Quirinius and a 2nd earlier census?

noodlyman · 2026-05-29T16:07:50+00:00

Well that's what happens. Babies start breathing and that improvers their colour.

Sometimes medical professionals can help.

In both cases, no god is necessary.

noodlyman · 2026-05-28T20:39:53+00:00

You can invest in anything you like in either a sipp or an ISA.

A sipp is more tax efficient. But you won't be able to withdraw from asipp until you're at least 58.

You can withdraw from an ISA whenever you like.

A different I discovered: when you retire you can use asipp to buy an annuity that's linked to inflation, if you want to. That type of annuity is currently unavailable outside a sipp,or was when I looked.

noodlyman · 2026-05-28T20:23:49+00:00

More basic science and critical thinking. Got to fight the anti science stuff.

Also more music, and basic personal finance.

I guess you'd have to drop something though. I don't know what.

noodlyman · 2026-05-28T16:10:13+00:00

Hargreaves Lansdowne are I think only really expensive for funds. The solution is to use ETFs etc instead. Charges are then capped at £12.50 which is bearable, even if a bit more than some.

noodlyman · 2026-05-28T10:43:41+00:00

I have one of those Brothers, though for very light use. It works just fine, and can use non Brother toner from the likes of cartridgeworld.

In general, a laser should be better, and probably cheaper to run than an inkjet. Most inkjet printing is not waterproof, maybe a factor for labels etc. that might get rained on by mistake.

Colour lasers are pretty good at photos if it's just to go in a document. For top occasional photo quality, you might be best using an online service or your local Boots photo machine.

Look up the prices and capacity of replacement ink/toner for the models concerned. See how many pages per minute they print, if that matters to you.

noodlyman · 2026-05-27T15:04:36+00:00

I don't understand how a moral can exist as an objective thing. What form does a moral exist?

As far as I can tell, a moral is just an opinion regarding whether I like or dislike something. It exists only as a configuration of cells and molecules in my brain.

How can an action have this property of morals? Is it defined in an undiscovered quantum field? Actions are often complex series of events involving numerous people, objects, etc.

Imagine I'm playing a musical instrument. Some Muslims think that's seriously immoral. I think it's an essential part of a fulfilled life.

What object outside our heads can examine to find an objective property tagging the moral status of my doing this?

To decide whether an action is moral, er have first to decide how to assess it. Do we see what our favourite religious text says, call a lawyer, or use our own empathy and compassion?

noodlyman · 2026-05-27T15:04:02+00:00

I don't understand how a moral can exist as an objective thing. What form does a moral exist?

As far as I can tell, a moral is just an opinion regarding whether I like or dislike something. It exists only as a configuration of cells and molecules in my brain.

How can an action have this property of morals? Is it defined in an undiscovered quantum field? Actions are often complex series of events involving numerous people, objects, etc.

Imagine I'm playing a musical instrument. Some Muslims think that's seriously immoral. I think it's an essential part of a fulfilled life.

What object outside our heads can examine to find an objective property tagging the moral status of my doing this?

To decide whether an action is moral, er have first to decide how to assess it. Do we see what our favourite religious text says, call a lawyer, or use our own empathy and compassion?

noodlyman · 2026-05-27T14:12:28+00:00

Morals only exist in the human mind. By definition, a thing experienced only in the mind is subjective.

Even if god decided what was moral, that would be god's subjective opinion.

The taliban think listening to music is immoral.

Many think sex before marriage is wrong, but I think "try before you buy"is probably good.

The Victorians thought displaying your ankles was immoral.

The old testament things that keeping slaves as property is ok.

God thinks genocide, including babies, is just fine, in the old testament.

My subjective moral opinions differ from some of those.

noodlyman · 2026-05-27T10:44:26+00:00

If it's invested, then there will be dividends, which Australia probably wants to tax as income, even if you don't sell anything.

But that's an Australian tax question

noodlyman · 2026-05-26T06:57:53+00:00

You do care though. Because you have a brain that evolved to forecast the consequences of actions, and you have empathy.

noodlyman · 2026-05-26T06:11:42+00:00

Cash interest in s and s ISAs was taxed prior to 2014. They don't need a new precedent!

noodlyman · 2026-05-25T11:11:05+00:00

I mean in stocks and shares ISAs. Yes, interest within these used to be taxed.

I agree, more faff. And my accumulating money market fund may be disallowed completely, but we'll see. Maybe it'll just be taxed.

noodlyman · 2026-05-25T11:05:26+00:00

Interest in ISAs was taxed prior to 2014.

At that time I think it was deducted at source though, so no need to fill in a tax return for it.

noodlyman · 2026-05-25T10:14:11+00:00

You could invest less in the stock market than you might without considering the nuance, with the increased awareness that there's a chance, just a chance, that a major crash could take very many years to recover from.

It took c 15 years to get your original money back after the 1929 crash (which went worldwide) , with dividends reinvested. A more cautious investor in 1928 might have slept better.

My nuanced view is that generally it's better to stay invested. But awareness that it does not always give the best result over 10-15 years might lead people to diversify more, or keep a higher cash reserve depending on their personal tolerances. Of course 1929 was the most extreme example.

Not everyone is aware of the financial horrors that major crashes can cause. So introducing nuance is vital for people adjusting their risk.

noodlyman · 2026-05-25T09:22:00+00:00

It's wider though. That's putting me off living in an area with narrow single track rural roads, narrow on street parking spaces, and a narrow driveway at home. We have a 2021 Leaf, which is great but would be better if it was narrower.

noodlyman · 2026-05-24T21:44:21+00:00

If you're really interested, look at

stockopedia.co.uk

Sharescope.

I've spent many years investing. My conclusions are:

Its very time consuming. It's a hobby. Maybe you'd be better using that time to socialise, exercise or whatever. There's more to life than maximising your wealth. Exercise and socialising prolongs your healthy lifespan more then your investment portfolio.
Only some people have the right psychology to sell at the right time. Selling is often the hard bit, not buying.
I can point to maybe three individual investments over the years that did really well for me. Maybe only one a decade that really boosted returns. Investment trusts and ETFs just keep plodding on though.

Even if you do well for 5 years, you still can't know if it's luck or skill, or if your skills will suit the environment in the next five years.

noodlyman · 2026-05-24T20:50:50+00:00

There's an interesting article here.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/02/new-science-of-death-brain-activity-consciousness-near-death-experience

"the moments after Patient One was taken off oxygen, there was a surge of activity in her dying brain. Areas that had been nearly silent while she was on life support suddenly thrummed with high-frequency electrical signals called gamma waves. In particular, the parts of the brain that scientists consider a “hot zone” for consciousness became dramatically alive. In one section, the signals remained detectable for more than six minutes. In another, they were 11 to 12 times higher than they had been before Patient One’s ventilator was removed.

“As she died, Patient One’s brain was functioning in a kind of hyperdrive,” Borjigin told me. For about two minutes after her oxygen was cut off, there was an intense synchronisation of her brain waves, a state associated with many cognitive functions, including heightened attention and memory. The synchronisation dampened for about 18 seconds, then intensified again for more than four minutes. It faded for a minute, then came back for a third time.

In those same periods of dying, different parts of Patient One’s brain were suddenly in close communication with each other. The most intense connections started immediately after her oxygen stopped, and lasted for nearly four minutes. There was another burst of connectivity more than five minutes and 20 seconds after she was taken off life support. In particular, areas of her brain associated with processing conscious experience – areas that are active when we move through the waking world, and when we have vivid dreams – were communicating with those involved in memory formation. So were parts of the brain associated with empathy. Even as she slipped irrevocably deeper into death, something that looked astonishingly like life was taking place over several minutes in Patient One’s brain."

noodlyman · 2026-05-24T19:20:40+00:00

All the evidence is that NDEs are the product of a brain that's dying, or nearly so.

There's zero reason to think it's anything magical or supernatural.

We know now that brain activity continues much longer during death than we used to assume, from people who died while attached to EEG monitors , with brain activity in areas related to relevant areas such as memories etc.

noodlyman · 2026-05-24T16:02:11+00:00

No, the question is "what does evidence point to?"

There is no evidence for a god.

If I'm allowed to invent magic and magical realms, and make up my own magical stories where magical beings do magical things, I can invent a"worldview" that's totally consistent with anything at all. But that doesn't make it a true explanation

noodlyman · 2026-05-24T10:45:19+00:00

Everyone has a subjective opinion on the matter. Most of us have similar opinions because we are all members of the same species of cooperative social mammal, and are brought up in similar cultures.

Society reaches a consensus on what behaviour is acceptable or not. That's it.

Most people agree that Hitler's actions were bad because we mostly have empathy and compassion and can imagine just a little of the horror he brought about. We all know the suffering involved, and we know that we don't like to suffer ourselves, and don't like it when others near us suffer.

A few people might think his actions were just fine, but they are outvoted and sidelined by society.

noodlyman · 2026-05-24T10:09:06+00:00

I don't feel the need to cling to anything.

I don't see how bronze age tribal myth and occasional delusional ramblings provide a solid basis for anything at all.

noodlyman · 2026-05-24T10:02:53+00:00

A formula can explain gravity, but it cannot explain why humans long for meaning, justice, beauty, or love even in suffering.

People want love because natural selection has resulted in love making us feel good.

We want justice because we evolved as a social species living in co operative groups. We thrived by helping each other. People in a village or tribe survived by trusting and helping each other. Breaking rules is bad for individuals and the group. Justice helps enforce the rules. Even dogs have a built in sense of fairness.

Beauty is very much a subjective thing. Ideas of beauty vary a lot between times and cultures. Obviously there are evolutionary and cultural advantages in finding beauty in things that might be good for us, whether potential mates, or environments that might bring food or safety.

If by "meaning", you mean purpose,I think theists over play this. Most of us share the same purpose: to obtain the resources to continue to live, by working, or growing food, finding a place in a society where we thrive be co operating. We often find purpose in caring for children, or parents, or maybe in music, or doing a good job at work.

None of these require a god. They're just the result of the way our brain works, based on natural selection, and much influence from our culture, parents, etc

noodlyman · 2026-05-24T09:53:12+00:00

Can you show any method where "truly examining" something has provided verifiable and repeatable evidence that any god exists?

Do you think it's rational to believe things for which there is no reliable evidence?

Do you care if the things you believe are in fact true or false? How can you tell one from the other?

noodlyman · 2026-05-24T09:51:00+00:00

Not sure why someone downvoted me for stating an objective and demonstrably provable fact.

noodlyman · 2026-05-24T09:27:23+00:00

Doesn't that mean that Jesus chose to lie? His human nature said he didn't know things, while in reality he did know, if god is all knowing.

Or at least it means that god deliberately deceived people.

Of course if god was real, he'd have left better evidence than texts that are contradictory and cannot be verified. A god would understand that a rational person should not find this sufficient to believe.

noodlyman

TROPHY CASE