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00:00
I still dream of our first cat about once a month. In fact I think I dreamed of him yesterday.
user19161
@Cerberus Would you care to enlighten me again? It's OK if you don't want to. :)
Sure...
Maybe if I get a big house I would have more than one room, and then I would be able to keep the cat out of the bedroom. Someday.
@Cerberus really? That is so sweet. About your cat.
@aedia Yeah he was the best cat ever. You could do anything with or to him, he didn't mind.
@JasperLoy There you are.
Will disappear in a minute.
user19161
@Cerberus OK done!
00:03
@Cerberus: Is that you?
It is Middle Head.
Ah. And who make up Right and Left head?
user19161
@Cerberus Now you are confusing me again!
I cut them off, they weren't in the mood.
@JasperLoy I don't know about you, but I don't eat dog meat or cat meat, so I see no problem with keeping dogs or cats as pets. People I know who have raised rabbits or chickens say that the key is to not give them names. Once you've named them, they're pets, and you have to be a very hardened carnivore (or very hungry, or raised on a farm) to eat them.
00:04
Yes I was! You just wanted all the attention, Middle.
user19161
@Martha Right. What I meant was that a pet-lover who seems to care so much even about animals shouldn't eat them (even those they don't keep as pets).
@aedia It depends on how allergic you are. If you don't get asthma or something from being around cats, you can get accustomed to one particular cat.
I hope so!
@aedia You will get more than one room! Some day, it will happen.
Happened to me last year.
@Cerberus: So...your heads...have...incest?
00:08
Eh, incest? Why that?
I had two rooms once, but I sacrificed them for the commute.
Understandable. A brave sacrifice.
user19161
@cerberus I must say you look very good!
@JasperLoy This doesn't make logical sense. A horse is not is not a dog is not a cat is most definitely not a rat. I can adore cats and detest dogs, or vice versa. Same with every other animal. And I can consider some animals as "food" and others as "pet".
I'm just confused now
00:09
@JasperLoy Thanks! You too.
@Martha So you would never taste dog in China?
@Cerberus What about the rest of us?
Don't make me tell you two to get a room
@simchona You want me to ask the rest of you whether you would taste dog?
user19161
@Martha I see. I understand what you mean now. I think you understand what I mean too.
I meant the pictures.
I'm fine not eating dog
@Cerberus Probably not, no. At least not knowingly. Apart from the pet thing, I don't think humans should eat carnivorous mammals.
00:11
@simchona Now I sort of get the incest thing... but I hadn't mentioned eating dog then? You puzzle my poor brain too much!
@Martha No carnivorous animals? Why not?
@Cerberus: It wasn't the eating dog part. It was the cutting of Left and Right because they weren't in the mood.
Ohh... but why is cutting people off incest?
In the mood.
Well, to know they weren't in the mood would require...needing that kind of mood
snickers
00:12
With your...heads
Your own heads
The mood, I see.
My prudish brain skipped that innuendo...
Well, you know, one must be firm sometimes.
@Cerberus Too much opportunity for accumulated toxins. Fish are OK because they're so different from mammals, although you still need to watch out for mercury levels and such.
snicker
user19161
00:13
@Cerberus I don't think that adjective fits you!
THWACK!!! to the lot of you. Hmph.
Right, toxins.
user19161
I only eat chicken and fish mostly.
@Martha I'm not sure... do pigs count as carnivores? And aren't beef and chicken bad for you too?
@JasperLoy And yet it does, like a glove!
@Martha Not my fault! We were innocent!
user19161
@Cerberus Now you are confusing me yet again!
00:14
Pigs are omnivores if allowed to forage on their own. Most pork you can get these days is fed a mostly-vegetarian diet.
user19161
@Cerberus Why is chicken bad? It is white meat, not red meat.
Red meat isn't bad for you. Fuzzy blue-green meat is bad for you.
user19161
@Martha Now you are confusing me too! Never heard of blue-green meat.
@JasperLoy That was some sort of self-contradictory innuendo that I didn't quite get myself...
user19161
Now I know why this is called the incomprehensible room. People like to confuse one another.
00:16
@JasperLoy Lots of bad resistant bacteria in it, like MRSA.
Also, what brought up the pic flashing?
Kit
Kit
Wha—? At least I know I'm in the right room; I've no idea what's going on.
@JasperLoy It can generally be found in the back recesses of the refrigerator of frat houses and dorm rooms inhabited by males.
Kit
Kit
@simchona I liked your answer on the over/under question.
@Martha Red meat increases one's chance of getting intestinal cancer, they say...
00:17
@Kit: Thank you!
@Martha Haha, I would almost thwack you myself!
Kit
Kit
@Cerberus gasp!
@simchona I don't remember... I think it started with my posting a picture of an electrical storm over a volcano.
user19161
@Martha I see. Interestingly, I have stayed in rented places with males and females before. I find that the females are the ones who will have blue-green meat instead!
@Kit Don't worry, I wouldn't. You know me.
00:18
Volcano --> self portrait?
@simchona Volcano => portal to Hades
I think.
OHHHHHH
Kit
Kit
@Cerberus Yep.
Last time I checked.
user19161
@simchona I wanted to see what dear Cerberus looked like, so he was kind to show me, but he is too shy to leave it there you see. :)
Kit
Kit
Had a hell of a time getting a visa, though.
00:19
To here?
Kit
Kit
@JasperLoy He's young and handsome, though.
@Cerberus To Hades.
user19161
@Kit How do you know?
@Cerberus There was nothing punny about what I said. Hmph.
Kit
Kit
@JasperLoy I was there for that.
@Kit Yeah, we don't let everybody in.
Kit
Kit
00:21
It was right around when we started talking about his Nobs, the right jack.
@Cerberus I would think the problem would be letting people back out.
@Martha "Recesses"? Not quite, but...
Kit
Kit
@Cerberus Contrary to popular belief...
user19161
@Kit I see. I saw it too. Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret @cerberus!
@Martha That, alas, we cannot do.
@Kit No, you need an obol under your tongue and whatnot.
Kit
Kit
00:22
You can get back out, you just have to leave your soul behind.
@Cerberus Obol...lemme see...
@Kit Well, sure, as a ghost you might wander the earth longingly.
Kit
Kit
No, wait, you can get out completely if you don't eat anything while you are there, right?
But you need to be at the main desk for that, I don't have those forms with me here.
Ah, so Hell is a bureaucracy
@Kit There was (is?) a mouthwash in Hungary by that brand name.
Kit
Kit
00:23
@Cerberus Is that to pay Charon?
@Martha Freaky.
@Kit Ehh you should ask Hades, that's not my business. I just jump up against whomever he points out to me.
@Kit Yup.
user19161
@simchona This reminds me of the question Should Hell be capitalised, in which I got 2 downvotes followed by six upvotes.
Kit
Kit
@Cerberus I should have checked Wikipedia first.
Well, it's a place isn't it?
China, Asia, Europe, Hell
2
@JasperLoy I think it is officially not capitalized, not by the OED... but I'd be in favour of it!
user19161
00:25
@simchona Well, you can see my answer. :)
Kit
Kit
@simchona Well, it's a place, isn't it? :P
@simchona Indeed. The Attic, the Sea, the Sky...
user19161
@Cerberus equator is also not capitalised.
Kit
Kit
Hell is a proper noun.
In this context.
Yes, but equator mainly describes its function. Though I suppose a case could be made for capitalizing it too.
00:26
Then you get Ecuador
See?
user19161
If you read enough bibles, you will see that it is not capitalised in most of them.
I don't have a strong preference in this matter.
user19161
Oh now Hell is starred too!
Kit
Kit
And the Bible is infallible, written in English by Jesus himself, so it must be correct to leave it capitalized then.
00:28
I can't find out if unicorns have souls. I will never get out of here now.
user19161
@Kit The giggle actually makes it less funny.
Kit
Kit
@JasperLoy Fixed it.
user19161
@aedia You can ask on Mythology SE.
user19161
But since they are not real, you can suppose whatever you want.
@simchona I am glad to see that you have no New-Worldy prejudice.
00:31
I am too real! pouts
@Kit Good point.
@Cerberus: Like Texas, California, George Bush, Hell?
Kit
Kit
@JasperLoy Unicorns are most certainly real. Don't be silly.
user19161
@aedia Aedia is real, but unicorn is not.
@simchona See? You would never say that. Besides, Bush is only a place without a first name.
George means farmer.
user19161
00:32
@Kit We should ask on Philosophy SE. What is real? 100 upvotes!
@Cerberus Speaks wonders to his intelligence.
Kit
Kit
@Cerberus Bush farming. guffaw
Yup!
Kit
Kit
@JasperLoy If you can prove the non-existence of unicorns, I will believe you.
user19161
What is logic? Who decides reason? Quiz: Who said that in what movie?
Kit
Kit
00:34
Samuel L Jackson in the Matrix.
user19161
Not that I know...
user19161
Hmm, I'm surprised nobody watched this...
user19161
It's one of my favourite movies of all time.
Kit
Kit
OK, what is it?
user19161
A Beautiful Mind. John Nash played by Russell Crowe.
user19161
00:36
The words may not be exact though.
Kit
Kit
I really like that movie.
I don't remember that line though.
user19161
I have the VCD. It's the speech at the end.
Kit
Kit
It inspired me to stop taking my meds.
(she said cryptically)
user19161
I read the book too. The real story is a bit different.
user19161
Another great math movie is Good Will Hunting.
user19161
00:39
And another one is Proof, the one with Gwyneth Paltrow.
Kit
Kit
@JasperLoy Yeah, and it's Bostonian, so it is right in my baliwick.
@JasperLoy I've not heard of that one.
I watch a lot of movies but I must admit they are kind of in one eye, out the other for me, unless they terrify me or make me cry.
user19161
@aedia I cry over movies quite often. I am a sensitive guy...
Kit
Kit
I like movies for the same reason I like books. I love a good story.
Books are so much more sensual though.
user19161
Breaking Dawn will be out later this year, for all Twilight fans...
user19161
00:43
And Taylor Lautner fans, of which I am one.
Kit
Kit
horf
Excuse me while I clean up that vomit.
user19161
Why vomit?
user19161
You don't like the guy.
Don't like the books. But the movies are tolerable mindless entertainment.
(Well, that's me. Dunno about Kit.)
user19161
Don't like to read movie books either, though I know most stories come from the books.
Kit
Kit
00:46
Time for a cuppa. Anyone else?
user19161
I am having tea now...
I actually resisted all things Twilight until I was at my cousin's place in Hungary and bored, and the only thing on their DVR that wasn't a dubbed version of something I'd seen in the original was the first movie. (All movies in Hungary are dubbed by the same. set. of. voice. actors. who. have. been. doing. it. for. the. last. 40. years. I'm not kidding.)
@JasperLoy Oh, I ordinarily much prefer the books to the movies. Twilight is very much the exception.
@Kit It's time and past time for dinner, but I have to finish this stupid report first.
Kit
Kit
Agh. Reports.
I should be trying to find the elusive bug in my code, but decided this is more fun.
user19161
You all should be writing your reports. No skiving. Bye...
@JasperLoy Well, that was sudden! Bye!
00:51
@Kit I just got home. Want a beer? Just a few left in the fridge.
Always gives the illusion of productivity, beer does.
Kit
Kit
@JasperLoy Bye!
@aedia Depends on what you've got...
Ooh, just remembered I haven't eaten my fruit today! Lessee what my daddy packed for me today... yum, mango! And it's even mostly ripe! Pardon me while I go drip elsewhere.
Flying Dog Horn Dog Barley Wine ale, or Dogfish Head Midas Touch?
@aedia Hey I'm not calling you Land Narwhal or something; what is this?
Kit
Kit
@Martha Ooooohhhhh, mango!
00:55
The latter is also supposed to have barley. I think it's like, an ancient recipe reconstructed. Or something.
Kit
Kit
@aedia I'll take the ale, if you don't mind.
@Cerberus what is what?
Kit
Kit
@Cerberus Beer names, poochy. Calm down.
Still using phone as I prepare dinner. Can't see arrows.
Bit of a hindrance.
@Kit Oh. Thank goodness.
Kit
Kit
00:57
Hey, @Cerberus, will you please, please write a nice answer for my question?
I can't stand the only answer. It's making my very unhappy.
@Kit Oh dear... but I am sort of retired! To what question?
And by prepare dinner I mean clean up the dishes I forgot to do yesterday while I drink a beer and find some food.
Kit
Kit
3
Q: His Knobs, the right jack in the game of cribbage

KitBefore we got married, my husband taught me cribbage as his way of showing me how important our relationship was to him. One of the points in cribbage is for having "the right jack," or the jack whose suit matches the flip card. There are two (that I know of) alternate names for this card. O...

The one we were talking about earlier.
@Kit But I don't know the answer!
Kit
Kit
Maybe @MattEllen will do it.
00:58
All I have is those OED quotes.
Kit
Kit
@Cerberus Our discussion was more informative than the answer that's currently up.
I said something but I don't remember what it was.
Kit
Kit
You could write "knobs is British slang for knackers, bollocks, or testicles" and it would be better than what's up right now.
@aedia You could give an answer then!
The possibilities are much more complex than the existing, thoughtless answer indicates, and FF's stupid comment doesn't help.
I'd do it myself, but I hate answering my own questions.
All I want is an answer that has a little thought put into it.
You could read the transcript when Cerberus and I were talking about it. Most of the interesting bits are there. Also, Matt Ellen had a tidbit about "jack."
You know, my command of English slang isn't great.
I don't have a feel for all of the nobs and nibs.
Kit
Kit
At least a thoughtful answer might stimulate other helpful answers.
The one that's up now just says "nobs means head." I mean, duh. I know that.
01:07
@Kit: I'm trying to research it now
Kit
Kit
@simchona Oh thanks!
Are you checking the chat transcript?
Roughly what time was that?
Kit
Kit
About 1pm local.
Here's a good starting point:
8 hours ago, by Kit
@Rhodri He's working on it. The links have useful information. But the answer itself is lackluster.
Kit
Kit
@Martha Thanks. I was looking but then the baby erupted in a rage.
01:16
@Kit Aw. Poor baby. What was he upset about?
Kit
Kit
@Martha Being awake, I think.
-1
Q: What's a good marketing phrase alternative for the phrase "a simple [x] service without clutter" ?

PacerierWhat's a good marketing phrase alternative for the phrase "a simple [x] service without clutter"? By "without clutter" I mean without additional unnecessary stuff that the users usually don't bother with. It's a service that does the job without troubling the user with unnecessary details. EDIT...

@Kit Ah, that. A friend of ours says that the sandman must retire bruised & battered from the field whenever the niece finally falls asleep.
plz vote to close my peeps
(and btw good evening to everyone)
also, this:
Kit
Kit
Hi @JSBangs!
01:18
0
Q: Word for "self-fulfilling prophecy"

shinynewbikeI'm looking for a word, if one exists, to describe a self-fulfilling prophecy. I have only prediction at the moment, but it does not fit the context which is exactly that of a negative self-fulfilling prophecy, but a bit short of a curse. Usage (in negative sense): Whenever she comments about ...

^ this has to be some kind of record, where the word the asker is looking for is there in the title
@JSBangs Well, to be precise, that's a phrase, not a word.
@Martha technically, this is true. but technically, i don't care, as this is exhibit A in "bad single-word-request questions"
@JSBangs z7sg bashed my asnwer...which said "use self-fulfilling prophecy"
also, @Kit I posted something
@simchona your answer is actually pretty good. i'm voting to close the question, but +1 to you in the meantime
Kit
Kit
@simchona Thanks, that's great! Feel like adding more?
01:22
@JSBangs: Thank you. On what grounds should the catchphrase question be closed?
Kit
Kit
I've got some other stuff that is interesting.
@Kit: I'll add more as I find it. My workplace blocks "gaming" sites, but I'd be happy to flesh it out
@simchona i voted off-topic. we don't write marketing slogans for people
Kit
Kit
@simchona Cool. I really appreciate it. I'll get the ball started for the upvoting.
@JSBangs I can't vote to close, but I'm here cheering you on.
01:24
btw, @Kit. care to explain this? Before we got married, my husband taught me cribbage as his way of showing me how important our relationship was to him
Kit
Kit
@JSBangs Sure. What's unclear?
@Kit why was cribbage in particular significant as a way of establishing affection?
Kit
Kit
Playing cribbage was a meaningful past-time for his family and close friends.
Also, it involves a level of intelligence that his other girlfriends lacked.
Awwww
so teaching you was a way of inviting you into the family, so to speak?
i come from a big card-playing family, so i can understand that
the real question is, do you beat him?
2
Kit
Kit
01:29
@JSBangs Yes.
@JSBangs That's a rather personal question, don't you think?
It's a good balance; he's double skunked me once in eight years, but usually it's about 50-50 odds.
@Kit beat him at cribbage, dear. your other activities are between the two of you, not that you've ever hesitated to share them in the past :P
3
Kit
Kit
@JSBangs Oh, I've not shared plenty of things about me.
@Kit wonderful! one must keep a sense of mystery about oneself
half the things i say about myself here are lies, for example, but i'm not telling you which half
@Kit: added more
Kit
Kit
@simchona I was going to say that "his Nobs" is also sometimes called "his Nibs," which I've seen as meaning "an important person" (same as Nobs) but also "heels." Also, cribbage was developed from an older game called Noddy, where noddy means fool, and it was called the Knave Noddy.
Jinx!
Sort of.
01:34
do you guys play muggins?
Kit
Kit
@JSBangs We call it cutthroat.
But yes.
@Kit: Haha, interesting. I wonder how many definitions just kind of merged
Kit
Kit
@simchona That bit about white-nob was very interesting. It makes the connection between nob as head and nob as important person.
@Kit: I'm researching the Noddy/Knave Noddy bit
Kit
Kit
@simchona I think the nibs part is important, because of the "two for his Heels" phrase. That makes it seem as though both nobs/nibs and his Nobs/his Nibs are cleverly intertwined with head/heels.
01:40
@Kit: It looks like there's a nibs/nobs debate
@Kit: And now you have a Wikipedia entry.
nibbles cheese
Is this off topic?
0
Q: Now that that's over...

TK KocheranHow can I change the phrase Now that that's over... to sound less redundant? Is this phrasing acceptable, grammatically speaking?

Kit
Kit
@simchona On topic, but probably a dupe.
01:55
Huh. "Now that's over." Let's just make it a dupe of all the that-eliding questions. Must be one of those somewhere.
10
Q: How do you handle "that that"? The double "that" problem

VolomikeHave you ever had a case where you felt compelled to include strange things like a double that in a sentence? If so, then what did you do to resolve this? For me, I never knew whether it was acceptable grammar. However, what I did learn was that it was a logic distractor, could lead to confusion...

What's up with all these people wanting to know if things are redundant, anyway? I like extra redundant redundancy.
Department of Redundancy Department
It's not like it's super extra mega double wrong or anything. It can be double-plus good.
Kit
Kit
@simchona Really nice. I wish I could give you extra upvotes for that. It's terrific.
01:57
@Kit: Thanks!
Kit
Kit
Your reference to nabs reminds me that there is a connection between nabs, knabb, and knave. And knave of course is another word for jack.
I found a reference that says "nob" = penis
Kit
Kit
Oh. I guess I am wrong about knabb/knave.
@Kit Knaap is maybe what you're thinking of?
Kit
Kit
@aedia Yes, must be. I wish they were related. That would make it so pretty and neat.
02:10
@Kit Well, en.wiktionary.org/wiki/knabo#Old_High_German at least has the b in it? Although god only knows how it's supposed to be pronounced.
I really like that wiktionary uses "whence". That is making my night.
@Cerberus is back! Mah doggies, you disappeared for a whiles. I thought you was sleepin'.
@aedia I am trying to play and install Civ 4, and was having computer trouble...
Sleep is for the weak, or something!
Kit
Kit
I have it installed on mine, if you want to hang out.
@Cerberus jumps up and down you play Civ?
I can never get anyone to play against me!
Also, I pretty much never finish games when they are against only computers. So I'm pretty sure I'm still terrible at it.
Kit
Kit
You can play against someone?
Yes!
It's more of a pain when you're not on the same network. But it's possible. I think some of the older versions had like a play by mail sorta thingie.
Civ 5 I only have through um, whatchamacallit. Steam.
02:18
OMG @aedia and @Cerb I LOVE CIV 4
it's probably my favorite game
@aedia Of course I do! Who doesn't? Best game eva. Well, 1 was a comparatively larger giant amongst the dwarves of that time.
Civ 5 i do not have, though
Kit
Kit
@aedia There's a Civ 5? So that's what my husband has been hiding from me.
@aedia I have never played it against anyone! Is that fun?
i've played a few games against some friends of mine
02:20
@JSBangs Mineses too! And I don't have 5 either.
Kit
Kit
I wonder if @Martha could tolerate Civ 4 talk better than WMT.
I am trying to install the mod Fall from Heaven at the moment.
It is said to be great.
We'll just make a Civ room if necessary, hehe...
@Cerberus i've played that, as well
it was fun, but honestly i still like the base game best
well, base + Beyond the Sword
@Cerberus Do you even have to ask?
People are way better than computers!
Right now I am upset because I cannot find my Civ 4 play disc. I can find my husband's. I wonder if that will work.
@JSBangs Hmm... interesting; why so?
02:23
I have binders and binders of game discs but somehow it's always mine that go missing.
as exciting as this conversation is, i have something work-like to do
@Cerberus familiarity, mostly
some of the FFH stuff seemed unbalanced, though
i should give it another shot
Yet I can find piles and piles of linux boot discs. Arrgh!
but ANYWAY i'm out for the night
@aedia I don't know, I generally cannot muster the patience to wait for people's turns! Besides, I haven't installed any of the network and PvP things...
@JSBangs OK, later!
See ya on the flip side, @JSB!
Aha! I put it safely in a binder of completely unrelated things.
02:27
Of course!
Kit
Kit
Good night all!
G'night, @Kit, hope the baby sleeps well!
Anybody still staying up?
Me!
Yay!
02:32
Right now, anyway
Do you understand past/present perfect?
@Kit Night!
@simchona Um. Sort of.
0
Q: Is this the right way to use past perfect ?

Tasos PapanikolaouIs this the right way to use past perfect? For the last 3 years I have been having contact with somebody.

Did I answer right? (Note: the accepted answer doesn't answer the question)
Inasmuch as I'm a native speaker and I don't understand any grammar.
02:33
(Me neither. I learned tenses from French)
Looks better than the accepted answer at least.
I like this picture, but after I spent all this time finding it I realized it doesn't name the tenses.
20
Q: How do the tenses in English correspond temporally to one another?

RobustoNon-native speakers often get confused about what the tenses in English mean. With input from some of the folk here I've put together a diagram that I hope will provide some clarity on the matter. I offer it as the first answer to this question. Consider it a living document. Input is welcome, ...

That would be a great reference, but often people who are learning English are trying to match tenses to examples
@simchona (Spanish)
(And I'm still not sure I understand 'em 'cause it's not like we've got a 1:1 correspondence here)
02:56
The OP asked twice, and then accepted the answer that said "it's right" without question

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