RichardDawkins.net

Comment #143914 by Richard Morgan on March 14, 2008 at 3:46 pm

MUSIC UPDATE - MPHIL

As I am in my period of R & R, I asked my son, Anthony to have a look at MPhil's style.
MPhil likes the electric guitar - Anthony plays and composes for the electric guitar. He has produced this little medley, just for... MPhil

http://www.myspace.com/fleabytes

252. Fleabytes

Comment #143731 by Richard Morgan on March 14, 2008 at 10:28 am

MPhil :

may I hope for a musical portrait someday?

Yes.

253. Fleabytes

Comment #143725 by Richard Morgan on March 14, 2008 at 10:22 am

254. Fleabytes

Comment #143718 by Richard Morgan on March 14, 2008 at 10:14 am

Paula : BRIAN IZ ALWEZ SERIOUS. USE GOT 2 BLEEV IT!

255. I don't believe in atheists

Comment #143676 by Richard Morgan on March 14, 2008 at 9:50 am

al rawandi

Why don't you keep it on the fleabytes thread?

Good question. I did have some misgivings as I was posting. I was going on the principle of placing the information where it was most likely to be read, and therefore chose the threads most recently consulted.
If Richard (the real one) or Josh would prefer that I stop announcing the updates in this way, I would be happy to delete them.
(My coat is never far away.)
But to come back to this article, I wonder if Mr hedges would have considered Pasteur as a fundamentalist in his war against infectious diseases?
Wishing to free the world of the evils of religion is no more or less fundamentalist than wishing to free the world of polio.
I have never detected anything resembling Utopianism in RD's writings.
(Er, check up on the etymology of "Utopia" - it's quite useful!)
Clearly any movement that is seriously concerned with eradicating any kind of "evil" will appear as belligerently fundamentalist at a certain point in the battle. You can't always be nice and polite and "moderate" when you're trying to stop somebody from slitting the throats of your entire family.
I am a non-violent person (too old, sick and weak to be otherwise!) but if my family were threatened I think I would unhesitatingly wield a fundamentalist Kalashnikov first, and try reasonable discussion afterwards.

256. Two More Fleas

Comment #143645 by Richard Morgan on March 14, 2008 at 9:07 am

MUSICAL PORTRAITS - THE FLEABYTES "THREDLEY".

Dedicated to: Paula Kirby and David Robertson - without whom this thread would not have come into being.

The Fleabytes thread has provoked an intense period of creativity in my tired ol' heart/mind.
This medley will probably be the last one for a while. Some themes you will recognise, some are new.
It has been immense fun composing these portraits. Some tumbled out of heart and onto the paper fully-formed. Others (Paula, Cartomancer)were living proof of the old principle which affirms that "Composition is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration."
So now I am a little exhausted and will take a pause, being content to read the threads and be cantankerous.
If you would like an MP3 of any of these pieces with a better sound quality, please PM me with an e-mail address and I'll send it right off to you.
I also have musical montages of excerpts from The Lava Lizard's Tale and The Salamander's Tale if you are interested.
If you want to pay for them, please make a donation to the Richard Dawkins Foundation.
If you don't want to pay, thank you for wanting to listen anyway - makes me feel good!

http://www.myspace.com/fleabytes

257. Bishop accuses gays of 'conspiracy' against the Catholic Church

Comment #143644 by Richard Morgan on March 14, 2008 at 9:05 am

MUSICAL PORTRAITS - THE FLEABYTES "THREDLEY".

Dedicated to: Paula Kirby and David Robertson - without whom this thread would not have come into being.

The Fleabytes thread has provoked an intense period of creativity in my tired ol' heart/mind.
This medley will probably be the last one for a while. Some themes you will recognise, some are new.
It has been immense fun composing these portraits. Some tumbled out of heart and onto the paper fully-formed. Others (Paula, Cartomancer)were living proof of the old principle which affirms that "Composition is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration."
So now I am a little exhausted and will take a pause, being content to read the threads and be cantankerous.
If you would like an MP3 of any of these pieces with a better sound quality, please PM me with an e-mail address and I'll send it right off to you.
I also have musical montages of excerpts from The Lava Lizard's Tale and The Salamander's Tale if you are interested.
If you want to pay for them, please make a donation to the Richard Dawkins Foundation.
If you don't want to pay, thank you for wanting to listen anyway - makes me feel good!

http://www.myspace.com/fleabytes

258. Ban anti-Catholic books in schools, says bishop

Comment #143639 by Richard Morgan on March 14, 2008 at 9:04 am

MUSICAL PORTRAITS - THE FLEABYTES "THREDLEY".

Dedicated to: Paula Kirby and David Robertson - without whom this thread would not have come into being.

The Fleabytes thread has provoked an intense period of creativity in my tired ol' heart/mind.
This medley will probably be the last one for a while. Some themes you will recognise, some are new.
It has been immense fun composing these portraits. Some tumbled out of heart and onto the paper fully-formed. Others (Paula, Cartomancer)were living proof of the old principle which affirms that "Composition is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration."
So now I am a little exhausted and will take a pause, being content to read the threads and be cantankerous.
If you would like an MP3 of any of these pieces with a better sound quality, please PM me with an e-mail address and I'll send it right off to you.
I also have musical montages of excerpts from The Lava Lizard's Tale and The Salamander's Tale if you are interested.
If you want to pay for them, please make a donation to the Richard Dawkins Foundation.
If you don't want to pay, thank you for wanting to listen anyway - makes me feel good!

http://www.myspace.com/fleabytes

259. I don't believe in atheists

Comment #143638 by Richard Morgan on March 14, 2008 at 9:02 am

MUSICAL PORTRAITS - THE FLEABYTES "THREDLEY".

Dedicated to: Paula Kirby and David Robertson - without whom this thread would not have come into being.

The Fleabytes thread has provoked an intense period of creativity in my tired ol' heart/mind.
This medley will probably be the last one for a while. Some themes you will recognise, some are new.
It has been immense fun composing these portraits. Some tumbled out of heart and onto the paper fully-formed. Others (Paula, Cartomancer)were living proof of the old principle which affirms that "Composition is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration."
So now I am a little exhausted and will take a pause, being content to read the threads and be cantankerous.
If you would like an MP3 of any of these pieces with a better sound quality, please PM me with an e-mail address and I'll send it right off to you.
I also have musical montages of excerpts from The Lava Lizard's Tale and The Salamander's Tale if you are interested.
If you want to pay for them, please make a donation to the Richard Dawkins Foundation.
If you don't want to pay, thank you for wanting to listen anyway - makes me feel good!

http://www.myspace.com/fleabytes

260. Fleabytes

Comment #143632 by Richard Morgan on March 14, 2008 at 8:59 am

MUSICAL PORTRAITS - THE FLEABYTES "THREDLEY".

Dedicated to: Paula Kirby and David Robertson - without whom this thread would not have come into being.

The Fleabytes thread has provoked an intense period of creativity in my tired ol' heart/mind.
This medley will probably be the last one for a while. Some themes you will recognise, some are new.
It has been immense fun composing these portraits. Some tumbled out of heart and onto the paper fully-formed. Others (Paula, Cartomancer)were living proof of the old principle which affirms that "Composition is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration."
So now I am a little exhausted and will take a pause, being content to read the threads and be cantankerous.
If you would like an MP3 of any of these pieces with a better sound quality, please PM me with an e-mail address and I'll send it right off to you.
I also have musical montages of excerpts from The Lava Lizard's Tale and The Salamander's Tale if you are interested.
If you want to pay for them, please make a donation to the Richard Dawkins Foundation.
If you don't want to pay, thank you for wanting to listen anyway - makes me feel good!

http://www.myspace.com/fleabytes

261. Beauty ad banned after Christian outcry

Comment #143321 by Richard Morgan on March 14, 2008 at 2:08 am

dlitt

I'll defend my right to offend.

And so you should! After all, it is something we do rather well, don't you think?

262. Ban anti-Catholic books in schools, says bishop

Comment #143306 by Richard Morgan on March 14, 2008 at 1:05 am

MUSICAL PORTRAITS - UPDATE

Bryan English : he is a lovely, unpretentious person, who humbly tries to avoid appearing perfect by composing songs.

Bryan of Oz

http://www.myspace.com/fleabytes

263. Deadly Sins 101

Comment #143305 by Richard Morgan on March 14, 2008 at 1:03 am

Gymnopedie

I can't even imagine the sort of cognitive dissonance a practicing Catholic has to go through. Holy shit!

Darn it, you shouldn't have said that. You've just given them another sin to add to their list!!
Or is it on the list already under "Doubts (various)"?

264. Bishop accuses gays of 'conspiracy' against the Catholic Church

Comment #143304 by Richard Morgan on March 14, 2008 at 12:56 am

Cartomancer :

All right, all right I admit it!

I knew all along, it was YOU.
This conspiracy had all the signs of a one-man job.
Now I am going to have to reveal to the world the other conspiracy against the catholic church : the Conspiracy of the Tone Deaf.
This is much more insidious, because whatever you say sounds the same to them.
"This supernatural Soliciting
Cannot be ill, cannot be good.
If ill,
Why hath it given me Earnest of Success,
Commencing in a truth?
I am the very model of a modern Major General"
Ha! Get out of that!

265. Two More Fleas

Comment #143303 by Richard Morgan on March 14, 2008 at 12:43 am

Steve Zara :

It works for me!

Yes!
Of course!
At the end of the day, this explains everybody's attitude. Ours, theirs, and the other's.
It is the ultimate criterion that decides our choices, be they in the realm of cosmology, morality, science or boys' bands.
I am an atheist, because religious faith DOES NOT WORK FOR ME.
We believe what we believe because IT WORKS for us.
(Yes, there are some notable exceptions, such as wooter because nothing really seems to work for him, though his psychoanalyst may have a different view on the matter!)
Once more then, all together, with feeling:
"IT WORKS FOR ME!"
Once again, thank you Steve

266. Deadly Sins 101

Comment #143262 by Richard Morgan on March 13, 2008 at 7:08 pm

MUSICAL PORTRAITS - UPDATE

Bryan English : he is a lovely, unpretentious person, who humbly tries to avoid appearing perfect by composing songs.

Bryan of Oz

http://www.myspace.com/fleabytes

267. Bishop accuses gays of 'conspiracy' against the Catholic Church

Comment #143260 by Richard Morgan on March 13, 2008 at 7:01 pm

MUSICAL PORTRAITS - UPDATE

Bryan English : he is a lovely, unpretentious person, who humbly tries to avoid appearing perfect by composing songs.

Bryan of Oz

http://www.myspace.com/fleabytes

268. Full house captivated by atheist Dawkins' take on religion

Comment #143259 by Richard Morgan on March 13, 2008 at 7:00 pm

MUSICAL PORTRAITS - UPDATE

Bryan English : he is a lovely, unpretentious person, who humbly tries to avoid appearing perfect by composing songs.

Bryan of Oz

http://www.myspace.com/fleabytes

269. Fleabytes

Comment #143257 by Richard Morgan on March 13, 2008 at 6:59 pm

MUSICAL PORTRAITS - UPDATE

Bryan English : he is a lovely, unpretentious person, who humbly tries to avoid appearing perfect by composing songs.

Bryan of Oz

http://www.myspace.com/fleabytes

270. Bishop accuses gays of 'conspiracy' against the Catholic Church

Comment #143252 by Richard Morgan on March 13, 2008 at 6:42 pm

A gay conspiracy against Christianity? Really? I didn't know about that one. But, frankly, it sounds like fun to me - where do you sign up?
Since I am straight, would I be allowed temporary membership, sort of "guest status"?
Or would I have to start up my own "Cantankerous Ol' Welshmen" conspiracy against Christianity?
Perhaps we could join forces.
Yes, that sounds like a better idea, lets all get together and, for example, create a website called "RD.Net" and then...
I beg your pardon?
What did you say?
It's already been...
*Sighs*

OK - back to the drawing board.

271. Fleabytes

Comment #143198 by Richard Morgan on March 13, 2008 at 3:56 pm

Paula Kirby : For the last few weeks I have been seriously thinking about the possibility of an Ardeenet knees-up.
Any suggestions?
London?
Paris?
Inverness?
Coventry-sur-Mer?

272. Fleabytes

Comment #142715 by Richard Morgan on March 13, 2008 at 3:37 am

Paula Kirby

Do I look like a gentleman?

Well, you look gentle, but, you know, appearances and all that...

273. Fleabytes

Comment #142711 by Richard Morgan on March 13, 2008 at 3:34 am

mikejswalker : Could I politely ask you refrain from making the sort of comments that I wanted to make, and for doing it better than I would have done?
I would remind you that I am a married man, and therefore already live with somebody who takes care (quite nicely, thanks) of making me feel generally useless and inadequate.
I very much appreciate all your comments. Thank you for them.

274. Beauty ad banned after Christian outcry

Comment #142651 by Richard Morgan on March 13, 2008 at 12:44 am

During "erotic things" is the only time I like to hear the Mrs. talk about god.

I presume you are talking about doing "erotic things" with the Mrs?
And you actually like to hear her talking about God?
As in "87 Theological Positions" or "Phallacious Arguments"?
When I'm being intimate with my partner, occasionally she appeals to God, but opening a theological discussion...?
That's a new one on me.
I'd like to try however.
Any reading suggestions?
I tried Googling "theological discussions sex" and found this:

"Theology of the Body" refers to a series of 129 lectures given by Pope John Paul II during his Wednesday audiences in the Pope Paul VI Hall between September 1979 and November 1984

but I suppose this is not the kind of thing you are talking about.
And this

Hajduk, David (2006). God's Plan for You: Life, Love, Marriage, Sex

Love, marriage and sex?
But I've only got one wife, not three!
No, I'm afraid I'm all confused now.
Must be time for another coffee.

275. Two More Fleas

Comment #142535 by Richard Morgan on March 12, 2008 at 4:06 pm

...can't possibly be as good as the one God wrote?

You're right Paula.
Have a good rest.
Save your energy.
Take you vitamins regularly.
We're all waiting for your review of God's book.

276. Two More Fleas

Comment #142527 by Richard Morgan on March 12, 2008 at 4:01 pm

Or perhaps a bilingual French/English thing:
"Baiser late:
Fuck tard

277. The ethics of mixing science and religion

Comment #142524 by Richard Morgan on March 12, 2008 at 3:56 pm

I'd ask for $3.2 million!
$1.6 million for the initial work, than
$1.6 million for not changing my mind later, in the light of new evidence.
Heck, usually I'm anybody's for a dollar and a kiss... and the dollar is not obligatory.

278. Beauty ad banned after Christian outcry

Comment #142521 by Richard Morgan on March 12, 2008 at 3:49 pm

I'm going to complain about all the ads that have no references to religion,as they could offend atheists.

279. Two More Fleas

Comment #142511 by Richard Morgan on March 12, 2008 at 3:24 pm

Steve Zara

I suggest "Why the f*cking morons are all f*cking crazy" by Diacanu (with colour illustrations)

You really shouldn't have said that, Steve!!!
Because of you,I've just started f*cking working on the f*cking musical version.
F*ck.
The Title will be:
Requiem for Reason in Quote Minor."

280. Fleabytes

Comment #142490 by Richard Morgan on March 12, 2008 at 2:51 pm

Steve Zara

Private messaging can be a useful mechanism for holding discussions of a certain nature.
That's all I'm saying.

You're so right again, Steve.

281. Fleabytes

Comment #142231 by Richard Morgan on March 12, 2008 at 7:06 am

mlearnedfriend

...this august company.

I feel slighted.
Why are you deliberately excluding people like Diancanu and myself?

282. Fleabytes

Comment #142226 by Richard Morgan on March 12, 2008 at 6:58 am

ForestMist on the Rocks

proves the Bunny works in mysterious way -

Oh dear.
You've really fucked up there!
Now I can see the Easter Bunny, I don't have to exercise my FAITH any more.
So I won't be SAVED in the Hefner Paradise!
(Also I was hoping for a Bunny a little sexier than that. Given the choice between your Bre'er Rabbit and 72 virgins...., y'know what I mean?)

283. Fleabytes

Comment #142214 by Richard Morgan on March 12, 2008 at 6:46 am

IanG

I was mainly just fascinated by what was going on in my head.

Way to go!
Now you're talking a language all theists can understand!

284. Fleabytes

Comment #142196 by Richard Morgan on March 12, 2008 at 6:23 am

hungarianelephant:

So we make our peace with it, or leave the relationship.

I feel there is a third possibility.

The whole post is excellent. Thank you.

285. Fleabytes

Comment #142191 by Richard Morgan on March 12, 2008 at 6:15 am

Forest Missed, United scored

I am more than happy to supply said photo to anyone so that you can all see this undoubted proof of the Easter Bunny's existence.

Well?
I'm waiting for it.
This could be heralding a moment of major change in my life.
Easter Bunny quite appeals to me as a religion : Rising from the dead AND Playboy girls?
Sounds fine to me.

286. The Salamander's Tale

Comment #142187 by Richard Morgan on March 12, 2008 at 6:11 am

al-rawandi

From the guy who thinks masturbating will make you blind.

Well, now, looking at your avatar...

287. Fleabytes

Comment #142184 by Richard Morgan on March 12, 2008 at 6:02 am

I was wondering why soul-less atheists generally write more interesting stuff than the theists.
Perhaps:

The reason Milton wrote in fetters when he wrote of Angels & God, and at liberty when of Devils & Hell, is because he was a true Poet and of the Devil's party without knowing it. (William Blake Marriage of Heaven and Hell)

We are the band
Of the happy damned
And we don't really give a fuck.
We much prefer vice
To your Paradise
And it's not God's will, it's Luck!
Free-thinkers all,
Let's have a ball,
And call it the "Fleabytes Thread"!
Sometimes it's vi'lent,
Sometimes it goes silent
But it always comes back from the dead.
Fleas may come
And Fleas may go,
This thread will never die;
Let's all extend
Our phenotypes
Way up into the sky.
It's God's will that we're atheists,
Our curse? - the need for evidence.
My genes are selfish, what can I do?
Since it all comes down to Providence?
I wander'd lonely as a cloud
I had no GPS.
I once was lost
But now I'm found,
Goodnight, Yer Holiness!

288. Fleabytes

Comment #142139 by Richard Morgan on March 12, 2008 at 4:05 am

Quetzy-baby : Thank you! I am indeed very pleased!

289. Fleabytes

Comment #142135 by Richard Morgan on March 12, 2008 at 3:51 am

In 1984 I went through a very painful divorce.
My ex-wife remarried and I was asked for my permission for her new husband to adopt our two sons, as they were planning to emigrate to the USA for professional reasons.
At the time it seemed reasonable to grant this permission.
I moved to France and tried to deal with the grief of being separated from my two sons who would be growing up a thousand miles away, being brought up by another man.
Ok - divorces happen.
Broken families exist.
But I never gave up the hope of finding my sons again one day. I regularly Googled for them and in 2002 - Halleluiah! I found them! They were both musicians, both had groups with websites.
I also had a brief contact with their mother (who had recently divorced from her second husband.)
I was amazed to learn that they had never gone to the USA! All these years they were just across the Channel.
In a phone conversation with my ex-wife, understandably, she was unable to avoid bringing up old grudges, but the one thing she said that really got me thinking was : "Where were you when the boys were taking their "O" levels?"
With my permission, she took the boys out of my life, letting me believe that they were all on the other side of the planet, no news, nothing. Then out of the blue "Where were you when the boys were taking their "O" levels?"
My first reaction was, "She's gone completely crazy!" (being married to me had already started pushing her in that direction, I think!) How could she logically reproach my not being there for moral support when the boys were growing up.
In fact, she's not crazy, she's very intelligent but, in that moment when she asked that question, it was rather like our "debate" with David Robertson. During the eighteen years when we had no contact, she and I had separately developed our own particular "mind set" concerning the problems in our relationship. Which meant that eighteen years later, we were no longer applying the same "logic" to our interpretations of the situation.
From her point of view:
1. I was the father of her two sons, no matter what.
2. I had given my permission to adopt rather too easily which was proof that I wasn't really attached to my sons, and was therefore a "bad father".
3. I had apparently made no efforts, over the years, to contact them, which was the ultimate proof of my irresponsible attitude.
And, of course, all that was added to the real, unhappy experience of having lived with me.
So her "illogical" question had its own internal logic.
I'm not going to try to defend my own position here, because my message is that our life experiences can, and do, take us in very different directions. Our thought processes become consolidated in very different ways. And it is often very difficult to arrive at a sufficiently honest degree of introspection in order to realise just how our internal logic works as it does.
Some of you have accused DR of being a liar. Because according to your analyses certain of his statements are lies.
I am perfectly convinced that DR honestly believes he is not a liar. I could even imagine that if we all had a cosy get together over a cup of tea, leaving our weapons at the door, we would be able to arrive at some kind of understanding of where the other is coming from, and why.
This does not mean we would ever end up agreeing on the existence of God, or gods, or large, winged spaghetti.
To me, David often appears smarmily condescending and cynically "polite". Well, I have to admit that we (at least, I) do the same thing.
But I have to agree with one thing he says, because I've more or less said it myself before:

Without absolute proof of something for which you believe there can be no absolute proof, you will not listen to anything that any theist says. All our points are invalid until we prove to you the impossible « the Big one". But what if our proof was a cumulation of the smaller points? Ironically that is how you became an atheist…

I know I'm going to offend a few people here, but I do really believe that many of us "will not listen to anything that any theist says", whilst claiming the contrary, which often appears to me as little more than paying lip-service to the principle.
I have never made the intellectual choice to become an atheist. It just so happens that my genes and experiences (nature and nurture) have made of me a natural-born atheist.
I can't believe in an invisible Creator. At least not the ones described thus far by the religions I have encountered. And I promise you, it's not for want of trying!
Mormonism.
Baha'i faith.
Evangelical born-againism.
Been there.
Done that.
I have tried.
Richard Dawkins has done me the immeasurable favour of allowing me to discover that I was an atheist. And from that point on, I was able to begin to make peace with myself.
And, you know, I don't want people to fly Boeings into New York skyscrapers for any reason.
Just as I hate violence, racism, injustice and crustless sliced bread, by association I tend to have feelings of hatred for "religion". But I don't hate religious people.
In fact (but keep this to yourselves please, I wouldn't want it to be generally know as it would harm my reputation for being cantankerous) I actually like people!
A lot of the bickering on this site does rather sadden me. But this bickering is neither theist not atheist. It's just human.
Debate can be a wonderful "enabler". (Paula has convinced me of that.)
But I'm really more interested in what can bring people together, and I am tired of this "Show me your evidence (but I know you haven't got any)." Versus "The evidence is staring you in the face but you can't see it." - type of combat.
I tend to believe that people are born as atheists - the default attitude. But they are also born with brains that have the capability to believe the unverifiable. (PZ Myers "It is not idiotic to be religious")
My ex-wife and I?
David Roberts and the RDNetists?
I seem to see points of similarity.

Sadly, religions are by definition divisive, whatever their claims to the contrary.
Is "gathering that which is scattered" a hopeless pipe-dream?
Perhaps.
But I hope we can try.

290. Fleabytes

Comment #142039 by Richard Morgan on March 11, 2008 at 5:27 pm

mikejswalker

The evidence call does not create a place where debate can formulate new understandings (from both sides). The issue is too important to stop the debate dead in it's tracks with an evidence call.

Extremely well-expressed. Thank you for that.

291. Fleabytes

Comment #142015 by Richard Morgan on March 11, 2008 at 3:25 pm

Robotaholic : My heart really goes out to you.
I won't wish you luck - I will extend a (virtual) hand of friendship.

292. Fleabytes

Comment #142007 by Richard Morgan on March 11, 2008 at 3:04 pm

al-rawandi

The best way to quit drinking....
Put the bottle down.

I am sure you are well-intentioned, but this kind of "good advice" can be really cruel.
If only it were that easy...

I've said it before, but I'll say it again : As far as belief structures are concerned,relationships (past and present) are everything. That is why in AA, God is more effective in a supportive group context than out there on his own.
This is also a significant difference between world views based on religious beliefs and world views based on observation, enquiry and reason.
The latter, you can do on your own.
The former always happens in the context of a relationship/relationships. (Which is, BTW, just another clear indication of the very human origins of the notion of God.)
Having said that, belief structures developed in the context of supportive care groups can be very powerful indeed. Powerful for inducing and enabling personal change. The nature of the belief structure (Christianity, Mormonism,Man United) is of relatively little importance, and is secondary to the quality of the exchange of affects.

I have a great deal of experience in this area, and would have a lot to say BUT MY ENGLISH IS ALL FUCKED UP (sorry about that).
Would anybody care to help me organise my ideas in good, working English? I keep leaving PM's without getting replies.

293. Fleabytes

Comment #141868 by Richard Morgan on March 11, 2008 at 10:01 am

MPhil :

Truth = conforming to actually obtaining states of affairs
Knowledge = belief in a true proposition, justified by a causal connection known to be sufficiently reliable, such as empirical evidence or conceptual necessity where the concepts are themselves shown to be accurate by independent corroboration.

Excellent.
I know it's true.

294. Fleabytes

Comment #141765 by Richard Morgan on March 11, 2008 at 7:11 am

al-rawandi

Is anyone still holding out hope?

I find that repetitions of "Show us the evidence!" rather tiresome, given that NOBODY is expecting any convincing evidence. Not from DR or from any other theist.
I find that in view of that, constantly demanding evidence seems rather childish and, well, undignified.
EVERYBODY knows that the message is:
"Go on, show us your evidence, if you can, because we all know you haven't got any. But we're going to pretend to expect an answer, in order to make you appear all the more stupid."
Yes, as rationalists, we are open to new data which will modify our point of view.
But asking a dry well to give you water...

295. Fleabytes

Comment #141711 by Richard Morgan on March 11, 2008 at 5:49 am

MUSICAL PORTRAITS - UPDATE!

"CARTOMANCER - Gunshots and a Wobbly"

You will all remember what our friend CARTOMANCER explained to us about his appreciation of music :

I'm chronically tone-deaf to the point where I didn't know what all the fuss was about when Jemini were the UK entry to the Eurovision Song Contest. My beloved teases me mercilessly about it. I tried to come up with some praise beyond "That sounds nice", or "I liked the wobbly bit with all those notes in it" but my abilities fail me utterly when it comes to describing my appreciation of music. Recognition of the appropriateness of the gunshot sound was the best I could do unfortunately... Sorry.

Outside of writing dots on lines I'm not very imaginative, I'm afraid.
But I have tried to please everyone with this portrait, which was, as always, composed with love and respect.
(Cartomancer - if you don't like it, please don't tell me, because I'm easily hurt and discouraged. Especially on Tuesdays!)

http://www.myspace.com/fleabytes

296. Oklahoma: One Step from Doom

Comment #141710 by Richard Morgan on March 11, 2008 at 5:47 am

MUSICAL PORTRAITS - UPDATE!

"CARTOMANCER - Gunshots and a Wobbly"

You will all remember what our friend CARTOMANCER explained to us about his appreciation of music :

I'm chronically tone-deaf to the point where I didn't know what all the fuss was about when Jemini were the UK entry to the Eurovision Song Contest. My beloved teases me mercilessly about it. I tried to come up with some praise beyond "That sounds nice", or "I liked the wobbly bit with all those notes in it" but my abilities fail me utterly when it comes to describing my appreciation of music. Recognition of the appropriateness of the gunshot sound was the best I could do unfortunately... Sorry.

Outside of writing dots on lines I'm not very imaginative, I'm afraid.
But I have tried to please everyone with this portrait, which was, as always, composed with love and respect.
(Cartomancer - if you don't like it, please don't tell me, because I'm easily hurt and discouraged. Especially on Tuesdays!)

http://www.myspace.com/fleabytes

297. Seven new deadly sins: are you guilty?

Comment #141709 by Richard Morgan on March 11, 2008 at 5:45 am

MUSICAL PORTRAITS - UPDATE!

"CARTOMANCER - Gunshots and a Wobbly"

You will all remember what our friend CARTOMANCER explained to us about his appreciation of music :

I'm chronically tone-deaf to the point where I didn't know what all the fuss was about when Jemini were the UK entry to the Eurovision Song Contest. My beloved teases me mercilessly about it. I tried to come up with some praise beyond "That sounds nice", or "I liked the wobbly bit with all those notes in it" but my abilities fail me utterly when it comes to describing my appreciation of music. Recognition of the appropriateness of the gunshot sound was the best I could do unfortunately... Sorry.

Outside of writing dots on lines I'm not very imaginative, I'm afraid.
But I have tried to please everyone with this portrait, which was, as always, composed with love and respect.
(Cartomancer - if you don't like it, please don't tell me, because I'm easily hurt and discouraged. Especially on Tuesdays!)

http://www.myspace.com/fleabytes

298. The Salamander's Tale

Comment #141706 by Richard Morgan on March 11, 2008 at 5:39 am

MUSICAL PORTRAITS �" UPDATE!

"CARTOMANCER - Gunshots and a Wobbly"

You will all remember what our friend CARTOMANCER explained to us about his appreciation of music :

I'm chronically tone-deaf to the point where I didn't know what all the fuss was about when Jemini were the UK entry to the Eurovision Song Contest. My beloved teases me mercilessly about it. I tried to come up with some praise beyond "That sounds nice", or "I liked the wobbly bit with all those notes in it" but my abilities fail me utterly when it comes to describing my appreciation of music. Recognition of the appropriateness of the gunshot sound was the best I could do unfortunately... Sorry.

Outside of writing dots on lines I'm not very imaginative, I'm afraid.
But I have tried to please everyone with this portrait, which was, as always, composed with love and respect.
(Cartomancer - if you don't like it, please don't tell me, because I'm easily hurt and discouraged. Especially on Tuesdays!)

http://www.myspace.com/fleabytes

299. Fleabytes

Comment #141559 by Richard Morgan on March 10, 2008 at 3:58 pm

Quine : Uncle Screwtape!!!

300. Fleabytes

Comment #141532 by Richard Morgan on March 10, 2008 at 3:05 pm

Cartomancer - PM awaiting you.
And I'll bet most of you can guess the nature of its contents.

MPhil :