Name one thing about modern day life that really irritates you

I can't get the quote button to leak anything anymore so we're all safe. But he's waiting on the other side.

when the DNA criminologist lies under oath, tampers with evidence and sends as many as 20,000 innocent people to jail. fucking DNA.. it's a fine line. 

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/04/12/annie-dookhan-key-figure-state-lab-scandal-released-from-prison/lp7q98UmWKucv4F7O3R4DI/story.html

I don't think it's so obvious that the benefits outweigh the negatives...I mean, on the macro/civilization level, technology nearly destroyed the world 30 years ago, and 40 years before that...technology gave us global warming...and with general AI and automation around the corner, we may have a work-free utopia or we might all fall into serfdom and corporate tyranny, or the prospects of someone developing a general AI might cause nuclear war ...in short, we now have the power to destroy humanity, so when all is said and done, science and technology might be the worst mistake humanity ever made, I guess we'll see...

On the micro/personal level, people are growing further and further out of tune with themselves and the sorts of environments we were 'designed' for...it's easy to forget (or not know in the first place) that we are in some very real sense like the killer whales kept in artificial environments at Seaworld...

there was a very interesting study done about what people from all cultures find beautiful, and the results were very clear: we find things beautiful when they look like environments our far-back ancestors lived in (e.g. Subsaharan Africa)...we are not infinitely malleable or adaptable, we literally need exposure to the greenery of nature to de-stress...we literally need fruit to be happy (the studies on both these things are kinda fascinating) and yet we are drifting further and further into a world where these things are quaint and esoteric

I mean, I genuinely love technology, but the costs are real, and most of the costs are invisible (we feel like something's amiss but can't articulate what exactly)...we are running some very very very old, primordial firmware with fussy driver compatibility requirements etc and so we should keep that in mind for whatever new programs we wanna write (or something like that...sorry I'm tired)

Here's the study on 'what we find most beautiful = what was useful for our ancestors':

http://www.npr.org/2013/06/14/174726813/are-some-things-universally-beautiful

  On 9/26/2016 at 4:44 AM, ignatius said:

when the DNA criminologist lies under oath, tampers with evidence and sends as many as 20,000 innocent people to jail. fucking DNA.. it's a fine line. 

 

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/04/12/annie-dookhan-key-figure-state-lab-scandal-released-from-prison/lp7q98UmWKucv4F7O3R4DI/story.html

Yeah shit like this terrifies me.

I work in the criminal justice system. Some of my colleagues, I'm amazed they manage to dress themselves every morning. 

That's my main argument when I debate with people who think we should bring back the death penalty "ok, you're accused of murder/rape/paedophilia, you know you're innocent. There's DNA evidence, it's sent to a lab where (mutual colleague's name) works. How confident are you the results will come back negative?"

the onset of the British autumn = too warm for coats, too wet for no coats, brolly is a bit sad, stetson would bring ridicule & hipster's have claimed most other head-wear

pets that escape and dig up/obliterate Mr Dementia/next door's lawn real fuckin badly, so that not only do you have to offer to reseed the grass you actually have to buy some top-soil & fill in the crater first, wtf dog, in yer bed

crisps

  On 9/26/2016 at 9:23 AM, hello spiral said:

 

  On 9/26/2016 at 4:44 AM, ignatius said:

when the DNA criminologist lies under oath, tampers with evidence and sends as many as 20,000 innocent people to jail. fucking DNA.. it's a fine line. 

 

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/04/12/annie-dookhan-key-figure-state-lab-scandal-released-from-prison/lp7q98UmWKucv4F7O3R4DI/story.html

 

Yeah shit like this terrifies me.

I work in the criminal justice system. Some of my colleagues, I'm amazed they manage to dress themselves every morning. 

 

That's my main argument when I debate with people who think we should bring back the death penalty "ok, you're accused of murder/rape/paedophilia, you know you're innocent. There's DNA evidence, it's sent to a lab where (mutual colleague's name) works. How confident are you the results will come back negative?"

 

In addition to that, there are thousands of cases delayed for years and years because justice agencies don't have resources to process the DNA kits in labs in a timely manner. In Austin, which is touted for being a progressive city often, it's a year turnaround for rape kits if they are tested at all.

Also that's why fucking CSI Miami and all those other justice porn/faux high tech shows are so irritating. 

  On 9/24/2016 at 3:21 AM, sweepstakes said:

 

  On 9/23/2016 at 7:18 PM, Amen Warrior said:

Reading sentences people have written that start with "Hell," or even worse "Heck,".

I will just stop reading at that point and will usually immediately turn off the device.

 

For example "Heck, with network speeds these days I don't even need to go into the office"

 

FUUUUCCCK OFFFFF YOU ABSOLUTE CUNT

lol, yeah, it's pretty cheez when done sincerely. Is it really that modern, though? Seems like more of a really dorky 50s kind of thing? Or maybe like some weird Texan or military officer thing? idk. When I hear that it reminds me of that kind of shitty wooden dialog they put in, like, Tom Clancy type books.

 

Well, here's the thing. You gotta go back to urr, umm. Hmm. aww shit.

Hell I dunno.

...Actually I do know. You're speaking of the cool and collected badass airliner pilot intercom voice, a now over-utilized and  common trope in America pop culture / media as well as a still very common trait among many in the military, government and other positions of authority. 

That link elaborates on a folkloric yet plausible explanation of how that occurred, as theorized by Tom Wolfe. Chuck Yeager, the pilot's pilot who broke the speed barrier, was essentially the most badass pilot until the space program. In turn his very distinct West Virginia drawl and mannerisms were emulated by other test pilots (who became astronauts) down to your run of the mill airliner crew member and then from there others who frequently used radios and crewed machinery...and those who subsequently changed to corporate and government office jobs...which is why it crops up in Tom Clancy novels. It does stem from actual accents common in Texas and parts of the South..particularly those who are neither the stereotypical Southern upper class nor backwood hillbillies. The kind that involves speaking without any rush or urgency and friendly but firm voice and is quite common among good ole' boy Texans like say W. Bush. 

I don't sound southern but like many non-accented / non-rural Texans I do start of good stories with "Wellll..." say "fixin' to" and "y'all" without even thinking twice, and I am partial to saying hell, heck (around kids), aww shit, and stupid stuff like "screwed the pouched" or "it boils down to." Sometimes I type that way. There ya go.

heck y'all, what what

  On 9/26/2016 at 7:43 PM, joshuatx said:

 

  On 9/24/2016 at 3:21 AM, sweepstakes said:

 

  On 9/23/2016 at 7:18 PM, Amen Warrior said:

Reading sentences people have written that start with "Hell," or even worse "Heck,".

I will just stop reading at that point and will usually immediately turn off the device.

 

For example "Heck, with network speeds these days I don't even need to go into the office"

 

FUUUUCCCK OFFFFF YOU ABSOLUTE CUNT

lol, yeah, it's pretty cheez when done sincerely. Is it really that modern, though? Seems like more of a really dorky 50s kind of thing? Or maybe like some weird Texan or military officer thing? idk. When I hear that it reminds me of that kind of shitty wooden dialog they put in, like, Tom Clancy type books.

Well, here's the thing. You gotta go back to urr, umm. Hmm. aww shit.

 

Hell I dunno.

 

...Actually I do know. You're speaking of the cool and collected badass airliner pilot intercom voice, a now over-utilized and common trope in America pop culture / media as well as a still very common trait among many in the military, government and other positions of authority.

 

That link elaborates on a folkloric yet plausible explanation of how that occurred, as theorized by Tom Wolfe. Chuck Yeager, the pilot's pilot who broke the speed barrier, was essentially the most badass pilot until the space program. In turn his very distinct West Virginia drawl and mannerisms were emulated by other test pilots (who became astronauts) down to your run of the mill airliner crew member and then from there others who frequently used radios and crewed machinery...and those who subsequently changed to corporate and government office jobs...which is why it crops up in Tom Clancy novels. It does stem from actual accents common in Texas and parts of the South..particularly those who are neither the stereotypical Southern upper class nor backwood hillbillies. The kind that involves speaking without any rush or urgency and friendly but firm voice and is quite common among good ole' boy Texans like say W. Bush.

 

I don't sound southern but like many non-accented / non-rural Texans I do start of good stories with "Wellll..." say "fixin' to" and "y'all" without even thinking twice, and I am partial to saying hell, heck (around kids), aww shit, and stupid stuff like "screwed the pouched" or "it boils down to." Sometimes I type that way. There ya go.

That is possibly the most obscure bit of scholarship I've ever encountered.

It only fucks me off when I see it written down, in for example btl comments on the guardian website. Verbally is fine especially if you're from southern US or a test pilot, or both ;)

people who write "fam" 

  On 9/26/2016 at 9:21 PM, keanu reeves said:

people who write "fam" 

innit bruv

yeh bae

  On 9/26/2016 at 9:21 PM, keanu reeves said:

people who write "fam"

I got you fam.

that's lit

The erosion of respect for "expertise" - or the false equivalency of having an opinion vs having an informed opinion.

Experts get things wrong, no doubt, but expertise is a real thing - and certification of expertise (through whatever method) is also an important thing, in all sorts of fields - electrician, scientist, educator, plumber, builder, vet, doctor etc etc etc.

It shits me to tears when I see hard earned expertise reduced to just another opinion among many.

I think the Internet has a lot to do with this shift

  On 9/26/2016 at 9:21 PM, keanu reeves said:

people who write "fam" 

You just did, cunt

masturbating with shower gel on a cocaine bender comedown and not understanding why your balls have gone al dry and flaky 30 hours later

  On 9/27/2016 at 12:55 AM, messiaen said:

masturbating with shower gel on a cocaine bender comedown and not understanding why your balls have gone al dry and flaky 30 hours later

He insults black culture and I'm the asshole? nice one 

  On 9/27/2016 at 1:14 AM, Blank said:

 

  On 9/27/2016 at 1:07 AM, Deer said:

He insults black culture and I'm the asshole? nice one 

[citation needed]

 

  Quote

 

 

It's short for family. 3 black people said it online so Thousands of white kids have adopted it into their vernacular.

 source : http://imgur.com/gallery/9VW1wHt

Nothing! I love everything! Tho I do step on flowers sometimes.

  On 9/27/2016 at 1:07 AM, Deer said:

He insults black culture and I'm the asshole? nice one 

It's not black culture, it's a bunch corny white boys jacking yardie slang (again). 

edit - no offense corny white boys. 

don't feed the (obnoxious, self-evident, unentertaining) troll.