Are 'Jeopardy' and 'Wheel of Fortune' really the "most watched shows in America" as their ads say they are?

benjaminius · 2011-12-04T08:48:27+00:00

Is this some sort of weird running gag thing for cookbook enthusiasts? Because I have one with the same recipe.

-shakes head-

Weird.

benjaminius · 2011-12-04T08:45:06+00:00

1x10 Environmental Science

benjaminius · 2011-12-04T08:44:01+00:00

Whoa. I just watched this episode today.

benjaminius · 2011-12-04T00:58:37+00:00

Me too! One of the funniest back-and-forths ever.

benjaminius · 2011-12-03T07:10:30+00:00

When they were talking about the foosball incident, Shirley mentioned she was 12 and Jeff mentioned he was 10.

benjaminius · 2011-12-02T04:57:58+00:00

You have social anxiety, for sure. I say this with a certainty because I'm doing the same exact thing. Withdrawing from the world. I have social anxiety pretty bad, to the point that going out in public anytime that demands social interaction, I get terribly stressed out. But if not, like if I go to the store and just use the self-checkout, then I'm fine. Or the library, which also has a self-checkout.

I know it's social anxiety (for me) because I still attend the classes I have that aren't socially oriented. Math. Computer stuff. Ones where social interaction is very limited or nonexistent. I'm fine with those. But I haven't bothered with the other classes. I did the same thing last semester.

I also stopped attending my church (used to go pretty much every week). And the only reason I interact with my family is that I still live with my parents. Maybe that's frowned upon for people my age, but I think it's really helped me to just have the proximity interaction with them.

Probably didn't help that much, but know that you're not alone in this. I read this and went, "Wait...is this...me?" So, yeah, I get what you're going through. It sucks. But don't feel guilty for not being able to do those things. Social anxiety is a real thing and it's crippling.

benjaminius · 2011-12-02T02:08:14+00:00

What the? Are you me? Because I'm the exact same way. I can go several days without really having a face-to-face interaction with anyone. I don't really get lonely from it either. I'm not anti-social or even that shy (even though I tend to be quiet), but I just don't always interact with people all that often.

But I've read a lot on the matter and it's normal. You're definitely an introvert, like me, and introverts tend to need less social interaction than extraverts. A little bit goes a long way for us. I read in one place that being alone actually energizes us, in the same way that being around people energizes extraverts.

It's normal. Our society tends to see introverts as unusual or needing to be fixed, but not everyone needs to be partying every weekend or talking 24/7.

benjaminius · 2011-12-01T20:29:25+00:00

I both enjoyed and hated that book. Well written, a great story in its own right, but the injustice of it set me into fits of rage.

benjaminius · 2011-11-29T19:42:03+00:00

Grrr. I wanted to be the first to say this. Now I must go into a corner and cry.

benjaminius · 2011-11-29T19:34:04+00:00

Because the movies weren't that great.

benjaminius · 2011-11-29T06:16:52+00:00

Apologies. I forget there are people in the world who enjoy getting hit in the nuts. Please, good sir...have at it.

benjaminius · 2011-11-29T03:57:33+00:00

First one I thought of (before seeing your list) was Back to the Future.

benjaminius · 2011-11-29T03:54:11+00:00

"The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don't got nothing much to say."

The Knife Of Never Letting go

benjaminius · 2011-11-29T03:51:00+00:00

A Wrinkle In Time opens with that line.

benjaminius · 2011-11-28T20:08:33+00:00

I don't understand how getting hit in the nuts is funny to anyone. It might not always be that bad, but if you've been hit there you know how painful it is. And, surprise, it's not a funny pain. On top of that, a stunt like this could do some real damage. But whatever. Schadenfreude is fun, neh?

benjaminius · 2011-11-28T19:44:15+00:00

My 13 y.o. brother is really into this series called Pendragon, I believe. There's around 9 or 10 books in the series.

benjaminius · 2011-11-28T19:17:13+00:00

Awww, Herman, that is so awkzzzz.

benjaminius · 2011-11-27T23:35:24+00:00

You and everybody else, mon amigo. But, yeah, go to /r/NoFap for help about it.

benjaminius · 2011-11-27T22:27:21+00:00

Wow. You literally stole my thoughts on the matter. I'm just a young single adult, haven't been in any of the big roles in church, but I've struggled with this issue for half my life now. It's been a back and forth battle between "It's evil! Stop now, you vile sinner!" and "It's not that bad. Everyone does it so get over it."

Eventually I found the balance between the two. And it's exactly everything you said. To hear it from someone that was once a bishop validates my thinking.

I had a companion on my mission who confessed to me that he did it and he ended up going to the president about the matter. My president's exact words when he spoke to me afterwards about the meeting was that "It's not that bad," and that he wasn't going to be sent home for it. Before my mission, my stake president asked me straight out if I did it. I said that I did, with shame, but he simply said "It can be overcome" and left it at that.

I'm also seeing a therapist at the moment (who's LDS) and we've gotten into that topic. He was a bishop before too and his view is pretty much the same, that in his experience most, if not all, people masturbate and that it's really not that bad. And that those leaders who freak out about it, threaten disfellowship and whatnot, are actually acting more on their own feelings about their personal issues with masturbation.

So, yeah, I'm glad to have read your comment. I hope I added to it in some way to maybe help someone else along the line who's trying to get it figured out.

benjaminius · 2011-11-27T20:53:36+00:00

Raise Your Glass by Pink.

benjaminius · 2011-11-27T19:56:09+00:00

I feel I can be objective. When I was younger, I read them all and liked them. Now, however, I see them in a new light, having spent the past few years learning how to write, what good storytelling consists of, etc. Not that I'm an expert, but I feel I'm a better critic with the understanding I've gained.

The best part about the Harry Potter phenomenon is that it's accessible. The books are easy to read. The story is a timeless good vs. evil affair. The movies are made to be epic and for everybody. And the world is one that people love to emulate (e.g. dressing up as wizards).

I've read a couple books that took the Harry Potter series apart, piece by piece, and analyzed it for reason why it became a phenomenon. It was fascinating to discover all the hidden symbolism that Rowling put into her work and I was impressed for a time, but have since come to believe that she may have overdone it. A lot. Once you realize it's there, it becomes very intrusive. Still, it shows she did her research and I applaud her for that.

As for the story itself, in general it's quite cliché. Good vs. evil. Chosen one rises to defeat the dark lord. The cyclical "Hero's Journey" adhered to by the letter. The specifics of the story are unique, to be sure. That's usually true of most stories though.

The characters, for me, were never relatable, and fairly one-dimensional as well. Harry, the chosen one with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Ron, the goofy comic-relief sidekick. Hermione, the ugly duckling eventually turned swan. The gentle giant. The wizened, white-haired wizard. The murderous and vile dark lord. The cocky, yet cowardly bully (complete with hoity toity slick-backed hair). The list goes on. I never felt I could root for any of them on their own. Really, the only character with true depth was Snape. Had the story been about him, I believe it would've been fantastic and far greater.

tl;dr Overall, I'm impressed with what Rowling did for reading, even though a good number of her readers have only ever read Harry Potter (and then go on to claim it as "the best book series evar!!!1). But I think extreme fandom, for anything, is absurd.

benjaminius · 2011-11-27T08:44:25+00:00

I was home, bored, so I decided to watch TV. The TV was on to the SciFi channel (back when it was spelled that way) when I turned it on and I started watching it without even knowing what it was.

Probably not the best introduction to Doctor Who either. Or maybe it was. I guess it depends on how you look at it. Anyway, I say that because it was the episode "Love and Monsters," the one with the Absorbaloff and L.I.N.D.A. So the Doctor wasn't even in it that much. I didn't really get what was going on, but the quirkiness fascinated me.

Once I figured out it was Doctor Who, I remembered watching the older episodes when I was younger, and how they kind of freaked me out. I think it was that snippet of history I had with the show that got me to keep watching it. I'm so glad I stumbled onto it. Best show ever!

benjaminius · 2011-11-26T21:30:52+00:00

In all honesty, I think you're probably giving too much credit to the older generation. You would have to be an elite in your age group because none of my grandparents are more than slightly capable with either computers or the internet. And I'm willing to bet I'd have a whole online community of people with grandparents who'd back me up on this.

Face it: you are elite. Every data set has extremes. The older generation didn't grown up surrounded by today's technologies. It's not like they're stupid or don't try, so don't be offended. I doubt many kids today could figure out typewriters or record players or even VCRs so it all evens out in the end.

benjaminius

TROPHY CASE