151. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #213151 by DamnDirtyApe on July 18, 2008 at 8:12 am

(i have good timing today)

152. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #213150 by DamnDirtyApe on July 18, 2008 at 8:11 am

Exxxxactly.

153. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #213132 by DamnDirtyApe on July 18, 2008 at 7:48 am

Ooh, quick point about the OCD:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7507970.stm

Now THAT's interesting.

154. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #213095 by DamnDirtyApe on July 18, 2008 at 6:36 am

... the ocd notion certainly describes a friend of mine. Actually they're a mathematician. That's got to cause them a few problems.

155. Bush Bureaucrats at Dept. of Health and Human Services Redefine Contraception as Abortion

Comment #213041 by DamnDirtyApe on July 18, 2008 at 3:49 am

24. Comment #213022 by Szkeptik on July 18, 2008 at 2:57 am

Urgh! Wrong wrong wrong.

156. Bush Bureaucrats at Dept. of Health and Human Services Redefine Contraception as Abortion

Comment #213011 by DamnDirtyApe on July 18, 2008 at 2:09 am

18. Comment #213008 by DoctorE on July 18, 2008 at 2:02 am

Well it would make hanging out with the Blairs more apt for him.

Urgh... what morons. All the suffering this has caused already with the spread of HIV.

157. The Return of Religion

Comment #212532 by DamnDirtyApe on July 17, 2008 at 9:58 am

We do also appear have a lot of young people here as well. They're a little more impulsive in their posting.

Whatever. Free speech is important. There are plenty of intelligent posts. There are even quite a few vapid wastes of space such as Mr Scruton. I'd rather read one of Joe's posts in the epic Yahya thread than that garbage.

Grief, we're starting to attract some of the nutters now. I'm greatly relieved that we're not outnumbered by them.

158. Anti-Darwinists turned away by Israeli academia

Comment #212467 by DamnDirtyApe on July 17, 2008 at 8:41 am

At least we can engage the christian guys like Robertson and the Discovery fools, regardless of their lies and dodgy dealings.

From what I've seen thus far of Arguing with the Islamic creationists is that it is like talking to a wall that occaisionally insults you. The epic Harun Yayha travesty shows that.

159. Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway

Comment #212433 by DamnDirtyApe on July 17, 2008 at 8:01 am

... One of my Dad's oldie faves... But I think its fitting. *Groans.

Now Smackwater Jack, he bought a shotgun
'Cause he was in the mood for a little confrontation
He just let it all hang loose
He didn't think about the noose
He couldn't take no more abuse
So he shot down the congregation

You can't talk to a man
With a shotgun in his hand
Shotgun

Now Big Jim the chief stood for law and order
He called for the guard to come and surround the border
Now from his bulldog mouth
As he led the posse south
Came the cry, we got to ride
Clean up the streets for our wives and our daughters

You can't talk to a man
When he don't want to understand
No, no, no, no, no, no

The account of the capture wasn't in the papers
But you know, they hanged ole Smack right then instead of later
You know the people were quite pleased
'Cause the outlaw had been seized
And on the whole, it was a very good year
For the undertaker

You know, you know, you can't talk to a man
With a shotgun in his hand
Shotgun in his hand

Smackwater Jack, yeah
Smackwater Jack bought a shotgun
Yeah, Smackwater Jack bought a shotgun
Smackwater Jack, yeah
Smackwater Jack, yeah

Talkin' about Smackwater Jack, yeah
Talkin' about Smackwater Jack, oh
Talkin' about Jack and his shotgun,
Talkin' about Smack, talkin' about Jack
Smackwater Jack, yeah

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

Comment #211928 by DamnDirtyApe on July 16, 2008 at 11:59 am

Yawn.

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

Comment #211830 by DamnDirtyApe on July 16, 2008 at 10:26 am

Can't fault him there. We doughnuts have been secretly conspiring against mankind for some time now. Looks like Joe's rumbled us.

Freeeedooomee for our doughy brothers!
Fry the man, fill him with jam!
Fry the man, fill him with jam!

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

Comment #211790 by DamnDirtyApe on July 16, 2008 at 9:55 am

Joe, you didn't answer my question. May I please have a doughnut?

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

Comment #211725 by DamnDirtyApe on July 16, 2008 at 9:16 am

You're bringing us all doughnuts now? When did this happen? Can I have one?

164. Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway

Comment #211576 by DamnDirtyApe on July 16, 2008 at 7:20 am

(there isn't really anything here in the uk as far as my memory serves - we have drug awareness and all that though.)

165. Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway

Comment #211574 by DamnDirtyApe on July 16, 2008 at 7:19 am

question: In the American school system, is there much done officially there with regards to gun safety?

166. Dalai Lama defends Islam as peaceful religion

Comment #210959 by DamnDirtyApe on July 15, 2008 at 9:49 am

Ah. I saw that recently. I've always respected the guy despite totally disagreeing with him over Iraq, but after that I was impressed.

I was slightly concerned, that he might have been trying to do that to proove that it was ok to do waterboarding to people.... But now I think's its pretty safe to assume Hitchens is totally anti-torture. At the very least he considers it unreliable, if not plain wrong.

167. Dalai Lama defends Islam as peaceful religion

Comment #210866 by DamnDirtyApe on July 15, 2008 at 7:20 am

You forgot reincarnated and killed inadvertently by Arthur Dent.

'oh no, not again...'

There was a pro-tibet protest in Canterbury quite recently. Mostly composed of slightly naive generally English hippie types who have probably never been to Tibet.

They were flanked on both sides by twice as many pro-china protests. All were Chinese students from here (ukc). Including a few Researchers, PhDs and Masters I know.

Both sides were completely peaceful and pretty much silent. But not much can make me as tense as I was walking by it.

I have no clue where the truth really lies. Its somewhere between Nationalism and Religion. The answer might as well be somewhere on the flipping moon.

168. Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway

Comment #210724 by DamnDirtyApe on July 15, 2008 at 2:48 am

I want to add an interesting spin to the gun debate...

'dimebag' Darrel, lead of popular metal band Pantera was shot dead on stage by a schizophrenic who believed he was stealing his thoughts to create his music. He in turn was shot dead by a police officer.

Its an interesting story too. A right-wing blogger got hold of it and spun out some hate speech at the deceased dimebag. The full story, including a rebuttle by Robert Flinn of the band machine head, who wrote a song about the blog is here:

http://www.quickrob.com/weblog/?p=1074

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

Comment #210419 by DamnDirtyApe on July 14, 2008 at 1:51 pm

Putting the gold bars aside... there's been some interesting programs on tv this evening. One focusing on China and Russia's capitalising on Sudan by selling them small arms, fighter bombers and MI-24's.

There's another on channel 4 on the quran right now. It's confirming a lot of what Al's been saying. A main problem is it's in such a darn old form of arabic they're basically making up their own interpretations. Some of the modern interpretations appear to add 'modern terms' in brackets (like tanks and bombs).

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

Comment #210344 by DamnDirtyApe on July 14, 2008 at 9:49 am

Anyone? Bueller?

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

Comment #210277 by DamnDirtyApe on July 14, 2008 at 7:49 am

Chavez is described by reporters without borders as a 'predator of press freedom'.

Columbia is actually in my cool book, following the 'a-team'-like rescue of a pro-choice female presidential candiate with no loss of life.

[edit sorry if i've got my facts skewed slightly here, i thiiiink that's right...]

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

Comment #210180 by DamnDirtyApe on July 14, 2008 at 4:04 am

1303. Comment #210153 by clearmind on July 14, 2008 at 3:08 am

Your logic would conclude that the trillions of scurrying insects are superior to us, and the quadrillions of bacteria are superior to them.

and countering your points

1. we do not censor your ideas. we listen to them and then say 'they're rubbish'. We are actually listening to you. Unfortunately.
2. I think you will find the religious folk are drinking and drugging it too.
3. 'I will not fear. fear is the mind killer.'
4. Yes, I regularly converse with bonobos, they're so abundant in Kent.
5. ... And this is different from anyone else how? ALMOST EVERYONE feels that way. We are animals, we have these powerful instincts telling us to shag. Some of us just find ways of dealing with it that aren't harmful.
6. I think plenty of perfectly sober people have no trouble beating their wives in religious communities.
7. Your're completely free to write your bullshit. You're doing it right now.
8. You ALREADY ARE.

173. Man Sues Church Over 'God Injury'

Comment #209787 by DamnDirtyApe on July 13, 2008 at 10:47 am

... Irony overload! *implodes.

174. France rejects Muslim woman over radical practice of Islam

Comment #209767 by DamnDirtyApe on July 13, 2008 at 9:33 am

If it were me, I'd let her in and expel the husband and the male relatives.

175. Pope confirms sexual abuse apology

Comment #209674 by DamnDirtyApe on July 13, 2008 at 1:36 am

*Looks for 'Terrible Lie' and 'Heresy' by nine inch nails in his playlist...

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

Comment #209428 by DamnDirtyApe on July 12, 2008 at 7:33 am

Sorry Joe, we're far more interested in economics now. :)

Agree absolutely AllanW. The decisions to fund education, welfare and health of the public in my mind is the modern equivelent of the Romans building public bathhouses and ampitheatres. It's great. Raising quality of life of its citizens is in my humble opinion the key indicator of a successful state.

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

Comment #209354 by DamnDirtyApe on July 12, 2008 at 4:03 am

- Epeeist you beat me to the exact point I was going to make! :D. And with far fewer and more concise words.

We used to be pure-capitalist, but we are NOT so anymore.

We also created communism and socialism. It was a reaction BY OUR OWN PEOPLE to our capitalist tendencies.

Britain's empire, do not forget, was founded (not exclusively admittedly) on a mix of Slavery, military conquest, and exploitation of our own lower classes. Right down to children. THAT is pure capitalism. Its sociopathic.

I'm quite aware of the reprocussions of this coming from Manchester. This is the city where Karl Marx and Frederich Engles lived and met in the Crescent pub, discussing their ideas after travelling round seeing the conditions of the working class. I think the Crescent is still standing and serves ale too.

So now we see the best countries in the world in terms of standard of living, education and so on are hybrids Socialist democracies. These have state education, welfare, health, are often quite self sufficient or fair traders etc, yet are still capitalist and most importantly, bloody nice places to live.

Word, SteeveeZee. Capitalism will always be with us. It will be particularly awesome applied to fleets of space based dyson-sphere building bots. Assuming there's not a coding error and they eat belgium.

178. PLEASE WRITE IN SUPPORT OF PZ MYERS

Comment #208809 by DamnDirtyApe on July 11, 2008 at 9:19 am

We're looking to start a new army, (that's) too smart to fight, too smart to die
We're looking to start a new army, (that's) too smart to fight, too smart to kill
For you
For you!

179. PLEASE WRITE IN SUPPORT OF PZ MYERS

Comment #208688 by DamnDirtyApe on July 11, 2008 at 6:37 am

Styer, clodhopper, calm down, its not going to help. I'm pissed over the whole thing as well, and that earlier guy's post was deeply troubling.

Perhaps we should focus on the matter at hand.

What is the greatest danger to us, and to PZ?

Numbers.

Against sheer numbers we would not stand a chance. We are still a minority. Despite the reasonable stance of what I hope are the majority of people, not everyone is as aware or active as we are. We only have a small set of support. The majority just don't get involved. Sure, the fundmentalists too are themselves a minority, but a few like Donohue are on pearches giving them influence. Enough to cast people into action. And he has.

Let me give an example: Golden Compass. Good movie, a success, but not a success inside America.

us box office: $70,107,728
elsewhere: $302,126,372
Reason? Donohue.

[edit]I could be giving that troll too much credit, but its enough to worry me.[/edit]

This is a war of words. He's using them to rally people to his ideals. We need to use them to convince people his ideals are wrong. So choose yours carefully. Reason is the only thing that can defeat nonsense. Use it.

180. PLEASE WRITE IN SUPPORT OF PZ MYERS

Comment #208617 by DamnDirtyApe on July 11, 2008 at 4:52 am

Sent mine.

Looks like we got at least a few hundred!

181. Religious bigotry upheld in court

Comment #208559 by DamnDirtyApe on July 11, 2008 at 3:21 am

Stupid person, and even more stupid Judge.

'Miss Ladele said she was being effectively forced to choose between her religion and her £31,000-a-year job as a result.'

I'm suddenly remembering something involving a camel and an eye of a needle.

182. Thousands Flock to Revival in Search of Miracles

Comment #208521 by DamnDirtyApe on July 11, 2008 at 2:17 am

16. Comment #208518 by The Truth, the light on July 11, 2008 at 2:14 am

Damn, you beat me to it.

183. New legal threat to school science in the US

Comment #207902 by DamnDirtyApe on July 10, 2008 at 9:20 am

If the trend continues china may become a more free and sane country than the united states.

http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/chinamil_07_09/chinamil8.jpg

... Nah I take it back.

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

Comment #207879 by DamnDirtyApe on July 10, 2008 at 8:46 am

906. Comment #207860 by Steve Zara on July 10, 2008 at 8:25 am

I think you've got some good points on ignoring the trolls. I'm not going to address them directly anymore.

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

Comment #207715 by DamnDirtyApe on July 10, 2008 at 6:02 am

Good Grief,

these guys think the world's run by an alliance between the Illuminati Jews from the center of the earth and the Gay Mafia.

They probably PAID for those books. They're like those poor Scientology chumps.

Do we have any professional cult deprogrammers here? We desperately need one. No, TEN.

Hell, Get me Derren Brown!

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

Comment #207641 by DamnDirtyApe on July 10, 2008 at 4:32 am

Nevertheless the rest of the book is solid and proves the point,as can be testified by the fact that the secular establishment are running scared of it.

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

Comment #207216 by DamnDirtyApe on July 9, 2008 at 10:40 am

649. Comment #207209 by Joe Morreale on July 9, 2008 at 10:26 am

... You're right. How could I be so foolish!

Note: Above statement may contain lies.

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

Comment #207178 by DamnDirtyApe on July 9, 2008 at 9:17 am

According to the Chinese creation myth, the God Pengu bursted out from a cosmic egg in a huge explosion, stretched out the heavens and then died of exhaustion. So, in one fell swoop it anticipated the big bang, quantum fluctuations of the vacuum and the second law of thermodynamics,--God died of an overdose of entropy, having created cosmic order out of chaos.

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

Comment #207148 by DamnDirtyApe on July 9, 2008 at 8:46 am

One of the reasons that more and more people are coming to Islam is because of it's miraculously scientific reality which prove beyond doubt God's existance and Qu'ran being His Word.

190. Atheism on the buses

Comment #206912 by DamnDirtyApe on July 9, 2008 at 1:06 am

WE NEED MORE SIGNS!

191. Landlords protest after pub swearing ban gets them sacked

Comment #206910 by DamnDirtyApe on July 9, 2008 at 1:04 am

My cousin took over a pub on Islay, way way out on the edge of the Scottish hebredian isles.

The old landlady had a few rules. perhaps the dominant one was NO TALKING.

I gather they've taken a rather different approach in management ever since.

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

Comment #206461 by DamnDirtyApe on July 8, 2008 at 11:42 am

I've not read the quran but this has been MOST educational.

Its quackery is right up there with the book of Mormon.

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

Comment #206458 by DamnDirtyApe on July 8, 2008 at 11:37 am

Al,

Keep up the good work.

194. McDonald's Makes Jesus Cry

Comment #206426 by DamnDirtyApe on July 8, 2008 at 11:06 am

16. Comment #206417 by mordacious1 on July 8, 2008 at 10:57 am

oops. erm.. well, obviously I misunderestimated your wordings there.

There is no conspiracy! Now, go back to sleep.

195. McDonald's Makes Jesus Cry

Comment #206409 by DamnDirtyApe on July 8, 2008 at 10:51 am

Woah there buddy, McDonald's still need to make up for being generally awful at making food. I'm fine with them doing whatever charity work they want. Just not at the cost of subjugating the world to the tenuously titled 'beef patty' burger.

Mord, chill, I'm in Canterbury.

196. McDonald's Makes Jesus Cry

Comment #206378 by DamnDirtyApe on July 8, 2008 at 10:20 am

...I... I don't know what to say. I'm nearly laughing out loud over here.

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

Comment #206306 by DamnDirtyApe on July 8, 2008 at 8:52 am

Bwahahahaah!!!

I just read the reviews off amazon.com for the book.

The Atlas's scientific shortcomings are more than overcome by its incredible usefulness as a most beautiful doorstop. Suffering from gusty drafts always slamming your office door at the most inopportune times? Look no further, friends - a perfectly designed implement has arrived!

Paralleling American Creationist works, this Islam-based "textbook" is founded on outdated scientific theories and religious texts - hardly a sound basis in which to dismiss evolution. The author, "Harun Yahya" is actually 51-year-old former interior-design student named Adnan Oktar. While interior design is a noble field, it's not what one would expect to count on when deciding the person has the scientific background for any substantive discussion of evolutionary theory. Although the title is accurate - "Atlas of CREATION" not "Atlas of Evolution", the product description that "living things are exactly the same today as they were hundreds of millions of years ago" and that "life forms emerged suddenly with all their complex structures" is incorrect - by accident or intention. While I respect all religions, misleading people is always wrong, and this book misleads in pretending to be something it is not. If you're reading for creationist arguments, this is the right book, if you're looking for sound discussion of evolutionary theory, then "anywhere but in this book" applies.

I was born in the USSR. Since day one in school I was taught that Darwin's theory of evolution was correct. This book most definitely proves the Communist theory is wrong. I've read the book and I like it.

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

Comment #206243 by DamnDirtyApe on July 8, 2008 at 7:35 am

Can we get David Robertson back in here? After this nonsense, all is forgiven!

Oktar is a sick fucking piece of work. I truely pity you Ertu. Even if half of what's described about him is true, I'm already wanting him to go to a very unpleasant prison for a very long time.

Please, put down those books. Go outside, get a coffee or an ice cream or something. Chill out, rethink your life.

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

Comment #206133 by DamnDirtyApe on July 8, 2008 at 6:08 am

'Oh god, make my enemies rediculous...'

Holy crap it worked. I'm worried this thread is going to start to catch up with the epic 'lying for jesus' one.

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

Comment #206049 by DamnDirtyApe on July 8, 2008 at 3:48 am

Can we just start an 'epic science vs religion thread' on the forum and just direct all these guys there?

Get a google link for it too, right now its pointing to the world of warcraft forums:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=epic science versus religion thread&meta=

While I've nothing against leveling up and quests in a virtual fantasy world, I personally don't like to part with that much money.