Was god a shit designer?

Beta testing. Standard QA.

Is it turtles (or gods) all the way down?

How can an omnipotent god exist alongside free will?

How can we as humans be sure that god is malevolent, benevolent or benign when we cannot conceive of the complexity of their designs?

Poor chicken ovaries.

Are eggs their ovaries?

I thought an unfertilised ovum/womb lining etc. was the nearest equivalent of a chicken egg. So everytime I chow down on a fried egg sarnie, I’m eating chicken menstruation product…

…my (vegan, not strictly ethical) sister gleefully reminds me of this whenever I see her!

Still tastes good though, right up there with taramasalata!

This comment made me smile.

This entire thread made me smile.

The left see victims as helpless and incapable rectifying their own problems. The right sees success as the result of an individuals industriousness and personal endeavour.

Alas, if it were only that simple!

We need to stop grouping people together and defining them on a single common trait such as colour, religion, gender ect. That only fuels division and is way too simplistic. There are white people in this country from many other countries, go tell a group of Polish lads they have white privilege and they have an unfair advantage. It’s ridiculous and insulting. I suppose all the Irish immigrants who came here in the 1800s were privileged as well because they were white. You are all falling into a trap, the real issue is inequality of wealth and how wealth is unevenly distributed. It so happens that those who benefit the most from that are people who are white males. Of course they are, this is a predominantly white country therefore there have been generations of white families building up obscene amounts of wealth over time. White males are just as likely to suffer from the consequences of that as any other group. We should be looking at the haves and have nots and trying to balance that out. Not stoking up racial and sexual divisions.

I agree completely with the sentiment of this, but unfortunately much of the haves and have-nots are in their respective positions precisely because of the racial, sexual, class etc. divisions that society has created. Ignoring this fundamental problem is not getting to the root of the problem.

White male privilege is a thing, but maybe it is less of an advantage in certain social strata or financial position

Agreed.

Why has privilege or lack of it, become a game of one upmanship to see who is top of the victim pile?

Without working out who is at the top of the victim pile, you can’t see who needs the most help!

Though using it as an excuse (not a reason I hasten to add) for antisocial/criminal behaviour does seem to be flagged up by certain sections of the Press for malicious purposes on a regular basis too…

It’s even more vile when you start to level it at individuals because you’re then also making the mistake of using broad conclusions and large population groups to make punitive judgements aimed at individuals.

I refer you to my previous comments regarding individuals versus groups, and also my comments on the context within which these discussions take place – all other things being equal, which in the real world they are patently not.

You cannot possible derive a conclusion that because abc bad things happen to one group of people, therefore a different group of people must be privileged.

I’m not sure that’s particularly true and certainly seems to over simplify the information I’ve stumbled across in my amateur research on the subject. Social science needs to take broad brush approaches and be subject to challenges, exactly like you, and numerous others have done. I have based my opinions on the research I have done, if you can provide any information other than your own direct, and your friends/professional contacts experiences then I’d be quite happy to view it?

Maybe, but minority youngsters in London have far more opportunities than white males in Grimsby. The danger is that you have a generation of minority kids who think they are hard done by and that all white people are privileged and out to **** them.

Oh I quite agree, sexism, racism, social disadvantage are all significant factors, singling one particular discrimination out without the context is dodgy ground.

The singularly most disadvantaged group in terms of education right now are white working class boys. This is something that many people on this thread seem to ignore or just don’t know about. You weren’t privileged at all and your position today is as much to do with luck and hard work as anyone else.

This isn’t a discussion about education, it’s about choices and opportunities throughout life. I would be interested in knowing the source of your information on this though?

A disproportionate amount of crime, in particular violent crime, is perpetrated by young black men..

Not just black men, either pretty much all of violent crime is committed by men. I’m quite happy to accuse that group, as a class, but not individually as being the singularly largest cause of the problem. However, applying that as a blanket approach doesn’t work as you have correctly stated.

Of course, this is a whole different ball game to the white, male privilege discussion. Too many other factors involved, for example deprevation, racism etc. These also limit the choices that a range of ethnic minorities have to play with.

Why then is it ok to assume that if you’re white and male, you must therefore be privileged?

Because it’s true. Your choices have been made within a far wider framework than others. If you don’t acknowledge this then you can’t fix it. I know it’s not palatable, or pleasant to accept you (the generic you, not you personally) have had a head start in life, but it is true.

Obviously I have not appreciated or understood how lucky I was as a piss poor white working class kid with a piss poor education.

I must go and thank someone for my family, home, business, education, pension fund etc, could some of the righteous folks on here tell me who to send that letter to?

It’s not a personal attack, pretty much everyone here has experienced benefits of one form or another by virtue of who they are and where/when they were born.

There has never been a level playing field in society.

If you don’t have to think about or deal with challenges for those without the privilege then you are privileged.
That doesn’t mean you will sail through life successfully without having to try

+2

Gender and Wealth privilege are so deeply embedded that many people cant see either.

+1

The difficulty seems to be that “privilege” is quite a loaded word, it implies that you have obtained something without earning it. Simply by being who you are. This applies across the board, I am experiencing privilege by having being born in a Western country with a pretty good set of safety nets if I end up in trouble (financial, health etc.), I haven’t earned this, it’s just the luck of the draw.

Apply that concept to someone who has worked hard throughout their life, has made choices they may have regretted, been put through situations that are unpleasant etc. and it’s going to get their back up. Doesn’t make it less true though.

The world and the UK are not overpopulated, just over consuming. Reduce the consumption and far more life can be supported (not just humans).

Interestingly, the more equality there is, the lower the birth rates. Women get choice in their reproductive and bodily rights and populations tend to stabilise. Of course, this seems irrelevant when we’re talking about couples in middle class professions making handsome salaries in financial services before popping out a sprog and resting on their husbands laurels. I don’t doubt this happens, but to pretend it’s a trend across the entire population makes no sense and goes against the evidence from many other sources outside of your friends and professional contacts.

The UK (or the world) is bigger than the people you regularly come in to contact with and can’t be equated with your own personal life experience. Certainly some of the testimonies I have read and heard I haven’t experienced, it does not make them false though, and the sheer number suggests these problems aren’t going anywhere fast.

So who amougst you have joined/will join and vote for them?

There’s a few out there trying to make the situation better:

50:50 Parliament

is another one. A quick Google suggests there are others. I start to get a bit lost when it comes to the Transactivists involvement (see Green Party equality for loads on this) though. Must try and understand the opposing arguments on that…

Well, I suppose it depends on how much weight you put on societal expectations.

The tools to make change exist, but behaviour change takes a lot longer. Women have legal equality now, but the judiciary, the Police, society (juries) and the system is still weighted against them. Likewise in employment and even down to leisure activities.

If you believe they really do have equality across the board and just aren’t that bothered about changing things, then the views of the women who have spoken up about their injustices aren’t going to change your views.

In the meantime, I’m quite happy to listen to the feminist arguments and support them as I can, because it seems to me that there are significant discrepancies in the way women and men are treated, and there is very little difference between what men and women are capable of (disregarding the obvious).

Indeed. Replace sexism with racism and imagine someone arguing that because they benefited from the racist law it should be gradually phased out rather than changed ASAP.

I always understood that slave owners were compensated when slavery was abolished back in the day. Pretty sure white South Africans had some sort of arrangement when Aparthied was removed too…

Though FWIW I’m not sure these are comparable anyway, it doesn’t take into account the relative positions of the powerful/powerless in society and the myriad of other factors involved (one or two of which have been mentioned within this very thread).

Last time I had a tab was Jan 4th this year, I’d read Binners’ threads for years on this subject and the one around that time poked the decision in to me.

I’ve been vaping the past 10 months and it’s great, zero obvious health benefits, but I don’t smell and so much cheaper. Plus I can still take fag breaks!

If you do go the vape route, as has been said try a few and get one you like. You don’t have to splash out too much £30-£40 will get you a decent piece of kit (mod and tank), and the liquid can be had stupidly cheap online (I like Rejuiced).

I don’t think a universal payment would rid us of all mental health issues, but would it do so for those mental health issues that are caused by poverty? Certainly. wouldn’t you think?

If then that frees up a budget of money to help those people who’s mental health isn’t caused by poverty, then that’s a benefit as well, no?

It’d probably help with physical health too, again less pressure on the utopian health service. Poverty = higher incidence of disease is well researched area.

because education has little importance if you don’t need to work

I think this quote illustrates a lot of what is wrong.

It’s not just the system that needs reform/revolution, it’s peoples perceptions and value standards. When education, “the pursuit of knowledge” for gods sake!, is viewed simply as a means to get work, then something is surely wrong.

I often ride to Peaslake from west London, its not that hard really.

I come from the otherside of Guildford, and likewise I have ridden before. Alternatively, there’s a couple of train stations that are close enough to ride from. Gomshall is my usual one (not a great service though!).

My other concern is that there needs to be a way to prevent it putting poorest off opportunities for countryside Access.

The poorest are already excluded. They can’t afford to own and run cars and as public transport is so poor there is no opportunity for them to even get out of the urban ghettos. Unless they cycle/walk…

Those who can afford to run a vehicle can afford to pay for car parking. The expectation that parking should be subsidised by the wider population is flawed.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Mathematics was a pretty good one too.

Language, both spoken and written.

So serious question….
Don’t you think when you have the responsible government Ministers disagree with the law in their specific area they should be the primary ones to be leading this?

Of course, that is their job after all. Ultimately though it is up to us to make our views known to them though, and if they don’t do what we want to vote them out. The problem is, one or half a dozen people can’t do this, you need a sizeable number of people.

<snipped for the sake of saving space>

I don’t really disagree with anything you have written, I was trying to explain how these situations can arise within the legal and planning system that operates within this country. I suppose the clichéd answer is that “Well, it works most of the time” and to be fair it does, though that doesn’t mean that on occasions there are problems.

I don’t know what the answer is, other than a wholesale rewriting of the systems in place and legislation itself, I guess some would argue that dismantling this and putting a better system in place isn’t worth the time/effort compared to other problems that MPs are dealing with (Brexit, the Economy, WW3 etc.).

To be honest, I’ve been in this system too long, I’m apathetic and would love to get out so I’m probably the wrong person to be commenting!

My perspective on this… is policy making needs to change.

Welcome to my professional world.

What I mean is deciding where the NSL starts …

Ah! Okay, fair do’s. I don’t know what the local government set up is in either of your locations, but it could simply be that one District Council (or possibly police force as they have a say too) wanted the speed limit and another didn’t and the point where it changes is at the border between the two. Not unusual to have these things happen.

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your perspective) the law in Britain tends to be quite democratic and loads of people get to have a say, including members of the public and pressure groups, so these scenarios crop up quite regularly throughout local authorities* wherever there are borders.

* The same applies to the NHS with the fabled postcode lotteries.

The bus stop situation could again be local issue. Bus companies use different vehicles with different requirements, not to mention the need to be x-distance from other bus stops, and y-number of stops per z-population etc.

All just a gut feel but it seems to me like motorists are paying a huge chunk into the economy and if everyone stopped driving there would be a massive hole to fill.

In the short term yes. In the longer term, the savings would be felt on road maintenance, infrastructure provision, health improvements, crime rate reductions, reductions in pollution (of various sorts) etc. The stuff that everyone typically subsidises motorists to do!

You’d better go and tell that to the marketing departments of almost every motor manufacturer…

Haven’t you noticed? All of their roads are traffic free…

Being an awkward sod I take great pleasure in doing my best to piss off those who feel speeding is acceptable.

This is why 20mph zones aren’t typically enforced with cameras the reasoning being “it only takes one civic minded driver to enforce the limit as there’s generally no where to overtake”.

How about the dimwits who’s idea of speed limits is to stick a NSL right before a single car only bridge with a right angle??? Should I base my driving on whomever put this sign up having any sense whatsoever ..

They’re legally obliged to put a NSL where there is an NSL road. It’s the law! PS – The sign doesn’t mean you have to drive at the limit, it’s a maximum…

If you want the law changed then have a go at the lawmakers, not those who comply with it as it currently stands. The law doesn’t allow for “common sense”* within these circumstances.

* Whatever that is.

pretty sure a significant number of journeys could be undertaken by some form of human powered propulsion system . Perhaps with a variable drive system that makes for an efficient energy usage system to provide forward movement while cutting down on all the storage requirements for empty space ?

Heresy!

No, they’re pissing and moaning because they want inappropriate limits reviewing.

BTW It’s not too difficult to get these looked at, even if the council doesn’t actually have the resources to change them (bureaucracy and consultations are v. resource intensive), there’s no reason someone in local highways/road safety police can’t give you five mins to explain, particularly if they have local knowledge of the area. Most local councils have a form you can fill in online.

Exactly what they are supposed to achieve I have no idea

Same as the “dragons teeth” and “tiger stripes” approaching roundabouts on dual carriageways. They slow people down! Okay so locals will get used to them and ignore them, but that’s evolution for you.

I think the intention is that emergency vehicles can still go fast without scrapping their sumps. Or it may be that it is cheaper than proper speed humps, or quicker to install, or there may be engineering reasons that a raised carriageway is inappropriate (dodgy sub base or base materials). Your best bet is to speak to the local Highways Dept.

It’s doubtful they do it just for fun. Highways Engineers aren’t really known for that particular human trait.

I’m not disagreeing as I don’t know for certain, but if there’s a vast difference between road noise at 20mph and 30mph sufficient to wake people sleeping behind their double-glazing I’d be very surprised.

Fair do’s.

It depends on other factors of course, like road surface, tyre materials, vehicle type. As well as engine notes, exhaust etc. Plus I suppose if the residents don’t want to have their windows closed all the time that may need to be taken into account. Or maybe they can’t afford double glazing, or live in a conservation area…

…my god I hate my work.

There’s a world of difference between driving and 30 and redlining your Scooby at 60mph.

True, but tyre noise certainly becomes predominant at between 20 and 30mph. Something I only realised when I started using electric vehicles!

Works both ways.

This used to be NSL when I was a kid. no-one did in fact die IIRC.

Check out this website:

http://www.crashmap.co.uk/

Looks like there was a few slight and one serious RTI, could’ve been an indicator that a fatal was just around the corner…

IAM Advanced Driver would be a good start, former motoring editor with experience driving all major performance marques would help too.

Wouldn’t the latter damage the good done by the former?

:wink:

I wouldn’t speed in heavy traffic, but I’m an experienced enough driver to be able to make a judgement on whether it’s safe to drive faster than the law prescribes. AND, when I feel it’s safe to do so without getting caught!

Then you get folk like this. I’m sure this is the case with some, but there comes a point when confidence becomes overconfidence and arrogance. At that point the risks increase massively.

How do you tell the difference between the skilful and those who think they’re skilful, and are they themselves really in a position to judge? I’ll go with the professionals at TRL on that one…

I think about this a lot on my commute as I get overtaken by countless motorists on my bike.

I think it’s the case that society sees it as a victimless crime, as so many people do it and so few result in KSIs it’s seen as acceptable. You can even see it in the judicial system – easiest way to commit murder and get away it? Do it in a car.

I think here’s also an argument about the technical aspect, but can’t really verbalise it – why is 31mph seen as dangerous when 29mph isn’t. Obviously you can justify it with physics and energy values, but normally you don’t think of those and it just seems a bit… …arbitrary. Which it has to be to be a technical offence.

Pink has always been associated with girls. It has been associated with homosexual blokes and I dare say some embrace that and some are possibly offended by it. Doesn’t make it wrong

My 1989 Tufftrax is pink, classic colour style from the eighties! I do get a bit of gip from the local kids, but that just confirms the prejudices their parents/peers have instilled in them…

There’s nothing wrong with pink, except if that is what you’re expected to like to the exclusion of all* else!

* Obvs, pastel shades, baby blue etc are acceptable, though not as sought after…

Do you really think someone in head office stands there saying lets influence the next generation and make sure them girls stay in their little pigeon holes?

Probably not consciously (not sure if that is being over generous, but I try not to hold with conspiracy theories too much), but the end result is the same.