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Forum: The Crucible

The serious stuff. Debates and discussions on politics, religion, etc.

  1. Would you live in a country requiring atheism/agnosticism as a condition of serving in public office?

    Let's call this hypothetical state ScrewAslan. ScrewAslan is an island state similar in geography, area, population, and economy to Singapore, for those who inisist on knowing such things. Unlike Singapore, though, it has a system of government...

    Started by Skald the Rhymer‎, 11 Jun 2010 02:35 PM
    • Replies: 20
    • Views: 4,813
    06 Jul 2010 03:09 PM Go to last post
  2. Does the public have a right to details of high profile crimes?

    Article on this subject, but here's the summary: A year ago, 8-year-old Sandra Cantu of Tracy, California, was killed and her body found in a suitcase in a pond. Her neighbor eventually confessed to the murder, and entered a guilty plea this...

    Started by parzival‎, 26 May 2010 12:09 PM
    • Replies: 12
    • Views: 7,884
    05 Jul 2010 03:24 PM Go to last post
  3. Illegal immigration

    There are certain things I don't understand about American immigration policy. It is primarily about positions on illegal immigration but of course that is connected to policies on legal immigration to some degree. I understand that you can take...

    Started by Feirefiz‎, 22 May 2010 04:07 PM
    • Replies: 29
    • Views: 5,515
    02 Jul 2010 08:26 PM Go to last post
  4. Experimental drug to prevent lesbianism

    Blog about it here. There are a bunch of issues with this one. Aside from the fact that the drug probably isn't doing any good for the intersex condition it's supposed to treat (by the time they know to prescribe it, there's probably already...

    Started by Zuul‎, 29 Jun 2010 09:54 PM
    • Replies: 18
    • Views: 3,872
    02 Jul 2010 09:29 AM Go to last post
  5. Ads that will make the future cringe

    We've all seen those ads from way back when that make you want to laugh and hurt someone at the same time. The ads that imply women are helpless, fragile creatures, the ads that say you should give your baby soft drink instead of breast milk, the...

    Started by AllWalker‎, 29 Jun 2010 11:58 PM
    • Replies: 7
    • Views: 3,086
    01 Jul 2010 01:23 AM Go to last post
  6. Banks, Credit and Denials

    I saw this story this morning, about how Gander Mountain is suing its partner in providing a branded store credit card. The reason for the lawsuit? The bank involved has been denying what most people would consider the 'best' credit card...

    Started by OtakuLoki‎, 28 Jun 2010 09:58 AM
    • Replies: 3
    • Views: 2,093
    28 Jun 2010 02:52 PM Go to last post
  7. Can vegans eat yeast?

    Naturally, the thread title should be "Are vegans allowed to eat yeast?", as it removes the temptation of making a joke about vegans being so anemic they can't overpower teeny little beastly yeasties. Ahem. The way I see it, for people who...

    Started by AllWalker‎, 25 Jun 2010 07:46 PM
    • Replies: 2
    • Views: 15,269
    25 Jun 2010 08:25 PM Go to last post
  8. McChrystal on Fox News

    It's not a question of when, but who's show he'll show up on. Does O'Reilly or Hannity snag General Moron's first big Fox interview? How long before he becomes a regular Fox "analyst"? This doof was looking for a high-profile...

    Started by Oliveloaf‎, 23 Jun 2010 11:10 AM
    • Replies: 19
    • Views: 4,356
    24 Jun 2010 09:44 PM Go to last post
  9. Sin Taxes or Let's Screw THEM Over

    After all, it's not like they matter. And we're just doing it to help them quit, really. Honest. Even if there's no provision in the bill for raising the cigarette tax another $1.60 a pack to account for how the revenue estimates will be...

    Started by OtakuLoki‎, 22 Jun 2010 10:49 AM
    • Replies: 10
    • Views: 2,781
    22 Jun 2010 05:07 PM Go to last post
  10. What if BP walked away from the disaster?

    The bill for the clean up in the Gulf of Mexico is rising and will be several billion. The lawsuits from people who have lost their livelihood will run into several billion. The partners in the oil rig have both said they will not be paying up their...

    Started by CatInASuit‎, 21 Jun 2010 07:52 AM
    • Replies: 5
    • Views: 1,964
    21 Jun 2010 08:36 AM Go to last post
  11. Bros before Hos

    This debate topic came up after a collective four hurricanes and drunkenly wandering the Internet. Do bros always come before hos? Does this ever change? If it does change, at what point does your ho come before your bro? More seriously, what...

    Started by Zuul‎, 12 Jun 2010 11:38 AM
    • Replies: 19
    • Views: 3,786
    20 Jun 2010 05:40 AM Go to last post
  12. Child Worker Vetting Scheme

    The latest news in the UK is that the Child Worker Vetting scheme for registering anyone who worked with children is to be put on holdpending a very large review. The problem with this scheme was that anyone who interacted with Children had to be...

    Started by CatInASuit‎, 15 Jun 2010 08:43 AM
    • Replies: 5
    • Views: 2,356
    20 Jun 2010 05:31 AM Go to last post
  13. Let's talk Presidents: The Good & Bad, the terrible and the great.

    I'll start with a few. Best: Theodore Roosevelt, Lincoln and Washington Worst: Jackson, Nixon, Bush the Lesser and especially Buchanon. Why Theodore? Well he completely kicked ass and was moral to the point of near priggishness. Only Old...

    Started by What Exit?‎, 16 Jun 2010 02:59 PM
    • Replies: 34
    • Views: 5,181
    18 Jun 2010 09:24 PM Go to last post
  14. A followup to the right to have children thread

    Inspired by http://www.mellophant.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10671 I feel that part of the requirement for having children is the ability to provide a stable home environment with both parents pulling their share of the load. The child should...

    Started by Clothahump‎, 11 May 2010 05:04 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 74
    • Views: 15,613
    18 Jun 2010 01:21 PM Go to last post
  15. Old Hickory documentary on PBS last night. (Andrew Jackson, US President #7).

    Did anyone else watch this? I have to say that though it made him a slight bit more sympathetic and showed he did more good things than I gave him credit for, he was still a monster overall and at least as bad as Nixon in my opinion. The Indian...

    Started by What Exit?‎, 15 Jun 2010 09:39 AM
    • Replies: 5
    • Views: 2,392
    16 Jun 2010 01:43 PM Go to last post
  16. Barack Obama, "Fuck BP!"

    A popular conservative slam of the prez right now is that he's not showing "enough emotion" when discussion the oil spill. Is this a real issue? For the most part, I am pretty sure folks don't want someone in the White House who pisses off...

    Started by Oliveloaf‎, 03 Jun 2010 04:42 PM
    • Replies: 24
    • Views: 3,795
    14 Jun 2010 10:46 AM Go to last post
  17. Monotheism and the laws of physics

    I read a while ago an interesting hypothesis, and it went something like this: Without a society intimately acquainted with the idea of monotheism, people would not have started studying the laws of physics. The argument was essentially, in...

    Started by AllWalker‎, 03 Jun 2010 02:12 AM
    • Replies: 11
    • Views: 3,427
    05 Jun 2010 04:49 PM Go to last post
  18. Positive Discrimination

    Is positive discrimination in jobs, a good idea or bad idea. Does it actually help minorities to fill out quotas or is it still discrimination against those who could fill the place who are not part of the required type. Are there any jobs...

    Started by CatInASuit‎, 03 Jun 2010 09:52 AM
    • Replies: 2
    • Views: 2,234
    03 Jun 2010 11:21 AM Go to last post
  19. Israel and the Flotilla Conflict

    It seems that international outcry has occured over Israel's storming of a flotilla of aid ships which were bound for Gaza. The Relief agency is saying that is was only carring humanitarian aid to relieve Gaza, whereas the Israelis are saying...

    Started by CatInASuit‎, 01 Jun 2010 07:15 AM
    • Replies: 4
    • Views: 1,919
    01 Jun 2010 01:21 PM Go to last post
  20. What is your opinion about various cell phone while driving laws?

    The title sums things up nicely, I think. I'll have a poll up in a minute. No I won't. I've just failed OP writing 101. So, what I was thinking do you think the laws allowing handsfree cell phone use, while barring handheld units are a...

    Started by OtakuLoki‎, 07 Apr 2010 02:53 AM
    • Replies: 30
    • Views: 5,073
    24 May 2010 11:06 AM Go to last post
  21. Whom should rape-prevention campaigns address?

    This question was brought up on a recent post on the Sociological Images blog. There's a satyric video that goes with it, which borrows heavily from a particular meme I've seen elsewhere: How to stop rape: If a woman is drunk, don’t rape her....

    Started by Zuul‎, 09 Apr 2010 02:24 PM
    • Replies: 37
    • Views: 7,890
    24 May 2010 10:23 AM Go to last post
  22. Will a politically multipolar world be better than a US-dominated one?

    Recent years there's been talk of a new multipolar world order to replace the current US dominated one. With increasing economic and military power in India, China, Brazil and other states the reasoning goes that no one state will be able to...

    Started by The Original An Gadaí‎, 11 May 2010 09:34 AM
    • Replies: 11
    • Views: 2,948
    20 May 2010 07:33 AM Go to last post
  23. Animal animism?

    Alligators are fascinating creatures. Survivors from the age of dinosaurs, they and their crocodilian kin are the closest living relatives to birds. The mother alligator fiercely defends her nest, and protects her hatchlings for up to three years....

    Started by terrifel‎, 17 May 2010 11:34 AM
    • Replies: 7
    • Views: 4,765
    17 May 2010 08:08 PM Go to last post
  24. Poll Poll: Should Hillary Clinton be appointed to the Supreme Court?

    Okay, please let me know if your reaction to this question was the same as mine. A friend of a friend posted this as a poll on Facebook so I'm doing the same thing here with an additional response option.

    Started by RabbitMage‎, 12 Apr 2010 06:45 PM
    • Replies: 19
    • Views: 3,582
    14 May 2010 07:25 AM Go to last post
  25. UK General Election 2010

    And so, the next General Election is due to take place on May 6th. In between now and then we will have three live debates between the three leaders of the main political parties with a lot of day by day campaining on what is likely to be one of...

    Started by CatInASuit‎, 06 Apr 2010 06:01 AM
    • Replies: 47
    • Views: 8,315
    13 May 2010 01:17 PM Go to last post
  26. Poll Poll: The Delta Smelt

    The delta smelt is a 2-3 inch fish that's endemic to the Sacramento-San Joaquin estuary here in California. <-all this right here. It is also an indicator species-one of the animals looked at to judge the overall health of it's environment. Other...

    Started by RabbitMage‎, 12 May 2010 06:39 AM
    • Replies: 7
    • Views: 7,042
    12 May 2010 10:04 AM Go to last post
  27. Do people have a right to have children?

    I recently was part of a spirited discussion over the right to have children. The two sides of the argument basically fell along these lines: Side A: Everyone has a right to have children if that is what makes them happy/will fulfill them. If...

    Started by Sarahfeena‎, 28 Apr 2010 11:41 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 50
    • Views: 7,535
    12 May 2010 06:21 AM Go to last post
  28. Is There An Alternative to "Use or Lose" Funding?

    One of the common dramas that plays out with many places that operate on annual budgets, is the phenomenon of the "Use it or lose it" money. In the US it's axiomatic for almost all government spending, and many places in private sector, as well. ...

    Started by OtakuLoki‎, 16 Apr 2010 05:52 PM
    • Replies: 7
    • Views: 18,992
    06 May 2010 11:09 AM Go to last post
  29. Sin Taxes: Pro or Con

    This arose from a bit of chat with Sarahfeena. She reported that Santa Clara County in CA has banned toys in Happy Meals for anti-fat reasons. This brought up a bit of soap boxing by me on Sin Taxes. To me the reason we tax Cigarettes, Alcohol...

    Started by What Exit?‎, 30 Apr 2010 11:16 AM
    • Replies: 8
    • Views: 14,983
    04 May 2010 01:00 PM Go to last post
  30. BP Oil spill hits US Coast

    The spill from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil platform is currently turning into the USA's greatest environmental disaster. Oil booms put in place to keep the oil back have not proved as effective as required and oil is now at the mouth of the...

    Started by CatInASuit‎, 30 Apr 2010 07:19 AM
    • Replies: 9
    • Views: 2,680
    04 May 2010 07:59 AM Go to last post
  31. Latest Financial Crisis - Greece

    It looks as though the financial markets have taken a look at Greece's proposal's to cut debt, looked at the Eurozone and IMF bailout package and decided that Greece will not be able to afford its debts over the next few years without a lot of...

    Started by CatInASuit‎, 28 Apr 2010 05:01 AM
    • Replies: 12
    • Views: 3,170
    04 May 2010 06:40 AM Go to last post
  32. First Successful Full Face Transplant

    A team of surgeons in Spain are claiming that they have managed to carry out the World's first successful full face transplant. They have managed to replace skin tissue, new cheekbones, facial muscles, teeth, palate, skin, nose, lips and jaw in a...

    Started by CatInASuit‎, 23 Apr 2010 07:36 AM
    • Replies: 10
    • Views: 2,462
    24 Apr 2010 07:44 AM Go to last post
  33. A world without planes

    The volcano in Iceland had stopped all air traffic in Europe for the last six days. The only things flying were birds and insects, unaffected by the volcanic ash in the air which was floating around. The impact on a day to day basis has been minor,...

    Started by CatInASuit‎, 21 Apr 2010 03:05 AM
    • Replies: 8
    • Views: 2,549
    22 Apr 2010 04:24 AM Go to last post
  34. The Limits of "Blaming the Victim"

    Debate arising from chat. We can all agree tha outright blaming of the victim is bad, but there are limits to this expression. When the victim fails to take proper precautions for their own safety, then they are inviting trouble, and some small...

    Started by AllWalker‎, 07 Feb 2010 09:03 PM
    • Replies: 40
    • Views: 8,477
    17 Apr 2010 02:37 PM Go to last post
  35. (Male) Circumcision: Harmless cultural tradition or horrific genital mutilation?

    I read another message board from time to time that is somewhat obsessed with crunchy-granola style naturalism, and the members are anti-circumcision in the extreme. I certainly understand the logic that if there's no good reason to surgically...

    Started by Sarahfeena‎, 07 Dec 2009 02:30 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 55
    • Views: 8,358
    17 Apr 2010 01:45 PM Go to last post
  36. Should college students create a portfolio of their work to show to future employers?

    I just received an email letting me know that the following verbiage must be included in my syllabus for the next semester. > Each student in General Education courses at SLCC will maintain > > a General Education ePortfolio. Instructors in...

    Started by pepperlandgirl‎, 13 Apr 2010 11:40 AM
    • Replies: 15
    • Views: 6,033
    15 Apr 2010 09:58 PM Go to last post
  37. How much do you trust Politicans?

    Given the upcoming elections in the UK, one of the biggest reasons for voter apathy seems to be the complete lack of trust for the politicians. Of course, we did just have large expenses scandal where it seems that nearly all the MPs were...

    Started by CatInASuit‎, 15 Apr 2010 05:41 AM
    • Replies: 4
    • Views: 2,825
    15 Apr 2010 01:32 PM Go to last post
  38. Is "feminism" a dirty word in 2010?

    (kinda long, sorry - if you skim it you'll probably get the gist of it and can jump in and respond.) Sometimes I see (not necessarily on this messageboard) a surprising level of resistance to the term "feminism" and the ideas it espouses. Did...

    Started by Hatshepsut‎, 12 Apr 2010 02:17 AM
    • Replies: 43
    • Views: 6,912
    14 Apr 2010 07:32 PM Go to last post
  39. Moved: Poisoning the well in debates.

    Started by What Exit?‎, 12 Apr 2010 12:12 PM
    • Replies: -
    • Views: -
    12 Apr 2010 12:27 PM Go to last post
  40. Was the Vietnam war necessary?

    That is to say, do you think there was there any credence in the domino theory, or at the very least enough that the Vietnam war was necessary as a bulwark against it? Would the US (and Vietnam) have been better if large scale US intervention...

    Started by The Original An Gadaí‎, 09 Apr 2010 06:10 AM
    • Replies: 5
    • Views: 6,764
    09 Apr 2010 12:01 PM Go to last post
  41. Poll Poll: When do you feel the cold war ended?

    I considered the latter stages of Glasnost or the Fall of the Berlin Wall to be the end. But history seems to place it later. If you were old enough at the time to be aware of it, what was your thought. If not what are your thoughts or what were...

    Started by What Exit?‎, 09 Mar 2010 12:04 PM
    • Replies: 11
    • Views: 3,314
    08 Apr 2010 07:27 PM Go to last post
  42. Dialectal Indulgences

    http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/publicInfo/mtspwfy/documents/MTSPWFY-Sco.pdf I know Scots is a vibrant and somewhat discreet dialect of English but I wonder what good brochures like the above do. It just seems like a magnet for ridicule....

    Started by The Original An Gadaí‎, 01 Apr 2010 04:42 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 93
    • Views: 17,737
    06 Apr 2010 11:54 AM Go to last post
  43. Inappropriate Teacher Behavior and Consequences

    Doing a skim of odd stories today, I came across this one from Cedar Hill, TX. Before jumping to any conclusions, I don't think that this story has any particularly "Texan" or "southern" factors in it. It's something that I believe could happen at...

    Started by OtakuLoki‎, 26 Mar 2010 10:46 AM
    • Replies: 18
    • Views: 7,580
    02 Apr 2010 11:54 PM Go to last post
  44. Is social class a big issue in your society?

    Class exists in some way shape or form in every society presumably but for example class issues seem to be a much bigger issue in Britain than they would be in Ireland. Not that such issues don't exist here but I don't think Irish people define...

    Started by The Original An Gadaí‎, 07 Mar 2010 12:38 PM
    • Replies: 32
    • Views: 17,578
    02 Apr 2010 09:59 PM Go to last post
  45. Jim Tressel quietly speaks up for tolerance

    http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=dw-tressel030810&prov=yhoo&type=lgns Right now, depending on who you are and how closely you follow sports, you're probably either going: "Huh? Who? Who cares?" :confused: or "Holee...

    Started by OneCentStamp‎, 09 Mar 2010 03:29 PM
    • Replies: 9
    • Views: 2,480
    02 Apr 2010 11:01 AM Go to last post
  46. I am sick of the whole climate change bullshit

    I've been sick of it for a while, but it has been in the news quite a lot recently. Climate change scientists being consulted by climate change ministers to combat climate change skeptics... the whole thing is a bunch of crap. Newsflash to the...

    Started by AllWalker‎, 30 Nov 2009 03:12 AM
    • Replies: 23
    • Views: 7,375
    01 Apr 2010 07:02 PM Go to last post
  47. Sarah Palin, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck

    I am not slamming these people, nor am I trying to start a partisan discussion. My question is this: How did these people become the face of conservatism in America? Really, what happened? I want to say that it all began with Limbaugh,...

    Started by Oliveloaf‎, 31 Mar 2010 02:41 PM
    • Replies: 4
    • Views: 2,594
    01 Apr 2010 05:16 PM Go to last post
  48. 2010 Census aka MAH PRIVACY

    It's census time again folks. My 'friends' over at the Tinfoil Hat Forum are very much up in arms over not filling it out for an assortment of reasons that strike me as, well, the kind of reasons people wearing tinfoil hats would come up with. ...

    Started by RabbitMage‎, 17 Mar 2010 02:56 AM
    • Replies: 8
    • Views: 3,241
    31 Mar 2010 04:46 PM Go to last post
  49. Why is it considered tacky to talk about money?

    We talk about the stuff we buy with our money all the time, and based on our jobs and lifestyles, others can often suss out approximately where we stand on the income scale. So why is it that we aren't supposed to talk about it? Is it better this...

    Started by Sarahfeena‎, 30 Mar 2010 03:08 PM
    • Replies: 16
    • Views: 20,626
    31 Mar 2010 02:05 PM Go to last post
  50. CLASS Act and Aging in the Home

    Warning: this is very much a TLDR type of post. It will get someplace, eventually, but it's a long trip. Actually - I've moved that long trip into a separate thread, here. I'm putting it into the IRL sub-forum because I just don't think it's...

    Started by OtakuLoki‎, 27 Mar 2010 09:49 AM
    • Replies: 6
    • Views: 2,893
    28 Mar 2010 11:38 AM Go to last post

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