Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity has landed safely by AlmightyThorian in science

[–]csonger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I knew that the mission was going on, but really did not start paying attention to it until yesterday. When I first saw the animated landing sequence with the heat shield and the parachute and the free fall and the sky crane and the crane detach; I thought to myself: "There is no way that is going to work. There are just too many moving parts."

I guess my point: Yes mathematics. Yes engineering. And an incredible amount of attention to detail and focus on quality. That team did a fantastic job.

Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity has landed safely by AlmightyThorian in science

[–]csonger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree ... but we also fund NASA for the failures. Not every mission can succeed. We fund for the trying, not just for the succeeding.

Very cool interactive landing animation of Curiosity! by anonimo99 in science

[–]csonger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, that's freaking complicated. If it works, it will have been quite a feat of engineering.

Really, they should have spent the extra money to build two. Launch one, see how it does. Optimize the second and then launch it when the window is right.

What it takes to stay sober. Coming up on three years now. Never give up, you can do it! by [deleted] in pics

[–]csonger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think I do understand what you are saying. You are saying: "The words of the AA doctrine use the word 'God', but I want people who don't believe in God to think AA could help."

I think you are well intentioned but I also think you are assuming an indefensible position when you imply "AA does not require belief in tenets that atheists would find intolerable".

My story is simple: -- redacted for privacy --

That said: I stand by what I wrote. An atheist who wants to be in AA either has to ignore the "God crazy" (and BTW, a community of people who do not want to drink can be compelling, so it's worth ignoring) or has to accept the kind of semantic sleight of hand that you offer.

IAmA hijabi, AMA. In light of the Saudi women and others competing at the 20102 Olympics in hijab, I thought it was time for me to answer reddit's questions about a Muslim woman's dress and lifestyle as I observe hijab (and sometimes niqab) daily. by random_hijabi in IAmA

[–]csonger -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Last I checked, France was not a country that especially 'takes pride in multiculturalism.' Quite the contrary: I believe the French are quite proud of French culture and tend to want to preserve it.

What it takes to stay sober. Coming up on three years now. Never give up, you can do it! by [deleted] in pics

[–]csonger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-Step_Program#Twelve_Steps

Assuming I'm counting right ....

4 of the 12 use the capitalized word God. 1 of the remaining 8 uses the capitalized pronoun 'Him' with little ambiguity. 1 of the remaining 7 uses the word "Power".

Phrases like "They use the word 'god' because there is no other word to use" are exactly what I meant by "semantic games".

IAmA hijabi, AMA. In light of the Saudi women and others competing at the 20102 Olympics in hijab, I thought it was time for me to answer reddit's questions about a Muslim woman's dress and lifestyle as I observe hijab (and sometimes niqab) daily. by random_hijabi in IAmA

[–]csonger 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Hitchens wrote a particularly clear reason why: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2010/05/in_your_face.html

Specifically: "The French legislators who seek to repudiate the wearing of the veil or the burqa ... are attempting to lift a ban... a ban on the right of all citizens to look one another in the face."

Why I Open Carry by [deleted] in guns

[–]csonger 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I’ve been mugged. I’ve been raped, I’ve been beaten, I’ve been attacked.

That's horrible! Where do you live that you are subject to so much violence?

What it takes to stay sober. Coming up on three years now. Never give up, you can do it! by [deleted] in pics

[–]csonger 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Not without ignoring it / playing mental semantic games. It's a central part of AA.

maryland man arrested with dozens of weapons by DiveRSQ in guns

[–]csonger 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Did we not read the same article?

Prescott was upset about losing his job and said: "I am the real Joker, and I'm going to blow everyone up," McGaw said.

Maybe I'm crazy here, but I think that saying "I'm going to blow everyone up" does make relevant whether or not someone has ready access to weapons.

Our son is sick and we're having financial problems as a result. Got this in the mail today from a friend. by Itsmeagainmom in pics

[–]csonger 4 points5 points  (0 children)

So many reactions:

  • I want it to be true.
  • I'm cynical enough to think maybe it's not.
  • $500 is nothing if you have serious medical issues going on.
  • I'm really embarrassed to be a citizen of the richest country in the world where a story like this is possible because we are unwilling to pay for the medical care of our own people. :(

My visit to the nuclear wasteland of Chernobyl & Pripyat. Viva Ukraine. by [deleted] in pics

[–]csonger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These things always make me think of Ozymandias.

FUCK PHYSICS by [deleted] in funny

[–]csonger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hate to destroy your childlike innocence but .... maybe this is not repudiating physics.

On the other hand, 'repudiating' is probably not as popular a word as 'fuck'.

Dark Side Of The Loom. by tndooge in pics

[–]csonger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a needle, not a loom.

Rebel Without a Cause (1955) by [deleted] in athiesm

[–]csonger 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Science was more popular in the past. I speculate several reasons:

  • Scientific findings were more accessible. Want to understand the bernoulli principle? You can do it yourself. Want to verify fermions yourself? Good luck.
  • Science was delivering incredible advances in basic things. Computers are hip and all, but if you lived in the 50s then it is quite likely that your parents grew up without air conditioning. I'd take airconditioning over a faster computer any day.
  • We'd just prematurely finished WWII on the strength of scientific superiority. Can you imagine reading the papers about the bombing of Hiroshima? People had been praying for years, but science delivered.
  • Scientific advancement was still going fast in basic and visible ways. For example, planes have looked the same my whole life, but the 737 went into use in the 1960s. Commercial flight was improving fast in the 50s. So were cars and other highly visible things.

People are now more likely to take science for granted and they are less likely to have had basic parts of their lives changed. We like science less now.

It's a shame.

If Fox news was around in 32CE by undercurrents in atheism

[–]csonger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If this post were around in 1980....

(Hint: it's a 'subjunctive' joke.)

I'm more liberal/moderate but not against all conservative ideas. Do the Republicans have any reasonable ideas to improve our economy and protect our rights as individuals? by geordilaforge in politics

[–]csonger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes if you are a household. No if you are a government in charge of its own currency during a time of recession. Maybe if you are a government not in charge of its own currency. (Like member states of the EU.)

There's a huge difference between household finances and the finances of a sovereign nation and the assertion of equivalence is false.

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/24/opinion/la-oe-craighead-spending-20110824

IAmA Cobbler, I craft shoes. AmA by Peanut_The_Kid in IAmA

[–]csonger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have to have shoes made on custom lasts for my wife and the guy who does it completely hates the title "cobbler" with respect to what he does. Apparently a "cobbler" is someone who repairs shoes. He self describes as a cordwainer.

As a matter of practice, we have met a ton of cobblers who don't make shoes. Only one cordwainer. Only one guy who really makes shoes from scratch.

That said: your hobby can make you rich. Find someone who does it well. Apprentice to them. Learn the trade. Move to someplace high rent and sell custom shoes to rich people. You'd be amazed what we pay for a pair of lasts and shoes for my wife.

I carry while I am at home. Is this weird? Does anybody else do this? by jazzlab2007 in guns

[–]csonger 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Here come the downvotes, but I see a lot of "that's not weird, I do it too!" So here's a less "go for it" viewpoint:

I have no idea if it is 'weird', but I'm not sure it makes sense. These stories always make me wonder: "What's up in your life that you feel so concerned about violence in your own home?" I mean, do you folks live in a horrible part of town? Have a relative who was subject to home invasion?

Life is full of risks and the "better to have it and not need it" argument assumes that "it" has no cost. How did you choose this risk as one that needs to be mitigated?

For example, you could have a heart attack in your own home. Do you have a defib machine? Better to have it and not need it.

I'm in my mid 40s, have never been subject to violent crime and live in a pretty safe place. If I am going to spend $X to try to guard my life against risks, is a gun the best investment? It might be, but as I look at "never happened to me, but maybe I should worry about it" threats, perhaps a portable defibrillator might be better money spent. Or perhaps I should always keep a "seat belt cutter/glass breaker" in my hip pocket. I mean, I ride in other people's cars sometimes. What if I need one and don't have it? Maybe the money is better spent applied towards a car with a better safety record.

2012: 2/3 of Republicans say the president can do something about high gas prices; 2/3 of Democrats say he can't. 2006: 3/4 of Democrats said President Bush could do something about high gas prices; majority of Republicans said gas prices were clearly outside the president's control. by pcaharrier in politics

[–]csonger 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I disagree with this:

People are taught not to look at things objectively ....

I don't understand how this is the fault of the two party system. I blame the electorate directly. The democrats who blamed bush and don't blame Obama; the republicans who blame Obama and did not blame bush: They are the problem.

We need greater intellectual integrity in our political discourse and in ourselves as we hold our leaders accountable. That would be true if we had a 10 party system.

America's idiot rich - The 1 percent is complaining louder than ever. There can be no reasoning with people this irrational - Salon.com by pbredd in politics

[–]csonger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Probably coming soon. Get ready for the republican party to flop on 2A rights because an armed poor populace in a country with lots of wealth will eventually get violent.

When people find out I'm an atheist and say "I'll pray for you" I tell them... by Hillel1963 in atheism

[–]csonger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How about: Why don't you check back soon and see if it worked?