"It's Groundhog Day.. again.."

[avance2000]

Originally Posted by Bababooyee

Well, it should if you think science is intended to be democratic.

Once, 90+% of scientists thought the earth was flat...didn't make them right, now did it.

Once, 90+% of scientists thought leeches cured all kinds of diseases...didn't make the right, now did it.

See, so choosing one side because it has 90+% support, is stupid. ****ing stupid.

um...i frankly don't know why i am even bothering to respond to such juvenile reductionism but oh well......i'll bite.

so do you think we would be better served by going with the minority of scientists all the time or by just ignoring science all together? do you want me to list all of the millions of things that the majority of scientists have been right about over the years?

[avance2000]

Originally Posted by Bababooyee

Juvenile reductionism? Uhm, I think choosing one side because it has 90% support is a good definition of that. LOL

And, no, I don't need any education in science or the history of science from someome who thinks 90+% support = right. And, fwiw, many things science has been right about over the years started out as skeptical and minority positions. But of course, you would have to have some education to appreciate that.


PS: nice strawmen "minority...all the time...ignoring science"

i just thought you should know that i have a masters degree in microbiology and am currently working on PhD at Washington University in St. Louis. I just showed this entire thread to some of the people in the lab where i work and your ignorance gave us all a good laugh. i know you won't care about this at all, because we are all scientists and since the vast majority of us laughed at you, it must mean (according to your logic) that we are wrong!
you might want to consider the fact that you obviously have no idea what the term strawman means, and you are using it very incorrectly. i tell you this only because i don't want you to use the term with all your PhD friends and look foolish.
have a nice day.

[randallscott35]

My fault for for the disagreement. I didn't realize I have no education or reason for ever feeling different than the "masses."....avance-you lose so much from your argument when you take the tact you do.

[randallscott35]

http://www.renewamerica.us/analyses/050317hutchison.htm

Essentially the conclusion of this paper is what I believe....But I have no right to b/c I wasn't a science major and can't think for myself....I'm going to yell to my mom now to come and tie my shoes so I can go outside and play in the cold.

The burden of proof lies with those who claim that CO2 gas has a greenhouse effect, because they have presented no understandable mechanism or process that explains how CO2 gas in the atmosphere increases heat on earth. The greenhouse metaphor that is successful for water droplets in clouds appears to be a failure when applied to CO2 gas. If we receive evasions instead of answers and explanations from scientists on this crucial question, we have a right to conclude that global warming theory does not make sense, and we can consign it to the accumulating heap of junk science, along with the discarded theory of global cooling of thirty years ago.

[Downthestretch55]

Oh the theories!!! All this talk about CO2! Geesh!!!
Nobody seems to be looking at methane. We all know that a lot of it is produced by cattle. So, my theory to reduce global warming is to give all the mooing critters massive quantities of "Beano" with their regular feedings.
Cow farts stink!!!!
Now, here are some other "crack-pot" theories....
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/sci...change.report/

[avance2000]

Originally Posted by Bababooyee

Uhm, a strawman fallacy is a misrepresentation of an argument with said misrpresentatation being easy to refute (but you don't necessarily have to explicitly refute it...a simplistic misrepresentation is often enough), which you have done at least 3 times wrt what I have actually been saying. Not that wikipedia is a great source, but this entry happens to be pretty correct (Straw Man). Enjoy.

Also, you represent a classic example of what is wrong with modern science.

FYI, the folks in your lab were prolly laughin at you...

Piled higher and Deeper - like that isn't old!?!? lol jk

Its funny when haughty folks like this get cunty and end up saying foolish stuff...

okay i am done with this argument. it is fruitless to argue with someone who is going to cite wikipedia as a source, fails to understand basic scientific principles, and uses "words" like prolly.
if you want to make fun of PhD's and call people fun names like "cunty" be my guest. i don't have my PhD yet so you are really just making fun of all your supposed friends that have PhDs. although i find it extremely hard to believe that anyone with that level of education would associate with someone of your obviously limited education.
again i wish you a good day and i hope that in the future we can limit our interaction to horses since we obviously disagree about many other issues. as a parting note on this thread i will only ask those of you who "don't believe" in global warming to examine studies conducted in peer-reviewed scientific journals on the subject before dismissing it. you may find the level of evidence astonishing.
this has been a fun but contentious thread.
now back to the ponies!

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by avance2000

okay i am done with this argument. it is fruitless to argue with someone who is going to cite wikipedia as a source, fails to understand basic scientific principles, and uses "words" like prolly.
if you want to make fun of PhD's and call people fun names like "cunty" be my guest. i don't have my PhD yet so you are really just making fun of all your supposed friends that have PhDs. although i find it extremely hard to believe that anyone with that level of education would associate with someone of your obviously limited education.
again i wish you a good day and i hope that in the future we can limit our interaction to horses since we obviously disagree about many other issues. as a parting note on this thread i will only ask those of you who "don't believe" in global warming to examine studies conducted in peer-reviewed scientific journals on the subject before dismissing it. you may find the level of evidence astonishing.
this has been a fun but contentious thread.
now back to the ponies!

avance,
I almost always agree with your arguments (at least the ones I remember) and I almost NEVER agree with your style. I agreed with your anti-Bernardini rants, your posts on the Donn, and I agree with your position on Global Warming. But as a fellow academic/grad student (although not in science) I have to say that I think it is people like you that give us a bad reputation. You know you are right about this, and you must know that most people on this board agree with you. Why the pretensious air? Why do you always let yourself get caught up in these shouting matches? You seem like a smart guy, but you need to learn some tact. Will insulting people's level of education really help you win this argument? I doubt it.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Bababooyee

Its funny when haughty folks like this get cunty and end up saying foolish stuff...

Please watch your mouth B (or in this case, your fingers). If you don't gots one yourself, it's a pretty offensive word to use in mixed company and the use of it tends to make me, at least, think a lot less of the user (and you know I like you a lot). Thanks; much appreciated.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by Bababooyee

No offense intended. It is/was my understanding that the word is used in a similar way as "cocky" (ie in certain contexts, it is not a disparaging reference related to genitalia). Obviously, it is a slang term,but that is my understanding...and, I could be wrong...

I use that word when I get really ticked off.

I guess that's not very lady-like of me.

[Danzig]

hey, maybe next we can have a darwin 'discussion'! those are always dull, boring, and unemotional.

and i too hate the word above. not quite sure why. i've been known to use other foul words..but that one just bugs me for some reason. maybe a sign of insanity?

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Bababooyee

No offense intended. It is/was my understanding that the word is used in a similar way as "cocky" (ie in certain contexts, it is not a disparaging reference related to genitalia). Obviously, it is a slang term,but that is my understanding...and, I could be wrong...

Not in a billion years did I think I'd be having a discussion on the "c-word," as it were, on DT! Well, life is full of surprises.

No, it's not a synonym. Honestly, it's up there with the "n-word" in terms of insult when used by someone to whom it can't really ever apply, and it's really because there's not a matching word for the male anatomy in terms of pejorative. "Cocky," after all, is not always an insult, but "cunty" is. When we praise someone we say they have balls, but to criticize someone by implying they are behaving like a vagina-- well, you see?

Mind you, I don't have an issue with women using the word about each other, because, well, takes one to know one. If that makes me a hypocrite, so be it. And if there really was a matching word for men, that made them feel as bad as they make women feel when they use that term, it might be different. But there isn't.

Though I actually got called the n-word last weekend, proving there's a first time for everything. I was called a "white, red-haired n*****," to be specific. And I did imagine the man who called me it going home, smacking himself on the forehead and saying to himself, "C***! That's what I meant! White, red-haired c***!"

[brianwspencer]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

Not in a billion years did I think I'd be having a discussion on the "c-word," as it were, on DT! Well, life is full of surprises.

No, it's not a synonym. Honestly, it's up there with the "n-word" in terms of insult when used by someone to whom it can't really ever apply, and it's really because there's not a matching word for the male anatomy in terms of pejorative. "Cocky," after all, is not always an insult, but "cunty" is. When we praise someone we say they have balls, but to criticize someone by implying they are behaving like a vagina-- well, you see?

Mind you, I don't have an issue with women using the word about each other, because, well, takes one to know one. If that makes me a hypocrite, so be it. And if there really was a matching word for men, that made them feel as bad as they make women feel when they use that term, it might be different. But there isn't.

Though I actually got called the n-word last weekend, proving there's a first time for everything. I was called a "white, red-haired n*****," to be specific. And I did imagine the man who called me it going home, smacking himself on the forehead and saying to himself, "C***! That's what I meant! White, red-haired c***!"

I think it sorta does make you a hypocrite, for what it's worth (at least as it pertains to this conversation), just like it makes any african-american a hypocrite who uses that 'we can, you can't' double standard for any one word. Anyone you know ever called someone a "dick?" Same thing, only who cares?

when i hear the word 'cunty' i hear it as a synonym for the word 'bitchy,' which in and of itself is not a patently offensive word.

and this coming from mr. semantically sensitive too....

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by brianwspencer

I think it sorta does make you a hypocrite, for what it's worth (at least as it pertains to this conversation), just like it makes any african-american a hypocrite who uses that 'we can, you can't' double standard for any one word. Anyone you know ever called someone a "dick?" Same thing, only who cares?

when i hear the word 'cunty' i hear it as a synonym for the word 'bitchy,' which in and of itself is not a patently offensive word.

and this coming from mr. semantically sensitive too....

Well I would say there IS a difference. The difference is that somebody does care. If we don't care if people call us a "dick" then it is okay to use the word. If women are offended by the word - and many are - than it shouldn't be used. It seems strange to tell somebody "You should not be offended by this or that, because I am not offended by this other thing." If they are offended by it I say fine.....let's not use it. I don't really care what their reason is.

[brianwspencer]

Originally Posted by miraja2

Well I would say there IS a difference. The difference is that somebody does care. If we don't care if people call us a "dick" then it is okay to use the word. If women are offended by the word - and many are - than it shouldn't be used. It seems strange to tell somebody "You should not be offended by this or that, because I am not offended by this other thing." If they are offended by it I say fine.....let's not use it. I don't really care what their reason is.

Well obviously the first time I've ever used that word on the forum was in my previous post...it's not a prominent word in my vocabulary, so it's not like I'm going to have to all the sudden censor myself. So my post wasn't about me telling anyone what they can or cannot be offended by. But to decide that only certain people can say something is what I don't like and what I was trying to understand.

It's either offensive or it's not.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by miraja2

Well I would say there IS a difference. The difference is that somebody does care. If we don't care if people call us a "dick" then it is okay to use the word. If women are offended by the word - and many are - than it shouldn't be used. It seems strange to tell somebody "You should not be offended by this or that, because I am not offended by this other thing." If they are offended by it I say fine.....let's not use it. I don't really care what their reason is.

I think the reasoning behind it is that, when a Caucasian uses the word n***** against a black person, it's coming from a position of the stronger person using it to knock the weaker. Kicking the cripple, to borrow from Molly Ivins, as it were. Likewise when men use the word c***. When someone black or someone female uses the terms themselves, it's not starting from a position of superior economic or social or physical status; it's from an equal position because, on some level, it can apply to the speaker, too. Taking one to know one.

The fact is, "dick," "prick," "cock" or any other synonym for penis won't ever have the same power because we praise people by associated bravery with having the male equipment-- "ballsy," "cocky," "has cojones," "put his dick on the table," whatever. Whereas no one ever said, "man, she's got some clitoris" or "takes a lot of vagina to do that" or whatever. Call someone female and you're automatically calling them weak. We can call someone a d*ck, but it just doesn't have the same power because being male is not treated like something intrinsically bad- it's more often a compliment "act like a real man". Like "bitch," which doesn't bother me- on some level, I know I'm not a canine, whereas, I always know I have a c*nt. So it can't hurt the same way.

Does that clarify at all? It was good for me to think about it, actually. I'm pleased you called me out on it, really.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Bababooyee

I guess my point is, when someone says "cocky", I never thought the word had anything to do with a penis, and when I have heard "cunty" (in a similar context), I never thought it had anything to do with a vagina.

Sort of like how "niggardly" has absolutely nothing to do with a racial slur or racial sterotype of a minority.

Like I said, this perspective likely stems from the context in which I have heard "cunty" used, and since it is slang I have no idea whether my perception is entirely correct (ie I doubt it is in a real dictionary).

Obviously, I will now generally avoid the word (just as I generally avoid niggardly). Better safe than sorry!

Although "niggardly" comes from a completely different root- the words aren't related at all. I thought that whole flack was soooo annoying. But, whatever. Language will evolve, and I guess English is not the poorer for some words disappearing.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Bababooyee

OK, but does "cocky" have anything to do with a penis? Just curious. I never thought of it that way, and it seems odd that someone may.

There's a good question-- I always assumed it did, but I guess maybe someone could associate it with acting like a rooster? Strutting around crowing? I don't think "cock of the walk" has anything to do with the penis. Tell you what; I'll google right now and get back to you.

Etymology is fun, yes?

[GenuineRisk]

From what I can find, "cocky" originally was derived from "cock" which originally mean a male chicken, and only later became a slang term for penis. (Proving to me that men will nickname their anatomy after ANYTHING.)

And, interesting, due to "cock" becoming more commonly used for "penis" than for "rooster", "cocky" is now becoming a bad word, whereas originally it was quite innocent.

http://www.reference.com/search?q=cock

Unless you're from Australia, in which case "cocky" can mean a cockatiel. Which also struts around as if it knows everything.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Bababooyee

Sometimes. In this case, yes.

But, I gotta say, I have never heard "put his dick on the table". lmao I mean, I used to be low man on the totem pole back in my old lab days, and I had to do my own stuff and work next to the technicians...so, I have heard lots of sh!t, but never that one. [/i]

I've always taken it to mean being brave, since I assume flopping one's penis out on a table would be an invitation to have it chopped off. eeek.

Though apparently Sid Caesar did literally put his dick on a table before he went on "Saturday Night Live" in order that it's size might be admired.

Or maybe it was Caesar Romero. One of those guys.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Bababooyee

Sometimes. In this case, yes.

But, I gotta say, I have never heard "put his dick on the table". lmao I mean, I used to be low man on the totem pole back in my old lab days, and I had to do my own stuff and work next to the technicians...so, I have heard lots of sh!t, but never that one.




"Sh!t, if this is gonna' be that kind of party I'm gonna' stick my dick in the mashed potatoes"

how about grow a sack? or lately i've heard sack up...

poor mashed taters.