March 2009
Mass protest over soapie's lesbian kiss drama →
ursulasteinberg:
Lesbians invented in Australia. How primitive is the state of Australian television that one lesbian kiss creates such a furore? Tragic.
It’s a bit of a beat up. The main issues for the conservatives is that the program is aimed at teenagers and is in an early evening time slot. After 8:30 anything goes, at least if your watching SBS. Just to be clear this isn’t the...
What Do I Do Next? →
This is a free book (in PDF format) edited by Daniel Loxton in which “leading skeptics discuss 105 practical ways to promote science and advance skepticism”
Only God can destroy the Earth? Phew! →
Illinois Congressman John Shimkus says we don’t need to worry about Global Warming as Man can’t hurt the Earth, only God can destroy it. How does he know? Because it says so in the Bible.
Read the rest of the article and see the video over at the Bad Astronomy blog
WTF! YouTube has banned the James Randi... →
PZ Myers, author of the Pharyngula blog, has an article about an over zealous YouTube banning the James Randi Educational Foundation.
It’s at times like these I wish I actually paid for a YouTube subscription so that I could cancel it in protest.
Wikipedia 1, Encarta 0 →
Microsoft throws in the towel and announces that it will shutdown Encarta web sites by the end of this year.
Hundreds Of Natural-selection Studies Could Be... →
A study by scientists at Penn State and the National Institute of Genetics in Japan have demonstrated that several statistical methods used by biologists to detect natural selection at the molecular level tend to produce incorrect results.
This means that hundreds of published studies on natural selection may have drawn incorrect conclusions.
Another example of science correcting itself.
“The final document has not been published, but the law is believed to contain...”
– ‘Worse than the Taliban’ - new law rolls back rights for Afghan women | World news | The Guardian (via feathers) (via killingbambi)
Pole vaulter runs naked through Paris with his... →
Apparently he was trying to raise his profile to attract sponsors.
Oh my God, atheists want to speak out →
The Heckler column in the Sydney Morning Herald is open to anybody, think of it as a long letter. This one is by university student A.J. Papandrea who is fed up of having to tip-toe around the sensibilities of the religious while it is acceptable for them to ridicule reason.
Joanne King Herring →
If you’ve watched the movie Charlie Wilson’s War then you know who Joanne Herring is (played by Julia Roberts in the movie). This link is to a photo of Ms Herring with the 3 Bushes ….
“It is individuals who have rights, not religions.”
– Canada’s representantive to the Human Rights Council, in response to a non-binding resolution condemning “defamation of religion” as a human rights violation.
The Human Rights Council is officially a joke.
(via dailymeh)
(via brigno)
We're putting the clocks back tonight.
mabelmoments:
Well, everyone but me, because I never put mine forward in the first place. Yes, i’ve spent the last 5 months having to add an hour everytime I checked my watch.
New South Wales puts the clocks back next week, just to add to the general confusion of this time of year.
The Guide Friday: The Clitoris →
This is a review of a TV documentary “The Clitoris: Forbidden Pleasure” … which I unfortunately missed last night.
SBS is a partly public funded by the Australian public purse. It is best known for broadcasting soccer games and “arty” soft-porn.
“Hey Jake, it’s not like you were curing cancer. You were a fucking commodities...”
– Matt Taibbi is such a glorious little bitch. (via meaghano)
Someone give him a show already. I’m looking at you MSNBC.
(via kateoplis)
(via danielholter)
(via retropolitics)
250 turn out for frogs' wedding →
“More than 250 people in northern Bangladesh have attended a wedding ceremony between two frogs as part of a ritual to bring rain to the parched region”.
And apparently it rained that night … spooky.
Women told: 'You have dishonoured your family,... →
Half of the murders committed in Turkey each year, about 200, were “honour killings”.
In response the Turkish government is cracking down on “honour killings”, with mandatory life sentences for the killers; so now the women are being told by their families to commit suicide instead.
Another week
3:45pm Friday, and I get told they want me back for another week … I kind of feel bad, they had a going away morning tea for me today … am I expected to pay now?
“It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed...”
– Robert A. Heinlein (via thinkfree) (via emmanuelnegro)
“But the thing is, science learns. The greatest mysteries of today are...”
– Phil Plait (via Bad Astronomy)
Dear A.I.G., I Quit! →
A letter send by Jake DeSantis, an executive vice president of AIG’s financial products unit, to Edward M.Liddy, AIG CEO.
Offering a different viewpoint on those AIG bonuses.
Spolier alert!
I know there is no Tooth Fairy.
I know there is no Santa Claus,
I know there are no fairies at the bottom of the garden.
I know there is no little blue teapot circling the Sun.
I know there is no God.
What I don’t know is why so many people have no problem with the first four statements but say that I must at least allow that I could be wrong in the fifth. Why? Where is the difference?
Challenge!
OK I have 2 cents (actually that’s a lie they got rid of cents and two cents in Australia a number of years back, so I’ll round that up to a cool 5 Cents) for anybody who supplies verifiable, testable and repeatable evidence that any, yes that’s any, god exists.
Alternatively I’ll give 1 cent (actually 5 cents, see previous explanation) to anybody who can explain why I...
Contract is up
After being extended by four weeks my current contract will finish on Friday.
Tried to contact my favourite head-hunter, but she’s no longer there, retrenched … not a good omen.
Just as well I’m not superstitious … else I’d have to kill a small goat or cat or something…
Atheist and proud.
Apparently I shouldn’t call myself an atheist because some people find the term atheist offensive/harsh/final. Tough!
I’m an atheist, there ain’t no god, now grow up, live life and stop preparing for the next one; it ain’t coming.
I hate philosophy
Philosophy for the most part has a lot in common with theology; a lot of talk about nothing in particular. About as useful as collecting navel lint; mildly gratifying to the participants, next to bloody useless for everyday use.
“Do I exist” you ask, is simply resolved by me shooting you. If I get arrested for murder you did exist, if I don’t you didn’t. End of story,...
Helping with the homework
Helping my daughter write a jingle for a made up restaurant … I suggested Devo’s “Whip it!” as a starting point “When a menu comes along, you must eat it” …. “Eat it, Eat it good”
So is tumblr working now?
Testing! Testing! 1,2,3!
Difference between an Agnostic and an Atheist
An agnostic and an atheist were having a chat at a water cooler when Jesus appeared before them and said “Repent your ways and accept me as your saviour!” and then promptly vanished.
The agnostic said “There is a God” and became a Christian. The atheist said “I’m going crazy, I’m starting to see and hear things” and went to a psychiatrist.
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