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Comments by annabanana


51. '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...

52. '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.

53. '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?

54. '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...

55. 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.

56. 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?

57. 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.

58. 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...

59. 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"...

60. 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.

61. 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.

62. 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?

63. 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...

64. 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...

65. 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?

66. 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.

67. 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...

:-)

68. 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...

69. 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...

70. 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).

71. 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?

72. 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?

73. 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.

74. Open Letter to a victim of Ben Stein's lying propaganda

Comment #173850 by annabanana on May 1, 2008 at 9:42 am

Incredulous,

Your posts make a lot of sense to me.

Thanks, I think I may have spent a bit too much time pondering the situation. At first, I was trying to reconcile the part of RM that I liked (when he was still an atheist) and the part of him I disliked (the part where he continually made inappropriate comments to the women on the site). Then, around the same time he had his epiphany and converted. So I spent some time thinking about it.

Additionally I would add that I think the whole thing has been about attention. He seems to constantly feel starved of attention. When he was an atheist, he made crude comments to the women or loudly disagreed with the other atheists so that he was bound to get a response. Once people became accustomed to his style of writing and the responses waned, he needed something else to gain attention. A big, dramatic exit along with a conversion seemed to do the trick as we are all still sitting here pondering the situation.

I am in no way trying to insinuate that attention is the only thing that this is about. I'm sure that this beast that pervades his mind is of a complex nature, but I just wanted to point that one particular part out.

75. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #173837 by annabanana on May 1, 2008 at 9:30 am

Bonzai,

which is unlike religiously motivated martyrdom say in certain sects of Islam.

It probably isn't unlike religiously motivated martyrdom. There has to be an incentive, otherwise no one would do it. Just because the incentive isn't supernatural or metaphysical doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. I think it actually makes more sense that the incentive will be real, i.e. if I blow myself up and take a bunch of people out with me, the world will be a better place and my loved ones will get to live in that better place.

76. Open Letter to a victim of Ben Stein's lying propaganda

Comment #173746 by annabanana on May 1, 2008 at 7:54 am

Max,

I wonder if, now having gotten some good mileage out of Richard, David has lost interest in the poor fellow?

I don't think that DR was ever truly interested in RM, only the idea of RM. It must have absolutely thrilled him that one of the RD.netters converted. It had nothing to do with RM and everything to do with "victory". If you go over to the FCOS forums and read what DR wrote in response to an obviously [edit]should have said seemingly instead of obviously[/edit] distressed RM you'll notice that he hardly took any time at all to console RM and the majority of the post bashing RD and RD.net. It was truly appalling.

77. Open Letter to a victim of Ben Stein's lying propaganda

Comment #173730 by annabanana on May 1, 2008 at 7:25 am

Quetz,

But I suspect that might suit RM right now.

Perhaps that kind of thing suits RM, but I think that his recent posts here are indicative that the lack of activity on the FCOS boards have caused him to be bored.

Also, he wanted to promote his "new" persona and all that accompanies it since he deleted everything that went along with his "old" persona (including his contacts on instant messenger, apparently).

I must admit that I am wary of him. I can't decide whether to be angry with him because he is and has been deceitful or feel sorry for him because he is obviously lost.

78. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #173724 by annabanana on May 1, 2008 at 7:16 am

I haven't read those, but the Harry Potter series is probably my favorite thing that I've ever read and probably that I ever will read.

Those are followed fairly closely by Slaughterhouse V, though.

79. Open Letter to a victim of Ben Stein's lying propaganda

Comment #173723 by annabanana on May 1, 2008 at 7:13 am

Incredulous,

Have I missed something? Has Richard M been doing his Caliban act?

He was referring to the inappropriate comments RM used to make to several of the female posters here. Of course, all of those have been deleted.

I'm sure that kind of behavior wouldn't be tolerated on the FCOS forums, however. It must feel very strange and restrictive for him to have to write in such a different style from that of his previous writings here.

80. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #173721 by annabanana on May 1, 2008 at 7:08 am

al,

I wasn't being patronizing. I just knew that you hadn't read HP and I wanted to be more clear about my position.

The books are far superior to the movies, by the way. I don't think anyone who has read the books would disagree with that, either.

81. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #173716 by annabanana on May 1, 2008 at 6:52 am

al,

Since you haven't read HP, I should add that Grindelwald was a "bad guy". In other words, I (and apparently JK Rowling) agree with you.

82. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #173704 by annabanana on May 1, 2008 at 6:32 am

The nastiest of tyrants have always been "for the people" and run "dictatorships of the proletariat."

That reminds me of Grindelwald's initial intentions in book 7 of Harry Potter.

(Sorry, I can't resist the Harry Potter references)

83. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #173697 by annabanana on May 1, 2008 at 6:17 am

Steve,

I hope that you were only referring to this particular thread. It would be a sad day that Steve Zara quit posting!

Jiten,

This is like a theist reading TGD and come away unconvinced despite the watertight arguments in it.

That was unnecessary and a poor analogy.

84. Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Comment #173687 by annabanana on May 1, 2008 at 5:56 am

It's going to be a strange day, methinks.

85. Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Comment #173677 by annabanana on May 1, 2008 at 5:47 am

Can someone tell me what in hades an "evolin" is? Is it supposed to be evolutionist? or evilutionist? Maybe I'm not creative enough, but I can't figure out what it's supposed to be and whether or not it's supposed to be insulting.

86. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #173199 by annabanana on April 30, 2008 at 1:52 pm

And I was more referring to US Govt.

Technically, I sort of do work for the US government. The EPA delegates authority to us and steps in whenever it wants. We have to do whatever they say. We can have more stringent rules than they do, but that is rare. Also, the majority of my salary is paid through federal funding. Sorry to be so pedantic, but I just thought you should know. ;-)

87. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #173184 by annabanana on April 30, 2008 at 1:42 pm

The competent people (with the exception of the military and intelligence sector) end up in the private sector.

Good to know that you consider me incompetent since I work for the gov't. ;-)

88. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #173178 by annabanana on April 30, 2008 at 1:36 pm

The question you must ask is, would you like capital accumulating with a bloated and incompetent government, run by armchair bureaucrates. Or by companies that have an interest in you happiness with their performance, lightly regulated by a government that is in the service of the people?

Well of course he's going to go with the second option, but mostly because of the way you worded the question. Are these really the only two options?

89. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #173160 by annabanana on April 30, 2008 at 1:10 pm

MPhil,

Our education system could certainly use an overhaul and I know that there are definitely things that can be done to give people a more equal starting point, but I just don't see where it will ever be truly equal.

In the same vein, though, my mom is a nurse for the state and there is soon to be instated a pilot program in one county where a nurse will visit families in underprivileged situations from the time the mother is 28 weeks pregnant until the time the child is 2 years old. In other places where this has been done, the statistics for improvement were phenomenal. Even the childrens' IQs were higher.

90. Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Comment #173147 by annabanana on April 30, 2008 at 12:36 pm

MPhil,

Will it work if you blockquote it?

91. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #173145 by annabanana on April 30, 2008 at 12:32 pm

"to the best of one's abilities" is useless when capitalism sees to it that you don't get to develop your abilities unless you're born into a wealthy family. That's why the a society that accepts the Priority of the basic liberties has to see to it that unequal starting positions are balanced, so that everyone is granted the opportunity to contribute to the best of his ability.

I'm somewhat hesitant to offer my opinions in this conversation as I feel that you and al have much better backgrounds in socioeconomics than I do, but for what it's worth, I'm not sure how you intend to achieve this "equal starting point" for everyone. It is entirely possible, at least in the US, for someone to receive a good education in the public school system here and receive a full scholarship to a college or university regardless of the socioeconomic class one was born into and be very successful. The problem is that it is rare to have someone who is born into a poor socioeconomic standpoint who understands this and it isn't something they are going to learn through their parents, but this is where it needs to come from. One of the reasons people who are born into higher socioeconomic classes get a better education at public school here is because their parents encourage them, help them at home, etc. So unless we are going to start parenting everyone, I don't see how we will ever have a truly equal starting point.

$0.02

92. Fleabytes

Comment #173133 by annabanana on April 30, 2008 at 12:08 pm

I am of the opinion that if RM came here to self-promote, which is seemingly his only purpose, that he should have done just that, rather than to offer empty thanks and try to hide his true agenda. I will go ahead and say that I could have this whole thing misconstrued, but I'm pretty sure I don't.

93. Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Comment #173130 by annabanana on April 30, 2008 at 12:02 pm

Thanks Geoff! I can't speak for al, but I couldn't be happier!

94. Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Comment #173118 by annabanana on April 30, 2008 at 11:39 am

Look guys! Clearmind learned how to copy and paste!

95. Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Comment #173040 by annabanana on April 30, 2008 at 8:59 am

What I don't understand is how anyone would want to waste so much effort trying to defend patently untenable positions because they have a problem with facts?

The thing is, he didn't waste that much time. If you go and click the link to his other comments, he rarely wrote more than two sentences and even more rarely said anything of substance (if ever). We were the ones wasting our time, unfortunately, but as al already said, it was calculated deception on his part. He came here acting genuinely interested and innocent when he had no intentions of listening to what we had to offer.

96. Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Comment #173029 by annabanana on April 30, 2008 at 8:47 am

tsk tsk. Bad manners :)

I don't know what came over me! I must have been momentarily possessed by a demon! That is certainly the most parsimonious of conjectures. ;-)

97. Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Comment #173021 by annabanana on April 30, 2008 at 8:36 am

Strike three! And you're out!

*let's door hit him on the arse*

Oh, I'm sorry, was that rude? I must not have had enough Red Bull this morning.

98. Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Comment #173011 by annabanana on April 30, 2008 at 8:27 am

To add to comment 529, the only thing I will be sad about is that there are people like you who are so easily persuaded by such fallacious arguments as inaccuracy of radiometric dating techniques, but yet so impervious to the plethora of evidence that contradicts religious beliefs of any sort.

99. Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Comment #173001 by annabanana on April 30, 2008 at 8:23 am

Feel free to look desperate and talk around me though.

Errr...what? How/why would we look desperate if you were to leave? I'm pretty sure no one will be sad to see you go.

100. Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Comment #172974 by annabanana on April 30, 2008 at 8:11 am

Steve,

I was lurking that day. I remember. I was getting annoyed because he kept posting something irrelevant from wiki and ignoring all of the evidence of speciation that you had given.

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