Several Silly Sealions Stuffed Seaweed Southward Swiftly (Or, Random Banter #143)

[KenderWizard]

First story: Arthur Conan Doyle.

Second: Dan Brown. Dan Brown.

You poor soul...

Still Conan Doyle's pretty awesome!

[Cogwheel]

You poor soul...

Still Conan Doyle's pretty awesome!

I'm nothing like him, though Completely different style.

Basically, it's as insightful as any internet quiz. Ah well.

[Cealocanth]

I entered an excerpt from my novel. I got Steven King.

[Lillith]

AAAAAAHHHHH! It's official! I'm missing pieces of my puzzle. *sobs*

[Superglucose]

Mr. Rogers, welcome to my list of personal heroes.

[Zeb The Troll]

Mr. Rogers, welcome to my list of personal heroes.

Any particular reason? Or did you just enjoy today's xkcd?

[Thajocoth]

Mr. Rogers, welcome to my list of personal heroes.

Did you know he was a sniper for the marines? (I think it was the marines...) War tattoos under that sweater...

[Superglucose]

Any particular reason? Or did you just enjoy today's xkcd?

Started with today's XKCD and I started looking up more on him. He personifies everything I want to be when I have my own kids some day.

Did you know he was a sniper for the marines? (I think it was the marines...) War tattoos under that sweater...

No, no he wasn't. Very common myth.

[Thajocoth]

No, no he wasn't. Very common myth.

I hope you're right.

[Zeb The Troll]

It was a myth.

[Coidzor]

It was a myth.

But a badass myth.

[Phase]

Mister Rogers was a beautiful man. The world is truly a lesser place, now that he's gone. He sincerely cared about children, and made the show in order to teach and help children.

This one time he stood up to Senate, who were trying to slash his funding. It gives goosebumps.

[CurlyKitGirl]

Hmmm, I took that I Write Like thingy three times.
First time was Vladimir Nabokov.
Second time was James Joyce.
Third time was Margaret Atwood.
So in other words, I write like a man who writes about little girls; a man who became steadily more incomprehensible the longer his writing career became. ANd, finally, a very famous sci-fi writer with more awards than you can shake a stick at.
I don't know whether to be flattered or confused.

[Quincunx]

But a badass myth.

Well, no. . .Yes. The myth is. Don't know about you, but I can't face pure goodness and not measure myself against it and. . . .It's easier to mislabel it as badassery and pretend to understand it better.

[KuReshtin]

This one time he stood up to Senate, who were trying to slash his funding. It gives goosebumps.

I watched that link and thought it was very good. having never grown up with Mr. Rogers, I'd never heard of him before today. He seems to have had the same kind of impact on kids in the US as stuff like "Fem Myror är mer än Fyra Elefanter" ('Five ants is more than four elephants') in Sweden, although I suppose 'Fem Myror' was a bit more silly and childish.
Still, they did teach me how to read at about 3 years of age, so I like them.

I also saw another link from the Mr Rogers congress video, though, where some news show tried to tell everyone that Mr Rogers had destroyed generations of kids because he tried to tell them that they're just fine the way they are and that it would mean that they'd not have to work for things.
I have to say that their discussion befuddled me because it just didn't make any sense to me at all.
Why would telling someone that just because you're not the best at sports, or best at spelling, or best at maths it doesn't make you less worth than anyone else be a bad thing?

[Trobby]

Supposedly, it discourages them from trying to achieve beyond their means by giving them an early sense of self-worth, instead of encouraging them to try to live beyond their own limitations.

I don't buy that though. One can be confident in who they are AND strive to achieve at the same time.

[Quincunx]

The link you followed would have been to a Fox News special. Fox News is defined not so much as being for conservative U.S. ideals as by being against any other ideals. The idea that self-worth just exists, and isn't always the result of effort, is in the U.S. a liberal ideal and thus a legitimate target for the scorn of Fox News.

("Fair and balanced" is their tagline, and fair and balanced it is not, but as a TV-based news source its strength is that is distributes news fast. I would watch a Fox affiliate for breaking news and then get an in-depth analysis, with cross-checked facts, from a secondary source. For pieces which need to be researched beforehand, I'd go somewhere else first.)

[Phase]

Are you saying that Glenn Beck isn't the ideal source for my view on the weeks news? Whatchu talkin' bout, Quin?

[Dogmantra]

This one time he stood up to Senate, who were trying to slash his funding. It gives goosebumps.

That was... amazing. I... uh... I cried a little.

[Trobby]

That was... amazing. I... uh... I cried a little.

I think the last part is what nearly made me cry. ;~;

[Castaras]

I used that site and got Douglas Adams

I get mostly David Foster Wallace, but for one of my diary posts I got William Shakespeare.

*goes and wikis Mr Wallace*

[Dragonrider]

Mr. Rogers, welcome to my list of personal heroes.

I remember when he died. We were on an airplane. I was like nine or ten years old (just looked it up - I was 12) and I told my mother and she didn't believe me, she'd grown up with him too.

Pure human goodness indeed. According to Wikipedia he was a minister, "swam every morning, was a vegetarian, and neither smoked nor drank."

This one time he stood up to Senate, who were trying to slash his funding. It gives goosebumps.

I feel myself getting super sappy but, seriously. He was amazing.

[Phase]

Remembering Mister Rogers is one of those things everyone can cry at. He was truly the best of us.

[Coidzor]

Are you saying that Glenn Beck isn't the ideal source for my view on the weeks news? Whatchu talkin' bout, Quin?

I'm pretty sure just by existing he violates the forum rules.

[Jack Squat]

Not entirely true: The only time I've caught his radio show (I don't really try, they changed time slots), he was discussing movies. Made mention that he can't be friends with anyone who doesn't like The Princess Bride. I can get behind that.

[Superglucose]

{scrubbed}

(might as well get it over with since that's what will happen if I comment on the "Mr. Rogers is Evil" tape)

[Nomrom]

I like Fox News and Glenn Beck. And Mr. Rogers. I remember watching that show every day when I was growing up, and now I'm feeling all nostalgic for my childhood when I didn't have to do anything. Is is a bad thing if I'm only 22 and I already don't want to be a grown up anymore?

[MountainKing]

I get mostly David Foster Wallace, but for one of my diary posts I got William Shakespeare.

*goes and wikis Mr Wallace*

I got the same, save instead of Shakespeare, I got Lovecraft. What'd you find out about the other dude? Or does anyone else happen to know of Wallace?

[Cogwheel]

So. That analysis site? I gave it a Shakespeare excerpt. Othello, to be precise. It proceeded to hurt my brain. Why?

Shakespeare writes like Charles Dickens. As opposed to, you know, Shakespeare. I think I'm done taunting this thing, fun as it was for a while

[Tiger Duck]

I submitted a "story" I wrote in 2 pieces each piece gets the David Foster Wallace badge. But If I paste them together it says Chuck Palahniuk

I'm not convinced of the accuracy of that site.