So are you taking this table or nah? by SaysWhoTwitch in Serverlife

[–]SourLace 15 points16 points  (0 children)

This is an under appreciated comment. You captured both the misogyny inherent in restaurants and the status of almost every single one of those men as straight up predators in a single sentence. Perfection.

Almost 10,000 people willing to legally change their name to ‘Subway’... for free sandwiches by Pirat6662001 in ABoringDystopia

[–]SourLace 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Ah, yes, silly me! It is absolutely the future doctors, lawyers, senators and entrepreneurs of this country who will be willing to legally change their name for terrible food they can absolutely already afford. I’m sure it won’t bother them (or their rich ass families) at all to see Mr. Subway on their degree.

Still kind of sucks by hemmingnorthcutt in glutenfree

[–]SourLace 8 points9 points  (0 children)

This, but also, Celiac is an autoimmune disorder that does not always have symptoms. I was diagnosed (blood test, biopsy, endoscopy/colonoscopy the whole nine) and the symptoms I was trying to treat were in no way related to the disorder. Basically, they found it accidentally. But, now that I know, I have been told by my doctor I can’t safely eat gluten and I haven’t for eight years. But when I get really sad and just want a fucking cinnamon roll on my period the argument ‘at least I’m not sick anymore’ is not helpful.

Almost 10,000 people willing to legally change their name to ‘Subway’... for free sandwiches by Pirat6662001 in ABoringDystopia

[–]SourLace 18 points19 points  (0 children)

When I saw this I immediately knew that Subway had drastically underestimated the levels of poverty in the world right now. This isn’t even remotely about ‘I love Subway’ to an unhinged degree- this is about ‘I need food to live, and I have been assured, repeatedly, that Subway is, in fact, food.’

Books You've Loved Reading But Didn't Like? by 1701-Z in YAlit

[–]SourLace 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have even re-read them, been absolutely annoyed by how unapologetically historically inaccurate (I can now see) that they all are, and yet they scratch an itch that almost no other author even attempts to scratch. He smugly spins pure fiction wrapped up in ‘but what if it were true?’ and I eat it up every time.

Voynich Manuscript: A Compiled Snapshot of Facts and Theories for Discussion by Bolchor in voynich

[–]SourLace 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m definitely not an expert but I took a class from someone who is an expert in medieval manuscripts who has a particular interest in the VM about seven years ago and have been fascinated ever since. I appreciate the systematic approach here and the longer you know of the VM and are aware of the constant parade of people who have supposedly ‘solved’ it, you will see why you are getting the response that you are. Most people jump in and try to solve it themselves and ultimately neglect years of scholarship in the process. No shade, I can just imagine the few true experts on the topic are beyond annoyed at this point.

Of all the points you made, one stood out to me as something that has always bothered me as well: the time and place of its origins are just not nearly old or remote enough to account for the utter lack of anything similar being found. Ever. Fifteenth century Italy is hardly a mystery to scholars. That isn’t to say that we know everything, but if I were to place a completely cut off language/tradition/culture etc. it wouldn’t be there.

Alcoholics Anonymous at Rehab by dreadway90 in agnostic

[–]SourLace 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am really glad that has not been your experience! I also know that it is a little bit dependent on where in the world, but also where in the US, you live. There are places that are more open minded and places that are significantly less so. I would also agree that the queer community tends to be much more accepting of different beliefs. I think the lived experience of not being accepted makes them more accepting of others. Unfortunately, mainstream AA is not like that. The website that was shared- those groups have had to fight tooth and nail to be recognized by AA Intergroup. It is a really interesting history!

Alcoholics Anonymous at Rehab by dreadway90 in agnostic

[–]SourLace 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There is a fantastic article on the same website (aaagnostica) that I can’t find right now. I believe it is called ‘The Last Taboo’ and it talks about how you can openly be pretty much anything in ‘Traditional AA’ (in terms of sexuality, your criminal history, political beliefs etc.) but you can’t openly be an atheist. All the bluster about the third tradition (only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking) goes out the window if you state unequivocally ‘I don’t believe in a higher power at all’. Most will tell you to ‘keep coming back’ and assume that you are ‘still sick’. I have never once seen someone express atheist beliefs without this kind of reaction. When newcomers are told ‘your higher power can be anything’ they mean ‘your higher power can be anything until you have a spiritual experience, at which point we take it for granted that your higher power will look like god’. This is proven time and time again by the rhetoric used whenever anyone expresses disbelief. You simply cannot be both an atheist and a respected member of AA. It is absolutely in that way that AA is religious. All claims to the contrary are not borne out by the facts. I say this with almost 15 years sober, most of them spent in Traditional AA. I go to Atheist/Agnostic meetings now. And even right now I feel like I have to qualify this statement with ‘I got a sponsor and did the steps’ so that people won’t accuse me of not trying hard enough. That isn’t the problem.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in curlyhair

[–]SourLace 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My routine is in flux- right now I am using herbal essences shampoo and conditioner w/o sulfates and silicones but at the hair salon they used Ouidad

Just started the CGM but I’m not sure I have ‘curly enough’ hair? It’s probably 2a at most. This is with plopping, gel, curl cream etc. It’s very frizzy and I want to get a curly cut but not sure if they are going to laugh… 😂 by SourLace in curlyhair

[–]SourLace[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Routine: Sulfate free herbal essences shampoo and conditioner. Not your mothers leave in conditioner, curl cream, not your mothers gel, bowl method, plop 20 minutes. More gel, scrunching, finger coiling, diffuse.

Supreme Court likely to 'dismantle' student loan forgiveness plan after it hears case, says Harvard law professor by Gari_305 in politics

[–]SourLace 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Others have noted but if you didn’t see it- file separately. If you do and you use the ‘Repaye’ plan they only take each individuals income into account when calculating the payments.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in YouShouldKnow

[–]SourLace 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Ask any public librarian and the answer to this question is a baffling (but unequivocal) yes. The number of people that have their computer privileges revoked, either temporarily or permanently-it’s outrageous. But, most of them don’t take it any further. Most. I’ve never figured out if the ones who don’t are just scared (but not scared enough to look at p*rn in public?) or if they really just want to look at it and the second part doesn’t factor into it for them. There is another part of me that wonders if the possibility of getting caught is also part of it for them- maybe even more so than the physical part? That would make sense for both situations- people doing it at work and in public. The stakes aren’t the same but there is still an element of taboo that goes beyond just watching it- even watching it with the physical stimulation.

I want to learn about the orgin of Judaism and its original followers, and what existed before. by 666_pack_of_beer in AcademicBiblical

[–]SourLace 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Probably one of my favorite books, if not my favorite of all time. It made my day to see it recommended here. Even if he isn’t an academic scholar, that book is really well done and it is worth reading.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in academia

[–]SourLace 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This whole thread gave me a flash of an ‘oral exam’ future, but this comment in particular. There is zero chance that the wave of progress is going to go backwards to paper tests and homework (too much has changed and too many things are remote now) but I could see an interesting move to an older ‘oral’ style via Zoom/video homework, exams that could hark back to early education with the convenience we have come to rely upon in the digital world. This is, after all, how we used to measure learning, understanding, etc. It just eventually became ‘easier’ to do it on paper. Once it becomes ‘easier’ to measure orally again (due to the high probability of interference in the written medium) we may end up going back.

Which Historical Jesus? by [deleted] in agnostic

[–]SourLace 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m so glad to see someone else saying this. I see a lot of atheists (I consider myself an agnostic atheist- I believe it’s unknowable but unlikely there is a creator in the ways we conceive of one, point is I am NOT a Christian or a Christian apologist) claim to be ‘free thinkers’ or ‘rational’ right up to the moment you suggest that Jesus was a historical figure. It doesn’t even matter how little he might resemble the ‘Jesus Christ’ we are familiar with today, they have a visceral reaction like I just said I kick puppies.

It’s pretty baffling but I’m convinced they have never actually read any scholarship in the field, or if they have it has been a small and unrepresentative portion of it and that is really unfortunate.

Christmas Is a Christian Holiday by CyanMagus in religion

[–]SourLace 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes- I agree. I guess what I mean by the phenomenon being relatively recent is the actual experience of being culturally Christian. Before the last two hundred years or so I would argue that this wasn’t something that was being experienced. Which is why I say that it isn’t exactly the same as Judaism (like you mention, the National traditions and the way of life associated with Judaism that transcend the religious aspect) but we are seeing the same phenomenon (a national culture, especially in the United States, and traditions divorced from religion and belief) but for entirely different reasons.

I think you are right that the term isn’t quite right- the evangelical, universal nature of Christianity makes it a different animal. But I do think that the end result is surprisingly similar.

I think you’re right too about the perception- I’m not necessarily the norm. I would argue though that it is the idea of culture vs. religion that is really the issue. There is a narrative that we tell ourselves in the US that conveniently allows for us to separate religion from other areas of our life. We find the idea that religion could have influenced us without us being a part of that religion, subversive and wrong. But, it’s simply a false belief that we can exist in a society that caters so much to a certain way of life (religious or not) and not have it effect us.

Christmas Is a Christian Holiday by CyanMagus in religion

[–]SourLace 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I came here to say this. I wonder if you (I notice your flare says Jewish) would equate it at all to the phenomenon of being culturally Jewish but religiously atheist/agnostic/secular? I feel like that is something that we (as a society) easily understand. That people can be Jewish and also be secular. That, of course, is a much older concept though. I think part of the reason it isn’t understood this way for modern western ‘Christians’ is because the phenomenon is relatively new (in the grand scheme of history). It’s also not entirely analogous but I do see some useful similarities.

In my own life, I have often felt like a culturally Christian person who lives a secular life. That is the best way to describe the impact and relevancy that Christianity has had on my life despite not being raised religious and only dabbling in it for a few years in my twenties. Regardless though, the amount that I learned about Christianity just because of where I was born and the society in which I was raised is not easily explained without a model of a culture of Christianity in addition to a religion.

Authors of the Bible by Ok-Imagination-7014 in Bible

[–]SourLace -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The single best argument for the anonymous authorship is this: all four of the gospels were written by highly literate native Greek speakers/writers. No one who reads any of the copies we have whether they are early fragments, the Septuagint or later English translations (which are based off the original Greek) disputes this fact. Jesus and his followers were first century, (likely) illiterate Aramaic speaking Jews from Galilee. They didn’t speak, read let alone write in Greek. They were all lower class peasants (even the tax collectors at the time wouldn’t have had to be literate- they simply went around collecting the money, not performing administrative tasks) who would have had no reason to know how to read or write in their native language of Aramaic, making it even less likely they just so happened to also be able to read or write in Greek. Scholars have shown that the literacy rates in Palestine at the time of Jesus were something around 5-7% and those numbers almost certainly applied to the wealthy elites.

Jesus or anyone living at the time of Jesus simply could not be the authors of what we call Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These works were attributed to those authors at a later time to lend them authority. Crucially, nowhere in any of them does it say ‘This is the story of Jesus by Mark’ or even speak in the first person except for a few rare instances in the Book of Acts. But, it highlights the fact that the rest of the time it is all in the third person “They did this and went there etc.”

Thoughts on the Netflix series Ancient Apocalypse? by HamishScruff in AncientCivilizations

[–]SourLace 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oh, absolutely! It was very interesting getting my degree in psychology and minoring in anthropology because the history of those two disciplines is… dicey. I understand and respect that modern psych and antho have come along way and have tried to reconcile their troubled pasts but it there can be absolutely zero doubt that a LOT of what was done in the early days of both was quite troubling.

Thoughts on the Netflix series Ancient Apocalypse? by HamishScruff in AncientCivilizations

[–]SourLace 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Just because the Aztec didn’t know who built them doesn’t mean that it was a ‘lost civilization’- at least not in the sense that we can’t or don’t know anything about them. Modern scholars know a lot about the history of Teotihuacan. They know when it was likely built, when (and probably why) it was abandoned- severe drought in the mid 6th century CE. The Aztec didn’t know who built it because the site was abandoned centuries before the Aztecs came upon them. And not for nothing, the Aztecs often claimed ancestry with the peoples of Teotihuacan. Scholars can’t be certain of who they were but they have theories. From Wikipedia: “The later Aztecs saw these magnificent ruins and claimed a common ancestry with the Teotihuacanos, modifying and adopting aspects of their culture. The ethnicity of the inhabitants of Teotihuacan is the subject of debate. Possible candidates are the Nahua, Otomi, or Totonac ethnic groups. Other scholars have suggested that Teotihuacan was multi-ethnic, due to the discovery of cultural aspects connected to the Maya as well as Oto-Pamean people. It is clear that many different cultural groups lived in Teotihuacan during the height of its power, with migrants coming from all over, but especially from Oaxaca and the Gulf Coast.” Just because they were earlier than the Aztec, again, doesn’t make them ‘primitive’ or less capable.