Untitled

     This article is significant. This nation needs to stop treating the working class as a disposable commodity.

Norman's "civility"

     Norman claims to be civil to people that he is not "giving as good as he gets" to. Well, the above image is someone's first encounter with Norman and you can see Norman's venom. And this is to another christian. Assuming he doesn't delete the post, it is an embarassment, you can find it here.
     Now, my personal guess is that this other christian doesn't agree with Norman's "I'm looking forward to laughing at all the non-christians in hell" style. At any rate, Norman is showing his typical reaction for whenever someone suggests that he is less than perfect. It would be fitting if he got to hear the famous line "depart from me, I never knew you." Oh, I don't think it's real. But it would be fitting for him anyway.

Silence implies agreement

     That is a generally accepted principle. There are exceptions, of course -- notably when that silence is coerced. However, if I choose not to object to a particular claim, then it may reasonably be assumed that I accept that claim as correct -- or, at the very least, that I have no opinion on the claim. However, Rhomphaia manages to find an invalid invocation of the principle. Specifically, she invokes the principle and blocks response.

     "[It's] not honest to set up conditions when someone has already said they're done talking."
     Well, strictly speaking, I am stating my beliefs about why he has taken his ball and gone home. If he disagrees with those beliefs, I am not blocking him from saying so.
     "You can't just tag on a clause when they've walked away from a conversation!?!?"
     Of course I can. He departed in dishonesty and I can certainly tag on a clause to point it out to those who are paying attention.
     "...Talk about false dilemma- you gotta stop that, seriously."
     The list of logical fallacies is not simply some grab-bag that you can throw items from when you feel like it. I made my assessment for the reasons for his behavior. He can challenge them or not (on your post, of course; he is currently not welcome on my blog) at his discretion.
     "No need to respond- remember your rule- silence equals agreement,, hmm?"
     That would work a whole lot better if you weren't blocking responses. However, I responded where I could. It looks like I don't agree.

I love a good steak dinner.

     As I say in the title here, I love a good steak dinner. It's kind of expensive. But it's nice to have once in a while. Now, have you ever thought about what christians mean when they say Jesus loves you?

Does Norman actually have a job?

     Here, you will find a thread that includes audio where Norman's whinings are read by someone sympathetic. One thing I noticed was that Norman claimed "data entry" as his occupation. Now, that is a real occupation. In fact, it's mine. And Norman has seen me say so. Now, it's possible that, by sheer coincidence, he does the same type of work that I do. It's not a mentally challenging job. It only requires the ability to type accurately. But I think it more likely that Norman is a child, has no job, and simply latched on to an occupation that he heard elsewhere from someone (me) that he could rely on as identifying a real job description. I also find it strange that he is allowed to listen to internet broadcasts during working hours, though I suppose it's possible. Most companies prefer the company computers to be used for company business, but they will usually allow you to bring in a CD player. They just don't connect to the internet.
     There are some other interesting tidbits. He complains of name-calling, when he engages in continual name-calling himself. In fact, I find that everything that he complains about "atheists" doing to him is something that he does as standard practice. The complete hypocrisy is astonishing.
     There is one thing I can grant him. I did tell him that he was a fundamentalist christian even though he denied being so. However, I identified the definition I was using, someone who believes the bible to be a fundamental truth and authority, and it does describe him. I invited him to identify his definition and explain why he thought the term didn't apply to him. He basically said he didn't like the term because it sounds bad these days. Well, I'm not concerned with whether or not it "sounds bad." It is still an accurate description.

Hotmail doesn't allow the attachment of executable files

     I found this out as I attempted to email a copy of an image-editing program I am working on to a former co-worker of mine. Yes, I got permission first. As a work-around I changed the file extension on my end and told him to change it back on his. But seriously, I understand that executable files are potentially dangerous. But most e-mail programs do not automatically open attachments. You have to open them manually. And then the e-mail program gives you the option of opening them or saving them to your hard drive. And people can, and should check the file extensions. And in case all that isn't enough, e-mail programs will also inform you when an attachment has a potentially dangerous extension in case someone is still stupid enough to open an unknown file. And I rather think the unique icon is something of a dead giveaway. Does Microsoft really think that people are that stupid?

I thought this was interesting

     The comments at this thread are rather interesting. Norman seems to be using a list of logical fallacies as a sort of grab-bag and accusing Alex of committing the fallacies. Naturally, he proceeds to say "I have PROVEN IT, but you're too stupid to understand it," despite not having produced any actual evidence. Perhaps he is relying on his supporters not having the intellectual capacity to recognize the lack of evidence. Or, maybe he's hoping they won't care.

A vague accusation

     Rhomphaia has (on Norman's suggestion) decided to call me rude but is unable to identify anything that she considers to be rude (unless it is posting as a non-christian.) Now, the accusation is inherently vague. The concept of "rude" means different things to different people. And I suspect that she only made it because Norman pulled her strings and she knows that I do try to avoid hurting other people's feelings -- in general. On the other hand, I pointed out several things that I considered rude in her comments and Norman's, by way of demonstration. I did not bother prior to her accusation because, let's face it, those two are rude and proud of it. They are not going to change their behavior out of consideration for the feelings of others.

Norman has complained

     Norman has complained that I have removed some of his comments from view. Boo-hoo. If he wants his comments to be visible, he can stop his "power play" on his own blog. He makes a big deal about how it's his blog and that he can delete comments as he chooses. And he chooses to delete comments that expose his illusion for the sham that it is.
     Now, he is lying and saying I remove his comments for him saying "prove it." Baloney. His comments are hidden as a quid pro quo. And if he wants them back, he can start being honest. It doesn't really matter much that Mr. "I don't have to prove anything" says "prove it" to statements about things he knows he did.

I find it fascinating

     I find it fascinating that fast-food places will say that they pay "competitive wages." I actually still seen some signs making the claim. Now, I remember back when I worked in fast-food. They paid minimum wage and called it "competitive." Getting the labor inspectors off your back does not constitute paying a competitive wage.
     A nice thing about the place I am working at now is that they post the federally and state mandated posters in the break room where everybody can see them. I realize that, officially, that's the law. But when I worked in fast-food they were displayed in the bottom of the manager's locked desk drawer. I think I saw them once.

Why do people use those coin-counting machines?

     You've probably seen them in the grocery store. You dump your coins in and it gives you I think a ticket for the value of those coins minus about 10 percent. Now, these same grocery stores have registers where you can spend those coins for their full value. Alternately, they often have in-store bank branches that will take your coins for their face value. (They may require you to roll up those coins and count them yourself.) In any event, you don't have to pay a fee of 10 percent. So why do people willingly pay that fee?

An oldie but a goodie: Suppose the bible was written by an evil spirit.

     Suppose the bible was written by an evil spirit who loves suffering (our suffering, not his own) but who has no power over anyone who has not agreed to submit to him. On this idea, when we die, we become free spirits in a spiritual realm unless we have enslaved ourselves.
     It's amazing how much of what we see fits the notion. The biblical god's commands to slaughter outsiders certainly fits a being who loves suffering. A current desire for fresh victims also fits the notion well. Consider: Biblical followers tell you that their god is good. They also give varied excuses why your conscience is not a good measure when it says his actions are not.
     It is expected that such a wicked being would want to people to submit to him sight unseen. If we make a good / evil determination first, we are likely not to submit. What is particularly interesting is that it explains satanism as well. Satanism appears to be a fake opposition designed to send people running scared into the biblical spirit's clutches.

     The original post (with comments) is here.

Did you know that we have global overpopulation?

     Surely, you should have noticed that the planet has gotten a little crowded. Now, given the condition of overpopulation, why is it that so many people get fertility treatments so that they can have more kids? Better yet, why aren't these treatments banned? Then, of course there are the people that think they need to have 20 kids because the only way they can "spread their religion" is to crowd out the competition. Look, I don't want to know what happens when 1 trillion people face resource exhaustion. I am sure that it is not a pretty sight.

The concept of freedom

     First, I should point out that degrees of freedom are on a continuum. Total freedom and total bondage are generally not to be found. Freedom is the ability to do what you want, when you want to do it without penalties. (There is a difference between a consequence and a penalty. A consequence is a natural outcome of an action. A penalty is imposed from outside by people who don't like the action.) Most of us have to go to work, which is a constraint on freedom. But it's better than starvation.
     Christians, for some reason that I cannot fathom, call complete bondage to "Jesus" their idea of "freedom." They say they do it willingly. My first guess is that this is in the same sense that I go to work willingly -- they think they get something out of it. But it would be more honest for them to say they exchange their freedom for something (whatever it is) that they want more. Maybe they don't desire freedom. But I don't think they should be using the word just because they think it sounds pretty.

A prediction, revisited.

     Here I made a prediction about what would happen when Daniel's prophecy failed. Now, he has taken down his old blog. And for a while, he hid his profile. But he's back. You can find him here. So how did my prediction do?

Christians say that they "walk by faith"

     And they may. But I walk by evidence. Your faith is not going to convince me that you are right. I do not choose beliefs based on the claims of the faithful. I do not choose beliefs based on what sounds like the happiest ending. In fact, I do not choose beliefs at all. My beliefs follow the evidence. If there is ever compelling evidence that your god is real, I will believe. For the time being, however, all evidence suggests that he is a fictional character created to give comfort to christians, that they might think a wonderful place was waiting for them.

Well-wishing

To all my readers:

     Here's hoping that tomorrow finds you in the best place waiting for you together with your friends and loved ones. I make no comment on where that best place may be.

I would like to dedicate a song to Norman

     It can be found here.