Rudius Media Message Board - The Idiot Board

I've Seen Things You People Wouldn't Believe

mrjake — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:52:22 GMT

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roy Batty

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.

Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.

I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.

All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.

Time to die.

As I sit here, contemplating next Tuesday, which will mark the beginning of my 36th trip around the sun on this rock, I'm thinking quite a bit about the nature of life and death. I'm staring down the barrel of 40 and, you might say, halfway to the end of this ride. It's sobering.

FOCUS: Other than the unlucky or scared, we've all seen some things in our lives that are truly memorable. What are the things you've seen that have left memories you wish you could pass on or save for others?

What are you waiting for baby? "The page to refresh"

Cybrosis7 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:15:11 GMT

Just came across this website

http://www.stdcarriers.com/stdcarriers.aspx

Quote:

Our Mission Objectives

We aim to prevent the spread of disease by optimizing the flow of information. Knowledge is power and what you don’t know can hurt you. The more you know the more capable you are to make better decisions in every aspect of your life. When it comes to Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s) information is especially important when many are infected and either don’t know about it or worse, they know about it and don’t tell their partners. Listing the names of people infected both provides a warning to potential victims of dishonest partners and informs former partners of diseases that they may have been exposed to and unknowingly carry. Prevention is the best medicine and with no way to eliminate the risk of infecting a partner during a sexual encounter knowledge is the best tool to prevent infection.

1. Prevent
2. Educate
3. Protect
4. Entertain
5. Improve

The site, like http://www.familywatchdog.us(records US sex offenders) keeps a database of known STD Carriers, with the exception of being an international record.

Focus: Comment on the website, be witty, funny or intelligent.

Caption Contest 7/9/09

lhprop1 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:39:37 GMT

This picture is begging to have captions. Have at it.

Attached Images

Jamrock to Jammedcock

Sompletely Cober — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:58:33 GMT

Quote:

Daggering and Crazy Dancing banned in Jamaica..
Posted on 13 June 2009
Tags: Banned, Crazed Dancing, DAGGERING, DUTTY FRIDAZE, JBC

A popular dance in Jamaica faces restriction by the government after being blamed for a spate of broken penises, said media reports on Wednesday.

The erotic dance style known as “daggering”, features couples simulating dry sex in various positions to the beat of the music. The steps generally include extreme gyrating, heavy pelvis-thrusting and daredevil leaps.

According to media reports, couples have taken the dance moves to the bedroom with disastrous results.

The warning against the dance came from Jamaican doctors, prompted by being presented with a range of fractured penises caused by rough intercourse. The number of cases have tripled in the last year. Jamaica’s government, concerned about the dance’s growing popularity and public protests, has now banned ban songs and videos with blatantly sexual content.

Jamaica’s Broadcasting Commission, which defines daggering as a “colloquial term used in dancehall culture as a reference to hardcore sex or what is popularly referred to as ‘dry sex’ or the activities of persons engaged in the public simulation of various sexual acts and positions”, enforced the ban in February.

“There shall not be transmitted through radio or television or cable services, any recording, live song or music video which promotes the act of ‘daggering’, or which makes reference to, or is otherwise suggestive of ‘daggering’,” the Jamaican Broadcasting Commission’s official statement said.

“daggering” is just a new name for an older dance style that has existed for a number of years in the Jamaican dancehall music scene. Jamaicans are apparently divided over the dance and the subsequent banning of the style – with some musicians saying it restricts free speech – but others support the government ban.

Source

Youtube Example

Focus: Have you ever injured yourself dancing? If not, discuss the merits of daggering.

Hipsters Ruin Everything

Benson — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:09:38 GMT

Sharing a Pizza? Heartbreaking.

Quote:

Seth Wenig/Associated Press Dominico DeMarco with one of his pies, and two of his daughters, at Di Fara.

In his piece on the new pizza stars of New York, Frank Bruni writes of older places that were �products of less self-conscious pizza times.�� Places like Di Fara.

I remember those times.

For 20 years, I�ve lived a short walk from DiFara, the tiny, non-descript corner pizzeria on Avenue J in Brooklyn. But in the past decade it�s become world famous for its artisanal-league pies, made by the Zen pizza master, Dominico De Marco.

As much as I hate to admit it, the hype is true. It is magical food for no reason I can decipher. In dark times, it has actually cured my depression. It is better than Lexapro.

This cramped little pizza joint was an intimate, comforting staple in my life. Now the crowds have become such that securing a slice involves a commitment, focus and investment of time I no longer have. Waits of up to an hour or more and a steely determination that often requires a feral lean and growl to keep interlopers from snaking your slice.

So I�ve had to let it go. But it wasn�t easy. It was a five-stage process:

1. Denial

It starts with hipsters trickling into Midwood, probably the most unhip neighborhood in all the five boroughs. This is a zip code where people wear plastic bags on their heads when it rains. So why the skinny jeans and the Airwalk Kicks, the scruffy faux-slacker dudes and the ironic model-gorgeous-geek girls? �They are lost,� I tell my wife. �They are lost.�

�But there�s nothing else around here,� she replies. �And we are very far from the L train.�

I know she is right. She is always right.

I just stare.

2. Anger

It is not long before the blank slate of the stare gives way to cracks. I�m turning mean. Did I have to tell my daughter the cookies she made were �not artisanal league�?

�What�s wrong with Daddy?� she asks at dinner one night. �Who is he talking to? Mommy, I�m scared.�

I�m thinking of the guys with the cell phones. The German tourists. Of the guy who came in after me and broke the unspoken �there-is-no-line-but we-all know-who-got-here-when� law and took the last corner of a really perfect looking square pie. (I know, I shouldn�t have said that thing about his mother. And, officer, if you�re reading this, I really don�t know where he lives. I was bluffing.).

3. Bargaining

I promise my family to stop saying �artisanal� � if they would just make the tourists go away. Unfortunately my daughter is 5 and not at all threatening. And my wife just doesn�t care.

4. Depression

Why bother? I lose hope and do the unthinkable: I give up eating pizza altogether because it�s �not Dominic.�

5. Acceptance

I admit it. Our relationship has changed � devolved from pure bliss of love to the occasional hook-up. I take it when I can get it.
Seth Wenig/Associated Press

If I happen to walk by the window and see slices on the pans, I will go in and buy up what is there, even if I am not hungry. (They are not as good reheated, but I accept it, because this is the acceptance stage). I start seeing other pizza makers. They are plenty good � San Remo on Cortelyou. Luigi�s of Avenue U. Joe�s on Bleecker, slice places that remind me of my New York childhood and allow pizza to retake a healthier place in my life, as mere food.

I still walk by DiFara when it�s jam packed with tourists from Manhattan and Sweden and Bratislava and Williamsburg. And sometimes I catch Dominic�s eye through the window, hunched over, flour covered, in his apron, and he smiles at me and I smile at him and I wave and he knows that I know that he knows. We�ve both moved on.

And it�s going to be O.K. Isn�t it?

Focus: Discuss. What favorite neighborhood bars, restaurants, or other attractions have you seen ruined by hipsters, tourists, etc?

Best College Fight Songs

mrjake — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:04:52 GMT

Okay, I'm going to do this live here on The Idiot Board because a)I can, b)I don't think we've done this in awhile, c)this goes beyond the sports boards, d)it's the off-season and e)you fuckers have forgotten that we have polls. Polls make me happy.

Focus: Best College Fight Songs

I just used your status updates to triangulate your position. Is that weird?

dcguy — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:37:05 GMT

It was a beautiful day in our nation's capital, and I decided to spend my evening with a good book in the park. I made the mistake of updating facebook and informing my friends of my evening plans, and as I sat there minding my own business, someone sits down next to me and starts talking to me.

I look up from my book and there in front of me is my ex-girlfriend I dumped about four of five months back. This conversation followed:

Her: I know how crazy this must look.

Me: ...um...I should tell you before you say anything else I'm seeing someone right now.

Her: (Tears in her eyes as she obviously wasn't expecting it) I just wanted to talk. I'll leave if you want me to leave. I just was moving some stuff into my new apartment and saw where you were on facebook and thought I'd stop by.

Me: Oh, ok. Where are you moving?

Her: [Location three blocks from your apartment]

Me: ...Uh, well, yeah, I did kind of come here to be alone. You should probably go.

[...]
This is the first time I've had anything approaching a stalker, and I gotta say, it creeped me the fuck out. I'm sure there have got to be more interesting and far creepier tales from the folks here, so let's open it up.

Focus: Have you ever had a stalker, Facebook or otherwise? What's the creepiest thing an ex has done to you, or you've done to an ex, in a last-ditch effort to get them back?

From college degree to food stamps: Life during the downturn

Corman — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:16:02 GMT

Philalawyer has a new one up that deals with recent graduates and what they should do now that the economy is on summer break.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philalawyer

PL: Is the plan of college kids still pretty much the same? The rich kids work for dad or live off a trust, the middle and upper middle class kids go get internships at consulting and finance outfits and head off to those jobs where you work for twenty-five years at something you don't really like and then hopefully retire early?

AM: It's a mixed bag. I admit there is a healthy feeling of independence from most students I speak with. I sense that there isn't a whole lot of pride in going to work for your father anymore, or at least admitting to it publicly. On the other hand, when no other paying options exist except that one some are willing to suck it up. However, you'd be surprised by the herds of anxious students still dying to get entry-level positions on Wall Street. With head count on the banks being cut and pay scales decreasing like an avalanche, there are still an unfortunate number of students chasing just dollar signs. It's a perfect example of the entitlement my generation expects. Because they understand portfolio theory and the discounted cash flow model, they think a six-figure job should be waiting for them. Reality hasn't caught up with the idealistic culture yet. Expectations are still high that Wall Street will turn around, and the money will flow again. It may or may not, but I don't think anytime soon. And finally, there is nothing wrong with a job on Wall Street. But, many don't know what they are getting into beforehand besides the paycheck.

The "work then retire" culture is the same, only because that's still what is being taught. That's what are parents are doing, so that's the culture we know. But, a difference I've noticed is that there is the expectation that we'll hold various careers in a similar field, with the more glorious, exciting ones coming with time. It's still climbing the ladder, just with different shapes of notches. There's the expectation of having to climb, with splashes of randomness every now and then.

Focus: If you're currently working, what advice would you give to recent graduates now that all the jobs are gone? If you're a recent graduate, how are you dealing with the possibility of a life on welfare and food stamps?

Alt Focus: Or if you're like me with no advice to give, how are you making out during our summer of discontent?

I was in San Francisco for the Fourth and fully 3/4ths of the people I know there are unemployed. Amazingly, no one is looking for a job. They're all taking the time to travel, spend time with friends, work on their own ideas for start ups and generally recapture whatever magic was lost when summer vacation went away. It made me feel like a sucker for having a job.

But how does that cocksucker tying up the entire goddamn lane make you FEEL, exactly?

Benson — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:08:04 GMT

When Driving Makes You Angry

Quote:

"Anger is a killing thing: it kills the man who angers, for each rage leaves him less than he had been before - it takes something from him." -- Louis L'Amour

Do you find yourself getting angry with other drivers? Have you been known to yell, curse at them or use hand gestures to make your point?

Granted, driving can at times be frustrating. It seems to me it is a little like rows of people marching. If everyone stays in their place and all go at the same rate then there is perfect precision. Alas, drivers do not do that.

Some are in a hurry, others are daydreaming. Some are cautious drivers, others tend to be reckless. Some are very good drivers with the ability to think and act quickly, others are well, just slow. Even the best drivers can occasionally miss someone in their blind spot, or be momentarily distracted, even without a cellphone.

We all deal with the same drivers out there. So why do some get so bothered and upset by the driving experience? How we react on the road is probably a function of some aspect of our personality, and it likely shows up elsewhere in our lives.

The angry, impatient driver no doubt shows anger and impatience in other areas of life. This person tends to feel a little superior, and those who do not act quickly enough or in the desired way are "idiots."

This person also may be judgmental toward others, and has hard time seeing things from another's perspective. It is likely that this person demonstrates tension and stress and has a low frustration or tolerance level. He or she may have conflicted relationships with others, and may find it hard to truly relax.

Frequent irritability while driving may well be a clue that it is time to re-think perspectives and reactions to life. Some anger management strategies may also be in order.

This is important insofar as it affects others, but also in terms of its effects on the health of the reactive individual. Chronic anger and frustration have a negative effect on physical and emotional wellbeing. We may see high blood pressure, ulcers, headaches, digestive problems and immune system suppression, as well as anxiety and depression.

So if you are "sick" of bad drivers and they make you "crazy" it is time to do something. We cannot change other people; we can only work on ourselves, so that is the place to start.

What a pussy. If she crossed the street in front of my car I would cut her down like the hand of God.

Focus: We've had lots of threads about people on the road you hate, but what is your typical driving demeanor? Are you calm and collected? Or are you a normal person whose rage snowballs with every continuing second?

United Breaks Guitars

EffinShenanigans — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:30:44 GMT

Found this on Fark this morning. Apparently, United Airlines broke some guy's Taylor (read: expensive) guitar and refused to pay for the damages. So he made a music video about it.

See the video here.

Focus: Discuss the story, or tell us your stories of airlines breaking or losing your shit.

So you're actually useful? That was unexpected

Benson — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:32:52 GMT

Passenger fixes faulty airliner

Quote:

Holidaymakers avoided a long delay to their flight home when a passenger fixed a mechanical problem with their plane.

Passengers on Thomas Cook flight TCX9641 from Menorca were told to expect an eight-hour wait while an engineer was flown out from the UK.

One passenger then identified himself as a qualified aircraft engineer and offered to try to remedy the fault.

He was successful, and the plane landed in Glasgow only 35 minutes late.

A spokeswoman for Thomas Cook said the company followed strict procedures to ensure the man was qualified to work on the aircraft, a Boeing 757-200, during the incident on Saturday.

The passenger worked for another airline, Thomson Airways, which has a reciprocal maintenance agreement with Thomas Cook.

"When they announced there was a technical problem he came forward and said who he was, " she said.

"We checked his licence and verified he was who he said he was, and he was able to fix the problem to avoid the delay.

"We are very grateful that he was on the flight that day."

Holidaymaker Keith Lomax, from Stirling, was travelling home from a week's break with his wife when the plane's captain announced the expected delay.

"We were in the plane, ready for take-off, when he announced there was a technical problem and that an engineer might have to be flown out from Manchester to fix it," he said.

"Then a stewardess told us there was an engineer on board and they were checking out to see if he could work on it. He was obviously successful. When he came back onto the plane there was a round of applause from the back of the aircraft.

"It was reassuring to know the person who had fixed it was still on the aeroplane. What are the odds of something like that happening?"

Chris Browne, managing director of Thomson Airways, said she was "delighted" that one of the company's engineers came to the rescue of fellow passengers "even when the flight was that of a competitor".

She added: "This kind of initiative exemplifies Thomson's company philosophy of exceeding customer's expectations and it makes all of the team at Thomson Airways extremely proud.

"Flight delays can be very frustrating for everyone involved so it was gratifying that a qualified Thomson engineer, who has been with the company for 27 years, was in the right place at the right time."

Focus: Discuss. What are some skills that people might be surprised you possess?

Coed Dorm Rooms

Benson — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:26:53 GMT

Unfortunately, it's not exactly ASU

Quote:

Charlie Barlow plans to room with one of his best friends next semester at the University of Chicago: Lauren "Lulu'' Danzig.

The two are among 50 students who will take advantage of a new policy allowing male and female undergraduates to room together -- something that was forbidden throughout the 117-year history of the Hyde Park school.

For 19-year-olds Danzig and Barlow, it's not a romantic thing: She already has a boyfriend on campus. She says she simply prefers to live with men, and Barlow is a very close friend.

"I tend to get along better with guys,'' she said. Still, she said, she couldn't imagine sharing a dorm room with her boyfriend.

Although the policy is not aimed at romantic relationships, boyfriends and girlfriends aren't prohibited from living together because the U. of C. will not ask why students want to be roommates, officials said.

The change in policy was debated for the last couple of years after advocates for transgender students pushed the university to allow "gender neutral'' housing. They said some transgender students feel uncomfortable rooming with students of the same biological sex when they actually identify with the opposite sex.

After a series of public forums and campus study, the program was piloted last semester with 10 students, although it was dubbed "open housing'' and was only for upperclassmen. Freshmen are still assigned roommates of the same sex.

Matthew Kennedy, the past student government president who helped craft the policy, said the program allows older students the option to live with whomever they choose.

"People can really seek out the living arrangements that make them feel the most comfortable,'' said Kennedy, 22, of Glen Ellyn.

Katie Callow-Wright, U. of C.'s director of undergraduate student housing, said although a handful of alumni and others complained when the school was formulating the policy, since it has been in effect there has been "no complaints, no issues, no concerns.''

Said Kennedy: "For most students it doesn't matter too much to them what's happening in the room next door.''

Danzig, of Seattle, said some of her friends have joked with her about living with a guy, but she has gotten generally positive reactions. She said her roommate choice doesn't make a difference to her parents. And she said she often gets dressed in a single-sex bathroom

In some respects, the program is not that big of a change. Coed floors -- in which men and women live in separate suites on the same floor -- already existed in some residence halls on campus, as did coed bathrooms. There are still single-sex dorms, and only those who choose to participate will have a roommate of the opposite sex.

And if problems arise, a student can request an emergency transfer to another room -- just as any student could.

Kennedy said the policy shows that U. of C.'s reputation as a conservative campus is overblown.

"What the university stands for is serious inquiry, and it is open to change when change is called for,'' he said.

Obviously, at 18 years old this arrangement would quickly evolve from "greatest idea ever" to "crushingly premature life lesson."

Focus: Discuss. Would you take advantage of such a policy? Any other disastrous stories of rooming with the opposite sex?

If I see any foam on that soy latte, it's getting thrown in your goddamn face

Benson — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:11:10 GMT

Well, at least Pizza Hut gave it the old remedial try:

Focus: What special instructions do you insist upon at restaurants and bars? Are there any that, without fail, annoy the piss out of the order taker and/or people behind you?

A few requirements:
-Fries well-done at In-N-out. Otherwise I'm always a little surprised by the mediocrity of these.
-Most places that serve coffee, I ask them to dump a few ice cubes in it (unless I just order straight up iced coffee). I'm impatient and want the caffeine, and I hate waiting 30 minutes for my 235 degree cup to reach a consumable temperature.
-At Domino's: "Could I get that non-shitty, please?" Unfortunately, they always fuck that one up.

Sneaky info

ow3n — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:06:23 GMT

The Michael Jackson death has brought up an interesting social phenomenon - I now have a rough idea as to which of my friends were abused as children.

I was pretty surprised at the polarisation of opinion in people when asked what they felt about MJ's death. One group (the non-abused) pretty much said 'bummer, never mind eh?', the other group said 'Fuck him, good job, hope he goes to hell...etc'. After a control group of three people who I knew were abused as children expressed the latter opinion, when I heard someone else say they felt the same way I quietly asked them why they felt that way. They confirmed my suspicions and a theory was born. It's not a huge leap to connect the response and their situation, but it's helped explain the behaviour of a couple of other people I know.

Along similar lines, my social group has long held the opinion that if a girl asks you how old you are, she's considering sleeping with you.

Focus: What sneaky ways do you have of finding out information about someone without directly asking them?

McNair found dead today

Pillage5 — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:24:33 GMT

Steve McNair found shot to death, WTF??

What is up with football players, guns and death, do they really have that sense of invulnerability? I know you make more money than Jesus Christ but damn, you can't take bullets to the chest and head to practice.