Volconvo Debate, Talk, and Discussion Forums http://www.volconvo.com/forums/ A debate, talk, and discussion forum for politics, religion, economics, science, arts and other topics. en Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:14:53 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.volconvo.com/forums/images/misc/rss.png Volconvo Debate, Talk, and Discussion Forums http://www.volconvo.com/forums/ <![CDATA[Obama: 'Victory' Not Necessarily Goal in Afghanistan]]> http://www.volconvo.com/forums/politics-government/44038-obama-victory-not-necessarily-goal-afghanistan.html Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:05:11 GMT So said obama in 2009. Well, for once he told the truth. Support our troops, keep the war(s) going. In fact, let's start a new one in Syria.

"Four Americans were killed during a rocket attack at Bagram Air Base, outside of Kabul, a Pentagon official said Tuesday on the condition of anonymity."
http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/18/world/...html?hpt=hp_t2

How many more will bush 3 kill?? ]]> Zeebadee http://www.volconvo.com/forums/politics-government/44038-obama-victory-not-necessarily-goal-afghanistan.html The Cognitive Bias Song/What Kinds of Biases are the Most Important and Common? http://www.volconvo.com/forums/philosophy-ethics/44037-cognitive-bias-song-what-kinds-biases.html Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:07:58 GMT

Quote:
Lyrics:
I'm biased because I knew it all along... hindsight bias... I knew it all along.

I'm biased because I put you in a category which yo may or may not belong...
representativeness bias don't stereotype this song

I'm biased because of a small detail that throws off the big picture of the thing...
anchoring bias see the forest for the trees

I'm biased toward the first example that comes to my mind...
availability bias to the first thing that comes to mind


Chorus:
Oh oh bias don't let bias into your mind

Bias don't try this...
it'll influence you thinking
and memories, don't mess with these
but you're guilty of distorted thinking

With a cognitive bias your mind becomes blinded to decisions and problems and you've
been forced to solve them wrongly.


I'm biased because I'll only listen to what I agree with... confirmation bias ... you're narrow-minded if you are this

I'm biased because I take credit for success but no blame for failure...
self-serving bias... my success and your failure

I'm biased when I remember things they way I would've expected them to be...
expectancy bias false memories are shaped by these

I'm biased because I think my opinion now was my opinion then...
self-consistency bias but you felt different way back when

(Chorus Again)
What Kinds of biases do you think are the most important? Do you think the song missed some important ones? If so, which ones? ]]> Yarn http://www.volconvo.com/forums/philosophy-ethics/44037-cognitive-bias-song-what-kinds-biases.html <![CDATA[Why are so many improvements actually "improvements"?]]> http://www.volconvo.com/forums/society-rights/44036-why-so-many-improvements-actually-improvements.html Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:15:54 GMT In case you didn't understand the quotation marks, it's intended to mean that they are not actually improvements at all. I will give a very simple example: The New Google Groups.
I'll make my point on this, then I'll let you gripe about something, technological or otherwise.

I would say "The New Google Groups sucks balls," but if it did I would actually be satisfied with it.
For some stupid reason they removed the automatic search highlight feature, which I used to find very convenient (because I could find specific words quickly, obviously).

Yes, I found a potential way around the problem, which is to use the "Find" feature on either Firefox or Internet Explorer.

But what is this?! It seems the "Find" feature still isn't much of a feature, because it's way too keyword specific.
I apparently can't use it to find words that don't necessarily appear in the exact order I type them in. Basically, it only finds words as if they were quoted phrases. It used to be that if I wanted that, I'd just type actual quotation marks around them.
That sounds smart, right? Well, apparently it was smarter to ditch that far better, easier setup and go
with a more complicated system that doesn't even look better.

It makes me ask: Why do so many improvements just make things worse? Isn't the point supposed to involve making things better and easier, not worse and more time consuming? Huh?

If a Mr. Google walked into the room right now and I had a baseball bat, I think I'd knock his head out of the proverbial park.

Grandpa h. ]]> grandpa http://www.volconvo.com/forums/society-rights/44036-why-so-many-improvements-actually-improvements.html Money and gun control http://www.volconvo.com/forums/politics-government/44035-money-gun-control.html Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:36:56 GMT I think the history of the US which brings to the protected right to bare arms, makes us very leery of gun control laws, but really how many guns can be sold? I think we over produce just about... I think the history of the US which brings to the protected right to bare arms, makes us very leery of gun control laws, but really how many guns can be sold? I think we over produce just about everything, lip sticks, guns, pesticides, drugs, and is this really a good thing? Like what does lobbying and advertizing have to do with the over production of goods that must then be sold?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...-gun-industry/ ]]> Athena http://www.volconvo.com/forums/politics-government/44035-money-gun-control.html 31 killed, 57 wounded in suicide bombing at Baghdad mosque http://www.volconvo.com/forums/global-politics/44034-31-killed-57-wounded-suicide-bombing.html Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:30:09 GMT "At least 31 people were killed and 57 others were wounded when two suicide bombers attacked a Shiite mosque in Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
The incident took place during noon prayers in the Habib Ibn al-Mudhaher mosque in al-Qahira, a predominantly Shiite neighborhood in the northeastern section of the Iraqi capital."
http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/18/world/...nce/index.html

More human stupidity in the Iraqi crapital. What's there even to debate at this point? Still, it's news.

Grandpa h. ]]> Global Politics grandpa http://www.volconvo.com/forums/global-politics/44034-31-killed-57-wounded-suicide-bombing.html what vanished troopers? http://www.volconvo.com/forums/conspiracy-theories-unsolved-mysteries/44033-what-vanished-troopers.html Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:12:07 GMT I am not sure I believe this, but then I also wonder, is what is inside the cave like the ark the Hebrews carried? ---Quote---... I am not sure I believe this, but then I also wonder, is what is inside the cave like the ark the Hebrews carried?

Quote:
http://theghostdiaries.com/was-a-500...n-afghanistan/

UFOs in ancient art is nothing new. In fact, there are historians who have devoted their entire lives to studying the recurrence of unexplainable objects in the skies of ancient paintings and carvings. What has restricted these theories to the realm of fanciful narratives is the lack of physical evidence.

That could be about to change.

A couple months ago reports began resurfacing about an object that unnamed military scientists allege was discovered in a cave in Afghanistan sometime in 2010. According to these reports, a 5,000 year old Vimana was discovered entombed in a time well that had resulted in 8 troops disappearing, likely being incinerated. These reports have even suggested the Vimana is still activating, which is what caused the death of the soldiers as well as the disclosure that the original owner of the magical Vimana was none other than the ancient prophet Zoroaster.
]]> Athena http://www.volconvo.com/forums/conspiracy-theories-unsolved-mysteries/44033-what-vanished-troopers.html San Francisco Gentrification/Occupation of Gezi Gardens http://www.volconvo.com/forums/society-rights/44032-san-francisco-gentrification-occupation-gezi-gardens.html Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:48:18 GMT "Despite several days of police issuing trespassing notices to people on the ground at Gezi Gardens and pressure from the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association to raid the occupation at Fell and Laguna Streets, people are still holding down the land at the former Hayes Valley Farm, 24 hours a day. This occupation is historic, both in the sense that it is the first public tree-sit in San Francisco, but also as it is one of the largest and longest lasting public occupations of land to stop the construction of luxury condos against gentrification."
http://baywaters.blogspot.com/2013/0...tinues-as.html

What do you think, about these actions and the issue of gentrification in general?

Grandpa h. ]]> grandpa http://www.volconvo.com/forums/society-rights/44032-san-francisco-gentrification-occupation-gezi-gardens.html Organized religion fosters racism http://www.volconvo.com/forums/religion-spirituality/44031-organized-religion-fosters-racism.html Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:52:10 GMT http://news.usc.edu/#!/article/26776...nd-Racial-Bias

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/?p=1734


Basically what happens is that, since most churches aren't diverse, it develops an "Us vs them" mentality and an air of superiority begins to drift. Hardly exclusive to just religion, but interesting nonetheless ]]> saintmaikeru http://www.volconvo.com/forums/religion-spirituality/44031-organized-religion-fosters-racism.html Linesman Kicked To Death: Teen Players Guilty http://www.volconvo.com/forums/sports-recreation/44029-linesman-kicked-death-teen-players-guilty.html Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:26:27 GMT http://news.sky.com/story/1104860/li...players-guilty

These soccer players are said to have gotten a decision they didn't like, and attacked and killed a linesman, supposedly. They, to their defence, have a idea that it was his heart condition that led to the attack. they are all serving sentences behind bars or at youth detention centres.

It seems that there is a contract between footballers and other sportsmen that they participate at their own risk. if that is the case, they should be freed, but, if that is not the case;

If the boys got excited, and launched a kick at the linesman, they should be disciplined by the football body and not the courts. if the courts are consulted, there needs to be a motive, in this case, it was not their intention to kill the guy, just get their frustrations out of the way. if the stress is too much, they will pass out, but, as nobody controls stress to the point they pass out, they have to have a way to 'unleash' it. I suggest they have dummies placed at each soccer match for this purpose, I often see players getting highly personal with each other as a result of stress.

Now, if the players got so stressed, they will get rid of it anyway they can. if they had killed a rival soccer player from another team, then it would be handled by the F.A. and not the courts. the problem is that there has been a formal legal complaint, and now they need to go to court.

If they were to have kicked him a little bit, then this wouldn't have been a problem. would it have been assault? could the linesman have taken them to court over something we all know gets handled by the F.A? Why is this different? why has someone been sent to jail over something that is legally signed into on?

If the linesman made a bad decision, they may have slid into him and clipped him. if that was an injury - assault even - then there would be no case outside the football association. if they slid him multiple times? what then? what if they slid him to death? is that meaning to kill him? if it was premeditated, then they would have done it in the tunnel or something, and then that would lead to motive for a player to want to or mean to kill the linesman. but, there is no motive, rather just a lot of released stress.

This means they should go to anger management, not jail or other institutions. all these people are going to do in jail is see some precious lives go to waste! What of the homeless, why not throw them in jail for kicking each other? the facts are there are double standards for all walks of life.

So, they didn't mean to do it. they didn't plan on it, they merely got excited. I saw a cricket player get their eye taken out with a cricket ball, there was no cries of foul play there. What about motor sport? when they crash into people, do they sue them? This is sport, and this linesman wasn't even a helpless bystander or civilian in this incident. he signed up, he died. this case should be scrapped and handles by the football association. ]]> Charlatan http://www.volconvo.com/forums/sports-recreation/44029-linesman-kicked-death-teen-players-guilty.html Stuart Hall: Attorney General Reviews Sentence. http://www.volconvo.com/forums/united-kingdom-politics/44028-stuart-hall-attorney-general-reviews-sentence.html Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:08:15 GMT http://news.sky.com/story/1104682/stuart-hall-attorney-general-reviews-sentence This guy is said to have abused lots of young girls. If he abused them, then he should have shown tissue damage when... http://news.sky.com/story/1104682/st...views-sentence

This guy is said to have abused lots of young girls. If he abused them, then he should have shown tissue damage when undressed with his wife. he actually looks gay to me, to be honest. maybe he thought he had to do it to fit into society?

If this guy was to abuse so many children, why didn't it stop at the first one? why wasn't he reported? when giving steak and champagne to a nine year old, he apparently said that saying thank you is not enough. but that is a meaningless little kiss, what should worry people is the reported frenzied attack...

The funny thing is, if he is gay, didn't he mean to fit in? all people in show business tend to be gay, or be attractive to the gay eyes, or, extremely talented. if the landscape is so versed, then how could he get in, looking like he does, into a gay dominated hall way?

That on the side, he seems to have used condoms, or the women would have had children. he did not hurt them, as then it would have been reported right away, as, he would have left marks on them. so, did he abuse them? what of parents sneaking kisses from their peer parent's young? Have you watched American beauty? This sort of thing happens all the time.

Barney says to kids to be close to their parents. if this is wrong, there is something wrong with western culture, as everyone likes to cuddle. ]]> United Kingdom Politics Charlatan http://www.volconvo.com/forums/united-kingdom-politics/44028-stuart-hall-attorney-general-reviews-sentence.html Moors Murderer Ian Brady In Public Hearing. http://www.volconvo.com/forums/united-kingdom-politics/44027-moors-murderer-ian-brady-public-hearing.html Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:04:32 GMT http://news.sky.com/story/1104703/moors-murderer-ian-brady-in-public-hearing This case is about this guy and woman that supposedly lured children to their deaths in a killing spree on the moors.... http://news.sky.com/story/1104703/mo...public-hearing

This case is about this guy and woman that supposedly lured children to their deaths in a killing spree on the moors. this means they must have had a motive. if he is insane, there is a motive, but, if he is not insane, there is no possible motive for this case. well, that is the way I see it...

So, he lured children to their deaths with some woman accomplice they say. why would he do that? is he sick in the head? imagine this happening in Africa or the middle east - would it happen there too? if it wouldn't happen there, why in England?

If there is such a difference between cultures, I would still say that murder is something people avoid, as it makes our stomachs turn. that is, unless you are sick in the head. if you cannot see a preacher or someone old doing this, why them?

Has he pleaded guilty? if he has, maybe he was looking for a quick sentence to get him out in time for the rest of his life? Unless he is mentally deficient?

Why would he kill the children? that he is the suspect says he was linked to them - maybe it was someone else that they did not confide in him? maybe it was the woman, now dead, that was sick in the head? ]]> United Kingdom Politics Charlatan http://www.volconvo.com/forums/united-kingdom-politics/44027-moors-murderer-ian-brady-public-hearing.html Directed Evolution http://www.volconvo.com/forums/science-technology/44026-directed-evolution.html Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:43:16 GMT Like all living beings, the human animal continues to evolve. But unlike other living beings, the human animal is capable of directing its own evolution. The Chinese are, apparently, engaged in a... Like all living beings, the human animal continues to evolve. But unlike other living beings, the human animal is capable of directing its own evolution. The Chinese are, apparently, engaged in a eugenics program which, by another name, is directed evolution.

Quote:
China has been running the world's largest and most successful eugenics program for more than thirty years, driving China's ever-faster rise as the global superpower. I worry that this poses some existential threat to Western civilization. Yet the most likely result is that America and Europe linger around a few hundred more years as also-rans on the world-historical stage, nursing our anti-hereditarian political correctness to the bitter end. [Source: Chinese Eugenics]
Aware of the clear racial intolerance that informs discussions about directed evolution or eugenics, but aware, too, that "we have the technology" to determine, or at least influence, the course of human evolution, how should we approach directing human evolution?



I wonder if we're even capable of being able to determine or even agree on what our evolution should be. There may be some agreement on issues of the human animal being susceptible to various diseases, or even possibly aging, but beyond that what might be done? A case can be made, for example, to evolve into a much smaller animal that requires less food, and takes up less space.

Human face look after 100,000 years predicted,


So, the first issue is should the human animal direct its own evolution, and, secondly, what direction should the directed evolution take? Should it be solely biological or bionic? Questions? Questions? Questions? Any answers? What will be the problems?

We might want to consider these issues; the Chinese already are. ]]> barts http://www.volconvo.com/forums/science-technology/44026-directed-evolution.html <![CDATA["Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.]]> http://www.volconvo.com/forums/philosophy-ethics/44025-great-minds-discuss-ideas-average-minds.html Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:11:18 GMT "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people."
Eleanor Roosevelt

Do you agree or disagree with this claim? ]]> Yarn http://www.volconvo.com/forums/philosophy-ethics/44025-great-minds-discuss-ideas-average-minds.html Has Twilight ruined the names Edward and Bella?? http://www.volconvo.com/forums/arts-entertainment/44024-has-twilight-ruined-names-edward-bella.html Sat, 15 Jun 2013 22:51:08 GMT I think so. I used to adore the name Bella. It's so beautiful. But I can never name my daughter that or even if I were to make a character in a story or something I couldn't name her bella. ]]> saintmaikeru http://www.volconvo.com/forums/arts-entertainment/44024-has-twilight-ruined-names-edward-bella.html Human sacrifice http://www.volconvo.com/forums/conspiracy-theories-unsolved-mysteries/44023-human-sacrifice.html Sat, 15 Jun 2013 21:03:35 GMT I don't know if anyone wants to speculate about the reasoning behind human sacrifices? I was looking for something else when I came across an explanation of a burial with human sacrifices in Ur. I am quite distressed by this, because I thought Ur was different from this. I do not know if this burial with human sacrifices was a one time thing, or a common tradition? Of course it makes me think immediately of the Aztec human sacrifices to the gods. The article says, in Ur the ruling class may have a status close to the gods?
We know the Hebrews sacrificed animals to a god and may have sacrificed humans as well, requiring a story about God not wanting a father to sacrifice his son. What might these people be thinking, when they saw fit to have human sacrifices? How different is all this from the gladiators used as entertainment in Rome? That may be been more secular but how different from sacrificing to a god?

http://www.world-archaeology.com/gre...l-tombs-of-ur/ ]]> Athena http://www.volconvo.com/forums/conspiracy-theories-unsolved-mysteries/44023-human-sacrifice.html