Search found 48 matches
- Fri Sep 25, 2015 4:01 am
- Forum: General
- Topic: Good cities to move to in the U.S.?
- Replies: 46
- Views: 7617
Re: Good cities to move to in the U.S.?
The public transit system in Seattle is a perfectly serviceable one. There are also plenty of taxi services, Uber -- or, depending on where you live, you could walk many day-to-day places. Rent is definitely high -- it's true of Bellingham too (where I live now; it's north of Seattle by about 1.5 hr...
- Thu Sep 24, 2015 1:32 am
- Forum: Gaming
- Topic: Evil Within - XBONE
- Replies: 4
- Views: 2289
Re: Evil Within - XBONE
Hey there John. I don't have an Xbox; I'm a PS3 owner. I'm not particularly a Sony loyalist; I just tend to like their game libraries better. Haven't made the transition to the PS4 yet, but I plan on. The game sounds right up my alley actually. The Last of Us was very much a flashbulb kind of gaming...
- Thu Sep 24, 2015 12:22 am
- Forum: General
- Topic: Good cities to move to in the U.S.?
- Replies: 46
- Views: 7617
Re: Good cities to move to in the U.S.?
If you can handle gray, rainy falls and winters (get a seasonal affective disorder lamp) -- and make it till the almost unparalleled summers (high temperatures in the mid-70s Fahrenheit and low tempeartures in the mid-50s) -- then Seattle is the place for you. Population approximately 650,000, so it...
- Wed Sep 23, 2015 11:56 pm
- Forum: Gaming
- Topic: Evil Within - XBONE
- Replies: 4
- Views: 2289
Re: Evil Within - XBONE
I've seen this advertised, and I'm interested in it. Have you played any of the Resident Evil games? Is it comparable to them at all? I think the game's director is the same fellow who created the Resident Evil series.
- Tue Jan 20, 2015 4:16 pm
- Forum: Movies & Television
- Topic: Touching movie scenes
- Replies: 62
- Views: 11582
Re: Touching movie scenes
FFS, I just experienced a huge range of deep emotions working through this thread. I forgot how touching those Inception scenes were... and how uplifting the end of Shawshank Redemption is. The final scene of Brokeback Mountain is also a highlight. I've seen that movie three times now, and no matter...
- Sat Jan 17, 2015 8:53 pm
- Forum: Politics
- Topic: Problems with "the Left," or I'm concerned that I'm becoming more conservative
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3242
Problems with "the Left," or I'm concerned that I'm becoming more conservative
I think it's because, increasingly, leftist political dialogue is framed—or at least predominantly concerned with—identity politics, and I think identity politics are distinctly illiberal. My impression of identity politics as illiberal is bolstered by the fact that, also increasingly, anyone who di...
- Sat Jan 17, 2015 7:23 pm
- Forum: Movies & Television
- Topic: Actors you really like
- Replies: 8
- Views: 3080
Re: Actors you really like
I really like Patrick Wilson. He shows up all over the place, including in starring roles, but he's still not a name you hear often. I recently watched this movie, Stretch —awful, annoying, and nowhere near as clever as it thinks it is—but Wilson starred in it, and man, in spite of the film's obnoxi...
- Thu Jan 15, 2015 5:01 pm
- Forum: General
- Topic: "Against Heterosexuality"
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1532
Re: "Against Heterosexuality"
Interesting—but I'm not impressed. You don't get to argue against an orientation model of human sexuality without making reference to modern empirical psychology: you know, the work of people who actually study human attitudes and behavior. But that's precisely what this guy has done. Citing some qu...
- Thu Jan 15, 2015 4:38 pm
- Forum: General
- Topic: Moral relativity and objective truth
- Replies: 14
- Views: 4295
Re: Moral relativity and objective truth
I think the second part of that was what I was actually trying to put into words when debating my brother, but didn't manage to - i.e. objective relative to a standard, which can still be objective even if the standard is not. Like how north/south/east/west are objective directions on Earth even th...
- Wed Jan 14, 2015 7:46 pm
- Forum: General
- Topic: Moral relativity and objective truth
- Replies: 14
- Views: 4295
Re: Moral relativity and objective truth
Anakin, you would definitely benefit from a course on meta-ethics, which would expose you to a variety of resources about the very topics you introduced in your OP. The questions you're struggling with are the very ones that are agonized over by moral philosophers working in meta-ethics. (A variety ...
- Tue Jan 13, 2015 3:31 pm
- Forum: General
- Topic: Liberté, égalité, fraternité - millions take to the streets across France
- Replies: 34
- Views: 8865
Re: Liberté, égalité, fraternité - millions take to the streets across France
Absolutely wonderful. It's moments like this that manage to reignite the flames of "human solidarity" in my cold, dead, cynical, rugged-individualist heart.
- Sat Jan 10, 2015 9:58 pm
- Forum: General
- Topic: Freedom of Speech doesn't exist
- Replies: 17
- Views: 4557
Re: Freedom of Speech doesn't exist
This is going to sound hostile, but I hope you'll believe me when I say that I don't mean it that way: I can only engage with what's actually said, not with some third party's vague interpretation of the "deeper point."
- Sat Jan 10, 2015 9:55 pm
- Forum: Movies & Television
- Topic: Movies
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2374
Re: Movies
Fallen is one of my favorite movies where the bad guy wins. "I wanna tell you about the time I almost died..." Great cast too. Denzel Washington, Donald Sutherland, John Goodman. The director, Gregory Hoblit, does pretty well with "B-movie"-type genre flicks. Primal Fear and Fra...
- Sat Jan 10, 2015 9:52 pm
- Forum: Politics
- Topic: Today on Facebook I learned.....
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2596
Re: Today on Facebook I learned.....
The abortion rate is at its lowest level in nearly 40 years—which is significantly linked to a general reduction in overall pregnancies. So, the question becomes: why has there been a reduction in overall pregnancies? Is it because people are fucking less, or because they know how to use contracepti...
- Sat Jan 10, 2015 5:59 pm
- Forum: General
- Topic: Freedom of Speech doesn't exist
- Replies: 17
- Views: 4557
Re: Freedom of Speech doesn't exist
This is nearly all wrong. [1] You've challenged the idea that "The West values freedom of speech" with a couple broad claims: The West violates freedoms internationally but promotes those same freedoms domestically White people disproportionately hold positions of power and influence—and t...
- Sat Jan 10, 2015 12:28 am
- Forum: General
- Topic: The Onion on Charlie Hebdo
- Replies: 78
- Views: 14078
Re: The Onion on Charlie Hebdo
Reply #25 It really doesn't matter how many people in the world consider depictions of Muhammed blasphemous. But some are willing to bring violence to people for it. Is it worth it? Is someone's defense of their so-called freedom of speech worth losing lives? Is freedom of speech worth anything if i...
- Fri Jan 09, 2015 11:15 pm
- Forum: General
- Topic: The Onion on Charlie Hebdo
- Replies: 78
- Views: 14078
Re: The Onion on Charlie Hebdo
"Given the sinister nature of rape culture in this country, and the looming threat of sexual violence, does it really make sense for women to behave like drunken sluts?"
- Fri Jan 09, 2015 1:19 am
- Forum: General
- Topic: My Husband Is Not Gay
- Replies: 22
- Views: 6152
Re: My Husband Is Not Gay
So, it looks like one of the stars of this show is a prominent "ex-gay" activist: http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/01/08 ... x-g/202062
That doesn't bode well for the social message of the show.
That doesn't bode well for the social message of the show.
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 8:42 pm
- Forum: Religion & Spirituality
- Topic: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
- Replies: 83
- Views: 17576
Re: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
Happy to clarify—I did not, in fact, mean that we should feel compelled to support the specific content of the blasphemy but rather the act of the blasphemy (whatever its content).
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 7:38 pm
- Forum: General
- Topic: Shooting in Paris
- Replies: 48
- Views: 10076
Re: Shooting in Paris
http://www.juancole.com/2015/01/sharpening-contradictions-satirists.html This article makes the point that the terrorists may not have been motivated by attacking free speech or being offended by the drawings per se , but instead by a hope that the attack would provoke an overreaction and intensify...
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 6:22 pm
- Forum: Meta Discussion
- Topic: Announcements and features and stuff
- Replies: 25
- Views: 6676
Re: Announcements and features and stuff
Yeah, it looks like it resets on each new page. But I'm still very impressed and thankful that you added the function. Thanks, Gendo!
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 5:46 pm
- Forum: General
- Topic: Well then, there's one person not making the islam argument
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1594
Re: Well then, there's one person not making the islam argument
At last, an idea we can surely all come together around: Donald Trump is scum.
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 5:43 pm
- Forum: General
- Topic: Shooting in Paris
- Replies: 48
- Views: 10076
Re: Shooting in Paris
Would it really surprise anyone if a Japanese guy, walking around his hometown in California suddenly sees in a store window a cartoon like that, and he gets angry about it? No, this wouldn't be surprising. He's entitled to his anger. If he subsequently went and murdered the publishers of that cart...
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 5:37 pm
- Forum: Religion & Spirituality
- Topic: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
- Replies: 83
- Views: 17576
Re: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
You were being inconsistent, Castor, which can be confusing. I value clarity in conversations because the points being argued can be easily lost. I don't think I've behaved in a way where rolling your eyes at me and calling me pedantic and childish is fair. It's certainly no way to engage in a discu...
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 5:13 pm
- Forum: Religion & Spirituality
- Topic: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
- Replies: 83
- Views: 17576
Re: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
Liszt's post, and your summary of it, make a different point altogether than " Charlie Hebdo 's actions weren't harmless," which is victim-blaming. I agree that imperialist foreign actions do great harm and that they should be objected to (just as murder-catalyzed-by-blasphemy should be o...
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 4:56 pm
- Forum: Religion & Spirituality
- Topic: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
- Replies: 83
- Views: 17576
Re: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
Liszt's post, and your summary of it, make a different point altogether than " Charlie Hebdo 's actions weren't harmless," which is victim-blaming. I agree that imperialist foreign actions do great harm and that they should be objected to (just as murder-catalyzed-by-blasphemy should be ob...
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 4:40 pm
- Forum: Religion & Spirituality
- Topic: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
- Replies: 83
- Views: 17576
Re: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
When people who are willing to do violence threaten that violence in response to blasphemy (or other free speech actions that Westerners tend to value), that blasphemy deserves our special protection and support. I don't understand. We should all support a racist publication when they're threatened...
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 4:36 pm
- Forum: Religion & Spirituality
- Topic: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
- Replies: 83
- Views: 17576
Re: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
The cartoon Sikax most recently posted with the bullets going through the building and hitting the mosque suggests that Islamophobia and harm to Muslims is caused by these terrorists actions. No, harm to Muslims is caused by racism and Western Imperialism. These are not exclusive. Attitudes aren't ...
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 4:34 pm
- Forum: General
- Topic: Shooting in Paris
- Replies: 48
- Views: 10076
Re: Shooting in Paris
Would it really surprise anyone if a Japanese guy, walking around his hometown in California suddenly sees in a store window a cartoon like that, and he gets angry about it? No, this wouldn't be surprising. He's entitled to his anger. If he subsequently went and murdered the publishers of that cart...
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 4:29 pm
- Forum: Religion & Spirituality
- Topic: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
- Replies: 83
- Views: 17576
Re: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
sikax, you're assuming attitudes and motivations, though. In the case of Charlie Hebdo , we do have evidence to demonstrate that they explicitly knew what might result from their actions. But we don't have that kind of information about our drunk girl. Some will have more awareness than others. I do...
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 4:21 pm
- Forum: General
- Topic: Shooting in Paris
- Replies: 48
- Views: 10076
Re: Shooting in Paris
I actually think your position in the larger post above (posts really should have numbers...) is an interesting one. And you're surely right that the systematic disadvantage that Arab Muslims face in France is a very relevant factor (not, of course, the only factor though) in explaining why attacks ...
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 4:15 pm
- Forum: Religion & Spirituality
- Topic: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
- Replies: 83
- Views: 17576
Re: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
You're confusing fundamental differences in beliefs about the political organization of society—for example, which values we prefer in a given hierarchy of values—with, basically, ignorance. Disagreeing about the function and importance of "free speech" in society is not the same as "...
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 4:10 pm
- Forum: General
- Topic: Shooting in Paris
- Replies: 48
- Views: 10076
Re: Shooting in Paris
What I think he's saying is:
"[Insult your position. Follow up by describing my position by its most desirable elements, implying that you and your vision of society are opposed to these elements.]"
You know, like an ideologue.
"[Insult your position. Follow up by describing my position by its most desirable elements, implying that you and your vision of society are opposed to these elements.]"
You know, like an ideologue.
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 4:06 pm
- Forum: Religion & Spirituality
- Topic: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
- Replies: 83
- Views: 17576
Re: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
Thanks! I wasn't sure what you preferred on the board.
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 3:58 pm
- Forum: Religion & Spirituality
- Topic: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
- Replies: 83
- Views: 17576
Re: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
I don't think it's victim blaming to point out that their cartoons are not harmless. It is irresponsible to not look at the big picture. As Gypsy-Vanner notes, let's consider the intoxicated rape victim (and change just a few words): "I don't think it's victim blaming to point out that [their ...
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 3:54 pm
- Forum: Religion & Spirituality
- Topic: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
- Replies: 83
- Views: 17576
Re: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
I think it's also important to distinguish between the roots of Islamophobia and justifications for Islamophobia...the things that racists point to to say, "see? we were right to be racist!" We should be careful not to play into their games...not be distracted by their justifications. Und...
- Thu Jan 08, 2015 2:29 am
- Forum: Politics
- Topic: This idiot got what he deserved.
- Replies: 3
- Views: 2253
Re: This idiot got what he deserved.
I actually liked his apology. Straightforward. Admits he was in the wrong. It makes him look genuinely forgivably human, rather than wretchedly human. Of course, he may still be the latter. But the apology was a breath of fresh air compared to the many political apologies that read: "I'm sorry ...
- Wed Jan 07, 2015 11:48 pm
- Forum: Politics
- Topic: This idiot got what he deserved.
- Replies: 3
- Views: 2253
Re: This idiot got what he deserved.
The Frederick News-Post's editorial on Delauter is the first thing I read when I woke up this morning. Great way to start the day. http://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/politics_and_government/kirby-delauter-kirby-delauter-kirby-delauter/article_da85d6f4-fa3c-524f-bbf6-8e5ddc0d1c0a.html Note the let...
- Wed Jan 07, 2015 9:06 pm
- Forum: Religion & Spirituality
- Topic: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
- Replies: 83
- Views: 17576
Re: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
Killing people for publishing cartoons because those cartoons offend certain religious sensibilities is "the problem" here. Prejudice against Muslims, and the way in which some Western nation-states conduct their international affairs, are also problems, but dragging them into this convers...
- Wed Jan 07, 2015 8:30 pm
- Forum: Religion & Spirituality
- Topic: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
- Replies: 83
- Views: 17576
Re: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
Calling it propaganda is just a semantic way to dismiss it, given the connotations of "propaganda" in common parlance. As for whether these cartoons constitute egregious insult, I'm confused why that's important here. So what if that was Charlie Hebdo 's intention? What are we supposed to ...
- Wed Jan 07, 2015 5:15 pm
- Forum: Religion & Spirituality
- Topic: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
- Replies: 83
- Views: 17576
Re: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
I'm not sure what you're trying to convey here—that Charlie Hebdo should not be in the business of offensive satire?sikax wrote:It's one thing that Islam conflicts with Western values and it's another for a Western newspaper to deliberately satirize Islam to the point of egregious insult.
- Wed Jan 07, 2015 4:22 pm
- Forum: Religion & Spirituality
- Topic: Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
- Replies: 83
- Views: 17576
Another terrorist attack (likely) motivated by Western satire
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/world/europe/charlie-hebdo-paris-shooting.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0 PARIS — Masked gunmen with automatic weapons opened fire in the offices of a French satirical newspaper on Wednesday in Paris, the police said, killing 12 people and then escaping in a car. Presi...
- Tue Jan 06, 2015 9:23 pm
- Forum: Movies & Television
- Topic: 2015 films to look forward to
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1843
Re: 2015 films to look forward to
From that list, I'd say I'm most looking forward to Pan Our Kind of Traitor (John Le Carre adaptations have been amazing so far) Child 44 (that cast!) Victor Frankenstein The Martian (provided Ridley Scott doesn't ruin it) Truth (I can't not watch political drama) Ex Machina (I really like Alex Garl...
- Tue Jan 06, 2015 6:56 pm
- Forum: General
- Topic: My Husband Is Not Gay
- Replies: 22
- Views: 6152
Re: My Husband Is Not Gay
If these men didn't value their relationships with their wives at all, then I think it would be irresponsible for TLC to promote the show. But even considering the extreme case—that these men are, in fact, exclusively same-sex attracted, don't have any romantic desire for their wives, and are in the...
- Tue Jan 06, 2015 6:32 pm
- Forum: Meta Discussion
- Topic: How to distinguish between topics that have unread posts & those that don't?
- Replies: 3
- Views: 2235
Re: How to distinguish between topics that have unread posts & those that don't?
That explains why I haven't noticed. I don't register subtle differences in color very well. I'll try out that feature though.
- Tue Jan 06, 2015 6:02 pm
- Forum: Meta Discussion
- Topic: How to distinguish between topics that have unread posts & those that don't?
- Replies: 3
- Views: 2235
How to distinguish between topics that have unread posts & those that don't?
Is there a quick way to differentiate between the two that I just haven't noticed yet?
- Tue Jan 06, 2015 5:59 pm
- Forum: General
- Topic: My Husband Is Not Gay
- Replies: 22
- Views: 6152
Re: My Husband Is Not Gay
That show is probably unforgivably stupid in the same ways that most reality TV shows are unforgivably stupid, but I don't quite understand what's controversial about it. So long as the show isn't promoting so-called "reparative" therapy—which is ineffective and sometimes harmful—what exac...