DanG

Are you afraid to say what you think? - Dan G

But apparently you fear homosexuality. And please, before you get all defensive about the word fear, you're outright stated that you fear where the US is headed, and you apparently blame homosexuality, among other things. If that's not a fear of homosexuality, I don't know what is. I'd like to get back to your statements about how the homosexuals are to blame for the Westboro protests. Your never explained the subtle difference between your beliefs and theirs. - Dan G

Strangely, it does the same for me. I was much more conservative before I started reading all the hate, bias, and lack of concern for one's fellow humans displayed by some conservatives here. As a Christian, are you more concerned with how Jesus will judge you at the end, or with what happens to America after you are gone? I'm no theologian, but I believe the common Christian perspective would be to make sure your own spiritual house is in order first. - Dan G

I'm more concerned with my own moral compass. You should be, too. - Dan G

You're obviously much wiser than I, perhaps you can help. Here's my ignorant analysis: Westboro believes God is punishing the US because of our tolerance for homosexuals. They believe that our current problems as a country are because we tolerate homosexuals, and if we didn't, things would be better. You, apparently, believe the same thing. Please explain the subtle difference. - Dan G

Wow. You're very close to agreeing with the Westboro beliefs, if not their actions. I suggest some deeper reflection on your part. - Dan G

It's Hedley! - Dan G

What if you went to 100 other docts to get second, third, et cetera, opinions? Some people are going to latch on to the two guys who say you're fine. Others are going to go with the 98 guys that agreed with the first doctor. Which type of person are you? - Dan G

I agree that the climate community has done a lot of damage to their own credibility, but in some ways it's hard to blame them. The issue has become so politicized that you have idiots like us on a skydiving board trying to debate complex scientific issues. I think most climate researchers are honest scientists trying to do good research. Some of the rock star wannabes have made them all look bad. It's a shame. Back to the topic, this letter, if shown to be legitimate, doesn't actually address any of the science in any specific way. Even if the signers were knowledgable, they didn't do their opinion any justice either. This letter is doing the exact same thing you complain the "warmists" do. Until these people point out exactly what they object to, or provide alternate explanations for observations, they're appealing to authority in the worst way. - Dan G

There is also considerably more GA in the US than Europe. What Europe may or may not do isn't really applicable. And before anyone suggests the FAA adopt European style regulations, keep in mind that European aviation regulations have all but killed GA over there. - Dan G

Or asking a doctor if your tumor is dangerous. Much better idea to ask some structural engineers and program managers. - Dan G

Let's look at the job descriptions: Space Shuttle Structures, Engineering Mgr. Crew Systems Div. Principal Investigator, Science Directorate Principal Investigator, Science Directorate Scientist – astronaut Chief, Flight Design and Dynamics Division, MOD Chief Flight Dynamics Div. Astronaut, Apollo 7 Mgr. Shuttle Leading Edge, Thermal Protection Sys. Hdq. Deputy Director, Space Shuttle Program Chief, Theory & Analysis Office Mgr., Flight Operations Integration, MOD Chairman, Shuttle Pogo Prevention Panel Astronaut, Apollo 16 Program Analyst Astronaut Skylab 4 Astronaut, Gemini Xi, Apollo 12 Apollo Flight Director, and Director of JSC Chief, Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Branch Reentry Specialist, MOD Flight crew training and operations JSC Branch Chief Mgr. SE&I, Shuttle Program Office Astronaut, Skylab 2, Director of Space and Life Sciences Chief, Advanced Operations and Development Division, MOD Apollo Flight Director and Director of JSC Ass.t for Planning Aeroscience and Flight Mechanics Div. Ass’t. Chief Materials Division Mgr. Shuttle Program Control and Advance Programs Project Engineer – Space Shuttle and ISS Program Offices Hdq. Dep. Assoc. Admin. & Director, Space Station Program Hdq., Assoc. Adm., Office of Space Flight Apollo and Shuttle Program Office Mgr. Motion Simulators Chief, Structures and Dynamics Branch Chief Engineer, Propulsion and Power Division Astronaut Apollo 17 Asst. Manager, Quality Assurance Ass’t Mgr., Systems Integration, Space Shuttle Program Manager, Space Shuttle Mgr. Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters JSC Materials Branch, Engineering Directorate Flight Controller; Mercury, Gemini & Apollo, MOD Avionics Systems Division Astronaut, Apollo 15 Meteorologist I've highlighted the ones who may be expert in climatology, and I've been generous. 6 out of 50. Some of these people are from the program office. You know what that means? They are MBAs at best. - Dan G

It would be more impressive if the people who signed the letter were climitologists. There may be a few in there, but most were engineers or program managers. Hardly experts in the field. - Dan G

I've got $5 that says he never does. - Dan G

There was an interesting report on Marketplace (NPR, so the usual suspects can stop reading now) yesterday about gas prices. There are seasonal pressures, including the fact that many refineries traditionally shut down for maintenance in the spring, so refining capacity is low this time of year. Also, there are upward pressures on crude oil due to perceived future trouble in the Gulf regarding Iran. Therew were other factors as well, but I can't remember everything the guy said. In short, though, gas prices at the pump are not as simple as "Drill, Baby, Drill." - Dan G

Criminals don't follow laws. How will adding more laws prevent criminals from doing what they do? Where have I heard that argument before? Hmm... - Dan G

Since the iceberg was most likely white, and you think all white things are inherently evil, I guess you'd make a better Iceberg Watchman. - Dan G

Interesting, thanks for that. I think there are some other numbers that could have bearing, such as the actual population sizes. In 2010, there were 223,553,265 whites and 38,929,319 blacks in the US (from wiki). This means that for a given random black person, there was a 0.00056% change of being murdered by a white person in 2010. For a given random white person, there was a 0.00020% chance of being murdered by a black person. One could read these numbers and say that blacks have reason to be 2.8x more scared of being killed by whitey than vice versa. Moral of the story, statistics are complicated. No one, not even Kevin or Mike, can paint an accurate picture with a couple of well selected figures. - Dan G

Sure, and if that were actually happening, then we might need to crack down. It's not, so why the rush to pass laws that will disproportionately affect poor people? - Dan G

I'm guessing the answer is blacks? Do you know where rushmc got that stat, I don't feel like searching all his posts for the link? - Dan G

You love that stat. I wonder who whites are usually killed by? - Dan G

You seem to have a picture of these people sitting around the country club with nothing better to do. I'm talking about people who don't drive, have very little money, and live in very rural areas. Making them get a ride to the county office, procure official copies of their birth certificate (at cost), get a ride to the SSN Administration or library to get SS forms, get a ride to the DMV, and procure a voter ID (at cost), maybe do the whole thing twice because they fill out a form wrong or don't have the right piece of paper, is tantamount to a poll tax. Yeah, but the flip side to that is your vote is worth nothing if your countrymen are prevented from voting. - Dan G

Ignore Kevin for a minute, no one takes him seriously. Can you image a small town cop driving past a couple of young black men brandishing weapons in a parking lot with nothing but a smile and a wave? - Dan G

Who cares who they are? Anyone can go to a soup kitchen and get soup, and old people can go to the state senior center and get seen by a volunteer dentist. Should soup kitchens start asking for ID? That sort of thing is what leads to a police state. I know, it blows my mind, too. There are lots of people in America, especially Appalacia, who live in ways I can't fathom. I wasn't exaggerating about these elderly people not having running water. Hell, I delivered pizza one summer after college, and there was one neighborhood (in a mid-sized city) where multiple families shared a single phone because that's all they could afford. - Dan G

I know they get state and local government aid. For instance, they could go to the senior centers and get meals, medical screenings, participate in activities, etc. No ID required. The Board of Aging tracked how many people we served, but didn't keep files on individuals. They also get aid from private organizations like churches and medical outreach programs. Again, no ID required. I would venture that most of these people didn't pay into Social Security because they worked farm jobs, domestic jobs, or casual jobs, and never filled out a W4. I understand that your rebuttal may be that they shouldn't be entitled to vote since they didn't play by all the rules, but that's not how it works. Furthermore, take that argument to its logical extreme, and you'd have to accept that people who don't get medical insurance as mandated by ACA should also lose the right to vote. I don't think you want to go there. - Dan G