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Dec 10, 2009


The Show Notes

What do you say after thank you?
Show intro
Congrats to D.J. Grothe
Death figures and safety
Religious Morons of the Week

- Estelle Walker; Andy Schlafly; Cardinal Javier Barragan; Peter O'Callaghan; Blinded shrine visitors; Australian scientologists;Sharon Cook and Beth Boisvert; Jack Sebade; The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington; Ugandan Government
Shopping cart embarrassment balance
Ask George
- Out atheism?  from Brad
- Spam?  from Roger Knapman
- Electronic vs. acoustic drums?  from Matt Page
- Lady Gaga?  from Rick T
- Monty Python?  from Alec Zirke
- Atheist club?  from Stephen Pagan
Congrats to Phil
Death from the Skies
Show Close

........................

Mentioned in the show:

James Randi Educational Foundation press release

Dr. Phil Plait's post about the changing of the guard

D.J. Grothe and the Point of Inquiry podcast

Constitutional Peasant sketch with subtitles

Death from the Skies in hardcover

....................................

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Ms. Information says, "It's my pleasure. You are most welcome."



tommyspoon
thirteen and a half years ago

It all depends on the context:

In formal situations or when dealing with strangers, say "You're welcome."

In casual situations with friends, you can say something a bit more casual like "No problem", "De nada", "No biggie".

In more intimate situations, use "My pleasure." That's so much nicer and can be used in a flirtatious manner.

Just please don't respond to a "Thank you" with a "Thank you". That's rude. By responding in kind, you have dismissed the first person's gratitude by inserting your own. This happens on TV all the time and it drives me crazy!

/rant

Loving the show, Geo! Keep it up!

Chris Gleeson
fourteen and a half years ago

I\\\'ve never thought that \\\"you\\\'re welcome\\\" sounded high-falutin\\\' or even condescending. I use it, \\\"no worries\\\", \\\"no problem\\\", \\\"it\\\'s no trouble\\\", or, even, \\\"my pleasure\\\". In French, I might use \\\"bienvenue\\\" (I don\\\'t know if the French use it, but it is quite common amongst Canadian French speakers), \\\"de rien\\\", \\\"pas de problème\\\", or \\\"mon plaisir\\\". I think the important thing is to put the other person at ease, acknowledging the sentiment, sharing the human contact.

Heck, it\\\'s just being polite, after all!

Walter
fourteen and a half years ago

I think if I was deep throating cucumbers in the isle, I\'d feel more awkward not buying it.

Tom in Melbourne
fourteen and a half years ago

I started saying \\\'You\\\'re welcome\\\' in response to the fact that nobody was saying it - it was always \\\'no worries!\\\'. I find it tends to get a good response from people.

Oh, great captcha. \\\'swift disses\\\'. The product of a rap battle?

Lauren Cocilova
fourteen and a half years ago

When someone says \"thank you,\" I say \"sure thing\" or \"you\'re welcome\" but if I\'m with friends, I say \"Meh.\"

I think that, much like it is inappropriate for the mail delivery person to comment on your mail, it is inappropriate for the cashier to comment on your groceries. That said, I\'m always ready to holler, \"DON\'T YOU JUDGE ME!!!\" if they get judgy, but they never do. Not even when I buy white-out and a natural louffa (sp?) and frozen peas...

Recaptcha: \"crucifix lodge.\" Where?

Interestingly, all of the lanes at my supermarket WERE open on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I don\'t know about the Wednesday -I was embarrassed enough that I was there on Tuesday, although to be fair I was only there for actual shopping and not last-minute Thanksgiving irresponsibility...

I used to \"reply all\" to erroneous myth-mongering e-mails and correct them (with Snopes), and now no one sends me those anymore -except for my grandmother-in-law and she refuses to stop so all of her e-mails go directly into my Trash folder. She has left me with no other choice.

CelticGoddess13
fourteen and a half years ago

Hi George!

I was a cashier at Wal-Mart (c) while I was in college, and I think I saw the strangest of all combinations one night about midnight...

The customers were two men, and they bought condoms, spray cheese, and spray whipped cream. That was almost ten years ago, and I still think about that and wonder how much fun they must have had.

don
fourteen and a half years ago

how about \\\"FAGETABOUT IT\\\"
worked for goodfellas

vibraphone!

Mike G
fourteen and a half years ago

It\\\'s a little dismissive to compare Gaga to Britney Spears... Gaga is a competent singer/songwriter more akin to say Tori Amos or Cyndi Lauper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77e9jV0DH7c

Dan Toms
fourteen and a half years ago

Ah, I just remembered this xkcd comic which discusses the implications of your grocery choices:
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/collecting_double_takes.png

The alt-text is: \\\"Fun game: find a combination of two items that most freaks out the cashier. Winner: pregnancy test and single coat hanger.\\\"

Podblack
fourteen and a half years ago

Christmas Coelocanth Ornament!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36548472

Ted Judah
fourteen and a half years ago

Geo,

I buy individual things often at hardware stores - which is expected at such places. But when I go to a store like costco or wal-mart I usually find plenty of items (at low, low warehouse prices) that I need around the house. I\\\'ll tell you though; when I was 18 I needed condoms and I ended up buying a bunch of other crap to mask the fact that I was there for rubbers!

You\\\'re Welcome!

Nicole
fourteen and a half years ago

I use the self-checkout lanes... no need to explain my oddity.

Yay song!! I love it! Danceable astronomy music... it doesn\\\'t get any better than this.

Podblack
fourteen and a half years ago

\\\"Death from the Skies\\\" kicks \\\"Quantum Mechanic\\\"\\\'s arse. As long as there\\\'s occasional bootleg-songs-ripped-from-the-podcast version of Trebuchet, you shouldn\\\'t worry too much.

Mind, I\\\'d like to hear another Christmas song duet with Kiki Leigh... *ahem-just-saying*. Oh, Tim Minchin has a Christmas song out on iTunes that I\'m suggesting people get for the season, \"White Wine in the Sun\".

Regarding the question by Brad being interviewed - I would have added \\\'remember, you are doing the reporter a favour\\\'. If you feel uncomfortable, pressured, likely to be done badly by the media, you have the right to say no. I\\\'ve worked for institutions that are Islamic, Methodist, Catholic, Anglican (and was head-hunted by a Jewish school but had to turn them down) - and in a recent interview on Skeptically Speaking was relatively comfortable talking about being an atheist in a religious institution because I knew that I had precedence to back me up.
Don\\\'t feel like you have to \\\'out\\\' yourself for some greater good if it\\\'s in one particular situation where you don\\\'t feel safe. You have to do it on your own terms.

Dan Toms
fourteen and a half years ago

I think saying \"no problem\" is really the best way to go, that\'s what I do. I picked that up working retail, to show the customer that their request didn\'t bother me and that I was glad to do it.

The song sounded pretty sweet though. What more do you have to do to fix it up? I\'d have no problem purchasing it in such state.

BTW, what\'s your average return time on emails, I sent you one a while back, and I know you\'re a busy man (far busier than I), but I\'m wondering whether or not I was snubbed or not :P