Do you want to have kids?

[dead0man]

Holy crap guys, calm down.  People that don't like kids are broken, we shouldn't make fun of them.

(don't get me wrong, kids are loud, annoying and selfish... some people just don't like the competition)

[Intell]

As shown in this thread, those who are against kids are literally one of the worst embodiments of humanity. More with selfish, let's say unsavory reasons at least.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The first two, twins, will be named James Tiberius and John Kennedy--Jim and Jack, for short. One after the greatest starship captain and the other after our greatest Catholic President. In order to spare them the uncertainty I face, they'll each be required to know one language, one instrument, play one sport, and possess a fourth, quasi-occupational hobby (underwater welding or programming, for example). I'll leave it to my future ex-wife to name the daughter.

[afleitch]

What did I just read?

Here's a wonderful thing. If you are like me an early 30 something and a lot of your friends have kids and they've waited until personal and financial situations are kind enough to them to allow them to have kids, then they love the sh-t out of them. But they also share on Facebook 'why kids are like drunk adults' memes. And they show me pictures of their kid sleeping in awkward poses, or their kid's twisted face before a fart. They find these things hilarious, because for them they are true. Places are starting to become more 'parent with child' friendly and people pass their children from person to person like a puppy. And people have a great time, and say how they can't wait until their kid is at school, or how their neighbours' kids are so annoying and you all help each other deal with sleepy babies and make tunnels with your legs so they can run about underneath you.

I have no idea what all this psychobabble angst was over these last two pages.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Again, that's not the attitude I take issue with, but I really don't want to restart this fracas.

[MasterJedi]

Not surprising at all that Joe Republic doesn't like kids and feels awkward around them. Can't use mean spirited sarcasm and they don't care if you think you're so much smarter and better than everyone else.

[afleitch]

I've tried to say twice now that what I take issue with is the use of those everyday jokes and annoyances as part of this fashionable 'children are terrible and I'm justified in hating them' script.

He obviously doesn't hate children He's lucky enough to have crazy nephews (and I'm still waiting) but children are generally 'terrible' when you're around them, they are supposed to be unpredictable and chaotic. It's better to leave that 'chaos' than try to control it. Especially if it involves someone else's kids. And kids are supposed to find adults weird, dull and boring. But yet here we all are.

As I said I get shared these idiotic jokes mostly from parents. In fact they love their kids so much they overshare them. It's how they get by.

[Mike Thick]

In the future, maybe, but I'd need to be super confident in my potential parenting abilities (and financial stability) before I even considered it.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Cool, Nathan's even whinier, almost as humorless, but just as reflexively offended sidekick.  As if on cue.

Cool, an ad hominem that completely fails to address the ridiculousness that I pointed out in your posts. Once again, someone who can't enjoy children is lecturing those who can about how to have fun.

Nathan is indeed my friend, and he also happens to be on the correct side of this discussion.

But if yes, I prefer a daughter

what the christ

The first two, twins, will be named James Tiberius and John Kennedy--Jim and Jack, for short. One after the greatest starship captain and the other after our greatest Catholic President.

You misspelled "Jean-Luc".

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

The first two, twins, will be named James Tiberius and John Kennedy--Jim and Jack, for short. One after the greatest starship captain and the other after our greatest Catholic President.

You misspelled "Jean-Luc".

Well, you would say that, wouldn't you?

[DC Al Fine]

The first two, twins, will be named James Tiberius and John Kennedy--Jim and Jack, for short. One after the greatest starship captain and the other after our greatest Catholic President.

You misspelled "Jean-Luc".

Burn the heretic!

[Antonio the Sixth]

The first two, twins, will be named James Tiberius and John Kennedy--Jim and Jack, for short. One after the greatest starship captain and the other after our greatest Catholic President.

You misspelled "Jean-Luc".

Well, you would say that, wouldn't you?

I would certainly say that the wise, eloquent, firm but kind authority figure makes for a better captain than the brash, impulsive gambler with an overinflated ego, yes. That's what you meant, right?

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

The first two, twins, will be named James Tiberius and John Kennedy--Jim and Jack, for short. One after the greatest starship captain and the other after our greatest Catholic President.

You misspelled "Jean-Luc".

Well, you would say that, wouldn't you?

I would certainly say that the wise, eloquent, firm but kind authority figure makes for a better captain than the brash, impulsive gambler with an overinflated ego, yes. That's what you meant, right?

Sure, Picard is objectively the better captain, but that's not why most people I know watch Star Trek.

[Lambsbread]

what the christ is this thread

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

But if yes, I prefer a daughter

How come you've stopped supporting Trump?

[Antonio the Sixth]

The first two, twins, will be named James Tiberius and John Kennedy--Jim and Jack, for short. One after the greatest starship captain and the other after our greatest Catholic President.

You misspelled "Jean-Luc".

Well, you would say that, wouldn't you?

I would certainly say that the wise, eloquent, firm but kind authority figure makes for a better captain than the brash, impulsive gambler with an overinflated ego, yes. That's what you meant, right?

Sure, Picard is objectively the better captain, but that's not why most people I know watch Star Trek.

I also think Picard makes for a great character. He can be badass, he can be moving and profound, he can be hilarious, and he can be terrifying as well. Not saying Kirk didn't have his great moments (Wrath of Khan is an amazing movie) but I didn't see as much depth and complexity to him.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

In all seriousness, though, if I ever were to become a father, I'd prefer to have a daughter rather than a son. Not just because I consider girls supreme to boys, but because I just can see myself being just like my own father in father-son dynamics, and no thanks.

Btw, I kind of miss Bushie in moments like this. "I'm a proud father of two African children."

[DC Al Fine]

The first two, twins, will be named James Tiberius and John Kennedy--Jim and Jack, for short. One after the greatest starship captain and the other after our greatest Catholic President.

You misspelled "Jean-Luc".

Well, you would say that, wouldn't you?

I would certainly say that the wise, eloquent, firm but kind authority figure makes for a better captain than the brash, impulsive gambler with an overinflated ego, yes. That's what you meant, right?

Sure, Picard is objectively the better captain, but that's not why most people I know watch Star Trek.

I watch it for the double fist punches.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

The first two, twins, will be named James Tiberius and John Kennedy--Jim and Jack, for short. One after the greatest starship captain and the other after our greatest Catholic President.

You misspelled "Jean-Luc".

Well, you would say that, wouldn't you?

I would certainly say that the wise, eloquent, firm but kind authority figure makes for a better captain than the brash, impulsive gambler with an overinflated ego, yes. That's what you meant, right?

Sure, Picard is objectively the better captain, but that's not why most people I know watch Star Trek.

I also think Picard makes for a great character. He can be badass, he can be moving and profound, he can be hilarious, and he can be terrifying as well. Not saying Kirk didn't have his great moments (Wrath of Khan is an amazing movie) but I didn't see as much depth and complexity to him.

Isn't that partially just because Picard is played by a much better actor? I bet there'd be a lot less of a gap if one sat down and read the scripts.

[Antonio the Sixth]

The first two, twins, will be named James Tiberius and John Kennedy--Jim and Jack, for short. One after the greatest starship captain and the other after our greatest Catholic President.

You misspelled "Jean-Luc".

Well, you would say that, wouldn't you?

I would certainly say that the wise, eloquent, firm but kind authority figure makes for a better captain than the brash, impulsive gambler with an overinflated ego, yes. That's what you meant, right?

Sure, Picard is objectively the better captain, but that's not why most people I know watch Star Trek.

I also think Picard makes for a great character. He can be badass, he can be moving and profound, he can be hilarious, and he can be terrifying as well. Not saying Kirk didn't have his great moments (Wrath of Khan is an amazing movie) but I didn't see as much depth and complexity to him.

Isn't that partially just because Picard is played by a much better actor? I bet there'd be a lot less of a gap if one sat down and read the scripts.

That might be true. Admittedly I haven't seen any TOS episode, so my impression of Kirk isn't fully formed (though I've seen most of the movies and I tend to imagine that the flaws that annoy me in older Kirk would be even worse in younger Kirk). The actor is definitely part of what makes a character, though, even if I agree that the script is the most important part.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I've made this point to people for years, but stick big hair and a bigger moustache on Patrick Stewart damn if he doesn't look like Ramsay MacDonald. C'mon there's a biopic just waiting to happen right there.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I've made this point to people for years, but stick big hair and a bigger moustache on Patrick Stewart damn if he doesn't look like Ramsay MacDonald. C'mon there's a biopic just waiting to happen right there.

I'd definitely watch that.

(well, I'd watch almost anything with Patrick Stewart in it, but a MacDonald biopic would be interesting nonetheless)

[Bacon King]

But if yes, I prefer a daughter

Guys can we all go back to this post for a moment because what the fu[Inks]

[Antonio the Sixth]

But if yes, I prefer a daughter

Guys can we all go back to this post for a moment because what the fu[Inks]

id rather pretend this post doesn't exist tbh

[Joe Republic]

Thinking about this thread a bit more today, I remembered my original post here:

A friend of mine shared this on FB a few days ago, and seems very relevant to post here:

http://www.therooster.com/blog/10-brutally-real-reasons-why-millennials-refuse-have-kids

... and that when my friend shared that article, she received about a dozen 'likes', and then sparked an interesting comment-discussion between her and several of her friends who all agreed that, in a nutshell, they were tired of society trying to shame them for not wanting children.  It certainly resonated with me, too.

[#analysis]
I guess I find it interesting that society has a way to ensure the survival and growth of the human race, by shaming those who don't want to participate in reproduction (* the only basic instinct that an individual can ignore and still survive).

"You don't want children?  What's wrong with you?"
"You often feel awkward and uncomfortable around children?  Are you sick?!  Children are amazing!!"

You could even look at one aspect of the gay marriage debate.  "Of course you can't get married; you can't even reproduce!"  Then once people realized that gay parents can and do exist quite easily, the wall of opposition suddenly had another hole smashed through it.
[/#analysis]


This thread in particular also made me understand that there is a gaping gulf between the culture of my RL social circle and this forum community.  (I now know how BRTD feels...!)  I don't know yet if that's necessarily a good thing or not, but it's certainly making me wonder if I should give AAD another try...