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Multimedia: Expelled from Expelled

http://youtube.com/watch?v=c39jYgsvUOY PZ Myers explanation of what occurred when he was ejected from the theatre showing the film. Interviewed by Richard Dawkins.

Heretic Hall: Sexpelled: No Intercourse Allowed

Great stuff! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ThQQuHtzHM&eurl=http://richarddawkins.net/article,2478,Sexpelled-No-Intercourse-Allowed,RichardDawkinsnet

Multimedia: PS3 vs Xbox 360

So I'm gonna get one or the other for myself, and my son can play as well. Wii is not an option, and I think it is in a class all of it's own. Anyways, I'm trying to figure out which is the best platform. I like that the ps3 has a Blu-ray player. I don't know why there is a 20gb and 60gb version, and if it's necessary to have the 60gb version. We already have a psp, which I heard could be used in combination with the ps3 somehow. I'd like to check out what all the hype is about the game Halo 3, and that is only available on Xbox 360. Then the neighbor kid tells me his dad's Xbox 360 died with the blue (or red?) ring of death and they had to send it in for repairs. Here is a youtube video that compares specs on the two and it shows PS3 to be the clear winner but that could just be some PS3 fanatic getting his nut. What system would you buy and why? Remember, Wii is not an option. This is strictly a PS3 vs Xbox 360 showdown. I tried using the search engine to see if there was a ps3 vs xbox 360 dedicated thread but didn't come up with a specific showdown.

General Help: PM Spam from "ladyoffaith"

You have a spammer on board, who spammed some godcrap to me at 5:30 this morning. [quote:a75a939302] From: ladyoffaith To: EverLastingGodStopper Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 5:35 am Subject: From Sister(Mrs).Sarah Debah From Sister(Mrs).Sarah Debah Abidjan Cote d Ivoire West Africa Dearest in the lord, I am Mrs Sarah A. Debah ,from Kuwait.I am married to late Dr Samuel Debah, who worked with Kuwait Embassy in Ivory Coast for Twenty-Six years before he died in the year 2003,after a brief illness that lasted for only five days. We were married for Eighteen years with a duaghter (Natasha) who later died in a motor accident.Before the untimely death of my husband,we were both born again Christians(from Moslem to Christianity). And since after his death I decided not to remarry or get a child outside my matrimonial home which the Bible is against. When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of (US$2.5M )Two Million,Five hundred Thousand United States Dollars) in a General Trust Account with a prime bank in Abidjan Cote d Ivoire. Presently,this money is still with the bank. Following my ill health, being a victim to cancer , I have decided to donate this fund to a Christain organizations (Church) that will utilize this fund the way I am going to instruct herein,according to the desire of my late husband. I want this fund to be used in Christain Activities like,Orphanages, Christain schools, and Churches for propagating the word of God and to endeavour that the house of God is maintained. The Bible made us to understand that "Blessed is the hand that giveth". I took this decision because I don't have any child that will inherit this money and my husband relatives are not Christians and I don't want my husband's efforts to be used by unbelievers. I don't want a situation where this money will be used in an ungodly way. This is why I am taking this decision. I am not afraid of death hence I know where I am going. I know that I am going to be in the bosom of the Lord. Exodus 14 VS 14 says that "the lord will fight my case and I shall hold my peace". I don't need any telephone communication in this regard because of my health as well the presence of my husband's relatives around me .I don't want them to know about this development. As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the bank here in Abidjan. My happiness is that I lived a life of a worthy Christian. Whoever that Wants to serve the Lord must serve him in spirit and Truth. Please always be prayerful all through your life as well commit me into your daily prayers. Contact me on this e-mail address Sad mrs.debah@yahoo.com ), any delay in your reply will give me room in sourcing another Church for this same purpose. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein. Hoping to receive your reply immediately . Remain blessed in the Lord. Yours in Christ, Sister Sarah Debah. Avenue 4 Marcory residential 14 bp 211 Abidjan 14 [/quote:a75a939302] Please ban the spammer. [url=http://www.atheistnetwork.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=8346]ladyoffaith[/url] Thanks!

Atheist vs. Theist: "Get out of here, atheists!"

[i:4b2f4ca429]"Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) interrupted atheist activist Rob Sherman during his testimony Wednesday afternoon before the House State Government Administration Committee in Springfield and told him, [b:4b2f4ca429]"What you have to spew and spread is extremely dangerous . . . it's dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists! "This is the Land of Lincoln where people believe in God," Davis said. "Get out of that seat . . . You have no right to be here! We believe in something. You believe in destroying! You believe in destroying what this state was built upon.""[/b:4b2f4ca429] [/i:4b2f4ca429] [url]http://richarddawkins.net/article,2441,Get-out-of-here-atheists,PZ-Myers-Pharyngula[/url] [url]http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-change_atheist_bd06apr06,1,4016432.story[/url] [url]http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/04/04/its-dangerous-for-children-to-know-atheism-exists-says-illinois-state-legislator/[/url] I don't know if this has been posted already. Sorry if it has been. I just find it increadibly disturbing and outrageous that this type of unconstitutional religious intolerance exists in our government. But I suppose it only counts as being intolerant if you mock a religion, Atheism is fair game. The really repulsive part is that she was applauded for this.

Introductions: Hi

Hi, my name is Alex and I'm a noob here. I don't know whether there is any higher power out there, but I do know that if there were, it would be beyond all human comprehension. Anyway, I think this looks like a neat place. Do I get any mushrooms or lion sex? :o

News & Science: Rather old news

Rather old news, but no-one else has posted. I googled Pyapon as I know the area well. Mrs Transponder comes from there. ""Kalaylay," said the boatman Myint Swe, pointing to something floating in the Pyapon River amid drowned and rotting buffaloes. "Kalaylay," he said, pointing to another. And another. Kalaylay is a Burmese word for "infant," and he was pointing to their tiny corpses. We spotted at least two dozen bodies of men, women and children during the short voyage from the battered delta town of Pyapon to Myint Swe's village of Myinkakon, where last weekend Cylone Nargis claimed a hundred lives and flattened most houses. Today, six days later, government aid has finally reached the village: officials gave each household about two kilos of rice � barely enough to feed a family for a day. Nearby villages have received nothing at all. The junta claims otherwise. State-controlled media show high-ranking soldiers in uniform overseeing the timely delivery of relief supplies to a grateful people. But a tour of the cyclone-ravaged communities along the Pyapon River reveals the military's efforts to be criminally inadequate. Deprived of food, water, shelter and medical supplies, and stalked by disease, those who survived the cyclone might yet perish in its aftermath. A natural disaster has come and gone. A new, man-made one has already begun. The cyclone raged for 12 hours, recalls boatman Myint Swe, and for three days afterwards the Pyapon River was clogged with bodies. Like hundreds of other delta villages, Myinkakon had few sturdy buildings to shelter in and no higher ground to flee to. And anyway, says Myint Swe, there was no way to outrun the storm surge, a wall of fast-moving water taller than the tallest man, which raced out of the darkness without warning and swept away tens of thousands of lives across the low-lying region. When the surge came, Myint Swe had somehow bundled his wife and eight children into his small boat and tethered it to a coconut tree. Then he climbed the tree and held on. Below him, the boat below pitched wildly as his terrified family safely rode out the storm. Today, his boat chugs past the village of Pankyun, where most houses have been razed by the wind and the water, their occupants drowned or gone. Fishing boats have capsized or been grounded. One has been lifted 100 meters inland, so powerful was the surge of water. A dead baby floats face-down in water amid more putrefying livestock. Kalaylay. "We need food and medicines for stomach problems, headaches, diarrhea," says a young monk standing amid the ruins of his monastery in nearby Kwagyi village, where 42 people perished. Kwagyi has received no aid. Not a single government official has come, he says; they only visit the towns, not remote communities far from any road. The villagers are perilously low on food. By sinking their boats and killing their buffalo, the disaster has robbed many villagers of their livelihood. Impoverished, they cannot afford to buy much food, especially with post-cyclone prices rising. They have a store of unhusked rice, which is damp and inedible, and many people now survive on coconuts blown down from the trees. Clean water is also scarce. Their well is now polluted with sea-water, so villagers take water from the river and boil it, or collect the rain flowing from the monastery's shattered tin roofs. Villagers will retrieve a corpse from the river if it is recognized as a family member or a neighbor. The bodies of ten babies, all from Myinkakon, washed up in the days following the cyclone and were buried at a nearby cemetery. Unidentified or unidentifiable corpses drift along the river or snag in vegetation along its banks. "Nobody is collecting them," says Myint Swe. "They're just floating around." There is a rumor, repeated by Myint Swe, that soldiers are not burying the dead, but tossing them back in the river. Just a few feet from these corpses there are women washing their children in the river, or drawing it in plastic containers to use in cooking. Some Kwagyi children have begun to develop fevers. There has been a spike in cases of stomach ailments and diarrhea, when before the cyclone there had been none to speak of. These are the ominous first signs that disease is stalking the villagers, whose poor diet makes them weak and vulnerable. They have no medicines until we give them what we are carrying: a few paracetamol and some water purification tablets. The villagers smiled and waved in gratitude when we left. It is the only aid they have received so far. On the banks of the Pyapon River, survivors of Cyclone Nargis now lash together lengths of bamboo to make primitive shelters for families the junta is too incompetent or uncaring to help. Against the odds, without any domestic or foreign aid, new homes are rising on the sodden and shredded remains of the old. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, Gen. Thein Sein � the man nominally overseeing Burma's relief effort � toured the delta by helicopter on Thursday, reported the junta newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar. He urged cyclone victims to "show resilience." http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1739023,00.html And something from the junta side. "Relief supplies for disaster victims in Pyapon NAY PYI TAW, 13 May�Strong wind victims in Pyapon District, Ayeyawady Division, were provided with relief supplies at a ceremony held in Kyaiklat on 8 May. Chairman of Ayeyawady Division Peace and Development Council Commander of South-West Command Maj-Gen Thura Myint Aung delivered a speech and presented K 3.8 million and 76 bags of rice donated by Division National Disaster Preparedness Management Committee and clothes by the command to the victims through District PDC Chairman Lt-Col Ye Htut. Commander of Division Police Force Police Col Than Tun presented 13 kinds of aid donated by the Myanmar Red Cross Society; and an official, medicines by Division Health Department to the officials concerned. Maj-Gen Thura Myint Aung inspected the upgrading of Pyapon-Kyaiklat-Maubin Road and visited the Shwe Phone Pwint Pagoda in Maubin." Source: "The New Light Of Myanmar", www.myanmar.com/nlm http://www.myanmar-information.net/infosheet/2006/060514.htm The report from the Buddhist site show the Junta report as a bit of dismissive self-congratulation. 'Eighty Thousand People Dead�, Cholera Cases Reported By AUNG THET WINE, The Irrawaddy, May 9, 2008 An Irrawaddy correspondent has returned from the delta area after interviewing military officers, government officials, medical personnel and survivors of Cyclone Nargis Bogalay, Myanmar -- An army major with the Irrawaddy Division military headquarters who asked not to be identified said on Wednesday more than 600 villages are submerged in the Irrawaddy delta along Cyclone Nargis� deadly path. FPRIVATE "TYPE=PICT;ALT=" << 95% of Bogalay city has been wiped out The worst-hit areas are Bogalay, Laputta, Mawlamyaing Gyun and Pyapon townships where, he said, more than 80,000 people have died and more than 700,000 people are homeless. Local medical personnel said some survivors from Kyein Kyi Chaung village in Bogalay have died of cholera. Cholera has also occurred among some survivors from Laputta. The government has been transferring Laputta refugees to Myang Mya Township daily, according to an army officer. �The cholera outbreak has begun,� said one medical worker. �People have nothing to drink so they drink water from the creeks and rivers. So that is how the outbreak began. �These waterways are dirty because they are littered with bodies and animals. The survivors know the water is dirty, but they have no other choice and have had to drink the dirty water. That�s how they contracted cholera. �This is the time for us to stock up on cholera medicine for the possibility of an outbreak in the near future. However, we do not have enough medicine.� Bogalay was the hardest-hit township with the highest death toll, believed to be around 50,000 people. The military officer said the second largest death toll was in Laputta, with Pyapon third in the number of fatalities. �Laputta had nearly 20,000 deaths,� he said. An army officer with Light Infantry 66 who has been involved in relief efforts said: �A total of 142 villages went under water in Bogalay Township. The majority of the people in these villages have died. Only a few survived. For instance, Khaing Shwe Wa village in Kyun Thaya Dai Nel (village tract) had about 400 people before the cyclone; now they have only four people left. So you can say that the whole village was wiped out.� All 50 villages in Kyun Thaya Dai Nel located between Meinmahla Kyun and Kadonkana islands southwest of Boglay are submerged. (The villages include Mi Laung Gwin, Kapanan, Yei Kyaw Gyi, Chaung Phye, Gway Chaung, Khaing Shwe Wa, Danyinphyu, inner and outer parts of Khaung Gyi Island, Buyakyaung, Hmon Tine Gyi, Hmon Tine Lay, Tayaw Chaung, Pulonetaing, Ashe-mae, Kantmalar, Chachee Island village, Thakinma Gyi, Thitpoke village, Letwel Gyi, Kyat Pyay and Thamadi). Thirty-three villages located in the Kyein Chaung Gyi village tract about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Bogalay were wiped out, including Shwe Htoo, Lamu Oat Gyi, Lamu Oat Lay, Ma Kyin Myaing, Hlay Lone Kwe, Arr-makhan, Japan Island and Lay Gwa. The officer from Light Infantry 66 said thousands of people were rescued in recent days from villages where the water level has gone down. Local residents said many people have seen no relief supplies during the past six days following the disaster. People do not know where to go to seek help, and they are in desperate need of safe drinking water, food and medicine. A government officer with the Maternal and Child Care Association serving Laputta and Pyapon said there is widespread fear of diseases such as malaria, diarrhea and cholera because of dead bodies that litter the area and unsanitary living conditions. A resident in the Kadon village tract who has been involved in the relief effort, said: �We are using May Kha, a double-deck boat; Thuria, a long-tale boat; and local fishing boats known as jote (30-35 feet long) in our efforts to find survivors.� Another soldier with Light Infantry 66 said, �There is not even a trace of a village left after the water has receded; they are just open, empty places now. There are thousands of decaying corpses around islands, villages and along the waterfronts. There is no one to cremate the bodies.� A rescue worker said: �There�s a pile of dead bodies amounting to hundreds in and around Mein Ma Hla Island. The waterfront along this area is littered with bodies, carcasses of live stock, buffaloes, cupboards, furniture and other household materials. There are so many corpses that it is impossible to bury them. �Even at the Irrawaddy jetty in Bogalay, the locals have had to pick up 30 to 40 dead bodies floating in the water daily. We went on a rescue mission to a place about 60 miles from Bogalay and saw countless bodies floating in the water.� A soldier from Light Infantry 66 said the government has opened shelters for refugees at Bogalay Education College, state high schools Nos1 and 2 and state middle school Nos 1 and 2. �Some 50 monasteries in the areas have opened shelters for the victims of the cyclone,� he said. �There are some 70,000 refugees in these shelters. These shelters can no longer cope with the growing number of people. The government has also set up shelters in Ma-u-ban Township. They are using double-deck boats in the rescue efforts and transferring victims, close to 1,000 a day, to these shelters.� Local medical service personnel say many people have serious injuries; they are turning away people with minor injuries because they can not cope with the numbers. Part of Bogalay Hospital was destroyed in the cyclone, including the delivery room, operating theater, OPD and several wards. The cyclone destroyed 90 percent of Bogalay, said officials. There are only two working telephones reserved for emergency purposes. An official from Boglay Township Maternal and Child Care Association said, �Soldiers from Division 66 and an engineering regiment from Taunggo have arrived for rescue efforts. But we have not been able to distribute enough food and water to the victims. �The longer we have to wait for aid the more people will die. I have so far seen only a few UN personnel and groups working under the UN.� Recently, officials said the government started distributing three egg-sized potatoes and one condensed milk tin of rice per survivor in villages around Bogalay and 8 tins of rice per household to families in Bogalay. A soldier said, �To provide supplies sufficient for the victims, we will need between 1,200 and 1,500 rice sacks daily for survivors in and around Bogalay. Now we are distributing what little supply we have.� Local officials said they do not have enough rice to feed some 200,000 people in villages destroyed or submerged in Laputta Township; it is providing rice soup instead. According to Phyapon residents, 46 villages have totaled disappeared and more than 10,000 people have died in their area. A journalist in Rangoon said many people arriving in the former capital show signs of psychological problems. �I�d like to urge the government as well as the international community to speed up the rescue and relief work,� he said. �This sort of situation does not require an order from the military. There�s no need to wait for an order from the military. Just one day delay can cause the loss of hundreds of lives. �It�s already been a week since the cyclone and little has been done effectively. If there is going to be more delay, many more lives will be lost unnecessarily. I want everyone to hurry.� http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=88,6372,0,0,1,0

Humor: Israelites Sue God For Breach Of Covenant

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28676 [quote:4fc35d97b6] NEW YORK�Attorneys representing the Tribe of Abraham filed suit against God in New York's Southern District Court Monday, citing 117 specific instances of breach of covenant. The Israelites are seeking $4.2 trillion in punitive and compensatory damages. "My client, the Children of Israel, entered into this covenant with the Defendant in good faith. They were assured, in writing, that in exchange for their exclusive worship of Him, they would be designated His chosen people and, as such, would enjoy His divine protection and guidance for eternity," said Marvin Sachs, the Manhattan attorney bringing the suit on behalf of the Israelites. "Yet, practically from the moment this covenant was signed, the Defendant has exhibited a blatant and willful disregard for its terms." According to Sachs, the Israelites have not received the protection they were promised in the covenant. "Despite the presence of numerous 'chosen people' clauses throughout this covenant, my client has suffered countless tragedies over the past 5,000 years, from the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem to the Spanish Inquisition to the Holocaust," Sachs said. "Does that sound like protection to you? Clearly, the Creator had no intention of honoring His legal and binding agreement with us from the start." Continued Sachs: "The covenant also states that the plaintiff is be entitled to all the lands of the Earth. This, too, has not occurred. Furthermore, it states that the plaintiff will become more numerous than the dust thereof. This has not occurred, either, assuming, of course, that the world contains more than 14 million particles of dust." Sachs then produced a Torah scroll and said, "I was raised to believe that this is more than just a piece of paper. What about Him?" Court officers visited the Defendant atop Mount Sinai early this morning, serving Him with papers and setting the legal machinery in motion. Though He has declined comment, lawyers in His employ have already cited multiple points of contention with the Israelite argument, questioning the authenticity of the thousand-year-old hand-inscribed documents and taking issue with the selection of New York, "a city of Israelites," as the trial site. Kevin Harrigan, chief legal counsel for the Lord, called a press conference Tuesday to read a personal statement from his Client. "Where was Marvin Sachs when I created the Heavens and the Earth? Where was Marvin Sachs when I laid the cornerstone of creation, and all the morning stars sang together? Can Marvin Sachs bind the influences of the Pleiades and loose the bands of Orion? Can Marvin Sachs call forth the snow or the small rain or the great storm?" the statement read. "He should not be so quick to sit in judgment, he who knows not the ordinances of Heaven nor their dominion of the Earth." Added Harrigan: "We'll agree to minor malfeasance. The Creator pays you a token $15,000 settlement, plus your filing fees, and we go easy on you." Despite the Lord's confidence, the Israelites say they have a case. "For 5,760 years, the plaintiff has honored their side of the contract, worshipping the Defendant with total devotion. But in return, they have gotten bupkes," Sachs said. "They trusted Him to protect them, and He threw them to everyone from the Egyptians to the Cossacks to the Nazis to the Palestinians. I'd have a hard time believing that anyone even remotely familiar with the plaintiff's history would argue that they're not victims of detrimental reliance." Harrigan responded that God's case is clear under the provisions of New York's commercial code. "We have yet to determine whether the Jews are arguing for the Covenant of Abraham, which covers homeland and birthright issues, the Davidic Covenant, under which they say they were guaranteed a Messiah, or some combination of the two," Harrigan said. "But one thing is clear: Standard assumptions for any legal contract in this district specifically state that the Defendant is not responsible for acts of God." Continued Harrigan: "I must also point out that the plaintiff has been given a homeland and offered at least one viable Messiah. If the plaintiff chooses not to accept them for whatever reason, it demonstrates that no meeting of the minds was truly possible and that they acted in bad faith, and the covenant is therefore rendered null and void." Harrigan went on to note that the Lord has not ruled out filing a breach-of-covenant countersuit against the Israelites, claiming that they "have failed to worship the Lord in an acceptably faithful manner." Among the evidence cited: a 70 percent rise in interfaith marriage among Jews since 1900 and last year's turnout of just 36 percent at worldwide Yom Kippur services. As of press time, the Israelites were moving forward with their case, undaunted by the fact that the Supreme Deity has never lost a trial. "My client has been searching for answers for a long time," Sachs said. "And they will continue to search for answers and seek the truth�no matter what the cost in legal fees." [/quote:4fc35d97b6]

Humor: Report: Al-Qaeda Allegedly Engaging In Telemarketing

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/27716 [quote:1886ac7b43] WASHINGTON, DC�In a chilling development, the CIA announced Monday that it has acquired a videotape showing suspected al-Qaeda operatives engaging in what appears to be telemarketing. "This video, obtained from a credible third-party source, features grainy footage of a group of men strongly believed to be al-Qaeda members making phone solicitations for vacation-home rentals, long-distance phone service, magazine subscriptions, and a vast array of other products and services," CIA Director George Tenet said at a press conference. "Many of these calls have occurred, unthinkably, during the dinner hour." Added Tenet: "We had known about al-Qaeda's practice of raising money through drug trafficking and money laundering, but it seems the full scope of their depravity had barely been imagined." The video is not the only evidence of telemarketing activity within al-Qaeda. According to Tenet, CIA agents tracking the terrorist organization over the past 12 months made steady progress infiltrating its communications network, eventually gaining access to transmissions to and from al-Qaeda operatives. These transmissions included a number of telemarketing "cold calls" to randomly chosen U.S. citizens. Last December, during a sweep of caves near the Afghan-Pakistani border, Maj. Gen. Dan K. McNeill, leader of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, unearthed further evidence corroborating the phone-solicitation theory. Inside one cave, McNeill and his troops found a bank of empty cubicles with individual phone lines, a bullhorn, and 10 desktop bells, commonly rung in the event of a "sale." "I couldn't believe what I saw," said McNeill, who also discovered bomb-making instructions and detailed maps of U.S. landmarks in the cave. "On top of all the destruction these people had already unleashed, plans were underway to harass the American people with a merciless assault of offers for everything from discounts on home DSL lines to pre-approved, low-interest credit cards." For all the evidence collected by the CIA, the "smoking gun" in the investigation may turn out to be an alleged Osama bin Laden motivational videotape, currently in the possession of CNN. The controversial tape, which has never aired on the cable network, is rumored to feature bin Laden urging his followers to think positive and believe in the quality of the product they are pitching, closing on the grim slogan "Smile And Dial." Among the victims of al-Qaeda's telemarketing efforts is Coral Gables, FL, retiree Bernice Parks, who last Friday spent nearly 45 minutes trying to say no to a pushy aluminum-siding salesman who identified himself only as "Mohammed," only to give in and order full siding for her home. It is believed that the $3,000 charged to Parks' credit card�an amount she thought to be "a rock-bottom value, especially compared to what big companies like Sears charge"�was funneled through al-Qaeda's extensive siding cartel. Nearly all of the $3,000 became al-Qaeda profit after what Parks described as "worn, faded siding that seemed to have been removed from another house" was hastily installed by three Middle-Eastern-looking men in an unmarked van. "These evil people are preying on bored receptionists, gullible housewives, and defenseless seniors like me," Parks said. "At home, at work... they simply do not care." In spite of the mounting evidence, al-Qaeda leaders detained in Guantanamo Bay continue to deny that their group is involved in any over-the-phone solicitation. "Al-Qaeda is willing to do many things to achieve its goals," said Tariq al-Salaam from his holding cell. "Disrupting people with intrusive, unwanted phone calls is not one of them." Jerry Wiener, a Metairie, LA, 75-year-old who was recently scammed into buying a $4,200-a-month timeshare condominium in "Yumabad, Arizona," urged the U.S. to take action. "If it was up to me, every last one of those animals would be drawn and quartered in the public square," Wiener said. "I thought these al-Qaeda guys were pretty bad before. But making pushy, aggressive sales pitches to random, innocent strangers who just want to eat their supper in peace? That's about as low as it gets." [/quote:1886ac7b43]

Heretic Hall: When is competition destructive? How competitive are you?

Just wondering. In sports, business, nature, government.... I think competition is beneficial, healthy, and natural to a degree. But I also see the destructive side of competition. I'm struggling with teaching my son the benefits of being competitive without teaching him that winning isn't everything, it's the only thing. He told me he hopes to get on an average baseball team next year instead of the one he is on. His coach is an ex marine who IMO is a tad extreme, yet our team is second in the league. I asked my son why he wants to be on an average team compared to a winning team and he said he was tired of being stuck in the outfield and last year got to pitch, play first, second, third, and short stop. The practices are insanely long IMO as well and he is just getting to the point where it's not fun any more. Last year we lost more than we won, and he didn't like to lose yet loved to play other positions. I really don't know what to tell him. I know teamwork is important. I know hard work pays off, yet he is so young to be learning this now. It's not going to get any easier from here on out, though. I am truly torn. This is just one small example out of a multitude I see humans engage in every day.

Atheist vs. Theist: Theist's (mostly christians) attraction to atheism

What are theist's attractions to an atheist forum like this one. Especially Christians. I take PJ as an example. Even after claims that he is not here to convert atheists, he is a regular. If you cannot convert people or have no even grounds to base your debates on, what keeps you from coming back especially if you haven't proven a single point? Don't get me wrong, I do not mind theist�s input in this forum, it is after all atheist vs. theist debate. I just don't understand their motives. I thought there might be a small element of possible doubt creeping in their belief system. The problem is if you want to question your faith, surely you should approach it with an open mind and consider the other party's point if it is worthy of considering. Quoting bible versus and using emotion as evidence accomplishes nothing. Informing us that you have faith and discarding our facts because your faith makes our views obsolete accomplishes even less. This is an atheist site so the emphasis should lie on the theist to prove him self and not the atheist. My only possible conclusion can be that there is an element of doubt in their beliefs. Unfortunately for Christians, their laws prohibit them from doubting their faith so the posts do not show the whole story. If one does not produce answers to contradictions if questioned it could be considered as a sign of doubt. I guess that�s where the ridiculous answers come from, or the subject is confidently shifted to avoid the issues and still show an element of confidence. Maybe I�m completely wrong. Can a theist please elaborate? I promise you will not be banned from this one.

Heretic Hall: something odd has occured

I played FFXI hardcore for a good 3 years and now it seems that my abs are uneven from sitting in the same position for so long.. I sat in a position while on my bed, leaning against the wall, it's hard to explain but it seems to have shifted the right side of my abs up half an inch as apposed to the left side.. And I don't know if it has anything to do with this but the left side of my obliques are freakishly large while my right obliques are kind of average.. the tip of the left side of my rib cage also pokes out far more than the right side, apparently because the skin stretched so much.. But more seriously, I think my spine might have *slightly* curved to the right, this seems serious because my back is sometimes in alot of pain, which is really abnormal for someone who's 18, it's not that big of a deal but I'm afraid it might cause something terrible as I age.. The tongue on my right converse shoe always falls to the side, probably because of the somewhat uneven walking pattern I have because of my spine.. Is this going to correct its self though? Is there anything I should do to make it normal again, the obliques, I could just work out the right side and even it out, and I don't really care about the left side of my rib cage poking out but the right side of my abs being half an inch higher than the left side and the spine is really starting to get on my nerves.. Edit: I'm thinking it might be because I did this during puberty..

Heretic Hall: Steroids in sports

Do you support steroids in sports? Personally, no. But just because I think that I would be missing out on seeing a lot of talented players that would refuse to play at the professional level due to not wanting to take steroids to remain competitive.

Multimedia: Collective Soul?

Does the band Collective Soul have strong religious or xian overtones to their music? I mean, are they like a Christian rock band that tones it down just enough to still be popular with the adult contemporary music audience? For example, the song Shine.

Heretic Hall: Steroid questions

Do steroids bloat your stomach? Also, I've read some conflicting research on 'roid rage', is there any consensus on whether or not it exists?

Humor: George Dubya & 3 brazilian soldiers

Condoleezza Rice was giving the president his daily briefing. She concluded by saying: "Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed in Iraq." "OH NO!" the President exclaims. "That's terrible!" His staff sat stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as the President wept uncontrollably . Finally, the President looks up and asks, "How many is a brazillion?"

Heretic Hall: Undercover Atheist attends Pastor John Hagee's boot camp

[b:71500ac417][size=16:71500ac417]An Atheist Goes Undercover to Join the Flock of Mad Pastor John Hagee[/size:71500ac417][/b:71500ac417] By Matt Taibbi, RollingStone.com The following link is an excerpt from Matt Taibbi's new book, [i:71500ac417]The Great Derangement[/i:71500ac417]" in which Taibbi recounts his "undercover" experiences at a John Hagee boot camp for new Christian converts: http://www.alternet.org/rights/84043?page=1 It's a bit of a long read (9 pages) but worth it ... he's got a great sense of humor in how he deals with this insane fundy experience, I was ROTFLMAO ... but along the way, Taibbi provides some profound insights into the dynamics of this sort of fundamentalist Christianity: [quote:71500ac417="Matt Taibbi"][b:71500ac417][color=black:71500ac417][size=15:71500ac417]it's all [u:71500ac417]a con that is done with the consent of the conned[/u:71500ac417]. Which is what gives it strength. [u:71500ac417]If everybody agrees to believe, it is real[/size:71500ac417][/color:71500ac417][/u:71500ac417][/b:71500ac417]. [page 7][/quote:71500ac417] [quote:71500ac417="Matt Taibbi"][b:71500ac417][color=black:71500ac417][size=15:71500ac417]By the end of the weekend I realized how quaint was the mere suggestion that Christians of this type should learn to "be rational" or "set aside your religion" about such things as the Iraq War or other policy matters. Once you've made a journey like this -- [u:71500ac417]once you've gone this far -- you are beyond suggestible[/u:71500ac417]. It's not merely the informational indoctrination, the constant belittling of homosexuals and atheists and Muslims and pacifists, etc., that's the issue. It's that [u:71500ac417]once you've gotten to this place, you've left behind the mental process that a person would need to form an independent opinion [/u:71500ac417]about such things. You make this journey precisely to experience the ecstasy of beating to the same big gristly heart with a roomful of like-minded folks. Once you reach that place with them, [u:71500ac417]you're thinking with muscles, not neurons[/size:71500ac417][/color:71500ac417][/b:71500ac417][/u:71500ac417]. [page 8][/quote:71500ac417] .

Heretic Hall: Hmmm...

[quote:e79e4a3b54]In total there are 48 users online :: 4 Registered, 1 Hidden and 43 Guests[/quote:e79e4a3b54] 43 guests? Wonder who they are...

Humor: FCC Okays Nudity On TV...

...As long as it is Alyson Hannigan. From The Onion: http://www.theonion.com/content/video/fcc_okays_nudity_on_tv_if_it_s

News & Science: The mystery of medications linked to suicide

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24262690/ By Fran Kritz Special to msnbc.com updated 8:55 a.m. ET May 7, 2008 When Kate Miller of Queensbury, N.Y., filled a new allergy drug prescription for her 15-year-old son, Cody, last July, she hoped it would improve his bothersome allergy symptoms. Now, Miller is wondering whether a possible side effect of the drug, Singulair, caused Cody � who she describes as a happy, athletic teenager � to take his own life about a month later. Miller isn�t alone. Physicians or patients have filed anecdotal reports with drug companies or the Food and Drug Administration on at least six drugs or drug classes that may have been linked to episodes of suicidal thoughts or actions. In just the past few months, the FDA has released several advisory notices to both doctors and the public about drugs linked to suicidal thoughts or actions, including Singulair, epilepsy drugs and the smoking-cessation drug Chantix. Reports have also been filed on antidepressants, the influenza drug Tamiflu and the acne medicine Accutane. It's a medical quandary that has doctors, drugmakers, federal health officials and patients confused and understandably concerned. Are the links between these medications and the risk of suicide real? And if so, how can drugs that are intended to help people instead potentially prompt them to end their lives?