Is it impolite to boo at a fireworks display?
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Happy July 4th
Posted on July 4, 2011 by Michael
Yeah, I could call it Independence Day, but that would be unAmerican.
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Thought of the day
Posted on July 3, 2011 by Michael
Weddings are so much fun. In fact, it was such a happy time, I’ll make an exception for my no-exclamations rule: Congratulations to my two great friends!
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Thought of the day
Posted on July 1, 2011 by Michael
Over and over again I find that when pressed to think philosophically, theists either refuse or fail miserably.
Filed under: Misc | Tagged: Philosophical thinking, Thought of the day | 3 Comments »
Thought of the day
Posted on June 29, 2011 by Michael
Every once in awhile I’ll see someone at the gym in entirely inappropriate workout attire. Usually it’s jeans, but today was a polo shirt. However, that wasn’t what really caught my attention. What was interesting was that he had popped his collar. Mind you, not to be hip or retro or whatever bullshit reason people are giving so they can indulge in bad fashion. He was doing it for the sake of staying a little cooler. (A non-cotton t-shirt would have been a little more efficient, don’t you think?) But this got me thinking:
Let it be known here: Any man who wears a popped collar in any scenario not sufficiently similar* to the above described situation** is just your standard asshole. If his shirt is also pink, that makes him an ironic standard asshole.
*Sufficient similarity is to be determined based upon my whims.
**The guy really was wearing awful gym attire, though.
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Happy Father’s Day
Posted on June 19, 2011 by Michael
Happy Father’s Day.
What, you got him something different?
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The 100 greatest non-fiction books
Posted on June 15, 2011 by Michael
The Guardian has come out with a list of its 100 greatest non-fiction books. I’m a fan of the science section:
On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin (1859)
Darwin’s account of the evolution of species by natural selection transformed biology and our place in the universeThe Character of Physical Law by Richard Feynmann (1965)
An elegant exploration of physical theories from one of the 20th century’s greatest theoreticiansThe Double Helix by James Watson (1968)
James Watson’s personal account of how he and Francis Crick cracked the structure of DNAThe Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins (1976)
Dawkins launches a revolution in biology with the suggestion that evolution is best seen from the perspective of the gene, rather than the organismA Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking (1988)
A book owned by 10 million people, if understood by fewer, Hawking’s account of the origins of the universe became a publishing sensation
I’m especially interested in reading Watson’s book. The story behind science is often nearly as interesting as the science itself. It should be a good read.
But these few books aren’t why I’m posting this. It’s the reason the Guardian gave for not including religious texts:
Primo Levi’s Periodic Table makes it on the list despite its fantastical elements, but after some debate we decided that religious texts were a little too, well, fictional.
Snap.
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Thought of the day
Posted on June 13, 2011 by Michael
The exclamation point is most prevalent in the toolbox of the lazy writer.
Filed under: Misc | Tagged: Exclamation point, Thought of the day | 3 Comments »
Thought of the day
Posted on June 10, 2011 by Michael
One thing I’ve noticed in debates and conversations over FTSOS, Facebook, and elsewhere is that creationists love to throw around scientific terms. Of course, they have no idea what any of them really mean, but that doesn’t stop them. “Information” is a favorite, but there are even simpler ones. Unfortunately, when pressed to give definitions or in-depth explanations, there is little to no accountability. Don’t know what the hell you’re saying on Facebook? Someone challenge you? No worry. Just ignore it and move on. It’s the Internet. So in light of this, I’m instituting a personal policy of asking creationists to give me definitions of simple terms when I see them in person. Since these people obviously aren’t even interested in biology or any other science, it won’t be a fair fight, I know. But they have it coming.
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For the Sake of Science 