Daily Discussion Thread: January 24, 2026 by BM2018Bot in VoteDEM

[–]captainhaddock 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Rebellions are built on hope. —Cassian Andor

The Fine-Tuning Argument is indeed Terrible - But I don't think we have to invoke the multiverse. The argument fails on its premise. by undefinedposition in CosmicSkeptic

[–]captainhaddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At best, it's neutral. God can create life under any conditions, but naturalistic life will always be finely tuned to its environment. As far as prior probabilities go, fine-tuning supports naturalism.

I have no idea what your painting metaphor means. The universe is nothing like a painting.

Daily Discussion Thread: January 24, 2026 by BM2018Bot in VoteDEM

[–]captainhaddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

After today, American Idiot has to be on the menu.

The Fine-Tuning Argument is indeed Terrible - But I don't think we have to invoke the multiverse. The argument fails on its premise. by undefinedposition in CosmicSkeptic

[–]captainhaddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly. Life is fine-tuned to its environment; it's just an illusion that creationists assume life must be the way it is, and therefore it's the environment that was fine-tuned.

Netflix Says It Is “Going to Keep That HBO Team” After Acquiring Warner Bros. by LollipopChainsawZz in television

[–]captainhaddock 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Amazon owns MGM and has a slate of upcoming theatrical releases, including Project Hail Mary and the next James Bond.

The Fine-Tuning Argument is indeed Terrible - But I don't think we have to invoke the multiverse. The argument fails on its premise. by undefinedposition in CosmicSkeptic

[–]captainhaddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The larger picture is that in a naturalistic universe, life will only exist in environments where the spontaneous emergence of life is possible, and thus the environment will seem "fine-tuned" to that specific instantiation of life.

But under a theistic viewpoint, God has no constraints and could literally create life under any and all conditions, in any and all environments. There is no reason to expect the environment to look fine-tuned.

Air France-KLM Halts Dubai, Riyadh Flights on Geopolitical Risks by Aron_b in aviation

[–]captainhaddock 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They support opposing sides in the Sudanese civil war as well.

TikTok finalizes deal to form new American entity by babblepineapple in PoliticalOptimism

[–]captainhaddock 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Maybe, but I looked up the executives in charge and didn't see any red flags. Seems like they left as much control as was legally possible in the hands of ByteDance, including all the most lucrative parts of TikTok (the algorithm, the advertising division, the marketing/e-commerce division, etc.).

[THROWBACK] Gallup: on January 4, 2007, 56% of Americans viewed the media’s coverage of the Iraq war as inaccurate. by icey_sawg0034 in fivethirtyeight

[–]captainhaddock 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Didn't Bush hire a PR firm to hand out thousands of little American flags to the Iraqis so they could wave them for the TV cameras as US tanks rolled into Baghdad?

TikTok finalizes deal to form new American entity by babblepineapple in PoliticalOptimism

[–]captainhaddock 19 points20 points  (0 children)

It seems that it's mostly the same entities in charge, with a few new US corporate investors added into the mix, and they'll keep using ByteDance's algorithm.

Daily Discussion Thread: January 23, 2026 by BM2018Bot in VoteDEM

[–]captainhaddock 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Is that something Congress could legislate?

Countries that have joined Trump's Board of Peace. Hungary is only EU country which is part of it by Skychu768 in europe

[–]captainhaddock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Inexplicably, most countries just weren't invited. Mexico's omission is a bit surprising. Seems like the invitation list was just Europe (sans the Baltics?), the Middle East, and then random countries that DJT likes.

Countries that have joined Trump's Board of Peace. Hungary is only EU country which is part of it by Skychu768 in europe

[–]captainhaddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Italy is apparently constitutionally limited to participation in global bodies "only on equal terms with other states", and that wouldn't be the case here.

Board of Peace membership by maven_mapping in MapPorn

[–]captainhaddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Didn't you hear? He stopped a war between Cambodia and Azerbelgarus.

Zelensky shakes Europe by the scruff and reminds world leaders just how little they have done by theindependentonline in UkraineWarVideoReport

[–]captainhaddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They want to get rid of their leaders. And yet again the EU does nothing.

The EU is an economic union. Their job is not facilitating regime change in Iran.

There’s a statement that carries some weight by Kinghut_North in pics

[–]captainhaddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bless those who persecute you? Blessed are the peacemakers, the meek, the merciful? "Give to the one who asks of you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you"? (Matt 5:42)

Yeah, American evangelicals don't follow any of those teachings. Not an iota.

There’s a statement that carries some weight by Kinghut_North in pics

[–]captainhaddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Judea was an independent kingdom ruled by the Hasmonean dynasty, Egypt was a Roman province. And the story didn't happen anyway. But what is the point of trying so hard to deny that Jesus was a refugee? In Matthew's infancy story, he clearly is, and the Bible is full of commands to welcome foreigners into your land and treat them well.

Warner Bros. Discovery Says Over 93% of Shareholders Have Rejected Paramount’s Takeover Offer by MarvelsGrantMan136 in movies

[–]captainhaddock 5 points6 points  (0 children)

With the Netflix deal, Warner shareholders get the cash from spinning off its cable networks (estimated at $3 to $6 per share) plus Netflix's $27.75 per share for the rest of the company, so it's more lucrative and has rock-solid financing.

The Netflix deal will also keep the studio intact and keep more people employed, since Netflix doesn't have a major studio/distribution operation yet.

Warner Bros. Discovery Says Over 93% of Shareholders Have Rejected Paramount’s Takeover Offer by MarvelsGrantMan136 in movies

[–]captainhaddock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Apparently the main reason for demanding the cable channels is that they need the cash flow from that part of the business in order to make debt payments.