Having a Bad Day? Stop here for a Good Rant!

[Kobold King he/him]

Isn't this the brother that thinks guns are the manliest option?   

 

I said to give him my email. Not my address.

[Mailliw73 he/him]

I said to give him my email. Not my address.

Never underestimate the power of an Arizonian shooting you through the Internet.

[Kobold King he/him]

Never underestimate the power of an Arizonian shooting you through the Internet.

 

 

That's not what people mean when they say "Shooting so-and-so a message."

[Mailliw73 he/him]

That's not what people mean when they say "Shooting so-and-so a message."

Tell the Arizonians that.

 

Twi, is your brother's name Alan?

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

Do you mean Kepler 452b? If so, tell your brother:

• It has a high chance of being a terrestrial planet of near-Earth size;
• It lies right smack in the middle of the habitable zone, right where liquid water could exist;
• It orbits a G2V star very similar to our sun.

It could be another Earth, and it could be an utterly lifeless ball of rock. We don't know, but so far it's the best lead we have in the search for life off our planet. There's nothing to be mad about here; scientists didn't just make up a bunch of numbers and calculate that Klingons were living there. All that's being said is that there's a world that could be like Earth, and maybe we should try taking a closer look at it.

If he argues, give him my email and tell him I'm ready to hash this out like men.

Oh, and your mom is one of those Christians who should realize that our God is way bigger than the solar system, and it's hardly our place to define where He could or couldn't have made life. Space belongs to Him, and if He chose to give part of it away to His lifeforms once He could most certainly do it again. Personally, I'd love to meet some fellow Children of God somewhere out in the universe--it'd be like meeting a long-lost sibling.

Yes. Stupid number-lexia.

Judging by their later comments, it's less about the existence of aliens and more about the scientists' motives. The way my mom and brother see it, the scientists' excitement isn't because they think aliens are cool; it's because they think they can disprove creationism (and God, by extension) by showing it's possible for life to evolve elsewhere.

And that might be the motive of a few, but I think these scientists are more like a bunch of kids who think they just found evidence of Neverland. "Dude, look! It can support life and it actually might have sentient beings on it!" "Ooooohhhhh my gooooossshhhhh that is so coooooolllll! Let's go find it RIGHT NOW and say hi! I'll bet those aliens are the best! Think they have superpowers?"

I'd be surprised if "proving those nasty creationists wrong once and for all" was THE, or even A, guiding motive there.

Edit: Alex, actually.

Edited August 8, 2015 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles

[Mailliw73 he/him]

I'd be surprised if "proving those nasty creationists wrong once and for all" was THE, or even A, guiding motive there.

If any professional's motive is just to prove their opponent wrong, they don't deserve the title of professional.

 

Edit:

 

Edit: Alex, actually.

Close enough.  

Edited August 8, 2015 by Mailliw73

[Kobold King he/him]

Yes. Stupid number-lexia.

Judging by their later comments, it's less about the existence of aliens and more about the scientists' motives. The way my mom and brother see it, the scientists' excitement isn't because they think aliens are cool; it's because they think they can disprove creationism (and God, by extension) by showing it's possible for life to evolve elsewhere.

And that might be the motive of a few, but I think these scientists are more like a bunch of kids who think they just found evidence of Neverland. "Dude, look! It can support life and it actually might have sentient beings on it!" "Ooooohhhhh my gooooossshhhhh that is so coooooolllll! Let's go find it RIGHT NOW and say hi! I'll bet those aliens are the best! Think they have superpowers?"

I'd be surprised if "proving those nasty creationists wrong once and for all" was THE, or even A, guiding motive there.

 

 

Well, there are scientists who think like that. They're not common, and their arguments don't make a lot of sense from a logical viewpoint, but they do exist. There are plenty of rational atheists, but there'll always be a few who will make irrational arguments based on limited evidence.

 

But in the same vein, I've read blogs by Christians who argue that the clam shell they found in their backyard proves that a literal Flood happened and that the world is less than ten thousand years old. The problem is that nobody can seem to accept that sometimes things can be cool without providing definitive proof of one person's philosophy or another.

[Mailliw73 he/him]

Well, there are scientists who think like that. They're not common, and their arguments don't make a lot of sense from a logical viewpoint, but they do exist. There are plenty of rational atheists, but there'll always be a few who will make irrational arguments based on limited evidence.

 

But in the same vein, I've read blogs by Christians who argue that the clam shell they found in their backyard proves that a literal Flood happened and that the world is less than ten thousand years old. The problem is that nobody can seem to accept that sometimes things can be cool without providing definitive proof of one person's philosophy or another.

Like Slowswift said, science and religion aren't mutually disclusive. I believe they go hand in hand.

[Kobold King he/him]

Like Slowswift said, science and religion aren't mutually disclusive. I believe they go hand in hand.

 

 

Personally, I think God does a divine facepalm everytime people talk about "the conflict between science and religion." I see God as an artist, and I think few things please Him more than people genuinely taking joy in His creation and seeking to understand it, just as a painter would love to see people admiring and analyzing his work.

[Jo and the Bush all/any]

Personally, I think God does a divine facepalm everytime people talk about "the conflict between science and religion." I see God as an artist, and I think few things please Him more than people genuinely taking joy in His creation and seeking to understand it, just as a painter would love to see people admiring and analyzing his work.

 

Whenever people start arguing about religion vs. science, I just think to myself, after I'm dead, I'll either be proven right, or won't be able to care. And besides, they'll be stuck in a different afterlife, so I won't have to deal with them in the long run

[Mailliw73 he/him]

 

 

Whenever people start arguing about religion vs. science, I just think to myself, after I'm dead, I'll either be proven right, or won't be able to care. And besides, they'll be stuck in a different afterlife, so I won't have to deal with them in the long run

 

That's epic. (Yes, I did go for the easy joke. )

[Edgedancer he/him]

Extraterrestial life couldn't disprove religion be it christian or otherwise, at best (or worst your pick) it could show that humanity isn't a special snowflake and the center of all exsistence.

[Jo and the Bush all/any]

That's epic. (Yes, I did go for the easy joke. )

So tempted to downvote.

 

And I don't see why life can prove or disprove religion. However, I think that if we did find Extraterrestrial life, people wouldn't stop believing we were the center of Existence. Heck, I still believe this Universe's sole purpose is to train me until I become God. 

[Jo and the Bush all/any]

Aging terrifies me. Not for the usal reasons, like fear of death or extra responsibility, but for mental reasons. Everyone in my dads family has something wrong with them in the head. Things like sociopathy, suicidal impulses, irrational paranoia or extreme phobia. I used to believe that our family had a chance of not having whatever it is that causes this, since my sister was normal. But today I learned she cuts herself. My brother has extreme anger issues.

Everyone gets something. I don't know what I have yet, and I've reached the age where it usually manifests. So every day now, I get to ask myself, 'am I acting different? Is this emotion normal?'

[Claincy he/him]

Yikes. That sounds terrifying. Is there any chance of a chiropractor or a similar expert being able to get rid of whatever weird tension keeps causing the problem?

Not that I've heard of. I don't know if it's a matter of tension on one side, or a tendon/whatever on the other side that stretched/strained or something. At the moment I'm just being careful with it and hopefully it will fix itself like previously, if it gets bad I'll try to get some professional opinions again.

[Guest]

Aging terrifies me. Not for the usal reasons, like fear of death or extra responsibility, but for mental reasons. Everyone in my dads family has something wrong with them in the head. Things like sociopathy, suicidal impulses, irrational paranoia or extreme phobia. I used to believe that our family had a chance of not having whatever it is that causes this, since my sister was normal. But today I learned she cuts herself. My brother has extreme anger issues.

Everyone gets something. I don't know what I have yet, and I've reached the age where it usually manifests. So every day now, I get to ask myself, 'am I acting different? Is this emotion normal?'

 

These things do not usually manifest themselves without a trigger... People don't start to cut themselves simply because they have reached a given age and genetic wants them to behave abnormally. Actually, cutting yourself is a way to deflect emotional pain towards an easier to control physical pain. In other words, your sister is hurting on the inside and she is coping by harming herself on the outside. She does need professional help as does your brother. Anger issues tell me your brother never learn how to control his emotions appropriately. 

 

The things you tell us let me to believe people in your dad's family are hurting in many ways. Just as for all anxiety related disorders, there is a genetic aspect toward having a predisposition to have phobias: for instance certain individuals are more likely to develop them then other, just as some individuals are more likely to suffer depression, but it is not a sure thing. Even if you have inherited this predisposition, it does not mean you will develop the same issues. 

 

However, it does mean anxiety related issues are common in your family and the first thing you should do is: stop getting anxious about them. The good news is, whereas it can rampage out of control rather easily, anxiety can be controlled. Being aware of it is the number one step. I invite you to read as much as possible on these subjects, get more knowledgeable because things were are knowledgeable about become less threatening which serves to lower anxiety levels to a minimum (the fear of being afraid). You shouldn't try to figure out if your behavior/emotion is normal, but you should try to properly identify anxiety when it gets to you (if it does) as that will help you. Once you have properly identify anxiety, the next step is to disarm it. Knowing the cause does help, but won't solve it. What helps is to stop dramatizing the consequences.

 

You are certainly not fated to develop any disorder, despite your family track record. These things can be controlled and don't need to escalate to disabling disorders. For instance, my own family is quite crippled in terms of anxiety I would say and I'm perfectly fine.

 

I hope this help giving you a better output for the future.

[Jo and the Bush all/any]

These things do not usually manifest themselves without a trigger... People don't start to cut themselves simply because they have reached a given age and genetic wants them to behave abnormally. Actually, cutting yourself is a way to deflect emotional pain towards an easier to control physical pain. In other words, your sister is hurting on the inside and she is coping by harming herself on the outside. She does need professional help as does your brother. Anger issues tell me your brother never learn how to control his emotions appropriately.

The things you tell us let me to believe people in your dad's family are hurting in many ways. Just as for all anxiety related disorders, there is a genetic aspect toward having a predisposition to have phobias: for instance certain individuals are more likely to develop them then other, just as some individuals are more likely to suffer depression, but it is not a sure thing. Even if you have inherited this predisposition, it does not mean you will develop the same issues.

However, it does mean anxiety related issues are common in your family and the first thing you should do is: stop getting anxious about them. The good news is, whereas it can rampage out of control rather easily, anxiety can be controlled. Being aware of it is the number one step. I invite you to read as much as possible on these subjects, get more knowledgeable because things were are knowledgeable about become less threatening which serves to lower anxiety levels to a minimum (the fear of being afraid). You shouldn't try to figure out if your behavior/emotion is normal, but you should try to properly identify anxiety when it gets to you (if it does) as that will help you. Once you have properly identify anxiety, the next step is to disarm it. Knowing the cause does help, but won't solve it. What helps is to stop dramatizing the consequences.

You are certainly not fated to develop any disorder, despite your family track record. These things can be controlled and don't need to escalate to disabling disorders. For instance, my own family is quite crippled in terms of anxiety I would say and I'm perfectly fine.

I hope this help giving you a better output for the future.

So it's like the placebo effect? I'm more likely to get something if I believe I am?

And we're getting my sister professional help.

[ThirdGen]

You can exercise your intuition well by taking up Go.  It's the only game that's been shown to reduce the likelihood of dementia.

 

Prior to the degeneration of dementia usually comes years of paranoid and reactionary thinking.  You can guard against that with compassion and seeking to really understand human and social complexity.

 

None of this is exactly medical advice, and professionals would be the best way to go.

[Guest]

So it's like the placebo effect? I'm more likely to get something if I believe I am?

And we're getting my sister professional help.

 

Not exactly... I think you are more likely to grow overly anxious if you keep fearing you will develop a pathology, especially since the issues found in your family appear to be related to anxiety... The last thing you want is to entertain your fear of being afraid you will end up as some of your family members. You don't want your primary reaction to the unknown to be one of deep anxiety you can't control.

 

There is no reason to fear you will develop a phobia, but since you know your family has a predisposition towards it, it helps you work towards learning how to control potential anxiety. It may be you will be more susceptible to react with anxiety to uncomfortable situations that may or may not happen later in your life. For instance, there is a lot of anxiety in my family, so when I started to feel overwhelmed by University due to my ridiculously high standards: my reaction was one of anxiety, insomnia. It happens, but anxiety can be disarmed before it turns into something else and even better, it can go away. I sleep very well thank you very much, no more insomnia. Even if you still end up developing some issue related to anxiety: it is not a finality in itself. Nothing is ever final except for taxes and death.

 

You should not live in fear, but if you are prone to play the anticipation game, the "what if" that usually ends up in a long string of horrible consequences, you may want to work on that, to stop dramatizing what may or may not happen. I was told what helped in these cases is to simply write it down. Put it in words, everything down to the last bit. Put it away, then read it later. You are very likely to think it has no sense at all, which would lessen your own fear towards these events. I think it has a name, but I forgot.

[little wilson she/her]

I went to a farmer's market this morning, and while my niece and nephew were getting balloon figures from a guy there, my dad and I were waiting near a tree. On the drive back to my brother's house, my right hand started itching and I thought something bit me. Then I noticed more "bites" on both my right hand and my left hand.

Yeah, they're not bites. It's an allergic reaction. I think it's hives (though I'm not 100% certain) and I have about 60-70 of them up my left arm, and now they're spreading up my right arm too. I've never had a reaction like this, and that tree was not one of the ones I knew I was allergic to. :/

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

I went to a farmer's market this morning, and while my niece and nephew were getting balloon figures from a guy there, my dad and I were waiting near a tree. On the drive back to my brother's house, my right hand started itching and I thought something bit me. Then I noticed more "bites" on both my right hand and my left hand.

Yeah, they're not bites. It's an allergic reaction. I think it's hives (though I'm not 100% certain) and I have about 60-70 of them up my left arm, and now they're spreading up my right arm too. I've never had a reaction like this, and that tree was not one of the ones I knew I was allergic to. :/

 

That sucks. What kind of tree was it? 

[little wilson she/her]

That sucks. What kind of tree was it?

No idea actually. I wasn't paying much attention to it, but we know it wasn't Juniper and my dad's pretty sure it wasn't oak, and those are the two I know I'm allergic to (though both are very minor allergies). This must be one I wasn't tested for since it's in Montana and I live in Utah.

EDIT: the tree was one like the one in the background of this picture.

If anyone knows what kind of tree that is, I'll be greatly indebted to you for helping me learn what has caused this severe allergic reaction.

Edit2: Might not be the tree after all. My sister in law mentioned that on the way out, we walked past an incense booth burning grass. If I could stalk them and inflict upon them what they have inflicted upon me, I would. I am unamused.

[Kaymyth she/her]

No idea actually. I wasn't paying much attention to it, but we know it wasn't Juniper and my dad's pretty sure it wasn't oak, and those are the two I know I'm allergic to (though both are very minor allergies). This must be one I wasn't tested for since it's in Montana and I live in Utah.

EDIT: the tree was one like the one in the background of this picture.

If anyone knows what kind of tree that is, I'll be greatly indebted to you for helping me learn what has caused this severe allergic reaction.

Edit2: Might not be the tree after all. My sister in law mentioned that on the way out, we walked past an incense booth burning grass. If I could stalk them and inflict upon them what they have inflicted upon me, I would. I am unamused.

 

There's also always the possibility that you were exposed to poison ivy.  There are subspecies that like to vine up trees; they can get insanely huge.  And the oil sticks around and doesn't break down - so if someone recently removed a poison ivy vine from that tree, there may well have been some of the oil still lurking on the trunk.

 

This is all purely speculative, of course.  Apply Occam's Razor at need.

[little wilson she/her]

If it's poison ivy, I doubt it would've come from the farmer's market. That's held in the civic center and they do it every week. And I never actually touched the tree but my dad was leaning against it.

[Kobold King he/him]

I've spent all day trying to write an RP post. This goal has been greatly complicated by the fact that it's so sweltering hot my brain's turned to mush, I've been constantly interrupted every time I've finally managed to get my mind on the task, and every couple of minutes I get bitten by streams of fire ants and have to write through a veil of tears.

 

Oh, and on top of that, my work looks like Ernest Hemingway's insecure younger brother got drunk and started writing about my character on a bar room napkin.