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Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
This is the lounge. You can discuss anything you want, but you will do it kindly.
Status: Heavily Moderated; Previous thread
Lynna #498
Do you have any idea why those photos were taken in the first place?
Was the photographer a Mormon?
Was there a Mormon supervisor in the room when the photos were taken?
Why not FixTheProblem™ at the source?
oh
and
Page 2!
Short but cool video showing the power of the sun.
5. Earth’s. Wide.
O,o
Wow!
http://sploid.gizmodo.com/these-grown-women-are-about-to-see-their-own-vaginas-fo-1583732505
I began watching the video, with one question on my mind-how does a woman reach adulthood without ever seeing her vulva? Each woman provides an answer for that question (the answers from two of the women made me angry–not at them).
I like how one woman said “it looks like a turnover”.
****
I wonder if that workaround would actually hold up.
I just made myself a lovely dinner (leftover polenta cake fried up with a scrambled egg and cheese, edamame succotash, and steamed broccoli) because I forgot I had decided to be lazy and do takeout pizza. I even went to the store to get the broccoli. I had settled on pizza less than an hour before and only realized my “mistake” when I was carrying my full plate to the table. How the fuck is it even possible to forget to be lazy? (And how can I make myself forget that more often?)
A. Noyd:
Edamame succotash? Interesting.
@Tony (#506)
I didn’t think it up or anything, it was in the frozen veggies section. Pretty tasty, though.
Salut!
I picked up that rq’s littlest had a birthday (happy birthday!) and… ok, that’s all.
I hope everyone is doing well.
How to sell ricin…
Finally! A
politicianscumbag willing to take on Teh Mence of Teh Horse, Bill de Blasio takes on Teamsters and Liam Neeson as he tries to ban New York’s horse carriages: “[New York City] mayor’s stand on animal welfare is facing heavyweight opposition – but he won’t back down”.It is unfortunate he has to present this as an “animal welfare” issue. It’s a “survival of humans” issue. (Albeit, put that way, perhaps he does have it not-quite-correct… ?)
Unfortunately, no peas have been harmed. Or even threatened.
(May contain boring boars boring a bore.)
Happy birthday to the little half-rq! :)
Today is the last day of Television Without Pity. I am surprisingly emotional about the passing of a web site, but jeez, I’ve been there since 2005. That was before twitter, before facebook, before even Pharyngula. I don’t know how to watch tv without snarking about it online. There are other sites, including another one set up by the same founders, but it’s not the same. None are as extensive. I’m sad. :(
Can I raise an itsy-bitsy US-Horde signal, mainly to the other crafty people?
Could you please, the next time you’re at a fabric store or your favourite online dealer anyway, check for me how much these needles cost:
Organ Titanium Ball Point Embroidery 75/10
And, if the price is worth the trouble, get some for me and send them hither?
Welcome home, beatrice
Rawnaeris and JAL
Well, there is some suction with the cup, especially when removing it, but I’m wondering how that is worse than, say, a penis thrusting in and out for 20 minutes…
The Grauniad is being overcomplicated again, Our 10 best parmesan recipes: “Finely grated or thinly shaved, a generous fistful of this Italian hard cheese takes a simple artichoke salad, cured beef or noodle dishes into territory all of their own”.
Yes, but so does a generous cargo lorry fleet-full, especially if you omit the artichokes, salads, meats, and noodles. Or so would squawk the mildly deranged penguin, if she wasn’t, er, somewhere / somethinging…
For particularly intractable balls of yarn, I recommend the Middle Earth Flaming Dragon “Thermolance” Embroidery tools.
Giliell are these the right ones?
Oh and
I got nothin’.
Rawnaeris
No, those are sharp needles. I need ballpoint ones for jersey. Using regular jersey needles for embroidery is sub-optimal, using sharp needles means holes in the fabric.
Not a problem with “Thermolance” needles: The business end is adjustable, with settings including weld, incinerate, and boring boring (do not use on boars). For boars, you want first defensive flamethrower, followed by either barbecue or slow roast.
Right Wing Watch link.
Someone has decided to test this latest ploy by christians to prove their inability to accept gay faces on postage stamps.
From the comments associated with The Wire link in #519:
chigau @501
Good questions, all. I looked around a bit but couldn’t find answers to most of your questions.
It seems that, in general, photographers for high school yearbooks set up a studio somewhere in the school and the students line up for the photos. However, I don’t know if that was the case here.
The high school itself is in a mormon-dominated area, but is not, nominally at least, a “mormon” school. It is a public high school. The school does have a dress code and most of the girls thought they were complying. Some knew they were pushing the envelope, but having bare shoulders should not be a sin for high school girls.
Don’t know if the photographer was mormon.
Seems the school failed to supervise the photo-taking procedure, though some reminder signs were posted.
Editing of photos was done haphazardly. Some faint beginnings of cleavage removed, others not. Some bare shoulders covered, others not. There’s a dress code for boys too, but no photos of males were altered, including some that revealed bare chests, muscle shirt styles, or shorts that did not reach the knees.
Within populations where mormons are dominant, they are even more dominant on school broads, education-related committees, etc. There’s no escaping their shame-young-women agenda.
Former ‘comfort women’ demand apology from Japan http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/31/former-comfort-women-demand-apology-from-japan/
One more note on the Harvey Milk postage stamps, they are “Forever stamps,” meaning that you can buy them now and continue to use them “forever,” even if U.S. postage prices go up.
Lynna #521
Thanks.
I had assumed it was a mormon school, so I was puzzled about how the photos were even taken.
Hey! Modern technology is in-use behind the zion curtain. There are even daguerreotypes (carefully exorcised of all demons), and you can’t get more modern than that.
chigau @524, the story gets worse when you look at the details. For example, the yearbook had a “studs” page which featured boys being sexy (well, a teenage boy version of sexy), a version that included quite a bit of bare skin.
How can you have a “studs” page for boys and still be photoshopping sleeves over the bare shoulders of girls? This doesn’t just scream “double standard,” it also shouts “rape culture.”
I was thinking along the same line. And from what I found, it seems improper removal (not breaking the seal first) causes the dislodging.
Either way, I can get the IUD issue fixed, if it ever comes up. I need a new one in a few years and getting that replaced, good for another 10 years, would be awesome while I have the chance. But the tampon issue remains without the cup.
That offer to get me one is amazing. I seriously cried with relief and joy after reading that. It’s like the story about the boots people tell to illustrate how it’s easier to keep money when you have it since you can get better quality stuff. I’m so happy for that offer. I’m dealing with free flowing right now and omfg it’s awful. I already dealing with cramps and back aches and my homemade heating pad broke but we’re eating the rice we have so I can’t use it to make another and….ugghhhh. But asking for money for tampons seems silly considering all you guys have done. We don’t need more financial help right now, but with how our life goes we might need it tomorrow.
Just, thank you. Thank you so much.
Link for #526: http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/58007750-219/yearbook-dress-girls-code.html.csp
about Milk stamps, #519:
Well, that’s one way to test their anti-gay resolve.
Me, I wish we still used stamps that needed to be dampened. I’d donate $50 worth of stamps to an anti-gay org that was still small enough to use stamps and not a postage meter.
I’d get myself on the mailing list and wait to see if they were willing to lick Milk’s backside to put out their message.
Ah, but it will never happen, though.
@Lynna, #526:
You’re the expert in this area, but permit me to try out my primitive translation skills. Mormon for this would be:
From the Readers Comments below one of the Salt Lake Tribune articles about photoshopping the yearbook images of female students:
You know what’s creepy?
Being the only visitor at the zoo (or being one of maybe five visitors, but not noticing the others until you feel like in a horror movie setting).
Although, that’s an even better movie setting.
While you’re approaching the zoo, you can hear half a zillion tiny voices yelling at each other. The first graders are visiting at the same time you are.
Oh joy.
As you enter, little colorful bundles run past you, getting lost, yelled at by the teachers and needing the bathroom right before leaving time.
Because yes, you’re lucky, they are just leaving.
As you’re looking around, leaving the sounds of the stampede behind (Yellows, you can go now. Marko, where’s Marko? You’re green!! Get back and wait with the other group! Is Anita still in the toilets?), the sudden tranquility makes you shudder a bit.
There are no human sounds.
You’re the only one. There’s a monkey screeching somewhere. Parrots are trying to leave you deaf. That wolf may be behind bars, but he’s looking at you way too calmly. Like he knows something you don’t.
That emu is looking at you strangely too. Can’t fly, my ass. The fucker looks like it’s going to realize it can fly after all just about now. Or at least flop enough to get over that awfully low fence.
It’s like Night at the museum except you’re not Ben Stiller and there’s no amusing historical characters to help you out when shit hits the fan.
But there are monkeys. *gulp*
This is like a horror movie scenario. I’m a couple of minutes from a zoo keeper with a leather mask dragging me somewhere and [some unimaginably painful time later] feeding my remains to the wolves.
Did I say remains? I meant my screaming, unfortunately fully conscious self.
And then, I can’t believe it, but there are people I can see on a path somewhere besides the giraffes. A couple with a little kid.
Nothing says serial killers ready to throw your body to the wolves less than a young couple with a little kid.
But then the realization comes: no, me alone in the zoo wasn’t the horror movies setting.
This is.
Unlucky strangers, thrown into a situation where their worst nightmares of being dive-bombed by mosquitoes come true. Will they be able to work together? Who will survive?
Do they all feel as stupid while flapping around, trying to get the mosquitoes off, as I feel?
…
Anyway.
It’s an ok zoo. Some animals definitely need more space. Like poor bears.
And they put deers right next to the wolves. That’s one hell of a mindfuck.
I’ll probably visit again, on my next trip there.
beatrice, can i ask where this was? Great description. I wish my synthesis abilities in my non-natives were as good as yours! :)
Crip Dyke @530, [laughs], yes, I think you are right.
I think the culture of superior Aaronic G’s supports rape culture — without intending to do so.
Lynna, you’re more optimistic than I am. I think if they believed rape culture existed, they’d just decide that was God’s plan, and it would be Wrong to question His (sic) mysterious ways. Ineffability is kind of more a guy thing, so we wouldn’t understand.
Here’s a bad joke from the ex-mormon lexicon:
Q: What do you get when you cross LDS with LSD?
A: A high priest
Yes, I laughed. I am easily amused.
CaitieCat,
in Osijek.
After working all day, I had just enough time to visit the zoo before closing time and scare myself with morbid fantasies. :)
Really was very well-written, almost literary. :)
I agree, I was delightfully creeped out. It was a great read, Beatrice:)
–
I’m recovering from a hangover. I’m milking it to avoid cleaning the house. Ginger ale and oyster crackers ftw.
The Ohio Christian Alliance really doesn’t want college students to vote in the midterm elections (too many Democratic Party supporters among those college students).
Twinsburg Bulletin link.
Yeah, I’ll cop to being more optimistic than my surroundings deserve. You think I post mostly morose stuff now? If I were appropriately tuned in to the local culture (minus undue optimism), I think PZ might ban have to ban me for persistent malaise, or something like that.
I’m going to a horse show today. Gonna check out the enemy being ridden by mostly mormon overlords.
That sounds like a Doctor Who plot…
The scene: Outdoors at a zoo. A Tourist, earnestly pretending to read the informational signs in a foreign language. A young couple, with a small kid, approaches…
Lady with child: “Excuse me, do you know where the dinasours are?”
Tourist: “Hello. Well, there may be a fossil exhibition here someplace, but basically, no, I don’t know where. Sorry.”
Lady: “Oh! You’re not from around here, are you? Where are you from, if I may ask?”
Tourist: “Yes, I’m on holiday.”
Man: “Welcome! What do you think of our little zoo?”
Tourist: “Well, the animals look well cared-for, but I am surprised there are so few visitors.”
Child: “That’s cuz the dinos ate ’em!”
Lady, laughing: “Now, now, didn’t I tell you to stop doing, er, saying, that?” She looks up at the Tourist with a very toothy grin. The teeth are sharp and long.
The Tourist, startled, tries to slowly back away, but is quickly trapped by the safety railing. There is a muted popping sound.
“Dooon’t woooory, it’ssssss oooooovvvvvveer veeeeery quuuuuicklyyyy,” hisses a raptor, dressed in the fragments of the man’s clothing.
“And being scared ruins the taste!”, yells the now-raptor–child, as the theme music begins…
Thank you.
I’m learning to believe people when they say something nice about me or something I do, so I’m glad you liked what I wrote.
That can be really hard to di, Beatrice. Yay you! And yes, I definitely meant it. And specifically, I would call that good writing if I had done it myself; I explicitly do NOT mean ‘good for ESL’.
@Portia:
Real ginger ale? Or that canada dry stuff that has no actual ginger root in it?
CD:
*shifty eyes*
ahem
Fauxger-ale?
well, at least you got the oyster crackers right.
blf,
… and the Doctor commits genocide, murdering even the Revolutionaries who are trying to convince their fellow raptors that vegetarian is the way to go.
Of course, Revolutionaries agreed to sacrifice themselves, but there really wasn’t much of a choice once the planet was burning.
Because, humans! Doctor loves humans.
/bitter, thinking how the show has gone stale lately
eSports league?
Oh, English second language… I’m a bit slow today.
I have no idea where Portia is, but presuming it’s behind the zion curtain, then it’s probably desiccated atheist squeezings with pea juice.
Try new Fauxger’s Fresh-Roasted Instant Ginger Ale! Just add water and ginger ale.
The best part of throwing up, is Fauxger’s in your cup!
I laughed painfully hard.
Very appropriately creepy, Beatrice. I’d love to visit the zoo and have the place to myself, but now I think it would be an unnerving experience … O.O
(also I particularly like the bit about the kids just leaving)
Gov. Nikki Haley has been asked to put an end to Black Bike Week:
(bolding mine)
The article delves into some of the racist history of the area and also mentions that large crowds of people (no matter who they are) will attract law abiding citizens, as well as those who aren’t. It also mentions that some of the conduct on big game days at Clemson is not measurably different than Black Biker Week, yet fails to garner the same reaction (Grizzard, the writer of the article, wasn’t making an argument for or against Black Biker Week. Rather, the article discusses the strong possibility of racism as a ((the?)) motivating factor in Gov. Haley’s desire to stop the celebration). The only question I have is why there was no mention of what problems occurred with the *other* Biker week-the one weeks prior to BBW, and comprised largely of white people. If no attempts to shut them down are made, (large group of people with *no* problems? Uh uh…) then racism as a motivating factor in the opposition to BBW becomes almost undeniable.
*real* ginger ale? Bah…it’s all ginger ale. And it’s all good :)
Oyster crackers though…? Shudder. Surely they don’t taste like oysters…right? brrrrr…heeby jeebies…
Tony:
I agree, it is all good:) Ginger beer is tangier and spicier, but ginger ale will do in a pinch:)
Oyster crackers are basically tiny, octagonal saltines
blf,
You’re missing eau de cheval somewhere in there.
I think I’ll go for Gin Tonic
beatrice
Hehe, nothink can freak you out like your own braink
JAL
The offer is serious, really, just let me know how much you need.
And yes, those things save a lot of money. I haven’t spent a penny on female hygene products except water and electricity in years…
Dinasours.
That is all.
Speaking of dinasours, there’s a creationist all over the ScienceBlogs version of Pharyngula. He’s very loud and very angry, and just had a meltdown!
Due to crank magnetism, he throws around misogynist, ableist and racist insults at random. It’s sort of heart-warmingly quaint to be called a mongrel, and to turn around and see that PZ has been deemed worthy of the same designation. :-}
Ginger is good. Fresh, pickled, candied, all good.
Ale is good. All hail ale!
Ginger ale? Bleach.
Er, ‘Bleach’ should be ‘Blecch!’ Sorry.
It’s almost as bad as bleach?
It would go down better with bleach?
—-
I have never tried ginger ale, but Schweppes has just started marketing/selling it here. Worth a try.
I adore ginger ale. Schweppes has a raspberry flavored one that is lovely as a thirst quencher.
I do like ginger beer, which is basically ginger ale but a little more spicy (no actual alcohol involved).
Schweppes is evil. All hail Canada Dry!
@rq:
I had noticed the dinasours. Laughed a lot myself.
Off to bed, could someone please slap barbaz with a monitor warning if he stays on the trajectory (Rebecca, elevators)?
Crip Dyke,
I’m sorry I joined the conversation about creeps, I hope I didn’t add to the transphobic narrative, but I’m not sure.
That is not a refreshment / drink / beverage / draincleaner, that is an abomination!
────────────────────────────────
That’s why having a better idea of where Portia is can matter: In some areas, eau de cheval is used as a mixer for the pea juice, in other areas, it’s used to wash the insulted serving canisters, in yet other areas (fortunately few) it is used instead of pea juice, and I’ve heard that some areas dose the atheists in it first (it’s not clear if this is before or after they are nailed to a T-shaped desiccation device…).
────────────────────────────────
If the above makes more sense than usual, I apologise. I just returned from a serious La Cuvée des Trolls session……
…(slides not-so-gently to the floor, giggling…)
────────────────────────────────
(Unfortunately, no peas or horses were known to he harmed during the making of this comment.)
@Beatrice:
Your heart is clearly in the right place.
As for analyzing your comment, Tony! was right that part of the point of *not* going into analysis was to let other people develop their skills and instincts. I think the very fact that you asked me is, while on one level simply respectful and responding to my posts here, a form of conceding to expertise. I don’t want to be the expert. I don’t want to do it all. I want an army of people all equally well equipped to fight racism and sexism and classism and ableism and religious oppression and heterosexism and cissexism.
Plus, it makes me misanthropic. This way I don’t hold back and blow up. I just drop a link and things get dealt with. People don’t say the same things I would say, but that’s **good**. They aren’t parroting anyone. They’re using their own brains and skills, and everyone is learning critical thinking instead of a list of things to do/not do or say/not say.
That’s not meant to sound condescending, because generally we’re a good group a critical thinking. It’s just that when a topic is new to us, it’s very hard to engage critical thinking. We’re too uncertain of the ground to pay attention to the steps of the dance. I want to have everyone as familiar with the ground as I am, then y’all can use the same critical tools that have served you so well in so many other contexts.
insulted serving canisters?
Well, yes, it is important to be polite to your glass, whether or not it contains eau de cheval, ginger ale, pea juice, Cuvée des Trolls, or something you don’t recall ordering and is bubbling, blowing green steam (or at least what you desperately hope is steam), and smells like a sick anteater.
Some of those refreshments / drinks / beverages / draincleaners require an insulated serving canister.
Crip Dyke says:
It doesn’t sound condescending at all. I still get tripped up during discussion on subjects I am unfamiliar with.
Btw, my appreciation and respect for you has long been quite high. It’s higher now.
House Republicans are famous, or infamous, for passing legislation that hurts the working class, and for voting against legislation that would help workers. Here’s a recent example:
Daily Kos link.
Get that? A documented record of wage theft does not disqualify a company from getting federal government contracts — not in the minds of Republicans anyway.
It’s not climate change folks. All those indicators that you think point to climate change, well they are really signs of the End Times. Jesus is coming!
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/hagee-it-not-climate-change-its-imminent-return-jesus-christ
But the climate isn’t changing due to GHGs, et al., it’s just the Universe suffering from a combination of withdrawal symptoms due to the continuing disappearance of the mildly deranged penguin, plus a corresponding excess of cheese.
This is perfectly normal.
When she returns, wobbliness will be restored. The surplus cheese will be eaten, and the climate will result its catastrophic adventures. Even more unfortunately, peas will continue to be a menace.
will resume…
Spider Saga Part 3: They’re Gone!
Yeah, that’s right. Spiders, plural. There were two of the bloody things, different kinds, even.
I haven’t seen either one in days now.
Apparently, in the process of shoving the broom bristles under the molding trying to scare them out, the spiders were killed.
I’m okay with that.
WMDKitty:
I hope you don’t have a round 4.
Local freethinkers group has a gaming event every month.
Sometimes we split into several subgroups for different games, sometimes we all play one game, depends on what people brought, what the game store has to lend out, and how many people we have.
Played Elder Sign first, a cooperative non collectible card game based on the Cthulu Mythos. We had to keep Cthulu himself from awakening, or somehow beat him if he did awaken. One thing is that depending on the cards on the board, certain things might happen at midnight. One we dealt with, or rather, didn’t, was loss of 2 stamina to everyone. None of us had a chance to heal before this went off. There was a sense of impending dread, 4 of the 5 of us bought it that turn and had to start new characters. And of course, the more death, the closer Cthulu gets to awakening. With a couple risky go for broke gambits, we barely managed to keep Cthulu asleep.
Then Illuminati. NSA, if you are reading this, this is a game and not at all real. I had a plan set up for one turn that stood a really good chance of giving me the game. I rolled an 11 to control Cycle Gangs, which would have let me take out one of the directly controlled groups someone else had(removing two more from their control), and then quickly wreck everything in sight and win as Servants of Cthulu(destroy groups rathe rthan control). 11 is auto fail. I did, however, manage to destroy the Pentagon(again, NSA, JUST A GAME).
http://www.iflscience.com/environment/first-known-mass-extinction-may-have-been-caused-huge-volcanic-eruptions-australia
____
http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/huge-meta-study-vaccines-reveals-no-link-autism#MY7eIfxmx4RpDz8o.99
Anyone surprised?
WMDKitty:
Hooray!
–
JAL-
I make sincere offer of help as well. *hugs*
–
re: menstrual cramps (I know I’m late to the pain party) – I had been having those up-all-night “holy shit what’s going on in there are my ovaries having a deathmatch with each other?” cramps. Then I got the depo shot. I’ve had one period since then, and it was “What’s that vague sensation? Is it cramps? Nah. Couldn’t be. ….Oh, it was. Huh.” Obvs depo isn’t for everyone but so far I am very pleased.
Mmm, I forgot how much I like homemade split pea soup. (Heresy, I know.) And simple to make, too, even if it took 3 times as long as the package of peas suggested for them to get anywhere near the appropriate level of softness.
A. Noyd:
That’s one of my childhood favorites. My mom makes it with little bits of ham. Mmmmmm. Salty and delicious.
Aaaaaggghhh! PEAS! Run!!!
Flee from the righteous fury of the Pea Platoon.
Also, shallots are a magical food. They come in cloves just the right size if you’re cooking for only one person.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Portia (#583)
I was going to add some fancy smoked beef hotdog but forgot. I used a really nice white wine, though, so it’s plenty tasty for something accidentally vegan. (Nothing against vegan food, but you can kill the flavor of a dish if you were planning to make it with meat.)
Oh I love shallots. I hadn’t thought of their size convenience. I’m usually too cheap to buy them, anyway, ha. I did just get a haul of produce, though. I’m excited to have salads for lunch all week.
I see what you mean about planning to have meat in it – could go awry. I’m glad yours turned out tastily:)
–
I broke a glass from my favorite set, retro striped things. And a piece found its way to my foot. Small piece, thankfully. Grumpgrumpgrump.
Although a lot of the flavor “of meat” is really from the seasonings and such, so it’s easier to make up for than you might think.
*hopping aboard the Thread as it flies by*
Evenin’, all.
*hugstorm*
–
Well, Tony!, it’s kinda inconveniently placed….
:P
–
Seeing as how we seem to be discussing boars (I’m not sure I want to ask…), the GM for our on-going Savage Worlds LOTR campaign has introduced the boarc: the unholy fusion of a monstrous-huge boar with an uruk (think ‘centaur’, only without the charm, but with extra tusks). I’m assuming that they are one of Saruman’s experiments, but we shall see….
–
Beatrice, it looks as if you have definite talent as a writer of screenplays.
–
*spit-take*
–
gworroll, I just recently joined the local freethinkers group’s Facebook, and I see that there’s regular gaming involved.
Unfortunately, I have had Unfavorable Past Encounters with the business in which the gaming is done, that disincline me to financially support it.
:(
–
Azkyroth (#588)
Oh, I would totally agree it’s not hard to make up for with a bit of planning. Something like smoky, greasy beef imparts a pretty substantial flavor and complexity, though, so it’s not trivial to leave out by accident. Luckily the wine I added just happened to have a strong, complex flavor of its own. (I say “luckily” because it’s been sitting in my fridge unopened for over a year since I picked it up on a whim after a tasting, and I didn’t really remember what it tasted like or know if it was still good.)
A few commenters in the ‘volcano’ thread expressed concern over Dana (it seems like people haven’t heard from her for an unspecified amount of time).
http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2014/05/28/thats-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-803305
Although, I am discovering it’s not so easy to cook something halal and vegetarian/vegan. Over half my coworkers are practicing Muslims, and most people share their lunch. So if I stay for lunch and want to share, then I need to make halal food. And who wouldn’t want to share when people bring in home-cooked food from NE Africa, the Middle East, India, SE Asia, etc. (It’s not that they’re all vegetarians, but they apparently really don’t trust non-Muslims to make halal meat dishes.)
As much as I think it’s silly to avoid certain ingredients out of notions of magical pollution, it’s not ethical to lie to people about what’s in your food. It’s also dangerous if they’re avoiding it for health reasons in addition to religious ones. So here I am, an atheist, not only trying to cook tasty vegetarian food for people with high standards, but looking up what Muslim scholars say about every damn ingredient. That way I can at least warn people and they can make up their own minds about eating it.
Alcohol is forbidden, of course, but while all fruits and veggies are supposed to be halal, there are zillions of unimagined pitfalls where processed foods are concerned. For instance, soy sauce and miso paste (even vegan miso paste) might have alcohol added. Vinegar is super confusing: it’s made from alcohol, but apparently some hadith or other says Mohammed thought it was super delicious. (I’m surprised there haven’t been holy wars over settling this one given how little agreement there is on its status.) Condiments or soup bases with yeast extract might be forbidden if it’s brewer’s yeast and not baker’s yeast. In fact, anything made with the byproducts of alcohol production is bad. Natural vanilla is apparently not okay for strict Muslims because even if it’s not an extract in alcohol, it’s still processed with alcohol.
And then there are things that I just never cared about having bits of dead animal in them because I’m not vegan or vegetarian. I’d learned about animal rennet in cheeses years ago, so I knew to watch out for that, even if I don’t know off the top of my head which have it and which don’t. I also knew about certain red food dyes coming from insects. However, it was a surprise to learn that apple juice and yoghurt can have beef or pork gelatin in them. What the fuck?
In all of this, it doesn’t help that Google keeps automatically substituting “kosher” for “halal” when they’re actually quite different in the details. So yeah, vegetarian/vegan halal cooking: a whole ‘nother ball of (vegetable-based) wax.
Crip Dyke,
Thanks. You didn’t sound condescending and I appreciate your answer.
And I get it.
It’s funny how some people can make you smile without smiling at all themselves. Plus ça change, some people don’t, and that’s kind of nice.
A distress signal was logged, and the Spider Mothership is presumably en route…
A. Noyd:
That’s an interesting challenge.
I once cooked in a friend’s kitchen for their Super Bowl party. They keep Kosher – there was two sets of everything and I couldn’t even turn on the stove burner myself. It took about four times as long. Never again. : p
–
Good morning Lounge. It’s a gorgeous sunny morning here on the river.
–
One of my best friends is becoming insufferable again as he enters what appears to be another depressed phase. I managed to talk to him and listen to him and recommend my therapist to him, as I think we have the same insurance plan and there’s no copay there. He sabotaged the girls night I was supposed to have with his wife last night, and I feel like it’s the final straw for me. I need his wife and his son in my life, but I cannot for my own health stay close with him. I feel like this is a Captain Awkward letter. I don’t know how to navigate this. The three of us have been close for years. Anybody have experience/thoughts?
Portia
*hugs*
+++
There’s something novelistically romantic about a person getting shot on Pushkin Street.
… Unless you’re the one getting shot, that is.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/31/house-approves-measure-to-cut-funding-for-feds-unless-they-crack-down-on-legal-weed/
So the House of Representatives just passed an amendment to some bill that will reduce Department of Justice funding until it enforces drug laws in all states.
Even setting aside that I think marijuana should be legal, I’m not sure this guy has thought things through.
The fact is, enforcement has to be prioritized if resources are finite. And they always will be. Even if laws were passed that meant DoJ never had to pay for anything, there will only be a limited number of qualified people. There will only be a limited quantity of the items they need to do their job, even if they aren’t paying for them we can’t make infinite pens for them to use. They will *always* have to prioritize what laws they enforce and where they enforce them. They have to let some things slide. Allowing legal marijuana to slide to free up resources to deal with things in states it’s not legal, deal with kidnappings, deal with more dangerous drugs, deal with serial killers, provide assistance to local and state law enforcement, deal with terrorism, and so on, seems to be a reasonable step to me.
Also- SCOTUS. If this guy gets his way and gets the DoJ to crack down, does he really want this to be the case SCOTUS uses to further define the balance between state and federal power? Whichever way it goes, it could create some difficult situations down the line.
gworroll @599:
I am so fucking sick and tired of listening to conservatives claim that they are for small government (government grew under Reagan, shrank under Clinton, grew rapidly under Bush II) and for state’s rights. Bullshit. The only time they are for small government is when it will not hurt the rich and big business — otherwise they are all for inserting government where it does not belong (especially into women’s bodies). The only time they are for state’s rights is when the state is doing something that they agree with — de facto segregation, voter suppression, assaults on human rights — but, let a state expand human rights (gay marriage, for example), or legalizing a relatively harmless recreational drug, and all of a sudden state’s should be totally subservient to the federal government. What assholes.
Wow, that was rather insensitive of me, at work or not. Sorry. :/
Portia (#596)
Sounds a bit ridiculous. I don’t think Muslims are technically supposed to eat anything that was prepared using a utensil that had forbidden ingredients touch it at any time either, but presumably the Muslims at work aren’t so strict since no one has even tried asking about that.
Moments of Mormon Madness, chipping away at freedom of the press.
The story of the relationship between The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News is long and convoluted. I won’t recount it all here. Most of the backstory is summarized here: Utah readers rally to ‘Save The Tribune’. The latest insult to maintaining a diversity of opinion in Salt Lake newspapers is a nefarious deal that cuts the Tribune’s resources and hands them over to the mormon-oriented Deseret News.
This is a follow up to #603. Here are some of the Readers Comments:
Also got pulled over a couple days ago for a dead license plate light. Officer ran my ID and let me go, without even a written warning(though I’m sure he logged it on his end). Didn’t even ask for insurance or registration. Or, surprisingly, even mention my missing brake light. My center brake light is on my spoiler. Problem is, I don’t even know what county my spoiler is in. I just know it’s not on my car.
And of course the local auto parts store doesn’t carry the part I need to fix the license plate light. I’ll have to pick something up in Springfield tomorrow. Should see if they have a cheap spoiler at the salvage yard too. Even if the color doesn’t match, I really kind of need that central brake light. Not sure how much of an actual safety difference it makes, but it is something I need to pass inspection when I have to reregister.
As of today, this law is effective:
:D :D :D :D
*in Illinois, that is.
Watched the first two episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
♥
I might even watch the third. So worth getting less than enough sleep before work tomorrow.
::peeks in, looks around to see if Lynna has posted this yet::
:)
Poor Fox News…NOT:
Portia:
Yippee!
****
Beatrice:
With the extra time I have on my hands, I’ve been catching up on a few shows on Netflix. I’d like to watch Agents of SHIELD, but haven’t checked to see if it’s available.
Almost an autobiographical potato joke. Personally, I think I’m just as funny as I sound.
FYI, I found this in today’s comics. Seemed appropriate for this venue.
Women Destroy Science Fiction!
Christie Yant, Lightspeed Magazine, June 2014
Tony:
It’s on save. Not available yet.
Inaji:
Drat.
That gives me a sad face :(
I Don’t Consider Myself a Misogynist
–
I’m not sure whether I’ve seen this here before or not, so…
A Gentlemens Guide To Rape Culture
–
Phil Colson is awesome.
–
I screwed up. I got into the current Thunderdome argument. I’m sorry. To everybody, I’m sorry and I’ll never, ever do it again.
I’m going to take my panic attack (yes, I actually got one from that) and go play with beads for a while.
In other news, there are fledgling bluebirds flapping around the local park. Elder Daughter says they have polkadots.
Anne D #617
The Lounge is still safe.
Yay bluebirds.
Anne D
Not following the Lounge, but I have some *anklehugs* here for you if you’d like. Feel better.
Extremely ‘rupt. OCPD family issues, for those following along at home. Dealing with a 2.5 year old who has spent too much time stuck in a car seat or a pack and play instead of running free as toddlers were meant to do takes a lot of effort. Also, getting a 4 month old up to speed is not as tough, but still stressful. (Both things due to their father’s aforementioned OCDP.) On the bright side, children under 5 are very resilient if you get to them in time.
Tony
Agents is a little slow in the beginning. I stuck with it because I like Ming Na and Agent Coulson (yes, I split actress and character deliberately — from now on I will also say I like Clark Gregg, too, but that’s not how I started my fandom). The rest of the cast grew on me as the show progressed.
Portia
Currently dealing with the family OCPD problem, so you have my sympathy. And a hug or a compassionate touch on the shoulder if you want it. It isn’t easy, especially when you like the person who has a behavior problem.
Sorry folks. It has been a really trying few weeks.
ajb47:
I hope things settle down for you soon.
Tony
Well, it is moving in that direction. I’ll help family out however I can, but that doesn’t mean there’s no stress involved.
ajb47:
*hugs* right back if you want ’em.
–
My intern texted me to tell me she was hit by a car while jogging : / The doctors think her pelvis is broken, and she is falling over herself apologizing for missing work for a few days (I hope she misses more than that, and heals well). She’s a good egg but man I wish she didn’t feel she had to apologize so much. I know that feeling.
–
I went shopping with a group of women, and two of them were judges. So if my boss ever ever again gives me grief for not dressing formal enough (in his opinion) for court, I can tell him my outfits were literally cleared as court-appropriate when I bought them ^_^
chigau, bluebirds used to be a rare bird around these parts. Seeing one a year was a major event. They’ve made a spectacular return, and this year all the bluebird boxes at the park are occupied. Also it’s just fun watching Elder Daughter geeking out about the local feathered dinosaurs.
Portia, thank you, anklehugs are most welcome. I can offer fluffycat headbumps and full-body ankle-to-knee rubs, if you need any.
Horde, I have hugs available for anyone who wants or needs them. I got beads and sequins sorted for the current project, so I’m good. Sorting shiny things is very soothing.
General *hugs*. Kind of ‘rupt, trying to muster the spoons to finish my homework. Failing.
Dalillama:
*hugs* and support. I know that feeling. Sorry you’re short on spoons.
Portia (firefighter, badass lawyer, second best pictionary player in the world):
::waves::
Good to see you!
Sorry to hear about your intern. Hopefully she recovers quickly.
Tony,
I’m in such a good mood I’ll let that slide ;)
Good to see you too!
cicely
Awesome links. I loved this:
Just because.
Portia
*hugs* and I hope she heals quickly and well, and also gives herself a chance to relax and heal properly!!
*hugs* also for Dalillama, Anne D and ajb47!
Tdome has gone full court contentious, so…I’ve read about 5 stories from the Women Destroy Science Fiction!
issue of Lightspeed mag, and they have all been outstanding. I gotta say, I love the idea of Gearlock Holmes. I wish that was a novel, then a movie.
And some slow-mo ballet to realize human bodies do amazing things. It’s no Le Vent, but still awesome.
Inaji
Gearlock Holmes? I’d watch/read all of that!
+++
Fat cat in classical art – he fits in well.
rq, it’s The Case of the Passionless Bees by Rhonda Eikamp, in this month’s Lightspeed. A fab story.
Good morning
Inaji
YAY! Got it!
Uhm, did you, by chance, see my post about those needles? Organ titanium ballpoint embroidery needles. They’re hard to come by in Germany.
abj 47
*hugs*
You’Re doing a wnderful thing for them.
Dalillama
Open USB Port, spoons will be sent immediately
Anne D
*fluffy anklehugs with beads*
+++
Uhm and:
Yay I can close the zipper of the jeans I accidentially bought 1 size too small!
Well, it’s with some violence involved, but considering that I couldn’t get the button and the buttonhole within 3 inches of each other 4 weeks ago, I’m quite happy.
This brings up a hilarious mental image. Those jeans really fight back, don’t they?
One idiotic professor of mine once said, in an attempt to explain the importance of studying gender & sex by giving examples of some diverse and specific effects, said, and I quote:
All her other examples are forgotten, but I will never forget the sheer incompetence of this statement from a professor of psychology. I was trying to make sense of it and all I could get was perhaps prehensile, highly abusive labia are beating women up if they violate their labia’s sense of fashion?
Now I have to add fighting jeans to that… and I get labia and jeans in a death match over whether or not a dress will be worn that day?
Well, I suppose not in the case of these jeans. In these jeans’ case labia and jeans would be tag-teaming to assault anyone who *doesn’t* abandon the jeans in favor of a dress…
========
In unrelated news: my brain is weird.
Of course I don’t know the context, but sometimes there’s the phenomenon of smart people saying half their argument, thinking the other half and therefore saying something incredibly stupid.
I mean “women buy dresses because in our place and time dresses are female-coded. They are approved and often women are expected to wear them in certain contexts, like formal evening wear.” makes quite some sense.
As for jeans in general: I’m allowed to wear them ’cause I’m an exception. #1 got sick and tired of her mum serving as a counter-model so she declared me to be the exception and gender-normativity to be the rule. Girls like pink and boys like dragons and if I don’t like pink but dragons and am still a girl it means I’m just an exception. So I turned from “feminist role-model” into a “freak”. That’s what you get from having a smart kid…
Yeah. Unfortunately, this wasn’t that.
That I would have let slide, but since she was trying to assert that sex ≠ gender, I would have expected an English-as-first-language psychology professor teaching psychology of gender in the current (well, 7 years ago) US university context to be able to say, “dresses are feminine-coded”.
You can’t assert sex ≠ gender and then continually interchange sex and gender. Drives me nuts.
Now, I believe sex ≠ gender, but if some professor honestly had a thesis that sex = gender, then I wouldn’t give a fuck that they’re using the terms interchangeably, because for the purpose of the course they defined them as interchangeable. It’s when you’re in the first day of class laying down basic definitions and telling people that those definitions and the study of those phenomena are important because those phenomena are determinative of so many things, and then you screw up which thing (sex or gender) you’re taking about, well, that’s when my judgement of you shoots up the idiot-meter.
And, yes, future idiocy confirmed for me that professor really was incompetent at separating sex and gender and it wasn’t simply a slip of the tongue.
I have so much to learn, and this person did do some interesting original research. It could have been a good class. But my optimism for the course was sadly temporary.
<Beaker-voice echo>Sadly temporary.</Beaker-voice echo>Prehensile labia? OOOoooooOOOoooo… Though a horror story based on prehensile, abusive labia is probably inherently misogynistic. But perhaps some helpful, beneficial prehensile labia, that help you get those fightin’ jeans on properly? Or which complain about jeans too tight or too abrasive, rather loudly and impolitely at inopportune moments? “Shoulda worn that dress, I’m gettin’ all itchy in here! Scratch me now!!!” as you’re making flirty eye contact with [person-of-attraction] for the first time…
Are sacrificial curtains a thing at some Chinese funerals, or am I misreading a bad translation?
Well, fighting labia might at least explain all the cameltoe images in comics.
CD
You should think that in a language like English that has the possibility to split them up easily this would be relatively easy to grasp. It’s more difficult in german, where there’s only one word “Geschlecht” which you then have to split up in “biological” and “social”
It’s like that professor I mentioned who, just for the sake of explaining binary, uses “male and female” and who thinks that adding the caveat that “of course there are other people” makes it OK.
TMI
Well, how did Janet sing in the Rocky Horror show? I’ve got an itch to scratch, I need assistance… ;)
NB!
“Professor fired from Christian university after image of his epic beard appears on beer can” http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/01/professor-fired-from-christian-university-after-image-of-his-epic-beard-appears-on-beer-can/
Of course he was fired….because all the patriarchs were clean-shaven. And never drank alcohol.
I love you for that SO MUCH. I can’t even count the number of times I use that phrase, in the same voice.
Also for the idea of prehensile labia. Jeez, but that could be useful.
And for your heavy lifting in thunderdome – you so often manage to eloquently state arguments that are only a vague swirling in my head.
CD:
*hugs*
–
There was a live spider in the bottom of my favorite mug when I took it outta the cupboard. Now there is a spider underneath the up-turned mug on my counter.
–
Good morning Loungers
We had a bat fluttering and squeaking around the house all night, keeping my wife up. I slept through it, of course. I sleep through everything.
Morning Portia , well afternoon here.
PZ how did the bat get in? Is it safely back outside now?
We have house martins nesting in our eaves at this time of year. I quite like it, but there are issues with the twittering early in the morning and the droppings that they deposit on the car and everything else nearby.
@644 Portia
Lift up the mug and the spider will run away. Problem solved.
Our house is full of spiders, mostly Pholcus phalangioides, Tegenaria duellica and Salticus scenicus among others. We don’t see the Tegenaria that often, as the Pholcus tend to eat them. Occasionally one may find itself sucked into the vacuum cleaner by accident, but we mostly manage to cohabit in peace.
Slugs … that’s a different story. They get chucked in the garden when I can catch them. I need to google a slug trap. I’m tired of finding silvery tracks on the carpet, and unlike spiders, slugs just don’t belong in the house.
Bats? It’s always a mystery how they get in, but it’s usually possible to gently herd them toward an open window. Though I think once we had to physically catch it because it was upstairs, with less available windows.
We clearly have different ideas of what constitutes “a problem.”
Good morning.
[TRIGGER WARNING]
I was going to drop this in Thunderdome but I think it might be viewed as provocative (I do not intend this to be provocative, I just need to vent for a few).
Shitty night.
9/11 nightmares — three of them.
Scout nightmares. Nothing new, but reliving the same shit makes it hard to sleep.
I want two things (neither one of which will happen, but what the hell):
1. I remember what happened. I remember what was done to me. I remember what I did. I really do. I want my brain to stop reinforcing what I already know. It is there. In my readily accessible memory. It will be there until I die. I don’t need reminders.
2. I want a drug that stops me dreaming. I really don’t give a flying fuck what the chemical and physiological causes for my ptsd-like symptoms and my panic attacks and my waking nightmares and my cyclical nightmares. I don’t. I just want something that will mask the symptoms when (like last night (and probably for the rest of the week)) they get bad. (That’s why I did not put this in Thunderdome)
[/Trigger Warning]
Beautiful day.
Making pizza tonight.
Going out with Wife to do some shopping. I’m wearing my 1960s CIA outfit — cowboy boots, nice jeans, a Hawai’ian shirt, and a white straw cowboy hat.
And I just discovered that if I rest my wrist while I am typing, the computer starts scrolling up. Fast.
Afternoon greetings to the Horde. Tony, I’m thinking of you on the job front. I hope you have some leads, some luck, or preferably both. Dalillama, I wish you better health – at least good enough to hold up and get through your course, and ideally a lot better than that.
PZ, I hope your back is healing up better now?
This is not going to be a fun day. THREE doctor’s appointments: blood work, cardiac checkup, & the surgeon is going to review his work. I’m leaving tomorrow for Seattle, so somewhere in here I have to get my students set up for a supervision-free week. And, oh, yeah, I have to pack & prepare my Seattle talk.
Ogvorbis, I wish that existed too – for you and everyone else who needs it. ::hugs:: if I may.
[Reads Ogvorbis’ post. Adds extra hugs to the pile.] Your outfit sounds awesome, by the way.
PZ, I hope you can get some rest before heading out, and good luck with your appointments.
Horde in general, cuppa tea? I have Yorkshire Gold.
AnneD
Please! *extends mug towards USB*
I’ve got leftover birthday cake, if anyone likes some with their tea: chocolate with mascarpone-yoghurt-shipped cream icing (flavoured with real maple syrup) and fresh strawberries, everything made in my very own kitchen, by me!
*hugs* for the pile
PZ
I thought you were supposed to be resting? (If you are, then – what’s the schedule like when you’re busy??)
Ogvorbis
But you don’t actually work for the CIA… right?
Eh, whipped cream, not shipped cream. I’m pretty sure the cream is local. (Haven’t seen the cow myself, but…)
rq, here ya go! I’ll have to pass on the birthday cake for now, but the Younger Daughter would probably love some for breakfast when she gets up.
Good luck with the doctors and all their handiwork, PZ.
I think John got the better end of that deal, to be honest. What’s eternal life without a toaster?
Staind singer stops concert to berate ‘f*cking *ssholes’ molesting crowd-surfing teenage girl http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/02/staind-singer-stops-concert-to-berate-fcking-ssholes-molesting-crowd-surfing-teenage-girl/
The killer moose of Sweden http://www.thelocal.se/20140602/panic-in-swedish-school-after-elk-breaks-in
I’d have eaten toddler myself if it was smaller, says ‘hero cat’ http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/international/id-have-eaten-toddler-myself-if-it-was-smaller-says-hero-cat-2014052286844
PZ
Hope everything goes alright.
Ogvorbis
I wish you could get those things, too.
***
I’m sure any day now we’ll be popping all over the world. I for one am happy because I am not good in an airplane.
This is soo cool….
“Swedish Artist Wants to Put a Little Red House on the Moon” http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/05/30/the_moonhouse_project_by_mikael_genberghas_wants_to_put_a_little_red_swedish.html?wpisrc=hpsponsoredd2
At $ 15 million, it would be a cost-efficient piece of architecture in terms of fame.
…and we can use it to protect any black monolith from micro-meteorids.
Thanks, Tony, @609 for the good news about the number of viewers dropping for Faux News.
I tune in once in a great while just to see what propaganda is currently popular on the right wing, but my main problem with Fox News is that it is boring. I know that 24-hour news makes for a lot of repetition on all cable news channels, but you’ve got no idea how bad that can be until you tune into Fox News. Their audience skews elderly (and/or mormon), and they should be more careful when it comes to boring them to death.
Ogvorbis
Big hugs
I wished I could do something
PZ
Good luck, I hope all results are positive.
Does anyone know anything about the “Fairphone”? There is an article about it in today’s dead-tree edition of the INYT (formerly called IHT), Building a socially-conscious phone. On the NYT website, the article is entitled Building ‘Conflict-Free’ Smartphones:
Yep, that’s me. Mine broke (after more than six years) more six months ago. I’m finally getting around to thinking about getting a replacement…
Yep, that’s also me.
blf #666
Not sure if this has been linked here before: And He Learned
Finally! A bit more diversity in the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII:
NEW THREAD.