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Search: Posts Made By: Loss Leader
Forum: USA Politics 10th August 2020, 06:13 PM
Replies: 500
Views: 21,766
Posted By Loss Leader
Harris ran away with this poll, but I don't...

Harris ran away with this poll, but I don't understand how Duckworth ended up tied for second. True, she's a minority, but she's not a person who can excite the people of color to come out to vote.
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 10th August 2020, 05:56 PM
Replies: 1,047
Views: 53,383
Posted By Loss Leader
Sort of. From what I can tell,...

Sort of.





From what I can tell, yrreg has a hard time distinguishing between suspension and a ban. He rarely returns from a suspension, no matter how short. When he does, to my memory, he...
Forum: Economics, Business and Finance 7th August 2020, 08:02 PM
Replies: 461
Views: 40,121
Posted By Loss Leader
Well, once I saw a civilization reduced to...

Well, once I saw a civilization reduced to employees and employers, I thought we were heading towards a Marxist philosophy of theft of labor and undoing the accumulation of wealth in the hands of...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 7th August 2020, 03:59 PM
Replies: 82
Views: 5,242
Posted By Loss Leader
I'm married, so I'm used to it.

I'm married, so I'm used to it.
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 6th August 2020, 07:28 AM
Replies: 82
Views: 5,242
Posted By Loss Leader
I didn't say that. I don't know what you're...

I didn't say that. I don't know what you're talking about. I said that Scientology tells adherents that they are attracting bad things with their own negative feelings, like their own rapes.

You...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 5th August 2020, 10:17 PM
Replies: 82
Views: 5,242
Posted By Loss Leader
Me, either.

Me, either.
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 5th August 2020, 05:25 PM
Replies: 82
Views: 5,242
Posted By Loss Leader
Clutch: Animals have legs. Loss: Snakes...

Clutch: Animals have legs.

Loss: Snakes don't.

Clutch: So you are saying no animals have legs????
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 5th August 2020, 06:16 AM
Replies: 82
Views: 5,242
Posted By Loss Leader
Certainly not my religion. We don't even have a...

Certainly not my religion. We don't even have a concept of heaven or hell, really. You just live as a community, sometimes bad things happen, and then you die and are with God.

Christianity, to...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 4th August 2020, 08:42 PM
Replies: 82
Views: 5,242
Posted By Loss Leader
I think I covered A and B in "as close to evil as...

I think I covered A and B in "as close to evil as a thing can become," but I agree that those are some of the attributes that make it evil.

As regards C, I don't think I can agree that it (on its...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 4th August 2020, 12:05 PM
Replies: 244
Views: 12,791
Posted By Loss Leader
Well, that's a relief to hear.

Well, that's a relief to hear.
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 4th August 2020, 11:44 AM
Replies: 244
Views: 12,791
Posted By Loss Leader
I don't think a terror attack would consist of...

I don't think a terror attack would consist of two different explosions. "Hey, let's blow up this thing and then hope it detonates this other thing," doesn't seem like a good plan.

I can certainly...
Forum: USA Politics 4th August 2020, 11:00 AM
Replies: 10
Views: 865
Posted By Loss Leader
I continue to agree with you. That would be a...

I continue to agree with you. That would be a better system.

It's just not the system we have. It's not the system provided for by Congress. It's not the system in the Constitution as interpreted...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 4th August 2020, 10:58 AM
Replies: 138
Views: 9,158
Posted By Loss Leader
Or perverse incentives, such as the New York's...

Or perverse incentives, such as the New York's Compstat system (which rewarded arrests while penalizing precincts with too many felony ones).

I don't believe police feel invincible. I believe they...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 4th August 2020, 07:01 AM
Replies: 138
Views: 9,158
Posted By Loss Leader
In my opinion, the problem with policing in...

In my opinion, the problem with policing in America can be reduced to a few broad things:

1. Police wildly overestimate the amount of danger they're in. Yes, they are in a front-facing profession...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 3rd August 2020, 08:29 PM
Replies: 82
Views: 5,242
Posted By Loss Leader
What is this thread? Is anyone disagreeing that...

What is this thread? Is anyone disagreeing that Scientology is: a) false; b) as close to evil as things can become; and c) do I really need a third thing?





The Man Who Mistook His Wife for...
Forum: USA Politics 2nd August 2020, 09:52 PM
Replies: 500
Views: 21,766
Posted By Loss Leader
We've never had a female SecDef.

We've never had a female SecDef.
Forum: USA Politics 2nd August 2020, 08:01 PM
Replies: 500
Views: 21,766
Posted By Loss Leader
Just going by the peek at Biden's notes, Harris...

Just going by the peek at Biden's notes, Harris seems to have this in a walk.

FTR, I don't think the VP pick really gives a boost to any candidate. I certainly didn't vote for Obama because I...
Forum: USA Politics 2nd August 2020, 07:40 PM
Replies: 10
Views: 865
Posted By Loss Leader
I answered you already. Yes, modern tools would...

I answered you already. Yes, modern tools would be faster and more accurate (especially in-person surveys combined with the best statistical practices). No, the Constitution has been interpreted to...
Forum: USA Politics 2nd August 2020, 02:52 PM
Replies: 10
Views: 865
Posted By Loss Leader
The only reason is that the 14th Amendment...

The only reason is that the 14th Amendment literally demands "counting the whole number of persons in each State ..." It was designed to fix the flaw in Constitution that counted slaves as 3/5 of a...
Forum: Computers and the Internet 2nd August 2020, 02:25 PM
Replies: 79
Views: 5,568
Posted By Loss Leader
Had to restart my computer today because the...

Had to restart my computer today because the power flickered (because FPL has absolutely no interest in providing Florida with either power or light). The first thing I got was an unskippable,...
Forum: Science, Mathematics, Medicine, and Technology 31st July 2020, 11:37 AM
Replies: 67
Views: 3,520
Posted By Loss Leader
As a lawyer, of all things, I've learned that...

As a lawyer, of all things, I've learned that everything gets blurry around the edges. Your civil rights start to drop the closer you get to the border between the US and any other country. When...
Forum: Computers and the Internet 31st July 2020, 11:25 AM
Replies: 30
Views: 2,232
Posted By Loss Leader
Not a computer guy, but I'v found over the years...

Not a computer guy, but I'v found over the years that cameras, mics and headphones break with alarming frequency.

The fact that yours is working fine with some apps suggest to me that it's not a...
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 30th July 2020, 10:08 PM
Replies: 8
Views: 2,048
Posted By Loss Leader
Well, just the first few blog posts, it seems...

Well, just the first few blog posts, it seems like he's an intelligent and thoughtful man with an excellent command of the written word. Nothing on it looks very controversial (or even particularly...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 28th July 2020, 07:07 AM
Replies: 1,047
Views: 53,383
Posted By Loss Leader
If you're going to talk to Agatha, what was the...

If you're going to talk to Agatha, what was the point of this then?
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 27th July 2020, 06:42 PM
Replies: 85
Views: 5,237
Posted By Loss Leader
A lesson about powerful people? Absolutely not...

A lesson about powerful people? Absolutely not where I was expecting that to go.

(I figured it was some vague rehash of Plato's cave used to justify the existence of God. I figured wrong.)
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 27th July 2020, 02:45 PM
Replies: 1,047
Views: 53,383
Posted By Loss Leader
I already have.

I already have.
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 27th July 2020, 11:53 AM
Replies: 1,047
Views: 53,383
Posted By Loss Leader
Yrreg, I've already granted you all of this. I...

Yrreg, I've already granted you all of this. I agree with your definition of evidence for these purposes. I agree that God was the creator of the universe.

I couldn't be more honest.

What is...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 26th July 2020, 08:30 PM
Replies: 1,047
Views: 53,383
Posted By Loss Leader
Yrreg's general proof, as I understand it, is...

Yrreg's general proof, as I understand it, is that the existence of God is self-evident.

That's why his definition of evidence is anything that leads you to think another thing.

He believes he...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 26th July 2020, 05:19 PM
Replies: 1,047
Views: 53,383
Posted By Loss Leader
I agree with all of this, Yrreg. You convinced...

I agree with all of this, Yrreg. You convinced me.

So, now what?

What is the next step of your argument?

Or is this all you intended to prove?
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 26th July 2020, 11:03 AM
Replies: 1,047
Views: 53,383
Posted By Loss Leader
Yrreg rarely gets beyond his endless "evidence"...

Yrreg rarely gets beyond his endless "evidence" stage, but once laid out the definition that "God" is the creator of the universe and everything in it.

I happily agreed to this definition and...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 25th July 2020, 10:28 PM
Replies: 360
Views: 9,081
Posted By Loss Leader
Beautiful. A true masterwork in unfalsifiability....

Beautiful. A true masterwork in unfalsifiability. But why, pray tell, should I believe something without repeatable, falsifiable evidence?

What if I told you king dragons created the world for the...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 25th July 2020, 07:40 PM
Replies: 232
Views: 12,714
Posted By Loss Leader
I doubt that's the reason. People with faith...

I doubt that's the reason. People with faith rarely believe that they're just pretending to have faith.

In any case, here's what the Talmud says...
Forum: Education 25th July 2020, 07:13 PM
Replies: 193
Views: 6,932
Posted By Loss Leader
According to whatever I just read, Puto, meaning...

According to whatever I just read, Puto, meaning "I judge" or "I think" in Latin, and Puta, meaning "prostitute" in Spanish, are false cognates. There is some speculation that they may both originate...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 25th July 2020, 02:41 PM
Replies: 1,047
Views: 53,383
Posted By Loss Leader
Thanks for teaching me a new word. At least I've...

Thanks for teaching me a new word. At least I've leaned something in this thread (although the internet had to teach me how to pronounce it).
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 25th July 2020, 01:48 PM
Replies: 232
Views: 12,714
Posted By Loss Leader
I vaguely see where you're headed, but I have to...

I vaguely see where you're headed, but I have to object.

I have no idea what "Believers" think. They're not a monolithic entity. Each person is his or her own personal believer. I can tell you...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 25th July 2020, 01:28 PM
Replies: 1,047
Views: 53,383
Posted By Loss Leader
This is a joke and in no way constitutes any...

This is a joke and in no way constitutes any admission by me that any of the nouns below actually exist or are believed by me to exist:

What's the difference between God and a surgeon?

God...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 25th July 2020, 05:35 AM
Replies: 1,047
Views: 53,383
Posted By Loss Leader
Sigh. I know I shouldn't, but: Evidence...

Sigh. I know I shouldn't, but:


Evidence is any fact that makes a proposition more true or less true.

However, your real problem is not evidence but proof. What is your standard of proof? If...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 25th July 2020, 05:07 AM
Replies: 360
Views: 9,081
Posted By Loss Leader
Okay, I agree. I got a little overexcited there.

Okay, I agree. I got a little overexcited there.
Forum: Education 25th July 2020, 05:03 AM
Replies: 193
Views: 6,932
Posted By Loss Leader
As a lawyer, I was tempted to spam one's motions,...

As a lawyer, I was tempted to spam one's motions, memos, and speeches to courts and juries with all manner of Latin terms, After all, I paid a heck of a lot of money to learn them. I had to force...
Forum: Education 24th July 2020, 08:39 PM
Replies: 193
Views: 6,932
Posted By Loss Leader
Look, I agree that knowing Latin is very useful...

Look, I agree that knowing Latin is very useful for english comprehension but there's something of a limit to that.

First of all, English is composed of so much from so far that Latin does little...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 24th July 2020, 05:38 PM
Replies: 360
Views: 9,081
Posted By Loss Leader
Which is, in itself, as good a definition of...

Which is, in itself, as good a definition of "unfalsifiable" as any. The thing isn't even self-consistent yet resolves that with its built-in inconsistency. I can't think of an unfalsifiable belief...
Forum: Education 24th July 2020, 02:36 PM
Replies: 193
Views: 6,932
Posted By Loss Leader
First, I don't think I agree with the...

First, I don't think I agree with the alienation/loneliness interpretation. I thought it found beauty and comfort in a human connection, even among the run-down streets.

Second, it appears that...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 24th July 2020, 02:06 PM
Replies: 232
Views: 12,714
Posted By Loss Leader
You can think whatever you want. The fact is that...

You can think whatever you want. The fact is that it's not in the text. Lot's reaction or excuse isn't recorded. Make whatever guesses you want based on whatever moral system you happen to apply....
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 23rd July 2020, 08:23 PM
Replies: 27
Views: 1,317
Posted By Loss Leader
Thank you for the detailed answer. As a...

Thank you for the detailed answer. As a matrimonial attorney, I would have been guessing and I certainly didn't want to do the research.
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 23rd July 2020, 07:24 PM
Replies: 360
Views: 9,081
Posted By Loss Leader
If I remember, Archie Bunker said Saint Peter...

If I remember, Archie Bunker said Saint Peter meets Jews at the Pearly Gates, explains things to them, and then they go in.





That's exactly what I've been saying. Once you grant the...
Forum: Education 23rd July 2020, 07:05 PM
Replies: 193
Views: 6,932
Posted By Loss Leader
In America: If you have a disability, you...

In America:

If you have a disability, you are entitled to accommodations so as to receive a free and appropriate public education. If you can't write an essay because of a problem with executive...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 22nd July 2020, 09:47 PM
Replies: 232
Views: 12,714
Posted By Loss Leader
We've got exactly eight verses that tell the...

We've got exactly eight verses that tell the entire story and exactly zero that in any way describe Lot's feelings about the situation.

What you're saying isn't in the text.

A whole whack of...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 22nd July 2020, 08:09 PM
Replies: 232
Views: 12,714
Posted By Loss Leader
Come on, man, give me at least a little bit of a...

Come on, man, give me at least a little bit of a break. Lot's daughters (believing they were the only people left on earth) got him so drunk he didn't know what was happening.

Generis 19:33 - ...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 22nd July 2020, 06:42 PM
Replies: 232
Views: 12,714
Posted By Loss Leader
As a lawyer, I'm pretty well aware of everything...

As a lawyer, I'm pretty well aware of everything that was in your post and have been for some twenty-six years. I stand by my statements which were full of examples. Bad thoughts alone, no matter how...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 21st July 2020, 08:34 PM
Replies: 232
Views: 12,714
Posted By Loss Leader
I'm going to disagree with a lot of my peers,...

I'm going to disagree with a lot of my peers, but:

To me, this is a perfectly cromulent life philosophy.

It's what you believe. It brings you comfort. That's fine with me. I've never seen any...
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