Periodic Table of Swearing

[GenerallyFading]

If you eat nothing at all, the lack of food will not spike your glucose levels, and therefore will not produce the insulin reaction which causes you to store fat. This is why you don't get fat people in famine stricken countries (except for the protruding bellies we see in African kids). But fat people these days are all given the old "eat your five a day", "get more exercise" crap which leads many to simply gain weight.

I was eating a 'healthy diet', walking an hour a day, swimming once a week. So, no cakes, biscuits, chocolate, sweets - no sugar whatsoever. I was putting on weight and watching my blood glucose levels shoot up. I was going to be put onto insulin to bring them down, which of course would have had the effect of making me more fat. I decided to kill myself by starvation and a combination of my diabetic medication. This is how much I wanted to lose weight. After 24 hours, I saw my sugar levels drop for the first time in seven years. I now eat high fat/low carb which is directly against doctor's orders, and directly against conventional thinking. My sugars average 5.5 and my weight is going down. This is not "blaming my diabetes for being fat" this is actually using evidence and rational to produce the correct method of weight loss for me. Many, many people are being told incorrect diets and are thus laying the foundation for a diabetes epidemic - which is exactly what we are heading for. But fat jokes won't help people to lose weight if they can't get the correct information. Do you understand why blanket blaming is unhelpful and counter productive?
The damage done to my body after years of abuse on the rubbish diet as prescribed has led to protein spikes (so I have to eat small amounts of meat) and reactions to vegetables and fruit. I can only eat fat high foods like cream, peanut butter, cheese and also eggs in abunance. If I had been given the correct information in the beginning, I might not even have type 2 now.
Exercise is only beneficial if it is the correct exercise, like weight lifting - not always offered to school girls for some reason.

[ReneeHendricks]

FTR: as a person who has the metabolism of a koala bear, who has a pacemaker that sort of screws with that a bit, who eats 'round 900-1000 calories *max* a day, and who ensures (yes, even when I had bronchitis) that I exercise in some fashion on at least an every other day basis, I'm not a fan of fat jokes. I also have a dear friend who really does have a fucking gland problem and she tries to eat like a fucking small finch on a daily basis - guess what? Even with exercise, she's in the obese category. So, yeah, Fuck fat jokes. I pass over them and don't make a comment.

[ReneeHendricks]

I should mention as well, I'm a big fan of 5 meals a day - balanced and healthy. I had to do that for my father who suffered from high blood pressure, diabetes, and a myriad of other health issues. So, I'm not exactly stupid when it comes to healthy eating, exercise, and weight.

[decius]

Tigzy - With respect - FUCK ALL OVER THAT. As a type 2 diabetic, who has weight issues due to HIGH BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS, and nothing to do with fucking exercise, fucking eating less and fucking dickheads who know nothing about what's wrong with dieting, the "healthy" five a day crap, the useless "Reduce your cholesterol levels" and all the other shit people come out with as an excuse to use "fat" as the new sub-human class, I get really pissed off when sceptics buy into this woo-woo.

I eat loads of fat, loads of calories now, and am losing weight. I never lost weight by dieting and 'eating healthily'. So making fun of fat people really doesn't help, not in the way you are implying. It makes them more depressed, feel more of a failure and stops them from seeking the real culprit for their obesity.

What an astounding mixture or ignorance, self-indulgence and pseudoscience to boot. For one thing, diabetes is a consequence - not a cause - of obesity.

And no, you aren't losing weight by eating loads of fat. You're a delusional victim of faddism and invoking skepticism won't change a thing.

[GenerallyFading]

Renee, may I suggest you have a look at the work of Dr Richard K. Bernstein, who wrote "The Diabetes Solution"? I don't know if it will help your firend (or even yourself), but he presents the scientific evidence behind his diet. His is very boring and difficult to stick to, but works brilliantly as a basis to explore a new concept of eating. Zoe Harcombe is also doing pioneering work on this subject.
It may be that you are slightly insulin resistant, which won't show up as diabetes, but will cause a gradual weight gain with BG spikes,

[ReneeHendricks]

What an astounding mixture or ignorance, self-indulgence and pseudoscience to boot. For one thing, diabetes is a consequence - not a cause - of obesity.

And no, you aren't losing weight by eating loads of fat. You're a delusional victim of faddism and invoking skepticism won't change a thing.

You might want to amend or double-check that. Diabetes is not a consequence of obesity. I had a step-sister who was *born* with diabetes. So, perhaps clarifying the type of diabetes is in order?

[decius]

What an astounding mixture or ignorance, self-indulgence and pseudoscience to boot. For one thing, diabetes is a consequence - not a cause - of obesity.

And no, you aren't losing weight by eating loads of fat. You're a delusional victim of faddism and invoking skepticism won't change a thing.

You might want to amend or double-check that. Diabetes is not a consequence of obesity. I had a step-sister who was *born* with diabetes. So, perhaps clarifying the type of diabetes is in order?

Apologies, I should have been clearer, but he explicitly mentioned diabetes 2.

[AndrewV69]

Although that does raise the question when particular insults are relevant or called-for. The FTB Camels with Hammers tried to argue several months ago that they were never justified, but while I was sympathetic to the idea, I’m not sure that that is entirely correct ….

Sorry old boy. You are not talking to an American. So the implicit equivelence between cunt and nigger, no matter how hard you try is never going to gain any sort of traction with the likes of me.

To illustrate, you and I (well I would anyway), would react with complete indifference, if I could see the sole of the shoe of the person sitting opposite to me.

I also suspect that someone like James who is from Uganda, and is a member of the elite, would be pretty indifferent to the insult, and as a matter of fact may even be amused at a white person trying to insult him that way.

If he reacts in the manner of the Nigerians I know, he would quite possibly be hard pressed to not laugh out loud at such a person, nor treat them with amused contempt.

In any event, not only is nigger not part of my vocabulary (and I have not used the term golliwog since I was nine), cunt is a fairly appropriate term for the walking prune.

You are apparently seeing things through your own cultural filter and, I would guess no matter how many times you are told, are unable to appreciate it.

I have not read much that Crommunist has had to say or do. In any event, calling him a nigger if I understand the American context would be supposed to be an insult, implying behaviour? low IQ? lack of manners? which if I understand correctly (and I could be wrong) is generally how it is used within certain circles today.

Speaking for myself, as far as I know he has never behaved in a manner that would render that appellation appropriate. Far from it actually, and I do not know him well enough to call him a cunt.

Finally, this is where I think you (and oolon, though he really has no excuse while you do) have jumped the tracks. You appear to be seeing insults rather than an insultingly accurate description of behaviour.

I have read that American women resent the word cunt, because it implies within that cultural context she is nothing more than a life support system for a vagina. What I and others keep trying to remind you is that cunt, among other things refers to a type of behaviour. The fact that the prune is wont to interpret it the way she does, and react the way she does is quite simply hilarious.

Because on top of being a cunt, she is also being a twat.

[real horrorshow]

Pat on the back for the Ladies of WWII red army though - by all accounts they put up a damned good show.

Among them the wonderfully named Night Witches.

[ReneeHendricks]

Renee, may I suggest you have a look at the work of Dr Richard K. Bernstein, who wrote "The Diabetes Solution"? I don't know if it will help your firend (or even yourself), but he presents the scientific evidence behind his diet. His is very boring and difficult to stick to, but works brilliantly as a basis to explore a new concept of eating. Zoe Harcombe is also doing pioneering work on this subject.
It may be that you are slightly insulin resistant, which won't show up as diabetes, but will cause a gradual weight gain with BG spikes,

Thank you :) I actually suffer from hypoglycemia. My friend, I'm not certain exactly what her medical issue is. I'm not privy to her medical info but I do know she's been battling this for a long time and has seen a large number of doctors.

My father had that book by Dr. Bernstein. We tried that with my father but his other medical issues just overtook him. It was a losing battle.

[ReneeHendricks]

What an astounding mixture or ignorance, self-indulgence and pseudoscience to boot. For one thing, diabetes is a consequence - not a cause - of obesity.

And no, you aren't losing weight by eating loads of fat. You're a delusional victim of faddism and invoking skepticism won't change a thing.

You might want to amend or double-check that. Diabetes is not a consequence of obesity. I had a step-sister who was *born* with diabetes. So, perhaps clarifying the type of diabetes is in order?

Apologies, I should have been clearer, but he explicitly mentioned diabetes 2.

:D Thank you. I know it seems nitpicky but ... well, there is a difference.

[GenerallyFading]

FFS - having trouble answering with quotes, can't post anything with them.

Decius, I am watching myself lose weight. My doctor is watching me do it too. I don't get why you think you're right when it's not your body. There are many, many people in the same boat - most recommend a diet of 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbs.

Renee, just to clarify, I am speaking specifically as an insulin resistant, type 2 diabetic. However, insulin resistance is the precussor to type 2. People start to grow fat by spiking their insulin levels. Those who are insulin resitant become fat and then develope type 2. But if they were told the correct diet in the first place - the "eat to your meter" diet, this should not happen.

[decius]

Lecture 4, GenerallyFading. Before you kill yourself.

http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/cour ... x?cid=1924

[JackRayner]

Oh, and another topic that has peeved me over the past 24 hours - Zinnia Jones' bitching about Cenk Uygur using "non-straight sex" to describe sex between a man and transgendered woman.[...]

Don't even get me started on that post...

Here's the post, for anyone interested. [I know some of us get grumpy when links aren't provided. :D ]

http://freethoughtblogs.com/zinniajones ... aight-sex/


I also noticed Pitchguest jumping into the fray over there. He's not the only one taking Zinnia to task on this, either...

[Tigzy]

If you eat nothing at all, the lack of food will not spike your glucose levels, and therefore will not produce the insulin reaction which causes you to store fat. This is why you don't get fat people in famine stricken countries (except for the protruding bellies we see in African kids). But fat people these days are all given the old "eat your five a day", "get more exercise" crap which leads many to simply gain weight.

I was eating a 'healthy diet', walking an hour a day, swimming once a week. So, no cakes, biscuits, chocolate, sweets - no sugar whatsoever. I was putting on weight and watching my blood glucose levels shoot up. I was going to be put onto insulin to bring them down, which of course would have had the effect of making me more fat. I decided to kill myself by starvation and a combination of my diabetic medication. This is how much I wanted to lose weight. After 24 hours, I saw my sugar levels drop for the first time in seven years. I now eat high fat/low carb which is directly against doctor's orders, and directly against conventional thinking. My sugars average 5.5 and my weight is going down. This is not "blaming my diabetes for being fat" this is actually using evidence and rational to produce the correct method of weight loss for me. Many, many people are being told incorrect diets and are thus laying the foundation for a diabetes epidemic - which is exactly what we are heading for. But fat jokes won't help people to lose weight if they can't get the correct information. Do you understand why blanket blaming is unhelpful and counter productive?
The damage done to my body after years of abuse on the rubbish diet as prescribed has led to protein spikes (so I have to eat small amounts of meat) and reactions to vegetables and fruit. I can only eat fat high foods like cream, peanut butter, cheese and also eggs in abunance. If I had been given the correct information in the beginning, I might not even have type 2 now.
Exercise is only beneficial if it is the correct exercise, like weight lifting - not always offered to school girls for some reason.

Well yeah - if one is serious about losing weight, one does have to identify which foods groups you have to eat less of, and which exercise would be of most benefit. But the principle remains the same. I will admit to being too much of an arse in saying 'simply eat less', because it is very difficult these days to find foods which don't contain all the hidden calories and trans-fats (the worst kind), even if they are advertised as 'healthy meals'. You do have to do some homework on the matter. You appear to have found and eating and exercise programme which works for you - but by the same token, if you were to eat more of what you were presently eating, and exercise less than you are now, you would start getting fat again.

I don't have anything against fat people. On the contrary, I've shagged a fair few fat women in my time, and can vouch for the experience: just slap her arse and ride the waves. Most comfortable ride ever.

[ReneeHendricks]

Oh, and another topic that has peeved me over the past 24 hours - Zinnia Jones' bitching about Cenk Uygur using "non-straight sex" to describe sex between a man and transgendered woman.[...]

Don't even get me started on that post...

Here's the post, for anyone interested. [I know some of us get grumpy when links aren't provided. :D ]

http://freethoughtblogs.com/zinniajones ... aight-sex/


I also noticed Pitchguest jumping into the fray over there. He's not the only one taking Zinnia to task on this, either...

Sorry. I should have included the link. You can give me 50 lashes with a wet noodle :D

[Altair]

Fuck it. Fuck it all. From now on, anyone who's too good to be referred to as one of the standard English pronouns (he, she, it, they) will be referred to by my new gender-neutral, non-binary, one-size-fits-all pronoun: Sally. I sincerely hope it gets under Sally's skin and drives Sally fucking nuts. Alternately, Sally could get the fuck over Sally's shit, and come to accept that inventing words for Sallyself is pretentious douchebaggery of the first degree.

Hmm, Sally is alright, but I'm partial to using Marklar to make all those Marklars nuts.

[youtube]Bzq4YDt7V-o[/youtube]

[decius]

GenerallyFading, if your total caloric intake is lower than your consumption, then you will lose weight whatever the proportion of nutrients.

On the other hand, if you wish to deny the first law of thermodynamics, we have a problem.

[GenerallyFading]

But why would I need to listen to anything more, when I can see the evidence for myself?

Look, I'm not really interetsed in changing your mind, I can recognise concrete set in stone. I am trying to point out an alternative way of thinking to "Oh, they're fat, there must be no other explanation than it's their fault". I thought people here welcomed other ways of thinking than "We must follow whatever anyone says because it must be true, even though the evidence shows the opposite thing".

Never mind, it was better lurking.

Renee, I hope I didn't insult you about the healthy diet thing - it's a sore point with me, but you have obviously looked beyond the conventional methods. I'm sorry about your dad.

[Guest]

Anecdote does not = evidence

[AndrewV69]

I tend to see the two major American political parties as a choice between

A: The Party of Completely and Utterly Batshit Fucking Insane
B: The Party of Slightly Less Batshit Fucking Insane

I tend to see it that way also.

From my viewpoint Americans are fucked no matter who wins any election. Part of the problem is that their elites have pretty much demonstrated that as far as they are concerned, America is just another country within their global financial empire.

Better get accustomed to being exploited like any other 3rd world country.

[Skep tickle]

US electoral smackdown from McCreight:

Obama isn’t perfect, but he’s the only option that supports equal civil rights for women, racial minorities, and LGBT individuals. And to me nothing more is important in my country than equal rights for all. If you put your pocketbooks ahead of equality, you’re selfish and downright immoral. My grad student stipend is technically at the poverty line for Washington state, and I would still happily pay higher taxes if it meant providing social services and helping those who need it the most. Heaven forbid I don’t have the luxury of an iPhone because I think someone’s children having food on the table is more important.

In essence I agree with most of her points, but of course she neglects to mention that most USAians who live at the poverty line don't receive regular infusions of cash from mommy and daddy.

University of Washington Genome Sciences Graduate Program Highlights:
http://www.gs.washington.edu/academics/ ... rogram.htm

full funding:
All students receive full funding, including a tuition waiver, health insurance, and a stipend for living expenses (currently $27,348) for the duration of their studies, subject to sufficient academic progress.

US Poverty Guidelines, 2012:
http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/12poverty.shtml#thresholds

For the 48 contiguous states...:

# of persons / annual income
1 $11,170
2 15,130
3 19,090
4 23,050
5 27,010
6 30,970

I assume that the graduate stipend given above is annual, rather than for the duration of their studies. If that's the case, unless Jen has more than 4 dependents, she's nowhere near the poverty line. (I don't know of, and didn't find, state-specific definitions of poverty. Cost of living is higher in Seattle than most of the rest of Washington state, but that doesn't change the definition of poverty, as far as I know.)

[GenerallyFading]

GenerallyFading, if your total caloric intake is lower than your consumption, then you will lose weight whatever the proportion of nutrients.

On the other hand, if you wish to deny the first law of thermodynamics, we have a problem.

Right, will try posting with a quote - calories in, calories out is an inaccurate measure. Think of it like putting petrol in a car - if you put less in, your car does not run more efficiently over time, it simply runs out of energy.

Decius, can you answer why, when I ate very little food I gained weight?

Tigzy, thank you for your comments, I was getting very frustrated at posting. The only reason I would gain weight however, is because a certain amount of food spikes my BG levels. If it did not, I could eat as much as I wanted without gaining. This is why, when I ate very little, but spiked them, I gained weight. The wrong exercise causes the fight or flight reaction which causes BG spikes - that's why jogging and swimming don't work for me, whereas gentle weight lifting does.

[Altair]

There are two problems here. One, is the desire to impose quotas because women 'ought' to be equally represented in certain careers. A few days ago, it was mentioned that there are intermittent campaigns to get more women into STEM, and that yhe insuperable problem is that women aren't in those jobs - mainly - because they don't want to be.

It's the same with the 'women in atheism/scepticism' issue. Paula Kirby has made it clear: Try as you might to get women to take a part in speaking at conferences, most women don't want to. Bend over backwards, and you still get more men taking to the mic.

This is not good enough for the Watsonistas. Equity must be pursued for it's own sake. Bugger the quality of the speakers; at least half of them must be women. Likewise for the attendees. If the only way to achieve this is to have crap women speakers and to alienate men; all to the good. Women will then become a larger part of the shrinking whole. Never mind that the logical consequence is to have women 'owning' 100% of nothing.

Exactly, quotas only appear when women are underrepresented and the job is good. Have you ever seen a campaign or quota to get more men into nursing or teaching?
In Colombia we have had a guerrilla problem for like 50 fucking years, and there is a peace negotiation going on in Norway now. So recently we've had a couple articles on newspapers asking about the women in the negotiation team and asking "why aren't there more women in there".
My answer of course would be that the people in that team should be there because of their skills, not their genitalia. If they found 10 men who were better at the task than any woman they had available, then we'll send all men and now women. If it was the opposite, then we would have 10 women, too.

Women seem to be used now to having women everywhere just for being women, because if there aren't a certain number of women in the government, an office, or an skeptical conference, then it's a problem.
When did we being so worried about having "enough" women everywhere? Have you ever seen a group of women worried about getting more men involved in their stuff?
We should start a campaign to add rocket missiles and transformation abilities to the Barbie Convertible to attract more boys.

The second problem - going back to the workplace - is that women, especially fembot women, will naturally wish to leave dirty, dangerous jobs to men. They will also choose to leave difficult, taxing jobs to men, even when they aren't dangerous. Fembots will campaign for equality only in those arenas where they can be well-paid for spending their time in comfy offices doing little but talk.
Men build civilization. Women shop in it.

Of course, there is never a group of feminists fighting for the right to be coal miners, or deep sea divers, or sewer cleaners. These jobs are always a choice, and men do them because they choose to do so. But if women are out of a job they would love to have, then it's discrimination and patriarchy and we need a lot of affirmative action so we can have a 50/50 distribution.
Or what happened with college degrees, when women were in the minority, there were bunches of programs to help them. Now that they are in the majority, no one is doing anything to help the men who are now dropping out more often and not getting degrees in the same proportion.

[GenerallyFading]

Guest, you could try looking at the factual stuff then. Gary Taubes would be a good start.

[ReneeHendricks]

Renee, I hope I didn't insult you about the healthy diet thing - it's a sore point with me, but you have obviously looked beyond the conventional methods. I'm sorry about your dad.

Please don't go back to just lurking :)

You didn't insult me at all. Any time someone goes out of their way to give sound advise or help is something I welcome. I had to learn quite a bit about food, exercise, metabolism, diabetes, high blood pressure, and a ton of other things one should never have to learn unless one is becoming a doctor. I apply what I can to myself and my family to keep us healthy (though apparently bronchitis is a bitch I'll never master).

[bhoytony]

Loving all this alternative ways of thinking, new concepts of eating and pioneering work on the diet front. Sounds completely different to all the other new diets I've ever heard of.

[decius]

GenerallyFading, I'm sorry to have caused you any butthurt, but if you spread pseudoscientific feel-good memes, which may be adopted by the ignorant and uninformed who lurk, you will be called out.

For instance, you said that your exercise amounted to one hour daily walk. Depending on your weight and speed, you were consuming something in the region of 180-400 calories. That is the equivalent of a small slice of pizza or less than half a portion of pasta.
Then perhaps you went home and ate more than usual, because of the strenuous "exercise". If not, you perhaps expected to see drastic results in a short time, but it doesn't work that way.
If you are a very sedentary person, you have to change lifestyle more radically. A short daily walk won't make a dent.

Try again and do it properly, this time. You need a plan and to properly count your calories in and calories out. It will work, I guarantee. It's bloody physics, after all.

Here's a great resource, especially if coupled with a gps application such as Sportypal and/or a step counter.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

[JackRayner]

[blah blah blah] pizza [blah blah blah]

Damn. All this talk about food is making me hungry again. :?

[ReneeHendricks]

Loving all this alternative ways of thinking, new concepts of eating and pioneering work on the diet front. Sounds completely different to all the other new diets I've ever heard of.

What? Sorry, you lost me. Please explain:

alternative ways of thinking, new concepts of eating and pioneering work on the diet front

I'm going to go out on a limb and say you really didn't mean eating 5 small healthy meals a day and exercising :)

[cunt]

Decius, I am watching myself lose weight. My doctor is watching me do it too. I don't get why you think you're right when it's not your body. There are many, many people in the same boat - most recommend a diet of 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbs.

Sounds like really great way to fuck up your liver and kidneys. When you say that "most recommend" this, does that include your doctors?

[Tigzy]

Tigzy, thank you for your comments, I was getting very frustrated at posting. The only reason I would gain weight however, is because a certain amount of food spikes my BG levels. If it did not, I could eat as much as I wanted without gaining. This is why, when I ate very little, but spiked them, I gained weight. The wrong exercise causes the fight or flight reaction which causes BG spikes - that's why jogging and swimming don't work for me, whereas gentle weight lifting does.

I'll admit that fat people can't be held wholly culpable for their condition: certainly, a good proportion of the blame can be put on the food manufacturers who market 'healthy-eating' meals when they are nothing of the sort. If you can, see if you can check out a recent BBC documentary series, 'The Men Who Made Us Fat' - could be on Youtube somewhere. It's pretty shocking how duplicitous the food manufacturers can be in getting us to eat too much fat and sugar even when the foods in question might be marketed as diet-meals.

However, it's certainly my experience that the greater majority of people can lose weight - and maintain it - once they apply the general principle of eating less and exercising more. Trouble is, it takes time, dedication, work and patience, and it can be a long time before you start seeing results. More often than not, I see too many people seeking excuses as to why they are fat - and whinging about it - rather than do the work necessary to get rid of it. Also, some of them are either completely unaware of what constitutes a good diet, or are lying to themselves - such as the fat girl I saw in Burger King, who had an XL portion, but asked for a Diet Coke, because of, you know, calories and that.

[decius]

For the lurkers, Gary Taubes is an unqualified charlatan, whose pseudoscience is debunked here.

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/ind ... e-get-fat/

[Spence]

(With apologies for dragging this up from way back, still trying to catch up after a period of being busy...)

US electoral smackdown from McCreight:

Obama isn’t perfect, but he’s the only option that supports equal civil rights for women, racial minorities, and LGBT individuals. And to me nothing more is important in my country than equal rights for all. If you put your pocketbooks ahead of equality, you’re selfish and downright immoral. My grad student stipend is technically at the poverty line for Washington state, and I would still happily pay higher taxes if it meant providing social services and helping those who need it the most. Heaven forbid I don’t have the luxury of an iPhone because I think someone’s children having food on the table is more important.

In essence I agree with most of her points, but of course she neglects to mention that most USAians who live at the poverty line don't receive regular infusions of cash from mommy and daddy.

So Jen says she would happily pay higher taxes?

Then why doesn't she?

I don't know about the US, but in the UK the tax office (her majesty's revenue and customs) will gladly take donations. I assume the US is the same. There is no upper ceiling on how much tax an individual can choose to pay.

So, if she is happy to pay higher taxes, why doesn't she just do it, rather than whining that the president hasn't told her she has to?

Oh yeah, sorry this is A+theism, where whining about something counts for more than doing something about it. How could I forget.

[ReneeHendricks]

Oh, Oolon. It's so cute that you're watching everything I post and I'm not seeing a damned thing you're putting out :D http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterflies ... ent-323126

My post time: Sun Oct 28, 2012 12:12 pm Regarding Ophie's recent post. Your comment time on Ophie's post: October 28, 2012 at 12:19 pm

I'm so glad I pointed you toward Ophie's ass so you could bury you nose. All comfy now?

[Skep tickle]

US electoral smackdown from McCreight:

Obama isn’t perfect, but he’s the only option that supports equal civil rights for women, racial minorities, and LGBT individuals. And to me nothing more is important in my country than equal rights for all. If you put your pocketbooks ahead of equality, you’re selfish and downright immoral. My grad student stipend is technically at the poverty line for Washington state, and I would still happily pay higher taxes if it meant providing social services and helping those who need it the most. Heaven forbid I don’t have the luxury of an iPhone because I think someone’s children having food on the table is more important.

In essence I agree with most of her points, but of course she neglects to mention that most USAians who live at the poverty line don't receive regular infusions of cash from mommy and daddy.

Skipping right on over the weight management stuff (hardly pausing to mention that it's not quite as simple as calories in/calories out, since a person's metabolic rate is an important part of the equation & not only varies between people but declines with dieting) to add:

Would "happily still pay higher taxes" so she's referring to existing taxes that she pays.

What taxes is she talking about? Sales tax? Because Washington state has no income tax, and aren't federal income tax rates low, even zero after deductions & credits, for someone below the poverty line? (Certainly true for people raising children, due to the Earned Income Credit, but I don't think that applies for Jen.) And as a graduate student, she probably doesn't pay property taxes (or if she did, presumably it'd be property that her parents purchased for her).

[decius]

GenerallyFading, sorry I missed your question earlier.

Decius, can you answer why, when I ate very little food I gained weight?

I cannot answer that because I wasn't keeping track of your diet and habits at the time. However, it is a very common occurrence for people who just begin to exercise coming from a sedentary lifestyle to gain weight for the first few weeks. Your body may retain more water as it builds up muscle and muscle density is 1.06 g/ml, whereas fat density is 0.9 g/ml. So, you may well lose sizes and gain weight at the same time (for a while).

[Rystefn]

Am I wrong or being completely obtuse here?

I've been reading quite a bit lately on the usage of pronouns and such that ensures we aren't limiting things to a binary (male/female) state and I'm frustrated. Not because I don't feel those who do not feel comfortable with a 1 or 2 state should be excluded but rather because the English language is freaking hard enough as it is. Adding more words and more complex meanings seems to me to ensure (in the long run) a complete fuckery of the language.

I remember reading not too long ago that people coming from other countries into the US, trying to learn the language, are struck by how so many words sound so similar and yet have very different meanings. That's just the tip of the iceberg for those learning the English language.

I'm going to just apologize in advance and say I'll be a horrible person and just stick with the language set I already have. Feel free to berate me or call me an ass but I don't have enough years on this planet left to learn an entire new subset of the English language.

Ten bucks says calling Sally "Sally" bothers Sally more than calling Sally "shit."
Fuck it. Fuck it all. From now on, anyone who's too good to be referred to as one of the standard English pronouns (he, she, it, they) will be referred to by my new gender-neutral, non-binary, one-size-fits-all pronoun: Sally. I sincerely hope it gets under Sally's skin and drives Sally fucking nuts. Alternately, Sally could get the fuck over Sally's shit, and come to accept that inventing words for Sallyself is pretentious douchebaggery of the first degree.

I'm starting to lean towards "shit". Forget s/h/it. Just shit. So: I sincerely hope it gets under shit's skin and drives shit fucking nuts. Alternately, shit could get the fuck over shit's shit, and come to accept that inventing words for shitself is pretentious douchebagerry of the first degree. :D

[Pitchguest]

Oh, and another topic that has peeved me over the past 24 hours - Zinnia Jones' bitching about Cenk Uygur using "non-straight sex" to describe sex between a man and transgendered woman.[...]

Don't even get me started on that post...

Here's the post, for anyone interested. [I know some of us get grumpy when links aren't provided. :D ]

http://freethoughtblogs.com/zinniajones ... aight-sex/


I also noticed Pitchguest jumping into the fray over there. He's not the only one taking Zinnia to task on this, either...

Yes, and by the way, note what JS -- a regular commenter on Pharyngula -- says in his comment. Amazing display of stupidity. Of course, in my momentary lapse I made a comment I wasn't too pleased by but in all honesty: it never does. The incremental inanity will make it reach almost astronomical levels of stupid. Just you wait. Someone will divide by zero; and then that someone will call someone a cunt. Probably Ophelia. (Rant: If FTB were a galaxy, I'd consider the FC5/6 the stars which the planetary bodies that are the commenters revolve around. But sooner or later the stars will collapse and the bodies and the galaxy will go down with them. A star will die when it grows too old or the tension grows too strong, well, I'd say their days are numbered.)

[cunt]

What could possibly help people on or below the poverty line more than making them pay higher taxes.

[AndrewV69]

Exactly, quotas only appear when women are underrepresented and the job is good. Have you ever seen a campaign or quota to get more men into nursing or teaching?

I will just leave these here. Note the different reasons given and the cause.

Desperately Seeking Male Child Care Workers
http://www.spiegel.de/international/ger ... 54311.html

Germany is spending loads of money to recruit male child care workers, launching expensive employment campaigns to attract more men into the profession. Many parents want their children to be educated by both men and women, but low wages mean efforts have met with little success so far.

Men are in particularly high demand because many parents don't want their children looked after exclusively by women. According to a study carried out on behalf of the Ministry of Family Affairs, more than a third of mothers and fathers prefer day care facilities that have male staff. The higher the parents' educational and income levels, the more important they consider having male child care workers.

Men in Childcare and Education Germany
http://www.edinburghfestivalfringe.com/ ... rmany.html

In recent years, in Germany there is growing consciousness about the importance of men for the development of children both in family as well as in kindergarten and schools. A recent nationwide German study on the subject of male educators in kitas sees a positive climate for bringing more men into early childhood institutions. The doors to kitas early childhood centers are wide open for men. But, in German early childhood centers, at present there are only men working in 3 %. Although male workers are very much in demand.

http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/20 ... hild-care/

The state isn’t doing this, though, solely out of a passion for gender equality or a soft place in their heart for men holding babies. They’re doing it because Germany has promised that there will be a spot in a day care center for all children when they turn one year old. To fulfill this promise, they need more day care workers badly; recruiting men means that that other half of the population might fill out the profession.

You would think that these people would be excited. No?
http://www.genderforum.org/issues/worki ... ale-world/

Are male childcare workers, as Zulehner und Volz suggest, the prototypical "new men,"[5] with implications for de-gendering and professionalising care work? Or are male childcare workers faced with the same structural disadvantages of female occupations, in addition experiencing contradictions in relation to their masculinity? In order to address these questions, the actions and experiences of male childcare workers are examined in relation to work colleagues, parents and the children with whom they interact on a daily basis as part of their work practice. The institutional dimensions of childcare occupations in Germany are also considered in analysing the experiences and tensions faced by male care workers in a female occupation.

Oh well, that's that then. Stupid menz always going to think they are superior to women no matter what.

As Christine L. Williams has also observed, "doing masculinity" permits men in female-dominated work situations "to maintain a sense of themselves as different from and better than women —thus contributing to the gender system that divides men from women in a way that privileges men" (Williams, World 123).

Those menz at it again, inserting their fucking gender into everything.

Similarly striking was the extent to which activities with the children involving physical exercise and sports became an explicit speciality of male care workers.[7] The staffs tended to explain this division of labor by the fact that male colleagues were more involved in sport activities in their free-time. It should also be emphasized, however, that sports offers an opportunity par excellence for men to "perform" gender.

Oh phew! It is OK, the women were in charge after all. Thats all right then. As long as it is a woman ordering menz to be menz that makes it alright.

The gender-based ordering of tasks in the care work facilities studied was not demanded by the male teachers, or the result of open struggles and negotiation about work responsibilities which colleagues then had to accept. Instead, the acceptance and ordering of work tasks was a cooperative action; the male niches of work tasks were both assigned the men by their female colleagues, and eagerly taken on by the men themselves.

Anyway, despite my snark (it is supposed to be ironical) do not let it put you off, I encourage you to read the article in full.

[Dick Strawkins]

Regarding Zinnia Jones, she made a comment on a recent video, linked here a couple of days ago, that surprisingly made me feel some degree of understanding towards trans-hating radfem lesbians - entirely contrary to Zinnia's intentions.
Her comment was that she didn't think that transexuals should tell sexual partners (that they are transexual) before they have sex.
I suspect the average cis-gendered hetero man might feel exactly the same way as a radfem lesbian, if either of their first romantic encounters with a woman suddenly veers into a remake of 'The Crying Game'.

[Mykeru]

This oughta raise some hell: Are Men's Rights Legitimate?

No, of course not, you fucking misogynist.

Just finished with Reap. Topics discussed include:

[*]Al Stefanelli raped me.
[*]JackRayner: Digital penetration with a smile.
[*]Justin Vacula, "Rapeula"
[*]Phil_Giordana_FCD, The art of the stealth pearl necklace.
[*]Welch: With a name like "Smuckers" it has to be rape.
[*]ReneeHendricks : Two more shots and it'll be double rape.
[*]Cunt: Cunt
[*]Rystefn: Everyone line up for some rape
[*]Ophelia Benson: What cunt said, cunt.

And, of course, everyone else.

:lol:

Be sure to let us know when that goes up, Reap!

Editing now -it's going to be a 'Special edition' of the ReapSowRadio podcast -have it done later today

Why special? Am I "special"? Do I need to be given a test? Should I buy a banjo?

http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/blog/ ... 50x550.jpg

1. What have I done?

2. Do you have any idea how hard it is to work when your sister is watching a Law and Order: Special Victim's Unit marathon? What a pile of crap. Damn, why didn't I kill my TV when I had the chance?

[bhoytony]

Loving all this alternative ways of thinking, new concepts of eating and pioneering work on the diet front. Sounds completely different to all the other new diets I've ever heard of.

What? Sorry, you lost me. Please explain:

alternative ways of thinking, new concepts of eating and pioneering work on the diet front

I'm going to go out on a limb and say you really didn't mean eating 5 small healthy meals a day and exercising :)

No, those were quotes from GenerallyFading.

[Phil_Giordana_FCD]

I can't be bothered to go back and see exactly who I was having the exchange with, but here is footage that shows that Felix Batwgjfvcjkarsgniwu3r made a sonic boom when he broke the sound barrier on his jump. http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/382 ... c+skydive/ [Listen closely at the 25 second mark.]

If it's true, then that's fucking amazing. :clap:

It was me, and I'm impressed.

[AndrewV69]

Typical mysognist MRA that I am, I just can not resist quote mining here to totally misrepresent GendErratic (and provide quote mining fodder myself).

Assholes Come in Two Flavours: Male and Female
http://www.genderratic.com/p/2239/assho ... nd-female/

Finally, if you’re a woman reading this, you should feel deeply ashamed for your gender, after all your gender is responsible for rape, domestic violence, war and all human evil.

[DownThunder]

GenerallyFading, if your total caloric intake is lower than your consumption, then you will lose weight whatever the proportion of nutrients.

On the other hand, if you wish to deny the first law of thermodynamics, we have a problem.

That isnt true.

It is highly simplistic to treat the human body like a battery.

The type of nutrients, the rate and quantity at which you consume them all matters.

To pick extreme examples: What do you think would happen if you were to eat a days worth of energy, in one meal all from simple sugars? Then would do you think would happen if you were to consume that same daily quantity in equal doses at 30 min intervals over the course of the day?

[justinvacula]

As promised, I (finally) authored a blog post pertaining to -- as the title says -- controversy, activism, and the internet further elaborating on a question Sharon Hill asked me at the PA State Atheist/Humanist Conference. I argue that people who do not handle conflict well should not engage in it. I also detail ways people can contribute to the atheist community while not being public. Enjoy!

http://skepticink.com/justinvacula/2012 ... -internet/

Ophelia and Stephanie have been waiting for this one, so hopefully we get a response!

Hi Ophelia and Stephanie, I know you're reading :)

[oolon, slimy turd]

Oh, Oolon. It's so cute that you're watching everything I post and I'm not seeing a damned thing you're putting out :D http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterflies ... ent-323126

My post time: Sun Oct 28, 2012 12:12 pm Regarding Ophie's recent post. Your comment time on Ophie's post: October 28, 2012 at 12:19 pm

I'm so glad I pointed you toward Ophie's ass so you could bury you nose. All comfy now?

Sorry Renee, I forgot it was you or I would have given you credit. Although I think I saw you mention it and didn't bother clicking until it started coming up in twitter as well as a tour de slyme. So maybe part credit to CLS or whoever it was promoting it :-) Don't you agree with me that EvevatorGate opining about what a 'hero' she is was pretty ridiculous? Or are you also one of the 'heroes' of the FTBully resistance :violin:

Also why is it brown nosing when I gossip on the blog I like about stuff but when you come over here to moan about everything FtBs do it is cold rational sceptical analysis? Seems like you want to be accepted here with the group you identify with, could be pretty easy for me to characterise that as 'brown nosing franc' or 'sucking ERV's dick'. In fact all you are doing is sharing stuff you think your peer group will be interested in...

[DownThunder]

GenerallyFading, if your total caloric intake is lower than your consumption, then you will lose weight whatever the proportion of nutrients.

On the other hand, if you wish to deny the first law of thermodynamics, we have a problem.

Right, will try posting with a quote - calories in, calories out is an inaccurate measure. Think of it like putting petrol in a car - if you put less in, your car does not run more efficiently over time, it simply runs out of energy.

Decius, can you answer why, when I ate very little food I gained weight?

Tigzy, thank you for your comments, I was getting very frustrated at posting. The only reason I would gain weight however, is because a certain amount of food spikes my BG levels. If it did not, I could eat as much as I wanted without gaining. This is why, when I ate very little, but spiked them, I gained weight. The wrong exercise causes the fight or flight reaction which causes BG spikes - that's why jogging and swimming don't work for me, whereas gentle weight lifting does.

Here are a few tips from me as someone who has walked the walk quite literally. My largest weight loss was about 70lbs, then lots of yo-yoing.

Hours of daily low intensity walking and riding, and eating less, lost a lot of weight the first time I tried. However it became less effective over the period of a few years, to the point where I was spending a couple of hours each day without seeing any weight loss.

These days most of my exercise consists of heavy weight lifting, purely for the purpose of gaining muscle, primarily upper body/back strength. The added muscle is the key for keeping your body burning fat all day and night long.

I eat plenty of fat. You obviously need to be careful of the amount of energy you are consuming, but luckily it is slow to digest and raise your blood sugar levels. That is in stark contrast to modern processed and mass produced food. Not to mention what can only be described as "pop" nutrition.

[decius]

That isnt true.

It is highly simplistic to treat the human body like a battery.

The type of nutrients, the rate and quantity at which you consume them all matters.

To pick extreme examples: What do you think would happen if you were to eat a days worth of energy, in one meal all from simple sugars? Then would do you think would happen if you were to consume that same daily quantity in equal doses at 30 min intervals over the course of the day?

Yes, it was deliberately simplistic. I'm aware of some individual variations in effectiveness of energy storage, rate thereof and even markedly different effects on one's health by overdosing certain types of nutrients. But that doesn't validate any claim by the low-carb brigade. At the most basic and fundamental level, counting calories is the only way to effectively lose weight.

[astrokid.nj]

Jean Kazez of 'Honestly, I cannot say that I feel the problem of sexism against men looms large... Next thing we'll be finding out that rich people are terribly mistreated too' fame says:

The problem with the sexists in atheist-land is that they cannot imagine that they have their own biases and blindspots. We're super-smart skeptics, right?

yeah.. stupid bitch knows all.. she has overcome her own biases and blindspots.
Sexists in Atheist-Land

Kazez_Poor_Becky.jpg

(78.72 KiB) Downloaded 328 times

[Phil_Giordana_FCD]

I am not a certified nutritionist or endocrinologist, so I'll pass the diet talk.

My only experience with calorie-watching was when I was working out. High intakes for mass, low intakes for drying. That's the full extent of my knowledge.

[decius]

I am not a certified nutritionist or endocrinologist, so I'll pass the diet talk.

My only experience with calorie-watching was when I was working out. High intakes for mass, low intakes for drying. That's the full extent of my knowledge.

I didn't give a shit about this either until an year or so ago. When I needed to lose weight, I just did it according to evidence-based medicine. Then a friend of mine got all preachy about this Taubes quacky cunt, so I was compelled to look into what scientific scepticism had to say and pass it on to her. It didn't work, but I retained some knowledge.

[BarnOwl]

Harvested about half of this today:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8196/8132 ... 087bfd.jpg
basil by BarnOwl83, on Flickr

It yielded 3.5 cups of pesto, which I make without the Parmesan cheese (so that it can be frozen and used for a variety of recipes). That translates to 24 "ice cubes" of pesto - enough for 30+ meals.

The remaining basil plants will continue to grow until the first frost, which might not occur until December here. There's broccoli next to the basil, and that's pretty cold-tolerant. In fact I can grow and harvest broccoli (and its relatives) pretty much year-round.

[Tigzy]

Jean Kazez of 'Honestly, I cannot say that I feel the problem of sexism against men looms large... Next thing we'll be finding out that rich people are terribly mistreated too' fame says:

The problem with the sexists in atheist-land is that they cannot imagine that they have their own biases and blindspots. We're super-smart skeptics, right?

yeah.. stupid bitch knows all.. she has overcome her own biases and blindspots.
Sexists in Atheist-Land

So Kazez says:

If you look at what Watson has been through (if the Slate article isn't enough, look at her page o' hate) and think someone else (like Richard Dawkins) is the real issue, you should be suspicious of your desire to change the subject.

Well, here's some examples of the kind of mail Dawkins receives: http://old.richarddawkins.net/letters/ugly

A few choice excerpts:

Ha ha bitch no u are not an atheist, you are a gay-theist!!! lolol

DONT WORRY I WILL BE BACK, TROLLING YOUR STUPID-ASS WEBSITE!!! HA HA AH AHA AHA HA AHA AH HA

Fuck you, u fucking fucker. What will u think when u are being basted in the broth of God's righteous indignation? I look forward to observing from my post in heaven the exquisite tortures u will suffer at the hands of the just and loving God Whom u have rejected, u fuckity fucker.

But I either way I hope you DO get sodomized by satanic monkies in hell!

You are one of the many Anti-Christs you Satanic dog. Hell is awaiting you, you little Masonic cunt. God will show no mercy.

richie dawkins is a narcassitic little fuck...The only reason he was down in the bible belt was so that he could fuck his twenty year old grad students and he probably does dream about raping Irish farm girls.

Fuck you, cunt boy. The One God will ground you into dust as atheism is always ground to dust.

haha, you fucking dumbass, I hope you get hit by a Church van tonight and you die slowly

I hate your f***ing guts

I hope you die slowly and you fucking burn in hell! You dammed
blasfemy!!! Right now you are rotting on the inside...

you suck.. go burn in hell.. Satan Will Enjoy torturing you.. what happened mum didnt pay enough attention to you so you decided to rebel.. I hope for your own sake you see your grave mistake and repent.. God Dwells among as everyday.. you are the spawn of evil.

Dawkins, you and your atheist friends cannot win. America WILL become a Christian Republic even if we have to write a whole new constitution. Millions of us are dedicated to this righteous cause. We will suceed. And then we will invade godless countries like "Great" Britain and kill all of your heathens. First we need to take care of things at home and in the Middle East but we will get around to Europe. You Godless freaks will die but then you will roast in hell for infinite time. Goodbye you loser.

Disturbing stuff. And doubly so, considering that more than a few of the people seem genuinely mentally unbalanced. And yet, how often do we hear Dawkins take the stage to complain about the 'harassment' he receives? And why must Becky's little problem be so particular? Is it because she's a woman, and some of this 'harassment' involves a wish that she be raped? Of course, it's nasty - but why focus on that when it's clear that pretty much any public atheist (and I'd wager religious figures, politicians, anyone on the public eye, really) is going to attract weirdos and trolls who, for whatever reason, feel a need to talk about the violence - be it sexual or otherwise - they wish to see done to you?

So I would ask, dear Jean, what makes the 'harassment' Becky receives intrinsically worse than what Dawkins receives?

[Phil_Giordana_FCD]

Harvested about half of this today:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8196/8132 ... 087bfd.jpg
basil by BarnOwl83, on Flickr

It yielded 3.5 cups of pesto, which I make without the Parmesan cheese (so that it can be frozen and used for a variety of recipes). That translates to 24 "ice cubes" of pesto - enough for 30+ meals.

The remaining basil plants will continue to grow until the first frost, which might not occur until December here. There's broccoli next to the basil, and that's pretty cold-tolerant. In fact I can grow and harvest broccoli (and its relatives) pretty much year-round.

How the hell do you do it? I've never managed to keep a basil plant alive, and I live in the perfect climate for them! I guess I don't have a green hand. Also, appartment, no garden...

[Dick Strawkins]

Jean Kazez of 'Honestly, I cannot say that I feel the problem of sexism against men looms large... Next thing we'll be finding out that rich people are terribly mistreated too' fame says:

The problem with the sexists in atheist-land is that they cannot imagine that they have their own biases and blindspots. We're super-smart skeptics, right?

yeah.. stupid bitch knows all.. she has overcome her own biases and blindspots.
Sexists in Atheist-Land

So Kazez says:

If you look at what Watson has been through (if the Slate article isn't enough, look at her page o' hate) and think someone else (like Richard Dawkins) is the real issue, you should be suspicious of your desire to change the subject.

Well, here's some examples of the kind of mail Dawkins receives: http://old.richarddawkins.net/letters/ugly

A few choice excerpts:

Ha ha bitch no u are not an atheist, you are a gay-theist!!! lolol

DONT WORRY I WILL BE BACK, TROLLING YOUR STUPID-ASS WEBSITE!!! HA HA AH AHA AHA HA AHA AH HA

Fuck you, u fucking fucker. What will u think when u are being basted in the broth of God's righteous indignation? I look forward to observing from my post in heaven the exquisite tortures u will suffer at the hands of the just and loving God Whom u have rejected, u fuckity fucker.

But I either way I hope you DO get sodomized by satanic monkies in hell!

You are one of the many Anti-Christs you Satanic dog. Hell is awaiting you, you little Masonic cunt. God will show no mercy.

richie dawkins is a narcassitic little fuck...The only reason he was down in the bible belt was so that he could fuck his twenty year old grad students and he probably does dream about raping Irish farm girls.

Fuck you, cunt boy. The One God will ground you into dust as atheism is always ground to dust.

haha, you fucking dumbass, I hope you get hit by a Church van tonight and you die slowly

I hate your f***ing guts

I hope you die slowly and you fucking burn in hell! You dammed
blasfemy!!! Right now you are rotting on the inside...

you suck.. go burn in hell.. Satan Will Enjoy torturing you.. what happened mum didnt pay enough attention to you so you decided to rebel.. I hope for your own sake you see your grave mistake and repent.. God Dwells among as everyday.. you are the spawn of evil.

Dawkins, you and your atheist friends cannot win. America WILL become a Christian Republic even if we have to write a whole new constitution. Millions of us are dedicated to this righteous cause. We will suceed. And then we will invade godless countries like "Great" Britain and kill all of your heathens. First we need to take care of things at home and in the Middle East but we will get around to Europe. You Godless freaks will die but then you will roast in hell for infinite time. Goodbye you loser.

Disturbing stuff. And doubly so, considering that more than a few of the people seem genuinely mentally unbalanced. And yet, how often do we hear Dawkins take the stage to complain about the 'harassment' he receives? And why must Becky's little problem be so particular? Is it because she's a woman, and some of this 'harassment' involves a wish that she be raped? Of course, it's nasty - but why focus on that when it's clear that pretty much any public atheist (and I'd wager religious figures, politicians, anyone on the public eye, really) is going to attract weirdos and trolls who, for whatever reason, feel a need to talk about the violence - be it sexual or otherwise - they wish to see done to you?

So I would ask, dear Jean, what makes the 'harassment' Becky receives intrinsically worse than what Dawkins receives?

At the Dublin conference where this all started Rebecca told Dawkins at her 'communicating atheism' panel, that she uses a recording of him reading these sorts of insults and veiled threats, as her ringtone!

So not only does Dawkins get threats but Watson treats them like a big joke!
Can you imagine the reaction to a male atheist saying the exact same thing about HER threats? :o

[Tigzy]

Good Lord! One might almost think that the Prune was stalking Justin Vacula:

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterflies ... attention/

[Tigzy]

Good Lord! One might almost think that the Prune was stalking Justin Vacula:

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterflies ... attention/

Oops: http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterflies ... attention/