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ThorntonHeathen

Listed below are comments made by ThorntonHeathen between Tuesday, 29th September 2009 and Friday, 20th November 2009.

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Three-way on the MPC 5:38pm on 20 Nov 2009 235 Dempster 232 writingsonthewall

'You round up all the people who have no productive contribution to society (Bankers, Lawyers, Accountants, Tax Advisors, Politicans) and set them to work on something productive (like a mass public works - say implementing high speed rail in 3 years)'

Bankers, Lawyers, Accountants, Tax Advisors, Politicans building a high speed reail link in 3 years......... 30 more like"

Guys, speaking as an Accountant for an Engineering company.... I hate to poop the party but how do you think a major engineering project in the 21st century gets built to schedule and cost without accountants? Are we going back to the railway navvies? Whips for laptops, anyone?

WOTW I am surprised at you. At least your Infamous Five actually work for a living. What about rentier landlords and gentry etc sitting on inherited wealth? What about all that loot stashed away in the tax havens? How about some real legislation to open that lot up to taxation, that might save our economic bacon.

Dempster, put me down for that idea!
A plan not a timetable 5:41pm on 09 Oct 2009 48. At 2:42pm on 09 Oct 2009, nedafo wrote:
BSR - I'll match your Jim Rogers with my Nouriel -

Since we are now in the casino, I'd like to go in large with you on Roubini so long as I can keep my Lady Gaga.
More on Osborne's plans 5:24pm on 09 Oct 2009 163 JJ

Some words of wisdom sent from my shallows, autumn sunlight rippling over the stones, way way down to the dark depths where you exist, a barnacle clinging to the rusting wreck of Mechanism:

2 quotes from Moral Clarity (Susan Neiman), found not after a lifetime of "science" (i.e. that which you purport to do) but after about 5 minutes on Google:

"Truth tells us how the world is; morality tells us how it ought to be" (Kant)

"Ideals, then, are irreducible. They are not things in the world like tables or chairs; they are not reducible to self-preservation or, its more developed form, self-interest; and, try as evolutionary psychologists might, they cannot be explained away by some genetic urge to propagate the species. Rather, the idealistic impulse is precisely the transcendence of what is, be it our biology or our environment. Idealism defines our humanity."
More on Osborne's plans 1:12pm on 09 Oct 2009 159 jj

Hantsgw writes an excellent on-topic post in response to soem sloppy and wishful thinking in a previous post. You choose to spin off on a single remark of his/hers, only to reveal that you have not taken care to appreciate or understand the context in which the poster made it.

"Pursuit of Truth (aka science) is very hard work and often unpalatable, so it's very hard to believe. One has to be bright and hard working to do science - it demands arduous training in tolerating getting stuff wrong most of the time, as well as inviting criticism from others.. OK?"

Possibly the most curious yet revealing thing you've ever said.
More on Osborne's plans 12:43pm on 07 Oct 2009 33 DisgustedOfMitcham2

"Fortunately, it'll never happen in this country, because we value our freedoms too much. Don't we?"

So very true. I could believe it might happen under the Tories, but never under a Labour government, no way........
Brown will take part in debates 12:25pm on 30 Sep 2009 44. At 11:51am on 30 Sep 2009, atrisse wrote:
Hmm, that's all I need: a mass debate of politicians on my screen.

Mass debate - is that the new group name for MPs? I can think of a much shorter equivalent....
Vorsprung durch scrappage 10:24am on 30 Sep 2009 72 jj
You lump into one basket all those who would beg to differ from you in their approach to the issues discussed on here. You are "critical of (our) behaviour..... because it is wrong". What is right and wrong depends on the assumptions underlying your chosen approach to life, the universe and everything.

Many of your critics are scientifically literate. I happen to be a critic of a mechanistic approach to life and I cling to a sense of wonder at the myriad complexity and beauty of existence. Along with that comes certain assumptions and value judgements which I don't expect everyone else to share. Your reductionist, behaviourist perspective is grounded in a belief that ALL is material, everything can be reduced to and explained by data. You don't appear to realise that this too is a belief. Well, I can see that it is and that really is all there is to say.
Vorsprung durch scrappage 09:57am on 30 Sep 2009 63. SpartacusmartyrAAAs

At last, a sensible practical suggestion, almost a win-win I reckon. Less cars, more robots, reducing unemployment and lessening the balance of payments deficit, while making lonely men everywhere happy. Phillippe Starck would be most impressed.

A beneficial use for those empty automobile factories too, which is far preferable to turning them into (for example) temporary holding camps for economic migrants.
Vorsprung durch scrappage 6:24pm on 29 Sep 2009 36 Jaded jean

"the self-centred nonsense which people such as yourself are renowned for"

should read

"the self-centred nonsense which people such as YOU are renowned for"

Didn't they teach grammar where you come from or are some people just genetically unable to learn it?
Vorsprung durch scrappage 6:06pm on 29 Sep 2009 30. ishkandar wrote:
"in case you have forgotten your GCSE Chemistry, Lithium is atomic no. 3, the lightest metal on Earth"

The only exam I recall ever failing is my O Level Chemistry. Ever since then I've known my limits and stayed within them!

However, on a more serious note, how is the lithium extracted/transported/processed without using other, maybe heavier metals and nastier chemicals?

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