Ask the Demon

[SexyCleric]

As for his views on women, the thing you need to keep in mind with all of his characters is that most of them were based on people he knew. Plus, not all of the women he wrote were like that. If nothing else, read Friday. There's some real ho-bags in that one.

Friday was pretty good, but the female characters weren't more or less ho-bagish than any of the others. Friday may have been with more people, per hour, than most of us will ever meet, but she still seemed to be wrought from the same fabric as Gillian or Hazle/Gwen. Hell, the majority of female characters with any sort of importance seem to be the same basic stock.

Virginia must have been a hell of a woman.

 

[VandalHeart]

Friday was pretty good, but the female characters weren't more or less ho-bagish than any of the others. Friday may have been with more people, per hour, than most of us will ever meet, but she still seemed to be wrought from the same fabric as Gillian or Hazle/Gwen. Hell, the majority of female characters with any sort of importance seem to be the same basic stock.

Virginia must have been a hell of a woman.

I'm mostly thinking of the bitch in the family that kicked her our for being an artificial.

See? Ho-bag. Patent, even.

Man I need to read that book again, it's been a while.

 

[SexyCleric]

I'm mostly thinking of the bitch in the family that kicked her our for being an artificial.

See? Ho-bag. Patent, even.

Man I need to read that book again, it's been a while.

Alright, I'll give you that one.
But that was one bitch, in a nest of, what, eight or so people?

Pretty decent track record.

As for prophet status, I also cite the intro to The Man Who Sold the Moon.

 

[gesshoku]

Why do people always suggest that you 'take something' when you have a cold? Isn't it scientific fact that colds run for 7 days? And besides, its a virus, isn't it? So why would taking anything make it go away faster? All it does is relieve the symptoms for a few hours so they can return in a blaze of glory!

So that's my question...

 

[VandalHeart]

Alright, I'll give you that one.
But that was one bitch, in a nest of, what, eight or so people?

Pretty decent track record.

As for prophet status, I also cite the intro to The Man Who Sold the Moon.

You have a very good point. All I'm saying is that the man wasn't COMPLETELY unrealistic about women. Besides, with the worlds he built, he was trying to focus on the positive possibilities of what he considered a utopian society. And don't forget: the definition of a utopia is that by design, it's impossible for such a place to exist. That is the great this about sci-fi, though. It dares us to dream. In the end, we have to take a page from what he told us through Lazarus Long. "Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done, and why. Then do it."

As for TMWStM, how is that prophetic? The time line and math was completely wrong. Tragic story, to be sure, but not exactly prophetic.

EDIT: Wait...intro? Remind me, please.

 

[VandalHeart]

Why do people always suggest that you 'take something' when you have a cold? Isn't it scientific fact that colds run for 7 days? And besides, its a virus, isn't it? So why would taking anything make it go away faster? All it does is relieve the symptoms for a few hours so they can return in a blaze of glory!

So that's my question...

When the problem has no solution, the symptoms are all you can fix, however temporarily. This is true. The cold virus affects everyone differently, however, so no, the 7 day rule is bullshit. Let me bring up another hypothetical for you, though, to counter the non-hypothetical you're presenting here.

Why do people use light bulbs? They break real easily and cost money to use, so why not just wait until it gets to be light out again and use the sunlight? The light bulbs aren't going to bring the sun back any faster, so what's the point?

In case you can't see my point, an artificial state of normality is still a state of normality, even if it takes work to achieve it outside of normal circumstances. No, the cold won't go away any faster. But if the symptoms subside for a bit, who cares? you'll be able to function properly for however long you need/want to. In essence, it works.

And for why people keep asking you if you've taken something, they're just trying to feel helpful. Say what you need to say to get them to stop bugging you and move on, because those annoying people who care about you certainly won't let up until they think you're taken care of. Silly well-wishers.

 

[shykittyme]

When the problem has no solution, the symptoms are all you can fix, however temporarily. This is true. The cold virus affects everyone differently, however, so no, the 7 day rule is bullshit. Let me bring up another hypothetical for you, though, to counter the non-hypothetical you're presenting here.

Why do people use light bulbs? They break real easily and cost money to use, so why not just wait until it gets to be light out again and use the sunlight? The light bulbs aren't going to bring the sun back any faster, so what's the point?

In case you can't see my point, an artificial state of normality is still a state of normality, even if it takes work to achieve it outside of normal circumstances. No, the cold won't go away any faster. But if the symptoms subside for a bit, who cares? you'll be able to function properly for however long you need/want to. In essence, it works.

And for why people keep asking you if you've taken something, they're just trying to feel helpful. Say what you need to say to get them to stop bugging you and move on, because those annoying people who care about you certainly won't let up until they think you're taken care of. Silly well-wishers.

Unbelievable how some people just can't stop worrying about you!

You're a wise man, Vandal...

 

[SexyCleric]

EDIT: Wait...intro? Remind me, please.

He called the moon landing to within two years.
In the 1950's. Not sure exactly what year, as I do not have the book handy, but regardless...

Crazy, eh?

 

[VandalHeart]

Unbelievable how some people just can't stop worrying about you!

You're a wise man, Vandal...

Hey, now. I make sure the people I constantly worry about actually deserve being worried about, thank you very much. Don't go complainin' just because you don't think I need to. It's a moral imperative.

And yes, I am a wise...man. Yeah. That's the second word.

 

[VandalHeart]

He called the moon landing to within two years.
In the 1950's. Not sure exactly what year, as I do not have the book handy, but regardless...

Crazy, eh?

Yes, you are correct. In 1954, he said the moon landing would happen by '71. So...maybe!

 

[shykittyme]

Hey, now. I make sure the people I constantly worry about actually deserve being worried about, thank you very much. Don't go complainin' just because you don't think I need to. It's a moral imperative.

And yes, I am a wise...man. Yeah. That's the second word.

Lol...not complainin' and not that I don't think you need to worry about your people... Just agreein' with what you were sayin'.

And worryin' is more than a moral imperative for me; it's a genetic compulsion.

* Fading back into the woodwork, now...*

 

[VandalHeart]

Lol...not complainin' and not that I don't think you need to worry about your people... Just agreein' with what you were sayin'.

And worryin' is more than a moral imperative for me; it's a genetic compulsion.

* Fading back into the woodwork, now...*

*TACKLES the kitty and drags her over to the throne*

No woodwork fading. you get to sit here and get pets alongside kasumi. you don't have to talk, but you don't get to hide, either.

I NEED MORE QUESTIONS!!! I haven't been challenged in a while!

 

[shykittyme]

*TACKLES the kitty and drags her over to the throne*

No woodwork fading. you get to sit here and get pets alongside kasumi. you don't have to talk, but you don't get to hide, either.

I NEED MORE QUESTIONS!!! I haven't been challenged in a while!

Hmmmm.....

.....thinking....

 

[rhyst_hatchyk]

Why is Jeff Dunham so fantastically hilarious?

 

[VandalHeart]

Why is Jeff Dunham so fantastically hilarious?

For the record, I had to ask myself the same question when my best friend introduced me to Bill Hicks. I came up with a different answer to start off with, but it ended up in the same place. I apologize in advance for getting political with this.

Jeff Dunham has figured out what few people have ever figured out, let alone comics: "Laugh at yourself, and people will laugh with you. Make fun of other people, and someone will join you. Do both at the same time, and you'll be popular with pretty much everyone."

Jeff Dunham makes fun of his own inadequacies, choices and insanity. He also has no issues ripping a complete stranger a new asshole. But have you ever noticed that Jeff himself is hardly ever on screen? The thing is, he does this little routine of psychological sado/masochism in such a way that it fools the audience into thinking, "Oh, that little guy beside him is an asshole. Jeff is nice, but that little bastard beside him...!!!" Yes, I know, most people aren't actually that stupid...well...okay, they may be really easy to find, but true idiots are still statistically rare...anyways, most people get the idea that it's a ventriloquist act, but when you're being entertained, you want to believe.

The Church figured that out centuries ago, they just realized that you have to give people incentive to come back just in case the entertainment value wears off. Think about it. Being involved in a complex ritual is kind of exhilarating the first couple of times you participate. After that, you keep going back out of fear. But I digress.

On top of Mr. Dunham making fun of everyone, he creates a sympathy with the audience. You know that puppet is actually a conduit for things that he is actually saying. But when he argues with the puppet, something else peeks out of the subconscious: the constant fight everyone is forced into every day between acting as they should and saying what they want. In this way, he creates a sympathy with the audience by silently telling them, "I know you think these things. Yes, they're wrong to think, but you do. So do I. It's okay. I'll say it for you."

I have long maintained that comedians are the true philosophers of our lifetimes. Our spiritual vocations are discouraged from making philosophical advances, because they are expected to uphold a tradition. In ages past, the philosophers shaped the workings of the governments and civic mechanisms. Now, the philosophers sit on the sidelines and make fun of the people running things because you can't get elected to office by making waves. The problem is that there are so many things going wrong, and if something is wrong, the philosophers have to point out the real problems - and usually with no small amount of anger - but nobody likes having their covers yanked. Nobody wants the truth anymore. They haven't for a good long while. Does anyone else find it completely screwed up that the only actors who've ever been elected to a public office have all been Republicans? It as if someone, somewhere is saying to us, "Have all the fun you want when you're young; rebel and get it out of your system. If you want to actually amount to something, you belong to us. Have a nice day!!!"

Aside from how pathetic it is that we can't just take wisdom at face value anymore, or place value in those who don't simply conform to the status quo, there are certainly worse ways to get your daily dose of philosophy. Next time you watch a stand-up routine, approach it with a scholarly mindset, instead of one that demands to be entertained. Look and listen with the hope of learning.

Anyhow, I hope this helps. For the record, though, if you disagree...SILENCE!!! I KILL YOU!!!

 

[SexyCleric]

How, oh great demon, do you believe we should transition from internal combustion engines to solar powered vehicles without wrecking the economy by removing the big oil jobs? Or, part two, do you think we should just change over and just try to roll with the hit and let the jobs sink?

 

[VandalHeart]

How, oh great demon, do you believe we should transition from internal combustion engines to solar powered vehicles without wrecking the economy by removing the big oil jobs? Or, part two, do you think we should just change over and just try to roll with the hit and let the jobs sink?

Let me break tradition and answer the second question first.

No.

See? That wasn't so bad.

As for the first question, I think by 2010 the Federal Government needs to step in and say that there shall be no more vehicles produced that are dependent solely on fossil fuels. Period. All the FFD vehicles on the road today can stay. But at the very least, the car manufacturers must produce a certain number of hybrids and alternative fuel cars for every FFD vehicle they produce, and the alternative fuel and hybrid cars must be priced comparably to the FFD vehicles.

The problem I saw with the hybrid cars when they first came out is that calculating the price vs. the fuel usage actually made the hybrids more expensive. With the way gas prices are shooting up now, though, that may not still hold true. If the car companies have figured out that the gas prices are likely going to keep skyrocketing, they will jack up the prices of their fuel efficient cars accordingly, and these aren't dumb people. The only way to keep that from happening is to regulate the car industry the same way charities are regulated: by quotas. Only...inverse quotas.

If they manage to come up with a good alternative fuel source, like a better solar power conversion system, then that can be just counted as another alternative fuel source. If regulation needs to be put in place for that, I don't see the reasoning. People are so sick of paying at the pump that by now, they're ready to leave the convenience store behind for nothing more than smokers and travelers in need of a bathroom and/or snack food. I'm not one for an abundance of laws, but a small increase in regulation of two incredibly money-hungry and cruel industries shouldn't be too much of a problem. There don't need to be any laws placed on the oil industry itself. We're a very long way off from discovering a fuel source efficient enough to motivate large trucks and boats, so the long haul transport logistics industry will keep them going for a while. This will allow for the slow phasing of all the oil jobs into other industries without causing a massive upset.

Now, the problem is, I don't have my degree in economics, yet. This may be too simple to work, or I may be overlooking something. Still. I think it's certainly worth a damn shot.

Hope this helps.

 

[SexyCleric]

Let me break tradition and answer the second question first.

No.

See? That wasn't so bad.

As for the first question, I think by 2010 the Federal Government needs to step in and say that there shall be no more vehicles produced that are dependent solely on fossil fuels. Period. All the FFD vehicles on the road today can stay. But at the very least, the car manufacturers must produce a certain number of hybrids and alternative fuel cars for every FFD vehicle they produce, and the alternative fuel and hybrid cars must be priced comparably to the FFD vehicles.

The problem I saw with the hybrid cars when they first came out is that calculating the price vs. the fuel usage actually made the hybrids more expensive. With the way gas prices are shooting up now, though, that may not still hold true. If the car companies have figured out that the gas prices are likely going to keep skyrocketing, they will jack up the prices of their fuel efficient cars accordingly, and these aren't dumb people. The only way to keep that from happening is to regulate the car industry the same way charities are regulated: by quotas. Only...inverse quotas.

If they manage to come up with a good alternative fuel source, like a better solar power conversion system, then that can be just counted as another alternative fuel source. If regulation needs to be put in place for that, I don't see the reasoning. People are so sick of paying at the pump that by now, they're ready to leave the convenience store behind for nothing more than smokers and travelers in need of a bathroom and/or snack food. I'm not one for an abundance of laws, but a small increase in regulation of two incredibly money-hungry and cruel industries shouldn't be too much of a problem. There don't need to be any laws placed on the oil industry itself. We're a very long way off from discovering a fuel source efficient enough to motivate large trucks and boats, so the long haul transport logistics industry will keep them going for a while. This will allow for the slow phasing of all the oil jobs into other industries without causing a massive upset.

Now, the problem is, I don't have my degree in economics, yet. This may be too simple to work, or I may be overlooking something. Still. I think it's certainly worth a damn shot.

Hope this helps.

Not bad. Not bad.

Though, your statement that the technology is a long way off is not entirely accurate. Clicky. The technology is there, it just needs to be refined. Hybrids are a nice idea, but do not address the base issue. Oil, while a very potent energy source, does not make for a good fuel, as it is nonrenewable. We'll still need it for plastics and other material engineering projects.

I could ramble further, but meh.
Ultimately, it is an irrelevant debate.
Most most debates.
Also, check your PM box.

 

[VandalHeart]

Not bad. Not bad.

Though, your statement that the technology is a long way off is not entirely accurate. Clicky. The technology is there, it just needs to be refined. Hybrids are a nice idea, but do not address the base issue. Oil, while a very potent energy source, does not make for a good fuel, as it is nonrenewable. We'll still need it for plastics and other material engineering projects.

I could ramble further, but meh.
Ultimately, it is an irrelevant debate.
Most most debates.
Also, check your PM box.

Okay. Here's my problem. That kit is only slightly better than the solar cars I saw when I was a kid. Your argument that the tech only needs refinement is all fine and well, but at this point, it's taken so long that I'll believe it when I see it. Stuff is just taking too long for my tastes. Yes, we need something better than hybrid cars. I'm not saying that the technology doesn't need to be researched, I'm saying that I have little faith in said research.

 

[SexyCleric]

Okay. Here's my problem. That kit is only slightly better than the solar cars I saw when I was a kid. Your argument that the tech only needs refinement is all fine and well, but at this point, it's taken so long that I'll believe it when I see it. Stuff is just taking too long for my tastes. Yes, we need something better than hybrid cars. I'm not saying that the technology doesn't need to be researched, I'm saying that I have little faith in said research.

Fair enough.

I'll be back with better questions, just you wait.

 

[~His Kitten~]

*prods gently*

 

[VandalHeart]

*prods gently*

Yes, oh purring one whose profile I see working again?

 

[VandalHeart]

Just to let everyone know, the Cleric vs. Demon thread has been resurrected and is now back in full service for any and all who would like to join in the debate.

And by the way, since we have the option to be finally rid of all this fucking bullshit for about four years to come, not all the questions have to be political in nature. Funny business is welcome as well.

 

[~His Kitten~]

Yes, oh purring one whose profile I see working again?

*small smile*

I was looking for you oddly. It has been a while and I was more than a little concerned. Good to know Vandie is still Vandie

 

[VandalHeart]

*small smile*

I was looking for you oddly. It has been a while and I was more than a little concerned. Good to know Vandie is still Vandie

Sorry, I've been busy, once again. I'll catch you on YIM sometime if you show up as online. Talk to you over there.