IS Forum
Forum Index Register Members List Events Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Help

Go Back   International Skeptics Forum » Search Forums
 


Welcome to the International Skeptics Forum, where we discuss skepticism, critical thinking, the paranormal and science in a friendly but lively way. You are currently viewing the forum as a guest, which means you are missing out on discussing matters that are of interest to you. Please consider registering so you can gain full use of the forum features and interact with other Members. Registration is simple, fast and free! Click here to register today.
Showing results 1 to 50 of 600
Search took 4.68 seconds.
Search: Posts Made By: Bikewer
Forum: History, Literature, and the Arts 4th November 2023, 06:00 AM
Replies: 58
Views: 2,165
Posted By Bikewer
The only name I recognize is Glen Miller…. ...

The only name I recognize is Glen Miller….

I’d say Billy Strings. Strings, along with a few other cutting-edge bluegrass artists, are rapidly bringing that form back to prominence.

I see that...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 15th September 2023, 06:13 AM
Replies: 100
Views: 3,536
Posted By Bikewer
Way back when my son was in Catholic elementary...

Way back when my son was in Catholic elementary school, (80s) the school came out with a policy against “long” hair on boys.
The lame excuse given was that “kids could be seen constantly pushing...
Forum: Science, Mathematics, Medicine, and Technology 26th August 2023, 06:45 AM
Replies: 103
Views: 2,574
Posted By Bikewer
Right now, I’m watching a panel discussion headed...

Right now, I’m watching a panel discussion headed by Neil Tyson on this very subject.

Astrophysicist Brian Greene discusses the idea in his book on the multiverse ideas…. “The Hidden Reality”. ...
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 5th August 2023, 06:00 AM
Replies: 30
Views: 1,803
Posted By Bikewer
Many years ago, when I was reading “Stranger in a...

Many years ago, when I was reading “Stranger in a Strange Land”, I recall Heinlein mentioning the ritual cannibalism of the Eucharist….

BTW, my ex-priest apparently gave up after my last reply.
Forum: USA Politics 25th July 2023, 06:37 AM
Replies: 115
Views: 3,503
Posted By Bikewer
Years ago, when I had just started my...

Years ago, when I had just started my campus-police career, the local “Revolutionary Communist Youth Brigade” would show up on campus with their red berets and a stack of flyers and a small bullhorn....
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 25th July 2023, 06:29 AM
Replies: 30
Views: 1,803
Posted By Bikewer
Eucharistic Miracles

I’m having a back-and-forth on Quora with a gentleman who identifies as an ex-priest and a firm Catholic believer. I’ve been pointing out problems with various “miracles” he brings up, but I’m not...
Forum: USA Politics 8th July 2023, 07:12 AM
Replies: 2,394
Views: 69,353
Posted By Bikewer
I did extensive reading on paraphilia and...

I did extensive reading on paraphilia and “forensic sexology” some years back. One author noted that in societies that allowed open sexual experimentation with their children… That nothing was...
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 9th June 2023, 04:23 AM
Replies: 350
Views: 19,132
Posted By Bikewer
Mick West has a decent take on this: ...

Mick West has a decent take on this:

https://youtu.be/gKtusX7XY6g

Says the guy is just repeating the same tired old tropes that have been repeated for decades.
Forum: History, Literature, and the Arts 19th May 2023, 06:17 AM
Replies: 62
Views: 2,333
Posted By Bikewer
In Gene Wolfe’s “Shadow of the Torturer”,...

In Gene Wolfe’s “Shadow of the Torturer”, Severian has an executioner’s sword… Upon which Wolfe lavishes some detail.

Like the one pictured, it has no point, but it has two edges… One for men,...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 24th April 2023, 06:14 AM
Replies: 28
Views: 1,430
Posted By Bikewer
As noted, the “patrol rifle” has effectively...

As noted, the “patrol rifle” has effectively replaced the old standard “riot gun” for oh, 20 years now.
This all began with the North Hollywood Bank Robbery incident where police were confronted...
Forum: History, Literature, and the Arts 6th March 2023, 05:16 AM
Replies: 102
Views: 9,091
Posted By Bikewer
I was in the army from ‘64 to ‘67… And we had...

I was in the army from ‘64 to ‘67… And we had pretty much a genuine “historic” Jeep.

It was a “medic” Jeep, with the extended back end to carry stretchers. Ours had been manufactured in 1946,...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 3rd March 2023, 08:01 AM
Replies: 56
Views: 2,028
Posted By Bikewer
“Sexualization” of children.

Much of the right wing rhetoric around the various anti-gay, anti-trans, anti-drag, and school-book issues refers to the “sexualization” of children.

This is an incorrect use of the term. To...
Forum: USA Politics 3rd March 2023, 05:25 AM
Replies: 2,394
Views: 69,353
Posted By Bikewer
I see that Tennessee’s governor has just signed...

I see that Tennessee’s governor has just signed their “anti-drag” bill into law… Interestingly set to go into effect right before that state’s well-attended Pride Week….

Photos of the governor...
Forum: USA Politics 25th February 2023, 07:27 AM
Replies: 2,394
Views: 69,353
Posted By Bikewer
Tennessee has just passed a very restrictive...

Tennessee has just passed a very restrictive bill… Which would seem to ruin many a Halloween plan:

Tennessee takes lead in Republican effort to restrict drag shows | Reuters...
Forum: History, Literature, and the Arts 17th February 2023, 08:23 AM
Replies: 150
Views: 3,960
Posted By Bikewer
In my dabblings in art, and in my somewhat...

In my dabblings in art, and in my somewhat limited study, it has always seemed to me that art is partly about communication. That the artist is communicating something to the viewer.

This may be...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 13th February 2023, 07:45 AM
Replies: 113
Views: 4,354
Posted By Bikewer
Somewhere in Siberia… There’s a bunch of...

Somewhere in Siberia…

There’s a bunch of bored guys at a sheet-plastic plant who have access to a lot of helium.
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 8th February 2023, 05:12 AM
Replies: 299
Views: 11,444
Posted By Bikewer
“Hello, Joe? Yes, Li here….We have a little...

“Hello, Joe? Yes, Li here….We have a little problem with the balloon….”
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 6th February 2023, 07:36 AM
Replies: 8
Views: 1,441
Posted By Bikewer
Just saw this on my Reddit feed… The long history...

Just saw this on my Reddit feed… The long history of Indian “god men” is well known and the vibrant skeptical movement in that country is often shouted down by both religious and political figures.
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 29th January 2023, 07:36 AM
Replies: 2,479
Views: 198,349
Posted By Bikewer
We have seen this historically. Police...

We have seen this historically. Police departments, often with the tacit approval of city fathers, form “special units” that are tasked with cleaning up a specific perceived problem like gang...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 27th January 2023, 05:26 AM
Replies: 55
Views: 2,290
Posted By Bikewer
I listen to NPR for hours daily. I also have a...

I listen to NPR for hours daily. I also have a Google news feed from many sources.
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 7th January 2023, 07:28 AM
Replies: 41
Views: 3,220
Posted By Bikewer
Back shortly after the collapse of the Soviet...

Back shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union and that brief period of openness, Randi did a tour of Russia exploring the incidence of “woo”… And found plenty.

This was done as a PBS...
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 1st January 2023, 08:34 AM
Replies: 20
Views: 2,138
Posted By Bikewer
I worked in police communications for years… All...

I worked in police communications for years… All prior to 911. People who are reporting emergencies and such are frequently “stressed” and trying to communicate with them is difficult.
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 31st December 2022, 06:58 AM
Replies: 20
Views: 2,138
Posted By Bikewer
911 Call Analysis.

Article in Pro Publica this morning:

https://www.propublica.org/article/911-call-analysis-fbi-police-courts

A fellow named Tracy Harpster, a deputy police chief from Dayton, Ohio, has developed...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 18th December 2022, 07:19 AM
Replies: 261
Views: 7,937
Posted By Bikewer
Is it though? First, it’s enormously...

Is it though? First, it’s enormously expensive. We have to consider the monies spent on police, prosecutors, courts, jails, prisons, the probation and parole system, etc, etc.

And to a...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 17th December 2022, 07:55 AM
Replies: 544
Views: 21,614
Posted By Bikewer
I recall reading long ago that one of the...

I recall reading long ago that one of the motivations for the homosexual drag scene was along the lines of being “in your face” to heterosexual haters…

“You think I want to be a woman? I’ll show...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 17th December 2022, 07:46 AM
Replies: 71
Views: 2,750
Posted By Bikewer
When this question is brought up, I normally...

When this question is brought up, I normally point out that humans have been very, very violent for a very long time… Long before any notion of TV, movies, and video games.

We could say that all...
Forum: USA Politics 17th December 2022, 07:38 AM
Replies: 222
Views: 8,209
Posted By Bikewer
We recognize pedophilia as a condition, a...

We recognize pedophilia as a condition, a paraphilia like the 40-odd others known to researchers. We do not know the causation, so far as I know, and I’ve read a lot about paraphilia.
Some are...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 17th December 2022, 07:22 AM
Replies: 261
Views: 7,937
Posted By Bikewer
I just posted in the “free will and determinism”...

I just posted in the “free will and determinism” thread about the thoughts of Robert Sapolsky, the researcher and lecturer from Stanford.

Sapolsky maintains that our behavior is due to complex...
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 17th December 2022, 07:14 AM
Replies: 572
Views: 17,688
Posted By Bikewer
I admit I’ve not made up my mind on this subject....

I admit I’ve not made up my mind on this subject. Certainly to our perception, we can choose to have Taco Bell or McDonalds for lunch, to take or turn down a promotion, or to buy a Chevy or a Ford. ...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 12th December 2022, 07:08 AM
Replies: 32
Views: 991
Posted By Bikewer
How many recall the flap some years back over the...

How many recall the flap some years back over the fellow who introduced his “unicorn” to the media?
Actually a goat, “docked”, but with a horn bud transplanted to it’s forehead.

It was a cute...
Forum: USA Politics 5th November 2022, 06:25 AM
Replies: 1,214
Views: 63,512
Posted By Bikewer
NPR’s polling indicates that voters “trust”...

NPR’s polling indicates that voters “trust” Republicans more with the economy.

This makes my head spin, since successive Republican Administrations have put the economy in the tubes, while...
Forum: History, Literature, and the Arts 17th October 2022, 06:50 AM
Replies: 199
Views: 10,409
Posted By Bikewer
Back when the History channel was doing actual...

Back when the History channel was doing actual history…. One of the commentators referred to the thing as “the stupidest weapon ever devised”.

When I was a medic in Germany back in the mid-60s,...
Forum: General Skepticism and The Paranormal 8th October 2022, 06:14 AM
Replies: 49
Views: 8,704
Posted By Bikewer
Cruise missiles and artillery shells?

Cruise missiles and artillery shells?
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 28th September 2022, 04:18 AM
Replies: 125
Views: 4,958
Posted By Bikewer
I see the news services are still sticking their...

I see the news services are still sticking their hapless reporters out into the rain and wind….

Years ago, the edgy cartoonist “Derf” did a panel showing reporters (including Geraldo Herrera)...
Forum: USA Politics 17th September 2022, 05:54 AM
Replies: 101
Views: 2,898
Posted By Bikewer
I have a long police career, (50 years) and an...

I have a long police career, (50 years) and an even-longer experience with firearms.

I have always maintained that “combat shooting” is a martial art as much as any other, and that mastering...
Forum: Science, Mathematics, Medicine, and Technology 3rd September 2022, 06:07 AM
Replies: 19
Views: 1,091
Posted By Bikewer
Way back when I got stents, they prescribed...

Way back when I got stents, they prescribed Plavix+Asprin for me.

A couple of weeks after I got home, I nearly fainted in a fast-food restaurant. I was experiencing severe intestinal bleeding...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 26th August 2022, 04:28 AM
Replies: 103
Views: 3,378
Posted By Bikewer
I posted this on a Reddit forum yesterday as...

I posted this on a Reddit forum yesterday as well…

Years ago, I read a book titled “The English Vice” which explored the widespread incidence of spanking-fetish in that country tied to the...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 31st July 2022, 06:06 AM
Replies: 3,175
Views: 194,571
Posted By Bikewer
Here in Missouri, where we have a raft of...

Here in Missouri, where we have a raft of Republicans vying for the seat vacated by Blunt…. They are all trying to out-conservative each other and every one of them is vowing to “keep Critical Race...
Forum: Science, Mathematics, Medicine, and Technology 31st July 2022, 06:00 AM
Replies: 33
Views: 2,920
Posted By Bikewer
I wonder about the air-conditioning bill…..

I wonder about the air-conditioning bill…..
Forum: Religion and Philosophy 12th July 2022, 04:26 AM
Replies: 621
Views: 33,295
Posted By Bikewer
Some New Testament scholars, like Bart Ehrman,...

Some New Testament scholars, like Bart Ehrman, think that a historical Jesus was simply an Apocalyptic preaching the imminent arrival of the “Son of Man” who was to make everything right for the...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 7th July 2022, 05:07 AM
Replies: 564
Views: 20,973
Posted By Bikewer
There are a number of well-studied psychological...

There are a number of well-studied psychological and physiological things that occur during the “stress of combat”.
Among these are a species of “target fixation” and also a decrease in hearing...
Forum: USA Politics 25th June 2022, 06:14 AM
Replies: 379
Views: 11,613
Posted By Bikewer
What’s interesting about the New York situation...

What’s interesting about the New York situation is that for many years, it was essentially impossible to even own a handgun in the state or in NYC.
Yet, gun crime was common, and annually the NYPD...
Forum: Science, Mathematics, Medicine, and Technology 15th June 2022, 04:07 AM
Replies: 324
Views: 13,320
Posted By Bikewer
Since sensory input, and the processing thereof...

Since sensory input, and the processing thereof is such an important part of what we call consciousness/sentience…. To what degree do engineers provide any sort of input other than programming?
Forum: Science, Mathematics, Medicine, and Technology 5th June 2022, 06:13 AM
Replies: 94
Views: 3,409
Posted By Bikewer
I was in the army in the mid-60s, when the...

I was in the army in the mid-60s, when the switchover from the M14 to the M16 was going on. We were in Germany, and we’d trained in basic with the M14 and that’s what we used.
A “battlefield”...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 27th May 2022, 06:29 AM
Replies: 177
Views: 4,779
Posted By Bikewer
There you go. As noted, “mass shootings” are...

There you go.

As noted, “mass shootings” are pretty much a blip on the homicide rate. The majority of killings going on currently are due to drug/gang violence in urban areas.

The reason for...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 21st May 2022, 06:43 AM
Replies: 132
Views: 5,089
Posted By Bikewer
Just listened to an NPR segment about investors...

Just listened to an NPR segment about investors moving in to the trailer-park market.

For decades, trailers have provided low-cost housing for all sorts of people. A decent trailer can be...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 29th April 2022, 04:25 AM
Replies: 38
Views: 2,070
Posted By Bikewer
There’s a Reddit sub-Reddit forum called “what is...

There’s a Reddit sub-Reddit forum called “what is this thing?” Where folks post pictures of odd bits they’ve found and want to identify.
On a fairly regular basis, someone will display an obvious...
Forum: History, Literature, and the Arts 29th April 2022, 04:20 AM
Replies: 107
Views: 4,487
Posted By Bikewer
I watched a 60 Minutes tour of a couple’s...

I watched a 60 Minutes tour of a couple’s modern-art collection. At one point, the interviewer pointed to a small piece of rope nailed to a wall.
“Is this a piece of art too?”

“Oh, yes.”
...
Forum: Social Issues & Current Events 28th April 2022, 05:11 AM
Replies: 70
Views: 2,472
Posted By Bikewer
Unfortunately, here in the US, we have that pesky...

Unfortunately, here in the US, we have that pesky 2nd Amendment, and a political “base” that is adamantly opposed to even minor reforms….. And a cadre of politicians who see these issues as tied to...
Forum: History, Literature, and the Arts 28th April 2022, 04:59 AM
Replies: 107
Views: 4,487
Posted By Bikewer
I played briefly with the program that Google has...

I played briefly with the program that Google has available… I just input a few words and got a rather interesting image. (You had to pay to do more extensive work)

The “examples” page had some...
Showing results 1 to 50 of 600

 
Forum Jump

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 12:20 AM.
Powered by vBulletin. Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

This forum began as part of the James Randi Education Foundation (JREF). However, the forum now exists as
an independent entity with no affiliation with or endorsement by the JREF, including the section in reference to "JREF" topics.

Disclaimer: Messages posted in the Forum are solely the opinion of their authors.