Profile for too kraut, don't read

Error message

Deprecated function: implode(): Passing glue string after array is deprecated. Swap the parameters in drupal_get_feeds() (line 394 of /var/www/pied-piper.ermarian.net/includes/common.inc).

Recent posts

Pages

AuthorRecent posts
Yom HaShoa in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Friday, April 28 2006 12:13 Profile Homepage #60
Comparing numbers is a distraction and reducing the victims to numbers is reminiscent of the book-keeping and controlling which was one of the things that made the Shoah unique among the genocides performed on an industrial scale. We do not want to get held up in this.
I do understand that we are struggling to "understand" the sheer scale of the horror, but every detail will throw us back to square one if we spend our little energy for this "understanding".

What we really need to understand are ways how we can prevent OURSELVES from functioning like Eichmanns, or for me as a medical scientist in particular like Rascher who strived for "optimal conditions for experiments on human material." And we need to understand that the functioning of our socialization within our family and community is not sufficient to prevent us from stripping "others" of their human nature.
That is painful and humiliating but it is the only way each of us can really start to make a difference.

[ Friday, April 28, 2006 12:27: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Yom HaShoa in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Friday, April 28 2006 05:43 Profile Homepage #56
quote:
Originally written by Strontium:

I will stand beside a Jewish person any day and declare the holocaust as true history and as evil and despicable.
I do not see any serious controversy over this apart from some rabid attention whores who do not take part in any serious discussion.
However, the courage is not just to denounce evil, but also to confront it.
EDIT I posted simultaneoulsy with Thuryl there. Se let me give as an extra the following quote by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel:
"Die Wahrheit einer Absicht ist die Tat."
The truth of an intent is the action

[ Friday, April 28, 2006 09:26: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Question 1: Energy in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Friday, April 28 2006 05:03 Profile Homepage #80
quote:
Originally written by Mc 'mini' Thralni:

The sattelite will compres this energy (don't ask me about this compressing
It may be that the energy distributed over quite some spectrum including UV (absorbed by ozone) and blue light (scattered into the blue of the sky) is collected and reemitted at an IR wavelength that is scattered/absorbed much less. Nice idea but how much would you gain with respect to collecting the radiation from the sun without such satellite?
How often would you need service missions?
How about strategic dependency? I would require an immense scale to be economical.

The most secure energy source are decentralized solar collectors. Just think about an adequate insurance coverage for Tschernobyl type events. It just will never happen because the risk is only perceived after the milk is spilled any crying does not help.
BTW, for tose of you who have heard about the accident at Parexel/London , the unethical catch was similar to the one inherent in the political decisions on nuclear reactors. The risk incurred is outside the experience of the electorate while the benefits can be well quantified to the effect of the devil putting the best foot forward.

[ Friday, April 28, 2006 05:05: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Yom HaShoa in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Friday, April 28 2006 00:51 Profile Homepage #51
Thank you, Aran. I fixed it.
Feel free to delete these two posts.

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Yom HaShoa in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Thursday, April 27 2006 22:43 Profile Homepage #49
Originally written by Strontium:
quote:
For all of us who do not like President Bush, he called a spade a spade on Sudan and stood up to be counted while the rest of the world debated - he called actions in Sudan genocide and pledged support because the UN wouldn't act.
Calling a spade a spade and standing up and be counted is an appropriate challenge for members of this forum. The standards for the president of the US are different and do not belong in this thread.

[ Friday, April 28, 2006 00:50: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Question 1: Energy in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Thursday, April 27 2006 22:28 Profile Homepage #68
quote:
in order to extract useful work, you need a sizable temperature difference.
What about the huge difference between the hot sun and ambient temperature (water) on our earth?

[ Thursday, April 27, 2006 22:29: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Yom HaShoa in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Thursday, April 27 2006 10:09 Profile Homepage #47
quote:
Originally written by Zeviz:

WKS, to aviod future opportunities for creative FYTing of your posts, say "death camps", instead of "concentration camps" when talking about Holocaust. Many countries built "concentration camps" of various degrees of repulsiveness. Nazis are the only people who built "death camps" - places for killing hundreds of thousands of people with industrial efficiency. So in the future just use the term "death camps".
True, but no death camps without a run-in fascism phase of concentration camps. The loss of the Habeas Corpus consensus, nowadays, is troubling but for me the increasing attacks on Africans in Eastern Germany are closer to home. The remarks of the German Interior Secretaries Schäuble and Schönbohm are just apologetic. I am ashamed.

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Descriptions in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Thursday, April 27 2006 09:38 Profile Homepage #70
quote:
Originally written by Thuryl:

More info soon.
Come on, Dear, caugh it up. No poetry necessary.

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Yom HaShoa in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Thursday, April 27 2006 09:29 Profile Homepage #44
quote:
Originally written by Wild Kinky Slugs:

I'm not claiming victimship.
I never understood or meant to imply anything else. I am sorry if I have offended you.

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Yom HaShoa in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Thursday, April 27 2006 09:12 Profile Homepage #42
quote:
Originally written by Wild Kinky Slugs:

I had a relative who died in the holocaust. it does make it a bit more personal.
As a German, I have been working for a boss who lost his whole family. I got fired in extremely malicious circumstances and then experienced solidarity and support from the greater NY Jewish community. Meeting someone who was in hiding and still shows the trauma and someone who still has the infamous number tatoo and is a "Mensch" makes things personal too. It does not make us victims.

quote:
Originally written by Dintiradan:

For some strange reason, I'm reminded of an Animal Farm quote altered slightly.
Orwell had those slightly altered quotes even within severalof his novels.
quote:
Originally written by Dintiradan:

By YAP:
quote:
Guess what?
Ummm... what?
Attention whores. Therapy: Strategic noncommunication.

OM's post was different. He might have been asking an honest question. Therapy: Personal dialogue if you can stomach it. I did feel overtaxed, honestly, that is why I started the "Policing ourselves" thread. It has worked.
And, BTW, his posting in this thread also resolved my watchful waiting for a response.
The hallmark of an attention whore is that he does not engage in dialogue. The "tl, dr" syndrome is the lead symptom.

[ Thursday, April 27, 2006 09:56: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Yom HaShoa in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Thursday, April 27 2006 08:25 Profile Homepage #39
Sorry for taking so long to edit my above post.
Let me just repeat:
Remembering the circumstances that led to the holocaust is an essential part of honoring the victims.
I am not advocating any balancing or ranking of horrors and denial is just plain empty provocation - (let us not dis true idiots here).

t Aran: Keep up your critical thinking but if you read sufficiently closely, you will sense that this is not the motive of the denialists. Guess what?

[ Thursday, April 27, 2006 08:55: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Yom HaShoa in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Thursday, April 27 2006 06:58 Profile Homepage #35
quote:
Originally written by Thurymbancaytar:

The Holocaust didn't help anyone.
If that were only true, I would have to worry less. In fact, the whole concentration camp operation helped to stabilize the fascist rule. Fascist rule always "benefits" from a constant feed of people disappearing without trace and victims. For terror rule you need victims.
The whole campaign did not start out by H. deciding upon the genocide out of some personal whim. But it started by the grand scale removal of political opponents out of public life. I would not say that the prosecution of the Jews only started when the machine had run out of political opponents but without this ouverture the holocaust would probably not have happened. Remembering the holocaust ouverture is part of honoring the victims, imho.
BTW, that does not include any participant in this debate, afaik. I am allergic to inherited victimhood.
quote:
Originally written by Thurymbancaytar:

—Alorael, who is willing to accept that Hitler had his good points. Everyone does.
I am not sure I could stomach your arguments for this but I cannot follow you there.
quote:
Originally written by Thurymbancaytar:

However, as a leader and maker of public policy, you'd be very hard-pressed to find a more abominable human being.
Again, if H. had been an exceptional human being from the outset I would be worrying less these days. Reading about H. - what strikes me most is the "Banality of Evil". H. was not extraordinary from the outset - o.k. he was a loser who found a way to stabilize his life in the army. He appears to have had a hysterical attack of blindness (some say due to a Lost attack but the papers were destroyed) and is alleged to have been hypnotized and "cured" by a physician who installed some supremacy fantasies in him. So he did have that born again crusader Paulus-to-Saulus (sic) conversion and later got his regular mind-altering drugs. But the way he came to power says more about the wide-spread feeling of the German electorate of being victimized (by Versailles as well as the worldwide economic crisis) and waiting for some substitute culprit to be stigmatized in continuation of the stab-in-the-back legend - rather than any exceptionally evil "genius" pied piper.
What troubles me most is that I cannot honestly claim to be sufficiently heroic to fight such a change, personally, if I were in such a political climate.
How about you?

I am sufficiently (over-)sensitized, however, to see the WWI/WWII theme echoed in the longterm Vietnam effect influencing the Iraq runup - but you have to be very sensitized for that.

Example: I read Alec's forceful, furious post on TCoA and his expression:"You are all apes in human form." reminded me of a tile page of Ostara
IMAGE(http://www.intelinet.org/swastika/ostara.gif) and of IMAGE(http://www.giantsandgirls.com/images/art/fremiet2.jpg).
The sculpture (by Emmanuel Frémiet) deeply influenced Adolf Lanz who has been credited for compiling and cultivationg the mystic ideas that influenced H. How many people have been fascinated by King Kong? Remember The 9/11 architect who was convinced the plot had to be simple to succeed. H.'s plot was simple.

Alec, please do not take this personally! It is just an illustration of my allergy against denying human nature to one's opponents. No heroism involved - just allergy.

So now let me blow off some sarcasm:
quote:
Originally written by Wild Kinky Slugs:

From a logical standpoint, actions of the US and it's allies are completely irrelevant, even that the Allies run concentration camps. The fact that other groups have or haven't committed atrocities in no way changes whether another atrocity is taking or has taken place.
FYT

[ Thursday, April 27, 2006 09:08: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Descriptions in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Wednesday, April 26 2006 02:25 Profile Homepage #64
It was an entrance exam for a new invitational RP.
I hope I may advance to the next exercise.

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Zoophilia in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Wednesday, April 26 2006 01:51 Profile Homepage #57
Is this Alec?
I better do not believe it lest I get angry.
The labelling of grooming as asexual reminds me of President Clintons narrow definition:
"I did not have sex with this woman." There are worse lies, as we all know, but ...
In that sense, Fox has not mentioned sex at all, afaik.

Wild Kinky Slugs plainly confuses zoophilia with bestiality which suggests the "tl, dr" syndrome in combination with the common urge to post an opinion like singing in the dark instead of adapting to the available light or even striking a match. A blog or some write-only-memory that noboby has to read may be the suitable remedy.

So, Fox, have you seen what you can expect from this forum?
You may want to look at the link I provided in a previous post in this thread, in case you want to hook up with other zoophiliacs.
Good luck and don't get hurt!

[ Wednesday, April 26, 2006 01:56: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Zoophilia in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Tuesday, April 25 2006 23:01 Profile Homepage #52
quote:
Originally written by Dolphin.:

If you see it as just a man being compassionate to a lone wolf, that's great too, I guess you look at things in less of a sexual light than I do.
Not sure. For me the contradiction of physical compassion between lone wolves is what is sticking out of the story - quite similar to Fox stating no interest in humans and posting a poll. The lone wolf appears like a self-imposed fassade that covers a longing to snuggle up. That is rather puppy-to-puppy than male-female. We may differ whether we call it sex.
quote:
Originally written by Dolphin.:

If you do see how that can be construed as an erotic connection with an animal I don't see what your point is.
Point is whetever we name the puppy-to-puppy physical proximity that is as fulfilling as it can be given the circumstances, I see the theme reflected in the picture of the toddler with the cat. The toddler may even feel to be a cat. Like IMAGE(http://www.kimiko-usa.com/Kitty%20drinking%201.JPG).
quote:
Originally written by Dolphin.:
I never said it was wrong or perverted, but simply that the man with beast fantasy is there.
Not sure about the "man", but what does that mean to you (as a female if I may guess so)? Are your fantasies all dry-cleaned?

[ Tuesday, April 25, 2006 23:04: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Zoophilia in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Tuesday, April 25 2006 20:37 Profile Homepage #50
quote:
Originally written by The Almighty Do-er of Stuff:
Well, I could see how one could twist the Clinton picture into one where the dog is fellating the former President, but the other pictures are perfectly innocent.
Agree.
In this thread, Fox wrote about romantic attraction. This is something in his mind, is it not?
In his wolf story the characters are at least dreamlike if not fantasy and far removed from reality in any case. The erotic moment is in the mind of the reader.
Fox does not come close to Alec's writing skills - which I find admirable, BTW - but this story is claimed to have been written by a 15-year-old in Kentucky. Not bad, imho, and innocent rather than sinful.
I am too much of a lurker to understand whether anything in Fox's other behavior may be setting off alarm bells in you - and I would take such feeling very seriously - but I see a relation between the underlying sadism that I sense in the death penalty thread and the stigma dealt out because of an erotic undertone in a fantasy story someone wrote at age 15. OMG, God loves you, you are right no doubt and anything you sense as deviating from the familiar is sin. (I exaggerate.)
Finding a goats eyes so beautiful is not so rare, btw.

quote:
Dolphin written April 25, 2006 03:24 PM
Note that I really don't care how anyone chooses their romances, but I find it interesting you see no difference between the story Fox wrote and the pictures you posted.
Notice what you are doing here in alleging that I "see no difference".
You make me feel spray-painted as "interesting" weirdo targeted up for peer pressure.
Sure, there is a difference between a picture and a fantasy story. The idea that kids do not have sexuality and cannot be romantically attached to a cat appears victorian to me.

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Zoophilia in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Tuesday, April 25 2006 12:45 Profile Homepage #36
quote:
Originally written by Nyarlathotep:

I fail to see an erotic undertone in a soldier or toddler petting a cat. You did not fail to recognize the erotic undertone of the furry fiction.
Could be due to our different cultural background not to say attitude towards erotica.

[ Tuesday, April 25, 2006 12:49: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Zoophilia in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Tuesday, April 25 2006 12:18 Profile Homepage #30
quote:
Originally written by Dolphin.:

a romance novel.
So you refer more to the post archived by Aran.
That story is fantasy, is it not?
It does have an erotic undertone. Is that really the problem? I find it much more harmless than the discussion about variations on the death penalty.
To put it in pictures:
Is the petting of the cat the unnormal behavior?
IMAGE(http://www.wsmr.army.mil/DOCPAGE/Iraq_Photos/Kitty%202%20.JPG)

Is this kid perversely abusing the cat?
IMAGE(http://www.amywcook.com/photos/12%203%20kitty%20love.jpg)

quote:
Originally written by Alex:

Come to think of it, the thing that I find scariest about pedophiles and zoophiles alike isn't their peculiar fetishes, but the fact that they have little or no interest in emotional or physical intimacy with adult humans.
I agree with the exception of "scary".
Some people get deeply hurt emotionally in relations to humans and may seek refuge in an emotional relationship that they fantasize about and that they clearly control.
The posting on this forum is the puzzling behavior not the "zoophilia", imho.

BTW, irrespective of all feelingss, pedophilia is criminal abuse and not really suitable for humour.

[ Tuesday, April 25, 2006 12:40: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Zoophilia in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Tuesday, April 25 2006 11:19 Profile Homepage #27
quote:
Originally written by Dolphin.:

I take it you missed the dog story Fox posted some time ago.
True.
I did not find anything abnormal under Fox's short list of posts in General, however, when compared to the ex-president as depicted here: IMAGE(http://www.geocities.com/harrodsburgnews/clintonzoophille.jpg)
Even that you would not call abnormal, would you?

However, the real question is whether this forum takes some responsibility vs. its younger members who have been invited repeatedly into blind private email contact with someone who tests the limits of the CoC.
You can discuss where to impose the limitation, however, following the "policing ourselves" thread I think nobody doubts that there should be some.
BTW, I wonder what is so attractive for someone who is sufficiently adult to talk about the details of his romantic preferences to come here every year and ask basically the same question rather than join the Despers. They are so pro-free speech.
Is it because there are younger members to harvest here? Any idea?

[ Tuesday, April 25, 2006 11:56: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
"Policing" ourselves? in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Tuesday, April 25 2006 07:03 Profile Homepage #78
quote:
Originally written by Kelandon:

Scientific theories make testable predictions. Intelligent design predicts a lack of evidence.
So is string theory "scientific" then? Last time I checked, is was not according to your definition yet what else but a theory would you call this great effort in mathematical physics going on since decades?

Let us not quarrel over words but rather read what we each have to say before we post.

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Death Penalty in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Tuesday, April 25 2006 06:55 Profile Homepage #34
As repugnant as I find this discussion, I wonder whether there is a common trait among people who are fascinated by the violence involved in the death penalty.
In connection with the present death penalty policy in Iraq and in the US, I see an erosion of justice and a tendency to show trials with the political end to distract public attention.
The fascination of cruel punishment like torture and the death penalty make us more susceptiple to such distraction and may bring us back to the middle ages, imho.
Remember "Panem et Circensem" was the key to winning elections in ancient Rome. Nowadays it may be the gasoline price, Abu Ghraib photos and the death penalty for Moussaoui.

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
"Policing" ourselves? in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Tuesday, April 25 2006 03:36 Profile Homepage #75
quote:
Originally written by saunders:
*nitpicking*
Is a theory more than just a description of a maximum of facts that is as concise as possible? Like specifying an algorithm to compute pi instead of specifying all the digits?
There need not be any "underlying causes" in a theory but if there are, it is more useful,because the theory can be adapted to known facts. And there is nothing as practical as a good theory that lets you predict what is about to happen in your daily life under any given circumstances. Newtonian mechanics may be better than general relativity for car crashes but for GPS Newtonian would just not work.

This usefulness carries along way, e.g. for the decision of how much detail to incorporate into a mathematical model. The criterion is the maximum likelihood estimate, i.e. the probability which the model would assign to the actual findings upon which it is based. The more parameters the less precision in their measurements the more vague the predictions the less likely to predict the actual findings based on the fitted parameters.

I am still not sure that intelligent design is a theory in that sense rather than a perspective of trying to align facts in the evolution of life by being open to additional mechanisms that we do not understand yet. We do not undetand evolutionary mechanisms completely yet rsto a degree comparable to e.g. quantum electrodynamics and the same applies to our understanding of how intelligence works based on the rather well understood channel molecules and transmitters in nerve cells. Who am I to exclude that there are similarities or relations? There is a string theory that has superb beauty because so many things fit in to those twenty-something dimensions. Who am I to exclude that it has something to do with the origin of the universe?

The crucial question is one of usefulness and intelligent design is indeed useful to enhance the influence of ultraconservative religious parents on what their kids are taught in school.
Any other ideas?

[ Tuesday, April 25, 2006 03:48: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Zoophilia in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Monday, April 24 2006 22:46 Profile Homepage #19
quote:
Originally written by The Worst Man Ever:

Zoophilia is unnatural; it's an extreme enough deviation from the norms of human sexuality that it is almost certainly evidence of underlying psychological problems.
...However, I would respectfully urge that you seek psychiatric help. Something's wrong with you and it's doubtful that zoophilia is the only symptom of that.
I disagree.

1. Fox's initial post does not convince me that the "relationship" with animals is a distorted sexuality and the post itself contracdicts itself about Fox's nonrelation to humans - Fox is looking for a human response here. BTW, I urge extreme restriction at diagnosing a medical condition at a distance. This may even be illegal. I also find it tactless.

2. How do you imagine the initial contact that you recommend?
Shrink: What's up?
Fox: I am romantically attached to a hare and my internet pals recommended I should see you?
Shrink: Does it bother you?
Fox: Not really. It bothers me more whether my health insurance would pay for a treatment.
Shrink: Are you crazy?

The psychiatrist's task is not to correct the feelings of a patient. There are correctional institutions for correcting behavior and they do not appear to be particularly effective. Feelings are not illegal yet but, at present, still fall under the natural law of freedom of thought.

3. Emotional attachment to animals is normal. When you have experienced someone caring for a pet you will agree that giving a pet to a child and encouraging the care for it does further responsible behavior and emotional stability.

4. What is perplexing about Fox's post is the statement of no relation to humans. That may be due to severe emotional injury and internet contact is indeed one of the least frightening ways out of isolation. This forum has to live with that it may be the prime social contact - especially for frequent posters.
That makes moderation an especially demanding task, imho.

[ Monday, April 24, 2006 22:57: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
Descriptions in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Monday, April 24 2006 17:35 Profile Homepage #56
.

[ Monday, April 24, 2006 17:35: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00
"Policing" ourselves? in General
too kraut, don't read
Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
 written Monday, April 24 2006 16:14 Profile Homepage #71
quote:
Originally written by rantalot:

My question is why not add courses like theology and philosophy to the curriculum instead of complaining so much about evolution. I know I would take a course in that if I had a chance.
The really important things you cannot teach by establishing extra topics. I did have "religion" classes twice a week for 11 years but this was just an operation Enduring Boredom most of the time that managed to put to sleep my genuinely inquiring mind except when a new teacher switched us to Enduring 公案 by reading with us Emil Brunner and Kierkegaard. The latter went far above my head and it was sooo completely removed from my experience. Learning Tolkien's Quenya (sp?) poems by heart would have benefitted us more if only to impress others and lull ourselves. Yes, and I did have Philosophy classes in school and we did learn about Plato's cave. IMAGE(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dc/PlatosCave.gif)

But we did not understand that this was reality - starving our minds by stuffing them with knowledge that we had no way of making our own. We could have discussed, e.g.
quote:
Montaigne Essays (I: 25, 100–1)
I know a man who, when I ask him what he knows, asks me for a book in order to point it out to me, and wouldn't dare tell me that he has an itchy backside unless he goes immediately and studies in his lexicon what is itchy and what is a backside. We take the opinions and the knowledge of others into our keeping and that is all. We must make them our own. We are just like a man who, needing fire, should go and fetch some at his neighbor's house, and, having found a fine big fire there, should stop there and warm himself, forgetting to carry any back home. What good does it do us to have our belly full of meat if it is not digested, if it is not transformed into us, if it does not make us bigger and stronger?
or
quote:
Essaying Montaigne: A Study of the Renaissance Institution of Writing and Reading
John O'Neill; Liverpool University Press, 2001
The purpose of knowledge is not to separate our souls from our bodies, or to set learned men above ignorant men. Life gives the lie to all these distinctions. Book learning is no substitute for common sense and no philosophy will stop a running nose. Proper learning consists in the harmonious integration of good intellectual, moral and physical judgement: ‘Now we must not attach learning to the mind, we must incorporate it; we must not sprinkle but dye’
However, this would have interfered with the objective to achieve readily verifiable learning results. That is the way school is.
Edit: Fixed the typo.

[ Monday, April 24, 2006 22:55: Message edited by: Yet another procrastinator ]

--------------------
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. (not mine)
Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00

Pages