text:
Twisted Sister Plays Benefit Concert for Slain Police Officer
Twisted Sister played a Saturday night concert at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York — and it was all for a good cause.
This weekend's show was dedicated to John Falcone, a Poughkeepsie police officer tragically killed in the line of duty on February 18, with all the gig's proceeds going toward the John Falcone PBA Fund, the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund and Fallen Blue, a group that provides emotional and financial support to the families of fallen law enforcement officers.
A series of videos taken by spectators proved the guys rocked it hard — and that frontman Dee Snider seems to have recovered nicely from a broken finger and subsequent surgery suffered on 'Celebrity Apprentice' recently.
Last year, Twisted Sister drummer A.J. Pero — who is no stranger to charity work — became the national spokesperson for Fallen Blue, and TS guitarist Jay Jay French told the Poughkeepsie Journal:
"We tend to do our benefits based on the proximity of the person and the place, the conditions, the circumstances, as it relates to us. This [show was] meaningful to the guys in my band, who have close relationships with various police departments."
Watch Twisted Sister Perform at the John Falcone Memorial Concert


text:
No other vehicle has as many accessories available as a Jeep. From the early CJ models, Grand Cherokee, Cherokee XJ and up to the most current Wrangler, there are many after Jeep accessories available. Check out your particular Jeep here or contact us to get help selecting from our Jeep accessories for sale.
- 1987-96 Wrangler YJ
- 1997-06 Wrangler TJ
- 2007-18 Wrangler JK
- 2018-19 Wrangler JL
- 1984-01 Cherokee XJ
- 1993-98 Grand Cherokee ZJ

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This is Thunderdome, the unmoderated open thread on Pharyngula. Say what you want, how you want.
Status: UNMODERATED; Previous thread
This is Thunderdome, the unmoderated open thread on Pharyngula. Say what you want, how you want.
Status: UNMODERATED; Previous thread
JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness says
John Morales
Do you have evidence that this is what was intended? No? Then why raise it?
Can you definitively exclude the possibility? No? Then why not at least consider (and address) it?
We have addressed it and even with Paul W., it came down to being a worthless distinction that reads just like slut shaming. It's like saying being born is the cause of rape.
Beatrice (looking for a happy thought) says
Hey, John even said so:
Looks like we all believe that it's the case that some people ostensibly believe that rape is a bad thing whilst simultaneously being functionally (if not necessarily intentionally) pro-rape.
so, as I said, I have no idea what your (John's) point is right now.
Beatrice (looking for a happy thought) says
Blah, I don't like making the 501. comment.
John Morales says
You seemed to agree that it's possible to hold beliefs that amount to being pro-rape and pro-death penalty for rapists at the same time. Considering the evidence we've got, it looks like this guy fits the bill.
Good, because I intended to express my agreement with that proposition.
And yes, it does look like that… but that's not the same as claiming that is in fact the case.
He's only anti-rape for those who don't rape sluts who deserve it – which just never happens so for all intense purposes he's not really anti-rapist.
Again: that is predicated on knowledge you do not possess; I don't deny that it is indeed plausible.
Oddly, a lot of people seem to be able to discuss things here without either being dishonest nor sabotaging the conversation. Apparently, you're not.
Appearances can be deceiving, not that I think I'm either being dishonest nor sabotaging the conversation.
(My first comment on Pharyngula was way back in November 2005*)
* I was critical of PZ.
John Morales says
The lack of any particular correlation either, between minefieldwalkers and rape victims.
It's the form rather not the subject that correlates.
Anyway, I'm quite tired and I have to leave for work early tomorrow.
('Night, everyone)
Beatrice (looking for a happy thought) says
And yes, it does look like that… but that's not the same as claiming that is in fact the case.
Um, what?
This guy fits the explanation. Yes, it's the case that he is effectively being pro-rape. That big sign saying "You deserve rape" kinda clued me in.
Anyway, I will let others provide more amusement for you. I really hated Groundhog day. Crappy movie.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ John Morales
It's the form rather not the subject that correlates.
Like : "Crossing the road", "being born" (as per #500), … ?
I find the whole intergenerational terrorism of planting landmines to be a bit apart from any of these. Perhaps another time, so in the interim:
Slaap lekker.
mikmik says
I don't think anyone that walks on minefields deserves to be blown up. There are many mines buried in the other fields, and in fact, the people walking in the mine fields don't really get blown up any more than the ones that avoid the minefields, so it isn't about walking in the minefields really.
Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says
John Morales@493,
I know you're not inherently stupid, so I conclude that you are being dishonest.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ Nick Gotts
John Morales@493
"Firstly, let us assume a perfectly spherical chicken…"
Giliell, professional cynic says
*looks at comments*
Damn, I think I woke up some time in 2005 or so, before we had all those discussions and those threads were we actually showed that certain arguments means that somebody is pro-rape, just like all the "pro life fuckers" are pro women dying regardless of whether they consciously argue such points. I guess a sign "you deserve to die in childbirth" might be an indicator of somebody being in favour of women dying in childbirth.
Or is this the magic moment when we're supposed to believe that people actually hold very different positions in their heart of hearts despite the shit they say and do?
ChasCPeterson says
jesus fuck these discussions are stupid. So many people here are incapable of even trying to see the world from a different perspective from the identity-political narrative you've developed in your own head. You don't care what people actually think or say as long as you can come back with the usual boilerplate and thereby continue feeling superior. Critical thinking is for other issues. but anyway:
My original comment was more about the dishonest presentation of the commenter who brought the whole thing up,refusing to actually quote the sign in question but instead (following the narrative) substituting a personal value judgement, referring to it as "pro-rape", even while directly quoting the sign's obverse. Even if you agree with the value judgement, that's spin pure and simple.
But here is why I think the sign ("You Deserve Rape") cannot be fairly characterized as "pro-rape". The guy's a campus preacher. (Every US college campus of largish size has at least one; most of them travel a regular circuit, doing whatever to draw a crowd and preach the gosp'l o' jayzuss.) Most of the ones I've seen are justly notorious for dedicated slut-shaming, always yelling about harlots and birth control and whores and abortions (it draws a crowd). This guy's evidently no exception.
Try now to imagine what drives this guy to make an utter ass of himself every day, heckled and mocked (often cruelly, imo) by the many students that find him either annoying or comical. Unless it's all elaborate performance art, he's sincere: he is yelling at these students in an effort to save their souls from eternal damnation. His perspective.
In fact, do you know what his usual sign (the rape one was new, which is why we heard about it in the first place) sez?
"You Deserve Hell".
(Tip: this kind of information is readily available here on teh internetz, in case anyone would ever like to learn something of the subject at hand before bloviating your ignorant opinion worldwide.)
By direct analogy, would you claim that he is 'pro-Hell'? To him, Hell is bad, the worst possible thing, in fact, the exact fate from which he is bravely trying to save people. Right?
So one day the guy decides to emphasize the tactic of slut-shaming-to-save-souls. As a variation on his usual theme, he goes with "You Deserve Rape". Because (to him) it's a bad thing, like Hell, from which he's trying to save people. But then he realizes that people might take that phrase as pro-rape, so he adds the other side as a disclaimer.
I conclude that the guy is not, in fact, 'pro-rape'.
But "Intent is not fucking magic!!!1!" you will chant yet again. The sign is pro-rape in effect if not in intent. Because victim-blaming is ipso facto pro-rape.
yeah, well, that's a can of worms I have no interest in re-opening. Suffice it to say that I stand by everything else I've ever posted on the topic.
But don't let me interrupt your personal narrative.
Beatrice (looking for a happy thought) says
But don't let me interrupt your personal narrative.
Says the person who brings us a narrative of the entire thought process that led the preacher to making those posters, with all the details (such as the preacher expecting people to call him pro-rape [win for the feminazis! *fist bump*]) told as facts, as if you were his fucking conscience.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ Chas
identity-political narrative you've developed in your own head.
(Chas finally addresses me.)
OK, I confess, I am anti-rape. I am also anti-murder. Hell, I'm even anti-landmines. Shit I can't help myself. Its like neo-tribalism, man. I can't stop myself. Much as I'd like to consider the opposing positions (to my self-absorbed attitudes in regard to these) I just keep failing to make sense of them. Perhaps you could flesh them out for me in simpler terms?
Of all the horrible things he could bring up, he brought up this: "You Deserve Rape". He thinks there are certain circumstances in which people deserve to be raped. In those he is fine with it. He announces such to the world. Others like William Lane Craig delight in being pro-genocide. Of course in "certain circumstances".
By direct analogy, would you claim that he is 'pro-Hell'?
Not for himself I would think. But then perhaps he is like Thomas Aquinas: "the blessed in heaven will often walk to the battlements and look down and delight in the justice of God being properly carried out in hell" This certainly seems to fit Bro' Dean to a tee.
Chas, the guy's thinking is twisted. You can argue one way or the other as to what his motivations are. Where does that leave us though?
[Matthew 7:16] Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Just ask Bro' Dean.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
More quotes from the mind of Bro' Dean :
The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
[Psalm 5810-11] King James Version (KJV)
(If Dean doesn't believe this, as he claims, he is a liar. In that case, what is there for us to add?)
LykeX says
By direct analogy, would you claim that he is 'pro-Hell'? To him, Hell is bad, the worst possible thing, in fact, the exact fate from which he is bravely trying to save people. Right?
Right, but he also thinks that you really do deserve to go there. He believes that, at your current status, you going to hell is the right, proper and just thing. He thinks that hell is a perfect example of god's justice because you really do deserve to go the this place; the most horrible place in all existence.
True, he wants you to change so that this is no longer the case, but if you don't change, he actively wants you to go there. If he had a magical wand that would ensure that you could go to heaven, despite what god wanted, he wouldn't use it. If he could eliminate hell entirely, he wouldn't do it (Since we're being hyper-literal and nit-picky to the point of complete idiocy, I should point out that I don't actually know if he personally believes these things, but it's a common enough position that I think it's fair to assume it, at least for the purpose of this particular point).
It's not that he doesn't want you to go to hell. Rather, he wants you to stop being the kind of person who deserves to go to hell. That's a very different thing.
Compare it to the death penalty. I'm sure most people who are for the death penalty genuinely wish there were fewer murders; they wish that people didn't do the things that got them convicted and sentenced to death. Does that mean that they're actually against the death penalty, despite also supporting it?
He might not want good people (i.e. those who have accepted Jesus as their lord and savior) to go to hell and he might want you to become one of those good people, so you can avoid hell, but that's not remotely the same as being against hell itself.
SallyStrange says
Hey, Chas, given that you're making a project of outing yourself as the biggest asshole on Pharyngula (which is saying something), you'll not be complaining about there being too many assholes nor too much assholery around here in the future, correct?
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ LykeX
True, he wants you to change so that this is no longer the case, but if you don't change, he actively wants you to go there.
While we are all spinning analogies:
He wants you to make a sammich. Otherwise he may have to hit someone. He doesn't want anyone hurt. He's not pro-violence. He really wants the sammich.
Wanting a sammich makes it all OK again.
Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says
Unless it's all elaborate performance art, he's sincere: he is yelling at these students in an effort to save their souls from eternal damnation. – ChasCPeterson
Those are really the only two possibilities you can conceive of? What a pitifully limited imagination. How about:
3) He's an attention-junkie. Any kind of attention will do, and he's found that this kind of offensiveness gets him plenty.
4) He thinks this is necessary to save himself from Hell.
5) He's been paid to do it.
6) He hates women and wants to insult and frighten them, but also wants to conceal this motivation (from himself or others), hence the second message.
That's just off the top of my head.
So one day the guy decides to emphasize the tactic of slut-shaming-to-save-souls. As a variation on his usual theme, he goes with "You Deserve Rape". Because (to him) it's a bad thing, like Hell, from which he's trying to save people. But then he realizes that people might take that phrase as pro-rape, so he adds the other side as a disclaimer.
I conclude that the guy is not, in fact, 'pro-rape'.
Oh, I see. You're a telepath. Why didn't you say so?
mythbri says
I see a guy on a campus holding a sign that says, "You deserve rape."
I should give this guy any kind of the benefit of the doubt because…….why?
Giliell, professional cynic says
I should give this guy any kind of the benefit of the doubt because…….why?
Because Chas says so and he's much smarter than us and able to think out of the box so that's why
mythbri says
I have a cousin that is way into "woo", now, ever since she claimed her post-partem depression was cured by aromatherapy. She just posted a picture on Facebook:
FDA Says Safe: (with a little thumbs up next to it)
artificial colors
artificial flavors
propylene glycol
SSRI antidepressants
anti-psychotic drugs for soldiers
psychotropic drugs for kids
mercury in vaccines
chemotherapy for babies
autolyzed proteins
chemical preservatives
sodium nitrite
cow pus in milk
mercury in fish
bisphenol-A (BPA)
FDA Says Dangerous: (with a little thumbs down next to it)
Fresh Milk
(facepalm, headdesk)
Goodbye Enemy Janine says
I am capable of seeing Dean's POV. Shit, I can also see the POV of rapists, racists and Nazis. But I also have my reasons for rejecting their justifications.
I do not give a fuck what justification Dean has to tell women that they deserved to be raped. The simple fact that he thinks some women should be shows that he thinks there is a purpose for rape.
That makes him pro-rape.
Now, please, Chas, kindly point out my intellectual and moral failings here.
I can use the bitter laughter.
Owlmirror says
And Hitler was anti-genocide because he only wanted to kill the Jews.
And Romani.
I think Slavs, he "only" wanted to enslave.
The statement "You deserve rape" intrinsically includes a desire that some people be raped. This is an unequivocally pro-rape statement on its face, and there is no way to interpret those English words in that order as anything other than advocacy of rape in some circumstances. It is entirely irrelevant whether he is consistent in his other statements; that statement advocates rape, and there is no reason to suppose that he is not sincere when he makes it, nor any reason to give him the benefit of the doubt. Of course, given how much time you spend defending rape apologists around here, I don't really expect this to make any more of a dent than it has before, but what the hell. Also, you're a colossal asshole, and I really wish you'd just fuck off. You bring less to the discussion than SteveoR.
ChasCPeterson says
look, I won't apologize for thinking for myself; I can't help it. As for what I "bring to the discussion," I guess it depends on which discussion you mean. "The most collossal asshole on Pharyngula"?
What do you want me to say? I honestly don't think this guy or his sign are "pro-rape". That just seems stupid to me. I already tried to explain why. I haven't changed my mind.
I was going to Marjonović and respond individually to individuals, but nah fuck it.
Why is it so important to everyone that we all agree that this guy and his sign are (presumably literally) "Pro-Rape"? Why is it so important to excoriate me for coming to a different conclusion?
I'll try to explain my point once more, then shut up (the crowd rejoices).
'You deserve X' and 'You should be Xed' and 'I desire that some people be Xed' and whatever other versions y'all've spun are not equivalent statements. That's precisely the illogical leap that I am as-usually-pedantically-and-OK-if-you-insist-assholishly tallking about.
The mosr relevant example for this particular guy-and-sign–Hell–has already been offered, and of course subsequently mangled. No, this guy does not think Hell is a good thing, in any way. He does not desire that some people go to Hell. He does not think that anybody should go to Hell. And the 'rape' sign was clearly intended as a parallel construction. (No, Nick, one does not have to be a telepath to se that.) But you're not buying that? *shrug*
How about this: I am ethically opposed to the death penalty in any circumstance, thinking it barbaric and pointless. Here's somebody who has commited some heinous crime against people I love(d). I will say that the perp deserves death, even deserves to be killed, but nevertheless I do not think (s)he should be killed; nor do my feelings indicate a desire that some people be actually killed.
It's a subtle point.
Think about it, or not, I don't give a fuck.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ Chas
an effort to save their souls from eternal damnation
Aaah, the old "rehabilitation" gambit. I doubt it. It is about punishment, not about inducing behavioural change. The tag line "You deserve …" kinda gives the game away. Even the obverse of the sign is merely a variation on this.
Hell also gives away the motivation. Punishment. There is no recompense for one's actions, only punishment. Perhaps kowtowing to Jeebus, or His spokesman, may get you off the hook. But that was not what the signage said. – You deserve … murder, rape, eternal damnation … punishment. –
YHWH is a bloodthirsty god who lives to inflict punishment. Sonnyboy has worked out a weasel way to use this to his advantage. They are very pro any and all of these nasty "punishments" – their very existence depends upon it.
Chas, in your favour I note that the mentor of Bro' Dean has come out on your side of the argument:
"Dean is not advocating rape; he is trying to discourage rape by shaming girls into dressing in a manner which will not stir up the passions of men lacking in self-control," he added. "He is challenging women to not be in places where they ought not to be such as parading in the streets and bars at night, especially unescorted. It's as simple as making sure to lock your possessions in high crime areas. If you do not, then you are asking to be robbed. Of course, that does not justify the thief; he has still committed a crime. – Bro' Jed Smock"
Link here. ("Spiritual mentor of 'Brother Dean' proud of 'You deserve rape' sign.")
But from the get-go this is obvious bullshit. He merely articulates your arguments better than you have.
mythbri says
After trying to explain to my cousin the benefits of pasteurization versus the risk of tuberculosis, brucellosis, diptheria, scarlet fever, Q fever, infection from salmonella, listeria, yersinia, campylobacter, staphylococcus aureus and E. coli, AND citing the CDC's statistics on improperly-handled raw milk being the cause of three times as many hospitalizations than any other type of food-borne illness, I finally gave up after all of her woo-ish friends jumped in and practically accused me of wanting to poison people.
That stupid list is comparing apples to manatees. It's hugely dishonest and it pisses me off – everything I've read about raw milk states that you shouldn't give it to children, the elderly or people with compromised immune systems – and one of my cousin's friend says that she gives several pints of it to her lactose-intolerant son every day.
I give up. Enjoy your gallon of bacteria.
Beatrice (looking for a happy thought) says
she gives several pints of it to her lactose-intolerant son every day
Poor boy
Tony! The Lonely Queer Shoop says
What do you want me to say?
How about you JUST FUCKING STOP TALKING, you smug shithead?
mythbri says
I know – supposedly he can handle it just fine while pasteurized milk sends him to the hospital. I can't explain it and I sure don't want the kid to suffer – but I can't help but worry about the one time that the raw milk is left at room temperature for too long, or is contaminated during the very minimal processing, or all manner of things. This is a "woo" with potentially deadly consequences.
But you have to remember – *I* was the one who was in favor of poisoning people. :P
LykeX says
No, this guy does not think Hell is a good thing, in any way
That's an extraordinary claim. It's a rare Christian who will admit that god is doing something that isn't good.
I might just buy that he's sad that such extreme measures are necessary, but he will think that it is necessary. In fact, he would think that hell is the perfectly good response to the existence of sin. There couldn't possibly be a better way to handle the problem, because if there was, that's an admission that god is doing things in a less than perfect way.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ Chas
Why is it so important to everyone that we all agree that this guy and his sign are (presumably literally) "Pro-Rape"?
As a scientist you understand the need to seek out truth (with a small "t"). We call out this person for what he is, in spite of his wheedling. Both his hatred and his lies contribute to real harm to real people in the real world. You seem to think this is merely and abstract exercise.
Why is it so important to excoriate me for coming to a different conclusion?
Because your conclusion is wrong, Chas. Not merely "different".
No, this guy does not think Hell is a good thing, in any way.
Crap! YHWH created Hell with a purpose. To eternally punish people for their transgressions (such as worshipping other than He, or wearing your cargo pants above the knee). It is the big stick that is used to threaten and browbeat people into obsequious obeisance.
No Hell, No GAWD.
The principle is the same with Bro' Dean. He needs the threats to enforce compliance of others to his narrow world view. He relies on them and cannot do without. Essentially he has nothing positive to offer.
Hell is a terrifying and agonising place, but Bro' Dean is not going there. To him then, it is a wonderful stick which lends force to the achievement his goals.
Giliell, professional cynic says
He does not think that anybody should go to Hell.
That's just plain bullshit.
First of all, it's of course making shit up as you go along. He does not think that? How do you know? Nothing we have about him indicates your position.
Secondly, if we deduct from what we actually do know about people who share a belief system with him that's just blatantly false. They want you to behave propperly, they want you to go to heaven, but they also think that if you don't behave and believe how you should that then it's hell for you. Because thinking that nobody, no matter what should go to hell would mean believing that god made a terrible mistake when he created it and is unfairly roasting people there. Now that's an extraordinary claim about the beliefs of a fire and brimstone christian if I've ever seen one.
No, he's against hell the same way some parents are "against spanking" while bending their kids over telling them how very sorry they are about this and that this hurts them more than the kid when they're beating the crap out of them. Oh sure, they might be very honestly concerned about their kids growing up propperly. Does not make them not pro-child abuse.
Well you hit me if I tell you that I still like raw milk?
But I'm wondering, has the lactose intolerance been diagnosed by a doctor or a woo-peddler? I've heard about woo-inclined people having "allergies" against things in form X but not Y before.
mikmik says
Why is it so important to everyone that we all agree that this guy and his sign are (presumably literally) "Pro-Rape"? Why is it so important to excoriate me for coming to a different conclusion?
Eh? Maybe you deserve to have your tongue cut out. You get it? You are wrong, according to opinion, and logic, and I am merely trying to scare you into acting in a rational manner.
See? No one deserves to have their tongue cut out, but if I promote the idea that sometimes it is appropriate, then it becomes acceptable, to some, and then it becomes acceptable to not just this discussion, but a greater and widespread number of circumstances. Sooner or later it becomes justified to cut someones tongue out for swearing, or cheering for the Lakers, or whatever. It is insidious, and prone to interpretation.
Same with rape. It is a fucking brutal and viscous 'punishment' that fucks a person over, dramatically, and likely for life, and robs them of a basic feeling of security. Even the threat of it for some people, according to some nebulous distinction, is then in play, and all people – especially and almost exclusively women – suddenly come under the threat of rape to themselves as being justified, and expected, for some arbitrarily defined behavior.
It is not just a needless threat, it is not just a tasteless and derogatory character judgement, it is a now an accepted attitude that may apply to any and every person for situations that are beyond their knowledge to avoid. Suddenly, not just the original group is threatened under the punishment of cruel and unusually depraving vicious punishment – which is immoral by law, now that it has been introduced into the lexicon, it is subject to looser and more widespread applications, so now it is a general threat to everyone, subject to some miscreant's interpretation at the time.
So please, I implore you, you deserve to get your tongue cut out and I am saying that out of the deepest love and respect for your right to speak openly everywhere else.
You are promoting an attitude that rape is okay sometimes, and that is a very dangerous and destructive attitude to spread, because people will justify raping someone because they deserve it.
Fucks like the preacher know that they are sick fucks because it is so fucking painfully obvious, just like promoting the idea that sometimes people deserve to have their tongue cut out, like if they don't agree with everyone. I mean, what do you expect? I don't want you to accidentally provoke some sick fuck, so please, don't make someone cut out your tongue! Spreading dangerous ideas can get your tongue cut out, even though that is wrong. But sometimes, people deserve it, because they should know better! Please, chas, be careful!
So, you believe me now that I am just thinking of your best interest? Speaking a certain way, dressing a certain way, doing them in the wrong place…
BTW, I am not pro :
Extremism in Bonn: Student's Tongue Cut in Possible Islamist Attack
An Indian man in Bonn claims to have been attacked and had his tongue lacerated by Islamists. He told police that a pair of perpetrators demanded that he convert to Islam before the assault. Police believe his story to be credible.
It's what you get sometimes. You shouldn't insult religious fanatics, or political ideologues, where ever they just happen to turn up.
'Satan was in that dude': Mixed martial artist ripped out his friend's tongue and still-beating heart while high on drugs because he thought he was the devil
Love ya, man
Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says
Why is it so important to excoriate me for coming to a different conclusion? – ChasCPeterson
Why was it so important for you to say that the original statement that the sign is pro-rape was "stupid and ridiculous"?
chigau (違う) says
I was 24 hours behind.
Thank The Powers we got to Page 2.
It just ain't The Good Old Days™.
Perhaps you should take another time-out.
What do you want me to say?
I thought I made that clear in my previous post. I don't. I want you to go away, or failing that, to shut up.
Why is it so important to excoriate me for coming to a different conclusion?
Because your conclusion is both wrong and harmful, as has been explained to you repeatedly and at great length.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ mikmik
Old hat. YHWH has that covered already.
Psalm 12:3-4 "The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
Jeebus joins in the carnage, in a hoggling frenzy:
Mathew 5:30 "And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell."
"Corrective Rape" is essentially what Bro' Dean is advocating. The only difference is the motivation. Instead of forcing people to act in conformity with gender stereotypes, he is seeking to force people to act in conformity with his narrow minded views on dress codes. Pfffft.
Corrective rape is a hate crime in which a person is raped because of their perceived sexual or gender orientation. The common intended consequence of the rape, as seen by the perpetrator, is to "correct" their orientation, to turn them heterosexual, or to make them "act" more in conformity with gender stereotypes.
ChasCPeterson says
How about you JUST FUCKING STOP TALKING, you smug shithead?
As always in this situation, I highly recommend the Pharyngula-customized Greasemonkey killfile script, downloadable free from the Pharyngula wiki. It allows you to actually shut selected people up proactively, whether smug shithead or inane dipshit. And you don't even have to yell at them!
One click and you'll never have to read anything I might ever have to say again! Imagine the relief!
But as for my leaving the blog entirely to just you right-thinking folks? With apologies, it's unlikely.
Tony! The Lonely Queer Shoop says
Did not say anything about you leaving asshole. You shutting up would be more than sufficient (since you will never apologize for calling me lazy and gullible). In lieu of that perhaps you could stop defending advocates of rape. That would entail you thinking critically and stepping outside your personal narrative.
SallyStrange says
Why IS it so important to you to give "you deserve rape" a charitable interpretation, Chas? And why is Tony "gullible" for calling that sentiment pro-rape? Who is trying to fool him?
mythbri says
Well you hit me if I tell you that I still like raw milk?
But I'm wondering, has the lactose intolerance been diagnosed by a doctor or a woo-peddler? I've heard about woo-inclined people having "allergies" against things in form X but not Y before.
I don't object to people drinking raw milk as long as they're aware of the risks and take all of the precautions they can. Indeed – as long as the milk is handled properly, it's likely that there's no significant risk.
But there is no "sniff test" for E. coli, salmonella, listeria or any of the other harmful microbes that can be present in milk. They can't be detected by sight, smell or taste. And there are too many points of potential contamination to make me feel comfortable consuming raw milk personally.
The "infographic" was just maddening, which is why I had such a strong reaction.
SallyStrange says
What? It's not like I'm pro-torture or anything.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ SallyStrange
I wonder if we have been "Pharyngula-customized Greasemonkey killfile script"-ed?
chigau (違う) says
I have, on occasion, hush-filed everyone except me.
It's weird.
And takes a long time to clean up.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ chigau
I have never used the killfile. My scroll button is effective enough.
Really nice weather in Honkers.
Antiochus Epiphanes says
chigau?? What, what? Even me? But everything I write is relevent, insightful, witty and goodwill inducing. I shall have catalogue all of my bon mots so you can catch up.
chigau (違う) says
I resisted killfile for a long time but I kinda like it now.
It's snowing here.
Beatrice (looking for a happy thought) says
Did someone say something?
chigau (違う) says
My killfile experiment didn't work out.
I ended up unkilling everyone because I couldn't remember why some people were in there.
Some of them reminded me later.
[Not you. So a catalogue isn't necessary. Really. Honestly. ;)]
Owlmirror says
I'm trying to think of some use of the word "deserve" which does not imply approval of what is deserved on the part of the one making the statement.
Maybe by including oneself — "we all deserve hell, for we are all born in sin, blah blah blah"?
But, no, that still implies that what is deserved is right and proper. The speaker has just managed to avoid the "deserved" fate by being saved.
Dean has decided that he knows the power that runs the universe, and has, in a sense, allied himself with it (even though all he's done is ally himself to a narrative). He presumably approves of that power's actions. By explicitly declaring "You deserve Hell", he is pro-Hell in the same sense that a Nazi is pro-extermination camps, or a Bolshevik is pro-purging.
If he were merely warning about Hell, he would declare "You risk Hell", or "You are in danger of Hell".
So too with rape. A sign saying "You risk rape" would be a warning to change one's ways; "You deserve rape" implies approval of the fate.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
A catalogue of AE bon mots would be rather niiice.
chigau (違う) says
Did someone say something?
usually always do.
SallyStrange says
Really? Lil ole me, killfiled by the great ChasCPeterson? No, say it ain't so. Will someone please pass on to him my sincere wish to hear more about how "identity politics" is making us all stupid?
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
Owlmirror, I think you just hit it out of the park.
Beatrice (looking for a happy thought) says
I have accidentally hushfiled dianne a couple of times. I don't know how it happens, but when I want to quote her, or open her comment in another window, my finger just goes to "hush". Since I like dianne, that is unfortunate. If I don't notice it immediately, I'm baffled later "Wait what, why the hell is dianne hushfiled?! Who messed with my computer?".
And it's just dianne's comments that happens with.
chigau (違う) says
someone said
Really? Lil ole me, killfiled by the great ChasCPeterson? No, say it ain't so. Will someone please pass on to him my sincere wish to hear more about how "identity politics" is making us all stupid?
Goodbye Enemy Janine says
Today is the thirtieth anniversary of one of the greatest rants ever recorded by a baseball manager, then Cubs manager Lee Elia. One does not need to be a fan of baseball nor of the Chicago Cubs to appreciate this work of beauty. Needless to say, it is not safe for work.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ SallyStrange
identity politics
You mean {tadda} *tribalism* ‽‽‽
(Actually, that would be an interesting topic of conversation and I would have liked to hear chas's position spelled out clearly. There is, I guess , a disadvantage to one's being killfiled.)
rorschach says
My killfile experiment didn't work out.
Ah come on! In the end we all like to know what is being said about us. Unless it was some braindead tedious troll, I never saw the point in it really, and I was always way too curious to see what those who were hating me for some thing or another at the time would come up with next.
Today is the thirtieth anniversary of one of the greatest rants ever recorded by a baseball manager, then Cubs manager Lee Elia. One does not need to be a fan of baseball nor of the Chicago Cubs to appreciate this work of beauty.
German soccer had a similar event in 1998, when Italian star coach Giovanni Trappatoni had a total meltdown at a press conference.
David Marjanović says
I was going to Marjonović [sic] and respond individually to individuals
That's not even what I do; I respond to individual claims.
and one of my cousin's friend says that she gives several pints of it to her lactose-intolerant son every day.
Is he dead yet?
Seriously: is he dead yet? From diarrhea? Or is he not lactose-intolerant at all?
Methinks he deals with lactose just fine.
viscous 'punishment'
Heh. Look at that word viscous. Based on its spelling, how would you pronounce it?
Hint: not like vicious. That's what you were aiming at.
But, no, that still implies that what is deserved is right and proper. The speaker has just managed to avoid the "deserved" fate by being saved.
Well, some people make a difference between "lawful" and "good", and apply "deserved" to the former.* Even if they approve of the law in general/in principle/in the abstract, they still think that mercy should come first.
Some such people are trying to fool themselves: they don't approve of the law at all, but their religion says they have to, so they claim they approve in the abstract but don't want it to be applied, which makes it kinda pointless. There are tens, perhaps hundreds, of millions of Christians out there who hope or outright believe that Hell is empty, yet still (try to) believe it exists as some kind of way-over-the-top warning.
For all others, however, I'm with comment 551. The level of approval may range from "good" to "necessary evil", but there's still "necessary" in there.
And that's before we get to the impact on other people. If "you deserve rape" doesn't further rape culture, I don't know what does.
* This is where Chas comes in and says if you believe they apply it to the latter, you're committing a logical fallacy, and we know what happens when Chas spots a logical fallacy.
ChasCPeterson says
I wonder if we have been "Pharyngula-customized Greasemonkey killfile script"-ed?
nah, I just had to go to work.
Neither you nor SallyStrange are in my file at the moment (sorry Sally) (hey, you should do like a sarcastic disappointment thing now haha)
Plus anyway even if you were, I peek a lot (which is how I know there is much irony in #557).
I cycle folks in and out, but I'm only
kil hushing those I find boring, insipid, and/or annoying. I like reading comments that disagree with my ideas, seriously, and I don't really mind invective much (as ought to be obvious by now). If you occasionally bring some sort of interesting (to me)(for whatever reason) content to bear, I won't hush you.
So with that in mind, you know what? The worst possible way to get me (or, I'll wager, pretty much anybody else) to shut up about something is to keep talking to me about it. Know what I mean? I had to point this out to somebody the other day on another subject. You can't tell me to shut up, then continue the conversation, then tell me to shut up. Conversation just doesn't work that way. It's bullshit to expect it to, for me or for anybody else.
I'm in a decent mood for once and plus I want to watch last night's Mad Men, so I won't be rising to any of your bait, people who will remain nameless.
Please feel free to not respond. That would be great, actually.
Tony!, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. That was unnecessarily mean of me.
LykeX says
Very ironically, comment #319 only just showed up now in my email subscription.
Tony! The Lonely Queer Shoop says
Thank you.
SallyStrange says
I don't care what mood you're in. I STILL want to know what the hell you meant when you called Tony "gullible." As I noted, it implies someone is trying to fool him. Who?
evilisgood says
Ketchup is viscous punishment.
Owlmirror says
I wondered why the comment numbers suddenly changed.
Looks like #319 was in moderation until recently.
Which is ironic, since it was about comments being in moderation.
PZ Myers says
I check the moderation queue sporadically, sometimes every day, sometimes when I'm busy it's a couple of days. And then I TROLL BY MESSIN' UP ALL YOUR COMMENT NUMBERS. Ha ha ha ha.
David Marjanović says
David Marjanović says
Oh, I forgot the YOU ARE ON THE WAY TO DESTRUCTION bit.
David Marjanović says
Ketchup is viscous punishment.
blf says
Proof, proof!, numerology is teh trvth!!!1!
(Actually, along with the fact that number and magick have the same number of letters, which is also the sum of the digits of 42, which is known to be Teh Answer, this makes three proofs!)
ChasCPeterson says
SallyStrange: I've already answered your question, explicitly, twice*. If you're not going to read what I post anyway, then please killfile me so you're not tempted to engage me in the exact conversation that several other commenters have asked or demanded me to shut up about.
You probably owe them an apology for this comment.
*Ctrl-F "dishonest presentation"
SallyStrange says
Really, you already explained who's trying to fool Tony into thinking that "YOU DESERVE RAPE" is a pro-rape sort of thing to say?
I must have missed it. Maybe somebody who's less of an asshole can help me out. Linkies?
SallyStrange says
even while directly quoting the sign's obverse
SallyStrange says
If I'm so obnoxious that YOU killfile ME instead of the other way around, does that mean I win?
SallyStrange says
And, like I said before, I'd love to
watch you dig your hole deeper hear more of your fascinating opinions about identity politics, Chas!
ChasCPeterson says
SS: have a nice day!
cm's changeable moniker (quaint, if not charming) says
If this thread's dead, can we get a new one?
In unrelated news, I provided QTWTAIN #939. :-)
… and regarding the current topic, I have been reading Bro Dean's blog (*shudder*). If you're trying to discern what he thinks from one of his placards, you're taking the verb "to think" to places it has never been before.
He's a Calvinist: no suffering in this life matters compared to the tribulations of the next; God has decided who will be saved (no free will for you!); Bro's job is to shout as loudly as possible until others can be reached by the Holy Spirit and be saved. It's a religion designed for narcissistic arseholes. Calling him "pro" or "anti" anything is asking those words to do some heavy lifting in the pile of crates marked 'stupidity'.
(He's also taking beatings in the comments, many of them from Christians!)
*Opens crate of brain bleach marked Stella Artois*
Delft says
Nice QTWTAIN. And an interesting study. Other studies show people are unwilling to sell their soul, even if they don't believe they have one, or tempt fate (don't remember the details).
I know I'd feel slightly uncomfortable with all three, despite not believing in any of it. I'd guess it's some kind of taboo we learn when young, and don't easily unlearn, at least emotionally.
Delft says
@John Morales
so, no actual reason. I suspected as much.
John Morales says
Delft, conveniently, I need not suspect your theory of mind is up to its usual standard.
Also, "no actual reason", eh?
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ Delft / John Morales
" …I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
{theophontes reads the thread backwards and notices more of the above…}
chigau (違う) says
What shall we talk about?
As long as it has NOTHING to do with whatever John Morales and Delft are on about.
Weather? Secrets?
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ chigau
Aah sekrit mesarges!
Beautiful weather in Shenzhen.
Delft says
@John Morales
If you had a reason, you would have written it, whether here or on the original thread. You're just back to cryptic remarks. Seems to be your thing.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
Mmmmh, like clouds drifting over heads.
chigau (違う) says
That is another conversation.
Because my crazy auntie was a HUGE fan of Hedy Lamarr, I read Ecstasy and Me as a teenager.
Hedy's description of having a pin poked in her bum to simulate orgasm made me a fan, too.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ chigau
We could discuss the relevance of Hedy's maths algorithms for my Bluetooth mouse, but that might be even less raunchy than some of spats 'round here.
John Morales says
If you had a reason, you would have written it, whether here or on the original thread.
I did, and it was exactly the same reason upon which Hillary based her own comment: "Because your comments exhibit that no less than "the patience of a saint"."
You're just back to cryptic remarks.
"Because X" is cryptic to you, such that you don't imagine X is the reason?
Seems to be your thing.
I shan't dispute that to you it obviously seems so.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
An arty interlude: Kitteh statue.
A whole consignment of clay and porcelain statues arrived in the office this afternoon, from an artist friend of one of my colleagues. No camera, so the webcam has to suffice. (Art fair in the Thunderdome Gallery tomorrow. )
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ chigau
Hedy Lamarr aka Hedy Kiesler Markey.
evilisgood says
It's Hedley!
Antiochus Epiphanes says
Ummm. So, I got a really great deal on gravel. They'll be bringing it by later this morning. The weekend promises to be unseasonably cool which will be perfect for moving 5 tons of gravel. So there's that. Also, tomorrow is my last class day, and by Tuesday, I will be singing Alice Cooper's "School's Out for Summer" very loudly in my office.
Also, I need new boots.
Hekuni Cat, MQG says
Antiochus Epiphanes:
I will be singing Alice Cooper's "School's Out for Summer" very loudly in my office.
That brings back memories of long ago days. :D
chigau (違う) says
I find myself completely charmed by a patent with the word "secret" in the title.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ chigau
Obscurity can work too. Such as using rare words that nobody else understands. Rather than saying something like: "failed identity-political narrative", we'll instead use "nodus tollens".
John Morales says
Knot removed? What a secretion!
John Morales says
In the Real World, the Pope pontificates:
"A headline that really struck me on the day of the tragedy in Bangladesh was 'Living on 38 euros [$49] a month'. That is what the people who died were being paid. This is called slave labour," the Pope was quoted by Vatican Radio as saying.
(That's 38 Euros more than the Magdalene asylums paid their slaves)
mikmik says
Popey Head. Guess His rigor samsa is acting up again, or maybe He's just faking.
rorschach says
Someone buy that guy Robbins a beer:
'Islamophobia' and the Atheist movement
(and I note his article links to PZ, skepchick and, of all people, Laden)
rorschach says
*mumbles incoherently about wordpress link handling and tries again*
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you'll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.
Oy Vey! I think I sonder every day. Living in the epicenter of so many millions of people squished into the southern part of China. Like one giant social fractal.
"sonder" is an Afrikaans word for "without" (as in "Doctors without borders"). The coiner of the term seems to know a bit about South Africa,… so maybe. Related to "asunder" (apart), in English. (Also: "afsonder" = isolate, "uitsonderlik"=exceptional … this person did their homework.)
Owlmirror says
n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you'll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.
Have you ever read Empire Star, by Samuel R. Delany?
In the plating that floored the bridge, here and there were pinpricks of light.
"They just look like random dots, do they not?"
He nodded.
"That's the simplex view. Now start walking and keep looking."
Comet started to walk, steadily, staring upward. The dots of light winked out, and here and there others appeared, then winked out again, and more, or perhaps the original ones, returned.
"There's a superstructure of girders above the bridge that gets in the way of some of the holes and keeps thee from perceiving all at once. But thou art now receiving the complex view, for thou art aware that there is more than what is seen from any one spot. Now, start to run, and keep thy head up."
Jo began to run along the rocks. The rate of flickering increased, and suddenly he realized that the holes were in a pattern, six-pointed stars crossed by diagonals of seven holes each. It was only with the flickering coming so fast that the entire pattern could be perceived—
He stumbled, and skidded onto his hands and knees.
"Didst thou see the pattern?"
"Eh… yeah." Jo shook his head. His palms stung through the gloves, and one knee was raw.
"That was the multiplex view."
Pteryxx says
from rorschach's link in 604:
No, what's interesting here is how badly Harris contradicts himself. Last year he argued that it was trivial for a TSA agent to identify a Muslim in a crowd; now he's suggesting that there can't possibly be an irrational focus on Muslims because you can't identify a Muslim by anything other than their beliefs. It's hard to see how these two positions can be reconciled in one mind without dislocating a neuron.
Harris's confusion is interesting because it highlights a fundamental problem with a lot of recent discussion about the validity of 'Islamophobia' as a term – the label 'Muslim' is inextricably linked to race in people's minds. If you ask a thousand random people to draw a Muslim, you will end up with 999 drawings of people with the same ethnicity and one person who drew a bowl of cereal because they thought you said 'muesli'. I'd be willing to bet that, all else being equal, hordes of conspiracy theorists would not be calling Obama a secret Muslim if his skin were a different colour.
White privilege changes the appearance of Tsarnaev brothers
cm's changeable moniker (quaint, if not charming) says
… kittens, but I think it might be the other way round.
chigau (違う) says
John Morales says
chigau (違う) says
John Morales says
chigau (違う) says
or rather:
chigau (違う) says
chigau (違う) says
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
Speaking of the Nyan Cat Devil ™ :
Nyan Cat and Keyboard Cat creators sue Warner Bros
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ owlmirror
Empire Star, by Samuel R. Delany
Not yet.
Check out:
(more about this and others later)
Owlmirror says
This book includes "Empire Star", among others.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
The Great Firewall of China. (Test)
UnknownEric the Apostate says
Nyan Cat and Keyboard Cat creators sue Warner Bros
Warners knew better than to eff with Grumpy Cat.
LykeX says
This is a bit old (November), but I came across it while trawling through my link collection and I thought it was worthy of wider circulation.
chigau (違う) says
ChasCPeterson says
cm's changeable moniker (quaint, if not charming) says
I'm worried about YouTube. After watching the perfectly sensible:
Andrei Gavrilov plays Chopin Ballade No 1
… I'm offered:
Liszt La Campanella (Andrei Gawrilow)
… followed by:
The Awesome "CAD WEST" Low Flying Jet Site In Wales "Mach Loop".
I think they know more about me than they're letting on. ~:-|
John Morales says
cm, more likely is that you're easily predictable.
(I know they know fuck-all about me by what they're letting on)
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
[Google glass]
I can see those being featured as one of the top ten brainfarts of all time in the tech mags of five years hence .
carlie says
I was reading old comment threads because of linked posts and it was really starkly obvious how many people used to comment on Pharyngula who don't any more and it made me sad. :(
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ carlie
It's a lot like life.
(I don't know if that comment really helps. Other than, for good or bad, for every commenter that left, there is another about to delurk.)
{proffers hugs}
ChasCPeterson says
A bunch of the people carlie's talking about are irreplacable.
I recommend the whole interview (and the whole new e-mag it's in, Nautilus, looks very interesting (plus the cephalopian title)), but I found this exchange with Frans de Waal especially fascinating:
Chimpanzees have complicated social lives. There's a lot of jockeying for social status among both males and females. Do alpha males always rule the roost?
People always think the strongest male is dominant, and when he's not so strong anymore, another male will take over. But I've known groups where the smallest male is the alpha male. He needs buddies who support him, so he needs to groom his supporters and share his food with them and sometimes share females with them. He cannot be completely exclusive in his mating rights.
He needs to build political alliances.
Yeah, he needs to bribe them. In captivity, females very often have quite a say. Since all the families live together, there's an enormous power bloc which no male can get around. So if the alpha female doesn't like a certain male, he's in deep trouble because she's going to support one of his rivals to take over the alpha position. It really becomes a political game.
You say that when an alpha male assaults a submissive female, other females will band together to protect the female under attack.
In captivity, forced copulation by males is basically impossible because the females as a bloc are opposed to that. Female chimpanzees don't always support each other in other circumstances, but when a male tries to force himself onto a female, then all of a sudden they act in solidarity and he will regret what he tried to do. Now in the wild it's more difficult because male chimpanzees don't have all these females around, so the power difference between males and females is actually bigger than in captivity.
ChasCPeterson says
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ chas
A bunch of the people carlie's talking about are irreplacable.
We all are!
Thanks for the linky.
ChasCPeterson says
well, ok, I recommend the first 2/3 of that interview.
I forgot that he's now in the atheist-bashing business.
It's good on apes!
Antiochus Epiphanes says
*pours out some liquor, chucks carlie on the shoulder*
carlie says
Thanks, AE. :)
Yeah, there are a lot of commenters I'd like to see around again. Not that I don't love all the ones we have now, but I miss a lot of people too.
ChasCPeterson says
PZ Myers: frontpage this sucker, please!
So I mentioned this new e-mag Nautilus, and then just now found the preview issue which is actually nautilus-themed in an explicitly cephalopodian way.
I have to say that this right here is one of the besr reads I've seen on the freakin internets, ever.
rorschach says
Not that I don't love all the ones we have now
I sure don't, ewww! But I love Chas and SC, does that disqualify me from further duty?
But seriously, 'twas more fun with Erin and truthy and Kseniya and Jeff and Aquaria and Kel around….
I also seem to have missed what happened to Caine, and I assume strangey is currently taking one of his hiatuses(is that a word?)?
carlie says
Chas – that is a pretty amazing article.
rorschach says
Chas – that is a pretty amazing article.
Very cool.
carlie says
HEY CHAS – I just realized I'll be within about a half hour of you in October for a couple of days. I imagine the thought of socializing with me for an hour or so might be equivalent to suggesting an evening of dental work, but if you wanna go out for a beer let me know and we can figure something out by email. It's a pretty narrow window – I'll have two evenings potentially free after 9pm (it's a conference), but it's there.
Antiochus Epiphanes says
carlie and chas: I iz sooo jelly.
ChasCPeterson says
carlie, the truth is I don't know where I'll be in October. But remind me as it gets closer and I'd certainly be willing.
LykeX says
Chas and carlie sitting in a tree.
carlie says
Chas – ok, will do. It's the last Thursday and Friday of October (24-25) if you're around. I hope your locational uncertainty resolves itself in whatever way you most desire.
rorschach says
rorschach says
So now that we know that Acetaminophen(Paracetamol) gets metabolised into an endogenous cannabinoid, why is it not being indexed or made a prescription drug by the FDA?
carlie says
rorschach – SHHHHH!!!!!!
rorschach says
While we are at horrible Tom Waits covers:
Dhorvath, OM says
I used to comment on Pharyngula and at times it makes me sad. We all have limits, some are built of interest, others of endurance, mine centre around time. Still, it's strange to read names and be reasonably sure that people who once used those names are still drifting through life, maybe busily enriching other spaces, but to have no idea of the truth. This feels melancholy at times. At other times, it just feels bigger than me. I certainly can't hold the space without participating, and even doing so I lose the space that it was. And so I wonder what they hold of here just as I try to puzzle what it means to me.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ LykeX
Chas and carlie sitting in a tree.
Stumbleupon kicked this across my path. Coincidence? I think not.
LykeX says
Undoubtedly a result of quantum emergence of your inner selfhood. It's the only rational explanation.
David Marjanović says
But seriously, 'twas more fun with Erin and truthy and Kseniya and Jeff and Aquaria and Kel around….
And Josh the geologist. *sigh*
rorschach says
And Josh the geologist.
Oh yes! And Alan the Cricket fan, cant remember his last name. Both featured in the first 100 or so iterations of TET.
It's fun to go through old SB Pharyngula threads now, you recognize all the names and go "Ah yeah I remember that one" all the time.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ LykeX
mythbri says
Anyone remember Elizabeth Smart? She was kidnapped at 14, held prisoner for nine months and raped on an almost daily basis by her kidnapper. She's still a member of the Mormon church. She actually served a mission while her kidnapper/rapist's trial was going on. Now she's back, and she spoke at Johns Hopkins about human trafficking, sexual violence and abstinence-only education.
Her kidnapping had a real effect on everyone from that region – I lived not too far away from where her family lived at the time she was taken. I know – a pretty white girl from a middle-class family? The media was all over it. Much more attention than is paid to millions of other missing children. But still, there was an effect.
My younger brother, who has always had anxiety issues, was terrified to sleep on his own after Smart was kidnapped. He would sleep on the floor of my room, or our brothers', or my mom's. Or he would have the dog sleep in his room with him. This lasted for years. I'm not sure he's completely over it, and he's 25, now.
So here's what Elizabeth Smart said at Johns Hopkins:
Smart said she "felt so dirty and so filthy" after she was raped by her captor, and she understands why someone wouldn't run "because of that alone."
Smart spoke at a Johns Hopkins human trafficking forum, saying she was raised in a religious household and recalled a school teacher who spoke once about abstinence and compared sex to chewing gum.
"I thought, 'Oh, my gosh, I'm that chewed up piece of gum, nobody re-chews a piece of gum, you throw it away.' And that's how easy it is to feel like you no longer have worth, you no longer have value," Smart said. "Why would it even be worth screaming out? Why would it even make a difference if you are rescued? Your life still has no value."
I'm seeing a lot of Mormons with angry reactions, saying that what Smart is saying must be a problem of individual wards or stakes, and is not "doctrinally valid."
To this I say BULLSHIT.
Young Women in the Mormon church are, at age 12, taught separately from the boys. Their lesson plans are based on Personal Progress, which is a program that has eight Values attached to it. It only had seven when I was in that program (1994 – 2002). The church leadership added a new one in (I think) 2008. I still have the first seven memorized:
Divine Nature
Individual Worth
Choice and Accountability
Good Works
That last one, in bolded letters? That's the new one. Want to know one of the scriptural references related to that Value? By which I mean, not just a scripture that has the word "virtue" in it, but a specific scripture that is mentioned specifically in reference to this Value?
Moroni 9:9-10
9 And notwithstanding this great abomination of the Lamanites, it doth not exceed that of our people in Moriantum. For behold, many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they taken prisoners; and after depriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue –
10 And after they had done this thing, they did murder them in a most cruel manner, torturing their bodies even unto death; and after they have done this, they devour their flesh like unto wild beasts, because of the hardness of their hearts; and they do it for a token of bravery.
Link for reference.
This is as "doctrinally valid" as it fucking gets.
gmacs says
And Josh the geologist. *sigh*
You mean the Trollhammer? Never did I see such slimy streams of blood as when a troll incurred his wrath.
I remember a time when a troll questioned the PatriotismTM of the commenters on the thread. He/she had been skirmishing with the other commenters, but with this statement, the fury of the Trollhammer was ignited. PZ had to banish what remained of the creature.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ mythbri
That is some crappy babble fanfic there. Also on their website that you linked to:
A Translation of some ancient Records that have fallen into our hands from the catacombs of Egypt. The writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus.
Joseph Smith cajoled his fans to spend an outrageous amount on some scroll fragments from a traveling salesman. He claimed to be able to read ancient hieroglyphics and pronounced them as revelations relating to Abraham. This ruse was all fine – until advances in Egyptology caught up with his lies. They are, in actuality, bits of religious text concerning burial ceremonies and have sweet fuckall to do with anything JS claimed of them. If ever there was proof of what a charlatan JS was, this was it. Not that that is going to stop the Mormon's lies for even a minute.
gmacs says
Speaking of charlatans, I made an observation recently. I have pointed out to some Christians in my family, when they quote Paul, that if there is a clear con artist in the Bible, it is him. I have been told that this is impossible, because Paul was persecuted and alienated and even jailed for his beliefs, yet he kept going.
Yet they seem to easily accept that Mohammed and Joseph Smith were con men. Both faced adversity and push-back to their professed beliefs. Joseph and his brother were murdered by an angry mob while awaiting trial. Both Joseph Smith and Mohammed also had a lot of wives, and this is often implied by detractors to be a motivation for their religious stances.
So here's what I'm wondering: Do mainstream Christians think that only hornballs can be con artists?
Wow, I'm babbling. Bed time.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ gmacs
[xtians] …seem to easily accept that Mohammed and Joseph Smith were con men.
Joseph Smith styled himself as a new Mohammad, so there is some correlation right there.
Do mainstream Christians think that only hornballs can be con artists?
OK, I first had to look up "hornballs". I guess any, political/religious figure that is not xtian may be considered a con artist from a xtian perspective. How can they possess the Truth ™ if they do not follow Lord Jeebus?
It is interesting to note that it is a common enough trait amongst charasmatic, totalitarian leaders that they are "hornballs". Classic examples would be the Kims of North Korea, with their "Joy Divisions" (Gippeumjo) of young women, press-ganged into providing sex to prominent politicians. The charismatic Jim Jones (of Jonestown, Guyana) built up a cult around his fixation with his own penis.
Mao Zedong required an endless supply of young peasant woman to quench his insatiable sexual appetite. Mao contracted Trichomonas vaginalis and knowingly passed it on to these women (he was asymptomatic and didn't give a fuck about his partners health). But then:
"The young women were proud to be infected. The illness, transmitted by Mao, was a badge of honor, testimony to their close relationship with the Chairman. ¹ "
The above three examples could easily be written off by the goddists as poor examples because they can be deemed "cultist" and/or "atheist". The key issues though (I hazard a guess) are what they have in common with religious hornballiness. Think of all the "charasmatic" preachers (even in just the last few years) which have got caught with their pants down. Then also the aspect of totalitarianism at play, for example, in Catlick churchmen's use of power structures to rape children en mass, and then being able to calculatedly cover it all up on an industrial scale.
These so called "atheist" dictators share all the real parts of religions. In this they are particularly alike. This is not particularly surprising, as repressive social structures must needs resort to similar means. (The "atheist" Stalin's hoods picked up the very same instruments of torture that had been left behind by the repressive organs of the former (ie:Tsarist) church and state.)
The only real difference then is in the unreal. That one aspect clung to by the religious and abandoned by their secular emulators.
¹ This from Mao's doctor,Zhisui Li.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
woman women
one peculiar aspect
one aspect
cm's changeable moniker (quaint, if not charming) says
*glances around*
Um, yeah.
So at the play park yesterday, kid #2 found lizards! (Melanistic variant, to boot.) My bird feeders have acquired a blackcap. And there are flowers on the apple tree.
Also, dandelions, but I say that this time every year. ;-)
chigau (違う) says
*crickets glance around*
We don't get lizards here but I smell skunk!
John Morales says
chigau, skunk does have a very distinctive smell.
(Or so I've heard)
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ John Morales
Shhhh, I could give you the contact details of my old supplier, who could help you out. I just don't know if I'm *allowed* to.
chigau (違う) says
John Morales
har! [I've never heard of that.]
this is better
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ John Morales
I could give you the contact details of my old supplier.
@ chigau
Awwww… Your skunks are better than John's.
theophontes (恶缓步动物) says
@ chigau
If you respond to this comment quickly, you may get the coveted 666 title!
Dhorvath, OM says
Slides into someone else's spot.
chigau (違う) says
Dhorvath, OM says
I am not that smelly.
David Marjanović says
the Kims of North Korea, with their "Joy Divisions" (Gippeumjo) of young women, press-ganged into providing sex to prominent politicians
Oh, I didn't even know.
chigau (違う) says
That Bringing Trolling thread has brought out my [hushfile].
ChasCPeterson says
Happiestsadist, opener of the Crack of Doom [hush][hide comment]
8 May 2013 at 12:02 pm (UTC -5)
I agree with Ms. Daisy Cutter here.
now there's a surprise.
Chris Clarke says
That Bringing Trolling thread has brought out my [hushfile].
cm's changeable moniker (quaint, if not charming) says
Hm. So we've had a previous-page post released: it's fixed things for Beatrice (#502) and spoiled things for Dhorvath (#667), and promoted theophontes to TH#666. Excellent work, moderator!
(Anyone know offhand which post it was? Before I go looking …)
cm's changeable moniker (quaint, if not charming) says
#503, whatever.
Dhorvath, OM says
My comment still makes sense. I can cope.
ChasCPeterson says
re: my comments above about the magazine Nautilus:
Turns out, as per Coyne, it's a Templeton rag.
Well the nautilus article is still cool.
cm's changeable moniker (quaint, if not charming) says
Oh! Dhorvath: someone made a video of where we went for kid #1's birthday. You'll like it. ;-)
Dhorvath, OM says
He's a wizard on two wheels…
@ cm's
promoted theophontes to TH#666. Excellent work, moderator!
Which is now proudly incorporated into the tardigrade's nym.
{whisper} [the cheque is in the mail oh eBil oberlawd.]
@ David Marjanović
The original "Joy Division" was set up for Kim Il-sung. There is a tradition out here that having lots of sex will increase one's lifespan (this was also part of Mao's reasoning in having sex with his myriad minions).
We had a similar image to this a few months ago on TD:[Lao tsu] and the Peach of Immortality. The peach also represents the female genitalia, the peach juices … er, *cough*, er, … {mumble} immortality. The , er .. shape of the old man's head is not co-incidental either … {blushes}…
Lofty says
There is a tradition out here that having lots of sex will increase one's lifespan
Probably true but wanking's cheaper and less likely to lead to embarrassing diseases. ;-)
@ Lofty
But where is the er, *cough*, er… "peach juice"…?
(Also: This does not conform with the Yin-Yang principle. "One hand clapping", or "Shooting at airplanes", just doesn't make the grade.)
NateHevens, resident SOOPER-GENIUS... apparently... says
Got my grades and…
Legal Issues for the Musician: A
Archaeological Research Methods: A
Primate Behavior: B
Historical Archaeology: C
For the record, I'm majoring in Anthropology and Minoring in Commercial Music, hence the random legal music class.
I was already expecting that C because the class was frickin' HARD (imagine Social Studies, only you're memorizing artifacts along with dates and places and names, and also memorizing how to tell different versions of the same artifact apart… there wasn't enough storage space in my brain… you archaeologists… I do not envy you your careers). However, I was expecting a 70 or 71. Instead I got a 78.4, which is better.
Still, I was hoping to get at least all A's and B's, so it's a bit of a blow, but it just means I have to get straight A's next semester. Which, considering the classes I signed up for, will actually be easier to achieve, I think… except maybe the Maya class (though it's the same teacher as the Archaeological Research Methods class, and he's a relatively easy grader, so I'm not worried).
chigau (違う) says
Well done, NateHevens!
no wait…
So how did you screw up?
Antiochus Epiphanes says
The peach, I believe also can represent an element of yang. My brother has studied Chinese martial arts since he was very young and is especially adept at a debilitating technique called "Monkey Snatches a Peach".
Although, maybe he invented this technique.
I could probably ask him.
John Morales says
My brother has studied Chinese martial arts since he was very young and is especially adept at a debilitating technique called "Monkey Snatches a Peach".
What, he becomes enfeebled each time he employs it?
Antiochus Epiphanes says
John: I know you couldn't possibly think that and you are just busting my peaches.
Monkey Snatches a Peach
Methinks that was Monkey King in "Journey to the West". (He also drank all the wine.)
Cliquez ici, to see the Tori Amos version, where Monkey King steals then eats the (anthropomorphised) peaches of immortality.
John Morales says
AE, so it's not a Dangerous Forbidden Technique, then?
Antiochus Epiphanes says
theophontes: What a lovely song and video. I must see the movie now.
John: It really ought to be forbidden if it's not already. But to clarify: it is not nearly so dangerous to oneself as one's opponent.
I must see the movie now.
"I must read the book now." (PDF)
Antiochus Epiphanes says
Wo kan bu dong!
"xie xie ni, wode tsong ming de pangyo."
Antiochus Epiphanes says
Oops. Just
Xie xie, wode cong pengyou…maybe. I'm starting to see how these tatoo plans go wrong.
Or maybe Ich bin ein Berliner
*haz an embarass*
ChasCPeterson says
the fuck?
*checks url; scrolls up to check sidebar*
The [Thunderdome]: no-holds-barred unmoderated chaos
*checks link; confirm match to current url*
to start with, if I was king, any comment that started off "HEY EVERYONE!" would go to the Lounge automatically.
ChasCPeterson says
also No Lolcatspeak in The Thunderdome! would be a Rule.
(isn't that a Rule already? oughta be.)
rorschach says
Methinks that was Monkey King in "Journey to the West".
Yup. Brought the book with me from China for my kid, he loved it. Nice mythology.
opposablethumbs says
My mother had a really nice edition of Journey to the West. When I was … (not sure exactly how old, but) quite young, maybe about 10??? I read the whole book cover to cover and loved it. It's a bit … discombobulating to realise I'm certain I'll never do that again.
PZ Myers says
NEW THREAD. No LOLcats.


text:
SEC Official Seeks Inquiry Into Twitter Hoax
Securities and Exchange Commissioner Luis Aguilar is calling for an inquiry into the Twitter hoax that caused stocks to plunge in minutes Tuesday before recovering. Scott Patterson reports on The News Hub. (Photo: AP)
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the the ... an FCC official is calling for a probe into the eight weeks to sign the market for a moment yesterday ... will have back and mall right here right now on the New Saab good afternoon and welcome I'm Simon Constable ... with that story will Street gentle scope Addison joins us now from Washington DC school thank you for being map ... Mr. s Simon Sysco who exactly is calling for an inquiry and why ... right so this is a Democratic commissioner named Lilly Aguilar ... and this afternoon he told us that he is ... asking for SEC's staff to investigate ... trading around the ... the Twitter pack on the EP feed yesterday ... no this is something that BAC about the SEC's probably planning to do anyway but ... the fact that a commissioner of the agency as of ... this pushing for this I think is a little bit more on ... pretence and you know ... will we fall in the Seaway of the fall upon us and and exactly what all the SCC worried that that in this case ... but if you know we don't really know exactly what they're concerned about I think the ... yell for my conversations with the SCC they're not sure what they should operate about the day I think this ... really will we have here is an emerging technology ... Twitter ... news coming out automatically it so it appears now to be somewhat unsafe unguarded ... combined with really fast high-speed trading ... it's just you know it's it's Aussie something that the agency should be looking at ... this or ... that what one of the quotes and a stag a law says is that it appears that the securities markets have been manipulated in violation of the securities laws ... of market manipulation would be a big problem with net because in a week that sends the ... son of a bad climbs out with the general public ... he absolutely any yet the SCC has to be concerned about the parents the integrity of the market ... I don't think they Aguilar is saying that this appears to be manipulative ... I think what he's saying is the SCC should look in the scene ... in it and whether or not it was Nanette to I don't think he's saying that they really have any idea yet that that ... sense of need to be looked and say thank you Brian much