conuly

I'm not linking directly to the site, but to the blog post where I read about it.

Apparently, this site about controlling how much you drink has decided that the main risk of drinking for women is getting raped. (But, you know, it's totally all your fault.) And you can find out about it at their site!

There are screenshots in the link. It's hard to link to the stories individually because they're kinda randomized? So who knows how fucked up it all is?

It's close to impossible to find their contact information (I had to google it) but there it is. Go ahead. Contact them! Don't know what to say, but I can think of a few choice words....

but we have people who honestly think taxing rich people is a bad idea. I don't know, it seems like common sense to me that the guy making 5 million a year should be taxed at a higher rate than the guy making 50k a year, because they'll still have more money left over when you're done... but some people don't know how to do math or something.

You may also not know that the US is in a bit of a budget situation. Not enough money, or maybe too much spending. (I can tell you where *I* would cut the budget! But were I dictator, I wouldn't care what the people thought.)

The same people who don't want to tax the rich have found a solution to this crisis. They're gonna tax the poor!

...

Some days, it's just not worth it to get out of bed. I assure you, if calling in sick were an option....

The KKK officially is stating that it doesn't condone Koran burning (hypocritical, counterproductive, and un-American), the Tea Party (an extension of the Republicans, who - along with all other political parties - "have compromised their agenda to support the Progressive Socialist enslavement of the American people.")

Also, they "absolutely repudiate" the actions of Westboro Baptist, but that's pretty much a gimme, even for the KKK. (But that's all right. I'm sure Westboro Baptist hates them too.)

It's creepy as hell, though.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/business/28borker.html

( Read more... )

Glenn Beck: Slavery "started with seemingly innocent ideas" and then "the government began to regulate things"

I haven't actually watched the video, so maybe this quote was taken wildly out of context. I'm not sure what context that could possibly be, but if there's any form of justification for this, somebody braver than I am can point it out to me. I refuse to risk my precious brain cells.

LAST swimming lesson they practiced lying on their backs (on their noodles!) and kicking their legs. I say "they", but in fact, when Evangeline heard this idea she turned around and attempted to climb up to my hair. I couldn't even convince her to just lie on her STOMACH and kick! It was like the first day of class all over again, but with somewhat less crying.

I wasn't too worried. I figured she'd get over it by next week. And she did - today she got on her back and tried it, before she was supposed to! And when she found she could get someplace REALLY FAST this way, she just zoomed around and laughed at me.

In fact, she refused to flip over even to show off to the instructor how she could blow bubbles. Now, prior to coming to us, he was (unsurprisingly) with the little girl right next to us, who can swim a little better to Evangeline. "Can she swim by herself?" he asked. When her mother replied that she had no idea, he said "Well, let's try it!" and stood two feet away so she could try swimming by herself with no noodle.

Evangeline was busy kicking on her back. It was a non-event, until ten minutes later when ALL OF A SUDDEN... (dunh dunh DUNH!)

Evangeline (superfast): Cansheswimbyherselfletstryit!
Me: Wait, what? N-
Noodle: Whee, I'm up in the air!
Evangeline: DOWN to the bottom of the pool! (This pool is 3 foot six. Evangeline is NOT three foot six! GAH!)
Me: GAH! *grab*
Me: Evangeline!
Evangeline (laughing): I'm a vampire! *slobbers my neck* Mmm, yummy blood! *slobbers my neck* Mmm, blood, yum yum! *slobbers my arm* BLOOD! I'm a vampire, I eat blood! *smacks lips*

No, seriously, this is what she said.

And she's usually such a sensible child!

My grandmother needs her pacemaker checked.

I carefully examined the referral and dialed the number there.

Try number one!

Receptionist: Hi *mumblemumblemumble*!
Me: This is where I call to get a pacemaker checked?
Receptionist: I'unno. *click*
Me: Did she... she HUNG UP ON ME?

Try number two!

Me: I'm not sure I WANT to deal with that receptionist again. I'll try google. Okay, this is the number for these people, got it...
Phone: To continue in English, please press one now.
Me: Okay. One!
Phone: *starts speaking Spanish*
Me: Uh... riiiiiight.

I'm now on try number three. I'll keep you posted.

No, really. Craig Venter (and others) has now created a synthetic life form. I don't know if I'm amazed or fucking terrified.

WE'RE LIVING IN THE FUTURE, GUYS! STOP IT NOW, I WANT TO GO HOME!

So, Reelabilities is holding their second annual film festival. Now, they asked Ari Ne'eman to to answer questions as an aspie, but you know he got picked to be on the National Council on Disability, so he suggested me (!!!) and I said yes and I went there tonight to see the movie Max and Mary. I got there a respectable 15 minutes early, but it turns out my schedule was wrong and I was actually AN HOUR and 15 minutes early, but that was fine, it gave me some time to read my book.

At the end first they had questions from... one of the filmmakers? I'm not sure, I had a coughing fit around when we were told the history of the filming, so I left to get some water. And I listened, and I was sitting at the front (a place I would *never* choose for myself because there's no safe barrier of chairs between you and, you know, the front) mentally preparing myself to deal with a barrage of questions and to answer any stupid ones by NOT saying "Wow, that's an incredibly stupid question, you know"... although, you never know, if people expect that they may be gratified to think I have no social skills whatsoever, get to feel a little superior, I don't know.

And the previous speaker finished up and... I don't know what happened, if he was misinformed or what, but he basically finished by saying that "Well, I'll meet you right now in the lobby for snacks" and... I didn't end up answering questions at all.

And as people were clearing out and I was sitting there going "Wait... what?" I realized I had two choices. Well, two good choices. I could try to stop this by yelling "WAIT! There's ME!!!" at the crowd, and look like a fool. Or, I could try to identify one of the coordinators (if I could recognize them in the crowded lobby) and ask them wtf just happened. I'd still feel awkward and out-of-place, but at least I'd feel that way more privately. (Or I could just leave, but it seemed to me that if I left without at least a good faith effort to remedy the situation that when everybody-but-me compared notes later it'd look like I flaked out on them.)

So I did that, and we concurred it was too late to get everybody's attention now, and anyway I had just recently recovered from laryngitis, so I decided that rather than hang around in a crowded noisy lobby full of people eating and the smell of wine (something that always makes me feel a bit nauseous) and perfume (a gratifying sign that I'm less congested, I suppose) I'd just go home and finish my book (The Hunger Games, I can't believe I never read it yet!) on the way.

Which I did.

But I'm still not sure exactly what happened there. Sheesh. I'm not actually *upset*, per se (not actually having to deal with people is a bit of a relief, I suppose...) but I'm really annoyed at the whole thing, and I can't shake the feeling that somehow it's a ME thing... or something. (Deep down, I'm still in elementary school at times, and scared both to be picked and NOT to be picked at seven-up during a class birthday party. I always thought that either way it was probably because they were mocking me, and I may have been right.)

When I've thought on it a bit, I'll post about the movie.

Well, fuck you, Florida. At least she's not teaching Kindergarten anymore, but that's a tiny bit of good in this whole list of bad. Sixth graders don't need to be taught how to bully others anymore, they already *know*.

The Good Folks at Conservapedia, concerned that as Christian conservatives they're being persecuted in the world today*, have decided to write their very own update of the KJV Bible.

You have to actually view their own website to fully appreciate the massive levels of fail that're going on here.

Just... wow.

*These people have clearly never been within 1500 feet of anything that even slightly whiffs of persecution or they wouldn't confuse "being the dominant religion and having the ability to surround themselves with people who think the same silly things they do" with "being persecuted".

From homasse. I'd say thanks, but it might be that I was better off not knowing.

Here's one on Texas schools being required to teach the Bible. I'm sure it'll collapse soon enough.

You know, my father was from Texas. It was a big part of his identity. He's actually buried over there. Must be spinning in his grave. I wouldn't be surprised if he got up and started walking to march on the capital either!

And here's one about a bunch of whiners complaining that people wonder WHY, exactly, they felt the need to bring guns to a presidential event.

"I still have some freeeeeeeedoms!" they declare. I think the following comment sums it up:

Let's make sense of this. Wear a John Kerry shirt to a Bush rally and get arrested. Carry an assault rifle to an Obama rally and you are a Freedom Fighting Revolutionary.

So, listen. This rabbi was living in Nebraska, and got stalkerish anti-Semitic material from The Grand Dragon of the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in Nebraska (how do they even say that sort of thing without laughing at themselves?). Instead of calling the police he began prank calling the man - except instead of restricting himself to the classics or heavy breathing he left messages like "The Nazis totally would've hated you too" and all. (Legally, that's not, well, legal, but I guess he started it, right?)

Wait, wait, WAIT. So this goes on for several months, right? After a while the erstwhile harasser picks up the phone, agrees to meet with the rabbi, and they become friends. And he eventually converts to Judaism.

How does that even happen? I mean, it's cool that it worked out, but seriously. WTF? You have to read this article.

I realized after I took a picture that it *can't* be plantago anything - the bottom of the leaves is right, the roots are right... but instead of the veins in the leaves going straight up and down, they kinda meander. Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking.

( Read more... )

Honestly, I don't normally see big-leafed plants like that, and what I do see are carefully potted plants that are tended, you wouldn't think they're natural to our climate up here! But this year I see these everywhere, and in untended gardens, too.

Long-ass roots, as I said.

Edit: The nice people in gardening are saying it's burdock, which seems right. If you can say otherwise, though, do tell me.

Fan logic puzzles.

I thought I knew all of what the dark side of fandom had to offer, but I was wrong. Very wrong.