1. Richard Dawkins: An Exclusive Profile

Comment #286217 by fotomatt on November 18, 2008 at 10:47 am

Sorry to get in a little late on this, but I rather liked the editing on the video. It was punchy and engaging... perfect for the ADD kids, like me. ;-)

2. Bill Maher's Religulous Opens Today

Comment #260759 by fotomatt on October 6, 2008 at 2:39 am

>my Christian GF.

Ahhh... the crazy things that men will put up with just to get a little... ummm... love.

But seriously, when I saw the film yesterday (the second time), I noticed a fair number of teenagers who, it seemed, enjoyed the film as much as, if not more than, the rest of the audience.

Imagine if you'd seen this movie when you were fifteen.

So, while others have encouraged you to take a (presumably, adult) friend to see this movie (a fine suggestion, yes), I would instead encourage you to take someone younger. Do you have a thoughtful, intelligent, questioning, cynical, and/or somewhat geeky nephew, niece, cousin, friend, etc? Take them to see this movie. They will love it. And they'll appreciate that you thought of them and took them to something a little more mature and edgy, instead of the demeaning and juvenile tripe that is usually shoved down their throats.

3. Bill Maher's Religulous Opens Today

Comment #260201 by fotomatt on October 4, 2008 at 10:22 pm

Went to the early show downtown that offered an in-theater discussion afterward. The movie was great, but it was even better to hear people's comments afterward. Little old ladies who spoke of leaving the church long ago, feeling so scared and isolated, wishing this movie had come out back then. It was all so much fun that I stayed and watched the next showing! For me, the second viewing was actually better than the first, noticed more of the little details.
Highly Recommended!

4. US school district sued over homophobic 'witch hunt'

Comment #234574 by fotomatt on August 21, 2008 at 3:52 pm

Neither Superintendent Steve Griffin nor former-Principal David Davis are likely to read the thoughtful and stimulating remarks found in this forum.

Perhaps you'd like to communicate with one or both of them directly...

David Davis: davisd@hdsb.org

Steve Griffin: griffins@hdsb.org

Or, if you prefer the warmth and immediacy of the telephone...

PONCE DE LEON HS:
Phone: (850) 836-4242
Fax: (850) 836-5388

HOLMES DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
Phone: (850)547-9341
Fax: (850)547-0381

5. An Interview with Prof. Richard Dawkins

Comment #199489 by fotomatt on June 25, 2008 at 8:32 pm

---
from the interview text:
"Einstein liked to use the word of God to explain his reverence, while I don't."
---

Just a guess here, but "...the word 'God' to explain..." would probably be a more accurate reflection of what Richard actually said.

I suspect that the journalist should have taken a bit more care when transcribing his interview tape. However, it is a particularly odd mistake coming from a self-described atheist.

6. Richard Dawkins' US Tour begins this week

Comment #138596 by fotomatt on March 4, 2008 at 3:38 pm

Does anyone here have two extra tickets to the March 9 event at Stanford?

When I first phoned the ticket office they weren't open yet; when next I had an opportunity, the tix were all gone. And I have to work the night before, so can't go to UC Berkeley event.

If you ever went to a Grateful Dead concert, you probably remember the phrase oft-heard in the parking lot and near the entrance gate... "I need a miracle!" ;-)

In return, I would happily offer a pro-quality photo of you and/or your partner taken at some lovely spot on campus.

fotomatt AT cruzio DOT com

7. Bill Moyers interviews Jonathan Miller

Comment #87682 by fotomatt on November 12, 2007 at 8:37 pm

For those of you who just can't wait to see Miller's "Brief History of Disbelief" and/or the wonderful extended/outtakes, "The Atheism Tapes," and would like a fairly good quality copy, you can find both (and much more) at http://thebox.bz which is a torrent site focused upon British television. You do have to sign up, but there's quite a bit of good stuff there...

Sorry, I don't mean to sound like an advert for the site. However, it is free (though you must sign up), and has many shows available with foci upon atheism, science, philosophy, etc... including Miller's shows, as well as RD's "Enemies of Reason" and his recent interview on HARDtalk, which is well worth checking out.

Enjoy.

8. Ayaan Hirsi Ali: abandoned to fanatics

Comment #79444 by fotomatt on October 17, 2007 at 9:15 am

"Now that the Netherlands has pulled financial support for Islam critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali's protection in the United States, the Danish government has offered to pick up the tab for her bodyguards -- as long as she lives in Denmark."

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,511830,00.html

Ironic, one of the main points about the Netherlands pulling their funding was that AHA no longer lived there. Excuse me if I'm mistaken, but I believe that the Netherlands has said it would continue to pay for her bodyguards IF she lived in the Netherlands. Now, Denmark offers to foot the bill, but only if she lives there.

I wish their offer was not conditional upon residency, but it is heartening nevertheless to hear Denmark's reassertion of support for freedom of thought and speech in the face of religiously-based intolerance and violence.

9. Germany Cites Koran in Rejecting Divorce

Comment #27172 by fotomatt on March 23, 2007 at 10:49 am

re: Comment 11, "They fired the judge."

The judge has not been fired... yet. But she has been removed from the case.

From Spiegel Online:
On Wednesday, numerous politicians in Berlin voiced their horror at the verdict -- and demanded disciplinary action against the judge. "In my opinion, this is a case of extreme violation of the rule of law that can't be solved with a mere conflict of interest ruling," Social Democrat parliamentarian Dieter Wiefelspütz told SPIEGEL ONLINE. "There have to be further consequences. This is a case for judicial supervision -- this case needs to be further investigated."
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,druck-473017,00.html

10. Taking the fight to Islam

Comment #21369 by fotomatt on February 9, 2007 at 12:10 am

Old Coppernose stated:
...we have the likes of Rushdie, who attack our society continually, until offending their culture of origin - Islam in his case, and then need our society to protect them - before finally wussing out by converting back to it.

More that just "a bit unfair," Old Coppernose seems a bit outdated, too.

During the height of the Muslim psychotic frenzy against Rushdie and his book, The Satanic Verses, bookshops were being firebombed and a number of people associated with the book were attacked, seriously injured, and/or killed. Rushdie may have reasonably believed that his public appeasement of the fanatics would serve to save the lives of innocent people. Whether or not you agree with his decision, it's understandable why he might have done it.

Regardless, Rushdie himself regretted the decision and "recanted a short time later describing it as the "biggest mistake of my life" in an interview he gave to Anne McElvoy of The Times published on August 26, 1995.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rushdie#The_Satanic_Verses_controversy

Since that time -- as he was prior -- Rushdie has been avowedly secular and a self-described atheist. He expressly described himself as an atheist in an interview with Bill Moyers in June, 2006.

He is also a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association.

He has also been outspoken in defense of free speech and has publicly opposed governmental efforts to restrict religious and/or racial "hate speech."

And although the fatwa against his life is still in full effect (reaffirmed by the Iranian Ayatollah in 2005) he speaks out against the wearing of the veil and the general oppression of women within Islam.

So whatever mistake he made, I think Rushdie deserves our utmost support and respect.

Sorry for perpetuating this tangent... let's get back to discussing Ayaan Hirsi Ali... such as, Why it's so frustrating that she's affiliated herself with the corporate fundamentalists at AEI.