Comments by Apathy personified

401. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #218776 by Apathy personified on July 25, 2008 at 5:16 pm

So whitepearl, by popular vote (teratornis and joe - 2 people who must know you so well) you are a drunk, but you are too ashamed to admit it (deciding those things by vote, democracy - a bitch, ain't it?) - don't worry, i'll organise an intervention.

I take it i'm evil for picking my younger brother up from his work earlier - well, shit does happens.

Edit: For clarity

402. Texas Fiction Science

Comment #218742 by Apathy personified on July 25, 2008 at 4:33 pm

The most incredible thing I believe is the Christmas story. That little baby born in the manger was the god that created the universe.

I agree, it is incredible that he actually believes that.

403. Toward a Type 1 civilization

Comment #218715 by Apathy personified on July 25, 2008 at 4:06 pm

Lucas,
Fair enough, but i still think it will be a difficult issue - if humanity ever gets to the point where 'type 1 civilisation' is possible.

404. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #218699 by Apathy personified on July 25, 2008 at 3:46 pm

Al,

I don't take it personally that they take it personally :-)

You don't enter into a shame spiral then? - 'Oh no! Someone has hurt feelings!' :)

I agree - Colourful language, and metaphors, should be used with the ideas and evidence, makes the world more entertaining.

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

Comment #218665 by Apathy personified on July 25, 2008 at 3:20 pm

Silly business practise, you have to know your customer.
Surely she should have hired more vunerable young boys?

Cheap joke, but worth it.

406. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #218654 by Apathy personified on July 25, 2008 at 3:09 pm

Apparently I attack people personally

In the sense that you attack the opinions that they, as people, hold? Thought that was the idea.

I sometimes think that some people don't understand or quite get 'banter' or 'informal debate' and get far too worked up about the use of certain words instead of the ideas that are put forward.
Use of sarcasm IS generally valid in a debate, it can help to show hypocracies or inconsistancies.
Childish name calling IS perfectly fine, anyone who gets distracted by it should look at themselves and wonder why they feel the need to make everything so boringly formal - it's ideas and evidence that count, NOT polite language.

407. Toward a Type 1 civilization

Comment #218636 by Apathy personified on July 25, 2008 at 2:55 pm

With the issue of globalisation - what about the 'language barrier'?
Can there be a 'global nation' if there are so many languages, most of which are specific to geographical locations(roughly, anyway)?

408. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #218594 by Apathy personified on July 25, 2008 at 2:38 pm

Al, whitepearl -
What do you do? Why is there so much 'player hating'?

409. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #218584 by Apathy personified on July 25, 2008 at 2:31 pm

you're using your manta of evidence, evidence, evidence as a shield.

I'm slightly baffled by this - it may be me, but i like evidence to base my opinions on.

410. Toward a Type 1 civilization

Comment #218550 by Apathy personified on July 25, 2008 at 2:10 pm

Radesq,
27

Edit: About 5 or 6 good ones....

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

Comment #218521 by Apathy personified on July 25, 2008 at 1:51 pm

From red hot enlightenment to red hot actresses?

Damn, what HAVE i missed!

412. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #217810 by Apathy personified on July 24, 2008 at 5:03 pm

whitepearl,
Good, that's what i was after (i'm never very clear when sober) though i'd add the weasel term 'in some circumstances'.

Laurie,
The main point, as i read it (the part i was involved in anyway), was that it was a discussion of whether too many of the 'neo-feminists' are self appointed spokespeople who don't seem to deal with the real problems (or care about them) but go after headlines to promote themselves.

413. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #217784 by Apathy personified on July 24, 2008 at 4:12 pm

whitepearl,

Is that a reasonable stance or am I being unreasonable on that too?

I can see where you are coming from. If a man was treated badly at work, would he not be expected to deal with it himself?

Although this may be slightly at odds with some of the stuff i've posted earlier - There always seems to be this nasty implied undercurrent that 'women need special help', surely that's hardly helpful, if not downright offensive to the women who can do it on their own without special treatment.

414. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #217764 by Apathy personified on July 24, 2008 at 3:42 pm

Al,
Power is also the end product for people, they think they want money or fame or whatever, but really they want the power that comes with it. Bertrand Russell's book on this, called 'Power' (funnily enough) is excellent.

thewhitepearl,

Men have to deal with women feminist bitchy ass attitudes

True, but it's probably stacked more the other way - When we talk about a lot of the alleged unreported sexism in workplaces - we hit upon the main problem with talking about unreported incidents - not enough figures (if any) to properly discuss it.

415. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #217738 by Apathy personified on July 24, 2008 at 3:16 pm

Al,
It's tragic really, how the hell can anything be done about the inequalities due to race and gender if the self appointed 'spokespeople' are so far up their own arses? They are in a totally different reality to those they pretend to care about.

kkelly,
You bring up valid points - the problem is that too many of those who hold themselves up as 'feminists' - don't actually deal with those issues. A women who spends her whole day dealing with cat calls, knows she won't get the promotion she knows she is qualified for and makes less money than her male co-workers probably doesn't really care that she can't play a round at Augusta.

416. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #217711 by Apathy personified on July 24, 2008 at 2:51 pm

Goldy,
Because he's a cunt
.....Well, i think it's funny

Edit: Clarity

417. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #217709 by Apathy personified on July 24, 2008 at 2:48 pm

I thought we were watching a clown show

Oh? I thought we were watching a lecture by Noddy.

Incidently, why does Noddy wear a hat?

418. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #217695 by Apathy personified on July 24, 2008 at 2:36 pm

hawt4dawk,
I think a problem here is, it seems (from my perspective anyway - which is based on limited exposure), that the only people who get airtime or any coverage about inequality for women are 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.

The women who struggle against inequality (either pay or treatment) and abuse seem to be silent.

I'm sure they are there, but they are being drowned out by these neo-feminists.

End of opinionated rant.

I also find drinking and RD.Net go well together :)

419. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #217671 by Apathy personified on July 24, 2008 at 2:19 pm

Morning goldy, how's friday in NZ?

420. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #217668 by Apathy personified on July 24, 2008 at 2:17 pm

To argue.

That's nice for you, shame you're crap at it.

For a split second, let your hubris and arrogance fall, and can you imagine yourself being wrong? Can you allow yourself to admit that possibility?

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

Comment #217658 by Apathy personified on July 24, 2008 at 2:05 pm

Some kids go to space camp, some go to glastonbury, others go to a gathering of catholics to hear the pope speak.....

As i've posted before - the idea of 'god' is just a limitation we place (as a species) on our imaginations - the world is a far more interesting place because there are no supernatural elfs or whatever.
Let's hope more people can give up belief in the last god.

Edit: Grammar

422. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #217576 by Apathy personified on July 24, 2008 at 12:45 pm

Al,
Does the 'feminist movement' in America make efforts to help the women in America trapped in forced and/or abusive marriages (mainly in religious communities, of course)?

It seems that too many of the feminist movements goals are directed at the top 0.00001% of women (those who would WANT to play golf at Augusta), rather than the majority of women who are the ones who have to deal with unequal treatment day in day out - i.e. the real victims.

I've personally been against these neo feminists ever since i was called a misogynistic bastard for holding a door open (which i do for everyone i can - regardless of gender or race)

423. Historian predicts the end of 'science superpowers'

Comment #217532 by Apathy personified on July 24, 2008 at 12:18 pm

So, a historian is predicting that - 'the times they are a-changin'.

Maybe this will shake some uni's and academics out of the 'publish or perish' mindset - lets have some good science instead of volumous repetition.

424. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #216776 by Apathy personified on July 23, 2008 at 2:02 pm

Oystein,
Haha - I hope you uttered a roar of victory when you smote the final blow to vanquish and lay ruin to your foe (in otherwords when the desk was assembled correctly)!

I hope it is relevant - we may even get a publication out of it (slim but not negligible possibility), but that's a long way in the future.

425. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #216759 by Apathy personified on July 23, 2008 at 1:37 pm

Oystein,
We actually have hours (and hours and hours...) of videos of ants inside their colonies - we have to track the movement of specific ants in the colonies.
I'm not sure how we are going to analyse that data - that's part of the project, but i think it'll be levy flights or brownian random walks.
Hopefully, we can construct an algorithm to model it - with probabilities attached to each potential action. It'll be interesting.... though next years courses on GR and QFT are what i'm really looking forward to!

Is your avatar from you epic battle with the 'moses' chair?

whitepearl,
I wish i could have stuck with physics, but alas sometimes you don't get your first choice project but get the project your 'project partner' wanted.

taking the easy way out?

Ha - sounds like something i would do, hasn't worked out this time though. Will be more algorithms than differential equations i think, but i can't say that for certain - technically we don't start until october.

I'm hoping that it won't hurt my chances of getting a good phd place though, after all it isn't very relevant to theoretical physics.....

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

Comment #216713 by Apathy personified on July 23, 2008 at 12:45 pm

Ok, hands up - who's converting to islam now?

Al, haha - you legend (the 'home' and 'office' numbers you provided for joe....)

427. How Anecdotal Evidence Can Undermine Scientific Results

Comment #216707 by Apathy personified on July 23, 2008 at 12:35 pm

Ah yes, the wonderfully magic world of factoids. In merry old England today we had this case about 'detox diets' -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7520756.stm

There are homeopathic 'practitioners' who advise customers NOT to take anti malarial pills when travelling to malaria areas, but to take 'special' homeopathic remedies instead.

428. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #216696 by Apathy personified on July 23, 2008 at 12:20 pm

kkelly,
I did have a separate paragraph about you - but i'll repeat the main point 'Maybe kkelly just has different bounds on his humour' - stick around and i think you'll realise that maybe your initial opinion of whitepearl is wrong, by a wide margin.

whitepearl,
For my masters project - i've somehow managed to get myself doing a project that has no real relevance to my previous years work (3 years of theoretical physics) - effectively it's mathematical analysis of the movement of ants inside their colonies - don't ask. :(

429. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #216663 by Apathy personified on July 23, 2008 at 11:31 am

whitepearl,
No - you don't come across as any of those things - although you did call yourself 'too selfish' on the thread to that vomit inducing lecture on love.

To take a psychological stab in the dark i'd say it's linked to gross sexual frustration, linked in with serious angst about themselves and their own personal inadequacies, jealousy about others who are much smarter than them and a lust for something they know they will never get - leading to a general misogyny. You are brave enough to use a picture of you as your avatar, so regretably they target you.
Anyway - i'm no psychiatrist.

However, maybe kkelly just got off on the wrong foot, has a bit of a dislike for women and has different bounds when it comes to humour.

I'm ok thank you, started my project (well...) for next year and made a list of things i need to do. Exciting, i know.

430. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #216634 by Apathy personified on July 23, 2008 at 11:02 am

On the issue of the article,
Do they allow christian adverts?

but really setting a standard and defining what mainstream Islam stands for

Which version of islam? There seems to be one version for young kids, one version for muslim adults and a separate version for journalists who enquire.

Pity that some of the muslim's supporting this have been implicated in some terrorism. Whether they are innocent or guilty, i can still see that being an issue, especially in NY of all places.

431. Islam subway ads cause stir in New York

Comment #216624 by Apathy personified on July 23, 2008 at 10:56 am

whitepearl,
You seem to be quite good at getting strong reactions - and much ridiculus name calling directed at you - from people(i'm mainly thinking of joe and it appears kkelly).

So, to make a change, How are you? How has your day been?

432. The brain in love

Comment #215899 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 1:25 pm

Mitchell,
What's the name of the anime in that video?

I'm very cynical about everything - but when something is shoved down my throat or rubbed into my face as much as the 'brand of love' is, i can't help but be deeply cynical and skeptical about it.

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

Comment #215870 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 12:56 pm

FUCK OFF , FUCK RIGHT OFF YOU BLIND DELUDED FOOLS!

IT IS YOU LOT THAT ARE SUCKING ON A COCK CALLED PROPAGANDA!

Oh no! He's getting angry!
What's the matter joe? Are you being bullied?

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

Comment #215850 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 12:37 pm

Haha - who here guessed that joe would also be a conspiracy theorist?

Who controls the conspiracy joe? Why are they doing it?

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

Comment #215783 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 11:19 am

that will be delivering pain to your ungrateful atheist asses.

Oh dear, what have you got planned?

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

Comment #215778 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 11:15 am

the fact remains that there are untold amounts of admissions of evolutionists on its invalidities.

For the last time, i don't care about reputation or opinion. What are the specific points that evolution falls down on? Where are the peer reviewed scientific papers that show evolution up?

PROPONENTS AND FOLLOWERS PREFER TO CARRY ON IN VAIN IN CLINGING TO A MYTH.

Yes, good way to describe all religious belief.

oh, also - dickhead, go back under your bridge, troll

437. Antony Flew reviews the Index of The God Delusion

Comment #215770 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 11:02 am

Nephite,
Religions are all based on the fundamental point that god exists. This is a lie, there is no god, so people are entitled to state this.

Then you start talking about the cultural effect of religion - not its truth - they are two separate things.

I'm going to be quoting from Hitchens here but,
1. Name one 'good' act that could only be done by somebody who is religious
2. Name one 'bad' act that only an atheist could ever do

Your friends helped you, because they are your friends, they care for you and have an interest in your welfare - do they only help you because of their beliefs?

People don't need religion to be good, look at America, some of the highest crime rates are in the so called bible belt.

Religion doesn't make people good, people make people good - a lot of people here do understand religion, that is why they do demonise it.

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

Comment #215732 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 9:32 am

joe,
Do you get confused when you are in a bookshop and they are selling more than just the quran?

Edit: Who am I kidding, joe knowing how to get out of his house without help, probably struggles to understand how the lightswitch works

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

Comment #215726 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 9:28 am

thewhitepearl,
I don't think he wants to marry you anymore.
You must be devastated

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

Comment #215715 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 9:16 am

For fucks sake.
joe, really, fuck off - Do you expect us to believe that you've actually read a word of the shite you are posting on this thread?

Now, dispense with the useless quoting of the quran and the useless quoting of retarded peoples opinions and post some EVIDENCE, you know, reproducable, peer reviewed scientific evidence.

Oh, almost forgot - dickhead

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

Comment #215696 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 9:04 am

YOU HAVE LEARNED A HARD LESSON IN FOOLIN AROUND WITH A SICILIAN

What lesson was that then, it's easy as fuck?
You are an embarassment to everything you associate yourself with.

Fuck the hell off back under your bridge, troll.

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

Comment #215665 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 8:39 am

joe,
In your own words (i.e. no more plagiarism), where does evolution fail?
In your own words, why is islam better than christianity or judaism or another other religion?

USING CAPITALS IS VERY EASY, BUT IT DOESN'T ADD ANYTHING TO YOUR POSTS - JUST MAKES YOU LOOK LIKE A WANKER

443. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #215658 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 8:33 am

Oh Quetz, hang your head in shame.

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

Comment #215647 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 8:25 am

JOE
FORGET ABOUT IT
YOU ARE AN IDIOT
I'M STILL WAITING FOR THE EVIDENCE TO BACK UP YOUR CLAIMS

Why don't you explain to us why you converted to islam? Why can't you give us the scientific evidence?

Luckily for you i can answer both - you are a deluded fool without any sort of intellect or ability to critically think and there is no evidence.

Now get under your bridge, you ugly troll

445. Richard Dawkins on Al Jazeera English

Comment #215565 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 6:18 am

isthatclear,
the troll formerly known as clearmind.

My Logic and reason says we cannot come from water worm that happened by chance and luck

*wide smirk* Well if your logic and reason can't do it, no ones can!

Chance and luck, you are barking up the wrong tree as you have been told many times before.

We say we came from the first man and all the creations are created seperately. So you prove it otherwise if you can

Ok, i will. It's call 'The Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection'.

Enjoy

446. Losing Sight of Progress

Comment #215563 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 6:12 am

I think the point that 'the Hitch' is making is that this is the first time it dawned on him that the salamanders are evidence AGAINST an intelligent designer - for a nature that abhors waste, why design with vestigial eyes?

Don't be surprised if other people who are experts in their own field don't have perfect knowledge of other areas - he could have read up a lot about evolution, but never about these salamanders - so it shouldn't be surprising that 'the Hitch' doesn't know every detail about all things in evolutionary biology.

447. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #215553 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 5:49 am

epeeist,
Yes, it was me, i stole it, and i would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you pesky atheists.

Peace,
Ha - that was fantastic!

Laurie,
I don't think it was over the top at all, it's your opinion and you are fully entitled to voice it - but the reply will be interesting.

Kristopher,
You are posting the same thing on different threads, that makes you a troll and a wankshaft

Edit: For clarity

448. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #215522 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 3:46 am

Laurie,
Oh touche, touche sir.

449. Richard Dawkins slaps creationists into the primordial soup

Comment #215520 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 3:42 am

For those interested....
The film version of the play 'Copenhagen' is on BBC 4 tonight at 10.40pm.

Laurie, if IKEA is proof of gods existance, why is there always an important looking piece left over at the end, and you have no idea where it goes?

Note: No, it's not a spare part

450. Losing Sight of Progress

Comment #215498 by Apathy personified on July 22, 2008 at 2:58 am

During an 'animated' discussion of religion and god last night, i came up with a vague new definition.

god - 'The limit on imagination that humans create'

Existence is far more interesting than it would be if there was a 'magic hermaphrodite sky elf'.