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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

An Evening on Omegle Part 4

Last Saturday I spent some time on Omegle, which allows you to anonymously chat with strangers. Here is one of the real conversations I had:

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
Stranger: cool
You: I'll say.
Stranger: old ladies
You: I'm not sure I understand.
Stranger: me neither.
You: Cool old ladies perhaps?
Stranger: yeah
Stranger: eating cake
You: Cake is fantastic, but I would need to know what kind of icing.
You: Butter creme?
You: (Or "cream" I guess. I don't know)
Stranger: cream* haha
Stranger: and it's just vanilla
You: Well, the stuff inside Oreos is "creme"
Stranger: oh really? yumm!!! :D
Stranger: are you british?
You: And it's delicious, as is icing, so you can forgive my spelling error.
You: Why do you ask?
You: And do you mean by citizenship or ancestry?
Stranger: because you seem british
Stranger: no im british too lol
You: I will take that as a compliment, since I am in fact an American.
Stranger: well im a stupid american but im from englandd:D
Stranger: no offence
Stranger: sorry i was assuming your british
You: Well you spelled "offence" Britishly.
Stranger: and my british friends hate america
You: That's right, I made "British" an adverb.
Stranger: omg thats awesome:DD
You: Feel free to use "Britishly" royalty-free.
You: (Pun intended.)
Stranger: wait, how do you spell offence then?
You: On this side of the Atlantic, it's "offense."
You: I believe it was Webster's doing. I'm not completely sure about that, though.
Stranger: ohh well we're from the east coast
Stranger: if that makes a difference
You: Well, it has been a pleasure, but I believe I am going to move on now, no offense to yourself.
Stranger: okeliedokelie chao
You: Farewell!
You have disconnected.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Fox News v. Health Care Reform, Sanity, Journalism

Here's a fair and balanced Fox News story from an affiliate in Tampa, FL: AAPS Joins In Fight To Overturn Health Care Reform

 
Even the headline is trolling.
From the article:
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) became the first medical society to sue to overturn the newly enacted health care bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

 
 The article presents the group's opinions as facts. For example:
The PPACA also violates the Tenth Amendment, the Commerce Clause, and the provisions authorizing taxation, the AAPS says. The Taxing and Spending power cannot be invoked, as the premiums go to private insurance companies. The traditional sovereignty of the States over the practice of medicine is destroyed by the PPACA.
So who is the AAPS? Why, it's a 4,000-member conservative nonprofit organization that basically wants the government to stay out of health care. Ron Paul is a member! Almost half a percent of doctors are members! And according to the journal they publish:
  • Abortion causes preterm birth later in life, and thus birth defects such as cerebral palsy to future children born to women with a history of abortion. [I bet they supported government intervention of people getting abortions (which would be contrary to their mission). Furthermore, I wonder how they felt about stem cell research.] 
  • The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are unconstitutional.
  • "Humanists" have conspired to replace the "creation religion of Jehovah" with evolution.
  • Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has not caused global warming.
  • HIV does not cause AIDS.
  • The "gay male lifestyle" shortens life expectancy by 20 years.
  • Vaccinations are harmful.
  • In the past 3 years [2002-2005] America has more than 7,000 cases of leprosy because of illegal aliens. [There have been 7,000 cases of leprosy in America over the last THIRTY years.]
Here's a list I found on RationalWiki (the opposite of Conservapedia) about their various contradictory actions:

 
Many of these activities appear to violate their "Patient's Bill of Rights", which, among other things, states:

 
(the right) to refuse third-party interference in their medical care, and to be confident that their actions in seeking or declining medical care will not result in third-party-imposed penalties for patients or physicians
  • AAPS files lawsuit against FDA to overturn approval of "Plan B" morning after pill for over the counter use by women over 18.
  • Fight against "Sham Peer Review": The AAPS recognizes "sham peer review" as an abusive use of such entities as hospital by-laws and disciplinary committees to exclude physicians for other-than legitimate or the explicitly-stated reasons.
  • Defense of a physician convicted of improper narcotic prescribing while operating a clinic to treat patients with chronic pain.
  • Fighting mandatory vaccination.
  • Fighting against mandated mental health parity, which is advocated by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
  • Promoting contracting between physicians and patients without government or insurance company involvement.
  • Fighting socialized and single-payer healthcare.
  • Fighting to debunk "Shaken baby syndrome", and to link it to vaccines rather than abuse.
  • Advocating for so-called "freedom of conscience" to allow pharmacists to refuse to fill lawful prescriptions. This would appear to interfere with a patient's right "to refuse third party interference in their health care".
  • Fighting abortion, not simply through moral objection, but also by attempting to link abortion to unrelated health problems, including breast cancer.
  • Advocating against the sale of organs for transplant.
  • Advocating against organ donation in cases where brain death is unclear.
  • Advocating against withdrawal of care, as in the Terri Schiavo case, including misrepresenting the results of autopsy in the case.
  • Their 1601 N. Tucson Blvd. Suite 9, Tucson, Arizona address is shared with that of Doctors for Disaster Preparedness.

 


Their website also has a picture of a guy in a straightjacket. Looks pretty credible to me.
 
Oh, and one last thing. Here's a short list of organizations (mostly medical) that do support health care reform that aren't mentioned in the fair and balanced article: 
AARP, AFSCME, AIDS Action Council, AIDS Project Los Angeles, ASPIRA Association, Academic Medical Centers, Alliance for Children and Families, Alliance for Retired Americans, Alzheimer's Foundation of America, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Physician Assistants, American Art Therapy Association, American Association for Cancer Research, American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, American Association of Pastoral Counselors, American Association of People with Disabilities, American Association on Health and Disability, American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), American College of Nurse Midwives, American College of Physicians, American College of Seniors, American Council of the Blind, American Counseling Association, American Dance Therapy Association, American Diabetes Association, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organization, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), American Federation of Teachers, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention/ SPAIN USA, American Foundation for the Blind, American Friends Service Committee, American Group Psychiatric Association, American Group Psychotherapy Association, American Heart Association, American Hospital Association, American Hospice Foundation, American Library Association, American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association, American Mental Health Counselors Association, American Music Therapy Association, American Network of Community Options and Resources, American Nurses Association, American Occupational Therapy Association, American Public Health Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychiatric Nurses Association, American Psychological Association, American Public Health Association, American Social Health Association, American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology, Americans for Democratic Action, Andakusia Regional Hospital, Anxiety Disorders Association of America, Arthritis Foundation, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Asian American Justice Center, Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare, Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Association for the Advancement of Psychology, Association of American Medical Colleges, Association if Assistive Technology Act Programs, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, Association of Community Affiliated Plans, Association of Hispanic Healthcare Executives, Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, Association of University Centers on Disabilities, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Autism National Committee, Autism Society of America, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Black Women's Health Imperative, B'nai B'rith International, Brain Injury Association of America, Breast Cancer Network of Strength, Bourbon Community Hospital, Building and Construction Trade Department, Burton Blatt Institute, California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Castleview Hospital, Catholic Health Association, Center for Adolescent Health & the Law, Center for Community Change, Center for Clinical Social work, Center for Integrated Behavioral Health Policy, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc., Center for Rural Affairs, Center for the Study of the American Electorate, CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers, Change That Works, Child Welfare League of America, Children and Adults with ADHD, Children's Defense Fund, Clergy Strategic Alliances, LLC, Clinch Valley Medical Center, Clinical Social Work Association, Coalition on Human Needs, Colon Cancer Alliance, Committee for Education Funding, Common Cause, CommonHealth ACTION, Communities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief Coalition, Community Access National Network, Community Action Partnership, Community Catalyst, Community Health Councils, Community Health Partnership: Oregon's Public Health Institute, Community Transportation Association of America, Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers' CHECKBOOK/Center for the Study of Services, Consumers Union, Corporation for Supportive Housing, Council for Exceptional Children, Crocket Hospital, Danville Regional Medical Center, Defeat Diabetes Foundation, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Disciples Justice Action Network, Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children, Doctors for America, Dolores Huerta Foundation, Easter Seals, Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church, Eating Disorders Coalition, Epilepsy Foundation, Evangelicals for Social Action, Every Child Matters Education Fund, Faithful America, Faithful Reform in Health Care, Families USA, Family Equality Council, Family Violence Prevention Fund, Family Voices, Farmers Union, Federation of American Hospitals, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, First Focus Campaign for Children, Forrest City Medical Center, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Friends Fiduciary Corporation, Generations United, Harris Center for Disability and Health Policy, Health Care For All, Health Care for America Now, Healthcare Access Project, HealthHIV, Helen Keller National Center, Hillside Hospital, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Dental Association, Hispanic National Bar Association, Hispanic Federation, HIV Health Care Access Working Group, HIV Medicine Association, IDEA Infant Toddler Coordinators Association, International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental & Reinforcing Iron, Workers, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, IronShip Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers,, and, Helpers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftsworkers, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers, of, America (UAW), Japanese American Citizens League, Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, LA County Federation of Labor, Labor Council for Latin America Advancement, Latin American & Caribbean Office of Planned Parenthood, Latinos For National Health Insurance, Latinos United For Health Care, Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), League of Women Voters of the United States, Legal Momentum, Learning Disabilities Association of America, LIVESTRONG, Lutheran Health Network, Malecare Prostate Cancer Support, MANA - A National Latina Organization, Medicare Rights Center, Memorial Medical Center, Mental Health America, Mental Health Liaison, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Mimbres Memorial Hospital, MomsRising, NAACP, NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, National Academies of Practice, National Alliance for Caregiving, National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Association for Children's Behavioral Health+A86, National Association for Rural Mental Health, National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, National Association of Childrens Hospitals, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability, Directors, National Association of Hispanic Nurses, National Association of Human Rights Workers, National Association of Jewish Chaplains, National Association of Mental Health Planning and Advisory Councils, National Association of Neighborhoods, National Association of Psychiatric Heath Systems, National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, National Association of Social Workers, National Association of State Directors of Special Education, National Association of State Head Injury Administrators, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer III, Community Networks Program, National Breast Cancer Coalition, National Center for Learning Disabilities, National Center on Caregiving, Family Caregiver Alliance, National Cervical Cancer Coalition, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, National Coalition for LGBT Health, National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, National Coalition of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations, National Coalition on Deaf-Blindness, National Coalition on Health Care Action Fund, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, National Congress of American Indians, National Congress of Black Women, Inc., National Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care, National Consumers League, National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, National Council of Asian & Pacific Islander Physicians, National Council of Churches, USA Health Task Force, National Council of La Raza, National Council of Negro Women, Inc., National Council of Urban Indian Health, National Council on Aging, National Council on Independent Living, National Disability Rights Network, National Down Syndrome Congress, National Education Association, National Family Caregivers Association, National Farmers Union, National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, National Forum for Latino Healthcare Executives, National Foundation for Mental Health, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, National Health Council, National Health Equity Coalition, National Health Law Program, National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, National Hispanic Council on Aging, National Hispanic Environmental Council, National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Indian Health Board, National Legal Aid and Defender Association, National Lung Cancer Partnership, National Medical Association, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Native American AIDS Prevention Center, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Patient Advocate Foundation, National Physicians Alliance, National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness, National Public Sector HealthCare Roundtable, National Puerto Rico Coalition, National REACH Coalition, National Research Center for Women & Families, National Resource Center for Hispanic Mental Health, National Respite Coalition, National Rural Health Association, National Senior Citizens Law Center, National Senior Corps Association, National Spinal Cord Association, National Spinal Cord Injury Association, National Urban League, National Women's Law Center, NCCNHR: The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office, OCA, Opinion Leaders Advocacy Network, Our Bodies Ourselves, Out of Many, One, OWL - The Voice of Midlife and Older Women, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Partnership for Prevention, PHI - Health Care for Health Care Workers, Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health, Prescription Policy Choices, Progressive States Network, Project Inform, Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Coalition, RESULTS, Ryan White Medical Providers Coalition, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, School Social Work Association of America, Self-Governance Communication and Education Tribal Consortium, Seniors to Seniors, SER - Jobs For Progress, Service Employees International Union, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Institute Justice Team, Small Business Majority, Society for Adolescent Medicine, Southern TN Medical Center, South Texas Health Reform, Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project, SparkLight Communications, State Legislators for Health Care Reform, Summit Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc., The Access Project, The AIDS Institute, The Arc of the United States, The Center for Health Care Policy Research and Analysis, The Children's Partnership, The Healing of the Nations Foundation, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCR), The LGBT Cancer Project - Out With Cancer, The Main Street Alliance, The Shomer Shalom Network for Jewish Nonviolence, Therapeutic Communities of America, Tourette Syndrome Association, Trust For Americas Health, US Hispanic Leadership Institute, U.S. PIRG (Public Interest Research Group), U.S. Positive Women's Network, US Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, Union for Reform Judaism, Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, United Association of Journeymen & Apprentices of the Plumbing & Pipe Fitting, Industry, of the US and Canada, United Cerebral Palsy, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society, United Neighborhood Centers of America, United Spinal Association, United Steel Workers, Universal Health Care Action Network (UHCAN), Urban Coalition for HIV AIDS Prevention Services, Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education & Support Network, USAction, VetsFirst, Voices for America's Children, Volunteers of America, Washington Health Foundation, Wider Opportunities for Women, WISC Health Care Working Group, Witness Justice, Women of Reform Judaism, Women Together for Change

An Evening on Omegle Part 3

Last Saturday I spent some time on Omegle, which allows you to anonymously chat with strangers. Here is one of the real conversations I had:

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
Stranger: asl?
Stranger: horny girl????
You: Very.
Stranger: sweat can i see a nude pic of u
You: Sweat?
You: Dude, I barely know you.
Stranger: or no my email is :: edog_borrero[@]hotmail.com [I added the []s]
You: "edog" as in an electronic dog?
You: Can we start from the beginning?
Stranger: no nd ok why
You: In real life, you would have to date me for years and put up with endless mental and emotional abuse before I would give you a tastefully nude image of myself.
You: Me, a horny girl.
Stranger: why????
Stranger: jw
You: So, let me get to know you.
You: What time zone do you live in?
You: I am on Atlantic Time.
You: 11:39PM it is.
Stranger: i dnt remember over here the time is 10:39
Stranger: PM
You: Well that would be Eastern Daylight Time, or EDT.
You: You could be in Brazil, or perhaps Québec, maybe in Antarctica.
You: Who knows?
You: Longitude has always been my enemy.
Stranger: wow lolsx i live in pa
You: What is your family's average annual income?
Stranger: idk
You: (Average over the last 5 years is fine.)
Stranger: i dnt pay attention
You: Well, how many bedrooms are in your house?
Stranger: 4 why
You: And how many levels?
You: And would you describe your neighborhood as "within a major metropolitan area"?
Stranger: 2 nd idk
You: Well, let me ask you this: if you wanted to go "downtown," what mode of transportation would you take, assuming there are no cars available?
Stranger: bus or bike
You: How many times would you have to transfer bus lines?
Connection imploded.

Monday, March 29, 2010

An Evening on Omegle Part 2

Last Saturday I spent some time on Omegle, which allows you to anonymously chat with strangers. Here are two of the real conversations I had:

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
Stranger: bye
You: Um, that was enlightening.
You: Thank you for your amazing linguistic skills.
You: I shall always remember this day.
You have disconnected.

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
You: In which aisle would I find the mayo?
Stranger: the third aisle
You: From which side?
You: Or do you mean aisle #3?
Stranger: on the left next to the ketchup
Stranger: and no i mean aisle #2
You: So it's #2, but it's the third aisle. What's the first aisle? Produce?
Stranger: yes
You: Awesome.
You: What kind of produce?
You: Is it seasonal?
You: I hope it is.
Stranger: yes it is seasonal
You: FUCK! YES!
Stranger: any season you want
You: ...Well then it's not seasonal is it?
You: It's fucking year-round then
You: Fuck that shit!
Stranger: its year round seasonal
You: You make no fucking sense!
You: You have RUINED my evening!
You: BYE!
You have disconnected.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

An Evening on Omegle Part 1

So, after an evening of teaching the RVG:TZM drummer some Burning Shadows songs, I decided to relax by getting harassed by strangers on Omegle. (FYI: Omegle is like Chat Roulette minus the camera. You talk to random strangers.)

This week, I will be posting real conversations I had.

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
Stranger: m or f
You: woah woah i'm not ready for that kind of committment
You: how about what country first
Your conversational partner has disconnected.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

The Seven Seas

So what are the Seven Seas exactly? According to a sentence from Wikipedia (that needs citation), the Seven Seas were:
  • Mediterranean Sea (including "marginal seas")
  • Adriatic Sea
  • Black Sea
  • Red Sea (including the Dead Sea and Galilee Sea)
  • Arabian Sea
  • Persian Gulf
  • Caspian Sea
Today, the International Hydrographic Organization recognizes over 100 bodies of water referred to as "seas," including the Chesapeake Bay, which we can all agree is the best sea in town.

And now for the obligatory nondescript "sea" photo (which I took near the Bahamas):

Friday, March 26, 2010

The Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean?! When did this happen?!



When I was in school, there were only 4 oceans:
  1. Arctic Ocean
  2. Atlantic Ocean
  3. Indian Ocean
  4. Pacific Ocean
But in 2000, they decided to officially add the Southern Ocean. Yes, officially. They were trying to add the Southern Ocean since 1937! Who are "they," you ask? "They" are the people who name oceans, the International Hydrographic Organization, of which 68 nations are members. (The Democratic Republic of the Congo is suspended from the IHO, probably because they realized it has less than 25 miles of actual coastline. Also, they misspelled "ocean" on their application form.)

The IHO sent out surveys in 2000 to its member nations, asking if they wanted to define the Southern Ocean as a new ocean. Twenty-seven nations responded "hell yes!" Argentina (and only Argentina) responded with "fuck no!" The other 40 countries probably had actual work to do.

So, as a fuck you to Argentina, we now have 5 oceans.

I thought of two good ways to end this post, so go ahead and take your pick:

Ending #1:
I bet this is how people in Medieval times felt when they found out there are more than seven seas.

Ending #2:
Maybe they felt bad about taking Pluto away from us, so they gave us a new ocean.