Friday Link Dump 12/24/10

We compiled a larger Link Dump this week for all you godless heathens to read while stuck with family (or if you’re really lucky stuck without family) this weekend.  Just remember: Not only did the Christians appropriate the holiday itself, but they stole loads of pagan traditions to celebrate the made up birthday of a man who was not only not divine, but likely never existed.

Having said all that; at least Xmas is less sufferable than Easter.  HUZZAH!

A Holiday Message From Ricky Gervais: Why I Am An Atheist

There Goes the Sun - Huh, so Christians don’t own the season?

Christmas in America

The Origins of Religion by Victor Stenger - "Shit Happened," indeed.

Barney Frank Makes a Fool Out of Conservative Reporter Over “Don’t ask, Don’t Tell.” - I wish Barney Frank was my relative so I could listen to his sarcasm over holiday meals.

It's Not Healthy to Have an Imaginary Friend - 1) scientific evidence that prayers are beneficial is not that same thing as prayers being answered.   see psychosomatic  2) Even though it is Fox; I am pretty sure everyone on that set wanted to point out how ludicrous the statement “I don’t think it’s very healthy to have an imaginary friend” and “If you have an imaginary friend there is something wrong with you” is coming from a priest.  

A Christmas Message From Bill Maher

Merry War On Christmas - oops...sorry.  I meant to say Xmas...

Mommy, why Is there a War On Christmas? - I can’t wait for Xmas to be over so I can stop hearing about this bullshit , non-existent culture war.  

Christian Group Executes Plastic Santa by Firing Squad - Again, there is a serious lack of self-awareness to realize that everything you are saying to criticize Santa pertains to Jesus.  

Four in 10 Americans Believe in Strict Creationism - anything above zero is unacceptable.  

Life On Earth Began Three Billion Years Ago

An evolutionary biologist explains the one thing most people misunderstand about evolution - Thanks for the explanation...Meatloaf?

Fossil DNA points to a new branch of humanity

Skin was the first organ to evolve - Which, for whatever reason, made me think of QOTSA’s Skin On Skin.

Bones Gives Peek Into the Lives of Neanderthals - I have always theorized that the reason Neanderthals went extinct was due to their extreme yumminess.

Wild Chimps, Stick Dolls: What’s at Play Here? - I know some people are going to have a problem with this conclusion because it assigns a biological basis for gender roles and apparently that is a horrible, horrible thing to do.  Whether or not this particular study and it’s conclusions are correct I am of the opinion that gender roles - namely as they are used politically - do not matter.  Just because something is biologically dominant does not make the outliers morally or even biologically wrong.  There may be a statistically significant biological predisposition towards a gender role (one would expect this given the drive to propagate DNA), but ultimately the idea of “right vs. wrong” is entirely culturally assigned.  This is good since cultures are usually fluid and the mores of yesterday can change.  It is not necessary to automatically challenge the existence of biological gender roles.  It is wrong to assign a “right vs wrong” morality to it.  

Most Dinosaurs Were Vegetarian, Research Suggests and Beaks Transformed Dinosaurs, Expanding Diet

The “Government Takeover“of Heath Care, and Other Whoppers: Politifact Tabulates the Year’s Biggest Political Lies and Half-Truths

Meteorite Holds Amino Acid Surprise - Is it nougat?  I hope it’s nougat.  

The Sun’s gravity could be used to create an interstellar communications network

Antimatter Lightning Discovered

Pluto May Host an Ocean - It was going to host a Tupperware party, but cancelled when it was uninvited from all the big planet’s parties.  Snobs.  

Possible Ice Volcano Spied on Giant Saturn Moon

PhysicsWorld: Our Favorite Pictures of 2010

South Carolina Celebration of Secession Parks New Tensions - Don’t ever let someone get away with saying the Civil War was not about slavery.  That is a lie.  

I am an Ex-Mormon Video Channel - Mojoey posted one of these over at Deep Thoughts and I find that video incredibly sad.

Pope: Church must reflect on what allowed abuse - Can you guess who Pope Palpatine blames for priests raping children?  That’s right...godless secular heathens are responsible for PRIESTS RAPING CHILDREN!  

Dan Barker at the Colorado Christian University

some extra cartoons we missed earlier this week.  

Maybe this is why I am a godless, liberal heathen.  I never got an assault rifle for Xmas.

All jokes aside I want one!

Mid-Week Rant: Ricky Gervais and Noah

Monday Morning Stupid Quotes ~ Bill O'Reilly: WAR ON XMAS EDITION

Bloggers Note: A stupid quote page on Bill O'Reilly would just be too easy, so we've limited this post to his seasonal ratings grab of the "War on Christmas." Enjoy.

"Macy's, have done away with the Christmas greeting, "Merry Christmas."Now, all of this anti-Christian stuff is absurd, and may even be a bias situation. But the real reason it's happening has little to do with Christmas and everything to do with organized religion. Secular progressives realize that America as it is now will never approve of gay marriage, partial birth abortion, euthanasia, legalized drugs, income redistribution through taxation, and many other progressive visions because of religious opposition". ~From O'Reilly's Christmas Under Siege talking point page.
"Even Jewish people like Christmas." December 2004.
"Every company in America should be on its knees thanking Jesus for being born. Without Christmas, most American businesses would be far less profitable. More than enough reason for business to be screaming 'Merry Christmas.' But many will not. They're afraid of being attacked by secular forces. It is now time to draw the line, ladies and gentlemen. We must decide whether we value our heritage or not. ~November 2005
After a caller stated: "I was politely told by all the postal workers that I spoke with at the various post offices that the only stamp they offered was 'Holiday Cookies.' " O'Reilly said, "I think it's the first time in my lifetime that the United States Postal Service has not had a spiritual stamp for people like you who would like them,"[this is] "insulting you and your beliefs ... because your spiritual stamp is in context to the celebration of Christmas." ~December 2005 (Madonna & Child stamps were in fact available at the time).
So look, that's on a very intellectual level, and it's behind the scenes. But these retailers are killing -- they're shooting themselves. I mean, they're killing themselves, because millions of people are just not going to shop in these places. November 18, 2010
"Keep Christ in Unemployment." 2010
Here's a great compilation:
Happy Holidays!

Sunday Morning Hate ~ Wiley Drake

"I am glad George Tiller is dead. [Tiller was] "a brutal, murdering monster..." There may be a lot who would say, 'Oh that is mean. You shouldn't be that way,'" Drake said. "Well, no, it's an answer to prayer."

"I said to the Lord, 'Lord I pray back to you the Psalms, where it says that they are to become widowers and their children are to become orphans and so forth.' And we began calling for those imprecatory prayers, because he had obviously turned his back on God again and again and again,"-June 1st, 2009

When asked by interviewer Alan Colmes if there was anyone else who's death he prayed for, Drake replied, "The usurper that is in the White House is one, B. Hussein Obama. If he does not turn to God and does not turn his life around, I am asking God to enforce imprecatory prayers that are throughout the Scripture that would cause him death..."

"Imprecatory prayer is agreeing with God, and if people don't like that, they need to talk to God. God said it, I didn't. I was just agreeing with God."-June 3rd 2009

Metalocalypse - Religionklok

See more from Funny on rocktube.us


I woke up thinking about this episode for some reason.  Watch it while you can.  It will probably be taken down soon.

UPDATE (6/26/11): found a viable video of the episode.

.

Friday Link Dump 12/17/10

Glen Beck vs. Math

Finally! The gay agenda revealed. Molest our children and institute group sex for everyone! This intrepid website exposes the truth about Homosexual Urban Legends

AMERICA: Y UR PEEPS B SO DUM? by Joe Bageant: The best articles take everyone down a notch

“History of the Earth” in C Major, by Richard Dawkins

Hitchens Interview

New study suggests that intelligent people are less likely to believe in God. I'm going to take the high road on this one. And by high road I mean ironically pointing out that this study states the obvious without actually saying it. See how smart I am?

WikiLeaks Reports: the pope refused to cooperate in sex abuse investigations. Vatican press office decried the leaks as a matter of "extreme gravity." Just like the creation of the Universe.

Japanese probe reaches Venus They may even find life forms made of clouds.

Stem Cell Transplant Cures HIV In 'Berlin Patient'. This is a very specific case, but the science behind it is promising. For more on Stem Cell Regenerative Medicine read this.

FOXLEAKS: Fox boss ordered staff to cast doubt on climate science. This began with a Fox journalist accurately reporting news...I hope he learned his lesson. Here's Al Gore's response.

Nashville billboards claim Jesus will return May 21, 2011 The logic is undeniable, I say! This is worth reading to get to the last sentence.

We Are Science Probes

This is a few months old, but I recently ran into it again and wanted to post it. I had to put it after the jump since it auto-plays.

Mid-Week Rant: Marcus Brigstocke

via mojoey at Deep Thoughts

Woman Whipped In Public (Warning)

Woman Whipped In Public For Wearing Trousers | Atheist Media Blog

Ah yes, the Religion of Peace.

Monday Morning Stupid Quotes ~ Bill Donohue

"Christmas is not about Jack Frost; it's not about snowmen. We're not talking about some secular organization that has no religious roots. If they can't celebrate Christmas, then they should check out. What a bunch of cowards."
--Regarding the The West Village YMCA in NY replacing Santa Claus with Frosty the Snowman.

"Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular. It's not a secret, OK? And I'm not afraid to say it. That's why they hate this movie. It's about Jesus Christ, and it's about truth. It's about the messiah. Hollywood likes anal sex."

"The hyper-concentration on the Catholic Church is not by accident. The Church preaches an ethic of sexual restraint -- a profoundly countercultural idea -- so when a priest fails, it's tempting to highlight it. Human nature being what it is, that's understandable. But it's also immoral. Quite frankly, if sexual abuse is wrong, it should not matter what the identity of the abuser is. Selective justice is the highest form of injustice."

"It's not pedophelia. Most of the victims are post- pubescent. You have to get your facts straight. I'm sorry. If I'm the only one who is dealing with facts tonight, that's it. The vast majority of the victims are post-pubescent. That's not pedophelia, buddy. That's homosexuality."

--Setting the record straight regarding pedophile priests.

Sunday Morning Hate - Archbishop Peter Jensen

Easter Sunday, 2010. On atheism:

"It's about our determination as human beings to have our own way, to make our own rules, to live our own lives, unfettered by the rule of God and the right of God to rule over us."

"What we're really seeing, once more [is] an example of the contest between human beings and God over who rules the world."

"Last century we tried godlessness on a grand scale and the effects were devastating: Nazism, Stalinism, Pol Pot-ery, mass murder, abortion and broken relationships - all promoted by state-imposed atheism."

"[It's] the illusion that we can build a better life without God."

Friday Link Dump - 12/10/10

Christopher Hitchens: my hero of 2010 by Richard Dawkins

Video of Cassini’s Hyperion flyby

Christians Hire Stalker-Truck for Atheist Bus Ads - Doesn't this seem a little...I don't know...like overcompensation for something?  And the pastors and businessmen don't have the pride to disclose themselves?

Newfound planet stirs old debate

Beck continues to ignore factual rebuttals of his book: Broke

Historians Dismantle Beck's Roman History Lesson - Hmm.  I see a theme here.  

Texas GOP Official Opposes Jewish House Speaker: Christian "Are People That Do The Best Jobs' - “Someday, folks will have to understand that ‘some of my best friends are [fill in the blank with a minority group]‘ is a cliche repeated by bigots. I would have hoped that was obvious by now.”

Abstinence-Only Education Lesson 1: Drink the Spit (Video) which leads us to Accuracy, Efficacy And Ethics Of Abstinence-Only Programs Questioned By Public Health Experts

DADT Hearing VIDEO: Gates Warns GOP Senators They're Going Down A 'Dangerous Path' - When civilians defer decisions to military leaders it is all over.

"We have a gay guy [in the unit]. He's big, he's mean, and he kills lots of bad guys. No one cared that he was gay." - a special operations service member via the Pentagon DADT Study.  Page 6.  

Kentucky governor says jobs are behind incentives for religious theme park - It’s still clearly unconstitutional.  

Rep. Steve King Calls For The Return Of McCarthyism In Congress: It’s A ‘Good Process’ That He Would ‘Support’

Brave Atheist Activists Illegally Arrested, Later Vindicated - It's just not the same
without the "don't tase me, bro!" in there.

Alan Dershowitz to Mike Huckabee: Go Back to School - Another stellar potential GOP candidate for 2012.

This Week In Holy Crimes

CLIMATE CHANGE THREATENS ARCHAEOLOGICAL TREASURES

Alien planet discovered, but it shouldn't exist - It must be Jesus!

WEIRD ORBITS IN THE MILKY WAY

Dallas Baptist Church Pastor Starts ‘Grinch Alert’ To Shame Businesses Not Celebrating Christmas - Get a life.

Mid-Week Rant: Stephen Colbert

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
God Drops Steve Johnson's Football Pass
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election March to Keep Fear Alive

The Center of All Things

Monday Morning Stupid Quotes - Sarah Palin, Part II

“I’m like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I’m like, don’t let me miss the open door. Show me where the open door is.”

"But obviously, we've got to stand with our North Korean allies." interview on Glenn Beck's radio show, Nov. 24, 2010

"I want to help clean up the state that is so sorry today of journalism. And I have a communications degree. " Fox News interview with Sean Hannity, Nov. 22, 2010

"As we work and sightsee on America's largest island, we'll get to view more majestic bears, so now is a good time to draw attention to the political equivalent of the species."  referring to Kodiak Island in Alaska, even though Hawaii is America's biggest island, July 19, 2010

“Inexplicable: I recently won in court to stop my book ‘America by Heart’ from being leaked, but US Govt can't stop Wikileaks' treasonous act?”  via Twitter

Actually, Sarah, it is somewhat easy to explain.  The site is hosted in Sweden.  In case you are unaware, Sweden is not a part of the United States.  It is a sovereign nation.  The President of the US and American law enforcement have no authority there. 

Your book is copyrighted.  The cables are not.  Hence, the reason Gawker had to remove the excerpts from your book. 

Additionally, Julian Assange is not a U.S. Citizen.  It is not treason if you are not a U.S. Citizen.   

Sunday Morning Hate:Cardinal Pell

''A minority of people, usually people without religion, are frightened by the future. It's almost as though they've … nothing but fear to distract themselves from the fact that without God the universe has no objective purpose or meaning. Nothing beyond the constructs they confect to cover the abyss.''

Life without God was ''life without purpose, without constraints." 

We should not create an ''ideological apartheid'' between faith and reason, Cardinal Pell said.

Cardinal Pell, the Archbishop of Sydney, said during his homily at the St Mary's Cathedral Mass.

Friday Link Dump 12/3/10

‘WHITE WINE IN THE SUN’ PROCEEDS FOR THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY AGAIN THIS YEAR - Buy the song!

The Top Ten Daily Consequences of Having Evolved

What if the Right was Right? A Reflection on the "Christian States of America." (Updated) - *shudders*

Peerless Pterosaur Could Fly Long-Distance For Days

Troops buck historical trend by saying gays OK - That really should be the last hurdle.  It won’t be.  (see DADT study)

How Much Does Birth Order Shape Our Lives?

American Atheists: You KNOW it’s a Myth! - “Statistics show that nearly 50 million Americans are atheists.” ...and growing.  

Victor Stenger: Questions for a New Atheist: Part 1 & Part 2 - I think I like Stenger’s book “The New Atheism: Taking a Stand for Science and Reason” the best out of the major New Atheist publications.

Please, Don’t Appeal to Quantum Physics to Propagate Your Pseudoscience - Ya hear that, Chopra?

The Big Religion Chart - This is a useful and interesting guide, however, I am irritated at the inclusion of atheism as a religion.  Do we have to review the definition again?

Saturn's moon Rhea may have a breathable atmosphere - I really wish we could get probes to Rhea and Europa soon.  I’m just so curious!

Catholic Priest Tried to Pay Hitman to Kill Teen He Molested - All he has to do is confess, right?  He can start with the police and the DA.  Then his imaginary sky molester god.   

10 Anti-Gay Myths Debunked

When Should You Talk To Your Kids About Star Wars? - I posted this on my personal Facebook page a week ago and I got a lot of comments about how funny it was.  I don’t think a single person understood the subversive tone.  

Blasphemy Resolution Passes U.N. Committee - What the hell?

UN votes against protecting gays from execution - I’m starting to think the UN is maybe, possibly useless.  

100-Million-Year-Old Crocodile Species Discovered - insert lazy joke about the Earth being 6,000-10,000 years old and Noah’s Ark.  Blah, blah, blah.  

Moses Was Tripping - Well, not Moses, but the guy who dreamed up Moses.

Palin's reckless views on obesity - The Right is so pathetic they will criticize anything the Left does; especially the Obamas.  Is commenting on and criticizing this really worthy of  an honest person’s time? No, of course not.  That says a lot.  

The Two Most Essential, Abhorrent, Intolerable Lies Of George W. Bush's Memoir

Conservatives’ Perverse Notion That Economic Sabotage Can Win Them Elections

Transcripts and Audio: Christopher Hitchens on Not Believing

Scientology Live @ Joe's Pub - Political Subversities - wait for the end.

In the Beginning, the Universe was a Liquid - I like to imagine that it was beer.

Mid-Week Rant: Ricky Gervais