Idiot of the Day

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

In fairness, I don't think I've ever seen a woman with that face outside a freak show. Also, that law is bound to see as much action as the laws against discrimination. We're a bunch of lazy shits.

[Xeroma]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts1022 Warning: contains Glenn Beck.

[NotMiki]

I dunno, investing in gold is a fairly mainstream libertarian-type position.  The fact that he's promoting a pro-gold position on TV and that he advertises for a specific gold company on the radio isn't all that bad to me.  If he were promoting a product that was more specific and was the spokesman of the biggest company that made it there would be a better case for a serious conflict of interest.

[Pyro]

Yeah it is not like he is selling people something he knows is going to blow up in their face, leave them penniless, and cause the global economy to teeter close to collapse.

On the other hand, that strategy apparently makes you filthy stinking rich so hey, I guess it still wouldn't belong in Idiot of the Day.

Speaking of which: http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/2009/12/03/the-ultimate-vanity-plate/

[superaielman]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34316756/ns/business-consumer_news/

Hay guys let's use slurs to describe people, this surely won't blow up in our faces.

[Cotigo]

Speaking of which: http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/2009/12/03/the-ultimate-vanity-plate/

This shit is the reason why I really wouldn't mind rounding up everyone who makes more than a certain amount of money, tying them down and then whacking them in the nuts with an improvised chinese hammer for a few hours (see: Casino Royale) before skinning them and seeing what amphetamines keep them awake the longest through the process (see: psychopathy).

When the class war happens I'm going to do some weird fucking science to some rich cunts.

[metroid composite]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34316756/ns/business-consumer_news/

Hay guys let's use slurs to describe people, this surely won't blow up in our faces.

Totally legal in Florida, which has no protections for any of the LGBT letters.

I am always amused, however, by how inaccurate the slurs usually are in these news stories.  "faggot" is meant to be gay male, not lesbians or TS--there's "dyke" and "tranny" for those.

[Shale]

From where I'm standing, "faggot" seems even more offensive, since it completely denies Bellamy's femininity. I doubt it's accidental.

[metroid composite]

From where I'm standing, "faggot" seems even more offensive, since it completely denies Bellamy's femininity. I doubt it's accidental.

Well...right, but there was the story a while back of someone on XBox live using the tag "Lesbian Gamer" and getting hate mail that called her faggot, so I'm not at all sure people know the difference.

One thing strikes me as odd about this, though--she's been living as female for six years so...since the age of 11, and yet "He began to laugh at me once he saw me".  How the hell did he react so quickly to her appearance?  The average medical doctor literally can't distinguish between someone who starts female hormone treatment at age 11, and an actual female born with an xy chromosome.

There has to be more to this story; either the manager knows her already, or maybe she's not on hormones.

[Shale]

I figured the latter. If nothing else, as minor she'd have to get parental consent on any medical procedure.

[Anthony Edward Stark]

So... if you've been "living as female for six years" but haven't had any medical procedures or anything, doesn't that mean you're just a really committed cross-dresser? If you're not even willing to go under the knife, I'm still going to count you as a dude.

[Shale]

Meh, there's a world of difference between someone who actually lives as a female and, say, Eddie Izzard. Plus, as mentioned, it might not be her call to not have surgery.

[Grefter]

From where I'm standing, "faggot" seems even more offensive, since it completely denies Bellamy's femininity. I doubt it's accidental.

Well...right, but there was the story a while back of someone on XBox live using the tag "Lesbian Gamer" and getting hate mail that called her faggot, so I'm not at all sure people know the difference.

One thing strikes me as odd about this, though--she's been living as female for six years so...since the age of 11, and yet "He began to laugh at me once he saw me".  How the hell did he react so quickly to her appearance?  The average medical doctor literally can't distinguish between someone who starts female hormone treatment at age 11, and an actual female born with an xy chromosome.

There has to be more to this story; either the manager knows her already, or maybe she's not on hormones.

It is X-Box Live.  Faggot means hello.

[DjinnAndTonic]

So... if you've been "living as female for six years" but haven't had any medical procedures or anything, doesn't that mean you're just a really committed cross-dresser? If you're not even willing to go under the knife, I'm still going to count you as a dude.

No, the term 'cross-dresser' implies tranvestism. This is a person who enjoys simply dressing as the opposite gender for whatever psychological highs it gives them. They still self-identify as their birth gender.

Someone who has been 'living as female', is transgendered. They feel that they have been born into the wrong physical body. And some studies show that this is entirely true. A female brain and a male brain have some pretty clear physiological differences and respond differently to the sex hormones. So, if this transgender girl feels she is female, then her female brain is most likely reacting pretty poorly to the constant stream of testosterone in her system.

The fact that this particular transgender girl is underage and unable to undergo surgery is, as Shale stated, another pretty strong reason not to be so judgmental of her situation. You dick.

[Anthony Edward Stark]

At 17, if you feel that strongly about it, get emancipated and then you can go see a doctor. You can do that as early as 14 in some states. Commit to something and follow through on it. Until someone is willing to use the options that they have available to them, rather than relying on legal scapegoating, I'm going to continue being judgmental of the situation.

[DjinnAndTonic]

If she's applying for a job at McDonalds, I highly doubt she has the resources available to survive in your hypothetical situation. My issue isn't so much with the idea that can't think of her as female because of her body, a lot of people have that problem. It's more than you're carelessly tossing her into the category of 'cross-dresser', which many transgendered people strongly dislike.

[Anthony Edward Stark]

If you want something, take it. If you're not willing to take what you want, it must not matter that much. If I want to be King, I'm going to knock over some third world shithole and put myself in charge, not go around wearing a crown and a robe and expect people to address me as Your Highness. And sure, the first is more difficult than the second, but that's how things are. You don't get what you want unless you are willing to rip it out of someone else's hands.

No shit fully committing to something is hard. And there's usually no going back.

[DjinnAndTonic]

Easy to say. Whether you become King or not isn't vital to your health. Someone whose brain is receiving the wrong kind of hormones is subject to intense feelings of depression and nondescript pain. Most transgenders who do not go through with hormone therapy end up commiting suicide.

Your close-mindedness is pretty astounding despite being unaware of these innate differences.

[Anthony Edward Stark]

Better get on with that hormone therapy, then. You know, committing to medical procedures? Commit to something. Follow through.

[DjinnAndTonic]

Well, she's trying to a get a job to -pay- for it. Can't fault the lady for not trying.

[metroid composite]

The fact that this particular transgender girl is underage and unable to undergo surgery is, as Shale stated, another pretty strong reason not to be so judgmental of her situation. You dick.

I don't think she's stopped from surgery by age--some girl in England did it at something like 12 or 13 not too long ago (although most of the doctors in the field were like "WTF, the brain's not done developing its gender by then").  Youngest I'm aware of in the US is somewhere around 15 or 16.  That said, in the US it's a pretty blatant "your parents have to cough up $20,000 for this, because insurance companies don't cover anything."

Better get on with that hormone therapy, then. You know, committing to medical procedures? Commit to something. Follow through.

Dressing and living as the opposite gender every single day for 6 years is not a commitment?  Good god Rob, I'd like to see you pull that off.

[Anthony Edward Stark]

Actual gender reassignment is a long and involved process that has a shitton of steps, one of which is living as the opposite gender prior to surgery. Skipping all the prior steps, like hormone therapy and psychological consultation, smacks of self-medication, more than anything. Given that she lives in Orlando and hasn't had to get a job until she was 17, I also doubt she's searching the couch for two pennies to rub together.

Dressing and living as the opposite gender every single day for 6 years is not a commitment?  Good god Rob, I'd like to see you pull that off.

And one you could quit doing the next day, if you wanted.

[Cotigo]

If you want something, take it. If you're not willing to take what you want, it must not matter that much. If I want to be King, I'm going to knock over some third world shithole and put myself in charge, not go around wearing a crown and a robe and expect people to address me as Your Highness. And sure, the first is more difficult than the second, but that's how things are. You don't get what you want unless you are willing to rip it out of someone else's hands.

No shit fully committing to something is hard. And there's usually no going back.

The poor are just lazy.  If they weren't so lazy they'd have money.

FTFY

[NotMiki]

If you want something, take it. If you're not willing to take what you want, it must not matter that much. If I want to be King, I'm going to knock over some third world shithole and put myself in charge, not go around wearing a crown and a robe and expect people to address me as Your Highness. And sure, the first is more difficult than the second, but that's how things are. You don't get what you want unless you are willing to rip it out of someone else's hands.

No shit fully committing to something is hard. And there's usually no going back.

this is America, man.  not caring enough to take proper care of our bodies is like a national passtime.

[metroid composite]

Dressing and living as the opposite gender every single day for 6 years is not a commitment?  Good god Rob, I'd like to see you pull that off.

And one you could quit doing the next day, if you wanted.

Oh I doubt that.

You'd have no appropriate clothing.  You'd enter the wrong washroom instinctively.  You'd respond to the wrong name.  You'd respond to "maam" rather than "sir".  Being highschool, your friends would be strongly trended towards female (and might be accepting of you if you identify as female, but may not be so warm and sympathetic if you start calling yourself male).  Your speech patterns would be noticeably different.  Your way of sitting (i.e. knees together, cross your legs) might still stand out.

So...no, just because you haven't modified your body doesn't mean you haven't modified everything else (habits, friends, wardrobe).