51. Pakistan blocks YouTube over blasphemous video

Comment #133357 by AshtonBlack on February 26, 2008 at 6:00 am

Comment #133343 irate_atheist

Oh that's a hard one (so to speak). Well it could be a number of apologists. I have taken the liberty of re-interpreting that particular diatribe:

"Waaa.... You say god is not a "fact", well neither is ET so there :P. Holy books are cool. Holy books are way cooler than science books. You need holy books to BE cool. Darwin is soooooo not cool. Shit man, he didn't even know about genetics, what a dunce. Now if he had the holy book, he would have known about stuff and been cool."

As for a disorder? I can't say.... but since the person actually believes the above. Delusion stemming from cognitive dissonance would be 1st on my list.

52. Pakistan blocks YouTube over blasphemous video

Comment #133311 by AshtonBlack on February 26, 2008 at 3:52 am

1) Fundamentally, we already have DDNS. Each country has it's own. However it's the "top level" DNS servers (4 in the US I think) that have "final say". What happened in this case is that an ISP changed thier own DNS entries and it started to be replicated around the world, but was stopped from by having "more authorititive" DNS servers elsewhere or by correcting the change.

1.1)IPv6 is on it's way, but there are a number of issues still to be resolved. A hardware/IOS refresh of some backbone routers will be required (by Cisco). This is happening, but in developing nations this would take a while. (or require outside help) Using dynamic IP is risky for a static site since even DDNS would need to replicate throughout the world.

2) As I mentioned I already use an Anon Proxy, not an ideal solution, (bandwith overheads), but immune to a particlar countires whims and fads.

I honestly think that the PTA tried to make a change that they, thought, would only effect their own country. As it turned out, the change tried to replicate and shone the flashlight of indignation upon the censoring gits.

53. Pakistan blocks YouTube over blasphemous video

Comment #133292 by AshtonBlack on February 26, 2008 at 3:14 am

I may not understand things correctly, but you can cause a lot of trouble without having to do that, as routing information is propagated throughout the internet.

54. Pakistan blocks YouTube over blasphemous video

Comment #133279 by AshtonBlack on February 26, 2008 at 2:41 am

Comment #133151 by JuxtaMonkey,

I've got to say, you have a wonderful turn of phrase: "Perhaps he was wrong about Islam, maybe they were a tolerant people able to take another's opinion."

roflmao!

Comment #133218 by sent2null

Agreed. I work in erm.... a middle eastern Islamic country. I use my very own proxy outside of the country which encripts all my IP traffic anyway. They can't block it if they can't see it. (And yes it does "cost" in bandwith overheads but no blocked shite for me.)

Comment #133254 by irate_atheist

Would that be "Fucktards"?

55. Fleabytes

Comment #129709 by AshtonBlack on February 19, 2008 at 1:44 pm

Paula,

Thank you. I've been remiss in not reading as many flea books as I should. (Bouts of nausea, you see?).
These reviews have shown me why it's important. All the best. Great Article!

AB

56. US military accused of harboring fundamentalism

Comment #128060 by AshtonBlack on February 16, 2008 at 2:20 am

In my limited experience (7 years in the British Army, followed by the last 3 years "working" in Iraq, as a civvie), US forces are indeed the most religious, more so than ANY forces I've worked with. There is a LOT of posters, pamphlets about various clubs, groups and the like. As for this being enforced, well I couldn't comment, but from the guys I worked with, it is a minority that hold with fundamentalist views/actions.

(and before you ask, I'm in IT/Crypto Security not any sort of combat specialist, well it pays the bills!)

57. Charles Simonyi Professorship in the Public Understanding of Science

Comment #125415 by AshtonBlack on February 11, 2008 at 10:35 am

Richard,
Firstly let me congratulate you on your quite successful tenure in the post and secondly, allow me to thank you personally for giving me the spark of enthusiasm to re-discover my interest science and reason.
As to a recommendation, I always enjoy reading PZ, but as a public speaker and communicator I agree with a number of "you lot" when I say Neil de Grasse Tyson would, I would hope, a wonderful ambassador for Oxford.

58. Exorcism undergoes a revival across Europe

Comment #125327 by AshtonBlack on February 11, 2008 at 8:39 am

nternet addicts are also at risk. They...grahh...aargh! ARRRGGHHH!!!!!

PRAISE SATAN! DEATH TO ALL BELIEVERS! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

59. Sharia law in UK is 'unavoidable'

Comment #123598 by AshtonBlack on February 7, 2008 at 11:38 am

Look, limeys, I'll say it again, read some Thomas Paine, get into a revolutionary froth, and revolt.

You've put it off far too long.

60. Sharia law in UK is 'unavoidable'

Comment #123594 by AshtonBlack on February 7, 2008 at 11:31 am

Strange one this...

On one hand I can't believe he's even thought about this for more that 3 secs. On the other I can't help thinking there's a lot more of an ulterior motive at work...

Anyway, Sharia Law, over my dead cold body. (Well... maybe not, but this would be a deal breaker for me. I'd up sticks and move to fecking Sweden!)

British Common Law, has been, over the last 500 years the basis of most (yes that includes you US!) Legal systems.
Trail by Jury, Appeal Courts, Innocent till proven guilty etc etc.

I can assure you, the day this is past in Parliament will be my very last day in the UK.

61. God vs. Gridiron

Comment #121029 by AshtonBlack on February 2, 2008 at 9:49 pm

Here in the UK, pubs that want to show live football (soccer, for all our colonial cousins), they must pay. I assume, so please correct me if I'm wrong, that "sports" bars must pay a licence fee of some sort to the NFL?

If this is the case, then why not ask the churches to pay to publically broadcast?

As much as I hate corporate greed, if it's a case of the church organizations trying to get round a fee, then to be honest I'm with the NFL on this one.

62. Pope says some science shatters human dignity

Comment #120138 by AshtonBlack on February 1, 2008 at 9:36 am

Whilst I agree with a need for an ethical discussion about the application of science, doing it based on a book, written by people so far behind us in history, astounds me. Dogma is the enemy of science! (Oh and my humble opinion, this guy is such a fucktard.)

63. Happy Birthday Josh Timonen!

Comment #119170 by AshtonBlack on January 31, 2008 at 11:17 am

JT, you may have 30secs off to celebrate your birthday . . . . . . Ok, now back to work!!!
/whip!


(Kidding, of course, All the Best and Thanks!!)

64. Launch of 'Atheists in Foxholes' Book Anthology

Comment #116094 by AshtonBlack on January 25, 2008 at 1:29 pm

I was in the UK Army for 7 1/2 years, with a few tours of some strange and dangerous places. I've got to be honest, I can't remember anyone's motivation for duty being "For Great Britain" or "For Jesus". To me and a LOT of my comrades it was a job to be done. We got paid, signed on the dotted line and "got on with it."

65. A Letter From Hell

Comment #116046 by AshtonBlack on January 25, 2008 at 11:42 am

"Insidious. Detestable."

"Cognitive dissonance at its most vicious."

"Two thumbs down... WAY down."


.....Sorry was day dreaming some tag lines for the movie poster.

66. US scientists close to creating artificial life: study

Comment #115804 by AshtonBlack on January 24, 2008 at 8:18 pm

and another coffin in the nail of crea... oh wait.

*Poofy hair, labcoat, goggles, forearm length purple rubber gloves*

POOOWWEERRRRRR!!!!!!!!

67. The devilish church practice of exorcism

Comment #114119 by AshtonBlack on January 21, 2008 at 11:53 am

They starved Clarice for four days, whipped her and threatened to burn her, until finally she "confessed."

68. Gay Jesus play blasted by bishop

Comment #114116 by AshtonBlack on January 21, 2008 at 11:49 am

LOL!!!!

Good on ya, mates.

*Open's a tinnie of VB*

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

Comment #113774 by AshtonBlack on January 20, 2008 at 1:45 pm

Oh dear..... I suppose that's another 'comming out' I've got to do....


Yes, I am a republican. (of the English type, not the American meaning.)

1) Cut off state funding to the Windsor family.
2) Install an elected Head of State.
3) Get a decent secular constitution in "black and white." to prevent more monachistic twaddle.

Not a popular view I suppose, but then neither was atheism (in the broader sense) not that long ago.

70. Pale Blue Dot

Comment #113764 by AshtonBlack on January 20, 2008 at 1:24 pm

I've got to admit, despite my awfully gruff and manly exterior this did bring a lump to my throat.

Carl Sagan, poet.

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

Comment #113550 by AshtonBlack on January 20, 2008 at 2:20 am

Ethical storm as scientist becomes first man to clone HIMSELF


Scientist uses his DNA for creation of few hundred cells


What a difference , eh?

72. Britain cannot put its faith in religiously divided schools

Comment #113549 by AshtonBlack on January 20, 2008 at 2:14 am

"sectarian schools"

oooo I like that. To a brit, it alludes to the "troubles" in Northern Ireland.

73. What Religion's Blind Stranglehold on America Is Doing to Our Democracy

Comment #113531 by AshtonBlack on January 20, 2008 at 12:25 am

@Mercurious

Thanks for the link, scary indeed :(

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

Comment #113375 by AshtonBlack on January 19, 2008 at 1:06 pm

Erm.....

"through the natural selection of successful traits"

I thought that WAS evolution.
The "successful trait" creature got to make babies (on average) more than "non-successful trait."

What am I missing?

75. The New Theology

Comment #113200 by AshtonBlack on January 18, 2008 at 9:23 pm

Bleh..... Maybe I'm becoming too radicalised, but I found this sugar coated version of god just as balking as the traditional Abrahamic god.

Sod it...

76. Questions Delay Creationist Master's Degrees

Comment #112583 by AshtonBlack on January 17, 2008 at 1:48 pm

..... or mother/fatherhood :)

77. Ben Stein Bribing Schools to See His Anti-Evolution Movie 'Expelled'

Comment #112580 by AshtonBlack on January 17, 2008 at 1:43 pm

gtcc has already showed a canny school administrator how to make money for their school. Spend a weekend outside the cinema, collect stubs, hand-in and collect cash. No propoganda necessary to be endured.

And if enough schools try to pull the scam then the producers either lose a lot of money or we get a nice story about how they welched on the deal :)

Go to it School Administrators of America! Do your duty!

"Q: Will all schools who submit their ticket stubs be given a donation?


A: … Funds for the Expelled Challenge will only be distributed to those who register through the Expelled Challenge website … on a first come, first served basis in the order in which they were registered. Bottom line, funds are limited* – register as soon as you can! "

78. Ben Stein Bribing Schools to See His Anti-Evolution Movie 'Expelled'

Comment #112556 by AshtonBlack on January 17, 2008 at 1:02 pm

Anna,

Phew :)

Hmm... . I wonder what the ratio is in the American Education System of Private/Faith etc to Public schools.? (runs off to Google)



edit: "10 percent of the total elementary and secondary enrolment in the United States in 2003-2004."
"Of that 10% (28000 approx) only 29% (6800 approx) are counted as non-sectarian."
Source:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006319

Still 10% that's quite a large target to go for.

(However, I'm hopeful that most science teachers in these establishments would see through this crock.)

79. Ben Stein Bribing Schools to See His Anti-Evolution Movie 'Expelled'

Comment #112546 by AshtonBlack on January 17, 2008 at 12:47 pm

The thing is...

The "reach" for this kind of shenanigans is surely limited to "Christian Schools?

I'd hope there'd be an uproar if this was adopted at anything approaching a public/state school?

80. Questions Delay Creationist Master's Degrees

Comment #112536 by AshtonBlack on January 17, 2008 at 12:36 pm

Only one class: "Goddidit 101"

and Yes, Paula it does indeed give me a small sense of hope. :)

81. Ben Stein Bribing Schools to See His Anti-Evolution Movie 'Expelled'

Comment #112520 by AshtonBlack on January 17, 2008 at 12:24 pm

Completely hatstand....

If this is even released outside of the US I'd be suprised.

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

Comment #112491 by AshtonBlack on January 17, 2008 at 10:11 am

60. Comment #112472 by babrock on January 17, 2008 at 8:26 am

Hey man.... There is a whole forum for this sort of thing :) Click on "Forum" on the bar at the top. You'll find all sorts of resources/topics etc that may help you.


Cheers. AB

83. Huckabee Wants A 'Faith-based' Constitution

Comment #112148 by AshtonBlack on January 16, 2008 at 1:04 pm

All very interesting, but can anyone hazard a guess of the actual probabilities of such a change coming to pass.....


Paula, very fair point :)

I'd like to, after careful deliberation, agree with the two posters who said:

Fucktard.

Thank you.

84. The Group Delusion

Comment #110291 by AshtonBlack on January 10, 2008 at 10:54 pm

Son of God Delusion?

Richard

85. Irreligion: A Mathematician Explains Why the Arguments for God Just Don't Add Up

Comment #109839 by AshtonBlack on January 9, 2008 at 10:28 pm

Amnis 73.

This is where D's call to fight the transhuman war came from....
http://richarddawkins.net/article,2096,Mother-Nature-is-Not-Our-Friend,Sam-Harris

86. The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief

Comment #109657 by AshtonBlack on January 9, 2008 at 12:17 pm

$145.... Whaaaaaa???

Also to FG on the news item.... YAY!!! About bloody time.

87. It was a bad year for God.

Comment #109155 by AshtonBlack on January 8, 2008 at 1:00 pm

"No, no, no but god is in everything, even up my bum, so he CAN have a bad year!! It says so in my, Bumper Book of Bible Bollocks."






(just in case..... /sarcasm!)

88. Hook, line and rapture

Comment #109152 by AshtonBlack on January 8, 2008 at 12:57 pm

Nice work, sir!

Very funny...... I did actually spit a bit of tea out of my nose when he said "This is a dream, you prick!!"

89. US 'doomed' if creationist president elected: scientists

Comment #108812 by AshtonBlack on January 7, 2008 at 4:29 pm

<--------- Another Lancastrian.

I keep forgetting my history.... but remined me thou foul Plantagenets, who won the War of the Roses?

Actually, all joking aside, the North of England is a wonderful place, though Lancashire has a better cricket team. :-p

(Theakston's Old Peculiar is the best "sipping" pint outside of a CAMRA festival)

90. Mother Nature is Not Our Friend

Comment #108705 by AshtonBlack on January 7, 2008 at 12:53 pm

spaceman:- I suppose it depends on your definition of "nature". To me nature is everything not manmade : mountains, rivers, cats, Ebola and so on.
Un-natural, to me, is everything man made: such as cell phones, antibiotics and bio-weapons.

I think the definition you're referring to is "everything in the observable universe" as opposed to supernatural.

91. Did mozzies, not a meteor, do for the dinosaurs?

Comment #108695 by AshtonBlack on January 7, 2008 at 12:37 pm

Ahh my mistake. I did indeed mean hypothesis.
To be honest it was a little flippant but with evidence for both theories, one does not preclude the other.

Did mozzies, not a meteor, do for the dinosaurs?

92. Did mozzies, not a meteor, do for the dinosaurs?

Comment #108678 by AshtonBlack on January 7, 2008 at 12:12 pm

Why does it need to be one cause?
Perhaps the meteor strike did the main damage and the vast amount of carrion lead to an explosion in the number of insects, which in turn carried more diease to the survivors.... well it's a theory.

:-)

93. Stop House Resolution 888

Comment #108457 by AshtonBlack on January 7, 2008 at 1:17 am

Just a thought... has anyone told Chris Hitchins?

Might be worth trying to get his view of this!

94. Mother Nature is Not Our Friend

Comment #108170 by AshtonBlack on January 6, 2008 at 6:57 am

I've really enjoyed this thread. I think, my opinion falls somewhere between Diacanu's and Steve's. I don't want to see non-accountable orginisations making choices (either with monetary or social pressure) for me.

At the same time I want to encourage the medical uses in gentics for the general "good".

I don't see D's argument about "potential" removal of diseases as a bad thing. We can never know who someone will be before they are born. The old addage "The best violinist in the world is currently chopping trees in Siberia or hauling water in Africa. All we can do is arm those we can know with the best head start we can.

But, back to my main point... Control at a global level is needed. IMHO.

95. Stop House Resolution 888

Comment #108164 by AshtonBlack on January 6, 2008 at 6:42 am

*shakes head*
So, we gonna have a reverse "Mayflower" soon.. to say Sweden?


hehe. (kidding, but this shit is scary!)

96. Researchers use neuroimaging to study ESP

Comment #108092 by AshtonBlack on January 6, 2008 at 2:57 am

Sorry I've got to say it: Wishful Thinking on the part of anecdote reciters.

The statistical probabilities just don't add up, as someone already pointed out.

97. The religiosity test: Doubters need not apply

Comment #107616 by AshtonBlack on January 4, 2008 at 8:33 pm

JL:-

I've spent a lot of time in Europe and the UK

It does seem to be the way many posters define themselves

98. Can Atheists Be Parents?

Comment #107321 by AshtonBlack on January 4, 2008 at 11:47 am

Phew!

Being an athiest does not a bad parent make.

99. The OUT Campaign has its own Flea!

Comment #107298 by AshtonBlack on January 4, 2008 at 11:23 am

If someone claims God is infinite, ask "How do you know? You must have an awfully big measuring tape!"

100. Mother Nature is Not Our Friend

Comment #107275 by AshtonBlack on January 4, 2008 at 10:53 am

Engineering more beautiful people...well, if that's all that comes to mind, you are severely lacking in creativity

*Sigh* it's gonna happen, ain't it?

I'm gonna have to be the Ash that saves the world from the horde of genetic monsters.
I've known deep down since I was a kid, it's haunted my dreams, but I was desperately hoping to avoid it.
But nothing I say or do is stopping it.
Fuck.
I hate being the chosen one.
This blows.