Posts by Abaddon

18

Remember A.I. ?

by Introspection in

i know we talked about it when it was playing in the theaters, but i'm too lazy to look up that thread and i think it was in the main forum anyway.

i just got the dvd and watched half of it.

if you haven't seen it it's definitely worth renting.

Abaddon

Contains spoilers!!!

I thought that this film was quite possibly the worst I have seen in a long, long time. And I saw it last night on video, so this is a real fresh opinion.

It was too draw-out, narratively diffuse, hitting on the same emotional areas all the time, and had plot loop holes you could fit the Statue of Liberty through. It was sacahrine and cloying, atempted to make the audience care about something that was not intrinsically careable for, as it never attained a sense of reality.

As bboyneko pointed out, Kubrick was obviously saying that jealousy and obsession are as part of being human as being in love is; the killing of the other David, the two thousand years of waiting, the complete lack of getting on with it.

Let's ignore that ice ages take a little more than two thousand years to occur. Let's ignore that that robot must have batteries to die for to not power-down waiting. Let's ignore that a human child in that situation would develop the ability to tell the difference between fantasy and reality, and realise waiting was futile. Let's ignore that other mchas showed the ability to adapt and develop greater independance (the Gigolo Joe mecha spoecifically; he took his tag off, far more a human action than David ever did). Let's ignore the huge unexplained plot shift; they get David to make up for the loss of their son, and then BOOM!, their son reappears after David has started building bonds. If this was expected (maybe he was in a tank undergoing gene therapy/treatment whatever), then them getting David is strange, and them not preparing him for his 'half' brother is stranger. The aliens were pretty sucky too, and using them to 'resolve' the plot was a triumph of lazy screenplay writing.

And then I woke up and it was all a dream...

The film was a dog. A bad smelling one.

24

When you left the JW's, did you remain a Christian

by kenpodragon in

jw
friends

when you left the jw's, did you remain a christian?

the reason i ask, is that when i left the witnesses i explored all kinds of concept and religions and even attended a few churches.

i soon found that i was attracted to new age and pagan believes.

Abaddon

I wish I could be a pagan or a wiccan.

It's far more glamourous and interesting than being an atheist.

However, I am more than a little sceptical of anything lacking hard proof.

Wonderful, well-intentioned people who have found a way that helps them make sense of life, whether that's the local church or Wiccan ceremonies, are FINE, but I csan't believe what they believe on what is essentially their say-so.

18

The philosophy class

by Scorpion in

a college student was in a philosophy class which had a discussion about god's existence.

"has anyone in this class seen god?

"has anyone is this class heard our professor's brain?

Abaddon

Er... sorry, is this the Reader's Digest? Or "Watching the World? Chicken Soup for the Soul?"

Purlease.

You can cut open the professor's head and prove he has a brain. You can scan his head and show blood flow through his brain. You can attach it to a machine and record electrical activity. You can x-ray it and see it's structure.

You can scan, study, disect, probe and otherwise investigate the entire Universe, and come up with no reliable evidence of god, not of the sort that would be considered 'beyond reasonable doubt' in a court of law, at any rate.

Can we leave intellectually lame platitudes behind please? Haven;'t we had enough of that stuff?

Larsguy, have you, are you, or will you seek professional help? I mean, it's amusing and all you think you are Jesus, or whatever, but that aside I think it's time you sat on a comfy leather chair and talked to a nice man or woman for an hour or two every week, maybe had some nice meds. I wouldn;t want your dellusions to get to the point where you harmed yourself or worse, someone else. Walking on water and scourging the money-changers out of the temple are liable to be damaging to your health or liberty.

9

Escape by Metallica

by Disposable Hero in

as some of you already know, i'm a huge metallica fan, i'm not too crazy about the new stuff, but i like the older stuff up unitl about 91. many of metallica songs have a dark side to them; death, war,destruction, misplaced justice, etc.

one song that seems to stick out that one can relate to escaping the watchtower is "escape" on the "ride the lightning" album.

anyways, here are the lyrics.

Abaddon

My fave Metallica song was 'Happy Talk'

Happy talk-talk-talking happy talk
Talk about things you'd like to do
You've got to have a dream
If you don;t have a dream
How you're gonna have a dream come true?

On a more serious note, I liked Apollyptica's full-on string versions of Metallica's songs, but get itchy if exposed to the band themselves too long.

28

Firearms in USA

by Haereticus in

jw
friends

how common it is in usa that a jw has a legal firearms?

i have no recollection of wtbs publications handling this matter specifically.

of course general attitude towards firearms in usa is different from europe but so is also legislation.. it is just that once being a concsientious objector i cannot, even after almost 40 years, imagine myself having one.

Abaddon

Bendrr: If what I said didn't say it clearly enough, let me say I am sure if I was an 'average' American (a non-existant thing, but your statistical norm, if you will), I am sure I would be in favour of firearms.

That's my entire point. We dealing with an issue that is deeply effected by enculturation. Even the most cosmopolitan American is American, unless they live there long enough, and the most Amerophile European will similarly still be a European unless they actually change their culture for a substancial length of time.

A similar divide can be seen in the Death Penalty debate. It's almost unknown in most of Europe, and completely absent in Western and Northern Europe as far as I can recall. 'We', as a statistical norm, just don't understand why Americans, as a statistical norm, think Judicail Killing is a good idea. An example of how the culture can effect this over time is in West Germany.

After the war, the government, in face of popular opposition, abolished the death penalty. I believe at the time over 50% were still in favour of it, but below 60%. Now maybe 12% of Germans are in favour of it, as they have grown up in a culture where it is not done and thus are enculturated.

Abortion is a similar debate, the divide this time being between fundamental Christians for the most part, and mostly libertarians, left-wingers and 'feminists' on the other side. Of course there's loads of other people involved, the silent majority, but the debate is polarised by it's two main ideological components.

In all of these examples debate is difficult, as what one side has to say doesn't mean much to the other, and vica-versa. They at times could be have arguements about two seperate thing, so different are the paradigms used.

One side is right for their reasons, and the other side is right for theirs, and nere the twain will meet, not for a few decades at any rate.

My little piece was intended to just be a gentle satire, on both sides, although obviously as a lefto-pinko-European, I will not deny making the ball swing a bit.

However, I've travelled a fair bit in America, and never seen a gun other than on a Policeman and never stayed with anyone with a gun rack, but perhaps Jehovah's Witnesses, ex-patriot Brits, strict Kansas Baptists and gay people in Seattle aren't representative! That being said, there is a huge difference in practise and thought regarding firearms, if you look at the statistics, no matter whether the individuals reading such a statement are anti-gun or pro-gun.

AjaxMan; I don't see the fact that some Europeans make money out of a pretty disreputable industry has anything to do with why gun ownership may or may not be a good idea!

Okay, obviously selling guns isn't intrinsically wrong, but it has the potential for intrinsic harm, and often all that matters to sellers and maker is the money, if they can lobby for greater market freedom, rather than the potential harm.

But given that people will make money this way, all I can do is apologise for the possibly ambivalent morals of some European businesmen and women. I can't apologise for the people that buy the guns, nor do I want anyone to.

42

Homosexuality and Social Policy

by Perry in

jw
friends

post jw life requires us to think as members of the larger society as we look at issues from the perspective of a member of a participatory government.

unlike jw life, we get to have a say in what kind of life we experience for ourselves and our children.

i will present a series of issues that require our judgment, that we as former jehovahs witnesses were prevented in having a say in and may not have ever given much thought to.

Abaddon

Hi Perry...

So what you are saying is that you personally don't mind your children growing up in a world where there are same sex marriages as well as opposite sex marriages? Right?

Right. Why would I mind? It's part of the spectrum of normal behaviour. I'd be more worried if she stayed single all her life as she was afraid of getting emotionally close to someone or had issues with physical contact.

And as a result of society placing a stamp of authenticity on same sex marriages you will have no problem with your child who might otherwise be hetero, becomming homo just because it may be fashionable?

This is where you lose me Perry. For a start, you quoted a survey and left out the most important bit - that the twins studied had been raised seperately. This means that 'fashion' and 'environment' alone are not the sole factors influencing a persons sexuality, as at least 42% (53%-11%) of it is physiological/in-built psychological factors.

As John pointed out earlier, as we do live in a soceity where it is a disadvantage to be viewed as gay (sad but true), that figure might be higher, as one twin might be socialised OUT OF their natural sexual oriontation... something that can be more than a little damaging to their happiness (ask most shrinks).

Yet, despite this pretty clear evidence, you carry on asserting the idea that "homosexuality most likely can be socialized in many cases", and "becomming homo just because it may be fashionable". All those are are assetions, devoid of any evidence other than your say so, and in fact run counter to the survey you started this thread with.

I do not mean to say that there are no people who are gay because they decide to be gay, free of any in-built inclination. But your attempt to make this out to be the 'normal' run of events just doesn't have anything to back it up.

So you saying that "as a result of society placing a stamp of authenticity on same sex marriages you will have no problem with your child who might otherwise be hetero, becomming homo", is, to be blunt, rubbish.

People will not, except in a vanishingly small number of cases, become gay just because society sanctions gay relationships. People who were too terified of a biased society may now be able to do what they would have done naturally as bigotry is slowly declining. People might have a gay fling, as, if it's something you want to do and your not hurting anyone, why not? But someones sexual identity is more than a passing fashion!

So, your sixteen year old daughter tells you one day that guys are jerks and that one of her teachers says, well maybe you are really gay and don't know it. So, she tells you that she's going to start looking for girls to date to compare.
Instead of encouraging her to look for certain qualities in guys that are generally not popular in the teen world like stability, delayed gratification, long term goals, and thereby sharpen her perception powers.... you'll just say, "sure honey, check it out...ya never know". What if you do say that and she accuses you of just being old fashioned, because homosexuality is common for enlightened people, hell every body is doing it Dad!
So instead of understanding that her companionship choices make a huge impact on the quality of her relationships, she just chooses the societal norms instead as an easier path. You'll be comfortable with that?

I'd tell her that if she was just bummed out with guys, it was a pretty dumb reason to date girls, and maybe she'd just better look for guys who treated her with more respect. I'd tell her just going with girls 'cause she'd had troubles with guys who were jerks would be like me giving Mr. Pearson next door a blowjob because I had an arguement with her mum. But I'd make sure she knew that if she really fancied girls, it wouldn't make an iota of difference to my love for her. Then I'd hunt down and terrify the guy who hurt her. Then I would have a long talk to her teacher. Then I would chastise myself for allowing my relationship with my daughter to be so poor she can't discuss important or intimate topics with me before her teacher out of fear of rejection.

But that's ignoring the tacit assumption you have, but have not proved, that people become gay for fun.

Now, I'm sure people play around for fun... hell, I've known a few girls who were quite wonderfully ambivalent in their tastes. But only one has stayed non-commited, one is pretty much sure she's gay, and happier than she ever was with her husband or any other man, and the rest, despite having picked up all those trendy gay vibes society pumps out, are as hetero as you or me nowadays, even if they played for both teams when they were younger.

Have you ever talked to gay people Perry? Do you realise how unfun being gay can be? How you have to think what part of town you are in before holding hands with your lover?

You can think people do it for fun, and that people become gay because it's fashionable. But you've not proved this at all mate. What's been proved is that gayness is at least almost half inbuilt, and that maybe more people have gay relationships now because their neighbours won't spray paint HOMO on their walls and spit at them, as doing that sort of thing is happily increasingly unfasionable.

Hold on... oh no... JOEL! You've done it again! I've turned gay because of all those fashionable trendy gay vibes you send out. Damn, my girlfriend will be really bummed, but, hell, she can always go gay to, it's trendy, and she's bored of rollerblading. Oh well, at least I'll be able to dance and dress well... and I've always wanted to get into Interior Design. YooHoo!

All the best Perry, and thanks again to all for a fun thread.

SYN; you ask why talk about it? I agree. I think it's obvious. But does that mean I should shut-up when someone who thinks contrary to that states their opinion? They're entitled to their opinion, as I am to addressing it.

34

I'm screwed..........

by butalbee in

i went w/ my ex to the hall tonight, don't remember much except walking in, hiding in the bathroom for half hour, and dodging all the schmoozing when trying to exit the building.

i also remember my ex holding my hand and smiling at me.

it was a happy smile, like "i am so glad you're here w/ me", but it hinted of evil intentions.

Abaddon

butalbee, why do you need us to tell you that you're doing something really stupid when you already know?

13

Did Jesus Sin?

by KJV in

have you ever wondered why god dealt with man up until the first century c.e.

and then for the last 2,000 years we haven't heard from him?

could it be that god is upset with mankind for killing his son?

Abaddon

Me and my gf were having a talk about Jesus the other day.

Obviously, before we get round to details like, did he sin, there's an awful lot we need to know.

If we assume he is a historical figure (there's a lot of reasons why this may not be so, but for the sake of arguement), then IF he was the son of god, as in God goes 'bing' to Mary and nine months later you get JC, one has to go through the whole Trinity thing (as in seperate son, or physical manisfestation of mystical three-for-one offer, and also when he KNEW he was the son of god (despite the fuss and blather surrounding his birth some contend he didn't know his nature till later in life) before even thinking of getting down to if he was perfect and if he sinned, and what he meant by that statement.

If he wasn't the son of god, then he probably was a visionary with a stong belief in a kinder, gentler god than was held in Israel. He was possibly influenced by the Essenes, who would provide a link to Zorastianism and Buddhism, both of which have teachings (and in the case of the Buddha, entire life stories) which closey parrallel Jesus'. They were also skilled healers and dressed in white. Maybe he was just using a metaphor when he said 'son of god', and meant you, me, everybody... which must have been really annoying when he got nailed to a tree, thus the statement.

Also, if he was an Essene, then it makes sense of his reputation as a healer, and gives credance to the persistant stories that he was taken down from the cross (or stake, have it your way) and revived.

42

Homosexuality and Social Policy

by Perry in

jw
friends

post jw life requires us to think as members of the larger society as we look at issues from the perspective of a member of a participatory government.

unlike jw life, we get to have a say in what kind of life we experience for ourselves and our children.

i will present a series of issues that require our judgment, that we as former jehovahs witnesses were prevented in having a say in and may not have ever given much thought to.

Abaddon

"All that matters is this person chooses this lifestyle to be happy and it doesn't interfere with the liberty and happiness of others."

Exactly tyydyy. I don't give a monkey's really as long as that's held to. I wouldn't care if only human beings showed homosexual behaviour either, as it's right because it's non-harmful to others and consensual, not because of any other reason.

I just have this compulsive desire to batter anyone who doesn't believe anything quite so fundamentally obvious over the head with handy statistics hoping that something will filter through.

122

How old were you when you lost your virginity...

by butalbee in

how old were you when you lost your virginity and was it all that you thought it would be?????.

i was 19, and my first time was a complete let down.

i envisioned that gothic romance motif, all about romance and love, i didn't know what i was doing, didn't know sex was like that.

Abaddon

flower, take heed, if I have to repeat myself I might have to spank you, as this is VERY serious...

Being dumb and not going to college are two different things. And if you do go to college, you'll be amased at how easy it is.

Don't be down on yourself even in fun, okay?

Oh, I have a seventy year-old virgin aunt, a member of the annointed too, so I suppose a little like really good olive oil... extra virgin.

Anyone know an older virgin?