I don't agree with the comment but I see no reason why it should be deleted - it's one person's honest (and informed) opinion.

(For the record, I'm gay.)
posted to MetaTalk by serazin at 2:16 PM on September 5, 2008

I'm so excited that Allison Bechdel is finally getting the attention she's due.
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 9:27 PM on September 3, 2008

Possibly the Singing Detective or the shitty film knockoff? I don't think it has that bobbing hat thing though. Or the fire.
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 6:52 PM on August 31, 2008

Reading this, my first reaction is to think that the writer has an eating disorder. Oatmeal is a vice? You mostly eat vegetables and fish! Your body needs energy. You're craving oatmeal because its the only relatively simple carbohydrate you're allowing yourself to eat and despite the low-carb trend of the last few years - grains and pastas are in fact what human beings around the world have been eating for eons to meet the majority of their caloric needs. And there's nothing unhealthy about... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 11:50 PM on August 30, 2008

Few of us can say we found true love and stuck with it for more than 50 years. Few can say we made fundamental improvements to human rights and dignity for all. What a life to have lived! Thank you Del!
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 9:06 PM on August 27, 2008

10 seconds to a precise answer! I love AskMe.
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 11:15 PM on August 11, 2008

Huh, and also previously. Thanks for all the context folks. I love the wonderful nerdery around here.

I gotta say, in contemporary fiction I find this device annoying and self-conscious, but this ain't the Times Review of Books around here so I'll shut my trap now.
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 7:32 AM on August 12, 2008

Thank you all for your reassurance! I will continue to boldly consume my cauliflower leaves!

(Interesting flavor note - my white headed cauliflower plant had much milder-tasting leaves than my purple headed plant.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 8:38 PM on July 31, 2008

I just got a second hand breadmaker and I'm still looking for a reliably delicious recipe. Did you find one yet NoMich?
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 11:28 PM on July 22, 2008

I mostly wanted to say that I appreciate that this thread is more or less civil and respectful.

I fall in the fat acceptance/health at any size camp so I suppose many of you would consider me biased, but the main thing I think is worth trying to get across to folks who don’t share my views is this:

Fat is one area where it is completely acceptable for a bunch of strangers to sit around making moral judgments about someone they don’t know - often... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 2:29 PM on July 14, 2008

Mostly, I think anyone’s body size (or height, or skin color, etc) is none of anyone else’s business. But here’s where I’m coming from in my personal ideology about body size:

1) Certain health conditions are associated with certain physical traits. For example, tall people die younger. And we now know that environment influences height. Yet we never judge tall people for their irresponsible, tall lifestyle choices. Moralism about fat is not based on “fact” or “science”,... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 3:04 PM on July 14, 2008

You want a reference for the idea that you gain weight when you consume more calories than you burn, and you consume calories by eating them? I guess I can repost the first law of thermodynamics.
posted by Justinian at 3:18 PM on July 14 [+] [!]

The relationship between calorie and fat intake and body weight is not clear.
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 3:28 PM on July 14, 2008

I don't think you understand the argument that is being made here. If you consume more calories than you burn, your body stores the extra energy as fat, while if you burn more calories than you consume, your body burns fat to supply the energy needed. The studies you linked to do not attempt to disprove this fact.
posted by ssg at 4:03 PM on July 14 [+] [!]

I understand the argument perfectly. I also understand that there are a lot of... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 4:19 PM on July 14, 2008

Justinian - there is not a good study that shows that fat people eat more than thin people. If you know of one, please point it out to me. For your point to be significant of course, I'd need to see multiple studies pointing to the same conclusion.

Wager away, I'll stick with the science.
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 8:22 PM on July 14, 2008

You're not sticking with science, you're sticking with some weird ideology. I mean, weight gain not correlated with calorie intake? Come on, be serious.
posted by Justinian at 8:38 PM on July 14 [+] [!]

I'm serious. Show. Me. One. Study. Just because your intuition tells you something, doesn't mean it's true. Repetition doesn't make it true either.
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 8:48 PM on July 14, 2008

Common sense, it's what's for dinner!
posted by P.o.B. at 8:56 PM on July 14 [1 favorite +] [!]

What KirkJobSluder said, only I'd add that I'd prefer to see a study based on human beings in real-world scenarios, not on rats on forced obesity and starvation diets.

Common sense used to tell us that the world was flat and that tomatoes were poison. Common sense can be wrong.
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 9:16 PM on July 14, 2008

The science is already out there. It has been tried and tested, dare I say, billions of times already and it works.

What science is that? Can you point to some studies that show that restrictive diets and exercise lead to significant, long-term weight loss? Because I haven't seen those studies in this thread or anywhere else.
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 10:05 PM on July 14, 2008

notashroom -
you and your friends present an unusual set of examples. Statistically, we know that the vast majority - somewhere in the 90% range depending on the study - regain the weight. Most people interpret that data to mean that 90% of fat people are lazy or refuse to follow through. Given evidence related to set-points, genetics, etc, I think that statistic means that for most people, significant, long-term weight loss is not possible.

I'd also ask you,... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 10:45 AM on July 15, 2008

TheOnlyCoolTim: Studies vary on this. One problem is that few studies of weight loss do real, long-term follow up. One year is considered "long-term" but in real life, we know that people regain later. From what I understand, studies in medically controlled environments show greater weight regain than people's personal weight-loss programs without help. It's hard to know whether the difference is just in the reporting though. I'd check out this article to start exploring this issue.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 11:08 AM on July 15, 2008

Hey Omie,

I think the weight loss registry is flawed because it is based on self-reporting and you can sign up with only 1 year of sustained weight loss.

Also, I didn’t say that dieting causes regain of weight, but I think evidence points to the idea that dieting does not keep weight off over a long period - not for most people.

I don´t think we´re going to convince each other at this point. But thanks for your civility... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 12:05 PM on July 15, 2008

Also, I hope I was clear that I advocate high quality food and regular exercise for everyone. But I think a more realistic, and compassionate goal is to focus on improving real health indicators (diabetes rates, heart disease rates, etc) through quality nutrition and regular physical activity – NOT by simply emphasizing weight loss (which, we barely mention in this thread, is most often achieved through methods that are established as UNhealthy – I’m thinking of diet pills, crash diets, fad... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 12:09 PM on July 15, 2008

Yay!
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 9:12 AM on July 14, 2008

Thanks tcv. I just tried your suggestion and am stalling out at the same place. I'll try to fiddle with it a little more before I give up though.
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 10:08 PM on July 13, 2008

I saw this and thought: There is No Way a black person drew this cartoon. I googled Barry Blitt and although the only portraits I can find are drawings, I'm pretty sure that I'm right. What an asshole.
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 9:52 PM on July 13, 2008

I bet it would feel really nice to the server if you made an extra trip to go back in.
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 9:20 PM on July 13, 2008

I was three weeks past my due date when my mother showed up for one of her at that point daily checkups. (She'd been bringing her urine with her on the bus from work to Kaiser each day - some sort of test they had to run). The obstetrician, who, as my mother always emphasizes ,provided only prenatal care and was guaranteed not to attend the actual birth, suggested she have an amniocentesis to assess my well being.

These days amniocentesis is performed only fairly early... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 12:12 AM on July 5, 2008

I was really proud of myself for making and canning my own blackberry jam last week, but now its staining my teeth purplish black. My question is, should I blame the blackberries or the cast iron pan?

apparently, in 1851 Royal Navy warships attacked Lagos island
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 11:07 AM on July 11, 2008

Kamchatca?
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 1:17 AM on July 12, 2008

I'm not an expert, but I think going out is pretty important. Sunlight makes a difference and so does social interaction. Can you do your exercise outside - running, biking, swimming, etc? What about starting a plot at the local community garden? It's limited how much you have to talk to folks, but it will force you to get out of the house and take on a small and rewarding task in the sun and fresh air.

Also, I recommend taking responsibility for someone or something... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 9:47 PM on July 9, 2008

Woah, I read the first few responses and was blown away by how much I disagree.

HPV is the primary cause of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer from other causes is extremely rare. It's true that your friend's identity doesn't effect her risk of HPV, her behavior does.

If your friend has had intercourse with a penis or shared sex toys during penetrative sex, she could have gotten HPV. Theoretically she could also get it from some vigorous... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 8:36 PM on July 8, 2008

Wait, wait, wait - I just re-read your post more closely. What exactly was the "false positive for cancer"? Did she have an abnormal pap that was incorrectly labeled as cancer? Because if she had an abnormal pap in the past - even if it wasn't cancerous - she should have follow up paps for a few years.
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 8:40 PM on July 8, 2008

Yeah, good reminder that I'm not the only homo, but you gotta assume that there are some straight people commenting here too.
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 9:29 PM on July 8, 2008

Woman-to-woman transmitted HPV is common

Prove it. There are very few studies on sexual health in lesbians, period. There is some evidence that women have passed trich and BV (not exactly an STI, but it is caused by bacteria) during sex. Other STIs are both difficult to pass through the ways that many women have sex with each other (oral, digital, toys) and are uncommon within the communties of people who are sharing cooties.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 11:37 AM on July 9, 2008

Sometimes what a doctor sees in a pap smear, breast exam, pelvic exam or mammogram is not Some Obvious THING, but a slight change from the last test you had, something that isn't normal for YOU. And that change is what is worth investigating further.

Do you really think your doctor remembers the feel of your boobies when they do the next boobie check three years later? Doctors aren’t some special magic people, and there’s nothing particularly magic... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 11:51 AM on July 9, 2008

desuetude, sorry if I was overly confrontational. I'm letting the internet carry me away. And I"m glad to hear your doc takes good notes and reads them before each exam. Many don't - even if they wanted to there's little time - and many people don't have regular docs that they always see anyway. I guess where I'm coming from is a concern that we invest too much faith in doctors and medicine. And I don't think the person in question really needs paps very often, unless she wants them, and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 12:39 PM on July 9, 2008

Wow.
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 11:00 PM on July 8, 2008

Does Lively offer virtual childcare?
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 10:54 PM on July 8, 2008

I was going to suggest meditation until I saw that you'd dismissed that one. It might help though. As re-reading the Little Prince could.

How about taking a week or two off, traveling somewhere mysterious or magical, (the Salton Sea? Dollywood? Machu Pichu?) walking around a lot, listening to the birds and boomboxes, buying watermellon with chili from street vendors, wandering into barbershops, etc and just trying to generally get quiet enough inside to hear that voice... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 2:03 PM on July 8, 2008

I'd rather not have yet another post on this grim subject.
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 10:57 PM on July 7, 2008

I've had great times on photo scavenger hunts. My most memorable involved one where we had to stage a protest about some issue (and photograph ourselves doing it). The winning team protested the sale of blenders at Macy's and quickly threw together protest signs on scraps of cardboard that said, "Frappe No Way!" and "Liquify: The Big Lie" Or maybe they just chanted these? I can't remember. Other acts we had to photograph included finding a body of water and swimming in it (I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 1:39 PM on July 7, 2008

Wow. I've always thought the suicide barrier idea was stupid. This article totally changed my mind.
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 12:01 PM on July 7, 2008

80085
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 10:09 AM on July 7, 2008

There are three tricks to learning to write:

1) Read a lot.

2) Write a lot.

3) Seek out and listen to feedback about your writing.

In other words, you're doing everything right.

One small thing - no need for asterisks or quotes to emphasize your points - let the words stand on their own and be confident that readers will understand the emphasis.
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 10:06 AM on July 7, 2008

I have a 5 year old and (part time) a 6 year old. I would tell either tell them, "these scars feel private to me. I don't feel like talking about them right now." and change the subject, or I would say, "I cut myself a long time ago, but I don't feel like talking about it right now. Did you ever get a cut?" and move the focus to them.
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 9:59 AM on July 7, 2008

I don't know when, but they are part of a perfectly linear continuum of don't-rock-so-hard-as-to-be-offputting-to-advertisers white dude rockers that starts somewhere around the Stones, touches briefly down on Lynyrd Skynyrd, and apparently continues on into an indefinite, rockin' future. So to me they work perfectly for a "classic rock" radio station.
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 8:54 PM on July 6, 2008

No idea, but I love the Bechdel test even though I'm always sad at how few movies pass.
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 11:38 AM on July 3, 2008

I'm confused. Won't your period eventually fall on a weekend no matter what?

Also, I know that many find menstrual blood disagreeable, but it is possible and for some, enjoyable, to fuck while bleeding.
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 10:40 AM on July 3, 2008

Oh yeah, pearlybob is totally right. You could also consider depo.
posted to Ask Metafilter by serazin at 10:43 AM on July 3, 2008

That was a great photo series. I was trying to figure out if guanabee was a gawker project and discovered that they're apparently owned by "exacto media". Look at the wierd google results for exacto media. I don't get it. Anyone know the backstory on guanabee?
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 9:34 AM on July 3, 2008

DU, I think the artist statement talks about the "superhuman" tasks an immigrant must perform in order to both survive here in the US and send money home to support family and community there.
posted to MetaFilter by serazin at 9:40 AM on July 3, 2008