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[Reverie]

My old employer paid me $0.03 back in May, nearly a year after I left, for reasons beyond my comprehension. This is actually kind of annoying because it means I can't file my taxes electronically apparently. I'm sore tempted to just not report it, but I hear the IRS is a stickler for the rules.

Toss three pennies in his general direction first? >____>
...and then try turning it off and back on again.

[MaximumZero]

If you're getting a return, they're a lot less likely to care about that. Call the IRS and make sure, though. 1-800-829-1040.

[scriver]

I understand having no intuition to go by when you first encounter the term, but it's not anything hard to remember, and it really does follow logical English rules once you know it. A trans woman is a woman. A trans man is a man. Just ignore the "trans" part and go with the other word, like you would if it was any other adjective like "gay" or "tall". If you're confused by whether this refers to their past or present state, remember that we tend to describe people how they are currently.

Part of the point I wanted to bring up is that there is no way of knowing in which way it is describing them as they currently are from the word alone, though. Unless you already know how it is used.

I'm approaching this from an entirely internet based context, by the way, as 100% of the times I've seen this asked has been when unclarity has arisen on the web because text articles or posts give little personal context.

I don't get uncertain about what's being referred to myself any more, because now I know (and knowing is half the battle). I just wanted to respond Descan's post and say that no, I don't think isn't particularly self-explanatory to the uninitiated, so it shouldn't be a surprise that people ask about it (particularly people who care about not mistakedly referring to others in an incorrect way).

Why is this discussion still ongoing? It was supposed to stop long ago.

It's not the sane discussion any more.

[Lord Shonus]

During the Super Bowl yesterday, there were commercials. One of these commercials involved a father-to-be eating Doritos during an ultrasound appointment. Noticing that the image in the ultrasound was trying to get his chips, and zany stuff happens. Pro-abortion groups have decreed this commercial to by misogynist propaganda because it "humanizes" a fetus.

[Sirus]

Which "pro-abortion" groups are these? I've never heard of pro-abortion.

[NJW2000]

Well... superbowl, yes, this is the US... you know, telling people that a fetus is alive, has desires, and that one great American measure of personhood, is a target and component of advertising, might be sending too strong a signal for some in a country where some people have the same attitude to abortion clinics as they did to black voting booths a hundred years earlier.

So intentional? Maybe. Propaganda? Yes.

Which "pro-abortion" groups are these? I've never heard of pro-abortion.

Pro-choicers.

[flabort]

During the Super Bowl yesterday, there were commercials. One of these commercials involved a father-to-be eating Doritos during an ultrasound appointment. Noticing that the image in the ultrasound was trying to get his chips, and zany stuff happens. Pro-abortion groups have decreed this commercial to by misogynist propaganda because it "humanizes" a fetus.

Uh.... Fetuses ARE human? That's literally saying the very young are not even part of the same species.
Caterpillars are just young butterflies, fetuses are just young humans.
The question is whether or not they are developed enough to be capable of sentient thought yet; which in my opinion, if you're far enough along to know you're pregnant, it's very likely that it's sentient now and it's too late to get an abortion. However, I may be somewhat ignorant about some facts, so take that with a grain of salt.

[Eric Blank]

During the Super Bowl yesterday, there were commercials. One of these commercials involved a father-to-be eating Doritos during an ultrasound appointment. Noticing that the image in the ultrasound was trying to get his chips, and zany stuff happens. Pro-abortion groups have decreed this commercial to by misogynist propaganda because it "humanizes" a fetus.

Wait, we're not even supposed to refer to fetuses in personified manners now? My pregnant roommate is literally hitler.

[Reverie]

During the Super Bowl yesterday, there were commercials. One of these commercials involved a father-to-be eating Doritos during an ultrasound appointment. Noticing that the image in the ultrasound was trying to get his chips, and zany stuff happens. Pro-abortion groups have decreed this commercial to by misogynist propaganda because it "humanizes" a fetus.

I'm divided here. While fetuses are indeed not babies yet with any real awareness, I don't think it's healthy to 'de-humanise' them altogether for more purpose than the legal right to abort them. It's perfectly valid for a mother-to-be to have an emotional connection with the life growing within them, and I wouldn't want to tear that from them with a 'fetuses are just a thing' argument, especially as exacerbated by a harmlessly silly television ad.
In short: let fetuses be babies for those who believe them to be babies. The miracle of life for those people who'd keep their child should not be understated. The ad is fine.

[Arx]

Related: I was accosted by a member of a pro-life society today. I was reasonably impressed with his understanding of the issue, but I doubt I'll be joining them. In spend enough time arguing politics without getting into it more, and there seems to be sufficient ideological difference that I'm not entirely comfortable supporting them.

[i2amroy]

I understand having no intuition to go by when you first encounter the term, but it's not anything hard to remember, and it really does follow logical English rules once you know it. A trans woman is a woman. A trans man is a man. Just ignore the "trans" part and go with the other word, like you would if it was any other adjective like "gay" or "tall". If you're confused by whether this refers to their past or present state, remember that we tend to describe people how they are currently.

That's a good way of thinking about it, though it still has some problems due to the fact that the word "trans" implies some form of change (or sounds like it should), and thus runs into one of the few times when we tend not to actually describe things as how they are, but as how they were instead. For example if I said "he's a transformed bully" then I'm referring to not how he is now, but how he was, because the word "transformed" implies some form of change. Since the word "trans" overlaps largely with the word "transformed" in how it sounds (regardless of what their actual etymologies), it leads to greater confusion.

I mean it's fairly easy to remember once you've encountered it a few times, but yeah, I think it's a very good example of how to pick a prefix in such a way that at first glance the logic behind it appears straightforward, but upon closer examination is actually rather convoluted.

[LordPorkins]

During the Super Bowl yesterday, there were commercials. One of these commercials involved a father-to-be eating Doritos during an ultrasound appointment. Noticing that the image in the ultrasound was trying to get his chips, and zany stuff happens. Pro-abortion groups have decreed this commercial to by misogynist propaganda because it "humanizes" a fetus.

I'm divided here. While fetuses are indeed not babies yet with any real awareness, I don't think it's healthy to 'de-humanise' them altogether for more purpose than the legal right to abort them. It's perfectly valid for a mother-to-be to have an emotional connection with the life growing within them, and I wouldn't want to tear that from them with a 'fetuses are just a thing' argument, especially as exacerbated by a harmlessly silly television ad.
In short: let fetuses be babies for those who believe them to be babies. The miracle of life for those people who'd keep their child should not be understated. The ad is fine.

I think the baby is no longer a fetus at the state we are seeing. Even the most radical abortion groups dont recomend aborting like 2 days before actual birth. This baby was obviously within a month of being born. Its no longer a fetus at this point, since its already developed all features, eyes, individual fingers muscular system, nervous system, etc. Before Birth theres a few weeks where the baby is actually more or less ready to be born, but usually it will spend a while "mustering strength" if you will. Thats why babies born like 3 weeks early can survive, its because they are fully developed, just not 100% ready

[NJW2000]

During the Super Bowl yesterday, there were commercials. One of these commercials involved a father-to-be eating Doritos during an ultrasound appointment. Noticing that the image in the ultrasound was trying to get his chips, and zany stuff happens. Pro-abortion groups have decreed this commercial to by misogynist propaganda because it "humanizes" a fetus.

Wait, we're not even supposed to refer to fetuses in personified manners now? My pregnant roommate is literally hitler.

Only if she's been telling millions of people about how much her fetus is definitely a full and developed human through a gigantic loudspeaker on the roof. In which case some women (about 1/3, iirc) may find her a bit of a pest.

I admit that the pro-choice people may be overreacting a little. But keep in mind that this is an incredibly important issue for them, which they may have been vehemently, even violently, attacked over. And mass media gets messages across really well. Even if they aren't the intended messages. Some CEO might just have given the pro-life side a better boost than a dozen demonstrations.

[GiglameshDespair]

During the Super Bowl yesterday, there were commercials. One of these commercials involved a father-to-be eating Doritos during an ultrasound appointment. Noticing that the image in the ultrasound was trying to get his chips, and zany stuff happens. Pro-abortion groups have decreed this commercial to by misogynist propaganda because it "humanizes" a fetus.

Uh.... Fetuses ARE human? That's literally saying the very young are not even part of the same species.
Caterpillars are just young butterflies, fetuses are just young humans.
The question is whether or not they are developed enough to be capable of sentient thought yet; which in my opinion, if you're far enough along to know you're pregnant, it's very likely that it's sentient now and it's too late to get an abortion. However, I may be somewhat ignorant about some facts, so take that with a grain of salt.

The very earliest symptoms (swollen boobs, fatigue) can show up as little as a week after conception, and abortion without medical reasons are allowed up to 24 weeks in UK. Of course, the most common sign is typically a missed period, which can be anything up to ~month, obviously. Most abortions (at least in UK) are carried out before 13 weeks are up. The brainstem is pretty much developed by the end of the second trimester, but a brainstem isn't a person. In the third trimester is the development of the cerebral cortex, though it only really activates properly around when its ready to be born.

At least, that's what I was taught.

[Reverie]

During the Super Bowl yesterday, there were commercials. One of these commercials involved a father-to-be eating Doritos during an ultrasound appointment. Noticing that the image in the ultrasound was trying to get his chips, and zany stuff happens. Pro-abortion groups have decreed this commercial to by misogynist propaganda because it "humanizes" a fetus.

I'm divided here. While fetuses are indeed not babies yet with any real awareness, I don't think it's healthy to 'de-humanise' them altogether for more purpose than the legal right to abort them. It's perfectly valid for a mother-to-be to have an emotional connection with the life growing within them, and I wouldn't want to tear that from them with a 'fetuses are just a thing' argument, especially as exacerbated by a harmlessly silly television ad.
In short: let fetuses be babies for those who believe them to be babies. The miracle of life for those people who'd keep their child should not be understated. The ad is fine.

I think the baby is no longer a fetus at the state we are seeing. Even the most radical abortion groups dont recomend aborting like 2 days before actual birth. This baby was obviously within a month of being born. Its no longer a fetus at this point, since its already developed all features, eyes, individual fingers muscular system, nervous system, etc. Before Birth theres a few weeks where the baby is actually more or less ready to be born, but usually it will spend a while "mustering strength" if you will. Thats why babies born like 3 weeks early can survive, its because they are fully developed, just not 100% ready

Oh no, I haven't actually seen the ad. If the baby in the ultrasound was clearly past the abortion window I can't see how pro-abortionists would have any complaint at all.