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Offline Boots

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Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #100 on: March 25, 2017, 06:36:59 PM »
How do you know what Dr. O'Neal really believes?
“There are some ideas so absurd that only an intellectual could believe them.” - George Orwell

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Offline markjo

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Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #101 on: March 25, 2017, 06:52:06 PM »
Frankly, the only person in denial here is you. If Shaq was making a joke that he was an idiot he would have said JUST KIDDING in the podcast, not leave everyone to think that he is an idiot. What kind of joke is that?
Come now Tom, he knew he's have to give it a day or two for the story to spread wide enough to see how many people would fall for it.  Besides, it's not as if Shaq isn't used to people laughing at him.
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Science is what happens when preconception meets verification.

Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge. -- Charles Darwin

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Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #102 on: March 25, 2017, 07:11:37 PM »
Well, Dr. O'Neal says he was joking and I think we should believe him.

Who am I going to believe, a doctor of education; or you guys, who are not doctors of education?

He only said that he was joking after the story went around the world and he was mocked and ridiculed relentlessly. Kind of too late and not really obviously genuine.

Classic conspiratard thinking. When he says what you agree with you take him at face value. When he retracts that statement and says he is joking there must be something more going on beneath the surface. Back to the vitamin C clinic!

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Offline Boots

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Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #103 on: March 25, 2017, 08:16:48 PM »
Well, Dr. O'Neal says he was joking and I think we should believe him.

Who am I going to believe, a doctor of education; or you guys, who are not doctors of education?

He only said that he was joking after the story went around the world and he was mocked and ridiculed relentlessly. Kind of too late and not really obviously genuine.

Classic conspiratard thinking. When he says what you agree with you take him at face value. When he retracts that statement and says he is joking there must be something more going on beneath the surface. Back to the vitamin C clinic!


Does vitamin C really cure conspiratarditus?
“There are some ideas so absurd that only an intellectual could believe them.” - George Orwell

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Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #104 on: March 25, 2017, 09:51:59 PM »
Vitamin C cures everything.

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Offline Pete Svarrior

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Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #105 on: March 26, 2017, 09:07:12 PM »
Why are we still arguing this? People whose job is literally to know Shaq's character agree that his retraction was extremely out of character, and that the original "joke" didn't make sense as far as Shaq's humour is concerned.

The media (who follow him quite closely) have pointed out this much, too. But hey, something something if it makes your life easier, right?

I’m not sure how Shaq saying on his own podcast, “The Earth is flat,” and repeatedly telling his bewildered and inquiring cohost, “Yes it is” — and then being quoted as such — “messed up” the point he was trying to get across, but OK.
[...]
If Shaq’s intention was to trick folks into thinking he was a flat-Earther, I’m not sure intentionally manufacturing fake news really does much other than lend more credence to the idea of fake news.

The second part is in reference to O'Neal's initial comments about the Earth supposedly being flat. That's, uh, quite an elaborate joke!
[...]
This, while rather confusing, seems to be Shaq saying that the general public should have known he was joking about the Earth being flat because he's Shaq.

We also know that some analysts are perfectly clear that the money+pressure mixture was involved:

The bigger point here speaks to something trickier.

Essentially, players -- current and former -- have such a built-in distrust of the media and the current environment, based on quotes being taken out of context and how every little thing is extrapolated into a controversy, combined with a natural predisposition as both athletes and multi-millionaires to want to agitate situations, that they routinely walk the line between being serious and “messing with us.”

The only time this gets straightened out is if money is involved, if a player is at risk of losing a job or endorsement money. Then all of a sudden, the jokes stop.

This is just a case of RE'ers going "NUH UH EVIDENCE DON'T REAL", and it's really quite embarrassing.
« Last Edit: March 26, 2017, 09:33:31 PM by SexWarrior »
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Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #106 on: March 26, 2017, 11:06:55 PM »
Why are you embrassed?  It's pretty neurotic to be embrassed for someone else. So at the very least we can agree that you supporter is not reliable and prone to flip-flopping on unprincipled grounds? I'm ok with that.

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Offline Boots

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Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #107 on: March 27, 2017, 01:25:23 AM »
Well if "People whose job is literally to know" agree on something I guess we should take their word for it!  ;D
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Offline markjo

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Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #108 on: March 27, 2017, 05:27:29 AM »
Why are we still arguing this? People whose job is literally to know Shaq's character agree that his retraction was extremely out of character, and that the original "joke" didn't make sense as far as Shaq's humour is concerned.
Was his retraction any farther out of character than his claiming that the earth is flat in the first place?
Abandon hope all ye who press enter here.

Science is what happens when preconception meets verification.

Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge. -- Charles Darwin

If you can't demonstrate it, then you shouldn't believe it.

Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #109 on: March 27, 2017, 07:18:15 AM »
We all know that there's a horde of people who's job is to literally know Shaq's character that were just waiting for a claim like this from him.

Analysists have been eagerly waiting for a chance to analyze every single public move Shaq would make on supporting the flat earth theory.

You should all be writing movie scripts. You're very creative! That explanation is even more of a fairy tale than the flat earth theory is.
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Offline Jura-Glenlivet

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Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #110 on: March 27, 2017, 07:38:03 AM »

Yeah that must be it, we're not seeing the evidence that is right in front of our eyes.
Just to be clear, you are all terrific, but everything you say is exactly what a moron would say.

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Offline Pete Svarrior

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Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #111 on: March 27, 2017, 01:27:12 PM »
Why are you embrassed?  It's pretty neurotic to be embrassed for someone else.
Surely you know me well enough to know that I'm a pretty neurotic person.

Well if "People whose job is literally to know" agree on something I guess we should take their word for it!
Close, but no cigar. When your side's claim is "you can't possibly know Shaq's character!", a response along the lines of "Well, here's a bunch of people who do know his character telling you exactly what we've been telling you" becomes quite relevant. Of course, you're welcome to ignore any and all evidence and just keep restating your baseless claims in the face of reality. It's just that not many people will take you very seriously if you do.

So at the very least we can agree that you supporter is not reliable and prone to flip-flopping on unprincipled grounds? I'm ok with that.
Yes. What he said in the first place is still valuable, though, and we should milk it as hard as we can. The quotes have been really helping us out on social media.

Was his retraction any farther out of character than his claiming that the earth is flat in the first place?
Yes.

We all know that there's a horde of people who's job is to literally know Shaq's character that were just waiting for a claim like this from him.

Analysists have been eagerly waiting for a chance to analyze every single public move Shaq would make on supporting the flat earth theory.

You should all be writing movie scripts. You're very creative! That explanation is even more of a fairy tale than the flat earth theory is.
Thank you for confirming the accusations I've levelled against you. You're being too kind - you should have at least tried denying that your position is "NUH UH EVIDENCE DON'T REAL".

Yeah that must be it, we're not seeing the evidence that is right in front of our eyes.
Oh, you're seeing it all right. That's why you were unable to say much more than the above.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2017, 01:33:22 PM by SexWarrior »
Read the FAQ before asking your question - chances are we already addressed it.
Follow the Flat Earth Society on Twitter and Facebook!

If we are not speculating then we must assume

Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #112 on: March 27, 2017, 02:52:27 PM »
I'm going to let you stay in the belief that you've won this argument, not pointing out that the majority is laughing at you trying to defend your way out the fact that you got played. Everybody wins!

The sun is out, I'm in a good mood, and your online characters are making this day even better. I'm a nice guy like that.

Have a good one! :)
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Offline Tom Bishop

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Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #113 on: March 27, 2017, 03:01:35 PM »
It's not really that complicated. Shaq made two statements. Only one of them was under duress.

Why should we think the statement made under duress is better than the one which was not?

Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #114 on: March 27, 2017, 03:48:39 PM »
It's not really that complicated. Shaq made two statements. Only one of them was under duress.

Why should we think the statement made under duress is better than the one which was not?
You obviously wouldn't since the "statement" made under "duress" doesn't support your cause. That's basically why you're OK about making a fool of yourself trying to hypothesize about his "sudden change of heart" while the rest of us enjoy what he did for what it is. You know, the simple explanation, something you'd normally hold very dear.
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Offline Tom Bishop

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Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #115 on: March 27, 2017, 03:51:35 PM »
It's not really that complicated. Shaq made two statements. Only one of them was under duress.

Why should we think the statement made under duress is better than the one which was not?
You obviously wouldn't since the "statement" made under "duress" doesn't support your cause. That's basically why you're OK about making a fool of yourself trying to hypothesize about his "sudden change of heart" while the rest of us enjoy what he did for what it is. You know, the simple explanation, something you'd normally hold very dear.

The simplest explanation is that the statement which was not made under duress is the most credible.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2017, 03:54:53 PM by Tom Bishop »

Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #116 on: March 27, 2017, 03:53:44 PM »
It's not really that complicated. Shaq made two statements. Only one of them was under duress.

Why should we think the statement made under duress is better than the one which was not?
You obviously wouldn't since the "statement" made under "duress" doesn't support your cause. That's basically why you're OK about making a fool of yourself trying to hypothesize about his "sudden change of heart" while the rest of us enjoy what he did for what it is. You know, the simple explanation, something you'd normally hold very dear.

The simplest explanation is that the statement which was not made under duress is the most credible.

To you perhaps, being biased. To me, the most simple explanation is the one coming from the source it self. That way, you don't have to hypothesize. If anything, it has strengthened his brand in my opinion. "Shaq picking on people with no sense of reality" - There's a fair amount of humor to that :)
« Last Edit: March 27, 2017, 03:55:18 PM by andruszkow »
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Offline Tom Bishop

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Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #117 on: March 27, 2017, 04:01:38 PM »
To you perhaps, being biased. To me, the most simple explanation is the one coming from the source it self. That way, you don't have to hypothesize. If anything, it has strengthened his brand in my opinion. "Shaq picking on people with no sense on reality" - There's a fair amount of humor to that :)

What are you talking about? He claimed to believe in two different things at different times, not one. The source made two contradictory statements. One of those statements was under durress, and you are here telling us that a duressed statement is more credible over one which was not.

Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #118 on: March 27, 2017, 04:04:12 PM »


To you perhaps, being biased. To me, the most simple explanation is the one coming from the source it self. That way, you don't have to hypothesize. If anything, it has strengthened his brand in my opinion. "Shaq picking on people with no sense on reality" - There's a fair amount of humor to that :)

The source made two contradictory statements. One  of them was under durress. I find it hard to believe why anyone would think that a duressed statement is more credible over one which was not.

"One of them was made under duress. I have to believe that, otherwise it would appear we made a mistake" you mean.

I believe he gives less shits about public opinion on this matter than you obviously do.

But you know what Tom, I'm not here to change your view on the world. In that regard, you're way out of reach. We both are. I'm here to talk about the science of flat earth. To get explanations and facts that globe earth doesn't explain. Testable, verifiable theories and facts. I've seen exactly zero of those. For a community having such a hard time explaining even the most simple observations in a satisfactory manner that globe earth doesn't explain, one would think you have bigger problems than debating whether or not a basketball star played a trick on the public.

I guess the tiny, tiny battles are worth debating for you because you make so little impact. Social Media statistics are all cool and dandy if you're a TextWarrior, but you guys are making no impact whatsoever, simply because your explanations reek of unicorns.

Shaq obviously knew that. :)
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Offline Tom Bishop

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Re: Shaquille O'Neal believes that the earth is flat
« Reply #119 on: March 27, 2017, 04:51:09 PM »
"One of them was made under duress. I have to believe that, otherwise it would appear we made a mistake" you mean.

I believe he gives less shits about public opinion on this matter than you obviously do.

Are you just making things up? In his second statement he clearly conveyed that he didn't like what people were saying about him.