14 BC update

[Mogambo]

Neither one of you mentioned the scariest of the non-insects that are sure to be in the hoard: centipedes.

Yes, actually, I'm sure the Chandlers have some centipedes. Most likely small ones like the ubiquitous Mediterranean house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata). Again, they are predators (and, in fact, will eat spiders, as well as other centipedes) but they are active hunters. They won't seek out people but they are very likely to encounter them because they are constantly running around. And like spiders, all centipedes are venomous and capable of biting.

Perhaps fortunately for the Chandlers, I don't think Virginia has any giant species like those in the genus Scolopendra*, some of which like Scolopendra heros can be found further south and west, in Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Arizona, New Mexico and the like. Those are brightly coloured and get about 7", easily big enough to eat small lizards. Hawaii has the introduced Scolopendra subspinipes from Asia, which are bigger yet. Scolopendramorphs are aggressive and will bite if confronted. And its more painful even than the giant water bug bite. I believe its towards the top of the Schmidt sting pain index.

Worth noting, centipedes (and millipedes) lack a waxy cuticle like insects and arachnids, so they need fairly humid conditions to thrive. Its no coincidence that the largest ones are found in Southeast Asia and the Amazon, while ones in more northernly latitudes mostly live in soil and leaf litter.

* Maybe. Years ago I did try to collect a fairly large scolopendramorph in southern Illinois, so its possible there are some in Virginia. Regardless its a moot point as they aren't indoor pests.

 

[Holdek]

Either Chris is an adult, and he should be held responsible for his behavior, or he's a mentally handicapped child who needs constant supervision and is not responsible for his actions. I myself waver back and forth between "Chris should answer fully for everything he's done" and "Chris is a exceptional individual who will never improve and needs to be watched over 24/7". The truth on this issue is that Chris is somewhere between both these extremes.

Legally, Chris is considered an adult, and nobody can force him to do anything. However, this might be more of a bad reflection upon our legal system than a fact to cite when vouching for Chris's capabilities.

Whatever you think of Chris's mental state, the fact remains that Chris's poor attitude and upbringing have both negatively contributed to his lack of maturity and responsibility as an adult. Chris was taught to be a victim, and Chris has made conscious decisions again and again to avoid all types of responsibility and actions that would improve or change his life. Chris has always had free will, the power of decision, and the decisions that he's made have usually been pretty bad for himself in the long run.

Maybe, but, psychiatrists haven't ruled him as mentally incompetent either, and he's had several required assessments by them throughout his life. So, if you fault the legal system, you may have to fault the medical system too.

 

[Marvin]

Either Chris is an adult, and he should be held responsible for his behavior, or he's a mentally handicapped child who needs constant supervision and is not responsible for his actions. I myself waver back and forth between "Chris should answer fully for everything he's done" and "Chris is a exceptional individual who will never improve and needs to be watched over 24/7". The truth on this issue is that Chris is somewhere between both these extremes.

Well, I guess I'm more saying that Chris is being criticized for not growing up. I don't think that's fair. No one wants to grow up. It's purely a function of time and being put into situations where you're forced to grow up.

Chris is childish because he was permitted to be childish.

Legally, Chris is considered an adult, and nobody can force him to do anything. However, this might be more of a bad reflection upon our legal system than a fact to cite when vouching for Chris's capabilities.

Heh, I think I prefer a situation with more freedom. Being watched over is stifling.

 

[waffle]

* Maybe. Years ago I did try to collect a fairly large scolopendramorph in southern Illinois, so its possible there are some in Virginia. Regardless its a moot point as they aren't indoor pests.

I think if you were going to find one inside somewhere it would be 14BC, being only semi-enclosed at present and having mounds of barbage and construction debris.

 

[Butta Face Lopez]

Yes, actually, I'm sure the Chandlers have some centipedes. Most likely small ones like the ubiquitous Mediterranean house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata). Again, they are predators (and, in fact, will eat spiders, as well as other centipedes) but they are active hunters. They won't seek out people but they are very likely to encounter them because they are constantly running around. And like spiders, all centipedes are venomous and capable of biting.

Perhaps fortunately for the Chandlers, I don't think Virginia has any giant species like those in the genus Scolopendra*, some of which like Scolopendra heros can be found further south and west, in Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Arizona, New Mexico and the like. Those are brightly coloured and get about 7", easily big enough to eat small lizards. Hawaii has the introduced Scolopendra subspinipes from Asia, which are bigger yet. Scolopendramorphs are aggressive and will bite if confronted. And its more painful even than the giant water bug bite. I believe its towards the top of the Schmidt sting pain index.

Worth noting, centipedes (and millipedes) lack a waxy cuticle like insects and arachnids, so they need fairly humid conditions to thrive. Its no coincidence that the largest ones are found in Southeast Asia and the Amazon, while ones in more northernly latitudes mostly live in soil and leaf litter.

* Maybe. Years ago I did try to collect a fairly large scolopendramorph in southern Illinois, so its possible there are some in Virginia. Regardless its a moot point as they aren't indoor pests.

This is why there needs to be a "NERD" rating

 

[MasterMan]

I assume its some odd attachment disorder that makes it impossible for Barb to part with her filthy house?

 

[MrsFrizzle]

I assume its some odd attachment disorder that makes it impossible for Barb to part with her filthy house?

Hoarders gotta hoard. The thought in the field is that it's a form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

 

[Holdek]

Well, I guess I'm more saying that Chris is being criticized for not growing up.

Maturity is a joke; NOBODY REALLY GROWS UP.

Heh, I think I prefer a situation with more freedom. Being watched over is stifling.

I generally agree with you. However, you're not a crazy retard. Crazy retards need to be watched over.

I assume its some odd attachment disorder that makes it impossible for Barb to part with her filthy house?

Have you ever seen the TV show Hoarders?

 

[Dr. Tremolo]

Chris can't sustain himself at this point. He could have ended up better if he had better parents, but his lifelong upbringing bolstered his natural condition to crippling levels.

 

[hellbound]

Yes, actually, I'm sure the Chandlers have some centipedes. Most likely small ones like the ubiquitous Mediterranean house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata). Again, they are predators (and, in fact, will eat spiders, as well as other centipedes) but they are active hunters. They won't seek out people but they are very likely to encounter them because they are constantly running around. And like spiders, all centipedes are venomous and capable of biting.

Perhaps fortunately for the Chandlers, I don't think Virginia has any giant species like those in the genus Scolopendra*, some of which like Scolopendra heros can be found further south and west, in Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Arizona, New Mexico and the like. Those are brightly coloured and get about 7", easily big enough to eat small lizards. Hawaii has the introduced Scolopendra subspinipes from Asia, which are bigger yet. Scolopendramorphs are aggressive and will bite if confronted. And its more painful even than the giant water bug bite. I believe its towards the top of the Schmidt sting pain index.

Worth noting, centipedes (and millipedes) lack a waxy cuticle like insects and arachnids, so they need fairly humid conditions to thrive. Its no coincidence that the largest ones are found in Southeast Asia and the Amazon, while ones in more northernly latitudes mostly live in soil and leaf litter.

* Maybe. Years ago I did try to collect a fairly large scolopendramorph in southern Illinois, so its possible there are some in Virginia. Regardless its a moot point as they aren't indoor pests.

I'm in the warmer, more humid part of the state. We get the house centipedes, nothing bigger. Up in the mountains I'm sure they still have the little bastards but I've never heard of the big ones anywhere in the state.

Still, they definitely give me the prickly-wicklies.

 

[Marvin]

I generally agree with you. However, you're not a crazy retard. Crazy retards need to be watched over.

Yeah, I understand the logic, but people try to extend that thinking to lots of different classes of people and it sucks. I'm fortunate for hard lines where you can legally just reject the oversight. For normal people, if you're over 18, you can tell them to fuck off. I've had to do that. It felt like I was a parolee and that I was being checked up on.

 

[Silver]

Either Chris is an adult, and he should be held responsible for his behavior, or he's a mentally handicapped child who needs constant supervision and is not responsible for his actions. I myself waver back and forth between "Chris should answer fully for everything he's done" and "Chris is a exceptional individual who will never improve and needs to be watched over 24/7". The truth on this issue is that Chris is somewhere between both these extremes.

Legally, Chris is considered an adult, and nobody can force him to do anything. However, this might be more of a bad reflection upon our legal system than a fact to cite when vouching for Chris's capabilities.

Whatever you think of Chris's mental state, the fact remains that Chris's poor attitude and upbringing have both negatively contributed to his lack of maturity and responsibility as an adult. Chris was taught to be a victim, and Chris has made conscious decisions again and again to avoid all types of responsibility and actions that would improve or change his life. Chris has always had free will, the power of decision, and the decisions that he's made have usually been pretty bad for himself in the long run.

Speaking as a music therapy student who works with people with functioning levels far below physical age - We're told to pick songs that are physical-age-appropriate since we don't want be completely demeaning, even to the nonverbal wheelchair-bound 30-year-olds, but our actual activities in sessions are meant to reflect their mental age. We have to think about that, though - there's a difference between addressing a child and addressing an adult with a severely low level of functioning, honestly, and while they may look similar they're really not.

Not quite sure where I'm going with this except that perhaps Chris should be thought of in a similar way.

 

[DX10]

Christ, this is depressing.

 

[Flowers For Sonichu]

You think you pay a shitload of taxes now? I could barely make ends meet in the US because they were taking $600 a month out of my paycheck on top of the ridiculous living expenses of Los Angeles. I can't imagine how much more I would have pay if the state had to hire thousands of babysitters to manage every single autistic manchild who has poor financial/life management skills. There are people way way worse off than Chris who spend their tugboats on way more self-destructive things than just legos and blow up dolls, they just don't have the ambition to make youtube videos where they chimp out at the damn dirty trolls.

 

[A-№1]

So barring any information to the contrary, it looks like Barb has hired the worst possible general contractor she possibly could: herself.

Do we know who she's hired to do the work? IIRC an Arcam truck was spotted on the property a few months back, but that doesn't mean they are actually doing the work there. I would not blame them if they declined to bid after seeing the mess they would be getting themselves into. I can't see them being willing to do the half assed job Barb is willing to pay for.

Any permits should be on file with the county for anyone who wants to walk in and ask for a copy. They'll say what contractors are on the job. If no permits are on file… well that would not be a good sign. It means Barb is hiring just anyone to do the work, and that often ends very badly. Professional, licensed contractors generally know better that to set foot on a job without all the paperwork being in order.

A whole lot about centipedes I never even knew I didn't know.

The breadth and depth of knowledge collected here at a forum dedicated to discussing the antics of an irresponsible manchild can be quite astonishing at times.

Well, I guess I'm more saying that Chris is being criticized for not growing up. I don't think that's fair. No one wants to grow up. It's purely a function of time and being put into situations where you're forced to grow up.

I can't say I agree with that. I, myself, couldn't wait to grow up. Adults have all the fun.

I think it's more accurate to say that a lot of people, Chris very much included, don't want to be burdened with responsibility, which is not really the same thing as growing up. The difference might be a bit subtle, but it's very important. Responsibility is something that can be dropped on someone at any age, whether they're an adult or not, though Chris has managed to avoid it for going on three decades.

 

[drmccoy]

So barring any information to the contrary, it looks like Barb has hired the worst possible general contractor she possibly could: herself.

Do we know who she's hired to do the work? IIRC an Arcam truck was spotted on the property a few months back, but that doesn't mean they are actually doing the work there. I would not blame them if they declined to bid after seeing the mess they would be getting themselves into. I can't see them being willing to do the half assed job Barb is willing to pay for.

Any permits should be on file with the county for anyone who wants to walk in and ask for a copy. They'll say what contractors are on the job. If no permits are on file… well that would not be a good sign. It means Barb is hiring just anyone to do the work, and that often ends very badly. Professional, licensed contractors generally know better that to set foot on a job without all the paperwork being in order.

The breadth and depth of knowledge collected here at a forum dedicated to discussing the antics of an irresponsible manchild can be quite astonishing at times.

I can't say I agree with that. I, myself, couldn't wait to grow up. Adults have all the fun.

I think it's more accurate to say that a lot of people, Chris very much included, don't want to be burdened with responsibility, which is not really the same thing as growing up. The difference might be a bit subtle, but it's very important. Responsibility is something that can be dropped on someone at any age, whether they're an adult or not, though Chris has managed to avoid it for going on three decades.

Chris has had little idea what responsibility is until the fire. Now he has some. He's been doing HARD AND HEAVY LIFTING and making sure everything is going smooth. That's more than he's ever had. To most of us this would, of course, be stressful. To him it's not just STRESS but also learning that he actually has to do things in life and not fuck around with legos in his room, carefree. He's getting a taste of what it means to be an adult. He's still the same idiot we all know and love but he's finally getting a taste of life outside the Chandler bubble of enabling.

 

[Silver]

The breadth and depth of knowledge collected here at a forum dedicated to discussing the antics of an irresponsible manchild can be quite astonishing at times.

These forums teach me as much about life (both useless and useful information) as school itself does despite decidedly not being an academic forum. I'd say that's pretty awesome, personally.

 

[repentance]

Any permits should be on file with the county for anyone who wants to walk in and ask for a copy. They'll say what contractors are on the job. If no permits are on file… well that would not be a good sign. It means Barb is hiring just anyone to do the work, and that often ends very badly. Professional, licensed contractors generally know better that to set foot on a job without all the paperwork being in order.

It's not unusual for people to hire unlicensed contractors when money is tight. It's an incredibly silly thing to do liability-wise, especially if structural work is involved, but it's pretty common.

I'm also not entirely convinced that Barb's decision to try to sell the cars at insane asking prices isn't somehow related to the plan to move back into Casa Chandler. It could well be that the insurance pay-out is considerably less than what it's going to cost Barb to make the place scrape over the "fit for human habitation" line. Goodness knows what additional problems have arisen during the months the property has been vacant. I'd bet good money that unwanted creatures have taken up residence, at the very least.

 

[Mogambo]

The breadth and depth of knowledge collected here at a forum dedicated to discussing the antics of an irresponsible manchild can be quite astonishing at times.

Heh. Having a background in entomology helps. I almost considered making a list of possible inhabitants in the burnt out wreckage of 14 BC, but figured that was too petty even for here. Now if only this knowledge was so useful in the real world.

I can't say I agree with that. I, myself, couldn't wait to grow up. Adults have all the fun.

I think it's more accurate to say that a lot of people, Chris very much included, don't want to be burdened with responsibility, which is not really the same thing as growing up. The difference might be a bit subtle, but it's very important. Responsibility is something that can be dropped on someone at any age, whether they're an adult or not, though Chris has managed to avoid it for going on three decades.

Yeah. Well, Chris has fought responsibility, but in many ways he has fought growing up. It may be the autism, but he clings to Lego, MLP, Sonic and Pokemon without developing any interests more complex or refined. Yeah, its fine to be into some of that shit when you're an adult, but Chris takes it to a creepy level. He doesn't have many age-appropriate interests.

Hell, many teenagers go through a rebellious phase where they actively try to reject things they see as "too childish," while at the same time embracing subjects or subcultures seen as "taboo," whether that means affecting a Goth look, listening to rap, or wearing a Che shirt. Chris' development may be stunted, by a decade or more, but he never seems to have gone through that rebellious phase, unless this whole "Tomgirl" thing (and his accompanying SJW activism) is his half-assed attempt at rebelling against Barb.

 

[Tragi-Chan]

I'd bet good money that unwanted creatures have taken up residence, at the very least.

No, Chris and Barb are still in the rental house.

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