nullifidian's Comments

Homologous Legs : Update on my Signature in the Cell adventure

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:48:44 +0000

On the contrary, they seem to have a very good idea of what they are trying to do. What they have difficulty doing is a) publishing anything that comes even vaguely close to looking like science, and b) hiding their theistic agenda (i.e. Wedge) behind a veneer of same.

nullifidian : "Mummy, what's a 'yoomanist'?"

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:27:47 +0000

For a populist rag like the Mail this may cause them to re-think their usual conservative stance.

While I commend your hopeful enthusiasm, I sincerely doubt it. Happy to be proven wrong, though!

Bloggerheads : Nadine Dorries and the right to know (Happy birthday, information request!)

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:22:27 +0000

Letter of complaint sent to Nominet [https://secure.nominet.org.uk/account/whois-complaint.html]: Sir, I belief the above domain [righttoknow.org.uk], the owners of which are currently exercising their power to opt-out from the WHOIS database, which as a political-action entity supported by two Members of Parliament, should be subject to the principles of openness and accountability to the public interest that we, as UK citizens, now require for our political representatives. As this web site's purpose is to call for support of political action, notwithstanding the controversial nature of the topic, I believe that it is essential for the purposes of accountability that this domain can be audited and tracked back to its sponsors. If you decide that opting-out is reasonable for such purposes, I would ask that you clarify the rules as to when the opt-out from the WHOIS database is appropriate concerning such political entities. Yours faithfully, <my name>

nullifidian : Quantum Jumping

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:06:38 +0000

At least the guy hasn't changed his name to "Sam Beckett"...

Homologous Legs : The Discovery Institute is correct - intelligent design is not creationism

Thu, 1 Jul 2010 01:46:08 +0000

I'll type this slowly, so that I don't confuse you: Evolution. Does. Not. Deal. With. Abiogenesis. At. All. Also, reverting to "science can't explain X, therefore ID is true" is just the basest form of an argument from ignorance (or lack of imagination). Or perhaps too much imagination if one is happy to Make Shit Up™ just so one doesn't have to say "well, actually, you know, I don't know how it happened. I'll wait and see what any cogent evidence says".

Homologous Legs : The Discovery Institute is correct - intelligent design is not creationism

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:48:22 +0000

Or, to use your post's title, "The Discovery Institute is correct – intelligent design is not creationism", but their "intelligent design" is.

Homologous Legs : The Discovery Institute is correct - intelligent design is not creationism

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:02:49 +0000

Are you also saying, then, that when discussing the DI, we should always prefix the "ID" part with "creationist"? Shouldn't we also then prefix this with "christian" as opposed to islamic or any other religious motivation? What about adding "protestant", etc. too? Nobody is arguing for any kind of, as you say, "pure" ID in a vacuum, without laying claim to precis knowledge about the nature of the designer(s). Well, I suppose deists might, but the best answer they can come up with is an argument from either ignorance or incredulity, neither of which seem to bother them one iota. Not that I particularly mind this attitude... ID, by definition, is creationist (or at the very least "designerist", but again nobody is arguing for just design. What the DI do is the creationist flavour of "intelligent design": it's still creationism. It's just wearing a stolen labcoat and pointing stupidly at empty Erlenmeyer flasks while waving a bible hidden by a clipboard. BTW, it seems that Nagel isn't directly associated with the DI, he just made an argument that they happen to like (to paraphrase and précis: "what reason do we have to assume that it was evolution by natural selection that created 'the mind'?"). They've decided—unsurprisingly—to interpret this as "evolution didn't make mind, therefore design (and therefore Jesus)".

Homologous Legs : The Discovery Institute is correct - intelligent design is not creationism

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:59:29 +0000

Aside from the tweets, here's my take on this from a while back: The Wedge Strategy: why “intelligent design” is a religiously political, not scientific, movement . In that I call them c/IDists, with creationism being a specialising modifier of ID (i.e. a subset). Saying that, I don't know of any non-theistic (as opposed to non-religious) proponents of ID except the Raëlians, but they don't even pretend try to wedgify science.

Paliban Daily : British mayor swaps council prayers for poems

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:19:41 +0000

Cllr Jon Kaye said:

The prayer enables councillors to not only reflect on what is said, but to think about how we conduct ourselves during the subsequent three-hour meetings.

So Mr Kaye is unable to conduct himself professionally and with due diligence unless he has previously bowed his head and mouthed a platitude to his god? Glad he's not on my local council, then.

Deep Thoughts : Death and euthanasia

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 09:50:07 +0000

I'm so very sorry for your loss. Please accept my condolences. Your updates have been both saddening and thought-provoking, and I appreciate you sharing your story. Take care.

Deep Thoughts : You want the story?

Thu, 13 May 2010 09:36:59 +0000

Coldplay? You really are a glutton for punishment. ;-)

Attempts at Rational Behavior : Singing Sunday school five year old = patriot?

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:49:28 +0000

They spelled "parrot" wrong.

Attempts at Rational Behavior : Methinks the lady doth protest too much

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:05:47 +0000

It is.

Sean the Blogonaut : What Skeptics think of Mike Adams thoughts on Skeptics

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:42:14 +0000

The man is completely hatstand.

nullifidian : Hey! Creationists!

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:08:49 +0000

That doesn't make any sense. Who was talking about your gods and what does it have to do with science?

nullifidian : Here's to you, Iris Robinson

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:21:04 +0000

Not at all. Robinson is infamous for her bigoted homophobic evangelical fundie christian views, which she espoused quite vehemently on a BBC radio show in NI. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_Robinson#Commen... The fact that she's a levitical hypocrite as well as being a lying sack of shit regarding the money issue is just icing on a well-deserved comeuppance cake.

DailyAtheist.Net : Pat Robertson: "Haiti made a deal with the devil"

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:43:34 +0000

'Might makes right' is a moral truth when, and only when, it comes to people's gods. I do, however, sense poeishness in Demetrius' comment... ;-)

Sean the Blogonaut : Steampunk Saturday â Steampunk Band Abney Park

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:15:23 +0000

I wouldn't have immediately genred (is that a word?) Abney Park as 'steampunk', more sort of new-wave industrial, but since you (and they) point it out I can see it now. Thanks for the vids. I've still never seen them live even though I've been to Stokey countless times. ;-) The less said about Evanescence, the better (especially if the 'g' word (no, the other 'g' word! ;-) is being bandied around!)

nullifidian : Mohammed is no Ripley

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:15:44 +0000

Ah Mabus. When will your stupidity end? The fact that you post the same utterly pointless and retarded comment at every opportunity simply goes to show that you've not had an original thought in your head for quite some time (if ever). Thankfully the Internet documents your years of complete and utter ineptness for all to see. Welcome to my killfile (again).

nullifidian : Like their gods

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:29:21 +0000

I'll have to take your word for that, as I appear unable to recall the precise circumstances of the multifarious christian theodicies. I guess Phelps, then, is perhaps more in line with standard christian theologies than I previously thought. Mea culpa.

nullifidian's Comments

Homologous Legs : Update on my Signature in the Cell adventure

nullifidian : "Mummy, what's a 'yoomanist'?"

Bloggerheads : Nadine Dorries and the right to know (Happy birthday, information request!)

nullifidian : Quantum Jumping

Homologous Legs : The Discovery Institute is correct - intelligent design is not creationism

Homologous Legs : The Discovery Institute is correct - intelligent design is not creationism

Homologous Legs : The Discovery Institute is correct - intelligent design is not creationism

Homologous Legs : The Discovery Institute is correct - intelligent design is not creationism

Paliban Daily : British mayor swaps council prayers for poems

Deep Thoughts : Death and euthanasia

Deep Thoughts : You want the story?

Attempts at Rational Behavior : Singing Sunday school five year old = patriot?

Attempts at Rational Behavior : Methinks the lady doth protest too much

Sean the Blogonaut : What Skeptics think of Mike Adams thoughts on Skeptics

nullifidian : Hey! Creationists!

nullifidian : Here's to you, Iris Robinson

DailyAtheist.Net : Pat Robertson: "Haiti made a deal with the devil"

Sean the Blogonaut : Steampunk Saturday â Steampunk Band Abney Park

nullifidian : Mohammed is no Ripley

nullifidian : Like their gods

Sean the Blogonaut : Steampunk Saturday â Steampunk Band Abney Park