Posts by lysistrata

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Forum	Topic	Date	Replies
The Lounge	Pro or Con on this decision	May 24 2012 01:23 (UTC)	3
I think it's cute how Californians think their environmental mandates actually make some sort of difference.
The Lounge	How many sexual partners is too many?	May 24 2012 01:08 (UTC)	9
Original Post by caloricat: Original Post by lbh: But the first part is not to ask. Why would you ask? It's really none of your business. Just as it is none of mine how many people you or anyone else sleeps with. It's none of my business? Okay, I'll agree with you...if I meet a chick at the bar and we have sex in a van and then I drive her back to her car and we leave and never see each other....okay...none of my business. But if it's a "relationship"...I'd kinda like to know as much information as I can. I'm not saying she has to tell me everything. I don't need to know about feces color (sorry lurkers, but it's topical), yeast infections, the one time she had lesbian sex (although I'd like to know about that), he best friends name when she was growing up, the secrets that her friends told her...doesn't matter. I'm not her priest. But little things like whether or not she's had more lovers that the population of Deleware, THAT might be relevant. Not a dealbreaker...just something handy to know when we keep running into guys that know about the tatoo on her cooch. I consider the places where my husband put his d#k before he married me about as gross as those other things you mentioned. You really don't need to know everything*.
The Lounge	How many sexual partners is too many?	May 23 2012 04:01 (UTC)	93
Original Post by roxysparkles: DADT in this situation. As long as the person I'm sleeping with, sans condom, has a clean bill of health, I don't care how many. Did not ask my husband for a number, he did not ask me. This.
The Lounge	How to approach your boss for a raise....	May 22 2012 23:57 (UTC)	7
The only way to effectively ask for a raise is to ask for it. Don't beat around the bush. Tell them they should pay you more, how much more they should pay you, and why. Then stop talking. Do not fill the silence under any circumstances. Make them fill the silence with either "Yes you're right we'll pay you more," or "No, we aren't going to pay you more." If the answer is No, and they don't tell you why, I think it's fair game to ask when or under what circumstances you can expect a raise. If they won't give you a straight answer to that, I would take it as a strong hint that they intend to continue milking you as long as you let them. Good luck.
The Lounge	is it just luck or what	May 22 2012 02:05 (UTC)	8
No, not really. But accepting that there is no answer will go a long way towards saving you an unhappy, bitter and angry life.
The Lounge	is it just luck or what	May 22 2012 01:41 (UTC)	9
What you're asking is sort of like asking why anybody is born. There is no reason. It's just how it is.
The Lounge	is it just luck or what	May 22 2012 01:35 (UTC)	10
Well, lots of people are born less lucky than you too.
The Lounge	is it just luck or what	May 22 2012 01:28 (UTC)	12
Yes, it is just luck. But let us know if you find the answer!
The Lounge	Nothing I can say, a total eclipse of the CHAT.	May 21 2012 23:05 (UTC)	4
I'm really proud of my new avi. giggles smiles smugly
The Lounge	Using 401k to pay off student loans	May 21 2012 21:20 (UTC)	0
Dude. Whole life??? Don't fall for that. HECV insurance just means you pay a monster premium up front. If you've got that kind of money, chances are you're better off paying it toward your student loan now rather than putting it in a junk investment that might give you a 5% return in thirty years. Don't forget that any gain on the "investment" portion of your insurance policy is going to be taxable. Pretty much anything involving buying whole life insurance is going to be a bad deal for you.
The Lounge	Privilege, explained in a way that young, white males can understand	May 20 2012 19:17 (UTC)	10
Original Post by andreams: Original Post by lysistrata: Original Post by andreams: Original Post by lysistrata: Original Post by andreams: How on earth can ever do anything about this unless we start by accepting our own privilege and prejudices? Be grateful for your good fortune. Treat people fairly. Accept your limitations. I can do the above things, but I'm just one person. You're just one person. I'm not naive enough to believe that I have any power to change the world. Prejudice and privilege are two sides of the same coin. I'm not sure why it's so controversial to admit that either exists. Because accusing somebody else of being prejudiced or privileged is judgmental and offensive, particularly when you are judging somebody (C-Cat) as something (privileged) based on the fact that he is a white man (prejudiced). So, see, now we're back to wondering what the point of this thread was. First it was calling a specific individual out. Then it was calling all young, white men out. Then it was disclaiming calling anybody out. You've backpedaled so much you're back where you started. What point are you trying to make? How on earth is it accusatory to point out someone's privilege? I'm privileged. I'm white. I grew up middle class. I'm Canadian. I don't have any disabilities. I could go on and on. And I'm not sure where anyone is getting the idea that I said CCat was privileged. I fully admitted to making an insinuation about his intelligence. I don't know anything about CCat, beyond the stupid ** that his persona posts here, so I can't and won't comment on his privilege. And I never have. "Privilege, explained in a way that young, white males can understand" goes to the fact that the blog post** was written for a young white male audience. Take issue with the blog post. Lots of people all over the internet have. But don't put words in my mouth. Because you are dismissing and invalidating the adversity of all young white men. And purportedly in order to instruct them to validate others. Seriously, the irony in here is palpable.
The Lounge	Privilege, explained in a way that young, white males can understand	May 20 2012 18:36 (UTC)	12
Original Post by andreams: Original Post by lysistrata: Original Post by andreams: How on earth can ever do anything about this unless we start by accepting our own privilege and prejudices? Be grateful for your good fortune. Treat people fairly. Accept your limitations. I can do the above things, but I'm just one person. You're just one person. I'm not naive enough to believe that I have any power to change the world. Prejudice and privilege are two sides of the same coin. I'm not sure why it's so controversial to admit that either exists. Because accusing somebody else of being prejudiced or privileged is judgmental and offensive, particularly when you are judging somebody (C-Cat) as something (privileged) based on the fact that he is a white man (prejudiced). So, see, now we're back to wondering what the point of this thread was. First it was calling a specific individual out. Then it was calling all young, white men out. Then it was disclaiming calling anybody out. You've backpedaled so much you're back where you started. What point are you trying to make?
The Lounge	Weekend	May 20 2012 18:31 (UTC)	11
At the office. Will leave for golf in a half an hour. Fore!!
The Lounge	Using 401k to pay off student loans	May 20 2012 18:21 (UTC)	6
Just google any loan calculator. It'll break down the amortization and the total interest payments for you for any payment amount or time period you put in.
The Lounge	Using 401k to pay off student loans	May 20 2012 06:07 (UTC)	10
Unless I am missing something, that is a terrible strategy. In addition to a penalty for early withdrawal, your 401k earnings will be taxed at probably 15-25%. So, you are paying 15% to save 8%. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me. But otherwise, yes, paying down the principal on your student loans is a good idea. You're better off just paying extra each month instead of saving up a bunch to pay at once, because you'll pay down the principal faster, and that means less interest over the life of the loan.
The Lounge	Privilege, explained in a way that young, white males can understand	May 20 2012 05:14 (UTC)	22
Original Post by andreams: How on earth can ever do anything about this unless we start by accepting our own privilege and prejudices? Be grateful for your good fortune. Treat people fairly. Accept your limitations.
Vegetarian	Just need to vent!	May 20 2012 01:29 (UTC)	2
Original Post by sabina02: It's funny how you seem to be embarrassed to tell a guy that you are a vegetarian because as you say he might judge you, yet you are not a vegetarian (because you eat seafood). You contradict yourself. In my experience, the reason other people judge you is because you are not eating the same things they are. The label is not particularly important. I understood exactly what the OP meant.
Vegetarian	Why are YOU a Vegetarian/Vegan?	May 20 2012 01:26 (UTC)	1
I started about six years ago when I was getting really into yoga. Around the same time, I also met my husband, who fed me broccoli and spinach and got me to like them for the first time in my life. I decided to try it, and it felt really good, and it (mostly) stuck. I don't have a particularly defined philosophy for why I eat the way I do. In general, I think it's healthier to eat less meat and fat, and in general, I prefer to not kill things. I definitely agree that it's cheaper.
The Lounge	Privilege, explained in a way that young, white males can understand	May 20 2012 01:03 (UTC)	25
Empiricism, explained in a way that young, postmodern intellectuals can understand. When people divide into categories to illustrate the idea of diversity, it reinforces the idea of the categories. Which, if you think about it, is the essential problem of prejudice in the first place. People aren't prejudiced against real people; they're prejudiced against categories. "Sure, John is gay," they'll say, "but he's not like other gays." Their problem isn't with John, but with gay people in general. Categories are dehumanizing. They simplify the complexity of a human being. So focusing people on the categories increases their prejudice. The solution? Instead of seeing people as categories, we need to see people as people.
The Lounge	Weekend	May 20 2012 01:01 (UTC)	23
Original Post by kevinatthebrook: Is tomorrow golf? Yep. Haven't swung a club since this same tournament last year!