Comments by al-rawandi

Comment #200383 by al-rawandi on June 27, 2008 at 12:50 pm

Clearmind,

birth-eat-poop-die

Are you sure this isn't your life cycle?

Allow me to rearrange that as an instruction:

"eat, poop, die"

In that order.

2252. Non-voters: It's all in God's hands

Comment #200380 by al-rawandi on June 27, 2008 at 12:32 pm

Tera Bat,

I really hope the Muslims believe they don't need to vote.

Me too.

2253. I believe that there is no God.

Comment #200378 by al-rawandi on June 27, 2008 at 12:29 pm

Steve,

Imagine a forum here is like a large group of (mainly) friends in a bar. Just think of the reaction if someone no-one runs into the bar, and starts cursing at the top of their voice

Those people make my weekend. It's therapy to "deal" with them.

But the anoymous persona on the internet would generally not behave as such in person.

2254. I believe that there is no God.

Comment #200341 by al-rawandi on June 27, 2008 at 10:40 am

Prove to me the earth is flat.

Prove to me that the moon landing was a conspiracy.

Prove to me that Martha Steward is a space alien.

The earth is flat, science hasn't proved it is round, and people who say it is round are just dogmatists.

The moon landing was a conspiracy by atheists. How do explain the flag moving in the picture, it was shot in a movie studio.

Marther Steward (sic) (try Stewart) is a space alien. How do I know, I feel it. Not only is she a space alien, she created all life on earth long ago and has returned to look over us and make cooking shows. She appears like she is a regular human being, but she simply has everyone fooled.

I feel it ok, I feel it. It just makes rational sense that the earth was created by a rational being, and Martha Stewart is that being.

2255. 'I despise Islamism': Ian McEwan faces backlash over press interview

Comment #200330 by al-rawandi on June 27, 2008 at 10:25 am

Comment #200301 by advocatus_diaboli on June 27, 2008 at 9:25 am

Your link is ridiculous. Once again, it is in no way comparable. These officers were scared and heard gunfire and did something stupid.

And what happened? They were investigated, charged, tried and imprisoned. That is what happens here, when the police do something wrong, the people wronged have recourse. In Iraq the police simply allowed this to happen to this poor girl, and nothing was done to the police... no charges, no fines, no suspension.

Thanks for making my point for me. Our civilization IS exponentially better. Bad cops get sent to jail.

2256. 'I despise Islamism': Ian McEwan faces backlash over press interview

Comment #200323 by al-rawandi on June 27, 2008 at 10:06 am

Vecingtorix,

I always found Chomsky useful. But I finally gave up on him once I discovered he lied about the Pol Pot massacres. And even more so once he said Holocaust denial is not anti-semitis, and then went one further and defended the Neo-Nazi Faurrison against charges of anti-semitism. (Faurrison counts Ernst Zundel as a friend).

Anyhow, enough of that.

2257. 'I despise Islamism': Ian McEwan faces backlash over press interview

Comment #200316 by al-rawandi on June 27, 2008 at 9:49 am

Vecingtorix,

Some people just desparately want to hate and blame the United States. The indoctrination you mention in elementary schools is nothing compared to the indoctrination they receive from the likes of Chomsky. So-called "anarchist socialists", they attach fancy ideological positions after their name and on their media C.V., these shiny objects attract the wannabe intellectuals who think that if they mention the fact that the CIA hired Klaus Barbie and Reinhard Gehlen enough times that people will give up on a reasoned world view and join their brand of self flagellation.

It is so patently obvious that the two civilizations are incomparably different, that people like the advocatus here must lose themselves in minutia... "such and such police department had officers that did such and such." Of course never mentioning that these officers were investigated, fired, and prosecuted.

There is no comparison a sane man can make, so I assume these people are in fact insane.

2258. 'I despise Islamism': Ian McEwan faces backlash over press interview

Comment #200305 by al-rawandi on June 27, 2008 at 9:29 am

In December 2002 Ayatollah Shahroudi, the Head of the Judiciary, reportedly sent a ruling to judges ordering a moratorium on execution by stoning, pending a decision on a permanent change in the law, which was apparently being considered by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. However, in September 2003, a law concerning the implementation of certain kinds of penalties, including stoning, was passed, which appeared to undermine this moratorium. Also despite the moratorium, Amnesty International continued to record sentences of stoning being passed, though none of these were known to have been implemented until May 2006, when a woman and a man were reportedly stoned to death. The two victims - Abbas (m) and Mahboubeh (f) - were reportedly stoned to death in a cemetery in Mashhad, after being convicted of murdering Mahboubeh's husband, and of adultery - a charge which carries the penalty of stoning. Part of the cemetery was cordoned off from the public, and more than 100 members of the Revolutionary Guard, and Bassij Forces, who had been invited to attend, reportedly participated in stoning the couple to death.

Amnesty International, a favorite of anti-Zionists, had this to say about Iranian security forces PARTICIPATING in the stoning of two people.

2259. 'I despise Islamism': Ian McEwan faces backlash over press interview

Comment #200304 by al-rawandi on June 27, 2008 at 9:26 am

Nice link that doesn't work.

2260. 'I despise Islamism': Ian McEwan faces backlash over press interview

Comment #200299 by al-rawandi on June 27, 2008 at 9:23 am

advocatus,

What a government, they actually manage to get everyone to agree?

By "full" I mean a majority. For instance, in Iran, laws criminalizing apostasy are before the majlis, and other laws have been enacted (by elected representatives) that are repellent to the civilized mind. And the people of the regions that carry out these acts are often in support of things like gang rape.

Now what did you say that was false?

Replacing it with Islam would only make it worse by a few degrees.

You are telling me that Shariah law would only make America a "few degrees" worse? That is nonsense, as an atheist you would be dead, is that only a "few degrees worse". Complete freedom of speech versus death? Come the fuck on man.

I've seen them happen right here at home, boyo. Poverty, child rape, slavery, lack of freedom of speach, women subjugated, violence, etc. And until the States bring themselves a bit more in average with the rest of the developed world then it is indeed only better by degrees. The U.S. has no place telling other people how to fix problems they cannot themselves fix.

What did you say you saw happen right here in the US "boyo"? This:

Have you not being paying any attention to reality? Haven't you noticed the rampant child-rape in Islamic societies? Or the practice of slavery? Or the total lack of freedom of speech and conscience? Or the total subjugation of women? Or the endemic violence? Or the fearful sloth and inshallah apathy that brings utter stagnation and poverty?

Where is the rampant child rape? Like here

Show me cops that systematically rape children here in the US, on a weekly basis.

Where in the US is slavery practiced in this fashion

Where is freedom of speech "totally" lacking in the US, like it is here

Where does the "total" subjugation of women taking place, like it is here

As I said, your comparisons are vacuous and not even on the same planet as the real world.

2261. 'I despise Islamism': Ian McEwan faces backlash over press interview

Comment #200291 by al-rawandi on June 27, 2008 at 9:05 am

Advocatus,

http://youtube.com/watch?v=y_BGYKqnAKY

Du'a Khalil Aswad, stoned to death in Iraq for having a Yazidi boyfriend. Muslim women MAY NOT marry non Muslim men, and certainly may not date them.

If you watch the video of the stoning, you can see police officers standing by and watching a 17 year old girl being pummeled by the crowd. They used stones and their feet to blugeon a teenage girl to death. The police did nothing. The police in any US citiy, ANY CITY, would have intervened to stop this, even if it risked their personal safety.

Your comparisons are not only dishonest, they are revolting.

2262. 'I despise Islamism': Ian McEwan faces backlash over press interview

Comment #200286 by al-rawandi on June 27, 2008 at 8:55 am

advocatus_diaboli,

So as long as there are murders in the US, we cannot ask that murders not take place elsewhere? That is not very good logic.

The difference is that we have things like that happen in the US, yet we prosecute them. If someone stones their sister to death, they will be put in prison. In Iran, or Pakistan, they will walk away with the respect of the community. People here are only put to death for violent crimes. In Iran people are put to death for changing religions, being gay, and adultery. There is absolutely ZERO basis for comparison, and making such a comparison is simply fabricating evidence to fit your pre-conceived notions.

As I said, if we cannot fix trouble at home we have no place to be trying to fix trouble abroad.

So once our society is perfect then we can discuss others? Wrong. No one will be perfect, but people can look at grostesque evil and call it just that.

No, I merely stated that the U.S. has these same acts of inhumanism going on here at home,

Uhhh this isn't what I asked. I asked you to name even one instance of:

Where are women subjugated here, like they are in Iran or Saudi Arabia? Where are thieves subject to amputation here, as they are in the Middle East? Where is institutionalized gang rape for tribal "offenses" happening here, like it does in the Middle East and South Asia? Where in the US are people put to death for changing religions, like they are in the Middle East? Where in the US is the Protocols of the Elders of Zion a bestseller like it is in the Mid East? Where in the US are people proclaiming that Jews spread AIDS, like they do in the Middle East?

So to show these are happening here you must show me the last time the US government executed people for changing religions or adultery. When did a thief last have his hand amputated? When was the last gang rape simply left uninvestigated and unpunished?

Some unsavory things happen in the US, but people are generally outraged and the government attempts to put an end to it, and punish those involved. In the Middle East it IS the government carrying out these evil acts, with full support from the populace. If you cannot see the difference you are well beyond hope.

2263. 'I despise Islamism': Ian McEwan faces backlash over press interview

Comment #200259 by al-rawandi on June 27, 2008 at 7:40 am

advocatus,

Poverty, child rape, slavery, lack of freedom of speach, women subjugated, violence, etc. And until the States bring themselves a bit more in average with the rest of the developed world then it is indeed only better by degrees. The U.S. has no place telling other people how to fix problems they cannot themselves fix.

Ok I must say this is an instance of gratuitous self flagellation.

Where are women subjugated here, like they are in Iran or Saudi Arabia? Where are thieves subject to amputation here, as they are in the Middle East? Where is institutionalized gang rape for tribal "offenses" happening here, like it does in the Middle East and South Asia? Where in the US are people put to death for changing religions, like they are in the Middle East? Where in the US is the Protocols of the Elders of Zion a bestseller like it is in the Mid East? Where in the US are people proclaiming that Jews spread AIDS, like they do in the Middle East?

Your comparison is so completely ridiculous, it is making it hard to take you seriously. You should abandon the Chomskian habit of everytime you hear of some awful thing, immediately mentioning some wrong in the US and saying they are precisely the same. This is disengenuous.

I agree the US has been imperfect, but it is a matter of making some choices. And right now I choose Western culture, with all its flaws over Islamism. I choose Zionism, with its problems over Islamism. When Islamism is destroyed, I will dedicated myself to rectifying the Zionist problem. But until then, I will take the worst of all evils and focus on this.

2264. 'I despise Islamism': Ian McEwan faces backlash over press interview

Comment #200245 by al-rawandi on June 27, 2008 at 6:47 am

Replacing it with Islam would only make it worse by a few degrees.

It would be more than a few degrees. Way more.

2265. Saudi Marriage Officiant : 'It Is Allowed To Marry A Girl At The Age Of One'.

Comment #200229 by al-rawandi on June 27, 2008 at 5:55 am

secularist,

Let me just demonstrate quickly how you are a liar. I never said Wahhabis were not anti-semitic... what I said was that Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhab did not dedicate much time to Jews and Christians. Considering I have read all of his work, and translated Kashf al-Shubuhat , Al-Usul al-Thalatha, and Kitab al-Tawhid, I would say I have some expertise on the matter.

I also said Wahhabis WERE anti-semitic, but this is because most Muslims are anti semitic. So now to further shame you in front of all can you show me were I said "Wahhabis were not anti-semitic".

You can either:

a) Post the statement I made saying that Wahhabis are not anti-semites.
b) Post a retraction where you apologize for lying.

I look forward to your apology.

2266. Saudi Marriage Officiant : 'It Is Allowed To Marry A Girl At The Age Of One'.

Comment #199975 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 3:08 pm

qomak,

Take a look through some of secularists old comments and tell me what you think.

Israel is NOR racist but it has been built as shelter for Jews.
I don't see any problem with it.

There is free speech in Israel that why people can even lie.

I leave you with this gem. Of course a state which discriminates on the basis of race (Jews get automatic citizenship, others cannot) and Israel has no constitution and no guaranteed rights therein.

This guy is not big on facts, or grammar.

2267. Spanish parliament to extend rights to apes

Comment #199967 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 2:56 pm

Also, I don't recall saying it was genetic. I said smart people end up with smart kids, because of environment or whatever, but in general they are smarter.

2268. Saudi Marriage Officiant : 'It Is Allowed To Marry A Girl At The Age Of One'.

Comment #199966 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 2:54 pm

secularist,

Telling people I haven't heard of such a practice is hardly apologetics. Especially when it was in response to A RUMOR.

And relating a story of a man who visited Saudi Arabia where they sent him a child bride (which is an indictment of Saudi Practice) is not apologetics.

Are you retarded? I mean, really.... wooter.

Like I said, you are going to have to post EVIDENCE. Fucktard.

2269. John McCain: America a Christian nation, needs Christian president

Comment #199963 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 2:47 pm

Nova,

Replace "Founding Fathers" in general with "Jefferson, Paine, Washington, Allen". There solved, and yes it seems to me that in terms of relative intelligence they are/were way ahead of modern politicians.

If you think I have some "irrational" patriotism, you are either:

a) illiterate
b) have never read any of my posts.

Blind devotion to nationalism is not something I engage in. But, obviously, jumping to wild conclusions is something you do. For instance your entire psycho-analysis of me from all of one sentence. So I guess I can put all my long, anti-imperialist criticisms of America into the trash can, as you have hand waved them. I will note this.

As for measure of intelligence, compared to peers and contemporaries. If this is the measure of intelligence, (a bad term, I admit I should have been much more specific) then the American adventure was pretty impressive. Today, there is nothing impressive about American politics, save its inefficiency and lack of insight.

Boy I love George Washington... One of the cornerstones of this address was the illusion of "common interest". And another a warning that passion should not be a substitute for reason in foreign relations. So I don't think your emphasis on "predicaments of chance" is even remotely the issue. It was the illusion of common sentiments that was the problem, and this being a product of a passionate rather than rational approach. It was a prescient speech, and I feel you have mischaracterized it.

Here is an piece from the address:

So likewise, a passionate attachment of one Nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite Nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest, in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter, without adequate inducement or justification. It leads also to concessions to the favorite Nation of privileges denied to others, which is apt doubly to injure the Nation making the concessions; by unnecessarily parting with what ought to have been retained; and by exciting jealousy, ill-will, and a disposition to retaliate, in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld. And it gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens, (who devote themselves to the favorite nation,) facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country, without odium, sometimes even with popularity; gilding, with the appearances of a virtuous sense of obligation, a commendable deference for public opinion, or a laudable zeal for public good, the base or foolish compliances of ambition, corruption, or infatuation.

As I said, prescient.

2270. Spanish parliament to extend rights to apes

Comment #199945 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 2:22 pm

Spinoza,

Any studies to suggest this?

Are your parents intelligent?

In my experience smarter people have intelligent children, more so than people at the lower end of IQ.

2271. PZ Myers - Science and Atheism in the Blogosphere

Comment #199881 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 1:02 pm

Shmeezers,

I am willing to discuss this rationally with you, with full openness with regards to the potential of a rational mind.

But I have just one question:

We start by positing a rational mind, as many other scientists have done. This does not broach the question of purpose, meaning, or whether we should worship this mind. My point is that atheists are just so closed-minded that they cannot even admit this obvious fact.

Do you hold Jesus to be your personal lord and savior? Do you believe in a worldwide flood? Do you believe Adam and Eve is a true and factual story?

I ask this because you are positing a weak deism here, and I am curious if you do this out of conviction or out of knowledge that your real beliefs would be mercilessly attacked by the "atheists"? I can accept the remote possibility of this "rational mind" for the sake of discussion, but we need to be clear if this is the extent of your belief?

I can assume that you think, based on rational inquiry, that there is no validity to the claims of Jesus' divinity. And further that you disregard the flood story do to the fact that it has been disproved.

Thanks.

2272. Spanish parliament to extend rights to apes

Comment #199841 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 12:10 pm

Barbara,

That is how these threads work.

2273. PZ Myers - Science and Atheism in the Blogosphere

Comment #199826 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 11:47 am

Steve,

Incidentally, could you please explain how your amazing ability to detect what is supernatural works?

Have you ever recieved an answer from someone who serruptitiosly states they have some "sense"?

2274. Spanish parliament to extend rights to apes

Comment #199814 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 11:34 am

Barbara,

That's true. But why wait for that to happen? Let's just stop having so many babies, dammit. ;) Most folks can't afford them anyway.

I am an only child, my parents did their part. The only problem is my parents both have PhD's and all of their PhD holding friends had only one child, while all the idiots we know have lots of kids. It may be beyond hope, we are filling the gene pool with morons (alt. spelling: mormons).

2275. Spanish parliament to extend rights to apes

Comment #199801 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 11:18 am

Barbara,

Nature can always straighten us out with a deadly strain of flu virus, to the tune of 50% of world population.

2276. Spanish parliament to extend rights to apes

Comment #199786 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 11:02 am

elephant,

Seriously, don't they have anything better to do in the Spanish Parliament?

You mean like actually dealing with the evolved threat of the nizam la tanzim Jihadism which is CENTERED in Spain?

Were you thinking something like that?

Barbara,

Hey I am all for reducing human populations. We need a couple more wars and a plan to euthanize stupid people, and I think we are on the right track.

2277. A War On Science

Comment #199753 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 10:22 am

Cartomancer,

I knew the Arabic name as he is mentioned as a recipient of influence of both Ibn Rush and al-Ghazali. I also knew the name as "Moshe Ben..." But I am cautious because in the Arab world names tend to overlap... Muhammad is an awful popular name.

And as a side note, as Aquinas mentions "nature" he had some interesting things to say about animals and the natural world.

2278. A War On Science

Comment #199734 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 9:05 am

Cartomancer,

Do you mean Maimonedes? (or is it Maimonides?). And you think a variant of the razor is to be found in Aquinas? If so which work?

epeeist,

Wait a second, are you saying that MPhil would consider the razor an example of post hoc ergo propter hoc, or are we thinking of different definitions of abductive?

2279. Saudi Marriage Officiant : 'It Is Allowed To Marry A Girl At The Age Of One'.

Comment #199687 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 7:34 am

Ste5e,

That's what the ladies keep telling me.

2280. Saudi Marriage Officiant : 'It Is Allowed To Marry A Girl At The Age Of One'.

Comment #199675 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 7:19 am

mordacious1,

I despise liars with a burning passion.

He just keeps repeating the same lie, over and over and over. I thought he was wooter for a while. Same syntax, grammar and spelling and same steadfastness in the face of a tidal wave of evidence.

I don't any part of that brand of secularism, that is for sure.

P.S. I get up at 4:30 am for work, there is no need for sun glasses.

2281. PZ Myers - Science and Atheism in the Blogosphere

Comment #199668 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 7:11 am

Steve,

I think these theists just see reality in an inverted way. I don't think their brains can comprehend the obvious.

2282. Saudi Marriage Officiant : 'It Is Allowed To Marry A Girl At The Age Of One'.

Comment #199664 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 7:05 am

Secularist,

Please show me which comments are apologetics?

You obviously cannot manage this. A double digit IQ plus a big mouth is a bad combination for you.

So like I said, post some evidence or shut the fuck up you pathetic coward.

2283. Fossil of most primitive 4-legged creature found

Comment #199646 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 6:16 am

Folks,

We already found David Robertson. Tell us something we don't know.

2284. Saving Us from Darwin

Comment #199643 by al-rawandi on June 26, 2008 at 6:05 am

Steve,

My point wasn't to bait you or to question inequality, it exists in places in society, no doubt.

What I said was that the study you cited in no way made the case for inequality because it was not detailed enough. Allow me to draw a comparison... whenever you tell a religious Iranian that they discriminate against women they say "Well over 50% of college students in Iran are women."

On the surface this seems to be impressive, and a sign of equality. But it only takes a minute to: "What happens after college?" These women are still excluded from the work place in many fields. So statistics are only as good as the background details.

I also have no doubt that homosexuals receive discrimination. This is a shame for our society. I have always insisted on treating people equally, and treating statistics equally as well.

2285. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage

Comment #199348 by al-rawandi on June 25, 2008 at 2:52 pm

secondsoprano

My "real problem" is that the state validates some lifelong, sexually exclusive, committed relationships, and not others.

I have no wish to go down to any church or synagogue, I wish to have the same civil rights as anyone else.

And if that bothers "the rest of you", you can go f*ck yourself.

Well the hostility probably wins a lot of converts out in the real world. But being an ass hole myself I appreciate the sentiment.

If you could be bothered with learning English you would realize I was agreeing with you. Allow me to elaborate:

My "real problem" is that the state validates some lifelong, sexually exclusive, committed relationships, and not others.

Which is precisely what I said, but since you can't figure it out, allow me to explain... sheesh, the work I do. The state has no business telling one group of people they can do something while denying it to another. The government should not be in the "marriage" game. If they want to be responsible for marriages they need to define it as a strictly secular institution, otherwise it is a violation of church and state.

What I was saying was, that either define "marriage" as a secular institution, with equal access to all, or take that shit back to church and let civil unions be the only "long term commitment" that is recognized by the government.

So I am off to fuck myself.

Oh and....

I have no wish to go down to any church or synagogue, I wish to have the same civil rights as anyone else.

Swing and a miss. What I was saying was, if you want a religious marriage go get one, but don't expect the (secular) government to recognize religious ceremonies.

I am banned from marrying the person to whom I intend to commit myself in a lifelong, sexually exclusive relationship. Hence I am banned from marrying.

Why do you need marriage to affirm personal commitments? You give someone your word on a commitment, and you follow through.

Don't get so upset, people are agreeing with you, although I guess the concepts might be a little fancy for you.

Off to fuck myself.

2286. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage

Comment #199328 by al-rawandi on June 25, 2008 at 2:24 pm

secondsoprano,

Gay men can marry women the same as any other man can, so they are not banned from marrying.

Your real problem is that the government involves itself at all with peoples' personal lives. The government has no business running around telling people who can have a marriage and who couldn't. Civil unions for all, with equal rights.

If you want to get married go down to your church or synagogue or whatever, but don't bother the rest of us with it.

2287. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage

Comment #199317 by al-rawandi on June 25, 2008 at 2:08 pm

I am going to my first gay wedding

both the guys are in opera

Naturally!

And you may extend our best wishes... at least mine.

2288. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage

Comment #199306 by al-rawandi on June 25, 2008 at 1:38 pm

Robotaholic,

You are smarter than to equate feminism with gender equality.

I am for gender equality, I am not for whining about Augusta National when women are traded like commodities in the Yemen. Also I am against putting people in danger handing jobs to women. I am also against institutionalized discrimination which is "designed" to "redress" some previous wrong.

So I always do my very best to treat women like everyone else, and I insist others do the same. The only problem with this approach... most women don't care for the approach. Thankfully here we have rationalists who mean "equality" when they say it. I have nothing but respect for that.

2289. Saving Us from Darwin

Comment #199287 by al-rawandi on June 25, 2008 at 12:37 pm

mordacious1,

Teachers union? You mean the one that makes sure incompetent teachers can't be fired and remain in the classroom, screwing up more children? That UNION?

2290. Saving Us from Darwin

Comment #199264 by al-rawandi on June 25, 2008 at 12:05 pm

Winch man you say?

I am usually a wench man, but I can always substitute vowels....

What is a pipe bunk? I hope that doesn't mean sleeping in or on a pipe.

2291. Saving Us from Darwin

Comment #199253 by al-rawandi on June 25, 2008 at 11:45 am

epeeist,

Sooooo women suck at sailing?

:-)

I am not surprised by those numbers. I am a cross dominant, always had good reflexes. Maybe I should skipper a yacht.

2292. Saving Us from Darwin

Comment #199239 by al-rawandi on June 25, 2008 at 11:22 am

decius,

What do you mean? He let the people, who the department deemed worthy of leadership, lead. That was completely appropriate. He was just treating people equally, and that was the result.

That is enough on that topic.

2293. Saving Us from Darwin

Comment #199233 by al-rawandi on June 25, 2008 at 11:13 am

epeeist,

Not to justify the behavior, but just to make a small point:

If she was skipper it wasn't quite so good. She would be asked for her papers much more often than I. If I was in the harbour master's office then officials would talk to me rather than her, even though she was down as skipper. If we were in a larger boat (12m and above) she would often be asked how she handled such a large vessel

Do you disagree that fast twitch muscles and reaction times are different between women and men. I am certainly NOT saying the harbor master was at all concerned with this.

2294. Saudi Marriage Officiant : 'It Is Allowed To Marry A Girl At The Age Of One'.

Comment #199231 by al-rawandi on June 25, 2008 at 11:08 am

GoneGolfing,

Welcome to my hell. I flirted with single digits for about a month or two, then quit playing so much and lost it all.

2295. Saudi Marriage Officiant : 'It Is Allowed To Marry A Girl At The Age Of One'.

Comment #199215 by al-rawandi on June 25, 2008 at 10:34 am

Laurie,

Actually you aren't looking for an Arabic letter, you are looking for small vowel appearing in the suprescript. The specific vowel is the Dumma and it is pronounced with an "u" sound (oo). It is shorter in duration than the letter wow but is nonetheless a double 'o' sound. The Francophone transliteration is once again found to be wanting in terms of accurate transliteration.

Secondly where you have placed the "e" is in the Arabic a Kasra a small vowel in the subscript, and is pronounced with an "i" sounds as in "inhabit". Thus both the "o" and the "e" in the transliteration you use are inaccurate in conveying the appropriate sound.

Now, that is more than a little pedantic and I apologize.

Vaal,

Al, I'm not too impressed at being described as a "Kafir" either, I regard it is offensive as any racist expression. I don't think the Islamic press can complain about any so called insults with the vile filth they print everyday about Jews, Christians and atheists.

Nor should you be. But I wasn't referring to the Arab/Islamic press, I was referring to the noun "Muslim", and its application to Muslims in general, not to al-Jazeera editors. I have a habit of insisting on linguistic accuracy. It is pedantic and irrelevant, but I cannot help it.

Kafir (Arabic: Ù?'Ø§ÙØ± kÄfir; plural Ù?'Ùï¿½'Ø§Ø± kuffÄr) is an Arabic word meaning "rejecter" or "ingrate." In cultural terms, it is seen as a derogatory term used to describe an unbeliever, non-Muslims, apostate from Islam and even between Muslims of different sects

The verb kafara has the semantic connotation of covering. Thus one who covers the truth is a Kafir. Apostates are called murtad.

More pedantry.

2296. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage

Comment #199195 by al-rawandi on June 25, 2008 at 9:56 am

decius,

I hold the door as well, for anyone, irrespective of sex.

mordacious1,

I let the door slam on Bernard Lewis once at a MESA conference in SF. I attained a small measure of fame in my department.

elephant,

I am working through the John Waters. He is funny, and I think one of his first articles was on feminism.

2297. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage

Comment #199187 by al-rawandi on June 25, 2008 at 9:39 am

Dhamma,

I may stop holding doors for women :-), and I am definitely done paying for dinners.

"Leave my special lady friend alone man... I'm helping her conceive."

-The Dude

It seems like the people who push for genuine equality always get labeled "racist" and "misogynist". It is more ad hominem nonsense.

2298. Saving Us from Darwin

Comment #199179 by al-rawandi on June 25, 2008 at 9:23 am

epinephrine,

For example, I'm against having different physical standards for firefighting,

My uncle runs the fire academy in a major US city. He has horror stories up the wazoo.

For instance when he was still a captain, he had been passed for promotion repeatedly in favor of minorities and women. They moved a bunch of women to battalion chiefs. My uncle would get to the fire and the 'chiefs' would be confused and would rely on experienced captains to fight the fires. Well one day the captains got a little pissed off about this, and at the next large fire basically let the 'chiefs' make the decisions. And what happened? A bunch of people lost their homes.

Lowering standards is cute until someone dies, then the fun's over. A firefighter can either carry a ladder or they can't, that should be the bar. If women want to be treated equal let's do it, I am serious, equal accross the board. I always treat women the same as I treat men, and most don't like it very much.

I am 110% for equality, but that means equality, not "I get equality and some bonus stuff too."

2299. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage

Comment #199176 by al-rawandi on June 25, 2008 at 9:16 am

mordacious,

The only sinking ships I am on are the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.

2300. Saudi Marriage Officiant : 'It Is Allowed To Marry A Girl At The Age Of One'.

Comment #199173 by al-rawandi on June 25, 2008 at 9:10 am

Fanusi,

Sorry, I have seen too much of the devastation wrought by the sexual revolution to be at all comfortable with running experiments with children's lives. In a traditionalist, patriarchal society maybe, where the father has a strong sense of responsibility towards his children. In the West, it seems to be yet another example of exalting whim over responsibility, and I have seen too much of what can go wrong to trust it.

Bingo. I am sending you a PM with some further details.