Honestly, you meet the most appalling sort of people....

Giles ,'Chosen'


Natter 68: Bork Bork Bork  

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.


Tom Scola - Jun 07, 2011 9:53:44 am PDT #11780 of 30001
They pay me in WOIMS

how does the sun stay burning if there's no oxygen in space?

The sun is a mass of incandescent gas; a gigantic nuclear furnace. Where hydrogen is built into helium at a temperature of millions of degrees.


Jessica - Jun 07, 2011 9:54:18 am PDT #11781 of 30001
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset

The sun is a mass of incandescent gas; a gigantic nuclear furnace. Where hydrogen is built into helium at a temperature of millions of degrees.

The sun is a miasma of incandescent plasma, the sun's not merely made out of gas, no no no.


DavidS - Jun 07, 2011 9:57:57 am PDT #11782 of 30001
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

The sun is a miasma of incandescent plasma, the sun's not merely made out of gas, no no no.

That doesn't rhyme so it can't be true.


Jessica - Jun 07, 2011 9:59:34 am PDT #11783 of 30001
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset

You'll have to take that up with TMBG - [link]


JZ - Jun 07, 2011 10:00:15 am PDT #11784 of 30001
See? I gave everybody here an opportunity to tell me what a bad person I am and nobody did, because I fuckin' rule.

But there are lots of spaces within a public park that are, if not restricted, then at least designated. My child doesn't have the right to play tea party in the middle of the tennis or basketball courts if someone comes along who wants to use them for their intended purposes; certain paths are set aside for bikers only, others for bikes and skateboards, others for feet only, no wheels except wheelchairs or strollers; only barbecue in the barbecue pits; the museums and Hall of Flowers are open to the public, but only if they pay admission; etc. etc. etc. Some of them are enforced by stated law, some by request, some by spoken or unspoken agreement.

About the false sense of security... I don't know. I never thought of it that way.


Hil R. - Jun 07, 2011 10:03:27 am PDT #11785 of 30001
Sometimes I think I might just move up to Vermont, open a bookstore or a vegan restaurant. Adam Schlesinger, z''l

But there are lots of spaces within a public park that are, if not restricted, then at least designated. My child doesn't have the right to play tea party in the middle of the tennis or basketball courts if someone comes along who wants to use them for their intended purposes; certain paths are set aside for bikers only, others for bikes and skateboards, others for feet only, no wheels except wheelchairs or strollers; only barbecue in the barbecue pits;

But all of those are because the activity interferes with the intended purpose of the space. Someone sitting on a bench in the playground and watching the kids play doesn't interfere with the kids anymore than someone sitting on a bench at the sidelines of the basketball court and watching the people play basketball does.


P.M. Marc - Jun 07, 2011 10:03:55 am PDT #11786 of 30001
So come, my friends, be not afraid/We are so lightly here/It is in love that we are made; In love we disappear

But there are lots of spaces within a public park that are, if not restricted, then at least designated. My child doesn't have the right to play tea party in the middle of the tennis or basketball courts if someone comes along who wants to use them for their intended purposes; certain paths are set aside for bikers only, others for bikes and skateboards, others for feet only, no wheels except wheelchairs or strollers; only barbecue in the barbecue pits; the museums and Hall of Flowers are open to the public, but only if they pay admission; etc. etc. etc. Some of them are enforced by stated law, some by request, some by spoken or unspoken agreement.

You're not generally going to get a ticket or arrested for wandering through the tennis or soccer courts. Designated is one thing, legal restrictions are another.


Jessica - Jun 07, 2011 10:05:49 am PDT #11787 of 30001
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset

You're not generally going to get a ticket or arrested for wandering through the tennis or soccer courts. Designated is one thing, legal restrictions are another.

In NYC parks, you can absolutely get a ticket for loitering on the ballfields if you're not there to play ball.


Consuela - Jun 07, 2011 10:05:57 am PDT #11788 of 30001
We are Buffistas. This isn't our first apocalypse. -- Pix

I dunno, I have concerns about it both from a civil liberties perspective (restricting areas of a public park skeeves me) and from a false-sense-of-security parenting persepective.

Yeah, the security theater aspect is what struck me. Most pedophiles are not strangers on the street (or the playgrounds), they're people within the social networks of the children they abuse. Refusing adults unaccompanied by children access to playgrounds doesn't actually do much (if anything) to protect those children, who presumably are already accompanied by an adult anyway.


brenda m - Jun 07, 2011 10:08:11 am PDT #11789 of 30001
If you're going through hell/keep on going/don't slow down/keep your fear from showing/you might be gone/'fore the devil even knows you're there

In NYC parks, you can absolutely get a ticket for loitering on the ballfields if you're not there to play ball.

But sitting on a bench watching, or reading a book?