1. Group Asks for Divine Intervention to Ease Oil Prices

Comment #204497 by Adam Morrison on July 5, 2008 at 4:33 am

I love how whenever there's an oil issue so many Americans look to the Saudis. Except Canada supplies the majority (something like 60 or 65% of US oil). Usually the same ones who want NAFTA removed which is hilarious since oil is a protected commodity in the agreement and without it Canadian oil could be heavily tariffed.

2. Sharia law 'could have UK role'

Comment #204493 by Adam Morrison on July 5, 2008 at 4:27 am

It reminds me how Beth Din is allowed in Canadian law. Yeah its 'voluntary' if you don't mind being ostracized from your community if you decide you don't want to be part of it. Not to mention it has faced numerous allegations of misogynist conduct. I know what you're thinking; 'Sexism in a fundamentalist set of laws?!? Say it isn't so!'

3. Carlin on Religion

Comment #198465 by Adam Morrison on June 24, 2008 at 3:59 am

I remember catching him on 'Just for Laughs' or some other comedy channel special years ago. He's fantastic and I would have loved to see him live.

I think I'll use a couple of his lines next time a poofist tries to convert me.

4. Mail-boat record 'proves Darwin stole his original ideas from a Welsh scientist'

Comment #185136 by Adam Morrison on May 27, 2008 at 4:02 am

Richard's comment about the work possibly being an attempt (albeit a very stunned one) to make evolution a Welsh 'discovery' is probably a good example of what's happening.

It reminds me a lot of Chinese scholarship and Far Eastern studies. I've read a number of bad articles and books that make outrageous (and usually unsupported) claims that try to make a discovery or acheivement Chinese when it really hasn't. Two examples are the fellow who wrote a book claiming that the Chinese were the first to reach North America based on a couple obscure old passages about a Chinese junk and how far it had sailed (I can't remember the author at the moment). Another was a news paper article that featured a Chinese scholar claiming that the Chinese invented golf because and ancient work mentioned a game that involved hitting balls with sticks.

Not to sell the history of innovation in China short, they did some amazing things, especially in the field of metallurgy in antiquity. But there is a definte attempt to make outrageous claims of 'we made/found/discovered' it first coming out of some writers.

5. Mail-boat record 'proves Darwin stole his original ideas from a Welsh scientist'

Comment #184720 by Adam Morrison on May 26, 2008 at 3:27 am

I had to read up on this when I did my Anthropological Theory class in the last year of my undergrad. Like Mitchel said, there were a lot of people who influenced Darwin (and Wallace most likely) in coming up with the theory of Evolution by natural selection.

The reason Darwin is usually given the tip of the hat is the sheer volume of evidence Charles compiled and studied (for example his work on pigeon breeding) where as Wallace didn't have as much material.

Finally I would suspect that Darwin's view that humanity was a product of evolution helped make him the 'face' of evolutionary theory. It certainly would have pointed the religious animosity towards him, as Wallace thought humans were excluded from the evolutionary process.

Of course, none of this matters as evolution never happened, we were all poofed into existence by a designer
*Cue troll* *cough 'artful' cough*
:D

6. Animal Science Without Evolution

Comment #184719 by Adam Morrison on May 26, 2008 at 3:19 am

Re: KrisRamJ

Ugh, this reminds me of why I really am against home-schooling. As much as I love my mom, if she taught me biology, science, math, etc. I'd have felt cheated.

Unless a parent has the credentials to teach in a public school, they probably should leave the job to a professional.

7. Five Things Humans No Longer Need

Comment #184000 by Adam Morrison on May 23, 2008 at 11:35 am

Hmmm.... Does this mean that since I have my wisdom teeth in and there's not a problem and I have the space for them.... I'm some kind of ape-man?!?
*Sob*
Damn you Darwinists! Now I'll never get a job other than as an extra for the next planet of the apes movie... (mutters into to some random and completely nonsensical anti-evolution rant :)

Seriously though, I'm pretty sure we could come up with a remarkably long list of traits that are no longer advantageous in our species.

8. Sun's properties not 'fine-tuned' for life

Comment #183623 by Adam Morrison on May 22, 2008 at 11:39 am

So remember, when you're feeling very small and insecure,
How amazingly unlikely is your birth,
And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space,
'Cause there's bugger all down here on Earth

9. Texas Megachurch Minister Busted in Internet Sex Sting

Comment #181557 by Adam Morrison on May 17, 2008 at 12:39 pm

MaxD,

Now, now, you know that this was clearly Satan tempting the man
-or-
that priest never truly believed the absolutely 100% crystal clear, never misinterpreted words of Jebus
-or-
he was secretly an atheist undercover and it's all part of the atheist majority in the US's conspiracy to make Christianity suffer.

10. Indian village proud after double 'honor killing'

Comment #181207 by Adam Morrison on May 16, 2008 at 3:58 pm

re: devolve

It's been a while since I brushed up on primate behaviour, but if I remember correctly the only in-group instances of similar behaviour is chimpanzee males fighting to become alpha and have breeding rights (thought I don't think its usually to the death, submission usually occurs). There have been several instances of inter-group raiding and murder however.


India's caste system is incredibly brutal, I've read about other instances, such as the Japanese Eta (burakamin), where caste/class can result in phenomenally abusive cultural engagements, but India seems to take the cake time and time again. Hopefully as India modernizes this system will quickly disolve, but I'm not betting on it.

11. UC Berkeley is going to court over Evolution website

Comment #180683 by Adam Morrison on May 15, 2008 at 2:47 pm

This is absolutely stultifying. If this suit is dismissed or Berkeley is found not culpable, they should be able to counter-sue for legal fees due to a very frivilous claim.

12. The Dissent Of Darwin - The World Of Richard Dawkins

Comment #180447 by Adam Morrison on May 15, 2008 at 1:42 am

Interesting read. I found a lot of JL's points really weak though. When RD says 'That's tough' about evolutionary bio making us feel less special or unique(or whatever) and JL says 'That's not good enough for us anymore' and starts going on about touchy-feely nonsense I think the discussion sank a few levels.

Evolution isn't there to make anyone feel better or worse, it just is. At least that's always been my view.


Re: Stereoroid
My little brother was a skateboarder and one of his friends was grinding down a rail, slipped and burst one of his boys upon splitting himself on the rail. I guess it bleed a lot and he was rushed to the hospital. If I remember correctly the other testicle was fine but I *think* the other one was lost (although I don't remember with certainty). Lol, maybe that's why we have two, one's a backup :D

13. A natural selection

Comment #179915 by Adam Morrison on May 14, 2008 at 1:47 am

It's good to see that the anti-evolution sentiment isn't really seeping into Canada (or so I hope), but it's dissapointing to see companies refuse to sponsor it due to US media perspectives.

I'm definitely going to have to stop in Ontario on my way back to the prairies.

14. Orangutan attempts to hunt fish with spear

Comment #171877 by Adam Morrison on April 29, 2008 at 1:05 am

Not to bring the conversation down a level....

A friend of mine is doing her MA in Primatology now and was studying Oragutans for a while and apparently some females have been seen using smoothed and blunted sticks to ... uh... pleasure themselves (ie. a dildo)

I thought it was pretty funny (and interesting) when I first heard it from her (though I happily did not ask for the photographic evidence)

15. Soldier Sues Army, Saying His Atheism Led to Threats

Comment #169727 by Adam Morrison on April 26, 2008 at 4:31 pm

Dogmatism and militarism make dangerous bedmates. Religion should NEVER be a structured part of a military. In private, fine, but never as a mainstream component. When you train people to kill and give them weapons you want to make damn sure that these people have a clear head on their soldiers.

Since most religions always have militant aspects to their mythology, codifying that into military life means you can easily end up with a large group of trained and heavily armed people who are firmly convinced that they are instruments of divine will.

Bottom line is, religion (as a type of dogmatism) has a terrifying history of encouraging people not to think for themselves. Combine that with military doctrines that encourage obidience, arms and acquiesence, and atrocities are sure to follow.

It conditions a military mentality like Peter Hitchens describes on the start of the Iraq war when the Major yelled something like 'It's ass-kicking time' with 'We will rock you' playing in the background.

I don't want to make it sound like the milt. is a playground for 'good ol' boys. There are a lot of good soldiers I have known personally. But I know the young guys that I knew who went into the army as well, and they were a big part of me not wanting to enlist right away (I wouldn't put my life in their hands)


SRWB - If you don't mind my asking, what branch of the CF are you in. I'm thinking of trying to do my PhD studying the psychological effects of combat training on aggression and how martial training affects perception of enablement of violence. But I'd like to do it in a participant observational approach (ie I join up, go through basic, infantry training, etc. Instead of just asking soldiers about it).

16. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #169510 by Adam Morrison on April 26, 2008 at 8:09 am

Remnant,

Those are two of the worst 'theories' on Human development I've ever read.

You also might want to look at the roles of women in hunter gatherer societies before you make blanket statements. Women don't sit around 'doing hair', sewing, etc. like you'd have us believe.

In most hunter-gatherer groups women have actually supplied the majority of caloric intake. If you don't believe me, look up Richard Lee's work on the Kalahari !San people of subsaharan Africa.

I know your post was just a garbage pile trying to blame all the worlds ills on liberals, but I thought it'd be prudent to point out one of the outrageously innane facets of your post before the others tear it apart.

In short, your post was a fetid pool of stultifying nonsense. At least try to come up with something creative

Liberals all eat tofu! Conservatives like red meat! You guys have low testosterone levels. Come on, if you're going to represent the idiotic troll component of the website we're expecting at least a little eloquence and erudition in attempts to insult people. What's next? Penis jokes (aww... sorry didn't mean to stomp your best material)

17. Student's 'Be Happy, Not Gay' t-shirt ok

Comment #169128 by Adam Morrison on April 25, 2008 at 2:55 pm

Robotoholic

I spit water on my monitor reading that. Was not expecting it in the least. Well played.

Rod,

Fantastic! Reminds me of when I was starting as an Optician working for my Dad. A woman came into the shop with a broken pair of glasses and asked 'Can I get a screw for my glasses?' to which my Dad replied
'Hell, keep the glasses I'll screw ya for free'
I fell out of my chair laughing, but the lady didn't get it.

18. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #169098 by Adam Morrison on April 25, 2008 at 2:44 pm

Whoah, can't believe this thread has been going this steadily
*Briefly scans last 4 pages*
*Throws up in mouth a little*

Al, Steve, Quetz, Max, Dicianu, Elli, Bonzai, etc.
I'm amazed you guys have the patience to reply to the miamic rot that's getting posted by our resident poofists.

Just thought I'd throw out a 'good job' on behalf of those of us who don't have the inclination to respond. It's always the same old tripe from the poofists. To modify family guy:

'Something, something, something, biblical accuracy'
'Something, something, something, conspiracy theory'
'Something, something, something, self-absorbed pitiful ranting'
etc. etc.

19. Student's 'Be Happy, Not Gay' t-shirt ok

Comment #168993 by Adam Morrison on April 25, 2008 at 1:57 pm

Lucas;
I'm thinking along the same lines, I know it's the kind of thing I'd probably get in a fight over (but I didn't want to be the first to say it as over the years I've been accused of being a bit of a barbarian).

Al,
I'm so terribly disappointed in your preference in restaurants. ;D

20. Mount Vernon schools to hire investigator in Bible case

Comment #168983 by Adam Morrison on April 25, 2008 at 1:50 pm

Re: hoops mccann, mr pickwick

Well played sirs, well played.

Though you never know, he could be the type that has to dress up like a ghost with a pointy head from time to time.

21. Mount Vernon schools to hire investigator in Bible case

Comment #168712 by Adam Morrison on April 25, 2008 at 10:03 am

Well, he should be up on charges for burning crosses into peoples arms.

If there was a divine justice, he'd end up in prison and have the stuffing pummeled out of him at some point.

But since there isn't, hopefully he'll at least get a substantial monetary slap and a freshly-filled pink slip.

22. Tyrannosaurus rex protein proves dinosaurs evolved into birds

Comment #168488 by Adam Morrison on April 25, 2008 at 7:08 am

I'll never look at a budgee the same way again.

23. Student's 'Be Happy, Not Gay' t-shirt ok

Comment #168482 by Adam Morrison on April 25, 2008 at 7:06 am

He's free to wear it of course.

Other students are free, nay, encouraged to wear a shirt saying 'Be tolerant, not a douchebag'

24. If God Is Dead, Who Gets His House?

Comment #167457 by Adam Morrison on April 24, 2008 at 4:20 am

Quetz:

I tip my hat to your posted image sir!

and I'd follow suit to an earlier post and say I wouldn't want to try and organize a 'church' with you lot of contrarians :D

Besides, I'm overtly anti-theist now anyway. Damn that Hitchens, he's just so eloquent.

25. Lynchings in Congo as penis theft panic hits capital

Comment #167451 by Adam Morrison on April 24, 2008 at 4:13 am

I'm going to take the low road here and chance that this only affects guys with really ugly wives?

(Feel free to boo)

26. Judge orders La. school district to stop Bible giveaways

Comment #167449 by Adam Morrison on April 24, 2008 at 4:10 am

SharonMcT:

I went to Junior High and High School in Edmonton, and I'm surprised that the school allowed them to give away NTs. It's good that there was no reprecussions to the students.

When I was in Grade 8 and was asked if there was any atheists in the class, I put up my hand and the religion teacher freaked out. It was pretty bad. Sad thing is, this was only 10 years ago, and in a pretty large, mainstream school.

27. Judge orders La. school district to stop Bible giveaways

Comment #166885 by Adam Morrison on April 23, 2008 at 1:26 pm

I got my first bible from my Junior High School (Roman Catholic). I proceeded to read the whole thing and about a month later it happened to transform into a pile of ashes in my trash bin.

About a week later I openly and viciously blasphemed during morning prayer and was promptly sent to the office. Coincidence? I think not.

(But this story makes me just want to dance around singing 'LLEEEEEETTTT the Sun shine! Let the sun shine in. The suuuuuunnnnnnn shine innnnnn'

28. Lynchings in Congo as penis theft panic hits capital

Comment #166879 by Adam Morrison on April 23, 2008 at 1:23 pm

NEW DEVELOPMENT:

One of the accusors has recently withdrawn allegations against the cabbie quoted:

'I called for a taxi as I left the swimming pool...'

29. Investigating Atheism

Comment #166872 by Adam Morrison on April 23, 2008 at 1:19 pm

I can simplify the whole issue:

Atheist:
An individual who does not believe in a theistic concept of god.
From the English 'a' a prefix derived from Greek for negation, and 'theist' which is a word for an individual who believes in an intervening supernatural deity (a simpleton).

Everything else is unnecessary.

30. Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

Comment #166201 by Adam Morrison on April 23, 2008 at 1:59 am

Might not God disapprove of this much more?

31. Pope's Views on Science Invoke Spirited Debate

Comment #165843 by Adam Morrison on April 22, 2008 at 1:07 pm

Lol at the Pope Palpatine comments.

I was at the Vatican right before easter (like 3 days before easter). Doing Pope Palpatine jokes in the Vatican courtyard.

'Good! Your hate has made you powerful. Now fulfill your destiny and molest that altar boy!'

Incidently I also won a poetry contest for a little limerick I made up regarding the popemobile, altar boys and protection.

Seriously though, Pope on science is about as much an authority as I am on the behaviour of the invisible three-ringed speckled flying squirrel.

32. If God Is Dead, Who Gets His House?

Comment #165837 by Adam Morrison on April 22, 2008 at 12:57 pm

Like a lot of you, I'm not crazy about what's going on in the article.

If an individual feels that they need to fill their need for community and social interaction without going to a religious church, replacing it with a secular version could serve to fill many of the same needs.

BUT

There isn't anything to say that a denominational activity is the only means of doing so. If you need something to do on your weekends, find a new organization or activity and diversify your social circles of interaction. I used to volunteer as a blacksmith at the Fort Edmonton Park site on sundays through the summer and found it had a tremendous sense of community. It was a terrific way to spend my sundays. Kids love seeing me smith, I learned a unique skill, the people were fantastic. When I get back to Canada I hope to return there on sundays and get involved with Canadian Blood Services.

Atheists and Humanists sticking only to their own kind serves little use in participating in a wider community. Instead it just sets up attacks on 'the faith of atheism' or 'atheist dogma'.

33. Mecca should become core to measure time zones: scholars

Comment #165652 by Adam Morrison on April 22, 2008 at 1:35 am

Teh stoopid keeps on piling in the good 'ol middle east at the moment.

Not to raise a moot point, but I'm pretty sure if the time zone had to be based out of somewhere else, shouldn't it be Beijing?
(Not that it matters, it's arbitrary of course).

Silly poofists.

34. Ben Stein Vs. Sputtering Atheists

Comment #165139 by Adam Morrison on April 21, 2008 at 5:45 am

Re: Steve, Irate, etc.

Don't lose total hope guys. D's right, to a degree, on these groups having only the most tenuous grasp of the power they once held.
Religious groups have a millenia of ill-gained wealth they can fall upon to try and claw back the broken remnants of their political and social power.

While the conflict between religious fundamentalism and secular progress is far from over, every generation in the west slowly inches forward. Consider the increase in the number of openly atheist individuals in the last twenty years. My generation (early-mid 20s) is only starting to come of age, and I can assure you that the number of openly atheist and agnostics will skyrocket in Canadian censuses in about 5 or 10 years. I've found a similar case here in England. I can't say how the current mentality is in the U.S., but I would suspect it's not as different as the media would have you believe.

Remember, we're the generation that grew up with Beakman's world and Bill Nye the science guy. If that doesn't give you at least a little bit of hope, what can :D

35. Open Letter to a victim of Ben Stein's lying propaganda

Comment #165068 by Adam Morrison on April 21, 2008 at 2:46 am

Great letter Richard.

If this isn't a prank letter (which I'm not convinced it wasn't), hopefully it'll show this person the revolting lies that movie has been trying to spread.

36. Lizards Undergo Rapid Evolution After Introduction To A New Home

Comment #164551 by Adam Morrison on April 20, 2008 at 12:05 pm

Fantastic! This is the kind of news I like to see on the site. I would like to know more about the cerval valves though. Were they completely new physical characteristics or was it a significant modification of existing sphincters or structures in the GI tract? Seems like the former in the article, but I'd like to know more.

Man, I love science.

37. Flea of the week

Comment #163599 by Adam Morrison on April 18, 2008 at 3:33 pm

Paula,

Don't worry, we all think you're a trooper for reading even one of these books in whole. For the quartet, you've become the Juggernaut of flea endurance. I know I can usually only stomach a chapter.

Maybe some people will take up the cause for you for a while. Not me though, I can't handle this stupidity in print (I have all sorts of stupidity to handle for my thesis. Quota's met)

38. Sexpelled: No Intercourse Allowed

Comment #163086 by Adam Morrison on April 18, 2008 at 1:23 am

PS: Forget pastafarianism, I'm trying to bring light to the theory of new born humans. Stork? That's ridiculous, how can a 12lb bird carry a 5-8 pound baby and still maintain air-speed velocity. A Wandering albatross however, now that's a bird that can carry a baby. Teach the controversy! Not the lie of storkism

39. Victims: Pope Benedict Protects Accused Pedophile Bishops

Comment #161990 by Adam Morrison on April 16, 2008 at 1:18 am

NEWS REPORT:

In an unrelated story, sales of young boys' iron underwear have skyrocketed in recent weeks....


Re:Dragonfirematrix

No, no, no, the religious don't hate sex. They seem to love it (after all priests and clerics are always involved in sex scandals). They just want YOU to hate it. Just like they want YOU to give all your worldy goods away (to the church incidently)

40. For sale: 13-year-old virgin

Comment #161050 by Adam Morrison on April 14, 2008 at 5:34 pm

*Adam briefly skims threads*
*Adam reads snippets of post-modernism, relativism and poofist apologist nonsense*
*Throws up in his mouth a little bit*

For future reference:
Everytime you try to use post-modernism in an ethics debate a new strain of drug resistant virus evolves.

41. For sale: 13-year-old virgin

Comment #160856 by Adam Morrison on April 14, 2008 at 1:33 pm

Al,

I was gonna post about that story, but looks like you beat me to it. It's disgusting that the father isn't on charges and the 'husband' will probably not receive an appropriate sentence.

42. British schools are falling for the pseudoscience of Brain Gym. Why fill kids' heads with nonsense?

Comment #160464 by Adam Morrison on April 14, 2008 at 6:08 am

sensorimotor program

43. A New Flea

Comment #160344 by Adam Morrison on April 14, 2008 at 1:16 am

Fluff.

These books are only selling due to being antagonist responses against the likes of Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, Dennet, etc.

If they had anything new or reasonable to contribute to the debate it'd be just like Steve says, with the reason and scientific community drastically altered.
For now its just more Sophistry.

(PS: Steve were did you get that shirt? It's fantastic)

44. Richard Dawkins' secular army must be stopped. God is behind some of our greatest art

Comment #160337 by Adam Morrison on April 14, 2008 at 1:05 am

Cue Irate!

Has this person ever read a single atheist argument? Urgh! This brings to mind a cringing sycophant that plays up to the church 'I know YOU guys are different than those bad Christians...'

Tripe. Art and Literature could and have formed without direct religious stimuli for centuries. Yes most artists and writers have been religious, but only because most people have been religious.

Someone needs to brush up on Socrates, Lucretius, Democritus, Verdi, Spinoza, etc.

(Oh and no one here approves of Hero worship except in the case of 1980s Hulk Hogan if you were under 10 at the time :)

45. Lungless frog discovered in Borneo

Comment #159878 by Adam Morrison on April 13, 2008 at 10:03 am

Re: Steve

Naturally human ancestors at one time probably lived in arboreal (or semi-arboreal) areas. Just look at the post-cranial of most early australopithecenes.

I was mostly aiming to kaibosh the 'backwards evolution' bit by giving an example of a trait normally considered advanced (ie bipedalism) being ousted by the selection of a trait usually considered primitive (both in the biological and conceptual sense)

46. Lungless frog discovered in Borneo

Comment #158705 by Adam Morrison on April 11, 2008 at 1:16 am

Forgot to ask in my last post:

Anybody know if this frog has any olfactory sense? I suppose there could be chemo-receptors in the skin, but that seems like a lot of biological investment with an awful lot of sensory input resulting. Or do frogs generally not have a sense of smell to begin with?

47. Did pre-big bang universe leave its mark on the sky?

Comment #158703 by Adam Morrison on April 11, 2008 at 1:11 am

Re: MaxD

Quantum LOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPP!!! :D

Let's not get all crazy and bring Ziggy into the matter


While I can imagine that there was a physical finite universe before the bang and that the density of the singularity does have its limits, I'm not entirely convinced, especially when using a simplified model. I've heard arguments to the opposite saying that expansion of the universe is accelerating, which I don't think would fit into this model (although that model could be way off). Either way, I'm pretty sure a lot more research needs to be done before we can make any claims to the 'pre-bang' universe.

48. Lungless frog discovered in Borneo

Comment #158698 by Adam Morrison on April 11, 2008 at 1:04 am

Ahhh... I thought I was the first one to submit this story. Beaten to the punch I guess :D

It is a bit sloppy to call it backwards evo, but it's probably reflective of the reporter not the scientist (I'm supposing). Unless maybe they meant backwards to a 'primitive' trait (ie one from earlier in the species' ancestry, still a little problematic term though).

Interestingly enough I had a professor once describe Chimpanzee locomotion as possibly a 'backwards' evolution (though she described it much more elegantly). Since we don't seem to have evidence for quadrapedal chimps in the fossil record of any significant age, what if the split between humans and chimps occured after the development of bipedalism and chimps reverted to a quadrapedal locomotion better suited to an arboreal habitat.

It isn't likely, even she admits it, but wouldn't it be a fantastic discovery? I think it'd be hilarious and very humbling to Homo sapiens ;D

49. Dawkins warns of human extinction

Comment #155233 by Adam Morrison on April 4, 2008 at 8:54 am

Paula,

That's probably the best response to Pascal's wager I've ever heard.

Marvelous, simply marvelous.

50. Anti-gay Okla. lawmaker attracts 1,000 backers

Comment #154683 by Adam Morrison on April 3, 2008 at 3:07 pm

Obviously gay terrorists are a threat. I mean they're dressed so much better and their color coordination is fantastic. What's more dangerous than a guy with explosives and a smashing outfit?

Uhhh.... wait.... no... that's not right.

Hmmm.... what's more likely to cause harm? Oh yeah, dogmatic simpletons that spout nonsense facts to increase hate in society.