Archive for December, 2007
Posted in Academic Life, Extended, Philosophy, Site Admin
December 27, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Posts here will be slower than usual – I’m across the country at the American Philosophical Association conference, which is more or less utterly insane.
I have a few job interviews and then I’m going to visit friends and family on this coast for a few days, so I won’t be home until well into the first week of January. The masthead will be late and I doubt I’ll be updating the site until I’m home. That doesn’t mean I won’t be reading comments, though!
By the way, traveling 3000 miles the day after Christmas is… unpleasant.
Posted in Atheism, Democracy, Extended, Science
December 24, 2007 at 3:16 pm
I got to hear Dawkins speak here in Portland on his original book tour for The God Delusion. He was outstanding. He’s coming back to the US to do another tour, this time to actively “preach” the atheist viewpoint, aiming largely at the Bible belt, if this article is to be believed:
RICHARD DAWKINS, the British scientist who has become the high priest of atheism, is launching a crusade in America to win new recruits to the church of nonbelievers.
He is to embark on a lecture tour of 2,000-seater halls in the Bible Belt and the Midwest in the wake of the presidential primary season, which reaches its climax in early February.
I am decidedly less than thrilled with the author’s extended analogy of atheism as a religion (”high priest,” “church,” “preach” etc…) I genuinely worry for Dawkins’ safety in the US right now.
Link to article in the Sunday Times
Posted in Academic Life, Critical Thinking?, Democracy, Evolution, Extended
December 19, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Why was she fired? Because she forwarded an email about a talk being given by Barbara Forrest, from the National Center for Science Education, discussing the history of the intelligent design movement and her testimony at the Dover trial. I heard about the firing weeks ago via Pharyngula, but here’s an update from the fellow that wrote the email.
Posted in Atheism, Blurb, Critical Thinking?
December 19, 2007 at 5:34 pm
“Who’s that coming down the chimney? Nobody — that’s ridiculous. Atheist Santa shows up in a gray Toyota Corolla and knocks on your door. Once you let him in and he has cookies and milk — come on, even atheists love cookies and milk — he will explain to your child that Santa may love all the children of the world, but he has never submitted his claims of flying reindeer and magical present delivery to James Randi, who would gladly pay a million dollars if presented with irrefutable proof of his wild claims.” Link to Lore Sjöberg on alternative Santas at Wired.
Posted in Atheism, Digital Culture, Extended, Science
December 19, 2007 at 5:29 pm
Via an email from Joel Schlosberg:
…on December 20th, I will be holding a second blog-a-thon in memory of Carl Sagan, on the eleventh anniversary of his passing an exactly one year after the first blog-a-thon, which was a huge success and a truly worldwide celebration, with more than 250 posts in 11 languages. In addition to further connecting online Sagan fandom, this year’s blog-a-thon will also commemorate a group of significant Sagan anniversaries that were passed earlier this year: the 10th anniversaries of the release of the film Contact and the opening of the Planet Walk in Ithaca, NY; and the 30th anniversary of the launch of the two Voyager spacecraft.
That’s tomorrow, folks. I participated last year, writing about how I incorporated some beautiful quotes by Sagan into my secular wedding ceremony. I’d link to the post, but searching my archives is nearly impossible until I get a good coder to go in and deal with the mess there.
Link to the full announcement on Joel’s blog.
Posted in Blurb, Comics, Digital Culture
December 17, 2007 at 1:24 pm
The evil alien is joined by his evil arcade comrades: Donkey Kong, a fried egg from Burger Time, a robot from Berserk, a brain from Robotron. Q*bert is also there, and he spouts some characteristically garbled dialogue which, when played backwards, is revealed to be “Where can a guy get some pants around here?” Wired blogs on Futurama and videogames
Posted in Blurb, Evolution, Science, Technology, ethics
December 14, 2007 at 5:35 pm
South Korean scientists have cloned cats by manipulating a fluorescent protein gene, a procedure which could help develop treatments for human genetic diseases, officials said Wednesday. In a side-effect, the cloned cats glow in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet beams....link to article
Posted in Atheism, Critical Thinking?, Democracy, Extended
December 13, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Wow. Those poor, persecuted, majority government-controlling Christians.
Now, therefore be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives–
(1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world;
(2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide;
(3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith;
(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;
(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and
(6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world.
Full text of the bill here. See how your reps voted here (hint: only 9 voted no. We’re all screwed.)
Posted in Extended, literature
December 12, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Terry Pratchett has been diagnosed with a rare early-onset form of Alzheimer’s Disease.
This is tragic news. A mind so brilliant should never know in advance, and fully understand, the steps it is about to take in growing dimmer.
Link
Posted in Atheism, Blurb, Critical Thinking?, Democracy, ethics
December 12, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Huckabee:”I didn’t get into politics because I thought government had a better answer. I got into politics because I knew government didn’t have the real answers, that the real answers lie in accepting Jesus Christ into our lives…I hope we answer the alarm clock and take this nation back for Christ.”
Dobson:“Homosexuals are not monogamous. They want to destroy the institution of marriage,” Dobson said. It will destroy marriage. It will destroy the Earth.”
Via Pandagon.