351. Evangelically Serious Science

Comment #228280 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 6:20 pm

TWP - trouble with the Latin alphabet. My wife keeps telling me why Chinese is better. Then I tell her about keyboards :-)
But then again, maybe a spot of punctuation might not have gone amiss either...

352. The HMS Beagle Project

Comment #228276 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 6:06 pm

Sharon - Phoenician trip looks fun until they mention heavy seas and pirates...

353. Saudi Arabia Bans Dog Walking in Capital

Comment #228275 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 6:03 pm

Didn't we just have a story here about a couple of Muslims protesting a British police sticker because it had a PHOTO of a dog?

354. Evangelically Serious Science

Comment #228274 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 5:58 pm

TWP
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212720/
This character
http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0005244/

355. The HMS Beagle Project

Comment #228266 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 5:31 pm

Damn, now I'm torn between wanting to go on this trip or this one http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7550162.stm

356. Evangelically Serious Science

Comment #228256 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 4:57 pm

Brian, this was my first time in Australia. Mainly went there for the wife to visit friends (she did an MBA in La Trobe) and show off our daughter and for me to see what I thought of Melbourne in case I fancied sending a CV over. Docklands flat was convenient for us - and the trams went all the way to IKEA (another reason to go there)

357. CBI wants more pupils in science

Comment #228254 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 4:54 pm

Debaser...then do you go on to creation sciences after that? ;-)

*runs swiftly in the direction of away...*

358. Saudi Arabia Bans Dog Walking in Capital

Comment #228252 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 4:52 pm

Border, you can keep your dog and still marry off all those prepubescent girls in your family that irk you. Such is modern Saudi Arabia.
Mind you, thing this self appointed guardianship of morality is spreading...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7546907.stm
Trouble with religious insanity - it is not easily contained...

359. Evangelically Serious Science

Comment #228250 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 4:50 pm

Brian, you ain't kidding. Couple that heat with flies that seem impervious to swatting...
Was a nice holiday, though. After the initial cold and rain, we got some beaut weather. We then took a drive to see a relative my old man hadn't seen since she came to the UK in the 1950s.

360. CBI wants more pupils in science

Comment #228248 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 4:47 pm

Heheheheh! Actually, I had to use Google to work out what level 6 is myslef. Seems to be a different system in place from the one I used when I was a schoolboy.
Isn't bursary also an American English word? I do seem to recall there was a ships bursar on the Love Boat (or whatever that series was called - liner with people all getting off with each other...). No, I didn't watch it...ummm, it just happened to be on at the time....only watched it once! ;-)

361. Saudi Arabia Bans Dog Walking in Capital

Comment #228244 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 4:42 pm

Carto, they thought of that already. Then you get smacked with a blasphemy suit and your head is chopped off or something...

362. CBI wants more pupils in science

Comment #228242 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 4:40 pm

Guess that's why they invented google... ;-)

363. Saudi Arabia Bans Dog Walking in Capital

Comment #228239 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 4:38 pm

NewEnglandBob - just the non-elected self appointed guardians need to be banned. I think quite a few Saudi Arabians would like to see them banned from Saudi Arabia, as this article extract seems to suggest...

Now I have to ask: How on earth can owning a pet be considered a risk to social codes and morality? The allegation that some people use animals to annoy families in public areas is ridiculous and surely unfounded. If someone were really harassing a family or another person in public, then there are ways and means and laws to stop such behavior.

A person can in fact use anything to harass people â€" mobile phones, the lights of his car, or loud music coming from his car. So are we going to ban the use of mobile phones in public? Or will we wake tomorrow to the news that young men are no longer allowed to drive in public areas? All I am asking for is some logic and reasonable thinking. And please stop the automatic reflex of banning things when someone thinks that those things are causing problems.

But when it comes to the banning of pets, there is also another way of thinking â€" one that considers animals dirty. We are told that the ban was issued in the wake of a fatwa against owning pets.

But we ask if it is better to keep pets at home where people can enjoy their companionship and can, at the same time, take care of them? Or is it better to have the animals roaming the streets where they may be a hazard to public health, as they might get sick and spread disease and germs and also be killed by speeding drivers?

364. Saudi Arabia Bans Dog Walking in Capital

Comment #228236 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 4:30 pm

Aaah, I recall this from Arab News. Here's the opinion of that
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=112284&d=31&m=7&y=2008
and
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=112273&d=31&m=7&y=2008

Mind you, this ban comes from the country that can report this
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=112706&d=12&m=8&y=2008

365. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #228233 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 4:25 pm

Comment #228228 by Stella
Rise of Islam, or the rise of self appointed moral guardians making sure everyone becomes more "pious"?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7546907.stm

366. Evangelically Serious Science

Comment #228232 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 4:23 pm

Comment #228218 by thewhitepearl
Maybe he's building one. Got the idea from that AI movie. When you see some Good looking young fella, with his granny, singing Barry White, you'll know the truth! :-D Especially if he needs to crick his neck to stop singing....

367. Evangelically Serious Science

Comment #228230 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 4:20 pm

Brian, weather report in the paper
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/10/index.cfm?c_id=10&weathersection=regional&weatheritem=12
I liked Melbourne. Have to go back sometime. Was there for Christmas last year. Sodding hot at Hoppers Crossing, then we moved to a flat in the Docklands area to meet my parents and bugger me did it get cold. Had rain and snow in the hills. At Christmas! Never expected a white Xmas in an Australian summer!

368. Evangelically Serious Science

Comment #228210 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 3:55 pm

Let's talk about something more mainstream. Goldy, how cold is it in Auckland? It's been quite cold and wet here for the last couple of days. Snow above 150m....

369. Evangelically Serious Science

Comment #228207 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 3:50 pm

Are we back on the sexbot thing?

370. Evangelically Serious Science

Comment #228204 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 3:48 pm

Granny banging? I missed that (phew!)

It's common for elderly women to outlive their husbands by several years, and not many of them get much action while they wait to die. Lots of guys are downloading porn when they could be hitting on elderly women.

371. Richard Dawkins replies to Libby Purves

Comment #228202 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 3:46 pm

Comment #228198 by chewedbarber

372. Evangelically Serious Science

Comment #228199 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 3:44 pm

Have to say, Brian, granny banging puts my moobs firmly in the shade :-)
Wonder how sex-bots would change Islamic thinking? Wonder if they'd have to be all covered up in case they give men impure thoughts. But can men have impure thoughts over a machine? (Trying desperately to raise the standards a bit....)

373. Richard Dawkins replies to Libby Purves

Comment #228182 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 3:16 pm

I was going to stay your moobs. Don't get upset. There is a problem when your chest is bigger than mine.

374. Richard Dawkins replies to Libby Purves

Comment #228166 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 2:51 pm

Goldy,

You know what you really need to get rid of?

375. Evangelically Serious Science

Comment #228163 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 2:46 pm

Terat, have you seen this BBC blog? A month with no plastic. Kinda relates to oil...made me think of you, anyhow...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/monthwithoutplastic/

376. The best way to undermine the jihadists is to trigger a rebellion of Muslim women - and establish energy independence

Comment #228160 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 2:41 pm

Think some Yemeni clerics read this article...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7546907.stm

But on 15 July, a panel of Islamic clerics - supported by prominent tribal chiefs - announced the creation of a Meeting for Protecting Virtue and Fighting Vice.

The unofficial body will alert Yemen's police force to infringements of Islamic law and hold annual conferences to monitor progress.

377. Richard Dawkins replies to Libby Purves

Comment #228155 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 2:38 pm

Comment #228153 by Sargeist
Being 35 and a few months (actually, quite a few months!) I'll give you some of these excess months I don't need ;-)

378. Evangelically Serious Science

Comment #228152 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 2:33 pm

Comment #228146 by Steve Zara
Sounds the same world as mine :-) I have a child that is pretty much the icing on my world's cake :-)
Does a dishwasher count as a robot? First dishwasher I've had and it is still a brilliant novelty to me.

379. Richard Dawkins replies to Libby Purves

Comment #228150 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 2:31 pm

And drugs over here on this thread. Closest I have done them of recent was a party pill test for students. BZP then TFMPP a few months later. Former not bad - made me rather talkative. LAtter they thought maybe I could do with a larger dose. Not good - was like having a bit too much dope cake - anxiety, slight paranoia, disjointedness...
There was a great book about cocaine in the department. One of the PhD students had it. Read it during my time on the ICP-MS as I had to load the samples by hand. Described the full history. I'll try and find out the title...
Nightclubs are shite. The music is dire! Much better to get live music from a pub.

380. Evangelically Serious Science

Comment #228139 by Goldy on August 11, 2008 at 2:23 pm

Hee hee, thanks for joining me on death row when NZ and Australia wake soon :).

381. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227842 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 9:43 pm

Bonzai, let's wait and see....
As it is, never have time to read books nowadays, controversial or not. Toddlers are bloody hard work! And I'm too old and fat nowadays!

OK, really, off home I go now. Had an extra 15 minutes while the wife finished her stuff at work.

TTFN!

382. Evangelically Serious Science

Comment #227841 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 9:39 pm

Bugger me, from my moobs to cycling to vasectomy to sex bots to ... well, why go further than sex bots??
I missed out this last weekend here, I can see!

383. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227838 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 9:33 pm

Bonzai, my money's on a marketing scam ;-)
Cynical, moi?
Home time for me. God (culturally speaking, of course - I am an atheist, honest!) I'm tired. Getting tired of this winter!

384. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227834 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 9:09 pm

Chewedbarber

I do think your use of Muslim is inaccurate in the context of our discussion. I thought it was understood that we were discussing Muslims in the religious sense, and not the sense as highlighted by the comedian David Cross,...

Where is this Muslim majority that doesn't segregate itself?

385. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227831 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 9:02 pm

Bonzai - as she said, Random House isn't stupid. The book got right to the last stage and then got pulled? What, someone missed something? Didn't realise writing about Mo's wife might cause some strife?
As the Tui beer ads say here... Yeah, Right!

Right, back to work...well, sort of. Have streaming Olympics. All for "educational purposes" as the site says :-)

386. Neanderthal DNA Shows They Rarely Interbred With Us Very Different Humans

Comment #227829 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 8:50 pm

When they say rare interbred, that does mean some interbreeding may have taken place, eh? Because that would explain some of them oilmen I worked with in Cnada....
;-D

387. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227828 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 8:48 pm

Comment #227824 by Bonzai
The contributor Akenanubis raises some interesting points in that link, Bonzai...

388. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227827 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 8:43 pm

It's a hell of a situation, eh Bonzai? There's a bunch of Asians here in NZ. Sometimes I sort of hear little hints about how they don't mix with the population but keep themselves to themselves. Sad thing is, many do mix - I am not the only mixed marriage blokey here - in fact, off the top of my head, I know of 4 or 5 other mixed families with Eurasian children. A trip to the malls is enlightening too (and on a completely separate note, my daughter is still the cutest Eurasian child by far... :-))
However, there is a huge population of students here - quite a few transients, as it were, as they go after getting their qualifications. It is these students that appear to stand out as non-integrating and tar every Asian here. Of course, if you are only a student here, what are the chances you are actually going to stay in a South Pacific island after getting your qualifications and other larger countries are calling for you?
A paradox indeed.

Edit

Well the truly integrated Muslims probably don't define themselves by the collective "Muslim" identity so when they do speak out against the extremists, they do so as citizens and thus become "invisible".

389. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227822 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 8:01 pm

Chewedbarber - Zoroastrians are Parsees, correct? Well, Actually, Parsees are Zoroastrians who went to India. We have one in our lab. Her boyfriend is a white New Zealander. Jews marrying out of their religion is really not that strange - indeed, I read that Jews in Germany before the war were very integrated and many fought for the Nazis not realising they were Jewish.
Britain has 1.5 million Muslims, give or take. Last time I lived there, they were not all living in ghettoes. There were, I recall seeing, intermarriages with other faiths (indeed, a Hindu Fiji Indian receptionist here in Auckland Uni married a Muslim Fiji Indian).
Obviously I can't give you the names of every majority but here's one - rather famous http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasmin_Alibhai-Brown
Here are some statistics you may care to ponder on too
http://www.marketresearchworld.net/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=254&Itemid=
So, how did I come to this conclusion? I lived there, in the UK, in the middle of Britain's Muslim heartland (well, Bradford. And near Slough for a bit). I went to the pubs and met and spoke with Muslim drinkers, shopped in Muslim-owned shops. I had a Muslim landlord. Here in New Zealand my hernia was fixed by an Iraqi and my daughter was delivered by another Iraqi.
Where is this Muslim majority that doesn't segregate itself? All around you. Assuming you are in the UK, or Europe, of course...
If I may, I feel this is a bit of a silly question. Do you think ALL "Muslims" are extremists?
http://www.secularmuslims.com/
http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD187708
Of course, not just me that believes secular "Muslims" make up a vast majority
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gkUlK4_SRmWJdZ-be1CU9tSJIOXg

Meddeb also believes the council is missing a key component: "secular" Muslims who believe in a clear separation between religion and politics and who are thought to make up the vast majority of France's Muslims.

390. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227813 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 6:13 pm

Comment #227801 by agn
But Muslims are not the only group to maintain a hands off approach to other societies or to the societies in which they find themselves living in...
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/magazine/14syrians-t.html
http://www.religioustolerance.org/zoroastr.htm

Zoroastrian Practices:
Their worship includes prayers and symbolic ceremonies.
Members are dedicated to a three-fold path, as shown in their motto: "Good thoughts, good words, good deeds."
Members can pray at home instead of going to a temple if they wish. 1
Zoroastrians do not generally accept converts. One has to be born into the religion. This belief is disputed by some members. Jehan Bagli, a retired chemist in Toronto who is a mobed (priest), and president of the North American Mobed Councilsaid:

'' They feel that the religion is not universal and is ethnic in nature, and that it should be kept within the tribe This is a tendency that to me sometimes appears suicidal. And they are prepared to make that sacrifice.'' 1

The traditional wing of Zoroastrianism discourages and does not recognize inter-faith marriages. More details.
They do not proselytize. 1
Zoroastrians use three calendars: Shenshai, Qadimi and Fasli. On 1992-MAR-21, the spring equinox and first day of the Zoroastrian year, all three calendars coincided. This is an event that only occurs only once every 120 years. Many Zoroastrian organizations recommended that the membership switch to the Falsi Calendar on that day. This has been reasonably successful. 2

391. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227798 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 4:32 pm

Comment #227796 by agn
And so all this talk and sentiment of making them change by force is hardly going to make those that want to break free from trying to. They are damned from the start. Applying external pressure ensures that they stay within that community and are kept in check by those that feel the urge to do the policing.
An example - http://www.fordham.edu/campus_resources/public_affairs/inside_fordham/march_30_2007/news/british_politician_s_25537.asp
Something must be making them feel alienated.

Anyway, I have to go work now :-( Been skiving for 2 1/2 hours!

392. The best way to undermine the jihadists is to trigger a rebellion of Muslim women - and establish energy independence

Comment #227795 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 4:24 pm

Fanusi

And Islam? A fat, beer-bellied thug

393. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227794 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 4:22 pm

Comment #227788 by agn
And people changed. As did the vikings (probably my ancestors too - from what was Danelaw).
Change the people and the religion changes. You can't always do that by blunt force - see how China is fairing in Xinjiang, especially now with the Olympics drawing the world's eyes to China.
And think, the Vikings nowadays are models of peaceful living. Something changed. It wasn't the people as they are pretty much the same as they people then. It must have been the mind.

394. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227786 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 4:01 pm

Brian - indeed. Then we can try and find a few pagans who may or may not hold a grudge against Christian invasions. I'm sure there are some Saxons still a bit miffed at Charlemagne...

395. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227784 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 3:54 pm

You're not a great fan of Islam, eh agn? ;-)
Is it pertinent to blame all the violence today on revenge attacks from an invasion in the 8th century?

396. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227779 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 3:37 pm

agn, decius
I know, I know, I read the piece too. But it was all related to something else that was related to seomthing else and so on going back probably to Babur coming over with cannons.
All I am saying is that both sides used the event to cause an escalation in violence. The Hindu leaders were probably grateful for this tragedy to advance their agenda (pure speculation here, of course). And of course, the coach was full of Hindus coming from Ayodhya where they had recently demolished a mosque...(edit - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babri_Mosque
Aaah, Wikipedia tennis - wonder how far back we can go on this sectarian thread... ;-))
Neither side gets the gold for violence in my eyes...

Fanusi

One reason the policy would have to be against Shariah supporters specifically, is that there isn't any other wording that wouldn't either cause it to run amuck or be useless

397. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227774 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 3:24 pm

Violent sectarianism is by no mean a muslim only problem, although the islamic faction is certainly the most brutal one.

398. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227772 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 3:17 pm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1558149/Preach-in-English-Muslim-peer-tells-imams.html

Mosques should be banned from recruiting foreign preachers unless they speak excellent English, according to a senior Muslim politician.


In an attempt to tackle Islamic extremism, Lord Ahmed of Rotherham called for imams from overseas who apply to preach in Britain to undergo strict language and "Britishness" tests in their countries of origin. Those who refused would be denied entry to the UK.

The peer also called for non-English speaking imams already in Britain to be prevented from preaching until they master the language. Lord Ahmed, a member of Tony Blair's Preventing Extremism Taskforce, said: "We should not allow imams to enter the country who do not speak English and who do not understand our modern way of life.

399. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227770 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 3:15 pm

As it happens, only Muslims are to blame for the troubles in India.

400. Novel on prophet's wife pulled for fear of backlash

Comment #227769 by Goldy on August 10, 2008 at 3:13 pm

Comment #227764 by decius
Also read about it in proper news media. Just Googled British Imams and this was the first entry I got that didn't involve some daughter doing something...
The source is just reporting what is out there. I'll try and find a less Islamophilic source :-D