book review

[videoreverend]

I consciously fight against using words like believe, faith, or phrases like OMG. If I get into the habit of using them, then there is a chance I will come out with one of them in the middle of a religious argument - xtians don't half love jumping on those little lapses - they don't like Freud at all until they hear an atheist say "God knows" then it's all Freudian slips - bastits!

I totally get it. The "gotcha" thing is annoying. But more often than not, if they're grabbing at those kinds of minor semantic straws, it means they're losing the real argument.

I just refuse to allow them, after all they've already done to mess up the world, to deprive me of the full richness of the English language. I'll take whatever words I want from their idiom, and use them however I damn (hey, that's one of theirs!) well please. To hell (again!) with them.

And Xamonas, thanks for being so cool in talking about all this. For a minute there I was worried I really was about to be ambushed! But everyone's been very cool. Dare I say it? I have faith in the goodwill of this forum! (Now I'm juggling hand grenades!)

[Xamonas Chegwé]

I consciously fight against using words like believe, faith, or phrases like OMG. If I get into the habit of using them, then there is a chance I will come out with one of them in the middle of a religious argument - xtians don't half love jumping on those little lapses - they don't like Freud at all until they hear an atheist say "God knows" then it's all Freudian slips - bastits!

I totally get it. The "gotcha" thing is annoying. But more often than not, if they're grabbing at those kinds of minor semantic straws, it means they're losing the real argument.

I just refuse to allow them, after all they've already done to mess up the world, to deprive me of the full richness of the English language. I'll take whatever words I want from their idiom, and use them however I damn (hey, that's one of theirs!) well please. To hell (again!) with them.

And Xamonas, thanks for being so cool in talking about all this. For a minute there I was worried I really was about to be ambushed! But everyone's been very cool. Dare I say it? I have faith in the goodwill of this forum! (Now I'm juggling hand grenades!)

The gotcha thing is ALL they have. They lost their argument centuries ago. I like to deprive them of even that consolation. The only time I use religiousisms (apart from the odd lapse when I am drunk) is as obscenities, such as, "Jesus fucking Chriiiiist in a gay bar!!" which is my personal favourite.

[videoreverend]

I consciously fight against using words like believe, faith, or phrases like OMG. If I get into the habit of using them, then there is a chance I will come out with one of them in the middle of a religious argument - xtians don't half love jumping on those little lapses - they don't like Freud at all until they hear an atheist say "God knows" then it's all Freudian slips - bastits!

I totally get it. The "gotcha" thing is annoying. But more often than not, if they're grabbing at those kinds of minor semantic straws, it means they're losing the real argument.

I just refuse to allow them, after all they've already done to mess up the world, to deprive me of the full richness of the English language. I'll take whatever words I want from their idiom, and use them however I damn (hey, that's one of theirs!) well please. To hell (again!) with them.

And Xamonas, thanks for being so cool in talking about all this. For a minute there I was worried I really was about to be ambushed! But everyone's been very cool. Dare I say it? I have faith in the goodwill of this forum! (Now I'm juggling hand grenades!)

The gotcha thing is ALL they have. They lost their argument centuries ago. I like to deprive them of even that consolation. The only time I use religiousisms (apart from the odd lapse when I am drunk) is as obscenities, such as, "Jesus fucking Chriiiiist in a gay bar!!" which is my personal favourite.

Amen to that, brother. (Wait a minute...)

[AshtonBlack]

Damnit I still have to do that vid for the rev.... I KNEW there was a reason I got this web-cam. (So sorry rev.)

[Transgirlofnofaith]

I consciously fight against using words like believe, faith, or phrases like OMG. If I get into the habit of using them, then there is a chance I will come out with one of them in the middle of a religious argument - xtians don't half love jumping on those little lapses - they don't like Freud at all until they hear an atheist say "God knows" then it's all Freudian slips - bastits!

I generally do that too. I sometimes substitute the word fate for the word god. If you think of fate as being some sort of thing related to probabilities and causality, then it can serve somewhat as a philosohical placeholder. So I use tems like "Fate damned", "What in the name of fate?", etc. in place of many of those religious-derived phrases.

Q: Did you hear about the homosexual electron?

A: Went around blowing fuses.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

I consciously fight against using words like believe, faith, or phrases like OMG. If I get into the habit of using them, then there is a chance I will come out with one of them in the middle of a religious argument - xtians don't half love jumping on those little lapses - they don't like Freud at all until they hear an atheist say "God knows" then it's all Freudian slips - bastits!

I generally do that too. I sometimes substitute the word fate for the word god. If you think of fate as being some sort of thing related to probabilities and causality, then it can serve somewhat as a philosohical placeholder. So I use tems like "Fate damned", "What in the name of fate?", etc. in place of many of those religious-derived phrases.

Q: Did you hear about the homosexual electron?

A: Went around blowing fuses.

I tend to go for fuck personally. "For fuck's sake." "Fuck knows." Etc.

I'm not sure that fate is a good alternative. It has a lot of the same wooist connotations as god. Chance and probability are real - fate is woo.

[Transgirlofnofaith]

Chance and probability are real - fate is woo.

I'm sorry. Do you have any sort of argument as to why there is definitely a diference between them?

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Chance and probability are real - fate is woo.

I'm sorry. Do you have any sort of argument as to why there is definitely a diference between them?

You mean other than the dictionary definitions? From Dictionary.com:

fate, verb, fat⋅ed, fat⋅ing.
–noun
1. something that unavoidably befalls a person; fortune; lot: It is always his fate to be left behind.
2. the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably prescribed; the decreed cause of events; time: Fate decreed that they would never meet again.
3. that which is inevitably predetermined; destiny: Death is our ineluctable fate.
4. a prophetic declaration of what must be: The oracle pronounced their fate.
5. death, destruction, or ruin.
6. the Fates, Classical Mythology. the three goddesses of destiny, known to the Greeks as the Moerae and to the Romans as the Parcae.

chance  [chans, chahns] noun, verb, chanced, chanc⋅ing, adjective noun
1. the absence of any cause of events that can be predicted, understood, or controlled: often personified or treated as a positive agency: Chance governs all.
2. luck or fortune: a game of chance.
3. a possibility or probability of anything happening: a fifty-percent chance of success.
4. an opportune or favorable time; opportunity: Now is your chance.
5. Baseball. an opportunity to field the ball and make a put-out or assist.
6. a risk or hazard: Take a chance.
7. a share or ticket in a lottery or prize drawing: The charity is selling chances for a dollar each.
8. chances, probability: The chances are that the train hasn't left yet.
9. Midland and Southern U.S. a quantity or number (usually fol. by of).
10. Archaic. an unfortunate event; mishap.


Chance is throwing a dice. Fate is throwing a dice and believing that the result is already determined. A slight difference I would say.

[Transgirlofnofaith]

Well, I reserve the right to form my own definitions and think of concepts in my own way. You're not big on philosphy, or are you?

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Well, I reserve the right to form my own definitions and think of concepts in my own way. You're not big on philosphy, or are you?

It will make discussion difficult if we both invent our own definitions for words. I prefer to stick to those in the dictionary. I would prefer that you did likewise in future discussions. We wouldn't want cat find mulch protein always beyond, now would we?

I find philosophy fascinating. I have read a lot about it and a bit of it. Although ultimately, I tend towards Bertrand Russell's view.

Philosophy is an unusually ingenious attempt to think fallaciously.

[videoreverend]

We wouldn't want cat find mulch protein always beyond, now would we?

This made me laugh. And then it made me laugh again and again. Super funny.

[videoreverend]

Damnit I still have to do that vid for the rev.... I KNEW there was a reason I got this web-cam. (So sorry rev.)

Sweet. Upload your sins and I'll wash them away! Unlike those "other guys," my absolutions are 100% guaranteed for all eternity -- just send proof from the afterlife that your absolution wasn't honored and receive a full refund. (And, yes, the service is free.)