This week I taught my first classes with a new set of Thai HS Seniors (the semesters start at a different time here). I always start out by getting a roster with the students' full names in Thai and having them write their nicknames in English, then taking roll call to make sure I am pronouncing the names correctly. There is no set way to write Thai sounds in English, so there is a lot of variation in how to spell things.

Anyway, one boy on the list wrote his nickname as "Kok". I correctly assumed that he wanted that to be pronounced "Coke", but then explained to him that if he goes with the other spelling an average westerner will probably call him "cock" which is rather unfortunate...

In 5 years of being here I've seen a lot of semi-unusual or unfortunate names and nicknames.

Odd: Dollar, Bible, Bird (hordes of those), Blue, Oil, Dump, Bomb, Gun, Nuke, etc.
Unfortunate: Fook, Fluck ("fluke"), Gook ("guck"), Poo, Poopae, Dodo, Porn (loads of this one also), Titee (girls name)

The worst and/or funniest one I've seen was a girl who converted her full Thai name into an English spelling of "Titteeporn Suksonmanee". Considering Thailand's ... reputation, that one is particularly unfortunate, although the actual pronunciation of the surname is more like suke-sawn-MA-knee.

On the flipside many western names translate phonetically into rather unfortunate things in Thai, or are commonly mispronounced into something bad in English. For example, Jim means "pussy" in Thai, Chris will usually be pronounced by Thais as "Clit", etc. etc.

It's not my list, (though it tends to be accurate) But that's exactly why I'm calling for more active moderation on this site. I'm sick of the logical fallacies. When it goes unchecked, you get people who fed up and fire back. So it cuts both ways. It stops QM from making his ad homs and it stops people from making ad homs against him. Win win.

I'm also sick of EVERY GODDAMNED THING being turned into a left v right shitfest. I consider myself to be a left leaning centrist and I think both parties are full of shit (sure I think one party is more full of shit than the other, but that's not really the point) but I think the founding fathers were right to not like parties and this two party system is killing this country.

Quite frankly though, if someone makes some quality posts, you don't earn the right to make some ad homs and otherwise make some shitty posts. if someone ad homs you, you don't get to ad hom them. It's not a tit for tat system.
>> ^Payback:

Oh, believe me, I know his "Kenyawaiian" schitck by heart. As "The Obamanation" isn't here as a participant, I guess I am just drawing too fine a line, but I have yet, in recent memory, to see QM attack someone personally for their views.
However... HE gets attacked, ad hominem, CONSTANTLY.
Also, the others on your list barely contribute BEYOND their political rhetoric. QM comes up with some brilliant, actual-lol-worthy AND NON-POLITICAL comments quite often. I guess that's his saving grace with me, his sense of humour.
>> ^VoodooV:
I'm sure I could probably find one if I looked hard enough, but it's not me that QM does his ad homs to. It's anything associated with the left or especially the man in your avatar pic. Or have you forgotten his favorite nickname for Obama? I have yet to see QM make a rational argument in regards to politics without resorting to a strawman or an ad hom or some form of logical fallacy
>> ^Payback:
>> ^VoodooV:
>> ^Payback:
>> ^vaire2ube:
BillO or Choggy
starring as Winstonfield_Pennypacker
as Bobknight33
Here on Psychos Of the Sift.
Don't worry kids, Quantum Mushroom is still in there as well, go figure!!

Please don't include QM with that list. Of all of them, QM doesn't argumentum ad hominem. He might be out to lunch, but it's a classy lunch.

where have you been? QM argues Ad homs all the time. It's his bread and butter.

Show me a post where he tries to deflect what you say by attacking you personally. That's what ad Hominem is. Attempting to discredit someone to win an argument, rather than debating their view.
VoodooV: I believe (place anti-rightwing-wacko argument here).
QuantumM: Your feet stink. Look everyone! VoodooV's feet stink!

Oh, believe me, I know his "Kenyawaiian" schitck by heart. As "The Obamanation" isn't here as a participant, I guess I am just drawing too fine a line, but I have yet, in recent memory, to see QM attack someone personally for their views.

However... HE gets attacked, ad hominem, CONSTANTLY.

Also, the others on your list barely contribute BEYOND their political rhetoric. QM comes up with some brilliant, actual-lol-worthy AND NON-POLITICAL comments quite often. I guess that's his saving grace with me, his sense of humour.

>> ^VoodooV:

I'm sure I could probably find one if I looked hard enough, but it's not me that QM does his ad homs to. It's anything associated with the left or especially the man in your avatar pic. Or have you forgotten his favorite nickname for Obama? I have yet to see QM make a rational argument in regards to politics without resorting to a strawman or an ad hom or some form of logical fallacy
>> ^Payback:
>> ^VoodooV:
>> ^Payback:
>> ^vaire2ube:
BillO or Choggy
starring as Winstonfield_Pennypacker
as Bobknight33
Here on Psychos Of the Sift.
Don't worry kids, Quantum Mushroom is still in there as well, go figure!!

Please don't include QM with that list. Of all of them, QM doesn't argumentum ad hominem. He might be out to lunch, but it's a classy lunch.

where have you been? QM argues Ad homs all the time. It's his bread and butter.

Show me a post where he tries to deflect what you say by attacking you personally. That's what ad Hominem is. Attempting to discredit someone to win an argument, rather than debating their view.
VoodooV: I believe (place anti-rightwing-wacko argument here).
QuantumM: Your feet stink. Look everyone! VoodooV's feet stink!

I'm sure I could probably find one if I looked hard enough, but it's not me that QM does his ad homs to. It's anything associated with the left or especially the man in your avatar pic. Or have you forgotten his favorite nickname for Obama? I have yet to see QM make a rational argument in regards to politics without resorting to a strawman or an ad hom or some form of logical fallacy
>> ^Payback:

>> ^VoodooV:
>> ^Payback:
>> ^vaire2ube:
BillO or Choggy
starring as Winstonfield_Pennypacker
as Bobknight33
Here on Psychos Of the Sift.
Don't worry kids, Quantum Mushroom is still in there as well, go figure!!

Please don't include QM with that list. Of all of them, QM doesn't argumentum ad hominem. He might be out to lunch, but it's a classy lunch.

where have you been? QM argues Ad homs all the time. It's his bread and butter.

Show me a post where he tries to deflect what you say by attacking you personally. That's what ad Hominem is. Attempting to discredit someone to win an argument, rather than debating their view.
VoodooV: I believe (place anti-rightwing-wacko argument here).
QuantumM: Your feet stink. Look everyone! VoodooV's feet stink!

How unsurprising.

Here is a comment from reddit - http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/ribzs/zimmerman_shooter_of_treyvon_martin_on_police/c462epk

Yes. Martin's nickname was 'Slim'.

And Martin was only 100 feet from his father's house down the pathway between houses where he was killed by Zimmerman.

And Martin was on the phone with his girlfriend telling her he was scared that he was being chased by some strange man. And she told him to run home.

And the initial confrontation of Martin by Zimmerman was overheard by the girlfriend who heard Zimmerman demanding to know what Martin was doing.

Every new piece of evidence continues to paint Zimmerman as a liar:

[1] http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/19/2703029/us-department-of-justice-fbi-and.html#disqus_thread

"Zimmerman said he had stepped out of his truck to check the name of the street he was on when Trayvon attacked him from behind as he walked back to his truck, police said. He said he feared for his life and fired the semiautomatic handgun he was licensed to carry because he feared for his life."

There are no street signs at the spot where Zimmerman killed Martin - it's a pedestrian walkway between the backs of houses that leads to Martin's father's house

There are no signs of grave injury to Zimmerman like he claimed or any hospital trip

There are only three streets in the entire gated community. Zimmerman didn't need to get out of SUV to check which street he was on

He didn't get 'attacked' by Martin - the girlfriend heard Zimmerman approaching Martin demanding to know what he was doing

Zimmerman expects people to believe that this 17 year kid racing home to his father's house at night in the rain while being stalked by a 250 lb unknown adult armed with a handgun suddenly turned around and attacked Zimmerman savagely enough for the nutcase to shoot Martin and leave no obvious signs of serious injury on Zimmerman's body.

I didn't understand a word, but my new internet nickname will be...

Toadhead Agama

You won't see me until it's too late.

This is why I love this game, sme4r is alias on there as well if any of you sifters wanna get your bf3 Blap on. (Ker-Blap is the nickname of my .44 magnum.)

Stalking a kitty cat seems counterproductive now, eh? *squishes with paw*

In reply to this comment by ant:
https://plus.google.com/104944603408436477439#104944603408436477439/p
osts

Hey, I thought Google doesn't let you use nicknames? Did they change that rule? Yes, I am stalking you.

https://plus.google.com/104944603408436477439#104944603408436477439/posts

Hey, I thought Google doesn't let you use nicknames? Did they change that rule? Yes, I am stalking you.

@jmzero

Thanks for the question.

It's still too soon to tell anything, but of those you mentioned:

Perry - still has a shot, but probably won't get it together in time. Tied with Romney for title of 'King of Mediocrity' but not as good as Cain.

Bachmann - no chance niche candidate

Romney - a stiff and foolish to boot (re: disaster nicknamed Romneycare). Uninspiring but with great hair. Will spend slightly less than Obama but at this point, who cares, we're underwater. Would be tepid improvement over Obama, if only because businesses could breathe a sign relief from endless communist assaults.

Cain - not an insider, doesn't need the money, knows there's a Constitution to be obeyed (even if in theory), has real world business experience. All the shit thrown at him by the left for 'lack of experience' was mysteriously absent when the voting "Present" senator Kenyawaiian was running. All the shit thrown at him by the left over a few meritless sexual harassment complaints mysteriously absent when Filth "suck this or lose your job" Clinton was running. Would be MASSIVE improvement over Obama, if only because businesses could breathe a sign relief from endless communist assaults, plus conservative minorities make the left apoplectic.

As an alternative to all of these, I would make a damned fine Emperor. Have a pleasant evening!


>> ^jmzero:

The only flaw in Cain is he doesn't seem to know the reach of this corrupt regime's media shills.

@quantumushroom
Is Cain your favorite among the current Republican candidates? If not, who? (And possibly why, if you're up for it)?
For myself, I'm not a real fan of Cain (and I think he'd have problems in a full campaign) - but I'd definitely pick him over, say, Bachmann or Perry. If I were voting in the Republican race (which I will not be - I'm Canadian), I'd probably go for Romney. I don't agree with him on everything (I'm less of a social conservative) and he's a little bit prone to triangulation rather than true leadership, but the political waters are so thoroughly poisoned right now that I think perhaps a lukewarm, compromise President might be the best option (among either party). He's not perfect, but he's who I'd pick if you asked me right now.
Anyways, you represent a viewpoint that isn't terribly well represented on VS and I think there's lots of people that would be interesting in hearing where you stand (which you may have written elsewhere, but which I and possibly many others haven't seen because we may not be reading in those other places).

I can't find a video, but the Canadian Navy lands in weather worse than that because of a very simple toy (that you yanks refuse to adopt because you didn't come up with it).

The helicopter dangles a strong cable, with a hook up, about 10 metres long. Ship's crew feeds the cable to a winch, pilot gives full up-lift while the winch drags him down. Perfect landing every time. The nickname for the device is a Bear Trap, but I'm not sure if that's the official name.

>> ^deathcow:

contrast with
http://videosift.com/video/The-extreme-limits-for-landing
-helicopters-on-moving-ships

>> ^ryanbennitt:

So, where's the bear to protect the coyote from the rottweiler while catching the chihuahua?


He was at work teaching kids that only they could prevent forest fires. He has to do this while on parole. His nickname used mean something else.

Funny (but not surprising) that she uses the term 'voodoo economics' - which is a derisive nickname for the type of trickle down economics that she supports.

whatever...he only got that nickname because his dad felt weird calling him motherfucker.