Shall we put a mint on your pillow too? April 4, 2007 8:42 PM   Subscribe

God knows usually I'm ALL over the travel posts. (Love 'em!) But I'm sorry... are we really supposed to be someone's pro bono travel agent?
posted by miss lynnster to Etiquette/Policy at 8:42 PM (109 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite

I also didn't think he needed to announce that he's an undergrad at Harvard. Did he?
posted by miss lynnster at 8:46 PM on April 4, 2007


[commence town vs. gown showdown]
posted by phaedon at 8:48 PM on April 4, 2007


[... downtown.]
posted by phaedon at 8:48 PM on April 4, 2007


Annnnnnoying. One has to wonder whether this user asked MeFi to write his application to Harvard, too.
posted by cior at 8:50 PM on April 4, 2007


Or maybe he just want us to write a Wikipedia engry about it?
posted by miss lynnster at 8:52 PM on April 4, 2007


lazy bugger.
posted by puke & cry at 8:52 PM on April 4, 2007


Yeah, I was about to post this here. I was also gonna write a snotty comment about how I hope he was planning on citing ask.metafilter for his grant application because plagerism is bad in any context. Then I decided I just wanted to watch.

Regardless, flagged.
posted by piratebowling at 8:52 PM on April 4, 2007


want=wants / engry=entry

DURRRR.

posted by miss lynnster at 8:53 PM on April 4, 2007


piratebowling, I already wrote one about Harvard students having to do their own research but it got deleted. It's obviously better to discuss it here.
posted by miss lynnster at 8:55 PM on April 4, 2007


agreed, it's a lame post and likely to attract more snarks than answers. I removed it.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:01 PM on April 4, 2007


I really had to restrain myself from snarking in that thread. I mean, my fingers were hovering over the keyboard shaking. To assume that people would just drop everything and write a grant application for him - unbelievable.
posted by PercussivePaul at 9:01 PM on April 4, 2007


I feel you, PercussivePaul. Thankfully, I took out the trash and came back to see the thread deleted. What a pompous ass.
posted by puke & cry at 9:04 PM on April 4, 2007


Engry: how you feel when you start to lose your patience with pervasive Engrish. Commonly felt by expats living in Asia.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:05 PM on April 4, 2007 [5 favorites]


it comes with the territory. unfortunately, this isn't the first "i went to harvard" defensive mechanism i've seen, and it won't be the last. when i was there, i heard a rumor about an assistant dean who raped little boys and then granted them admission to the school. thats the purgatory id like to place people like matkline in.
posted by phaedon at 9:06 PM on April 4, 2007


The really weird thing is that he's been here for a while and could have gotten around the "do my homework" vibe really easily.

"Hey, I'm thinking about taking a trip to a Europe for 3-4 weeks, with a budget of $3000-$4000. Any suggestions for a country/region that would be interesting and do-able within that budget?"
posted by piratebowling at 9:06 PM on April 4, 2007


Should have done a orbitz search charged the fella $150 for services rendered and forward the results.

You'd think with all they pay at Haaavard they'd be able to afford modern conveniences like computers and the Internet.
posted by edgeways at 9:09 PM on April 4, 2007


EXACTLY. Was it important for us to be informed that he is happy with his paper, that he's applying for a fancy grant, that he goes to Hahvuhd, etc.? Seems to me that's all superfluous information. Just "I want to travel & I'm a writer so I'm interested in that kinda stuff. Recommendations?" would've been sooo much more inviting & less patronizing.
posted by miss lynnster at 9:12 PM on April 4, 2007


What a jackass.
posted by jayder at 9:31 PM on April 4, 2007


I don't get why writing a story causes with someone to give you $3-4 grand to travel around Europe. Not being snarky, I honestly don't understand the process or logic.
posted by drjimmy11 at 9:32 PM on April 4, 2007


'causes with someone"

What an embarrassing error for someone like me who went to Oxford and the Sorbonne. (Harvard was my safety school)
posted by drjimmy11 at 9:33 PM on April 4, 2007 [4 favorites]


Y'know if you look at his past questions on AskMe, stuff doesn't really add up.

Dear AskMetafilter: should I feel really bad about pointing this out?
posted by dilettante at 9:42 PM on April 4, 2007


Y'know if you look at his past questions on AskMe, stuff doesn't really add up.

Ooh, that has alchemically transformed the thread from mere comedy bronze into certified 24 carat comedy gold, by gum!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:49 PM on April 4, 2007


The next time someone comes up to me bragging about Harvard, I'll point them to that thread.
posted by divabat at 9:52 PM on April 4, 2007


oh wait, just saw dilettante's post. Is Harvard a state school? I didn't think so...
posted by divabat at 9:53 PM on April 4, 2007


Ooof. dilettante, you have a good point.

And now that you jumped into that pool, I agree that there's some stuff that doesn't add up. (Raliegh, NC is like 850 miles from Harvard isn't it?) He's obviously trying to find his path. (Maybe his story used to be a script?) And there's a precedent for him asking people to plan vacations, it's just he didn't come across as snotty last time. So honestly I just don't get it.

And have already analyzed it more than I actually care...
posted by miss lynnster at 10:00 PM on April 4, 2007


I've never seen people freak out so bad over an H-bomb. There's some serious insecurity here.
posted by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America at 10:10 PM on April 4, 2007


Actually, that's not what this is about at all, MPDSEA. Look at the first comment. The post bothered people from the start. The Harvard aside in the second comment was just kind of bizarre... especially in light of dilettante's comment.
posted by miss lynnster at 10:19 PM on April 4, 2007


You guys are all assuming he meant the prestigious Harvard University. There's a good chance he's a sophomore at Harvard C. Lyman's Correctional School and Halfway House for Wayward Youth, which the locals, quite naturally, refer to simply as Harvard. These kinds of mistakes happen all the time.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 11:03 PM on April 4, 2007 [1 favorite]


drjimmy11 has it. This is so Rushmore. I bet Pops is a neurosurgeon, to boot!
posted by cior at 11:10 PM on April 4, 2007


"These are OR scrubs." "Oh Arrr they?"
posted by scody at 11:15 PM on April 4, 2007


A Yale man wouldn't ask such a question.
posted by Falconetti at 11:55 PM on April 4, 2007 [2 favorites]


Someone should found an internet diploma mill called "Harverd," reminiscent of those knock-off appliance names like "Zineth" or "Kodac."
posted by Falconetti at 11:59 PM on April 4, 2007


AskMeFi says no.

*cough*
posted by gomichild at 12:01 AM on April 5, 2007 [2 favorites]


scody, I never got all of that joke until I saw your rendition in print. I thought the line reading was funny, but never heard the pun.
posted by cgc373 at 12:12 AM on April 5, 2007


I bet I'm not the only Sorbonnard here. Représentons!
posted by Wolof at 12:53 AM on April 5, 2007


Why, O why is it so hard to resist making an "insensitive clod" comment in reply to you, Wolof? I tried for minutes to resist, minutes piling upon minutes, but in the end, I settled for meta-insensitivity, thus.
posted by cgc373 at 1:40 AM on April 5, 2007


What I am saying is that I think it's a little less exotic than some might suppose. Big jokey-joke common man stuff to the contrary.
posted by Wolof at 2:25 AM on April 5, 2007


it's a lame post and likely to attract more snarks than answers.

Harvard sucks.

And matkline's account is being used by more than one person.
posted by oaf at 2:54 AM on April 5, 2007


I'm only poking fun, Wolof. No attack intended on any institution of higher learning, en français or otherwise. (I looked up en français on Google to get it right. My French, she don't, ain't, and won't.)
posted by cgc373 at 3:05 AM on April 5, 2007


(Those apostrophes look weird all collected like that.)

And oaf, how do you know about whoever uses the matkline account, if you don't mind saying?

posted by cgc373 at 3:07 AM on April 5, 2007


cgc373: He claims to be a Harvard undergraduate now, yet claimed in November to have been almost failing a class at a state university. Harvard's acceptance rate for transfer applicants was 7.5% this year.

At the very least, he's letting a friend use his account.
posted by oaf at 3:23 AM on April 5, 2007


No, at the very least, he's lying about going to Harvard. On the scale of Metatrangressions, loaning out your account is worse than lying.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:41 AM on April 5, 2007


He's asked several questions lately involving his educational institution dropping several thousand dollars on trips to various far-flung places. Not too many schools can do that without blinking.
posted by oaf at 4:13 AM on April 5, 2007


when you boil it down, the poster was asking for travel information. and it's a testament to our zany moderators unfathomable standards that they happily leave up posts such as "my girlfriend asked me to shit on her but i think it's icky", and delete a post about a travel itinerary. but then, the MetaFilter Gods' mysterious, sibylline ways are a constant source of entertainment.

memo to future posters: do not mention EVER that your question is actually homework, and it'll happily stay up. better yet, lose the homework and just make up some shit about seeing your neighbor suck his Rottweiler's cock, and should you report him or not since the dog seemed to be having a good time and it may not be technical mistreatment: then everybody will be happy, and your post will stay, ahem, up.

best of the web, etc.

and, on a sidenote, it's endearing to see someone who basically posted her diary/resume to askmefi, and also posted her audition mp3s actually scold others for allegedly misusing AskMefi -- this is MetaTalk slapstick at its best.
posted by matteo at 4:29 AM on April 5, 2007 [2 favorites]


Someone should found an internet diploma mill called "Harverd," reminiscent of those knock-off appliance names like "Zineth" or "Kodac."

AskMe, help me choose between a Sorny or a Magnetbox! [more inside]
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:09 AM on April 5, 2007


"Please, hispanophones, help me with my pronunciation of the lyrics of Besame Mucho" is, in my view, an entirely legitimate question for AskMe. The supplied mp3s are an excellent illustration of what needs or does not need to be solved; would a phonetic transcription of Ms L's version — maybe she could hire a pro to do it? — be more succinct or useful?

Shorter — lay off.
posted by Wolof at 5:13 AM on April 5, 2007


Dear Metafilter, Can you suggest an itemized itinerary and budget for a three to four week summer trip to a country in Europe on a three to four thousand dollar budget?

you can go to hell for nothing

It must be tailored to the aspiring writer.

hitler was a writer ... you can talk to him while you're down there

I am applying for a grant that asks for this information along with a short story which I've already created and have confidence in.

did you write it in blood on a crossroads at midnight? ... that's the generally approved way of getting your message across to the proprietor

Please include transportation (east coast airfare) and accommodations.

just find a high place and start flying until you stop ... your accomodations will be ready for you

Thank you kindly.

you're perfectly welcome
posted by pyramid termite at 5:51 AM on April 5, 2007


UPenn students never cite their school in answers on Ask Metafilter.

because inevitably people ask, "You mean Penn State?"
posted by nursegracer at 6:21 AM on April 5, 2007 [1 favorite]


I'm slightly disappointed that that thread didn't result in a beautiful, fully-written grant application that put cities in the wrong countries (maybe some that didn't exist anymore), and otherwise rang the ghostwriter alarm in every paragraph for the grant committee but not for the asker.
posted by mendel at 6:26 AM on April 5, 2007


Another one to defend miss lynnster here. Her question about the pronunciation fits perfectly within the standards and you'd have to chop hundreds of other personal life questions before chopping her other question.

I don't think you have to go after her to say you didn't like this post.
posted by micayetoca at 6:30 AM on April 5, 2007


Okay, oaf; you're speculating like the rest of us. From what you said, I'd thought maybe you knew matkline's supposed operators.
posted by cgc373 at 6:57 AM on April 5, 2007


Mmm, "Itemized itinerary and budget." I think that's really what causes the cringe-worthy-ness. It's not "Hey, suggestions?" or "What's awesomesauce in Europe?" It really is "be my travel agent."
posted by that girl at 7:00 AM on April 5, 2007


Acceptable version of this question?

I need to make a travel plan including costs, but don't know how to start. Any suggestions for helping a Noob out?

Not acceptable...

Could you do this travel work for my grant, because I'm too busy sipping tea with the other Harvard students?
posted by drezdn at 7:07 AM on April 5, 2007


Well it's all over now. This would have been a great chance for someone to send him to the hostel from Hostel, or that evil dentist from Marathon Man, or that creepy molesty funhouse from Amelie. Way to ruin it, ruiners!
posted by Mister_A at 7:12 AM on April 5, 2007


MetaTalk: that creepy molesty funhouse
posted by cgc373 at 7:17 AM on April 5, 2007 [1 favorite]


Could the mods PLEASE not be so quick to close these potentially lucrative educational travel threads? Back off the button, guys!

1: Find out home address of prospective vacationer.
2: Discern whether or not prospective vacationer's domicile will be uninhabited during their anticpated extended stay in foreign lands. If yes, go to #3.
3: Gather a collection of burlap bags, flashlight, screwdriver, and fetching female version of John Robie cat burglar outfit consisting of black turtleneck, black slacks, black shoes.
4: ????
4: PROFIT!!!

posted by iconomy at 7:38 AM on April 5, 2007


Harvard sucks.

Yes, but I like their beets.
posted by SteveInMaine at 7:52 AM on April 5, 2007


it's a testament to our zany moderators unfathomable standards that they happily leave up posts such as "my girlfriend asked me to shit on her but i think it's icky", and delete a post about a travel itinerary. but then, the MetaFilter Gods' mysterious, sibylline ways are a constant source of entertainment.

As opposed to your timeworn Grouchy McGrouchster routine, which is not.

Sorry iconomy, I'll forward you the vacationer's home addy and paypal next time.

*knocks head* What was I thinking?

For what it's worth, I think all the "blah blah harvard" stuff is a little ridiculous. It doesn't matter where the guy does or does not go to school. There are as many dorks and spazzes in the ivy leagues as anyplace else.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:58 AM on April 5, 2007


No, matteo's right, jess. I've gone ahead and contacted the folks over at Slashdot; Taco and Zonk are going to take over moderation duties for us for the foreseeable future (and Drew Curtis is going to work out an Image Management plan, to help curtail the sophomoric reputation we've built up). In the mean time, we'll be hammering out a 20-page constitution stating in fine and inflexible detail exactly what can and cannot stand on the site, along with a schedule of minimum enforceable fees and timeout penalties for transgressions.

Which should finally make AskMe a popular and useful resource, instead of the festering pit of inconsistent hobgoblinery it's been lo these many years.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:20 AM on April 5, 2007 [1 favorite]


Don't forget the SEO, cortex. I know a guy what could help out there.
posted by Mister_A at 8:31 AM on April 5, 2007


Cortex, could you also make the background of everything white, it's more professional after all.
posted by drezdn at 8:33 AM on April 5, 2007


It doesn't matter where the guy does or does not go to school. There are as many dorks and spazzes in the ivy leagues as anyplace else.

Yeah, everybody knows that the innate moral and intellectual superiority of Harvard only attaches to people who work there.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 8:34 AM on April 5, 2007


DEER AX ME im luking for trenn TIKET an HOTTLE ina plce to stey over sos Icant wait on lin to by form tarvell AGE END how doo i fine a bets plase ima famess RITERpless tell me howi do this ps i was sposet go two HOVERD but they put me int RIKERS in sted how do make i get anser plus i got a FIFTY or SIGARETS if you got thee bess way THANK you aslo can youmake a fake PISSTEL don't tell anny bodie ok
posted by breezeway at 8:38 AM on April 5, 2007


Listen, but I was going through a serious identity crisis last year because I left the place I'd lived for 38 years. I was seriously lost. So yeah okay so I chose not to use this site to ask questions about memory cards & American Express not cooperating with porn sites. But rather I decided to actually slice myself open and ask strangers for their thoughts because I seriously needed help. And frankly, the people on Mefi GAVE it to me. They HELPED A LOT. I quit my job afterwards, I returned to singing, I got a lot of insights that, somehow coming from a stranger, really kicked in more than I'd expected. And I'm thankful for the kick in the ass that AskMe gave me.

That's what AskMe is for. That's the beauty of it.

Oh, and I am a professional singer who loves loves loves singing and had mp3s sitting around that were private rehearsal tapes. I wasn't AUDITIONING for you anymore than anyone else on MefiMusic is, you jerk. I was sharing what I do & people said they liked it so I posted a few more.

That's what MefiMusic IS FOR. That's the beauty of it.

In your mind, these appear to be things you think I should be criticized for? And that now I'm not allowed to notice when someone else is doing something I think isn't cool? Perhaps I should hang my head in shame? Bite me, matteo.

Oh, and you should go ahead dye your graying head. It'll look TOTALLY natural I'm sure.

posted by miss lynnster at 8:46 AM on April 5, 2007 [2 favorites]


Oh, and I didn't see the link. You were upset that I asked about SPANISH PRONUNCIATION????? I wasn't auditioning for YOU. I was trying to not screw up a language. And that post helped me to really do that.
posted by miss lynnster at 8:49 AM on April 5, 2007


What's this got to do with Bono?
posted by Mister_A at 8:58 AM on April 5, 2007


Bonobo? He's taking a well-deserved time out in a small enclosure in the back of the primate wing after assaulting his keeper last Wednesday.
posted by breezeway at 9:08 AM on April 5, 2007


Bonobos don't ASSAULT. They just make sweet, sweet monkey love.
posted by miss lynnster at 9:13 AM on April 5, 2007 [2 favorites]


Seconded on those Bonobos. To see a coffee-table book about them, you'd think Larry Flynt was the director at Yerkes.
posted by trondant at 9:31 AM on April 5, 2007


well, now that that's taken care of, let's start a singalong. suggestions for songs?
posted by shmegegge at 9:42 AM on April 5, 2007


Try telling Bonobo's keeper it was all in the name of love. It took three security guards to get him off her, and there was nothing mysterious about the way he was moving.
posted by breezeway at 9:44 AM on April 5, 2007


Who is the him and who is the her? I am reading this as guy zookeeper jumps 'n' humps girl Bonobo. Is that legitimish?
posted by Mister_A at 9:59 AM on April 5, 2007


I fully agree with this callout. This wasn't "Hey, Europe is cool, what should I do there? Oh, I'm a write so specific suggestion in that direction appreciated," it was "Itemized itinerary catered to a writer, please, oh and the grant app is due later today, so please proofread it before you post."

But really I'm just posting because I love how ugly this just got.
posted by !Jim at 10:12 AM on April 5, 2007


!Jim I make a !kung click when I read your name, and I don't care what anybody says about it.
posted by Mister_A at 10:16 AM on April 5, 2007


Bonobo fucked an ass yesterday,
It brayed and tried to get away.
The keepers think he'd like to play
With an ass again today.
posted by breezeway at 10:20 AM on April 5, 2007


Hey, not trying to be ugly. I just hadn't had coffee yet & that little slap was the first thing I saw when I woke up. I was like, wtf am I supposed to feel bad for? So yeah, I took the bait. I'm stupid on here that way sometimes.

I've had coffee now. The air is fresher. The sky is brighter. I'm back to being zen.
posted by miss lynnster at 10:20 AM on April 5, 2007


Oh my god. matteo, I'm so sorry, I had no idea. I can only imagine how hard it is for you - actually, I can't imagine it, because I have a full head of hair that some have said reminds them of a field of golden wheat softly swaying in a warm west wind.

Sometimes I shave it all off, just because I can.

Clearly, finding a way to regain some shadow of one's former vibrancy while that damn clock is ticking and other men get younger every day is indeed a vain and insecure man's tragic problem, one that society should care much more about, with grants for research and support groups and more media awareness. Isn't it horrible how our capitalist society places such a premium on the perception of youth and vitality?

If it's any consolation, you come across as being much younger on the internet; I had you pegged as being an incredibly smart college sophomore, myself.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:21 AM on April 5, 2007 [1 favorite]


Bonobos don't ASSAULT. They just make sweet, sweet monkey love.
posted by miss lynnster at 12:13 PM on April 5 [+]
[!]


did anyone else notice how closely this resembles an amzing sketch from The State? I heart miss lynnster.
posted by shmegegge at 10:43 AM on April 5, 2007


"I heart miss lynnster."

I totally hearted miss lynnster too until she chirped "I'm back to being zen".

Zen is how you respond when you are stung - not afterwards!

(Because I'm no good at zen myself, I've rather enjoyed this thread! But I resolve never to post - at least never again - anything ripely personal on AskMeFi!)
posted by Jody Tresidder at 11:15 AM on April 5, 2007


I'm trying to make some kind of monkey lawyer joke here, pro-bonobo clearly, but how? And to what end?
posted by Divine_Wino at 11:30 AM on April 5, 2007


Thing is, I cannot be zen without my caffeine. Sorry.
posted by miss lynnster at 11:37 AM on April 5, 2007


D_W, pro-bonobo is the term used when a lawyer goes totally apeshit and fucks someone over for free.
posted by cog_nate at 11:42 AM on April 5, 2007 [3 favorites]


Perfect.
posted by Divine_Wino at 11:50 AM on April 5, 2007


when you boil it down, the poster was asking for travel information. and it's a testament to our zany moderators unfathomable standards that they happily leave up posts such as "my girlfriend asked me to shit on her but i think it's icky", and delete a post about a travel itinerary. but then, the MetaFilter Gods' mysterious, sibylline ways are a constant source of entertainment.

It'd be really easy to figure out a trip to Europe. If this question were rewritten to omit the grant info, it would basically amount to, "Hi. I want to visit a region of several dozen languages and a few hundred million people. I will give you no clue as to what I actually want -- I won't even tell you , I will only tell you that I am a writer." That's not a question you should post to mefi. People who post questions like that to thorntree -- which is a forum DEVOTED to travel -- are instantly flamed.

The shit question, on the other hand, was very, very--uh--information rich, and definitely provided ample material for discussion and answers. It's exactly what askmefi is there for.
posted by Deathalicious at 11:50 AM on April 5, 2007


Given the past questions (thanks dilettante!) I predict the next one will be something like "A bunch of internet meanines are making fun of me for being a legacy admission, how should I respond? Please make the responses funny AND biting so I can use them w/o revision."
posted by phearlez at 12:02 PM on April 5, 2007


<beating the dead horse>
Oh, and matteo: you're one to talk about bad posts, Mr. chatfilter
posted by Deathalicious at 12:03 PM on April 5, 2007


What Bonobo misses the most in captivity is the Insider, with its outer crust all full of cheese. He used to turn it around and bite it from the back like in the commercials, and the jingle would establish up and under for "Where'd the cheese go?" And Bonobo would nod his head as they whispered, "Inside, inside."
posted by breezeway at 12:14 PM on April 5, 2007


*dials m for monkey*
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:20 PM on April 5, 2007


Wow, deathalicious, that was an interesting link. Thanks. Would that all chatfilter was so informative and topical. If that was a bad post, I say, bring on the bad!
posted by breezeway at 12:20 PM on April 5, 2007


Wow.

The question was (gasp!) posted for a friend. I'm not entirely sure how it was so heinous that it required a MeTalk thread which is now bordering on 90 posts.

I'll grant that I should have looked at the content of his question a little more closely before posting the question - it does come off as vague, chatfiltery, and perhaps a bit condescending.

BUT - it's already been deleted for over 12 hours people. Get over it.

Now - here's a picture of a giant rabbit.
posted by matkline at 12:48 PM on April 5, 2007


and by posts I meant comments
posted by matkline at 12:50 PM on April 5, 2007


Shhh! That's him! ^^ He's the bonobo guy who started the whole shit-flinging fuckfest!
posted by Mister_A at 12:56 PM on April 5, 2007


Didn't Clarence Darrow work pro-bonobo for the Scopes trial?

*Doges banana peels*
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 12:57 PM on April 5, 2007 [1 favorite]


Jesus, this thread has really devolved.
posted by cog_nate at 1:02 PM on April 5, 2007


PS matkline thanks for having a sense of humor about things.
posted by Mister_A at 1:09 PM on April 5, 2007


*Doges banana peels*

*capulets frenziedly*
posted by Kirth Gerson at 1:27 PM on April 5, 2007 [1 favorite]


perhaps a bit condescending

There are three extra words in that phrase, and they don't include the longest one. But kudos for the giant bunny, where's the pancake?
posted by maxwelton at 1:32 PM on April 5, 2007


"The question was (gasp!) posted for a friend. I'm not entirely sure how it was so heinous that it required a MeTalk thread which is now bordering on 90 posts. "

oof! That explanation reads a wee bit disingenuously, matkline.

You were (gasp!) posting as yourself after all and not, one assumes, blindly touchtyping your friend's question - since you very swiftly followed it up with the Harvard info.

The discussion fascinated me because it touched on tons of deeply submerged - yet sometimes shared - notions about etiquette and tone.

And I always love how the Harvard bomb works out - maybe because I'm an alien resident in the US.

I can also never quite figure out how it differs from the Oxbridge bomb being thrown into a conversation in the UK.

There does seem to be a subtle difference. But perhaps it's not worth the analysis.
posted by Jody Tresidder at 1:56 PM on April 5, 2007


where's the pancake?
The giant bunny ate it, of course.
posted by matkline at 1:57 PM on April 5, 2007


Damned bunnies. Anya was right. You can't trust 'em.
posted by cgc373 at 2:09 PM on April 5, 2007


ohhhm.
posted by miss lynnster at 2:27 PM on April 5, 2007


ditto here, miss lynnster:)
posted by Jody Tresidder at 2:58 PM on April 5, 2007


Goddamnit, I even slept on this thread and there's still no flameout? You kids are worthless.
posted by Brittanie at 3:25 PM on April 5, 2007


I can barely remember when I first started using the internet. I was probably around 6 years old, that's about when I got my own computer. I definitely remember using America Online, though. AOL was the bomb back then.

I! ERK! Ah! Fuck!? What!?! YOU!! The!? BUH! SHITCOCK!@!

*head vanishes in an explosion and miniature mushroom cloud*

Forget Harvard. That's the least of our worries. Oh, I already have the rope. I always have this rope right here in my pocket. It's my AOL rope.

Normally I'd be using it to hang myself if I ended up so far up some culutural backwater's backside that I found myself walking towards the nearest Walmart to go pick up a "free AOL installation CD" in an attempt to "get online".

Since AOL really isn't ever "online", never has been, and because it sucks so incredibly bad and since I can never forget the terror of 1995 and 1996 when those gateways to the gaping maw of Hell itself opened up and released it's foul spawn and spoor on the networks- and because if that day ever comes and I can't find a library, a coffee shop or an unsecured wifi node within a 150 mile walking radius, well, the game is finally over.

No continues. No insert coin. No bonus round. It's over. Do not dial out. Do not collect 700 free hours.

But today? Today this rope is going to save someone else.
posted by loquacious at 4:20 PM on April 5, 2007


Since AOL really isn't ever "online", never has been, and because it sucks so incredibly bad and since I can never forget the terror of 1995 and 1996 when those gateways to the gaping maw of Hell itself opened up and released it's foul spawn and spoor on the networks

As someone who used AOL back when they charged by the minute, I too have very little love for it, but in its defence in the early 90s back when HyperCard was the bomb, AOL had the best resources--an excellent forum and downloads center. Anyone who was anyone in the HyperCard world was on AOL. There are probably still some HyperCard stacks out there that I made, floating in AOL's file libraries...
posted by Deathalicious at 3:34 AM on April 6, 2007


If I had $5 US, I would make a sockpuppet called Sonny Bonobo.

If I had $5 Canadian, I would buy a pack of gum or something. LOLCANADIANZ!
posted by Mister_A at 7:07 AM on April 6, 2007


As someone who used AOL back when they charged by the minute

Stop, you're making me all sentimental!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:12 AM on April 6, 2007 [1 favorite]


Wow, just checked out the original AskMe post. While the tone of it is indeed pompous, it is incredibly poorly written and clumsily constructed. It seems at Harvard, one doesn't necessarily have to be even a competent writer to consider one's self an "aspiring" writer.

As a former Rhodes Scholar and Nobel Laureate, sure you must agree with me.
posted by psmealey at 7:29 AM on April 6, 2007


Stanford is better than Harvard anyway at football
posted by Mister_A at 8:25 AM on April 6, 2007


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