Comments for Negligible Knowledge Base

Comment on Take caution when purchasing iTunes Gift Cards by thecodepounder

thecodepounder — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:11:55 +0000

Well, I guess it depends on your definition of "fanboy". Typically, at least in computer culture, a fanboy would be a person blindly, if not irrationally, DEFENDING Apple's messed-up iTunes Gift Card system and failing to admit that it is anything less than perfect–not the person pointing the finger at Apple, explaining how the system is broken and questioning whether something better could be done, as I have above…

Comment on Take caution when purchasing iTunes Gift Cards by Vic the Dick

Vic the Dick — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:02:30 +0000

I don't know you, you don't sound like an aficionado, rather a fanboy! lol

Comment on What is an atheist? Fuck if I know, but everyone else seems to know perfectly well! by vjack

vjack — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:35:19 +0000

Submitted to Reddit's atheism directory. I've often wondered if part of the reason some Christians seem so intent on telling me what atheism means and what I, as an atheist, believe has to do with simple deflection. They cannot articulate what they believe so they try to reduce me to their level. Sure, they are desperate to share their "good news," but how many are willing to provide any meaningful definition on what exactly their god is or is not? How many can get past the well-rehearsed garbage they can recite without having any idea what it means? Frustrating to be sure.

Comment on Take caution when purchasing iTunes Gift Cards by Marj. Rapson

Marj. Rapson — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:43:54 +0000

My husband purchased a $50. Itunes card at WalMart as a Christmas gift for our son-in-law. When he tried to redeem the card on line with Itunes he got the message that the card had not been activated. My husband who is 78 years of age paid cash and was not told by the cashier at WalMart that he would need the receipt in case Itunes would not redeem it. Long story short, we lost the receipt and the $50. cash. I just wonder where the 50 bucks went. One would think at inventory time there would be quite a descrepancy there with all the $50. cards paid for and unredeemed.

Comment on Take caution when purchasing iTunes Gift Cards by Victor

Victor — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:01:56 +0000

I as a huge fellow apple fan was extremely disappointed to find that one of my cards I received was also not activated. I was given two 10$ cards from one of those 3 packs of ten dollar cards. The first worked easily, but the second gave me the message. This being from a friend of a friend who gave it to me who I never see, there was no way of getting the receipt back. Now I know to give the receipt and ask for the receipt when I give/receive one of these.

Comment on Family Guy pisses off the Parents Television Council by vjack

vjack — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:50:53 +0000

The PTC is a perfect Christian organization: determined to tell everyone else how to live.

Comment on Take caution when purchasing iTunes Gift Cards by ben

ben — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 04:21:27 +0000

i bought a $20 gift card today – got THAT message 'Please return to original point of sale for assistance.'

luckily, this happened earlier:
'Would you like a receipt to go with that?'
'Yes, please'

i'm goin back to the shop right now…

Comment on Take caution when purchasing iTunes Gift Cards by RBerges

RBerges — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:34:55 +0000

First, thanks for the lengthy post. I feel your pain. We had the same exact problem with a card from WalMart. I too lost the receipt I intended to keep. But it doesn't matter, my $50 card was a free gift from WalMart for purchasing an iPod. So the gift card is not even on the receipt that WalMart printed, or would reprint if I demanded. ITunes says they cannot help me without the receipt showing I paid for it, and WalMart doesn't seem to want to even look at the matter, let alone help. So I am stuck in the middle. I am talking to iTunes support by email, but I am not hopeful that this will ever get resolved. I am going to try a few more things to try to resolve this, including adding my CC information back to the iTunes account (it was removed about the time this gift card was purchased) and keep complaining up the chain of command, but basically I think I am screwed out of $50 of tunes for my daughter (Christmas gift purchase).

Comment on Take caution when purchasing iTunes Gift Cards by J-J Wilson

J-J Wilson — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:10:56 +0000

Well, I bought one today, which was my first one ever and got the exact same message, luckly I kept the reciept.

Comment on Firefox on Snow Leopard now running smoothly by vjack

vjack — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:34:34 +0000

I don't use that particular ad-on, but I have found that since installing Snow Leopard I've had to disable most of my ad-ons to get Firefox to run without crashing. Frustrating to be sure.

Comment on Macs are better, Windows PCs are cheaper by thecodepounder

thecodepounder — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 19:27:54 +0000

Well, yeah, but for me that's an easy trade-off; it's precisely the tight control on hardware that allows for the tighter integration of the software, which leads to the "user experience" we both prefer.

Plus–for me–there is the "paradox of choice" issue. My last PC at home is a game platform for my son (when a game's not available on PS/3, it often is available on PC). It seems like I spend more time upgrading video cards alone (DirectX 8, 9, 10!) for that one PC than I spend maintaining my three Macs! My son, obviously, would disagree, but I'd be much happier having fewer options as far as PC gaming goes! (hehe)

Comment on Macs are better, Windows PCs are cheaper by vjack

vjack — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:28:00 +0000

That really is a great point. I use both Macs and PCs but strongly prefer Macs and end up using PCs only to run certain software and hardware I don't want to replace yet. However, I have to acknowledge that PCs do have another huge advantage besides price: customizability.

Comment on Repairing the damage, before Roe v. Wade by NKB: Your god isn’t pro-life

NKB: Your god isn’t pro-life — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:32:37 +0000

[...] issue of abortion. First and foremost, I don’t “believe in it”. As I’ve said before, I am simply unable to think of a set of circumstances where (given the choice) it would be the [...]

Comment on Racism still ‘alive and well’ in the Tennessee Legislature by thecodepounder

thecodepounder — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:07:43 +0000

Sad, but true.

Comment on Racism still ‘alive and well’ in the Tennessee Legislature by vjack

vjack — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:04:54 +0000

Just think, if she had instead engaged in anti-atheist bigotry, she might have been promoted.

Comment on Growing up with Buckskin Bill: The Storyland Legacy by Greg McKay

Greg McKay — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:46:06 +0000

What a great read…. I grew up in Alexandria and we picked up the BUckskin Bill show too. I remember it fondly as a child. Thanks for the trip down memory lane….

Comment on Tennessean: Veto the gun bill, Governor by NKB: Tennessee House votes to override guns-in-bars veto

NKB: Tennessee House votes to override guns-in-bars veto — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:13:24 +0000

[...] As I’ve said before, I’m a huge supporter of the 2nd Amendment (indeed, the whole of the U.S. Constitution, for that matter), but at some point common sense has to prevail. I mean, putting aside the well-reasoned arguments of law enforcement, that the provisions of the bill (requiring that a carry permit holder not be intoxicated while packing heat in a bar or restaurant) will be nearly impossible to enforce, it’s just a bad idea. [...]

Comment on Homeopathy can “cure” the common cold… in only a week! by thecodepounder

thecodepounder — Sat, 16 May 2009 15:45:38 +0000

Well, Olga, if you'll open your eyes, you'll see that countless "real" scientists have studied homeopathy. Hell, even if you take the position that the MD who wrote the article I linked above isn't a "real scientist", you can easily find a plethora of information from "real" scientists the vast majority of which closely parallels the article above. Unless, of course, you prefer to practice willful ignorance, or expect your listener to take it on faith–neither of which has anything to do with "real" science.

And just who are you quoting? I never said anything remotely approaching your quoted text. No, my position is one of provisional skepticism. As we all well know, the burden of proof rests with the person asserting the claim. My position is simply that you and the other proponents of homeopathy have not been able–in the last 200+ years–to overcome that burden. If ever you manage to overcome that burden, I for one will change my position as dictated by the evidence.

And why would you think that the foregoing was "somewhat medieval"? If anything, my position, which is rooted in the scientific method, skepticism, and the fundamentals of philosophical logic, would have to be regarded as the enlightened position. Perhaps it's easier for you to call me names than to cite compelling sources? That's fine, but who is truly being "medieval" in their thinking?

Lastly, no. I have not burned anybody recently, have you? I mean, burning people has always been a practice of those who have "belief without evidence" and not those who have "evidence without belief".

Olga, you strike me as a "true believer". As I stated above, all it will take is compelling evidence to change my mind. What would it take to change yours?

Comment on Homeopathy can “cure” the common cold… in only a week! by Olga

Olga — Sat, 16 May 2009 12:38:16 +0000

May be a real scientist, when he does not know how something work, should try and find out? "It can't work and therefore it does not work" sounds somewhat medieval. Burned anybody recently?

Comment on Homeopathy can “cure” the common cold… in only a week! by torunn

torunn — Sun, 03 May 2009 12:51:32 +0000

Read the following book, I suggest the modern version of ORGANON of the Medical art by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, edited and annotated by W. B. Oreilly phd. I think you will find it very interesting.
Forget about dilution and shaking of bottles. What does Homoeopathy mean? You can test it yourself next time you burn yourself superficially, but enough for it to hurt for a while. Instead of putting the finger in cold water, put it under hot water enough for it to get the SIMILAR sting as from the burn. How quickly are you recovered with either of these methods. Opposite or Similar? Cold water or hot water?

Comment on Ben Stein cancels commencement address amid controversy by thecodepounder

thecodepounder — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:15:23 +0000

Why, thank you so much helensilvergoldstein–really. How refreshing it is to hear a believer tell me that I'm going to HEAVEN!

But believe me, if heaven exists and I go there when I die, and Ben Stein is waiting for me at the pearly gates, I'll still be of the opinion that he's full of shit on this specific issue.

But the real question is, how many scientists does it take saying the same thing that I'm saying here, to convince you that Stein's allegations are unfounded?

Comment on Homeopathy can “cure” the common cold… in only a week! by thecodepounder

thecodepounder — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:58:36 +0000

Ok. Go ahead then, Torrunn, school me up, and give me the real inside information, too. Because everything I've read about homoeopathy–from proponent and skeptic alike–makes it sound fucking insane.

How does it work again? The shaking transfers some sort of energy to the molecules that get so diluted (to varying degrees) that there's nary a chance of the original substance actually being present?

Placebos "cure" people too…

Comment on Ben Stein cancels commencement address amid controversy by helensilvergoldstein

helensilvergoldstein — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:23:54 +0000

Don't laugh when you get to heaven and Ben is waiting for ya at the pearly gates!

Comment on Homeopathy can “cure” the common cold… in only a week! by Torunn

Torunn — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:18:31 +0000

Get your self educated about Homoeopathy and then you might be able to have a discussion on the topic.

Comment on Quote of the day by NKB: Plan B to be available to 17 year olds

NKB: Plan B to be available to 17 year olds — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:19:21 +0000

[...] know to your way of thinking sex is a bad thing because Jesus never got laid and all, but remember, hormones yell louder than parents. And remember also that it is the certainty, not the severity, of adverse consequences that deters [...]

Comment on John Madden retires from broadcasting by thecodepounder

thecodepounder — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:11:44 +0000

Yeah, not to detract from his greatness–and he is the best there's ever been, there's no doubt about that. But within the last 5-8 years, it seems that he moved from the guy who could explain anything in terms understandable to even the most casual of fan, to the guy who routinely pointed out the obvious, and often the painfully obvious.

Comment on John Madden retires from broadcasting by nomad

nomad — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 04:51:41 +0000

Madden started to look pretty mean in his older age, I wonder if he was cranky behind the scenes

Comment on ACLU Takes Wilson County Schools to Task by NKB: Wilson County Christian group not content with Constitutional equality

NKB: Wilson County Christian group not content with Constitutional equality — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:18:33 +0000

[...] treating this group in such a permissive way as to endorse or promote the group’s religion (my take on the case, U.S. District Court’s order and [...]

Comment on Just discovered a new blog: TN-Atheist.com by Crystal D.

Crystal D. — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:52:58 +0000

I'd be excited if I lived in an area like TN! We're pretty lucky in MN, at least, it could be worse!

Comment on Catholic Church’s hypocrisy nothing new, but still baffles by Sophie's Ladder. Christian theology, philosophy, world religions, science.

Sophie's Ladder. Christian theology, philosophy, world religions, science. — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:46:49 +0000

[...] As one would expect, religion is a target. Catholicism takes it hard on the chin, and the attacks – seemingly more than on any Christian denomination or any other religion – just from the last week or so – are almost too many to reference: The Irony is So Bad, I’m Having Seizure; Needs a Hat (The Pope and Condoms); The Pope is either Stupid, Ignorant or Dim; Yeah, the Catholic Church Has a Real Problem with Gay Priests. Sure.; More Catholic Inanity; Pope Condemned by the Lancet; Pope Caught Mining Irony in Africa; How Will This Be Tested? (Melbourne Catholic Church will tests priests to see if they are gay). One Upside to Pope’s Comments; A Few More Pope Cartoons; Out of Touch With Reality; Can Catholics eat Fridays During Lent? Impeaching the Pope (I suppose the atheists see this as turnabout is fair play: you mess with my business, so I can mess with yours); Real Catholic TV: Shame, Shame on You, Notre Dame; Celibate Catholic Priest with Sex Manual (OK, now THAT’s funny); Lancet Scolds Pope’s Idiocy; Catholicism Kills; Richard Dawkins Says Pope is Stupid Whilst Looking a Bit Mental ; Pope sticks to script in Africa – Dogma More Important Than Lives; Catholic Church’s Hypocrisy Nothing New, But Still Baffles. [...]

Comment on Take caution when purchasing iTunes Gift Cards by juetat2

juetat2 — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 08:44:49 +0000

I bought a i tunes gift card for 50 bucks, but luckly kept the reciept. As i too got the 'not activated' message. Im going to take the card back to the store tomoro, but not pull out the reciept unless i have too….. so looks like i will be yelling and shouting for a good half hour, wait for them to get all smug with me, then ill pull out the reciept.
I know im going to cause a scene, but i see it as causing awareness!
I love a good argument in these situations…. its only fair.

Comment on Catholic Church’s hypocrisy nothing new, but still baffles by Crystal D.

Crystal D. — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 20:14:46 +0000

I'm sorry, but so many religious people just prove over and over that they don't really care about PEOPLE… Then they get mad when you point it out, but it's like, "Hey, I'm not the one doing that!"

Comment on Frank Schaeffer on conservatism and separation of church and state by NKB: Tennessee legislature proposes further infringements on liberty

NKB: Tennessee legislature proposes further infringements on liberty — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:48:14 +0000

[...] another stark example of fundagelicals “using politics to beat people over the head with a moral crusade“, a bill has passed the Senate Judiciary Committee which would allow the legislature to seek [...]

Comment on Rush Limbaugh and the Republican party by thecodepounder

thecodepounder — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:14:17 +0000

Yeah, I bet a lot of people either chuckled or grimaced at that one! Of course, while he probably just misspoke–we've all done it–it is precisely the sort of thing Rush would jump all over if the speaker were someone with whom he disagreed…

Comment on Rush Limbaugh and the Republican party by Bill

Bill — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:00:43 +0000

I can't quite see Rush Limbaugh as an actual conservative. The Fox News transcript of his CPAC speech has him confusing the Constitution of the United States with the Declaration of Independence. That's reprehensible for a Republican, let alone a Republican political commentator. Chuck the brute out!

Comment on 9-year-old carrying twins undergoes abortion despite protests by thecodepounder

thecodepounder — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:10:59 +0000

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Greg. Not that the definition of incest matters in any respect–a 9 year old impregnated by her stepfather is pretty horrible, whether it's incestuous or not–but regardless, despite the common misconception that incest means sexual relations between blood relatives (if we all come from one "Adam" and one "Eve", then we're all blood relatives, no?), in fact, incest is nearly always defined as sexual relations between people too closely related (by consanguinity or affinity) to marry. So, for instance, sexual relations between third cousins once removed would be considered incest almost nowhere, while sexual relations between step-siblings–like half-siblings–would be considered incest in nearly every U.S. state.

We certainly can agree on the "justified" portion, and finding common ground has to be viewed as a good thing. I mean, this is certainly a subject about which reasonable minds can differ, and I for one respect the fact that others have wrestled with this issue and reached a different conclusion that have I.

Comment on 9-year-old carrying twins undergoes abortion despite protests by thecodepounder

thecodepounder — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:52:18 +0000

Greg, I find it incredible that while you are unable to quantify the number of people who "want a 100% no abortion rule [sic]", as you put it, to any greater precision than "almost no Americans", you have the gall to say that I'm "making stuff up" by my use of the word "countless". How dare you sir.

And you call me ignorant! That's brass, Greg. Brass.

The rest of your comment is mere dictum and as such, no response is required.

Comment on Rush Limbaugh and the Republican party by thecodepounder

thecodepounder — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:00:35 +0000

Thanks for the comment, Greg. Those are some interesting opinions, and I can't say that I necessarily disagree with most of them. My opinion, however, is that wearing the badge of the "evangelist" does not and should not entitle one to engage in the very behavior he so actively decries in those who hold differing opinions. I mean, honesty and forthrightness are two of the many hallmarks of conservatism, no?

And, assuming your number is correct, thanks for pointing out the error of conservative writer David Flum in stating the size of Rush's audience. Of course, if Rush is right, he'd be no less right if he had only 20 listeners, and if he's wrong, he'd be no less wrong with billions of listeners, wouldn't you agree? I mean, at one time, every living person on our planet genuinely believed that the Earth was flat…

Comment on Rush Limbaugh and the Republican party by thecodepounder

thecodepounder — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:47:58 +0000

Ditto. hehe. I'm not saying he's not good for the Republican party, I'd have to agree that he is, especially as the traditional Republican "conservatism" of Goldwater (and even Reagan) moves more and more towards "religious conservatism" and fundamentalist Christian extremism. No, I just think it's interesting that his appeal within the party isn't quite as universal as he or his devotees assert, even among his fellow conservatives, like David Frum, (a speechwriter in the Bush administration). But of course, anyone who disagrees with Rush cannot be a "real" conservative (and doesn't that argument sound familiar?).

I also find it interesting and revealing that, so far as he or his devotees are concerned, it's quite alright for Rush to betray the same hypocrisy that he so stringently bemoans in those who disagree with him. And, having been born and raised in Louisisana, the writer's Jindal observation really caught my eye.

Comment on 9-year-old carrying twins undergoes abortion despite protests by Greg Smikth

Greg Smikth — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 02:40:11 +0000

In the bigger picture there are almost no Americans who want a 100% no abortion rule. But many are tired of this extremely rare exception being used to justify abortions for all on demand for any reason. Less than 1% of abortions performed are for cases of rape or incest. 85% of those women do not want abortions. Yet people still use this tiny fraction of all cases to justify the destruction of 1.3 million human lives per year in the US alone.

1% of 15% of 1.3 million is about 2000. Many of those 2000 women, if given the chance to talk with others who have aborted in the same situation would choose differently. For this tiny splinter of a fraction of a fraction of cases virtually everyone would agree on offering abortion to the mother. It is a ridiculous strawman to suggest otherwise.

Stop tilting at windmills and making stuff up, it just makes you look ignorant.

Comment on 9-year-old carrying twins undergoes abortion despite protests by Greg Smith

Greg Smith — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 02:39:53 +0000

In this particular case,
*step* father means not incest.
*9* means not qualified to make any life and death choices.
At minimum there should be multiple medical opinions gathered about her chances of carrying to term *if* profesisonals agree that pregnancy threatens her and the babies then abortion is the ethical choice. But let's not mince words, this is a case of justified homicide.

Comment on Rush Limbaugh and the Republican party by Greg Smith

Greg Smith — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 02:20:58 +0000

try 20+ million listeners. A phenomenon most detractors of conservatism all fail to grasp is that of like minded individuals coming to simmilar conclusions sans-cult-like-personality to lead them. Rush only has a loud voice because he says things that many millions agree with. The play to "embarass" conservatives by nominating him as their spokesman will back fire worse than "yankee doodle" did during the revolution. I understand the need for both "true believers" and "evangelists", Rush is clearly limited to the former role. Just the same, the Replican party needs to shed the non conservatives and many of the neoconservatives it has picked up like lice before if can start to evangelize and attract new recruits. Rush is the right person with the right voice at the right time. later we will need something different, but at this point in time he IS the medicine.

Comment on Rush Limbaugh and the Republican party by vjack

vjack — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:21:37 +0000

I can't pretend to understand the appeal of Limbaugh, but I am not so sure that he really isn't good for the party. Unless they end up making a major change in their platform (which I doubt will happen), he will likely continue to bring them votes.

Comment on Attack on reproductive freedom gets equal treatment in Tennessee by Crystal D.

Crystal D. — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 02:18:27 +0000

I've read about states mandating vasectomies if men have over a certain number of children and have missed child support payments… I'm kind of in favor. (Same for women, of course, though!)

Comment on Man shoots, kills self in California super-ultra-mega-church by rgz

rgz — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:09:25 +0000

This would be hilarious if it wasn't a tragedy…

Comment on Growing up with Buckskin Bill: The Storyland Legacy by Anne_Mooney

Anne_Mooney — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:28:55 +0000

We have a web-site on facebook of members who grew up watching Buckskin Bill. We would really like to find some old opisodes of Buckskin Bill. I know I was on the show once with my Brownie Troop. Check out the members on Facebook.

Comment on Mangione loses bandmates in last week’s plane crash by thecodepounder

thecodepounder — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:58:19 +0000

I didn't know he had a recurring role as himself on King of the Hill, until your comment prompted me to look it up. I've been listening to his music for some 30 or so years, since I was a kid. My big brother used to listen to his albums and well, I idolized my big brother…

Comment on Mangione loses bandmates in last week’s plane crash by Crystal D.

Crystal D. — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:16:54 +0000

I felt bad when I heard this, I have a real love for Chuck, mostly from King of the Hill…

Comment on Mangione loses bandmates in last week’s plane crash by Crystal D.

Crystal D. — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:16:54 +0000

I felt bad when I heard this, I have a real love for Chuck, mostly from King of the Hill…

Comment on MSNBC: Seven signs of Evolution in action by thecodepounder

thecodepounder — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:40:41 +0000

Joshua, the fact that you regard "changes in species over time" as a "FACT" likely excludes you from the "true believers" about which I remarked, so please--take no offense. I must point out, however, that the 'rock + rain' bit is off topic, as Evolution does not speak to the origin of life. I also think it's likely that many, if not most, atheists would object to your assertion that they "believe" anything. I can speak only for myself, of course--I mean, I'm just not able to speak intelligently vis-à-vis all atheists--but I specifically try to avoid mere belief whenever possible; I try to form opinions on the basis of facts, reason and experience. Thanks for the comment.