Weekly readers’ beefs

January 10, 2016 • 11:00 am

Ah, opprobrium has been mercifully scarce lately, although it makes this post a lot less interesting. In fact, there’s been only one thing to show over the past couple of weeks (beyond those comments that have gone straight to spam): an attempted but futile comment by reader “Janye Best” on my post about the acceleration and power of the chameleon’s tongue (spelling is reproduced without correction):

Dude you know so little about biologly in an applicable relevant sense, as opposed to reading this blog for any information I usually ask my 14 year old what’s in her earth science book. Please blog about things that can actually contribute to the advancement of biology. Oh and please, you’re an atheist. Talk about that.

Well, I don’t write about “earth science”; my speciality is evolutionary biologly. And, looking at the chameleon-tongue post, I’m simply unable to find what exercised this reader. Perhaps he (I’m assuming here a male) was simply hyped up from overconsumption of Doritos and Mountain Dew in his parents’ basement.

66 thoughts on “Weekly readers’ beefs”

    1. When a comment begins with ‘Dude’ – all the other words can be ignored. It’s a code meaning “what follows is null and void”.

        1. I use “dude” and “bro” all the time when chatting with my boyfriend.

          I rarely use the terms in online chat, but the odd one slips through no doubt.

          2. He calls me ‘dude’ and ‘bro’ as well.

            One time, in a video game, a male player just assumed that I was a dude, and referred to me as ‘bro’. I told him that I was a girl, but soon realized that it didn’t really matter if he called me bro or not. In fact, I found it amusing.

            So, my boyfriend and I started calling one another ‘bro’ as a joke, and it stuck. Been doing this for 8+ years now.

    2. Ah, you must not be a Firefly fanor you would have recalled Jayne Cobb the hero of Canton:

      Jayne
      The man they call Jayne
      He robbed from the rich and he gave to the poor
      Stood up to the Man and he gave him what for
      Our love for him now ain’t hard to explain
      The Hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne

        1. Or “She is starting to damage my calm”.

          But perhaps most apt is this exchange:

          Jayne: Well, as a rule, I say girlfolk ain’t to be trusted.
          River: Jayne is a girl’s name.
          Jayne: Well, Jayne ain’t a girl! If she starts in on that girl’s name thing, I’ll show her good and all I got man parts.
          Simon: I’m trying to think of a way for you to be cruder. I just… It’s not coming.

  6. I would just take a guess that perhaps this person learned everything he knows from a 14 year old.

      1. Kind of odd really, because now one becomes more than one with unsure identity. I should have said 14 year old and high on Mountain Dew.

          7. Yes, I used to ask all English speaking people around the world if they said “pop” after Americans looked at me funny for saying it. But now we have the interwebs.

    2. From my own teaching experience, no one knows as much as a 14-year-old human primate male child.

  7. That comment is so odd, I’m guessing that Jayne is one of those lizard people, unable to constrain his tongue.

  8. Well I can understand that some posts here might seem a bit too “biologly” for the some readers, but I can’t help but think that there is only one kind of “earth science” book that would also cover evolutionary biology as a central topic — one that also teaches that the earth is 6000 years old.

  11. I found the article about the chameleon’s tongue very interesting because, most likely,I can fit it into some current preoccupations about the absurd diversity of living organisms and am happy just to go ‘WOW’. Who knows what Mr Dude’s current frustrations about applicability are-maybe he just wants to know how to get rid of wireworms in his garden or whatever and mouthed off. And to complain about no discussion of atheism (or was that satirical? )s bewildering.Why does he(?) expect to find satisfaction in a blog named WEIT is not clear but he certainly will find some glimmer of insight if he persists.

  15. “Perhaps he (I’m assuming male) was simply hepped up from overconsumption of Doritos and Mountain Dew in his parents’ basement.”

    Wait! Hold on, Jerry! I get hepped up consuming diet Coke and Butterfinger Bites, often while reading this very website. Don’t unfairly & blithely malign junk foods!

    1. +1

      I got so into Fireflyreferences that I completely forgot about The Big Lebowski.

  17. Dudes like to tell other dudes what and how they should be dude-ing. An emotional puffery tactic in front of 14 year old students that know more than dudes.

  18. I’m not sure why Janye Best had the idea to comment on the chameleon’s post.

    His tongue is nowhere as fast.

  19. Well, biologly speaking, I find this site full of information. Sometimes too much information (giant centipedes! Six-foot-long worms! 🙁

    And sub.

    cr

  20. I have a B.S. in Earth and Space Sciences and one of the things I’ve learned from getting it is that Geologists like to drink while watching The Core and Geophysicists like to drink while watching The Day After Tomorrow. Either way beer was prominently featured.

          1. The University of Washington (Seattle) has a collection of exotic sands stored in liquor bottles purchased near where the sand was collected. A gift left to the University when the professor who collected them retired. An useful demo when talking about sedimentary processes.

          2. Actually, I’ve contributed to such a sand collection too. But I tend to have more regular sample bags to hand.

      2. I’ve known geologists who have claimed that they have reached a point where beer has become hydrating and no longer need water. To stay hydrated in the field, they just need to avoid liquor.

        I was more into the Space side of Earth and Space Sciences but still had classes and field trips with geologists. Great fun with the geologists and they were always happy to split a case of beer with you. Would volunteer to be your designated drinker during the annual departmental game of blitz ball (kickball with a keg at each base).

        FYI, I’m not making this up. These are things I have experienced.

        1. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen your head of department slide under the table while complaining about how dull students are these days.
          He got his own back next day. 18 miles in horizontal sleet.

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