You may have heard Lady GaGa’s popular song called “Paparazzi”: I’m your biggest fan I’ll follow you until you love me Papa — paparazzi Baby there’s no other superstar You know that I’ll be your Papa — paparazzi This prompted Janoova O. Kapoosa (a.k.a. ArcanusMemoria) to create a parody tribute to Richard Dawkins: I’m your Facebook fan, I’ll stalk you till the day you love me Richard — Richard Dawkins I know I’ll make you see That you’re the man… Read more
I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised to see this in Turkey, the only country that has a lower rate of acceptance of evolution than the United States. A new reality show called “Penitents Compete” (when translated) will soon premiere on Turkish television. The premise: Each week, a different group of atheists will appear in front of the religious leaders [a Muslim imam, a Christian priest, a Jewish rabbi and a Buddhist monk]… if an ex-atheist is “persuaded” to start… Read more
***UPDATE***: Reader Colin says: I put in $100, and will throw in another $10 per person below who posts saying they donated $10 or more (up to a max of $100 more)… … My friend Ashley (sporting a fantastic new haircut) made a video explaining the Secular Student Alliance’s new matching grant: The Vital Spark Foundation is offering to match up to $20,000 worth of donations… but only until August 1st. Ashley has set a goal to raise $5,000 of… Read more
Here’s an interesting look at how Christian megachurches are very similar to major business corporations: Successful megachurches are like well-run companies, with intricate corporate structures devised to keep each member personally engaged; their pastors are like chief executives, maximizing the productivity of laborers in the evangelism enterprise. Jumbotron notwithstanding, the architectural and organizational tropes of the megachurch are best compared to those of the modern white-collar workplace. (via Kottke) Read more
Here’s a terrific article about why atheists so often talk about atheism by Greta Christina (whom I will *finally* get to meet in person next week!). One reason she mentions is that many atheists feel religion is not just wrong, but also harmful. And we need to point that out. Another is the ongoing anti-atheist bigotry we have to deal with: Parents are denied custody of their children for being atheists; people are harassed and and their homes vandalized by… Read more
The other day, I was having lunch with a friend when Bristol Palin rang. I glanced at it, saw that it was from an unknown number, thought nothing of it, and kept eating. As I was driving home, I listened to my voice mail: Hi, Hemant. This is [Bob] and I’m calling from the White House Office of Public Engagement… The White House called me. And I had ignored them because my Chipotle burrito was just too damn tasty. In… Read more
My fragrance looks *so* much cooler than that of Richard Dawkins and Jenny McCarthy: It smells like roses, foamy soap, and curry. (Thanks to Max for the image!) Read more
It’s always risky to enter the NBA draft early in your college career. You’re not always fully developed as a player and you haven’t had a lot of experience again tough competition. But if you’re really talented, NBA teams might overlook all that. It worked for Blake Griffin, who left college after two years and was the first person selected in last night’s draft. It didn’t work quite as well for others. DeJuan Blair also entered the draft after two… Read more
If you’re religious, how do tell the difference between an atheist and an atheist “fundamentalist”? The fundamentalist is the one who dares to mention her beliefs out loud. I think that’s all there is to it. Jesus and Mo agree: (via Jesus and Mo) Read more
I’m wondering if anyone out there has the ability to make a one-minute cartoon (for YouTube purposes). There’s an outline ready to go — revisions are possible depending on what you think. You’d be helping out a good secular cause 🙂 If you might be able to help, please contact me. Thanks! Read more
