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Comments by annabanana


1. The Neural Buddhists

Comment #181117 by annabanana on May 16, 2008 at 12:51 pm

I think if he ever re-deconverts (or for the first time...since this time is the only "real" time he's converted to Christianity), he'll never tell us because he'll be too embarrassed.

2. The Neural Buddhists

Comment #181099 by annabanana on May 16, 2008 at 12:30 pm

Yeah, the whole "God loved us first" thing is weird. What proof of this does he have? Oh, right, scripture...yeah...very convincing...especially since he used to rip people new ones when they did quote scripture. But, oh, ever so conveniently, he deleted all of his posts so that we couldn't use his old arguments against him.

Anyway, I think it would have been much more entertaining and perhaps attention-grabbing as well if he had made up some fantastic revelation story. I guess the fact that he didn't suggests that he might actually believe the crap he's told us.

If I were going to make up a conversion story I think it would involve talking pink elephants or something. It would be way cooler and more imaginative than that crap in the Bible.

3. Group finds Starbucks logo too hot to handle

Comment #180928 by annabanana on May 16, 2008 at 6:31 am

I think I'll go have a cup of slutbucks today. Sounds delish. Slutbucks sounds like some new form of currency.

"How much for a little somethin' somethin'?"

"Oh, about 500 slutbucks"

4. Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks

Comment #180546 by annabanana on May 15, 2008 at 7:28 am

MaxD,

Well, a;kdfuo992myo, but generally ,couahthiwy78gowng. So, yes.

5. Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks

Comment #180538 by annabanana on May 15, 2008 at 7:12 am

;lakjfoiasdnf/./as=dfaisldfpokanf...

makes more sense than what clearmind says, at least.

6. The Neural Buddhists

Comment #180522 by annabanana on May 15, 2008 at 6:51 am

Incredulous, Quetz, MaxD,

I also edit my posts for spelling and grammatical errors. If it doesn't change the meaning of your post, I certainly don't have a problem with it. I understand that Richard may have accidentally hit submit before he decided what he was going to say, but since he changed what he had blockquoted, I think he should have indicated the editing, but of course, that just MHO.

Richard Morgan,

I'm with MaxD. I think you should share your conversion/epiphany story with us. Certainly risking a bit of meaningless, internet ridicule is worth it if it will help others to understand, correct? Also, I believe you once told me that you didn't let insults and things on internet fora bother you, so why are you suddenly worried about it now? Perhaps the real reason that you don't want to share your experience is because you are embarrassed or it isn't as solid as you would have everyone believe.

7. The Neural Buddhists

Comment #180272 by annabanana on May 14, 2008 at 1:10 pm

epeeist,

You'll have to ask RM as he hold the rights.

8. The Neural Buddhists

Comment #180262 by annabanana on May 14, 2008 at 12:54 pm

Also, I googled "Richard Morgan epiphany experience" and all I got was something about a science fiction writer named Richard K. Morgan.

9. The Neural Buddhists

Comment #180258 by annabanana on May 14, 2008 at 12:50 pm

Richard Morgan,

Not to put you in an awkward position, but

if you are motivated by a genuine sense of inquiry concerning my epiphany experience, then I would be happy to send you a copy. But if you are just looking for another opportunity to mock and insult me, I think I'll have to ask for a rain-check on this one.

If this were the case, then why did you disregard my e-mails on the subject that weren't in the least mocking, but only inquisitive?

10. The Neural Buddhists

Comment #180252 by annabanana on May 14, 2008 at 12:40 pm

Richard Morgan,

Your response to Lucas' post (#75) initially looked something like this:

Lucas: a most interesting post!
But the hardline atheism we tend to talk around here is unnecessarily strict and closed.

It cert

Perhaps you accidentally posted that little tidbit before you had decided how exactly to respond. Then magically, the post you now see in the spot marked #75 appeared.

11. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #180226 by annabanana on May 14, 2008 at 12:01 pm

AtheistJon,

You're depressing me. You may be right, but still...do you have to be so apocalyptic?

12. The Neural Buddhists

Comment #180192 by annabanana on May 14, 2008 at 10:59 am

Richard Morgan,

Why did you edit your post?

13. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #180113 by annabanana on May 14, 2008 at 8:23 am

Why don't we just load rockets up with the nuclear waste and shoot it at the sun, or random directions into space? That would get rid of it no?

It isn't enough that we've polluted the earth? Now we have to extend it to space? Sounds like a bad idea...I don't know. I have to go do some work now. I will return later after work and more research on the subject.

14. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #180109 by annabanana on May 14, 2008 at 8:20 am

Shaden,

Assuming that as you say, all of the other problems with nuclear power can be solved and/or improved, what to do about the limited fuel supply? This is from the wiki article I linked to you yesterday:

The world's present measured resources of uranium, economically recoverable at a price of 130 USD/kg, are enough to last for some 80 years at current consumption

15. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #180098 by annabanana on May 14, 2008 at 8:09 am

Why does everyone assume there is a solution.

Who assumed there was a solution? I certainly don't think there is a perfect solution to our energy problems. I think that we can continue to come up with better and better alternatives to what we've currently got, though. I'm not convinced that nuclear is better than coal, though.

16. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #180093 by annabanana on May 14, 2008 at 8:01 am

Luckily nuclear power plants don't release CO2.

No, but plenty of other sources do. Also, the process that is used to enrich the uranium emits several pollutants...so even though the nuclear fission itself doesn't produce pollutants, points in the process before that do.

17. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #180078 by annabanana on May 14, 2008 at 7:30 am

I forgot to add that cleaning up the particulate matter in the atmosphere seemingly will cause global warming to proceed faster since the particulates are reflecting some of the sunlight back into space...so if we clean up all of the particulate we have to address greenhouse gases ASAP or we may have a situation on our hands.

18. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #180074 by annabanana on May 14, 2008 at 7:18 am

Shaden,

I'm working on that article and doing some more digging. Two quick things.

1) The authors are business men and journalists, not scientists. This isn't to say that they are incapable of coming to the correct conclusion, but I just wanted to point out that they are not "experts". So this article is "sciency" as Dr. Benway would say, not scientific.

2) The first figure that they offer is an estimated 15,000 premature deaths per year per a Harvard School of Public Health Study. This does not have a footnote, so I googled it and it seems that this number comes from estimating the number of deaths that would be prevented if pollutants like particulate matter are better controlled. Particulate matter mostly affects people who already have heart and lung disease (although there is some evidence to suggest that PM causes heart and lung disease). Anyway if you go here: http://www.epa.gov/air/emissions/pm.htm you will see that industrial facilities emit just as much particulate matter as power plants, so as it is now, we've got just as much to worry about with industrial facilities as we do with power plants. That's not to say, of course, that cleaning up PM from power plants is pointless simply because the industrial facilities emit the same amount, but as AtheistJon has already pointed out, it would be near to impossible to completely replace coal-fired power plants with nuclear power plants for several reasons.

Anyway, I have some more digging to do. That's all I've gotten so far.

19. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #179689 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 2:02 pm

Shaden,

While the actual process of nuclear fission itself does not create emissions, the mining and processing of the uranium needed for the process does. Also, the control devices that are used to clean up emissions from coal-fired power plants are getting better and better along with emissions standards and regulations. I would have to have some more convincing before I thought nuclear power to be a better option. If you know of a resource where I can learn why it's better, please direct me there. From what I've read, it seems like it would be tit for tat.

20. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #179681 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 1:55 pm

Mesomodel,

We should also be conserving more than we are. For instance, just leaving things plugged in uses power. People who live within a reasonable distance from their jobs should cycle or walk to work and people who live in a place with decent public transportation should use that. Of course, the resistance to changing one's lifestyle will drive innovation faster, probably.

21. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #179656 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 1:28 pm

Shaden,

Would you rather store the waste from power plants in the atmosphere (Coal)?

First of all, I never said that I was an advocate of coal-fired power plants or that we should continue to produce power in the manner in which we are currently producing it. What I was saying was that nuclear power isn't necessarily a better option as there are a lot of problems with it as well. You can read all about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power

22. The Neural Buddhists

Comment #179646 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 1:12 pm

phatbat,

I think he thinks he knows more than he knows.

I think that about sums it up.

23. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #179640 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 1:08 pm

If we didn't go off topic occasionally suggesting that there are real human beings posting here, I think I might go crazy.

24. The Neural Buddhists

Comment #179638 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 1:00 pm

Phatbat,

Genes are not merely selfish, it appears. Instead, people seem to have deep instincts for fairness, empathy and attachment.

I couldn't tell if this resulted from the author's having had knowledge of The Selfish Gene by RD or because he'd only read the title since one of the main premises of The Selfish Gene is that our genes are encoded for us to act empathetically towards one another because it benefits the genes because the organisms are more successful at reproducing.

25. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #179605 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 12:29 pm

Excuse me, I should have said that you insinuated/implied that some of the posters were smelly hippies.

Geez, I said I was joking...

26. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #179602 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 12:24 pm

MaxD,

I did just get called a "Smelly Hippie" so I thought while we were name-calling...anyway, I was only joking. I don't have a problem with people who lift weights...well, except for the guys who go to the gym, do bench press and bicep curls, look in the mirror for half an hour, and call it a day.

27. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #179588 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 12:16 pm

al-rawandi,

I think some of you have mistaken RD.net for "Smelly Hippie.net", please check your browsers.

Ehem, I believe earlier, there were several people who had confused it for meathead.net, so I guess we're even, eh? ;-)

28. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #179581 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 12:13 pm

Hehehe, Quetz, Ironman is about a 3 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run (a FULL marathon)...so yeah, bit longer than a marathon...

29. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #179570 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 12:05 pm

riandouglas,

As of now, I've only done sprint (which vary slightly), but I'd like to do an olympic distance hopefully by the end of the summer. Next year I'll try for a half-ironman and perhaps if I feel the need to torture myself a little more, I'll do an Ironman the next...but we'll see. That's A LOT of training time.

30. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #179558 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 11:52 am

Ha! I can bench press more than all of you combined! Ok...not really...I can do triathlons, though...does that count?

31. 'My daughter deserved to die for falling in love'

Comment #179536 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 11:27 am

I was trying to follow this thread, but I can't really understand what Jayalenik is saying because of his lack of punctuation...

32. Americans pray at the pump for cheaper petrol

Comment #179448 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 8:59 am

kaiserkriss,

The real solution is of course is to reduce consumption of energy, and the development of highly efficient internal combustion engines with increased efficiency such as the proposed hybrid gasoline diesel cycle that increases efficiency and reduces emissions at the same time.

Aside from new technology, certain places (especially in the US) need to be made safer for cyclists. I know a lot of people who would more seriously consider cycling to work and other places rather than drive if they didn't think they were going to be hit by a car.

sctparker,
Best way to deal with gas prices (and this applies outside the states): Build nuke plants and work toward all electrical. When the eco-panicked show up to stop the construction, treat them like the saboteurs they are.

And what should we do with all of the waste created by nuclear power? We're running out of places to put it as it is. Until there's a more viable method of disposing of or decontaminating all of the waste, nuclear isn't the best option, either.

33. God seekers go public

Comment #179414 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 8:19 am

I'm actually curious as to WHAT they can do in a lab at all. What predictions can you make in a lab regarding intelligent design?

Good point. If all organisms are intelligently designed, what will tinkering around in a lab do to show this without the designer showing up and saying what he/she/it did and how he/she/it did it?

34. God seekers go public

Comment #179404 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 8:03 am

Quetz,

you mean you're not already on drugs? Huh. You learn something new every day.

No, despite my ranting and flailings when participating in these threads, I am not currently on drugs, but now since I know that it's ok, perhaps my arguments will be improved.

35. God seekers go public

Comment #179393 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 7:47 am

You forgot what we were taught in school- "Kids! Say no to Satan!"

Damn! All this time, I thought it was "Say no to drugs". I didn't know we were supposed to say no to satan. I've been saying yes to him for years...I guess I have to switch up my routine...yes to drugs...no to satan...

36. God seekers go public

Comment #179373 by annabanana on May 13, 2008 at 7:18 am

I really wish that all of the religious whackos would quick hijacking words that are associated with rationality and reason and morphing (and possibly coining) them into words that would cause a novice to believe the associated subject to be something other than rubbish. "Biologic", "Scientology", "Intelligent Design"...

37. The History Channel might do something right

Comment #176053 by annabanana on May 6, 2008 at 12:57 pm

I don't know that I would say that the History Channel is doing something right (although they may be). I was sick a couple of weeks ago and stayed home from work where I was sucked into some show on the History Channel and almost every commercial break there was a commercial for Expelled...which is definitely doing something wrong.

38. Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust

Comment #176050 by annabanana on May 6, 2008 at 12:40 pm

I am happy to concede that point, it is totally irrelevant, and flies in the face of my desire to not sink to his level.

Then why did it bear mentioning in the first place? Not to mention, if I were one of the people who allegedly sent you a private message, I would assume that the correspondence would stay just that, private and would probably be slightly annoyed that you mentioned it. However, that's just my humble opinion (which may very well be biased). Or perhaps someone who has a problem with al would like to castigate him but hasn't the courage to do it and feels better by simply cheering you on while you attempt it.

39. Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks

Comment #175677 by annabanana on May 5, 2008 at 8:58 pm

Teratornis,

No, when a politician decries "foreign oil," that is clearly a euphemism for "Islam."

I don't think this is entirely true. It would benefit the US to be completely energy-independent in many ways. Assuming the energy is a renewable source (which is what we are aiming for), it will be beneficial to the environment (presumably, depending on how this energy source is processed, what pollutants it emits, etc).

I think that you may have some good points, but I think that the reason the normally rational person thinks that the cognitive dissonance is ok is because it is only temporary. It is assumed that sometime in the near future, some technology will replace oil and the problem(s) will be solved.

Also, I'm pretty sure that al-rawandi uses public transportation on a regular (probably daily) basis, so will you maybe lighten up a bit on the "mobility addiction" stuff?

40. Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust

Comment #175663 by annabanana on May 5, 2008 at 8:04 pm

_riverrun_,

I'll take time to respond to your various original thoughts and gifted polemical approach later, when I'm asleep.

Will these "responses" appear as blockquotes in your dreams, too? ;-)

Hey, I'm just an outside observer watching the debate. This isn't my area of expertise. What I do know is that you continually quote others while making minimal observations of your own. It seems to me that you haven't made it clear what you actually think, but only what others think. Certainly, you couldn't possibly agree with Chomsky, et al on every issue. The statistical probability on that must be phenomenal...speaking of theistic...

41. Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust

Comment #175482 by annabanana on May 5, 2008 at 1:42 pm

al-rawandi,

Very peculiar indeed. Last time I checked, regurgitation was not a form of debate, but I could just be outdated. It's one thing to cite your sources...

42. Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust

Comment #175469 by annabanana on May 5, 2008 at 1:27 pm

_riverrun_,

I will let Hitchens respond to your points above

You're seriously starting to sound like a name-dropper here. Why don't you respond with your own opinions, or don't you have any?

43. Muslim Rebel Sisters: At Odds With Islam and Each Other

Comment #175421 by annabanana on May 5, 2008 at 11:29 am

I can't speak for Anna, but I am extremely happy with things.

I certainly couldn't be happier with the progression of things. :-)

Al,

I'm pretty sure you were around when Veronique and Yorker made their announcement, but it was made over the weekend, so perhaps that's why you didn't notice it.

Kaiserkriss and peace,

Many thanks.

44. Muslim Rebel Sisters: At Odds With Islam and Each Other

Comment #175336 by annabanana on May 5, 2008 at 9:04 am

I only blocked a portion of your jaw...can still see you...

:-)

45. Muslim Rebel Sisters: At Odds With Islam and Each Other

Comment #175329 by annabanana on May 5, 2008 at 8:57 am

Now that I have posted a picture, can we agree that I am not a bearded Deobandi fervently typing away in my Islamabad apartment?

Correction: two pictures posted...

46. Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust

Comment #175309 by annabanana on May 5, 2008 at 7:17 am

windweaver,

it's clear you also intended the reader to glean from your joke that, compared to Anna, you are politically right wing.


al-rawandi,

Well compared to Anna, I am all over the map.

I must have missed something. What do I and my political opinions have to do with any of this? I'm slightly confused...

47. Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust

Comment #174388 by annabanana on May 2, 2008 at 11:09 am

Embedded in it is the obvious truth that you could not have read Chomsky, on the matters you have raised.

Just one quick point to make. Even in the books that I have read repeatedly, I can't remember every single word, argument, minor plot development, etc. written in them. If you know anything about evolutionary biology, perhaps you know that we sacrificed some of our memory capabilities for the ability to read, write, do math, etc. This being the case, I think it unreasonable to expect someone to remember every point Chomsky (or anyone) has made in not just one instance of his writing, but every (this being a huge task as Chomsky's writings are quite numerous).

48. Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Comment #174381 by annabanana on May 2, 2008 at 10:41 am

I thought seeker struck out a couple of days ago already?

49. Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Comment #174379 by annabanana on May 2, 2008 at 10:37 am

huzonfurst,

More and more I think we should have let the South secede and saved ourselves not only the trouble of the Civil War but also the troubles brought on by these blinkered bible-beaters ever since. By now those states would be a pathetic third-world quagmire, and who knows how much farther advanced the rest of us would be!

I really hope you're joking. Gross over-generalizations=bad. Mmkay?

50. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #173857 by annabanana on May 1, 2008 at 9:47 am

Bonzai,

I didn't see the post where you clarified before I posted. Sorry.

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