An answer to the argument in favour of belief in God formulated in Pascal's Wager, formulated in turn by that great philosopher, Homer J. Simpson. Essentially, the God we are asked to believe in on the strength of Pascal's Wager, presumably the Judeo-Christian Jahweh, is merely one of thousands if not millions to have been worshipped throughout human history. Assuming the mere numbers of the faithful are an unreliable guide to the veracity of this god's existence (and no serious scholar of human beliefs would argue otherwise), then how do we know we've got the right god?
Simpson Rebuttal:
"But Marge! What if it's the wrong god? We'd only be making him angrier and angrier every Sunday!"
"But Marge! What if it's the wrong god? We'd only be making him angrier and angrier every Sunday!"
by Fearman February 23, 2008
Get the Simpson Rebuttal mug.1. Movie directed by Alan Parker in 1978, loosely speaking about the real-life experiences of young American hashish smuggler Billy Hayes in a Turkish prison. Starring Brad Davis and John Hurt. Script by Oliver Stone.
2. To escape from prison or some other aversive situation. Reference taken from Parker's movie.
2. To escape from prison or some other aversive situation. Reference taken from Parker's movie.
Midnight Express had six nominations for Academy Awards and won two of them.
I had to catch the midnight express out of boarding school.
I had to catch the midnight express out of boarding school.
by Fearman May 24, 2008
Get the Midnight Express mug.Pseudoscientific diagnosis most often made of people by their narcissistic parents, in conjunction with airheaded social workers, so that the parents don't have to accept personal responsibility for ten to twenty years of filling the kid's head full of dysfunctional bullshit. Also useful, in our age of postmodernist relativism where science is seen as at once useful and deeply suspect, for purposes of claiming financial aid. The kids could probably do with the aid, but society doesn't need the quackery. Those who make a mint out of selling the notion of this condition often rope in a few undeniable autistic savants to their argument so as to confer a thin veneer of respectability on the whole enterprise.
Incidentally, the very use of the word syndrome is pseudoscientific when used in the field of psychiatry. In medicine or any real science, a syndrome is defined as a wide range of symptoms, not all of which may be present in any one patient, which can be proven to link back to a common cause. To take two examples: Down's Syndrome results from a doubling of the sex-linked X chromosome in a person's genotype. It manifests in a range of symptoms including a flattened facial structure, a slant to the eyes, above average muscular development and below average intelligence, not all of which will necessarily manifest in any one person with the syndrome. Likewise, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, manifests in any of a large number of otherwise usually rare opportunistic infections once the body's immune system has been disabled by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Again, not all of these show up in any one case; again, there is a common underlying cause.
After decades of research, psychiatrists remain divided on how the human mind works. There are various conflicting schools of thought (Freudians, Jungians, Adlerians, gestalt therapists, a plethora of others); beyond some empirical research on brain chemistry, neural functioning and other areas related to hard science, the teaching on the workings of the mind get rather hazy rather fast. In other words, we don't really know for certain how the mind works in the sort of detail that would enable us to talk about "common origins" for the extremely wide range of symptoms allegedly linked to this so-called syndrome. The word "syndrome" is simply used in this case because the naive and misguided think it sounds impressively scientific. The very fact that the parameters of Asperger's are so broad and vague pretty much tells you what this whole racket is really about; selling people a bill of goods. However, in the majority of cases, given the plasticity of the human mind in early development and the lack of any explanation of how this "syndrome" is supposed to arise, the above definition is, I would offer, likely to be at least as good as any.
Incidentally, the very use of the word syndrome is pseudoscientific when used in the field of psychiatry. In medicine or any real science, a syndrome is defined as a wide range of symptoms, not all of which may be present in any one patient, which can be proven to link back to a common cause. To take two examples: Down's Syndrome results from a doubling of the sex-linked X chromosome in a person's genotype. It manifests in a range of symptoms including a flattened facial structure, a slant to the eyes, above average muscular development and below average intelligence, not all of which will necessarily manifest in any one person with the syndrome. Likewise, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, manifests in any of a large number of otherwise usually rare opportunistic infections once the body's immune system has been disabled by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Again, not all of these show up in any one case; again, there is a common underlying cause.
After decades of research, psychiatrists remain divided on how the human mind works. There are various conflicting schools of thought (Freudians, Jungians, Adlerians, gestalt therapists, a plethora of others); beyond some empirical research on brain chemistry, neural functioning and other areas related to hard science, the teaching on the workings of the mind get rather hazy rather fast. In other words, we don't really know for certain how the mind works in the sort of detail that would enable us to talk about "common origins" for the extremely wide range of symptoms allegedly linked to this so-called syndrome. The word "syndrome" is simply used in this case because the naive and misguided think it sounds impressively scientific. The very fact that the parameters of Asperger's are so broad and vague pretty much tells you what this whole racket is really about; selling people a bill of goods. However, in the majority of cases, given the plasticity of the human mind in early development and the lack of any explanation of how this "syndrome" is supposed to arise, the above definition is, I would offer, likely to be at least as good as any.
Johnny and Mary Stewart could never get their asses out of bed in the morning and Mary filled little Billy's head with nonsense about how the world is full of people out to get him. When he was bullied in school she told him to ignore it. Now she's gadding about telling everyone he has Asperger's Syndrome. Surprise surprise.
by Fearman July 29, 2007
Get the asperger's mug.Verb describing penile amputation, especially when carried out by an amateur and soon followed by ejection of said organ out the window of a moving car. After the operation carried out by Lorena Bobbitt on her husband John Wayne Bobbitt.
You think you're a great lover boy, don't you? Well, if you don't swear blind you'll leave my wife alone, I'll bobbitt you!
by Fearman August 14, 2007
Get the bobbitt mug.1. Orange drink Britvic tried flogging about twenty years ago.
2. Maximum age at which a woman generally looks sexy to a sex-starved guy in his late twenties.
3. Maximum speed it is safe to hover around on a 60 mph speed limit road with speed traps likely to be around the curve.
2. Maximum age at which a woman generally looks sexy to a sex-starved guy in his late twenties.
3. Maximum speed it is safe to hover around on a 60 mph speed limit road with speed traps likely to be around the curve.
New Britvic 55, new Britvic 55, NEW!!!
She's still gorgeous at 55, and there's definitely no chance of knocking her up.
I'm doing 55. Better not push it with the cops out.
She's still gorgeous at 55, and there's definitely no chance of knocking her up.
I'm doing 55. Better not push it with the cops out.
by Fearman November 20, 2007
Get the 55 mug.Term used in referring to an urban myth according to which you may drown if you swim too soon after a meal; apparently you get a cramp and promptly go kerplunk to the bottom. The safe time after the meal, when you can safely swim again, is said to be one hour in Northern Europe, while in Hispanic culture it is often said to be three hours, which is longer than most people spend at the beach. Thought up way back when by some lazy mom who wanted to take a nap in the sun and couldn't bother her ass to look out for the kids; unfortunately it has entered the folk wisdom and some adults end up believing it. Cramps can actually afflict a person at any time and do not adversely affect one's buoyancy in the water. Neither do they do too much damage to your swimming skills, unless perhaps you are participating in an Olympic event. They are more likely to happen as a reaction to exposure to cold water. If you are in an environment where, perhaps due to currents, a cramp could be the difference between life and death, you shouldn't be there, cramps or no cramps. Just ask yourself; have you ever heard a pathologist or coroner announce that the cause of someone's death was "swimming on a full stomach"? No, I didn't think so.
Jimmy was running and screaming along the shore and his mommy was feeling lazy and couldn't be bothered looking out for him, so she invoked Drowns Syndrome.
by Fearman September 27, 2007
Get the Drowns Syndrome mug.Comment on you average hitman:
I love hitmen. Whatever you do to them, you don't feel bad.
- Marv (Mickey Rourke) in Sin City (dirs. Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez, 2005).
I love hitmen. Whatever you do to them, you don't feel bad.
- Marv (Mickey Rourke) in Sin City (dirs. Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez, 2005).
by Fearman November 28, 2007
Get the hitmen mug.