Interesting Stuff Thread

fisgon

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/21/wolf-blitzer-atheist-tornado-survivor_n_3316312.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false#sb=2155689b=facebook

Reporter asks atheist if she thanks "The Lord" for being saved. F**king moron.

The obvious question that I wish just one believer would attempt to answer is, if he saved the survivors, then he let the others die, including kids. In what universe is this "Lord" deserving of praise and worship and thanks?

robindch

Grab your towels folks -- next Saturday is the 25th of May!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day

kiffer

robindch wrote: »

Grab your towels folks -- next Saturday is the 25th of May!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day

That's this Saturday... next Saturday is the First of June. Schism! Worse than biscuits.

Sarky

Next Thursday is payday. It trumps all y'all.

PopePalpatine

That reminds me, I can never seem to find a Douglas Adams book in any Eason's.

magicbastarder

kiffer wrote: »

That's this Saturday... next Saturday is the First of June. Schism! Worse than biscuits.

argh.
'next tuesday' and 'this tuesday' are the same day.

kylith

PopePalpatine wrote: »

That reminds me, I can never seem to find a Douglas Adams book in any Eason's.

Where are you looking?

Bannasidhe

PopePalpatine wrote: »

That reminds me, I can never seem to find a Douglas Adams book in any Eason's.

I can't find any bloody books in Easons as they seem (in Cork anyway) to have no interest in shelving them in any kind of alphabetical order.

The only person I know who can find the books she wants in Easons is my mother. The same woman who is first into a certain city centre car park every Thursday morning so she can park in 'her' spot - if by some bizarre set of circumstances 'her' spot is gone she can't find her car - ever- even if it's in the next fecking space. So she phones which ever of her children/grandchild she reckons is nearest 'town' to come help her. Few years ago 3 of us spent an hour looking for her blasted car and Easons are enabling her by validating her - allowing her to say 'well, at least I can find the book I want in Easons' *smirk*. *mumble* Well call the people who shelve the books in Easons next time your car is 'missing' then *mumble*:mad:

That is nothing to boast about - my OH can navigate IKEA like a boss -'spoons - follow me. Kitchen taps..we need to go back...just follow me' - it's not normal I tells ya!

Rant over.

Bannasidhe

magicbastarder wrote: »

argh.
'next tuesday' and 'this tuesday' are the same day.

Noooo - this Tuesday is the coming Tuesday and next Tuesday is the one after.... or have I been doing it wrong all along???*...



*Distinctly possible.

robindch

magicbastarder wrote: »

'next tuesday' and 'this tuesday' are the same day.

Far as I can figure out, "next" in this context refers to any day after the immediate next day.

So, given that today is Thursday 23, "Next Saturday" refers to Saturday 25th, "Next Sunday" to Sunday 26th, but "Next Friday" refers to Friday 31st.

Comments welcome*



* up to a point...!

kiffer

magicbastarder wrote: »

argh.
'next tuesday' and 'this tuesday' are the same day.

They are context dependant but ... Nooope.
Tomorrow is "this Friday", the 24th, and "next Friday" is the Friday the 31st.

magicbastarder

Definition of NEXT
1: immediately adjacent (as in place, rank, or time)

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/next

kiffer

robindch wrote: »

Far as I can figure out, "next" in this context refers to any day after the immediate next day.

So, given that today is Thursday 23, "Next Saturday" refers to Saturday 25th, "Next Sunday" to Sunday 26th, but "Next Friday" refers to Friday 31st.

Comments welcome*

No because then next Sunday would be part of This weekend... whereas clearly this weekend is the weekend we are going to have and next weekend is the one after...
What are you doing this weekend clearly means this week.

magicbastarder

if i said 'i'm getting on the next train', and one pulled into the station five minutes later, and left without me getting on it, you'd think i was a bit touched.

kiffer

magicbastarder wrote: »

Definition of NEXT
1: immediately adjacent (as in place, rank, or time)

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/next

Yes... the one next in rank to this one...

magicbastarder

we should consult the bible.

Bannasidhe

kiffer wrote: »

They are context dependant but ... Nooope.
Tomorrow is "this Friday", the 24th, and "next Friday" is the Friday the 31st.

Unless you are British as I learned to my cost when 'next' is the well, next one to come along but the Irish tend to say the 'next' one is the one after the, um, next one to come along which is really 'this' one.... I'm getting a headache now.

Speaking of terms of speech - 'Inside in' (as in 'the spoon is inside in the drawer) seemingly drives people who speak flawless English (or 'Europeans' as I call them) crazy. The key to making them shut-up about it is to tell them it is a direct translation from the Irish 'isteach san' and they should stop oppressing our culcha.

Bannasidhe

magicbastarder wrote: »

we should consult the bible.

Which version?

seamus

It's easy. If the distance between you and "last <x>day" is less than the distance between you and "next <x>day" then "next <x>day" == "this <x>day". Otherwise "next <x>day" = "this <x>day" + 7

I can see how confusion reigns though. If today is Tuesday, and I said "next Monday", I would instantly think of the upcoming Monday. But if I said "next Wednesday", I would consider that to mean the following Wednesday rather than tomorrow. "this" == "next" and "next" == "one after next" is more consistent, but the wording is confusing.

In reality we should be saying "this" to refer to any days (past or present) in this week. "Last" for days last week and "next" for days next week.

kiffer

seamus wrote: »

It's easy. If the distance between you and "last <x>day" is less than the distance between you and "next <x>day" then "next <x>day" == "this <x>day". Otherwise "next <x>day" = "this <x>day" + 7

I can see how confusion reigns though. If today is Tuesday, and I said "next Monday", I would instantly think of the upcoming Monday. But if I said "next Wednesday", I would consider that to mean the following Wednesday rather than tomorrow. "this" == "next" and "next" == "one after next" is more consistent, but the wording is confusing.

In reality we should be saying "this" to refer to any days (past or present) in this week. "Last" for days last week and "next" for days next week.

So... I'm right and this Saturday is Towel Day and next Saturday is the 1st of June?

kylith

kiffer wrote: »

They are context dependant but ... Nooope.
Tomorrow is "this Friday", the 24th, and "next Friday" is the Friday the 31st.

No, Friday the 31st is not next Friday. Next Friday is the 24th. The 31st is Friday Week.

magicbastarder

kiffer wrote: »

Yes... the one next in rank to this one...

only when you reference 'this' one.

i.e. you can say 'i am in france for the last week of june, and germany the next week', it's clear what you mean.

if you don't specify a starting point, it's the one immediately adjacent to the present.

Bannasidhe

seamus wrote: »

It's easy. If the distance between you and "last <x>day" is less than the distance between you and "next <x>day" then "next <x>day" == "this <x>day". Otherwise "next <x>day" = "this <x>day" + 7

I can see how confusion reigns though. If today is Tuesday, and I said "next Monday", I would instantly think of the upcoming Monday. But if I said "next Wednesday", I would consider that to mean the following Wednesday rather than tomorrow. "this" == "next" and "next" == "one after next" is more consistent, but the wording is confusing.

In reality we should be saying "this" to refer to any days (past or present) in this week. "Last" for days last week and "next" for days next week.

What about when people say 'The Tuesday before last'?

Is this one of the reasons why our country is up merde cheek sans paddle - we can't work out what day we are meant to be doing stuff???

20 years ago did the government agree to legislate for X in the next term and no one knew if they meant the next session or next time they got elected but were all agreed it wasn't this term/now???

That headache is turning in a migraine now.

robindch

Bannasidhe wrote: »

Unless you are British as I learned to my cost when 'next' is the well, next one to come along but the Irish tend to say the 'next' one is the one after the, um, next one to come along which is really 'this' one.... I'm getting a headache now.

Yes, that can be true.

I've decided to steer a middle line on this one -- hence "next" referring to the next-occurring one (Queen's English usage), except for the one that it obviously isn't (ie, the "very-next"; Irish usage).

I hope this is seen as a reasonable compromise.

Bannasidhe wrote: »

Speaking of terms of speech - 'Inside in' (as in 'the spoon is inside in the drawer) seemingly drives people who speak flawless English (or 'Europeans' as I call them) crazy.

That only confuses them if you give equal emphasis to the "inside" and the "in". If you introduce a comma after the "inside" during speech, you can cause Queen's Anglophiles' brains to melt.

BTW, one item that we've never got straight chez robindch, is the usage of "up" as in "up to Dublin". We eschew the Queen's usage of "up" being conceptually towards the capital and "down" as away from it (ie, "One went up to London from Oxford for the summer, but will be returning down to Cambridge as soon as one's chair there is confirmed."), and instead refer to directions in terms of usual map direction ("I went up to Dublin from Kerry th'other day and I'll be heading on up to Donegal for the weekend, then back down to Kerry next Wednesday.")

robindch

Bannasidhe wrote: »

What about when people say 'The Tuesday before last'?

That's the opposite of "the Tuesday after next Tuesday" (ie, "Tuesday week"). One could logically extend this rule and use either "Tuesday week last" or "Last Tuesday week" or for simplicity's sake, just "Tuesday last week".

To be avoided, unless one is speaking with the English.

Dave!

Dunno if it has been posted already..

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/religious-control-of-schools-is-neither-tolerant-nor-inclusive-1.1403265?page=1

Religious control of schools is neither tolerant nor inclusive

Sheila Maher
Last Updated: Thursday, May 23, 2013, 07:29

This month will be marked by thousands of new communicants entering the Catholic faith in Ireland. I admire Hilary Fannin’s ability to take a light-hearted and humorous approach to this sacrament and its associated commercialism in her recent column ( Irish Times , May 17th), but I cannot see any funny side to this sacrament given the impact its promotion has on those pupils in Catholic schools who are not a part of it.

After almost four years of involvement in cake sales and fundraising, bingo games, summer fetes and school plays, my daughter’s sense of belonging and inclusion in her local national school has come to an abrupt end.

For the past few weeks, my daughter has, for vast swathes of time, been reading, drawing and colouring on her own to alleviate her boredom and provide distraction during what is official class time. She is not making her Communion, unlike almost all her fellow pupils. Notwithstanding the kindness and professionalism of her teacher, my daughter’s exclusion is palpable and has caused considerable distress.

I know some readers will ask why I chose to send her to a Catholic school in the first place. To that question the answers are simple.

First, it is the local school, the school for my community and I wish my family to be a part of that community.

Second, I am a taxpaying citizen of this State and my taxes fund this school.

Third, the non-Catholic school options in the area in which I live are minimal, as is the case nationwide: the vast majority (96 per cent) of primary schools in Ireland are owned and under the patronage of religious denominations and approximately 90 per cent of these schools are owned and under the patronage of the Catholic Church.

How will we ever achieve tolerance and diversity in education and by extension society if we continually exclude non-Catholic children from some of the activities of these classrooms? The system of education that exists in Ireland today is essentially one of fundamentalist State-sponsored Catholic control.


‘One religion here’
Ireland of the thousand welcomes is a different place inside the four walls of a national school classroom; there it is a case of “one religion here”, “others, or none, over there”.

If the rights of the child, which are said to be taken seriously by State and society, are of genuine concern, then why can we not discuss the rights of the child in the classroom? Why must non-Catholic children continue to endure a different education to their Catholic peers? Where is the equality in that?

Can religious tuition not be undertaken outside of core school hours so that a level playing pitch is provided in the classroom? While there are such pilot schemes under way around the country as a result of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector established in 2011, anyone who has observed the speed at which the church relinquishes control in this country understands that such schemes may not be rolled out for decades, during which more children will suffer discrimination in a room that should prize them as equals.

I am still baffled at the inertia shown with regard to removing the education of so many of our children from the control of the Catholic Church.

I am aware that in the 2011 census 84.2 per cent of respondents ticked the “Catholic” box. But how many of these are “Catholics” that have not been inside a church since their wedding day or their child’s christening? How many of these are the same “Catholics” who do not know when to genuflect, kneel or stand during the Communion Mass?

Are these also the “Catholics” who complain that they are forced to attend six Masses before their child can make his or her Communion? Are these the same “Catholics” who have told me that they will get their child into better secondary schools if they are seen to have their children take Catholic sacraments? My experience of many fellow parents suggests little evidence of genuine faith or Catholic practice on their part.


State-sponsored religious control
I am not intolerant of any religion. What I do object to is the exclusion of my children inside their classrooms. This State-sponsored religious control is not tolerant or inclusive. To many of my peers, my generation of 40-somethings who espouse liberal views on women’s equality, the environment, social issues and rights, and who are forthright and outspoken and for the most part proud of their tolerance on these questions, I say this: you have a blind spot when it comes to the Catholic Church and display much hypocrisy.

Whether it is to keep grandparents happy, or smooth your child’s path through the education system or just to make life easy, your selfishness, blind box-ticking and facilitating your children’s induction into a church that you are not a real, practising part of, all have the same end result: the continuance of church control of schools and a failure to create diverse and inclusive classrooms.


Sheila Maher is a writer and VEC teacher based in Dublin
© 2013 irishtimes.com

PopePalpatine

Wow, I can't believe something other than biscuits is causing this much debate within A&A. :pac:

Sarky

Biscuits and grammar are serious business.

Bannasidhe

Sarky wrote: »

Biscuits and grammar are serious business.

as is cookies and talkin & writin proper.

Bannasidhe

robindch wrote: »

Yes, that can be true.

I've decided to steer a middle line on this one -- hence "next" referring to the next-occurring one (Queen's English usage), except for the one that it obviously isn't (ie, the "very-next"; Irish usage).

I hope this is seen as a reasonable compromise.That only confuses them if you give equal emphasis to the "inside" and the "in". If you introduce a comma after the "inside" during speech, you can cause Queen's Anglophiles' brains to melt.

BTW, one item that we've never got straight chez robindch, is the usage of "up" as in "up to Dublin". We eschew the Queen's usage of "up" being conceptually towards the capital and "down" as away from it (ie, "One went up to London from Oxford for the summer, but will be returning down to Cambridge as soon as one's chair there is confirmed."), and instead refer to directions in terms of usual map direction ("I went up to Dublin from Kerry th'other day and I'll be heading on up to Donegal for the weekend, then back down to Kerry next Wednesday.")

Also guaranteed to melt the brains of our neighbours is answering a question with a question - I had years of fun doing this.

Everyday situations are best for maximum irritation -
'Are you going to the shop?' = ' Do you want something?
'Is a bus due?' = 'Are you going to town?'
'Is it raining? = 'Are you going out?'
'What day do we get paid?' = 'Have you no money?'

I have found the best way to annoy most Irish people is to answer the question they actually asked in the most literal way possible.
'Will you bring that in before you? = 'I'm afraid I can't. Would you like me to bring it with me instead?.'

I have recently taken to responding to statements which contain the word 'what' as if it was a question.

Obliq

Just spotted this debate. My London fella is always berating me about it. If I was to say (today being thursday) "Next Friday week", which Friday would I be talking about? The 7th June, clearly

I'm with which ever one of you was taking about proximity to the day in question. If I was talking about the 31st, I would say "This Friday week". No?

kylith

Obliq wrote: »

Just spotted this debate. My London fella is always berating me about it. If I was to say (today being thursday) "Next Friday week", which Friday would I be talking about? The 7th June, clearly

I'm with which ever one of you was taking about proximity to the day in question. If I was talking about the 31st, I would say "This Friday week". No?

You see, that's the kind of situation where it's just easier to say Friday the 7th.

Turtwig

I'm no fan of Niall Boylan but the guy started a debate about vaccinations on his 4fm lateshow facebook page. He is currently being overrun by people shouting about the dangers of vaccines. So, if anyone has free time or whatever here you know where to go. :pac:

robindch

Obliq wrote: »

I'm with which ever one of you was taking about proximity to the day in question. If I was talking about the 31st, I would say "This Friday week".

That was seamus, but I'm unconvinced.

Today is Thursday 23rd, so:

Friday 17th = "Last Friday"
Friday 24th = "Tomorrow", "This Friday", "Friday this week"
Friday 31st = "Next Friday", "Friday next week"
Friday 7th = "Friday week", "Tomorrow two weeks"

Saturday 18th = "Last Saturday"
Saturday 25th = "Next Saturday", "This Saturday"
Saturday 1st = "Saturday week", "Saturday next week"
Saturday 8th = "Saturday two weeks"

Obliq

robindch wrote: »

That was seamus, but I'm unconvinced.

Today is Thursday 23rd, so:

Friday 17th = "Last Friday"
Friday 24th = "Tomorrow", "This Friday", "Friday this week"
Friday 31st = "FRIDAY WEEK","Next Friday", "Friday next week"
Friday 7th = "NEXTFriday week", "Tomorrow two weeks"

Saturday 18th = "Last Saturday"
Saturday 25th = "Next Saturday", "This Saturday"
Saturday 1st = "Saturday week", "Saturday next week"
Saturday 8th = "NEXTSaturday week ('two weeks' optional extra)"

Oh dear. No. You have it all wrong. Hope that clears it up for you. Probably should go argue with moronic anti-vax people though....:D

kiffer

kylith wrote: »

You see, that's the kind of situation where it's just easier to say Friday the 7th.

Not very poetic though... Sure we might as well just all be talking like robots? Where's the joy and flow?

Turtwig

In so far as I can tell in Irish English.
"Next Tuesday" means Tuesday next week. 28th May
"This Tuesday" means Tuesday this current week. 21st May

It's one of those illogical Irish idioms that when you look closely at the wording it makes no sense.

kiffer

Jernal wrote: »

In so far as I can tell in Irish English.
"Next Tuesday" means Tuesday next week. 28th May
"This Tuesday" means Tuesday this current week. 21st May

It's one of those illogical Irish idioms that when you look closely at the wording it makes no sense.

No, it depends on tense too... so "I went to the shops on Tuesday" refers to the Tuesday of this week.
"This Tuesday, I went to the shops" would also be the 21st.
"Last Tuesday" was the 14th.
But if I'm talking about something that will happen then "this Tuesday" is the 28th... and next Tuesday is the one after that...

But to avoid confusion just leave out this and next and go with Tuesday = the 21st and Tuesday week which could be any day at all because who makes plans that far in advance.

Bannasidhe

Jayzuz - no wonder we get feck all done in this country. :rolleyes:

Sarky

Isn't that a sentence fragment..?

Bannasidhe

Sarky wrote: »

Isn't that a sentence fragment..?

Meh.

recedite

robindch wrote: »

Today is Thursday 23rd, so:

Friday 17th = "Last Friday"
Friday 24th = "Tomorrow", "This Friday", "Friday this week""Next Friday"
Friday 31st = "Next Friday", "Friday next week""Friday week"
Friday 7th = "Friday week", "Tomorrow two weeks"Friday 7th

Saturday 18th = "Last Saturday"
Saturday 25th = "Next Saturday", "This Saturday"
Saturday 1st = "Saturday week", "Saturday next week"
Saturday 8th = "Saturday two weeks"Saturday 8th

Still thinking about the Works bomb...

kylith wrote: »

I got a bottle of this in a shop, was told it was acid, which is borne out by the website

The sulphuric acid in that stuff might react suitably using zinc instead of aluminium foil to produce the H gas.
Zn + H2SO4 ---> ZnSO4 + H2 ?
Is that drain unblocker stuff still available though? The website says the company selling the solvent is now insolvent. It seems to have followed that poor woman's face into liquidation.
Some galvanised nails should provide enough zinc for the experiment to proceed...

Sulla Felix

There's a couple others on the market at lower concentraions of sulphuric acid. Caustic soda and a bottle of oneshot instant drain cleaner creates some pretty cloud of poisonous death. Pretty though.

Edit: Forgot obligatory hysterical news article from the Fail.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2176839/One-Shot-Instant-Drain-Cleaner-Boyd-James-scarred-life-acid-leaked-bedroom-ceiling-slept.html

Hotblack Desiato

kiffer wrote: »

That's this Saturday... next Saturday is the First of June. Schism! Worse than biscuits.

Jaysus*... it's like A&A have stepped into my home. Welcome!
The mrs and I can no longer discuss any date-related event in terms of days of the week or modifications thereof, we need to get the calendars out and quote the dates to avoid confusion :rolleyes:
But it's perfectly logical to me, 'this Wednesday' is clearly the 29th, but it's also the next Wednesday, so how in the name of Cthulhu can 'next Wednesday' be the feckin' 5th June?!?

robindch wrote: »

BTW, one item that we've never got straight chez robindch, is the usage of "up" as in "up to Dublin". We eschew the Queen's usage of "up" being conceptually towards the capital and "down" as away from it (ie, "One went up to London from Oxford for the summer, but will be returning down to Cambridge as soon as one's chair there is confirmed."), and instead refer to directions in terms of usual map direction ("I went up to Dublin from Kerry th'other day and I'll be heading on up to Donegal for the weekend, then back down to Kerry next Wednesday.")

I'd agree with you Rob in terms of up and down being roughly north and south.
Interestingly, British railway usage has the 'up line' towards London (or Edinburgh) and the 'down line' away.

recedite wrote: »

The website says the company selling the solvent is now insolvent.

Isn't it funny how liquidity is a good thing, but a company being dissolved is a bad thing?
Solvent is good, but an investment should be solid?


* it may be a god-free household, but my two-year-old can blaspheme in perfect Dublinese... 'Jaysis sake' 'Jaysis Christ' (and the F-J bomb) with perfect intonation and in the appropriate context
It's not as if we don't try to control the language within earshot of the kids, but with some of the nappies he produces while teething, it's impossible not to emit such ejaculations :eek:

joseph brand

A surprising map of where the world’s atheists live

The highest reported share of self-described atheists is in China: an astounding 47 percent. Faith has a complicated history in China. The state is deeply skeptical of organized religion, which it has long considered a threat to its authority.

One abusive regime knows another when it see it.

Like nationalism in Germany, a bit of a post-war taboo has developed around religion in Japan. Separately, there is an alarming trend in Japan of forced religious de-conversion, in which families may “kidnap” a loved one who as adopted a faith seen as too extreme, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, and pressure them to give it up.

Like an intervention, but with more action.

In addition to Iraq and Afghanistan, religious sentiment is strong in Ghana, Nigeria, Armenia and Fiji, where more than nine in 10 people say they’re religious. WIN/Gallup notes that religiosity is highest among the poor and, to a lesser extent, among the less educated, which certainly correlates among the most religious countries.

Religions. Always try to get you when you're down.

robindch

joseph brand wrote: »

Faith has a complicated history in China. The state is deeply skeptical of organized religion, which it has long considered a threat to its authority.

Two words - Taiping Rebellion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_Rebellion

Summary: an American evangelist converts a chinese guy who declares himself the brother of Jesus, the chinese guy foments strife with local religious, eventually elevating the conflict to a national civil war which results in the deaths of some twenty million people.

The chinese fear of religion seems justified to me.

Cork boy 55

A slogan for the AAA Active Atheists Alliance

Take your magic elsewhere, holy man!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxphSxX7cGg

Sarky

It's better than John Denver, I'll give it that.

Turtwig

Hotblack Desiato

joseph brand wrote: »

The highest reported share of self-described atheists is in China: an astounding 47 percent.

I'm surprised it's not higher, a lot higher, given that they've been under totalitarian godless communist rule since 1949. It's only astounding that it's so low.