Wow, you've really mastered the power of positive giving-up.

Cordelia ,'End of Days'


Natter 34: Freak With No Name  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


Nutty - Apr 28, 2005 6:33:31 am PDT #9675 of 10001
"Mister Spock is on his fanny, sir. Reports heavy damage."

I never played dodgeball with a big rubber ball. I played it with nerf balls, though, and 4-5 at a time so it was a lively game. Also, there were rules to the effect that if you got knocked out, you stood on the sidelines and were allowed to direct the people still in the game, so your side would win. I think the game dynamic is a lot different if the ball can't hurt you.

I did play kickball, though, and I think it was the last organized sport I was any good at.


Cashmere - Apr 28, 2005 6:34:29 am PDT #9676 of 10001
Now tagless for your comfort.

I forget the name of the organization that did the ad, but I've seen something like it before. Is this some conservative religious thing?

tommy, it might be. But my doctor did say that female fertility does drop significantly as you get into your 30's. Physically, women are better off giving birth in their 20's (according to my doctor). But that's just the physical ability of a younger person. I think older women (late 20's and older) tend to actually plan their pregnancies and get better prenatal care, resulting in healthier babies. It's also more dangerous for older women (late 30's and 40's) to have babies.

Personally, I'm glad I traded a quick physical recovery for emotional stablity and financial security.


sarameg - Apr 28, 2005 6:34:36 am PDT #9677 of 10001

I love the ponk! sound those big red rubber balls make.


Jesse - Apr 28, 2005 6:35:19 am PDT #9678 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

I am once again reminded to be grateful to my highschool for having enough gym options that I only had to do one semester of a team game. The rest of the time, I pretty much took weight training and tennis. I still sucked at tennis, but at least I wasn't letting anyone else down by it.


Emily - Apr 28, 2005 6:35:19 am PDT #9679 of 10001
"In the equation E = mc⬧, c⬧ is a pretty big honking number." - Scola

Something about how your 20's or early 30's is the best time to have a baby, as the odds of getting pregnant drop off after that.

I have heard that fertility starts to drop around 27 (I heard it right around my 27th birthday, which is why I remember). Think I got that from the Globe.


JZ - Apr 28, 2005 6:36:15 am PDT #9680 of 10001
See? I gave everybody here an opportunity to tell me what a bad person I am and nobody did, because I fuckin' rule.

I'm not sure a kid's popularity or unpopularity necessarily correlates with ability to play dodge ball, or any sports activity.

No, but (and I'm totally willing to de-generalize my argument, and state that this is purely anecdotal information referable only to my grammar school) in a game like dodgeball, popularity or unpopularity can easily be made to correlate to whether you're a target of a hard ball or a soft one, where you stand in the outer circle after you're hit, and whether you ever get a chance to throw the ball yourself.

At my school, the ball was always given first to some bright shiny well-dressed kid, who then either (if a good athlete) drilled some un-shiny kid in the knees or (if not a good athlete) gently lobbed the ball to someone whom s/he knew to be a good athlete and able to drill (or tossed it lightly at a best friend, tagging out the friend, who would then go and stand at his/her side in the circle).

I can recall plenty of dodgeball games in which the unpopular kids didn't get more than two throws; in a group of 20, it's very easy for 15 to gang up on 5 and keep them from ever having control of the game, and very difficult for the 5 to wrest control away, even if all 15 suck and all 5 are superb athletes (which was never the case at my school).

Again, purely anecdotal, relevant to my grammar school experience only.


Laura - Apr 28, 2005 6:39:05 am PDT #9681 of 10001
Our wings are not tired.

It's also more dangerous for older women (late 30's and 40's) to have babies.

They called my pregnancies geriatric pregnancies because I was over 35. (38 & 40) No doubt I was more responsible about my medical care and physical behavior than I would have been in my 20's. The doctors made a big deal about it though.


Topic!Cindy - Apr 28, 2005 6:39:12 am PDT #9682 of 10001
What is even happening?

But my doctor did say that female fertility does drop significantly as you get into your 30's.
This is my personal hope, man.
I have heard that fertility starts to drop around 27 (I heard it right around my 27th birthday, which is why I remember). Think I got that from the Globe.
I shudder to imagine my life without contraceptives.

If the world were fair, there'd be a big, old fertility pool. Those of us who didn't need/want it, or no longer needed/wanted whatever of our fertility remains could donate to those in need. Children's fertility would be kept in the pool, until they reached the age of majority.


Nutty - Apr 28, 2005 6:40:02 am PDT #9683 of 10001
"Mister Spock is on his fanny, sir. Reports heavy damage."

I forget the name of the organization that did the ad, but I've seen something like it before. Is this some conservative religious thing?

Sort of a weird thing to harp on for a religious organization, though, right? Like, most religions with which I'm familiar don't care if you get married at 50, but they really don't want you having kids before you get married, most of them.

Of course, the only other organization I can think of that would care is, like, the Down Syndrome And Other Mutation Disorders Correlated to Mother's Age At Conception Fund, which, most of the time Down Syndrome organizations focus more on the kisd who are alive tahn the potential kids who might join their ranks.


Matt the Bruins fan - Apr 28, 2005 6:40:12 am PDT #9684 of 10001
"I remember when they eventually introduced that drug kingpin who murdered people and smuggled drugs inside snakes and I was like 'Finally. A normal person.'” —RahvinDragand

I'm still amazed that Adrienne Barbeau was able to conceive twins at 51.