The Refuge of the Toads

[comhcinc]

In episode 7 of DareDevil season 2 it is discover that Frank Castle (the Punisher) had twitter account and suffered a lot of abuse at the hands of MRAs.

[Shatterface]

No spoilers please.

[rayshul]

Seriously.

[comhcinc]

Yes. The Punisher becomes the Punisher because of PTSD from MRAs attacking his feminist activities on Twitter.

[Really?]

Yes. The Punisher becomes the Punisher because of PTSD from MRAs attacking his feminist activities on Twitter.

I am suddenly no longer scared of The Punisher. Here is the crucial scene.

[youtube]w1mKVYtJMf4[/youtube]

[Badger3k]

Well, Heina Dadhaboy may have changed the location of her blog but hasn't lightened up on her commenting policy or grown a sense of humor. She made an outright abusive comment toward me. :(
https://archive.is/cJEF2

That's some serious denial of reality from the hyena. The only reason A+ is still on the web is that they nailed it to it's perch.

[youtube]Oj8RIEQH7zA[/youtube]

It is an ex-forum.

I can see why she left FfTB - she admitted openly to reading here, thereby making her an honorary pitter.

[comhcinc]

Silly stupid slimmers. A+ isn't a forum. It's a movement and it's alive and well and not going anywhere.


Of course no one in the movement actually moves anything and there is no decision about what and where to go and do but it's a movement goddamit.

[free thoughtpolice]

Silly stupid slimmers. A+ isn't a forum. It's a movement and it's alive and well and not going anywhere.


Of course no one in the movement actually moves anything and there is no decision about what and where to go and do but it's a movement goddamit.

\

A+ isn't going anywhere? :twisted:

[HunnyBunny]

Well, Heina Dadhaboy may have changed the location of her blog but hasn't lightened up on her commenting policy or grown a sense of humor. She made an outright abusive comment toward me. :(
https://archive.is/cJEF2

It’s cute that you think you can trick me now that I’m at a new blog, but you’re the ‘Pitter here. I’ve seen your actual posts at the real Slymepit

Hi Heina, how's the book going? You remember the one you got paid 9.6k nearly 4 years ago, don't you? you seem to have forgotten your donators on kickstarter, it's been over a year since you updated them. Apropos of which, maybe read this:

Project Creators are required to fulfill all rewards of their successful fundraising campaigns or refund any Backer whose reward they do not or cannot fulfill.

Perhaps, before accusing others of shitty behaviour, you should look in a mirror first. Glasshouses and stones and all that.

https://www.kickstarter.com/terms-of-use/oct2012

[John Greg]

Vicky Caramel said:

Welfare means people's basic survival needs are taken care of.

That may or may not be true in your country, Vicky, I don't know. In my country welfare covers approximately 10-20% (at most) of any and all basic needs of your average person. If you would like, or require, some stats on that, let me know, and I'll provide them.

If you think people's psychological needs are a reasonable justification for committing crime, I'd love to hear it.

That is quite specifically, and most pointedly not what I implied. The problem is so much more complex than your simplistic insinuation suggests.

Besides, we know this young man's circumstances, so where does "everyone, everywhere in your country?" come from?

My statement comes from two factors:

1. You live in the US; I live in Canada. Our various country's legislations about this stuff differ.

2. Your statement implied, at least in my reading of it, that what you claimed applied to everyone, everywhere, throughout the US.

Just a few weeks ago I had a long conversation with an officer sitting in my home while his collogue interviewed my daughter. This happened a week after two of my neighbours were burgled so the subject came up. He told me that they now routinely take DNA evidence from even minor crimes such as burglaries and property thefts if there is a reasonable chance that there is evidence. It is actually easier to collect than fingerprint evidence and doesn't cost much money to process these days. When they eventually make an arrest, they can then tie a lot of other crimes to the culprit because most crimes are committed by the same few people. He told me about 80% of the house breakers in my area were local and he could probably name them all from memory. Maybe you can make the argument that police in the US are underfunded compared to the UK police?

Well, fair enough, maybe. But, different states/countrries, et al.? Things are very, very different in Canada -- which is not the UK, by the way.

... there you go, four night vision cameras for less than $100....

I do not know what socio-economic level/class you inhabit, but for many, many, many people, $100 spent on a camera means no emergency set-asides, no medical, no dental, no public transportation, no more than the most and most barest foods, not to mention no legal recourse whatsoever, for at least 6 months, probably more.

Where is the bogus assumed knowledge? This is all stuff a house breaker has to risk in this day and age.

Well, in fairness to you, that's a very complex question to answer, and such answer should certainly not be done on this kind of media.

[comhcinc]

I think Vicky is in the UK?

I will say that I think she is off about the welfare state in the U.S.

Think about this. I do not have a job. I have 4 kids. I get help with food each month but it never is enough. That's it. I do not qualify of any other public assistance.

I only bring it up because I think it's a false position to argue from.

This kid's basic needs might not have been took care of by the state but that doesn't mean I think that excuses the kid's actions.

[MacGruberKnows]

I do not know what socio-economic level/class you inhabit, but for many, many, many people, $100 spent on a camera means no emergency set-asides, no medical, no dental, no public transportation, no more than the most and most barest foods, not to mention no legal recourse whatsoever, for at least 6 months, probably more.

If you can't afford video cameras for surveillance, you probably don't have much in the way of posessions that need surveillance, so some kind of zero sum game.

As for the 80% of house-break-ins, I live in surrey, bc, and cops in the area repeatedly say it is about 20 pieces of shit that do about 80% of the break-ins and car thefts in an area like Newton or Cloverdale. And you are right, you and I live in Canada and we give these pieces of shit the right to walk the streets of our communities. If we didn't, the BC Human Rights Council would (probably) award them damages for being denied the right to make a living.

[Steersman]

Well, Heina Dadhaboy may have changed the location of her blog but hasn't lightened up on her commenting policy or grown a sense of humor. She made an outright abusive comment toward me. :(
https://archive.is/cJEF2

...
Hi Heina, how's the book going? You remember the one you got paid 9.6k nearly 4 years ago, don't you? you seem to have forgotten your donators on kickstarter, it's been over a year since you updated them. Apropos of which, maybe read this: ....
Perhaps, before accusing others of shitty behaviour, you should look in a mirror first. Glasshouses and stones and all that.
https://www.kickstarter.com/terms-of-use/oct2012

Couldn't have said it better myself. ;-)

But I quite agree with you - a rather remarkable degree of "intellectual dishonesty" from her, at least on the face of it. But maybe she realizes that she's bitten off more than she can chew in trying to write about Islam. One might suggest she peruse Ibn Warraq's Why I'm Not a Muslim, Irshad Manji's The Trouble With Islam Today, Anjuli Pandavar's several posts over at FTB on the topic, your several positive reviews here thereon, and one of my comments thereat. And it might help her to take a look at the thread that Kirbmarc started here on Islam and Islamists. ;-)

[Steersman]

Vicky Caramel said:
<snip>

... there you go, four night vision cameras for less than $100....

I do not know what socio-economic level/class you inhabit, but for many, many, many people, $100 spent on a camera means no emergency set-asides, no medical, no dental, no public transportation, no more than the most and most barest foods, not to mention no legal recourse whatsoever, for at least 6 months, probably more.

Not entirely sure but I kind of get the impression that you're seriously misinterpreting what she's saying - at least some of it, that you're engaged in a bit of "Who's on First". She wasn't saying that you should go out and spend that type of money on cameras and other paraphernalia; she was just pointing to the ubiquity of such as some reason that might prevail on people like that kid who broke into that woman's home and who got shot for his troubles.

I think you need to go back over that sequence of posts - maybe starting here - and consider that you might have gone seriously off the rails at some point.

[deLurch]

In an age where you can get food stamps and nobody needs to starve.
In an age where fingerprints are kept on databases and the police will use DNA for minor crimes.
In an age where sophisticated alarms and camera systems cost peanuts.
A country not known for it's leniency towards any wrong-doers, especially black ones.
In a country where virtually anyone can own a gun,
where people are allowed to kill you in order to protect property.

And he still breaks into an old lady's home. Wouldn't it be immoral not to remove him from the gene pool?

I don't know about your country, but in the US cops don't do DNA tests for minor crimes. Hell, they won't even dust for prints in most situations. There has to be a dead body on the floor before they break out any level of forensic testing.

[Cnutella]

Silly stupid slimmers. A+ isn't a forum. It's a movement and it's alive and well and not going anywhere.


Of course no one in the movement actually moves anything and there is no decision about what and where to go and do but it's a movement goddamit.

\

A+ isn't going anywhere? :twisted:

Well poke it with a stick to be sure. Looks dead to me, though.

[deLurch]

My response to one of his:

Outside of Muscato royally fucking over the college photographer to save Muscato's own skin, I haven't seen Muscato cause anyone else any harm. I doubt anyone with any sense will be drafting Muscato for PR work any time soon.

Let Muscato be.

[MacGruberKnows]

My response to one of his:

Outside of Muscato royally fucking over the college photographer to save Muscato's own skin, I haven't seen Muscato cause anyone else any harm. I doubt anyone with any sense will be drafting Muscato for PR work any time soon.

Let Muscato be.

I wait for the day when non-transitioned M-F(?) transgenders who prefer PiV-sex and great hairy back and faces and chests, demand urinals in women's washrooms.

Because they are women and to not have urinals in women's washrooms is obviously a sign of teh Patriarchies hatred of women.

And this bit:

Let Muscato be.

Be what, exactly?

[deLurch]

[quote="VickyCaramel"]Just a few weeks ago I had a long conversation with an officer sitting in my home while his collogue interviewed my daughter. This happened a week after two of my neighbours were burgled so the subject came up. He told me that they now routinely take DNA evidence from even minor crimes such as burglaries and property thefts if there is a reasonable chance that there is evidence. It is actually easier to collect than fingerprint evidence and doesn't cost much money to process these days. When they eventually make an arrest, they can then tie a lot of other crimes to the culprit because most crimes are committed by the same few people. He told me about 80% of the house breakers in my area were local and he could probably name them all from memory.
Maybe you can make the argument that police in the US are underfunded compared to the UK police?
The way your UK police operate is how I think the US police should operate, but they don't.

Here is what information I found on our current system:
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/finge ... afis/iafis
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/finge ... s/ngi/ngi2

Cops typically come in, ask for an inventory of stolen items with serial numbers. Take a report that you can file with your insurance agency, and call it the day. They will normally say they like to get reports of incidents so that they are aware of crime patterns for increased patrolling.

Maybe it costs them too much to run prints. Or maybe the work involved in entering the prints is too much time. Or they get too many false positives. Or maybe it is just a cultural momentum of laziness.

[comhcinc]

The thing about finger prints is they don't work like they do on cop shows. Most surfaces either don't get get prints or get so many that it's impossible to get a clear match.

[deLurch]

I think Vicky is in the UK?
I will say that I think she is off about the welfare state in the U.S.
Think about this. I do not have a job. I have 4 kids. I get help with food each month but it never is enough. That's it. I do not qualify of any other public assistance.

I only bring it up because I think it's a false position to argue from.
This kid's basic needs might not have been took care of by the state but that doesn't mean I think that excuses the kid's actions.

Did your call center job fall through? If so, I am sorry to hear that.

[Steersman]

My response to one of his:
[.tweet][/tweet]

Outside of Muscato royally fucking over the college photographer to save Muscato's own skin, I haven't seen Muscato cause anyone else any harm. I doubt anyone with any sense will be drafting Muscato for PR work any time soon.

Let Muscato be.

While I can maybe sympathize somewhat with the idea of letting sleeping dogs lie and all that, one might reasonably ask whether Muscato and company should be left free to peddle some rather egregious if not pathological bullshit which has some non-trivial and problematic consequences. You might note the following from that Slate post of Michelle Golberg's (linked in the tweet) wherein she quotes the rather sensible transgender Helen Highwater:

Yet [Highwater] has come to reject the idea that she is truly female or that she ever will be. Though “trans women are women” has become a trans rights rallying cry, Highwater writes, it primes trans women for failure, disappointment, and cognitive dissonance. She calls it a “vicious lie.”

In addition you might also note a couple of posts from Alice Dreger which includes these rather cogent if not damning criticisms of the worst of transgenderist ideology:

For twenty years now, I’ve been trying to help intersex people push for the rights of children born with intersex conditions. For twenty years, I’ve been saying pretty much the same thing—the same thing as most of them, the same thing Tiger Devore has been saying for thirty years:

Children born with intersex conditions and differences of sex development (DSD) should not be subjected to medically unnecessary surgeries and hormone treatments until they are old enough to decide for themselves if they want these interventions.

And this from another one of hers:

A group of transgender activists has achieved a major victory—the shutting down of the Child Youth and Family Gender Identity Clinic at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Even better from their point of view, they got the head of it, psychologist Ken Zucker, fired.

The activists didn’t like Zucker because he never did subscribe to the “true transgender” model of identity, wherein you simply accept what any child (no matter how young) says about his or her gender. The transgender activists who called for his ouster insisted that Zucker was doing “reparative therapy,” trying to talk children out of being transgender when they “really” were.

"Silence like a cancer grows"; the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil and all that - even if the source is maybe due less to overt evil than simply to good but misguided intentions paving its way.

[jimhabegger]

I've been here before, many months ago. I see some people here whose memories of that might be as fond as mine!

I'm planning to start a thread about the God-centered community building I see being promoted by the Baha'i Universal House of Justice. Before that, I'll post somewhere to introduce myself, because I'm not sure I ever did that properly.

[HoneyWagon]

I've been here before, many months ago. I see some people here whose memories of that might be as fond as mine!

I'm planning to start a thread about the God-centered community building I see being promoted by the Baha'i Universal House of Justice. Before that, I'll post somewhere to introduce myself, because I'm not sure I ever did that properly.

LOL, wat?

[jimhabegger]

I thought I might get some LOLs about that!

[rayshul]

Hey you can talk about it on the main thread fuck all else is happening except for FtB hilariously combusting.

[jimhabegger]

Rayshul, thanks for the invitation. I feel honored to be welcomed this quickly by such a celebrity!

[KiwiInOz]

I'm all for dog centred community building.

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5 ... rmat=1500w

[jimhabegger]

You might be on to something. That looks very appealing to me. My heart is leaping, aching to be there with them. If I can't find a community like that near me, I might try to start one.

[jimhabegger]

Where can I read about it?

[Søren Lilholt]

*snip*
People who do transition gain respect for their choices partly out of the sheer bravery of doing so - gender reassignment is a serious and stressful business, so the least we can do for people like that is respect their personal pronouns.*snip*

Well fuck that. Why do I have to respect the personal pronouns of someone who has either had their cock and balls cut off and a couple of silicon bags fitted upstairs, or who has had their funbags thrown in a bin and a dildo stuck onto their mons pubis?

You don't have to respect it - yet - but it is a helluva lot easier to take someone seriously when they have gone through the aggro of surgery (or at least outward transition) given the enormous societal costs they have to bear.

It is on the other hand, very easy to not take Muscato seriously. Hell, even Matt Dillacunty cross-dressed for his phone-in show. He's a fat cunt, and he managed it (so what's holding you back, Dave?)

[feathers]

I want to transition to a woman.

I've grown a beard.

What is the next step?

As you have two beards now, you're probably a Tveskæg and bound to become a viking.

[feathers]

*snip*
People who do transition gain respect for their choices partly out of the sheer bravery of doing so - gender reassignment is a serious and stressful business, so the least we can do for people like that is respect their personal pronouns.*snip*

Well fuck that. Why do I have to respect the personal pronouns of someone who has either had their cock and balls cut off and a couple of silicon bags fitted upstairs, or who has had their funbags thrown in a bin and a dildo stuck onto their mons pubis?

What about people who truly believe that they have a limb which doesn't belong to them? Should they be allowed to have a surgical team remove it? Wasn't there some story remarked upon at the Pit a few years ago about a chick who cut off her toes because she didn't like them? It's fucking ridiculous.

I'm not certain I'd call it "respect", but if people are so ill at home in their body that they are prepared to go through a long period of crossdressing, taking hormones and having several (sometimes painful) operations, I'm certainly prepared to grant them some compassion. I have no problem changing pronouns, to the extent they're not made up out of blue space.

But the point you raise with body integrity disorder is also fair. Many people, especially surgeons and psychiatrists, wonder if we should apply irreversible, and very much imperfect, surgery on disorders we don't quite understand. What if our trans is not getting happier after all? What if she does indeed feel more comfortable in her new body, but has lost her job, all friends and family in the process?

Of course, if you raise these very valid points on the likes of the f'Torbit, you get instaburned. I doubt you can even bring up the idea we should try to cure mental disease.

[feathers]

I added a hashtag after the poll started and it wiped out a couple votes. Those who voted please go back and vote again. Sorry about that...

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=489

None of mine made the list.

What are you some type of hashtag Nazi?

Hash. Note even once.

[feathers]

Silly stupid slimmers. A+ isn't a forum. It's a movement and it's alive and well and not going anywhere.


Of course no one in the movement actually moves anything and there is no decision about what and where to go and do but it's a movement goddamit.

\

A+ isn't going anywhere? :twisted:

It's a movement in progressive stasis. Or static progression.

[feathers]

The way your UK police operate is how I think the US police should operate, but they don't.

Here is what information I found on our current system:
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/finge ... afis/iafis
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/finge ... s/ngi/ngi2

Cops typically come in, ask for an inventory of stolen items with serial numbers. Take a report that you can file with your insurance agency, and call it the day. They will normally say they like to get reports of incidents so that they are aware of crime patterns for increased patrolling.

Same in Denmark. And bike theft is completely administrative if no property was broken and entered. The insurance companies have access to the database of stolen frame numbers for verification.

On the other hand, Denmark does have a functioning social safety net, so in most cases burglars are drug users, terminally bored (immigrant) youths or looking to expand their dole.

[MarcusAu]

Can we get PZ to pharyngulate the poll?

Also, is a new spirit animal needed for the Orbit? Or is everyone still happy with using baboon for the neo-flange?

If something new is required, then I nominate goose, as in "silly goose". Plural geese. Collective noun gaggle. In order to provide much raw material for word play.

[deLurch]

Can we get PZ to pharyngulate the poll?

Also, is a new spirit animal needed for the Orbit? Or is everyone still happy with using baboon for the neo-flange?

If something new is required, then I nominate goose, as in "silly goose". Plural geese. Collective noun gaggle. In order to provide much raw material for word play.

Albert
http://science.howstuffworks.com/dead-a ... space1.htm

[MarcusAu]

On a related note - may I suggest that the Slymepit adopts the Hagfish as it's token animal?

[youtube]zdGGZJTmqEU[/youtube]

[feathers]

Can we get PZ to pharyngulate the poll?

Who says he didn't already (from the backchannel, of course)



(the single-member FTB backchannel, I mean)

[feathers]

Say, Jim, hardly 3 years ago, you said:

by jimhabegger » 10 Jun 2013 12:17 • [Post 31]
It seems to me that The Undead Thread plays right into their hands. In fact, now that I think of it, it looks to me like they're playing The Slymepit like a fiddle.

Do you stand by this now, March 2016?

:D

[Guest_8e315caf]

Any new news on the Reason Rally?
Wondering if the lunatics are applying any pressure to get some their favorites to podium.

Here is the current line up. Looks SJW clique free so far.
Reasonrally. Org/speakers/

It appears that the American Atheists are not also holding an event back-to-back with Reason Rally in DC this year.

Unsurprising if are.

On public Facebook, but can't link as a guest see the end of post for broken link:


Sarah Morehead
September 11, 2015
Omfg. I have gotten no less than 74 email/text/phone/FB/carrier pigeon requests for favors TODAY, and I am *not* exaggerating. Each are 100% convinced that I'm a big meanie because the answer is NO, despite your situation, despite how long/well/much we know each other, despite what you think I (or whoever) owe you, and despite that one time back in college, it is business, it is NOT personal but you may NOT have....
A) Free tickets to Apostacon
B) Free tables at Apostacon
C) Special Treatment because Special Snowflake Status (you're all equally special snowflakes, I promise...)
D) Refunds Because Reasons (all heartbreaking, all good, all valid, I GET IT BUT I STILL HAVE TO PAY OUR BILLS OFF THE NUMBERS WE SUBMITTED ALREADY FFS)
E) Stage Time at the Reason Rally
F) Stage time at Apostacon this year
G) Stage time at Apostacon next year
H) Party time with Penn & Teller
I) Direct contact information for any talent/celebrity. Period. Just no.
I have spent hours today emailing replies, texting, messaging, to people as best I can (and getting lectured, patronized, and insulted in return for taking the time), and ignoring the remainder of the random "got your email from a friend" ones, and I still have a mountain of shit to do. GIT OFF MY LAWN. Grr.

facebook. com/ sarah.morehead.52/posts/ 10206057065240269

[Keating]

Turned out they were playing the slymepit like a banjo.

[jimhabegger]

Say, Jim, hardly 3 years ago, you said:

by jimhabegger » 10 Jun 2013 12:17 • [Post 31]
It seems to me that The Undead Thread plays right into their hands. In fact, now that I think of it, it looks to me like they're playing The Slymepit like a fiddle.

Do you stand by this now, March 2016?

:D

No.

[jimhabegger]

I don't even remember any more what I meant by that.

[jimhabegger]

I'm all for dog centred community building.

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5 ... rmat=1500w

I take back everything I ever said against the Slyme Pit. This is a wonderful place. I think I'll be very happy here.

[jimhabegger]

I looked all over for the best place to introduce myself, and it's looking to me now like it's here.

I grew up in Indiana, Illinois and California, and met my wife in Florida. Together we've lived in Florida, Guadeloupe, Fort Wayne, New Jersey, Martinique, Virginia, and now Guilin, China. We have a son living in Shanghai, a daughter living in Quebec city, and five grandchildren.

My wife is teaching English at a university here. Before I retired I worked mostly in computer programming, economic and social research, and landscaping. Since we've been in China I've been doing housework, helping my wife with her teaching, and doing some volunteer work with children.

My life is all about what I call learning to walk in the path of God, and to help spread His love and knowledge. I think in theistic terms, but I see it all as purely metaphorical. I've been on both sides, twice, between thinking of God as real and as not real, and my position now is that I think in theistic terms, which I openly interpret metaphorically, without any conviction one way or another about whether there really is some being outside of time and space that corresponds to the metaphor. I can't even see what consequential meaning it could possibly have, to say that there is or isn't.

My interest in online atheism grew out of my interest in practicing and promoting fellowship, and mutual encouragement and support, across the widest ideological divides. That has always been a passion for me, but in the last few years I've been seeing it as an urgent imperative for me, if I want to help avoid widespread massive killing and destruction all over the world, far worse than anything we've ever heard of before, or at least reduce it.

I started following a Jewish blog, a conservative Christian blog, and an atheist blog, to practice fellowship with them, and to try to learn to encourage and support them in ways that really help. I saw some posts in the atheist blog about A+ and the A+ wars, while they were still raging, and participated for a while in discussions about them, on Freethought Blogs, in the A+ forums, and here in the Slyme Pit forums.

I'm a member of a non-Christian but God-centered religious community, using non-Christian but God-centered scriptures. I disagree with most of the theology and interpretations of the Bible that I see Christian churches promoting, and even with how they use the Bible, but I see my metaphorical God in the Bible and in Jesus, and I don't see my disagreements with Christians as disagreeing with the Bible itself.

One of my special interests is helping to develop and promote some kinds of God-centered community building that I see as good ways of helping to reduce and counteract the ravaging of military and economic warfare and other natural disasters, and helping to build a better world. Another is learning to be a better friend to people in my life, especially to some of the people around me that I see being stigmatized, marginalized and treated cruelly.

In case anyone is curious why I'm posting here, of all places, about God-centered community building, here's the story behind it:

A week or two ago it occurred to me that if I'm going to be commenting continually on a blog, I want to introduce myself, better than I've been doing. The introduction above is mostly the same as what I wrote for the atheist blog. When I got to the part about the Slyme Pit, I started to be curious about what might be happening here these days. I came over to take a look, and started feeling an urge to post here again. There's something in the personality of these forums that appeals to me, which I won't try to explain, even to myself. I might not want to know!

I wanted to post something, but the only excuse I could think of for indulging my impulse to post here, that seemed plausible to me, for my purposes, was to promote the kinds of community building that I see being promoted by the Baha'i Universal House of Justice.

[feathers]

I'm all for dog centred community building.

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5 ... rmat=1500w

Looks like a fox sneaked in there somewhere. Cheeky bastard.

[Shatterface]

I think Vicky is in the UK?

I will say that I think she is off about the welfare state in the U.S.

In the UK the Tory Secretary of State for Work and Pensions resigned two days ago in protest at benefit cuts.

I suspect our benefits system is a lot more generous than in the US.

[jimhabegger]

I'm all for dog centred community building.

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5 ... rmat=1500w

Looks like a fox sneaked in there somewhere. Cheeky bastard.

Anybody that re-posts a picture of some dogs and a fox, can't be all bad.

[Kirbmarc]

Welcome jimhabegger. The traditional Slymepit welcome is to tell you to fuck off and give you a basket of lynx:

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/imag ... z2p84K94Sg

My life is all about what I call learning to walk in the path of God, and to help spread His love and knowledge. I think in theistic terms, but I see it all as purely metaphorical. I've been on both sides, twice, between thinking of God as real and as not real, and my position now is that I think in theistic terms, which I openly interpret metaphorically, without any conviction one way or another about whether there really is some being outside of time and space that corresponds to the metaphor. I can't even see what consequential meaning it could possibly have, to say that there is or isn't.

If you don't mind my asking, what is your "god" idea a metaphor of? Do you use "god" to mean something like "the a-priori foundation of morals and ethics" or more something along the lines of "a sense of community"? Or something else entirely?

My interest in online atheism grew out of my interest in practicing and promoting fellowship, and mutual encouragement and support, across the widest ideological divides. That has always been a passion for me, but in the last few years I've been seeing it as an urgent imperative for me, if I want to help avoid widespread massive killing and destruction all over the world, far worse than anything we've ever heard of before, or at least reduce it.

That's an interesting and very noble goal. The only concern I have with this idea is how realistic it is: ideological divides and in-group morality/out-group hostility are part of the psychological/sociological nature of human beings. It's good to try our hardest to acknowledge our biases, to support and encourage others, but some groups (the prototypical examples are the Nazi party or the Wahabi/Salafi schools of Islam) are far too dogmatic to be reasoned with rationally.

If a group is made up of people who don't listen to reason and have an authoritarian plan to reshape society according to their ideas (which they assume to be based on unquestionable truths) and if they're willing to use every mean to achieve their goal, reasonable discussion ceases to be the best response. Satire, mockery and the exposure of the group's worst features become useful tools to try and make sure that this group never gets into a position of power.

If this dogmatic, authoritarian group ever gets into a position of power the results are never pretty.

[jimhabegger]

Kirbmarc, thank you! Just a few minutes ago I was wondering how I could have been posting for so long without anyone giving me the traditional welcome!

I'm being called away now, and I'm not sure I'll be able to post for the next twelve hours or maybe more. I'll try to make it sooner. I'll answer your question later.

[feathers]

If a group is made up of people who don't listen to reason and have an authoritarian plan to reshape society according to their ideas (which they assume to be based on unquestionable truths) and if they're willing to use every mean to achieve their goal, reasonable discussion ceases to be the best response. Satire, mockery and the exposure of the group's worst features become useful tools to try and make sure that this group never gets into a position of power.

If this dogmatic, authoritarian group ever gets into a position of power the results are never pretty.

I think he's Baha'i, the single religion that did not manage to piss off the Chinese government enough to get imprisoned. They seem to prefer to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's.

[Kirbmarc]

If a group is made up of people who don't listen to reason and have an authoritarian plan to reshape society according to their ideas (which they assume to be based on unquestionable truths) and if they're willing to use every mean to achieve their goal, reasonable discussion ceases to be the best response. Satire, mockery and the exposure of the group's worst features become useful tools to try and make sure that this group never gets into a position of power.

If this dogmatic, authoritarian group ever gets into a position of power the results are never pretty.

I think he's Baha'i, the single religion that did not manage to piss off the Chinese government enough to get imprisoned. They seem to prefer to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's.

I didn't mean to imply that Jim belongs to one of those groups, I was just thinking about the limits of reasonable discourse and support in general.

[Malky]

No. No. No. We know that you aren't perverted enough to stick your dick in a cephalopod. It was your lived experience with eagle's beaks (where eagle dare, if you will) that peaked our interest.

Okay, okay, you've worn me down. I lied. Never happened. It's a fantasy of mine. I can't help myself.

I'm not proud, there's just something about her.

http://imgur.com/zF0Sy4E.jpg

:clap: :clap: :clap:

[feathers]

Don't ask where this is coming from. My guess would be "Germany?".

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-x ... e=57931FC5

[VickyCaramel]

If you think people's psychological needs are a reasonable justification for committing crime, I'd love to hear it.

That is quite specifically, and most pointedly not what I implied. The problem is so much more complex than your simplistic insinuation suggests.

Well in that case I don't know what you tried to imply. Unless you are arguing that there is actually some sensible justification for a life of crime, and other than starvation here is good reason to be breaking into old ladies homes, then i really don't know what your point is.
To me it looks like you are arguing for the sake of arguing.

Besides, we know this young man's circumstances, so where does "everyone, everywhere in your country?" come from?

My statement comes from two factors:

1. You live in the US; I live in Canada. Our various country's legislations about this stuff differ.

2. Your statement implied, at least in my reading of it, that what you claimed applied to everyone, everywhere, throughout the US.

Just a few weeks ago I had a long conversation with an officer sitting in my home while his collogue interviewed my daughter. This happened a week after two of my neighbours were burgled so the subject came up. He told me that they now routinely take DNA evidence from even minor crimes such as burglaries and property thefts if there is a reasonable chance that there is evidence. It is actually easier to collect than fingerprint evidence and doesn't cost much money to process these days. When they eventually make an arrest, they can then tie a lot of other crimes to the culprit because most crimes are committed by the same few people. He told me about 80% of the house breakers in my area were local and he could probably name them all from memory. Maybe you can make the argument that police in the US are underfunded compared to the UK police?

Well, fair enough, maybe. But, different states/countrries, et al.? Things are very, very different in Canada -- which is not the UK, by the way.

... there you go, four night vision cameras for less than $100....

I do not know what socio-economic level/class you inhabit, but for many, many, many people, $100 spent on a camera means no emergency set-asides, no medical, no dental, no public transportation, no more than the most and most barest foods, not to mention no legal recourse whatsoever, for at least 6 months, probably more.

Where is the bogus assumed knowledge? This is all stuff a house breaker has to risk in this day and age.

Well, in fairness to you, that's a very complex question to answer, and such answer should certainly not be done on this kind of media.

So let me concede all your points. Ignoring the fact that this woman DID have a security system that contacted her cell phone, lets assume that people can't afford it and this is not a risk a burglar has to face. Assuming that police do not properly investigate burglary and are doing very little apprehend and punish this kind of crime... therefore there is very little deterrent and crime is rampant. It seems to me like the system of law and order has broken down and you can expect no justice from the justice system.

...so the only sensible thing to do is buy yourself a gun and shoot the little cunts in the face. I'd sleep well knowing I'd done a public service.


Please don't tell me that not all Canadians can afford guns, I am no longer interested in this subject.

[Hunt]

Don't ask where this is coming from. My guess would be "Germany?".

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-x ... e=57931FC5

"Kinder" is german for children.

[Shatterface]

Don't ask where this is coming from. My guess would be "Germany?".

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-x ... e=57931FC5

I don't the pun works for Germans because they'd get the kinder = children interpretation before the kinder = nicer.

[Hunt]

I'm all for dog centred community building.

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5 ... rmat=1500w

As cute as that is, if my doorbell rang in the morning and I opened it to that, I would be freaked out.