501. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #267805 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 5:27 am

Comment #267803 by Titania

That is a super link, Titania - I hope DP gets to read it.

502. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #267802 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 5:20 am

Comment #267799 by Titania

Thanks for that link, Titania - I've just had a quick look at it. Your union representation is certainly a lot lower than ours; nevertheless, ours has declined to about 25% in the past fifteen or so years. Beats me - unionised workforces are always much better off than non-U ones.

503. Bill Heine interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #267798 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 5:08 am

Comment #267796 by CaptainMandate

Too true, Captain M.

504. Bill Heine interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #267797 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 5:06 am

Now, mate, I've always had a soft spot for Yorkshiremen. I remember when Rod Hogg cleaned up Geoff Boycott 1st ball of the innings at the SCG in 1978 - jeez I felt sorry for Yorkshire that day!

Did you know that today was Australia's biggest ever run-score defeat in Test history?

505. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #267792 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 5:00 am

Well, Titania, if the state government makes a showdown out of this, my union (which is the biggest union in Australia) will certainly take them on. At the moment, what they are proposing has got to be just an ambit claim, which will never get through the Industrial Relations Commission. But it's the thought that they would even consider such malfeasance that sticks in my craw.

506. Bill Heine interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #267790 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 4:56 am

Comment #267785 by CaptainMandate

One of the things that blows me away about TOOS is how beautifully written it is. Darwin had such a wonderful turn of phrase, bringing to life his theory with (dare I say it) divine prose.

507. Bill Heine interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #267783 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 4:38 am

OK, mate - I'll get on to you with a PM when I'm ready to sort it - just got to get a new mic/camera thingy - the other one has packed it in. Thanks.

508. Bill Heine interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #267777 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 4:32 am

Gee, thanks, Epeeist - I was in the process of blotting out the memory with a couple of nice reds when you came along! (Thank dog R2S and cerebate aren't here...)

Edit: see, I'm so distraught I can't even spell your name! Ah, fixed.

509. Bill Heine interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #267774 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 4:21 am

Comment #267772 by Murky

Nah - but I will, eventually, I hope.

510. Bill Heine interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #267770 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 4:15 am

Oh well, you do what you can do, Murky. I feel for you.

511. Bill Heine interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #267767 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 4:12 am

You got it, Phil! For the benefit of Mix - none of us have any idea what he's on about (or ON), either, Mix.

512. Bill Heine interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #267765 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 4:08 am

Glad to see you've cleaned up your act, Murky!

BTW - how's everything on the home front?

513. Bill Heine interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #267760 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 3:59 am

Loony Facer-

514. Bill Heine interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #267759 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 3:57 am

Well of course, Murky, I wouldn't possibly know anything about that sort of shenanigans :)

515. Bill Heine interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #267754 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 3:54 am

Yeah, Phil...

Users typically experience visual hallucinations and radically altered states of consciousness, often experienced as pleasurable and illuminating but occasionally is accompanied by feelings of anxiety or revulsion. Other effects include: open and closed eye visualizations, euphoria, dream-like state, laughter and a psychedelic experience

516. Bill Heine interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #267750 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 3:50 am

Murky - how's things? I, of course, wouldn't really know anything about mescalin.....

Cat's cowl - getting a bit snippy for a god, aren't we? :)

517. Bill Heine interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #267745 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 3:35 am

Listen, Quatzcoal - you're familiar with mescalin, aren't you? You know it's effects. Well, take a look at little isthatclear...

518. The Joke's on Him: Bill Maher could use a lesson in civility from Michael Moore

Comment #267742 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 3:32 am

Yeah, Quetz - that's the big flaw in my thesis. But that would be more a Lamarkian understanding, no? I'm trying to think about it in a Darwinian fashion - adaptations for same-sex attraction are taken up according to social pressures, not the other way around. What (I think) I'm saying is that evolution might put the genetic markers for homosexual behaviour out there, and that some social pressures are short-circuited thereby.

519. Bill Heine interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #267735 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 3:23 am

Hmmm.....maybe it was a mescalin sandwich.

520. The Joke's on Him: Bill Maher could use a lesson in civility from Michael Moore

Comment #267733 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 3:21 am

Good point, Quetz - but, then again, maybe it isn't just a simple question of "gay " or "not gay". I'm inclined to think that sexuality is a continuum; we, none of us, are "exclusively" wired as hetero- or homo- sexual, and various social pressures will certainly coerce some people who prefer gayness to undertake hetero relationships. Ahh, I don't know - I'm a complete dill when it comes to subjects like this. I think I'll just shut up and listen to the better-informed.

521. The Joke's on Him: Bill Maher could use a lesson in civility from Michael Moore

Comment #267730 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 3:13 am

Steve - it's a bloody interesting question, isn't it? Without any evidence whatsoever, I'll throw out this idea - the existence of homosexuality reinforces the oft-questioned notion of evolutionary psychology. What I mean is this - in a "natural" environment, i.e. one as yet uncomplicated by various authoritarian memes, homosexuality might have been a "pressure valve" for adolescent males unable to have access to breeding females. Evolution, then, provides same-sex sexual attraction as a by-product of particular types of social organisation, particularly those which promote the single "alpha male" as the exclusive breeder. Homosexuality, then, is an adaptive behaviour that is licensed by evolutionary pressure. Those primate groups that sanction this behaviour are more cohesive than the ones that abjure it.

Does this sound plausible, or am I on drugs again?

522. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #267722 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 2:35 am

Comment #267719 by Steve Zara

Hahaha - good one. Can you imagine the crescendo of loathing that must be coming out of neo-con circles over Powell at the moment?

523. The soul? It may all be in your mind

Comment #267720 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 2:32 am

Not sounding, Kraes85, that WAS smart!

524. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #267718 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 2:30 am

Tis OK, Titania - I'm fucking angry today - our state government has embraced a neo-economic rationalist approach to our education system, and is proposing that we teachers work more for less money, a reduction in sick leave and holiday entitlements, and other sundry bits of bastardy. I'm gearing up for some serious strike action.

525. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #267714 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 2:25 am

Comment #267707 by Quetzalcoatl

Quetz - I've actually been told by extreme libertarians (right-wing variety, of course) that taxation is an evil that needs to be abolished. Every aspect of society, they say, should be put firmly in the hands of the marketplace, including military, police, fire departments, etc. They run out elaborate theories to justify this, all of which are total shite. They remind me of religious fundamentalists - completely divorced from reality.

Edited for a typo.

526. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #267710 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 2:19 am

Hi Titania - sorry, I just get a little peeved with the uninformed whose only conception of Marx is that he was the precursor to Stalin, or some such idiocy, and don't realise what a valuable contribution he made to our understanding of the philosophy and economics of capitalism.

527. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #267702 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 2:12 am

If only Obama DID have a Marxist position! DP - what makes Marxism so "out there" for you? As if the Friedmanite economic rationalist policies post Reagan have been successful! What a fucking joke. Were you aware that Marx predicted the kind of idiocy we are now seeing in the derivative markets in Capital Vol III? And he condemned its insanity even back then. If more politicians had some sound Marxist education behind them, we might not have ended up in this mess. So stop using "Marxism" as some catch-all derogation - it simply demonstrates that you don't know what you're talking about.

528. A 'values' voter speaks her mind on Obama

Comment #267666 by Laurie Fraser on October 21, 2008 at 12:48 am

If this poor, stupid woman lived in a country that owned up to its responsibilities towards public education, and restricted the lies that come from some of the more bizarre and irrational cults (of which this woman is obviously a member), then she might be responsible enough to vote. Is that too socialist a viewpoint, anyone?

529. God is not the enemy of reason

Comment #266968 by Laurie Fraser on October 20, 2008 at 3:00 am

Ah, Phil - don't get too keen on the Judges 19 thing - it'll do your head in if you think about it too long - look at me, fer chrissake!

P.S. Melanie can read?!?!?!?

530. [UPDATED] Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya's Atlas of Creation

Comment #266964 by Laurie Fraser on October 20, 2008 at 2:44 am

"Stone the crows" is probably more apposite, Steve.

531. God is not the enemy of reason

Comment #266963 by Laurie Fraser on October 20, 2008 at 2:43 am

Phil - you tend to find that with gods. After all the huffing and puffing about smiting this and laying waste to that; they can't even get their act together to encourage people to stay at home and watch the telly, rather than roaming around raping and pillaging.

532. [UPDATED] Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya's Atlas of Creation

Comment #266961 by Laurie Fraser on October 20, 2008 at 2:38 am

Bloody hell - Steve's on. I think I'll just sit back and watch the demolition. No, in fact, for the sake of argument, I'll take yabbadabba's side - as soon as I can figure out what it is.

533. [UPDATED] Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya's Atlas of Creation

Comment #266960 by Laurie Fraser on October 20, 2008 at 2:36 am

daaaaabbbbaaaaaahhhhh -
Don't you know what a "Quetzacoatl" is? I'll give you a hint: it's not amphibian.

Now - answer Quetz's question and I may not hit the troll button.

534. Interview with John Lennox

Comment #266948 by Laurie Fraser on October 20, 2008 at 1:56 am

Quetz - under no circumstances listen to this interview. I'd hate to see a full-bore Aztec god rage. I've already captured justice, Goat-herder-style here:

http://churchofrationalism.blogspot.com/2008/10/man-means-nothin-he-means-less-to-me.html

(Love the "shameless plug" idea :)

535. Interview with John Lennox

Comment #266944 by Laurie Fraser on October 20, 2008 at 1:43 am

"I believe He's just."

Oh, yeah - what does Judges ch 19 tell you about justice, John?

536. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #266931 by Laurie Fraser on October 19, 2008 at 10:52 pm

Comment #266929 by lastgreekstanding

Yes, LGS - a crime against humanity bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Holocaust. No-one will ever know the numbers of civilians killed in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos; 5 - 7 million is the general estimate, but it could be more. And for what?

Night.

537. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #266924 by Laurie Fraser on October 19, 2008 at 10:16 pm

2 - I think the example of the Vietnam war really does vindicate pacifism as a practical and effective social force. The Moratorium, for which I am proud to say I was an activist from the age of 14, achieved more than any violent measures could have, which is why my sympathies for people like Ayers are somewhat lacklustre.

LGS - I understand; the NVA was indeed defending its homeland. I thought you might have been going a little overboard in your praise, before - that's all. (Although there is no doubting the courage of both the NVA and the Viet-Cong, just as nobody would deny the courage of German troops in WW11.)

538. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #266919 by Laurie Fraser on October 19, 2008 at 9:52 pm

Comment #266914 by root2squared

Hi root2 - Well, as a pacifist, I can't condone the Weathermen's tactics, of course. I think they were naive and stupid by believing that their methods might have had any influence on the war. The peaceful resistance through the draft resisters and the Moratorium movement was, far and away, more successful. So yeah - stupid and criminal. But, as I said in a previous post, we need to understand what forces were at play to give rise to the urban terrorist groups.

BTW - Australia in deep doodoo!

539. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #266912 by Laurie Fraser on October 19, 2008 at 9:34 pm

LGS - I disagree. The real war "heroes" were those who stood up and opposed the war, burnt their draft cards and were sent to gaol for their principles. The NVA were not immune to war crimes, just as American and Australian soldiers weren't. I do agree about Hugh Thompson, and there were many other Allied soldiers who took a stand against war crimes, and saved many innocent lives (and payed the price for their principles, as well).

540. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #266858 by Laurie Fraser on October 19, 2008 at 7:20 pm

Morning, lads and lassies. Frankus, I thought I was the resident commie pinko around here. That other guy on youtube is obviously an impostor.

Caudi - nice.

541. Free to Think for Themselves

Comment #266498 by Laurie Fraser on October 19, 2008 at 5:53 am

Comment #266496 by decius

Fucking brilliant! May I quote you?

542. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #266465 by Laurie Fraser on October 19, 2008 at 2:38 am

Bonzai,
It's funny, isn't it, that in the U.S. you are allowed to vilify someone on his "association" with a former (unsuccessful) terrorist, but not someone like McCain, who has never recanted from his belief that the Vietnem war was justified. When McCain comes out and condemns Johnson and Nixon, and apologises to the Vietnamese people, I might then afford him some credibility.

543. Death for apostasy?

Comment #266460 by Laurie Fraser on October 19, 2008 at 2:30 am

Now, could we have an article pointing out that extreme evangelical calls for abortionists to be killed are only an aberration, and in most cases those doctors aren't, in fact, assassinated, which makes it OK?

544. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #266455 by Laurie Fraser on October 19, 2008 at 2:22 am

I'm puzzled by the brouhaha surrounding Ayers. True, he was a member of the Weathermen, a radical organisation that went to extremes. But we should understand that the U.S. was prosecuting a war that was immoral, and in the most immoral fashion possible. The Pentagon, with the wholesale imprimatur of the Whitehouse, waged war upon the people of Vietnam, north and south. At the same time, the CIA was spying on its own citizens, trampling on human rights, and using the National Guard to round up, falsely imprison, harass and, occasionally kill, people who were exercising their democratic right to protest.

Given the level of violence, for which Nixon, Kissinger et al were lauded as heroes, rather than tried and imprisoned for life, as they should have been, it was no wonder that groups like the Weathermen formed. They were not the traitors; the real traitors were Nixon and his psychopathic band of murderers, including, by the way, Gordon Liddy.

One might even argue that the Weathermen were exercising their constitutional right to take up arms against an evil and corrupt government, which the Nixon Administration undeniably was.

545. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #266419 by Laurie Fraser on October 18, 2008 at 10:44 pm

Yeah, I've heard that, Titania - gorgeous! PM for you, BTW.

Edit: Here's Yo Yo playing Piazzola's "Libertango". My son's partner played this for her 4th year recital a couple of months ago (on violin, though) - sensational!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tMgVMxG95A

546. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #266414 by Laurie Fraser on October 18, 2008 at 10:30 pm

root - yeah, video is impossible. I'll keep listening to the ABC's commentary. Aus in big trouble, now.

Titania - Silk Road Journeys is a lot of Mongolian music that Yo Yo plays with some Mongolian musicians - ethereal is the best word I can use.

DP - watch out for the American Drive!

547. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #266408 by Laurie Fraser on October 18, 2008 at 10:16 pm

Comment #266402 by root2squared

Root, what's the link for that video stream?

548. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #266406 by Laurie Fraser on October 18, 2008 at 10:14 pm

Yo Yo Ma - awesome. Have you got his "Silk Road Journeys"? It's beautiful. I haven't seen him live, but the young cellist in my band is his most devoted fan, I think.

Don't worry about all the chat about batsmen, silly mid-off, short leg, and googlies. Cricket is a civilising influence on any thread! :)

549. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #266403 by Laurie Fraser on October 18, 2008 at 9:50 pm

Yep - but, root, just part of our crafty plan!

550. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #266400 by Laurie Fraser on October 18, 2008 at 9:37 pm

Hi Titania - the Palin thread has evolved! Much more civilised from about eighty pages ago. I even got DP involved in a discussion about cricket, which he insists is a socialist plot. Go figure!