101. That's it. Texas really is doomed.

Comment #185833 by MaxD on May 28, 2008 at 6:32 pm

Edouard Pernod,
To dis Jersey is to neglect its great contribution to rock and roll.
The Boss.

102. We happy hooligans

Comment #185765 by MaxD on May 28, 2008 at 1:17 pm

That was a terribly hard blog to read. Talk about missing the point. What I found so strikingly stupid was his assertion that the critique of PZ Myers in his Courtiers Riposte can the charge of calling sophisticated theologians liars. WTF? He is saying they are wasting a lot of time, in fluffy debate about what is likely a nonexistent subject, namely God. He isn't calling them liars he is saying they are wrong and wasting their time.

103. That's it. Texas really is doomed.

Comment #185738 by MaxD on May 28, 2008 at 11:57 am

Lost Maples State Park.

An excellent place in Texas.

104. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185663 by MaxD on May 28, 2008 at 9:29 am

Al,
In your comment Comment #185629 by al-rawandi on May 28, 2008 at 8:32 am

The last clip was troubling to say the least. A question (this is not to justify the Israeli action) but had the palestinians crossed into some illigal zone? It seems like the israeli army might make a better name for itself and the cause of Israel if it handled this kind of peaceful protest better. But they were at least using non-lethals. Which is better than the treatment I've seen in some of your clips!
Ugh,
Nasty nasty business.

105. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185621 by MaxD on May 28, 2008 at 7:48 am

Christopher Davis,

It is strange to hear that kind of response isn't it? Quite frankly it doesn't matter if they are hardworking bladibladiblah. Having so pourous a border hurts US interests. I've no problem with anyone coming here legally. People who make the blanket charge of racism in this situation also seem to neglect the fact that the hard working Mexicans are getting royally screwed and in the process screwing legitimate citizens by depressing wages etc. So it is bad for everybody.

106. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185616 by MaxD on May 28, 2008 at 7:40 am

That is funny, i tried to get on israeli watch site just to see if there were comparable cartoons and I would see the opening page and then get redirected. Bizarre.

Anyway, Fanusi I am not as well read in this as you and Al are but there are atrocities on both sides from what I have read. Holding up one side and saying look, the definition of evil does us no good does it?

107. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185609 by MaxD on May 28, 2008 at 7:21 am

Al,
That is what I thought. Israel is a democracy but it is no golden pillar of nobility. And Palestinians aren't wholly the victims, but the situation is vastly more nuanced than Fanusi allowed for in his comment.

108. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185607 by MaxD on May 28, 2008 at 7:16 am

Keith,
Not to be jumping on your bandwagon, but when I read the phrase "narrative framework" I felt like vomiting.
Ugh.
No offense NakedCelt. It felt like a post-modernist phrase to me, or something you'd find in the worst kind of Sociology class.

109. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185604 by MaxD on May 28, 2008 at 7:11 am

Goldy you said;

Mate, I see religous people as slightly touched upstairs anyway. She's going out of her way to spread discord and strife. That's seriously touched upstairs! I stand by my assumption in this case! I am also worried that someone this mentally unstable is allowed to carry on as normal (albeit under surveillance). Seems to me like society allows the cancer to spread because, well, cancerous cells have rights too...

Sorry psychosis is a mental illness you'd have a hard time getting diagnosed in this particular case. At least given what I know of the facts. You think there is no god, so from this first principle a certain amount of your actions are determined by this belief. You don't go to church, you don't pay tithes, etc. Are you crazy? Your actions are somewhat determined by this belief.

This woman, who came to her belief, very likely on the basis of some authority telling her it was so probably is no less strong in her conviction evenso. If you believed every word of the Koran, or the bible you'd be duty bound to wage Jihad against the infidel. If you were a consistent bible believing person, of course you could have nothing but scorn for homosexuals. These are completely rational actions for those who believe they are on the side of God. We can quibble here about the evidence for their positions (non-existant of course) but most of us here are western educated, free thinking, and had the freedom, or found the breathing space, to feed a certain curiosity.
Not everyone has had such opportunity. If the woman from your example had messianic fantasies then I would probably have to agree with you, and a diagnosis would be rather easy. This woman is probably as sane as you or I and that, in a nutshell, is what is so scary.

110. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185599 by MaxD on May 28, 2008 at 6:58 am

Fanusi,
You said:

Reduced to it's basics it's this:

Israel - tiny, first world democracy, an island of civilisation.
The Palestinians - genocidal savages who have no desire or ability beyond murder.

You can choose one, and only one side to back. Back Israel and preserve it's existence. Back the Palestinians and be complicit in a second Holocaust.

It's not a hard call

Is it terribly useful to reduce this to its basics? In college I had many thoughtful palestinian friends from Ramallah. I think many of them were from the Friends School there, were they just an anomaly?

111. What is science for?

Comment #185588 by MaxD on May 28, 2008 at 6:40 am

ASM,
The problem is that you are not now and never were, interested in free exchange and debate. You don't infact know what such a process might entail. Instead you ad hom your opponents, and you simply don't have the evidentiary grounds to be waxing so confident. That is to say what you need is a slam dunk and you have yet to provide it. Instead you engage in the rhetorical style of your anti-semite bretheren, and hide your side of the arguments obvious flaws by constantly draggging in the specter of free speech censorship. You accuse people of Newsspeak (have you even read 1984?) and being closed minded and censorious. These are ridiculous charges given that many of the posters here have tried to have honest exchanges with you.

Finally quit hiding your sloppy history behind free speech. I dare say most of the posters here have no desire to see anyone's free speech censored. Speaking only for myself, I do think it is a travesty that Zundel, and Irving and others have gone to jail over this controversy. I say that even though I think they are wrong and even though Zundel is an obvious Nazi loon.

112. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185467 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 9:44 pm

Goldy,
I'll say El Aroud is the more dangerous. Ms El is abusing her freedoms to incite more damage to the very provider thereof.

If she wasn't a holy warrior for her crappy Islam then she wouldn't be a danger. She gets a nice little welfare stipend, what could be more generous than that? That you could even think that the very system that provides Ms. El Aroud the forum to stand up and speak is on the same footing as that of Ms Aroud herself and the ideology she is espouses is to me a strange, strange claim, and one that seems to contradict what you have tried to say about Islam in general.

EDIT: Goldy you are attributing to her some psychosis. This seems like a possible mistake on your part. It isn't clear to me that she is crazy from this story, she seems simply to be following the radical teachings of her beloved Islsm.

113. Top 6 Incestuous Relationships In The Bible

Comment #185464 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 9:31 pm

Ghuckin,
It is important to highlight shit like this for the people who actually think that the fairy stories actually did happen. Some people actually think the bible has some morality tales in it.

114. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185444 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 8:17 pm

Goldy!
Whoa good buddy! I am simply saying that you were striking me as one of those who goes out of their way to absolve Islam when it seems at least mildly clear that it, in this currrent instant in history, is more of a danger than some of our other religions.

I did not compare you to wooter, clearmind, or God forfuckingbid ASM. That you got that out of my post makes me feel bad.
Apologies.

You say of chinese honor killings:

Just becasue you don't hear anything doesn't mean it isn't happening.

Certainly this is true but could be said of a Quaker community as well. My question is compared to Islamic communities what is the prevalence of such violence. What I am trying to say is that you seem to be bending over backwards to make a balanced critique when in fact the scales may not balance.

115. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185387 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 5:43 pm

Goldy said,

And these are hardly the preserve of Islam, are they? I am sure you'll find the very same happening in rural China. A product of a couple of decades of war and rampant corruption ?quot; not religion.

Holy shit. That is one of the most amazing things I've yet encountered on this site. And that is saying something for there are no shortage of equivocators found here.

How many chinese bombers have there been lately? Where were the chinese freedom fighters and suicide bombers in when the chinese and irish were being exploited to lay the railroads? (This isn't a time with out violence but much of it was the Irish and the Chinese killing each other in a variety of boredom relieving ways). But why weren't these two abused ethinic groups putting it to there oppressors with horrendous vioence? Where was the targeting of innocents? How many chinese honor killings have there been recently? Eh? You can continue to demur otherwise but Islam is a religious ideology that is only just now having its pivotal clash, as a whole, with modernity. For whatever reason it (Islam) has become associated with fanaticism, and its tenets seem ready made for such usage.

You further say

I am sure if Christianity had stayed the Middle Eastern religion of choice, or pre-Islamic religion, the same would be happening now.

Can you be so sure of this? It may be true but I am not so sure. Christianity of the middle ages would brook no challengers in the cruelty and barbarity department? How then did it open up, and allow for the enlightenment?

Is it really your position that religion doesn't cause violence?

116. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185381 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 5:23 pm

Epinephrine,
I am going to have to go with your numbers because I cannot locate the source for mine. As I said I was going from memory. Could you send me the site for your numbers epinephrine.

117. Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks

Comment #185345 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 2:49 pm

Al, righton,
While you both bring up excellent points in your critique of riverrun/lastgreekstanding, you guys have not adequately addressed his maligning of my use of English. I'd like a lot more of your time devoted to my infinately more substantial case against riverrun or whatever his name is.

On a serious note, what is wrong with this character?

118. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185343 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 2:42 pm

Epinephrine,
I have read in the past that per capita Canadians have as many guns as the US. Could you point me to your source and I will try to find the one I was rattling off from memory.

119. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185314 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 12:20 pm

later frankus.

120. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185309 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 12:07 pm

Frankus,
Gun ownership clearly ain't the problem. Canadians own per capita as many guns as we do here in the land of shootin' shit. Who commits the crimes? Is it, on average law abiding gun owners? Is it something that would be minimized by making gun ownership more difficult for law abiding citizens via more laws?
No.
Criminals get guns they shouldn't have and they will continue to do this if you take the guns from law abiding citizens. All you will succeed in doing is removing a constitutional right from generally law abiding citizens. This seems perverse to me.

121. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185306 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 11:52 am

Al,
I actually blogged about that police shooting.
see that here.
http://maxiitheblindwatchmaker.blogspot.com/2006/11/rules-of-gun-fighting.html
Enjoy

122. That's it. Texas really is doomed.

Comment #185298 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 11:38 am

I kinda thought Texas was doomed when I visited the Alamo and I saw Davy Crockett swinging a musket at a mexican set in stained glass. That I thought was odd, though perhaps not doom worthy.

123. Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks

Comment #185292 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 11:29 am

Quezt!
Thanks!

124. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185291 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 11:27 am

Al,
Look at my post above for a few of the factors that I think lead to cultural isolation of, especially urban, african americans. I would add to that list a continued distrust of the system so much so that African american communities will find common cause with obvious criminals from Tupac, to the Jena 6, and to OJ Simpson. This is a real problem and one that seems hard to combat.

125. Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks

Comment #185286 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 11:15 am

Quetz,
Off topic,
Tecumotzin is helping Hercules fight of a Skrull invasion. Why aren't you helping out? This seems rather cowardly of you.

Lastgreekstanding While you have caught your breath after another frothing at the mouth post that reflects a mind incapable of entertaining a simple mind change, maybe you could find the time to apologize for attacking my wonderful usage of the word unserious which as I demonstrated is completely within the realm of the permissable by the rules of English.
Thanks.

(EDIT) Quetz, OMG you are Tecumotzin! I just found this out thanks to that shitty internet encyclopedia Wikipedia! Well good luck in your battles. At least according to Marvel comics mythology which may not correspond well with your actual metaphyscial derivation. Anyway apologies.

126. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185282 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 11:03 am

Bugaboo,
you said:

Should have read
"Most gun crime in the US is one poor person shooting another over drugs...."

This is an interesting thing to say. I suspect the numbers favor Al's assertion. Simply saying that one race is over-represented in crime statistics will not necessarily be the same thing as saying african-american's are genetically more likely to commit crime. I think it is a fascinating issue and one that derives from a certain amount of self-imposed cultural isolationism.

There are several trends in african american attitudes that make that isolation much more likely especially in areas where African-americans dominate by numbers.
-Education, and sounding educated is trying to be, or acting white.
-Emphasis on sports over ed. This is an extension of a culture of honor. Being tough is also a huge point of importance in the urban african-american experience. (EDIT: This is why Dave Chappelle's When keeping it real goes wrong is funny. It is kind of funny that people jump to those tough postures without thinking through the consequences.)

These trends in thought are on display in almost every african american comedy house in America and are perpetuated by the very worst in hip hop. Couple that with a certain poverty and you have a prescripition for disaster.

What would be interesting would be to see if poor whites, poor latinos, poor asians, and poor african americans enjoy similar rates of violent crime and if high rates of isolationism are a salient factor in such violent outcomes.

127. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185218 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 8:07 am

Goldy,
Did you spell out the Asian Invasion angle in the post I from which I quoted you? If you did, I missed it. Anyway, I have suggested that Islam is unique, in this historical moment, from Christianity, and Judaism. And I thought throwing an obvious ethnic group in to your comparisson was dishonest because it misses the distinction that Islam is an ideology not a race. By definition you cannot be a white chinese person. Chinese/asian is racial definition.

As it happens, it is simply too bad that many muslims tend to be of ethnic origin. Because very serious and real questions ought to be asked about what kind of Muslim school is being proposed. If it is a madrassa, hate the west, insularity preaching hate center, then I would suggest that the community has a right to say build that somewhere else. If it is a parochial school for muslims where they learn about their religion while also recieving necessary skills then of course who gives a shit (aside of course for the disappoint fact that fantasy is being taught as reality)?

128. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185213 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 7:57 am

NakedCelt,

I beg to differ. Muslims who try and come out into the community get a lot of stick.

I'm sure this is true, but-and I cannot speak for NZ or Australia-I often see more well meaning openess to Muslims here in the states.

In a few cases, this may well be deserved. But the tragic fact is that most non-Muslims don't distinguish between one Muslim and another.

Whatever might this mean? I suppose moderate muslims would be more or less indistinguishable from the community at large.

If we stare suspiciously at every woman who walks down the street in a veil, at every hook-nosed man with a name like Yusuf, they're not going to think "Oh gosh, how irrational Islam must be if all these reasonable people hate it so."

If you come into a community and behave radically differently, dress radically differently, worship radically differently I am sorry but you are going to get all kinds of odd looks until your behavior in a community proves you are not "other" and actually a member. This may be a sad fact of human nature but it is one none the less. Suspicion is certainly part of the sentiment, but so is naked curiousity.

They're going to think "Oh gosh, how the infidels hate us who are God's true people, maybe shouty old Abdul down at the mosque is right about them."

Maybe, but there is some onus on them to join the community and ease that tension. New neighbors always get checked out. Some more than others but they always get checked out.

129. Probe lands on Mars, NASA says

Comment #185204 by MaxD on May 27, 2008 at 7:32 am

mesomodel,
You say:

I've been arguing for sometime that the development cycle is backwards. Scientists should decide where to go, THEN the engineers should figure out how to get the spacecraft to that particular location. But, when politics come when into play, sometimes logic goes out the window.

Could you explain this a bit more? When you say how it should be done that makes almost startlingly obvious sense to me. Why is the process constrained by this older system of doing business?

130. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185095 by MaxD on May 26, 2008 at 11:16 pm

NakedCelt,

I see now what you mean by people socializing with friends and fellow Muslims. But I think you missed my point. There are plenty of opportunities for muslims to come out and meet folk and be part of the community. If their ideologies prevent them, and isolate them whose fault is that? It isn't mine. And it isn't yours. Nor can I be bothered to change for the percentage that join violent organizations. Atran's work doesn't support your assertion that we not ask for critique of Islam from moderate muslims or apostates either.

In fact it calls for the opposite I think. Atran's research suggests that millions of muslims support global Jihad, but that a few thousand will actually fight and suicide bomb. So we have thousands of immams, perhaps hundreds of thousands preaching and supporting global jihad? And millions supporting such jihadi efforts. Is it any wonder that thousands of radical fighters (how many of these I wonder?) of specifically muslim persuasion would be produced?

Simply saying we must be more welcoming won't do. Because to be welcoming is to become more Muslim in the broad strokes. Islam itself seems very uncomfortable with the idea of personal freedom and secular law. This isn't unique to this religion, but because it also plays the race card it is harder to oppose when its adherants whine about things. As in this instance, people instantly leap to the racism assertion. If its members won't join the community then how is it possible to bring down walls and all that? Does joining the community mean drinking or not praying to Allah 5 times a day? I wouldn't think so. But it would mean accepting that some folk don't think the way you do and there don't need to be laws protecting you from being offended by what everyone else in the community finds more or less okay. This is something that can be hard for some muslim communities to do.

NakedCelt you may be right about Camden, I don't the necessary experience with the region to say. But if it were your neck of the woods and some group unrelated to your community wanted to build a madrassa in your neighborhood, in your community what would you think? Imagine they are all white Muslims if it makes you feel better. Wouldn't you want to know what they were teaching? To imagine that the dangers of Islam are the same dangers posed by Christianity, and Judaism in the current climate is to be sticking your head in some politically correct sand.

It isn't that these other fantasies cannot become as dangerous, certain strains certainly can. But Christianity has been somewhat domesticated, Jews are often secular especially in the US. The risks posesd by both communities of believers do not appear to be the same as those posed by Islam.

131. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185079 by MaxD on May 26, 2008 at 9:50 pm

Goldy,

And catholic schoools, protestant schools, Jewish schools, Chinese schools won't?

Come on, this was just silly and I think you know it. What was especially low was adding Chinese to your list. But really how many radical bombers has Catholocism, Judiasm or Protestantism produced of late? Not as much as muslim teaching in recent times. We do have an obligation to argue and critique unhealthy ideologies.

I think the community is right to be concerned. But it is also obvious that they should proceed in a fair minded way that is consistent with other policies already in effect. There did seem to be a strange leap to calling this community racist, very nearly from the word go on this thread and that seems more than modestly counter productive.

132. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #185068 by MaxD on May 26, 2008 at 8:46 pm

NakedCelt,
You said:

We should remember that, although not all known Islamic terrorists are poor or uneducated, all without exception that I'm aware of socialized almost exclusively with other Muslims. That's always a bad sign. But anti-Muslim rhetoric, however factual it may be in content, will only make that worse. We need to show Muslims that infidels are not bad people.

The 19 highjackers of 9/11 spent months socializing with westerners. Getting flight lessens, living and working among westerners. I'm sure, given my own experience of living here in the US my whole life, that the experience could not have been all bad. What about the 7/7 bombers, lived among westerners.

This statement by you makes no sense to me,

It's simply slightly more acceptable to slag off Muslims than to slag off brown people.

This is essentially an accusation of racism where none may exist. Muslim does not constitute a racial designation. It is simply a person who adheres to a certain set of-whacky, sometimes violent- ideals/beliefs. Would you say the same thing if these weren't Muslims, and were Scientologists? Why is it okay to slam Scientology as mercilously as Anonymous does, and not be equally harsh on another dangerous ideology? If it was Scientology wanting to put a Dianetics center in would you be so hard on the Camdenites, on so little information?


Many radicals are western educated. I am unsure what you mean by socialized. Clearly they could have seen many examples of niceness, generousity, and tolerance. What matters is that they were radicalized and could no longer be swayed by any such interactions.


I think you are quite wrong about not demanding that Muslims not repudiate Islam. Whether they are men or women, it is important that all moderate muslims repudiate Islam's violent side, and barbaric texts. The first step toward moving a backwards ideology into modernity is through criticism. Simply pretending the problems posed by Islam do not exist will not help.

133. Town moves against Islamic school

Comment #184943 by MaxD on May 26, 2008 at 1:29 pm

Like several posters I am of mixed feelings on this issue. I think there are legitamate worries to be had from all faith schools, and the indoctrination in which they tend to engage. My chief concern, were I a Camdenite would be whether or not this Qu'ranic Society was funded by the Muslim Council or some other unsavory group, and what the curriculum would be. Surely a community has a right to know a little about what is being pushed? Would it be a wahabiest curricula?

And even there I am unsure I'd limit their ability to make a school but I'd want to know if the school and its teachers and administrators saw themselves as part of the Camden community (clearly they kind of don't), or if they were going to be teaching something extremely anti-western.

Anyway I am not sure what the best course of action is.

(EDIT: On one thing I am completely sure though. If any faith school is asking for tax breaks or help, I do think they need to be told no. Do it on your own, pay taxes like any other revenue generating operation and best of luck to you. If you want Department of Ed funding (or whatever the international equivalents are) then you must teach certain curricula and your funding will only be alotted for secular curricula. No Korans, no prayer mats, no bibles etc.)

134. Repulsive but right

Comment #184935 by MaxD on May 26, 2008 at 1:13 pm

I am still wondering why it is that what Hitchens has to say is, in fact, repulsive. Simply rendering religious ideas in less, "romantic" language and framing, and more as we would see them in any other setting, or story makes them repulsive how exactly?

His 100,000 year timeline thought experiment is, or should be the end of religious romance. But it isn't Hitchens who becomes vile, or repulsive in his critique of religion, it is the doctrines and characters of religion itself that becomes vile. And this to me is a huge difference.

135. What is science for?

Comment #184437 by MaxD on May 25, 2008 at 8:27 am

ASM,
Briefly because I really do have shit to do.
YOu say:

Hoping to show you that the Jews, as an international group, are not powerless, poor, unimaginative, and incapable of conspiring, as you apparently make them, I then ask you to explain your question that sounds as if you had any doubts about facts such as the Jewish grabbing of land (Palestine), the power Jews wield (to the point of being in complete control of US foreign policy and having the US fight their wars for them), and the Jewish money grab (to the point, for instance, of extracting colossal amounts of money from the German and US taxpayers on account of the big H, and I may even add blackmailing Switzerland and holding up its banks).

I am not denying that currently Jews have a enourmous political clout. I am saying that at the time they did not, and didn't have much influence over US foreign policy at the time. EDIT: I suppose I should have said, though I thought it was obvious, immediately post WWII. You are telling me that immediately after WWII the Jews could pull this off?
YOu again refuse to answer this important question.

136. The Faith of Flanders

Comment #184263 by MaxD on May 24, 2008 at 8:29 am

He was always a goofy stereotype, but I do think the writer of this peice is deluded. The simpsons is terribly hard on religion, and Christianity in particular. What i notice about evangelicals who like the show is that they try to evade that issue or make it pro-faith as this author did.

137. What is science for?

Comment #184262 by MaxD on May 24, 2008 at 8:24 am

Frankus,
You are of course completely correct. I'm just trying to make a point homeslice!

138. What is science for?

Comment #184256 by MaxD on May 24, 2008 at 7:58 am

ASM,
You did not answer my question simply impugned my character by claiming I was victim of the argument from incredulity. You are right that I find the likelihood of the this conspiracy of Jews a very slim possiblity indeed. But what I did in my above statement was not to go ranting about the insurmountability of the problems. That I emphatically did not do.

What I did was ask you how, given the historical constraints on Jews in that era, it was done. As with all hypotheses the mechanism you propose-jewish cabal- isn't insurmountable. But you have yet to offer proof of the assertion. This is not a question you can dodge as it forms a large part of the bedrock of your case.
You claim, I think that the Jews of 1940s post WWII europe could orchestrate or take part in a major way in what amounts to the greatest historical hoax in history if the revisionists have it right. I submit to that this is a tall claim given the following. Jews were marginalized, lacking capital, or political power and organization. Antisemitism has always been strong in Europe, and in that time it was certainly very strong indeed.
How could a reviled group, with little wealth, or organizational capacity in Europe participate in such a major fashion in this conspiracy.
I don't want to speculate too much on why you don't address this question but I do suspect that it is largely because you have no evidence of this major part of your hypothesis.

139. Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks

Comment #184209 by MaxD on May 23, 2008 at 11:42 pm

Al,
Surely there is a way!

140. What is science for?

Comment #184207 by MaxD on May 23, 2008 at 11:29 pm

ASM,
I grow tired of asking this so it will be the last time. How did the Jews of post WWII Europe manage to pull off this feat (land, power, money grab)? Eh? Seriously. You have yet to answer that question. You are asking us to believe a people, admittedly insular, and with faults, fairly universally disliked, and marginalized, managing after some unpleasant time in WWII pulling off, or helping to pull of the largest hoax in modern history.
This seems, like all conspiracy theories, absurd on its face. I think you have to answer that question.

141. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #184182 by MaxD on May 23, 2008 at 8:47 pm

Steveroot,
Txpiper obviously read Calilasseia's post, probably not her links, and I know the Txpiper went no where near the papers recommended. The problem is that Piper has already worked out how this has got to fall out. Piper knows there can be no fault on those favored creationist websites, so Piper keeps going back to them, ignoring the meat of what anyone says to him. This is always the way. Piper hasn't been back since the Elephant Trunk episode I don't think.

Now Piper will do what the piper always does, respond to only those point it (s)he thinks are weakest. Piper will continue to use the unjustified word, insurmountable. But Piper does read a bit of what we all write. Just without much thought or intellectually honesty.
EDIT: Steveroot, you are completely right, of course that they don't understand it. What is sad is not that Txpiper and some other of our driveby creationist poster are incapable mentally. Rather the sad part comes because they don't want to even try to understand it.

142. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #184180 by MaxD on May 23, 2008 at 8:41 pm

Yeah I thought so, and just re-read it. Now you made me re-read it again!

I'll see if I can't find something more formal. How long have we been keeping this data? Though I do think I see another reason why would be creeping in. There is just no penalty for not growing that third set. We don't need replacements, our teeth last now, easier diet, better dental care. I imagine that what we are seeing is drift. The number of molars is essentially irrelavent. That is an evolutionary trend but not selection driven.
Fascinating!
Anyway

143. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #184173 by MaxD on May 23, 2008 at 8:30 pm

Frankus1122,
My first question would be, Is this a real trend?

Could you point me to where you read this. Myself I am skeptical simply because there would have to be some selective advantage for the trait to be passed along? Do people who use those resources that would go to making jaws and wisdom teeth enjoy greater reproductive success? Do they have more kids? Do they have longer productive years?

I suppose there could be other mechanisms at work, certain genes switch off given environmental cues.

Anyway i am anxious to read whatever you have on the subject.

144. What is science for?

Comment #184171 by MaxD on May 23, 2008 at 8:24 pm

Al
I suspect ASM buys into this protocols of Zion business as well. He has said more than once that the Holocaust was a hoax perpetrated by the Jews in order to swindle the rest of world out of money, land and power.

I've asked him on several occasions to spell out how this happy crappy would have been possible because it assumes they had some massive political power at the time? This seems unlikely to me. Historically they have been a terribly reviled group, this was much more the case prior to WWII than it became after.

This seems like one of the greatest of flaws, amid a strong field, in the deniers case. This constant defense of Germany in this makes the whole damn thing even more suspect. Zundel and his praise of the "positive aspects of German National Socialism," kind of nails the coffin shut doesn't it?

145. What is science for?

Comment #184162 by MaxD on May 23, 2008 at 8:06 pm

ASM,
Are you going to answer my sincere querie? Or maybe your number 1 fan would care to do this.

The Jewish Cabal that took part in this hoax. How exactly is that managed. You are ascribing an awful lot of power and coordination to a group that was more or less universally reviled, that had little political power, many of whom were displaced so how is it done. An excellent hoax, land grab and money swindle. I am still waiting for this to be answered. Yet you still seem to be avoiding it.

146. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #184160 by MaxD on May 23, 2008 at 8:02 pm

Calilasseia,
What an excellent post. I mean hats effing off.

147. What is science for?

Comment #184154 by MaxD on May 23, 2008 at 7:53 pm

Stryer,
Glad you liked it.

ASM,
Glad you didn't. Cute avatar by the way. I'm begining to see a pattern. You try out your conspiracy theorist approach to the Holocaust. When that doesn't work you try out a few offense things, people rip you, and you can say well look they just get angry and call names. What you neglect is that people didn't find your arguments very compelling and spelled out clearly why. Again you are provideing yourself the easy intellectual out.

148. What is science for?

Comment #184128 by MaxD on May 23, 2008 at 6:08 pm

ASM,
you said,

I was afraid of being dellusional, and I hate being a sexist pig, but I really was under the impression that the general tone around these parts was rather menopausal. Or andro or whatever. Lots of nerves all around, you know what I mean. Quite unbelievable. Even old Dawkins sounded a bit shrillish on his "Holocaust" number on the clip.

What a strange thing to say.

149. What is science for?

Comment #184127 by MaxD on May 23, 2008 at 6:02 pm

Got it!

150. Sun's properties not 'fine-tuned' for life

Comment #184122 by MaxD on May 23, 2008 at 5:35 pm

Vergil,
Excellent points. But what I thought was interesting was the length of time a civilization/society tends to exist.

Of course I agree with you that Shermer's estimate has its drawbacks, but so does everyone
else's estimates for the Drake equation. Shermer's comment is about longevity. For instance I think our oldest signal could be, what 80 light years away? It is entirely likely there could be no capablity to hear a return signal in 80 years. A natural disaster, a nuclear engagement could set us back dramatically. I think those are the forces that Shermer's estimate seek to address.