Complete Randomness

[Gravity Defier]

One of my picture frames came with two glass panes...I thought it felt heavier than the others.

[Gravity Defier]

Contemplating taking a Fantasy and Science fiction course through Coursera...it's not an accredited thing but it could be fun and I've already signed up for two others. But I don't know that I want to do brief essays or any of that; it's been so long since I was last in school, I don't know that I have it in me. We'll see, though I need to decide soon, since the course starts in 5 days.

(If anyone wants to join me for the https://www.coursera.org/course/neurobehavior" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or the contraception one, that'd be awesome)

[Gravity Defier]

No one else is allowed to post for the rest of this page.


As I was scrolling down, I read two thread titles together: Lost Souls Also Talk About.

Now I have this image in my head of all our missing members sitting around together elsewhere talking about poop.

[LilBee91]

Or perhaps they are also talking about Buffy, obligatorily. (I'm pretty sure that isn't actually a real adverb, but I'm using it anyway.

[elfprince13]

[LilBee91]

I could spend hours browsing the CIA World Factbook.

[locke]

There's something in the music progression leading into the first chorus of Call Me Maybe that reminds me of Never Gonna Give You Up (RickRoll) in a really dejavu sort of way.

[elfprince13]

There's something in the music progression leading into the first chorus of Call Me Maybe that reminds me of Never Gonna Give You Up (RickRoll) in a really dejavu sort of way.

You may be on to something http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/201 ... miss_.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also, this is relevant:

[Cassandra]

Every time I go to save a picture from my photo editor it auto fills the name as "cat"
I don't even have a cat

[Gravity Defier]

My mom always used to say (she'd probably still say if we saw each in situations where it's relevant) that I am good with kids. She said I may not be doing anything consciously to make it so, that it comes naturally, but that she felt I was undeniably good with them.

Most of the time, I am not sure I believe this. I certainly don't think I'm bad with them but I never considered myself to be particularly good with them, either. Some of the younger ones make me feel awkward. Some of the older ones make me feel nervous.

But then things happen for no reason I can understand -kids befriending me in eye offices, for instance- and then I wonder if maybe I am somehow good with them.

A young man, maybe 3 or 4 (that's another thing...I'm terrible with guessing ages) that rides the same outbound train as I do most days (a strange thing given my start time varies wildly from day to day) has taken to smiling really big at me, offering whatever it is he has in his hand for the day, and then after I say hello and walk past, sometimes having made a little more conversation and sometimes not, he tells his mom excitedly, "It's her again!"

And then there is the young man at work who, every time he visits, declares as loudly as he can, "I always see you here!" I reciprocate the sentiment and then we get down to business. It's conversation time. And they're innocent conversations but they're not dumb conversations. My favorite thing ever was the time he asked, as his family was leaving, "Do you have anything to say?"

Confused and a bit taken aback, "Oh? Anything to say about what, exactly?"

"Anything to say to me, silly!"

Now, besides "goodbye" and "hope to see you soon" and "it was great to see you again, I hope you had fun," I was at a complete loss as to what he might specifically want to hear. But he was so brave for coming out and asking me if I had any parting words for him. Were it me in his shoes, I'd never have the courage to ask an adult if they had any more business to attend to with me before I took my very important self home.

So I think, yeah, maybe most people can't interact with children in this way. Maybe I'm not so bad with them afterall.



And then I befriend three out-of-towners while waiting for the train and I wonder if maybe I'm not selling myself short in general. Maybe I'm more of a people person than I give myself credit for.

...

Nah.

[neo-dragon]

I've always figured that one of these days you'd see the great qualities that others see so clearly in you.

I'm glad that maybe this is the start, you big dope.

[elfprince13]

Given my interactions with you on PWeb, I'm not at all surprised by this. I'm with neo.

[Luet]

Yeah, you're awesome. I'm good with kids under 4 because I have what I call a "muppet face". I can make really funny faces that get almost all kids from newborns to toddlers laughing. My husband is way better with kids 4 and up. He is a kid magnet. Everywhere we go, he has a crowd around him.

[Gravity Defier]

Thanks for the votes of confidence. :) I was mostly expressing surprise that people seem really friendly with me and that's nice.

I do think I need to see this muppet face, though. Like, in a month or so. :D

[neo-dragon]

Do people usually chase you with torches and pitchforks or something?

[Gravity Defier]

Only if I venture out of my swamp.

Seriously, though, there's a difference between being treated poorly, mostly being ignored, or being treated kindly. The first happened often enough in AZ, the second is what happens most, anywhere, and the third is the rarest kind of interaction I tend to have. Maybe I'm weird in that regard.

[neo-dragon]

People are generally awesomer the farther north you travel, is all.

[LilBee91]

People are generally awesomer the farther north you travel, is all.

Which is why I'm pretty much the most awesome person on this board. (I just typed that as "bored." Between that and me using the wrong "your" earlier tonight, I clearly need to work on my homophones).

[elfprince13]

People are generally awesomer the farther north you travel, is all.

[Dr. Mobius]

Looks like I just reafirmed my geek status. I could've sworn this guy was saying "Mobile Gundam style" but apparently I was supposed to misinterpret it another way...

[jotabe]

People are generally awesomer the farther north you travel, is all.

Sorry! had to! i'm in the initial excitement of the whole thing, as a latecomer

[Gravity Defier]

Steve posted this on FB and I went all bug-eyed

A congressional candidate running as a Republican in the upcoming Illinois primary says the “Holocaust never happened.”

Arthur Jones, 64, a *****, IL, insurance salesman who organizes family-friendly, neo-Nazi events around Adolf Hitler’s birthday, hopes to be the Republican candidate chosen to run against Democratic Congressman Dan Lipinski in Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District.

“As far as I’m concerned, the Holocaust is nothing more than an international extortion racket by the Jews,” Jones said. “It’s the blackest lie in history. Millions of dollars are being made by Jews telling this tale of woe and misfortune in books, movies, plays and TV.

"The more survivors, the more lies that are told.

This dude is from the village I currently live in...(easy enough to find if you do some Googling but meh).

THERE ARE REALLY NAZIS HERE!


He should apply at the library. :)

And I guess it's good/bad that he's not the guy who sits on his porch or wanders around yelling at me, calling me an imbecile, nigger, and other unpleasant things, while also telling me to shut the f*** up.

My life can be exciting.

[LilBee91]

He should apply at the library.

People don't actually vote for these people do they?

[powerfulcheese04]

I love the blues brothers.

My mom grew up in Joliet.

[Syphon the Sun]

People don't actually vote for these people do they?

He lost the primary six months ago, but he did capture 11% of the primary votes. Another denier, an Alabama Democrat who ran for attorney general a few years ago, ultimately got 43% of the vote in his primary. (ETA: And David Duke managed to win a single term as a state legislator back in the 80s.)


Also, there was a Supreme Court case about Illinois Nazis. Which lead to the subplot in The Blues Brothers:



ETA: Thought I was editing my post and I accidentally deleted it. That's why it's below Kim's response! Whoops.

[Gravity Defier]

Which lead to the subplot in The Blues Brothers

Is that really a subplot? I guess I should probably watch that movie now. It's only been on my To-See list for,like, 8 years.

[Syphon the Sun]

Is that really a subplot? I guess I should probably watch that movie now. It's only been on my To-See list for,like, 8 years.

Yes, it's really a subplot. And how have you never seen it?! It's set in and around Chicago!

[Gravity Defier]

I haven't! And you're the person who told me to watch it 8 years ago.

I keep meaning to but...I don't know. I just haven't.

[jotabe]

Another denier, an Alabama Democrat who ran for attorney general a few years ago, ultimately got 43% of the vote in his primary. (ETA: And David Duke managed to win a single term as a state legislator back in the 80s.)

That's even a higher vote% than what led Hitler to be made Chancellor!

[Gravity Defier]

I kind of like the idea of PrintWorthy, the Walgreens photo service that allows you to print the comments made on a photo posted to FB alongside the photo. I don't currently have any pictures that I would want the comments to as well but in theory, for a big birthday, a wedding something or other, etc. it could be a fun thing.

[jotabe]

Always two, there are. No more, no less. A master... and an apprentice.

When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the Master.

So... i got a padawan student.... i mean a MSc student for myself.
What should i do? Show him how to be strong in the path of peace and balance, or turn him to the Dark Side?

XD Alright, i cut it. I just wanted to let you know that for some reason, a prof. thought i was fit to have shared responsibility over a master student, so we can do some research together. Poor guy... XD

[starlooker]

Watching The Goonies for the first time.

One-Eyed Willy.

*snrrrk*

[LilBee91]

Watching The Goonies for the first time.

One-Eyed Willy.

*snrrrk*

Oh great. Ruin my childhood innocence why don't you?

[Gravity Defier]

Watching The Goonies for the first time.

What?! First time...today or first time, as in, ever?

I feel like I don't know you at all.

[jotabe]

I'm lost about what that "snrrrrk" means...

I haven't seen that movie in like forever, though...