In a complete reversal of policy and ideology, Hamas leader Ismail Haniya and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas united and vowed to embrace Israel as their only real friend in the middle east. They also have decided to drop the title of Palestinians, stating that they are just simply Arabs living in Gaza and the West Bank.
They formally agreed to disintegrate the two parties of Hamas and Fatah, and call the new party The Democratic Party of Gazan and West Bank Arabs. Abbas is now the President, while Haniya gladly took the Vice-President position. Abdul Aziz Duaik will now be the Secretary of State.
Haniya was quoted as saying, "When the Gaza sewer collapsed, and the Jews in Israel were the only group on the planet to offer help. it made me realize that Israel is our only friends and that the surrounding Arab countries have used us for 59 years as pawns. They don't give a rats ass about us, and it is clear now, that they never did. We realize now it was a terrible mistake to make Gaza a Jew free zone, and we invite all Jews from anywhere on the planet to live with us in peace."
Abbas decided to drop the title "Palestinians," stating, "the word has nothing but negative connotations associated with it and it is also a deceptive word as there never has been a nation known as Palestine."
On the Right of Return issue, Abbas added, "how silly is that?, I mean, who cares where our grandparents and great grandparents squatted? Right of return is just another stupid concept invented by our Arab neighbours as a way to keep us in contempt of our great Jewish allies."
Link to above story.
In other news, David Duke has been seen dating Halle Berry, Mad Zionist is converting to Islam, and Gert (from Developing Your Web Presence) has just bought a home in Hebron.
OK, but seriously, can you believe this article by Reuters? It is nice to see some intelligence coming out of the Palestinians for a change.
April 1, 2007
March 30, 2007
Mammals Didn't Branch Out As Soon As Dinosaurs Perished: So What?
Yeah, I know this sounds like a victory for creationists because if science is wrong about one thing, then all science is wrong. Just like the bible would be wrong if Pi wasn't 3.
It now looks like mammals branched out a little 65 million years ago, but waited another 10-15 million years to really diversify.
Science assumed that mammals evolved as soon as dinosaurs perished. This was based on the facts that mammals did branch out after the dinosaurs perished, and dinosaurs weren't around to stop the mammals from evolving. However, evolution usually only happens when it is needed to happen, so that species can increase their chance of survival.
What we do know is no animal larger than a house cat survived very long past the meteorite hit, or hits of around 65 million years ago. We do know that oxygen levels on earth were much higher than they are now, as well.
A large meteorite hit would most likely cut off sunlight (which is a big part of current theory), and most of the plant life on the planet died.
All that were left on land, were small detritivores (cool, I learned a new word). Food was a plenty for these animals, which included insects and little rodent like mammals.
When food is plentiful, and the environment stays somewhat stable, there is no need to evolve. Also, because the larger animals perished, what most likely happened is that large plants and trees died, causing large herbivores to die, causing large carnivores to have nothing to eat. They couldn't survive on the smaller animals who already knew how to hide from the big guys, more or less.
I don't think loss of trees and large plants was all there was to the dinosaurs demise, because they weren't quite cold blooded reptiles, and many small reptiles did survive. Studies have shown their body temperatures varied with size.
Body temperature and the abrupt change in oxygen content most likely was the greatest contributor to dinosaur extinction, but science doesn't know for sure YET. The jury is still out to why small dinosaurs also perished, or did they evolve into birds after the meteorite hit, or something else that went extinct?
Not knowing YET doesn't mean that God exists. And it definitely doesn't mean that because science doesn't know YET, that the earth is less than 10,000 years old and evolution didn't happen.
There is a good chance that the atmosphere slowly changed, or maybe abruptly changed around 50 million years ago, causing plants to get bigger and trees to grow again, which led to different food sources and a need for some animals to get bigger to have a greater chance of species survival.
Many headlines for the above story make it seem that the dinosaur's demise had no bearing on allowing mammals to evolve. The thing they are missing is that without the dinosaur's extinction, mammals would most likely never have got bigger than a small cat, or they would have been easy targets for snacking.
If the meteorite missed, dinosaurs would most likely be still dominating the planet, and only small mammals might still be here. Except for the free-range large mammals, the now highly intelligent dinosaurs bred on farms, for food.
I added these tectonics maps showing continental drift at three crucial times. Remember, placental mammals and marsupial mammals branched out around 110 million years ago. Placental mammals didn't make it to Australia for quite some time after the big asteroid hit.
Isolation of the marsupial mammals, coupled with plenty of food and shelter, probably had something to do with the fact that no Aussie animal developed their intelligence into anything that resembled man or bonobo or dolphin. Maybe next meteorite crash, the Australian little rodents that survive, will be the ones that lead to the most intelligent species on the planet, eventually.
For real science from real scientists on this topic, check out Sandwalk and Pharyngula.
It now looks like mammals branched out a little 65 million years ago, but waited another 10-15 million years to really diversify.
Science assumed that mammals evolved as soon as dinosaurs perished. This was based on the facts that mammals did branch out after the dinosaurs perished, and dinosaurs weren't around to stop the mammals from evolving. However, evolution usually only happens when it is needed to happen, so that species can increase their chance of survival.
What we do know is no animal larger than a house cat survived very long past the meteorite hit, or hits of around 65 million years ago. We do know that oxygen levels on earth were much higher than they are now, as well.
A large meteorite hit would most likely cut off sunlight (which is a big part of current theory), and most of the plant life on the planet died.
All that were left on land, were small detritivores (cool, I learned a new word). Food was a plenty for these animals, which included insects and little rodent like mammals.
When food is plentiful, and the environment stays somewhat stable, there is no need to evolve. Also, because the larger animals perished, what most likely happened is that large plants and trees died, causing large herbivores to die, causing large carnivores to have nothing to eat. They couldn't survive on the smaller animals who already knew how to hide from the big guys, more or less.
I don't think loss of trees and large plants was all there was to the dinosaurs demise, because they weren't quite cold blooded reptiles, and many small reptiles did survive. Studies have shown their body temperatures varied with size.
Body temperature and the abrupt change in oxygen content most likely was the greatest contributor to dinosaur extinction, but science doesn't know for sure YET. The jury is still out to why small dinosaurs also perished, or did they evolve into birds after the meteorite hit, or something else that went extinct?
Not knowing YET doesn't mean that God exists. And it definitely doesn't mean that because science doesn't know YET, that the earth is less than 10,000 years old and evolution didn't happen.
There is a good chance that the atmosphere slowly changed, or maybe abruptly changed around 50 million years ago, causing plants to get bigger and trees to grow again, which led to different food sources and a need for some animals to get bigger to have a greater chance of species survival.
Many headlines for the above story make it seem that the dinosaur's demise had no bearing on allowing mammals to evolve. The thing they are missing is that without the dinosaur's extinction, mammals would most likely never have got bigger than a small cat, or they would have been easy targets for snacking.
If the meteorite missed, dinosaurs would most likely be still dominating the planet, and only small mammals might still be here. Except for the free-range large mammals, the now highly intelligent dinosaurs bred on farms, for food.
I added these tectonics maps showing continental drift at three crucial times. Remember, placental mammals and marsupial mammals branched out around 110 million years ago. Placental mammals didn't make it to Australia for quite some time after the big asteroid hit.
Isolation of the marsupial mammals, coupled with plenty of food and shelter, probably had something to do with the fact that no Aussie animal developed their intelligence into anything that resembled man or bonobo or dolphin. Maybe next meteorite crash, the Australian little rodents that survive, will be the ones that lead to the most intelligent species on the planet, eventually.
For real science from real scientists on this topic, check out Sandwalk and Pharyngula.
March 28, 2007
God Mysteriously Appears In My Latest Youtube Video
And apparently God is a straight purple (or violet) light and he is living in my attic.
I did this video a couple of nights ago in my bathroom. Now, I know I didn't see a purple light while filming. Yet, when I uploaded the video to Youtube, the purple light apparently was coming down from my attic and through the light bulb, and it stayed for the entire time I filmed.
I made the video as a response to why I make Atheist related Youtube videos, and why my blog is Atheist related. God must be trying to give me a sign. Ok, here is the video and please take my word for it, the purple light was not there. I swear to Darwin, I did not do this on purpose:
Maybe God doesn't want me preaching about an ancient earth and evolution. He knows my blog and videos might influence young Fundies or people with open minds. Maybe he just wanted to see me shave. Maybe he was checking out the Shick Quattro. But I didn't see any hair in the light. Maybe he wants the Quattro for his wife or girlfriend. Maybe it is for his male lover. I better watch what I say about God for now on. He might be a wrathful light.
I'm still not 100% that the purple light is God, but what other explanation could there be?
I did this video a couple of nights ago in my bathroom. Now, I know I didn't see a purple light while filming. Yet, when I uploaded the video to Youtube, the purple light apparently was coming down from my attic and through the light bulb, and it stayed for the entire time I filmed.
I made the video as a response to why I make Atheist related Youtube videos, and why my blog is Atheist related. God must be trying to give me a sign. Ok, here is the video and please take my word for it, the purple light was not there. I swear to Darwin, I did not do this on purpose:
Maybe God doesn't want me preaching about an ancient earth and evolution. He knows my blog and videos might influence young Fundies or people with open minds. Maybe he just wanted to see me shave. Maybe he was checking out the Shick Quattro. But I didn't see any hair in the light. Maybe he wants the Quattro for his wife or girlfriend. Maybe it is for his male lover. I better watch what I say about God for now on. He might be a wrathful light.
I'm still not 100% that the purple light is God, but what other explanation could there be?
March 26, 2007
When Will Fundies Start Boycotting The Simpsons?
I normally blink and miss the couch scenes at the beginning of each Simpsons episode. For some reason, I turned my head from my computer and saw the one from last night.
I wonder if their pro-evolution attitude is starting to piss off the Religious Right.
Last year they did a Scopes trial spoof, called the Monkey Suit (see bottom of this post). To think, Fundy children might be watching these episodes, and then they may ask their parents some tough questions. Fundies can't like these confrontations because it forces them to lie (yeah, deep down, most Fundies know they are lying, it is part of their mental illness). Anyway, this is the most educational Simpsons piece ever. It is the longest couch scene as well, as it runs over one minute:
They really did their homework for the scene.
The Simpsons represent the ideal Christian nuclear family. Neither Homer or Marge came into the marriage from another marriage, and other than the one episode, (The Computer Wore Menace Shoes), when Homer was replaced at home by a double and it was implied that Marg was getting German shlong, there has been no known adultery. They also attend church regularly.
Still the recent acceptance of Marge's gay sister and the evolution episode may just be too much for Fundy parents to handle.
The jury is out about whether Matt Groening, the shows creator, is an Agnostic or Atheist. He says he is Agnostic probably because he knows he would lose a huge percentage of his audience if he admitted to Atheism.
From Celebatheists:
Now, if you have another 5 minutes and want to laugh out loud, here is a 5 minute compilation of Family Guy poking fun at religion:
See also, The Simpsons and Family Guy Take On Creation and Evolution for the Monkey Suit video.
I wonder if their pro-evolution attitude is starting to piss off the Religious Right.
Last year they did a Scopes trial spoof, called the Monkey Suit (see bottom of this post). To think, Fundy children might be watching these episodes, and then they may ask their parents some tough questions. Fundies can't like these confrontations because it forces them to lie (yeah, deep down, most Fundies know they are lying, it is part of their mental illness). Anyway, this is the most educational Simpsons piece ever. It is the longest couch scene as well, as it runs over one minute:
They really did their homework for the scene.
The Simpsons represent the ideal Christian nuclear family. Neither Homer or Marge came into the marriage from another marriage, and other than the one episode, (The Computer Wore Menace Shoes), when Homer was replaced at home by a double and it was implied that Marg was getting German shlong, there has been no known adultery. They also attend church regularly.
Still the recent acceptance of Marge's gay sister and the evolution episode may just be too much for Fundy parents to handle.
The jury is out about whether Matt Groening, the shows creator, is an Agnostic or Atheist. He says he is Agnostic probably because he knows he would lose a huge percentage of his audience if he admitted to Atheism.
From Celebatheists:
Matt Groening -- the executive producer of "The Simpsons," who pokes a lot of fun at religion -- was asked by The New York Times whether he believed in God and what he considers the most comical story in the Bible.
Said Groening: "I was very disturbed when Jesus found a demon in a guy, and he put the demon in a herd of pigs, then sent them off a cliff. What did the pigs do? I could never figure that out. It just seemed very un-Christian. Technically, I'm an agnostic, but I definitely believe in hell -- especially after watching the fall TV schedule."
Now, if you have another 5 minutes and want to laugh out loud, here is a 5 minute compilation of Family Guy poking fun at religion:
See also, The Simpsons and Family Guy Take On Creation and Evolution for the Monkey Suit video.
March 23, 2007
Times, They Are A Changing
A part-time biology teacher in Oregon was fired for referring to the bible.
Kris Helphinstine 27, also made links between evolution and Planned Parenthood and Nazi Germany. And I doubt it was links to show that evolution has very little to do with either. They were most likely the Fundy links that are all over the internet. You know:
Darwin's evolution is about survival of the fittest (which of course, is not what evolution is all about).
Hitler thought Aryans were the fittest and wanted a world full of only Aryans.
Hitler also thought that Jews were subhuman species and tried to murder as many as he could.
Therefore, evolution is evil.
It is kind of like blaming Newton and gravity for how bullets travel.
Newton's gravity explains why and how things fall to earth (simplified and localized).
Bullets have to go real fast so they don't fall to the earth fast in order to kill people.
Therefore, gravity is evil.
I'm really surprised that the kids were so aware of what he was doing, and even more surprised that some of the parents spoke up.
This is just great news.
Now for another mentally ill creationist on Hitler and evolution. Presenting Reverend Rickey:
H/T Internet Infidels Newswire for the teacher story
Kris Helphinstine 27, also made links between evolution and Planned Parenthood and Nazi Germany. And I doubt it was links to show that evolution has very little to do with either. They were most likely the Fundy links that are all over the internet. You know:
Darwin's evolution is about survival of the fittest (which of course, is not what evolution is all about).
Hitler thought Aryans were the fittest and wanted a world full of only Aryans.
Hitler also thought that Jews were subhuman species and tried to murder as many as he could.
Therefore, evolution is evil.
It is kind of like blaming Newton and gravity for how bullets travel.
Newton's gravity explains why and how things fall to earth (simplified and localized).
Bullets have to go real fast so they don't fall to the earth fast in order to kill people.
Therefore, gravity is evil.
I'm really surprised that the kids were so aware of what he was doing, and even more surprised that some of the parents spoke up.
This is just great news.
Now for another mentally ill creationist on Hitler and evolution. Presenting Reverend Rickey:
H/T Internet Infidels Newswire for the teacher story
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