[Lounge #389]
This is the lounge. You can discuss anything you want, but you will do it kindly. What do you think? Is it a pangolin kind of day?
Status: Heavily Moderated; Previous thread
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:22 am
A baby pangolin? Okay, that is actually cute.
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:25 am
Oggie – you are silly.
(Portcullis’ed)
Latin experts – translation?
Mea culpa, ecce signum,
Corpus vile, coram deo
Pactum serva,
Scala caeli, gloria patri, pax et bonum
Sine cura, vade mecum,
Casus belli, lusus naturae
Dies illa, velut luna, dona es virtum
Gregory in Seattle:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:26 am
Weather forecast for the apocalypse.
Ogvorbis: Exhausted and broken:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:32 am
Unless the conversation drifts to something I actually know something about, that’s pretty much all I’m good for.
mythbri:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:34 am
Yes. Yes it is a pangolin type of day, because I had never seen one of these before!
….
There is a painting rampaging its way through Facebook at the moment (FB is the only way I can stay in touch with some people – otherwise, the hassle would be more than enough for me to say goodbye to it forever) that shows a bunch of children in a classroom with a female teacher, hanging out with Jesus.
This picture enrages me. It enrages me because of the message it carries – that these tiny kids, who were all around 6 years old, who were instantly snuffed out by an asshole with a gun and far too many bullets are somehow better off now. Because people believe in this fictional place in Heaven, they do not truly feel the magnitude of the loss. This isn’t enough to make them change. This isn’t enough for them to want change. This is just “one of those things” that happens. It’s sad for a long time, but those of us not intimately connected will forget about it all too soon, without any meaningful change having taken place.
WAKE UP, PEOPLE.
Seriously, what is the minimum amount of children required to die in a single shooting before we can move past the debate about even having a debate about gun control, and our mental health system?
Fuck.
logicpriest:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:35 am
I had never even heard of Pangolins until Ubuntu 12.04 or so. Had a cute stylized illustration of one all curled up around a branch.
Gregory in Seattle:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:42 am
@Katherine #2 – Best I can tell:
My guilt, behold the sign,
Weak body, before God,
Keep the pact,
The scale of Heaven, glory to the Father, peace and goodness
Without care, go with me,
The case for war, a freak of nature
That day, like the moon, is giving virtue.
Also known as the Balrog Boogie by the Diablo Swing Orchestra.
logicpriest:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:44 am
Ooh also I sent out the Merry Squidmass cards to a bunch of family members, not sure what to expect. There isn’t anything blatant on them, but with Fox’s war on xmas I am slightly worried a few may throw hissy fits.
Just thought I’d share.
Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:46 am
Crip Dyke: conscious and human, experiences spare time after a period without not dissimilar in length to the amount of time spent hibernating each year by a brown bear in the Canadian Rockies.
…And her first morning experiencing said spare time involves FIrst Snow and her beloved husky.
Wow. Even with the partner at work, this is a great morning.
I’m pretending right now that I don’t have to clean the house of weeks of accumulated crap. For now, I slept in til 7, and didn’t pick up a computer til 8:30 (5:30 being more average on school days, as early as 4am sometimes since studying in the evening is Right Out). Glorious.
Carlie – sorry things have been so traumatic. Nothing to that of the families in the Newton shooting itself, of course, but obviously so, so stressful. Being outside of the US, our girls didn’t get too much of this, mercifully.
Portia – I just discovered a place nearby that makes vegan cupcakes. I have now had 2 – one after I finished my first final exam, one after I finished my last. I smell a delicious tradition developing.
Have to read the “break a leg”" discussion – haven’t yet, though I noticed it existed. I suspect David Marjonovic is involved – the thread is always good for some education when he’s around.
Best to everyone. I’ll be poking around much more regularly over the next couple weeks – for you good or your ill I leave to your judgement.
CD
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:47 am
@Gregory:
Yes it is. I heard it and was like “Wait, that’s Latin. Now I gotta ask what it means!” Cause we’ve got a lot of Latin experts on Pharyngula.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:48 am
I see pangolin and immediately ankylosaurus comes to mind.
Ogvorbis: Silly:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:50 am
[pedant]More of a nodosaur. No club on the tail.[/pedant]
uncleadam:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:57 am
Atheists do you have a Gmail or Google+ account? Join the Atheism community http://goo.gl/dwxmx
Gregory in Seattle:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:58 am
@Katherine #10 – Given how disjointed the phrases are, I suspect the writer just took random phrases from the Catholic liturgy and archaic expressions and strung them together. Describing them as “lyrics” is a bit generous, IMO.
I had to look up lusus naturae; it literally means “game of nature” but was apparently used a few centuries ago to describe something that didn’t fit in with preconceived notions of “natural.”
pHred:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:58 am
Finished grading the on-line discussion forum! Hurray – it’s chocolate time!
Sigh, then I have to grade another set of submissions and stacks of exit slips before I can assign final grades. But still – chocolate – ooh – I can go to the bookstore and get peppermint hot chocolate! Even better!
Can listen to the news at all – makes me either cry or get violently angry. Neither is helpful right now. Son (10) knows in general what happened, daughter (5) is being completely sheltered from it, thank goodness.
pHred:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:01 am
Ugh – that should have said Can’t not can… apparently I can’t type today either.
AJ Milne:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:01 am
(Blinks…)
I feel richer, somehow, for now knowing there is such a thing.
(There always should have been, obviously.)
… in other news, re enraging Facebook posts and That Thing That Everyone Is Talking About, I think I’ve generally made up my mind not to talk about That Thing That Everyone Is Talking About…
… except, of course, where I mention that I’m not talking about it. Shouldn’t have said, should I have?
Oh well.
Sorta more seriously: it’s not that I think no one should talk about it, nor do I judge those who do (tho’ I can’t help judging those who say really stupid stuff about it, so sympathies, seriously, mythbri/#5, and suddenly, I’m oddly grateful to my Facebook friends, none of whom yet–knocks wood–has posted anything quite so sick making as that…)
… and sure, maybe even it’s kinda a luxury I enjoy that I get not to talk about it. But then, I see this as kind of a service, really, I can provide, given this luxury…
Ye, I can thus be a That Thing-free zone, for anyone who needs one. It’s a sort of guarantee, even. Talk to me, and I’m really very unlikely to say much about it, at least. If you bring it up, indeed, I’m likely even gently to change the subject.
And I try therefore also to do things that have nothing to do with That Thing…
… like this thing, for example (MP3), done on a sequencer for cello, piano, and bass… with a faint notion that if it gets to someplace that I like it enough I may actually redo it properly, with real instruments…
(May have to recruit a pianist, mind… keyboards really aren’t my thing, thing is.)
… also, I’m totally down with talking about food. Like those cookies I’m gonna have to whip out for tomorrow as my daughter volunteered them to her class partt. Great recipe. Standard chocolate chip thing, but w/ ground espresso, and one of my standards. Dunno if I’ve ever dumped it here previously.
Wet mix:
1/2 c butter
1 c light brown sugar
2 tbsp vanilla
3 tbsp white sugar
1 egg
Dry mix:
1-3/4 c pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
~ 2 tbsp fine ground espresso or any nice, dark coffee
… and then a huge pile of semisweet chocolate chips, to taste.
375 F, or 365 F in convection if you have it. 6-8 min or until gently browned.
Method is the usual cookie thing. Cream the butter. It’s easiest just to leave it out a bit, first, obviously. Then pound the sugars into this. Add the egg and the vanilla, mix again. This is your wet mix…
Mix the dry ingredients, add to wet mix until consistent. Stir in chocolate chips.
I’m told they’re mildly addictive, and likely to get you invited back anywhere you bring them. Whether this has anything to do with the coffee, I’ll never tell.
… and I’m serious about the pastry flour. If you’re stuck with general purpose, go a little lighter on it; might also work out.
I also prefer real vanilla for this one. You’ve probably heard the real rule about artificial for baking, but these things, it just seems to work better. I think it’s something about the coffee being in there.
Audley Z. Darkheart (liar, scoundrel, broski):
December 18th, 2012 at 11:01 am
Good afternoon, everyone! How you all doing?
Just wanted to pop by to wish everyone a happy Festivus and merry Squidmas, in case I don’t get a chance to in the next week. I miss this place, but somebody is incredibly demanding of my time!
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:03 am
@Gregory:
It’s an awesome song regardless of whether or not the lyrics are slammed together randomly or pieced together as a poem.
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:05 am
@AJ Milne:
DSO is, frankly, one of the most awesome bands I’ve heard in a long time.
rorschach:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:05 am
Skyfall is ok, kind of good old Bond stuff….Still an hour to go…
chigau (違う):
December 18th, 2012 at 11:09 am
lusus naturae not ‘game of nature’, ‘sport of nature’.
Where ‘sport’ means ‘freak’.
joed:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:11 am
Does anyone have any ideas about this.
Worldwide the military kills women and children and all sorts of defenseless folks often. The shooters get rewards for the killing. These soldiers are at the peak of physical health. These killings are ordinary and usual and happen daily.
Healthy humans are capable of the most heartbreaking, immoral acts.
Psychologically speaking, why do non-military shooters go after the most defenseless of people.
What really gets me to thinking is the question as to why these sort of tragedies are directed at the most defenseless of people?!
Why don’t these shooters attack a police station or military base? Seems they don’t have an escape plan or end up killing self as planned any way?
I am in no way suggesting that police and military bases should be attacked. I don’t want any human to be a victim of violence.
Is there some psychological advantage(whatever that is) to going after children?
Ogvorbis: Silly:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:11 am
‘sport of nature’. Sometimes used to describe what we now know as fossils.
Ogvorbis: Silly:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:12 am
joed:
Please do not do this in the Lounge. Please?
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:14 am
@joed:
Your question was answered in [Thunderdome] – I saw it yesterday.
chigau (違う):
December 18th, 2012 at 11:15 am
joed #23
Don’t post that stuff on this thread.
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:20 am
Glad your First Snow experience is a good one. We’re getting it here just in time for my bicycle commute to work.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:21 am
Mythbri:
Another thing…how happy can those kids possibly be without their loved ones? If heaven were real then all those childten are up there without their parents, siblings, or relatives.
Pteryxx:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:22 am
Now joed is just spamming… is that three threads so far?
Rey Fox:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:23 am
Whaddya mean, actually cute? All the other little woobies in previous Lounge episodes are chopped liver?
Lynna: Do you have any stories specifically about Walmart in India? My pen pal from Delhi seems to be happily anticipating their arrival. And she’s an environmental economics student.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:23 am
Oggie, I didn’t mean to imply they were identical, just that there are similarities. Although pangolin with an ankly tail would be cool.
Ogvorbis: Silly:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:25 am
That we know of. That is just on Pharyngula.
Weed Monkey:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:26 am
The usual black metal weather forecast
Ogvorbis: Silly:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:26 am
No. Just a personal observation. Sorry.
Are you kidding? That’d hurt like hell!
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:27 am
I can haz pic of husky????
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:33 am
@Weed Monkey:
Ah, so it’ll be a little cold and overcast.
Pteryxx:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:35 am
Sent, fyi.
chigau (違う):
December 18th, 2012 at 11:36 am
Pteryxx
me, too
jnorris:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:41 am
Ms Trophy Wife, can PZ come out and play now?
Beatrice:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:43 am
Audley,
*waves*
And how is somebody doing?
austerity:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:48 am
I’m not a regular reader so I apologize if this is either not appropriate or well known but American Atheists and SOMA have a way to donate to help the families of Newtown with funeral and counselling costs. Go here if you can help. http://www.weareatheism.com/donate/nonbelievers-giving-aid-support-sandy-hook-elementary/
Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:51 am
@ Tony – Of course!
Unfortunately my computer has completely died – using Ms Crip Dyke’s computer. I can snap a pic w/ my ipod anytime, but I’m not sure how to upload it – w/ my bone problems, I tend t use the ipod only for music, not for things that involve typing.
Thus you may have to wait a week for my ridiculously excessive, brand new 15″ macbook pro (yes, I have to pay it before it will turn on) with super modern retina display! and SSD! Not to mention apple’s super-traditional HEMSRP!*
At that point, not only will I have my traditional method of uploading pictures, but I will also have a nigh-endless stream of old pics for you.
But right now, I think you’re right: I need to take a pic of her in the snow!!
*the HE = Hugely Enhanced
Improbable Joe:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:53 am
Hey folks, merry early and/or late whatever you celebrate. I’d love to be here more, but my only “chair” right now is the corner of my guitar amp and the aches and pains it is causing me to sit here keeps me off the computer, at least when I’m sober. :)
Yay for Audley’s somebody! Tony, your prezzie is delayed ever so slightly but still on its way! Weird dinosaur-looking baby animals are cool!
cicely (fair to partly cranky, with scattered umbrage in the afternoon):
December 18th, 2012 at 11:57 am
Portia: re the job application—yay! Even if you don’t get it, or choose to take it, at least you won’t have to kick yourself that you didn’t try.
-
And here is the follow-up.
:)
(Hat tip: Propnomicon)
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Ogvorbis: your acquaintance is an asshat.
Just thought you should know.
Also, kudos for your ‘translation’ from the Latin @744 (previous [Lounge]. Brilliant!
:)
-
-
Audley Z. Darkheart (liar, scoundrel, broski):
December 18th, 2012 at 11:57 am
Beatrice:
The Darkling has been a little fussy today, but now she’s napping. Other than that, she’s great– nursing, pooping and sleeping like a champ. She’s been sleeping for 6 hours at a time at night, yay!
*waves at Joe!*
cag:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:58 am
I’m having problems getting my comments posted( i.e. Digital Cuttlefish), so this is a test on a blog where the WordPress logon works. On some other blogs there is no ability to logon to WordPress and I get a message about
Does anyone else have this problem or a solution?
cicely (fair to partly cranky, with scattered umbrage in the afternoon):
December 18th, 2012 at 11:58 am
And here’s a late-breaking closing parenthesis to go with that: )
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Ogvorbis: Silly:
December 18th, 2012 at 12:03 pm
Yeah. I kinda figgered that one out. I may be slow, but I eventually get somewhere.
You and Katherine need to get together. She says silly, you say brilliant.
Improbable Joe:
December 18th, 2012 at 12:09 pm
Hey Audley, how far into AC3 are you? Gone sailing yet?
Beatrice:
December 18th, 2012 at 12:09 pm
Audley,
Good to hear that the little one is allowing you to sleep.
—
In case anyone here uses Instagram (or just needs another reason to hate Facebook):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/dec/18/facebook-instagram-sell-uploaded-photos
cicely (fair to partly cranky, with scattered umbrage in the afternoon):
December 18th, 2012 at 12:19 pm
That weather forecast linked @3 is wrong, as it inaccurately portrays the Apocalypse as being borne by meteorites, instead of by Horses (as will be the case). And it makes no mention of the peas at all—another important clue.
I smell propaganda by the Pro-Horse Lobby. rq, where were you, when that lying, so-called “weather forecast” was released?
-
Audely, happy, festive squid to you, too.
:)
-
cicely (fair to partly cranky, with scattered umbrage in the afternoon):
December 18th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
Cripes! I tried to take it back, but my finger had already pressed “Submit Comment”.
Audley, apologies for ‘nym manglage. Hail Tpyos!
-
Beatrice:
December 18th, 2012 at 12:23 pm
cicely,
You have mistaken flaming peas for meteorites. And the Judgement shall rain on the pea haters!
Ogvorbis: Silly:
December 18th, 2012 at 12:26 pm
Sounds much more impressive in ‘Latin’:
PZ Myers:
December 18th, 2012 at 12:36 pm
JOED: If you can’t recognize the offensiveness of your question, your first response should be to KEEP IT OUT OF THE LOUNGE. NOW. Go toddle off somewhere else.
Audley Z. Darkheart (liar, scoundrel, broski):
December 18th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
Joe:
I’ve just about finished sequence 11 and I loooooooooooathe the naval missions*, so I’ve done what has been demanded and skipped the rest. I might go back to them eventually.
AC3 has been great ‘cos I can easily just put in an hour at a time, even if it’s just collecting feathers ot wailing on red coats or whatever. Currently, I’m top 10% in the world for riots started, so there’s that, too. :)
On a completely different note, DarkBaby now fits in the Thing 1 & Thing 2 pjs you bought her– they’re in the wash now and she’ll be wearing them tomorrow!
*Still better than the tower defense bullshit in Revelations.
rq:
December 18th, 2012 at 12:43 pm
cicely
I was in a hell of my own (shopping again). I had nothing to do with that. I’d rather the horsies come and take over the world and I could play with them and run with them and fly with them all day long…
Tony
re: the painting @5 posted by mythbri
I’ve had that put up by friends on my facebook, as well as other posts, and I replied to one of them (posted about it yesterday here in Lounge). This painting, where the kids are all happy because they’re in heaven and Jesus tells them he’ll take care of their parents (what, send another tragedy to bring them up to heaven????), nearly made me puke. The same friend who shared that shared this other text with a letter to the dead children about how their lives had a purpose because due to their deaths, millions of children around the world felt a little bit more love from their parents. Also, puke. PUKEPUKEPUKE. ([aside] Funny, in Latvian puķe is flower, giving a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘This smells like puke’.)
Anyway. I wrote the friend about the letter bit, saying it is horrible and I can’t support that idea at all because the tragedy should be about them, and her reply was all about how something light and good should be taken from every tragedy, and if this is the good that everyone is getting, then it should be supported, but it’s not disrespectful blablabla… I called her on the bullshit, because What about the parents of those children? Are they supposed to feel better now? but it all ended with Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, thank you for sharing.
+++
With that it is my turn to say a bit thank you to the Pharyngula online commune, because without you (seriously, all of you, even you, who don’t feel addressed), I would not be even writing about one post. I would be sitting silently and thinking BULLSHIT to myself and doing nothing. I have gotten a lot of courage from you. This is I think the third time in the past two weeks I have had the courage to speak to an issue that disturbed me. And it’s all because of you and one quiet weekend that allowed me 3 hours alone and some time to think. THANK YOU more than I can say. I’m even considering coming out publicly as atheist, and I really wanted to share a post of Ophelia Benson’s on my Facebook last week, but I’m still too scared for that. I think I’ll wait until my dad passes away. But sitll, the fact tha I’m even considering that – well, thank you thank you thank you all, for your kindness, and strength, and ability to argue, and to fight and willingness to stand up for what is right, and to admit to weakness but not see weakness in it, to admit to being tired and human and flawed, and you’re all so beautiful to me, and all you are, are a bunch of words on my screen… But I’m more grateful than you could ever know. /end to personal sappy confession
rq:
December 18th, 2012 at 12:47 pm
Audley
Glad to hear DarkBaby is doing so well and sleeping so soundly! /jealous
Ogvorbis
Seconding cicely on the asshat-ness of the acquaintance.
Crip Dyke
Sounds like wonderful morning.
Portia
I commend you for your courage, even if SO did press the button. Still brave. :)
cicely (fair to partly cranky, with scattered umbrage in the afternoon):
December 18th, 2012 at 12:49 pm
Beatrice,
Mutant peas, if peas at all; ’cause those clearly are no ordinary peas.
Oh.
Wait.
I see…<mumbling>…misinformation, disinformation, distraction…</mumbling>
You’re in on it with rq, seeking to divert the public’s attention away from the imminent arrival of the Horses.
But I’m on to you, now!!! Your lies shall not prevail!!!!!
*Hoverchairing through the town, shouting “The Horses are coming! The Horses are coming!”*
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pHred:
December 18th, 2012 at 12:57 pm
Not a good sign that my first response to looking at a students work is to think “You are smarter than this you #$)*&%*#)!!”
Apparently the chocolate didn’t work well enough.
strange gods before me ॐ:
December 18th, 2012 at 1:10 pm
cag,
It looks like what’s happening is you are typing in the same nym and/or email as you use for your registered account, and so the WordPress software assumes that someone is trying to impersonate your account.
If the login is broken on other FtB sites, you can either:
1) log in here and then click over to the other site where you want to comment (this should work because your login cookie is shared across all of FtB), or,
2) type in a different nym and email at the other site which doesn’t require registration.
Lynna, OM:
December 18th, 2012 at 1:28 pm
Lots of corrupt practices in India, see links below.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/24/business/global/wal-marts-india-venture-suspends-executives-as-part-of-bribery-inquiry.html?_r=0
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/06/13/walmart-india-china-brazil-idINDEE85C04220120613
For those that want to see more specifics on the Wal-Mart corruption and bribery evil, as presented in the previous [Lounge] thread, here’s the link:
http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2012/12/14/lounge-388/comment-page-2/#comment-516073
Improbable Joe:
December 18th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
Audley:
Yay for PJs!
Boo for sailing, right? I’m just about done with sequence 9, interrupted by my XBox and TV and game all being in the back of a truck that I won’t get until either Friday or next Wednesday. I’m a little disappointed in the focus on a million things that aren’t ASSASSINATIONS, but the game is still pretty good.
To everyone: could altitude be responsible for part of why my legs hurt so much? Ever since I got to New Mexico, I’ve had this sort of tingling ache in my quads whenever I stand or walk for too long, or sit in an awkward position for more than 2-3 minutes.
opposablethumbs:
December 18th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Yay for 6 hours on the trot, Audley – that’s not bad going :-) And I bet the Thing 1, Thing 2 pjs are ultra-cute!
.
I’m really glad you feel that way about this place, rq. I find it looms quite sizeably large on my horizon too, in the very best way! I don’t really post much at all, but I read a lot (or alot, of course) and it means a great deal to me to hang out here. It was thanks to this place that I weighed in on a discussion of abortion in this other place I frequent, whereas I would previously most probably have ground my teeth and clicked [close] without saying anything. And it actually turned out that the site owner agreed with me, so yay!
Audley Z. Darkheart (liar, scoundrel, broski):
December 18th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
Joe:
I actually like all the side stuff– gives the game a nice depth. Hell, even the homestead missions have been fun and you barely kill anyone doing those.
I’m also intrigued that Connor is actually a nice guy. With friends and people who like him and junk. It’s weird, outside of games where you pick your alignment, I can’t think of another game (that has a developed plot/characters) with a nice protagonist.
I’ve been out of the loop for a few weeks– you’ve moved? Does this mean BossNurse has a new job? Are congrats in order? :)
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 18th, 2012 at 2:14 pm
rq:
I’m glad you are able to find compassion, warmth and a sense of community here. That you feel more comfortable addressing social ills IRL and being a non believer is awesome.
Improbable Joe:
December 18th, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Holy shit Audley, you missed a lot!
I used to live in Virginia, and I now live in New Mexico. 2/3 of the way driving, my car died and I had to abandon it and rent a car to get the rest of the way. My cats and dog made it safe, and the formerly office-only cat is part of the family. When I got here, I didn’t have enough money to pay for my stuff to be delivered, so hopefully this week or the middle of next week I’ll get my stuff out of storage. My wife is working an likes her job, even though the past few days have been pretty rough.
I think that’s it over here. I’ve been around newborns, so I know a little about what your days and sleepless nights are like. :)
Improbable Joe:
December 18th, 2012 at 2:50 pm
Oh, the most important details:
*The neighborhood is quiet and safe!
*My gun is unloaded with a cable lock running through it, and then locked in a case with two padlocks on it, in a locked filing cabinet.
rq:
December 18th, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Oh look, PZ has a post about the poem mythbri and I mentioned! *more puke*
Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden:
December 18th, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Grrrr. Hurin in the Cray Cray thread is giving me explosive personality disorder.
Quick, someone send me pictures of otters or something.
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 18th, 2012 at 2:58 pm
Why the fuck do I get into threads that I know, KNOW!, are gonna go places I do not want to go? Am I really that masochistic? Or just stupid?
Beatrice:
December 18th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
http://dailyotter.org/2012/10/09/otter-is-too-sleepy-for-visitors/
sleepy otter to distract Crip Dyke and Ogvorbis
chigau (違う):
December 18th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
Oggie
Want some home-made pizza?
It’s from yesterday but it’s excellent.
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 18th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
Thanks, Beatrice.
It’s almost refreshing to be triggered from 9/11 rather than scouts.
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 18th, 2012 at 3:09 pm
This is for dianne when you come over here.
Your comment triggered me big time. Nothing you wrote was wrong, bad, off in any way. That I triggered is my fault, not yours. My problem, not yours. Yours was not the only one that was setting off alarm bells. I just need to learn to avoid the triggers and I’m not bright enough to do that yet. Or ever. Sorry.
Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden:
December 18th, 2012 at 3:15 pm
Beatrice, thank you. that and Mano’s posting of the Sodomobile Freedom Rides (which I had seen before, but was nicely edited) has brought me back to a better place.
As for Audley – Squeeeeeeee!
I had lost all track of incubation time. We have a darkbaby! Hooray!
As some genius once sang, “How long has this been goin’ on?”
Anyone know which lounge has all the relevant announcements so that Audley doesn’t have to repost all the deets just for me?
And, and, is the cutie named Max?
rq:
December 18th, 2012 at 3:15 pm
Crip Dyke
BABY OTTERS.
Ogvorbis, you better take a look, too.
Nakkustoppeli:
December 18th, 2012 at 3:21 pm
Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden,
How about some wolverine cubs:
http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2012/05/feisty-wolverine-cubs-first-ever-in-the-uk.html
Giliell, professional cynic:
December 18th, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Good evening
Crip Dyke
Yay for wonderful snowy husky morning
Audley
Yay for champion pooper darkbaby
HUgs
There#s a pile of them, help yourselves
+++
Warm fuzzy feeling #1
I got a christmas present from one of my students, a very nice glass pendant. Glad I brought something for everybody, too.
Warm fuzzy feeling #2
The woman who made me that present is kinda catholic. Cross necklace, crucifixes in the house and such. Now, for the start of each lesson my students tell about their week, what happened, what they did. Now, she told about her holiday and then menitioned her daughter and her “novia”. Since I knew about her daughter and her long-time boyfriend, I asked her if she had mixed up the endings.
“oh yes, of course, how silly, but that wouldn’t be a problem either”
dianne:
December 18th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
Ogvorbis: I’m very sorry I triggered you! I really should have known better. It’s not your fault that I was being insensitive!
Audley Z. Darkheart (liar, scoundrel, broski):
December 18th, 2012 at 3:29 pm
Whoa, Joe. That’s a hell of an adventure!
Crip Dyke:
DarkBaby was born on October 25 at about 11:30 in the morning. She’s been happy and healthy ever since (me too!). There’s a few pics up on my blog.
Her name is not Max.
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 18th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
dianne:
You were not being insensitive. At all. You’re comment was right on. And appropriate to the discussion. It is not your fault that I triggered. It is my problem, not yours. There is no need to apologize. If I have made you feel that you should apologize then I am in the wrong and am sorry.
John Morales:
December 18th, 2012 at 3:39 pm
Katherine in the previous: “… she’s got a shaven head, she’s got green eyes and black hair and light skin.”
Describing someone a shaven head kinda conflicts with describing them as having black hair.
dianne:
December 18th, 2012 at 3:41 pm
If I have made you feel that you should apologize then I am in the wrong and am sorry.
Maybe I shouldn’t go with my first impulse, which was to apologize for making you feel this way…I’m sorry that you were triggered, regardless of fault, anyway.
cicely (fair to partly cranky, with scattered afternoon umbrage):
December 18th, 2012 at 3:47 pm
Eyebrows, eyelashes, body hair….
Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden:
December 18th, 2012 at 3:49 pm
@ rq
squee-worthy wall of infant amphibious mustelids is squee-worthy :-)
@ nakkustoppeli
adorable immature land-lubbing mustelids are adorable :-)
@audley –
going to visit blog now.
@ only 7 weeks or so, 6 hours in a row is quite the accomplishment! My dog is 13 years and she doesn’t always allow me to sleep for 6 hours!
Rey Fox:
December 18th, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Scalp stubble…
Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden:
December 18th, 2012 at 3:55 pm
Look the google-image bit was a good gambit, rq, but Audley wins for best otterbaby picture with not a picture of a baby otter, but a picture of darkbaby with snuggly otter-stuffies on her carseat!!! Or at least snuggly generic-mustelids, which I will so interpret!*
While I may post one or two more times, I am making a valiant attempt to flounce: I need to get some food in me and drive back to the states if I am to see family and friends before I have to start a research project for a professor of mine a week before classes begin…and they begin on jan 2nd. What cruel fate is that?
Oh, and while I’m in the states, I have to finish an article for publication.
Y’know, I seem to remember someone saying something about vacation. Sigh. Well, it’s still different writing something for publication than cramming for exams.
Different and much, much better.
*yes, they look a little more ferret like than otter-like, but it’s a matter of a) degree, and b) the topic was otters already. Ferrets can have their turn next week.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 18th, 2012 at 4:06 pm
cicely
Thanks. You summed up my thought process on applying for the job : )
rq
As usual, even in the midst of an exhausting day, you can make me smile. Thank you!
Crip Dyke
Congrats on the forthcoming publication!
-====-
Today, I had one client with an arrest warrant I wasn’t expecting, and another without an arrest warrant I was expecting. I feel like there’s dramedy writers scripting my life sometimes.
-====-
SO’s dad just walked into SO’s office (where I am currently camped out with my laptop and files) and asked when my interview is for the job I only applied for yesterday. SO CANNOT KEEP HIS DAMN MOUTH SHUT. Arg. We’ve been over this. *grousegrousegrouse*
Audley Z. Darkheart (liar, scoundrel, broski):
December 18th, 2012 at 4:36 pm
Crip Dyke,
Huh. I thought they were bears.
Or possibly cats.
carlie:
December 18th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
Oh look, Richard Dawkins put his foot in his mouth again.
Not everyone with a gun is psychotic. Not all psychos have guns. But given a fair number of psychos and lots of easily available guns . .
I just put this in the new shooting thread too, just wanted to gripe more about how he DOESN’T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING ELSE EITHER. Sheesh.
rq:
December 18th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
Crip Dyke
Obviously, next time I will have to go for quality, not quantity!
Portia
Many welcomes. :)
+++
And with that, I flounce. No late-night translating tonight. Because.
Tomorrow, however… Ick.
Hugs all around for all those dealing with douchery on FtB and also those who just want hugs. Hot drinks to the rest.
Nick Gotts (formerly KG):
December 18th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Apologies if this has laready been posted somewhere: atheist census is back up.
dianne:
December 18th, 2012 at 5:13 pm
I’m going to withdraw for a bit in case my presence is triggering Ogvorbis. Later.
ImaginesABeach:
December 18th, 2012 at 5:56 pm
furnace is working again. Adonis did not live up to his name but he was nice and FIXED THE FURNACE!y
carlie:
December 18th, 2012 at 6:05 pm
One of these is totally showing up in the lab tomorrow.
John Morales:
December 18th, 2012 at 6:10 pm
Nick, that atheist census reminds me of the old usenet “atheist number” (alt.atheism).
Huh — a quick Googling brought up this old post:
Welcome to alt.atheism, Lucy. To join the atheist/agnostic list,
please send the following information to: [email redacted]
the name and/or nickname you want on the list
are you an atheist, atheist agnostic, atheist freethinker
or Buddhist atheist
your year of birth
the country you live in
your gender
Michelle Malkin (Mickey)
^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^
alt.atheism atheist/agnostic list #1 ULC minister #3
EAC Bible Thumper Thumper BAAWA Knight Who Says SPONG!
^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^
Morality is doing what is right no matter what you are told.
Religion is doing what you are told no matter what is right.
- Jerry Sturdivant -
^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^
ednaz:
December 18th, 2012 at 7:16 pm
Hello All!
Slightly threadrupt but I must say –
Ogvorbis (Latin Translator Extraordinaire) For The WIN!!
: D
F [disappearing]:
December 18th, 2012 at 9:11 pm
Hey.
It’s all I’ve got right now, but I mean it. Hey hey.
robro:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
Here’s something to think about: I just found this piece on AlterNet on the branding and commoditization of Christian evangelical fundamentalism:
http://www.alternet.org/books/how-christianity-became-lucrative-brand
It’s an excerpt from Authentic: The Politics of Ambivalence in Brand Culture by Sarah Barnet-Weiser.
michaeld:
December 18th, 2012 at 10:31 pm
flops…. so tired of the trolls…
StevoR, fallible human being:
December 18th, 2012 at 11:57 pm
Fascinating exoplanet news regarding Tau Ceti :
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/12/19/3657825.htm
&
http://www.space.com/18967-nearby-habitable-alien-planet-tau-ceti.html
Although still quite a few cautionary notes and still needing to be confirmed. Interestingly Tau Ceti is an old, metal poor thick disk population star too. See :
http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/taucet.html
Which could mean that these exoplanets of Tau Cet are very metal poor but then again..? Discovering these worlds is just the beginning – so much still to learn about them.
chigau (違う):
December 19th, 2012 at 12:02 am
Pharyngula is very strange tonight.
Beatrice:
December 19th, 2012 at 12:20 am
Yup, weird at this time of day (I’m not usually up this early). And I could catch up with the night-comments really quickly.
First day of work. Hoping that I’m going to work with some nice people.
/excited like a first grader
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 12:41 am
Can I borrow someone’s GUN NUT BEGONE spray? Mine is almost out.
Fuck, where do these idiots come from? I feel like Ripley trying to escape with Newt. They’re everywhere!!!
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 12:44 am
chigau:
What makes you say that?
Is it the impending arrival of the black hole? Maybe you are worried about a little pole shifting going on…? Perhaps a celestial alignment has got you out of whack?
Pteryxx:
December 19th, 2012 at 12:53 am
kick ass science: (also Ed Yong is on NatGeo now)
The frog apocalypse fungus hides in crayfish
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven:
December 19th, 2012 at 1:03 am
….what the fuck does the internet MEAN there’s no analytic general solution to find the height of a circular segment given its radius and area?
What the HELL do we make the mathematicians we keep around eat instead of letting them glance at the kibble, mutter “a solution exists,” and go back to the blackboard until they collapse for?!
*bangs head against wall*
John Morales:
December 19th, 2012 at 1:10 am
Azkyroth, who makes that claim?
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 1:32 am
A commenter at Skepchick had the most adorably sad looking panda pic. Must share!:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbo=d&site=webhp&tbm=isch&source=hp&q=sad+panda&oq=sad+panda&gs_l=mobile-gws-hp.3..0l5.1704.4520.0.5636.11.9.0.2.2.0.480.2155.0j2j4j1j1.8.0.les%3Bcpsugrpq1..0.0…1.1.ASsddHhbCO8&biw=320&bih=533&sei=xWzRUMXNFI3QqwHkkYDQAQ#i=19
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 1:34 am
Err, perhaps this works… http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/149/a/7/Sad_Panda_Chibi_by_mongrelssister.png
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 2:07 am
Good morning and YAY BEATRICE!!!
re: The Idiots (of all kinds):
They’re trying to wear us down with numbers and volume. We must resist!
In other news, there is no other news.
rorschach:
December 19th, 2012 at 2:27 am
Can’t say this was the best of days. First I got stuck on the bloody internet last night and went to bed at 6am. Then I woke up at 11 already because it was insanely hot, thought I’ll have a relaxed arvo by going into town, walked into the casino just to find someone having CPR at the front door, eventually went inside and lost 200 bucks gambling.
Back home now with my tail between my legs. It’s probably going to hail next or something.
se habla espol:
December 19th, 2012 at 2:50 am
#109, Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven
19 December 2012 at 1:03 am (UTC -6) asks:
In some contexts, ‘analytic’ means real arithmetic only, no trig, no complex, etc. Off the top of my head, it seems that a general solution would involve square root (ok) of the area (ok), division (ok) by π (ok, since it’s a real), division by the radius (ok), and sine or cosine (oops).
The problem may, in fact, be equivalent to squaring the circle, but it’s too late tonight to think about that.
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 3:09 am
rorschach
I can only offer my nearly-three-year-old’s solution to most life’s problems: a giant box of cars, trucks and tractors. Because what more do you need? :)
(The method was attempted on littlest today, who is having one of those days – can’t put him down without some complaining or whining, even creeping across the carpet with some impressive sound effects – and when it didn’t succeed, clumsy older-brother hugs were offered instead (of the here-let-me-smother-you-for-a-while variety). Sometimes, they’re amazingly kind to each other…)
John Morales:
December 19th, 2012 at 3:18 am
se habla espol, heh.
Took me two seconds and the first hit to get this page: Circular Segment.
se habla espol:
December 19th, 2012 at 4:12 am
John Morales, yes, I’m reputed to be a speaker of
ESPOL(not to be confused with Español, which is something entirely else).But, as the first sentence of my comment says, “analytic“, in some contexts, does not allow trig. The Wolfram cite uses trig functions.
The original comment does not give either (a) the context in which analytic is to be read, nor (b) which ‘height’ it was referring to. I chose a different height than the Wolfram cite, the radius times the sine of the angle. (Put one side of the angle on the x axis for visualization.) Since I didn’t want to try mathematical notation in this blog (because it often doesn’t work in blog software – the software corrupts the necessary html), I just winged it in english, listing some of the operations and quantities needed.
In either case, there is a closed-form solution, but it’s not analytic in the context-dependent sense I specified. My presumption is that the no-trig meaning of analytic resolves the problem in Azkyroth’s question. That’s what I was addressing, math errors to the contrary notwithstanding.
rorschach:
December 19th, 2012 at 4:29 am
YOU GUYS. English please?
;)
se habla espol:
December 19th, 2012 at 4:46 am
rorschach, are you talking to me (and perhaps John M)? If so, I’m doing the best I can.
:^Þ
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 19th, 2012 at 4:47 am
Oh looky, a big hunk of concrete that is ours. And the next day. Watching concrete dry is about as much fun as it sounds. Mind you, the pic shows how the “suede” colouring is going to lighten as it dries and has a tiny Mrs. Fishy and Small Fry for scale.
So far every contractor who’s shown up has looked at the slab and asked “Is this the shed?” It’s starting to bother Mrs. Fishy. It’s a small house, it’s what we can afford and it will be very energy efficient due in large part to its size.
And we’ve had our first financial hurdle to overcome. The mortgage insurance that we were required to get is not part of the payout for the various stages of building. We have to wait until the first home owner’s grant from the government comes through to be able to pay it and until that time the builder’s have downed tools and are counting this as delay time that we have incurred. There’s a penalty to us if they go late because of our delays just as there is one for them. Blah.
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 4:52 am
FossilFishy
Nothing wrong with a shed, if it’s cosy and snug for a three-Fishy family! :) (And yes, I know, the same question again and again does get annoying…) I love your building updates. Still waiting for all those major crises that are supposed to put me off house-building forever. ;)
*sending lots of wishes for speedy home owner’s grants* I’ll bring out a second jar of thumbs to hold for you.
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 5:07 am
rq:
As someone else said (John Morales?) I too missed the earlier discussions on The Commune. Links possible to most concentrated discussion times? OR… were you, rq, serious about putting together a spreadsheet? After all it sounds like you have ALL THE TIME INTHE WORLD.
*kidding,,kidding. Don’t revoke my Commie privileges !!*
I would offer my 2 1/2 acres for the cause bu,t though I hoped never to have to move again- who REALLY thinks Texas and a commune of lefty, non-believers is a good combination–seriously!?
Enjoying the conversation on perfect(as we can make it) worlds… :)
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 19th, 2012 at 5:07 am
Cheers rq. Whinging aside, it’s going pretty well so far.
Our brief to the builder was in fact: “liveable shed”. Over time it became more like a small house, but that’s okay. One of the features that isn’t obvious at this stage is that the west(isn) and east(isn) sides will have long overhanging roofs. The east one will be an outdoor living area that we’ll flyscreen in to make it actually liveable in the summer. It will have an overhead fan and a large sink/laundry trough with drinking water from the rain barrel.
The design also features pretty big windows in every room, a nice secondary benefit of passive solar design. You have to let the winter sun shine on all the lovely concrete so that heat can re-radiate into the house at night. Windows that can also remain uncovered once the sun is above the eaves in summer because of the double glazing; it might be small but it won’t be claustrophobic.
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 19th, 2012 at 5:09 am
Sigh, that’d be west and east “isn”. ‘Tis the season for retail workers to be tired, fah, la, la, la, la…la, la, la damn!
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 5:10 am
bluentx
It’s never good to put all valuable people on one small piece of property.
And yes, I am more-or-less serious about spreadsheeting, but I’m trying to figure out how. I think I have a method, but at best, it’ll be ready sometime after Christmas/before New Year’s, so we’ll be missing the Apocalypse completely. (I hope nobody minds.) I’ll need something to do out in the country.
And don’t try my patience, or I’ll put you down for dead-donkey-wrangling instead of whatever it was you were going to do. Damn commies…
Oh wait.
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 19th, 2012 at 5:10 am
What the hell “ish” there we go, damn auto-correct.
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 5:14 am
Oh, and I was warned about “worshiping’ HTML and encouraged to opt for the Goddess of Typos. [Thank you, Ogi-wan for that sage advise.]
And in view of #123: Hail Typos !
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 5:16 am
FossilFishy
The one thing I really like about characteristic Australian architecture is the whole long overhanging roof (usually + veranda) idea. I know in a northern country like this one it’s not a very good idea (need all the sun we can get in winter), but I love the look. Can’t wait to see what this will look like when done! :)
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 5:17 am
(And yes, I was wondering what all those isns were (or weren)?)
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 5:27 am
Yes, 2 1/2 is a bit restricting but then there is the 40-something acres which surround me — owned by Mr.Goat and Donkey-man… Hummm.. could kill two birds with one….
There I go having those evil thoughts again…But 50-ish acers would ba a start….
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 5:29 am
English how does it work…
John Morales:
December 19th, 2012 at 5:33 am
se habla espol, I think you’re restricting analytical expressions to being algebraic expressions, when you exclude trig functions.
–
BTW, WordPress supports LaTex (not that I’m any good at it):
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 19th, 2012 at 5:34 am
On the north(ish) and south(ish) walls the eaves will be much shorter and they’re going to be louvred so that they block the summer sun and let more of the winter through. Those classic Aussie farm houses are fine in summer but they’re really, really dark and depressing in winter. Especially here in Victoria which is around the same latitude south as Seoul and San Francisco are north, neither place being known as needing special architecture to deal with summer heat.
WMDKitty (Always growing and learning):
December 19th, 2012 at 5:37 am
Is anyone else getting a huge number of e-mails from FTB regarding subscription management?
Does anyone know how to stop it?
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 5:39 am
FossilFishy:
I haven’t personally done any concrete work since the ’80′s but the pics look good from here!
And since we’re scouting possible locations… *wink,wink,nudge,nudge*
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 5:43 am
Yeah, but we need a) water and b) distance from all those individualist, colonialist survivor-types. Suggestions have ranged from Alaska, and ummm somewhere warmer, and I think Alaska again. Someone mentioned east coast of North America, I think. On a personal note, Brazil and Argentina seem to be favourite places for recluse communes. A full review of all comments is necessary to determine exactly what was recommended where.
The bonus of Alaska is: untouched nature, soon to become warmer due to global warming; more edible mushrooms than elsewhere on the continent (mushroom-wise, Europe/Asia would be a better bet); sea-water (for salt acquisition); lots of space and beautiful scenery. Winter is an unresolved issue for some.
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 5:47 am
bluentx
We’d need a village of those for all of us. The energy savings would be worth it, probably – FossilFishy can let us know once it’s all up and running!
John Morales:
December 19th, 2012 at 6:01 am
rq, “recluse communes”, or intentional communities?
(There’s a history of those)
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 6:02 am
Alaska: not near Wasilla I hope? *shudder*
East coast of NA: Solar flare doomsdayers predicting a grid blackout for that area soon, How many electricians, electrical engineer types are in on ‘Tha Plan’?
South America: I heard that George HW Bush bought up much of Paraguay a few years ago- property on top of one of the biggest aquifers in the world…We could make an offer…:)
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 19th, 2012 at 6:04 am
We’ve got two acres and so long as people are willing to stay out of the way when I’m test firing the catapult, the more the merrier. We have a ground water bore that came with the property. Assuming that it’s as deep as the one we’re using now it should hold for a fair few folks. The rainwater tank from the roof is a little one unfortunately, we can’t afford a big one at the moment. That’s on the list of future upgrades. I’m not sure the worm farm waste water treatment system will handle too many people. The next door neighbour is in the septic cleaning business, perhaps we could make some arrangement.
The owners of the seven star energy rated homes that this company has built in the area told us that they are getting 18-25c inside temperatures in winter without supplemental heating unless there’s a run of a week or more of cloudy, cold weather. Our’s is eight star, on paper, so we’re not expecting to use the heating much. Add to that the solar hot water system and the photovoltaics (still a bit iffy financially on the PV’s, we’ll get them so long as no more surprise costs come along) and our energy costs are going to be pretty cheap.
Thanks bluentx. It looks pretty good to me too, but I’m a total amateur. It’s smooth, and level to within my spirit level’s ability to detect. The aggregate is starting to show as it dries and it looks consistent in distribution and size. They could still stuff it up when they grind and polish though. (pessimism added just for rq)
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 19th, 2012 at 6:08 am
Night all. My bed calls with a siren song, exactly unlike those heard in wee hours of metropolises.
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 6:14 am
Yeah, FossilFishy, wouldn’t want to get all excited too early. :)
John Morales
It’s just the Pharyngula commune for surviving the end of the world. A counter-product to stand fast against the individual survivor/zombie-hunter types who insist on shooting first and asking questions later. For a safer post-apocalyptic world.
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 19th, 2012 at 6:14 am
Oh,one last thought: we’re not going to be off-grid in any meaningful sense as far as electricity goes. Batteries and their management systems are very expensive.
Also, to do this kind of building requires a robust industrial infrastructure. If you want it for the commune it all has to be built before the end of the world. That’s the essential irony of modern off-the-gridders, the vast majority of them require the grid in order to get off of it.
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 6:15 am
And good night, FossilFishy!
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 6:19 am
Worm farm wastewater treatment system… Interesting. Don’t remember THAT being covered in any of my WWT training classes. Must look into i,t if only in case MY septic system goes kaput.
And honest folks: Somethin’ wacky goin’ on with my laptop or what have you today. Sooo many glitches while typing, typos even with previewing… sometimes I can’t even see punctuation I KNOW I’ve put in until after posting–then there are multiple commas, etc. Aaaargh!
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 6:29 am
Electricity-wise, we had solar batteries and wind/water-mills suggested as generators. Practical applications to be figured out by trial and error, I suppose.
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 6:38 am
rq @143:
“..to stand fast against the individual survivor/zombie-hunter types..”
So, would that make screenings of “Zombieland” something to be avoided,or a training film/documentary?
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 6:43 am
bluentx
A matter of choice. :) I don’t like zombie movies, period. I’m not going to make any decisions about “Zombieland”, since I’ve never seen the movie and have no way to rate its educational value. ;)
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 6:53 am
I generally don’t care for zombie movies either (what IS with the plethora lately: Big Screen zombies &vampires !?) but Zombieland gave me a chuckle.
Ooo.. and now that I think about it a fitting tribute to Zombie Twinkies, too! If only that crap would really die.
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:02 am
And speaking of vampires–this one should go to bed. Sun’s comin’ up!
G’night and G’morn’ all…
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:05 am
@John Morales:
Think of her as having her head shaved like Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta. Stubbly but not bald.
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:15 am
Good night, bluentx
pHred:
December 19th, 2012 at 8:15 am
Sigh – on the last class, compiling grades by importing them into Excel and found out that the on-line grade book is messed up. Kinda defeats the purpose if I have to go through and verify every grade by hand. Would have been faster to write them all down by hand.
The throwing papers down the stairwell method is starting to look attractive, except it would involve throwing the computer down the stairs and using some kind of oracular method to convert the broken bits and pieces into grade.
On the plus side, have found a really good gluten free pancake recipe for my son!
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 19th, 2012 at 8:32 am
I plan to try to be smart today (which is, in and of itself, remarkable) and stay out of the damn gun threads. I will probably be stupid and go there anyway, but I will try not to.
Far too late to do any good, but your presence does not trigger me. What I read on the thread that I should have been smart enough to stay out of triggered me. Not you.
They are succeeding.
It is Tpyos. You have now displeased Tpyos. Not godo.
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 8:48 am
Ogvorbis
You have my long-distance moral support in your endeavour to Be Smart (Smrt?). As we used to say before those atrocious French tests, Bon succes!
Oh might Ogi-wan, acolyte of cute and clever Tpyos, if the grasshopper displeases the mighty powers that are Tpyos, shall the spiritual gift of wrong spelling visit him no more?
As for the idiots, we must prevail. Must. They can not succeed. But that is a story for another day.
birgerjohansson:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:17 am
There is a graphic novel out there, “Zombies vs. Robots”, I haven’t read it but it got good reviews.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Tau Ceti: Sun-like star only twelve light years away may have a habitable planet http://phys.org/news/2012-12-tau-ceti-sun-like-star-twelve.html -5 times the mass of Earth? Such planets may have too much water to allow land to reach the surface.
— — — — — — — — — —
Do palm trees hold the key to (almost) immortality? http://phys.org/news/2012-12-palm-trees-key-immortality.html -750 year old functioning plant cells.
— — — — — — — — — —
Professor examines the historic and contemporary proliferation of memes http://phys.org/news/2012-12-professor-historic-contemporary-proliferation-memes.html Go, honey badgers!
— — — — — — —
Study shows yields have plateaued or dropped in many places for world’s most important crops http://phys.org/news/2012-12-yields-plateaued-world-important-crops.html
— — — — —
Project puts drought-tolerant crops in the spotlight http://phys.org/news/2012-12-drought-tolerant-crops-spotlight.html
birgerjohansson:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:20 am
A pangolin with acid for blood would have the ultimate combination of defence mechanisms.
And, yes, the nodosaurs need more publicity.
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:21 am
Good news:
Boy did not lose his job for having too much money in the register when he was robbed at knifepoint while pulling a double shift to cover a hole in the staffing for a different store.
Friend of mine snapped a photo of a sign outside a fire company up the valley. They were raising money for Sandy victims. The sign read:
Rev. BigDumbChimp:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:49 am
Robert Bork has died.
“I did not attend his funeral; but I wrote a nice letter saying I approved of it. “
chigau (違う):
December 19th, 2012 at 9:58 am
Oggie
Good that Boy was neither harmed nor fired.
Now he can pull a few more double shifts.
’tis the season.
/snark
chigau (違う):
December 19th, 2012 at 10:01 am
Boy being unharmed not included in snark.
That part is good.
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:06 am
chigau:
He puts in about 30 hours a week at his home store. There are four other stores that ask him, frequently, to either come in and take a shift or organize the store according to the latest incarnation of the ‘plan-o-gram.’ He’s hoping for more extra shifts between now and Saturday as he will be coming with Wife and I to Florida to visit the my inlaws. For a college student, winter break is the season for extra shifts. Whenever possible.
Wife and I are glad he wasn’t injured, too.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:27 am
Very glad sonspawn was neither injured, nor fired Ogvorbis.
****
WMDKitty:
I have been having the same issue for months now. I noticed that I stopped getting Lounge updates and checkef my subscriptions. Somehow in the process, I get random subscription requests AND new blog entries from all over FtB. It is quite annoying.
blf:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:34 am
That’s silly.
─────────────────────────────────────
The mildly deranged penguin is looking forward to the Long Cycle Calendar Collapse in a day or three. The last calendar collapse she saw was the Great Collapsing Hrung Disaster, and all that did was wipe out Betelgeuse Seven.
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:40 am
No, just honest.
I know next to nothing about philosophy — I barely grok the damn cave, much less anything deeper. I am not a scientist — I read lots in palaeontology but that doesn’t make me anything other than boring. My degree is in military history but I work with industrial and transportation history — and some of that I actually know something about. So, really, being silly is about 98% of me here. Well, that and complaining about my mental health issues.
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:45 am
John Morales at 133:
Thank you. Now, tell me what happens when you plug that expression into Wolfram Alpha and ask it to solve for h symbolically?
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:45 am
Good morning, Lounge!
Ogvorbis, what you call silly, I call enjoyable conversation.
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:49 am
Exactly.
Abuse(?) of Laplace (or related) transforms to solve A=0.5(R^2)(θ-sin(θ)) for theta and working from there is about the only idea I have. >.>
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:49 am
Ogvorbis:
Don’t be silly :)
You downplay your empathy and critical thinking skills, as well as your unique voice and perspective of the world.
You contribute silliness, yes.
But your contributions far exceed that.
Audley Z. Darkheart (liar, scoundrel, broski):
December 19th, 2012 at 10:50 am
Who is wearing some adorable pjs?
http://audleyzdarkheart.blogspot.com/2012/12/pjs.html?m=0
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:51 am
Sorry. I’m feeling really down, really useless, really worthless, really broken. I need a fucking vacation.
Oh, wait. After today, I don’t work until January 3d. That should help.
Beatrice:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:51 am
First day on the job: finds out mentor’s vacation starts on monday
Um, it looks like I’m going to have to do all (or most of) his regular work. How am I supposed to know what to do, I just started today?!?!?!
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:51 am
Tony said it better : ) I second it.
Audley: I just squeed out loud. Love it
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:52 am
Beatrice,
Whoa, that’s quite a bit to have dumped in your lap. Do you think you can pick his brain for the rest of the week?
carlie:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:52 am
THAT BABY! THAT ONE RIGHT THERE! :)
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:53 am
Beatrice:
It sounds like you just walked into a Dilbert cartoon.
blf:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:54 am
Whilst that’s a good thing to do on vacation, I also suggest sometimes eating and sleeping. And a bit of poo-throwing does wonders.
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:54 am
Ogvorbis
IME knowing about philosophy tends to make people less useful, not more so, if it does anything. Seriously, though, besides what you do here, (see Tony above), in the time I’ve been here I’ve lost track of the number of times you weren’t posting much because you were busy helping fight wildfires. That’s bad ass, my friend. Aside from that, knowing history is never a bad thing; if nothing else, you’ve always got a cool story or two to entertain people with.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:55 am
Moral support is what we’re here for, Ogvorbis. (Along with silliness when appropriate). Hold on, you’re almost to your R&R!
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:57 am
Four.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:06 am
Ogvorbis:
My recent bout with _self worth where are you_ had me feeling the same way. Have you tried isolating why you feel this way? Are there goals you’ve not achieved that you have tied into your self worth? Because that’s exactly what I was doing. Everything that was wrong in my life financially as well as romantically was wrapped up in my sense of what kind of person I am. It took my parents and the support of The Horde for me to realize that even in my dark hours I am still a good person with a big heart who is cared for by many. My accomplishments or lack thereof do not change the quality of my character.
The same holds true of you my friend.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:12 am
*hugs* to Tony. Your writing gives me warm fuzzies, and it is so very true.
chigau (違う):
December 19th, 2012 at 11:20 am
Watch this.
Look.
I am closing my Pharyngula tabs for at least 6 hours.
Really.
work to do
—
DarkBaby
squeee
Rodney Nelson:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:21 am
rq #156
Before you go for a walk do you say, Bon marche?
Rodney Nelson:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:23 am
Sorry, that should be Bon marché.
Beatrice:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:26 am
Portia,
I’m hoping that I’m wrong, but I doubt I’ll be able to answer all the calls with a “Please call in two weeks”. I’ll try to learn as much as I can in two (2!) days that are left.
—
Ogvorbis,
Hah! Yes, it does look like that.
Btw, Ogvorbis, I second all the good things others wrote about you. You rock and you’re one of my favorite people here. Even if you don’t believe me, it’s true :)
—
Audley,
…
*dies of cute*
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:27 am
Nope, we say that in late February.
David Marjanović:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:31 am
Not caught up.
Cute pangolin.
Job announcement that might interest some people here:
========================================
CNAH ANNOUNCEMENT
Tuesday, December 18, 2012 12:29:35 PM
The Center for North American Herpetology
Lawrence, Kansas
http://www.cnah.org
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Cornell University
Lab Technician III – Job # 19196
Job Description
Research position in evolutionary biology/herpetology lab. Provide tech support for molecular systematics and comparative population genetics/genomics research. Specific responsibilities include DNA isolation, PCR, library construction, sample preparation, editing sequence data, using genomic database and searching tools, running phylogenetic and population genetic software, and data interpretation. General responsibilities include maintaining and purchasing laboratory supplies, assisting with grant proposal and manuscript preparation, and assisting with student training. This is a one-year appointment, renewable for a second year upon satisfactory performance. Endowed college employee benefits apply.
Qualifications
BS in biology-related field strongly preferred with at least one year of experience in a molecular biology or molecular systematics environment. Working knowledge of standard molecular lab protocols and basic field biology techniques. Neatness, attention to detail, good organizational skills and ability to manage people and be a team leader. Some weekend/evening hours will be necessary for field collecting trips, and time-sensitive lab procedures.
Applications will be accepted through January 30, 2013
Inquiries can be directed to Dr. Kelly Zamudio at krz2 [at] cornell [university].
Located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer.
To apply please visit:
https://cornellu.taleo.net/careersection/10164/jobsearch.ftl
Audley Z. Darkheart (liar, scoundrel, broski):
December 19th, 2012 at 11:31 am
So… I’ve got a baby in my lap and a cat on my feet. Snuggle pile for Oggie?
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:32 am
Aaaaand the Laplace transform method produces complex angles. I suppose I should just solve it numerically, but then I have to do that every time we design one of these :(
David Marjanović:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:32 am
Cute darkbaby, too.
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:43 am
Oh, there’s no place like eggs for the Hollandaise,
‘Cause no matter how many times you poach,
When you pine for eggs with more cholesterol,
Then you can’t be sauce on eggs that’re poached
yes, my mind really is that out there today.
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:44 am
Try that again, this time without the Tpyos:
Oh, there’s no place like eggs for the Hollandaise,
‘Cause no matter how many times you poach,
When you pine for eggs with more cholesterol,
Then you can’t beat sauce on eggs that have been poached!
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
We aren’t going to have poached eggs as the morning Commune meal, are we? I like mine scrambled, boiled or fried hard. That’s about the it.
Improbable Joe:
December 19th, 2012 at 12:41 pm
Somebody is wearing the adorable pjs I bought them!! I can’t wait to show BossNurse when she gets home tonight… and shout “See! I told you I could do something right!”
Janine: Hallucinating Liar:
December 19th, 2012 at 12:50 pm
The march of inanity goes on.
A Virginia state representative proposes a bill the requires teachers be certified and armed.
Not that Governor Ultrasound is much better.
Janine: Hallucinating Liar:
December 19th, 2012 at 12:53 pm
Bork finally got Borked. I will not attend the funeral but I might dance on his grave.
Saturday night is alright for a massacre.
(If you youngsters do not get it, look up Robert Bork and Watergate.)
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort:
December 19th, 2012 at 1:01 pm
@Janine:
Well I know where I’ll never send my kids to school.
Gyeong Hwa:
December 19th, 2012 at 1:10 pm
You know I just thought of something: How many of these gun nuts would be saying that black or brown people need guns? They only ever talk about arming up white folks.
Skip White:
December 19th, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Yay pangolin!
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 19th, 2012 at 1:27 pm
Geong Hwa:
Of course not. Who did you think they’re arming themselves against? IME, gun nuts tend to be absolutely terrified of both’gangbangers’ i.e. young black men in general,and of a general blakc uprising againt whites as ‘revenge for slavery’. They are convinced that there are large armed bands of dark skinned people roaming the land committng atrocities, and that all dark skinne dpeople are just inches fromjoining them and destroying everything they can get their hands on. It’s a really, really fucking disturbing mindset, especially when someone who seeme d reasonable starts spouting it out of the blue.
Giliell, professional cynic:
December 19th, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Hi there
*mostly skimming*
I swear, when we’re living in the Commune after the Zombie-apocalypse and the zombies prove to be unreasonable we can always send Mr. out for scavenging, because I swear that some days his brain is entirely unnoticable.
Today he went to town to pick up #1′s bicicle, which he helped choosing.
He came back with the wrong bike…
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven:
December 19th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
A public service announcement:
Living vicariously through kids is extremely unhealthy.
On the other hand, parenthood DOES offer you a wonderful opportunity to be the parent you always wished you had.
*cocks staplegun, grabs 50lb box of Christmas lights* :D
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 19th, 2012 at 1:48 pm
Then how come I spent years opening my mouth and hearing my dad come out? Not all the time, but often enough to disturb me.
cicely (fair to partly cranky, with scattered afternoon umbrage):
December 19th, 2012 at 1:58 pm
Eccentrically.
:D
-
Boo! for the robbery; but Yay! for continuing employment.
And another Yay! for non-injury.
-
Bro. Ogvorbis, I will ever-so-diffidently point out that my noise-to-info ratio is much higher than yours.
Much, much higher. If you want to do a “race to the bottom”, I’ve got you beat, hands down.
The best I can hope to achieve is “mildly entertaining”. And I’m good with that.
-
O_o
May I recommend the Blind Panic? It’s very popular….
-
More cholesterol?!? The things are tasty little cholesterol bombs, as is! One whole day’s recommended dosage in each and every one.
(There have been times I could have been tempted to do serious mayhem, in exchange for a plate of devilled eggs.)
-
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 19th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
My doctor keeps telling me to eat more, more, more eggs. She is threatening to put me cholesterol pills to add cholesterol to my blood. Two months before my heart attack scare, my total cholesterol was 71. While in the hospital, my cholesterol was 51, 61 and 54. Last month, my total cholesterol was 31. Yes, 31. Unfortunately, my ratio of bad to good cholesterol is still out of whack. And it is out of whack by the same ratio no matter what my total count is.
Sister was hospitalized, some years ago, with what they thought was an autoimmune disease. When they did blood work, they went ahead and checked her cholesterol. It was 7. They gave her an IV of it and the symptoms disappeared within 12 hours.
Owen:
December 19th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Our family’s usual response to devilled eggs is “Oh, those are perilous. Way too perilous for you. Let me save you from the peril…”
opposablethumbs:
December 19th, 2012 at 2:28 pm
I really really love the chemistree, carlie!
.
Crossed tentacles your first day at work goes/is going/went (eh, time-zones) well, Beatrice! ETA Oh boy, you get like three days to get ready to fill in for your immediate boss? Blimey. Hey, I’ll keep the tentacles crossed if you like but actually I reckon you’ll ace it. :-)
.
And I’m beyond glad that Son was not harmed, Ogvorbis. Also, I’m thirding (fourthing etc.) the opinion that you are a most cool person to have around. Seriously, Ogvorbis, you’re good people and we’re the better for having you here.
.
Audley, veeeeery cute. Serious case of cuteness you have going on there, oh yes indeed – really great choice, Improbable Joe!
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
I skimmed and I’m exhausted and I’ll have more later, but mostly I noticed that another giant round of hugs is needed, and also that Tony likes his eggs boiled hard (where, in Latvian, ‘eggs’ is a slang term for testicles.
Not sure whether I’ll be laughing or crying about that one, still somewhere in between and it’s not even that funny.
Sorry for the quasi-emotional dump, it’s just that there’s so much to do and not enough hours for me to sleep and I’m running short on days before the deadline.
Ogvorbis, I value your presence here, I really do, because what may be silly conversation to you is actually a very welcome respite from stress I seem to get myself into on a daily basis, and I appreciate your silliness. Yours too, cicely. Please don’t consider yourself useless. You’re not, as well as far from boring.
I must really be exhausted if writing the sentences above actually set off the crying. This is bad.
Will be back later when in shape to translate some more crap about opening beach-side resorts on the coast of Latvia and why the government doesn’t fund them enough. Interesting stuff, that. Too bad there’s so much of it.
(Cute baby, Audley, but mine’s just so much cuter! ;) No, no pictures, otherwise it’ll be a competition. At the moment it’s a motherly opinion. ;) Glad to hear you’re both doing well and snuggly!)
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 3:17 pm
rq: oh that is freakin’ hilarious!
Socio-gen, something something...:
December 19th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
Last paper turned in! I’m free….FREEEEEE! ‘Til 1/14, anyway.
— —
Beatrice:
Belated congrats on the new job! And “eep” on the mentor leaving you on your own so soon.
—
Ogvorbis:
So glad Son is okay and not fired! My daughter works for a convenience store chain in the Twin Tiers and several of their stores have been hit over the last few months. Makes me nervous all the time…
.
Also joining in with the chorus that appreciates your contributions!
—
Audley:
Oh she is SO adorable!
—
rq:
Now, I have to clean the desk, the keyboard, and the monitor after spewing tea on them all.
.
I may never be able to eat eggs again without laughing.
+++
I’ve been trying to come up with a list of things I might contribute to the commune, but really, I’m more of the unskilled labor type. I’m pretty good at weeding a garden, fairly capable of providing care and activities for kids of various ages (and haven’t lost or maimed any!) and can cook, although it’s mostly down-home style meals, nothing fancier than a pot roast. Mostly, I’m good at what what former co-worker called “scut work” — cleaning, lifting, carrying, and organizing.
.
In short, I’d make a fine assistant (or live-in nanny/housekeeper) to someone with real skills and ability!!
— —
Erm…to anyone: how to I make spaces between my paragraphs without putting a period in there? Or are the spaces just not showing in preview, but will appear after I hit submit?
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 19th, 2012 at 3:41 pm
Just told a visitor where to go (politely). He was wearing a hoodie and on the front was an ‘n’ made out of french fries? like half of the McDonald’s logo. Underneath, it said, “Noah: I’m flooding it!”
Nice. A Christian t-shirt mocking what was, if it was real, that is, the greatest mass murder of all time.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
Socio-gen, they just don’t appear in preview. But if you want more spaces, use & nbsp ; without the spaces.
Thusly.
And congrats on being dooooone.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 3:50 pm
Portia:
Do i need to use angle brackets for nbsp like i do with blockquote? Also, what about that ‘&’ ?
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Nope, and nope. They don’t need brackets.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 3:59 pm
An allegedly HUGE SNOWSTORM is on its way here. I am going to go hole up with hot tea and have happily avoided having to go to court tomorrow morning. As long as I have internet, it will be fine. I should stop on my way home for wrapping paper, but I just feel so tired.
I did have a fun idea to use the leftover orange syrup from candying the orange peels. I’m going to try my hand at making cocktail mix with some vodka and cranberry juice. Gift it with instructions to mix it with your favorite soda, maybe.
rq Hope you feel better soon, and get a chance for some rest. *hugs* for you.
AJ Milne:
December 19th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
Reinforcing: Og, hang in. This is FtB. It has an OgVorbis.This is how things are supposed to be. Do you want to mess with the natural order?
(That was a rhetorical question. The answer is: no, you don’t. Just read Shakespeare. It always leads to trouble. Really messy final acts. And if you can’t trust the Bard, who can you trust, huh?)
… and re the knifepoint thing/keeping his job thing… umm…
Geez. That’s… Umm… Good.
(You know the Futurama men’s reactions in the ‘Death by Snoo Snoo’ scene? Where their faces keep cycling from ‘cool…’ to ‘oh, wait…’ It’s kinda like that. Only less deliberately cheesy sci fi tropeish.)
Oh. I think it’s wonderful they’re collecting for victims of New Jersey, too…
I wonder, tho’… To qualify for aid, do you have to actually be directly harmed by Jersey? Like, say, born there, or flying through Newark? Or will it be sufficient if you can document that you’ve been trapped in some other airport lounge and Jersey Shore was the only thing on, and no matter what you did, however you buried your head between the lobes of your travel pillow and shoved wadded-up bits of toilet paper borrowed from the airport washroom into your ears, you still knew it was there?
In other news, congratulations to Socio-Gen. I have one more semi-serious meeting to attend to, a few more numbers to send out, but am seeing the light beckoning…
Or the dark… I guess… Since that will be the solstice…
Anyway. Something’s beckoning. And it involves not working for a brief period. Which I’m filing under good.
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 4:15 pm
Portia
Thank you muchly.
And hot tea + scrumptious cookies are good preparation for a massive snow-storm (not of hurricane proportions). Also, a SO for heating needs is recommended. ;)
Socio-Gen
Congrats on being done!
Beatrice
What a start to the job! I hope you absorb all necessary information incredibly quickly, and I’m sure it’ll go well – although, considering the Christmas season is pretty nuts everywhere… Is there staff to help you out? I certainly hope so!
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 4:22 pm
rq
The SO for heating is great idea, but untenable, sadly. He has his kids tonight (the physical custody is every other full week, with a Wednesday in the middle of the off-week so the kids don’t go too long without either parent). So he can’t stay at my house. And with a big storm, the fire department is on sort of heightened alert, and I want to be on hand for the inevitable power outages and car accidents that we’ll be called to. SO lives 25 minutes from me, so I’d be liable to get stuck out there if I don’t go home tonight. Sigh. So I’ll settle for tea, netflix, and knitting. And the Lounge for company :D
Thunk, if you’re around, I’d appreciate your weather take on Draco. He’ll be heading your way shortly after he drops the slush and wind in my area. Unless I recall incorrectly and you are still in finals mode, in which case, carry on and ignore me. :)
John Morales:
December 19th, 2012 at 4:23 pm
Azkyroth, I see what you mean.
Seems to me the simplest form is h=R-Rcos(½θ)
Since you know A and R, you can find θ from 2A/R² = θ – sinθ.
(I got a feeling it should be possible to solve for theta in terms of x* when x= θ -sinθ, but I’m too rusty)
–
* Maybe by substitution.
Hekuni Cat, MQG:
December 19th, 2012 at 4:28 pm
Behind as usual but…
Krasnaya Koshka – *hugs*
Tony:
Beautiful story. Also, Happy Birthday!
bluentx – Welcome to The Lounge and Happy Birthday!
dianne – *hugs*
Katherine – Get well soon.
Crip Dyke – Congrats on completing your first term in law school and good luck with your next.
ImaginesABeach – Sorry about your furnace. *hugs and hot chocolate*
Ogvorbis – *hugs and chocolate* You contribute far more than you are giving yourself credit for. Also, good news that Boy is still employed and better still that he is unharmed.
Beatrice – Good luck in your new job. *hugs*
cicely – I always look forward to your posts and *pouncehugs*
DarkBaby and pjs – Squee!
Improbable Joe:
December 19th, 2012 at 4:48 pm
Ogvorbis, you’ve got to cut yourself some slack and give yourself some credit. You’re probably at least 2-3 times more useful than me, because I can’t even pull off “silly” with any real skill.
rq:
December 19th, 2012 at 5:57 pm
Improbable Joe
You may not be silly, but I value your contributions here.
And that sounds so bloody silly considering I’m a relative new-comer here, but I don’t know how else to phrase it at this time of day.
Portia
Too bad about the SO, but I guess you can’t always win them all! :) Have a good storm, and I hope the tea holds out.
+++
Good night, all!
ImaginesABeach:
December 19th, 2012 at 5:58 pm
Caine – if you stop by, don’t the rats chew on the Ratmas Tree lights?
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 5:58 pm
Night rq, rest well.
Socio-gen, something something...:
December 19th, 2012 at 6:03 pm
Portia:
Thanks and thanks! I didn’t want to find out, by posting wall-o’-text that the space didn’t exist anymore.
Good luck with Draco.* Apparently it’s going to stay south of me, which is nice (for me). Best wishes for safe returns from call-outs!
*What is up with the naming of the winter storms? Did I miss a memo about this? Blizzards and such are nasty, but it’s not like they’re the equivalent to a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake.
—
Ogvorbis: Missed this earlier:
*snicker* That is SO Pennsylvanian!
—
AJ Milne:
For Pennsylvanians, New Jersey’s mere existence is enough to cause harm. Born in Jersey? You’re doomed for life. Travelled through Jersey? Decontaminate before stepping foot on PA soil. Watched Jersey Shore? You’re dead to us.
Improbable Joe:
December 19th, 2012 at 6:21 pm
rq, you contribute more than me even though you’re always going to bed when I sit down to the computer! :)
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 6:25 pm
Yeah, this is the first named winter storm I’m aware of. It might alleviate all the “SNOWMAGGEDON” type snow-puns, though, so I’m on board. After the Big One of 2010 (Remember the photos of Lake Shore Drive that February? Hundreds of abandoned cars), it wouldn’t be terrible to have a name to call them, even if they aren’t as devastating as a hurricane. The worst of it is apparently going to hit a bit north of me, which is nice (for me:). Thanks for the well wishes. Hopefully people will be smart (ha!) and not cause too much trouble.
ImaginesABeach:
December 19th, 2012 at 6:26 pm
Socio-gen, apparently the Weather Channel has decided to name winter storms. I assume it will make them money.
Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls:
December 19th, 2012 at 6:32 pm
Yea! New hot water heater is finally installed, up to code and approved by the city, and working at a good temperature (warm, but not scalding hot if not mixed with cold water). The dishwasher is finally running, which is good as hand washing dishes in a small bin of water heated in the microwave isn’t really productive.
Yea!s to numerous folks with good news.
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 19th, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Also true in Spanish and a number of other languages.
Good news that SonVorbis is still employed, bad that he was robbed, congratulations to those finishing exams as well.
This goes for me too. My ‘silly’ tends to come off more as ‘odd’ or sometimes ‘disturbing’ which is why I try to avoid doing it in company. Also, I have no useable skills whatsoever beyond basic household tasks I’m technically a skilled LMT, but I’ve got tendinitis in my shoulder so I can’t do that anymore, and I know how to organize things/people, but I’ve got nothing to organize and people generally scare me, which makes applying that one hard too.
On a completely different note, I know we have some French speakers on here, and my own French is very rusty. Would “Le Gazon de ménétrier” be a valid translation of ‘Fiddler’s Green?’
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:04 pm
re: Ogvorbis @ #156:
Have mercy! How so you appease the Goddess when you misspell Tpyos? *sheesh*
Virtual floggings?…
Writing “I will not misspell Tpyos” 1,000 times on the blackboard?…
And BTW.. Before starting to- I thought about commenting many times. On more than one occasion it was because of one of your comments. (“Oooo! Mr. Ogvorbis’ history class is in session ! Yea! Park ranger, firefighting or train stories oh, my!”)
And as far as being ‘silly’-sometimes ya need recess rather than class time.
Portia:
Good luck (or something) with the storm. Meanwhile, ..sweating in Texas…in December.
Is this still NORTH America or did I miss that memo,too?
Socio-gen, something something...:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:07 pm
Portia
I’m guessing there have been at least 3 others, since we’re on a “D” name, assuming they follow the hurricane-naming model.
Good luck with that! My brother the FF/EMT believes that, in our county, “blizzard conditions” means “Let’s go to Walmart.” And that, upon discovering 18 inches of snow plus ice causes one’s vehicle to meet tree/guardrail/house/other vehicle, said members of the public will greet their first responders with, “What took you so long to get here?!”
—
ImaginesABeach
Ohhh, the Weather Channel… that explains a great deal. I guess they ran out of ways to smush the word “snow” into a word meaning “very bad thing” in order to hype sorta-events into “THE GREATEST DISASTER EVER FACED BY HUMANITY IN OUR LIFETIME!”
—
Nerd:
YAY for a new hot water heater!
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:08 pm
Yay Nerd!
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:10 pm
A commenter named Koshka talks about how xe lost one of hir children (in the ‘good time to be offline’ thread).
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:13 pm
You make a good point.
Ha, so true. Most people I know have prepared to hole up and wait it out. Then again, I don’t have much room to talk. During the 2010 storm, I drove across Illinois at about 5-20 mph from school to my best friend’s house. She was a week from her due date and I had promised to be with her during labor and delivery. It turned out to be a good thing I went, though, because she went into labor a day and a half later. And being snowed in with friends is pretty fun, too. :) I’m hoping my cousin’s school (where she teaches) is canceled tomorrow so she can make it a mile down the road to bake cookies with me :)
AJ Milne:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:15 pm
(Looks concerned…)
… but… you say that like it’s a bad thing.
This… This calls so much into question.
… also, it poses a practical problem for me, if it recommends the self-restraint–even self-censorship–you seem to have arrived at.
As, see, besides my ‘silly’, my ‘serious’ also comes off as ‘odd’ and sometimes ‘disturbing’.
As, for that matter, does my ‘disinterested’. As does my ‘nonplussed’…
… as does my ‘enraged’… as does my ‘flirtatious’… as does my ‘going to the bathroom’… as does my ‘sleeping’… as does my ‘buying a coffee’… as does my ‘not even here’…
(/I’m told my ‘crossing the street’ is generally pretty conventional and unalarming tho’.)
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:17 pm
Oooh I want to bake cookies with you too.
But I hate the cold.
How do we work around that…?
Perhaps if Nerd finishes the Foodstuff USB Transporter 9000…
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:20 pm
If one can be ‘nonplussed’, can one also be ‘plussed’?
And if people can be ‘under-’ and ‘over-’ whelmed, why is no one ever just ‘whelmed’?
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:20 pm
That would be really fun, Tony. I’m actually thinking somewhere warm is more attractive, myself. Can I live in Florida vicariously through you? This is the recipe I will probably make: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cookies/melt-in-your-mouth-pumpkin-cookies/
(I’d say in Texas through bluentx, but well…Texas.)
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:22 pm
Tony: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=overwhelm&searchmode=none
:)
Her school hasn’t canceled and probably won’t . *pout*
AJ Milne:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:28 pm
Tony/#240
True. A few more to go with ‘gruntled’.
carlie:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:28 pm
Probably for the same reason there is underwear and outerwear, but no “wear”. :)
The pieces of holiday shopping are coming together! The hardest one was my grandmother, and I finally in a fit of desperation cooked up an idea of giving my brother a gift card for a restaurant for his family (which was going to be their gift anyway) large enough to cover grandma too, and ask him for them to take her out to eat. He very kindly agreed. :)
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:29 pm
All this linguistics is leaving me positively combobulated. :)
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
I would say “Come on down, ya’ll!” but … yeah.. Texas. I’m aware…very aware of the shortcomings. *sigh*
AJ Milne:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:31 pm
It isn’t especially turbing, that’s for sure.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:31 pm
The warmth is appealing though, feel free to keep gloating about that, as it is one of Texas’ few strong points. :)
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:34 pm
“Strong points’: I dare you to say that in August!
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:36 pm
I would. I much prefer heat to cold. Even triple digit heat.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:38 pm
Egads! Florida in August is awfully hot n humid too.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:39 pm
Glad you found a solution, carlie. I’m currently trying to think of a family gift for good friends of mine. Or rather, a couple gift, since I’m going to knit the little one a hat. (The little one who was born during the Snowmaggedon). I hate feeling pressure to find a gift when nothing comes to mind.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:41 pm
::gloating, he removes his shirt and steps outside under the starlit sky and screams::
Thank you FSM for granting me such pleasant temperatures….
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:43 pm
Erm, um, *sips hot chocolate indignantly.*
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:47 pm
Id this Snowmaggeddon in any way MAYAN related?
StevoR, fallible human being:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:47 pm
Happy news :
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-20/gay-marriage-a-first-for-australian-mp/4437300
from South Australia too. Just sad it won’t be recognised here at least for a while.
Spain has had gay marriage for a while and the world hasn’t ended yet.
(Wait for that till Friday – not!)
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:51 pm
[Paraphrasing:] “I use to say George W. Bush wasn’t a stupid man. I don’t agree with his politics but I did’t think he was stupid. .. Then he announced he was spending the entire month of August in Central Texas…I give up…”
— Molly Ivins
Damn, I miss Molly!
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:52 pm
“didn’t”
ImaginesABeach:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:56 pm
Back in 1991, it started snowing on Halloween, and continued for 3 days. We got around 36 inches of snow. I was living with a friend who loved to but alcohol, and a friend who was a bartender got snowed in with us. We spent the weekend snowbound and plowed.
John Morales:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:57 pm
Tony:
No.
Because the term has fallen into desuetude.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:57 pm
Snowmaggedon was what they called the February 2010 storm, Tony.
ImaginesABeach, I see what you did there! And I snickered. I got snowed in with Mormons. But man we ate a lot of candy.
Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls:
December 19th, 2012 at 7:59 pm
SteveOR, you shouldn’t post in the Lounge. Our response to you is beyond what should be done here, so you are artificially hiding behind the civility in this thread. Stay at the Thunderdome, where people can really give you what you should hear, which isn’t what you want to hear. And never will be. You have burned too many bridges…
Josh, Exasperated SpokesGay:
December 19th, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Loungerupt, as usual. Howdy ho, y’all.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 8:07 pm
I have been missing me some Spokesgay!
How art thou?
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 8:10 pm
Portia, I read that as ‘we ate a lot of man candy’ at first.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 8:12 pm
John M:
Do all the people in your life carry dictionaries when around you? You have an extensive vocabulary.
carlie:
December 19th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
I hear the stars at night are big and bright there.
;)
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 8:23 pm
Well bigger IS better…
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 8:25 pm
Stars, yes, good. But those eyes… those eyes “are [always] upon you”… Creepy!
John Morales:
December 19th, 2012 at 8:30 pm
Tony, I love words and have a felicitously fortunate facility for employing them appositely, as well as a retentive lexical memory.
(That’s longstanding; many (many) years ago, my sisters gave me this book as a Christmas present)
chigau (違う):
December 19th, 2012 at 8:34 pm
I was sooo hoping that “desuetude” was a typo.
But I learned this night that I have never heard it pronounced correctly, so I have never thought about the spelling.
[dis-use-it-ude] or something similar.
I am going back to my cave.
—–
I think “underwear and outerwear” are like the yin/yang symbol ☯.
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 8:44 pm
Google Pharyangulated this night!
Somewhere in the bowels of Google Mountain you can hear: “Why so many hits on ‘desuetude’ ?”
Improbable Joe:
December 19th, 2012 at 8:45 pm
Words words words…
Oh, and how-do Josh? Long time!
Josh, Exasperated SpokesGay:
December 19th, 2012 at 8:51 pm
Hey lounge lizards. I’m good, excepting the ordinary stress of prepping myself for three or four days with family in upstate New York who are in a constant state of drama creation and internecine war. Fuck, I hate the holidays. Why can’t grown-ups just act like grown-ups, plaster a fake smile onto their face, eat, drink, and be merry, and then go home? No, there must be histrionics.
Nothing most of us don’t go through; I’m just complaining:) At least we all agreed we’re not doing the whole gift thing (so tiresome). I told my mother today I hadn’t done any shopping and certainly didn’t expect or want anything except company and sharing meals together. She said, “Thank fuck, because we’re paying bills for Christmas.” That’s done and dusted, at least.
Rev. BigDumbChimp:
December 19th, 2012 at 8:58 pm
I just built a big fucking fire in my parent’s fireplace here in the NC mountains. I cannot tell you how much I love doing that.
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:04 pm
Josh:
All quiet on the Southern Front. As said above: “Come on down, ya’ll”!
And bring the cat(s). Mine seem to have gotten lazy. Cleaned a mouse nest (winter home) out of the bottom of my stove Mon. morning! Squeaking (Mom in labor?) led me to the cozy group among my baking pans!
Improbable Joe:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:05 pm
Rev. BigDumbChimp,
My teenaged home is in the NC foothills. On a night like tonight, there’s hardly anything better than a huge fire, is there? Shit, I might start one here in New Mexico just for shits and grins.
Hekuni Cat, MQG:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:07 pm
ImaginesABeach:
I remember this storm. The law firm I worked for at the time had no snow policy*, so on the first morning of the storm, I trudged through 18″ of snow to Hennepin Avenue to catch a bus. It was actually easier to get to work that day (snow emergency route) than it was for the next week.
*The senior attorneys instituted one as a result of this storm.
Josh! *pouncehug*
Rev. BigDumbChimp:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:12 pm
Where Joe?
blogofmyself:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:16 pm
Ogvorbis, cicely, and Joe: I know I’m new, but for what it’s worth, I like all of you, and I think your contributions (silly or not) are part of what make this place so awesome. People like you are one of the biggest reasons I stopped lurking and started commenting.
—
Nerd of Redhead: Glad to hear that your water heater is in and working properly.
—
Audley: DarkBaby is still adorable.
—
God luck to everyone who is expecting a snow storm soon. It’s still cold here, but most of the snow arrived before I did.
—
So, next semester I’m going to be doing an independent study in Marxist literary criticism with one of my favorite professors. We’re trying to choose our text, so he’s given me a short list to consider. I don’t know if any of you are into this sort of thing, but if you are, which one of these would you pick? Theodor Adorno’s The Culture Industry, Pierre Macherey’s A Theory of Literary Production, Althusser’s For Marx or On Lenin and Philosophy, Raymond Williams’s Marxism and Literature, Adorno and Horkheimer’s The Dialectic of Enlightenment, or Walter Benjamin’s Illuminations?
The fact that I’m so excited about this probably means that I’m a huge dork, but whatever.
Improbable Joe:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:16 pm
Rev BDC, do you know where Mt. Airy is?
Rev. BigDumbChimp:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:19 pm
Sure do. Mayberry.
I grew up in Winston-Salem currently in Roaring Gap, NC near Elkin, I can see Pilot Mountain from my parent’s porch.
cicely (fair to partly cranky, with scattered afternoon umbrage):
December 19th, 2012 at 9:20 pm
*hugs* and emotional support for rq. Get some rest!
-
*anotherpouncehug* for Hekuni Cat
:)
-
Improbable Joe, what you need is a shtick of some kind. Horses, peas, pullets, penguins and such are all taken, but the multiverse is a biggish sorta place. Look around, see what you can find—under the couch cushions, perhaps. There’s often good material to be found there, if only because of its relative safety from the erosions and abrasions of butts. Of jokes. In the seats.
*ahem*
Sorry, folks. Got a bit carried away, there.
-
Huzzah!
-
*pouncehug* for Josh.
-
AJ Milne:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:21 pm
This is one of my favourite necessary rituals. Especially coming into something cold, remote, and small, and making it suddenly habitable. That bit where right around the fire is still the only place anyone wants to be, and they’re all together, cold extremities pointed inward, also good. Splitting kindling for the next time, a bit of the chill still around as the heat is coming back, also also good.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:23 pm
Oooh, lookie:
I really like the original Twilight Zone series.
—-
Pacific Rim sounds coooooool:
Josh, Exasperated SpokesGay:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:26 pm
Chimpie—Oh, how I envy you the luxury of a wood fire. My Little House in Vermont is just too small for either a woodstove or a fireplace. That’s why I compensate by lighting (and auxiliary heating) the place in winter with antique kerosene lamps. Not at all because fags approaching middle age like antiques. Nope.
bluentx—Bring the cats? Are you sure you’re ready for that jelly? Cuz their fur’s too bootylicious for you babe.
Hekuni Cat and Cicely—Skritchy, rolling-over-on-belly-purr for your pouncehugs.
Hekuni Cat II—You watch your meatspace mailbox now, ya hear?
blogofmyself:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:27 pm
Joe and RevBDC: Hey, look at that, NC people. My teenage home was in the mountains of NC, near WCU. I liked the woods and creeks, but never really got along with most people there. The conservatives were really strong in my town, and it was hard to find any socially liberal friends. I’m now going to UNCG, and the boyfriend goes to UNCSA in Winston-Salem. As much as I felt uncomfortable in the mountains, I still miss them sometimes. They are so beautiful, and I love the diversity of plant and animal life there. Even now, visiting the park feels like coming home.
chigau (違う):
December 19th, 2012 at 9:27 pm
Hi Josh!
*blows a we bit of smoke into the usb*
Rev. BigDumbChimp:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:30 pm
Used to spend a lot of time hanging out at UNCSA back in the 80s
Improbable Joe:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:30 pm
Rev, we’re absolutely neighbors separated by time then! Small world, isn’t it?
cicely, I tried to come up with a couple of catch-phrases, but neither “there’s good eating on a fetus” nor “I’mma stick my wee-wee in it!” ever got much traction. I’m smart but often not clever, and my social skills are pretty shoddy at best. The coolest, most engaged and life-like you’ll ever see me involves a miniature Scotty in my head shouting “I’m givin’ ‘er all she’s got Ciptain! The shields cannae hold!”
Improbable Joe:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:33 pm
Oh, and my wife just explained to me that if we start a fire, we have to turn off the heat for the rest of the house, or else the air intake sucks the smoke from the fireplace and distributes it evenly across the whole house.
blogofmyself:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:34 pm
You know, it’s not a bad place. The ensembles there are top-notch. The boyfriend just started grad school there this year, and he really likes it so far. I’ll be moving over there next year, so I’ll probably end up spending a lot more time over there then.
Josh, Exasperated SpokesGay:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:37 pm
Tony:
It’s the best. It’s on Netflix streaming so I’ve watched almost four seasons over the past week. Extra special fun cuz Rod Serling is from Ithaca/upstate NY where I grew up and where my family is. He throws in lots of references to that area. The episode where the lady is in the bus station and her doppelganger is trying to take over her life? She was getting on the bus to Cortland, my home town. Also my grandma’s favorite story was when Serling was hanging out in a bar she was drinking at in the late 50s and bummed a cigarette from her.
Other things about Twilight Zone:
1. So many notable actors appeared on it.
2. A very young Robert Redford is breathtakingly beautiful in “Nothing in the Dark.” I didn’t recognize him at first. I just thought to myself, “That man is arrestingly lovely. . who is that?”
3. Bill Shatner was a total hottie in “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.”
4. Agnes Moorehead (‘Endora,’ Samantha’s mother, on Bewitched) lead an episode.
5. Dick York, the first of two Darrens on “Bewitched” also lead an episode.
6. Jack Klugman starred in two episodes.
7. Leonard Nimoy had a bit part in the episode, “A quality of Mercy.”
8. Serling was such a peacenik humanist it’s amazing his scripts ever got on the air.
9. It’s a cookbook.
/Nerdgasm
Rev. BigDumbChimp:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:38 pm
My parents split time between W-S and this house. It’s a good town. Great art community.
Visit SECCA when you’re there.
Rev. BigDumbChimp:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:41 pm
I had no idea. I just got Netflix and have been so obsorbed with breaking bad and mad men first few seasons I haven’t looked around much.
carlie:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:42 pm
As many things as I hate about my house, and as many things as I hate about my wood stove, I have to admit I love to heck sitting in front of a fire when the heat is all radiating out. It just feels so primally safe and good. Winter cold. Fire warm. If I close my eyes it’s almost like summer sun heat.
Josh! Miss you around here. :) We don’t go see family for winter holidays- too iffy for travel, and not enough time. So we miss out on all the drama, but it’s a little small and lonely too.
Spouse did not get a flu shot, and is currently paying for it with a raging case of the flu. Child missed his chorus concert tonight due to a cold/cough that has been dragging him down for a couple of weeks. Blech to sickness!
carlie:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:44 pm
Any Arrested Development fans? Since Netflix is going to start having new episodes soon, they’re “advertising” by having all of the fake shows featured in AD listed in their search as instant watch, which then takes you to a commercial for the new AD. I am overly amused by this.
Pierce R. Butler:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Tennessee pastor blames Newtown tragedy on schools teaching evolution, ‘how to be a homo’
SC (Salty Current), OM:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Time Enough at Last.
Rev. BigDumbChimp:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:46 pm
Oh me. After I typed that I thought I should mention Arrested Development too.
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:47 pm
RevBDC
Fireplaces are nice when you’re out in the sticks. If it were up to me, the damn things would be banned in city limits, though. Dust domes plus woodsmoke=very unpleasant.
Josh
Welcome back. Whenever anyone else talks about the holidays, I’m thankful again that my family actually get along, and tend to have peaceful and pleasant holidays. The first time L came to a family Thanksgiving with me, he was stunned, because as he put it “I didn’t realize it was possible to have a Thanksgiving where no one got into a screaming fight.”
Rev. BigDumbChimp:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:51 pm
Anyone else having issues scrolling on FTB on an iPad?
Jumpy as fuck. Real laggy.
chigau (違う):
December 19th, 2012 at 9:54 pm
One of my favorite episodes of Third Rock From the Sun gave Bill Shatner and John Lithgow a couple of throw-away lines about Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.
Alethea H. "Crocoduck" Kuiper-Belt:
December 19th, 2012 at 9:58 pm
Oh, hey, Rev BigDumbChimp is here. Say, Rev, do you happen to have any advice/recipes for brining and perhaps BBQing a turkey?
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:02 pm
RBDC
It is uniquely comforting. My mom’s house has a lovely fireplace in the kitchen, which I look forward to sitting around with cousins next week. My nephew is 2 ½, and for about a year he has been pointing to the thing and announcing “FIRE HOT” so we all don’t burn ourselves. Very considerate.
Tony
Me too.
carlie
*raises both hands and flails enthusiastically*
That *is* an amusing marketing gag.
Last Christmas, SO got me a shirt that said “Bob Loblaw’s Law Blog” :D with a gavel, too.
Re:Family drama
I’m working on figuring out how to not push my sister’s buttons at family gatherings. We get along generally, but we just get on each other’s nerves at the slightest provocation. In other relationships, I’ve had success figuring out what I was contributing to the sniping and then stopping. I can’t figure out how to do that with her. *shrug*
Improbable Joe:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:02 pm
Speaking of family holiday drama…
Every year my sister-in-law sends me a card. I am ambivalent about her, but entirely sure that I’m better off without my brother in my life. He has looked down on me for years, has been nasty to me and my other brother, has taken advantage of my parents pretty regularly for his entire adult life…
The final straw was Christmas a few years ago, where I said I would try to get my nephew/his son a educational aid(his kid is autistic). Well, I wasn’t able to do it because I had gotten laid off from work, and was trying to go back to school, and I had to pay for my books out-of-pocket the first semester. I actually missed a mortgage payment over it, money was so tight. He called me and shit on me hard for letting his kid down, and didn’t give a shit that I was broke and in financial trouble. I’ve not talked to him since, and frankly I could die without being bothered that I’ve never spoken to him again.
Just thought I would share… I’ve already found my solution, right?
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
Well, just how wacky are people?
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:04 pm
Rattiness: Ratmas Prep, O.M.G. Ratmas Is Awesome!, and O.M.G. Ratmas is Awesome! Part II.
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:05 pm
SC beat me to it.
Favorite episode ever: Time Enough At Last
Remember seeing that as a kid (in reruns, you understand- ahem) thinking that would be my luck. Break my glasses, not be able to read all those lovely books…Fortunately, I’m not quite that blind but it would be uncomfortable.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:08 pm
Very cute rattie pics, thanks for sharing, Caine!
(And for reminding me to go take the sweet potatoes out of the oven).
carlie:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:09 pm
Captain Awkward tackles people asking about your happy holiday plans with your shitty family.
Portia – I only finally watched AD a couple of summers ago, mainlined on Netflix Instant, so I became one of those annoying people who start making the in-jokes years after everyone else has long since tired of them, turning me into this xkcd.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:09 pm
Yep, Joe, I’d say you found the solution. That’s too bad. What a jerkwad. Sort of nice that SIL still makes a tiny effort?
~~~
I just made a lunch date with a favorite professor of mine for the afternoon that I’ll be passing through Chicago. I’m so excited. I adoooore her. And she seems to think I’m alright, as she’s excited for our lunch as well.
Rev. BigDumbChimp:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:10 pm
Turkeys can stand higher heat when smoking. I do mine at around 300-325.
Brine overnight in a brine of 1cup brown sugar 1cup kosher salt per 1gallon water
2tbs black peppercorns
Boil 1quart water add salt and sugar and peppercorns
Pour 3quart ice cold water into the salt sugar solution (adjust for how much brine you need)
Prepare a huge pot or cooler for brining (clean)
If you have room in a fridge submerge bird in a big pot cover with brine
If no fridge room cover bird with enough brine in a clean cooler. Cover with zip locks full of ice.
Remove, dry
Press softened butter thyme and s+p under skin
Rub skin with butter, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
If you feel like it rub skin with spice blend, Cajun etc….
Smoke at 300-325 until internal thigh temp is 165-170
Or indirect grill same
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:11 pm
So I tried my hand at some sorta kinda version of stir fry. It didn’t come out remotely close to stir fry…probably because I didn’t even bother trying to google a recipe; but it was still *damn* good. A little ground chicken, some powdered ginger, salt, pepper, honey, garlic salt, low sodium soy sauce, sauteed onions, minced garlic, tabasco, sweet Thai chili sauce…and in a new one for me, some carrots and broccoli. I waited until the last few minutes to add the carrots and broccoli, so that they could retain their crunch. It worked perfectly. Then I put all that over a wild/brown rice & quinoa mix. Can I say *delish*??? I don’t normally like to mix veggies in with my rice, but I decided to go out on a limb, and it worked. I don’t like mushy carrots and veggies (which is what I’m accustomed to with stir fry and mexican rice and fried rice; along with cicely’s favorite–peas)
bluentx:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:12 pm
Ahh..the holidays. That time of year when I’m almost (almost) glad my siblings don’t speak to me..
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:12 pm
whoa!
The rats like *pistachios*?
They have good taste!
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:12 pm
carlie:
I ♥ Captain Awkward.
AD: I think it’s timeless. I don’t know very many people who did watch it when it was on the air, ha. I didn’t get it to it from the beginning of airing myself, I think it was partway through the first season or something like that. What matters is, you’re one of us now. The in-jokes never stop being funny. Netflix has made it far too easy for me to recruit friends and family members into the fandom.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:13 pm
Tony:
*holds out plate and makes puppy eyes*
I can has sum?
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:16 pm
Of course Portia.
Ummm, where is Nerd with that teleporter??
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:17 pm
Thanks! But seriously, that sounds delish. Recipes for that sort of thing are overrated. : )
SC (Salty Current), OM:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:17 pm
Holy shit those are cute.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:19 pm
Yes, those rats are cute beyond words!
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:21 pm
Tony:
Oh yes, nuts about them. :D Seems a universal, other people’s rats love them also. Scroll down to the ‘Fishing in Style’ post for an adorable shot of Pearl being a piglet.
SC:
Thanks! They are seriously digging this Ratmas business.
carlie:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:25 pm
There are too many of the good Twilight Zones to have a single favorite.
Time Enough At Last, of course, also
Willoughby
Most unusual camera
Penny for your thoughts
The invaders
Number 12 looks just like you
I sing the body electric
The eye of the beholder
The silence
that one where the couple’s car breaks down and they get stuck in the restaurant with the fortune-telling machine
Improbable Joe:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:26 pm
Tony,
Seems like you did fine with that stir-fry. I’l be honest, I can never get the textures to be quite right, but as long as the flavors work you’re totally in business.
Portia,
Yeah, sis-in-law is OK. Too bad my brother is an entitled brat. He’s done me bad, but the fact that he keeps on doing my parents wrong is why I’ve never bothered attempting any sort of patching-up.
*****
I made a salad for dinner tonight. Marinated some chicken in vinaigrette dressing my wife had in the fridge, then cooked it and let it cool off. Then it was veggies from the farmer’s market: a head of romaine lettuce, cucumbers, onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes all in a creamy Parmesan dressing. Just really good and satisfying. BTW, this is me saying that I’ve found a farmer’s market that sells fresh produce at very good prices. :)
AJ Milne:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:26 pm
… so I just lit a fire. Enough talk. Need fire.
It’s a little silly. I don’t really need this room heated. But then again, I do tend to be pretty productive sitting here, next to it.
carlie:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:27 pm
My twitter a couple of days ago: “Grades are done. Steve Holt!”
SC (Salty Current), OM:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street
SC (Salty Current), OM:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:36 pm
The Midnight Sun
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:41 pm
I haven’t watched it in years, but my favorite Twilight Zone movie is the one where the Devil is captured and gets free.
I also like the Gremlin one (Terror at 20,000 feet?).
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:41 pm
Okay, MOST of the lights that will require the use of a stepladder or being in the muddy places are up. Since there’s a 20% chance of rain tomorrow that’s good.
We went to a holiday sing-along and supervised neighborhood caroling thing at the creature’s school this evening. One of the songs had the following lyrics:
Feliz navidad
Feliz navidad
Feliz navidad
prospero ano y felicidad
I failed to suppress laughter but tactfully and discretely pointed out the “character map” Accessory program to the person who composed the powerpoint. x.x
John Morales:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:44 pm
Huh. I thought of The Sandkings, but that’s from the new The Outer Limits.
(As usual, I’d read the story before I saw the show)
–
PS I remember liking Omni magazine and was saddened as I saw it going downhill and becoming wooier.
Josh, Exasperated SpokesGay:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:47 pm
Breaking news by text from SpokesMom. Texting with her about upcoming Xmas. Trying to convince her to sit down with me and label all the old family photos from the 30s on and jot down the history as she’s the last one who knows who they are. We have a whole box of them (you know, the old black and white snaps printed on heavy paper with scalloped edges).
SpokesGay: Ma, do I remember right that grandma worked as a secretary for Robert Moog?
Ma: Yep. She was his secretary in 1964, the year before he demonstrated the synthesizer in Trumansburg, NY, where we lived. You know he was involved with the theremin too, right?
SpokesGay: See, this is why I want to get the family history down!
Ma: Don’t forget, your Aunt Mary Ellen cleaned house for him too.
Good times.
Josh, Exasperated SpokesGay:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:55 pm
Arrgh. Link fail.
Moog Synthesizer
consciousness razor:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:57 pm
I’m not sure what that means, but the theremin was invented several years before Moog was born.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 10:59 pm
Well played, carlie.
Josh, Exasperated SpokesGay:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:00 pm
Yes, it was. He built kits and instructions for it, but it was not his invention.
SC (Salty Current), OM:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:06 pm
Josh,
Have you heard of this?
http://storycorps.org/
I don’t know enough to recommend it or not.* (And it’s separate from pictures.)
*The affiliation with Cancer Treatment Centers might be enough to sink it.
Josh, Exasperated SpokesGay:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:09 pm
SC- Yes, StoryCorps. . . they’re periodically featured on NPR, yes?
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:09 pm
Argh!
I’m sick of watching MSNBC and seeing those damn Cancer Treatment Center commercials!
I’e been without cable for a few weeks, so I’ve been unable to watch tv and had almost forgotten how annoying those commercials were.
Why SC? Why?
consciousness razor:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:11 pm
Yep. I thought you might have been misinformed.
He was a pretty cool dude.
Josh, Exasperated SpokesGay:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:11 pm
Oh, those Cancer Treatment Center commercials—-aren’t they the ones that act all like, “Your doc says you’re gonna die? Well, we don’t think so!” Or am I thinking of some other entity?
consciousness razor:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:12 pm
So was Rod Serling, I’m sure.
Josh, Exasperated SpokesGay:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:14 pm
God damn it. I’m running out of kerosene. Forgot to get the juice to top up the lamps.
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:21 pm
The “whelmed” state is not an integer multiple of the responsive emotion quantum.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:23 pm
Azkyroth:
Sorry, the only language I speak is English.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:24 pm
Josh:
I got yer juice right here!
SC (Salty Current), OM:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:24 pm
:|
No, that’s them. The worst is the suggestion that their customers are fighters, with the clear implication that people who die just don’t care enough about continuing to live. (This is also a subject taken up, to my great pleasure, in Pink Ribbons, Inc.)
I was just noticing today how CTC trumpets their “customer satisfaction” rating of like 97%. Well,…yeah…
Josh, Exasperated SpokesGay:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:26 pm
Tony
Bring it. Really (tee-hee).
Josh, Exasperated SpokesGay:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:28 pm
SC—
I hate that shit. Not just philosophically, but because it does a real disservice to real people who really need to face the fact of their death for their own sake and for the sake of their survivors. If you like, email about this some time.
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:29 pm
…or worse, it is related to to the event in an essentially non-algebraic way, and can only be numerically approximated.
Josh, Exasperated SpokesGay:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:30 pm
My nose is cold. You know why? Feckin’ kero ran out. That’s why.
John Morales:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:41 pm
Josh, at a pinch you can burn diesel in place of kerosene.
(It’s dirtier, though)
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:42 pm
My nose is cold too. Because it never thaws out for the whole dang winter. On the bright side, the days about about to start getting longer.
John Morales:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:58 pm
Portia, funny, around here, the days will soon start getting shorter.
rorschach:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:04 am
Over here, Melbourne is experiencing a Diesel shortage. I have enough for maybe 50 kilometres in the tank now, and couldn’t find a single petrol station in the vicinity today that had any Diesel left. At risk of being stranded soon.
Josh, Exasperated SpokesGay:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:05 am
John
Aye, it is dirty. But what’s the flash point? That’s important for an indoor lamp.
Josh, Exasperated SpokesGay:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:09 am
I should clarify:
1. My house’s heating system runs on piped city natural gas. I’m in no danger of freezing to death.
2. I *voluntarily* light the house with kerosene lamps, mostly antique, in the winter.,
3. The lamps add charm, but the mantle-burning models also throw off enough heat to keep the temperature stable, which results in a savings. I can have both heat and light from the kerosene lamps and keep the gas furnace off except in the coldest conditions.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:16 am
My eggs are cold.
(Thanks rq)
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:16 am
Tony:
teeheehee
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:24 am
I always end up staying up too late when SO isn’t around. Sigh. It should be easier without the snoring. I don’t know why I have so much trouble laying down my head to try to sleep by myself. Doesn’t help that snow thunder seems way louder than regular thunder.
/sleepy rambling
rorschach:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:25 am
In other news, I can not see my child on xmas day because ex is “having a family thing”. See, this is why I hope I never run out of alcohol. The gift that keeps on giving.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:27 am
Oh, damn, that’s terrible. I’m sorry, rorschach.
WMDKitty (Always growing and learning):
December 20th, 2012 at 12:30 am
*headbonks rorschach*
rorschach:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:33 am
It’s not all bad news though. My Amazon book shipment arrived today, and with it a copy of The Walking Dead: Compendium Two. Yay!
John Morales:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:37 am
Josh, I had to look up their respective flash points (diesel 144 °F, kerosene 100–162 °F according to Wikipedia), so much of a muchness AFAICT.
(I am relying on anecdotal evidence as to its suitability)
blogofmyself:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:56 am
Portia: I have the same problem. Both the boyfriend and I are visiting our families right now, and it is taking me forever to get to sleep without him.
—
Rorschach: I’m sorry your ex is being a jerk. But hey, The Walking Dead is cool. One of my good friends has a collection of them. I really should get around to borrowing them some time.
—
The family and I just put together a gingerbread house thingy. The icing was tasty. Now I’m sitting next to the wood stove warming my feet. According to the weather channel it’s supposed to get even colder tomorrow. It’s always hard to tell how cold it actually is here because our thermometer bottoms out at -40.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:01 am
Ok, I’m gonna try to fall asleep and snuggle my teddy bear. (Don’t judge me!) Gotta be well-rested for being snow in tomorrow.
John Morales:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:01 am
blogofmyself, possibly coincidentally, -40°F and -40°C are the same temperature.
Hekuni Cat, MQG:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:32 am
Josh – I will keep a cat’s eye on my mailbox.
After she immigrated in 1921, my grandmother worked as a domestic for Oscar Mayer. :P
You definitely need to get your family history recorded and the photos labeled. Boxes of unidentified pictures, gathering dust, are a sad thing to find. I say this as someone who helped clean out my in-laws’ house after my mother-in-law’s death. Once the older generation is gone, it is difficult or impossible to recapture the information they carry with them.
Perhaps your mother would be willing to use audio equipment to record her stories. My husband taped his parents’ telling stories. Unfortunately he only got part of what he wanted recorded before he ran out of time.
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:59 am
Good morning!
Snow! Yay…! Because we needed more on day I have to be out of the house with the stroller (they don’t clean sidewalks here)… Nothing like slogging a half-hour to the busstop (usually 10 min max) because you’re climbing over all the snowbanks and wading through the beautiful, pristine, freshly-fallen stuff.
For the math nuts: Have you seen this? A different sort of look at Alice in Wonderland.
re: recording history
I volunteered at the Museum of Occupation here a few years ago, and they ended up taking me on one of their trips to find those who have been deported and record all their stories. So for about a week I got to hear other people’s memories (horror stories). The saddest part was the 95-year-old who had experienced both deportations and still survived to return, but she wouldn’t get out of bed to talk to us, because, in her opinion, she ‘wasn’t fit to be seen’.
Hudband’s grandfather apparently had amazing stories to tell, too, but nobody recorded him, and, while being generally healthy, he died very suddenly before anything at all could be recorded. So much information lost!
(PS Audio equipment is one of the best ways, because you get their exact words and emotions; video is even better, but some people might not like being filmed.)
On a lighter note:
Tony
Here’s a recipe for testicle salad:
2 hard (yes!) boiled eggs
1 avocado (ripe) (because legend has it that avocado also mean testicle)
mayonnaise
salt and pepper
dash of chilli
possibly some lime juice (but not too much)
:) Serve to unsuspecting guests/friends/acquaintances/yourself.
+++
Good night to all those snuggling down with their teddy bears.
bluentx:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:05 am
Good morning rq:
Alright now! It’s up to Latvia to liven this place up!
Useless:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:18 am
Hello? Just checking to see if I’ve been banished to the hinterlands for some reason without warning, since one of my submitted comments didn’t come up.
blogofmyself:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:19 am
John Morales: I secretly think this is why thermometers stop there. It makes the numbering nice and neat.
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:21 am
Yeah, bluentx, too bad I’ll be away from the computer! Are you sure you’ll be ok without me???
theophontes (坏蛋):
December 20th, 2012 at 2:23 am
@ rq
Still a few hours to go before teddy time in China.
wrt historic recordings: There used to be a series of red poles stuck into the pavements in Den Haag, that played a constant recording of the voices of the survivors of the (Allied, in error) bombing of their neighborhoods. I cannot find it on the interwebz, so it might not exist anymore. Nevertheless a fascinating initiative.
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:23 am
Oh and Tony you want to add some sour cream and very finely chopped onion to that. :) Garlic is optional.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:29 am
Sour cream and testicles do not go together.
rorschach:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:29 am
Want to see something weird?
The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins
;)
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:32 am
Garlic is a necessity too.
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:35 am
Tony
On testicles?
Interesting…
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:39 am
rorschach
I think that was the strangest thing I’ve seen so far today…….
Vulcans + hobbits does a very confused rq make…
rorschach:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:40 am
Definetely NSFW, offensive and rude:
Sarah Silverman – The Roast Of Pamela Anderson
bluentx:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:47 am
“Are you sure you’ll be ok without me???”:
I think I need a teddy bear.
WMDKitty (Always growing and learning):
December 20th, 2012 at 2:48 am
‘Night, Pharyngula
theophontes (坏蛋):
December 20th, 2012 at 2:55 am
PS: {Googlefoo blackbelt:}
“Howling bombs out of a talking pole”:
Link (Dutch)
Picture.
opposablethumbs:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:56 am
Dalillama – maybe “la place des violoneux” (or “la place des ménétriers”, but a real francophone is needed to tell us just how olde worlde that might sound). I gather that “violoneux” can be depreciative in France but not so much in Québec, so it depends where you’re addressing. I am voting for plural fiddlers, but if there’s only going to be one then we’d have la place du violoneux.
.
John Morales
We demand they be brought back into uetude.
.
Josh
I first read that story in a pulp science fiction mag – “Amazing Stories”, maybe?? Fond memories!
.
Caine, the ratmas pictures are wonderful. They really know how to have a good time! (and you give them such an incredible environment)
.
Rorschach, I’m so sorry about not getting to see your kid. I’m gearing up for a shitty holiday – again – but nothing like that. I hope you are OK and that you get to see each other right before or right after, at least.
.
Improbable Joe, sounds like you’re well rid of that particular brother.
rorschach:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:03 am
Thanks, that’s kind of you, but this stuff is what leaves one constantly not ok, drinking too much, and generally dispairing.
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:08 am
Good night, WMDkitty!
bluentx:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:12 am
Vulcans + hobbits. Oh, yeeaah. Got that one on a Dr. Demento CD… Did I really admit that…
bluentx:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:20 am
rq:
I’ll be offline for an hour or so. Heading home from work. If I miss your exit: Good luck out there. We’re all counting on you. And I know. “Don’t call you Shirley.”
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:22 am
Dalillama
I would stick with menetrier (with appropriate accents, of course), but you can’t say ‘gazon’ for ‘green’. I would say verger (which has a more ‘garden’ meaning but it’s green) rather than just place, other words I found don’t really do it for me… It’s been a while since I exercised my French, but I would suggest the combination: Le Verger du menetrier or Le Verger des menetriers or just Le Verger menetrier.
I remind my (quebecois) French is rather rusty. But those are my suggestions.
rorschach
I hope the Christmas Spirit gets your ex. In the meantime, :( *hugs* and some holiday spirits…
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:23 am
theophontes
That sounds like an awesomely awesome installation/piece of art (nice google-fu photo). That kind of thing should be kept alive, if only to remind people, via the voices of those passed away, of the horrors of war and their consequences.
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:27 am
bluentx
You know it.
opposablethumbs:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:53 am
I was hoping place would work as in la place du village. The green in Fiddlers’ Green is definitely a village green, wouldn’t you say? I mean, not a garden or orchard, but just the empty space in the middle of the buildings, with the pub on one side and the church (probably) on the other and a horse-trough or duckpond somewhere :-)
.
Rorschach, yes. Things that aren’t working as one wishes they could are always made worse by that insidious pressure for people to be full of cheer for the holidays. Ugh. Can I send you some internet-stranger hugs? If I may. They’re not much, I wish they were more.
carlie:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:02 am
I’m sorry, rorschach. If it helps any at all, your kid probably won’t really notice the difference. We didn’t have different parents’ houses, but we did have a lot of relatives, and at the time and now I saw it as just a smear of Christmases – there was christmas here, and then at this house, and then at this house… there wasn’t any ranking or noticing particularly who was there on which day, it just made for a longer holiday with multiple celebrations.
Child 2 got sick a few weeks ago. A few days of bad cough, general miserableness, not even enough to skip school. Then child 1 got it, has missed three days of school already in the last 2 weeks, is currently on a downswing. Then yesterday spouse came down with full-blown flu (the only one in the family not to get a flu shot). I just woke up at ungodly o’clock coughing a little and craving fruit/juice so badly I had to get up and have some. I do not think this bodes well for me.
carlie:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:10 am
Holy shit, could my first sentence be read wrong. I didn’t mean your child wouldn’t notice the difference that you’re not there, I meant not notice the difference that the day you celebrate together isn’t the “real” christmas day. Oh, this is the time I really wish we had a short-term edit function.
rorschach:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:17 am
Carlie,
all good. I do think that they dope him up on the whole Xmas spiel, but I cant be sure to what extent since I dont fucking see him. Hope you get better soon!
Alethea H. "Crocoduck" Kuiper-Belt:
December 20th, 2012 at 5:07 am
@Rev: thank you! I’m not quite sure what I’m going to end up doing, but that is a help. You had a blog, I remember, but what was it called? I couldn’t find it – there is simply too much about bourbon & bacon on the web :)
bluentx:
December 20th, 2012 at 5:07 am
Earlier I mentioned sweating …in December. The cliche goes ” The weather in Texas.. just wait.. it’ll change (well, duh!) but the gist is understood.
Now feeling the effects of outer edges of Draco?? Norther blew in a few hours after that “sweating ” post, Now it’s 40 above (that’s F before you ask), feels like 29,wind at 23 mph, gusts to 39.
Not Portia, Josh et.a,l cold by any means, but uncomfortable coming home at 5am.
Yeah, I know “Pfft, piece o’ cake” says rq, etc. Just sayin’… weird weather compared to ‘the usual’ around these parts.
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:08 am
opposablethumbs
Place might work, too, but it sounds too… I don’t know. I’m pretty sure a ‘green’ was historically green, too, but you know what? I’ll ask the French expert in my family (my mum) tonight and see what she says. *shrug* I was trying to find a synonym for ‘square’ (as in a town square). Something to do with ‘marketplace’ might also work. But I like the sound of the verger, I always associate the word with lush green lawns…
+++
Someone had bought a Christmas tree, and on the way home, the entire bus smelled of evergreen.
Giliell, professional cynic:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:12 am
Hi there
In an hour my last lecture for this years starts and then I can fully concentrate on the christmas mayhem.
As for family, I’m the ungrateful bastard who ruinied it all, because I refused to play along “happy family” and spend the evening at my parents’ as if the last year had never happened. I would have if my grandmas would have enjoyed it, but they don’t do evenings anymore, so I invited everybody for coffee and cake the second day of christmas.
Ogvorbis
Oh shit I’m sorry for your son. Iirc that’ the second scary incident that happened to him in a short time.
rorschach
Sorry you don’t get to see your kid on christmas.
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 20th, 2012 at 6:32 am
I’m really sorry to hear how hard it’s going for you rorschach. I can well imagine what that would be like and it ties my stomach in secondhand knots.
From the “Privilege Comes in Many, Varied and Bizarre Forms” file:
One of the gifts that a sucky childhood bestows upon the lucky atheist (well, this lucky atheist anyway) is a profound indifference to the Christmas season. I have no warm, fuzzy memories of yuletide family gatherings, no fond remembrances that I wish to recreate for my little one. In fact, my most abiding memories are of drunken adults almost coming to blows over the rules of Monopoly, and repeated electrical shocks from sticking my ten year old finger in the live sockets of an outdoor set of Christmas lights. Replacing the burnt out bulbs was a task given to me by my father because he was too drunk to climb the ladder.
I’ll be alone this Christmas. Mrs Fishy and the Small Fry left today for Melbourne to see the varied and sundry rellies living there. They’ll be returning late Christmas day. This caused much consternation and hand-wringing amongst the aunties and unclies. “Oh no, Fishy will be alone on Christmas!” was heard, followed by “What will he do? Isn’t there anywhere he can go?”
Meanwhile, I’m thinking “I’ll be alone for Christmas! Fuck yes, a day to myself!”
Being in retail I’ve been working flat out for weeks now and for much of that time I’ve been sick. When Mrs. Fishy tentatively broached going away for a week I startled her with my enthusiastic endorsement. Having them away means that I can stay late after I shut the shop and get all the things done without feeling guilty about missing dinner-time, bath-time and/or bedtime stories.
Sure I miss them, even now, just hours past their departure, but the season has nothing to do with it. I know it sounds corny, but they really are my definition of home. Perhaps in the new house it will be different, but as it stands now this rambling rented farm house always feels slightly foreign in their absence, like a familiar chain hotel in an unfamiliar city.
But here’s the thing: they are coming back, and the more I miss them the more that reunion will rock.
I’m a lucky man.
I hope that all those having a hard time find some succour. Not just now, but in all future trials and travails.
I hope that the absences that drag on and the hardships that plague are balanced by reunions and reliefs beyond all expectations.
I leave that hope here, gift wrapped and pretty. And should it not fit, or the colour be unsuitable I’m willing to exchange it for whatever it is an internet stranger can do to help. Up to and including shutting up and minding my own business.
Goodnight all. May all our tomorrows be better than all our todays.
bluentx:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:33 am
Well, tomorrow’s the big day*!! Don’t ya think that last sentance deserves more than one(!)? But not four or more: I understand THAT denotes a sick mind. (The meds are working today,the meds are working today…whew)!**
Sooo…how many of you are going to be with me in The Lounge through the dreded ACTUAL holidays ? We may not celebrate in the same way but we still have to endure disruptions in our normal routines, (Like those McDonalds employees they want to “volunteer” to work christmas day (at regular pay.of course).)
Hope to see some of you here C. Eve and C. Day but if not have a Merry whatever. :)
*Death! Distruction!! Mahem!
**Black humor from a clinical depressive at the end of a long night, looking forward to nine days straight of 10 hour shifts, two hour daily commutes.. /whining
Rev. BigDumbChimp:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:33 am
Pork N Whiskey
Woefully unattended the past month due to me working my ass off, but I have a number of posts queued up.
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:36 am
bluentx
What? You Texans and your ideas of “cold” (scare-quotes deliberate). Pffft, exactly.
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:38 am
Ah, FossilFishy, the master of words I always wished I was! :)
Good night!
bluentx:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:47 am
Read #402 after posting #403:
Sooo…as per the first partof #402 …that’s a “Yes/RSVP” for The Days ? I might find FossilFishy in my Lounge Stocking?:)))
Time for bed.
G’night and G’mornin’….
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:29 am
Good night, bluentx!
blf:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:55 am
Install a chimney. The mildly deranged penguin points out this can be done cheaply and quickly using some of the dynamite leftover from the packing and unpacking. Probably should be placed about the fireplace in your house, but that’s optional…
(I originally tpyed Chimay but that doesn’t need any extra dynamite to enjoy.)
opposablethumbs:
December 20th, 2012 at 8:10 am
I have to say, FossilFishy, your #402 hit all the nails on their respective heads for me.
My situation is quite different – I do have the warm fuzzy and in our case completely atheist xmas family memories, but not any more now – but your overall sentiment is Just Exactly IT as far as I’m concerned.
You don’t half have a turn of phrase on you when you want to, mate :-D
.
Don’t yet know if I’ll be around online or not, at the moment, but if I am I’ll be waving to you too bluentx! Take care, and I really hope the next few days don’t take it out of you too much!
ithgar:
December 20th, 2012 at 8:41 am
So, a local atheist group (Roanoke Virginia) put up billboards saying “Don’t believe in God? Join the club.”
The local news posts a photo of said billboard on facebook, and cue the silliness. Here is a link to the photo:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151146232317217&set=a.166793467216.128108.26382032216&type=1&ref=nf
And the story on their website:
http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wdbj7-godless-billboards-posted-in-roanoke-area-20121219,0,1484312.story
And my friends wonder why I’m an atheist…
blf:
December 20th, 2012 at 9:17 am
The mildly deranged penguin suspects the sentient but stoopid cider, last known to be watching the India–England cricket, is despondent. England won the test series, depriving the cider (and the rest of the world) of usually great comedy as they contrive to find ever-more-hilarious ways to loose. England were off to a great start, loosing the first test in a typically silly way (is there a Ministry for Silly Ways to Loose Your Wicket?), but India pulled a fast one, adopting English tactics, and hence loosing the rest of the test matches.
The cider cannot have been amused. Since it seems a
bitconsiderably unstable, something bad is probably gonna happen…Maybe having the Long Count Calendar Collapse within a day or so was prearranged by those clever ancient Mayans to stop the cider. You know, have a Great Final Party and actually drink the stuff.
Failing that, anyone know a psychotic cider therapist?
Um, that is, a therapist for psychotic cider, not one who is psychotic cider.
chigau (違う):
December 20th, 2012 at 10:06 am
I’m on a bus and on the internet.
The Polar Express is a very creepy movie.
blf:
December 20th, 2012 at 10:13 am
I was wondering what that big packet that just went by was. It made quite a lump in the cable.
(And here I was thinking a forty-foot killer rat was trying to do a DoS-attack or something…)
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 10:20 am
FossilFishy:
Once again, you touch my heart. The way you speak of Mrs Fishy & Small Fry @402 is amazing. I am very happy they have such a loving husband/father and that you appreciate them as much as you do.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 10:24 am
Oh happy happy joy joy.
I got to wake up with a moderately throbbing headache and a fairly swollen throat. I guess I am coming down with something. So strange though…I have not been sick in years. No allergies, no flu. This sucks.
Oh and Pensacola is under a tornado warning to boot!
chigau (違う):
December 20th, 2012 at 10:25 am
Cable?
I thought the Intertubes was being delivered by invisible varihued unicorns.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 10:30 am
bluentx:
As I have done for many years, I have volunteered to work xmas eve and day so that people with families can spend time with them. I figure since I cannot afford to travel to Orlando, at least I can make some money and grant some happiness to others. No idea how busy I will be, but I usually have no problem keeping up with Pharyngula at work.
Lynna, OM:
December 20th, 2012 at 10:46 am
My contribution to perspective on this whole Christmas thing comes from my niece, who is ten years old. She sat on Santa’s lap in one of those mall-Santa situations and asked him for “A unicorn that poops rainbows.” She did this completely unprompted. She’s a brilliant little girl, one that often call her teachers out on their errors.
In other news, commentary on the Newtown shooting has reached a new low:
That, my friends, is a conservative, female writing in the National Review. Charlotte Allen is one horrific piece of work.
From coverage on The Maddow Blog:
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 10:58 am
Good morning. We are up to a full-blown blizzard warning at this point. I am preparing knitting and reading to take to the fire station if my power goes out. SO went to work, and is west of me. He says the blizzard has hit there, and that he will go home just as soon as he gets this and that and the other thing done. I want him to GO HOME and be safe. : (
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 10:59 am
carlie
Hope you and yours feel better soon : (
bluentx
Actually that’s not too much warmer than ‘round these parts.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 11:03 am
Lynna:
She also spouts this BS
” Parents of sick children need to be realistic about them. I know at least two sets of fine and devoted parents who have had the misfortune to raise sons who were troubled for genetic reasons beyond anyone’s control. Either of those boys could have been an Adam Lanza. You simply can’t give a non-working, non-school-enrolled 20-year-old man free range of your home, much less your cache of weapons. You have to set boundaries. You have to say, “You can’t live here anymore — you’re an adult, and it’s time for you to be a man. We’ll give you all the support you need, but we won’t be enablers.” Unfortunately, the idea of being an “adult” and a “man” once one has reached physical maturity seems to have faded out of our coddling culture”
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 20th, 2012 at 11:07 am
opposablethumbs, rq
I used gazon because it’s the translation of ‘greensward’ from an 1843 English-French dictionary I downloaded onto my phone from Project Gutenberg. rq, did you mean to say that Menetrier was Quebecois for fiddler? If so, I’d prefer a different word, but violoneux has entirely the wrong feel.
rorschach
My sympathies, that sucks.
Lynna
That’s incredibly cute.
So I commented on a friend’s FB, who was blithering about arming the teachers, and one of his friends waded in, and he’s now saying that we don’t fetishize guns as a culture and it’s ridiculous to say we do. I don’t even know how to deal with this crap, but right wingers like to pull it all the time.
Improbable Joe:
December 20th, 2012 at 11:11 am
Good morning folks!
I too woke up feeling cruddy and crappy, someone must have emailed me a virus into my nose! Yay!
I’m working on creating an Official SpokesGuitar Fund this weekend, on account of I’m going to have a little extra money this week but not enough for the guitar. Rather than waste the money on food or heat or most likely beer, I’m going to transfer all of the money into my PayPal account and pray that I don’t waste it. Then hopefully I’ll start adding money to it in drips and drops until I have enough to get something good, rather than something now… a problem that has plagued me my whole life.
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort:
December 20th, 2012 at 11:15 am
@FossilFishy:
I too shall be (mostly) alone on Christmas. I shall be happily ensconced in my home, playing games and watching movies and cuddling with little kitties. It will be enjoyable, and I won’t have to contend with grandmothers asking when I’m going to get a girlfriend or my family trying to get me to attend the Christmas Eve Communion at their church and giving me the guilty eye when I refuse because fuck that was uncomfortable the last time I went.
Giliell, professional cynic:
December 20th, 2012 at 11:43 am
Shmells good in she kishen
In other words, I just made lots of mulled wine jam for everybody
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 11:51 am
Has anyone else had this horrible little turd show up on their FB (if you, indeed, are on FB)?
20 Things a Mother Should Tell Her Son
I mean, really, what century are we in? I am freakin’ out on all the “Oh yes, gads yes!” responses. One atheist spoke up and was belittled with “I feel sorry for you”.
28,000 shares of old-timey gender-policing.
Ugh, sorry, this is the lounge and I should chill in the lounge.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 11:55 am
Ok, call #1 up and down. They called because their dryer was on fire. Dryer fire, fun to say, and ok to joke about because it was out before we got there. Only mishap was that I somehow gave myself a gash in my finger while putting on my gear. It’s a talent.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 11:55 am
Aaaand now the aching body and hot/cold effect have kicked in.
chigau (違う):
December 20th, 2012 at 11:59 am
Krasnaya Koshka #427
This one is good.
;)
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:01 pm
Tony @ 422 quoted Charlotte Allen (via Lynna) – ‘Unfortunately, the idea of being an “adult” and a “man” once one has reached physical maturity seems to have faded out of our coddling culture.’
This strikes me as very odd since I live in Russia and most young people here live with their parents to at least 25 (many until they’re in their 30′s and most when they are married and having their first children). Russians (I’ve spoken to–only a few hundred) think the American habit of tossing kids out young is beastly. They cannot comprehend that I was forced to fend for myself as a teen.
When I first moved here, I thought my gf’s nephews were horrible moochers (still living with their parents after 25!) since my mom kicked me out at 17 but that* would be a dereliction of parental duty here.
*Kicking your kid out at 17. I am not so eloquent tonight. Apologies.
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:04 pm
@Krasnaya Koshka:
I like this one:
cicely (Chock-full of Nuts!):
December 20th, 2012 at 12:05 pm
Improbable Joe: You underestimate yourself! You are plenty clever; you just have yet to find the Phrase That Pays.
Or maybe you could juggle.
-
Nose…fingers…toes….
-
*snortle*
-
*hug* for rorschach.
-
thunk, weirdness in the fifth month:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:06 pm
In the spirit of unofficial naming, Large Low Pressure System Baldur is busy tornado-ing over the south, as well as blizzarding near portia’s location north of me.
I remain in the uneasy middle, eagerly awaiting the deformation band to move over me and dump 4 inches of convectively enhanced snow.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:09 pm
chigau (違う) – Yes, all kids should be taught how to do those things. Agreed. (I’ve met a surprising number of people in my life that didn’t know how to run a washing machine.)
Definitely not all of them are problematic, but the tone of it was icky.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:11 pm
If this means what I think it means, it could be boiled down to two words: “Don’t rape.” But I’m not certain that’s what it means, because I don’t speak Fuckwit. That’s one of the things I do hate about facebook is the crap that the masses coo over like this.
Thunk, I’m actually to your west. : ) But it’s coming down thick and heavy here. The snow is almost horizontal and the flakes are wet and big.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Ugh, my 435 sounds elitist but it’s kind of the opposite. They HAD washing machines growing up, but they never had to use them for themselves.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:18 pm
Portia @ 436- I hadn’t thought of it that way. I don’t know whether that’s better than how I interpreted it or worse. “You will set the tone” just rubs me the wrong way. “She will be compliant” is how I read it.
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort @ 432 – I agree. The whole list isn’t craptastic.
In other news: What time is this “end of the world” shindig supposed to happen tomorrow?
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:20 pm
What I don’t get is what the warning is. What is the son not supposed to take that he can’t give back? “Virginity”?
thunk, weirdness in the fifth month:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
Lots of instability occurring in the region NW of the low pressure; convective cells are just glomming onto the bands and dumping large amounts of snow very quickly.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
Sounds about right, thunk. By the by, how ya been?
chigau (違う):
December 20th, 2012 at 12:23 pm
Krasnaya Koshka
And is it the same in all time zones?
Do I stay up late or get up early?
thunk, weirdness in the fifth month:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:23 pm
Good, portia. I’m done with the finals.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:26 pm
chigau (違う) – Right? I’m pretty far ahead time zone-wise so I would like to give a heads up, if possible.
One and a half hours until December 21st here.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
Wait, isn’t Australia already well into December 21st? Where are our beloved correspondents?
chigau (違う):
December 20th, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Ohoh.
Has anyone from Australia or New Zealand posted recently?
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:36 pm
You’d think so, but they haven’t so far. There’s a string in their cheap little tree I’m too lazy to get off and they’ve left it alone so far. Climbing the Ratmas Tree seems to be much more exciting, along with stealing ornaments.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:37 pm
Glad to hear it, thunk.
“`
It occurs to me that I should have taken the deck furniture in.
Katherine Lorraine, Chaton de la Mort:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:38 pm
My guess is it would be related to the Mayan time zone.
cicely (Chock-full of Nuts!):
December 20th, 2012 at 12:51 pm
I’d think so; after all, it’s their Apocalypse.
-
Ichthyic:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:59 pm
*static noises*
*pop*
*crackle*
*explosion*
*sounds of massive fire*
absolutely nothing happening here.
The Mellow Monkey: Caerie:
December 20th, 2012 at 12:59 pm
Well, is it based on the date or is it based on the 2012 winter solstice? Because that is at 11:12 UT, so we have about seventeen hours IIRC.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:05 pm
Real conversation with a client last week:
C: Har har the world’s gonna end, but maybe just for the Mexicans since it’s their calendar/
Me: Erm, you mean Mayans?
C: No, Mexicans. But it’s all the same anyway, it’s all South America.
Me: Mexico is North America…so…
C: I’m talkin’ Army geography.
*facepalm*
Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it!:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:11 pm
Threadrupt!
Been very busy.
I have good news and bad news.
The good news is that the experiments I did recently neatly support my hypothesis.
The bad news is that my hypothesis is that the past eight months have been a waste of time and materials.
*flail*
___
Unrelated: my employer is in a dispute with some of its employees. So the union is standing outside the main entrance with a big-ass sign announcing this fact. It is not a picket line (and the union employees in question are at work).
I looked into the dispute, and I think the employees (and the union) are in the right, and I support unionization in general.
That said. A big-ass sign that says than “SHAME ON [EMPLOYER]” in giant letters and “labor dispute” in tiny letters is … unclear. I suppose it makes recycling it easier, but I rather feel like I shouldn’t have to google very specific terms to even find out what the dispute is about.
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Crispy Christ on Toast, is it the end of the world again?
*sigh*
Okay. Goodbye everyone, I enjoyed knowing all you, what a terrible, tragic thing and all that. Be sure you have your towel and I hear laying down with a bag over your head might help.
See you all tomorrow.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:17 pm
Krasnaya:
I took “you will set the tone…” The same wsy you did. Portia makes a good point though.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:17 pm
Ah, yes, well, there is that, of course. :)
I had two (private) lessons today with two young adults and their grandmothers* both asked me about the “end of lights”. (Which I now have been informed means the end of life, the word for “light” means so many other things, I’ve discovered.)
Russians often do this with me to guage my belief in religion. I recall entire classes asking me about the apocalypse in May. They believe (in this case, they = my students and their babushki) that, because I’m American, I’m highly religious.
“I’ll be here on Monday,” I said and, phew, sigh of relief. In my limited experience, people in Saint Petersburg are atheists. Or they have tchotchke from the church about but only because “why not?” The only Americans I have ever met in the last three years here have been Mormon missionaries.
*Because the world here revolves around babushki. Grandmothers keep everything going and families often live with their babushki, or very near to them.
Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it!:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:18 pm
Re: the Apocalypse.
I saw a thing on the teevee about the hooplah over the Mayan end-of-the-world shebang.
The reporters went and interviewed scared people in the US, Europe, and various other places.
And then they went to Mexico and talked to some actual Mayans. The response of the Mayans: “Huh?” :D :D
cicely (Chock-full of Nuts!):
December 20th, 2012 at 1:22 pm
That could totally work, ’cause if you can’t see it, then It can’t see you.
The Horse, of course. Of the Apocalypse.
-
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:24 pm
Portia @453 – That sounds exactly like one of my male cousins. And why I cut him out of my life. Ugh.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:24 pm
Caine:
I suddenly have this image of all your rats lined up with towels and itsy bitsy bags over their heads…
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:29 pm
cicely (Chock-full of Nuts!) – You’ve made me laugh my ass off so many times. Thank you!
Ichthyic:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:39 pm
post hoc!
;)
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:45 pm
Tony:
The rats *always* have their towels handy. As for me…
42 towel right here in my studio, check. Large Don’t Panic towel handy in the bathroom. I’m good.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
Ichthyic @ 451 – As per usual, a group of Russians here tonight (and my American friend!) and we’re all dying of laughter. Wait, is THIS the apocalypse? From the inside? You are sneaky, Ichthyic. Well played.
cicely (Chock-full of Nuts!):
December 20th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
:)
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:53 pm
cicely:
You know, there are 4 horsemen, thus 4 horses.
And they’re “coming to get you Barbara!”
thunk, weirdness in the fifth month:
December 20th, 2012 at 1:55 pm
Koshka:
From personal experience, few people of my extended family-ish thing are devuoutly religious. Most are either part of some soft form of theism, some deists and nones, and the few outspoken atheists (mostly the younglings) and strongly-Christian people (one family I know) are well in the minority.
At our house, Christmas is a secular occasion, which is relatively minor compared to New Years (all night food/dance party, with Ded Moroz coming and delivering presents).
Beatrice:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:01 pm
Caine,
It is so lovely that you decorate a tree just for your rats. What a lucky mischief they are. ;)
Too bad Beatrice is so shy, I rarely see her.
—-
rorschach,
I’m sorry that you won’t be able to see your son for Christmas.
—-
Mum and I talking about how ironing sucks, father comes in.
Me: I strongly oppose ironing. Nothing really needs to be ironed.
Father: But what about shirts?
Me: *bah*
Father: Aha, you say that now, we’ll see you when you marry someone who wears white shirts every day for work.
Me. Look, nothing will fall off if he takes an iron into his hand and irons his own shirts.
Father: You always have to philosophize about everything. One can’t talk to you. *leaves*
cicely (Chock-full of Nuts!):
December 20th, 2012 at 2:12 pm
Tony:
The number of horsemen does not signify. Keep your eye on the Horses. Each and every last one of the evil suckers.
-
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
Beatrice:
They are indeed. They also provide me with fabulous photo ops and much entertainment. It’s more than a fair trade. :D
I just got a shot of her and Zoe showing up for sweet potato mash yesterday! I have yet to get it posted. Beatrice is doing great, she loves the playstation and it turns out she’s a champion at chewing [holes in] and cracking walnuts. She’s such a sweetheart. On those rare occasions she lets me catch her, she really enjoys going on shoulder rides around the house.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
Oh this is too rich!
I have laughed so much, which really isn’t good for my throat.
Newt Gingrich supports marriage equality:
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:25 pm
Thunk – Exactly.
And there is another really excellent commenter here simply named Koshka but I am not that person. I only realized well after I’d started commenting as Krasnaya Koshka that they had already been commenting,and doing it well. By that time I’d already sort of established myself so I wasn’t sure whether to go back to my gaming name of Krasnii Kot or continue on as is. (I didn’t want to hide my female-ness here so I changed my long-established name to the female.)
Anyway, Thunk! I’m happy to see you! Yes, in Russia the 25th of December means nothing and it’s all about New Year’s. And then Old New Year’s. So SPb shuts down from January 1st to the 15th. Just because. I LOVE how many holidays they have here because they’re real holidays. I can step into our courtyard and sample food from all over the former USSR and slide on fake “sugrop”s and listen to children belting out “narodnii pesnii”, folk songs. This is a very social culture.
Beatrice, I’m so sorry. This is not very different from my (American) father. Of course, you deserve better. I have so many more things to say but they all sound insipid or patronizing or miminalizing.
I love that you post snippets from your life here because it makes me feel I’m not alone (to be perfectly selfish).
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:27 pm
Esteleth:
Been meaning to ask…where did the gingerbread meme come from? I’ve seen a few commenters use it in their responses.
****
Beatrice:
Ironing does suck. I cannot figure out where the black gunk comes from on my iron. Nor hos to be rid of it. Really sucks when I go to iron my _white_ shirt.
Oh, and shame on your dad for expecting the wife to iron the husbands clothes.
AJ Milne:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:43 pm
I hadn’t felt I was missing out much on not really paying much attention to the Mayan Apocalypse thing. Y’know… It’s sorta background silliness, now, anyway. Someone, somewhere always thinks Planet X is on collision course with us or somethin’… So now it’s just a few more. Not my problem unless I’m manning poor NASA’s phone lines…
… and then I saw some tabloid news type report about people organizing these ‘last chance to do it/go out with a bang’ sex parties…
(Shakes head…)
I must be getting old. Idea didn’t even occur to me.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:43 pm
And Caine, since you might be hopefully here–You’re the reason I first started following Pharyngula. I read your outrage on something (I can’t even remember) in 2007 (late) or 2008 and I fell in love with your voice. You were speaking for me! You were so strong and took no shit and, though I’d been at the first gay pride parade in Phoenix in 1981 (and had been pelted with rocks and arrested–with no record, luckily), I would cower from online arguments.
I’m a fairly insular human and generally am not outgoing but I have been an activist in real life, many times. I could not do that online. (Why? I don’t know. Maybe because facing people is more my style.)
BUT. It was because of you, Caine, that I started to find my online voice and because the very first time I ventured a comment on Pharyngula YOU congratulated me.
Yeah, I’m not generally prone to hero worship but I respect you deeply and you have made a big difference in my not being shy online anymore. So thank you.
Esteleth has eaten ALL the gingerbread! Suck it!:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Tony:
I am not sure where the meme came from, but my nym comes from a very simple source. To wit, I like gingerbread.
Beatrice:
December 20th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
Caine,
♥
That was nice to read about Bea.
—
Krasnaya Koshka,
This particular episode with my father was more amusing than annoying, to be honest. Especially with that ending where he didn’t know what to say. (Not denying that his position is sexist, of course)
—
Tony,
Hm, the iron I rarely touch used to leak black too. It just stopped eventually.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Beatrice, ah, okay. Yeah. I had actually almost posted about how much I love to iron but then thought that was beside the point. I hope I wasn’t putting words in your mouth.
I shouldn’t comment on father things at all because I only know mine and he’s horrific. My gf’s father is long dead and I’ve never known actual fathers IRL.
My students here in Russia are my by-proxy kids (besides my nieces and nephews) and I’ve never met any of their fathers, only their mothers and grandmothers.
Fathers to me are a bit like unicorns.
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
Krasnaya Koshka:
Goodness. Thank you. From the first time I read you, I thought and felt your voice is a very valuable one and I’m so happy you use it more often here.
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:02 pm
Gad, the rats are going a bit crazed. I’ve hung more ornaments on the Ratmas Tree and Agnes is determined to steal each and every one and there has been much more tree climbing. Now I’m putting candy canes on the tree. Oh my!
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
Agnes just found the first candy cane on the tree and she attacked it like it was threatening her life. Got it, too. :D
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:21 pm
Ah, Caine, you make me miss my rats terribly. Though ten was the most I could host. :)
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:22 pm
Draco update: power went out so I walked down the hill to the fire station. The village got the generators running down here so that people can come stay warm if they need to. Hopefully the snow lets up soon. I hope I dont have to figure out somewhere else to stay tonight, while I’m hoping for things. Well there are choirs at the station but I know from experience they are not comfy.
Beatrice:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:24 pm
Krasnaya Koshka,
You were also very supportive the last time I was more bitter about my father, and I appreciate that. You may have a different perspective about fathers, but that doesn’t make your thoughts and experiences that you share any less valuable.
What I can’t grok is how you can love ironing. ;)
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:31 pm
Krasnaya Koshka:
Aaaaw. Artemis is freaking out. She’s pulled down about 8 candy canes off the tree and she knows there are more up there. Just hasn’t figured out how to get them.
Beatrice:
Do you know about Extreme Ironing?
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:43 pm
Jumping in the middle of things:
1) I hate ironing. With a passion. My grandmother even ironed socks. I do not understand. I do not understand.
2) Portia, I did not know you were a firefighting lawyer. You are officially My New Hero.
3) I also do not understand extreme ironing.
4) Had first Christmas concert today with the choir. Atrocious but people love this crap. Ah well. Too bad we don’t get paid.
5) Eldest also had his (totally secular) christmas party at his kindergarten. Snow White and Mr Frost and a Winter Witch. Very adorable.
6) Middle brother is in town for a few days. Yay for my side of the family! Sanity may yet reign.
Beatrice:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:43 pm
Caine,
First time I
hearread about it.Hah!
dianne:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:44 pm
Speaking-maybe-of rats, the small one is asking for a pet for Christmas. Anyone have any thoughts on the relative merits of various small animal pets? Know any that can live alone and tolerate time by themselves? We could probably handle multiple very small animals (several mice or gerbils, maybe 2 rats or hamsters), but the getting left alone for hours at a time thing is inevitable…fish maybe?
ImaginesABeach:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:44 pm
regarding the fbook advice for sons, I would tweak it a little and make it:
Advice from parents to their children
1. Play games. It will teach you how to win honorably, lose gracefully, respect authority, work with others, manage your time and stay out of trouble.
3. Use careful aim when you pee. Clean it up if you miss.
4. Save money when you’re young because you’re going to need it some day.
5. Allow me to introduce you to the dishwasher, oven, washing machine, iron, vacuum, mop and broom. Now please go use them.
6. Don’t ever be a bully and don’t ever start a fight.
8. Your knowledge and education is something that nobody can take away from you.
9. Treat people kindly. Forever is a long time to live alone and it’s even longer to live with somebody who hates your guts.
10. Take pride in your appearance.
11. Be strong and tender at the same time.
12. Most women and most men can do everything that the other can do. This includes having a successful career and changing diapers at 3 A.M. Mutual respect is the key to a good relationship.
13. “Yes ma’am” and “yes sir” still go a long way.
14. The reason that they’re called “private parts” is because they’re “private”. Please do not scratch them in public.
15. Peer pressure is a scary thing. Be a good leader and others will follow.
16. Bringing someone flowers for no reason is a good idea if the are the kind of person who likes that sort of thing.
17. Be patriotic but not blindly.
18. Potty humor isn’t the only thing that’s humorous.
19. Please choose your partner wisely.
20. Remember to call your parents because we might be missing you.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:47 pm
Geez, don’t those rats know candy canes will rot their teeth?
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:49 pm
Dianne, rats are fine being left on their own. You do need to spend quality time with them, though, as when you’re gone for hours, they get very excited about you being back and need contact.
dianne:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Most women and most men can do everything that the other can do. This includes having a successful career and changing diapers at 3 A.M.
Really men are MUCH better at changing diapers at 3 am than women. It’s just in their genes: hunting, making bad jokes, changing diapers at 3 am.
Which brings me to an ancillary piece of advice: beware of people who tell you that you’re “naturally” better at something. They’re trying to limit you or get you to do the dirty work.Or, more often, both.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:54 pm
dianne:
Growing up, the only pet I was able to have was a gerbil. I had several of them over a period of 5-6 years. They don’t live very long, but they are easy to care for, and from what I recall, they are fine being alone. Still, I think if possible, getting two would be great so they would have company. Warning: they sometimes bite and it hurts a bit. If your little ones are not used to that, they might be in for a surprise.
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:55 pm
Tony:
Rats have wonder teeth. They are monophyodonts, however, they only have incisors and molars, and their incisors are open rooted, so they are constantly growing. The eruption rate (the rate of growth) of the rat’s incisors is very high: the adult rat’s upper incisors grow on average about 2.2 mm per week (0.31-0.32 mm per day), and the lower incisors grow about 2.8 mm per week (0.4 mm per day). It takes about 40-50 days for new tooth generated at the base to reach the tip. The entire tooth is therefore never more than 40-50 days old. This rapid growth also keeps the rats’ incisors from getting cavities: any cavity would rapidly grow out and be worn away.
dianne:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:56 pm
Oh, and always doubt a result that confirm’s the experimenter’s preconceived ideas. It may be accurate, but there’s a higher than average probability that a subconscious (or conscious) bias has been introduced into the data.
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 20th, 2012 at 3:57 pm
Look I don’t have much time. I have to warn you all. The horror is great…they were right they WERE RIGHT!!!1!!!!11!1! Over most of Australia…no I can’t perhaps its better to not know…fuck it I must. Today TODAY the sun came up and and and it’s a beautiful summer day, the cicadas are crying out in their despair or perhaps their horniness and magpies are singing “waddle giggle gargle gaggle poodle” and no no NO I can’t go on, its too horrible….an expect high of 30c and light winds…goodbye dear sweet friends its been great knowing you….
carlie:
December 20th, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Portia – U R firefighter? One of my brothers is too. :) Volunteer, but he’s good at it and does a lot of it.
I believe it specifically means not to take her virginity. Once she doesn’t have it, though, doesn’t matter, because fundies believe that you turn from a super special snowflake of purity straight into a slut once you have sex, assuming you’re a girl and you aren’t married yet.
Krasnaya Koshka – thanks for clearing that up; I had wondered as well.
Today I went on a hopping expedition to the major!outlet!mall! aways away. Needed items were obtained, and fun with friends was had. The coup of the day was getting a box of Harry and David pears for $5, because they’re at peak ripeness. I’ve always wondered if those fancy $30 a box pears were any better than grocery store pears, and now I can find out. (I assume the answer is NO.) So, anyone have good recipes for doing things with pears, besides just poaching them in nice juices?
dianne:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:01 pm
Don’t be silly fossil. The end only comes when it’s 21 December in Central America.
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 20th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
I’m sorry dianne I can’t hear you what with me being all apocalypsed and all…
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:06 pm
carlie
No, the Harry and David pears are not better than the storebought kind( although this may vary with your local store) although they tend to be a bit juicier IME. I have a lovely recipe for pear cake, but not with me right now because I’m at work. I shall try to remember to look it up when I get home in a few hours. I also recommend that you look at your local farmer’s market in season if you live somewhere pears grow. You can often get much better ones than the store or mail order catalog have got. A couple years back, L and I picked up a single pear that was nearly the size of my head; the thing weighed better than 2 kilos and was the best tasting pear I’ve ever had.
dianne:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:20 pm
I can’t hear you what with me being all apocalypsed and all…
The birds and snakes and aeroplanes are too loud to hear over?
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:22 pm
FossilFishy:
Which one of cicely’s hooved friends is visiting you?
War?
Pestilence?
Famine?
Death?
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:23 pm
dianne
I really do believe that men change diapers better at 3AM. Personal experience. And tha’ts all that matters!
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:26 pm
As long as the pear is sweet, I like it. The tart ones…yucky.
carlie:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:26 pm
Just ate one. It was pretty darned fantastic – very juicy and soft and sweet. But that’s my opinion of them after paying $5 for 9 pears. I don’t know if I’d be so keen on them for almost $4 each.
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
The world is ending? Yay! It’s middle brother’s name day. Saves me having to buy him a present. ;)
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:34 pm
I may be biased against H & D pears because I prefer the crisp ones to the juicy ones.
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
And everyone seems to be discussing pears. Well, I like them, especially the home-grown ones on Husband’s family farm. Good for the eating and good for the pies.
That’s all I have for tonight! :)
Matt Penfold:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:42 pm
Pears ?
Perry. Proper perry, not stuff made from concentrate. Like cider, but much much better.
Improbable Joe:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:42 pm
Ironing? You know who does ironing the best? U.S. Marines. Also general house cleaning and floor buffing. I don’t know what the infantry or recon folks did to pass the time, but the rest of us did a lot of scrubbing and polishing and making sure our undies were pressed and folded to the exact proper dimensions. I had a complete set of uniforms that were ONLY for display and were never worn otherwise.
FossilFishy, it looks the same out my window as what you’re describing, except that the temps are in Fahrenheit rather than Celsius.
Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:50 pm
Well, I got stocked up on food, got the snow thrower ready for when the Midwest storm comes through the Chiwaukee area tonight, and got a laugh from checking out why the Redhead was swearing at something. She was trying to select a DVD option using the cable box remote. She was hot to watch Hot in Cleveland, and getting hot she couldn’t select Hot. Oops, I think this will get me in hot water…
rq:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:51 pm
Imrpobable Joe
What about early morning/late night diaper changes? /snark
Anyway DAMMIT. I have about the equivalent of $2000 translating money waiting for me, but they can’t give it to me because they don’t have that much cash on hand. I suppose it’s time to become a small business. :/ Because then the bank transfer becomes legal.
On that bittersweet note, I say good night. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll actually be that much richer.
Doubt it, but it’s worth a shot – it would be the ultimate proof that the world is ending!
Improbable Joe:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
rq: all the Marines I know are good at waking up at 3AM, doing what needs doing, and going right back to sleep. :)
Goodnight, and good luck with the cash!
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
ImaginesABeach @ 490 – Making it to sons and daughters makes it better but I would still tweak it more:
To my fictional children:
1. Your sexual relationships are not my business. But I hope you take the time and listen to what your partners want.
2. Play games. Win honorably, lose gracefully, respect the rules of the game, work with others, manage your time and have fun.
3. If you pee other than in the toilet, clean it up. Same with poop. (If we’re talking games and sexual relationships? Is this something you give a newborn? Then I would erase all sexuality from it.)
4. Put aside a savings account. Really start saving when you hit 30.
5. Allow me to introduce you to the dishwasher, oven, washing machine, iron, vacuum, mop and broom. Now please go use them. (To me, this is weird. haven’t your kids already been introduced to these things? I’ve never had a dishwasher but this whole entry is freaky. I’ve had step-children and they cleaned up quite nicely. Is this directed to the infant? I don’t get it. So why talk about sex in the first entry?)
6. Hone your empathy. Read and listen.
7. You won’t ever be a bully if you follow 6.
8. Your knowledge and education is something that nobody can take away from you. But don’t imagine those who can’t afford education are not as smart as you.
9. Treat women as you would treat any human.
10. Take some pride in your appearance (bathe and don’t stink).
11. Be strong and tender at the same time. (Useless platitude. What does this mean?)
12. A woman can do everything that you can do. This includes her having a successful career and you changing diapers at 3 A.M. Mutual respect is the key to a good relationship.
13.
“Yes ma’am” and “yes sir” still go a long way.I am not Atticus Finch nor am I Scout. (I hate being “yes ma’am”ed. “Okay” is much better.)14.
The reason that they’re called “private parts” is because they’re “private”. Please do not scratch them in public.Again, is this being said to an infant child or an actual child? Is this so prevalent it needs to be said? Is this child being raised by wolves and then thrust into society?15. Your young friends have no idea what they’re talking about. Ignore them.
16.
Bringing her flowers for no reason is always a good idea.Except some women hate getting dead flowers. There is that.17.
Be patriotic.Travel the world and see if your home is worth being patriotic about.18. Potty humor isn’t the only thing that’s humorous.–Again, is this so prevalent? My nephew is 17 and he never uses potty humor. So, is this for newborns? I can guarantee many years of potty humor for little kids .
19. Please choose your spouse wisely. My daughter-in-law will be the gatekeeper for me spending time with you and my grandchildren.– One of the grossest ones here. The woman is the “gate-keeper”? How about she’s the one who gave birth to the child? If you’re a decent grandparent, chances are she’ll let you see the kid. (And I have a horrific sister-in-law, but my niece is allowed to see my mom. I am not because I’m a lesbian, and it’s infectious, doncha know.)
20. Remember to call your mother because I might be missing you.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 5:03 pm
I am going to be tired of soup by the next few days. Chicken noodle from Panera for lunch. Now I am eating Campbells potato soyp with some added sausage and cheese.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 5:04 pm
Beatrice, I love ironing like I love washing dishes. You have an immediate positive outcome. You have a wrinkled shirt and then voila! Crisp shirt! Same with dishes. The reward is immediate.
I also really enjoy doing laundry. It’s very comforting to me.
(I imagine Beatrice is asleep being it’s 3am here, fairly close to where she is.)
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 5:06 pm
Joe: you ironed your underwear? Lemme guess, socks too…?
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 5:10 pm
Krasnaya:
Ummm whats so positive about wrinkly fingers after finishing the dishes?
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 5:11 pm
Yes, “egg” is also slang for testicle in Russia. Our poor young Tosha cat is eleven months old and his second ball hasn’t dropped so he’ll have to have a more extensive neutering. Poor guy.
“Tosha, where’s your other egg?” is what we ask him nearly daily.
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
Tony:
Ever hear of gloves? Mister has a pair of dishwashing gloves. Purple ones. I don’t bother with them.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 5:19 pm
Tony- hahaha! Wrinkly fingers. I rarely let dishes pile up more than two plates, some silverware and a cup but when we have friends over and my fingers do get wrinkly, I don’t notice. Although, that is the perfect time to cut my fingernails. I’m kind of a constant cleaner. A hummingbird with a sponge, perhaps. :)
Hey, what do you think of Miami? Or Fort Lauderdale? Are you at all familiar? We’re there about twice a year and my gf is interested in night life (for older lesbians, I guess). We’ve only been to two gay clubs together–one in Atlanta, where she had a seizure and one in Prague, which was fun.
dianne:
December 20th, 2012 at 5:24 pm
I really do believe that men change diapers better at 3AM. Personal experience. And tha’ts all that matters!
Matches my anecdote. Partner really did do most of the diaper changing. We’d decided to split baby input/output chores evenly. Not my fault the kid turned out to be a radical lactivist.
dianne:
December 20th, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Hone your empathy. Read and listen.
Further suggested tweek: Some people’s natural “empathy” doesn’t work so well. You may have a hard time instinctively understanding what other people are thinking and feeling. If so, make an effort to consciously learn what signals mean what. It’s ok to break the rules of social convention, but make sure you’re doing it because you want to, not because you’re fumbling in the dark with no idea whether you are breaking them or not. Asperger’s syndrome is not an excuse for being a jerk. Nor does it make you a psychopath. People who say it does are wrong. And jerks.
Ok, so that’s way too wordy. First draft.
Improbable Joe:
December 20th, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Tony:
Here’s a sample display of what a Marine’s locker should look like. That’s sloppy compared to mine… I used a ruler to space the hangers exactly the same distance apart from one end to the other, and ironing the T-shirts and underwear made them stack more neatly. Between inspections they’d all go in bags and then inside plastic storage bins.
What else is there to do when you’ve got a five day week and only two days worth of work when there’s not a war on? Spit-shining the shower drain, that’s what.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 5:31 pm
Caine: i never remember to use gloves. I have plenty of them too…
****
Krasnaya:
You would hate our kitchen sink then. There is a wee bit more than a few plates.
As for Miami and Ft Lauderdale, I’ve never been to either, but I hear they are fun party cities.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 5:33 pm
I just decided to take a relaxing hot bath and realized that I cannot recall when I last did so (not counting hot tubs).
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven:
December 20th, 2012 at 5:48 pm
I’ve heard encouraging things about giant millipedes, but have not yet owned any. :(
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:02 pm
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:09 pm
Hi all.
I am vacationing. At home, now, but will be heading to Florida (do not expect to hear from me from calendartypical Saturday to Calendartypical Saturday.
Today, I wore flannel lined jeans (plaid flannel), flannel boxers, a flannel shirt, and a flannel-lined fleece shirt (plaid flannel). All the plaids were different colours. I spent the day in fear that some of the plaids were from clans that didn’t get along. I mean, I might be in danger of being kilt! Boy told me I had to learn to play four different bagpipes at once.
I made sweet and sour pork tonight. Quite good.
Saw The Hobbit. Enjoyed it, even with the additions to make it more of a prequel.
I smoked a 5 Vegas Gold Limited Edition torpedo this morning. Smooth and creamy.
I just got off the phone with my mortgage company and have things in place to be completely caught up on my mortgage by May without breaking the bank.
I had a Saranac Red IPA with dinner. I plan to have a nice triple shot of Scotch this evening.
On Saturday, I get to go get the oil changed, the alignment done, and (ouch!) four tyres.
And I received Prothero’s book about the Cenozoic mammalian radiation.
I feel better. Not good, but better.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
Dianne @ 524 – Thank you. I forget that empathy is not so easy for everyone.
When I was a kid I really wanted my super power to be (because I believed everyone was granted one–why, I don’t know) the ability to live as someone else for a day. I thought that would be the most amazing thing ever.
My paternal grandma was “One hunnerd PER-Cent Missouri Sioux” (now I know only her father was Missouri Sioux, her mother was half-Irish half-Missouri Sioux) and she often sent me to the store to buy beer and Pall Malls.
There was a man at the liquor store at the end of the street named Eduardo. He was missing legs. He always joked about his missing legs but I wanted to live as Eduardo for just one day. I wanted to understand. (White privilege, of course. Your life is a novelty to me. But, hey, I was maybe 9 years old.)
I couldn’t. He would not tell me anything about his life and I could never have my super power.
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Worse. Soak showed up.
The Army motto back in the day was, “We do more before 5:00am than most people do all day.” The part they dropped was, “And then we go back to bed.”
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:28 pm
Agnes & Artemis vs The Candy Canes.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:32 pm
Ogvorbis, I’m pretty much a stranger but я люблю тебя and I think you’re amazing.
Rumtopf:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:33 pm
Hey I’m being apocalypsed too, it’s very dull.
Dianne, rats are fine being left for hours provided you have more than one, which is the best/only good way to keep them anyway c: Give ‘em a large multi-level cage and lots of toys and they can amuse themselves while you’re out/asleep. I have a fatbutt curled up with me right now, her sister
is off being mischievous but she’ll come running over when I call heris on my head.Otherwise I can also recommend an aquarium with dwarf freshwater shrimp, such as cherry shrimp. Grow a bunch of aquatic moss in there and they’ll have allll the babies, females carry their eggs around and they hatch into miniature versions of the adults. You can eventually keep a stable population of hundreds in a 50 litre tank, with enough cover you can keep fish and they won’t put much of a dent in the population(especially tiny fish like Boraras brigittae that can barely manage to eat shrimplets). I’ve got a good 150-200 between two heavily planted tanks and I love watching them, I’ve even witnessed interesting behaviours like moulting and mating.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:35 pm
Caine, so’s cute!
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:38 pm
Krasnaya Koshka:
Имам ужасно страв дека, ако некој од вас всушност се запознае со мене во реалниот живот, мислење ќе се промени. Брзо.
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:41 pm
Krasnaya Koshka:
Hee. Thank you. They are having so much fun. We haven’t even gotten to the strings of pistachios yet! There will be more Ratmas Tree fun posts tomorrow, I took an awful lot of photos tonight. :D
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:42 pm
Whoops. Sorry. Forgot we weren’t supposed to do that.
I have this horrible fear that, if any of you actually meet me in real life, opinions would change. Quickly.
carlie:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:42 pm
That may be my problem – I usually don’t like pears at all, having only had the crispy ones.
A couple of weeks ago I had a Saranac caramel porter – winter issue only. It was divine.
carlie:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:46 pm
You do realize we’re all afraid of this ourselves as well, right?
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:47 pm
The Saranac chocolate lager is very good, too.
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:48 pm
But for all of you, it just sounds silly. It makes sense for me, though.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:49 pm
Ogvorbis, trust that I have met enough people in my life already that I can sense Really Good People. Trust me, if you don’t trust yourself.
Not to minimize your fear but you are really good people. I think many people here agree with me. You can fall into us and we’ll hold you up as we see you. And we see you as someone who has so much to give, deserves so much, is really a lovely human being. We need more of you, my friend.
Ogvorbis, please trust us. Again I’ll say я люблю тебя.
carlie:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Which is exactly what I think myself, too. :)
Improbable Joe:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:51 pm
Oggie, it sounds silly* to us when you say stuff like that, and it makes sense when we feel that way about ourselves. Do I have to send you a snazzy hat to make you feel better? Because I will!
Hell, you drink Scotch AND one of my favorite brands of beer… I feel like we’re almost family already. :)
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:53 pm
Caine, pistachios! Who are the happiest rats in the world? That would be your sweet ratties. I love love love the photos.
Rumtopf:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:54 pm
Caine, omg the cute! <3
carlie:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:55 pm
So, has anybody seen anything of ‘Tis since the incident? I wonder if he’s at least still reading along.
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:55 pm
You like Coors Light, too? And Keystone Light? Wow.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 6:55 pm
This is outrageous. I cannot believe Ridley Scott is makimg a Showtime series called The Vatican:
Improbable Joe:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:01 pm
Thordammit Oggie, I was talking about the Saranac! I wonder if I can get that here… no, no I can’t.
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:04 pm
Krasnaya Koshka:
Aaaw, thank you! They have completely gone through the 3 lbs of walnuts we brought home for them. Have to get some more this weekend.
Rumtopf:
Thank you! The ratlets are all 6 months old this month, so Ratmas is rather special this year. :D
Improbable Joe:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:07 pm
I need plates. I don’t own any plates. Can someone recommend me some cheap plates that won’t randomly explode into a thousand fragments if a cat looks at them funny?
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:08 pm
Wife and I still have most of the Corel plates that we bought at an Ames store in Peterborough, NH, back in 1988. We lose less than one a year.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:09 pm
Ogvorbis, my friend, what are we all supposed to be? Are we all amazing cream of the crops, lazing about in a bit of fatty soup? No, we’re all just like you.
I’m a lazy person living in Russia only because I fell in love with a machine of a woman who fell in love with me. I had to have knee surgery twice before I was 20 and then broke my back at 21. I’m highly prone to panic attacks and have been in the nut hut four times. I lost my last job because I got really drunk and punched out the VP of Human Resources, breaking my right pinkie. Which is still fucked up.
I would be un-hireable (I’m too tired to give a shit) in America but I’m stupidly lucky.
You just have to keep being and trying. And you’re wonderful
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:12 pm
And I actually mean, I think you’re a bit better, having not punched out a director.
carlie:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:15 pm
The problem I have with Corelle is that when it does go, it goes big. Thousands of almost-invisible shards everywhere.
I get a lot of my plates etc. at Goodwill/thrift stores. You can find some pretty awesome patterns sometimes, and they’re always really cheap.
Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:16 pm
Dang, the snow portion of the winter storm has arrived, The outside temp is 32 ºF, and snow is beginning to accumulate on the black Probe.
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:17 pm
Hell, that just show’s you’re working for the wrong people. If I’d been in charge there, you’d have gotten a promotion out of that. Of course, I hate HR only marginally less than I loathe Marketing, but as far as I’m concerned any reasonable;t person would have to agree with me.
Ogvorbis
Although I’m sure that my mental picture of you is different enough to your real appearance that I’d be startled to meet you, but that’s really all.
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:22 pm
I did break the jaw of a DI when I was in Basic Training in the Army. He, without warning me, showed how an experienced fighter could step inside the bayonet. I hit him in the jaw with my rifle butt. I did not get in trouble.
I’d be the guy back east wearing a white Stetson straw hat during warm weather, or a brown felt cowboy had in cold weather. I tend to stand out.
Improbable Joe:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:23 pm
Yeah, I’ve heard that Corelle shatters like a glass goblin, and their old reputation is no longer earned. I personally wouldn’t mind ANY dishes for day-to-day, but since my wife has to present them to her parents once a year(and me too), Goodwill is probably out unless I can find most of a set and pick up the missing stuff online. Shallow but there it is.
Krasnaya Koshka:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:24 pm
Thanks, Dalillama, Schmott Guy.
I still don’t regret it, he was such a fucking asshole. First and last time I’ve ever been physically aggressive. I relive it every time I see my wonky pinkie.
I knew I should have left years before but “wow, great money!” vs my entire being. Great money won,
carlie:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:25 pm
I picture you as kind of rugged looking, but with kind crinkly eyes.
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:26 pm
Now that you mention it, the ones that have broken in the last few years are ones that were purchased later as replacements.
We use plastic for cat dishes. Some of the human child toddler dinerwear works really well for felines.
Rumtopf:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:26 pm
‘Daww half-birthday crimbo rats x3 I look forward to more adorable photos.
We’re acquiring two 7-week-old rescue does to live with our current two in their rat-mansion(when they get big enough for the wide bar-spacing) tomorrow and I’m so excited! Then in the new year we have a couple of buck babies from a breeder that’ll be ready to come home, it’s been a while since we had boys and I miss their lazy cuddliness. More is certainly merrier when it comes to ratties.
Improbable Joe:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:27 pm
Oggie… I guess you don’t need a snazzy hat. Threat dodged, and my hat is off to you!
dianne:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:33 pm
When I was a kid I really wanted my super power to be (because I believed everyone was granted one–why, I don’t know) the ability to live as someone else for a day. I thought that would be the most amazing thing ever.
Ever seen the movie “Being John Malkovitch”?
I’d like that superpower too, but if I could pick one, I think I’d go with eternal life and youth. Or is that two? Heck, I’ll take just life. I’m cool with getting very, very wrinkled. I’ve always been more the crone type than the maiden type anyway.
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:36 pm
Well, my avatar is a photo of me (from, like, 40+ years ago . . .) but here is one I found (scroll down to the photo of the park ranger): http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,2222902
dianne:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:38 pm
More seriously, don’t beat yourself up over wanting to experience Eduardo’s life for a day. You were a kid trying to understand life. He was different and interesting. It’s natural to be attracted to that. Critiquing the social situation is good, but don’t get angry at your 9 year old self who was, after all, just a kid.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:40 pm
rq
Aw shucks. You sound like my sister. She says that stuff all the time, gives me the warm fuzzies.
carlie
Yep, about four and a half years now, I’ve been a volunteer. : )
Pear recipes: I was drooling over this yesterday and wishing I had some pears. : )
FossilFishy
*ha!*
Nerd
Batten down the hatches!
Krasnaya Koshka
As the pseudo-stepparent of a six year old boy, yes, it needs to be said.
Ogvorbis
Glad you feel better.
Joe
You never know what you might find at Goodwill, so it’s worth a shot. Someone may have decided to donate a set they got as a duplicative gift, and so they never took it out of the box and it’s lovely. :) Alternatively, some local thrift shops are even cheaper that GW and you can find great stuff.
-=======-
As you may have gleaned from the long comment, I am back at home with power restored. We were just in the process of setting up a warming center with coffee and cots when the power company truck showed up on the block and started working.
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:40 pm
OK, I was pretty close. Your face is a bit rounder, though, I was picturing a more drawn out triangular sort of face. I tend to wear an old slouch hat in pretty much any weather, which is just as authentically a ‘cowboy’ hat as yours, too. So there. :)
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:47 pm
Dalillama:
That ain’t any of me cowboy hats. That’s the summer (straw) flat hat. During the winter, we have a greyish (or grayish) brown flat hat. The first caretakers of Yellowstone National Park was the US 7th Cavalry (yes, that 7th Cav) and we kinda inherited the ~1920 US Army uniform, complete with the campaign hat (but minus the jodhpurs).
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:51 pm
G’night, all.
I’m heading to book to read a bed.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:53 pm
Night , Og. Sleep well.
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 20th, 2012 at 7:53 pm
Ogvorbis
Well, there you go then. It’s probably more like a historical cowboy hat than the ones you do call that; a whole lot of cowboys were cavalry veterans after all, and a good hat is a good hat. Slouch hats of the style I wear were part of Army uniformes from the Civil War at least though to the 30s, and as late as Vietnam many troopers apparently still wore them in preference to the official uniform hats. A good one keeps rain, snow, and sun alike off of your head, and they last a good long time.
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 8:12 pm
Ogvorbis, you’re quite handsome. And no, I’m not just sayin’, I mean it, so just accept the compliment. ♥
Rumtopf:
‘
Check Rattitude, it’s updated regularly. There are even pics of the ratlets the days they were born (both sets, Esme’s & Rubin’s.) Quite honestly, I never in my life expected to have 24 of the little monsters at one time, but we’re used to it now. It will be very strange indeed to go back to our usual two to four rats at one time.
Ohhhh! I still remember bringing Esme home, she was 6 weeks and so *tiny*. I miss her something fierce. (She died when her ratlets were 3 weeks old, she was only 10 months herself.) The little girls are always special – ours certainly keep me busy and on my toes.
Gotta love the boys, too. Maybe it’s the volume we have, but they aren’t nearly lazy enough. :D Ours live more in a colony setting, though, allowed to free range in a very large area. Although they are now all having a nice sleep, so I’m thoroughly enjoying the quiet for now.
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 20th, 2012 at 8:17 pm
In my personal life I’m waiting for concrete to dry. In my professional life I’m waiting for Loctite 7471 primer to dry. I really wish I’d paid attention when they were teaching patience in primary school.
Ogvorbis: For what it’s worth every time I post here I have a little frisson of fear that this time I’m going to say something stupid and piss everyone off to the point where I will no longer be welcome to post. Every fucking time.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 8:18 pm
I worry I’m not encouraging, engaging, or interesting enough. *shrug* We’s all gots our insecurities, I suppose.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 8:22 pm
And posting the above gave me a big dose of “Everyone will just nod when they read that.” This is spiraling, ha. But hip hip hooray SO just said he’s on his way to my house, the storm having let up just enough . We were planning to have an Usmas tonight since we will be separated for Christmas. I’m all warm and fuzzy. Oh crap…have to wrap his presents.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 8:28 pm
Gah, when will this cold be gone? I haven’t gotten worse, but haven’t gotten better. I’m supposed to have a date tonight, and even though I told him I was under the weather, he said he still wanted to meet. I just dont know how much fun I will be feeling under the weather.
****
What are you people putting your plateware through? All this talk of quality plates. Isn’t a plate a plate?
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 8:50 pm
Portia:
One of the nice aspects of Pharyngula is that, if anyone actually thought that about you, you would have most likely heard about it by now. Short form: You have nothing to worry about.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 20th, 2012 at 8:50 pm
Thanks, Caine : )
MikeG:
December 20th, 2012 at 8:54 pm
Tony, we’re a bit behind you weather-wise here in the ‘Burg, but the rain just hit. I’m sure the cold is right behind it. I hope you can manage to have a good time anyway. Besides, being a bit under the weather is a great excuse to find a quiet spot and talk, without the need to be too much fun.
Ogvorbis,
I know you don’t know me from Adam (a religious reference I haven’t found a good replacement for), but when your ‘nym comes up in the “recent comments” bar, I have learned that it’s well worth my while to click it.
Re: plates. We got some of ours at target, and some at ikea. They’re stoneware, so they don’t fare well against terrazzo, but nothing does. We’ve even had plastic crack. If you have hard floors like ours, it makes a lot more sense to have mostly dispoble stuff.
Portia, I nodded.
Well, chickens are asleep, dogs are on possum patrol, the house is cleanish, i have more dna extractions to do in the morning, and it’s raining. Bedtime.
Alethea H. "Crocoduck" Kuiper-Belt:
December 20th, 2012 at 8:55 pm
Hello! I have 4 hours of work left until I’m off on Xmas holiday! How much time can I waste on pharyngula?
Also, I have just booked a week on Kangaroo Island for me & my best mate. My bloke will be staying home to feed the cats, and then I reciprocate when he goes off to Vietnam with his best mate a couple of weeks later.
Alethea H. "Crocoduck" Kuiper-Belt:
December 20th, 2012 at 8:56 pm
@MikeG, my Mum says “I wouldn’t know him from a bar of soap.”
MikeG:
December 20th, 2012 at 8:57 pm
Correction: I nodded in a “yup, I feel like that too” way.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 8:58 pm
MikeG:
The thing is, I have a sore throat. It’s at that scratchy point, so I have been avoiding talking today. I am happy I don’t have a fever or the behind the eyes pounding, but I am a bit off my game. Ah well, we shall see.
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 9:02 pm
MikeG! We don’t see enough of you. I got Mister a Gallileoscope for his bday this year – he loves it, so thanks for letting me know about it.
MikeG:
December 20th, 2012 at 9:03 pm
I like that, Alethea. Now it’s just a matter of re-training myself.
Though I do use other mythological references from time to time, I’d like to minimize christian ones. subvert the dominant paradigm and all that.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 9:07 pm
Oooh Kangaroo Island? Sounds nifty!
Improbable Joe:
December 20th, 2012 at 9:09 pm
It might actually be the end of the world tomorrow… the latest Resident Evil “movie” comes out on DVD/Bluray.
Ichthyic:
December 20th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
saw it.
absolutely terrible.
avoid at all costs.
Improbable Joe:
December 20th, 2012 at 9:19 pm
Ichthyic, cannot avoid. My wife is a giant fan!
MikeG:
December 20th, 2012 at 9:20 pm
Ah, Tony, I didn’t know there might be talking problems. That may put a crimp in my alternative. how is your handwrighting?
Caine, I’m glad the Mister likes it. I haven’t found anything as easy to use. It’s point and peep. As for never being around, I can only read at work, but not post, and during the field season, and the following data crunching season, I don’t have much energy left in the evenings to post. Plus MsG (heh, that’s amusing, I think i’ll use that) is going for her MLA, so more of the domestic stuff falls to me during the crunch times of the semester. Besides, by the time I get home, three other people have said what I wanted to say, only more coherently and persuasively.
Anyway, even though I don’t participate as much as I would like, y’all have taught me a lot (autocorrect won’t let me leave it as one word, heh) and I enjoy the hell out of this community. Thanks to all.
cicely (Chock-full of Nuts!):
December 20th, 2012 at 9:25 pm
For many years I was valet to the office’s 30 gallon fish tank, and the occupants thereof.
Fish are pretty. I like to watch them swim. I like to “landscape” their living space.
But.
Keeping the tank clean is a huge hassle; long, tedious, messy. The algae eaters never seemed to be adequate to the job. The fish would catch something, need medicating, and throw the chemical balance all outa whack—then resort to cannibalism. The air pump, and the heater, and the filtration system, would break down for no damn reason at all—usually over weekends and holidays.
I like the fish we have now; they’re colorful, don’t eat much, and are otherwise completely trouble-free.
Because I painted them that way.
(They don’t even object to being stapled onto wires—they are Just. That. AWESOME.)
-
And don’t flop them out into the mashed potatoes. That’s just rude.
-
Literal lols.
:D :D :D
Very important piece of advice, this. It would make a nice tee shirt. Or poster, or embroidered wall hanging.
-
Additional lol-someness.
:D :D :D
-
Apocollapsed?
-
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 20th, 2012 at 9:32 pm
Heh. Better than being Alpacalypsed.
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 20th, 2012 at 9:32 pm
Portia
I was nodding in agreement with your post as I feel exactly the same way; I tend to agonize over whether to post something because “Why would that matter to anyone else?” or “Well, who gives a shit, really.” etc. So, I feel you. If it helps, you’ve made me laugh here and there, so there’s that.
Tony
I’m right there with you on the persistent cold with sore throat. I’ve just had a relapse, after three days where I thought it was gone.
MikeG:
December 20th, 2012 at 9:34 pm
It’s mayan, right? Shouldn’t it be alpacalypsed?
MikeG:
December 20th, 2012 at 9:36 pm
Damn you Fishy! (shakes tiny fist)
dianne:
December 20th, 2012 at 9:37 pm
@596: We have goldfish. Very hardy critters. And able to cope with a little algae. Of course, now the critter wants a betta, which is a warm water fish…potentially trickier.
Alethea H. "Crocoduck" Kuiper-Belt:
December 20th, 2012 at 9:41 pm
Oh yeah, I forgot that I can’t go to Kangaroo Island, what with being all dead in the apocalypse and stuff. Apparently the afterlife has internet. But wait, maybe there’s a Kangaroo Island in the afterlife too. Hmmm. Do zombies like penguins?
Rumtopf:
December 20th, 2012 at 9:46 pm
Caine
Aaaa I’ve been looking at Rattitude, I’m extremely jealous and I haven’t even gotten to the baby pictures yet x3. In all my years of rat keeping(since I was a wee 9 year old) I think the most I had was 16, after taking in a pregnant rescue Doe years ago. It was hard work but I miss the huge rat piles and those guys were all so tame after being held daily from birth, the worst part about keeping litters is that they all go around the same time :c. I’m very sorry about your Esme.
I looove your rat playstation by the way! I need to get some wire covers so ours can roam the entire bedroom rather than part of it, methinks, and we have some old drawers that could be converted into play shelves. I already have a climbing frame of sorts for ours, made from cheapy wooden wine bottle racks. You have totally inspired me xD.
Ooh, and if you wanna see some adorable bebbies, here are some photos/vidyas of the litter we’re having boys from. Eeee!
Rumtopf:
December 20th, 2012 at 9:52 pm
Dianne
I have a betta as well, named Lister(small and red, eheheh). He’s my little kitchen counter buddy and he wiggles for whoever does the washing up :D
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 20th, 2012 at 9:58 pm
Alethea, I hear you get to Kangaroo Island via Ferry Penguins. Is this true?
I’ll get my hat…
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 20th, 2012 at 10:00 pm
Fear not MikeG, there’s plenty of punishment to go around!
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 10:01 pm
Portia:
You need to just kick those insecurities to the curb. You are interesting ya know? You’ve been supportive of me (and others) several times. There are no requirements or quotas here. You do not have to show support for someone five times a month or say something interesting once a day. Just be yourself. From what I can see you is good peeps.
Now, no more insecure thoughts or Imma start pelting some pastries!
Hekuni Cat, MQG:
December 20th, 2012 at 10:02 pm
rorschach – *hugs and chocolate*
carlie – Get well soon.
Katherine – Snuggling kitties and playing games sounds like a great way to spend Christmas.
cicely (Chock-full of Nuts!):
December 20th, 2012 at 10:07 pm
Taxes???
And they are not my friends. rq is their friend. And is probably conspiring with Them to frame me.
-
I loathe housework in all its myriad forms. It never stays done, and leaves me with a sense of time wasted that could have been spent reading.
-
My problem with gloves for dish washing is that I need to be able to feel the dish surfaces for otherwise hard-to-detect food residues. Can’t touch that…in gloves.
-
Even more lols. Clearly, this is a great night to be hanging out in the [Lounge].
-
YouTube video, or it won’t have happened.
-
And then all chaos broke out!
-
Doubtful. The Pharyngulites I’ve met so far have uniformly (yet individually) been awesome.
-
Yes. THIS. Ogvorbis, be told!
:)
-
I went with Corelle. They’ve held up really well, these last 35+ years—I think I’ve managed to break one cereal bowl and one saucer. And I notice that you can often get stacks of ‘em, for cheap, at flea markets.
(Later) Huh. When mine broke, they each broke into two neat halves. I guess it’s true that they just don’t make ‘em like they used to.
-
I know I do. Yes, indeedy!
-
Making of hands???
-
*snortle*
-
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 10:08 pm
Rumtopf:
Ohhhh. Oh my. They are gorgeous! So. Damn. Cute.
MissEla:
December 20th, 2012 at 10:09 pm
Tried posting in another thread and it hasn’t shown up yet, so I’m trying one here. Feel free to ignore this post! :)
Socio-gen, something something...:
December 20th, 2012 at 10:22 pm
Hope everyone is doing well, celebrating the end of the world with appropriate drinks and food, and warmth, for those in the snowpocalypse zone.
I had horrible news today. My mother is planning to come out and spend two weeks here for my birthday at the end of January. *whimper*
Because that’s exactly what I wanted — two weeks trapped in a small apartment with a woman I can never please, who always indundates me with criticism and useless advice — while balancing a full load of classes (three of which are writing-intensives), plus homework, plus part-time work, plus two committees.
I tried talking her out of it, since I’ll have next to no time to spend with her (not to mention I already had plans for my b-day), but she couldn’t be arsed to listen to me and busily chattered about all the things she wants to do “in the city” while she’s here. Like meet my professors. And go to the zoo…
I didn’t even know we had a zoo in Fargo! That’s how busy I am.
I’m almost hoping tomorrow’s the end of the world just so I won’t have to deal with this.
— —
ironing: I don’t own an iron and haven’t in years. Too many years spent ironing sheets for ^^ that woman to ever again want to own anything that needs pressing. If the wrinkles won’t come out after a few minutes in the dryer with a wet towel, then I don’t wear it.
—
Krasnaya Koshka:
As the mother of two adult sons, I said this more times to them as pre-teens and teens than I want to think about. I don’t know why, (I don’t want to know why), but there seemed to be constant doubt that things were where they left them.
Three words: Judd Apatow movies.
—
Portia:
Ayup, I nodded.
Enjoy Usmas!
—
Alethea:
Many belated thanks for the help with SPSS a couple months ago! Not only did I figure out what I was doing wrong (and how to do what I wanted) thanks to you, but I proved 4 of my 5 hypotheses.
—
Tony:
Hope you’re feeling better soon!
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 20th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
cicely
I can’t help you on the 4 pipes at once front, but around here Gandalf will play one set as he unicycles past you.
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 20th, 2012 at 10:49 pm
Socio-gen:
Call her back and tell her that upon reflection, given that you won’t have personal time and she wishes to see this, that and the other, she’ll have to stay in a hotel.
bluentx:
December 20th, 2012 at 10:57 pm
So many in the Lounge getting sick: Who knew you could be exposed via USB?*
*If this is an old, worn interwebs joke just ignore me. I’ll be the one in the corner with “Easily Amused” ** t-shirt on.Unlike some, I also still chuckle at ‘internets’ being awarded and keyboard/monitor replacement demands. So sue me.
** Ogvorbis’ fashion roundup kilt me! Yeah, I saw what ya did.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 11:01 pm
Ok, so bluentx will be joining Louis as pat of the entertainment comittee of The Commune.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 11:03 pm
Please read ‘pat’ in my above comment in a deep USian southern drawl. It will sound like ‘part’.
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven:
December 20th, 2012 at 11:06 pm
I’ve never quite understood the reasoning behind demanding that people just ignore significant physical discomfort that’s often threatening, in light of experience, to turn into actual pain with one slight wrong move, for the sake of appearances.
bluentx:
December 20th, 2012 at 11:10 pm
Tony:
Well, I do declare. I am ahnud, Suh.
And since you’re sick of soup shall I just send the Nyquil USB Express?
Hope you (all) feel better soon.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 11:24 pm
‘Stand your ground’ goes awry. Again.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 20th, 2012 at 11:27 pm
bluentx:
I read that in Sookie Stackhouse’s voice. Or Rogue by way of Anna Paquin.
Socio-gen, something something...:
December 20th, 2012 at 11:42 pm
I tried. Unfortunately, I turn into a 14-year-old when I have to talk to her, so my sad little attempts to get her to cancel her plans were easily turned aside with “oh, it won’t be any trouble,” “I won’t get in your way at all,” and “I’m perfectly happy waiting for any little bit of time you can bother to give me in these last years of my life.”
*sigh* I’m such a wet noodle.
—
Azkyroth:
It wasn’t so much asking them to ignore it as requesting they not stick their hands down their pants and fiddle around for several minutes in the living room while the relatives were visiting. Excuse yourself, go in another room, do whatever you’ve got to do, and please, wash your hands afterward.
Hekuni Cat, MQG:
December 20th, 2012 at 11:47 pm
Socio-gen – I’m so sorry. *hugs and lots of chocolate* I like Caine’s suggestion.
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:04 am
Well, that wasn’t so much aimed at you specifically, but the problem I’ve had is that getting up, partially excusing yourself, freezing suddenly with a bug-eyed expression, and muttering “OW FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK OW FUCK” while limping sideways into the next room is ALSO considered “not polite.”
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:04 am
Socio-gen:
I thank you for that, most seriously. For whatever reason, an awful lot of men, especially young ones, seem to think it’s perfectly okay to be scratching, handling or fiddling with their genitals in public.
It’s not okay. If you aren’t in a room by yourself, having sex or in a restroom, keep your effing hands off the twig and berries, please. Honestly, I don’t see why this is difficult to grok. If you don’t wank in public, don’t scritch or fiddle in public, either.
(It’s not like women don’t have their moments of itchiness or finding themselves in need of rearranging things. Somehow, you don’t see women all over scritchin’ away.)
Alethea H. "Crocoduck" Kuiper-Belt:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:06 am
Ugh. Hugs to socio-gen. I am glad I was able to be helpful way back when.
Meanwhile, I am delighted that I have no family visiting for Xmas. Except for the sad part where I have no decent family, but would not change even if they visited. I am relieved that the Narcissist Supreme Dweller in Her Own Reality and her off-sider the Golden Child Passive Aggressive Little Ms Snippy Entitlement will not be visiting.
They also do not take no for an answer. If they had decided to visit, then they would. I did manage to shunt them off to a hotel once, for my housewarming, by making the booking for them and driving them over there. They had turned up unannounced and every spare bed in the house was pre-booked.
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:10 am
I don’t think telling people they’re supposed to just be in pain because their doing something about it offends one’s sensibilities is really appropriate for the lounge, frankly.
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:26 am
I didn’t tell anyone any such thing. When I’m in a conversation with a man and he starts fiddling with his penis, it’s a damn sight more than impolite. I do not want my attention brought to his genitals, I don’t want to think about his genitals and how, exactly, is any woman supposed to know just why he started fiddling with them in the middle of a conversation?
This is not about serious medical problems which should be attended to promptly by a qualified person.
Socio-gen, something something...:
December 21st, 2012 at 1:12 am
Caine:
I’m not sure if it’s a sign of the times, fashion styles, or just my campus, but it seems like a lot of young women are quite comfortable readjusting things in public as well. Thankfully, no scratching as yet.
—
Alethea:
I’m sure this little trip is more about her. Not sure what’s spurring it, but I sincerely doubt it’s any desire to spend time with me, even in her “last years” (she’s 62, for pete’s sake!). My bitter inner child suspects she’s realized there are people who don’t know what a terrible disappointment I am and she feels called to rectify this immediately.
Luckily, I’ll get to spend Xmas day hanging out with my lovely atheist cousins, and most of my winter break will consist of curling up on the couch with a pot of tea and reading various books from the TBR pile that I’ve ignored the last few months.
—
Speaking of which, I think I’ll go tuck myself in and do a little reading before bed.
Lofty:
December 21st, 2012 at 1:14 am
Tony et al: sore throats: last year I thought about vitamin C and it’s application to reducing cold symptoms (reputed to have some effect at large doses). So I tried sucking them as lozenges, not swallowing. Let the vitamin enhanced saliva slide past the buggy patch on your throat. Maybe it’s the acidity? Makes your throat taste awful but this is definitely more successful than expensive lozenges. Some nights I go to bed with a sore throat plus a vitC pill tucked in the cheek and wake up OK whereas I used to go down with a full cold for sure.
Cheers all and I hope y’all survive your post-apocalyptic world.
bluentx:
December 21st, 2012 at 1:27 am
It got so quiet in The Lounge I thought: Crap! The apocalypse did happen and TEXAS was spared!!!???
Thank FSM my fears are unfounded.*
Disclaimer: On night shift sometimes entertaining yourself can go to extremes.
rorschach:
December 21st, 2012 at 1:27 am
Oh god, not that nonsense again, and it’s all Linus Pauling’s fault. Debunked.
bluentx:
December 21st, 2012 at 1:39 am
Thanks, rorschach, for the link. Love Quackwatch but hadn’t seen that page. Bookmarked for further analysis.
rorschach:
December 21st, 2012 at 1:48 am
Rainbow trouts can make their own Vitamin C(so can many other animals), and they get sick and get cancer. You’d think if VC had any effect in high doses, that would have been selected for in those animals.
Lofty:
December 21st, 2012 at 1:57 am
Rohrsach: yeah OK , I’ll pay that. I don’t take vitamin C in large doses anyway, just curious why it works better on sore throats than anything else I’ve ever tried. I’m talking of one 250mg pill here.
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 21st, 2012 at 1:58 am
Indeed, all animals except guinea pigs, fruit bats, and certain primates (tarsiers, monkeys and apes ) make their own vitamin C. We’re in the minority that we need to eat it.
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 21st, 2012 at 2:09 am
Vitamin C for colds might be debunked but zinc has some good data for efficacy:
http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD001364/zinc-for-the-common-cold
Sometimes vitamin C comes with zinc and that could be having an effect Lofty.
StevoR, fallible human being:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:12 am
@445.Krasnaya Koshka
Reading this thread. Not an apocalpyse in sight. 6.38 pm local time.
Clear blue sky outside still some time till sunset and not expecting anything.
Of course, I’ve already lived through quote a few “apocalypses” with a couple just this year alone -Harold Camping was this year right?
Lofty:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:20 am
StevoR, I told off the kookaburras and magpies this morning, such levity is inappropriate in a post apocalyptic world.
rorschach:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:21 am
I note that the USA is about to commit economical suicide by political dysfunction shortly. The Republicans have gone on holiday, and the whole economy is about to go over the cliff. Quite astounding to watch.
chigau (違う):
December 21st, 2012 at 2:25 am
I cannot catch-up right now but I hope everyone has weathered the Stupidity Storm.
also
Sean of the Dead is fucking brilliant.
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:31 am
Good morning to those who have thus far survived the End of the World!
Wait, we’re all here? Fewf.
Socio-gen
*hugs*
I have a small idea of how you feel except it’s my dad and it’s not as bad now that I’m older and with kids of my own. But I still feel about 12 when I talk to him, like I have to justify everything and my reasons are always wrong…
self-worth and commenting here
Everyone who said they’re constantly terrified of commenting here due to saying something wrong and being kicked off or being afraid of meeting fellow commenters in real life and hating them – take a drink. No, take three.
I was reading through all those comments and thinking to myself, How odd! We’re all so scared for ourselves and of each other, and yet here we are, confessing to all kinds of things, in company, and discovering many fears to be unfounded… Doesn’t stop anyone from being afraid, I don’t think (at least not right away), but it was an interesting reflection, considering I’m also constantly afraid of saying the wrong thing, and, upon meeting one (or all of you) in real life, either (a) you won’t like me, or (b) I won’t like you. As for Improbable Joe and Ogvorbis, should they ever meet, they can just sit silently and drink beer in one another’s company. You know, like real men (who, come to think of it, probably don’t talk to each other because they’re afraid of not being liked/not liking). Heck, maybe we should all do just that, just in case someone says the wrong thing… No? Excellent. (Some /snark involved in previous comments.)
+++
Dalillama
Returning to your comments about French yesterday. I have a few words about your opinion of quebecois. Now, I admit that I do not know in what context you need a translation of Fiddler’s Green, but honestly it pisses me off, all these people for whom quebecois French is not real French. Those kinds of people exist in real life, too – I’ve met them.
But here’s the thing. The grammar in quebecois is the same as the grammar in other French. Like English has more or less universal accepted rules. When I mentioned quebecois it was in the context of the grammatical phrasing of Le Verger menetrier, not vocabulary, since I’m pretty sure most ‘correct’ vocabulary out there is of the “real” French-French kind. But. Since you got gazon from an old, old dictionary, then you might be interested to know that using quebecois French vocabulary in a historical context is actually more correct.
Because language, you know. The French they speak in Quebec is derivative of the French of the 18th century (or something, and one fairly specific dialect), and as most languages split off from the original, they struggle to maintain some sort of ‘authentic’ feel, like maintaining original vocabulary.
Latvian is a fine example of this linguistic diaspora effect: My Latvian wasn’t ‘real’ Latvian because I used the vocabulary and some sentence structure from pre-war (WWII) Latvia (and the language police is very strict around here; I resist). Latvian-Latvian has become heavily russified through the effects of the occupation – different language rhythm, very different vocabulary (which causes it to be not accepted by American and Canadian Latvians). There are enclaves of Latvians in Russia who speak that Latvian (vocabulary, some syntax) from the 19th century. Now, Latvian is rapidly moving away from russification and steadily into anglicisation (which I, personally, think is terrible, but language). A heavy germanic effect is also still felt. What’s next? Who knows? I just know that, generally speaking, the basic rules of grammar are the same across the board – it’s mainly the vocabulary that’s changing.
What’s the point? The point is lost somewhere in the sentences above, but I feel a bit insulted that you would consider someone knowing quebecois French as knowing an inferior form of French. If you’re worried about vocabulary, go with what you find on the internet, then. But if you want a more rustic feel to the French, I would recommend using quebecois.
Again, I don’t know the context in which you asked about the translation. But I hope you figured it out. :)
bluentx:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:39 am
And then there was 12:02 am Jan. 1.2000. Phone rings.
Me: Water treatment plant…
City Administrator: Everything okay?
Me: (trying not to laugh): Everything’s fine, not a glitch.
I REALLY wanted to day: “Just partyin’ like it’s 1999.” It would’ve been redundant though. He could probably hear the radio in the background. Prince wasn’t finished with the song they started promptly at midnight.
John Morales:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:39 am
rq:
Bear in mind that this is the Lounge; once upon a time, every thread was policed about as much as the Thunderdome now is.
(Many a thing has been written here to which I might have had a… um, snarky response — were it not that the rules preclude it. Some in this very thread)
bluentx:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:49 am
“say”
rorschach:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:52 am
Doesn’t even need drinks. I’ve met quite a few of the commenters over the years. And they were all nice and interesting and great to talk to. Even windy, who has since turned to the dark side.
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:53 am
John Morales
From what I understand, some snark is allowed, but meanness isn’t…?
In any case, hooray for the new rules; I doubt I would be here without them.
bluentx:
December 21st, 2012 at 3:01 am
Good morning rq.
First, thanks for asking ‘The Question’ that prompted Dana’s article.Now I can brush up on my volcano knowledge with one-stop-shopping (well, with links).
No True French Fallacy? Yeah, but have you heard the cries about Louisiana French?! Okay, maybe they have a point: a little Spanish, a little this, a little that…Kinda like a Justin Wilson recipe
Unfortunately, I don’t remember much LF as I haven’t lived there since I was ten.:(
Giliell, professional cynic:
December 21st, 2012 at 3:55 am
Wow, you really seem to be busy posting when I’m really busy preparing for
the ApocalypseChristmas.beatrice
Thankfully I could dump the ironing on my mum in law. It’s an old agreement that comes from the days when Mr. was living in what resembled a dorm for young workers but was already earning about as much as his parents combined. Now, my mum in law kind of likes ironing and, well, we need to support them financially anyway and that way she doesn’t feel like she needs to beg. Win-win all around.
And no, nothing drops off when men iron.
Krasnaya Koshka
We just talked about fathers and children last night. Mr. has taken a few days off before christmas since he has to work between christmas and new years eve, but I still had to work/go to college, so it was his task bringing the kids to kindergarten, picking them up, taking them to ballet and such. And some of the other children in kg told him almost defiantly that their dad will pcik them uo, too!
For them, kindergarten, their friends and later school is such a big part of their lives and how sad if daddy doesn’t give a shit about it.
Well, there’s still many families where mum does it all. Clean clothes arrive magically in the wardrobe, dirty ones disappear over night. I remember once working with a young man at a coffee stand for a charity. It’s not that he didn’t drink coffee, in which case I could have understood, but at one moment he really asked me “coffee is all gone, what do I do now?”
Well, we actually had to explain to #1 several times that while there’s nothing wrong with giving yourself a little rub down there, it’s nothing you should do at kindergarten lunch :)
In general I’d say that it’s something written by adults for other adults to pat themselves on the back…
rq
Wow, you really celebrate name-days? Makes picking a name much harder….
dianne
Kind of the same here. OK, with Mr. gone during the week it was still mostly my business, but I hardly ever changed a diaper at the weekend.
Ogvorbis
Have a good trip!
Socio-Gen
I know that’s easier said than done, but: your apartment, your rules.
Really, nobody who actually cares about the person they’re visiting would impose themselves onto them.
John Morales:
December 21st, 2012 at 4:39 am
Musical interlude: When The Boat Comes In.
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 4:41 am
Giliell
Not so much as celebrate as have a reason to have cake and sweets (which we usually limit). But, since it’s my middle brother and he’s an adult now, I can just congratulate him and get on with my day. ;) I’m just glad he’s in town, it’s strange how much better I feel, even though I know he’ll only be a few days.
bluentx
No, not the No True French fallacy… the ALL-TRUE French. Otherwise, any English with a funny accent wouldn’t be English anymore, and hey, who defines ‘funny accent’? (Australians and Texans, begone!) :) There’s no ‘inferior’ language ([aside] not even Louisiana French – just a completely different historical context of language development; over even more time, it’ll probably separate even more – heck, the whole first Indo-European language is so fragmented now, we’re all speaking different languages!). There’s accepted language and then there’s dialects, which are sometimes looked down on because they sound ‘funny’, but they often hold very interesting kernels of history and can shine a light on what the older, common language, may have looked like.
(No, I don’t actually know a lot about this stuff; I’ve just done a bit of reading, a couple of second-year linguistics courses and drawn some conclusions from personal experience. For all I know, I’m dead wrong about everything!)
Yeah, I hang out at ETEV a lot. When PZ writes about crazy shit happening in the world or when I read too much Ophelia Benson, I go there and read about volcanos and geology to calm down. Or I come here.
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 4:51 am
Musical interlude: I’se the By, with lyrics. (Welcome to Newfoundland!)
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 21st, 2012 at 5:19 am
From memory:
I’se the By that builds the boats
And I’se the by that sails ‘em
I’s the by that catches the fish
And brings them home to Lizza.
Sigh. Are you trying to make me homesick* rq?
*Strange for a west coast boy but there it ’tis.
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 5:26 am
FossilFishy
No, not on purpose… Do you know any west-coast songs? I only know a few east-coasters. I’m feeling a bit homesick, actually, that may be why I’m so quick to jump on the Canadian/Quebecois* French thing and the Newfie songs. *sigh*
And he brings them home to Lizer (I assume, Eliza?).
*not the same thing!
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 5:27 am
*Dah, I meant Canadian French and Quebecois French are not necessarily the same thing! (Kind of the sparrows-birds; birds-sparrows idea. Unless you’re a die-hard Quebec Separatist. :) )
carlie:
December 21st, 2012 at 5:45 am
Got up, got child up, child still sick, let child stay home, child goes downstairs to sleep, cat decides to be on stairs right then, trips child, child falls the rest of the way down to the landing.
*sigh*
Child now on couch with icepacks and ibuprofen. I hope today does not continue in this vein.
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 21st, 2012 at 5:46 am
I’m ashamed to admit I don’t know any traditional west coast songs. But that’s no real surprise, the west coast’s caucasian history is pretty brief compared to the east.
But I’ll give you a pseudo-traditional west coast song. I too grew up on the North Shore and I drank in all the pubs mention, bar one that had closed by the time I appeared old enough to be drinking.
The Crawl by Spirit of the West.
bluentx:
December 21st, 2012 at 5:49 am
‘Texans, begone !” :
Well, thankfullyI’m not one-I just live here. It’s a very snooty club: “If you wern’t born here you cain’t be a REAL Texan!” Uh, Okay.I’m not much into arrogance anyway, thanks.
My parents made me move here (at 10), family obligations kept me here (my siblings- all REAL Texans, by the way, moved out of state) I stayed to help my parents in their elder years.Now I’m just too tired (and broke) to move. Except, of course, to The Commune when logistics are ironed out. (Worked the ironing theme in finally!)
Note to all: Expect mistakes above.On my laptop now, and it seems to have a mind of it’s own-especially with punctuation. Apologies,
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 21st, 2012 at 5:53 am
Oh dear carlie. Here’s hoping things get better from here.
bluentx:
December 21st, 2012 at 5:54 am
Carlie:
Yikes hope child is okay after cat-tastrophe!
bluentx:
December 21st, 2012 at 5:58 am
I’s The B’y: The Newfoundland-Zydeco connection!
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 5:59 am
carlie :( I hope things improve! Damn those cats, sometimes… I hope child feels ok/better soon!!
FossilFishy
Unfortunately, the song for which I know Spirit of the West is this one. (I think you can guess.)
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 5:59 am
bluentx
But I bet you speak funny English, since you’re from the States and all. ;)
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 21st, 2012 at 6:08 am
bluentx, my in-laws live on a farm in rural Australia. One day my mother-in-law mentions “the locals”. “How long have you lived here?” I ask.
“Twenty five years.”
“Uhm, aren’t you a local by now?”
“Never. There isn’t a lane around here with our family name.”
carlie:
December 21st, 2012 at 6:08 am
Thanks everyone – he’s back in bed now. We’re both glad he pitched forward instead of sideways – it’s a split stair, and we’ve not had a handrail on it since we moved in, so he could have gone over the side edge to the lower set. We keep meaning to get one put in, but the cost of having someone make and install a wood rail is more than we’ve had available to do so at any given time. I’m not even sure if it’s contractors or woodworkers who do that sort of thing. Our last cat was smart enough to know not to sit on the stairs. This one is a little more oblivious.
bluentx:
December 21st, 2012 at 6:12 am
I’ve been told (really) I CAN’T be from Louisiana or Texas because I don’t talk funny enough.
I’m just a nonconformist! Anarchy! Yep, that’s me.
AshPlant:
December 21st, 2012 at 6:20 am
Morning Hordies! Unsurprisingly, I woke up to find that:
That was a failure.
I’m making a note here: HUGE SURPRISE!!!1!!.
It’s hard to overstate my underwhelmence.
Apocalypses
They’re always a bust
Mayan or Christian.
To the shock of none of us.
Except the ones who are thick.
But there’s no sense crying over every mistake.
You just make an excuse and “work out” the *right* date.
And your Science gets done.
No, I just said that for fun
And for the people who are still alive.
I’m not even angry.
I’m being so sincere right now.
It was good, you made me laugh.
Near-killed me.
We tore you to pieces.
And turned every piece into a meme.
If you really believed then I am just so sorry for you!
Now these myriad end-dates make a beautiful line.
And we missed our fate and
We still seem to have time.
And the Earth didn’t burn
Nibiru did not return
And the people are all still alive.
Go on, let us mock you.
I’m sure you prefer to feel sincere.
Maybe you’ll make numerology work for you.
Maybe the next time.
THAT WAS A JOKE.
HAHA. FAT CHANCE.
Anyway, this life is great.
It’s so delicious and moist.
Look at me still talking
when I don’t even know you.
When I think about it, it makes me GLaD that’s not true.
I’d have to up and run.
If I knew someone that dumb.
Someone surprised they are still alive.
But we all knew we’d be still alive.
I checked; the science said I’m still alive.
I feel FANTASTIC and I’m still alive.
While you’re crying I’ll go for a walk
And come back to check on your blustery talk
Because I’m still alive
Still alive
Still alive.
ImaginesABeach:
December 21st, 2012 at 6:20 am
Someone asked about the advice to child including “here’s the washing machine” – There are lots of people who are surprised when I mention it is BoyChild’s turn to do the laundry and GirlChild’s turn to clean the kitchen (or vice versa). BoyChild is 11, GirlChild is 13, and apparently people don’t think that kids that age should know how to do these chores. I just tell them that when I send my kids out into the Real World, they are, by golly, going to know how to take care of themselves. They also vacuum, sweep, etc.
carlie:
December 21st, 2012 at 6:22 am
Oh, happy solstice to all!
Here’s a natgeo article on how Mayans really deal with today.
(hint: it’s a new year’s party)
ImaginesABeach – yes to you! I had to learn everything and quickly once I moved out, and i’m determined my kids will at least have that under their belts so that basic home/self care isn’t one of their stressors when they set out on their own.
bluentx:
December 21st, 2012 at 6:24 am
FossilFishy:
Uh-huh. My parents lived in this town 27 years (Mom) and 31 years (Dad). Always said they felt like outsiders,
I moved back to help Dad after Mom died.
Had a conversation with one of the ‘prominent citizens’ my parents always complained about. She wasn’t born here either (married in). She said almost the exact same words I always heard from my parents: “I’ve never felt accepted here.”
Kinda stunned me.
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 21st, 2012 at 6:28 am
Stairs be trixy beasts at the best of times carlie. Add an ambulatory foot stool and you’re just asking for trouble.
A curved stair featured prominently on one of the more difficult moments in my relationship with Mrs. Fishy. I had crashed my bike and broken my arm quite badly. It required surgery to fix. A couple of days after being bolted back together I’m coming down the stairs, fatigued from lack of sleep, constant pain and the lingering effects of the anaesthetic to the point of being stupefied. I slipped. I slide the rest of the way down the stairs on my ass, broken arm waving over my head as I struggled to keep from ripping stitches or bending the newly installed plate. As I’m laying at the bottom, sobbing in despair and fear because I can’t imagine taking any more of this, and knowing that I have no choice, Mrs. Fishy comes over and yells at me for scaring her.
Today it’s an amusing piece of family history, at the time it was….not.
Giliell, professional cynic:
December 21st, 2012 at 6:33 am
HI there
carlie
Oh no, I’m sorry for your son. Hope he didn’t hurt himself too badly.
kids and chores
This morning the kids helped to unload the dishwasher. They regularly help cooking and I leave #1′s clean underwear and PJ’s on the bed and expect them to be moved into appropriate drawers.
bluentx:
December 21st, 2012 at 6:38 am
ImaginesABeach:
“…when I send my kids out into the Real World, they are, by golly, going to know how to take care of themselves.”
R’men! and good for you!
I flailed around for so long (still doing it :finances,etc.) because “girls didn’t need to know THAT” or my brother: “his wife will do that”. Aaargh! My parents were very old school. Bless (so to speak) parents like you!
carlie:
December 21st, 2012 at 6:42 am
Oh, fossilfishy, I’m so sorry to hear! I did a head-over-footer last year down a whole flight of stairs at my parents’ house without a broken arm, and it hurt like hell for a couple of weeks. It was about 4:30 am in the dark, and as I was lying in the crumpled heap at the bottom the first thing I did was say “I’m ok!” like I was some sort of stuntwoman genius. My mom (who was the only one to wake up to the crash and come see if I was ok, btw) then said that she’d had nightmares of me falling down those stairs, even though I didn’t live there. This is how clumsy I am, first that my mom’s subconscious would insert me having an accident on her stairs even though I’m there a max. of about 7 days a year … and then that I would follow through and actually do it.
carlie:
December 21st, 2012 at 6:43 am
Hm, maybe that’s the trick. We leave ours on the kids’ chair, and somehow they then move straight onto the children without ever touching the dresser or closet.
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 6:45 am
ImaginesABeach
Yes to that. I can’t imagine them not knowing such practical, useful things, and yet be expected to survive in the world without their mother – oh wait, I’m supposed to be on call for life…
But they already love to vaccuum (not very well, but they like it), and they like to help with cooking, and also to dishes. I have a great photo of eldest at about a year and a half doing the dishes with Husband. Middle boy helps with the laundry – sort it and carry it and put it in, and then add appropriate powders.
Giliell
Yeah, I’ve started with the udnerwear and pyjamas too, since those seem easiest to sort. And I haven’t had any problems yet! (Also putting their own dirty laundry in the hamper or finding their own clean clothes – saves me the trouble of fetching 5 or 10 shirts for middle child because they don’t adhere to his sense of fashion.)
bluentx
Just for future reference, the phrase ‘Bless your heart’ around here seems to have a fairly negative connotation. ;) As in, lots and lots of sarcasm and snark.
FossilFishy
I know it wasn’t funny at the time, but I had a laugh about that story. Poor you, and poor Mrs Fishy… I suppose it’s the same reason why parents yell at children who have wandered off and been found again. I hope the arm healed well!
bluentx:
December 21st, 2012 at 6:45 am
Annnd:
Tomorrow’s (today, now) another day.(Neener-Neener doomsdayers!)
So better get some zzzz’s.
G’night and G’mornin’…
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 6:46 am
carlie
Perhaps if children’s clothing is in permanent rotation, you can just dispense of shelves and drawers… Save space, no? :)
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 6:48 am
Good night, bluentx!
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 21st, 2012 at 6:49 am
A couple of days ago the Small Fry volunteered to take the small indoor recycling bin out to the big outdoor one. Mrs Fishy was understandably chuffed and said “Thank you so much, that’s very helpful.” and basked in the glow of a parenting coup.
Seconds later SF comes charging back in holding a fist full of her kinder paintings that Mrs. Fishy and put in the recycling.
“MOMMMM! How would you feel if I threw out your things!?”
Really, there’s no coming back from that without being a hypocrite. Ah well, on the upside she’s internalised the arguments from compassion that we’ve been using on her to the point where she can use them appropriately. :)
bluentx:
December 21st, 2012 at 6:55 am
One more:
rq:
I know: ergo the “so to speak”.
Must find that explaination of what “Bless your heart” really means in the ‘Merican south–but later.
Now really: G & G…
FossilFishy (Νεοπτόλεμος's spellchecker):
December 21st, 2012 at 7:03 am
Thanks carlie and rq. I’m okay now, the surgery was a complete success and my relationship survived too.
Come to think of it I have a really bad history with stairs.
My band used to play this tiny club that was atop two flights of stairs. After the gig I was carrying my amp down the stairs to the van and I caught my heal on the edge of the middle landing. This amp was a beast. It weighed around 40kg (90lbs). I didn’t go over right away. I teetered on the edge for a couple of seconds struggling to keep upright. By the time I gave up and let the amp go it was too late for me.
I have this really clear memory of the amp hitting a step, bouncing into the air as the top split off spraying vacuum tubes all over the place. The next thing I knew I was laying in the wreckage at the bottom of the stairs with a band mate standing over me. He looks down and says “I guess the first question is are you okay?’
You guess, you GUESS!? It was at that moment I knew that this band would never make it. Not with me in it anyway. Because if I had to spend any more time in a van with him than it took to get across town there was going to be a murder.
You know, I’m really glad that the new house is only going to have one story.
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 7:13 am
I have never fallen down stairs. I once came close to it, though, while carrying a stroller (with child in it). Only 6 steps, but concrete. :/
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 7:50 am
Anyone here heard of earthing?
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 7:57 am
For reference, here and here. Is this a new form of woo?
(I do like walking around barefoot… But… Really? Heal diseases? All of you with flu, out in the snow, bare feet, now!)
By the way. A bunch of you came down with the flu via USB following the return of blf and the mildly deranged penguin. Coincidence?
Or a failure to nuke from space?
Giliell, professional cynic:
December 21st, 2012 at 8:04 am
carlie
*mumble*
That’s mostly what happens with mystuff.
Part of my chronical problem of space in the wardrobe is my refusal to throw out the nice stuff in size 12…
stairs
Most prominent fall was when I was pregnant with #1. I threw everything away and managed to break the fall with my hands before my butt hit the stairs.
Matt Penfold:
December 21st, 2012 at 8:21 am
In what context ?
There is earthing is respect of electrical circuits, and of lightning. There is also some woo stuff to do with walking around barefoot.
Matt Penfold:
December 21st, 2012 at 8:23 am
Missed your follow up comment when I replied earlier. I have heard of it, but not sure how new it is. I suspect like many things Woo is has been around a while but is now fashionable amongst the credulous and gullible.
birgerjohansson:
December 21st, 2012 at 8:45 am
“Origin of life emerged from cell membrane bioenergetics” http://phys.org/news/2012-12-life-emerged-cell-membrane-bioenergetics.html
Hmm… anyone here interested in commenting?
Ogvorbis: useless:
December 21st, 2012 at 9:10 am
Holy shit. I just discovered something scary. J. Vacula is ‘local’ to me. An article from WNEP16 News:
And, of course, the comments are something to behold. http://wnep.com/2012/12/20/man-cuts-down-banner-protesting-religious-decorations/
Improbable Joe:
December 21st, 2012 at 9:22 am
I always wake up with just enough time to catch the tail-end of a conversation… drat.
You know how I knew Virginia was cursed for me? I fell down the back porch stairs the first week I was there, walking the dog. There were wet fallen leaves and it was dark, and I slipped and my hip hit the top step and then I slid down the stairs with the dog dragging me the whole time. I had a bruise the size of a basketball running up my lower back and down my asscheek, and I still have a divot in my hip a year later.
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 21st, 2012 at 10:00 am
Just got up, and the Lounge was jumping last night, it looks like.
rq
This is true, but substantially meaningless. All French dialects spoken outside of France are derivative of 18th Century French, and more particularly of certain dialects thereof, but none are substantially closer to it than ‘standard’ French (Quebecois is also not substantially farther from it either, although some other modern dialects of French are, as they’ve had significantly more mixing with local languages).
Not inferior, just anachronistic. The context I was looking for is for a game that I’m running set in the 16th century; some Quebecois vocabulary is novel to that dialect, and it would not even have begun to exist in the time I’m looking for, so I’m trying to avoid it.
re: Earthing. It’s not that new, it’s been around a few decades at least.
Musical interlude: for Fossilfishy Hogeye Man (hogeyes were, among other things, barges making a run to San Francisco).
Back to Newfoundland, because I really like Silly Wizard: The Ferryland Sealer
carlie
Sympathies for child.
re:chores
When I was younger, us kids took turns washing dishes, although we didn’t have to do our own laundry until our teens. When we complained about it, we were told that when one of us made dinner, then mom and dad would do them. And when we did, they did, too.
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 21st, 2012 at 10:10 am
I’ve found some quite good French Shanties too, but no one seems to have preserved the Spanish language traditions, nor can I find any Dutch or Portuguese ones.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 10:19 am
Thanks, Dalillama, Socio-gen, et al for the commiseration. Another of the reasons I love it here.
Tony, I’m a pastry fiend, you might need a new threat!! But really, thank you for the reassurance to my whining : )
Socio-gen: Usmas was good, except it was interrupted by a pointless fire call. A semi driver thought his truck was going to tip over where he parked it in the scales. It wasn’t. We went, we looked, confirmed it wasn’t going to move, confirmed there was nothing we could do to right it, and went home.
Ugh, that sounds so familiar. So hard to stand up for yourself when your polite efforts at setting boundaries are being ignored.
carlie
Oh man, injury on top of illness, no fun : (
-=====-
Stairs: I fell down the stairs at SO’s a full year ago this week, come to think of it. My coccyx still hurts me if I sit wrong.
-=====-
Do y’all wanna know what the end of the world sounds like to a rural, undermanned fire department? It’s what I woke up to this morning:
“[redacted] County calling [redacted] Fire Department, you have two calls.”
Yeesh, thanks for that, county.
Everyone is ok at the end, I think . We managed to cut a sweet old lady out of an SUV with the jaws of life and before they put her on the backboard she said to me:
“That door was tough, huh?” I said “Yeah it was a lil stubborn” and she says “That’s what we call Ford Tough”
-====-
I drove an officer’s personal vehicle back to the station because he drove the ambulance to the hospital. He just called to scold me for not leaving his keys in the right place. I should have said “Hey, you’re welcome for taking your truck back.”
Janine: Hallucinating Liar:
December 21st, 2012 at 10:19 am
Guess who?
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 21st, 2012 at 10:20 am
Lofty:
T likes to take Vitamin C supplements when she feels sick. The last time she did so, I decided to check if that was effective for treating colds. Both Cochrane.org and WebMD state that there is little benefit to taking Vitamin C for the prevention of colds. There appears to be some debate over how effective it is at alleviating symptoms of the common cold, but no conclusive evidence has been found.
Vitamin C may work to shorten the duration of the common cold if you are an extremely active athlete. T is a distance bicyclist and personal trainer, so she may indeed see benefits. Me, for all that I work out…I am not certain how effective it would be.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 21st, 2012 at 10:33 am
carlie:
So glad your son is ok.
****
Ogvorbis:
Justin fucking Vacula is in your area? Remember rq’s advice earlier? Take a drink or three. There is a desert island with his name on it. Thats where he belongs.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 21st, 2012 at 10:38 am
I am happy that so many parents are raising self sufficient children. I am so happy my parents taught my sister and I how to iron, wash n dry clothes, clean, cook, etc. These skills have been tremendously beneficial.
Janine: Hallucinating Liar:
December 21st, 2012 at 10:40 am
I hate, hate, hate Wayne LaPierre.
dianne:
December 21st, 2012 at 10:43 am
Justin fucking Vacula is in your area?
So the world IS ending after all.
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 21st, 2012 at 10:45 am
Thank you, Janine for the clarification. I honestly cannot tell these dipshits apart; that quote could have been anybody from the pope to the aga khan, so guessing would have been just that.
Janine: Hallucinating Liar:
December 21st, 2012 at 10:49 am
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
I fucking hate my species.
Janine: Hallucinating Liar:
December 21st, 2012 at 10:54 am
The simple fact that people have been buying more assault weapons and there has been a an up tick in the joining the NRA gives me more reasons to hate my species.
These fools are allowing their own fears to make them support the very people who helped to create the assault weapons saturated society we live in.
Fucking street gang made semi-respectable.
Improbable Joe:
December 21st, 2012 at 10:58 am
“The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun”
… even if you grant that it is a reasonable thought, it isn’t even true. Usually what stops a bad guy with a gun is the bad guy shooting himself. What’s worse is that it isn’t reasonable, because maybe what we need to worry about is preventing the bad guy from getting the gun in the first place? That’s like saying “the only thing that stops you from dying when you fall off a skyscraper is a parachute”… might even be true, but shouldn’t we prevent people from falling off skyscrapers, rather than looking for a solution to a preventable problem?
carlie:
December 21st, 2012 at 10:58 am
There was an interesting conversation I had with a couple of other women my age awhile ago wherein we all learned that, although we were raised in entirely different cultures and parts of the globe, we had all learned how to iron from our mothers by first learning how to iron our dad’s/grandpa’s handkerchiefs. All partriarchy overtones/undertones/giant capital letters of context aside, it was a weird little bonding moment. :D
Improbable Joe:
December 21st, 2012 at 10:59 am
Or, more to the point: when a family is killed by a drunk driver, we GO AFTER DRUNK DRIVERS! We don’t advocate that everyone else wear helmets when they drive.
Socio-gen, something something...:
December 21st, 2012 at 11:00 am
Good-ish morning! I’m trying to talk myself into bundling up and going to the store. You know it’s cold outside when you find yourself actually attempting to calculate how much toilet paper is left on the roll because you don’t want to go out for more.
— —
bluentx:
That would be like a reverse-Apocalypse with a toe-loop…or something.
—
chigau:
Oooh…haven’t watched that in a long time. *wonders if Netflix has it* Nope. DVD only. Bugger.
—
rq:
Thanks. Unfortunately, with my mother, getting older and having kids just gave her more things to tell me I was doing wrong.
I’m working on a plan, however. Either I’m going to be offered a marvelous short-term study opportunity in another state, or I’m going to make my FWB move in with me, because I know she won’t stay here if she thinks I’m “living in sin.”
—
Giliell:
And, in the US, the cult of true motherhood is raging. “Real mothers” must do simply everything for their precious spawn, devoting their entire existence to housekeeping and child-wrangling. And you’re a terrible, selfish human being if you do otherwise.
True. Unfortunately, my mother is a bulldozer…and I’m a daisy.
—
carlie:
Ouch! Hope child feels better, in all ways, soon!
—
FossilFishy:
In my part of Pennsylvania, you aren’t considered local unless you’re a second- or third-generation resident — and family connections are the primary topic when meeting strangers. My cousin’s wife moved there when she was a toddler. They just had their first grandchild, and when my aunt introduced her to a long-lost friend who’d come to the baby shower, she said the wife was “the daughter of those city folks who moved into the Barnes house.” That was 50 years ago.
—
ImaginesABeach:
Mine were all doing their own laundry and rotating the day-to-day chores by age 14 or so. (Partly because I wanted them to be self-sufficient as adults, partly because I didn’t want to be stuck doing all the work.)
—
Ogvorbis:
Yeah. Vacula’s the reason I never bothered looking into the NEPA Freethought group, even if it hadn’t been two hours away.
I didn’t even bother reading the comments. Same ol’ redneck stuff: “God great. Atheists evil. Liberals icky!”
—
Portia:
Nothing quite wakes you up like tones going off. (Er, assuming your county uses pagers.) Love your patient’s response!
My brother mentioned on FB that their county comm center did this morning’s announcements/tower test with REM playing in the background.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 11:12 am
Yup, nice loud pager tones, great way to start the day : )
Ha, REM, nice!
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 21st, 2012 at 11:15 am
Janine @701:
Stop the presses.
The alpacalypse HAS arrived.
The comments at your link are *gasp* …reasonable. Quite a few of them.
dianne:
December 21st, 2012 at 11:15 am
I wrote a more detailed version of this in the Thunderdome because I was worried that it was inappropriate for the lounge, but since the issue has come up…
Want armed guards in the schools? Fine, let’s have them. But we need competent armed guards. And competent armed guards are gonna cost. Furthermore, since the armed guards are an acknowledgement that the schools are dangerous, the teachers will need hazard pay. That means more cost. Where’s the money coming from? The 1%. Increase taxes on those making $250K or more as needed to pay for the armed guards and the teachers’ pay increases. If there are no people with the appropriate income in the school district, appropriate it from other districts or nationally as needed.
The one thing that scares conservatives more than the idea that they might be separated from their distorted phallic symbols is the idea that they might be separated from their unearned money. Threaten that and they’ll throw the poorer redneck arm of the party under the bus.
Janine: Hallucinating Liar:
December 21st, 2012 at 11:23 am
Tony, I linked to Boing Boing. It is not like I linked to the Free Republic or NRO.
Go there. I dare you.
opposablethumbs:
December 21st, 2012 at 11:23 am
Commiserations to Carlie’s kid, that sounded pretty frightening. Glad xe’s ok, though.
I’m a bit ‘rupt; just wanted to say hi and also yay for nobody being alpacalypsed; hugs to all who need hugs and would accept one of mine.
I’ve got a lousy head cold and work to do, so I’m feeling a bit sorry for myself. I totally have that “why write about that who could possibly be interested???” thing going on too; like everyone else, I know that this does not really apply to others but does apply to me.
Gregory Greenwood:
December 21st, 2012 at 11:25 am
I don’t know whether or not everyone is already aware opf this, but Pope Palpatine is at it again. This time, he is having a go at the legalisation of gay marriage and slipping in a little vile transphobia while he is at it. Here is the particular paragraph where he spews his papal bigotry;
‘True’ gender identity is imposed by his psychotic god now? That is certainly news to me…
One of the most frightening parts to my mind is the passage where he states;
(Emphasis added)
Here he describes homosexuality and the existence transexual people as the social equivalent of environmental degradation caused by pollution and other related factors. That sounds worryingly close to an outright declaration of an eliminationist position – if one reduces harmful ‘manipulation of nature’ with regard to the environment by reducing or removing pollution caused by irresponsible industry, then how should one tackle the supposedly harmful ‘manipulation of nature’* with regard to gender and gender identity caused by this notional denial of ‘ordained’ gender identity handed down by the sky fairy, if the analogy is to hold?
He is not quite advocating ‘re-education camps’, but he is not exactly a million miles away from such a position either.
———————————————————————————————————————-
* Warning – major naturalistic fallacy alert.
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 21st, 2012 at 11:30 am
Gregory:
Seriously dude…I just ate!
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 21st, 2012 at 11:33 am
Oh, hey, so that was the pope that Janine quoted earlier. Like I said, it all runs together in my head. After a few sentences of that kind of dribble the linguistic processors in my brain shut down in self defence and it becomes a wall of meaningless chicken scratchings.
Janine: Hallucinating Liar:
December 21st, 2012 at 11:35 am
What about those whose “true” gender identity is intersexed?
Oh, right, they do not really exist. “Male” and “Female” are two separate categories and never shall they be mixed, except in order to breed.
Janine: Hallucinating Liar:
December 21st, 2012 at 11:38 am
Dalillama, you could not feel the moral authority just flowing from those words.
Why do you think that even non catholics takes him seriously as a moral arbitrator?
(It is a good thing that you cannot hear my suppressed laughter.)
cicely (Chock-full of Nuts!):
December 21st, 2012 at 11:39 am
I had no idea we were siblings!
-
Dalillama: Doesn’t count unless it’s Ogvorbis doing it. :)
-
Yeah. Who’d've thought that something like that would ever happen?
</sarcasm>
-
Of course she knows where all the buttons are. After all, she installed them.
-
Wait…what? Is this meant to be a snark-free environment? I don’ wanna go!
-
carlie, I hope the rest of your day will be free of further cat-astrophe.
-
I would be interested in reading a conversation about it…but am not qualified to comment.
-
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 11:47 am
I can’t recall where I’ve read this before, but every time, it’s like an epiphany.
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 11:59 am
Dalillama
I think menetrier in that case works because if it’s older than the separation, it’ll be correct.
Also, according to etymonline, the word violin is from 1570, yet the word it’s derived from – viola – is from the 1700s… Does that mean it only refers to what we understand to be a viola from that time period, or did the word come into being in that time? I was trying to look into the word violoneux, because it sounds a bit too clumsy for me. Also, menetrier has that informal, quasi-rustic, commoner feel to it, same as fiddler.
Also, I wrote this morning’s reply not quite feeling myself, so if I came across as argumentative, I apologize. I tend to react a bit sharply to someone looking down on a language (or just sounding like it, as the case may be :P) because I still deal with it quite a bit in day-to-day life (or at least on those days when I have to deal with people outside of the direct family circle).
And yes, anachronistic is a good word for quebecois.
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Portia
I know what you mean…
Janine: Hallucinating Liar:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:03 pm
Sick irony.
gunman killed 5 in PA while NRA press conference was happening in DC
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:03 pm
Socio-gen
Live in sin! Live in sin!!! That way she’s much more likely to look into the hotel deal… Right? She won’t come stay with you to teach you the error of your ways…? *hugs*
Parents. Sometimes, having kids of your own drives them away, sometimes it pulls them closer… I’m glad mine went the way they went. I still keep expecting the (I believe inevitable) When will you teach them about god and jesus? questions. I fear the day.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:05 pm
rq
Thankfully, my mom has gotten much better over the years, compared to my adolescence. She really tries to avoid guilt tripping me or pressuring me or inconveniencing me in any way. My sister forgot her birthday last year, and her friend asked if it made her feel bad. She said it would only have made her feel bad if my sister had felt bad for forgetting. And she wasn’t even doing a martyr act.
…but still, when we do have a brief tiff, yeah…buttons…
Janine: Hallucinating Liar:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:06 pm
Actually, it seems that the gunman murder three people before he was killed. Three troopers were injured.
Watch as we exploit this news.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:06 pm
Oh, yes, I forgot to cast my vote for living in sin, Socio-gen. :D That’s a great plan. And since you and FWB were outed by his knowing where your tools are (IIRC?) there’s no reason not to.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:07 pm
Holy shit, Janine, that’s scary. The NRA will doubtless miss the irony. No wake-up call is loud enough for those jackwads.
Janine: Hallucinating Liar:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Portia, the solution is simple. We need armed volunteers on every corner. Because only a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Oh right! *smacks forehead* how silly of me! Moar instruments of terror, destruction and death will necessarily result in less terror, destruction and death! Derp!
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:17 pm
Who gives a fuck about an Oxford Comma?
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:20 pm
To cheer us up:
http://textfromdog.tumblr.com
(Slight warning for used of gendered language, aimed at a male dog).
Socio-gen, something something...:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:22 pm
cicely:
That actually makes me feel so much better! It’s not that I’m a wet noodle, it’s that I’ve been conditioned.
—
Portia
Same here.
—
Janine:
How sad is it that I’m not even shocked? Fuck the fucking NRA.
—
rq:
I think that’s the option I’ll go with, because (and, I admit, it’s childish), it’ll drive her up the wall.
It would be pretend, since he and I are quite happy maintaining separate homes and hanging out as our schedules allow, but my mother won’t know that unless she actually visits. And, if she still comes out, even knowing she’ll be in a hotel and putting up with my not-even-hidden sex life…. I can make it worth his while to never, ever leave me alone with her. :)
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:24 pm
bhahahahaha I love the plan, Socio-gen! So diabolical, so effective.
Socio-gen, something something...:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:27 pm
Portia:
Actually that was a different FWB from a few years ago, but the mere idea that I might (still) be having sex without even considering marriage? That never stops pissing her off.
Socio-gen, something something...:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:39 pm
Welp… it’s almost 1pm and as warm as it’s going to get for today (feels like +6 F…yay.) Time to pile on the layers and head to the store.
Have a great afternoon [or time of day where you are]!
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:43 pm
Take care, Socio-gen. I’m working up my gumption to do the same thing. It’s not quite as cold here several hours south but it is icy as heck
Beatrice:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:46 pm
Almost 20h here and no apocalypse. I’m starting to think it won’t happen at all.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:47 pm
Beatrice,
Your lack of faith is disturbing.
Beatrice:
December 21st, 2012 at 12:52 pm
Portia,
I’m sorry. I’m going to pray to
GodZeusTpyosGoddessCthulhusomeone in repentance.Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 21st, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Beatrice:
You may also pray to the Holy Shoop.
Improbable Joe:
December 21st, 2012 at 1:56 pm
Hey folks,
Today is the big day… I finally get my furniture and personal belongings out of storage! The truck should be here in the next 2-3 hours, and I have until after Xmas to unpack it all. Yay!
chigau (違う):
December 21st, 2012 at 2:04 pm
It was over almost 9 hours ago.
:( :( :(
link
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Vile Human Being:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:04 pm
Hi, horde,
My friend Gina, who does various kinds of illustration (including scientific), has an Etsy-type shop now. Check out dat octopus!
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:06 pm
Super duper pouncehug on Ms. Daisy!!!!!
chigau (違う):
December 21st, 2012 at 2:07 pm
Improbable Joe
yay furniture!
Caine, Fleur du mal:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:14 pm
Daisy! *hugses and love*
Beatrice:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:16 pm
Tony,
I’m not going to be Holly Shoop’s shoople!
—-
Ms Daisy Cutter,
Hello! Nice to read you again.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:16 pm
Yay for Joe!
Hello Ms Daisy Cutter!
Improbable Joe:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:17 pm
Hey Daisy!
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Vile Human Being:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:17 pm
<3 to y'all.
Beatrice:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:17 pm
Ignore that extra “l” up there.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:18 pm
Gina’s work is very neat. I like it.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Cleaning my room, I found sewing needles and lost a knitting needle. Sigh.
Beatrice:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:22 pm
Ms Daisy Cuter,
Please say hello to Happiestsadist, I haven’t seen them around in a while.
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:26 pm
Tony, are you trolling for worship? :P
Beatrice
I’m having some doubts, too. Probably have to wait until the next day rolls around for everyone on earth, then we can watch it all come to an end.
Improbable Joe
Excellent news on the furniture!
rq:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:27 pm
Portia
It’s a sign. From the spirits. Take up sewing and drop the knitting.
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:28 pm
Ha, I’m practicing both, expanding my skill sets.
Improbable Joe:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:31 pm
Does anyone else have any artist friends/family that they want to pimp? I’m looking to buy some art for the new house…
Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:33 pm
*cough* I paint *cough*
So does my mom. She does portraits from photographs, in pastel. She does really lovely work, and her commissions are pretty reasonable.
Gregory Greenwood:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:33 pm
Tony ∞The Queer Shoop∞ @ 713;
Sorry about that. Pope Palpatine is enough to put anyone off their food.
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Dalillama, Schmott Guy @ 714;
If only more people felt the same way. Sadly, millions around the world hang on every pronouncement of the nasty old bigot with baited breath.
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Janine: Hallucinating Liar @ 715;
If he acknowledges the existence of intersexed people at all, he probablyviews them as suffering under a curse from his nasty, sociopathic sky fairy some some imagined infraction or other.
Afterall, as the bible and assorted fundies so often imply, ‘Ole Yahweh does so love to combine his passion for grossly unethical collective punishment with truly awful aim…
And @ 716;
It is simply terrifying that anyone considers this toxic old goat to be a moral authority on any topic, still less notional ‘sexual morality’, given the history (and in particular the recent history) of the Catholic Church and his own personal role in covering up the epidemic of priestly child abuse.
Improbable Joe:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:36 pm
This is another point where I should mention that I literally wouldn’t be here without you folks. You provided emotional, strategic, and financial help when it looked like my whole world was going to fall apart, and I’m always going to be grateful for that.
Improbable Joe:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Not you Portia, I don’t need any paintings of hot red German sports cars. :)
cicely (Chock-full of Nuts!):
December 21st, 2012 at 2:41 pm
I has new boots! Yay!
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Huh. And here I thought I was being original. Deep, even.
*sigh*
Back to the shallow end of the pool I go….
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Socio-gen, I approve of The Plan. It could buy you less visit-related stress in the future, too.
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Huzzah!
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*waving at Ms.Daisy*
Hihowareya!
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Portia, sporty and glam, pelted with pastries:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Joe: That was a real LOL :)
cicely, aw, sorry. I’ll splash around in the shallow end with you if you like.
Nick Gotts (formerly KG):
December 21st, 2012 at 2:53 pm
cicely@717,
Nick Lane, one of the authors of the paper, is an excellent popularizer, and at least some of the ideas on the origin of life the paper apparently contains are explored in his Life Ascending. To me, it looks like the best idea yet for how abiogenesis occurred – not that I know squit about the biochemistry, but it embodies the general idea that life’s emergence depended on the prior existence of multi-scale complex structures and energy flows – in marked contrast to the “primeval soup” notion.
Gregory Greenwood:
December 21st, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Janine: Hallucinating Liar @ 701;
When I heard about that NRA nitwit making this spectcaularly stupid claim earlier today, I sat there feeling depressed, wishing that such callous idiocy still actually surprised me.
His whining about the supposed ‘demonisation’ of gun owners became even more ironic given the fact that he went on to attempt to put the blame for the massacre on the media and gun control lobby being complicit in such gun massacres by preventing the imagined ‘good guy with a gun’ from going all Die Hard and supposedly saving the day, and on the violent character of certain forms of popular culture and videogames*.
He tried to brush the fact that guns were used in this massacre under the carpet while handwaving about elements of culture that have no clear connection to this tragedy. Even if violent media did somehow contribute to this event, if guns were not so readily available then the massacre would not have transpired or would have been far less severe. One man with a knife is much easier to handle than that same man with a gun.
But the most bonkers bit had to be when he advocated for the posting armed police or security guards at every school. Leaving aside how armed guards patrolling the halls would affect the children who study there, and the possibility that one of those guards could accidentally discharge their weapon/mistake a toy firearm for the real thing/go on their own shooting spree, it is staggering to me that these NRA arseholes are so wedded to their damnable guns that their solution to rampage shootings is not to put rational gun control laws in place, but is rather to try to turn schools into armed camps.
It is horrifying that they put so much more value on their guns than they do on the lives of their fellow citizens.
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* Though, needless to say, no actual evidence was forthcoming that actually demonstrated a significant causal link between the existence of violent media and rampage shootings, and it is interesting that countries like the UK that have decent gun control laws have the self same violent media with far less in the way of gun violence, but I don’t imagine the NRA will let a little thing like reality get in the way of their rhetoric…
Dalillama, Schmott Guy:
December 21st, 2012 at 3:14 pm
Hi Daisy! Nice to see you again.
Improbable Joe, L does photography (ask Tony about it), and Roommate is going to be offering watersolor prints soon on the same site. Link in my ‘nym. More later, work calls.
Richard Austin:
December 21st, 2012 at 3:14 pm
Improbable Joe:
I don’t know that it’s “art”, but if you want posters of crap, I’m trying a couple of places to see how they work out.
I’m also more than willing to send you (or other Hordies) a high-rez image for your own purposes if you want to print them out on your own printer (most are up on my flickr account anyway) or do something else with them.
(Preview’s wonky – that should be “trying a couple of places”, not sure if it’ll show correctly.)
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven:
December 21st, 2012 at 3:16 pm
You can take the Pope out of the Hitler Youth, but you can’t take the Hitler Youth out of the Pope.
Janine: Hallucinating Liar:
December 21st, 2012 at 3:17 pm
I fucking hate my species.
PZ Myers:
December 21st, 2012 at 3:20 pm
NEW THREAD.