Sorry but I've been away from the forum for the weekend.

Knitemate,

1. protect them? They should protect them from lies and falsehoods and irrational standards of good solid scholarship.

Where are the lies? Robert, what if it turns out that there WAS some kind of strange conspiracy involved with the 9/11 attacks? That would seem to move it from the realm of irrationality into the realm of " good solid scholarship.

I've had professors shoe-horn 9/11 into courses before, but at least it had some relevance to the issue at hand. One was a course of logic and reasoning, and the professor decided to push a "the administration hasn't provided every last dram of evidence therefore the whole thing is a CIA plot" agenda in the class. Nice to get a logical fallacy from a logic teacher...

It is quite obvious that there are things that the US government knows about 9/11 that it hasn't shared with the world. Providing a how-to-attack-the-US manual isn't a very good idea. Past wars have demonstrated that it may take decades before all of the information is declassified (recall that the source might be classified rather than the content).

It is equally obvious that al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attacks -- via media channels hostile to and outside the control of the US -- and the terror organization has not veered from that claim despite huge and mounting losses on their side.

As far as deception...I think it would be MORE deceptive if the students were taught to take everything they are told at face value.

I will say though, that I don't know if that particular forum would be the proper place to bring them up. Unless of course the discussion began based on the motives of the perpetrators.

2. You've set up a false alternative (logical fallacy). There is no true choice between 'taught at face value' and 'free thinking'.

Free thinking has a purpose....
Its purpose is not to just come up with any random idea, in spite of evidence.

I thought we had established that there were valid questions involved? Am I missing something here? YOU may not think that the questions are valid or rational, but many others DO think they are worth exploring.

This course was about the religion of Islam. It was not a reasoning course, or a forensics course, or a political science course, and only tangentally a history course. The professor is pushing an agenda and exercising poor scholarship.

Because that is NOT 'thinking' at all....it is concluding without regard to evidence, facts, logic, Reason. There must be standards that incorporate facts and rational premises in order to form any semblance of cohesive ideas. Things must be consistent. You can't believe one idea last hour and assert the contrary idea the next hour and somehow hope they both remain true at the same time.

As far as I know, the gentleman in question IS consistent in his teaching. I haven't heard or read anything about him changing his opinion.

Having never changed one's opinion is a sign of a closed mind.

EDIT: typo

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No animals were harmed in the making of the above post... much.

Don't take cheapshots.......I'm going to have to conduct an exorcism with voodoo dolls and ufos piloted by bigfoot to get whatever the hell it was you and I were talking about back on track..

Well....when ya get back on the track...please let me know. Meanwhile, I will be out here wandering in the ether.

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Air Cold, the blade stops;
from silent stone,
Death is preordained

Calm Chaos Forums : Everyone Welcome

Don't take cheapshots.......I'm going to have to conduct an exorcism with voodoo dolls and ufos piloted by bigfoot to get whatever the hell it was you and I were talking about back on track..

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Founder of BOINC team Objectivists. Oh the humanity! Rational people crunching data!
I did NOT authorize this belly writing!

Have you noticed that Dubya seems to be the type that would get distracted by a shiny object while giving a speech? lol

Maybe it's just me.

---

Air Cold, the blade stops;
from silent stone,
Death is preordained

Calm Chaos Forums : Everyone Welcome

Well, you could pick out your own color of tights....that would be a plus wouldn't it?

I was thinking you could take on the persona as my noodly appendage....but that doesn't seem to fit (see the above objections about gayness). lol

I can't come up with ALL of the brilliant ideas you know. If you want to be my superhero sidekick you're just going to have to start pulling your own weight. Otherwise I'm hiring Misfit.....everybody hates him except me.

That'll at least give us a fresh starting point to battle the 'evildoers' (insert GWBush accent here).

Either you come up with something better or I'll recruit him.....I think he's already supplied with a uniform. He comes ready made. :-)

Go ahead and hire Misfit then...lol

And Dubya's accent would be eevilduwers LMAO

ANd THAT little gem comes from the man who can't pronounce Nuclear....lol

---

Air Cold, the blade stops;
from silent stone,
Death is preordained

Calm Chaos Forums : Everyone Welcome

Well, you could pick out your own color of tights....that would be a plus wouldn't it?

I was thinking you could take on the persona as my noodly appendage....but that doesn't seem to fit (see the above objections about gayness). lol

I can't come up with ALL of the brilliant ideas you know. If you want to be my superhero sidekick you're just going to have to start pulling your own weight. Otherwise I'm hiring Misfit.....everybody hates him except me.

That'll at least give us a fresh starting point to battle the 'evildoers' (insert GWBush accent here).

Either you come up with something better or I'll recruit him.....I think he's already supplied with a uniform. He comes ready made. :-)

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Founder of BOINC team Objectivists. Oh the humanity! Rational people crunching data!
I did NOT authorize this belly writing!

Good...you go ask him. He made my avatar. Deep down he loves me......how could someone not love me? I'm just choc full o' lovin'.....

You forget. He reads this thread. We basically HAVE asked him. But just to be sure....Hey Captain, could we get you to scare up a couple of logos for Robert's Super Hero?

And Robert, yer full of SOMETHING alright...just not sure it's lovin' lmao

Oh.....it's lovin' alright....I'm crammed full of it!

I was thinking it could be me as 'SuperNoodly' and you'd get to be the sidekick...just not that gay kind of Batman/robin sidekick...you'd have to get more original. We all know I don't truck that way......

And what is it exactly that qualifies ME as the " sidekick " ??? lol

---

Air Cold, the blade stops;
from silent stone,
Death is preordained

Calm Chaos Forums : Everyone Welcome

Good...you go ask him. He made my avatar. Deep down he loves me......how could someone not love me? I'm just choc full o' lovin'.....

You forget. He reads this thread. We basically HAVE asked him. But just to be sure....Hey Captain, could we get you to scare up a couple of logos for Robert's Super Hero?

And Robert, yer full of SOMETHING alright...just not sure it's lovin' lmao

Oh.....it's lovin' alright....I'm crammed full of it!

I was thinking it could be me as 'SuperNoodly' and you'd get to be the sidekick...just not that gay kind of Batman/robin sidekick...you'd have to get more original. We all know I don't truck that way......

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Founder of BOINC team Objectivists. Oh the humanity! Rational people crunching data!
I did NOT authorize this belly writing!

Good...you go ask him. He made my avatar. Deep down he loves me......how could someone not love me? I'm just choc full o' lovin'.....

You forget. He reads this thread. We basically HAVE asked him. But just to be sure....Hey Captain, could we get you to scare up a couple of logos for Robert's Super Hero?

And Robert, yer full of SOMETHING alright...just not sure it's lovin' lmao

---

Air Cold, the blade stops;
from silent stone,
Death is preordained

Calm Chaos Forums : Everyone Welcome

Good...you go ask him. He made my avatar. Deep down he loves me......how could someone not love me? I'm just choc full o' lovin'.....

Let's have a contest.......best ideas win...

I think my avatar would have to be on my chest. that's a given.
oh....LOL...I almost forgot. there was a post a few hours ago on Roseeta about 'superheros' . I made a joke in response. I'll go get it and copy it here. The Universe works in mysterious ways...

I am thinking of something along the lines of SuperNoodle lol

If we get in on Captain Avatar's good side he might scare us up some good logos.....

I dunno about YOU....but I think I am already on his good side....lol

---

Air Cold, the blade stops;
from silent stone,
Death is preordained

Calm Chaos Forums : Everyone Welcome

Let's have a contest.......best ideas win...

I think my avatar would have to be on my chest. that's a given.
oh....LOL...I almost forgot. there was a post a few hours ago on Roseeta about 'superheros' . I made a joke in response. I'll go get it and copy it here. The Universe works in mysterious ways...

I am thinking of something along the lines of SuperNoodle lol

If we get in on Captain Avatar's good side he might scare us up some good logos.....

Let's have a contest.......best ideas win...

I think my avatar would have to be on my chest. that's a given.
oh....LOL...I almost forgot. there was a post a few hours ago on Roseeta about 'superheros' . I made a joke in response. I'll go get it and copy it here. The Universe works in mysterious ways...

I am thinking of something along the lines of SuperNoodle lol

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Air Cold, the blade stops;
from silent stone,
Death is preordained

Calm Chaos Forums : Everyone Welcome

4- Use your common sense: do not try to be a superhero. Please remeber that the enviromental variables ( the freaking heat), the electric bill, and your ISP can produce the nasty surprise that your computers may have to sut down. We do not need that. A computer that is not running doesnt help us.

I don't get to be a Superhero? That just sux....when I joined the project it was because of the understanding I would get to dress up in tights and gain 'super powers'......

I can't express how disappointed I am.....
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Seriously though, I've dedicated more resources to Rosetta. I just wish we had that 'tell your friends' feature functional.

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Founder of BOINC team Objectivists. Oh the humanity! Rational people crunching data!
I did NOT authorize this belly writing!

Let's have a contest.......best ideas win...

I think my avatar would have to be on my chest. that's a given.
oh....LOL...I almost forgot. there was a post a few hours ago on Roseeta about 'superheros' . I made a joke in response. I'll go get it and copy it here. The Universe works in mysterious ways...

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Founder of BOINC team Objectivists. Oh the humanity! Rational people crunching data!
I did NOT authorize this belly writing!

You're an expert on nuke blast radii now? are we? LOL...

Listen...I AM AN EXPERT....I go to the hospital once a month just to get X-rays....for kicks. I KNOW what it is to be irradiated....I work hard at it and don't appreciate you noobies coming in here telling me how it's done. My genetic code has been altered so far beyond what you can possibly imagine I'm in danger of becoming my own self proclaimed SuperHero with my own damned comic book series.

Now, YOU think about THAT before you talk to me ever again, MR.!!!

* tries to imagine what kind of super hero Robert would be *

I'm not sure I could come up with anything ludicrous enough.

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Air Cold, the blade stops;
from silent stone,
Death is preordained

Calm Chaos Forums : Everyone Welcome

You're an expert on nuke blast radii now? are we? LOL...

Listen...I AM AN EXPERT....I go to the hospital once a month just to get X-rays....for kicks. I KNOW what it is to be irradiated....I work hard at it and don't appreciate you noobies coming in here telling me how it's done. My genetic code has been altered so far beyond what you can possibly imagine I'm in danger of becoming my own self proclaimed SuperHero with my own damned comic book series.

Now, YOU think about THAT before you talk to me ever again, MR.!!!

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Founder of BOINC team Objectivists. Oh the humanity! Rational people crunching data!
I did NOT authorize this belly writing!

Knightmate, if that is wrong...given your scenario what the hell difference would it make? Point is, if 'duck and cover' under your desk while your particular elementary school is somehow the subject of a direct hit then ...well......what's the complaint about? I mean, other than thousands of dead kiddies of course...lol (should I even be allowed to say 'lol' and 'dead kiddies'?)


Point is, pundit leftists use the old black and white cartoons of 'duck and cover' with that turtle we've all seen over and over to push an agenda. I dislike dishonest agendas.....even when it involves lovable creatures like turtles....

Have you seen their necks? The turtles, I mean? That's pretty damn Noodly....they're noodly.
<-----totally off rocker

* oils the rails on your rocker so you can get back ON *

I know what ya mean though about the direct hit. Just pointing out the fact that it doesn't have to be THAT direct to make the desks useless...lol

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Air Cold, the blade stops;
from silent stone,
Death is preordained

Calm Chaos Forums : Everyone Welcome

Knightmate, if that is wrong...given your scenario what the hell difference would it make? Point is, if 'duck and cover' under your desk while your particular elementary school is somehow the subject of a direct hit then ...well......what's the complaint about? I mean, other than thousands of dead kiddies of course...lol (should I even be allowed to say 'lol' and 'dead kiddies'?)


Point is, pundit leftists use the old black and white cartoons of 'duck and cover' with that turtle we've all seen over and over to push an agenda. I dislike dishonest agendas.....even when it involves lovable creatures like turtles....

Have you seen their necks? The turtles, I mean? That's pretty damn Noodly....they're noodly.
<-----totally off rocker

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Founder of BOINC team Objectivists. Oh the humanity! Rational people crunching data!
I did NOT authorize this belly writing!

He just went moronic again.....

"how do you have a drill if a nuclear bomb goes off...? There's nothing left!"

What an idiot. He apparently doesn't understand the standard and maligned 'duck and cover' drills kids used to be subjected to were not supposed to protect them against immolation or an inferno. It is a drill to keep you away from flying debris if you were miles away within a certain radius......

Morons...

True. But keep in mind what we were TOLD as children.

" If a nuclear bomb hits...get under your desk." Then we saw pictures of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and saw the destruction. Hiding under a desk won't do you a whole lot of good...and those desks aren't THAT sturdy....lol

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Air Cold, the blade stops;
from silent stone,
Death is preordained

Calm Chaos Forums : Everyone Welcome