I think the idea is that the person with no pronouns or name is unable to participate in conversations about their own self. Only other folks, or things like (apparently) Rocky Horror.

I would place a strong bet on "over geological time scales". One day we're going to crack the code of swan language, and we'll hear, right before the extra-pair copulation, the phrase "They've changed so much since we first pair bonded…"

I might even go so far to say that the traditional "debate format" is often one of the worst ways for two folks with opposing viewpoints to interact regarding their ideas. Time limits, opening statements, lecturns…these are far from the best ways to actually go about learning something from someone. Maybe as a…

Oh, there's a logical ending point for such folks' philosophies. It's just that the logical ending point is overwhelmingly unacceptable for most people, including, probably, the proponents of said philosophies.

Oh, and I didn't mean to imply that I though you did ignore pronouns. Sorry about that. I think we're on the same page.

"I am disgusted w/ my younger version who thought it unbelievable he'd ever be attracted to over age 30 women."

I can't help thinking that it's also straight-up (phrasing!) counterproductive some of the time. I consider myself both feminist and liberal too, and thus I do my best to accommodate folks' pronoun-based requests. But it requires mental energy to keep these things in mind for each person, mental energy that it…

That, or the booze just takes away the pain of grading certain students'…well, I guess we'll call it "work".

"Also does anyone ever grade papers in a bar? It seems like it would be more hassle than it's worth."

Very similar story here. When my wife and I first starting having sex, I wasn't able to come via intercourse. I even faked orgasms a couple of times, which was a very bad idea by the way, so she wouldn't find out and feel bad. But I eventually came clean, so to speak, and we worked on it, and she didn't make a big…

As an actual scientist, I'd like to say that I have zero problem with folks who say they Fucking Love Science, even if they're not scientists themselves. I mean, come on, do only professional football players get to say that they Fucking Love Football?

The snark is weak with this one.

I appreciate the sentiment, but of course it's really not like that. What it's like it even stranger - this idea that I really fail to understand that becoming less ignorant, and understanding things better, and being able to explain things without recourse to direct divine intervention that once could only be…

"…part of my job is to take scientific concepts and write about them so that the public can grasp them…"

What do you think about this passage, @avclub-32ae0f2a01b3c644885e14a4fe41eba0:disqus ?

Right on. And a lot of the legitimate points raised are very poorly, even incorrectly, endorsed.

Oh my, worlds of quote colliding! "Just give me a Pepsi free!" "Partial credit!"

Might I add, as an aside, that it almost seems to me that the people in conversations who use phrases like "Clearly you can't be objective about this," or "If you could just step outside of your own little bubble," or "You need to take some time to educate yourself about this," or just "Think for yourself!" are more…

This thread's making me thirsty. I think I'll order a Tab.

"You gotta do what you gotta do" or similar meaningless tautologies. My knee-jerk reaction to these is always to say something like "Actually, scientists have just discovered that you don't gotta do what you gotta do," because I enjoy pointing out the conceit that folks who say these things are actually making a…