GAHD Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 In along with my decision to show my face on the boards, a few thoughts came to me;Does this remove the annonymity of the internet?Why did I choose the 'face' I had chosen before? What does a face convey? In the first part I can state with near certainty that my annonymity is still safe; there are more than a few people in my area that I could pull a prince & the popper switch with. I chose the 'sick' face before simply because I knew it would make me unique, and it actually resembled my hairstyle at the time. I was temepted by the devil face, but the advocate rarely has horns(as well I knew many would perceive themselves 'devils'). In the end the green tint and squinted eye simply showed my general distate for the 'set in stone' ideology permiating most opinions on science, and the world in general. As well it also seemed to relect my'sick' personality, and lend a comical air to take the bite out of some of my posts. So, why did you choose the faces you had, and if you changed them why did you do so? Specifically to FreeThinker; what's with the cancer ribbon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Martin Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 I can't remember the post, but I'd swear that you once posted that you were sixty-ish. This is quite a surprize, not at all what I'd thought. I chose my icon because internet explorer won't let me use my own, all the others are kind of wierd, and I was hoping for some sympathy for the being old man, that ploy failed miserably by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freethinker Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Originally posted by: GAHDSpecifically to FreeThinker; what's with the cancer ribbon? Eh? That is the "Happy Humanist". I am an card carrying Associate member of the Council for Secular Humanism. http://www.secularhumanism.org/ See the stylized H with a head? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tormod Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Originally posted by: GAHDSo, why did you choose the faces you had, and if you changed them why did you do so? I had the "Tech guy" icon at first, which was cute but plain stupid as it made me look like a computer nerd (which would be what my family thinks about me) but it was a good "moderator" icon. with the new version of the forums I figured I'd show that the icon could be replaced so others would, too. Since I don't mind showing my superiour,ur,iour,ur (strike that) happy face, I picked on I'd already used elsewhere on this site. I like your, GAHD. It gives me the eerie feeling that this guy is serious...but with a twist. I guss that's what you're aiming for. Tormod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishEyes Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Nice mug, Gahd. I think my daughter has a crush on you now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishEyes Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 I picked the green-haired thing before, because I hadn't seen anyone else with that face, and i wanted to be different. Then lindaG showed up with the same face... yada yada...not so different... Tormod changed his, so I started checking around... then FreeT changed his, and I checked some more... Then my computer died and was reincarnated as a LINUX box, and I had all sorts of graphics that I'd never had before...so I decided to make a change. My mother, who passed away a few years back, LOVED sunflowers. She had them on her table in vases, in a border in her kitchen, on pillows and blankets, and even wore that perfume. I was missing her terribly a few weeks back, on the same night I had decided to find a new 'face', and I came across this picture. It just seemed providential, so I tried to load it up, and what do you know - it worked!! As I already told Unc, I'm planning on changing it fairly regularly. I'm going to use some of the pics I take. I'm a decent amaphotog, and it's fun for my kids. I may even use their beautiful mugs some times, but only their baby pics. It would just be weird to see their 'today' faces staring back at me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tormod Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Originally posted by: Uncle MartinI can't remember the post, but I'd swear that you once posted that you were sixty-ish. This is quite a surprize, not at all what I'd thought. I chose my icon because internet explorer won't let me use my own, all the others are kind of wierd, and I was hoping for some sympathy for the being old man, that ploy failed miserably by the way. All your ploys always fail miserably, pal, so why not just give it up and concentrate on your cigar collection? Uploading a new image is EASY, especially with IE. Just make sure it's not larger than 100x100 pixels in 72dpi (use a graphics program) and not larger than 25K. Or send it to me and I'll "fix it" for you (I'll help you put in that lobotomy scar). Tormod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAHD Posted July 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Originally posted by: Uncle MartinI can't remember the post, but I'd swear that you once posted that you were sixty-ish. This is quite a surprize, not at all what I'd thought.I chose my icon because internet explorer won't let me use my own, all the others are kind of wierd, and I was hoping for some sympathy for the being old man, that ploy failed miserably by the way. LOL, ya know, that sounds like something I'd have said in a certain discussion with Freethinker about the properties of kirlean photography(a thread which misteriously dissapeard around the time tormod went on vacation...) in responce to 'skepdic' and the horrid truncation of science it babbled on about. I think it was actually inresponce to a post saying that he took martial arts lessons from a guy that could rip out people's still beating hearts(not an impossibility, but it was still an unproovable claim after he had tried brining me down for not providing clickable 'proof' of something), tongue in cheek if you would. BTW if tormod can't help I'd be glad to, mail addy's in the profile as usual, thoug large pics should be sent to the yahoo varient. Originally posted by: FreethinkerEh? That is the "Happy Humanist". I am an card carrying Associate member of the Council for Secular Humanism. <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.secularhumanism.org/">http://www.secularhumanism.org/</a>See the stylized H with a head?ooh, now I see it. I never knew what to make of it, for a while I was seeing an 'x' with some kinda inflection mark. So in a nutshell what's this secular humanisum about? Morality and corruption? Originally posted by: TormodI had the "Tech guy" icon at first, which was cute but plain stupid as it made me look like a computer nerd (which would be what my family thinks about me) but it was a good "moderator" icon.with the new version of the forums I figured I'd show that the icon could be replaced so others would, too. Since I don't mind showing my superiour,ur,iour,ur (strike that) happy face, I picked on I'd already used elsewhere on this site. I like your, GAHD. It gives me the eerie feeling that this guy is serious...but with a twist. I guss that's what you're aiming for.Tormodhttp://www.spellcheck.net/ "Superior" yeah the techy did work well for the mod icon, just slightly imposing with it's baseball cap of doom(vorpal and +5 for D&Ders out there....). your new pick does show one helluva smile, I don't think my face is capable of bending that way.LOL, not shure if your talking about the name(it's my initials actually..) or the pictue, it's scanned right off my ID card for work. Funny thing is that's my normal expression, people always say I'm too serious because of it. Originally posted by: IrishEyes Nice mug, Gahd. I think my daughter has a crush on you now.I picked the green-haired thing before, because I hadn't seen anyone else with that face, and i wanted to be different. Then lindaG showed up with the same face... yada yada...not so different...Tormod changed his, so I started checking around... then FreeT changed his, and I checked some more... Then my computer died and was reincarnated as a LINUX box, and I had all sorts of graphics that I'd never had before...so I decided to make a change.My mother, who passed away a few years back, LOVED sunflowers. She had them on her table in vases, in a border in her kitchen, on pillows and blankets, and even wore that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freethinker Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Originally posted by: GAHDWhat does a face convey?Frankly, I am mixed about using an actual picture. I have reserved my opinion till I have had more of a chance to gauge my reaction. Tormod led the way. Perhaps it was the bright background and almost candid feel of the pict that makes it less distracting. But I can't help but feel like GAHD's pict is trying to hypnotize readers with that intense stare and strong background. You look like a "conjurer" or such. I feel like the caption should be "GAHD the Magnifico" or something. Your eyes follow me as I move around my desk.... SPOOKY! Don't get me wrong. The pict would probably be a great one for a personals ad. Strong, handsome lines. Almost a Fabio look. (Sorry, no, you are not my type!) It's just that I spend as much time trying not to make eye contact with the pict as I do reading the post. But then my twisted ribbon didn't have the desired effect. And I don't think I would post my pict because I already have problems with credibility and my perhaps excessive fear of personal identification. Plus I still wonder how it affects the presentation of my posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freethinker Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Originally posted by: GAHDSo in a nutshell what's this secular humanisum about? Morality and corruption?Exactly! Very good! It is about how humans are MORAL in and of themselves and how Religion CORRUPTS that! While there is no such thing as a revelation based written text we SHers ascribe to. Most of us tend to agree with: The Affirmations of Humanism:A Statement of Principles * We are committed to the application of reason and science to the understanding of the universe and to the solving of human problems. * We deplore efforts to denigrate human intelligence, to seek to explain the world in supernatural terms, and to look outside nature for salvation. * We believe that scientific discovery and technology can contribute to the betterment of human life. * We believe in an open and pluralistic society and that democracy is the best guarantee of protecting human rights from authoritarian elites and repressive majorities. * We are committed to the principle of the separation of church and state. * We cultivate the arts of negotiation and compromise as a means of resolving differences and achieving mutual understanding. * We are concerned with securing justice and fairness in society and with eliminating discrimination and intolerance. * We believe in supporting the disadvantaged and the handicapped so that they will be able to help themselves. * We attempt to transcend divisive parochial loyalties based on race, religion, gender, nationality, creed, class, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, and strive to work together for the common good of humanity. * We want to protect and enhance the earth, to preserve it for future generations, and to avoid inflicting needless suffering on other species. * We believe in enjoying life here and now and in developing our creative talents to their fullest. * We believe in the cultivation of moral excellence. * We respect the right to privacy. Mature adults should be allowed to fulfill their aspirations, to express their sexual preferences, to exercise reproductive freedom, to have access to comprehensive and informed health-care, and to die with dignity. * We believe in the common moral decencies: altruism, integrity, honesty, truthfulness, responsibility. Humanist ethics is amenable to critical, rational guidance. There are normative standards that we discover together. Moral principles are tested by their consequences. * We are deeply concerned with the moral education of our children. We want to nourish reason and compassion. * We are engaged by the arts no less than by the sciences. * We are citizens of the universe and are excited by discoveries still to be made in the cosmos. * We are skeptical of untested claims to knowledge, and we are open to novel ideas and seek new departures in our thinking. * We affirm humanism as a realistic alternative to theologies of despair and ideologies of violence and as a source of rich personal significance and genuine satisfaction in the service to others. * We believe in optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather than despair, learning in the place of dogma, truth instead of ignorance, joy rather than guilt or sin, tolerance in the place of fear, love instead of hatred, compassion over selfishness, beauty instead of ugliness, and reason rather than blind faith or irrationality. * We believe in the fullest realization of the best and noblest that we are capable of as human beings. http://www.secularhumanism.org/intro/affirmations.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAHD Posted July 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Originally posted by: FreethinkerOriginally posted by: GAHD What does a face convey? Frankly, I am mixed about using an actual picture. I have reserved my opinion till I have had more of a chance to gauge my reaction. Tormod led the way. Perhaps it was the bright background and almost candid feel of the pict that makes it less distracting. But I can't help but feel like GAHD's pict is trying to hypnotize readers with that intense stare and strong background. You look like a "conjurer" or such. I feel like the caption should be "GAHD the Magnifico" or something. Your eyes follow me as I move around my desk.... SPOOKY! Don't get me wrong. The pict would probably be a great one for a personals ad. Strong, handsome lines. Almost a Fabio look. (Sorry, no, you are not my type!)It's just that I spend as much time trying not to make eye contact with the pict as I do reading the post. But then my twisted ribbon didn't have the desired effect. And I don't think I would post my pict because I already have problems with credibility and my perhaps excessive fear of personal identification. Plus I still wonder how it affects the presentation of my posts. Conjurer, eh? Interesting, though I only dabble in what would be deemed 'enchanter' territory . Following you around your desk? Strong, handsome lines? Wow, I'm really wondering where the biting sarcasum's gonna show On the lines of SH...It seems to equate to a religion of sorts to me; though one that focuses inward and outward rather than the normal one sided nature of most Religions. I'll stay Soufi if that's ok with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freethinker Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Originally posted by: GAHD I'll stay Soufi if that's ok with you. Thanks for suggesting I matter! :-) Cult of personality eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freethinker Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Originally posted by: GAHDOn the lines of SH...It seems to equate to a religion of sorts to me; though one that focuses inward and outward rather than the normal one sided nature of most Religions. I'll stay Soufi if that's ok with you.Capital letter "Secular Humanism" is intended to be a specific personal philosophy. Religion? Depends on how you choose to define "religion". If you use it as it's root intended - Etymology: Middle English religioun, from Latin religion-, religio supernatural constraint, sanction, religious practice, (WWWebster) In fact there is not a single defintion at that site that I would agree accurately fits SH. http://www.webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=religion&x=0&y=0 So I would argue that SH is not a religion, but a personal philosophy. It's like calling bald a hair color. The intention of the list was to establish some things a group of people could find overall mutually agreeable. That is about as close as we can get to agreeing on something, much less blindly accepting something en masse. And it only covers part of how I would pidgeonhole my personal philosophy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tormod Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Originally posted by: GAHDLOL, not shure if your talking about the name(it's my initials actually..) or the pictue, it's scanned right off my ID card for work. Funny thing is that's my normal expression, people always say I'm too serious because of it. Sorry, I meant your picture. But the initials are obviously also quite interesting... On a serious note - I appreciate your initiative, GAHD - your posts are thoughtful and reflected. Keep it up. Tormod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAHD Posted July 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2004 Originally posted by: FreethinkerCult of personality eh? To a degree. I take a more internalised approach, and try to inject humour into everything. As I understand and follow it, Soufism has much in common with Bushido and Bhuddism; acting with respect, maintaining dignaty, and control of one's self. By concentrating more on one's own mental well being one is able to better understand the world, above all else emotional and metal control must be maintained. Where one Soufi may be a pathological liar, another may find lies to be abhorrant; both will however respect the other one's choice. Suffice it to say that there are many sub-cultures in soufism(many soufi beleive in 'god'), but you generally won't notice the differences in them unless you go looking. This is the reason I equated SH to a religion; Soufi rarely agree on anything except that one's own morals should be held first, a concept seeming to be held in high regard by SH. The main difference I perceive is that SH implys that those viewpoints and morals are 'better', and all competition should be stamped out. A truncated form of medievil Christian order to my eyes, albeit one replacing 'god' with science. No offence intended(I know how you hate bible toters) I define religion as "a personal philosophy shared by a group"; where many would argue that that definition better fits 'spiritualism' and cults, I see no real difference between them. Originally posted by: TormodOriginally posted by: GAHD...the initials are obviously also quite interesting...On a serious note - I appreciate your initiative, GAHD - your posts are thoughtful and reflected. Keep it up.Tormod Yeah, my Dad's idea mainly. He has a horrid sense of humour. I just won't say what he wanted to name me... initiative? reflected? Here I thought my ideas were more like nails scratching on a chalk board.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tormod Posted July 10, 2004 Report Share Posted July 10, 2004 Originally posted by: GAHDYeah, my Dad's idea mainly. He has a horrid sense of humour. I just won't say what he wanted to name me... He *planned* for it? Gee. You Canadians... Tormod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freethinker Posted July 10, 2004 Report Share Posted July 10, 2004 Originally posted by: GAHDThis is the reason I equated SH to a religion; Soufi rarely agree on anything except that one's own morals should be held first, a concept seeming to be held in high regard by SH. The main difference I perceive is that SH implys that those viewpoints and morals are 'better', No, not "better". I wil agree that we, as anyone else does, hold that "our's: are better. But naot because of any particular one, nor group of them, nor all of them for that matter. But better becuase of the process used to derive them. You state that your philosophyWhere one Soufi may be a pathological liar, another may find lies to be abhorrant; both will however respect the other one's choice.Thus nothing is either better or worse. Anything anyone does is as good as anything anyone else does, no matter what. SH asserts that there IS a mroal code which can be derived through logical and reasoned approaches. That some actions do whow themselves to be better, based on HUMAN society (Thus "Humanists"). However the specific case can have different moral actions as the mst positive. e.g. birth control. When the wrold was significantly less popuated, and there was high infant mortality with an extremely high need for helpers, children, ... it would be "immoral" to intentionally restrict succesful procreation. However as the world ahs become more populated, especially in 3rd world counties where people are starving because of over population right now, it is mre "immoral" to restrict the promotion of birth control, the way the CATHOLIC CHURCH and many other religious groups do! So yes, we do assert that there are better reactions (morals) to specific issues as there are less benefitial ones. Not all are equal. And we Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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