651. Anti-Quran Film Fitna Pulled From Web Due to 'Threats'

Comment #157887 by Bonzai on April 9, 2008 at 5:14 pm

Goldy,

When I read shit like this I wish I can swear like sty-fucking -rer. It is at occasions like this that I realize my command of English still needs improvement.

All religions are fucking stupid, but some are fucking stupid and dangerous and their deluded followers are insufferably arrogant to boot,

It is not often that I wade through teratonis' long winded posts, but he gets one thing right, We should somehow find an alternative to oil and in the mean time control our addiction. The only reason that stupid countries such as Saudi Arabia can still live in the 7th century and pretend that they are the example for others to emulate is because of oil. If we don't need their oil they can rot in their little 7th century fantasy for all we care. If we don't need their oil we can build a fucking wall around them and let them devolve back into fucking apes or something.

652. Anti-Quran Film Fitna Pulled From Web Due to 'Threats'

Comment #157881 by Bonzai on April 9, 2008 at 4:56 pm

EDDAH, 10 April 2008 â€" A Saudi blogger has made a six-minute video entitled "Schism" by portraying texts from Christian sources out of context, similar to the way Dutch MP Geert Wilders made his recently-released anti-Qur'an film entitled "Fitna."

These guys are just so out to lunch.

The issue is not that there are hateful verses in the Bible and the Quran, but how seriously believers in Christianity and Islam take these verses respectively.

Except for maybe fringe nutters like the Phelps, no mainstream Christian advocates that homosexuals should be killed or in any other way punished like Muslim clerics do regularly. The death penalty for homosexuals is actually the law in a few Islamic states. Again maybe for one or two nuts whom you have never even heard of, no Christian "scholar" or minister has ever been heard telling his congregation that it is ok to beat woman, whereas in the Islamic world scholars who say that a man has no right to hit his wife would be considered a liberal, if not a radical.

Oh, almost forget, when was the last time you heard about a trial for witchcraft? That's right, maybe a month ago, in Saudi fucking Arabia. This country is a fucking travesty for the human race,

Show me a "Christian" country which applies the law of Moses like Saudi Arabia and a few other Islamic countries that practice various forms of Sharia,--with differing flavours of barbaric gruesomeness

Chistians in the West are subjected to secular law.

When was the last time this guy sticked his head out of his arse and smelled something other than his own fart? May be the 12th century or something? It seems that he still perceives the world in the mold of Christianity v.s Islam and thinks that his little project somehow would get even with the Christians.

What a pathetic goof.

653. Fleabytes

Comment #157644 by Bonzai on April 9, 2008 at 11:23 am

Incredulous

personally think the vast majority of people are like Richard in that they don't really believe all the father in the sky nonsense, or even in life after death.

They don't care whether our moral code comes from ancient texts or whether we should be constantly evolving stuff as new evidence appears.

People like being with and relating to other people.

Sometimes, there are other unfulfillable longings which no matter how irrational they appear, still exist to the individual.

This is why religion appears to score over us every time. Of course it is wrong, but it obviously satisfies something in some people not yet identified, scientifically - it will be.

I second (third?) others who say that this is very wise and well spoken.

654. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157427 by Bonzai on April 9, 2008 at 4:46 am

There are good reasons for that, which probably have nothing to do with creationism in schools. If we're still talking about that.

I would talk about anything to avoid the fuck filled debates over Richard Morgan's alleged perversity. :-)

655. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157418 by Bonzai on April 9, 2008 at 4:26 am

If you can concoct something that is arguably better than the old drug and sufficiently different to get its own patent it is a winner!

It is even a bigger winner if you can get a new patent by slightly repackaging the old drugs. I know quite a few pharmacists and it seems that many otherwise rational people are quite naive when it comes to how business works, and how the pharmaceutical business works in particular. Do you seriously think that most doctors are up and up on research? They get their info about new drugs from the drug companies' propaganda.

Drug companies even get tax write offs for wining and dining doctors as a kind of promotional expenses, It is tax payer subsidized kick back scheme, so much about the market imperative to create better widgets. I am sure Goldy would know a few things about the honesty of market driven "science" in this context.

EDIT
Of course, I don't mean to convey the impression that all pharmaceutical researches are equally superficial, it depends on the type of drugs and the kind of diseases they are supposed to treat, etc.Things like insulin are solidly scientifically based. Others, like Prozac, are more wishy washy.

656. Hitchens vs. Hitchens

Comment #157197 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 4:31 pm

he's either ignorant or he willfully ignores the evidence

Or because of sibling rivalry. It is possible.

657. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday

Comment #157193 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 4:22 pm

Somebody saw a herder. Us cats have gotten nervous

My question is who is(are) the herder(s) and who are the cats.

658. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157177 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 4:01 pm

Goldy

Surely to advance technologically you need to understand the principles...isn't that science?

Not really. Is Chinese medicine "science"? I think that is a good paradigm for technologies that "work",--in some sense,-- but you don't necessarily know what are the scientific basis of why they work. This also applies to a substantial part of modern drug industry. With double blind testings and what not they have refined the method of trial and error so they can say perhaps with more confidence that drug A would cause effect B, but they don't always know why that is the case.

Newton didn't just say, "statistically" objects would move in elliptical orbits around a massive center because we see that with the planets. He actually had a theory that summarized and explained "why" this should be the case universally.

In a sense science is theories. Theories provide the narrative structure to science. Technology doesn't always have theories. China could make very good steel (as did other ancient civilzations)through systematic trial and error and refinement even though it knew nothing about the structure of matter, which is the basis of material science.

659. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157151 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 3:32 pm

Maybe that's why science was so far advanced in China

Actually I would disagree with that. China was very advanced technologically but it had never had science in the proper sense. In fact I started having this idea that technology and science can be quite seperate when I studied Chinese history in school.

660. Discussion between Richard Dawkins and Paula Kirby

Comment #157148 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 3:28 pm

The right training can work wonders. I have seen shy mumbling people turn into clear confident speakers at the end of a course..

Don't know about courses. Being an exhibitionist would help, or pills.

I have always been a very confident public speaker. I have been in debates, poetry recitation contests and singing contests since I was a child and now I also teach. Stage fright has never been a problem to me. I have been told that I am somewhat of an exhibitionist in public though privately, one on one I can be very shy..

661. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157135 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 3:17 pm

Yes Bonzai science and technology are not the same thing but modern technology wouldn't be possible without a deep understanding of how the world works brought by science.

Yes, but on the other hand I think it is also true that individuals can work in a tech environment with very little overall understanding of science or having a scientific outlook. What esoteric science would an automobile engineer encounter in his day to day job?

I may be wrong, but having met some engineers I have the feeling that a lot of their education consists only of knowing how and when to apply what procedures to get which outcome. They are not neccessarily required or expected to have any deep conceptual understanding of scientific principles. With doctors it is even worse.

662. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157118 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 3:03 pm

yussell23

Religious people, who do not hesitate to go to doctors, use the phone, fly in airplanes, drive cars, use computers, etc., will tell you with a straight face that science is unreliable.

They don't mind technology and gadgets, it is only the scientific world view that they resist.

Is it possible to have technology without science? I guess in some sense it is possible. All ancient civilizations had some kind of technology, though a coherent scientific world view didn't emerge until quite a lot later.

Science and technology are related, but they are not the same thing. The difference can sometimes be quite subtle.

According to Steven Weinberg,-quoting Abdus Salem,-- governments of Muslim countries always want more engineers, doctors, computer programmers and technologists in general. But they are suspicious about pure science because unlike technology which tends to be narrowly focused and involves only techniques, science is more reflective. Science has a worldview, hence it is subversive.

I always wonder why there seem to be a disproportional number of religious fanatics among engineers. The roster of "Creation scientists" is swell with engineers. Many Muslim extremists happen to be engineers. I am probably generalizing a bit here, it seems an education that teaches you only how to do things without developing a coherent way to see the world is just glorified training.

663. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157061 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 2:16 pm

Frankus,

Kids today are ignorant of a lot of stuff us older folk take for granted.

I don't know about that. Not all "older folks" are like the brainy types on RD.net here. I have met morons everyday whom you wouldn't mistaken for teenagers. On the other hand, young people probably know a lot of things that older people have no clue about and don't feel they are important.

Older folks always complain about the ignorance of young people. I think this is a tradition that goes all the way back to the cave men.

664. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157044 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 1:59 pm

AL,

It is probably not his "failing English", but perhaps RM has become a little too French? All my French friends told me that what the French consider normal flirting would be easily viewed as sexual harassment in North America. Perhaps it was all a misunderstanding arising from cultural difference?

My two cents.

665. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #157027 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 1:48 pm

Wow...

Lights out tonight, trouble in the heartland.
Got a head-on collision, smashin in my guts man.
Im caught in a crossfire that I dont understand.

--Bruce Springsteen aka The Boss

666. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156968 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 12:49 pm

Rev.

I can't say I am too impressed with his claim to be leaving with no intention of returning. I have seen that claim made too often; and it is so very rarely honoured.

Maybe he wil be back with a different handle. Maybe he is already here..

I think this is a bit much (From RM's post on Robertson's site)

Well, here is the naughtiest confession of all: whenever I saw one of your long posts on the Fleabytes thread, answering Paula Kirby's "Review" of your book, I gleefully printed it out and went into the kitchen to (guiltily) read it with my coffee and ciggies. (The way some people will read News of the World when they think nobody is looking!)

OK, he might have experienced what Saul claimed he did on the way to Damasca, or as he said he was pissed off because of the Russian cult leader thread. But is this arse kissing to Robertson necessary? Richard is going to have swollen, smelly lips.

Well in the new round of promotions for "Dawkins' letter" you will probably find RM being quoted, not just some anonymous "atheist from RD.net".

667. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156896 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 11:23 am

I think Al is right, it is the wrong reason to find a partner out of neediness.

I like the attitude that "if you like where I am going, hop on for a ride, but I am not gona change my destination because of my passengers. If you want to get off the next stop where the scene catches your fancy, that's cool too, Someone else may want to hop on.."

I was not a lone child, but I have been used to being a loner and like self imposed exiles from time to time. Whenever I am in a group you can always count on me to express a contrarian opinion (I am sure some here would notice that :)) So, I have always been sort of an outsider looking in and I like it that way.

I was meeting this friend I knew since highschool. He is a few years older than me but all successful.He is in a long time (15 years?) common law relationship with this really ugly woman who looks like twenty years his senior and she is boring too. He went on and on about how he is "getting old" (he is not even 40) and advised me that I should stop my carefree life style and find someone to settle down, get a 9-5 job and buy a house so that I won't be getting old alone.

The funny thing is he has been talking like that ever since I knew him, that was like 15 years ago. Mentally speaking he was older then than I am now.

He is only interested in making money, reading only work related books.She is the same way, and probably religious to boot. And yeah, they both seem to put on a lot of weight since they were together.

When I look at him I feel sad in a Chekhovian way, though he is probably happy to be assured that he is not alone.

668. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156845 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 10:14 am

So steve, A or B?

669. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156838 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 10:08 am

Al,

I know Duff man would choose A.

Podaar,

I understand where you are coming from I would probably choose B myself if I were married.

But why does "trust" have to involve revealing yourself like an open book? I am afraid I can't quite get that.

I think even people in relationships should retain their individuality, their self hood, and yes, even their secretes if they so choose to .

Individuality makes a person interesting (which has nothing to do with look or sex, btw Edit An "interesting" person can be very sexy and attractive, at least to me, even though he may be "ugly" by conventional standard.)

I am told that there are cat people and dog people. Those who like dogs value traits like loyalty and emotional bonding while the cat people like mystery and value independence. I think I am too much of a cat person.

670. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156823 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 9:53 am

Steve,

Sorry mate, but it seems very shallow to me

I know. I am a shallow person.

But then I think it does mean something to say, "I want to get disgusting and gross with you!" So I will choose a disgusting you over everything else.

I am shallow in that I intend it as a mockery, but the marriage proposal itself is not.

When it works it is about a deep loving friendship that is far more valuable than romantic love or lust

C'mon now.

If it is just about a deep friendship why do you need to be exclusive and monogamous? Why do you need commitment? Why can't you have more than one best friends?

Let me ask all of you this question.

Would you feel more hurt and betrayed if you find your partner A) having sex with someone else but with no emotional attachment or B) having an intimate but Platonic friendship with someone else with whom your partner will divulge even things that he/she wouldn't tell you? For example, she may be heterosexual (so you are a male) but she has a very close girl friend.

Or do you not care either way?

Please explain why.

671. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156811 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 9:33 am

Quetzalcoatl,

Wow, maybe Richard Morgan is here because he is going through his mother Theresa moments.

672. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156808 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 9:27 am

Hey here is a great romantic marriage proposal that I came up with when I was high (which I am naturally if I don't sleep for 24-48 hours)

Imagine you and your beloved in a romantic setting, like say, Niagara falls or the all you can eat buffet. Then you look deeply into his/her eyes and say,"Honey.. let's get ugly and gross together, so we will be so unattractive to others that we'll be stuck for the rest of our lives. I want to be ugly and gross with you, and you only.."

What da ya think? Clever?

673. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156798 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 9:18 am

irate

It is a public statement of committment to someoene else.

I know.

In my mind it is like criminals in the old days being publicly paraded with their balls and chains and a big sign hanging on the neck "Will be in jail for life!".

Except people do this voluntarily.

I know I am very disturbed..

674. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156793 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 9:07 am

AL

once you are locked in, they revoke the supply and use it as a bargaining tool.

Is that your first hand experience? :)

I wonder how that economical aspect figures in same sex marriage. If it doesn't exist is there still a point in getting married?

Of course nowadays women probably don't need marriage as a collective bargain tool. So I don't understand why do heteros who don't intend to have children want marriage in the first place, let alone gays who want to have a part of the action.

Steve,

I can have all the cakes and vacations by myself or with friends if I have the $. I don't much like sweet actually, so I'll pass the cake.

675. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156784 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 8:53 am

AL

No one has figured out that "marriage" is a sinister plot by women.

I think anyone who reads Schopenhauer's rants on women should take them with a grain of salt.

Having said that I do have a theory of the economics of sex, Marriage is like some kind of collective bargain which in the old days primarily protected women because of their general unequal status. It explains why prostitution is frowned upon by "proper" women because sex workers are like "scabs" who flood the market with cheap labour, thus threatening the wages of those who are unionized.

676. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156774 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 8:43 am

Yeah whenever I see newly weds with their funny wedding costumes and driving down the street in their cars full of flowers and what not, I think to myself, so you two are going to have sex tonight because you have just gotten a license. But is it necessary to announce it to the whole world? I had that thought ever since I was, well maybe 13 or 14. I may be crazy and cynical.

EDIT

"Love" makes my skin claw.Too corny and too much connotation of dependency. I like being free and independent. Have broken up with several guys who want live in. NO WAY.

677. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156768 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 8:37 am

Philip

That's all very well young man but tell me this, in a gay marriage who gets to be the bride and who gets to be the groom? :) <\mock serious tone>

Personally I like to be the bride ^^)

I completely agree with you, marriage is marriage as far as I'm concerned and equal rights for everyone who does. Call it Civil (or if you are both that naughty, Uncivil!) Partnership or Marriage - a declaration of love should not be dictated to in the slightest, damn any one's trousers if they don't like it!

I am for equal rights and choice, though I often can't understand why some people make theirs. I never understand why gay men and lesbians want to get married in the first place. I support rights to same sex marriage because of equality, on the other hand I think it is a silly idea to copy heterosexual institutions. I always find it odd at weddings, gay or straight.

678. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156761 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 8:28 am

I find the Puritans of "rationality" to be just as irritable as puritans of other stripes. The thing that units them all is a profound mistrust of people's judgments.

679. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156756 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 8:25 am

"Reality" is sometimes over rated. There are times I would like to get stoned. You can take your "reality" and shove it.

680. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156754 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 8:21 am

But the brain washing will surely only cause confusion at a later date when he realises that the dinosaurs are older than the earth as he's be led to believe.

I guess Flint Stone should come with a warning :" All events in this animation are purely fictional, and do not represent true historical events as supported by empirical evidence. Viewing this program may cause permanent damage to young minds and parental guidance is advised.

Message brought to you by the ministry of rationality."

681. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156738 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 8:08 am

A seven year old may not be able to understand quantum mechanics

Who does?

ut they can learn how a simple electrical circuit with a battery an a bulb works and that electron's 'flow' around the closed circuit and their energy is used to light (and heat) the bulb.

Sorry to nitpick, but that is a lie, though a useful one for electricians, for example, who need some kind of mental picture to summarize information for their purposes. If electron indeed "flows" through a wire as a stream of particle then all its energy will be lost due to collision with the lattice of the wire pretty soon, in other words, the resistance of the wire would be infinite and no current can pass through without an infinite potential difference at both ends.

Do mythologies in general serve the same purpose provided that you don't insist on understanding them literally?

682. Richard Dawkins: 'Growth in creationist beliefs a problem for schools'

Comment #156659 by Bonzai on April 8, 2008 at 5:45 am

How come one accidental flagging is enough to send Philip to the alternate universe but I have trolled "wooter" aka "clearmind" many times without any effect?

683. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday

Comment #156404 by Bonzai on April 7, 2008 at 1:14 pm

So I will remove mine.

684. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday

Comment #156390 by Bonzai on April 7, 2008 at 12:50 pm

Dr. Benway,

If stranded on a desert isle,..

A sock puppet would come in handy when you're all alone. :)

Back to the main theme of this site. God is a sock puppet for people who claim to speak for him. So in a way RM was showing us the true meaning of being a "Prophet" or "Apostle".

P.S. How did you know that whoever was RM's alter ego? I wouldn't have guessed.

685. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #156058 by Bonzai on April 6, 2008 at 3:07 pm

Hey, not everyone here is straight.

Well, you don't need to be straight to find some people of the opposite sex very hot. In the same way it is possible that a straight person may think that someone of the same gender is very attractive. My friend is straight (or so he says) but every now and then he would say so and so (male) is really hot. I think he means to say he can imagine a girl would find so and so very sexy.

I know that was meant to be humour, I am not trying to start an argument. :)

686. Dawkins warns of human extinction

Comment #156048 by Bonzai on April 6, 2008 at 2:51 pm

I did the same thing as Steve.

687. Dawkins warns of human extinction

Comment #156039 by Bonzai on April 6, 2008 at 2:41 pm

I just put an end italics code. You said you have tried it, I don't know why it didn't work.

688. Dawkins warns of human extinction

Comment #156035 by Bonzai on April 6, 2008 at 2:37 pm

Italics killed.

689. Dawkins warns of human extinction

Comment #155985 by Bonzai on April 6, 2008 at 1:08 pm

I am just trying to liven up the discussion when the topic is so grim. I know the physics is safe.

690. Dawkins warns of human extinction

Comment #155980 by Bonzai on April 6, 2008 at 1:03 pm

So is it morally superior if you choose the "rational" way of massacre by shooting a missile from afar instead of blowing up yourself in the process? I think it is off the mark to fixate on the means to kill. The issue is how one picks his target, Men in uniform shooting into civilians are not in any way morally superior to suicide bombers who blow themselves up among them.

691. Dawkins warns of human extinction

Comment #155968 by Bonzai on April 6, 2008 at 12:51 pm

My roommate told me he saw something on the internet which claims that there is a chance that scientists may accidentally create a black hole with their new super collider and bring an end to us all, and probably the solar system as well. If that happens at least we can say we go out with a (big) bang literally.. Imagine we meet our demise not because of WWIII, climate change or a gigantic meteorite but a black hole that we create. Science will have the last word, literally..Way to go.

692. Dawkins warns of human extinction

Comment #155722 by Bonzai on April 5, 2008 at 11:30 am

The Pascal wager argument is so stupid that I can't believe there are people who actually take it seriously.

If God cannot look into people's hearts and he rewards them just for making the right bet without any sincerity, he is an idiot of a God and doesn't deserve to be worshiped.

If he can look in people's hearts but still rewards the opportunists who made the right bet while punish the sincere unbelievers, he is an arsehole and a bully, also doesn't deserve to be worshiped.

Next time when a believer brings up the Pascal wager remember to ask him whether he worships an idiot or arsehole.

693. Fleabytes

Comment #155696 by Bonzai on April 5, 2008 at 9:22 am

Not sure what I would use. I recently received a Periodic Table mug as a birthday present. I guess that could represent rationality. Perhaps if I waved "The Extended Phenotype" at them as well...

Or you can strangle them with a Mobius strip and smash them over the head with a Klein bottle.

EDIT Even better you can invite them for tea along with missionaries from the Mormons, a few Born Again Christians and some militant Muslims and just watch them fight...

694. Beware the Believers

Comment #155649 by Bonzai on April 5, 2008 at 6:31 am

Yeah I too notice there is a hint of passive aggressiveness about Kard behind the seemingly reasonable facade..

695. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday

Comment #155638 by Bonzai on April 5, 2008 at 6:02 am

Darwin Award Honourable Mention...

Hmm..Does not qualify I am afraid. You have to kill yourself , or more happily, sterilize yourself accidentally to be nominated.

696. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday

Comment #155634 by Bonzai on April 5, 2008 at 5:54 am

Carto

I think the dissent on this thread over humour stems from a fairly simple division between the participants - a division between those who feel that laughing at the misfortunes of another is, de facto and necessarily, cruel or immoral, and those who feel it is not.

Just in case there is any misunderstanding. I am not condemning others who may find this funny, you can't help it if you want to laugh, anymore than you can hold in not to piss. I was only responding to Steve's post because it reminded me of certain things I used to feel. I make no accusation against others, only try to express my own thought,

697. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday

Comment #155631 by Bonzai on April 5, 2008 at 5:47 am

When I mentioned this to my husband, he said that one laughs for a second or two at first, as the image (hitting the head with a block of wood) is cartoon like.

A bit. But actually it reminds me of a Dostoevsky novel. His characters are always deformed and pathetic, his themes are heavy, but there are cartoonish moments from time to time, which only highlights the depravity or insanity of the characters, whatever the case may be.

698. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday

Comment #155624 by Bonzai on April 5, 2008 at 5:35 am

Death and carnage are only funny in cartoons. The man may be a goof but I can't laugh..

699. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday

Comment #155619 by Bonzai on April 5, 2008 at 5:27 am

Steve

I can't even watch a film like Star Wars without feeling a twinge of regret every time a stormtrooper was killed - "what about his wife and kids?" I thought (I also wondered why that armour was so useless).

Hmm..Interesting. I had exactly the same thought when I watched action flicks as a kid. In cheesy Kung Fu movies you always have a bunch of masked guys who would attack the hero only to be killed like flies, but for some reasons they just keep coming, as if they have never learned a thing from their failure.

I always thought to myself, these people might be lousy Kung Fu fighters but they had parents, kids and friends too..Then I thought probably they were the true heroes, because that seem to be the roles most of us play in life anyway.. To the world most of us are just a bunch of extras without an identity, no one cares if we die or suffer, except to those who are close to us.

One time I actually cried uncontrollably, oh I was probably 15 or so,I thought I was just too sentimental, probably some kind of hormonal fuck up..

P.S. I always wonder why these people have to cover their faces, as if anyone would care about their identities.

700. Expelled Overview

Comment #155538 by Bonzai on April 4, 2008 at 5:29 pm

Jon,

I haven't seen those studies regarding race and IQ, but based on your discription it is probably based on some kind of multiple regression methods. Do you know what is the r^2, how is it comparing to other contributing factors? Correlation can be significant yet practically makes no difference after other factors are tallied for. To say that a certain correlation is significant simply means that it has a good chance of not being zero and nothing more. It doesn't say whether it is a strong or weak correlation.