# Get this book. You need this book

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [December 1, 2001, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292 "2001-12-01T10:24:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![G.Nome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c89c15/32.png) [@G.Nome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.Nome)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292/61 "2001-12-04T11:56:39Z")

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I hoped I’d get to 1000 posts before pay-to-post arrived but I suspect this post may be my last. I have decided to do some personal TMI stuff that I probably won’t be able to live with. It’s relevant to Columbine.

I once saw a documentary on the Columbine killings. One of the victims who had been shot and paralysed was interviewed. During the interview this guy coughed in way I gave always found puzzling and upsetting since I was 15. I once did a thread about ahem coughing and was branded as a loony for life by the members of this board.

I was considered “bright” as a primary school child. I won prizes for reading, writing and spelling. When I got to high school that all changed. I dropped out at 16 and although I went back for a while later on my education was effectively ruined. And why? Because I was bullied for years by others kids (and adults) coughing in that way at me: making that supercilious, uncompromising sound. I never understood it. It was like they were playing some massive  
psychological game. My suffering was unimaginable. Most people remember something good about being 14, 15, 16. I don’t. It was just a black hole. So there. That’s what my ahem question was about. No-one can tell me it’s “just me” and that there’s nothing in it. I could be tortured and it wouldn’t make any difference.

The reference to the humanitarian rifle was part of an obscure and useless joke. Tracer said something about the grassy knoll and other people made references to Are You Being Lied To as being just another “conspiracy theory book” so I mentioned the Kennedy assassination. One of the reasons some people believe Lee Harvey Oswald didn’t kill Kennedy was because his rifle was considered so inaccurate it was “humanitarian” i.e. incapable of doing much damage.

Noam Chomsky’s take on terrorism against the U.S. is well worth reading. For those that haven’t reaad it he says: “We know quite well how the problem [terrorism against the U.S.] should be addressed, if we want to reduce the threat rather than escalate it. When IRA bombs were set off in London, there was no call to bomb west Belfast, or Boston, the source of much of the financial support for the IRA. Rather, steps were taken to apprehend the criminals, and efforts were made to deal with what lay behind the resort to terror.” He goes on about how the Oklahoma bombing didn’t result in the obliteration of Idaho and Montana.

Oh well, there you go. See you later.

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**Author:** ![Phoenix\_Dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Phoenix\_Dragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phoenix_Dragon)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292/62 "2001-12-04T12:30:05Z")

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Interesting that you only answered the rather irelevant side-question in my post, but none of the rest… Any chance on that movie title?

However, as for “coughing” causing such serious problems in your life… Have you ever looked into counceling? Seriously…

And I’m sorry if I’m missing something, but I really don’t see what point you’re trying to make with the first half of the post in relation to Columbine…?

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**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292/63 "2001-12-04T12:40:45Z")

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**Abe** - I just wanted to say how much I _loved_ your long and brilliantly-written post. I have been sitting in my office laughing like mad for the past ten minutes.

You really should send it to the guy!!

Thanks for brightening up my day 😉

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**Author:** ![GregAtlanta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eb9ed0/32.png) [@GregAtlanta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GregAtlanta)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292/64 "2001-12-05T02:43:55Z")

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G. Nome said: “I hoped I’d get to 1000 posts before pay-to-post arrived but I suspect this post may be my last. I have decided to do some personal TMI stuff that I probably won’t be able to live with. It’s relevant to Columbine.”

Am I the only one who found that curious? Perhaps I’m reading too much into the phrasing here, but uh…  
anyone else???

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**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292/65 "2001-12-05T02:52:33Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by GregAtlanta \*  
> \*\*G. Nome said: “I hoped I’d get to 1000 posts before pay-to-post arrived but I suspect this post may be my last. I have decided to do some personal TMI stuff that I probably won’t be able to live with. It’s relevant to Columbine.”
> 
> Am I the only one who found that curious? Perhaps I’m reading too much into the phrasing here, but uh…  
> anyone else??? \*\*

Yes, I thought so too, but I am hindered somewhat in translating. Could someone please explain to this idjit (me) what TMI stands for?

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**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292/66 "2001-12-05T03:19:37Z")

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TMI **usually** stands for “Too Much Information.” As in:

PERSON 1: “I’m going to the bathroom to poop now. I feel a very large turd coming on.”  
PERSON 2: “TMI!”  
… but I suppose TMI could just as easily stand for “Tycho Magnetic Inomaly” or “That’s My Igloo.”

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**Author:** ![Abe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f1d935/32.png) [@Abe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abe)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292/67 "2001-12-05T04:08:29Z")

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**Istara** , thank you. I may send this out to annonline just to see what they say (if anything). And perhaps I will send it to Dr. Radin as well…

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**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292/68 "2001-12-05T06:41:07Z")

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**Abe** , good luck. Please keep us posted on any response you get, particularly from the man himself.

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**Author:** ![ssj\_man2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ssj\_man2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ssj_man2k)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292/69 "2001-12-05T06:49:30Z")

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They knew the Pearl Harbor attack was coming, at least the people who intercepted the transmission did. There was so much radio traffic that they couldn’t get it through in time, though.

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**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292/70 "2001-12-05T07:01:04Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Laughing Lagomorph \*
> 
> 1. Anyone calling him/herself a parapsychologist is immediately suspect, **in my book.** Have they managed to get a paper published in, say, “Nature” with their startling evidence?

\*\*You have a book too??? :eek: :eek: :eek:

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**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292/71 "2001-12-06T02:56:42Z")

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ssj\_man2k wrote:

> [@](#):
>
> They knew the Pearl Harbor attack was coming, at least the people who intercepted the transmission did. There was so much radio traffic that they couldn’t get it through in time, though.

Er, not quite.  
[http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mpearlharbor.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mpearlharbor.html)

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**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292/72 "2001-12-06T02:57:50Z")

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And that was one case where my rarely-used signature is actually appropriate:

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**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292/73 "2001-12-06T03:01:51Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by PhiloVance \*  
> \*\*
> 
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by Laughing Lagomorph \*
> > 
> > 1. Anyone calling him/herself a parapsychologist is immediately suspect, **in my book.** Have they managed to get a paper published in, say, “Nature” with their startling evidence?
> 
> \*\*You have a book too??? :eek: :eek: :eek: \*\*

Get my book. You need my book. 😃

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**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292/74 "2001-12-06T04:35:42Z")

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G. Nome said:

> [@](#):
>
> I hoped I’d get to 1000 posts before pay-to-post arrived but I suspect this post may be my last.

How convenient. I (and others) ask for evidence to support your claims and POOF, it’s time for you to go with nary a mention of the alleged evidence.

Anybody want to take bets on whether G. Nome shows up again in a little while but stays away from this thread?

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**Author:** ![Krispy\_Original](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ec9cab/32.png) [@Krispy\_Original](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krispy_Original)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2001, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-this-book-you-need-this-book/96292/75 "2001-12-07T00:22:05Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Where’s KO/Connie when you need him? He’s so much better at this than the gnome.

I try.

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