"That's why we have e-mail and MeFiMail. It's prett clear that you wanted the community to discuss the opinion, and that MeFi being so gay-friendly, he'd get his ass handed to him. That's pretty low."

Why is that low? I'm sorry, but when you say something stupid, you should expect to have your ass handed to you by the community. That can't happen in AskMe. And this isn't a personal beef per se, which is when email's appropriate. This is bad... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 8:54 AM on September 5, 2008

"Just like you can't compare someone to Hitler without at least insinuating that they are similar to the Nazis, you can't compare someone to an illegal drug user without insinuating that they are similar to drug addicts."

That doesn't mean that you're comparing someone with all aspects of Hitler. That's why it annoys me when people invoke Godwin like it's an argument ender, and I see the mistake of this line of thinking a lot. Like when... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 11:38 AM on September 5, 2008

"But you're implicitly saying "Those guys are a lot like the group that committed some of the worst atrocities in human history (except for the part about the atrocities)." You can't expect people to ignore the defining aspect of the subject in your analogy for the sake of the analogy, it's just not going to happen."

No. You're confusing implication with inference. Though I did miss an "aren't" in the final sentence of my... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 4:05 PM on September 5, 2008

Happy birthday!
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 9:40 PM on September 4, 2008

"And for that matter, there is no age at which it is scientifically deemed safe -- it's simply that the risk goes up as you get older."

Or fly around the country after your water breaks.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 1:34 PM on August 29, 2008

"Also, I hate my brain - right after typing the above, I wondered if there was any Obama/McCain slash fic out there yet."

"You know, for five-and-a-half years, I didn't know the comfort of a woman…"
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 1:37 PM on August 29, 2008

"Babies do not have reason and reflection and do not see themselves as seperate from their mothers, but I do not assume you would say that killing babies would be okay because they are not yet "human persons"?"

It's the Peter Singer argument, and one that I find compelling, honestly. I mean, I realize that I'd have a damn hard time thinking about it in the specifics, or, you know, tossing my own kid off Taygetus, but if you're not... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 9:28 AM on September 2, 2008

"We add them to any amazon link, but only in MeFi and Ask MeFi."

I can finally start making money off my MeTa!
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 7:08 AM on September 2, 2008

I'm maybe gonna be the lone defender here, but I think that this was a good post, and while maybe not an A++ super post (which is a bullshit metric anyway), it was a post that does something I think Metafilter is good at: giving a larger context to new stories.

It was a historical analogue that, to me at least, encouraged stepping back from the current Palin engagement. Sure, it used Palin as the hook—that's what good historical features do, is use current events as the... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 11:34 PM on September 1, 2008

"I'd actually like to see this posted again with different framing to make it clear that you are talking solely about Lady Jane Douglas."

I realize that I'm clearly arguing against the data here, but I'd hope that MeFites could be trusted to see the post, read the links, then discuss Lady Jane instead of Palin because they'd realize that though Palin was the hook, the links are about someone entirely different. It's what intelligent people can and should do.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 6:55 AM on September 2, 2008

Craving oatmeal is INSANE and a symptom of severe derangement. Unless it's oatmeal cookies, which are pretty tasty.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 7:32 AM on August 31, 2008

"Those weird new Quaker commercials with the plastic oat guy would support your theory, Klang. I'm toying with the idea of calling you 'KK' so people can picture you looking like this guy. Cool with you?

Just so long as a third doesn't slip in there.

"People who stick raisins in perfectly good desserts should be piled on and banninated."

My father's ruminations on the... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 9:21 AM on September 1, 2008

Brevwit.

"My answer was relevant and, I thought, helpful. It was deleted even though it was the only answer in the thread at the time it was deleted that spoke from experience of someone in Canada with the same issue as the OP that offered a solution. Apparently, lots of people flagged it. To me, that's a bullshit reason for deleting a valid solution and were I the OP, I'd have wanted to read that answer."

Man,... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 10:54 AM on August 29, 2008

Heh. Based on the podcasts, before I met her, I always thought that Jess had an incredibly aspirant voice. Whereas I sometimes find Matt too calming to listen to…

(Though the reason I don't generally listen to the podcast is because, frankly, I prefer to read things if given the choice. So I can peruse them at my leisure.)
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 9:22 AM on August 28, 2008

"See now to me that just reads like "voice choking on its own vomit""

No, it's the huffs and puffs from having a microphone too close without a wind screen. Plosive and sibilant. Kind of like the heavy breathing of a late-night caller, but not, you know, actually obscene.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 11:17 AM on August 28, 2008

Here's The Smell. Upcoming weekend shows that could be good include the 20th and 27th of September. There look to be good shows during the week, but my old ass can't get up and going now that I'm working 10-hour days over at the Flynt factory.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 9:25 AM on August 20, 2008

I can make it on the 20th. The Smell has a decent-looking show on the 20th. Most folks seem to be able to make it on the 20th. Wanna just sidebar this and be done with it?
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 10:13 AM on August 27, 2008

Both. They're next-door.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 8:39 PM on August 27, 2008

"I believe most modern browsers allow you to selectively disable specific JavaScript functionality, including resizing."


And yet, some pages still manage to circumvent both that and the settings that are supposed to open all new windows in a new tab and block popups. Which is why I try to make sure that I use wildcards as often as possible—due to the stupid Classmates.com pop-unders, I will only see a blank window for that or... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 12:50 PM on August 27, 2008

Hitlertron 5000 was taken.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 11:32 PM on August 26, 2008

It always cracks me up that Juvenal's "watches the watchmen" line gets quoted in such solemn tones. He's talking about fake eunuchs, people!
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 10:17 AM on August 27, 2008

"We started Daylife because we think publishers should be able to easily add fresh content experiences to their sites..."

You wanna know how to get "fresh content" for your pages? Pay journalists, motherfuckers.

(Off to download some major label music…)
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 9:18 AM on August 27, 2008

"Anger is an energy."

My advice is to let the road rise with you.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 11:20 PM on August 26, 2008

We could do an Edison meet-up earlier on some night that The Smell has a good show, as I only recently put it together that they're neighbors.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 5:08 PM on August 19, 2008

"I want to be social, I'm just not good at it. Any chance you could wear signs? Or announce some distinguishing marks?"

I got a pretty woolly beard.

(Part of the fun of meetups is that everyone has the story about getting up the gumption to say, "Hi. Are you from the internet?")
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 1:00 AM on August 24, 2008

(I mean, people at WEST SIDE meetups have that fun. At EAST SIDE meetups, they all hang around and drink the blood of babies and kick puppies, so that's pretty much all they want to talk about.)
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 1:02 AM on August 24, 2008

Justinian and I won't be there, because we're having a secret meetup at my place.

(A no-pants meetup)
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 9:22 PM on August 26, 2008

Blazecock Pileon
Horace Rumpole
iamkimiam
jessamyn
klangklangston
Mister_A
octothorpe
Solon and Thanks
yhbc
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 8:24 PM on August 26, 2008

I sent the txt and went to the link, but my phone says that I don't have permission to access the file.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 4:23 PM on August 26, 2008

Yeah, my phone is web enabled, and does support (some) downloading of files from the web. However, I'm perfectly willing to blame Verizon, noting that their web "enabling" only seems to work perfectly on their sites and on google, and that despite claims to the contrary, downloading files outside of the Verizon sites seems very error-prone.

I was kinda hoping that it was just something simple on your end, though. Mostly because every time I've gone through... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 5:12 PM on August 26, 2008

To try to decrease the trade deficit, dobbs. I'm sending my pithy snark to China, where it can teach some indolent youth sarcastic English.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 7:24 PM on August 25, 2008

Oh, if only I'd been a little faster. Now some poor Chinese boy's drollery will lack zing, preëmpted by his countryman's Book of Languagehat.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 7:28 PM on August 25, 2008

"jonmc, you're going to want to go get a beer.""

You can pretty much just put that across the bottom of the site.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 7:29 PM on August 25, 2008

McCain could remember exactly how many houses he had. He was just flustered, thinking "Oh, shit, have they found my secret family?"
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 9:55 AM on August 22, 2008

"I think you're confusing this with the sound an erection makes when it gets slapped.

Schavennnnnng!!!

Or does that just happen in 1960's Mad magazine"

Nazi Wayne and Garth.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 9:56 AM on August 22, 2008

"I think the suggestion that John McCain, a former naval aviator and prisoner of war, might not be able to remember to put on his pants is, frankly, quite outrageous."

He only wore one pair of pants—for five and a half years!
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 11:26 AM on August 22, 2008

"'In our News interview, he was asked what kind of car he drove. As with Politico’s question about home ownership, he didn’t know and had to ask a nearby aide. 'A Cadillac CTS,' she told him.'"

Boy, that aide really dropped the ball there—she didn't mention his being a POW at all.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 2:03 PM on August 22, 2008

"Hug audit."

I'd hug it.

(Also not a bad bumper sticker.)
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 2:58 PM on August 22, 2008

"'I spent some years without a kitchen table, without a chair, and I know what it's like to be blessed by the opportunities of this great nation."

POW card? No, McCain's just talking about those five-and-a-half years in the mid-'70s when all he had was a breakfast nook and a stool. Could hardly spread the morning paper open; it was torture.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 1:10 PM on August 24, 2008

James Brown dead=Obama VP?

How about we all just make a pledge to not peak at his selection, thus availing ourselves of a pleasant surprise on that November Tuesday.

"Oh, he went with Kucinich? Never would have guessed it."
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 3:04 PM on August 22, 2008

The primary obstacle that Obama must overcome isn't that because he's black, he's threatening to America, but rather that America feels uncomfortable around non-threatening black people (hence the whole basis for the Urkel character).

So what Obama needs is a running mate who seems like he can kick a little ass. Now, while there are plenty of ass-kicking black men who could be his second (Mr. T, Samuel L. Jackson, Darth Vader), if you look at the most popular two-flavor... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 3:48 PM on August 22, 2008

"Sounds good, as long as it's 48 Hours Nolte/Murphy, not Another 48 Hours."

No, that's in 2012.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 5:13 PM on August 22, 2008

We all know that you don't like Obama, Brian, but thin ad hominems supported by someone so discredited? David Freddosos's Hatchet Job.

C'mon, if I might be allowed my own ad hominem, it's from the same folks who put out the Swift Boat book about Kerry.

It wouldn't annoy me so much if I didn't see you repeating that retarded bullshit again and again, just like your idée fixe that Muslims are terrorists.... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 9:49 AM on August 23, 2008

Again, Brian, you're straining to construct a narrative where Obama is hypocritical because, what? He's been part of a party machine? He successfully challenged petition signatures, so that makes him less of a change or a reformer? That's stupid. It's just as simple to say that, as a reformer, he wanted to make sure that everyone followed the rule of law, and he did. That makes him an effective reformer.

Second, the CNN piece cites disgruntled former opponents as... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 12:22 PM on August 23, 2008

Mutter… mutter… paulsc often generalizes based on relationship patterns of prior generations that, while appealing to a common narrative, are really deranged when examined closely…
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 9:10 AM on August 22, 2008

But aside from that, wow, what a huge list of great comments.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 9:12 AM on August 22, 2008

Look, here's the secret—Just read whatever Katullus posts. He posts pretty frequently, it's always great, and usually strong enough that it kills any free time you happen to have around.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 1:30 PM on August 21, 2008

"The poster is asking what we can do to help people millions of years from now."

You probably shouldn't kill the guy whose great-great-grandson will invent the helmet that blocks Space Hitler's mind control nano-rays.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 1:08 PM on August 19, 2008

It's even fashionable to wear the sickle and space-hammer.
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 1:12 PM on August 19, 2008

"Oh no, do you realize what you've done?

Millions of years from now, Space Hitler's GoogleBots will crawl this very thread, entering the information into the HITLERTRON 5000 space computer. Using that information, Space Hitler will develop anti-mind-control-nano-ray-blocking-helmet technology in time to prevent the revolution from ever happening!

Today is truly a sad day for the future of the human race."

NO FOLLOW NO FOLLOW!
posted to MetaTalk by klangklangston at 2:26 PM on August 19, 2008