jordanz

Ni (Note from Administrator: This post has been copied from here.)

Well, you've done enough transforming on me to give you a credit on any future annoying you might do. (Note from Administrator: This post has been copied from here.)

Jeeez -- a few unfortunate incidents with my chainsaw many years ago, and people never let you forget. Ghs Is this THE George Smith? I'm thrilled you're here. Atheism: The Case Against God was a transformational book for me. (Note from Administrator: This post has been copied from here.)

Ni

Well, you've done enough transforming on me to give you a credit on any future annoying you might do.

Jeeez -- a few unfortunate incidents with my chainsaw many years ago, and people never let you forget. Ghs Is this THE George Smith? I'm thrilled you're here. Atheism: The Case Against God was a transformational book for me.

I don't like to say bad things about other people in public, but I want to add that I was very happy when Adam disassociated with TOC. At the Summer Seminar whenever he would step into a Q&A line, I would leave the room. He would talk for many minutes without ever asking a question. He can be a very nice man under the right circumstances, but he can also be very annoying.

http://www.newyorker.com/critics/atlarge/a...002crat_atlarge

Please post here if George posts anything about PARC. I refuse to go over there but I would like to read what he has to say.

This is excellent. Great job.

Aha! So Bissell does Bop!

I'll have to check that out. For those who think Bebop is too inaccessible, I suggest the Max Roach/Clifford Brown records. Brown's solos are so musical that I can personally sing many of them (I'm a drummer which may help). Examples: http://www.shop.com/op/~Clifford_Brown_The...632626-~32812-m

I have many fond memories of growing up a practicing Jew. My fondest is the music of the Sabbath service. I just picked up a great CD. The great tenor Richard Tucker (who, apparently, was a cantor) sings the Sabbath Service: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000029M8 - Wow! This is great. You don't have to be Jewish to like this. Great melodies and a great voice. Even better, it's in Hebrew so you don't have to put up with the religious BS.

I like a lot of what Dali painted, and hate a lot of it too ;) This one is very good. John - I LOVED your poem. You captured the spirit of the painting perfectly.

Surfing around, I came across Roger Bissell's critique of Bebop Jazz: http://members.aol.com/REBissell/indexmmm6.html Roger wrote it over 10 years ago, so I'm sure it's fresh in his mind ;) In any event, I have some comments. I don't agree with this. Some may have altered chords or distorted the melody, but this is not part of the definition of Bebop. Technically speaking, Bebop (or Rebop) is what a certain group of musicians (Parker et al) called the music they were playing in clubs in the 40s. Bebop today can be defined as using a song as a foundation for extended soloing (using Jazz rhythms and harmony). Again, this only applies to some musicians, not to Bebop itself. Most of the Bebop I've ever listened to I bought as records. The records have recognizable tunes (some standards, some originals) and the playing is always melodic and accessible. These musicians made a good living at this. They had to make what they did accessible or they wouldn't eat. I believe an audience can reasonably expect to understand Bebop. When performed at its best, Bebop is beautiful, melodic and exciting. There are multiple ways to enjoy it depending on your musical knowledge. The complete lay person can appreciate the rhythms and the melodies (including the improvised solos - i.e. improvised melodies). The more sophisticated can appreciate the technical abilities, the wit, creativity, etc. of the performer. Virtuosity is only one component. The performer is revealing much about himself when he solos. It is not a target to hit, it's an expression of self. Thus, the great soloist does not become boring just as a great orator of language does not become boring. That is true of most art ;) I would add that your hunting will return much great art in Bebop. There is great beauty to be found.

ROTFLOL! "Dyin O'Shame" still kills me every time I think of it.

That is a moment I will treasure for the rest of my life. The moment when the truth is revealed and then I experienced wave after wave of realizations that it was there all along in front of me. I view The Sixth Sense as the greatest magic trick ever performed. The greatest slight of hand.

I would say that it is somewhat understandable. I believe that this type of thing happens in many organizations when the founder dies. Any areas that the founder left open or that aren't 100% clear are open to interpretation and reasonable people can disagree. Unfortunately, there are those in the world who cannot stand any disagreement and view dissenters as heretics. And, to them, the heretic is worse than the non-believer. These are the most puzzling to me. Of all belief-systems, I would've thought that Objectivism would be the least vulnerable to this. No, I don't believe the cause is anything inherent in Objectivism. I believe that this is merely a manifestation of how different people deal with those who disagree with them. Clearly, ARI fosters and rewards this type of behavior. I blame Leonard Peikoff for this.

As the author of a PARC review, I can tell you it was an excruciating experience. But, I strongly encourage everyone to do it if they can. The more widespread and varied the debunking of it, the better for the community.

And, don't forget, a letter-to-the-editor from one Michael Kelly. ;)

This kind of trolling isn't worth my time ;) This is an Objectivist BBS.

I have never studied philosophy, so I will not be able to argue this point technically. I will leave it at this: I have no problem accepting the Oist position on induction. I do not agree that there "is a leap of faith in any inductive reasoning". The sun rises every day given the facts of our solar system. I have no reason to believe that it won't rise tomorrow given these same facts. Thus, the statement that "the sun will rise tomorrow" given the context of the facts of gravity, etc. is, indeed, knowledge gleaned from an inductive exercise.

I don't agree with this definition. Knowledge is belief that is supported by sufficient evidence in a given context. If I only have n% certainty, then it isn't knowledge - it's a hypothesis (or something else). No, it is not a leap of faith. I know that the floor won't collapse unless there is something to cause the collapse. This is not a leap of faith. It is a reasoned action. Given the context of floors and things that can cause floors to collapse I have reasonable certainty that the floor will not collapse. This is not faith - it is called being rational. This is the important thing. When someone says "I believe in God" you must first determine what they mean by "God". In most cases, they will not be able to define God in a way that avoids contradiction.

I stopped using the phrase "I don't believe in God" a few years ago. Instead, I now say "there is no God". It's more direct, it more accurately reflects my belief and, it cuts off the religionist apologists who have a standard reply to the former: "He believes in you".

Thanks all ;)