Comments by Gregg Townsend

Comment #211219 by Gregg Townsend on July 15, 2008 at 3:47 pm

Alan Canon,

I'm tearing up.

the minds of the dead do live on in the virtual-reality simulation inside the minds of those who remember them.

I've said it before; my only chance at immortality is to live on in my children's and grand-children's memories. This is all the incentive I need to live a moral life.

Thanks.

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

Comment #211215 by Gregg Townsend on July 15, 2008 at 3:38 pm

Epinephrine,

Hmmmm, cloning. Then we'd have some joker like txpiper show up and say that's how Jeebus multiplied the fishes and loaves.

edit- On second thought, txpiper would never do that. It would require ReceivedTheGift to make such a claim.

453. Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway

Comment #211203 by Gregg Townsend on July 15, 2008 at 3:10 pm

I had to look up Q.E.D.

The "Current Usage" heading on Wikipedia seems especially appropriate to the conversation. :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q.E.D.

454. Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway

Comment #211195 by Gregg Townsend on July 15, 2008 at 2:56 pm

Brian,

Too much talking with Mphil, me thinks.

455. Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway

Comment #211184 by Gregg Townsend on July 15, 2008 at 2:48 pm

342. Comment #211169 by Steve Zara

Steve,

My wife would like to see guns outlawed because she thinks personal lethal conflict should be settled with swords! She says, "Let's see how many people would be willing to take another life if they had to shove a yard of steel through each other."

[laugh]

Women can be ruthless!

456. Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway

Comment #211147 by Gregg Townsend on July 15, 2008 at 2:24 pm

"Oh, it's the Saturday night special
Hand guns are made for killin'
They ain't no good for nothin' else
And if you like to drink your whiskey
You might even shoot yourself
So why don't we dump 'em people
To the bottom of the sea
Before some ol' fool come around here
Wanna shoot either you or me."

--Lynyrd Skynyrd

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

Comment #211134 by Gregg Townsend on July 15, 2008 at 2:15 pm

Decius,

I'm having the same difficulty. Coupled with my slow typing skills the conversation has moved on before I even join it.

:)

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

Comment #211129 by Gregg Townsend on July 15, 2008 at 2:13 pm

Steve and Brian,

I was especially pleased with irate's comment that

The action was a bit 'crass' but I have no time for the whining of the lunatic 'victims'.

To be clear, my opinion is PZ was 'crass' with his initial threat and is still being crass with continuing to threaten. I stated on another thread that I would no more do this than eat a pork sandwich in a Synagogue. I believe it doesn't win us an attentive ear to attack people's sacred cows. Still, I have no sympathy for the overreaction of the so-called victims of the great cracker conspiracy.

That's why I reposted irate's post.

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

Comment #211108 by Gregg Townsend on July 15, 2008 at 1:57 pm

24. Comment #211091 by irate_atheist

The action was a bit 'crass' but I have no time for the whining of the lunatic 'victims'. They choose to believe in this absurdity, they should expect to have the piss taken out of them.

Some things just need to be posted twice!

edit- emphasis added

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

Comment #211100 by Gregg Townsend on July 15, 2008 at 1:53 pm

18. Comment #211084 by David J

David,

My step-father had a spark from arch welding land on his jeans and burn through the fabric only to light his nylon "Jesus jamies" on fire. The doctor who patched up his burn told him the would would have been the size of a match-head if he hadn't been a Mormon. As it turns out, the burn was the size of a skillet!

Some protection.

461. Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway

Comment #211081 by Gregg Townsend on July 15, 2008 at 1:40 pm

Sciros,

I don't own any fire-arms.

I did grow up being proficient with fire-arms and know a great deal about handling and using them safely. So I'm not afraid of them in the way Al implies...my reasons are complex and not relevant to the discussion.

What is relevant to the discussion is; if fire-arms were outlawed in the U.S. tomorrow and the government did a house by house search and rounded up every fire-arm within the week. I could have a new rifle in my possession a week or two later.

That's how prevalent knowledge of fire-arms are out in the west of the U.S.

462. PLEASE WRITE IN SUPPORT OF PZ MYERS

Comment #210871 by Gregg Townsend on July 15, 2008 at 7:28 am

Ian,

I forgot to mention the Desert Storm helmet.

Saugbrewer,

I think most of the outrage is aimed at objecting to the intrusion and disrespect.

That seems to be more to the point of this thread... The advisability of eating a pork sandwich in a Synagogue, or having a dog show in a Mosque, or taking a piece of Jeebus under false pretenses from a Cathedral. Call me old fashioned but that doesn't sound productive.

If the religious come here to spout their nonsense, ridicule away.

463. PLEASE WRITE IN SUPPORT OF PZ MYERS

Comment #210846 by Gregg Townsend on July 15, 2008 at 6:35 am

Tyler and Dr. Doctor,

Try unleashing your philosophy on a Southern Baptist in Lubbock Texas sometime. They have stranger ideas than Catholics so it should be easy for you to waltz into their church and point something out that they believe in with no evidence. Ridicule it. Point and laugh.

Wear a bullet proof vest.

464. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #210438 by Gregg Townsend on July 14, 2008 at 2:34 pm

8970. Comment #210275 by Scot Rafkin

*standing ovation*

Thank you!

465. Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway

Comment #210084 by Gregg Townsend on July 13, 2008 at 10:28 pm

Mord,

Aw, San Francisco's not that bad :)

466. Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway

Comment #210081 by Gregg Townsend on July 13, 2008 at 10:11 pm

Laurie,

The American architects were believers in militias and government not having standing armies. It's ridiculous for us Americans to think that the so-called right to bare arms was about the weapons themselves...it was about being able to defend property and lives when our government had no ability to do it for us. If these same "architects" saw the state of our country today, it is my belief they would be against citizen ownership of fire-arms.

It's probably too late now; Americans really love their fire-arms and weapons manufacturers would miss the market too much.

Just my opinion.

Al, likes to fire weapons, so I expect he'll take me to task for the preceding.

edit- Pastor,

Laurie is from Oz. You know, down under.

467. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #210076 by Gregg Townsend on July 13, 2008 at 9:48 pm

Tx,

By the way, volcanic eruptions, unless you are talking about displaced or reformed sediments like those at Mount St. Helens, are typically going to be about igneous rock.

You forgot ash. When enough ash is layed down it creates a great many layers. Try visiting Capital Reef National Park some time and count the moencopi and bentonite layers underneath the sandstone layers. You'll have a better appreciation for the amount of time we are talking about.

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

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

Comment #209087 by Gregg Townsend on July 11, 2008 at 3:01 pm

Exactly,

I'm Scottish then. Great-great-great-grand-da was a Gardner.

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

Comment #209081 by Gregg Townsend on July 11, 2008 at 2:58 pm

Brian,

It seems to me a great deal of people identify by their most oppressed ancestry. In my youth I worked for a woman who identified herself as Cherokee. When pushed she admitted that it was her grandmother 3 times removed that was Cherokee.

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

Comment #209078 by Gregg Townsend on July 11, 2008 at 2:55 pm

Hmmm the subservience of individuality and personal achievement to the state, whatever that state may be. A total sacrifice of liberty

< sarcasm >

That's not my communism your talking about!

< /sarcasm >

471. PLEASE WRITE IN SUPPORT OF PZ MYERS

Comment #208948 by Gregg Townsend on July 11, 2008 at 12:25 pm

Mixmaster,

Following is the quote from the article PZ referenced in his original post.

Webster Cook says he smuggled a Eucharist, a small bread wafer that to Catholics symbolic of the Body of Christ after a priest blesses it, out of mass, didn't eat it as he was supposed to do, but instead walked with it.

Catholics worldwide became furious.

Webster's friend, who didn't want to show his face, said he took the Eucharist, to show him what it meant to Catholics.

I may be way off base here, but it really doesn't sound like the kid was 'protesting' or making a statement for atheism. It even seems probable that he didn't think anyone would know except his friend.

I think we're reading WAY too much into both Webster Cook's situation and PZ's as well.

I happily wrote in support of PZ but his declaration to deliberately antagonize seemed course at best.

472. An Irishman's Diary

Comment #208920 by Gregg Townsend on July 11, 2008 at 11:40 am

Raiko,

You scored 93% on Beginner, higher than 32% of your peers. 17/100
You scored 93% on Intermediate, higher than 17% of your peers. 38/100
You scored 87% on Advanced, higher than 38% of your peers. 47/100
You scored 80% on Expert, higher than 47% of your peers.

Surprised myself.

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

Comment #208907 by Gregg Townsend on July 11, 2008 at 11:18 am

PSA

The previous post by al-Rawandi is best enjoyed while listening to 'The God that Failed' by Metallica.

474. PLEASE WRITE IN SUPPORT OF PZ MYERS

Comment #208884 by Gregg Townsend on July 11, 2008 at 10:50 am

mord,

Reading the criticisms of the young man who was GIVEN the cracker, but refused to swallow,

I'll admit to being confused as to what some posters were objecting to. I didn't realise it was the young-man's crime I thought it was specifically the following comment by PZ.

So, what to do. I have an idea. Can anyone out there score me some consecrated communion wafers? There's no way I can personally get them �" my local churches have stakes prepared for me, I'm sure �" but if any of you would be willing to do what it takes to get me some, or even one, and mail it to me, I'll show you sacrilege, gladly, and with much fanfare. I won't be tempted to hold it hostage (no, not even if I have a choice between returning the Eucharist and watching Bill Donohue kick the pope in the balls, which would apparently be a more humane act than desecrating a goddamned cracker), but will instead treat it with profound disrespect and heinous cracker abuse, all photographed and presented here on the web. I shall do so joyfully and with laughter in my heart. If you can smuggle some out from under the armed guards and grim nuns hovering over your local communion ceremony, just write to me and I'll send you my home address.

475. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #208867 by Gregg Townsend on July 11, 2008 at 10:26 am

Steve,

Yes, but a bit disturbing as well. I'm hard pressed to think of even one of the 'religious posters' who haven't claimed some special knowledge of, attribute or avenue to the divine. Even Karashovel who appears to enjoy RD.net and can even see why atheists are skeptical still holds to personal conversations with deity.

What are the sources of these delusions I wonder?

476. PLEASE WRITE IN SUPPORT OF PZ MYERS

Comment #208853 by Gregg Townsend on July 11, 2008 at 10:04 am

363. Comment #208812 by decius

Besides, it can be argued that it is a more effective tactic to outwardly respect the traditions of their superstitions while verbally dismantling the sources.

477. PLEASE WRITE IN SUPPORT OF PZ MYERS

Comment #208724 by Gregg Townsend on July 11, 2008 at 7:24 am

Quetz,

Wordsworth.

[edit]

http://www.bartleby.com/145/ww138.html

[/edit]

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

Comment #208289 by Gregg Townsend on July 10, 2008 at 8:01 pm

No, I'm sure it doesn't.

It's been a very long time since I've had such. My sympathies, sir.

Have a great weekend.

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

Comment #208284 by Gregg Townsend on July 10, 2008 at 7:51 pm

Of course, of course. Just trying to get a good enough buzz on to sleep through the night myself. As you mentioned on another thread, I've got a cold as well...pnuemonia really!

Booze helps.

[edit] and a good cigar as well [/edit]

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

Comment #208280 by Gregg Townsend on July 10, 2008 at 7:47 pm

8tiest, Brian and Goldy,

Slow night gentlemen?

481. PLEASE WRITE IN SUPPORT OF PZ MYERS

Comment #208156 by Gregg Townsend on July 10, 2008 at 4:36 pm

Snail mail sent.

All the best to PZ! Please keep the blogs coming.

--Gregg

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

Comment #207961 by Gregg Townsend on July 10, 2008 at 10:51 am

Fanusi,

:)

He needs our reassurance. He needs it because deep within him his violated mind is screaming that it's not true - and he is terrified of hearing that voice. That bizarre supernatural consciousness he feels - it's us, our consciousness. He hopes that by making us agree with him he will still that voice, as though by agreeing to fake his reality, we'd bring it into existence.

This is exactly it. The wife and I were talking about this last night and this ever present fear that the mother-teresa-doubt will take over. It's a tipping point that they loath and all the shouting is meant to convince them, not us. I was hoping he'd think of this himself, but I'm still glad you brought it up.

As Diacanu says, it's truly amazing at how little faith the faithful have.

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

Comment #207949 by Gregg Townsend on July 10, 2008 at 10:33 am

Joe,

What's with all the hysteria about trying to advance scientific evidence for your religious supernatural beliefs?

If faith is such a fucking virtue, why not just say, "Yes, I know it doesn't make any scientific sense yet I have faith in [insert magical bullshit here]" and do The Superiority Dance. This always seemed to be enough for the devout before. Why isn't it for you? Why do you give a shit what the 'condemned' think of you and your religion?

I'm genuinely curious.

484. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #207900 by Gregg Townsend on July 10, 2008 at 9:16 am

homophobic and bothered (like your friend, Gregg)?

What?

I thought we were passing out compliments.

Sorry. Feel free to ignore my above comments.

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

Comment #207898 by Gregg Townsend on July 10, 2008 at 9:13 am

Al,

Any theories on why Iraq and Syria (crescent) were the centers of learning.

Epeeist,

"Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond.

Exactly, Jared Diamond also argues the availability of domesticated animals were just as important as the crops.

486. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #207892 by Gregg Townsend on July 10, 2008 at 9:05 am

Eh? Tyler?

I can't hear you with my fingers in my ears. Speak up my good man.

Kardo,

Rump Ranger.

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

Comment #207857 by Gregg Townsend on July 10, 2008 at 8:24 am

The Havamal accurately predicted this thread as seen in stanza 23 - 27.

Foolish is he who frets at night,
And lies awake to worry'
A weary man when morning comes,
He finds all as bad as before,

The fool thinks that those who laugh
At him are all his friends,
Unaware when he sits with wiser men
How ill they speak of him.

The fool thinks that those who laugh
At him are all his friends:
When he comes to the Thing and calls for support,
Few spokesmen he finds

The fool who fancies he is full of wisdom
While he sits by his hearth at home.
Quickly finds when questioned by others .
That he knows nothing at all.

The ignorant booby had best be silent
When he moves among other men,
No one will know what a nit-wit he is
Until he begins to talk;
No one knows less what a nit-wit he is
Than the man who talks too much.

Hail Odin and his wisdom!

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

Comment #207832 by Gregg Townsend on July 10, 2008 at 7:51 am

854. Comment #207771 by hungarianelephant

*hands up*

Sorry.

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

Comment #207823 by Gregg Townsend on July 10, 2008 at 7:45 am

829. Comment #207741 by Jamie V

Amen... uh... I mean, I agree!!

Jamie, from one non-scientific person who loves to read the responses to the theists' tripe to another, happy reading!

Calilasseia's link to the Authoritarian study is well worth the time.

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

Comment #207378 by Gregg Townsend on July 9, 2008 at 3:37 pm

701. Comment #207363 by Vinelectric

Vin,

I think I understand (if only partially; after all I'm just an ignorant American from the west), what baffles me is Joe Morreale is presumably an American from somewhere on the east coast. He should have been exposed to enough alternate ideas to have some skepticism.

Steve,

I wonder how many of those who rail against the supposed bias of science towards naturalism would be willing to let priests rather than the police investigate a major crime?

I think more than any of us would be comfortable with and certainly there are a number of mouth-breathers that would like the cops to use psychics for investigation...at least here in The States.

[edit] I see my slow typing skills have placed me behind the curve again. All apologies to Decius [edit]

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

Comment #207349 by Gregg Townsend on July 9, 2008 at 2:48 pm

Vin and Al,

I'm amazed at what I read today from these... uh... believers. The passage that Vin takes on is easily (from a laymen's view) simple bronze age mythology trying to explain why there is a heaven and earth. It baffles me why anyone in modern times takes this seriously; let alone to the point of saying it implies the Big Bang.

As Bonzai's posts have pointed out, if any text is ambiguous enough it can be made to support any scientific discovery now and down the road.

They don't see this? Crazy.

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

Comment #207249 by Gregg Townsend on July 9, 2008 at 11:43 am

Joe,

Please stop it's just too brutal to watch...my sides are hurting from laughing.

To borrow the Rev's imagery; It's not that you took a crap into your own hand--it's the fact that you waive it around shouting, "Look what I made!" that really makes the comedy/tragedy.

As they say in New York, "Shut yo' fuckin' pie hole, already!"

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

Comment #207243 by Gregg Townsend on July 9, 2008 at 11:25 am

665. Comment #207233 by Joe Morreale

ONE LAST COMMENT

Yes!

671. Comment #207242 by Joe Morreale

Liar!

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

Comment #206400 by Gregg Townsend on July 8, 2008 at 10:37 am

Al,

They do seem to be missing the rainbows, kittens and Care Bear hugs.

495. Teaching Evolution in Mexico: Preaching to the Choir

Comment #206374 by Gregg Townsend on July 8, 2008 at 10:16 am

42. Comment #206274 by Steven Mading

True.

I find it funny that the fundamentalist Mormons (lowercase) don't really get their own religion or where it came from and how hard the leaders worked to shed the fundamentalist label. They, in essence, are the modern leader's worst enemy--that was until they put Monson in as President. Monson should be able to drag Mormons back 30 years (as witnessed by his policies in California)! Hopefully, membership will fall off and their whole house of cards will come crashing down.

496. Sir John M. Templeton, Philanthropist, Dies at 95

Comment #206360 by Gregg Townsend on July 8, 2008 at 9:55 am

Layla,

I think it is poor taste to be joyful over someone's death, but...

If you "dumped" on someone while they were alive, I feel it's inconsistent to give them undue respect in death.

I have nothing to say about the man either way.

[edit]
Al,

I did not know that. See, I do have reason to be grateful for his contribution to humanity... I own mutual funds. Thanks John!
[/edit]

497. Sir John M. Templeton, Philanthropist, Dies at 95

Comment #206352 by Gregg Townsend on July 8, 2008 at 9:48 am

Tyler,

I found this article too.

http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/ap_060330_prayer.html

I knew you were being facetious but the irony of the study always makes my day.

[edit] Yep, the fifth paragraph down points out funding by Templeton [/edit]

498. Sir John M. Templeton, Philanthropist, Dies at 95

Comment #206341 by Gregg Townsend on July 8, 2008 at 9:38 am

Tyler,

If memory serves that study was inconclusive or even showed patients were slightly more responsive without prayer? Is that the study they reference here?

499. Degrees of religion

Comment #206335 by Gregg Townsend on July 8, 2008 at 9:33 am

51. Comment #206279 by Cartomancer

Carto,

I just had to log in and flag this post as excellent!!

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

Comment #205911 by Gregg Townsend on July 7, 2008 at 9:54 pm

Brian,

Fair enough. I'll dig into it in the morning.

Nighty!