I also have a guy who denies global climate change is anthropogenic & is just part of the normal swings. When I say I feel humans probably do have at least some “blame” but… he dismisses me totally and doesn’t listen to anything else I have to say.

Very frustrating.

Actually it’s a pretty nice observational study. What was the control group?

It’s the same with Mac vs. PC for me. I don’t feel as comfortable with the Mac interface. I can use it and accomplish what I wish to but it’s not intuitive.

But the Mac/PC thing isn’t really about brands, is it? There is only one Mac brand, but many PC brands. I was burned early on Dell and it would take a lot to get me to buy one again. Perhaps that is a perverse sort of brand loyalty.

Initially, I chose text/keyboard over icon/mouse. Of course I have been overruled and forced to choose icons with a mouse.

I am not foolish enough to say I’m not influenced by brands and advertising and persuasive sales people, but I do try not to be. And I’m often disgusted with myself when I realize I have been “fooled”.

Or maybe I just don’t like them cause I’m latino.

But then again, I really miss the batch mode editing that I used to do with Boeing’s CMedit on the Cyber Star (I could serially run several time series parameter studies by changing the data file by putting CMedit code in the command file, I’d submit the job before going home, and get to work with several plots being printed out on the VAX the next morning).

When we bought our first commercial home computer we bought a PC only because the Apple computers were much more expensive (and there were no MACs). I still miss Lotus’ AmiPro word processioning program. Even the version I used in the early 1990s was more intuitive than MS Word 2010!

I did have iTunes on my computer for a while, but deleted it. I am not very fond of Windows Media Player either. So my choice in mp3 player is just “anything but Apple or Microsoft.” Though I might get a Zune just for the web access so I don’t have to get a “smart phone.”

I should say that about the time I was programming with actual paper cards I was a Republican, and at least up to a decade later. I changed “brands” from the party of “less government” with those who wanted to legislate our lives (Pat Robertson), and as fierce independents we actively celebrated the defeat of a lawyer friend who actually argued in front of our nation’s Supreme Court against our state’s “top two” primary system (he was being paid by the Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians). We have no intention of ever declaring a political party, fortunately he is a good sport.

Honestly, I thought from listening to SGU that Dr. Novella edited that on a MAC. Oh, well.

For me the whole process of self reflection, seeking reality in politics for example is endless and tiring. I think I am very self aware as I am critical of my own assumptions in politics, but this awareness does not leave me with gratification, it leaves me drained and feeling hopeless, especially these days….

‘Stupid’ may be a matter of opinion, but I’m not sure where ‘undemocractic’ comes from.

From a different forum where we were told that since the queen was still around and that she is (and i should point out only technically) the commander in chief of the british forces we weren’t a “proper” democracy.

It was most amusing.

I definitely agree that the meta-cognition thing, while it may be helpful, is not enough to really change patterns of thinking. I have known about the FAE for years, but it doesn’t stop me from making it constantly, like everyone else. However, I do catch myself sometimes and realize how hypocritical I’m being.