Tag-Archive for » christianity «

May 02nd, 2010 | Author: sarcozona

Anti-vaxxers are a blast from the past – who knew whooping cough would still be killing people in developed countries in the 21st century?

Important information that your intro stats professor likely didn’t mention.

While cutting classes and entire programs, reducing pay for already underpaid professors, and laying people off right and left, my university decided to spend $85,000 to install a high tech attendance system.

The lack of real access to high speed internet in the US is going to bite us in the ass someday.

How US income tax brackets have changed since the beginning of the 20th century: a lot.

I’m going to need a new computer soon, and I love my mac, but this makes me a bit reluctant to get another one.

I don’t qualify for poor-people health insurance because of scholarships, which is unreasonable because scholarships can technically only be used for expenses related to education.  This woman now has $20,000 in medical bills because of that nonsensical rule.

People who try to back up racist ideas about intelligence with science have a fundamental misunderstanding of heredity.

Why it’s so hard to break down class barriers: powerful people cheat, but judge others harshly.  Normal people hold themselves to high standards and are more forgiving of others.

Leopards are adorable as kittens, but they'll eat you when they grow up.

Leopards are adorable as kittens, but they'll eat you when they grow up.

Things to keep in mind when reading social networking studies.

More sexism in science.  It’s demoralizing how often this sort of thing happens.

A very different approach to dealing with migraine triggers: don’t avoid them, get used to them.  It doesn’t seem to work with pressure changes.

Americans tend to assume that all hispanic immigrants are illegals from Mexico and are generally down with all kinds of mistreatment of these people.  Mexico has a similar attitude towards the Central American immigrants trying to get through to the US.

The Boy Scouts banned gays, but readily accepted and protected pedophiles.

Overpopulation is putting far more pressure on food and energy resources than can possibly be sustained.

Christian advice on the relationship between scrubbing the toilet and sex.  I’m pretty sure it’s directed at the ladies.

A clear example from America’s long history of anti-immigrant sentiment and the social construction of race.

Modern Appliances by Jared

Modern Appliances by Jared

April 05th, 2010 | Author: sarcozona

From Karen Armstrong’s A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam:

Once the Bible begins to be interpreted literally instead of symbolically, the idea of its God becomes impossible.  To imagine a deity who is literally responsible for everything that happens on earth involves impossible contradictions.  The “God” of the Bible ceases to be a symbol of a transcendent reality and becomes a cruel and despotic tyrant.

March 27th, 2010 | Author: sarcozona

Women in Afghanistan are setting themselves on fire in astonishing numbers.  Getting child marriage banned must be higher on our list of priorities.

Think you’re not going to get into grad school this year?  Toaster Sunshine has some words of wisdom for you.

I would like this bookshelf in my house

A review of acupuncture’s effect on heart rate variability. Conclusion: bullshit.

On comparing Obama to Napoleon.

Why I always wore my best underwear to ochem lab.

I’m glad Google has finally left China. I think more companies that work in China should recognize the human rights abuses they help perpetuate.

In defense of scientists.

Nancy Pelosi gets a lot of flack from the right and the left, but I think she’s actually pretty awesome.

What would a real Christian America look like? (Probably not an America that kicks its homeless & mentally ill in the face.)

Despite a court order and reams of scientific evidence, the FDA refuses to do its job.

Where we are with migraine research: still at something happens and the brainstem (or the CNS) doesn’t like it, but we have some new drug targets.

Early women scientists were awesome, but they sure had to put up with a lot.  This description of Wanda G. Bradshaw says a lot about the times – she isn’t even allowed interests separate from her husband.

The MSM contributed too much to the misinformation about health care reform by misrepresenting poll results.

Including transportation costs would go a long way towards realistically representing housing affordability: 69% of communities are considered affordable using the standard measure of 30% of income, but only 39% are affordable (less than 45% of income) if housing and transportation costs are considered.

High fructose corn syrup makes you gain more weight than a calorically equivalent amount of table sugar.  When are we going to stop subsidizing corn so much?

Zoos aren't just for fun & education: they're absolutely essential for conservation (and unbelievably cute pictures of baby animals).

March 13th, 2010 | Author: sarcozona

Religious bastards in Virginia are handing out tracts telling women that the way we dress causes rape.  Those people should be arrested.  Or kicked in the face.

I’m always amazed by studies that show how easy it is to manipulate people’s views. Then I start wondering how I can take over the world.

Agricultural subsidies need some serious rethinking: first the government pays to make unhealthy food cheap, then it pays for obesity related disease through health care.

Maybe the problem with Toyota isn’t Toyota, but elderly drivers.

Science is getting way better at reading minds.

A very fun post on autoantonyms for all the word lovers.

January 25th, 2010 | Author: sarcozona

From Karen Armstrong’s A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam:

Denys’s God has two aspects: one is turned toward us and manifests himself in the world; the other is the far side of God as he is in himself, which remains entirely incomprehensible.  He “stays within himself” in his eternal mystery, at the same time as he is totally immersed in creation.  He is not another being, additional to the world.  Deny’s method became normative in Greek theology.  In the West, however, … some imagined that when they said ” God,” the divine reality actually coincided with the idea in their minds.  Some would attribute their own thoughts and ideas to God – saying that God wanted this, forbade that and had planned the other – in a way that was dangerously idolatrous.

October 24th, 2009 | Author: sarcozona

Lights on how the Christian community accepts rapists and vilifies their victims.

Green spaces make you healthier. I wonder if houseplants help.

Banning abortion doesn’t make it rarer, but it does make it more dangerous: unsafe abortions kill 70,000 women a year.  A lack of access to contraceptives leads to 60 million unintended pregnancies a year and increases abortion rates, often in unsafe conditions. If Christians really wanted to save lives, they’d be mailing condoms instead of gospel tracts.

Homeless people deserve better.  I hope that so many people losing their homes will lead to improved services for the homeless.

Proposed budget cuts in AZ target the poor and include wonderfully ironic cuts like “eliminating state supervision of loan originators, mortgage brokers and money transmitters.” Hawaii is dramatically shortening the school year because of budget cuts.

US drug policy blocks successful treatments for cluster headaches.

The difference between fields with lots of women and fields with few is other women.

Interpol hooked up with UN Peacekeeping.

Churches in Nigeria are torturing and killing children.  Isn’t God great?

So many of the same people who think blowing up all the Muslims is a great idea are also strongly anti-immigrant.  I guess they don’t realize how many immigrants are dying for their beliefs. Or they’re just racist.

The worst companies in the world.  Just in case you thought corporations were generally looking out for your best interests.

WWJD?

WWJD?

One week without health insurance was enough for this family to be denied real coverage for their daughter.

Wearing a bra is an evil deception deserving extreme punishment.

Garlic might actually help prevent colds, but the AIDS vaccine probably didn’t really work.

Companies with more women are better companies.

Thomas Hillier - The Emperor's Castle

Thomas Hillier - The Emperor's Castle

The Pansy Project: “Artist Paul Harfleet revisits city streets planting pansies at the site of homophobic abuse. Each location is photographed and named after the abuse received.”

If I go nuts, this is why.

September 05th, 2009 | Author: sarcozona

Very cool new medical device invented at a fraction of the usual cost.

What is music and can non-human animals enjoy it?

The people who make the least get cheated the most by their employers.

Verizon is sponsoring the Friends of America Rally, a big coal event to kill climate change legislation.  Tell them that’s not ok.

We kill a lot of innocent people in America.

Knowing history keeps you from being manipulated by idiots like Buchanan.

Organ trafficking is much bigger business than we thought.

Doing well in college has more to do with $$ than brains.

The Sri Lankan government is looking worse and worse.

Did you think the Bible was against abortion? Guess you haven’t actually read it.

I really love apple butter:

All hands on deck by interrobang

All hands on deck by interrobang

May 31st, 2009 | Author: sarcozona

Lesbian stereotypes are so much fun to play with.

The conservatives on the Supreme Court think pregnancy discrimination is ok.  I don’t get it – shouldn’t they consider it double discrimination?

Fathers with daughters often become more liberal. I’d say that’s good evidence that current conservative policies hurt women.  Of course, you could also say that spending too much time with women makes men too “soft.”

Choosing Sotomayor was a pretty good political move.

A memorial day thought that made me cry.

PZ on the horrific crimes of the Irish Catholic Church: Can we stop equating religion and morality now? They never seem to have much to do with one another.

This woman deserves to go to jail for murder.  And maybe her pastor, too.

Race and terrorism.

The Sri Lankan government has been leveling all sorts of terrible accusations against the Tamil Tigers.  Looks like the pot was calling the kettle black.

How to get straight couples to understand why the right to marry is important.

The Christian god isn’t the only real god according to the Bible.  He just thinks he’s better.

Delara Darabi – if there had been more news coverage in the West, she may have lived.

To keep you up at night.

I think The Onion does a good job summarizing my views so far on the Obama Presidency:  Obama Revises Campaign Promise Of ‘Change’ To ‘Relatively Minor Readjustments In Certain Favorable Policy Areas’

May 27th, 2009 | Author: sarcozona

April 04th, 2009 | Author: sarcozona

I loved Isabella Rossellini’s Green Porno on the sex lives of bugs.  Now she’s got a marine version!

Artificial intelligence and robots are getting better faster and faster.  This robot has made unique scientific discoveries – from formulating the hypotheses to running experiments. This robot has a biological brain and can learn.

On a related note, computers are doing more and more of the proofs in mathematics.

Misinformation is dangerous.  Jenny McCarthy is at least indirectly responsible for the deaths of 142 people due to the lies she spreads about vaccinations.

Worried about shit grades keeping you out of college?  Worry no more if you can pay in full for college!

Dr. Isis writes about the DREAM Act and responds to people who accuse illegal immigrants of stealing our middle class lifestyle:

I would like to apologize on behalf of immigrants everywhere to the American middle class for stealing their jobs.  Especially the investment bankers, attorneys, physicians, research scientists, and CEOs who have recently lost their jobs to illegal immigrants.

Why Obama should consider legalizing marijuana.

Fantastic advice on being an ally at Little Lambs Eat Ivy.

This guy says he’s got the joy of the lord, but he’s just crazy or scamming people (wait for the sales pitch at the end) or crazy and scamming people.  I wonder if the lord has rewarded this woman with his joy after she killed her son for him?  Wouldn’t it be great if religious people applied the “outsider test” to their own religions?

Iraq is about to execute a lot of people for “gay crimes,” and it looks like they’re implementing the death penalty for anything and everything lately. via 3QD

Things like this make me embarrassed for our country.  No wonder the British Ecological Society is worried about opposition in the US to action on climate change.

Spain is prosecuting Alberto Gonzales, David Addington, Douglas Feith, William Haynes, John Yoo, and Jay Bybee for torture at Guantanamo. I only wish we were doing it ourselves.