Comments

  1. chigau (違う) says

    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?

  2. says

    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”.

    ****

    Let’s imagine Daniel and Henry are vacationing in Yellowstone National Park, and set up camp in the 50 square miles of the park that are in Idaho (unlike most of the park, which is in Wyoming). They get into a fight and Daniel winds up killing Henry. But rather than bury the body and try to cover up the crime, Daniel freely admits to it and surrenders himself to the authorities.

    At his trial, he invokes his right, under the Sixth Amendment, to a jury composed of people from the state where the murder was committed (Idaho) and from the federal district where it was committed. But here’s the thing — the District of Wyoming has purview over all of Yellowstone, even the parts in Montana or Idaho. So Daniel has the right to a jury composed entirely of people living in both Idaho and the District of Wyoming — that is, people living in the Idaho part of Yellowstone. No one lives in the Idaho part of Yellowstone. A jury cannot be formed, and Daniel walks free.

    That scenario is fiction, but all the legal maneuvers Daniel employs are completely legitimate, and someone in a similar situation could quite possibly get off scot free. That got a lot of attention when it was first pointed out by Michigan State law professor Brian Kalt in his 2005 Georgetown Law Journal article, “The Perfect Crime.” After all, it implied that there was a 50 square mile “Zone of Death” of the United States where you can commit crimes with impunity, like in The Purge or something. The scenario even got featured in a best-selling mystery novel, Free Fire by CJ Box, who consulted Kalt when writing the book.

    http://www.vox.com/2014/5/22/5738756/you-can-kill-someone-in-a-section-of-yellowstone-and-get-away-scot

    I wonder if that workaround would actually hold up.

  3. A. Noyd says

    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?)

  4. A. Noyd says

    @Tony (#506)
    I didn’t think it up or anything, it was in the frozen veggies section. Pretty tasty, though.

  5. Beatrice, an amateur cynic looking for a happy thought says

    Salut!
    I picked up that rq’s littlest had a birthday (happy birthday!) and… ok, that’s all.

    I hope everyone is doing well.

  6. blf says

    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.)

  7. carlie says

    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. :(

  8. says

    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…

  9. blf says

    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…

  10. blf says

    Organ Titanium Ball Point Embroidery

    For particularly intractable balls of yarn, I recommend the Middle Earth Flaming Dragon “Thermolance” Embroidery tools.

  11. says

    Oh and

    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…

    I got nothin’.

  12. says

    Rawnaeris

    Giliell are these the right ones?

    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.

  13. blf says

    …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.

  14. says

    Incensed by the release of a postage stamp honoring Harvey Milk, the American Family Association is urging its members not only to avoid purchasing the stamp…but to refuse to accept or open any letter or package postmarked with one. […]

    In his daily email alert yesterday, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins also attacked the Obama administration for issuing the stamp, linking the move to the imprisonment of a Sudanese mother who is facing the death penalty for her conversion to Christianity.

    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.

    […] To test this, The Wire decided to send a series of small donations to a handful of anti-gay groups, in envelopes using the Milk stamp for postage. In addition to the American Family Association, we mailed donation forms to Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. Originally, we chose the donation amount of $18, or one dollar for each state in the union with marriage equality. But the author was talked down to the more sensible amount of $5.

    Basically, this is a win-win situation for The Wire and for the anti-gay organizations: if they accept the donations (made in a trackable format, under the name of this author), each organization will be $5 richer (every donation counts!) and this writer will forever have to live with the fact that she donated to at least one group designated as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center. If they refuse the donations, the demonstrate consistency and this writer’s bank account will stay a little bit more full. Perfect. […]

  15. says

    From the comments associated with The Wire link in #519:

    I suggest all government tax refund checks use Harvey Milk stamps.

  16. says

    chigau @501

    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?

    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.

  17. says

    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.

  18. chigau (違う) says

    Lynna #521
    Thanks.
    I had assumed it was a mormon school, so I was puzzled about how the photos were even taken.

  19. blf says

    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.

  20. says

    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.”

  21. JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness says

    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…

    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.

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

    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.

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

    @Lynna, #526:

    it also shouts “rape culture.”

    You’re the expert in this area, but permit me to try out my primitive translation skills. Mormon for this would be:

    It also bear’s witness to our superior Aaronic endowment g’s.

  24. says

    From the Readers Comments below one of the Salt Lake Tribune articles about photoshopping the yearbook images of female students:

    Where else in the country is a school allowed to Photoshop pictures to add sleeves to women’s attire, solely for the purpose of making all the women seem like they conform to LDS dress standards designed to hide garment sleeves? Outrageous intrusion of Mormon practices into State operations! And people wonder why there is so much anti-Mormon sentiment???
    ————
    Uncovered women’s shoulders being immodest is something I have encountered no where else in my 57 years of wandering around this country. I’d never even heard of it until a sister joined the Mormon church, so yeah, it is an LDS thing.
    —————
    So why do Utah’s “good families” send their BOYS to school looking like thugs and impose ridiculous “modesty” rules on their daughters?
    ——————–
    Its the Priesthood thing…
    ————
    Would the school have allowed similarly-staged photographs with girls pulling up their shirts and/or showing off their underwear? [A reference to the “Studs” page for boys.]

  25. Beatrice, an amateur cynic looking for a happy thought says

    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.

  26. says

    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.

  27. says

    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.

  28. says

    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.

  29. Beatrice, an amateur cynic looking for a happy thought says

    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. :)

  30. Portia says

    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.

  31. says

    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).

    A conservative group says it will pursue a ballot issue if lawmakers don’t move legislation requiring eligible residents to show government-issued photo identification cards to vote.

    During a lobbying day at the Statehouse May 29, the Ohio Christian Alliance and other supporters indicated they would launch an initiated statute in 2015, absent lawmaker action on the issue before year’s end.

    The process would involve circulating petitions and collecting more than 100,000 signatures before the end of the year. The legislature would then have about four months to act before backers circulate more petitions and gather another 275,000-plus signatures to place the issue on the November ballot.

    “With 29 days of open voting still available, there continues to exist an opportunity for those who intend to commit voter fraud to take advantage of Ohio’s open-ended election season,” said Chris Long, president of the Ohio Christian Alliance. “The post-election reports detail a story that voter fraud is a growing problem in Ohio. The only way to address this challenge to Ohio’s election system is to adopt a photo ID requirement.”

    Under current law, residents must show a valid driver’s license or government-issued ID or an original copy of a utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or other government document that includes the voter’s name and current address in order to cast a regular ballot on Election Day.

    The Ohio Christian Alliance wants to change that to require a government-issued photo ID to cast a ballot. […]

    Twinsburg Bulletin link.

  32. says

    Lynna, you’re more optimistic than I am.

    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.

  33. blf says

    Nothing says serial killers ready to throw your body to the wolves less than a young couple with a little kid.

    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…

  34. Beatrice, an amateur cynic looking for a happy thought says

    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.

  35. says

    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’.

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

    @Portia:

    Real ginger ale? Or that canada dry stuff that has no actual ginger root in it?

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

    well, at least you got the oyster crackers right.

  38. Beatrice, an amateur cynic looking for a happy thought says

    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

  39. Beatrice, an amateur cynic looking for a happy thought says

    eSports league?

    Oh, English second language… I’m a bit slow today.

  40. blf says

    Real ginger ale?

    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.

  41. Portia says

    The best part of throwing up, is Fauxger’s in your cup!

    I laughed painfully hard.

  42. opposablethumbs says

    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)

  43. says

    Gov. Nikki Haley has been asked to put an end to Black Bike Week:

    Let me introduce you to the Atlantic Beach Bikefest, more commonly called “Black Bike Week.” It happens during Memorial Day weekend, when tens of thousands of black bikers descend upon an area just north of Myrtle Beach.
    You might think that sounds innocuous enough. After all, it’s a few thousand people on motorcycles going to a place where people tend to go during the vacation months in South Carolina. Myrtle Beach, after all, is a universally recognized seaside locale for people from around the country. Black Biker Week, though, stirs the soul of racial agitation in places like South Carolina.

    For bikers, it is an opportunity to get together with like-minded people, checking out new rides and showing off one’s own toy. It’s a chance to celebrate Memorial Day and soak up some sun. For the local population, which is decidedly white, it’s seen as a nuisance. Black Bike Week comes just after a highly popular biker rally in the area attended by mostly white bikers on Harleys. You might say that the public gets burned out by the large crowds. And in some sense, that’s understandable. Bikes are loud, and when crowds flood into a place not generally arranged to handle those crowds, everything from traffic to restaurant reservations become more difficult.

    But there’s a nastier racist element to all of this, and as a person who has grown up in South Carolina and spent a significant amount of my childhood at that particular beach, I’m well aware of the racist roots of the criticism of Black Bike Week. The two bike weeks, at least in the circles I ran in when I was around 11, were described as “biker week” and “NON-biker week.” NON? You mean, like they’re not real bikers? Oh, no, that’s “Nigg**s on Ninjas.”

    There’s an ugly side to Black Bike Week, of course. Well-documented reports of irresponsible driving, public urination, disorderly conduct, drunkenness, drug use, and violence have marred the event in recent years. This culminated last weekend when three people were murdered in a local hotel adjacent to some of the event’s events.

    Local hotels have complained that some of the week’s patrons have trashed their rooms, causing damage. Some businesses have sought to close their doors during Black Bike Week, drawing the critical eye of the NAACP, which has successfully sued restaurants for Civil Rights Act violations when those owners wanted to close their doors only during this particular week. It’s part of the reason why, each year, the NAACP leads Operation Black Bike Week Justice, where it watches to ensure that visitors to the beach are not discriminated against. Just as reports of lawlessness tend to flow during the days following the event, reports of discrimination are just as numerous.

    Now, critics of Black Bike Week have seized especially on the three murders, calling upon local and now state authorities to stop Black Bike Week. Nikki Haley has responded in the way you might expect her to respond, pandering to these “concerned” citizens and vowing to do what she can to stop 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.

  44. Portia says

    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

  45. Beatrice, an amateur cynic looking for a happy thought says

    blf,

    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.

    You’re missing eau de cheval somewhere in there.

  46. says

    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…

  47. David Marjanović says

    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. :-}

  48. Ogvorbis: Still failing at being human. says

    Ginger is good. Fresh, pickled, candied, all good.

    Ale is good. All hail ale!

    Ginger ale? Bleach.

  49. Ogvorbis: Still failing at being human. says

    Er, ‘Bleach’ should be ‘Blecch!’ Sorry.

  50. Beatrice, an amateur cynic looking for a happy thought says

    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.

  51. carlie says

    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).

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

    @rq:

    I had noticed the dinasours. Laughed a lot myself.

  53. Beatrice, an amateur cynic looking for a happy thought says

    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.

  54. blf says

    no actual alcohol involved

    That is not a refreshment / drink / beverage / draincleaner, that is an abomination!

      ────────────────────────────────

    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.

    You’re missing eau de cheval somewhere in there.

    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.)

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

    @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.

  56. blf says

    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.

  57. says

    Crip Dyke says:

    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.

    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.

  58. says

    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:

    The federal government shouldn’t give its business to companies that violate labor laws to steal their workers’ wages. If this statement seems like common sense to you, congratulations: you’re not a House Republican. A Democratic amendment that would have prevented businesses with a documented record of wage theft from getting taxpayer money through government contracts was defeated in a party line vote Thursday. […]

    “The federal government could lead the way by disqualifying contractors who practice wage theft, but House Republicans voted tonight against an amendment to do exactly that,” Ellison and Grijalva said. “The failure of this amendment illustrates who Republicans defend … Unfortunately, working families have been left out of the Republican political strategy.”

    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.

  59. says

    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!

    Matthew Hagee kicked off this week’s “Hagee Hotline” by informing his viewers that in situations where “men are saying things that contradict God’s word, God’s word is accurate and men are wrong” … and that is why Christians should not believe in climate change.

    As Hagee explained, the views put forth by scientists and experts on any subject are not to be believed if those views are at odds with what the Bible teaches. As such, the extreme weather events that the climate has been experiencing are not the result of climate change but are rather signs of the End Times and the imminent return of Jesus Christ. […]

    http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/hagee-it-not-climate-change-its-imminent-return-jesus-christ

  60. blf says

    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.

  61. says

    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.

  62. says

    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).

  63. says

    http://www.iflscience.com/environment/first-known-mass-extinction-may-have-been-caused-huge-volcanic-eruptions-australia

    A new study, published in the journal Geology, presents evidence that suggests the first known mass extinction on Earth was triggered by dramatic volcanic eruptions in Australia. This extinction– the Early-Middle Cambrian extinction– occurred some 511 million years ago and caused a dramatic reduction in complex multicellular life on Earth, yet the precise reasons behind this event remained shrouded in mystery.

    The investigation, which was led by Curtin University’s Fred Jourdan, involved using high precision Uranium-Lead and Argon-Argon dating to determine the age of lava flows from the eruptions of the Kalkarindji volcanic province, which smothered an area of greater than 2 million square kilometers in Northern and Western Australia. They found that the eruptions occurred at the same time as the extinction, around 511 million years ago.

    According to Jourdan, this famous extinction wiped out 50% of all species on Earth and although previous studies indicated that this was due to climatic changes and depletion of oceanic oxygen, no one knew the mechanism behind these events.

    ____
    http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/huge-meta-study-vaccines-reveals-no-link-autism#MY7eIfxmx4RpDz8o.99

    The largest study yet of connections between vaccines and autism has found that there is none.

    Scientists are sometimes accused of producing results we already know. The problem however, can be in defining “we”. The evidence that vaccinating children does not cause autism is overwhelming, but plenty of individuals and organizations don’t want to hear it. The fact that the latest work is published in the journal Vaccine will no doubt be all they need to dismiss this research as well.

    The work in this case was a meta-study, combining the results of five previous studies involving 1,256,407 children with five case-controlled studies of a further 9920 children. Case controlled studies compare patients who have had a particular outcome, in this case a diagnosis of autism, with closely matched groups who have not to see if there was any difference in exposure to factors such as vaccines. The larger studies, on the other hand, looked at selections of the population to see what proportion of those who had been vaccinated developed autism, as against those who had not.

  64. Azkyroth Drinked the Grammar Too :) says

    the first known mass extinction on Earth was triggered by […] Australia

    Anyone surprised?

  65. Portia says

    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.

  66. A. Noyd says

    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.

  67. Portia says

    A. Noyd:
    That’s one of my childhood favorites. My mom makes it with little bits of ham. Mmmmmm. Salty and delicious.

  68. A. Noyd says

    Also, shallots are a magical food. They come in cloves just the right size if you’re cooking for only one person.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    Portia (#583)

    My mom makes it with little bits of ham. Mmmmmm. Salty and delicious.

    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.)

  69. Portia says

    Also, shallots are a magical food. They come in cloves just the right size if you’re cooking for only one person.

    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.

  70. Azkyroth Drinked the Grammar Too :) says

    (Nothing against vegan food, but you can kill the flavor of a dish if you were planning to make it with meat.)

    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.

  71. cicely says

    *hopping aboard the Thread as it flies by*
    Evenin’, all.
    *hugstorm*

    I began watching the video, with one question on my mind-how does a woman reach adulthood without ever seeing her vulva?

    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.

    The best part of throwing up, is Fauxger’s in your cup!

    *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.
    :(

  72. A. Noyd says

    Azkyroth (#588)

    it’s easier to make up for than you might think

    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.)

  73. A. Noyd says

    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.

  74. Beatrice, an amateur cynic looking for a happy thought says

    Crip Dyke,

    Thanks. You didn’t sound condescending and I appreciate your answer.
    And I get it.

  75. rq says

    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.

  76. blf says

    I hope you don’t have a round 4.

    A distress signal was logged, and the Spider Mothership is presumably en route

  77. Portia says

    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?

  78. rq says

    Portia
    *hugs*

    +++

    There’s something novelistically romantic about a person getting shot on Pushkin Street.

  79. says

    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.

  80. Ogvorbis: Still failing at being human. says

    gworroll @599:

    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.

    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.

  81. A. Noyd says

    Portia (#596)

    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.

    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.

  82. says

    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.

    […]The News’ [Deseret News] statement ignores critics’ central argument: that the new agreement slashes The Tribune’s share of joint operating revenues from 58 to 30 percent.

    This cuts by nearly half the revenue The Tribune needs to gather and edit the news and provide a vital counterweight to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which owns the News and many other Utah news outlets, said Joan O’Brien, a former Tribune reporter and a founder of the Utah Newspaper Project. It also gives the Deseret News veto power over any future sale of The Tribune and a majority representation in the jointly held company that handles the papers’ business operations.

    Even as newspapers increasingly rely on the Internet to reach readers and sell ads, O’Brien said the industry still reaps 80 percent of its revenue from print.

    “You don’t abandon print when it’s paying most of the bills,” said O’Brien, the daughter of the paper’s late publisher Jerry O’Brien. “The Tribune is paying the Deseret News’ bills.”

    Tribune publisher and editor Terry Orme said later in a statement: “It hurts big time to have your main revenue source cut in half. We have lost 36 positions in the last year, all good employees, many of them experienced, fine journalists. These cuts are in response to the shift in revenue.” […]

  83. says

    This is a follow up to #603. Here are some of the Readers Comments:

    The agreement was initiated by the vulture capitalists in NY for easy cash paid by the theocracy to take profits from the Tribune.
    ———-
    [from a known True Believing Mormon] The real problem is that the Trib is so left wing biased as to be just another left wing propaganda outlet … as opposed to journalism, or just reporting the news (without an obvious left wing spin).

    Simply put … the Trib caters to those that feed on left wing propaganda. No wonder/surprise it is going broke. Not a very smart business model.
    ————–
    The Trib’s publisher said at today’s rally that the paper has always turned a profit, year after year. [My thoughts: probably not enough profit to please hedge fund owners, but enough to make mormons at Deseret News salivate.]
    ——–
    So the real problem is that the Tribune is not a mouthpiece of the Mormon Church, not that the D.N. [Deseret News] is financially bleeding the Tribune dry by taking more than it’s fair share as has been proven to be the case.
    ————-
    The Dominant Corporation wants to destroy the Trib’s website as well.
    —————
    The D-News will lose money if the Trib goes under, but they have the deep and secretive pockets of the LSD Corp. to bail them out.

  84. says

    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.

  85. Portia says

    As of today, this law is effective:

    A marriage between a man and a woman 2 persons licensed, solemnized and registered as provided in this Act is valid in this State.

    :D :D :D :D

  86. Beatrice, an amateur cynic looking for a happy thought says

    Yeah, we’re gonna have to kill the fish tank.

    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.

  87. says

    ::peeks in, looks around to see if Lynna has posted this yet::

    :)

    Poor Fox News…NOT:

    Every Fox program in primetime dropped by double-digits, with Bill O’Reilly taking the deepest dive. Sean Hannity posted some of his lowest numbers ever in his new 10:00 pm time slot. And Megyn Kelly’s new, and highly anticipated, primetime show failed to improve on the ratings performance of her predecessor.

    To be sure, Fox was not the only network to see declines. In fact, CNN had an even larger dip. The news was much better for MSNBC who was down the least of all the cable news networks. They lost a relatively insignificant five percent of total viewers, but actually saw increases for Morning Joe, and for Chris Hayes and Rachel Maddow in primetime.

    For Fox to post numbers that they haven’t seen since August of 2001 (before 9/11) is a painful blow to both their reputation and their bank account. But they have even bigger problems. The viewers that do tune in to Fox are significantly older than viewers of their competitors. Fox News has always had the oldest skewing audience in cable news. With a median age of 68.8 years, Fox’s audience is over six years older than either CNN or MSNBC. It’s even worse for their top rated program (O’Reilly) who’s average viewer is over 72 years old. And their Great Blonde Hope (Kelly), who was specifically brought in to draw younger viewers, also exceeded Fox’s average with her typical viewer voyeur being over 70.

  88. says

    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.

  89. says

    Women Destroy Science Fiction!

    …As the issue grew, so did the team. Authors, essayists, illustrators, voice actors, interviewers and interviewees, slush readers and copy editors – more women got involved weak after week. All told, this issue is the work of 109 women.

    And those are just the direct contributors. That doesn’t count the more than one thousand women who sent us stories, or the nearly three thousand people who backed the Kickstarter, or the countless supporters who blogged on their own sites, posted to social media, or otherwise boosted the signal.

    We did this. As one person put it, we took hurt and rage and turned it into something beautiful.

    And we did it together.

    Christie Yant, Lightspeed Magazine, June 2014

  90. says

    Tony:

    I’d like to watch Agents of SHIELD, but haven’t checked to see if it’s available.

    It’s on save. Not available yet.

  91. says

    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.

  92. Portia says

    Anne D
    Not following the Lounge, but I have some *anklehugs* here for you if you’d like. Feel better.

  93. says

    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.

  94. says

    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.

  95. Portia says

    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 ^_^

  96. says

    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.

  97. Portia says

    Dalillama:
    *hugs* and support. I know that feeling. Sorry you’re short on spoons.

  98. Portia says

    Tony,
    I’m in such a good mood I’ll let that slide ;)
    Good to see you too!

  99. rq says

    cicely
    Awesome links. I loved this:

    Some of the things you inherit from society are cool and some of them are rape culture.

    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!

  100. says

    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.

  101. says

    rq, it’s The Case of the Passionless Bees by Rhonda Eikamp, in this month’s Lightspeed. A fab story.

  102. says

    Good morning

    Inaji

    Women Destroy Science Fiction!

    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.

  103. rq says

    with some violence involved

    This brings up a hilarious mental image. Those jeans really fight back, don’t they?

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

    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:

    …We buy dresses because we’re female. …

    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.

  105. says

    We buy dresses because we’re female.

    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…

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

    sometimes there’s the phenomenon of smart people saying half their argument, thinking the other half and therefore saying something incredibly stupid.

    Yeah. Unfortunately, this wasn’t that.

    dresses are female-coded.

    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>

  107. rq says

    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…

  108. rq says

    Are sacrificial curtains a thing at some Chinese funerals, or am I misreading a bad translation?

  109. says

    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

    “Shoulda worn that dress, I’m gettin’ all itchy in here! Scratch me now!!!”

    Well, how did Janet sing in the Rocky Horror show? I’ve got an itch to scratch, I need assistance… ;)

  110. carlie says

    But my optimism for the course was sadly temporary. Sadly temporary.

    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.

  111. Portia says

    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

  112. says

    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.

  113. bassmike says

    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.

  114. procrastinatorordinaire says

    @644 Portia

    Now there is a spider underneath the up-turned mug on my counter.

    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.

  115. rq says

    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.

  116. Ogvorbis: Still failing at being human. says

    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.

  117. opposablethumbs says

    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?

  118. says

    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.

  119. opposablethumbs says

    Ogvorbis, I wish that existed too – for you and everyone else who needs it. ::hugs:: if I may.

  120. says

    [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.

  121. rq says

    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?

  122. rq says

    Eh, whipped cream, not shipped cream. I’m pretty sure the cream is local. (Haven’t seen the cow myself, but…)

  123. says

    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.

  124. birgerjohansson says

  125. says

    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.

    Dutch physicists report they were able to reliably teleport information between two quantum bits

  126. birgerjohansson says

    …and we can use it to protect any black monolith from micro-meteorids.

  127. says

    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.

  128. blf says

    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:

    Fairphone’s aims are to build smartphones using only conflict-free raw materials; to provide fair working conditions during assembly; to design a phone that is robust, long-lived and fixable; to establish a comprehensive recycling system; and to be fully transparent about the entire process, including costs and pricing.

    [… Mr Bas van Abel, the founder and CEO] says, the world does not really need more smartphones: “Buy a Fairphone, but only if you need a new phone,” he said at a recent presentation.

    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…

    According to company figures […n]early a third [of the Fairphone buyers] are engineers or technology workers. Many are computer programmers, who tweak and discuss the phone’s customized Android operating system and help iron out bugs.

    Yep, that’s also me.

    “Transparency is one of the biggest ways to impact,” said Bibi Bleekemolen, a manager at the company.

    It’s a philosophy that builds customer confidence, explaining why “evangelists” [early buyers…] were willing to pay €350 for a phone and then wait months for it.

  129. markbrown says

    Not sure if this has been linked here before: And He Learned

    When he noticed the naked little girl at the beach didn’t look quite like he did and asked why, they answered his questions in simple phrases painted in black and white, pink and blue, and tradition. And he learned that boys and girls were different.

    When one of the neighbor kids painted his nails, they got angry. That wasn’t something boys did. And he learned that there were different rules for boys and girls, and that breaking those made people upset.

    When he was handed down a pink bike from his cousin, they replaced it with a blue one, because they didn’t want him to be mocked for having a “girly” bike. And he learned that being girly was something to be mocked.

    When he cried, they told him to be a man. And he learned that crying, and being not a man, was something less.