prisca_sapientia's profile at Help.com

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prisca_sapientia's Top (5) Replies by other users' votes

• (2 votes) Darwin’s theory of evolution is a very powerful concept.
  

  Hey, Sparky, been too busy with the real world to waste time mocking your transparent agenda, but didn’t want you to think you’d “won a debate.” For the record, I wasn’t “assuming” anything, sport. I correctly noted that both you and the initial poster had basically the same agenda, despite your protests to the contrary. It is your own words (in just about every reply) that dig your grave and expose your agenda. Had I the time to waste, I’d have compiled a list of the two dozen or more examples contained in your posts just to embarrass you; but I figured, why bother? You seem so into denial you either don’t remember what you wrote or have no grounding in semantics. (go back and read your insipid comments… they’d be amusing if they weren’t so illogical and ofttimes self-contradictory) You’re like every good little hidebound adherent/proponent of godly pseudotheories - predisposed to self-righteously state “as fact” that nothing can prove your belief incorrect. (as if we cared)
  
  Religionists are trying very hard to assume the mantle of “science” but you neo-emperors have no clothes (or shrouds) that fit. You’ve again proven that you (and they) are incapable of doing anything more than push phony statistical conjecture, proffer disingenuous supposition, regurgitate rhetoric and nit pick real science. Your beloved pseudotheories aren’t scientific. PERIOD (despite the machinations of slick con artists like Behe and DeYoung) Your beliefs can’t even be tested using scientific method, much less be replicated in controlled experiments, but you already know that.
  
  In one breath you say you’re “appalled” that a pseudotheory is barred from classrooms, yet in another you correctly state “knowledge is what gives people a choice as to what they think about the world.” So, what planet are you on where pseudotheories and knowledge should both be “taught”?? You weren’t insulting me to falsely accuse me of assuming, you insult me by thinking I’d buy into your illogic! Knowledge IS empowering, while flawed conjecture and blind belief are crippling.
  
  The next time you engage in what you foolishly miscast as debate, remember not to use the word “teach” in connection with pushing your flawed premises. Religionists co-opted the word “teach” even though beliefs cannot be “taught” - in the educational sense since the are no FACTS to teach - only tales to preach; thus, contrary to your wishes, they should never see the inside of a science classroom or public school, NOT EVEN AS a footnote list of “plausible ideas”/countertheories as you and your ilk suggest.
  
  That isn’t censorship, Pyroboy, it’s simply in keeping with a tenet upon which this country (USA) was founded… that religion and education should remain separate. If individual parents want to brainwash their kids into believing in one of your “plausible ideas” I won’t stop them (though I will pity the kid whose independent thought process is crippled); nor would I prevent any adult from walking into any temple he/she chooses. No skin off my back if they associate with or are indoctrinated by the karma de jour. I’m not interested in converting anyone or steering lemmings away from cliffs.
  
  It’s clear to me that folks like you have been tasked to suck “heathens and infidels” into illogical circular arguments in order to muddy the water. If you don’t bore us to death first, you get your illogical butts kicked, you slip back into the fog and you wait for another chance to preach illogical fallacy. (happens about once a week on Help.com) This means there will be plenty of opportunities for you and your fellow masochists/proselytizers to embarrass yourselves. In fact, spiratec9 (the originator of this inane thread) is even now pushing a pseudoscience/ID site on another board. How typically underhanded (one might even say malevolent) to use the Internet to hide in plain sight, disguised as a trustworthy reference source!
  
  - written 1 year, 1 month ago – voted for by Barbyman

• (1 vote) Closed.
  

  Personally, I can’t wait for the entire decade to close. If I’d had my druthers, funding for this off off broadway tragi-comedy would’ve been yanked after Y2K’s rotten reviews. But, noooo, 8 seasons later, a myriad of cast substitutions and rewrites, nothing but box office losses, and it’s still runnng 24/7. Last one to leave the theatre, turn off the lights!
  
  Here’s wishing you, your mum and your “anything but average” smiling nuclear family a great 2009. Help.com will miss your posts, Smoogie, but don’t lose my contact info. I’m the only one you can trust to talk you safely through the removal of a wood splinter using a pair of pliers and a rusty hacksaw. Just call me MacGuyver’s Mentor.
  
  PS- you never ’splained how a swede got mixed in with the steak and turnips.
  
  - written 11 months ago – voted for by Sans

• (1 vote) Why are all of the Harry Potter spells in Latin if they’re English?
  

  Latin is, relative to modernday languages, ancient, and thus for magical lore conjures up (no pun intended) a sense of the ancient misty past when dragons breathed fire and sorcerers mixed potions.
  Plus, English writers are prohibited by law from translating spells into common language because officials fear too many kids would turn their folks into toads.
  
  - written 1 year ago – voted for by staralfur

• (1 vote) Some philosophical musings, for those in a serious mood.
  

  Mea Culpa for my male-centric reply, saiyashamisamurai. It’s a habit picked up back when it was acceptable to be a chauvinist, one never outgrown despite repeated kicks to my shins.
  
  Your mindset seems focused entirely on this tiny world as opposed to the bigger picture of perhaps trillions of planets and potential life forms (i.e., you inquire about whether we’ve “SEEN” any other “man-like” creatures), and unless I’m misinterpreting your posts, you seem to attribute an external “intelligent” force as the guiding hand behind present and future events, e.g., “Whatever NEEDS> to happen will happen.”
  
  The cycle of population explosions and collapses is not part of any “need” to satisfy a forward-looking plan, but rather the logical result of preceeding activities/events; nor are periodic asteroid impacts and catastrophic floods/volcanic activity/earthquakes a supernatural entity’s fit of ant-stomping pique, but simply the result of previous natural events. To be sure, such events are devastating to the victims and definitely “seem” unfortunate to witnesses, but that’s only because our brains have apparently evolved to be a little more self-aware than your average pine tree or housefly. (jury’s still out on cetaceans)
  
  A side effect of sentience and self-awareness means humans are instinctively predisposed to assign blame and/or find a “purpose” TO Life. (rather than accepting that “Random Happens” and that free will allows us to set goals to make our lives feel purposeful) I do not believe there is an ordained “purpose” to existence, but strongly believe people would be better served by accepting that fact rather than constantly dipping their brains in religious quackery that assures them with unsubstantiated platitudes that it’ll be better “on the other side.”
  
  Strive to enjoy the time you have on the planet… not hedonistically, mind you, nor by engaging in Sisyphean labors such as maintaining a perfectly manicured but essentially sterile lawn; but by appreciating, as best you can, the dust mote we call Terra and that part of the expansive universe we can now observe.
  
  - written 1 year, 1 month ago – voted for by chunkymove

• (1 vote) I any 1 having problems with Yahoo 2 nite?
  

  YGroups alerts to Moderators has become pretty responsive, but I’m unaware of a rapid alert system for YMessenger/Chat outages/disruptions.
  The YMess blog is several days behind. http://www.ymessengerblog.com/
  I presume you’ve already checked the (usually) inane “YAnswers” archive to see if there are any current complaints? Note - search results for chat+delay don’t show date/time of individual posts and I didn’t have time to open/scan them to see if they’re current -
  http://vsp.help.yahoo.com/index.html?lang=us&prop=messenger&lsp=messenger9&sp=messenger9&query=chat+delay
  
  - written 1 year, 2 months ago – voted for by Michael Leibman

Last 5 Replies – All 228 replies »

• Right, i’m nervous about an EMPA we have to do in Biology.
  

  jetmoo, I’m a few decades removed from test taking. I presume your reference to “A Level” means you’re in the UK/Europe, adding another layer of unknown for me.
  
  Perhaps if you read through this forum you’ll find something helpful, or consider posting a more specific query there than the very general request for help you posted here? -
  http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/search.php?searchid=10820877
  
  Check out the “Useful Resources” links offered near the top of each post (near a little book icon - Useful Resources: Guide to A Levels, A Level Revision Notes, A Level Subject Guides, A Level Essays)
  
  Good luck.
  - written 7 months ago

• I wonder if there are any missing fathers are out there
  

  See, Smoogie, maybe there is a Santa Claus.
  - written 8 months ago

• i’m in love with an alcoholic… 12 years older than me, with 2 kids…
  

  andoocando, what exactly didn’t you understand about my longwinded post above?
  
  The ONLY advice is to straighten up and accept this RULE as FACT:
  You cannot trust liars, alcoholics are pathological liars (yes, even those who seem nice and sincere), and THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE.
  
  YOU have to change. YOU have to ignore them, regardless how “sincere” they seem. (because the first thing they get good at is deluding themselves) YOU have to slap yourself upside your head and tell yourself their promises to reform are lies that they may sincerely believe in because they have deluded themselves. YOU have to accept that their pleadings are just manipulations aimed at taking advantage of YOUR enabling tendencies.
  
  You’re not even a “victim” when you shoot yourself in your own foot, i.e., knowingly/willingly accept one into your life. They’re like vampires. They can only suck you dry if you invite them in.
  
  If you enable them, you have nobody to blame except yourself WHEN (not IF) you get screwed over again.
  
  Unless you respect yourself enough to just say NO to EVERY addict - alcoholic, druggie, compulsive gambler, cheating satyr - then you’ll just repeat your mistakes over and over and over, until you have no more emotional or financial support to give… or, until they kill YOU in a drunken rage or while driving drunk, or by accidentally setting fire to your home while you’re sleeping, or by passing on a killer STD they contracted while cheating.
  
  It’s up to you to say no. It’s up to you to accept that your enabler side will probably always have “feelings for the SOBs” and that YOU have to suppress every single urge to repeat the mistake. Tell yourself it will ALWAYS lead down the same bad path. ALWAYS. NO EXCEPTIONS. It isn’t worth it. PERIOD. NO EXCEPTIONS. If anyone from AA or even a clueless friend gives you a spark of hope that an addict “might” change, IGNORE THEM. Otherwise, your life will continue to be a roller coaster of disappointments.
  
  I can’t be any clearer. Maybe printing this out in large type and hanging it from your bathroom mirror and reading it twice a day - morning and night - will help. If not, you might have to see a shrink who can pound the point home.
  - written 8 months, 2 weeks ago

• I wonder if there are any missing fathers are out there
  

  Loner, someone invited me to comment on your post. I’ve been estranged from my folks since I was a youngster. Their poor parenting skills stunted any development of familial love or bonding. Haven’t even spoken to them in nearly 20 years and don’t expect to as they’re now in their 80’s and we’re a stubborn lot.
  
  My two cents is that your letter barely conceals your frustration (and pain and anger and resentment) that’s built up over the years. That might just push him away for good. I think, for men especially, that first step is the hardest and despite the ease you had in finding him, it’s likely he had the demons of regret and embarassment blocking his way. Might I suggest some editing:
  
  I have been wandering around for days trying to figure out how to start all this. I suppose I was waiting for you to make the first sensible move, but that really is the story of my life right there. I have always been waiting for you.
  I can’t even write Dear at the beginning of this letter for Christs sake.
  I was going to give you my fury and vengeance all in one hit on paper, but that really would be too easy.
  I was going to ask you questions about your life, but >>>I DON’T KNOW HOW TO talk to a stranger. I then realised you’re not quite a stranger. You are a man whom I don’t know as an adult and the only opinions that I do have of you are those of a middle aged woman. These opinions would be too cruel of me to put into writing so soon into this rediscovery of each other.
  >>>AS THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY , I continue to wonder what your side of the story >>>might be . So I think that in this letter I will merely introduce myself to you.
  - written 8 months, 3 weeks ago

• I shouldnt be here - I’m banned.
  

  insert wave to Mas>
  Mas, do you still have the other way to contact me? I keep looking for a wave, but haven’t seen a thing. Nice to see you found a window open here and slipped in. I apparently ruffled their feathers, too, because they’ve broken the link to my Tags, but I don’t give a rat’s patoot. Life’s too short. Be well.
  insert wave to Smoogie for inviting me>
  - written 10 months, 1 week ago

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