Hey Anti-Vaccers'! Good Job Killing Babies!!

Here's a quote from an article I am reading regarding an epidemic of whooping cough in California, largely fueled by the incidence of adults refusing vaccines for both themselves and their children. Remember, the kids not being vaccinated is not the only hazard. The people around them not being vaccinated leads them to contracting diseases as well. If the people around you are all vaccinated, you won't be contracting anything. If, however, they listen to Jenny McDumbass and don't get vaccinated, they become potential carriers, and the most susceptible, infants (as well as immunocomprimised adults, such as myself, and the elderly) become potential recipients of this deadly gift borne of ignorance.

GET VACCINATED AND GET YOUR KIDS VACCINATED!

Anyways, here is the quote:

Pertussis once was widespread in California, reaching a peak of 21,344 cases in 1941. But a full-scale vaccination program reduced the incidence dramatically. Reported cases hit a low of 75 in 1976, but the disease has been creeping up since then. During the last outbreak year of 2005, there were 3,182 cases. So far this year there have been 1,496 cases.

From 21,344 to 75. SEVENTY FIVE!

And now?

Back to the thousands, and climbing. This isn't isolated, either. There have been many diseases making a comeback as of late, as herd immunity in various communities is being lost due to people opting out of vaccinations. Your 'personal choice' is KILLING PEOPLE.

What the hell can we do to combat the spread of all this ignorant misinformation that's permeating the culture as of late? Anti-Evolution, anti-vaccination, anti-global warming, 9/11, banking, nwo, moon, cancer cure etc conspiracies, etc. It's getting out of control thanks to the internet, the lapses in education, and movies like Zeitgesist. And it goes beyond mere idealogical differences. It threatens our actual futures. Yes, no hyperbole. It threatens our very future.

So, really, anyone....what the FUCK can we do? I have but a couple of ideas, and none of them alone are enough to combat this, but here they are, as they are at least a hypothetical start:

• Teach critical thinking in schools, stating in elementary/grade school. Teach kids HOW to think in addition to WHAT to think.
• Science needs like...PR people or something. Seriously, there needs to be someone between the science and the people who can clear things up for th emasses and defend the scientists and the science when it/they are attacked by morons with a camera. If celebrities and Coca Cola can have PR people, shouldn't one of the most important things in the fucking WORLD have them? (Yes, science numbnuts).  

Science: Anthropogenic Global Warming. It's Real. Climate Change is NOT A CONSPIRACY.

Preface

I am going to blog about something that has been on my mind for quite some time and something I have consequently been itching to get down on 'paper.' I'm excited but a bit apprehensive, as this is going to be one of my most difficult blogs ever attempted.

The Topic and Thesis of the Blog

TOPIC:

Anthropogenic Global Warming (Global Warming caused by, at least in part, if not in full, by human activity).

Ongoing Debate With Rhology, the Christian Apologist: Special Pleading and Hypocrisy?

EDIT: Here is his response to this post.  I will be responding to it in time. It's headache inducing, so I may have to do it bit by bit ;)

This is a response to THIS POST, which itself was a response to MY RESPONSE to THIS POST by the user Rhology. That post of his is a response to my Initial Post which was a response to an older post of his (linked to in my original response post).

This might be starting to get confusing. Just follow the links, it's not nearly as confusing as it may sound. Basically, this is the thrid or fourth round in an ongoing debate of sorts with the Christian Apologist Rhology from the RHOBLOGY BLOG.

This response is definitely the most heated of what has thus far been a very civil, but strident, debate. I think I may have just opened the gates to some anger and perhaps even insults, although this was certainly not my intention. Sometimes, to be honest, you have to ruffle some feathers. Regular readers of mine may be scratching their heads at this point, wondering if perhaps I have sustained a head injury or something, as I am known for my fiestiness and proclivity to 'let someone have it' if they, in my estimation, deserve it. I only make these disclaimers in this case because this is someone who, up until this particular comment of his that I am responding to, was open and honest, with a respectful demeanor. Well.....I am afaid the demeanor may have remained intact, but the intellectual honesty seems to have taken the night off.....Let's get into it, shall we?

Response to the Response to my Response by a Christian Apologist

This is a response to THIS POST by the user Rhology (who I accidentally refer to as Rhoblogy in this...sorry man). That post of his is a response to my Initial Post which was a response to an older post of his (linked to in my original response post).

Here goes.

Dead Rising Case Zero WAS a Demo. DEFINITIVE PROOF!

Here is definitive proof that Dead Rising Case Zero is indeed intended to act as a demo (as previously discussed  HERE and in more detail, HERE). It was a replacement for the traditional free demo model and Capcom would like to use this going forward:

IGN: Case Zero came out just a few days back. Do you think releasing a paid-for prologue is a better idea than a free demo?

Video Game Addiction: Is it Real?

In this article I aim to take a modestly comprehensive look at the notion of video game addiction, and try to get to the bottom of the hype. Is video game addiction real, or not? Is it fact, or fiction? Truth, or Lie? Is it a reality facing gamers today, or a total myth? Is it a symptom of some other problem (perhaps an impulse control disorder), a condemnation of 'too much time' spent on a hobby unbecoming of an older teenager or even adult (as judged by a non gamer, usually issued forth through the cavernous maw that is a generation gap), a cultural phenomenon, perhaps the manifestation of an attempted escape from too much educational pressure put on the youth, or something else?
                
And if it is indeed real, are the video games an outlet for an addicted personality, or are they a causal factor? Does that distinction even matter? And, lastly, if it is indeed real, if there are people out there who seem to be addicted to video games, what does the research say regarding incidence rates, severity, and treatment outcomes? Is the media reporting this fairly, not taking it seriously enough, or blowing it way out of proportion?

These questions and more are going to be addressed as I tackle the issue of video game addiction. Is it fact or fiction?

INSANE VIDEO!! Republican Candidate for Stark County (Ohio, USA) Treasurer Phil Davison is BATSHIT CRAZY!!!

Here's a video of Republican Phil Davison (Ohio) delivering a speech in an effort to attain the Republican nomination for Stark County Treasurer. Of course, I say 'delivering a speech' in the loosest of possible manners. Click to play  the video and witness the mother of all political gaffes. Then try to figure out what the HELL his deal is.


Seriously, Phil.....Why So Serious?

Btw, he lost. Surprising, I know!

Response to a Christian on the topic of Atheist Morality

I have been engaged in a discussion with a christian apologist, who seems to have been at it for a long time. After some back and forth (during which he was refreshingly honest about his opinions, specifically those relating to the issue of morality in the Old Testament) this was the message directed at me, regarding atheist morality, atheistic inconsistency, and the accuracy of atheistic claims in the comment section of this person's blog (THIS is the post in question).

How to attract more blog readers.

How do I get more people to read my blog? How do I get more blog readers?  How can I attract an audience?

These are three ways of asking a question commonly asked around the internet. This question is so ubiquitous because all bloggers want their material read. Sure, many of us do this for ourselves, whether it be for catharsis or something else, but we all want to be read as well, otherwise we'd just maintain a private journal.

So, here is a list of 11 suggestions I recently gave to a friend who asked me this very question.

SEQUEL TO EDF 2017 (Earth Defense Force 2017) ANNOUNCED!

I literally just came upon this, so this is hot off of the press- well, hot off of my becoming aware of it. Earth Defense Force 2017 is GETTING A SEQUEL!!! A long awaited (by like 10 of us lol) sequel, I might add:

It's about time!!

Dead Rising Case Zero....You Guys Enjoying Your Demo?

Was it worth it?

because watch other developers adpot this model going forward. Suddenly, no demo for a game, but hey, there's a $5....prequel.....ya...

Those of you who keep insisting that it's not a demo aren't very critical in your thinking

God is Moral? Oh, Really? Simple Challenge for Christians! (Video to Follow)

This is a straightforward challenge for christians, consisting of three simple questions that pertain to a specific bible passage. If you are a Christian, and you believe Yahweh (your god, for those of you who are unaware of that particular name) to be moral, I challenge you to read the short bible passage provided, and then answer the threee simple follow up queries.

Ninja Gaiden Series Retrospective

Final Fantasy. Sonic the Hedgehog. Super Mario. Half-Life. Metal Gear. Halo. Resident Evil. Kirby. Call of Duty. Dragon Quest. Diablo. Gran Turismo. Ask a gamer what video game series is their favourite, and you'll often hear them name one of the above, along with a multitude of other diverse answers. One series that, for reasons I cannot understand, seems to get overlooked, even though many of the entries in the series are among the best of the genre on their respective platforms. The series to which I am referring is none other than Ninja Gaiden.

I Should Believe In God? Okay, Help me Pick One! (Enjoy!!)

Here's an incomplete list of gods proposed at one point or another throughout history. Please help me decide which one I should be following. For the sake of brevity (lol) Yahweh and Allah (same god anyways, no?) have been left out.

Agdistis or Angdistis

Ah Puch

Ahura Mazda

Alberich

So I'm Getting Better.....Only I'm Not......

Crohn's Disease sucks.


Ulcerative Colitis sucks.


Having both really fucking sucks!

Ask an Atheist Project: Lenano

In this blog, you, the reader, get the chance the read several varying atheistic takes on common questions asked of us godless heathens by god fearing folk. We are going to all be answering the same 13 questions, and then we are each supposed to choose a random 14th question to respond to. In addition to this, you are also going to be able to read the take of a (reasonable, intelligent, atheist friendly) theist (Vestsao) answering from the perspective of an atheist. Sort of a "walk a mile in his shoes" sort of thing.

What Does Our Proclivity to Root for the Bad Guy Mean in Terms of Our Morality?

What Does Our Proclivity to Root for the Bad Guy Mean in Terms of Our Morality?

How many movies have you seen where the protagonist is what we, in real life, would consider a 'bad' person, yet you found yourself gleefully cheering them on?

Is it Immoral For a Charity To Take Dirty Money? EDITED!

Just a thought: Would it be wrong for a charity to accept money that came from drug deals, theft, murder (blood money), etc?

Dirty money for a good deed....wrong?

EDIT: The charity in question knows the money is dirty.

Incoherent Ramblings.

This is a strange, silly, stupid blog entry that sort of just....happened. That being said, I make no apologies for it. Read at your own risk.

The Point of Gaming

This is a private message I recently received on YouTube:

Enlighten an ole dude. I have been computer literate longer than many people are old but I lost interest in games with pinball. What is the point other than time consumption and fighter pilot training?

If You Google 'Google' Will You Break The Internet? (PICS)

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The Ask an Atheist Project Has Commenced!

The ask an atheist project is now underway! The first four entries are up:

magx01

SykoShadow

RelaxGodFolk

Vestsao

There is currently a fifth one in the works. I am looking for more, so if you'd like to contribute, drop me a line either here or on the comment section in my entry (magx01).

(For those who don't knwo what this is, please see THIS PAGE for an explanation.)


Enjoy what I hope to be a great blog project!

Ask an Atheist Project: magx01

In this blog, you, the reader, get the chance the read several varying atheistic takes on common questions asked of us godless heathens by god fearing folk. We are going to all be answering the same 13 questions, and then we are each supposed to choose a random 14th question to respond to. In addition to this, you are also going to be able to read the take of a (reasonable, intelligent, atheist friendly) Islamic theist (Vestsao) answering from the perspective of an atheist. Sort of a "walk a mile in his shoes" sort of thing.

Ask an Atheist Project: RelaxGodFolk

In this blog, you, the reader, get the chance the read several varying atheistic takes on common questions asked of us godless heathens by god fearing folk. We are going to all be answering the same 13 questions, and then we are each supposed to choose a random 14th question to respond to. In addition to this, you are also going to be able to read the take of a (reasonable, intelligent, atheist friendly) Islamic theist (Vestsao) answering from the perspective of an atheist. Sort of a "walk a mile in his shoes" sort of thing.

Ask an Atheist Project: Vestsao

In this blog, you, the reader, get the chance the read several varying atheistic takes on common questions asked of us godless heathens by god fearing folk. We are going to all be answering the same 13 questions, and then we are each supposed to choose a random 14th question to respond to. In addition to this, you are also going to be able to read the take of a (reasonable, intelligent, atheist friendly) Islamic theist (Vestsao) answering from the perspective of an atheist. Sort of a "walk a mile in his shoes" sort of thing.

Rescue Me Seasons 1-5 Review

NOTE: I am going to attempt to review a television show for the first time ever. Having never done this, in addition to not being a huge TV person and having no expertise in the areas of television production, acting, etc, I am not going to be writing a technical review, nor will i be writing a terrible deep one. Hopefully it isn't too lacking and you can glean a few things from it. Let me know how I did, if you're so inclined. If you do give the show a shot after reading this, please, post back and tell me how it went, positive or negative. Just don't sue me ;)

Okay, Rescue Me review:

Fuck Ray Comfort. No Seriously, Fuck Him.

Ray Comfort Week continues, but this time there's nothing but insults. I'm mad as hell atm, and I'm venting. I've been watching some Ray Comfort videos and reading some stuff and I'm fucking ready to blow.

Ray Comfort Week Continues!! Comfort PWND?

I am not sure if pointing out simple logical deductions to a retard (sorry) is considered pwning as much as it is beating up on a hapless retard (sorry again), but this hapless retard (sorry, really) is manipulating people into believing lies, making them feel guilty for being human, and making big money off of doing so, so fuck it, it's a pwning.

So, on to what I will, perhaps tentatively (you decide!) call Ray Comfort being PWND.

Ray Comfort: Atheists Evolved From Chickens

Well, apparently it's Ray Comfort week here on The Thoughtful Gamers :)

Back in Januray of 2008, Ray Comfort ruminated over the idea that perhaps atheists evolved from chickens.

(I just came to find out about this idea of his yesterday, courtesy of the Non Prophets radio show (I'm working through the podcast archive, and I am in the 2008 season). )

Ray Comfort on John Lennon's Murder-er, rather, on how Justice Means No Food, Sleep, or Sex

Wow. I visited Ray Comfort's blog for the first time ever, and this is what I was confronted with:

http://raycomfortfood.blogspot.com/2010/07/john-lennons-murderer.html

He's in a tiff at the fact that Mark David Chapman (John Lennon's killer), who is coming up for parole this year, has been able to sleep, eat, and fuck in the 29 years that he has been in jail. I guess solitary confinement and sensory deprivation would be more fitting for Mr. Comfort?

New Video

Based on This Post:

My Encounter With a Religious Wackjob (I Am Apparently 'The Chosen One')

Note: This is a story from last year that I am reposting here.

According to this wacko patient I had at work (polysmonographic technologist for those who are unaware) this week, not only am I "special", but, I am actually......The Chosen One.

Brilliantly Stupid And/Or Ironic Forum Quotes Part Deux

It's sequel time, baby! This is a sequel to This Blog which was entitled Brilliantly Stupid And/Or Ironic Forum Quotes. So, let's gear up, and take on some more Brilliantly Stupid And/Or Ironic Forum Quotes sent my way by people trying to insult/own/'pwn'/denigrate/disparage or otherwise hurt me for whatever reason. *Whew!!* Try saying that 5 times fast.

New Dead Rising: Case Zero (0) Details (Follow Up to Previous Blog) EDITED!! (Capcom Lying/Being Disingenuous?)

Okay, so as of a few days back, my impressions of Case Zero (now seemingly renamed to Case 0) were not so favourable.

You can see my thoughts in full HERE

Here is an excerpt from that blog post (for the lazy):

unless Capcom changes their mind and releases Case Zero for free (fat chance!!), I am NOT getting it, and I suggest to any Dead Rising fans reading this that they leave it be as well, and send Capcom a message:

We will not pay for demos, assholes!
Yes, Dead Rising Case Zero is a demo. It's a demo and it's a damn ripoff!

This sentiment was based on, as I explain, the information released at the time (2 hours of gameplay, $20), my natural sceptical nature, Capcom's track record, and some video evidence for the gametime and price, as well as a developer and journalist both calling it a demo (all in the blog).

However, things just got complicated

Writing a New Short Story. Any Animators out there? Help Possibly Needed!

I just started to write a short story, and although I am only on page 2, I see potential in this thing to go a lot farther than one short story. I am thinking that a series of stories might be in order, and they might even be worthy of being turned into animated shorts for the internet. If anyone reading this happens to do computer animation, please leave me a comment, as I do not have any knowledge in this area, and so to make this idea come to fruition, I will require some help.

Cancer Cure Conspiracy Debunked: Cancer Cure Found and Suppressed My Ass!

Extra, extra, read all about it! Cancer cure found! But you can't have it! It's being suppressed!

.....Oh, really? Let's see about this, shall we?

Puzzle Quest 2 Thoughts

I may do a full review for the game once I have spend some more time with it, but I thought I would throw a few thoughts down on paper after maybe 10 hours of play (I haven't been able to play much of anything these last 2 weeks, and what little time i have had to play was split between PQ2 and Crackdown 2).

Right off the bat, I'll say that the game is absolutely a worthy sequel, and it erases the bitter taste left by the disaster that was Puzzle Quest Galactrix.

In Defense of The Anthropic Principle

As stated here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropic_principle the anthropic principle is the idea that the observations of the physical universe must be compatible with the life observed in it. The principle was formulated in response to the fine tuning/argument from design type arguments, which assert that the universe seems to have been created just for us, as all of the natural laws, and all physical constants contained therein, are conducive to life. The anthropic principle basically counters this contention with a well, duh. Of course it's all conducive to life. If it wasn't, we would not be here to make such observations. You cannot observe conditions of a given universe of you do not exist.

List of People to KILL

SykoShadow

PseudoIntellectual

Every god in existence (oh, wait.....)

Every fat moron in a 'Fat Moron with a Hot Wife Who's Always Right' sitcom. Tx for the damage to men!

Dead Rising Case Zero is a Ripoff. It's a Demo (VIDEO EVIDENCE). Also, Corporations Own Us. It's Time to Wake Up a Bit.

I am looking forward to Dead Rising 2, although with some trepidation. That being said, I am NOT looking forward to Dead Rising: Case Zero. Well, let me rephrase that: I am, in the sense that it's new Dead Rising and I really want to get my hands on some new Dead Rising, but unless Capcom changes their mind and releases Case Zero for free (fat chance!!), I am NOT getting it, and I suggest to any Dead Rising fans reading this that they leave it be as well, and send Capcom a message:

We will not pay for demos, assholes!
Yes, Dead Rising Case Zero is a demo. It's a demo and it's a damn ripoff!

But this is a prologue, not a demo!, you shout.

Crackdown 2 Reviews are In. Still Confused! Rent or Buy? ALSO, Gaming is a Relgion...My Religion.

Crackdown 2 Reviews are In. Rent or Buy? Also, Gaming is a Relgion...My Religion.

NOTE: This blog was intended to be a short discussion of my feelings regarding whether I should rent or purchase Crackdown 2, as I am feeling uncertain on this point, and the slate of reviews that have just come out don't seem to have helped in this regard. However, it ended up blossoming into this monstrous post regarding a bunch of other stuff including this big realization that gaming is a religion, and that, furthermore, gaming is MY religion. I, the most avowed atheist in existence (lol), an ardent antitheist, who blogs about his disdain for religion on a regular basis, have realized that I am indeed religious!

So, I will do this in sections. Look for the large, bold, red text to signify a new section, and sorry for the rambling. Hopefully the content more than makes up for the form....and the content.....lol!

Happy Birthday Canada? FUCK THAT!!!! Happy July 4th? Fuck that As Well. It's BULLSHIT

So, everyone is celebrating Canada Day (and now, it's July 4th, so people south of us are taking their turn). My thoughts?

Meh.

Sorry, just not patriotic. I have no nationalistic feel good sentiments to speak of. I much prefer to identify as human and think of us all as living on the same planet than think of us divided up into these arbitrary countries and then pledge my allegiance to the one I happened, by accident of birth, to be well, born into.


National birthdays are bullshit. I can't wait until tomorrow when all the flags are gone, the firecrackers stop banging up and down my damn street, and no one gives a shit again....

Cynical, I know..... 

July 4th Addition to the blog:

Major Changes! POLL INCLUDED, VOTES AND COMMENTS WELCOMED

As revealed Here and HERE, two friends (SykoShadow, an online friend, who is a great, borderline insane, sharp and hilarious guy; an unintentional badass who Jumps out of second story wndows and Claudio, my very best friend in 'real ife'; a rogue badass who's profession is so dangerous they made a web series about it and who is in my top 3 greatest people of all time list), both recently joined the blog as authors, taking The Thoughtful Gamer and transforming it into its older brother, The Thoughtful Gamers, which, as signified by the sexy and dignified brand new pluralization, can get into clubs without presenting ID, can drink at least  a glass of wine and a half without worrying about its figure, and now has a confirmed IQ of 67, which is a whopping (especially at this elite end of the spectrum....Mensa will be knocking on the door any day now, baby!!!) 23 points higher than the stellar IQ of 44 it held up until this point.

Myth Busted: William Lane Craig Is Rational

William Lane Craig, the poster boy for post hoc rationalizations and bald assertions based on outdated cosmologi- er, sorry, rather, the poster boy for Evidence Based Christianity, had this to say:

"And my view here is that the way in which I know Christianity is true is first and foremost on the basis of the witness of the Holy Spirit in my heart and this gives me a self authenticating means of knowing that Christianity is true wholly apart from the evidence. And therefore, if in some historically contingent circumstances the evidence that I have available to me should turn against Christianity, I don't think that that controverts the witness of the Holy Spirit."

''a self authenticating means of knowing that Christianity is true wholly apart from the evidence. ''

Wow, talk about circular.

Welcome Claudio to the Thoughtful Gamers!!!!!!!!!!

Following the announcement of SykoShadow's arrival, I am proud to announce the addition of my best friend Claudio to the Thoughtful Gamer's team!! I don't know if he'll ever post, but if he does, well look out because anyone who reads what he has to say will immediately grow a third nut (or a first if they are female), put on 10% additional muscle mass, have their voice deepen, and lose their religion (if they have one).

He is also in the process of building his first ever blog, which you can find HERE It's still under construction, but his already has a nicer aesthetic than mine :( Damn computer guys.....*grumbles*

If I sound overly excited.......I AM!!!!

Btw, Syko (you crazy fuck) and Claudio (you need a nickname, you sound too....nice) I have an idea for a group blog post that we can do. Little effort on your ends, don't worry :) Something small and relatively easy, but I think it will be fun. In the next few days, I'll do my part of it, and you'll see it saved as a draft. That will be your cue to add your own (bit by bit or all at once, no biggie) and then we can decide if we want to combine them into one or post them as three seperate ones. Basically, we'll all be ansering a few questions, getting 3 takes on some classic theistic queries directed at atheists.

Welcome SykoShadow to the Thoughtful Gamer(s) Blog!!

The Thoughtful Gamer is about to be renamed The Thoughtful Gamers, as my friend SykoShadow has joined the blog as a contributing author. In addition to the new author, the blog will now be displaying multiple blog posts per page; likely three but I am still playing around with this. Between 3-5 will be the final number, I imagine.

Atheist Billboard in North Carolina Defaced. NEWSFLASH, PEOPLE: "One Nation Under God" is DIVISIVE!!!!

I was sent a news story by a friend over MSN tonight. The story is entitled 'Atheist billboard defaced on N.C.'s Billy Graham Parkway' and it can be found at the following link:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts2936?b

An excerpt from the story:

Unknown vandals unhappy about atheists' billboard in Charlotte, N.C., spray-painted "Under God" on the ad, the city's atheist association discovered Monday. The defaced message will remain in place until after July 4, the group reports, which is the soonest that workers can furnish a fresh billboard image. Here's how the vandalized billboard now looks:



The billboard reads, "One Nation Indivisible," which is the phrase preceding the 1954 insertion of the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance, reports the Charlotte Observer's Tim Funk. The billboard was erected on Billy Graham Parkway last week. (Graham is, of course, the state's famous evangelical preacher.)

Alpha Protocol Xbox 360 Review

Alpha Protocol Xbox 360 Review-
Choose Your Own Adventure

Alpha Protocol is a 3rd person Action RPG developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by SEGA. The game has you assume the role of Michael Thorton, a newly recruited secret agent working for the top secret organization known as the Alpha Protocol.

Note: This Alpha Protocol Xbox 360 Review can also be found HERE.

Psychology: Science? Unscientific? Bullshit? Pt. 3

This is a follow up to THIS post, entitled "Psychology: Science? Unscientific? Bullshit? Pt. 2"

Some further discussion has taken place. A new comment from him, in response to the last one I gave (featured in part two of this (originally not intended to be a) series:

Then again I never studied psychology so thank you for elaborating. I just don't know how that general psychology or psychoanalysis as you pointed out helps any in the business world other than bettering someone as a person. I feel the same about art even though I am kind of an artist myself; I think it's totally useless unless you're actually going into art.

And my response to that was as follows:

Well, I'm not sure why you're using the business world as an endpoint (remember though, I still basically agree with your contention), but if that's the one you're going with, I suppose one could argue that, ina ddition to bettering yourself, as you pointed out, you could possibly use an understanding of the human psyche to aid yourself in processes like detecting falsehoods, guaging prospective employees, social networking, closing deals, etc.


Not that I really buy that (well, to some limited degree, sure) but I think that could be an argument. Although, if you remove the business world as the end goal, you have all sorts of ends: the sake of knowledge, interest, interpersonal relationships (famiial, marital, etc), professional endeavours (counselling), etc etc.

I was never a fan of it, but I don't think it's wise to write it off entirely (not that you or I are necessarily doing that).

If you compare real world benefits of something like your field and psychoanalysis, I think that the clear winner is your field. I think the argument could be made that of all areas of study, mathematics is probably the most important, as much as I hate(d) it.

What do you think? If you offered an opinion after part one and/or part two, does this have any bearing on your opinion at all? As always, feedback is mucho appreciado.

EDIT: Go back to part one to see a comment from this very same person. His original opinion is no longer one that he holds to the letter. I think we had a productive dialogue here. I also got his major wrong :(

Psychology: Science? Unscientific? Bullshit? Pt. 2

This is a follow up to THIS post, entitled "Psychology: Science? Unscientific? Bullshit?"

A bit more discussion has taken place. Him:

At the same time many psychological hypotheses are not testable and repeatable and that is a controversy in psychology. Modern psychology does use the scientific method a lot so that's why I consider it to be somewhat of a science. I totally agree with what you said about neuropsychology and evolutionary psychology but when I was talking about psychology being 'lame' I was talking about the main branch of psychology that most people study in college. I think it's kind of useless in the business world, not totally though.

And my response:

You're talking about psychoanalysis, and you're 100% right. However, I don't think that's the most studied branch of psychology. I think (at least, it was at the university I attended), that psychoanalysis was taught in intro psyc as a starting point, and also in history of psyc courses. I could be wrong though, as this is only based on one school. I can say that there are so many branches of psyc now that I feel confident thinking that it's probably no longer #1, and I DO know that it's an area of contention within pyschology itself.


When I studied psychology, I took courses on psychopharmacology, neuropsychology, psychology of health, psychology of sleep, personality, learning psychology, psychology of media, social psychology, behavioural pychology, cognitive beahvioural therapy, etc etc etc. The only times I ever really studied psycholanalytic theory was in intro pych (aka psyc 101 as it is commonly referred to) and in the 4th year borefest, history of psychology. I believe a bit of it was also covered in a philiosophy class I took, as some of it wasrelevant to some of the philiosophical ideas we studied, but the details of this are hazy.

Thanks for the eaboration though, and I must say (and I say this with no condescension, I swear) that this serves as an example of how we must be careful when we speak, as it is easy to totally screw up and have our message be misconceived. I mean, you stright up denigrated all of psychology, when really, you were taking issue with a paritucular area of study within it. There's a huge difference there, and I went from being a bit....well, off put to completely understanding and even agreeing (although we could both be wrong in our conceptions, and I am sure there are plenty of people out there who would like to alleviate us of our misconceptions!!!!) (and they'd probably have a big problem with me, having studied it and all lol).

What do you think? If you offered an opinion after part one, does this have any bearing on that at all? Mine might not, as it is merely a retread since I had already discussed psychoanalytic theory, but his comment probably will, as it represents further clarification on his end; clarification which changed the way I saw his original comment, and quite likely may for you as well.

As always, feedback is mucho appreciado.