Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Ten Things I Hate

9 views
Skip to first unread message

Jennie

unread,
Aug 4, 2003, 4:26:03 PM8/4/03
to
[1] Supposed left wing intellectuals whose understanding of politics
and economics is so feeble that they enable their opponents to imply
there is no left wing case which ever might be argued intelligently.

[2] All the little cancer-seekers displaying their cooked flesh in
honour of the day star whilst whining about hosepipe bans and
headaches and delayed trains.

[3] People who think that speed limits are set by bad people just to
stop them having fun.

[4] Crap computer games which I play compulsively and can't stand to be
without.

[5] Film columnists who can't spell 'Mina'. Make them write her name in
full, I say! Successful magazine producers who refuse to hire
copy editors should be taken out and shot. Now. Let's not even wait
for the revolution.

[6] The fact that I still second-guess myself sometimes upon recalling
the way my actions and opinions were dismissed at school.

[7] People who are repetitive in decrying repetition.

[8] Barley water. Now, it may be that this stuff is more poisonous to
me than it is to the average person, on account of me being a rather
sour character (my illness gives me a slightly lower than normal pH),
but still, I'm not sure how anybody can stand to drink it. It's like
grit in dishwater.

[9] Shit dance music. The sort with regard to which one gets told "I
wouldn't expect _you_ to like it", as if one's natural disinclination
toward the medium reduces one's capacity to discern an utter lack of
musical complexity, enthusiasm oo innovation.

[10] Intolerance.

Jennie

--
Jennie Kermode jen...@innocent.com
http://www.triffid.demon.co.uk/jennie

Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 4, 2003, 6:24:04 PM8/4/03
to
Jennie wrote:

> [7] People who are repetitive in decrying repetition.

You can say _that_ again!


--klaatu, "I tend to repeat myself"

--
Be kind to your neighbors, even | "Global domination, of course!"
though they be transgenic chimerae. | -- The Brain
"People that are really very weird can get into sensitive
positions and have a tremendous impact on history." -- Dan Quayle

Weeble

unread,
Aug 4, 2003, 9:52:49 PM8/4/03
to
In article <slrnbitgaq...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk>, Jennie wrote
ten things which she hated.

Ummm... Is this a "Join In And Make Lists" kind of thread, or a "Run Away;
She's In A Bad Mood" kind of thread?

Weeble.

WideRedDragon

unread,
Aug 4, 2003, 10:10:15 PM8/4/03
to

"Jennie" <jen...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:slrnbitgaq...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk...

>
> [10] Intolerance.
>

lol, I think that says it all :o)

<WRD>


Edward Scissorhands

unread,
Aug 5, 2003, 5:42:42 AM8/5/03
to
So, like, in <slrnbitgaq...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk>, the
most excellent dude Jennie <jen...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk> said:

Wheee! Nothing like a nice positive post to get you started in the
morning :)

10 things I like ;)

1] Certain chords, which I can't name. Hitting them with a good string
ensemble making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

2] Getting wound up about something, only to find that fixing it took
less time than I expected, and getting it done.

3] Discovering that people are actually helping you in your weird
obsessions; especially when that help takes the form of lost EPROMs!

4] Finding another Golf GTI on a dual carriageway, and the funny doppler
effect of the exhausts. Doesn't work if they go flat out.

5] Knowing that I actually got my money's worth out of GTA: Vice City.

6] Sneakily enjoying a sunny day.

7] GAS. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome, not farts). Afflicts me more than
most musicians, but finding something that actually does inspire you,
even just a little bit, and doesn't cost a fortune.

8] Little things.

9] Marmite on Toast.

10] Cats.

Obviously in no particular order, but I felt like being Perky today.
Perhaps I should limit perkiness to LJ and be depressing on here.

EdwardS
--
EdwardS - Romero crossed with Tellytubbies.
What kind of Zombies like Living Flesh?
Fat zombies, skinny zombies, zombies who climb on rocks
Tough zombies, sissy zombies, even zombies with the pox love living flesh...

IHCOYC XPICTOC

unread,
Aug 5, 2003, 8:03:16 AM8/5/03
to
Jennie wrote:

> [2] All the little cancer-seekers displaying their cooked flesh in
> honour of the day star whilst whining about hosepipe bans and
> headaches and delayed trains.

What's a hosepipe? Is it anything like a tube top? and someone in Britain
or Scotland has the good sense to ban them? Would be impossible in the
States. Or is it something more amusing?

Ten things that vex me:

1.) Hip-hop advertising. Especially when it's aimed at children.

2.) The selling of skateboarding and "extreem sportz" to children.

3.) Sneakers over $30

4.) The Roman Church. Isn't it as obvious to them as it is to everybody
else that if they have an anointed, sacramental priesthood, on a different
order of existence from the rank and file membership; and insist that
candidates pledge life-long celibacy; that they're going to attract
candidates who have issues with their sexuality, and create a big incentive
for the hierarchs to cover it up when those issues affect other people? It
won't change; and if they can delude themselves about something this
obvious, they obviously aren't divinely inspired. The only option is
leaving.

5.) Golf on television.

6.) Sitcoms with omniscient, wise, sensible women who interact with clueless
men who serve as the fall guys and straight men, and who set up every plot
with their stupid schemes.

7.) The resurgence of disco and other forms of canned pop.

8.) Gospelizing the National Anthem.

9.) Attempts to copy protect CDs. Why make the legitimate article
worth -less- than pirated copies?

10.) The US attempts to export its drug regime, its monopoly regime, etc.

--
IHCOYC XPICTOC D. G. IMP. LAVRASIĆ ET GONDWANALANDIĆ
http://members.iglou.com/gustavus

Of composts shall the Muse disdain to sing?
Nor soil her heavenly plumes?
--- James Grainger

Whisky-Dave

unread,
Aug 5, 2003, 9:28:32 AM8/5/03
to

"IHCOYC XPICTOC" <ihcoyc...@aye.net> wrote in message
news:vUMXa.2004$jq....@fe01.atl2.webusenet.com...

> Jennie wrote:
>
> > [2] All the little cancer-seekers displaying their cooked flesh

Yeah that's another thing I get pissed off at a few friends telling me how
unhealthy I look and like to show there tans up against my white arms.
Nopw if I could just find a site that explains to them simple that being
brown
doesn't mean they are healthy.

>
> What's a hosepipe?

It's a long rubber or plastic tube attached to you water tap
(fawcet(SP)[1] I think in the USA) to enable you to water your garden
quickly and efficiently. But usualy banned in the UK after a few days of sun
because a water shortage is imminent, if you do have one of these things
you have to pay extra water rates too, think it's about £30 a year.


[1] or was that the women that srated as the Bionic Women


Jennie

unread,
Aug 5, 2003, 10:12:04 AM8/5/03
to
In article <vUMXa.2004$jq....@fe01.atl2.webusenet.com>, IHCOYC XPICTOC wrote:
> Jennie wrote:
>> [2] All the little cancer-seekers displaying their cooked flesh in
>> honour of the day star whilst whining about hosepipe bans and
>> headaches and delayed trains.

> What's a hosepipe? Is it anything like a tube top? and someone in Britain
> or Scotland has the good sense to ban them? Would be impossible in the
> States. Or is it something more amusing?

Um, I'm not sure what a tube top is, though I suspect we're
thinking of similar things. A hosepipe is, essentially, a length of rubber
pipe which attaches to a tap and is then carried around to water a garden.
These days, people often have fancy ones with sprinkler attachments which
are rooted in the ground so they don't need to carry them about. Anyway,
England is increasingly suffering from drought in the summertime (for all
the heat, we don't have that problem further north). Reservoirs run low
and sometimes water supplies to homes are cut off as a result. As the
government and water authorities aim to ensure that everyone has access to
essential supplies, bans are placed on hosepipes to stop water being used
up that way by people who think it's more important for them to have
pretty green lawns.
It looks like the UK may get its hottest day on record this
summer. There hasn't been consistent heat like this since 1976. My brother
was born that year, so I have vivid memories of it. I remember being
terribly careful never to leave a tap dripping. I remember playing on
brown and yellow grass.



> Ten things that vex me:

> 2.) The selling of skateboarding and "extreem sportz" to children.

The other day, a group of young twentysomethings appeared in
the square below Kadath and started trying to rollerblade down the
railings by the underpass. They were really shite at it. For the first
time in months, I found myself nervously watching, expecting to have to
call an ambulance; but they seemed eventually to realise they were shite,
and they gave up. By contrast, the usual gang of kids who do that, the
youngest perhaps about nine, are really good at it, and pull off amazing
stunts on a regular basis. I've seen them twist ankles a couple of times,
but nothing more serious. When they do fall, they know how to land to
minimise injury. They tell me that the police are always trying to stop
them. I can see why they'd worry any adult [1], but I can also see why
they have plenty of confidence in their own abilities. I think it's better
for them to test themselves against the world that way than by getting
into fights with neds with knives.

> 3.) Sneakers over $30

As somebody who doesn't wear such footwear anyway, I'm curious:
is it still possible to find reasonably priced ones?

> 5.) Golf on television.

Do you like golf otherwise?



> 6.) Sitcoms with omniscient, wise, sensible women who interact with clueless
> men who serve as the fall guys and straight men, and who set up every plot
> with their stupid schemes.

I am often invited to contribute to anthologies aimed at women
who think the world operates this way. On the one hand, it's tempting,
because they surely do deserve to be deprived of money; but I don't want
to contribute to the problem. There are a lot of publishers out there
feeding off it.

Jennie

[1] They don't endanger anybody else; they're always very polite, and
move out of the way when people are passing.

Edward Scissorhands

unread,
Aug 5, 2003, 10:42:47 AM8/5/03
to
So, like, in <slrnbivepj...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk>, the
most excellent dude Jennie <jen...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk> said:
> As somebody who doesn't wear such footwear anyway, I'm curious:
>is it still possible to find reasonably priced ones?

In Canada, Converse Allstars are 'only' $54, or about £25. I spent my
money on a set of $200 Rollerblades for $89 instead, but if I found
genuine Converse in the UK for £25 I'd snap them up...

Also I couldn't find black in my size, and I wasn't allowed red. Bah!

kest

unread,
Aug 5, 2003, 12:34:44 PM8/5/03
to
Jennie <jen...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk> wrote in
news:slrnbivepj...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk:

> In article <vUMXa.2004$jq....@fe01.atl2.webusenet.com>, IHCOYC

>> What's a hosepipe? Is it anything like a tube top? and someone in


>> Britain or Scotland has the good sense to ban them? Would be
>> impossible in the States. Or is it something more amusing?
>
> Um, I'm not sure what a tube top is, though I suspect we're
> thinking of similar things. A hosepipe is, essentially, a length of
> rubber pipe which attaches to a tap and is then carried around to
> water a garden.

No, you're not (thinking of similar things). That's a garden hose. A
tube top is a shirt, so named because it has no sleeves and is nothing
but a tube of fabric.

However, the banning of the garden hose here would be equally unlikely.
Southern California droughts four years out of five and you'll still find
sprinklers on every lawn.

k

`Una

unread,
Aug 5, 2003, 2:47:34 PM8/5/03
to
"Jennie" wrote

> IHCOYC XPICTOC wrote:
>
> > What's a hosepipe? Is it anything like a tube top?
>
> Um, I'm not sure what a tube top is, though I suspect we're
> thinking of similar things.

As kest already explained, a tube top is a piece of fabric that's
essentially
a tube worn as a covering for women's breasts. It tends to be most popular
among "trailer trash" and prostitutes. I believe they were most popular
in the '70's/'80's, but can still be seen on people. Fortunately, I haven't
seen any for years, but I've spent most of my life in places where it
doesn't
get literally lethally hot in the summer.

Most people with any sense of taste would consider a ban on them a
favor to everyone with eyes. Never having seen a flattering one, I would
agree.

> > 5.) Golf on television.
>
> Do you like golf otherwise?

I hated golf on television until I learned to like playing.
I thought it was the most pointless thing ever to be broadcast.
Now, I find that it's taught me ways to make sure I have a
good game when I finally get a strong enough swing to play a
full-sized course. Also, I've seen some pretty amazing things
happen. It can take alot of skill to hit a tiny little ball with a
big stick and have it land almost EXACTLY where you want it to.
Some interesting, though very sad things, tend to happen when
guys are having off days.

I never thought I would play any sport and especially never watch
any sport on tv, but I'm finding that I like playing in generous portions
and spectating is ok on a limited basis. I've found that if I don't like
something on tv, I just turn the thing off. But in my case I simply chose
not to get cable and don't pick up local channels because I lack rabbit
ears.
Frankly, there's nothing on TV that would make it worth the hassel of
finding rabbit ears.

However, I do own a TV because my mother bought it for me when I
moved into my own place. My brother bought me a VCR so that there'd
be a reason for the TV because they both know that I don't watch TV shows.
However, I am a movie junky. I'll watch most anything once. If I like it
enough
I'll buy it and watch it repeatedly...or at least have it on for background
noise
when I'm on the computer. The sound of speaking voices can be soothing and
sometimes I'm simply not in the mood for any kind of music.

I got a DVD player for graduation. Once I get my video collection converted
I'll give the VCR to my brother, who will need a new one by then because
he wears them out quickly. (But I've digressed enough).

> > 6.) Sitcoms with omniscient, wise, sensible women who interact with
clueless
> > men who serve as the fall guys and straight men, and who set up every
plot
> > with their stupid schemes.

Gadzooks! People still think the world works that way?!
I suppose I should know that they do by what I've seen in local human
behavior, but I had hoped...well, hope springs eternal in the hearts of
fools and children doesn't it?

It's frightening to run into people who live the stereotypes seen on tv,
but in a small town it's uncommon to meet people who don't. It's extra
frightening that they don't even realize it. But life is short, so I haven't
got
much energy for agonizing over it. It just makes it hard to develop high
quality relationships.

`Una - the love platypus
hopes for too much from the world around me, but expects very little.

Trizia

unread,
Aug 5, 2003, 3:18:07 PM8/5/03
to
On Tue, 05 Aug 2003 11:34:44 -0500, kest <ke...@spamfree.nettrip.org>
scribbled:

>Jennie <jen...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk> wrote in

>> Um, I'm not sure what a tube top is, though I suspect we're
>> thinking of similar things. A hosepipe is, essentially, a length of
>> rubber pipe which attaches to a tap and is then carried around to
>> water a garden.
>
>No, you're not (thinking of similar things). That's a garden hose. A
>tube top is a shirt, so named because it has no sleeves and is nothing
>but a tube of fabric.
>

aka 'boob tube', whereas in he US I think that means a television?
-----
Trizia

Whatever tomorrow brings I'll be there with open arms
http:www.livejournal.com/users/trizia

Peter H. Coffin

unread,
Aug 5, 2003, 5:46:01 PM8/5/03
to
On Tue, 05 Aug 2003 20:18:07 +0100, Trizia wrote:
> On Tue, 05 Aug 2003 11:34:44 -0500, kest <ke...@spamfree.nettrip.org>
> scribbled:
>
>>Jennie <jen...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk> wrote in
>
>>> Um, I'm not sure what a tube top is, though I suspect we're
>>> thinking of similar things. A hosepipe is, essentially, a length of
>>> rubber pipe which attaches to a tap and is then carried around to
>>> water a garden.
>>
>>No, you're not (thinking of similar things). That's a garden hose. A
>>tube top is a shirt, so named because it has no sleeves and is nothing
>>but a tube of fabric.
>>
> aka 'boob tube', whereas in he US I think that means a television?

Yup.

Harlan Ellison called it "The Glass Teat".

--
"... I've seen Sun monitors on fire off the side of the multimedia lab.
I've seen NTU lights glitter in the dark near the Mail Gate.
All these things will be lost in time, like the root partition last week.
Time to die...". -- Peter Gutmann in the scary.devil.monastery

WideRedDragon

unread,
Aug 5, 2003, 5:37:48 PM8/5/03
to

"Jennie" <jen...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:slrnbivepj...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk...

> In article <vUMXa.2004$jq....@fe01.atl2.webusenet.com>, IHCOYC XPICTOC
wrote:
> > Jennie wrote:
> >> [2] All the little cancer-seekers displaying their cooked flesh in
> >> honour of the day star whilst whining about hosepipe bans and
> >> headaches and delayed trains.
>
> > What's a hosepipe? Is it anything like a tube top? and someone in
Britain
> > or Scotland has the good sense to ban them? Would be impossible in the
> > States. Or is it something more amusing?
>
> Um, I'm not sure what a tube top is, though I suspect we're
> thinking of similar things. A hosepipe is, essentially, a length of rubber

Could this be a confusion over what we used to call boob tubes?
If so then I was right to chuckle at the first post. And it always reminds
me of the Young Ones

Vyvian "Do ants go to discos?"
Mike "It's been proved that ants are highly intelligent creatures,
Why would they go to discos?"
Vyvian "Well why's that one wearing a boob tube then?"

<WRD>


IHCOYC XPICTOC

unread,
Aug 5, 2003, 9:31:48 PM8/5/03
to
Jennie wrote:

> Um, I'm not sure what a tube top is, though I suspect we're
> thinking of similar things. A hosepipe is, essentially, a length of rubber
> pipe which attaches to a tap and is then carried around to water a garden.

Obviously I misled myself trying to be too clever and figure this out, and
thought it might be something a sunbather might wear. I will misle no more.
In these parts tube tops are still routinely worn by women who have no
business trying, and they never were flattering on anyone.

We had a terrible drought here the summer of 2000, so bad that trees died,
or died back. I don't give a hoot about grass, but it would be a shame to
let any trees die.

> > 2.) The selling of skateboarding and "extreem sportz" to children.

> I can see why they'd worry any adult [1], but I can also see why


> they have plenty of confidence in their own abilities. I think it's better
> for them to test themselves against the world that way than by getting
> into fights with neds with knives.

Perhaps most people I know anymore are Too Old for That Sort of Thing, and
most of the children in the neighbourhood are under thirteen. There isn't
anyone around here who actually does that sort of thing, though I live on a
mostly unbusy and well paved street. The city of Louisville recently built
a costly "extreme park" that I understand draws a semi-regular crowd. I
have never been.

Where this sort of thing is ubiquitous, though, is on TV advertising aimed
at children. The ads are usually full of abrupt, seizure-inducing flashing
lights, loud noises, and bright primary colours. In the ads, preteen
children with Devo helmets whip through downtown urban settings clutching
the Product. This fortunately does not occur in the real world, at least
not around here. Or, animé/video game cartoon characters are skateboarding
and rollerblading. I have a hard time putting a finger on why I find all
this unsettling, but I do. It may have something to do with presenting
useless feats that only a tiny handful will ever succeed at doing as
desirably "kool" and "radical" and so forth. I know that many will try and
most will be able to limp away; that's not the problem per se. We do seem
to be setting up a nasty elitism based on physical skills, though.

> > 5.) Golf on television.

> Do you like golf otherwise?

When I was a teenager, I decided that golf was an old man's game.
Fortunately, as I have grown older, the minimum age for golf has advanced
before me.

--
IHCOYC XPICTOC D. G. IMP. LAVRASIÆ ET GONDWANALANDIÆ

George Beatley

unread,
Aug 5, 2003, 10:39:57 PM8/5/03
to
Jennie <jen...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:<slrnbitgaq...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk>...

> [1] Supposed left wing intellectuals whose understanding of politics
> and economics is so feeble that they enable their opponents to imply
> there is no left wing case which ever might be argued intelligently.


Alright, fine.
Which one do'ya want?
The puppet on the left, or the puppet on the right?

George Beatley

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 2:01:33 AM8/6/03
to
Edward Scissorhands <Edw...@dmc12.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:<Fgr5a2BnJ8L$Ew$U...@dmc12.demon.co.uk>...

> In Canada, Converse Allstars are 'only' $54, or about £25. I spent my

Allstars used to be one of the market's only $30 dollar pair of decent
shoes, which were indeed made in the US, around 5 years back. However,
for thoes even the slightest concerned about sweatship labor
conditions, the Converse company has since been purchased by an asian
shoe company, which sadly also moved the factories into Southeast
Asian sweatshop mills.

Edward Scissorhands

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 3:23:50 AM8/6/03
to
So, like, in
<ns_de_cybax__yahoo.com_not.re...@news.newsguy.
com>, the most excellent dude --nightshade--
<ns_de_cybax__yahoo...@microsoft.com> said:
>oh, and converse was just bought out, IIRC, by nike. which means, i'm
>guessing, that they'll either be discontinued or $80 per pair soon.

Yep, I heard that too. I had no-name sneakers, but they last all of two
months if I'm lucky.

Jennie

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 6:01:58 AM8/6/03
to
In article <vivuecd...@corp.supernews.com>, `Una wrote:
> As kest already explained, a tube top is a piece of fabric that's
> essentially a tube worn as a covering for women's breasts.

Ah; okay. I would've known that in context. I thought we were
talking about some other use of the term. <shrug>

> It tends to be most popular among "trailer trash" and prostitutes. I
> believe they were most popular in the '70's/'80's, but can still be seen
> on people.

I never quite understood them as a garment people wear to try
and look sexy. The lines which they create don't usually flatter breasts,
and they reveal a lot less than, say, a low-cut vest top. I guess people
equate them with sexiness simply because they don't incorporate much fabric.

> I hated golf on television until I learned to like playing.

See, I like swimming, yet I've never found it interesting to
watch on TV (I can learn a few things from watching, aye, but I only need
to see a couple of moves of anyone's stroke for that). I have even quite
enjoyed playing cricket, but on TV it's deathly boring. Football (soccer)
and snooker would be my exceptions to this rule; in each instance it's
because there are tactical puzzles to be solved besides the rest of it, an
exercise for the viewer.

> I thought it was the most pointless thing ever to be broadcast.

Most of it, here, seems to consist of long shots of a bit of
grass with a small speck travelling across it at speed. This doesn't
communicate much of interest to me. I suppose that someone who played might
learn something from watching the way different players swung at the ball.

> It can take alot of skill to hit a tiny little ball with a
> big stick and have it land almost EXACTLY where you want it to.

I don't doubt that. I've played at putting, but I could never
quite get my head around whacking the ball over the horizon and expecting
to be able to find it again. As a young teenager, my wee brother used to
make quite a bit of cash by wandering around golf courses collecting lost
balls and selling them to golfers. The club staff, who did the same thing,
hated him for it. He had dogs set on him, and all sorts of things, but he
was pretty resourceful in his escapes, and he was persistent. One time he
even got thrown in a lake. He came home dripping with mud, proudly
clutching the three balls he'd managed to hold onto.

> It's frightening to run into people who live the stereotypes seen on tv,
> but in a small town it's uncommon to meet people who don't. It's extra
> frightening that they don't even realize it.

Since they probably don't see anything _else_ on TV, they may
not imagine that there is any other way to be.

Jennie

DJ Satori

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 8:20:15 AM8/6/03
to
Jennie wrote:
> > [1] Supposed left wing intellectuals whose understanding of politics
> > and economics is so feeble that they enable their opponents to
imply
> > there is no left wing case which ever might be argued
intelligently.

George Beatley wrote:
> Alright, fine.
> Which one do'ya want?
> The puppet on the left, or the puppet on the right?

Personally, I'd like fewer puppets on either side. Perhaps some actual
political dialogue might be nice for a change, instead of people treating
politics like a football match. "Ra, ra, go team. I've always been a
(Democrat/Republican/Libertarian/Nazi/whathaveyou) and so they can do no
wrong" just gets old, and kind of gives me the chills.

There is definately nothing that irritates me more than someone taking my
side of a political issue and then making an ass out of themself. During
the build-up to the recent Iraq war, which I was personally against, I was
on the campus of UNLV (the University of Never Leave Vegas, as we like to
affectionally call it) during the campus Peace Coalition's ralley against
the war. Their leader was on a PA making demands of the U.S. government,
like joining the International Criminal Court (something I also agree with).
Unfortunately, said speaker wasn't sure if the U.S. was on the ICC or not,
and didn't seem to quite know what the ICC was or did. He just read on a
website that he was supposed to demand that we support it. Ugh. I really
wanted to shove his microphone someplace quite unpleasant.

----------------------
DJ Satori, Las Vegas

"Does anybody here have a coathanger?"


Whisky-Dave

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 9:08:43 AM8/6/03
to

"`Una" <u...@nettrip.org> wrote in message
news:vivuecd...@corp.supernews.com...

> > > 5.) Golf on television.
> >
> > Do you like golf otherwise?
>
> I hated golf on television until I learned to like playing.
> I thought it was the most pointless thing ever to be broadcast.

I think darts beats it.

> > > 6.) Sitcoms with omniscient, wise, sensible women who interact with
> clueless

.


>
> Gadzooks! People still think the world works that way?!
> I suppose I should know that they do by what I've seen in local human
> behavior, but I had hoped...well, hope springs eternal in the hearts of
> fools and children doesn't it?
>
> It's frightening to run into people who live the stereotypes seen on tv,
> but in a small town it's uncommon to meet people who don't.

Big Brother worries me, although taking interactive TV a seop closer
to reality would be intresting, no when can I vote for who screws who.
Not that I'd want to pre-empt any type of games show, but it
wouldn't be difficult getting a group of people to act that sort of thing
out
would it.
Although I still think the big Brother thing is saddr than any sport on the
TV,
although I haven't seen chess for a while.


Whisky-Dave

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 8:54:54 AM8/6/03
to

"Peter H. Coffin" <hel...@ninehells.com> wrote in message
news:slrnbj080m....@othin.ninehells.com...

> >>> thinking of similar things. A hosepipe is, essentially, a length of
> >>> rubber pipe which attaches to a tap and is then carried around to
> >>> water a garden.
> >>
> >>No, you're not (thinking of similar things). That's a garden hose. A
> >>tube top is a shirt, so named because it has no sleeves and is nothing
> >>but a tube of fabric.
> >>
> > aka 'boob tube', whereas in he US I think that means a television?
>
> Yup.
>

Isn't what we call Tights in the UK called hose or panyhose in the states?


The Emperor Penguin

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 9:37:32 AM8/6/03
to
"Whisky-Dave" <whisk...@final.front.ear> wrote
> > Jennie wrote:
> >
> > [2] All the little cancer-seekers displaying their cooked flesh
>
> Yeah that's another thing I get pissed off at a few friends telling me how
> unhealthy I look and like to show there tans up against my white arms.
> Nopw if I could just find a site that explains to them simple that being
> brown doesn't mean they are healthy.

My tan does. It starts at my wrists and ends above my elbows. It's a
consequence of honest hard work[1] done with sleeves rolled up and
gloves on.

~~~
The Emperor Penguin

1 - Cycling to work

The Emperor Penguin

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 9:44:24 AM8/6/03
to
Jennie <jen...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk> wrote
>
> I never quite understood them as a garment people wear to try
> and look sexy. The lines which they create don't usually flatter breasts,
> and they reveal a lot less than, say, a low-cut vest top. I guess people
> equate them with sexiness simply because they don't incorporate much fabric.

I think it may also (in the eyes of many men) have something to do
with the tendency of inebriated and enthusiastic women to fall out of
them. Or at least look in sufficient danger of doing so to retain the
interest of the (equally inebriated) men in question.

~~~
The Emperor Penguin

Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 9:45:06 AM8/6/03
to
`Una wrote:
> "Jennie" wrote
>
>>IHCOYC XPICTOC wrote:
>>
>>
>>>What's a hosepipe? Is it anything like a tube top?
>>
>> Um, I'm not sure what a tube top is, though I suspect we're
>>thinking of similar things.
>
>
> As kest already explained, a tube top is a piece of fabric that's
> essentially
> a tube worn as a covering for women's breasts. It tends to be most popular
> among "trailer trash" and prostitutes. I believe they were most popular
> in the '70's/'80's, but can still be seen on people. Fortunately, I haven't
> seen any for years, but I've spent most of my life in places where it
> doesn't
> get literally lethally hot in the summer.
>
> Most people with any sense of taste would consider a ban on them a
> favor to everyone with eyes. Never having seen a flattering one, I would
> agree.

It all depends on who's wearing them. Same with halter tops.

Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 9:47:06 AM8/6/03
to
--nightshade-- wrote:

> Jennie wrote:
>
>
>>>3.) Sneakers over $30
>>
>
>> As somebody who doesn't wear such footwear anyway, I'm curious:
>>is it still possible to find reasonably priced ones?
>
>
> generic no-name brands, perhaps. i tend to stay away from those, as they
> typically (a) fall apart, or (b) rub your feet raw.
>
> converse chuck's ("chuck taylor's," or "all stars") run about $35
> hereabouts. or did the last time i bought a pair. since then, they've
> moved the fabrication center overseas for cheap exploited labour, which
> means that they're prolly $40 by now, with a much wider profit margin.
> oh, and converse was just bought out, IIRC, by nike. which means, i'm
> guessing, that they'll either be discontinued or $80 per pair soon.

Doc Martins are the clear alternative. Made in England, presumably by Union
Labor. Plus, they're *bouncey*.

The Emperor Penguin

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 9:57:19 AM8/6/03
to
Jennie <jen...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk> wrote
>
> See, I like swimming, yet I've never found it interesting to
> watch on TV (I can learn a few things from watching, aye, but I only need
> to see a couple of moves of anyone's stroke for that).

Never having had a proper coach, I need to see a bit more than a
couple of strokes to pick up anything useful. And there is just the
sheer wonder of seeing people who are orders of magnitude better at
something than you, even when you are better than the average
yourself. ...Butterfly?!?

A case in point is one of the races I saw from the recent world
championships by an up and coming swimmer from Edina. He had the
long, smooth, flowing breast stroke I wish I had, but in a 100m race -
which he won by a few lengths! It was truly beautiful to watch.

~~~
The Emperor Penguin

Jennie

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 10:14:21 AM8/6/03
to
In article <AKYXa.2352$jq....@fe01.atl2.webusenet.com>, IHCOYC XPICTOC wrote:
> We had a terrible drought here the summer of 2000, so bad that trees died,
> or died back. I don't give a hoot about grass, but it would be a shame to
> let any trees die.

I'd feel the same way. It hasn't happened in Scotland, so far as
I'm aware; thus far I haven't found any references to it happening in
England, though I do remember that young saplings were having trouble in
the summer of '76. I became really interested in them as a result, and the
following winter I was assisted in planting the Christmas fir so that I
could have a tree of my very own. Within four years it had grown taller
than me. Last time I saw it, it was about three times my height. Makes me
feel odd, remembering how I used to wrap my small arms right around it and
hug it when it was a baby.



> Perhaps most people I know anymore are Too Old for That Sort of Thing, and
> most of the children in the neighbourhood are under thirteen.

I think the square and railings outside Kadath are a
particularly attractive location to skateboarders and rollerbladers, so
they travel in from neighbouring estates - obviously the more affluent
ones, since they often bring along digital video cameras with which to
record their stunts. Most of the children who actually live on this estate
are under the age of about twelve and are well brought up Muslims and
Hindus whose parents wouldn't let them do that sort of thing. Or at least,
not if they caught them. ;) The smaller kids put the skateboarders'
wooden ramps up over a few bricks and ride their mountain bikes across
them; not very dangerous, but it seems to provide them with the same sort
of thrill.

> The city of Louisville recently built a costly "extreme park" that I
> understand draws a semi-regular crowd. I have never been.

Such parks seem to be a good idea. They keep all the accidents
in one place. My local park has a concrete area designed for such play,
but it's not spectacular enough; the designers played it _too_ safe, as a
result of which no-one much uses it.

> Where this sort of thing is ubiquitous, though, is on TV advertising aimed
> at children. The ads are usually full of abrupt, seizure-inducing flashing
> lights, loud noises, and bright primary colours. In the ads, preteen
> children with Devo helmets whip through downtown urban settings clutching
> the Product.

That reminds me of the scandal caused by 'Back to the Future',
when Marty McFly rode around town by standing on his skateboard and
holding onto the backs of cars. Parents were _not_ happy about their kids
copying that trick, and I doubt it pleased drivers much either.
Today, of course, children are busy flushing their fish down the
toilet because of what they've seen in 'Finding Nemo'.

> and rollerblading. I have a hard time putting a finger on why I find all
> this unsettling, but I do. It may have something to do with presenting
> useless feats that only a tiny handful will ever succeed at doing as
> desirably "kool" and "radical" and so forth. I know that many will try and
> most will be able to limp away; that's not the problem per se. We do seem
> to be setting up a nasty elitism based on physical skills, though.

I'm glad to see the kids round here getting so much exercise.
They don't spend quite so much time indoors with computer games as they
used to. Whilst they wait to take turns at performing stunts, they often
play games like football (soccer), which gets their younger hangers-on
involved, and they seem to be quite patient with the smaller kids' more
limited abilities. I'm sure that varies, though. Amongst the older ones,
there is certainly a culture where being cool can be won with purely
physical skill, and it's clear that being part of a skateboarding or
rollerblading gang unduly impresses girls [1].

Jennie

[1] Interestingly, I hardly ever see girls participating in these hobbies
themselves.

Matthew King

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 11:16:03 AM8/6/03
to
Tiny Human Ferret <ixnayamsp...@earthops.net> wrote:

> Doc Martins are the clear alternative. Made in England, presumably by Union
> Labor.

I always thought they were made by NAZIS.

Matthew

Matthew-King---Toronto---Canada---Have-you-come-here-to-play-Jesus-
----------------------------------to-the-lepers-in-your-head?--U2--

Alain Cislaghi

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 11:21:02 AM8/6/03
to
On Tue, 5 Aug 2003 10:42:42 +0100, Edward Scissorhands
<Edw...@dmc12.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>So, like, in <slrnbitgaq...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk>, the
>most excellent dude Jennie <jen...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk> said:
>
>Wheee! Nothing like a nice positive post to get you started in the
>morning :)

Dude!

>10 things I like ;)
>
>1] Certain chords, which I can't name. Hitting them with a good string
>ensemble making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

Yes!

>5] Knowing that I actually got my money's worth out of GTA: Vice City.

It's easy to do.

>6] Sneakily enjoying a sunny day.

A good warm stone, under the sun, after a long ride or run is all you
need to be happy (bagels and coffee make it better, tho).

>7] GAS. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome, not farts). Afflicts me more than
>most musicians, but finding something that actually does inspire you,
>even just a little bit, and doesn't cost a fortune.

And learning online shit'bout the newest acquisition, naturally.

>10] Cats.

And they don't need much to be satisfied. No, actually, they need so
much, they don't expect you to ever satisfy'em so they're resigned.
Which is a good alternative to my initial and erroneous statement.

Whisky-Dave

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 11:34:02 AM8/6/03
to

"The Emperor Penguin" <emperor...@virgin.net> wrote in message
news:2cab4ea6.03080...@posting.google.com...
> "Whisky-Dave" <whisk...@final.front.ear> wrote

>
> My tan does. It starts at my wrists and ends above my elbows. It's a
> consequence of honest hard work[1] done with sleeves rolled up and
> gloves on.

One of my firiends is a cycle courier in London victioria area,
anothers a gardener. They don't like this weather.

Whisky-Dave

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 11:42:50 AM8/6/03
to

"The Emperor Penguin" <emperor...@virgin.net> wrote in message
news:2cab4ea6.03080...@posting.google.com...

> something than you, even when you are better than the average
> yourself. ...Butterfly?!?

Is there any point to the Butterfly stroke, it's always seemed very
inefficient
way of getting through water to me, looks like you're trying to shag a
dolphin
while you're there. Mind you I'm not exactly the 'sporting' type.
Even the doggie paddle seems useful.


Jennie

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 11:00:18 AM8/6/03
to
In article <2cab4ea6.03080...@posting.google.com>, The Emperor

It's more likely that such women will fall out of their low cut
vests or blouses. Tube tops tend to be quite rigidly constructed, or
mounted on strong elastic. Of course, this means that they dig into the
flesh at the top of the breasts, often pushing fat into the armpits in a
most unflattering manner.

Jennie

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 11:02:30 AM8/6/03
to
In article <2cab4ea6.03080...@posting.google.com>, The Emperor
Penguin wrote:
> Jennie <jen...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk> wrote
>> See, I like swimming, yet I've never found it interesting to
>> watch on TV (I can learn a few things from watching, aye, but I only need
>> to see a couple of moves of anyone's stroke for that).

> Never having had a proper coach, I need to see a bit more than a
> couple of strokes to pick up anything useful. And there is just the
> sheer wonder of seeing people who are orders of magnitude better at
> something than you, even when you are better than the average yourself.

I'd make a distinction between watching sport on TV and watching
it in person. The latter I find far more useful, and it can provide that
extra element of wonder. Even with the sports I can get something out of
on TV, I'd rather see them live.

Jennie

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 11:06:52 AM8/6/03
to
In article <dp6Ya.1222$Qe.176@fed1read04>, DJ Satori wrote:
> Personally, I'd like fewer puppets on either side. Perhaps some actual
> political dialogue might be nice for a change, instead of people treating
> politics like a football match.

Lately, I have heard a lot of people in the UK, fearful of what
might happen at the next election, saying "Don't attack Tony Blair; he's
better than the Tories." If that's all we ask of him, our democracy is
worthless. It is not _enough_ for him to be better than the Tories, nor
for them to be better than him, a tactic which can result in a mutual
lowering of standards. We shoulexpect certain minimum standards in any
case, irrespective of the behaviour of the opposition. If we fail to hold
our politicians to account thus, using every political tool at our
disposal, we really will be screwed.

> There is definately nothing that irritates me more than someone taking my
> side of a political issue and then making an ass out of themself.

Incompetence still irritates me (though, granted, to a lesser
extent) when it comes from those whom I oppose. I'd prefer to see a higher
level of debate all round.

Jennie

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 11:11:45 AM8/6/03
to
In article <bgqud3$77f$1...@beta.qmul.ac.uk>, Whisky-Dave wrote:
> "`Una" <u...@nettrip.org> wrote in message
> news:vivuecd...@corp.supernews.com...
>> I hated golf on television until I learned to like playing.
>> I thought it was the most pointless thing ever to be broadcast.

> I think darts beats it.

I remember watching the darts as a kid. A group of heavily
overweight, sweaty men with awful sideburns drinking good beer in quantity
and occasionally throwing a bit of stick at a circle. Hmm.



> Big Brother worries me, although taking interactive TV a seop closer
> to reality would be intresting, no when can I vote for who screws who.
> Not that I'd want to pre-empt any type of games show, but it
> wouldn't be difficult getting a group of people to act that sort of thing
> out would it.

It might well offer improved earnings, in better conditions,
for the average prostitute.
I think the public are gradually beginning to understand, now,
that 'Big Brother' represents a form of prostitution, and they're getting
nervous about it as a result, gradually figuring out where their own
thrill was coming from.

> although I haven't seen chess for a while.

Chess is another activity which presents a mental puzzle to the
viewer, giving the viewer something to _do_ rather than just sitting
around passively cheering a bit and maybe reaching for another beer.

Jennie

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 11:13:29 AM8/6/03
to
In article <3F310662...@earthops.net>, Tiny Human Ferret wrote:
> It all depends on who's wearing them. Same with halter tops.

Halter tops require a very specific shape of breast, long and
full but pert. Those are quite rare. Other people can get away with them
sometimes, but rarely look impressive in them.

Jennie

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 11:14:26 AM8/6/03
to
In article <bgn2lh$1o1$1$8302...@news.demon.co.uk>, Weeble wrote:
> Ummm... Is this a "Join In And Make Lists" kind of thread, or a "Run Away;
> She's In A Bad Mood" kind of thread?

Ach; if I were to answer questions like that, it'd take all the
fun out of it. :p

DJ Satori

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 12:16:25 PM8/6/03
to
Jennie wrote:
> Lately, I have heard a lot of people in the UK, fearful of what
> might happen at the next election, saying "Don't attack Tony Blair; he's
> better than the Tories." If that's all we ask of him, our democracy is
> worthless. It is not _enough_ for him to be better than the Tories, nor
> for them to be better than him, a tactic which can result in a mutual
> lowering of standards. We shoulexpect certain minimum standards in any
> case, irrespective of the behaviour of the opposition. If we fail to hold
> our politicians to account thus, using every political tool at our
> disposal, we really will be screwed.

A similar phenomenon is happening here. Joe Lieberman's platform for his
presidential candidacy is pretty much "I agree with Bush on everything, so
I'm safe and electable", and he's attacking candidates who have anything to
say for being too liberal and unelectable. Personally, I find a choice
between Bush and Bush-lite to be a non-choice.

> > There is definately nothing that irritates me more than someone taking
my
> > side of a political issue and then making an ass out of themself.
>
> Incompetence still irritates me (though, granted, to a lesser
> extent) when it comes from those whom I oppose. I'd prefer to see a higher
> level of debate all round

I agree, completely. Real dialogue is good. I just particularly get
annoyed when stupidity comes from people agreeing with me.

---------------------------------
DJ Satori, Las Vegas
Sanctuary, Wednesday nights (http://www.vegasgoths.com/sanctuary/)

WideRedDragon

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 12:33:33 PM8/6/03
to

"Tiny Human Ferret" <ixnayamsp...@earthops.net> wrote in message
news:3F3106DA...@earthops.net...

> --nightshade-- wrote:
> > Jennie wrote:
> >
> >
> >>>3.) Sneakers over $30
> >>
> >
> >> As somebody who doesn't wear such footwear anyway, I'm
curious:
> >>is it still possible to find reasonably priced ones?
> >
> >
> > generic no-name brands, perhaps. i tend to stay away from those, as
they
> > typically (a) fall apart, or (b) rub your feet raw.
> >
> > converse chuck's ("chuck taylor's," or "all stars") run about $35
> > hereabouts. or did the last time i bought a pair. since then, they've
> > moved the fabrication center overseas for cheap exploited labour, which
> > means that they're prolly $40 by now, with a much wider profit margin.
> > oh, and converse was just bought out, IIRC, by nike. which means, i'm
> > guessing, that they'll either be discontinued or $80 per pair soon.
>
> Doc Martins are the clear alternative. Made in England, presumably by
Union
> Labor. Plus, they're *bouncey*.

Are they? I thought thet'd been outsourced to save money just like
seemingly everything else these days.
Somethings I can understand but the day I heard that directory enquiries
were being relocated to India, I'm sure someone must have been taking
the piss somewhere


<WRD>


WideRedDragon

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 12:34:00 PM8/6/03
to

"Matthew King" <mak...@crushed.velvet.net> wrote in message
news:bgr63j$igs$3...@crushed.velvet.net...

> Tiny Human Ferret <ixnayamsp...@earthops.net> wrote:
>
> > Doc Martins are the clear alternative. Made in England, presumably by
Union
> > Labor.
>
> I always thought they were made by NAZIS.

Just invented by Germans, bit of a difference there

<WRD>


WideRedDragon

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 12:35:48 PM8/6/03
to

"Jennie" <jen...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:slrnbj26cc...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk...

> In article <dp6Ya.1222$Qe.176@fed1read04>, DJ Satori wrote:
> > Personally, I'd like fewer puppets on either side. Perhaps some actual
> > political dialogue might be nice for a change, instead of people
treating
> > politics like a football match.
>
> Lately, I have heard a lot of people in the UK, fearful of what
> might happen at the next election, saying "Don't attack Tony Blair; he's
> better than the Tories." If that's all we ask of him, our democracy is
> worthless. It is not _enough_ for him to be better than the Tories, nor
> for them to be better than him, a tactic which can result in a mutual
> lowering of standards. We shoulexpect certain minimum standards in any
> case, irrespective of the behaviour of the opposition. If we fail to hold
> our politicians to account thus, using every political tool at our
> disposal, we really will be screwed.

It's gone from which is the better one to vote into which one isn't as bad
as the other, and it's not a good way to go, and standards get lower every
year it seems

<WRD>


Endymion

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 1:31:20 PM8/6/03
to
"DJ Satori" <dwis...@lvcm.com> wrote

> A similar phenomenon is happening here. Joe Lieberman's platform for his
> presidential candidacy is pretty much "I agree with Bush on everything, so
> I'm safe and electable", and he's attacking candidates who have anything
to
> say for being too liberal and unelectable. Personally, I find a choice
> between Bush and Bush-lite to be a non-choice.

That's what you get from three years of closet leftists in the mainstream
media and in Congress who have been afraid to disagree with Bush on issues,
so instead have taken to questioning his competence, honesty, and political
sanity/rationality. Lieberman's campaign is quite the rational response to
this: give the voters an unquestionably honest, competent, and rational, as
well as slightly more centrist, version of Bush.

I don't think Lieberman can win either the nomination or the election,
though. The election because, as the old saying goes, given the choice
between a Republican and a Republican, the voters will chose the Republican
every time - a moderate Democrat can certainly win a national election, but
probably not one who is so conservative as to be almost indistinguishable
from his opponent.

The nomination because too many Democrats will remember his stand for
Clinton's impeachment, because there are too many anti-Semites in the party
(Jesse "Hymietown" Jackson, anyone?) to let a Jew be the party's
standard-bearer, and most of all because the Dems would need to lose ten
elections, not just one and by so close a margin as in 2000, before getting
so desperate as to nominate someone half as conservative as Lieberman - if
they'd ever be willing to go that far.

Different phenonomenon from what Jennie's talking about, anyway - Lieberman
isn't saying to leave Bush alone, he's pointing out, correctly, that a
fringe-left platform may fire up hardcore Democratic ideologues but it will
blow the election by a wide margin and end up doing no one any good except
the Bush campaign.

--
Endymion
disinte...@mindspring.com
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like;
and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."


Jennie

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 2:05:42 PM8/6/03
to
In article <bgr7e2$9i6$1...@beta.qmul.ac.uk>, Whisky-Dave wrote:
> Is there any point to the Butterfly stroke, it's always seemed very
> inefficient way of getting through water to me

It was originally favoured for its speed. It is, indeed,
enormously inefficient, and quite exhausting. This makes it a good stroke
to train with, but I am one of many swimmers who otherwise despise it.

Peter Constantine

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 4:48:25 PM8/6/03
to
WideRedDragon wrote:

>> Doc Martins are the clear alternative. Made in England, presumably by
>>Union Labor. Plus, they're *bouncey*.
>

>Are they? I thought thet'd been outsourced to save money just like
>seemingly everything else these days.

I believe Dr Martens are indeed now made in China:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2356519.stm

Constantine
x

["What is that one thing that unites us? It's not class
ideology, colour, creed or roots, the only thing that
unites us is Dr Martens Boots!" - Alexei Sayle]


Edward Scissorhands

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 5:39:20 PM8/6/03
to
So, like, in <BB572829...@xsublime.demon.co.uk>, the most
excellent dude Peter Constantine <const...@xsublime.demon.co.uk>
said:

>I believe Dr Martens are indeed now made in China:
>
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2356519.stm

There were rumours that Nike were to buy DM at one point; I think I'm
more disgusted that they didn't, but the boots are made in China now
anyway. Like the Dyson vacuum cleaner, yet another product I was happy
to pay a little more for because it supported manufacturing here, I will
not buy another pair.

EdwardS (whose DC04 was made in Britain, at least).
--
EdwardS - Romero crossed with Tellytubbies.
What kind of Zombies like Living Flesh?
Fat zombies, skinny zombies, zombies who climb on rocks
Tough zombies, sissy zombies, even zombies with the pox love living flesh...

DJ Satori

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 8:37:15 PM8/6/03
to
Endymion wrote:
> Different phenonomenon from what Jennie's talking about, anyway -
Lieberman
> isn't saying to leave Bush alone, he's pointing out, correctly, that a
> fringe-left platform may fire up hardcore Democratic ideologues but it
will
> blow the election by a wide margin and end up doing no one any good except
> the Bush campaign.

I disagree. If Lieberman were attacking Kucinich, he'd be attacking a
fringe-left candidate. Howard Dean, on the other hand, is a pro-gun fiscal
moderate who is simply saying (as many Americans now are) that Bush didn't
make a good case for going to war, and alienated the rest of the world in
doing so. If that's fringe-left, then America is way too far to the right.
But Democrats backing John Kerry and Joe Lieberman are basically saying the
same thing as Labours backing Blair: the only way to beat the
Republicans/Tories is to not stand up for what we believe in. A strategy, I
may point out, that worked oh so well in the last U.S. midterms.

----------------------
DJ Satori, Las Vegas

Endymion

unread,
Aug 6, 2003, 9:55:55 PM8/6/03
to
"DJ Satori" <dwis...@lvcm.com> wrote

> I disagree.

I disagree with your disagreement.

> Howard Dean, on the other hand, is a pro-gun fiscal
> moderate

He's a lot more and a lot less than that. I'd like to see how pro-gun he
stays outside of Vermont (the most pro-gun political entity outside
Switzerland), for one, and for two, he is NOT a fiscal moderate, he is an
old-school tax-and-spender who would run up deficits as big as Bush's, he'd
just do it by spending the nation into the poorhouse rather than tax-cutting
the government there (which much more disastrous results for the economy,
but I digress).

But the important point is that Dean is not running on any of what you
mention, he's running on old-school leftist antiwar, pro-tax, and old-school
social program ideas, the same ones that went down to defeat time and time
again for the Dems throughout the 70's and 80's (in every election except
the follow-up to Watergate, until Cinton got the message and dumped that
platform for a centrist and progressive one emphasizing competence and
"change" over ideology).

> who is simply saying (as many Americans now are) that Bush didn't
> make a good case for going to war, and alienated the rest of the world in
> doing so.

Bullshit. I don't have time to argue it fully, but this is hardly the extent
of his position on the war or the issues. His opposition was and is not to
Bush's handling of the war, but to the idea of the use of power itself. From
the Dean for America website:

"I opposed President Bush's war in Iraq from the beginning. While Saddam
Hussein's regime was clearly evil and needed to be disarmed, it did not
present an immediate threat to U.S. security that would justify going to
war, particularly going to war alone."

And yes, in short, Dean is, in this election, this country, and this
political climate, the fringe left candidate, and almost certainly
unelectable by a huge margin. He is quite simply miles to the left of the
political center of balance in the country, probably farther to the left
than Ashcroft or any of the people on the rightward side of Bush's cabinet
are to the right of that center. He could be part of a Democratic cabinet or
ticket but not the standard-bearer or the center of attention for it, he'd
just alienate too many people who don't agree with his views and never will.
Get used to it and get over it.

Erin Nelson

unread,
Aug 7, 2003, 2:06:31 AM8/7/03
to
On Wed, 6 Aug 2003, Whisky-Dave wrote:

> Isn't what we call Tights in the UK called hose or panyhose in the states?

around here, tights are more substantial opaque, coloured, or patterned.
hose are flesh coloured and so thin that they snag on ragged thoughts.
and a horrible name it is.

erin


Erin Nelson

unread,
Aug 7, 2003, 2:08:52 AM8/7/03
to
On Wed, 6 Aug 2003, Whisky-Dave wrote:

> Is there any point to the Butterfly stroke, it's always seemed very
> inefficient

properly done, it's like flying
hence the "fly"

most people don't have th4e shoulder and back strenght to pull it off, and
end up floundering and splashing around more than moving forward.


erin


Rachael

unread,
Aug 7, 2003, 6:24:53 AM8/7/03
to
WideRedDragon scripsit:

> "Matthew King" <mak...@crushed.velvet.net> wrote in message

<re: Doc Martins>

>> I always thought they were made by NAZIS.
>
> Just invented by Germans, bit of a difference there

Ut unum sint. ;P

Rachael
listening to Masonna

--
"Suavia musae... me delectant, me deiciunt, me consolantur."
Parmi les histoires, certaines sont simples, d'autres sont com-
plexes, car les actions que les histoires imitent le sont elles
aussi. -Aristote, Poétique, X, 27

Rachael

unread,
Aug 7, 2003, 6:25:29 AM8/7/03
to
IHCOYC XPICTOC scripsit:

> Ten things that vex me:

> 4.) The Roman Church. Isn't it as obvious to them as it is to every-
> body else that if they have an anointed, sacramental priesthood, on
> on a different order of existence from the rank and file membership;
> and insist that candidates pledge life-long celibacy; that they're
> going to attract candidates who have issues with their sexuality, and

This is not obvious to everybody. Perhaps the Roman Catholic Church has
a more positive view of man, an idea that does not reduce us human be-
ings to will-less subjects of our biological drives? Maybe the Church
concedes us the ability to free us from our nature, to tame our urges
and compulsive desires (in order to commit ourselves to ...[1]...)?

> create a big incentive for the hierarchs to cover it up when those
> issues affect other people? It won't change; and if they can delude

This is sad, true, and hopefully the Church will continue to revise
its policies in regard to abuse, now that it has gradually started to
correct them in accordance with the needs of the victims (under this
in some other respects thankfully dogmatic and orthodox papacy).

> themselves about something this obvious, they obviously aren't
> divinely inspired. The only option is leaving.

This is just not true. I'm fed up with this immature iconoclastic no-
tion that leaving the Church is the only option, for it is not up-to-
date in regard to its doctrine and policies. The Church needs not move
with the times, in fact it *must not* do so; and it thankfully retains
its ...[2]... in contrast to the ephemeral secular value systems of
today, thus offering a reliable and firm basis to the faithful.

> 6.) Sitcoms with omniscient, wise, sensible women who interact with
> clueless men who serve as the fall guys and straight men, and who
> set up every plot with their stupid schemes.

But it is *factual truth*! Women are the better men.

> 10.) The US attempts to export its drug regime, its monopoly regime,
> regime, etc.

But it will save us all and offers freedom, democracy and the pursuit of
happiness to all us unfortunate non-citizens of earthly paradise, too.

Don't you want us to be part of the inspired, being saved from our
sinful past and horrible mere existence in the shreds of hell a.k.a.
the Old World?

Rachael
listening to Aube

[1] God, faith, compassion for our human fellows, whatever.
[2] Orthodoxy, eternal truths, theology, whatever.

--
"Suavia musae... me delectant, me deiciunt, me consolantur."

Theater muß sein: dialektisches Forum, jedoch nicht der ideologischen
Enge, sondern der menschlichen Wahrheit und Poesie. -Giorgio Strehler

Whisky-Dave

unread,
Aug 7, 2003, 9:41:33 AM8/7/03
to

"Jennie" <jen...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:slrnbj26cc...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk...

> lowering of standards. We shoulexpect certain minimum standards in any


> case, irrespective of the behaviour of the opposition. If we fail to hold
> our politicians to account thus, using every political tool at our
> disposal, we really will be screwed.

So we get screwed, nothing new there.
Of course if polititions were held accountable, rather than promoted when
they screw up things might be different.
Does anyone actualy keep track of why the voted for X or Y
and then see if those polices are acted on?

>I'd prefer to see a higher
> level of debate all round.

I guess Mass-debating is more fun all round. :)

Which explains politics I guess.

The Emperor Penguin

unread,
Aug 7, 2003, 9:58:05 AM8/7/03
to
"Endymion" <disinte...@mindspring.com> wrote

> ...he [Howard Dean] is an old-school tax-and-spender...

This is a piece of polemical cliche which I remember confusing me from
when I first started paying attention to such things. I had thought
setting taxation levels and then spending the revenue was what
governments did. Naif, I know. Of course, I now realise that this is
simply a lazy short-hand for a much broader criticism.

It still seems a superior model to the oft espoused alternative, which
appears to be a simultaneous and contradictory
"still-tax-but-don't-spend" and "don't-tax-but-still-spend". But then
that's me - still naif.

~~~
The Emperor Penguin

The Emperor Penguin

unread,
Aug 7, 2003, 10:00:18 AM8/7/03
to
Erin Nelson <ni...@obscure.buggeroff.org> wrote
> On Wed, 6 Aug 2003, Whisky-Dave wrote:
>
> > Is there any point to the Butterfly stroke, it's always seemed very
> > inefficient

> most people don't have th4e shoulder and back strenght to pull it off, and

> end up floundering and splashing around more than moving forward.

I don't have the hips for it. My shoulders are strong enough if I can
just kick them out of the water enough to use them. Unfortunately, I
can't.

~~~
The Emperor Penguin

DJ Satori

unread,
Aug 7, 2003, 4:37:30 PM8/7/03
to
Endymion wrote: (in reference to Howard Dean)

> He's a lot more and a lot less than that. I'd like to see how pro-gun he
> stays outside of Vermont (the most pro-gun political entity outside
> Switzerland), for one, and for two, he is NOT a fiscal moderate, he is an
> old-school tax-and-spender who would run up deficits as big as Bush's,
he'd
> just do it by spending the nation into the poorhouse rather than
tax-cutting
> the government there (which much more disastrous results for the economy,
> but I digress).

Dean balanced Vermont's budget year after year, despite that Vermont does
not have a balanced-budget ammendment. And Bush has increased government
spending enourmously, while cutting taxes. I'm not opposed to cuts in
government and cuts in taxes at the same time. But deficit spending is not
good for the economy.

`Una

unread,
Aug 7, 2003, 5:25:41 PM8/7/03
to
"Jennie" wrote
> `Una wrote:
> > It's frightening to run into people who live the stereotypes seen on tv,
> > but in a small town it's uncommon to meet people who don't. It's extra
> > frightening that they don't even realize it.
>
> Since they probably don't see anything _else_ on TV, they may
> not imagine that there is any other way to be.

The frightening thing is that they are convinced that they aren't being
like
what they see on tv. They think they are nothing like what they see on tv
and berate what they see to feel superior. But they are exactly like it.

I don't really know how to explain what's frightening about it except that
we live in this world full of people who don't even know who they are or
who everyone else is.
And I'm one of them in at least one small aspect without
even knowing it.

`Una - the love platypus

`Una

unread,
Aug 7, 2003, 5:31:42 PM8/7/03
to
"Jennie" wrote

> I'd make a distinction between watching sport on TV and watching
> it in person.

There's a huge difference. They both have aspects that I appreciate.

Watching a sport live I get to decide where I'll look and what I'll see.
There's also the atmosphere of being in a huge crowd of people who
are all responding to the same game I'm watching. I hate noisy crowds, but
I'll make an exception for a sports event I want to be at.

Watching a sport on tv I get a more clear view of what someone is doing.
This is best for individual sports like figure skating, but can also be
useful for team sports where
I might miss a critical bit of action because I was distracted by something
else.

I grew up hating nothing as much as I hated sports.
It's amazing what you can learn about yourself when you try new things.

`Una

unread,
Aug 7, 2003, 5:36:09 PM8/7/03
to
"Jennie" wrote

> Tiny Human Ferret wrote:
> > It all depends on who's wearing them. Same with halter tops.
>
> Halter tops require a very specific shape of breast, long and
> full but pert. Those are quite rare. Other people can get away with them
> sometimes, but rarely look impressive in them.

Oh! I finally get to ask this and maybe get a coherent response!

No matter which school I went to (and there were more than 15), halter tops
were always forbidden by the dress code, so I always read that they were
something
you shouldn't wear to school, but I never found out what they were.
I've probably seen one and not known it, but is someone could explain, that
would be awesome.

`Una - the love platypus

I hate going through life not knowing things.


Matthew King

unread,
Aug 7, 2003, 8:04:22 PM8/7/03
to
WideRedDragon <widere...@hotmail.blindfold.com> wrote:

That's what they WANT you to think.

The Green-Fascist conspiracy is well-documented on the World Wide
Internet. Death in June is involved. Germany and global Ba'athism is the
new Axis.

Matthew

Matthew-King---Toronto---Canada---Have-you-come-here-to-play-Jesus-
----------------------------------to-the-lepers-in-your-head?--U2--

IHCOYC XPICTOC

unread,
Aug 7, 2003, 11:05:15 PM8/7/03
to
Rachael wrote:

<< This is not obvious to everybody. Perhaps the Roman Catholic Church has
a more positive view of man, an idea that does not reduce us human be-
ings to will-less subjects of our biological drives? >>

Well, as Solomon said, the race is not always to the swift, nor the battle
to the strong, but that's the way to bet.

The real problem is colossal institutional hubris. They erase whole
chapters from the New Testament that say that ritual laws and observations
never made anyone holy. They repeal the whole Epistle to the Hebrews, whose
chief point is that a sacramental, sacerdotal, sacrificial priesthood is
redundant after the Cross. They ignore the clear teaching of the Apostles of
the equality and priesthood of every believer in order to set up the
hierarchy as a spiritual aristocracy. They are in this pickle because they
have turned away from what Christianity actually teaches.

So they end up with anointed priests, spiritual aristocrats, who have a few
issues. Still, theirs are the magic fingers that transubstantiate; not just
anyone can make it work. We are dealing with valuable and hard to replace
human capital here. It may well seem reasonable from that perspective to
try and shuffle them around in hopes the problem will go away.

--
IHCOYC XPICTOC D. G. IMP. LAVRASIĆ ET GONDWANALANDIĆ
http://members.iglou.com/gustavus

Of composts shall the Muse disdain to sing?
Nor soil her heavenly plumes?
--- James Grainger

IHCOYC XPICTOC

unread,
Aug 7, 2003, 11:14:29 PM8/7/03
to
The Emperor Penguin wrote:

> It still seems a superior model to the oft espoused alternative, which
> appears to be a simultaneous and contradictory
> "still-tax-but-don't-spend" and "don't-tax-but-still-spend". But then
> that's me - still naif.

You're no fun. I'm for hyperinflation, and if elected, I promise I will
bring it about.

Let's start adding some zeroes to the money supply. Let's have the
government stay afloat by printing up bushels of banknotes with naughts on
the end and putting them into circulation. It may be chaotic, but it will
be fun to carry around all that cash with all those zeroes, don't you think?
You'll feel richer for it in some inner sense, even if the money is
worthless.

--
IHCOYC XPICTOC D. G. IMP. LAVRASIĘ ET GONDWANALANDIĘ

~Fianna

unread,
Aug 7, 2003, 11:51:52 PM8/7/03
to

kest wrote:

> However, the banning of the garden hose here would be equally unlikely.
> Southern California droughts four years out of five and you'll still find
> sprinklers on every lawn.

They're finally doing something about it in Vegas. We just got a notice
from the Water District that effective Sept. 1, we can only use our
sprinkler system on alternate days. They're implementing fines and such if
you're overwatering. It's about damn time. Now if they'll only close the
stupid golf courses and put a tax on lawns.

Kat


Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 10:32:51 AM8/8/03
to
Whisky-Dave wrote:
> "The Emperor Penguin" <emperor...@virgin.net> wrote in message
> news:2cab4ea6.03080...@posting.google.com...
>
>>"Whisky-Dave" <whisk...@final.front.ear> wrote
>
>
>>My tan does. It starts at my wrists and ends above my elbows. It's a
>>consequence of honest hard work[1] done with sleeves rolled up and
>>gloves on.
>
>
> One of my firiends is a cycle courier in London victioria area,
> anothers a gardener. They don't like this weather.

Hah, probably first time they've ever seen this much sun, I'd wager.

I'm rather unGoth these days as I've been doing a lot of gardening. I'm
actually quite tan on the arms, getting towards having a tan on the legs,
however I wear a big cowboy hat to keep my face from getting way overdone.

I must point out that I probably look quite silly trotting around in green
BDU shorts, Doc Martins, a t-shirt and cowboy hat. But it could be worse,
I'm sure, I'd certainly be sweating a lot worse if I was trying to make hay
all-covered in all-black. (to make hay, of course, it's required that the
sun shine. and that one be out in that sun, 95 degrees F and humidity so
high that one leaves a contrail like a jet if one moves too quickly, which
one of course doesn't as one hasn't the energy for more than the task at
hand, if that much.)


--
Be kind to your neighbors, even | "Global domination, of course!"
though they be transgenic chimerae. | -- The Brain
"People that are really very weird can get into sensitive
positions and have a tremendous impact on history." -- Dan Quayle

Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 10:34:08 AM8/8/03
to

Tights would be Spandex (maybe even Gore-Tex for the hardcore sportsters)
and "pantyhose" would be Nylon or something quite similar.

Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 10:39:34 AM8/8/03
to

Quite right. If you've got the essentials down, you can just haul ass
through the water. However, it's in fact a demanding and exhausting stroke.
And once you learn to do the proper kick, there's little better for
underwater swimming than a good dolphin stroke (modified breast-stroke pull
with butterfly whip kick). Plus it's good training for the "shrimp stroke",
in which you can swim underwater backwards nearly as quickly as forwards.
Actually, if you don't mind constantly running into things, shrimp stroke is
one of the fastest and easiest ways to get around underwater.

Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 10:45:25 AM8/8/03
to
Jennie wrote:

> In article <3F310662...@earthops.net>, Tiny Human Ferret wrote:
>
>>It all depends on who's wearing them. Same with halter tops.
>
>
> Halter tops require a very specific shape of breast, long and
> full but pert. Those are quite rare.

And a sad thing is is, too. IMHO.

> Other people can get away with them
> sometimes, but rarely look impressive in them.

Well, if that's the sole objective. Actually, tube-tops if properly done, as
you note elsewhere, are perhaps most properly done by women who aren't so
amply endowed.

Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 11:05:08 AM8/8/03
to
Red Drag Diva wrote:
> On Thu, 7 Aug 2003 14:36:09 -0700,
> `Una <u...@nettrip.org> wrote:
>
> : No matter which school I went to (and there were more than 15), halter tops

> : were always forbidden by the dress code, so I always read that they were
> : something
> : you shouldn't wear to school, but I never found out what they were.
> : I've probably seen one and not known it, but is someone could explain, that
> : would be awesome.
>
>
> http://images.google.com on "halter top" will help.
>
> http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/3774-AA.shtml - note tie at back of
> neck.
>
>
Or for perhaps a better example, http://www.dancestore.com/halters.html

They're pretty much your basic "over the shoulder boulder holder", as one
gal I used know called them. I used to see them commonly made from (very
large) bandannas, more or less. Take a _very_ large bandanna, fold
diagonally and roll up a bit along the folds, as for a triangle-folded head
kerchief. Then roll up the pointed top a bit with a string threaded through
and sew the top roll and the bottom roll. Pointed top goes up and the string
ties behind the neck, longer bottom fold goes down and ties behind the back.
done properly and worn by the right person, this has been known towreck
cars, stop traffic, cause eyes to pop out of sockets, and the stock-market
to go way way up. Among other things.

Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 11:35:23 AM8/8/03
to
Matthew King wrote:
> WideRedDragon <widere...@hotmail.blindfold.com> wrote:
>
>
>>"Matthew King" <mak...@crushed.velvet.net> wrote in message
>>news:bgr63j$igs$3...@crushed.velvet.net...
>>
>>>Tiny Human Ferret <ixnayamsp...@earthops.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Doc Martins are the clear alternative. Made in England, presumably by
>>>>Union Labor.
>>>
>>>I always thought they were made by NAZIS.
>>
>
>>Just invented by Germans, bit of a difference there
>
>
> That's what they WANT you to think.
>
> The Green-Fascist conspiracy is well-documented on the World Wide
> Internet. Death in June is involved. Germany and global Ba'athism is the
> new Axis.

Goodness gracious, you've actually out-madded me, in Conspiracy Theory, yet.

But it's all true! You've found us out. And here's proof:

http://www.earthops.net/now/then/archive/doc_martins.jpg

Lederhosen[1] and everything, but the real clincher?
That box of detergent in the background has the brand-name "TIDE"
and as that relates not only to the Ocean but to the Moon,
unquestionably it's part of the PAGAN TREE HUGGER CULT!

It just gets worse if left untreated, you know.

Ref:
1. and no remarks about the skinny chicken legs, thanks.

Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 11:38:24 AM8/8/03
to
Peter Constantine wrote:
> WideRedDragon wrote:
>
>
>>>Doc Martins are the clear alternative. Made in England, presumably by
>>>Union Labor. Plus, they're *bouncey*.
>>
>>Are they? I thought thet'd been outsourced to save money just like
>>seemingly everything else these days.
>
>
> I believe Dr Martens are indeed now made in China:
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2356519.stm

Well just fuckme then. That's a damned sad day for England and Union Labor I
might add.

At least the ones I bought have "made in england" stamped on them.

I can't imagine that the Chinese could possibly make as good a shoe.

Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 11:41:29 AM8/8/03
to
Red Drag Diva wrote:

> On Wed, 06 Aug 2003 09:47:06 -0400,
> Tiny Human Ferret <ixnayamsp...@earthops.net> wrote:
>
> : Doc Martins are the clear alternative. Made in England, presumably by Union
> : Labor. Plus, they're *bouncey*.
>
>
> Nope! They shut down the last UK factory a matter of months ago. Now the
> boots are made in China.

Yikes a chorus of depression echoes at me from all sides. The place I got
mine at had a few more pairs, maybe some will be in my size, and if they've
got a label of "made in england" on them, I can buy them and put them in a
safe for posterity "last decent shoe for the working man, outsourced to death."

Fucking death knell of western civilization, that's what it is.

Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 11:43:47 AM8/8/03
to
Jennie wrote:

<snips>


> Lately, I have heard a lot of people in the UK, fearful of what
> might happen at the next election, saying "Don't attack Tony Blair; he's
> better than the Tories." If that's all we ask of him, our democracy is
> worthless. It is not _enough_ for him to be better than the Tories, nor
> for them to be better than him, a tactic which can result in a mutual
> lowering of standards.

BWA! HAHahahahah ha ha....

British humor. Sneaks right up on you it does.

--klaatu, wiping down the keyboard and monitor

WideRedDragon

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 12:01:52 PM8/8/03
to

"Tiny Human Ferret" <ixnayamsp...@earthops.net> wrote in message
news:3F33C3F0...@earthops.net...

> Peter Constantine wrote:
> > WideRedDragon wrote:
> >
> >
> >>>Doc Martins are the clear alternative. Made in England, presumably by
> >>>Union Labor. Plus, they're *bouncey*.
> >>
> >>Are they? I thought thet'd been outsourced to save money just like
> >>seemingly everything else these days.
> >
> >
> > I believe Dr Martens are indeed now made in China:
> >
> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2356519.stm
>
> Well just fuckme then. That's a damned sad day for England and Union Labor
I
> might add.
>
> At least the ones I bought have "made in england" stamped on them.
>
> I can't imagine that the Chinese could possibly make as good a shoe.

Maybe so or maybe not, but I wonder if they make a better 'made in england'
stamp than we do :o)

<WRD>


The Emperor Penguin

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 12:19:17 PM8/8/03
to
"`Una" <u...@nettrip.org> wrote

> Oh! I finally get to ask this and maybe get a coherent response!

> you shouldn't wear to school, but I never found out what they [halter tops]


> were. I've probably seen one and not known it, but is someone could explain, > that would be awesome.

You have, I guarantee it. The summary version might be: string bikini
top, but more material. Do a search in google's "image" bit, and all
will be revealed. As in "made plain", you understand.

~~~
The Emperor Penguin

Jennie

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 11:45:07 AM8/8/03
to
In article <8chYa.1348$Qe.759@fed1read04>, DJ Satori wrote:
> moderate who is simply saying (as many Americans now are) that Bush didn't
> make a good case for going to war, and alienated the rest of the world in
> doing so. If that's fringe-left, then America is way too far to the right.

It's a fine thing to make bold statements like that. It's a
foolish thing to run for election on them. Changing people's minds is a
gradual process. If the US is to move further to the left, what's most
important is not who becomes the next president, it's who talks to
individuals day to day in person, through televisions, through radio, on
the net, in newspapers, etc.

Jennie

--
Jennie Kermode jen...@innocent.com
http://www.triffid.demon.co.uk/jennie

Jennie

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 11:47:48 AM8/8/03
to
In article <K7XKc1AIWXM$Ew...@dmc12.demon.co.uk>, Edward Scissorhands wrote:
> There were rumours that Nike were to buy DM at one point; I think I'm
> more disgusted that they didn't, but the boots are made in China now
> anyway. Like the Dyson vacuum cleaner, yet another product I was happy
> to pay a little more for because it supported manufacturing here, I will
> not buy another pair.

There are often second hand ones available in very good
condition.

Jennie

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 11:57:19 AM8/8/03
to
In article <bgtkmb$1rs$1...@beta.qmul.ac.uk>, Whisky-Dave wrote:
> Of course if polititions were held accountable, rather than promoted when
> they screw up things might be different.
> Does anyone actualy keep track of why the voted for X or Y
> and then see if those polices are acted on?

I do. I keep in touch with all of my elected representatives
(local councillor, MP, local MSP, list MSPs and MEPs), and also send
occasional letters to ministers when it seems appropriate to do so. I
regard this as my democratic duty. After all, it would be unreasonable to
expect people to represent my concerns if they were not _informed_ of my
concerns. Almost all of the people whom I communicate with in this manner
are responsive and helpful, regardless of specific political differences
which we may have.
Anyone who's interested in doing this kind of thing but doesn't
know where to start should look up hir political representatives on the
web - the US and UK are both well organised now in presenting this sort of
information. An increasing number of politicians will read oo respond to
email, so that it doesn't need to cost you money every time you have
something to say. Of course, it's important to be polite and to make sure
you understand an issue thoroughly before writing.

Jennie

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 12:05:35 PM8/8/03
to
In article <vj5h2b...@corp.supernews.com>, `Una wrote:
> No matter which school I went to (and there were more than 15), halter tops
> were always forbidden by the dress code, so I always read that they were
> something you shouldn't wear to school, but I never found out what they were.

The pictures David linked to probably make it pretty clear. A
halter top is one which, rather than having sleeves or straps around the
shoulders, encircles the back of the neck, usually being tied there. Most
halter tops are styled as crop tops. The fabric hangs down from the neck
and curves under the breasts; if it's well cut, it will pull them up
slightly. The shape this creates means that the sides of larger breasts
can be visible to the side of the fabric and look like flab. Breasts which
don't have much muscular support tend to sag in such tops, and visibly so.
Breasts which don't hang downwards at all don't fit with the cut of most
halter tops, so they don't look awful, but they don't look very
interesting either. An effectively worn halter top should flatter the
shape of the breasts and make them look a little larger, giving the
impression that they are only just restrained and may break free at any
moment.

blue atomic

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 1:59:03 PM8/8/03
to
1. oprah winfrey
2. rosie odonnell
3. george bush
4. john ashcroft
4. condoleeza rice
5. the death penalty
6. madonna
7. flop flops
8. whiskered jeans
9. velour track suits
10. oprah winfrey, god i pray this woman the above mentioned #2 never
go into politics. i hate those two bleeding heart fat ass bitc*es.

The Emperor Penguin

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 2:18:36 PM8/8/03
to
1.
People. I could get more specific, but this isn't 5.999 billion (to 4
s.f.) things I hate.

2.
Neds. Okay, for them I make an exception. These days, the ones who
regularly make me want to shake them warmly by the throat are the ones
whose startling powers of observation are so acute that, as one makes
one's way along the cycle track, they can spot your bike, and
recognize it at ten paces. Having done so, they then feel compelled
to demonstrate their acuity to their fellows, or indeed to you, the
rider of said vehicle, by pointing and declaiming "Bike! Haw!
There'a'Bike!" This is often a source of some amusement to them.
One is occasionally tempted to screech to a halt, dismount, walk
around the offending article while staring at it dumbfounded, then to
smack ones'self on the head and say "Shit! You're right. And the man
in the shop swore it was a Ferrari!"
But it would be wasted on them.

3.
Being late with my assignments.

4.
Working. Not in general - I quite like doing an honest day's work.
Just getting up, wearing someone elses' idea of appropriate attire,
spending over two hours of my own time just to get there and back,
spending the day among people who are generally not much brighter than
the lusers at the other end of the phone and at the end of the day,
going home having done Sweet FA of any significance or value to myself
as a human being. Unless I got some studying done or something
equally unrelated to what they're paying me for.

5.
People conforming to gender stereotypes just because they don't have
the wit to recognise them as such.

6.
All these inane conversations about how lovely the weather is. It's
not. It's fucking hot! These people lead such cosseted lives that a
sun-tan is a mark of luxury! About how they wish it would stay like
this. Really? You want to live in a desert? Go ahead, but I like my
ecosystem. About how they it would be nice if you could rely on it
being like this. Just for a month or so. How immensely dull. I may
not like the heat much, but as the price of having WEATHER I'll take
it.
And I really, really hate how this is the exact fucking same
conversation you had when we last had a few nice days strung together.
And the time before that. And the time before that. And the time
before that. And the time...

7.
"Cherry-bomb" exhausts on crap little 1100cc hatchbacks.

8.
The kind of argument which says that we need to exploit this resource
to extinction or those who exploit it will end up out of a job. The
kind of argument which says we only have enough of resource X to last
ten years, but we have enough of resource Y to last 100 years, so
we'll just expand our use of resource Y tenfold to compensate. The
kind of argument which says we can't afford to do something because
there won't be enough demand to make it economical until WE'RE ALL
FUCKING DEAD!

9.
Headwinds.

10.
Shoebox, mushroom, just-add-water, insta-suburb housing. But I've
ranted about this one recently.

~~~
The Emperor Penguin.

Sorry for shouting, but you did say "hate", didn't you?

Trizia

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 2:34:24 PM8/8/03
to
On 8 Aug 2003 10:59:03 -0700, bluea...@hotmail.com (blue atomic)
scribbled:

>8. whiskered jeans

What are they?
-----
Trizia

Whatever tomorrow brings I'll be there with open arms
http:www.livejournal.com/users/trizia

Zoe Selengut

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 2:47:49 PM8/8/03
to
Jennie <jen...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:<slrnbj26op...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk>...

> In article <3F310662...@earthops.net>, Tiny Human Ferret wrote:
> > It all depends on who's wearing them. Same with halter tops.
>
> Halter tops require a very specific shape of breast, long and
> full but pert. Those are quite rare. Other people can get away with them
> sometimes, but rarely look impressive in them.

No, no, no. The whole point of a halter top is to bare the shoulders.
And the line is such that you don't even have to have especially nice
shoulders to get the flattering effect. Breasts are beside the point.

Zoe

Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 4:53:13 PM8/8/03
to
Red Drag Diva wrote:
> On Fri, 08 Aug 2003 10:32:51 -0400,
> Tiny Human Ferret <ixnayamsp...@earthops.net> wrote:
>
> : I'm rather unGoth these days as I've been doing a lot of gardening. I'm
> : actually quite tan on the arms, getting towards having a tan on the legs,
> : however I wear a big cowboy hat to keep my face from getting way overdone.
>
>
> http://www.livejournal.com/users/gothgardener/

Okay then, call me a landscaper; or call me the handyman. I cut other
people's lawns and trim shrubs, yank off overgrown vines, etc.

Oh, I forgot to mention, my odd garb provides entertainment for neighborhood
youth who have a fine old time mocking me. At summer's end I shall have
"buns of steel" and they shall have to go back to school and be abused by nuns.

Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 4:54:53 PM8/8/03
to

Um, and when you search, you might want to search for "halter" in the
context of "swimming" or "clothing", or you'll get a lot of hits for ahem
well um stuff for cows.

Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 5:01:12 PM8/8/03
to

BTW ladies, you may wish to double knot at least one of the ties[1].

The properly worn halter top, occupied by someone qualified to wear it, has
been known to provoke grown men[2] to exclaim "live weasels!"

As in, "there appear to be live weasels at play in her garments!"

Ref:
1. One of the reasons that one wasn't to wear these to school except at gym
was that there were certain people who were quite adept at discerning those
who hadn't double-knotted either set of ties, and were equally as adept at
untying both at once. This could be particularly interesting if they
vanished into the crowds along with the fabric.
2. I once lived with guys who actually did this.

Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 5:04:24 PM8/8/03
to

Um yeah, yeah that's right, it's all about the shoulders. Yeah, believe it!

Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 5:09:51 PM8/8/03
to
Red Drag Diva wrote:
> On 8 Aug 2003 11:18:36 -0700,
> The Emperor Penguin <emperor...@virgin.net> wrote:
>
> : 6.

> : All these inane conversations about how lovely the weather is. It's
> : not. It's fucking hot! These people lead such cosseted lives that a
> : sun-tan is a mark of luxury! About how they wish it would stay like
> : this. Really? You want to live in a desert? Go ahead, but I like my
> : ecosystem. About how they it would be nice if you could rely on it
> : being like this. Just for a month or so. How immensely dull. I may
> : not like the heat much, but as the price of having WEATHER I'll take
> : it.
>
>
> I wonder if the ones with real tans get made fun of by the ones with orange
> tans.

We do. You know why? Because we didn't PAY to get overdone.

The Emperor Penguin

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 5:10:52 PM8/8/03
to
Jennie <jen...@penelope.triffid.demon.co.uk> wrote
> `Una wrote:
> > No matter which school I went to (and there were more than 15), halter tops
> > were always forbidden by the dress code, so I always read that they were
> > something you shouldn't wear to school, but I never found out what they were.

Through a long and complicated chain of circumstances, Adsevin and I
have been amusing ourselves at work lately by poking around the SCA's
presence on the web. Having caught up with a.g. and being within an
hour of quitting time, I had just started poking again, when I found,
on the first site I looked on, a site offering DIY kits for making
your own halter top. From chainmail.

Don't you just love serendipity.

http://www.chainmailstore.com/kits.shtml

~~~
The Emperor Penguin

Jennie

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 5:43:26 PM8/8/03
to
In article <2cab4ea6.03080...@posting.google.com>, The Emperor
Penguin wrote:
> Neds. Okay, for them I make an exception. These days, the ones who
> regularly make me want to shake them warmly by the throat are the ones
> whose startling powers of observation are so acute that, as one makes
> one's way along the cycle track, they can spot your bike, and
> recognize it at ten paces. Having done so, they then feel compelled
> to demonstrate their acuity to their fellows, or indeed to you, the
> rider of said vehicle, by pointing and declaiming "Bike! Haw!

Don't be too mean. They have just just learned the word, and be
excited about it. You only see them in a very limited context. They
probably point and shout "Bike!" at cars and wheelbarrows and dogs, too.

> going home having done Sweet FA of any significance or value to myself
> as a human being. Unless I got some studying done or something
> equally unrelated to what they're paying me for.

Posting to a.g...? ;)



> The kind of argument which says that we need to exploit this resource
> to extinction or those who exploit it will end up out of a job.

I'm losing patience with the fisheries policies espoused by the
SNP. Aside from its short-sightedness, they're increasingly miring
themselves in provincialism.

> The kind of argument which says we only have enough of resource X to last
> ten years, but we have enough of resource Y to last 100 years, so
> we'll just expand our use of resource Y tenfold to compensate.

There are aspects of the US' current nuclear power station
building programme which fit with this. We do urgently need to cut back on
our use of fossil fuels, and I'm glad that the economic reasons for it are
intensifying, as I think they're ikely to make more of a difference than
those directly relating to our survival. Nuclear power could be part of
the answer, but this current initiative has been poorly thought out, and
seems likely to swap one problem for another by giving us lots of
dangerous waste to worry about. Of course, it's probably all moot, since
it's going to take so long to institute that we'll probably hit serious
problems before then anyway, which will trash its funding, if, indeed, its
funding hasn't been eroded before that. There _are_ more immediate
strategies we can use, but they require more organisation and some
unpopular politics. Much like telling people not to fish. <sigh>

> Sorry for shouting, but you did say "hate", didn't you?

It's a shouty sort of thread. :)

Jennie

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 5:46:40 PM8/8/03
to
In article <slrnbj7rf...@crushed.velvet.net>, Red Drag Diva wrote:
> I wonder if the ones with real tans get made fun of by the ones with orange
> tans.

In Glasgow, they probably think that real tans look unnatural.

> I would favour the British talking less about it and doing more.
> AIR CONDITIONING, THAT SORT OF THING.

With luck, laws will be passed this year placing an upper limit
on acceptable temperatures in the workplace. That's where people suffer
the most, and where provision of air conditioning could be most quickly
established.
Private air conditioning is another matter. It would be
prohibitively expensive for most householders, and many sorts of air
conditioning are also really bad for the environment.

Dag

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 6:09:56 PM8/8/03
to
--nightshade-- <ns_de_cybax__yahoo...@microsoft.com>
wrote in
news:ns_de_cybax__yahoo.com_not.re...@news.news
guy.com:

> Jennie wrote:
>
>> > 3.) Sneakers over $30
>
>> As somebody who doesn't wear such footwear anyway, I'm
>> curious:
>> is it still possible to find reasonably priced ones?

As someone who does wear such footwear I've yet to find a pair for less
than $80 that can survive 6 month of heavy outdoor use. So I've started
dropping $100+ needed to get a pair that will last a few years. Works out
cheaper in the long run.

Dag

~Fianna

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 6:46:17 PM8/8/03
to
Jennie wrote:
> DJ Satori wrote:
> > moderate who is simply saying (as many Americans now are) that Bush
didn't
> > make a good case for going to war, and alienated the rest of the world
in
> > doing so. If that's fringe-left, then America is way too far to the
right.
>
> It's a fine thing to make bold statements like that. It's a
> foolish thing to run for election on them. Changing people's minds is a
> gradual process. If the US is to move further to the left, what's most
> important is not who becomes the next president, it's who talks to
> individuals day to day in person, through televisions, through radio, on
> the net, in newspapers, etc.

I don't think that that's a particularly fringe message, though. I think
that there are a lot of people in this country who are rather upset at the
whole Yellowcake nonsense. And the fact that Shrub is a cowboy, who was
running around provoking the enemy to take potshots at our troops. Some of
which hit and killed them. There are a lot of military families who are
very angry at the fact that the Commander in Chief is not perpetuating a
war, he's hosting a dick-waving contest. He lied in the State of the Union,
and he knows it, and we know it. He's neither man enough, nor does he have
enough integrity to accept responsibility for that. He's trashed our
economy. He's the first president in many years to *LOSE* jobs during his
adminsitration. He's rebooted the deficit. He's cutting taxes while trying
to both increase spending and perpetuate a war. He's quoting scripture as a
basis for policy. The list goes on.

I don't care what Rove thinks. Bush is as vulnerable in 2004 as his father
was in 1992. Thankfully.

Kat


Tiny Human Ferret

unread,
Aug 8, 2003, 7:10:43 PM8/8/03
to
Jennie wrote:
> In article <slrnbj7rf...@crushed.velvet.net>, Red Drag Diva wrote:
>
>>I wonder if the ones with real tans get made fun of by the ones with orange
>>tans.
>
>
> In Glasgow, they probably think that real tans look unnatural.
>
>
>>I would favour the British talking less about it and doing more.
>>AIR CONDITIONING, THAT SORT OF THING.
>
>
> With luck, laws will be passed this year placing an upper limit
> on acceptable temperatures in the workplace. That's where people suffer
> the most, and where provision of air conditioning could be most quickly
> established.
> Private air conditioning is another matter. It would be
> prohibitively expensive for most householders, and many sorts of air
> conditioning are also really bad for the environment.

What? Nobody uses Freon anymore, so far as I know. And I've seen
window-units from Sears Roebuck which do 5000 BTU, for just US$90.00. That's
lunch-money to you folks in the UK, right? Admittedly 5K BTU isn't fit to
cool an entire flat down from 90F to 70F (try 50K BTU for that sort of
work), but as long as you're not set on having a central A/C system
installed, additional BTU per window-unit isn't all that expensive an
approach. 5K BTU is probably just about right for the average smallish
bedroom, to get you down to "sleeping weather" temperatures.

First off, what you should do is to get a window-fan in your window. Don't
aim it to blow in, aim it to blow out. You get less of a draft that way, and
the whole place gets airflow. If possible, have one in the kitchen window
and one for the kitchen itself; the thing you want to do is to have one fan
blow air across the refrigerator heat-exchanger external coils, and blow
that heat directly to the exhaust window-fan.

If you must have a fan bringing air in, have it on the second floor on the
north side if that's possible. The air up off of the ground on the sunless
north side should be much cooler than ground-level air.

One thing you might try to avoid would be icing yourself down, except as a
last resort. Jennie, this might not apply to you but for the rest of the
folks it is probably good advice. Don't drink cold drink, as they will fool
the body into thinking it's cold, and this can cause reduced bloodflow to
extremities, reducing perspirative cooling. If you must ice yourself, ice
the palm of your hand or the inside of your wrist, or put _cool_ (not cold
or icy!) water on your head, and then wipe it off, evaporation is generally
better than immersion. Never nice the front or side of your neck, of course,
unless you're a medic and know the details. Truly bizarre things can happen
to you otherwise, generally unpleasant things.

They say that lukewarm weak tea might be just the best thing to drink, bit
of lemon of course.

And don't forget your salt! This sort of weather will have you dropping like
flies if you don't salinate. I had this one friend come home from riding her
bike in such weather. She stopped to chat and promptly fell over. (face is
pale, raise the tail, face is red, raise the head, as the Boy Scouts manual
says.) I told her she needed more salt. What, she says, no way, there's so
much salt added to process food that nobody need additional salt! So, I ask
her, you don't eat process food, being vegan, yes? And she allows that this
is so. I fed her some salt, no more fainting. Don't overdo it of course, but
if you put some on your food and it tastes like $DEITY cooked your burger,
it generally means you're deficient.

Erin Nelson

unread,
Aug 9, 2003, 4:44:34 AM8/9/03
to
On 7 Aug 2003, The Emperor Penguin wrote:

> I don't have the hips for it. My shoulders are strong enough if I can
> just kick them out of the water enough to use them. Unfortunately, I
> can't.

more pelvic exercises for you, then.


this fits in nicely to another thread...

erin


Erin Nelson

unread,
Aug 9, 2003, 4:49:25 AM8/9/03
to
On Fri, 8 Aug 2003, Tiny Human Ferret wrote:

> Tights would be Spandex (maybe even Gore-Tex for the hardcore sportsters)
> and "pantyhose" would be Nylon or something quite similar.


used to be silk- but while silk stocking feel nice, they tend to sag and
bunch and generally not look very good. give me black lycra tights any
day. at age 9 i decided i would never wear pantyhose because they seemed
so uncomfortable, and my mother was always whingeing about snags and runs.
So far, i've been able to keep true.


erin


Erin Nelson

unread,
Aug 9, 2003, 4:50:34 AM8/9/03
to
On Fri, 8 Aug 2003, Tiny Human Ferret wrote:

> with butterfly whip kick). Plus it's good training for the "shrimp stroke",
> in which you can swim underwater backwards nearly as quickly as forwards.
> Actually, if you don't mind constantly running into things, shrimp stroke is
> one of the fastest and easiest ways to get around underwater.

i think you're making that up.

erin shrimp stroke, indeed


The Emperor Penguin

unread,
Aug 9, 2003, 10:17:32 AM8/9/03
to
Erin Nelson <ni...@obscure.buggeroff.org> wrote
> On 7 Aug 2003, The Emperor Penguin wrote:
>
> > I don't have the hips for it. My shoulders are strong enough if I can
> > just kick them out of the water enough to use them. Unfortunately, I
> > can't.
>
> more pelvic exercises for you, then.

What I really need to do is pull-ups/chin-ups. Good for the
shoulders, yes, but I never had such strong abs as when I was doing
pull-ups regularly, and I miss them.



> this fits in nicely to another thread...

<innocent>

Which thread? How?

</innocent>

~~~
The Emperor Penguin

The Emperor Penguin

unread,
Aug 9, 2003, 11:24:22 AM8/9/03
to
Tiny Human Ferret <ixnayamsp...@earthops.net> wrote

> And don't forget your salt! This sort of weather will have you dropping like

> flies if you don't salinate. I had this one friend come home from riding her
> bike in such weather. She stopped to chat and promptly fell over. (face is
> pale, raise the tail, face is red, raise the head, as the Boy Scouts manual
> says.) I told her she needed more salt. What, she says, no way, there's so
> much salt added to process food that nobody need additional salt! So, I ask
> her, you don't eat process food, being vegan, yes? And she allows that this
> is so. I fed her some salt, no more fainting. Don't overdo it of course, but
> if you put some on your food and it tastes like $DEITY cooked your burger,
> it generally means you're deficient.

Fortunately, we sussed this with Adsevin shortly before the current
heat-wave hit. A chance comment in the canteen a month or so past led
her to actually total her salt intake for the previous few weeks. The
mere fact that she could demonstrated a salt deficiency, if you ask
me. Funnily enough, her energy levels increased noticably when she
increased her salt intake.

And it was a good excuse to eat more junk food.

~~~
The Emperor Penguin

Who, being neither vegan nor scrupling to eat junk-food, has more than
enough salt in his diet, thankyou.

The Emperor Penguin

unread,
Aug 9, 2003, 12:04:09 PM8/9/03
to
Tiny Human Ferret <ixnayamsp...@earthops.net> wrote
> Jennie wrote:
> > Red Drag Diva wrote:

> >>I would favour the British talking less about it and doing more.
> >>AIR CONDITIONING, THAT SORT OF THING.

> > Private air conditioning is another matter. It would be

> > prohibitively expensive for most householders, and many sorts of air
> > conditioning are also really bad for the environment.
>
> What? Nobody uses Freon anymore, so far as I know. And I've seen
> window-units from Sears Roebuck which do 5000 BTU, for just US$90.00. That's
> lunch-money to you folks in the UK, right?

Air conditioners in Scotland fall into the same bracket in my mind as
electric toothbrushes and electric tin-openers. Excusable for medical
reasons, otherwise an unforgivable extravagance and waste of
electricity. Make yourself cooler by adding to the greenhouse effect.

Here, the number of days where air conditioning is necessary in the
average home could probably be counted without needing to take one's
socks off. The number of days where it would be necessary if one
closed the blinds and opened the windows would be precisely zero
(unless one is on nightshift and trying to sleep through the heat of
the day, when a simple fan is bliss).

I appreciate that the situation in the south and east of the UK is
slightly different. Even so, in this day and age, the number of days
where any form of artificial temperature regulation is required,
either heating or cooling, if your house, or even your office building
is properly designed for its environment, shouldn't need more than
fingers and toes to count. This, though, is a very big if.
Unfortunately.

~~~
The Emperor Penguin

siani evans

unread,
Aug 9, 2003, 2:34:39 PM8/9/03
to
Jennie wrote:

> Um, I'm not sure what a tube top is, though I suspect we're
> thinking of similar things. A hosepipe is, essentially, a length of rubber
> pipe which attaches to a tap and is then carried around to water a garden.
> These days, people often have fancy ones with sprinkler attachments which
> are rooted in the ground so they don't need to carry them about. Anyway,
> England is increasingly suffering from drought in the summertime (for all
> the heat, we don't have that problem further north)

heh. you'd be surprised at how "well" our systems are coping.

>. Reservoirs run low
> and sometimes water supplies to homes are cut off as a result. As the
> government and water authorities aim to ensure that everyone has access to
> essential supplies, bans are placed on hosepipes to stop water being used
> up that way by people who think it's more important for them to have
> pretty green lawns.

no, gov't and water authorities *don't* aim to ensure that everyone has
access to essential supplies. that's why, in a country with very little
hot weather, and a huge amount of precipitation, the reservoirs run
low. pennypinching paperpushers design systems that just barely work
under normal conditions rather than trying to design for "once in a
hundred years" conditions as is the standard in most countries. there
is just no excuse for water problems in scotland.

siani
--
\\||//
- oo -
-|--|- (hedgehog)

It is loading more messages.
0 new messages