Comments by decius

1401. Sydney brothels say Pope's visit will give business a leg-up

Comment #219190 by decius on July 26, 2008 at 12:40 pm

Comment #219181 by Village_Idiot

I am truly shocked and under painful impression that this discussion forum is hijacked by a bunch of people who are simply high from self-admiration and who just love to compose and discuss "stuff" exclusively for the pleasure of their shallow ego.

Funny that you should mention this now, right when you are facing some (mild) criticism.
However, before you attempt some armchair psycho-analysis based on half-chewed 1950's discredited notions, you may want to avoid the use of bold text, which tells more about you than anybody else.

Earlier, I advocated the importance of crude war imagery, but I criticised the lack of a disclaimer in your post, which is what is normally required from media agencies before they are allowed to broadcast said imagery. Not everybody can stomach to be exposed to such horror.

Many others decried your actions in much stronger term. In all fairness, they have a point.

If this simple act of courtesy costs you so much, and rather than apologising you prefer to denounce an imaginary conspiracy of forum hijackers, allow me to point out that you are a worthless cunt.

1402. [UPDATED] Venomous Snakes, Slippery Eels and Harun Yahya

Comment #219155 by decius on July 26, 2008 at 11:37 am

Comment #219151 by epeeist

he complains that we have been mean and nasty to him.

I feel guilty now. We should have welcomed him like a brother and be grateful for his caps-lock and cut&paste skills

1403. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #219132 by decius on July 26, 2008 at 10:34 am

Comment #219131 by Quetzalcoatl

Yeah, a huge aesthetic loss for this site.

1404. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #219129 by decius on July 26, 2008 at 10:25 am

Comment #219122 by hawt4dawk

Thank you.

His name is Jackass M.Div. He is a sophisticated theologian who turned to atheism after reading one of McGrath's papers.

He is half Golden Retriever - half Wheaten Terrier, but he is convinced to be a Schnauzer, a delusion that he began to nurture while he was still attending church.

1405. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #219125 by decius on July 26, 2008 at 10:13 am

Comment #219116 by thewhitepearl

Wait til you have to deal with Tera.

Not a big deal. His arguments, for the most part, have no basis in reality. All ideology, puritan prudery, delusion of grandeur, and smugness, woven together by logical fallacies.

Just enjoy his displays for what they are, an hopeless show of fanatical irrationality.

1406. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #219113 by decius on July 26, 2008 at 9:28 am

Comment #219110 by hawt4dawk

Good. Sorry for underestimating your skills, I didn't understand your previous post, prolly.

1407. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #219102 by decius on July 26, 2008 at 9:08 am

Comment #219093 by hawt4dawk

Oh dear.

Let's see. Are you familiar with the copy and paste procedure? If not, do this tutorial. Otherwise we will try to figure out what the problem is.

http://www.virtualgravy.com/copyandpaste.htm

1408. [UPDATED] Venomous Snakes, Slippery Eels and Harun Yahya

Comment #219091 by decius on July 26, 2008 at 8:54 am

Comment #219089 by AllanW

LOL

1409. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #219087 by decius on July 26, 2008 at 8:49 am

Comment #219082 by hawt4dawk

To avoid being timed-out and losing your post. Just before submitting it, select all its content and copy it to clipboard. Then, if needed, you can paste it at the next attempt.

1410. [UPDATED] Venomous Snakes, Slippery Eels and Harun Yahya

Comment #219076 by decius on July 26, 2008 at 8:33 am

Comment #219060 by Rachel Holmes

Actually, he doesn't even understand horticulture because he denies evolution.
He probably thinks that flower varieties pop-up by magic.
The subdivisions of species in naturally occurring or selectively bred populations, that are daily under his nose, aren't proof enough. There must a magic man in the sky who help them along.

1411. [UPDATED] Venomous Snakes, Slippery Eels and Harun Yahya

Comment #219058 by decius on July 26, 2008 at 8:00 am

Comment #219056 by Joe Morreale

Then you will certainly be able to show us the verses in which big-bang, expansion, galaxy formation, gravity, and the age of the universe are mentioned.

Until then you are a deluded fool who listens to raving idiots and is unable to reason independently.

1412. [UPDATED] Venomous Snakes, Slippery Eels and Harun Yahya

Comment #219055 by decius on July 26, 2008 at 7:47 am

Comment #219054 by Steve Zara

You are inviting another senseless cut'n'paste job. :)

1413. [UPDATED] Venomous Snakes, Slippery Eels and Harun Yahya

Comment #219053 by decius on July 26, 2008 at 7:40 am

Comment #219050 by Joe Morreale

There is no mention of the big-bang, or even anything remotely resembling the most basic physics and cosmology, in your moronic qran.
If you read what it actually says, not what you imagine it does.

Cretinous nanocephalus.

1414. Sydney brothels say Pope's visit will give business a leg-up

Comment #219045 by decius on July 26, 2008 at 7:21 am

Comment #219042 by Quiddam

The name is warning enough that the contents will be an affront to civilized people.

I already expressed my condemnation of the idea of posting this sort of material without disclaimers.
However, what you say there is rather simplistic, and it's akin to shooting the messenger. The actual outrage should be directed toward anyone who commits such atrocities.

There is also a need for the public to have access to uncensored imagery, if they chose to. Even if that site is biased and propagandistic, war imagery should not be sanitised too much just for the purpose of not hurting feelings.

I submit to you that crude war photo-reporting contributed greatly to the shortening of the Viet-Nam conflict and of the crisis in the Balkans, for the impact that it had on public opinion.
No one more than the Pentagon is aware of this, and that's why heavy censorship has been imposed on reporting from more recent conflicts.
The same goes for Russia, which (then CCCP) learned the lesson in Afghanistan and later applied equally strict rules in Tchetchenia.
You can check this out through Reporters Without Borders, and other journalistic or humanitarian organisations.

1415. Sydney brothels say Pope's visit will give business a leg-up

Comment #219035 by decius on July 26, 2008 at 6:43 am

Comment #219028 by beanson

Thanks. I get it, now.

I still find the comparison flawed, because the second element doesn't encapsulate the morbid quality of the first one. Probably snuff porn or public executions would have been apter to convey your point.

1416. Sydney brothels say Pope's visit will give business a leg-up

Comment #219025 by decius on July 26, 2008 at 5:51 am

Beanson,

I agree that graphic images of the kind posted by village idiot should at least carry a warning, but I don't understand your comparison with pornography.

No matter how I look at it, I cannot draw a parallel between images of unspeakable violence with depictions of a pleasurable act that in itself is a celebration of life.
Unless, of course, you had in mind some particular kind of pornography involving violence, exploitation, or disgusting practises, you sounded like a prude. No offence intended.

Perhaps you care to expand and/or clarify?

1417. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218793 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 5:36 pm

Here is a practical example of obscene popular Roman literature, you are going to love it.
Dedicated to the phallus god Priapus.

Obscenis, peream, Priape, si non
uti me pudet improbisque verbis
sed cum tu posito deus pudore
ostendas mihi coleos patentes
cum cunno mihi mentula est vocanda

Approximately: "It would be better for me to die than use obscene and nasty words. But since you,as a god, appear with your protruding balls, it is appropriate for me to invoke cunts and dicks"

1418. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218784 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 5:27 pm

Comment #218779 by thewhitepearl

That would be "magna mentula". Oddly enough, it's feminine.

1419. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #218768 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 5:01 pm

Comment #218752 by Teratornis

This preposterous list of logical fallacies is severely at odds with your previous self-congratulatory chest-thumping around your alleged rational rigour.

I am not even going to refute them, just leave them there for all to see.

1420. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218753 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 4:52 pm

Ubi dubium ibi libertas.

1421. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #218744 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 4:35 pm

Richard Morgan,

I told you already, your duplicitous and dishonest persona has outlived its welcome, here. Get over it.

1422. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218735 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 4:24 pm

Comment #218732 by kkelly

Thanks, I fixed it.

1423. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218733 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 4:22 pm

Comment #218719 by Radesq

You may have a point, and I am too ignorant of this issue to be of any value in establishing anything. So, just accept mine as a personal, unsubstantiated opinion.
I can tell you though, that a vast number of closet homosexuals (at least in catholic countries) enter the clergy. I have no idea if their number is enough to offset the effect that you described.

1424. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218726 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 4:16 pm

Comment #218714 by kkelly

If I understand correctly what you imply, the unstated major premise in your reasoning would be that vegetarianism is healthier than an omnivorous diet. Which I don't think it has been proved, nor it appears to be likely, as suggested by our evolutionary past and by the configuration of our teeth.
Even though I am mostly vegetarian myself, my choice is due to moral concerns and not to health-related ones.

Edited for mistakes

1425. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218711 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 4:00 pm

Comment #218692 by Mitchell Gilks

I don't think there is any correlation between lack of religious belief and sexual orientation or dietary choices. You may find one with political affiliation, possibly.

Demographically gay people are slightly less than 10% of the population, therefore you should expect to find many in any frequented place.
The problem that I have with questions about one's orientation is that they tend to perpetuate an impression of division, or that it is a matter of public interest what one does in one's private sphere.

I may be wrong.

1426. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218701 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 3:46 pm

Comment #218695 by JAMCAM87

Ok, kiddo. Now chill out.

1427. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #218694 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 3:42 pm

Teratornis,

people can drink without being "drunks", they may also take recreational drugs without being junkies.

Take your self-righteous morality elsewhere.

1428. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218688 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 3:36 pm

Comment #218682 by JAMCAM87

Unsurprisingly, I was surprised at your surprise.

1429. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218670 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 3:26 pm

Comment #218669 by JAMCAM87

How does that matter? We are here to exchange ideas, and sexuality doesn't influence thought.

You should go out more.

I am not gay, btw.

1430. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218657 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 3:12 pm

Although Latin is integral part of the Italian high-school curriculum, medieval Latin is frowned upon and I had zero interaction with it.
You made me curious, now, I will look up some text.

1431. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218644 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 3:02 pm

Cartomancer,

how advanced is your knowledge of Latin?

1432. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218632 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 2:54 pm

Comment #218622 by Brian English

Vocative precedes ablative.

1433. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218623 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 2:50 pm

Comment #218574 by cowalker

I remember Berlin being swamped by one million catholic youths for such an event. I think the author has a point. The majority of them stood out in any crowd for unattractiveness, shoddy outfits, and shrieking loudness.

Their general demeanour can be best described as an unsettling mixture of clumsiness and a vitreous gaze clouded by fanaticism.

1434. Red hot enlightenment led me to believe in one fewer god

Comment #218504 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 1:35 pm

Al-rawandi

She is certainly beautiful, but those photos are heavily airbrushed. Send me a half-decent picture and I'll make you look like a demigod, if you want proof.

Edit- Actually it would work better on some older subject.

1435. Escape or betrayal.

Comment #218298 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 7:09 am

Comment #218282 by hungarianelephant

I agree.

1436. Escape or betrayal.

Comment #218272 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 6:26 am

Comment #218237 by hungarianelephant

I'm not entirely sure which of these practices are encouraged by the hadiths and which are essentially cultural.

There is no real demarcation, it's more of a self-sustaining loop. The problem with the hadiths is that they provide a ready self-righteous rationalisation to primitive practises and low instincts, to the point of elevating them to sacred duties.

It is true that different traditions translate into different interpretations, and attempting to draw universal conclusions is simplistic.
However, to throw the ball into your field while looking for a fil rouge, consider those places where the hadiths have been enshrined into law.

Even leaving aside the most barbaric impositions exacted on women as a result, one of the universal principles contained in Sharia law is that the testimony of a man can be outset by that of (at least) two women. When not explicitly stated, the application of Sharia law never offers equal protection for men and women, and this is abundantly proven without exceptions.

Doesn't this in itself constitute pathological and endemic islamic misogyny, unrelated to cultural tradition?

1437. How Anecdotal Evidence Can Undermine Scientific Results

Comment #218234 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 5:24 am

Comment #218163 by John Desclin

There is also good evidence showing that autism develops in utero at about the third/fourth week of gestation.

Thank you very much for this valuable piece of information.

1438. Escape or betrayal.

Comment #218223 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 4:57 am

Comment #218180 by hungarianelephant

Maybe I'm missing something, but what does this have to do with Islam?

I think you are. Those backward social constructs are hailed as virtues by the q'ran and positively encouraged by the hadiths.
The dangerous meme holding that a pious muslim should follow in the footsteps of Mohammed, who in turn indulged in all sort of misogynistic behaviour, is another factor to be taken into account.

1439. Good Science Writers: Richard Dawkins

Comment #218212 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 4:23 am

Comment #218202 by Dr Doctor

Yes, until I know you better. :)

1440. Good Science Writers: Richard Dawkins

Comment #218199 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 4:08 am

Comment #218198 by Steve Zara

LOL

1441. Good Science Writers: Richard Dawkins

Comment #218194 by decius on July 25, 2008 at 4:01 am

Doc and Steve,

What if the Boss told us to bugger off, wouldn't it be just funny? After all, the intertubes should allow everyone for a degree of friendly informality.

As I see it, he wanted us to review and compare the content of his books, and we posted dozens of comments on tangential issues. I assume that his time for reading threads is somewhat limited, and he vented some frustration, as colourfully as the next guy would.

Do we really have to be touchy like convent girls?

1442. Are the 'New Atheists' avoiding the 'real arguments'?

Comment #217907 by decius on July 24, 2008 at 6:41 pm

This jackass is clearly a wind-up.

Goodnight, all.

1443. Are the 'New Atheists' avoiding the 'real arguments'?

Comment #217894 by decius on July 24, 2008 at 6:29 pm

Comment #217881 by christianapologetic

In the beginning, God created the heavens and then the Earth

That's egregious nonsense.
The Earth is 4.5 billion years old, while the universe is 13.8 billion years old.

That verse makes sense only if you consider that it was written by an ignorant goat-herder of the Bronze Age, who would have thought the Earth and the sky to be the whole universe.

1444. Are the 'New Atheists' avoiding the 'real arguments'?

Comment #217872 by decius on July 24, 2008 at 6:14 pm

Comment #217860 by christianapologetic

Before a question can be dignified by an answer, it must make sense, and yours doesn't.
So, either you learn the basics of cosmology, either go and pester someone else.
Here is a hint. The big bang didn't "come from" somewhere, it happened because of specific reasons.

Go and find out how it occurred, then return and we shall discuss it.

1445. Are the 'New Atheists' avoiding the 'real arguments'?

Comment #217841 by decius on July 24, 2008 at 5:39 pm

Comment #217838 by SRWB

I apologise profusely.

Unforgivable mistake, corrected. :)

1446. Are the 'New Atheists' avoiding the 'real arguments'?

Comment #217835 by decius on July 24, 2008 at 5:33 pm

Comment #217831 by christianapologetic

look at this glorious Christian homo sapien typing away on his computer, me!

You sound too idiotic to be true, but let's assume that you aren't a wind-up. I assure you that I'd rather look elsewhere, still, since you insist...

The word is actually Homo sapiens, clearly not in your case.

(Edited for mistaken identity.)

1447. Are the 'New Atheists' avoiding the 'real arguments'?

Comment #217770 by decius on July 24, 2008 at 3:55 pm

Comment #217753 by TeddyBurkhardt

What representatives of the catholic faith had you in mind as shining examples, precisely?

1448. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #217751 by decius on July 24, 2008 at 3:24 pm

It looks like O'Brien attended a Myers's talk, but arrived late, therefore failing to substantially lower the average IQ, which was probably his original objective.

Even though PZ later graciously accepted to pose for this picture with O'Brien, he didn't see fit to pardon and free him from Pharyngula's dungeon, where O'Brien is thus aptly described

This fellow has an awesome reputation all over the web as one of the dumbest commenters ever. I concur. Has a stupid blog, too. Banned at numerous sites. Mocked everywhere.

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/11/03/ro.jpg

1449. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #217712 by decius on July 24, 2008 at 2:51 pm

Comment #217699 by Goldy