Pharyngula

Only some one who hasn't seen a flower all winter could say that resembles a flower. Looks more like a twisted hippo with a small owl sitting on it. Hmm, maybe I shouldn't drive to work today, what the heck was in my coffee?

Posted by: Fernando Magyar | February 29, 2008 7:34 AM

I'm with fernando. Definitely more Dire-Hippo than flower.

Posted by: Will | February 29, 2008 7:38 AM

A Venus Flytrap perhaps?

Posted by: Nadeen | February 29, 2008 7:57 AM

Great show last night on Maryland Public TV about cephalopods. They did the Flamboyant cuttlefish. Really interesting fellow. They also showed that octopi can learn a maze and are quite intelligent.

We're watching a lot more science shows (hooray) than "news", since the only thing on is the election. We're watching BBC news as well, just to find out what's REALLY happening in the world.

SG's husband has control of the TV clicker (that damn Y chromosome again) at night, and "news" is what he likes. Sometimes I gain control and put on an opera.

SG

Posted by: Science Goddess | February 29, 2008 8:13 AM

Hmm... I'd say it was more fungus-like, or even had hints of triceratops.

Posted by: SEF | February 29, 2008 9:03 AM

I will have to get that book someday.

Posted by: Todd | February 29, 2008 9:18 AM

She looks really pissed. Or he. I'm not up on sexual dimorphism in Squid or, for that matter, how squid emotional states link up to squid color patterns. For all I know, she could be joking around and just has a bad P.R. rep like Jim Palmer.
So what makes the Sepians so much more plentiful than the Metasepians anyway?

Posted by: LARA | February 29, 2008 9:38 AM

My vote is for flower; looks like an orchid to me.

Posted by: Shaggy Maniac | February 29, 2008 10:05 AM

Yikes! That thing is scary. It looks more like a crazy mutant rhinoceros to me. However, I do see a bit of a flower resemblance, so I'll give you that!

Posted by: LisaJ | February 29, 2008 10:17 AM

My first thought was also "hippo", but with a hint of the alien hunter from "Predator".

Posted by: Disciple of "Bob" | February 29, 2008 10:43 AM

Wow. Do the color changes correspond to muscular activity?

That is just...cool.

Posted by: Matt H | February 29, 2008 10:55 AM

Want one.... must.... have..... one!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: zer0 | February 29, 2008 11:04 AM

Interesting fact: this particular species is toxic! The only poisonous cuttlefish known. Beautiful photo by the way.

Posted by: Alec T | February 29, 2008 11:38 AM

(.)(.)

Posted by: wÒÓ† | February 29, 2008 11:42 AM

Definitely an orchid. Perhaps one of those that mimic moths.

Posted by: caynazzo | February 29, 2008 11:50 AM

Just a reminder for the non-Boston folks: NO FUN TONIGHT.

FSM help you if I find out any of you have been having unauthorised fun....

Posted by: Brownian, OM | February 29, 2008 12:14 PM

and I'm sure gerry will find plenty of voices to talk to wherever his room happens to be.

Posted by: MAJeff, OM | February 29, 2008 12:19 PM

That's hot!

Posted by: Cthulhu | February 29, 2008 1:35 PM

Here are the voices that MAJeff listens to - in her own write.

Here is MAJeff telling the world how to do
science; also called getting "stuck in space"

"One of the things I try to do with students, in dealing with cultural relativism, etc. is to note that there will be points of incommensurability between cultures, and you need to figure out how to decide between them, particularly if you're stuck in the space between them or involved in such conflicts.
Posted by: MAJeff | December 20, 2007 8:11 PM

Here is MAJeff's second dose of scientific technique & the deep wisdom of Methodical Relativism; an exercise in blindfolding technique.

"Cultural relativism is most useful as a methodological strategy that acknowledges that condemning cultural practices does not necessarily contribute to our instrumental understanding of them. However, by this interpretation of cultural relativism, nothing prevents us from making ethical, moral, and political value judgments about our own or other cultures beyond the requirements of scientific inquiry.

Agreed, particularly with the bolded part. I actually prefer to call it methodological relativism."
Posted by: MAJeff | December 20, 2007 8:54 PM

What we need from MAJeff is an operationalized instruction (prescription) describing how she decides between conflicting positions & claims about the world.
Especially since she claims to know so much.
Just how, "do you figure it out"?
Incommensurables is so buzzwordy & does't convey any "Instrumental" information.

MAJeff openly claims to be doing science but she blatantly advocates making "judgments" ... "beyond the limits of scientific scrutiny."

MAJeff is an exercise in how bad muddleheaded thinking can get.
Whatever you do don't "listen" to these dead end sociological voices, unless you want to commit intellectual & scientific suicide.

MAJeff is in conflict now, but all she can demonstrate is her childishness and desperate gutter name calling.

Indeed, MAJeff demonstrates that "nothing prevents" MAJeff from making any cockamamy judgment that MAJeff finds titillating.

Is that how you do "your science?"

Posted by: gerald spezio | February 29, 2008 2:16 PM

Uh oh. Gerald's upset about something, but I can't for the life of me figure out what. Apparently, she's mad at MAJeff for some reason.

Posted by: Brownian, OM | February 29, 2008 2:30 PM

Triceratops to me. What do they know that we don't?

Posted by: Eddie Janssen | February 29, 2008 3:07 PM

Brownian OM, Perhaps it is to your advantage that you can't understand MAJeff's aphoristic dictum about how to do science?

Neither can anybody else, especially if they are trying to do science.

As MAJeff has told us;

"However, by this interpretation of cultural relativism nothing prevents us from making ethical, moral, and political value judgments about our own or other cultures beyond the requirements of scientific inquiry."

"Judgments ... beyond the requirements of scientific scrutiny" takes us into the mysterious post modern realm of "the social construction of reality and gender studies."

A realm beyond the pale of science, where all theories have their post modern voice and/or are so incomprehensible that "they are incommensurable."

Posted by: gerald spezio | February 29, 2008 3:23 PM

Brownian,

First off, I'm queer. I'm an outspoken queer and feminist. And a sociologist. Gerry don't like those folks.

Second, I work the sociology of social movements--and have particularly worked with folks who concentrate in framing. I'm studying the marriage equality movement and their production and use of narratives. I use queer theory. I recognize that cultural content is malleable, but that when you take multiculturalism seriously, you have to recognize there are certain points within cultural belief systems that are in absolute conflict with each other, and ya gotta make choices. But, I'm a faggot sociologist, first and foremost...almost as bad as a peeyar zionist yuppie lawyer or something.

And I poke him.

Relentlessly, cruelly, and bitchily. I poke him and he's out of his league. So, what you see are the results of a spittle-flecked monitor. While I giggle and keep saying, "Suck it, motherfucker," content in the knowledge that more gibberish will follow.

I think most of the quotes he pulled from Nisbett, or out of his ass in order to do some thing that he perceives as completely discrediting me. But, there's some misfiring in that brain, so who knows...

As others have said, Shut the fuck up, gerry.

Posted by: MAJeff, OM | February 29, 2008 3:32 PM

Is that Jonathan wells?

Posted by: danley | February 29, 2008 3:35 PM

wow, you must be a real scientist gerry.

Posted by: MAJeff, OM | February 29, 2008 3:37 PM

I'm sorry MAJeff, I missed where the fucking twit compared you to Goebbels.

Posted by: Janine | February 29, 2008 3:43 PM

I'm sorry MAJeff, I missed where the fucking twit compared you to Goebbels.

It was one of those rants about yuppie framing and shit...they all just blend into one long incoherent rant, which is actually kind of why the poking is so much fun. I just never know which bizarre connections are gonna come flying out. It's sort of like a random nonsense generator, driven by a chicken on the other end picking at keys--each of which produces different nonsense phrases--all in the hope that one combination will produce some fucking corn. Somebody's been feeling hungry today.

And that, gerry, is how you pwn someone.

Posted by: MAJeff, OM | February 29, 2008 3:51 PM

Continuing demonstration and confirmation;

"Shut the fuck up, gerry."

Posted by: MAJeff, OM | February 29, 2008 3:32 PM

Sometimes, even a humble attempt at doing scientific social science may produce some demonstration of predictive power?

Posted by: gerald spezio | February 29, 2008 3:53 PM

obvious without it, but I already established gerry lied about being a scientist, then lied about being a sociologist.

A slight correction, in the interest of objective science (poke, poke). I don't believe he was lying about claiming to be a sociologist; he was attempting to slam sociologists, and thereby me. Such are the limitations of his prose, though.

Posted by: MAJeff, OM | February 29, 2008 3:55 PM

I don't believe he was lying about claiming to be a sociologist

beg to differ, but if that was just bad prose on his part... uh, why are we even bothering to respond again?

he's not funny (in a creobot kinda way).

he's not informative.

he's more than abrasive.

kinda reminds me of John Davison, actually.

frankly, I'm sure he's gonna get tossed in the dungeon if he keeps it up.

and won't be missed in the slightest.

Posted by: Ichthyic | February 29, 2008 4:05 PM

To call out MAJeff for no reason on an unrelated thread just shows that she's a catty bitch.

speaking of objective, not that I give a shit about gerry, but it was Jeff (who likely is very tired of gerry pursuing him in every OTHER thread) who brought up gerry in #33.

still, gerry's fascination with Jeff does imply he wishes he were in New England for tonight's party.

Posted by: Ichthyic | February 29, 2008 4:10 PM

MAJeff asks:
"We're still waiting for, well, anything of substance from you."

Posted by: MAJeff, OM | February 29, 2008 3:07 PM

Since you asked, I will repeat some documented substantive content.

" ...nothing prevents us from making ethical, moral, and political value judgments about our own or other cultures beyond the requirements of scientific inquiry."

And therefore it follows that "nothing prevents" MAJeff from making any preposterous claim about anything. Moreover, she has sociological license to hurl any gutter epithet at her opponents because they offend her post-modern sensibilities and hurt her all pervasive feelings.

Add "poking and giggling" as scientific methodology - to your pleas for "content."

Posted by: gerald spezio | February 29, 2008 4:15 PM

Gerry, you fucking twit,"poke poke" is pure Python "Nudge! Nudge!" Know what I mean.

Posted by: Janine | February 29, 2008 4:23 PM

Why do you liberals hate freedom so much?*

because obviously we need to take all of our social cues from authority figures?

We secretly love Reagan, and we all went to his public wake.

Posted by: Ichthyic | February 29, 2008 4:26 PM

Brownian! Sssshhhhhhh... We were trying to keep that a secret from Gerry.

Posted by: Janine | February 29, 2008 4:29 PM

And therefore it follows that "nothing prevents" MAJeff from making any preposterous claim about anything.

nice projection, but the problem Mr. "Ihateyouwhywon'tyouvalidatemyfeelings" is that, sure, you can make any preposterous claim you wish, but you have to accept you're gonna get called on it, and severely trounced if you continue to do so.

why don't you quit while you're behind?
take a break for a while; there's thousands of other forums where you can complain that nobody is taking you seriously.

Posted by: Ichthyic | February 29, 2008 4:30 PM

Gerald, MAJeff is male. You should use he, him, or his and not she, her, or her(s).

You mean it wasn't a rhetorical strategy aimed at (not-so-subtly) making fun of the fact I'm gay and simultaneously attempting to feminize me? You mean it was an honest mistake, and not intentional use of homophobia and misogyny? Damn me for studying those gendered linguistic patterns and their political deployment. Makes me so untrusting.

Posted by: MAJeff, OM | February 29, 2008 4:34 PM

Now, now--gerry's performing a valuable public service here, and I, for one, thank him for the demonstration.

Remember, boys and girls, for it to do any good, you have to get the rabies shots *before* symptoms appear.

Posted by: thalarctos | February 29, 2008 4:35 PM

I think it is time for Gerry to meet nobody. I smell friendship!

I rather think meeting nobody is how gerry ended up here in the first place.

Is this a catch 22?

gerry, maybe you just hit the wrong site?

try this one, maybe?

http://www.eharmony.com

I guarantee that if nobody responds to you there, you two were meant for each other.

Posted by: Ichthyic | February 29, 2008 4:39 PM

You mean it wasn't a rhetorical strategy aimed at (not-so-subtly) making fun of the fact I'm gay and simultaneously attempting to feminize me?

Oh, I considered that. However, if that is the case, then that would make Gerald a Piece Of Fucking Shit Homophobe Fuck and I will be forced into verbally sticking a knife in his gut every time I encounter him. Thankfully, he's learned to keep his Jew-hating to himself, thus sparing him from the wrath of Brownian, at least for a little while.

So I'm offering Gerald an easy out by allowing him the assumption that it's an honest mistake on his part.

He should consider taking my offer very seriously.

Posted by: Brownian, OM | February 29, 2008 4:45 PM

Brownian, it is because Gerry is anti-semitic homophobic misogynist that I do not feel at all bad about mocking him.

Posted by: Janine | February 29, 2008 4:49 PM

I can't possibly make it, but have fun without me.

And here I was under the impression that you were somehow cool, Kseniya.

Posted by: Brownian, OM | February 29, 2008 4:51 PM

Someday we'll all get to hear Brownian's karaoke version of "Darling Nikki".

Posted by: Kseniya

Your darling little Brownie wants to grind, to grind, to grind...

Posted by: Janine | February 29, 2008 4:51 PM

It would appear that MAJeff wants to "accelerate" her desperate need to inform us about her sexual preferences as monumentally important, have fun, do some sociological "poking", as well as filling us in on how to do science.

nobody cares what it appears like to you, gerry.

In fact, nobody is waiting for you over on eharmony.com

I'm sure you two will be very happy together.

Posted by: Ichthyic | February 29, 2008 4:58 PM

Now I feel the need to sing. Thankfully there's a seedy little hole-in-the-wall just down the street that has both "Mack the Knife" and "Strokin'"

I've been jamming out in the house to "Don't Leave Me This Way" for two days. The problem is that as a baritone that "Baby!" is a bit high at times...especially if I'm trying to avoid the type of volume I really need to hit the note.

Posted by: MAJeff, OM | February 29, 2008 5:04 PM

Jeff, thanks, I take your "c'mon" as very very flattering, but I'm serious when I say I can't possibly make it. It's a long drive, I feel like hell, and most importantly I'd be blowing off my little brother if I went out. (Long story.)

Drowing my symptons in alcohol isn't an option, either, but so far that hasn't keep me out of many bars. ;-)

Posted by: Kseniya | February 29, 2008 5:23 PM

Have fun! Say "hi" to everyone for me!

Posted by: Kseniya | February 29, 2008 5:31 PM

MAJeff's sexual orientation is an absolute non-issue for me - a complete waste of brain cells.

MAJeff appears to be pathologically focused on sexuality and primarily on HIS sexual orientation/identity/difficulties/happiness - not me.

I will refer to anybody with any pronoun that they specify.

MAJeff has refered to himself as "a catty bitch" and a "fabulously flaming queen."

MAJeff is the linguistic determinist - not me.

All the rest is childish "reading in" or a variation of lit crit, and MAJeff demonstrates it routinely and passionately.

Talk about "reading in" in order to frame the debate.

MAJeff can "frame" himself anyway he wants.

Let us all praise gender studies and agonize about the wrongs committed against MAJeff's sexual orientation, sexual preferences, & the misuse of the proper pronouns concerning, as always MAJeff.

Posted by: gerald spezio | February 29, 2008 6:08 PM

I drew a picture of a cephalopod yesterday. It looks less like a flower than the photo here.

Not bad, actually.

reminds me of squid I've seen at night while diving.

Posted by: Ichthyic | February 29, 2008 8:00 PM

Ichthyic, you always devastate your opponents.

You are one perceptive scoundrel.

I am crushed by your depth and your ability to transcend all the narcissistic pettiness.

Posted by: gerald spezio | February 29, 2008 8:37 PM