Folks: I deleted a bunch of comments, for a reason that I would think should be obvious -- they were laughably off-topic, discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a comment thread attached to a chemistry joke, for pete's sake.
I didn't have time to post a comment explaining this (I had to bathe the boys and put them to bed), but I thought that people would grasp what had happened. Instead, in the span of the next hour, people started an out-and-out foodfight related to the topic of the deleted comments. (The one worthwhile comment was Dr. Weevil's, which, while skating close to or over the edge as to civility, was at least kind of funny and on-topic, for a change.) This annoyed me even more than the initial excursion -- I thought people would get the message from the original deletion, but I guess they didn't.
In any case, I've deleted the follow-up comments. Everyone who's gotten into a froth over the original off-topic debate, just cool down for several hours. Then, if you want to post comments about chemistry jokes -- or post comments on other topics in threads related to posts on those topics -- please do that. But don't view every thread as an excuse to rant about your favorite cause.
I totally watched Bill Nye "The Science Guy" when I was 12, but I don't get the Iodine Phosphorus joke - and the Google search reveals nothing. Someone please explain :/
Eugene, Just is going to post again, he's not a registered user so even if you ban his address he can go to another computer.
See, so can I.
But, when he spouts off, if you want to ban the guy who rips him and defends you, my guess is this guy has much more spare time on his hands than me and you and is going to go to lengths neither of us will. You’re welcome to having to deal with him.
WAL: On one level, I appreciate your coming to my defense. But my goal for the comments is not to have people "rip" my critics "and defend[]" me. It's to have a thoughtful, interesting, enlightening discussion. When people defend me through name-calling, that tends to make the comment thread worse rather than better. (It also isn't much of an effective defense.) So when the debaters degenerate into "you're a coward" posts, I prefer to have them all go elsewhere, even if some of them were trying to defend me.
I just showed up here at 12:20 EDT to find the strangest set of comments, compared to the original post, I had ever seen here. This was a cute joke riddle. I liked it. But what is going on in the comments?
In my defense, I just saw "Da Vinci Code," which explains why I'm feeling a good deal *slower* than usual. Hopefully, those brain cells will regenerate.
I had a friend who had her initials tattooed on her backpack. I saw that her middle initial was K, so I asked her what it stood for. "Potassium", she replied.
I find it a little strange that I got deleted when I asked to people go get back on topic, and stop this fruitless debating about Israel. Am I missing something?
We used to do what we called Periodic Talk, sending messages using only what was available through Periodic Table abbreviations.
I remember there were even a few embedded messages on the Table itself. For instance CoNi CuZn (Connie Cousin-okay, it's a bit forced, but we worked with what we had). Then there's the wonderful Al SiPS ClArK.
Anyone who wants to read my "one worthwhile comment, . . . which . . . was at least kind of funny" (EV, 11:31pm) can see it at my site, along with another (much better) chemistry joke, the latter illustrated.
Would a firearm work in the vacuum of OuterSpace? I know theres no oxygen, but I seem to remember some middle school science teacher sayin that there was O2 in the gunpowder. And does anyone remember the different allotropes of Kryptonite? I remember there was only one that was lethal to superman. Would a conventional condom or diaphrahm be sufficient against
Supermans super sperm? Just wonderin..
1. As I recall, those are components of stainless steel, and thus could be used not only in knives.
2. Firearms would work in outer space. Downrange calculations would be greatly simplified, of course. The gunpowder contains its own O2, as it were--that's why it can ignite while sealed inside the cartridge.
I didn't have time to post a comment explaining this (I had to bathe the boys and put them to bed), but I thought that people would grasp what had happened. Instead, in the span of the next hour, people started an out-and-out foodfight related to the topic of the deleted comments. (The one worthwhile comment was Dr. Weevil's, which, while skating close to or over the edge as to civility, was at least kind of funny and on-topic, for a change.) This annoyed me even more than the initial excursion -- I thought people would get the message from the original deletion, but I guess they didn't.
In any case, I've deleted the follow-up comments. Everyone who's gotten into a froth over the original off-topic debate, just cool down for several hours. Then, if you want to post comments about chemistry jokes -- or post comments on other topics in threads related to posts on those topics -- please do that. But don't view every thread as an excuse to rant about your favorite cause.
"they were laughably off-topic"
Just curious.
Which part of the discussion had you laughing?
Wasn't too funny to me...
PS.
I think you are a chicken shit coward, Mr. Volokh.
You selectively delete, then misrepresent.
You want to control discussion, fine. Have the guts to own up to it, and don't hide behind "off topic" when your side is losing points.
Dear Pot:
You're looking pretty damn black today.
Sincerely,
Kettle
Which part of the discussion had you laughing?
The part where your Iodine Phosphorus finally got blocked?
Just, if you ever make me debate you here again, be prepared to dodge that question, again.
HLSbertarian: Funny! And actually even marginally on-topic.
Little Willie was a chemist.
Little Willie is no more.
For what he thought was H2O,
Was H2SO4
And of course this. Ban DHMO now! It's the deadliest chemical on earth.
See, so can I.
But, when he spouts off, if you want to ban the guy who rips him and defends you, my guess is this guy has much more spare time on his hands than me and you and is going to go to lengths neither of us will. You’re welcome to having to deal with him.
I knew the answer would make me feel stupid, but I didn't know it would be this bad. Jeez.
I remember there were even a few embedded messages on the Table itself. For instance CoNi CuZn (Connie Cousin-okay, it's a bit forced, but we worked with what we had). Then there's the wonderful Al SiPS ClArK.
Supermans super sperm? Just wonderin..
2. Firearms would work in outer space. Downrange calculations would be greatly simplified, of course. The gunpowder contains its own O2, as it were--that's why it can ignite while sealed inside the cartridge.
this poster has confused the comments section with a democracy, which it ain't.
I trust you found that bathing the boys involved fewer tantrums than moderating the comments? Perhaps the entire VC project is practice for parenting?
Then again, if the boys complain about being controlled by their Elders of Zion, they are on to something, no? :-)