# askeptic is a psycho **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 28, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848 "2004-03-28T02:55:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![WernhamHogg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a587f6/32.png) [@WernhamHogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WernhamHogg)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/41 "2004-03-28T21:11:16Z")
Is this “essence” a material existence? And if so, what kind of material existence, and how can the material existence be “outside” of the universe without being that which most people mean when they talk about the universe? If “essence” is not a material existence, what is it? More probability? Is the universe made of nothing but concepts and abstractions? How can such concepts and abstractions exist if not within some material context? To put it simply, exactly how can a cat catch a mouse in a non-material universe? Even if the cat and the mouse are merely part of my brain (which I don’t believe, but I’ll tenure it for the sake of the argument), and have no material existence that can be verified, I must exist in order to perceive them, and there is a material context for that cognition, i.e., my brain matter. If I don’t exist, but merely think I exist as some probability algorithm, I would think must be a giant computer, a sleeping giant, or some other material context to either perceive me or generate me as a possibility. And so it goes through however many iterations of abstraction you want to take it. There ultimately must be a machine housing the ghost. Thoughts don’t generate themselves in the void, willing themselves into being without matter or energy. I don’t see why you’d have to be an existentialist if you’re not a solipsist. If anything, I see those as being similar, both saying “I’m alone in the universe,” but the former thinking, “I am the universe,” and the existentalist saying, “Man, this place sucks.” ---
**Author:** ![WaryEri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ea666f/32.png) [@WaryEri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WaryEri)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/42 "2004-03-28T21:19:33Z")
He could just be a long time lurker. I treated the SDMB like good reading material from some time in 2001 up until…well, when I payed to post, pretty much. I used to sit and read old GD and Pit threads when I couldn’t sleep. I wouldn’t be at all comfortable acting like I’m on friendly terms with old timers now, but lurking so long and so thoroughly gives one more than a passing familiarity with the habits and personalities of the board’s Big Names. I’m a little envious. He may be a train wreck half the time, but he leapt out of newbism into being a real “member” a hell of alot faster than I could ever hope to. ---
**Author:** ![WernhamHogg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a587f6/32.png) [@WernhamHogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WernhamHogg)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/43 "2004-03-28T21:25:47Z")
I’m a little envious, too. Here I’ve been a member for over a year, and not one pit has been opened in my honor, despite being pissy on a regular basis. Maybe I’m not trying hard enough. P.S., Fuck you all. 😉 When will the four missing smilies come back (Wally, Smack, Dubious, and the Rabbi)? ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/44 "2004-03-28T21:40:58Z")
I like **askeptic.** He’s _always_ honest, and he always owns up and apologizes if he fucks up somehow. It seems like alot of what he says is light-hearted or sarcastic, but he doesn’t realize that stuff doesn’t translate well online. If he was trying to troll, or if he was a returning troll\*, why would he spend half of his posts apologizing? He posts without thinking sometimes, it appears, but who among us never did that, particularly in our early days on the boards? From what I’ve seen, **askeptic** trainwrecks go like this: - **askeptic** makes an effort to make a point, or attacks what he perceives to be ignorance. -Somebody (or lots of somebodies) tell **askeptic** he’s wrong, he’s being a dick, etc. - **askeptic** defends himself in a frenzy, and calls a lot of people a lot of names. -Ugliness. -Usually, **askeptic** apologizes. -Rinse, repeat. He’s been in more ugly situations than most, no doubt, but at least he’s genuine and has good intentions. I’ll take that over the everyday troll or boredom. We need some fire around here. He probably just needs to eat a few of his posts before they get out into the open. \*Incidentally, if you think somebody’s a returning troll, you’re supposed to report it and shut up, aren’t you? And if you _don’t_ think he is, you shut up anyway, right? ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/45 "2004-03-28T21:52:58Z")
Hey, I already did that routine. I was banned. **askeptic** needs to be a great deal more judicious in his posting habits, IMO. IANAMOD. ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/46 "2004-03-28T22:06:30Z")
> [@Ilsa\_Lund](#): > > **askeptic** needs to be a great deal more judicious in his posting habits, IMO. Indeed. Judicious, prudent, thoughtful…whatever you want to call it, he certainly ought to use that censor between his brain and mouth before typing. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/47 "2004-03-28T23:08:29Z")
> [@skutir](#): > > I’m a little envious, too. Here I’ve been a member for over a year, and not one pit has been opened in my honor, despite being pissy on a regular basis. Hell, five years, and I’ve never been pitted. Cost of being a nice guy. Y’ wanna pit each other? ---
**Author:** ![WernhamHogg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a587f6/32.png) [@WernhamHogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WernhamHogg)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/48 "2004-03-28T23:11:26Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Hell, five years, and I’ve never been pitted. Cost of being a nice guy. > > Y’ wanna pit each other? Better wait a bit so it doesn’t look like a couple of joke threads. Also, we need to stage a conflict of some kind so it looks real, you insufferable ass. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/49 "2004-03-28T23:15:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Incidentally, if you think somebody’s a returning troll, you’re supposed to report it and shut up, aren’t you? And if you don’t think he is, you shut up anyway, right? Yes. That’s why I didn’t say that he’s a returning troll. I did in fact send three e-mails via the post report button, but even in those I didn’t say that he is a troll. A person can be banned or be gone for any number of reasons and then return under a new identity. That’s not trolling. Like I said already, I don’t know if he used to be somebody or not, but his familiarity with almost everyone and everything, including history and personalities, is… just plain spooky. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/50 "2004-03-28T23:17:05Z")
> [@skutir](#): > > you insufferable ass. Yeah, yeah. Fuck you. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/51 "2004-03-29T01:07:41Z")
If any of you worthless navel-gazers care (:)), I believe this: > [@](#): > > A particularly vicious and evangelistic atheist. Think Madalyn Murray O’Hare. refers to the good **Reverend Mykeru**. How do I know? I agreed with him in principle on SDMB, and he “followed me home” to my blog, where he proceeded to stink up the place for a while before I banned him there too. ---
**Author:** ![WernhamHogg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a587f6/32.png) [@WernhamHogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WernhamHogg)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/52 "2004-03-29T02:04:03Z")
You think **askeptic** posts a lot… **science girl** has opened five threads and posted 45 times on this, her first day of guest membership. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/53 "2004-03-29T02:27:07Z")
> [@skutir](#): > > You think **askeptic** posts a lot… **science girl** has opened five threads and posted 45 times on this, her first day of guest membership. I think Q.E.D. may have beaten that early on in his effort to dethrone Handy. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/54 "2004-03-29T02:31:39Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by furt_ > Y’ wanna pit each other? Hey, can I get in on this action, too? I’ve never been pitted, either! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WernhamHogg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a587f6/32.png) [@WernhamHogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WernhamHogg)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/55 "2004-03-29T02:34:08Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > Hey, can I get in on this action, too? I’ve never been pitted, either! 😃 Sure. BTW, **furt** sent me an e-mail and told me your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/56 "2004-03-29T03:01:37Z")
> [@skutir](#): > > Sure. BTW, **furt** sent me an e-mail and told me your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries. **furt** emailed me and said that your mother wears army boots. ---
**Author:** ![WernhamHogg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a587f6/32.png) [@WernhamHogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WernhamHogg)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/57 "2004-03-29T03:49:15Z")
Ilsa, **norinew** e-mailed me and told me your mother gave him the worst 50 cent lapdance he’s ever had. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/58 "2004-03-29T05:01:49Z")
Sorry folks, I did not mean to miss my very own pitting. I took the valuable advice of LYNN BODONI and took a break. I would like to thank everyone that, while they may not agree with anything I have posted, still recognized that I was not a reincarnation of somebody else. Lib, it does not take a genious to recognize the nature of your ideology. Besides, if you will recall, I did ask if I could call you Lib, before I ever actually did. Also I thought we agreed to be worthy adversaries, not enemies. That does mean that I do not dislike you, just that I do not agree with your ideas. Sorry if that is a difficult concept for you. Ilsa, you are to vulgar to address. Gluteus is to … to address. TO EVERYONE ELSE: I took 2 months off work 7 months ago to remodel my house, I have spent three times the money I planned on spending, and pretty much lost my mind. I have had basically no interaction with another human being other than contractors trying to screw me for half a year. I started participating on this forum because I felt I was begining to forget how to speak English. I promise that all thoughts, stupid as they may have been, were mine, and mine alone. I apologize to any I may have offended. I will not disapear until forced to. Just wanted you to know I was not ignoring your comments, I was just trying to lower my daily average post count. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/59 "2004-03-29T05:06:26Z")
> [@](#): > > That does mean that I do not dislike you I meant, That does not mean that I do not like you. Sorry for the double negative in the original, poor editing on my part. Jimmy Chitwood: If there is ever anything I can do for you, just ask. If it is within my power, I will do it. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848/60 "2004-03-29T05:33:02Z")
> [@Ilsa\_Lund](#): > > **furt** emailed me and said that your mother wears army boots. You’re taking that out of context, you lying bastard. I said they were _quite attractive_ army boots. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/askeptic-is-a-psycho/236848.md?page=4)