moderators on this group:
1. Unlike Kim, I don't reveal much here about myself personally. There are
three reasons:
a. (Primary reason) I don't trust the Internet, and with over 1500 members
on this group, it's quite possible for someone "not one of us" to get in and
harvest personal info. ("It's not paranoia if they're really out to get
you.")
b. This is not a "meet people and make friends" group, but a common interest
group. (While I've come to really respect some of the people in this group,
I wouldn't know any of them [but one] if I fell over them, and none would
know me.)
c. My statements should stand on their own merit, not on who I am (see
below).
2. I'm not impressed (and in fact I'm made wary) by:
a. Emotional "arguments".
b. Appeals to one's own expertise, in absence of facts or logic.
(1) A string of initials after one's name (esp. on email).
c. "Cornered animal" response, esp. personal attack.
3. I am impressed by:
a. Facts,
(1) trustworthy sources.
b. Reasoned argument.
c. Honest, straightforward response to criticism.
(1) Criticism of statements/arguments which do NOT criticize the person.
4. What's true is true, regardless if anyone believes it. It's up to us to
bring our beliefs into alignment with truth, rather than trying to bring
truth into alignment with our beliefs.
5. (At least I like to think) I hold no belief that won't yield to a solid
argument. I will be a better person by learning more, by my beliefs becoming
more consistent with the truth, with actuality. To me, actual knowledge and
competence is more important than some kind of ill-founded "self-esteem".
I trust you'll see the above beliefs and values in my posts, and in my
moderator activity.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kim Noyes" <kimnoyes@gmail.com>
To: "CaliforniaDisasters" <californiadisasters@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2011 7:25 PM
Subject: [californiadisasters] Admin Read: This Is Not An Echo Chamber
> Achtung Volk!
>
> This group is a clearinghouse for information relating to the past
disaster
> history of, disaster current events within, and future hazard threats to
the
> State of California otherwise known as the State of Disaster.
>
> Due to the collaborative efforts of our members and mods here we do an
> effective job at this as evidenced by the fact we have over 1,530 members
> with low membership turnover.
>
> We do not advocate political ideologies or religious philosophies on this
> list.
>
> However, do we advocate facts and reason and enlightenment while fully
> respecting that many folks approach facts and reason and enlightenment
very
> differently from one another and reach entirely different conclusions
which
> is normal and just fine with us.
>
> We do not attack views for being different than our own, in no small
measure
> because the ownership and moderating team here don't all hold the same
views
> either including the ones I'm about to enunciate here which for the record
> are my own and not necessarily those of the moderating team.
>
> We do challenge and rightly condemn words and actions that promote
> scientific ignorance and disaster unpreparedness and fail to honestly
> address issues of group and personal survival because that is what this
is
> all really about.
>
> The two dominant extreme polar opposites in the futile and infantile
Culture
> Wars are equally guilty of sins that threaten our collective and
individual
> survival and the long-term health of our Republic and by extension, our
> civilization.
>
> We need to address Global Warming because it is a scientific fact. The
> pseudo-intellectual anti-science of the Right boggles the mind in its
> frantic self-delusion and denial of the obvious. The Christian Right from
> whence I came has oft been the loudest font of disinformation on this
which
> is curious given the Scriptural mandate from God to protect the Earth and
> tend it like a responsible gardener... nothing in Scripture about
providing
> cover for Big Oil or playing the Devil's Advocate against Al Gore just
> because he's not a Conservative.
>
> We need to think and act beyond fossil fuels, not merely for the sake of
> concern about carbon but also we've been stuck on that for a century now
and
> we need to be moving onto something more advanced which in the case of
> energy is harnessing the power of the very building blocks of which our
> universe is created. Quite amazingly the Left which has a stranglehold
over
> the Ivory Halls of Academia are also the very same folks leading the
charge
> against moving onto full-throttle harnessing of nuclear energy and
> propulsion. This is based upon a fear of what might go wrong and not of
what
> might go right as the late John. F. Kennedy and those Classic Liberal
> visionaries like him once did. Otherwise, we would have never gone to the
> Moon based upon fears of what might go wrong.
>
> I generally frown upon discussions of politics here and when I allow it or
> do it myself it is in a non-partisan way that relates to disaster issues
> here in California.
>
> Watching MSNBC (I force myself to watch it and Faux News whenever I can
> because it's important to keep your friends close and your enemies closer)
> the other night and the cacophony of stupidity there in regards to atomic
> energy really honked me off. Combined with all the other ignorance and
lack
> of perspective of late during this Japanese disaster crisis I have
> encountered I felt I finally had to say some things that might assist in
> some tiny way in raising the level of knowledge and perspective in the
world
> in my small little way.
>
> Hence my comments today which were NOT intended to raise a ruckus or be
> offensive but were intended to get you all to think for yourselves and not
> in a group collective conscience sort of way that political ideologues on
> both sides of the Culture Wars prefer.
>
> I hope most of you are big enough people to not get huffy just because you
> and I may not see things exactly alike, something that I'm not even trying
> to accomplish nor should I even try as that is not my purpose upon this
> Earth.
>
> Unfortunately, the one poster earlier today that seemed to take umbrage at
> my comments has left in a huff. She was not attacked nor was her inferred
> political ideology in any ad hominem sort of way, but mere specific
> factually-based criticisms rooted in reality were made. Her lack of a
> rebuttal attempt tells me she had none at all which means she prefers to
> occupy the emotionally safe and intellectually-comfortable confines of an
> ideologically self-validating and self-affirming echo chamber.
>
> We don't do that stuff here so she was in the wrong place to begin with.
>
> I hope I have adequately articulated the intent of my prior comments
today.
>
> Feel free to contact me off-list if you require any further explanation or
> elaboration and don't worry; I don't bite. ;-)
>
> Kim Patrick Noyes
> List-owner
>
>
>
> --
> Check out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/californiadisasters/
> Read our blog at http://eclecticarcania.blogspot.com/
> Visit me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/derkimster
>
------------------------------------
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