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Search: Posts Made By: Brian-M
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 14th May 2016, 12:34 PM
Replies: 510
Views: 38,485
Posted By Brian-M
Sure, eventually. Inflation means that sooner or...

Sure, eventually. Inflation means that sooner or later they're going to have to be paying that much simply for people to make ends meet.



No, not what everyone who works 40 hours per week could...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 14th May 2016, 12:15 PM
Replies: 510
Views: 38,485
Posted By Brian-M
If there are diminishing returns then it...

If there are diminishing returns then it invalidates the idea that increasing minimum wage increases wealth.

The "diminishing returns" you refer to is merely the point at which the negative...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 14th May 2016, 12:13 PM
Replies: 510
Views: 38,485
Posted By Brian-M
So where would the government money to do this...

So where would the government money to do this come from? You'd have to raise taxes sky high for all businesses and income earners, and you'd be essentially using it to subsidize the labour costs for...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 14th May 2016, 12:01 PM
Replies: 510
Views: 38,485
Posted By Brian-M
And what exactly would these better ways be? ...

And what exactly would these better ways be?

People need a certain amount of resources to survive and thrive. If they can't get these resources from their paycheck, how to they make-up the...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 14th May 2016, 11:39 AM
Replies: 216
Views: 22,255
Posted By Brian-M
It's before my time, but I understand that at...

It's before my time, but I understand that at least some people were concerned that university students were no longer learning how to use slide-rules, and that they'd be entering the workforce...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 14th May 2016, 11:31 AM
Replies: 216
Views: 22,255
Posted By Brian-M
Teach them "instant cursive": Write fast and...

Teach them "instant cursive": Write fast and don't lift your pen off the page until you reach the end of the word. Then you can go back and cross the t's and dot the i's before starting the next...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 13th May 2016, 11:48 PM
Replies: 280
Views: 24,391
Posted By Brian-M
The bit that says "people selling cattle, sheep...

The bit that says "people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money" sounds like an example of "people peacefully going about their business" to me.

The part...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 13th May 2016, 11:23 PM
Replies: 216
Views: 22,255
Posted By Brian-M
That sounds like an awesome name for an actual...

That sounds like an awesome name for an actual programming language. Someone needs to invent it.
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 13th May 2016, 11:20 PM
Replies: 216
Views: 22,255
Posted By Brian-M
In our school we had a "pen license" system. If...

In our school we had a "pen license" system. If you wrote neatly, you were allowed to write in pen. But if your writing got messy again, you had to go back to writing in pencil until it improved.
...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 13th May 2016, 11:05 PM
Replies: 125
Views: 15,087
Posted By Brian-M
It makes sense to me. An employee is effectively...

It makes sense to me. An employee is effectively an unofficial representative of their employer or company. If people get a bad impression of how an employee looks or acts, they get a bad impression...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 13th May 2016, 10:54 PM
Replies: 510
Views: 38,485
Posted By Brian-M
A job that requires the skill set of someone with...

A job that requires the skill set of someone with a 5th grade education, and isn't that demanding, pays minimum wage because the supply of qualified workers willing to work for that little is...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 13th May 2016, 10:12 AM
Replies: 216
Views: 22,255
Posted By Brian-M
Don't forget to teach them how to use a slide...

Don't forget to teach them how to use a slide rule too! That's why many schools used to be against allowing their students to use calculators, because if they did then their students might never...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 13th May 2016, 07:35 AM
Replies: 125
Views: 15,087
Posted By Brian-M
Ha! Almost as funny as her dress! (Is that a...

Ha! Almost as funny as her dress! (Is that a dress, or has she pulled her skirt so far up that it almost reaches her boobs?)
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 13th May 2016, 07:15 AM
Replies: 280
Views: 24,391
Posted By Brian-M
Really? For example, how is describing him as...

Really? For example, how is describing him as committing an act of violent assault at the temple in any way misinterpreting actions and words? He even went away and made himself a weapon before...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 12th May 2016, 06:44 PM
Replies: 280
Views: 24,391
Posted By Brian-M
He was. If you read it in context: Think not...

He was.

If you read it in context: Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 12th May 2016, 06:40 PM
Replies: 280
Views: 24,391
Posted By Brian-M
You don't like that he quoted Matthew 10:34 ? ...

You don't like that he quoted Matthew 10:34 ?

Would you rather have him quote the part where Jesus commits violent assault against people peacefully going about their business? (John 2:14-15)
...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 12th May 2016, 09:27 AM
Replies: 125
Views: 15,087
Posted By Brian-M
And now you've gotten me trying to imagine a...

And now you've gotten me trying to imagine a woman walking on grass in stilettos after the ground under the grass has been softened up by several days of rain.

Or maybe across one of those...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 11th May 2016, 08:15 PM
Replies: 125
Views: 15,087
Posted By Brian-M
Even though that's pretty much what men are...

Even though that's pretty much what men are required to wear already?
And some women already choose to dress that way for work as well?

It'd be pretty sexist to argue that women should be excused...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 11th May 2016, 11:24 AM
Replies: 125
Views: 15,087
Posted By Brian-M
I don't see why companies couldn't just have the...

I don't see why companies couldn't just have the standard dress code for all office workers, whether male or female, being a long-sleeved, collared, unpatterned button-up shirt or blouse, with dress...
Forum: Computers and the Internet 11th May 2016, 06:47 AM
Replies: 57
Views: 6,145
Posted By Brian-M
That had me confused for a few moments, as I...

That had me confused for a few moments, as I initially read the "b" as being part of the number. This made me wonder why there would be b10(hex), or 2832(dec) kinds of computer user.
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 11th May 2016, 06:35 AM
Replies: 280
Views: 24,391
Posted By Brian-M
I was being facetious, toying with the phrase...

I was being facetious, toying with the phrase "personal evidence" which you used in your post as a reason for you not to share the evidence with us.

It hardly needs mentioning that no amount of...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 11th May 2016, 06:10 AM
Replies: 125
Views: 15,087
Posted By Brian-M
On the one hand, I'd say that they have a legal...

On the one hand, I'd say that they have a legal right to enforce dress standards in their company, the same way companies can require employees to wear uniforms.

But on the other hand, forcing...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 10th May 2016, 06:27 AM
Replies: 280
Views: 24,391
Posted By Brian-M
Don't be silly, PartSkeptic clearly described it...

Don't be silly, PartSkeptic clearly described it as personal evidence, not public evidence. You can't expect them to share the evidence with us. :covereyes
Forum: Computers and the Internet 10th May 2016, 06:23 AM
Replies: 57
Views: 6,145
Posted By Brian-M
If you want really long-term storage, you should...

If you want really long-term storage, you should wait for this to come to market:


http://www.multi-lab.co.uk/blog/fused-silica-is-ideal-for-long-term-data-storage

Here's a link to a more...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 9th May 2016, 08:30 PM
Replies: 280
Views: 24,391
Posted By Brian-M
Isn't the New Testament God explicitly described...

Isn't the New Testament God explicitly described as being the same God as that of the Old Testament?

Or was Jesus talking about the laws and commands of a different God than the one who was...
Forum: Computers and the Internet 9th May 2016, 08:17 PM
Replies: 57
Views: 6,145
Posted By Brian-M
That's one reason I keep copies of the major...

That's one reason I keep copies of the major stuff on my keyring. If the house burns down, or is robbed, or something else happens when I'm out, I'll still have a copy with me.

(I've been thinking...
Forum: Computers and the Internet 9th May 2016, 09:45 AM
Replies: 57
Views: 6,145
Posted By Brian-M
Your backup habits?

How do you backup your personal files and how often do you do it?

I'm just wondering about other people's habits in this because I've been fairly lax in that department.

Until yesterday my most...
Forum: Computers and the Internet 9th May 2016, 09:00 AM
Replies: 44
Views: 6,692
Posted By Brian-M
And the better they can get with you. For...

And the better they can get with you.

For example, I always change the settings in GIMP so that I can use the scroll wheel on my mouse to zoom in and out. Doing this makes using it easier.
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 9th May 2016, 08:46 AM
Replies: 43
Views: 7,462
Posted By Brian-M
It's because of the holes in his hands and side,...

It's because of the holes in his hands and side, it earned him the nickname "holey". An early example of extreme body-piercing.
Forum: Economics, Business and Finance 8th May 2016, 08:07 PM
Replies: 136
Views: 15,805
Posted By Brian-M
Try looking up the phrase "fiat currency" in a...

Try looking up the phrase "fiat currency" in a dictionary.

"Money that has indirect market value or is given legal tender status by government fiat." - https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fiat_currency...
Forum: Economics, Business and Finance 8th May 2016, 09:53 AM
Replies: 136
Views: 15,805
Posted By Brian-M
What definition are you using for "commodity"? ...

What definition are you using for "commodity"?

For example, if I check the Merriam-Webster dictionary (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commodity), gold is a commodity under the first...
Forum: Economics, Business and Finance 8th May 2016, 12:38 AM
Replies: 136
Views: 15,805
Posted By Brian-M
Fiat currencies are currencies created by a...

Fiat currencies are currencies created by a government decree. Not all currencies are fiat currencies.

That's why they're called fiat currency, because a government created them by fiat...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 7th May 2016, 05:29 AM
Replies: 201
Views: 20,274
Posted By Brian-M
Maybe I'm missing something here, because I don't...

Maybe I'm missing something here, because I don't see how either of these things have to do with morality.

Who would these courses of action harm?
And if they harm nobody, then why would it be...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 7th May 2016, 01:16 AM
Replies: 201
Views: 20,274
Posted By Brian-M
You don't need to ask entities which don't exist...

You don't need to ask entities which don't exist what they prefer. If they don't exist, they don't have any preferences, because their preferences don't exist either. Therefore, from the very...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 6th May 2016, 10:55 PM
Replies: 201
Views: 20,274
Posted By Brian-M
Another thing to consider, is all life of...

Another thing to consider, is all life of equivalent value?

Is the life of a bacterium equivalent to that of an ant?
Is the life of an ant equivalent to that of a mouse?
Is the life of a mouse...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 6th May 2016, 10:43 PM
Replies: 201
Views: 20,274
Posted By Brian-M
Let's see: As many living things as possible ...

Let's see:
As many living things as possible
All living things as much enjoyment as possible
Living for as long as possible
I think that some of these conditions may be mutually exclusive.
...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 6th May 2016, 09:33 PM
Replies: 280
Views: 24,391
Posted By Brian-M
No, anti- means in opposition to, but the prefix...

No, anti- means in opposition to, but the prefix a- just means without.
Forum: Science, Mathematics, Medicine, and Technology 4th May 2016, 08:31 AM
Replies: 60
Views: 6,480
Posted By Brian-M
From that article: It's the same...

From that article:


It's the same mechanism by which homoeopathy works?
Well, I'm convinced. :rolleyes:
Forum: Economics, Business and Finance 2nd May 2016, 10:11 PM
Replies: 136
Views: 15,805
Posted By Brian-M
So by "daily purchases" you were talking about...

So by "daily purchases" you were talking about paying bills? :confused:

ETA: Ah, I see. You changed topics between talking about your daily purchases and settling your debts. Never mind, I had...
Forum: Economics, Business and Finance 2nd May 2016, 09:09 PM
Replies: 136
Views: 15,805
Posted By Brian-M
Which is why I said: "the ability to transfer...

Which is why I said: "the ability to transfer bank credit in lieu of cash payment makes it effectively money"



You don't keep your card in your wallet? :confused:

(Or maybe you were speaking...
Forum: Economics, Business and Finance 2nd May 2016, 08:24 AM
Replies: 136
Views: 15,805
Posted By Brian-M
It's M1, and all the other M's except M0 and MB...

It's M1, and all the other M's except M0 and MB which I'm describing as illusionary. The illusion is created by treating demand deposits as if they were actual money instead of instantly redeemable...
Forum: Economics, Business and Finance 2nd May 2016, 08:01 AM
Replies: 136
Views: 15,805
Posted By Brian-M
As I understand it (thanks to the power of...

As I understand it (thanks to the power of Google) gold bullion isn't taxed as collectables, and in many places in even the USA, such as Washington, Illinois and Colorado, just to name a few, there's...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 1st May 2016, 11:33 PM
Replies: 280
Views: 24,391
Posted By Brian-M
Gladly.

Gladly.
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 1st May 2016, 08:00 PM
Replies: 280
Views: 24,391
Posted By Brian-M
I don't know about them, but I don't like the...

I don't know about them, but I don't like the analogy because it isn't applicable.

It would be better to say that atheism isn't a religion for the same reason that theism isn't a religion.

You...
Forum: Economics, Business and Finance 1st May 2016, 07:35 PM
Replies: 136
Views: 15,805
Posted By Brian-M
So you're suggesting that all transactions be...

So you're suggesting that all transactions be conducted with actual, physical commodities such as gold and silver coins?



The poor tend not to store cash long enough for inflation to depreciate...
Forum: Science, Mathematics, Medicine, and Technology 1st May 2016, 07:04 PM
Replies: 1,042
Views: 182,368
Posted By Brian-M
Mythbusters actually built one of those:...

Mythbusters actually built one of those: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8zIfkMp08U

It never got off the ground.
Forum: Economics, Business and Finance 1st May 2016, 01:46 AM
Replies: 136
Views: 15,805
Posted By Brian-M
You do realize that it's the wealthy who can...

You do realize that it's the wealthy who can afford to keep the bulk of their income saved up as investments or saved as cash, and not the poor, don't you?

The poor have to spend most of the money...
Forum: Science, Mathematics, Medicine, and Technology 30th April 2016, 06:54 AM
Replies: 27
Views: 7,135
Posted By Brian-M
Why? If this sort of thing worked, why...

Why?

If this sort of thing worked, why wouldn't they just buy the patents and replace all their amazingly expensive to run and maintain fossil-fuel power plants with the cheaper alternative so...
Forum: Science, Mathematics, Medicine, and Technology 29th April 2016, 10:38 PM
Replies: 1,042
Views: 182,368
Posted By Brian-M
A couple of things jump out at me. First, we...

A couple of things jump out at me.

First, we don't see a single filmed sequence more than around six seconds long, which leaves me wondering if what they've actually done is made multiple trips of...
Forum: Economics, Business and Finance 28th April 2016, 09:35 PM
Replies: 136
Views: 15,805
Posted By Brian-M
Can you specify what time period you're talking...

Can you specify what time period you're talking about when referring to "its less than stellar history of eventually being debased such as in Rome, Germany, etc"?

Ancient Rome used silver coins,...
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