601. [UPDATED] Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya's Atlas of Creation

Comment #264709 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 4:45 am

I only want you to pretend only for a moment that you are impartial if you are able to be.

602. [UPDATED] Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya's Atlas of Creation

Comment #264703 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 4:39 am

Comment #264699 by epeeist

Oh, absolutely. Two reasons: 1. They are not scientists, nor do they have any understanding of scientific method. 2. They are so hidebound by dogma that any concept that might, perhaps, undermine their literalism must be assailed on all fronts. It's called "paranoia".

Steve - good one! I wonder do these clowns ever go away from this forum, after having been demolished by heavyweights, and think "Ooh, er, I fucked that up."

603. [UPDATED] Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya's Atlas of Creation

Comment #264693 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 4:22 am

Excuse me, chaps, I just have to inject a serious note of reason, logic and erudite argument at this juncture:

a capella and Rsommer: Get Fucked!

604. [UPDATED] Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya's Atlas of Creation

Comment #264684 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 4:04 am

On ya, epeeist - that sees those slimy toads off. Skewered!

605. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #264665 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 3:22 am

Comment #264661 by Philip1978

Phil - one wonders why any god worth his salt would go through the rigmarole of creating such a frail, ridiculous mass of problems in waiting, just so he could get his rocks off, after they died, by them dancing around his heavenly throne singing his praises.

606. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #264660 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 3:12 am

"I also happen to read, and type messages from about two meters from my monitor, as I have a wireless keyboard and mouse, and laze about when I am not working on anything"

Boaster!

607. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #264654 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 2:52 am

Don't you hate getting old, Steve - I can't read a thing, anymore, without those damned glasses. Those vari-focals are the worst - I just can't abide them. Fortunately, my long vision is still OK (for now).

608. [UPDATED] Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya's Atlas of Creation

Comment #264646 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 2:34 am

Comment #264643 by alan baylis

Well, Alan, as regards epeeist, what do you expect from a guy who is into skewering people?

609. Ricky Gervais and The Archbishop Of Canterbury

Comment #264640 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 2:17 am

Comment #264638 by bendigeidfran

Laurie - some of the Palin thread makes youtube look good.

610. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #264637 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 2:08 am

Comment #264632 by Steve Zara

Not those dreaded lebians again, Steve?

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

611. [UPDATED] Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya's Atlas of Creation

Comment #264634 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 2:01 am

Aw, man - I just looked at poor Chelsea's blog - you guys are just sadistic! Fancy that poor deluded thing coming up against a bunch of heavyweights like you blokes - I'm so outraged I may have to saddle up and go to her assistance.




Not.

612. [UPDATED] Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya's Atlas of Creation

Comment #264622 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 1:29 am

epeeist - did I get this all wrong, or do you go trawling around looking for Joe's contributions to cyberspace? I'm worried, mate, intensely worried....

Actually, I think it's rather wonderful for loonies such as Joe, Oktar etc are so freaked by Richard's devastation of their tiny world that they try this on. And I hope Richard continues to ignore them. I, on the other hand, will happily engage them. I'll be in Turkey next June, so could easily slot a debating engagement into my schedule. I expect 5 star accommodation, of course.

613. Ricky Gervais and The Archbishop Of Canterbury

Comment #264620 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 1:22 am

Thanks, Lev - glad you're enjoying them. Yeah - I don't know about Mr/Ms apologetic; could be just a xtian, poor thing.

614. [UPDATED] Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya's Atlas of Creation

Comment #264616 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 1:11 am

Gordon - excellent!

Quetz - saw your barnyard photos - very good (that'll get 'em thinking) :)

615. [UPDATED] Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya's Atlas of Creation

Comment #264611 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 12:56 am

Come on Quetz, just zap him out of existence, will you?

616. [UPDATED] Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya's Atlas of Creation

Comment #264604 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 12:44 am

Comment #264602 by FrederickK

Hahahaha, Fred - as if good ol' Harun gives a toss about "truth". The guy's a charlatan, has been proven to be so by Richard and others, and is conducting a campaign to clean up his image so that he can continue to fleece the gullible. I say gaol's too good for him - he should be forced to watch Benny Hinn sermons for the rest of his life.

617. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #264599 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 12:33 am

Hey, Phil - what's it, about 8.30 a.m. in your neck of the woods, and you're slugging it out with DP? Mate, you need more tea!

618. Ricky Gervais and The Archbishop Of Canterbury

Comment #264597 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 12:30 am

"do to", "dispicable" ? Yep, he's taking the piss, Lev. He's learnt that spelling from youtube, no doubt.

619. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #264593 by Laurie Fraser on October 15, 2008 at 12:18 am

Evening, masochists - I see we're still at it.

LGS - I sympathise with your point, although I have to say that I think the REAL war criminals in Vietnam were people of the order of Nixon, Kissinger et al. The poor grunts on the ground, and even the pilots, were just chumps inveigled into a hideous situation. SOME of them were war criminals, like Calley, but in the main (and from knowing a few as personal friends), I would certainly not like to add that designation on top of the residual guilt that many of them feel about their participation. Many, indeed, have felt obliged to return to Vietnam and participate in restoration and aid projects - and as far as I'm concerned, THAT'S heroism.

620. Richard Dawkins at Conservative Party Conference 2008

Comment #264251 by Laurie Fraser on October 14, 2008 at 1:39 am

Comment #264248 by Diacanu

Now, can you get back to being acerbic, D? ;)

621. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #263856 by Laurie Fraser on October 13, 2008 at 5:43 am

A somewhat murky country you live in, T.

622. Religion vs science: can the divide between God and rationality be reconciled?

Comment #263851 by Laurie Fraser on October 13, 2008 at 5:21 am

That's a damn fine t-shirt, Michael - I'll get on the case tomorrow!

623. Religion vs science: can the divide between God and rationality be reconciled?

Comment #263849 by Laurie Fraser on October 13, 2008 at 5:04 am

Comment #263844 by Steve Zara

All this may be so, Steve, but I bet the Buddha didn't put mustard and garlic with his mushrooms!

624. Religion vs science: can the divide between God and rationality be reconciled?

Comment #263848 by Laurie Fraser on October 13, 2008 at 4:56 am

Titania, you cold, heartless scientific-type person.

Tina Beattie has always, and continues to be, useless. Here she is, writing about the 2005 tsunami:

The tsunamis have a scientific explanation, but we
need to tell larger stories about the world, stories whose truth lies not in scientific facts but in the capacity of language to express other ways of knowing.

625. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #263811 by Laurie Fraser on October 12, 2008 at 6:25 pm

Only 3709 until we crack the big one! Can we do it?

Hi there wp - how are you? Injuries getting better? I'm at work, so can't hang around, might catch up in a couple of hours.

626. Religion vs science: can the divide between God and rationality be reconciled?

Comment #263604 by Laurie Fraser on October 11, 2008 at 11:53 pm

Diacanu, go and have a very big glass of water, step outside and watch the birdies for a while.

BTW - Fuck off, Tina.

627. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #263603 by Laurie Fraser on October 11, 2008 at 11:51 pm

Are you people actually talking about cricket? Wow, thats a little sad.

628. Broken symmetry: Answering the solace of quantum

Comment #263591 by Laurie Fraser on October 11, 2008 at 9:56 pm

Comment #263498 by PrueHeart

I've always called the dirt left over "anti-dirt."

629. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #263588 by Laurie Fraser on October 11, 2008 at 9:37 pm

Yeah, but remember, Cerebate, we haven't got Big Ears any more. :)

630. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #263582 by Laurie Fraser on October 11, 2008 at 8:30 pm

Comment #263580 by root2squared

Touche! Damn and blast that Harbhajan!

Cerebate: Ponting - 123 off 243 (50.62)
Hussey - 146 off 276 (52.9)

Not a bad strike rate at Test level, mate!

Edit: P.S. - good coverage here: http://blogs.abc.net.au/grandstand/cricket/

631. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #263578 by Laurie Fraser on October 11, 2008 at 7:44 pm

Cerebate and Root - I'm predicting all out within about ten minutes of the start of play, Aussies go in and score about 200 really quickly, put India back in and knock 'em over by tea tomorrow. Australia 1, India 0.

Like that scenario? :)

632. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #263449 by Laurie Fraser on October 11, 2008 at 6:02 am

Comment #263445 by decius

I've raised the red flag, comrade!

633. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #263389 by Laurie Fraser on October 10, 2008 at 7:44 pm

This thread has taken on leviathanic proportions.

OK, I'll bite. A country can only call itself civilized when it has a publicly=funded universal health-care system.

634. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #263107 by Laurie Fraser on October 10, 2008 at 8:39 am

DP - "YOU'VE got a cool dog."

*I'm gonna teach this bloke to write proper if it kills me*

635. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #263101 by Laurie Fraser on October 10, 2008 at 8:35 am

DP - spoken like a true socialist! I knew you'd come to the light side eventually.

Edit: try "too" rather than "to".

636. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #262910 by Laurie Fraser on October 9, 2008 at 7:33 pm

root - thanks for that; ive learned alot.

(You forgot "alot" vs "a lot")

637. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #262875 by Laurie Fraser on October 9, 2008 at 4:58 pm

I am hawkish about the application of human rights!

638. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #262867 by Laurie Fraser on October 9, 2008 at 4:33 pm

root - one word: Ponting.

639. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #262483 by Laurie Fraser on October 8, 2008 at 3:46 pm

Holy cow! I missed the night when al-rawandi became a human being! Silly me for being asleep. Congratulations, al, welcome to the human race.




Just kidding - you did, actually, make some very good points.
DP didn't.

640. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #262257 by Laurie Fraser on October 8, 2008 at 7:50 am

Come off it, Al - how on earth would my socialism accept paternalism? You've got a very superficial understanding of me, if you think I'm some kind of hard-ball Leninist. Your other responses don't answer my point, either. Are you calling into question my pacifism? Get over it, mate - pacifism is the only way; as soon as the world gets to understand this (and I admit, it's a fairly sophisticated concept for the unevolved) we'll all be better off. And no lectures about "but there are all these nasty people out there willing to wreak violence". Pacifism has to start somewhere, and unless you are a fatalist who believes in the antiquated notion of "human nature", then pacifism is IT. There are vanishingly few exceptions to this; WWII might, at a stretch, qualify, and even that would not have occurred if Versailles had not insisted on such onerous reparations. Now, I've really got to get to bed.

641. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #262245 by Laurie Fraser on October 8, 2008 at 7:23 am

But there is an argument FOR Guantanamo.

642. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #262228 by Laurie Fraser on October 8, 2008 at 6:40 am

Why wouldn't I like democracy?

But guess what, when one of these people do something wrong they are prosecuted

643. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #262224 by Laurie Fraser on October 8, 2008 at 6:24 am

Comment #262221 by Styrer

You're not learning, are you?

644. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #262223 by Laurie Fraser on October 8, 2008 at 6:23 am

Comment #262216 by al-rawandi

That's a fair point, Al - but I would suggest that it's another discussion point entirely. I agree with you that one part of the problem for the on-the-ground military in Iraq and Afghanistan is the same as it was in Vietnam: who and where is the enemy? That's part of the nature of guerilla warfare, of course.

I don't think you are being realistic when you assert that Israeli and U.S. troops will avoid killing civilians. Obviously, most will avoid that. The fact is that some troops have done so, and in the case of the Israelis, it has been more common than we'd like to hope. I'm not saying for one instant that, therefore, we must condemn the soldiers in Israel or Afghanistan or Iraq unconditionally; I think, rather, that the situation into which these people have been thrust sometimes leads to situations where even the killing of civilians becomes a kill or be killed issue in the minds of the soldiers. I have several friends who are Vietnam vets who have told me similar stories.

My principle argument in this issue is that we must question the motives of those powers (including, but not confined to, the U.S.) who invade countries with the ostensible mission of "freeing" that country from "tyranny". In the case of the U.S., as I've tried to make clear earlier, there is sufficient evidence in the U.S.'s foreign policy history to be mightily cynical of the stated claims.

645. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #262217 by Laurie Fraser on October 8, 2008 at 6:06 am

Comment #262212 by Styrer

That's just bullshit from start to finish. You have the gall to accuse me of "emotionalism", whilst, in every other post this evening, you have used emotive "arguments" such as "you cunt", "fuck off", etc. etc. Really, Styrer, you need to rethink your argumentative (and that's being kind) strategies. Engage me at an intellectual level, rather than this dishonest charade that you are ever so ready to use. Provide me with a genuinely reasoned and evidenced argument against my case - that the U.S. agenda in the War on Terror and in Iraq is not what its government says it is. If you can do that, I will be happy to discuss the issue with you.

646. The camp that 'cures' homosexuality

Comment #262214 by Laurie Fraser on October 8, 2008 at 5:57 am

Sigh, if only it were that simple and voluntary

647. 'Intelligent' computers put to the test

Comment #262207 by Laurie Fraser on October 8, 2008 at 5:41 am

Phil - these damn computers have a long way to go before they can understand Australian English at 2 a.m. after a gullet full of Coopers Pale Ale.

648. The camp that 'cures' homosexuality

Comment #262203 by Laurie Fraser on October 8, 2008 at 5:32 am

One can have nothing but contempt for this vile business. It is beneath any concept of human rights; it violates any real "christian" principle; it should surely be illegal. You are right, Carto - it is abuse - nay, torture.

649. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #262197 by Laurie Fraser on October 8, 2008 at 5:20 am

Comment #262190 by Styrer

I don't have an agenda, Styrer. The "despicable piece" you mention is written by the professor of history at the University of New South Wales - not an institution noted for its radicalism. Perhaps we should put that statement another way, if it offends you; the U.S. administration used the natural outrage and concern of its, and other countries' citizens, to promote an agenda that went beyond simply capturing and bringing to trial the perpetrators of the 9/11 atrocity. (By the way, I am not one of those who believes that 9/11 was a conspiracy on the part of Bush et al; it was, quite apparently, the work of al Qaieda.)

In other words, I think it is you who is reading into that piece some "immoralism" which is not there; the writer is simply asserting that 9/11 supplied an opportunity for the U.S. administration to expand aims that it was already preparing for. There is nothing "despicable" in such an argument; it is, rather, quite sound, given the evidence of subsequence.

Oh, and please don't call me "son". I have a hunch that I'm older than you by a country mile. As well, I don't need to be off your "hook." I am in both the intellectual and moral ascendency on this; it is you who needs to prove himself, so, once again, please do not try to condescend to me as if I have an obligation to excuse myself for having heretical thoughts. I'm happy to let evidence and reason prevail.

650. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #262184 by Laurie Fraser on October 8, 2008 at 4:50 am

Everyone likes kittens