[Rydog]

Crazy Uncle Adam is on fire in this week's episode, where we're joined by visiting listeners Dan and Erin Wysling. The whole regular crew's back, too. Yay!

[kenzo]

I really wish TinyCo would make games for android and not just iPhone. =\

[LiQuid]

This is a general rant that stews in me at all times but Karen kind of roiled it in me enough to post it.

STOP APOLOGIZING FOR SAYING THE WORD RETARDED. I'm not retarded, but I have heard that being retarded sucks. Therefore interchangeably using the word retarded to describe something that sucks isn't offensive to anybody aside from bitchy fucking people that choose to get offended about everything because they are fucking retarded assholes.

This alone wasn't what catalyzed the rant, but the fact that without batting an eyelash a few minutes later she says that the term "F(minus)" to describe Facebook is LAME. Lame is virtually the exact same word as retarded only applied to a physical handicap instead of a mental handicap. You could make the argument that lame people at least have the faculties to defend themselves against the tyranny of contemporary slang, but the fact of the matter is they won't because lame has made its way into the acceptable lexicon, just like retarded needs to so people can stop making a big fucking deal about it and drawing more attention to it.

[LiQuid]

And this is directed at Karen: I've been playing that silly plant game for the last half hour. So thanks for that!

[uppi17]

lame has made its way into the acceptable lexicon

Yes and retarded hasn't, so you've pretty much blown your own argument out of the water.

Just saying "Oh, I'm claiming it back" isn't really that good an reason for using it. I'd link to the Porchmonkey argument from Clerks 2 but I can't be bothered to find it and it probably undermines what I've said.

There's no need to use retarded in regular speech when there's about twenty other words that would fit in just as well without offending anyone. To use it on purpose is just idiotic (that's one!).

[LiQuid]

lame has made its way into the acceptable lexicon

Yes and retarded hasn't, so you've pretty much blown your own argument out of the water.

No I haven't. That is my argument. I'm saying that both words have the exact same potential to offend and that one of them is acceptable and the other isn't is arbitrary bullshit.

A person in my position has two options. One, to defend the term retarded and argue for its acceptability, since regardless of what you or anyone else thinks, it has entered popular lexicon as slang. Saying something is retarded and then apologizing and saying "I shouldn't say retard (BUT I TOTALLY JUST DID AND WILL PROBABLY AGAIN)" does not exonerate you.

Or I can take a stance against the use of the word lame as derogatory slang, which is not only completely against my character, since I'm not offended by either term, but would also be completely futile since it has already lost its ability to offend.

And the porch monkey argument from Clerks is completely irrelevant since the term "porch monkey" was invented as and has always been used as an ethnic slur, whereas both retarded and lame are both terms with completely valid, medical uses that have been extended to slang. I'm not "taking back" the word retarded. I'm trying to extend it into acceptable lexicon so that it in fact lessons the perceived offensiveness of the word, as has already happened with "lame."

[kenzo]

Talking about talking about saying retarded is retarded.

I laughed pretty damned hard when someone in the background (Higgins?) said, "Botany Bay!?!?"

[LiQuid]

Higgins: Where you are talking about x% of internet traffic being Netflix streaming, you might be talking about a figure I've heard where x% of all Xbox Live use is Netflix streaming, and I'm pretty sure it was around the 30-40% range. Netflix accounting for any significant amount of all possible internet traffic sounds ridiculous.

[kenzo]

I use gchat exclusively. I don't know anyone who uses AIM anymore. AIM is pretty effing awful.

[Mr_eX]

Retard: a slowing down, diminution, or hindrance, as in a machine.

[IRL_Troll]

Baba Yetu. I love that song. It's the Swahili version of the lord's (Yahweh) prayer. In my opinion it sounds so much better than how the english version sounds when sung.

[Master Higgins]

Higgins: Where you are talking about x% of internet traffic being Netflix streaming, you might be talking about a figure I've heard where x% of all Xbox Live use is Netflix streaming, and I'm pretty sure it was around the 30-40% range. Netflix accounting for any significant amount of all possible internet traffic sounds ridiculous.

This is what I was referring to:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43059955/ns ... b-surfing/

A study published Tuesday by Sandvine Inc. shows that Netflix movies and TV shows account for nearly 30 percent of traffic into homes during peak evening hours, compared with less than 17 percent for Web browsing.

[Master Higgins]

I laughed pretty damned hard when someone in the background (Higgins?) said, "Botany Bay!?!?"

Glad someone caught that. No one recording even noticed...

[Master Higgins]

Oh, and I'm wrong, you can get a multiple DVD-only package from Netflix, but at a much higher price than before.

[Mr_eX]

Great, now everyone is going to say my name wrong.

[Mr_eX]

Higgins, there are classes in TF2 that don't require aiming. So using that as an excuse not to play TF2 is dumb.

[Rydog]

Higgins, there are classes in TF2 that don't require aiming. So using that as an excuse not to play TF2 is dumb.

Don't forget his blanket fear of competitive games, because he doesn't want to devote any significant time to them, and is terrified of actual human conflict.

(I'm just trolling you, Ryan. I know you choose to spend your time on other things that matter to you.)

Also, this thread's retarded.

[jinpei05]

Also, this thread's retarded.

Meh, par for the course here.

[Mr_eX]

Jin doesn't get jokes.

[jinpei05]

Jin doesn't get jokes.

Actually, I do. He was referring to all the use of the word "retarded" during the podcast and in this thread. I just took the opportunity to be self-depricating.

[Govir]

Don't forget his blanket fear of competitive games, because he doesn't want to devote any significant time to them, and is terrified of actual human conflict.

(I'm just trolling you, Ryan. I know you choose to spend your time on other things that matter to you.)

This sounds like me and LoL. I like the idea of it, but when I play I feel like I need to be playing the game much more than I do to become good enough to compete with other people. Playing Bots is fun, but they become a bit TOO predictable after awhile.

[kenzo]

Higgins, there are classes in TF2 that don't require aiming. So using that as an excuse not to play TF2 is dumb.

Don't forget his blanket fear of competitive games, because he doesn't want to devote any significant time to them, and is terrified of actual human conflict.

I'd say nearly half the classes don't require traditional aiming. I'm Pyro a lot simply because it's an area attack so you don't need to be aiming for headshots all the time (that's hard with a low framerate). Engineer - the turret aims itself. If you're a medic, healing takes no aiming. Spying is a mostly melee affair. And if you're a demoman, you're either laying traps or you can be a demo-knight where it's all about melee.

Also, if you take Raansu's word for it, we don't play competitively at all on the Geekbox server.

[Mr_eX]

TF2 isn't really a competitive game for everyone playing engineer. They usually aren't activly trying to kill people, they're just trying to make sure their stuff stays built.


Raansu says we're not competitive but the truth is we always try to win but we don't get mad when we don't. Most of the time we split up all the good players so it's fun for everyone on the server, so I guess we both win and lose every game. Some day we should try to get all get regulars on the same team and have Raansu on the other team and see what happens.

He also says I'm terrible at TF2.

[Karen]

And this is directed at Karen: I've been playing that silly plant game for the last half hour. So thanks for that!

OMG I AM NOW ADDICTED TO TINY TOWER.

[Rydog]

...self-depricating.

[LiQuid]

I want that shirt!

[uppi17]

This is an argument that needs some P Joynt adding to it. Where are you Patrick?

lame has made its way into the acceptable lexicon

Yes and retarded hasn't, so you've pretty much blown your own argument out of the water.

No I haven't. That is my argument. I'm saying that both words have the exact same potential to offend and that one of them is acceptable and the other isn't is arbitrary bullshit.

A person in my position has two options. One, to defend the term retarded and argue for its acceptability, since regardless of what you or anyone else thinks, it has entered popular lexicon as slang. Saying something is retarded and then apologizing and saying "I shouldn't say retard (BUT I TOTALLY JUST DID AND WILL PROBABLY AGAIN)" does not exonerate you.

Has it though? I'd say that if you feel like you have to apologise literally straight after you say it then it is probably still more offensive than in the popular lexicon. I think apologising out loud acknowledges that you shouldn't say it and will probably help you remember not to say it again. Does apologising with real sincerity not lessen the impact of your words? You can definitely not take back what you said, but it should still reduce the effect somewhat.

Or I can take a stance against the use of the word lame as derogatory slang, which is not only completely against my character, since I'm not offended by either term, but would also be completely futile since it has already lost its ability to offend.

So lame and retarded are not words with the same effect then. Therefore you cannot use them as comparable terms in this argument. I see where you're coming from and perhaps in a few years then retard will take on a similar meaning to lame, but until you get a phrase that uses retarded in a similar way to 'lame duck president' then I would say it's not going to happen.

If you're not offended by the term then good for you. But as you appear to be a smart guy then you should be aware that some people are offended by it so you perhaps shouldn't use it in everyday speech. I wouldn't be effing and jeffing on a public street as I know it offends people so I use some tact and choose my words carefully.

I'm not "taking back" the word retarded.

No, you definitely are.

[LiQuid]

I just read that entire post and you didn't say anything that I hadn't already refuted with my last post, so I'm not going to justify it with an attempt at a counterpoint that would just be me repeating myself. If you want to know my stance on the matter, re-read my first two posts on the topic and try to comprehend them this time.

[GiantAsianMan]

This argument's great and all, but let's focus on what really matters here- when did LiQuid change his avatar to that Hope Solo .gif? Did I miss a thread somewhere?

[tnitnetny]

And this is directed at Karen: I've been playing that silly plant game for the last half hour. So thanks for that!

OMG I AM NOW ADDICTED TO TINY TOWER.

I just checked it out. I must get this for my ipad.