prev <-> next
[2019-10-30 16:51:06] - paul: yeah . . . i noticed that to. you can't ever look at other people submissions, so HMD (how's my driving) stuff is pretty private in that context. also: 1. this might not be a real submission, maybe that car is owned by someone in government or someone related to the project. 2. technically your license plate isn't private info. 3. pictures of the street (with TONS of exceptions) are fair game. 4. ggwash.org != hmd. ~a
[2019-10-30 16:47:58] - a: I'm a little surprised license plates weren't blurred out considering how touchy people are about privacy. -Paul
[2019-10-30 16:33:45] - in just 5 hours, volunteers collected over 300 bike lane violations in arlington. i was one of the volunteers. ~a
[2019-10-30 15:49:59] - aaron: have you heard of 5-wits? it sounds very different from escape-room. apparently there are: 1. multiple rooms and "escaping" isn't the goal. apparently each experience is like 1000ish sq ft?! 2. it's computer controlled, and tuned for you. so, if you go more than once they'll make it harder to get through. 3. i've never done it, so i don't really have any more information than this. ~a
[2019-10-30 14:28:57] - paul: looks like other sources are picking it up. i'm not sure how trusted the independent is. ~a
[2019-10-30 14:25:29] - mig/paul: from september: "a: agree with Paul. There doesnt seem to be explicit quid-pro-quos in the transcript, so I think republicans probably won’t be swayed. - mig". apparently transcripts can be changed. ~a
[2019-10-30 12:31:00] - a: But I get your point that it's irrelevant. Lots of people probably breathed a sigh of relief when they heard about his death. -Paul
[2019-10-30 12:30:35] - a: Sure, but if you tried and failed to commit suicide a few days earlier, and then die from what people say is suicide a few days later.... I think the simplest and most likely explanation is you tried again and succeeded. -Paul
[2019-10-30 11:45:16] - mmmm. Crosstabs. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-30 10:55:16] - what's more if you've ever attempted suicide, that doesn't mean you can't be murdered. ~a
[2019-10-30 10:54:06] - paul: irrelevant. his suicide was the more likely cause of death. whether he killed himself or was murdered: both scenarios imo included foul play. ~a
[2019-10-30 10:51:58] - a: Convenient, but also seemingly straight forward, unless you believe his previous suicide attempt was faked too. -Paul
[2019-10-30 10:51:14] - "we'll probably never know" i'm holding out hope that some evidence will surface. but in the mean time, the whole thing is suspect. his death it's too fucking convenient. ~a
[2019-10-30 10:50:20] - a: Yeah, could be. I still suspect suicide and negligence is the most likely, and think murder is unlikely, but we'll probably never know. -Paul
[2019-10-30 10:48:38] - paul: i do think there is some conspiracy. but not maybe in the way you mean. i think you're right, it's probably not on washingtonpost/cnn because it's not credible (or not interesting?). that being said, i think there's a real possibility that epstein didn't kill himself, or (more likely) did kill himself but was intentionally given the opportunity (or even means) to do it. ~a
[2019-10-30 10:47:34] - a: I suppose (and all of those are kinda weird to me too), but I still can't quite figure out why Democrats hate Tulsi so much. Just because Hillary picked a fight with her and accused her of being a Russian asset? -Paul
[2019-10-30 10:46:11] - paul: that's probably super common. look at like john mueller, michael cohen, michael flynn, paul manafort, anthony scaramucci, there are lots of republicans that have low favorability among trump supporters. ~a
[2019-10-30 10:40:59] - a: Re: The Epstein stuff from Fox News.... I wonder how credible it is? Maybe Fox has a lower bar? You think there's some conspiracy? -Paul
[2019-10-30 10:36:12] - Xpovos: https://reason.com/2019/10/30/tulsi-gabbard-rising-in-new-hampshire-thanks-to-republican-support/ "When you dig into the crosstabs of the poll, it shows that 59 percent of New Hampshire Republicans have a favorable view of Gabbard, while only 23 percent of the state's Democrats do." That's crazy! -Paul
[2019-10-30 10:19:36] - not terribly surprising, but a little bit disappointing. of course, there may be a dozen or so problem with the study (why exactly are the people studied retiring early, for instance). also even if it is true, using this knowledge to retire early and *not* decline cognitively, is possible, imo. ~a
[2019-10-30 10:04:05] - weird this is only on foxnews. washingtonpost, cnn, i don't see any of those other guys talking about this news. ~a
[2019-10-30 09:21:35] - a: That might be my fault then. I talk UBI a lot, so it just rolls and at this point I rarely think to explain it. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-30 09:07:29] - i was listening at work (hah, shhhh), so it was super easy to just google it. ~a
[2019-10-30 09:06:46] - former. ~a
[2019-10-30 09:06:35] - a: From our debate rundown, or from a blog post? -- Xpovos
[2019-10-28 21:41:44] - a: Ah, thanks for the heads up. I try to be aware of explaining terms and acronyms, but missed that one. Thanks. -Paul
[2019-10-28 18:07:15] - paul: for future reference, you should probably define ubi. i heard it said a lot, and googled it, but it isn't an acronym i knew immediately in context. ~a
[2019-10-28 13:18:27] - how does he sound like john bolton? i don't know much about what bolton says. does john bolton say "it's weird that trump said saudi arabia has agreed to pay us for everything we're doing"? ~a
[2019-10-28 12:39:51] - <a href=“https://youtu.be/2u_pZ-SgACk“>That weird moment when John Oliver sounds like John Bolton.</a> - mig
[2019-10-28 11:32:16] - Awww. I'll miss you, retro Mr. IOU. But I'm glad to have my capital letters back. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-25 16:33:53] - you should be. ~a
[2019-10-25 15:45:08] - a: Sorry I moved. -Daniel
[2019-10-25 15:27:19] - xpovos: yeah . . . actually that's interesting. i didn't realize that the back license plate of a truck is (often?) associated with what they're hauling. always get the front license plate of a truck, i guess. on that note, i fucking hate states that don't require front license plates. it's so annoying to be . . . like i guess you're a ghost because i can only see the front of your car. ~a
[2019-10-25 15:16:04] - a: Same license plate on the truck all three times. So, definitely something consistent. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-25 13:53:50] - a: Daniel, Miguel, Amy... they all deserve blame. -Paul
[2019-10-25 13:53:27] - or dan's fault for moving. all these dans and daniels. moving and stuff. ~a
[2019-10-25 13:52:48] - i don't think i blamed you for it. if anything it was daniel's fault for moving. ~a
[2019-10-25 13:52:01] - a: I enjoyed playing. It was one of the few physical activities I didn't totally suck at... only mostly sucked. -Paul
[2019-10-25 13:51:27] - a: Hey, that's not my fault. I keep trying to plan a game. Everybody else decided they didn't want to play anymore. -Paul
[2019-10-25 13:49:50] -
no idea. we could ask next time he's in town. he came to our ultimate game one time. back when we had an ultimate game. ~a[2019-10-25 13:46:49] - a: Why is his picture narrower than everybody else's, though? -Paul
[2019-10-25 13:46:24] - a: Could be interesting considering the space tourism industry feels like it's about the take off. -Paul
[2019-10-25 13:43:12] - here's a private company i'd like to buy a part of. another tj99 company of someone we know and love. people ~a
[2019-10-25 13:40:02] - a: Yeah, I've been seeing it pop up a lot in the twitter feeds and whatnot of investors I respect, so I did a little digging of my own. They're growing pretty well, and I could see them having a large total addressable market. -Paul
[2019-10-25 13:38:23] - ah yeah. i was going to ask why you mentioned it. sure, owning a few shares in a tj company isn't the worst idea in the world. and now that trade commisions have gone to zero, i can actually buy (only) a few shares without it being a financial burden. ~a
[2019-10-25 13:36:51] - a: I was never that keen on the business. Felt like a bunch of business speak and marketing hype, but I think I understand the use case now. I may have just bought a few shares. -Paul
[2019-10-25 13:36:03] - yeah probably. but people change, who knows. i looked at maybe buying some shares in 2017. i guess i didn't miss out on much. ~a
[2019-10-25 13:35:01] - a: I do vaguely recall that now. If he flaked out on the programming team, my guess is he likes to move from project to project and got bored after awhile? -Paul
[2019-10-25 13:33:49] - i also said "i liked brent at tj and vt. he was a pretty cool guy. he flaked out of the programming team a time or two, but made up for it by being a really friendly personable dude. he's a capable teacher too". ~a
[2019-10-25 13:32:55] - paul: we've talked about it here. i said, "did you guys see that the company that brent metz started (who hired macisaac, among others) is looking to go public? paul, any idea why brent isn't in the leadership of the company anymore?" ~a
[2019-10-25 13:31:02] - a: https://www.yext.com/ You ever heard of Yext? It was founded by some TJ alumn from I think 1998 (and some people I worked with at Intwine). -Paul
[2019-10-25 13:12:28] - likely not human smuggling. but yeah, sure, totally human smuggling. ~a
[2019-10-25 13:09:27] - yep. he's nothing if not consistent. btw, i go down this road *rarely*. he's just there like for (probably?) hours at a time, very regularly, so i see him often. ~a
[2019-10-25 13:09:17] - a: Isn't it a little suspicious that it's an unmarked, completely white truck like that? What do you think they are hauling? Human smuggling? -Paul
[2019-10-25 13:08:30] - a: Same truck every time? -Paul
[2019-10-25 13:08:13] - i'm telling you because i have no one else to tell. ~a
[2019-10-25 13:07:30] - paul: it happened again first time second time. ~a
[2019-10-25 12:50:55] - paul: when driving i feel like my time is worth . . . less? so i'm ok dealing with a slow talker. 100% of what i listen to in the car is on the radio, so everything is at 1x
~a[2019-10-25 12:21:54] - There's an adjustment phase as your brain figures it out. What's interesting to me is that when I do the same thing for my audio editing in Audacity, the pitch changes horribly. The podcast app figures out how to avoid that. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-25 12:21:10] - I moved to 1.5x due to some slow talkers. I adapted pretty quickly and now I listen to everything at 1.5x, I very rarely miss something that a fast talker says, but typically with the podcasts I'm listening to missing 1/1000 words, or fewer, is inconsequential. I went to 2x for a while because of those same slow talkers but I couldn't keep up with fast at that point. Yet. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-25 12:00:36] - a: Also, I typically listen to podcasts while driving, so don't want to fiddle with controls. -Paul
[2019-10-25 12:00:22] - a: I guess my issue is that once I realize I want to hear what they're saying, I need to skip backwards to catch the first part, and that's wasted time which probably makes up for the saved time. -Paul
[2019-10-25 11:30:27] - paul: well 1.25x (or even 1x) is my normal for a lot of fast-talkers. it depends on who's talking and if i care about what they're saying (i.e. if it's some intro, it doesn't matter if i can understand their words, i can hear enough to know i don't give a shit about what they're saying). the nice thing about my plugin is i can speed up and slow down videos much easier, i don't have to click around, it's on top of every video. ~a
[2019-10-25 11:28:53] - a: Oh, wow, I tried listening to some podcasts at 1.5x speed once and hated it. Immediately went back to normal speed. Guess the clock speed of my brain isn't fast enough. -Paul
[2019-10-25 11:27:51] - really? yeah, it's in the main ui for youtube. it's in the little settings icon under "playback speed". *additional fact*: i have an extension that lets me do this on all videos, not just youtube videos and i love it! it's called "Video Speed Controller" in chrome. one of my favorite extensions. since 90% of videos are rubbish, i'll sometimes use 3x or 4x to get through the rubbish to the real meat then i slow it back down. ~a
[2019-10-25 11:18:23] - a: You even listen to YouTube videos on 2x speed? I didn't even know that was possible. -Paul
[2019-10-25 10:10:43] - on 2x, the second guy sounds like xpovos. hahaha, apparently xpovos sounds like a fast speaking canadian.
~a[2019-10-25 10:08:40] - IT'S PAUL! ~a
[2019-10-25 09:50:16] - a: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqvv0zJdba8 This is the video I mentioned last night. -Paul
[2019-10-25 09:20:00] - So that's just one anecdotal data point, but I have to imagine I'm not the only one who thinks (in a very different way) Warren might be as bad as Trump. -Paul
[2019-10-25 09:19:14] - But I would have to think longer and harder about Warren vs Trump, and might even lean Trump if I thought the Democrats were going to take congress back. -Paul
[2019-10-25 09:18:42] - But, do follow-up on a point I made yesterday..... I have a hard time envisioning voting for a Democrat at all this election, but if there was a gun to my head, I would probably consider Biden over Trump. -Paul
[2019-10-25 08:58:40] - Democrat social media is taking it well </sarcasm> -Paul
[2019-10-25 08:58:29] - Which is interesting, especially in light of the freak out over her running as an independent / third party. -Paul
[2019-10-25 08:58:06] - https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/25/tulsi-gabbard-wont-run-congress-reelection-2020-057222 Gabbard doubles down on her presidential campaign. Says she won't run for reelection to Congress. -Paul
[2019-10-24 16:17:49] - Daniel: And I think this is a point that Andrew Yang has right: There are democratic voters (particularly in the midwest) who were drawn to Trump's populist message. I'm not sure going further left is going to help. -Paul
[2019-10-24 16:16:32] - m not saying it will turn people into Trump voters, but you do need to draw people to your campaign. -Paul
[2019-10-24 16:16:08] - Daniel: Right, I'
[2019-10-24 16:15:50] - Yikes. Amazon's earnings and forecast not quite what wall street was looking for. Down a fair bit after hours right now. -Paul
[2019-10-24 15:42:14] - The lower the turnout, the higher the chance Trump wins re-election. Warren doesn't have to make them vote for Trump, she just has to make them stay home. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-24 15:41:41] - daniel: You're "forgetting" that nearly half of eligible voters for even Presidential elections stay home every four years. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-24 15:38:48] - Paul: I don't think people thinking you leaning further left than you like means they will vote for trump. -Daniel
[2019-10-24 15:14:23] - Trump has a 54% disapproval rating. That's a recipe for a win if you don't screw anything up. I think making 47% of the country think you're too far left qualifies. -Paul
[2019-10-24 15:13:12] - daniel: It has to do with Warren because she is easily one of the two candidates furthest to the left among the major candidates. -Paul
[2019-10-24 15:11:19] - Paul: I'm not sure what has to do with Warren. Given that like 40% still approve of trump I'm fairly certain that 40% also thinks Dems are to far to the left. So while I'm sure there are some centrist / independent types who also agree the question is so far to the left that they won't vote for them? -Daniel
[2019-10-24 15:06:58] - https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/24/politics/democratic-party-left-liberal-q-poll/index.html This is what I was talking about in regards to the Democrats nominating somebody like Warren and possibly blowing what should be a winnable election. -Paul
[2019-10-24 13:12:39] - a: It wasn't a ton more effort to make an eReader version and it didn't cost anymore, so I figured, "why not?". I just wish Amazon would link them together. -Paul
[2019-10-24 12:52:50] - aaron: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=288&v=Lu56xVlZ40M This sounds like something you would enjoy. -Paul
[2019-10-24 12:19:04] - daniel: That's not counting the writing I do for PvtM, which I guess is probably something like a few hours a week? -Paul
[2019-10-24 12:18:59] - xpovos/daniel/paul: ok, that's about what i expected. i just noticed paul's book is also has an ereader version, and i thought that was weird for a book targeted towards young kids (for many of the reasons you guys stated). ~a
[2019-10-24 12:18:29] - daniel: Well, a super rough estimate.... maybe 200 minutes of podcast listening a week. Maybe 4-5 hours of reading stuff a week? -Paul
[2019-10-24 12:16:26] - Paul: Uh maybe not? I don't know. I was just curious how much time you spend on them a week? a month? -Daniel
[2019-10-24 12:13:53] - a: Younger kids I think there's a benefit to an actual book. They can hold it too, and the pictures are generally brighter/bigger. Nowadays it's mostly me just reading the story, so the Kindle is "better" because they can have the lights out and I can still read with the backlight screen. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-24 12:11:17] - daniel: Counting stuff I write for PvtM? -Paul
[2019-10-24 12:10:58] - a: I've never read to the kids from an eReader before, so I can't say. Gurkie has. Maybe she could provide insight. -Paul
[2019-10-24 12:09:21] - Paul: How much time do you spend on your investments? Including research / tracking / buying / selling? Doesn't have to be exact but curious at the approximate amount. -Daniel
[2019-10-24 12:08:08] - a: I think I've only done it like once. 99% of our kid books are physical. -Daniel
[2019-10-24 12:05:06] - question for people with kids in the 2010s . . . when you read to kids from an ereader (kindle or whatnot) . . . is it the same? does the kid enjoy it compared to reading from an old-school book? ~a
[2019-10-24 12:02:44] - daniel: buy the book! it's like $2 if you get the kindle version. ~a
[2019-10-24 12:01:10] - daniel: It's not nearly that involved. It's honestly more about the concept of delayed gratification and saving and compound interest. -Paul
[2019-10-24 12:00:29] - Paul: Does your book take a stance on passive vs active investing? Or is it just pro investing in general? -Daniel
[2019-10-24 11:51:32] - a: Still been a tough year or so. Freedom Portfolio is still down from launch. -Paul
[2019-10-24 11:39:28] - a: I was going to say hopefully Square and Amazon can help me out, but you picked those too.
-Paul[2019-10-24 11:38:21] - a: You've been sneaking up on me in 2019, though. Only a 3% edge right now. -Paul
[2019-10-24 11:37:53] - a: Heh, yeah, SHOP and TSLA really leading the way today. I just checked and sold around $37-38, so I'm relatively happy I got out there. -Paul
[2019-10-24 11:30:43] - good day for paul-symbols. i checked, and you removed twtr from the freedom portfolio. that's nice. still have tsla and sq and shop. good day! ~a
[2019-10-24 09:52:38] - a: Ah, that one I am less certain of. If I had to guess, I would say Elder Scrolls of some sort. -Paul
[2019-10-24 09:51:54] - oh the order must have changed then. i got the portal one. this one at the top when i looked (sorted by "top") is "Stop right there criminal scum, pay the court a fine or serve your sentence, Your stolen goods are now forfeit" ~a
[2019-10-24 09:51:06] - a: Portal.... although it might be a mix of Portal and Portal 2? -Paul
[2019-10-24 09:50:45] - sure. ~a
[2019-10-24 09:50:23] - a: Do you want to know what it is? The one at the top? Because I think I got it. -Paul
[2019-10-24 09:49:22] - i understood a lot of these, not because i've played all of these games, but because i've seen the gaming memes. some of them i don't know, for instance the one currently at the top. i know i could probably google it. ~a
[2019-10-23 14:15:03] - a: I may have just paid full price to get one shipped to me with prime shipping.
-Paul[2019-10-23 14:13:04] - daniel: i’m referring to mostly ernie and chuck. - mig
[2019-10-23 14:12:11] - paul: we'll see if i actually get my copy on friday. if so, i'll bring it this weekend. ~a
[2019-10-23 14:10:50] - mig: "[rockets gm] daryl morey was right — whenever you see something going on anywhere in the world, you should have the right to say, 'that's not right.'" what's subservient about it? did he say something else? ~a
[2019-10-23 13:33:16] - a: So I was trying to rush to get it done so I could send this in with her, and I requested some "author copies" which I can get at cost, and not only do I have to pay for shipping but it's not supposed to arrive until November! -Paul
[2019-10-23 13:32:35] - a: As an aside, it's funny to me that you'll be getting copies before me. Talia is supposed to bring in a book to her class for her birthday (Oct 25). -Paul
[2019-10-23 13:32:03] - a: Sure! I have to practice my signature then. -Paul
[2019-10-23 13:31:38] - mig: Where not only did he duck criticizing China, but he actually attacked Morey for speaking out. Super lame. -Paul
[2019-10-23 13:31:07] - mig: LeBron has been the biggest disappointment to me. He hasn't been afraid to speak out in the past, he might have actual power to persuade with his stardom, and despite having many days to formulate a response.... came out with the worst possible response. -Paul
[2019-10-23 13:24:23] - can i get it signed? ~a
[2019-10-23 13:02:13] - mig: I thought Shaq's comments were pretty solid. Or is it others you think are being subservient? -Daniel
[2019-10-23 12:02:32] - paul: I caught Shaq's comments re: China after you told me about them last night. Seeing the whole discussion unfold I'm still in awe on the complete subservience some in the NBA are giving to China. - mig
[2019-10-23 09:52:42] - Also, if you're local and/or will be seeing me soon, I can give you a physical copy for cheaper likely. -Paul
[2019-10-23 09:52:16] - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1701695790/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=rampantd-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1701695790&linkId=d51a06938 (Full Disclosure: Affiliate link). -Paul
[2019-10-22 16:32:31] - "joint chiefs are required to not follow his actions blindly" no i think i said it correctly. if they follow an illegal order, they've broken the law. i think they're pretty strict about that. (but of course, there's always going to be a huge grey area . . . iow, the law is sometimes up to interpretation) ~a
[2019-10-22 15:17:18] - Yes, we're talking about a Constitutional crisis at that point. But that should be par for the course this decade. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-22 15:16:48] - That said, Trump does have an army that will do (almost) anything he says. The court has no army of any sort. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-22 15:16:24] - a: And the order of words might matter on your second point. "Joint chiefs are required to not follow his actions blindly" No. "Joint chiefs are not required to follow his actions blindly." Yes. They can do whatever he says and cover their asses. But they can also stand up to him. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-22 15:15:23] - a: Yes, of course the Cabinet can go agaisnt their boss. But they usually don't, and I wouldn't expect Trump to be different just because he's an awful human being. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-22 15:13:48] - um, i'm not sure i agree with your conclusion. trump cannot use the military to overrule the courts. right? i mean, i'm not sure where that's defined in the constitution, but i just kinda assume he has limits to what he can tell the military to do. the joint chiefs are required to not follow his actions blindly. ~a
[2019-10-22 15:12:43] - cabinet members can go against their boss. i think it's the point of the 25th amendment (section 4). ~a
[2019-10-22 15:05:24] - As for those other issues, yes, a court can say that Trump's executive orders are illegal, and issue a stay. But if Trump decides to use the military to enforce his position, then the courts are a bit lost. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcester_v._Georgia#targetText=In%20a%20popular%20quotation%20that,to%20yield%20to%20its%20mandate. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-22 15:03:53] - a: There's a standing opinion that a sitting President can't be indicted (only impeached). So, not only would the AG have to go against his boss, he'd have to go against precedent. Obviously, it's not impossible, but realistically, it's not an option. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-22 15:00:57] - i know you're probably being a little sarcastic, but there are limits to what the president can do save impeachment. he could be indicted. i'm sure the current AG wouldn't approve it, but it's technically something other than impeachment that could happen. more realistically, some of his actions (the illegal ones) can be overruled by courts. ~a
[2019-10-22 14:49:25] - a: Only if it leads to an impeachment. Otherwise, not for another 14-62 months. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-22 12:22:21] - xpovos: does it matter (also) what laws he's breaking? ~a
[2019-10-22 10:24:10] - As I've said before, ignore anything coming out of Trump's mouth (or fingers via Twitter) it's all noise. What matters is what policies he's enacting, and who he's nominating. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-22 09:55:28] - a: What makes you think there's something phony about it? Just because Trump said so? That's.... not a good indicator.
-Paul[2019-10-21 16:41:27] - what is phony about the emoluments clause? it seems pretty clear and it's totally in the constitution. like near the beginning. nobody in office can receive money or property from any foreign state without approval from congress. sounds like a sound rule to me. i think trump just doesn't like being president. it comes with some built-in anti-kinglike statutes for a reason. ~a
[2019-10-21 16:07:52] - yes i saw that
~a[2019-10-21 16:03:06] - a: "I actually won a brood war tournament in the late 90s! (Yes, yes, weird flex)" !! -Paul
[2019-10-21 16:02:16] - or how about this reason? shopify.com/bitcoin ~a
[2019-10-21 15:57:45] - https://www.reddit.com/r/starcraft/comments/dl3o2p/billionaire_shopify_ceo_finds_out_on_twitter_that/ If this isn't a reason to own Shopify stock I don't know what is.
-Paul[2019-10-21 15:55:05] - yeah, ok, that makes sense now, thanks. ~a
[2019-10-21 15:05:02] - a: I think there might be a reasonable interpretation of organized religion being the wide gate, getting back to the initial question. Jesus is saying here to do the right thing even if it is hard and unpopular, and not to rely on the fact that you're going along with the crowd through what seems like the obvious path to salvation. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 15:03:50] - The narrow gate/wide gate idea also shows up in the rich man/eye of the needle, which itself was a reference to laiden caravans not being able to make it through the narrow gates of the city. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 15:02:58] - A guy asked Jesus, how many will be saved? And Jesus replied, "try to go through the narrow gate*, because the many others will try to use the wide gate, and not everyone will fit, even though it is wide. And if you're on the outside looking in when the doors get shut, the master of the house will not let you in." -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 15:01:20] - a: That's Douay-Rheims for you. That's the translation I'm using, and it's my preferred because it uses complex language that does a better job of translating the literal meaning of the original text rather than just an interpretation of it. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 13:49:22] - what's it all mean? i read that like three times and i'd like to think i'm good at interpreting short bits of text like this. ~a
[2019-10-21 13:46:17] - Luke:13:23-25: "And a certain man said to him: Lord, are they few that are saved? But He said to them: Strive to enter by the narrow gate; for many, I say to you, shall seek to enter, and shall not be able. But when the master of the house shall be gone in, and shall shut the door, you shall begin to stand without, and knock at the door, saying: Lord, open to us. And he answering, shall say to you: I know you not, whence you are." -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 13:44:32] - a: But we don't know for sure and that question is one that theologians and the like have argued and debated over centuries. Jesus himself was asked the question. His answer isn't particularly encouraging, though. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 13:43:38] - a: From my perspective it's different. God loves us and wants us to be with Him. But He also gave us free will, and we can choose to not be with Him. And that's sad for everyone. But it's allowed. How many choose which path? -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 13:39:44] - yeah interesting. i guess that's closer to what i thought: does it even matter which god prefers if god really prefers neither? god loves us both (both groups) . . . he just also thinks we're all destined for damnation. ~a
[2019-10-21 13:36:36] - a: That's probably more akin to the philosophical question: what proportion of humanity will be damned, vs. what proportion will go to Heaven? -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 13:35:28] - a: No, probably not. Because ultimately both groups are close to equally fucked. It's just one group really should've known better. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 13:30:28] - gotcha, ok. is that the "ultimate answer"? i don't feel disappointed. ~a
[2019-10-21 13:28:46] - a: So a certain interpretation of it is: look, dumbasses, the worst people you can think of are going to get to Heaven before you do if you don't get your act together and actually do what you're supposed to do. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 13:27:53] - a: Not necessarily, but they're two classes that Jesus frequently harranged in his parables and such. Both groups were held in particularly low esteem by the Jewish population he was preaching towards. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 13:25:56] - are tax collectors and prostitutes usually assumed to be non-christian? ~a
[2019-10-21 13:24:49] - shit, nevermind. there were two definitions. ~a
[2019-10-21 13:24:30] - oh i googled publican. i thought that it said a publican was a bartender (or bar owner really). ~a
[2019-10-21 13:23:39] - xpovos: Has the pope had anything relevant to say on the topic? I'm sure there's a wider breadth of stuff to look at there. -Paul
[2019-10-21 13:23:28] - So, here, Jesus is "ranking" believers who don't actually do what they're supposed to lower than "tax collectors" and "prostitutes." -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 13:22:10] - "Amen I say to you that the publicans and the harlots shall go into the kingdom of God before you." -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 13:21:50] - Matthew 21:28-31 "But what think you? A certain man had two sons: and coming to the first, he said: Son, go work to day in my vineyard. And he answering, said: I will not. But afterwards, being moved with repentance, he went. 30And coming to the other, he said in like manner. And he answering said: I go, Sir. And he went not. 31Which of the two did the father's will? They say to him: The first. Jesus saith to them: [...] -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 13:19:35] - "a kind non-christian might be doing a better job" i hear that, but i doubt a kind non-christian is keeping the lord in their whole heart. ~a
[2019-10-21 13:18:40] - a: There's one more reference I can pull. Hang on. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 13:18:29] - a: So the point I'm making here, is that a "hateful Christian" is not doing a great job of keeping the words and loving God. Whereas, a kind non-Christian might be doing a better job. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 13:17:31] - So, what did Jesus say? Matthew 22:37: "Love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, soul and mind. [...] love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments dependeth the whole law." -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 13:16:23] - or more to the situation at hand . . . what about two people that don't keep his words? which does he love more? ~a
[2019-10-21 13:15:47] - xpovos: understood. but love him . . . more or less than someone who does not keep his words? ~a
[2019-10-21 13:15:19] - Or, essentially, do what Jesus says, and God will love you and take you into heaven. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 13:14:37] - The quote that comes to mind is: John 14:23, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my words and my Father will love him." -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 13:11:09] - xpovos: yeah i understand that, sure. the part i don't understand is where he would have stated his preferences among those two specific things (or close approximations). ~a
[2019-10-21 13:08:54] - a: Christians have an easier time on the whole "determining God's preference" thing because we don't just have a creator God, but the Incarnation as well. So if Jesus says he wants/prefers it, it's pretty much good to go. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 12:42:23] - does the bible even discuss atheism? i guess we could use a stand-in of "pagans" or something similar that the bible would discuss. ~a
[2019-10-21 12:39:28] - it's super hard to disappoint me. i mean, i guess without much knowledge on the subject, i could say that it's hard to determine god's preferences on a topic. . . . since you can't easily ask, and the bible doesn't definitely catalog his preferences in order. ~a
[2019-10-21 12:32:46] - a: It's a complicated question, definitely much too much to fit on a church placard. I think the jist is probably right, but I think the ultimate answer would still leave you disappointed. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-21 12:26:42] - religious debate time? found this picture of a church on reddit. do you agree? mainly i guess i'm asking xpovos. i doubt they've sourced this "thought" to anywhere in the bible, but i'd be super interested in hearing a sermon on that topic! is it a thesis that has any backing in the bible maybe? ~a
[2019-10-21 10:41:13] - Xpovos: Which is utterly bizarre. What non-left positions does she even holder? She's insufficiently pro-abortion and pro-impeachment despite still supporting both? -Paul
[2019-10-19 11:20:53] - Honestly, if Gabbard was a third party candidate against Trump and either Biden or Warren, I feel like she might pull more Republican voters than Democrats. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-18 11:25:12] - https://www.thedailybeast.com/hillary-clinton-appears-to-claim-russians-grooming-tulsi-gabbard-to-run-as-third-party-candidate Andrew and I have often mused about how odd we think it is that Democrats hate Gabbard so much, but this seems a step above even that. -Paul
[2019-10-18 10:27:11] - i kinda thought that move was pretty "meh", but everybody i've talked to loved it. i guess it went over my head? ~a
[2019-10-18 10:26:13] - "tarantino's somewhat controversial portrayal of martial arts hero bruce lee" is possible reason for china govt reversing course and now disallowing once upon a time in hollywood in their country "Bruce Lee’s daughter made a direct appeal to China’s National Film Administration". ~a
[2019-10-17 14:51:30] - every twenty years she reappears! -Daniel
[2019-10-17 14:43:25] - and like that . . . she was gone. underground. nobody has ever seen her since. she becomes a myth, a spook story that criminals tell their kids at night. ~a
[2019-10-17 13:17:40] - audrey: cells reproduce on their own? they get signals (among other things) from the organism, right? ~a
[2019-10-17 12:30:05] - (to be clear i don't think a star is alive, but i think a virus is) ~a
[2019-10-17 12:29:34] - xpovos: when a star dies, it releases . . . stuff . . . that other stars are born from. i know it's a stretch, but there you are. ~a
[2019-10-17 12:16:04] - audrey: but while our cells are alive, they're alive in the sense of being part of a bigger organism that is what we normally consider to be alive. The cells reproducing by themselves would be... cancer. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-17 11:55:49] - Your cells reproduce on their own. ~audrey
[2019-10-17 11:53:47] - I remember that 8th grade science stuff too. Viri and life was a huge problem even back then. I don't think we've gotten better at solving it. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-17 11:52:32] - 20 years... man, we're old. That's amazing. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-17 11:52:04] - How does a star even "sort of" reproduce? I think I need a science answer for that before I can delver further, because prima face--a star is not alive. -- Xpovos
[2019-10-17 11:38:39] - Don't they like float from cell to another? I mean I can't reproduce on my own either. Need a partner. -Daniel
[2019-10-17 11:35:00] - daniel: first time! it's a message board miracle. ~a
[2019-10-17 11:33:27] - are there other parasites where that is true? ~a
[2019-10-17 11:32:47] - They can only live inside another cell. The can't reproduce on their own. ~audrey
[2019-10-17 11:29:49] - Also as a tangent has Audrey been on the board before? If so I missed that. Hi Audrey! -Daniel
[2019-10-17 11:29:06] - They have structure. They reproduce and can self sustain. Seems pretty close. -Daniel
[2019-10-17 11:28:59] - audrey, why isn't a virus alive? there's structure, order, and reproduction. they even have (something like) dna and shit. they're parasites, but a shit-ton of living things are parasites. ~a
[2019-10-17 11:28:25] - Viruses are called out by the wiki page as on the edge but I guess much more so than stars for me they seem like they might qualify. -Daniel
[2019-10-17 11:27:20] - No, I remember that question from 8th grade biology. You can't trick me! ~audrey
[2019-10-17 11:26:53] - daniel: yes, i think there needs to be order. i guess that would eliminate star? because there's really very little order to a star? ~a
[2019-10-17 11:25:01] - hey! audrey, are viruses alive? ~a
[2019-10-17 11:24:54] - Is there anything we could consider alive that is entropic (is that a word?)? Part of the "alive" concept in my head is that there is some order enforced on cells / structure that isn't just random chaos. Its not the only thing cause like diamonds meet that part but its a part. -Daniel
[2019-10-17 11:24:10] - The hills are alive, with the sound of music. That's the word on the street. ~audrey
[2019-10-17 11:23:30] - right you'll probably have to define biologic. ~a
[2019-10-17 11:20:28] - But that might be tautological by including "biologic" so maybe its a bad definition. -Daniel
[2019-10-17 11:20:10] - a: Thats what we were debating. Wikipedia does have a good page - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life - and does say there isn't consensus. I think the statement I came up with was Self sustaining biologic process that leads to a reduction of entropy. -Daniel
[2019-10-17 10:58:26] - a star is born, does die, and . . . sort of reproduces. so i'll bite (without looking it up) which definition of life are we going to use? ~a
[2019-10-17 10:00:16] - daniel: Yeah, I see both sides. I think by any kind of realistic definition, stars aren't alive, but we talk about them as if they were. That's what I was trying to get at. -Paul
[2019-10-17 09:59:35] - Family members position is that because a star can have a "life cycle" and that a start can "die" it therefore was alive. -Daniel
[2019-10-17 09:58:53] - My position is that stars and fire are not alive. I was just trying to frame the question in an open way for responses before giving my answer. -Daniel
[2019-10-17 09:54:50] - Daniel: Uh, yeah that's probably the better way of putting it. I realized "literal" implied the wrong thing. I meant to say if you're trying to be literary about it... -Paul
[2019-10-17 09:54:30] - i think if your definition of life includes a star, then a shit-ton of other stuffs get included. fire, sure, but probably anything that is visibly changing, like weather, and other things we wouldn't normally consider alive, like rotting corpses. electricity is alive. love is alive, daniel. a car is alive. ~a
[2019-10-17 09:54:06] - Paul: Do you mean figuratively in the first part of your sentence? I would say literal == scientific to me. -Daniel
[2019-10-17 09:37:24] - daniel: In a literal sense? Yes to both the star and fire being alive, because we often say stuff like the fire is dying down and the like. Scientifically? I don't think so. -Paul
[2019-10-17 09:35:24] - My family is currently having a debate so going to throw it out here. What counts as "alive" and specifically can a star be "alive" and if yes can fire be "alive"? -Daniel
[2019-10-17 09:05:46] - https://rampantdiscourse.com/the-rampant-discourse-podcast-episode-25-the-fourth-democratic-presidential-debate-of-2019/ We spoke for nearly as long as the actual debate was. -Paul
[2019-10-16 15:39:54] - daniel: 2010-01. 10 years, woooo! ~a
[2019-10-16 15:23:13] - a: My guess for my first post is like 2009? but maybe later.... 2011? Somewhere in that range. -Daniel
[2019-10-16 15:19:29] - a: Yeah, but you don't see those losers around these parts anymore, do you? Outlasted them! -Paul
[2019-10-16 15:19:00] - pierce and aparna have you beat by a whole two days. ~a
[2019-10-16 15:14:15] - Woo! Seniority! -Paul
[2019-10-16 15:04:56] - daniel: 20 years of message board! paul's first post was 20 years ago monday. aaron's was 20 years ago tomorrow! miguel is in january 2020 and xpovos in july 2020. ~a
[2019-10-16 14:20:06] - a: Whats up with the new color scheme on the message board? Looks like a retro throw back? -Daniel
[2019-10-16 14:13:35] - a: Absolutely. It was just kinda a tangent based on your comment about necessary vs unnecessary care. -Paul
[2019-10-16 13:41:01] - isn't what you describe still an issue today? with our current system as it is? ~a
[2019-10-16 12:56:19] - a: Just like how not everybody can eat lobster and filet every day. The same issues of supply and demand are in play. -Paul
[2019-10-16 12:55:51] - a: Also, because we're talking about matters of life and death, it seems incredibly mean to say that not everybody can have all of the best therapies for cheap, but that's kinda how it is. -Paul
[2019-10-16 12:55:10] - a: The problem (as I see it) is those decisions aren't being made at the individual level like they should be, and instead are being made for everybody at a higher level. -Paul
[2019-10-16 12:54:26] - a: Or maybe some 80 year old cancer patient will forgo therapy to help him live a few more miserable months in hospice and instead use that money to pay for a grandchild's college education. -Paul
[2019-10-16 12:53:41] - a: Maybe I will pay $10k for a test to make sure I don't have a brain tumor even though the chance is only 1%. Maybe you would much rather have that money for... a new bike? -Paul
[2019-10-16 12:53:02] - a: My experience with health care is that it's rarely a black or white binary issue and it's all just percentages. Everybody is going to have different opinions. -Paul
[2019-10-16 12:51:56] - a: Is an MRI to check for a 1% chance of a brain tumor necessary? What about a 0.1% chance? What about some expensive therapy that might extend a terminally ill patient's life for a few months? -Paul
[2019-10-16 12:50:50] - a: Honestly, the whole concept of "unnecessary care" is probably big enough to warrant a (4). Not sure we (as a country) could ever agree on what is necessary or not. -Paul
[2019-10-16 10:47:29] - a: " yeah, less unnecessary care, probably" Well, that's a huge assumption. Remember, my point is that NOW we're seeing a lot of unnecessary care, but we're also probably seeing some necessary care not happen. -Paul
[2019-10-16 10:44:25] - paul: "you can make the overall costs lower, but that comes at a price of less care." yeah, less unnecessary care, probably. why is that bad? administrative costs associated with billing will vanish. i don't see that as a bad thing either. ~a
[2019-10-16 10:37:11] - a: Like, assuming we have a public healthcare system, there are still different types. You can spend a ton to have really good care for everybody, or spend less to have worse care. -Paul
[2019-10-16 10:36:28] - a: The cost to who? Citizens? The government? Overall costs? You can make the overall costs lower, but that comes at a price of less care. Can we agree on that? -Paul
[2019-10-16 10:35:24] - paul: what if (it might be crazy . . . but it also might be the way the numbers end up pointing. i just have to look at other public healthcare countries' costs per capita on healthcare) the cost was lower? ~a
[2019-10-16 10:34:37] - a: Like, I think our insane deficit and debt is one of the biggest problems facing the country, and I have zero confidence that a public system wouldn't add to both tremendously. -Paul
[2019-10-16 10:34:02] - a: "would you prefer public healthcare to our current system?" It's a good question. I still don't think so, because I think the cost in terms of blowing up the government budget isn't worth it. -Paul
[2019-10-16 10:32:43] - paul: i agree with your assessment about our half-free system. i also think it breeds huge inefficiencies and could easily explain the 2x we're seeing. would you prefer public healthcare to our current system? ~a
prev <-> next