1. My Saudi Valentine

Comment #126582 by Pallinn on February 13, 2008 at 3:39 pm

Creatures find a way to mate, be it in Saudi Arabia or Jurassic Park

2. Secrets of bird flight revealed

Comment #115785 by Pallinn on January 24, 2008 at 7:21 pm

I'm going to start flapping my arms immediately!!

3. Heath Ledger Death: Baptist Group To Protest At Memorial

Comment #115769 by Pallinn on January 24, 2008 at 5:25 pm

First of all, how exciting to see a real life troll! I was beginning to think they were an endangered species here on RD.net.

But regarding a few of the comments on Ledger; anyone who think's that Heath Ledger was a nobody simply isn't a movie buff.

The guy was being called the next Marlon Brando for his role in "Brokeback Mountain", and I've rarely seen as much anticipation on movie websites as for his upcoming role as the Joker, which reportedly puts Jack Nicholson to shame.

Personally, he was not really my favourite young actor but hey, he had a lot of charm and skill and who knows how far he'd gone. It was really pretty sad to hear the news and I know that both the BAFTA's and the Oscar's will be colored by this event.

Assuming the Oscar's will be held this year, of course.

4. 2007 Audiobook Download of the Year: The God Delusion

Comment #99232 by Pallinn on December 16, 2007 at 2:18 am

Heh, I loved "The Ancestor's Tale" but listening to it on an audiobook?? That must take weeks!

5. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #92300 by Pallinn on November 30, 2007 at 8:52 am

Apart from being the genuinely smart guy that he certainly is, I think Richard has something to be thankful for in his voice. He has a bit of that Sean Connery thing going on, that "I'd listen to that guy read the damn phonebook". Not that the accent is similar mind you, just the pleasant way he speaks.

It does take him a few minutes of every interview to really open up though, he always looks a bit less than happy in the beginning. But with that said, I'd give my left pinky for his public speaking ability!

6. URGENT APPEAL: Please Help Protect Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Comment #89119 by Pallinn on November 19, 2007 at 6:29 pm

D'Souza is certainly a strange man. I've seen him in two debates and he's obviously quite a competent debater, the points he makes aren't particularly strong to someone who has read about these matters but his delivery is often very good.

But the thing is... when reading articles by him, he sounds nothing short of evil. Really and truly hateful and bigoted and not at all like he sounds when debating. If Hitch had actually bothered to read any of his writings he could have shown the audience what a, well, fuckwit D'Souza really is, and it bothers me that he didn't.

7. AAI 07

Comment #82702 by Pallinn on October 27, 2007 at 9:14 am

Scooternyc, it seems to me you are under the impression that everybody can pay their own damned way...

As a 22-year-old reasonably clever law student I think I'll do just fine on my own, but who knows? I could bust my back up tomorrow and suddenly be unable to work at a desk job because of constant pain (I've had a taste of how that feels already). That would bloody well fuck up my whole future.

Welfare should be about helping the less fortunate. And noone else. As long as the government can stick to that, then I'll happily pay my taxes. Often it goes beyond that but that doesn't justify dropping the whole thing.

8. Cheney and Obama: It's Not Genetic

Comment #80730 by Pallinn on October 22, 2007 at 8:39 pm

Well, I had thought that by saying it was "statistically conceivable" I was making it clear that it was just an academic point =)

With that said, even if you weren't a genetic descendant of your grandfather, his existence would of course still be a prerequisite for your existence. So you'd presumably still want to send him a card for christmas.

9. Cheney and Obama: It's Not Genetic

Comment #80626 by Pallinn on October 22, 2007 at 11:09 am

"You inherit directly only half of your father's genes, a quarter of each grandfather's, an eighth of any great-grandfather's."

If I remember my Ancestor's Tale correctly, that sentence is complete and utter nonsense. You inherit exactly half of your father's genes, certainly, but the odds against getting exactly a quarter of each grandfather's genes are astronomical. If that was actually the rule (regarding each of your grandparents), all your kids would have the exact same genome wouldn't they?

You will most likely have approximately a quarter, but it is also statistically conceiveable that you aren't related to your paternal-grandfather at all (genetically speaking)!

10. Norway flourishes as secular nation

Comment #76216 by Pallinn on October 5, 2007 at 5:38 am

I don't think it's all that fair to throw the oil thing in Norway's face, it's not like they're propping up a weak economy with it. If I remember correctly they're pretty much just hoarding the money like the greedy little vikings we Scandinavians are!

Furthermore, we follow a Scandinavian model of sorts (whatever you may have heard, the Nordic countries actually have separate governments and tax policies...) here in Iceland, without a drop of oil money, and we seem to be doing alright.

11. 'Jane Doe' Testifies as Trial of Polygamist Leader Begins

Comment #70423 by Pallinn on September 15, 2007 at 12:06 pm

Eh... Far from me to want to creep anyone out, but do people really commonly consider sex between cousins to be full-on incest?

Being the freakish result of such an unholy alliance, I can't say I fully agree with this. And I'm pretty sure I have the law on my side here, at least in most of Europe and the majority of the USA.

With that said, I don't find the thought of ploughing any of my cousins particularly appealing but the increase in chance of birth defects due to said ploughing is quite small.

It's probably not something you want to turn into a family tradition (the blood-clotting problems of certain royal families come to mind) but as a one off thing there really isn't much to object about it. Other than the ick factor that is.

12. PZ Myers sued for a negative review in a blog post

Comment #64737 by Pallinn on August 21, 2007 at 2:21 pm

Hell, I'm only starting my third year in law school... but if Pivar actually wins this thing I'm specializing in defamation cases, moving to the States and making a damn fortune!

It's not that I'm not grateful to the crackpot for providing work for us poor, struggling lawyers, but suing for a bad review?!? Has the man read a single restaurant review in his whole life? I've been damn near brought to tears on behalf of those restaurant owners, Myers' review doesn't really compare.

13. Proboscidean Mitogenomics: Chronology and Mode of Elephant Evolution Using Mastodon as Outgroup

Comment #58903 by Pallinn on July 26, 2007 at 3:34 pm

While that is quite funny, the idea that some Americans think rape is somehow an acceptable part of the prison system (or at least that there are crimes for which it could be seen as just punishment) is one of those things that almost make me despise all Americans.

Until I realize that is totally unfair and I'm behaving like a raving fundie, that is.

14. Germany imposes ban on Tom Cruise

Comment #52219 by Pallinn on June 26, 2007 at 1:52 pm

Now I'm not at all sure this is fair... but I just love it so much I'm going to go with it anyway. I may be a hypocrite, but I'm a happy hypocrite!

Messing with Tom Cruise and scientology is always a cause for celebration. WooJay!

15. We stand awed at the heights our people have achieved

Comment #49770 by Pallinn on June 13, 2007 at 11:09 am

Myers is so damn good it actually annoys me... I'm not sure whether I should feel uplifted by his writing or depressed that I don't have a quarter of his skill of expressing myself.

I think I'm going with the former, that article is definitely the best thing I've read this month!

16. Why Do Some People Resist Science?

Comment #46442 by Pallinn on May 31, 2007 at 8:32 am

Woohoo! Iceland uber alles! The downside is that it can be frightfully boring to be an atheist here... If I want to debate religion with someone I usually have to initiate the conversation, so there's always some concern about sounding like a troll.

But then again, I just read an advertisement for a camp for kids where they'll be "taught" how to read the bible. And this was in a local pamphlet, tiny even on Iceland's tiny scale. And then there's the nation's absurd belief in various kinds of alternative medicine.

Thank god!

17. Tales of Hay-on-Wye

Comment #45813 by Pallinn on May 29, 2007 at 10:38 am

Erm... easy on the anger guys. Am I the only one who thinks the guy was trying (and in my view, at least partly succeeding) to be witty?

Maybe I'm way off base here and Walsh is a dyed-in-the-wool faith head, but he sure doesn't sound like one to me.

18. Fortune-telling no longer in the cards in Philly

Comment #38982 by Pallinn on May 9, 2007 at 5:07 pm

I'm not sure I could love this little piece of news any more.

James Randi forever!

19. Cardinal: homosexuality a form of prostitution

Comment #38976 by Pallinn on May 9, 2007 at 5:00 pm

I'm a bored law student myself, but news like this inspires me to continue my studies and try to get elected to parliament if possible, just to repel this kind of repulsive thinking if it ever encroaches on my beautiful little island!

20. Vote for the Time 100 - Are They Worthy?

Comment #34605 by Pallinn on April 24, 2007 at 4:19 pm

I have to admit I much prefer Colbert winning than the Korean singer "Rain" who had a commanding lead yesterday =) But if Dawkins is to have a chance, this link needs to be spread to more atheist site methinks...

21. Where Is Atheism When Bad Things Happen?

Comment #33504 by Pallinn on April 20, 2007 at 12:41 pm

Oh my Zeus! Those retorts at newsbloggers are pure gold, even considering the sad circumstances I'm still laughing my ass off. If an article I wrote would get as thoroughly, well... violated I guess is the right word... I'm not sure how I'd get up in the morning.

But then again, with an article as genuinely despicable as that one, maybe brilliant retorts come a bit easier.

22. The Coulter Hoax: How Ann Coulter Exposed the Intelligent Design Movement

Comment #31219 by Pallinn on April 11, 2007 at 3:00 pm

Weeell... If you take the time to do a bit of research on Ann Coulter as I did (and no, I have no idea why the hell I did), the common opinion of people around her seems to be that she's mostly f***ing with us.

Now there is little doubt that she believes the core of what she's saying but all the flourishes, all the REALLY insane and shocking thing's are almost certainly an attempt to be funny (and to sell books).

I have to admit that even as a liberal lefty (with severe capitalist tendencies) she does make me chuckle every now and then. I still think she's certifiable but I'm not so sure she deserves my hatred anymore.