Phi for All

In the beginning of course they will. They *have* to. Such a move would be viewed as sleeping with the enemy. It can only be hoped that Turkey would eventually (sooner rather than later) become an example of a Muslim nation allied with the infidels that still retained it's heritage and integrity. The fact that it enjoys a better relationship with the rest of the globe through association would hopefully spark others to follow in the pioneer's footsteps. There would be many stumbling blocks to overcome but if the proof outweighs the shouting I think many could come to see it as a way to compromise without losing face. Turkey must have a plan to accept admission without becoming a western nation copycat. Surely there is a way they can join the EU without giving up their culture completely.

I was referring to Turkey being the neighbor who will prosper for the rest of the neighborhood to see. Europe isn't predominantly Muslim but if Turkey can join the EU, retain the best parts of their culture and religion and benefit from it it will be a beacon to other Muslim nations that change doesn't have to be bad.

I suppose it's possible the Pope's apology was buried on page 45 of the Istanbul Post. And people tend to forget hearing what they don't want to hear. Shouting overrides reason. Semi off-topic, it could be interesting to have Turkey as part of the EU. I've always thought watching a neighbor prosper was a better inducement for change than war. Nothing beats an appeal to tradition like keeping up with the Joneses.

Welcome kiwimac! Don't forget to stop by our sister site, Theology Forums. We welcome your spiritual views there and hope you can add to our knowledge. And welcome to SFN as well. I like the "not content to remain ignorant" bit (what a great bumper sticker!). Happy posting!

I object to the tenets laid down by your "campaign". You can't prove the book is Super Fantastic (sure, the book itself claims it is but this is circular logic). The SFAFB is filled with contradictions and misinterpretations (drawn-in chest hair may look real but it doesn't *feel* real). The original text in German is "Fun Activity Book", not "Activity Fun Book" so your literal interpretation is flawed from the beginning. Didn't you try to push this same propoganda on us a few years ago, with a different cover and titled, "BayWatchtower"? Your sad attempts to sway me towards Hasslehovinism have only resulted in pushing me further from the faith.

I think, like everything else in life, there is no *one* reason but it's certainly one of them. Tbh, weldermanx was *way* too sensitive in that thread. It's one thing to take it easy on someone due to their age but when they won't listen or come up with all kinds of ways to ignore advice then even the most patient person gets frustrated. And remember we're talking about a pretty unforgiving science. Stop listening when it comes to Chemistry and your life is on the line. Sometimes chemists have to be a little caustic to get people's attention. That's not even close to simply calling someone stupid. It may not have been necessary but reread the thread. There's a difference between honestly asking what practical applications a robot like that could have and what Heretic posted in #9. It was pretty obvious he was absolutely convinced it was a worthless piece of machinery and he hadn't really put much thought into what he posted. Oh please. How bad *it's* getting or how bad the member is? Don't forget that some members bring a lot on themselves. And before you object to that you MUST make that -part of the equation if you want to assign blame. Internet forums have no one-way streets. Don't forget that interests wax and wane. New toys, new jobs, new schools, there are a bunch of reasons why we have periods of high and low activity. It's natural and we should use the time productively. How about making up for it by thinking up soem great new threads? I'll try to do my part as well.

Keep in mind that the statistics you're reading have to include all condom users surveyed. As ecoli points out, many people misuse them and those numbers are present in the sampling. Also present are people who'd been drinking heavily and *thought* they used a condom. These numbers probably also include people who make love, remove the condom and then cuddle a bit afterwards, or even make love again but forget the condom the second time. If you want better than 70-80% then learn the proper use of condoms. If you've been drinking take some extra time and make absolutely sure. Virgins can still have herpes, which I believe is included in the list of STDs any statistics will encompass. Monogamous relationships probably are the safest with regard to health, especially if your gf is the jealous type.

Bettina, I know you have your reasons for feeling the way you do. I didn't like splitting the P&R forums off either, but for different reasons. As for letting a few people here drive you away, I hope you're not looking for perfection in the forums you visit, places where everyone agrees and no one is ever cranky. As someone who often espouses some passionate arguments I know you realize some people won't agree with you just as passionately (or perhaps even more). I just hate to see you staying away from intellectual congress with thousands of fellow SFN members because a few rub you the wrong way. Large populations are bound to produce a few snotties and that's not always a bad thing. Even when civility is abandoned there are still opportunities for learning, even if it's learning how you *don't* want to be. Staying away from all of us because of a few of us just isn't reasonable, imo. In your own words, ... you don't quit school because one of your teachers is a jerk to you. You don't stop going to a church because a few members speak their minds in a way that bothers you. And in the real world of internet forums, you just have to put some people on your Ignore List. Hopefully your Buddy List is a lot longer. I think your Caddyshack reference is misplaced. We're probably more like a college fraternity / sorority that treats newbies like pledges until they've been hazed too much and finally stand up and say, "Enough! I belong so knock it off!" And forget about you for a moment, what about us? You're not a selfish person but you're denying us your unique POV by staying away! For everyone, I think this is a good wake up call for longtime members to take it a bit easier on newcomers with basic questions. I just hope newbies and oldtimers alike will give us the chance to change and not give up on us. After all, we're only e-human.

That would be great. I've never understood the Cavendish appeal with consumers. It's so bland compared to other varieties. I guess it says something about consumerism when we accept blah because blah is more economical. I had a banana in Mexico once that was smaller than the Cavendish and had a bluish tint. The texture was creamy and the flavor was fantastic. I always wondered why American consumers didn't insist on more flavor over longer shelf life (surely cost couldn't be *that* much higher if it became really popular).

I've always heard that the Cavendish, the current most popular banana, was a result of selective breeding. The black lines still present in the middle used to hold seeds which were eventually bred out. It's popular for exportation because of this and a longer shelf-life rather than it's bland taste. IIRC, there was a fungus that destroyed the last breed of popular banana back in the 50's and the Cavendish then became the export of choice.

That's beyond clever and I like the refreshingly open approach. It first paints the canvas black and then draws a bright and simple picture. Viva Argentina!

IIRC, the interlock is like a breathalyzer and won't activate your ignition if it detects more than a certain level of alcohol on your breath. If you were thinking clearly enough you could probably pay someone else to breathe in it, or maybe use a balloon you blew up when you were sober. Laws like this one are usually passed to placate voters and make them think something is being done. Then a big loophole usually ends up making the whole thing ineffective. In Colorado you have to have a certain amount of insurance in order to get your license plates renewed, in an attempt at lowering the number of uninsured motorists. The proof that you have such insurance? Just your word of honor and a signature on a plate registration form.

blike makes a very good point about the difference between ignorance and idiocy, but I think part of the problem is the "idiot" label. It's too broad and gets applied to too many people. Is the person asking a question here without having researched an answer elswhere first? Is the person just being obtuse? Is it a case of one little misstep that has led them to an incorrect conclusion? Are they simply hanging on to a idea they've convinced themselves is right? Have they sunk even lower and are attempting to prop up their arguments with fallacies? All of these instances can receive the "idiot" label and I think that's a mistake. Maybe we need to stop labeling everyone who doesn't argue well as an "idiot". It's way too easy and is often too hastily applied. Perhaps we need to drill down and identify some behavior that leads to some of the worst problems. Fallacy-users are a big problem. We're always chastising fallacious logic but you have to understand how insidious it really is. Whether it's ad hominem (personal attacks, Flaming), strawman or one of the Appeals (to Authority, to Tradition, etc), logical fallacies attempt to prop up a bad argument and often look really good. They create a situation where you can't let someone get away with bad information but you take the thread off on a tangent if you call it out. Fallacy-users put us in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. One of the most difficult people the staff has to deal with is the "Preacher". I won't name any names but I can think of two right now. The Preacher has nothing to do with religion. The Preacher simply wants to bring everyone around to his/her way of thinking. They argue that they are merely stating their "opinion" and often get a lot of member support when criticized. But the Preacher has no intention of debating the ideas he/she throws out. In fact, they defend their arguments just like any of us would, the way any good scientist puts an idea up for commentary and criticism. But the Preacher really isn't interested in discussing his ideas, he's interested in gathering followers and believers, and wants to "teach" instead of learn. He is the one who jumps to fallacies quickest when his arguments are criticized and then diverts whole threads by seeming to defend his arguments when he's really just criticizing the criticism. The Preacher wastes everyone's time leading us by the nose in circles. Unfortunately, forming really good arguments and rebuttals takes more time than a lot of people have. I guess we all need to keep that in mind before we call someone an idiot.

The email notification option is in your User Control Panel.

Actually, insane_alien wins for brevity, AzurePhoenix is second for creativity, and you're last for being whiney. Not that this is a contest or anything. insane_alien wins a trip to Scotland, AzurePhoenix will receive a life-sized poster of George Bush with his mentor Wile E. Coyote and Gilded gets a set of steak knives.

Please repost this over at Theology Forums and we'll discuss it there. Your membership here transfers right over, iirc. Thanks.

*embarassing snort* Oooooooohhhhhhh, thanks.

early, I asked you in my PM to please start a NEW THREAD (really, the buttons are BIG and clearly marked). I have done this for you so please stop barging into existing threads, it's extremely rude net behavior. [/harrangue]

I was hoping to see how it coped with a sharp edge like a cliff or even a high curb. Still, very fascinating. I wonder how much bigger / smaller it will get eventually.

That would SO ROCK!!! Thanks for offering, when will it be ready?

No problem there then. I hope it was answered to your satisfaction.

Is this more homework? We certainly don't mind helping but just giving you answers isn't really help.

Question #1: Do you consider it "corrupt" to spend time and money for research, development, production and distribution of drugs which allow the user to live with the effects of a disease (thus insuring your future market base), rather than researching a *cure* for those diseases? Question #2: Do you think that the pharmaceutical industry has led us to believe they are working just as diligently on actual cures as on symptom suppressors?

I'm currently out of non-fiction. Gotta fix that. Between my county library, other state libraries and used book stores, I'm trying to piece together the Recluce series by L.E. Modesitt Jr. There's so little time for reading right now! *sob* Tyrion has to be one of the most complex characters in modern fantasy fiction. Four books and I'm still not sure whether he'll be the hero or the villain. Really keeps you on the edge, doesn't it? I keep picturing this as a cable series, perhaps by HBO. Of course I would then have to actually subscribe to HBO.... So pissed off about this series. I loved the conventions Jordan first came up with, but every book started adding more and more characters I was supposed to care about. At first I thought he'd start killing some of them off, but now I think he just wants to make a thirteen book series, since that number is so important to him. He'll probably start killing them all off when Tarmon Gaidon starts, and then we'll just be numb to it. I hate when writers write with anything other than the story in mind. Trying to fill up pages is intellectually dishonest. I stopped watching Saturday Night Live a long time ago when their writing paradigm went from "funny no matter how long or short it is" to "start with something funny and make it fit into five minutes". That's no way to write.

How about a birthday in a different month? That'd be nice. I mean, I was going to get you some X-box games and a PDA but I'll be tapped from Christmas. Sorry dude.