Confessions 2: Electric Boogaloo.

[8BitNinja]

Do you do that? Then you can explain to me why do you do it? what's the appeal? I don't get it.

Why spend so much time and energy hating something other people enjoy. Why not just let it be.

Do you need to prove they are wrong and you are right? Or it's an altruistic thing since you want to help then and open their eyes for their errors? Or maybe you just know that hating on things make you popular since hating calls attention.

So what's your point?

It was just a joke.

But anyways, sometimes I criticize things just to share my personal opinion. If you like what I think or not, it doesn't matter, it's my opinion. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Like someone on Reddit once said, opinions are like anal cavities. Everyone has one, and they all contain crap

[Aedilred]

Do you do that? Then you can explain to me why do you do it? what's the appeal? I don't get it.

Why spend so much time and energy hating something other people enjoy. Why not just let it be.

Do you need to prove they are wrong and you are right? Or it's an altruistic thing since you want to help then and open their eyes for their errors? Or maybe you just know that hating on things make you popular since hating calls attention.

So what's your point?

Notwithstanding that the original comment was a joke, I've always held the "haters hating is bad" mindset in some scepticism.

Assuming that the object is just to complain about (or "hate on" in modern, less nuanced and grammatical parlance) the media in question, often the intention is at least partly therapeutic - that by articulating one's issues with a given piece, they can be exorcised. Gathering several like-minded people together to do the same thing can lead to finding common ground, solace and reassurance in the shared opinions of others. Which is really much the same reason that fans congregate. It's the same motivation, but a different opinion.

But there is often another secondary factor, which is that people complain about things because they want things to be better. Only by expressing one's disapproval of what one doesn't like and why can one convey the message that things ought to be different. The principle of "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything" is superficially lovely, but if followed uncritically it has a tendency to lead to unchallenged mediocrity (or worse) in every walk of life. Expressing critical views on the internet is probably not the most productive way of fighting that battle, but it feels like it's at least part of it - and again, is no less productive than the converse uncritical appreciation threads.

[Bartmanhomer]

I never have nightmares in my entire life.

[Winter_Wolf]

I choked on a mouthful of coffee and coughed part of it out through my nose. This is about as pleasant as it sounds, and I don't particularly recommend it as a hobby.

That cup of coffee did not go according to plan at all.

[Avianmosquito]

You know, I broke my leg last year. I was prescribed an entire bottle of painkillers. I always suspected they were placebos and never took one of them. I'm about to pop the bottle and see what happens. See you (or not) in the morning.

[Winter_Wolf]

You know, I broke my leg last year. I was prescribed an entire bottle of painkillers. I always suspected they were placebos and never took one of them. I'm about to pop the bottle and see what happens. See you (or not) in the morning.

Yeah. Please don't do that. Opioids are nasty, and what if they're not placebos?

I mean seriously, just don't man.

[Avianmosquito]

Yeah. Please don't do that. Opioids are nasty, and what if they're not placebos?

I mean seriously, just don't man.

A bit late for that. Plus side, I don't feel a thing so far. Downside, that doesn't mean they aren't real. Anybody want to take bets?

Edit:
Nix the bets, they were placebo. Screw it, I'm going to go get drunk and pass out. Nobody needs to see this.

[2D8HP]

Do you do that? Then you can explain to me why do you do it? what's the appeal? I don't get it....

Well one reason is because it's SUPER FUN!

I will demonstrate:

Playing Dungeons & Dragons in 1978 was AWESOME!!!

Playing Cyberpunk 2020 in 1992 was LAME!!!


Another example:
Standard time is AWESOME!!!

Daylight savings crime is LAME!!!
(give me back my hour you cads!!!)

(Your may have experienced differently, but you would be wrong, because I am always right!.... except when I'm not, and then I admit it, except when I don't but still act like I'm right, therefore I already win!!! Hooray for me!!!)

Now you try it!


Or... there is also the reason Aedilred cited, which (as usual) is wiser and thoughtful:

....But there is often another secondary factor, which is that people complain about things because they want things to be better.....

On a different note:

A bit late for that. Plus side, I don't feel a thing so far. Downside, that doesn't mean they aren't real. Anybody want to take bets?

Maybe have someone drive you to a batting cage and see if your dexterity is effected?

Confession:
I find that painkillers tend to give me big headaches, so the pain from the injury has to be worse than the pain I will get from using the painkiller, which may be a blessing, as otherwIse given my history of job injuries I may have become addicted.

Further Confession:
I suspect that Aedilred may be right (once again):

....Probably only about one in ten posts are actual confessions or responses to them and the rest is just bumf of the sort that would otherwise go in Random Banter...

this thread does often seem like "Darkside Random Banter".

[Winter_Wolf]

I have beef with painkillers because for me, it's blatant false advertising. I still feel the pain, but with pain killers I'm suddenly also freaking high with all the attendant problems of coordination, worse judgement, possibly passing out/falling asleep... Either I'm in that small group that doesn't metabolize heavy duty pain killers in the expected way, or the pushers are straight lying to everyone and counting on people to convince themselves that they feel less pain.

But then again I'm also a "embrace the pain and experience it fully" kind of guy. There is a sound reason for this: understanding the qualities, intensity, and frequency of the pain means that I'll have a better handle on what the hell is wrong if/when it happens again (you never forget gout attack pain--literally being burned by crystallized acid in your body is a rather unique experience) and hopefully can treat the issue in a more timely manner. I know what a torn ligament feels like, you can be sure I'll know whether I need to immediately stop what I'm doing (because something is tearing) or if I can push through it (because that's just muscle fatigue setting in).

[Avianmosquito]

I have beef with painkillers because for me, it's blatant false advertising. I still feel the pain, but with pain killers I'm suddenly also freaking high with all the attendant problems of coordination, worse judgement, possibly passing out/falling asleep... Either I'm in that small group that doesn't metabolize heavy duty pain killers in the expected way, or the pushers are straight lying to everyone and counting on people to convince themselves that they feel less pain.

How do you feel about sugar? Because these certainly aren't, you know, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VggDiaQHA-I

[2D8HP]

Edit:
Nix the bets, they were placebo. Screw it, I'm going to go get drunk and pass out...

I missed the edit before, but now that I've seen it, I have enough encouragement to go to Brennan's and get a pint of Downtown Brown (maybe a corned beef sandwich as well).


Hot damn!

Cheers.

[Avianmosquito]

I missed the edit before, but now that I've seen it, I have enough encouragement to go to Brennan's and get a pint of Downtown Brown (maybe a corned beef sandwich as well).


Hot damn!

Cheers.

I'm drunk. Passing out didn't happen, too much Judas Priest. It started with "Painkiller" and went from there.

[Winter_Wolf]

How do you feel about sugar?

Love/hate. I'm addicted to sugar. It's amusing that people think it's a lesser evil than nicotine addiction. I'd be happy not to have refined sugar in my diet but it always winds up in my food even when I'm doing the cooking. Ironically I'm not terribly fond of most sweets. I find soda pop disgusting as all get out. But I still drink it sometimes, and it sir ain't for the flavor.

[Bartmanhomer]

Love/hate. I'm addicted to sugar. It's amusing that people think it's a lesser evil than nicotine addiction. I'd be happy not to have refined sugar in my diet but it always winds up in my food even when I'm doing the cooking. Ironically I'm not terribly fond of most sweets. I find soda pop disgusting as all get out. But I still drink it sometimes, and it sir ain't for the flavor.

Just how many grams of sugar do you eat anyway?

[Kalmageddon]

I think Sturgeon's law can be applied to people and therefore invalidates democracy.
It has made my life really sad.

[Winter_Wolf]

Just how many grams of sugar do you eat anyway?

It's really not that many. Because I don't want to add diabetes to the list of things that are wrong with me. I don't keep sweets in my home, nor soda. Sugar is only for cooking, and I limit it to the bare minimum to make a recipe work. Because I'm not the only one eating the food and sometimes a half pinch goes a love way toward mitigating bitterness. I do eat a lot of fruit, but at least it's got built in fiber.

Confession A: I almost started a fistfight in a Chinese subway station. Let's just say that large cities bring out the worst in me and there's a spanking good reason I live out in the countryside now even though there's not a lot of money to be made with my skill set. My blood pressure and overall mood are much better, and that's worth more to me than any amount of money.

Confession B: when I started growing my beard out, it was at least partially motivated by knowing my wife didn't approve of the idea. But my awesome faceblanket(tm) does a fantastic job keeping my face warm in this ridiculous weather, and my wife has decided she likes it.

[Bartmanhomer]

It's really not that many. Because I don't want to add diabetes to the list of things that are wrong with me. I don't keep sweets in my home, nor soda. Sugar is only for cooking, and I limit it to the bare minimum to make a recipe work. Because I'm not the only one eating the food and sometimes a half pinch goes a love way toward mitigating bitterness. I do eat a lot of fruit, but at least it's got built in fiber.

Confession A: I almost started a fistfight in a Chinese subway station. Let's just say that large cities bring out the worst in me and there's a spanking good reason I live out in the countryside now even though there's not a lot of money to be made with my skill set. My blood pressure and overall mood are much better, and that's worth more to me than any amount of money.

Confession B: when I started growing my beard out, it was at least partially motivated by knowing my wife didn't approve of the idea. But my awesome faceblanket(tm) does a fantastic job keeping my face warm in this ridiculous weather, and my wife has decided she likes it.

Good move. That was I about to say. Too much sugar do lead to diabetes but it looks like you're aware of that already.

Confession: I'm a people person.

[Shamash]

I used to hate people but now I see I was just projecting my own insecurities on them and now I have more friends! :D

[Aedilred]

I made a concerted effort starting around Christmas to cut down on the amount of sugar in my diet radically. So far I've been fairly successful and I'm glad. I have a very naturally sweet tooth, and can happily eat whole bags of sweets in a single sitting, to say nothing of soft drinks (I had to give up Coke completely a few years ago because it was the only way I could stop myself from drinking far too much of it), and while I did try not to go crazy with it, combined with the amount of sugar that's pretty unavoidably in food anyway, I was still probably eating way too much of it. So this year most of the sweet things I've eaten have been fruit or fruit yoghurt, with processed sugar treats largely eliminated. I'm glad with how things have gone so far and I'm not even craving it too badly.

[8BitNinja]

I love to bring up sensitive topics

[2D8HP]

I love to bring up sensitive topics

Well to bring up a topic of some dispute, which method is best to ward off Elves; bells, electricity, four leafed clovers, holy symbols, horseshoes, or open scissors?

[LughSpear]

Well to bring up a topic of some dispute, which method is best to ward off Elves; bells, electricity, four leafed clovers, holy symbols, horseshoes, or open scissors?

Well, electricity can ward everything. Save ethereal creatures.

[8BitNinja]

Well to bring up a topic of some dispute, which method is best to ward off Elves; bells, electricity, four leafed clovers, holy symbols, horseshoes, or open scissors?

Throwing a brick or and old man yelling to get off his lawn usually works quite nicely

Well, electricity can ward everything. Save ethereal creatures.

Not necessarily

The rubber monster usually doesn't have any problem with it.

[2D8HP]

Throwing a brick or and old man yelling to get off his lawn usually works quite nicely...

*whew* I'm well protected

[Bartmanhomer]

I always make a big deal just about everything.

[8BitNinja]

*whew* I'm well protected

Do you have both? Then you won't be seeing elves any time soon.

Also, what kind of elves are they? Are they Tolkien elves, or more like Keebler Elves?

Because I like the Keebler ones, they bake cookies for me.

[2D8HP]

Do you have both? Then you won't be seeing elves any time soon.

That's a relief!

Also, what kind of elves are they?.

You know, the "good neighbors", "honest folk", "gentry", "people of peace", the cattle blightin', baby stealin', stroke causin' Elves!

Now whether they be Dvergr (Dwarves), Dökkálfar (Dark Elves), Svartálfar (Black Elves), Ljósálfar (Light Elves), or some other breed of Huldufólk (hidden people), is less important than the certainty that once you've spotted one soon you'll have an infestation of trooping fairies making circles on your lawn with their dancin' (don't believe that "flying saucer" landing malarky, 'tis Elves!).

Unfortunately when I last went to Ace Hardware, while I could find "Gopher-go-die", "Rat-be-gone", and "Squirrel-scram", they were all out of "Elf-away", so since you can't be too careful, I recommend installing plenty of running water in your home (please have them installed by Guild/Union plumbers), with iron horseshoes nailed on the walls, and lit by plug-in holy symbols.

Hopefully that will keep the "gentry" away.


Note: Besides my own lunacy the above rant was inspired by my recent purchase of Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology, and my digging up my 1976 copy of Katharine Briggs An Encyclopedia of Fairies, Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures (a worthy companion to her British Folktales).

Besides such notable entries such as "Spells to obtain power over fairies", and "Virtues esteemed by fairies", there's "Protection against fairies". Some methods include bells, crosses (particularly ones made of iron), four-leafed clover, knives, open scissors (particularly ones made of steel), and horseshoes.

And given that the "people of peace"' have a history of blighting your cattle, stealing your children, and causing strokes, why wouldn't you use protection?

[Aedilred]

And given that the "people of peace"' have a history of blighting your cattle, stealing your children, and causing strokes, why wouldn't you use protection?

Because it "totally ruins the moment"?

[Bartmanhomer]

I watch scary movies when I was a little boy.

[2D8HP]

Because it "totally ruins the moment"?

A fair point.

So enchanting and such glamour have the "Fair Folk"...

But my lawn!