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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| How did you got your username? in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Monday, March 28 2005 11:28
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I'm 27. There are thousands of Andrew Miller's out there, and hundreds of Andrew Robert Miller's. If you try to google me, you won't find me. Somehow, I don't feel as though I'm at risk. :) I've been using my given name (when I can; frequently, "Andrew Miller" is already taken) in fora ever since I joined a student forum at my university. People on that forum would use the option of anonymity to rant about the university and particular students there they didn't like - things they wouldn't ever say in person or if their identities were known. I thought that was pretty lame, so I decided I would use my real name in order to demonstrate integrity. Maybe that's a little pompous of me. Also, given that my name is effectively anonymous anyway, perhaps the point is lost... Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| How did you got your username? in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Monday, March 28 2005 07:05
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Mine is my given name. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Male Choice in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Monday, March 28 2005 07:03
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Hmm. I think that a father desiring to take custody of a child after it is born, even if the mother doesn't want the child and would otherwise abort it, should have a right to have the child born. The mother and father could work out how child support would work in this circumstance. Would this not be equitable, since in the current legal environment, women have the final say? Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Custom Titles: How Did You Get Yours? in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Monday, March 28 2005 04:51
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When did Alec get uncanned? [ Monday, March 28, 2005 04:51: Message edited by: andrew miller ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| On The Possibility of Objective Morality in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Monday, March 28 2005 04:17
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I'm just going to quickly insert my standard plug for Hobbes' Leviathan in this topic. I think laws and morals came from people being tired of living in fear of one another. Basic morality is similar in all societies because all societies were founded on the principle of preserving the lives of their constituents. This is basic state of nature/war stuff. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| New Abortion Laws in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Saturday, March 26 2005 14:53
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quote:If you don't answer my questions, we can't have a dialogue. I think that my questions concerning the basis for your morality are very relevant. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| New Abortion Laws in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Saturday, March 26 2005 13:17
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Overwhelming, your morality has to come from somewhere. Otherwise, on what grounds can you defame the U.S. lifestyle of social relativism? If your morality is derrived from a source other than religion, then ultimately it has as much authority as its backers are able to enforce. In that case, the foundation of your morals is arbitrary, not absolute. Why is the life of an embryo or fetus important? Because it has a soul? This is a religious belief. If this isn't the basis for your pro-life stance, why is the life of a baby human any different than the life of the billions of chickens or cows destroyed and consumed every year? Search for "U.S. abortion rate" in Google, and you'll find any number of articles that will indicate that the U.S. abortion rate is between 22-24 abortions per 1000 preganacies - I'm not pulling that out of the air. One-third of all pregnancies is a gross inaccuracy. [ Saturday, March 26, 2005 13:18: Message edited by: andrew miller ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| New Abortion Laws in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Friday, March 25 2005 14:38
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quote:Quit frothing at the mouth. The rate of abortions in the US is about 22 per 1,000 live births, hardly one-third of all children conceived. Where are you getting this? I don't worship your version of God, and I don't like your version of God. The majority of the rest of the world doesn't worship your version of God either. It seems as though your basis for making such determinations is incredibly limited. You can threaten me with the consequences for of what will happen in the hereafter, but you know what? I'm comfortable with that risk. Do you know why? Because I'm a good person, and I don't judge people on the basis of religious hearsay - I weigh individuals by their acts, and I put it in the perspective of my own choices. That you think you know what's right and seek to enforce your morals on others is the worst kind of hubris. Nevermind that you probably only selectively follow what you preach - come talk to me about the righteousness of your faith when you only ever have sex for the sake of procreation, not merely for pleasure. Is your nation much better than mine? From what I've gathered, Portugal has the second highest rate of teen pregnancies in the EU. I'm sure all of them were planned. What this is really about is that you would take away people's choice of religion. Thank God I have the freedom in my country to escape the tyranny of religious authoritarianism such as yours. I pray to God that my country will remain that way forever. [ Friday, March 25, 2005 14:39: Message edited by: andrew miller ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| How did you first find out about Spidweb's games and what is it first games you play? in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Friday, March 25 2005 13:11
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quote:Ditto, with BoA. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| New Abortion Laws in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Friday, March 25 2005 12:51
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quote:The sword cuts both ways, friend. I recognize the fact that you aren't from the U.S., but your particular stance falls in line with the conservative side of the fight here, and they are masters of definition-wrangling and word-twisting. It's not about the "baby." Technically, it isn't a "baby" at all - it's an embryo (essentially a mass of stem cells) that developes into a fetus (which is entirely dependent on the mother). Embryos and fetuses don't "get a choice" because they are physiologically incapable of thinking. That is, for most of the pregnancy they aren't cogniscent or aware. Does your perspective come from your religion? It seems strange to me that you would have so much concern for THIS life, since there's that wonderful afterlife awaiting. Late-term abortions are grizzly, and I don't like the idea of them, but the capital-R REALITY is that even if they are made illegal, they will still happen - ESPECIALLY IF sex education doesn't include contraceptive measures. Given that this is a REALITY, should a woman be punished with potential loss of her life or a crippling condition for the rest of her days because she has found it emotionally, economically, and, most importantly on account of people with your viewpoint, societally worse to have the child? Where is your heart? Rest assured, almost women who turn to abortion see it as a convenient means of contraception. It is almost always a decision considered with the appropriate gravitas. Given that, does it make it any better that people such as you shout that she'll go to hell and berate her outside a clinic when she's making this decision? Where is your heart? The choice for a woman is difficult enough as it is. Almost every woman I've talked with about this has said that she would never have an abortion herself, but she appreciates the fact that she has the right to make the choice if it came down to it. I don't like abortions either - I don't think anyone likes abortions. But denying that they should be legal won't stop them from occurring, and will only lead to more suffering. [ Friday, March 25, 2005 13:02: Message edited by: andrew miller ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Needle-Exchange Programs in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Friday, March 25 2005 12:22
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...that this is kind of the same conflict as abortion or sex education. The problem with being a realist is that others don't think you have a heart. This isn't true, however - some realists see the world and cry all the time. I would posit though that the idealists are the ones without a heart - through their denial of realities such as that, no matter what, people will use drugs or will have sex before marriage, possibly with multiple partners, they are condemning these people to suffering through the spread of disease, unwanted pregnancies, and the need for abortions. All of these things are ultimately bad for society, but denying their existence doesn't make them go away. It's the ideological equivalent of trying to treat a cancer that's been diagnosed through preventative means, rather than curative. Sure, prevention may be a good means of staving off cancer, but it's useless when one already has it. [ Friday, March 25, 2005 12:23: Message edited by: andrew miller ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| New Abortion Laws in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Friday, March 25 2005 10:52
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"Pro-abortion" is a misnomer. People who support choice don't necessarily like abortions. Sometimes, however, an abortion is necessary. "Pro-choice" standpoint is that if an abortion is necessary, a woman should be able to have access to professional medical care such that the procedure will be conducted in the safest manner possible. Personally, I think that anyone in the position such that they need to consider an abortion is in rough enough shape as it is. It is not an easy choice to make (I know people who have), and I can't imagine anyone going through with one feels good about it. The reality, however, is that even if abortions are made illegal, they will still occur, and when they do, it will be without the benefit of trained physicians and medicine. This will only increase the suffering involved. In an ideal world, abortions wouldn't be necessary. However, as the last 8000 years of human history ably demonstrate, its not going to be an ideal world anytime soon. Given that, I think that the "culture of life" crowd, though their intentions may be in the right place, are doing more harm than good. I think this is well demonstrated in the places where these groups tend to dominate society, i.e. the "red states" in the US, where teenage pregnancy rates are higher and more "backwoods" abortions occur. What boggles my mind is why, if this crowd is so anti-right-to-abortion, do they not encourage education in methods of contraception? Effective education about and use of contraception can eliminate the need for this whole debate entirely. As with many things, yet again it boils down to education, education, education. Unfortunately, some people aren't willing to consider reality. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Fashion in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 11:50
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quote:"Boxers over briefs," meaning "I prefer to wear boxers as opposed to briefs." Just a preference for me, though I choose the latter when I exercise. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Karma - No not that kind in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 09:18
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quote:Ate is but the means to nemesis, my friend. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Karma - No not that kind in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 07:48
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I'd like to think that in some way, hubris will always lead to nemesis. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Fashion in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 06:02
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It's usually office schlub attire for me, because that's what I do. If I have a choice in the matter, it's usually jeans, a tee-shirt or polo shirt of some sort, and if it's chilly out, either my navy blue wool sweater, my grey hoody, or my black fleece vest. Unless there's snow on the ground or extreme pressure from my fiancee, my footwear of choice is my old Birks - there is some truth to the whole myth that Kentuckians don't wear shoes. Oh, and definitely boxers over briefs. [ Thursday, March 24, 2005 06:02: Message edited by: andrew miller ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Terri Schiavo in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Thursday, March 24 2005 05:43
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I agree - if she was conscious, being cut off from outside stimulation would probably have driven her mad years ago, and she's probably been praying for death. I know I would. I think though that she's gone. I remember reading in an AP psychology text in high school that after lessioning all of a cat's brain except for the brain stem, the cat would still groom itself. Some functions are just built into the hardware, so to speak. What isn't built in though is the capacity to swallow. You can argue that a newborn is as helpless as Terri, but a newborn can still swallow without anything going down the wrong pipe. Newborns also show developmental improvement rapidly - by age one, they're a lot like little people - demanding, unreasonable people, that is. :) I would point out that a site like "terrisfight.org" might possibly be a bit biased. I'm a bit more inclined to go with the report of the guardian ad litem. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Sexual Orientation in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Wednesday, March 23 2005 11:20
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I don't know, man - talk to anyone who's been raped. Heck, Tori Amos has scads of songs about it, and listening to her for extended periods sure makes me want to end it all. Whether anyone chooses to butcher me and eat me afterward is up to them. To each his own. :) I would say, however, for those very power-related reasons, bestiality falls into the "unethical" category. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Sexual Orientation in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Wednesday, March 23 2005 05:29
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quote:One might question the willingness of the animal involved - can animals really consent? Granted, I have zero experience in this arena, so I can't really weigh in on this one, but seriously, Thuryl - yeesh! :eek: [ Wednesday, March 23, 2005 05:30: Message edited by: andrew miller ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Sexual Orientation in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Tuesday, March 22 2005 12:57
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I'm hetero, and try to be sensitive. I succeed ably when I'm around my gay friends, but when I'm not, I tend to say that things are "gay" meaning "lame." A bad habit on my part. Actually, if you think about it, most of our comparable terms put down someone or another. "Lame" and "dumb" refer to particular disabilities; even "idiotic" has a somewhat technical definition, if you go by the old labels for different levels of mental retardation. Why is it though that we seem to find just calling things "bad" to be so "lame?" :rolleyes: Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| New Abortion Laws in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Tuesday, March 22 2005 11:53
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quote:That's the sort of logic that also makes the case for education about and use of contraception, i.e., because contraception is available and people are educated about it, the need for abortions is reduced. :) [ Tuesday, March 22, 2005 11:56: Message edited by: andrew miller ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| New Abortion Laws in General | |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Tuesday, March 22 2005 11:29
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quote:Should we include links showing the result of gang warfare, murder scenes, or other effects on people of assault-style weapons? Generally the same pro-life crowd that spreads such images is against gun control. Figure that one out. [ Tuesday, March 22, 2005 13:47: Message edited by: Imban ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Terri Schiavo in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Tuesday, March 22 2005 10:26
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The report of the Guardian Ad Litem of Terri Schiavo is revealing with regard to her Bulimia. Apparently, she had weighed 250 pounds in her teen years, and had worked her way down to 150 before meeting her husband. [ Tuesday, March 22, 2005 10:26: Message edited by: andrew miller ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Terri Schiavo in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Tuesday, March 22 2005 07:03
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quote:According to what official report or court document? Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
| Terri Schiavo in General | |
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Member # 4233
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written Tuesday, March 22 2005 06:02
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The Supreme Court did have a chance to consider the case. One route to the Supreme Court is through the federal court system; the other is through the state's court system. After the Florida Supreme Court decided in favor of the husband, the case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, and they chose not to hear it, because it's a states' rights issue. I understand this morning that the District Court decided against the parents as well. We'll see whether the Court of Appeals will take it. Also, for everyone who thinks that Terri will suffer as she starves, I'm pretty certain they'll fill her system with morphine, so even if she were capable of it, she won't feel anything. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |