IntenseDebate - dickensgirl

14 years ago @ Listverse - 10 Bizarre and Tragic ... · 6 replies · +4 points

I wanted to point out that not everyone writes well. Some people have amazing, intelligent minds, but they just don't translate well in literary terms. And really, thank goodness for that - otherwise there wouldn't be need in the world for people like me. Look at all the fascinating people in the world who've 'written' their 'auto'-biographies....most couldn't have done that without their ghost writer. There's no shame in not being particularly articulate, and maybe those of us who are should be a little more aware of our own shortcomings.

I can't play cards - never have been able to. I'm intelligent, articulate, well read, well traveled and I'm stumped by anything harder that snap! I can kick butt at Trivial Pursuit, hold the household high score on bookworm, and read, on average, two books a week (and I work full time) but give me my ten year old asking me to play go fish and I'm a gibbering wreck.

What I mean is, it's easy for us to sit back on our articulate laurels and make nasty comments, but I'd bet there's things that Si Si excels at that I couldn't do to save my life.

14 years ago @ Listverse - 10 Bizarre and Tragic ... · 1 reply · +1 points

I hear you - I know of people who committed suicide knowing their kids would find them, and that's beyond low - it's unforgiveable. I was more referring to euthenasia in it's truest form. In some countries it's legal to have your life ended by a doctor if three independent psychiatrists have confirmed that you are of sound mind and able to make an informed decision.

I guess I was questioning how we categorise a person's illness - what is 'bad enough' for us to even consider allowing them to end their life peacefully and legally? Who determines that one illness is unliveable, while another is tolerable?

14 years ago @ Listverse - 10 Bizarre and Tragic ... · 1 reply · 0 points

Moonbeam, playing devils advocate here, haven't we, as a society, made the definition of infamy to mean people such as serial killers, when, in actual fact, the 'official' definition could be applied here? There is no doubt that Paula Goodspeed had a very poor reputation, based mostly on her actions and behaviours. Some would characterize her behaviour as 'disgraceful'.
Thus, is it not that the use of infamy here is incorrect, but, rather, that we have narrowed the meaning of the word in popular speech?
Again, just playing devils advocate. :) Thanks for being 'that person'. :)

14 years ago @ Listverse - 10 Bizarre and Tragic ... · 10 replies · +5 points

Hi, Randall, I'd have to disagree with some of your characterizations of suicides. Those suffering from genuine, deep, treatment-resistant depression, are not inconsiderate of the effects of their actions on those who love them. It's often what's kept them from doing it previously. It is indescribably hard to get out of bed each day, when each day looms in front of you, endlessly, with no hope or optimism.
My experience has been that for those who are genuninely suicidally depressed, it is not that they WANT to die, but rather that that DON"T want to live. I know that sounds counter-intuitive, but what I mean is that it's less a positive want for something than it is a negative - a want (need) to no longer live. They don't want to kill themselves, they just don't want to live.
Ultimately, there are those (including myself) who would champion any person's right to choose to end their life if they were desperately ill. For those crippled by disease or infirmity, should they not have the option to end that pain? And if so, does crippling depression not qualify as being desperately ill?

14 years ago @ Listverse - Site Update: June 2010 · 0 replies · +1 points

Thanks, Lee - being completely unnoticed is the biggest compliment to an editor! :)

14 years ago @ Listverse - Site Update: June 2010 · 0 replies · +1 points

Thank you, kindly! As a huge fan, myself, it's great to be helping out.

14 years ago @ Listverse - 10 Coolest Little Crit... · 4 replies · +1 points

oouchan, deepest apologies. I confess, until now, I've only been editing the given text, and cleaning up where necessary. Going forward I will be sure to add a SPIDER WARNING. In all honesty, I'm glad I don't see the pics when I'm editing some of these, as the pics of spiders would have totally freaked me out, too. :)
So, my question now is - what other warnings would you like to see added? I want to make sure you're all gaining maximum pleasure from all the wonderful lists. :)

14 years ago @ Listverse - Top 10 Prehistoric Fis... · 0 replies · +1 points

Oh, yes. I kept checking the conversions because I couldn't believe they were all the same length. I thought perhaps it was some cruel initiation test from Jamie as he'd just asked me to do the conversions - now I know why. :)

14 years ago @ Listverse - Site Update: May 2010 · 0 replies · +1 points

Jamie, I guess it's just admins - I see you and Cyn under a blue bar, and everyone else is a grey bar. Ooh, la, la - special colours! :)

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