Monthly Archives: November 2009

Am I Older than Adam Kirsch?

Posted on November 28, 2009 by

Apparently so. This year Adam Kirsch, 33, has cemented his position as this century’s first pre-eminent Jewish man of letters. A widely admired poet and essayist, his mind is exercised both by Jewish particularity and the broader world of culture. … Continue reading →

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The Dalai Lama Begs the Question

Posted on November 28, 2009 by

Tradition is good, because it is tradition. Logical, no? Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Wednesday rejected a recent decision by the European Court of Human Rights opposing the display of the crucifix in school classrooms in officially secular … Continue reading →

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2012 Baloney Detector

Posted on November 25, 2009 by

Thanks to the Skepticblog for pointing this out: claim for claim, Information Is Beautiful debunks the 2012ers. Not that it really matters; the nutjobs won’t stop dreaming of apocalypse just because some nerds actually took the time to hold their … Continue reading →

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Be a Skeptic!

Posted on November 25, 2009 by

I’m not trying to convert anyone. What, I wonder, would that be? There is no skeptic’s religion. Being skeptical is a stance, a way of thinking critically about the world, a method of engaging with information. After all, you can’t … Continue reading →

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A Bible in Every Home

Posted on November 24, 2009 by

The Klansmen up north now want to make sure every home has a bible in it, at least in their jurisdiction. Re-christianization? You’d think there were menorahs in every public place and synagogues a-go-go, or perhaps the piercing cry of … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Human Rights, Identity, Religious Hypocrisy, Separation of church and state | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Debating the Catholic Church

Posted on November 23, 2009 by

How did I miss this???

Posted in Free speech, Pope and the Vatican, Religious Faith, Religious Hypocrisy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

It’s Going to Be a Very White Christmas

Posted on November 23, 2009 by

Some people are saying it’s a bit early to start worrying about Christmas. In the US, ’tis the season to be merry as soon as the Thanksgiving turkey exits the small intestine (or is it the large one?). In Italy, people … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Identity, Italy, Political corruption, Religious Hypocrisy | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Have a Merry, Christless Christmas!

Posted on November 22, 2009 by

All those grinches who love Christmas (I’m not necessarily one of them) but can’t stand all the religious mishaguss about angels and babies with magical powers will be glad to know that there is a book out there for you: … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Humanism & Freethought | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Another Obama Meme: The “Roswell Declaration”

Posted on November 20, 2009 by

There is another Obama meme making the rounds, this time about a supposed “UFO speech” that was supposed to take place on Nov. 17 (alternately 27 – there’s still time!). I keep running into people “in the know,” invariably people … Continue reading →

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A Reply to Howard M. Kaminsky

Posted on November 19, 2009 by

Here is a letter I wrote to the Times Literary Supplement which they declined to publish. Maybe Mr. Kaminsky will stumble upon it while googling himself to see if anyone ever bothered replying to his nonsensical posturing. Kaminsky’s letter, published … Continue reading →

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