Comments on: This is not what AskMe is for.

This is not what AskMe is for.

lonefrontranger — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:26:31 -0800

Can we simply answer the question, rather than snarking or preaching? Thanks!

By: xmutex

xmutex — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:34:59 -0800

In fairness, it's an incredibly stupid question. To the point of farce.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:35:42 -0800

Can we simply answer the question, rather than snarking or preaching?

Honest answer? No, probably not. A community is merely a collection of humans, and humans cannot escape or transcend their faults. Expecting them to is recipe for disappointment.

By: lonefrontranger

lonefrontranger — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:36:40 -0800

that's fine xmutex and honestly, I don't disagree, however ridiculing the OP is also not what AskMe is for. Even stupid questions deserve answers.

By: cortex

cortex — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:41:00 -0800

Nuked both of those comments; for those joining late, the first one was a snarky one-liner, and the second one was dittoing the first one and throwing in some posting-history speculation to boot.

There are civil, good ways to point out that the premise of a question seems flawed or not really self-aware; several folks in that thread have made an effort to explain their perception of the situation without being snarky. That's the way to do it.

By: lonefrontranger

lonefrontranger — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:41:03 -0800

It was a rhetorical question jonmc, and you're smart enough to get that, I'm sure of it. WGPs snark definitely broke the guidelines (and, in review, I see has been deleted)

I know you enjoy being willfully obtuse, but come off it.

By: dancinglamb

dancinglamb — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:42:15 -0800

Lonefrontranger - have you looked that OP's other posts? They're all, well, pretty much in the same vein. I thought long and hard about how I was going to answer before I did. I could've given him the same schpiel about the dehydration, the REM sleep, etc. But honestly, that sort of answer isn't going to get through to him. I gave him a bonehead answer to his bonehead question. Period.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:43:09 -0800

It was a rhetorical question jonmc, and you're smart enough to get that, I'm sure of it.

Yeah, but my answer wasn't.

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:44:08 -0800

Smart?

By: mediareport

mediareport — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:46:53 -0800

I gave him a bonehead answer to his bonehead question. Period.

You forgot the part where your bonehead answer was deleted.

Now: Period.

By: cortex

cortex — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:47:04 -0800

I gave him a bonehead answer to his bonehead question. Period.

In the future, please respond to boneheaded questions by flagging and moving on.

By: lonefrontranger

lonefrontranger — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:48:59 -0800

Honestly, I enjoy snark as much as the next person, and have myself had silly one-liners deleted from Ask. That's not the point here.

The value in AskMe does not lie in being morally superior or selfrighteous. Dancinglamb, at the risk of being an asshole, what on earth gives you the right to judge the OP, whether by his prior post history or quality of the question or whatever moral/intellectual yardstick you feel is proper?

Anyway that's enough, it's too nice outside to start a nerdwar. I'm going riding.

By: a young man in spats

a young man in spats — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:53:38 -0800

dancinglamb: where are you seeing this in the OP's AskMe history? What's this 'same vein'? Come on, spell it out for us.

By: wafaa

wafaa — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:12:44 -0800

I know you enjoy being willfully obtuse, but come off it.

Damn, why don't you just call jonmc a big poo-poo head and show us how you really are? Also...

Anyway that's enough, it's too nice outside to start a nerdwar. I'm going riding.

Passive-agressive "I got the last word in" crap. Because I like jonmc.

By: burnmp3s

burnmp3s — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:12:58 -0800

In the dawn there is a man progressing over the plain by means of holes which he is making in the ground. He uses an implement with two handles and he chucks it into the hole and he enkindles the stone in the hole with his steel hole by hole striking the fire out of the rock which God has put there. On the plain behind him are the wanderers in search of bones and those who do not search and they move haltingly in the light like mechanisms whose movements are monitored with escapement and pallet so that they appear restrained by a prudence or reflectiveness which has no inner reality and they cross in their progress one by one that track of holes that runs to the rim of the visible ground and which seems less the pursuit of some continuance than the verification of a principle, a validation of a sequence and causality as if each round and perfect hole owed its existence to the one before it there on that prairie upon which are the bones and the gatherers of bones and those who do not gather. He strikes fire in the hole and draws out his steel. Then they all flag and move on.

By: cgc373

cgc373 — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:17:47 -0800

McCarthy has some kinda comma beef, don't he?

By: wafaa

wafaa — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:18:27 -0800

You must be a scholar of Faulkner to spin a sentence that long. WHAT?

By: yonation

yonation — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:19:48 -0800

Metafilter: Why does it disrupt my sleep?

By: exlotuseater

exlotuseater — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:28:52 -0800

THE THOUGHT OF WHAT AMERICA WOULD BE LIKE
IF THE CLASSICS HAD A WIDE CIRCULATION
TROUBLES MY SLEEP,
THE THOUGHT OF WHAT AMERICA,
THE THOUGHT OF WHAT AMERICA,THE THOUGHT OF WHAT AMERICA WOULD BE LIKE
IF THE CLASSICS HAD A WIDE CIRCULATION
TROUBLES MY SLEEP.

"Cantico del Sole" Ezra Pound

ALSO COCAINE. CAN ANYONE HELP? THE COCAINE, IT TROUBLES MY SLEEP.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:32:15 -0800

MetaFilter: Haven't you asked this before?

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:33:39 -0800

comma beef,

that's steak cut with those big curved blades, right?

wafaa, me and lfr go way back and we like eachother and, to be honest, I don't need defenders. Me and her just differ is all, what she considers being willfully obtuse, I consider to be pointing out the 800-pound gorilla in the room, but never the twain shall meet.

THE THOUGHT OF WHAT AMERICA WOULD BE LIKE
IF THE CLASSICS HAD A WIDE CIRCULATION

It'd be like a country full of that annoying guy in high school english class who nobody liked.

By: cgc373

cgc373 — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:35:29 -0800

Fuck. I hope that guy wasn't me.

(It probably wasn't. I didn't spend a whole lotta time in English class.)

By: wafaa

wafaa — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:38:26 -0800

However, I do agree with lonefrontranger on this:

what on earth gives you the right to judge the OP, whether by his prior post history or quality of the question or whatever moral/intellectual yardstick you feel is proper?

By: wafaa

wafaa — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:42:33 -0800

to be honest, I don't need defenders

How dare you judge me as a defender! But, ok. I'll lay off.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:48:43 -0800

It's not that I don't appreciate people liking what I write here, but I'm a big boy, I don't need to be rescued, I can take care of myself and even if I was utterly loathed, that wouldn't stop me.

By: CKmtl

CKmtl — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:56:09 -0800

have you looked that OP's other posts? ... But honestly, that sort of answer isn't going to get through to him.

You make it sound like he's asked a slew of question about alcoholism, and simply refuses to take any sobriety-related advice. But that's not the case at all. Some of his questions are probably the product of idle curiosity (which isn't the same thing as chatfilter questions), but not all of them and probably not this one.

Even if they were all idle curiosity questions, so what?

I thought long and hard about how I was going to answer before I did. I could've given him the same schpiel about the dehydration, the REM sleep, etc.

Neither long nor hard enough, it seems. There's another option: don't answer the question if its mere existence creates the sensation of a large insect boring its way up your rectum.

By: cgc373

cgc373 — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 10:59:17 -0800

Whoa, CKmtl, let's watch it with the bug-buggery imagery, huh? Jeez, you've given me the creepy-crawlies.

By: The Deej

The Deej — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:07:04 -0800

In the future, please respond to boneheaded questions by flagging and moving on.
posted by cortex

Comment flagged as "no fun!"

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:28:02 -0800

What you mean "we," white man?

By: Deathalicious

Deathalicious — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:39:04 -0800

a young man in spats: "dancinglamb: where are you seeing this in the OP's AskMe history? What's this 'same vein'? Come on, spell it out for us."

"harassing a whale"?!? Cmon, do we really have to spell it out for you?

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:39:10 -0800

Didn't we do this a couple days ago?

By: 2or3whiskeysodas

2or3whiskeysodas — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:50:42 -0800

Any further posting from jonmc today, in this thread or elsewhere, should possibly be viewed in this light.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:52:08 -0800

Any further posting from jonmc today, in this thread or elsewhere, should possibly be viewed in this light.
posted by 2or3whiskeysodas

Eponysterical!

By: 2or3whiskeysodas

2or3whiskeysodas — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:53:41 -0800

Dammit. You win this round.

Pun intended/pun not intended, whatever.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:56:01 -0800

Dammit. You win this round.

I win them all, junior. The sooner you accept that, the better off you will be.

By: nthdegx

nthdegx — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:56:19 -0800

Where's Al The Flameout when you need him?

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:57:59 -0800

Why is the question so stupid? Here's what I thought the poster was asking:

"Alcohol seems to have a curious effect on me. When intoxicated, I first fall into a deep sleep, but then wake after a couple of hours, only to have my sleep disrupted for the rest of the night. Heavy drinking friends, in contrast, appear to sleep heavily and do not experience this effect. What gives? And if I can't change it, how can I ameliorate it?"

Unless you happen to be a latter-day Carrie Nation, I struggle to see why anyone would think that question is stupid?

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:06:03 -0800

Unless you happen to be a latter-day Carrie Nation,

We have a winner! Dude, the world is filled with modern day Carrie Nations, slef-righteous pissants who can't handle the fact that somebody somewhere might be having a better time than they are.

By: Abiezer

Abiezer — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:09:52 -0800

Peter - I was very moved by your recent rescue of this seagull, but surprised to learn you've moved up to Durham and joined the fire service.

By: brautigan

brautigan — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:10:39 -0800

I gave him a bonehead answer to his bonehead question. Period.

Well done. You're quite the superhero.

By: nax

nax — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:14:16 -0800

My experience is, no, we apparently can't.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:16:23 -0800

nax, I already said that. and better.

By: iconomy

iconomy — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:18:22 -0800

But honestly, that sort of answer isn't going to get through to him.

And you know this....how? Ugh. Your answer to the OP was judgemental, dismissive, and totally out of line and you really ought to just apologize for it and move on, instead of trying to justify it. Period.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:47:28 -0800

Metafilter: slef-righteous pissants

By: jason's_planet

jason's_planet — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:49:34 -0800

Lonefrontranger - have you looked that OP's other posts? They're all, well, pretty much in the same vein.

OP checking in here.

Let's see . . . I've done posts and questions about:

Icelandic Rotten Shark Cuisine
Gender and Sexual Orientation in Post-Operative Transsexuals
Asian Stereotypes of Other Asians
Innumeracy
Where To Eat Lunch While Serving Jury Duty in Jamaica, Queens
Anti-Civilization Anarchism
Mandingo Parties
Psychoanalysis in Argentina

(among other things) and I have to say that my posting history doesn't seem characteristic of a hardcore, in-denial lush.

Can you please cite the specific things I've said or done online that led you to make that obnoxious comment?

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:54:00 -0800

I've always found that the best response to anybody who offers criticism to someone for drinking too much is to say "I'm just drinking to make your girl look good."

adjust gender acording to gender and preference

By: vronsky

vronsky — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:55:04 -0800

HL Mencken already said that. and better.

By: 23skidoo

23skidoo — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:56:17 -0800

Can you please cite the specific things I've said or done online that led you to make that obnoxious comment?

Oh dear. You don't remember, do you? Memory loss can be a sign of alcoholism.

(keedkeed)

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:58:26 -0800

"And you know this....how? Ugh. Your answer to the OP was judgemental, dismissive, and totally out of line and you really ought to just apologize for it and move on, instead of trying to justify it. Period."

This morning, we woke to find that some jackass had parked us in. While we were wrangling with tow companies (our usual one was having some sort of weird phone problems), the guy finally rolled out (one of our neighbors managed to wake him up, when my girlfriend's door pounding hadn't had an effect). This chubby, pale white dude, looking like a boiled potato in a tracksuit. Instead of just apologizing and moving his goddamned car, the guy kept trying to argue that his cross-ways parking was a legitimate spot and, you know, whatever, man. I just kinda went off from my balcony, yelling at him in this stream of profanity "Move your fucking car! Don't fucking argue with me, just move your fucking car! What the fuck are you doing, standing there like a fucking retard? Why the fuck aren't you moving your fucking car? Move your fucking car!" We'd been trying to leave, to go grocery shopping, for over an hour and the guy just had this vacant, open-mouthed stare while he's standing there with his door open, unable to process what the hell was going on.

And it was the same car that we've had towed previously for parking in that same exact fucking spot, man. So I've been keyed up all fucking morning, and I heartily endorse the idea of drinking. I think I'm gonna get drunk and go to the movies.

I even had to apologize to the poor woman from the police that I was on the phone with when the guy came out. Sheesh, man.

By: tkolar

tkolar — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:03:50 -0800

You also asked about using Chrysin for anxiety, you drugged out hippy.

By: tkolar

tkolar — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:09:09 -0800

You also asked about using Chrysin for anxiety, you drugged out hippy.

I started this post to say that comment was meant for jason's_planet, but I'm starting to think that it was meant for klangklangston. It's hard to tell really.

By: dawson

dawson — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:11:00 -0800

I think, Jason, that you received a cheap shot. Not one to jump to everyones defense, but when I saw that charge laid against you, to quote Whitman, I spent hours among the varied and fascinatingly posts you've made.
I agree the beer post was dumb, but that doesn't mean that you are, and being a relative newbie, the most disturbing thing for me about MeFi are these silly, typically American 'call outs'. We all have dumb questions.
With upwards of hundreds of questions posted in a 24 hour period I don't see why anyone cares what anyone else asks.
and I enjoy a little snark myself, and daresay I've had more than my fair share.
Because, I like Bush, you know. So I'm an idiot and that's all there is to it.
Anyway, if I'm the ref here, and Im not, you win this one by knockout.

By: essexjan

essexjan — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:29:32 -0800

As a recovering alcoholic AND a pretty good friend of the OP, I've spent enough time in his company and have sufficient knowledge and experience on the subject of drinking problems to be able to make a judgment on this and can say with hand on heart that you, dancinglamb, are talking rubbish.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:29:49 -0800

Because, I like Bush, you know. So I'm an idiot and that's all there is to it.

Yeah, you are, but I've never met anyone (including myself) who isn't on some level an idiot. Once you realize that, getting through life isn't so bad.

By: dawson

dawson — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:37:57 -0800

Thanks jonmc. And let it also be noted for the record that this time around Obama has my support. And that I eat anything but view meat as a seasoning. And I am a long hard drinker, even when I8217;m not aroused. Most interesting people imbibe far too many libations.

By: dawson

dawson — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:39:07 -0800

obviously some greasemonkey script is fucking with my shit here. hummmm.

By: dawson

dawson — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:40:26 -0800

never mind, i will just not use contractions, dear sweet mod, feel free to delete.
hiccup

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:46:23 -0800

Thanks jonmc

you're welcome. and my wife just handed me a bottle of bourbon and said that I need to drink more.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:46:43 -0800

Now that we've exhaustively analyzed the topic at hand, can anyone explain why when I came to MetaTalk it said "21 new links and 82 comments posted since your last visit"? Does this thread count as 21 for some reason, or is the server drubk?

By: ludwig_van

ludwig_van — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:54:18 -0800

obviously some greasemonkey script is fucking with my shit here

Too many motha uckas uckin with my shi
(my metafilter shi)

By: puke & cry

puke & cry — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:00:47 -0800

Is this the thread where we talk about jonmc? Oh, I forgot, EVERY THREAD is about jonmc. Lets talk about the best Scorpions song, dudes.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:07:22 -0800

You'd rather talk about this stupid callout and the stupid comments that spawned it?

and the best Scorpions song is 'No One like You.' No contest.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:11:06 -0800

I like that one where the guy whistles.

By: puke & cry

puke & cry — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:11:51 -0800

Well, I was hatin' in my first comment but I agree with you. On both counts.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:12:58 -0800

Winds Of Changes? A mediocre song musically speaking, but it's about the Berlin Wall's fall, and since they lived in it's shadow, they kind of have first dibs on singing about it coming down.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:14:39 -0800

Well, I was hatin' in my first comment but I agree with you. On both counts.

Welcome aboard.

*passes bottle of Maker's Mark p&c's way*

By: Bernt Pancreas

Bernt Pancreas — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:23:52 -0800

I awoke from uneasy dreams to find that this time I had transformed into... uh, some kind of blanched Mr. Potatohead in a tracksuit or something. At least it wasn't a giant bug this time. I hobbled down to my car, ignoring some guy and his girlfriend puling about my parking abilities. As bad as working out after drinking is (especially when tuber-formed), I had to get to the gym to exercise the alcohol out of my body. I finally understand this lucid dream shapeshifting. Get drunk, sleep poorly, and shapeshifting results are pathetic. But now that I'm sober, I hope my neighbor's still in a mood to yell at me. Because when I get home, I'm blocking his car in again. And then, I'm going to sleep.
That's where I'm a viking.

By: drjimmy11

drjimmy11 — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:40:50 -0800

It'd be like a country full of that annoying guy in high school english class who nobody liked.

I read books when I was in high school. A few people were able to forgive this horrible transgression enough to like me. I guess i was just lucky to grow up on planet Earth, as opposed to in a "Larry the Cable guy" movie.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:54:01 -0800

I read books when I was in high school.

So did I, but not 'the classics.' Reading that stuff is like being forced to eat lima beans because 'they're good for you.' I simply saw books on the shelf that looked like they'd be fun to read and read them.

By: paduasoy

paduasoy — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:57:15 -0800

it said "21 new links ... "

22 for me, similarly wrong.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 15:11:12 -0800

In fairness, it's an incredibly stupid question. To the point of farce.

And in all seriousness, that doesn't deputize you or anyone to be a jerk to the OP.

This thread has gotten weird and the problematic comments have been deleted.

lh & paduasoy, I think the "21 new links" thing may have come about as a result of pb fixing the thing that allowed people to post multiple times in a row which happened this morning sometime. Let us know if it doesn't start counting down like normal from this point on.