(no subject)

[apocalypsos]

Dear Pennsylvania drivers with Confederate flag bumper stickers or Confederate flags hanging from their rear view mirrors,

You do know where the Mason-Dixon line IS, don't you?

Sincerely,

Me

EDIT: The Lawrence Awards are open for voting. Wheeee! :)

OTHER EDIT: When Malan Breton laughs, a piece of my soul dies.

I'm still trying to think about who he reminds me of. Somewhere between Daniel-Day Lewis in Room With a View and Ed Grimley, I think.

Comments

[strix-an-stones.livejournal.com]

Yes, ma'am it forms the border between Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

[the-liftedlorax.livejournal.com]

Here's a question for you - regardless of the Mason Dixon line, where do you place the border on the South? Virginia? Maryland?

Also, people with Confederate flags on their cars irritate me.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I think it's less the border between the South and the North that gets to me as the fact we were in the Union.

[the-liftedlorax.livejournal.com]

True. No sense of loyalty. :)

I'm right there with you on the Malan thing, too. I won't lie - he creeps me out.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I can't decide whether I like him because he creeps me out or in spite of the fact that he creeps me out.

I'm also desperate for an icon of Kayne and his "I'm really excited to be here" T-shirt, but when I make icons of reality TV show contestants, they get eliminated.

[the-liftedlorax.livejournal.com]

Lol. You know who else I liked, both personality-wise (though they didn't show a lot of him) and talent-wise, was Michael.

Project Runway makes me a happy girl.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I take the fact that they didn't show him a lot as a good sign. They never focus too much on you unless you're about to auf'ed.

For as snotty as Keith got at times, I did love his dress. That was pretty even for someone who wasn't making their first dress.

Oh, you know who else I loved and thought I hate? Laura. Her coat was fabulous.

Aside from Vincent, who's got to be out of his mind, I really like the level of quality this season.

[the-liftedlorax.livejournal.com]

The coat that Laura made was amazing! I was so impressed.

I'm excited about what's to come - and I can't believe I'm this obsessed, so early in the season. Normally, it takes me a few episodes.

[girlwiththebook.livejournal.com]

thats because malan isnt human. he's really a vampire.

[the-liftedlorax.livejournal.com]

I absolutely love your icon - where did you pick it up\is there a chance that I can use it?

[girlwiththebook.livejournal.com]

i stole it from someone who stole it from someone else and couldnt remember who, so. go ahead and use it!

[strix-an-stones.livejournal.com]

Ah but here is a piece of trivia for you, did you know that a portion of the southern Pennsylvania border wasn't in PA as we know it today? There are a number of "border" communities in SW PA that were actually in West Virginia/Maryland? Has to do with the original Mason-Dixon line being off 1-degree. In Mayland it wasn't a big deal, but when shot westward over all those miles it became pretty significant. The adjustment was made about 90 years ago and towns like Point Marion were shifted from WV to PA.

My nerd moment.

Minor nitpick from a surveying geek

[laid.livejournal.com]

1 degree of latitude is quite a bit, 60 nautical miles. Remember, a mile a minute.

The Work of Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon (http://www.fig.net/pub/fig_2002/HS1/HS1_danson.pdf) says their deviation was a total of 800 feet, or a little better than 47 seconds.

Re: Minor nitpick from a surveying geek

[strix-an-stones.livejournal.com]

I misspoke, I meant to say specifically that the line between PA and Maryland wasn't as affected as the one between PA and WV. For some reason it was that particular part of the bottom of the state that was shot incorrectly.

Re: Minor nitpick from a surveying geek

[strix-an-stones.livejournal.com]

Damn I hate forgetting to make note of something.

They can say what they want, I live here. My husband and his brother just separated property that lists the Mason-Dixon line as a border. The measure was off exactly 1-degree from the 1700s. The property owners on the other side of the line went through the same thing 15 years ago when their property was surveyed as well. That's how we found out aobut the change that was made some 90 years ago. It also served to make sense when I was working as a reporter and covered the Point Marion area and some of the oldest residents complained that the town had been better served by state government when it still was part of West Virginia.

Re: Minor nitpick from a surveying geek

[laid.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to wrap my head around this. You're saying Pittsburgh was in West Virginia until recently? Well, that would explain a whole lot of things.

Re: Minor nitpick from a surveying geek

[strix-an-stones.livejournal.com]

Are you intentionally pulling my chain?

Point Marion NOT Pittsburgh. Point Marion. You know five miles inside the PA border not 90.

Re: Minor nitpick from a surveying geek

[laid.livejournal.com]

Only slightly trollish today.

My point was that a degree of latitude is 60 nautical miles, or 69.05 statute miles. The line could not have been off my a whole degree, or quite a bit of Pennsylvania would have been affected.

5 miles would be 4'20", or .07222 degrees.

Re: Minor nitpick from a surveying geek

[strix-an-stones.livejournal.com]

Well if you ever get to Kingwood WV I'd be happy to show you the before and after deeds. The surveyor explained when he made the correction that what was recorded on paper (as coordinates for the Mason-Doxon line) and what was laid out - weren't the same thing. The ground work was more accurate then the physical recording. In the end both had to be corrected. The paper adjustment was precisely 1-degree. The one on the ground was less. I went off the paper number because that I could remember. The other, sorry, to save my life I can't remember the number. I can tell you it meant we gained a grove of locust trees and had to move a fenceline but beyond that... the memory is shot.

[namey.livejournal.com]

Metaquote imminent.

[magic-8ball.livejournal.com]

You do know where the Mason-Dixon line IS, don't you?

But therein lies one of the ironies about Pennsylvania. Up in northeast PA, where I unwillingly spent several years which should have been some of the best of my life, you get Confederate flags on the cars. Down in southeast PA, around Philly, where I live now... not so much.

So it's like, the farther you get from the Mason-Dixon line in PA, the more likely it seems that you're going to see the stars and bars. ::shudder::

[phillyexpat.livejournal.com]

I've got to agree with that.

Central PA, as well, is not far from the Mason-Dixon line. And most of PA outside of the cities doesn't really have a sterling reputation for racial tolerance. Hell, even the cities don't really.

[incredulity.livejournal.com]

I have no clue who Malan Breton is, but ED GRIMLEY, woo!

Who does Malan Breton remind you of...

[wufeidragon.livejournal.com]

A child molester, maybe?

Re: Who does Malan Breton remind you of...

[lovedbythesun.livejournal.com]

OMG. Could quite be hitting the nail on the head.

[dragonsinger.livejournal.com]

Yankees are waving my flag? The hell? :)

[claudia79ad.livejournal.com]

I'm still trying to think about who he reminds me of.

Seriously, Crispin Glover circa Willard or crazy hair fetish guy in Charlie's Angels. ::shudders::

[trishalynn.livejournal.com]

Yes! Ed Grimley! His fucking smile!

[raisedbymoogles.livejournal.com]

Maryland was below the MD line, yet I never saw hide nor hair of a Confederate flag the five years I was living there. Then I moved to Ohio.

SAVE YER CONFED'RATE MONEY BOYS, THE SOUTH'S GONNA RIIIIIISE AG'IN!

...gag me with a flintlock. -_-

[badaddiction.livejournal.com]

Actually, Maryland was above the line. Lincon had to put huge numbers of people under house-arrest to prevent the state from seceding. If they had, the capital of the Union would have been in what was officially a different country.

[raisedbymoogles.livejournal.com]

It was my understanding that the M-D line was laid down several decades before the civil war broke out. Maryland was a slave state, and below the line; it just didn't secede due to Lincoln's interference. I think it was one of two states below the line that didn't secede, but I can't remember the other one.

[katbcoll.livejournal.com]

You do know where the Mason-Dixon line IS, don't you?
*snorts* according to some of the people here in the SF bay area, it's above us...

[badaddiction.livejournal.com]

Honestly, does it matter where the line is? I may be wrong, but I believe that not a single Confederate state took up the battle flag until AFTER schools were desegregated. If they wanted to expouse some Southern pride, they would, first, fly the actual Confederate flag. The simple three-bar one. And second, they would choose some way to flaunt their pride about the spirit of the South itself rather than the shameful stain on it's otherwise illustrious history.

[elsewards.livejournal.com]

Hi! I got sent here for fic a little while ago and I may or may not have stuck around for the PR snark. Hope you don't mind if I friend you?

Anyway, I don't know about you, but Malan strikes me as a I'm-going-to-rape-you-and-then-insult-your-outfit Alan Cumming.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Oh, my God, THAT'S who he reminds me of! Alan Cumming in Circle of Friends! *headsmack* Thanks! That was killing me. :)

And sure, friend away. :)

[corruptedjasper.livejournal.com]

You do know where the Mason-Dixon line IS, don't you?

What makes you think they feel the South should end there?