That was really wonderful, thanks miss lynnster.

Did anyone else have trouble with the text in IE? The beginnings of the words were off the page for me. Had to struggle a bit to make them out, but it was worth it.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 1:52 AM on July 24, 2008

Thanks, loquacious, you're not so bad lookin' yourself.

Cool site. Annoying navigation, though.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 11:56 PM on July 23, 2008

Re your disclaimer, loquacious, you're okay as far as the FAQ is concerned:

There is no hard and fast rule on when a post is not a double anymore. For an identical URL and a site that hasn't changed in content "a few years" is a good guideline.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 1:40 AM on July 24, 2008

George, estimated to be between 60 and 90 years old, is just now in his sexual prime

Does this mean that 60-90 years old is like teenagerhood for male tortoises? He'll live to be 1000 years old at that rate. Good for you, George!
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 3:25 PM on July 23, 2008

Thanks for the fun post, kolophon. At my first job, there was a tradition of making horrendously hideous cakes on purpose for office parties. I don't know how it got started (it had been going on way before I arrived) but it was a hoot!
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 12:43 AM on July 23, 2008

Burt Bacharach said they wrote the song to "service the movie" (whatever that means) and that he thought it was a perfect fit for the bicycle scene. He also said that Ray Stevens was the first choice to sing it, but when they flew him out for a meeting he didn't like the movie and he didn't like the song, so they went with B.J. Thomas, who said "I was in the right place at the right time, and probably got their best song ever." Quotes courtesy of Songfacts.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 12:23 AM on July 23, 2008

My son got that same message on one of his YouTube uploads (he uploads short clips of himself playing video games and computer games, with music synched to various scenes). His wasn't from Viacom, though, it was from UMG (Universal Music Group).

At first I was a little freaked out and told him maybe he should delete the video, but it's part of his "collection" and he wanted to leave it up. So I looked at the message more carefully and realized they weren't... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 4:28 PM on July 22, 2008

Awww he reminds me of an over-eager puppy, but he sounds like a sweetie and a good guy. I hope he finds a girl who appreciates him.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 11:32 PM on July 16, 2008

On further reflection, why is this an FPP? What was your motivation in posting it, Dirjy? Were you hoping people would make fun of him? If so, why?

I think he's a very brave guy to put so much effort into writing so much about himself. I think most girls would prefer a guy who has enough balls, and enough self-confidence, to be silly and funny and self-deprecating than one who tries to be "cool" in a fake way.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 11:48 PM on July 16, 2008

I thought most people would find it weirdly charming like I did.

Okay, I'm sorry I jumped to the conclusion that you were doing it to be mean. I just hope his added exposure via MeFi doesn't lead to any problems for him.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 12:36 AM on July 17, 2008

I'm not in your district, stevis, but I'm a Kansan who supports anyone who can help pull our state legislature out of the dark ages. Fortunately it seems that a lot Kansans are finally starting to wake up.

You lose coolness points, though, on the immigration issue. Not only did you help DHS set up a sting operation, but you appeared to be bragging about it. WTF?

I guess it just goes to show that even the best-seeming candidates have their flaws,... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 6:58 PM on July 16, 2008

mullingitover said: Great, you're not a fan of enforcing immigration laws. Do you really expect a political candidate in Kansas to say the same?

If he's running as a Democrat, I don't expect him to brag about helping with DHS sting operations.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 7:01 PM on July 16, 2008

mullingitover said: The fact is that his actual constituents don't like illegal immigrant workers, and they'd prefer to see the existing laws enforced. Since those are the people who will decide whether or not he becomes an also-ran, it makes sense for him to maybe do something crazy like listening to them.

I understand what you're saying, mullingitover, really I do. It was the "yee haw!" tone of the "we helped set up a sting... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 7:39 PM on July 16, 2008

Richard Daly, I don't think anyone is saying stevis has to be "perfect" (that's impossible). If we only voted for "perfect" candidates, no one would ever get elected. What we're having here in this thread is a back-and-forth conversation about a candidate, and with a candidate, which is something that is always useful in a democracy.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 7:47 PM on July 16, 2008

*raises eyebrow*
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 1:45 AM on July 12, 2008

It's like 30-40 years ago when the students would come knocking on your door selling magazine subscriptions

They STILL do that, at least in my neck of the woods. They're the ones who responded to the "Great opportunity! Travel the country! No experience required!" ads in their local newspaper. They end up in a van, driven by a scum sucking pig who seems to have plenty of money for drugs but not for food or for phone calls to home. They get a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 1:59 AM on July 12, 2008

officer*
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 2:00 AM on July 12, 2008

Fun post, thanks Astro Zombie!
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 7:12 PM on July 11, 2008

That was a very interesting article, thanks 40 Watt. My daughter it taking a one-day train trip later this month with a family friend. She's very excited.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 9:12 PM on July 10, 2008

I wonder what happened to the church bell.

A couple of the links say that the bells, the organ, and some other artifacts were moved to the Steeple Church (the Church of St. Michael and All Angels). Some pictures of the Steeple Church.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 3:29 PM on July 10, 2008

Wow, what a great find!
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 7:33 PM on July 3, 2008

Here's the post about his death.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 9:52 PM on July 2, 2008

Uncle, yes - thank you - now altered

Pikle, I on your profile that you're the Diary Junction guy. Very cool. I didn't know you were a Mefite. :)
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 2:52 PM on July 3, 2008

That should read "I see on your profile"...

Btw, I emailed the Metafilter admins to see if they'll change "nephew" to "uncle" in the FPP as well.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 2:57 PM on July 3, 2008

Just noticed you're in Projects too.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 3:01 PM on July 3, 2008

Thanks, cortex!
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 3:02 PM on July 3, 2008

I guess this is the place to confess one of my deepest shames: I, amyms, am a fan of "America's Next Top Model." I have no idea why, but when they show it in marathon-form in reruns on MTV, I can't tear myself away.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 9:31 PM on July 2, 2008

*removes amyms from contacts, out of excruciating embarrassment*

Fine! Be that way! Like I wanted to be associated with a guy named after a breakfast food! Hmmph!
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 10:08 PM on July 2, 2008

The Supreme Court needs another Thurgood Marshall. Thanks for the links, alms. And thanks for "the rest of the story," Navelgazer, that's very interesting.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 9:27 PM on July 2, 2008

Oh, very cool. I've been wanting to re-create the stylized lacing techniques of my youth, just for shits and giggles, and that site has almost everything. Thanks, Blazecock Pileon!
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 11:55 PM on June 27, 2008

Fun! But now I'm craving chocolate, dammit!
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 10:28 PM on June 27, 2008

looks like it took place in 1835 though.

Oops, thanks for pointing that out! I'll email the admins and see if they can correct my typo.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 11:30 PM on June 24, 2008

Thanks Matt!
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 11:39 PM on June 24, 2008

I just corrected the tag for the year, thanks polyglot!
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 12:18 AM on June 25, 2008

Love it! I've always enjoyed the Flashback page in my dead-tree copy of the magazine, but I didn't know they had a Flashback archive online. Thanks, Kattullus!
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 11:17 PM on June 24, 2008

Very cool post.

My favorite tree house was the one in the movie "The Blue Lagoon," but that might have had more to do with my adolescent fantasies of having Christopher Atkins make sweet sweet love to me than it had to do with the tree house.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 9:55 PM on June 23, 2008

After you look at a bunch of the pictures, she starts to look kinda cute.

She looks like a Furby. :)
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 9:49 PM on June 23, 2008

I remember when our local arcade got Dragon's Lair. There was a line (a line!) of people waiting to play it. I did my girlfriendly duty by standing next to my boyfriend when it was his turn to play. Gosh, I'm old.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 10:18 PM on June 20, 2008

Dice-size crumbs of bright material have vanished from inside a trench where they were photographed by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander four days ago

Maybe the Martian Yahtzee players were done with their game and went home?
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 8:06 PM on June 19, 2008

I wonder who has the copyright on the "You smell like a monkey and you look like one too" version.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 5:50 PM on June 19, 2008

An anecdote from an old, old, old, talk show "debate" about spanking vs. not spanking. I saw it years ago and I can't remember if it was on Phil Donahue or Oprah Winfrey.

Two fathers were debating the merits of spanking vs. time-outs, and the pro-spanking dad offered this scenario:

"When our sons are teenagers and they're hanging out with a group of their friends at the convenience store, and one of the guys suggests that they all... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 3:47 PM on June 19, 2008

Oh well, it was just an anecdote, albeit with the hyberbole of the word "beat," but I thought it fit in with the discussion.

I'll just say this. My parents divorced when I was 3 years old, and I spent my formative years in both of their households. In one house I was spanked, in the other I was beaten. I know the difference, and there is a difference, a huge difference. I think the problem with the spanking vs. not-spanking... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 4:15 PM on June 19, 2008

Others blamed hit movies like Juno and Knocked Up for glamorizing young unwed mothers.

People have been blaming movies (and music, and video games) for every negative teenage statistic since teenage statistics began.

A generation ago, there were just as many teen pregnancies, but the girls went off to "spend the semester at Aunt Peggy's in Outer Mongolia" (which was code for "went off to have the baby at a home... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 2:59 PM on June 19, 2008

Since last year?

Since a generation ago, per my comment.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 3:05 PM on June 19, 2008

Stonewall Jackson said: My girlfriend and I have decided to not have kids, not because we don't want them, but because both of us are convinced that our society is going down the tubes in a big way...

Justinian said: It's a sure bet that a lot of people have felt this way at any point in history since antiquity.

I was born in the Spring of 1968 (smack dab in between Martin Luther King's assassination and... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 8:10 PM on June 16, 2008

In 1968 the King crab season lasted 3 months. Now they are only allowed to catch them for 3 days. Just a little more perspective.

Oh I totally get where you're coming from, Mr_Zero: resources vs. people using them up at unsustainable rates. My offer of perspective was more about the emotional ("the world is going to hell, so I dare not bring children into it") point of view.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 9:06 PM on June 16, 2008

I've been waiting for the fucking apocalypse for 25 years. With my luck it will arrive when I'm 80 goddamn years old, and I won't be able to lift my battle-axe. My life sux.

There, there, The Light Fantastic, don't worry about saving your energy for the apocalypse. Raise your battleaxe against the miscreants who are running across your lawn now.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 11:32 PM on June 16, 2008

Fun post! When I was younger, I used to spend two weeks of every summer with my dad and stepfamily at my stepmother's uncle's cabin in the Ozarks, and we visited every tourist attraction in existence (that abandoned waterslide looks familiar). This post makes me want to go back.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 8:25 PM on June 16, 2008

We did it twice on one trip to Worlds of Fun where I snuck whiskey in a Listerine bottle, and...ah, fuck I'm old.

Worlds of Fun = Disneyland for us hick kids of the Great Plains. And, OMG, when they opened Oceans of Fun we thought we'd died and gone to heaven.

"ah, fuck I'm old"... I hear ya, middleclasstool.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 10:33 PM on June 16, 2008

nola said: Flea-markets are gonna make a come back.

I luuurve flea markets. They're huge here in Kansas. There's one about 20 miles from me that offers free vendor space, and I am so tempted to take advantage of it.
posted to MetaFilter by amyms at 8:32 PM on June 16, 2008