That Van Jones interview is great.

* "for the lede -- if nothing else"

Man, I should read Grist more often. Composting! Heh. The most immediately cool thing about it is how much less trash you generate. I hate taking out the trash.

This has been your obligatory thumbs-up.

Toss in just about everything that isn't dairy, meat, fish, or oils and fats

You can't compost those things? Meat, even? Bones, egg shells, even? All of those things are supposed to go in the composting bin according to sf recycling guidelines.

My family's compost heap never produced anything useful, because it turned into a late-night diner for raccoons.

You could have caught the raccoons and turned them into something useful, but you didn't, for lack of innovation and elbow grease.

I think we know where the blame lies.

A friend of mine had a compost pile that caught fire—not a big conflagration, just a flame burning what I assume was escaping methane on the top of the pile. It was as though it had been visited by the Holy Spirit.

The problem with meat and such is rats -- vegetable garbage doesn't attract them nearly as much. Eggshells have never been a problem, though.

I've always loved compost heaps. I built a frame with my dad for the one in my parents backyard at our summer place -- it's not really well managed as a system for producing high-end compost, but it's a spectacularly convenient way of getting rid of your organic garbage. And it just seems like magic -- nasty rotting banana peels and such turning into beautiful dirt-smelling compost.

Now that we have keys to the community garden down the street, I'm considering tactfully proposing a compost heap. Honestly, mostly to dispose of yard waste and produce compost to dig into the garden. But we'd really need some kitchen garbage to get the yard waste going. If we could carry out our wet garbage to a compost heap, we'd hardly throw anything away.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure that the lovely old guy who runs the community garden would percieve a compost heap as anything better than a rotting pile of garbage, given that in thirty years of running it he hasn't put one in. So this may require a lot of tact.

"Stop Russia from using cluster munitions"

Maybe a good idea to start at home on this one?

Our family's compost heap did provide a useful source of protein for the cat since it attracted birds. She treated the compost heap as bait and would sit on top of the garden shed waiting to drop on the birds from above. The reversal -- cat coming from the sky -- must have messed with their heads.

7: mostly to dispose of yard waste

You do need to be a bit careful about this, though. Yard waste that includes grasses/weeds that have gone to seed will produce compost in which the seeds haven't really decomposed -- seeds have those hard shells or coatings for a reason. Result being that you're then digging weed seeds into your garden. OOPS.

That Van Jones interview is great.

It is. He's so clear a communicator, that alone is inspiring.

NickS's music blog, but never threw him a link.

Thanks. This inspires me that I should write some of the new posts that I've been thinking about.

Eh, the garden's knee deep in weeds as it is -- I don't think the bottleneck is availablity of weed seeds. But of course you're right: that's why you're supposed to do the serious "Build a carefully constructed pile of alternating layers of greens and browns, turn it every couple of days, and in three weeks or so it's done" routine, which gets hot enough to kill most weeds, instead of what I've always done, which is throw waste into a pile, turn it enough that it doesn't smell, keep on adding stuff until it gets unworkably big, and then shovel it onto a garden someplace and start a new pile. This is low-end, half-ass composting, but I still love it.

He's so clear a communicator

Uh, I hope I didn't just call him "articulate".

Seriously, though, I've heard people talk about the connection between "green" ecological concerns and social justice issues before, but never that straightforwardly.

This is low-end, half-ass composting, but I still love it.

Oh, never! One never engages in half-ass composting! (insert emoticon)

My new book, "Full-Assed Composting Made Easy" will solve these problems.

Libertarian calls out Obama on his undergraduate GPA.

The libertarians are a mixed and often quite nasty bag.

The guy actually uses the time-tested phrase "I don't have a racist bone in my body". Jesse Helms's femur probably wasn't racist either.

Full-assed storytelling.

But the thing Root really wanted to talk about was Obama's grades. Specifically, he was willing to bet a million dollars that he earned a better grade point average at Columbia than his old classmate, and that the only reason Obama went on to Harvard Law School was the color of his skin.

Garsh! Root sure doesn't sound bitter.

Does Reason have pretensions to being intellectually serious, or at least not laughable? Why are they publishing this tripe?

The GPA should be disestablished, along with the SAT and the IQ.

I have a racist temporal bone. I try reasoning with it, but it's just too dense.

I have a charming parietal bone.

The interview linked in 16 isn't some sort of lame attempt at parody? It's so hard to read it as anything else.

disestablished

Ooh, I like this word.

The link in 16 is either a piece of heavy-handed and not especially funny satire or really really pathetic.

Bugger, pwned.

because of course the only important factor in admissions decisions is GPA...

As a Brit I'm proudly sure my 'GPA'-equivalent is lower than all of y'all.

than all of y'all.

I think the right form is "than all y'alls's", but as a Brit, you wouldn't know that.

I like how you're trying to pass as Southern now, ttaM.

(Good grief, that interview. I'm torn between wincing in embarassment and being pretty angry that Reason gave him a forum. I also love how "nobody" turns into "none of my circle of white friends.")

Being an American, I just assumed right off that it was straight and really horrible, but I can understand how unsophistacted individuals from the dependencies might not understand our ways.

Hard-core libertarianism is a form of fundamentalism. There's no reasoning with someone who fetishizes Reason.

What kind of libertarian listens to a guidance counselor? Or did Root apply and fail?

Having read half of the thing linked in 16, I'd say it's rather funny. I take it Reason is not supposed to be funny.

You can't compost those things? Meat, even? Bones, egg shells, even? All of those things are supposed to go in the composting bin according to sf recycling guidelines.

With the exception of egg shells, those other things don't compost well in a backyard-sized compost pile. But a city can make these huge, carefully managed compost heaps that generate enough heat and microbial activity to break down meat, bones, lobster shells, etc.

Also, Grist is very worth reading, especially the column Victual Reality (written by an old pal of mine who now lives in Teh Apostropher State), and LB's "lazy" method of composting is perfectly respectable and effective.

Next question:

"OK, you're the VP candidate of a chickenshit factionalized third or fourth party that has already had at least one major financial scandal despite never having had any money*. The other guy is the Presidential candidate of one of the major parties and favored to win, and he's also put together an organization which is the best thing that the Democratic Party has seen in 40 years. And you're setting your superior GPA against that? Couldn't Ted Kaczynski do the same?"

*Browne used Party money to try to ensure his own control of the party.

Does Reason have pretensions to being intellectually serious, or at least not laughable? Why are they publishing this tripe?

They have a weird commitment to covering big-L Libertarian stories in addition to the generally good work they do on civil liberties issues, so you get lots of crazy stuff on fringe political figures. Sometimes it can be entertaining, but just publishing an interview transcript is kind of half assed.

Having read the second half of the thing linked in 16, it's less funny. Sorry about that. Premature commenting: bad habit.

LB's "lazy" method of composting is perfectly respectable and effective.

We're not supposed to encourage her. Trust me.

re: 28

I do know that. But I've also drunk quite a bit so wasn't paying enough attention.

!!!!!!
thanks, Austin crew, for revealing all Emerson's nefarious plans.

Further to 39:

I've just spent a couple of minutes trying work out what the 2nd person possessive plural pronoun is in Scots, and ... I don't know. Maybe there isn't one.

40: Awww shucks. Tweren't nuthin'.

(Online version will be posted soon so that everyone not in with the in crowd will know what we're talking about.)

Yeah, what the hell?

This book suggests "yous(e)".

I think it would be simpler just to go back to "thou/thee" as the singular and "ye/you" as the plural and formal pronouns.

I've heard "youans's" from a Tennesseean relative.

34: Thanks for the pointer to Victual Reality; the current post there on the Slow Food Thingum in SF is good.

I'm sure that I have nefarious plans that were missed.

45: Isn't that traditionally transliterated "you-uns" or "you'uns"?

"transcribed", not "transliterated".

48: Looks like it. I'm not used to seeing it in print, but Google backs you up. But "you'uns" is just the plural; this was a plural possessive, "you'uns's".

49: Actually, they have their own alphabet of long provenance. Little-known fact!

It's "youse" where I come from (presumably via Scotland), but it's considered very bad English. It's one of those class marker terms, I guess, and its use will suggest either a). lower class; or b). rural.

43: Courtesy of heebie, Jammie, M/tch, lurker ldpdfo, and me.

(The images are a bit big and there are probably a couple of broken links, so have a little patience.)

Woo-hoo PowerPoint! Please somebody give it a front-page post.

(Seriously, archives + running jokes + creative use of photography...who could ask for anything more?)

IS NOT POWERPOINT!

BUT THANKS FOR COMPLIMENTS!

53 is very good; the bits from the archives are well chosen.

Why the periods after the brackets? I'm intrigued.

As long as you're sweeping up all the sundry, I would really like to see what the Unfoggetariat would do with this word puzzle I've just invented.

Why the periods after the brackets? I'm intrigued.

Huh? What brackets?

58: I don't want to sound metatarsal, but I've transcended defeat.

Yeah, what brackets? We're intrigued by your intrigue, Ari.

53 is great. Emerson! Are you going to take this lying down?

58: I don't mean to sound armed, but I have a gun.

I don't mean to sound humerus, but I do sometimes provoke laughter.

I have backup plans. Also, the Heebie-Jammie family shouldn't count their chickens yet.

We probably should have worked in a Canuck joke somewhere for comity purposes.

Unfortunately "radicle" fails the "human" requirement....

I don't mean to sound foot-loose, but I'm fancy-free.

I don't mean to sound vagus, but I just can't be specific.

I don't mean to sound nosy, but I think you smell funny.

I don't mean to sound anal, but I'm actually quite retentive.

I think we can forgo the "human" requirement, essear, since you're bringing the funny. I don't mean to sound visceral, but you boweled me over.

Michael gets the bonus "false humility" points.

I invited her to go to vegus with me, but she said I had a lot of nerve.

(okay, a violation of form, but I like it)

72: Well, you know what they say: what happens in vagus, innervates the guts.

(I'm still amused by 60.)

I don't mean to sound metacarpal, but I do talk about carp a lot.

I don't mean to sound eary, but I do have scary-looking ears.

I don't mean to sound rectum, but I have been in a lot of car accidents.

I don't mean to sound Broca, and don't let this aphasia, but could you pay for dinner?

I don't mean to sound dreamy, but you put me to sleep.

I don't mean to sulcus, I'm just feeling some depression.

As a genuayne Texan, I'm going to pass ttaM's use of "y'all".

I don't mean to sound Broca

I know a great joke about Broca's Area.

I can't read Emerson's plan :(

53: Oh, so now I'm a lurker? Great. Where are the rules on this stuff?

83 was me.

82: Should be fixed now.

ben, did you click on the "Larger version . . ." link?

I know a great joke about Broca's Area.

Cool. Please link to it.

Oh, so now I'm a lurker? Great. Where are the rules on this stuff?

RTFA!

But for starters, put something in the "Name:" field.

Ah, thanks.

That is one nefarious plan.

Don't mention it. Squinty.

I mean the plan. It's all hush hush and on the QT/DL.

Quartertackle and Designated Lineman aren't even positions.

93: Maybe not in your repertoire, prude.

53 really deserves a post. That's so outrageously awesome. I especially love "is aware of all wedding traditions".

95: I agree. Now, I wonder who would have the power to make it a post . . . .

96 - Was already working on it!

Thanks, Becks! I always did like you better than ogged!

I like Becks first!

53 was so fabulously awesome. What a fantastic present. I especially loved Emerson's diagram of the church.

Umm... liked.

This is probably as good a place as any to solicit advice on a technical point. I've found a number of files from www.archive.org that are an entire concert. I'd like to be able to break them into 10 or 12 or whatever individual song files.

What's the best way to do this? Using a PC.

(This includes a great little set with Doc Watson and Bill Monroe.)

It's pretty easy to do on iTunes, if you use that.
0. Import the album into iTunes as a single track.
1. Go to "Info" for the track, and under "options", select the song that you want by using start time and end time.
2. Import that track to MP3. Even if it's already an Mp3. You'll have a new track with the same name as the whole album, but it will only be as long as the song you isolated.
4. Repeat as necessary.

There are plenty of programs you can use to break up the file, but that's a convenient way in something you probably already have.

mp3splt is a handy-dandy utility for just this task!

Thanks WS. I'd thought of that, but I think it creates (exacerbates) my space problem. BeWo, I'm going to try it.

re: 44

I know the second person plural, ffs. It's universally used where I'm from. It's the possessive form analogous to "y'all's" that I can't think of. Anyway, the main Scots language sites all seem to suggest there isn't one. Standard second person possessive is just the same as English.

re: 105

I use MP3Splitter. I record a fair number of radio shows from digital radio to chuck on my MP3 player for walks, etc. However, it looks like mp3splt might be better, thanks.

It's the possessive form analogous to "y'all's" that I can't think of.

Hmm. Hiberno-English has a few competing versions of second person plural, "youse" being one of them. But the other forms have a possessive and "youse" doesn't that I can think of. (The others are "ye" which gives "yeer", common in Ulster, and "yiz" which gives "yizzer", common elsewhere.)

re: 108

Yeah. All the sources I can find say that "yours" is the possessive form.

The situation with Scots, for me, is complicated. I'm from an area where people use a lot of Scots dialect. I grew up using lots of dialect although neither of my parents are really dialect speakers. But everyone, except for a few old men in Fife and the north east of the country speaks a mixture of Scots and English and just slides back and forth with the percentages of each depending on the context. Almost no Scots at all in formal contexts, but quite a bit when in the pub if you are from a working class background.

So the suspicion is always there for some word where you're not aware of a dialect form that the dialect form does exist somewhere, in some 'purer' dialect. In this case, though, it seems not.

Hi, anybody here?

OT bleg regarding cooking: I've just made a pot of something like lentil soup. It's too sweet: I put 5 carrots in it (big pot). Carrot sweetness is distinctive.

I can't figure out how to counter this particular sweetness. How do you render carrots savory?

Add beer. That's what I did to my borscht yesterday, because it cuts the sweetness a bit.

She made beersht.

Balsamic vinegar is also good in lentil soup.

Does a beersht in the woods?

re: 110

Celery salt is nice in lentil soup. My standard lentil soup is red lentils, onions and carrots cooked in chicken stock [just made with a stock cube] and then with celery salt and black pepper added nearer the end of cooking.

I probably use about as many carrots as you did.

109: You've rejected "youse's"? My grandfather spoke an NY dialect that would have used "youse", but I don't, and I can't decide whether or not "youse's" sounds plausible to me in that dialect. Probably not.

re: 111

I add lemon juice to borscht. Quite a bit of it. Maybe the juice of a whole lemon in a big pot.

109: Perhaps it's Y'everyone? or y'allofyou? Either of those sound familiar?

116: Probably it would be "youse" with a slightly longer z sound.

"Hey, how youz doing?"
"I got youzzz letter."

110: I would add a potato or two, or some other starch (rice?), to soak up some of the sweetness, but then also add some suitable spice(s) so that it's not too bland.

re: 116

Nah, youse's just sounds odd.

I just accidentally learned something about beets. Uncooked, they last forever, but once you cook them, they mold astonishingly quickly.

Carrots really can ruin things. Someone should develop a bitter carrot.

"y'olegroup"? " "Roundup"?

Fuck y'everyone.

re: 118

Possessive! Possessive!

when is was a kid i couldn't stand to eat cooked carrot b/c of its sweetness and always separated it from all dishes, soups, pirojki, even plovs
so i'm an expert
soy sauce, garlic can be used with carrots to not know its sweetness imo, don't know how you add it into lentil soups though

Beer?? There's some month-old can of Heineken in the fridge. This doesn't strike me as a good idea.

I thought of balsamic vinegar! Then paused, for it's actually pretty sugary, no? The lentil soup is actually calming down a bit now on a very low simmer and a desperate (read: disgusted) addition of a bit of cumin. And more salt and ground black pepper.

I probably use about as many carrots as you did.

Yeah, pretty standard. I don't think I have any celery salt though.

Ohhhh. "Yours"?

125: I thought she was just trying to be helpful. But even if you think she was being possessive, there's no need to get all excited about it.

127: What would tomato paste do? I think that's what I'd try, although I'm not confident.

What would tomato paste do?

Before you act, think WWTPD?

I also hated the cooked carrot itself, after the flavor had all been boiled out.

The carrot is a native of Afghanistan and was originally purple. The orange carrot was developed by the Dutch for patriotic reasons.

read, there are 5 cloves of garlic in this lentil soup which also has 5 carrots in it. There's no reason at all that garlic, lentils and carrots don't go together. Along with onions, green peppers, and tomatoes.

I have spoken. No soy sauce.

Note that the orange, Dutch carrot was bred to be less bitter. Thus, ancient purple carrots might be our solution.

re: 129

It's a tragic affliction when you are big fine figure of a man like myself. People always want to possess you.

Beta sweet carrot prevents cancer.

ttaM is possessed, all right.

I believe I'd enjoy a purple carrot in my stew.

131: Before you act, think WWTPD?

heebie, dammit, stop making me laugh.

LB, tomato paste is kinda sorta like the tomatoes I added: 'saucing tomatoes' I was told. Really dense, gorgeous things with very few seeds or icky stuff inside; shaped like large plum tomatoes. I don't remember their name, but I'd certainly grow them.

Hrm. Sounds as if the tomatoes haven't solved the problem, in which case I'm out of ideas. Some white wine, maybe, if you don't have beer?

137: Someone around here must be qualified for a long-distance exorcism, right?

Arrrgh.... arrrgghh .... your mother reads Rand in hell ...

icky stuff insid

Since when do tomatoes contain icky stuff? SINCE NEVER.

138 is gross. who are you, Lucille Bogan?

i meant how do you add garlic after the soup is ready, b/c it should be roasted before adding meat in my understanding or other vegetables if it's a vegetarian soup
my sister for example typically uses 2-3 cloves of garlic, 2 carrots, 4-5 potatoes, 1 onion, 1/4 of the cabbage 500g meat for a vegetable soup for five, that ratio
sometimes adds sweet pepper
5 carrots soup i wouldn't have eaten in my childhood for any reward i'm afraid, sorry
may be you can add some yogurt
beer and vinegar would turn it sour, no? i have this trouble to eat salads from the cafeteria salad bar and the dressings are all pretty sour, then i do that, add yogurt

Scotland is thick with possessed, and it's hard to direct and exorcism to any specific individual there.

140: Sounds as if the tomatoes haven't solved the problem

No, I just added another. We're getting 8 lbs. of tomatoes a week from the farm and need to use them anyway. It's not hurting the soup. And white wine? If anything, red. Or red wine vinegar just in the individual bowl. All's fine.

144: i meant how do you add garlic after the soup is ready

We're just misunderstanding each other. The garlic is added early.

The ratios you describe for your sister's soup are for 5 servings; I've made a big pot of soup that probably contains 10 servings. It depends on how robustly people eat, of course. Yogurt is a good addition to lentil soup, in the individual bowl.

Whew. Parsi's OK! Now, what about ttaM?

who are you, Lucille Bogan?

I'd like to be Lucille Bogan for a day. Why was she gross?

I believe I'd enjoy
a purple carrot in my stew,
I said I believe I'd enjoy
a purple carrot in my stew
You better have a purple carrot
cause a parsnip just won't do

I'm pretty sure I missed my calling in life.

Although the penultimate line would probably be better as "I got to find a purple carrot".

What's wrong with ttaM?

I would, however, argue with B. over this:

142: Since when do tomatoes contain icky stuff? SINCE NEVER.

After I put together a bowl of soup with some bread to go with. Obviously. Probably she's already gone, and everybody else knows she's full of shit.

153: Seems to have been demonically possessed by Heebie, if I've got the chain of events straight.

and everybody else knows she's full of shit.

Nope, B gets it exactly right (in this one specific instance).

Those possessed by heebie become righter, not wronger, LB.

Tomatoes are also sweet, as veggies* go; I don't see why anyone would expect them to reduce sweetness in a stew.

*Yeah yeah yeah.

tomatoes do contain some MSG.

I am the Spectre of Righteousness.

157: But if it's specifically carrot-sweetness that p. is finding objectionable, more tomatoes could mask that with their awesome tomato-sweetness powers.

Arrrghh... [green spew] ... This is John Galt speaking ...

Sweet but acid -- they don't cloy like carrots. I was thinking the acid would help (and was really thinking of paste, rather than actual tomatoes).

I also don't get why a stew with a lot of sweet carrots is a bad thing. I think Parsimon is weird about food.

Heebie's the Phil Spectre of Righteousness. She's famous for being able to produce a Wall of Righteousness.

I think Parsimon is weird about food.

Yeah, it's like she has her own individual tastes and preferences! That IS weird, B.

Does Parsimon cook with persimmons? Or is it just a clever name? (Like the Shitty Beatles.)

Do the Shitty Beatles cook with Shitty Beatles?

I think that it's been established that carrots can be too sweet in stews and soups.

165: Very clever, M/tch! However, there are individual tastes and preferences (e.g., finding tomatoes icky) that are objectively bad. And it's not as if "weird" is a horribly pejorative term. I think you, M/tch, are weird about food too--not in terms of your tastes and preferences, but in terms of being touchy and strangely defensive on the subject of what is and is not okay, food-wise. So there.

160 gets it right.

(e.g., finding tomatoes icky)

Dood, I said that some tomatoes have some icky stuff inside. Reading comprehension, please.

I AM NOT DEFENSIVE ABOUT FOOD!!!!!11!

But seriously, I do have some strong opinions on the subject (although much of that is also just schtick), but defensive? How so? (honest question) (no really!)

I would also like to note for the record that BitchPhD's weirdometer has a history of being seriously out of whack.

Stop Russia using cluster munitions

First step would be to prove that Russia used cluster munitions.

And while you're at it, include Georgia in your no-cluster-munitions efforts (see linked post). Not to mention, as already noted, that we're not exactly in a position to lecture.

M/tch once tactfully opted not to bring beer down to Jammies and my place, assuming I was teasing him when I said, "Nah, we're well stocked with a bunch of Coors Light and even some Flattire." I was not kidding, which made M/tch's discomfort doubly awesome.

Heebie I meant to comment on your blog because I have a poem to share with you. Related to Toad Suck Bog. Ready?

173: We know that, though it might be unfair to say.

She's full of shit in any case about the differences between the sweetness of tomatoes (say) and that of carrots (say). I dread to hear what she has to say about corn.

Private to B: They really have different effects, hon. I mean that in all affection.

Them Toad Suckers
(Mason Williams)

How about Them Toad Suckers,
Ain't they clods?
Sittin' there suckin'
Them green toady-frogs.

Suckin' them hop-toads,
Suckin' them chunkers,
Suckin' them leapy types,
Suckin' them plunkers.

Look at Them Toad Suckers,
Ain't they snappy?
Suckin' them bog-frogs
Sure makes'em happy.

Them huggermugger Toad Suckers,
Way down south,
Stickin' them sucky-toads
In they mouth.

How to be a Toad Sucker?
No way to duck it.
Gittchyself a toad,
Rare back and suck it!

Holy crap, that's some poem, C! What exactly are the Toad Suckers accomplishing?

177: Did I say that they were not, in fact, different? No. No I did not. Reading comprehension. Hon.

172: I feel like there have been a couple/few instances where someone's said something kinda jokey about food one way or the other and you've been surprisingly (and uncharacteristically) humorless in your reply. By "defensive" I meant, not nec. about yourself, but, like, needing to "defend" Parsimon against the charge of "weirdness."

I think they're just sucking on toads. I don't really know why. I guess it just makes them happy.

180.1:

See 157: Tomatoes are also sweet, as veggies* go; I don't see why anyone would expect them to reduce sweetness in a stew.

Comity. Not reduce sweetness, exactly, just to counter the carrots. Note LB's observation that tomatoes are, however, acidic.

For what it's worth, I seem to have absorbed, without my realizing it, the Baltimore use of "Hon" as a straightforwardly affectionate term. I might be shot for that fact, but not for using it here.

I guess it just makes them happy.

It makes me happy that it makes them happy.

I've never seen a purple carrot
I never I hope to see one.
But whether it be flaw or merit
I'd rather see than be one.

What exactly are the Toad Suckers accomplishing?

There's an explanation of the origins of the name 'Toad Suck Daze' here. I find it unconvincing.

Two carrots diverged in an evolutionary tree
And sorry the stews were they could not contain both
And be one stew, long they simmered.
And looked to the Dutch as hard as they could
To where the gerrymandering had oranged out the purple option.

also good: all the other ones, especially Hors D'oeuvres

oh the google preview won't let you see the hors d'oeurves one. That's no good. Luckily I have a paper copy: HOLD YOUR HORSES.

Them Moose Goosers sometimes use a thumb to goose the moose in the heiny.

189: but presumably have to pause in their moose-goosin activities in order to run around shouting "It's Tummy Gummin' Time!"

As soon as Cecily showed up I went and read The Importance of Being Earnest again. Everyone should read it once a year, at least.

THEM HORS D'OEUVRES

How about Them Hors D'Oeuvres,
Ain't they sweet?
Little piece a cheese,
Little piece a meat.

My dad recited all those Them Poems to us when we were kids. Like all the time. I never knew where they came from. Thanks!

191: that's not even what I was named after though. I was named after a mildly embarrassing Beatrix Potter rhyme

In Britain are there slightly different stereotypes to go along with the slightly different (in both spelling and pronunciation) names "Cecily" and "Cicely"?

Why would a parent choose one over the other?

Emerson is a very fast reader.

195: the spelling was variable until the late 1800s. Richard the Third's mother C/c/ly Neville, shows up as Cicely and Cecily in various documents.

I don't know anything about British stereotypes nowadays though. I mainly get people thinking my name is Cecilia or Sicily. Dumb Americans.

Per TIOBE, little Cecily, you can certainly change the source of your name, or even the name itself.

yeah but only if I change it to Earnest, right? That's the moral of that story, right? That and the apparent deliciousness of cucumber sandwiches.

Me heap big fan Cicely Courtneidge.

Cicely turns out to also be a herb, while cecily is not a herb. This introduces a new avenue of confusion, between cicely and sisal.

You can change your name to anything, Cecily, and then say that Cecily is your sister, and then say that she died! Wilde has a lot of liberating potential.

Cecilia the cecilian is not the best pet.

Cecile is a family name for me. If I'd had a daughter it might have been named Cecile, except that my wife of that time didn't like her Aunt Cecilia.

I've met a surprising number of people (well. surprising to me) named Cecily, and some other ones named Cecilia. But none named Cicely. Weird.

Per Google, Cicelies are mostly Tyson.

Cecilia

A breaker of hearts.

A shaker of confidence daily.

oh, the original source rhyme is

Cecily Parsley lived in a pen,
And brewed good ale for genlemen;
Gentlemen came every day,
Till Cecily Parsley ran away.

The Ms. Parsely in question is a rabbit of apparently dubious morals, shown making Cowslip Wine in the original illustrations.

(I secretly like that this is the source of my name, regardless of its vaguely misogynistic plot. I also like being a shaker of confidence dailies.)

confidences daily?

208: The confidence is universal; the hearts, well, they are local and individual, if many.

Parsi, I'm okay with the Bmore hons.

If it's cane toads, toad suckers have a motive. Dave Berry had a little thing about some guy [Sifu, maybe Apo] reaching into the pocket of his dinenr jacket and asking his guests if they like to do some toad.

210: But what about the rest of us, B? Won't you think of the rest of us?

That poems is a little off color for Beatrix Potter, isn't it?

Cane toad is not one of the psychoactive toads.

213: Yes. It raises eyebrows.

215 to 214

A lot of disappointed hippies must have found that out.

Wiki recommends humane methods of harvesting the psychoactive venom.

Licking toads is not biologically practical.

Thanks, Wikipedia!

My eyebrows are even raiseder. What ARE those toad-suckers doing?

Mark Twain talked about sucking eggs. Euphemism, presumably.

I saw that piece performed on HeeHaw or something on TV. He rattled it off deadpan in a sort of auctioneer voice.

I've always had an active lifestyle, but it's gone from psychoactive to active psycho over the years.

psychoactive

A mundane two-person sexual relationship could be described as "sigh, co-active", but I wouldn't know anything about that topic.

"stop acting bored during sex! you're gonna make me have a bad trip!" he said psychoactively

222: So who else besides eekbeat is involved in your mundane sexual relationship?

I'm looking forward to Palin reciting the moose-goosing poem on Inauguration Day.

The poet laureate's office should have as its slogan: The United States of America. Simple Poems for Simple People.

224: We call out ben w-lfs-n's name sometimes when things get too hot. It quiets our passions.

So who else besides eekbeat is involved in your mundane sexual relationship?

So that was what you guys and BR did while I slept?!??!

226: Do you also emply the term "little bitch" sometimes?

227: I'm unable to comment on the events of the evening; but thanks for the pizza!

228: Don't seem overly interested; it's weird for everyone.

Don't seem overly interested; it's weird for everyone.

See Transparent Things, Nabokov and chatting with friends on the phone during intercourse

Will just wasn't mundane enough.

Leaving aside M/tch's prurient interests, I should note for the internet record, that will has adorable kids.

229: But I'll never get this slash fiction story finished if I don't have more details, Stanley! I would think that you of all people wouldn't want to stand in the way of Art.

232: I'll tell you who has adorable kids: KR/Fleur is who. Like a hurricane of cute. I think one of them goosed me.

Oh, and 233 to 232.

If M/tch puts you into his Mary Sue slash fiction novel, Stan, you should take it very seriously.

"Suddenly Stanislaus realized how important M**ch was to him...."

If M/tch is writing an eekbeat/w-lfs-n slash story, I demand that he finish it.

Like a hurricane of cute

And, indeed, they follow cyclonic flow patterns.

237: You misspelled "clonic", sicko.

Chthonic, M/tch. Ask not what evils I have witnessed.

Hey, Sifu, witnessed any evils lately?

This is pretty funny.

I would think that you of all people wouldn't want to stand in the way of Art.

Wait, now who is this Art? Was he involved in this mundane sex stuff too? Where were Will's adorable children whilst these shenanigans were going on? I strongly disapprove of exposing children to mundane sex.

226: Wow, you too, huh?

242: Art is a legless, armless friend of mine. I let him hang around my apartment sometimes.

Like a hurricane of cute
That's so funny--I just wrote to Fleur that she seemed to live in a whirlwind of cute. Independen tverification!

Art is a legless, armless friend of mine. I let him hang around my apartment sometimes.

Sometimes M/itch leaves him out in the leaf pile, which is why Art's nickname is Russell.

T-verification is reliable iff T-verification is reliable.

246: Except when he's swimming. Then we call him Bob.

Oh and I forgot to add, when he's waterskiing, we refer to him as Skip.

It's all very complicated, but it just goes to show how accomodating we are.

I'm sooo drunk. I've been at a barbecue/wine-tasting. Sicilian red, with overtones of the olives and lavender among which the vines are planted. Sweet wine from Samos with dessert, yum!

When he's painted green and yodelling, do you call him Kipper?

actually, more of a wine driniking than a wine tastin.g.

249: too bad about the time you wanted to call him Doug.

252. Not to put too fine a point on it.

253: That's only if he's in the soil that came out of the hole in the yard. If he's in the hole, he's Phil.

Sometimes if I don't realize he's there I have to call him Tripp.

251: Jokes about nailing paraplegics to walls aren't funny, w-lfs-n.

As far as w-lfs-n is concerned, this guy is Fucked.

I think that's not really a name, Stanley.

257: Lies. You just ran out of jokes and you aren't fooling anyone.

259: Namist.

Come on, two wordplay subthreads in one thread!

I thought 74 was very good. oh well.

261: I don't mean to sound rectal, but I'm totally full of shit.

When he falls into the vat of onion dip, we tease him by calling him Chip.

263: When he's full of shit, we call him Colin.

When he's being a dick, we call him Jimmy.

Or Richard. Or Rod. We're flexible like that.

Whenever he gets hit by a baseball bat so hard that he flies over a fence, we call him Homer.

You'd be surprised how often that happens.

Whenever someone uses him to polish a car, we call him Buffy.

260: Happy now?

263: I don't mean to sound paraplegic, but I've swum on both coasts.

A stretch, perhaps? No, I don't think that would be an appropriate nickname at all.

269: I admit defeat, if that's what you mean.

When he gets really drunk, we call him legless.

When we're in the mood we call him Neil.

When he consorts with prostitutes, we call him John.

But most of the time, we don't call him at all. We're pretty much just acquaintances.

273: Or sometimes Roger, don't forget.

When he's acting all litigious, we call him Sue?

275: I try to call him all the time, but for some reason he never picks up.

When he's dead, we call him Tod. Or Mort.

279: or Paul

Before he shaves, we call him Harry.

When he's being a kidder, we call him Josh.

When he's got that look in his eye, we call him Randy.

275: I try to call him all the time, but for some reason he never picks up.

That's when we call him Bluetooth, but then he gets all "I'm King of Denmark", which, yeah, lame.

When he makes puns, we call him Tom Swift, I said disarmingly.

284: When he does horrible standup, we call him Dane.

When he's playing baseball with us, we call him third base.

When he's drunk, we call him a cab.

When he's in the Mideast we call him Stan.

When he's destroying the American financial system, we call him Chet.

When his posterior is warm but not hot, we call him Lucas.

OK, most of these could just as easily apply to someone with functioning arms and legs. Let's go back tro wrenae's joke paradigm.

When he's in the Mideast we call him Stan.

I will not be fetishized as the new Mexican blogger. I don't even have a nuclear energy program.

291: When his name is M/tch M/lls we call him Stretch.

OK, most of these could just as easily apply to someone with functioning arms and legs.

We're trying to put him at ease by treating him just like anyone else, you tool!

When his volume is that of 1,300,000 Earths and he burns at a core temperature of 15,000,000 degrees Celsius, providing the energy for all life as we know it, we call him Sol.

Someone stop me please.

292: I don't want to be a dick, but when he's quibbling about the rules we call him Peter.

So you say, Stan. So you say.

293: I think we're going to have to start calling you Estan from now on.

When he's just hanging around, we call him Chad.

When we're pissed off we call him Lou.

When he's lazing around in the way, we just shove him over to the wall and call him Murphy.

When he makes a fine point, we call him Dirk.

When he's facing up to his problems heroically, without any self pity, the way I would do if I were in his situation, we call him Mary Sue.

When he's acting the know-it-all, we call him Ken.

But when he shares his considerable knowledge, we call him Ed.

It makes him feel special.

When he's talking trash, we call him Ben.

307: "trash" s/b "rubbish"

When he's too loud, we call him Mike.

When he's showing off how incredibly gifted he is, we call him Spencer.

when he leaves a stain, we call him Mark.

When he's acting all resentful, we call him Stu.

When he sits in front of the door, we call him Matt.

In early spring we call him Buddy.

When he owes us money, we call him Bill.

When he's a piece of work, we call him Job.

When he gives us a workout, we call him Jim.

315: But when he leaves us money we call him Will.

When he is mirthful, we call him Mary.

318: Then we he takes it back we call him Rob.

Sometimes I use him to hold down my loose papers. Then I call him Rock.

320: WHEN HE

Yeah yeah. There's no challenge in coming up with names that aren't funny (When he's getting in shape we call him Jim. When he's proposing legislation we call him Bill. When he's on the wagon we call him Bruno).

When he needs help while sunbathing, I call him Flip.

After he's dead, I'll call him Rip.

when we stop being funny, we call it a night -- night all!

When he poops in the punchbowl, I call him foolishmortal.

As an overly excited trumpet player, he was known, in his youth, as Blair.

When I'm having a bad animal collective day I call him Wolfgang.

The next-to-last person to post a name is a total loser.

When he's the next-to-last person to post a name, we call hiim JP Stormcrow.

When I'm having a bad animal collective day an irrepressible urge to gun him down from a helicopter, I call him Wolfgang.

Oh, if we must: when he's storing grain we call him Silas.

333: You'd use a paraplegic to store grain? Racist.

I mean, I don't mean to be eyebrow, but that's disgustingly lowclass, fm.

When he's entrapping other people and then calling them names, we call him M/tch.

336: And he feels HONORED!!!!!1!!!

When M/tch gets drunk, he calls everybody.

And yet I am silenced by my inability to put my bitching into pun form. And appropriately so; 334 does kind of win the thread, doesn't it?

338: I have to tell everybody them that I love them, don't I?

Which reminds me: what's your phone number, Stan?

Apparently everyone's busy turning off their cell phones. Ingrates.

what's your phone number, Stan?

Just go outside to the darkest corner of your yard and yell, "One, Two, Three-and-to-the-Four!"

I will appear, forthwith. (This is true for everyone, by the by.)

343: Liar.

343: Demonstrably false. Although I do have a couple of unsavory types at my door, neither is you.

315: Or Owen.