1. MnIndy interview: Unrepentant science-heathen PZ Myers still intends to prove 'this cracker is nothing'

Comment #211948 by hoops mccann on July 16, 2008 at 12:15 pm

Comment #211769 by Steve Zara: "I am not sure what PZ will achieve with this. To be honest, I can't see the point. If he has (as would be justified) a specific problem with some individual obnoxious people, let him address that."

I'll second this. What Cook did was very clever and PZ's original response was spot on. However, I think that what he plans to do next seems childish and spiteful. In fact, it places a special value on the host, which is exactly the idea he is trying to attack. The only possible act of "desecration" that I can think of that would contain the right amount of humor and still make the point is to film a video of him doing a test to find the presence of human DNA in the host.

2. Man Sues Church Over 'God Injury'

Comment #210374 by hoops mccann on July 14, 2008 at 12:01 pm

Comment #210007 by prettygoodformonkeys:
"Then again, it would be funny if they had to start signing release forms before praying...."


Or wearing helmets.

3. IT'S A GODDAMNED CRACKER!

Comment #207108 by hoops mccann on July 9, 2008 at 7:45 am

I thought this would be appropriate (from Tom Lehrer's song Vatican Rag):


"
...
Get in line in that processional
Step into that small confessional
There, the guy who's got religion'll
Tell you if your sin's original

If it is, try playin' it safer
Drink the wine and chew the wafer
Two, four, six, eight
Time to transubstantiate
Doin' the Vatican Rag
...
"

4. [UPDATED] Venomous Snakes, Slippery Eels and Harun Yahya

Comment #206561 by hoops mccann on July 8, 2008 at 1:17 pm

Comment #206557 by Vinelectric: "Name one scientific fact mentioned in the Quran that helped us cure a disease or advance civilisation in any meaningfull way."

Bowing to pray helps relieve lower back pain.

5. [UPDATED] Venomous Snakes, Slippery Eels and Harun Yahya

Comment #206556 by hoops mccann on July 8, 2008 at 1:08 pm

Comment #206549 by Oystein Elgaroy: "I have always been told I have the mind of a hotel manager."

So are you a scientist?

6. [UPDATED] Venomous Snakes, Slippery Eels and Harun Yahya

Comment #206539 by hoops mccann on July 8, 2008 at 12:56 pm

Comment #206491 by al-rawandi: "You know that Adnan Oktar is an interior decorator who decided one day to take on Darwin and evolution... it's pretty funny when you think about it."

It's hilarious. It reminded me of Eric Von Daniken, who wrote a terrible book called "Chariots of the Gods?" (the question mark is part of the title, which was a kind of disclaimer). His main theory was that the miracles in the bible were actually acts by space aliens. He provided absurd "evidence" to back it all up, of course. The spaceship scene in The Life of Brian was a deliberate reference (along with Star Wars, of course). In a television special, the narrator described him as "someone with the mind of a scientist". He was a hotel manager.

7. [UPDATED] Venomous Snakes, Slippery Eels and Harun Yahya

Comment #206513 by hoops mccann on July 8, 2008 at 12:35 pm

Comment #206494 by rchoquette: "I had never considered that this level of innaccuracy was even allowed on the press."


Whoever pays the piper calls the tune. Check out Fox News sometime.

8. [UPDATED] Venomous Snakes, Slippery Eels and Harun Yahya

Comment #206485 by hoops mccann on July 8, 2008 at 12:06 pm

Comment #206431 by Joe Morreale: "Adnan Oktar did not rape any one. He is victim of false slander which is no surprise AS HE HAS/CONTINUES TO RUFFLE FEATHERS IN HIGH PLACE!

AS THEY SAY IN NEW YORK ITALIAN:

FORGET ABOUT IT!"

Joe,

Your real name isn't Borat by any chance, is it?

9. Churches' secret talks to stop gay surge

Comment #205405 by hoops mccann on July 7, 2008 at 8:35 am

What delicious irony! When I was growing up(in the U.S.), Episcopalians, as the elite of Protestent sects (or at least the most affluent), generally disparaged Catholics as superstitious and uneducated blue collar grunts who were created to dust their furniture and work in their factories. To see the most reactionary of them going begging to the Pope is just hilarious. This is truly rich.

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

Comment #203207 by hoops mccann on July 2, 2008 at 1:11 pm

Oh, pullleeeze. GFB. Please to be giving me my break today. The arrogance of some people is truly astonishing. My solution: put out a poster of a grinning Christopher Hitchens holding a pork chop in one hand and a drink in the other.

11. Obama Wants to Expand Role of Religious Groups

Comment #203183 by hoops mccann on July 2, 2008 at 12:47 pm

How depressing. He really should know better. This is a direct government subsidy to religious institutions (as if they don't already have enough money), who will pocket most of it. The poor will never see the money and the taxpayer will have to pick up the tab, as usual. Also, largese from churches rarely comes without strings attached, even if it's only forcing people to sit through a dreary sermon. Faithheads really have some balls. You would think that not having to pay taxes would be enough privilige. Despite all this, I'm going to vote for the bastard anyway. This is no time for a protest vote.

12. Science teacher dissed evolution

Comment #196793 by hoops mccann on June 20, 2008 at 12:46 pm

"[Inigo]
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
[/Inigo]"



Speaking of cues:
"My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die"

(yeah, I figured I had to as well...)

13. Is the Universe Actually Made of Math?

Comment #195581 by hoops mccann on June 18, 2008 at 2:38 pm

Comment #195500 by Ian Bamlett: "Really, to the average man on the street, what is the difference between this level of abstract phyics and a theolgian debating how may angels can dance on the head of a pin?"

I can sympathize with this sentiment, but the problem is that if science doesn't offer answers to ultimate questions, religion will. To the average man on the street, being told that "God did it" is satisfying. They don't really care how many angels can dance on the head of a pin as long as they go to heaven after they die. The fact that their "ultimate answer" sidesteps the deep questions altogether is not apparent. The kind of speculations discussed in the interview are fine as long as they are somehow linked to reality before being proposed as actual facts. Hopefully, these ideas can be tested at some point in the future.

14. Vatican bans Dan Brown film Angels & Demons from Rome churches

Comment #194048 by hoops mccann on June 16, 2008 at 10:30 am

Comment #194011 by esuther:

"But for movies that make profound and hilarious statements about the idiocy of religion, I think the prize winner will always be The Life of Brian."

Amen (if you'll pardon the expression). Let's not give "Holy Grail" short shrift though. Especially the "how do you know that she's a witch?" dialog.

15. Vatican bans Dan Brown film Angels & Demons from Rome churches

Comment #193975 by hoops mccann on June 16, 2008 at 8:58 am

It's called FICTION for a reason.

From Wiki:

"A false document is a form of verisimilitude that attempts to create in the reader (viewer, audience etc) a *sense* [emphasis mine] of authenticity beyond the normal and expected suspension of disbelief."

Don't these "scholars" know what a LITERARY DEVICE is?

16. Hints of structure beyond the visible universe

Comment #191227 by hoops mccann on June 10, 2008 at 12:21 pm

"...another curious pattern in the CMB called the axis of evil, which some scientists have..."


Who says that scientists are humorless?

17. Physicist Claims First Real Demonstration of Cold Fusion

Comment #188254 by hoops mccann on June 3, 2008 at 1:21 pm

Comment #187865 by fynbo on June 2, 2008 at 10:29 pm

"Sorry everyone : it seems I was somewhat too fast in my little physics lesson earlier :-{ "


No problem. Thanks for your honesty. However, even if your original statement was correct, I would still stand by the second part of mine. A temperature rise with no other corroborating evidence is specious and reeks of snake oil. I hope that "cold fusion" doesn't become the next "perpetual motion" because of hyping by the press and overly dramatic and premature presentations by scientists who should know better.

18. Physicist Claims First Real Demonstration of Cold Fusion

Comment #187611 by hoops mccann on June 2, 2008 at 11:12 am

Comment #187543 by Mr. Flibble: "To quote "Voodoo Science" as I remember it on Cold Fusion, I must ask: "Is the lab assistant dead?"


Exactly. Fusion always gives radiation in the form of neutrons. Everyone in the room would have been killed. Why were'nt radiation detectors set up to verify the presense of radiation? A rise in temperature signifies nothing. A chemical reaction and a well insulated container could do the same thing.

19. Kenya mob reportedly burns 11 'witches'

Comment #183583 by hoops mccann on May 22, 2008 at 10:00 am

"How can they (the young men) prove that a person is a wizard?"

See if they weigh the same as a duck?

(Sorry to make light of this, but the situation is absurd beyond words. No one is being tried or prosecuted? Any society that tolerates something like that is pathetic.)

20. Lab agrees to test Shroud of Turin for new theory

Comment #183100 by hoops mccann on May 21, 2008 at 11:43 am

"As for his hypothesis on shroud dating, he said that it's going to take months or years to test because of the project's complexity and limits on time and money."

Of course. The proof is always "just around the corner". Kind of like Noah's Ark. Also, I was astonished at the credulity of the author of the article. She really should be ashamed of herself, merely repeating the (unsupported) conclusions of the "reseachers" as fact. Personally, I think that equal time should be devoted to the Shirt of Toledo :)
On the other hand, it would be interesting if they could extract DNA (since the blood is supposedly real) and determine the lineage of the bleeder. Some of the bible's claims might actually be testable after all.

21. The Dissent Of Darwin - The World Of Richard Dawkins

Comment #180422 by hoops mccann on May 14, 2008 at 9:35 pm

Actual event(I was there):

After a student complained about the extreme difficulty of an exam, the professor (who should have known better) replied: "that's just one of my little quizzies". Without thinking (I'm sure you all know where this is going), the student (female) replied: "if that's one of your little quizzies, I'd hate to see one of your little testies". After it sunk in, the class laughed uproariously.

22. Scientists Know Better Than You--Even When They're Wrong

Comment #177876 by hoops mccann on May 9, 2008 at 9:43 pm

By making claims about the physical world, claims which are testable, creationists open themselves to scientific challenge. Richard isn't stepping outside of his "narrow field", the creationists are stepping into it (so to speak).

23. Atheists are nice people who will roast in hell, says Cardinal

Comment #177865 by hoops mccann on May 9, 2008 at 9:15 pm

Comment #177794 by mordacious1:
"Don't read the long speech, I felt like stepping on a third rail after I did. Although, if you want to get the real gist of this guys thinking, you should probably wade throught it, just keep a barf bag nearby."

And a syringe of insulin.

24. Faith in Britain today

Comment #177139 by hoops mccann on May 8, 2008 at 4:27 pm

Richard,

Please harp on his use of the word "richness" to describe his traditions and "spirituality". This claim is completely ridiculous. How is dull repetitous ritual combined with threats of hellfire "rich"? I always found his (and formerly my) religion to be emotionally deadening, intellectually impoverished and spiritually (as in "human spirit") paranoid. They may have an intellectual tradition (although I suspect that it was used to create arguments that arrive at pre-determined conclusions) but they never share it with "the flock". The piece was sacharine drivel that I had to stop reading about a third of the way through. What a waste of education.

25. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #172684 by hoops mccann on April 29, 2008 at 10:19 pm

Thank you for your patronage, Peter. We're all really flattered that you think Dawkins is an ok guy underneath. If fact, it made our day. You might want to actually read his book, though. The entire book.

More of the usual condescension we've come to expect from these bozos. If he can't "understand Dawkins's thinking", that's a reflection on him. Dawkins has expressed his arguments quite clearly. RTFB.

26. Orangutan attempts to hunt fish with spear

Comment #171040 by hoops mccann on April 28, 2008 at 9:05 am

"This individual had seen locals fishing with spears on the Gohong River.

Although the method required too much skill for him to master, he was later able to improvise by using the pole to catch fish already trapped in the locals' fishing lines. "



I hope that he never sees anyone using dynamite!

27. Mount Vernon schools to hire investigator in Bible case

Comment #168805 by hoops mccann on April 25, 2008 at 11:18 am

Adam Morrison:
"Well, he should be up on charges for burning crosses into peoples arms. "

That's even worse than burning them on peoples lawns.

28. Lynchings in Congo as penis theft panic hits capital

Comment #166642 by hoops mccann on April 23, 2008 at 11:07 am

Cartomancer:
"This sounds like something straight out of a cultural anthropology textbook or an egyptian magical papyrus."


Or a Monty Python movie.

29. Ben Stein Vs. Sputtering Atheists

Comment #165591 by hoops mccann on April 21, 2008 at 6:35 pm

L. Brent *Bozell*


What an appropriate name.

30. Open Letter to a victim of Ben Stein's lying propaganda

Comment #165505 by hoops mccann on April 21, 2008 at 2:32 pm

My feeling is that, based on David J's phraseology and tone (and the fact that it was his *great* grandparents who suffered during the holocaust), he is quite young. I don't think that Dawkins' careful reasoning and subtle arguments will have much effect on him, at least in the near future, since he seems so impressionable.

31. School bars same-sex partners at formals

Comment #161469 by hoops mccann on April 15, 2008 at 10:25 am

"In Sydney, a homosexual person is valued because they are a person but would not be appointed to a position in the diocese, but would be welcome in our churches because everyone is welcome."

i.e., their money is as good as anyone else's

32. German Church admits aiding Nazis

Comment #158430 by hoops mccann on April 10, 2008 at 1:55 pm

Quetzaltcoatl: "The word the Cardinal was looking for should not have been blind. It should have been complicit.

Still. A bit late, but at least they've admitted it."

But they haven't really taken moral responsibility for it. They "admit" to using forced labor but then soften it by saying that basically "everybody did it" and "we weren't as bad as the others". This is implicitly stating that they did the prisoners a favor, since it was ineveitable that they would be exploited by *someone* and weren't they lucky it was us instead of them! This is moral weaseling at it's worst. Shame on the church, for doing the original act and for insulting us with such a lame interpretation.

33. In search of the God particle

Comment #157050 by hoops mccann on April 8, 2008 at 2:06 pm

Bigora: "If only Ben Stein would make a movie about particle physics, a hastily thrown together piece of trash full of misconstrued statements, non-sequiturs and ad hominem attacks, we could stop these horrible, evil scientists from going against the will of God. I'll even supply him with another ridiculous pair of short-pants, because if anything says, "Take me seriously!", it's a grown man dressed like a 10 year old boy."


They should name a particle just for him: the "bozon".

34. Vote on freedom of expression marks the end of Universal Human Rights

Comment #152995 by hoops mccann on March 31, 2008 at 8:17 pm

"War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength"

- Orwell

35. Police: Girl Dies After Parents Pray for Healing Instead of Seeking Medical Help

Comment #149821 by hoops mccann on March 26, 2008 at 9:08 am

"They are still in the home," he said. "There is no reason to remove them. There is no abuse or signs of abuse that we can see."

Death isn't a sign of abuse????!!!!

36. God's cure for gays lost in sin

Comment #146679 by hoops mccann on March 19, 2008 at 9:19 am

Has anyone noticed how Pathfinder's spelling has improved? Hmmmmmm...

37. In Britain, creationist theory is evolving

Comment #145433 by hoops mccann on March 17, 2008 at 3:14 pm

Teratornis:
"I think the psychological addiction to automobility is actually a more serious problem than the mere physical addiction..."

I strongly disagree. Speaking for myself, I would give up driving in a heartbeat if decent public transportation became available and safe bike lanes were constructed.

"...and most people in the U.S. seem too stupid to figure out how to telecommute to work with existing technology..."

They're not. Decisions like this are made by managers, who want to be able to oversee their subordinates.

"...we could greatly reduce the physical addiction with some straightforward rearrangements..."

Now you're talking.

38. Immune system differences found

Comment #145399 by hoops mccann on March 17, 2008 at 2:37 pm

"I didn't know there was a country called Caucasia."


Isn't that the place where they have caucuses?

39. Richard Dawkins on The Alan Colmes Show

Comment #144017 by hoops mccann on March 14, 2008 at 9:58 pm

greenlol: "Terrific stuff from RD as usual. One thing troubles me slightly. He was clearly losing patience very quickly with the callers and going on these shows he maybe needs to stick to the incredible politeness that he is famous for. It is quite understable that he feels fit to explode; after all there is SUCH a gulf in his position on god, religion and the like and the position of people who say they believe in that stuff. "

I think that he's finally getting fed up with ignoramuses who triumphantly spout the same tired arguments that he's disproven countless times before, show after show. They never respond thoughtfully to any of his comments (and it goes without saying, never read one of his books), but just repeat their memorized statement over and over, as if that somehow will prove that they're smarter than him. I don't think that most are even capable of comprehending his statements if they wanted to, which they don't. Dawkins has the patience of a saint (if you'll pardon the expression) but he may have dealt with one too many bozos for his own good. Trying to explain subtle ideas to people who are as dense as bricks (and openly hostile) can frustrate even the most tolerant. That he can continue to express sincerity and warmth in the face of this level of disrespect amazes me.

40. Chemical brain controls nanobots

Comment #142289 by hoops mccann on March 12, 2008 at 9:05 am

"Cool beans. The potential application for nannites is huge! I wonder how they trick the immune system into not attacking them."


This comment reminded me of the film "Fantastic Voyage". If I remember correctly, Raquel Welch gets trapped when antibodies attach themselves to her skin-tight fitting spandex uniform. It became a source of humor for the stand-up comics of the time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic_Voyage

41. Seven new deadly sins: are you guilty?

Comment #141433 by hoops mccann on March 10, 2008 at 12:12 pm

Geoff says:

"Lust & Sloth have always been my favourites."


Followed by a good steak dinner.

42. Should Galileo's tomb be opened for DNA tests?

Comment #141385 by hoops mccann on March 10, 2008 at 10:27 am

"I also saw the remains of his middle finger on display at the history of science museum."



How appropriate.

43. Richard Dawkins' US Tour begins this week

Comment #139856 by hoops mccann on March 6, 2008 at 3:14 pm

Wooter asks:

"How do you overcome this fear of being gone forever"?

Answer: by being grateful for the opportunity to live and honoring that life by living it to the fullest.

44. A natural phenomenon

Comment #139441 by hoops mccann on March 5, 2008 at 8:52 pm

decius,


Love your avatar. Is it Larson?

45. Church exhumes Padre Pio

Comment #139254 by hoops mccann on March 5, 2008 at 11:52 am

What macabre bullshit. I'm sure glad I cut myself loose from that outfit when I was still young.

46. Hebrew University researcher: Moses was tripping at Mount Sinai

Comment #138448 by hoops mccann on March 4, 2008 at 10:58 am

Rod-the farmer says:

"When one enters a jewish home, one is sometimes invited to "Have a nagela". This is the original name for a HHHHash brownie. Note the guttural HHHHH. "


I'd like to meet your friends!

47. Add another flea to the list...

Comment #132895 by hoops mccann on February 25, 2008 at 11:34 am

Another bozo on the bus.

48. Potentially Habitable Planets Are Common, Study Says

Comment #129592 by hoops mccann on February 19, 2008 at 10:56 am

Charles Bradlaugh says:

"This may be a bit of a tangent, but it reminds me of what i thought was the weakest part of TGD: the anthropic principle idea. i can see 'the universe is so big, the law of averages suggests there must be another world like this one somewhere' in a kind of phillip pullman way, but i didn't see how it fitted into 'therefore a god didn't create this one.' "

I don't think that the anthropic principle concludes that there is no god, only that devine action is not *necessary* to create things that are highly unlikely. Even highly improbable events become inevitable when the universe of possibilities is large enough. We know that it's greater than zero since we exist, so sheer size and expanse of time make it possible for life (and universes) to exist without needing (super)intelligent creators.

49. Ben Stein Wins Intelligent Design Money

Comment #127975 by hoops mccann on February 15, 2008 at 8:25 pm

rod-the-farmer says:
"One can only hope that his first movie will not make it into mainstream theatres across the world."


When I first heard about the fleas, I wondered about their commercial viability as well. Is anyone actually buying this stuff? I have to wonder if it is vanity published or (more likely) subsidized by some group.

50. Exorcism undergoes a revival across Europe

Comment #126200 by hoops mccann on February 12, 2008 at 3:29 pm

"I learned that many members of my congregation became in touch with a dark force whenever they used their computers," he said.

Microsoft?