The Weird, Random, and Interesting things that Fit Nowhere Else Thread

[Raithe]

So conspiracy theory or social experiment?  

 

If You Changed Your Facebook Pic To a Rainbow Flag...

 

 

 

Recently, with the announcement of the legalization of same sex marriage in America, people have been coming out voicing their opinions on the ruling very loudly. For supporters, one of the easiest yet most effective ways has been to change their profile picture so that it has a transparent rainbow overlay using a tool set up by Facebook itself.

 

Within just a few hours, over 1 million users had changed their Facebook profile picture to include this rainbow image using the ‘Celebrate Pride’ tool. To date, more than 26 million users have used the tool.

 

While it seems like an innocent way to show your support for marriage for gay Americans, there may be something slightly more ingenuine going on. Facebook users using the ‘Celebrate Pride’ tool may be falling into a trap – a data trap, that is.

 

Back in 2014, it was discovered that Facebook had been conducting psychological experiments on its users without their knowledge. The social media giant studied how different users moods and statuses reflected what they saw on their own news feed, even going so far as to cater specific content to users to determine how it would effect their own mood

 

 

Now, the rise of the ‘Celebrate Pride’ tool has some users theorizing that their information is being collected again. The thought is that the company is trying to find out how likely a user is to change their profile picture in response to a social issue and whether it is based on previous social declarations or even based on their other friends’ profile pictures.

As a report from the Atlantic reveals, this would not be the first time Facebook used people’s support of gay rights to collect data. In 2013, Facebook published a study on the factors that would influence a person to support marriage equality based on the red “equal sign” profile picture. The study revealed that, unsurprisingly, the more friends a user has that had the profile picture, the more likely a user was to use that image for their default picture themselves.

 

As a report from the Atlantic reveals, this would not be the first time Facebook used people’s support of gay rights to collect data. In 2013, Facebook published a study on the factors that would influence a person to support marriage equality based on the red “equal sign” profile picture. The study revealed that, unsurprisingly, the more friends a user has that had the profile picture, the more likely a user was to use that image for their default picture themselves.

 

It is unclear from the data, however, whether friends were influenced by other users in regards to their social views or if they had just always had like minded friends in the first place.

As far as the ‘Celebrate Pride’ image goes, Facebook has denied claims that any data collection is afoot, stating:

“This was not an experiment or test, but rather something that enables people to show their support of the LGBTQ community on Facebook. The point of this tool is not to get information about people.”

That being said, given the company’s previous deception involving data collection, it is impossible to say whether this is the whole truth or another way for Facebook to dodge accusations until their study is complete. At the very least, if they weren’t collecting data before, they will almost certainly be using this for collecting information from users in the future – 26 million users is a HUGE sample size.

 

Whether the rainbow flag craze was a purposeful manipulation or a simple tool to show support will only be revealed for sure in the future. What it does prove, however, is that users should be thoughtful when it comes to following social media trends. Showing support for an issue you feel passionate about is one thing. Blindly doing what other friends are doing may result in you becoming part of an experiment you never consented to in the first place.

 

 

[Gromnir]

Can't help but think they would still be together if he was still Daredevil

true, but then wouldn't you expect the doomed but perpetual relationship to be punctuated by mutual acts o' domestic violence that would make ray rice cringe?

 

HA! Good Fun!

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Batman and Elektra are calling it quits. Does anyone stay together.

 

I blame Matt Damon and the legalization of gay marriage in the US.

[Raithe]

For the general snerk and snark...

 

Distractify - 50 Shades of Grey Author Had A Q&A Session on Twitter...

 

 

EL James, author of the widely ridiculed, universally infamous, 50 Shades of Grey took to Twitter to take questions from fans to promote her new novel, Grey. It quickly proved to be a big, big mistake.

 

* Note, it throws up a bunch of the twitter questions that were asked, but since the forum doesn't like twitter links I'll leave you all to read them as you wish.

 

Although I think my favourite has to be:

 

"Was the violence you visited upon the English tongue a metaphor for S&M? If so, please share the safe word."

Edited July 4, 2015 by Raithe

[Raithe]

And for the general human interest..

 

EpicTimes - Courtroom Reunion As Judge and Suspect Realise they were Middle School Classmates

 

 

 

 

 

A Miami-Dade judge and one of her old middle school classmates had what can only be described as an emotional reunion in court after he was arrested following an alleged burglary and police pursuit.

 

Arthur Booth, 49, was arrested this week by Hialeah Police on several charges that included burglary, grand theft, fleeing, and resisting arrest.

On Thursday, he went before his old classmate Judge Mindy Glazer in bond court. Glazer, recognizing Booth from their days at Nautilus Middle School, asked if he had gone there. “Oh my goodness, oh my goodness,” Booth said, as he covered his head and began crying.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXhaMSrKsIo

 

 

 

[Raithe]

Porn Star says gamers are freaks in the sack as study links violent video games and sex drive

 

 

 

FORGET what you think you know about nerdy gamers sitting in their dark basements.

 

They’re actually probably freaks in the bedroom — and in a good way. At least that’s what gamer girl and porn star Lucie Bee reckons.

And there’s new Australian research that appears back this up, by stomping on the dorky gamer stereotype.

 

UNSW scientists Dr Michael Kasumovic and Dr Tom Denson have released a study exploring the long-held link between sex and violence through the prism of video games.

The research, published in Personality and Individual Differences, quizzed two sets of 500 gamers to reveal that someone’s drive to play violent video games is closely connected to the desire for sex.

 

Yep, yet again, it’s all about sex.

 

Male and female gamers who played the more violent video games — such as Grand Theft Auto, Mass Effect and Call of Duty — were hungrier for some hanky-panky.

Kasumovic told News Corp Australia the most surprising finding was that while men who played violent video games didn’t consider themselves a better catch, women found themselves to be a whole lot sexier.

 

He said gamer chicks were drawn to first-person shooters partly because it boosted their view of themselves as a romantic partner. Kasumovic said he believed this was because women revelled in a feeling of power and dominance. “Women compete with men on equal footing online because there aren’t any physiological differences,” he said.

“Men often over-estimate their ability, while women underestimate, so if women play and they’re winning, they feel great. It’s awesome.”

 

Kasumovic said he believed the links between violent games and desire for sex were buried in our innate competitive urge to display our strength to win over a mate.

In other words, gaming is just a modern way of beating our chests, and that kicks our libido into gear. Kasumovic said lighter games like Candy Crush and Mario Kart did not have that effect because it was hard to feel “bad-ass” playing them. Kasumovic said future research would explore the amount of sex gamers were having, because interest in it might not necessarily translate to getting it on.

 

But for porn star Lucie Bee, who counts Mass Effect, Fallout and Borderlands among her favourite games, the findings were not so surprising. “When you’re playing these games as a girl in what has been largely a male-dominated arena for so long, it can feel empowering,” Bee said.  “You feel bad-ass, you stand out and you are holding your ground with the boys.

“Guys find that really sexy as well.”

 

Bee said she felt fortunate to be able to combine her love of sex and gaming, meaning she regularly attends cosplay events and mingles with many male gamers.

She said while they had a nerdy reputation, they were definitely still keen on sex, and having it. She said increased gender diversity in gaming also meant “boy gamers and girl gamers are finding each other.” “It’s a fantastic way to meet people,” she said. But Bee stressed that violence in gaming did not translate to violence in the bedroom, urging people not to fall into a form of “moral panic”.

 

Rather, she strongly believes gamer guys are “absolute freaks in the sack” in the most considerate way possible. “They do their research,” she said.

“Much like they want to be good at gaming, they want to be good in other areas of their lives. “If you want to find a good sexual partner, find a geek.”

[Ineth]

Revamped Bubble Wrap Loses Its Pop

 

Nooooooooooooooooo!!!

 

Sure, this might be inevitable technological progress and both good for the environment and good for profits yada yada yada. But dammit, I don't want my (prospective) children to grow up in a world where bubble wrap does not pop!

[Malcador]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33424034

 

Brilliant, really. Though I guess some people wouldn't be too bothered by a banker being trussed up and decapitated.

[Raithe]

For those who might not have come across the Spoon Theory before...

 

The Spoon Theory

 

 

 

My best friend and I were in the diner, talking. As usual, it was very late and we were eating French fries with gravy. Like normal girls our age, we spent a lot of time in the diner while in college, and most of the time we spent talking about boys, music or trivial things, that seemed very important at the time. We never got serious about anything in particular and spent most of our time laughing. As I went to take some of my medicine with a snack as I usually did, she watched me with an awkward kind of stare, instead of continuing the conversation. She then asked me out of the blue what it felt like to have Lupus and be sick. I was shocked not only because she asked the random question, but also because I assumed she knew all there was to know about Lupus. She came to doctors with me, she saw me walk with a cane, and throw up in the bathroom. She had seen me cry in pain, what else was there to know? I started to ramble on about pills, and aches and pains, but she kept pursuing, and didn’t seem satisfied with my answers. I was a little surprised as being my roommate in college and friend for years; I thought she already knew the medical definition of Lupus.

 

Then she looked at me with a face every sick person knows well, the face of pure curiosity about something no one healthy can truly understand. She asked what it felt like, not physically, but what it felt like to be me, to be sick. As I tried to gain my composure, I glanced around the table for help or guidance, or at least stall for time to think. I was trying to find the right words. How do I answer a question I never was able to answer for myself? How do I explain every detail of every day being effected, and give the emotions a sick person goes through with clarity. I could have given up, cracked a joke like I usually do, and changed the subject, but I remember thinking if I don’t try to explain this, how could I ever expect her to understand. If I can’t explain this to my best friend, how could I explain my world to anyone else? I had to at least try.

 

At that moment, the spoon theory was born. I quickly grabbed every spoon on the table; hell I grabbed spoons off of the other tables. I looked at her in the eyes and said “Here you go, you have Lupus”. She looked at me slightly confused, as anyone would when they are being handed a bouquet of spoons. The cold metal spoons clanked in my hands, as I grouped them together and shoved them into her hands. I explained that the difference in being sick and being healthy is having to make choices or to consciously think about things when the rest of the world doesn’t have to. The healthy have the luxury of a life without choices, a gift most people take for granted. Most people start the day with unlimited amount of possibilities, and energy to do whatever they desire, especially young people. For the most part, they do not need to worry about the effects of their actions.

 

So for my explanation, I used spoons to convey this point. I wanted something for her to actually hold, for me to then take away, since most people who get sick feel a “loss” of a life they once knew. If I was in control of taking away the spoons, then she would know what it feels like to have someone or something else, in this case Lupus, being in control. She grabbed the spoons with excitement. She didn’t understand what I was doing, but she is always up for a good time, so I guess she thought I was cracking a joke of some kind like I usually do when talking about touchy topics. Little did she know how serious I would become? I asked her to count her spoons. She asked why, and I explained that when you are healthy you expect to have a never-ending supply of “spoons”.

 

But when you have to now plan your day, you need to know exactly how many “spoons” you are starting with. It doesn’t guarantee that you might not lose some along the way, but at least it helps to know where you are starting. She counted out 12 spoons. She laughed and said she wanted more. I said no, and I knew right away that this little game would work, when she looked disappointed, and we hadn’t even started yet. I’ve wanted more “spoons” for years and haven’t found a way yet to get more, why should she? I also told her to always be conscious of how many she had, and not to drop them because she can never forget she has Lupus. I asked her to list off the tasks of her day, including the most simple.

 

As, she rattled off daily chores, or just fun things to do; I explained how each one would cost her a spoon. When she jumped right into getting ready for work as her first task of the morning, I cut her off and took away a spoon. I practically jumped down her throat. I said ” No! You don’t just get up. You have to crack open your eyes, and then realize you are late. You didn’t sleep well the night before. You have to crawl out of bed, and then you have to make your self something to eat before you can do anything else, because if you don’t, you can’t take your medicine, and if you don’t take your medicine you might as well give up all your spoons for today and tomorrow too.” I quickly took away a spoon and she realized she hasn’t even gotten dressed yet. Showering cost her spoon, just for washing her hair and shaving her legs. Reaching high and low that early in the morning could actually cost more than one spoon, but I figured I would give her a break; I didn’t want to scare her right away. Getting dressed was worth another spoon. I stopped her and broke down every task to show her how every little detail needs to be thought about. You cannot simply just throw clothes on when you are sick. I explained that I have to see what clothes I can physically put on, if my hands hurt that day buttons are out of the question. If I have bruises that day, I need to wear long sleeves, and if I have a fever I need a sweater to stay warm and so on. If my hair is falling out I need to spend more time to look presentable, and then you need to factor in another 5 minutes for feeling badly that it took you 2 hours to do all this. I think she was starting to understand when she theoretically didn’t even get to work, and she was left with 6 spoons.

 

I then explained to her that she needed to choose the rest of her day wisely, since when your “spoons” are gone, they are gone. Sometimes you can borrow against tomorrow’s “spoons”, but just think how hard tomorrow will be with less “spoons”. I also needed to explain that a person who is sick always lives with the looming thought that tomorrow may be the day that a cold comes, or an infection, or any number of things that could be very dangerous. So you do not want to run low on “spoons”, because you never know when you truly will need them. I didn’t want to depress her, but I needed to be realistic, and unfortunately being prepared for the worst is part of a real day for me. We went through the rest of the day, and she slowly learned that skipping lunch would cost her a spoon, as well as standing on a train, or even typing at her computer too long. She was forced to make choices and think about things differently.

 

Hypothetically, she had to choose not to run errands, so that she could eat dinner that night. When we got to the end of her pretend day, she said she was hungry. I summarized that she had to eat dinner but she only had one spoon left. If she cooked, she wouldn’t have enough energy to clean the pots. If she went out for dinner, she might be too tired to drive home safely. Then I also explained, that I didn’t even bother to add into this game, that she was so nauseous, that cooking was probably out of the question anyway. So she decided to make soup, it was easy. I then said it is only 7pm, you have the rest of the night but maybe end up with one spoon, so you can do something fun, or clean your apartment, or do chores, but you can’t do it all.

 

I rarely see her emotional, so when I saw her upset I knew maybe I was getting through to her. I didn’t want my friend to be upset, but at the same time I was happy to think finally maybe someone understood me a little bit. She had tears in her eyes and asked quietly “Christine, How do you do it? Do you really do this everyday?” I explained that some days were worse then others; some days I have more spoons then most. But I can never make it go away and I can’t forget about it, I always have to think about it. I handed her a spoon I had been holding in reserve. I said simply, “I have learned to live life with an extra spoon in my pocket, in reserve. You need to always be prepared.” Its hard, the hardest thing I ever had to learn is to slow down, and not do everything. I fight this to this day. I hate feeling left out, having to choose to stay home, or to not get things done that I want to. I wanted her to feel that frustration. I wanted her to understand, that everything everyone else does comes so easy, but for me it is one hundred little jobs in one. I need to think about the weather, my temperature that day, and the whole day’s plans before I can attack any one given thing.

 

When other people can simply do things, I have to attack it and make a plan like I am strategizing a war. It is in that lifestyle, the difference between being sick and healthy. It is the beautiful ability to not think and just do. I miss that freedom. I miss never having to count “spoons”. After we were emotional and talked about this for a little while longer, I sensed she was sad. Maybe she finally understood. Maybe she realized that she never could truly and honestly say she understands. But at least now she might not complain so much when I can’t go out for dinner some nights, or when I never seem to make it to her house and she always has to drive to mine. I gave her a hug when we walked out of the diner. I had the one spoon in my hand and I said “Don’t worry. I see this as a blessing. I have been forced to think about everything I do. Do you know how many spoons people waste everyday? I don’t have room for wasted time, or wasted “spoons” and I chose to spend this time with you.”

 

Ever since this night, I have used the spoon theory to explain my life to many people. In fact, my family and friends refer to spoons all the time. It has been a code word for what I can and cannot do. Once people understand the spoon theory they seem to understand me better, but I also think they live their life a little differently too. I think it isn’t just good for understanding Lupus, but anyone dealing with any disability or illness. Hopefully, they don’t take so much for granted or their life in general. I give a piece of myself, in every sense of the word when I do anything. It has become an inside joke. I have become famous for saying to people jokingly that they should feel special when I spend time with them, because they have one of my “spoons”.

 

 

[Gfted1]

Wiring Monkey Brains Together Has A Point, Says Scientists.

[Gorgon]

Welcome to the Matriarchy, where women own everything and decide who get's married, the men usually live elsewhere and 'summoned' if the head of the household should feel lonly at night. Apparently not at odds with the Koran. Who would have thunk.

 

 

https://minankabauinfo.wikispaces.com/Gender+and+Sexual+Orientation

[Raithe]

If you can't be a good example, be a stark warning...
 
Man Killed by Alligators
 
 
 

Texan Shouts 'F**k Alligators', Jumps Into Reptile-Infested Waters, Gets Eaten By Alligators

Warning signs for alligators are not just there for amusement as this young man sadly found out.
 
Tommie Woodward ignored the signs about alligators on the Sabine River in Texas jumping into the water and was quickly attacked by the reptile predators..
 
Orange County official Rodney Price told KFDM 6: ‘He removed his shirt, removed his billfold…someone shouted a warning and he said “f**k the alligators” and jumped into the water and almost immediately yelled for help.’
 
The awful scene was witnessed by Michelle Wright, a waitress at a nearby restaurant who said: ‘'Next thing I know this girl is screaming “an alligator’s got him, an alligator’s got him”’ ‘I don’t even know how long it was, I saw his body floating face down and then he’s up there for a couple seconds and then he gets dragged back down and pulled off.’

Woodward was the first person to be killed by alligators since 1836.
 
Authorities claim that recent flooding had displaced the predators during breeding season making them more territorial and aggressive.

Swiftly followed by...

Man Named Bear Kills Gator That Ate His Friend

 

 

After he was warned not to go into the bayou with a large alligator this weekend, a 28-year-old Texas man did just that, declaring “**** that alligator!” and jumping to his demise. Now a friend of the victim, a man known only as Bear, has made the alligator pay with its life for his buddy’s mistake.

Bear shot and killed the 11-foot gator Monday.

 

“He had to go,” Bear told the Houston Chronicle, “That’s what happens when you kill someone.”

 

Good point, Bear. It was definitely the large aquatic predator’s fault that a meal jumped right into its waiting jaws. Glad you could make things right.

Now Bear faces a potential $500 fine, because that’s what happens when you kill someone (an alligator) in Texas.

 

Game wardens discovered some remains of the very dumb dead man, Tommie Woodward, in the belly of the beast, the Chronicle reported. It’s not yet clear whether Woodward died from alligator bites or from drowning when the gator pulled him under. It is clear from photos of the marina, though, that he died within view of an alligator warning sign.

 

Woodward was the first person in 179 years to be killed by an alligator in Texas.

Edited July 10, 2015 by Raithe

[Raithe]

37 Vintage Conversation Rules for Gentlemen

 

 

Editor’s note: The excerpt below comes from a book published in 1875: A Gentleman’s Guide to Etiquette by Cecil B. Hartley. Hartley’s rules may be over 100 years old, but they’re just as true today as they ever were. There are some real gems here — some of which truly gave me a chuckle.

 

1. Even if convinced that your opponent is utterly wrong, yield gracefully, decline further discussion, or dexterously turn the conversation, but do not obstinately defend your own opinion until you become angry…Many there are who, giving their opinion, not as an opinion but as a law, will defend their position by such phrases, as: “Well, if I were president, or governor, I would,” — and while by the warmth of their argument they prove that they are utterly unable to govern their own temper, they will endeavor to persuade you that they are perfectly competent to take charge of the government of the nation.

 

2. Retain, if you will, a fixed political opinion, yet do not parade it upon all occasions, and, above all, do not endeavor to force others to agree with you. Listen calmly to their ideas upon the same subjects, and if you cannot agree, differ politely, and while your opponent may set you down as a bad politician, let him be obliged to admit that you are a gentleman.

 

3. Never interrupt anyone who is speaking; it is quite rude to officiously supply a name or date about which another hesitates, unless you are asked to do so. Another gross breach of etiquette is to anticipate the point of a story which another person is reciting, or to take it from his lips to finish it in your own language. Some persons plead as an excuse for this breach of etiquette, that the reciter was spoiling a good story by a bad manner, but this does not mend the matter. It is surely rude to give a man to understand that you do not consider him capable of finishing an anecdote that he has commenced.

 

4. It is ill-bred to put on an air of weariness during a long speech from another person, and quite as rude to look at a watch, read a letter, flirt the leaves of a book, or in any other action show that you are tired of the speaker or his subject.

 

5. In a general conversation, never speak when another person is speaking, and never try by raising your own voice to drown that of another. Never assume an air of haughtiness, or speak in a dictatorial manner; let your conversation be always amiable and frank, free from every affectation.

 

6. Never, unless you are requested to do so, speak of your own business or profession in society; to confine your conversation entirely to the subject or pursuit which is your own specialty is low-bred and vulgar. Make the subject for conversation suit the company in which you are placed. Joyous, light conversation will be at times as much out of place as a sermon would be at a dancing party. Let your conversation be grave or gay as suits the time or place.

 

7. In a dispute, if you cannot reconcile the parties, withdraw from them. You will surely make one enemy, perhaps two, by taking either side, in an argument when the speakers have lost their temper.

 

8. Never, during a general conversation, endeavor to concentrate the attention wholly upon yourself. It is quite as rude to enter into conversation with one of a group, and endeavor to draw him out of the circle of general conversation to talk with you alone.

 

9. A man of real intelligence and cultivated mind is generally modest. He may feel when in everyday society, that in intellectual acquirements he is above those around him; but he will not seek to make his companions feel their inferiority, nor try to display this advantage over them. He will discuss with frank simplicity the topics started by others, and endeavor to avoid starting such as they will not feel inclined to discuss. All that he says will be marked by politeness and deference to the feelings and opinions of others.

 

10. It is as great an accomplishment to listen with an air of interest and attention, as it is to speak well. To be a good listener is as indispensable as to be a good talker, and it is in the character of listener that you can most readily detect the man who is accustomed to good society.

 

11. Never listen to the conversation of two persons who have thus withdrawn from a group. If they are so near you that you cannot avoid hearing them, you may, with perfect propriety, change your seat.

 

12. Make your own share in conversation as modest and brief as is consistent with the subject under consideration, and avoid long speeches and tedious stories. If, however, another, particularly an old man, tells a long story, or one that is not new to you, listen respectfully until he has finished, before you speak again.

 

13. Speak of yourself but little. Your friends will find out your virtues without forcing you to tell them, and you may feel confident that it is equally unnecessary to expose your faults yourself.

 

14. If you submit to flattery, you must also submit to the imputation of folly and self-conceit.

 

15. In speaking of your friends, do not compare them, one with another. Speak of the merits of each one, but do not try to heighten the virtues of one by contrasting them with the vices of another.

 

16. Avoid, in conversation all subjects which can injure the absent. A gentleman will never calumniate or listen to calumny.

 

17. The wittiest man becomes tedious and ill-bred when he endeavors to engross entirely the attention of the company in which he should take a more modest part.

 

18. Avoid set phrases, and use quotations but rarely. They sometimes make a very piquant addition to conversation, but when they become a constant habit, they are exceedingly tedious, and in bad taste.

 

19. Avoid pedantry; it is a mark, not of intelligence, but stupidity.

 

20. Speak your own language correctly; at the same time do not be too great a stickler for formal correctness of phrases.

 

21. Never notice it if others make mistakes in language. To notice by word or look such errors in those around you is excessively ill-bred.

 

22. If you are a professional or scientific man, avoid the use of technical terms. They are in bad taste, because many will not understand them. If, however, you unconsciously use such a term or phrase, do not then commit the still greater error of explaining its meaning. No one will thank you for thus implying their ignorance.

 

23. In conversing with a foreigner who speaks imperfect English, listen with strict attention, yet do not supply a word, or phrase, if he hesitates. Above all, do not by a word or gesture show impatience if he makes pauses or blunders. If you understand his language, say so when you first speak to him; this is not making a display of your own knowledge, but is a kindness, as a foreigner will be pleased to hear and speak his own language when in a strange country.

 

24. Be careful in society never to play the part of buffoon, for you will soon become known as the “funny” man of the party, and no character is so perilous to your dignity as a gentleman. You lay yourself open to both censure and bad ridicule, and you may feel sure that, for every person who laughs with you, two are laughing at you, and for one who admires you, two will watch your antics with secret contempt.

 

25. Avoid boasting. To speak of your money, connections, or the luxuries at your command is in very bad taste. It is quite as ill-bred to boast of your intimacy with distinguished people. If their names occur naturally in the course of conversation, it is very well; but to be constantly quoting, “my friend, Gov. C,” or, “my intimate friend, the president,” is pompous and in bad taste.

 

26. While refusing the part of jester yourself, do not, by stiff manners, or cold, contemptuous looks, endeavor to check the innocent mirth of others. It is in excessively bad taste to drag in a grave subject of conversation when pleasant, bantering talk is going on around you. Join in pleasantly and forget your graver thoughts for the time, and you will win more popularity than if you chill the merry circle or turn their innocent gayety to grave discussions.

 

27. When thrown into the society of literary people, do not question them about their works. To speak in terms of admiration of any work to the author is in bad taste; but you may give pleasure, if, by a quotation from their writings, or a happy reference to them, you prove that you have read and appreciated them.

 

28. It is extremely rude and pedantic, when engaged in general conversation, to make quotations in a foreign language.

 

29. To use phrases which admit of a double meaning, is ungentlemanly.

 

30. If you find you are becoming angry in a conversation, either turn to another subject or keep silence. You may utter, in the heat of passion, words which you would never use in a calmer moment, and which you would bitterly repent when they were once said.

 

31. “Never talk of ropes to a man whose father was hanged” is a vulgar but popular proverb. Avoid carefully subjects which may be construed into personalities, and keep a strict reserve upon family matters. Avoid, if you can, seeing the skeleton in your friend’s closet, but if it is paraded for your special benefit, regard it as a sacred confidence, and never betray your knowledge to a third party.

 

32. If you have traveled, although you will endeavor to improve your mind in such travel, do not be constantly speaking of your journeyings. Nothing is more tiresome than a man who commences every phrase with, “When I was in Paris,” or, “In Italy I saw…”

 

33. When asking questions about persons who are not known to you, in a drawing-room, avoid using adjectives; or you may enquire of a mother, “Who is that awkward, ugly girl?” and be answered, “Sir, that is my daughter.”

 

34. Avoid gossip; in a woman it is detestable, but in a man it is utterly despicable.

 

35. Do not officiously offer assistance or advice in general society. Nobody will thank you for it.

 

36. Avoid flattery. A delicate compliment is permissible in conversation, but flattery is broad, coarse, and to sensible people, disgusting. If you flatter your superiors, they will distrust you, thinking you have some selfish end; if you flatter ladies, they will despise you, thinking you have no other conversation.

 

37. A lady of sense will feel more complimented if you converse with her upon instructive, high subjects, than if you address to her only the language of compliment. In the latter case she will conclude that you consider her incapable of discussing higher subjects, and you cannot expect her to be pleased at being considered merely a silly, vain person, who must be flattered into good humor.

[Agiel]

 

I'm sure Woldan can enlighten us on the nature of the "Schützenverein".

[JadedWolf]

Wiring Monkey Brains Together Has A Point, Says Scientists.

 

You do realize this is just practice right? You'll know what's up when the next scientific breakthrough is announced. Perfectly square space vessels. After that, resistance will be futile.

 

[Gfted1]

You do realize this is just practice right? You'll know what's up when the next scientific breakthrough is announced. Perfectly square space vessels. After that, resistance will be futile.

Imagine how awesome it would be to have a built in "Wi-Fi" that gave you access to any data you wanted at any time. :droolemoticon:

[Gorgon]

 

I'm sure Woldan can enlighten us on the nature of the "Schützenverein".

It's a milita force of 'sharpshooters'. I know that from playing Napoleon Total War. 

[BruceVC]

 

 

I'm sure Woldan can enlighten us on the nature of the "Schützenverein".

It's a milita force of 'sharpshooters'. I know that from playing Napoleon Total War. 

 

Look at you, you little EU linguist 

[JadedWolf]

 

You do realize this is just practice right? You'll know what's up when the next scientific breakthrough is announced. Perfectly square space vessels. After that, resistance will be futile.

Imagine how awesome it would be to have a built in "Wi-Fi" that gave you access to any data you wanted at any time. :droolemoticon:

 

 

But what if it came -because of reasons scientists are unwilling to get into- with the added side effect of a constant craving for bananas?

[Gfted1]

Im cool with that.

[Gfted1]

Boeing patents laser-powered fusion-fission jet engine (that’s truly impossible).

[Raithe]

Hillbilly Dialect Makes Comback In Appalachia

 

 

 

A recent influx of education programs and scholarly studies aim to foster a sense of pride, not shame, in Appalachian speech patterns.

 

After years of association with "The Beverly Hillbillies," Appalachian people are taking back their dialect. 

"There can be no doubt that it's the most heavily stigmatized regional speech in the country," South Carolina author Michael B. Montgomery told National Geographic. "I can't think of any other region where five words out of somebody's mouth will completely affect another person's evaluation of their intelligence, their reliability, their truthfulness, and their ability to handle complex tasks.”

 

It may be subject to negative stereotypes, but the Appalachian dialect is slowly but surely becoming a source of pride for many native speakers, thanks to a surge of programs intended to give young mountain people pride in their linguistics. 

 

For years, Appalachians have been self-conscious about their speech patterns thanks to mainstream pop culture characters embodying an impoverished, illiterate "hillbilly" stereotype, Montgomery says. 

 

Now, programs are popping up all over the region to help combat this stigma. Amy D. Clark is the founder of the Appalachian Writing Project, which conducts workshops for rural teachers to help them teach students to write effectively without making them feel self-conscious about their speech. She says the internalization of the negative stereotypes attached to Appalachian dialect can have a harmful effect on students learning to write. 

 

Methods used by Ms. Clark and the teachers she works with include contrastive analysis, an approach in which students diagram spoken sentences and compare them to formal written English. Lizbeth Phillips, a middle school teacher in southwest Virginia, makes her students keep journals documenting how adults in their community switch between formal and casual ways of speaking. 

 

Phillips stresses to her students the importance of not forsaking their spoken language, and tries to reflect these values in her teaching.

"If you're marching out the red pen ... you're really criticizing their culture and their family heritage and other things. It's not just about standardizing the language," she told The Associated Press. 

 

A similar encouragement of cultural pride can be found in West Virginia and North Carolina middle schools, where teaching units have been implemented in recent years to focus on the history of each state's dialects.

 

Linguist Kirk Hazen of West Virginia University, who worked with colleagues to develop these teaching units, has spent the past two decades recording dozens of interviews around West Virginia to analyze speech patterns. He hopes that through better understanding the cultural context, Appalachia residents will be able to more fully embrace their dialect. 

 

Jordan Lovejoy, a student at West Virginia University who has assisted Hazen in his research, says the project has helped her to shed self-consciousness over her southern West Virginia accent. 

 

“Naturally, I viewed my way of speaking negatively, but working with Kirk at the West Virginia Dialect Project has changed that. I am constantly paying close attention to the way people talk and how language is used, and I think it helps me understand folks and the world better," she told WVU Today. 

 

The effect of these programs is measured in small victories, such as the cancellation of classes aimed at reducing workers' accents at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in East Tennessee last year, which prompted a headline in Knoxville News-Sentinel reading: "ORNL bows to Southern pride."

 

This re-appropriation of the Appalachian dialect, which is characterized by features such as redundant pronouns ("My friend, he's really tall,") and the dropping of consonants such as "t" or "d" ("bes' friend" instead of "best friend"), is part of a larger Appalachian renaissance, says Walt Wolfram of North Carolina State University. This rebirth has also been observed in cultural trends – for example, the rising number of young people taking up “hillbilly” instruments like the banjo. 

 

"It gives them a sense of pride,” Wolfram said. "They think it's cool. And it also makes them special. It contributes to the sort of cultural capital of kids who want to be from someplace, who want to have a strong heritage and want to be grounded.”

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2015 by Raithe

[Nonek]

And now I can't get the Beverly Hillbillie's theme tune out of my mind, thank you so much.

 

Does crude oil really bubble up out of the ground?

[kgambit]

And now I can't get the Beverly Hillbillie's theme tune out of my mind, thank you so much.

 

Does crude oil really bubble up out of the ground?

 

Yes.  The La Brea tar pits in California (very low API gravity) or offshore oil seeps in the GoM are just two examples.   

 

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/05/15/natural-petroleum-seeps-release-equivalent-of-eight-to-80-exxon-valdez-oil-spills/

 

http://sarsea.org/natural_seapage.html

Edited July 14, 2015 by kgambit

[Raithe]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84OT0NLlqfM