Bleeding from the Bunghole

[Slither]

Wait a moment. Lawyers are now involved to address PZ's defamation. And PZ is STILL making further postings, justifying his defamation? And Brayton who, let us not forget, owns FTB, is still allowing this to go on?!

Wow.

[Badger3k]

I think I'd like to have a talk at a skeptic conference.

At that talk, all I would do is read PZ's current post.

http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/ ... icdoc-m-d/
http://www.freezepage.com/1376846621GTOPIBNRCX

http://i.imgur.com/EEf4UUC.jpg

The rest at the freezepage:

http://www.freezepage.com/1376846621GTOPIBNRCX
http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/ ... icdoc-m-d/

Is he just too stupid to realize the difference, or does he think his readers are too stupid to not understand the difference (or is he just relying on the fact that they will take anything he says as truth and not even question it)?

[Dick Strawkins]

Strawkins made the Zvanity pic I think.

Yes, I did the 'Oh the insvanity' pic.
It took about a minute to put together and post and I'm embarrassed at how crappy it looks!
I didn't mean it as a fat joke (it's a pictorial joke based on the pun 'insvanity'/humanity) and since then I've kept away from ambiguous shops that could be taken as simply making fun of someones looks.
I'm pretty sure Svan knows this but she never lets a chance pass when she can mine some personal victimhood from any given situation.

I didn't, however, give the shop a caption at the time - they lied (what a surprise!) in the video when they claimed it had the caption "Oh the huge Svanity"

And that paintshop pic of Watson?
That's not from the slymepit - it's from skepchick.

Although it is remarkably similar to one of Peezus' favorites, hentai tentacle rape girl:

http://i.imgur.com/gx5VeQQ.jpg

:think:

[windy]

I think I'd like to have a talk at a skeptic conference.

At that talk, all I would do is read PZ's current post.

http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/ ... icdoc-m-d/
http://www.freezepage.com/1376846621GTOPIBNRCX

That's the problem PZ, you and your buddies didn't go to a doctor, you self-diagnosed and started treating yourselves with an alternative remedy!

[Guest person]

BTW, I wonder how many of those images were used without the creators' permission?

Eh, the guy tried to cover his ass with this statement:

"This video entails political criticism of a public forum and we therefore claim fair use of all the images contained herein."

Whatevs.

Yeah, it's fair use. It's no different from our own use of baboon images...

[Tribble]

Wait a moment. Lawyers are now involved to address PZ's defamation. And PZ is STILL making further postings, justifying his defamation? And Brayton who, let us not forget, owns FTB, is still allowing this to go on?!

Wow.

PZ is pulling in the blog hits and I would think that Brayton has a disclaimer somewhere that's going to save his ass. OTOH, maybe not. He's never seemed to be the kind to think his actions through all the way.

[Early Cuyler]

Yeah, A+ is pretty quiet these days. If you go over there, you're lucky to see more than 3 members logged on and 2 of them will be mods/admins waiting for someone else to show up, so they can ban them. :mrgreen:

FTFY

LMAO!!

:hankey:

[lurkerupdate]

Don't know if this has been quoted recently but:

"Name names, always name names, and always do your best to be specific. It is right and proper as good skeptics to confront and provoke and challenge, and you have to be direct about it. Would it have been better if Rebecca had talked vaguely about broad-stroke disagreements, fuzzily mentioning some unnamed persons with some unrecognizably blurred wording of disagreement, and then taken that blank-faced effigy to task? I don’t think so. It also would have been a tactic to blunt subsequent rebuttals."

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011 ... ame-names/

[welch]

And now for something completely different:

[youtube]HHyi2IiT-Ls[/youtube]

[Selenite]

I think I'd like to have a talk at a skeptic conference.

At that talk, all I would do is read PZ's current post.

http://i.imgur.com/EEf4UUC.jpg

This reads like a theory-of-mind problem:

Theory of mind (often abbreviated "ToM") is the ability to attribute mental states—beliefs, intents, desires, pretending, knowledge, etc.—to oneself and others and to understand that others have beliefs, desires, and intentions that are different from one's own.

Kids have trouble with the idea that other people's experience is different. So a child facing this doctor could have a reaction like, "It's obvious to me that I'm in pain. It must be obvious to the doctor, too. His hesitation is just meanness. He wants me to suffer."

This could explain his reaction to skepticism of the initial reports. PZ has read the undisclosed text. PZ has a belief in the Trusted Source. Those things are first-hand to PZ. So they must be equally obvious to everyone else, right? Hesitation is just meanness. 'Skeptics' just want people to suffer.

[Kevin Solway]

I had to share with you this comment I found on Thunderf00t's latest video, which sums it up nicely:

PZ Meyers raped me in 1993, I think, I mean he coerced me into not being able to not consent - wait, was that in 2009? Is the broccoli still cooking? I do know he did fill someone's wine glass up but I can't tell you any more than that, and oh yeah, this isn't my account and I don't even know who I am.

Sigh...When this level of bullshit passes for truth, you know we are truly fucked.

[Tribble]

False rape accusations much more nuanced than the SJW claims. As per the relevant data available today, it's simply impossible to come up with an accurate percentage:

http://www.theforensicexaminer.com/archive/spring09/15/

(above is from peer reviewed journal.)

Whereas a scientifically-inclined person would acknowledge that: 1) there's wide variance in results; 2) the data points are too sparse to reach any firm conclusion, a dogmatic polemicist happily cherry-picks the one figure that best supports their a priori conclusion.

You mean like the 2% of the Brownmiller adherents? The 90% from the MGTOW friendlies? I tend to distrust the numbers at both ends because too many of them are 'true believers.' But I do tend to trust Kanin's (which I've read), the USAF survey (which I've read about), and the other evidence (including the statements of male AND female career prosecutors who have gone on the record), the DoJ, the articles on DNA confirmation bias in analysis, all of which tends to push the range higher than many are comfortable with.

Especially that silly 10% claim. Even the FBI has it at around 15% and they have data collection issues in how they come up with that number.

As a baseline, I could accept the 25% admission of false claims rate from the WaPo survey years ago. Unlike many Kanin's and the USAF work, these women weren't faced with any possible sanctions admitting to a false rape and, therefore, had no pressure to recant. And yet they recanted and admitted, at a 25% rate, they'd lied.

One thing I know about people is that huge swaths of them will never admit to a lie because they'd rather save face than admit they lied. Like Twana Bradley who still proclaims she innocent of manufacturing her false rape claim that, pretty much, wrecked a man's life for a long, long time.

[free thoughtpolice]

Don't know if this has been quoted recently but:

"Name names, always name names, and always do your best to be specific. It is right and proper as good skeptics to confront and provoke and challenge, and you have to be direct about it. Would it have been better if Rebecca had talked vaguely about broad-stroke disagreements, fuzzily mentioning some unnamed persons with some unrecognizably blurred wording of disagreement, and then taken that blank-faced effigy to task? I don’t think so. It also would have been a tactic to blunt subsequent rebuttals."

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011 ... ame-names/

This quote taken from the same post for the irony deficient:

As Watson says, she loathes passive-aggressive behavior. So do I, and this is a fine example of it.

[real horrorshow]

Wait a moment. Lawyers are now involved to address PZ's defamation. And PZ is STILL making further postings, justifying his defamation? And Brayton who, let us not forget, owns FTB, is still allowing this to go on?!

Wow.

Good innit?

[welch]

and no, I have no idea why that video uses that pic it does for the screencap, given I don't think that woman shows up anywhere in the vid. But, tits get hits.

[Gumby]

And now for something completely different:

[.youtube]HHyi2IiT-Ls[/youtube]

Some funny stuff there. I like the last one the best :lol:

[debaser71]

I think I'd like to have a talk at a skeptic conference.

At that talk, all I would do is read PZ's current post.

http://i.imgur.com/EEf4UUC.jpg

This reads like a theory-of-mind problem:

Theory of mind (often abbreviated "ToM") is the ability to attribute mental states—beliefs, intents, desires, pretending, knowledge, etc.—to oneself and others and to understand that others have beliefs, desires, and intentions that are different from one's own.

Kids have trouble with the idea that other people's experience is different. So a child facing this doctor could have a reaction like, "It's obvious to me that I'm in pain. It must be obvious to the doctor, too. His hesitation is just meanness. He wants me to suffer."

This could explain his reaction to skepticism of the initial reports. PZ has read the undisclosed text. PZ has a belief in the Trusted Source. Those things are first-hand to PZ. So they must be equally obvious to everyone else, right? Hesitation is just meanness. 'Skeptics' just want people to suffer.

Wasn't there some discussion about the social science being "soft"?

http://www.parentingscience.com/cogniti ... pment.html

regarding ToM.

[Jan Steen]

I like to think that each time Peezus posts something as idiotic as this SkepticDoctor piece he loses a few commenters who are smart enough to see through the demagoguery and dishonesty. But I'm probably way too optimistic.

[Gumby]

I like to think that each time Peezus posts something as idiotic as this SkepticDoctor piece he loses a few commenters who are smart enough to see through the demagoguery and dishonesty. But I'm probably way too optimistic.

PZ said a long time ago that the comments were getting out of hand, and he was worried that soon only the most psychotic commenters would be left. Truest thing he ever said. The sane people have long gone, so I'm thinking whoever had the sense to run screaming from that asylum left quite some time ago.

[bovarchist]

Not quite sleazy enough, Gumby...

Good call. Perfect.

STILL not creepy enough....

[goaty]

Hi Slymepitters,

Robert Anton Wilson was mentioned a few dozen pages back. He wrote the following after examining, then dismantling, a smear-job mounted by Lyndon LaRouche zombies on an acquaintance of his :-

"I would also like to add in this connection that every major religion, not just the Old Testament, has some version of the commandment against bearing false witness against thy neighbor. When a man's character is slandered, not just he suffers, but his wife, his children, his parents, often his friends.

Those who make a career out of spreading unproven accusations against other humans can only be forgiven if they really are so ignorant and stupid that they don't know the difference between an assertion and an evidential demonstration.

I think it's awfully late to accept that kind of ignorance as an excuse. I think we have a duty to try to know, and to act rationally,responsibly,and decently."

[Matt Cavanaugh]

@Tribble-- yeah, those two extremes. The real number, as you note, must fall somewhere in between. But that's inconvenient for the narrative.

NB: Somebody noted above that it's important to distinguish between false accusations of someone (victim actually raped but IDs wrong person) and false claims by someone (no rape actually occurred.)

[Jan Steen]

I like to think that each time Peezus posts something as idiotic as this SkepticDoctor piece he loses a few commenters who are smart enough to see through the demagoguery and dishonesty. But I'm probably way too optimistic.

PZ said a long time ago that the comments were getting out of hand, and he was worried that soon only the most psychotic commenters would be left. Truest thing he ever said. The sane people have long gone, so I'm thinking whoever had the sense to run screaming from that asylum left quite some time ago.

Yeah, more than one psychiatrist could get rich just from treating members of The Horde.

[Michael J]

So with SkepticDoctor PZ now supports anti-vaxers and people who get ill from wind turbines and transmission lines?

Now we should listen to people and not denigrate people because they have a different reaction to events but why should this trump other evidence.

[Michael J]

I like to think that each time Peezus posts something as idiotic as this SkepticDoctor piece he loses a few commenters who are smart enough to see through the demagoguery and dishonesty. But I'm probably way too optimistic.

PZ said a long time ago that the comments were getting out of hand, and he was worried that soon only the most psychotic commenters would be left. Truest thing he ever said. The sane people have long gone, so I'm thinking whoever had the sense to run screaming from that asylum left quite some time ago.

I've noticed the change over time. If you went back 5-10 years ago you would have had long time commenters who were lawyers, doctors or scientists and would pick up on where PZ has got it wrong and there would have been a chance than some sense would prevail. Now there are none left. People either agree with everything he says or they are the enemy.

[bovarchist]

New post from Damien makes the Pit out as just like FTB, just...I dunno. You read it, see what you think.

http://www.skepticink.com/backgroundpro ... ck-a-side/

What I want to know is, who are the "opinion leaders" here? Because I'd like to know who I'm supposed to agree with.

[Hemisphere]

So with SkepticDoctor PZ now supports anti-vaxers and people who get ill from wind turbines and transmission lines?

Now we should listen to people and not denigrate people because they have a different reaction to events but why should this trump other evidence.

PZ only supports the crazy anti-vaxxers, the rational ones probably require too much evidence for him to be a part of their group.

[Tribble]

I like to think that each time Peezus posts something as idiotic as this SkepticDoctor piece he loses a few commenters who are smart enough to see through the demagoguery and dishonesty. But I'm probably way too optimistic.

PZ said a long time ago that the comments were getting out of hand, and he was worried that soon only the most psychotic commenters would be left. Truest thing he ever said. The sane people have long gone, so I'm thinking whoever had the sense to run screaming from that asylum left quite some time ago.

I've noticed the change over time. If you went back 5-10 years ago you would have had long time commenters who were lawyers, doctors or scientists and would pick up on where PZ has got it wrong and there would have been a chance than some sense would prevail. Now there are none left. People either agree with everything he says or they are the enemy.

Sadly yes. Same with Butterflies and Wheels. Don't know about most of the rest because, except for Brayton who I thought was pompous ass from the beginning, I never heard of any of them except Digital Cuttlefish and the YouTubers Aaron Ra, Zinna Jones and Nonstampcollector, all of whom I followed long before they went to FtB.

[mordacious1]

New post from Damien makes the Pit out as just like FTB, just...I dunno. You read it, see what you think.

http://www.skepticink.com/backgroundpro ... ck-a-side/

What I want to know is, who are the "opinion leaders" here? Because I'd like to know who I'm supposed to agree with.

If the FTB/A+ crowd show up at his blog, he will certainly get grief for having two male gunslingers, one black (evil?), one white (goodness?) at the top of his blog. There is so much inherently wrong with that illustration...racism, violence, sexisms, misogynistic hats, gun culture, old west stereotypes, etc...from their perspective.

[SuperTroy1]

I like to think that each time Peezus posts something as idiotic as this SkepticDoctor piece he loses a few commenters who are smart enough to see through the demagoguery and dishonesty. But I'm probably way too optimistic.

I've registered, but not been approved yet, but when it does happen, I'll be posting under this nick (less the 1, because registered but not activated accounts have their name blocked from use by others) I've posted maybe twice before unregistered but this SkepticDoctor piece has finally compelled me to at least register. (Yes, I know to fuck off and wait for my basket of lynx)

Seriously, WTF. Has PZ ever really gone to the doctor? Does he not know that reporting of symptoms generally results in testing to (hopefully) show the sources of these symptoms? You don't just hear "chest pains" and assume "heart attack". You test, sometimes some very limited tests, sometimes more extensive, but you don't usually commit to a course of treatment based off of reported symptoms alone.

The point being the rape report, as currently given to the public, has very little we can actively test. Yes, we have the statement of someone that she was raped by [FAMOUS ATHEIST], and that is, up to a point, evidence, but it doesn't lend itself to testable claims. We don't know who (which may or may not be vital in sussing out what happened), we don't know when, we don't even know what constitutes the "being manipulated into not being able to consent". The latter is important, everyone assumes alcohol was involved, because of PZ's "corroborating" evidence, but that's an assumption not based in the initial accusation. So how the fuck are we supposed to get from symptoms to a likely cause, to a course of treatment here, to extend the analogy.

I swear, it's like when junkies check into the ER complaining of stomach pains......

[real horrorshow]

New post from Damien makes the Pit out as just like FTB, just...I dunno. You read it, see what you think.

http://www.skepticink.com/backgroundpro ... ck-a-side/

What I want to know is, who are the "opinion leaders" here? Because I'd like to know who I'm supposed to agree with.

xkcd meme. Do I have to find it and post the actual cartoon? Thought not.

[Aneris]

Hi Slymepitters,

Robert Anton Wilson was mentioned a few dozen pages back. He wrote the following after examining, then dismantling, a smear-job mounted by Lyndon LaRouche zombies on an acquaintance of his :-

"I would also like to add in this connection that every major religion, not just the Old Testament, has some version of the commandment against bearing false witness against thy neighbor. When a man's character is slandered, not just he suffers, but his wife, his children, his parents, often his friends.

Those who make a career out of spreading unproven accusations against other humans can only be forgiven if they really are so ignorant and stupid that they don't know the difference between an assertion and an evidential demonstration.

I think it's awfully late to accept that kind of ignorance as an excuse. I think we have a duty to try to know, and to act rationally,responsibly,and decently."

Robert Anton Wilson as awesome as always, provided that's from him. I add a quote from someone influenced by him...

If a Bard were to place not a curse upon you, but a satire, then that could destroy you. If it was a clever satire, it might not just destroy you in the eyes of your associates; it would destroy you in the eyes of your family. It would destroy you in your own eyes. And if it was a finely worded and clever satire that might survive and be remembered for decades, even centuries. Then years after you were dead people still might be reading it and laughing at you and your wretchedness and your absurdity. Writers and people who had command of words were respected and feared as people who manipulated magic.

[screwtape]

Hi guys and gals,
I joined merely to add my support for the Robinson as being the best screw drive mechanism in the known universe, and here I find myself another comment thread at Pharyngula further on. Perhaps naively, I have posted there on several occasions using various minor Shakespearean characters as noms des plumes (I understand french is de rigeur). All arguments are replied to with insults and I am much cheered to see that there are no better replies than a good ol' ad hominem. Frankly, I used to assume the commenters there were all expert in proper argument, but on engagement I find them as much use as a Matilda against an 88mm.

All the same, I would really appreciate it if you would use Robinson screws whenever you need to, ah, screw something. They are the best.

C.

[AndrewV69]

It seems to me the obvious name for the next thread is Aching From The Anus. Enjoy.

I appreciate your sense of humour.

(I just thought I would mention that just in case you get discouraged by some of the more negative comments you see from time to time)

Some people may think that I am an arsehole for saying that but do not let it discourage you.

[Sulman]

I found this place because of the constant pejorative references from FTb, and I got curious. They are worlds apart. There's obviously some dickheads here, but generally it is a place for grown ups; there is clearly no group-think. It's very obviously the more honest.

[Ä uest]

New post from Damien makes the Pit out as just like FTB, just...I dunno. You read it, see what you think.

http://www.skepticink.com/backgroundpro ... ck-a-side/

What I want to know is, who are the "opinion leaders" here? Because I'd like to know who I'm supposed to agree with.

xkcd meme. Do I have to find it and post the actual cartoon? Thought not.

I think the pit has some opinion leaders/opinion creators and it's at times hard to buck up against them. But it's nowhere like what happens at the FTB where the blogger often acts and encourages the hoder to mass gang up on the pit.

And since rationality does seem to still be appreciated here (as opposed to there), most times, mere bullying is not enough to sway an argument, it needs to include actual winning logic.

That plus the mostly free speech attitude around here seems to make the issue mostly trivial and largely self-correcting.

[John Greg]

I would really appreciate it if you would use Robinson screws whenever you need to, ah, screw something. They are the best.

Well, if you would call them by the correct name -- Robertson -- then I will.

[screwtape]

Entirely correct - I have had too much wine whilst waiting for account approval. My apologies.

C.

[bhoytony]

New post from Damien makes the Pit out as just like FTB, just...I dunno. You read it, see what you think.

http://www.skepticink.com/backgroundpro ... ck-a-side/

What I want to know is, who are the "opinion leaders" here? Because I'd like to know who I'm supposed to agree with.

Damien has always considered himself above everyone on both sides and likes to point out all our faults and mistakes. Oh, if only we could be just like him we would be awesome. I will resist posting the tediously obvious xkcd feel-superior-to-both strip.
I don't really give a fuck what some snottery nosed sweetie wife thinks about me.

[real horrorshow]

New post from Damien makes the Pit out as just like FTB, just...I dunno. You read it, see what you think.

http://www.skepticink.com/backgroundpro ... ck-a-side/

What I want to know is, who are the "opinion leaders" here? Because I'd like to know who I'm supposed to agree with.

If the FTB/A+ crowd show up at his blog, he will certainly get grief for having two male gunslingers, one black (evil?), one white (goodness?) at the top of his blog. There is so much inherently wrong with that illustration...racism, violence, sexisms, misogynistic hats, gun culture, old west stereotypes, etc...from their perspective.

Nah, they'll let him off all that, because he said the Pit is as bad as they are, which is as close to a complement as they can get these days, outside of their own little on-line biscuit game.

(Oh, and should anyone else need to know, the person you have to agree with is me.)

[dog puke]

OK, OK. Enough picking on the FreeFromThoughtBloggers, eh?

Let's talk about something exciting like the new lineup for the fall television season. Here's a show I am really looking forward to watching.

[youtube]6ET5aw21dJQ[/youtube]

[bhoytony]

OK, OK. Enough picking on the FreeFromThoughtBloggers, eh?

Let's talk about something exciting like the new lineup for the fall television season. Here's a show I am really looking forward to watching.

[youtube]6ET5aw21dJQ[/youtube]

Brilliant

[Ä uest]

OK, OK. Enough picking on the FreeFromThoughtBloggers, eh?

Let's talk about something exciting like the new lineup for the fall television season. Here's a show I am really looking forward to watching.

[youtube]6ET5aw21dJQ[/youtube]

:rimshot:

[Ä uest]

Can someone give me the cliff notes version of why everyone hates John Scalzi?

He is a cunt

Here's his appearance on Oprah from the 90s when he was a "relationship columnist" for America Online.

[youtube]24FwvdkSFwE[/youtube]

That is definitely John Scalzi but I had to verify it:

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/04/28/i ... h-in-1996/

Don't ask me why, but I transcribed it (accurate and mostly word for word except for places where it was inaudible or there was a lot of interruptions or people talkng at the same time.)

Most of what he has to say is banal and innocuous, as is John Scalzi.

But I note that similar to his seminal piece: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/05/15/s ... -there-is/ Scalzi comes off as a person who, without a whole lot of data, found something that worked for him, and prescribes it for everyone not acknowledging that he may have been lucky, or that conditions that worked for his success may not be widely available to others.

As I said before, this is what I think of as the Bootstrap fallacy, and it is often applied to Tea Partiers: they were successful and did it on their own, therefore everyone should be successful without need for assistance.

In this case, Scalzi went dancing, and a woman (his future wife, Kristine) asked him to dance. Scalzi did not ask for her number, he gave her a business card. Three weeks later she called him.

Therefore he says [mansplaining], women don't need "The Rules", women just need to be confident and cool all of themselves and be able to ask men to dance.

http://i.imgur.com/5aejSum.jpg


What he says to do will work for some men and women and not for others. The Rules are probably just fine for many women (and men.)

Another interpretation of Scalzi is not that he was letting Kristine have control but that he was cowardly and passive. Men are not Schrodinger's date. Men should not feel constrained by Scalzi's modern gender norms to be passive. If he wants to "give" control to a woman, that's fine, but not all women *need* control per se, and if a woman wants control, she can take it, just like a man could. There is nothing wrong with a man asking a woman for her phone number.

Finally as a bonus he asked Kristine to marry him via his public newspaper column, a practice most feminists now consider intimidating, cowardly, and pushy.

Scalzi:

I'm just a guy so I don't know that much

But I do know this much, that when I'm interested in a woman, I want someone who is my equal and I know she is my equal from the get go. With the rules, we're talking about appearances, you appear cool, you appear confident. But I want a woman who is cool, and who is confident, and how do I know that? Because she has enough confidence to come up to me, she has enough confidence to say, "Do you want to dance?" She has enough confidence to meet me halfway for a date.

Let me give you an example. [Shows wedding ring] I have this wedding ring, it's a lovely wedding ring. It's a wedding ring I have because I am married to my beautiful wife Kristine Ann Blauser-Scalzi and we met because she asked me to dance.

She saw me out there, on the dance floor, I was doing that funky chicken thing, and she said, "I gotta dance with that guy".

Oprah: What year was that?

Scalzi: A little before the [Macarena?] But here's the thing

Sherrie Schneider [Author: The Rules]: Oprah, I want a man who can walk across a room and ask me to dance. If I have to ask a man to dance, I don't want to marry him.

Scalzi: But here's the thing. I didn't see her, I didn't know she was there. Then all of a sudden, she comes up to me, drinking my coke, and says, "You and me, we have to dance". Well now is good. We went out there, we danced. At the end of it, we had a really good time that evening. Know what I did? I gave her my business card. And I said, I really like you, I want you to give me a call so we can go out on another date. By giving her my business card and saying, "please call me, I really want you to call me, let's go out on a date", I gave her control of that situation.

But the thing is, I don't think I am that unusual in the sense that I thinkthat men today know enough about women, that they are confident enough, that they can say [puts arm around woman sitting next to him] If this beautiful woman came up to me and said "Do you want to dance", I'm not going to go, "Oh my god, she's a litte too assertive for me" I would say, "Yes, let's dance" and if it's a good dance and if it goes from there, it goes from there.

Oprah; One of the things you say is that The Rules concentrate on the process of meeting and dating a man rther than the relationship and I think one of the things they [Schneider and Fein] is that this is for the beginning

Scalzi [Interrupting] No

Oprah: Most women are just trying to meet

Scazli [Interrupting]: The Rules say

Oprah: I get thousands of letters every week,

Scazli [Interrupting]: The Rules even if

Oprah: women just want to meet somebody

Scazli [Interrupting]: you are engaged or married you still need the rules. That's a rule. Which rule [points to authors of The Rules]

Fein: You need the rules but you don't have to do them as strictly.

Scalzi: But my point is that isn't it much better to have a man who knows who you are from the beginning. You don't

Oprah: I have a point, why can't they both be right? Why can't you be right and Rebecca be right and they be right? Why can't you look at the Rules with the sense of humor and a sense of balance and you incorporate what works for you and what doesn't work for you you throw that away?

Schneider: The women to who we spoke are smart beautiful. They have MBAs they have [inaudible] They are just a little off in the man area because they've been told "you can chase men, you can call men, you can propose" and you can't.

Oprah: Look, I do the Oprah Show, some of the smartest women in the world make omplete fools of themselves with men.

Schneider: Exactly. We're not talking about psychos who need therapy. We're talking about the average, adult women.

Rebecca [Therapist?]: I don't think everyone in therapy is a psycho.

Schneider: No, but you're making it sound like these women are out of Fatal Attraction. They are smart women that make stupid choices with men, that's all.

Scazli: Excuse me, here's what I think, I think that every relationship should ahve rules, and those rules should be made between the man and the woman [inaudible]

His account of his marriage proposal here:

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2007/06/15/m ... -proposal/

I don’t know when Krissy and I started talking about getting married, but we did. Still, we’ve always hedged our bets. Every time we’ve talked about marriage, the future, kids and so on, I’ve always said, “Not that I’ve proposed.” To which she would say, “Not that I’ve said yes.”

Well, I’m proposing now.

Kristine Ann Blauser, will you marry me?

Yes, that’s right, readers, I’ve just proposed to my girlfriend. Really. I thought you’d like to be in on the moment.

Also, this makes it extremely difficult to back out. Not that I want to; I’ve bought a ring and everything. It’s very nice. You should see it.

But more importantly, I love Krissy so much that I want as many people as possible to know about it.

This year has been the best year of my life. I hope to have 50 or 60 more just like it.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/29/t ... g-romance/

http://i.imgur.com/TWk5Kb0.jpg

in what amounts to the nadir of the trend of public marriage proposals that put the recipient on the spot to either say yes or risk having people shriek at her for being ungrateful.

http://jezebel.com/5940383/thats-it-wer ... -proposals

http://i.imgur.com/M0PxWyA.jpg

[CommanderTuvok]

PZ is pulling in the blog hits and I would think that Brayton has a disclaimer somewhere that's going to save his ass. OTOH, maybe not. He's never seemed to be the kind to think his actions through all the way.

Good! It increases the likelihood that particular fat piece of spunkshite will go down with PZ.

[bhoytony]

You have to say the resemblance is uncanny

http://www.annotatedmst.com/episodes/cr ... a_hoss.jpg

[CommanderTuvok]

Damien has always considered himself above everyone on both sides and likes to point out all our faults and mistakes

A bit like Jean "whatever happened to her" Kazez.

[Cunning Punt]

More dirty secrets about prominent atheists revealed! This time it's Dawkins! And PZ even gets a comment in.

You bastard, you made me go and click on that fucktard. That is just like making someone drink all the wine in their glass.

[Parody Accountant]

I think we all know how Clownfall is going to end.



I finally forced myself to learn how to do animated gifs today. Also, GIMP fucking rocks (still prefer photoshop's gui for many tasks... still too lazy to tactfully re-acquire it.)

[Gumby]

OK, OK. Enough picking on the FreeFromThoughtBloggers, eh?

Let's talk about something exciting like the new lineup for the fall television season. Here's a show I am really looking forward to watching.

[.youtube]6ET5aw21dJQ[/youtube]

:clap:
First LOL of the day.

[Gumby]

Damien has always considered himself above everyone on both sides and likes to point out all our faults and mistakes

A bit like Jean "whatever happened to her" Kazez.

An apt comparison. They both are equally condescending and snotty anymore.

[Stunt Whisper]

Holy shit - genuinely humbling praise. Especially from one of the Maestros of the Photoshop. :)
As for quitting, I've actually been semi-retired for almost five months and what my SO feared has started to come to pass - I'm spending far too much time causing trouble on the internet.

GIMP, sirrah, GIMP. Photoshop is for the indolent bourgeoise who have money :D

Thanks for the compliment, friend. And while you're measuring for maestros, consider that Gumby's preferred tool is a software version of a kid's trike. He's building furniture with a pocketknife, but you'd never know it.

Photoshop CS2 is absolutely free and will do most of the things people want: https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/entitleme ... _downloads

[DownThunder]

Re: Thunderf00ts latest video....Nerd of Redhead makes an appearance as an example of one of Myers commenters....couldn't think of a better example

[DownThunder]

More dirty secrets about prominent atheists revealed! This time it's Dawkins! And PZ even gets a comment in.

You bastard, you made me go and click on that fucktard. That is just like making someone drink all the wine in their glass.

Holey shite Ray Comfort isn't ageing well is he....

[bovarchist]

More dirty secrets about prominent atheists revealed! This time it's Dawkins! And PZ even gets a comment in.

You bastard, you made me go and click on that fucktard. That is just like making someone drink all the wine in their glass.

Holey shite Ray Comfort isn't ageing well is he....

I'm waiting for him to make a leather jacket out of his own face...

[mordacious1]

You have to say the resemblance is uncanny

http://www.annotatedmst.com/episodes/cr ... a_hoss.jpg

According to my TV Guide, McWrong is actually playing "Chub" (you have to really know your Bonanza to get that reference).

[Cunning Punt]

Has anyone else being paying attention to the Amazon atheist bestseller list?

I've checked it three times in the past week.
Ther first time was two days after the launch of 'The Happy Atheist'
You might have expected this to be a good time for all his fans to be doing their duty and shewlling out for their hero's words.
Surely even a brief moment at number one could be likely (the list is update every hour so the current state of sales is shown rather than that over a long time period that might obscure the purchases from those who waited until it was released.)

The result was two positions for 'The Happy Atheist' within the top ten.
The hardback edition of the book was at number six, with the kindle edition at number ten.
This was despite the fact that there is little obvious competition from other new releases - Dawkins has an autobiography coming out in a month or so yet the presales for this put it ahead of 'The Happy Atheist', as did sales of 'The God Delusion'.

A checked a couple of days later and saw Myers books at the same places on the list, although there was some changes in the books surrounding them.

Today, however, some real change.

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Book ... ks/12764#1

The Happy Atheist, kindle edition, has moved up three places to number seven!

And the hardback, formerly at position number six on the list, has dropped like a stone.

I couldn't find it anywhere in the top one hundred!

This is looking increasingly like a disaster for Myers and his publishing company.

Ha! There are already used copies for sale.

[windy]

New post from Damien makes the Pit out as just like FTB, just...I dunno. You read it, see what you think.

http://www.skepticink.com/backgroundpro ... ck-a-side/

What I want to know is, who are the "opinion leaders" here? Because I'd like to know who I'm supposed to agree with.

He's probably still butthurt about that spat with franc, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[bhoytony]

You have to say the resemblance is uncanny

http://www.annotatedmst.com/episodes/cr ... a_hoss.jpg

According to my TV Guide, McWrong is actually playing "Chub" (you have to really know your Bonanza to get that reference).

Yes, at first I thought Jen should be playing Hoss, but you have to say casting Zvan is spot on.

[Bourne Skeptic]

Hi guys and gals,
I joined merely to add my support for the Robinson as being the best screw drive mechanism in the known universe, and here I find myself another comment thread at Pharyngula further on. Perhaps naively, I have posted there on several occasions using various minor Shakespearean characters as noms des plumes (I understand french is de rigeur). All arguments are replied to with insults and I am much cheered to see that there are no better replies than a good ol' ad hominem. Frankly, I used to assume the commenters there were all expert in proper argument, but on engagement I find them as much use as a Matilda against an 88mm.

All the same, I would really appreciate it if you would use Robinson screws whenever you need to, ah, screw something. They are the best.

C.

It's called a "Robertson"

Now Fuck Off