unicorn

Do you think you were somehow more clever when saying this the 2nd time? 🙄

I just don't understand the joke. Maybe I'm too slow, and you can explain it to me.

That's rich, coming from the Tsar of Topic Diverters, who derails a discussion on HIV funding into Burma, Libya, and probably the fauna of Antarctica, too. Also the King of Hypocrites, apparently. The whole point is that while @PeterRS bring up facts, you bring up lies, as you often (usually?) do. A lie does not become a "possible fact" just because you pronounce it as an "opinion." If you want to say "Putin is a great guy," well, that's certainly an opinion. But if you say "The earth is flat," that's simply a factually false statement. It's not a valid "difference of opinion." It's not a valid discussion when you bring up lies.

Yes. Of course, the US's con-man-in-chief is a great example of that. He's lived his whole life conning people into doing his bidding, saying what he thinks they want to hear, then leaving them out in the cold. The same could be said of probably every religion. Just tell people what they want to hear, and watch them convert and shell out money. The most blatant examples in modern times include Joseph Smith, a professional con-man and thief who, it was known, provided fake "translations" of gibberish to found the Mormon Church. And don't get me started on Scientology. We now know most of the stories of the Bible can't be true, but look at all of those who believe--because they want to believe regardless of what the facts are.

It's pretty incredible what he expects people on this website to believe. Probably the only way to explain it is that he comes from a country in which anyone who writes something truthful which contradicts Putin's narrative will find himself thrown out a high window. If you even express it verbally, you'll find yourself in deep trouble. So his countrymen are used to just accept anything they read in print, and not bother to check things out for themselves. For some reason, he seems to believe people reading this forum will behave just like his fellow countrymen do--brainlessly.

Well, I had a 2 PM appointment, clearly after lunch, when I'd not be expected to have flossed immediately before coming in, and could be expected to have some food between my teeth. I would be concerned that she has a mindset like a Trumpster: someone who, once his mind is set, simply believes what he wants to believe, and doesn't keep his mind open to other possibilities, disregarding any evidence which doesn't fit in with his pre-conceived idea. Although this is probably more dangerous for a physician than for a dentist, I still don't like the attitude.

I should add that the further data the FDA requested, but didn't receive, were from the Phase III trials. Phase I trials simply establish basic safety (i.e the treatment isn't simply highly dangerous). Phase II trials confirm the efficacy of the treatment. Phase III trials are there both to confirm efficacy, but, more importantly, to establish overall safety (rarer side-effects). As it turned out, it was discovered that the first Dengue vaccine only helped those who'd previously had Dengue, but often made matters worse for someone who's never had dengue previously. This could be the problem for Qdenga. The inability (or unwillingness?) of Takeda to provide the Phase III data is a bit troubling. In the meantime, I'd prefer to simply liberally apply DEET, although of course it doesn't smell great.

At my last dental visit, my dentist straight out told me (falsely) that I wasn't flossing my teeth (which I do). I then informed her that I do, indeed, floss my teeth every day, to which she had the gall to say "No, you don't!". I wouldn't have minded if she had started by saying "Are you sure you're flossing your teeth every day?", but to make that statement, and then tell me I was lying to her, I couldn't accept. I definitely have my faults, but being a liar isn't one of them. My next dental check-up will be with someone else. This was rather nervy behavior in my view. Have any of you had similar experiences?

There are no real scientific studies (randomized clinical trials) which show efficacy of IV vitamins to improve fatigue and/or hangovers. The fact that someone "swore they felt better" after such a treatment isn't evidence of anything. Qdenga is probably safe and effective, but there have been some concerns, which should hopefully be resolved fairly soon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dengue_vaccine#cite_note-14 "...Qdenga received approval for use in the European Union in 2022 for people aged 4 and above,[45][46][47] and is also approved in the United Kingdom, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, and Thailand. Takeda voluntarily withdrew their application for the vaccination's approval in the United States in July 2023 after the FDA sought further data from the firm, which the company stated could not be provided during the current review cycle...".

@Moses lying, on this site?? Why I'm absolutely shocked! 🤣

Someone recently told me that it's popular at children's parties for children to dress as Selena, striking pinatas of her murderer, Yolanda Salidvar:

😉

From my understanding from religious historians, the appeal of Christianity is how easy it is to get to heaven, per New Testament lore. In ancient Rome and Egypt, only the rich and powerful could be assured a pleasant afterlife. Christianity made heaven open to the masses (in fact, being poor is preferred). That made Christianity a big hit. Then the empires fell... 🙄

I'm surprised Bangkok suffered so much damage so far from the epicenter. Are the building inspectors corrupt, and open to bribes to certify buildings which don't meet building standards?

If I had to pick a religion, Zoroastrianism makes the most sense. It suffers from poor marketing, hence its lack of popularity. I read a book from a religious historical researcher, and he believed the Jesus story was concocted by the apostles. The Romans apparently kept good records of who was being crucified, and there are no records of "Jesus" until many years after his death. The most stupid religion, IMHO, is LDS, but boy do they have aggressive marketing, fundraising, and extortion to promote that religion. Eeek. In ancient history, civilizations which took on Christianity collapsed soon after conversion (Roman, Egyptian, British India)--so maybe polytheism is the way. Whenever we see on the news of tornadoes sweeping through the Bible Belt, I tell my husband "There goes Lord Shiva vacuuming the Bible Belt again!".

Sometimes corporals break the rules, then they must be punished... 😁

Well, you have come to the crux of whether there is any reason to believe in a God at all. In particular, the stories of the Bible seem particularly preposterous. I'm at a loss to understand why anybody believes that stuff, but one would think that at least priests, deacons, and nuns believed what they're preaching. Despite my not believing in God or an afterlife, I would never murder or rape, because I find those acts personally repugnant. However, even if I didn't have an ethical issue with rape and murder, I can't imagine doing that if I had even a feeling that there may be a 1% chance that the Bible is a truthful document, and that I therefore might risk eternal torment by violating the ten commandments. I can't imagine these "religious" figures thought there was any chance whatsoever that the teaching of the Bible were truthful.

Thank you for those references (Ireland and Australia). Any references to such activities in the US?

Is there a Wikipedia page or website where I can learn more about this?

I may be ignorant, but did the US forcibly take children from locals' families to horrific facilities in order to indoctrinate them? What I found most shocking about the "Canadian Indian Residential Schools" program, is that the last of these didn't close down until 1991!!! Hopefully there weren't still rapes and murders going on in the 1980s, but horrific crimes in those "schools" clearly went on well through the 1960s, maybe even 1970s. It's quite a shocking story, and the movie deserves to be seen.

My hubbie and I recently watched the Canadian movie Bones of Crows, which portrayed the story of a Cree girl who was forcibly taken from her parents and involuntarily placed in the Canadian Indian residential school system. (Full disclosure, I chose this movie because I have the hots for one of its stars, actor Johnathan Whitesell) The students at these schools faced rape, starvation, malnutrition, physical abuse, and even murder. In the movie (based on true events), the girl suffers, among other things, being raped by JW's character, then a deacon (later a priest and eventually cardinal), and a nun who intentionally crushes hand of the girl, who was a child prodigy pianist. One of the priests, when threatening her, mentions how he can murder students, and no one would investigate or care about it. Indeed, the girl documents the graves of murdered children, which are eventually dug up. In fact, the graves of hundreds were dug up in the days before filming took place at the film's location: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bones_of_Crows "...The film was shot partially at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Although the revelation of 215 unmarked gravesites at the school took place just one week before shooting was to start, the Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc nation encouraged production to proceed because of the importance of getting residential school stories publicized and told...". I've often wondered whether religious leaders actually believe what they're preaching, and this seems to be an extreme example of how widespread this disbelief among religious leaders is. Obviously, anyone who even thought it might be possible that the Bible is a valid religious document wouldn't risk eternal damnation. Clearly, these priests, deacons, and nuns didn't even believe there was any chance their actions would be punished. Interestingly enough, I couldn't find any evidence that rape per se is condemned in the Bible, though according to my husband (who was raised in a "religious" household), rape is generally regarded as adultery, so I guess it's forbidden. This movie has 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, so is worth the watch (it's on Hulu). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Indian_residential_school_gravesites "...The Truth and Reconciliation Commission found records of 4037 deaths at the schools, and published a list. There were repeated outbreaks of tuberculosis in the early 20th century; "given their cramped conditions and negligent health practices, residential schools were hotbeds for the spread of TB", a National Post reporter wrote. Bodies were not returned to their families for burial, and families were not normally informed of the circumstances of their child's death. Commission chairman Murray Sinclair estimated in an interview that the true number of deaths could range between 6,000 and 25,000. Some of the students who died at the schools were buried in unmarked graves. Over time, markers at some graveyards were lost or destroyed...". (Although active TB can be fatal, most people who contract TB don't get ill, so most of these deaths were probably not due to TB)

Well, the "Yes Theory" video was, indeed, quite cherry-picked, and showed only Damascus. Drew Binsky, however, visited many parts of Syria. I will agree that one can't make much of the "Yes Theory" video. However, Drew traveled extensively in Syria, both before and after the fall of Assad, and he's talked extensively with locals (both before and after). I think that the change in mood in most of Syria is well-documented in that video.

Another video showing how Syrians feel about the new Syria:

Yes, we both enjoyed it. My husband enjoys this genre more than I do (I tend to prefer action, sci fi, comedy, or drama), and he really enjoyed it. I think there were some who objected to the "cultural appropriation" of a Latina playing "Snow White," especially since both of the character's parents were European, but it didn't bother me much.