Difference between revisions of "RationalWiki:Saloon bar"

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:::No, its "I'm crushing your head"--[[User:Thanatos|Thanatos]] ([[User talk:Thanatos|talk]]) 23:58, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
 
:::No, its "I'm crushing your head"--[[User:Thanatos|Thanatos]] ([[User talk:Thanatos|talk]]) 23:58, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
 
::::Ok, been a while since i seen it.--[[User:AMassiveGay|AMassiveGay]] ([[User talk:AMassiveGay|talk]]) 00:00, 25 October 2010 (UTC)
 
::::Ok, been a while since i seen it.--[[User:AMassiveGay|AMassiveGay]] ([[User talk:AMassiveGay|talk]]) 00:00, 25 October 2010 (UTC)
 
== Monies to be made ==
 
 
Hello my close and personal friends. I make this shrewd investment opportunity open for you, my collegiate friends. I am the son of Prince Naikpur the sad, lord of wingi province in upper Nigeria. Unfortunately my family was ouster from power but I have a total fortune of 60 million US dollars. I am looking for a front organisation through which to funnel the funs. You will have 30.4% of the profits of my criminal endeavour. There will be great rewards. I believe your organisation 'the foundation' uis the perfect organisation for our organisation. Remember, monies are VAST. You will earn 50 MILLION US DOLLARS. [[User:Thisisyourchance|Thisisyourchance]] ([[User talk:Thisisyourchance|talk]]) 11:38, 25 October 2010 (UTC)
 

Revision as of 11:51, 25 October 2010


Saloon bar
WIGO Bar colour.png

Welcome, BoN
This is a place for general chit-chat about virtually anything that doesn't fit anywhere else.
Winoes.gif For previous conversations, see the automagic barchives.Guinnesssmiley.gif

What is going on?

(talk) (talk) (talk) (talk) (hic)

Pointless poll

Spicy food, yay or nay?

Spice is nice!

56

Vote

Can't handle heat, must avoid at all costs.

11

Vote

Should Azureality be the site mascot?

Heck yeah!

42

Vote

That thing is so cool, I love it!

2

Vote

Needs more goat

16

Vote

What am I looking at, and whose hairbrained idea was it to make a frickin' Pokémon our mascot?!?

79

Vote

Who is the better rapper?

Tupac Shakur

21

Vote

Biggie Smalls

18

Vote

Both are equally great

20

Vote

MC Goat

44

Vote

To do list

Opal's Bar

For those of you who were here about a year ago, and remember me, you may, (or may not) be glad to now that I am back online, and should be for awhile. OpalHonors (talk) 03:26, 24 October 2010 (UTC)

Audio editing software

Hey, anybody have any good audio editing software out there? Specifically, I'm looking for something like Garage Band or there abouts, something with an Auto tune feature (or plug in available) would be best... I don't mind paying, but free is obviously better. Thanks. SirChuckBWill Sysop for food 06:47, 21 October 2010 (UTC)

Audacity is probably your best bet as far as free audio editing software goes. That and Garageband are both pretty crude tools, depending on how professional you need your stuff to be. Professional software I use and would recommend would be Logic Pro (v9 most recent) or Pro Tools. If you don't fancy forking out the $400 for Logic Pro, you can get the basic package Logic Express for around $100. Reason is a great sampling programme, but not really for recording. SJ Debaser 15:08, 21 October 2010 (UTC)
GarageBand is remarkably competent in my opinion. If Chuck has a midi keyboard and GarageBand he can do everything he just said he wants even if GarageBand is real weak on editing. Ableton Live is fantastic for building beats and has autotune. The lite version that comes with some midi keyboards might do everything you want. The full version costs are $450. It's suited to sampling, recording, production. Fine for editing but Logic Pro is tons better. Nutty Rouxnever mind 15:19, 21 October 2010 (UTC)
I've got Audacity, but haven't got round to using it properly yet - I'm not sure if it has anything like Auto-Tune. Scarlet A.pngsshole 15:48, 21 October 2010 (UTC)
(ec'd again!) It depends on what you want to do. All that have been mentioned are good. To that I'd add SoundForge, if you're just tweaking samples. Acid (or the free Acid Xpress) is a nifty compiler, with built in midi keyboard & VST capability. Diito Cubase. Reason is also pretty damn impressive (altho haven't seen reason 5 yet). Stay away from FruityLoops, that's the devil's software. --PsyGremlinFale! 15:52, 21 October 2010 (UTC)
I use a combination of Making Waves and Adobe Audition. i9 19:48, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
I guy I lived next door to in my first year had FruityLoops and was constantly making psytrance tracks - and the software is pretty damn good for that sort of thing. Which was kind of cool, except he also insisted on doing it at odd hours in the morning and night at full fucking volumne. He was also a bassist in an Extreme Black Metal band... go figure. I remember using Reason back in my dance music days (ah, High School, once the operation to permanently remove memories becomes available on the NHS...) but never really did much impressive with it as I just did some tweaking with the tools while a fellow music student did the compositions. I don't think either piece of software is good for vocal processing, they're both purely dance-orientated compositional tools really. Scarlet A.pngsshole 15:49, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Velvet fucking Underground I can't stand it! AAAAAAAA!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!! Totnesmartin (talk) 10:26, 21 October 2010 (UTC)

Fuck her. I'm going to pretend that only Lou Reed and John Cale were ever in VU. --JeevesMkII The gentleman's gentleman at the other site 11:52, 21 October 2010 (UTC)
Meh. Overrated band anyway. DickTurpis (talk) 11:54, 21 October 2010 (UTC)
Your punishment for saying that will be that Nico will sing to you for all eternity in the afterlife. --JeevesMkII The gentleman's gentleman at the other site 12:06, 21 October 2010 (UTC)
"Anyone who thinks I'm crazy about Sarah Palin, Bush, etc. has made quite the presumption."

"To be honest, I never paid attention to what the hell was going on. My always voting Democrat was the result of that. My philosophy was and is all politicians are liars, bums and cheats. I make decisions on an issue by issue basis. I'm far more of an independent than a conservative or liberal. I don't agree with all of either side, and I think anyone who claims to is either a fool or a damn liar."

"I'm stunned that so many people who call themselves liberal yet are completely intolerant. I thought liberals loved everyone: the poor, the immigrant, the gays, the handicapped, the minorities, dogs, cats, all eye colors, all hair colors! Peace, love, bull! Curious they have no tolerance whatsoever for anyone who doesn't think exactly as they do. You disagree and you're immediately called a fool, a Nazi, a racist. That's pretty f'd up!! I would never judge someone based on their political views. Their honesty, integrity, kindness to others, generosity? Yes. Politics? No!"


Interviews.

Nonetheless, her words might haunt her. A bigger idiot was Neil Young. VU were great. No more over-rated than the Doors.Civic Cat (talk) 18:13, 21 October 2010 (UTC)
Nowhere near as overrated as the Doors. WeaseloidWeaselly.jpgMethinks it is a Weasel 18:18, 21 October 2010 (UTC)
Ain't that the truth. Though, I liked them. It was the ridiculous "Jim's a POET" schtick that was really bollocks. Anyway, ya boo sucks to Mo Tucker, the old cow. I always hated her drumming anyway. DogPMarmite Patrol 21:52, 21 October 2010 (UTC)
This only proves the old saying "Unless playing, drummers are meant to be seen, not heard." Other than that, I don't mind too much. Remember, Johnny Ramone was a hardcore Republican, too. Lord of the Goons The official spikey-haired skeptical punk 21:58, 21 October 2010 (UTC)
True, true. Drummers, thick as planks anyway. Now, Neil Young is not a big idiot, but a very talented chap indeed, and I won't have any truck with those who don't like him. I just won't. DogPMarmite Patrol 04:11, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
Fuck the Velvet Underground and their political leanings. Mark my words, I am going to kill every member of Kings of Leon. i9 04:25, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
Ain't that the truth. Everytime I hear "Whoaaaaaaoaaaaoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! This sex is on fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieyeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeee!" my balls jump back into their body in fright and I have to go outside to try and coax them back down. One time a bobby saw me and I nearly got arrested. SJ Debaser 09:48, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
You keep your balls in another body? --PsyGremlinHable! 10:46, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
I never got them back off my ex. SJ Debaser 10:53, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
Neil Young was great....25 years ago. Was Joey as big a Bush cheerleader as Neil? As for drummers, what about Bill Bruford, Neil Peart, Phil, and Dave. Mind you, compared to them, Mo's drumming is/was as good as her political stances.Civic Cat (talk) 19:10, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
Which of these inspirations/parodies of The Doors do you favour?
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Craigslist
The Tea Party - The River ((my fav Tea Party vids are Sister Awake and Heaven Coming Down), or
The Cult Coming Down?Civic Cat (talk) 19:34, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
Weird Al's has a lot of cred, what with using Ray Manzarek on keyboards. That said, I'm glad the Tea Party was also aware of just how much he sounds like Jim... --IN SOVIET CANUCKISTAN, BEAVER DAMS YOU!!!YossarianThe Man from the USSR 21:59, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

Power woo

This came up as a FB ad - Magniwork. And you know the old saying 'If it looks too good to be true..." Any technical bofs here want to have a look and do a write up? --PsyGremlin말하십시오 10:09, 22 October 2010 (UTC)

Just skimming it, I see (emphasis added)

A Zero point magnetic power generator is basically a Free Energy Generator. It uses magnets, and magnetic force to induce perpetual motion. It runs by itself, indefinitely without stopping, thus creating completely free electrical energy, which can fully power your home for free. A Perpetual motion device refers to a machine that runs perpetually i.e. indefinitely, and produces a larger amount of energy than it consumes. Thus, it produces free energy indefinitely, runs by itself, without having to need a third-party device or resource to power it.

They're claiming perpetual motion. They fail thermodynamics forever. (Specifically, the Second Law.)
But really, you have to quote America's Greatest Living Philosopher here...
MDB (talk) 10:48, 22 October 2010 (UTC)\
Disclaimer: I probably should have failed thermodynamics forever, (thermo for non-mechanical engineering majors is pure hell, just like all engineering courses for non-majors are hell) but I do know perpetual machine is impossible. MDB (talk) 10:51, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
I had a relative who almost fell for this one. It's simply a scam. Nothing really to write up. Most of the "instruction manual" is how to save energy through insulation and so on. The actual device is a small electrical generator that doesn't seem to do anything other than generate electricity from, well, electricity... Ajkgordon (talk) 10:53, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
We could well cite the xkcd mentioned somewhere above. The last comment reminds me of something in a humorous zine a friend wrote years ago in which he did a piece on plug-in electric generators. I found it hilarious. DickTurpis (talk) 13:44, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
Aren't the public utility company (Big corporations) the ones to tell us to save electricity by using less? [[User:K61824|]][[User_talk:K61824|]] 17:15, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
Yes, it makes them look nicer, and also, more importantly, helps them avoid having to engage in politically difficult and costly building of more generation capacity. ħumanUser talk:Human 04:14, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
I'm pretty sure that ten years or so ago some large utility co. in north-east US actually gave away low-energy light bulbs to all their customers in order to avoid capital investment in a new power station. Redchuck.gif ГенгисIs the Pope a Catholic? 13:05, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Maine's is pretty aggressive, as I suspect is Boston Edison. I bet VT's is as well. PSNH not so much, but they try a little. But yes, that's exactly the sort of thing I mean. One of them used to (may still) give away water heater blankets. ħumanUser talk:Human 21:55, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

Can't you [Westerners] keep your [woo] in your own patch?

(section title inspired by another discussion from the previous few days)

I saw a billboard advertising the Powerbalance bracelet. Apparently, they have crept in here sometime this year: http://www.powerbalance.bg/ :(

Should I take a picture (of the billboard) and upload it to illustrate the spread of woo, or it's not worth the effort? --ZooGuard (talk) 11:18, 22 October 2010 (UTC)

Sorry, but that Bulgarian text is like half Greek to me. Nutty Rouxnever mind 12:32, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
There is a thingie on the top right, you know. [[User:K61824|]][[User_talk:K61824|]] 17:17, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
It's pretty much the standard Power Balance website, down to the design, but in Bulgarian. Very thorough, very professional corporate approach. :( 0It even has a gallery of local celebrity suckers "fans": [1] --ZooGuard (talk) 08:03, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

Open for debate

California's Proposition 19 will, if passed, legalize potmarijuana.

Current polls indicate it will be defeated.

Thoughts?

(I wonder what the poll numbers would be if it was "Proposition 420"...)

MDB (talk) 14:45, 22 October 2010 (UTC)

I hope it passes, but if it does it might actually make possessing pot more problematical. AG Holder has said that the Feds will prosecute recreational pot use if the state doesn't -- something they are currently not doing with "medical" marijuana. If Holder is true to his word, it could, I imagine, have consequences for the medical marijuana industry as well. Hard to say. It is a shame that basically no politicians at any high level can openly endorse this, though I'm sure many are privately supportive. DickTurpis (talk) 14:53, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
As I understand it, a prescription for medical marijuana in California is... not especially difficult to obtain. You find a sympathetic doctor, complain of chronic (a-hem) pain, and toke up. MDB (talk) 15:26, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
Is quite true. Nutty Rouxnever mind 15:38, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
If it did pass, would federal agents be milling around California looking for recreational pot smokers? Occasionaluse (talk) 15:44, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
Purely on instinct, I doubt it. The Feds rarely prosecute for possession as it is. They go after dealers. Even then, they're not looking for the college kids selling a few joints; they're looking for the big distributors.
Out of curiosity, do you have to be a legal resident of CA to get a prescription? Or could an out of state visitor get one? (And no, I'm not making vacation plans!) MDB (talk) 16:44, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
"Feds will prosecute recreational pot use if the state doesn't." Doesn't say much for Obama, huh?Civic Cat (talk) 19:37, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
They already passed some decriminalization measure. So even if it fails (and the polls are quite divided, and seem to be suffering from a reversed Bradley effect, I read it on Wikipedia) up to an ounce will be a punishment of $100, and off you go. Ann Arbor is like that here in Michigan (where UofM is) and it's always fun to visit friends there. Quaruhose - You can't explain that! 03:33, 24 October 2010 (UTC)

COMMENCE ADORATION

New kitteh.jpg Occasionaluse (talk) 15:20, 22 October 2010 (UTC)

Absolutely adorable. And with that expression, is undoubtedly plotting your murder even as we speak. MDB (talk) 15:23, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
Thanks. And indubitably. Occasionaluse (talk) 15:36, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
Cats are evil, of course. Deny that and lose all credibility. MDB (talk) 15:52, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
Two cats not looking at all evil.
If my cat doesn't receive a lot more praise from you people, I'm afraid it's going to kill me. That's right, I just went Oral Roberts on your ass. Now help. Occasionaluse (talk) 17:20, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOADCAT. MDB (talk) 17:23, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
Thanks, buddy :) Occasionaluse (talk) 17:26, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
If there is one thing worse than pictures of other people's babies then it must be... now where did I put that wheelie bin? Redchuck.gif ГенгисIs the Pope a Catholic? 17:57, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
Your cat is very pretty. Ey looks thoughtful & not entirely honest, which is as it should be. WeaseloidWeaselly.jpgMethinks it is a Weasel 18:01, 22 October 2010 (UTC)
This is the essence of the Internet. It's not enough to just upload pictures of your adorable cats, you need to have others comment on the pictures and tell you how adorable your cats are. --85.77.139.176 (talk) 05:07, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
There's a lot of good eating on a cat. ħumanUser talk:Human 05:16, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Domestic cats are largely insipid, it's all that tinned pap that they get fed. Farm cats which rely on rabbits, rats and birds are much more "gamey" and have less fat. Redchuck.gif ГенгисIs the Pope a Catholic? 09:58, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
BTW I can confirm that farm cats can both get into and out of wheelie bins without human assistance. Redchuck.gif ГенгисIs the Pope a Catholic? 10:00, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Your moggie is cute and I'm sure it loves you very much. Such love will be displayed by draping the intestines of a small creature across your bed, whilst you sleep. --PsyGremlinKhuluma! 11:30, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
There is something wrong with your cat
Your cat is not cat coloured. Cats are ginger or shades of black and white.
Cats do not have beautiful blue eyes. Cats have evil yellow eyes like SATAN.
Cats do not look adoringly at cameras. Cats eye their servants with malice.
Etc ... etc ...
The picture is actually of an extraterrestrial wheedling its way into your affections prior to taking over the planet! - FEAR IT.
13:33, 23 October 2010 (UTC) SusanG Toast

Learning Cat Names

I'm learning to tell the difference between my new sorta boyfriend's cats. One is a black lump that may or may not ever move from under the dining room table, one squints in one eye (poor thing has cancer in the other eye), one is friendly and likes me, and one has two different colored eyes, and is also a dog, not a cat. MDB (talk) 11:08, 25 October 2010 (UTC)

Alright now listen

It's only 9:39am here, early enough for an Ace sermon I think. My fingers don't work properly yet for some reason my head is throbbing. Why I can't have both I don't know but that, my friends, causes the world to turn and the firmament to remain grounded. I am really tempted to whack some beer up despite the early hour but not sure my gut will handle foamy froth right now - what we need is strong liquor and cigarettes. Despite my vague notions of drinking I know that I have chores to fulfill today, I made some promises and damnit I must keep them. Nonetheless it is tempting to barricade myself indoors today. While I live in the central city my house is at the end of a long dirt path, a path which is almost invisible to those who don't know where to look. Surrounded by trees and bushes you wouldn't even know my house existed despite being 2 minutes walk from a busy highway onramp. I lack a phone, both in home and mobile, so I am truly cut off. Unreachable and detached from bad noise, responsibilties and useless fucks who serve only to delay and disrupt. Shit, I really could bang up some plywood against the windows, push the dresser against the door and indulge myself in some black magic, pray to some long forgotten gods and get filthed up without anyone being the wiser.
What is this black magic talk? Why stray down the path of least resistence already? My day hasn't even started yet these darkened thoughts rise unbiden from my pulsating hippocampus. Electrifing the frontal lobe with nasty ideas.
Despite my best intentions, beer bubbles forth as surely as the tide rises. i9 20:52, 22 October 2010 (UTC)

None of you fuckers listened to fucking thing. My god(s) have mercy on your fucking turbid souls. i9 02:52, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
I did read it, I just couldn't think of an appropriate response. Tetronian you're clueless 04:42, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
I did and can. Fuck off you fucking fucker, you fuck, you. Fuck you. ħumanUser talk:Human 04:53, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
You could still use Skype. --I'm bored (talk) 09:19, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
If I was the first to comment I would have written "but why would I want to do a thing like that?" Earliest I've ever drunk beer was 11.30am after an exam. I need a holiday. SJ Debaser 09:30, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Ahhhh fuck. Wisdom is the key here. Pure Wisdom. It flows from my many orifices into my many satchels. Fuckthat 10:05, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

I am sooo Rock n Roll

Its a quarter past one in the morning here in blighty at the start of weekend, and I have just done the Daily Mail crossword. Live fast, die young is my motto. Dunno how tough the DM's crossword is in the scheme of things, but I'm quite chuffed with myself.--AMassiveGay (talk) 00:18, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

Yes. --I'm bored (talk) 09:05, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
First of all you should be embarassed at mentioning the Daily Fail here, and secondly it's not as tough as the Indy/Grauniad/Times/Torygraph/FT - I know because my father used to ask me what some of the answers were. But hey, looking on the bright side, it's a promising start and it's not The Sun. I would recommend something like Secrets of the Setters and How to Solve Cryptic Crosswords to get you started on serious crosswords. It's also amazing how you can often do crosswords in your sleep. A tricky clue will somehow reveal itself the next morning. Two essentials for crosswords; a large vocabulary and being able to spell correctly. It also helps if you like puns. Many of people I know who have retained their faculties well into their old age are regular crossword addicts. Redchuck.gif ГенгисIs the Pope a Catholic? 09:11, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Regarding sleep, yes, I've noticed that since doing ten-day "take home" physics tests in college. I'd lay out all the bits of leather, and the elves would solve the shoes while I slept. But what's funnier is trying to solve clues one has made up in dreams. Talk about your genuine nonsense! It makes me wonder if any combination of two or more words could possibly lead to a real word via Ximenian decrypting... oh, and a good site for puzzle solutions, explanations and discussion is fifteensquared. ħumanUser talk:Human 21:53, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
In my defence, I didn't buy or normally buy the Daily Mail. It came free with my tesco delivery.--AMassiveGay (talk) 12:01, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
As did the porn videos. --I'm bored (talk) 12:25, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
That's a slur against my good name. I paid good money for those.--AMassiveGay (talk) 12:37, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
In which case you should always proffer some good excuse for why you happened to be reading the DM: somebody left it on the train ,or it was the only one left in the coffee bar, etc. I tend to come across it where newspapers are supplied for customers and then just read it to confirm my prejudice of why I would never buy it (unless it came with some incredible freeby). Redchuck.gif ГенгисIs the Pope a Catholic? 12:58, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
I used to get it because it was the one that took me the longest to read; hence it was good value for money (and in fairness, it does give away the most kick-ass freebies, most of my classic rock collection is composed of free Daily Mail CDs, you wouldn't get that in the Guardian). It also enabled me to watch first hand their slow shuffle further and further to the Right to eventually become a parody of itself. Scarlet A.pngsshole 15:42, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

Anyone think we should bother starting a forum for random crossword discussion (with a no spoilers rule!)? ħumanUser talk:Human 21:57, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

If I recall correctly the ability to solve cryptic Xwords was a requirement for staff @ Bletchley Park. 22:04, 23 October 2010 (UTC) SusanG Toast
One of them went on to set puzzles for The Nation for the next 60-odd years. I hope there is a "younger" generation of setters coming up to replace the likes of Araucaria. I remember a couple Thanksgivings ago, my neighbor's mum was doing a nice NYT "quick" puzzle (many answers were constructed out of pairs of anagrams), and I mentioned cryptics to her... her response was "I tried one of those once, but all you get for cross-letters are Es and As!" - which is one way I verify an answer - if every checked square is yet another damn vowel. ħumanUser talk:Human 22:46, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

Facebook engineering

I've ended up subscribing (liking, whatever) to the technical pages for Facebook, the engineering and security ones namely. It's very interesting reading but that's not what struck me. I also followed the general Facebook page and decided to compare comments on the various posts. The comments on posts from the Facebook Engineering page are, generally speaking, on topic, well written, nicely informed and so on. Basically, readable and positive. The ones for the general Facebook page are all completely retarded. I mean, really, really fucking retarded, like "help i got my cock stuck in a lettuce what do i do???" levels of fucktarded and that's after adjusting for and ignoring the spam. The other point, "Facebook" has over 24,000,000 people, "Facebook Engineering" a mere 217,000...

I'm developing a superiority complex. But is it my fault when 95% of the world seem to need elastic bands put around their hands so they can clap? When I rule the world, the Internet will NOT be a human right, it'll require passing an IQ test. In fact, no, we'll make it simpler. I'll tell a racist joke, if they sigh and begrudgingly admit it's funny for the wrong reasons, they can have broadband, if they laugh, they can have dial up, if they say "lol" I shoot them. Scarlet A.pngsshole 01:51, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

"FACEBOOK,,GIVE ME AN ERROL,,WILE MY COLECTIVLE WAS IN PROGRESS AND I LOST IT,,CAN YOU HELP ME RECOVER MY 2 COLECTIVLE THANKS" Scarlet A.pngsshole 01:53, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
"Hello wtf!??!!?! now we can't look for friends on here w/o our personal email address. whut the phuck fb. I'm looking for someone but they aren't on my email address or I wouldn't be looking for them in phucking fb. dirtry rotten hore. why u gotta change shet that made ur phuckin social site the great thing it is known for, networking." Scarlet A.pngsshole 01:54, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
There'd be nowt on the internet if you prevented access to halfwits.--AMassiveGay (talk) 01:57, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
C'mon Armond, you've been on the net long enough to realise that stupid people dwarf geniuses like us. The ones that get under my skin are the overtly racism Fbk pages proclaiming to be English and British nationalist. Especially all the ones about England flags/shirts over summer. SJ Debaser 09:27, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
I know, but it's still very depressing. Not least because I feel like a complete douche saying "hey, look, I'm just smarter than everyone, right!" but all evidence points that way. Scarlet A.pngsshole 11:24, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Stupidity is pretty much everywhere you look and is the penalty we pay for democracy. Redchuck.gif ГенгисIs the Pope a Catholic? 12:54, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

Rationalwiki Wigo

Anyone feel like we need a wigo for rationalwiki. alot of funny shit goes on here that is unnoticed--BenB (talk) 04:51, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

http://rationalwikiwiki.org/wiki/What_is_going_on_at_RationalWiki%3F Blue (pester) 05:03, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Yeah, but that's the bitchy, moany version and rarely gets updated enough to bother with. You can find the on-site prototype here. Scarlet A.pngsshole 11:20, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Snarky (bitchy, moany) is how WIGOs are supposed to be. WeaseloidWeaselly.jpgMethinks it is a Weasel 11:48, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Although it would be useful to keep track of things happening. Scarlet A.pngsshole 12:57, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

Teacher gets Rickrolled

This made me laugh. –SuspectedReplicant retire me 10:16, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

Me too. How droll. ħumanUser talk:Human 10:18, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

Afghan war comes home

Funny how something you think is miles away suddenly hits home. Just found out an old friend of mine (and a member of the Bang Bang Club) has been seriously wounded in Afghanistan. Stepped on a landmine, which doesn't sound good. --PsyGremlinKhuluma! 13:00, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

My brother's out there now and should be back in Novemeber after over 6 months solid. It does change your perspective a bit when you know someone involved since you get to see and hear about it up close and first hand, and you also get to realise that even in our apparently open and honest and enlightened times, the news reports from there are just propaganda pieces and often tell you barely a fraction of what's happening. It definitely makes me think less of those bitchy moaners who are saying the people over there "aren't heros" because it's a job - I doubt they'd last five minutes before crying to come home. Scarlet A.pngsshole 13:11, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
As well as family members serving in Afghanistan, I also have relatives working in military and government security services. Fairly senior stuff. It puts the tendency to moan about government keeping terrorism alerts artificially high into perspective. People who have anything to do with protecting us from terrorist threats are constantly frightened half to death.
While they might be accused of erring on the side of caution and governments might be accused of taking political advantage of heightened terror status, our security services (including military intelligence, civil intelligence, border services, police, and government) have to get it right all of the time.
The terrorists, especially the ones who are willing to sacrifice young impressionables, have to get it right only once.
We are sometimes guilty of forgetting that. Ajkgordon (talk) 17:56, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
And the section that was here a while ago on security theatre? Do you disagree with that? Word word Phantom Hoover! 18:07, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Dunno, didn't read it. Ajkgordon (talk) 18:29, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Although security theatre does have a legitimate aspect in that it reassures people, sort of like placebopathy but for security. Scarlet A.pngsshole 18:53, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
That is a legitimate example of a slippery slope: security theatre only works if the public do not know the truth, and you are now espousing misinforming the masses to keep them complacent. Such is the stuff of dystopian speculative fiction. 18:59, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
As with any policy put into place by politicians looking to the next election, there will always be a degree of hype. Doesn't make it (security theatre in this case) right. But it doesn't mean that those actually responsible for dealing with the threat are wrong either. In most cases they are doing a nigh impossible job with a huge amount of conscientiousness and real fear. To believe otherwise and simply lump everything in a bucket marked "STATE CONTROL BRAIN-WASHING" is naive in the extreme. Ajkgordon (talk) 20:26, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

Interesting link

You're only 10% you Hat tip. Says nothing new but I found it interesting. 13:23, 23 October 2010 (UTC) SusanG Toast

Makes me think we could just be elaborate and expensive carries for bacteria, who are really the masters of the evolutionary universe. Like, imagine the Singularity, should it ever occur. The computers will be smarter, better and faster, but we'd still be their creators and directors, but looking like insignificant bacteria supported by them from the outside... anyway, just an obscure thought. Scarlet A.pngsshole 13:37, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
I did have a theory a while ago that all living things are basically just massive symbiotes composed of prokaryotes, but I suspect that it has a fundamental flaw. Word word Phantom Hoover! 17:39, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Wired had this several years ago and is one of the reasons the Human Microbiome Project was set up. It has a lot of implications for what it really means to be human, especially for the creationists who insist on the specialness of humankind. Redchuck.gif ГенгисIs the Pope a Catholic? 15:29, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Amazing stuff. Deeply awesome (in the proper sense of the word).
My eldest son, a marine biology masters student in Faro, Portugal, told me the other day that he feels a sense of heightened awe almost constantly. He really does get the hairs on the back of his neck rising every time he enters the lab, dons a wetsuit, or simply reads an academic paper. Lucky bastard! Ajkgordon (talk) 18:02, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Isn't that what great science is all about?  Lily Inspirate me. 19:08, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Yes thank you please. Ajkgordon (talk) 20:20, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
It's actually what life is all about. Trouble is the sense of wonder is what leads to IDiots & their ilk seeing things that ain't there. 20:26, 23 October 2010 (UTC) SusanG Toast
I disagree. I think that IDers and Creationists lack a sense of wonder. They have a lack of imagination so resort to easy to digest 6,000 years old, magic, a big bearded bloke in the sky using celestial CAD/CAM software to build blueprints for the eye. They can only equate what happens in the natural world with the human experience and so essentially anthropomorphise God. It's quite the opposite of wonder, IMHO. Ajkgordon (talk) 20:36, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Yeah, we're agreeing actually. The IDers etc wonder and don't carry it any further - the just ascribe it to sundry magics. The scientists (for the purpose of this argument I include myselfSmiley.gif) Wonder how it works 20:59, 23 October 2010 (UTC) SusanG Toast

Good article, but why do people write cringe-worthy things like this "The farther away from the common ancestor, generally speaking, the more complex the life-form, with humans at the apex of complexity."? ħumanUser talk:Human 21:16, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

But aren't you at the apex of complexity, Human? WeaseloidWeaselly.jpgMethinks it is a Weasel 22:48, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Hehe... I put the "ape" in "apex"! ħumanUser talk:Human 23:18, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

Wikipedia gets the most interesting idiots

I clicked through to the wikipedia help desk to check out the latest Weird Ed Moon WIGO. The WIGO wasn't so interesting, but some of the other stuff posted on the helpdesk was hilarious.

And I thought creationists were idiots. Where do they find all these people? --JeevesMkII The gentleman's gentleman at the other site 17:55, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

The Internet. -- Nx / talk 18:18, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
I suspect 2 and 3 are spambots. Word word Phantom Hoover! 18:01, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
You might have a point, but where's the spam? I'm reasonably sure 3 is from a real human idiot, and while watches are a major spam subject 2 still seems to be genuine. --JeevesMkII The gentleman's gentleman at the other site 18:06, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
I'm wondering if the fact the watch one provoked a serious response is actually more retarded than the original post... Scarlet A.pngsshole 18:51, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
From what I've seen, they respond politely and seriously no matter how strange a post is. ħumanUser talk:Human 20:43, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
The response to the watch one isn't serious - it's a pre-made template that is used for stupid questions. It sounds all kind and sincere, but like Andy's use of Godspeed, it translates into "GTFO moron". ~SuperHamster Talk 22:08, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Since #2 & #3 got an identical answer, it's clearly a template response rather than a "serious" one. WeaseloidWeaselly.jpgMethinks it is a Weasel 22:18, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Well, yes, but it still reads like a polite and serious response. ħumanUser talk:Human 22:29, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck was the subject of today's Profile on Radio 4.  Lily Inspirate me. 19:02, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

Fascinating, actually. Scarlet A.pngsshole 19:49, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

DTCC

Someone elsewhere in the webosphere mentioned this corporation, claiming it has $30,000,000,000,000 in assets, owns effectively all of the stocks in the US and is totally unregulated. The first 2 claims seem to be true, but I haven't found any evidence for the 3rd, and it seems completely unbelievable; could someone who knows about the weird world of money please enlighten me on the matter? Word word Phantom Hoover! 22:49, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

He's now explained the unregulatedness as the shares having the "owner" as a beneficiary. I have no idea whether that is true. Word word Phantom Hoover! 23:03, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Apparently they serve to mediate stock transactions efficiently, by holding the paper and keeping track of who owns it electronically. How that leads to assets of $30 trillion I'm not sure, since holding paper that "belongs" to someone else is not a net asset. But maybe that's not how they are calculating it. This all depends on the WP article not having just been rewritten by your blogger, of course. Where are you running into this? ħumanUser talk:Human 23:17, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
On IRC, earlier today, so he definitely hasn't rewritten it. It would appear that shares actually belong to DTCC, rather than them just doing the paperwork (a statement which is backed up by at least 2 independent sources). Word word Phantom Hoover! 23:35, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
And, in one of those immensely stupid errors that you feel almost lethally embarrassed over, it seems that noöne in the channel noticed that it was 30 billion, not trillion. Words fail me. Word word Phantom Hoover! 23:38, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Dang, I missed that, too. So their worth is less than 0.1% of the value of the securities they "manage" (40 trillion)? Anyway, that value isn't outrageous - I looked up Boeing and Westinghouse/CBS and they both run $20bn-ish. They probably just own a shitload of fancy buildings and computers and safes in expensive neighborhoods. ħumanUser talk:Human 23:44, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Here's a more meaningful number: "Total equity US $242,920,000". That should = assets minus obligations. ħumanUser talk:Human 23:45, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

More fun numbers - ExxonMobil has assets of 233bn - and equity of 110bn. Five hundred times the equity of the DTCC. ħumanUser talk:Human 23:49, 23 October 2010 (UTC)

I think I've found the source of the confusion: their annual report states that $30 trillion is the total value of securities held in custody. Someone else seems to have got muddled over this, and the confusion has blossomed from that. Word word Phantom Hoover! 23:58, 23 October 2010 (UTC)
Morons looking for a conspiracy? I suspect so. ħumanUser talk:Human 04:05, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
WP says it is $40 trillion. That they "handle". ħumanUser talk:Human 08:05, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
I wouldn't say "morons", but it does have the rationality-diverting property of being dangerously fun to believe which conspiracy theories share. Word word Phantom Hoover! 08:43, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
No, "morons" was a poor choice of words. "Credulous" might be better? Egh... ħumanUser talk:Human 08:53, 24 October 2010 (UTC)

Anime discussion

Discuss anything anime-related here. Anyways, I been watching Neon Genesis Evangelion a lot lately as well as posting on several anime forums.JackalTheRascal! (talk) 00:21, 24 October 2010 (UTC)

Eva is good, but New Getter Robo is way better. Ryoma makes Kamina look like Shinji Ikari. The ending of Nadesico sucked.--Thanatos (talk) 00:24, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
BTW, 4kids sucks. They ruin every anime that they can get their hands on.JackalTheRascal! (talk) 00:30, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
Yeah, but when your in their target age group, your too young to really care.--Thanatos (talk) 00:32, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
Oh, the good old days of getting up on Saturday morning to watch Pokemon - you can never really forgive 4kids for this, though. ~SuperHamster Talk 00:40, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
Behold the awesomeness ofNew Getter Robo--Thanatos (talk) 00:50, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
At the risk of sounding like a grumpy old cumudgeon, Kids telly was better in my day. Behold the brilliance of Bagpuss, part1 part2. Anything by Oliver Postgate is gold really. And Moomins (the original fuzzy felt version), that was sooo bleak. --AMassiveGay (talk) 03:31, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
And here be the moomins--AMassiveGay (talk) 03:55, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
Curiously, Professor Yaffle from Bagpuss was based on Bertrand Russell. You don't get that in fucking Fireman Sam.--AMassiveGay (talk) 03:58, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
Thanks for those MG. Haven't seen Bagpuss or the Moomins in years. Heartwarming stuff. WeaseloidWeaselly.jpgMethinks it is a Weasel 09:23, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
Can this go to a forum the rest of us can ignore? ħumanUser talk:Human 04:04, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
Can this Human guy go to a forum the rest of us can ignore? --I'm bored (talk) 09:44, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
Of course, sir. ħumanUser talk:Human 09:49, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
That's very considerate. --I'm bored (talk) 10:00, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
He-Man, Knightmare (well, it's kind of animated) and the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon. Good days. Oh, and Transformers, but never Thundercats.--Stunteddwarf Spirit of the Cherry Blossom 20:46, 24 October 2010 (UTC)

Colorado governor race

Tom Tancredo couldn't bully his way into becoming the GOP candidate, and yet he's still in the running. For the love of all that is decent I hope he gets shot down, because I'm not going to be able to handle living in a state he's in charge of. (*grumble*grumble*racisthomophobicfuckhead*grumble*) --Quantheory (talk) 05:17, 24 October 2010 (UTC)

Hey, a fellow Coloradan on RW.... I was beginning to think I was all along out here... I wouldn't worry too much about it though, Tancredo could never carry the Metro area and you can't win an election without it. All he's doing is splitting the GOP voters. I almost want him to win though, he would be the worst governor in the history of the United States (warning: Hyperbole!) and his colossal fuck ups would ensure a long line of Democrats in the office. SirChuckBDMorris for new Jinx! 07:59, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
I'd like to think so, but voters seem to have short memories. I'll agree that he's unlikely to win though. It just is so strange to me that he's polling so well. I guess I'm a bit out-of-perspective though. I'm a young'un, so a lot of the more ridiculous election/ballot outcomes here happened before I was really politically motivated (or at least before I could vote myself). --Quantheory (talk) 09:04, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
Well, at least I know who I'm not voting for. BTW, I live in Broomfield (ok, not exactly-close enough tho). JackalTheRascal! (talk) 10:17, 24 October 2010 (UTC)

Feeling Rough

Ugh. Third week of this bloody cold, thanks to the MTX, although I'm beginning to think that it's stopped being a cold and is now a chest infection and, on top of that, I've got my DLA renewal forms to fill in. 61 questions on how your illnesses and disabilities impact your care needs, most of which require relatively long and detailed answers. Whoever came up with the DLA claim form needs to be put against a wall and shot, especially as the renewal forms could easily take the form of: "Have your care or mobility needs changed since the last time you claimed? If so please detail below."--Stunteddwarf Spirit of the Cherry Blossom 20:33, 24 October 2010 (UTC)

Kill everyone. It'll make you feel better. But seriously I feel your pain and I'll raise you a suspected broken finger I acquired while doing dumb shit last night. Fuckthat 20:38, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
Surely, if it's broken, the last thing you can do is raise it. Oh, I see what you mean. Bummer.--Stunteddwarf Spirit of the Cherry Blossom 20:44, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
what, I have to do it again someday? I put off claiming for three years because of the form... they're made intentionally complex to put people off claiming, I'm sure. After all, that money is desperately needed for Daily Mail readers' skiing holidays. Totnesmartin (talk) 21:31, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
Goonie just had her appendix out. Damn, it's an epidemic! ħumanUser talk:Human 01:58, 25 October 2010 (UTC)

Weird bug in Template:Internet

It screws up the footnotes on pages it's used on, but I can't figure out why (as I said on my user page, I suck at programming, and wiki syntax is kind of like that to me). What's causing this? In the past when it was on OS Wars it cut off several footnotes, and now on Metapedia it cut off a comment I put next to the disambiguation line about Meta-Wiki, but the link instead goes to a completely unrelated footnote, which is just plain confusing.

I posted this on Talk:Metapedia#Not again... as well. --GastonRabbit (talk) 20:51, 24 October 2010 (UTC)

IIRC its a common and seemingly random bug in DPL. Scarlet A.pngsshole 01:24, 25 October 2010 (UTC)
I saw nothing wrong when I went there. But that's the nature of random bugs, isn't it? ħumanUser talk:Human 01:59, 25 October 2010 (UTC)
I fixed that article (but only that one) by moving the template closer to the top of the code. It seems like it can be avoided by putting it before everything else except maybe markers for articles ranks (such as the bronze rank on the Metapedia article), instead of being placed in the middle like it was before I moved it. (Putting it at the top makes it easier to find in the code anyway, even if the bug ended up being fixed). --GastonRabbit (talk) 02:06, 25 October 2010 (UTC)
Ah, ok. And, yeah, our funky sidebars should come first (except for the medals). ħumanUser talk:Human 02:12, 25 October 2010 (UTC)

It's probably Dpl resetting the parser state. Putting it before any ref tags is a workaround. I'll check it out when I have some time. -- Nx / talk 07:43, 25 October 2010 (UTC)

Who does this remind you of?

Anyone else here a Kids in the Hall fan?--Thanatos (talk) 23:15, 24 October 2010 (UTC)

Also Jesus, the Bad Carpenter--Thanatos (talk) 23:18, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
I am resisting to the urge the say 'I squash your head'. Quoting TV shows is wrong.--AMassiveGay (talk) 23:40, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
No, its "I'm crushing your head"--Thanatos (talk) 23:58, 24 October 2010 (UTC)
Ok, been a while since i seen it.--AMassiveGay (talk) 00:00, 25 October 2010 (UTC)