IntenseDebate - LorenzofromOz

14 years ago @ Big Hollywood - Trailer Talk: 'John Ca... · 0 replies · +7 points

You haven't read the original books, have you?

15 years ago @ Big Hollywood - Two Biggest Disappoint... · 0 replies · +1 points

I agree. I have never got around to seeing the first film (bad me) but rather enjoyed the second.

15 years ago @ Big Peace - Marines: 67% Say Putt... · 1 reply · -2 points

The Don't Ask Don't Tell policy does not ban homosexuals from serving, it stops them being open about their homosexuality or being asked about their sexuality. And most Marines already have homosexuals in their units. If the Israeli Defense Force can cope, I am sure the US Marines will manage. The Spartan Army and the Roman Army would have thought even making a fuss about the issue simply bizarre: and they managed to be effective military forces.

15 years ago @ Big Hollywood - Elton John: Artists Wh... · 1 reply · +4 points

By "personal sexual choices" I take it to mean his refusal to be at war with his own sexual nature? Sir Elton is in a stable long-term relationship: puts him way ahead of many prominent Hollywood actors.

16 years ago @ Big Hollywood - Movies We Like: 'Kiss ... · 0 replies · +1 points

Agreed, great movie, great lines, great acting, wonderfully referential. And I learned useful things from the review.

Also, the movie is emotionally quite powerful as well as funny.

16 years ago @ Big Hollywood - In Defense of Obama's ... · 6 replies · +1 points

And your evidence for this is ...?

It is one of those irregular nouns.
Q: What is a man who has sex with prepubescent girls?
A: A paedophile
Q: What is a man who has sex with prepubescent boys?
A: A homosexual

The gender of the victims of paedophiles says nothing about the (adult) sexual preferences of the paedophile. Indeed, male paedophiles who are heterosexual in their adult attachments tend to prey on younger boys than homosexual male paedophiles, since they have fewer of the adult masculine traits they are not attracted to.

16 years ago @ Big Hollywood - Why Do Public Schools ... · 0 replies · +2 points

If the owner of a football club offered to take over running the entire football league, everyone would see that was really stupid, because of the obvious conflict of interest in having the same club competing in the league while being also in charge of setting and enforcing the rules.
Obviously stupid.
But that is exactly how public education works. The government sets the rules, enforces the rules and is the main producer. The conflict of interest is obvious, but ignored because somehow government is magical.
The two main providers of schooling are governments and churches. That is because they both are interested in socialising children into particular sets of beliefs. Since it is hard to test whether you have actually inculcated the beliefs, one controls the inputs.
So, extending school hours means control over more inputs.
Not only is school choice needed, governments should stop running schools at all, and just stick to making and enforcing the rules and ensuring all students have funding (since we all benefit from the literacy of our fellow citizens).

16 years ago @ Big Hollywood - Two Firefights: One Vi... · 0 replies · +1 points

Churchill and FDR allied with Stalin during WWII. Does that mean they "created" Stalinism? The ideological roots of al-Qaeda go back decades before the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan. Read The Looming Tower (which I review here) if you want genuine understanding.

16 years ago @ Big Hollywood - Adam Lambert Turns the... · 0 replies · 0 points

People really should not cite Leviticus for moral commands. Citing Leviticus 18:22 & 20:13 but not other commands in Leviticus is in clear defiance of Leviticus 18:4-5, 26; 19:19, 37; 20:22 which require all the laws set out be followed. If one is picking and choosing, then one’s authority is not Leviticus but whatever criteria one is using to pick and choose one particular bit of the "Holiness Code" and not others.

16 years ago @ Big Hollywood - True Colors: A Race Di... · 0 replies · +1 points

But that is why the index not only has some attitudinal features but includes such things as:
Number of civic and social organizations per 1000 population
Average number of club meetings attended in last year
Average number of group memberships
Average number of times volunteered in last year
Average number of times entertained at home in last year
Average number of times worked on community project in last year
Number of non-profit (501[c]3) organizations per 1000 population
Served as officer of some club or organization in last year (percent)
Served on committee of some local organization in last year (percent)
You mix in attitudinal and behavioural indicators to get a more complete picture.

IntenseDebate Comment System

Connect with LorenzofromOz

My blogs/sites

People I'm following

LorenzofromOz