1. Sharia law 'could have UK role'

Comment #204236 by mordacious1 on July 4, 2008 at 1:13 pm

Quite a slippery slope this is. I think living in a country where Shariah law is acceptable would be...oh wait...it's Independence Day...Thank FSM.

2. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #204002 by mordacious1 on July 4, 2008 at 2:36 am

Hey, Prince Phillip has to be close to 90...eccentric is the word I think.

3. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203991 by mordacious1 on July 4, 2008 at 2:24 am

"Do you know where New Zealand is?"

Somewhere off the coast of Tasmania isn't it?

(just jesting, second time I've used that line this week. Ran into a Kiwi in a coffee shop a few days ago. She asked the same thing).

4. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203981 by mordacious1 on July 4, 2008 at 2:04 am

yeah, but forty pounds = eighty million dollars!

5. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203976 by mordacious1 on July 4, 2008 at 1:57 am

Goldy

Your last link says the annual cost of supporting the Queen/family is 40 pounds ($80 million). Wow, I didn't know the dollar had slid that badly in relation to the pound.

6. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203968 by mordacious1 on July 4, 2008 at 1:45 am

Brandywine

Who cares if the British want to pay for the Queen and her lot? It's their money. Besides, I think they recoup it in tourism to see all the pomp and what not.

You'd be suprised how much we pay out for our presidents, in and out of office. I really don't understand why people make anti-brit statements on this site, unless it's in jest of course. Just damn rude and ignorant.

7. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203958 by mordacious1 on July 4, 2008 at 1:35 am

Goldy

Yes, just read his/her past comments on royalty. Some obsession with the Queen's ovaries, can't figure that out. My next toast will be, "To the Queen's Ovaries". My wife will lock up the beer after that one, I'm sure.

8. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203948 by mordacious1 on July 4, 2008 at 1:26 am

Goldy

The muslims feel that they are the jews of Europe?

The jews probably reply: "What? I wish we had it so good".

I don't remember anyone bending over backward to make the jews feel accepted?

9. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203945 by mordacious1 on July 4, 2008 at 1:20 am

Hey, one of my favorite toasts that I picked up while serving with some Brits is "God Save the Queen". I don't know why I like it, historical I suppose. Of course, I don't have to pay for her and her family. Once Charles becomes King I won't be able to toast anymore, he's too weird for me.

10. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203933 by mordacious1 on July 4, 2008 at 1:08 am

Steve

It is the 21st Century. What religion isn't stupid? One could define stupid as: "Pointless or worthless" (that fits) or one could define it as "slow to learn" (that fits).

11. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203922 by mordacious1 on July 4, 2008 at 12:29 am

Yes. All religion is stupid and/or evil. You don't think so?

12. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203917 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 11:48 pm

"...another opportunity to remind the followers how islam is stupid/evil and therefore all religion is stupid/evil?"

Exactly. Now you're catching on. All religion is stupid/evil...that's almost an understatement, btw.

13. Former state science director sues over intelligent design e-mail

Comment #203876 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 9:39 pm

Yes, I was just there. You know, alcohol is a great muscle relaxer for your back, so pick up plenty on your way home.

14. Former state science director sues over intelligent design e-mail

Comment #203870 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 9:27 pm

I think I misread their statement. Rereading it, I think they mean the Chinese version of the flood is mythology, but the flood of the scripture is fact. One man's fact is another man's bullshit.

15. Science is thrilling - except in our schools

Comment #203864 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 9:18 pm

Goldy

Hey, don't laugh. The one guy got to visit Mt. St. Helens with Steve Austin, who I think is the 6 million dollar man.

16. Did newborn Earth harbour life?

Comment #203861 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 9:08 pm

steveroot

Your avatar is going to give me nightmares.

17. Former state science director sues over intelligent design e-mail

Comment #203860 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 9:05 pm

Goldy. If this is a cretinist site, how come they call the flood "biblical mythology"? I thought that these guys believed in the Noah story.

18. Former state science director sues over intelligent design e-mail

Comment #203851 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 8:37 pm

Goldy

Oh my. This is why I rarely talk with cretins anymore.

I like that: not only dinosaurs and people coexist at the Cretin-museum, but the kid is already properly clothed, we homo sapiens advanced quickly. A few hundred years later they were writing the old testament, of course, by then they had forgot about dinosaurs so they didn't mention them.

19. New Zealand man sells his soul to 'Hell'

Comment #203759 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 2:04 pm

Let me change the old brain joke:

A man goes into the "Soul & Blues" store for some used souls. He sees the first container of souls and it's marked $100/lb. "Wow", he exclaims "How come so much? The owner says, "Well, those are priest souls, very, very clean. And you know we have to sort out the one's that, well you know had some indescretions, and that raises the price".

"I see", says the man. Then he looks at the next container of souls. "$200/lb, man! What makes these more expensive than priest souls?" The owner says, "Those are Bishop souls, much rarer to find good clean souls there, you know".

"Yes, I understand that", then he sees the next container,"Holy shit, $1000/lb, what in the name of god could make souls that expensive?"

"Erm, those are atheist souls", says the owner.

"Why in the fuck would atheist souls cost so damn much?"

Owner: "Do you know how many atheists it takes to get a pound of clean souls?"

20. Science is thrilling - except in our schools

Comment #203697 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 11:32 am

My daughter has had a couple of really good science teachers so far, but I feel that does not relinquish my responsibility to "teach" science every day at our house. Most of the time, my kids don't even know that we are doing "science", just their dumb old dad asking what they think about how weed seeds get transported around the property so easily. Or having snakes and other critters in the house and having them ponder the similarities to other organisms.

Parents who know little of science and refuse to learn something to teach their kids in a fun way are doing their kids a disservice. Science, as in all education, should start at home.

Bragging again: My daughter is 2 years advanced in science and really smacked the rest of her class this year (again), with extra credit she was off the charts on grading (118%), hee hee. The best part is, she feels little pressure, because science is just something one does. It is all around us, it is life itself....enough of my lecture, but you get the point.

21. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203668 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 10:44 am

muslimlady

You came and posted and disappeared. Can't stand the heat? Please do not enter the kitchen again, unless you are prepared to stay awhile.

[edit] My apologies if your husband caught you using the computer and you are receiving a beating while we speak.

22. New Zealand man sells his soul to 'Hell'

Comment #203655 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 10:23 am

You guys, our souls aren't worth shit, because we are all heading to hell anyway. The only souls that have value, are the souls, like Ted Haggart's who has been born again, and again in jesus and are for sure heading for heaven. People don't want a black, ravaged soul like mine...they want a crisp clean, white soul...like Tony Blairs.

But, if this Pizza chain wants my soul, they can have it for a large pizza and a couple of cold beers.

23. Did newborn Earth harbour life?

Comment #203652 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 10:12 am

Decius

Agree with you on the large moons. I don't think I will see too much exploration there in my lifetime, which is too bad, for me.

Of course, we can have manned landings on Mars too, so that makes it more attractive to some.

24. Who Was More Important: Lincoln or Darwin?

Comment #203648 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 9:59 am

The thing that really bugs me, is that this was the cover of the magazine. With the 150th of the Origin this week, couldn't they just have friggin' put Darwin on the cover and left it at that? Oh well, at least it wasn't Darwin v. Ben Stein.

On the other hand, I'd like to see a poll of americans who know who Darwin was. They probably had to throw Lincoln in there, so at least half the people would know at least one of them. It is just so stupid.

25. Did newborn Earth harbour life?

Comment #203646 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 9:48 am

A lot of speculation in this article, but that's OK. With all the speculation on early life that is being put out, some bright lad/lass will eventually put it all together and prove how life began. I think we are really moving forward on this and will someday have an accepted theory on the origin of life on Earth. We are close to closing that biggest of remaining gaps.

26. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203513 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 3:56 am

Entertaining in the same way as a drunken uncle at a xmas dinner.

27. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203503 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 3:22 am

8theist

See what you get when you don't empty your bladder in the O'Brien Cup?

28. Faith schools undermined by 'Government witch hunt'

Comment #203497 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 3:12 am

Steve

I agree with you for the UK, and possibly catholic schools in the U.S. , but some of the others here are way out there. I have reviewed textbooks used by christian schools, and it would blow your mind, mostly propaganda. They do teach the 3 R's well, but I would not want my kids going there.

29. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203487 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 2:49 am

8teist

That is funny, I say some idiotic things, but at least no one has named a trophy after me. What a wanker. Btw, I thought he was 80, because he keeps using words like hayseed, but his blog has a picture of him looking much younger. His age is stated as 252 . I'm sure, knowing bobby as we do, it's some reference to how much intelligence he's obtained in his short life.

30. Obama Wants to Expand Role of Religious Groups

Comment #203480 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 2:30 am

You can say alot about Obama, and I haven't supported him, but he is not stupid. Bill Clinton constantly pandered to christians, but he made some very good justice appointments, and was a better president than any republican I can think of. It will be hard for me to vote for him on election night, because I sincerely believe he is OK with faith-based programs, mainly because they provide alot of bennies to african americans. But the other choice is worse, plain and simple.

31. Who Was More Important: Lincoln or Darwin?

Comment #203476 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 2:14 am

Richard


I agree with your conclusions about comparing Darwin and Lincoln. Though I'm usually hesitant about dismissing people as "merely a figure in American history". Sometimes these figures can set the course of a nation, in this case, of the most powerful nation in the history of the planet. Jefferson, Madison, even Washington (though only as a figure head), would be included.

But in this situation you are quite right, because had Lincoln not existed, I don't believe anything would have changed. William Seward would have been elected and he was even more against slavery than Lincoln. This would have started the Civil War. The outcome would have been the same, although I believe Seward would have been a better wartime leader. As Sec. of State, Seward was stabbed several times with a Bowie knife the night Lincoln was assassinated.

The point is, with no Darwin, evolution would have been discovered. Without Lincoln, there would have been a war, slavery would have ended. It boils down to which idea had more influence on civilization. Evolution and the Theory of Natural Selection wins hands down, no comparison.

PS. Can't wait for the book, hopefully a signing in San Francisco.

32. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203460 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 1:23 am

Goldy

Thanks, better. Although today they inserted a palate expander and he's refusing to eat...one thing after another.

33. Can't Darwin and God get along?

Comment #203454 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 12:45 am

ah, coral snakes are indeed very deadly, but tiny fangs, so you can mess with them fairly safely without too much danger, unless you pick them up and have an open cut on your hand, then you are dead.

We took a picture of the Mojave Green (rattlesnake) with objects around for size comparison. The Animal Control guy freaked and wouldn't look for it. He took the picture to the local college and the Herp professor was pissed that we didn't "capture" it, it would have been a record size. Yeah right. He set up a tent in backyard for a week hoping to find the snake, but he never did. Those guys are very strange.

[edit] Wiki says the biggest green is 5 feet, now I'm worried my memory is distorted. hmmm It was probably closer to 6 feet, and grew over the years of telling the story.

34. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203447 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 12:14 am

Fanusi

WHAT'RE YOU LOOKIN' AT? (burps)

35. Former state science director sues over intelligent design e-mail

Comment #203444 by mordacious1 on July 3, 2008 at 12:07 am

rod

Unfortunately, the defendent gets to choose trial by judge/jury, and that would be the school district.

About the lack of monetary reward. I see this as a problem. I know in my area, dealing with special ed services, people will sue and if the school loses, so what, they provide the service. Most people don't sue, so they stay ahead of the game. If they had to pay out 5 mil, they'd think twice about breaking the law. I like punitive rewards, and if I was the judge, I'd slap one on even if she didn't ask for it.

36. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203414 by mordacious1 on July 2, 2008 at 10:03 pm

Goldy

Your back is still out? Bad news, I hope it is temporary. Mine has been killing me for almost 2 years now. I can relate to avoiding doing the simple things because of the pain. I spend alot of time flat on my back popping narcotics. It can be a real bitch. Hope you are feeling better soon.

37. Obama Wants to Expand Role of Religious Groups

Comment #203094 by mordacious1 on July 2, 2008 at 11:12 am

I saw a minister on TV last night that was complaining about Obama's plan, because Obama wants the faith-based charities not to discriminate against hiring non-religious people to work for them. The minister's point was that the homeless, lonely, addicted, etc, need their "souls saved" and non-religious people can't do this. So basicly, our tax dollars are being spent on saving souls. Thomas Jefferson would pop his lid over this.

38. Evangelical Christians sign up to a 'Church within a Church'

Comment #203080 by mordacious1 on July 2, 2008 at 11:01 am

So, if they can have a church within a church to oppose gays, can the gays have a gay within a gay to...oh, they already have that.

39. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203075 by mordacious1 on July 2, 2008 at 10:58 am

Not mildly miffed, not slightly upset...OUTRAGED!

So does the fatwa go out on the dog, the hat, the police chief, or the ad guru?

40. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage

Comment #203059 by mordacious1 on July 2, 2008 at 10:42 am

Phillip

"...you have to admit, you guys invented spray on cheese."

I should have logged on earlier so I could say:
Blessed are the cheese whiz makers. Damn.

41. Richard Dawkins on Doctor Who

Comment #202830 by mordacious1 on July 2, 2008 at 3:38 am

I am sure that clearmind is a teacher, at the church where he preaches. Probably spends his time indoctrinating little children with his nonsense, and who knows what else. Poor little kids.

42. Stephen Hawking's explosive new theory

Comment #202794 by mordacious1 on July 2, 2008 at 2:16 am

Steve

I'm learning something. Don't try to scan through physics books at 2 a.m., I'm getting nowhere. I'll have to try again when I'm less tired, if I find what I read I will get back to you. Thanks for trying to help.

43. Stephen Hawking's explosive new theory

Comment #202789 by mordacious1 on July 2, 2008 at 1:44 am

Steve

I know that they've done experiments with pulses through fiber optics filled with cesium, and have claimed light traveled up to 300X faster (although I've read that most? physicists claim this is illusionary). But this isn't what I was referring to, and it wasn't group velocity of waves. I think Oystein might have been closer, since I read alot of QM material.

From what I understand, Einstein actually said that no "information" can travel faster than the speed of light and did not exclude particles of photons moving faster than c. I might be wrong here, sometimes you can read a book that is written by a guy who's "way out there" on his/her theories. I wish these books were better indexed, so I could find my source faster or I should take more notes.

44. Mormons urged to back ban on same-sex marriage

Comment #202785 by mordacious1 on July 2, 2008 at 1:20 am

Barry

Love your model.

It was interesting for me to learn from David Eller that there are over 1000 religions practiced today. MOST of these don't believe in any sort of god, ie. ancestor worship.

45. Can't Darwin and God get along?

Comment #202783 by mordacious1 on July 2, 2008 at 1:12 am

Logicel

PZ summed this guy up pretty well, as only he can do, I'd still add megalomania to the list though.

46. Can't Darwin and God get along?

Comment #202782 by mordacious1 on July 2, 2008 at 1:08 am

epeeist

I think it's funny that Mo is often hanging out in a bar, arguing with the barmaid.

47. Can't Darwin and God get along?

Comment #202778 by mordacious1 on July 2, 2008 at 1:02 am

Laurie

Actually, I find snakes fascinating. I'm contemplating breeding my corn (rat snake) to bring out more interesting colors and patterns. I know some people, like PETA, are totally against this but since I don't remove my snakes from or introduce them into the wild I see no harm in it.

Having been raised in the Mojave Desert, I have a respect for venomous snakes, like the 12 foot long Mojave Green that entered my house through the front door and slithered out the back while we were watching TV. Longest venomous snake I've ever seen, and scarey as all hell.

48. Can't Darwin and God get along?

Comment #202764 by mordacious1 on July 2, 2008 at 12:27 am

Goldy

I had him pegged as much, much older, with his use of "hayseed" and "yokel". Not too many younguns talk like that anymore. (chews long piece of grass while whittlin' in rocker).

49. Can't Darwin and God get along?

Comment #202762 by mordacious1 on July 2, 2008 at 12:21 am

Laurie

Isn't the king brown the most venomous snake on the planet? Nasty things they are, and unlike other snakes don't they actually get a kick out of attacking people?

50. It can be right to discriminate against the religious

Comment #202757 by mordacious1 on July 2, 2008 at 12:13 am

clodhopper's german reminds me of a joke:

As an extra punishment, a Stalag Kommandant would make the POWs act like cuckoo clocks each morning. They'd stand in formation, head tilt to the left and say "tick", then to the right, "tock". For an hour, it would be tick-tock, tick-tock. One day a POW got a crick on the right side of his neck, so he could only go: tick, tick, tick... The Kommandant comes up to him and says: "You know, ve have vays of making you tock".