queencallipygos

For Seiberwing:

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:27:17 GMT

"So your definition of the word 'cult' is that it's a word that shouldn't be used at all, as far as I can tell."

No -- only that it should be used with GREAT care, and pertaining to a very SPECIFIC set of actions.

"While I agree that it should be used less, last I heard from my Psych classes was that a cult was defined as something harmful to its members, containing brainwashing in the most literal sense of the term that does not involve actual dishwashing liquid, and refused to let its members leave. Scientology does all of this."

My biggest disagreement with you probably goes to the DEGREE of brainwashing. You quoted this passage from the OCRT site:

"Popular, media usage: A cult is considered a small, evil religious group, often with a single charismatic leader, that engages in brainwashing and other mind control techniques, believes that the end of the world is imminent, and collects large amounts of weaponry in preparation for a massive war. "

The difference FOR ME is that while Scientology IS definitely manipulative, it is only using FINANCES as a manipulation tool, as opposed to starving people and subjecting them to sleep deprivation as a manipulation tool. YOu get pressured to gradually spend more and more money to get yourself into "Clear" or whatever, but at no time are you asked to move onto a compound, turn all your estate outright over to anyone, and live on gruel and sleep only four hours a day.

THAT is the difference for me -- you are manipulated wildly, yeah, but they are STILL falling just shy of the Jonestown/Waco/Hale-Bopp-Comet model, and THAT is where I draw the line.

" And...why do you have a problem with people fighting an evil organization anyway?"

I never said I had a problem with people fighting an evil organization. I am only saying I am having a problem with people saying that a religion IS an evil organization, as opposed to just an organization that evil people use to their own ends. Fight all the evil organizations you want -- hell, fight religions if you want too. Just tread carefully with religions, is all I hope people do when doing so.

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 21:05:51 GMT

If you just asked me a question about my default icon and I linked you here –

Hi! Yeah, I loved this icon too, and I asked the person I saw using it if I could take it too. They told me what it was from, but I promptly forgot it. And then forgot it the next couple times someone else asked and then another someone else answered for me.

So when frequentmouse answered yet again here, I decided to copy the answer and paste it here:

Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers; the conversation about ducks breaks a rather fraught verbal dance around Lord Peter's feelings about Harriet Vane, taking place in a punt on the Cher.

Huzzah!

the FW song meme...

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 21:06:44 GMT

...This post is more for my own reference -- I found once a good way to deal with trolls is to sing nonsense songs at them. So here's some for my easy reach.

Any old iron, any old iron,
Any any any old iron
You look neat - talk about a treat,
You look dapper from your napper to your feet,
Dressed in style, brand new tile,
And your father's old green tie on,
But I wouldn't give you tuppence for your old watch chain,
Old iron, old iron.
---
I'm Henry the eighth I am
Henry the eighth I am, I am
I got married to the widow next door
She's been married seven times before
And every one was an Henry
She wouldn't have a Willy or a Sam
I'm her eighth old man, I'm Henry
Henry the eighth I am

Second verse same as the first

I'm Henry the eighth I am
Henry the eighth I am, I am...
--
I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts
There they are all standing in a row
Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head
Give them a twist a flick of the wrist
That’s what the showman said
I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts
Every ball you throw will make me rich
There stands my wife, the idol of me life
Singing roll a bowl a ball a penny a pitch
---
The muffin man is seated at the table in the laboratory of the utility muffin research kitchen... reaching for an oversized chrome spoon he gathers an intimate quantity of dried muffin remnants and brushing his scapular aside procceds to dump these inside of his shirt...he turns to us and speaks:

Some people like cupcakes better. I for one care less for them!

--
Be courteous, kind and forgiving,
Be gentle and peaceful each day,
Be warm and human and grateful,
And have a good thing to say.
Be thoughtful and trustful and childlike,
Be witty and happy and wise,
Be honest and love all your neighbors,
Be obsequious, purple, and clairvoyant.
Be pompous, obese, and eat cactus,
Be dull, and boring, and omnipresent,
Criticize things you don't know about,
Be oblong and have your knees removed.
Be tasteless, rude, and offensive,
Live in a swamp and be three dimensional,
Put a live chicken in your underwear,
Get all excited and go to a yawning festival.
---
Hullo, boys and girls, this is your ol' pal Stinky Wizzleteats. This is a song about a whale. No! This is a song about being happy. That's right! It's the happy-happy joy-joy song!

Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy joy!

I'll teach you to be happy. I'll teach your grandmother to suck eggs! ...Now, boys and girls, let's try again!

Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy joy!

If'n you ain't the granddaddy of all liars!

The little critters of nature -- they don't know that they're ugly!

That's very funny -- a fly marrying a bumblebee!

I told you I'd shoot! But you didn't believe me! Why didn't you believe me!

Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy joy joy
Happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy joy joy joy!

---

Boiled beef and carrots,
Boiled beef and carrots,
That's the stuff for your "Derby Kell",
Makes you fit and keeps you well.
Don't live like vegetarians
On the stuff they give to parrots,
From Morn til' night, blow out your kite
On boiled beef and carrots.

Hi!

Fri, 03 Feb 2006 15:26:36 GMT

Thanks to Biting_Moopie, I have an account now.

I mainly blog over at Livejournal (I have the same name over there), but a day job which gives me little to do means I lurk in Fandom Wank and the like a lot during the day. So I'll mainly be doing that. Just wanted to make one post to introduce myself...

* I live in New York.
* I work in theater, as a stage manager and literary manager.
* I have a cat.
* I suck at playing sports, but usually if I'm in the middle of a group of people who also suck and they say "hey, let's just play softball for the hell of it" I'd be all for it.
* The same goes for dancing.
* I know a really sick amount of trivia, particularly having to do with history and Irish culture.
* I am unashamed of my affection for THE X-FILES and U2.

I'll probably add to this as time progresses. But thanks.