As a physicist, I think the reason we don't like it is this approach isn't how physics usually works. There's a subtlety in language here: it's not that we can't accept it, or that we want the universe to meet human expectations. It's just that we want an explanation that doesn't rely almost exclusively on chance.…

Just thought I'd offer some encouragement as a guy who's trying to do the right thing too. (No claim on actually understanding what the right thing is, or even executing it well, lol. Definitely not perfect!)

So this isn't quite a hack, but rather, knowing when to apply hacks. I learned the difference between "things I can hack myself" and "things I think I can hack myself, but really shouldn't."

Seriously. If you don't have this down, you'll waste more time than you'll ever save.

Lol, my worst mistake was mentioning I read Lifehacker. I don't think Apple takes you guys seriously!

I'm not surprised. I thought these systems and practices were common knowledge ever since they discovered that gov. server room connected to AT&T's backbone?

I believe our laws and courts protect us pretty well. We haven't heard of PRISM before now. So the government hasn't used PRISM info against anybody in court. I'd bet that's because a) it's not legal, b) they'd tip their hand about their spying capabilities, and c) it's too expensive. We haven't heard of pinhole…

I just have to say, I've assumed this is what's been happening since... oh... 2006? There's just no way our government - any government - would have that vast of a data store and not look at it. I just always assumed it would be spies doing it, because that's what spying is. (NSA - so justified there apparently.) …

Well... I can't respond to all of that, I just don't have time. I think we've reached the point where it's time to move on. I mostly agree with what you said, you mostly understand why I've said what I've said, and I think "mostly" is probably "as good as it's gonna get for now".

Oh, and for the record, I've never edited my comments (except maybe to add things, never change them, that's a cardinal sin in debate and the Internet), and those comments are still there.

That's better: I can respond to that. Thanks, for probably the first thoughtful response to me in this thread.

Fair enough. I will recommend you - you have a good point. I do have strong feelings when it comes to academia's injustices, and whether they're valid or not, they might not always be appropriate.

First: I never defended the professor. I am highly offended that you assume I did, that you read things into what I wrote that *simply* *aren't* *there*. Please, quote me, somewhere, anywhere, defending the professor.

Ah, right, that's my own heritage popping up. My family is Spanish, by way of Mexico. So I tend to use the two interchangeably when talking about myself, because I'm both.

Oh no, I agree with you. Totally.

Nope. See, *now* I'm mad. I'm Mexican, I've dealt with weight issues, very premature baldness, and more, which all carry their own degrees of bias in society. You don't know me.

So I'm not Mexican? And I don't deal with my own weight issues and baldness? And my father, the person I respect most in my life, and love, isn't obese? And our family hasn't dealt with the psychology of weight issues - some with more success than others? And I'm not terrified that he won't live to see his grandkids…

Fair enough: Not everybody will agree that my point of view, my priorities, are right.

Also, you don't know that weight has nothing to do with their character. It might. That's the sticky part of prejudice for a lot of people: they might be right one time, and they feel like that justifies the 99 times they're wrong. It shouldn't and doesn't.

I'm sorry, you may not like to hear it, but there is an accepted order to severity of prejudice. The ADA was important, but suffrage was a bigger deal. And the minority vote (I'd say black, but it extended to all races) was bigger than that. And slavery was bigger than that. In an ideal world, yes, everybody deserves…

I have no idea what you're responding to. I don't see you responding or quoting me on anything so I don't think it's something I said, but rather something you thought I said. I didn't say obese people aren't smart. I did say it's not healthy, sure. That's the definition of obese: