coming back. I don’t like running in the dark, and I don’t like getting up early so I can run before work either.

  375. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    Oh, Krasnaya:
    You’ve read *all* the Pharyngula archives? Wow. How long did that take?

  377. ImaginesABeach says

    Totally threadrupt (loungerupt?), hoping the last couple of days have been acceptable for everyone.
    .
    I have finished baking all the cookies for Gratitude Day. Gratitude Day is a Beach family tradition, it is the Monday before winter break starts for my kids. We bake cookies for the teachers and staff with whom they have regular contact at their school. The teachers probably think they are Christmas cookies, but they are not. They are Gratitude Cookies.
    .
    This year, 23 boxes of cookies, each with around 3 dozen cookies. Most of the prep work is done before the Baking All the Things weekend so it’s mostly just baking, but we did cut out and decorate the sugar cookies today, in all of our traditional Gratitude Day shapes – elephants, dolphins, hippopotamuses, ostriches, etc.
    .
    I’m tired.

  378. Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says

    Tony:
    1. I think that the reading all the archives comments was meant to be not-so-surreptitiously facetious.

    2. Yep. I saw dalillama’s comment. I’ve actually already agreed with Lysander on the basic construction, but waiting on a drawing/design for the decoration.

    When I get up to get food at some point (really, I’m studying and taking notes for my Property final right now!) I’m grabbing my card and paying the first installment.

    But now I **also** have the possibility of a hand-knit bag from Esteleth (one of my favorite commenters) as well. Since the first is a protective sleeve, not a bag, they will not-at-all duplicate each other – AND I can have a hand-done Esteleth original! What could be better?

    CD

  380. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    Conga rats for surviving another circumnavigation of the sun, Tony! Here’s to many more.

    Crip Dyke, I was not joking. I enjoy knitting.

    But like I said, I work slowly, and there is a queue, to wit:
    1. The blanket for the DarkInfant (on schedule to be done sometime in February).
    2. Hat for Caine.
    3. Hats for Meatspace Friend, Friend’s Partner, and Their Fetus.
    4. ????

    (4) could be your bag.

    Hats go quickly. Could have them done by the end of March (sorry Caine!) Which means that I’d start the bag then, and probably have it done by May, maybe June. Does that work?

    As for yarn, the pattern calls for worsted weight. You’d want something strong, like cotton or wool, probably with 20-60% acrylic.

    Tell you what. Wander over here and poke around. See if you can find ~600 yards (the yardage/skein will be listed for each yarn) of a worsted weight in a cotton or wool that you like. Email me at my nym at the google email thing, and I’ll see if I already have some of that yarn, and we can go from there.

  381. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    Crip Dyke:

    Esteleth (one of my favorite commenters)

    *blush*

  383. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Who among the Horde will take up the Star Trek-ian job of devising a way to ship foodstuffs via USB?

    *pulls tarp over working protype and whistles tunelessly*

  388. cicely (Possibly Too-Easily Amused) says

    FossilFishy @ 138: *hugs*; and me, too.

    And that it’s nice to have a place to go where no-one will think I’m weird for dripping tears for children (the adults, too; but it’s the children who really get to me) who I never met. Never would have met. Would never have known existed. And for the people who did know them, and are bereft.
    *snuffle*
    –
    *pouncehugback* for Hekuni Cat.
    –
    On a completely unrelated subject, how concerned should I be that there appears to be at least one small bump (micro-pimple?) at the back of my soft palate, in conjunction with an occasional achy ear on the same side, and generally unhappy sinuses? If it wasn’t that we’d just been for our check-ups on Thursday (at which time I was prescribed drops for the ear, which I used per the instructions) and paid for those and The Husband’s blood work, I’d be strongly tempted to go to the clinic…but know myself for a hypochrondriacal maniac, if I don’t watch it. At the very least, a person with hypochrodriacal tendancies. Anyway, I don’t trust my judgement, here. Can I use yours’ as a prosthesis?
    –
    MikeG, with a skillz list like that, I don’t see how we can not include you.
    :)
    –
    *hugs* for Beatrice.
    Family can be just so much fuckin’ fun, can’t they?
    –
    Focaccia…mmmmm…..
    *droooool*
    Unfortunately for me, y’all will have eaten it all by now.
    –

    This is just callous:
    http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/12/15/1341551/newspaper-runs-gun-ad-next-to-coverage-of-connecticut-shooting/?mobile=wp

    :( :( :(
    –
    *hugs* for Krasnaya Koshka.
    Your sister is being an ass.
    –

  389. says

    Happy birthday Tony. I hope you have a great day and a wonderful year.

    —

    In other news, it is currently -40 degrees here, and it got dark around 3:30 this afternoon. Fairbanks takes some getting used to.

  390. chigau (違う) says

    blogofmyself #389
    Hang in there!
    In only about a week the world will end!
    Or the days will start getting longer!
    It’s all good!!!

  391. carlie says

    Shit. My 13 year old just came out of his bedroom after going to bed awhile ago, saying he can’t sleep because he’s nervous about going to school tomorrow. And… there wasn’t much I could tell him. I told him about statistics and how unlikely it was that anything would happen, I told him that his school keeps the doors locked all day and adults are patrolling the halls and everyone would be on even higher alert now, and I told him he could tell any of his teachers if he felt anxious and he has a counseling appointment after school anyway tomorrow and he can talk to her about it too. But what hurts is that I know that none of those things matter, and I know that he’s old enough that he knows that too.

  392. carlie says

    I’m just grateful that he hasn’t heard of any of the idiotic asperger/autism links to the shooter yet, because I honestly don’t know how he’d take that. I hope to hell he doesn’t hear it at school tomorrow.

  393. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    Unfortunately for me, y’all will have eaten it all by now.

    Actually, half of it is in the breadbox/microwave. I made it with rosemary, garlic, parmesan and romano cheeses. And kosher salt. It was/is good.

    In other news, it is currently -40 degrees here, and it got dark around 3:30 this afternoon.

    In Scranton, it was 45F today. And dark, cloudy and November all day.

  394. Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says

    @ Blog of myself –

    I have ALWAYS wanted to ask this question:

    Is that -40 fahrenheit or -40 celsius?????

  395. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    I have ALWAYS wanted to ask this question:

    Is that -40 fahrenheit or -40 celsius?????

    Or . . . . Kelvin!?!?!?

    (Yes!!!! I know that four exclamation points are a sign of a diseased mind!!!!)

  396. cicely (Possibly Too-Easily Amused) says

    *largepileo’hugs* for the general populace.
    –
    Happy birdsday, Tony.

    I recommend the puffins.
    –

    *confetti*bacon*hugs*

    Hmm….how about *hugs & bacon confetti*?
    –
    The Husband used to wear suspenders…with sweat pants.
    –

    My shopping catch of the day: a hand-made pea-green horse I have name cecily Cecilia. Any resemblance to internet personas is coincidental and not intentional at all.

    Duh! It cannot possibly resemble me in any way, intentionally or otherwise, as I am not pea-*shudder*-green, or a Horse. Nor am I made of fabric.
    –
    Kyoot babby clouded leopards!

    The first of those pics is a particularly dangerous example of the dreaded Kitten Belly Trap: baby cat exposes soft underbelly, unsuspecting victim is lured into stroking it, the trap is sprung, and the sharp baby cat folds around the victim’s hand. Owwies ensue, followed by band-aids.

    Or, in this case, possibly surgery.
    –

  401. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    Nerd:
    How much $$ do you need for the prototype?
    ****

    If you are having a bad day, or a good one for that matter, you may want to stay out of the Newtown shooting thread.
    A fucking asshole just asked me if I would support a mandatory national registry of people with AIDS since I support a ban on firearms (in the civilian population; yes, I know it isn’t realistic; in lieu of that, I could accept STRONG restrictions on firearms as well as extensive training). He seems to think that everyone agrees gun ownership is some inviolate right of all. In the face of the gun violence in the US I strongly disagree.

  403. Pteryxx says

    Mandatory national PUBLIC registry of people with AIDS, yet. Because shooting pop cans is fun. I think this one’s a troll with a really thick politeness cover.

  404. Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says

    I’m just glad someone could appreciate it. It would have been wasted without a good audience.

    Yet another reason to love the Horde.

  405. Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says

    ooops – should have titled my post #403 for hte benefit of MikeG.
    But maybe that was obvious…

  406. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    carlie:
    Fuck. I am so sorry for your 13 yo. I can’t imagine what he’s going through. My sympathies to you both.
    ****
    cicely:
    Is bacon confetti edible?
    Btw, there is focaccia left. It’s got a lovely pea green dipping sauce you will LOVE :o

  408. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    How much $$ do you need for the prototype?

    Prototype? What prototype of Pullet Patrol Labs, Transporter Division are you dreaming about? *whistles tunelessly and kicks a power cord under camouflage tarp, Lays out pile of swill, grog and bacon sammiches as a diversion*

  409. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    I was in a god mood before I waded into the Newtown thread to witness a Troll trifecta. Bleah.

  411. Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it! says

    *science hat*
    -40 degrees Celsius = -40 degrees Fahrenheit = 233.15 Kelvin.

    TA-DA

  413. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    I’m just grateful that he hasn’t heard of any of the idiotic asperger/autism links to the shooter yet, because I honestly don’t know how he’d take that. I hope to hell he doesn’t hear it at school tomorrow.

    …were those wild claims actually substantiated?

  414. carlie says

    Azkyroth – not at all, from what I’ve seen. He’s just been described as “a loner”, etc.

  415. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    One of the more recent Yahoo News articles mentioned a “personality disorder.” Also a stash of computer equipment and military-style semiautomatic weaponry apparently registered to his mother.

  416. Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ says

    cicely:
    Bait? Moi?
    I was merely attempting to amuse myself. Perhaps I am too easily amused…

  417. Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says

    Personality disorders, for those who don’t know, are diagnosed by conscious behaviors alone and are NOT considered mental illnesses. They exist so that when someone clearly is repeatedly violent and then gets evaluated, the diagnostitician has something to say other than “no mental illness”. in other words, they don’t wanna say, “That person’s just a shit-for-empathy douchegabber” so they diagnose “personality disorders” – problems with your personality, not your brain.

    If you shoot other people, there’s a good chance that a diagnostitician would find that you have problems with your choices, and thus your personality (your tendencies in choice-making) is faulty. But it doesn’t indicate mental illness at all. The journalists saying he probably has a personality disorder know jack-all about violence, the APA, the DSM-4, the definition of “personality” in psychology and psychiatry, or pretty much anything else relevant or they might think for 3 seconds and not include that worthless piece of information.

  418. says

    Anyone else have a problem with google chrome randomly changing the keyboard layout on them but only inside the browser? I keep hoping no one will catch on that I`m using an accent grave instead of an apostrophe cause I`m stuck in french keyboard mode…

  419. chigau (違う) says

    michaeld #416
    That keyboard-shift happens to me, sometimes.
    It’s not Chrome.
    It’s because you had a finger hovering over the touch-pad and/or the click-bar whilst simultaneously lightly touching the Ctrl-key and coughing or/and sneezing and possibly your cell-phone rang.
    or something.
    shut-down and start-over

  420. Amphiox says

    Anyone else have a problem with google chrome randomly changing the keyboard layout on them but only inside the browser? I keep hoping no one will catch on that I`m using an accent grave instead of an apostrophe cause I`m stuck in french keyboard mode…

    Hey, that happens to me from time to time as well. And it isn’t just chrome, because when it happens all by browsers are affected. (I have Firefox and IE9 as well). But nothing else is. I end up having to type my comments in notepad and pasting them over.

    The only way I’ve ever found to fix it is to reboot the machine.

  421. says

    Good morning

    Crip Dyke

    If you shoot other people, there’s a good chance that a diagnostitician would find that you have problems with your choices, and thus your personality (your tendencies in choice-making) is faulty.

    Yes, I’d think that it’s safe to say that there’s something seriously wrong with somebody who shoots school-kids, but that doesn’t mean you have a mental illness and “can’t help it”.

    carlie
    anklehugs for your son.
    I can totally understad him. Statistics may tell me that the way there is much more dangerous, but damn.
    I’m glad the kids are still too young for the news…

    imagines a beach
    Well, I only made 10 treat bags, so you win.

    ++++
    Thank you all of you who manage to argue with the assholes in those threads. I really can’t. Somebody arguing that the life of my child would be a price they’re willing to pay for their useless fun is just too much for me.

  422. chigau (違う) says

    I have the sourdough beaten into submission for tomorrow’s bread.
    Which means We™ are having pizza tomorrow.
    I’m thinking pickled artichoke-hearts and shiitake mushroom…

  423. Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says

    @ Giliell –

    I tend towards the dry in discussing this stuff – I hope you weren’t offended. Technically I wanted to include the possibility of self-defense, other justifications, thus there was only a “good chance”, but I also intended the wry understatement that using those words in the context of this massacre would communicate…

    …not b/c I’m flip about it, but b/c I really don’t know how to state it with the emotion appropriate to the situation. Words truly fail. So if understating is the only possible kind of statement, might as well do it with a bit of excessiveness to call attention to it.

    My dryness, however, may not call sufficient attention. So forgive me, anyone who thought I was suggesting that there might be any sort of justification for the Newton shooting, for a problematic choice of words. I wasn’t. I just forgot how difficult it is to communicate about all this stuff without tone of voice in the emotion of the moment.

  425. rq says

    Good morning!
    *staying away from threads involving children, guns and conflict*
    (Not that I’m ignoring – I want to read them, but considering the sleep schedule I’ve been keeping lately, it’s just too much to take right now.)

    +++

    Crip Dyke
    Thanks for that short explanation of personality disorders. About two days ago I was in a bit of a discussion about mentally ill people and violence and all that (borrowing heavily from the commenters here, I might add, thank you), and I mentioned also that Breivik was not mentally ill (not psychotic during the slaughter – I don’t want to call it an ‘episode’). I was promptly put down, and I didn’t have the words to back up my statement from a factual point of view. He was diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder (according to wikipedia), and what you just said completely vindicates me, even if only to myself. :)
    (The person against which I was arguing kept reducing the idea of mental illness – as in, he started with the premise of mentally ill people, and downgraded to ‘mentally disturbed’, because apparently now he can discriminate against all mentally disturbed people (those mentally ill and those just ‘not right in the head’ because it’s a matter of public safety – he’d rather ostracize them all rather than allow them into society and let them threaten us. *sigh*)
    tl;dr: I win, thanks to you!

    +++

    Ah, but cicely, you say nothing about the colour of your yarn mane, so I think you’re just bluffing.

    +++

    *hugs* for carlie and offspring. :(

    +++

    chigau
    You put that sourdough in its proper place.
    Make sure it knows the way of things.
    And I hope it’s delicious.

    +++

    Terrible, terrible sleep schedule. Children, please let me sleep!

  426. says

    Sounds like many people need hugs. Here’s a bucket of them; please help yourself! Cautious A-frames to full-contact snuggles all available according to taste. And I have chocolate chip coconut loaf, and a very fine IPA similar to Sierra Nevada Torpedo. And I have a friend who is fostering kittens; I’m sure she’ll share.

    Chilli with potatoes is standard round here: a large baked spud in the jacket, good dollop of chilli, small dollop of sour cream, maybe some cheese & green onions to taste. Makes a good dinner. No other kind of potatoes, though, it must be baked.

    And I’m an Aussie and mostly cook my chilli like Sophia’s. But I have lived in the US and am aware of the variety available. This one restaurant I used to go to in Manhattan had about 15 different kinds of chilli, green & red, with & without beans and with various different beans & meats & veg. The lamb & black bean variety was great; I sometimes make a variant on this (important note: black turtle beans are NOT chinese black beans.) And they had 15 different kinds of margarita, too. Fun.

    My most exciting news (to me) is that I have finally acquired an iPhone. Can has pharyngula on the road! Does anyone know where I can get a nice squiddy themed case? And I have google maps. Which was excellent this morning, when I forgot where I was going, and found myself on the wrong side of Queanbeyan with no paper map.

  427. says

    OMG breakfast.
    I had a bit of stupid and forgot to take my medication last night.
    So I had to take it this morning but that means no breakfast for 45 min afterwards.
    Only that 45 min afterwards I was in the middle of dropping off the kids and doing the shopping, so my blood sugar dropped to ridiculoussly low.
    Better now.

    carlie
    It just ocurred to me that your story also has an incredible upside.
    Your 13 yo son came to you and told you he’s afraid.
    I guess you’re entitled to one of the big golden stars from the awesome parents box.

  428. Beatrice says

    Eeeeee, I’m going to start working this week. That was not expected.

    What that means? That means I have to make all the cookies today and tomorrow (assuming they would have already told me if I had to come to work tomorrow).

  429. Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge says

    Dear ‘Muricans:

    you go and fix those gun laws RIGHT NOW, or you won’t be allowed to play with cool kids (the rest of the world) anymore, you hear me?!

    —

    Hi Horde, long time no see! Is the position for the official commune court jester filled already? If it is, I find it hard to list any useful skills that would gain me entry. Unless the ability to identify and collect cartloads of edible (as well as, um, recreational) mushrooms counts as one. A combined jester/truffle pig post, maybe?

  431. says

    The Horde seems collectively well? I see recipes? Recipes are good.

    No longer sick. But lost some productivity over it, looks like. Bad time for that, really. And so am now hitting that ‘Oh shit there’s like a week left before I’m out of here for that huge holiday thing everyone does here… And I don’t have this for the stockings and when will I cook that and work will need this and this before I’m gone and the little guy just added what to his list and man, it would be nice to make that actually work and oh geez I’ve hardly done anything yet and fuck there’s no time’ thing… You know. That thing.

    I’ll deal. I will. Because I’m a pro, that’s why. Tho’ this year I may have to bend spacetime in unnatural and improper ways a little again to make it all work…

    (You, umm, may notice some odd weather, as a consequence. Also, small pets may periodically pop out of existence and then back in–frequently reappearing in the laundry hampers, oddly enough. My apologies in advance. But things gotta get done, you understand. I promise only to use The Machine as necessary… Frequently, this time of the year, it’s just that the only way I can avoid overcooking the roast is to go back in time to when it was still medium rare.)

  432. bluentx says

    Thredrupt/delurking:

    ADDITIONAL WARNING : It’s my birthday and the anti-deperssants don’t seem to be at their peak today. [Wouldn’t blame you if you scrollled on down NOW! :)]

    Just feel compelled to say that lurking and learning here for the last couple of years (with the rare delurk) has -for the most part helped me keep my sanity.

    So, for what it’s worth: Thank you Overloard(s), Pharyangula,, Horde,, minions,, Pullet Patrol,et,al for keeping me entertained,, informed,, educated and realtively sane. Jeez,, this is beginning to sound like a suicide note ! No, no don’t worry I’m just really bad at articulating (and spelling it seems)!\

    Jeez! and how did I just do-by accident- what I’ve been trying to teach myself for months–a one key strike through? *How do HP keyboards work ?*

    Constantly trying not to let the ‘unexanmined life people’ get me down…

    As some sign out: ‘Still Learning”

    ,

  433. rq says

    AJ Milne
    Be careful with advanced technology. You never know when that cute little house-cat of mine will pop into existence into your laundry hamper, nails and eyes a-blaze!!!
    I have so much left to do this week as well, but thanks to the weekend, mostly in the cookie-baking department (yay, Beatrice, you have company!).

    And double-yay for Beatrice for starting work this week! That’s an awesome present for this time of year. :) I bet they’ll be confused about why you’re so damn excited to be working during this season. Congrats, and have another champagne! Ok, maybe not yet, but still. That’s great news!

    Alethea
    You, most of all, made me hungry for chilli. I was getting ideas what with everyone’s recipes (or descriptions of recipes) and comments about it, but your comment made me picture the baked potato with chilli and some sour cream on top… And I have a weakness for baked potatoes with anything on top. Especially cheese. So thank you, I’ll be walking around hungry all day (but I can try to convince Husband to hunt me down some good meat for a chilli tonight/tomorrow). :)

  435. Beatrice says

    rq

    I bet they’ll be confused about why you’re so damn excited to be working during this season.

    My mind is short-circuiting currently because of the “eeeee, finally starting to work” and “aaaaa, I thought I’d be free for the holidays” thoughts battling in there.

    —-
    bluentx,

    Hello!

  436. rq says

    bluentx
    Welcome!
    If you wish, list some skills/ideas/useful items you may have, and we’ll fit you in to the Pharyngula commune, as well.

    Minnie
    Yay mushrooms – that is indeed useful. Previously we were (well, I was – if no one else, then think of it as the royal we) somewhat bemoaning the fact that no one was brave/knowledgeable enough to be a professional commune mushroom picker. But now we have a couple. This is excellent. :)
    (Also, commune jester is a good occupation – I’m sure you realize it’s a tough crowd here. ;) Good luck!)

  437. bluentx says

    Thanks John Morales & Beatrice for the welcome.
    Working nights, I usually miss out on direct contact. I’m trying to keep track of ‘other hemispherians’ (or insomniacs) who might be on my schedule but it ain’t easy!

  438. Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge says

    rq: I never said I’d be a GOOD jester =) But waving a pig’s bladder on a stick while weepily reciting Elizabethan poetry doesn’t feel any more absurd than what I do for living now (language technology). I also have the perfect wardrobe for the job.

    But ‘shrooming, yes, I rule in it! My freezers (I have two) are jam packed with Bordeaux ceps, morels, chantarelles etc. And I only spent maybe three days picking them last summer – I had to stop because there’s no way we will finish off them all before next summer.

  439. says

    Hi bluentx! Happy birthday! There’s a few of us here with experience of depression, luckily mine is mostly held well at bay these days. Where are you from, if you don’t mind saying? I’ll be off to bed shortly – eastern Australian timezone – so don’t worry if I don’t reply quickly. (Queanbeyan might be a giveaway. Surely there can’t be more than one place in the world by that name.)

    rq, good luck in the quest for chilli! Tonight we had easy cheating satay noodles – pre-sliced chicken breast, pre-cut mixed veg packets, hokkien noodles, and a mix of bottled teriyaki sauce & peanut butter. It’s one of my “cooking without spoons” staples – thank the ungods that I have enough money to buy all that time saving stuff that I formerly sneered at. More fool me.

  440. rq says

    Minnie
    Looks like you’re set for the apocalypse. :) Alright, I’ll pencil you in for bad court jester. Just make sure to pack your wardrobe. Can’t have Elizabetham poetry without the proper attire, don’t you know. :)

  441. rq says

    Alethea
    You make me jealous. :) Sounds delicious, even with all the pre-sliced packaging. Love that stuff, even though, yes, did sneer previously. Ah well, I realized I don’t even want to be super-mom and super-wife. Ha, more fool my Husband! ;) Now he’s stuck with me.

  442. John Morales says

    Alethea,

    It’s one of my “cooking without spoons” staples – thank the ungods that I have enough money to buy all that time saving stuff that I formerly sneered at. More fool me.

    Ah, but a good cook can cook good with pretty much anything!

  443. Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge says

    rq: super-mom problem solved here by hitching up with a professional chef. Also, teaching the Spawn the basics of housework. Now all I have to do is order other people around, and cook only when I really want to =)

  444. rq says

    Ah, Minnie, if only professional chefs were more commonplace! :)
    I can’t really complain, though, since my Husband hook-up (ha.) actually enjoys housework and cooking (and does a mighty fine job of it), and that enjoys me (although, yes, I do do most of the cooking, but at least I know I can shove it off on him, should I want to).
    The little minions are learning the ways of house-keeping, too, but so far they have a greater interest in learning to mix/cook various things (knives! heat! mixing! ingredients! spoons! can I add sugar to that!), so we’ll see how things develop. The only actual house-work they enjoy is vaccuuming (then it’s a fight for who gets to it first).

    That ‘ordering people around’ bit sounds a lot easier in theory, though. It’s pretty exhausting in real life. *puts feet back up on couch and sips wine*

  445. ImaginesABeach says

    Hello, and Happy Gratitude Day! (see my #377 above)
    .
    I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Horde for being generally awesome people, a virtual oasis in an online desert of poop. I would like to express my gratitude for the way the Horde jumps to help when someone is in need, and for the sheer genius of so many of you, and for unending fight against bigotry, and for being willing to admit weakness, and for making me laugh, and for making my cry, and for all of the things I will remember after I hit submit.

  447. rq says

    Beatrice
    For shame. You should be able to do all necessary conversions in your head. (Having grown up with the ‘cup’ system, I find it a lot easier than all this measuring of grams. Much easier to eye-ball it, although it’s probably a matter of experience.) :)

  448. Matt Penfold says

    The problem with measuring using cups is that you cannot simply place a bowl on your electronic scales and add ingredients using the zero function.

  449. Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge says

    But… but… there are so MANY cup sizes!

    Also, we mostly use desilitres rather than grams in cooking. One handy measuring cup is all that is needed. Grams may be used in recipes when the ingredient in question comes in packaging that aids you in determining the right amount – for example, butter comes in wrapping that has a printed scale in 25 gram increments.

  450. rq says

    Minnie
    I just guess, according to approximately how much butter I can put in a measuring cup. :) Nobody has ever complained! (But that’s some handy butter.)
    I have more or less learned how many grams of flour (for example) there should be in a cup, and then measure it out, but usually I spend some time at the computer writing down all the conversions I’ll need.
    And that whole teaspoon bit is fine, because I tend to adjust spices and whatnot according to taste, anyway.

  451. Matt Penfold says

    How do Americans and Canadians cope with recipes where the amount of other ingredients depends on the total weight of the eggs being used ?

  453. Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge says

    All this talk about food made Minnie a hungry mouse – and Le Chef nowhere in sight. The result: home-made beef burger with creamed chantarelles. Not bad.

  454. Sophia, Michelin-starred General of the First Mediterranean Iron Chef Batallion says

    I love using cup measurements, even though I’m a stickler for metric everything else. Well, unless I’m buying fabric by the yard or taking small measurements where inches are more descriptive than centimetres. (Not often.)

    Also, if anyone’s wanting to save time doing food stuff and making no mess, have you tried the “dump everything in a ziplock bag to marinate in the fridge overnight then grill/bake the next day” method? I do everything from chicken pieces/wings, pork loins/ribs, lamb roasts… even corn for grilling. My standard, boring but delicious marinade is olive oil, fresh herbs, a lemon (squeeze juice in and throw in the halves too), garlic, salt and pepper. Char siu marinade in a jar makes deliciously sticky pork or chicken, and I have a recipe for Malaysian satay that makes me drool just thinking about it – and the peanut dipping sauce to match.

    Great, now I’m hungry again. I made rare roast lamb rack with garlic, rosemary and olive oil rubbed in and ate it with zucchini, corn and chickpea fritters. OM NOM NOM! :D

  455. Matt Penfold says

    Also, if anyone’s wanting to save time doing food stuff and making no mess, have you tried the “dump everything in a ziplock bag to marinate in the fridge overnight then grill/bake the next day” method?

    I do that. I also sometimes freeze the bags down. to save even more time. Just take the bag out of the freezer in the morning.

  456. Sophia, Michelin-starred General of the First Mediterranean Iron Chef Batallion says

    Yes! It’s so incredibly convenient and lazy. Makes fantastic food without taking up heaps of space in the fridge too.
    As a single mum, it’s a life-saver sometimes.

    Then again, my idea of a quick, simple lunch is a meat and veg stir fry from scratch in under 20 minutes, so I might be slightly biased in the “quick and easy” stakes.

  457. rq says

    Matt Penfold
    We don’t weigh eggs. We select the number of eggs we wish to use, and work around that. Because it’s hard to get half-an-egg into anything (it’s been done, though…). Usually the eggs are labelled as being ‘large’ or ‘medium’, but the differences are small and I’ve never noticed an effect if using large eggs in the place of medium. Then again, I’m not a five-star chef, and I’m allowed to cut corner. :)
    Most recipes are standard one- or two-egg creations (I’m speaking of cookies and cakes here). Because they are usually only doubled (I rarely halve anything, especially if it’s cookies), things are kept simple.
    I can’t imagine doing it any other way – are there recipes where egg-weighing is necessary?

    The traditional Latvian cakes, sometimes requiring up to 10 eggs, are simply a matter of adding flour and/or milk until the mix achieves the required consistency. Not much measuring required, just count your eggs (before they’re hatched, please).

  458. Sophia, Michelin-starred General of the First Mediterranean Iron Chef Batallion says

    rq: Strangely enough as a not-yet-chef we get taught that a standard industry egg is 55 grams and work around that. A large egg is 60 grams, an extra large one 65ish. An ostrich egg, incidentally, is apparently equal to 20 normal chicken’s eggs, and tastes quite good too :)

  459. rq says

    Sophia
    Yes, I’ve done that – I love it. Especially if I know the next day will be hectic and I’ll be feeling supremely lazy by the end of it. My favourite marinade-type deal is soy sauce with lots lots lots garlic, chives, some balsamic vinegar, black pepper and mustard. That works well for pork, but it’ll also do for chicken. The time-saving is incredible.
    Oh, I can do lovely stir fries within a half-hour, those are sort of a go-to meal for the days when I am unexpectedly short on time, and I also do a decent spaghetti-type sauce (also about half-hour): half kilo ground meat (your choice), lots of garlic and fresh onions, basil (fresh or dried), small jar/can of tomato paste (with nothing added, just tomato paste), 4 fresh tomatoes. Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil, add ground meat, when stirred around for a bit, sprinkle with salt, pepper and some basil; simmer for a little while, add tomato paste; let simmer while chopping tomatoes (dicing, I suppose); simmer, occasionally taste, add salt and pepper and probably lots more basil (because in this case I find it difficult to have enough). Can also add thyme and/or sage. Makes enough to feed a family of two adults and two gluttonous children 5 and under for two nights (essentially, for a small family, it’ll make enough to have leftovers for freezing – freezes well). Serve with pasta of choice and cheese. And probably a salad.
    Also, do you have recipe for that Malaysian satay and peanut sauce? I had some delicious satay when I was about 13 and I have never since been able to find the same taste, or a recipe with that same taste. I’d love to try yours.
    I like to buy fresh berries and vegetables in the summer and then thaw ([aside] does re-thaw mean putting it back in the fridge, or thawing, freezing, then thawing again?) them for soups and stuff. Some things (like carrots) can also be thawed and steamed without losing much of their carrot-consistency.

    Your rare lamb is making me drool. As is the beef burger floating around upstream.
    Oh look, I think it’s time for lunch!

  460. rq says

    Sophia
    How close are eggs to these standardized weights? Do they fire chickens who lay outside of their size class? How can they be certain that that 57 gram egg should be in the lower weight category, when it looks like it should be in the higher one and there’s no way to actually weigh it? Is it 55 grams with, or without the shell? (Joking a bit. However – is it true that, the older the chicken, the larger the egg?)
    Never had an ostrich egg. How long to hard-boil it?

  461. Sophia, Michelin-starred General of the First Mediterranean Iron Chef Batallion says

    thawing = defrosting = bringing the temperature back up above freezing. :)

    The pasta sauce sounds tasty, similar to what I do, though my sauces have a few more ingredients – My mum’s Italian so I grew up with that kind of thing. Never fails to make me smile, a good meaty ragu.

    Malaysian Satay – No worries! The recipe isn’t mine at all, I simply found it on the internet and have been slavishly adoring it since. Our family used to eat a lot of food from a nearby Asian restaurant when I was a kid, and their satay sticks were delicious. Ever since I kept finding weird sour peanut sauces labelled as satay when it bore no resemblance to what I remembered, and this recipe captures the flavours I remember SO well.

    … except apparently it’s THAI satay, and the reason I continually lose the URL is I keep searching for Malaysian. *EPIC FACEPALM*

    Uh, here it is. The peanut sauce recipe is fabulous too.

  462. Sophia, Michelin-starred General of the First Mediterranean Iron Chef Batallion says

    rq – I have absolutely no idea how to answer your egg dilemma. I’d go to Brussels to the EU food people (after giving them a sound rant about some of their more ridiculous food regulations) and ask about egg weights, throwing in the odd question about relative diameters, acceptable egg height-to-circumference ratios and the correct degree of pointiness of the pointy bit at the top.

    I’d love to know more about ostrich eggs, you can buy them around here in a few places but I’ve never gone ahead and bought one – my 200ml stomach capacity wouldn’t be able to hack it. Maybe if I hold an omelette party!

  463. rq says

    Sophia
    Thanks for the recipe links. :D Will attempt in the near future, and I am looking forward to reliving the Malaysian Thai goodness!
    I make ratatouille like I make vegetable soup – toss vegetables into pot, boil. Only difference being in which vegetables go where. :) Yup, fast and easy!

    You should have an omelette party. I’ve heard you can feed 20 people on one ostrich egg, although that may be my memory exaggerating. They are quite voluminous, though. Available here. They also cost a lot. :/

    I have a cousin in Brussels whose father works in some form of EU capacity law something-or-other mumblemumblemumble. Perhaps he can look into the egg problem for me. Sounds like something a human rights specialist should know.

  464. Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge says

    We better add a herd (a flock?) of ostriches to the shopping list for the commune. Just in case.

  465. rq says

    PS Peanut dipping sauce with real peanuts = MAJOR thumbs up, because peanut butter here is rather expensive to buy, and my family doesn’t always bring it when visiting.

  466. rq says

    Food <– *actual typo* Good idea, Minnie. Although I know nothing about ostrich husbandry (eggs that size would definitely be useful, though). :/ And also they run fast. And have giant claws. But such pretty feathers…

  467. Sophia, Michelin-starred General of the First Mediterranean Iron Chef Batallion says

    I loved the fact the sauce had real peanuts in – just don’t make the mistake I did first time and buy raw peanuts. They taste foul if you’re not used to them! Roasted, unsalted peanuts all the way.

    Now I want ostrich eggs. … Perhaps an ostrich. I have been up close to one. They have AMAZING thighs.

  468. rq says

    Mmm, ostrich thighs… marinated, served barbecued on a bed of lettuce… oh wait, you meant the feathered version? :) (I agree. I bet they’d be good cyclists, if only they’d bother to learn.)

  469. Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge says

    How hard can ostrich husbandry be?

    I’m already half-educated in goat husbandry, in case we win the lottery, buy the farm we’re renting for summers at the moment and make the grand move to the countryside. I want them fancy fainting goats!

    And if I manage to cross-breed them with my gas plant*, they’d be flammable – how handy would that be!

    *I may need help from a mad scientist, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to find one here, would it?

  470. dianne says

    Sorry to interrupt the recipe discussion, but…Just sent my kid to school. I am worried because I think there’s at least a 50:50 chance of some copycat shooting before winter break. I know she’s probably safer there than on the street, but still…

    According to the Guardian, there are 88 guns per 100 people in the US. Admittedly, they aren’t evenly distributed-some people have enough to supply a small army and probably believe that that’s their plan-but it’s a really disturbing statistic.

  471. rq says

    [rant completely off-topic]
    *AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH*
    “tax-funded abortion pills”?
    Should not have watched that… This whole school shooting is bringing out the religious in too many of my facebook friends and their posts… Where one shared a photo that says that the purpose of those children dying was for other children around the world to receive more love than on any other ordinary Friday. MIND IF I PUKE ON THAT?
    And that whole argument of getting god out of public spaces and leaning on science. I SPIT ON YOU. Someone said it before and I say it again – if your god is so omnipotent and good, he would have stepped in anyway!!!!!!!!!! He’s a right proper bastard and asshole for letting it happen in the first place just because people are a bit arrogant. If he’s so kind and loving of everyone and generous, that would have been the PERFECT TIME TO SHOW IT. Instead of being the sullen teenager who stomps off to xir room because nobody’s paying attention to xir. Yeah, I want to worship that.
    Right.
    I’m getting the feeling I’m going to be unfriending a whole lot of people soon, because I can’t handle reading the bullshit that’s appearing on my timeline the past few days.
    [/rant]

  472. rq says

    Minnie
    Flammable goats? Here’s an idea… splice goat and ostrich DNA and raise them on a diet of gas. That should be the ultimate secret weapon/animal to husband, because: 1) milk; 2) eggs; 3) ostrich thighs; 4) goat legs/ribs; 5) UNEXPECTED FLAMMABILITY!! 6) UNEXPECTED FAINTING!!!
    Good luck with the millions. We’re working on our windfall/sudden inheritance strategy, but it’s not going too well. Too much actual work (translating crap) involved. Hoping the new year after the apocalypse will put us to rights. :)

  473. Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge says

    Dianne: *hugs*. I’d be ape-shit scared myself, and was thinking of a copycat incident myself – especially on Friday, with all the associated apocalypse bugnuttery attached. Maybe she could take the day off then?

  474. rq says

    dianne
    *hugs* and I don’t know what else to say, except… well, I have no idea. Here, have more *hugs*.

    +++

    And this is what I posted below my friend’s facebook post:
    “That is horrible. I would never, ever, wish such a purpose on my own children. It can never outweigh the grief and loss experienced by the parents of those children who died. NEVER. Because only thinking about what they are going through breaks my heart, and I cannot for the life of me think of any possible goodness coming from their deaths. It’s a horrible, horrible reason for children to see more love from their parents, and I bet the children feeling more love are those who are already feeling a heck of a lot of love from their parents. Those who are being abused, forgotten and pushed away are probably feeling the same amount of love (or lack of it) as always. This is my opinion.”
    I probably should not have, but I think I’m going the de-friend route anyway.
    This whole atheism thing is ruining my Facebook! /snark

  475. Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge says

    A flammable goatrich = instant cheese omelette! (Yeah, I’d faint too).

  476. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    I plan to be useless today. I got no sleep (horrible dreams including some unremembered shit involving a second adult male). The cooption of the Newtown shooting by the religious and political right (though, oddly, the NRA has been silent? or have they?). The arseholes who show up on the threads about the shooting who are casually racist, ablist and so fucking privileged. And I’m at work so I can’t even drink. Alcohol, that is.

    I do have a tin of Macanudo Maduro Ascots, though.

    *grumbles about Americans and Canadians and measuring everything with cups*

    It is part and parcel to our obsession with bosoms.

    But… but… there are so MANY cup sizes!

    See? Minnie the Finn is Swedish and even Minnie is obsessed!

    But such pretty feathers…

    And can be used to cover the bosoms during a fan dance!

  477. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    dianne:

    Damn. Hugs? Chocolate? Whisky? Whiskey?

    I didn’t realize, until I read that, just how privileged I am. Both of my kids are out of the k-12 routine and are in college (both done for the semester). I cannot imagine the emotional turmoil of sending a sprog off to school in this environment. You have my sympathy.

  478. rq says

    And, to be served after the fan dance, instant goatrich omelettes with bacon. :) This goat/ostrich cross is looking like the ultimate all-purpose animal.
    Also: it should be big enough for pulling wagons. About the size of a large dog or a small pony should do. In case all mechanical modes of transportation do not work after the apocalypse.

  480. Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge says

    Ogvorbis: Swedish? SWEDISH?!!

    I don’t know if I will ever recover from the insult. Swedes are little milky-white flower pixies compared to us robust Finns, frolicking naked in the snow after a 120 degree (C) sauna, eating raw elk and drinking vodka straight from the bottle.

  481. Matt Penfold says

    though, oddly, the NRA has been silent? or have they?

    Other than taking down their Facebook page they seem to have said or done precisely nothing.

  483. Matt Penfold says

    Apologies to real Swedes, of course.

    I should think so. What has that vegetable ever done to you ?

  485. Sophia, Michelin-starred General of the First Mediterranean Iron Chef Batallion says

    as a predictable aside – goat is delicious. I prefer it to lamb when it’s slow cooked. All the flavour, less fat to render out everywhere. Yum!

  486. says

    @ Minnie

    *waves*

    Air Hair Lair!

    @ rq

    And have giant claws.

    Which they use in deadly fashion for self defense. ☹

    ….
    @ Caine

    rats live on no evil star

    {pours large packet of virtual-pet-parent scritches into USB port}

  487. Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge says

    I actually really like swedes. Parboil them, then fry them in butter and add a little dash of salt, white pepper and molasses, they go really well with pork – especially ham.

  488. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    Ogvorbis: Swedish? SWEDISH?!!

    I don’t know if I will ever recover from the insult. Swedes are little milky-white flower pixies compared to us robust Finns, frolicking naked in the snow after a 120 degree (C) sauna, eating raw elk and drinking vodka straight from the bottle.

    Sorry. Erm, Norwegian?

    Other than taking down their Facebook page they seem to have said or done precisely nothing.

    Hmm. I wonder if the NRA has made a decision to remain silent on this while allowing ‘independent conservative thinkers’ free reign to use this crime to stifle debate. Or is that too cynical? Is it possible to be too cynical when discussing the NRA or ‘independent conservative thinkers’?

    What has that vegetable ever done to you ?

    Change that from ‘done to’ to ‘done for’ and you have the loaded question of the year!

  489. rq says

    george3
    Thanks. Looks Romanly delicious! :)

    Minnie
    You may be robust and all that, but you come here to buy your cheap liquor, so don’t go acting all high-and-mighty independent and self-sustaining, ok? ;) (Latvians here.)

  490. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    Okay, what does one call a Swede here in the US? I have figured out marrows and mangetouts, but what do I call a Swede?

  491. rq says

    Sophia
    I have never actually had goat. I’ve heard wonderful things about it, though, among those what you just said.

    Minnie
    Swedes also work well in soups as a potato substitute. I have often tricked my children into eating swedes via this method, because they are convinced they are eating strange-tasting potatoes. Fried up with salt and pepper, same thing – they don’t even know what they’re eating. Little one likes his boiled into a puree, with carrots.
    I’m going to try them with a bit of molasses next time (when not in soup). That sounds very intriguing.
    While googling swedes (because I wasn’t sure), I found this. Entertaining read, much linguistic value! <– not really

  493. rq says

    Ogvorbis
    See my link above, but it seems to be a rutabaga.
    Or turnip.
    The jury is way out on this one.

  495. Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken says

    Turnips Ogvorbis.

    Oh. I like turnips. Roasted in olive oil and sea salt with potatoes, onions and garlic. mmmmm.

  496. rq says

    To my fellow Euro root vegetable connoisseurs – do you have problems finding parsnips in groceries? It’s called a pastenaks here, but sometimes stores label vegetables funny, so I’m wondering if I should be searching under a completely different name (i.e. norwegians)? Visually I have not been able to identify them either, and I wonder if people here just don’t do parsnip, or if it’s a general northern-eastern European thing?

  497. says

    Giliell:

    And now for some warm fuzzy feeling, I got asked whether I wanted the little dragon as featured project or tutorial on Urban Threads.

    Woohoo! Congrats, Giliell, that’s great news. :D

    Esteleth, no hurry on the hat. I’m no stranger to projects taking forever.

    Theophontes:

    rats live on no evil star

    Erm…what? Scritches and lovin’ will be delivered to Theo, as always.

  498. Minnie The Finn, qui devient bientôt vierge says

    Hi Chigau _o/

    rq: oooh, parsnips are great in soups! But IIRC, they are considered cow food in some countries.

  499. dianne says

    Re the NRA: I think it’s time to get real and call them what they are: a terrorist organization. Every statement that they make has a threat in the background, the threat that their members have guns and the will to use them. They make implicit and explicit threats against public figures and members of the general public, promote the sale of deadly weapons, and incite mass murder. I’m more afraid of them than al Qaeda at this point and I lived in NYC on 9/11/01 and helped care for the injured. But more US-Americans are killed by guns than by terrorists in planes and the NRA is a more active threat. I don’t advocate them or anyone being treated the way “terrorists” currently are in the US–a drone strike on the NRA headquarters is a TERRIBLE idea–but the organization needs to be illegalized and ex-members who make threats treated very, very seriously. A person who says that they’re going to go shoot up a school should be treated similarly to one who says that they have a bomb while they’re in an airport security line. Just a joke? Sorry, we have to take all threats seriously.

  500. Matt Penfold says

    Okay, what does one call a Swede here in the US? I have figured out marrows and mangetouts, but what do I call a Swede?

    Pretty sure it is a rutabaga.