Richard Oakes
Recent Activity
Richard Oakes commented on NYC here we come... on October 2, 2009, 11:42 PM
Have a great trip. I wish I could be there too. Sink an extra beer or three for me! (Is it true that apologists can't hold their drink?) RO (currently in Singapore)
Richard Oakes commented on Proof for an Intelligent Creator of the universe and His purpose on September 28, 2009, 9:18 AM
Well done Andres! It’s good to see the old fashioned apologists out there swinging. That said, I have two small problems…. “No thing nor event in the known universe or laws of physics lacks a cause.” There is no rule that says a cause has to be deliberate. (You made that one up.) Just because an event has a cause, doesn’t mean that it was intended. The second problem is the general absence of any empirical evidence to support the existence of a creator. Your evidence is circumstantial, and a tenuous at best. It certainly wouldn’t stand up as evidence in a court of law. Back to the drawing board Anders. You have to do better than that. RO
Richard Oakes commented on Where was God on 9/11? on September 10, 2009, 7:11 AM
All these speculations are well and good! But who will Jesus side with in a Cats v. Saints Grand Final? (As a Cats supporter I am acutely aware that loosing is its own form of damnation...)
Richard Oakes commented on Profit motive vs. public service business models. on August 29, 2009, 12:58 PM
The free market works well in certain conditions. 1. Zero product differenciation 2. All market participants are have equal access to pricing information 3. All market participants will operation in their own interests Mmmm... There are a few more structural assumptions that I learned in Economics 101, but plainly I didn't learn them very well. From this small sample, you can start to see problems with free market capitalism. That said, command economies tend to concentrate economic power, and such concentrations of power lead to corruption and inefficiency. In a mixed economy, we get the best and worst of both worlds, and that is the best outcome that we can expect. RO
I live and work in Melbourne.
I have worked in the the Finance Industry since 1981, as a Derivative Trader, Risk Manager and Risk Consultant. (After two years of the Global Financial Crisis, I have much less hair now than is indicated by my avatar!)
My purpose in using and contributing to Big Think is to develop and promote an evidence based understanding of the world... and have some fun occasionally.
Richard Oakes commented on God as a dentist on October 3, 2009, 12:59 AM
Mmmm.... I think that it is time to short sell gold futures! Get my broker on the line!