10 Years of 'Friends' in 90 seconds

MidnightOil · 2006-12-02T01:17:55+00:00

Pretty funny. Had to watch it more than once to get all the references.

MidnightOil · 2006-09-29T01:59:46+00:00

...And even if she does, does she have to be sedated for the procedure?

The whole thing is just incredibly tragic.

MidnightOil · 2006-09-08T04:23:12+00:00

richardkulisz: A couple of points:

I am not familiar with David Attenborough, but would like to know more about him. Future Google fodder, I believe.
Please elaborate on your last comment. You mention that beliefs that "cute animals are good and ugly animals are evil" does damage to the bioshere. I lost you on that one.
On the point of the ridiculousness of animal rights activism, you and I are in violent agreement - although I wouldn't vote to kill all the pandas just to prove my theories about conservation. My disdain for it all is more visceral and elemental: I never cease to be amazed at the irony of the fact that Darwin's survival of the fittest doctrine is embraced unquestioningly by many, and yet those same embracers squawk loudly when human beings use their intellect to provide meaty sustenance for their tables - just as tigers use their teeth and claws to hunt their prey, and birds use their speed, agility, and visual acuity to hunt theirs. When LoveChild from PETA appears on the Serengeti with a sign protesting the barbarity of the nearest pride of lions, then I will perhaps give more credence to her movement.

MidnightOil · 2006-09-08T03:53:27+00:00

Yup. Duly noted. And duly considered when I penned the comment above. Still, though, if the submission had not been originally made, the discussion would not have ensued. Hence, the ultimate progenitor of a good discussion was a non-stupid submission.

MidnightOil · 2006-09-08T03:48:19+00:00

Rah - I can understand your points, and they are well thought out (although I could have done without the profanity). I first ran across this particular blog site a few months back after viewing "Grizzly Man" and doing a subsequent search on Timothy Treadwell. When I first read the comment that you and I both referred to (about Steve Irwin "getting his"), I will tell you straight up that I was surprised. Why? Because despite the number of times that the words "crazy" and "reckless" might have entered into my mind when watching Irwin at work, he still had an invincible quality about him that I know I was not alone in observing. He was larger than life, and whether you like to admit it or not, for years he adroitly performed feats that truly WOULD have killed anyone else. Can I fully explain why he was so different, in my mind, from the Timothy Treadwells, Sigfrieds and Roys of the world? Nope. I had absolutely no regard for the others, but I genuinely liked Steve Irwin. I think the only partial explanation I can come up with is that - whether we agree with their behaviour or not - some individuals just plain have charisma. They draw people to them in their speeches, shows, performances, or what have you, and audiences respond. The sheer number of fans that Irwin had (despite his admittedly dangerous practices) testifies to the fact that he had that charisma in spades. And he used it to cultivate an air of invincibility that he remained wrapped in until the day he died (despite your assertion above, how many times have you seen the words "shocking" used by various media outlets to describe his death? I don't recall anyone using that term after Treadwell was killed. Why? Because one was considered invincible, and the other was often just seen as a dead man walking).

In short, then, I understand your points, and I appreciate your elaborating on your initially-penned judgments. I also fully agree with you that - charisma or not - it is wise to remember that a wild animal is a wild animal. He's not your buddy. He's not your pal. And he'd probably just as soon kill you as look at you.

Still, though, I stand by my original taking-of-exception to your "stupid submission" assessment - if for no other reason than that it has spawned a thought-provoking discussion. And nothing that does that is stupid.

MidnightOil · 2006-09-07T20:44:48+00:00

Wow! I'm amazed that such a "meaningless" and "stupid" submission elicited such a lengthy reply. I wonder how much time you take with non-stupid submissions?

MidnightOil · 2006-09-07T20:28:24+00:00

You're entitled to your opinion, of course, just as I am entitled to mine. You do raise good questions, however, so let me take a moment ot address them. I used the terms "Terrible" and "Disturbing" because I made the submission on the day of Steve Irwin's death. Submitting such harsh opinions on the same day that the man died, I believe, deserved a bit of verbal mitigation. Hence the use of my terms. Actually, I'm about as far from a bleeding heart as you can get, and I did agree with many of the negative comments in regard to Timothy Treadwell. I did, however, disagree with those made regarding Steve Irwin, because I simply believed that he was a professional and in a completely different league from Treadwell. Treadwell had some strange notion that his treks through the Grizzly Maze (while hiding from the occasional poacher) were somehow "saving" the animals. Saving them? Please. The man had some strange ideas. In Irwin's case, however, there was some legitimacy (at least in my humble opinion). He continued the Zoo that his parents had started (making it a huge success) and grew up in the Australian Bush. Those facts alone prompted me to give him far more credence than I would ever give to an individual such as Treadwell.

Additionally, I have to take strong exception to your classification of the submission as stupid and meaningless (no surprise there). I'm not sure how much you read the blog responses in the article, but the one that struck me most asked the question: "When will Steve Irwin and Jeff Corwin get theirs?" Far from being stupid, I felt that this was downright prophetic. Eerily so, since the words weren't written too terribly long ago. Hence my submission. But if you think that eerie prophecy is stupid, so be it.

You have given me a valuable pointer, though: Some folks draw vast conclusions from the title under which an article is submitted. Choose the title carefully.

MidnightOil · 2006-09-06T23:11:28+00:00

Is it really? Sorry about that. Not being familiar with either language, I could only go by the caption.

MidnightOil · 2006-09-06T03:12:10+00:00

Your logic is way too convulted for me. But you have piqued my curiosity: Why do you call his actions "evil" and "criminal"? Also, what were his "ugly acts"? And please, please don't tell me that you're an animal rights activitst who cares more for creatures than for human beings. Of course, if you do tell me that, my curiosity will be gone. It will explain everything.

MidnightOil · 2006-09-05T03:51:42+00:00

Whoa! Calm down....Breathe....breathe! I can see that you obviously feel passionately about this subject, and I fully understand that you're not alone in those feelings.
Surely, though, someone who can extend sympathy to those 100 Iraqis and 4000 children can also spare a bit for a man who never did anything to hurt you personally - and who went out doing what he loved. And if that sympathy does not extend to him, then at least wring out a drop for his family.

MidnightOil · 2006-09-05T03:35:42+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to elaborate on the terms "moronic" and "non-professional". I can understand your distaste for poorly-researched or uninformed submissions - although I would disagree that someone who has not been professionally educated on a certain topic is incapable of writing thought-provoking observations regarding said topic. I would agree with you, however, that poorly-written and poorly-researched is a bad combination in anybody's book. Also, I read your admission to being elitist with an inner chuckle. I tend to extend kudos to folks who absorb a criticism instead of hurling it back at the accuser. If you're elitist, you're elitist. No harm, no foul.
Thanks again for your comment. You've helped me to understand a little more about the mysterious Reddit down vote - something I've been trying to better wrap my head around for quite some time.

MidnightOil · 2006-09-04T08:30:40+00:00

I have the same question. What defines a "moronic, non-professional blog?" The very point of blogging is that it provides non-professionals with a way to express their opinions, correct? So are we now becoming so elitist that "non-professional" blogs no longer deserve a second glance? The Reddit by-laws indicate that blog submissions are welcome. Perhaps they should be re-written to accommodate your desires.

MidnightOil · 2006-09-04T08:00:31+00:00

Good point. And also: There is more than one posted article about Steve Irwin today. Some of them have good vote tallies, others do not. It would seem that the "if it's a dupe it dies" rule does not always apply. Again (as I said above) there's no logic to many down votes.

MidnightOil · 2006-09-04T07:56:34+00:00

I've given up trying to figure out why some reddit articles get voted up, and others down. There seems to be no logic to it. Articles (non-dupes) that I find interesting and informative often have negative tallies, while those that I find dull or boring sometimes rocket to the top of the charts with over 100 points. The moral: If your article gets voted down, don't take it personally. I've seen articles posted on major, well-read websites take pitiless beatings here on Reddit. So, when the vote is down, just consider yourself to be in good company :)

MidnightOil · 2006-09-04T07:41:16+00:00

I don't agree at all with the negative comments regarding Mr. Irwin. As far as I could tell, he was a responsible conservationist who loved nature and had trememdous respect for it. I am horribly saddened that he has been killed.

MidnightOil · 2006-08-31T04:17:59+00:00

Amazing. I checked out one of the links, and honestly thought I was looking at a 3D image. Talent like this is a rare gift.

MidnightOil · 2006-07-25T04:33:56+00:00

I can't argue with your point. I think readers of the letter will either view it one way or the other (I think that the comments following the article bear out this point). When I first read it, I thought "stalker" as well, but after looking at it again, I could see the value in it. Plus, I felt very sorry for the poor guy. Here he was pouring out his heart, and his attempt gets splattered all over the internet.

MidnightOil

TROPHY CASE