MattZ

I may not survive this week.

Boy wants a car from his Dad Dad says, first you gotta cut that hair Boy says, hey Dad Jesus had long hair and Dad says that's right son but Jesus walked everywhere --David Berman

No, the better angle is to get into a fight with bobbob about statheads vs. traditionalists. Is there such a thing as intangibles in baseball? If a stathead can't define it with OPS or VORP, does it exist? Science vs faith. Bill James vs. Lammycat.

You just blew my mind right there.

Since I am a Mets fan hanging onto life by a thread, I am going to focus on things that make me smile. Like this: Estranged former Yankee Roger Clemens was "heartbroken" when his former team left him out of Sunday night's Stadium-farewell festivities, which included a video montage honoring the Bronx Bombers' greatest pitchers - but not him, a relative told The Post yesterday. Clemens was sitting at home in hurricane-ravaged Texas, in front of a battery-operated television on his living room couch, when the team delivered a final crushing blow to its former star. Clutching wife Debbie's han

Not only that but it always felt like Gates became Mr Philanthropist right around the time that Microsoft's anti-trust problems started getting messy. I'm not saying the two are connected, and frankly, I dont know that it matters to the people that have benefited from his generosity. But when Microsoft gives out free computers to kids in Africa that can't afford it, are we sure it's not the classic case of giving out free samples to get the kids hooked?

Not to start an all-out war, and frankly, the source tells you all you need to know about the bias here, but there is a very different (minority) viewpoint out there about her ego: "She spent her life opposing the only known cure for poverty, which is the empowerment of women and the emancipation of them from a livestock version of compulsory reproduction. And she was a friend to the worst of the rich, taking misappropriated money from the atrocious Duvalier family in Haiti (whose rule she praised in return) and from Charles Keating of the Lincoln Savings and Loan. Where did that money, and

Thanks! EDIT: Now that I've listened, I am glad with where the finished version ended up... Still fun to listen to.

Ahhhh, and I wake up this morning debating whether it is harder to be a Mets fan or a Jets fan. That's a tough question right there.

Why should we ignore Squeeze? Squeeze is flat-out fan-fucking-tastic!!

Yeah I heard the same thing. Oh well. I guess it doesn't really matter, but I think a Cardinals album would've been cool. Not sure why.

So, this is a Ryan Adams & the Cardinals or a Cardinals album?

Bjorn didnt imply that one can't enjoy it on both levels. He said that he can't.

Oh yeah, right on! Don't forget the intro to Elvis's Man Out of Time from IbMePdErRoIoAmL.

I'm with EL on this one, jnick. There's a difference between acknowledging intangibles and being in awe of the natural world.

Yeah, I wonder. I guess I never really gave it all that much thought. I believe that we are all connected in some way. I believe that art and music are the best evidence for this. I don't think everything that can answered by science. And I dont think OPS is the only way to judge a hitter in baseball. There are intangibles. And yet I dont believe that someone/something or a God started everything, or created us in His image, etc.

That's the best evidence I've got too. And yet, I consider myself an atheist. Am I a hypocrite? I don't think so. (Or didn't think so).

Hands down, Let it Be era Paul McCartney.

This was very cool. I like it because it focuses on how we are all the same, as opposed to focusing on how we are all different. We are all striving for something. At the same time, that doesn't mean that atheism/agnosticism doesn't really exist, does it? Atheists can be spriritual, can't they? I don't think that is inconsistent. Or is it?

All fair points. We should probably move on because this sidebar is distracting from the larger discussion which appears to be continuing. My one last final point on this, because apparently I can't help myself ( ), would be that if you honestly drill down on the content of what any atheist is saying, whether he says it in an abrasive tone, or an inclusive and moderated tone, is that faith is fucking retarded. So, to be offended when that atheist doesn't sugarcoat it, seems silly to me. You are obviously comfortable with your faith, and that's all that matters. No one that is comforta

Is it possible for an atheist to have a completely open and honest discussion of faith with a believer without offending that believer? Sure, an atheist doesn't have to call faith fucking retarded. But isn't it sort of implicit given what we know about atheism? After all, an atheist believes that God does not exist. And a believer puts all (or some) of his/her faith in that same God. Aren't feelings bound to be hurt? And then, isn't it just a matter of degrees? And if it is just a matter of degrees, why are any of the believers engaging TheMaker in a quote unquote open discussion? Woul

You want the guy to moderate himself as he villifies moderates? It's inconsistent. It's part of the schtick. Or, so I thought, which is why it was amusing to me. EDIT: I am done defending the guy -- if he offended folks, I suppose that is all that matters. Not whether he offended me, or I thought it was schtick.

Oh, I know what you mean. I know he called people's beliefs "childish" and much worse. But it seems to me that his "attacks" were general in nature and academic (and frankly, over-the-top to underline his larger point) in the context of a larger discussion about the issue of faith. I am probably splitting hairs though. I certainly don't want to be in the position of defending anyone's statements (and certainly not TheMaker's) -- just that there are a lot of personal attacks around here, and it seemed to me that TheMaker was more focused on attacking faith in general, and maybe because peo

I agree with you, but to a degree. This is a thread that is discussing these very issues, and everyone in here can take care of themselves. TheMaker could perhaps be a bit less abrasive in the way he presents his points, but to say he is attacking anyone seems a stretch to me. This entire discussion is academic. And for someone who laments moderation, he is certainly practicing what he preaches (pun intended) -- even if it is harsh.

We know, dude. We know.