Profile for Drew
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Displayed name | Drew |
| Member number | 4233 |
| Title | By Committee |
| Postcount | 2242 |
| Homepage | |
| Registered | Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
Recent posts
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| Author | Recent posts |
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| Inventions in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Friday, June 16 2006 11:50
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 Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Just because I'm curious... in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Friday, June 16 2006 10:23
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Yeah, it's the same sort of thing as when school choirs go to Disney World to "perform." Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Montauk Project in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Friday, June 16 2006 10:22
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Commercial invisibility would open up a whole other can of worms for torts liability. It would probably have to go in the ultra-hazardous category of strict liability, if it were allowed on the market at all. This brings to mind the whole wacky political issue of cloaking devices in the Star Trek universe. Man, am I getting old. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Inventions in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Friday, June 16 2006 10:18
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I had thought about trying to come up with a way of introducing vitamin C (and maybe some other nutrients) into beer, but I'm not sure that would have a positive effect on sales, and also, there was some trouble with the precipitate... Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Montauk Project in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Friday, June 16 2006 08:29
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I reckon it's just a part of a subconscious desire to unearth what life is really about. People deep down want to believe there's something else or something more, even though our senses bely it. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Would you be interested in a sci fi RPG: THE POLL in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Wednesday, June 14 2006 10:39
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If anything, it's sci-fi that is relatively more believable, which is perhaps why it receives more scrutiny than fantasy for not being "realistic" enough. Perhaps this is why certain portions of the population much more readily accept creationism than evolution because evolution isn't "theoretically sound" enough. It's a double standard, to be sure. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Would you be interested in a sci fi RPG: THE POLL in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Wednesday, June 14 2006 03:35
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The Phantasy Star series Earthbound System Shock (had some RPG elements) Shadowrun Xenogears & the Xenosaga games The StarOcean series I can't imagine a Dune RPG would work all that well, any better than Star Wars games do - they both suffer from Glitter Boy Syndrome. In Rifts (but really, this applies to just about any Palladium Game), there was one mega-overpowered class called the Glitter Boy that pretty much rooled over any of the other classes, such that, if you were at all a power gamer, there would be no incentive to choose another class. Star Wars of course has its Jedi's, and in a Dune setting, provided you're playing a game that doesn't just automatically make you Paul Atreides, why would you really want to play a character other than a Fremen? EDIT: For the record, I have enjoyed playing KOTOR 1 & 2, but they're pretty limited, story-wise - they're both set around a messiah-like Jedi character. Perhaps someone clever could create a compelling story about a scoundrel character, but would the market buy it? [ Wednesday, June 14, 2006 03:39: Message edited by: Drew ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Anonymity and online identity, yet again. in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Tuesday, June 13 2006 05:39
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I tend to use my own name, and not try too hard to hide it, because I'm more than willing to fess up to what I write, should it come up. I'm not a big fan of anonymity generally, because I think it reduces credibility. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| What continent do you live on? (in which the voices take over) in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Tuesday, June 6 2006 09:36
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quote:His Girl Friday was funnier than either of those two movies. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| A Chuck Norris Thread. in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Monday, June 5 2006 04:52
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Hey, I know Bill Brasky! Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| What continent do you live on? (in which the voices take over) in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Friday, June 2 2006 08:33
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Last I read, "Oceania" wasn't strictly a continent. Not that there's anything wrong with living on an island v. a continent. Frankly, I don't understand why Europe and Asia count as two continents, either - they seem pretty joined to me. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Peer Review Process (was Evolution Stuff (was What is Religion, exactly?)) in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Thursday, June 1 2006 11:47
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quote:Hear, hear. And altogether too often those false positives have negative externalities. [ Thursday, June 01, 2006 11:56: Message edited by: Drew ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Peer Review Process (was Evolution Stuff (was What is Religion, exactly?)) in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Thursday, June 1 2006 11:44
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quote:How/where did God "say" anything to you? Do you literally have his voice in your head ringing like Joan of Arc's bells? Where do you get his laws from? The thing is, at one point in my life I was very "willing and open-minded," and thought that I knew God. Got the warm fuzzy feeling and everything. But something wasn't right. If God was so wonderful and right, why was it the case that so much of what my fellow believers said God wanted seemed so self-serving, or even hateful? Why wasn't there room for doubt about the Bible, a thoroughly amalgamated and not at all consistent text? Why were so many other people "wrong" when they chose to follow Judaism or Islam? Why should what Christians have to say necessarily be true at all? For that matter, why can't Christians even agree? Why are there so many different sects claiming truth? Why do American Baptists not condemn homosexuality, but Southern Baptists do? Who's got it right? The only answer to be found to these questions essentially amounted to whatever I felt in my gut, and these folks saying "because that's what the Bible says," or "that's what God wants." A little dodgy. My gut at some point became very skeptical, and the words of others in truth are only so much hearsay. Given that so many people have done vile, vile things in the name of God, why should anything that anyone says in the name of God be taken seriously? For what it's worth, I haven't counted out God's existence - atheists have no proof either. But I think that we're only so many sheep, bleating at each other, otherwise without a clue. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Peer Review Process (was Evolution Stuff (was What is Religion, exactly?)) in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Thursday, June 1 2006 11:12
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quote:Your question should be whether they believe the other dimesion exists, because no one can "know." If people could, there'd be no point in using "believe" when it comes to religion, and everyone would be a Christian. If Christianity doesn't make sense, then why should we pay attention to it? If it is inherently nonsensical, then how can anyone rationally believe or follow what its authorities promulgate? You can't follow God's wisdom if you can't understand it, and to take it on the word of another is essentially to be blind while being led by the blind. Furthermore, recourse to the Bible won't get you anywhere here, friend. The Bible makes assertions based on the authority of God. If you haven't established the authority exists (what's in contention here), you can't then resort to its assertions as proof of its existence. Also, your Bible didn't just come into existence - it was printed by a very man-made printing press, transcribed over thousands of years by very mortal men, translated by very mortal men, and assembled by a very politically-minded body of men of one particular religious denomination. In other words, it suffers from the same authoritative problems that a preacher has - its a mortal interpretation of the "nonsensical" realm you refer to. In short, why should I believe what a book or a man says about God, if it is impossible for anyone to understand God. Because it "feels" true? Sorry, that's not going to cut it, especially when those books/men are also saying that marriage is only between a man and a woman, or that I should have to pray in school, or that I shouldn't have sex before marriage, or that my wife shouldn't have right to birth control, or any other patently mortal concern. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Peer Review Process (was Evolution Stuff (was What is Religion, exactly?)) in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Thursday, June 1 2006 09:52
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Top of the page, his third paragraph. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Peer Review Process (was Evolution Stuff (was What is Religion, exactly?)) in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Thursday, June 1 2006 09:22
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Religion is necessarily a system of rules. In explaining things that are not understood - seemingly without rules - people create a hierarchy. While some religious traditions may avoid attaching a value to a particular phenomenon, most are categorized as pure (or holy or good) or profane (or taboo or bad). Where a particular phenomenon falls among these categories can vary from religion to religion, but generally they all fall into this binary framework, and once this occurs, PRESTO! you have rules. Creator, even in your example, you've created a rule. "God created the universe especially for me so that I can do whatever I want." The rule here is the "I can do whatever I want" part, because it establishes some form of sanctioned order, and here, one that is conveniently in the practitioner's interest. This is Anthro 101 stuff here, folks. [ Thursday, June 01, 2006 09:23: Message edited by: Drew ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| In this topic, I celebrate my inability to shut up. in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Wednesday, May 31 2006 03:48
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Boom.  Congratulations! Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Peer Review Process (was Evolution Stuff (was What is Religion, exactly?)) in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Tuesday, May 30 2006 12:30
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A religion is a man-made organization centered around explaining the (currently) uncomprehendible that estabishes an ethic based on that explanation. Those doing the explaining sometimes/often use or exploit this authority for patently mortal, political purposes. Some religions are better suited for these purposes than others. Gremlin Joe, it boggles my mind that you can bear such disdain for humanity, when the knowledge of your religion necessarily springs itself from such "imperfect" people, people whom history has revealed to have less than pure motives in the past. Warm feelings in the thumos aside (which some would ascribe to feeling the Lord, and others might attribute just to an overwhelmingly emotional moment), everything you've read or been told necessarily comes from man. Why should they be trusted more than anyone else? [ Tuesday, May 30, 2006 12:32: Message edited by: Drew ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Peer Review Process (was Evolution Stuff (was What is Religion, exactly?)) in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Tuesday, May 30 2006 03:59
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quote:Hey, I'm all for more bellyfeel! Where do I sign up? Bring on the golden calves and swords! Religion is an institution created by man, initially for the purpose of explaining things not understood, and subsequently adapted for purposes of exercising political power. Hey American women on this board: your right to use contraception is under attack. Don't let freako conservative men set you back 100 years - vote for your rights. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Dan Brown Book... in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Saturday, May 27 2006 12:58
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quote:Yeah, but what other plural in English goes back to that ending? I suppose we could just as easily go with "Christs," but that's just not as fun. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Graduation in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Saturday, May 27 2006 12:56
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The capital letters don't lie, friend. There are precious few other opportunities to so completely choose your own agenda and regulate your time for your own purposes. I certainly failed to appreciate it at the time, and that's why I'm endorsing it now. Also, U Chicago does explain things. :D Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Graduation in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Friday, May 26 2006 04:17
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I graduated from high school ten years ago in June - I think it was June 14. I remember feeling as though it was a big change, but if you're going to college, your true exposure to the "real world" will still be pretty limited. The real shock for me came after graduating from university. BE CERTAIN TO ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF UNIVERSITY TO THE UTMOST - YOU WILL NEVER HAVE THE SAME CHANCE AGAIN. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Dan Brown Book... in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Friday, May 26 2006 04:01
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The correct plural form of Jesus is "Jesus" - much like the plural of moose is moose - and the correct term for a group of Jesus is a "theocracy," as in: "Look out! That theocracy of Jesus is bearing down on us!" [ Friday, May 26, 2006 04:14: Message edited by: Drew ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Dan Brown Book... in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Thursday, May 25 2006 14:25
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I haven't read it, but I can't imagine that it's any better than those Left Behind books, and no non-believers I'm aware of ever made a stink about those. People just need to cool out about this crap - it's fiction, fiction, fiction. That they feel threatened says a lot about the state of their own belief. Reminds me a lot of what happened when The Satanic Verses came out. We're about two steps shy of our very own Christian fatwah here, folks! How sad it is. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Show me the muscle in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Thursday, May 25 2006 09:57
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Hmm. I think maybe "growing up" had a bit more to do with the weight gain - I know precious few mature adult males under 100 lbs.! Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |