Earwolf Forum Topics Study Group

[hugLife 492]

This is a place for people to gather if they are unable to participate in, or create a local study group. You already know the rules for the group, so discuss things as you see fit.

[Topic_Shakur 24]

I'm pleased to be here in the newly established 'forum study group', hello members and future members.

 

And as Hug says, "You already know the rules". Which is so interesting.

And to unpack that just a little bit for new members of this group, it's been agreed that chains will be implemented if/when needed.

 

It looks like M&M have fed our minds a lot to swallow once again, perhaps they heard your suggestion of two a week, Hug?

And nice to see you've brought your homemade hummus and pitas, how palatable!

This will surely be a treat as I also endulge my brain's appetite in these latest eps.

[hugLife 492]

So, the sense of taste was left out, and in my personal opinion, Mishow & Miblack left it out because it is the hardest to discuss.

 

Just for clarity, they did not do this because they are lazy; they left it for us as a challenge. For us to prove ourselves and earn our stripes. Don't let it leave a bad...taste...in your mouth.

 

Taste can be literal or figurative. Pictures can look tasty even though they are not edible. Things can smell tasty and really be gross. Looking as a significant other can make your mouth salivate as if you were a hungry dog. You aren't going to eat your significant other (no, not a small bite either).

 

This being said, what is "taste" really? Is it just the literal and tangible input that we receive through our tongue? Or, is it the sense that is a connection to every other one. Pavlov proved that hearing can make a dog think of food. Smell is a large part of taste. Seeing food is obviously something that makes someone imagine its flavor. And of course, who hasn't been stimulated before from caressing a doughnut.

[Topic_Shakur 24]

You make such a great point there with the 20% challenge, really great.

 

And speaking of points, at one point I mistakenly thought that MIB was going to segway from glue smelling, to eating paste and thus covering the sense of taste. But, it wasn't to be.

 

I have to say, though, my sensory system became overloaded after hearing the seemingly obligatory shout out to the 'Topics Grannies'. I mean, right at the top of the podcast. Sure, worthy of a chuckle indeed, but, I don't know that it warranted a full shout out. And I'll be honest, it took a minute for me to get reeled back in.

 

To be clear, when you mentioned doughnuts, you were referring to the hemorrhoid pillows, correct? Because yes, they are absolutely delightful to caress. However, I'm fairly certain that I wouldn't 'taste' one!

 

I really like what you said about how "Pictures can look tasty even though they are not edible.", you are so right, you really shouldn't eat them. But...this doesn't apply also to the cakes that have pictures imprinted on them too, does it? Because as it stands now, I've definitely eaten those cakes, and I have to say...they 'taste' delicious.

 

You seem to know so much about pictures and not eating them...I mean, am I now in danger? And it wasn't just myself who had the cake, I'm talking children as well, in fact, whole families were enjoying it together.

 

I'm hoping you can maybe open that box of knowledge up a little more and share a slice?

[hugLife 492]

Don't worry, after hearing the "Topics Grannies" very prominent shout out, I took it upon myself to email Mike² on behalf of the Earwolf Forum Topics Study Group to let them know that they were pretty much obligated to give us a shout out as well.

 

As for pictures on cakes, I guess I should have been more specific when I mentioned that before, because I was actually referring to statues, and how they are living (more like un-living) pictures in our daily lives. These 3D pictures often have a coppery flavor that is reminiscent of tasting blood in your mouth (something I assume that everyone deals with as frequently as I do).

Now something that may come to be with the advancements of technology are 3D printers that make foods. They could print out all kinds of tasty delights from cakes to doughnuts. I mean, we could probably choose whatever flavor we wanted in anything that we printed. I guess then you would have the ability to make a cake taste like a picture...only this time it really will be edible.

 

Now that is a future that I am looking forward to.

[Topic_Shakur 24]

Well, I don't know that I can say I'm quite ready to quench my appetite with a 3D hemorrhoid doughnut, but hey, I'm not here to crush your futuristic dreams!

 

I got a little silly there, and I DO apologize for my digression. I realize the rules/no rules moniker, but, we're just starting to gain some ground on this massive topic they've left us with, so...I'll dig my spoon in and have a taste of this surface we're just scratching.

 

I should start off by thanking you for providing a sort of 'word form' Xanax to me and all of those I've contacted about the cake photos. Such a relief!

 

And I have to say, I'm SO glad that I'm not the only who noticed this TWICE repeated shout out to the 'Topics Grannies'. I mean, listen, I'm sure they're a wonderful group of ladies, but I think we've all seen the lengths the Grannies will go to for airtime time and time again, and it's best that they get called out on it, that's all. No rules, but...ladies, please...guidelines and etiquette for goodness sake. At their age, they really should know better. Ok, I'm starting to get cast out again, so I'll reel it back in. But I do thank you for addressing this.

 

When I think of taste, I don't really think about it at all. Like MIB, I too have an amazing 6 pack and am so thankful for him previously discussing his and inadvertently making me feel better about my own amazing abs. I'm not so self conscious at the gym anymore when I'm doing my 1500 crunches a day. Yes, 500 more than MIB, but I'm not here to brag about how many more crunches I do...or about my glorious abdominal region.

 

Hmm, I seem to have gotten a little side tracked thinking about my abs...oh yes, my point, my point is that I pretty much eat the same bland things every day. I no longer eat food for the taste, simply for it's benefits to my abs. So for me, the blander the better. You could say that I hope I 'don't' taste it. Which no doubt lessens the amount of senses I'm using in that regard.

 

You mention your hankering for the taste of blood and cakes, which of course have animal fats, eggs (if you're that strict), etc., in them, and it almost seems as though your vegetarian ways are being challenged by your own senses? Maybe you could open up that travel bag a bit and spread the contents on the hotel bed for us?

 

I've had tofurkey, and while it's hard for me to say I've enjoyed it, I certainly wouldn't be as crass as to say that those who do, lack taste! Which, I should point out, I'm once again not using the word 'taste' there in a topical 'topics' sense, but perhaps as more of an adjective. Lest anyone get confused.

 

I brought up the aforementioned because in my extensive studies and worldly travels, I've actually heard of vegetarians in some regions being accused of having no taste. I know, right? As a vegetarian yourself, would you concur that using one's senses could disprove this?

 

Meaning, if perhaps having one of these veggie naysayers getting their beaks wet by 'tasting' a veggie hotdog, it could dissuade them from making such unrooted accusations.

[DEATHMAN 3317]

I brought up the aforementioned because in my extensive studies and worldly travels, I've actually heard of vegetarians in some regions being accused of having no taste. I know, right? As a vegetarian yourself, would you concur that using one's senses could disprove this?

 

Meaning, if perhaps having one of these veggie naysayers getting their beaks wet by 'tasting' a veggie hotdog, it could dissuade them from making such unrooted accusations.

Well that's quite a Veggie Tale!

[hugLife 492]

Well, I am actually more vegan than vegetarian (eggs are my only exception). It is troubling to me that you think that all vegetarians do is eat fake meat. I don't eat any tofurkey, smart dogs, or morning star burgers... I just cook up tasty vegetables.

 

I am somewhat of a cook, so taste is extremely important to me. I make a lot of my meals using only the freshest ingredients because they are both healthy, and nutritious, and delicious, and...tasty. I eat beans, lentils, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, tomatoes, onions, zucchinis, brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, green beans, garlic, and hot peppers as features in many dishes... I assure you that your taste...buds would certainly be dancing in your mouth.

 

I would like to broaden this topic of taste out a bit if I may. Unfortunately, many people say that health food tastes like dirt. Is the flavor of dirt inherently untasty? If so, why is the outermost layer of the Earth referred to as the "crust"?

 

Should pie crusts and pizza crusts have more soil in them?

[DEATHMAN 3317]

I'd like to apologize for making the joke about Veggie Tales

[hugLife 492]

I'd like to apologize for making the joke about Veggie Tales

 

Hey CORPSEFUCKER SHITLORD (do you prefer to go by just CORPSEFUCKER?),

 

The joke about Veggie Tales was fine, as there are no rules, but you didn't really tell any Tasty Tales either.

 

We only have 6 more days to finish 20%, and although Mike² make it seem easy (they are professionals), it would be in poor...taste... if we only tried to make each other giggle without trying to promote discussion.

 

...but there are no rules.

[Topic_Shakur 24]

It is troubling to me that you think that all vegetarians do is eat fake meat.

 

That's fascinating stuff right there. I can really see how that would be troubling.

But I must say, I think we need to be careful, as we could VERY easily get diverted down a path of kale tales and this would not get us any closer to our 20% goal. And really, that's why we're all here.

 

I would like it to be noted that I was actually defending the vegetarian's taste in my previous contribution to our percentage requirement. In fact, if you will recall, I went as far as to call these folks who dispute your choice of food, 'naysayers'.

Now I'm not one for the use of the blue language and it ended up causing me quite a restless tossing and turning night, whilst feeling...distasteful. I don't know how many times I logged back in through the night to edit my verbiage choice to something less boorish, however, I came to the conclusion that if it lands on the screen, then...that's ok. Rules < No Rules

 

But, to say that I would assume vegetarians only eat fake meat...well, that stings a bit. How could I, or even you, possibly speak for the entire vegetarian community? Perhaps there is someone out there who strictly does only eat fake meat? There's something to chew on. Listen, I'm certain that you prepare a wonderful kale dish, especially if it's anything like your homemade hummus and pitas, and perhaps with your culinary background we can all one day be enchanted to the vegan side when the Earwolf Forum Topics Study Group (EFTSG) is held at your fine abode.

 

And I want to thank you for not bringing up my abs, as just like kale, it could really get us off track.

So let's see if I can steer this back on topic.

 

I would like to broaden this topic of taste out a bit if I may. Unfortunately, many people say that health food tastes like dirt. Is the flavor of dirt inherently untasty? If so, why is the outermost layer of the Earth referred to as the "crust"?

 

Should pie crusts and pizza crusts have more soil in them?

 

Hmmmm...mmmmm.....hmph....wow. You’ll have to excuse me for a moment.

 

Ok, I'm back. I actually had to leave the computer for a bit to think about this one. I mean, the dirt, not tasty/tasty, the crusts, it was all A LOT to swallow. But I happen to know a lot about this particular subject. And the answer is, no…pie crusts should ‘not’ have more soil in them. Well, let me be more specific. Pie crusts that already have the average amount of soil in them should not have more soil added to them. However, if a pie crust is perhaps a knock off brand, maybe a ‘best yet’ or even a 'great value' pie crust that doesn’t have the expected average amount of soil, then yes…yes, absolutely there should be more added, but no more than the standard amount. Just be sure to check the labels is I think the point here.

I’m sure we all knew the kid who ate dirt on the playgrounds…

 

Oh, which reminds me, “CORPSEFUCKER SHITLORD”, which is a term I’m not familiar with, I must admit. I’m not sure the origin, perhaps Latin or is this a product? If I can just perhaps maybe jump onto Hug’s proverbial wagon here for a moment, while the veggie joke was indeed a very well constructed belly laugh, I have to say that a great point was brought up there about the rules and the no rules. Just in this very post I mention how I found myself struggling with that very same thing, so I can understand the difficulty. But, I believe the bigger difficulty is finishing our share of this topic as we do not want to taste defeat.

Please let it be known that I ‘do’ accept your apology and it is SO greatly appreciated.

 

So, to get this train back on the tracks, allow me hit your senses with these two questions to gnaw on.

Does food taste the same to you, as it does me?

And can you really taste a rainbow as the Skittles company advert slogan claims?

[hugLife 492]

Umm....I think that the Mikes really were testing us! I looked up the origin of "taste" on dictionary.com and this is what I found:

 

Origin:

1250-1300 ;(v.) Middle English tasten to touch, taste < Old French taster to touch, explore by touching (Middle French: to touch,taste); cognate with Italian tastare, Provençal, Old Spanish tastar < ?;(noun) Middle English tast sense of touch, a trying, tasting < OldFrench, derivative of taster

 

 

In case all of that cryptic language jargon escaped you, taste....is derived from the word touch.... wow. Is it even really its own sense? It would be foolish for me to believe that the Mikes didn't see if we would call them out on this. I need a moment to digest this, but please feel free to continue the discussion while I compose myself over here.

[Topic_Shakur 24]

I'm going to need a moment myself.

To taste IS to touch. Wow, riveting!

 

I believe it was Thomas Acquinas, a thirteenth century philosopher and theologian for those reading, who said, "the common sense was that aspect of human thinking that took input from the five physical senses and formed a full, integrated concept."

 

Now, I may be paraphrasing there a bit so please forgive me if it's not exact.

However, this opens up what very well could be yet another sense.

Or even more, the possibility that M&M were trying to throw us off by saying the other one, meaning 'taste', when they actually meant, the culmination of all.

 

Hmmm.

[hugLife 492]

I don't know about you, but I think that this 20% was officially reached.

 

Great first week for the EFTSG. I will never touch my food the same way ever again.

[Topic_Shakur 24]

Ding, ding, ding...I wholeheartedly agree!

Such a great first week for the EFTSG, so great.

 

This has been, for me, an enriching experience that I won't soon forget and I look forward to conquering our next topic!

I will use common sense, and expect it to be another 'touchy' one!

[Topic_Shakur 24]

And...here we go fellow EFTSG'rs!

 

"Tugboats, Trains, and Trolleys"

[hugLife 492]

I really feel like they should have titled it "Trolleys, Tugboats, and Trains." The "tr" sound kind of sandwiches the tugboat, making it feel more cozy.

[Topic_Shakur 24]

Hmmm...

 

Well, I for one was first really under the impression that they covered WELL over the 80% goal and was somewhat astonished to discover that they feel there is still a lot to complete? Though, I'm not one to derail a train from a challenge!

 

However, it MUST be noted that not only did the 'Flagstaff Topics Grannies', or FTG, get yet ANOTHER plug, Sho just had to mention their 3 hour study group sessions. And a topic like trolleys? Are they now purposely catering to the strong suits of the FTG's era? More like troglodytes!!!!

Deep breath...ok, I'm calmed.

 

It'll take me a minute here, please excuse me.

I apologize for the outburst.

 

Ok...well, after listening to the latest ep a dozen or so more times today, I guess maybe there are a 'few' holes they missed that we could touch upon.

 

Most notably regarding the, uh...tugboats, trains and trolleys parts.

[hugLife 492]

You know, I emailed them so we could get a shoutout in here....and they never mentioned us at all!! Wow! I mean, we are busting our butts in here every single week trying to pull our weight, and some senior citizens get ANOTHER SHOUTOUT?!?

 

...Give me a moment....

 

Wow, sorry about that. I mean, maybe next week's topic should be "unbridled passion for Topics." Am I right? haha

 

Back to the matters at hand, tugboats = on the water. Trains = on a track. Trolleys = ...on a track too?

 

Why were there 2 tracks and one floater? Maybe the Mikes wanted us "2 (to) TRACK" down the reason why....why a TUGboat actually should be called a PUSHboat.....

 

[Topic_Shakur 24]

Well, I think it's safe to say that there is some sort of link to the FTGs.

I don't claim to know what it is, but I'll be monitoring this one very closely to see how it develops.

 

I appreciate your attempts at a mention, but, I'm glad they didn't...we wouldn't want to slump over to the FTGs level anyway! At this point, I can only conclude that they are abusing their Topics Senior Discount. Typical.

 

And for the record, I've worked at Retirement Homes and 3 hours is nothing to boast about.

Meaning '80%' of this 3 hour braggadocio could simply be the time it takes them to arrive and depart.

 

 

Ok, forgive me, back to the topic.

 

You really make a fascinating point here, truly fascinating once again.

 

So, by your logic, it could be said that the Mikes are both 'on' track (MIB = Train, Sho = Trolley), and we, the tugboats, are pulling all the weight on this topic and expected to push to the finish?

[Topic_Shakur 24]

Stop, hold the train!

 

An anonymous member of an Arizona sister study group to my own Pittsburgh Chapter has provided the following. Please, do not ask for any more details than that.

 

I think it's safe to say that in 'this' case, a picture tells far more than a thousand words!

 

[hugLife 492]

Stop, hold the train!

 

An anonymous member of an Arizona sister study group to my own Pittsburgh Chapter has provided the following. Please, do not ask for any more details than that.

 

I think it's safe to say that in 'this' case, a picture tells far more than a thousand words!

 

 

Signed Topics shirts, blunts, and whiskey?!? Oh helz noze. That's it.....time to dig deeper into this topic than ever before. I am going to have to borrow the "verbal matrix" from I4H this week to get this one done:

 

*rolls up sleeves on short-sleeve shirt*

 

TUGBOATS: spend time pushing around garbage: the garbage is stored on barges: Barge's makes root beer: An ingredient in root beer is vanilla: Vanilla was first discovered in Mexico: Mexico has a rich history of culture and art: Frida Kahlo was a famous Mexican painter: Frida Kahlo was riding on a bus when she was 18 that collided with a TROLLEY: She later went on to grow a unibrow: uni-brow: unabomber: Unabomber= UNiversity & Airline BOMBER: terrorists use bombs: bombs explode: explosions are chemical reactions: mentos and diet coke cause a chemical reaction: Coca Cola was created by John Pemberton: John Pemberton created Coca Cola to cure a morphine addiction he had after an injury in April 1865: In April 1995 Timothy McVeigh created a big chemical reaction in Oklahoma: He put a bomb in a Ryder truck: Ryder is a company located in Miami, Florida: The NASA Kennedy Space Center is in Florida: NASA launched 2 shuttles from the Kennedy Space Center in 1988: 1988 is the same year that the movie "Midnight Run" was released: Midnight Run filmed a scene at the TRAIN depot in.... no, wait....: the train scene was filmed in Flagstaff, Arizona....

 

*slowly rolls short-sleeves back down*

 

I....I think I need to take a long walk to think about life...

[Topic_Shakur 24]

Yes, these gaudy grannies look to be nothing but pure representations of wicked behaviors.

Shame on you grannies, shame on you.

I would NOT recommend accepting a Werther's original from anyone in their faction!

 

There is a small chance that more images may leak.

However, my sources say the risk is overwhelming, as the meetings are heavily fortified with 'hurrycane' commandos.

Yes, it is that serious.

 

I believe this touches very strongly on a point that has been made several times in recent Topics eps.

Which is, when study groups reach the 20%, do not stop there and dive into other topics.

Well FTGs, we choose you!

 

 

Now, on to your brilliant compendium.

Hmm...mmmhmmm...what a titillating dissolution that is.

 

So interesting. What I find particularly most interesting, and possibly equally suspect, is that while your superb detective investigation has indeed linked each of the three topics, it did so out of context to the heavily contested topic title.

 

Which begs the question, does this render your research destitute, OR, does this make it even more valid since both Mikes disputed the title order and even claim to have a 'lost ep' recorded?

And perhaps the title of said 'lost ep' could be, "Tugboats, Trolleys, and Trains"?

Hmmm, indeed.

[hugLife 492]

I guarantee that you will find that this "lost episode" was really a live session in Flagstaff....

 

They realized how bad it would look if they released that recording. They are far more coy than you have realized.

[Topic_Shakur 24]

Well, you said it my friend, they are most certainly coy.

So much so, that it would be foolish to completely believe this supposed 'lost ep' even exists!

Though I do admire your train of thought there.

 

What disception, intrigue and mystery this topic has delivered!

 

Let us not get as trollied as the FTGs do, or let M2 tug us off of the tracks like a derailed train and remain focused on the topic(s) at hand. (trollied: Totally wasted/inebriated/intoxicated)

 

This reminds me of the 'trolley problem', which was a moral paradox first posed by Phillipa Foot in her 1967 paper, "Abortion and the Doctrine of Double Effect," and later expanded by Judith Jarvis Thomson. Far from solving the dilemma, the trolley problem launched a wave of further investigation into the philosophical quandary it raises. And it's still being debated today.

 

Sound familiar?

Further investigation (FTGs), philosophical quandaries (Topics)...and the plot thickens!