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The Bad Astronomer
Skeptic Friend
137 Posts |
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The Bad Astronomer
Skeptic Friend
137 Posts |
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Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
 Posted - 07/24/2001 : 04:11:12 [Permalink]
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quote:
I think that I could have handled nastiness at anytime during my life. One needs to learn that in life there are people and people. Some of these people have emotional problems, and whatever they say or write must be taken as having come from the brain of an unfortunate person. If children can learn how to deal with nastiness early enough in life, they can learn to handle anything. If Cathy has two ears, one should be used for incoming nastiness and the other for outgoing nastiness. Sure, it is hard, but learning to *consider the source* helps.
We've (Caity and I) have gone over this issue several times. All children deal with this at school. We've discussed how to handle the problem and she had a doozie - the moon hoax. She was trying to support the moon landings at school after that terrible show. She was the only one arguing for the moon landings. (The BA website helped with that lots!) However, when an adult attacks a child then it is time for the parents to step in and handle the situation. You can't throw a child to the wolves (for an appropriate colloquialism). I refuse to let her suffer abuse at the hands of adults. Adults should behave with a bit more decorum than has been shown in past. (Myself included.)
He's YOUR god, they're YOUR rules, YOU burn in hell! |
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Zandermann
Skeptic Friend
USA
431 Posts |
Posted - 07/24/2001 : 05:32:47 [Permalink]
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quote:
... However, when an adult attacks a child then it is time for the parents to step in and handle the situation. You can't throw a child to the wolves (for an appropriate colloquialism). I refuse to let her suffer abuse at the hands of adults. ...
And you know that there are plenty of us over on the BA board who would "step in and handle the situation" should anything occur to Caity when you're not available.
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ljbrs
SFN Regular
USA
842 Posts |
Posted - 07/24/2001 : 19:41:08 [Permalink]
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quote:
quote:
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I think that I could have handled nastiness at anytime during my life. One needs to learn that in life there are people and people. Some of these people have emotional problems, and whatever they say or write must be taken as having come from the brain of an unfortunate person. If children can learn how to deal with nastiness early enough in life, they can learn to handle anything. If Cathy has two ears, one should be used for incoming nastiness and the other for outgoing nastiness. Sure, it is hard, but learning to *consider the source* helps.
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We've (Caity and I) have gone over this issue several times. All children deal with this at school. We've discussed how to handle the problem and she had a doozie - the moon hoax. She was trying to support the moon landings at school after that terrible show. She was the only one arguing for the moon landings. (The BA website helped with that lots!) However, when an adult attacks a child then it is time for the parents to step in and handle the situation. You can't throw a child to the wolves (for an appropriate colloquialism). I refuse to let her suffer abuse at the hands of adults. Adults should behave with a bit more decorum than has been shown in past. (Myself included.)
For your daughter, it is lousy to be the smartest (and most skeptical) student in a classroom. However, there are worse things that could happen: BEING ONE OF THEM! Eventually, she can go to a university and things are much, much better. There are still ignorant people, but they drop out sooner or later -- mostly sooner.
Of course, this will depend upon the university and upon the courses taken. She should be picky about her selections.
ljbrs
Perfection Is a State of Growth... |
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Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2001 : 01:09:58 [Permalink]
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quote:
For your daughter, it is lousy to be the smartest (and most skeptical) student in a classroom. However, there are worse things that could happen: BEING ONE OF THEM! Eventually, she can go to a university and things are much, much better. There are still ignorant people, but they drop out sooner or later -- mostly sooner.
Of course, this will depend upon the university and upon the courses taken. She should be picky about her selections.
Well, she's torn between geophysics (what six year old asks about subduction - let alone understands what it is?) and astrophysics (again - what six year old asks about solar fusion and understands the concept?). She thinks she wants to go to Stanford. She's also talked about robotics and MIT in the past. So time will tell - I told her to make sure she can get scholarships!
She was also about three the first time she said she was skeptical. We were talking about magic and whether it was real. Go figure - a born skeptic? Now whether she understood what she was saying or parroting something she'd heard is a question I can't answer.
He's YOUR god, they're YOUR rules, YOU burn in hell! |
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Kristin
Skeptic Friend
Canada
84 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2001 : 05:13:28 [Permalink]
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quote:
She was also about three the first time she said she was skeptical. We
were talking about magic and whether it was real. Go figure - a born
skeptic? Now whether she understood what she was saying or parroting
something she'd heard is a question I can't answer.
She could very well have understood what she was saying. As a kid around that age, I always wanted to believe that sort of stuff was possible, but never could bring myself to think Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy were real (but for some reason I allowed myself to consider for the possibility of psychic powers. Human brains are more tangible than large fuzzy pink bunnies I guess.) I tried to convince my classmates to see it my way, but...
Sounds like you have one special child there 
Good judgement comes from experience: experience comes from bad judgement. |
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Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2001 : 23:52:56 [Permalink]
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quote:
She could very well have understood what she was saying. As a kid around that age, I always wanted to believe that sort of stuff was possible, but never could bring myself to think Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy were real (but for some reason I allowed myself to consider for the possibility of psychic powers. Human brains are more tangible than large fuzzy pink bunnies I guess.) I tried to convince my classmates to see it my way, but...
Sounds like you have one special child there
 Thanks Kristin
She is. She also started questioning how Santa was able to get around the world with 8 reindeer when she was about 4. And why the Easter Bunny put out eggs instead of something else, her reasoning - everyone knows that eggs come from birds not bunnies. BTW, she's now reading Michael Shermer's 'Why People Believe Weird Things'.
Ah well, if she did understand what she was saying at that age - I musta done something right.
He's YOUR god, they're YOUR rules, YOU burn in hell! |
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Lisa
SFN Regular
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2001 : 09:00:21 [Permalink]
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Trish, when she's done with that, get her Shermer's new book, "The Borderlands of Science". I've started it, and it's excellent. What surprised me is how much it echos the topics on this board. Is someone here actually Dr. Shermer in disguise?
Lisa
Chaos...Confusion...Destruction...My Work Here Is Done |
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Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2001 : 22:17:02 [Permalink]
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Is that finally out Lisa? I've been waiting on the bookstore to get it in for the past6 month. No call yet 
Yeah, she'll probably read that one when she's done - or when I finish Borderlands.
He's YOUR god, they're YOUR rules, YOU burn in hell! |
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Lisa
SFN Regular
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2001 : 12:17:24 [Permalink]
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It was out in early-mid May. I picked it up at the beginning of June. I've been trying to keep my mitts off of it until later. I have several all-day appointments with the VA in August, but :sigh:, I'm weak when there's a new book in the house. I've sort of been nibbling a page here and there.
So far, his topics on cloning and hypnosis mirror this board.
Lisa
Chaos...Confusion...Destruction...My Work Here Is Done |
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Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2001 : 17:45:54 [Permalink]
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Yeah, but I wanted my 10% discount for ordering it! Just picked it up today instead of sleeping before work. I haven't touched it yet....but I really want to, but I'd probably wind up late for work.
He's YOUR god, they're YOUR rules, YOU burn in hell! |
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James
SFN Regular
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2001 : 00:20:03 [Permalink]
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Babel Tower to be rebuilt!
c/o Weekly World News
Dateline: Baghdad
An eccentric Arab billionaire has announced plans to build a new Tower of Babel...just like the one in the Holy Bible!
Tower will soar 10,200 feet.
It will be built primarily of stone.
Problems:
1. Gonna be practically where the old tower was. Why not go into the mountains and save money, materials and time?
2. They are gonna have problems with the wind as they get higher. No way in hell will they be able to build anything higher than about 5,000 without having trouble with the building falling over.
3. Quote from article:quote:
In the Bible, the ancients set out to build a tower so high its top is in the heavens. God becomes displeased and disrupts the project by causing humans, who originally spoke a single language, to speak in many different tongues. Unable to communicate, they are forced to stop work and disperse to the four corners of the earth (Genesis 11:1-9).
Hadn't they heard of sign language? Hello?
4. Again, from article: quote:
If all goes according to plan, he hopes to start building in October with a completion date in 2011.
How much you wanna bet that the US or other UN nation will think it's a HUGE missle silo or something and destroy it? 
"When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not." -Master Yoda
Edited by - James on 07/30/2001 00:26:05 |
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Bozola
Skeptic Friend
USA
166 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2001 : 22:11:07 [Permalink]
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Well said (over in BABB), ljbrs.
Bozola
- Practicing skeet for the Rapture.
Edited by - bozola on 07/30/2001 22:12:47 |
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Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2001 : 12:53:49 [Permalink]
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Come on ljbrs....thank him for the rose already. Yeesh!
I never get roses (could really get jealous here but won't) - so thank him already...K?
He's YOUR god, they're YOUR rules, YOU burn in hell! |
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