Just out of curiosity is it possible to be a centrist extremist? And no, I am not talking about the "new aethiests."
Well the Las Vegas Sun described Ron Paul's campaign as "existing where the far right meets the lunatic left." Since that would also be the center, just on the extreme end of the loop, I guess it's possible to be a fringe extremist centrist.
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Just out of curiosity is it possible to be a centrist extremist? And no, I am not talking about the "new aethiests."
(I assume you're also not talking about Unitarian Jihad.)
Sure, but if anything you make less sense than other extremists. What you do is look at the two or more extremes in any debate, stake out a position about midway between them, and defend it in the face of all opposition. You get bonus points every time you say something like, "If everybody's mad at me I must be right!"
Just out of curiosity is it possible to be a centrist extremist? And no, I am not talking about the "new aethiests."
The New Atheists are what happens when my colleagues publish popular books instead of scientific papers: their egos get to be too big for the room. No conspiracy, just swelled heads. Don't get me wrong; I respect Jerry Coyne, for example, a great deal -- he's a brilliant thinker, clear and lucid writer, and a brilliant biologist. Unfortunately, he's also a bit of a middle-schooler when it comes to forming cliques and making fun of people who aren't in them. Coyne, Harris, Dawkins, and Myers mockingly refer to guys like me as "Accomodationists" for attacking Young Earth Creationism in particular instead of religion in general -- which I suppose makes me one of those "centrists."
Fostering open and "transparent" government is all well and good, but there is always going to be some information that isn't revealed to the general public, for a variety of reasons. If one wants to live in a country where everything is public knowledge, all I can say is: Good luck.
Beyond that a lot of the time we have more transparency then we really want. Not sure about the states but in Canada they put parliament on TV so people can watch it - no one does though because its inanely dull. I mean occasionally something interesting happens like Parliament poses questions to the head of the Communications Security Establishment and the CSE refuses to answer over and over again but usually its boring as hell.
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Beyond that a lot of the time we have more transparency then we really want. Not sure about the states but in Canada they put parliament on TV so people can watch it - no one does though because its inanely dull. I mean occasionally something interesting happens like Parliament poses questions to the head of the Communications Security Establishment and the CSE refuses to answer over and over again but usually its boring as hell.
Fostering open and "transparent" government is all well and good, but there is always going to be some information that isn't revealed to the general public, for a variety of reasons. If one wants to live in a country where everything is public knowledge, all I can say is: Good luck.
We have the same thing in the States. It is called C-SPAN and C-SPAN 2.
We have the same thing in the States. It is called C-SPAN and C-SPAN 2.
When I'm having trouble sleeping, I usually come out in the living room and turn on one of those channels. About 15 minutes usually does the trick.
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Just out of curiosity is it possible to be a centrist extremist? And no, I am not talking about the "new aethiests."The New Atheists are what happens when my colleagues publish popular books instead of scientific papers: their egos get to be too big for the room. No conspiracy, just swelled heads. Don't get me wrong; I respect Jerry Coyne, for example, a great deal -- he's a brilliant thinker, clear and lucid writer, and a brilliant biologist. Unfortunately, he's also a bit of a middle-schooler when it comes to forming cliques and making fun of people who aren't in them. Coyne, Harris, Dawkins, and Myers mockingly refer to guys like me as "Accomodationists" for attacking Young Earth Creationism in particular instead of religion in general -- which I suppose makes me one of those "centrists."
And I was just being snarky, not trying to offend you Kirth. Or anyone else out there. It is one of the reasons I only read the Civil Religous thread and choose not to participate. The other one is that well if I can't fully express to you, or others my opion. I feel I will detract and not add to the conversation.
Sebastian is really Asmodeus!Since when is common knowledge a conspiracy? Why not say that the sky being blue is a conspiracy.
Sheesh.
Don't cry out loud.
And I was just being snarky, not trying to offend you Kirth. Or anyone else out there. It is one of the reasons I only read the Civil Religous thread and choose not to participate. The other one is that well if I can't fully express to you, or others my opion. I feel I will detract and not add to the conversation.
Right -- no offense taken, for sure. I disagree, though, that you don't have a lot to add to the discussion -- a wider variety of viewpoints would be most welcome.
And everyone is welcome to add to Son of Fourms Are Way Too Long. It can't get any worse than it is already.
I have photographic proof that a certain member of our board community is actually an Illuminatus!
Yeah. You can tell it's not Daigle. I mean, what happened to his antennae and his mandibles?
Wow. My Illuminati post killed the thread. Uh .. creepy ..
Looks around nervously. Runs away
Sebastian isn't really a lawyer, he just plays one in adult films. :)
You mean CourtFool is really Sebastian? It makes so much sense now.So that's why Sebastian keeps humping my leg.
Too funny.
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We have already been to Mars. It's true. Several years back when the Mars Rover was being prepped for launch Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee was given a tour of NASA and asked if the rover was going to be able to get over to where the astronauts had planted the flag. I wonder what we found that nobody will admit the truth.
We have already been to Mars. It's true. Several years back when the Mars Rover was being prepped for launch Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee was given a tour of NASA and asked if the rover was going to be able to get over to where the astronauts had planted the flag. I wonder what we found that nobody will admit the truth.
Thank God Sarah Palin didn't make that statement. That's all we would be hearing on the news and on this board.
Climate scientists are engaged in a worldwide conspiracy to fabricate evidence for global warming so they can get more grant money. (But scientists employed by petroleum companies are physically incapable of being influenced by offers of money.)
Ok, I'll bite...
As a scientist myself, I find "global warming concern" to be a sad hysteria that _has_ been used by certain greedy parties to their own benefit - usually by preying on the good intentions of other scientists and the public in general, but also using "useful idiots" in academia, government, business and the entertainment industry.
Man-caused "global warming" or "climate change" is an absolute farce that will rank right up there with the Y2K hysteria of almost a decade ago.
Yes, I'm serious. By Gore, am I serious... Let the flailing begin...
Yes, I'm serious. By Gore, am I serious... Let the flailing begin...
You invoke the inventor of the Internet! Damn you man. We will flense the skin from your bones!
As a scientist myself, I find "global warming concern" to be a sad hysteria... Let the flailing begin...
OK, I'll bite. When you claim to be a "scientist," if you're a computer scientist or a civil engineer, YOUR OPINION DOESN'T COUNT*. If you're a climatologist (optimally), a geologist (for past comparisons and geologic history), or an atmospheric chemist (even better), then let's talk.
Personally, I'm a geologist. I know the climate is supposed to be getting warmer, historically speaking. But I have absolutely no idea in the world if people are helping it along. None.
evil lizard-men live on the reverse side of the surface world with an interior sun overhead.Is there a contest to make the most outlandish claims and have people believe in them?
There are no lizard-men in the world.
The mole people hunted them to extinction long ago, riding them down on their dinosaur mounts.
Dinosaur mounts that shoot lightning out their nostrils.
That's not their nostrils...wrong side of the beast...
To prevent those unwanted government mind signels I suggest you should all visit this site and follow the instructions. I've made mine and has stopped the voices...
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If the military tests a new weapon and doesn't tell anyone about it, that's by no means a conspiracy. It's something called a secret. When asked about a secret, people who know are supposed to say "no comments".
A conspiracy is when the state does or doesn't do something for a different goal than they state publicly. A conspiracy is when information that shows illegal actions taken by the state is suppressed. A conspiracy is when the government does things it is obligated not to do or has promised not to do in, say, an election campaign, and make it impossible to find information about it. The keyword is "lies".
If we can't even get that right, I am not surprised people have a fun time ridiculing the very idea of conspiracies.
Got it. You've got a private definition of conspiracy that doesn't line up with the common usage of that term, much less the specific usage of that term used in this thread, and are objecting. Why not save us all the trouble and just pretend that when we say conspiracy, we mean "nutball conspiracy" or whatever other term it is you personally use to differentiate your above definition of conspiracy from the one the rest of the world uses.
Also, everyone who laughs about truthers needs to stop, right now. I was one of the persons involved in the conspiracy, and even though I will likely be assassinated for typing this (as will you for reading it) and the Paizo servers will be bathed in acid to destroy all evidence of this confession, I can no longer bear to keep secret my involvement. You see, I was a government lawyer back in 2001, and I, personally, prepared the independent contractor agreement pursuant to which the demolitions team was hired to take down the WTC.
The silence is broken! The truth is out!!!
Hey, I'm all for taking down the WOTC.
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...It's a glitch in your sleep paralysis...
That happens to me probably about once a month. It seriously sucks. Though I've never felt like someone else was there, just that I couldn't breath or move.
Damn it, now I have something in common with Sebastian! Do you know how much more therapy I'm gonna need?!
Somehow, this is Sharoth's fault.
No way. It's all Sebastian's fault.
No way. It's all Moorluck's fault.
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Nope Farakhan is not a Mormon, and Mormons as a group wouldn't say it. I should know, I am one. You will find the ocassional nutter in our midst, but as evidence has shown you will find nutters among gamers as well.For a while there I thought this guy was a Mormon... there are so many groups that'd say something like that.Nutty? I'm surprised another member of the boards hasn't mentioned this.
** spoiler omitted **
I meant because it was from the Salt Lake Tribune...
And I didn't mean to discriminate against Mormons... well maybe kinda, but only because they have a long history of discrimination.Oh s%$$... I'm getting drawn in...
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It may not have been dreamed up by the internet, which is an inanimate object which can not dream or imagine anyway, but it certainly is wacky because is does the very thing you initally accused me of, rewrites history.
Well, the electricity that makes up the internet moves, and files and stuff move, so I don't think it's an inanimate object.
It may not have been dreamed up by the internet, which is an inanimate object which can not dream or imagine anyway, but it certainly is wacky because is does the very thing you initally accused me of, rewrites history.Well, the electricity that makes up the internet moves, and files and stuff move, so I don't think it's an inanimate object.
Aha, that Librul Ben Franklin invented the Internet then! Your secrets are revealed, SeekritDanBrownSmvrfKonspeeracyKabal!
!dronf
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Climate scientists are engaged in a worldwide conspiracy to fabricate evidence for global warming so they can get more grant money. (But scientists employed by petroleum companies are physically incapable of being influenced by offers of money.)
Ok, I'll bite...
As a scientist myself, I find "global warming concern" to be a sad hysteria that _has_ been used by certain greedy parties to their own benefit - usually by preying on the good intentions of other scientists and the public in general, but also using "useful idiots" in academia, government, business and the entertainment industry.
Man-caused "global warming" or "climate change" is an absolute farce that will rank right up there with the Y2K hysteria of almost a decade ago.
Yes, I'm serious. By Gore, am I serious... Let the flailing begin...
You're seriously serious? Really?
Doesn't the increase in infrared-blocking greenhouse gasses make the surface warmer? How does this science not check out?