IntenseDebate - Toby Fernsler

8 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Killing No. 317: The s... · 1 reply · -17 points

With my work and friends I have observed a sharp increase in bear incursions into the City of Boulder this year; both in frequency and distance. Also near Nederland, pretty much everyone I know has been raided by bears. I believe this is mostly caused by the city's recent requirement for bear-proof trash cans and other bear-related activities.
handymantoby.com
sheriffoflove.org

8 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Killing No. 317: The s... · 1 reply · -18 points

why not leave some food out for the bear?

8 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Boulder crowd urges ci... · 1 reply · 0 points

By degree I am a mathematician, and have taught around 1000 students at CU. In practice I have done little purely mathematical work, having worked in plasma physics, neuroscience, radar, and genetics, among other things. I could refer to myself as a mathematician, harmonic analyst, software engineer, algorithm engineer, neuroscientist, etc. But it's easier just to say "scientist".

I think it's a stretch to claim murder has something to do with occupancy limits, but yes, let's look at the murderer's point of view. He is sent to prison where he learns precious little about healthy social interactions but a whole lot about crime. When he gets out he wears the label of "convicted murderer" and "criminal". Our criminal justice system is just begging him to return to his old ways, and now he's more committed and better equipped to do it. Meanwhile our justice system has done nothing to address the trauma of his victims, they have no say in how the prosecution proceeds and there are almost no services or funds to support them. This is why I advocate for restorative justice in all cases. The murderer still needs to be separated from society through a formal trial and conviction, but there needs to be a path to redemption for all our sakes. Otherwise we're just reinforcing the behaviors we intended to discourage.

8 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Boulder crowd urges ci... · 3 replies · +1 points

What does "love" mean to you? Do you really see it worthy of mockery? I am a scientist presenting a technical solution based on an actionable definition of love: "The Methodology of Love". Which means to look at a problem from every participant's point of view, find the solution in the intersection, and that's the solution that will work. Because as long as any party to a conflict doesn't like the solution, the conflict will remain unresolved. The problem will not be solved. It looks very similar to how a quantum computer works; setting the constraints and watching it resolve to a valid solution. http://sheriffoflove.org

8 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Boulder crowd urges ci... · 0 replies · 0 points

If punishment worked the constant stream wouldn't be there. Dam a river and eventually it spills over the banks, facilitate the river and it returns to its banks.

8 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Boulder crowd urges ci... · 2 replies · -1 points

The laws don't work. Punishment doesn't work to change people's behaviors. Every house that can be over-occupied in Boulder is, up-zoning would result in zero change. Everyone who wants to be high can be, law is irrelevant or counter-productive; prohibition seems to have only increased addiction rates. We have learned this with children and dogs: to improve behavior there should be incentives and it needs to be reasonably possible. Let's apply that thinking to adults.

8 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Boulder looks to occup... · 0 replies · +1 points

The law already exists, for decades. Not working. The solution to punishment not working is try something different. The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results, and I call on the sane to consider alternatives to punishment. I'm advocating love, just putting that out there. How about we try it, if it doesn't work we'll try something else? http://sheriffoflove.org

8 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Boulder crowd urges ci... · 0 replies · -2 points

Thank you for the reference, it's hard to track down this kind of history.

8 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Boulder crowd urges ci... · 0 replies · +3 points

perhaps the city could limit the number of students CU can accept ;-)

8 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Boulder crowd urges ci... · 7 replies · -7 points

There are laws for all of this, and they aren't working. Just like the drug war. People are going to do what they're going to do, you can't punish them into the behaviors you'd like to see. Try Love. http://sheriffoflove.org

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