Snowflake's Forum

I know the secret to winning every argument. And since this is a friendly crowd, I’ll share it with you. Without further ado, here it is: Follow these two simple rules: Only take defensible positions. If you find you’ve taken a non-defensible position (and you will!), move to a defensible position. See? Simple as pie! But not always easy. It takes some practice. First, of course, let's flesh out what constitutes a “defensible position.” My favorite way of describing it is something I borrowed from somebody, but I no longer remember where I got it: “Be the world’s greatest expert on everything you say.” That might at first sound rather limiting, but it’s not so bad. You are the world’s greatest expert on what you believe, perceive, favor, and feel. Some examples: Non-defensible positions: There is no God. Racism is bad. The dress is blue. We should build more wind farms. Defensible positions: I don’t believe in any God. I hate racism. I see a blue dress. I’m in favor of building mo...

A Washington city's dress code ordinance that says “bikini baristas” must cover their bodies at work has been ruled unconstitutional by a federal court. U.S. District Court in Seattle found Everett’s dress code ordinance violated the Equal Protection clauses of the U.S. and Washington state constitutions. The Court found that the ordinance was, at least in part, shaped by a gender-based discriminatory purpose, according to a 19-page ruling signed by U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez. It is difficult to imagine, the court wrote, how the ordinance would be equally applied to men and women in practice because it prohibits clothing “typically worn by women rather than men,” including midriff and scoop-back shirts, as well as bikinis. Bikini baristas were “clearly” a target of the ordinance, the court also ruled, adding that the profession is comprised of a workforce that is almost entirely women. https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2022-10-29/federal-judge-rules-in-favor-of-b...

 O kay , this one's gonna be short on text and big on pix.  First, a pile o' pix I took in New Orleans several years ago:   What?  A dead end?!   Well, I guess that means it's YOUR turn to post! It's Hallowe'en Weekend!  Let's see what images you have to share!   AlextheKay likes spooky shit  

  BUT BUT..... SO..... OR..... What say ye?

  dies at age 94 in Iran (94? Damn, I am gonna stop showering!!!) A long, dirty life has come to its end. https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/world-s-dirtiest-man-dies-at-age-94-in-iran/ar-AA13mTJi?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=ddcc3534148a42fc8318c9841257874a Amou Haji, an Iranian man nicknamed the “dirtiest man in the world” for his avoidance of showers for over 50 years, died Sunday at the age of 94, according to IRNA news agency, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). Haji, who was — not surprisingly — single, passed away in the village of Dejgah in the southern province of Fars. Local officials told IRNA he feared taking showers to avoid “getting sick.” His phobia was even the subject of a 2013 short documentary called  The Strange Life of Amou Haji  , according to Iranian media.

  Both parties think the other will destroy America, NBC News poll finds AND THE BIGGIE: Those are remarkable numbers for a few reasons. First, views of members of the two parties are almost mirrored images of each other. Democrats and Republicans agree on very little except when it comes to the other’s party’s plans — which they equally seem to agree are simply awful. Second, members of both parties seem to view the stakes of this election existentially, life or death for the nation. When you see elections in those terms, the vitriol is bound to be intense. It’s hard to shake hands at the end and vow to do better next time, if, in the minds of your voters, there may not be a next time. https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/both-parties-think-other-will-destroy-america-nbc-news-poll-n1300111 America’s future rests with independent and swing voters According to Gallup,  43 percent of voters are independent , 30 percent are Democratic and 24 percent say they are Republican. Pa...

First they came for the queers,   and I cried out with joy, Because  they were perverts. Then they came for the immigrants,  and I cried out with joy, Because they were stealing our jobs . Then they came for the minorities,  and I cried out with joy, Because they were lazy. When they came for me, I cried out in surprise, All along, I’d thought  they were me.  posted by Jamie B. Final verse finished beautifully by larrymotuz. Thanks!

 For this Sunday, I got curious, about what skill sets you have, and how learned or taught. After taking two weeks to paint our new apartment, and damn, does it look sweet now, I got to thinking how I got here. Let me explain: If I need plumbing done, I hire a plumber, if I need electrical work done, I would hire an electrician. OR in both cases, used to, now the Super takes care of that. Never laid my own carpet, or did any carpentry. Nor did any of my own repairs on a car except to change a tire. I never found the knack or inclination to learn how. But landscaping? It started as a summer job working for a landscaper. Still, most of what I know about trees, plants, bushes, grass, weeding, garden design was self taught. I just loved outdoors and gardening and so took a keen interest in everything involved in landscaping, even laying brick walkways and driveways. Painting? Entirely self taught, and the hard way. Talked to a lot of paint shops, read a lot of books on painting, later ...

  H istorical revisionism is popular these days.  Of course, it's usually relabeled as "an alternative viewpoint" or "setting the record straight."  But it's almost always an attempt to conceal some plain truth.  We've all grown up with it.  Remember how Columbus proved the world was round? Okay, total BS, everybody --even Columbus-- knew the world was round all along, but Columbus thought it was much smaller.   He was so sure that to his dying day he refused to admit he'd run aground at a new continent.  But it's so much nicer to believe he was a genius who brought enlightenment to benighted flat-earthers' minds! Then there's the American Civil War.  "It was about states' rights!" yell the revisionists.  No, it was about the "right" to own people.  But isn't it much nicer to believe the South was fighting for rights rather than to prevent fellow human beings from having any? After World War II revealed the ho...

  Dogwalker discovers errant alligator roaming rural Idaho BOISE, Idaho It's not uncommon for Idaho wildlife officials to be called for help when a moose, mountain lion, black bear or other wild animals wander into one of the state's rural communities.  But Idaho Fish and Game officials are asking the public for help with a particularly unusual find — a 3.5-foot (1-meter) alligator that was discovered hiding in the brush of a rural neighborhood about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Boise.  Southwest Region spokesperson Brian Pearson told the Idaho Statesman that a New Plymouth resident was walking their dog Thursday evening when they noticed something moving in the brush. Further investigation revealed the alligator — a creature commonly found in the coastal wetlands of the southeastern U.S., but certainly not native to Idaho. Pearson said the resident put the alligator in a nearby horse trailer until Idaho Fish and Game conservation officer could pick it up on Frid...

Like raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, we all have our favorite things.  I’m not talking about earthshaking things/events, but rather just those simple things in life.  Things that move you, or please you, or that you especially look forward to.  My mom used to say, “It’s the little things that make a difference.”  So true, mom. So, off the top of your head, what are some of your favorite things?   For me: Summer vegetables from the Mennonite produce stand.   It’s my version of “Christmastime.” First sip of perfectly made hot coffee (not so hot that it burns your mouth but hot enough so that you can barely stand it… that perfect temp for my coffee). Happy endings of any kind. A blanket of stars on a clear night. My cat staring up at me with her loving eyes, as I cradle her in my lap, like a baby, and I pat her behind in rhythmic gentle pats.   I can see in her eyes that she knows all’s right with her world. So, what are some fav...

 Come with me back to the thrilling days of yesteryear -- 2015, and the culmination of the Puppies' war on the Hugo Award for Outstanding Science Fiction! In the early 2010s, a bunch of aggrieved SF conservatives decided the reason they weren't winning awards was that some sneaky cabal of left-wingers behind the scenes was gaming the system.  Why were liberals and lefties and women (O my!) winning the awards?  Because they were somehow cheating!  Had to be!  Something must be done! These unhappy people even named themselves the Sad Puppies. For three years, the Sad Puppies tried to push a chosen slate into the nomination list.  It was an unprecedented attempt to make the Hugos about a political viewpoint, rather than the quality of the nominees.  They weren't doing all that well until a guy named "Vox Day" created a new group.  The RABID Puppies.  (I swear,  I am not making this up.)   Here's "Vox," whose real name is Beale, n...

Squirrels are very smart. This video exemplifies their mental capacities; Now you know. By Germaine: The other science guy.

Arizona farm gives refuge from pain, for man and beast alike CORNVILLE, Ariz. (AP) — The leader has the name of her dead baby spelled out in beads on her left wrist, and standing before her is a mother so grief-choked by her young son’s death that she flips on her side at one point in this creekside yoga class and sobs. In the next row, a woman whose daughter died by suicide goes through the poses next to a man with a tattoo of three little ducks, one for each of the children who was murdered.  Just beyond, in the fields of this sanctuary for the grieving, is a sheep whose babies were snatched by coyotes, a goat saved from slaughter and a horse that was badly mistreated carrying loads at the Grand Canyon. Soon, the morning fog will lift and the chorus of cicadas will end the quiet. But for a moment, all is still, as if nature has paused to acknowledge this gathering of worldly suffering. “There’s a comfort in knowing,” says Suzy Elghanayan, a mother whose young son died earlier thi...

As we all remember from a recent post here about Captain Kirk , the overview effect is what happens when a human is lifted into space and looks out at the beauty of fragile Earth and the intense blackness of space. The experience really grabs and traps some minds, which is a darned good thing.  The AP writes : The first Native American woman in space said Wednesday she is overwhelmed by the beauty and delicacy of Mother Earth, and is channeling “positive energy” as her five-month mission gets underway. NASA astronaut Nicole Mann said from the International Space Station that she’s received lots of prayers and blessings from her family and tribal community. She is a member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in Northern California. Mann, 45, a Marine colonel and test pilot who was born in Petaluma, California, said it’s important to recognize there are all types of people aboard the space station. It’s currently home to three Americans, three Russians and one Japanese ...

  Sexual assault victim says rape kit DNA used against her by police Years after a California woman submitted a rape kit after she was sexually assaulted, her DNA was used to charge her with a crime. In an exclusive interview with "CBS Mornings," the woman (who asked us not to identify her by name) says she gave her DNA to San Francisco police after being raped in 2016 in hopes of convicting the suspect. Police, by their own admission, added it to their criminal database – then used it to arrest and charge her with theft last year. "I was in jail for 14 days," she said. The woman (whom we are referring to as Jane Doe) said she had had no privacy concerns about sharing her DNA. Correspondent Janet Shamlian asked, "If you had known your DNA was going into a general database, would you have been more hesitant about submitting it as part of a sexual assault?" "Yes, absolutely," she replied.  "Would you have submitted it?" "No, I would ...