Ben Gunn on 18/4/2008 at 22:20
lol wot? :erm:
catbarf on 18/4/2008 at 23:26
I may be mistaken, but isn't the movie in theaters today?
Tocky on 19/4/2008 at 05:49
I have a minor problem corrolating your terminology of topography (I think 2 dimensional when you mean 3), physical, and functional, demagogue, with my own preconceptions of them. I think. Lets see and you correct me.
The primative brain where automic function resides (thereabouts)sends out signals (chemical electrical impulses) based on need (past survival encoding likely even including pointing behavior (racial memory)in birdogs for instance) which the higher brain evaluates in preparation for action is primary motivater. Naturally the brain compartmentalizes for different functions but interconnects. A snapshot of all neural function in a day would look like a bush with some new branches forming and some dormant. That is the physical yes? But the physical is functional so there the terminology throws me.
You seem to be saying that decision making follows a semi regular course of transmission through the brain overseen by a superego upper layer which, though it contains memory, has little actual input except as yesman historian who merely feels he is in charge. NO wait, there were comparments. I picture all the senses sending information to the evaluating higher brain and routing through to the lower for final decision and impulse to thumb while the higher continues to evaluate and gauge the emote lower brain reactions.
On second thought I'm lost as a penguin in hell. I really have no idea what I'm saying or you said and I'm drunk again. So there damn you. Freedoms just another word for letting your Sims piss thier pants or something. Hell I don't know.
catbarf on 20/4/2008 at 14:22
Having seen the movie, I'm going to repost my review from another forum:
(
http://www.expelledthemovie.com/)
What a shitfest.
The basic premise of the movie is that there is a world conspiracy in science to kick out anyone who brings up Intelligent Design.
They then go on to essentially state that evolution leads to atheism leads to the Third Reich.
Yeah, that's right. They claim explicitly that evolution beliefs caused the Holocaust, along with Nazism, Fascism, Communism, eugenics, and Planned Parenthood.
And even more, there is an extreme irony with the premise of this conspiracy. You see, when the movie was in production, the director claimed that it was called Crossroads (which is patently untrue- a domain for Crossroads was never taken), and used this falsification to get scientists like Richard Dawkins and PZ Myers to agree to be featured in it, where their words were taken and twisted, beaten, and raped repeatedly. They even used makeup to make Richard Dawkins look like a mad scientist, complete with the perfect lighting used for villians in all B-movies. And then, during a public advance screening, the director had PZ Myers thrown out of the line waiting to get in.
The movie features the moronic Ben Stein with his nasal, whining voice, pitiful attempts at humor, and insulting attempts to cull sympathy by acting as if he is surprised and shocked to hear about the executions in a Nazi death camp.
The visuals are similarly bland, overusing what Richard Dawkins described as 'Lord Privy Seals', in which every damn word has its own picture, from someone pounding their fist to show anger to gas chambers and concentration camps for their own references.
And whenever scientific theories are presented, they are done so with visuals contrived to look made in the 70s, amateurish designs that attempt to discredit science by making it seem outdated. But as soon as they zoom in on a cell to show how the organelles prove ID, it suddenly cuts to state-of-the-art CGI with the best of visuals.
There's even misrepresentation and blatant lying- claiming that the Miller-Urey experiment was intended to create life, and using its failure in that regard as proof that evolution is bogus.
Overall, this is merely a shoddy attempt at scare tactics. The only purpose for the movie seems to be so that when scientists point out what's wrong with ID or the movie, they can just point and say 'See! They're suppressing our beliefs!'.
I'm just glad I got in for free (have a friend who works at the cinema). I'd never give a penny of my money for that tripe.
Further reading can be found here:
(
http://richarddawkins.net/article,2400,Expelled-Overview,Josh-Timonen-RichardDawkinsnet)
(
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/03/expelled.php)
If you want to see it, buy a ticket for a different movie.
It's insane what sort of propaganda and utter crap the extreme fundamentalists are willing to accept and back up.
Shakey-Lo on 20/4/2008 at 17:36
Quote Posted by Epos Nix
Incidentally, if you cheat in the Sims 2 and max out your sim's Needs, they will stand in one place until they die of old age.
I think this is pertinent to the discussion, just not exactly sure how... :erg:
to me that is the most insightful post in this thread
heretic on 20/4/2008 at 21:46
Quote Posted by catbarf
It's insane what sort of propaganda and utter crap the extreme fundamentalists are willing to accept and back up.
Insane, if not unsurprising. No matter how bad that movie tanks in theaters it's going to be widley propagated by a large number of churches, extreme or otherwise.
The DVD will do particularly well in the more fanatical churches amongst the stacks of 'Young Earth' propaganda, Hanegraaff literature or glossy flyers for the Holy land theme park.
jay pettitt on 20/4/2008 at 21:59
Quote Posted by catbarf
Stuff
I see they've got at you as well then... I shall pray for you.
catbarf on 21/4/2008 at 00:47
Quote Posted by jay pettitt
I see they've got at you as well then...
What do you mean?
Quote Posted by jay pettitt
I shall pray for you.
Studies (ZOMG, Science!) show that people who know or think they are being prayed for do worse on testing, which makes you an ass.
demagogue on 21/4/2008 at 08:30
Quote Posted by Ben Gunn
So, as far as Im concerened, spare no words but strive for clarity.
Quote Posted by Tocky
On second thought I'm lost as a penguin in hell.
Yeah, I knew when I posted that it was tricky business to pare it down so much, but I guess it was good to at least get something in writing to get a ball rolling.
I think what I can do is start a Google doc, write out my thoughts there, and link it here. That way it doesn't suffocate the thread. And if you guys want to ask questions/rip it apart, we can still happily do it here. :D
Ok, as a test run, I'll try to just respond to the questions I got here: (
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcj39h99_0ckchqdp2)
Let's see how this works... I mean, this is just a first draft ... I'll fix it up as I go.
