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I have returned from a decade-long absence!

Started by davoarid, September 14, 2017, 12:30:41 AM

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Cavebear

Quote from: davoarid on September 14, 2017, 12:30:41 AM
I used to post on this forum every day back when I was in college.....must have been 2004-2006-ish? I just stumbled back across this by random--my goodness, I still recognize some of the names! (Hillbilly Atheist, SVZurich....Buckster!)

Anyone know if the archives from way back a million years ago exist somewhere? I mostly want to try to remember what my old name was...or read over my old posts, to see how much I've changed!

But if not, eh, I'll cope. I still have fond memories.

So you are like, 1986ish?  Welcome, ya bonnie laddie...
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

Baruch

Quote from: Cavebear on September 14, 2017, 01:01:30 PM
Oh, they are ALL "remarkable"   We remark on them often.  But are they meaningful?  I think less then half.  A 1/4 is iffy.

I only play 11-D chess with President Obama ;-)
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Cavebear

Quote from: Baruch on September 14, 2017, 01:40:17 PM
I only play 11-D chess with President Obama ;-)

Aside from the fact that you couldn't play 3D chess (I can) Obama would probably beat you at any game or argument.

Which means nothing, really.  The point is that you are struggling HERE!  And your posts are generally without meaning.  Like this one.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

Sal1981


davoarid

#34
Yep--I'm 32. Went from being a hell-raiser to moving to the suburbs with a wife and a kid, and punching the clock in an office. It happens!

Let's see, is there anything interesting about me? Not a lot to work with but: huge baseball fan (go Royals!). Pretentious film snob (sorry, I know we are the worst, though I'm perhaps not FULLY the worst since I do adore the burgeoning micro-budget American indie scene --I'm not a "just Tarkovsky and Fellini, you plebe" guy). I read a lot, but it's almost all literary fiction (some of my favorite writers are Edith Wharton, Knut Hamsun, Neil LaBute, and Michel Houellebecq).

Politically I'm a hodgepodge: culturally I'm right of center, but on economics I'm extremely far left. I usually vote Democrat.

Religion: I was raised in a non-religious household, so I've only been to church for weddings. Was very much into the popular atheist writers of the day (Harris, Shermer, George H. Smith, Dawkins, etc) but have moved on very far from them (I think Dawkins in particular is doing much more harm than good). I'm more of a "squishy" atheist, one who lacks faith but envies those who do. Sorry again!

Also, I don't put pineapple on my pizza, and consider those who do to be the real heathens.

trdsf

Quote from: davoarid on September 14, 2017, 12:51:29 PM
Accept it on faith. :)
Well, it's not an especially extraordinary claim, so I won't push for extraordinary evidence.

Now, if you're going to say you've been on Mars for the last ten years, then I might want to see pictures.  :D
"My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total, and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution." -- Barbara Jordan

Unbeliever

Quote from: Cavebear on September 14, 2017, 10:16:47 AM
Yeah, here too.  The news is filled every day wit people my age kicking off. 
Old football players never die, they just kick off.
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

Unbeliever

Quote from: Mike Cl on September 14, 2017, 11:30:05 AM
For me you are new--so welcome (back) Davo.  Hope you stick around.
I second the motion!



You've got a lot of catching up to do!
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

Cavebear

Quote from: davoarid on September 14, 2017, 02:44:13 PM
Yep--I'm 32. Went from being a hell-raiser to moving to the suburbs with a wife and a kid, and punching the clock in an office. It happens!

Let's see, is there anything interesting about me? Not a lot to work with but: huge baseball fan (go Royals!). Pretentious film snob (sorry, I know we are the worst, though I'm perhaps not FULLY the worst since I do adore the burgeoning micro-budget American indie scene --I'm not a "just Tarkovsky and Fellini, you plebe" guy). I read a lot, but it's almost all literary fiction (some of my favorite writers are Edith Wharton, Knut Hamsun, Neil LaBute, and Michel Houellebecq).

Politically I'm a hodgepodge: culturally I'm right of center, but on economics I'm extremely far left. I usually vote Democrat.

Religion: I was raised in a non-religious household, so I've only been to church for weddings. Was very much into the popular atheist writers of the day (Harris, Shermer, George H. Smith, Dawkins, etc) but have moved on very far from them (I think Dawkins in particular is doing much more harm than good). I'm more of a "squishy" atheist, one who lacks faith but envies those who do. Sorry again!

Also, I don't put pineapple on my pizza, and consider those who do to be the real heathens.

This should be good.  I'm a 67 year old dedicated atheist.  Started as a Boy Scout.  Grew up in a non-theist family like you.

Washington Nationals fan.  but I'm not a devoted sports watcher. 

I don't have your artistic provenance.  None of the movie people you mentioned ring a bell.  The last movie I saw in a theater was AntZ.  Though I saw the 2nd showing of 'Alien" in NYC.  We saw the 1st viewers come out pale and slack-jawed and I turned to my friend and said "WHAT have we gotten ourselves into"?

I love reading Harris, Shermer, and Dawkins, et al.  And Jared Diamond.

Card-carrying life member of American Atheists pre O'Hair murders.  The first thing I searched when the office got internet was "atheist".  Was an early member of their streaming chat, so that tells you I go back a ways.  New here, just a year.

Pineapple on pizza?  No, strictly pepperoni, green peppers and mushroom, extra sauce.  I love tomatoes...  And I make my own usually.

We aren't identical politically.  In fact I'm the moderate opposite; more culturally left and economically cautious.

Nice to meet you.  I look forward to some great discussions...

Cavebear
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

Mike Cl

Quote from: davoarid on September 14, 2017, 02:44:13 PM

Let's see, is there anything interesting about me? Not a lot to work with but: huge baseball fan (go Royals!).

Also, I don't put pineapple on my pizza, and consider those who do to be the real heathens.

Huge Yankees fan--old enough to have lived thru the Pine Tar Incident.  Do you know what that was?  The last time KC was good (was they ever good?:)))was when George Brett played.  At least that is what Bill James claims--love his writings--hate he works for the Red Sux.  I am old enough to remember when the KC A's were almost the farm system for the Yankees.  (Roger Maris came from KC)  In any case--love baseball too.

And I join you about pineapple on pizza.
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

Baruch

I agree about Jared Diamond.  About the only thing I agree with Cavebear.  I am a heretical theist, drug here by Mike Cl from another forum.  Drugs were pretty good too ;-)  Politically .. Kekistani.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Mike Cl

Quote from: Baruch on September 14, 2017, 07:24:27 PM
I agree about Jared Diamond.  About the only thing I agree with Cavebear.  I am a heretical theist, drug here by Mike Cl from another forum.  Drugs were pretty good too ;-)  Politically .. Kekistani.
See--sometimes a drug is a good thing! :)
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

Cavebear

Quote from: Baruch on September 14, 2017, 07:24:27 PM
I agree about Jared Diamond.  About the only thing I agree with Cavebear.  I am a heretical theist, drug here by Mike Cl from another forum.  Drugs were pretty good too ;-)  Politically .. Kekistani.

If you were drug here, feel free to leave at any time. 

What about Diamond interests you?  I have some opinions but I'd like to hear yours first.  For a change and so you just don't attack mine reflexively.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

Baruch

Quote from: Cavebear on September 19, 2017, 05:58:55 AM
If you were drug here, feel free to leave at any time. 

What about Diamond interests you?  I have some opinions but I'd like to hear yours first.  For a change and so you just don't attack mine reflexively.

But ... but .. you are just like the funny hammer the doctor uses to hit my knee cap with.

Dr Diamond is a humanitarian and an anthropologist.  Did you see the movie version of Guns, Germs and Steel?  Did you read any of his other books?  A really great anthropologist and humanitarian.  He is fact based and well informed ... and not Western biased.  But his conclusions run against the whole UN under-developed country dogma.  In country X, some things will simply not work, because of climate and biology.  Not the people.  Of course people are a problem, in other respects.  I like his hypothesis, that if the rhino had been a domesticable animal, then Black Africans would have dominated the world circa 1900 instead of Europeans.  Stefan Molyneux is on the other side of the argument, regarding average IQ.  Average IQ does vary from place to place, but what matters is your individual IQ, vs what you are trying to do.  If it is too low, you are a village idiot in any society.  There will always be enough high IQ people in any given society that will push it forward (possibly off a cliff).

Empires of the Word by Nicholas Ostler is a good complement to Dr Diamond, covering the main cultural development, language.  He also covers the whole planet, and over 5000 years of time.  In Guns, Germs and Steel ... the most significant events happened in prehistory, before writing.  Access to domesticable plants and animals was decisive.  You just didn't have much of a competitive chance if you lived in the Amazon vs Anatolia.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Cavebear

Quote from: Baruch on September 19, 2017, 12:55:02 PM
But ... but .. you are just like the funny hammer the doctor uses to hit my knee cap with.

Dr Diamond is a humanitarian and an anthropologist.  Did you see the movie version of Guns, Germs and Steel?  Did you read any of his other books?  A really great anthropologist and humanitarian.  He is fact based and well informed ... and not Western biased.  But his conclusions run against the whole UN under-developed country dogma.  In country X, some things will simply not work, because of climate and biology.  Not the people.  Of course people are a problem, in other respects.  I like his hypothesis, that if the rhino had been a domesticable animal, then Black Africans would have dominated the world circa 1900 instead of Europeans.  Stefan Molyneux is on the other side of the argument, regarding average IQ.  Average IQ does vary from place to place, but what matters is your individual IQ, vs what you are trying to do.  If it is too low, you are a village idiot in any society.  There will always be enough high IQ people in any given society that will push it forward (possibly off a cliff).

Empires of the Word by Nicholas Ostler is a good complement to Dr Diamond, covering the main cultural development, language.  He also covers the whole planet, and over 5000 years of time.  In Guns, Germs and Steel ... the most significant events happened in prehistory, before writing.  Access to domesticable plants and animals was decisive.  You just didn't have much of a competitive chance if you lived in the Amazon vs Anatolia.

Yeah, I know, the "But...but" is your joking style to distract what comes later with an absurd irrelevancy. 
Fine...

I have seen the movie (well, tape).  It was awful.  Pretentious, driveling, and condescending.  I was embarrassed to watch it.

The original book was superb.  The book "Guns. Germs, and Steel' changed my whole way of thinking about
how civilizations developed after the late bronze age.  The other books are simplistic crap.  Although I am slogging my way through 'Collapse' a 2nd try.  Hey, he had one great idea.  Doesn't mean he had another.

I would give a lot to have had that one great understanding as an original thought...  Almost like Odin's eye...  Or Natural Selection.  But I do understand it and that matters.

Access to domesticatable animals.  Access to domesticatable plants.  Living with both and the diseases they carried.  That other people did not have the same animals and plants available (and we sure have tried since).   That some groups thrived BECAUSE of the diseases from animals and plants that kept killing the weak.  That some had an advantage of the deaths of their ancestors to develop faster in the out-of-the way Europe

The Plague and Smallpox killed so many but the survivors were immune after.  One step leads to another.  There is a reason the Europeans met the AmerIdians rather than they sailed to Spain.

And it is all so much about happenstance.  Where you live determined what diseases the local population survived and ignored.  What food supplies you had to feed the children; what specialization of labor permitted to increase efficiency of production.

His ideas do not support the UN idea of everyone can rise if they only try.  You can't make a nation in a desert or a jungle and he explains why.

I have read Molyneux.  He is a neo-nazi, right wing fanatic, and racist.  Further, he suggests that most of the world's problems is that we are raised badly by women, left our "Family Of Origin (Aryan), and need an IQ uplift through his cult-therapy. 

I despise all his views.

I'm not familiar with Ostler, but I have studied linguistics in several books by Ruhlen and Baldi and understood the basics though I am surely not grad level at THAT.  But the books had some tests and I got it all pretty much right when it came to cognates (Latin helped, but I got the pre-Latin stuff cold too).  I think I would get a B in pre-writing languages in a conversation with them.

I will have to read Ostler.

But I doubt anything I ever read will shake me from Diamond's basic view of the advantages of domesticatable plants and animals and the consequences of living with them closely.





Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!