The most recent 20 comments posted to Making Light by retterson:

I do ScienceBlogs - and the whole "Expelled" thing is a big topic over there right now as well.

This person isn't parodying it at all. The latest and greatest tactic among the ID-ers is to claim that they are the guardians of science. Meanwhile, all those who do things like painstaking, thoughtful and controlled research, and then subjecting their methods, data and results to the harsh court of peer review and public comment are not.

It's typical. Sad. But typical

I was born in '58.

I remember the Kennedy assasination -- remember John John saluting because he was near to my age (and lo! we end up at the same college years later).

I remember the Beattles on Ed Sullivan. I remember Robert Kennedy's assasination because the nuns had us praying all day.

My daughter, age 11, remembers 9/11.

I think the Reality TV Show from Idiocracy is one that the American public is ready for...

And I'm still waiting for the Costco that is so big, it has its own rail shuttle.

The drink that keeps the masses stupid... not so much.

#24 -- Precisely.

And the Church of the FSM been around for some time now (years). (I know that I've been a practicing Pastafarian on Mondays for at least two years now.)

When you have a chance -- read the hate mail on the website. Henderson publishes the hate mail he receives so everyone can get a sense of what kinds of people are among those who most fervently support ID.

The Nova special on ID was excellent, and I marvelled at Nova's restraint and their graciousness in presenting the ID side.

Eh, has anyone here ever been to the Martha Steward website?

She doesn't exhort anyone to make weird or strange things for Thanskgiving -- unless you're sick and tired of the green beans and fried onions casserole. Her advice is practical and helpful, in fact.

She has menus for experts and menus for beginners.

And her cute little turkey place cards with Thanksgiving trivia questions (on the turkey's tail feathers) are very easy to make and kind of clever -- give the guests something to do as they gather round the table.


#36 -- go to www.marthastewart.com and search "pumpkin seeds." She'll show you how to roast the seeds and how to season them. Her recipes are usually very practical, without a long ingredients list.

My 11-year old daughter thinks you're "a poser" because, "dude, you can't write AIM talk." She claims that her set write out more words -- unless you "have something against vowels or something."

(I asked her to translate "brtn" -- she translated it "I don't know -- whatever.")

She tells me it should be: if u want 2 talk bout brtn, do it hr.

So sez her. :)

Rob @ #112 -- Yes, the strong point of sword is the forte -- that's why the primary pronunciation of the word meaning "one's strong suit" is "fort."

Saying "for-tay" is also acceptable, but it's the secondary pronunciation.

I find that it's always profitable to say "fort" and have a wordinista correct you -- place a bet ($5) and consult the dictionary.

Oniomania.

Passion for buying things.

# is for the unit of weight, not currency.

According to Wikipedia, it derives from the abbreviation "lb." Printers put an additional slash through the L so it wouldn't be mistaken for a numeric 1 -- and it morphed from there.

Oops: Try this link instead:

http://www.13d.org/esofword/esof.cfm?type=main

This list puts you on the moderated list of words.

(The other list I gave you is the one for those submitted; it contains a bunch of junk. So sorry!)

A person who divines fortunes and the future by reading the entails of animals is called a "haruspex." They practise "haruspication."

You might to check out the Archive of Endangered Words for a mighty fine collection.

http://www.13d.org/esofword/esof.cfm?type=new

Jim @ #5

Ten days in Abu Dhabi -- ten weeks in Arizona.

Ridayh was recreated on an old Air Force base out here, and the street you see -- are Phoenix freeways with the street signs swapped out.

The ASU art department, apparently, had a lot of fun.

So, more 'Zona and less Arabia than one might think.

I think it was rigged that I got to be commandant twice in a row. No one believed me the first time --and then, OF COURSE no one believed me the second time and they all lost to TNH and her gang of mafiosa.

Great fun. I still regret missing the Friday night hijinx -- but I think I need a goodly dose of protein by then.

**Facepalm**

I get it now. The inside joke. Always knew the VP instructors shared an inside joke (or 4 gazillion).

Your delight in the use of the word "modified" -- it's really because you knew that's what we'd all be when we were through. Not quite the same, modified.

Have fun y'all. Wish I were going to be there with you.

Actually, I've already heard that joke updated for Iran.

Substitute Osama bin Laden and Hilary Clinton, and toss in some dress/gender identity jokes. Then substitute a truck for an IED.

Surely with an Ash Wednesday spot, you can't help but name him Marty Grah?

Eh? I missed something -- isn't every agency already run by political appointees?

This executive order (from what I understand) adds clarity to a position created by Clinton.

The Tamiflu article deserved to be underreported.

It was a reactionary bit of yellow journalism propagated by people who have no f-ing clue how the process of evaluation the safety and efficacy of drugs works.

http://www.badscience.net/?p=216

Cylert was removed because it was causing liver failure (as in liver transplanted required stat) at a rate 5-17 times higher than the background population. In other words, good science was behind that move.

I'm with those who are wondering what "straight talk schtick" we're talking about. When I hear McCain talk, I hear the same political claptrap that hear from everyone else. He just delivers it with that flat Arizona cowboy twang, and he's got his war record, and viola, you have a straight-talker. But it's just well-delivered doublespeak from what I can ken.

His is ambitious to be president and that's the only thing I think he stands for. Let us be mindful of what Douglas Adams (MHRIP) had to say about McCain's breed: "Any man capable of getting himself elected president ought, on no account, be allowed to serve."

I'm supporting the writer in this week's Onion who posed the question whether or not we need a president or would three high priestesses and Ouiji Board work just as well?

#23 -- I couldn't agree with you more . . . wickedness ought to be brought to light and shouted out against.

I did not suggest that there's justification in "everyone does it." There is none.

I'm merely pointing out that neither side is without sin, and I'm not convinced that the nasty Republicans (i.e., "just the kind of people who got their comeuppance") are the only ones who have engaged in questionable and disreputable practices.

Comment statistics for retterson on the Making Light blog

Total: 45 comments. View all these comments on a single page.