Comments on Stonekettle Station: Just stop it already, really

I love how @CommonSense just proves the whole damn...

2011-12-12T05:38:55.686-09:00

I love how @CommonSense just proves the whole damn point, capitalisation et al.

As a Dutch person who has lived in 14 countries all over the world, I am still always flabberghasted at the level of general ignorance that is displayed by so many Americans vis a vis internationally agreed human rights, common decency, good manners and etiquette. Afterall, the very first rule of etiquette is that the most important rule of all is to always make sure the other person is made to feel comfortable and welcomed, whetever "social rules" they are breaking from your point of view.

My personal experience is that the further "right" an American declares themselves on the political scale the less "kind" they seem to others in general.

In The Netherlands my political views are considered very right-winged; in the USA my political views would nowadays be labelled communist, socialist,liberal and anti-religion. Only in the US media would you see such diverging terms all be used together to denote something negative. I wonder how many of the politicians and journalists scattering these sound bites around willy nilly have actually read the communist manifesto, understand the basics of socialism or actually know what liberalism actually means.

Thank you for providing consistently thought-provoking posts and showing us European idiots that there are decent, intelligent, kind, bonafide human beings still living in the USA. With all the crazy people getting so much media coverage, we need reminding every now and then.

Keep up the good work.

Blow it out your ass, @commonsense. I served this...

2011-10-26T09:22:30.931-08:00

Blow it out your ass, @commonsense. I served this country in uniform for over 20 years, don't you dare try tell me that I'm not American enough. If it wasn't for Americans like me, you'd be a red stain in the street.

As to Americans living in foreign countries and having to learn their language, you obvious don't know many ex-pat Americans.

Now fuck off and don't comment here again.

Wow, liberalism run wild. I happen to agree with ...

2011-10-26T09:13:21.286-08:00

Wow, liberalism run wild. I happen to agree with the picture and it's quotation. First, it was never meant to be a historically accurate depiction, so your little "rant" about when voicemail came out, was more an indictment of your stupidity, then anything else. Second, the quote is 100% truth. Why should anyone in this country have to pres 1 for English? People who come to this nation should learn to speak English, PERIOD. If you go to Mexico, Russia, Italy, or anywhere else, and live there, you are expected to learn their language. We have bowed to the liberal twits too often. It's about time this nation put its foot down and insisted that immigrants, so hell-bent on coming here for a good life, start learning to speak the language and appreciate this nation for what it is, not just what it can give them. Lastly, your closing comment was another indictment of your stupidity. Conservatives do not believe we are 100% right, and in no way do we push that lie, but we are right in this matter, and many others. You'd do good to listen to a few Americans, and stop being so damn progressive, that you stop seeing the reason you even have a RIGHT to be progressive. It's about time some of you liberals start showing some more appreciation for the flag and country that gives you the freedom to be such blowhards. Without America, you'd be nothing more then some political prisoner in some third world country, or better yet, a red stain on the street. Show some appreciation, and just leave America to the Americans. Thank you!

I somehow ended up on their mailing lists too - an...

2011-05-17T16:58:45.756-08:00

I somehow ended up on their mailing lists too - and I'm gay and non-Christian.

I got a campaign phone call the other day from one of these people, starting out with, "Hi, I'm Amanda and I am NOT a recording! Liberal special interests..."

I cut off her harangue right there. "Do you realize you're calling a liberal household?" I asked. Dead silence. "Two out of the three voters in this house are registered Democrats. The third is independent. And the person you're speaking with pretty much IS a liberal special interest, being a practicing witch and a lesbian."

She was clearly flabbergasted, and stuttered a bit. I told her I was on my way to work and to take me off her calling list, and then wished her a good day. I think the last bit of simple courtesy probably blew her mind completely.

Glad that we got that part cleared up and you'...

2010-07-16T18:01:47.263-08:00

Glad that we got that part cleared up and you're quite right on the part about the senoritas. He admitted to a propensity for finding himself in latin american climes when he was between wives.
I used to see him often during summers when swordfishing commercially off the southern CA coast. Fourth of July weekend wasn't complete without the 'Wild Goose' on a mooring in White's Cove at Catalina Island. Entertainment at its finest with a boatload of kids, and a major surprise to hear an inquiry in a familiar voice regarding the two 'swords' we had harpooned that day, and were in the process of cleaning. It was the man himself at the wheel of a 21' Boston Whaler, congratulated us on our good fortune and announced they were heading for Avalon for a restaurant dinner.
Pushed up the throttle and gave us everything but 'we're burning daylight'.

Actually, no, anonymous. John Wayne was born Mario...

2010-07-05T19:37:58.216-08:00

Actually, no, anonymous. John Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison in Winterset, Iowa. His parents changed his middle name from Robert to Mitchell when they decided to name their next son Robert.

He was nicknamed Duke as a child after the family dog - people used to say "here comes Big Duke (the dog) and Little Duke (Wayne).

All of which is well documented in numerous places including Wayne's autobiography which is sitting on a shelf about ten feet from me right now.

But thanks for catching the typo. I've fixed it.

Actually his given name was Marion Michael Morriso...

2010-07-05T19:26:17.774-08:00

Actually his given name was Marion Michael Morrison, he first used the stage name of Duke Morrison, later changing to John Wayne.
If you're going to rant at least get your facts straight, like the Kevin Costner character in Bull Durham put it, "if you're going to sing get the words right".

I think my wife would be ungood with strange woman...

2007-11-21T17:41:00.000-09:00

I think my wife would be ungood with strange woman (heh) teleporting in from the world to hug me.

But, you know, I do appreciate the thought.

Hee! That post is one of the reasons I wish we ha...

2007-11-21T07:19:00.000-09:00

Hee! That post is one of the reasons I wish we had a teleporter so I could nip up to Alaska to give you a hug.

As it is, I'll make due with the Expando-matic iHug (Platonic Edition).

Thanks for being you, Jim!
:)

Appalled, Janiece, I'm just appalled - you'...

2007-11-21T06:35:00.000-09:00

Appalled, Janiece, I'm just appalled - you're a Systems Engineer? I had no idea.

CONFESSIONS OF A ENGINEER, Volume I, or the Good, ...

2007-11-21T05:51:00.000-09:00

CONFESSIONS OF A ENGINEER, Volume I, or the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Technology

Alas, I have to admit I am guilty, guilty. And ashamed! Oh, yes!

Those extremely irritating "voicemail" systems that are the bane of Jim's existence are just one component of how I make my living.

I know, I know - hard to believe, but there it is.

I am a systems engineer, and I design communications systems for large businesses. The components of such systems frequently include "Interactive Voice Response" (IVR) components, which are those incredibly irritating machines that shield employees of a company from actual, human contact.

But wait, there's more!

I also sometimes include what's called a "Predictive Dialer," which is that profoundly irritating component that calls you during the dinner hour to ask if you'd like to donate to whatever cause has purchased it.

I know, I know. I well and truly suck.

In my defense, however, I was instrumental in getting the American Red Cross call center up and running immediately following Katrina.

I am hoping not to be disowned...

How very odd that people "assume" the same things ...

2007-11-21T05:11:00.000-09:00

How very odd that people "assume" the same things about me simply because of my status as a veteran.

My personal favorite was the one going around about Cindy Sheehan's protesting the Iraq war. It made the "agrument" that because she had not been the custodial parent after she divorced her son's father, then her "grief" at her son's death was "contrived." Clearly any self-respecting mother would never allow their child to live with his father, who was (presumably) good enough at one point to contribute genetically.

I found this one particulary offensive because my own children lived with their dad at one point. Since I was deployed to the middle east, it seemed the sensible decision to make at the time. Obviously that decision means any grief I might feel at their death would be contrived.

Grr. Now my blood pressure's up. Thanks a lot, Jim. Stupid neo-cons.

Well, see they wanted to make sure you knkew exact...

2007-11-20T16:40:00.000-09:00

Well, see they wanted to make sure you knkew exactly which words they were accentuating. Like how I continually get asked to not only bold, italic, underline and make the word larger, but also in red. No, seriously, I was forced to do that for a presentation (even after I explained by makinig it red people wouldn't be able to red it, red being the color of least light energy).

I rarely get those emails anymore. I always replied to all and proceeded to rip their (what they thought were) rhetorical arguments to shreds, including documentation, and then (because most were by Good Christian Fundies) explained that they lied and that this made them accomplices of the Father of Lies (Satan) and so should really see to their souls instead of sending out his emails.

I especially like the ones that use bad logic (See Scalzi's winner in the LOLCreation Contest) or miss glaringly obvious counter arguments or mitigating factors.

This is one of the reasons I like Frank (aka CoolBlue) or at Scalzi's. He has the same argumentative problems, but at least he makes me work for it and they do require research instead of common knowledge.