Am I to be the (sorta-)proud owner of a copy of Comfort’s Creationist ‘Origin of Species’?

Ray Comfort’s Creationist Origin of Species

You will, of course, be all aware of the recent give-away of Ray Comfort’s Creationist edition of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, which includes a 50-page (or so) introduction incorporating just about every single Creationist misunderstanding, lie and fabrication that’s ever been brought up against Evolution. (It was also considerably shortened, lacking several key chapters, though Comfort states that the new versions are “complete”. However, Eugenie Scott says there’s still a key illustration missing.) Due to a lack of availability in the area (and a general lack of will), I’ve never read Darwin’s book. Yeah, I know, truly shameful. *shaky sigh* And I call myself an Evolutionist.

And so, I thought this would be a fine opportunity to right two wrongs: first, in taking part in Comfort’s free giveaway of his Origin of Species (that’s what he’s shortened the title to), I would get the chance to possess an admittedly aesthetically pretty material version of the book (frankly, reading long texts on-screen makes my eyes scream for mercy), and also, I would have potentially plenty of blogging fodder with Comfort’s introduction. I’m thinking I could make it a feature. Your thoughts?

So, I sent a little eMail. (Don’t worry, I was perfectly polite. No need to piss people off if they can send you free stuff, eh?) Here’s hoping my request is accepted – and that, if so, the darned thing takes less than eight weeks to get here. (Seriously, I hate post waits.) Meanwhile, be sure to get your own copy! … If you care, anyway.

Technorati tags: Origin of Species · Ray Comfort · books · Creationism · Evolution

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Next, atheists will be hating Thanksgiving Day and Easter, just you wait

It leaves me perpetually incredulous just how obtuse people can be when the obvious nature of simple truths stare them right in the face and yet they still somehow manage to completely miss the friggin’ point. Our latest example is Bill O’Reilly, in a recent segment on the latest generation of bus ads to hit certain cities around America. First, here’s the ad in question, from the American Humanist Association:

[Click for full size]

Rather clean and harmless, no? It just tells you to be good, not for God or any supernatural force, but for yours’ and others’ sake; ie. not because you have to, or to please whatever deity you may or may not believe in, but because you can. Only a twit would think that such a message in any way derides God, religion, or anything of the sort.

That’s your cue, O’Reilly:

Mind you, the two daft bimbos didn’t fare much better in the reason department, though at least they didn’t seem as inclined to believe that atheists were rabid Christmas-haters who seethe with jealousy at all those Christians and Jews having fun during the holidays.

Much of O’Reilly’s position seems to be that we atheists just hate Christmas as an old American tradition or something. I can’t even begin to understand how that’s supposed to make any freakin’ sense. So, not only are godless people jealous of all those religious folks who enjoy Christmas as the holidays, but now, we’re also haters who have a grudge against American traditions? Seriously, how deranged can one’s view of atheists get?

(Well, it’s still better than believing atheists are evil baby-munchers who are going straight to Hell, I suppose.)

On a final note, I almost have to ask myself if Bill-O was serious or facetious when he claimed that we atheists just hate baby Jesus. I mean … seriously? Does that even merit any response other than rolling one’s eyes in idle exasperation?

(via Friendly Atheist)
Technorati tags: Bill O’Reilly · atheists · atheist+ads · Christmas · holidays · religion

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Monday Grainy Cuteness: A difference in scale, here

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I'm sorry to say, this is the end of the 4-month-long Monday Grainy Cuteness series. Hope you've enjoyed. =3

Technorati tags: animals · cute · kitten · dog

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Inhuman | Chapter 5: A God Amongst Them

Chapters
1: Escape and Arrival · 2: First Encounter · 3: Revelations · 4: Memories · 5: A God Amongst Them

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— CHAPTER FIVE —

A God Amongst Them
 

[Click for full size]

The days slowly went by and Sean lay in his cot, gradually healing from his injuries and spending most of his waking hours nearly bored out of his mind. The dull, throbbing pain that wracked his body was his only permanent companion, other than an uncomfortably empty stomach. Krypp didn’t allow him much food, saying he wanted Sean’s body to conserve energy for convalescing rather than digestion, an argument Sean found less than convincing. The little sustenance he did have consisted solely of vegetables, legumes, and the occasional fruit. Whilst not an enemy of greens, he also wasn’t a fan, preferring meat (or his personal favorite, pasta). He never went thirsty, though; the pitcher of water at his bedside was refilled whenever it ran low, and Sean positively regaled himself in its purity. It was the best he’d ever tasted, considering the water on New Corinthea came in two unpleasant savors: if it came from the oceans or rivers, it was polluted; if passed through chemical treatment, it possessed a slight acrid aftertaste.

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I always like discovering new music types

I may be known to be stuck in my ways when it comes to the music I listen to, but occasionally, something different comes along and provides a pleasant distraction. This seems rather nice:

That’s one mad bagpipes … um … riff? (I forget if that term only applies to guitars. Poor uninstructed me.) Maybe not the sort of thing I’d listen to nonstop – my ears would go on strike – but every now and then, it does offer a nice break from mainstream stuff. (Now, I just wish I had some Enya songs … oh, hang on. Forgot. Hee.)

And, believe it or not, I actually got this from Vox Day’s blog. However much I may despise the guy and what he writes, it would seem, if this song is anything to judge by, that his taste in music is one thing I couldn’t honestly criticize.

(via Vox Popoli)
Technorati tags: music · Celtic music · Hevia · bagpipes

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Thanks to Obama, new advancements made in stem cell research

Embryonic stem cells

What happens when you remove eight years’ worth of religiously motivated restrictions on science? Progress. And this is exactly what we’re seeing in the field of embryonic stem cell research.

WASHINGTON - Scientists can start using taxpayer dollars to do research with 13 batches of embryonic stem cells and the government says dozens more cell lines should be available soon, opening a new era for the potentially life-saving field.

President Barack Obama lifted eight years of restrictions on these master cells last spring. But $21 million-and-counting in new projects were on hold until the National Institutes of Health determined which of hundreds of existing stem cell lines were ethically appropriate to use.

"This is the first down payment," Dr. Francis Collins, NIH's director, said Wednesday as he opened a master registry. "People are champing at the bit for the opportunity to get started."

Thirteen stem cell lines — created by Children's Hospital Boston and Rockefeller University — are first on that list. Another 96 embryonic stem cell lines are undergoing NIH review, and 20 or more could get a decision by Friday, Collins said.

And researchers have notified the NIH that they may apply for approval of another 250 stem cell lines.

The only thing that ever really stands in the way of good scientific research and advancement is ideology, which is always certainly fueled by religion in one way or another. Bush made this exceedingly clear when his reason(s) for prohibiting stem cell research was that “murder is wrong”, thus illustrating how scientifically ignorant people like him have little to no understanding of what actually goes on in the field of embryonic stem cell research. There is no murder taking place. As their name suggests, stem cells used for research come from embryos, which are little more than shapeless and meaningless clumps of cells. In fact, “killing” them (whatever your definition of “killing” is) is made all the more irrelevant by the fact that they were meant to die regardless:

Federal law forbids using taxpayer money to create or destroy an embryo. All the stem cell lines involved in Wednesday's announcement were created from fertility clinic leftovers — embryos that otherwise would have been thrown away — using private money. NIH is reviewing the rest to see if they also meet ethics requirements for use in taxpayer-funded health research. Among the requirements: That the woman or couple who donated the original embryo did so voluntarily and were told of other options, such as donating to another infertile woman.

You get that, religious-right cranks and whiners? The only embryos being “killed” are those that were refused by fertility clinics and were destined to be flushed down the toilet anyway. They were doomed from the start, so rather than let them go to waste, scientists (and other rational, non-ideologically-twisted people) prefer to put them to good use and use them for research to advance our scientific and medical knowledge and, in the process, improve people’s lives from the knowledge we gleam and the medical and technological advancements we get.

(via Dispatches from the Culture Wars)
Technorati tags: stem cell research · science · Barack Obama · George Bush

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Another reason why “media piracy” should be legalized

It’s so that ridiculous crap like this would cease to happen. A 22-year-old woman in Chicago was celebrating her 29-year-old sister’s birthday at her surprise party at a theater where Twilight: New Moon was playing, and as she was taking pictures and short videoclips, she happened to catch “no more than four minutes” of the film as it played on the screen. Yet, for overzealous theater managers and cops, this is ample evidence enough to demonstrate how she’s a film bootlegger and now, she is under arrest and faces a sentence of up to three years in prison. The sordid affair, below:

Managers saw the woman taping and called the police, who examined the camera (a digital still camera that also takes short video segments) and say they found “two very short segments” that totaled no more than 4 minutes.

From the Sun-Times:

“We sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to her in the theater,” [Samantha] Tumpach said.

She also took pictures of family members in the theater before the film began, but an usher who saw the photo session never issued them a warning, Tumpach said.

As ads and previews ran on the big screen, she fiddled with the camera — which she got in July and is still learning how to work — and was surprised to see it took clear videos of the screen.

The footage she shot also includes the pre-film commercials, as well as her talking about the camera and the movie.

“You can hear me talking the whole time,” Tumpach said.

She plans to fight in court the felony filed against her because she said she did nothing wrong — and certainly didn’t try to secretly tape the movie.

This is so blatantly stupid and unfair. Who in their right mind could actually think this woman was trying to get create a tape the film? It’s just a birthday party, for crying out loud. I doubt a few moments of crappy video-camera footage shot by an amateur, with cheering and singing and talking in the background, constitutes any reasonable evidence of film piracy. But then, it is increasingly clear as time goes on that anti-piracy measures and their enforcers have completely lost any shred of common sense, instead operating under a bullshit “zero-policy”, “guilty until proven innocent” mindset. It’s pathetic.

Just another reason why I prefer to download films directly rather than humor these jackasses and view movies in the theater. The less money these scoundrels receive, the lighter my conscience is.

(via The Agitator)
Technorati tags: film piracy · bootlegging · New Moon · Twilight · Samantha Tumpach

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The epitome of arrogance

Some people really just seem to want to get rear-ended. Such as Rob Kindler, Vice-Chairman of Morgan Stanley and who, in his middle-aged years, seems to be overcompensating a bit:

[Click for full size]

A commenter writes thus:

racetoinfinity

The corollary: His soul: 2Small2Detect

Indeed, nice one.

(via The Agitator)
Technorati tags: vanity plates · Rob Kindler · arrogance · Morgan Stanley

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Now there’s a couple with an on-off relationship

But not to worry, help is at hand.

[Click for full size]

Pretty clever, though I do wonder if it’s the best “good-for-business” tactic she could come up with.

(via The Agitator)
Technorati tags: divorce · lawyers

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“No, I’m not crazy or emotionally damaged; I just belong to a total loser”

Talking animals on TV or in commercials usually creep me out (which usually correlates with the fact that so many of said talking animals are creepily animated), but this one, for the rightful cause of The Shelter Pet Project, just made me chuckle appreciatively.

Stereotypes against mutts are stupid, ill-informed and damaging. If anything, studies show that many mutts (perhaps even most) are actually better than their pure-breed counterparts as they tend to share their pure-breed ancestors’ strengths with few of their weaknesses. And, no, they don’t have to look all mangy, you know. A bath and some lathering will usually fix that. So, please, if you plan to get a new animal and you aren’t fixated on going to a breeder, just head down to your local animal shelter. There’s always gonna be one you like, and who likes you back.

(via The Agitator)
Technorati tags: animals · pets · animal shelters · mutts · videos · The Shelter Pet Project

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Sometimes, you must get your flu shots, or get fired

When it comes to hospitals, the last thing you need when in a building filled with sick people is to have caretakers carrying and spreading the very germs that could make things a whole lot worse. This is why many hospitals mandate seasonal flu shots for doctors and other hospital employees; it’s a perfectly reasonable practice and, if anything, it should be regulatory that anyone on hospital staff get their vaccinations. Too bad only about 40% of hospitals do so, though.

It’s understandable (though perhaps not all too wise) that most people don’t bother with flu shots; most of can can withstand a few sick days without too much trouble. But neglecting to have your flu shot taken when you work with and around ill and immunologically compromised people is just careless and reckless. And when you refuse to receive flu vaccines when you work in a children’s hospital and the best reason you have for refusing the shot is that “your religion prohibits it”, then I’m sorry, but you’re a fucking idiot and should be fired instantly for gross negligence and a serious lack of common sense.

Thankfully, this is just what happened with a handful of employees who were fired from several children’s hospitals in Philadelphia when they refused their mandatory flu shots for religious reasons.

Several Children's Hospital of Philadelphia employees were fired for refusing to get the seasonal flu vaccine.

The people who were let go said this year is the first that the hospital has mandated flu shots.

"I never thought that not getting a flu shot would result in the loss of my job," said Tyrika Cowlay.

Cowlay and her husband, Gary, whom she met while working at Children's Hospital, were among those fired for failure to get the shot.

"Our seasonal flu vaccine policy is stronger than most hospitals in our region – and it should be, because we care for the sickest of sick children," read a statement from CHOP. "Many of the children in our care have never had a chance to have a seasonal flu vaccine themselves so we have to do it for them. Many of our patients are either too young or their immune systems are too weak."

The Cowlays said they refused to get the shot for religious reasons.

"I am a Christian, and my religion prohibits me from receiving vaccines," said Tyrika Cowlay, who was a lab technician. Gary Cowlay worked in environmental services.

I’m gonna have to call “bullshit” on that one. There is nothing in Christianity, or in any of the variants that I know of, that serves to prohibit one from receiving flu shots, or vaccinations of any sort. Either this was a lie, or they have a radically twisted view of what Christianity is and says, or they belong to some anti-vaccination mindset and use “religion” as a cover to mask their lunacy. (Not that it would surprise me in the slightest.)

There’s also a video on this story, below:

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Another fantastic debunking of “Climategate”

I’m always pleased at how few sources exist that are as valuable and within grasp as is YouTube when it comes to tearing apart ignorance, stupidity and anti-scientific bullshit. From Thunderf00t to Aron Ra (including, of course, the attractive and brainy ZOMGitsCriss), you can always rely on someone to come up and explain exactly how and why loudmouthed airheads are wrong, and usually with a very pleasing helping of shaming to boot. This time, another such prominent YouTuber/skeptic, potholer54, gives us this great debunking of the latest anti-Anthropogenic Global Warming pseudo-scandal, the hacked CRU eMails affair known as “Climategate”, as well as he eviscerates the “febrile nitwits” who so boisterously trumpet their own misunderstandings, ignorance and scientific illiteracy into meaning “Global Warming is a hoax!”.

So, to recap: all these talking points referring to these hacked eMails that are so popular amongst right-wing denialists are all based on misunderstandings, ignorance and generalized dishonesty with regards to the actual science?

Well, color me shocked.

*Yawn*

But, of course, none of these denialists will ever watch this vid, and even should they, they especially won’t try and actually respond to its points and, y’know, facts. Forget actually looking at the fucking evidence, or performing even a few minutes’ worth of research, or or having any regard context of any sort, or using their common sense, or any of that “intellectually honest” guff … Nah, their truthiness is far too great for that, isn’t it?

Cowards and imbeciles, the lot of ’em. Oh, how they make my skin crawl off into a dark corner.

(via Pharyngula)
Technorati tags: Climategate · YouTube · videos · Global Warming · denialism · science · conspiracy theories

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