Saturday, August 23, 2008

Tropical Strom Fay

Tropical Strom Fay is crawls painstakingly slow across the Florida panhandle, including Tallahassee. By now, we have gotten at least 10 inch (25 cm) rain, and the rain is not done yet for the coming days..... But everything is fine, and personally, we have not been affected that much.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

How to approach an evangelical christian missionary?

I play a kind of tit-for-tat game with them.

Missionary: Have you heard the word of god?

Me: Which god

Missionary: The christian god of course.

Me: Yes, I heard it and deemed it false

Missionary (shocked): But he is the true god!

Me: Says who?

Missionary: The Holy Bible!

Me: O. Interesting. My holy books say something else.

Missionary: But the bible says....

Me (interrupting): Why is the bible right and my holy books wrong?

Missionary: Well, the Bible says [fill in what ever]

Me: My holy books say the same, so why is your book right and mine wrong?

Missionary: Well, the Bible says [fill in something else]

[repeat 20 times] WARNING: Missionary is slowly reaching cooking temperature, do not touch. Replace bible for deity of choice when appropriate.

Missionary: It seems that you are lost for God.

Me: I am sorry that you are lost for Odin!

Missionary: I am sure you will see the light in the future!

Me: I have seen the light already, and I hope you will see the light in the future!

Missionary: I will pray for you!

Me: I will make a small offering to my gods for you later today! Any preference for Odin, Thor or Freyja?

Missionary (on his/her way out): God Bless!

Me: Hail Odin!

Missionary (screaming): The blood of Jesus will protect me......

Friday, August 15, 2008

In god we trust?

Which god? Yahweh? Odin? Isis? Allah?

Many Americans argue that "The motto has historical and patriotic significance and does nothing to establish a state religion" , but what if I would say
Hail Odin!
....in response to people uttering this sentence?

I am sure that many Americans will be deeply offended.... So much for the non-religious meaning of the motto........

Monday, August 11, 2008

I am not a Darwinist

Ok, lets make this clear, and maybe biologist everywhere should clarify this:
I am NOT a Darwinist!
To label evolutionary biologists as Darwinists is a old trick used by creationists to make it sound as if we and the theory of evolution have not evolved since the inception by Charles Darwin. Well, nothing could be more from the truth than just that.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Demski's illusions

Over at Uncommon decent (sorry, no link to that tard site), Dr. Dr. William Dembski definately does not get it. He asks a former Intelligent Design proponent to agree to the following:
(1) ID raises important issues for science.
(2) Politics aside, ID proponents ought to get a fair hearing for their views, and they’re not.
(3) A climate of hostility toward ID pervades the academy, which often undermines freedom of thought and expression on this topic.
(4) That climate has led to ID proponents being shamefully treated, losing their reputations and jobs, and suffering real harm.
Hummm, lets see.
(1) ID raises important issues for science.
No, it doesn't. ID is religion, not science, so it cannot raise any issue for science.
(2) Politics aside, ID proponents ought to get a fair hearing for their views, and they’re not.
They got their fair hearing, and failed.
(3) A climate of hostility toward ID pervades the academy, which often undermines freedom of thought and expression on this topic.
Part one, yes, because ID is not promoted through doing research and finding facts, but through popularisation and high school curricula. Part two, no, because it is discussed freeely at universities, found to be creationism in a cheap tuxedo. Do some research and show some proof, and you will have a case.
(4) That climate has led to ID proponents being shamefully treated, losing their reputations and jobs, and suffering real harm.
No, the lack of coherent logical thinking (crucial for academia), the underhand way of promoting articles (what, should I use the normal rules of peer review?), the lack of publications, etc. cause that.

O well, Demski will never learn that he is not even a pseudoscientist. Two Ph.D.'s does not change that. That is only a sign that you can jump the hoops, the proof is in the peer-reviewed articles!

Saturday, August 9, 2008

US disregards international law

The US has shown this week again that it does think it can disregard international treaties it signed itself. The State of Texas executed two foreigners (here and here) who have not been given access to their countries representation. Anyway, despite that, it does not change the fact that executing people is something for countries who are still living in medieval times... O wait, the US is in large part still a medieval country where religion trumps science, the majority believes that their christian god created earth (they are wrong, if a religious myth would be correct, it would be the Norse creation myth), etc. So, no surprise there.

What we have to wait for is a foreign country that seizes a American for similar reasons and denies them consular assistance. The world will be to small at that time. But heck, with kangaroo courts in Guantanamo bay for illegal held prisoners, who does still believe that the US is objective and fair?

Friday, August 8, 2008

Lesbian -> Same Sex Attraction Disorder sufferer

I just came across this term. "Same Sex Attraction Disorder" Sounds like I suffer from that. So, let me guess, right wing evangelicals that promote the term? Yeah, just type the term into google, and you know where it ends, the same circles as the ex-gay movement, the gay treatment promoters etc. I know enough, just more of the same bat shit insane crap that these people try to sell as genuine snake oil.