51. Escape or betrayal.

Comment #218959 by Christopher Davis on July 25, 2008 at 9:56 pm

"This culminated with one of her brothers coming to the gate of her base and telling the gate guards to allow him inside so he could "take" his sister back where she belonged."---godisdead84

CAUTION! OBLIGATORY REDNECK REMARK

I wish the fucker would show up at my gate demanding some shit like that!

52. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218956 by Christopher Davis on July 25, 2008 at 9:46 pm

"As far as bodies go I'm going to have to go with Jessica Biel.."---thewhitepearl

Yes. That's the answer we were looking for! Although I think her ass looked better in "Stealth" than it did in "Chuck and Larry".

As for beautiful faces, I'll go with Salma Hyak, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Monica Belucci...in no particular order.

53. Escape or betrayal.

Comment #218235 by Christopher Davis on July 25, 2008 at 5:27 am

"However, what I have read about this tactic, in Afghanistan at least, is that people like the Taliban destroy the schools, and attack the young women who attend."---rod-the-farmer

That is exactly what happens here...except that the Taliban (and various other jihad wannabes) don't stop just with the girls. The radicals here don't like the idea of anybody getting an education in a school built by westerners (even though we have no input to the curriculum). In their minds the only education needed is a madrassa education where you sit around and memorize the Koran through reciting what the mullah tells you the passage says ("real" Korans are in Arabic, the language in this are is Pashto...96% of the population read neither).

Oh, and as far as I know, girls don't go to madrassa.

54. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218226 by Christopher Davis on July 25, 2008 at 4:59 am

Philster61,

I tried to avoid bringing religion into the discussion, but when she asked me point blank if I believed in God, I couldn't bring myself to lie.

Also, it's doubtful that lying would have gotten me anywhere anyway. This girl was a bit out of my league. I think she just wanted to see what was up with the weirdo reading a book in a bar.
Anyway, it wasn't the first time my being an atheist cost me a potential date (and I bet it won't be the last).

Ironically, something similar to this has happened to me on two other occasions...this is the only one where I was a smart-ass about it.

55. Historian predicts the end of 'science superpowers'

Comment #218210 by Christopher Davis on July 25, 2008 at 4:22 am

"What part of the bible is true"---EvoledDNA (query to christianapologetic)

I think mostly the fucking and killing.

And maybe the sacrificing of livestock.

56. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218197 by Christopher Davis on July 25, 2008 at 4:07 am

Brian,

I should have, but I didn't want to push it. The last thing I needed was one of her frat-boy buddies trying to kick my ass and defend her honor.

She said she would include me in her fantasies, I was simply reciprocating. She didn't need to get offended.

57. Escape or betrayal.

Comment #218192 by Christopher Davis on July 25, 2008 at 4:00 am

Black Mamba,

I'm currently in Paktika Province, Afghanistan. Can you please send me the names and addresses of these liberated Muslim women that you speak of. So far the only one's I have seen are either herding goats or hauling enormous bundles of shit on their heads while the men sit and pick their asses.

I am over here working to improve the quality of life for the Pashtun people, but as I am not "inside the religion" I am sure there is something I am missing. Your help would be greatly appreciated, as I hope to quickly aid these egalitarian peace-lovers so I can go home.

Sincerely,
Christopher Davis

58. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218183 by Christopher Davis on July 25, 2008 at 3:24 am

"Is it just me, or are there others who feel that when religious fundies say they are going to pray for me (always an unsolicited act), they make it sound like, "I'm going to punch you in the mouth." ---ghuckin

Even when they are nice about it, it's still offensive.

True story. I was sitting in a sports bar one afternoon, knocking back a few pints of Guinness, reading "The Ancestors' Tale" and watching the University of Arizona get their ass kicked in football, when this very attractive young lady with enormous breasts sidles up to me and asked me what I was reading. I told her and we started talking. Turns out she didn't "believe in evolution".

We talk a little longer and inevitably, she ends up asking me whether or not I believe in God (did I mention she had HUGE breasts?).

Anyway I told her "No. I'm an atheist" She seemed genuinely shocked by this and after several minutes of trying to convince me I was an idiot, she got up to leave and said, "I'll pray for you". To which I responded, "Fair enough. I'll think about you the next time I jerk-off."

This earned me a vehement Christian "Fuck You!

59. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #218146 by Christopher Davis on July 24, 2008 at 11:38 pm

Last thing...

The whole "75 cents to the dollar" thing, that's a sham statistic. What I mean by that is that it may be true, but it really has no bearing on how the average woman is treated (pay-wise) in the workplace.

Most jobs come with standard rates of pay... regardless of race, gender, age etc. Factory workers, skilled tradesmen, military personnel, fast food workers, government employees of all stripes---pay is dependent on position and/or time on the job.

Where this doesn't hold true is Coporate America, where women are under-represented in the higher paying positions.

Say I average the wages of 100 female textile workers and compare them to the averaged wages of 99 male textile workers and 1 male Fortune 500 CEO, what happens?

You see the problem ain't that men make more than women, it's that the old-boy network still holds sway in Coporate America. A problem yes, but not something that is going to get your average "Norma Rae" fired up. But telling people that "women make less than men", that's the ticket to plebian support.

60. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #218142 by Christopher Davis on July 24, 2008 at 11:04 pm

"Nobody but Fanusi and Apathy Personified even attempted to distinguish whom they are referring to when they discuss feminists"---hawt4dawk

That's a good point, and in light of my last post applicable to me. So...


"…these self styled 'feminists' who are actually only trying to further themselves, don't give a shit about 'those other women', but are using the banner of inequality to try and gather support. These women tend to be real bitches (the women that other women really hate) and to be so self serving that they have made 'feminist' into a dirty word."---Apathy personified

Those are the "feminists" I'm referring to.

There was a grad assistant in one of my classes at Arizona State who proudly declared herself a feminist and said that anyone who cared about the equal treatment of women was also a feminist whether they knew it our not. She wasn't radical, and the issues she was most concerned about really were issues and not political talking points. Those type of feminists have my full support.

61. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #218131 by Christopher Davis on July 24, 2008 at 10:42 pm

Just in case this post remains alive...

"No one denied that feminist groups do practice some good. That wasn't the argument. The argument was how spineless they can be. Like I said they are more worried about what goes on in the US and simply ignore other (sometimes bigger) issues in the rest of the world."---thewhitepearl

And like twp pointed out in a different post, that's what makes them hypocrites...at least partly.

Modern day feminists can best be described as a political special interest group, and that interest ain't equality for all.

The reason that the leaders of the modern feminist movement don't make a fuss over the misogyny and objectification of women in rap music is because they don't want to alienate blacks. They see black people as allies (or in some cases pawns) in their quest to get "even"
with white men.

Also, since modern feminists goal is to increase their political power, what good does it do to address international issues? It's much more to their advantage to highlight trivial slights like Augusta, and refight battles that have already been won (equality in education). They do this so they can stay politically relevant.

I think the old-time feminists, the ones that truly were "institutionally marginalized" would roll over in their graves if they could see what the movement has become.

In short, it's hypocritical to make a fuss about "justice" and "equality" when your motives are just as selfish as those of the people you denounce.

62. A Natural Selection

Comment #217159 by Christopher Davis on July 24, 2008 at 2:10 am

Dhamma,

The book "The Beak of the Finch" by Jonathan Weiner details all the goings-on with the Galapagos finches over about 30 or so years of documented research. It's written for the layperson who is interested in science and it is a fairly quick read. It won the Pulitzer in 1995.

63. How Anecdotal Evidence Can Undermine Scientific Results

Comment #217146 by Christopher Davis on July 24, 2008 at 1:56 am

Another thought...

Maybe the general public wouldn't be so skeptical about there being no causal link between vaccinations and autism, if our politicians didn't distort so many other legitimate field of science to suit their own agendas.

64. How Anecdotal Evidence Can Undermine Scientific Results

Comment #217138 by Christopher Davis on July 24, 2008 at 1:45 am

One thing to keep in mind is that anecdotes and observations aren't quite the same thing. Anecdotes are often subjective and sometimes of dubious origin. Objective observations however, are the backbone of scientific hypotheses.

On a different note, I second disbelief's vote for Guinness...although it will be another four or five month's until I can have one again.

65. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #217037 by Christopher Davis on July 23, 2008 at 8:26 pm

Referring to comment #147 by Dinah

Women, for the most part, are less violently inclined than men in all instances, but...

For several weeks (months?) last year the #1 song on the country charts was about a woman who vandalizes her boyfriend's truck because he's inside the bar (probably the same place he met her) with drinking and shooting pool with another woman. When this song would come in in any bar I happened to be in, most of the women would sing along as if it were the national anthem.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned".

Infidelity and rejection makes people bitter. Some people move on, others don't.

I think that the real reason more women aren't
violently vindictive is that for most women, physically attacking a man is a bad strategy.

66. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #216340 by Christopher Davis on July 23, 2008 at 1:51 am

"Now I think most people here have misunderstood what they are doing here. Which is defending themselves."---theantitheist

Against western criticism of practices that are indefensible? If they don't like the fact that they are being associated with a bunch of violent radicals and their apathetic enablers, they can always come up with a new name for themselves. Because if they profess to believe in a religion that isn't bellicose, opposed to science and progress, and misogynistic to an inhumane degree, then they are not followers of Islam.

theantitheist, I know you are trying to be optimistic, but I just can't share in your positive outlook. I think this is nothing more than a PR campaign designed to play off American's notorious fear of being thought ethnocentric and/or bigoted.

67. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #216205 by Christopher Davis on July 22, 2008 at 8:29 pm

"There is no doubt Islam is having some serious PR issues, but why don't you clean up your house first (gender inequality, human rights violations, extremism) before embarking on "proselytizing the faith"."---GordonYKWong

Because most Muslims don't consider these barbaric practices that need to be cleaned up...they consider them the will of God.

68. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #216146 by Christopher Davis on July 22, 2008 at 7:27 pm

"...but really setting a standard and defining what mainstream Islam stands for," Latif said.---article


Mainstream Islam? I think, since 15-20% of Muslims are extreme radicals who work day and night to kill those who don't agree with their particular interpretation of the Koran, and another 75-80% of Muslims, although not actually participating in the violence, just shrug their shoulders and think "WTF do they expect, they're infindels?", that you are a little fucking deluded if you believe that "mainstream Islam" stands for anything worthwhile.

The "mainstream of Islam" is the violence and barbarism that 90-95% of Muslims advocate either through direct action or apathy. The 5-10% that would like to make Islam something more noble are the outliers. And if I had to guess, the majority of the outliers are just politically expedient bullshit artists.

69. Nine face stoning death in Iran

Comment #215465 by Christopher Davis on July 22, 2008 at 1:21 am

"I really hoped I wouldn't have to do resort to this, but: revenge: vt. 1. To inflict punishment in return for (injury or insult). (Webster's II) So yes, they really are the same, especially in the context of the criminal law. "Revenge" is what the government doles out to the convicted defendant, upon sentencing. You are muddled by thinking about the movie definition of the word."---Broshiesq

But you did resort to it.

First off, I don't know where you got your definition of revenge, but the 11th edition Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary lists 5 different definitions for the word "revenge" and the word "punishment" is not in any of them.

Even so, assuming that you did get the definition you list from a legitimate source, it doesn't help your argument.

At best you could argue that revenge is a type of punishment. A Pug is a type of dog, as is a German Shepard, but that doesn't make them the same thing.

As for your insistence that you are speaking in context of the Criminal Justice System, the CJS is the context where the line demarcating revenge and punishment is most clear.

Once again, revenge is personal. Punishment, especially as meted out by the U.S. CJS is (in theory)dispassionate.

Sciros has already attempted to explain the meaning of connotation to you...if his explanation wasn't sufficient, I doubt I can do better. So I'll simply ask this...

Have you ever heard a judge say, "As revenge for your crime, I hereby sentence you to a term of imprisonment..., etc. etc."?

70. Nine face stoning death in Iran

Comment #215415 by Christopher Davis on July 21, 2008 at 8:53 pm

"A lot less than would be dying if Muslims had the power the west does. Imagine the likes of Bin Laden, Nasrallah, Yassin, Haniyyah with the power to deliver weapons of mass destruction."---Al-Rawandi

I've been singing this tune for years.

Also, can anyone think of any nation in recorded history that has held the overwhelming military advantage that the U.S. currently holds over the rest of the world, that didn't just take what they wanted through conquest?

71. Nine face stoning death in Iran

Comment #215414 by Christopher Davis on July 21, 2008 at 8:45 pm

"That's because I have strong belief in rehab. I understand if you don't agree."---Dhamma

I know it probably wasn't evident from my post, but I'm actually a big advocate of rehabilitation. I was just pointing out one of the problems with it. The sysmtem can get it right 99 times out of 100, but that one error could cost someone dearly...and all the revenge advocates would say "see we told you so".

"Accordingly, it's cheaper to incarcerate someone for life, than putting them to death."---Dhamma

Unfortunately, this is too true. Of course the cost is in the litigation reqiured to actually execute someone, not the execution itself.

In theory, I'm not against capital punishment. I just don't think that the way it is applied in the U.S. leads to gains in crime control and prevention that are worth the costs...both monetary and otherwise.

p.s. I can't watch the videos. I use an office computer and Uncle Sam has decided that youtube is forbidden. But thanks for the thought.

72. Nine face stoning death in Iran

Comment #214813 by Christopher Davis on July 20, 2008 at 11:33 pm

"Revenge," which is what people call it, is exactly the same thing as "retributuion" or "punishment,"---Broshiesq

Sorry. Wrong, but thanks for playing.

Revenge and punishment are not the same.

Revenge is an action that is very personal. It is administered by the victim (or someone very close to the victim).

Punishment, on the other hand, is supposed to be administered by an objective entity...and it is supposed to fit the crime. Vengeance is rarely proportional.

Also, "retribution" and "restitution" are not synonyms.

73. Nine face stoning death in Iran

Comment #214792 by Christopher Davis on July 20, 2008 at 10:39 pm

Broshiesq,

I've got to disagree, revenge is a petty emotion and should never be the basis for public policy.

74. Nine face stoning death in Iran

Comment #214748 by Christopher Davis on July 20, 2008 at 9:27 pm

Dhamma,

In a perfect world, yes there would never be a need for the death penalty but rehabiltiation isn't always a viable option.

Take for example a pedophile murderer. You could put him in rehab, and it might even work, but who is going to sign off on him? Who makes the final decision that he is rehabilitated, and what if that person is wrong? You have saved the pedophiles life, but sentenced someone's child to death if the pedophile re-offends.

Like I said, it's an extreme example, but a valid one.

That being said, I'm not a big fan of capital punishment. In the U.S. at least, it doesn't seem to to be applied in a manner that would cause it to be an effective deterrent. The only advantage to it, is that it often rids society of some sick bastard and insures that he never harms another innocent. Of course you could do that with a lifetime of incarceration. The problem is the cost.

Of course that cost could be offset if our "justice" system didn't feel the need to lock up so many petty drug offenders.

p.s. Unfortunately, you are spot on about one thing, most people's support of the death penalty comes from need for revenge (they just prefer to call it justice).

75. Ten Commandments' of race and genetics issued

Comment #213833 by Christopher Davis on July 19, 2008 at 2:23 am

PopeStig,

Thank you. I will. This is a topic that I did quite a bit of research on a few years ago. I have a background in exercise and fitness and I've taken a couple of courses in anatomy and physiology. However, I am not an expert in exercise science. Most of the ideas and explanations I have given regarding exercise performance come from reading research synopses and from other peoples work.

The actual reason I started reading up on this is because when I was at the University of Alabama and majoring in psychology, a lot of the PC crap many of the professors were spouting just didn't make sense to me. What they were saying just didn't jive with my real world experiences (I was 30 at the time), and the explanations they were giving for certain observable disparities seemed highly implausible and in many cases, patronizing.

I had one professor say that the reason blacks so drastically outnumbered whites in the NBA is because sports is the only place the playing field is level for blacks. Now no one would deny that blacks have had to overcome (and are still overcoming) huge obstacles to be treated equally in U.S. society, but the logical conclusion to my professor's explanation is that if all the "playing fields" were level, blacks would achieve more than whites in all endeavors. If you think about it, that's as about as racist as it gets.

That's when I decided that there must be more to it than that. That's when I decided to look and see if there were any scientific explanations for this particular disparity. There were, but almost all of them were being viewed with disdain and the scientists proposing them being accused of being racists. I couldn't understand how saying, "Long Achilles tendons lead to greater vertical leaping ability and on the average blacks have longer Achilles tendons than whites, therefore on the average blacks have greater vertical leaping ability than whites" was any more racist than saying blacks on average have more melanin in their skin than whites, therefore on the average, blacks tend to be darker in pigmentation than whites.

I couldn't, and still can't, understand exactly why people are so touchy about this and related topics. And that is what I hope to publish my paper on…the psychological aspects of PC as it relates to race and sports.

Also, I don't know if you bothered to read my replies to weesam, but I got a bit caustic with him because I felt like (even after I withdrew from the debate) he was trying to frame my comments in a way that made it seem that I totally dismissed the effect of culture on sports...nothing could be farther from the truth.

I am not a genetic determinist when it comes to sports or anything else. Both you and weesam presented some damn fine examples of where culture is more influential than genetics in explaining one groups dominance. That's partly why I got so involved...these are questions and obstacles that must be overcome in order to explain why culture can't explain it all.

Sincerely,
Christopher Davis

76. Ten Commandments' of race and genetics issued

Comment #213827 by Christopher Davis on July 19, 2008 at 2:11 am

weesam,

You keep harping on this...

"The difference in top athletes, from any country is fractions of a percent."

Yes, at the highest levels of competition the performance increments amount to "fractions of a percent" so what? Someone who finishes 30 seconds behind the winner of an Olympic level marathon (30 seconds is approximately .5%) wasn't even close.

Sprint times are measured in one hundreths of a second. A runner who is consistently .2 seconds (an eyeblink) off a world record would suprise everyone if he actually broke that record. He would have had an extremely good day.

In other words, these "fractions of a percent" you keep referring to are huge. What matters is who is winning...not who is "getting close".

77. Ten Commandments' of race and genetics issued

Comment #213822 by Christopher Davis on July 19, 2008 at 1:52 am

weesam, you said...

"I've said it before, but how would you explain the dominance of British middle distance runners in the 80s? They were wiping the floor with the Africans. It would be ludicrous to say that gentics have changed in 30 years so that British runners can no longer compete at that level, whilst Kenyans dominate."

Of course it is ludicrous to think that genetics have changed that much in 30 years. Your example of Britain's dominance in the middle distances is a veery good example of cultural influence in sports.

But before you get too excited, Britons have a phenotype that is well suited to mid- distance running...as do many people Anglo-European descent, as do many people who are not of Anglo-European descent.

I've already outlined the physical traits that make a good long distance runner, and I have detailed the traits that make a champion sprinter. To be a good mid-distance runner you need a variable combination of several of these traits---in other words there are quite a few more ways to be a good mid-distance runner than there are a good marathoner or sprinter.

Furthermore, I don't believe that Kenyans dominate the mid-distances...I don't have good internet access (military computer, it blocks a lot of sites) and I don't have my notes from the research I did a few years back readily available (which is part of the reason I threw in the towel) but if I remember correctly, the only running events that showed anything that could be referred to as "domination", was the marathon, the 100m and the 200m. And in these events the pattern of "domination" was very clear...east African descent for the former, west African descent for the two latter.

78. Anti-Darwinists turned away by Israeli academia

Comment #213796 by Christopher Davis on July 18, 2008 at 11:01 pm

denizb,

You've progressed from claiming the U.S. is deliberately allowing Osama Bin Laden to remain at large so it can continue to kill innocent civilians and keep the surviving populace terrified, to a long winded diatribe that reads something like a cross between a Noam Chomsky rant and a Whitney Houston song. On the upside, the evolution of your thought would almost represent a coherent opinion if it didn't ignore the fact that the majority of Iraqi civilian deaths in the last four years have ben caused by other Iraqis.

lastgreekstanding,

No. Actually I had no idea if you thought my post was humerous or ridiculous. How could I considering the portions you chose to quote?

Do you think I'm lying about us not firing at people until they show hostile intent (which most often takes the form of small arms fire and RPG's)?

Anyway, even when you clarified your position you still didn't make a point. Three rhetorical questions? That's the best you can do? How about an original thought, or at least a statistic you can back up?

I'll tell you what, I'll help you out. You mentioned torture, Google "Geneva Convention", then come back and tell us all what the GC says regarding torture. See if you can convince us how it's a useful guideline for the situation we face today in the war against radical Islam.

You said my comments only merited a three letter response, fair enough. I generally prefer to either make legitimate comments or keep my mouth shut. Also, since I'm no longer in my teens, I don't really know much "text lingo"...but what the hell, while you're busy LOL, you can KMA.

79. Ten Commandments' of race and genetics issued

Comment #213789 by Christopher Davis on July 18, 2008 at 10:15 pm

weesam,

Just because I said I was throwing in the towel, doesn't mean I'm going to let you kick me in the ass as I leave.

I said, "My guess is, people believe that if you acknowledge that blacks are, on the average, better athletes you are somehow saying at the same time whites are smarter. I don't follow this logic. I guess it comes from the stereotype of the "dumb jock".

You quoted me and then went on to post this...

"Well, then you get the ludicrous conclusion that if blacks are better athletes AND are as smart as whites; then by definition blacks are more advanced human beings. (and what athletic and sports events are you looking at???)"

And your point is? Anyone who read my entire post can clearly ascertain that I'm saying the idea that athletic performance and intelligence are inversely related isn't logical.

As for what sports I'm looking at, it's in the post...basketball and football. Which leads us to this...

"Your football analogy is a joke."

How so? Plus it's not an analogy it's a hypothesis. I'm saying that blacks excel at pro football and pro basketball because they have on average more fast-twitch muscle fibers (the fibers that generate explosive power) and long achilles tendons (which leads to better energy return on each stride). If you have a background in exercise science and can tell me why this doesn't make sense then please enlighten me, but dont'd just call "bullshit" declare the idea a "joke".

And lastly, these two statements make me wonder if you know anything at all about sports in the U.S.

"The Australian Rugby League team are athletes with most of the same attributes as American Footballers. Yet they are white. They are just as fit; just as strong and just as fast. In fact I would say more so."

You have either got to be joking or smoking crack. Rugby competetitors are extremely athletic and tough as nails to boot, but when compared to your average NFL player, they are small and slow. If Bo Jackson, Herschell Walker, Emmitt Smith or any of a slew of other top notch NFL running backs were to have played professional Rugby, they would have seldom had to pitch the ball.

Furthermore, your reasoning does nothing to explain why a demographic that makes up less than 12% of the U.S. population, constitutes over 70% of U.S. pro football and basketball players.

You said..."I would bet anything that you could find and train a world-class Ethiopian weight-lifter."

Okay. I'll take that bet and give you ten to one odds. And I bet I'm not the only one that wants apiece of that action.

I've got to go do something, but I'm not done with you yet. I'm going to address your argument about the thin margins of victory, and explain to you why Britain dominated mid-distances until the 1980's.

80. Anti-Darwinists turned away by Israeli academia

Comment #213122 by Christopher Davis on July 18, 2008 at 7:33 am

Al,
Yeah I had no idea what lastgreekstanding was trying to convey.

Laurie,
When I mentioned atrocities "of their own accord", I was thinking about Abu Ghraib. And in reality, quite a few of those participants were influenced by an older, sadistic SGT.

We've took a bunch of casualties last month, and it has really soured some of the younger guys attitudes.

81. Ten Commandments' of race and genetics issued

Comment #213115 by Christopher Davis on July 18, 2008 at 7:21 am

Shit!

I just lost a multi-paragraph post.

Anyway, I'm going to throw in the towel on this topic. I can't do it justice in this format. I need about sixteen pages and a couple of charts to make my case.

The last thing I'll say is yes, there is a cultural component to what sports a country excels at. But when it comes to whether a particular individual can excel at a particular sport, culture has a very small impact.

I don't care how popular distance running is in Kenya, if the average Kenyan were built like the average Eskimo you would rarely if ever see a Kenyan win a race unless he was being pulled by a team of dogs. And subsequently, I doubt running would be all that popular in Kenya.

There are some sports that you just have to have a certain phenotype to excel. Certain phenotypes are more common among certain "races". To think that diet is what keeps Ethiopians from being competetive weightlifters is just silly.

Also, the disproportionate numbers of blacks in U.S. sports such as football and basketball can easily be explained by a tendency for people of west African descent to have a higher percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers and longer achilles tendons than the average American.

Unfortunately, anything that suggests there is a genetic basis for this statistical anomaly (more black pro basketball and football players) draws cries of racism, when actually it is the least racist explanation of any proposed.

My guess is, people believe that if you acknowledge that blacks are, on the average, better athletes you are somehow saying at the same time whites are smarter. I don't follow this logic. I guess it comes from the stereotype of the "dumb jock".

82. Ten Commandments' of race and genetics issued

Comment #213083 by Christopher Davis on July 18, 2008 at 6:10 am

weesam, you are losing me. You said...

"Ever see a black swimmer?"

I realize I've gotten carried away with my example (that's because it is comple issue, that I hope to publish on soon), but did you read the rest of the post you quoted?

Anyway, I'm going to drop the swimmer example, and adresss this...

"I've said it before, but how would you explain the dominance of British middle distance runners in the 80s? They were wiping the floor with the Africans. It would be ludicrous to say that gentics have changed in 30 years so that British runners can no longer compete at that level, whilst Kenyans dominate."---weesam

The Kenyans don't dominate the middle distances...of course neither do the British anymore. These events are actually more egalatarian than sprints (100m, 200m) or double digit km races...and here's why.

For sprinting you need a high percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers (mainly in your legs and buttocks), "high" calves (long achilles tendons) are essential too. This is a phenotype that is very common in people of west African descent.

Distance running goes to east Africans due to the common phenotype of long legs, light frames, ungodly max VO2 (oxygen consumption rates), and I suspect, high percentage of slow-twitch muscle fibers.

Middle distances require a mix of both distance running qualities and sprinting qualities...so in essence there are more ways to build a champion mid-distance runner.

As for Britains domination in the mid-distances until around the 80's, I agree...majority cultural. Roger Bannister inspired generations, and until recently many countries didn't have the economic means to train and field Olympians (most still don't).

83. Ten Commandments' of race and genetics issued

Comment #213070 by Christopher Davis on July 18, 2008 at 5:52 am

continuing post#46...

What I am describing is an inherited phenotype. What I mean is that this even distribution of bodyfat is not an effect of swimming...you are either born with it or you are not. Furthermore, it is a phenotype that is a prerequisite for Olympic level swimming.

So if I identify a population where this phenotype is more common than it is in other populations, I can expet to find more potential top level swimmers within that population.

Furthermore since people tend to gravitate towards what they are good at, it is likely that I will find more people who enjoy, and thus participate in this activity among that population than I do in other populations.

84. Ten Commandments' of race and genetics issued

Comment #213055 by Christopher Davis on July 18, 2008 at 5:20 am

Damn. Hate it that it took me this long to get back.

First order of business is to wipe the egg off my face. When it comes to sports, I guess I'm still a bit sexist.

PopeStig, you are right regarding female marathoners, I should have stipulated.

Male athletes. I'm talking about male athletes. If you limit yourself to male athletes, you have to go way back to find a winner of non-east African descent.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to disagree with both you and weesam regarding the your view that culture plays a bigger part than genetics. Like I said, I'm going to confine my argument to male athletes...bear with me and I think you will see why.

You said... "As far as I know, Marathon and Cross-Country Running are the most popular sports in Ethiopia and Kenya both, and the multi-medal winning athletes are national heroes the same way the cross-country skiers are heroes in Norway."

100% true. But you are confusing correlation with causation. In other words...are Ethiopians and Kenyans good runners because running is popular, or is running popular in those countries because people are good at it?

Obviuosly this is a chicken and egg argument, but we can get a good indication of which factor takes precedent by looking at the bodyfat levels of competetive swimmers.

As far as bodyfat percentages go, swimmers are some of the fattest athletes around...and I'm not talking about the old people you see dog paddling around at the YMCA, I'm talking about Olympic caliber athletes.

Now Olympic swimmers don't look fat, in fact they have very nice physiques. What accounts for this is that their bodyfat is distributed rather evenly all over their body. This is a great attribute for a swimmer. It helps with bouyancy, but doesn't create drag. It also helps keep them warm.

85. Ten Commandments' of race and genetics issued

Comment #213001 by Christopher Davis on July 18, 2008 at 1:43 am

Might I ask if you think genetic differences extend to intelligence? You mention sports, but shy away from saying "look at all the Swiss bankers" or "Japanese Engineers" or "British Mathematicians".---weesam

Of course you can ask.

Absolutely not. The genetic differences that contribute to how "intelligent" someone is are poorly understood and I suspect quite numerous. Furthermore, no one has yet to come up with a really good way of defining and measuring "intelligence". When you throw in the obvious developmental and cultural factors that influence "intelligence"....no, the waters become way to muddy to make anything but the most basic observations. Observations which have obvious answers and little meaning.

When it comes to sports however...

The ability to run fast is a byproduct of a suite of physical characteristics that are well known and well understood (the same can be said about the ability to lift and move heavy objects). It just so happens that the physical characteristics that make running 26 back-to-back-to-back---5 minute miles possible are far more common among people who have genetic legacies that derive from east Africa.

So I'm sorry, I wouldn't get my hopes up that anyone with a last name ending in -ski will win a major international running event anytime soon.

I've got to go eat and do a bit of work, but I intend to post a reply regarding the "cultural background" portion of your post. I don't totally disagree with you, but culture alone does not have anywhere near the explanatory power to explain the state of professional athletics in the U.S.

86. Ten Commandments' of race and genetics issued

Comment #212988 by Christopher Davis on July 18, 2008 at 12:50 am

"11. we're all the same 'race' and we just have different colored hair"---robotaholic

I'd argue that there is more genetic disparity between the socially constructed groups that people identify as "races" than just those genes that determine hair color.

Acknowledging group differences and exploring why these differences exist is not racism. It is the "celebration of diversity" that so many people love to pay lip service to.

87. Ten Commandments' of race and genetics issued

Comment #212987 by Christopher Davis on July 18, 2008 at 12:43 am

A1420,

I'm definitely not "worked up" over that particular wording, I just found it amusing. Whether the writer is pandering to the religious or referencing the Declaration of Independence, it still seems to be a poor word choice.

88. Bush Bureaucrats at Dept. of Health and Human Services Redefine Contraception as Abortion

Comment #212969 by Christopher Davis on July 17, 2008 at 11:50 pm

irate,

What about a shaved bush?

Sorry. I really shouldn't make light, but articles like this are just so damn frustrating.

89. Anti-Darwinists turned away by Israeli academia

Comment #212968 by Christopher Davis on July 17, 2008 at 11:43 pm

"Don't play the "righteous"-card... the world doesn't buy that"---MPhil

MPhil,

I've read enough of your comments to know that you are generally an insightful and intelligent poster, so I'm not exactly sure what has caused you to jump in my ass with both feet.

Nothing I have said so far has even alluded to torture. What I did was take umbrage to denizb's claim that the U.S. is waging war against civilians.

However, if you want to discuss I torture I will, but first you are going to have to tell me what you consider torture.

I know what I consider torture and I am for the most part vehemetly opposed to it. Not just for the fact that, as you pointed out, it yields unreliable information, but because it dehumanizes everyone involved.

I would never deny that our government has committed, and continues to commit acts that I, and most sensible human beings, find reprehensible.

Sometimes the soldiers involved in these acts are pawns, sometimes they act of their own accord.

I'm not trying to play the "righteous card". I know that sometimes we are as bad as the enemy we fight, but for someone to boldly state that our government, our soldiers, are deliberately killing innocent civilians as a matter of policy...well that's not an opinion, that's just a flat out lie.

90. Ten Commandments' of race and genetics issued

Comment #212958 by Christopher Davis on July 17, 2008 at 10:56 pm

Not much original content here for anyone who has ever done any serious reading or thinking on this subject. Although I did find number 10 to be a novel suggestion.

jharps, Yeah I caught the "created" part too. Also, it's a good thing that that went on to specify morally equal. Whether it's politically correct or not, there are some things that are not equal among the "races". For example, does anyone ever expect to see a Norwegian win the Boston Marathon? How about an Ethiopian take the World's Strongest Man contest?

It's not racist to acknowledge how utterly unlikely it is for either of these events to occur, even if you (rightly) attribute it to the differences in gene frequencies in these two populations.

91. Let's Get Rid of Darwinism

Comment #212950 by Christopher Davis on July 17, 2008 at 10:44 pm

"But then he might say say "What's a sex offenders registry?"---bugaboo

That's good! That's really good! I'm kind of ticked I didn't think of it first.

92. Let's Get Rid of Darwinism

Comment #212947 by Christopher Davis on July 17, 2008 at 10:40 pm

"Christopher, I was actually also thinking that if there was a non-mystical non-miraculous historical Jesus, what would he think?"---DavidJ

I put the odds at about 4 to 1 he'd buy a ranch somewhere in California, start a cult, and smoke a lot of pot.

93. Anti-Darwinists turned away by Israeli academia

Comment #212944 by Christopher Davis on July 17, 2008 at 10:24 pm

"Whether you try to kill John Smith directly, or obliterate a civilian hospital, a school, or market, the end result is the same."---denizb

And when some "courageous warrior for Allah" is hiding in amongst the John Smith's at one of these schools, hospitals, or markets firing an AK-47 at you, you are just as dead when the bullet hits as if he were wearing a uniform and engaging you on a field of battle.

94. Anti-Darwinists turned away by Israeli academia

Comment #212943 by Christopher Davis on July 17, 2008 at 10:17 pm

"Kinda like how the US does nothing to actually apprehend Bin Laden - because loosing that enemy, would mean loosing the ability to wage war on civilians in the middle east with the pretext of a war on terrorism."---denizb

That definitely takes the prize for "clueless statement of the week".

Since Al Rawandi has already done a more than adequate job explaining how the U.S. Military bends over backwards to avoid civilian casualities, I'll refrain from beating a dead horse.

We don't capture Bin-Laden because we can't find his ass...pure and simple.

Also, the way we tell the civilians from the fighters over here (I'm currently in Afghanistan), is by waiting until they shoot at us.

95. Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway

Comment #212468 by Christopher Davis on July 17, 2008 at 8:43 am

Ahh! No wonder I always end up looking like a clumsy slob.

96. Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway

Comment #212453 by Christopher Davis on July 17, 2008 at 8:30 am

Al,

Why is your torso cocked at a 45 degree angle? Is this some type of competetive eating technique you've developed?

97. Let's Get Rid of Darwinism

Comment #212437 by Christopher Davis on July 17, 2008 at 8:08 am

David J,

If you brought back Mohammed he'd probably be quite pleased.

Of course you said "great thinker" so that example may not apply.

98. Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway

Comment #212411 by Christopher Davis on July 17, 2008 at 7:18 am

"You don't hear many reports of drive-by battings or stabbings."---Steve Zara

True. And to strengthen your point you never hear of any innocent bystanders being killed by some thug in the back seat of a Chevy opening up on a a crowd of people with a Louisville Slugger.

I'm not arguing that guns don't make killing people easier, I'm just saying that violent people won't be dissuaded from assaulting their victims due to the want of a gun.

99. The Return of Religion

Comment #212333 by Christopher Davis on July 17, 2008 at 2:55 am

Mphil,
In response to comment #114...You nailed it.

Unfortunately, that's how their minds work.

100. Let's Get Rid of Darwinism

Comment #212329 by Christopher Davis on July 17, 2008 at 2:44 am

bugaboo,

Good point. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies.