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A place to discuss topics/games with other webDiplomacy players.
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SYnapse (0 DX)
28 Feb 14 UTC
Some thoughts on my article
the-philosopher.co.uk/republicanism.htm

Comments please?
6 replies
Open
Al Swearengen (0 DX)
27 Feb 14 UTC
The Live Game Promotion Problem
as per below

23 replies
Open
Orka (785 D)
27 Feb 14 UTC
(+3)
Iron Maiden
Who else loves them?
8 replies
Open
oscarjd74 (100 D)
25 Feb 14 UTC
(+2)
Who's up for a game of Backseat Driver Diplomacy?
See inside.
67 replies
Open
kasimax (243 D)
27 Feb 14 UTC
new egypt in modern gunboat needed
unfortunately, we lost egypt in an ongoing modern gunboat game. two-day phases, buy-in 15.
gameID=132764
the position is far from perfect, but it can be game-changing!
0 replies
Open
nfowler562 (100 D)
26 Feb 14 UTC
New
So I am newish; where do I go?

Curious about Gunboat but can't find rules or info on it.
22 replies
Open
semck83 (229 D(B))
25 Feb 14 UTC
(+1)
Pseudoscience
An article on the left and pseudoscience. (Focusing on Whole Foods). Comments?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/02/23/whole-foods-america-s-temple-of-pseudoscience.html
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Draugnar (0 DX)
25 Feb 14 UTC
@YJ - I'm just saying that the assumptions you make must be made equally based on equivalent evidence and results. I'm not saying either is right or wrong, just that the way you go about choosing which to believe and which not to believe is not consistent. It doesn't have to be consistent as it is a belief and they have an emotional component to them. But from a purely logical standpoint, both are equally false.

Now, the idea that climate change could be occurring and that we might be able to help things (and won't hurt anything) by reducing our carbon footprint, etc. is sound reasoning and a good reason to go about taking steps "just in case". Contrarily, the fact that these homeopathic remedies could do more harm than good means that one should *not* just jump into them. So, while the beliefs are incongruous in the apparent similarities, the results of those beliefs, if adopted, are not and are where you should argue in following one course of action but not the other.
Yellowjacket (835 D(B))
25 Feb 14 UTC
Really, Draugnar? I feel I'm very consistent. In a scientific area outside my field of expertise, I trust the experts. The experts in the medical field say that homeopathy is bullshit. The experts in the climatology field also say that AGW is real.

As far as evidence and results go, you (and I) are not qualified to evaluate them. If you think you are qualified then you are fooling yourself. Haven't we already had this conversation?
oscarjd74 (100 D)
25 Feb 14 UTC
The fact of the matter is that climate science has made a bunch of correct predictions and yeah, sure, also a few incorrect ones. This is to be expected though. It's just the process by which science operates: create/adjust a model, work out what it predicts, compare that with observations and repeat.

You can learn just as much from an incorrect prediction as from a correct one. For instance, the only group of climate scientists that have been consistently producing incorrect predictions are the climate skeptics. Hence we can be confident that they are wrong.

In any case, I predict that krellin will continue to be dimwit.
Draugnar (0 DX)
25 Feb 14 UTC
"Really, Draugnar? I feel I'm very consistent. In a scientific area outside my field of expertise, I trust the experts. The experts in the medical field say that homeopathy is bullshit. The experts in the climatology field also say that AGW is real."

Then *that* is how you should have answered krellin. Not that it would have made a difference.

You'll note that, while I disagree as to the severity of the effect of man on the climate, I don't disagree that climate change is occurring and I don't disagree that reducing my carbon footprint is a good thing for plenty of other reasons as well. You'll also note that I don't believe in strict homeopathy. But I do believe in meditation, eating whole grains, and even ancient grains as well as sprouting grains. There is actual research and evidence into the nutritional value behind those items. But that isn't homeopathy, that's just "health food".
Putin33 (111 D)
25 Feb 14 UTC
Oscar, since you're Dutch why did you learn American English? All of your spellings are American.
Draugnar (0 DX)
25 Feb 14 UTC
@Oscar - I have never seen a correct prediction. Please link one here. And you made the assertion so, yes, the burden of proving it is on you.
Draugnar (0 DX)
25 Feb 14 UTC
*providing not proving. stupid autocorrect. I must have missed the D when I was typing.
oscarjd74 (100 D)
25 Feb 14 UTC
(+1)
@Draugnar

This site lists a whole bunch of climate science predictions:
https://johncarlosbaez.wordpress.com/2013/02/05/successful-predictions-of-climate-science/

It's not biased either as it also includes incorrect ones.

@Putin
I learned British English in school, but then I spent a lot of time on the interweb and I was swayed over to the dark side.
Draugnar (0 DX)
25 Feb 14 UTC
Thanks, Oscar. I'll look over them tonight.
oscarjd74 (100 D)
25 Feb 14 UTC
Seriously though, I guess I switched to American spelling during my physics study as a lot of the text books we used were American. I don't care either way and I'm not even sure that I'm consistent in it.
Yellowjacket (835 D(B))
25 Feb 14 UTC
Haha Draug, krellin and I have an understanding on certain matters. He and I have gone around this horse plenty of times, and I think he understands why I answer as I do.
Draugnar (0 DX)
25 Feb 14 UTC
Let's put it this way, compared to steephie (who, admittedly, is still in high school), your grammar is impeccable and, for all intents and purposes, you may as well be an American by your mastery of the American form of English.
dirge (768 D(B))
26 Feb 14 UTC
@Draugr "Guess I'm a moron for practicing it and finding the calming and refreshing effects in it."

I don't think that makes you a moron at all. Tai chi is a good form of mild exercise and good for focusing the mind and reducing stress. I only referenced it here because of the body of quasi and pseudo scientific discussion about circulation of chi and manipulation of chi by qi gong experts to heal illnesses. Since this thread is about pseudo science.
Yellowjacket (835 D(B))
26 Feb 14 UTC
Meditation (and prayer) have been demonstrated to relieve stress and have other positive benefits. Therefore the claim that it is useful is not psuedoscience. That stuff about chi and all? Yeah that's bullcrap.
Draugnar (0 DX)
26 Feb 14 UTC
@YJ - tai ji (aka Tai Chi) is a martial art form. It is just slowed down with the focus being on precision of movement and breathing. Believe in the ji or not, the practice has demonstrable meditative properties the same as the meditation and prayer you just mentioned above.
Draugnar (0 DX)
26 Feb 14 UTC
By the way, instead of insisting on Anglicizing it and butchering it in all manners, we should just type 太极 for the martial art, taiji, and 氣 to reference the qi.
Putin33 (111 D)
26 Feb 14 UTC
The spelling differences are simply the result of the different phonetic systems. Wade Jiles vs Pinyin. Having studied Mandarin for a while in the PRC a while back, I insist on using pinyin spellings which are more intuitive to me. There is no believing in the 'ji'. Taiji Quan is a Daoist concept crudely translating to 'extreme polarity boxing'. I haven't the foggiest idea what it's really supposed to mean, as Daoism is completely befuddling to me. Something to do with the polarity of yin and yang. I only know that the term is not synonymous in any way with the spiritual energy known as "qi" (tchee).
Yellowjacket (835 D(B))
26 Feb 14 UTC
@Draugnar: yes, I was not trying to impinge upon the efficacy of the form or its meditative benefits. Rather, I am saying that belief in "auras" and the like have no basis in fact.
Draugnar (0 DX)
26 Feb 14 UTC
Well, you'd definitely know more than me, Putin. I'm just a practitioner of the art, and an amateur at that, for meditative and physical fitness purposes. The philosophical I leave to others.
dirge (768 D(B))
26 Feb 14 UTC
I was perhaps conflating it with qi gong and presumed the tai chi movements are intended, among other things to manipulate and circulate qi, but this may not be so. Qi gong more specifically references and exercises intended to manipulate qi for healing purposes.
dirge (768 D(B))
26 Feb 14 UTC
practices and exercises
Draugnar (0 DX)
26 Feb 14 UTC
Taiji is about centering and focus - calming the mind through a meditative trance brought about through repetitious, deliberate, martial arts movements.
dirge (768 D(B))
27 Feb 14 UTC
But, just so you understand my conflation, some of the movements in qi gong are the same tai chi. The difference being in qi gong you are supposed to visualize and feel the vital energy moving though blockages and whatnot. I don't remember what its called, but in tai chi there is that move where you hold your right hand over your left hand and rotate a quarter turn, well you do the same movement in qi gong but you are supposed to be collecting a ball of qi energy between your hands that is later dispersed throughout your body.
@dirge

I'm not familiar with qi gong as a distinct art. I have a little proficiency with Aikido. It is very much about extending Ki through techniques, but that seems like a common thread of every martial art I've studied.

@Putin. I liked The Tao of Pooh as a tongue in cheek introduction to Taoism. If you've never read it, it's pretty decent.


In general, as regards Ki, I'm not really sure what it is or how it works. It really amounts to when you think about this technique in these terms, it works this way.
dirge (768 D(B))
27 Feb 14 UTC
okay, here is an example of pseudoscience related to qi:

http://www.qigonginstitute.org/html/scientificbasis.php
dirge (768 D(B))
27 Feb 14 UTC
And, White liberals enamored of the same:

http://www.transformationarts.org/category/social-tags/alternative-medicine
dirge (768 D(B))
27 Feb 14 UTC
and just to be clear, I am not anti-chinese medicine. My grandfather was a practitioner of traditional chinese medicine. Tradition is great. But pseudoscience is pseudoscience.
dirge (768 D(B))
27 Feb 14 UTC
And, stupid White liberals who love everyone else's folk traditions but hate their own are stupid white liberals. (and I am not a conservative)
dirge (768 D(B))
27 Feb 14 UTC
This is my cousin who died recently, Cheryl Chow:

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020671510_chowobitxml.html
Putin33 (111 D)
27 Feb 14 UTC
You post an obit to prove you're not anti-Chinese in an e-discussion?

Good grief.

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91 replies
abgemacht (1076 D(G))
27 Feb 14 UTC
(+4)
It's (almost) my webDip Birthday!
In under 2 hours I'll be 6 years old! In lieu of presents, please contribute to the site, either with a donation, volunteering to help with a tournament/SoW, opening a Chase bank account, or just starting an interesting discussion on the Forum.

Thanks to everyone for making this my favorite site on the Internet for 6 years running!
6 replies
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Dharmaton (2398 D)
27 Feb 14 UTC
This is nuts, glad i got ousted lolol
... ?gameID=136595 live now pffff
27 replies
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Jacksonisboss (30 DX)
27 Feb 14 UTC
a new live game
join "another practice game live ppsc" . it is ppsc and it starting 2 minutes
4 replies
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Jacksonisboss (30 DX)
27 Feb 14 UTC
join
join my game for new player/pros who like helping others. it is "another practice game live ppsc"(exactly that) btw starts in 15 minutes
2 replies
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Lord Baldy (100 D)
26 Feb 14 UTC
(+1)
BIG FAT HAIRY BUMHOLES
Need I say more?...
12 replies
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Lord Baldy (100 D)
26 Feb 14 UTC
(+1)
FLUFFY WHITE CLOUDS
Aren't they lovely?...
7 replies
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obiwanobiwan (248 D)
23 Feb 14 UTC
(+1)
A Jewish State? Israel? YES. YES IT IS.
http://news.yahoo.com/israeli-demand-sparks-39-jewish-state-39-debate-192744221.html It's a Jewish State. As surely as Ireland's an Irish state and Iran's an Iranian state, Israel is a JEWISH state...THE Jewish state. Make the Palestinians recognize that, and in turn, make the Israelis stop the terrible, TERRIBLE expansion plan into the West Bank. As surely as there must be a Palestine, Israel MUST be THE Jewish state.
181 replies
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Orka (785 D)
25 Feb 14 UTC
Variants
How do we get variants on this site?
14 replies
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krellin (80 DX)
25 Feb 14 UTC
Designer (Rich) Babies. Someone...
...won't be a ditch-digger.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-25/dad-may-join-two-moms-for-disease-free-designer-babies.html

Yes, the elite are already making their push for designer babies. I'll take my girl 5'7" with "c" cups, blonde (strawberry) and green eyes, please. And Wicked smart...
53 replies
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bo_sox48 (5202 DMod(G))
25 Feb 14 UTC
Guys - I Found Us a Life Hack
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/relationships/10658271/Automated-texts-to-your-girlfriend-Theres-an-app-for-that.html

Anyone that uses this shouldn't have a girlfriend, but at the same time, damn, that could be useful.
31 replies
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mapleleaf (0 DX)
25 Feb 14 UTC
Son: "Dad, what's SILVER?"
Dad:..........
54 replies
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Putin33 (111 D)
25 Feb 14 UTC
Timewarner - Comcast Merger
Will it go through and what does it mean for Net Neutrality, especially since the courts vacated FCC rules governing the internet?

0 replies
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PiC (2166 D)
25 Feb 14 UTC
join you have three builds as italy
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=136521&msgCountryID=0&rand=18504#chatboxanchor
1 reply
Open
ILN (100 D)
25 Feb 14 UTC
Most peaceful philosophy
http://mises.ca/posts/blog/libertarianism-they-only-peaceful-philosophy/

Curious about what people will say on this...
6 replies
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obiwanobiwan (248 D)
07 Feb 14 UTC
The Good Old International "FUCK YOU!"...I mean, The Good Old Hocke Game...
...is the best game you can name, and the best game you can name, is a US-Gold Medal game! Anyone else pulling for Team USA to kick some Russian ass and win the Gold at Sochi? Any of our Canadian WebDippers proud of their awesome squad looking to defend their title? Any chance Putin wants to stand by Real Putin and that big, bad, high-powered Russian squad?
326 replies
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ILN (100 D)
25 Feb 14 UTC
Dirty Internet tactics
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/02/24/jtrig-manipulation/
3 replies
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redhouse1938 (429 D)
24 Feb 14 UTC
(+1)
Obama's first good decision
Like a dead clock that's right two times a day, Obama made a good decision.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/24/us/politics/pentagon-plans-to-shrink-army-to-pre-world-war-ii-level.html?hp&_r=0
Congratulations Americans.
63 replies
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obiwanobiwan (248 D)
19 Feb 14 UTC
The Liberal (AKA Anti-NRA/krellin) Gun Club
http://gma.yahoo.com/gun-club-liberals-un-nra-010923198.html
"She has no use, however, for the NRA's conservative political agenda... Its mission, she says, is to provide "a place for gun owners to talk to other owners about neat gun stuff, without having to hear how the president is a Muslim-usurper-socialist running a false-flag operation." Clearly, Ms. Hoeber's been reading our posts...clearly.
80 replies
Open
oscarjd74 (100 D)
24 Feb 14 UTC
Shouldn't draw votes be anonymous?
I don't mind that cancel and pause votes are out in the open, but I'd expect draw votes to be anonymous. That's how it was when I played FtF and on the email judges. Any particular reason why they are not anonymous on this site?
44 replies
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dyedinthewool (240 D)
25 Feb 14 UTC
settings
Trying to join anon game not sure how to set settings for this or will it automatically hide my user name
3 replies
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shield (3929 D)
25 Feb 14 UTC
Public Press Gunboat
More akin to real life gunboat where we can chat about anything except the game. Does anyone do this? I prefer gunboat because diplomacy just takes a lot of time that I'd rather spend doing other things in my life. However sometimes it would be nice to have the option of sending a public shout out on some topic.
1 reply
Open
Jacksonisboss (30 DX)
24 Feb 14 UTC
new game
join my game of "practice not for points". it is for new players or pros who need practice. it is ppsc, clasic, and one day turns
3 replies
Open
Lackbeard (55 D)
24 Feb 14 UTC
World missing Argentina
Just need someone to full Argentinas spot. gameID=134431

He was doing really well, on 11 SCs
0 replies
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