Lift your tea pinkies in salute to the University of Manchester, that noble institution which has just announced the discovery of a fourth rogue planet.

Yeah, that's right. Planets just floatin' through space, orbiting nothing, waiting to smash into Earth.

They didn't mention it, but I'm sure women and minorities will be the most affected.

Still not sure the Uefa final will be worth TV-watching (3pm est Saturday), but this is an interesting theory about what it might mean in a difficult year.

FedEx here is stupid. I had to drive an hour to their depot for an "undeliverable - incorrect address" issue, where I handed the clerk my driver's license, which had that shipping address, verbatim.

Shrug.

Won't use them if I can avoid it. My house appears on Apple Maps, Google Earth and the USPS can get things to me, but FedEx? There's still looking for Chuck Noland.

I appreciate satire as much as anyone, but I think the LGBTQ community went way too far with this. They're making it too easy for the anti-LGBTQ community to instill fear in the undecided/uninformed. Clueless conservative lightweight Matt Walsh has an easy time making political hay with this. The San Fransisco Gay Men's Chorus decided to satirize the supposed gay agenda of converting children, and basically said, "Yes, we are coming for your children."

The coda to this is that they are coming for your children to make them not be homophobic, not to convert them to homosexuality.

The problem is that they are simply making it way too easy for the homophobic contingent to make their case that gays are out to molest children and turn them homosexual. The comments on this video make it all too plain.

Now Matt Walsh also points out even if the gays are merely out to make children tolerant, that would still be interfering with the rights of parents to instill their values in their children. Yet, Walsh doesn't seem to have that problem with Florida Governor DeSantis banning Critical Race Theory in school. (Which, by the way, I fully agree with. By this I mean that Critical Race Theory absolutely should be banned in schools. That addendum is necessary, because it's been my experience, having been on this blog since the inception, that too many are just too glad to look at this and say, "See???? Patrick supports CRT!" And, even more weirdly, these same people wouldn't even allow me the dignity to speak for myself and say, "No, I don't support CRT in grade school.")

But don't liberal parents have the right to instill CRT in their kids if they want to?

It's like we're only opposed to outsiders promoting certain values in our kids when they're values that we don't like.

(And for the record, I think that song by the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus is absolutely creepy and disgusting, regardless of the intent.)

"Yes, we are coming for your children."

I'm still wondering, which part of that sounded like a good idea?

"And, even more weirdly, these same people wouldn't even allow me the dignity to speak for myself and say, "No, I don't support CRT in grade school.""

If you're going to carry a grudge, at least carry the correct one: you were called out for posting something without saying whether you supported it, and then refused direct questions.

The start of this... problem... is here. Subsequently, you have argued FOR the subversion of individual rights to authorities. It just took awhile to get there.

"Allow" you? Amy deleted your posts? Nope.

Good gosh, Raddy. You're so vain.

You prob'ly think my post was about you, you're so vain!

I'll bet you think my post was about you, don't you? Don't you? Don't you?

For the record, I wasn't thinking about you when I made that comment. Frankly, I try to avoid thinking about you, Mr. "Children have no rights as enumerated by the Constitution."

The Supreme Court in the Tinker decision says they do. They decide, you don't. End of.

It was after that discussion, I decided that you were essentially as significant as dust. The only think I would even consider asking you about is the disposal of radioactive waste. Nothing beyond that.

I was actually thinking of someone in Amy's letters column. Rachel Flax, I believe it was, who misconstrued my response to one of Amy's letters. When I explained my position, she flat-out insisted I was lying about it.

Then a lurker who read my reply, responded to Rachel and said that he understood my response the way I intended it. Lujlp also read my response and also disagreed with Flax's interpretation.

Flax conceded that she was wrong in her interpretation of my comments, only after two people supported me. In other words, I couldn't even state my own position on a topic; Ms. Flax decided that I was lying when I tried to clarify my intention. It took two other people who also read my comments and understood what I was saying to convince her.

And as for my unwillingness to elucidate my position to you, I'm going to introduce a concept that will be very hard for you to understand. When your I.Q.

There are times when I have brought topics to this blog, and I've read opinions on these topics, for and against, and I'm actually undecided on the issue.

I hear one argument on an issue, and I think, "That makes sense." Then I hear the opposing argument and think, "That also makes sense."

So, hoping for a more enlightened discussion, I bring it here. Hoping the likes of Conan, Cousin Dave and others will talk about this subject, so I can make a more informed decision before I settle on a position.

So, Raddy, since you have the luxury of making up your mind on a issue, no matter how complex, within the first five seconds of hearing it, this is going to be hard for you to get. Sometimes, I don't know what my position is . . . yet. And I'm hoping that some perspective from some of the big brains here will help.

And I don't feel in any way obligated to explain my position to a malicious, hateful prick -- even if it is just to tell them I'm undecided -- if he's going to decide for me how I think about an issue. The more someone demands I commit to something, or else they're going to decide for me, the less inclined I am to explain myself to them.

And after this, please don't pay attention to any more of my words. You don't deserve them.

I've mentioned how I make every effort to avoid political labels, slang, or cliches of any kind - those terms are anti-intellectual, after all.

Miss Manners had a good op-ed on that in the 1990s ("Attack Ideas, Not People"). Here's another, shorter piece.

https://www.uexpress.com/life/miss-manners/2021/07/05

"You're Not Being 'Canceled,' You're Being Criticized"

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I were talking about the cicadas, and he asked, "Why are you so worried about them? God will protect us!"

He is an atheist, and even though he is surrounded by Christians, he often makes comments like this. I replied, "Why do you have to say things like that? That's just rude!"

He then went on to accuse me of "cancel culture"! His exact words were, "You Christians want your freedom of speech unless you disagree with it. You don't have a problem canceling speech you disagree with."

We are a blended family. Our children are grown and gone, but both of them are believers, and I want them to feel welcome to express their beliefs without worrying about what he's going to say. He can be very offensive at times.

He's actually a very smart man, and he will usually listen to reason. But this exchange has me dumbfounded. How can I explain the difference between being rude and cancel culture?

GENTLE READER: Did you cancel him? Did you stop speaking to him? Did you move his clothes to the porch?

Miss Manners supposes not. What you need to cancel is that type of argument, in which a term is used pejoratively ("politically correct" is another) without regard to what it really means. And what it usually really means is that the speaker is claiming the right to be rude with impunity.

Free speech is indeed a sacred right, but it should not be confused with a license to be offensive. And surely offending one's family does not result in a pleasant life.

Asking a spouse to cut it out cannot be properly defined as cancel culture. If your husband is as reasonable as you say, he will grasp the difference between canceling a spouse and annoying one.

(end)

I haven't read the comments yet, but the top-rated ones are always worthwhile.

And for the record, Amy has once asked me to not participate in a discussion, allowing my opponents to crow over their supposed victory, not allowing me to defend myself.

> Good gosh, Raddy.

He can't hear you… I hear he went up to Saratoga.

Lenona, if you like Miss Manners columns, this one is my favorite.

There are two letters in this column. The first one, the plant story, is the one I was referring to, although the second one is certainly also worth the read.

Sportzing—

Italy vs England in Euro soccer on Saturday afternoon, and an Italian in the Men's Final at Wimbledon on Sunday morning.

Rough weekend for pizza parlours in Leicester.

> Chorus decided to satirize
> the supposed gay agenda

…And you'll never guess what happened next!

(Attn.— The veracity of 4chan forensic investigation has *not* been verified.)

Crid, and his horse naturally won!

Interesting, Crid. I assume the “clear” means they are “clear” from child abuse offenses. But what do the numbers mean? There’s some 4(0), 1(0), 8(0), etc.

"In other words, I couldn't even state my own position on a topic; Ms. Flax decided that I was lying when I tried to clarify my intention. It took two other people who also read my comments and understood what I was saying to convince her." ~Patrick

That is how low the level of general trust is. I don't frequent the advice side of things, is she a regular poster? If she isn't I don't consider her reaction odd. Twofaced weaseling is far to common these days.

Mind I'm not accusing you of that Patrick. I know you aren't that kind of person. But when coming across a stranger it would be very normal behavior.

She claims to be a regular, but I've only seen her once or twice. I gave my opinion on one of Amy's answers and her response was, "Patrick, why do you hate women so very, very much?"

I don't even remember what I said that she found so objectionable, but I do remember that no one else who responded to my comment made that "observation."

Trollette.

Yep. And trollette is disappointingly common as well.

It comes down to the old question 'Why are rich people such assholes?' The reality is most people are assholes. Rich people can afford to handle the consequences and don't have to hide such behavior. An anonymous internet offers much the same protection.

Jus' sayin'… he's where he should be all the ti-i-ime.

> I assume the “clear” means they
> are “clear” from child abuse
> offenses.

Maybe. That's the thing… The meaning of 4chan is anything but clear.

Well, only when he's not with some underworld spy or the wife of a close friend. Wife of a close friend!

@Patrick,

These morons from the chorus deserve the flak they're getting. All.Of.It.

These are the same imbeciles that act like their oppossition's words are literal and that they should be unreasonably perfectly well-behaved 24/7. But their words, their insults; and most importantly their violence have nuance, context, and depth.

Sadly, this will eventually be swept under the rug because the media is on their side, every time, all the time.

Patrick, I've seen that MM column - and I smell a troll. Anyone who would cheat and brag about it is not likely to write to a columnist like MM and expect her approval or sympathy, after all.

But I can understand why she printed it. She needs all sorts of ways to get the younger readers - and the numskulls - to think outside their own selfish interests and to realize what happens when one doesn't think before acting - or speaking.

AI— manipulating our lives like children's toys.

Patrick, I've seen that MM column - and I smell a troll. Anyone who would cheat and brag about it is not likely to write to a columnist like MM and expect her approval or sympathy, after all.

It's possible, of course, that it is a troll. On the other hand, I have met people in my own experience who are so clueless as to expect the world to be happy for them that they finally got something they've wanted, even if it was at someone else's expense. And to say nothing of the store clerk who doubtless was reprimanded for giving that plant to someone else.

The LW, regardless, didn't seem like the type who gave even a thought to the person she cheated, or the store clerk whose confusion she took advantage of. "Oh, the nursery can order another one. She'll just have to wait a little longer."

What makes me think this story is real is that it was a rare plant. If I was going to write a fake letter to Miss Manners, I would have used something more relatable than a plant. A Franklin Mint limited edition item, perhaps. Some rare tropical fish at a pet store.

But regardless, I think the most useful thing from this column is that there is, in fact, a polite way to tell someone, "You're a real asshole for what you did, and you disgust me."

Sixclaws, totally agree. Even if I am part of the demographic that's demonized for it.

"But what do the numbers mean? There’s some 4(0), 1(0), 8(0), etc."

Not sure but my guess is it looks like potential matches (confirmed match). On chorus vid you have name and current picture, name is easy but doesn't limit it. If searching for John P Doe, you can have John Play Doe, John Paul Doe, John P Doe and John Doe in California offender registry, not all have good pictures. Add a beard, 10 yrs and 40 lbs; lose the glasses, is it same person.

Why does this ad seems more aligned with Grindr than for Apple?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXKu9qTmA2M

It's one of those "Erase one of these four dishes" posts.

I'm going with tacos. Because there's a gazillion dishes all over the world involving food wrapped around a flat piece of bread.

And you can't post them on social media without a Milennial/Zommer Latinx moron screeching "THAT'S A TACO!!!! REEEEE!!! THEY STOLE THE RECIPE FROM MEXICO!!!! REEEE!!!"

https://twitter.com/FrappMocha/status/1413450353434001417

The Roof Koreans are still kicking ass:

https://twitter.com/BenFranklinMD1/status/1413521226320990211

The Executive Branch keeps your digestion in motion.

"On the other hand, I have met people in my own experience who are so clueless as to expect the world to be happy for them that they finally got something they've wanted, even if it was at someone else's expense." ~Patrick

I have a cousin who showed up to a family gathering with his toddler son. Very proud. Very cute kid. When asked where the mother was 'She is with her husband.' 'Oh, are they splitting?' 'No.' 'Is the kid moving in with you?' 'No. Why do you ask?' etc. etc. in that vein. He didn't understand why anyone would be anything other than happy for him that he had a kid with someone else's wife and had no intention of raising the kid. Just 'I have a son!'.

A few years later he was arrested at an Applebees for ranting in the front lobby about how Applebees hates kids and is run by thieves. What happened was he was driving his mother and his son somewhere when some 'friends' recognized his car and decided to mess with him. So they started harassing him on the road. Getting in front on him and slowing down, trying to sideswipe him, and such. They got him to pull over, put on masks, and pulled out guns (though they may have been toys). After some yelling and a staged robbery they jumped back in their car and drove off. Most reasonable people would call the cops at that point. But not my cousin. Instead he drove after what he thought were armed criminals with his mother and infant son in the car engaging in a high speed chase on city streets. They drove up to an Applebees, jumped out of the car, and ran into the back door to the kitchen. And that is how my cousin ended up ranting like a crazy person at the poor waiter in the front and then getting arrested by the cops.

To this day he doesn't understand that he did anything wrong.

Ben, exactly. The plant-napper just sounds that self-absorbed. She's just like, "Hey, I got my plant!"

She probably had to think it when Miss Manners said that she cheated someone.

"Cheat? I didn't cheat anyone. Oh, so they have to wait another month. What's the big deal?"