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George Plimpton George Plimpton is offline
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Default Taco Bell Pulls Super Bowl Ad Making Fun of Veggie Eaters AfterVeggie Eaters Complain

On 1/31/2013 3:02 PM, Derek wrote:
> On 31/01/2013 21:16, George Plimpton wrote:
>> On 1/31/2013 11:41 AM, Derek wrote:
>>> [
>>> trimmed]
>>>
>>> On 31/01/2013 19:09, Dr. Jai Maharaj wrote:
>>>> Taco Bell Pulls Super Bowl Ad Making Fun of Veggie Eaters
>>>> After Veggie Eaters Complain
>>>>
>>>> January 30, 2013
>>>>
>>>> United States, January 2013 (gawker.com): A Taco Bell ad
>>>> chastising party-poopers who bring veggie platters to
>>>> Game Day has been pulled following a Twitter campaign
>>>> launched by the Center for Science in the Public
>>>> Interest.
>>>>
>>>> Continues at:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.hinduismtoday.com/blogs-n...ain/12678.html
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> "punting on fourth and one" Is that, "playing it safe" or something?

>>
>> In American football, when a team takes possession of the ball, they
>> have four downs (plays) to try to advance 10 yards. If they succeed in
>> advancing the ball 10 yards, they get a new set of downs (unless they
>> advance past the other team's goal line, resulting in scoring a
>> touchdown worth six points.) On the fourth attempt to advance the
>> initial 10 yards, if they fail to advance beyond the point 10 yards from
>> where they first took possession, the lose the ball on downs and the
>> other team takes possession. Typically, if the team possessing the ball
>> is between their own goal line and the midfield line (50 yard line),
>> they'll punt the ball to the other team. A punt is a kick: the ball is
>> snapped from the line of scrimmage to the punter standing about 15 yards
>> behind the line, and he kicks the ball in the air; someone on the
>> defensive team usually tries to catch the ball and run with it.
>> However, if the team with the ball is in the other team's half of the
>> field (pitch), and if there is but a short distance left to complete a
>> 10 yard advance and obtain another set of downs, then the team with the
>> ball may elect to try to gain the necessary advance. There is a variety
>> of game situations in which a team might try to do this rather than
>> punting the ball or perhaps trying to kick a field goal.

>
> I'm going to start following it now I know some of the rules and what
> the actual objective of the game is.
>
>> The metaphor "punting on fourth and one" means, indeed, to play it safe,

>
> It fit's so well I knew it had to be something along the lines, 'playing
> it safe.' I like it.
>
>> or conservatively. It's also taken as meaning lacking confidence in
>> one's ability to advance, even though not much advance is required -
>> that is, a metaphor for gutlessness. The "one", of course, refers to
>> one yard left to go. Even worse would be "punting on fourth and inches."

>
> Got it. And thanks for using that knack you've got in explaining thing
> in terms a Brit would understand, by the way.


Here's a page that gives a comparison between American football and
rugby league:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compari...d_rugby_league


>>> I can't see why anyone would think a comment like that would "discourage
>>> people from eating vegetables."

>>
>> By itself, it wouldn't. But as you might imagine, dietary choice has
>> been heavily politicized here. The "Center for Science in the Public
>> Interest" is not a true science advisory group at all. It's a left-wing
>> advocacy group with a long and sordid history of peddling pseudoscience
>> in order to try to dictate to people what they "ought" to eat. Yes,
>> they very much advocate vegetarianism, and if they want to advocate it
>> on ethical principles, no one would really object, but when they try to
>> dress it up in the language of fake science, it becomes objectionable.

>
> Whatever did happen to the Whore of Ballaghaderreen, I often wonder. I
> found some of what she wrote quite plausible for a while, but when she
> went right off the rails I began to doubt her and then my own judgement
> about people I found plausible, generally. I learned a lot from that
> experience.


She seemed to me to have a good grasp of facts at times, but on other
occasions she seemed to be a thorough lunatic. She believed in all
manner of crackpot "spirituality", and if there was even a hint of that
in one of her posts, I always assumed the entire post was queered.

I also wonder what became of 'Scented Nectar' or Skanky/Skunky. She was
another goof. I think her biggest problem was she abused marijuana
something terrible. It's one thing to enjoy a grass high from time to
time, but she seemed to be a heavy-duty pothead.


>> Jay Stevens, aka "'Dr.' Jai Maharaj", aka the jyotishithead, is not a
>> doctor, not a Hindoo, and is in fact a Caucasian lying shitbag from
>> Hawaii who does real vegetarians a disservice by making them look like
>> intolerant meddlers.

>
> He seems to be trying to put vegetarians in the same group as those who
> should never be criticised or offended. That in itself is going to cause
> more. It's the wrong tactic.
>
>> He's a fraudster - he claims to be an astrologer,
>> and he tells people their "fortunes" and futures for money, so he is
>> committing outright fraud.

>
> Preying on the most vulnerable in need has to be one of the most
> despicable crimes because the victims often ask for more of the same in
> the hope that what was promised will one day be due. The way they go
> about their business is sinister and heartless.
>
>>> I certainly do hope the minority of
>>> vegetarians incapable of taking a bit of a joke don't ruin things for
>>> the majority who can.

>>
>> ****wits like Jay Stevens and CSPI are exactly the reason why "vegans"
>> are widely considered to be completely humorless.

>
> There's at least one more vegetarian I can think of who does a pretty
> good job in keeping that character group alive. He's Australian, you
> know. From a country that probably has one of the richest reserves of
> humour in the world.


Oh, yeah - *that* guy!