Introductions, Reason, Science

Introducing an old hand

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Long gone are the days when YouTube stars like djarm67 and AndromedasWake would broadcast their thoughts to our humble league. With the web log lying dormant (what, we have a blog!?) it was time for a rag-tag team of forum mods and chat ops to pick up the flag of reason and march bravely forward into the blogosphere. *My idea*

Most of you probably know me already, or have at least argued with me over some trivial detail in an unimportant thread. I’ve been here since the earliest days of the League of Reason and it’s become one of my favourite online communities. I hail from New Zealand which is a nicely sized nation in the South Pacific. I consider myself very lucky to have been born surrounded by all this natural beauty – see Lord of the Rings for your walk in the local park. I’m still finishing my university education but have so far completed a degree in biotechnology.

I’m a lifelong atheist but it wasn’t until the final years of college that I got into scepticism. I’m a member of the NZ skeptics and do what I can to help out on worthy causes. I might as well pimp the new sceptical podcast: The CUSP . If I have to choose a label I’d go with freethinker because I think that best sums up the way I (want to) approach new information and ideas. I’d also like to consider myself a fierce proponent of all things scientific and have done my best to inform people on matters involving evolution, global warming, vaccines, homeopathy, and other alternative medicines.

Enough of what you agree with me about, where can we have an argument? I think objective morality exists, GM agriculture is a good idea, and support the wars on Iraq and Christmas. Threads can be found around the LoR and other sites in which I (attempt to) defend these positions. I love to read and would probably class myself as a bit of a bibliophile. Whether you agree with my positions or not, I hope my blog posts will make you think about current issues facing atheists, freethinkers, and sceptics and that you get something out of them.

Before I came to this site I had never heard of Carl Sagan so I’ll finish with a quote from him that goes right to the heart of my philosophy: “It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.” I think that’s exactly right.

Blog: Indoctrinating Freethought
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Aught3 and http://www.youtube.com/user/Belikescopes

Culture

How do I make my vote count?

2 Comments

So as you are no doubt all aware there is a general election coming up here in the UK. On May 6th the country will be called upon to cast their votes as to which bunch of crooks political party they want to govern us for the next five years. Now I plan to vote, I really do, only I am really struggling with regards to whom to vote for and even whether there is any point in voting in the first place. As such I thought I would ask you guys for your thoughts on the matter.

 

Continue reading How do I make my vote count? →

Religion, Science

Boobs cause earthquakes!!!

46 Comments

Well at least they do according to Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi, a senior Iranian cleric. Apparently “Many women who do not dress modestly … lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which (consequently) increases earthquakes“. Now I am sure you ladies already knew that you had the power to cause car accidents with your alluring curves, but I bet you didn’t know you could cause earthquakes too.

 

“What can we do to avoid being buried under the rubble?” Sedighi asked during a prayer sermon Friday. “There is no other solution but to take refuge in religion and to adapt our lives to Islam’s moral codes.”

 

Well that certainly sounds, er well, “logical” to me. But the best thing about this insane story is that it makes a claim that is scientifically testable, and oh so wonderfully so. Jen, over at the awesome Blag Hag Blog, proposes that we do just that.

 

On Monday, April 26th, I will wear the most cleavage-showing shirt I own. Yes, the one usually reserved for a night on the town. I encourage other female skeptics to join me and embrace the supposed supernatural power of their breasts. Or short shorts, if that’s your preferred form of immodesty. With the power of our scandalous bodies combined, we should surely produce an earthquake. If not, I’m sure Sedighi can come up with a rational explanation for why the ground didn’t rumble. And if we really get through to him, maybe it’ll be one involving plate tectonics.

 

Now that is what I call science. So come on ladies, this is your chance to get involved in a grass roots scientific experiment. Sure there is a slim chance that you may accidently destroy a city or two, but I for one am willing to take the risk. As Jen said, come Monday it will be time for a Boobquake.

Religion

What’s the big deal?

9 Comments

Ok so I know that I am meant to be doing a post on the whole Simon Singh/BCA thing but that was so last week so instead I’m going to talk about something else entirely. If that’s ok with Th1sWasATriumph that is. Also let me apologise in advance if this post descends into a rant as even as I write this I am not completely sure where I am going with it. Let’s just start at the beginning shall we.

 

Back when I was a Christian I was a big fan of Christian music. Yes I know, but don’t worry I grew out of it. Anyway at the time one of my favourite artists was a lady by the name of Jennifer Knapp. Her music was a little bit country, a little bit bluesy and unlike many Christian artists she actually did songs about real life as well as just songs about how awesome God is. But then, after a couple of incredibly popular albums, she disappeared completely from the scene with no information on when she might return.

 

So by now you are no doubt wondering why I am mentioning this at all. Well part of the reason, though certainly not the main one, that she decided to take a break was that she finally accepted the fact that she was gay. Now, after a seven year break she’s back, with a new album entitled Letting Go, as an openly gay Christian woman. So what, you are probably asking, who cares if she is gay? Well I sure don’t, as far as I am concerned who you love is no-ones business but yours, but seeing she is a some what famous “Christian” artist you can sure as hell bet someone cares, someone cares a whole lot.

 

Continue reading What’s the big deal? →

Censorship, Events, News, Reason, Science

Singh-ing In The Rain

9 Comments

I can’t really apologise enough for that title.

As I anticipated would happen, Rabbitpirate beat me to laying the first League blogstone on the subject of Simon Singh and his sudden victory. Since I’m not a petty man/as good as Rabbitpirate, I’d love to see him do a longer musing on the subject without the dilution that my opinions would create. However I just wanted to highlight one thing.

Quoting from the BCA’s press release, “The BCA has considered seeking leave to take this matter to the Supreme Court and has been advised there are strong grounds for appeal against the Court of Appeal judgment. However, while it was right to bring this claim at the outset, the BCA now feels that the time is right for the matter to draw to a close. ”

Isn’t that beautiful? The legal equivalent of saying “I could smash your face in, I could . . . any time I wanted . . . only I’m not going to. Any time. But now I’m going home.” For “been advised there are strong grounds for appeal” read “quick, save face ANY WAY WE GODDAMN CAN.” And what’s the best way to save face? Lie. If there were truly strong grounds for appeal the BCA, an organisation that has happily made a decent, genuine, intelligent and (I’m fortunate to know this from personal experience) really lovely man suffer tremendously for years, would without hesitation appeal to continue. Of course they would. Singh said mean*, hurtful** and unfortunately absolutely true things about them so they responded with petty legality. If there was the slightest chance the case could be pursued, don’t you think the BCA would go for it? Just to hurt Simon?

I love seeing people forced to back down after attempting to use laws to censor dissenting voices. We’ve all had our run-ins with DMCAs on Youtube, but Singh has become the poster boy for hope and reason against the odds. And as the BCA sidles grumbling into the shadows, we can only hope that libel laws everywhere face a swift dissolution.

Rabbitpirate? Over to you, sir.

* “You are all frauds”

** “Your mothers are ladies of questionable moral integrity”

Censorship, News, Reason

This time victory really is ours

14 Comments

A really quick post as I don’t have any more details than this right now but it seems the BCA have dropped their case against Simon Singh. No doubt this will be on every skeptic and atheist blog for the rest of the week so we will all be inundated with details in no time. For right now I am sure you will all join me in offering our congratulations to Simon and our thanks for having the courage to stand up for rational thinking and good science like he did. We love ya man.

Culture, Events, News, Reason, Religion

God Love ‘Em, Because Someone Has To

10 Comments

I imagine it’s likely that Rabbitpirate is even now putting the finishing touches on a significantly better article on this subject. But hey, I’m a Leaguer – it’s my oft-shirked duty to expose the belly-white viscera of religious arse wherever it may show.

I’d hoped that childishly ripping on Gabriele Amorth, Righteous Exorcist 1st Class Of The Holy Vatican, might be the last slur I cast in the direction of Catholicism. My hope was in vain. Continue reading God Love ‘Em, Because Someone Has To →

Science

The Great Memory Experiment

6 Comments

Something completely different today. I need your help with an experiment.

 

The other day someone I work with mentioned that they believe that there is a real difference between the memories of men and women. Now this didn’t sit right with me and so rather than try to argue with him based upon nothing but my personal opinion I thought I would do an experiment to see if I could get a more definitive answer.

 

And this is where you lot come in. In order to test this I have made a youtube video and all you need to do is watch it and then answer six simple questions about what you saw. That’s it. Now hopefully if I can get enough people answering the questions then when I correlate all the answers they will actually mean something. That said this is the first time I have ever done anything like this so it could all go terribly wrong. Ah well that’s science for you. Anyway I predict that, once everything is added up, there will be no real difference between the memories of men and women, though we may see a difference when it comes to the ages of those involved.

 

So help me out. Go watch the video and tell other people to watch it and answer the questions as well. I am aiming for at least a hundred answers but the more the merrier.

 

Click here to join the experiment.

Entertainment, Reason

Happy second…much more fun than an hour

6 Comments

So today sees the start of World Homeopathy Awareness Week and I thought what better way to get the party started than with a homeopathic cocktail.

 

How to make an Avogadro Slammer

 

You will need:

 

A Martini Glass

A Cocktail Shaker

A Large Jug (the bigger the better)

A Pipette

 

Ingredients

 

1 part Gin

1 part Vodka

1 part Dry Vermouth

Tonic Water

A Lemon

A Lime

Green Olives

Red Cherries

Ice

500,000 Gallons of Water

 

Instructions

 

 

 

  • Use the pipette to place one drop of each spirit into a large jug full of water.
  • Stir gently.
  • Use the pipette to place one drop of the mixture into the cocktail shaker along with some crushed ice.
  • Strike the cocktail shaker forcefully until thoroughly shaken.
  • Pour the contents of the cocktail shaker into a fresh jug of water.
  • Stir gently.
  • Repeat steps 3 to 6 until not a single molecule of the original spirits remain.
  • Place one drop of the final mixture in a chilled Martini glass and serve with tonic water, a slice of lemon, a slice of lime, two olives and a cherry.

 

 

 

WARNING: Due to the way in which it is made the Avogadro Slammer in an extremely potent drink. The League of Reason accepts no responsibility should you become intoxicated or hospitalised as the result of drinking one. Side effects can include liver damage and long term brain damage. Please drink responsibly. Do not drive a vehicle for at least a month after consuming a Avogadro Slammer and give up operating heavy machinery all together.

Censorship, Entertainment, Religion, YouTube

Supporting the Free Speech of “Them” (Guest Blog)

16 Comments

I’m sure most Leaguers (especially those who frequent chat) have heard of my creationist archive project FundieVideoHell or FVH for short. As the name might suppose, FVH is a treasure trove (or virtual hell, depending on the user) of creationist and fundamentalist seminars, presentations and other assorted videos.

While I had anticipated support and thanks from my fellow rationalists, I was surprised to see support from creationists too. It seems that FVH is a common ground for both sides: rationalists can use it as a resource for material to debunk (though, sadly, I have yet to see it used this way), and creationists have a source of entertainment.

So why do I spend my time and hard drive space on the opponents to rationality, freethinking, and science? The answer is simple: as long as FundieVideoHell exists, they cannot (or rather, shouldn’t) claim they are being censored by us. Well, at least they cannot claim all atheists are censoring them.

Now, I have, so far, done this entirely on my own resources. I enjoy finding out what is new and happening from the other side. But when I came across the brochure for the “2010 Creation Supercamp,” which is only a few hours drive away, I realized something. Something that deeply frightened me: I wanted to go to this conference. I want to film creationist conferences. But I also don’t want to be an e-begger like VenomFangX.

So I was wondering, should I start a PayPal so that I can take donations from those who are willing to support FundieVideoHell? And would you (the lucky readers) be able to spread the word about FVH? I think there may be creationists out there who would help support the spread of their message, both by word-of-mouth and monetarily.