Everon

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Everything posted by Everon

  1. >In the end, for me the lesson from this thread is to get parents involved earlier. I know that the lesson to be learned from the OP is to stop religious wingnuts from injecting religion (in the form of baseless, untestable and non-falsifiable crap) into the science curriculum. That includes most parents.
  2. This is not a liberal view, it is dealing in reality - the fact is that when hormones start raging almost all kids are going to have sex. It's a fact of life, and it's perfectly natural. To try to stop them will be counter to nature and could even be dangerous. This is why "abstinence-only" programs fail miserably - always have and always will. I for one would not interfere in the raising of your two sons. They are your children, not mine. I would only wish that you would expose yourself to the many statistical studies that verify my statement above.
  3. So "god did it" explains the gaping holes and we as scientists should just accept that and discontinue our research? EVERY scientific branch of study is incomplete, but discoveries along the way fill these areas of incompleteness. That's the difference between the scientific method of discovery and a "god did it" explanation - which has absolutely no use in any branch of the physical sciences. ID is completely useless and belongs in the church or (sadly) at home.
  4. I hope he gets the nomination. That will guarantee a democratic president takes the reins! Huckabee is completely unelectable.
  5. The fact is that it is religion and cannot be taught in a biology classroom. They pitch the "teach the controversy" crap when in fact there is absolutely no competing SCIENTIFIC theory for evolutionary biology. If there were, then that would also be taught in that arena. ID is neither testable nor falsifiable.
  6. .000...1 is a finite non-zero real number. 1-.9999... = 0, so it is not contradicted at all since your equation is false. Some mathematical results don't seem logical, but can easily be proven. It just goes with the territory.
  7. Everon

    Huckabee

    My point being is that I don't care what his religion is as long as he is competent. I believe it should be a private matter. When candidates start what you describe above they are not qualified for the top office IMO.
  8. Everon

    Huckabee

    How about his past record of accomplishments, geopolitical knowledge, etc.? Why should a president's religion matter at all?
  9. Yes it is, for any rational person. But everything they say and believe is backed up by scripture from the "good book." These are people who've actually read it, as have I. Neither do they. They are just reciting and practicing what is stated in the "good book." It's not a decision. Upon your sexual maturity did you say to yourself "gee, I like guys and I like girls. I think I'll choose...." There is plenty of evidence that sexual orientation is in part biological. Any christian who trashes these people has never read the "good book" from cover to cover and has never truly grasped how disgustingly evil the "good book" really is. The Phelps' have a better understanding of it than anyone else.
  10. Christianity was never about just love and acceptance. It was a justification for mass murder for many centuries and when this was finally frowned upon there was a need to "keep the masses," so they had to lighten up. Was there ever a period of acceptance of homosexuals? Nope. How about atheists? Nope. Scientific advancement? Never. When I was a youngster these issues never really emerged, but when the republican party saw a ton of money flowing into haters like Robertson, Swaggart, et al. they saw their jackpot. The last two decades of republican pandering to the religious right is the reason we're seeing the discrimination, hatred and ridiculousness such as creationism today. It's all about politics, money and re-election in the GUISE of christianity. I don't think christianity has changed at all during my lifetime. But the USE of it certainly has.
  11. I'm patiently awaiting a reply to this myself. If one does emerge, it'll be a real screamer.
  12. It goes much deeper than this short list. For those interested, pick up a copy of "Saddam Hussein: The Politics of Revenge" by Said Aburish. The U.S.'s cynicism in its actions in the Middle East is well documented in this work. After reading it, you'll see that Darius's list makes the U.S. look like Mother Teresa.
  13. Could you post a link? Thanks.
  14. Indeed they have simmered down a bit. Now they only want to force mythology into the science curriculum or have a perfectly legitimate branch of science banned from being taught. Their obsessive compulsion to control and in some cases dehumanize certain groups of people will never materialize in the scientific community. Coincidence I'm sure.
  15. How dare you insult Tricky Dick in such a hostile manner?
  16. Pity the religious man who can't cope with reality. Pity the non-religious who don't realize that God IS reality. Science and critical thinking are my realities, and yes I'm an atheist. And this object looks like the Maltese Falcon to me .
  17. If they are based on the bible, then they are unfounded as the original Hebrew version does not mention homosexuality. Slippery slope. Yes, you are. They do not carry the same benefits as a legal marriage. That's your definition, different from that based on ancient history long before christianity hijacked it. There are no benefits from a "union." For a marriage? - huge tax breaks (gays pay more taxes than any other group in this country), guaranteed inheritance upon a partner's death, the right to make life or death decisions in medical emergencies, etc. I see absolutely no problem with granting my fellow humans with exactly the same benefits as I enjoy. In fact, I encourage it. Why can't you? Answer - religion.
  18. Can Fifi sign a legal document? Seriously, banning gay marriages is gender based discrimination - period. That's why states have to change the definition to prohibit them. The only reason a person would be against same-sex marriage is that he doesn't like it - and that is bigotry plain and simple. To use a religious argument against it smacks of hypocrisy. Where do we draw the line? Under the constitution same-sex marriages are permissible - it's not about changing it to allow them. Also, your argument about your dog, polygamy, your 10 year old daughter, etc. is a slippery slope argument if I ever saw one.
  19. I find Bailey's conclusions about the probability of being gay increasing if one has older brothers very hard to believe. At any rate, this study seems psychological in nature more than anything. Here's a more scientific (and more convincing) one: http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/060224_gay_genes.html
  20. I don't believe the photos/videos should be permanently hidden from public view. However, this particular photo caused great pain for the Hernandez family. I believe it was a foreign publication that printed this photo and identified him as Norberto Hernandez and this then made it to U.S. circulars and eventually to the Hernandez family. I've seen his child's written response to this and it was heartbreaking. Forensic evidence determined he died in the building, not as a jumper. As far as preknowledge goes, it's pretty clear that many knew this was going to happen: http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/02_11_02_lucy.html
  21. Unfortunately, this will not stop the creationists in their never-ending battle to force their brand of christianity upon everyone else via the biology curriculum. I'm sorry, these folks are ignorant. Having a majority of the general public's approval is a far cry from gaining the approval of the scientific community, which sees it for what it is - a fraud.
  22. 8/12 - german. Haven't been exposed to it in 20 years
  23. When you pack a parachute you set the brakes in the half brake position. > Is this true of all canopies? The toggles on my student rig were almost full arm length above my shoulder (velcro), and half brake would be shoulder level. In shayna's case when she was performing her rear riser turns (brakes stowed) she dislodged a toggle and unset the brake on one side. This allowed her steering line to release which put that side of her canopy in full flight so it was flying faster than the other side of her parachute inducing a turn. > I see, so she just panicked. That may explain the "snap" she heard then. As you can planely see in the video, the slider being stuck more than halfway up the lines is hampering the parachute from FULLY opening. One side of the parachute seems to be more cupped than the other and this would explain the spin. Not being fully opened and in a spinning configuration increased the speed of decent. About the only course of action she had here was to pump the risers and toggles for all she was worth. > Understood, I remember this now from the FJC. I remember my instructor telling me to repeatedly flare, but I forgot what would you do with the risers if this fails? In your FJC you should have been told to NEVER give up... We told you that for your health... NEVER give up. That last second could be the one that releases the slider and allows the parachute to open saving your life... You hear me? NEVER GIVE UP!!! > Now this I do remember. Between the FJC and the other two half hour trainings I must have heard this, ummm, at least a couple dozen times. Thank you! Dale
  24. Okay, I will be returning to the sport in the spring and due to currency issues I'll start at AFF 2. To tell you the truth I can't wait. I've learned so much by reading the incidents section but there are some questions I have about this particular one. Since it's been so long since my level 1 training I have forgotten most of what I was taught concerning malfunctions. Is an "unstowed toggle" a toggle that is no longer connected to the velcrow? If so, what would cause this? I was taught to keep my eye on the canopy and note it's inflation and note the slider until the slider decends completely. Now, if I start spinning the first thing I'd do is immediately check the toggles, no? If indeed one is unstowed, I would grab it, bring it to the level of the other toggle and then release the other toggle and take it from there, correct? If this woman had done this, would she have been okay? Second, it seems the slider was stuck on the reserve. How would this alter the performance of the reserve, or any canopy for that matter? Has it been determined exactly why she went into such a violent spin? I could only imagine this poor girl losing it completely under these circumstances with her inexperience. I admire her courage and determination to skydive again in the future. Anyway I want to thank all of you for everything I'm learning from your posts - it's truly invaluable to me. I only have 3 jumps due to financial reasons but next year I'll have enough set aside to jump 1 or 2 times a week. I truly love this sport! Dale
  25. There were several DNA tests showing the odds ranging from millions to tens of millions, and one showing 1 chance in 58 billion! That's 9 times the present population! I'd have an easier time believing Arturo from a planet orbiting Betelgeuse planted the seeds of life on earth than OJ being innocent. Add to that the jury was practically illiterate and Clark and Darden woefully incompetent and you get the most unbelievable verdict in history.