Random Thoughts Part 5: Time to Split Again

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Discussion Overview

The thread features a variety of informal discussions, including personal anecdotes, reflections on dreams, cultural comparisons regarding education systems, and thoughts on numerical scales. Participants share their experiences and opinions on topics ranging from literature and dreams to educational standards in the US and UK.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants share personal dreams involving a community member, Borek, and discuss interpretations of these dreams.
  • There is a discussion about the differences between the long and short scales of numerical values, particularly regarding the term "billion" and its usage in different cultures.
  • Participants express differing views on the quality of higher education in the US compared to the UK, with some asserting that American high school courses can be equivalent to university-level courses.
  • One participant mentions their experience with Advanced Placement (AP) courses in the US, arguing against the notion that American education is "dumbed down."
  • Another participant shares their experience with the discomfort of playing guitar after a long break, tying it into a creative project related to fish.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of opinions on educational standards, with no clear consensus on whether American education is comparable to British education. The discussion on numerical scales also reveals differing interpretations and understandings among participants.

Contextual Notes

Some statements regarding educational comparisons may depend on personal experiences and regional differences in curriculum. The discussion on numerical scales highlights potential confusion stemming from varying definitions and terminologies used in different countries.

  • #271
WWGD said:
How is/was the storm going there in DC?
Seems to be sticking to predictions of near 2 feet. We officially had around 7 inches as of 10pm last night and it looks to be well over a foot by now. There are some innocent looking drifts in the driveway that will probably take a few hours to clear. We have a plow dedicated to our subdivision and he is working hard right now.
 
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  • #272
Borg said:
Seems to be sticking to predictions of near 2 feet. We officially had around 7 inches as of 10pm last night and it looks to be well over a foot by now. There are some innocent looking drifts in the driveway that will probably take a few hours to clear. We have a plow dedicated to our subdivision and he is working hard right now.
Thanks, I (really do not) look forward to it coming this way. A lot of flooding dangers, specially to the people who already suffered through Sandy.
 
  • #273
WWGD said:
Thanks, I (really do not) look forward to it coming this way. A lot of flooding dangers, specially to the people who already suffered through Sandy.
Time to head out for my first pass at shoveling. :nb)
 
  • #274
Current temperature in Istanbul is 34º F (1º C).
 
  • #275
Borg said:
Time to head out for my first pass at shoveling. :nb)
I guess I am spoiled, the rental company takes care of it. Good thing I got those snow boots in the going out of business sale. Timberlands for $20. I feel like a vulture buying from dying businesses.
 
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  • #276
My PC keeps telling me that Schockwave flash has crashed, despite the fact that I never installed it nor have even used it-- don't know what it does.
 
  • #277
From: http://fox2now.com/2015/01/16/boy-w...its-story-was-a-lie-book-pulled-from-shelves/

"ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI)- The 6-year-old boy who said he went to heaven and came back to Earth has admitted that the story was false. The best-selling Christian book, “The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven” was released in 2010.

It was co-written by Alex Malarkey and his dad, Kevin, who is a Christian therapist."

Can you believe this? If you wanted to make a book about a bogus story and pass it off as real, would you hire a guy named Alex Malarkey to write it? :oldbiggrin:

Yes, pick me up a copy...

41baltbwikl.jpg


I like how the "Malarkey" is right under "a true story." o0)
 
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  • #278
DiracPool said:
If you wanted to make a book about a bogus story and pass it off as real, would you hire a guy named Alex Malarkey to write it? :oldbiggrin:
It's kind of hard to believe it's anyone's real name. Makes me wonder if there's also a William Bogus and Samuel Bunk out there.
 
  • #279
DiracPool said:
From: http://fox2now.com/2015/01/16/boy-w...its-story-was-a-lie-book-pulled-from-shelves/

"ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI)- The 6-year-old boy who said he went to heaven and came back to Earth has admitted that the story was false. The best-selling Christian book, “The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven” was released in 2010.

It was co-written by Alex Malarkey and his dad, Kevin, who is a Christian therapist."

Can you believe this? If you wanted to make a book about a bogus story and pass it off as real, would you hire a guy named Alex Malarkey to write it? :oldbiggrin:

Yes, pick me up a copy...

41baltbwikl.jpg


I like how the "Malarkey" is right under "a true story." o0)

I am a believer, some kind of Catholic-pagan-agnostic mystic mix but I really don't like books like this and reports of Virgin Mary on toast etc. They are just opportunities for atheists to make fun of believers and make intelligent believers question their faith (should my belief be based on burned toast?)
 
  • #280
Round one is finished. The middle of the driveway was 18 inches.
 
  • #281
zoobyshoe said:
It's kind of hard to believe it's anyone's real name. Makes me wonder if there's also a William Bogus and Samuel Bunk out there.
Does that mean the book's writer doesn't necessarily use his real name in the cover ? I once made a question about how to publish a book to a publisher and they asked me to provide them my ID card photo.
 
  • #282
Sophia said:
I am a believer, some kind of Catholic-pagan-agnostic mystic mix but I really don't like books like this and reports of Virgin Mary on toast etc. They are just opportunities for atheists to make fun of believers and make intelligent believers question their faith (should my belief be based on burned toast?)
I too am a believer (Buddhism is here :woot:), on a believing scale of 1 to 5, I place my belief on 3. :biggrin:
 
  • #283
zoobyshoe said:
It's kind of hard to believe it's anyone's real name. Makes me wonder if there's also a William Bogus and Samuel Bunk out there.

Actually, I just took a second look at it, and there's two Malarkey's that co-wrote it, Kevin Malarkey and his son Alex Malarkey, who's keeping the tradition alive. So does this make the book "Double Malarkey?" I'm wondering...:oldeyes:
 
  • #284
Silicon Waffle said:
I too am a believer (Buddhism is here :woot:), on a believing scale of 1 to 5, I place my belief on 3. :biggrin:
Similar here. I was raised in agnostic family, than became an evangelical Christian at High school but soon discovered serious logical issues with that type of religion. I officially entered Catholic church 3 years ago at the age of 25. That was a result of meeting some really cool people at university centre for catholic youth. But except for like 2 years during my adolescence, I've never believed anything to be 100% true. It's just that I wish something was true, it would be comforting. But I have no evidence for it. Only some personal experiences, but of course, that is not an evidence.
So, It would be number 3 for me as well.
 
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  • #285
Silicon Waffle said:
I too am a believer (Buddhism is here :woot:), on a believing scale of 1 to 5, I place my belief on 3. :biggrin:

I wonder about type of Buddhism in your area. Is it philosophical with lots of meditation as we usually think about Buddhism in the West or is it more superstitious, worshipping saints, protection against evil spirits and similar? Because I know there are many types of Hinduism but I'm not really familiar with Buddhism.
 
  • #286
DiracPool said:
Actually, I just took a second look at it, and there's two Malarkey's that co-wrote it, Kevin Malarkey and his son Alex Malarkey, who's keeping the tradition alive. So does this make the book "Double Malarkey?" I'm wondering...:oldeyes:
I'd say that's a lot of Malarkey. :oldtongue:
 
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  • #287
Sophia said:
...Is it philosophical with lots of meditation as we usually think about Buddhism in the West or is it more superstitious, worshipping saints, protection against evil spirits and similar? ...
Both I think. :biggrin:

Do people in your area play the game Paper, Scissors, Rock ?:smile:
 
  • #288
Silicon Waffle said:
Both I think. :biggrin:

Do people in your area play the game Paper, Scissors, Rock ?:smile:
yes :)
and I don't know the einglish name, but the game where you draw a table and draw circles and crosses and try to get 5 in a row :)
 
  • #289
Silicon Waffle said:
Do people in your area play the game Paper, Scissors, Rock ?
Yes. And yes for Sophia's area, too. Why do you ask? Did anybody actually played Paper, Scissors, Rock, Spock?
 
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  • #290
RockPaperScissorsLizardSpock.jpg

Sheldon's version
 
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  • #291
fresh_42 said:
...Why do you ask? Did anybody actually played Paper, Scissors, Rock, Spock?

I don't know about the origin of the game. But it shows the interdependence and relativeness of things by the above image.
 
  • #292
Silicon Waffle said:
But it shows the interdependence and relativeness of things
I see.
 
  • #293
Silicon Waffle said:
I don't know about the origin of the game. But it shows the interdependence and relativeness of things by the above image.
that's an interesting thought. Now I see how it relates to buddhism
 
  • #294
Hi Silicon Waffle, hi Borg. Whatcha cooking... :smile:
 
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  • #295
Paper disproves spock hahaha :D
 
  • #296
Weird how some words have "fake roots" : minister does not derive from mini, the pastry profiterol does not come from profit
and butter does not come from butt (at least I really hope not.)
 
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  • #297
WWGD said:
Weird how some words have "fake roots" : minister does not derive from mini, the pastry profiterol does not come from profit
and butter does not come from butt (at least I really hope not.)

No but milk comes from a teat how horrible is that.
 
  • #298
wolram said:
No but milk comes from a teat how horrible is that.
Think of the alternative holes it could come out of. Maybe the teat is not so bad.
 
  • #299
There's this station on the Antenna TV called "Decades" with Charles Kuralt. This station has all the old cheesy 70's docu-dramas. This weekend they've got the "Kojak binge." I haven't seen Kojak since I was 8 years old. But in this episode I'm watching right now I see at least 5 characters that all appeared in Brian De Palma's "Scarface." What? They even have Salieri from Amadeus:

f-murray-abraham_222345.jpg


Is that all they did to put together Scarface, hijack Kojak and throw in Al Pacino?! o0)
 
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  • #300
DiracPool said:
There's this station on the Antenna TV called "Decades" with Charles Kuralt. This station has all the old cheesy 70's docu-dramas. This weekend they've got the "Kojak binge." I haven't seen Kojak since I was 8 years old. But in this episode I'm watching right now I see at least 5 characters that all appeared in Brian De Palma's "Scarface." What? They even have Salieri from Amadeus:

f-murray-abraham_222345.jpg


Is that all they did to put together Scarface, hijack Kojak and throw in Al Pacino?! o0)

I have this channel that shows "Starsky and Hutch" , a show, I think, from the 60s-70s, together with other shows and documentaries from that era. I think it is called Cloo.
 
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