EEVblog #833 - Mailbag

[Fungus]

Hmmm Good question Dave. I have never been through an airport check in but I would say the lighter since it has fuel involved. Just a guess.

Bzzzzt.

Does Dave have personal experience of trying to fly with a valve in his luggage...? 

[Radio Tech]

Not much difference in size at all.

I have 2 of the 5868 tubes. My plans are to build a HF amplifier with them.
I have the filament transformers. 10 volts at 9.9 amps each.
These two tubes were pulls from a commercial RF welder.

[zapta]

Nope, nothing to do with my "agenda".
No other lobby group gets to open the senate parliament every day with their propaganda:
http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/aso/so050
I have no problem with religious groups petitioning parliament etc in the same way that any other group has the right to, it's in fact their right, and I'll fight for that right.
But when they get special treatment like that, special "respect", and the ability to reinforce their doctrine at every parliament session, that crap has to stop.

He he, this is an inapproriate leftover that should go away, like ours in god we trust and senate prayer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_we_trust

Practically speaking, here in California, I feel way more intervention in my life from socialists, greens and alarmists than from religious people.  When it comes to religion people more or less mind their own business, except for two very polite and over optimistic jehovah witnesses that comes to check on us every few months.

[Pentium100]

Those big tubes could make a really powerful amplifier, provided that you made or found am output transformer that can take the HV. Running it at 25% rated plate dissipation could make it operate for a very long time, unless this is one of the tubes that needs to operate with the plate glowing red in order for the getter to work properly.

[miguelvp]

A much more important point is: Is religion harmless?

Of course not.

Its wine harmless?

If the government required the president+the senators+the mayors+the politicians to drank wine the whole time they were in session, if schoolteachers drank wine at school when they were taking care of my kids, I'd be against wine as well (and for the same reasons... it impairs judgement, it rots the brain, it impedes critical though)

Wine isn't enforced like that though, it's still a choice, it doesn't need any action taken against it.

I did say that religion is not harmless. Specially the churches and organizations that surround it.

As for wine, apparently I did follow it last night religiously.

In a way I do like that a church has enough influence to keep governments in check, on the other hand that can be dangerous as well.

Anyways, I do follow the man, not the churches that formed around him.

As for myths, I find some fascinating like the Basque ones:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_mythology

Religion does have its place filling voids, but yeah sometimes those beliefs get in the way of progress as history has shown.

I do not consider myself either atheist nor religious if that makes any sense, I was raised catholic and even if I don't practice I don't think that has harm me at all, the morals imparted are pretty sound overall.

[Fungus]

Anyways, I do follow the man, not the churches that formed around him.

Luckily for us you speak for every single Christian on the planet.

[miguelvp]

Anyways, I do follow the man, not the churches that formed around him.

Luckily for us you speak for every single Christian on the planet.

Not my intention at all. And I doubt that's the case. I oppose a lot of the views of the catholic church and other christian denominations because they are silly and antiquated.

[Halcyon]

Someone thinks atheist Dave won't get saved by Jesus, so tries to convert him to Christianity!

Reminds me of the song by Eurogliders... "Heaven, must be there... well, it's just got to be there". All the proof you need summed up in one sentence. ;-) Good song though.

[Fungus]

Anyways, I do follow the man, not the churches that formed around him.

Luckily for us you speak for every single Christian on the planet.

Not my intention at all. And I doubt that's the case. I oppose a lot of the views of the catholic church and other christian denominations because they are silly and antiquated.

Aaaand ... we're right back down the big snake to where we started.

You've rejected Ra, Zeus, Odin, Budda, 3000-odd other ancient gods, Wakantanka, Allah, The Catholic God and some other unnamed Christian gods.

You have no problem rationalizing those rejections in your head. It's obvious to you why they're mistaken.

We've done exactly the same as you, but ... we just went one god further.

[Brumby]

Practically speaking, here in California, I feel way more intervention in my life from socialists, greens and alarmists than from religious people.  When it comes to religion people more or less mind their own business, except for two very polite and over optimistic jehovah witnesses that comes to check on us every few months.

I'm in Sydney - and I could say exactly the same thing.

[miguelvp]

Anyways, I do follow the man, not the churches that formed around him.

Luckily for us you speak for every single Christian on the planet.

Not my intention at all. And I doubt that's the case. I oppose a lot of the views of the catholic church and other christian denominations because they are silly and antiquated.

Aaaand ... we're right back down the big snake to where we started.

You've rejected Ra, Zeus, Odin, Budda, 3000-odd other ancient gods, Wakantanka, Allah, The Catholic God and some other unnamed Christian gods.

You have no problem rationalizing those rejections in your head. It's obvious to you why they're mistaken.

We've done exactly the same as you, but ... we just went one god further.

I do follow the man, not the religion behind him. I'm the furthest you can be about creationism or all the associated myths.
I don't think he had any superpowers either, maybe some magic tricks or who knows, but I do agree with his general way of living.

[zapta]

I don't think he had any superpowers either, maybe some magic tricks or who knows, but I do agree with his general way of living.

Miracles are awesome, can make your day.

[Fungus]

I do follow the man, not the religion behind him. I'm the furthest you can be about creationism or all the associated myths.
I don't think he had any superpowers either, maybe some magic tricks or who knows, but I do agree with his general way of living.

Jesus of Nazareth is a fictional character, he's the Harry Potter of his day. There's not one shred of evidence to suggest he was a real person, and plenty of evidence to suggest he wasn't. Read up on Bible History, see where it came from, who wrote it, why Jesus' childhood was edited out, why the gospel of Peter was omitted, etc., etc.

You think he was a special person, worthy of emulating? You really need to get out more.

[ivaylo]

Oddly enough, it took me until a few months ago to realize Christmas was actually a religious holiday in the western world.

Same here, I was 28 when I ralized people have sex to make kids, thought it was purely for fun activity... 

[miguelvp]

There's not one shred of evidence

You made a funny, and I like it 

You think he was a special person, worthy of emulating? You really need to get out more.

Not emulating, but follow and I do get out plenty

[george graves]

It is. Maybe George needs one of these new fangled "safe spaces"?

Ahahahha.  You're funny Dave. 

[Fungus]

There's not one shred of evidence

You made a funny, and I like it 

Yep, you're following the pattern perfectly... 

[miguelvp]

It's all good, I'm munching on TimTams from Australia by Adriano Zumbo, so nothing can phase me
Also I'll have an Aperol aperitif from Italy tomorrow with some Cava from Catalonia because I prefer it over Italian prosecco, eating Idiazabal cheese from the Basque country and all accessible in my backwards country.

It surely beats your popcorn, and that's not good for you btw.

[tszaboo]

Oddly enough, it took me until a few months ago to realize Christmas was actually a religious holiday in the western world.

Same here, I was 28 when I ralized people have sex to make kids, thought it was purely for fun activity... 

Seriously? The guy is from Russia. There Father Frost, not Cristian Coca Cola Santaclaus, but a fairy tale brings you present, on the 7th of January (or something like that).
And religions were discouraged on the government level. At least they were doing something right. So why do you mock someone coming from a different culture?


Seriously, I would make a law disallowing teaching anything religious below the age of 14 and joining any religion below the age of 18. Teaching children is pure manipulation, it takes an adult mind to decide whether to believe or not. It should be handled by similar laws than raping, since it has similar, long term mind and life changing effects.

[zapta]

I would make a law disallowing teaching anything religious below the age of 14 and joining any religion below the age of 18. Teaching children is pure manipulation, it takes an adult mind to decide whether to believe or not. It should be handled by similar laws than raping, since it has similar, long term mind and life changing effects.

This will bebe the atheist version of the Taliban. Yet another symmetry between believers and atheists, ideological evil can come from both sides.

[Fungus]

There's not one shred of evidence

You made a funny, and I like it 

Yep, you're following the pattern perfectly... 

ie. You still haven't figured out that you're the one with the burden of proof, not the Atheists.   

[Fungus]

I would make a law disallowing teaching anything religious below the age of 14 and joining any religion below the age of 18. Teaching children is pure manipulation, it takes an adult mind to decide whether to believe or not. It should be handled by similar laws than raping, since it has similar, long term mind and life changing effects.

Nope. Atheism needs to be taught in schools, alongside all of the major religions.

That way the fundies will see that atheists aren't what their church is saying, that the Qur'an is really the same book as the Bible, that their religion is just one more religion among many, etc.

Knowledge is the key, not repression.

[zapta]

ie. You still haven't figured out that you're the one with the burden of proof, not the Atheists.   

No burden of proof whatsoever. He can live his life the way he chooses and believe whatever he wants without a permission from anybody else. Feel free to do the same.

[tszaboo]

I would make a law disallowing teaching anything religious below the age of 14 and joining any religion below the age of 18. Teaching children is pure manipulation, it takes an adult mind to decide whether to believe or not. It should be handled by similar laws than raping, since it has similar, long term mind and life changing effects.

This will bebe the atheist version of the Taliban. Yet another symmetry between believers and atheists, ideological evil can come from both sides.

Bullshit. Teaching is telling people about facts, practices.
Scaring little kids with a half goat red person cooking them ad infinitum, unless you do as I say, is apparently the way to do it now. Or being born again as a cockroach. Or being banished by a deity. You get the idea, always bad things happen, unless...

Everyone is born atheist, everyone is born innocent. Children dont have the same defenses against manipulation as most adult, therefore they should be protected. They dont have the capabilities to differentiate between fairy tales and reality. They are free to choose whatever religion they want, when they are able to make educated decisions.
You wouldnt force children to choose a political party, they have to support for the rest of their life, would you?

Freedom of religion includes that you dont choose for others their religion. Even if they contain some of your DNA.

[ivaylo]

Oddly enough, it took me until a few months ago to realize Christmas was actually a religious holiday in the western world.

Same here, I was 28 when I ralized people have sex to make kids, thought it was purely for fun activity... 

Seriously? The guy is from Russia. There Father Frost, not Cristian Coca Cola Santaclaus, but a fairy tale brings you present, on the 7th of January (or something like that).
And religions were discouraged on the government level. At least they were doing something right. So why do you mock someone coming from a different culture?

Dude relax, it was a joke, I am from there too. Father Frost came for New Year's not Christmas (basically there was no Christmas). But when the old people celebrated it it was Jan 6th or 7th depending on the year. East Orthodox Church never accepted the Gregorian calendar. Now in some countries in Eastern Europe it did, in others it didn't, speaking of confusion... Now I won't explain to you how what I wrote is related.