1. Comic in US 'hate speech' row

Comment #46592 by davyB on May 31, 2007 at 6:30 pm

Ah, Youtube! I am a Youtube presence (under another nom du net).

The doofus from the Peoples' Republic of Berkeley said, 'People should not be allowed to spew racist propaganda without others being able to respond.'

If he had bothered to go to the source, he would have discovered that Condell does allow others to respond. He could have left a response himself. Condell gets a lot of negative comments, and he leaves them be.

You can post responses too. Here's the original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhN6CG1zCRc

Here's a follow-up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1ZLXbKeL2U

2. What I Think About Evolution

Comment #46585 by davyB on May 31, 2007 at 6:09 pm

Nrvous, maybe God went the primordial sludge route because he simply couldn't do it by fiat. As a computer programmer, I can assure you that there are problems that can be handled pretty well with genetic algorithms that are intractable when approached head-on. Or maybe the universe is an experiment, and he had no idea how it was going to come out. A sort of cosmic screen saver.

I kind of favor the latter, because if God designed everything knowing how it would come out, how do you explain Sam Brownback?

3. Groundbreaking Research Has Scientists Talking With Apes

Comment #46579 by davyB on May 31, 2007 at 5:42 pm

Let me tell you about an afternoon I spent with a young friend of mine.

He was talking only a little. He had learned to say, "The moon," and point to the moon outside. Or if you said, "The moon," he would point. "Gerbil" was also in his vocabulary.

I was sitting in a hallway with him, reading him a picture book. On one page there was a moonlight landscape. I pointed to the picture of the moon and said, "The moon." At first he looked very puzzled. Then suddenly, a look of wonder came over his face. "The moon? The mooooon?" he said. "Yes, the moon." He became very animated. "THE MOON!"

He ran to the bathroom and returned with a hair brush. He held it out. I said, "Brush." He said, "Brush." I nodded agreement. He took the brush back, returning it to where he got it, and came back with another object. We played the name-that-object game for a long time. Amazingly, he laughed at the sound of "goggles."

What I had seen was the exact moment when he figured out that words (nouns) have meaning. Before he had just been exhibiting behavior that brought him praise from grown-ups.

How does one design an experiment to determine whether a bonobo is just pointing to "the moon" without knowing that words have meaning?

4. The Dawkins delusion

Comment #45937 by davyB on May 29, 2007 at 5:03 pm

He misses the mark too. The reason that people "believe" cannot be that it makes them feel better. Too many believers feel miserable to give that any credence. Here's the real reason: social norms.

Monotheism may have been invented by tyrants to control the populace, and it is frequently exploited by politicians today. But it perpetuates itself by social momentum. When non-believers are treated as sinful outcasts, it is hardly surprizing that people profess to be religious. And to keep a sense of integrity, they must "believe that they believe." Thus the cycle goes on through the generations.

5. The Paradoxical Hatred of Christopher Hitchens

Comment #42868 by davyB on May 20, 2007 at 3:23 am

Just because he's wrong about the war doesn't mean he's wrong about everything.

6. Four arrested in Iraq 'honor killing'

Comment #42867 by davyB on May 20, 2007 at 3:18 am

Saudi Arabia banned cell phones with cameras because young people were using them to arrange illegal dates. (!) But they had to rescind the ban when they discovered that there were not enough cell phones without cameras. Oh drat.

7. Four arrested in Iraq 'honor killing'

Comment #42866 by davyB on May 20, 2007 at 3:15 am

The headline is wrong. The people who killed her were not Muslims. They were Azidi. I'd never of that religion. It's a hodgepodge of Christianity, Zoroaster, Islam, Judaism, and something else I forget.

8. Pope Warns of Globalization, Marxism

Comment #41754 by davyB on May 16, 2007 at 8:23 pm

Hitchens needs to give better cues to when as to when he's finished speaking, and he needs not to interrupt. It doesn't present a good image.

9. Pope Warns of Globalization, Marxism

Comment #41671 by davyB on May 16, 2007 at 2:22 pm

He's still got a grudge against the Marxists and the capitalists because they conspired to kill Hitler.

10. French Muslim women opt for hymen surgical cons

Comment #40210 by davyB on May 13, 2007 at 9:32 pm

"He would not accept a non-virgin."

The woman knows or assumes that if she were discovered not to be a virgin, the man would reject her. In other words, she chooses to deceive him. The article says she is not a practicing Muslim. She is deceiving and marrying the man because of family and cultural pressure. It is her family that has religion, not her. She doesn't need to "lose her religion." She needs to lose her religious family and fiance. That's probably even harder.

11. Christopher Hitchens - God is Not Great

Comment #39987 by davyB on May 12, 2007 at 2:08 pm

I googled up this recent article by Dallek: http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/05/kissinger200705

12. Christopher Hitchens - God is Not Great

Comment #39982 by davyB on May 12, 2007 at 1:45 pm

Hitchens may be looking at the wrong religious paintings. I am not impressed by Da Vinci. Some of my friends would be appalled to know that Rubens leaves me cold. Caravaggio is my main man for relgious paintings. It may be a coincidence that he was a very bad boy by any standard, religious or secular. He carroused nightly, got into bar brawls, killed at least one man, and ran from the law. But man, could he paint!

13. The Debate: Can We Live by Reason Alone?

Comment #39724 by davyB on May 11, 2007 at 6:14 pm

Why does Dawkins believe Jesus was real man? There's no direct evidence.

14. Christopher Hitchens and Al Sharpton: A Debate God Is Not Great

Comment #38680 by davyB on May 8, 2007 at 11:30 pm

I had never heard "the reverend" speak before. I was astonished by how disconnected his thoughts were hand how inarticulate he was. It is amazing to me that he has a following. I mean his BS is not at all polished. His refusal to defend Christianity was laughable - and in the end people laughed at him.

15. Christopher Hitchens and Al Sharpton: A Debate God Is Not Great

Comment #38648 by davyB on May 8, 2007 at 10:23 pm

Thor, if you use Windows, google for "Windows file associations".

16. The New Atheists loathe religion far too much to plausibly challenge it

Comment #38340 by davyB on May 7, 2007 at 4:49 pm

You can post comments on the original Guardian web page. Rather than preaching to the choir, why not post comments there?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,2074075,00.html

17. A Split Emerges as Conservatives Discuss Darwin

Comment #38051 by davyB on May 6, 2007 at 9:14 pm

I am flabergasted to learn that William F. Buckley is on the side of ignorance. I have not heard him speak in a very long time, but I was under the impression that he was a smart man.

18. For Motherly X Chromosome, Gender Is Only the Beginning

Comment #37541 by davyB on May 4, 2007 at 8:07 pm

Everybody look up the word "nominal." Thanks.

19. For Motherly X Chromosome, Gender Is Only the Beginning

Comment #37540 by davyB on May 4, 2007 at 8:06 pm

This article is way too cutesy-cutesy for my taste.

20. Lou Dobbs Interviews Christopher Hitchens

Comment #37443 by davyB on May 4, 2007 at 1:15 pm

To leave comments and a rating for this interview on YouTube, click through here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ_l3Utr670

21. Your favorite book in the last 25 years?

Comment #37265 by davyB on May 3, 2007 at 11:20 pm

The Agony and the Ecstasy came out in '65.

22. Your favorite book in the last 25 years?

Comment #37264 by davyB on May 3, 2007 at 11:19 pm

One book! Sheesh. I'm not inviting any of you folks to play party games. No respect for the rule of law.

Just to be sure I wasn't misunderstanding, I went to the web page and tried to click on two of the radio buttons. It wouldn't let me.

23. Your favorite book in the last 25 years?

Comment #37247 by davyB on May 3, 2007 at 9:02 pm

It's not my pick, but I think The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown, etc. is probably complete rubbish, but it is a fascinating read. It makes you think about what consciousness is, and how it might have come about.

24. Your favorite book in the last 25 years?

Comment #37246 by davyB on May 3, 2007 at 8:58 pm

Oops. You're right. Catch 22 was not written within the last 25 years. I have read it within the last 25 years, but I read it when it came out too.

Okay, playing by the rules... ONE book, written within the last 25 years. I'll go with Practical Optimization by Philip E. Gill, et al.

25. Your favorite book in the last 25 years?

Comment #37192 by davyB on May 3, 2007 at 4:06 pm

Catch 22

No fair naming more than one book!

26. Religion & Culture Panel

Comment #36373 by davyB on May 1, 2007 at 2:28 am

Wow. Hitchens has a fast brain. Extremely impressive.

Does anyone know what the guy who got tossed out was going on about? Hitchens seemed to know right away what he was up to. I couldn't hear.

27. Scene Caused by Christian Group at NYC Stage Show

Comment #35979 by davyB on April 29, 2007 at 5:03 pm

"Public school" as in run by a local government ("school district") and open to the public -- although the feds find ways to insinuate themselves.

It's all right here: http://www.mikedaisey.com/2007/04/aftermath-and-confrontation.sht

28. Scene Caused by Christian Group at NYC Stage Show

Comment #35973 by davyB on April 29, 2007 at 3:49 pm

There's more to the story. Read the latest on the performer's web site. It may not have been pre-meditated, and the kids were probably not in on it. It was a choir group from a public school. The guy who had them walk out and then poured the water is a religious man with serious "issues." He said, "This is a Christian group," when he walked out. It could be that he was really stupid enough to take the kids to that show without knowing what the show was like. Or he may have been looking for an oportunity to become indignant.

I do not agree that it was okay to walk out en masse when the chaperone decided the language didn't suit him. They disrupted the show for everyone else, and probably caused considerable anxiety. Mind you, I have only heard the part that's on youtube. Still, "sticks and stones." The performer had none. Only words.

29. Kennedy lectures on challenges facing K-12 science education

Comment #35384 by davyB on April 27, 2007 at 3:35 am

What is the news on the law suit against the University of California Regents? It was brought almost two years ago. Did it just come to trial? I can't find anything new on it.

30. Study: Religion is Good for Kids

Comment #34992 by davyB on April 25, 2007 at 9:04 pm

I haven't read all the comments. Maybe someone has already pointed out that asking parents to describe their kids' behavior as good or bad is hardly an objective way to go about it.

31. Jesus 'Love-Bombs' You

Comment #34988 by davyB on April 25, 2007 at 8:51 pm

Www.evtales.com asks the "million dollar question", "If you were to die today, would you go to Heaven or Hell?"

I hope one of them asks me someday - at the mall maybe. I'll say, "That's easy. The answer is no."

32. The God disunion: there is a place for faith in science, insists Winston

Comment #34839 by davyB on April 25, 2007 at 12:22 pm

The Guardian says the writer of the article has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology. Maybe his field is group selection.

33. NEXT MONDAY: Bill O'Reilly interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #33259 by davyB on April 19, 2007 at 6:17 pm

Of course Richard will be brilliant. How brilliant will O'Reilly's editors be when they cut it? Do they edit those things? I can't help but think of the program 60 Minutes. They are notorious for "attack editing."

34. NEXT MONDAY: Bill O'Reilly interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #33252 by davyB on April 19, 2007 at 5:51 pm

When Dawkins interviewed Ted Haggard, Dawkins got to do the editing. It would have looked much different if Haggard had the scissors.

35. NEXT MONDAY: Bill O'Reilly interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #33243 by davyB on April 19, 2007 at 5:03 pm

O'Reilly is reprehensible. Fox News is reprehensible.

The interview will last only a few minutes. Much of that time O'Reilly will be shouting. It's hard to see the upside.

36. Doctors Opposing Circumcision: An Appeal for Misha

Comment #32402 by davyB on April 17, 2007 at 2:22 am

So what happens if the father wins the suit? Is he allowed to assault the child, tie him up, and haul him in for the ritual cutting despite his kicking and screaming? I know if I had been fortunate enough to live until twelve without suffering circumcision, I sure as hell would not have gone without a vicious fight.

37. Doctors Opposing Circumcision: An Appeal for Misha

Comment #32399 by davyB on April 17, 2007 at 2:14 am

The worst thing about infant circumcision is not that it hurts like hell. That's reason enough to outlaw it. But the worst thing is that the child and then adult is mutilated for life. People try to reverse the effects, but there's really no way.

38. Pope says science too narrow to explain creation

Comment #31454 by davyB on April 12, 2007 at 6:29 pm

Here's another one. Someone posting a comment has, I believe, mis-represented Richard Dawkins.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article1645572.ece

39. Pope says science too narrow to explain creation

Comment #31290 by davyB on April 11, 2007 at 11:37 pm

Well what the hell does he know? He's just an ignorant old man. - Jeffrey Lebowski

40. Jesus and Mo: Dummy

Comment #30319 by davyB on April 7, 2007 at 2:27 pm

For those unfortunates who are not educated in great cinema, one should point out that the "swearing Jesus" sound track is from the motion picture epic, The Big Lebowski.

41. Is God a Delusion?

Comment #29804 by davyB on April 4, 2007 at 9:28 pm

"... and I say that as a Ph.D.." Hahahahah.

42. Is God a Delusion?

Comment #29803 by davyB on April 4, 2007 at 9:26 pm

I would wait in line for an hour for a chance to smack the agnostic. He could give lessons on how to sound like an annoying jerk.

43. Creationism debate continues to evolve

Comment #29582 by davyB on April 3, 2007 at 1:33 pm

This must be an old article. Kent Hovind recently moved into a Federal prison camp to do ten years for tax evasion and obstruction.

44. Richard Dawkins Explains 'The God Delusion'

Comment #28567 by davyB on March 29, 2007 at 8:06 pm

I listened to the Francis Collins interview. He is a master of doublethink. I would like to hear him and Dr. Dawkins on the same bill.

Collins may serve as a useful "intermediate form" though. He tells the other evangelicals that Darwin was dead-on right, and there's no doubt about it. Learning that one has been wrong about one thing might cause a person to wonder what else they've been wrong about.

45. Peanut Butter, The Atheist's Nightmare!

Comment #27975 by davyB on March 27, 2007 at 1:22 pm

Is the hot dog proof of God's design? Jury's still out. I once saw a man from eastern europe eat a hot dog as one would eat an ear of corn on the cob. Pick an end, you commie!

46. Peanut Butter, The Atheist's Nightmare!

Comment #27974 by davyB on March 27, 2007 at 1:18 pm

Before you get too excited about collecting the $250,000 from Kent Hovnid, you should be aware that he is currently known as number 06452-017 at the Pensacola Federal Prison Camp. Check back in ten years.

47. The Case for Teaching The Bible

Comment #27793 by davyB on March 26, 2007 at 6:16 pm

A local (San Jose, CA) talk show took this up today. One raging fundamentalist called in and said that separation of church and state applies only to the Federal governent, not to the states. He cited some letter from the 1790's, and said, "The constitution hasn't changed." In fact, it did change -- in 1868. See the 14th amendment. When I was in grade school in the early 60's, we had to learn these things. Before we get all bothered about teaching religion, how about reinstating civics?

48. The Case for Teaching The Bible

Comment #27791 by davyB on March 26, 2007 at 6:08 pm

The fundamentalists would go berzerk. We know the Bible cannot stand up to scrutiny. Can you imagine the firestorm if the kids were taught what's known about the earlier origins of some of the myths? - or if the many contradictions were considered?

The religious liberals would be up in arms too. How about the rule that women are to keep quiet in church and ask their husbands to explain things when they get home? Or the rule that some poor bloke who had the misfortune to lose his naughty bits must not be allowed in church? Then there's the penalty of stoning for this and that.

The textbook wars would rage.

49. New clues to why we see red

Comment #27442 by davyB on March 24, 2007 at 4:17 pm

PsyPro, why didn't I think of that? Do you know for a fact that mice retinas have the opponent process stuff built in? But then (thinks I), why wouldn't they?

What I don't understand is how two receptor types could "provide for the full range of color experiences." That just doesn't make sense to me. I'll google for Edwin Land and retinex.

50. New clues to why we see red

Comment #27408 by davyB on March 24, 2007 at 12:34 pm

KarlJ, I cannot pretend to answer your questions about the experience of color. Experience baffles me. Consciousness awes me. I look out my window and see the world, "in living color." I hear the voice of my own mind. I taste food and hear sounds and music. I presume your experiences are similar to mine. Beyond that, I just have to keep quiet.