451. The Science behind the Large Hadron Collider

Comment #116777 by Radesq on January 27, 2008 at 11:26 am

Gentlemen, while you're at it could you explain an even simpler concept which is also beyond my grasp? People often state the the universe might be finite and they compare it to traveling around the Earth in one direction and returning to the spot you started. Of course we know that in that example we are constrained by the surface of the Earth rather than just going up out of the atmosphere or down through the Earth and out the other side. My question is what direction would we have to go to get outside of our universe if it is finite?
~~
I'm asking seriously, in case that sounded flippant.

452. Launch of 'Atheists in Foxholes' Book Anthology

Comment #116771 by Radesq on January 27, 2008 at 11:13 am

The big question is who polices things? And if no-one does, does this mean we stand by and let a disaster like Rwanda happen again?

453. Ore. Court: Boy Has Say in Circumcision

Comment #116768 by Radesq on January 27, 2008 at 11:05 am

agn - I'm rubber you're glue. :)

454. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #116767 by Radesq on January 27, 2008 at 11:04 am

Teratornis:

I really enjoy reading your posts they are always well written in my experience at least. However, I am beginning to wonder if you aren't really an Ent rather than a human - because as we learn from Tolkien:

"...it takes a long time to say anything in Old Entish. And we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say."

455. Ore. Court: Boy Has Say in Circumcision

Comment #116756 by Radesq on January 27, 2008 at 10:46 am

That's right Mango and you should be ashamed if you have your baby vaccinated as well. Those needles hurt! Children can/do not consent to be inoculated - it is clearly child abuse.

456. Ore. Court: Boy Has Say in Circumcision

Comment #116633 by Radesq on January 26, 2008 at 9:39 pm

I don't think I would want this done to me if I was twelve. But in terms of having it done to babies, I think it falls short of barbaric, horrific or child abuse. Mango has presented some evidence of non-religious justifications for the practice, whatever the religious origins. I think the rhetoric here is a bit overheated.

457. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #116606 by Radesq on January 26, 2008 at 7:51 pm

I believe he coined the phrase "it's Miller time"

458. Letters: Theology has no place in a university

Comment #116600 by Radesq on January 26, 2008 at 7:39 pm

Totally awesome avatar dude!
But I think the four corners of the Earth or the Ends of the Earth quotes are too vague to be convincing. The star in the hand one is better. I think the whole book of Genesis in general and story of Noah and the flood in particular are the best evidence for the Bible's lack of divinity. Ten thousand plus mammals, ten thousand reptiles, twenty thousand birds, two million insects, etc... on one boat? All the vegetation on Earth under water as high as mountains for ten months and it grows right back? There are olive sprigs available as soon as the water recedes. How can anybody claim to believe that unless they're just trying to be difficult.

459. Ore. Court: Boy Has Say in Circumcision

Comment #116471 by Radesq on January 26, 2008 at 3:08 pm

Doesn't make circumcision equivalent to marital rape either. Pick your battles that's all.

460. Ore. Court: Boy Has Say in Circumcision

Comment #116458 by Radesq on January 26, 2008 at 2:32 pm

Have we run out of things to be opposed to? I am having a hard time getting all worked up over this. I don't consider this a horrible mutilation. I don't think I'd be signing up for it at twelve; But it is not equivalent to FGM anymore than a male's contribution to creating a child is equivalent to a female's.

461. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #116448 by Radesq on January 26, 2008 at 1:58 pm

Comment #116436 by Paula Kirby
"I've opened a very nice bottle of red wine, and I'm feeling inclined to leave the measured responses to someone else, just for tonight! :-)"

By all means please continue!

462. Ore. Court: Boy Has Say in Circumcision

Comment #116329 by Radesq on January 26, 2008 at 8:54 am

5. Comment #116322 by MatthewL

No its just you MatthewL :)

5. Comment #116322 by MatthewL

No its just you MatthewL :)

463. Banks are helping sharia make a back-door entrance

Comment #116312 by Radesq on January 26, 2008 at 8:33 am

Why Canadian banks would contribute to this masquerade is a question for ordinary Canadians to ask.

464. A Letter From Hell

Comment #116226 by Radesq on January 25, 2008 at 10:07 pm

Thanks for that Andr3w...good grief! Clearly the next book from Professor Dawkins will have to be The God Derangement. Deluded is to kind a descriptor for the minds that put out this kind of garbage. Whenever I see or read things like this I'm reminded of Bernard Hill's line: "What can men do against such reckless hate?" In the movie The Two Towers.

465. A Letter From Hell

Comment #116188 by Radesq on January 25, 2008 at 7:02 pm

Sorry for the tone Styrer. It is not so much meant to be venomous. What I mean by it is that I took the Prof. to be saying just because the people on this blog think the video is obviously more a condemnation of Christianity than a call to it -- don't assume everyone else will see it that way. A huge number of the parents you are counting on to impart wisdom to these kids aren't worth a shit. (sorry more venom)By saying who's going to set them straight you? I was saying many kids aren't going to have you there to explain this to them; rather they are going to have a bunch of crackpots around them all too ready to reinforce the idiotic message of the video.

466. A Letter From Hell

Comment #116180 by Radesq on January 25, 2008 at 6:24 pm

Styrer who's going to set all the kids who see that video straight, you? Many who see it will have just the reaction you might expect. But what about the kids who are surrounded by people like the ones who wrote the comments that Dr. Dawkins is writing about? Whenever I read comments on a blog like that one I am astonished. You can not overestimate the gullibility of the American public.

467. A Letter From Hell

Comment #116163 by Radesq on January 25, 2008 at 4:48 pm

Comment #115963 by Steve Zara

Actually, this raises an interesting possibility. If a letter could get back from Hell, that suggests that physical transport is generally feasible. The energy resources of Hell must be considerable if they can maintain eternal flames. Considering the support of the current American regime for invading energy-rich domains and toppling evil dictators...

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

Comment #115765 by Radesq on January 24, 2008 at 4:38 pm

RIP Mr. Ledger. These Westboro fools are irrelevant and inconsequential. However, if you want to see a slightly toned down version of spite ridden Christianity check out the following link.
http://www.bloggernews.net/113232
It gives blog comments relating to ESPN Anchor Dana Jacobson who was suspended for a week for saying F**K touchdown Jesus and F**K Notre Dame at a private roast given for two ESPN colleagues.

469. The real danger in Darwin is not evolution, but racism

Comment #115179 by Radesq on January 23, 2008 at 5:56 pm

...Darwin's scientifically based proposals was the elimination of "the negro and Australian peoples...

470. Top 10 Reasons to Believe Logic Over Religion

Comment #114745 by Radesq on January 22, 2008 at 4:54 pm

Comment #114731 by BAEOZ

If God knows what you're going to do, then you doing it doesn't change it. It would seem set in stone by God's knowing.

471. Top 10 Reasons to Believe Logic Over Religion

Comment #114725 by Radesq on January 22, 2008 at 4:06 pm

The second leading cause is cars.

472. Top 10 Reasons to Believe Logic Over Religion

Comment #114712 by Radesq on January 22, 2008 at 3:50 pm

Comment #114701 by Diacanu

Wait'll they get a load of me.
*Joker grin*

473. Florida in the process of approving new science standards

Comment #114272 by Radesq on January 21, 2008 at 5:25 pm

KSC? Is that Kennedy Space Center or has the healthy foods craze given us Kentucky Sautee'd Chicken?

474. Mitt Romney Defends Himself Against Allegations Of Tolerance

Comment #114265 by Radesq on January 21, 2008 at 4:56 pm

Just goes to show you how easy it is for Faux News Channel to do what it does and get away with it.

475. Stop revisionist Christian nation House Resolution 888

Comment #114163 by Radesq on January 21, 2008 at 1:22 pm

I would love to agree with your post in 43 mikecbraun -- I tend to "feel" the same way. But the evidence says otherwise. A majority of people in the USA are believers to one extent or another and they lead relatively normal and successful lives. Many go to college, run businesses, serve in the military and in the government, etc. These are not (at least not all) stupid people. They have this area of belief where they shut off the critical thinking parts of their brains to avoid the CD that necessarily flows from holding faerie stories to be true. That's why (I think) the book is called the God delusion not the God stupidity. Certainly there are others here who can correct me if I've gotten that wrong.

476. This Week's Flea

Comment #114155 by Radesq on January 21, 2008 at 1:08 pm

Comment #114149 by ADH

...it is much more diicult to act mercifully - to forgive that for which there is no excuse. But that is what Christian believers are called to do.

477. Ask Mitt what he thinks

Comment #114148 by Radesq on January 21, 2008 at 12:56 pm

He must have been a good swimmer to have lived through Noah's flood. I don't recall him being on the passengers manifest.

478. This Week's Flea

Comment #114138 by Radesq on January 21, 2008 at 12:35 pm

Thank goodness someone else knows about ETTs. I thought I was the only one! ADH you should have known better than to try to slide that one by. You're better than that.

479. Florida in the process of approving new science standards

Comment #114133 by Radesq on January 21, 2008 at 12:29 pm

Interesting, though I'm pleasantly surprised there aren't more counties colored in. Let's see how Huckabee fares in the upcoming Florida primary.

480. The devilish church practice of exorcism

Comment #114123 by Radesq on January 21, 2008 at 12:00 pm

Who was Clarice's priest again, Hannibal Lecter?

481. Mandrake: Charles's letter in support of Islamic 'fundamentalism'

Comment #114120 by Radesq on January 21, 2008 at 11:56 am

Charles' letter is from 1996 right. Do we have evidence that he still holds these views regarding "proper fundamentalism" or a favorable view of Islam? I truly don't know the answer, but certainly a lot has changed since that time.

As far as the Monarchy supporting religion in general it seems like a fairly wise move if you consider yourself possessing divine hereditary rights. The comparison of W to Elizabeth II is an improper one; W to Tony Blair would be a more direct comparison. I don't know if anybody outside the UK really cares whether you keep the Windsors in their ceremonial position or not. Finally, yes we Yanks get the Camilla hygiene product reference - just because we can't find the Pacific Ocean on a map doesn't mean we're entirely self involved and not aware of what is going on beyond our borders. :)

482. Sherri Shepherd needs to go away now

Comment #113855 by Radesq on January 20, 2008 at 7:10 pm

Her latest gaffe was to refer recently to some singer (I forget who) as the black version of Patti La belle. It's almost worth tuning in to the View just to see what foolish thing she will say next. Maybe that's the idea.

483. Stop revisionist Christian nation House Resolution 888

Comment #113851 by Radesq on January 20, 2008 at 6:53 pm

Hi and thanks for sending the letter.

484. Stop revisionist Christian nation House Resolution 888

Comment #113838 by Radesq on January 20, 2008 at 6:14 pm

Here are the current cosponsors of the resolution feel free to contact them if you are a constituent.
Rep Aderholt, Robert B. [AL-4] - 12/19/2007
Rep Akin, W. Todd [MO-2] - 12/18/2007
Rep Barrett, J. Gresham [SC-3] - 12/18/2007
Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] - 12/19/2007
Rep Culberson, John Abney [TX-7] - 12/18/2007
Rep Davis, David [TN-1] - 12/19/2007
Rep Doolittle, John T. [CA-4] - 12/18/2007
Rep Drake, Thelma D. [VA-2] - 12/19/2007
Rep Feeney, Tom [FL-24] - 12/18/2007
Rep Gingrey, Phil [GA-11] - 12/18/2007
Rep Gohmert, Louie [TX-1] - 12/18/2007
Rep Hayes, Robin [NC-8] - 12/18/2007
Rep Hensarling, Jeb [TX-5] - 12/18/2007
Rep Herger, Wally [CA-2] - 12/18/2007
Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] - 12/18/2007
Rep Kline, John [MN-2] - 12/19/2007
Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] - 12/19/2007
Rep McHenry, Patrick T. [NC-10] - 12/18/2007
Rep McIntyre, Mike [NC-7] - 12/18/2007
Rep Musgrave, Marilyn N. [CO-4] - 12/18/2007
Rep Pearce, Stevan [NM-2] - 12/18/2007
Rep Pence, Mike [IN-6] - 12/18/2007
Rep Pitts, Joseph R. [PA-16] - 12/18/2007
Rep Ryan, Paul [WI-1] - 12/18/2007
Rep Schmidt, Jean [OH-2] - 12/18/2007
Rep Tiberi, Patrick J. [OH-12] - 12/19/2007
Rep Walberg, Timothy [MI-7] - 12/18/2007
Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] - 12/18/2007
Rep Wolf, Frank R. [VA-10] - 12/18/2007
Rep Young, C.W. Bill [FL-10] - 12/18/2007
Rep Young, Don [AK] - 12/19/2007

485. Honour Killings

Comment #113836 by Radesq on January 20, 2008 at 5:52 pm

Graham is of course right that it is left to the rational of this world to try to bring these fools into some semblance of a realistic view of the world and to convince them to drop their superstitious and (I would argue) inherently violent and imperial ways. But it does grow tiring to always have adult voice of reason be shouted over by a cacophony of kooks. Especially after reading the umpteenth story of religious fanaticism or backwardness on this board -- sometimes I just want to ululate and act like a childish ass shooting my guns in the air.

486. Pacific Islanders' Ancestry Emerges in Genetic Study

Comment #113632 by Radesq on January 20, 2008 at 8:21 am

Is there a similar genetic study about the origins of native Americans (North, Central, South)?

487. The Moral Instinct

Comment #113631 by Radesq on January 20, 2008 at 8:16 am

re: Comment #112995 by ghull

And remember Dr. Steve -- if that's true then the Earth must be receiving enormous amounts of energy from somewhere outside the Earth itself. If there is such a source I'm sure scientists would have found it by now.;)

488. Ethical storm as scientist becomes first man to clone HIMSELF

Comment #113606 by Radesq on January 20, 2008 at 6:56 am

There may not be a soul PBUM if the spirit Mormons withhold their spirit child from entering (or substitute God here if you prefer). So if a clone lives to adulthood it would be no more than a soulless zombie human or subhuman and there is the ethical dilemma for a religionist. I would suppose...

489. Ethical storm as scientist becomes first man to clone HIMSELF

Comment #113603 by Radesq on January 20, 2008 at 6:51 am

Sounds like this cloning thing still requires a human egg which are a bit hard to obtain. Why should an egg cell be necessary for this procedure?

490. Violence fear over Islam film

Comment #113595 by Radesq on January 20, 2008 at 6:34 am

I started to cut and paste all the sections of this article that I have a problem with and it was essentially repeating the article. All sides are wrong about something in this confrontation. However, the bottom line is that Islam cannot be allowed to remain above criticism simply out of fear of reprisals.

491. Britain cannot put its faith in religiously divided schools

Comment #113588 by Radesq on January 20, 2008 at 6:05 am

Your childrens' minister is named Ed Balls? No wonder you have so many religious schools in Britain.;)
Do you have a minister of roads and bridges named Otto Shite?

492. Why people believe weird things about money

Comment #113458 by Radesq on January 19, 2008 at 3:43 pm

For the last time...because we have beat this to death. Your rugged individualism is only workable Scooter because of the enablers around you who either put up with or successfully ignore your arrogance and intransigence. The more converts you get to your way of thinking the less viable it becomes until it becomes you and Donald Trump in a room and then he tells you "ya fiyahd". I can't give you personal anecdotes because I don't know you. But I did give the analogy. Your thinking is a smoke belching factory that lets the surrounding citizenry absorb part of the cost of your doing business your way. In this forum you meet resistance much like the lawsuits form landowners you proposed in a similar thread earlier. You have to deal with the deficiencies of your stance here because we are not your enablers -- that's all.

493. Why people believe weird things about money

Comment #113440 by Radesq on January 19, 2008 at 3:11 pm

Good for you Scooter you got me to laugh! Yes your statements are arrogant and offensive and if you don't believe that it is only through the self sacrifice of others that you still draw breath (if you act in public as you speak here) then you are also deluded. That's OK I don't mind listening to other points of view -- just like I don't mind criticizing them when they are simply unworkable in the real world. Your distinction between hand up and hand out is pointless when discussing the motivation (whether empathy or reason). The batboy gives your rugged individualism four out of five bats which translates to "bell tower batty" :)

494. Why people believe weird things about money

Comment #113417 by Radesq on January 19, 2008 at 2:32 pm

OK Scooter: You've had your say. Here's mine. Nobody gets to be successful without the help of others around them. You may consider yourself tough but fair in your desire to hold yourself and others accountable for their failings (is one held accountable for their successes?). I strongly suspect that you are the beneficiary of empathy on a regular basis, because(and don't take this the wrong way)it is the only thing that could account for people not beating the shit out of you on a regular basis for your blind arrogance. Therefore, your philosophy is made possible by those who enable you and your silliness by not pointing out that you are wearing the emperor's intellectual clothes. It is typical of those who are successful to overstate their responsibility for it as surely as the unsuccessful beggar understates his own. You are in a sense a polluting corporation that relies on others to absorb the cost of your philosophical rigidity. :)

495. New Findings Confirm Darwin's Theory: Evolution Not Random

Comment #113405 by Radesq on January 19, 2008 at 2:02 pm

This article is confusing me. It sounds like they are saying evolution happens because individual species pass on genetic mutations that are successful. Like the giraffe's genes are saying "let's mutate so that the next generation will have longer necks and be able to reach the foliage and fruit higher on the tree". Like they know what traits they want to pass on and make a decision - thereby not being random.
The mutation had better still be random and only the selection process (as a process of elimination) be deterministic. If that is what they mean then this is really unremarkable. If they mean the former then somebody has some splainin' to do!

edit~
curse my slow typing fingers...everybody's already covered this point.

496. The New Theology

Comment #113355 by Radesq on January 19, 2008 at 11:09 am

brother john -- no thanks, why not just fix up the "shithole" as you put it -- save your ethereal afterlife and let us have heaven on Earth. Why all the totally unnecessary ambiguity and obfuscation?

Life is pain, anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something.
~ Dread Pirate Roberts

497. Why people believe weird things about money

Comment #113347 by Radesq on January 19, 2008 at 10:46 am

All mistakes made by me are ones for which I'm accountable; people I've not been kind to, people I've assisted; people I regret; but I'm an adult and I understand these choices and live in adult fashion with the result - that's the difference

Mistake after mistake after mistake - but my mistakes have been at my cost only, to those that I have had debt, I've paid my debt - so no one "gave it to me"

498. Why people believe weird things about money

Comment #113340 by Radesq on January 19, 2008 at 10:15 am

Scooter no problem I forgive you.

But I do disagree with the answer I expected you would give. No doubt you expected I would or I wouldn't have asked it. In my experience, better information, timing, luck, help, and a good head start can overcome a great deal of poor decision making. The opposite can also be true.

499. Why people believe weird things about money

Comment #113333 by Radesq on January 19, 2008 at 10:05 am

Paula, that approach only works if you want to try to solve problems or ameliorate their bad effects. It is of no help if you want to label things as right or wrong and then apportion criticism and blame.

500. Why people believe weird things about money

Comment #113327 by Radesq on January 19, 2008 at 9:43 am

It's batboy actually...but you're not answering my question. Of course reason is better than belief in determining questions worth pondering and where one has time to do so. It just may not represent the best way to make the many decisions we have to make on any given day. Using 20/20 hindsight to justify your decisions as logical is easy - it's what we do every day so there is no need to go through that exercise with you. However, you can make reasoned decisions based on incorrect information and they will still be bad decisions. But we (and I'm including you)don't make most of our decisions more than half well thought out or we'd still be deciding what to have for breakfast. I'll ask again though is success in life merely a product of one's good or poor decisions?

edit -- Scooter I think you confused me with PBUM above.