20 minutes ago, 2prnot2p said:

@steve25805

Three main points:

1-As far as proving something does not exist, you're correct.  But, when someone says something DOES exist, the burden of proof is on THEM, not on the skeptic.  This is the rule of debate in all things.  And, there is no proof when it comes to the paranormal.  Having said that, it seems foolish to me, and many others, to believe in something in the absence of tangible evidence.  You might disagree, but that's my philosophy and always has been.

2-As for James Randi, he started out as a magician and illusionist.  This is why he is skeptical.  He saw many people claiming super powers when they were simply using tricks that he knew all about.  Knowing this, it makes sense.  Perhaps you were not aware of his background.  He has made fools of so many illusionists that you can't count them.  Uri Geller was one of his victims.  He claimed he could bend forks, etc., with mental power.  Randi did it and showed how it was done.  Geller got rich by being a fraud.  He was on TV often in the 1970's here in the states.  I've been aware of Randi for over 40 years and I've seen him expose frauds on TV many times.  He has never come across a paranormal claim that he couldn't explain or figure out. 

3-Lastly, you did not comment on the other videos.  If you don't accept Randi's position, fine.  What say you about the other videos?  I think those have stronger arguments against the paranormal than anything I've ever seen or read from the believers in such things.

I can do this for months, but I've made my point(s) and have no interest in belaboring it any further.  🙂

About point 3: as nancy wrote, they explain a lot, but there might be phenomens that can not be explained that way. But in that case, you point 1 comes into play: who ever claims something has to prove it. Or rather: who claims something EXTRAORDINARY has to prove it. (I am highlighting the "EXTRAORDINARY because I can claim something like "All the little stars in the sky are actually suns, like our own sun.", without being able to actually proving it myself*, as this is something we all agree on (save the flat earthers, of cause).

*not with my expertise or rather the lack of it, as well as without the necessary tools.

Anyways, I'd like to thank both you and steve to bring up such topics (this one as well as the one about conspiracy theories, just to name two recent ones), as they make for quite interesting discussions - what ever your point might be.

If you can keep it civil, keep it up!

I am looking forward to new topics from both of you! 👍

On 4/4/2019 at 11:27 AM, steve25805 said:

Do you think ghosts are real?

While that would depend rather on the definition of "ghost", I personally think they are not. At least not as separate entities.

Do I think that people have encountered (something that the interpreted as) ghosts? Yes.a

I find the idea that we have an eternal soul (that is even capable to reincarnate)... interesting. Yes, I have to admit I - to some extend - want this to be true, since.. well... how likable is the idea that you are gone when you die?

However, the idea of reincarnation I find rather problematic, since we today have far more people walking the earth at the same time then we had ever before. So there either had to be a number of souls "standing by" for along time, waiting in queue, or new souls would have needed to appear.

And then: what is with all the animals? If they have a soul, too, where are all the animal-ghosts? That is, in case of the reasons for a soul to stick around could be the same for animals as well as humans.

That being said: concidering how a lot of lifes went, how much some people have to suffer, I actually hope for them that life does not end after our (body's) death, and the can have some form of compensation for all the suffering. Unlike religious people, I would not live my life build on that idea, though; it is just a hope, since I hate injustice.

All in all, as always in science - if you claim something, you are the one that needs to provide the evidence. Not vica versa. I do not have to prove that ghosts do not exist, you have to prove they exist. Same as with gods... .😉

I do not doubt people have seen what they interprete as ghosts - the videos linked by 2pornot2p where new to me, the information in them not, however - but I am also aware how good the brain is at presenting us with some perception based on very little input.

This is a necessary trait, essential for survival - better to see things that can kill you and AREN'T there, then to not see some thing that can kill you that IS there - so the number of false alarms need to be higher then the real alarms.

Plus the blind spot, which might be responsible for some things you see to pop into and out of your vision. I have no idea to what extend this contributed to ghost sightings, if at all.

All that being said, I am rather susceptible when it comes to ghost, in that I feel rather uncomfortable in most cellars or basements, but also various rooms above ground of abandoned houses, even those that are definitely not "haunted" - which is not really helpfull when you urban explore on your own. This effect vanishes instantly, however, as soon as I am with another person. I will become rather inquisitive then, doing all the kind of things that usually are a death-sentence, would I be in a horror movie. I think my uncomfortableness (is that even a word?) comes from me having watched to many horror or spooky movies in my childhood, as those trigger me all the time, still to this day. I know it's rediculous, but it's just the way it is.

Apart from this negative feelings I get I still do not think - nor do I believe - that ghosts are real (outside of our heads, that is).

However, I would not mind them to be real, as long as they are not harmfull to anyone.

Should at some point in the future someone be able to actually scientifically prove the existence of ghosts, I would not be shocked, however - only curious.

Today, the EU voted to put another brick in the wall to end free speech.

Youtube just suggested this video* to me, and it has a lot of background-information, if you need them:

* I am subscribed to the creator of this video, the UK-based ObsidianAnt, as he creates a lot vidoes for my currently favorite game, Elite:Dangerous; so thats why youtube may have suggested it to me.

My thoughts are:

Fuck the EU.   Hard. 😡

This vote means nothing else then no EU based website will be safe from being shut down, if all things went south. Because: they have to make SURE that nothing, that is uploaded to their site, contains anything that is copyrighted. Not a problem for big sites like youtube, but smaller sites - this one included - face really harsh punishments if copyrighted material is found. Simply because they are the ones held responsible now, not the actual uploader.

If you are not from the EU: lucky you. For now. Do not count on it staying that way... .  -_-

Hmm, my first memory of naughty peeing dates back in my early childhood, so that does not count - as it was not for sexual pleasure.

I will exclude "shower" or "bathtub" here, since it is not really naughty in my mind (since it never really gets dirty in the first place due to being used as a shower or bathtub).

Well, I think what resparked my interest in naughty peeing - and this time being turned on by it, too - was, when I found a half burried carpet in the woods near where I lived. At this time I was already fantasizing about naughty peeing when I masturbated, and I took the opportunity to find out what peeing on a carpet actually was like.

This was the first - and by no means my last - naughty pee for pleasure.

A bit lame, I guess, since the carpet was already thrown away, anyway - but one has to start somewhere, hasn't one? 😛

I once peed in an empty drawer of a desk!

However, it was empty because the office was empty (save the desk), too.

In fact, the whole building was empty... because it was a derelict building.... so does this count? 😛

Other then that: no chance. To many cameras where I work... .

Well, that would have to be the bathroom sink for me then, because I use it daily. It's more a habit now, though, and since I always wash my hands afterwards it hardly counts as naughty for me anymore.

Other then that I have no particular spot for peeing. Instead I always try something new.

where is your favourite place to pee? & Why is it your favourite place?

The sink at home, and because of lazyness. Plus it saves water, since I always wash my hands afterwards.

I started to use the sink at first because of the naughtiness of it, but it became a habit. So it isn't exactly a favourite of mine.

On the other hand: there is no favourite place where I pee; I like to do naughty pee's, but it's always somewhere (or something) else.

where is the naughtiest place you have pissed? 

Can't tell, because of didnotwanttogetcaught-ness. 😛

The naughtiest place I dare to tell was a condom vanding machine; all over the buttons and into all the trays and what not.

(Can tell this because the machine is gone now... along with the wall it was mounted to, due to being torn down.)

Where is the naughtiest place you would like to piss? 

Either all over a hotel room or somewhere in a furniture store (preferably a bed or a couch). One can dream,... .

What is your ultimate piss fantasy?

To have a (female) partner... in crime, so to speak, to do naughty pees with. Preferably in on of the places mentioned in the last question. 😇

Watch this with English subtitels switched ON!

I find this hilarious, but then again I'm wired. 😛

Any woman actually willing to have a date with me is welcome, so... thats the only type I'm interested in. Usually, that interest is not mutual, though... . -_-

4 minutes ago, spywareonya said:

But the video is not working!!!

Hmm, works fine for me - in which way is it not working?

I think that Mr. Brenton Harrison Tarrant - like all the other terrorists, what ever their believes were and who ever they killed -  suffered from a lack of perspective:

Should I elaborate, or is this enough for now?

I recently peed into the coin return, output tray and buttons of a condom vending machine - part out naughtiness, and part because I was a bit... pissed because I currently have no real use for condoms at that time, and was a bit envious of those who had.😑

This vending machine is deccommisioned now - but only because in the place where the building it was attached to stood... there is now a construction-site. 😛

37 minutes ago, spywareonya said:

 

Mmmh… you aren't wrong. But in my Path I learnt that there is no such a thing in existence which is not tainted: but some of them offer more good than bad, thus I classify them as good

Football is good

Plus, I can't prevent myself from admitting I actually love the game itself

(...)

I'd say: Football is not good, it's just football.

Or quote Terry Pratchett from the book "Unseen Academicals" : "Football is like war, but without the kindness." It's just another way of deviding and ruling, which explains why politicians back up this sport os much. To give you an example, from germany: The city of Brunswick and the city of Hannover are constantly at war about football. The football-club in Hannover is called "Hannover 96". So, at one point the fans of Bruinswick found out that a certain hill close to their city was exactly 96 meters tall. Soooo, they organized an excavator and shaved of one meter from that hill. Plus if you visit Bruinswick with your car and a numberplate from Hannnover AND have a sticker or anything on your car that shows you are a fan of Hannover 96, preper to drive home on four flat tires. I am not kidding. It might happen vice versa as well, but not as often, from what I have read.

So this is my take on football, and any other competetive sport. They are there to divide people in tiny, controllable groups. And since they are busy fighting each other, they are less of a threat to the people in charge.

Oh, btw: the damage and trash caused by the football-hooligans as well as the costs for the police who has to oversee each major football-match here in germany is not covered by the football-clubs, but rather by the tax-payers. I consider this to be unfair, since the football-clubs make millions, at the expense of the tax-payers. They should pay for the costs caused by their fans.

To get back to where I started my reply: Terry Pratchett also wrote in the book "Unseen Academicals": “The thing about football - the important thing about football - is that it is not just about football.” And I think it is not ment as an insult. Actually, the book is a declaration of love towards football (and fashion, and a number of other things), and I like it very much. So much that I recommend it (but that is true for most of the Discworld-Novels, so this probably doesn't count...).

Still don't like football, though. 😛

I'm sorry if I derailed this thread, but since I have said anything I wanted to say, just continue having fun! 😉

I absolutely do not care for any sports anymore (was interested in racing, but today I prefer to race myself, if at all... on the computer).

Football is just to "panem et circenses" to me.

And there is a certain lack of panem, in most places nowadays, so another reason for me not to care. 😉

If I had to pick, then it would be merely out of sympathy for a certain country, or political reasons. And then I would choose Portugal, and that mostly becasue they did not follow the orders given by germany, in how to deal with the ongoing Euro-crisis - as a result Portugal is far better off now then Spain or Greece, all countries who's political loosers... err, I mean leaders, licked germany's boots. David vs. Goliath relodad - you guys and girls rock!

I still will not watch any football-match, though.

the imperial MARCH but every other beat is missing:

Why TF has youtube suggested this to me...? o_0

12 minutes ago, spywareonya said:

I got it

I fear them too

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and fear our war won't lead anywhere

But then I got angry, and go back to sleep to fight another day

* Drops the subject, because of reasons *

Let's get back to Trump. It's probably more fun. o_0

26 minutes ago, spywareonya said:

@WantonLee

I have tears in my eyes at the marvellous words you just wrote, and how personal and heartfelt they are!!!

Sorry, I did not intend to make anyone cry. 😕

14 hours ago, 2prnot2p said:

(...)

F.W....you really belong in some kind of home if you believe what you've said.

With all due respect, 2prnot2p, I'd like you to consider for a moment what use those kind of words are in getting your point across to someone who's oppinion you do not agree with.

I can only speak for myself, of cause, but if someone would push me, that push would.. well.. push me away from that person. Maybe even further towards the opposing point.

Just some food for thoughts... .

That being said: I do not fear Trump. I fear the persons that that are... in charge of the US. And I am not going into any more details about this - probably crazy sounding - point of view of mine.

In any case: I am completely indifferent about Trump having allienated the leaders of the country I am living in. Those leaders have allienated themselves from the people living here a long time ago, so I call it quits.

Where there's a Will, there's a way.

(I'm sorry for the pun, but I mean it. Make this saying your own, if you like it.)

On your path, there might be setbacks - don't let that stop you. Just don't forget that sometimes there are many ways, you have to find the one that suites you and your needs and abilities best. Even then, there still could be more then one way left - take the one that you feel is right then.

And if you don't find a way - either look at another place... or just create a new way. 😉

That being said: I hope they have Lego at the store where you work at. Maybe, if a customer needs advice in terms of what Lego set to buy (might be a rare occurence, but still might happen)... you can help...? 👍

I owned an Atari VCS 2600 (anyone remember "Solaris"? quite advanced for it's time),

later an NES, (Super Mario! Super Mario 3! And of cause various Gradius and related Shooter games)

then a Sega Mega Drive  (Golden Axe was probably my favorite (not only because of the Box-Art), but I also like Thunder Force III very much)

and finally a SNES (again for Super Mario and various Shooter games), which was the last concole I owned.

Then I switched to PC, and never looked back.... I did not had the time, because I was busy telling pirates that they fought like a cow!