Active Users:456 Time:27/11/2024 02:39:12 AM
Or shows it's time to quit. nossy Send a noteboard - 15/08/2012 10:20:17 PM
I know I do not always manage to be nice. I spend a lot of time going back over that with people. But even if I don't always understand them, I don't automatically assume the opposition is stark raving.

Well there's a difference between thinking the opposition is stark raving nutters and assuming their view is. I obviously consider Astrology to be a load of garbage, I don't consider it's fans to be idiots or lunatics in fact I see how a logical mind can be tricked into seeing truth in it. Alternatively as I was discussing with the ship-horizon round Earth stuff, most people regard Astrology as false not because they really understand why it is, merely because they've heard the claim repeated by smart and authoritative people a lot. This came up in another thread not that long back and I recall mentioning that the gravitational influence on you by Neptune paralleled the gravitational influence of your neighbor's RV. That's an eye roller to a physicist but from most people's rational perspective the mental follow up is to realize how much a RV parked next door does effect their life and think about how Neptune is doing that to everyone everywhere. "How can we even pretend something like that doesn't influence our actions and life, and presumably in a cyclical and thus predictable fashion?" is a wrong but very, very rational view to hold. "It won't happen to everyone, but the effects are generally recognizable, the RV might lower property values, might block sunlight on gardens or lawns, might invite burglars who wait till it goes away." and there's a gaping logical hole their big enough to drive that RV through but it's still potent and it will still be there, a mental dragon not slain, in the back of their head. They will seek out other parallels to reinforce it and give less credence to counter-arguments. This happens with virtually everything, I'm not implying that these people are nuts, very much the opposite, I am saying that when we encounter them on subjects that are, or are perceived to be, nuts, by us, we treat arguments made by them on the subject as absurdity. This will include the flip side, that we might be the person who thinks it's patently absurd to ignore the influence of an entire planet larger than ours.

You do realize that you're currently teasing (?) Joel about tangents, and then you thought you needed a really long paragraph about astrology to get your point across? :D

If you believe, as you do, that it is a women's sole decision, it is by definition impossible for anyone to try to 'force' the moral load on her, because that's exactly where it belongs.

I do believe that. It should be her responsibility, and not necessarily ours to try to enforce a longer waiting period on her. I respect your right to your opinion that abortion is a Bad thing and that she should show you she has at least gone through your approved steps, but I still believe that if it is her choice, we have to be very careful about exactly what advice and timeline we try to push on her. I don't think we need to discuss this further - I've conceded what I will (see more mention of this below), and I assume you have as well.

The gay thing is unrelated, I was vague because I was seeking to avoid violating Godwin's law, but you invoked it by saying abortion was legal with the implication that those of us who view it as the ending of a human life should just not our heads because the law permits it. Well I don't care what the laws says when it comes to morality. I don't believe the government has a right to dictate the nature of adult relationships or the terms applied to them in the absence of clear violence or psychological harm, the law be damned. It's unrelated to my views on abortion, merely to your bringing the law up about abortion in a fashion that implied those of us who oppose abortion should nod our heads on the subject over the law.

I do not care if you "nod your heads," but I do believe that when something is a law, you have to be careful about what you push on people. I don't go for "it's a slippery slope!" but I still get a little nervous when people push too far. I'd think you were being dishonest if you said you didn't know anyone who was in favor of more hoops, in hopes that it might be too much for some women. I am not saying that is a majority argument; I have no idea of the stat. However, it doesn't mean it won't possibly get the hackles up if it looks like someone is trying to force his/her morality upon me.


There are plenty of reasons why a woman may feel that is impossible or at least unnecessary. Those reasons aren't all good, and I'm really only interested in good reasons, I can't think of any.

You can't think of any? I'm wondering if this is a case in which our opinions could differ because you aren't a woman. I can think of several right off the bat, and they aren't all related to abuse (and, yes, not all good). For one thing, I think it depends entirely upon the assumption that you and your SO would in a loving and supportive situation. I've come across quite a few unhealthy relationships in my time (sounds like you surely must have too), and I can imagine situations in which a woman might not want to share the drama.

As to the waiting period, I know about those, I know they are law in many states, I am not talking about adding on more and never have been, that is why I keep expressing puzzlement over your reaction. I would like all states to do that, I would not particularly object to a federal requirement to do that like is this case with firearms... remember? Early on? 'I think it would be ironic and appropriate if they used identical language and waiting periods'. Note how I keep referring to what I feel is a pre-existing narrative on your part, like your discussing things with someone else? I am not, and have never been, suggesting we tack on more to existing waiting periods, I'm talking about having a federal minimum for both guns and abortion, specifically 'first time purchasers' equal to what I'd consider a safe cooling off period. In many cases this is the same or less than existing state laws or clinic rules. I am not, and never have been, suggesting that a clinic that already requires a 4 day waiting period between initial discussion and procedure have to add 24 or 48 or 72 hours on to that, I'm suggesting an overall minimum.

Ok, breaking this down. When we started, it sounded like you said there was close to a consensus on the Roe v. Wade precedent and that many are in favor of states taking over the issue - I didn't know that you were ever speaking of a federal situation, no matter how clever your gun-waiting-period comment might be. So I guess I got confused somewhere in there - if many states already think they should have a waiting period, and it is often 24 hours (as I pointed out two posts ago, and conceded that I don't have a problem with a reasonable wait period), it sounded as though you were backing an extension by bumping it up to 48 hours (or whatever the gun law is). And that felt arbitrary to me, as in, how does one decide how much more time constitutes an appropriate wait?

And yeah, look, alphabetical. With three options there's a 83.3% chance (5 in 6) that choice was deliberate, such being the case one asks 'why?', because when someone is writing up explanations on three things, alphabetical order is not usually a concern. I'll spare you the lecture on that but I deal with this sort of thing on a daily basis and I know the ways people try to cover their rear ends. PP probably did not hold a meeting to do that, but the author of the material definitely (well, 83.3%) did concern themselves with order, not a normal concern when discussing a short list. A very normal concern of someone who thinks their work will be attacked as promoting an agenda.

So, you didn't answer my question. I don't disagree AT ALL that they most likely did this for the reason you suggest (I do also have some real-world experiences, btw, and had come to that same conclusion many months ago), but yet you've made waves about abortion coming first. As if the fact that the links to the other information right there aren't worth anything, because it throws up flags that they might be worried that you'll accuse them of an agenda! I ask again, should the order truly matter?

I clicked on the health info and services, and it took me to a list of services. The "thinking about adoption" page has exactly the same header paragraph as the "thinking about abortion" page, and both provide a link to the other, and a list of faqs. I don't want to be rude, but I get the feeling that because they are open about abortion, it makes you uncomfortable. I could be wrong. Thoughts?

In this case you're wrong, I personally am rather notorious for boiling down almost any pre-meditated commentary for motives and theme, partially because I know how people do it. Go ask the guys on the RPG board as to my skill on that matter. Language, flavor, subtle little tricks that even if people see it and point it out only helps you because you can say "You're nuts, you're paranoid, Christ man they're simply in alphabetical order!" Hell I know people who have rearranged rooms in advance of a speech just to make an object so clearly 'visible' they can appear to spot it at random and drop a prepared remark. Yes people do that. It legitimizes off-the-cuff tangents that aren't actually off the cuff. It seems an invitation to paranoia but there's themes and trends and when you boil down several pieces of work and the 'coincidences' just happen to be like 90% of the time the ones that conveniently emphasize a given premise, yeah I take note and call that out.

So, what is your point? If you're suggesting they were wrong to arrange it (alphabetically or otherwise) because it shows a fear of being attacked for an agenda, what exactly did you want them to do with the information? I just don't really get the point of this whole middle conversation, because the other information IS THERE and easy to find. I'm not trying to be obtuse, but I don't understand this, so I'm assuming I've TOTALLY missed your point.

Okay, 'instinct kick in'? No one has an instinct to go to a clinic.

Is that what I said the instinct was?

And, even though I'm bored of trying to explain this, I have to point out that you're wrong. Some people's first instinct would most definitely be to go to some place like PP to get an official test and information.

And again, I am not proposing existing waiting periods, be they require dor the byproduct of circumstance, be extended. As to those pre-clinic, the term 'too damn bad' comes to mind. I don't care if someone wanting to buy their first pistol comes into the shop and says "Hey, you can wave the waiting period, I've been thinking about this for a week already"

Ok, well, we're obviously going to keep disagreeing on how much time for thinking there is between suspecting one is pregnant and actually showing up for the procedure. I have no inclination to discuss this or the instinct comment further. Done.

I want them both to have a sit down with a real medical professional who can explain the variables and with someone who actually has to present the non-medical aspects under a certain completeness and ethics. ... I want people to make informed, cool decisions, and I am willing to support laws that make that happen. Just pragmatism via my pro-life stance, I think a panicked person is more likely to get one and I'd prefer they not. A couple days, a night's rest, they generally take the edge off. This is critical decision making 101 I'm supporting, you seem to agree with it conceptually.

I do agree with it, and I edited out the fluff (sorry) so that I could point to something on which we agree. I have no problem with a physician/counselor speaking to a potential patient (I would suggest it for any friend or family), and I believe that this is generally offered to women seeking abortions. I would have to see a law before voting for it, if it included anything like forcing counseling on a woman, but I do fully support having educated staff ready and available to answer any questions and to explain the process.

Gov't Spiel, whatever else can be said about it and I could say a lot, has the power of authority behind it.

And what if it's the side of the govt you don't like making up the bulk of the language in the spiel? Do you feel confident that there would be no slant to the content?

If you pick up a pamphlet from the USDA on proper corn growth you know it's been fact-checked to death and is comprehensive if short. It may not be right, it is not an absolute standard, but you know it contains no single one-sided non-experts view of things as opposed to some random gardening enthusiast's perspective on their own anecdotal experimentations in corn rearing.

Isn't it the USDA that's been telling us for years that it's appropriate to eat quite a few servings of refined bread and pastas? You have more faith in these people than I do, but I refuse to go into my conspiracy-theory-sounding tirade on what has been suggested go into our regular diets, who profits from it and what that does to us.

Well as a smoker I would general say that banning smoking is a bit more extreme than requiring people to wait 48 hours before getting cosmetic surgery, you know a lot of tatoo parlors by law or personal choice have rules about tattoos that are much the same. I have no desire to ban bigger boobs or tattoos, but there is a fairly serious consequence in terms of buyer's remorse on those things.

And either should be my own fault. *shrugs*

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Paul Ryan is selected as Republican VP candidate - 11/08/2012 05:01:47 PM 1765 Views
Personally? No, I'm not voting Republican at all this year. - 11/08/2012 05:18:06 PM 806 Views
Ya know that narrative of the right getting further right is pretty ridicolous - 11/08/2012 06:43:44 PM 774 Views
it could possibly be the "all or nothing" budget fights and gay marriage among other things - 11/08/2012 08:19:11 PM 814 Views
Yeah, I forgot the Dems are very enlightened about gay marriage now for what? 2 Months? - 11/08/2012 08:59:17 PM 869 Views
+1 - Great post! *NM* - 12/08/2012 04:32:21 AM 505 Views
We're on a roll here Isaac. I agree with you again. - 12/08/2012 08:18:32 AM 821 Views
yet despite that, dems didn't put referenda and push bills discriminating against gay people - 12/08/2012 07:55:38 PM 895 Views
They certainly have, they've just done it less and less recently - 12/08/2012 09:39:53 PM 769 Views
Fred Phelps is 82 - 13/08/2012 01:28:01 AM 714 Views
So is Pat Robertson *NM* - 13/08/2012 02:41:28 AM 479 Views
They're not enlightened at all. - 21/08/2012 02:04:09 PM 981 Views
Agreed, but ya'll continue doing it anyway. - 11/08/2012 08:24:09 PM 807 Views
Thank you for making sense. - 12/08/2012 08:01:53 AM 777 Views
voting third party is a good idea - 11/08/2012 08:15:41 PM 791 Views
I'm sorry, but anyone that votes for Obama after the past 3 and 1/2 years is a moron..... - 12/08/2012 03:30:47 AM 718 Views
If you are proud of not voting, please shut up: The adults have a country to run. - 12/08/2012 04:11:49 AM 739 Views
Candidates have to earn my vote - I'm not a slave like you to the 2 party system. - 12/08/2012 04:24:02 AM 880 Views
Who said anything about the two-party system? - 12/08/2012 04:29:36 AM 713 Views
No offense intended, but voting third party is as stupid as not voting. - 12/08/2012 04:42:28 AM 964 Views
I strongly disagree. - 12/08/2012 05:11:52 AM 799 Views
as the saying goes "the lesser of two evils is still evil" - 12/08/2012 08:06:20 PM 785 Views
Nice asshatery. - 12/08/2012 07:56:57 AM 955 Views
Wouldn't you love to have a "none of the above" option..... - 12/08/2012 03:36:54 PM 728 Views
Or you could use a PR system and act like responsible adults. *NM* - 12/08/2012 05:47:14 PM 388 Views
Oh dear. - 11/08/2012 06:26:07 PM 769 Views
I'm happy with it, I like Ryan - 11/08/2012 06:47:21 PM 790 Views
What a shock. - 11/08/2012 08:18:35 PM 911 Views
Re: What a shock. - 11/08/2012 08:51:12 PM 883 Views
ryan isn't going to help rmoney win wisconsin - 11/08/2012 08:21:27 PM 886 Views
Picking Ryan was an olive branch to the GOP rank and file. - 11/08/2012 08:05:41 PM 1003 Views
definitely a bold pick but not going to help him enough in november - 11/08/2012 08:27:59 PM 816 Views
Who cares? He's hot. - 11/08/2012 11:53:42 PM 975 Views
So are you a fan of David Cameron? - 12/08/2012 12:12:50 AM 645 Views
Lol. Nice one. *NM* - 12/08/2012 08:22:01 AM 439 Views
- 13/08/2012 03:31:38 PM 857 Views
Wonderful choice! Truly wonderful.....check the video. - 12/08/2012 03:22:48 AM 712 Views
Nice video. - 12/08/2012 06:52:59 PM 814 Views
Can you explain your fascination with Ryans ideas, please? - 13/08/2012 04:08:35 AM 767 Views
No, it doesn't change my opinion any - 12/08/2012 07:50:21 AM 898 Views
I hear even the DNC has rejected its TN Senate nominee. - 12/08/2012 05:46:37 PM 806 Views
Yes, they disavowed him - 12/08/2012 08:00:33 PM 801 Views
Does not work in the US - 13/08/2012 01:17:58 AM 757 Views
We do not need most of the populace to cast protest votes, only most voters. - 13/08/2012 01:33:41 AM 718 Views
Your distinction misses my greater point - 13/08/2012 01:51:26 AM 766 Views
*shrugs* Vote absentee then. - 13/08/2012 02:28:32 AM 789 Views
I was going to vote Romney anyway, so no, it doesn't change anything. - 12/08/2012 10:39:15 PM 797 Views
But I'm guessing you're glad with Ryan? Prefer him over the alternatives? Or not? - 12/08/2012 10:49:35 PM 956 Views
I disagree - 13/08/2012 12:52:07 AM 819 Views
Bloomberg has imploded - 13/08/2012 07:12:56 PM 719 Views
Bloomberg has become a national laughingstock. - 13/08/2012 08:13:24 PM 808 Views
Not as much as either Obama or Romney, surely. - 13/08/2012 08:23:41 PM 795 Views
Makes sense for you. You are Romney's target audience. - 13/08/2012 01:19:26 PM 732 Views
What should Obama have done? - 13/08/2012 07:31:23 PM 761 Views
And how much of that do you expect from Romney? - 14/08/2012 10:21:33 AM 1088 Views
Certainly more than from Obama. - 16/08/2012 12:00:19 AM 700 Views
Mmm, Objectivism. Another reason for me to vote Obama. - 12/08/2012 11:00:34 PM 881 Views
But doesn't he say he detests Rand? - 12/08/2012 11:53:47 PM 625 Views
Link to audio of Paul Ryans address to The Atlas Society. - 13/08/2012 03:37:27 AM 926 Views
Or you could have just read my response which posted prior to yours - 13/08/2012 01:45:07 PM 697 Views
Sorry, I completely missed your link. - 13/08/2012 03:09:11 PM 820 Views
Don't get me wrong - 13/08/2012 12:53:10 AM 736 Views
Actually I believe he promised to vote for Romney if I did - 13/08/2012 03:48:35 AM 877 Views
What an amusing retrospective. - 13/08/2012 04:20:02 AM 891 Views
Uh... how exactly did you get to spending and budget timelines? - 13/08/2012 04:59:45 AM 721 Views
Tangentially, of course. - 13/08/2012 05:08:18 AM 758 Views
I tried reading it again, but my eyes glazed over when you started babbling about lesbian covens. - 14/08/2012 12:30:03 AM 668 Views
It was a hyperbolic reference to the extreme left (one stolen from Matt Groening, btw.) - 14/08/2012 10:12:09 AM 738 Views
Interesting. - 14/08/2012 11:34:30 AM 810 Views
They have a pill for that now. - 14/08/2012 01:14:39 PM 849 Views
I'm pretty sure the solution is you learning elementary composition. *NM* - 15/08/2012 11:33:57 PM 511 Views
Your willful reading incomprehension is neither my fault nor problem. - 16/08/2012 07:40:46 PM 806 Views
I don't think you can succinctly do anything. *NM* - 16/08/2012 09:33:38 PM 519 Views
I just did. - 16/08/2012 09:36:21 PM 796 Views
EDIT: ACK! Hoist on my own petard! - 14/08/2012 12:25:27 AM 747 Views
No birth control, no right to choose, no planned parenthood? - 13/08/2012 01:58:51 PM 670 Views
They are really doing a public service that way. *NM* - 13/08/2012 02:26:39 PM 357 Views
I agree with your statements - 14/08/2012 12:53:41 AM 891 Views
It's mostly nonsense - 14/08/2012 04:46:11 AM 798 Views
Well - 14/08/2012 02:54:06 PM 1011 Views
'Nonsense' refers to the thing said about the religious right by the media - 14/08/2012 04:01:47 PM 1004 Views
I'm wondering if "belittles" is the wrong word. - 14/08/2012 06:30:23 PM 1055 Views
Re: I'm wondering if "belittles" is the wrong word. - 15/08/2012 01:45:59 AM 754 Views
I have to keep this short, because I am on the iPad. - 15/08/2012 05:38:48 AM 713 Views
Triple reply chain is usually a good point for the trim-edit anyway - 15/08/2012 05:27:20 PM 899 Views
Or shows it's time to quit. - 15/08/2012 10:20:17 PM 1107 Views
Agreed - 15/08/2012 10:54:05 PM 671 Views
The question, as for Tom, is what you believe Romney would improve for small businesses. - 14/08/2012 01:38:29 PM 831 Views
I am aware of that, thank you. And I don't distill my choice down to small business, either. - 14/08/2012 02:24:24 PM 882 Views
I see your point, but... - 14/08/2012 02:30:22 PM 653 Views
Well - 14/08/2012 03:09:18 PM 838 Views
Are you really going to let Obama con you into voting for him again? - 21/08/2012 02:00:06 PM 659 Views
I honestly haven't decided. - 21/08/2012 04:13:44 PM 1031 Views
None of that is that important. - 14/08/2012 08:53:10 PM 833 Views
Agreed. *NM* - 15/08/2012 02:21:55 PM 475 Views
Bullshit - 21/08/2012 01:46:42 PM 852 Views
This makes me more likely to vote R this year. - 15/08/2012 02:31:06 PM 751 Views

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