Comments

  1. says

    Stevarious
    Well, for quite a lot of things, there’s always a reasonable explenation.
    You know, people work late. That happens. But somehow it is hard to believe that all women managed to get away from work in time while almost all the men didn’t. Except for one couple who came late with their kindergarten child and their teenage daughter.
    No idea what was the reason behind that

  3. Richard Austin says

    Stevarious:

    Does anyone know WHY they have minimum payments that they can accept? There HAS to be a reason why they turn away money.

    I think it has something to do with the fact that, if they accepted a payment at all, it delays certain legal actions they can take against non-payment. Even if you only pay $1, it can count as a “payment” for legal purposes.

    I’m reasonably sure as well that courts cast a kinder eye on people who are at least attempting to pay bills even if they can’t meet them entirely; if the creditor reports that you have a history of even trying to pay, the judge may deny them further action.

  4. Richard Austin says

    Putting this here quickly, trying to find details.

    Study shows women speak less when outnumbered by men.

    Scientists from Brigham Young University, Portland State University and Princeton University examined whether women speak less than men when a group collaborates to solve a problem.

    In most groups that they studied, the time that women spoke was significantly less than their proportional representation – amounting to less than 75 percent of the time that men spoke.

    […]

    There is an exception to this rule of gender participation, however. The time inequality disappeared when researchers instructed participants to decide by a unanimous vote instead of majority rule.

    The results show that the consensus-building approach was particularly empowering for women who were outnumbered by men in their group.

  5. says

    @492 Stevarious I can think of a couple of reasons why they might not accept a “too small” payment. In some states, if you pay anything and they accept it, they can’t proceed with collections/garnishment etc. I think in those states they usually have to accept any payment you make, too, but they can probably act like they won’t. Another reason might be if the bill was not officially in collections with an actual collections agency, if you pay something toward it it might be harder for them to turn it over to collections, which most companies would prefer to handling a slow pay situation themselves. And with a school loan, I think they have special rules about default and such, and if you go into a deferrment where you aren’t paying anything on it because you can’t, the interest adds up more and you may pay more on the loan than you ever would otherwise – especially since you can’t discharge school loans in bankruptcy. So if a small payment (not enough to keep it current) would stop it from going into that default/deferrment state, they might prefer you paid nothing until you could pay it all. And finally, with credit card companies, I know they have laws about making the minimum payment high enough that if you pay the minimum you will eventually pay it off. Possibly that comes into play also.

  6. Richard Austin says

    … Okay, I’ve got the details of the study (if anyone wants it, email me at dstarfire at that hotmail dot com thingie).

    They compared two different agreement methods – unanimous decisions vs majority rules. 5 people per group, testing the average amount of time each individual of men or women spoke (so, if it’s all 5 of one sex, the representation for that sex is automatically .200)

    Men always spend more time speaking unless both 1) they were alone and 2) it was majority-rule. Women’s participation increased when decisions had to be unanimous, but in majority-rule situations, even women in a 3:2 majority participated less than men.

    They also go into “influence” values, but that’s a fair bit more complex. Even just looking at the participation, though, there’s a definite trend where men participate *more* (to the point of dominating a discussion) as the number of men in a group decreases with the sole exception of being the sole man with four women in a majority-rules setting, which is the only time male participation drops below the average of .200.

    Now, these discussions are moderated, so I wonder what effect the moderator had on this (it’s one of the caveats mentioned at the end of the report). But, still…

  7. broboxley OT says

    how does one defend against tanks, drones, aircraft and artillery?
    Invite your syrian neighbors over to help

    Also I would bet that the utah state police, national guard and byu pd has a lot of mormons in the ranks.

  11. says

    Well… good news amid the gloom. My wife has been at this temp job in Parts Unknown for three days, and the company has offered her a permanent position at Parts To Be Determined Later. She gets her choice of a couple of states, relocation package plus sign-on bonus. Yay?

  12. Crudely Wrott says

    Drowning Jesus is just a memory now. Get ready for Hug Me Jesus!

    http://www.daytondailynews.com/videos/news/monroe-crews-install-new-jesus-statue/vd72f/

    I no longer live just up the road from the Solid Rock Church, which is kind of sad. I’d really like to take an in person gander at this new er, erection. Seriously, I have some grandchildren who, I think, could do equal or better sculpture. Some of you do, too, I’d wager. I guess it does give a bit of credence to the injunction to come to Jesus as a child. Still, dolls have always struck me as creepy, size not being a consideration.

    At any rate, behold!

  18. says

    I realized just now this minute what my friend chicken chunks need for extra awesome goodness… I am going to put flour and shortening into the food processor and chop it up dry and flaky, and use that for extra-crispy breading.

    Is there something inherently wrong with this plan?

  19. Crudely Wrott says

    Joe, add to your blender mix a handful of sesame seeds and some chives. A splash of cider vinegar and a touch of maple syrup couldn’t hurt if added cautiously.

    Oh, new peas, the ones still in the pods.

    No, I’ve never done so myself but if I had them on hand I’d damn sure wing it!

  20. says

    Crudely Wrott,

    I’m poor and I haven’t done proper grocery shopping in a month, so the only thing I’m adding is stuff I have on hand and that ain’t sesame seeds or chives.

  21. JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness says

    We got Little One’s books today! She was so excited and we’ve been reading since she got home from school. It’s so heartwarming and adorable it makes me want to cry.

  23. trinioler says

    Joe, I bet you have crackers somewhere in your pantry. Hopefully flavored ones. Add some of those to the food processor.

    Trust me.

    They break up like panko bread crumbs, add extra flavor and salt, etc.

  25. says

    trinioler,

    No crackers… those went long ago. I often do saltines, half coarse crushed and half crushed fine. The things I don’t have, you know? There’s a can of corn, a can of lentil soup, a couple of cans of clams, and half a box of instant mashed potatoes that have been there for at least 5-6 months. Some ramen, a box of stove top stuffing, some pasta and rice. Also the Spice Cabinet of DOOOOOOOOM! At least I have that going for me. :)

  27. Crudely Wrott says

    Sorry, Joe. I forgot that you were in such a hard way. I’ll just advise that you cook slowly and thoroughly and hope that it tastes really good.

    A long time ago I wrote a little rhyme and it has just sat there all this time. Perhaps it will be of use to you and against such a possibility I hereby give it to you for what it’s worth.

    Death in the daytime
    Rebirth at night
    Eat your life slowly
    Every bite

    Good fortune to you, friend.

    (And, ah, if you ever get to try the sesame seeds and chives and all, let me know if it’s any good, will ya?)

  28. says

    Crudely Wrott,

    You mean you were just spitting out random ingredients?!?! Shit!

    I’ve got a good southern-style breading recipe, I’m going to tweak the texture with the shortening just because I have some and I’m trying to use up everything I have on hand just in case we wind up moving before the end of the year. Well, except the Spice Cabinet of DOOOOOOOOOOOM! because that would be crazy expensive if I let it all run out and had to restock from scratch. I’m talking hundreds of dollars here.

  29. says

    I was going to say something deep and meaningful here, but instead I have to note that I’ve got Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance playing in the background. I don’t know anything about the film except it is terrible, and that it has Nicolas Cage AND Christopher Lambert in it. So it is terrible AND awesome all at once.

  30. says

    Caine: Pirate ducky! ♥!

    JAL: Yay!

    So, in total, I received 5 packages today. Four were for DarkFetus– from Giliell, Patricia (a KYOOT hat that looks like an eggplant, a tiny green bolo sweater, and a pair of booties), and two friends– and one was a copy of Borderlands 2 that I ordered for myself and Mr Darkheart is currently playing.

    It’s like Christmas without all of the annoying family crap!

  34. JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness says

    Oooohhhh, nice Audley! Borderlands 2 looks awesome. I love Borderlands and am hoping we can get it when it goes on sale for the holidays on Steam. Since Roomie had to pawn and lost his PS3 and all his games, it’s been hard for him.

  36. Crudely Wrott says

    Joe @28:

    You mean you were just spitting out random ingredients?!?! Shit!

    Well, yeah, as far as the sesame seeds and chives are concerned. I have done the cider vinegar and maple syrup not only in chicken breading but in various marinades and salad dressings and sandwich spreads and have added same to pasta and rice dishes. Sort of a North American sweet and sour.

    One of these days I’ll get around to breading with sesame and chive; just haven’t yet for whatever reasons. So many foods, so many combinations vs. so little time and poorly stocked larders. But it hasn’t affected my apatite!

  37. JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness says

    I know how that is, Audley. Roomie and I fought over his PS3 until we started doing co-op on a bunch of games. Then I got addicted to Skyrim and we started fighting all over again. XD

    I can’t wait to replace all those games and stuff.

  39. says

    JAL:
    :) Usually we’re pretty good about sharing (our taste in games doesn’t always overlap and we’re rarely excited for the same things), but Borderlands seems to be the exception.

    I think the next Resident Evil is going to be a problem, too– but I’ve got dibs because I’ve been waiting for over a decade for the developers at Capcom to figure out that backing up is pretty fucking necessary. Mr Darkheart just doesn’t have the same history or misplaced commitment that I do.

  41. Hekuni Cat, MQG says

    Caine:

    For all the pea hate here, I never see the ratses pet vegetable hate – carrots. Every single one of them acts as though I plopped cyanide on plate when they see a carrot. Don’t like them raw, don’t like them cooked in any manner, don’t like ‘em.

    My cat also thinks carrots are poisonous. She runs away, leaving in her wake the distinct impression she thinks you’re trying to kill her, if your hands smell of carrots. Having an actual carrot anywhere near her is just beyond the pale.

    Me: Gets tea, sets tea on desk. Leaves momentarily. Comes back. Finds three rats perched on tea mug helping themselves.

    :D :D :D

    Also, Pirate Duckie is wonderful!

    Portia, Now With Improved Loudness and Feminaziism – *hugs*

  42. Nutmeg says

    When the dog was still a doglet, carrots were one of her favourite toys. My mom couldn’t chop carrots for dinner without the puppy running over and begging for one to chew. She’s grown out of it now. Dinner prep is easier, but the cute quotient is lower.

  43. Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven says

    Question for troll-battling: is it correct that psychological profiling of criminals is more or less established as pseudoscience at this point?

  45. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Joe:
    I feel you my friend.
    Hopefully things will turn around for you and your wife very soon.

    ****

    Nutmeg:
    Are you still riding high from your date?

    ****

    susanlee:
    I clicked on that stupid ad one time, but after I did it, I remembered that religious sites are notorious for viruses, so I ran away fast.
    In any case, if there were even *one* good reason for the existence of whichever god they’re talking about, I think we’d have heard it by now. After all, theists have been trying for a few thousand years and are still coming up empty.

  46. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Joe:
    For all that I love comics, and love seeing comic book movies, I haven’t seen the Ghost Rider sequel. I’ve heard it’s bad. I saw the previews, which looked bad. I saw the first one, which *was* bad. I have no illusions that GR:SoV is in the same country as good.
    Is there a movie Nicholas Cage was actually *good* in?

  48. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Socio-gen:

    For those watching Warehouse 13 — hulu currently has episodes 1-5 of Season 4. I’m hoping to finish Ep 3 tonight and maybe squeeze in Ep 4 as well.

    Aaaaaah!
    I can’t wait to see what happens to the Warehouse after the end of Season 3.
    No idea when Netflix will get any of this season’s episodes.
    I need my Claudia fix (she reminds me of Willow; redhead, great with computers, real name is Alison [or some variation]).

  49. Ichthyic says

    For those watching Warehouse 13

    just yesterday caught up with the current season.

    instead of Hulu or netflix, you might try project free tv.

    http://www.free-tv-video-online.me/internet/warehouse_13/

    up to episode 8 there.

    say, does anyone with one of the larger LED monitors have an issue with high contrast text, like black on white. Always seems a bit smudgy to me, even at highest resolution. do you use anything to help clarify it?

  50. says

    Hi, everybody!

    There’s a Molly-worthy takedown of anti-FTB blather by LeftSidePositive on Ophelia Benson’s “PhotoShopped again.”

    Nutmeg, I just watched a show (part of a series I gather) about testing wolves vs. dogs for various cognitive tasks. The wolves are living at the Lorenz Institute in Germany. One of their yards happened to have several apple trees in it, and for about two months while the apples were in fruit, the wolves got 70 – 80% of their calories from apples. They would even jump up to pluck fruit from a branch. This kind of opportunistic foraging was new to the researchers. Foxes will eat fruit (hence the fable of the sour grapes) but wolves have been considered more or less pure carnivores. Interesting!

    I have web anti-virus browsing protection so I sometimes click on the religious ads just to cost them money. But then I want to start rebutting their nonsense assertions.

  51. theophontes (坏蛋) says

    @ blf

    I suspect he is either a poopypuppet (sockhead? poopyet? poopypet?), or will slowly devour poopyhead’s brainz.

    Indeed! The spies of Minitrue ™ have posted their evidence at this linky.

  53. chigau (違わない) says

    I’m at 53°N.
    Chives are weeds.
    They grow in sidewalk cracks.
    Based on what I see in the grocery stores I have hundreds of dollars worth of herbs.
    Tarragon anyone?
    Lovage?
    Oregano?
    Try killing them.

  55. chigau (違わない) says

    theophontes
    I have long considered that.
    But shipping plant products internationally is fraught …
    fraught, I tell you …
    with fraughtness.

  58. chigau (違わない) says

    theophontes
    I think “For medicinal use only” would trigger SWAT-level response.
    with dogs.

  59. says

    Giliell:

    Pirate duckie is gorgeous and finished at the exactly right day

    Thank you! ♥ It was a perk, finishing it today. I’ve spent about 17 hours stitching today and I’m ready to fall into bed for a good long while.

    I am just crazy about that rattle you made. Cutest rattle ever, hands down.

  60. Beatrice says

    Tony,

    Is there a movie Nicholas Cage was actually *good* in?

    Possibly. I used to love watching The Rock. For years, it was on TV for every New Year’s Eve.

    But I did always hold an unexplainable love for Nicholas Cage. He’s not a good actor. At all. He’s got two facial expressions. But there is something about him that I adored.

    The last of him that I’ve seen was The Sorcerer’s Apprentice . His terrible acting got too much even for me.

  61. says

    Still dealing with that conservative from last night, and they’ve got a bit of a teal deer.

    I can’t make head or tail of that drivel. Apparently, if we don’t have conservatism, it means we blow the entire system up or something? The only thing I feel is worth responding to is this:

    he ways in which most western democracies are set up, there is little reason why in time equality in rights for all wont be accomplished.

    …by saying “no, you are full of shit; the democracies were not ‘set up’ in their current form, the current form has emerged after decades and even centuries of back-and-forth struggle between people who wanted to make the system more egalitarian and people who were against that. There is no mystical, magical, unstoppable march towards equality — and I beseech you to justify the outright racist statements made by ‘conservatives’ like Barry Goldwater who opposed civil rights legislation.”

    It’s like all they do is set up this magical fairytale unending march, and then scream about how if they’re not treated as legitimate it will mean utter and total chaos.

  66. McC2lhu saw what you did there. says

    Is there a movie Nicholas Cage was actually *good* in?

    I haven’t seen it in a while, but I recall finding Raising Arizona entertaining. It’s been so long that I don’t remember if it had anything to do with a young Nicholas, though.

  67. John Morales says

    Be well, Rorschach. I’ll check your blog now and then.

    (I’m having serious doubts as to whether I belong here, too)

  69. echidna says

    It wasn’t a very bouncy flounce. It was more like a “thought I’d drop in to say farewell”.

  71. says

    -facedesk-

    Why am I having to state that the US government retains the Constitutional right to coin money, and that the Federal Reserve is authorized to do so by Congress?

    For that matter, why am I (still) dealing with the hare-brained analogy that a government with the right to print money has the same financial considerations as private citizens that use said money?

  72. says

    Hi there
    Just picked up a certificate from a class I did back at the dawn of time shortly after the dinosaurs died out and would you believe that I actually got a very good grade? Let’s see what I can swap it for when discussing those matters with the advisor tomorrow

    Caine

    I am just crazy about that rattle you made. Cutest rattle ever, hands down.

    Thanx. I hope the DF shares your sentiment

    Bye, rorschach

  73. carlie says

    I will miss seeing you here, rorschach. I’ll try to be better about checking your blog regularly.

  74. blf says

    Maybe everyone’s out watching the mildly demented penguin fight the 50 meter high rats for peas and cheese?

    Fifty meter high rats? The mildly deranged penguin is not gonna be happy when she finds out — the forty-foot high killers are obnoxious enough.

    Any penguin who fights for peas is completely — not mildly — demented. And is probably a horse in disguise.

    The mildly deranged penguin is currently on spelunking expedition down the tunnel left by the possibly-sentient cider that dissolved the fermenting vats and escaped a few weeks ago. The tunnel apparently takes several sharp turns and falls, and goes under Africa, which might explain the Leprechauns but not their accompanying giraffe. I understand that after doing several loop-the-loops the tunnel is heading in the general direction of India. Exactly where the cider is — that is, where the tunnel-head is — isn’t too clear. Maybe it surfaced in Australia, which (a) Explains the fire tornado; and (b) Suggests none of the cider is left (those pesky Ozlanders drink anything… (probably even peas)).

  75. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    Bye rorschach,

    We’ve had our differences, but you’ve done sterling work against the misogynists over the past year.

  77. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    Good morning.

    I have returned.

    Seventeen hour shifts (1600 – 0900). Long flights. Long drives on scary roads. Lack of sleep. Lack of Wife. I am tired.

  78. Beatrice says

    Hello, Ogvorbis. Glad to see you’re back safely. Enjoy your rest and time with your wife. I hope you’ll have enough time off work to recuperate properly.

    __________________

    Rorschach, I will be visiting your blog. I hope I’ll read you again here sometime.

  81. McC2lhu saw what you did there. says

    Sign number 15,789,645,791,625 that there is no god:

    The GP who saved my wife’s life (by discovering advanced and extensive endometriosis in her abdomen early enough to surgically remove/medically treat – it had advanced to with a few mm of her spine) was killed this weekend by a hit and run driver in Newport Beach, CA while she was cycling. She was a gifted and incredibly personable woman who was founder and administrator of her medical group as well as volunteer on a large number of medical panels and health charities.

    For someone to whom I am so grateful to be lost this way, it’s a deeply profound tragedy. I’ve seen her picture in a couple of news stories reporting the event…it was pointless to try to stop the tears from coming.

  83. says

    Since I fell asleep…

    Thanks Audley, thanks Carlie, thanks Tony. Thanks everyone, drinks are on me… sometime in November? And Giliell, moving cats is a nightmare. The when we moved here, it was me in a small car with three crying cats for 12 straight hours. After awhile I started crying back at them.

    Why doesn’t anyone play the video games I like. I’m busy playing through DARKSIDERS 2 for the second time, and I’ve never seen anyone else mention it ever. It is all these other games that I’ve tried and never seen the point in playing. Borderlands I didn’t get, didn’t like, didn’t understand. Why is that fun? And the new Resident Evil looks like it depends too heavily on cooperative play. I don’t LIKE to cooperate!

    No, Nicolas Cage has never been actually good in anything. Sometimes though there are movies where his natural twitchy bad acting fits the role, and then it is cool. Also, someone needs to explain Natalie Portman’s career to me. She’s a worse actor than Cage, because at least Cage brings some energy.

    Setár, I don’t know how you continue to engage with conservatives/libertarians without losing your shit completely. People who use lies to justify the strong exploiting and oppressing the weak, and then calling that “moral”? Fucking sickening.

    Bye Rorschach. Hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for wherever you land next.

    Welcome back Ogvorbis… get some sleep!

    McC2lhu, sorry to hear about your wife’s doctor.

  84. Beatrice says

    Improbable Joe,

    I can’t understand success of Natalie Portman either.
    I think she was good in Léon: The Professional, but maybe that was just the overwhelming awesomeness of the movie.

  85. Nutmeg says

    Tony:

    Are you still riding high from your date?

    I’m pretty settled now. I’m probably going to email her today and ask if she’d like to go watch the geese come in to a local marsh at sunset sometime next week.

    That’s a bonus about dating girls. When I was dating guys, I would never have done something like that as a second date, because the safety concerns would be too large. Statistically, girls are safer.

    Markita Lynda:

    for about two months while the apples were in fruit, the wolves got 70 – 80% of their calories from apples

    Neat! I have a friend who studies wolves, she might find that interesting.

    Ogvorbis: Welcome back!

  86. PatrickG says

    Threadrupt: Sam Harris has a new piece on Islam, in which he bashes Romney’s initial handling, but concedes that Romney totes got it right about Obama being a fearful President.

    Our panic and moral confusion were at first sublimated in attacks upon the hapless Governor Romney. I am no fan of Romney’s, and I would find the prospect of his presidency risible if it were not so depressing, but he did accurately detect the first bleats of fear in the Obama administration’s reaction to this crisis. Romney got the timing of events wrong—confusing, as many did, a statement made by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo for an official government response to the murder of Americans in Libya. But the truth is that the White House struck the same note of apology, disavowing the offending speech while claiming to protect free speech in principle. It may seem a small detail, given the heat of the moment—but so is a quivering lip.

    Bleats of fear… I guess he prefers “Bring it on”.

    Sorry if this was brought up already, I didn’t see it.

  87. says

    Beatrice,

    I’m with you on Léon, but if you look at the character Portman played- a very odd 12 year old- and compare it to the oddly flat acting she does today, and maybe she was just exceptionally well-cast in Léon rather than her doing much actual acting. People say she was really good in Black Swan(which I admit I have not seen) but my understanding is that the role is an oddly flat person who can’t seem to express life or passion in her work. Sounds less like acting, more like extraordinary casting of a flat, lifeless actress playing a flat, lifeless dancer.

    Next up, Lindsay Lohan will be cast as a troubled drink and drug addicted painter with shitty parents and terrible driving skills.

  89. PatrickG says

    Improbable Joe: That pretty well sums it up. He stops short of calling for responding to the unrest with steely-eyed bomb attacks, but… woof, what a piece.

  90. Pteryxx says

    random – via fwtbc in Ophelia’s comments, another excellent article dissecting how *not* to run a welcoming convention, with emphasis on the importance of speaking out:

    http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/09/now-all-shouty/#comment-284361

    The latest excellent post of this nature I’ve seen was by Courtney Stanton (aka kirbybits) @ Super Opinionated

    http://superopinionated.com/2012/09/17/let-this-be-a-lesson/

    Some may remember her for writing a post about why she wasn’t going to attend or speak at PAX, due to Penny Arcade’s dismissive response to the Dickwolves criticism.

    From the article:

    The EveryConf organizer, who created an event full of juvenile sexual jokes to help people “connect”, knowingly invited a rape survivor to said event, and then let someone tell three minutes of detailed, vulgar, descriptive jokes about being raped by a man without doing anything about it, sought me out and told me he was really glad I said something. “I felt so uncomfortable when he was doing that, it was not okay at all”, said the man who invited everyone to EveryConf, was its emcee, and undoubtedly had the most authority of anyone in the room to define and enforce the boundaries of what was or was not acceptable behavior at his event.

    This is when I knew I would never be coming back to EveryConf, and that I’d be privately warning away anyone I knew and liked from attending.

  92. Beatrice says

    Improbable Joe,

    It’s been a long time since I’ve last watched Léon, but I suspect you might be right. I had similar thoughts about Black Swan, although I wasn’t nearly as impressed with it as most people.

  93. Rev. BigDumbChimp says

    Portman was IMNSHO horrible in the Star Wars movies but I loved her in the Professional and Black Swan wasn’t awful.

  94. birgerjohansson says

    Mock the Movie: Hercules transcript http://freethoughtblogs.com/lousycanuck/2012/09/15/mock-the-movie-hercules-transcript/
    BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

    — — — — — — — — —
    NB: This could be important:

    Misinformation: Report shows why it sticks and how to fix it http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-misinformation.html

    New processes for cost-efficient solar cell production http://phys.org/news/2012-09-cost-efficient-solar-cell-production.html
    — — — — — —
    HuffPo has an article about the effect of cannabidiol on certain cancers, but I won’t link to it until I can confirm it is a solid study.

  95. blf says

    Religious intolerance on the rise worldwide, says US report:

    Pew Research Centre report says the US and UK are among countries showing a worrying rise in religious discrimination

    Three-quarters of the world’s 7 billion population live in countries with high levels of government restriction on religion or where there exist serious “social hostilities” involving faith issues, according to researchers, with the US and the UK among countries showing a worrying rise in religious discrimination.

    A research project conducted by the US thinktank Pew Research Centre’s Forum on Religion and Public Life, whose findings were published on Thursday under the title The Rising Tide of Restrictions on Religion, identified a sharp rise in religious restrictions worldwide. It reports a staggering 6% increase in restrictions in the four years until 2010.
    …
    “During the period from mid-2009 to mid-2010,” the report’s authors note, “a number of the sources used in the study reported an increase in the number of incidents at the [USA] state and local level in which members of some religious groups faced restrictions on their ability to practice their faith.” These included “religious groups in the US [which had] faced difficulties in obtaining zoning permits to build or expand houses of worship, religious schools or other religious institutions.

    A more marked increase was recorded in the social hostilities index, moving the US from the lower end of the moderate range of hostilities to the upper end of the moderate range. This was largely driven by an increase in religion-related terrorist attacks in the year to mid-2010. The report also noted legislation by some states to ban “sharia law” or prevent the construction of mosques.
    …
    Commenting on the rise in the current survey for the UK on the “social hostility” index, lead researcher Brian Grim said it had been driven by a number of issues. “That included Christians voicing concern about being able to talk about their religion, a spike in anti-semitic incidents and also anti-Muslim sentiment. It also included concern about issues within the Muslim community itself and honour killings.” He added that in the period covered by the survey there had been an upsurge in sectarian tension in Northern Ireland which had since subsided.

  96. blf says

    Apple Maps service loses train stations, shrinks tower and creates new airport:

    Within minutes of the [initial launch of] Apple Maps, users were reporting that Paddington station had vanished, London had been relocated to Ontario, the Sears Tower in Chicago had shrunk, and Helsinki railway station had been turned into a park.

    Dublin, meanwhile, has been gifted a previously undiscovered airport. …

    Airfield, a 35-acre greenfield site with working farm, formal gardens and cafe, has been designated as an airport by the Apple database, which has labelled it with the aeroplane icon it uses for genuine aircraft landing spots.
    …
    Those searching for the Sears Tower in Chicago are shown a satellite image of a neighbouring, much smaller tower. The area covered by tracks and platforms at Helsinki railway station has been mistakenly coloured green, to resemble a park.

    Search for London, and the first location that appears is not London, England, but London in Ontario, Canada. One user who requested Paddington station was show Paddington street in London, with the mapping service unable to plant a pin on one of London’s main railway stations. Tokyo Station, one of the world’s largest train termini, has also disappeared.
    …
    In London, railway and tube stations are designated by identical icons, while public transport information for American cities that had been provided by Google’s service is no longer available.

    … Australian Business Traveller’s John Walton [warned]. “The only way that [Apple] Maps is an improvement is if you’re looking for an Apple Store.

    These are more prominently displayed than just about anything else in the cities where they appear.”

    No reports on whether or not it shows the possibly-sentient cider’s tunnel. The cider is made from apples. Well. mostly apples…

  98. says

    “That included Christians voicing concern about being able to talk about their religion, a spike in anti-semitic incidents and also anti-Muslim sentiment. It also included concern about issues within the Muslim community itself and honour killings.”

    We included both scraped knees and gang rape.

    ———————————-

    @PatrickG

    Ugh, Harris pisses me off so much he got me to get off my ass and actually blog. Pathetic of me I know

  100. dianne says

    Cheap amusement option for the day: Leah Libresco wrote a post about “science”. Watching a bunch of theologians discuss science is…strange.

  102. Beatrice says

    Heh, I’d never even heard of that woman before her conversion. Now, I occasionally go there to gape in horrified fascination.

  103. dianne says

    Ing, it is a little puzzling. Like the CWA founder who has a bicostal relationship with her husband while telling other women that they should stay home and serve their husbands. Yet she does and it has a trainwreck fascination for me. Already there’s been a person describing any cell with human DNA as a person (apparently not realizing that cancer cells have human DNA-at least if they’re human cancers) and a divorce=evil argument. Also a number of people claiming that contradictory evidence is proof that science doesn’t work. Whatever “work” means in this context.

  104. says

    Ing,

    I liked your blog post. I’m also sick and tired about this whole “bigot tokens” thing in the “community” at large. People think that you can say or do enough good things to earn tokens that can later be redeemed when you’re called out for saying and doing really shitty things. No number of good magic tricks or interesting episodes of Bullshit can buy Penn Jillette the right to say even a single “cunt” towards anyone. You can’t just say “but he’s one of the Four Horsemen!” or point at books you like to excuse Sam Harris and his sloppy thinking to justify bigotry.

  105. says

    How to be a shitty parent and an overall asshole: Do nothing when your precious boy beats up smaller kids, declare the end of the world when your big bully gets the short end of the stick once.
    So, yeah, the kids are probably going to end up as some of those losers who only have women on the internet to bully because the world outside has only very few jobs for adult bullies and they’re taken by the social class of Mitt Romney.

    Joe
    I well believe it.
    Is it possible for the vet to give them some light sedation just to calm them down?

    Re: Sam Harris
    You gotta love those armchair warriors who are totally willing to put the lives of other people on the line.
    Can somebody tell me what’s wrong about saying that you condem the message but support the right to say it?

  106. Stevarious says

    So Ed has an article about some bigots whining about marriage equality.

    The mental image that came into my mind with the conjunction of the concepts of ‘gay marriage’ and ‘slap Jesus in the face’ was two gay guys, who just got married, slapping Jesus in the face with their erect penises.

  108. cicely says

    Is there a movie Nicholas Cage was actually *good* in?

    I quite enjoyed Raising Arizona.
    –

    Tarragon anyone?
    Lovage?
    Oregano?
    Try killing them.

    I would not anticipate any difficulty. I would water them and nurture them and hug them and call them George…and they would drop their leaves and run!!!
    –

    I wish everyone here all the best for the future. Time to move on.

    If you feel that you must leave, then Fare Well.
    –

    Any penguin who fights for peas is completely — not mildly — demented. And is probably a horse in disguise.

    Either that, or has one serious case of Stockholm Syndrome.
    –
    Ogvorbis, welcome home!
    *beer*
    Sleep well.
    –

    The GP who saved my wife’s life […] was killed this weekend by a hit and run driver in Newport Beach, CA while she was cycling.

    :( :( :(
    I’m so sorry. *hugs*
    –
    Kirsten Dunst and Kristen Stewart. Their eyes…so dead…
    –
    Tree Lobsters! is made of Awesome.
    –

  110. cicely says

    I grant you that the rest of the package is attractive, but those dead eyes just put me right off her.
    –

  111. dianne says

    Fifty meter high rats? The mildly deranged penguin is not gonna be happy when she finds out — the forty-foot high killers are obnoxious enough.

    They’ve grown. Probably due to eating too many radioactive peas.

  112. Beatrice says

    I would sooner characterize her eyes as “secretly wicked” than dead, but that’s just my impression. I do agree about Kristen Stewart.

  118. Stevarious says

    Stevarious,

    I dare you to google that.

    I was expecting some amusing, NSFW results.

    :/

    Alas, I just got extremely sad ones. It seems that the google search algorithm seems to be designed so that even if you search for gay men, you get pictures featuring violence against women.

  121. Portia, Now With Improved Loudness and Feminaziism says

    Hekuni Cat, MQG

    Thanks for the hugs. I am bucking up and handling things.

    deborahbell

    Thanks for the idea about the roommate websites. I have used them before myself. I am relying partially on credit cards myself to get through this small patch, because I am also building my business. Thankfully two new opportunities came my way this week that will hopefully get me by and lead to more.

    Now I’m gonna try to catch up on the Lounge a little. Hope everyone’s well.

  125. says

    … a link to a very hilarious, but pervy and NSFW comic at The Onion…

    Does it make me a bad person that I’m thinking of organizing a Googlebomb for this one?

    I mean, just imagine it. Someone Googles this question:

    ‘What is heaven like?’

    … and finally, the internet, in its wisdom, can answer.

    (/No, really, I mean well. After all, it is an awfully ecumenical vision.)

  126. says

    Giliell, sedation is a good idea. We should get some to Sam Harris while we’re at it.

    You know, there’s a not very funny story about war mongering, Islamophobia, and your friend Joe. Come around 9/11/2001, I was THIS CLOSE to being done with my inactive reserve time. They started talking about calling people back to active duty, especially people with the skills that were in short demand. I remembered that five-figure bonus they offered me to reenlist, and I started getting pretty nervous. I started getting pissed off when America started in on its cowardly “we’ve got to wipe out all the Muslims” hysteria, when for damned sure when they said “we” 99.99% of the country meant “anyone but me and mine, someone else should do it.”

    So somebody is really going to have to get Sam Harris to explain to me how he gets to define “bravery” as being stupid and careless with other people’s lives in order to maintain the appearance of courage from a position of more or less complete safety. Someone in the Middle East criticizing Islam is brave and risking their own life. Sam Harris sitting in a Starbucks typing up his latest bigoted screed on his iDildo isn’t exactly displaying bravery nor does he have any ethical authority on the subject when he applauds others making bold statements that cost other people their lives.

  127. says

    Also, woohoo household fires! Trust me, for a dog sleeping on a pillow IS helping, compared to the other choice… the other choice being yipping/barking while jumping on you excitedly, which is what my dog does whenever something exciting happens.

  128. Beatrice says

    Someone in the Middle East criticizing Islam is brave and risking their own life. Sam Harris sitting in a Starbucks typing up his latest bigoted screed on his iDildo isn’t exactly displaying bravery nor does he have any ethical authority on the subject when he applauds others making bold statements that cost other people their lives.

    This.

    (Also, LOL at iDildo)

    I’m tired of people who are not in any way threatened by Muslims saying how they are showing Muslims that “they are not afraid”.

  129. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Rorschach: take care
    ****

    Lumping Kirsten Dunst with Kristen Stewart should be a crime. The latter is every bit as bad as Nicholas Cage.

    ****

    Can anyone recommend a good site that lists the reasons not to vote for Mitt Romney? I’d like to have somewhere to direct a friend of mine. As well, a good site about why one *should* vote for Obama instead (methinks this will be trickier).
    ****

    Ogvorbis:
    Welcome back.
    ****

    Chigau:
    Lovage?
    Chives are tasty. So is oregano. They cannot approach my herb of all herbs-rosemary. Such a splendid aroma and wonderful taste…
    ****

    If Mitt thinks 47% of Americans want to suck at the test of the govt, who does he envision being in the 53%?

  131. Beatrice says

    We planted chives next to basil and parsley, on the balcony. I’m not sure which one of the two killed it. I suspect basil.

    Chives in the garden, on the other hand, grow like crazy. We’ve already frozen lots. Warm bread with chives and sausage in winter. Mmmmm…

  132. says

    Kirsten Dunst I give a pass to, because I know she suffers from depression and I’m guessing when she looks “dead-eyed” she’s either medicated or faking being OK to get through the day. I’ve been both places, and I can sympathize.

  133. says

    Beatrice:

    I’m tired of people who are not in any way threatened by Muslims saying how they are showing Muslims that “they are not afraid”.

    Well, especially since they obviously ARE afraid. Afraid of some sort of straw-Muslim that has the almost supernatural ability to strike at them from anywhere, at any time, for no reason other than “they hate our freedoms!” and may be able to institute Sharia law in their home town by force of their magical Muslim powers!!!!! They are scared out of their fucking minds about mostly nonexistent threats, and the only answer they can come up with it to send other people to invade countries in the Middle East, strip the rights of Muslims where they live, and generally act like cowardly bullies. People who actually aren’t afraid of Muslims can take a deep breath and make rational judgments about appropriate actions. Cowards and bigots just want to hurt people to calm their fears for a moment or two.

  134. says

    @121 Portia Good luck with the business! Maybe you won’t have to have a roommate!

    Got an email today about my paystub being available online. Considering I quit my job as of 8/31 and already got paid for the last 2 weeks I worked on 9/5, I was surprised. Although the employee handbook says they don’t pay accrued vacation time when you quit unless state law requires it, and my state doesn’t, still I get paid tomorrow for 60 hours of vacation time. So yay for not having to dip into savings at all probably, since I start new job on Monday.

    Hopefully, that is, haven’t heard from them on details yet…

  136. says

    Portia, good luck with your business, and I hope you don’t have to get a roommate unless you really really want one. Bad roommates are 25% of all Judge Judy cases.

  137. says

    Share Steven Novella’s critique of the “GMO and Roundup cause cancer” study.

    Response from an Occupier: “Oh, Steven Novella is part of the 1%…”

    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGH YOU DID NOT ADDRESS THE CRITIQUE AT ALL.

    Seriously, fuck discussing GMOs with Occupy. It’s like a little religion for them.

  138. dianne says

    My little 9/11/01 story: In the academic year 2001-02, I was a fellow at New York University. Therefore, on 9/11/01, I went to Bellevue hospital to help with injuries. There were all sorts of interesting rumors flying around at that time, including one that the hospital would be attacked. I was less than thrilled at the idea, but thought it pretty low probability (as, indeed, it was.) At one point, I thought I might end up playing first responder when the real first responders (EMTs, firefighters, etc) got too exhausted to go on and might have-if the towers had collapsed 48 hours after the attacks instead of one hour, I might have been in one of them. I was also worried about a couple of friends who might be in the towers (they weren’t, mostly due to being late to work…I’ve been impossible to convince of the virtue of promptness since then.)

    But the only thing I was really scared of that day was the response. I was afraid Bush would find someone to nuke. I was afraid that there’d be lynchings. I was afraid we’d have even more anti-freedom laws passed than actually occurred. I was never seriously frightened by Islam or Muslims.

    Oh, and having seen the towers collapse, treated people injured in the attacks, and breathed the smoke for months afterwards…I’m unimpressed by bombs as a way to get things accomplished. I did not admire the terrorists and I don’t admire it when my own government does the same thing in Iraq, Afghanistan, or anywhere else in the world.

  140. cicely says

    Kirsten Dunst I give a pass to, because I know she suffers from depression and I’m guessing when she looks “dead-eyed” she’s either medicated or faking being OK to get through the day.

    I did not know that. A good extenuating circumstance…but I still find it off-putting.
    –
    Huzzah for Surprise Cash!
    –

  141. Beatrice says

    I quit my job as of 8/31 and already got paid for the last 2 weeks I worked on 9/5

    Cool.

    My contract ended on 7/15. I still haven’t gotten payed. Woman from accounting said yesterday that she hopes it will go through next week.
    —

    Good luck with the new job, deborahbell!

  142. says

    dianne,

    I’m SO with you on 9/11. I was in Nashville when it happened, and the next day I went to work in MOTHERFUCKING MAYBERRY, it was payday, and the mall and comic book shop were closed because of “terrorism.” From 9/12 I could tell that America had decided to be completely stupid over terrorism.

  143. dianne says

    Why does a mall in Nashville…never mind, I probably don’t want to know the reasoning.

    The events of 9/11/1973 were worse and more worthy of never being forgotten anyway.

  144. says

    @141 Beatrice That sucks!! Here’s hoping it does go through quickly. Mine was a regular job and we got paid the Friday of the week after each pay period ended, so it wasn’t anything extra special. I’m still a bit surprised about the vacation payout, though, since they specifically stated they wouldn’t pay it in states that don’t require it.

    @142 Joe I’ve always felt a little odd about my reaction to 9/11. I was a supervisor at a mass merchandiser, at work that day, and I remember cashiers and other employees demanding radios to listen to the news all morning, acting like asking them to do their job on such a day was a real surprise. I wasn’t so emotionally upset by the situation, not so surprised that such a thing could happen. I also remember the long lines at the gas stations, everyone afraid after that one last fillup we wouldn’t get any more gas for a long time.

  145. Sili says

    … Australian Business Traveller’s John Walton [warned]. “The only way that [Apple] Maps is an improvement is if you’re looking for an Apple Store.

    But why would you want to look for Paddington Station?

    /standard Apple response

  146. says

    Dianne, I wasn’t clear. 9/11 I was in Nashville travelling to Mayberry. At least Nashville has lots of people. Mayberry? Not so much.

    deborahbell, you were “odd” only in that you were the only person making sense that day, especially if you weren’t within 100 miles of any of the attacks. More people die in tsunamis, and nobody 1000 miles away expects a day off.

  147. Stevarious says

    The events of 9/11/1973 were worse and more worthy of never being forgotten anyway.

    Oh, didn’t you know? Uhmurkin lives are worth the lives of ten furriners. 100 if they have brown skin. Do the math!

    /awful

    Thanks to my American education, I never learned about that in school. In fact, I only learned about it when I saw an article about it in, hmmm, 2009, right around 9/11 that year. I find it very unlikely that anything resembling a significant percentage of Americans have ever HEARD of Pinochet.

  148. dianne says

    Improbable Joe: For some reason, my brain jumped to the assumption that Mayberry was a neighborhood in Nashville. Not sure where I got that one.

  149. Portia, Now With Improved Loudness and Feminaziism says

    Improbable Joe

    plus sign-on bonus

    Yay! I hope it goes well.

    Bad roommates are 25% of all Judge Judy cases.

    Ha! Ain’t that the truth. Thanks for the well wishes. I’m hoping I can just do well enough that the knot in my stomach isn’t quite so perpetual. (I know you can relate).

    Caine

    Pirate ducky looks amazing!

    Ogvorbis

    Glad you’ve made it back safely.

    McC2lhu

    So sorry for the loss.

    deborahbell

    That’s awesome! Unexpected pay is always nice. Good luck with your new job. And thanks for the encouragement : )

    ________
    Tomorrow I’m receiving my professional license for the neighboring state (which I can literally see from my back porch–hold your Palin jokes please) so that should drastically increase my potential client base and hopefully expand my business even more. I am forcing myself to be optimistic.

    ________

    Anyone know anything about washing machine repair? Specifically, what would cause one to leak?

    ________

    Re: Kristen Stewart; I think she gets a bad rap in part because she doesn’t smile on command for photographers like women are expected to do. Not that I think her acting is stellar, but I do think she gets more grief than she rightfully deserves.

  150. Beatrice says

    Re: Kristen Stewart; I think she gets a bad rap in part because she doesn’t smile on command for photographers like women are expected to do.

    Your argument has merit.

    Hmm

  151. Portia, Now With Improved Loudness and Feminaziism says

    deborahbell

    I’ve read back far enough to see you were also fundagelically homeschooled! I bookmarked your comment to save everyone’s recommendations for future reference when I have the time to make up for my own gaps in sciencey knowledge brought on by the Gawdiness of my biology classes in high school.

  152. cm's changeable moniker says

    Setár @#671:

    -facedesk-

    Why am I having to state that the US government retains the Constitutional right to coin money, and that the Federal Reserve is authorized to do so by Congress?

    Because you didn’t do the assigned reading?

    (I responded in that thread.)

  155. Beatrice says

    There are freaking pictures. The guy is holding a stick.
    Some children seem to have partially wet clothes so I wonder what else was part of this “initiation”.

    *horrified*

  157. Beatrice says

    I’ll just go over to cuteoverload for awhile. Need something nice to be the last thing I see before going to bed, instead of… that.

    I should have gone with “Seriously, NO” the moment I saw the title.

  158. says

    Beatrice, good call.

    Speaking of going to bed, I had a “nightmare” last night. Something something and then my wife said “They said something to me at work this morning” and the anticipation of the possible horror was so bad that it woke me up and kept me up for a couple of hours.

  159. Beatrice says

    Oh, it’s terrible when you’re so stressed about something that it creeps even into your dreams.

  160. Beatrice says

    And now that I’ve watched a video of a cute labrador puppy dreaming of running I can go to sleep myself.

    Good night, Joe. It seems you’re on your own here now.

  161. Portia, Now With Improved Loudness and Feminaziism says

    Night Beatrice. I’m home sick just one time zone behind Joe so I’m still here.

  167. Portia, Now With Improved Loudness and Feminaziism says

    Just got a free washer from a facebook friend! *happy dance*

    what’s yer poison, Joe?

  168. says

    Portia,

    Tonight I’m drinking Red Hook variety pack. I’ve choked down the Pilsner, finished off the IPA, working on the ESB, and saving the Copper Hook for last. After that, if I’m conscious, I’m going to drink the leftovers from the Sam Adams variety pack I bought last week.

    I’m a fan of variety packs. I’ve probably tried 100 new beers in the last year because of variety packs.

  169. Portia, Now With Improved Loudness and Feminaziism says

    Great strategy. I’m a fan of variety packs myself. Except for the part where I have to actually “choke down” things like IPA. But Copper Hook sounds delicious…amber ale is my favorite beer.

  172. says

    Portia, it was the pilsner I choked down. It isn’t “bad” by any standard except in comparison to the normal stuff I drink. I’ve drank enough PBR and Stroh’s, not to mention Bud and Miller, that I know bad from really bad. I also tend to be really picky when an expensive beer isn’t better than a cheap beer. Stroh’s in the bottle is pretty cheap, and is better than a Budweiser. Pabst Blue Ribbon on tab isn’t any worse than Coors or Miller and comes a whole lot cheaper.

    But then there’s a whole lot of smaller brewery stuff that is crap. There’s Starr Hill in Virginia, which makes one good beer(called Lucy, like one of my cats!) and a whole lot of swill that makes me miss Coors Extra Gold, which I could get on Camp Lejeune back in the 1990s for $10 per 30-pack. On the other hand, if you ever see a Saranac variety pack on the shelf, snatch that up fast-like. Almost everything they make is smooth and tasty, and can be had for pretty cheap.

  173. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Dang, had the Lilac Berets interested in “liberating” the Rev. BDC brownies until they remembered his Huskies. Then nothing doing. Well, I’ll just have to send him some grog. *Loads trebuchet*

  174. says

    Sigh. The older kid is fitting in so well and doing so much better dealing with conflict in his second year of middle school; the levels of overtly sexist peer programming surrounding the younger kid seem to be dropping off now that she’s in third grade. I thought the school situation seemed too good to be true. Now she is describing incidents that sound a lot like being targeted for her lack of belief in god(s), and after his piss poor showing when the older kid was picked on a few years back I can’t imagine the principal is going to be very responsive to it.

    Fucking Christians and their fucking brainwashed sprogs.

  177. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Joe:
    It sounds like you would love World of Beer. We just had a location open earlier this year. They have upwards of 500 beers. Many of which are of high alcohol content.

    ****

    And those pics are disturbing. Just…no. I don’t care if no laws were violated. Given the RCCs involvement in child rape and molestation, something like _licking whipped cream off the knee of a pastor_ should raise serious red flags.

  178. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Stevarious:
    I understand completely. I dislike beer with the passion of a million collapsing stars.

  180. Stevarious says

    Not for lack of trying. I tried to like beer for years, because all my friends drank beer and my brother is like a connoisseur of rare beers and is always buying weird beers for me to try. (“This beer is magical, it’s like drinking pure magical delicious ambrosia!” “This beer has honey in it, it’s like the easiest beer in the world to like!” “This beer has fucking chocolate in it, you better like this or else!” “This beer has your fucking name on it, I don’t even care if you like it you have to take it and drink it.” – this one is still in my fridge, though after two years it’s probably undrinkable and it was pretty fucking horrible when it was fresh.)

    It’s all very frustrating because I know that so many people would just die to have so much free excellent beer thrust their way but I have just never drunk a beer that was better than “I guess if I HAD to drink it I would, like if it was the only thing to drink.”

  181. The Laughing Coyote (Canis Sativa) says

    Hell Stevarious, maybe I should start pretending I don’t like beer.

    Beer? Can’t stand the stuff. It’s so carbonated. And yeasty… and hoppy… and… and…

    *Homer Drool*

  186. says

    Stevarious,

    Might want to do a couple of shots of other things, and then rum second from last. You do 3 shots, a shot of rum, and then one more shot. Then you say “the one right before the last one, what was that? I think I liked that?” Then you get another of that rum, and you say something like “I like that, but is there one that is similar but has a little more/less flavor?” and pretty soon you’ve gotten 7-8 free shots!

  187. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    Aaaaaaaaaaand today Ing and Ingdog learn about putting out household fires! YAY!

    Easy. If the fire is in the kitchen, you go and set fire to the couch.

    What? Backfires work great for wildland fires.

    Glad you’ve made it back safely.

    All, thanks for the welcome back.

    Weird town.

    I’ll add some details later.

    This one, though, I felt very proud of.

    During one of our security meetings (daily), one of the local residents was mentioned (basically, is this person giving every fire vehicle the finger and screaming at them a danger?). This individual is, by plumbing, male, but identifies as female and dresses as a female. A couple of the SEc1s and SEC2s referred to the individual, a man dressed as a woman, as either ‘a he/she’ or, even worse, ‘it.’ I objected to the use of both epithets, saying that they both dehumanized the person and objectified her, both of which can be used to justify violence, intimidation, or discrimination. I stated, “If that person identifies as female, the proper pronoun to use is ‘she.’ Anything else is an insult.”

    Dead silence. For a good five count, no one said a word. One of the LEOs (Law Enforcement Officer (an SEc1)), a really conservative guy from the mid south, said, “Damn. Never thought of it that way. Sorry. I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

    A few days later, an SEC2 (ex-LEO who went into fire management and was waiting for some paperwork before becoming an SEC1 again) thanked me. She said that it was irking her but she had no idea why is was disturbing her, or what to do about it.

    Made me feel good. Not why I said it, but I felt good that at least two people in that group may start to think about gender identity.

    Anyone know anything about washing machine repair? Specifically, what would cause one to leak?

    A hole in the water retention system.

    Schoolchildren ‘Licked Cream Off Polish Catholic Priest Father Marcin Kozyra’s Legs’ In Initiation Ceremony

    What the fuck is wrong with people?

    Tonight I’m drinking Red Hook variety pack. I’ve choked down the Pilsner, finished off the IPA, working on the ESB, and saving the Copper Hook for last.

    Drinking an Ommegag Dubbel right now.

  190. Tony •King of the Hellmouth• says

    Ogvorbis:
    That is so awesome. I hope the seed you planted in those people takes root and blossoms. It’s wonderful to hear stories of how people started to change their minds, or consider the feelings of others.

  191. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    WHY THE FUCK IS JOHNNY DEPP IN THE 21 JUMP STREET MOVIE?!?!?!

    They paid him?

  192. trinioler says

    Health advice: Does… anyone know anything about… not sure what the hell it is, and I don’t want to make assumptions.

    Okay, earlier, I started feeling weak, the kind I know is associated with low-blood sugar for me. Happens sometimes.

    This time it was accompanied by a prolonged period of quivering or tremors. Not sure how to describe it.

    I’m… still having them, but not as bad as they were earlier at work. Its definitely not low blood-sugar anymore.

    I felt like my arms and body were jelly and being shaken.

    It felt… like I was relieving pressure if I let my arms or body flail.

    Right now, it seems to be confined to my hands and arms, and sometimes my shoulder. I feel what seem to be shivers…

    Mostly its just a kind of fizzing low-level pain in the joints of my hand right now.

    What the fuck is happening to me?

  193. says

    trinioler,

    If you can afford it, I would suggest a doctor. It could be a low blood sugar thing, or it could be low blood sugar as a symptom of a bigger problem, or it could be something completely unrelated and waiting to see a doctor could mean the difference between life and death.