Don't you love that? You're reading along in some dusty corner of the archives. Someone says something foolish and you're kind of ticked that the thread is closed. Then in the next comment or two is this awesome rebuttal, phrased it perfect terms and hitting all the points you would have hit. And you're getting all excited going "Ya man, that's exactly right" & "Go get'm". And then you make it to the byline to see who this tube of wonderfulness is all excited to add... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by Mitheral at 8:11 PM on August 26, 2008

Man, I guess you never really think about how competitive the world of crazy-ass alarmist newsreporting is. You just figure that it's like, 5 guys knocking out stories about rap music and raves and how 5 year olds are smoking crack or whatever, and that's basically it. But then you stumble across this story by a hungry, young upstart named Kim Komando, armed with a vision and a dream that's going to blow the whole world of alarmist reporting apart and take it in strange new directions, and you... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Tiresias at 11:13 AM on August 9, 2008

Once, just once, when some megalomaniacal terrorist dictator invokes God as the only power that can remove him from office, I'd love to see a blinding patch of light open right above his head and hear a richly sepulchral voice intone, like the Bug said to Edgar in Men In Black, "Your proposal is acceptable", then suck 'im right into the light patch and leave a little wispy bit of smoke and a toy army hat spinning gradually to a settled position on the ground.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mike D at 8:38 AM on June 23, 2008

Transhumanists do come off as starry-eyed born againers....but that doesn't mean science and technology won't transform humanity.
posted to MetaFilter by DU at 4:10 PM on June 4, 2008

93% is pretty close to my own point estimate of the population proportion who are wrong on any given issue.
posted to MetaTalk by Wolfdog at 4:42 AM on April 25, 2008

About 4 billion people on Earth would be angry and appalled at the money you spent last weekend, too.
What's your point?
posted to MetaFilter by rocket88 at 7:53 AM on April 14, 2008

I assume everybody upset about this is posting from their one room hovel while wearing nothing but one of their two burlap outfits which they handwash in a stream while using nothing but renewable resources to power their single lightbulb.
posted to MetaFilter by Justinian at 7:59 AM on April 14, 2008

Life is unfair.

Sorry there is no morally tenable justification for being pissed at people spending their own money as they see fit as long as it isn't hurting anyone. In fact it's good rich people spend their money. It's what rich people are FOR.

Maybe this guy gives 2 million dollars a year to charity? Who knows.

You can justifiably be mad at how a person makes their money if it exploits or causes harm. And certainly... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by tkchrist at 10:10 AM on April 14, 2008

arcadia the point is — YES the system is fucked up — but it is what it is. And you should thank this guy, how ever repulsive you may find his lifestyle, for employing people with good professional salaries. He is not WalMart exploiting children in the third world. he is hiring pilots and crafts man. His money funds the arts. His patronage keeps actors employed. This is what rich people are for.

It's the lower middle and middle class in this country who WANT to be... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by tkchrist at 10:26 AM on April 14, 2008

Oh, so now it's ok to bash on idiotic wastrels?

Mmm-hmmm.
posted to MetaFilter by kittens for breakfast at 10:30 AM on April 14, 2008

Wealth disparity is irrelevant to ongoing mass starvation?

I would argue that wealth disparity is entirely relevant to ongoing mass starvation, in that it has contributed *greatly* to the reduction of starvation, and the expansion and development of human civilization to the point it is at today as opposed to 100 years ago. The tangible, global improvement in living standards in every country, every continent is directly tied to the free(er) flow of... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by loquax at 12:53 PM on April 14, 2008

They fought land reform tooth and nail

Naturally. If I was living in a country with plenty of fertile land to go around, and someone wanted to take my farm to give it to someone, infrastructure, crops, livestock, and all? I'd have a problem with that too. Calling it "land reform" is putting a nice varnish on the violent theft that it really was.

they banked on the fact that only they had the know-how to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by allkindsoftime at 5:58 AM on April 9, 2008

Of course there are funny women. There are also women that are good at math and science. Women that excel at business. I think that it comes from too many man hormones seeping into the fetus or something. Sure it is unfortunate, and you would prefer it if they had been normal and just married and had kids like they are supposed to, but you just have to be thankful that at least they didn't get enough to turn them into lesbos.
posted to MetaFilter by ND¢ at 5:12 AM on March 7, 2008

We should try to get the favorite count back down to zero.
posted to MetaTalk by sciurus at 2:03 PM on February 28, 2008

I think this whole thing is a conspiracy on the part of #1 to make....like, 25 bucks.
posted to MetaTalk by nevercalm at 3:00 PM on February 28, 2008

Poor-hating jerk offloads blame from corrupt society to its victims, news at eleven.

You're really too much. You want to complain about instances where you feel people were "deliberately misrepresented," but you also feel comfortable calling someone a "poor-hating jerk" when they suggest that poor choices are responsible for at least some poverty.

Or maybe any opinion that doesn't perfectly support your... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America at 11:43 PM on February 16, 2008

Really, is it so hard to enjoy things in life, even if it's not the most meaningful and deep thing ever?
posted to MetaFilter by Brandon Blatcher at 6:03 AM on February 12, 2008

I actually think the Hitler paintings in the "famous/unknown" quiz do pretty well at disproving the philistine idea that "abstract=bad, realist=good." Look at them: they're realistic, but they have no emotional impact, no expression, no vividness. They're just draftsman's sketches. Whereas, if you look at something like the Kandinsky painting, the essence of art comes through. Whether you're receptive to it is another question, of course, but it's hard to deny the almost... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by nasreddin at 10:43 PM on February 9, 2008

Ornery jokes? Honestly?
posted to MetaTalk by ericb at 3:58 PM on February 2, 2008

Aha, this explains why both of those sites are completely nonusable.

Use them every day without trouble. But I'm sure your experience is vastly different.
posted to MetaFilter by gtr at 5:25 AM on February 1, 2008

Microsoft is wasting their incredible cash reserves. Yahoo! is about the most milquetoast of companies when it comes to doing evil. Instead, Microsoft should start a bank with the money, and use the cash to prop up dictatorships.
posted to MetaFilter by Blazecock Pileon at 6:18 AM on February 1, 2008

They'll accept. Directors are legally required to represent the financial interests of shareholders, and a 62% premium is just that.

And oh, the elitism in this thread is pathetic. "I only use Linux and and does Yahoo still even exist? I'm so fucking cool."
posted to MetaFilter by aerotive at 7:54 AM on February 1, 2008

How about more Federal Reserve transparency and accountability?

Televise Federal Open Market Committee Meetings.
An institution as powerful as the Federal Reserve deserves full public scrutiny.

Expand Transparency and Accountability at the Federal Reserve
Pass H.R. 2754 to require the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to continue to make available to the public on a weekly basis information on the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by vanadium at 11:42 PM on January 29, 2008

6. At the next General Conference, in April, the new President of the Church will be presented to the officers and body of the Church for their sustaining vote in a rare procedure called a Solemn Assembly. The First Presidency and Twelve (including the new Apostle) will then be sustained by the usual semiannual vote. With that, the presiding councils of the Church will be restored to their proper order, for so long as the Almighty sees fit to leave their membership alone.... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by Cool Papa Bell at 1:26 AM on January 29, 2008

Wouldn't it be cool if there were a real Left in American politics?

Wouldn't it be cool if our politics couldn't be reduced to two choices, Left & Right?
posted to MetaFilter by Argyle at 7:46 PM on January 28, 2008

Yeah, fucking poor people. They deserve to get sick and suffer.

That's pretty harsh. There's no need to hate the poor. They have it bad enough already, don't you think?
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America at 9:42 PM on January 28, 2008

believed to have assisted in the efforts to defend America

This sounds like something they're going to be charging people with in some tribunal xx years down the road.
posted to MetaFilter by TheOnlyCoolTim at 9:49 PM on January 28, 2008

stbalbach, I was hoping when I got back to my desk that the discussion would be about "doomer porn" - great term - and not about peak oil. Unfortunately it seems the train has left the station on a different track. I guess peak oil is one of those topics that always sparks a debate. I appreciate the post anyway. Also, thanks for the comment nickyskye.

I might as well say what's on my mind in case some others are interested in discussing it. I have come... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by PercussivePaul at 1:21 PM on January 28, 2008

I think you're an asshole for ignoring what I say - Pope Guilty

LOL get used to it.
posted to MetaFilter by stbalbach at 4:29 PM on January 28, 2008

you're missing the point that this recovery was driven by favorable trade and assistance from the US, not to mention rather massive occupation forces affecting things favorably.

Yeah, funny how unfettered, free trade can benefit a society. You'd almost think that low taxes and regulation would be a good thing everywhere ... hmm ... I wonder how that goes over with the average lefty MeFite ... ?
posted to MetaFilter by Cool Papa Bell at 5:27 PM on January 28, 2008

LOL get used to it.

You're the worst kind of dick.
posted to MetaFilter by Pope Guilty at 6:05 PM on January 28, 2008

I like these rate cuts.

The more they honk up the value of the dollar, the easier i can pay off my debt since I'm paid in other currencies.
posted by Lord_Pall at 10:23 AM on January 22

Given the fact you have about 20% of the comments in this thread, with majority of them being some ass-faced cheering for a crash in the name of a schadenfreude that ultimately resulted in you looking like an incorrect,... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by dios at 8:50 AM on January 22, 2008

You're right. But it isn't unreasonable to expect a distro with corporate backing to contribute back to the open source community it owes everything to. They have a take-take-take model, and that's fucked up.

Why is it not unreasonable? Why does "corporate backing" make any kind of fucking difference? If I sit by the side of the road, giving away free pizzas, and someone comes by, takes several, and sell them down the street with soda and... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by zabuni at 1:10 PM on January 21, 2008

I'd feel a whole lot more sympathy for Levant's position if it weren't for the fact of its being espoused by a dickhead like Levant.

"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." - George Orwell, Preface to Animal Farm (1946)

"Goebbels was in favor of free speech for views he liked. So was Stalin. If you're in favor of free speech,... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by languagehat at 9:24 AM on January 15, 2008

Ron Paul's response

"“The quotations in The New Republic article are not mine and do not represent what I believe or have ever believed. I have never uttered such words and denounce such small-minded thoughts.

“In fact, I have always agreed with Martin Luther King, Jr. that we should only be concerned with the content of a person's character, not the color of their skin. As I stated on the floor of the U.S. House on April 20,... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by lattiboy at 1:21 PM on January 8, 2008

I see, if someone tries to post a piece on Ron Paul that is positive it needs to get taken off because of all the "Ron Paul spam", but the smears, hey, that's news. Never mind there is a thread that is three days old on Ron Paul, a front page post is called for.

Now someone come into the thread and say this was written for Ron Paul and not by him. The people who are Paul fanatics are just going to take this as further proof that everyone is out to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 1:25 PM on January 8, 2008

As far as Paul's bigotry and privately held views go, I think this youtube link gives a fairly clear picture. Ron Paul is being interviewed on a conservative Christian radio network and is being pressured to condemn gay people by the homophobic host. Ron Paul refuses to do so and explains why. If there was any place in the world where he could show his bigotry openly and get away with it, it was on a Christian radio station with listeners who would almost entirely agree with such hatred. And he... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by pandaharma at 8:45 PM on January 8, 2008

The iProd.
Dance, you fucker.
posted to MetaFilter by weapons-grade pandemonium at 3:32 PM on January 7, 2008

Never swear at people on the other end of helplines. They are just doing their job. If they cannot help you, ask to speak to their supervisor.

Actually, those are the best calls. We record those. Endless lines of polite people with mundane problems or password resets on the phone all day is soul-grindingly boring.

Hearing some poor fucker scream himself into a stroke over something usually meaningless is highly entertaining.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by loquacious at 3:59 PM on January 7, 2008

So, I had left for the airport around, hmm.. 7am. And I was in college at the time, when 7am was about five hours earlier than my normal wake-up time. I had to sit in the airport for a while, and then I got onto the plane.

And then The Oyster Man sat next to me.

He was a man whose job involved analyzing oysters. He loved his job. He decided he had to tell me all about the oysters. And then he had to tell me about his life, in the 60s, when... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Ms. Saint at 4:48 PM on January 7, 2008

Of course, it's still much better than listening to an FM radio station on a $20 alarm clock radio, which is how I was exposed to most of my music.

Honestly, I think the complaints here are like the old guard of film production that insisted digital film was going to kill the beauty of shooting on film, which then trickled down, in film snob schools, to people who thought 16mm was infinitely better than digital, even when most of us where still watching decayed... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Astro Zombie at 3:47 PM on January 5, 2008

I've been following this thread since its inception, and I'm struck by three things:

(1) The harsh criticism of geremiah/Holden0 for his clearly wrong original astroturfing behavior.

(2) The intense invective directed at holden00 for doing something very few astroturfers ever do around these parts: going out of his way to apologize for and explain his behavior, and attempting to engage with the criticism that this engendered.... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by googly at 10:14 AM on January 1, 2008

1999 was almost ten years ago? Christ.
posted to MetaTalk by maxwelton at 7:04 PM on January 2, 2008

languagehat, stick with language and leave the more difficult matter of humanity and compassion to others.

Screw you too, pal. Did you know her personally? Then I call bullshit on your "humanity and compassion." You "mourn her loss" because you saw her name in the newspapers. Unless you're equally full of hot burning compassionate tears for every single human who dies anywhere, you're a canting hypocrite. I don't see any... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by languagehat at 7:44 AM on December 27, 2007

If you're convinced that you're dealing with a complete troll, drown the guy in a refutation that provides plenty of evidentiary links

Yes, because trolls respond rationally to well-presented arguments with supporting links. In fact that is the plight of trolls everywhere, since when they try to derail a conversation they get cogent arguments explaining how they're wrong, and they are obviously left with nothing and must shrug their shoulders, admit... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by splice at 7:56 AM on December 24, 2007

I think orthoganality just successfully trolled a thread about trolling. But by all means continue posting well reasoned rebuttals...
posted to MetaFilter by tkolar at 8:01 AM on December 24, 2007

Without going into huge detail, as a misplaced american living in the UK, they've got an absolutely insane binge drinking problem here.

It's socially acceptable but nobody will actually admit it is.

I'd argue that most of the towns, cities, villages, etcetera become virtual no-go zones after 11 or so due to the drunk as fuck hostiles. Just pick a town, wait until nightfall and wander around. See how many drunk fuckheads yell at you or try and... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Lord_Pall at 3:03 PM on December 18, 2007

What the fuck is mole sauce?
posted to MetaFilter by notmydesk at 2:56 PM on December 13, 2007

What makes humans unique from other animals is that our ability to change the environment to better suit us far outweighs our ability to adapt to our environment. I think that essentially eliminates vast swathes of selection pressures and many maladaptions that would have caused us to not reproduce successfully (myopia, for example) are no longer selected against. In a thousand years or so, it may be that no one is born with 20/20 vision any more.

We're certainly... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by empath at 4:31 PM on December 10, 2007

Ubu, I'm thinking of more abstract human ideals of beauty / aesthetical selection, plus how the social institution of marriage has affected the dynamics.

Well, the shift to monogamous marriage has enabled a greater proportion of people (men) than ever before to pass on their genes. In the past, it would have been the alpha males (kings, chieftains etc, in other words, the strongest & most powerful) with hundreds or thousands of concubines passing... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by UbuRoivas at 8:01 PM on December 10, 2007