craichead

AndyMan and I have watched this show occasionally...it's really quite entertaining in a stupid kind of way (as most reality TV shows are!). Most of the time they switch the moms of the families, which are worlds apart. One episode that was quite good was the "southern CA vegan, animal rights" family traded moms with the "down home LA bayou alligator farm" family. I think the moms live with their new families for two weeks. The even bigger twist in the show is that the moms get to decide how that $50,000 is to be used for their "new" family. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any "Part 2" episodes, so I don't know how any of the families turned out! _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

I second this! The book is a really quick read, too. I read it in college, and it circulated very quickly among my friends!

Oh, I love Billy Bragg! The majority of his early songs are very politically-charged, but they're quite catchy. When I saw him in concert a few years back, he seemed to be a lot more mellow...and the way he dances is really goofy and embarrassing (because he's someone's dad, he says). _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

LOL, looks like you "quite" worrying about your own word usage, too. BTW, it's "worse." Ugh, I know what you mean about that! _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

Again, you object to dead bodies being displayed in an extremely scientific and educational manner (maybe you'd see what I'm talking about if you had seen the show, but I'm guessing that you still haven't), yet you don't flinch at tourists going to see tsunami victims because it is simply "the world we live in"? Your argument still doesn't make much sense. One can learn quite a bit about human anatomy from the Body Worlds exhibition. A whole lot more than you can learn from simply going to a tsunami-stricken land and watching rotting dead bodies. Sure, you may learn something about the fragility of life and the tragedy of natural disasters, but who's going to explain why bodies swell and explode in 72 hours? Or should I go there and gawk just to see what it's like without understanding anything behind the decomposition process? Or did they label all of the body parts and have a placard explaining forensic science? Or perhaps there is an audio tour given by Dr. William Bass of the University of Tennessee Body Farm? Where do I sign up? Thanks for the congrats. I don't have the sensitivity of a brick; I simply have the sensibility and maturity level to view it as something that's highly valuable in its educational potential. I also have the sense to VIEW the exhibit I'm critiquing before I condemn and/or praise it. Just because von Hagen's father was a Nazi doesn't mean that he himself is. I'll take the high road and give him the benefit of the doubt since I don't know him personally. Who's to say that I haven't? I took advanced biology, chemistry and physics in high school and university. I also have three practicing medical doctors in my family with whom I've frequently and scientifically discussed illnesses and health issues. I used to accompany my father to the hospital to read x-rays, MRIs, and CAT scans with him. What you don't seem to understand is that you can not learn everything from a book. Do you skydive? Do you think you can completely understand and know how to skydive by reading a book? If you think you can, remind me to NEVER jump with you. So why is it inappropriate to show the rest of the bodies? It's okay if you take certain pieces out and separate them from the rest of the body? Wouldn't that be disrepectful to the person to have pieces of his body in different places? Or what if some parts were discarded and some were displayed? Or is it suddenly okay if it becomes educational? As I said, you can't learn everything from a book. Anatomy books are quite difficult to understand when you're reading them on your own with no professor to guide you, while museum exhibitions are easily accessible because they are designed for the masses. That's the whole point. You want to educate as many people as you can--that means presenting something that is understandable to someone who is 9 or someone who is 99, or someone who is an art student or someone who is a physical therapist. A lot of people are interested in art--why aren't art history books bestsellers? Because it's easier for people to go to a museum where they can see it presented in such a way that they can understand, and they can do so without having a professor lecture to them. Yes, it's far more interesting and entertaining, but just because it's entertaining doesn't mean it doesn't have educational value. _Pm P.S. -- By the way, what is it with YOUR fixation on the pregnant woman with the womb and fetus showing? Or is that the only controversy you have to refer to since that's all you've heard about, and you haven't even seen the exhibition for yourself? You remind me of Rudy Giuliani and his uproar about the Brooklyn Museum and Chris Ofili's artwork with elephant dung and porn mag cutouts. The people who haven't seen these "controversial" works make the most noise without knowing ANYTHING behind the exhibits and draw even more attention and encourage more people to go to the exhibit just to see what all the noise is about. __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

One of my favorites: http://www.spreadingsantorum.com/ _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

Yah...I guess it's okay if you're going to keep it parked on a DZ with decent facilities all the time, though. Oh well, we're not bidding on it! _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

Oh...now we know the REAL reason you're selling it... You just couldn't stand the carpet! _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

AndyMan and I are watching right now, too... Where is Andrew the carpenter from? He has a great accent, and he's HOT! Of course, my Andrew has a great Canadian accent and he's hot, too. AndyMan...HandyMan, same difference. _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

Happy birthday, Bo! _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

Oh wow, I LOVED those two shows...with James Burke! Yes, very disappointing that TLC doesn't show those anymore. _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

Hey Adam, are you sure your tattoo says what you think it says? http://www.soufoaklin.com/tattooartist.html Another link of interest: http://www.hanzismatter.com/ _Pm P.S. - Where ya been dude? Haven't seen you post whoring lately! __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

Eeeeek! I gotta find a dress to wear! You men have it too easy when it comes to dressing up. _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

Happy Birthday, Marc! Are you sure you're not 13 instead of 31? _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

So, you seem to be disturbed by the fact that people want to go see dead bodies that are set up in a very educational and scientific manner, and then you're encouraging people to go to Asia to see the dead bodies from the tsunami because it would be a good lesson? I don't get it. I, for one, find he human body extremely fascinating, and I'm not looking for a "thrill." If I wanted a good thrill, I'd go for a skydive. People go to this exhibition to satisfy their hunger for knowledge. Even though I'm not going into the medical field, I have curiosity about the way my body works. People are extraordinarily uneducated about the human body and what a truly beautiful piece of work it is. Just because I want to know the "anatomy" of my parachute and rig, and how they all work together, it doesn't mean I want to be rigger by trade. Don't you have curiosity about things outside of your occupation? I'm very sorry if you don't, because that has to be an extremely boring existence. I've had a series of problems with my shoulder and had surgery about 5 months ago. I've looked at countless fake models, charts, drawings, and anatomy books in my doctor's office and in physical therapy, but I could still never really wrap my head around what was going on in my shoulder. However, when I saw the muscles, nerves, tendons and ligaments all in place on a real body, it gave me a MUCH better understanding about the mechanics of my own body. There are also several segments of the exhibit that show smokers' lungs, enlarged hearts, ruptured arteries, hernias, joint replacements, the effects of extreme obesity, arthritic bones, and cancers of practically every organ. Just that alone will educate people on what happens when you don't take very good care of yourself. Maybe with this new found knowledge that people get from the exhibition is RESPECT for the human body, respect for the people who work to fix broken bodies, and ultimately more respect for other humans as a whole. If you've experienced this Body Worlds show (I'm guessing that you haven't since you're so against it), you'd see that underneath the clothes, skin color, body shape, nationality, religion, culture, whatever characteristic that differentiates us from each other, we're all pretty much the same. _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

Just for shits and giggles... Just because your uncle is an expert in gay activism doesn't necessarily make you one. _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

No problem, RR! I'll have a Kahlua Mudslide, please! Yah...I tried to bring it back on topic, but too little much too late, I guess. _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

Oh, and here's the follow-up to the article I posted above, with more perspectives from the gay community and the HIV/AIDS health care community: http://www.thestranger.com/2005-03-03/savage.html At the end of this article, Dan Savage writes that there will be more discussion on this very topic! Stay tuned.

Aw, hell...pass some over. Got any junior mints? Chocolate...peppermint...they're very refreshing! _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

Well, if anyone is still here for the original topic and not the bickering... Dan Savage's (of Savage Love) opinion about it is kind of interesting. Another gay person's perspective to throw out there... http://www.thestranger.com/2005-02-24/savage.html _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

Hey, I love Deuce, too! Those foam pictures are sexy! _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

Yeah, I've done it many times before in the exact same situation that was described in the case. Andy was driving and he stopped the car so that I could put half & half into our coffee. It's a common practice. Do I know that there is a chance of it spilling? Sure. Do I know that I could get burned from the spill? Sure. Do I know that the coffee is served at 185 degrees--hot enough to give me third degree burns?! HELL NO! I've received minor burns from spilling hot coffee on my hands, legs, whatever. I used to be a barista/coffee wench in college. The average temperature of hot coffee is 135-140 degrees. From experience I know that yes, it will hurt like hell if I happen to spill it on myself, but it won't give me severe burns that require emergency medical treatment. Typically, common sense comes from common knowledge. The point you seem to have missed is that it's not common knowledge that McDonald's coffee is 185 degrees and capable of causing third degree burns. How can you have common sense if you don't have the common knowledge? _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

I'll save AndyMan the trouble. He's the one who usually posts this link when the obligatory mention of the "'frivolous' lawsuit over Rotten Ronnie's hot coffee" comes up in these types of threads. http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cur78.htm _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

Did anybody else notice the family attorney's name? Vincent D'Assaro said... Wow, that says it all about that lawyer! _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)

Yup, that's what AndyMan and I did! Well, not a house, but a new condo. The money he could've spent on my engagement ring, we spent on really nice upgrades. _Pm __ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC)