Simon Paynton

@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]

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]

Thanks, Reg 🙂

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!

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

Ha! @Unseen

On QI once, Stephen Fry brought up the subject of ‘tmesis’ – a peculiar word that describes the insertion of a word into an existing word for descriptive emphasis.

Stephen Fry:- like abso-bloody-lutely, or un-fucking-believable.

Jo Brand:- or Scunthorpe

….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 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]

If the EU can grant Temporary Protection Directive status for 4.2 million Ukrainians, then surely the rich Arab nations can do the same for 2.2 million (or many more) Palestinians in their own countries?

Could it be that authoritarian regime like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, or the UAE just don’t want politically active populations, and Palestinians a…[Read more]

Again, they probably won’t connect the dots because of the horrors of “Hunter Biden’s Laptop” and trans-story hour.

What dots?

In the future, China will be dominant. The U.S. will be irrelevant??

RE the Alex O’Connor question…….what if he does murder the “potential” Christian an hour before his conversion therefore sending him to Hell for all eternity…..and then he (Alex) repents of his sins and becomes a Christian and then, one hour later, he also dies?

The non-believer sends a person to Hell, just as victim was about to become a…[Read more]

@_Robert_  I posted this in Sunday School at the time….. 🙂

Kentucky Noah’s Ark sues insurance company over damage caused by heavy rains

This scientist’s reply to a YEC (from Northern Ireland and who thinks the world is 6k years old) is a classic.