Awesomeness. Subversiveness. Righteous rage. Watch the whole thing.
(Episode CCCXLII: Nice flying machine you got there.)
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
Awesomeness. Subversiveness. Righteous rage. Watch the whole thing.
(Episode CCCXLII: Nice flying machine you got there.)
I use the a href tag for youtube videos. Posting them as a link causes them to embed.
The week after the Texas Republicans took their stand in favor of corporal punishment in schools, the American Academy of Pediatrics publishes evidence that spanking is not good for children. I assume the Texas Republicans will not be influenced.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2012/06/27/peds.2011-2947
WEll, I am heaDing off to bedd. I am tired. I just had a Sam Adams Besgian Session and am, apparently, really, really tyred. So I am heading off to bed to lye under a fann.
Tethys:
That’s not true. You can link to it on and off, depending on whether or not someone hollers loud enough when it gets stuck in the spam filter and PZ takes it out.
Anyway, there’s an easy workaround – just tiny url any link to the wiki and it goes through just fine.
And reading what I wrote, I am definately headting for bed.
Goodnight Oggie! I’m so happy you are back safe and I look forward to more fire stories.
—–
Caine
Hopefully whoever was trying to link takes note of your tinyurl tip. Today must be one of the off again days.
How are the ratlings and Esme today? Congarats!
/bug nerdery
Yay! My moth sighting was verified and accepted by BAMONA! They verified that it was, indeed, a Polyphemus moth and they’re going to host the info & pics on their website. Contributing to science! *happydance*
/end bug nerdery
Marilove – Oh, I didn’t know that. O.o
Does she identify as Christian? Because that’s not so very Christian. :(
That would mean my twin sister, who is now fully recovered, deserves to be shot. No offense intended, but fuck your mom.
@ImaginesABeach
Jcpenney has always been super inclusive when it comes to their catalog models. So this really shouldn’t surprise anyone, you know?
They have great bedding and stuff, and also really great basic bras and underwear and PJ’s and stuff.
Tethys, Esme & the ratlets are good. Little bellies are full of milk and there’s much baby squeaking going on. Esme has gone full court ferocious mum and she had a go at trying to move the babes today while on a break outside the condo. Yikes. One of the ratlets is seriously smaller than all the rest and I’m a bit worried about her. She has my heart already. If I’m right about the sexing business and she is a she, I think she’ll be our Magrat.
MissEla, congrats! That’s awesome. I have several photos up at What’s That Bug?.
Tethys – How do you add that tag? I used to sit here & write out each YouTube link on a piece of paper before trying to add it. The ctrl c ctrl v thing was a real improvement over that old method. (Sorry, I’m completely nerd-less.)
Patricia:
<a href=”PLACE URL HERE”>PLACE TITLE HERE</a>
Patricia
Hopefully someone who knows how to make the code tags show up in the comment will answer you.
The dancing kites were very cool. thanks! :)
Patricia: Put what Cain just posted into a text file you can easily access. :)
Caine – Thanks I’ll try that!
I was looking at your peony pictures, very nice. I have a new one this year called Raspberry Sunday, it’s beautiful. White with raspberry fringing.
Did somebody go back in time and step on a butterfly?
(quick google search)
Okay, Obama’s still president. Never mind.
This Hopczar is surprisingly beer good. haha, I totally typed beer first. Apt.
strike-through did not work, drats!
I was just trying to remember how to get to that website :)
Trying the linky thing for a peony –
Raspberry Sundae
You mean
strikethrough?Instead of <s></s> you need to spell it out, <strike></strike>. The first way works at SciBlogs/NatGeo.
Queen SUCKS!
sorry
Marilove, for strike, you can’t just use the s /s here, you have to spell it out: strike /strike.
Patricia:
Oooooooh. Gorgeous! I love peonies. Looking at that site, I’m very taken with Do Tell, Early Scout, Green Halo, Jester, Raspberry Twist and Prairie Charm. Ooooooooohs all over the place!
Sorta-nasty derecho heading in my direction; way to spoil my vacation…
I’ll try to be here in the morning (unless power goes out. That’s a bad way to get to CONvergence)
More pregnant people! My yoga teacher is preggers. 4 and a half months.
Gave a speech to the class about living holistically and how she’s doing exercises to stretch her yoni (?!).
Bah!
Went to neighborhood potluck. Ran into lady I had a one-nighter with six months ago. And her husband and boyfriend.
Am slightly confused and slightly turned on.
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
I made another cosmetic bag set! http://mystuffwhatimade.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/cosmetics-set-filthy-capitalist-edition/
Weed Monkey: If you want to pair a rosé with something spicy, try one that’s on the dry side. For recommendations, I have a list at hand (all are from the collection we have in the basement at home), though I’m not sure if you could get any of them where you are. You may want to get a wine guide or ask a different Alko employee for help if that’s the case.
Rose – Aimé Roquesante Rosé, 2011. It’s sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. It’s just light enough to be refreshing.
White: This was a huge hit at the tasting where Mom and I got these wines: Octave. From Portugal. Colorless, and so light and crisp, with just enough fruitiness that it’s not strongly acidic. Goes down nice and smooth, so be careful, I’ve found that wines like that are the ones you don’t feel until you try to stand up. Wouldn’t pair it with any food, it’s probably better just as something to perk up at the end of a hot day.
Reds: Seven Deadly Zins. Strong on the berry taste and the pepper and spicy notes. IIRC many Zinfandels have this taste, though not all so strong as this.
Another big hit: Tamaya, from Chile, Reserve 2009. Blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvginon, and Syrah. It’s great if you love your red wines dry and with body, or if you just happen to love any of the three wines listed in the blend. Personally I love Cabs so that drew me in.
Madonna Estate Pinot Noir (no, not that Madonna)-You’ll want to let this sit for a bit before drinking, as it can be a bit of shock to the tongue otherwise. A bit like drinking liquid fruit jam, but without the sweetness being overbearing.
/end wine talk
Esteleth:
sez Wikipedia: Yoni (Sanskrit: योनि yoni) is the Sanskrit word for the vagina
@Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls
Thank you!
She increasingly identifies as Christian—which (as is usual) means what she wants it to mean.
I asked her what she thought about marijuana, and she said that (surprise!) it is now seen to have medical utility, so it’s okay. I then pointed out that by her meth-execution standards, and based on the hysterical vilification of pot in Earlier Times, a lot of people would have been executed back then, for pot smoking. That seemed to (temporarily) shut her up. Next time (and there will be a next time, because Mom is nothing if not bull-headedly opinionated): alcohol. Yup, that’s right, Mom; to my certain knowledge, you would be obligated to turn every one of your children over to the executioners.
And certainly no offense. Fuck my mom, indeed. I am what I am in spite of her.
–
Pelamun:
I KNOW.
That knowledge does not help.
For starters, it would be one thing for her to be doing yoni-stretching exercises right before labor.
But now?! She’s got 4.5 months to go! Seems (1) premature and (2) possibly risky (assuming they are actually yoni-stretching).
Pelamun, most women are well aware of what yoni means. There are enough woo soaked women out there who won’t shut the fuck up about it.
How are the pups doing, Caine?
I’ve had some nasty experiences with derechos before, and we agree to hate each other.
Most of the times I’ve had my power out were from them. Ah, living in the Midwest.
and note that last Friday’s storm passed just south of me. Then worse things happened along its path. I was lucky.
Esteleth, see #11 this page. :) All is good, I’m just a bit worried about our tiny one. She has a number of bruises and a scratch to her hind leg, she’s getting tossed about a fair amount.
Esteleth, Caine,
oops, sorry. That comes with being a linguist, I guess. Googling in German suggests that German wooists should know the term too.
My knowledge of Indo-Aryan is poor, and I wonder what it is cognate to. Google searches only come up with less trustworthy websites.. Oh well…
Caine, you might want to keep an eye on the little one. If she stays small, she could easily end up getting seriously hurt by her littermates.
Thunk –
Somehow I was under the impression that you were on the east coast. You are a middle-USAian?
So does anyone have any advice on how to get my brain to stop screaming “oh holy christ what has become of my life” every half hour or so?
I somehow knew. I don’t even know how I knew. I’ve seen people use it who aren’t particular woo-ey so it seems to have penetrated slang in at least some areas. I am in Arizona, if that helps…
Well, Ing, you could spend half an hour on /b/ and gurochan and then say to yourself, “I am not doing THAT.”
While remaining conscious? No.
Sorry.
–
“We Are Ing The Matrimonial Collective”
2 July 2012 at 9:41 pm
Booze?
Yes, Beach. I’m on vacation in the northern Midwest right now, tho.
Oh! ImaginesABeach!
I got mail from you today!
Thank you! ♥
Tony –
On the last page, you mentioned that you develop complex pictures in your head when you read. I found your description very interesting. I cannot picture ANYTHING in my head. Seriously – unless I am looking at them, I cannot describe GirlChild or BoyChild well enough that anyone could pick them out of a crowd. When asked to “imagine a beach”, I’m at a loss.
To me, the decision about whether or not a book is good has to do with the use of language. Do the words fit together in the “right” way, does it communicate ideas clearly.
Dejavu…isn’t that how you got your nyme?
Ing, yes, you offered the suggestion when I whined that my lack of imagination made it hard for me to come up with something on my own.
Esteleth – you are welcome.
Maybe for you, “slimepit” has the narrow connotation of “misogynist commentators flouting their viciousness”, and he’s using it more broadly to mean something like “any large group of commentators flouting their viciousness”?
Who was the first to coin the term “slimepit”, anyway? Google shows Walton using the term on October 17, 2011, but I’m not sure that’s the first usage. There might be earlier uses, but I’m having trouble finding them.
Greg Laden writes “
cesspoolblog” (referring to ERV, of course) on September 29, 2011, which might have led to “slimepit” by intensification.http://wtfbadromancecovers.tumblr.com/
Seriously, this is the greatest website ever.
Be sure to check it out on Thursdays, for Objectified Scotsman Thursdays. :D :D
Ing – alcohol. Sex. Any combination of those two.
Esteleth:
I’m keeping an eye, sort of – Esme is in ferocious mode, which means any hint of touching while she’s around, bite! She’s easily half the size of all the rest. She has gotten milk, but she’s not nearly as active as the others and for being fresh out of the gate, they are pretty damn active.
What else can I do? At this point, there doesn’t seem to be anything to do other than worry.
I note quite a few uses of “cesspool” to refer to other blogs or forums where commentators are being really ugly and unpleasant.
Owlmirror:
No. “Slimepit” originated on Pharyngula* in regard to the mess at ERV, and Justin has now blogged specifically about the slimepit several times, being tapped with a cluebat up the head this last time.
Now he is co-opting it, trying to make it apply to this group, that group, this situation, that situation. I think he’s still attempting to justify what he did along with trying to appear insouciant about the whole thing. It’s all a miserable fail.
*This was at Sciblogs. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to track the specific discussion.
Caine, re the runty pup – as long as she’s getting milk, it’s really up to her and Esme now. Fussing with her will just upset Esme, and since the runt has milk, Esme must’ve attended to her. As long as they have plenty of nesting fluff, so they’re all warm and cushioned, that’s about all that can be done.
Esteleth –
Is it just that I’m old, or are some of the men on those book covers WAY too young to be on anything other than a teen romance? I felt dirty looking at them (and not in a good way).
I am feeling really sad right now.
My best friend has basically disappeared from my life; he called me tonight, which is now unusual enough to warrant me being excited about it, and was drifty and absent for the extremely short time before he abruptly left.
I don’t know if I did something, I don’t know if something’s wrong (and he won’t tell me if it is), and my brain is running through so many of my horrible regressive standard responses that it’s actively nauseating.
Meanwhile, fucking FIREWORKS. Ugh. I can’t imagine how horrible this time of year must be for people with loud noises as specific triggers.
Imagines,
Scroll down to the haunted vagina. Seriously, that is a thing.
D: D: D:
:D
Mark Reads The Haunted Vagina!
Pteryxx, thanks.
Cipher, I’m sorry. You can’t take such awful responsibility, however. This is on your friend and it’s up to him to explain what’s going on in his life. If he’s not willing to do that, it’s not your fault.
Another one for fireworks hate. The asses across the road are going full bore with the loudest fucking ones. Sounds like someone is shooting a gun outside my window.
Esteleth, if it helps to change your thinking, I remember someone (probably Suzie Bright but I’m not 100% sure) talking about running across this idea of yoni-stretching while she was pregnant. After a brief pause for thought she goes “… OK, so that’s basically fisting. Yeah, I’m good.”
There’s one with a bunch of sheep, and the sheep in the middle is facing away from you. What the hell kind of romance novel is this?
But the book under the one with sheep has tentacles!
Patricia, thanks for that kite video. It’s been probably 20 years since I was last in Lincoln City.
Caine, I would expect any rattie of yours to be a ferocious mama.
MissEla: / Yay!
The Scotsmen are the best, really. Mostly the fact that (1) no shirts, because HIGHLANDS (2) rippling pecs with no chest hair, because HIGHLANDS and (3) kilts, because HIGHLANDS.
That pretty much seems to be the thought process.
Jebus.
I found a book at a flea market about a time-traveling Viking name (of course) Bjorn who travels from Viking Times™ to modern day NYC, where he proceeds (with his biggus dickus) to make Miss High-Powered Feminist Lawyer his woman.
Also, penis.
(My friends and I bought it and staged a dramatic reading, with tequila.)
Seriously, “claymore” (?! Vikings?!) is used as a euphemism
ImaginesABeach:
On the last page, you mentioned that you develop complex pictures in your head when you read.
I should clarify on that too.
I don’t really form _complex_ images, but more of a rough draft. For some reason, this is important to me for “taking in” the world that an author is creating. Some writers are easier for me to do this with than others. Stephen King for instance has written some detailed information into his stories and that takes me longer to visualize than the manner used by Richard Matheson in “I Am Legend” (one of the few short stories I’ve read; I suppose it counts as science fiction too, though I see more horror in it…both it i!).
As a good example, I followed the link PZ provided earlier and read the excerpt (I thought it was an excerpt, but now that I think about it, was that the whole story?) The entire time, every description given about the room kept being added to the image in my head. I couldn’t turn it off either. I am often unaware of when my mind starts building an environment. Sometimes I am. Case in point:
Each description builds atop the other and creates an environment that I can visualize. Even now, rereading the above, I just realized that my mind is trying to imagine the sensation of the damp dirt floor. I’ve noticed that if too much description is given that I forget other details, so I wind up going back to reread. This is possibly part of my dislike of longer books, as well as my preference for visual/written forms of media.
It’s really quite weird.
When asked to “imagine a beach”, I’m at a loss.
I find this interesting (we’re going to go back and forth, I guess). When you try to imagine, do you picture anything? Is it a wall of white or black?
If I try to picture a beach, as I’m doing right now, I know I’m seeing an image that is an amalgamation of various pictures I’ve seen before. I can see the sand, towels, peoples’ legs, the surf against the sand, hotels. But all of this is not original. It’s pieced together from memories of pics I’ve seen or places I’ve been to.
Do the words fit together in the “right” way, does it communicate ideas clearly.
I’m curious about this too. Are you talking about the dialogue of the characters in a story or the words of the narrator of a story? Or both, for that matter.
Apologies if I’m too nosy.
So… Meh.
Not really a derecho, this bow segment.
Needs more work.
(Or less, if you listen to millions of pissed-off downed trees.)
Actually less, we don’t need lives lost or property damage.
Spells and Bananas.
:headdesk:
A Scottish one!
Did someone else already beat me to that joke?
*has a fit*
*falls over*
*gasping*Ellora’s Cave Quickies: Memories to Come by Cricket Starr! *gasping*
OMG OMG OMG
Oenotria:
Yes, well, she had best remember I’m bigger and I have the keys to the Rat Condo when it comes to this biting business. ;D
Hey, linking works
Okay, I’m done now.
thunk:
What’s a ‘yoot’?
random for PZ’s collection: via BoingBoing, illustrator Phil Harris’s grotesque animal character alphabet.
Relevant: “W is for Worship”
http://craphound.com/images/atozworship.jpg
Rest of sampler:
http://boingboing.net/2012/07/02/from-a-to-b-through-to-z.html
Tony,
I’ve tried to explain this to people before, but I’ve never been successful. I can tell you that a beach has sand and water, but I truly cannot see it in my head. Right now, I can’t see the gravatar by my ‘nym. I know it has a bright blue sky, and a palm tree and water, but I cannot pull the picture into my head well enough to describe it. And I took the damn picture around a year ago.
I will have to think about this to see if I can express it better. I have a co-worker that I have explained this to, she often interprets people for me when I don’t quite understand why they are doing/saying something (I have issues). Tomorrow I will ask her to try to interpret me for you and we can see if it makes more sense.
Tony,
Thunk is a yoot. You know, a youngun.
How are you with auditory imagery? Can you hear a song or parts of a song in your head? (Not an ear-worm you were recently exposed to, just recreating a song in your head without singing or humming it aloud.) Are you better at remembering lyrics or spoken or written language?
You’re welcome on the kite video. Lincoln City is a pretty great plaCE to visit. Unfortunately I missed out on finding the yarn shop. Dang.
Carbonfox, leave, tell him he’s history, turn off your phone, block him on Facebook and send his e-mail to the junk folder where you don’t have to look at it, and go spend the weekend with a friend. Do not be there for him to rant, rampage, whine, or cry at. Tell your work not to put his calls through. Etc. If he might approach your parents or friends, tell them you’re not seeing him any more and not, under any circumstances, to tell him where you are or accept any messages.
You do not deserve this. Assholes or manipulators do this to people. The ones who know they don’t have to stand for it get out.
All the best!
You don’t have to explain yourself or justify your decision. Sorry, this isn’t working out for me.
So, uh, I hope this is okay for me to post here, but I’ve spent the last couple days rounding up and listing stuff and I’m having a sort of eBay rummage sale to fund some good quality new clothes and shoes that I can count on to carry me through for years. I absolutely do not want any donations (the grocery help was more than enough, really) but take a look if you like.
I’ve got some renfair-y stuff, some bellydance stuff, some handmade stuff, some geeky stuff, some vintage doodads and some jewelry and shoes, pretty much your classic yard sale mix. I’ve priced it all low to try and get it to move. http://bit.ly/N58ps2
kristinc, ~ringy dingy~, I hope you don’t mind that I signal-boosted that on my facebook. I have like 500 (wtf?) friends and a lot of them are into that sort of thing. :) Who knows, maybe someone will buy something.
Oh thanks marilove, that was a nice thing for you to do :)
Also, I have a stash of fabric to work out of, and I can make more cosmetic bags and/or brush rolls and list them in my etsy if there’s interest.
Good morning
Who cares about what Robert Parker says?
I like the stuff. I usually taste it before I buy it so I can pretty well decide if it’s a good (i.e. tasty) one or not.
I totally hate food (and drink) snobs who try to tell me what I must and mustn’t like because of …
If I like fries with ketchup and a soda that’s good (actually I don’t).
kristinc
Cool stuff. Sadly shipping over the pond is mind-numbingly expensive.
re: imagining things
I don’t know how to put this: there’s a picture in my head and there isn’t at the same time. It’s kind of like I can see things but the moment I try to focus on a detail it becomes blurred and out of focus.
Tony,
Sounds like a rip-off from Asimov.
Regarding Justin Griffith’s I-swim-in-slimepits post: This could be summarized as I’ve achieved good results when I’ve done this sort of thing before, and that’s why I thought I could get good results this time, too. I don’t get the sense that he’s trying to defend his actions, mostly because it’s pretty clear that Griffith (a) recognizes he most emphatically did not achieve good results this time, and (b) is trying to do better. Rather, I get the sense that he knows he fucked up, and this post was basically an autopsy of his dumbass mistake.
-=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=-
In the Our terrible secret exposed thread, there was a bit of discussion about creating a Pharyngula-inspired wargame. If anybody feels like putting in their 2 cents’ worth, point your browser to the googledoc I’ve set up; assuming I haven’t screwed up the access setting, it should be freely editable by anybody who has the URL.
Wow. BIG earthquake here right now – I wonder where it’s centred.
http://beta.geonet.org.nz/
That’s probably off-shore. About where a number of oil rigs are.
How bad would it be to kill the only major black character in my story?
I need to “break” one of the main characters, and the cause will be the death (more like brutalization) of the new inductee into the investigative unit. But I pegged him from the start as a Freeworlder, which is the black race in my stories.
It’s a little cliche to me – killing off the non-whites – and also a little bit insensitive. There are a few non-white characters – the Councilman and his KICKASS female assistant (I wanna write a story with her as the main character cause she is totally kickass) – but they’re largely background characters.
So yea, is it bad to do that? The problem is that without him I really wouldn’t have any non-white major characters. I mean I guess you could consider Mara non-white (she’s a dark-skinned elf) but she’s an elf, so… she’s not exactly human. And I’m not even considering the “beast men” (the lesbian tallis couple and the sem guard.)
Interesting. I hadn’t thought about that before. I’m able to sing words in my head, but I don’t seem to be able to hear music without words. I can’t hear Appalachian Spring but I can hear Simple Gifts.
Kittens?
Oh, and it sounds like I’m a piker for liking merlot.
No no no, it’s the Welsh who are renowned sheep shaggers. The Scots are just into haggis ;-)
Whoops. Rupt is the word I believe?
Alethea,
Yes you did, and I read and replied too. Thanks so much!
In short, my problem is that I don’t want to wait too long to start, I already feel soo late. I-want-a-career-not-a-hobby is how I feel right now. So waiting, till I’m in better monetary shape or for any other reason, is something I’m trying to avoid.
Besides here in India college isn’t credits based or anything like nearly modular/flexible, so I can’t do coursework on a piecemeal basis, hoard up credits and then parlay them in for a degree. There’re evening colleges for working students, which I haven’t seriously considered I must admit. But I dunno if they’re any good. Ultimately I’m going to have to make some compromises, considering all the factors I’m going to have to wrestle with.
The deadline’s tomorrow. Feeling pretty crappy and a little foolish right now.
Tony,
Oh no, nothing I hear about it makes me think it’s at all bad. Au contraire, it could turn out to be a very good tab, if anything.
And no I’m not into tech tribalism much; I just love the good stuff and hate the bad stuff, both in products and companies. Its…the way I skim-read your comment then, I thought you were a slight Google/Nexus fan but mainly I was trying to indulge in chatter, to talk about something else besides my current probsession.
In retrospect, you don’t sound like you’re being even slightly fan-like. You’re almost making a pragmatic statement about your preference and…I hate overexplaining so I’ll stop, blech.
Going offline now and maybe come back when I feel more like it. Sorry for ignoring most of the thread.
Oh, I’m sorry, Vilem, I must have missed it. I’d say go for your goal if you can – but also don’t despair about it being too late. I’m sure it isn’t. A few years ago, I worked with a woman who got her statistics PhD at 60. How old are you, anyway?
I wish I had something useful or sensible to contribute, Vilém Saptar :(
I do wish you good luck – I hope you’re able to find a way to make this work!
That’s still sheep.
Just with added necrophilia.
Smoggy would be so upset.
How bad would it be to kill the only major black character in my story?
Not as bad as not having a major black character, would be my first guess. It is a known stereotype, though, so not so good overall. OTOH, given that you seem to be writing a world rather than a single story, your readers will have a chance to judge you on your entire body of work instead of just this story. Any chance that the story of the city councilperson’s assistant will involve the character building death of the only major white character in that story?
Disclaimer: I’m not black and in fact am passing-white so my opinions should be taken lightly, if at all.
Pelanum: Thanks for the link.
in 1934, female doctors were barred from opening their own practice, also there was a maximum quota for women at universities, set at 10%!
First two thoughts, both unfortunate:
1. 10%? American fascists would have done it right and forbidden women to go to universities altogether.
2. Between setting a low quota for women and (I presume) forbidding religious and racial minorities, people with certain political ideologies, and gays university education, they must have been taking every straight, Christian, ethnically German man who could tie his shoes without help. No wonder their universities lost prestige. Well, that and forcing their best professors out.
No, I’m not thinking of any analogies with American universities at all. Not even in certain states. No, not even Kansas. Really. Not a bit.
@Dianne:
Yea, I’m weighing the cons of the situation and its “kill the token black guy” versus “have an almost entirely white cast (with caveats)” and while the former is bad, the latter is a much worse idea to me.
Although I don’t even think him as “token” to be honest. Where a token is more a “crap, I need to shoehorn in a minority character” this character was written as a Freeworlder from the start. He’s an actually important character, despite being the only major black character in the story (it makes sense in a demographic too, as Freeworlders are fewer in number than the other races.)
The councilor and his assistant are Middle-Eastern-looking (tan skin, dark hair, dark eyes) by the way.
Katherine, is it possible to make another major character black? That might lessen the blow somewhat, so to speak.
@Esteleth:
I could make Trisha (and by extension her father) a Freeworlder, maybe. I kind of haven’t really visualized the character that much. Although she does serve as the “den-mother” to the city guard, her father is Captain of the Guard.
Imagines – I don’t visualize either, to the point I’m completely confused on how people can do that since it’s so foreign to me. I can, however, get a tune stuck in my head, though I’d have to think to figure out if I can hear it without words or if it has to have dah dah dah.
I also tend to think in concepts not in words which can be awkward at times.
Where a token is more a “crap, I need to shoehorn in a minority character” this character was written as a Freeworlder from the start.
Is it important to the story or at least does it naturally follow in the story that he is a Freeworlder? If so, that will likely make the whole thing less jarring. Again, just MHO, but I tend to be a lot happier with a story if the races and genders of characters make sense rather than having a minority character be there simply because the author thought “oops, all my characters are white…best put a minority in”.
*snicker*
@105: Wish I could claim I did that purposely, but it was my evil subconscious trying to amuse you…
@dianne:
When I write stories, I visualize the characters, and often they’re just people in my brain. For example, when I was coming up with Korin (the councilman’s assistant) I knew I needed an assistant, and knew they would have to be a bodyguard, and when I was writing that part of the story, I just visualized this tough, Arabian-looking woman. Similarly when I was writing the character of Eans, I saw a ropy, spirited Freeworlder.
There are lots of non-whites as background characters, and they’re all important (albeit background.) When I write, these characters just pop into my head. Of course now that I think about it, another Councilman is a Freeworlder, there’s probably a few others in the story serving background who will be Freeworlders, so I’m not necessarily seeking out to put minorities in.
@Katherine: I don’t think you have a problem with race here. I’m not sure the average reader will be able to distinguish important background character versus major character and the way you write your characters will probably not end up feeling tokenish. That’s about all I can say without reading the story. (Hint, HINT!)
Again, my opinion. Could be wrong. Could be privileged. Could be crazy.
Oh, the humanity…
From a freeper, thanks to FSTDT.
I would rather DIE than accept Obamacare
What can one say to such statements except, “Your terms are acceptable. Go for it! I hear there’s no ‘Obamacare’ in India, South Africa, or Belarus and they’re all at least reasonably industrialized countries. Door’s that way.”
Caine:
o_O
…OTOH, I wish I could say I was surprised.
E,
This made my morning.
(And why do I feel like that story’s been done, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger?)
Caine,
Well, it’s nice that they’re not shy about admitting that the uninsured should just die in a ditch, I guess.
Well if that is the case in the US then it is cause for shame on the US, but he should be told that in other countries there is such a right, either actually enshrined in law, or established through practice. The odd things is that people in the countries who have such a right seem remarkably keen on it.
And now for your WTF moment.
Lawmaker’s mistaken vote puts state on a path toward fracking
@Rev
Honestly, I give up. I’m probably not going to have children now and if people want to fuck up their planet so much and act like utter tits fucking and shitting each other to death while looking around in wide eyed wonder asking ‘why is there all this smoke and sludge around my property!?’ let them. Humanity is too fucking stupid to allow to live.
You mean because it has lyrics or because it’s simpler? There’s a difference between being able to remember something and being able to imagine it. To really test out the latter, you could just make up a little tune yourself.
For me, it’s sometimes hard to think of much more than a single melodic line, especially if they’re really complicated or independent of one another (or if I’m tired, drunk, etc.). Things like dynamics or timbre are always really hazy. Visual imagination has the same sort of problems, I think, but I don’t have to use it as much, so I’m almost certainly not as good at it as even a mediocre painter would be. Maybe that’s why words are often helpful: people use them all the time.
I love this. Argumentum ad I suck at something.
Also logically that would justify deciding a vote via lottery not direct ballet casting.
Still thinking about Caine’s quote:
Here’s the thing: I am in favor of the Affordable Care Act because I am selfish. (Inasmuch as someone who thinks that single payer is the only way to have an effective, humane health system, anyway.)
I have okay health insurance now but (in theory*) some of the provisions in the ACA will drive down my costs. The fact that everyone else will benefit too is great, but right now I’m looking at my bottom line.
Do these jackasses honestly think that without the ACA, health insurance costs will stop spiraling out of control? Do they think that they’re going to be employed forever? Do they have no history of heart disease, cancer, etc in their families? I mean, fine, don’t do it for anyone else, but support it ‘cos you’re a selfish asshole (like I am). Protect your own ass, know what I’m saying?
*I’m not thrilled about the government handing private companies money/customers, but it’s better than the system we’re currently working with.
Audley:
Seriously. We have excellent coverage right now, however, we aren’t all that far off from retirement. I worry like hell about that.
CR –
Words seem to be very important. Take, for example, the theme music from Star Wars (the original one that I saw a dozen times when I was 9). I cannot get the music into my brain unless I hear it as “dum dum dum Star Wars, nothing but Star Wars.” I have to add words, even made up words, to Chopin preludes.
Caine,
That’s what I don’t get. Even during an economic crisis where either we’ve faced hardships or we know someone who has lost their job &/or their house, these assholes can’t imagine what could happen to them past dinner time. It’s a very immature way of looking at the healthcare situation.
And we all know that if they should lose their job, they’ll just shut up and deal without suckling on the government’s teat, right?
I can hardly wrap my mind around that.
As long as he’s not wearing a red shirt at the time.
I DO THIS TOO.
One time, I memorized the tune of a piano concerto I was learning (I studied piano for awhile) by mentally singing, “Penis, penis, peeenis, PENIS.”
Yeah, I don’t know. But it helped me learn it.
What a magical world that would be.
…ok yeah I have to admit I’m not in a good place now and maybe should stop commenting at all.
Having thought about it – yeah there have to be phonemes somehow, whether it’s dah dah dah dah or words, I have to have something to hang the music on.
I can’t tell you how nice it is to hear “hey, I do that too.” Most people think there is something wrong with me.
@Therrin:
Blue and white guard uniform, except when he’s wearing a tunic and trousers. Usually something warm overtop (I called it a sweater, but there’s probably another term for it I haven’t found, I need to find a “History of Clothing” book) cause this story is taking place mid-winter.
Do they think that they’re going to be employed forever?
Yes, they do. They think that they’re so brilliant that no one would ever consider firing them or laying them off and if somehow they were laid off or fired, they’d get another job right away.
Reminds me of my onetime habit of singing “Somewhere in Germany, there stands a little fish and chip shop”* to the theme from the first movement of Schubert’s Eighth Symphony. (Skip to 1.45 on the video for the tune I’m talking about.)
(*I can’t remember where I got that from. I studied the symphony for A Level Music years ago, but I didn’t make up the lyric.)
Hey! We South Africans have a public health system that’s accessible to everyone, regardless if they can pay or not, funded by taxes. It’s not without its problems, but because of it I didn’t have to drive my family into debt over an unexpectedly infected appendix. I could go to a hospital, have it removed and go on with my life without financial ruin being even on the horizon because of it.
So I do think we have a form of Obamacare, only much more “socialist devil”.
Short of raping the students, I don’t think I can actually get fired.
At least there’s actually some system in place for recording votes, rather than just going by a show of hand.
We South Africans have a public health system that’s accessible to everyone, regardless if they can pay or not, funded by taxes.
Mea culpa. I was going by a random web site listing countries with and without universal health coverage and SA was one listed as not having. Should have checked my sources.
Short of raping the students, I don’t think I can actually get fired.
Your department could get terminated altogether. You could be driven out by lack of resources. The administration has its ways of getting around tenure, if it really wants to…
Needs more Queen.
Seven Seas Of Rhye
Stone Cold Crazy
Death On Two Legs(Dedicated To…)
Mustapha
But we weren’t talking about learning it or remembering it. Just make up some silly little tune in your head. Don’t hum it out loud or make it harder than it needs to be. You don’t need words for that, right?
Oh I am a stupid.
Fur-lined cloak or mantle, that’s what they’d use to keep warmer – cause their clothes were already a little warm anyway. *facepalm*
@Sili:
It works great in the Ukrainian Parliament.
I need sounds. Nah nah, dah dah do, whatever, but I don’t understand how you could do it without them. What does it sound like?
Maybe the need to use the system used by the House of Commons in the UK. To vote you walk into a room, there is one for yes and one for no, and then at the time the vote is due, they lock the doors and record and count who is present.
Any MP walking into the wrong lobby soon realises.
Even so-called pure tones have something inside them, at least for me. Even if it’s “ma” or “do” or something.
I only teach highschool.
In a country with strong unions.
Sili, all that being true, I think that even if what happened did not rise to the level of illegality (which I’m guessing would be grounds for firing), if the admin got enough complaints that they’d do something?
I made chili!
I am eating it for lunch. It is delicious.
And yes, I do think that all of you needed to know that.
There’s more chili in the pot *gestures* over there.
I ♥ chili! OM NOM NOM
So… one of my coworkers walked into my office while I was talking to DarkFetus. *sigh* As if they didn’t already think I was weird…
*gives Audley a big bowl of chili*
I don’t think I can make up a tune in my head. Certainly not one without words.
*gives ImaginesABeach some chili too*
Fun. I was just planning on making chili tomorrow.
How do you make chili, Sili? I follow the boring path of taking a can of tomatoes, a can of beans, and one of those seasonings packets that McCormick’s makes, and just tossing them together.
If I feel ambitious I add turkey.
Basically, like my internal monologue. So it’s not phenomenally the same as a sound from an external source, except that it can be much closer to that if I’m in an altered state. Anyway, the hard part is trying to remember it after the fact. Giving them syllables makes it more complicated, because in addition to the pitches, I have to try to imagine those too. They can sometimes help as a mnemonic to remember it later on (especially if it’s a meaningful phrase, like Walton’s example), but not to actually produce the sound in the first place. Not to mention that using syllables would be impossible if you were trying to do more than one pitch at a time.
Someone should make me chili. :P
CR that’s interesting since I can do multiple tones and still have to have phonemes.
Inspired by the very ambiguous recipes posted here, I just make a (bad) ragu bolognese and add chile, beans and chocolate.
At least that’s what I did the first time I tried. The neighbours liked it, but I didn’t exactly make a note of how much chili I used …
Well crap, I’m so ‘Mac-ignorant’, I don’t know how to post a pic I just took of me feeding my cat some yogurt.
Oh well, I guess I’ll go to Publix and buy some ground turkey and pork to fix some chili!
Incidentally, I put my chili over rice.
And it’s spicy.
And I will share.
Tho’ it doesn’t hold up so well when I put it in an envelope and ship it…
Oh, and for my chili, I brown ground turkey (or pork, or chicken, or some combination of the three). I usually add garlic powder (gotta have that), a pinch of salt, a lot of pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and either a touch of sugar or honey (to balance the heat). Sometimes I’ll saute onions or garlic before I brown the above mixture. Don’t think I’ll do that today. Growing up, my mother used to pour the chili over white rice and top with cheese or onions. I choose to use brown rice (now that I think about it, I’m going with couscous this time…similar consistency) and scallions.
Esteleth:
One time, I memorized the tune of a piano concerto I was learning (I studied piano for awhile) by mentally singing, “Penis, penis, peeenis, PENIS.”
Interesting.
When I’m singing that in my head, it’s usually in a different, sweatier context…
oh, and duh to my above recipe for chili…I also add an 8 oz can of tomato paste, and a 16 oz can of tomato puree.
Tony:
*blink blink*
You should listen (or play) Beethoven more often. Because DAMN.
Audley:
I ♥ chili! OM NOM NOM
My mother used to say that I love chili so much because that was one of her favorite foods when she was pregnant with me. I don’t know if that’s the cause of my appreciation for the stuff (nor do I really care, TBH), but it is something that my immediate family all likes and considers comfort food.
Speaking of which, what types of food does everyone find comforting?
Goddamn it. The job search system recommended by my state’s unemployment is shit because it won’t let me register…and I can’t apply to any of its jobs without registering…and no one has gotten back to me about the fact that I can’t fucking register! All fucking technology in my state is shit.
CNN’s news ticker just had Michelle Bachmann state (on the VP position): “It’s not for me to make that decision.”
My first thought was she isn’t fit to be president of the PTA…
Off topic but I was told at work a bit ago that if I want to pursue a leadership position I need to more or less keep my atheist viewpoints to myself and not post anything on a social network that may upset someone with religious beliefs. WTF?
@Jamescasterlin
True advice. Take if if you can.
Giliell:
If I like fries with ketchup and a soda that’s good (actually I don’t).
But fries with ketchup are grrrrrrreat (yeah, people used to pull the ‘Tony the Tiger’ schtick on my all the time as a kid).
Of the two things I miss about Chik Fil A food, fries are one (the chicken tenders are the other). Not enough to make me stop boycotting them though (5 years since I heard about how anti-gay they are).
why is that good advice?
Soup!
Like my garlic/tomato-soup (1 l stock, 1 garlic, 1 can tomatoes (good tomatoes are a virtual impossibility here) a heap of powdered paprika (roughly 1-2 tablespoons), oil, parsley and eggs for poaching in the soup. Split each clove of the garlic in two, fry gently, add paprika and fry some more (and other seasoning to taste) add stock. Simmer for at least 45 min. Poach eggs, add parsley, serve with bread (and don’t talk to anti-garlic people the next day).
jamescasterlin:
Ah, a variation on the old ‘atheists are immoral without god’ routine. I wonder if you could ask them to make sure your coworkers don’t post anything religious so that you’re not upset…
Now that I think about it, what ‘atheist viewpoints’ could you even post? Aside from ‘I do not believe in god’, I can’t think of any other atheist viewpoints. Upon becoming an atheist, one has to find a belief system to replace a religious one. Atheism doesn’t fit the bill. It sounds like whoever gave you that advice wasn’t really thinking.
Tony:
Same thing I was thinking
Gnumann:
would your soup work if the tomatoes were pureed? It sounds like a great recipe to try out, except I don’t care for the texture of tomatoes.
Because people are horrible and are bigoted. If you can either use a nyme or be hyper vigilant and make sure no one can find you on social networks.
Maybe I have to stop pointing out people are wrong. Even if it is true
I plan on filtering stuff now
Joe “Deadbeat Dad” Walsh has decided that his Democratic opponent, Tammy Duckworth isn’t a “true hero” despite her 20 years of military service and loss of both legs in Iraq. He says it’s because she talks about her military service, and compares her to John McCain, who he thinks was more reticent and – therefore – a “true hero”.
According to ThinkProgress,
I can’t help wondering, based on his track record, if he also thinks she isn’t a True Hero™ because she’s a woman.
Tony:
Comfort food? Roast beef subs.
Whenever I’m upset, that’s what Mr Darkheart buys for me.
Joe Walsh reminds me of what I hated about my childhood
It works, but it becomes something slightly different. My recommendation is chunked tomatoes, the texture is mainly gone at the end of the cooking time anyway.
If you use the tomato purée paste you’d better fry it some before adding stock. You can also use fresh tomatoes and fry them until they disintegrate (you might want to skin them first, and you definitely want to scoop out the gooey middle parts)
I put Havelock & Sam in the bathroom (I cannot find Rubin) so Esme could have a time out. She is driving me crazy. Running around the studio, finding every piece of paper she can and shredding it, running around like a punch drunk maniac and agitating for me to open the Rat Condo doors…so she can haul the ratlets out and move them. I don’t think so. Oy.
I thought one wasn’t supposed to fry paprika.
It produces a bitter taste, so yes, conventionally you’re not supposed to. For this soup the bitter is needed to counter the acid and sugar from tomato and garlic.
The taste of fried paprika can also be good with fish. But don’t do it unless you know what you’re doing, are experimenting or expressly told to.
When my sister was pregnant she thought she was alone in the restaurant bathroom before dinner. “So, junior,” she said to her belly. “You ready to eat?” Then she heard someone else in the stall next to her >.<
…I am now remembering the downside about eating beans.
No one stand downwind of me.
Lasagna is comfort food. Dauphinois potatoes (in the Quite Uncorrect version this household eats, which involves leeks and BACON as well as potatoes and milk (and cheese on top)) is comfort food. Bean stew is comfort food … hmm, basically anything massively solid and heavy and dense and flavourful, I suppose.
But right this second I am eating a carrot. Om nom nom.
Esteleth:
Eggs have the same effect on me.
It’s a bad day when I have scrambled eggs and grits (::looks over shoulder for Audley::), a bowl of cereal with whole milk, and any dish with a cupful or more of beans…
Kristinc,
O.o
*tackles Tony for his eggs and grits!*
NEW THREAD!