|
|
|
Lisa
SFN Regular
USA
1223 Posts |
 Posted - 06/25/2001 : 14:05:30 [Permalink]
|
Whoops! I was just over at BA, and wow, did Otomo ever give Rift a snotty reply to his last post. Now he's saying that Rift needs psych help because they don't agree. Is this Otomo a major troll, or what? Keith and I have both responded. Neither of us were flaming or snotty (okay, maybe I was, a little), but I think we'd like to know where this guy gets off answering Rift like that.
He says he's not going to reply anymore, I guess we're all beneath him. Oh, I hope he's telling the truth!
Lisa
Chaos...Confusion...Destruction...My Work Here Is Done |
 |
|
|
Rift
Skeptic Friend
USA
333 Posts |
Posted - 06/25/2001 : 16:29:48 [Permalink]
|
Good lord. I just read Otomo's post.
I've reread my posts to see what made him so mad, and I just don't see it. I responded to him TWICE, lol.
Thanks Lisa and Keith. Anybody else want to jump in and say "huh?" go right ahead. :)
I sure don't understand his reaction.
I'm not sure what Pancho's problem is, but he seems to think that Hub' and Computer Org are typical members of the board :)
|
|
|
|
The Bad Astronomer
Skeptic Friend
137 Posts |
Posted - 06/25/2001 : 17:15:16 [Permalink]
|
quote:
We CAN SEE it breaking up, what more proof does he want.
Well, you have to be careful here. It's breaking up now, yes. But does it do this every year? How about once a decade? At what point does this event become remarkable?
My point is that you cannot take one event and extrapolate from it, any more than saying it hit 107 in South Dakota means the planet is warming up. It was hot everywhere last week, but when I left DC in December it was -10 Celsius. Anecdotal evidence is interesting, but you have to be a bit more quantitative about it.
As for me, I see plenty of evidence of glabal warming, and a lot of scientists who I respect do too. Doesn't mean they're right, of course, but it means I'll listen. I am no fan of people who doubt everything, nor am I of those who swallow everything as well.
*****
The Bad Astronomer
badastro@badastronomy.com
http://www.badastronomy.com |
|
|
|
Rift
Skeptic Friend
USA
333 Posts |
Posted - 06/25/2001 : 17:25:56 [Permalink]
|
The funny thing is, I agree with all this. I guess Otomo's attitude had me reacting exactly like he said I was. ::shrug::
Although, I will say this... The Antarctica has been breaking up at a rate we've never seen it do so before. Of course, we've only been observing it for 100 years. We didn't even know it existed until the 1700s.
So to blame it on global warming is wrong. I agree with that. But all I pointed out was that it was breaking up, which it is. I don't think it warranted the reaction from Otomo that I got and frankly he has me confused.
|
|
|
|
James
SFN Regular
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 06/25/2001 : 20:45:06 [Permalink]
|
quote:
We didn't even know it existed until the 1700s.
That's debatable in that on maps drawn before that time there was a land mass in that area. I think it was under a different name, though. There have been many sources sited for this on maps back then, considering that Antarctica has been covered in ice of one form or another for about the past few thousand to few million years.
quote:
So to blame it on global warming is wrong.
Personally, I'd call it "Human intervention." No, I ain't goin' all PC on ya, just that we humans have been measuring the weather for only the past couple hundred years, so we really don't know if this is normal for our planet or, as has been suggested, if it's all our fault.
"When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not." -Master Yoda
Edited by - James on 06/25/2001 20:46:24 |
|
|
|
Rift
Skeptic Friend
USA
333 Posts |
Posted - 06/25/2001 : 23:02:13 [Permalink]
|
quote:
We didn't even know it existed until the 1700s.
That's debatable in that on maps drawn before that time there was a land mass in that area. I think it was under a different name, though.
Terra Incognita. They thought that for the globe to 'balance out' there had to be a large land mass in the south pacific. James Cook proved that theory wrong. He went looking for it and never saw land. Although he did feel that there was land down there somewhere. The landmass of antarctica wasn't actually seen until 1820 (a bit later then I thought) I had to look it up, lol.
http://www.terraquest.com/va/history/ages/discovery.html
|
|
|
|
Rift
Skeptic Friend
USA
333 Posts |
Posted - 06/25/2001 : 23:08:53 [Permalink]
|
I know I'm probably over-reacting, but I'm thinking of not posting on the BA board anymore. I'm tired of the Otomo's, Sequesters, Panchos, etc of the world. You guys are all great, but I'm just getting tired of hair triggers and non-regulars jumping to conclusions.
I've been accused of many things before but never of "Apocalyptic rhetoric" before :)
|
|
|
|
James
SFN Regular
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 06/25/2001 : 23:59:09 [Permalink]
|
Know where you're coming from, Rift. The last time I posted there was probably over a week to two weeks ago. And that was just to find out when BA's group was coming to town. I'm thinking about just not even going there anymore, to tell you the truth. Just to many new yunguns, over dere.
"When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not." -Master Yoda |
|
|
|
Lisa
SFN Regular
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2001 : 00:06:42 [Permalink]
|
quote:
My point is that you cannot take one event and extrapolate from it, any more than saying it hit 107 in South Dakota means the planet is warming up. It was hot everywhere last week, but when I left DC in December it was -10 Celsius. Anecdotal evidence is interesting, but you have to be a bit more quantitative about it.
As for me, I see plenty of evidence of glabal warming, and a lot of scientists who I respect do too. Doesn't mean they're right, of course, but it means I'll listen. I am no fan of people who doubt everything, nor am I of those who swallow everything as well.
*****
The Bad Astronomer
badastro@badastronomy.com
http://www.badastronomy.com
I didn't mean that the fact that it's 107F in SD means we have a global warming problem I was bitching because it's hot, and I'm too damn cheap to turn on the air conditioner.
Now to the perceived problem with Otomo. I (and I think a few others) see the whole global warming controversy as an extremely complex problem. Sure, there have been periods of warming and cooling before. But what was the rate? What were the weather patterns? While our written records don't go back far enough to give us a clear picture, we still have archeological and geological data to at least make some guesses. Preliminary data gives some indication that man's influence is speeding up this current warming trend.
And I need a new air conditioner. This wimpy thing ain't gonna cut it this summer, I can already tell that.
Lisa
Chaos...Confusion...Destruction...My Work Here Is Done |
|
|
|
Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2001 : 00:20:40 [Permalink]
|
quote:
I've seen pictures of the PI, and if they ever get their government and the terrorism under control, I'd love to go there.
We were under armed guard for two weeks and restricted to base. Kept having to chase the damned RPA guards out of our quanset hut. He was the one with the loaded rifle too!
quote:
I know I'm probably over-reacting, but I'm thinking of not posting on the BA board anymore.
I'm one who enjoys your posts. Sorry I wasn't able to be on earlier. Will have to go make the best reply I can in your defense.
He's YOUR god, they're YOUR rules, YOU burn in hell! |
|
|
|
Lisa
SFN Regular
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2001 : 00:34:17 [Permalink]
|
quote:
I know I'm probably over-reacting, but I'm thinking of not posting on the BA board anymore. I'm tired of the Otomo's, Sequesters, Panchos, etc of the world. You guys are all great, but I'm just getting tired of hair triggers and non-regulars jumping to conclusions.
I've been accused of many things before but never of "Apocalyptic rhetoric" before :)
Rift, you're talking a couple of froot loops out of many good people! Don't quit posting. Most see through Otomo's little ploy. Run out of arguments, claim the other person is nuts. Piper does the same thing. The only difference is Otomo writes better. The end result is still the same.
Lisa
Chaos...Confusion...Destruction...My Work Here Is Done |
|
|
|
Torsten
New Member
Canada
16 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2001 : 03:39:37 [Permalink]
|
quote:
I know I'm probably over-reacting, but I'm thinking of not posting on the BA board anymore.
Why do you go there? Is it for learning? Is it for sharing ideas? Is it for entertainment? Is it for out-arguing the strange ones that regularly troll through there? Is there a social function fulfilled?
I go there for all those reasons. Don't let the trolls get you down. Pick your battles and relish the small victories. It's just a little corner of the www and there's way more crud out there than you can ever hope to address, so try to enjoy your time there.
Have you ever followed the cre-evo debate? It's generally uglier and dumber than anything at bad astro. I prefer Phil's place over any of those viper pits.
Personally, although the moon hoax thing was getting somewhat tedious, I really looked forward to Paul M's posts. He's an interesting study. I wish he'd post again, just so that I could play with him.
Remember the geocentrists? That too was tedious. They haven't been around in two years. (Wierd thing - just as I killed the text files of my exchanges with Selbrede from a couple of years ago, he showed up to take me to task for criticizing the weird "science" of Barry Setterfield (decaying light speed). One carefully thought-out post and he hasn't come back. Maybe he's tired too, but it sure had my adrenalin coursing for a couple of minutes. (Is that a sign of a cyber geek?)
Anyway, from someone who doesn't post too often but appreciates reading a good discussion: stay cool and enjoy the game. I read your posts, and avoid others'.
[I hope this comes across OK, I had a long field day, read some Sky and Telescope, got on-line, and had a tall shot of rye (that'd be Canadian Whiskey to all ya Americans), and now it's 1:30 a.m., so my judgement is surely impaired. Oh well, I'll hit the "Post New Reply" button now.
TK
huh? |
|
|
|
Zandermann
Skeptic Friend
USA
431 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2001 : 07:36:01 [Permalink]
|
quote:
I know I'm probably over-reacting, but I'm thinking of not posting on the BA board anymore. I'm tired of the Otomo's, Sequesters, Panchos, etc of the world. You guys are all great, but I'm just getting tired of hair triggers and non-regulars jumping to conclusions.
I've been accused of many things before but never of "Apocalyptic rhetoric" before :)
Rift, my opinion: don't let them beat you; don't let them chase you away.
Lurk and observe, take a break from writing, sit back and just learn...but don't stop reading.
Like Trish said, I too enjoy reading your contributions...and I chime in if I have something new to say...and Lisa's right: the ones who are getting us all down right now are just a few out of many.
Otomo's an anti-thought pollyanna ("everything will turn out OK, and anyone who says otherwise is just trying to raise a ruckus") and the Pipesqueak is obnoxious and the Gauss/Comp_Org/Patch troika is just weird...but there's *a lot* of interesting stuff discussed over there daily.
And the board would be a poorer place without your input.
(and welcome Torsten!...good to see you here)
|
|
|
|
Rift
Skeptic Friend
USA
333 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2001 : 13:34:31 [Permalink]
|
I was just tired and in a bad mood last night, I doubt I'll stop posting. Global Warming is not a subject I'm an expert in and for me to get in a flame war (on either side) is just stupid. Otomo was spoiling for a fight, that much is obvious. I'm just going to ignore him, like I do computer org :)
Hey Torsten, I thought the name looked familar. :) Not to many of the old guys left. Mainly just Phil and Hub'. lol. Yeah, I remember the Geocentrists, what happened to them? They were unbelievable. Remember JW and the anti-relativity crowd too? I posted an article from Salon that talked about the anti-einstien kooks on the net and JW and John Kieren accused me of racism, lol. ::shrugs:: John even wrote me an email about it...
I'm not sure if the BA board gets more kooks then usual or what. I lurked on an egyptology board for a while and although I didn't see many cranks they were all complaining about them too. :)
I use to hang out in the "evolution is a fact" chat room on AOL. Talk about stupid people. Got so I just ignored the fundies and just talked science with the intelligent regulars.
I really don't think there are that many idiots out there (I hope). It's just that the few there are are very vocal.
I started hanging out at the BA board because Hoagland upset me greatly and that was a place to vent :) I've learned a lot about Hoagland (mostly that he's more nuts then I orginally thought), and now I'm there to talk with the more intelligent and cool regulars and to learn new things. The amount of knowledge of the regulars is astounding even if a lot of it has very little to do with astronomy :)
Hoagland still bugs me though :)
Thanks everybody for the encourgement. After that vitriolic attack (I braced for one and the viscousness of that one still suprised me) from Otomo I needed it. :)
|
|
|
|
Lisa
SFN Regular
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2001 : 20:45:16 [Permalink]
|
Holy shit!! Did anyone see Gauss's reply to Otomo over on BA? I've seen some pretty good flames before (Piper, JW, Jack White, et. al.) but I think I'll print this one out. When Gauss (or whoever he is this week) puts his mind to it, the guy (or whatever) can really rock. I don't know who Otomo is, but now that Gauss has him in his sites, this could get entertaining. Alas, after the massive flaming he just took, I rather doubt he'll be back.
Let's point Gauss at Pancho next.
Lisa 
Chaos...Confusion...Destruction...My Work Here Is Done |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Topic Locked
