BellGab.com Archive

Quote from: nika01 on August 13, 2015, 07:36:31 AM
what the hell is that supposed to mean?

C'mon, it hardly needs decryption. When the world is still standing by the end of September, all the doomsayers will have to scramble to account for the fact that their predictions were hopelessly wrong. There will be brief pause before the same idiots will start another panic about 2017. All very predictable.

I have tried, and failed, to enjoy the paranormal news sections of the show. Most of it isn't very interesting (or paranormal) and Leo Asshat's weird robotic delivery doesn't help.

And do they have to cut out the small pauses when he takes a breath? It makes it sound very weird.

Quote from: Yorkshire pud on August 13, 2015, 05:33:44 AM
We still won the ashes though.

You're harsh but very fair.

Yes, you sound like my inner voice telling me to be calm 

I think it must be the weather. Absolutely bloody awful here at the moment and no sign of getting any better. I don't think even having 'coffee' with a bunch of shut-ins is going to make any difference right now.

Quote from: Yorkshire pud on August 13, 2015, 05:23:33 AM
It has that air of pubescent schoolgirl angst/ insecurity/ reassurance about it. Awwwww.

If they weren't posting on here they'd be annoying the shit out of me in real life with their effeminate ramblings.

They are the sort of people you find yourself opposite on trains. They sit next to each other but don't speak - preferring to look at their phones, then occasionally show it to each other and giggle.

I don't mean to be harsh, but damn them all to hell.

Quote from: Yorkshire pud on August 12, 2015, 11:56:55 AM

Did you also feel tempted to be 'bestie' with anyone, or fall over yourself in praising anyone because they typed anything?

The Bellahaven thread is a strong contender for 'weirdest thing on the internet'. Just reading a few posts makes one's balls shrivel and disappear up the asshole, and that's just the women. I thought it was the clammy presence of WhiteCrow that made it so disturbing (he could turn the most innocent Sunday School picnic into something out of David Cronenberg) but I think at least half of the regular posters ought to be incarcerated as a precautionary measure and the rest put under strict observation. It's the icky combination of 'you go, girl' fake supportiveness with an undercurrent of passive aggression that always strikes me. And as for this business of having 'coffee' together...

I don't know who to call first - a priest or a policeman

A little known fact. Until his mid-twenties George Senda thought his Christian name was Fuckoff. Everyone he went up to, when he would say to them, 'hi my name is George' would say, 'yes, we know, fuck off, George!'. That accounts for why all of his (begging) letters used to be signed 'Mr F. George'.

An old joke, slightly re-purposed, but worth another airing. 

Anyone who believes this balls is a trailer-dwelling, toothless product of incest.

This has been proved in scientific studies.

Quote from: Yorkshire pud on August 11, 2015, 10:48:50 AM
Phew! Imagine what you'd say if we'd lost the ashes? 

I wouldn't have said much, but my Senda-oriented response would have involved a plane ticket, a flame thrower, and a shovel.

I'd help the bastard clean alright. 

I wish I hadn't seen that video. The look of anger on his fat face, when someone suggests that he might want to lever himself off his fat lazy ass and do something about that trash pile he is living in, makes me want to vomit. He has a bad knee? Oh, he never mentioned it before!! He needs a muzzle because every time he opens his mouth he says something that makes you want to punch him. Why the hell would someone want to come and help him clean when it's his damn place? And what's a typical day in the life of Senda? Wandering around that dunghill of an apartment scratching himself? If it's so damn small why does it take so long to clean?

How the hell does he get to go round churches trying to score free food? He doesn't exactly look starving. I think charity in Senda's case would involve taking him to the highest point of the church  and applying a hand to the small of his back when he gets near an open window. And how dare his mother buy him clothes, that inhuman harridan!

OK, I feel better now. 

Quote from: Mebee on August 11, 2015, 09:23:40 AM
Hi kids. I joined to ask this question: I signed up on the first day for the Time Traveler thing. Does that mean I'm already  on automatic payment status for future months?

Yes, it comes out of PayPal automatically from now on, unless you cancel.

How does a Flat-Earther explain Coriolis Force, that makes water go down the plughole one way in the Northern and another in the Southern Hemispheres? Did we all grow up believing that too?

Quote from: chefist on August 11, 2015, 09:10:20 AM
Thanks a lot, SV...You do bring up valid points.  I would want to bring a scientific filter to the program, as I am a chemist by trade.  Therefore, in that aspect I don't know how much time I would want to devote talking about a topic like a flat Earth! LOL

That's why I thought once a week would be more than enough! Also, having an interesting guest (probably from BG) would be great fun and entertainment.

Art's show for me is story telling at a very high level! That is why I listen!

There will be a lot of callers, due to the fact that even though I may be outgoing and verbose, talking ad nauseum for extended periods of time is a gift that I do not have...on our test show we got some BG regulars to call in that have not called in anywhere before! That is a good thing!

Well, that's different. It sounds like you'd bring a slant to it that might be interesting. Don't be too hard on the Flat Earth show though. I think most people hearing that, hopefully  , would have come away thinking that John was an arrogant dick and the prof had some interesting points that could be looked into more deeply. That's one of the things that you come away with from the religion v science debates - how much more interesting the world is when it is explained, not mystified.

I'm all for people doing shows and expressing their enthusiasm. I felt that Bella-Haven was a nice idea that didn't work, so perhaps you will be able to succeed and learn from their mistakes.

Is there really a lot to say about the average programme? Sometimes (like the Flat Earth thing) you get a bizarre idea (plus an incredibly annoying guest) that is worth going into a bit more, but often it ends up being a discussion about whether it was a good show or not and that is about it. Until Art finds some guests who are truly unusual and tell us something we have never heard before then I don't see what you are going to talk about. That's true about most Art Bell shows for me, great to listen to, but rarely providing much food for thought outside of the show itself.

But, that's just me. Perhaps you have lots of ideas that I haven't thought of - in which case, more power to you. You might be better off just doing a paranormal style show yourself and finding your own guests. I'm sure they're out there and - perhaps someone who isn't on the radar could use your show as possibly a route to appearing with the great man himself.

Anyway, just my opinion. Good luck.

Works fine for me. Nice to have one file for the shows instead of separate ones at last.

Quote from: dan7800 on August 08, 2015, 10:59:40 AM

A HUGE red flag that this is fake is to look at the language. It sounds like someone from our era wrote it. Read something written even 150-200 years ago. The grammar, language etc... is different.

I don't know about that. The main difference would be in speech where slang can come in and out of fashion, but the written word tends to change a lot less, unless the future is an illiterate hell where everybody is communicating in text-speak (shudder). About 300  years ago people didn't even have a recognised way of spelling words and would often spell someone's name multiple ways, for instance. These days, we all grow up with a particular way of understanding the written word because it's there in front of us in various types of media, when centuries ago the only access to print might be poorly produced penny dreadfuls and chapbooks. I don't think the overall style of writing has changed a lot over 200 years, but the way people think has changed. Jane Austen sounds pretty contemporary to me, for example, although her world was totally alien to our own, and certain forms and courtesies are hard to decipher.

I don't believe a word of this time-travelling thing, but I don't think you can pinpoint the style as an obvious flaw.

Quote from: pigtet on August 10, 2015, 09:53:45 AM
I must admit I'm being horrible but I actually listen to the Paracast to confirm that depression is a real illness. They constantly justify their adverts to people that complain about the adverts. Hey excuse me but their adverts are the worst thing in the universe. Smug. You're being too kind

I haven't heard it for a long time but they were always pimping something awful called 'Attack of the Rockoids'. They like to think of themselves as some kind of hard-hitting truth tellers but they are no different to the rest of them. I think Gene was even pleading poverty and holding out the begging bowl too at one point. I can understand running ads but when they are the greater part of  your show then it is hardly worthwhile bothering.

Quote from: BellBoy on August 10, 2015, 09:23:30 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcMJWZBzYjU

That's better...

I don't recognise Cornwall as part of Britain, and neither do they. They're all a bit odd down there.

Quote from: paladin1991 on August 10, 2015, 09:11:59 AM
Mebbeso, mebbeso.  But, old boy, I have all my teeth.

Yes, but you keep them in a glass by your hammock.

Quote from: pigtet on August 10, 2015, 08:51:36 AM

Walton's just a first class liar, c'mon let's face it. Even the Paracast have been taken in by him. Mmm, experts at the Paracast like Travis. Great research Paracast, well done on your observations !

Ah yes, the Paracast, the 'gold standard of paranormal radio'. Once you get past the commercials there really isn't much of a show left, and Gene has to be one of the most annoying people I have ever heard. A case of terminal smugness. I don't know where they think their credibility has come from.

Quote from: paladin1991 on August 10, 2015, 08:57:50 AM
You hearing banjos?  Dude, they were loggers, not horny gaptoothed hillbilly's.

My dear chap, I hear banjos practically every time one of your delightful countrymen opens his mouth.

I finally got round to listening to a bunch of the new shows. They kept piling up and I thought if I didn't dive in soon and make a start on them I never would. I'm glad I did. It's obvious Art is having fun in his new gig when you hear the little half-stifled chuckle he makes now and again - I can't remember another broadcaster getting such a kick out of being on the air and interacting with callers and guests. Compare that to a certain 'other show' (you have to read that with Art Bell-like emphasis) where he seems to be struggling to stay awake most of the time, and you realize how much we have all been missing.

I thought the Bigfoot show was a lot more enjoyable than I would have expected. He got me as close as I am likely to get to thinking that there is something in it, and that it's not just people misidentifying bears and other mundane wildlife. Art did drop the ball a bit though with the caller who was trying to dispute the idea of expert evidence, where Rugg just waffled over the top of him and didn't listen to the question. It was a perfectly sound point, that any sort of authoritative testimony is likely to be flawed, and deserved to get a proper answer.

That Flat Earth show was amazing. I can't recall hearing someone I wanted to hit with a brick more than 'John'. Why Art seemed to think he was a 'bright guy' completely eluded me. I don't think it takes much intelligence to mouth a few bullet points. He wasn't even considering the things the prof was saying and just sailed over the top of them. The one question I wanted to ask him was 'why?' It makes no sense to me why scientists would bother promoting a lie. It's not just a question of growing up with an idea and sticking to it - if it was wrong then all our predictions which we make based on a spherical Earth would be wrong too. I wished I was listening live because I would have wormholed the shit out of that show.

Travis Walton was a bit of a puzzle. People say of guests like Bob Lazar and the GIS that their credibility is supported by the fact that they aren't promoting anything, but it seems like Travis is involved in practically everything these days, with conferences and documentaries. Everything except a burger chain. I'm sure in previous interviews he was a reluctant guest but now he's embraced it all and doesn't sound like he is able to stop presenting himself as UFO Guy. I still don't believe a word of it. I don't know what went on but I think when you get a bunch of loggers screwing about in the woods then anything goes. Perhaps Travis was a bit  of a dick and the other guys wanted to scare him somehow, I dunno.

If I had one small criticism it would concern the callers, who are often boring. Once they get on air they forget what they want to say and Art has to struggle to get something together. Skype sounds weird too, I like to hear a bit of distance between the callers and Art. Anyway, I have gone on too long. It's just great to hear the old boy back on the air again and showing us all how it's done.

Quote from: Yorkshire pud on August 08, 2015, 11:47:18 AM
A bit of a hollow victory for me. England thrashed Australia but could have done it if Broad and Root had broken arms. Australia really need to take a good look at themselves.

Yes, I know what you mean. We won the war almost without a shot being fired. I wouldn't be surprised if we want back there and got hammered again though. Unfortunately these abbreviated tours make it harder for teams to adapt when the get so few practice matches. The authorities just want to see as many games as possible to maximise revenue.

Still, it will shut those bastards up for a while, won't it? 

Quote from: sugarhill on August 07, 2015, 09:52:59 AM
1hr in and more talk about irc than bigfoot or the guest.. the show's becoming a support group for insomniacs instead of a wrap up, riding off art's name..

I have heard a few episodes where I felt the same as you. They seemed too nice to get rid of some of these callers, who were wittering on about the first thing that came into their heads and were stupendously boring. I think calling it 'a support group for insomniacs' sounded pretty apt. Quite what this had to do with Art Bell I have no idea.

Quote from: phelps on August 07, 2015, 09:28:53 AM
Sorry for keeping the thread open late, but I listen to the show the next morning and had to get a login to discuss this --

I think I know who "john" is.  I think that he is Eugene Mirman, comedian and voice actor.  I was listening to the show, and I kept thinking, "this guy sounds exactly like Gene from Bob's Burgers."  When I went through youtube looking at the things that Mirman posts, he is heavy into the skeptic movement, does podcasts with Neil Degrasse Tyson, takes on Scientologists, etc.

So, I think that we all experienced an exceptionally well-done piece of performance art.  I think that he is so familiar with the arguments that he does a better job of arguing it than people who actually believe it.

I shall have  to get round to listening to this as soon as I can. I always assumed that Flat Earthers were people who enjoyed having an argument rather than true believers. Some people enjoy arguing an indefensible position just for the hell of it, so your theory would make some kind of sense, whether it is correct in this case or not.

Quote from: sorefinger on August 06, 2015, 11:09:51 AM
Who is to say that evolutionists are not hoodwinking people?  If aliens land on earth tomorrow and prove they are the authors of DNA, then evolutionist deserve criticism. This is a hypothetical, so, no cringing!

If evolution is the only explanation, then surely bacteria would have evolved to survive in honey, certainly after a million years or so by now.  There are thousands of other brick walls that evolution cannot pierce.

FFS!!!!!!!!!!!

Why the hell would they??!! This is your clinching argument? Fucking aliens? Evolution has been picked over ever since it started. Don't you think that scientists would love to make a name for themselves by shooting holes in it and having books written about them? They can't because they don't have the evidence, except for creationists who spend their time fashioning an argument rather than looking at the data.

Why the hell would bacteria do what you expect? 'Surely' doesn't come into it. Why isn't there a two-headed whortlebeast made out of curtain rings? Surely evolution would have thought of that too? Ergo, science is bullshit.

What a ninny.

Quote from: sorefinger on August 06, 2015, 10:55:10 AM
You are resorting to conformational bias to confirm that I am a creationist. I'm neither. But I examine both sides of the issue, finding good arguments with each.

Have you actually read "Signature in the Cell?  Or are you just commenting from a confirmational bias?

I don't care what you are, I just made a point that you are choosing to ignore. Intelligence goes either way here - it's not all cute gurgling babies, it's also cancer and Alzheimers.

You can't have good arguments about this question on either side, it is either right or wrong. If you don't have the confidence to engage in an argument then don't start one. People who claim to be open-minded about this issue are usually disingenuous in my experience.

With all due respect, Australia are a bunch of clueless wankers.

If you have ever wondered what it must be like to be slowly suffocated by a boa constrictor I think the next couple of days of this Test, as we win back the Ashes, will give you some idea. I imagine we will win by an innings, or things will have gone badly wrong.

Yorkshire doing the job for England right now with World's Best Batsman, Joe Root, showing those hapless tossers how to bat, and Johnny Bairstow doing his late father proud at last.

It's an interesting point that 'Root' means something different in Australian. Suffice to say that Joe has given them a good rooting tonight.

Quote from: CornyCrow on August 06, 2015, 10:46:02 AM
There are some religionists who are sincerely looking for answers,

I'm not sure about that. They can come across as good guys sometimes but too often you get to a point where you realise that they are all just as brainwashed as the rest of them. They are perfectly entitled to believe what they like, and I won't try and persuade them otherwise, but when they start playing game and try to hoodwink people, then they should get criticized for it.

Quote from: sorefinger on August 06, 2015, 10:38:03 AM
Sure, there's conformational bias. But there is one hell of a lot more denial bias, by a long shot.

Man looks at the face of Mt. Rushmore and sees the hand of intelligent design, yet when man looks at the face of a newborn baby, sees no hand at all.

Okay then, let's pursue your argument to its logical conclusion. You have to credit God with children born blind, or without limbs, or Downs, or any other crippling deformity you care to mention. Where is the intelligence there?

There is an inherent tendency (which you have shown here) to grasp at the simplest possible answer to a complicated question. That's why religion is so popular, it is designed to appeal to illiterate peasants who struggle with difficult concepts.

Quote from: CornyCrow on August 06, 2015, 10:34:40 AM
Wow, she's such a two-faced jerk.  How dare she call Dawkins closed-minded!  The way she smiles and moves her head like a sweet little girl, then has such venom coming from her mouth.  A great representation for her faith - NOT.

I think her main argument against evolution was that it was a  nasty idea that made people feel bad. She knows all about evolution, of course, and has spent all her life wandering about museums trying to find answers but it's just so much bullshit. Dawkins must be made of iron to stay in front of that sort of dementia.