401. The Latest Face of Creationism in the Classroom

Comment #302228 by Laurie Fraser on December 16, 2008 at 7:19 pm

Brian - the bloke who plays guitar just like shearin' a sheep! Got a nice ring to it, eh?

402. The Latest Face of Creationism in the Classroom

Comment #302226 by Laurie Fraser on December 16, 2008 at 7:16 pm

What are you talking about, Brian? That's the hand of a red-blooded Aussie ladies' man if ever I've seen one! (Although there's a bit of the shearer's muscle in there as well...)

403. The Latest Face of Creationism in the Classroom

Comment #302220 by Laurie Fraser on December 16, 2008 at 7:14 pm

Just look at that right hand, Frank. Leaves one in no doubt...

404. Warning: A Truckload of Stupid

Comment #302170 by Laurie Fraser on December 16, 2008 at 5:57 pm

Comment #302163 by Brian English

er, um...sure it did, Brian *looks around sheepishly*

405. The Latest Face of Creationism in the Classroom

Comment #302169 by Laurie Fraser on December 16, 2008 at 5:53 pm

Great article. Read it, Rd.netters!

406. Warning: A Truckload of Stupid

Comment #302161 by Laurie Fraser on December 16, 2008 at 5:30 pm

My comment is still not up on the Crimson board. Understandable, really...

407. Hitchens Debates Rabbi Wolpe on God

Comment #302145 by Laurie Fraser on December 16, 2008 at 3:49 pm

Excellent post, Alan - but I'm afraid, with DG, you're flogging a dead horse. He just hits *reset* and starts all over again. You're wise to ignore him, as we should all.

408. Gerin Oil

Comment #302140 by Laurie Fraser on December 16, 2008 at 3:35 pm

Hi Michael - yeah, I've had the same response from the government to my numerous emails pointing out rational policies it should institute. Exactly zero. However, I've had interesting and rewarding correspondence with John Kaye, a Greens MLC in NSW. As far as I'm concerned, he should be the Premier. Very, very smart guy, and a leading light on climate change.

409. Gerin Oil

Comment #302129 by Laurie Fraser on December 16, 2008 at 2:57 pm

Thanks, Goldy - there's several pieces on abc.net.au about it too, with the Greens' Bob Brown demonstrating why he should be the prime minister.

Meanwhile, it should be a day of mourning for all thinking Aussies:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/anarchist-has-the-last-word/2008/12/16/1229189622994.html

410. Gerin Oil

Comment #302127 by Laurie Fraser on December 16, 2008 at 2:52 pm

Can't wait. Meanwhile, this despicable government blithely tries to con us all into believing a 4% carbon cut is significant, then goes and throws millions at the coal industry in case it gets narky about THAT! Fuck, why did we bother getting rid of the Rodent?

411. Gerin Oil

Comment #302124 by Laurie Fraser on December 16, 2008 at 2:44 pm

It's all right, Brian. The Australian government is coming to the rescue of parents with its new filter system. Obviously, this site will be one of the first to be filtered. Don't want any of that free-thinkin' stuff around Ruddsville, now, do we?

412. Three Godless Christmas shows

Comment #301916 by Laurie Fraser on December 16, 2008 at 3:48 am

Feel free to quote ME, Richard :)

413. Three Godless Christmas shows

Comment #301853 by Laurie Fraser on December 16, 2008 at 12:47 am

Comment #301848 by Goldy

You're right of course, and, after reading that letter, you just have to laugh, don't ya?

414. Three Godless Christmas shows

Comment #301845 by Laurie Fraser on December 16, 2008 at 12:38 am

Goldy - don't laugh; it just encourages him.

415. Three Godless Christmas shows

Comment #301838 by Laurie Fraser on December 15, 2008 at 11:55 pm

Best wishes for her.

We wouldn't let dingoes eat loonies - might poison them; we usually just throw 'em to the great whites.

416. Three Godless Christmas shows

Comment #301833 by Laurie Fraser on December 15, 2008 at 11:37 pm

One of my students, who will major in chemistry, wrote a great essay for my critical thinking class demolishing homeopathy. Made me weep with pride!

How's your daughter?

417. Three Godless Christmas shows

Comment #301830 by Laurie Fraser on December 15, 2008 at 11:26 pm

Don't get too close to your screen, Bendi - I'm in danger of reaching through the intertube and strangling you :)

418. Faith Equals Fertility

Comment #301829 by Laurie Fraser on December 15, 2008 at 11:24 pm

Comment #301815 by Sarmatae1

Well look, mate - like any good atheist comrade, I'll be the first to piss on you if you're on fire. It's only those god-botherers that would withhold. :) BTW - apologies if you thought I'd been too strident in the past. I have a perfect excuse: I'm Australian.

419. Three Godless Christmas shows

Comment #301825 by Laurie Fraser on December 15, 2008 at 10:54 pm

Boom boom!

420. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301734 by Laurie Fraser on December 15, 2008 at 2:48 pm

Just a fraction before my time, Bendi :)

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=NFLIG0iVys0

421. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301731 by Laurie Fraser on December 15, 2008 at 2:43 pm

Comment #301729 by bendigeidfran

You got it, mate - in fact, it was an Australian production, sometimes called "Fourth Form at St Percy's".

Edit: Percy's, not Trinian's

422. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301726 by Laurie Fraser on December 15, 2008 at 2:35 pm

You're right - it was Greenbottle. I can't remember the name of it. It was set in a classroom, and the teacher was some sergeant-major type who was continually frustrated by the infantile behaviour of his students. As a ten year-old, I remember it being riotously funny.

423. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301721 by Laurie Fraser on December 15, 2008 at 2:31 pm

Ah, stop! Do you know, Brian, I went to schools that were just like that. What was that radio show years ago that was set in a British public school? One of the characters was called Bluebottle.

424. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301718 by Laurie Fraser on December 15, 2008 at 2:28 pm

Sir, would you make English stop saying "Hume Hume Hume Hume Hume Hume Hume" all the time?

Marx Marx Marx Marx Marx Marx Marx. So there, English :P

425. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301708 by Laurie Fraser on December 15, 2008 at 2:02 pm

Sir, Irate's being really, really rude!

426. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301705 by Laurie Fraser on December 15, 2008 at 1:48 pm

Anvil - But sir, English keeps sticking his compasses in my bum.

427. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301450 by Laurie Fraser on December 15, 2008 at 12:27 am

Comment #301439 by askin

Living proof that atheism should be taught in school.

428. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301365 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 3:09 pm

Goldy - this is the intelligentsia department of the Australian religious community speaking. No wonder most Australians don't give a stuff!

429. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301362 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 3:01 pm

Big Gus - great parenting! (Seriously.)

430. Hitchens Debates Rabbi Wolpe on God

Comment #301360 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 3:00 pm

DG - I'm still waiting on an answer to my question on how you'd convince my dying friend that her cancer is evidence of god's "perfection".

431. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301358 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 2:57 pm

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=zrzMhU_4m-g

432. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301353 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 2:53 pm

Looks like a Python day coming up again, chaps.

433. Orangutan's Spontaneous Whistling Opens New Chapter In Study Of Evolution Of Speech

Comment #301349 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 2:51 pm

j.mills - pure genius!

434. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301347 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 2:49 pm

How do you know about the gaffer tape, Brian? Hmmm...

435. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301346 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 2:48 pm

do to the lack of sway of thugby

436. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301344 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 2:46 pm

Brian - I've just been to the Access Ministries website. They claim their program is "student focussed, educationally sound, Biblically faithful, theologically clear & contextually appropriate". I think it's time for some subversion!

www.accessministries.org.au/

437. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301342 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 2:42 pm

Nice try, Brian. The bloke who got this going is obviously a New South Welshman!

438. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301341 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 2:41 pm

Here is the wattle,
The emblem of our land
You can stick it in a bottle
You can hold it in your hand

Priceless!

439. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301335 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 2:17 pm

Just shows that Australia IS the most civilised country in the world! :)

440. Religion in [Australian] schools to go God-free

Comment #301290 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 12:13 pm

This is a wonderful advance. Remember, that up until now no hunanist/atheist classes have been recognised as part of "religious instruction" in Australia. Any work like this has been done on an ad hoc basis. I used to teach philosophy in a primary school, and dealt with topics like non-religious ethics, etc. But this was only because I was the chair of the school council, and had some persuasive clout with the principal. To see this mainstreamed is exciting. It'll catch on around the other states, I'm sure.

441. Tiktaalik: The Music Video

Comment #301285 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 12:03 pm

Don't forget, Carto, that John Lennon once rhymed "Chairman Mao" with "anyhow".

442. Hitchens Debates Rabbi Wolpe on God

Comment #301217 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 3:56 am

Shame. I'm intending to drown in Guinness!

443. Hitchens Debates Rabbi Wolpe on God

Comment #301212 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 3:36 am

I sincerely hope you can come to the Dublin bash, Irate :)

444. Hitchens Debates Rabbi Wolpe on God

Comment #301210 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 3:33 am

Well, at the very least, Irate, he's delusional. And the deluded are full of grotesque generalities that cover for a multitude of rational failings. This nonsense about "perfection" revealing the nature of god is just the rantings of a deluded mind.

445. Hitchens Debates Rabbi Wolpe on God

Comment #301205 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 3:02 am

Irate, that's the best argument there is to counter DG's vacuity. Tell all this rubbish to my friend who is about to die from cancer, DG. I dare you.

446. Tiktaalik: The Music Video

Comment #301203 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 2:55 am

This torture could turn me into a creationist!

447. Hitchens Debates Rabbi Wolpe on God

Comment #301200 by Laurie Fraser on December 14, 2008 at 2:29 am

Hey Diacanu - how's the big freeze? Just been watching a report on Aus TV. 1 million homes without power!

448. Richard Dawkins interviews Father George Coyne

Comment #300951 by Laurie Fraser on December 12, 2008 at 11:34 pm

There you go, Brian - might as well throw yourself in the Tiber right now :)

449. Richard Dawkins interviews Father George Coyne

Comment #300944 by Laurie Fraser on December 12, 2008 at 11:13 pm

Well, we do want it graffitied all over the Colosseum, Brian. Then take a photo.

450. Richard Dawkins interviews Father George Coyne

Comment #300938 by Laurie Fraser on December 12, 2008 at 11:07 pm

Too late, Brian. Carto - I was going to let him off the hook, but now that you've corrected him, all I've got to say is *dons legionnaire's plumed helmet* "Now - go and write it out a thousand times!"