Hello, Im a new memember

Katachresis · 15th August 2005, 02:41 PM

Hello, Im a new memember

I found this sight a few days ago, and I thought I'd say Hello.

I have been fascinated with the paranormal since the 5th Grade, when I learned about the Burmuda Triangle, and the Pyramids at Giza. About the same time, I became and avid radio listener, and to this day, I cannot go to sleep with out at least a half hour of radio listening.

I remember listening to a radio show (in about the year 1973, do the math for my age) that might have been called "Mystery Theatre", that was a half hour radio show that told scary stories. Thinking back to those days. the experience was probably very similar to the early days of radio, with such radio shows as "The Shadow".

I inevitably found Art Bell and John Edward, and on these shows I must admit I have heard and seen things I cannot explain. I was dumbfound for a rational explanation of these phenomenon.

Luckily, my parents and teachers taught my that because something cannot be immediate explained, it doesn't have an explanation.

I come here almost hoping that someone will win the money, hoping that the bounds we see of the human experience can be surpassed. I hope there is ESP. I hope there is psychic healing. I would love to find the 1864 Buffalo penny I lost as kid by channeling my Grandmothers soul.

As this is my first letter, and I seem to talking at length, I'll say one more thing. Being raised Catholic, I'd like to believe in God, but given no proof, how can I? This seems to be such a....betrayal of my faith? ....a contradiction? ....a ticket to Hell?

Anyway, I've had fun here. and hope to be back, Peace.

Ketyk

Ashles · 15th August 2005, 03:35 PM

Welsome Ketyk. Enjoy the forums.

Most of us would love for the things you mentioned to be true. Maybe one day there will be evidence that indicates that there are.

Unbtil then all we can do is apply our intelligence, read information from the most reliable sources we can find and question things.

There are many great resources on the internet about all of these subjects and if you have any questions about anything in particular then there are many very intelligent and well-informed posters on these forums.

Enjoy the JREF.

(Just one aside - this particular forum is for discussing the Million Dollar Challenge - check out the General Scepticism and the Paranormal forum and the Science, Mathematics, Medicine and Technology forum for general paranormal and pseudoscientific discussions)

Brown · 15th August 2005, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ketyk
I remember listening to a radio show (in about the year 1973, do the math for my age) that might have been called "Mystery Theatre", that was a half hour radio show that told scary stories. Thinking back to those days. the experience was probably very similar to the early days of radio, with such radio shows as "The Shadow".

Sounds like the "CBS Radio Mystery Theater" hosted by E.G. Marshall and produced by Hy Brown.

Ducky · 15th August 2005, 06:47 PM

Welcome to the forum.

We all would be happy if those things were true, but there is no evidence.

I appreciate and respoct your candor. Again, welcome and enjoy.

JPK · 15th August 2005, 07:06 PM

Good evening.

Welcome to the forum. From time to time a person needs to drag thier own beliefs out into the light and take a good look at them. I remember reading a quote in a book by Carl Sagan from a person coming out of a lecture that said, somthing like "this was a great day. I learned today everything I thought was true, was wrong." OK, the quote isn't exact because I'm not near me book. The point is, however, important. We are all learning all the time. Well hopefully at least.

Once again, welcome.
JPK

Kopji · 15th August 2005, 08:38 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ketyk

Hello, Im a new memember...

...I come here almost hoping that someone will win the money, hoping that the bounds we see of the human experience can be surpassed. I hope there is ESP. I hope there is psychic healing. I would love to find the 1864 Buffalo penny I lost as kid by channeling my Grandmothers soul.

Anyway, I've had fun here. and hope to be back, Peace.

Hi and welcome!
Maybe an 1864 'Indian Head' penny?

clarsct · 15th August 2005, 09:23 PM

I'll add my welcome to the many here.

A skeptic musn't necessarily be a pessimist. I think that, deep down in his heart of hearts, even Randi would like someone to win the million. I agree. But I also have a deep and abiding hatred for those who would profit from the insecurities of other.

We must seperate the wheat from the chaff. And science and critical thinking are our best ways to do so.

So little wheat, though.....

Katachresis · 15th August 2005, 09:55 PM

Wow, I can't believe how quickly I got responses!

I appreciate the kind words, and I'm sure I should have posted in the other area. I just didn't know it was there.

By the way, I was REALLY (borrowing the caps from Kramer) trying to spell everying correctly in my first post. But having read as much as I have, I suppose if the meaning is clear, and the intent is there, then minor mistakes are fine.

I remember a time, probably from 1996-1998, that I was fairly new to the internet, a member of AOL, and was very into a chat group called "The Grassy Knoll". Ever heard of it? I would sit for hours, read posts, get IMs, and always fight for proof. It got to the point, where being temporarily unemployed (though I probably would have done it anyway), that I would go deep into the night arguing, and get no where.

It's not that I didn't have the critical thinking skills, I think that I didn't have them as structured as I do now. I think I was also in group that did not understand about the scientific method, repeatability, controlled environments, etc.

Am I getting too long again? I think so. It's just that I am new, and wanted to say some stuff. So I am sure, hopefully, that I can come along to some other post and make a few remarks that might be......thoughtful, and maybe a little humorous, and hopefully contribute to this forum.

(that last sentence was so so corny, but I chuckled when I re-read it, so I had to leave it in)

Night kids.

p.s. I will try to work on my presentation: pictures, smily faces, quotes. I'm just too tired right now

Tanja · 16th August 2005, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ketyk
Hello, Im a new memember

That's why I don't memember you from before...

OK, that was a crappy joke.
Welcome to the forum.

Bronze Dog · 16th August 2005, 10:11 AM

Welcome to the forum, Ketyk. Since you mentioned seeing John Edward doing things you don't know how to explain, here's a few links that might help:

Cold Reading
Hot Reading
Subjective Validation

Quote:

Luckily, my parents and teachers taught my that because something cannot be immediate explained, it doesn't have an explanation.

If I'm reading this correctly, your parents and teachers are right: Just because you don't know the explanation right away doesn't mean it's unexplanable.

There was once a magician's trick I couldn't explain... until a few years had passed when a Randi lecture inspired me enough to come up with an explanation I had never even considered.

Katachresis · 16th August 2005, 10:27 AM

Hi BronzeDog,

Yeah, but the thing about magic is that it's fun to believe that the magician is breaking some physical law. I used to be amazed at the woman in 3 boxes, and she would have all kind of strange stuff done to her,(switching positions, having knives stuck in her).
But when I found out how it was done, I was a little sad. I mean I knew it was fake, but there was something, well "Magical" about it, and that's not in itself a bad thing.

El_Spectre · 16th August 2005, 10:39 AM

Hi Ketyk, welcome to the forums.

On the subject of "betraying" faith, if you ever get a chance, you should check out Julia Sweeney's monologue "Letting Go of God". It's about her turn from Catholic to Secular Humanist... not an easy thing to do, it's really touching and (in parts) surprisingly funny. I NEVER cry at movies or anything, and seeing it live made me tear up, out of sympathy for the tough position she was in.

One of these months it'll come out on audio/video, and she performs it occassionally.

Just a recommendation

Enjoy the forums!

Bronze Dog · 16th August 2005, 10:43 AM

I suspect I always knew stage magic was trickery (or at least, I knew it as far back as I can remember), but I know what you mean: You should have seen me when my parents first told me cartoons weren't real.

I love stage magic for the same reasons I love puzzles and videogames: It's an exercise in problem solving. You have to figure out how to get a particular end result with limited means. Mostly in magic that means doing something without getting caught.

I favor street magicians overall, since they have to do the art without elaborate stage setups.

Luke T. · 16th August 2005, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brown
Sounds like the "CBS Radio Mystery Theater" hosted by E.G. Marshall and produced by Hy Brown.

That's what I was thinking. I used to listen to it regularly when I was a teenager. Came on around 9 p.m. for an hour. I would sit in the kitchen and drink a hot cup of tea with a little AM radio. It was years later before I saw what E.G. Marshall looked like. In Stephen King's Creepshow. Of course, he has many other film credits to his name which pre-date Mystery Theater.

Katachresis · 16th August 2005, 10:53 AM

Another sad day was the whole Santa Claus thing. I don't want to burst your bubble, but there is problem with the whole "every house by morning" thing, I mean think about it, and landing on the roof, my filthy rotten chimney....etc

Luke T. · 16th August 2005, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ketyk
Another sad day was the whole Santa Claus thing. I don't want to burst your bubble, but there is problem with the whole "every house by morning" thing, I mean think about it, and landing on the roof, my filthy rotten chimney....etc

Santa has technology beyond our understanding.

I'm sorry, but millions and millions and millions of people can't be wrong. There is just too much overwhelming evidence that Santa exists. We have hoofprints from the reindeer, the bicycle I asked for, and the missing cookies and milk. You are in serious denial, my friend.

Ashles · 16th August 2005, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Luke T.
I'm sorry, but millions and millions and millions of people can't be wrong. There is just too much overwhelming evidence that Santa exists. We have hoofprints from the reindeer

Actually those hoofprints have been debunked.

Turns out it was just a bigfoot kneeling down.

Luke T. · 16th August 2005, 12:17 PM

memember

I think we have a serendipitous coinage of a new term here, to serve as an adjunct to "woo-woo."

memember (mee' mem ber)
n.

1. A forumite who repeats nonsense they heard somewhere else to support their belief system.

2. One of a hundred monkeys.

[From Modern English meme and member]

billydkid · 20th August 2005, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fowlsound
Welcome to the forum.

We all would be happy if those things were true, but there is no evidence.

I appreciate and respoct your candor. Again, welcome and enjoy.

In the abstract it would be cool if mystical, paranormal stuff were true, but there are so many unknowable implications if this sort of magical stuff were real. I suspect the universe would be uninhabitable if magical stuff were true. I suspect that existence would be unendurable and we would never be able to orient ourselves in the universe.

El_Spectre · 20th August 2005, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by billydkid
In the abstract it would be cool if mystical, paranormal stuff were true, but there are so many unknowable implications if this sort of magical stuff were real. I suspect the universe would be uninhabitable if magical stuff were true. I suspect that existence would be unendurable and we would never be able to orient ourselves in the universe.

Bah... it works on the Discworld...

Soapy Sam · 20th August 2005, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BronzeDog
You should have seen me when my parents first told me cartoons weren't real.

WHAT? (AGHAST SMILEY)
Nothing more real than Bugs Bunny.
(For a certain value of "Real").

Dogdoctor · 20th August 2005, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ketyk
Another sad day was the whole Santa Claus thing. I don't want to burst your bubble, but there is problem with the whole "every house by morning" thing, I mean think about it, and landing on the roof, my filthy rotten chimney....etc

Yeah and my house had no chimmney. It really wasn't sad for me since I still got the same gifts from Santa in all the following years. I sat up all night behind the sofa waiting for what I suspected would be my parents only to fall asleep in the early morning and upon awakening all the gifts were magically there. Darn then I had to wait another year for definitive proof. The tooth fairy was more fun I set a trap and got her to scream waking me up so I could see it was my mom.

Dr Adequate · 21st August 2005, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by clarsct
We must seperate the wheat from the chaff. And science and critical thinking are our best ways to do so.

So little wheat, though.....

No. So heavy and so ripe the wheat. So little and so flimsy the chaff.

And if some idiots think that threshing the grain is a pointless ritual rather than a necessary craft --- then I have badly overextended this metaphor.

BTW: Welcome, Ketyk!

15th August 2005, 02:41 PM	#1
Katachresis Learning to Fly Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 2,423	Hello, Im a new memember Hello, Im a new memember I found this sight a few days ago, and I thought I'd say Hello. I have been fascinated with the paranormal since the 5th Grade, when I learned about the Burmuda Triangle, and the Pyramids at Giza. About the same time, I became and avid radio listener, and to this day, I cannot go to sleep with out at least a half hour of radio listening. I remember listening to a radio show (in about the year 1973, do the math for my age) that might have been called "Mystery Theatre", that was a half hour radio show that told scary stories. Thinking back to those days. the experience was probably very similar to the early days of radio, with such radio shows as "The Shadow". I inevitably found Art Bell and John Edward, and on these shows I must admit I have heard and seen things I cannot explain. I was dumbfound for a rational explanation of these phenomenon. Luckily, my parents and teachers taught my that because something cannot be immediate explained, it doesn't have an explanation. I come here almost hoping that someone will win the money, hoping that the bounds we see of the human experience can be surpassed. I hope there is ESP. I hope there is psychic healing. I would love to find the 1864 Buffalo penny I lost as kid by channeling my Grandmothers soul. As this is my first letter, and I seem to talking at length, I'll say one more thing. Being raised Catholic, I'd like to believe in God, but given no proof, how can I? This seems to be such a....betrayal of my faith? ....a contradiction? ....a ticket to Hell? Anyway, I've had fun here. and hope to be back, Peace. Ketyk

15th August 2005, 03:35 PM	#2
Ashles Pith Artist Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The '80s Posts: 8,692	Welsome Ketyk. Enjoy the forums. Most of us would love for the things you mentioned to be true. Maybe one day there will be evidence that indicates that there are. Unbtil then all we can do is apply our intelligence, read information from the most reliable sources we can find and question things. There are many great resources on the internet about all of these subjects and if you have any questions about anything in particular then there are many very intelligent and well-informed posters on these forums. Enjoy the JREF. (Just one aside - this particular forum is for discussing the Million Dollar Challenge - check out the General Scepticism and the Paranormal forum and the Science, Mathematics, Medicine and Technology forum for general paranormal and pseudoscientific discussions)
	__________________ With extraordinary few exceptions no educated person in the history of Western Civilization from the third century B.C. onward believed that the earth was flat. - Jeffrey Burton Russell It is obvious to any scientist that the bumblebee can fly because experiment proves it. - Zetie 1996

15th August 2005, 03:37 PM	#3
Brown Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 12,984	Re: Hello, Im a new memember Quote: Originally posted by Ketyk I remember listening to a radio show (in about the year 1973, do the math for my age) that might have been called "Mystery Theatre", that was a half hour radio show that told scary stories. Thinking back to those days. the experience was probably very similar to the early days of radio, with such radio shows as "The Shadow". Sounds like the "CBS Radio Mystery Theater" hosted by E.G. Marshall and produced by Hy Brown.

15th August 2005, 06:47 PM	#4
Ducky Guest Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 11,933	Welcome to the forum. We all would be happy if those things were true, but there is no evidence. I appreciate and respoct your candor. Again, welcome and enjoy.
Ducky Guest Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 11,933

15th August 2005, 07:06 PM	#5
JPK Graduate Poster Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 1,864	Good evening. Welcome to the forum. From time to time a person needs to drag thier own beliefs out into the light and take a good look at them. I remember reading a quote in a book by Carl Sagan from a person coming out of a lecture that said, somthing like "this was a great day. I learned today everything I thought was true, was wrong." OK, the quote isn't exact because I'm not near me book. The point is, however, important. We are all learning all the time. Well hopefully at least. Once again, welcome. JPK
JPK Graduate Poster Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 1,864	__________________ "I think it's better to have ideas. You can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier... A belief's a dangerous thing. People die for it. People kill for it." Rufus, the 13th apostle, Dogma "You can't prove air." Sylvia Browne John Kardel

15th August 2005, 08:38 PM	#6
Kopji Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 7,990	Re: Hello, Im a new memember quote: Originally posted by Ketyk Hello, Im a new memember... ...I come here almost hoping that someone will win the money, hoping that the bounds we see of the human experience can be surpassed. I hope there is ESP. I hope there is psychic healing. I would love to find the 1864 Buffalo penny I lost as kid by channeling my Grandmothers soul. Anyway, I've had fun here. and hope to be back, Peace. Hi and welcome! Maybe an 1864 'Indian Head' penny?
Kopji Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 7,990

15th August 2005, 09:23 PM	#7
clarsct Illuminator Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 4,867	I'll add my welcome to the many here. A skeptic musn't necessarily be a pessimist. I think that, deep down in his heart of hearts, even Randi would like someone to win the million. I agree. But I also have a deep and abiding hatred for those who would profit from the insecurities of other. We must seperate the wheat from the chaff. And science and critical thinking are our best ways to do so. So little wheat, though.....
clarsct Illuminator Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 4,867

15th August 2005, 09:55 PM	#8
Katachresis Learning to Fly Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 2,423	reply to replies Wow, I can't believe how quickly I got responses! I appreciate the kind words, and I'm sure I should have posted in the other area. I just didn't know it was there. By the way, I was REALLY (borrowing the caps from Kramer) trying to spell everying correctly in my first post. But having read as much as I have, I suppose if the meaning is clear, and the intent is there, then minor mistakes are fine. I remember a time, probably from 1996-1998, that I was fairly new to the internet, a member of AOL, and was very into a chat group called "The Grassy Knoll". Ever heard of it? I would sit for hours, read posts, get IMs, and always fight for proof. It got to the point, where being temporarily unemployed (though I probably would have done it anyway), that I would go deep into the night arguing, and get no where. It's not that I didn't have the critical thinking skills, I think that I didn't have them as structured as I do now. I think I was also in group that did not understand about the scientific method, repeatability, controlled environments, etc. Am I getting too long again? I think so. It's just that I am new, and wanted to say some stuff. So I am sure, hopefully, that I can come along to some other post and make a few remarks that might be......thoughtful, and maybe a little humorous, and hopefully contribute to this forum. (that last sentence was so so corny, but I chuckled when I re-read it, so I had to leave it in) Night kids. p.s. I will try to work on my presentation: pictures, smily faces, quotes. I'm just too tired right now

16th August 2005, 09:48 AM	#9
Tanja Comfortably Numb Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 3,333	Re: Hello, Im a new memember Quote: Originally posted by Ketyk Hello, Im a new memember That's why I don't memember you from before... OK, that was a crappy joke. Welcome to the forum.
Tanja Comfortably Numb Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 3,333

16th August 2005, 10:11 AM	#10
Bronze Dog Copper Alloy Canid Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 4,993	Welcome to the forum, Ketyk. Since you mentioned seeing John Edward doing things you don't know how to explain, here's a few links that might help: Cold Reading Hot Reading Subjective Validation Quote: Luckily, my parents and teachers taught my that because something cannot be immediate explained, it doesn't have an explanation. If I'm reading this correctly, your parents and teachers are right: Just because you don't know the explanation right away doesn't mean it's unexplanable. There was once a magician's trick I couldn't explain... until a few years had passed when a Randi lecture inspired me enough to come up with an explanation I had never even considered.
	__________________ Stop Sylvia Browne Warning: Beware of contaminated water supplies! Suspected source of contamination: Sarah-I A non-Rockstar Rambler and dissector of Doggerel

16th August 2005, 10:27 AM	#11
Katachresis Learning to Fly Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 2,423	magic Hi BronzeDog, Yeah, but the thing about magic is that it's fun to believe that the magician is breaking some physical law. I used to be amazed at the woman in 3 boxes, and she would have all kind of strange stuff done to her,(switching positions, having knives stuck in her). But when I found out how it was done, I was a little sad. I mean I knew it was fake, but there was something, well "Magical" about it, and that's not in itself a bad thing.

16th August 2005, 10:39 AM	#12
El_Spectre Lizard Scum Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,206	Hi Ketyk, welcome to the forums. On the subject of "betraying" faith, if you ever get a chance, you should check out Julia Sweeney's monologue "Letting Go of God". It's about her turn from Catholic to Secular Humanist... not an easy thing to do, it's really touching and (in parts) surprisingly funny. I NEVER cry at movies or anything, and seeing it live made me tear up, out of sympathy for the tough position she was in. One of these months it'll come out on audio/video, and she performs it occassionally. Just a recommendation Enjoy the forums!
El_Spectre Lizard Scum Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,206	__________________ Faith: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel. - Ambrose Bierce Question your argument if you must mock your opponent to make it... Step 1 in helping spread the skeptical way of thinking: Don't be a jerk.

16th August 2005, 10:43 AM	#13
Bronze Dog Copper Alloy Canid Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 4,993	I suspect I always knew stage magic was trickery (or at least, I knew it as far back as I can remember), but I know what you mean: You should have seen me when my parents first told me cartoons weren't real. I love stage magic for the same reasons I love puzzles and videogames: It's an exercise in problem solving. You have to figure out how to get a particular end result with limited means. Mostly in magic that means doing something without getting caught. I favor street magicians overall, since they have to do the art without elaborate stage setups.
	__________________ Stop Sylvia Browne Warning: Beware of contaminated water supplies! Suspected source of contamination: Sarah-I A non-Rockstar Rambler and dissector of Doggerel

16th August 2005, 10:50 AM	#14
Luke T. Guest Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 14,708	Re: Re: Hello, Im a new memember Quote: Originally posted by Brown Sounds like the "CBS Radio Mystery Theater" hosted by E.G. Marshall and produced by Hy Brown. That's what I was thinking. I used to listen to it regularly when I was a teenager. Came on around 9 p.m. for an hour. I would sit in the kitchen and drink a hot cup of tea with a little AM radio. It was years later before I saw what E.G. Marshall looked like. In Stephen King's Creepshow. Of course, he has many other film credits to his name which pre-date Mystery Theater.
Luke T. Guest Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 14,708

16th August 2005, 10:53 AM	#15
Katachresis Learning to Fly Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 2,423	another sad day... Another sad day was the whole Santa Claus thing. I don't want to burst your bubble, but there is problem with the whole "every house by morning" thing, I mean think about it, and landing on the roof, my filthy rotten chimney....etc

16th August 2005, 11:01 AM	#16
Luke T. Guest Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 14,708	Re: another sad day... Quote: Originally posted by Ketyk Another sad day was the whole Santa Claus thing. I don't want to burst your bubble, but there is problem with the whole "every house by morning" thing, I mean think about it, and landing on the roof, my filthy rotten chimney....etc Santa has technology beyond our understanding. I'm sorry, but millions and millions and millions of people can't be wrong. There is just too much overwhelming evidence that Santa exists. We have hoofprints from the reindeer, the bicycle I asked for, and the missing cookies and milk. You are in serious denial, my friend.
Luke T. Guest Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 14,708

16th August 2005, 11:48 AM	#17
Ashles Pith Artist Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The '80s Posts: 8,692	Re: Re: another sad day... Quote: Originally posted by Luke T. I'm sorry, but millions and millions and millions of people can't be wrong. There is just too much overwhelming evidence that Santa exists. We have hoofprints from the reindeer Actually those hoofprints have been debunked. Turns out it was just a bigfoot kneeling down.
	__________________ With extraordinary few exceptions no educated person in the history of Western Civilization from the third century B.C. onward believed that the earth was flat. - Jeffrey Burton Russell It is obvious to any scientist that the bumblebee can fly because experiment proves it. - Zetie 1996

16th August 2005, 12:17 PM	#18
Luke T. Guest Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 14,708	memember I think we have a serendipitous coinage of a new term here, to serve as an adjunct to "woo-woo." memember (mee' mem ber) n. 1. A forumite who repeats nonsense they heard somewhere else to support their belief system. 2. One of a hundred monkeys. [From Modern English meme and member]
Luke T. Guest Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 14,708

20th August 2005, 06:50 PM	#19
billydkid Illuminator Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 4,917	Yes, sort of Quote: Originally posted by fowlsound Welcome to the forum. We all would be happy if those things were true, but there is no evidence. I appreciate and respoct your candor. Again, welcome and enjoy. In the abstract it would be cool if mystical, paranormal stuff were true, but there are so many unknowable implications if this sort of magical stuff were real. I suspect the universe would be uninhabitable if magical stuff were true. I suspect that existence would be unendurable and we would never be able to orient ourselves in the universe.
billydkid Illuminator Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 4,917

20th August 2005, 10:19 PM	#20
El_Spectre Lizard Scum Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,206	Re: Yes, sort of Quote: Originally posted by billydkid In the abstract it would be cool if mystical, paranormal stuff were true, but there are so many unknowable implications if this sort of magical stuff were real. I suspect the universe would be uninhabitable if magical stuff were true. I suspect that existence would be unendurable and we would never be able to orient ourselves in the universe. Bah... it works on the Discworld...
El_Spectre Lizard Scum Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,206	__________________ Faith: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel. - Ambrose Bierce Question your argument if you must mock your opponent to make it... Step 1 in helping spread the skeptical way of thinking: Don't be a jerk.

20th August 2005, 11:40 PM	#21
Soapy Sam Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 28,751	Quote: Originally posted by BronzeDog You should have seen me when my parents first told me cartoons weren't real. WHAT? (AGHAST SMILEY) Nothing more real than Bugs Bunny. (For a certain value of "Real").

20th August 2005, 11:53 PM	#22
Dogdoctor Canis Doctorius Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 14,786	Re: another sad day... Quote: Originally posted by Ketyk Another sad day was the whole Santa Claus thing. I don't want to burst your bubble, but there is problem with the whole "every house by morning" thing, I mean think about it, and landing on the roof, my filthy rotten chimney....etc Yeah and my house had no chimmney. It really wasn't sad for me since I still got the same gifts from Santa in all the following years. I sat up all night behind the sofa waiting for what I suspected would be my parents only to fall asleep in the early morning and upon awakening all the gifts were magically there. Darn then I had to wait another year for definitive proof. The tooth fairy was more fun I set a trap and got her to scream waking me up so I could see it was my mom.
	__________________

21st August 2005, 12:54 AM	#23
Dr Adequate Banned Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 17,766	Quote: Originally posted by clarsct We must seperate the wheat from the chaff. And science and critical thinking are our best ways to do so. So little wheat, though..... No. So heavy and so ripe the wheat. So little and so flimsy the chaff. And if some idiots think that threshing the grain is a pointless ritual rather than a necessary craft --- then I have badly overextended this metaphor. BTW: Welcome, Ketyk!
Dr Adequate Banned Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 17,766