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"Tramp stamps" and boyzones

I say we bring back the concept of hellbans
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 1:45 PM on May 14, 2015

#JunebyQueers

I've been slightly baffled by the hostility to this idea, and will be participating.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 11:35 AM on May 13, 2015

See, but what I don't get is - ok, so it isn't neat. The experiences aren't universal. People under the queer/whatever umbrella have different challenges and experiences.

But why does that mean this is a bad idea? Why does saying "let's tag our posts this way" necessarily imply "this is a nice neat cohesive group"?
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 1:55 PM on May 13, 2015

Yeah, it sounds like opposition to the very concept of grouping, say, cis gay men and trans straight women together in any way whatsoever, because that grouping has often lead to certain members being oppressed or disregarded by others. Which is true, but I don't see why the proposed solution is "destroy the concept of the group" and not "make the group more equitable."
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 3:11 PM on May 13, 2015

Makes sense.

I have to say that I think queer is a great word, precisely because it eliminates the need to list out a letter for every possible permutation of non-cishet identity. I also get that it makes some people really uncomfortable. But by this point, it's a very widely accepted term, and I don't think it's going anywhere.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 3:20 PM on May 13, 2015

Hoyland - but since this is an opt-in thing, the only way people won't be included if if they choose not to participate.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 3:35 PM on May 13, 2015

I can't speak for these are science wands, but, well, queer as a verb has a meaning all its own: Ruining, spoiling, generally fucking up. E.g., "Queering the deal."

Queering doesn't just mean that anymore, though.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 3:36 PM on May 13, 2015

I seriously don't see how or why having a theme month for queer or LGBT people would chase anyone away, much less members of those very groups.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 3:40 PM on May 13, 2015

So then, what's wrong with the part of this that says "we also optionally encourage people who would like to make it clear exactly how they identify to add an additional tag clarifying your primary identity--for example, “JuneByTrans” or “JuneByBisexual”?
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 3:43 PM on May 13, 2015

If this is actually supposed to be an LGBT community initiative, we ought to be figuring out how to lift everyone together, not tell the traditionally disempowered and under-acknowledged groups to strike out on their own.

I think one good solution would be to immediately delete any comment that is shitty to trans people.

But I guess the trouble I'm having with fully understanding your objection is like... you're saying LGBT… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 3:50 PM on May 13, 2015

I think it's about content by queer people, which means some of the content will be queer and some won't. Your second objection seems to be not about this initiative or Metafilter itself at all, but about the world in general, and I don't know what we can do about that besides encourage people to identify however they want in their posts, which you don't seem to want either. And I don't see being encouraged to make a post on Mefi as being asked to do work for somebody else, at all. I'm not sure… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 3:59 PM on May 13, 2015

But it would seem that the way to correct that would be more bi and trans visibility, for example by adding those extra tags, except you don't want that.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 4:04 PM on May 13, 2015

"We need more trans visibility" and "more trans visibility just paints targets on trans peoples' backs so we shouldn't encourage trans people to identify themselves" - so what's the goal? More visibility or less? If the goal is "figure out how to make people be less shitty to trans people" I don't think axing this theme month is a coherent way to go about it at all.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 4:19 PM on May 13, 2015

And when everyone's queer, no one will be [/syndrome]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 9:46 AM on May 14, 2015

I'd love an alternate set of words to describe my sexuality and gender. "Queer," "bisexual," and "pansexual" all have their problems. Anything ending in "-gender" has another set of problems. Nothing seems to be popping out right now.

I feel largely the same. I like queer because it seems less prescriptive than bisexual or pansexual, but it isn't perfect. I feel most comfortable when I just say "I date… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 10:07 AM on May 14, 2015

#JuneByLGBTQ?

Well I'd participate. But I post a fair amount anyway!
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 8:51 AM on May 6, 2015

Tell Us A Fascinating Thing About Yourself

Horrifyingly, I'm not sure I can think of anything I haven't already talked about on here.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 10:41 AM on March 30, 2015

I was bitten by a lion.

Truthfully, it was only a large cub at a "come pet these baby lions" place in a South African lion sanctuary. But a large lion cub is the size of a great dane, so basically what happened was: I was petting the babies. Wow so cute. Then I pet the big one, and like a massive fucking idiot moron I unthinkingly did what I always do when petting cats: I LET it bite my hand.

It didn't really hurt and barely broke the… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 2:10 PM on March 30, 2015

The fiend in question.

The biting, which one of my asshole friends apparently photographed.

The incredibly ungory and anticlimactic bite itself.

If I am ever called upon to play Two Truths and a Lie again I can say I was bitten by a lion and survived, so, worth it
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 2:21 PM on March 30, 2015

I have an incredibly vivid memory of being surrounded by goats at the Greensboro Natural Science Center. I was 5 or 6, and they thought I had treats. I fled to the safety of a large rock in the middle of the petting zoo.

That's how I learned goats can climb.

Picture a screaming child in a blue dress which is currently having a hole chewed in its hem by a goat, surrounded by other goats who are all trying to Get At Her for reasons which are totally unclear to her.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 2:27 PM on March 30, 2015

I wrote an email to Tobias Wolff, and he responded right away, so that was pretty cool I guess
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 7:14 PM on April 1, 2015

That's not where 'shaking is bad' comes from. No one would ever shake something carbonated for obvious reasons. But when you have a choice - say, when making a martini - the issue is that shaking (with ice, you always shake with ice) will dislodge tiny ice chips into your drink, making it colder but ever so slightly watered down. That's right, Bond likes weak cocktails
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 3:15 AM on April 24, 2015

Oh I don't actually think the ice chips are bad! I like it that way. Shaking is also a good way to make multiple cocktails at once, and to strain out additives like chunks of fruit or herbs when you just want their flavor. It's also how you make drinks with egg white in them get all frothy.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 7:30 AM on April 24, 2015

Speaking wine? Does it tell you its own terroir?
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 1:13 PM on April 26, 2015

Are you married to someone Ask MetaFilter told you to dump?

Not precisely, but I asked a fairly rambling anon question way back in college about whether it was a bad sign that the idea of marrying my boyfriend was terrifying, even though I loved him. A lot of people told me in so many words, not to dump him, but to chill the fuck out and just enjoy myself because odds are I was NOT going to marry him, because lol young college love. And they were right!
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 8:00 PM on April 15, 2015

Let's put it this way: Barring a goddamn miracle, if you married someone MeFi told you to dump, you won't be married long.

I mean, let's be fair - it's possible that someone could just be REALLY bad at expressing themselves through writing, and accidentally portray a basically fine situation like a catastrophe.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 11:23 PM on April 15, 2015

Well now I'm just trying to figure out what The Thing actually was! Leaving the front door unlocked when you go out? Cooking while drinking? Picking fights on the subway?
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 1:52 PM on April 16, 2015

You know... I've been on this site for almost ten years, including my entire adult life, and I don't think it's a coincidence that people say I give good relationship advice.

I think the advice here often comes off as strident in a vacuum, but you have to realize what it's reacting to - an entire culture that stresses acting out regressive gender roles, ignoring your own feelings, and staying with your partner no matter what, because breakups = failure and singlehood = pathetic.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 12:45 PM on April 21, 2015

How do *you* pronounce 'MeFi'?

MEFFY FOREVER
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 12:12 PM on April 3, 2015

Also gif as in giraffe
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 12:12 PM on April 3, 2015

(Me Fye and Hard G for life.)

Yeah I love MeataFylter
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 12:30 PM on April 3, 2015

Who are the answeringest mefites?

But still. Coast Guard, you dumbass, over-educated, hipster layabouts. Coast. Guard.

They don't want people who take antidepressants, sadly, and yes, I checked because of you
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 1:21 PM on March 29, 2015

Keeping Offsite Offsite

I bet no one gossips off-site about ME :(
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 5:29 PM on March 12, 2015

What are some Spotify Playlists made by Mefis?

I did one of these in 2012 for a thread on The People's Song Book. "These hard-hitting, hard-times songs are participation songs, mass-singing and mass-action songs, unity songs, marching songs, fighting songs. Singing them, each of us feels that he is not alone but that the many are singing and marching and fighting beside him."
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 3:36 PM on December 12, 2014

Rules for new accounts for existing users?

Oh, Bongzilla. Will you ever come to a meetup so I can experience your zen in person?
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 9:05 AM on December 5, 2014

MetaTalk Love-In No.2

Ha, in the last thread I posted about a new job I'd gotten. I've been pulling 10-12 hour days for the last little bit in order to finish a project that with good planning on my part would have been done by now, BUT I have also managed to take on a lot more responsibility here and I think I'm basically doing ok.

I have a review in three weeks. Hopefully this godforsaken project will be done and I can point to it and say "hey look, I rallied!"
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 11:45 AM on October 29, 2014

Oh I forgot: I made a pretty sweet jack-o-lantern.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 1:44 PM on October 29, 2014

I may be later than I'd planned, and it may be 4:22 in the morning, and I may have been at work since 10am... but, damn it, I sent the draft of that 60 page conference report to my boss today. I shudder to estimate how many hours of work it represents, but given the number of individual speeches I had to listen to, take notes on, and summarize, I am guessing it is upwards of 200. So far.

Later on I will also have to lay out the entire document in InDesign, because lol… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 1:25 AM on November 7, 2014

It's my birthday. I'm 27. I'm only freaking out a little.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 6:16 AM on November 25, 2014

(That's a lie, oh god where did my childhood go and why am I so very single)
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 6:20 AM on November 25, 2014

MeCos: The 2014 MetaFilter Halloween Costume Parade

Vampire bat, inhuman beast, etc
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 4:59 PM on October 31, 2014

NaNoWriMo 2014 - We're Storming the Bastille - Are You Ready?

I continue to feel that November is a terrible month for NaNo. It's got Thanksgiving, pre-Xmas stuff, EXAMS if you're a student, and sometimes it has ok weather. I wish this were in February. February has nothing whatsoever to recommend it.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 11:21 AM on October 24, 2014

What do you feel uncomfortable about saying here?

people tend to take a very hard line with things like "debt is wrong!" and "break up with him now!"

A few years ago this woman posted "my fiancee, who has up till this point been nothing but wonderful and who was recently put on mood-altering medication, kicked our dog." Almost everyone told her to just dump him immediately without even looking into the whole "mood-altering medication with a known side effect of uncharacteristic angry outbursts" thing.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 7:55 AM on October 20, 2014

I challenge you to take me on - on the STREET - with your Poo Jitsu and we'll see what the true martial art is.

I have a gun that shoots claws removed from cats instead of bullets and runs on powdered foreskins instead of gunpowder. Check and mate.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 8:07 AM on October 20, 2014

I'm pretty uncomfortable talking about kids/parenthood - it either seems like you're in the parenthood club or you're a childless kid-hater who will never have kids.

The way people without kids seem to always materialize in threads about kids to talk about how much more disposable income they have kind of creeps me out. The fact that having kids can actually make you poor is a terrible societal problem, not an opportunity for bragging about the… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 8:12 AM on October 20, 2014

Not many people back then getting into a lather about hearing the Rolling Stones played while they shopped for groceries.

What on earth does this have to do with leftism?
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 10:30 AM on October 22, 2014

Do we need to dig into the history of the subject of posts?

someone can make a post on the blue about HIV + cofactors research / theories.

I wish someone would, because I've honestly never even heard of this before. I knew AIDS denialism was a thing but I had no idea that there was still any debate about the specific HIV-to-AIDS mechanism among scientists.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 6:21 AM on October 21, 2014

Usernames which match expertise

I would just like to state for the record that I don't work in showbusiness, I don't know anything about showbusiness, I just liked the fact that showbiz rhymed with Liz. Sorry for being misleading.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 11:31 AM on October 19, 2014

Tired of arbitrary favorites. A call for orthodoxy.

-50 points if your joke limerick or sonnet doesn't follow the correct meter. YOU PEOPLE KNOW WHO YOU ARE GOD DAMN IT
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 8:13 AM on October 10, 2014

secret quonsar: planning time!

Ooo I haven't done this. Are there dollar limit rules?
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 8:10 AM on October 10, 2014