& maybe a weird thing is, even tho' I'm hella skeptical about the paranormal, I mostly think the methodology of studying it is what's so poor. People see & hear & experience weird-ass shit all the damn time, stuff we can't yet explain. Is it paranormal? Ehhh... maybe? Maybe not.

So I'm never going to tell someone who had a "paranormal" experience that they didn't experience something weird as shit. They probably did.

Thing is... the vast majority of shows don't ever really find anything weird or unusual or out of explainable human experience.

...until they do. Until you have *that one episode* where for a couple of minutes, somebody captured something that truly doesn't make sense & is spooky as FUCK.

I love 'em for that, too.

For the most part, ghost shows are accidental psychology shows: they're shows about belief, cognitive biases, & skepticism. They're not really about ghosts or the paranormal at all. & that's fascinating to me.

@Cosmichomicide See & the thing is I *love* ghost tours. I don't think there are "ghosts" but y'know? It's hella fun going into a spooky place & getting scared. SO much fun.

@Kinnison True that. Given humans' propensity for believing nonsensical stuff it's no surprise.

I call just about every one of such shows "Ghost Bros", because it's always a handful of white bros running around doing totally ridiculous bro shit & doing all this macho posturing & trying to take the piss out of the alleged "ghosts" they find... which they really don't ever find at all, they just use a bunch of equipment that doesn't really measure what they think they're measuring, & say it's a haunting.

OK so one of my guilty pleasures is watching ghost-hunting shows & I have to admit "Ghost Adventures" is my favorite.

I don't believe in the supernatural for a cold minute, don't believe in ghosts, am ridiculously skeptical about the paranormal, & I know such shows are completely ridiculous & basic. & I don't care, I still watch 'em.

@misterfive Awesome, I'll try that!

@NoMansWoman I mean they're basically several tons of highly intelligent predatory muscle that swims at up to 35 mph and has TEETH. No way anyone in their right mind'd mess with that.

@NoMansWoman Holy yikes, no kidding. I live near Seattle & we grew up with orca in the Sound, with a healthy respect for them. It's mind-boggling that so many folks don't realize that they're apex predators, & while there haven't been any human deaths from orca activity in the wild that I know of, they are NOT an animal to mess with.

Point is, man some seriously weird violent shit has gone down in the halls of Congress before, in terms of conflict between elected members. The Bobo-Empty G match is fairly mild compared to some of it.

@misterfive Oh right on, thank you. Where do I add the nosanitize bit? In the link somewhere, or in the post?

Anyway, the Compromise of 1850 got people so het up that Mississippi Sen. Henry Foote drew his gun on Missouri Sen. Hart Benton. He was promptly tackled, subdued & disarmed, but not before Benton showed off his enormous, clanking steel balls by demanding others stand aside and "let the assassin fire!" https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Bitter_Feelings_In_the_Senate_Chamber.htm

Dangit, doesn't seem I've figured out how to make links work consistently yet.

Not long afterwards, an argument that started with insults & harsh words thrown by Reps. Galusha Grow & Lawrence Branch turned into a flat-out rumble on the chamber floor, with a number of representatives joining in with fervor. https://books.google.com/books

Then there was the time pro-slavery SC Rep. Preston Brooks marched onto the Senate floor to wail on anti-slavery MS Sen. Charles "Slavery's a Harlot" Sumner with his cane, beating him into unconsciousness. Brooks was eventually censured & left Congress, but not before countless Southerners showed him their support by sending him more canes. Sumner recovered & served another 18 years in Congress. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/The_Caning_of_Senator_Charles_Sumner.htm

Griswold whacked Lyon with his cane; Lyon promptly grabbed a pair of fireplace tongs and whacked back. Somewhere in there Lyon launched a spitwad of tobacco at Griswold. Good times, man, good times.

Reading about the Bobo-Empty G Congressional Cage Match & it's got me thinking of other wild shenanigans that've happened on the floor of the US Congress over the years.

Like in 1798, when CT Rep. Roger Griswold threw hands at VT Rep. Matthew Lyon over their clashing anti/federalist views. https://connecticuthistory.org/roger-griswold-starts-a-brawl-in-congress-today-in-history/

@Sleep_Is_For_Chumps No real surprise there; orcas gonna orc, & humans seem particularly bad at learning to share the world with other creatures.

Reading of another instance of orcas being aggressive towards humans (this time a boat race in Spain), & I don't think it's that puzzling - I think they're just tired of our shit.