Bryan: “Citizen Kane is a masterpiece of course, but that’s such a pedestrian answer. Everyone says that.”
Thad: “The Magnificent Ambersons, though? RKO took that one out of his hands, it differs highly from his vision. Kane is not only the better directed film, but shows his range as an actor.”
Bryan: “If we’re judging on acting, then Kane has nothing on The Third Man.”
Thad: “Agree to disagree. How about you, Ethan? What’s your favorite Orson Welles film?”
Uh let’s see… Pharama is a villain who used to be friends with Ratchet. He turns evil and gets left for dead and his hands get taken by Ratchet to replace his own worn out hands in a previous incident. Another person shows up and saves Pharma gives him new hands that can turn into chainsaws (groovy) and eventually he comes back and kidnaps Ratchet and some others. Pharma wants his old hands back but he thinks Ratchet tampered with them to explode if he tries to take them. Ratchet goads him saying that it’s because he’s not a good enough surgeon. A competition is then proposed to see who can repair somebody the fastest where the winner gets the hands. Pharma suggests reattaching somebody who’s been cut in half and to use Ratchet’s fellow Autobots because a Decepticon isn’t worth it. Ratchet initially wants to back out but is forced to participate so he tells the Autobot who was selected -Ambulon- to reroute his pain receptors away from his waist and that it wouldn’t be a hard thing to repair before Pharma chainsaws Ambulon in half lengthwise and say he never mentioned which way he’d cut someone in half. Then he leaves and later gets his head blown off.
badumtiss
Not entirely related, but…my dog is named Ratchet because I love that transformer.
My memory of Ethan’s relationships is fuzzy, was Thad the one who started dating the McAwesome’s employee who got hit by a lead box? (Or was it a car?)
If it was like when I was in college, a good term paper could be repurposed several times. Mine on Indian Reservations as concentration camps went in English, Sociology, and with a little work, Poly Sci.
“Oh jeez what am I gonna say, how am I gonna contribute, I- oh, oh, I got it, I can s- shit, that’s not relevant any more, oh jeez what am I gonna say-”
And then they inevitably ask me why I’ve been quiet for so long.
And when you do have something to say there’s no way to actually say it without talking over someone else, and by the time the one person who noticed you trying to speak asks what you were going to say it’s no longer relevant
Inahc
🙂
Keulen
This is me in most conversations. I’ve gotten used to being thought of as the quiet one.
Let’s have an in-depth discussion on the important historical speculation that Pythagoras, who may or may not have existed as an actual human, despised beans with all of his being, and may have been killed simply to avoid crossing a bean field.*
*Disclaimer, probably considered bunkum by anyone with a proper knowledge of Greek history.
It might be a very one-sided discussion but I would listen to the fuck outta that story
wwwhhattt
“Aristotle in On the Pythagoreans says that he [Pythagoras] enjoins them to stay away from beans either because they are like the genitals, or because they are like the gates of Hades (for this plant alone has no joints), or because they are harmful, or because they are like the nature of totality; or because they are oligarchical, for they are used to choose by lot.”
(Diogenes Laertius, translated Daniel W. Graham in “The Texts of Early Greek Philosophy, Part 2” p.921)
wwwhhattt
And while we’re on the topic:
“And once when he [Pythagoras] was passing a puppy being beaten
they say he took pity and said this word:
Cease beating him; for surely it is the soul of a friend
which I recognized when I heard it howling!”
(Xenophanes, quoted by Diogenes Laertius, same book p.915)
adjudicus
It’s always funny to me how weird ancient people can be (in relation to us), and then in turn how weird we’ll seem to people far in the future.
Beans and milk. The combo is a notorious producer of flatulence. Screw mysticism. Pythagoras just didn’t like his disciples farting while he was trying to teach them.
haha mostly I just have a couple history books, a really good memory, and the internet (I 100% recommend Anne Theirault’s Queens of Infamy series – among the best and funniest history essays I have ever read)
Yeah. But I think the point is that it’s a pattern that can be learned and used without needing any deeper understanding.
TheHorseCouncil
Yes it can be learned but if the anxiety to speak is strong enough you’ll still stand there silent and afraid to speak. Like now i dont have that much trouble talking to people in person about themselves and yet i can’t ask for contact info because my brain convinces me it’s inconvenient to them. And my biggest struggle of late is that i can’t tell my brain not to worry about writing something down online. Because there’s a deep fear that I’m speaking jnto a void and no one cares what i have to say.
Sometimes what you know works isnt what your mind lets you do without some kind of internal struggle first.
By the way, tell your brain that we said that what you have to say is interesting and we enjoy hearing your take on things.
ShinyNeen
Seconding this! And I think it’s a safe bet that a lot of people here would also second this. Partly because it’s super relatable, partly because you are making interesting conversation. Feed us more of your insights! Further the discourse!
adjudicus
Thirded!
Inahc
Yeah, I hate days like that. I have most of the skills now, I just don’t always have *access* to them. It seemed really weird how I could be super charismatic one day and barely able to make words the next – until I learned about dissociation from Cerberus 🙂
Inahc
It’s also a pattern that can be horribly misapplied, so, like, further training is necessary.
One time I ran away from a guy at a club because he was wielding questions like an interrogation tool. It was so intimidating I wasn’t able to actually think until after I’d escaped.
The point is Ethan literally can’t think of anything to say that isn’t just “wow how fascinating, here’s MY interest that’s ACTUALLY important”.
It’s not hard to think of questions, it’s harder to realize that people want to hear questions rather than any deep insightful addition to the conversation.
Wow, I’m really interested in seeing whether this introversion/introspection is a result of Amber rubbing off on him in high school or has it always been there, and he’s just better than Amber (occasionally) at managing to fake it when he’s around similarly awkward people? (We’ve seen him interact a lot with Dan and Joyce, two people who are not the most socially…..astute.)
We say at least once in the flashbacks Ethan trying to engage her on something else – the band trip they’d been on IIRC, her responding in monosyllables then him giving up and mentioning transformers and her starting to ramble away.
It may be their roles have reversed somewhat since then, but back when she was severely withdrawn, she wasn’t just rolling with it. He was doing it for her.
118 thoughts on “Pharma”
Ana Chronistic
Six Degrees of Big Pharma
butts
Big Pharma -> Pharmaceutical Industry -> Margaret Sanger -> Sally Ride -> Janelle Monáe
Antony
Big Pharma -> Pharmaceutical industry -> Meat Packing Industry -> Kansas City, Missouri -> Janelle Monáe
Doctor_Who
The whole rest of the conversation is like this.
Bryan: “Citizen Kane is a masterpiece of course, but that’s such a pedestrian answer. Everyone says that.”
Thad: “The Magnificent Ambersons, though? RKO took that one out of his hands, it differs highly from his vision. Kane is not only the better directed film, but shows his range as an actor.”
Bryan: “If we’re judging on acting, then Kane has nothing on The Third Man.”
Thad: “Agree to disagree. How about you, Ethan? What’s your favorite Orson Welles film?”
Ethan: sweats
Stephen Bierce
Truly a … CATCH-22!
butts
Hey, The Transformers: The Movie is a classic of 1980s western animation
C.T Phipps
I wouldn’t be surprised if he literally has no idea who he is aside from the voice of Unicron.
Dean
Just say ‘Touch of Evil was a masterpiece’ and change the subject.
Van Jealous
And “F is For Fake”….
Ryek Hvek
not to be confused with “F is for Fart” ….
Regalli
I admit, ‘I didn’t say which way he would be bisected’ was an interesting move.
Doctor_Who
I love that scene. It’s terrible and sad, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me snicker a bit. I may be slightly terrible.
As an added bonus, James Roberts has said that Pharma sounds like Mark Hamill playing the Joker.
Shiro
…I can’t decide if I want context or just to let this beautifully supervillain-y line stand on its own in my memory
Regalli
The process of getting context will probably make you feel bad for the deceased.
On the other hand, robot gore is less bloody! That’s how they get away with this shit.
Tacos
Uh let’s see… Pharama is a villain who used to be friends with Ratchet. He turns evil and gets left for dead and his hands get taken by Ratchet to replace his own worn out hands in a previous incident. Another person shows up and saves Pharma gives him new hands that can turn into chainsaws (groovy) and eventually he comes back and kidnaps Ratchet and some others. Pharma wants his old hands back but he thinks Ratchet tampered with them to explode if he tries to take them. Ratchet goads him saying that it’s because he’s not a good enough surgeon. A competition is then proposed to see who can repair somebody the fastest where the winner gets the hands. Pharma suggests reattaching somebody who’s been cut in half and to use Ratchet’s fellow Autobots because a Decepticon isn’t worth it. Ratchet initially wants to back out but is forced to participate so he tells the Autobot who was selected -Ambulon- to reroute his pain receptors away from his waist and that it wouldn’t be a hard thing to repair before Pharma chainsaws Ambulon in half lengthwise and say he never mentioned which way he’d cut someone in half. Then he leaves and later gets his head blown off.
badumtiss
Not entirely related, but…my dog is named Ratchet because I love that transformer.
Stephen Bierce
*plays “Love Is The Drug” on the hacked Muzak*
butts
bet that’s not the only thing you’re ass-deep in, eh thad
…does that scan
Pablo360
My memory of Ethan’s relationships is fuzzy, was Thad the one who started dating the McAwesome’s employee who got hit by a lead box? (Or was it a car?)
MatthewTheLucky
Lead box.
Regalli
That, or he runs solely on caffeine and student subscriptions to his database of choice.
Could be either, at this point. Mmm, research.
ShinyNeen
Now I’m curious what Thad studies, that he’d be ass-deep in research about Big Pharm- hm.
… I’m scared to consider what “ass-deep in research” looks like.
Raen
Premed? As I understand, premed is pretty ill-defined at the undergrad level…
Roborat
It is usually called science.
butts
let me take you on a maaaaaaagical journey
ShinyNeen
No thank you. I’m, um, scared of research.
Kernanator
His dorm room is filled with research papers. Anyone who wishes to enter has to wade into it like they’re fishing for clams.
Axel
Could just be for an english class, but it might be more interesting if not
BBCC
Health Sciences? Ethics? Biology? Chemistry?
Agemegos
Economics? Pol. Sci.?
BBCC
Sociology? English offering position papers?
Charles Kuhman
If it was like when I was in college, a good term paper could be repurposed several times. Mine on Indian Reservations as concentration camps went in English, Sociology, and with a little work, Poly Sci.
Remmington Steele
Pile’em High and Deep!
Shiro
God, ME. This is my internal monologue like 80% of the time, except with my fixations and not transformers
ShinyNeen
“Oh jeez what am I gonna say, how am I gonna contribute, I- oh, oh, I got it, I can s- shit, that’s not relevant any more, oh jeez what am I gonna say-”
And then they inevitably ask me why I’ve been quiet for so long.
wwwhhattt
And when you do have something to say there’s no way to actually say it without talking over someone else, and by the time the one person who noticed you trying to speak asks what you were going to say it’s no longer relevant
Inahc
🙂
Keulen
This is me in most conversations. I’ve gotten used to being thought of as the quiet one.
Inahc
either that or the moment you open your mouth, someone else starts talking, so now if you try to talk you’ll be interrupting.
I much prefer asynchronous communication.
Inahc
although, my highschool friends solved this problem by everyone just interrupting everyone all the time. 🙂 it’s chaotic, but it worked pretty well.
Passchendaele
I feel personally called out here, except replace transformers with an obscure history reference or whatever else goes on in my weird brain.
Shiro
Can we be friends? I fucking love weird historical anecdotes but I’m not motivated enough to seek them out on my own
TemporalShrew
Let’s have an in-depth discussion on the important historical speculation that Pythagoras, who may or may not have existed as an actual human, despised beans with all of his being, and may have been killed simply to avoid crossing a bean field.*
*Disclaimer, probably considered bunkum by anyone with a proper knowledge of Greek history.
Shiro
It might be a very one-sided discussion but I would listen to the fuck outta that story
wwwhhattt
“Aristotle in On the Pythagoreans says that he [Pythagoras] enjoins them to stay away from beans either because they are like the genitals, or because they are like the gates of Hades (for this plant alone has no joints), or because they are harmful, or because they are like the nature of totality; or because they are oligarchical, for they are used to choose by lot.”
(Diogenes Laertius, translated Daniel W. Graham in “The Texts of Early Greek Philosophy, Part 2” p.921)
wwwhhattt
And while we’re on the topic:
“And once when he [Pythagoras] was passing a puppy being beaten
they say he took pity and said this word:
Cease beating him; for surely it is the soul of a friend
which I recognized when I heard it howling!”
(Xenophanes, quoted by Diogenes Laertius, same book p.915)
adjudicus
It’s always funny to me how weird ancient people can be (in relation to us), and then in turn how weird we’ll seem to people far in the future.
Spaz
These people use strange squiggly lines to communicate. How did they ever manage before we switched to a fully meme-centric worldview?
Or, in future speak:
Keyboard Cat Scumbag Steve Ceiling Cat. Pickle Riiiiiiiick 2019 Nuclear Missile Exchange waifu OTP?
Inahc
Darmok, at Tanagra. 🙂
Jhon
Beans and milk. The combo is a notorious producer of flatulence. Screw mysticism. Pythagoras just didn’t like his disciples farting while he was trying to teach them.
Passchendaele
haha mostly I just have a couple history books, a really good memory, and the internet (I 100% recommend Anne Theirault’s Queens of Infamy series – among the best and funniest history essays I have ever read)
Puckish Rogue
“Hows the research going” “What have you discovered” “What made you want to do that”
Geez Ethan people generally like talking about themselves or their interests, its not that hard to fake it
Inahc
“it’s not hard for me, therefore it’s not hard” :/
Clif
Yeah. But I think the point is that it’s a pattern that can be learned and used without needing any deeper understanding.
TheHorseCouncil
Yes it can be learned but if the anxiety to speak is strong enough you’ll still stand there silent and afraid to speak. Like now i dont have that much trouble talking to people in person about themselves and yet i can’t ask for contact info because my brain convinces me it’s inconvenient to them. And my biggest struggle of late is that i can’t tell my brain not to worry about writing something down online. Because there’s a deep fear that I’m speaking jnto a void and no one cares what i have to say.
Sometimes what you know works isnt what your mind lets you do without some kind of internal struggle first.
TheHorseCouncil
*into
Clif
By the way, tell your brain that we said that what you have to say is interesting and we enjoy hearing your take on things.
ShinyNeen
Seconding this! And I think it’s a safe bet that a lot of people here would also second this. Partly because it’s super relatable, partly because you are making interesting conversation. Feed us more of your insights! Further the discourse!
adjudicus
Thirded!
Inahc
Yeah, I hate days like that. I have most of the skills now, I just don’t always have *access* to them. It seemed really weird how I could be super charismatic one day and barely able to make words the next – until I learned about dissociation from Cerberus 🙂
Inahc
It’s also a pattern that can be horribly misapplied, so, like, further training is necessary.
One time I ran away from a guy at a club because he was wielding questions like an interrogation tool. It was so intimidating I wasn’t able to actually think until after I’d escaped.
Joe Angel
The point is Ethan literally can’t think of anything to say that isn’t just “wow how fascinating, here’s MY interest that’s ACTUALLY important”.
It’s not hard to think of questions, it’s harder to realize that people want to hear questions rather than any deep insightful addition to the conversation.
BBCC
Very true. I got caught up in suggesting questions and didn’t think about that. That’s a good point.
BBCC
Heck, some people bring up their own stuff as a way to relate to things. Like ‘Oh, yeah, I’ve been there, that sucks. What’s it about?”
TemporalShrew
The tag is clearly evidence that Janelle Monae will become a recurring character from this point on.
Lilyliv
Why would you call me out like this? That’s just cruel. 🙂
C.T Phipps
Ethan, this is a secret from adulthood. Have you tried LISTENING?
B.O.H.
Wow, I’m really interested in seeing whether this introversion/introspection is a result of Amber rubbing off on him in high school or has it always been there, and he’s just better than Amber (occasionally) at managing to fake it when he’s around similarly awkward people? (We’ve seen him interact a lot with Dan and Joyce, two people who are not the most socially…..astute.)
C.T Phipps
I think it’s more Ethan speaks about nothing but Transformers and Batman but Amber rolls with it.
thejeff
We say at least once in the flashbacks Ethan trying to engage her on something else – the band trip they’d been on IIRC, her responding in monosyllables then him giving up and mentioning transformers and her starting to ramble away.
It may be their roles have reversed somewhat since then, but back when she was severely withdrawn, she wasn’t just rolling with it. He was doing it for her.
Jago