parsonii › Comments

Hehe - Peter Theill from iPhone

Creative. Nice. - Jimmy Watson

And yet, they still didn't see any boobs - Outsanity

haha! btw, zoom in and you'll see t-shirt saying "I'm feeling lucky" button :D - See-ming Lee 李思明 SML

Oh, classy. - parsonii

but...but....but.....I don't wanna go outside :( - Stephanie Segel

Second Stripey's comment! MUCH better. =D - parsonii

Very good point, Brad. - parsonii from email

I like the idea of zoos as embassies, nice one Red :) As for whether they're inhumane... this guy told me about a drunken time when he and some buddies decided they were going to free the (I can't remember the animal now - monkeys?) from the San Diego zoo. "The Sierra Club is going to LOVE us!" they figured. Only after sneaking in late at night, when he climbed down into the monkey cage, he was actually in with the tigers. He lived. Aside from that, all I know about zoos I learned from reading Life of Pi. - Lo

Remember that stupid kid that got mauled by a tiger (lion?) in SF Zoo? All signs, short of a video, point to the fact that he was doing something stupid that (1) provoked the animal and (2) somehow allowed it to get out of the exhibit (his shoe was inside the exhibit, for God's sake). Poor tiger had to be put down for that clown? - parsonii from email

I actually just went to a zoo (York's Wild Kingdom) and was disappointed how torn I am between enjoyment and sadness. I loved seeing the little kids get so excited, and I liked seeing the animals too. But at a few points (the pair of lions, the African Grey's with no toys) I really felt that maybe it wasn't worth it. Zoos collectively do great work in animal behavior, genetics, breeding... more... - Heather

It has to be, for now, because for the most part there is nothing I can do. For every gallon of water I saved there are people take showers 3x a day, or washing their cars daily. For every plastic bottle I put in the recycle bin, there are a gazillion others out there just think that this whole recycling thing is a scam. What's worse is their attitude, "I simply don't give a shit," they... more... - parsonii

I wasn't looking for any answer but an honest one. So I think yours is perfect! I can certainly relate to feeling frustrated at others not being interested in the same causes as me. Of all the ways to deal with this frustration, I think the only way to really lose is to take the "can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentality. I've tried that many times, and it's never ended well. I get frustrated that there's no one to talk to about Darfur or neurology sometimes, but caring on my own has its own rewards. - Lo

Last time I said something to that effect I got you more depressed. (Apparently I am very good at that.) I didn't exactly adopt the "can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentality this time... although I am an expert at that too. :) I still unplug my laptop at night and recycle what I can, I just don't go above and beyond to try to change the world. Not everyone of us are comfortable with the... more... - parsonii from email

No, it is not enough... but (the big great but) it is a need. When I do not do so I get in a mood that is mix of anger and depression and pesimism that is not funny even for myself. So I do have to "ignore the problems" from a while to be able to act positively, being the key word "act". Not sure if I make any sense, but the question took me back to when I was 15 and asking my dad "why... more... - Sandra

San, on one level I agree with you, I've thought the same things many times myself. Lately I'm wondering though, whether it's actually attempting to be like the superficial, popular girls that makes existential angst so painful (metaphorically speaking). For people like us, lying to oneself does not seem to be the comfort that it is to others. But I agree focusing on flaws only is... more... - Lo

Just read something that summed it all up much more concisely than I: "In the blinding rain, with pressing needs, goals are lost to view, except to keep from coming undone. Impatient frustration just leads to more tangles. He cannot impose his plan with all this defending to do. The young noble locates his feet and stays put, humbly calling on helpers, noting his losses, counting his blessings." Particularly that last part, note the losses, count the blessings. - Lo

I hope this makes sense, I have a hard time thinking for any length of time recently (hopefully just due to lack of sleep). I'm really good at untying knots. The reason someone can fight with a knot, end up making it worse, hand it to me and watch me untangle it quickly is that I look at it first. With a knot, or complex problem, diving in and wrenching the thing around wont solve it. I... more... - Heather

Heather, that sounds like a good strategy. It's definitely not ignoring problems via distraction. I tend to be too hasty when untying knots myself, but working on it. For me, either is better than just ignoring the knots altogether and spending all one's time focusing on completely trivial frivolities. (and for the record, what prompted this thread was the day the war in Darfur was... more... - Lo

If we don't leave time to escape from our problems -- time to imagine ourselves in a better world -- then how will we ever know what to strive for in reality? - Brad Greer

Brad, I guess I wouldn't equate imagining a better world to ignoring reality. I can see how the two might go hand in hand, but either/or is a false dichotomy. Also, when I said "distracting oneself with superficial diversions," I didn't really mean imagining a better world. Watching reality tv, for instance, is nothing of the sort. I find I'm rather limited in my examples, don't want to start a freaking holy war :P - Lo

Weird. I could have sworn I wrote a nice long response yesterday. Drat. I'll have to see if I can reconstruct it later. - Brad Greer

:) "whether it's actually attempting to be like the superficial, popular girls that makes existential angst so painful (metaphorically speaking)." Nah. I had that angst at 15. I truly learnt to love the oddball I am (thanks to an equally oddball bunch of awesome friends and years of psychoanalysis, lol). But really, no, there is no "real" escape, no lying to myself, just some... more... - Sandra

Sorry, San, I didn't mean to imply you were a follower. Only some aspects of the metaphor hold :) I don't really know much about Darfur myself, and I'm not the topic police. I just felt bewildered and disappointed by the superficiality of people who so regularly self-congratulate for their superiority to the superficial. But, sure enough, you guys showed up to show me that my judgments... more... - Lo

That's a dude... - parsonii

I came across this one too, but didn't dare to post it. :-) - Ton Zijp

HAWT! - April Buchheit

#2: Just because I hate myself doesn't mean that I don't have a huge ego. - Lo

#3: Sometimes it's better to say nothing, even if I think someone is about to make a big mistake (see #1). And sometimes I'm wrong about it being a mistake, anyway. - Lo

How to answer this question. - Brad Greer

Is it too open-ended, have you never learned anything, or is your life so charmed that everything's come easy? Or something else? Maybe I can help, I love forcing my way into other people's difficulties (see #1) :P - Lo

#4: Life isn't fair, and when adults say this to children they obscure the true meaning. Sometimes the greatest people in the world are made to suffer far more than any evil. Sometimes causing harm is rewarded. Sometimes seeking justice does more harm than good.* And there isn't anything I can do about it. *The US as a nation fails to grasp this to a comical degree. - Lo

No one is going to step in and "save me" I have to get off my butt and do everything myself. It's my life and I decided for myself. - Heather

That's a good one, Heather! - Lo

It just sucks I'm still in the process of learning it, and I'm kinda slow to take action. lol - Heather

Kind of interesting that I've been learning the opposite lesson for quite some time: It's not always my responsibility just because it won't get done otherwise -- it's okay to hold people to their obligations or ask for their help. - Brad Greer

#7: No personal rule should be applied without first asking "how important is it?" (think that strongly ties to yours, Brad) Often, despite ethical conflict, it's better to just let things go. - Lo

#8: It doesn't matter where you try to hide, FaceBook will always come and claim ownership of everything you create and love. - Lo

Good one, Dave. I'm pretty sure Buddha said life didn't *require* suffering though, see noble truth #3. Not that I agree with Buddha in all things, but it's amazing how everyone I've discussed Buddhism with (here particularly) seems to have been taught a variety of half-truths or outright lies about the philosophy. (edit: sorry, not that I'm trying to start a debate about Buddhism. But... more... - Lo

Lately I try not to look at any advertising. If I can't avoid commercials I just mute them and close my eyes. Even when viewing them skeptically I suspect there's negative effects on the brain. More importantly, if I don't see any ads then all in my presence are spared having to listen to my lectures about the misleading tactics. I actually think it should be illegal to deliberately... more... - Lo

Some commercials are actually *FUNNY*! Sometimes I stop TiVo and go back to watch a commercial. ;) At least they stop the practice of flashing images so fast in advertisement that makes you subliminally want to go out and purchase the merchandises! :D - parsonii

I actually really like the cash for clunkers ad that shows an old car being lifted up and a new car falling out. :) - Heather

No way. Jack in the Box has the best ads. Did you see the "Costco" one? Twin pack plasma TV + free 15 lbs beef jerky? :D - parsonii from email

Still learning... trying to learn... not really succeeding at it: PATIENCE (aaaaaaghhhhh!) - Sandra

Oh, pffftttt, that is SO overrated. :D - parsonii from email

Being assertive, especially at work. Getting across the message that, "Darling, this really is not an option." :D - parsonii

Good ones, guys, nice. #12 The only time people will post in Las Ideotas is when I'm not looking. - Lo

You know that little web cam on your computer? He knows when you are naughty and nice... (and not looking at your computer :) - parsonii

Actually I don't have one on my laptop, I was too paranoid that The Man could spy on me. - Lo

And that's precisely why your stockings don't get filled on Xmas day. ;) - parsonii from email

#13 The most difficult decision to make is ultimately to stop hating myself and believe that I'm fine the way I am. - Lo

#14 Yes, we can. - Lo

Limitation on freedom is to have a one-child policy like China, not if it's only *strongly encouraged*. There no reason why we can't educate people to think twice before they pop out a kid. And what is this "obvious benefit" we are talking about? - parsonii from email

Is it taboo? I've heard it discussed for years. Unfortunately most intelligent people take the "you need a license to have kids" position (usually at least semi-jokingly), and that's an obvious affront to human freedom. The real problem with a sensible slowing of reproductive rate seems to be economic... the world's overpopulated and still growing, but countries with slowing birth rates... more... - Lo

Also, tangentially related: I really don't know much about the one-child policy in China, but I do know that what I've heard about it here in the US conflicts with what I heard and saw in China from Chinese people. Who knows where the truth lies, but I know for certain that: a) the policy does not apply to all Chinese, and b) if you have a second baby despite being under the policy,... more... - Lo

Yeah, the one-child policy is not absolute. Like Lo said, you can pay a fine, or you can state that your first child has some sort of "defects" and request permission to have another (doctors can, of course, certify whatever they want about their own children). But we don't have to go to that extreme here, I am merely suggesting that we should educate people to think twice whether they... more... - parsonii from email

It is taboo, because people who talk about it, does it jokingly... not seriously. Let me add something to the "benefits"... the benefits are somewhat perceived as personal, not so much as the tax base problem (that is also real) but much more around "someone that will take care of me in my old years". Even if that never happens (in some cases) and rarely said out loud, I have seen that "benefit" included in the list of benefits, just with some other words.... - Sandra

That is probably majority of the reason to have kids, especially in Asia. But such a selfish reason to have kids! - parsonii from email

Uhmmmm... let's face it: Whatever your reasons to have kids it is always a selfish one.... You have kids because you want to have them, not because they are begging to come to this paradise, nor because we have run out of kids to adopt. (and yes, this line has put me in the middle of very heated discussions, but, truly, I still haven't found one reason that is not selfish... some... more... - Sandra

I don't know. I think people who actually like kids and enjoy them is a good reason to have kids, not as selfish as having them to take care of you when you are old. - parsonii from email

I agree with Sandra, but it's not a good/bad thing. When you have kids it's usually to serve your own interest. A couple years ago I would have given various "altruistic" reasons for not having kids, but I can be honest now that it's mostly for selfish reasons. Even my desire to not inflict my negative family patterns on another human being is somewhat selfish, I just want to avoid the... more... - Lo

I've thought about this some more, and I'm wondering if the times when my self-interest seems to conflict with the interest of others are signs that I hold delusions about the topic in question. I'm becoming ever more firmly convinced that delusions are the #1 cause of suffering (for me, at least!) but they are dastardly tricky to discover and eliminate. I figured starting this group would help me figure them out, but boy was that a silly idea. - Lo

So wrong... - parsonii

WHAT? No brown and yellow people? - AJ Batac

huh?? - Bhowmik Shah

What? - Helen Sventitsky

*dead* - esther ♥ ♫

And that ladies and gentleman is why he is a 56 year old fee market whatever he is ;-) - Richard A.

Let's pray for this deeply troubled individual. Amen. - parsonii

Holy Shit! These people need a tune up. - Janice

So up until now raping your wife has been legal? It isn't covered by the law against rape (which I presume they already have)? - Eivind

I would presume the same Eivind, but I guess an exception is made if the 'transgression' is between man and wife. So, if the wife rapes the husband, would he be okay with that because they are 'one flesh'? Argh... so ... so.... I don't know what - Janice

Oh yeah, I forgot the 'one flesh' defense from the 'good book' :( - Eivind

Precisely how they define "one flesh"? Last I checked my husband and I did not became conjoined twins the day we got married.... or am I being too literal? - parsonii

I think it means flesh under one authority; the man :) - Eivind

Oh, Lord, that's messed up (but we already know that). So to the women it's like marrying into slavery? - parsonii from email

How do you notice that! - Heather

:-) - Ruchira S. Datta

LOL - Darren Heydon

If I ever do research on pareidolia, this is definitely going to be included as an example! - Mark

Do you guys think this is a sign of acceptance or condemnation of birth control? I haven't made up my mind yet. I think I need to consult some clergy. - Eivind

Sign of acceptance for sure. - Jenny Morman

In that case we should pass it around Sub-Saharan Africa right away. - Eivind

I think it's an ambiguous signal. And coming from a divine source, that can only mean one thing: She wants us to think for ourselves! - Meryn Stol

Yeah, the message "think for yourself" seems to be the common denominator for all organized religions </sarcasm> - Eivind

Too stupid... - tiracconto

Mary or the condom? - Eivind

Long explanation: for me this is not an example of atheism, not an example of sarcasm ... only a stupid game. - tiracconto

More of an explanation? Why do you think this is supposed to be either an example of atheism or sarcasm? - Mark

I think it may be a reference to the stupidity of seeing such shapes on toast et al. - Eivind

because the blog says "A friendly atheist" and "Invites positive dialogue from religious people" (ref: http://friendlyatheist.com/faq...) - tiracconto

You feel insulted by this picture and don't think the friendly atheist is friendly. That is the issue, right? - Eivind

o no, you're wrong, i'm simply don't friendly atheist... - tiracconto

I'm sorry, but I don't understand. You don't like the friendly atheist, or you don't think he's friendly? - Eivind

Aren't "friendly" and "atheist" a contradiction in terms? Like military intelligence or something? - Edward Zwart

+1 for M.A.S.H. reference :) - Eivind

Poor Hammy is so messed up that he thinks that people who value ethics and do good without religion "desperately need the Lord." Methinks Ken desperately needs therapy... - Mark

Naw, he's already beyond help. His only hope is to.... pray.... - parsonii

Round ol applause for Davey. - parsonii from email

Well, if you want to get technical about it, G-O-D didn't write it. It's allegedly his words but written down by some measly man who could hear his voice. (Today we call them schizophrenic.) - parsonii from email

Amen. :) - parsonii from email

Yeah, I'm afraid when we get to that "pretty bad" point, we will already have passed the point of no return. - parsonii

Well, this probably won't cheer you up but I doubt there really is a point of no return for the earth, or if there is it's a long way off. There's been lots of turmoil in the past (including many episodes of global warming), but things calmed down eventually and we're here. Point of no return for certain species may be a different matter entirely. But even if my own species is wiped... more... - Lo

We were born on a planet much hotter than this one, and survived through ice ages better than our cousins who were physically better suited to it. Whatever happens to this world, be it by our hand or it's own, humanity will survive. It's what we do. Of course, if a rogue star or wandering black hole enters the mix, all bets are off. As for the other species? Something like 90% of all... more... - Slappy Line

Slippy, I can't speak for Parsonii but mere survival of the human species is not the only thing I care about. Her depression seems to be more about wiping out other species, and I totally empathize. It's natural that species should disappear over time, but we've accelerate the process. There's also a question of whether the rate at which we're changing available niches has outpaced the "speed" of evolution, but I don't think it's really possible for us to answer that, at least not now. - Lo

The entire universe is a violent, destructive, horrific place, not conducive to carbon-based life in any form. Even here on our own planet, life managed to evolve from nothing but chemicals and coincidence on a steaming hot ball of acid and rock, but if you took this planet of ours and flung it anywhere in the galaxy, everything here would die. Life is tenacious and fragile, it occurs... more... - Slappy Line

Sorry, I do tend to drone on with that one. It's just that I got myself out of a very dark depression by accepting the frailty of life. - Slappy Line

Hey, if the world (earth) is going to come to an end, I'd much rather be hit by a meteorite than the collective impact of dumbasses on this planet just not giving a damn and destroying it and bringing me down with them. That's all I am saying. :) - parsonii

the net result is the same in either case, parsonii - Slappy Line

*serious* parenting fail! - Stephanie Segel

Hurrah to natural selection. - parsonii

GP and former New Zealand Medical Council chairwoman Pippa MacKay said the claims about curing cancer were "mischievous". "To imply that that kind of quackery is as good or better than medical science is dangerous. How can they claim that? How many controlled trials have they done?" - Janice

This is just reckless and delusional :( - Janice

"One sceptic, Phil Tauwhare, said he had a history of bladder disease. On two occasions he went to the healers in great pain and urinating blood. After his healing sessions he felt worse than before, he said. He went to a doctor who gave him antibiotics that cleared up the problem in three days. "I thought, `What's going on here?"' However, he became a believer when a subsequent checkup... more... - Mark

Good question Mark, I was wondering about the veracity of this... - Janice

hells yes! that's a badass canine! - Morgan Haley

Very nice. - Tanath

If it's real that is awesome. Every police force needs a few of those. - Kenton

even with the perp shooting at the cops, the dog jumps over the car and takes him down! awesome! - Morgan Haley

Wow, that's how dogs should be. Taking out bad guys. - rahul singh