Greetings, my hopefully happy friends.
My name is Jamie, and I'd love to say it's great to be here, but this time I am reserving judgment. Fool me once...
Im 50 years old, recently retired as an airline pilot. Father of 3 grown children, husband to an amazing wife. Besides civilian aviation I served as a pilot in the united states air force for 8 years, and as a deputy sheriff here in my native Texas, just as a bucket list item. The department worked with my airline schedule for 8 years. I have a masters degree in herpetology, of all things. Long story.
I've been an atheist since the age of 12 or so. Raised a laid-back methodist, it wasn't long before the lack of logic, much less proof, caused me to question religion.
Ive never sought out other atheists before about 2 weeks ago. I came across the atheist forum, and decided to join to see what it was like. I spent most of a day there, made a number of interesting new friends, and was very satisfied with my new peer group.
Then I made some offhand comment that let them know I was a republican conservative. Within minutes the judgement and hatred and abuse reached epic heights...it was amazing. I told them goodbye and left the forum.
I had never realized atheism was political, nor had I realized it was predominantly liberal. I just wanted to have conversations without an imaginary friend present...that's it!
So, against my better judgment, here I am at another forum.
So...hi guys!
Greetings, IF, let's hope you have a better experience here!
Being an apolitical Brit with a cynical view of all politicians, never believe what they say - just what they do, I can claim a sort of neutrality!
But, if you are a Trump supporter I might wonder why.
Hi Jamie - Welcome!
I lived in the DFW area for about 10 years. Must be a challenge to be an atheist there.
Lots of folks of all types here. Most are pretty friendly. (I'm even a theist, and still here!)
On politics, I'm usually a Democrat, but have friends of all types.
Trump's an interesting animal. I truly can't understand why anyone would vote for him. But in the USA, that's how we're setup. Understanding is nice, but it's the votes that count.
Hope you enjoy your time here,
JoeActor
Sorry but you are not allowed to view spoiler contents.
[/spoiler]
Ahem. Now that we've got that out of the way, hello and welcome to HAF,
imaginaryfriendless. :blue smiley:
Over the years we've had people of various political persuasions here; at least one current American member generally expresses what I perceive to be conservative political opinions, and there are probably a couple Europeans who are more or less right wing. Then again I think that the average European conservative and their American counterpart will disagree on many topics.
It's been my experience that the majority of atheists who bother to get together online tend to be left wing, but I've come across a few who confidently promote values that I consider right wing. Given the rules and ethos of this site, I hope that while many here will disagree with your political views, your expression of them will get polite responses.
Many members of my immediate family (six; four brothers & two sisters) are in the Air Force or are retired Air Force, including one bomber pilot, so we at least have something besides our atheism in common. ;)
Anyway, this is a rather small site and abusive posting is right out (in fact, it's been said that HAF is "over moderated") so if you can tolerate disagreement, I think you'll get along fine. Time will tell.
Meanwhile, some threads you might find interesting:
Where did you get your username from? (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=5133.0)
10 Things About Yourself (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=4940.0)
Tell us A Bit About Where You're From (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=8215.0)
Photography (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=7607.0)
Non-religious pet peeves (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=6917.0)
Pets...what do you have? (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=7.0)
How to tell your family you are an atheist (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=5111.0)
"Rules for Conducting a Discussion" by Dr. Mortimer J. Adler (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=5631.0)
. . . And of course, the Forum Rules (http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=1522.0).
I hope you enjoy your time reading and posting here! :welcome:
A pilot, you say? That's cool.
A Professional opinion, if you don't mind; in the case of Malaysian flight 370, it's been stated/speculated/insert-proper-verb that the cause of it going dwn may have been pilot suicide. To me, it just seems unlikely by virtue of utter inefficiency. I compare it a bit to letting your car run out of gas in the middle of nowhere before plunging it into a mountainside. Why do it that way rather than just bloody well driving into the first cliff you see?
Also, are there not safeguards for such instances? Those aircraft do pretty much can fly themselves after all, can they not? Probably silly questions, but still... there they are, and the friendly Wiki is kind of silent on those issues. Also, it's likely politically incorrect to start talking about planes going down immediately upon first meeting a pilot, but you DID survive it and politically incorrect is sort of what I do around here.
But I digress. Welcome to HaF!
Hello, Gloucester!
Well...out of the frying pan and into the fire. Once more into the breech, dear friends.
I'm a native Texan. I grew up on our family cattle ranch in extreme west Texas. 240,000 acres of cattle and land that tried to kill you. It was a great way to grow up.
Texas is a gun culture. We don't think about it any more than you think about your shoes, or your wallet. We believe in the right to protect ourselves and our loved ones and our property. Is my truck worth a human life? Yes. I can hear the liberals fainting...but that life made a choice to try to steal my property- nobody forced their hand. I'm not a shoot first kind of person, so if I shoot someone, I had no choice, but in Texas you do not have to claim your life was in danger to use deadly force. You have the right to protect your property. I like that. Liberals HATE that.
I grew up with guns. So did my children. I have a large gun collection, because I love the machines, the history, the harsh reality. I bonded with my father, and with my friends, with hunting and shooting sports. We NEVER think of guns as a means to kill people, unless during training and practice for self defense or when in a real situation. The vast majority of the time I think about guns the way you probably think about your cell phone. By the way, cell phones kill more people annually in the US than guns. Look it up.
My children earned their concealed carry permits as they hit 21. They always have a gun on them, as do I and my wife- most of my extended family, all of my friends. I have a very large gun collection and a 300 yard shooting range here on my ranch. My kids grew up with guns. I'm a master gunsmith, and my kids are all apprentice smiths...they can all handle complete disassembly/reassembly of just about any firearm you can name, as well as make repairs. Yet in over 40 years of gun handling and ownership, I have never had an accident, nor an accidental discharge, of any type. I don't know anyone personally who has had an accident, either. I did work two, during my 8 years as a deputy sheriff. One was a kid who shot his father in the leg with a .22 accidentally, and one was a 15 year old kid who got his father's pistol out of the safe and shot himself in the head...whether accident or suicide we could not determine. That's it. Accidents happen, but they are rare, despite what the media reports.
Hillary wants to deny me this part of my culture. The media warps everything towards a liberal view, and people blame the gun instead of looking at the real problems. I don't think this is freedom...and this is just one example of the type of government intervention many liberals seem to be after. Less is more- Texans just want to be free to do what they want, and to be left alone. I couldn't possibly care less if my actions hurt your feelings- that's your problem. Leave. Walk away. But if my actions cause you physical harm or impede YOUR right to freedom, then the government should step in. Political correctness is ridiculous- grow up.
I realize I am generalizing, and not all liberals feel the same way about everything. I'm basing this on campaign remarks and past history.
I think Trump is a TERRIBLE choice for president. BUT. There's always a but.
Obama has done a great deal of damage, divided us racially like no force in history, and set up subsidies and bailouts that are coming due- our financial state is beginning to get frightening. Anyone who understands the US economy sees the writing on the wall. Whoever the next president is, is going to take the blame. Let Trump take it!
Besides scapegoat, Trump is an egotistical maniac. So is Hillary, but Trump is a billionaire used to getting his way. Where a "normal" president would slowly begin making changes to Obama and Bush's mess, trying desperately not to upset the applecart, Trump will flip that cart into the Atlantic. He will make radical changes, cause huge disruptions, I have little doubt. It will be painful. But then, birth always is.
Because after 4 years, hopefully, we will see a worthy candidate, who can come in and put some polish on Trump's raw work, and get the US back where it need to be, with no apologies.
Will all this work? Hell, I don't know. If nothing else, it'll be entertaining.
One thing to consider, is that if Hillary wins, I give revolution a 75% chance of occurring. There is ALOT of anger out there, and the angry folks are conservatives, who own most of the guns and comprise most of the military. Speaking as a man who has been shot at- and indeed even shot- Go Trump!
My problems with the Dems go far beyond gun control- this is just an easy topic everyone is familiar with. Basically, for me, it comes down to nothing more than freedom. What gives you the right to tell me what I can and can't do? Piss off. Let us decide, as a state, how we want to live. The federal government should be small and essentially powerless on its own, as our forefathers intended.
So, I'm a nut. Should I pack again? :o
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 27, 2016, 08:17:10 PM
By the way, cell phones kill more people annually in the US than guns. Look it up.
This sounds objectionable, but...
Quote
Is my truck worth a human life? Yes. I can hear the liberals fainting...
...this gun-control supporter also seconds the above motion.
Hi Asmodean!
Well, it's a tough call.I worked accident investigation for awhile, and it's always so difficult to determine cause if it isn't equipment/structural failure documented by the flight recorder.
I haven't studied that particular accident in any detail, but from the little I know...it's probably unanswerable. An oxygen/pressurization problem put everyone to sleep? Who knows. While the plane is capable of flying itself to a degree, there are limits- and the plot tells the plane what he wants it to do, so it's not like autonomous control. I have no idea how Malaysian aircraft are equipped or maintained, outside of the required gear for operating in foreign airspace.
FAA guidelines would likely have prevented the accident, because as much as I have cursed them, they actually do a good job, particularly with part 121 (airline) carriers. Numerous safeguards are in place, redundancies required, reporting required, etc...while anything is possible, I would tend to believe- possibly with American arrogance- that the system Malaysian air uses allowed whatever occurred to occur. I have flown a lot internationally, and in my experience many countries, for some reason often asian countries, have a lackadaisical attitude towards regulations in aviation.
I can't give you a cogent answer, really...I just believe- and hope I'm correct- that our system would have prevented the accident.
I remember an accident my father told me about during the Korean war. He flew F-86's during that conflict, and a bomber (friendly, although I don't remember if he told me the type) flew off into the sunset, basically. He and his wingman tried to figure out why, and it appeared the crew was asleep. They fired their canons, buzzed the cockpit, even nudged a wing trying to wake them, but in the end it just flew on until in eventually impacted the water. Oxygen system failure was suspected.
Like anything statistical, Asmodean, there is some room for interpretation, but a study in 2014 determined that fatal accidents caused by texting and driving or other cell phone related distractions outnumbered gun deaths, discounting military actions. I think I can find it, it was a reputable study. Of course you can modify the parameters a bit and get any answer you please, which is what is wrong with statistics in politics, lol...but it's enough to make a point, I think.
Hello Recusant and Joeactor! Thank you. I hope I'm not too objectionable...most native Texans are pretty opinionated, our reputation is deserved.
Am I posting correctly? It seems like you should be able to place the post under the one you're answering...I'm not exactly a forum wizard!
Slow down, IF!
You must have had a really lousy experience in that last forum.
I asked out of the spirit of enquirey, you cannot understand anyone until you have an idea of his or her motivations and values.
Even as an ex-serviceman who fully believes that punishment should reflect the crime fully and explicitly - I have nothing against the death sentence for what you might csll 1st degree murder, providing the evidence is 100% solid.
However I cannot conceive of the mindset of a "nation", and Texas almost is one in some ways, that considers guns as daily accessories for going out. To me it does seem crazy, more likely to get you killed than protected. But thst is only a viewpoint from over the pond, where thise how carry guns, without an officual uniform and badge, are 99% criminals.
In any crowded area, and Europe is very crowded compared to America, the indiscriminate use of gu s vouldvresult in many innocent casualties. We have mors use of guns by ISIS supporters now, but I cannot see how - say in a criwded dance hall - half the dancers shooting back, to "pritect" themselves coukd rssult in anything other than a wirse massacre.
OK, where a family trains their kids in gun safety one hopes those kids keep as cool a head as any special services operator if involved in a shooting situation. But is gun discipline that good amongst all civilians? How many gun related accidents happen? How many kids accidentally kill someone?
There are many other points in your post and I will not attempt to cover all of them. I just feel for the choice you guys have to make over your leadership, more like being between a pit and a quicksand than the usual simile.That, combined with our own uncertain future in the UK almost makes me glad of my 71 years and less worried about my cardiac condition!
Added later: looks like some of my points were dealt with while I was composing. Ignore as applicable.
Actually, your answer does clear things up a bit. Thank you.
Yes, I do suspect that some airlines do have their fleet get by on the bare minimums of what the least amount of money can buy and still be legal, and I do suspect that that might have been a contributiong factor in the disappearance of Flight 370. We may well never know, but I must admit I'm kind of fascinated by that one.
I brought it up because in recent days, the Norwegian media have been buzzing about the pilot suicide angle of the story again, citing sources that claim that the pilot in question simulated such a "dead-end" route in a flight simulator earlier. I'm a bit on the "yeah. And?" fence in regard to that, because while never having flown anything except an occasional ATV, snowmobile or water skis (VERY embarrassing) I'm not exactly new to the subject of suicide and experience tells me that when one is that serious about it, one takes the most efficient route within the immediate reach. Flying a quarter-way around the globe... Is not it.
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 27, 2016, 08:34:06 PM
While the plane is capable of flying itself to a degree, there are limits- and the plot tells the plane what he wants it to do, so it's not like autonomous control.
This I find interesting. I'm one of those who applaude this approach, actually, because until we develop viable AI with a fair approximation of an intuitive component, I appreciate my plane being operated by someone who can improvise in a pinch. Stories like the Hudson landing and the Gimli glider come to mind as good examples of what I mean.
Still, if one reads up on the subject of commersial piloting in layman's terms and layman's tabloids, one is inevitably led to believe that pilots are more or less there just to keep an eye on the flight computer and take control if and when needed. That not being entirely the case is.... Well, good, really.
Quote
FAA guidelines would likely have prevented the accident, because as much as I have cursed them, they actually do a good job, particularly with part 121 (airline) carriers. Numerous safeguards are in place, redundancies required, reporting required, etc...while anything is possible, I would tend to believe- possibly with American arrogance- that the system Malaysian air uses allowed whatever occurred to occur. I have flown a lot internationally, and in my experience many countries, for some reason often asian countries, have a lackadaisical attitude towards regulations in aviation.
I do not think it's at all arrogant to think the way you do on this matter. The more personal safety and longevity oriented cultures just do more to facilitate exactly those things. I happen to share that priority to the extent of not wanting my tech to kill me without my expressed permission.
Quote
I remember an accident my father told me about during the Korean war. He flew F-86's during that conflict, and a bomber (friendly, although I don't remember if he told me the type) flew off into the sunset, basically. He and his wingman tried to figure out why, and it appeared the crew was asleep. They fired their canons, buzzed the cockpit, even nudged a wing trying to wake them, but in the end it just flew on until in eventually impacted the water. Oxygen system failure was suspected.
Wow... I assume they did not have those masks that pop out of the ceiling to be spotted by a nearby aircraft so as to confirm that situation..? In any case, one would think a modern commercial aircraft would automatically pick up its satellite phone and start dialing if something like that happened... but they don't, do they?
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 27, 2016, 08:44:16 PM
Hello Recusant and Joeactor! Thank you. I hope I'm not too objectionable...most native Texans are pretty opinionated, our reputation is deserved.
Our most prolific Christian member is from Texas. He's also very well liked here. :)
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 27, 2016, 08:44:16 PMAm I posting correctly? It seems like you should be able to place the post under the one you're answering...I'm not exactly a forum wizard!
Your posting technique seems to be fine. :computerwave:
Not sure what you're getting at with the second part, but I'll take a shot at answering anyway. The "Quote" button you'll find in the top right of each post will take you to a "Post Reply" box with the post you're answering already quoted. You'll then be able to type your reply below the quoted post.
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 27, 2016, 08:39:00 PM
Like anything statistical, Asmodean, there is some room for interpretation, but a study in 2014 determined that fatal accidents caused by texting and driving or other cell phone related distractions outnumbered gun deaths, discounting military actions. I think I can find it, it was a reputable study. Of course you can modify the parameters a bit and get any answer you please, which is what is wrong with statistics in politics, lol...but it's enough to make a point, I think.
That is, in fact, not at all unlike what I meant by "objectionable." How many secondary, tertiary and so on causes were included on both sides of the issue? How do they comapre?
...Yes, if you are so inclined, I would actually like to read that study.
LOL Gloucester...in reading back, I'm probably daring anyone to take offense, subconsciously. Thanks for pointing that out. The last forum I was in...was so disappointing. I am recovering from hernia surgery, so I have a lot of time on my hands, and I spent a day getting to know folks there, and liking them- as far as I could tell it was reciprocated. Towards the end, something came up about immigration, I can't even remember the exact comment, it was nothing to me, but...all of these new "friends" turned on me like rabid wolverines. I didn't see it coming, and it was...disappointing. Let's just stick with disappointing.
What bothered me is that I'm not intolerant of other views- I just have my own. Your opinions don't threaten me, and I didn't expect mine to threaten/offend them. Like I said, I'm new to forums in general, and I was completely unaware that atheists and liberals were essentially synonymous!
As for "indiscriminate gunfire"...that's a common misconception that non-gun people often have. Anyone trained to shoot- and I firmly believe anyone who owns a gun should be- is taught to clear the area behind the target. Wait for an opportunity to fire, because if you miss what are you going to hit?
Nobody with even elementary training is going to spray bullets into a crowd. I've never seen it happen, except on TV or by the "bad guys".
Speaking from experience, I think you will find that while some people here may find some less-than-live-and-let-prosper ideas distasteful, if anyone does do the rabid wolverine routine here, it's as often as not me on the "controversial" side of the issue in question, and I can actually be reasoned with using... Reason, cold and unyielding, among other things.
When it comes to gun control, I'm for it being strict. However, I'm not a resident of the United States and in Norway, where gun control is indeed relatively strict, if you DO want 20-or-so guns, you can still legally have them. There are just memberships that must be held and hoops that must be jumped through for that. Carrying guns in public areas though, I am against. Same goes for stabbing weapons. Of course it will not stop a murderous psychopath from doing his thing, but nothing will and it will make it a little harder. In fact, it does take quite some effort to obtain a functioning illegal firearm in Oslo, unless you already know who to talk to, and then some more to get it loaded. Our system works for us. If yours works for you, then who are we to say otherwise?
Quote from: Recusant on July 27, 2016, 08:58:58 PM
Not sure what you're getting at with the second part
Facebook-style indented replies following immediately after the answered post, I suspect.
[image removed due to potential third party privacy/copyright issues. -Asmodean] Just look at facebook for an example if unclear. :)
No, we have the quotation system for that.
EDIT: Also, apparently, the Asmo just slapped The Asmo with a dose of mod-red. In my biased opinion, it says relatively good things about the fairness of moderating around here. ;)
No probs, IF, I do not find you objectionable at all. Crazy to want to live in a gun culture? Well, if you was brung up that way . . .
I enjoyed target shooting in the RAF and, though I had to ride shotgun (literally sometimes, US made "riot guns" IIRC, most often old WW2 "Sten guns", neither accurate or terribly safe) and stand guard during the Greeks versus Turks versus UN fracas in 1960s Cyprus.Luckily I never had to do more than "stand ready".
The local militia were more likely to shoot each other, mostly teenagers with two weeks training. A nervous kid with a gun is very dangerous to everyone. Oh, forgot, I was only 18-19 at the time, but I had a tad more training and discipline from true professionals in tbe trade.
Since then I have only owned a .410 shotgun msde from an old Lee-Enfiekd .303. Over choked it was a great pigeon and rat gun! Earned its keep in ammo from local fsrmers so I got free soort! Long gone, sold it to my boss.
Still, if one reads up on the subject of commersial piloting in layman's terms and layman's tabloids, one is inevitably led to believe that pilots are more or less there just to keep an eye on the flight computer and take control if and when needed. That not being entirely the case is.... Well, good, really.
First, sorry for the delay- I'm on satellite internet in rural Texas and the storm we just had knocked me back to 1985 for a few minutes. Internet has returned ::)
Thank you, Recusant, that was exactly the info I needed!
Now, Asmodean- airplanes and autonomy.
Basically, setting the aircraft up is simple. Depending on the system, most navigation systems/flight directors these days are designed to use legs, say from the departure point to a nav beacon or airway intersection, called waypoints. From this point to the next, to the next, etc. Only very short flights are usually cleared from departure to destination, direct- or possibly flights in low traffic areas. Even though GPS gives us the ability to nav from one airport directly to another, aircraft are given routings on establish airways. Several reasons exist- to control the flow of traffic converging onto an airport, for instance, and also to give the pilot options in case of equipment failure. If you're flying cross country via gps and the gps fails, you have no idea where you are. If using the gps to navigate airways- well, airways are navigated by several means, from loran to VOR beacons to the now just-about-defunct NDB beacons, outer markers, DME fixes, etc...in other words, ground-based navigation beacons independent of the gps. so if it fails, you are still on the highway and now can navigate by street signs.
This also allows procedures to be in place in case aircraft lose the power to communicate in bad weather.
So, pilots must have complete control of the systems and must be able to modify the parameters pretty much at will. While the system can fly from one waypoint to the next and onto the next, etc, and even ultimately autoland, if so equipped, there are many limitations. One common one is turbulence- in extreme weather, turbulence will cause the autopilot to disengage. The system needs a fail safe- the pilot must be able to wrestle control of the aircraft from the autopilot in case of malfunction, so it is designed to relinquish command. It basically can't tell the difference between turbulence and a pilot attempting to take over.
We aren't quite to pilotless aircraft yet...and my bank account is certainly pleased by that, lol
Hello and welcome to HAF, imaginaryfriendless!
Thank you, xSilverPhinx! Very nice folks so far...I'm looking forward to some glorious arguments, ;)
Welcome, imaginaryfriendless. :computerwave:
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 27, 2016, 10:22:19 PM
We aren't quite to pilotless aircraft yet...and my bank account is certainly pleased by that, lol
While I find technology fascinating, I think most airline passengers, myself among them, are also pretty pleased by that.
I suppose it makes sense that the autopilot is designed to relinquish control. I'm just thinking that the opposite would be good in some cases, such as mass unconsciousness due to oxygen deprivation or the like. I can see how that could be very difficult to design well though, and let's face it; air travel is one of the safest modes of transportation around as it is.
On an additional note , if you want to put a piece of text you copy into your post in a quotation frame, it's the speech bubble button that does that. You can also put the quoted text between the quotation tags manually, like this:
[quote]Insert quoted text here[/quote]
[quote author=Name Nameson]This version attributes the quote to Name Nameson[/quote]
Then your post would look something like this:
QuoteInsert quoted text here
(Your answer here)
Quote from: Name NamesonThis version attributes the quote to Name Nameson
(Answer to the next point, and so on)
Thank you, Magdalena!
On an additional note , if you want to put a piece of text you copy into your post in a quotation frame, it's the speech bubble button that does that. You can also put the quoted text between the quotation tags manually, like this:
Thank you Asmo, I just kind of liked the glow, unless it has connotations I'm unaware of?
The redundancy built into the system in case of LOC or illness is supposed to be the fellow in the right hand seat, known as the first officer. Except under very strict circumstances, an F.O. is always required. Some business jets have an "SP" or single pilot, rating...they have to have specific equipment onboard- basically a much more capable autopilot- and any pilot wishing to fly sans FO must take specific training to do so.
Quote from: Recusant on July 27, 2016, 07:48:12 PM
Sorry but you are not allowed to view spoiler contents.
[/spoiler]
Ahem. Now that we've got that out of the way, hello and welcome to HAF, imaginaryfriendless. :blue smiley:
Question:
What does this mean? :eyebrow:
I haven't the foggiest idea!
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 27, 2016, 11:29:01 PM
Thank you Asmo, I just kind of liked the glow, unless it has connotations I'm unaware of?
Not at all. We try to reserve bright red text for moderator comments, but except for that, your style is your own. ;)
Quote
The redundancy built into the system in case of LOC or illness is supposed to be the fellow in the right hand seat, known as the first officer. Except under very strict circumstances, an F.O. is always required. Some business jets have an "SP" or single pilot, rating...they have to have specific equipment onboard- basically a much more capable autopilot- and any pilot wishing to fly sans FO must take specific training to do so.
Something tells me it may be uncommon among commercial pilots to even want to fly long haul solo though..? There are advantages to copilots beyond the operational ones, such as bathroom and/or food breaks and friendly conversation. Underestimated, those things should not be.
Something tells me it may be uncommon among commercial pilots to even want to fly long haul solo though..? There are advantages to copilots beyond the operational ones, such as bathroom and/or food breaks and friendly conversation. Underestimated, those things should not be.
Well, after 22 years in the tiny office with the great view, I can tell you that some FO's are worse than being alone, lol. I have made lifelong friends in that right seat as well, though.
As a fighter pilot, we despised the idea of a second pilot or nav/bombardier aboard- at least publicly. It's an image thing. That's why that second fellow in 2 seat tactical birds generally received a less-than-flattering designation, like GIB (guy in back)
As a young pilot, in college, I had a job delivering (ferrying) large turboprop aircraft (primarily King Airs) from south Texas to Bangor, Maine for ferry tanks- additional fuel tanks- and then over the northern route (Reykjavik, Shannon, Istanbul) to Turkey, and occasionally south Africa. The company was too cheap to pay for two pilots, and many is the rough weather approach to Reykjavik that I wished for an FO.
So from a pilot's point of view, it's not black and white. But from a safety standpoint it's inarguable, which makes it even more puzzling when cargo or delivery companies won't spring for that right seater.
Quote from: joeactor on July 27, 2016, 07:44:23 PM
(I'm even a theist, and still here!)
Seriously, I didn't know that.
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 27, 2016, 08:17:10 PM
Hello, Gloucester!
Well...out of the frying pan and into the fire. Once more into the breech, dear friends.
I'm a native Texan. I grew up on our family cattle ranch in extreme west Texas. 240,000 acres of cattle and land that tried to kill you. It was a great way to grow up.
I'm a native Texas, too. Central Texas for me. "Extreme West Texas" - Big Bend area? Close to El Paso? Or Panhandle??
Quote from: Magdalena on July 27, 2016, 11:29:31 PM
Quote from: Recusant on July 27, 2016, 07:48:12 PM
Sorry but you are not allowed to view spoiler contents.
[/spoiler]
Ahem. Now that we've got that out of the way, hello and welcome to HAF, imaginaryfriendless. :blue smiley:
Question:
What does this mean? :eyebrow:
It's a movie reference: Donald Sutherland from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." If you've never seen it, an explanation would be a plot spoiler. Also, explaining a joke ruins it, but I guess this one was so lame that there isn't really anything to be ruined.
Sorry but you are not allowed to view spoiler contents.
[/spoiler][/spoiler][/spoiler]
I'm a native Texas, too. Central Texas for me. "Extreme West Texas" - Big Bend area? Close to El Paso? Or Panhandle??
Way out, by Big Bend Ranch, and the town of Lajitas, in Brewster county...home of Clay Henry III 8)
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 28, 2016, 12:16:06 AM
Quote from: joeactor on July 27, 2016, 07:44:23 PM
(I'm even a theist, and still here!)
Seriously, I didn't know that.
Raised Roman Catholic, found my way to "Agnostic Theist" ;-)
The Donald Sutherland image is a meme. In this instance, imaginaryfriendless has outed himself as a conservative. He talked about the poor reception he got elsewhere. The Sutherland image was an attempt to play off that for humor. :jaded rimshot:[/spoiler]
AAHHHH....I HAVE SEEN IT, many times, although it's been awhile. Makes sense now, and even works, once you dust it off a bit. ;) ;D
Quote from: joeactor on July 28, 2016, 12:28:03 AM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 28, 2016, 12:16:06 AM
Quote from: joeactor on July 27, 2016, 07:44:23 PM
(I'm even a theist, and still here!)
Seriously, I didn't know that.
Raised Roman Catholic, found my way to "Agnostic Theist" ;-)
And here I was thinking you were a deist. :scratch:
Raised Roman Catholic, found my way to "Agnostic Theist" ;-)
Wow...I didn't know you could do that. Doesn't the priest lose his set of steak knives or something if a member of the flock departs? I was just a Methodist, it wasn't a big deal, but the big RC...those guys are serious, from what I've seen! I'll bet even a move to agnostic shook up friends and family!
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on July 28, 2016, 12:31:02 AM
Quote from: joeactor on July 28, 2016, 12:28:03 AM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 28, 2016, 12:16:06 AM
Quote from: joeactor on July 27, 2016, 07:44:23 PM
(I'm even a theist, and still here!)
Seriously, I didn't know that.
Raised Roman Catholic, found my way to "Agnostic Theist" ;-)
And here I was thinking you were a deist. :scratch:
That's what I thought too!
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 28, 2016, 12:25:44 AM
I'm a native Texas, too. Central Texas for me. "Extreme West Texas" - Big Bend area? Close to El Paso? Or Panhandle??
Way out, by Big Bend Ranch, and the town of Lajitas, in Brewster county...home of Clay Henry III 8)
Yeah, I saw him last year. He's a big goat voted mayor of the town. I like the restaurant at the resort. I also like Terlingua.
For those unfamiliar with Terlingua and Lajitas, the sun does strange things to the residents there.
My wife and I are spending a long weekend in Alpine in September. We may make it down your way.
Quote from: joeactor on July 28, 2016, 12:28:03 AM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 28, 2016, 12:16:06 AM
Quote from: joeactor on July 27, 2016, 07:44:23 PM
(I'm even a theist, and still here!)
Seriously, I didn't know that.
Raised Roman Catholic, found my way to "Agnostic Theist" ;-)
We are all agnostic, since none of us know for sure.
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 28, 2016, 01:15:21 AM
Quote from: joeactor on July 28, 2016, 12:28:03 AM
Raised Roman Catholic, found my way to "Agnostic Theist" ;-)
We are all agnostic, since none of us know for sure.
I would tend to agree, but there are a bunch of people who seem awfully sure ;-)
Hmmm... Deist you all say? That's one possibility.
Quote from: Recusant on July 28, 2016, 12:23:18 AM
Quote from: Magdalena on July 27, 2016, 11:29:31 PM
Quote from: Recusant on July 27, 2016, 07:48:12 PM
Sorry but you are not allowed to view spoiler contents.
[/spoiler]
Ahem. Now that we've got that out of the way, hello and welcome to HAF, imaginaryfriendless. :blue smiley:
Question:
What does this mean? :eyebrow:
It's a movie reference: Donald Sutherland from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." If you've never seen it, an explanation would be a plot spoiler. Also, explaining a joke ruins it, but I guess this one was so lame that there isn't really anything to be ruined.
Sorry but you are not allowed to view spoiler contents.
[/spoiler][/spoiler][/spoiler]
(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmemesvault.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FLaughing-Then-Crying-Gif-Tumblr-04.gif&hash=13880561093576c3b651c21474e3c6c635afe181)
That was a great answer, thank you.
My wife and I are spending a long weekend in Alpine in September. We may make it down your way.
I live over east of san Antonio these days, on a much more modest ranch.
I earned my masters degree from Sul Ross in Alpine, awesome town.
Yes, lajitas is...different. that goat has been mayor for...a very long time. Actually they covertly replaced him several times.
The texas desert does very strange things to folks. Ever park and watch the Marfa lights?
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 27, 2016, 06:01:24 PM
..., made a number of interesting new friends, and was very satisfied with my new peer group.
Then I made some offhand comment that let them know I was a republican conservative. Within minutes the judgement and hatred and abuse reached epic heights...it was amazing. I told them goodbye and left the forum.
I had never realized atheism was political, nor had I realized it was predominantly liberal. I just wanted to have conversations without an imaginary friend present...that's it!
...
Hi IF
In my experience over a few years and forums the majority of atheists that inhabit forums (which may be a self selecting audience and not representative of atheists in totality) are left leaning liberals. But there are plenty that aren't. You can express any opinion you like here. But ideas/opinions are not sacrosanct. But the member is. So "That's a fucking stupid idea." is just inside the line of acceptability while "You're a fucking idiot!" is too far.
Also if you're new to forums it's worth remembering your in a worldwide group and although we share an common language we don't share common values or upbringing. So we can all cause/take unconscious offence. If in doubt count to 10 and clarify what you or your interlocutor meant.
Welcome to HAF.
Regards
Chris
Thanks Chris!
I'm new to forums, but honestly, although I have strong opinions, I'm very tolerant of others- believe or not, airline captains have to be fairly accomplished diplomats, as do police officers. That's why the reaction at the other forum caught me so off guard, I had been very respectful of all of the views the others had shared with me, but the instant I went off book...whew! I was going to cut and paste a bit of it here, just to show how quickly and with how little provocation it went south, but I guess after I left they erased all evidence of my existence. I went back as a guest and everything was gone.
I believe liberals have good intentions, in most cases I simply don't think they have the experience necessary to understand the human condition as it applies to much of the world population, particularly that of the...less civilized?..nations, where life is cheaper. Their ideas would often be wonderful, if human nature weren't what it too often is. My comments on the other forum were tamer than this- but they concerned immigration, apparently quite the hot button topic over there. ::)
Appreciate the welcome, and I look forward to many future arguments.
Cheers!
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 28, 2016, 07:18:46 AM
Thanks Chris!
I'm new to forums, but honestly, although I have strong opinions, I'm very tolerant of others- believe or not, airline captains have to be fairly accomplished diplomats, as do police officers. That's why the reaction at the other forum caught me so off guard, I had been very respectful of all of the views the others had shared with me, but the instant I went off book...whew! I was going to cut and paste a bit of it here, just to show how quickly and with how little provocation it went south, but I guess after I left they erased all evidence of my existence. I went back as a guest and everything was gone.
I believe liberals have good intentions, in most cases I simply don't think they have the experience necessary to understand the human condition as it applies to much of the world population, particularly that of the...less civilized?..nations, where life is cheaper. Their ideas would often be wonderful, if human nature weren't what it too often is. My comments on the other forum were tamer than this- but they concerned immigration, apparently quite the hot button topic over there. ::)
Appreciate the welcome, and I look forward to many future arguments.
Cheers!
I think 95% of people have good intentions. It's the mechanisms they perceive as effective to achieve those intentions vary. And variation is good as it provides multiple solutions. Any how at work so need to press on!
I think 95% of people have good intentions. It's the mechanisms they perceive as effective to achieve those intentions vary. And variation is good as it provides multiple solutions. Any how at work so need to press on!
I'm not sure I agree with that figure...after 8 years as a police officer, I'd say a significant number of people's intentions are far less than altruistic. Downright self-serving, actually.
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 28, 2016, 09:38:34 PM
I think 95% of people have good intentions. It's the mechanisms they perceive as effective to achieve those intentions vary. And variation is good as it provides multiple solutions. Any how at work so need to press on!
I'm not sure I agree with that figure...after 8 years as a police officer, I'd say a significant number of people's intentions are far less than altruistic. Downright self-serving, actually.
Self selecting audience.
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 28, 2016, 09:38:34 PM
Downright self-serving, actually.
Constitutes good intentions with regard to self, no? ;)
Constitutes good intentions with regard to self, no? ;)
Hmm. Yes, that's true...it's not how I took Tank's comment though.
A lot of people think cops have issues because they deal with the dregs of society...that isn't really true. When a shithead acts like a shithead, we're in our comfort zone. When a gangbanger shoots at me, I'm ready for that- mentally, and I hope physically. Basically, everything is in it's place doing it's thing. No problem.
Where cops have problems is when "good" people- not the ones in the shithead category- do awful things. When a sweet grandmother chops her great granddaughter into pieces because her dog is hungry, a woman who raised a large family and never had even a traffic ticket...well, that's what gets to you. The idea that a cop sees a particular segment of society is false- we deal with all segments, and see depravity everywhere. That's when you start doubting...well, everything.
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 28, 2016, 09:38:34 PM
I think 95% of people have good intentions. It's the mechanisms they perceive as effective to achieve those intentions vary. And variation is good as it provides multiple solutions. Any how at work so need to press on!
I'm not sure I agree with that figure...after 8 years as a police officer, I'd say a significant number of people's intentions are far less than altruistic. Downright self-serving, actually.
I believe in helping others if I can and have found others mostly feel the same way. I have fallen a few times, due to medical problems, and there has rarely been a dirth of people wanting to help.
Now, altruism, another story. I am not altruistic, it actually makes me feel good to help others - so I have an internal reward system.
IF, one wonders if there is a link between your gun culture and the concern about "interfering" about another's situation. Not saying one might get shot but, unconciously at least, the possibility that a person is carrying an "aggressive instrument" might imply that the person is aggressive to some. Difficult for one in a non-gun culture to get a handle on the psychology over there. We can only go by the news and documented behaviour - but that is bound to have media or political bias of some sort.
On that basis America looks like a crazy country!
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 28, 2016, 10:15:58 PM
Where cops have problems is when "good" people- not the ones in the shithead category- do awful things. When a sweet grandmother chops her great granddaughter into pieces because her dog is hungry, a woman who raised a large family and never had even a traffic ticket...well, that's what gets to you. The idea that a cop sees a particular segment of society is false- we deal with all segments, and see depravity everywhere. That's when you start doubting...well, everything.
:watching:
Cognitive dissonance can be very uncomfortable.
IF, one wonders if there is a link between your gun culture and the concern about "interfering" about another's situation.
Actually, the cause of our way of thinking is well documented. You aren't too far off the mark, actually, although it has evolved into a much less confrontational system.
Back when the west was being settled, many people came out here because they were fleeing something in the civilized east. Anything and everything- fleeing from the authorities, overbearing families, bad situations, slavery, creditors, spouses, abusers, or just simply crowds- many people felt claustrophobic. So because of these varied reasons, many of which were illegal or embarrassing, it became impolite to inquire into one's background, beyond, at it's base level..."is he a good worker?"
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 28, 2016, 10:15:58 PM
Constitutes good intentions with regard to self, no? ;)
Hmm. Yes, that's true...it's not how I took Tank's comment though.
A lot of people think cops have issues because they deal with the dregs of society...that isn't really true. When a shithead acts like a shithead, we're in our comfort zone. When a gangbanger shoots at me, I'm ready for that- mentally, and I hope physically. Basically, everything is in it's place doing it's thing. No problem.
Where cops have problems is when "good" people- not the ones in the shithead category- do awful things. When a sweet grandmother chops her great granddaughter into pieces because her dog is hungry, a woman who raised a large family and never had even a traffic ticket...well, that's what gets to you. The idea that a cop sees a particular segment of society is false- we deal with all segments, and see depravity everywhere. That's when you start doubting...well, everything.
Wow! There is a whole load to read between the lines there, IF.
Please don't take offense, this is a world away from my experience of life on this side of the Pond.
To say that you are "-comfortable" with aggressive shitheads sounds bad. But I will read it as, "I know where I am when faced with aggression from an evidently aggressive person, the "rules of engagement" are clear." Fair enough, if someone points a gun at me I would like a gun to point back. Or, perhaps better, a bloody great sheet of boiler plate on wheels, sod the kevlar jacket!
Regarding the dear little granny with the chopper . . . Was she found insane by any chance? There is never any good ROE for such people.
Cognitive dissonance can be very uncomfortable.
Exactly right, SP...when a cat barks....
To say that you are "-comfortable" with aggressive shitheads sounds bad. But I will read it as, "I know where I am when faced with aggression from an evidently aggressive person, the "rules of engagement" are clear."
LOL..we really are worlds apart, aren't we? I love how the internet brings us together.
I didn't mean that my day was made when the shithead pulled a gun, G...rather that when the guy with the shaved head and the tattoos and the extensive criminal record and the sneer pulls a gun, I expect it, I am not surprised. Hopefully I have left myself enough advantage to win the confrontation.
When a 10 year old boy with a teddy bear and a smile takes a shot at me with a 9mm...well, we certainly TRY to be ready for that, but it's easy to be complacent and not expect that behavior from him. As SP said...cognitive dissonance.
I worked cases worse than granny cutting up her great granddaughter. For me, insanity is no excuse. Death by whatever means the state uses, and lets move on.
To my mind...if the person truly is insane, I don't want them living next to me, do you? Why should we pay for their room and board for life? They committed a cold blooded murder.
Let's say therapy actually worked and they were cured. (Trying not to laugh hysterically here) If they were ACTUALLY cured, could they live with themselves knowing they had chopped up their little grandchild? Probably not.
Crap...you got me started. Or I got me started. Sorry. :(
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 28, 2016, 10:15:58 PM
Where cops have problems is when "good" people- not the ones in the shithead category- do awful things. When a sweet grandmother chops her great granddaughter into pieces because her dog is hungry, a woman who raised a large family and never had even a traffic ticket...well, that's what gets to you. The idea that a cop sees a particular segment of society is false- we deal with all segments, and see depravity everywhere. That's when you start doubting...well, everything.
That's just it though isn't it? You don't call 911 when everything is going well. As a police officer you were trained and expected to deal with potentially violent situations constantly. Domestic disputes, crazy grannies, gang violence, suicidal people even car wrecks. Paramedics and EMT are likely just as susceptible to becoming jaded.
The men and women who choose these professions are on the front line everyday. They have coping mechanisms. Jokes. Friends. Family. They try to focus on all the good that is in their life but it ain't easy. It's when someone doesn't have a good support network that they fall into a desperate, dark cynicism.
The injustice of it is when people, who have no idea how much carnage and depravity police and medical professionals are exposed to everyday, begin to antagonize, scrutinize and judge those people for their seemingly nonchalant views regarding human life even though those professionals are out there everyday trying to protect life in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
The world has truly gone mad...yet again.
The world has truly gone mad...yet again.
Agreed! And not for the last time, I imagine.
People who live safe lives rarely understand graveyard humor...I've seen quite a few cases where a person gets highly offended and files complaints or even lawsuits because the cops or paramedics didn't know they were there, and were using this coping mechanism to deal with the situation. It does often sound callus and evil...but it's simply a way to live with what you have to do every day.
IF has written some interesting stuff. Back on page one of this thread he said that; "Obama has done a great deal of damage and divided us racially". I would be pleased to learn some of the details that support that allegation. IF appears to be an articulate person. I want to learn about these things for which I had not been previously aware. Not to start a pissing contest here, but I do take issue with that particular generality until I become more informed.
Obama has done a great deal of damage and divided us racially
Really? To be honest, if it isn't obvious I'm not sure I can help. In the last 5 years or so, it has become black vs white in a way unseen since the days of slavery. Obama constantly champions the poor black man being killed by whites, yet never mentions the poor black men being killed by blacks (much more common)
He attends the funerals of complete shitheads killed by police officers, because they are black. Yet he has NO COMMENT on innocent white officers gunned down by blacks.
He applauds- literally applauds- the actions of BLM, a terrorist outfit if there ever was one.
He has even used his authority to help divide us even further by sexual preference.
The evidence is very plain, but for some reason many liberals just want to continue making excuses for his behavior. It's taking us to a dark place, where I'd prefer not to go. But things aren't true or false depending on how much we really, really want them to be, I'm afraid.
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 29, 2016, 08:23:52 PM
Obama has done a great deal of damage and divided us racially
This looks dumb.
Quote from: imaginaryfriendlessReally? To be honest, if it isn't obvious I'm not sure I can help. In the last 5 years or so, it has become black vs white in a way unseen since the days of slavery.
Oh, bullshit. But I'd like to see you try to support it.
Quote from: imaginaryfriendlessObama constantly champions the poor black man being killed by whites, yet never mentions the poor black men being killed by blacks (much more common)
So it's OK for white cops to shoot unarmed black men as long as black people kill more black people?
Quote from: imaginaryfriendlessHe attends the funerals of complete shitheads killed by police officers, because they are black. Yet he has NO COMMENT on innocent white officers gunned down by blacks.
There is a lot of bullshit in there. I mean you're free to call all of them "shitheads" if you want to be a child about it, but you're clearly wrong when you say Obama has "NO COMMENT" on white officers being shot. Obama said that those officers where "contemptibly shot and killed over the weekend."
Quote from: imaginaryfriendlessHe applauds- literally applauds- the actions of BLM, a terrorist outfit if there ever was one.
Yeah, all those BLM guys going around and taking white people out of their own houses and murdering them on burning crosses... oh wait, that's not what's happening. For shits and giggles, why don't you let us all know how you define a terrorist organization.
Quote from: imaginaryfriendlessHe has even used his authority to help divide us even further by sexual preference.
Yeah, no. When people want to join in to get the same rights as the majority, it's not divisive to include them, it's divisive to exclude. You know, by the meaning of the word.
Quote from: imaginaryfriendlessThe evidence is very plain, but for some reason many liberals just want to continue making excuses for his behavior. It's taking us to a dark place, where I'd prefer not to go. But things aren't true or false depending on how much we really, really want them to be, I'm afraid.
Yeah, clearly. :lol: It's better to be progressive than regressive. If you think otherwise, then you wouldn't be using a computer to spread this bullshit.
LOL...ok. It's much like trying to convince someone there is or isn't a God, isn't it? I'm very secure in the evidence I have before me, just as you are secure in your evidence. Neither of us is going to convince the other. It's waste of time trying. We are all at the mercy of those who feed us the data we use to make our decisions. Sounds a lot like the Church, doesn't it?
No it's not much like that at all. Given reliable evidence, I am convinced. You made statements that were demonstrably false. If reality doesn't convince you, then I suppose there is no reaching you, which is a pitiful state for a person to find themselves in. If you think that your opinions are based solely off of what you were told, then you have a serious problem.
Funny...I had exactly the same thoughts about you. Demonstrate the falsehoods, please. With REAL evidence, not hyperbole, if you don't mind. I'm dying to see it.
You want me to do the footwork for your claims? Nice attempt to shift the burden of proof. All you have to do is support the claims that I challenged and answer the questions I asked.
Good LORD, Davin! Neither of us can prove ANYTHING, that is my ENTIRE point! You know nothing, I know nothing! We take it all on faith, based on the media! THAT IS MY POINT, CHUCKLEHEAD!
I meant "chucklehead" in a loving and endearing manner, of course.
So you're not going to defend your claims? Very well, I accept your ceding to my challenges.
Your mind is as closed as your eyes. Nothing I say permeates the thick wall of crap surrounding you. I give up. You win. All Hail Davin!
You haven't even tried, you gave up at the first sign that someone didn't accept your statements without question. Don't blame me because you failed.
I never intended to back those statements up..I just said I didn't like Hillary, and everyone should read this! That's it...I wanted to see if atheist's faith could be broken, which is so...oxymoronic (lol) it baffles me. Most liberals believe all the good about Hillary, and ignore the MOUNTAIN of bad, write it off as bullshit. Why? They CANNOT POSSIBLY know the truth. No Way. Period. It's all faith.
I think you forgot which thread you're trolling.
Does it matter? I'm talking to you, although for the life of me I can't figure out why...
This and the other two threads have new homes. It's an experiment.
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 29, 2016, 10:46:54 PM
Does it matter?
It depends on your purpose. It matters to me because I'm trying to have a conversation and mixing up two different conversations ruins both. If it doesn't matter to you, then the conversation doesn't matter to you.
Quote from: imaginaryfriendlessI'm talking to you, although for the life of me I can't figure out why...
Sounds like you have some things to work out.
Quote from: Davin on August 01, 2016, 02:21:33 PM
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 29, 2016, 10:46:54 PM
Does it matter?
It depends on your purpose. It matters to me because I'm trying to have a conversation and mixing up two different conversations ruins both. If it doesn't matter to you, then the conversation doesn't matter to you.
Quote from: imaginaryfriendlessI'm talking to you, although for the life of me I can't figure out why...
Sounds like you have some things to work out.
All I can add is I am glad we do not have the likes of him regularky carrying a gun in the UK. And especially not with the aythority of a police officer.
Quote from: Gloucester on August 01, 2016, 02:26:00 PM
Quote from: Davin on August 01, 2016, 02:21:33 PM
Quote from: imaginaryfriendless on July 29, 2016, 10:46:54 PM
Does it matter?
It depends on your purpose. It matters to me because I'm trying to have a conversation and mixing up two different conversations ruins both. If it doesn't matter to you, then the conversation doesn't matter to you.
Quote from: imaginaryfriendlessI'm talking to you, although for the life of me I can't figure out why...
Sounds like you have some things to work out.
All I can add is I am glad we do not have the likes of him regularky carrying a gun in the UK. And especially not with the aythority of a police officer.
Maybe they will take care of themselves...
(https://media.giphy.com/media/cN8kKYdPywMSI/giphy.gif)
Quote from: Gloucester on August 01, 2016, 02:26:00 PMAll I can add is I am glad we do not have the likes of him regularky carrying a gun in the UK. And especially not with the authority of a police officer.
We got only a small sample of this fellow's thinking, written over the course of two days. If he was in fact recovering from an operation, he might very well have been under the influence of medications, and therefore what he wrote here may not be a completely accurate representation of who he is.
In any event, nothing he wrote was all that alarming, in my opinion. I don't agree with his political thinking, and he seems to have a very high opinion of himself, but none of that would prevent somebody from being a good person and a good police officer. Can you cite particulars in what he wrote that you found troublesome?
I actually would have enjoyed getting a chance to get into the politics in more detail, as well as exploring his unscientific and wrong-headed "experiment," from which he drew a completely unfounded conclusion. Perhaps he realized at some level that what he had done was ridiculous, and decided to cut his losses.
Quote from: Recusant on August 01, 2016, 04:00:39 PM
Quote from: Gloucester on August 01, 2016, 02:26:00 PMAll I can add is I am glad we do not have the likes of him regularky carrying a gun in the UK. And especially not with the authority of a police officer.
We got only a small sample of this fellow's thinking, written over the course of two days. If he was in fact recovering from an operation, he might very well have been under the influence of medications, and therefore what he wrote here may not be a completely accurate representation of who he is.
In any event, nothing he wrote was especially alarming, in my opinion. I don't agree with his political thinking, and he seems to have a very high opinion of himself, but none of that would prevent somebody from being a good person and a good police officer.
Perhaps you are right but I feel that it was a deeper thing than just temporary problems from medication. Brain tumours can seriously affect personality, hopefully that us not the case.
No, I think there was enough "personal history" there to indicate these were inherrent attitudes. Though we don't know when his "previous" in terms of falling foul of forums occurred. IMO he was bring deliberately provocative and seeking weak points, then acting superior when he found them. Yet he had the ultimate weak point and deliberately invoked attacks on it.
Maybe all the things he said but maybe he also had a "victim complex", wanted people to oppose him, put him down so he could feel justified in storming off. That would, sort of, gell with "feeling comfirtable" facing an evidently aggressive person, gave him the right to display aggression in return.
But then, America, and other countrues where guns and violence are not uncommon, might breed very different personalities, in both tbe criminal classes and the authorities, than sleepy old England, so what do I know?
The last two posts were done in a gentlemanly fashion. I am pleased that we have the collective ability to remain civilized.
Quote from: Gloucester on August 01, 2016, 04:23:15 PM
But then, America, and other countrues where guns and violence are not uncommon, might breed very different personalities, in both tbe criminal classes and the authorities, than sleepy old England, so what do I know?
America is probably a lot more like the world both in history and scope as far as violence is concerned than England. Most of human history has been violent. Our history with England and our history with the "wild west" frontier made us more sympathetic to weaponry than the UK. We got an imbedded 2nd Amendment that is part of our DNA, and we've been involved in bloody events throughout our history. There's generally more of a "fuck you" attitude over here than in Northern Europe and even Canada. It gets aggravated in the south because of the heat. West Texas doesn't have humidity, but it has all the heat you can handle in the summer. Rough place. Desert with little population. People coming out of there have guns baked into their brains. So I didn't find anything about Jamie that was all that unusual.
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on August 01, 2016, 10:35:33 PM
...There's generally more of a "fuck you" attitude over here than in Northern Europe and even Canada. It gets aggravated in the south because of the heat...
I always had the impression that those who like guns are fearful people, or they're on some weird power trip. :thoughtful:
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on August 01, 2016, 11:22:19 PM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on August 01, 2016, 10:35:33 PM
...There's generally more of a "fuck you" attitude over here than in Northern Europe and even Canada. It gets aggravated in the south because of the heat...
I always had the impression that those who like guns are fearful people, or they're on some weird power trip. :thoughtful:
Maybe some, but most who like guns just like guns - hunting, target shooting, etc. They can be fun. One size doesn't fit all.
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on August 02, 2016, 12:07:08 AM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on August 01, 2016, 11:22:19 PM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on August 01, 2016, 10:35:33 PM
...There's generally more of a "fuck you" attitude over here than in Northern Europe and even Canada. It gets aggravated in the south because of the heat...
I always had the impression that those who like guns are fearful people, or they're on some weird power trip. :thoughtful:
Maybe some, but most who like guns just like guns - hunting, target shooting, etc. They can be fun. One size doesn't fit all.
Yeah, if they're anything like a family member of mine, hunting and maybe even target shooting would be categorised under "weird power trip".
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on August 01, 2016, 10:35:33 PMIt gets aggravated in the south because of the heat.
I was born and raised in the south eastern portion of the United States of America. I have never gone hunting but I do like shooting guns for target practice. I don't "feel" like I'm on a power trip whenever I go shooting. It's just fun. Like roller coasters, some people like the thrill...some people don't. I love fireworks, my dog whimpers and hides every fourth of July. I have a niece who is terrified of sparklers.
For me, shooting at a target and seeing if I can hit it is just plain fun. Some life forms just don't like the boom.
So is he gone for good? Hope not, I agree with the guy. But I saw this coming from a mile away.
Nevermind. I did a little backreading. Damn, step away from this place for 2 seconds and it finally gets interesting. Well for a couple days anyway.
The shit some of you post though. Good grief.
Quote from: Mr. B on August 02, 2016, 02:11:04 AM
I have never gone hunting but I do like shooting guns for target practice. I don't "feel" like I'm on a power trip whenever I go shooting. It's just fun. Like roller coasters, some people like the thrill...some people don't. I love fireworks, my dog whimpers and hides every fourth of July. I have a niece who is terrified of sparklers.
For me, shooting at a target and seeing if I can hit it is just plain fun. Some life forms just don't like the boom.
Ok, fair enough. I guess some people might see target practice as fun (I don't see anything wrong with that fyi).
I personally don't like hunting or target practice with guns even though my father would take us to do both on occasion as a child. I still get the impression that some people really like handling powerful toys for some weird reason, though. For someone who doesn't need to hunt for sustenance but does, I'd bet the feeling of taking a life is a real thrill.
Quote from: Steeler on August 02, 2016, 03:35:52 AM
The shit some of you post though. Good grief.
"Like shit off an Asmo." It's an idiom, you know.
I actually found them discussions lively in an interesting sort of way. But then, I'm not easily riled.
QuoteThe shit some of you post though. Good grief.
That which is shit to one person is fertiliser to another, Steeler.
Add, "In my opinion" to the start of that and it is fsr more accurate.
Well, everything is still there to reply to and discuss, so it doesn't matter if one steps away for two minutes or two years.
Quote from: Davin on August 02, 2016, 02:26:27 PM
Well, everything is still there to reply to and discuss, so it doesn't matter if one steps away for two minutes or two years.
Can't reply to him, he's gone. He is who I wished to reply to.
Quote from: Mr. B on August 02, 2016, 02:11:04 AM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on August 01, 2016, 10:35:33 PMIt gets aggravated in the south because of the heat.
I was born and raised in the south eastern portion of the United States of America. I have never gone hunting but I do like shooting guns for target practice. I don't "feel" like I'm on a power trip whenever I go shooting. It's just fun. Like roller coasters, some people like the thrill...some people don't. I love fireworks, my dog whimpers and hides every fourth of July. I have a niece who is terrified of sparklers.
For me, shooting at a target and seeing if I can hit it is just plain fun. Some life forms just don't like the boom.
It is fun. I enjoy it myself. Nothing wrong with it.
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on August 03, 2016, 12:33:23 AM
Quote from: Mr. B on August 02, 2016, 02:11:04 AM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on August 01, 2016, 10:35:33 PMIt gets aggravated in the south because of the heat.
I was born and raised in the south eastern portion of the United States of America. I have never gone hunting but I do like shooting guns for target practice. I don't "feel" like I'm on a power trip whenever I go shooting. It's just fun. Like roller coasters, some people like the thrill...some people don't. I love fireworks, my dog whimpers and hides every fourth of July. I have a niece who is terrified of sparklers.
For me, shooting at a target and seeing if I can hit it is just plain fun. Some life forms just don't like the boom.
It is fun. I enjoy it myself. Nothing wrong with it.
I must say, this is kind of refreshing to hear. :)
Quote from: Steeler on August 03, 2016, 01:41:14 AM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on August 03, 2016, 12:33:23 AM
Quote from: Mr. B on August 02, 2016, 02:11:04 AM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on August 01, 2016, 10:35:33 PMIt gets aggravated in the south because of the heat.
I was born and raised in the south eastern portion of the United States of America. I have never gone hunting but I do like shooting guns for target practice. I don't "feel" like I'm on a power trip whenever I go shooting. It's just fun. Like roller coasters, some people like the thrill...some people don't. I love fireworks, my dog whimpers and hides every fourth of July. I have a niece who is terrified of sparklers.
For me, shooting at a target and seeing if I can hit it is just plain fun. Some life forms just don't like the boom.
It is fun. I enjoy it myself. Nothing wrong with it.
I must say, this is kind of refreshing to hear. :)
I like target shooting. Not done much small bore of full bore. But I have a .177 air rifle which requires care and skill to get the most out of it.
Yup, nothing at all wrong with guns IMHO - in the right place, the range, a hunting area or in battle.
NOT in the streets or other public places except in situations requiring qualified official use.
I have a fascination with the ingenuity that mankind applies in order to kill itself. A rather guilty fascination.
That, which Glockester said. Yep. (https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Forig06.deviantart.net%2F51f2%2Ff%2F2009%2F033%2F6%2F0%2Femoticon___animated_nod_by_shaeffer007.gif&hash=37473184527dc847edf433b33608be1fbfdc8c03)
Quote from: Asmodean on August 03, 2016, 09:07:19 AM
That, which Glockester said. Yep. (https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Forig06.deviantart.net%2F51f2%2Ff%2F2009%2F033%2F6%2F0%2Femoticon___animated_nod_by_shaeffer007.gif&hash=37473184527dc847edf433b33608be1fbfdc8c03)
I see what you did there...... ;)