Association of Registered Sceptics Everywhere – Helping Out Less Enlightened

I know it makes for an unfortunate acronym, but I have decided to try and gather like minded sceptics together to help with the cause.

Members need only be seen to be consistent in their struggle against unprovable claims of any kind, but it would be preferable to have started at least one thread attempting to debunk any subject.

If you think you have what it takes to be real A.R.S.E. – H.O.L.E. simply register here linking your debunk thread.

I also encourage members to link any other thread you have seen along the way that is need of a good debunking.

Alternately if you know of anyone who has the makings of an A.R.S.E. – H.O.L.E. let me know

Uh is this a joke or something? If it is then it's a good one!

But if it isn't then I would like to add the following:

I mean no disrespect whatsoever but "helping out less enlightened" sounds a bit well...nevermind...

Furthermore you are talking about an association of Skeptics, yet you ask everyone who is interested to "debunk" a thread. May I remind you a Skeptic and a debunker are NOT the same thing?

Skeptic - One who practices the method of suspended judgment, engages in rational and dispassionate reasoning as exemplified by the scientific method, shows willingness to consider alternative explanations without prejudice based on prior beliefs, and who seeks out evidence and carefully scrutinizes its validity.

Debunker - A debunker is an individual who discredits and exposes claims as being false, exaggerated, unscientific or pretentious. Debunkers often focus on topics such as U.F.O.s, claimed paranormal phenomena, conspiracy theories, alternative medicine, religion, research outside mainstream science or pseudoscientific subjects. The term debunker is applied when a person functions as an activist and performs research, writes articles, gives speeches, conducts seminars, or engages in other activities with the specific intent of discounting the validity of a dubious, bizarre, or abnormal claim.

Just wanted to point these things out.

Carry on.




[edit on 30/7/08 by Fastwalker81]

I was hoping that part would slip under the radar.
I guess since you doubt and question my thread it makes you a sceptic so you are now an honorary A.R.S.E. – H.O.L.E.

Originally posted by VIKINGANT
I was hoping that part would slip under the radar.
I guess since you doubt and question my thread it makes you a sceptic so you are now an honorary A.R.S.E. – H.O.L.E.

Touché my friend.

I just have a talent for pcking the gift. I guess it comes from being one for years. Well according to my wife anyway...

I know there are alot if A.R.S.E. – H.O.L.E.s here. They just need to embrace it

[edit on 30/7/2008 by VIKINGANT]

It appears that some thinner skinned members are not happy with this thread....or its location for that matter.
If the powers that be feel it should be moved or trashed please deal with it accordingy.
For those with a sense of humour, enjoy while you can.
Ant

reply to post by VIKINGANT


Very cute!

Consider though, who exactly are the TRUE skeptics ... ? After all ...

- consensus reality implies UFOs, ETs, etc are bunk - but I'm skeptical of that

- consensus reality implies there are no cures for cancer - but I'm skeptical of that

- consensus reality implies that OBL did 911 - but I'm skeptical of that

- consensus reality implies that oil comes from dead dinosaurs - but I'm skeptical of that

- consensus reality implies that vaccines are safe and effective - but I'm skeptical of that

- consensus reality implies that there were no advanced ancient civilisations on earth ...

- consensus reality implies that fluoridation of water reduces tooth decay ...

and on and on ...

I'm a true skeptic - and yet I'm continually denigrated by skeptic organisations for daring even to explore these topics from an opposing perspective to that of consensus reality.

The irony is that the 'believers' are actually true 'skeptics' and those calling themselves 'skeptics' have become nothing more than 'thought police'.


Duncan

reply to post by nexusmagazine

Good points. There are in fact a number in inaccuracies in with the OP. They were necessary though, for two reasons. If it was completly accurate it would not be as humorous nor would it be a valid skunk works thread



[edit on 1/8/2008 by VIKINGANT]

reply to post by VIKINGANT


Haha! Well done. I was just sitting here writhing in frustration over what gets passed as discussion in some threads. I was mulling over the wording of a response I had planned to a "skeptic" rant when I saw this thread. Thank you for the laugh - I needed that.

[edit on 1-8-2008 by Astroplasma]

For what it's worth:

I came to this board a few weeks ago, hoping to find intelligent conversation. I love the subject of UFOs, aliens, and the paranormal. And I have indeed, found many intelligent folks. But I've also found a lot of people that believe seemingly absolutely anything, without a shred of proof. It was a bit surprising really.

Kitten skulls on Mars? Yup, folks believe it. Fish people being hacked apart by survivalist guy? Yup, many believe it. Lakes of water on Mars? Yup, people believe it. And those are the more "plain" ones. There are some stories with support that just boggles my mind.

So while I DO believe in UFOs, and aliens, and the paranormal, I think such beliefs should be tempered with facts and logic, lest those on the fringe think in a nutshell, that those genres of belief are populated by raving nutcases. Which in fact, many do believe. You need a devil's advocate, and logic, and a voice of reason. Some of the stuff I've read the last few weeks just makes me shake my head, especially the rampant support some of this stuff gets.

reply to post by fleabit


First of all welcome to ATS. Most imprtant though. Dont let all that stuff put you off. When need sensible people like you.
Sure there are the occasional nut jobs about who believe things like reptilians and Nibiru etc, but over all, this is a very informative place and a lot of fun.
If that stuff gets to you just post your thoughts and hopefully one day people will see sense.....or they will prove us wrong. Either way, enjoy the ride!!!

So are you ready to join as an official A.R.S.E. – H.O.L.E.? I'm getting lonely here....

reply to post by VIKINGANT


can i be an a.r.s.e h.o.l.e please

unpleasant person. It is formed from arse, which according to the Oxford English Dictionary has been used since the 11th century to refer to the rump of an animal and since the 14th century to refer to a person's buttocks. The combined form arsehole is first attested from 1500 in its literal use to refer to the anus. The metaphorical use of the word to refer to the worst place in a region (e.g., "the arsehole of the world") is first attested in print in 1865; the use to refer to a contemptible person is first attested in 1933.[1] But as with other vulgarities, these uses of the word may have been common in oral speech for some time before their first print appearances.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Semantics
* 2 Songs using the word asshole
* 3 Similar compounds with ass
* 4 See also
* 5 Footnotes

Semantics

The word is mainly used as a profanity towards someone the speaker does not like or whose behavior is hurtful, self-centered, or particularly abrasive. Usually, the term is directed at a male (in female anatomy, the focus is deflected to the nearby genitals; see #). It may also sometimes be used to describe people who are viewed as stupid or useless or even meaningless, similar to wanker.

This word or its literal translation is found in colloquial speech in a number of cultures (in both English and other languages). This is because it describes an organ of elimination that is considered a taboo region (since it belongs to the intimate parts) of the body in many societies.

The English word ass (meaning donkey, a cognate of its zoological name Equus asinus) may also be used as a term of contempt, referring to a silly or stupid person. In North America, the words arse and ass have become synonymous; however, in the rest of the English-speaking world, ass still only refers to the donkey, rather than the arse (buttocks). It is worth noting that speakers of some varieties of English “drop their Rs” before consonants, leading to a pronunciation of arse that is quite similar to ass.

Until the early 1990s, the word was considered one of a number of words that could not be uttered on commercial television in the United States. Comedian Andrew Dice Clay caused a major shock when he uttered the word during a televised awards show in the 1980s. However, there were PG-13 and R rated films in the 1980s that featured use of the word, such as "The Terminator" (1984) and the PG-13 "National Lampoon Christmas Vacation" (1989) and "Back to The Future II" (1989). By 1994, however, the word was considered less vulgar and was featured in dialog on the long-running television series NYPD Blue, though it has yet to become anything close to commonplace on network TV. It is important to note that while the word arse has found a place on broadcast television, arsehole is not used, probably due to its more vulgar connotation. In some broadcast edits (such as the syndication airings of South Park), the word is partially bleeped out—ironically, as "arseh---", with the profane half of the word intact.

Songs using the word asshole
In 1972, Jonathan Richman's Modern Lovers recorded his song "Pablo Picasso," which includes the immortal line "Pablo Picasso never got called an asshole." The song was not released until 1976, after the break-up of the original Modern Lovers. In 1976, Chinga Chavin released the single "Asshole from El Paso" from his album Country Porn. Chavin's song was a parody of Merle Haggard's "Okie from Muskogee." In 1993, actor Denis Leary enjoyed some success with a comedic song called "Asshole", which opened his stage play No Cure for Cancer and was featured in a music video. It topped the Triple J Hottest 100, 1993 in Australia and subsequently reached #2 on the charts in that country in 1994. Alternative rock artist Beck has written and recorded a song called "Asshole", one of his most acclaimed compositions. The British ska-punk band Snuff also have a song named "Arsehole", while Canadian comedy troupe Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie have had a song called "The Asshole Song" in their repertoire since the late 1980s. In 2004, the song "Asshole" by the band Jim's Big Ego was used as the soundtrack to a popular Internet filmstrip about the Bush administration. Gene Simmons of rock band Kiss released his solo album under the name Asshole which also featured a song of the same name. August Campbell & The Spur Of The Moment Band wrote "The Asshole Song", sung about a person who purportedly cut him off while driving his car, prominently features the word as well (i.e. "Were you born an asshole, or did you work at it your whole life?"). [2]

Similar compounds with ass
Asshat is a slightly trendier and less severe variation of asshole, graphically describing someone who has his “head up his own ass” (i.e., not knowing what’s going on): one is wearing one’s ass for a hat. A more modern usage of asshat describes a person doing something stupid, and can apply to anyone: “The boss is up to asshattery because he broke the computer even though he knew he was doing the wrong thing.” This meaning was popularized by Something Awful character Jeff K. The word is popular in many online communities, serving as a more palatable version of its antecedent. According to Google’s Usenet statistics, the word only saw a token appearance every day or two starting in July 1999, but following a slow rise in 2002, it entered popular usage in May 2003. As it continued to grow in popularity, asshat began to be used by online gamers, in first person shooter and massively multiplayer role playing games. It was a commonplace word on servers where vulgar language was not allowed.
The insult assclown is used in a similar fashion, although it is not as common. Assclown has become well known among fans of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) due to wrestler Chris Jericho using it during his promos, especially his “Highlight Reel”. The term was also used in the film Office Space to describe singer-songwriter Michael Bolton. “Assclown” is also used by radio personality Todd Schnitt.
Asstard is another rarer variant upon the ass- theme. It is possibly a portmanteau of asshole and retard and has almost the same meaning as asshole, but with a greater implied connotation of stupidity. An identically spelled version of the same word is a contraction of asshole.

[edit on 8/2/2008 by altered_states]

reply to post by altered_states


Thanks AlteRed-StatEs,
We are off to a flying start.. So far 2 self confessed A.R.S.E.-H.O.L.E.s and 1 unofficial.
You have some great info here. I think I will use some of this info as part of the organizations mission statement. It seems to fit in so many ways.