Nerdy Keith

@Simon – In many cultures, morality is subconsciously equated with the prevention of harm. When someone is perceived as “immoral,” they’re often assumed to be capable of causing harm, either emotionally, physically, or spiritually. In moral psychology harm/care is one of the foundational pillars of moral judgment. Moral Foundations Theory covers…[Read more]

Speaking of Poe, he is a total one-off, no other poet coming close to being even vaguely like him. For me, much as I love The Raven and Annabel Lee, my favorite poem by Poe is “Alone” (his quotes, and the only time he framed a poem’s title in them). It’s unlike his other poems in terms of being so deeply reflective.

“Alone”

From childhood’s h…[Read more]

Simon, I would be opinionated and confrontational. My opinions are “strong” but they are loosely held. I am open to changing them if and when I am persuaded to do so. For me there is no such thing as negative feedback. I am not looking for a pat on the back for holding them. I have no allegiance to them and will discard them whenever I am…[Read more]

@Enco

I don’t know what it’s like to be you and vice versa. Sometimes, I don’t even know what it’s like to be me.

At the same time, I do wonder what it feels like to be this or that animal. I know my cat about as well as I know any person and sometimes I think we understand each other, sometimes we obviously don’t.

What’s it like being an octopus, having a brain like you and me but also another brain in each of its eight arms?

And what about squirrels, who are incredibly resourceful and capable of acrobatics that make cats and monkeys stare in abject wonder.

And what about prairie dogs, the only animals science…[Read more]

TheEncogitationer wrote:
So you can’t be a man if you don’t smoke the same incense as them?

Why not join the Marines or Navy Seals? Oh, maybe it has to do with meeting chicks. Shoulda known.

Apropos of nothing in particular. Just some Sunday morning fun:

One of the hardest words to rhyme with is “poetry.”
Poets flop when the give it a goetry.
Long have they struggled,
But mostly they’ve bungled.
The wordsmiths mostly give up in woe-etry.

How to fix the American healthcare system.

Sunday School is dismal, is it not?

Sometimes I think I should change the focus away from Evangelicals and Bad Science but we can only tackle what we know about. I think there is a global denialism of the reality of Climate Change. It is not some future event but it is happening everywhere already. It could be that the general swing towards right…[Read more]

Have  a great week everyone!

Speaking of therapists, did anyone ever notice that one space turns “therapist” into “the rapist”?

Also on QI…..If aspiring writers need a new pen they could buy one from Pen Island at http://www.penisland.com or if you need a therapist then you can find one listed on http://www.therapist.com

_Robert_ wrote:
If a seagull flies over the sea, what flies over the bay?

If gents are found in the gentry, …country.

….traditional Jewish bagel, lox, onion, and cream cheese…..

Lox arrived today so I will get some fresh bagels on the way home…..You might consider trying it with Masala Chai?

I will make them for my walk tomorrow. It might not sound the most appealing but when you sit down after a few hours walking (hiking) and taste it, it will be the…[Read more]

that lox looks outstandingly outstanding...

Yes, absolutely. It is the “real deal“. To the point of making you miss it any time you have lox from any other source. With lemon, freshly milled black pepper….and maybe a few drops of Tabasco (yes, the one at the back of the shelf). I have a friend who gets it shipped to his house in Alameda, CA on…[Read more]

A lot of lox for sale…..and maybe some tariff free whiskey’s on sale in the USA? Go on, make the horses pay for it 🙂

It is kind of amazing that there is not more resentment of Brits as it relates to the Irish. The shit during the famine was so damn cold.

I don’t recall ever hearing an Irish person bearing any ill will toward “the Brits” over the famine. There have been incidents involving “soccer hooliganism” but no reason is ever needed by the perpetrators to…[Read more]

If you’re English and you go to Ireland, it’s well to mind your manners.

An English friend of mine came to visit me in Ireland one summer (circa July 1991). We had shared a squat house together in London. He was looking forward to drinking a “skinful of real Irish Guinness”. I brought him to a traditional Irish bar (not a tourist one 😊) which w…[Read more]

The demographic time bomb that will consume China and is coming our way if we don’t do something may have a solution, and Peter Zeihan thinks he knows who will point the way.

The creation of Israel/Palestine borders (via the Balfour Declaration) and the partition of Ireland into Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were both outcomes of British imperial decisions, and both have resulted in prolonged, identity-driven conflicts. However, they differ in origins, religious dynamics, international dimensions, and…[Read more]