1. Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat

Comment #203062 by mikes on July 2, 2008 at 10:45 am

It's so cute its outrageous!

2. Truly Bizarre : Indians Throw Babies 50ft From Roof To Thank God.

Comment #174712 by mikes on May 3, 2008 at 10:15 am

And we thought Michael Jackson had a few cards missing from his deck.

3. Beware the Believers

Comment #152214 by mikes on March 30, 2008 at 12:56 pm

It almost seems satirical of the ID movements satire. But that I think comes about from error in its presentation (i.e. going over the top with silliness) and the vagueness of the lyrics.

And obviously time/money was spent on this by a group of people.To me that (and the points in my previous comment) make me think the eXpelled producers commissioned this.
Additionally is the timing of this viral video popping up on the webernet, it coincides with eXpelled's release. Coincidence?


It's also odd that no one has claimed authorship. It's not really typical for pro-sci pro-evo authors to remain hiding in the shadows. Perhaps this was so well received by the pro-evo community they realized they didn't get the effect they wanted: egg on our faces and scrambled angry comments. Point being, just because eXpelled people "failed miserably"(is that not their track record?) does not mean it was not them.

4. Beware the Believers

Comment #152194 by mikes on March 30, 2008 at 12:06 pm

I'm pretty sure its made by the eXpelled people.
And some of the lyrics seem pro-science, but I think that comes from the eXpelled crews' inability to articulate themselves correctly in this satirical format. Were dealing with IDiots remember.

Dembski had a simular video by the guy that did those JibbaJab Bush flash videos way back when. This Dicky Dawkins one has the same style and production value. Someone paid for this or had access to resources and staff that have a history of producing flash animation.

Wiki:
"In late 2006 Dembski created and published a Flash animation, The Judge Jones School of Law at his intelligent design website, OverwhelmingEvidence.com"

http://www.overwhelmingevidence.com/id/JJ_school_of_law/

From a RD.com post:
"The animator is either overtly identifying himself as Evan Spiridellis (of JibJab.com; recall the "This Land" animation of Bush and Kerry in a duet) or is using blatant plagiarism to throw us off the scent. Note the overall similarity of composition, but particularly the identical style between the logos."

I still find it funny, and it's another good example of how the religious (Christians in particular) employ visuals and narrative. We should learn from their successes.

5. The Science behind the Large Hadron Collider

Comment #116386 by mikes on January 26, 2008 at 11:27 am

I bet D'Souza has a Large Hardon Collider. Its what emits all that sound during his debates. His ass.

6. A Letter From Hell

Comment #115839 by mikes on January 24, 2008 at 10:41 pm

Christians certainly know how to use narrative--with its ability to suspend skepticism for the sake of a story--and visuals that tap into our disposition to grant instant credibility to what we see--seeing is believing.

While I applaud Dawkins,Dennett,Harris and Hitchens for their works addressing people at an intellectual level. Perhaps the most good will come when someone can write a great atheist narrative and fight brimstone with brimstone--or perhaps not.

7. Dinesh D'Souza: Winner of the 2007 Bad Faith Award

Comment #112109 by mikes on January 16, 2008 at 10:37 am

There needs to be a Cruise vs. D'Souza debate.

8. George Scales, War Hero and Generous Friend of RDFRS

Comment #111466 by mikes on January 14, 2008 at 5:13 pm

George - Richard,
Better you then I you know the ephemeral nature of life, as I am still in my youth. Richard has taught me the importance of personally developing a diverse ecology of ideas while we have the opportunity. And I wish to thank you, and in the end congratulate you, for standing up and supporting this most important of principles. Best of wishes in your recovery.

From over the pond,
Michael Spenard, New Hampshire

9. Huckabee: Guns, God and rock'n'roll

Comment #108364 by mikes on January 6, 2008 at 2:46 pm

Candidates, bah. The whole lot is indiscernible.

"...from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from man to pig again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."

10. Judgement Day: Intelligent Design on Trial

Comment #89141 by mikes on November 19, 2007 at 8:29 pm

The attack on 'theory' bothers me to the core. Here is a little blurb I put together and thought I would share here...

The working hypothesis of science is to assume that general rules which have exceptions are amenable or replaceable by subsequent general rules without. Science is the search for uniformities without exception, unto which experience is extended. The enterprise of science proceeds not from large assumptions, but from particular facts discovered through observation or experiment. From a set of such facts a general rule or proposition is arrived at, of which, if the rule being true, the facts in question are instances. However, many facts do not make for certainty and in the end the principle arrived at will be one framed in probability. If uniformity is created through the unification of many facts the principle will move from being one of hypothesis to theory. And from our many theories united, more general ones will follow; and to this process no limit can be set. Theory, in science, is a higher level of understanding then the acknowledgment of fact; theory is a system of explanations which elucidate the observable facts of nature.

Where as in ecumenical thinking the most general principles are the starting point and a singular inexorable fact the final conclusion, in science they are the final conclusion--final, that is to say, at a given moment, open to revision and still wider principle at a later time. And though our general principles are bound to moments in time and open ended this possibility of sequestration to revision guarantees us the opportunity of discovering new principles; to which there are no bounds.

11. Guest Host Bill Moyers with philosopher Daniel Dennett

Comment #19096 by mikes on January 24, 2007 at 9:34 pm

A Moyer quote I like and figured I would share..

"Religion is politics by other means." -Bill Moyer