The Periodic Table's Younger, Sexier, Sibling Thread...

[comslave]

Plus she's gives a measurable boost to the economy.

Increased penicillin sales, has she?

[HoneyWagon]

TMI Alert

[spoiler]Hey, got some good news just now. The tests came back negative. I do not have prostate cancer. So, I suppose it's either medication or surgery to get that fucker a bit smaller.

Blood sugar is up to 187, though. Seems my pancreas is not manufacturing enough insulin to process the sugar, so it's passing through into my bladder, adding sugar to my urine. Doc says it's likely diabetes, but can also be renal glucosuria, so got some more tests coming up next week.

I'll keep y'all posted.[/spoiler]

Congrats Al, I hope that stays clear for you. I'm no MD but, speaking from experience, get a few opinions on the prostate. We've had a guy in our neck of the woods who is a Big Noise in the area of prostate surgery and there are patients who swear he saved their life, but I've had my own GP and several friends who are doctors and medical researchers tell me this guy is full of it.



If the diabetes is Type 2, there is a lot or research now suggesting dietary change (including the booze) can help. Not easy though, and YMMV.

Best of luck.

Congrats on the prostate news.
Diet helped me with blood sugar levels (reducing carb intake). And for the record, tequila, whiskey and vodka are low carb ;)

Beer and sweet wine should be reduced, though.

[Edina Monsoon]

I wonder if Watson agrees with Dillahunty and others that whether or not she made up the whole Elevator story is irrelevant. Someone should ask her this. Not via twitter or social media or magazine interview but live in front of the cameras, with no Myers or Plait or any other white knight around to interfere.

[HoneyWagon]

FTR and because I feel like just fucking venting, Greta Christina can kiss my ever-loving, eternal ass. My guy is going to have part of his fucking tongue removed on the 25th. This is along with removing the mass on his neck and doing a throat camera look. Somehow, I'm thinking there aren't shoes out there to compensate for a piece of your fucking tongue. Her "fundraiser" is all the more assholish in light of what my guy is going through. A giant FUCK YOU to Greta. And her fucking ugly ass shoes.

I am sorry you and your guy have to go through this, Renee.
Your guy is fortunate he has you for this.

(I am sure you are lucky to have him as well, but I am referring to having a loved one to help when one has health issues)

[comslave]

I wonder if Watson agrees with Dillahunty and others that whether or not she made up the whole Elevator story is irrelevant. Someone should ask her this. Not via twitter or social media or magazine interview but live in front of the cameras, with no Myers or Plait or any other white knight around to interfere.

In my view the incident was fictional. But that's not even my main criticism of Watson. It's that from the start, she used it as a stick to beat up all men in the atheist community. From the start, we were ALL guilty of what one man supposedly did, and she can't even identify if this guy was a member of the atheist community anyway. It could have been some random hotel guest.

[Mykeru]

Because having to pay for cancer on top of everything else would suck.

[Mykeru]

Because having to pay for cancer on top of everything else would suck.

In response to "cancer free".

And that's what happens in Tapatalk when you hit the reply instead of the quote.

[ReneeHendricks]

FTR and because I feel like just fucking venting, Greta Christina can kiss my ever-loving, eternal ass. My guy is going to have part of his fucking tongue removed on the 25th. This is along with removing the mass on his neck and doing a throat camera look. Somehow, I'm thinking there aren't shoes out there to compensate for a piece of your fucking tongue. Her "fundraiser" is all the more assholish in light of what my guy is going through. A giant FUCK YOU to Greta. And her fucking ugly ass shoes.

I am sorry you and your guy have to go through this, Renee.
Your guy is fortunate he has you for this.

(I am sure you are lucky to have him as well, but I am referring to having a loved one to help when one has health issues)

Yeah, I'm the luckier one :D *However*! I'm trying my level best to not be a freaked out weirdo as is my tendency lately and I'm trying to be positive and upbeat. All my frustration and pissy-ness is vented on the 'net.

[Outwest]

This is what some dingwad I work with sent me earlier today. Yes, I smoke. Is he too stupid to use a picture of a man?[spoiler]?

jim.png

(35.96 KiB) Downloaded 231 times

[/spoiler]

[cunt]

Rebecca Watson holding court in an irish bar about how desirable she is, forever.

In the meantime, her "use by date" passed ten years ago.

Use by date?

[johntheother]

I have a question - which I dont know if anybody can answer : just this

why does UN Aids (the United Nation's organization to combat the spread of HIV) - why are they pursuing the circumcision of ~20 million adults and children in sub saharan africa and pretending that this will provide a barrier to the spread of the virus? Haven't they heard of condoms?

[Outwest]

Rebecca Watson holding court in an irish bar about how desirable she is, forever.

In the meantime, her "use by date" passed ten years ago.

Use by date?

Expired. As in food. Except in this case...

[cunt]

Have you got a link or something to back that up johntheother?

[cunt]

Rebecca Watson holding court in an irish bar about how desirable she is, forever.

In the meantime, her "use by date" passed ten years ago.

Use by date?

Expired. As in food. Except in this case...

I know what it means. I just don't think it applies to human beings. Unless, Watson's use by date is when she dies.

[Tristan]

The high blood sugar count was discovered after blood and urine tests were done to check for prostate cancer, and, as I said, we were all kind of surprised. Getting a second opinion is problematic, only because I have Medicare. However, it is not impossible, so if the order of the day is surgery, I'll go that route.

I'd think twice about the surgery if I were you. Current medical opinion amongst many of the leading lights in the field is that even in most cases of actual prostate cancer, the side effects of the surgery are worse than the disease itself. It's typically slowly progressing, and the sad fact is that the vast majority of men with prostate cancer will, without treatment, die of something else well before the cancer becomes problematic. For them, all that surgery would do is substantially reduce quality of life (incontinence is a common outcome).

[ReneeHendricks]

Have you got a link or something to back that up johntheother?

Wait. I'm confused - did JohnTheOther post? If so, can you link as I've missed it.

[ReneeHendricks]

Have you got a link or something to back that up johntheother?

Never mind, saw it just after I responded to you. Noodles may be thrown at me now.

[Bhurzum]

Have you got a link or something to back that up johntheother?

Never mind, saw it just after I responded to you. Noodles may be thrown at me now.

*throws noodles*

:lol:

[Edina Monsoon]

I wonder if Watson agrees with Dillahunty and others that whether or not she made up the whole Elevator story is irrelevant. Someone should ask her this. Not via twitter or social media or magazine interview but live in front of the cameras, with no Myers or Plait or any other white knight around to interfere.

In my view the incident was fictional. But that's not even my main criticism of Watson. It's that from the start, she used it as a stick to beat up all men in the atheist community. From the start, we were ALL guilty of what one man supposedly did, and she can't even identify if this guy was a member of the atheist community anyway. It could have been some random hotel guest.

I think it may have happened. But if it happened the way she described, no matter who the guy was, why wasn't it "Guys, DO this" because wasn't his behavior exactly what it should be? Polite invitation, politely taking 'no' for an answer.

Her attacks on women who said exactly that was what started the shit-storm, if I understand it correctly, not the incident itself. So it's all bullshit, this "Waaah, Rebecca Watson gets death threats just because she got creeped out by a guy in an elevator, waaah rampant misogyny."

After that (again, if I understand correctly) she started 'doubling-down' and 'digging-in.' It wasn't just some polite stranger, it was someone from the convention who sat with her in the bar all night and heard her say she didn't want to be approached. Someone whose face she recognized, obviously - but can't point out in photos because she can't recognize faces. And and and... not only has she been sexually objectified before at conventions, she's been attacked! Groped! Only those incidents weren't worth making a "Guys don't do that" video about because... um... because... :eusa-think:

Now, yes, it's a stick to beat up all atheist men. Mysterious atheist elevator-almost-rapist, could be anyone. Mysterious atheist past groper(s) of Watson. And the "big name" atheist with a horrifying reputation of molesting women, who can't be named because he's Too Powerful. Between the three, that covers every male convention attendee AND speaker.

[HoneyWagon]

Hey, any teachers here looking into getting into the fascinating world of blogging?

http://i.imgur.com/XDRUo.png

[Outwest]

[

Use by date?

Expired. As in food. Except in this case...

I know what it means. I just don't think it applies to human beings. Unless, Watson's use by date is when she dies.

I don't think that was what is implied....

[debaser71]

I have a question - which I dont know if anybody can answer : just this

why does UN Aids (the United Nation's organization to combat the spread of HIV) - why are they pursuing the circumcision of ~20 million adults and children in sub saharan africa and pretending that this will provide a barrier to the spread of the virus? Haven't they heard of condoms?

religion and feminism

[Outwest]

Hey, any teachers here looking into getting into the fascinating world of blogging?

http://i.imgur.com/XDRUo.png

Unpaid of course. Only Becky gets to reap the rewards of your work.

[Cunning Punt]

Halfish's blog: http://haifischgeweint.wordpress.com/de ... whiteness/

This is her:

https://www.facebook.com/GeneralPerversion/info

Wait a minute. Jamie?? The new Skepchick's name is Jamie, no? Same person?

Na. Skepchick Jamie is from Chicago: Jumped-the-Shark Jamie is from Vancouver.

[Reap]

Here's my reply to Ophelia and her "Heroic Standard" blog. I really wonder how much it must suck to just sit around and cry while you wish things better
Christ Ophelia what do you expect from the world? Life isn't fair, bad things happen, people are unfair sometimes too. By saying "People shouldn’t have to overcome barriers that shouldn’t be there in the first place." You may as well say "People shouldn't die" and then go into a pointless spiral of why people should get to live forever and how bad dying is. Nature created barriers not people. They are a part of evolving. I'm glad there are barriers for us to overcome. Since life doesn't allow us to choose what barriers it deals to us sometimes those barriers are unfair to say the least. The alternative is sailing through life with no challenge, nothing to aspire to, no accomplishments, and no progression. It would be some people's idea of heaven but not mine. You can't start the game at the end of it and expect to get anything from it.
Harriet Hall lives in the reality I am describing. She accepts that life is going to keep doing what it always has. It's the way she deals with it that makes me respect her. Instead of crying and complaining she acts on what she can change and does the best she can with what she can not change. Best thing is...She accepts science. Take a look at the latest atheist census numbers. Look at the numbers of men who identify as atheist vs the numbers for women. Then try to convince people the numbers at atheist conventions should be 50-50 men/women. What are you going to do about that problem? Are you going to force women to start calling themselves atheists and force them to attend conferences? I simply can't believe some of the crap I hear coming from the FTB 'skeptics/atheists' I don't know if you think by repeating rhetoric enough times it will become accurate data or if you are just convinced you are correct and above error. Whatever it is I'm just glad it seems to be limiting itself to this one box of FTB. I wonder if you will ever manage to climb out.

Ophelia wants the world planed smooth for her. She wants no challenge harder than making coffee, she wishes all accomplishments to be handed to her simply because she showed up. To her I say:

http://zenpencils.com/comic/86-randy-pa ... ick-walls/

How bad do you want it? That's what you get.

When my son was much younger, third grade or so, we would play "Pokemon Stadium" together. The first few times we played, I won, and he started talking about how that was unfair, because I was older. I told him:

"Kiddo, I'm not going to ever "let you win". I think that's a kind of lying, and I try not to lie to you. But I will tell you this. If you practice, you'll get better, and one day, you'll beat me. When you do, you'll know that I didn't let you win, but that you earned honest victory from an opponent who was sincerely trying to wipe the floor with you. I guarantee, you'll like how that feels."

A month or so later, he won. Wasn't pretty, the little bastard had turned into some kind of video game Patton on me. The victory dance lasted about twenty minutes, and I let him have every minute of it because he'd earned it, fairly and honestly.

If the only victories and achievements we get are the ones handed to us, then we don't have shit. Sure, we all wish things were easier or better. But to actively try to make things go all "Harrison Bergeron"?

That's kinda fucked up.

Barbara Drescher and I talk about the same thing on the next AA podcast, at length. I'll have it posted tonight or tomorrow morning

[somedumbguy]

I have a question - which I dont know if anybody can answer : just this

why does UN Aids (the United Nation's organization to combat the spread of HIV) - why are they pursuing the circumcision of ~20 million adults and children in sub saharan africa and pretending that this will provide a barrier to the spread of the virus? Haven't they heard of condoms?

http://www.malecircumcision.org/advocac ... ocacy.html

When I read the various materials here found via googling un aids, I would say their beliefs are:

1. they have medical evidence circumcision does prevent transmission of aids
2. they are well aware of condoms, in fact, they worry circumcision will reduce condom use

My 5 minute scan didn't reveal a whole lot beyond that. I didn't find other reasons to advocate for circumcision as one tool to reducing aids such as that people dislike condoms and people do not use condoms 100% of the time and so if circumcision prevents transmission effectively than it can be a valid tool to use in a suite of tools, including condoms.

But come on JTO, I know you are a good enough researcher that you could have found that on your own without my help...

[Parge]

I have a question - which I dont know if anybody can answer : just this

why does UN Aids (the United Nation's organization to combat the spread of HIV) - why are they pursuing the circumcision of ~20 million adults and children in sub saharan africa and pretending that this will provide a barrier to the spread of the virus? Haven't they heard of condoms?

Here are two interesting articles:
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lance ... 1/fulltext
This one from the Lancet (2007) states that the mechanism for why rates of infection for uncircumcised adults is higher than for circumcised is unknown. There's also an issue where the stats are flipped if you're talking about males circumcised as children rather than adults.

http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/86/ ... index.html
This one from the WHO (2008) speculates that the reduction is

...primarily to be through reduction of HIV target cells (e.g. Langerhans’ cells, CD+ T-cells and macrophages), which are plentiful on the inner, mucosal surface of the foreskin and through formation of a thick layer of squamous epithelial cells that form a barrier to HIV uptake in the underlying target cells.

Sounds legit. I'd assume that the adult subjects had a choice in the matter. As you say, condoms should be an adequate alternative. Given the plethora of misinformation about AIDS transmission floating around Sub Saharan Africa, it might be a tactic to work around the dangerous myths with a program that apparently has some preventative merit. It doesn't make it right or good, just somewhat effective.

[Metalogic42]

Hey, any teachers here looking into getting into the fascinating world of blogging?

http://i.imgur.com/XDRUo.png

But they just added one...maybe they want to add as many as possible, so their readers spend all their time on skepchick instead of on other sites with those nasty dissenting opinions.

[AndrewV69]

Have you got a link or something to back that up johntheother?

I dunno what the compelling evidence is but as I was told it is better that the men believe it will work than than the belief that sex with a virgin will cure HIV.

(I was recently told this by someone who used to be a big cheese with the Red Cross. I think my sarcastic "oh well, that's all right then" failed to make an impact on her).

http://www.who.int/hiv/topics/malecircumcision/en/

There is compelling evidence that male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by approximately 60%. Three randomized controlled trials have shown that male circumcision provided by well trained health professionals in properly equipped settings is safe. WHO/UNAIDS recommendations emphasize that male circumcision should be considered an efficacious intervention for HIV prevention in countries and regions with heterosexual epidemics, high HIV and low male circumcision prevalence.

Male circumcision provides only partial protection, and therefore should be only one element of a comprehensive HIV prevention package which includes: the provision of HIV testing and counseling services; treatment for sexually transmitted infections; the promotion of safer sex practices; the provision of male and female condoms and promotion of their correct and consistent use.

[cunt]

I think we have a resident AIDS/HIV researcher in the house. If male circumcision actually helps and people willingly submit to it then I can't see a problem.

[Reap]

Mykeru: Just because I disbelieve Watson about the 2 incidents you describe doesn't mean I disbelieve her about everything she says.

Well, obviously it doesn't mean you disbelieve her. Because you don't. People still join Peter Popov's ministry. So what?

The question I asked was, given her track record for making shit up, what is it about this particular incident that you give her the benefit of the doubt?

It has nothing to do with extraordinary claims of the "Just because Uri Geller was caught cheating bending spoons doesn't mean he is always cheating when he bends spoons". It's more on the level of saying something like "Just because Lance Armstrong was finally caught doping with EPO doesn't mean he was always doping with EPO". I would disagree. It just means there wasn't mechanisms in place to catch him, or there were testing schedules and loopholes he could exploit. In the case of Rebecca Watson the best you can say about ElevatorGuy is not that you have any reason to believe her, but you believe her because, in this particular instance, she has not yet been definitively proven to be full of shit.

Well, good for you.

It's Peter Popoff .............

[ReneeHendricks]

Wait, what?

jjbinx007 wrote:

Mykeru: Just because I disbelieve Watson about the 2 incidents you describe doesn't mean I disbelieve her about everything she says.

Um, how many times can a person lie before you stop believing every word that comes out of their mouth? I think, for me, 2 would be pretty sufficient.

[Steersman]

I have a question - which I dont know if anybody can answer : just this

why does UN Aids (the United Nation's organization to combat the spread of HIV) - why are they pursuing the circumcision of ~20 million adults and children in sub saharan africa and pretending that this will provide a barrier to the spread of the virus? Haven't they heard of condoms?

Because they've been infiltrated by "The Gynocracy" and they want to see an end to the pricks? ... :-)

Welcome aboard. Although I hope you realize you probably won't be allowed to post on Myer's site, entirely because of your association with "The Pit" .... ;-)

[nippletwister]

As long as you don't mean we shouldn't criticise her?

I don't mean that at all! I'm talking about most of the stuff on the 'page o' hate'. I say 'most', because some things on there are obviously meant as jokes.

I know other controversial public figures like Dawkins probably get much more of the same sorts of messages, but he doesn't use them in the way RW uses them- he just laughs them off.

Ironically it was PZ Myers who showed the perfect solution to getting youtube comments you don't like.
Just switch off comments in the first place.

It's not as if Watson is trying to stimulate an open discussion on her youtube channel itself. There is no need for comments at all - at least at that location.
I'm also reminded of something that a few people have mentioned in the past, namely that if you leave a skeptical comment on the skepchick site (dispute a 'fact' and refer to a proper study that shows the real answer) your comment will not appear and you will get banned.
At the same time other comments DO appear which just insult Watson and friends in a nasty way.
To me this seems to be a deliberate policy of only allowing dissenting comments to appear if they are making threats or nasty insults, making it appear that the only people to dissent from her views are those who are obnoxious.
To the true believers who only read the approved sites, it must seem that it is a dichotomy: there is just the 'good' people, completely on the skepchicks FTB side, and the 'bad' people (everyone else), who just want to insult and threaten her.

THIS X 1,000,000!

It's the same basic tactic, again and again, with a few equally dishonest variations.

Elevatorgate: mention a non-troversy, wait for complaints, mock, ignore, and reject (or just delete, as you noticed) all reasonable criticisms, focus only on the "hate". Then do everything you can to amp up the hate, including lies and misrepresenting other people's words.

...same with all related issues, same with the "drunk rape" tweets and others like it, same with Amy, same with Melody, same with PZ, same with Ophelia, same with Greta.

[Outwest]

Mykeru: Just because I disbelieve Watson about the 2 incidents you describe doesn't mean I disbelieve her about everything she says.

Well, obviously it doesn't mean you disbelieve her. Because you don't. People still join Peter Popov's ministry. So what?

The question I asked was, given her track record for making shit up, what is it about this particular incident that you give her the benefit of the doubt?

It has nothing to do with extraordinary claims of the "Just because Uri Geller was caught cheating bending spoons doesn't mean he is always cheating when he bends spoons". It's more on the level of saying something like "Just because Lance Armstrong was finally caught doping with EPO doesn't mean he was always doping with EPO". I would disagree. It just means there wasn't mechanisms in place to catch him, or there were testing schedules and loopholes he could exploit. In the case of Rebecca Watson the best you can say about ElevatorGuy is not that you have any reason to believe her, but you believe her because, in this particular instance, she has not yet been definitively proven to be full of shit.

Well, good for you.

It's Peter Popoff .............

He's thinking of cheap Vodka.

[Cunning Punt]

I have a question - which I dont know if anybody can answer : just this

why does UN Aids (the United Nation's organization to combat the spread of HIV) - why are they pursuing the circumcision of ~20 million adults and children in sub saharan africa and pretending that this will provide a barrier to the spread of the virus? Haven't they heard of condoms?

Are they just pursuing circumcision or are they promoting condom use as well?

[Outwest]

I have a question - which I dont know if anybody can answer : just this

why does UN Aids (the United Nation's organization to combat the spread of HIV) - why are they pursuing the circumcision of ~20 million adults and children in sub saharan africa and pretending that this will provide a barrier to the spread of the virus? Haven't they heard of condoms?

Because they've been infiltrated by "The Gynocracy" and they want to see an end to the pricks? ... :-)

Welcome aboard. Although I hope you realize you probably won't be allowed to post on Myer's site, entirely because of your association with "The Pit" .... ;-)

No it's because he's with AVfM. FTB'ers already hate him.

[mordacious1]

I'll just leave this here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/1 ... ostpopular

:o

[AndrewV69]

I think we have a resident AIDS/HIV researcher in the house. If male circumcision actually helps and people willingly submit to it then I can't see a problem.

Hmmm... let me reword that a bit :

There is compelling evidence that female circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in women by approximately 60%. Three randomized controlled trials have shown that female circumcision provided by well trained health professionals in properly equipped settings is safe. WHO/UNAIDS recommendations emphasize that female circumcision should be considered an efficacious intervention for HIV prevention in countries and regions with heterosexual epidemics, high HIV and low female circumcision prevalence.

No problem right?

MGM is "minor" in comparison to FGM (depending on the FGM of course). But still, no problem. Right?

[welch]

I have a question - which I dont know if anybody can answer : just this

why does UN Aids (the United Nation's organization to combat the spread of HIV) - why are they pursuing the circumcision of ~20 million adults and children in sub saharan africa and pretending that this will provide a barrier to the spread of the virus? Haven't they heard of condoms?

because as others have linked to, there is some decent evidence that circumcision can be beneficial in terms of helping people not get HIG/AIDS.

as far as condoms go, well, you have to have them to distribute them. You have to be able to distribute them to get them out to the folks who need it. You have to use them for them to work. A lot of the countries in that part of Africa are highly catholic, and so condoms are a no-no. There's a lot of other reasons people won't use them. Agree or not, that is the reality.

So, given that, I can see why UNAIDS would encourage male circumcision. Note that this does not mean they aren't pushing condoms as well: http://www.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/c ... oms_en.pdf

As well, UNAIDS is pushing this as a voluntary step: http://www.malecircumcision.org/about/M ... ntion.html

UNAIDS looks to be pushing a comprehensive multitier layered program to create multiple levels of HIV/AIDS prevention. Seems sensible to me.

[welch]

I think we have a resident AIDS/HIV researcher in the house. If male circumcision actually helps and people willingly submit to it then I can't see a problem.

Hmmm... let me reword that a bit :

There is compelling evidence that female circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in women by approximately 60%. Three randomized controlled trials have shown that female circumcision provided by well trained health professionals in properly equipped settings is safe. WHO/UNAIDS recommendations emphasize that female circumcision should be considered an efficacious intervention for HIV prevention in countries and regions with heterosexual epidemics, high HIV and low female circumcision prevalence.

No problem right?

MGM is "minor" in comparison to FGM (depending on the FGM of course). But still, no problem. Right?

Sigh.

If you could link to proper studies that show female circumcision to be of real value in preventing HIV/AIDS, then you might have a point. Until then, you really don't, and this is just "I HATE CIRCUMCISION, IT IS ALWAYS BAD, SEE?" silliness.

Jamming the "male circumcision always = bad" button when there's actual data showing that may not be the case is just dumb.

[Steersman]

Wait, what?

jjbinx007 wrote:

Mykeru: Just because I disbelieve Watson about the 2 incidents you describe doesn't mean I disbelieve her about everything she says.

Um, how many times can a person lie before you stop believing every word that comes out of their mouth? I think, for me, 2 would be pretty sufficient.

How then do you feel about franc’s accusation that Lousy Canuck is homophobic based entirely, apparently, on one slightly off-colour remark about D.J. Grothe, and franc’s accusation that Myers had deleted all of Skep tickle’s posts on a thread of his? Two incidents that simply do not hold any water whatsoever, right? Everything that franc has said before and after that should be flushed then? Looks like some very problematic categorical thinking to me ….

BTW, sorry to hear about your family’s medical problems; hope everything turns out ok. My sister-in-law was recently diagnosed with some lymphoma that necessitated the removal of some lymph nodes in her face, but the prognosis turned out rather well – it can be beaten ….

[cunt]

I think we have a resident AIDS/HIV researcher in the house. If male circumcision actually helps and people willingly submit to it then I can't see a problem.

Hmmm... let me reword that a bit :

There is compelling evidence that female circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in women by approximately 60%. Three randomized controlled trials have shown that female circumcision provided by well trained health professionals in properly equipped settings is safe. WHO/UNAIDS recommendations emphasize that female circumcision should be considered an efficacious intervention for HIV prevention in countries and regions with heterosexual epidemics, high HIV and low female circumcision prevalence.

No problem right?

MGM is "minor" in comparison to FGM (depending on the FGM of course). But still, no problem. Right?

Yep. No problem. So long as you willingly submit to it.

[Steersman]

I have a question - which I dont know if anybody can answer : just this

why does UN Aids (the United Nation's organization to combat the spread of HIV) - why are they pursuing the circumcision of ~20 million adults and children in sub saharan africa and pretending that this will provide a barrier to the spread of the virus? Haven't they heard of condoms?

Because they've been infiltrated by "The Gynocracy" and they want to see an end to the pricks? ... :-)

Welcome aboard. Although I hope you realize you probably won't be allowed to post on Myer's site, entirely because of your association with "The Pit" .... ;-)

No it's because he's with AVfM. FTB'ers already hate him.

Yes, I knew that - hence the winking smiley; don't let franc's sermon on the mount on the topic obscure the fact that they have some utility .... ;-)

[Al Stefanelli]

Motorboating Gone Bad...

Woman accused of smothering boyfriend with her chest

[Outwest]

@Steersman - I just don't notice smilies. It is interesting he has joined the Slymepit, don't you think?

[Cunning Punt]

I have a question - which I dont know if anybody can answer : just this

why does UN Aids (the United Nation's organization to combat the spread of HIV) - why are they pursuing the circumcision of ~20 million adults and children in sub saharan africa and pretending that this will provide a barrier to the spread of the virus? Haven't they heard of condoms?

Because they've been infiltrated by "The Gynocracy" and they want to see an end to the pricks? ... :-)

Welcome aboard. Although I hope you realize you probably won't be allowed to post on Myer's site, entirely because of your association with "The Pit" .... ;-)

Yes, they're going to think badly of him now.

[Steersman]

@Steersman - I just don't notice smilies. It is interesting he has joined the Slymepit, don't you think?

Yes, it is interesting. And maybe even a hopeful sign that at least some in the AVfM crowd are willing to consider that not everyone is willing to buy their party line, although I noticed and was somewhat gratified to see that they stuck their necks out somewhat to criticize some egregious MGTOW claptrap ….

[ReneeHendricks]

Wait, what?

jjbinx007 wrote:

Mykeru: Just because I disbelieve Watson about the 2 incidents you describe doesn't mean I disbelieve her about everything she says.

Um, how many times can a person lie before you stop believing every word that comes out of their mouth? I think, for me, 2 would be pretty sufficient.

How then do you feel about franc’s accusation that Lousy Canuck is homophobic based entirely, apparently, on one slightly off-colour remark about D.J. Grothe, and franc’s accusation that Myers had deleted all of Skep tickle’s posts on a thread of his? Two incidents that simply do not hold any water whatsoever, right? Everything that franc has said before and after that should be flushed then? Looks like some very problematic categorical thinking to me ….

BTW, sorry to hear about your family’s medical problems; hope everything turns out ok. My sister-in-law was recently diagnosed with some lymphoma that necessitated the removal of some lymph nodes in her face, but the prognosis turned out rather well – it can be beaten ….

TBH, I've paid very little attention to Franc and what he's said in the past. There are some topics here I'm interested, others not so much.

Thanks, btw. I'm just scared about the whole throat cancer/lymphoma thing at the moment.

[nippletwister]

TMI Alert

[spoiler]Hey, got some good news just now. The tests came back negative. I do not have prostate cancer. So, I suppose it's either medication or surgery to get that fucker a bit smaller.

Blood sugar is up to 187, though. Seems my pancreas is not manufacturing enough insulin to process the sugar, so it's passing through into my bladder, adding sugar to my urine. Doc says it's likely diabetes, but can also be renal glucosuria, so got some more tests coming up next week.

I'll keep y'all posted.[/spoiler]

Best wishes, Al.

[CommanderTuvok]

Just listened to the interview with Oolon.

There was a point in the programme when Oolon admitted he uses the words "cunt" and "bitch" depending on the context. Reap (I think) responds by asking him what that context would be. Sadly, there was quite a bit of talking on top of one another at the time, and the conversation moved on to something else before we could get his response. I'd really love to know the circumstances when Oolon uses those words.

[nippletwister]

@Skep and Barnowl: I think the most important thing here is the SJW mindset that the world MUST be perfect for them, and cater to them in every single way or it's just the worst thing ever. This and of itself would just be a delusional, self-entitled worldview, worthy of being ignored and shunned, but unfortunately I do think it has to be pushed against, and pushed against hard.

The reason for this, is that I do think that this worldview ends up undermining the actual work that people are doing to make the world a better place. Progress stops being an actual thing. Who cares about progress? It's either everything or nothing.

Mind you, when you're talking about something like rape, you're never going to get down to zero rapes. It's simply not going to happen. No messaging is going to reach the freak in the bushes, ever. Now, there are things we can do to reduce the number of inadvertent rapes. (But no, they don't like talking about this) Educating both men and women on proper sexual communication as well as a sex-positive society to take away the conventions of being expected to pressure someone into sex. But that starts by understanding that this is a whole lot of grey area, and you're never going to get perfection. And that's something that these people don't want to do.

The truth is, as someone who is probably MORE radical on harassment policies than the baboons, they want their fucking cake and to eat it too, by and large. They want a society where the right guys will still be able to seduce them but all those ugly creepy guys will just go into a corner and die. Basically, they want men to be mind readers.

Mind readers under the influence of alcohol.

Yeah. That's realistic.

:clap:
You've crystalized my thoughts exactly. I'm a progressive, yet I find myself constantly frustrated by other progressives or those who claim that they are, because every incremental improvement is treated like an insult because it didn't instantly usher in their utopia.

I've always known better than to expect any kind of perfection, or even much consistency, from individuals or collections of individuals when it comes to political and social issues. I've been a thoughtful, self-educated liberal democrat for twenty years, but the last two years have completed my education in personal politics. I now don't even bother to expect my own "allies" to be any more honest or sincere than Rush Limbaugh.

Disappointing, but not entirely unexpected. Thanks, FTB!

[Dilurk]

Oh dear
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/blogs/e ... r_account/

[Gumby]

My brother just sent me this, presumably from 4chan:

[spoiler]"A white heteronormative cisgendered CEO professor and Baptist preacher was teaching a class on Karl Rove, known Christian.

“Before the class begins, you must get on your knees and worship Jesus Christ and accept that you too can become straight through daily prayer, self-flagellation, and eating Chik-Fil-A every day!”

At this moment, a brave, trans-Asian, self-diagnosed pansexual demiromantic vegan multisouled person who had been free of all animal products and only bought products at the local transgender co-op boldly stood up, holding a glass filled with some white liquid.

“Hey, Professor, what is this?”

The arrogant professor smirked like a rapist and smugly replied “It’s clearly milk, you crazy faggot. What the fuck does milk have to do with political science?”

“Wrong. It’s an all natural vegan soy almond kombucha latte. No animals or transpeople were harmed or raped in the making of this product.”

The professor was visibly shaken, and dropped his chalk and copy of the Wall Street Journal. He stormed out of the room, clearly planning some kind of rape. The professor realized that he had been playing into the hands of the kyriarchy of CEOs, investment bankers, the Religious Right, and psychiatrists. He then killed himself. The proper term for this is “trans-dead”.

The students checked their privilege, all diagnosed themselves with autism and gender identity disorder and joined the Gay-Straight Alliance. An obese trans-eagle furry otherkin waddled into the room and tried to perch upon the American Flag, bending the flagpole in the process. All parties involved gave up meat, Christianity, and the right to bear arms.

The students all lifted their glasses of soy fluid in a toast.

“That beverage’s name? Harvey “The One Percent” Milk.” said the vegan trans-autistic Korean."[/spoiler]

Made me lol

A brilliant adaptation of a Christer meme that I despise!

[Altair]

Ed Brayton offers a piece about Michael Shermer

http://www.freezepage.com/1358459803QPLTGEGWCX

There is the obligatory misunderstanding about the "First they came for ... " quote, and the opinion that Michael Shermer should just apologize and admit he made a mistake.

And we also learn that Paula Kirby, Al Stefanelli and Michael Shermer are bad people

When Paula Kirby refers to Rebecca Watson and her defenders as “feminazis,” she is using exactly the same language used by Rush Limbaugh (who invented that term, or at least made it famous). When Al Stefanelli claims that Watson and her defenders just “hate white men,” he is using exactly the same argument used by right-wing Christians for decades. And when Shermer talks about witch hunts, inquisitions and purges, he is using precisely the same rhetoric that right-wing Christian anti-feminists have used, and continue to use, to describe not only feminists but the entire secular community as well

[Dick Strawkins]

Oh dear
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/blogs/e ... r_account/

Well Ophelia Benson doxxed the student Wally Smith who was mocking her online.
Does this mean she is going to be blocked by CFI?

If not then why not?

How about other doxxers Rebecca Watson, Greg Laden or Surly Amy?

[Steersman]

Just listened to the podcast with Oolon.....
In order to defend the use of "misogynist" as an insult he spent 15 minutes (literally) arguing that words have different meanings depending on location, person and context then immediately went onto how the word "bitch" is always bad no matter the location, person or context.
Fucking mong.

Anyway. Good job Reap and Co. Interesting as always.

I didn’t have the time to listen to all of Reap’s podcast – only the first bit that discussed the issue of banning – but it seems to me that, on the face of it at least, it is not at all an implausible argument that “words have different meanings depending on person, location, and context”. For instance, consider the definitions of the word “religion” by which it is entirely plausible that, in some cases at least, it is perfectly reasonable to talk of atheism as a religion. The relevant meanings:

1. a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
4. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.

So, talking of Myer’s and company’s atheism as a religion certainly doesn’t mean to imply that one thinks that they harbour secret beliefs in Jehovah, but only that they are pursuing “with zeal or conscientious devotion” some associated “principles”, albeit that the zeal is rather unseemly and the principles are highly suspect. In addition, considering that their “atheism” has been transmogrified by some highly questionable feminist dogma that has been accepted largely on faith one can plausibly argue that their religion is getting uncomfortably close to the real-meal deal, i.e., investing some talismanic if not supernatural faith in the power of the word “feminism”.

[Cunning Punt]

Mykeru: Just because I disbelieve Watson about the 2 incidents you describe doesn't mean I disbelieve her about everything she says.

Well, obviously it doesn't mean you disbelieve her. Because you don't. People still join Peter Popov's ministry. So what?

The question I asked was, given her track record for making shit up, what is it about this particular incident that you give her the benefit of the doubt?

It has nothing to do with extraordinary claims of the "Just because Uri Geller was caught cheating bending spoons doesn't mean he is always cheating when he bends spoons". It's more on the level of saying something like "Just because Lance Armstrong was finally caught doping with EPO doesn't mean he was always doping with EPO". I would disagree. It just means there wasn't mechanisms in place to catch him, or there were testing schedules and loopholes he could exploit. In the case of Rebecca Watson the best you can say about ElevatorGuy is not that you have any reason to believe her, but you believe her because, in this particular instance, she has not yet been definitively proven to be full of shit.

Well, good for you.

I've been wondering why you're so insistent on Watson lying about Elevator guy... then in my "research" I see these comments from 3 and a half years ago.
[spoiler]http://i.imgur.com/w9n5x.jpg[/spoiler]

[Altair]

Oh dear
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/blogs/e ... r_account/

Privacy: You may not publish or post other people’s private and confidential information, such as credit card numbers, street address or Social Security/National Identity numbers, without their express authorization and permission.

Hmm, so I guess Greg Laden will be pre-blocked by the CFI.

All in all, the policy doesn't seem so bad, although it leaves somes things open to interpretation

Slurs and other derogatory terms: Attacking anyone, CFI accounts, staff, or otherwise, with terms generally deemed obscene or unacceptable because they denigrate a person’s race, ethnicity, sex, etc. (including but not limited to “the n-word” or “the c-word”).

That "etc." and "deemed unnaceptable" would allow some subjectivity when deciding who to block.

[debaser71]

CFI used to be pretty decent...WTF happened?!?!?