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All the episodes of the 1994 short-lived one-season series My So-Called Life are on Hulu.com, and I spent the last few weeks watching through them in my down time. I'm the same age as Angela Chase (and nine days older than Claire Danes) and now that I've watched it again I remember the show vividly. I wasn't sure I'd remember it, but it turns out there are some episodes I can practically recite by heart. Like Pressure and all those scenes in the boiler room? "The whole world is separated into kissing … and not kissing … kissing … and not kissing." "My lips feel used, but, like, in a good way."
I miss these characters now that I watched through the 19 episodes. I have lots to say about the parental relationship, Graham's masculinity, the character arcs and some of the slightly more experimental attempts at episodes, the infamous lean by Jordan Catalano ("you're so beautiful, it hurts to look at you"), Jordan's masculinity … oh there's so much.
But what I want to write on here, real quick, is Ricky, and his finale.
If you haven't seen it, revealing that Ricky is gay is not giving anything away. You'll know from the first episode. The other characters know, too, but they never say it directly. Sometimes they say Ricky likes boys, sometimes Ricky confesses a crush, but he never comes right out and says it. There's some talk of Ricky being put up at Pride House after he is kicked out of his house (presumably because of his sexuality) by his aunt and uncle, who raised him. But he never comes out and says it.
Until the very last episode, in this exchange with Delia, a straight girl. Earlier in the episode, it goes through the grapevine that Delia has a crush on Ricky, eventually getting back to him. He says (I'm paraphrasing), what if this is my chance? What if this is my chance to be normal? What if this is my chance to have a normal life? And he decides to ask her out.
The embedded video is below. I couldn't get a clip of just the one part, sorry. I do urge you to watch the series from the beginning – if you watch this whole clip it'll give some things away! This is the last episode, after all.
This clip starts at 34:58.
Ricky: Delia? Um, maybe we should um, go somewhere sometime.
Delia: Okay.
Ricky: You know like, to a movie, or something.
Delia: I'd like that.
Ricky: Because um, I really think we'd be … good together.
Delia: Okay … but, you're gay, right?
Ricky: Well, you know, I …
Delia: Oh I'm sorry!
Ricky: No, it's okay.
Delia: That came out so rude.
Ricky: I try not to um … I don't like uh … yeah, I'm gay. I just don't usually say it like that.
Delia: How do you usually say it?
Ricky: I don't usually say it. I've actually never said it, out loud.
Delia: Wow. I feel kind of honored.
I'm pretty sure I actually teared up and said awwwwww! to my computer screen, because, come on, that is such an awesome way to have dealt with this moment. Ricky struggles so much with fitting in, with feeling like he belongs, with finding somewhere that he's accepted, and his struggles just kept breaking my heart over and over. And I just love how this was done. So much acceptance, so much care.
Is it too late to start a "Bring Back My So-Called Life" internet campaign? I mean it's possible, with the power of social networking these days! They made a movie after Firefly!


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Updated February 21, 2022 at 10:54 PM ET
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognized two regions in Ukraine as independent and ordered Russian troops to conduct "peacekeeping" operations there, raising fears that Russia is paving the way for an attack. The move set off a round of international condemnation and further isolation at the United Nations, sanctions from the United States, and a promise from the United Kingdom that it, too, would sanction Russia.
The Biden administration announced a first round of limited economic sanctions, with more to follow Tuesday.
Putin's declaration named the two regions the Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic. Both are unrecognized territories carved out by Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine after fighting broke out there against Ukrainian government forces in 2014.
The announcement is a serious escalation that effectively kills the Minsk accords, which set out a series of military and political steps designed to resolve the status of the two breakaway regions and end the 8-year-old conflict there.
The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting Monday evening in response, where ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. representative to the U.N., said Putin had "torn the Minsk agreement to shreds" and warned that Russian forces escalating further would create "a devastating loss of life" and cause a refugee crisis across Europe.
She warned that Putin's ambitions reach beyond Ukraine, and that he has asserted Russia's claims to all former territory of the former Russian Empire.
"Putin wants the world to travel back in time. To a time before the United Nations," she said. "To a time when empires ruled the world. But the rest of the world has moved forward. It is not 1919. It is 2022."
Russia's Vasily Nebenzya in turn accused Ukraine of aggression and of shelling civilians in the Donbas conflict, while Ukrainian representative Sergiy Kyslytsya said Russia's recognition of the regions was "illegal and illegitimate."
"Negotiation is the only way to address the existing differences," said Rosemary DiCarlo, the United Nations chief political officer. "We call on all relevant actors to focus their efforts on the immediate cessation of hostilities."
The meeting adjourned without any collective statement or action.
Speaking to his country's citizens earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Putin's actions were "a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Ukraine.
In a highly staged meeting earlier Monday, Putin met with members of his security council, who urged the president to take this action, citing Ukrainian intransigence on implementing the Minsk accords.
The Russian-backed rebel leaders of the self-proclaimed republics urged Putin earlier on Monday to recognize their independence and provide security guarantees.
The U.S. has said Russia has amassedup to 190,000troops on its border with Ukraine.
President Biden will issue an executive order to "prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine," according to a statement from White House press secretary Jen Psaki. The statement says that the order will allow for sanctions to be imposed on anyone violating the order and that the departments of State and Treasury will share more details shortly.
Psaki says the administration will have more announcements soon "related to today's blatant violation of Russia's international commitments" that are separate from the economic consequences to be imposed if Russia invades Ukraine.
British Foreign Secretary Lizz Truss said the United Kingdom would announce on Tuesday its own sanctions on Russia for its "breach of international law and attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
NATO countries promise sanctions
Biden and Zelenskyy held a 35-minute call Monday afternoon, the White House said, and Biden also convened a call with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Scholz and Macron also spoke with Putin on Monday. Scholz said in a statement that he told Putin that any such move would amount to a one-sided breach of the Minsk agreements and urged Putin to pull Russian troops from the Ukraine-Russia border.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, called the recognition of the territories "a blatant violation of international law, the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the Minsk agreements." The European Union promised sanctions "against those involved in this illegal act."
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Putin's announcement "yet another indication that things are moving in the wrong direction in Ukraine." The U.K. will "continue to do everything we can to stand by the people of Ukraine," he said, including preparing sanctions and fortifying NATO's eastern flank.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres considers Russia's decision "to be a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine," according to a U.N. statement. Guterres urged all parties to focus on a cessation of hostilities, protecting civilians and continued diplomacy.
Russia has claimed that the situation along the contact line in Donbas has been deteriorating in recent days and Putin has said that Ukraine is committing a "genocide" there and that him sending in troops would be to supposedly save its people. The U.S. has described these claims as a false-flag operation aimed at creating a pretext for an invasion.
White House says Russian troops in Donbas 'would not itself be a new step'
At the same time that the U.S. denounced the Russian move, the White House downplayed the significance, telling reporters that Russian forces moving into the Donbas would not be a further invasion of Ukraine because Russian troops have been in the region since 2014, despite denials from Moscow.
"Russian troops moving into the Donbas would not itself be a new step. Russia has had forces in the Donbas region for the last eight years," a senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told reporters on a briefing call Monday evening. "Their narrative has been that they do not. Our certain knowledge has been that they have."
The official said that the U.S. views Russian aggression playing out as it has anticipated but said the U.S. pledges "to pursue diplomacy until the tanks roll."
"Unfortunately, the sequence of events that Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken laid out at the U.N. Security Council appears to be proceeding exactly as we predicted," the official said, referring to false-flag events, Putin's security council meeting and the declaration of independent republics in eastern Ukraine.
James Doubek, Rob Schmitz and Peter Granitz contributed reporting.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

subset: commoncrawl


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"Spanish Me, Caravan" – 6 new recordings
Yes, since I got this mike, yours truly has been busy recording. Flamenco-style. Below you can hear 6 new recordings. And while you listen, let me tell you more about these songs.
- Intro (Me Gusta Ta Paragua)
- Spanish Me, Caravan
- Mediterranean Sundance/Rio Ancho
- Mucho Trabajo - Poco Dinero
- Entre Dos Aguas
- Borrowed Lame
About the "album"
Friends of mine are heading on a 15 day road trip from Bulgaria, through a bunch of countries, Southern France and all the way to Barcelona. Leaving tomorrow actually. The ultimate goal is the Formula 1 race in Barcelona. But, as often with these trips, it's the journey, not the destination, if you allow me to go all zen about it.
I can't join them this time around, but that shouldn't prevent me from thinking about it. I've never been to Spain, I hope I'll go there one day. So I thought it would be cool to record a bunch of spanish famenco style songs and send them to my friends to listen while on the road.
When we were younger and could party for days on end, we used to play a lot and Peter, one of the gang, told me one night, after the N-th rakia "Hey let's play the one that goes Spanish me, Spanish me, Caravan". The song he meant was "Spanish Caravan" by The Doors that goes "Carry me, caravan, take me away...". It was funny. We remembered that, and started calling the song this way. I couldn't think of a more appropriate title for my "album".
1. Intro (Me Gusta Ta Paragua)
This is just an intro to the next song. Loosely based on Asturias, as adopted by Andres Segovia, he was an admirable man, no doubt. Apparently, if it wasn't him, the guitar would still be looked down on by "serious" classical musicians and dismissed as a gypsy instrument. (Kinda like the guitar to the classical musicians is like JavaScript to Java programmers).
Among the noise you can even hear my banjo. Also clapping of hands and pretty much every noise-making of my kid's toys I could lay my hands on before they got back from the park that day and joined the fun.
Chords are: B, C.
Btw, following the tradition from Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, I drop-tune half a step down.
2. Spanish Me, Caravan
This is based on The Doors' Spanish Caravan, which is in turn based on the same Asturias by Segovia.
The only piece that I allowed myself the liberty of singing.
If my voice sounds as if I was in the bathroom, it's because I was. Not only this song but everything I played is recorded in the bathroom at night, once the kids are in bed. And before my wife comes knocking to kindly let me know she loves my art and all but she also needs sleep. You can hear her knocking on the door on this song towards the end of the acoustic part.
If you hear background noise, it's the fan of my computer during the recordings.
3. Mediterranean Sundance/Rio Ancho
This is my rendition of Paco De Lucia/Al di Meola/John MacLaughlin's famous piece from Saturday Night in San Francisco.
The chords of the rhythmic part are not known to me and have haunted me for years. This time I settled on:
- Em, Am, D, G, C, Am, B, B
two times, then followed by
- Em, Am, D, G, F, Em, D, C, B
and back to the first sequence. The end of the first sequence actually reminds of one classical piece I don't know the name of. It's played at the end of an old Doors movie (directed by Jim Morrison, no less).
The second chord sequence is closer to (parts of) the original though.
4. Mucho Trabajo - Poco Dinero
This is just an intro to the next song. My rhythm guitarist at parties (same Peter) about half a lifetime ago, could not remember all the chord changes in the next one, but he did remember this progression - Em, D, C, B. So we used to play it slowly and then faster. Here I somewhat do the slow part as an intro to the full thing that follows.
The title is one of the two semi-nonsensical phrases another friend taught me. This one means "lot of work, no money". The other one is "I like your umbrella", the title of the first piece above - Me Gusta Ta Paragua.
The chords like I said are repeating that classical spanish progression: Em, D, C, B and towards the end I throw for good measure one change of C, D and finally Em.
5. Entre Dos Aguas
This is a magnificent piece by Paco De Lucia. I naturally improvise most of the parts, the only things that resemble the original I learned back at high school. Same with the Sundae, actually. No internet back then (imagine that!) and very rare access to guitar tabs. So most of the songs we learned from each other or "pulling" from the cassette tape. Press play-pause-guess on the guitar-rewind... until you come up with something acceptable. Then you compare with how someone else "pulled" and you realize you were both wrong, hehe.
First part: Am, Bm, Am, B
Second part: Em, D, C, B
Third: D, Em
The percussion instrument is actually not a real instrument but a tourist souvenir my mom sent me from from Tunisia. But it so looks like a percussion thingie.
6. Borrowed Lame
This is a little melody I came up with while conceiving the idea of these recordings. The part around the third and forth chord reminds me of something very much, but I can put my finger on it. So I'm sure I stole part of the melody. Steal is a harsh word, so how about borrow. And once I get really famous with this piece (cough-cough) it will be a "borrowed fame". Fame - too much. Lame - better. Borrowed Lame.
Chords: Am, G, Am, Em, C, G, B, Em.
The end is two effects from Garage Band - a sailboat "in high sea" and a thunder.
Hope you like. I certainly had fun recording.
Tags: doors, flamenco, music, paco de lucia, spanish


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Although truffles are very costly, there are now many more reasons to eat it apart from the truth that it is very exciting to eat a delicacy. One of these reasons is you are consuming truffles because these may bring you health benefits.
Through the years, contentions have been hounding the health benefits and nutritional value of truffles and mushrooms, generally. People say that edible mushrooms like truffles have no nutritional value at all and these are used just to add flavor to a selection of staple dishes.
Yet, more recent reports show that truffles and various sorts of mushrooms can bring a great deal of health benefits especially to vegetarians, individuals who don't eat meat and only consume vegetables.
Technically, truffles are mushrooms that don't have stems and are usually discovered under the ground-usually under oak, pine, beech, and pecan trees mostly in Europe including various parts of Italy, France, Slovenia and Croatia. In Asia, some varieties are located in China along with in Middle East while there are also some types native to North Africa.
So far, truffles are used only in the culinary field-as main ingredient to various dishes or as flavoring and garnishes to different specialties. The most frequent gourmet edible truffles that are being employed in various restaurants include the French Black Truffles, the Italian White Truffles, the Chinese Truffles, and the Summer Truffles.
If you are fond of eating truffles and mushrooms generally, here are the some of the health benefits that you are able to expect:
1. It is a good source of high protein. Truffles have high protein content ranging from 20 to 30 percent for each serving. Experts say that truffles are excellent sources of high protein content which it very ideal because these contain all the amino acids necessary to good nutrition for humans. For people who don't consume fats and carbohydrates- specially to people who are having Western diets-truffles are very ideal since it is a fantastic source of protein.
2. It is in addition a moderate source of carbs. The main element of truffles and mushrooms in the main is carbohydrates derived from glycogen and chitin or also called the fungus cellulose which is a functional proponents of the fungal cell wall. All the same, compared to other vegetables, truffles have lower proportions of carbohydrates. This is in addition very good for people suffering from diabetes because truffles have low value of energy.
3. It is low-fat. As it is vegetable, truffles are ideal for individuals who cannot and do not want to consume too much fat. When dried, it has only about two to eight percent of fat which are mostly crude fat and lipid compounds such as fatty acids, sterols, phospholipids, glycerides and linoleic acid.
4. It is cholesterol free. This is probably the largest benefit to health of truffles. Through the years, cholesterol has been thought to be of the risk aspects of coronary heart conditions and other associated diseases. If you are inclined to stroke or heart attack or you have a family history any heart complaint, it would be great to consume cholesterol free food such as truffles to help you decrease your total cholesterol levels.
Source by Kenneth Travis


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Optipe Data Tools Suite - Names, Forms, Hyperlinks
Names, Forms, Hyperlinks application of Optipe Data Tools Suite you can select or delete Forms, Names or Hyperlinks created in Excel Book.
Use this application to:
- Clean in your workbook or sheet Names, Forms or Hyperlinks.
- Select or delete defined names, or just names with missing references.
- Select ot delete all shapes or objects once.
- Select or remove Hyperlinks (link is removed, leaving the text).
- Show all names, forms or hyperlinks located in your workbook.
- You can select all or some of them.
- Deletes all selected at the same time.
- To select a consecutive group of items, click the first item, press and hold down the Shift key, and then click the last item.
- To select non-consecutive items, press and hold down the Ctrl key, and then click each item that you want to select.
Video Example. Remove shapes and hyperlinks.
Video Example. Remove names with missing references and manage names.


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Which of the following applications are popular Open Source relational database systems?(Choose two)
A. PostgreSQL
B. NoSQL
C. MySQL
E. MongoDB


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Interested in becoming our client?
Learn moreFinancial planning 101
Financial planning is critical when it comes to managing a small business. While it paints a picture of your current financial situation, your financial goals and the strategies you've created to help achieve your goals, every business's vision is different. If you don't currently have a financial plan, now's a great time to start. And if you do have a financial plan, now's the time to review it and ensure you're on the right track.
What is financial planning?
Financial planning is a long-term structured approach to help you reach your financial goals. It includes setting goals, setting budgets and spending within your means, preparing for emergencies, investing wisely, borrowing appropriately, managing taxes, accumulating funds for large purchases, estate planning, providing for comfortable retirement, and managing risk.
Why is financial planning important?
Financial planning is important because it requires you to evaluate your current financial position. It helps you see your assets and liabilities to determine your net worth; it enables you to assess your expenses and income to help you gauge your cash flow; and it's essential for budgeting.
Creating a plan allows you to make the most of your assets and helps you plan not only for the present and immediate future but also for any retirement or succession goals. Here are some key steps to consider when creating a financial plan for your small business.
Step 1: Define your financial goals
Having defined financial goals is the key to your success. If you don't know what you're planning for, then managing your money to reach your financial goals will all be for naught. Ensure goals are well-defined and prioritized accordingly. Large financial goals should be broken down into more manageable chunks.
Step 2: Evaluate your money situation
Do you know how much money is sitting in an account or how much debt your business is carrying? It's important to know your current situation. Gather your balance sheet and first determine your net worth. This means subtracting your liabilities (e.g., debt, loans, mortgages) from your assets (e.g., money in accounts, retirement or 401(k) accounts, home equity).
Step 3: Set a budget
Start by creating a budget that includes all business expenses, like rent, utilities, payroll, insurance, equipment or office supplies. This will help you evaluate where you need to curb spending or where you can afford to spend or save a little more.
Step 4: Create cash flow projections
You must understand how money flows in and out of your business to make informed decisions on when it's best to spend or save. A cash flow projection breaks down your company's income and expenses (or accounts receivable and accounts payable), so you can proactively identify potential risks (i.e., a customer not paying on time) before they happen.
Step 5: Outsource your taxes
Tax planning can be complicated for a small business owner, so it may be best to outsource your tax planning and preparation to a qualified accountant. Accounting and tax professionals know tax laws in your area and can help advise you on maximizing qualified business expenses and what to pay in estimated taxes, helping to reduce tax liabilities.
Step 6: Identify possible risks
Taking risks is part of a small business owner's DNA. (You did start a business, after all.) But it's also important to identify outside risks that could impact your business financially, such as a labor shortage, product or equipment malfunction, market competition, or even natural disasters or pandemics. When you have a plan for what to expect, you can plan your finances accordingly.
Step 7: Determine succession and exit plans
At some point in time, you may be ready to retire and hand over your business to a trusted partner or colleague. Or you may find yourself needing to sell or shut down your business. Either way, have a plan for each scenario so you'll know your company's worth when it's time to move along.
Step 8: Consult a professional
Financial planning can be complex, and it's often helpful to seek advice from a professional accountant or financial planner. They'll help you develop a comprehensive financial plan specified to your business needs.
Financial planning is an ongoing process that requires careful attention and regular review. It's recommended that small business owners review their plans at least every six months to make sure financial goals are being met. By developing—and sticking to—a solid financial plan, you'll help ensure the long-term success of your business.
Back to issue


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245: Floor Tiles
Floor Tiles |
Title text: The worst part is when sidewalk cracks are out-of-sync with your natural stride. |
Cueball is walking according to a certain pattern of floor tiles, which makes sense to him in his head (the same pattern was first introduced in 207: What xkcd Means). But as his friend asks him why he is walking funny, he realizes that the algorithm he is using for walking on floor tiles would be so tedious and time-consuming to explain to his friend that he decides instead to simply defend himself and say that he isn't walking funny, this being far simpler than trying to show his friend exactly how his logic works. Alternatively, he is too embarrassed to explain his algorithm.
Cueball has imagined a complex diagram in his head. However, the diagram does not accurately reflect the floor, as the two main rows with black tiles in the foreground are only separated by one row of white tiles instead of two. This could possibly be an error on Randall's part, as the tiles in the background follow the pattern shown in the imagined diagram.
Cueball's rule appears to be that he can step on any black tiles, as well as any white tiles that are horizontally or vertically aligned with them. This forces him to take an abnormal, right-angle path while turning corners rather than rounding them or taking them at diagonals.
The title text refers to a common compulsion often associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) that leads people to place their feet either exactly between sidewalk cracks or directly on top of them while walking. Indeed, if the cracks are out of sync with one's natural stride, this will cause some people to "walk funny" as they stumble to correct their foot placement.
- [Two characters walk on a floor tiled in black and white.]
- Friend: Why are you walking funny?
- [Second panel consists of Cueball's thought cloud in which he points to an easel mounted diagram of the floor tile pattern.]
- Cueball, thinking: Well, my instinct is to step only on black tiles, but they're too far apart. So I'm letting myself walk on the tiles directly in line with the black ones, but that means that when we walk diagonally, I have to step in a pattern where...
- [Returns to situation in first panel.]
- Cueball: I'm not walking funny.
I wond what HE thinks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5Jyu6eioZ4
- Obsession
The explanation fails to mention the link with Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Stepping on, or avoiding particular floor tiles can be an example of OCD-induced behaviour. Moreover OCD is positively correlated with high IQ and therefore within the "nerd" scope of XKCD.
The reason why Cueball simply denies walking funny (sic) instead of offering the correct explanation, apart from simplicity, may also be because he is embarrassed by the awareness of his own disorder.--220.127.116.11 10:03, 5 September 2012 (UTC)
Personally, I have this walking obsession too. Curiously, my friends can understand my algorithm after observing me in my natural habitat for 2 minutes.
- (New editor, here, the above line being someone else unsigned, or somehow divorced from a prior signing.)
- While I'm bigger with longer legs now, I'm pretty sure my naturally long stride arose from nurturing a regular gait that would avoid cracks in awkwardly-sized paving slabs.
*....*....*....* Original natural gait (Let's call that 100% of normal, for the sake of comparison, based purely on this ASCII.)
|---|---|---|---|---| Slabs *...*...*...*...* Shortened gait, typically centered on one step per slab (80% stride. Obviously shortened and somewhat awkward.)
|---|---|---|---|---| Slabs *.......*.......* Too-long gait, typically centered on one step every other slab (160% stride. Very akward)
|---|---|---|---|---| Slabs *.....*.....*.....* Slightly lengthened gait, two slabs, miss one, repeat. (120% stride. Obviously longer, but not too awkward once practiced. )
- The 120% version (or whatever proportion it is, IRL) effectively works by aiming the feet just after a crack, foot just before a crack, skipping the next slab entirely.
- That tactic was developed back when I was <10 years old (but the latent mathematician in me is proud of my younger self's approach to analysing the tiling), possibly back when I was 6 or 7. They were large rectangular slabs, meaning different strategies in different directions. But when shorter that might mean the above applied when travelling in the 'short direction', but 'long direction' walking was two steps per one slab (after crack, before next crack), one on the next (middle). As I grew up a bit it would have become 'every other slab' in the short-axis, and the above in the long axis. Growing up yet more and it changes again. Diagonal travel is finessed accordingly.
- As an adult, most newer paving slabs have tended to changed from the traditional large rectangular ones to smaller square ones, just big enough for feet to fit on without any possibility of finessing that. Luckily they tend to be monochrome, so it's just a whole number stepped over (when I notice what's under my feet enough to have to do something about it), sometimes involving a Pythagorean calculation... ;) 220.127.116.11 03:30, 21 June 2013 (UTC)
- Sidewalk cracks
My edit/observation that the title text alludes to an Old wives' tale "if you step on a crack you will break your mother's back" was removed. I'm just hoping for additional discussion. "Sidewalk cracks ... out-of-sync with your natural stride" seems to be a clear reference to the wives' tale in question. As I reread my edit I realize this doesn't explain Cueball's behavior, so I was wrong on that point, but my assertion that the title text does point to the wives' tale seems valid enough. Thoughts? --Smartin (talk) 00:10, 3 January 2013 (UTC)
- Additional: I am confounded why Wikipedia does not recognize "step on a crack" as a wives' tale, childrens' taunt, etc. Is there some pondian aspect to this I am missing? In the Midwestern US where I grew up, "step on a crack" is (or was) a common meme; it was even exposited in song (sorry for the lame lyric link) --Smartin (talk) 04:51, 3 January 2013 (UTC)
- It's not so much referencing the step on a crack and break your mother's back child's game so much as many of those with obsessive compulsive tendencies are really annoyed that each footstep cannot be classified as a digital step, meaning that your foot is only one one tile at a time. It's not so much that you don't want to "break your mother's back" it's just a matter of personal pride that you don't walk on cracks. Same problem with steps that are just barely too long that you always end up taking the next one with the same foot. You just start to feel off kilter. lcarsos_a (talk) 07:52, 3 January 2013 (UTC)
- Never heard of the "mother's back" version. Though I'd do this for (referencing prior section title) probably vaguely OCD reasons without an actual mythology behind it, whenever there was a reason for it (e.g. in children's picture books) it was always something to do with bears. (Here in the UK, that is, without any unzooed bears roaming around. i.e. obviously ficticious ones.) 188.8.131.52 02:59, 21 June 2013 (UTC)
I feel we should have some mention of comic 207: what xkcd means here, and vice versa 220.127.116.11 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
- I agree, but in 207 it wasn't really referencing this; this had not been created yet. I think we should remove the reference note. 220.127.116.11 23:56, 21 April 2014 (UTC) ( Classhole forgot to log in. )
Alternative explanation
The main reason he does not explain is embarrassment. In the first panel, he is being accused of walking funny. He considers explaining the reason for the behavior but realizes the explanation is even more embarrassing than the behavior itself. He quickly ends the exchange by stating, "I'm not walking funny.", thereby avoiding further embarrassment. -- Flewk (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
Why does the explanation say the tile map is incorrect? The tile pattern looks fine to me, it's just not rotated. Am I just being dumb? 188.8.131.52 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
- in the graphic in Cueballs head, there is always 2 tiles between, in each direction, in the image it is only one tile in one direction. See this try at ASCII art with x for black tiles and o for white:
- In his head:
- xooxoox
- ooooooo
- ooooooo
- xooxoox
- Actual:
- xooxoox
- ooooooo
- xooxoox --Lupo (talk) 13:06, 24 October 2019 (UTC)
- Actually the tiles on the floor are an inconsistent diagram, some matching the cueball's thought diagram (in the above hallway) and some not (where they are walking now). Presumably they just came from the hallway. Paragraph 2 of the explanation needs an update. -- 126.96.36.199 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~) 14:09, 2 October 2022 (UTC)
I always stepped on all the cracks. 69:420, 3 May 2022 (UTC)
In the tile situation, I tend to, when I'm alone, just jump if the tiles are too far. RadiantRainwing (talk) 17:53, 13 July 2024 (UTC)


text:
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text:
Hal Spear and Paul Romhany have put together a book all magicians can use - complete FULL, ORIGINAL patter for the following effects:
Torn and Restored Newspaper - three different routines
Bowl-A-Rama by Kevin James - two comedy routines for this amazing effect - no longer just an opening routine
Six card Repeat and Six Bill Repeat - three routines
Snowstorm in China - two different routines that are original
Mental Epic - three very different comedy routines
Half-Dyed Hank - three original routines (note: these routines are for white/red hankies and different than the black/red in CSI:The Case of the Half-Died Hanky)
Professors Nightmare - two versions including an adult version for the comedy club performer.
Pages 82 - 7" x 10" - PDF format
"This book is a wonderful addition to any comedy magicians library. Created by a magician and also a fine comedian it gets to the heart of thinking, writing and performing strong material. Highly recommended."
-Nick Lewin, Las Vegas
"Hal "Chickie" Spear is one of the most respected Comedy Writers in the Business, and a knowledgeable Magician as well. This book is more than a "Makeover" , it's more like a" Comedy Collagen Injection from a Comedic Cosmetic Surgeon. " Like a Playtex Living Bra, Hal "Lifts & Separates" these tricks with his Comedy so that they become "Standouts with Hard Little Nipples" ....in a word...Succulent !"
- Paul Kozak, Las Vegas
"If you're looking for a way to give your act a face-lift without doing all the heavy lifting yourself, then it's time to take a nice big swig of Hal Spear's Comedy Elixir. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face, and more importantly, your audience's."
- Charlie Frye, Las Vegas


text: Learning Styles: Why There's More Than One Way to Learn English (and Why It Matters) Cast your mind back to your school days. Chances are, you sat in a classroom, facing forward, for hours at a time. Perhaps your teacher talked a lot, wrote things on the board, and handed out notes. But what about you? Was it easy to absorb and understand the information? Did you spend your time daydreaming, doodling or making copious notes using various highlighters? Just as we don't all look the same, we don't all learn the same way. We have different learning styles. These learning styles can have a major impact on our ability to comprehend and remember new information, or acquire a new language. A child's behaviour in the classroom can reveal much about his (or her) learning styles. A commonly used model is VAK — which stands for Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic learning styles. Visual learners learn by seeing and reading, auditory learners learn by listening and speaking, and kinaesthetic learners learn by touching, moving and doing. So visual learners like to learn through written language (reading and writing tasks), auditory learners often talk to themselves, moving their lips and reading out loud, while kinaesthetic learners are their best while touching and moving. Interestingly, while most children will operate in all three styles, they will usually show a preference for one or two. The VAK model provides a quick and easy reference by which to assess children's learning styles, and more importantly, to design learning methods and experiences that match their preferences. What are some common indicators of learning styles? When teaching someone something, you would give the visual learner written instructions, an auditory learner verbal instructions, and the kinaesthetic learner a demonstration before letting them have a go. You would say: "Show meâ€, "Tell me†and "Let me tryâ€. How can teachers use their understanding of learning styles in the classroom? By providing a variety of activities catering to the children's different needs. The visual learner likes to see and observe — looking at pictures, props and displays. Typical activities would include showing a set of flashcards while the children name what they see, games in which children identify cards that have been removed (What's missing?) and memory games. The auditory learner likes to listen and speak — listening to the spoken word, songs, sounds or noises. Typical activities would include games using instructions. For example, Chinese whispers involve giving an instruction to one child who passes it on. The last child to receive the instruction must perform an action based on the instruction. Another activity, brain jogs, involves the children performing midline crossing movements while chanting sentences. (This is also a kinaesthetic exercise.) The kinaesthetic learner likes practical hands-on experience (touching, feeling, holding) which helps them acquire new information easily.  It's here that songs set to movements play an important role. The children perform appropriate movements while singing, while also associating the lyrics with the meaning. In pantomime, children take turns picking cards from a pile and miming them, while the others try to guess the words. Enjoyable games such as Relay Races and Blind Man's Bluff involve challenging the children to identify an object from its description or from how it feels (tactile stimulation). If you want your child to acquire English as a second language with ease, look for a learning methodology which incorporates all three learning styles. Lessons should be well paced with a skillful blend of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic activities, so children sit, stand, dance, sing, move around and play games throughout the lesson. It's all about keeping children active, engaged and having fun while they acquire new language skills. There's more than one way to learn English — quickly, easily and naturally. For more information: www.HelenDoron.com


text:
Systems integration benefits
Building operations are challenged by insufficient financial and human resources and ever-expanding scopes of responsibility. Systems integration and analytics are a means of doing more with less.
The past decade has seen dramatic advances in automation systems and smart devices. With today's IP-connected systems employing a variety of standard protocols and Web services, it is now relatively simple to access and accumulate data produced by the wide range of devices in buildings. As a consequence, the amount of available data per building has grown, and with it in many cases the number of buildings that have to be managed. We find ourselves paradoxically drowning in oceans of data with little or no information to work with.
The challenge facing today's overburdened managers and operations staffs is information prioritization. The ideal targeted by today's systems integration professionals is to execute this prioritization with little to no hands-on effort, devising software to scan equipment systems' patterns for variations and faults.
The industry has met each installment of increasingly stringent ASHRAE 90.1 standards—driven by volatile resource economies and urgent environmental imperatives—with additions to the arsenal of automation and measurement technologies and strategies, helping emerging low-energy technologies enter the marketplace. The latest in systems integration, demonstrated in a recent paradigm-changing research lab and elsewhere, harnesses the analytics we'll depend on to navigate the challenging waters ahead.
The challenge: Turn data into actionable intelligence
From BAS to electric meters, thermostats, and individual sensors, a polyglot assortment of smart devices are producing information about their environments and operations. The first challenge is how to bring all these data together in a consistent manner, in other words, how to "normalize" the data. Without this, all we have are "islands of information" that require manual intervention in order to correlate data in one system with data from another system. To avoid this considerable manual effort, prudent building managers are unifying the data into a common, integrated architecture.
By using software and enabling digital control, BAS are superior to isolated sensors (as well as the electromechanical controls and manual collection of information they replace) for capturing and storing huge amounts of data. Yet for all their sophistication, they are both under-used and ill-suited to provide pertinent information, for example, conveying a deteriorating condition in the operation of a piece of equipment. It's not that data aren't there—the information usually is—but, again, finding everything is at best a difficult and tedious task that is typically beyond the capacity of most operators.
Meanwhile, these other data points in systems that aren't part of the BAS defy inclusion with their own idiosyncratic methods of capturing, storing, and looking at data, thus requiring more time, more training, additional skills, or even more staff. Consequently, the ability to correlate this data and have it provide meaningful information is all but lost.
The industry's acceptance of measurement and verification (M+V) has been an important step toward highlighting the value of enhancing the quality of data provided to building managers. Harnessing the processing power of today's BAS platforms to capture data, typical M+V installations can provide trends and reporting to operations staff. However, due in part to their lack of true analytics, many M+V systems are relegated to providing basic, high-level information about energy performance on building dashboards.
Building managers are increasingly turning to open source systems integration (SI) platforms to manage their operations. These platforms build from the best available control and automation technologies, can easily provide data and information required for M+V functionality, and deploy a suite of analytics applications that can identify items requiring attention in real time.
Individual, functionally intense building projects present some of the most complex challenges to designing analytics. Portfolios of multiple less complex buildings being considered simultaneously, possibly in campus environments, can present similar challenges. Ensuring that analytics from each building's BAS are comparable is an important initial step.
When building control systems are implemented, control sequences are written based on a best understanding of the building and equipment systems, past experience, assumptions, and the information available at the time. While these control sequences often incorporate "feedback loops," the only feedback they respond to is the value of the variable they are attempting to control. Verifying that these sequences are working correctly, continue to operate as expected, and haven't been interfered with or overridden by human operators is a common problem—essentially an impossible task for building personnel to manage. There is too much data, and the equipment and systems are too complex, particularly in highly integrated buildings. Given that almost all buildings are different and that fewer people are available with the necessary knowledge of systems, it's understandable that buildings rarely operate at maximum efficiency.
To accomplish this requires first addressing the differences in the building systems themselves; each has its own methods and limits for data collection, storage, and reporting, and its own method for setup and programming. An additional concern for multibuilding and multisite users is providing an ability to assess the enterprise. Surveying a diverse array of systems in multiple buildings so that data can be compared for benchmarking, identifying best practices, and correlating the building information with business information provide a better understanding of costs and potential improvements in efficiency, sustainability, and performance.
Once the data are "normalized," the next step is to use analytics to transform data into information. Much more than just a report generator or a way to provide multiple views of the data, analytics allows domain experts to capture their knowledge in "rules" that automatically run against the data. Employing "semantic tagging," pattern recognition, functional rules processing, and other techniques, the analytics engine can automatically identify issues worthy of attention. This provides the capability to show users what they need to know about the performance of their systems and to unlock the data so meaningful action can be taken to reduce cost and improve efficiency, sustaining financially viable operation.
Examples of these analytics include failure detection (sensors), efficiency monitoring (economizers), cost correlation, and consumption or operating profiles that compare utility costs to production output under specific conditions, time ranges, rate values, and weather parameters. With the proper domain knowledge, virtually anything can be captured in an analytics "rule" in order to become the "eyes and ears" of the systems and ensure performance. Furthermore, attaching a cost impact to rules associated with failures or efficiency provides a method to prioritize actions based on actual cost impact to the business, rather than merely reporting frequency and duration of the issue.
With this richness of information, building management and operations staff can prioritize their activities and use their limited operating budgets and human resources to methodically address building issues that are the most important (i.e., the most expensive to ignore).
Using SI-based analytics
As a global standard-setting biomedical research center, the 300,000-sq-ft Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery (WID) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison represents state-of-the-art and state-of-the-future strategies for implementing and benefiting from SI-based analytics. In operation since December 2010, this highly complex facility supports interwoven institutional, organizational, educational, environmental, and social goals in addition to two research entities, one public and one private.
The present function and future potential of the WID facility are dependent on the engineered systems supporting its program of interdisciplinary collaboration. The various lab requirements are specific to cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, organic synthesis, genetics, chemical engineering, computational modeling, bioinformatics, and biomedical engineering. On the principle that breakthroughs are found in the constantly evolving confluences of otherwise discrete disciplines—and with a mission of accelerating new knowledge improving human health and well-being—the lab spaces are readily reconfigurable. The facility as a whole is designed to accommodate the unknown technologies and research methodologies of the future, to the extent of a viable 100-year lifespan. The degree to which the facility can learn from itself, providing feedback to operators and users alike, allows it to anticipate and adapt to change. This is a vital priority, with analytics at the heart of the "mission-driven, mission-driving building" concept.
The building technologies required to meet the unique goals of the project were necessarily advanced and often inherently complex, as compared with most commercial building systems. The multifaceted nature of the architectural spaces—including large-volume atriums and restaurants open to the public, biological and chemical laboratories dedicated to academic research, undergraduate teaching laboratories, and high-tech conference and event space—required tailored solutions for such systems as HVAC, lighting, life safety, access control, and scientific processes. This high degree to which systems were customized to various spaces created a demand for specific control and automation technologies.
In addition to its functional requirements, WID, from its earliest conception, was planned to be aggressively energy-efficient and sustainable, with a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions and a 50% reduction in water use, relative to similar research buildings. Technologies and strategies to reduce energy consumption include exhaust heat recovery, chilled beam, LED task lighting, daylight harvesting, ground source heat exchange, geothermal heat pumps, and solar generation of domestic hot water.
Throughout the open ground floor of WID are public interfaces documenting building performance, alongside displays of research taking place in the building. These components demonstrate the public and educational outreach commitments of "The Wisconsin Idea," the university's century-old guiding principle that it should improve the lives of people beyond the classroom. A robust M+V system was envisioned to achieve these public interfaces. However, as the project developed, the concept of public interfaces evolved to include resource use displays (e.g., energy, water) in a manner that could be educational to the general public and regular building occupants and, importantly, impact the behaviors of the building occupants. Additionally, project leadership sought to ensure that the high-performance energy goals would be continuously achieved over the lifecycle of the building. As such, a significantly more refined measurement, control, and verification system was identified as a critical component of the project's long-term success. This took the form of an intelligent building architecture, or IBA.
The IBA is the chassis upon which systems integration is achieved, effectively aggregating data from the complete cross-section of automation and control subsystems and devices deployed throughout the facility. As illustrated in the systems integration architecture diagram, the WID systems use technologies and protocols including BACnet, Internet protocol (IP), transmission control protocol (TCP), simple network management protocol (SNMP), Modbus, Ethernet, and various automation protocols for programmable logic controllers (PLC). While several options exist to create an IBA, the WID project used the Niagara Framework software platform to create the integration backbone. The Niagara Framework provides the connectivity to the various subsystems and devices, "normalizes" the data and resolves tagging and modeling issues with the various systems, and provides the "glue" logic to tie the data together and perform control across the boundaries of the individual systems and devices. The selected software was used to directly control/monitor domestic water meters, natural gas meters, solar hot water system components, laboratory equipment, public water features, laboratory gas bulk tanks, and laboratory process chilled water meters.
The software platform is agnostic to control protocol or manufacturer, and therefore readily integrates the diverse devices and communication protocols throughout the building. The IBA uses this fully open, Web-based protocol so that all information and graphics are accessible through conventional Web browsers, thus no proprietary software was required to be installed on any user workstations. The IBA and its Web interfaces facilitate user friendly management and real-time control of the building systems.
Project Haystack
One of the biggest challenges to integrating data and applying the subsequent combined dataset to advanced applications is data modeling. Data modeling ensures that the data being analyzed and reported on is correct and applicable for the analysis being performed. Lacking any standards for data modeling, naming, and tagging, an industry initiative is underway to address this problem.
Project Haystack is an open source initiative to develop naming conventions and taxonomies for building equipment and operational data. It defines standardized data models for sites, equipment, and points related to energy, HVAC, lighting, and other environmental systems.
Today most operational data requires a manual, labor-intensive process to "map" the data before any analytics can begin. Pragmatic use of naming conventions and taxonomies can improve the cost-effectiveness of performing analytics, deriving greater value from operational data.
Regardless of the technology used, some challenges to providing an integrated architecture still remain. Coordination with all the subsystem suppliers is critical; changes they make need to be communicated to the team to minimize impact to schedule and effort. Another very fundamental yet often overlooked consideration is to ensure a clear and common understanding among the various audiences for the information, making sure that the information and its presentation serves the needs of all audiences and is tailored to their respective uses and levels of understanding. While this is critical for all projects, it was amplified at WID because of the diverse types and needs of the audiences, including biomedical researchers, building operators, public visitors of all ages, and building engineering researchers. Each of these groups has different needs regarding the information, ranging from basic education to detailed historical analysis.
Building user benefits: Once the IBA system was developed, the project's goal of instilling occupants' awareness of their own usage patterns could be initiated. In terms of energy consumption in the WID facility, scientific researchers are a critical building occupant group. Using the IBA to monitor receptacle load, lighting status, supply and exhaust air flows, supply air reheat coil inlet and outlet temperatures (via integrated laboratory controls vendor interface), and supplemental cooling using chilled beams, a complete space-level energy consumption profile is developed for each laboratory area of the building (referred to as a "pod"). Energy information is provided to occupants via displays indicating energy consumption factors totalized and trended for the past day, week, month, and year. In addition to tracking information on their space and equipment, researchers can receive notification of equipment alarms indicating circumstances possibly affecting their work.
Building operator benefits: "Normalizing" the information means the operators have a consistent method to view and interact with real-time information, alarms, schedules, and histories. This relieves the burden of having to master multiple software interfaces and techniques for something as simple as, say, changing a time-of-day schedule that affects multiple systems (HVAC, lighting, etc.). In some cases the normalization effort can eliminate the need for multiple proprietary software packages that require use training, initial capital expenditures, and annual licensing fees resulting in savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
General public benefits: As an educational facility where the public is invited to learn about the research being conducted, the building and its information are also on display to the public. Here the IBA combines real-time operating data, historical consumption data, and educational graphics about the systems in the building to facilitate a visitor's understanding of how the building works and how it is performing.
Building engineering researchers' benefits: Building engineering researchers see the benefit in IBA because it provides them with greater access to data. This group, unlike the other audiences, is not interested in graphics or dashboards. They want the ability to find data, oftentimes from disparate systems, and to do so quickly and efficiently. IBA allows them to do that without the need to learn multiple system interfaces and provides ready access to the data they need to support their research.
Systems integration and analytics
The WID project represents a uniquely complex facility with demanding performance standards prescribed from its earliest inception. In these respects the application of analytics and system integration were immediate to the program of the facility. Appreciable benefits can also be achieved in facilities—or across a facility portfolio—of less complexity, but of greater scale. Foremost is the potential for significant energy and operational savings offered by the combination of an integrated architecture and a rich analytics platform. The key to unlocking this potential lies in being able to identify where the opportunities are. Several recent strategies offer representative approaches to leveraging SI and analytics, specific to users' unique operations.
Energy management: Establishing accurate target setpoints for energy consumption is a key part of most energy efficiency projects, whether it is a lighting retrofit or replacement of HVAC equipment. For example, in one instance finding periods of time that deviate from desired operation resulted in the corrective action of establishing demand reduction sequences via analytics, producing a lower energy consumption profile and annual savings of $1.4 million across 420 sites, totaling 33 million sq ft. Continuous, automated oversight notifies operators of deviations from the desired energy baseline, enabling real-time investigation and corrective action if necessary.
Maintenance and operations: Nonfunctioning sensors and actuators result in significant waste of energy, occupant discomfort, excess of equipment wear and tear, and process inefficiency. What's worse, for all their potential value, many devices aren't working and nobody even knows it. Numerous studies have shown that it is not uncommon to find over 50% of economizers in rooftop applications to be nonfunctional or not functioning properly. These conditions can go unnoticed indefinitely if their discovery depends on looking at every trend log to identify a value, condition, or pattern, an approach obviated by a targeted analytics platform. In this way, one operator identified lighting and HVAC equipment left in manual override, resulting in operating procedure changes and control sequence modifications yielding $650,000 in annual savings across 165 sites. Another used detection of failed sensors and economizers to prioritize work orders, providing $800,000 in annual operation and maintenance savings across 128 sites totaling 23 million sq ft.
Improving efficiency: Achieving desired comfort conditions while using the lowest amount of energy possible is subject to the complexities of program and locale. And watching the operating characteristics of all systems and their interaction with one another in real time is impossible to do manually. By first integrating the data from various systems together into one architecture and then applying rules through an analytics application, it is possible to achieve significant energy savings and improve comfort. One operator identified periods of time when cooling and heating were operating simultaneously, and when outside air (above the minimum required) was being brought in during heating mode, changed control sequences and realized savings of more than $325,000 annually across 67 sites.
Walters is a principal with the energy planning firm Confluenc. Formerly director of Affiliated Engineers' sustainability practice, Walters led the energy-efficiency strategies for WID. Oswald is president of Environmental Systems Inc. (ESI). ESI provides solutions for automation, systems integration, security, life safety, advanced software applications, energy services, and building operations.
Do you have experience and expertise with the topics mentioned in this content? You should consider contributing to our WTWH Media editorial team and getting the recognition you and your company deserve. Click here to start this process.


text:
A letter from Fire Island Pines.
More power gays maligning others today. Something they do very well. Today it's TV producer Fenton Bailey and Noah Michelson. Both tiny gay men with Napoleon complexes…
Fenton Bailey from TV production company World of Wonder maligns Adam Corolla on Facebook for his piece in the Hollywood Reporter confirming the existence of the Gay Mafia.
The Sicilian Mafia was known as Cosa Nostra or… in English "Our Thing"
The gay mafia, like the Sicilian mafia… like any mafia… is corrupt: intellectually, culturally and aesthetically. The gay mafia is rife with cronyism, anointing the chosen few to control a largely white gay male message.
The gays are in a constant state of justified anger/indignation about anything they claim is homophobic. They hate comics who make inappropriate jokes, they hate politicians who disagree, they hate mothers who may or may not be anti gay christians… they oust people from their jobs for once being homophobic… they have TV shows cancelled and they bully those with opposing opinions into cruel submission.
This week Huff Post DON Noah Michelson spent time gushing over a 'brilliant' Huffington Post interview with gay man Michael Alig who murdered and dismembered another gay man but has 'paid his debt to society'… then, without catching his breath, specifically maligned and targeted reality star Michelle Duggar for having nineteen children:
After a life-threatening bout of preeclampsia in 2010, followed by a miscarriage at 19 weeks in 2011, this has been the longest stretch of time that Michelle Duggar has been not-pregnant in 27 years. So the 47-year-old went to a high-risk pregnancy doctor to see if she's able to have any more kids.
Jim Bob and Michelle don't practice birth control, choosing instead to leave the size of their family "up to God." But on tonight's episode of the family's TLC show, 19 Kids and Counting, the Duggars—who are now grandparents—are interested in a little bit of medical intervention to see "if there are things physically I need to know, that I need to do, health-wise just to be ready to catch a baby if God saw fit to give us one."
I have published what is now left of the comment thread. There were many more comments (since removed) that were either misogynistic or described the vagina in a way I have only heard gay men describe them. When I suggested that a gay man's anus multiply fucked by nameless men several times a day might be equally ragged… I was called a hater by a well-trained female fan.
Noah, you will see, rounded up some impressive female support… but mostly gay men agreed with his anti large family, anti women, anti reproductive rights stance. This comes as no great surprise. Women who count gay men amongst their friends would be appalled if they could hear the way they and their vagina are described behind their backs. The gays, when on their own, make inappropriate jokes about other gays, people of color and fat people. But their most corrosive vitriol is reserved for women and the vagina.
Gay men, like straight men… talk shit about women behind their backs. Rather than straight subjugation and objectification, gay men simply don't see the point of women unless they are entertaining us like circus freaks.
I may very well not like Michelle Druggar and her husband for the choices they have made. My point in support of Michelle Druggar is this: she is entitled to use her body the way she sees fit. As a liberal I have to honor her decisions like I would honor her if she was having an abortion. This is at the heart of the pro-choice movement. That we do not control the reproductive rights of women.
My sister-in-law had many miscarriages, there is a history of sudden infant death syndrome in my family. As you will read, Noah suggests that one's body is 'telling' you something if this is happening? Like AIDS was telling the gay community, Noah?
Noah, like so many of the neo-liberal gay men on this thread (who have no interest in women's bodies unless they are commodifying them) lacks compassion, calls the mother of 19 an asshole… he alleges that she is a christian who hates gays, suggests that her choices will lead to child abuse, that she is making money from her baby hoarding.
You will note too that Mr. Druggar is not mentioned by either the gay men or the women in this thread.
If Michelle had been less red neck, less Christian, less fat, less of an 'asshole' more liberal, had claimed in a short weepy YouTube video she wanted 10% of her children to be LGBTQ Noah would have hailed her a modern hero, like those women on Ellen who adopt or foster many children but never get accused of kiddy hoarding, or the women who have endless kids for gay couples… who never get their vagina maligned by gay men or their sympathetic women friends… in public.
Here is Noah Michelson's thread. I warn you. It gets vile… and stupid.
In reaction to the above article in italics about Michelle Druggar and her husband after Noah Michelson (public figure) published a picture of them on his Facebook page entitled #assholes.
Ivor Pine and they don't pay taxes either!
May 20 at 6:26pm · Like · 2
Christian Gabriel #meatcurtains
May 20 at 6:28pm · Like · 6
Dan Avery her ovaries hopped out of her body and slapped her face
May 20 at 6:30pm · Like · 3
D.j. Jeschke Have they thought of collecting seashells instead? Psssh. So not fair to the kids on several levels. After how many kids should people like this be required to get psychological evaluation before having any more?
May 20 at 6:32pm · Like · 3
Michelle Knight Tague seriously?! how has her uterus not fallen out yet!!??
May 20 at 6:37pm · Like · 4
Cate Crowe Clown car vagina.
May 20 at 6:41pm · Like · 5
Duncan Roy Excuse me! My grandmother was one of 19, I am one of 12. These abusive, mind numbing comments are so fucking offensive. Just because you were probably only children or have JUST a couple of siblings.
May 20 at 6:41pm · Like · 1
Duncan Roy Yes, that's right. There must be something wrong with people who want large families. How can those dumb cunts even remember their names? In between scrounging off the state and probably abusing them sexually. What evil people.
May 20 at 6:43pm · Like
Duncan Roy This just looks like an excuse for misogynistic gays to insult vagina. Let's put it this way, this woman having babies from her vagina is less likely to be as ruined as gay men who get fucked in the ass by multiple partners day after day…
May 20 at 6:48pm · Like · 1
Alicia Paintner I don't think having a big family is inherently evil but why can't they adopt some children! Foster care? There are so many needy children out there all ready. Why so they think their genes are so superior.
May 20 at 6:49pm · Like · 5
Alicia Paintner Ok I was willing to accept you had a different perspective but as some one that has a vagina you just went way the hell over the line. Some one turn this ugly hater in please!
May 20 at 6:50pm · Like · 3
Tom Gualtieri Interestingly, Duncan, just as many women have made crass comments about her vagina as men. My point is in agreement with Alicia's. Why not adopt? After 20 children, there are millions and millions who have no parents and need loving families. If this is an example of a good, Christian, family, why not help the needy instead of bringing more children into an overcrowded world?
May 20 at 6:50pm · Like · 3
Duncan Roy I am a gay man Alicia.
May 20 at 6:50pm · Like
Duncan Roy I used to remember when people hated the ideas of us gays having children. Now we hate straight people for having too many?
May 20 at 6:52pm · Like
Duncan Roy Alicia, let's get one thing straight. As a gay man I know many men who
Have multiple partners every day and get fucked in the ass. I can't imagine how their Anus is holding up. That's not homophobic. It's the truth you ignorant bitch
May 20 at 6:53pm · Like
Honey Nut Queerio NOT ONE OF THOSE KIDS IS ADOPTED. SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR REDNECKS, PEOPLE.
May 20 at 6:54pm · Like · 6
Duncan Roy If that was said about gays you all would be having a FIT
May 20 at 6:55pm · Like
Duncan Roy Interestingly Tom, do you know anything at all about adoption?
May 20 at 6:56pm · Like
Adrian Martel Chances are that at least two of their kids are gay…poor kids.
May 20 at 6:57pm · Like · 3
Duncan Roy Why poor kids ? They will have twenty loving siblings? Large families are amazingly supportive
May 20 at 6:59pm · Like · 2
Honey Nut Queerio A society that accepts this hoarding behavior, but makes it almost impossible for single parents and gay folks to adopt!
May 20 at 6:59pm · Like · 6
Unzipped Nready they keep having them while the siblings have to raise them….. tie ur tubes honey!
May 20 at 7:03pm · Like · 3
Duncan Roy Unzipped and ready has an opinion about fertility. Lol
May 20 at 7:05pm · Like
Unzipped Nready yep…… bend over
May 20 at 7:06pm · Like · 3
Duncan Roy Hear that Alicia?
May 20 at 7:06pm · Like
Cate Crowe Oh, how lovely to see a man explaining misogyny to a woman. And, managing to slut shame gay men at the same time. Wonders never cease.
May 20 at 7:14pm · Like · 15
Duncan Roy I can slut shame my own Cate. Just as you would shame this mother. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd be happy if she went to jail.
May 20 at 7:21pm · Edited · Like
Cate Crowe Excellent typo, Duncan. Slur instead of slut. Well played.
May 20 at 7:22pm · Like · 2
Michael Haynes WOW lil right wingers populating the earth with brainwashed stupidity.
May 20 at 7:22pm · Like
Duncan Roy Slur and slut. It's all the same.
May 20 at 7:23pm · Like
Duncan Roy Of course, in cates world only women get to cry misogyny. Lol
May 20 at 7:24pm · Like
Duncan Roy Most white gay men are right wingers. Not that Americans would know a left winger if it slapped them in the ruined anus.
May 20 at 7:25pm · Like
Duncan Roy Great, a British socialist with 12 siblings gets to defend a womans right to choose over those so called liberals who want to control her reproductive rights. Ironic
May 20 at 7:27pm · Like · 1
Cate Crowe You called a woman an "ignorant bitch," Duncan. That's "ironic."
May 20 at 7:32pm · Like · 1
Duncan Roy I was being ironic because look what she called the mother! You people. No
May 20 at 7:35pm · Like
Duncan Roy I know another mother in Portland who has had 18 babies. Disgusting? No, because she had them for childless couples.,, a surrogate. So, it's ok as long as she does not keep them. I wonder if she has a ruined vagina? I'm guessing that she may have a heroes vagina to this crowd.
May 20 at 7:38pm · Like · 2
Duncan Roy Cate, let's face it. You want to control this woman's reproductive rights. Go on.. You do
May 20 at 7:40pm · Like
Cate Crowe Don't get into a gun fight with a spoon in your hand, Duncan. It's time to walk away, sweetheart.
May 20 at 7:42pm · Like · 3
Martin Sims Camardella Disgraceful
May 20 at 7:55pm · Like
Annie Van Wie Noah Noah Michelson you know I love you always, but as a person who crusades so beautifully for acceptance of your "differences" (I hate that word but lack one that is better) I am very surprised to see you judging other people for theirs. Who are any of us to judge someone else's lifestyle choices?
May 20 at 8:00pm · Unlike · 2
Annie Van Wie And btw I still love and adore you!!!! Xo
May 20 at 8:01pm · Like · 1
Kevin Maloney #clowncar
May 20 at 8:03pm · Like · 1
Åbreu Llyod like the world needs more people
May 20 at 8:05pm · Like
Jason Merrell Do you know these people?
May 20 at 8:05pm · Like
Sharon Stephens Duncan – Cate can outclass and outplay you. Listen and learn about what she has to say.
May 20 at 8:06pm · Edited · Unlike · 1
Honey Nut Queerio Noah Michelson has the 'right to judge' whatever and whomever he wants. Thinking people have opinions. They also have gut instincts and passions which aren't always rational. This is a completely appropriate venue for sharing those thoughts and feelings. It is also appropriate to call someone out for the content of their comments. But not for simply having and expressing a negative opinion.
May 20 at 8:23pm · Like · 1
Brandi Boatright They have the most well behaved, loving well mannered children I have ever seen but maybe it's time to hang up the pregnancy apron.
May 20 at 8:26pm · Like
Duncan Roy Oh wow, we are playing the out class game . I defer to her class. Thx
May 20 at 8:26pm · Like
Duncan Roy Cate, I haven't heard one salient point. You are a fraud. Both politically and as a feminist. Give it your best shot. I'll be ready with my spoon
May 20 at 8:28pm · Like
Duncan Roy I'm waiting for the wise womyn of the west to tell me how wrong I am to defend this woman and her right to a large family. I am waiting for cate to justify the misogyny and and the classist comments. I'm waiting fir cate. Bring it on.
May 20 at 8:42pm · Like · 1
Katy Bourne Human puppy mill.
May 20 at 8:48pm · Like · 3
Julian Damiani This isn't about choice. How is it fair to make children raise other children? You think they raise 20 kids alone? No. They have to force their older children to become parents. How is that fairness or personal choice/responsibility?
May 20 at 8:51pm · Like · 5
David Ninh Ugh!!!
May 20 at 8:54pm · Like · 1
Cole Robertson My prediction: next season shows her spitting out 12 clear jellyfish babies.
May 20 at 8:56pm · Like · 2
Cate Crowe You'll be waiting a long time, Duncan.
May 20 at 9:06pm · Unlike · 1
Kieran Keller Honestly Michelle roll a stone over that cave already.
May 20 at 9:08pm · Like · 3
Noah Michelson wow. when the cat's away the mice will play, eh?
i want to apologize for simply writing "assholes" and not explaining WHY they're assholes.
1. i have always said that people should be able to do whatever they want to do as long as they're not hurting anyone else or themselves. well folks, that certainly doesn't apply here. let's look at the last two times (that we know of) michelle duggar got pregnant:
"Michelle most recently gave birth in 2010 [it was actually december 2009], following a life-threatening bout of preeclampsia. The next year, she got pregnant again — only to suffer a miscarriage at 19 weeks."
about her birth in 2009:
"On December 10, 2009, Michelle gave birth via emergency Caesarean section to Josie Brooklyn, three months prematurely. Michelle was rushed to the hospital for gallstones and it was there that doctors discovered she had pre-eclampsia and performed an emergency delivery. Josie weighed 1 lb, 6oz at birth."
obviously her body does not want to be having children. not only is she putting herself in harm's way — she's also putting her un/born child's life in danger.
2. these people have made thousands and thousands of dollars off of having kids. it's a modern day freakshow and their kids' best interests are not being put first by any means. as someone else noted, they have so many children they can't even take care of all of them — and their other children are forced to raise and care for their brothers and sisters. i find that offensive.
3. this family is anti-gay — in fact — josh, the eldest is (or was as recently as 2013) working for the family research council, which has been designated as a hate group by the southern poverty law center.
i never said people shouldn't be able to choose how many kids they want to have. i never said that that she's a woman so she doesn't know what she's doing. i said these people are assholes — and they are — and i see very little here to celebrate.
May 20 at 9:08pm · Edited · Like · 32
Angella Guth Kelemen I can't wait till one of their kids comes out. I hope they will be loving and supportive.
May 20 at 9:38pm · Like
Jeremy Adkison I completely agree with you Noah. This sort of behavior is disgraceful and a cultish obsession with having more children, and more children. It is, as you put it, a freak show. There are various reasons why this is so unsavory, and I think Noah hit them all fairly square.
May 20 at 10:16pm · Like · 3
Annie Van Wie For the record…I don't like them either. Just needed to weigh in. Also…just to clarify, I had pre-eclampsia with Elsa and every Dr out there said I could have perfectly healthy pregnancies after that. .
May 20 at 11:42pm · Like · 1
Jeremy Adkison Did you have 18 kids before? lol.
Yesterday at 12:07am · Like · 3
Duncan Roy Oh sorry, I had dinner, theatre and stuff to do.
Yesterday at 1:38am · Like
Duncan Roy "I don't like them either" pretty much sums up what stinks about this thread. If they were liberal and pro gay we might just cut her some slack. Because she is anti gay and makes money (huh? This is America ) we demonize every decision she makes,
Yesterday at 1:42am · Like
Duncan Roy Your comments about her medical complications stink. As I told you earlier my brother and his wife had multiple miscarriages . Was her body trying to tell her something ? Was the cot death of her baby trying to tell her something? Perhaps aids was trying to tell us something?
Yesterday at 1:46am · Like · 1
Jeremy Adkison Did she have a nonstop obsession with having children, endlessly, that she can't even take care of on her own or with her husband? Let's not compare a large family to a family with two heads of house who have a heterophilia like obsession with making babies.
Yesterday at 1:47am · Like · 2
Duncan Roy Do gay men have a non stop obsession with getting laid ?
Yesterday at 1:48am · Like
Duncan Roy I thought she made thousands of dollars from a tv show ?
Yesterday at 1:49am · Like
Duncan Roy Let's not have compassion for this woman because she doesn't like gays
Yesterday at 1:50am · Like
Jeremy Adkison What compassion is there? Compassion to a women with a heterophilia like obsession in fucking and making babies she can't even raise? An obsession with having children that may kill her, and leave her husband to care for 19+ kids, or to be more truthful for her children to care for her kids? It's selfishness. As to her anti-gay beliefs, this has nothing to do with them, but I find your obsession with defending people that demean your very dignity to be… teling.
Yesterday at 1:57am · Like · 2
Duncan Roy Telling… Hmmm. You are obviously incapable of compassion. I do not need this woman to validate me when I am already on the winning side . She does not demean me. You do. As I mentioned earlier , there are many women making many babies they can't raise fir money. They are called surrogates and make babies for gay men. A practice outlawed all over the world.
Yesterday at 2:03am · Like
Duncan Roy You don't care about this woman or her health or the health of her children. You care that she allegedly hates gays .
Yesterday at 2:04am · Like
Kate Blair I care that the planet's human capacity is around 350%, too many people, to few resources….thinking China might be onto something with child limits.
Yesterday at 2:30am · Like · 2
Jacob Michelson Josia?
Yesterday at 3:07am · Like · 1
Jeremy Adkison I don't care that she hates gays on this subject. I care that she is a deranged and dangerous women who would potentially rob her children of a mother to have more children she does. Not. Need. To. Have.
Yesterday at 3:14am · Like · 4
Eric Ball are they looking for a 20th season? Must not have been a bumper tax season for them either–bump up the dependents!
Yesterday at 3:54am · Edited · Like · 2
Noah Michelson Annie Van Wie you didn't have 18 kids before your issues. Not the same thing. This woman does not need — and shouldn't be — seeking more children. It's irresponsible to say the least.
Yesterday at 6:29am · Edited · Like · 2
Duncan Roy Noah Michelson how many children should a woman have before she becomes deranged? I mean, I've seen whole Ellen shows devoted to women who adopt many many children. Are they hoarders or heroes? Are they deranged? Are they irresponsible? Noah, have you any idea what the miscarriage rate in this country is? Did you know that the USA has the highest infant mortality rate in the developed world? Again, you hate this women because she allegedly hates gays.
Yesterday at 6:44am · Like · 1
Noah Michelson Dude — how is someone who has had 19 kids and is seeking to physically give birth to more after needlessly putting herself and her kids in danger the same as some one who adopts?
And I never said someone who has a miscarriage is irresponsible or shouldn't try to have kids after.
I'm talking SPECIFICALLY ABOUT MICHELLE DUGGAR. Not anyone else.
I get you obviously have a personal connection to these issues but take a step back and get a grip on what and who I'm talking about. You're grasping at things that aren't there and it's getting embarrassing.
Yesterday at 6:48am · Edited · Like · 4
Duncan Roy Embarrassing? Lol. I'm not embarrassed. You should be embarrassed for needlessly attacking a mother. I mean, if she were a liberal… You would be hailing her as a hero. You suggested that a miscarriage was 'your body trying to tell you something ' . Tell that to women who have them. After many many miscarriages. And yes, I do have a personal connection… Because I believe in large families. I believe women should be able to choose and control what they do with their bodies. You do not. You should be embarrassed by that.
Yesterday at 6:57am · Like · 1
Leah McElrath Has anyone read the short article? It appears they are not seeking assistance w fertility (not their issue, clearly) but rather with seeing if there is anything they can do to prevent future miscarriages or premature births. Which, given their no birth control stance and the inherent risks of pregnancy and childbirth (especially for a 47 year old woman) strikes me as an ethical use of medical care. More ethical would be for them to stop trying to conceive or to use birth control so that the mother of 19 children won't be put at risk. But that's their choice.
Yesterday at 7:12am · Unlike · 1
Leah McElrath And I, as a feminist and anti-misogynist, appreciate Duncan, as a gay man, taking on the nasty vagina and labia related comments. Thank you.
Yesterday at 7:15am · Like · 4
Leah McElrath Btw, I agree w Noah that they are assholes and don't agree with their choices or religious views, but that's another issue.
Yesterday at 7:21am · Like · 3
Duncan Roy They may very well be assholes whose choices and religiosity I disagree but this thread reveals the ease with which we condemn and malign women using old ideas about the way women use their bodies and the latent disgust some gay men have for the vagina. I would never have bothered defending these people had I not read the kind of hate speak I only usually read when I bother to read comments posted by the rabid right about abortion. Wether you choose to have twenty abortions or twenty children the same rational should apply.
Yesterday at 7:30am · Like · 2
Cate Crowe I think it's time to do another fourth step, Duncan.
23 hours ago · Like · 2
Noah Michelson i'm not condemning women and i'm not maligning women. i'm condemning and maligning michelle duggar. just her. just her irresponsible, dangerous and immoral approach to having children. i have no problem with vaginas — i don't particularly want to be in one anytime soon, but they're a-ok by me.
22 hours ago · Like · 6
Duncan Roy Cate, thx. I'm actually doing one right now. I tend to revisit the steps from 1 to 10 every three years. You don't make my inventory. Sorry.
22 hours ago · Like
Cate Crowe You're welcome, hun.
22 hours ago · Like
Ricky Marson This Huffpo-level comment war is fucking hilarious.
22 hours ago · Like · 5
Noah Michelson welcome to my facebook page, Ricky. these kind of threads are the norm.
22 hours ago · Like · 2
Duncan Roy Yeah Ricky, Noah is so fucking controversial.
22 hours ago · Like
Noah Michelson hey duncan — if you're not happy here, no one is making you stay. i rarely use the block button but i'm not against using it in special cases.
21 hours ago · Like · 7
Eric Ball Oh Christ..Duncan, while you're hanging people for not having compassion or hating vaginas, the Duggars just made another 5 k off this morally corrupt social experiment.
21 hours ago · Like · 4
Michael Rogers This is funny. Noah Michelson, SURELY Duncan Roy is kidding around. No sane person would defend this woman's decision.
21 hours ago · Like · 4
Cate Crowe Or, exhibit such rage and contempt in doing so, Michael.
21 hours ago · Like · 2
Carrie Bechill I've been reading this thread and I'd like to point out that while many women birthed several children several decades ago – it's not the 1940's anymore. We know that this world is overpopulated and have scientific proof that humans are doing grave damage to the earth and its resources. Michelle Duggar is acting irresponsibly and selfishly.
21 hours ago · Like · 1
Nathan Garrett Seems to me that working with a fertility doctor would be going against God's Will, which I assume is a big deal w them. Sort of like birth control in reverse.
21 hours ago · Like · 1
Leah McElrath Again, if you read the article, it's clear she is NOT seeking fertility treatment. They went to a reproductive endocrinologist to find out if there was anything to do to prevent future miscarriages or premature births. Personally, I think the most ethical choice in this situation is birth control or sterilization, so she doesn't die and leave her other 19 children orphans. But their pursuit of this information is an ethical use of medical resources, even if I disagree with their choice.
21 hours ago · Like
Leah McElrath Never mind. I don't know why I bother. People clearly don't care about the facts. They just want to mock and rant. So carry on.
21 hours ago · Like
Noah Michelson the very fact that she is in a doctor's office trying to find out how / if she can have more kids — with or without outside help — is ridiculous. it's a parade for the reality tv cameras and it's sick. so yah — she may not be going in to get IVF but she shouldn't being having kids at all. (and let's not even get started on her family's thoughts on birth control and abstinence — or sex and sexuality in general…)
21 hours ago · Edited · Like · 3
Leah McElrath Since they do NOT use birth control as a result of her religious beliefs and since she is clearly fertile, it is NOT ridiculous to seek input on how to prevent future miscarriages or premature births. You may not agree with their choices, Noah – I do not agree with them either – but it is not ridiculous to seek information that might help her save her own life or that of another fetus if she gets pregnant again.
21 hours ago · Like · 1
Leah McElrath But again, never mind. This thread disgusts me almost as much as the Duggars do. I'm out.
21 hours ago · Like
Noah Michelson oh come on. i am not saying that it's ridiculous that she would seek information on how to save her own life or her fetus's life. i'm saying it's ridiculous that she would even remotely consider THINKING about having another child. those are two very different things.
21 hours ago · Like · 2
Leah McElrath Thank you for the clarification. I agree with you on that point. For better and worse, we all have the freedom to make ridiculous choices.
21 hours ago · Like · 1
Noah Michelson yes. we do. and — happily — we all have the freedom to call out and judge those ridiculous choices.
21 hours ago · Like · 2
Kate Blair I also couldn't give a shit about who she may or may not hate, unless she says something hateful on TV. But I sure as hell hope she's not on any kind of public assistance.
21 hours ago · Like
Cole Robertson They are on public assistance; they don't pay taxes.
21 hours ago · Like
Terrance Heath People shouldn't be famous just for reproducing. It doesn't take talent or skill, after all.
21 hours ago · Like · 3
Tom John Jackson There's already way to many people in the world, and plenty of kids who need a home. These people are assholes.
21 hours ago · Like · 2
Shawn Shirey In this day and age it is NOT responsible to litter the world with your children. Maybe in the 50's that was an OK thing to do, but not now. My ass is in tiptop shape, just sayin'.
21 hours ago · Like · 1
Alfonso Munoz In defense of Duncan… there are benefits to big families and religious belief aside, i sat down and watched this program. I couldn't fathom the concept at this level but I gave them kudos for a few things… they have a system and many aspects of the upbringing are to be observed and adopted. This mother focuses on the new born and so does the rest of the kids by helping and learning responsibilities. She has an aproach that is all about showering the baby with love. Most studies indicate that giving a baby up to the age of 2 constant touching and play will make them very independent, stable adults. So these kids have their shores and it is fascinating how happy they feel to help, a very good quality to have as an adult. Human's and others species live in large families. The modern small model of family is a very new thing. It is difficult nowadays because gone are the cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmothers that use to be a far greater presence in the growth of a child. As for adoption, my childhood ended when my parents adopted a 30 day old baby from the projects. All the love in the world does not prepare you to raise a mentally ill person. It is a commitment that does not ends with college. they are less likely to deal with this possibility.
21 hours ago · Edited · Like · 1
Jamie Casertano I give it up to Noah Michelson for being willing to read all these tedious responses. I could give birth to my 30th child in the time it takes to do that!
20 hours ago · Like · 3
Alfonso Munoz LOL
20 hours ago · Like
Nathan Garrett I can't wait for the library full of tell-all books written by the kids that will surely come out over the next 30 years!
20 hours ago · Like · 4
Christo Max This really bothers me. Thankfully more people are choosing to have only one or two children than two fucking baseball teams worth of them.
Could you imagine if everyone were this selfish?
20 hours ago · Edited · Like · 3
Michael Rogers Sorry, Leah McElrath… This woman no longer cares about her family as much as she cares about fame.
19 hours ago · Like · 3
Kevin Maloney Let's be clear- in many/most Western historical contexts, the size of a family was hardly a woman's "choice." It was usually the father's choice and often influenced by the Church as well. My grandmother was one of ten (though her mother had 13 pregnancies). She grew up with very little, but her father kept pushing for more children, because the Catholic Church was in a population war with the Protestant Church in Quebec at the time. My grandmother loved all of her siblings, but she thinks back to the way she grew up and acknowledges it was absolutely ridiculous to have that many kids because the Church said to. The boys went to work instead of high school and the girls helped raise the little ones. Maybe this was an ok set up for some families. There's certainly room for alternatives to the nuclear family prototype. However, in the first half of the century, these large families were often associated with poverty, and the children had very little ability themselves for upward economic mobility. I'm not saying that large families are automatically going to be in this situation – there are certainly a variety of other factors involved – but having many mouths to feed and bodies to clothe is inherently an economic stress on a family, not to mention a time sink. By all means, make your own choices in life, but also realize that there are some very valid criticisms of these choices. This is not the same thing as being intolerant.
19 hours ago · Like · 5
Michael Sharkey Noah, I spent an entire day with the whole family. Can't believe I made it out alive! Remind me to tell you about when you come to dinner.
19 hours ago · Like · 2
Duncan Roy I note that most of the anti family haters are gay men. As for : It is not 'responsible' to litter the world with children. How vile of you. God you people are so prescriptive and judgmental. Just like I remember people being about us the lgbtq community. Shawn is unlikely to have children thank god
18 hours ago · Like
Christo Max False equivalency runs freeeee! Yaaaay!
17 hours ago · Like · 2
Keith Lutman If you're seeing a fertility doctor, you are no longer "leaving it up to God." Also, you're addicted to being pregnant
16 hours ago · Like · 2
Terrance Heath For the record, I don't care how many children these people have. It's their business. I'm just tired of people becoming celebrities for reproducing. (Or making sex tapes.)
15 hours ago · Like · 1
Patrick Reynolds Coooooor! what an interesting dialogue…i haven't read anything so good for a long time. My tuppence-worth…addictive, repetitive behaviour is at play. But I am not one to judge otherwise i would be throwing stones from inside my greenhouse.
13 hours ago · Edited · Like
Michael Rogers Duncan Roy WTF does someone's sexual orientation have to do with this? Someone is desperate.
10 hours ago · Like
Duncan Roy Read the thread you moron
10 hours ago · Like
Nehemiah Saycsar Fleurima And the more she has kids the less likely they'll come put strong and healthy.
7 hours ago · Like


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