https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txbJ8elggqE
Who is Christina Tobin?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Tobin
Who is Christina Tobin?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Tobin
lundi 30 avril 2018
Woman removed from cinema screen for laughing
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-43950171
As someone who embarrassed their parents by laughing loudly at films at the cinema I have a lot of sympathy for this woman. (We're talking back when I was ~10 and not all the movies we went to see were exclusively for children.)
I don't know if behaviour is quantitatively worse than decades past; there's certainly a lot of annoying types on the rare occasions I can afford to get out these days: generally people looking at phones, some talking as well, and most recently, folk tossing bottles of soft drinks over into the next row.
Cinema staff may have a thankless task in trying to police those who are a bit over-enthusiastic compared to the intentionally disruptive; I would have thought though a quiet word to the woman involved first might have helped, her condition notwithstanding, but this report doesn't really give enough detail on what exactly went down.
Anyone applauding her removal is a dick though.
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A woman who has Asperger's syndrome was "forcibly removed" from a screening of her favourite film by cinema security staff for "laughing too much". |
I don't know if behaviour is quantitatively worse than decades past; there's certainly a lot of annoying types on the rare occasions I can afford to get out these days: generally people looking at phones, some talking as well, and most recently, folk tossing bottles of soft drinks over into the next row.
Cinema staff may have a thankless task in trying to police those who are a bit over-enthusiastic compared to the intentionally disruptive; I would have thought though a quiet word to the woman involved first might have helped, her condition notwithstanding, but this report doesn't really give enough detail on what exactly went down.
Anyone applauding her removal is a dick though.
Define the God(s) you Believe/Disbelieve in.
I am an atheist and to me that means simply that I am not a theist. As an elaboration you could say I don’t have a belief in god or gods. Being a realist I know I cannot prove the non existence of gods in total, although there is strong evidence against the existence of some.
The Abrahamic God is the favourite one in our time without question, whether it be the Jewish, Christian, or Islamic version. My disbelief in this god is extreme and I offer as evidence for this the claim, by the sacred scriptures of all three versions, that this god is a loving and caring god. The content of the said scriptures is in direct contrast with this notion for one, and the World as we know it shows no sign of intervention by any compassionate entity. As we all know nature is brutal and cruel in the extreme at the level of animal co-existence and weather/seismic events.
So I conclude the god I disbelieve in most is the one I define as the Abrahamic God. How would you define the version of god(s) you believe or disbelieve in?
The Abrahamic God is the favourite one in our time without question, whether it be the Jewish, Christian, or Islamic version. My disbelief in this god is extreme and I offer as evidence for this the claim, by the sacred scriptures of all three versions, that this god is a loving and caring god. The content of the said scriptures is in direct contrast with this notion for one, and the World as we know it shows no sign of intervention by any compassionate entity. As we all know nature is brutal and cruel in the extreme at the level of animal co-existence and weather/seismic events.
So I conclude the god I disbelieve in most is the one I define as the Abrahamic God. How would you define the version of god(s) you believe or disbelieve in?
Contingency Plans for Sea Level Rise
The latest prediction for SLR through to 2100 are from about 0.3m to 2.5m:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_level_rise
The areas affected are these:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future...Level_Rise.jpg
But note, this map is for a 6m rise so overstates the problem: it's taken from the same article and is done like that because hotspots can be 3-4m above the average.
While we should continue to reduce emisssions and mitigate the problem of AGW, we could also make contingency plans for the rise we think will happen.
For instance, the Mediterranean basin could be protected by building a barrier across the Straits of Gibraltar, with locks for ships; there's a current flowing so electricity could be generated, and it would allow for road, rail, data and pipelines between Spain and Morocco. I suppose you'd need another lock at the Suez canal. All expensive but better than flooding the coastal areas.
As for the rest, there should be plans to move people (around 10million) to higher ground.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_level_rise
The areas affected are these:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future...Level_Rise.jpg
But note, this map is for a 6m rise so overstates the problem: it's taken from the same article and is done like that because hotspots can be 3-4m above the average.
While we should continue to reduce emisssions and mitigate the problem of AGW, we could also make contingency plans for the rise we think will happen.
For instance, the Mediterranean basin could be protected by building a barrier across the Straits of Gibraltar, with locks for ships; there's a current flowing so electricity could be generated, and it would allow for road, rail, data and pipelines between Spain and Morocco. I suppose you'd need another lock at the Suez canal. All expensive but better than flooding the coastal areas.
As for the rest, there should be plans to move people (around 10million) to higher ground.
San Francisco Public Library hosts transgender “art exhibit” featuring weapons intend
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If you thought the age of scold's bridles and dunking pools designed to torture and kill disobedient women were a thing of the past, you would be wrong. The San Francisco Public Library unveiled an exhibit this week featuring blood stained t-shirts encouraging patrons to “punch” feminists, along with several installations of deadly weapons painted pink: baseball bats covered in barbed wire, axes, among others, all designed by men to kill feminist women. ... The display, launched mere days after the mass murder of women in Toronto by “incel” terrorist Alek Minassian and echoing his philosophy, was funded by the non-profit Friends of The San Francisco Public Library and created by The Degenderettes, led by Scout Tran Caffee, founder of Trans Dykes: the anti-lesbian Antifa. The group specifically targets lesbians as “oppressors” of men -because they exclude males from their dating pools. The men in the group identify as transgender and consider themselves to be male lesbians. |
I was going to come up with a witty comment, but this just makes my blood boil, how on Earth can something like this be displayed.
dimanche 29 avril 2018
Is this a type of logical fallacy?
Hello,
There is this problem I come across a lot. I haven't found a good description or analysis of it. I feel like there should be a term for it, but I don't know what it is. Is there one?
A person alleges the referees rigged the match. They put together a video of all the bad calls. They even prove it was more bad calls than usual. But there isn't any evidence they rigged it (like a wire transfer or email). It is true that the premise of a rigging is possible based on the two pieces. but it doesn't eliminate any alternative explanation for why the event occurred.
What is that?
There is this problem I come across a lot. I haven't found a good description or analysis of it. I feel like there should be a term for it, but I don't know what it is. Is there one?
A person alleges the referees rigged the match. They put together a video of all the bad calls. They even prove it was more bad calls than usual. But there isn't any evidence they rigged it (like a wire transfer or email). It is true that the premise of a rigging is possible based on the two pieces. but it doesn't eliminate any alternative explanation for why the event occurred.
What is that?
Coroner ordered to give priority to the religious.
A coroner has been ordered by the High Court to stop operating on a first-come-first-served basis, and to give priority to those from a religious background.
The Secular Society.
BBC
The Secular Society.
BBC
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Senior coroner Mary Hassell had said she would not fast-track inquests based on religion. |
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Lord Justice Singh said the policy set by Ms Hassell was discriminatory and must be quashed |
samedi 28 avril 2018
Nunes is a CTer It's time for a thread about him
I keep asking myself, is this guy simply kissing up to Trump or does he believe in the deep state and plots against Trump? Turns out he believes in dozens of CTs and has been acting on those beliefs since he was in college.
A lot of his history is detailed in this NYT Magazine article: How Devin Nunes Turned the House Intelligence Committee Inside Out. I'll let people interested read about the earlier CTs he acted on. I think his involvement in Obama and Behghazi CTs will illustrate the problem.
Informants is likely the right wing blogosphere or Fox News characters.
Nunes pursued this farce all the way to going directly to
Needless to say no coverup was uncovered.
On to the Benghazi coverup CT. I thought Darryl Issa and Trey Gowdy were the main actors in that CT. I never knew Nunes was not only in on it, he may have started it.
Rogers headed the committee Nunes is now controlling.
From drone fairytales to unreliable contractor testimony.
Nunes went behind Rogers' back and met with the contractors, inviting Boehner to attend the meeting.
Nunes protested and his having fed Boehner the contractors' story, Boehner was apparently convinced there was something to the nonexistent 'stand down' order.
Eventually Rogers left Congress and Boehner appointed Nunes to head the committee. :eye-poppi
I don't know about other people in this forum, but that explains an awful lot to me about how the Benghazi hearings kept going like the Energizer Bunny.
A detailed account follows of Nunes' midnight run to the White House concocting a fake story that Trump was spied on by Obama via American intelligence agencies. And the rest is in the Mueller and Trump-Russia threads.
This morning on Fox I caught part of a new CT Nunes was pushing. Something about Clinton and Fusion One meeting with and paying the Russian Lawyer from the Trump Tower meeting. I didn't hear exactly what he was talking about but Cavuto was insisting this proved it was Clinton colluding with the Russians, paying for Trump dirt. When I find out more about it, I'll post it in the thread
Right from the Karl Rove Playbook, whatever you get caught at, start accusing your opponents of doing the same thing.
A lot of his history is detailed in this NYT Magazine article: How Devin Nunes Turned the House Intelligence Committee Inside Out. I'll let people interested read about the earlier CTs he acted on. I think his involvement in Obama and Behghazi CTs will illustrate the problem.
Quote:
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In late 2012, he said he heard from “informants” that Obama administration officials were ignoring evidence in a cache of documents collected from Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, showing that Al Qaeda was much stronger than the administration publicly contended. |
Nunes pursued this farce all the way to going directly to
Quote:
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Tampa and paid a visit to Centcom headquarters himself, where he demanded to meet with the analysts reviewing the documents, in the hope of uncovering evidence of Al Qaeda’s strength — and an Obama administration cover-up. But after a meeting with the Army major general who headed Centcom’s intelligence wing, Nunes came back to Washington empty-handed. |
On to the Benghazi coverup CT. I thought Darryl Issa and Trey Gowdy were the main actors in that CT. I never knew Nunes was not only in on it, he may have started it.
Quote:
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Nunes was also trying to prove that the Obama administration had covered up key facts about the assault on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. Not long after the September 2012 attack, which killed four Americans, including the American ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, the Intelligence Committee began investigating the episode to determine if there had been any intelligence failures. Before going into politics, Rogers, the committee’s chairman, had been an F.B.I. agent — he was confident he knew how to conduct an investigation. But Nunes apparently did not believe that Rogers was pushing hard enough, and he repeatedly gave Rogers what he thought were tantalizing leads, ones that might prove that the Obama administration could have prevented, or at least mitigated, the Benghazi attack and then tried to cover up its mistake. |
Quote:
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Nunes had heard that a drone operator at an American air base in Germany said a drone had been flying over the Benghazi compound during the raid and captured video of the incident. According to a source familiar with the investigation, Rogers sent a committee staff member, Michael Ellis, to Germany to find and interview the American drone operator — who, it turned out, wasn’t even in the drone unit that covered Libya and had been telling tales to his parents, which had somehow made their way to Nunes. Rogers was frustrated that he had spent so long investigating a lead that he believed was absurd on its face. Nunes was not chastened; instead he grew discouraged that Rogers wasn’t pursuing even more leads. |
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... C.I.A. contractors who performed a rescue mission in Benghazi on the night of the raid. The contractors claimed that they were told to “stand down” that evening by the C.I.A. officer in charge at Benghazi. They found their way to Nunes in the fall of 2013, ... |
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In the end, Rogers and the committee staff did not put much stock in the men’s testimony, finding it muddled and inconsistent. The next November, when the Intelligence Committee released its Benghazi report, it concluded that there had been no “stand down” order. |
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Boehner seemed to agree with him, having already created a special committee to investigate Benghazi — essentially kneecapping Rogers and the Intelligence Committee and paving the way for the further politicization of the panel. |
I don't know about other people in this forum, but that explains an awful lot to me about how the Benghazi hearings kept going like the Energizer Bunny.
A detailed account follows of Nunes' midnight run to the White House concocting a fake story that Trump was spied on by Obama via American intelligence agencies. And the rest is in the Mueller and Trump-Russia threads.
This morning on Fox I caught part of a new CT Nunes was pushing. Something about Clinton and Fusion One meeting with and paying the Russian Lawyer from the Trump Tower meeting. I didn't hear exactly what he was talking about but Cavuto was insisting this proved it was Clinton colluding with the Russians, paying for Trump dirt. When I find out more about it, I'll post it in the thread
Right from the Karl Rove Playbook, whatever you get caught at, start accusing your opponents of doing the same thing.
vendredi 27 avril 2018
DUI Driver in UK gets 9 year sentence - too light?
Quote:
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Originally Posted by BBC Article
A driver who killed two young brothers in a hit-and-run crash while high on cocaine has been jailed for nine years.
Casper Platt-May, two, and his brother Corey, six, were struck while on their way to a Coventry park. Robert Brown, 53, who was doing more than 60mph, admitted causing the deaths by dangerous driving. Brown had 30 previous convictions for driving without a licence or insurance, [...] Brown and Harrison were both found to be four times over the limit for cocaine when the Ford Focus driven by Brown "ploughed" into the boys as they crossed Longfellow Road with their family. |
This was a driver high on cocaine, I imagine a similar sentence would have been handed down had the driver been over the alcohol limit.
A 9 year prison term for killing two young children, or any two people, seems far too light, even if you discount his previous record.
Involuntary manslaughter here usually gets you between 2-10 years in prison, depending on the details of the case. Maximum term is life.
Death by dangerous driving, carries a maximum term here of 14 years.
Should causing death by dangerous driving carry much stiffer penalties?
I think so. I think if you kill someone with a car when you are impaired from drink or drugs it should be a minimum 20 year term, and a life ban from driving.
Am I way off base?
Have the courts got this about right?
Jews Shouldn't Wear Kippahs?
"Defiantly showing your colours would in principle be the right way to go [to tackle anti-Semitism]," he said.
"Nevertheless, I would advise individual people against openly wearing a kippah in big German cities," Mr Schuster added.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43884075
What is going on in Germany?
"Nevertheless, I would advise individual people against openly wearing a kippah in big German cities," Mr Schuster added.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43884075
What is going on in Germany?
Catholic Speaker of the House fires Catholic Priest for his invocation
I have been seeing a lot about this on twitter.
Ryan, supposedly a Catholic, got mad at the chaplain, a Jesuit catholic priest, because he had the audacity to give an invocation/sermon/whatever you want to call his speech about doing things like, helping the poor.
That was unacceptable to the Speaker, so he sacked the guy.
Apparently, Ryan doesn't like the Jesuit message of service to the poor (see also: the Pope).
When Boehner quit the Speaker role, I argued (and I still contend) that it was because the Pope got to him. Recall how he cried when listening to the Pope talk. I still believe that it moved him to the point where his conscience got the best of him. His response was to quit.
Ryan hears the message and instead of taking it to heart, fires the priest. Because, you know, where do Catholic priests come off interfering with the Randian policies?
People are complaining about how Ryan is not a good Catholic and all that (No True Catholic, of course). I disagree. From what I see, Ryan's actions and attitude are perfectly consistent with those for the Catholics I know.
Ryan, supposedly a Catholic, got mad at the chaplain, a Jesuit catholic priest, because he had the audacity to give an invocation/sermon/whatever you want to call his speech about doing things like, helping the poor.
That was unacceptable to the Speaker, so he sacked the guy.
Apparently, Ryan doesn't like the Jesuit message of service to the poor (see also: the Pope).
When Boehner quit the Speaker role, I argued (and I still contend) that it was because the Pope got to him. Recall how he cried when listening to the Pope talk. I still believe that it moved him to the point where his conscience got the best of him. His response was to quit.
Ryan hears the message and instead of taking it to heart, fires the priest. Because, you know, where do Catholic priests come off interfering with the Randian policies?
People are complaining about how Ryan is not a good Catholic and all that (No True Catholic, of course). I disagree. From what I see, Ryan's actions and attitude are perfectly consistent with those for the Catholics I know.
Hitler vs Churchill The Eagle and The Lion
Yesterday I was folding laundry in the living room and switched the TV on for a bit of background noise. There wasn't much on the main channels so I clicked on Yesterday (a UK sort of History Channel Lite) and had the misfortune to catch about 10 minutes of "Hitler vs Churchill The Eagle and The Lion". :(
I don't watch Yesterday much, but I did catch a re-running of The World At War on there a couple of years ago and from time to time some other old BBC documentaries. "Hitler vs Churchill The Eagle and The Lion" was something else...
Maybe I'm spoiled, maybe I expected too much, but in a programme which was supposed to explore the relationship and contrast between two war leaders, all we got was superficial twaddle and a repeating of cliches which have been repeatedly debunked in more reputable circles (like Hitler fixed the German economy - it's more complicated than that).
Sometimes I'm shocked at how poorly informed people seem to be about the basics of history. Looking at rubbish like this, I'm no longer surprised. A 1 hour show probably had 5 minutes of content and that content was so dumbed-down as to be functionally worthless. :mad:
At least the laundry got folded, so my time wasn't completely wasted....
I don't watch Yesterday much, but I did catch a re-running of The World At War on there a couple of years ago and from time to time some other old BBC documentaries. "Hitler vs Churchill The Eagle and The Lion" was something else...
Maybe I'm spoiled, maybe I expected too much, but in a programme which was supposed to explore the relationship and contrast between two war leaders, all we got was superficial twaddle and a repeating of cliches which have been repeatedly debunked in more reputable circles (like Hitler fixed the German economy - it's more complicated than that).
Sometimes I'm shocked at how poorly informed people seem to be about the basics of history. Looking at rubbish like this, I'm no longer surprised. A 1 hour show probably had 5 minutes of content and that content was so dumbed-down as to be functionally worthless. :mad:
At least the laundry got folded, so my time wasn't completely wasted....
Summit of the Korean leaders
We have to have a thread on this. It could come crashing down in recriminations, but it could be the start of something really important. What's Kim Yung Un up to?
BBC
The Graudian
BBC
The Graudian
jeudi 26 avril 2018
Falling into a super-massive Black Hole
Imagine an isolated one, with no spin, and no net electric charge; imagine a super-duper massive one, with an event horizon (EH) 0.1 light-year in radius (yeah, unlikely there are many, if any, in the observable universe).
Imagine you are tiny, only 1mm top to tail, and that you have a set of extremely robust, highly precise and accurate, and equally tiny clocks and rulers, which you are able to carry with you right up to extreme spaghettification.
You cross the EH without noticing anything, as you can observe only your local environment, and tidal forces are immeasurably small here.
By your own clock, how long do you have to live, before you hit the singularity?
What about if the SMBH has a spin just a tad less than maximal? Would your remaining life be much longer? Shorter? Does it make a difference if you’re falling in at a pole? The equator?
What if both you and the SMBH are charged?
Imagine you are tiny, only 1mm top to tail, and that you have a set of extremely robust, highly precise and accurate, and equally tiny clocks and rulers, which you are able to carry with you right up to extreme spaghettification.
You cross the EH without noticing anything, as you can observe only your local environment, and tidal forces are immeasurably small here.
By your own clock, how long do you have to live, before you hit the singularity?
What about if the SMBH has a spin just a tad less than maximal? Would your remaining life be much longer? Shorter? Does it make a difference if you’re falling in at a pole? The equator?
What if both you and the SMBH are charged?
Cosby convicted x 3
Bill Cosby convicted of all three felonies charged:
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/26/us/bi...ial/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/26/us/bi...ial/index.html
Right, Left and coddling
Recently on Real Time, Jordan Peterson suggested to Maher and the panel that they be sensitive to Trump supporters and "hold out their hand" to them and understand them. This is coming from a person who tells activists to "clean their room".
Why is there this double-standard where reactionaries being nasty to "SJWs", trans-people and college students with dyed hair is considered bold and "telling it like it is" but liberals do something similar there's the inevitable "this is why Trump won"?
Why doesn't the average Trump voter expand their hand to understand the other side?
Why is there this double-standard where reactionaries being nasty to "SJWs", trans-people and college students with dyed hair is considered bold and "telling it like it is" but liberals do something similar there's the inevitable "this is why Trump won"?
Why doesn't the average Trump voter expand their hand to understand the other side?
East Area Rapist/Night Stalker caught?
I’m surprised there isn’t a thread about this, but this is huge news.
At least 12 murders and 50 rapes. One of the most evil predators ever. Fingers crossed he’s the one.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-a8322591.html
At least 12 murders and 50 rapes. One of the most evil predators ever. Fingers crossed he’s the one.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-a8322591.html
Quote:
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A former police officer has been arrested in connection to a long-unsolved string of rapes and murders which are believed to have been carried out by the "Golden State Killer". Joseph James DeAngelo was picked up by authorities in California, who allege he was behind 12 murders and at least 50 rapes in the 1970s and 1980s, along with a number of burglaries. He was also known as the "East Area Rapist". |
mercredi 25 avril 2018
Lawsuit says U.S. man spent 18 days in prisoner transport van
So, tell me again just how handing everything over to the private sector solves all ills?
Lawsuit says U.S. man spent 18 days in prisoner transport van
Lawsuit says U.S. man spent 18 days in prisoner transport van
Quote:
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Originally Posted by CTV News
Edward Kovari's 18-day ordeal began Sept. 12, 2016, when some guys in a van showed up to take him from a jail in Virginia to Texas, where he was wanted on charges that he had stolen a car.
But the trip from Winchester, Virginia, to Houston took more than two weeks in a crowded van where inmates had to urinate in bottles and take turns sleeping on the van's floor, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday by Kovari. The private company that contracted with the jail to transport Kovari, 39, kept him shackled in the back of that van for 18 days as it wound through the country picking up inmates in an effort at cost efficiency. ... 18 days, most of which he spent in shackles. On only two or three nights did the van actually stop at a jail where prisoners were allowed to get out and spend the night in a bed. ... The van was so crowded - at times with up to 15 passengers - that inmates including Kovari took turns lying on the floor with other inmate's feet on top for the opportunity to sleep. |
Super Cluster being born!
https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0425131848.htm
Assembly of massive galaxy cluster witnessed for the first time
A dense flock of 14 galaxies from 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang is destined to become one of the most massive structures in the modern universe
For the first time, astronomers have witnessed the birth of a colossal cluster of galaxies. Their observations reveal at least 14 galaxies packed into an area only four times the diameter of the Milky Way's galactic disk. Computer simulations of the galaxies predict that over time the cluster will assemble into one of the most massive structures in the modern universe, the astronomers report in the April 26 issue of Nature.
This newborn galaxy cluster, or protocluster, is around 12.4 billion light-years away from Earth. That distance means that the protocluster appears today as it existed 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang.
Assembly of massive galaxy cluster witnessed for the first time
A dense flock of 14 galaxies from 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang is destined to become one of the most massive structures in the modern universe
For the first time, astronomers have witnessed the birth of a colossal cluster of galaxies. Their observations reveal at least 14 galaxies packed into an area only four times the diameter of the Milky Way's galactic disk. Computer simulations of the galaxies predict that over time the cluster will assemble into one of the most massive structures in the modern universe, the astronomers report in the April 26 issue of Nature.
This newborn galaxy cluster, or protocluster, is around 12.4 billion light-years away from Earth. That distance means that the protocluster appears today as it existed 1.4 billion years after the Big Bang.
Paved paradise, put up a parking lot
And Philippine President Duterte is doing something about it:
As Philippines Shuts Down A Popular Tourist Island, Residents Fear For Their Future
The island, a quiet and beautiful place until a few years ago, is a victim of commercial success, unable to cope with the mess that comes with millions of tourists.
And it's not just the beaches:
Perhaps Duterte is doing something good and sensible for a change? He's stopping the tourism, at least for awhile, but if he didn't do something, it wouldn't be long before the island was so bad that the tourists stopped coming anyway.
As Yogi Berra said, "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded."
As Philippines Shuts Down A Popular Tourist Island, Residents Fear For Their Future
Quote:
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The Philippine island of Boracay is a tourist magnet, with its beaches regularly appearing on lists of the world's best. It's easy to see why. "I think this is an amazing beach," says Frida Roemer from Copenhagen, lounging on the island's White Beach. "The clear water, the white sand ... I extended my ticket because I just liked it so much." Her Swedish friend Erika Havskot agrees. She's been here five times in as many years. The only caveat, Havskot says, is this: It's become overcrowded — with tourists like her — since she first started coming. Boracay received some 2 million visitors last year, according to the Philippine government, mostly Chinese and South Koreans. Tourism brought an estimated $1 billion to the local economy last year alone. But Boracay, with a population of 45,000, has fallen victim to its own popularity, its infrastructure unable to accommodate the influx of visitors and the new hotels being built to host them. The island's sewage system in particular can't cope, which has left many of the island's streets and alleys in a constant state of repair as maintenance crews desperately try to clear clogged pipes. Duterte's decision to close Boracay was sudden. The first inkling came in February, when he threatened to close the island to tourism after seeing a video of raw sewage spewing out of a pipe on Bulabog Beach, a popular area with wind and kite surfers. |
And it's not just the beaches:
Quote:
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And the government's general plan to clean up the island may be too ambitious, given the six month time frame. A walk from White Beach to Bulabog Beach on the other side of the island offers a stark reminder of the challenges ahead. In street after street, sanitation workers in hip waders haul up buckets of sewage from overflowing pipes. Streets are clogged with tourists on their way to Starbucks and McDonald's that sprang up in the development boom here. |
As Yogi Berra said, "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded."
May 2018 CNY Skeptics Meeting: "Scientifical Americans"
"Scientifical Americans: Paranormal researchers and the public understanding of science"
Presentation by Sharon Hill, via Skype
Sponsored by CNY Skeptics
Time: Wednesday, May 16, 2018, 7:00 PM
Where: Manlius Library, One Arkie Albanese Ave, Manlius, NY, 13104
Event is Free and Open to the Public
Light refreshments will be served
Please contact 1-315-636-6533 or email info@cnyskeptics.org for more information
Presentation Summary:
In the 21st century, reality television and the Internet have fed public interest in ghosts, UFOs, cryptozoology and other unusual phenomena. By 2010, roughly 2000 amateur research and investigation groups formed in the U.S.– ghost hunters, big-foot chasers, and UFO researchers, using an array of (supposedly) scientific equipment and methods with an aim of proving the existence of the paranormal. American culture’s honorific regard for science, coupled with the public’s unfamiliarity with scientific methods, created a niche for self-styled paranormal experts to achieve a measure of respect and authority without scientific training or credentials. These groups of amateurs serve as a surrogate for scientists in examining strange claims. And, they provide a unique lens by which we can examine the wider public understanding of science and research.
Presenter Bio:
Sharon A. Hill is an advocate for science appreciation, critical thinking, and evidence-based inquiry, specializing in pop culture discourse on ghosts, monsters, mysteries, anomalies, and oddities. She is the creator of DoubtfulNews.com, SpookyGeology.com, and the host of the podcast 15 Credibility Street. She has degrees in Geosciences and Education with a focus on science and the public. Her personal website is SharonAHill.com.
Central New York Skeptics (CNY Skeptics) is a community organization dedicated to the promotion of science and reason, the investigation of paranormal and fringe-science claims, and the improvement of standards for science education and critical-thinking skills.
Presentation by Sharon Hill, via Skype
Sponsored by CNY Skeptics
Time: Wednesday, May 16, 2018, 7:00 PM
Where: Manlius Library, One Arkie Albanese Ave, Manlius, NY, 13104
Event is Free and Open to the Public
Light refreshments will be served
Please contact 1-315-636-6533 or email info@cnyskeptics.org for more information
Presentation Summary:
In the 21st century, reality television and the Internet have fed public interest in ghosts, UFOs, cryptozoology and other unusual phenomena. By 2010, roughly 2000 amateur research and investigation groups formed in the U.S.– ghost hunters, big-foot chasers, and UFO researchers, using an array of (supposedly) scientific equipment and methods with an aim of proving the existence of the paranormal. American culture’s honorific regard for science, coupled with the public’s unfamiliarity with scientific methods, created a niche for self-styled paranormal experts to achieve a measure of respect and authority without scientific training or credentials. These groups of amateurs serve as a surrogate for scientists in examining strange claims. And, they provide a unique lens by which we can examine the wider public understanding of science and research.
Presenter Bio:
Sharon A. Hill is an advocate for science appreciation, critical thinking, and evidence-based inquiry, specializing in pop culture discourse on ghosts, monsters, mysteries, anomalies, and oddities. She is the creator of DoubtfulNews.com, SpookyGeology.com, and the host of the podcast 15 Credibility Street. She has degrees in Geosciences and Education with a focus on science and the public. Her personal website is SharonAHill.com.
Central New York Skeptics (CNY Skeptics) is a community organization dedicated to the promotion of science and reason, the investigation of paranormal and fringe-science claims, and the improvement of standards for science education and critical-thinking skills.
'Nother black hole question
So this time it's just a question. I don't have a stupid hypothesis of my own.
Way I understand it
A) if you were to fall into a black hole, you would never actually reach the singularity. It's at infinite time and distance away.
B) that is basically because space and time get more stretched, the closer you get to the singularity
And as usual, I'd appreciate any corrections if I misunderstood it.
And now comes my question.
Say, Alice and Bob both fall into a black hole at the same time. (I know it's customary to leave one of them out, but I'm evil;)) Or, well, as much "at the same time" as makes any sense in GR. And keep falling towards that infinitely distant singularity.
Well, from Bob's point of view (i.e., in a frame where Bob is at rest), would the distance to Alice seem to be growing, shrinking, or staying the same?
Way I understand it
A) if you were to fall into a black hole, you would never actually reach the singularity. It's at infinite time and distance away.
B) that is basically because space and time get more stretched, the closer you get to the singularity
And as usual, I'd appreciate any corrections if I misunderstood it.
And now comes my question.
Say, Alice and Bob both fall into a black hole at the same time. (I know it's customary to leave one of them out, but I'm evil;)) Or, well, as much "at the same time" as makes any sense in GR. And keep falling towards that infinitely distant singularity.
Well, from Bob's point of view (i.e., in a frame where Bob is at rest), would the distance to Alice seem to be growing, shrinking, or staying the same?
Joy Reid........lying Homophobe
https://www.mediaite.com/online/lgbt...osts-revealed/
"The LGBTQ advocacy group PFLAG National has rescinded Joy Ann Reid’s allyship award in light of Mediaite‘s report on newly unearthed homophobic posts from the MSNBC pundit’s old blog. Reid alleges nefarious actors planted them to damage her reputation — an unverified claim that has been questioned by many media figures."
"The LGBTQ advocacy group PFLAG National has rescinded Joy Ann Reid’s allyship award in light of Mediaite‘s report on newly unearthed homophobic posts from the MSNBC pundit’s old blog. Reid alleges nefarious actors planted them to damage her reputation — an unverified claim that has been questioned by many media figures."
mardi 24 avril 2018
Watergate Podcast
Hello all.
I have been interested in the Watergate Affair for some time now and just recently I noticed a rather good Podcast about this very subject on the Slate website.
http://www.slate.com/articles/slate_...ource=homepage
SLOW BURN: A PODCAST ABOUT WATERGATE
You think you know the story, or maybe you don’t. But Watergate was stranger, wilder, and more exciting than you can imagine. What did it feel like to live through the scandal that brought down a president?
Join Leon Neyfakh for an eight-episode podcast miniseries that tells the story of Watergate as it happened—and asks, if we were living through Watergate, would we know it?
...
About half of the Podcast requires a paid membership, but the remaining portions are gratis and quite good as well.
If one is interested in the Watergate affair (especially since we will likely be dealing with another Presidential crisis sooner or later), then check it out some time.
I have been interested in the Watergate Affair for some time now and just recently I noticed a rather good Podcast about this very subject on the Slate website.
http://www.slate.com/articles/slate_...ource=homepage
SLOW BURN: A PODCAST ABOUT WATERGATE
You think you know the story, or maybe you don’t. But Watergate was stranger, wilder, and more exciting than you can imagine. What did it feel like to live through the scandal that brought down a president?
Join Leon Neyfakh for an eight-episode podcast miniseries that tells the story of Watergate as it happened—and asks, if we were living through Watergate, would we know it?
...
About half of the Podcast requires a paid membership, but the remaining portions are gratis and quite good as well.
If one is interested in the Watergate affair (especially since we will likely be dealing with another Presidential crisis sooner or later), then check it out some time.
Finland to end basic income trial (and plans stricter benefits rules)
Looks like the much heralded universal basic income trial in Finland is being abandoned:
"Europe’s first national government-backed experiment in giving citizens free cash will end next year after Finland decided not to extend its widely publicised basic income trial and to explore alternative welfare schemes instead.
...
The Finnish finance minister, Petteri Orpo, told Hufvudstadsbladet he was looking into trialling alternative welfare schemes, including a universal credit system similar to that being introduced in the UK, when the basic income pilot ends."
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...fter-two-years
"Europe’s first national government-backed experiment in giving citizens free cash will end next year after Finland decided not to extend its widely publicised basic income trial and to explore alternative welfare schemes instead.
...
The Finnish finance minister, Petteri Orpo, told Hufvudstadsbladet he was looking into trialling alternative welfare schemes, including a universal credit system similar to that being introduced in the UK, when the basic income pilot ends."
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...fter-two-years
Revenge of the flat space? ;)
So I'm back to wondering about universe expansion vs an explosion in flat space. What can I say? They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and I have so little I must be the most dangerous man alive ;)
So what got me wondering this time is the rest frame of the CMB. Namely, our local group seems to be moving at about 627 relative to a rest frame of the background signal.
So that gets me thinking. (Which usually is a bad sign.) Wouldn't a CMB rest frame be exactly what you'd expect if we were just the result of an explosion in otherwise flat infinite space?
Furthermore, it seems to me like we can even have a pretty good idea how far we are from the centre. Hubble's constant being about 68 (km/s)/MPC, means the local cluster's centre of mass would be in the order of magnitude of about 10MPC from the centre of it all. That's about 30 million lightyears or so.
Which isn't a whole lot. It would certainly explain why at larger scale everything behaves as if we're the centre of the universe. Because we're really that close to it. Improbable, but someone has to pull the winning lottery ticket.
Well, as usual, I'm probably making a complete pig's breakfast of it, so if anyone can point out what I've grossly misunderstood this time, I would be grateful.
So what got me wondering this time is the rest frame of the CMB. Namely, our local group seems to be moving at about 627 relative to a rest frame of the background signal.
So that gets me thinking. (Which usually is a bad sign.) Wouldn't a CMB rest frame be exactly what you'd expect if we were just the result of an explosion in otherwise flat infinite space?
Furthermore, it seems to me like we can even have a pretty good idea how far we are from the centre. Hubble's constant being about 68 (km/s)/MPC, means the local cluster's centre of mass would be in the order of magnitude of about 10MPC from the centre of it all. That's about 30 million lightyears or so.
Which isn't a whole lot. It would certainly explain why at larger scale everything behaves as if we're the centre of the universe. Because we're really that close to it. Improbable, but someone has to pull the winning lottery ticket.
Well, as usual, I'm probably making a complete pig's breakfast of it, so if anyone can point out what I've grossly misunderstood this time, I would be grateful.
lundi 23 avril 2018
Florida Police Try to Unlock Phone With Dead Man's Finger
Quote:
|
Florida authorities went to a funeral home and used a dead man's finger to try to unlock his cellphone as part of their investigation. Thirty-year-old Linus Phillip was killed by a Largo police officer last month after authorities say he tried to drive away before an officer could search him. At the funeral home, two detectives held the man's hands up to the phone's fingerprint sensor but could not unlock it. |
Bolton's Racist Past
"From 2013 until last month, Bolton was chairman of the Gatestone Institute, a New York-based advocacy group that warns of a looming “jihadist takeover” of Europe leading to a “Great White Death."
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/whi...ank-n868171h.”
The Great White Death is about Muslims outBREEDING whites. Of course it is.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/1...pe-white-death
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/whi...ank-n868171h.”
The Great White Death is about Muslims outBREEDING whites. Of course it is.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/1...pe-white-death
Lousy Breeders!
Any Trump supporters want to explain how this isn't a totally racist dog whistle?
"There is a Revolution going on in California. Soooo many Sanctuary areas want OUT of this ridiculous, crime infested & breeding concept. Jerry Brown is trying to back out of the National Guard at the Border, but the people of the State are not happy. Want Security & Safety NOW!"
"There is a Revolution going on in California. Soooo many Sanctuary areas want OUT of this ridiculous, crime infested & breeding concept. Jerry Brown is trying to back out of the National Guard at the Border, but the people of the State are not happy. Want Security & Safety NOW!"
Terrorist mows down pedestrians in Toronto, multiple fatalities
Here we go again.
Suspect is in custody.
NBC NY: NYPD 'Monitoring' Van Strike in Toronto; Multiple Pedestrians Hit
Van Strikes 8-10 People in Toronto, Driver in Custody: PD
A driver on the scene has said 30-40 people hit, another said he saw 3-4 deceased.
Hopefully it will be the lower numbers.
Suspect is in custody.
NBC NY: NYPD 'Monitoring' Van Strike in Toronto; Multiple Pedestrians Hit
Van Strikes 8-10 People in Toronto, Driver in Custody: PD
A driver on the scene has said 30-40 people hit, another said he saw 3-4 deceased.
Hopefully it will be the lower numbers.
Good article from Popular Science...
...about the difference between homeopathy and “natural” remedies:
https://www.popsci.com/homeopathy-natural-remedies
https://www.popsci.com/homeopathy-natural-remedies
Negotiating with North Korea: what to demand, what to give
If you were in control of dealing with North Korea, knowing that whatever agreement we reached would probably only include a fraction of what each side really wants...
•Which of the things they want from the rest of us (removal of American forces from SK, end of exercises with SK right in front of NK's faces, more money, more food, more weapons) would you be willing to offer, and in what order or for what in exchange?...
•And which of the things the rest of us want from them (end of nuclear weapon & missile development, removal of artillery aimed at Seoul, better treatment of its own citizens, more open borders so foreign aid can be properly managed by those who are giving it and more people from both sides meet each other and see that the others aren't enemies) would you demand/request, and in what order or for what in exchange?
NK's nuclear & missile programs get the most attention, but to me the more pivotal issue is the artillery. That's essentially a WMD they already have, even though there's only one place it can be used against, whereas nuclear missiles are WMDs they don't have yet. Thus, the artillery has been serving the role of nukes in the North-Korean equivalent of MAD so far; the automatic response if anybody suggests regime change or a strike on their nuclear & missile development facilities is "then they start shooting Seoul"; eliminating the nuclear missile threat like Israel did to Iraq would be so simple without the artillery threat that it probably would have already been done by now. Unfortunately, although a lot of the bluster coming from NK is about the future nukes, I think at least some of them understand how much more important the artillery is, which would be confirmed if that were our starting point in negotiations, so it's what they'd be the hardest to budge from. But it's not all-or-nothing; out of 700 guns, maybe an agreement could be reached about the removal of some lower number.
Overall, their likely stubbornness about the artillery might mean that the more effective place to begin is the more open borders to let the NK people see who the rest of the world really is and allow foreign aid workers to actually get the aid to the people who need the aid. This would not only be better for the actual citizens of NK (remember them?) but also shift the subject of the overall process, from military confrontationalism to how to actually make things better for people.
Something that might make this simpler for me than a lot of other outsiders is my willingness to give them parts of what they want, because what they want is not stuff that I deem important to withhold.
•Which of the things they want from the rest of us (removal of American forces from SK, end of exercises with SK right in front of NK's faces, more money, more food, more weapons) would you be willing to offer, and in what order or for what in exchange?...
•And which of the things the rest of us want from them (end of nuclear weapon & missile development, removal of artillery aimed at Seoul, better treatment of its own citizens, more open borders so foreign aid can be properly managed by those who are giving it and more people from both sides meet each other and see that the others aren't enemies) would you demand/request, and in what order or for what in exchange?
NK's nuclear & missile programs get the most attention, but to me the more pivotal issue is the artillery. That's essentially a WMD they already have, even though there's only one place it can be used against, whereas nuclear missiles are WMDs they don't have yet. Thus, the artillery has been serving the role of nukes in the North-Korean equivalent of MAD so far; the automatic response if anybody suggests regime change or a strike on their nuclear & missile development facilities is "then they start shooting Seoul"; eliminating the nuclear missile threat like Israel did to Iraq would be so simple without the artillery threat that it probably would have already been done by now. Unfortunately, although a lot of the bluster coming from NK is about the future nukes, I think at least some of them understand how much more important the artillery is, which would be confirmed if that were our starting point in negotiations, so it's what they'd be the hardest to budge from. But it's not all-or-nothing; out of 700 guns, maybe an agreement could be reached about the removal of some lower number.
Overall, their likely stubbornness about the artillery might mean that the more effective place to begin is the more open borders to let the NK people see who the rest of the world really is and allow foreign aid workers to actually get the aid to the people who need the aid. This would not only be better for the actual citizens of NK (remember them?) but also shift the subject of the overall process, from military confrontationalism to how to actually make things better for people.
Something that might make this simpler for me than a lot of other outsiders is my willingness to give them parts of what they want, because what they want is not stuff that I deem important to withhold.
- Threatening military exercises right over the border or even over NK ground? Gone; I don't care about them a bit. They already know we can kick their butts, we can practice kicking their butts in other ways, and rubbing their faces in it has never done any good but give them more threats from the outside to point at as needing to be countered.
- Scaling down or eliminating American military presence in South Korea? Fine; it costs us money, a substantial amount of the South Koran populace doesn't really like it either, and the need for it, in order to help them defend themselves, decreases if we get some kind of decrease in the threat from the North in exchange anyway. (Imagine Korea with no nukes, Seoul not being held hostage with artillery anymore, no American bases & soldiers, and no foreign military exercises encroaching on Korean land to threaten anybody in Korea with what the foreigners might do to them; how is that not better for both sides?) The one military tool we'd be most likely to need to use over there is air power rather than infantry & cavalry anyway, and that can be done from Japan & Guam, which NK hasn't been demanding the removal of, and ground forces can always be sent back in later if really really needed.
- More food & money? Perfect; one of the things I'd be asking for is to let us help them anyway, as long as it's managed by someone from our side so it goes to those who need it instead of becoming another tool of oppression.
Creationist accuses Numerologist of being a crank.
You can't make this up.
I'm glad Foxnews went to a good authority to debunk this rapture crank.
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/...sday-call.html
:dl:
I'm glad Foxnews went to a good authority to debunk this rapture crank.
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/...sday-call.html
Quote:
|
“Cranks!” said author Jonathan Sarfati of Creation Ministries International, referring to Meade, the numerologist. “These [predictions] are not consistent with the biblical stories. Everything Meade said about April 23 he said last year. At some point we have to stop believing people who keep crying ‘wolf.’” “I wish people would stop saying these things and stop scaring people,” Sarfati said. Meade’s recent Rapture warning marks the second time in less than a year that he has warned about the end of the Earth. Last year Meade said the end was imminent. The end has failed to come many times previously, as well, with predictions going back to at least the Revolutionary War. |
:dl:
dimanche 22 avril 2018
Revenge P.orn law violates 1st Amendment says Court
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texa...venge-porn-law
"Now it will be up to the state attorney general's office to defend the state's "revenge porn" law, which was passed in 2015 and punishes those who post intimate images from previous or current relationships online.
The Tyler-based 12th Court of Appeals said the law is unconstitutional because it's too broad and infringes on free speech, The Texas Tribune reported"
"Now it will be up to the state attorney general's office to defend the state's "revenge porn" law, which was passed in 2015 and punishes those who post intimate images from previous or current relationships online.
The Tyler-based 12th Court of Appeals said the law is unconstitutional because it's too broad and infringes on free speech, The Texas Tribune reported"
Personal somone of mine and what he belives in
Hello fellow skeptics. As a skeptic myself, I would like to introduce someone I know from my personal life. His name is down below, along with what he believes in. Most of this was extracted from conversations with him and my casual experience with him. He was in my 8-10th grade class.
What Cody Ray Steen believes are for real:
PS: some of these, thinks he can do himself or become
He is Special ( because other people told him so. No really. )
Dragons
Magic
Harry Potter
Ghosts
Elvis Conspiracy
MJ Conspiracy
Post-KPG-Dinosaurs
Superheroes ( Superhero laws too. Even though they are not any were, on the internet at least. It’s only brought up when he dismisses my attempts to make him prove his position. )
Cartoons ( I think? )
Spells
Cruses
Transformation
Power rangers ( he and his "brother" Mathew are power rangers, at least that what he says )
Half human, half alien ( think Doctor Who )
Were-x (half human half animal)
Human Genetic Modification ( Told me about injecting t-rex DNA into himself and becoming a T-rex or something. )
Spirit Animals ( Spirit of the wolf, t-rex, etc. )
Super Intelligence ( smarter than everyone.)
Super Strength (able to lift tonnes? IDK really know.)
Skylanders
Monsters
An afterlife ( remember you can believe in an afterlife and not be religious. )
Demons
Angels
Telekinetic powers ( I think? )
Digimon
Pokemon
Dimensional Travel and Dimensions ( fantasy ones, mostly . Does not specify a mechanism. This is true for most of this stuff anyway.)
Time Travel
Doctor Who
Immortality
Dimensional Agelessness ( He only ages in this realm not the other ones. )
Dimensional Forms ( His human form is in this realm. You get the idea. )
Potions
Apocalypse of mankind ( zombie, etc. Just told me Today that “there is no hope for you humans.”)
Absolute power ( able to destroy everyone, do anything he wants, etc.)
Alchemy, etc
Anything in fiction, basically. ( wouldn’t be surprised if he believe more. )
What Cody Ray Steen is elitist about ( not exactly relevant, but a nice addition ):
Music ( 80’s is the best, non-christian music is bad, etc. )
Religion ( Atheists are bad, hate god, are jealous, etc. )
What Cody Ray Steen does to dismiss questions and pulls for proof or evidence of his position:
Shifts burdens of proof ( “that's what you need to find out” He doesn’t even specify what website or place to goto to find out.)
Ad hoc ( “Its all top secret”, “superhero law”, “I can’t do that (even though I just said it), because of x or y”, etc )
What Cody Ray Steen does not believe in:
“Human” Science (I.e Real science)
“Human” Logic
“Human” Knowledge (I.e things that we can show )
“Human” Anything ( aka Anything that contradicts his beliefs)
:jaw-dropp
No really. He is not a poe. He is serious about these things.
Cause hope, emotions, the future is scary, etc. Not good reasons for anyone to believe in anything.
I guess he was really indoctrinated. I bet he didn’t even learn what logic, science or how respect the fact that their music tastes, are not things to criticized. He is also the son of a pastor, specifically the Wesleyan one in Liberty Center and even when to the Creation Museum
in Cincinnati, Ohio. Also, a’lot of petty insults, such as “you know nothing about X” or making stupid faces or movements when I was asking him questions, etc. He has a brother named Ryan. I don’t really know if Cody believes in a hell, but Ryan definitely does. Both of them have ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Not them excuses him from believing improbable claims on little or no evidence. After all, the person that typed this post is on the spectrum and Cody even has friends and a girlfriend.
What Cody Ray Steen believes are for real:
PS: some of these, thinks he can do himself or become
He is Special ( because other people told him so. No really. )
Dragons
Magic
Harry Potter
Ghosts
Elvis Conspiracy
MJ Conspiracy
Post-KPG-Dinosaurs
Superheroes ( Superhero laws too. Even though they are not any were, on the internet at least. It’s only brought up when he dismisses my attempts to make him prove his position. )
Cartoons ( I think? )
Spells
Cruses
Transformation
Power rangers ( he and his "brother" Mathew are power rangers, at least that what he says )
Half human, half alien ( think Doctor Who )
Were-x (half human half animal)
Human Genetic Modification ( Told me about injecting t-rex DNA into himself and becoming a T-rex or something. )
Spirit Animals ( Spirit of the wolf, t-rex, etc. )
Super Intelligence ( smarter than everyone.)
Super Strength (able to lift tonnes? IDK really know.)
Skylanders
Monsters
An afterlife ( remember you can believe in an afterlife and not be religious. )
Demons
Angels
Telekinetic powers ( I think? )
Digimon
Pokemon
Dimensional Travel and Dimensions ( fantasy ones, mostly . Does not specify a mechanism. This is true for most of this stuff anyway.)
Time Travel
Doctor Who
Immortality
Dimensional Agelessness ( He only ages in this realm not the other ones. )
Dimensional Forms ( His human form is in this realm. You get the idea. )
Potions
Apocalypse of mankind ( zombie, etc. Just told me Today that “there is no hope for you humans.”)
Absolute power ( able to destroy everyone, do anything he wants, etc.)
Alchemy, etc
Anything in fiction, basically. ( wouldn’t be surprised if he believe more. )
What Cody Ray Steen is elitist about ( not exactly relevant, but a nice addition ):
Music ( 80’s is the best, non-christian music is bad, etc. )
Religion ( Atheists are bad, hate god, are jealous, etc. )
What Cody Ray Steen does to dismiss questions and pulls for proof or evidence of his position:
Shifts burdens of proof ( “that's what you need to find out” He doesn’t even specify what website or place to goto to find out.)
Ad hoc ( “Its all top secret”, “superhero law”, “I can’t do that (even though I just said it), because of x or y”, etc )
What Cody Ray Steen does not believe in:
“Human” Science (I.e Real science)
“Human” Logic
“Human” Knowledge (I.e things that we can show )
“Human” Anything ( aka Anything that contradicts his beliefs)
:jaw-dropp
No really. He is not a poe. He is serious about these things.
Cause hope, emotions, the future is scary, etc. Not good reasons for anyone to believe in anything.
I guess he was really indoctrinated. I bet he didn’t even learn what logic, science or how respect the fact that their music tastes, are not things to criticized. He is also the son of a pastor, specifically the Wesleyan one in Liberty Center and even when to the Creation Museum
in Cincinnati, Ohio. Also, a’lot of petty insults, such as “you know nothing about X” or making stupid faces or movements when I was asking him questions, etc. He has a brother named Ryan. I don’t really know if Cody believes in a hell, but Ryan definitely does. Both of them have ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Not them excuses him from believing improbable claims on little or no evidence. After all, the person that typed this post is on the spectrum and Cody even has friends and a girlfriend.
The Law of God
Christ Came to Fulfill the Law: ESV
Mt 5.17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
It is written The Law or the prophets, not the Moses law, that's the error you do. He was talking about the Law to love your neighbour as yourself:
Mt 7.The Golden Rule
12 "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets
You see the same two words: Law and Prophets
The same thing says in Luke, the golden rule:
Luke 6.31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
This is a version of the golden rule to love your neighbor as yourself
The Great Commandment
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
You see when Jesus talks about the Law he talks about the Law to love your neighbor as yourself and you find the same words again as in Mt 5: The Law Prophets
Here again, when he talks about The Law, not the Moses law, the Law he talks about the Law to love your neighbor as yourself.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Luke 10.25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" 27 And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."
Here is an exemple where he talks about the Moses law:
John 7.23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."
When Jesus talks about the Law, he talks about the Law to love your neighbor as yourself, when he talks about the law of Moses He specifies it. Then in Mt 5 he talks about the Law to love your neighbour as yourself, the Law he fulfilled and accomplished. Jesus couldn't accomplish the law of Moses because it comes from Satan.
Mt 5.17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
It is written The Law or the prophets, not the Moses law, that's the error you do. He was talking about the Law to love your neighbour as yourself:
Mt 7.The Golden Rule
12 "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets
You see the same two words: Law and Prophets
The same thing says in Luke, the golden rule:
Luke 6.31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
This is a version of the golden rule to love your neighbor as yourself
The Great Commandment
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
You see when Jesus talks about the Law he talks about the Law to love your neighbor as yourself and you find the same words again as in Mt 5: The Law Prophets
Here again, when he talks about The Law, not the Moses law, the Law he talks about the Law to love your neighbor as yourself.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Luke 10.25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" 27 And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."
Here is an exemple where he talks about the Moses law:
John 7.23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."
When Jesus talks about the Law, he talks about the Law to love your neighbor as yourself, when he talks about the law of Moses He specifies it. Then in Mt 5 he talks about the Law to love your neighbour as yourself, the Law he fulfilled and accomplished. Jesus couldn't accomplish the law of Moses because it comes from Satan.
The Hacking of the American Mind
The Hacking of the American Mind:
The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains
Robert H. Lustig, M.D
Yes, it's a book, but you can capture the essence of the thesis in this lecture:
[yt]x4sRsb0a30Y[/yt]
Why do investment bankers care whether we are eating carbohydrates or fats?
Fat: The New Health Paradigm
It should be obvious why the pharmaceutical industry is concerned that statins may no longer be golden ticket that it once was.
However, when one door closes, another one opens, and a new drug for the next big self inflicted disease will take up the slack.
The cholesterol and calorie hypotheses are both dead — it is time to focus on the real culprit: insulin resistance
He proposes how the food and tech industries have made us addicted to their products, and provides some compelling science ( IMO ) to back it up.
It is all about dopamine and serotonin.
He discusses how various chemicals ( sugar, drugs )and products ( social media ) trigger dopamine release and create addictions.
Some key points:
1) Reward is not contentment, and pleasure is not happiness
2) Reward is dopamine, and contentment is serotonin
3) Chronic excess reward interferes with contentment
4) Chronic stress drives reward at the expense of contentment
5) Business has intentionally conflated pleasure with happiness,
specifically to get you to buy its junk or engage in hedonistic behaviors
that are profitable to them
6) Government legislation and Supreme Court decisions have made
it easier to buy that junk or engage in those behaviors
7) Individuals and society have become fat, sick, stupid, broke,
addicted, depressed, and most decidedly unhappy
It's hard to look around you and deny that this is happening.
How much do you anticipate returning to these discussions, to see what someone has to say about the intellectual bombshell you just dropped?:D
The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains
Robert H. Lustig, M.D
Yes, it's a book, but you can capture the essence of the thesis in this lecture:
[yt]x4sRsb0a30Y[/yt]
Why do investment bankers care whether we are eating carbohydrates or fats?
Fat: The New Health Paradigm
It should be obvious why the pharmaceutical industry is concerned that statins may no longer be golden ticket that it once was.
However, when one door closes, another one opens, and a new drug for the next big self inflicted disease will take up the slack.
The cholesterol and calorie hypotheses are both dead — it is time to focus on the real culprit: insulin resistance
He proposes how the food and tech industries have made us addicted to their products, and provides some compelling science ( IMO ) to back it up.
It is all about dopamine and serotonin.
He discusses how various chemicals ( sugar, drugs )and products ( social media ) trigger dopamine release and create addictions.
Some key points:
1) Reward is not contentment, and pleasure is not happiness
2) Reward is dopamine, and contentment is serotonin
3) Chronic excess reward interferes with contentment
4) Chronic stress drives reward at the expense of contentment
5) Business has intentionally conflated pleasure with happiness,
specifically to get you to buy its junk or engage in hedonistic behaviors
that are profitable to them
6) Government legislation and Supreme Court decisions have made
it easier to buy that junk or engage in those behaviors
7) Individuals and society have become fat, sick, stupid, broke,
addicted, depressed, and most decidedly unhappy
It's hard to look around you and deny that this is happening.
How much do you anticipate returning to these discussions, to see what someone has to say about the intellectual bombshell you just dropped?:D
Earrings
Here is another one of my "Jodie Stories" for your review:
This past Friday I went to a local Italian place for lunch with five other coworkers. Our waitress was a pleasant young lady who had a Daith piercing for migraines. One of my coworkers that suffers from migraines asked the waitress how well the piercing worked since she suffers from migraines. The waitress said that she had constant migraines prior to getting her Daith piercing and that the piercing helped reduce those migraines to 2-3 per week ( I can't imagine how awful that must be since I have a couple of migraine headaches per year).
Anyway, the waitress left and we were discussing where to go to get a Daith piercing, then the conversation drifted off to other topics. We were there for a couple of hours, the lunch crowd had dwindled down, and we had the room to ourselves. As we were talking and gossiping we heard something fall, hit the tile floor behind Becky, who was sitting directly across from me. We looked to see if something fell out of her purse but didn't find anything. Ten minutes later, a cheap earring falls onto Becky's arm. We looked up at the ceiling, it was smooth, there was no where it could have dropped from, there was no one else in the banquet room with us. Annie Ruth decides to look on the floor again to see if she can locate what fell on the floor 10 minutes earlier and she finds another ear ring, not matching. We left them on the table and paid our bills, and left with the mystery unsolved.
Where do you think the earrings came from? Any logical explanations for this odd occurrence?
This past Friday I went to a local Italian place for lunch with five other coworkers. Our waitress was a pleasant young lady who had a Daith piercing for migraines. One of my coworkers that suffers from migraines asked the waitress how well the piercing worked since she suffers from migraines. The waitress said that she had constant migraines prior to getting her Daith piercing and that the piercing helped reduce those migraines to 2-3 per week ( I can't imagine how awful that must be since I have a couple of migraine headaches per year).
Anyway, the waitress left and we were discussing where to go to get a Daith piercing, then the conversation drifted off to other topics. We were there for a couple of hours, the lunch crowd had dwindled down, and we had the room to ourselves. As we were talking and gossiping we heard something fall, hit the tile floor behind Becky, who was sitting directly across from me. We looked to see if something fell out of her purse but didn't find anything. Ten minutes later, a cheap earring falls onto Becky's arm. We looked up at the ceiling, it was smooth, there was no where it could have dropped from, there was no one else in the banquet room with us. Annie Ruth decides to look on the floor again to see if she can locate what fell on the floor 10 minutes earlier and she finds another ear ring, not matching. We left them on the table and paid our bills, and left with the mystery unsolved.
Where do you think the earrings came from? Any logical explanations for this odd occurrence?
samedi 21 avril 2018
Free trade agreements for Britain
Who will be the first to sign an FTA with the UK ?
My guess is Canada.
My guess is Canada.
It's not class it's race
Depressing NYT article showing that even the richest black families struggle to pass their wealth through the generations
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...black-men.html
For example:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...black-men.html
For example:
Quote:
|
As this chart shows, a black man raised by two parents together in the 90th percentile — making around $140,000 a year — earns about the same in adulthood as a white man raised by a single mother making $60,000 alone. |
vendredi 20 avril 2018
David Copperfield forced to reveal trick's secret in court.
I'm not linking to the story as there is a risk of spoilers. I myself turned off the audio on the TV when it appeared that it was a long segment and they were going to give it away to the viewers. I saw reporters smirking at the end.
Apparently he was sued because an audience member was injured in the course of the performance.
Apparently he was sued because an audience member was injured in the course of the performance.
PhiAqua: Golden Mean/Ratio water good for health?
You guys are going to love this one::D
https://www.phiaqua.com/
https://www.phiaqua.com/
Quote:
|
Golden Ratio (ˈɡōldən/ /ˈrāSHēˌō) 1. also known as the divine proportion, golden mean, or golden section, is a number often encountered when taking the ratios of distances in simple geometric figures such as the pentagon, pentagram, decagon and dodecahedron. We have reinvented water. It has now been scientifically tested and proven that water stores memory. Imagine the ability to program your water with a variety of benefits and then drink those benefits. PhiAqua™ is currently the most advanced water device known to mankind and is in its final phases of development. Sign up below to be notified when it will be available. |
Democratic Party sues Russia, Trump campaign, Wikileaks...
Democratic Party files suit alleging Russia, the Trump campaign, and WikiLeaks conspired to disrupt the 2016 election
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/20/demo...on-report.html
I think this is a silly waste of time and money, but maybe it will be entertaining?
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/20/demo...on-report.html
I think this is a silly waste of time and money, but maybe it will be entertaining?
Bill Clinton & The Vince Foster affair
Found this on the RW discord:
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cl...-vince-foster/
From what I read on the discord, this seems to be the new circle-jerk for CTers who believe in the "Clinton Killer family" CT. They believe that Clinton is responsible for Foster's suicide. I find that hard to believe, but nutters will always be nutters. :rolleyes:
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cl...-vince-foster/
From what I read on the discord, this seems to be the new circle-jerk for CTers who believe in the "Clinton Killer family" CT. They believe that Clinton is responsible for Foster's suicide. I find that hard to believe, but nutters will always be nutters. :rolleyes:
jeudi 19 avril 2018
Remember when that river in Ohio caught fire? Today it's plastic 'bergs'.
BBC: Giant plastic 'berg blocks Indonesian river
Lots of pics.
Quote:
|
A crisis of plastic waste in Indonesia has become so acute that the army has been called in to help. Rivers and canals are clogged with dense masses of bottles, bags and other plastic packaging. Officials say they are engaged in a "battle" against waste that accumulates as quickly as they clear it. The commander of a military unit in the city of Bandung described it as "our biggest enemy". Like many rapidly developing countries, Indonesia has become notorious for struggling to cope with mountains of rubbish. |
Quick Hit
yuno44907@mail.com I am god. I want to live in your home. Earths magnetic field is alive, electric is life. Rich people are stealing electric from Earth by using power plants and that turning Earth to desert. Half of Earth is already became desert and people buying food from other countries. Climate Change is happening because of 9 billion humans. 3 police killed 14 years old girl in police station. Everybody lying to you, your doctor want to kill you. Rich people are mafia, they stealing money from you and getting rich by making you work free. Youtube and google hiding the truth everyone is a spy; everyone is satanist. If i work in Turkey they pay 1 euro for hour; if i work in Germany they pay 10 euro for hour. There is no reason for being slave. Dont beg to women, dont give money to women; women are tiny stupid humans without Y dna and they are slave. yuno44907@mail.com
Sandy Hook parents sue Alex Jones
Parents of Sandy Hook victims, fed up with Alex Jones' lying about them, have filed suit for $1,000,000+.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/17/b...andy-hook.html
Sounds like they're letting him off cheap. Maybe start at $100 million and negotiate down?
Quote:
|
Three parents whose children were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 filed a defamation lawsuit on Tuesday against Alex Jones, the right-wing conspiracy theorist who has long claimed the shooting was “completely fake” and a “giant hoax” perpetrated by opponents of the Second Amendment. |
Sounds like they're letting him off cheap. Maybe start at $100 million and negotiate down?
Lights turn themselves on
It has been a long time since I have posted on this forum but there is something going on that I thought you fine people could help with.
I have some battery operated fairy lights set up in my living room that my wife and I like to use to create ambiance. They are simple LED lights that run on AA batteries with an on/off switch. Some, I think, have a "blink" setting on the switch but we never use that. They do not have a timer.
Sometimes these lights just come on on their own. As in, they are off when I leave the house to go for a walk or run an errand, and then when I return they are on - with no one else home. Normally, I could think prank here, but I have actually seen them come on on their own while I am there. My wife and watching a show or a movie and then suddenly they all turn on.
I am baffled. I simply can't think of a rational explanation for this.
Can any of you?
Thanks.
I have some battery operated fairy lights set up in my living room that my wife and I like to use to create ambiance. They are simple LED lights that run on AA batteries with an on/off switch. Some, I think, have a "blink" setting on the switch but we never use that. They do not have a timer.
Sometimes these lights just come on on their own. As in, they are off when I leave the house to go for a walk or run an errand, and then when I return they are on - with no one else home. Normally, I could think prank here, but I have actually seen them come on on their own while I am there. My wife and watching a show or a movie and then suddenly they all turn on.
I am baffled. I simply can't think of a rational explanation for this.
Can any of you?
Thanks.
mercredi 18 avril 2018
I'm surprised Truthers don't doubt the WTC ever existed
Given that the cult of Trutherdom many people are no planers and have a questionable grip on reality- how deep down the rabbit hole does the delusion go? I have encountered Truthers who thought the events in NY were 'Hollwood production' so presumably they think the collapse of the Twin Towers never happened, and was just a made for tv CGI event. Are there Truthers who go a step further and question if the WTC ever existed?
iPhone battery replacement
...has anyone had it done?
I have an appointment on Friday for my sluggish iPhone 6. A quick Google or two showed all sorts of varied reports on the results, so I thought I'd ask here.
I have an appointment on Friday for my sluggish iPhone 6. A quick Google or two showed all sorts of varied reports on the results, so I thought I'd ask here.
Turns out the CT's were right all along
NSA Admits Everything is a Conspiracy. Really. Everything. Conspiracy Theorists Not Convinced.
http://thesciencepost.com/nsa-confir...not-convinced/
http://thesciencepost.com/nsa-confir...not-convinced/
Could most "dark matter" be ordinary black holes?
So recently Columbia University found about a dozen black hole binaries in the immediate vicinity of Sagittarius A* (i.e., at the centre of our galaxy). As in, within 3.3 light-years. And statistically this means there could be as many as 10,000 or more non-binary black holes around there. Which is a HUGE increase over what we kew before not just in that area (up from a total of exactly 1 we knew about before: Sagittarius A*), but even for the whole galaxy.
What's more interesting, this could apply not only to the centre of the galaxy. Wherever you have a massive enough black hole, you could have such a "density cusp" of other black holes orbitting it.
So I'm thinking (which tends to be a bad omen.) Could a lot more of the "missing mass" be simply in black holes, and a lot less of it in non-baryonic particles?
What are the arguments against that kind of an universe?
What's more interesting, this could apply not only to the centre of the galaxy. Wherever you have a massive enough black hole, you could have such a "density cusp" of other black holes orbitting it.
So I'm thinking (which tends to be a bad omen.) Could a lot more of the "missing mass" be simply in black holes, and a lot less of it in non-baryonic particles?
What are the arguments against that kind of an universe?
mardi 17 avril 2018
SW Airlines catastrophic in-flight engine failure
Debris penetrated hull, broke window. Passenger apparently stuck in window.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Da_2f2hXUAAATES.jpg:large
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b7...swmufifqm.jpeg
http://6abc.com/live-southwest-plane...t-phl/3356147/
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news...480008613.html
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Da_2f2hXUAAATES.jpg:large
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b7...swmufifqm.jpeg
http://6abc.com/live-southwest-plane...t-phl/3356147/
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news...480008613.html
Leela Chess Zero
Im guessing you've all heard of googles alpha chess zero. well theres a crowd sourced attempt at building something similar and they're looking for help with some computing power
https://github.com/glinscott/leela-chess/wiki
im not affiliated with this but thought some people here might be interested in helping
https://github.com/glinscott/leela-chess/wiki
im not affiliated with this but thought some people here might be interested in helping
Massive deposits of multiple rare earth metals found on Japanese Island
I think that people aren't getting how much of a big deal this could potentially be.
CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/16/asia/...rnd/index.html
Quote:
|
A small island in the Pacific Ocean is the site of a huge discovery that could change Japan's economic future. How huge? One economist called it a "game changer." The researchers who helped find it said it had "tremendous potential." It's mud. A whole bunch of mud -- an estimated 16 million tons, to be exact. And in that mud, there are massive, "semi-infinite" stores of valuable rare earth minerals. |
Rapper wins Pulitzer prize for music
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-43789936
Kendrick Lamar wins Pulitzer Prize for music
First time it has gone to a non classical or jazz artist.
Lord knows I am a music snob. But I will grant I enjoy a bit of the spoken word/rap crossover stuff.
I skimmed a bit of the album. hmmmm. I just don't get it. I suppose it does offer "affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life".
Is that enough? Or is this a political/cultural/inclusive kind of action?
Discuss. :)
Kendrick Lamar wins Pulitzer Prize for music
First time it has gone to a non classical or jazz artist.
Lord knows I am a music snob. But I will grant I enjoy a bit of the spoken word/rap crossover stuff.
I skimmed a bit of the album. hmmmm. I just don't get it. I suppose it does offer "affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life".
Is that enough? Or is this a political/cultural/inclusive kind of action?
Discuss. :)
The Windrush legacy
BBC News: Windrush generation - May to meet Caribbean leaders after apology
"Prime Minister Theresa May will seek to reassure Caribbean leaders later that the Windrush generation will not be deported over paperwork issues.
The government has apologised after it emerged that some people who arrived from the Commonwealth decades ago as children were now being incorrectly identified as illegal immigrants.
The home secretary has announced a new taskforce to help those affected."
----------
After the first rumblings of the "Albert Thompson" case a few weeks back, the issue of undocumented child migrants who arrived in the UK from the Commonwealth up to the 1970s seems to have exploded quite spectacularly.
Clearly this is a situation that needs to be sorted out quickly and humanely, but I'm a bit troubled by politicians falling over themselves to either abjectly apologise for it (cf. Amber Rudd), or make out this is some massive injustice (cf. David Lammy).
We are talking about people who have been in the country for 40 years and upwards, who are more than aware that they were born abroad, and yet have never regularised their nationality status, even though by definition there seem to have been a much larger number who did that long ago.
It stands to reason that none of them have ever left/returned to the UK since they first arrived, as they won't have had passports. Sure, not all of the UK population take holidays abroad, but a hell of a lot do. How many were avoiding that, because they knew perfectly well that their status was unclear?
It seems to me that the bulk of those affected may well have been sticking their heads in the sand for decades, avoiding the issue, and hoping their own status never came to light. Most of them could probably have avoided the sort of unpleasant and overbearing attention they have recently experienced at the hands of immigration authorities of late.
"Prime Minister Theresa May will seek to reassure Caribbean leaders later that the Windrush generation will not be deported over paperwork issues.
The government has apologised after it emerged that some people who arrived from the Commonwealth decades ago as children were now being incorrectly identified as illegal immigrants.
The home secretary has announced a new taskforce to help those affected."
----------
After the first rumblings of the "Albert Thompson" case a few weeks back, the issue of undocumented child migrants who arrived in the UK from the Commonwealth up to the 1970s seems to have exploded quite spectacularly.
Clearly this is a situation that needs to be sorted out quickly and humanely, but I'm a bit troubled by politicians falling over themselves to either abjectly apologise for it (cf. Amber Rudd), or make out this is some massive injustice (cf. David Lammy).
We are talking about people who have been in the country for 40 years and upwards, who are more than aware that they were born abroad, and yet have never regularised their nationality status, even though by definition there seem to have been a much larger number who did that long ago.
It stands to reason that none of them have ever left/returned to the UK since they first arrived, as they won't have had passports. Sure, not all of the UK population take holidays abroad, but a hell of a lot do. How many were avoiding that, because they knew perfectly well that their status was unclear?
It seems to me that the bulk of those affected may well have been sticking their heads in the sand for decades, avoiding the issue, and hoping their own status never came to light. Most of them could probably have avoided the sort of unpleasant and overbearing attention they have recently experienced at the hands of immigration authorities of late.
lundi 16 avril 2018
(The underrated) Harry Anderson has died.
The Night Court judge and underrated magician/comedian died at the age of 65 in his home in Asheville, NC.
Enzyme: a break-through in plastic recycling.
PETase has evolved in little more than 50 years to break down plastic, and now scientists have tweaked it a little to improve its efficiency. I could help to break down more plastics which aren't currently recycled, and to improve the recycling efficiency of plastics that can already be recycled.
If anyone has a link to a more scientific publication on the matter I's appreciate it, but here is the BBC article.
If anyone has a link to a more scientific publication on the matter I's appreciate it, but here is the BBC article.
The Civil War never ended.
The writer speaks with a historian and contends, with evidence, that the Old South never stopped fighting the Civil War.
https://www.salon.com/2018/04/16/was...the-civil-war/
Quote:
|
The Republican Party, as I have contended on many previous occasions, is America's largest white identity organization. From the racist backlash against the civil rights movement to the election of Donald Trump, the Republican Party has betrayed the legacy of Abraham Lincoln and is now fully the torchbearer for Jeffers on Davis and the heirs of the Southern slaveocracy. |
dimanche 15 avril 2018
Phosphorus is rare in the Universe and this may explain why we have not discovered Ai
I read an article that claimed that Phosphorus is essential for life is rare in the Universe. we have a lot of it but that was caused by a giant exploding star. There have been similar explosions of stars which didn't produce that much of this essential substance.
If we are ever able to reach the far distant galaxies we may have to bring phosphorus with us.
Thoughts?
If we are ever able to reach the far distant galaxies we may have to bring phosphorus with us.
Thoughts?
Self-Immolation By Gay Rights Lawyer
Prominent Gay Rights Lawyer Dies After Setting Himself On Fire In New York Park
Quote:
|
David S. Buckel's charred remains were found in a New York park, The New York Times reported. In a letter Buckel emailed to the publication and other media outlets earlier that day, he wrote, "Honorable purpose in life invites honorable purpose in death." |
DOJ/FBI scandal
Here’s a good summary of this scandal that has it all. With the added bonus of the Clintons.
https://www.investorvillage.com/smbd...g&mid=18186731
From 2001 to 2005 there was an ongoing investigation into the Clinton Foundation.
A Grand Jury had been empaneled.
Governments from around the world had donated to the “Charity”.
Yet, from 2001 to 2003 none of those “Donations” to the Clinton Foundation were declared.
Hmmm, now you would think that an honest investigator would be able to figure this out.
Guess who took over this investigation in 2002?
Bet you can’t guess.
No other than James “Wassup Homey” Comey.
https://www.investorvillage.com/smbd...g&mid=18186731
From 2001 to 2005 there was an ongoing investigation into the Clinton Foundation.
A Grand Jury had been empaneled.
Governments from around the world had donated to the “Charity”.
Yet, from 2001 to 2003 none of those “Donations” to the Clinton Foundation were declared.
Hmmm, now you would think that an honest investigator would be able to figure this out.
Guess who took over this investigation in 2002?
Bet you can’t guess.
No other than James “Wassup Homey” Comey.
YHWH was a god of smiths
Note to mods - I think this is more history than religion...
https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/...eory-1.5992072
It points out that smithing deities are often associated with vulcanic features (clue in the name) and also presents a counter argument (which I had come across before) that YHWH was more likely to have been a storm god, like Bel.
It certainly has some coincidences.
https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/...eory-1.5992072
Quote:
|
The cult of YHWH as god of metallurgy originated among semi-nomadic copper smelters between the Bronze and Iron Age, suggests biblical scholar: And he was not worshipped only by Jews By Ariel David Apr 11, 2018 |
Quote:
|
Fire and brimstone Most scholars already believe that the cult of Yahweh first emerged somewhere in the southern Levant, partly based on Egyptian texts from the late second millennium B.C.E. These documents describe groups of Canaanite nomads collectively known as Shasu, including one tribe named Shasu Yhw(h) – perhaps the first recorded Yahweh worshippers in history. The Bible itself may contain a memory of this southern origin of Yahweh, as it tells us explicitly that God “came from Teman” (Habbakuk 3:3) or that he “went out of Seir” and “marched out of Edom” (Judges 5:4-5) – all toponyms associated with the area ranging from Sinai to the Negev and northern Arabia. |
It certainly has some coincidences.
That Starbucks thing
So, any thoughts on the new Starbucks policy of not being allowed to be black and sitting around waiting for a friend?
samedi 14 avril 2018
Alex Jones Finally Breaks With Trump...
over the Syrian airstrikes.
And of course it is just a coincidence that Jones in on Russia Today's payroll as a commentator/consultant....
And of course it is just a coincidence that Jones in on Russia Today's payroll as a commentator/consultant....
A new word: Egyptrollory
http://www.hallofmaat.com/read.php?2,617336
On another website the Hall of Ma'at one Rick Baude has introduced a new word.
Spread the word
On another website the Hall of Ma'at one Rick Baude has introduced a new word.
Quote:
|
What is Egyptrollogy? It's where trolls with virtually no knowledge of Egyptology. Take a look at the great Pyramid for 5 minutes and say that it's the product of an advanced civilization. Without every answering the question of why an advanced civilization would use limestone blocks and primitive mortar to glue it together, instead of exotic composite materials that would defy modern analysis. |
Child marriage laws in the United States
//Mods - I thought we had a discussion about this already but I couldn't find it, so please feel free to merge/delete/move as deemed necessary if there was one.//
So child marriage has been in the back in the news here in the old US of A in the last few months so...
Basically the general age of marriage in the US is 18 which is more or less the defacto "Age of Adulthood" in the US. Two states have slightly higher age requirement for marriage, with Nebraska's at 19 and Mississippi at 21. So that's not that crazy.
But, and here's where the weirdness and ickyness start, almost all states have some exception written into laws where people can get married at a younger age (ranging from 17-13 with about half the states not codifying a specific lower age in law) in cases of pregnancy, emancipation and/or parental or judicial permission with the exception granted ranging from pretty much any judge to the state Supreme Court level. One state, New Hampshire, still has different legal standards for males and females. Males can get married at 14 with parental consent, females at 13.
But that is just what is legally possible and plenty of places have laws that are "technically" creepy and to be honest these laws aren't that far off the European Unions laws which also have a 18 year old age of marriage with each individual member state having slightly lower ages only similar special cases.
Unsurprisingly the vast majority of underage marriages are girls. And only a tiny percentage are between two children so.... yeah adult men marrying girls is really what this is all about on a statistical level.
And also unsurprisingly this is most common in American deep south and seems to have a lot of religious motivation behind it.
So the numbers.
//Caveat. Unless otherwise noted I will use "marriage" only to refer to marriages which are legally recognized by a secular government. Things like purely religious marriages, cults, arraigned marriages, and marriages in places where there really isn't a fully functioning government and marriages is handled on a tribal/religious level, etc are their own thing//
- Near as I can tell New Hampshire's 13 year old limit for females and the 23 states that don't have a limit is... pretty much the lowest codified legal limit for marriage age I can find anywhere in the world.
- The youngest marriages I can find reputable reference to in the "recent" is 3 cases of 10 year old girls getting married to men in their early 20s in 2001 in Tennessee. Which is just... ewwww.
- Roughly 200,000 people under the age of 18 have entered in a legal wedding contract in the US in the last 15 years.
So.... why? What's the purpose of this? Is this really something we need anymore? Does the "Exceptions" clauses on the marriage age really need to be a thing these days?
Is there some valid reason for this I'm missing?
So child marriage has been in the back in the news here in the old US of A in the last few months so...
Basically the general age of marriage in the US is 18 which is more or less the defacto "Age of Adulthood" in the US. Two states have slightly higher age requirement for marriage, with Nebraska's at 19 and Mississippi at 21. So that's not that crazy.
But, and here's where the weirdness and ickyness start, almost all states have some exception written into laws where people can get married at a younger age (ranging from 17-13 with about half the states not codifying a specific lower age in law) in cases of pregnancy, emancipation and/or parental or judicial permission with the exception granted ranging from pretty much any judge to the state Supreme Court level. One state, New Hampshire, still has different legal standards for males and females. Males can get married at 14 with parental consent, females at 13.
But that is just what is legally possible and plenty of places have laws that are "technically" creepy and to be honest these laws aren't that far off the European Unions laws which also have a 18 year old age of marriage with each individual member state having slightly lower ages only similar special cases.
Unsurprisingly the vast majority of underage marriages are girls. And only a tiny percentage are between two children so.... yeah adult men marrying girls is really what this is all about on a statistical level.
And also unsurprisingly this is most common in American deep south and seems to have a lot of religious motivation behind it.
So the numbers.
//Caveat. Unless otherwise noted I will use "marriage" only to refer to marriages which are legally recognized by a secular government. Things like purely religious marriages, cults, arraigned marriages, and marriages in places where there really isn't a fully functioning government and marriages is handled on a tribal/religious level, etc are their own thing//
- Near as I can tell New Hampshire's 13 year old limit for females and the 23 states that don't have a limit is... pretty much the lowest codified legal limit for marriage age I can find anywhere in the world.
- The youngest marriages I can find reputable reference to in the "recent" is 3 cases of 10 year old girls getting married to men in their early 20s in 2001 in Tennessee. Which is just... ewwww.
- Roughly 200,000 people under the age of 18 have entered in a legal wedding contract in the US in the last 15 years.
So.... why? What's the purpose of this? Is this really something we need anymore? Does the "Exceptions" clauses on the marriage age really need to be a thing these days?
Is there some valid reason for this I'm missing?
vendredi 13 avril 2018
Cryptocurrency (dun dun dun!)
With John Oliver's latest piece on Cryptocurrency, and the rave dying down around it I figured I'd drop in to see how users around here are involved. That is, if they are involved at all.
I do end to end network support including desktop, server, etc. I love technology and utilize it as much as I can, but a programmer I am not. The intricacies of blockchain technology, and the inner workings of the programs aren't my forte. That being said, it's fun to dabble around in the market. I personally hold on to a few hundred XRP (Ripple) coins, same with it's sister coin Stellar Lumens.
Just to save everyone the headache and ********, can we just keep this to people that are interested in it? If you want to **** talk cryptocurrencies, please just start your own thread. I don't want to hear about how it's a passing fad and the like. I'm more curious with what people that are interested and partake in the market have figured out.
I do end to end network support including desktop, server, etc. I love technology and utilize it as much as I can, but a programmer I am not. The intricacies of blockchain technology, and the inner workings of the programs aren't my forte. That being said, it's fun to dabble around in the market. I personally hold on to a few hundred XRP (Ripple) coins, same with it's sister coin Stellar Lumens.
Just to save everyone the headache and ********, can we just keep this to people that are interested in it? If you want to **** talk cryptocurrencies, please just start your own thread. I don't want to hear about how it's a passing fad and the like. I'm more curious with what people that are interested and partake in the market have figured out.
jeudi 12 avril 2018
Another UK child abuse cover up report released
The report into the decades of abuse in a school has been released https://www.iicsa.org.uk/news/indepe...ochdale-report
Makes it clear the various reports were absolutely correct, confirming decades long rumours.
Many people knew of this abuse, I heard rumours of Smith’s preferences for boys back in the 1980s. I can remember rather bad taste comments saying that the Libs and Tories could never work together as Smith and Britton couldn’t agree on who got the kids.
Have we really learnt how to stop these abuse of authorities? I sadly don’t think we have, still too much partisanship and more concern about the "institution" rather than the victims.
Makes it clear the various reports were absolutely correct, confirming decades long rumours.
Many people knew of this abuse, I heard rumours of Smith’s preferences for boys back in the 1980s. I can remember rather bad taste comments saying that the Libs and Tories could never work together as Smith and Britton couldn’t agree on who got the kids.
Have we really learnt how to stop these abuse of authorities? I sadly don’t think we have, still too much partisanship and more concern about the "institution" rather than the victims.
Question identifying an Indian bird
Would anyone who is knowledgeable in birds be able to identify the creature in this image?
It comes from a 1828 book here:
http://www.splrarebooks.com/flipbook...om-designs-ta/
The link goes to the cover of the book the image is on page 30/50
Is it some sort of pelican?
Thanks
It comes from a 1828 book here:
http://www.splrarebooks.com/flipbook...om-designs-ta/
The link goes to the cover of the book the image is on page 30/50
Is it some sort of pelican?
Thanks
Fox News reports end of the world on 23/04/2018. Cause? Planet X of course.
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/...gist-says.html
Question, is everyone that works for Fox News, a Tin foiler and/or a woo-believer?
Also, the commentary section is filled with cancer, beware.
Fun fact: I saw someone posting that it's fake and that Religion is a scam and comment was removed within 15 sec. :p
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Fox Cancer
Is the Rapture finally here? One Christian numerologist says a biblical sign strongly suggests it.
David Meade tells the U.K.'s Daily Express newspaper that on April 23, the sun and moon will be in Virgo, as will Jupiter, which represents the Messiah. For a certain branch of evangelical Christianity, Revelation 12:1–2 describes the beginning of what is known as the Rapture and the second coming of Christ. The passage reads: “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of 12 stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.” In the passage, the woman is represented as Virgo. According to Meade, the alignment represents “the Lion of the tribe of Judah,” marking the Rapture, the belief that Christ will bring the faithful into paradise prior to a period of tribulation on earth that precedes the end of time. Meade said he believes the so-called Planet X, which is also known as Nibiru, will appear above the sky on the April date, causing volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and earthquakes. NASA repeatedly has said Planet X is a hoax. Speaking to the Express, Meade described it as “a unique once-in-a-century sign exactly as depicted in the 12th chapter of Revelation. This is our time marker.” However, author Jonathan Sarfati remains skeptical. He told the Express: “As usual with any astrology (or Christian adaptations of it), one cherry-picks the stars that fit the desired conclusion. “There is nothing to suggest that April 23 is a momentous date for biblical prophecy, and Christians need to be careful about being drawn into such sensationalist claims. “We won’t know the day or the hour — so we should be prepared at all times!” The Associated Press contributed to this report. |
Also, the commentary section is filled with cancer, beware.
Fun fact: I saw someone posting that it's fake and that Religion is a scam and comment was removed within 15 sec. :p
mercredi 11 avril 2018
Pennsylvania school district arms teachers....
With baseball bats. Not even full size bats, the little 16” souvenir bats.
(NBC News)
Meanwhile, another district is giving out buckets of rocks, presumably to throw at AR-15 armed shooters....
I certainly would feel more comfortable if I had a kid in school.
(NBC News)
Meanwhile, another district is giving out buckets of rocks, presumably to throw at AR-15 armed shooters....
I certainly would feel more comfortable if I had a kid in school.
Gulf Stream is "weakening dramatically".
The Gulf Stream, which keeps western Europe warm, is weakening dramatically.
Nature.
Some predictions have this leading to colder winters, even a mini-ice-age, in northern Europe, despite global temperatures rising.
IFLScience
Teh Gradiaun
The Independent
Nature.
Some predictions have this leading to colder winters, even a mini-ice-age, in northern Europe, despite global temperatures rising.
IFLScience
Teh Gradiaun
The Independent
Next War: Iran, North Korea, or Russia?
Seems that Trump has decided to prove that there was no collusion with Russia by getting into a war with them over Syria. Hold onto your hats folks.
Three men in a CSM named Odyssey...
Today, though most people aren't aware of it, is the forty-seventh anniversary of the launch of Apollo 13 (wiki), at 19:13 UTC
the lunar mission that came close to disaster. 56 hours after launch (that's about 3AM on Saturday) an accident in the hydrogen/oxygen tanks for the fuel cells left the Service Module without electrical power.
Thanks to considerable human ingenuity the three men would arrive back on Earth alive and (mostly) well.
[yt]GbL3oNEDvJ0[/yt]
the lunar mission that came close to disaster. 56 hours after launch (that's about 3AM on Saturday) an accident in the hydrogen/oxygen tanks for the fuel cells left the Service Module without electrical power.
Thanks to considerable human ingenuity the three men would arrive back on Earth alive and (mostly) well.
[yt]GbL3oNEDvJ0[/yt]
The Failures of Anti-Trumpism
From https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/09/o...publicans.html
Quote:
|
Forum idea
Could we interview people from time to time, like ATS did here?
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread976579/pg1
Note the admin message at the bottom of the first post in bold, about "admin note: This is the "real" Dr. Aquino and he is our invited guest and is graciously giving his time to our community, respect and politeness are mandatory. " etc.
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread976579/pg1
Note the admin message at the bottom of the first post in bold, about "admin note: This is the "real" Dr. Aquino and he is our invited guest and is graciously giving his time to our community, respect and politeness are mandatory. " etc.
mardi 10 avril 2018
Oil shock to drive inflation and interest rates up?
I see oil going straight to $100 and higher. As always I base this on a technical view. If this were to happen what would be the consequences?
Teen convicted of murder after cops shoot robbery partner
Okay this is a... weird one.
In 2015 a group of five teenagers broke into a home in the small town of Millbroke, Alabama.
The police arrived and began to arrest one of the teens, who was at the time sitting in a parked car out front of the house. At this point the other 4 teens, at least some of which were armed, existed the house and shootout took place. In the shootout one of the teens, A'Donte Washington 16, charged at one of the officers with a revolver and the officer fired in response, killing him.
Okay this doesn't seem to be some sort of "Itchy trigger finger" cop story. The report does say that body cam footage does show Washington charging at officer with a revolver.
Now here's where it gets weird. Last week Lakeith Smith, 17 at the time of arrest, one of the other teens involved in the robbery (and possibly the shooting the article isn't 100% clear) has been found guilty in the murder of Washington. He's now looking at 65 years in prison, 55 years for multiple counts of armed robbery and 10 for felony murder.
Alabama has a "Accomplice Law" where, essentially, if someone dies while you are committing a crime with them, you can be charged with murder even if you didn't actually cause the person's death.
The three other teens have also been charged and plead guilty to murder, theft, and burglary charges but are still awaiting sentencing.
Links:
Miami Herald: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nati...208141709.html
BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43673331
National Monitor: http://natmonitor.com/2018/04/10/a-d...ind-of-murder/
Newsweek: http://www.newsweek.com/police-kille...res-why-876970
Breakdown of Alabama's "Accomplice Law": http://codes.findlaw.com/al/title-13...t-13a-4-3.html
In 2015 a group of five teenagers broke into a home in the small town of Millbroke, Alabama.
The police arrived and began to arrest one of the teens, who was at the time sitting in a parked car out front of the house. At this point the other 4 teens, at least some of which were armed, existed the house and shootout took place. In the shootout one of the teens, A'Donte Washington 16, charged at one of the officers with a revolver and the officer fired in response, killing him.
Okay this doesn't seem to be some sort of "Itchy trigger finger" cop story. The report does say that body cam footage does show Washington charging at officer with a revolver.
Now here's where it gets weird. Last week Lakeith Smith, 17 at the time of arrest, one of the other teens involved in the robbery (and possibly the shooting the article isn't 100% clear) has been found guilty in the murder of Washington. He's now looking at 65 years in prison, 55 years for multiple counts of armed robbery and 10 for felony murder.
Alabama has a "Accomplice Law" where, essentially, if someone dies while you are committing a crime with them, you can be charged with murder even if you didn't actually cause the person's death.
The three other teens have also been charged and plead guilty to murder, theft, and burglary charges but are still awaiting sentencing.
Links:
Miami Herald: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nati...208141709.html
BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43673331
National Monitor: http://natmonitor.com/2018/04/10/a-d...ind-of-murder/
Newsweek: http://www.newsweek.com/police-kille...res-why-876970
Breakdown of Alabama's "Accomplice Law": http://codes.findlaw.com/al/title-13...t-13a-4-3.html
Senior(Australian) union official stood down over 'fake' Black Lives Matter page
All I can say is that this is about the lowest act I've seen in a while...
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/austr...id=mailsignout
Quote:
|
Two Australian union officials have been stood down over claims they were involved in a fake ‘Black Lives Matter’ Facebook page that allegedly collected over $100,000 through fundraisers. The National Union of Workers (NUW) has confirmed it has launched an investigation following revelations published in a CNN report alleging the page was a scam with links to the NUW’s White middle-aged WA Vice President, Ian MacKay. |
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/austr...id=mailsignout
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