201. A question of belief

Comment #80141 by bluebird on October 20, 2007 at 7:05 am

upsidedawn, that reminds me of the beginning sentence of an opinion letter: "The current interest in Atheism..."

Michael Newdow has challenged the "God" references in the U.S. Currency and Pledge of Allegiance, in the interest of separation of church and state: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Newdow

202. God's honest truth?

Comment #79936 by bluebird on October 19, 2007 at 7:00 am

Ole, thanks for that link :) Very interesting.

203. Help Counter the New Atheist Crusade to 'Evangelize' America!

Comment #79729 by bluebird on October 18, 2007 at 10:46 am

Beteo, wish we had known about these camps when our boys were younger!! Anyway, the CampQuest site has a "donate" link:

http://www.camp-quest.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Quest
http://www.atheistalliance.org/internet/net_young.php

204. Debate between Christopher Hitchens and Alister McGrath

Comment #79398 by bluebird on October 17, 2007 at 7:01 am

phasmagigas, perhaps C.H. could debate Joel Osteen; he's not aggressive, still, I'd like to see Joel taken down a peg or two:

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakewood_Church
http://www.lakewood.cc/

205. Stretching the Search for Signs of Life

Comment #79239 by bluebird on October 16, 2007 at 2:44 pm

when super intelligent alien find us...we will be hauled off to farms and slaughtered for food

206. Deep in the Sea, Imagining the Cradle of Life on Earth

Comment #79232 by bluebird on October 16, 2007 at 2:35 pm

cool article,cool scientist

207. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams criticizes popular atheist writers

Comment #78934 by bluebird on October 15, 2007 at 1:01 pm

Seems to me the Archbishop is just a mule in horse harness.

208. Richard Dawkins receives the Deschner Prize

Comment #78930 by bluebird on October 15, 2007 at 12:48 pm

I too, "had not heard of Deschner or Bruno; I'm elated to 'discover' these two remarkable men :) Which leads me to say thank you Professor Dawkins for this 'oasis' website, and congratulations.
*********

The slang term 'Gorebal Warming' is not funny...
Next Tuesday and Wednesday night CNN will air a show called "Planet in Peril":
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/planet.in.peril/about.html

209. Stretching the Search for Signs of Life

Comment #78676 by bluebird on October 14, 2007 at 8:56 am

foxfire, thanks for the reminder about SETI@home :) Looks as tho it's still running; albiet with a few glitches of late:

http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/

210. Talking Action Figure Jesus

Comment #78675 by bluebird on October 14, 2007 at 8:46 am

bayareadude, say, I like tapioca pudding...You're correct that kids aren't gonna be clamoring for it, the parent's will be using it as a 'teaching' tool.

A recent CNN story was "Are Jesus Dolls Blasphemous?". Some Christians are 'outraged' that Jesus is thrown into a box and made to fraternize with the likes of GIJoe.

211. The benefits of 80 million years without sex

Comment #78402 by bluebird on October 12, 2007 at 4:56 pm

Planeten Paultje, thanks for the link :)...Rotifers are fascinating!

"Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the Earth are never alone or weary of life".......Rachel Carson

212. Fox News Attacks 'Godless' Free Thought Radio

Comment #78362 by bluebird on October 12, 2007 at 2:02 pm

--"...people who believe in God believe science proves there is a God."--
Reminds me of this humorous bit from a while back:

http://www.richarddawkins.net/articleComments,985,God-Exists-A-Formula-Proves-it,KCTV5-News,page2

213. How China Got Religion

Comment #77982 by bluebird on October 11, 2007 at 12:01 pm

Just needs the 'h' :)

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/11/opinion/11zizek.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

214. Scandal brewing at Oral Roberts U.

Comment #77964 by bluebird on October 11, 2007 at 10:06 am

Richard Roberts attempts damage control:

http://webapps.oru.edu/alumniweb/news/allstories.php?site=oru&id=622

215. Fiction or prediction?

Comment #77960 by bluebird on October 11, 2007 at 9:40 am

"Voyage to the Moon" is considered the first science-fiction movie, 1902:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcOQ8VBq0UY

Our son, the budding-wannabe sciencefiction writer/illustrator will really enjoy this article :)

216. 'Dirty War' priest gets life term

Comment #77833 by bluebird on October 10, 2007 at 8:23 pm

Every picture tells a story...the vileness of this man practically oozes off the page. Tis the stuff nightmares are (were) made of.

Conversely, the sense of relief and jubilance of justice served is palpable in these two brave and patient women.

217. Searching for God in the Brain

Comment #77321 by bluebird on October 9, 2007 at 3:54 am

VanYoungman, I sent you a P.M.; not sure if it went thru tho.
******

We live near the Kansas/Missouri border.
Kanza: 'people of the South wind'
Missouria: 'people/town of big canoes'.
It's an area rich with history, and beauteous scenery...

218. Searching for God in the Brain

Comment #77019 by bluebird on October 8, 2007 at 7:41 am

VanYoungman, I've always admired your avatar, and just noticed that the branches form a calligraphical 'A' :)

219. In honour of Dan Dennett

Comment #77018 by bluebird on October 8, 2007 at 7:34 am

Here we go, and thanks, had not heard of him :)
http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n06/opiniao/llinas_i.html

220. In honour of Dan Dennett

Comment #77005 by bluebird on October 8, 2007 at 6:34 am

Hi, your link won't work for me, but this does:

http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n06/opiniao/llinas.html

rationalteacher, some think Dan Dennet resembles Santa Claus and/or Darwin :)

There are more articles/comments about Mr. Dennett in the 'Archives' section of this website :)

221. The Squirrel Wars

Comment #76809 by bluebird on October 7, 2007 at 10:45 am

Red squirrels have been all but eradicated by the invasion of Gray squirrels in our city and suburbs. There is a fairly healthy population of Red squirrels in the country/forests.

U.S. eco-systems suffers from numerous invasive species; Kudzu and Zebra Mussels are just a few (a full list is at the website www.Invasive.org).

222. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #76761 by bluebird on October 7, 2007 at 6:37 am

The power of the human voice to attract/repel is relevant.
A young woman from the Middle East said in an interview that she was drawn to Osama bin Laden like a moth to the flame when she heard his voice on the television.

Zzyx1170, thanks for that link.

223. Scandal brewing at Oral Roberts U.

Comment #76421 by bluebird on October 5, 2007 at 7:43 pm

As a kid living in Tulsa 1972 I remember being favorably impressed with ORU's architecture...
Everything's big in Tulsa, 60 foot praying hands sculpture on ORU campus, and this guy:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/OKTULoil.html

224. 'Flying Spaghetti Monster' Religious Group Turning Heads at MSU

Comment #76320 by bluebird on October 5, 2007 at 1:06 pm

MAS2007,
This is Ozark country, beautiful scenery, but, anything negative about Christianity is (usually) anthema/taboo in the media. Not surprised I have not heard about this group.
*********
A while back a poster noticed that an Atheist group 'get-together' was going to serve spaghetti[coincidence? :)].

225. Christianity's Image Problem

Comment #76230 by bluebird on October 5, 2007 at 6:37 am

Per the article... to echo dvespertilio about perspective, Mr. Kinnaman would feel mighty encouraged if he visited our neck of the woods (deep in the heart of the 'bible belt').

A book that's becoming popular in the U.S. is called the "Faith Club", written by three women.
http://www.thefaithclub.com/thebook/review.php

226. A New Debate

Comment #75800 by bluebird on October 3, 2007 at 4:54 pm

Per the idea of a 'scientific debate'~~
Mr. Chapman suggests it be held at the A M of N H; N.DeG.Tyson would be a great moderator/host, and he's already there (director of H.P.). Here's hoping Mr. Chapman's idea comes to fruition.
http://www.research.amnh.org/~tyson/

227. The Problem with Atheism

Comment #75758 by bluebird on October 3, 2007 at 3:00 pm

artemisa, thanks for the link to http://www.jovialatheist.com
Looks interesting.

228. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #75075 by bluebird on October 1, 2007 at 4:13 pm

Many thanks to commenter's thoughts on the AAI convention (and RRS).

Doc B, thanks for the 'Friendly Atheist' link per AAI Conv. It's a gas :)
The other link, CMI, oh dear. Had not heard of that particular group.

229. Harper's Index

Comment #74898 by bluebird on October 1, 2007 at 3:51 am

Caeruleum, take heart. Our local 'Borders' in Kansas recently set up a separate (highly visible) "Atheism" section near the "Religion/Spirituality" isle. There was a good selection of authors. Interestingly, C.H.'s GING was peppered amongst the "religion/spirituality" books. This is the same store that featured R.D.'s TGD as a 'staff favorite' for a long time :)

230. Polygamist Leader Convicted in Utah

Comment #74075 by bluebird on September 27, 2007 at 6:52 am

The young woman showed remarkable poise & resolve at the televised press conference after the verdict.

ranman55, well said!!

windfall, that's interesting.
On a somewhat related note, studies have been done on the health ramifications (rare genetic defects, etc) of the 'closed society' of the Amish/Mennonite of U.S. They freely mingle with society at large (for economic reasons), but marry/live within their community.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/amish.htm

231. Why are we Muslims so self-destructive?

Comment #73927 by bluebird on September 26, 2007 at 3:14 pm

RM, revenir, s'il vous plait.


Pleine Lune 9/26 entry (archives - APOD):
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

232. Talking Action Figure Jesus

Comment #73322 by bluebird on September 24, 2007 at 5:50 pm

Also...the U.S. housing market 'slump' has Catholics beseeching St. Joseph:
http://www.catholicsupply.com/christmas/stjoe.html

Supposedly there's a Stephen Hawking action figure; $7, same price as the St.J statue.

233. Talking Action Figure Jesus

Comment #73273 by bluebird on September 24, 2007 at 4:12 pm

Yep, heard about these a while back...
http://www.trainupachild.com

Lots of pliable tots are gonna find these under the Tannenbaum this year :(

234. Crisis of faith in first secular school

Comment #72890 by bluebird on September 23, 2007 at 10:54 am

Hi The Schuermannator re: shuttle photos. Sure, send 'em our way, thanks! BTW, have you met N.DeG.Tyson??

Doc B.: Thanks for the nice post :) Our Hummers have taken their leave for warmer climes; the Monarchs are now passing thru.
http://www.monarchwatch.org

235. Crisis of faith in first secular school

Comment #72845 by bluebird on September 23, 2007 at 8:20 am

Joyeux Equinox
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060923.html

The Schuermannator, nice avatar; this is today's APOD:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

commonhumanity, thanks for mentioning 'Writer's Almanac' online 'daily-message'. Their 'Composers Datebook' is something I've been looking for :)

Edit: newsletter@americanpublicmedia.org

236. God Talk on 'The View'

Comment #71617 by bluebird on September 19, 2007 at 11:03 am

UPDATE:
Today she explained, "I was nervous talking about my faith on TV, and had brain-freeze; I know the Earth is round!!".
However,she made similiar outrageous comments recently on the View; she only got flak for this particular one.

Off Topic, tonight PBS will air "Seeing in the Dark"... http://www.pbs.org/seeinginthedark/

237. Airline sacrifices goats to appease sky god

Comment #71022 by bluebird on September 17, 2007 at 2:23 pm

CruciFiction, Succinct; sad but true (*sigh*).

Comment #7, good one :))

238. Interview with Christopher Hitchens

Comment #70463 by bluebird on September 15, 2007 at 3:12 pm

eXcommunicate, the Comment Posting Guidelines tells how to specialize your comments :)

C. H.'s book continues to be on the 'top 10' list at our local bookstore (TGD was a "Staff Favorite" for a loooong time). A pleasant surprise was a new, highly visible section called "Atheism"; RD, CH, SH, DD, et.al. were firmly entrenched.

239. Scientists' Good News: Earth May Survive Sun's Demise in 5 Billion Years

Comment #70201 by bluebird on September 14, 2007 at 10:16 am

Luthien, thanks for mentioning the book Kepler's 'Dream'. Hadn't heard of it~~will add it to our library :)

This reminds me of the classic silent movie 'Le Voyage dans la Lune'...
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Voyage_dans_la_Lune
It's only 12 minutes long [quality, not quantity] and it can be viewed on YouTube.

240. Censoring Sir David

Comment #69724 by bluebird on September 12, 2007 at 11:53 am

Shameful, but not surprising. Theme of the Oct/07 issue of 'Discover' is Science in America.
A Kansas Christian school uses 'science' texts that "present the universe as the direct creation of God and refute the man-made idea of evolution".

Sir D.A.s series are top-notch, including the latest, "Planet Earth".

Someone made the quote "D.A. is to nature, what Carl Sagan is to astronomy".

241. A Virus Among Honeybees

Comment #69574 by bluebird on September 11, 2007 at 6:33 pm

Not the "bees knees"...
We've been hearing reports about the 'plight of the honeybee' for quite some time. Looks as tho IAPV has joined the line-up of other suspects; mites, pesticides, loss of habitat, reduction of professional beekeepers, plus the afore mentioned droughts and stress.

Here's hoping the next report will be good news...

242. Griffin's 'offensive' Emmy speech to be censored

Comment #69557 by bluebird on September 11, 2007 at 5:35 pm

'Tis 1934 revisited; Will Hayes & Joe Breen succumbed to pressure from the Catholic League of Decency to "clean up" Hollywood movies.

Salt in the wound is Bill Donohue leading the current charge.

skip, thanks for that link.

243. The Fleas Are Multiplying!

Comment #68787 by bluebird on September 8, 2007 at 2:58 pm

'Everytime a child says "I don't believe in fairies", a fairy falls dead somewhere'

Peter Pan

BTW Josh, nice visual for this thread:)

244. 'Incredibly lucky' find yields important fish fossil

Comment #68782 by bluebird on September 8, 2007 at 2:44 pm

Fantastic Fossil, this. Critters (such as the Mosasaur) that dwelled in the WIS were incredible; truth is stranger than fiction.

FYI:
http://www.discoverfossils.com/Geology/WesternInteriorSeaway.html

245. The Fleas Are Multiplying!

Comment #68701 by bluebird on September 8, 2007 at 7:47 am

My personal cures for 'Cat Scratch Fever'~~~~
Purchase and donate a just published science/astronomy book for our high school library. Hopefully it will inspire........

Also, a stiff dose of 'Libiamo ne'lieti calici'; grazie L.P.

246. The Mix Tape of the Gods

Comment #68671 by bluebird on September 8, 2007 at 4:06 am

bouwe, Comment #17 has a link to info about the disk, including music. Great r'epertoire; thanks for inquiring:)

Human outlines are on the Pioneer X & XI disks.

Also, the Sept. 8 info on the disk:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

247. Court bans Christian cross on private land in public park

Comment #68496 by bluebird on September 7, 2007 at 10:05 am

richard67, thanks for that photo.....not a pretty sight.
As Mother Nature intended:
http://www.nps.gov/archive/moja/home.htm

248. The Mix Tape of the Gods

Comment #67960 by bluebird on September 5, 2007 at 11:46 am

Had not heard of Timothy Ferris, or "A Plurality of Worlds"...
Again, thankyou RDF.

This will air Sept.19 on PBS:
http://www.seeinginthedark.org

Time to dust off Gustav Holst CD...

EDIT: CJ, thanks for that link.

249. Bonobo Handshake: What Makes Our Chimp-like Cousins So Cooperative?

Comment #67948 by bluebird on September 5, 2007 at 10:31 am

FYI:
http://www.bonobo.org

Also:
http://www.janegoodall.org
http://www.gorillafund.org

250. Cartoons from Evolution: a journal of nature 1927-1938

Comment #67729 by bluebird on September 4, 2007 at 2:26 pm

scottishgeologist, After viewing those cartoons(& their website), AND having just read that Stephen Baldwin (http://www.stephenbaldwin.com) recently visited a local church, I'll pass on the punching~~ instead will devour my emergency chocolate.