MetaFilter

A pretty safe assumption is that a dude using faux-Olde-Tyme speech like that when speaking to a woman is both flirting and is using those affectations to mask social discomfort.

That's not necessarily a criticism -- a lot of women really enjoy that kind of exaggerated attention, and there's nothing wrong being a little bit socially awkward. (Nor is there anything wrong with being a total cheeseball, which is the unkind way to describe guys like that. Whatever floats... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Forktine at 6:12 AM on December 17, 2008 marked best answer

"Fat bitchez, raise your hands."

Oh yea, this is going to go well.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:09 PM on December 8 [+] [!] [quote]No other comments.


body-positive (that is to say, fat-friendly)

Why is that the same thing? Shouldn't "body positive" mean friendly to all body-types, rather than concentrating on only one?
posted by dersins at 6:14 PM on... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by shmegegge at 3:28 PM on December 8, 2008

Sometimes I imagine MeFites out in the snow, mocking each and every snowflake for thinking it is special.
posted to MetaTalk by Astro Zombie at 2:14 PM on December 3, 2008

I noticed that pretty much every halloween pumpkin in the neighborhood had huge chunks missing. The squirrels must be hungry.
posted to MetaFilter by R. Mutt at 4:24 AM on December 1, 2008

I promise to not drop a incendiary snarky line I suspect might set off the emotionally unstable or grudge holding members of the site.

Seriously, please stop it. Either you're sincerely sorry for your part in it or you're still playing last-wordism snark games. I think you're a decent guy tkchrist and you've given me a ton of good things to think about in AskMe and I generally like your participation here, but sometimes you are a total sonofabitch,... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by jessamyn at 12:23 PM on December 3, 2008

I could be wrong, but if there were no password requirements, and the site was publically available, I don't see how you could have done anything 'criminal'. Unless there's more you're telling us, you did not "hack" or "crack" anything.

If there were no passwords involved, or if it was a case where you used your own login information and had somehow been granted admin privileges, then that company holds the responsibility of having provided you that... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by CorporateHippy at 11:50 AM on December 3, 2008

If that's a routine you can stick to it'll be more effective than one you can't.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jon_kill at 10:57 AM on December 1, 2008

I'm a (pseudo-)academic, and I completely disagree with the "academic" definitions of sexism and racism. I think they are weak and not intellectually rigorous, and yes, I have studied status (race, gender AND class) as a historical social phenomenon, and I am very interested in how status and power structures interact.

But then again, this lack of rigour and over-fixation on language and clever sounding arguments (in the humanities and soft social-sciences) as... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by jb at 10:31 AM on November 26, 2008

Can't we just call out jerky behavior as jerky behavior without making all sorts of assumptions about the gender and motivation and state of oppression of people involved? Boyzone is a sexist term, and it annoys me no end to hear it used by supposed equality proponents. I would like the freedom to be brusque, argumentative, or jerky without being called "unfeminine" (I'm perfectly fine with being called "brusque" "argumentative" or "jerky" when... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by oneirodynia at 12:32 PM on November 25, 2008

Example of a person leaving the debate for reasons that tend to be exacerbated rather than improved by invoking the 'boyzone' idea.

Because of all the heat attached to our discussions of boyzone in the past, bringing it up in a thread threatens to do more than "make people think." In fact, it can do the opposite of what it's supposed to do, that is limit the voices in a discussion rather than welcoming more voices.... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by grobstein at 9:57 AM on November 25, 2008

It was funny 'cause that's exactly how I think, 'cept for that one part.
posted to MetaTalk by Brandon Blatcher at 4:26 PM on November 21, 2008

I hate the term "special snowflake." People get enough reinforcement of exactly how not-special they are just by waiting on hold to get a doctor's appointment or their voicemail fixed.

I hate it because the constant reinforcement of how NOT special they are keeps people from changing their world. I'm just one bean in a bag of beans- nothing I do will make a difference in the world. Nothing I do really matters. Voting? Picking up that piece... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by small_ruminant at 3:37 PM on November 21, 2008

> I'm not really charmed by that BEST COMMENT OF THE YEAR.

Yeah mathowie didn't think it was that funny either. To me it was just a letter-perfect rendition of a guy-girl conversation in the context of the otherwise sort of mild "men are boring" thread. So I felt like part of the appeal of the comment was "they're only boring because they make themselves boring and actually have a rich internal monologue, let me show you it..." At the same time the... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by jessamyn at 9:55 AM on June 27, 2008

There isn't a "same way most guys do." You're using a comparison to a caricature to confirm your special snowflakehood. I'm just remarking on that. Relax yourself.
posted to MetaTalk by Wolfdog at 1:58 PM on November 21, 2008

Federal civil service hiring is a mysterious thing. Apply early and often, is all I can say, and expect the process to take a long time.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by footnote at 7:09 AM on November 21, 2008

I think that part of the problem is your husband's, uh, incomplete knowledge about growing marijuana. Without a controlled environment (grow lights, timers, all that High Times stuff), the indoor cultivator's effort-to-reward ratio is pretty low, by which I mean very low. If you ask your husband to learn a little more about growing before he decides to continue on this path, you may find that the problem solves itself.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by box at 8:14 AM on November 20, 2008

Sounds like the foreplay is getting him too turned on, and he's having trouble stopping the physical reaction to that much stimulation; fairly normal recipe for premature ejaculation. He isn't experiencing a full-body orgasm because he's mentally trying to stop the out-of-control physical process; his frustration is probably at his own lack of control, inability to complete the task at hand and perhaps perceived disappointment on your part.

Less stimulation "down... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by bizwank at 5:54 PM on November 17, 2008

"As barren as a stripper's womb"? WTF?
posted to MetaFilter by jokeefe at 11:13 PM on November 11, 2008

Personally I think there are two valid but very different kinds of discussions that these organizations are trying to promote at the same time:

What constitutes rape? Is X situation rape? How can you prevent yourself from doing something that can legally be considered rape? How can you help directly prevent people from committing rape?

versus

What effect do negative comments on women have on our culture? What role... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by burnmp3s at 1:42 PM on November 11, 2008

1. A lot of guys here seem to be operating under the blatantly false impression that there are two sorts of men: 1) normal men, like me and all my friends and all their friends, who would never dream of imposing themselves sexually on a woman; 2) criminals, who commit crimes because they are criminals (or, alternately, drunks, who commit crimes because they are drunk).

Bullshit. Almost no one gets up in the morning and says, "You know, I feel... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by DaDaDaDave at 12:21 PM on November 11, 2008

I guess where some guys get not only defensive but genuinely confused is when we start from a very reasonable and agreeable position of helping men to understand what sexual consent truly is and under which conditions it should be sought to then telling them they, in order to be conscientious people, have to monitor the "sexist" speech and attitudes of their friends and acquaintances as well.

The problem is everybody has a very different idea about what... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by tkchrist at 12:04 PM on November 11, 2008

Yeah, but the slacker hasn't updated his blog for 2 days. Bet he would have if he was still in the corporate world.
posted to MetaTalk by cjorgensen at 11:03 AM on November 10, 2008

Mostly, I think it's a little too early to make firm plans--no one knows ticketing details, and many of us who live close by don't know what kind of space we'll have to share. I know that I won't be able to commit to anything for a few weeks, at least.

From what I hear, hotels are booked solid, or are seriously gouging. I bet meetup venues are the same way--any place that's taking reservations this far in advance will likely need an exact head count, and might very well... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by MrMoonPie at 2:18 PM on November 7, 2008

I'll do my best to be at a meetup. I live just over a mile from the Capitol, but I have family coming in, so I might not be fully in charge of my time. Not a chance that I'll miss the inauguration, though.

I actually have a spot in mind from where to watch the inauguration, the north side of the intersection of Constitution and Pennsylvania, NW. It's where I watched the first Bush inauguration and the Reagan funeral. There's a big plaza there, and a monument with steps... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by MrMoonPie at 6:14 PM on November 5, 2008

Obama winning the presidency means nothing comparatively to this disaster. Proposition 8 passing is a death-knell for civil liberty in this country.

Wow. I couldn't disagree more. The prop 8 vote is a major setback. But the Civil rights movement and the Woman's rights movement have both had major setbacks as well. Prop 8 is nothing that can't be fixed in two or four years.

In some ways, it could be considered a wake up call... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by cjets at 1:25 PM on November 5, 2008

Meetup on the Mall January 20?
posted to MetaFilter by rikschell at 10:34 AM on November 5, 2008

I can see America again from my house.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium

T-shirt required immediately.
posted to MetaFilter by Durn Bronzefist at 9:23 AM on November 5, 2008

I'm right now deployed as I sail about the Persian Gulf. In just a few minutes, I'm going on watch for five hours on my ship. When I get off watch, the first polls will be closing on the East Coast soon after. By tomorrow morning, the results will be told. Tonight, I might stay up the whole time just to hold on to this energy, this excitment, that has me so hopeful. Three weeks ago, I sent in my absentee ballot to the state of Minnesota, and tomorrow I'll see my voice be heard. I'll be... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Lord Chancellor at 10:12 AM on November 4, 2008

Bailoutsleuth
posted to MetaFilter by Thorzdad at 1:07 PM on October 30, 2008

All I can say is, porn watchers in the 70s sure had a lot of patience.
posted to MetaFilter by fungible at 9:33 AM on October 30, 2008

I mean, really? This is the best that Tennessee's finest can offer?

These guys clearly do not qualify as anyone's finest.
posted to MetaFilter by Tehanu at 7:47 AM on October 28, 2008

DO NOT put something (lettuce, orange peel, bread) in the bag to keep things moist for any sort of period of time... definitely not for long term storage. A little bit to revive the pot can be Ok.

This can cause mold to grow and you do not want to smoke mold.

I would suggest dividing it up into whatever amount you consume in a week or two. That should go into a heavy duty baggie of appropriate size and all of those packages should go inside an... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by utsutsu at 1:24 PM on October 27, 2008

Your basic issues with any whole, dried herb are heat, light, exposure to air and moisture.

The freezer will certainly eliminate issues of heat and light. However, you need to make sure the package is completely airtight and that as much air as possible is evacuated from it before storing or you risk freezer burn. Frankly, the freezer strikes me as overkill for 6 months: airtight storage in a cool dark place with moderate humidity should preserve the properties of any... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by nanojath at 12:18 PM on October 27, 2008

You offered to let her stay in your home, but she decided she'd rather stay somewhere else. Just like she'd do if she didn't want to be around your dog, or thought the fold-out couch in the guest room was uncomfortable, or if she was weirded out that you didn't also ask her three sisters to stay in the house, or, y'know, whatever. I don't think there's anything for you to feel insulted about.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by box at 10:32 AM on October 27, 2008

Didn't the Mayans have something to say about this?
posted to MetaFilter by solipsophistocracy at 9:05 AM on October 24, 2008

Not to distract from the very important left vs right fox vs rollingstone USA vs REST OF WORLD debate but I just thought I'd point out the elephant in the room - the fact is that the US election system is hands-down the worst in the "free" world. In every other "civilized" country it is considered a given that elections should be run by an independent and non-partisan agency, the members of which are expressly forbidden from taking part in political activity, or from even... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by dinsdale at 9:54 AM on October 22, 2008

Hildegarde,

Since they've been dating for 5 years, "her" friends and "his" friends have likely merged. If she's being distant, I could completely understand why he would contact her friends to discuss things... his motives aren't necessarily bad (but could be).

I'm not siding with anyone... my advice is to find a neutral party, like a therapist, counselor, priest, etc., to mediate/facilitate a discussion... that is, if she... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by BobbyVan at 5:07 PM on October 21, 2008

My god, this thread is like wandering around a party looking for the loo, and instead you accidentally open a door into a room full of ancient old cranks in rocking chairs, squinting and snapping at each other and poking each other with rubber-tipped canes while they squabble about whose colostomy bag is in more need of attention, and who's getting more massage from the night nurse.

Y'all should really put a sign outside.
posted to MetaTalk by pineapple at 1:14 PM on October 20, 2008

Well, this is off to a great start. A self-identified Christian group tries to inch the faith forward progressively an eensy bit, and they're mocked for not falling in line with Paul? I'd think that evolving your faith would be viewed positively. But no, if they don't act like cartoonish Talibaptists then we get this "no true Scotsman" routine. I get that it's fun to mock religion and all, but isn't contradictory to criticize a religion as being reactionary, and then laugh at people... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 3:09 PM on October 19, 2008

You know Cortex is getting called out a lot. I don't really take issue with the deletions (here and there sure, but this is all so subjective) but the fact that the callouts are coming so fast and free is an issue. I think it boils down more to respect than to to the underlying reason for the deletion and by that I mean I think sometimes Cortex in an effort to be funny disrespects the posters too much. I don't think he really means it as disrespect, come on listen to him, he is all fun and... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by caddis at 7:47 PM on October 16, 2008

I think we should have two options for tagging comments and posts: "Favorites," and "WTF?!"
posted to MetaTalk by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 8:50 AM on October 16, 2008

I know this is sort of a fringe opinion, but I wish the popcorn/lawnchair talk would go away. Unless you really truly think that someone has abused their relationship to the site -- something I don't think is really on the table in this discussion -- wishing for someone to have a breakdown/flameout/schism is distasteful. I'm aware that my opinion may be an outlier in this arena.

sixcolors, my feeling is pretty similar to Forktine's. I wish you understood things here a... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by jessamyn at 5:37 AM on October 15, 2008

I assume smack is the same thing as crack?

Oh sweetie, stay off the streets!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by The Light Fantastic at 2:07 PM on October 14, 2008

Oy vey. Just reading many of these has regressed me to 9 years old. My father, the Fort Worth-born son of a rodeo rider, had so, so many of these hokey weird sayings. Most common around my house:
"It's time to fish or cut bait"*
"don't do the crime if you can't do the time"
(used in our house toward errant children and teens, viz. "you know what the punishment will be, so don't break the rules if you can't handle the... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by pineapple at 1:10 PM on October 14, 2008

Greg Palast on voter theft covered on Democracy Now. The video interview is well worth watching.
posted to MetaFilter by stagewhisper at 8:51 PM on October 12, 2008

I have played RPGs for years, both group and solo, and have done activism in RAINN and Take Back the Night and have studied sexual violence academically. I am not expert, but I have a lot of angles to come at your question.

Here is the reason I think you may be feeling such unease. Rape fantasies, as aggressor or victim, are very common and lots of otherwise nonviolent people have them. Violence fantasies in RPGs are likewise common as dirt.... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by melissa may at 2:41 PM on October 10, 2008

I think for me, the reason rape seems worse than theft or murder is because it's gratuitous - it's not needed for the game.

No. What is "needed" for the game is entirely arbitrary. Murder and theft are culturally traditional and therefore more acceptable choices, not more logical ones. Rape can be a means to an end, and murder can be gratuitous. That people don't see this makes me wonder if our role-play-rapist might... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by -harlequin- at 12:38 PM on October 10, 2008

softsantear, your post makes it clear to me you don't understand tabletop RPers at all.

First, it is absolutely about group storytelling. For a lot of people that is the main draw. That you have such a contrary view seems to be ignorance of the medium and prejudice on your part; you seem to have decided that because it's partly a game, there's no context in which its story can have merit. That's absurd. Either it's legitimate for people to have a... [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Nattie at 10:18 AM on October 10, 2008

Obama voted for an enormous bill that contained, among other things, telecom immunity.

I would really like to know what else about the "larger" bill redeems this tragedy, because it doesn't seem obvious.

Nonetheless, I'll be voting for Obama in November, because while I don't expect to finally get Equal Protection for myself and my partner under a centrist Obama administration, I don't want to play the odds of us... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Blazecock Pileon at 11:47 AM on October 9, 2008

The non-word fighty really sticks in my craw.

This seems like as good a place as any to say so.
posted to MetaTalk by adamdschneider at 10:11 AM on October 8, 2008