random thoughts 4-28-08

I emailed (dunno who else did) PZ the Cebu scandal story. He wrote a fine piece on that one. ERV's down, deleted by Blogger. Apparently cuz she pissed people off. Probably Behe or Dembski, or those dimwits at Expelled. That prompted me to find out how I can back up my blog. As if someone's reading huh...anyweis...

I'm on my 4th week at my TESOL class at Times Media. Another 4 more to go. I have been procrastinating.. Delaying the inevitable that I have to make another essay for this week. Darn, I have to keep movin'...
My instructor at TESOL gives hand-outs (reading materials) from time to time. The first time he did, I complained the next day cuz I found the same material online. I found his recent hand-outs again online (2 articles, I don't want to bother checking the rest of it). Darn, I'm good!..He'll be pissed (or laugh about it again) when I tell him I found the materials he said he wrote on the world wide web...

I was at the sauna again last week. I've written about how Koreans are at saunas. This time, an old lady who had her back at me suddenly bent down and started to exercise or massage her feet or whatever..Remember this is Korea so saunas meant naked, no clothes or towels whatsoever. OMFG! C'mon, flashing your behind and every other part visible is NOT cool!!.. I don't think I'll recover from the sight of that.

cebu scandal on ScienceBlogs

The world now knows about the Cebu scandal. They now know what incompetent twats those medical personnels were. And most importantly, the world now knows how stupid it is for the priest who blamed the victim for being gay.
It isn't a great day for the Philippines but if we do not make a stand on this issue, there is no hope for all of us.

mainstream expelled review

An Expelled Review on MSNBC
Here is a part of that review:

What the heck is Intelligent Design anyway?
What is especially startling and monumentally deceptive is that the movie never bothers to tell us what Intelligent Design actually is. We hear cries of persecution but we don’t know why.
What is it that devotees of intelligent design believe that gets their colleagues in such a rage? Do they just want to invoke god as the starting point of the universe? Do they see god's hand in the design of every creature? Are they asking us to see the gods of every faith and tradition — those posited in Catholicism, Hinduism, Mormonism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Rastafarianism, etc. — in our DNA? Do they believe that competitive accounts of creation based on the Bible need to be in every American classroom? Do they see empirical proof of god in every molecule, plant, animal, rock, vegetable and fungus? "Expelled" never really tells us.

laughter that brings laughter

This had made me smile the first time I saw it.. Found it again at Slate

Ben Stein sucks!

Open Letter to a victim of Ben Stein's lying propaganda by Richard Dawkins
The atheist community have been all over Ben Stein's ass for his Expelled movie which is full of lies, I heard. I have no plans to see it, even for research purposes I wont see it. Anyways, the link above has more info about the movie's lies. Click and find out.

and they said i was alone

Religion is ‘the new social evil’

Robert Watts

A CHARITY set up by an ardent Christian to fight slavery and the opium trade has identified a new social evil of the 21st century - religion.

A poll by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation uncovered a widespread belief that faith - not just in its extreme form - was intolerant, irrational and used to justify persecution.

Pollsters asked 3,500 people what they considered to be the worst blights on modern society, updating a list drawn up by Rowntree, a Quaker, 104 years ago.

The responses may well have dismayed him. The researchers found that the “dominant opinion” was that religion was a “social evil”.

Many participants said religion divided society, fuelled intolerance and spawned “irrational” educational and other policies.

One said: “Faith in supernatural phenomena inspires hatred and prejudice throughout the world, and is commonly used as justification for persecution of women, gays and people who do not have faith.”

Many respondents called for state funding of church schools to be ended.

The findings contrast with Rowntree’s “scourges of humanity”, which included poverty, war, slavery, intemperance, the opium trade, impurity and gambling.

Poverty and drugs remain, but are joined by issues such as family breakdown, young people’s behaviour and fears over immigration.

Tom Butler, the Bishop of Southwark, rejected the indictment of faith. He said: “People meeting together, week after week, for worship, support and education in church, synagogue, temple, gurdwara and mosque can not only help people build local community but can teach children to become good citizens.”

However, Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said he was “extremely pleased”.

“Britain has had it with religion,” he said.

are they crazy? stupid theists...

Church of Oprah?.. Agent of Satan?... Damn!! So what does that make me?? .. C'mon!

Evoulution 24 Myths and Conceptions from The New Scientist

Read more from NewScientist.com

So here is New Scientist's guide to some of the most common myths and misconceptions about evolution.
There are already several good and comprehensive guides out there. But there can't be too many.

Shared misconceptions:

Everything is an adaptation produced by natural selection
Natural selection is the only means of evolution
Natural selection leads to ever-greater complexity
Evolution produces creatures perfectly adapted to their environment
Evolution always promotes the survival of species
It doesn't matter if people do not understand evolution
"Survival of the fittest" justifies "everyone for themselves"
Evolution is limitlessly creative
Evolution cannot explain traits such as homosexuality
Creationism provides a coherent alternative to evolution

Creationist myths:

Evolution must be wrong because the Bible is inerrant
Accepting evolution undermines morality
Evolutionary theory leads to racism and genocide
Religion and evolution are incompatible
Half a wing is no use to anyone
Evolutionary science is not predictive
Evolution cannot be disproved so is not science
Evolution is just so unlikely to produce complex life forms
Evolution is an entirely random process
Mutations can only destroy information, not create it
Darwin is the ultimate authority on evolution
The bacterial flagellum is irreducibly complex
Yet more creationist misconceptions
Evolution violates the second law of thermodynamics

Sauna Funnies and Annoyances

I go to saunas frequently, at least two or three times a week. That's my therapy right there. I've been to big, crowded saunas with full amenities like a gym, pool, karaoke and even a restaurant inside. I hate those! I don't go there to socialize so I don't need all those. There are a couple of chang-su (little)saunas near my place. That's where I go. Here in Korea, when you enter a sauna you go strip naked. Cant have any clothes on inside except for the common room (where the other amenities are). So anyways, inside there's a spa (with hot, medium, and cold water)and a sauna (steam room). Koreans are typically very loud people so I usually go there in the morning where there are fewer women inside. I'm always annoyed at how they keep on talking loudly and never think of the other people there. I don't mind when they stare. I'm more pissed at the noise.

Recently I had this funny(or weird) experience at the sauna near my pad. A woman came up to me when I was in the spa (hot water). She said " Hi. I like your teeth, Is it yours?". I didn't know whether I should just laugh or if I should answer her. I wanted to say "Nah, I just borrowed it." I mean c'mon! It's a stupid question!
Yesterday I was at the sauna again and there was a granny who came came same time as I did. I smiled, she smiled, she's cool, and very quiet. I was minding my own at the spa when I turned and looked at the sauna (steam room with no steam so it's just basically a very hot glass room) and there she was lying on the floor with her legs up and spread wide open in the air! I could not help but smile and I thought maybe she was just cold "down there". She smiled when she saw me looking at her.

RD's new video

Here are the new videos of the Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss Public Discussion at Stanford University.
Reposted from RichardDawkins.net

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Enjoy and be Enlightened! :)

expelled exposed

If you havent heard already, the expelled movie is a junk, full of lies movie.. or so i heard... from what i can gather, i have no interest to see the movie (even in you tube)..

more from this:

Expelled Exposed

An Atheist Prayer from the Book of Bon Jovi

What's not to like in this one? You have atheism (rationalism) and Bon Jovi!!

REPOSTED FROM : TheRecord.Com

An atheist's prayer?
Kevin Cogliano
Re: Prayer Is For Everyone -- April 8
Guy Tschirhart's letter to the editor issued a challenge to the readers of the Waterloo Region Record a to come up with a "better pledge, entreaty or what have you that will see us through our daily business" than the Lord's Prayer.
I've never been one to back away from a challenge, so I humbly submit these words of irrefutable wisdom:

I walk these streets, a loaded six string on my back,

I play for keeps, 'cause I might not make it back.

I've been everywhere, still I'm standing tall,

I've seen a million faces and I've rocked them all.

And if you think a recitation from the Book Of Bon Jovi (Wanted Dead or Alive) seems trivial, stupid or meaningless, congratulations. Now you know how we atheists feel about the Lord's Prayer.
Kevin Cogliano
Waterloo

here's the video, just for kicks!

Sick! and another news :)

This is just nasty!
Japanese machine-washed Filipina's body parts: reports

Everybody's got a piece on Brian's controversial blog.
Blogs, the Internety, and Anonymity - Danton Remoto

in fairness

Just to be fair (im an atheist but), I also read Jonny's blog. I love the work that's being done (GK). Helping ease poverty should be on everybody's list. (or is it -not being on the "poverty list" that we pinoys should worry about?). Anyways, enjoy reading his blog. He writes from a christian perspective. One of the few christian views I still care to read.

More about Pat Condell

I found this article about Pat Condell by The Freethinker

Laughing religion off the planet - an interview with Pat Condell

This is my favorite part of that piece:
I find it hard not to smile at religion’s conceit that we’re superior to animals on the basis that we have souls and they don’t, when five minutes in a slaughterhouse would convince anyone that, if anything, it’s animals who have the souls and human beings who don’t.

So here's another video by Pat Condell.
Reposted from:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=atTSwau9fwM

Random

Watching this: ERV



and reading this:

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/569791?UserKey=0

and wondering about:

who the hell wrote the korean translation for the "bones" series shown here?.. I have seen all the episodes before. But everytime it's on, I have to watch it. Call it an addiction. I make it more interesting by reading the korean subtitles. But no, no, I get all worked up everytime. Translators have made so many mistakes in numbers and texts (not just with bones, seen it with csi and others too). Lost in translation really happens. I find that the funny words/scenes when translated isnt funny.. What's that all about?? Darn translators!

power to irritate

I'm all fired up!..

With so much rave focused on Brian's blog, I found related articles on the treatment of the issue. One was the article by Nereo Lujan which I think is interesting and respectable. The other is this article (which is the topic of debate at pinoy atheist at yahoo groups) by Malu Fernandez which a lot of people find offensive and racist.

It seems that Miss Malu F. who worked (or still works) for the Manila Standard Today has irked a lot of OFW with the article published last June 2007 (People Asia Magazine). The article titled "From Boracay to Greece" angered a lot of people. Can't blame them. I too, had to step away from my laptop for while before I decided to start writing this. Her article elicited such negative emotions that I had to control myself from the negativity. (Meaning, I want to kick her ass for belittling OFW's..wooohh, glad I got that out of my system)..
that link included her "apology"...apology my ass!!

In another article, you'll notice the name-dropping. "My good-friend here, my cool-buddy there, my favorite-nephew, my good buddy here and there".. What she did in that article was insert herself with the names of "elites".
Most people found her article on OFWs as racist and demeaning. (Elitista sila, poor lang ang the rest of us!) If you read her other articles, you'll see that there's always her effort to separate herself from the rest of the Pinoy majority. She's saying she's better than most of us so deal with it. She can say what she wants because she can.

In this one (her reaction to the Brian-blog controversy):
this one irritated me the most:

But blogging, aside from Perez Hilton and the other big time bloggers (you know who you are) is for me a slacker job or a medium and pastime for lonely people to connect.Unless you’re in bloody Siberia or in a Gulag prison, try stepping outside your comfort zone and turn off the laptop or pc, you just might find some real live people to talk to instead of typing away in cyber space.

Slacker job?? past time for lonely people to connect????

And she's saying her comments there had nothing to do with the people's negative reaction to her OFW-bashing article.. Pleaseeee!!! If she's really one of the elites, what's with all the name-dropping? What, is she trying to convince her audience (which doesn't include us 'hiraps) that she one of them?

Just a thought to ponder on... Maybe I should start an anonymous blog and really let go... but then again I don’t want to be responsible for World War Three and I would sleep much better being brutally honest in your face than hide behind an anonymous name. Wouldn’t it be hilarious if I started a blog just to shake things up and got a ton of money in advertising? If I do decide to do that I thank you all in advance for inspiring me… I’m always a glass half full kinda girl anyway...

Glass half-full ka dyan!! Jeezz..I need to take a pill or something after this one...

There is this thing called freedom of speech. We could say or write what we want. I'm all for that. So when someone like MF starts to belittle "us poors", let's hope she's thick-skinned enough to shield her from her notoriety.

Bones

I so love these two together.. Corny but I'm a fan... hehehe..

pat condell's "religion of fear"

Condell's reaction to "Fitna" video



More of Pat Condell's youtube videos here:

http://www.youtube.com/patcondell

Pat, why is your site unavailable? I hope the extremists didnt get to you.

UPDATE:
AS of today 04/03, Pat Condell's site has been disabled.
ANOTHER UPDATE:
Pat Condell's site will be moved to another host so says in his youtube page.

faith and ignorance

this is what happens when religion rules the lives of the ignorant.

reposted from Dan Glaister/The Guardian:

Faith healing church parents charged over toddler's death

Two followers of a fundamentalist Christian church that favours faith healing over conventional medicine are to be prosecuted for manslaughter after their daughter died of a treatable infection.
Carl and Raylene Worthington were indicted by a grand jury in Oregon's Clackamas county following the death of their 15-month-old daughter Ava in March.
The toddler died of bronchial pneumonia and a blood infection, according to the state medical examiner's office - both conditions that could have been treated with antibiotics.
The parents, who surrendered to police on Friday, are members of the Followers of Christ, a fundamentalist church in Oregon with about 1,500 members. They were released on $250,000 (£126,000) bail.
The church was at the centre of controversy in the 1990s after the deaths of several children attracted the attention of the authorities. It led to the passage of legislation in Oregon that repealed the right to a religious beliefs defence in cases of manslaughter, homicide and child abuse.
Since the passage of the law in 1999, according to authorities in Oregon, there have been no incidents of child neglect involving the church. The Worthingtons are the first members of the church to face criminal charges for failing to seek medical attention for a gravely ill child. If convicted they could serve six years in prison for manslaughter and up to a year for criminal mistreatment.
The couple's son died in August 2001. A police investigation into the death was closed after family members said the child had been stillborn and was three months premature.
Despite the passage of the law and the tight-knit nature of the congregation, there are some indications of high infant mortality among the group. The church has a private cemetery south of Oregon City. There, markers indicate that more than half a dozen children have died of unspecified causes since the passage of the legislation nine years ago.
The Followers of Christ has its origins in the Pentecostal movement of the late 19th century.