The Grumpy Skeptic

Working For the Overlord

2012-01-08T11:33:00.000-08:00

Well out here Working for the Overlords, having a good time though. Testing out my new Verizon MiFi, and it works so well compared to T-mobile. Hell it works well for me!!! Very happy, can't wait to see the wifey tonight. I'll be taking a writing class starting Tuesday, so maybe I can write some real blogs soon!!

New Years Eve

2011-12-31T08:09:00.000-08:00

Just Wishing everyone out there a happy new year, and a safe night. As for me, i'll be going to Ventura to visit my family then driving in to Mojave. Hooray for me!!! It doesn't help I can't sleep i went to bed at 3am, and now im up at 7. Oh well cheers, and a toast to the best year of my life so far =).

2011-12-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

well been a few days since I've left a post mostly due to WoW and laziness, and work. Any who, way happy that the whole family finally got health care. Yes we live in a world that health care isn't cheap to get; and a world where it's not available to citizens of the most powerful country in the world. Oh well I'm just happy see that you dang children your old man does care for you!!! Class went fairly well, unfortunately for me we had our team presentation we went over by a bit. We'll see what the future scores hold im worried. (cuz im an over achieving dweep). Hope you enjoy the post hasta la pasta!

class tonight bombed my speech

2011-12-08T20:04:00.001-08:00

ll as usual on my thursday classes i came in well prepard. To bad for me however my audience doesn't share my love for science. As soon as I declared that I would explainign the steps of how to extract D.N.A. fro a kiwi. I felt very rushed, mainly because the audience reaction was pretty poor. People didn't know exactly when I was finished, and my finished D>N.A. had degraded already and could not be used as an example any more. Even though ione person feigned interest I knew that I had failed to apply what I had learned in my text book. Because I understand the type of audience that I have. I am an anomaly withing my normal peers in that I LOVE science. Oh well I should have gone with some sort of mundane task or something that i'm very knowledeable about. or something that would strike at the hearts of thme and that I know lots about. For example C.P.R. on an infant in case your child is an accident. Oh well can't wait for class to be over so i can eat some ribs, and watch dexter. next weak I shall redeem my self

2011-12-07T13:54:00.001-08:00

Ok so I see that my messages dont get out as one long message.

2011-12-07T13:48:00.003-08:00

ut decides and ambulance ride would be perfect at 2am

2011-12-07T13:48:00.001-08:00

Well damn. Attempted to use the mobile blogger. I was actually too buzy to text. Well here its enjoy. Who in their right mind has a problem for 4 days, b

Christmas Rage, Becoming Home Sick

2011-12-06T00:33:00.001-08:00

Lets see, I managed to rage twice, and rip down the Christmas tree. Childlike acts, BUT!!! the littlest child Adam scratched, and stabbed my 55inch L.E.D. T.V. so rage justified. We managed to get a new tree!! =) Had to buy Microsoft Office 2010 today. Free trial over!! So the last two days I haven't been able to write so here I am lol.
One of the strangest things that I won't understand is this crushing overwhelming emptiness before I start my 48hr rotations. I just want to stay awake all night to enjoy my home. I listen to all my sappy songs, I go through photos. I resolve to be a better person just a little bit. I feel like I used to when I was a child, and my parents would leave me for the weekend. A sense of loss, even though I know that I'll be back, I can watch them on cam when I wish! Oh well. Until I'm able post in ye again!!!!

Technically Late

2011-12-03T00:42:00.000-08:00

OK OK. Technically late, on my second entry but hey. Finished my first day of Public Speaking yesterday. Came in late because I freaking LOCKED MY SELF OUT OF THE HOUSE!!! Anyways after I broke into my own home, I arrived late. So what does Jose do? He "sneaks" all the way to the last seat; by sneak I mean like this picture above special thanks to http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/haunts29.jpg for that Pic by the way. I made such a distraction that the teacher had to ask me to just walk normal, and that he realized that I was late. Of course as soon as I sat down, my phone rang!! strike two. Lucky for me I was pretty well prepared I actually read the book, and the chapters we were supposed to. I ended on a very positive note. I was asked to share my best memory. I smoke of the Monache High School flag poll. Where I met Courtney, my wife. I did speech well (in my opinion) for an amature speaker. I was even able to move someone to tears. Woot Woot! So a little charisma paid off. Most people will say that their kids are their greatest blessings, or best memories. I must say that the wife comes first, sorry kids (if and when you read this). i do love you, but without your mom, you would still be that twinkle in my eye lol.
I'll share one more thing; in the book it says that most (there's usually the exception to the rule) people get nervous when speaking. Even if they do it professionally. Some fellow students commented on how confident I seemed. That maybe so, I had to consciously slow my speaking rate ( I could tell I was speeding up), I swear I could feel (and see) my hands trembling. Non of that was apparent. The speech I made was impromptu as well. I spoke off the cuff. Anyways, school is always fun. So tomorrow for sure I'll be on time.

Web Diary

2011-12-01T15:42:00.001-08:00

Well I've decided to begin writing once more. Even though by now I've lost most of the following I've gained. Mostly because I enjoy the exercise, and it would be interesting to read back and see what I was thinking, and doing. As the post implies a web diary.
today is much like any other day. Spent most of my free time playing WoW (World of Warcraft). A new patch came out, has made the game much more enjoyable. My youngest son (Adam) has is recovering from swollen face-itis. He had an abscess because he stole too many candy canes, all those candy canes stuffed in his mouth, for a long time caused the abscess. Other than at, most things are normal with the Cardenas clan. Till tomorrow!

Division in the Community

2010-10-25T11:47:00.001-07:00

For those of you who are not in the Atheist community, you may be unaware of the small division that has been going on. Basically there are the “new” Atheist's, the vocal, “angry”, and basically the assholes, Which I seem to agree with. Then there’s the accommodationist sect, that not only adopts a live and let live approach, but tries not to step on the toes of the crazy fundies.

Our disagreement is that no one gets a free pass. If you say the earth is six thousand years old, then by all means I will say that you are stupid. I don’t believe anyone can be ignorant of the facts, but so chooses to believe in crazy nonsense regardless of the evidence. So confronting people about the truth I guess makes us assholes. I’m not sorry to break peoples delusions about the natural world. People have the right to say and believe whatever they want, but when they make comments about the natural world they open themselves up to ridicule.

I was a much softer Atheist, much to the thanks of Professor P.Z. Myers, my thoughts and attitudes have changed. The reason I think we need loud voices in Atheism is that there are much more people out there, that question the dogma they’ve been brought up with. If we’re loud and obnoxious they can find that there are people out there that share their view of a natural world, and are not alone.

It is ok to be an Atheist LOL. We are not a blood thirsty devil worshiping bunch, but rather individuals that want a little more substance in their lives, that religion just cant fill. as Carl Sagan best put it “Science delivers the goods”. So all you pearl clutching ninny atheist and agnostics out there, grow a pair and fight the nonsense. Stop pretending that by pandering to religious fools that things will get better. As always this is your Grumpy Skeptic…signing off!

Legos Are Racist!! Won’t Somebody Think Of The Children!!!

2010-09-14T17:19:00.001-07:00

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Legos Are Racist!! Won’t Somebody Think Of The Children!!!

OMG, you guys are not gonna believe this stuff

http://gizmodo.com/5633208/hollywoods-racism-exposed-by-lego?skyline=true&s=i

I can’t imagine what a crazy dark and scary world it must be for people to actually go around looking for “racist” things where there is really none. I wonder how long it will be before the ACLUand/or the NAACP gets involved and creates more division, and true racism out of something asinine, and non trivial....not even your Legos are safe! Lets not forget some crazy overreaction over the words "Black Holes"

http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2010/06/11/naacp-offended-at-black-holes-hears-black-whores/

Sometimes I think those guys (extreme racism whistle blowers), look for differences in our diverse culture, when none of us notice the race or ethnicity in something. Looks like these poor fools could have used a little bit of critical thinking, and come to a better conclusion. Oh well, and you guys wonder why I'm such a grumpy skeptic

A Fraud Has Been Stopped.....For Now

2010-09-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

A Fraud Has Been Stopped……For Now

Well check this awesome sleaze bag

http://cbs4.com/local/Gina.Marie.Marks.2.1891160.html

And people ask what’s the harm in believing in this crazy magical thinking. I know I’ve heard the arguments that not all peeps are whack jobs, and out to swindle people out of their money. IF they had been skeptical, maybe had a teacher, co-worker, or friend in their life show them how to critically think, perhaps tragedies like these wouldn’t happen, and we wouldn’t have a world full of Gods, Demons, Fairies, and psychics and all that nonsense. Cheers everyone, hope you have a good day, remember question everything.

Register

2010-08-30T23:20:00.001-07:00

Run in with a Fundie

2010-05-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

Well, While I was out and bout this morning helping a friend get some stuff done, I was waiting in a car when a lady comes up to me and asks me for a donation to her Missionary. So I kindly responded sorry not interested I’m an Atheist (makes sense that I wont support silliness). So she gives me a puzzled look and asks “really?”, as if she has never encountered one of my strange kind. So of course I responded “yep”, and she said “OK, God bless you” with a strong emphasis on the God Bless you part. So I didn’t think much of it, but then this loon starts to sing that awful Christian gospel music, as loud as she possible could. Then the unthinkable happened, she opened my eyes, I saw the love of Jesus and what it had done to her!! My atheist Flesh began to melt away!!! LOL Jus kidding just annoyed the crap out of me. Just thought it was weird and rather sad. I’m just wondering what her point was? Going ga ga over a god she cant prove oh well cheers everyone!

Can the Fundies get they any worse?

2010-05-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

Well…. As if the crazy fundies didn’t already have enough crazy with them check out what this guys here thinks about rape and women!

http://www.iamanatheist.com/blog/2010/05/12/rape-not-so-bad/

Rape is nasty and it’s a sin (it’s adultery because they aren’t married and if the woman is a virgin or married it’s theft) but you can’t kill someone because of adultery or theft. Would you kill someone who your husband had relations with? That’s murder. Would you kill someone who stole your car? That’s murder. If killing for rape is murder than killing for just attempting to rape is even worse. The person’s dying for something they haven’t even done.
Atheists always use rape as an argument for justifying killing because they want to justify abortion. But is rape really that bad? It’s a horrible experience but you get over it with time. If you use it to justify murder you’re never going to get over it. Imagine you have a painful divorce. Would you murder your children after because they remind you of your ex husband? Of course not. I think any woman would easily tell you that a painful divorce is worse than rape but it’s not an excuse to kill your baby, so why is rape?

This guy is truly sick and revolting…. And Wow. I still don’t understand why women accept that crazy belittling religion and take that shit from those chauvinistic men who think nothing more of women than a item. GRRRR it really boils my blood that these guys exist out there… I digress the fundies are doing a good job of making themselves seem idiotic and insane.

So lets assume that a lady endures a rape and a pregnancy (for her crazy invisble super zombie god). I can say with great certainty that the very jebus loving nuts will cast her out as unclean and used and dirty for being so brash as to be born a woman.

Crazy Christians I guess no matter how you dumb things down those idiots just don’t get it. Women are human beings with real feelings, a real shocker I know. I still cant believe that people want these type of psychopaths’ running our nation.

I'm Back

2010-05-18T15:48:00.000-07:00

Well I’m back after a really long break. Been too busy/lazy to write anymore. Well with World of Warcraft…. 2 kids….a job…..and several other activities I’ve been too busy to write. For those of you that remember my style of writing I’ve become a rather rabid staunch promoter of skepticism and science that won’t change, but the aim of the blog will. I will just be writing about whatever tickles my fancy….many things tickle my fancy. Mainly so my personal friends and family can get a little more in-depth look at my crazy post’s on face book and stuff. Perhaps also as a crazy online diary that all children might once read and wonder why their old man is such a crazy old man. Also I love writing so yeah kill two birds with one stone.

As for today’s post…..DISNELAND T-Minus 2 days!!!!! Me and the wife have been saving and scraping for our trip which shall be fun….forced fun no sad faces allowed. As for today…sucks work was insane yesterday. Slowed a bit today.

Have Moved

2009-07-04T18:20:00.000-07:00

Hello all, or those interested in continuing to read some grumpy skeptical stuff. I have moved over to an official website www.thegrumpyskeptic.com there you can read my blog, and help me set a non profit group which I wish to call the Bakersfield Atheist Outreach, so see you all there!

Hi I've been extemely busy

2009-04-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

Hi there I've been on Hiatus for a while, several horrible things happened. My uncle committed suicide about one month ago. My son suffered a near drowning, which kept us at Valley Children's Hospital in Madera for a week. Also I started going to college, WHOO HOO! so with a full time job, a house to clean up, and a wife to love, and some Xbox justice to deal out, I haven't had much time for anything.I have written some stuff on death, life, and how that affects me as an atheist which I wrote on my laptop, which is in my wife's car at the moment. I will start the grumpyness soon. Hope everyone has had less eventful times as of late than I, lol see ya

Colleges’ free speech a one way street article by Marleey Shrider

2009-02-28T11:45:00.000-08:00

Colleges’ free speech a one way street article by Marlee Shrider

Did you guys read the paper today? (The Bakersfield Californian) Did you catch that article by Marlee Shrider? I found it to be very interesting, it got my skeptical cogs moving. In short she speaks about an incident at Los Angeles Community College, where a student was allegedly discriminated for his faith. From the article I get the sense that the instructor left the topic in his Speech 101 class open to whatever the person wanted to type. Apparently the teacher didn’t like the students speech based on the faith content. Even went as far as making obscene comments such as “fascist bastard” and “ask God what your grade is”. I am absolutely stunned that a professional, or someone who should be professional, would act in such a manner.

Is it possible that the grumpy one is sticking up for religion? Well in this case yes, not because I think religion is right, but because our fundamental freedom of speech is so important that one should be able to speak their mind no matter how goofy your ideas are. Of course this teacher is wrong on such a magnitude, especially in college, specially in SPEECH class!!

Many of you know that I am rather grumpy with religion, but I would never ever want to give up the right for free speech. In my opinion the way to fight religion is with free speech, we will spread FACTS (which religion has very few) and not by discrimination in school; which should be open to any inquiry, as far as speech goes. The discrimination should take place where it’s warranted, that’s anytime religion gets into the science arena, then the ridicule and bashing, and the teeth and claws must be taken out. Not in speech class, where the teacher leaves the subject open. If the teacher didn’t want a speech on religion, then he should have at the very least set some ground rules.

To counter point let me quote Mark twain “As an active privilege, it ranks with the privilege of committing murder; we may exercise it if we are willing to take the consequences.”
- "The Privilege of the Grave

So I think he’s doing the right thing in suing the college, and standing up for his rights. Apparently he paid the price for speaking his mind on the subject. Hopefully our courts will do the right thing.

She did touch on a good point, Marleey Shrider, that point was that the student should not have gotten in trouble because it offended someone else. Whether we like it or not, there are going to be people with different ideas, point of views, and life styles. If we shut up, arrested, alienated everyone with ideas we didn’t like we might be a much worse place. I think there’s plenty of places like that in the middle east and many other places in the world. Hope you all have a good day, hope the acts of this teacher at the very least make you just a tad bit grumpy, have a good day!

http://www.twainquotes.com/FreeSpeech.jpg

Magic is Coming to Britain

2009-02-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

HA LOL, I don't often read something so stupid, ridiculous, and ignorant that it makes me ungrumpy, and actually, makes me laugh! LOL check this out

http://www.thefaithofbritain.com/

below is a quote from their website

"It is a proven scientific fact that thinking about something often causes it to happen. Some call this quantum physics. Others simply call it "faith." We ask that you open your mind to joining in with a unique psychic force that will change our lives through the power of thought."
How stupid is that! LOL. Oh geez, I don't even know what to say, lol. these guys are so far off, do I really need to say how that isn't quantum physics? How it's really just conformation bias? how we see patterns where there are really none? how the average person truly doesn't understand statistics? Oh well have a grumpy day.

I'm gonna try a weekly video blog....hope it works!

2009-02-13T18:02:00.000-08:00

so here is a very rough attempt at some video....hope it goes well.....and prepare your eyes for the horror that is the grumpy skeptic!!

Pastor's abortion dream inflames bushfire tragedy

2009-02-10T11:22:00.000-08:00

it seems everywhere I turn there seems to be a horrible scum bag, upon seeing people who are dying and suffering, uses it as a good time to slip in his stupid idiotic beliefs....have you heard about this dude.... check out this article
http://www.smh.com.au/national/pastors-abortion-dream-inflames-bushfire-tragedy-20090210-832f.html?page=-1
apparently this dude thinks that god has destroyed 700 homes, and killed 300 people, cause Victoria ( a state in Australia i believe) passed an abortion law. As apposed to a more simple answer that say they've been having a drought for years that has dried up tons of timber, combined with some lightning and arson. Oh and of course the fires have killed christian people.
does that make sense to anyone? really? God hates people that much? I understand this isn't the view of most Christians. It just makes me angry and very grumpy that every time something bad happens these ignorant buffoons try to take advantage of other peoples suffering.
oh well off to my grumpy shenanigans! have a great day.

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Posted in these Groups: News, Politics, Religion & Faith Topics: scumbag, brush fires, Australia, ignorant
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PZ Myers dishes out some pain to the ID crowd

2009-02-06T11:29:00.000-08:00

No matter how hard we try those ID (Intelligent Design) folks, well just don't get evolution...or is it evil-lution? LOL but check it out, give him some love, ive been much too busy spending time with my family on my days off!! now that i'll be going back to work, im sure i can write some more, lol. enjoy!

http://scienceblogs.com/pha...

here's a snippet

Say what? Darwin, trained to be a theologian, admirer of Paley, was philosophically predisposed to dogmatic materialism? That is a bit of a stretch, don't you think?

But I think it's part of the DI's general strategy. Relying on real, physical evidence to make a case is to be declared anathema; True Scientists™ build their case on metaphysical imaginary supernatural "evidence", like the creationist's rationale for a god.

I think their new motto ought to be "Making Stuff Up for Jesus". It's all they've got.

Now why Forbes would willingly act as a mouthpiece for these shills is the real mystery — I've written for Forbes before, and they usually seem sensible. But since they are implicitly endorsing the DI's approach to evidence, I guess I actually don't need to find out — I can just invent an explanation and it's as good as any other. Therefore, I think somebody snuck into the editorial staff's homes late at night and carried out involuntary lobotomies on everyone. And if you try to disagree with me, obviously you are an ideologue with an a priori commitment to the metaphysic of materialism.

As is my style, he's got that grumpy edge give him some love until next time... remember be skeptical!

Pale Blue Dot

2009-01-23T14:46:00.000-08:00

Well I'm Gonna move from my usual very grumpy take on things, and quote not only one of the best books I've ever read....but also from a man who has really inspired me, although I don't believe in the militant burn religion to the ground way of thinking like say Dawkins, I do think sometimes people need to see how silly things are. Carl Sagan in this excerpt, really captures the human spirit, and the feeling of loneliness and hope in our tiny new primitive species here you go

Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.

Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.

It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.

-- Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot, 1994

That excerpt, almost always, brings me close to tears with it's beauty, and sense of wonder and how small and really insignificant we are in an infinite universe.... can we really be that arrogant and conceded, to think in all the solar systems and all the galaxies and the whole of the infinite universe, and infinite multiverses, that there is one little angry god nit picking about whether we had sex or not, or uttered a prayer? Are we really that full of our selves that we need to think we are special? I hope you enjoy the read...and check out his other many awesome books

http://www.planetary.org/ex...

Wacky Things Jesus Said

2009-01-22T21:18:00.000-08:00

rand across this....some Jesus quotes, thought some where funny so posting them here! ENJOY!

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. LUKE 14:26 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. MATTHEW 10:34 and the brother shall deliver up their brother to death, and father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death. MATTHEW 10:21

Can you feel the love? I sure can't. Maybe it's cause I'm a non believing

heathen....oh well hope he forgives me.

Think not that I am come send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword MATTHEW 10:34

Hmmm where is this prince of peace everyone keeps talking about?

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. MATTHEW 13:41-42

Hmmmm you know for a god with everlasting love and affection…. he sure is spiteful, and ruthless and well just a bad tempered bully…I'm just happy the clutches of such a mean spirited invisible person is off me…. so what will it take to convince YOU there is no god? Remember be skeptical…have a grumpy day…or night.

thanks to the site

http://www.bettybowers.com/...

where you can find more funny Jesus quotes

if I'm every confronted with god... and he asks me why I denied him I shall say "sir why did you make yourself so difficult to find"

Obama is our New President...Will He Bring Science Back?

2009-01-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

Well we have a new president!

The question is though, will he bring science back to it's rightful place? What do you think?

I personally think he will, already he has promised to continue funding and research to stem cells...yay... also. He stated in first address to the nation when he took the office that he would restore science to help getting us out of our current dependence on foreigh oil, and the global warming problems we have...we'll see im still a little skeptical, lol

At the very least the past horrific 8 years have ended, and we didn't elect that joke of a presidential and vice presidental candidates McCain and Paulin....so we'll see what happens and we'll keep our skeptical radars on! Have a GRUMPY DAY!

The God of Small Miracles

2009-01-19T00:49:00.000-08:00

Im much too sleepy to write a post, but instead ill repost what I read, it's rather heart warming, and has that edgy grumpy feel to it, hope you enjoy

the god of small miracles
This story is heartbreaking. When Danny and Danielle learned that the baby Danielle was carrying had hydrocephalus, Danny was livid at Danielle’s god. Understandably so. Doctors told the couple that the baby would either be stillborn or would only live for a short time.

Enter the Christians. A compassionate pastor and a group of friendly church people befriended the couple. Church members raised money to help pay mounting medical bills. The pastor and the church members kept in touch with Danny and Danielle throughout the pregnancy. Eventually, Bobbi was born alive; she lived for 18 months. And, in that time, Danny became a born-again Christian.

I’ve got four things to say about this story. First, I commend the Christians for behaving according to their creed. Their religion commands them to love others and they did so. They gave both practical and spiritual support to people who were in great need emotionally and financially. Good for them.

Second, I can’t imagine the hell that Danny and Danielle endured and I understand how the support of a loving community made the difference between surviving their ordeal and sinking into despondency. When Danny and Danielle were in need, a nice group of people helped them and loved them. I also understand that even just a few short months of life with their child was better than never having that relationship at all. And, I understand the attraction that a group of kind people and their faith had for a couple searching for answers to some of life’s most profound and painful questions.

Third, I’m not at all impressed with the god of this story. He didn’t perform any miracles. Doctors predicted either a stillbirth or a short life. The baby lived, as predicted, a short life. Poor Danny asked for a miracle and this was what he got. He, his wife and their church friends set their standards far too low. If God is powerful enough to raise the dead, to smite armies, to feed thousands with a couple of fish and a few loaves of bread, why didn’t he deliver a child free of a debilitating defect? I don’t see the activity of a deity in this story at all. I see nature working in its indifferent way, a way that sometimes leads to beauty and sometimes leads to tragedy. I don’t see God working in and through the lives of his people. I see people who probably would have befriended the couple anyway, with or without a religious creed to define their attitudes and actions. Their compassion was not the product of a god working in their hearts, it was the product of their own innate decency.

Four, I wish that the friendships that abound in this story would have been accomplished without the framework of religion to constrain them. This story speaks poignantly of both the power and the depth of human empathy and compassion. Danny, Danielle and Bobbi didn’t need a deity; they needed other people. The Christians didn’t need a deity; they had tremendous strength and love within themselves. Danny, Danielle, the pastor and all of the church people have sold themselves short. Instead of recognizing their own virtue, they believe that the source of all their goodness is a small god who performs pitifully small miracles. That’s almost as tragic as the death of baby Bobbi.

– the chaplain

you can get to the site here

http://de-conversion.com/

it's a good reading....remember be skeptical

Dumb and Dumber based on a true story!

2009-01-12T13:14:00.000-08:00

Well, I just absolutely must talk about these two numb-skulls, Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey. what can I say, they spread lies, and misinformation, possibly harming and killing innocent children. what can I say about those too? they spread lies, creating fear among parents, all the while jenny and Jim shelling out their indigo child crap, besides ole Jim Carrey is leaving several million for Jenny should anything happen to the poor sap.......ugh.......this type of scum makes this skeptic very grumpy......... I truly feel for the parents with autism, I understand that it is a REAL disease, but Vaccines are not part of it.

seems the only celebrity with gaul to speak out against those two is Amanda Peet!! WOOT WOOT. She doesn't speak from a position of authority of supposed "Mommy Instincts". Here's what she had to say

"Once we had spoken, I was shocked at the amount of misinformation floating around, particularly in Hollywood," shares Amanda, who quickly got herself up to speed on the controversies surrounding child vaccinations, including the unproven link between certain vaccines and autism, the safety of preservatives like mercury-based thimerosal, and the fear that the relatively high number of shots kids receive today can overwhelm young immune systems. Her conclusion: vaccines are the only way to go.

"Frankly, I feel that parents who do not vaccinate their children are parasites," asserts Amanda. "I have a lazy, fluffy, actor-y side that's instinctive. And I have a side that's practical and into statistical evidence. I'm not a casual person."

Jenny and Jim are truly very very evil people, incredibly stupid, or a combination of both. Either way she in my opinion has caused lots of damage to children around the world, and I still wonder why these people are allowed to have children....sigh....I could go on all day, but here is the complete interview with Amanda Peet, should you want to read

http://www.cookiemag.com/en...

also some really good vaccination reading

http://scienceblogs.com/ins...

http://www.theness.com/neur...

hope everyone has a good day, hopefully one with less grump than mine.....after reading about these two, I doubt it, lol see ya

How Much do I Hate Kevin Trudeau? A whole bunch!!

2009-01-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

WOW, now here's a doozy. Believe it or not, it has nothing to do with religion whoo hoo! Seriously, Kevin Trudeau is a sleazy con man. We all remember his last book "natural cures they don’t want you to know about". Then he had 'The weight loss cure they don’t want you to know about" Now he's at it again with his horrible excuse of a book "Debt cures they don't want you to know about" it just makes my blood boil to know this stupid con man can still sell his crap. I'm sure he's got a nice body count with his stupid alternative medicine books, grrr he actually says that sunscreen causes skin cancer....not the sun WTF! seriously?
Let’s not be hasty, lets look into his criminal past
1990-1991: Larceny and credit card fraud
1996: SEC and various states
1998: FTC fine
2004: FTC contempt of court and injunction
2005: Trudeau v. FTC
2005: Trudeau v. New York Consumer Protection Board
2007: FTC contempt of court action
So he's not really the most honest of guys, yet he can still sell his crap!
Not only that his fear mongering, and spreading of a crazy conspiracy theory, stating that the whole medical industry is hell bent on keeping everyone perpetually sick so Big Pharma can big dollars.....oh my god this guy gets ridiculous also crazy stuff like there are 12 known cures for cancer! CANCER!!! A very complex ailment, and he has 12 not one two or three but freaking 12 known cures!! No wonder this chump sells crap, he goes after the really desperate.
Now with the financial world in trouble, here comes this dam sleaze bag to take advantage of the truly down and out, by selling a book for $29.95 plus $11.95 for shipping and handling, maybe debt cures for him after all the fines and jail time he's served grrrr.
What really chaps my ass, is that this dude really strikes for the people who are truly suffering, be it from serious medical ailments with cancer, and this chump says he's got the answer, or people who are loosing their homes and lives. I'm not much for extermination, but if the world could rid its self of this horrible human, than the earth would be a better place. I didn't have the stomach to read the book my self, but here is an article who know more about mullah than I do
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7bD7AB12C3-42B2-4490-843C-74ED6114AA73%7d&siteid=nbk
Phew, well longer than usual enjoy the post, and remember be skeptical, oh....and hate Kevin Trudeau.......sometimes grumpiness is a good thing, lol. SEE YA

The Sand of Christ!! Oh My GOD!!

2009-01-04T20:55:00.000-08:00

hey guys check this out, lol I can't believe that people are selling this garbage, please oh please if you're buying this crap i have some "sanctified blankets" I've got to get rid of for the low low price of 69.99 plus S&H yeah check out what this says

Sand of Christ is a keepsake that has been blessed and made holy by an ordained minister. It is a vial of sand that has been filtered, cleaned and purified, then anointed and blessed through a long and expensive process. The vial is secured in a waterproof metal capsule that has been highly polished by hand. Each one has the cross laser engraved.

…

Clearly, we do not make any false promises of magical healing or far-fetched claims. However, Sand of Christ is not a gimmick. Each one is GUARANTEED to be blessed and made holy. As such, we know that each and every one carries the positive power of Christ within its contents.

obviously you don't have to be a jaded skeptic to be skeptical of this crap, just writing something easy to write about, hope everyone had a happy Christmas (are atheists still allowed to say that?) and a happy new year, as for me both were very happy SALUTATIONS!

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Topics: atheist, atheism, woo, sand of christ

posted by thegrumpyskeptic on Sunday, January 4, 2009 at 08:47 PM

Using the word marriage, is that even necessary?

2008-12-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

Well while tinkering with ideas, of how both sides of the whole same sex marriage ideas fight like rabid wolves. I thought to my self, both sides fight like children over a toy, neither side willing to concede anything. I was reminded of what was done to me as a child when my brother and I fought over something.......it was taken away

I wonder, does the government have to use the word MARRIAGE? Perhaps, anyone who wants to get married should have a "civil union" regardless of sex. That way, everyone has the same "contract". If I opt to get married, it should be purely ceremonial and by a church.

If we remove the word marriage from the states, would the problem be solved? would Christians stop their "crusade"?Will the same sex supporters be happy, being finally equal as everyone else? I hope I'm communicating my idea across well, hopefully we can have a lively discussion.

Marlee Shrider and Prop 8, Darn that's a hot topic

2008-10-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Whew the hot topic in town! Prop 8 and my favorite columnist marlee shrider. This time I actually felt some twinge of “that sucks” for her lol. I’m writing in response to her article Friday

http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/columnists/marylee_shrider/story/583007.html

This time she wasn’t just deplorably wrong, and actually wanted a factual debate to take place, but well she was bashed by the very people who preach tolerance. Oh well, there are some things I wont tolerate, but on with the post. Soon this will be over and we can chat of other things, much grumpier things.

It’s rather shameful, that the opposing group didn’t treat you with the respect needed and deserved to a guest for a debate. Some of your points are a little off, with all due respect

You bring out the point that it is true religious organizations wont be forced to marry people, based on their religious beliefs. Then you continue to bring up several points. I wont reiterate here but did you notice that not one of those was a “RELIGIOUS” institution. The fact is business shouldn’t discriminate against race, age, sex, sexual preference, or religion. In fact those people where being discriminated against because of a sexual preference. Lets use a different example, lets say I owned a business and I belonged to some crazy religion, that say didn’t approve of interracial marriage, I refused to treat, or take pictures of the couple as a business, isn’t that racism? They should be treated EQUALLY regardless of their personal beliefs ect,ect,ect.

Your second point [“Where’s the justification,” I asked, “in changing the boundaries of traditional marriage to include homosexuals, but to continue to exclude other groups] well that’s up for society and people to decide. That’s why there is a vote on this very issue. If the people of California wish to have polygamists getting married then let them vote, if the people want that then ok. I have no problem with letting people be happy.

Yes the woman was incorrect about the whole E.R. bedside thing 1 patient in the back is a standard procedure for precisely the reasons you stated. She’s just crying wolf. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t necessarily agree with them (homosexuals) but I do agree they deserve to be treated like everyone else, not second rate citizens. You had much courage, it appears you went into the lion’s den; it’s really unfortunate they could not be civil and have a good, thoughtful debate, cheers! From The Grumpy Skeptic!

All the Fuss Over Prop. 8

2008-10-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

Well, after a long hiatus, the grumpy one has returned!! LOL. There where a lot of personal things to take care of, some things that needed a tune up, and my attention, IE: my marriage, kids, work. Now I’m back in the swing of things ready to be pissed off day and day out. Lol.
& nbsp; So what better way to start out than by talking about an issue that came up, that is the evil Prop 8. The reason I even bring this up I was asked at work what I would be voting on. Everyone knows I’m the to token evil atheist, and I responded by saying that I would not support prop 8. So he looked around and said well everyone here is gonna vote for it. Naturally I proceeded to defend my decision there as I am defending it now.
& nbsp; First off I have no Problems with two women who want to marry and make sweet sweet love, it’s rather hot! LOL. Aside from that I stated something very true and resonant to the Civil Rights Movement, that separate is not equal. Many people ask why aren’t they happy with just civil unions? Why weren’t people of color happy with their own busses? Their own restaurants? Their own bathrooms and toilets? Because simply put, separate is not equal. Why do we have to treat these people like second-rate citizens? I personally don’t agree with what they do, and it’s rather odd doesn’t make genetic sense but if they want to be in love and be married why not? They are humans after all.
& nbsp; In the same breath South Park made a good point, that if there are two people who Hate each other (a man and a woman), have more of a right to get married than two people who love each other (a man and a man). LOL once they get a taste a marriage they’ll want out LOL, just kidding. There seem to be a lot of propaganda lies floating around.
& nbsp; Two of the bigger ones that I have heard is that voting no on prop 8 will have schools force teaching that marriage between people of the same sex is good and ok. Under California law, you (the parent) have a right to pull out your child from school when being taught anything to do with health or family issues. So there should be no fear of that.
& nbsp; The second one I heard was that churches would loose their tax exempt status, and that priests and other “holy” figures would be in trouble for speaking against, gays.
I’m gonna pull this straight from a web site "Nothing in Prop 8 would force churches to do anything. In fact, the court decision regarding marriage specifically says “no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs.”As long as people don’t discriminate against gays they should be ok, but there already laws that protect people from discrimination. I hope that we never loose our right to free speech!! It makes our country great.
& nbsp; Wow pretty long one hope everyone had the patience to read, and I can only ask that people use their reason, and let these people be treated like the rest of us and not a second class citizen. This is coming from a married man with two beautiful boys and a hot wife (hope she reads this post)!! Use your reason to overcome the initial feelings, and do the right thing, vote no on Prop 8

By the by ways here are my sources

http://www.noonprop8.com/ab...

http://www.letcaliforniarin...

http://www.whatisprop8.com/

enjoy!

I made some minor alterations, I didn't proof read it, should be an easier read.

Why Won't God Cure Amputees?

2008-07-18T02:09:00.000-07:00

WHY GOD WON’T ANSWER AMPUTEE PRAYERS??

One of the many things that I often see, and hear (while watching T.V. in the wee hours of the morning) are infomercials with churches and televangelist’s. I don’t know how you all feel about them, or if you believe that god can cure all and any illness, but a question came to mind. “Why wont god cure amputees?” it didn’t make sense, I ill try to reason.
Well first reason could be that god, just doesn’t like those poor guys who have lost an arm or a leg (not knocking on my fellow brothers in arms I happen to be a Army vet as well). For one reason or the other they have made it to the “bad list” of god since the beginning of our species, or as some would have it the “creation of our species”
Second, maybe he’s too busy answering all those prayers from those rich privileged children of wealthy parents to hear the ailing prayers of those injured. He can get pretty busy remember “Bruce Almighty.”
Third god is “testing” them, or “god works in mysterious ways”. That’s all too convenient but let’s assume then that he is testing them or has plans unknown to us. Then not one single victim of amputation is worthy of his healing? Too bad, I’ve known plenty of soldiers who, in my opinion are more than worth spontaneous limb regeneration.
Lastly perhaps he’s imaginary and doesn’t exist. Now if we add that to the question of why he doesn’t heal amputees, it all makes sense. An imaginary creature can’t “hear” prayer, nor answer it. By saint George an imaginary creature can’t even test us. So it makes sense as to why there is plenty of proof for that our friend God, Jehovah, Allah, and/or Jesus are imaginary.

Oh PS. The reason I’m so grumpy is not even god at all it’s the lame quacks, and pseudoscience, and fake medicine that is infiltrating the medical system, but that’s a topic for another time.

Why Intelligent Design Isn't Science

2008-05-07T05:23:00.000-07:00

Hey all, just another awesome day, well I was doing some research, on why ID isn't science, and well ran across an article at

http://www.naturalism.org/s...

that was too good not to just post, so here it is, feast your eyes on this, and finally see why the new Ben Stein movie is dumb, and why our poor journalist was wrong. (Yipes I guess skeptics are grumpier at 4:37 AM. Enjoy you guys

Why Intelligent Design Isn’t Science

Contrary to the claims of some proponents of intelligent design (ID), science does not presume naturalism. So science doesn't reject ID because ID is supernatural. Nevertheless, science does reject ID because the ID hypothesis exemplifies none of the characteristics of legitimate scientific explanation. For some basic characteristics of scientific explanations, click here.

Some of those sympathetic to intelligent design (ID) argue that science as it’s currently taught assumes naturalism, and further that science tries to rule out ID as unscientific on the grounds that ID invokes the supernatural. 1 But science makes no claims about naturalism. Scientists simply propose explanations which are accepted or rejected on the basis of their scientific merit.

Intelligent design fails as science not because science a priori rules out the supernatural (methodologically it doesn’t need to do this, and in fact wastes no time on the matter), but because the intelligent design hypothesis has no merit as a scientific explanation.

Because science doesn’t presume naturalism, there’s no basis for supposing it violates any U.S. constitutional prohibition on states favoring or establishing a particular religious or philosophical view. So ID need not be imported into the science curriculum to provide "balance" or give non-naturalistic views "equal time." Because ID conclusively fails as good science, it should not be presented or taught as a viable scientific alternative to Darwinian accounts of evolution. But ID could usefully be discussed as an example of pseudo-science, helping to clarify what science actually is, and does.

Below, I’ve set out what I take to be some fairly uncontroversial, central characteristics of legitimate scientific explanation, and then list reasons why ID doesn’t embody or exemplify these characteristics. I don’t pretend that these are exhaustive, that they aren’t redundant to some extent, or couldn’t be improved upon in many respects, so I invite interested parties to improve upon them. But it’s crucial to note that in characterizing science, none of the points below invoke the natural/supernatural distinction. By virtue of its aims and methods, science ends up producing a unified view of the world, but it doesn’t start out with ontological assumptions that qualify it as a partisan philosophy.A first cut at some basic characteristics of scientific explanation:

Awesome article, and I can only close, if we must teach intelligent design next to evolution, why not fortune telling along side math, World War Two Denial in History class, or Prayer Healing along side GERM THEORY!!! or whatever a crazy person in a given subject wants to teach. hope you all enjoyed this is your grumpy skeptic going to get some sleep

Other things being equal, science seeks the simplest and most parsimonious peer-reviewed explanations, based on empirical, inter-subjective evidence.

Science tries to minimize the number of unverifiable or ad-hoc assumptions in constructing explanations.

Science is conservative in hypothesizing new explanatory factors: to the extent possible, explanations will be sought among phenomena already known to exist before positing other phenomena as explanatory factors. Science is not unnecessarily inflationary in its ontology.

Science seeks testable, verifiable, and transparently mechanistic or specifiable explanations for phenomena - no mysterious or unspecifiable processes play a more than a passing role in scientific accounts.

Entities accepted by science are either directly observed or indirectly inferred via experiment or theory, where such inference predicts specific characteristics of the entity that can be tested for in later experiments or that bear on other predictions.

Science seeks explanations which connect phenomena with one another, which unify different levels and domains of phenomena, and which generate testable predictions. Good scientific explanations are in these senses productive.

In science, an explanation can’t simply be posited to match the target phenomenon in order to fill an explanatory gap - there has to be independent evidence of the features of the explanation.

Before positing explanatory factors that have no other empirical support besides their function of filling an explanatory gap, science will declare the target phenomena to be as yet not fully explained.

Science will put stock in a provisional, as yet incomplete explanation involving known processes and entities rather than in an explanation which claims completeness at the cost of invoking ad-hoc, disconnected, and mysterious entities and processes (see 2, 3, 4 above).

Science seeks explanations for all phenomena in its purview; it always asks what determines the characteristics of any phenomenon that figures in its explanations: how did that originate, what explains that?

Why intelligent design (ID) isn’t science (the corresponding points above are in parentheses):

ID leaves the designing intelligence unexplained in the same way as ID claims that "irreducible complexity" is left unexplained by Darwinian selective processes, but worse, since it offers no specific hypotheses or mechanisms. ID hasn’t produced an explanation, it simply pushes the demand for explanation back a step and so is otiose. Thus:

ID posits an extra entity unneeded for explanation, so violates parsimony and simplicity (1).

ID seeks explanations outside of well-substantiated, empirically-supported phenomena without fully investigating the adequacy of explanations which restrict themselves to such phenomena. ID is thus not conservative in its explanations, but is instead inflationary 2 (3, 8, 9).

ID doesn’t specify how design is carried out: no mechanism or process is proposed, and further, no means of discovering this mechanism is proposed. The mechanism remains unacceptably mysterious with no hope of being clarified (4).

ID supplies no observational or inferential evidence for a designer that specifies or predicts its specific characteristics. (5).

Since no mechanism or process is shown by which intelligent design works, the designer posited by ID is left unconnected to other phenomena (6).

ID lacks any explanatory or predictive power; it is unproductive 3 (6):

ID doesn’t predict biological features that arise as change occurs in organisms.

ID doesn’t explain the particular biological mechanisms that are found in organisms.

ID can’t explain patchwork, jury-rigged, or sub-optimal organic "designs." 4

ID doesn’t suggest any experiments to prove the design hypothesis.

The designer assumption does no real explanatory work; it simply pushes the question further back (1, 3).

ID provides no independent evidence for the designer beyond its purported explanatory function (i.e., to fill the explanatory gap), so the designer is just an ad-hoc explanatory posit, like elan vital, phlogiston, etc. (7).

In leaving the designer unexplained and its characteristics unspecified, ID fails to treat the designing intelligence as a possible object of scientific explanation (10).

Additional points:

On proving a negative

: In general, ID is a negative thesis - that standard evolutionary explanations cannot, however well elaborated, account for some particular phenomena, e.g., "irreducible complexity." The plausibility of the design hypothesis is thus only a function of the purported failure of selectionist explanations. But there is no argument to support the idea that selectionist explanations will not or cannot be completed, especially as biological mechanisms become better understood, and indeed many selectionist explanations are complete to the satisfaction of many scientists. This means, if selectionist explanations are completed and filled out to a reasonable degree (what’s reasonable is of course a bone of contention), then the intelligent design hypothesis loses this sort of support. The same goes for the origins of life: once a plausible mechanism is established, then ID becomes otiose.

On falsifiability

: It is often supposed, although not universally agreed, that scientific hypotheses and conjectures are at least in principle falsifiable, if not directly testable. In contrast, ID is unfalsifiable: no experiment could prove or disprove it. ID simply says that what selectionism or other science can’t explain is explicable by appeal to design, so ID can always fill the gaps left by science: thus there’s no way to prove it wrong. (This point is taken from Larry Arnhart’s piece" Evolution and the New Creationism: A Proposal for Compromise," Skeptic V8#4, 2001, p. 48.)

On low probability events

: Science accepts the possibility that certain events and conditions may have been extremely low probability occurrences, but doesn’t draw any ontologically inflationary conclusions from this. In contrast, ID draws the inference that since (let us concede for the sake of argument) it’s highly improbable that the universe has constants which are favorable to life, or that life arose at all, there must have been an intelligent agent that chose the constants and/or created life. But this inference simply begs the question of the prior probability of the existence of the designer

Marylee Shrider very stupid

2008-05-06T05:19:00.000-07:00

hello all, well I haven't had time to write too much, with babies, possible deployment to iraq, and a very busy work schedule, i can't seem to find the time to write. Every now and then, some moron, comes out to piss me off, this time it happens to be one of our local journalist's Marylee Shrider, she's obviously dumber than she look (hard to believe I know) so i took the time to write her, hope she writes back

Hello Mrs. Shrider,
This is your neighborhood grumpy skeptic, while reading the newspaper, I came a cross your article about one of the worst movies ever to plague mankind, that is of course expelled. In any case the more I read the more it became apparent that you are indeed dumb and or you do not understand what the whole reason people are fuming mad about this movie, so let me quote you .

“It’s the message, of course. It’s the message that there’s room in the scientific community for those who can make a case for intelligent design, the theory that living things are too complex to be accounted for by Darwin’s theory of evolution and that a higher intelligence may be responsible for those complexities.
The film isn’t so much about ID, as it is about the freedom to debate ID in academic and scientific circles. It’s about the exchange of ideas and the freedom to question anything and everything, which is what science is supposed to be about.
Isn’t it?”
First of all, micro evolution is proven, macro evolution is the system of change that’s too long for our life times to observe. Secondly, do you not know that “ID” (by ID I mean Intelligent Design) is not, I repeat IS NOT SCIENCE. Therefore it has no place to have a debate in a science realm. You cannot falsify an intelligent Designer. If it indeed is a theory, then what would a unintelligent designed world look like? When was the last time you took a biology class? Or any science course for that matter? Obviously you don’t understand what evolution is, if you did you could understand that no things are not too complex to evolve given the right evolutionary pressures.

Then you go on to name people with degrees and not what. Sorry to burst your bubble but yes even people with degrees can believe in really stupid things. I mean if you liked the film it even shows you don’t have to have much of a brain to get your stuff published in the newspaper.

The only thing Mr. Stein and you seem to be hung up on is the fact that we don’t know how life began YET. We have plenty of evidence to prove that evolution happened. There have been plenty of times in the world of science where we didn’t understand how something happened, but we could see that it happened. In fact pretty much every science has been shrouded in darkness till the light of science forced the secrets out. Like lets say Germ Theory, we at first couldn’t really grasp why people got sick, mostly we thought it was demons, but we knew that they indeed got sick and died, slowly we figured out it was tiny microscopic organisms.

In closing, the film is not about freedom. It’s about spreading religious ideas, and trying to get god thought in school. I hope that we never see a day when religion and science are hand in hand. I doubt you would know, as it seems your education is mediocre, but for the rest, we can remember that as the Dark Ages. You can catch me at my blog at www.thegrumpyskeptic.blogspot.com

PS. Please pick up a book, ignorance is bliss, but come on, you can’t be that dumb

hope she does, I'll let you all know what she says if she indeed responds, have a good day yall...........ugh working nights.....tough

Dam Ouija Boards

2008-04-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hello all, seems I can't find the time to write anymore in my blogs so i can only hope to continue to write. Either way, last night, while having a poker night having a few drinks, Ouija Board came up, and someone swore up and down that it works. After I stated that there is no way that Ouija Board works we ended up a long night trying to convince each other of the plausibility of it.
In my humble opinion I don't see any plausible way of seeing how this happens. I have seen very plausible explanation, it's known as the Ideomotor effect described below

http://skepdic.com/ideomotor.html
ideomotor effect

The ideomotor effect refers to the influence of suggestion or expectation on involuntary and unconscious motor behavior. The term "ideomotor action" was coined by William B. Carpenter in 1852 in his explanation for the movements of rods and pendulums by dowsers, and some table turning or lifting by spirit mediums (the ones that weren't accomplished by cheating). Carpenter argued that muscular movement can be initiated by the mind independently of volition or emotions. We may not be aware of it, but suggestions can be made to the mind by others or by observations. Those suggestions can influence the mind and affect motor behavior.

Scientific tests by American psychologist William James, French chemist Michel Chevreul, English scientist Michael Faraday (Zusne and Jones 1989: 111), and American psychologist Ray Hyman have demonstrated that many phenomena attributed to spiritual or paranormal forces, or to mysterious "energies," are actually due to ideomotor action. Furthermore, these tests demonstrate that "honest, intelligent people can unconsciously engage in muscular activity that is consistent with their expectations" (Hyman 1999). They also show that suggestions that can guide behavior can be given by subtle clues (Hyman 1977).

The movement of pointers on Ouija boards, of a facilitator's hands in facilitated communication, of hands and arms in applied kinesiology, and of some behaviors attributed to hypnotic suggestion, are due to ideomotor action. Ray Hyman (1999) has demonstrated the seductive influence of ideomotor action on medical quackery, where it has produced such appliances as the "Toftness Radiation Detector" (used by chiropractors) and "black boxes" used in medical radiesthesia and radionics (popular with naturopaths to harness "energy" used in diagnosis and healing.) Hyman also argues that such things as Qi Gong and "pulse diagnosis," popular in both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic medicine as practiced by Deepak Chopra, are best explained in terms of ideomotor action and require no supposition of mysterious energies such as chi

so either some spirit is controlling the planchette or, someone is unconsciously moving it,
I find it rather silly that this ancient belief is still in existence but oh well I can only try and do my best to educate the world lol. So in closing i will try any supernatural game or thing to prove it doesn't work.

sincerely
your grumpy skeptic

Expelled from Expelled

2008-03-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

howdy yallz, well i haven't blogged for a while seems i can't find the time, or too lazy lol. but this touched on my nerves well enough to warrant saying something.
To all who may know Expelled:No intelligence Allowed is a movie starring mr. Ben Stine, in it he goes on to make crazy claims that mainstream science wont let people who practice a religion participate in science events. Well when you think the earth is only 10,000 years old, and that we lived with dinosaurs, then you're hella stupid, lol. That movie also claims that Mainstream Science KNOWS that intelligent design is true, but they're just trying to keep all the money to themselves.
Also some of the skeptics that we're interviewed wern't even allowed to attend the showing, can you imagine being in a movie, then being told you're not allowed to go see it, crap, well my dinner is ready I must go. special thanks to www.theness.com and the Skeptics from The Skeptics Guide to the Galaxy.

Why Don't You Believe in God Mr. Skeptic

2008-01-17T13:51:00.000-08:00

Why Don’t You Believe in God Mr. Skeptic?

I get asked this question quiet often, while an answer may seem to be quite simple, to that question it is not. There are plenty of underlying issues that come from that one question. Many that I will try and answer here today.
I find it odd that some people are perplexed, almost as if they can’t believe that someone doesn’t believe in god. It’s really difficult for some people to realize this concept. They’ve grown up all their lives believing that there is some sort of deity, while most people my age twenty two and above, do not believe in the standard Christian god they do believe that there is some sort of god around.
My first defense to the question of why I don’t believe in god, lies within a question one must think about to understand my position. That question is “Why don’t you believe in RA? Why don’t you kneel east and pray to Allah? Why don’t you believe in Odin?” Well it’s several questions all wrapped up into one, lol but you get the picture. If you realize why you don’t believe in all the other deity’s than you can start to see why I don’t believe in god.
The other gods are false, is often an answer I hear. Well ok, whose to say that the god in the bible isn’t false? Because the Bible is god’s inspired word. Well prove it. Until then it’s just a book with words in it. That’s most people’s defense for Christianity. Well how can someone combat something if it’s unfalsefiable? You can’t, just like you can’t prove that my spaghetti monster god created life.
Without god life is meaningless. Some people are truly afraid of living in a world where there is no creature that you can pray to and make your wishes come true. I disagree this life is even more meaningful, because it’s the only one we have! There are no continues, no retries, no replays, this is it, and we as a species, and a society must make every effort to make this world our “heaven” if you will. The loss of ones religion is a very sad one, I went through all the stages of grieving, first trying to make sense and find “my religion” and soon, the veils we’re slowly lifted from my eyes.
I don’t believe in these other gods cause that’s silly. We’ll not much to say here other than, people who have faith, just cannot fathom it being wrong. Because I can easily say, I don’t believe in god because that’s silly.
I jut have faith that god (Christian God) is real. Again there’s not much to say about it. If someone has faith, than all other beliefs and world views that do not support their religion are false. That’s why we have people who believe the earth is six thousand years old, or why some people think that we used dinosaurs for brute farm labor.
All in all it’s a pretty easy concept to see, look into your own beliefs, and ask your self “why don’t I believe in all the other gods?” Maybe we absorb religion, that’s native to our region? Could you say that if you we’re born in the middle east, and thought from birth that the Muslim faith was the one true faith would you believe in that? Or born hundreds of years ago with the Norse, would you have believed in Odin? Once you do a true examination of your beliefs, and why you can better understand my position. As for the true believers, I’ve found you cannot show them logic, how can you reason someone out of an idea that they didn’t use reason to get to?

Acupressure What Next!

2007-12-28T16:21:00.000-08:00

Acupressure What Next~

http://www.space-age.com/lose1.html
http://www.zerosmokeusa.com/?cid=325310
http://www.instructables.com/id/EJ0XVVB7GAEP287AAH/

While Happily waiting at an outlying station in the desert, around 1 A.M.ish, I saw the worlds biggest medical breakthrough!! Acupressure with magnetic earrings that apply pressure on the specific acupuncture spot! Awesome!

As you can tell (I hope) this is complete satire, lol. Other than the fact that acupuncture doesn’t work, there’s tons of literature to support that just head over to www.pubmed.org and dig around for some studies, fake acupuncture, works just as well as “real” acupuncture. So what does that say? Well it’s more than likely a placebo effect, cause the more variables we can control, the positive effect of acupuncture goes down. So test after test it’s shown not to work.

Proponents claim that it makes peoples pain lessen or helps them quit smoking, as the ad that I saw claimed. The tricky thing is pain, and how well someone quits smoking is all subjective. My pain threshold obviously is different than someone else. (in medic school we got poked with needles for fun) lol. So their claims that it’s an ancient and holistic medicine makes it valid, are infact a simple logical fallacy known as argument from authority, no matter how old, something is, it doesn’t make it right. Hey blood letting is an old tradition of curing sickness lets do it again!

All in all, it’s very sad to see people trying to make a quick buck, on those who obviously have problems, like smokers or overweight peeps, (it claims to help with eating too), it’s moraly dishonest. I’m just ranting to one warn of this poop, two it pisses me off, and the peeps who usually believe this are usually the “fantasy prone” people. Oh well enjoy!

PS. At the new year ill be changing my blog’s name to
http://people.bakersfield.com/home/User/thegrumpyskeptic
Here at the Bakersfield thingy,lol

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

2007-12-27T08:10:00.000-08:00

just wishing I had more time, and all of you out there who celebrate christmas, and even those who don't a happy and merry christmas! and of course a Happy New Year, now that th holidays are wrapping up, i can now focus more on writing, so keep all your skeptical radars up! Remember question everything.

Moonbeams??What the Heck??

2007-12-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

WOW haven't written in a while, so busy, but anyways, I just came across this article http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/... . Just sitting here unable to sleep, while I read it my mind thought, oh no pseudoscience at it's best again!

Basically what these loons claim is that their mirrors that reflect moonlight have some sort of effect on people. They even think that it can have some sore of medical, or biological affect on people and plants. What mechanism do they invoke? none of course, yet they call for money to be spent on "researching" their stupid moon light, and they add in for spice that "The effect of the moon's gravitational pull on the Earth's tides and other natural phenomena has been studied for millennia. Less attention has focused on the sunlight reflected from its surface"

It makes me ill to think that these guys are actually getting other loons to go out there and get "bathed in moonlight. The sad thing is the actually have a cancer patient on his/her second trip to the moonlight reflector. Some people even claim to have gotten better by being in said light. In their defense they (by they I mean the owners of this contraption) say "But whether or not it's the placebo effect or the light, I don't think that matters as long as people feel like they are having a positive effect, then it's worth it to them to do it. The thing that's so bad about that is like being happy for having 100 dollars in your pocket, even if you had to lie, and steal to have it.

The main thing about this whole charade is that one; They think money should be devoted to this thing. two: sooner or later someone is going to die by some stupid thing like this, because sheeple (people) will ignore their doctors advice (cause their in some wild conspiracy to keep profits up) and take the "all natural" healing power of the moon, and some poor bloke will die out, cause of stupid pseudoscience.

Hope you all enjoy this one, and let me know your feedback

Women's Role in the Bible

2007-11-23T20:59:00.000-08:00

What will the lord think of next, lol this is obviosly pure satire, which I found it very funny. I've noticed that sometimes people will post things from the bible to back up their arguments, so here is some counter fire from their own war chest.

1. What is a woman's role in the church?

Correct answer: (A woman is never to open her mouth in church. She has nothing valuable to say and should limit her participation to asking her husband to explain things to her) "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church" (1 Corinthians 14:34-35).

2. What is a woman's role in the educational process?

Correct answer: (Women should never be teachers because they are easily deceived) "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression" (1 Timothy 2:11-14).

3. Is a wife permitted to follow her own conscience?

Correct answer: (A woman must obey her husband in all matters at all times) "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their husbands in every thing" (Ephesians 5:22-24). "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God" (1 Corinthians 11:3). "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord" (Colossians 3:18).

4. In God's eyes, who is worth more between women and men?

Correct answer: (God expressly says men are worth more, and actually provides dollar amounts proving this) "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the Lord by thy estimation. And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary. And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels. And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver. And if it be from sixty years old and above, if it be a male, then thy estimation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female, ten shekels" (Leviticus 27:1-7)

5. What is the role of a widow?

Correct answer:(She should be depressed and pray day and night) Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth" (1 Timothy 5:5-6).

6. How long is a woman unclean after the messy act of childbirth?

Correct answer:(The woman is unclean for seven days if the child is a boy, but she is unclean for twice as long if the child is a girl) "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days . . . But if she bare a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks" (Leviticus 12:1-5).

7. What are the requirements for a woman's physical appearance?

Correct answer:(A woman must dress modestly and refrain from wearing expensive jewelry and a woman should wear her hair long) "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array" (1 Timothy 2:9). "But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering" (1 Corinthians 11:15).

8. Can you trust a woman's promises or guarantees?

Correct answer:(No, because women are deceitful and manipulative and because a woman's promise is null and void if her husband disapproves of it) "And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her" (Ecclesiastes 7:26). "But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the Lord shall forgive her" (Numbers 30:12).

9. Under what circumstances are we to spare the life of a married or engaged woman who has been raped?

Correct Answer:(When the woman is raped in the country as opposed to the city or when the woman is a slave girl) "If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out onto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city . . . But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die . . . For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her" (Deuteronomy 22:23-27). And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free" (Leviticus 19:20).

10. In times of war, what is God's plight for women in the captured areas?

Correct Answer: D. (While the men are to be killed, the women are to be taken as slaves. Pretty women are to become the wives of conquering men who find them attractive. Women in places the Lord gives His chosen people as an inheritance are to be killed along with every other living thing) "And when the Lord thy God hath delivered [a city] into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: But the women, and the little ones . . . shalt thou take unto thyself . . . But of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth" (Deuteronomy 20:13-16). "When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies . . . And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife; Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house . . . thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife" (Deuteronomy 21:10-13).

As we can see this phony religion is full of holes, and yet thousands of people still worship this degradation of women. Why would anyone in todays modern age support that? I Don't know it doesn't make any sense whatsoevef, but hey, I guess some people still enjoy worshiping a false, impossible, bully of a god. It happens I guess. Especial thanks to http://www.landoverbaptist.... & nbsp;

great resources, Again i hope you enjoy, and heed the warning that this illogical, and hateful religion, is not all peace and happiness. ENJOY!

Sincerely

The Grumpy Skeptic

Too Grumpy To Sleep

2007-11-18T22:12:00.000-08:00

I was say 30 minutes from my planned sleep time, when I stumbled unto Nancy Grace (her show). She was yapping about some dude who microwaved his baby, This just pissed me off.

Apparently he stuck his 2 month old baby in the microwave, cause "God" told him to do it. While I really don't believe he thought "god" was telling him to do that, but it's so dispicable to hide behind that excuse (I have absolutely no proof that he didn't think god was talking to him) Either way this is what he writes in his MySpace page

enuine people who don't judge others by their past, these people I absolutely despise if you wanna be on my bad side then h8 all you want, I'm not the kinda person that you wanna run over though, God will have his vengenge . I'm pretty open minded so having a diversity in friends is not a bad thing, If you want to really know me though, be real and don't lie....I can't stand liars, Other than that I'm open to friend invites and usually if you're true to yourself and not a moron I'll add ya....also, you don't have to be Christian but hear me out, God loves you and wants you to accept him as you're personal savior, to be saved from a devils Hell!
FYI he also wanted to become a minister, so yeah send him a friendly myspace message
http://profile.myspace.com/...

Too tired to write much more it's just disguisting that he's now pleading "insanity". Oh well, enjoy

Public Service Announcement

2007-11-17T11:24:00.000-08:00

Just to bring this to light, I would like to expose you all to the dangers of irrational thinking based on religion. Unfortunately a mother lost her life due to refusing a blood transfusion.

These are the dangers when I'm asked to live and let live. Now twin babies will have to live without a mother! A husband without a wife! Why would we allow this in this day and age with all our technology and medicine? WHY??? because religion still want to keep it's grip on the truth and reality! What did the church have to say about it? This is a terrible time for the whole family. “They are all grieving terribly. The entire Witness community is distraught and including them in their prayers.” Well Kingdom Hall (the place of their worship) Your prayers will not bring back the children's mom! Those kids will for the rest of their lives be affected by this illogical decision.

I understand not everyone is a Jehovah's witness (which happened to be their religion). These are the things that I would truly like to see gone. How many people would actually join me in ending this crazy religious practice? It makes me ANGRY to see people suffering and dying for no logical reason whatsoever, as well as it should make everyone else angry!

I could never let my wife slip away, as she's dying holding her twins, and me refusing to let them give her some blood. oh well, when will we learn? how many more lives? see it for your self

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol...

This is your Very Grumpy Skeptic

Faith Killing Faith........Again

2007-11-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

Well I guess it's nice to see a really active blogging community, as I've said before I truly appreciate everybodies input, I do change my mind in response (if it makes sense). I suppose the biggest reason that I have a beef with religion is not so much that for me (in my opinion) it seems "illogical". The fact that it tries to keep a hold on facts, and is very angrily handing over more more to science, so I think that trying to prove religion actually hurts it.. Proponents of various religious dogma such as Creationism, Noah's Flood, and Revelations have taken a disturbing turn. They are crippling their own religion by attempting to do scientific research in an effort to prove their religious claims, thus directly attacking their religion's central pillar: faith.
Abraham is regarded as the father of faith among most of the world's people, including Muslims, Christians, and Jews. He earned this title through demonstrating the mightiest act of all: being willing to sacrifice his own son Isaac, indeed with the dagger poised above his head ready to fall. Isaac was saved when God sent an angel at the last second to put a stop to it, who told Abraham that he'd proved his faith. It was an act that very few among us could have duplicated; I certainly wouldn't have done it. For this reason, Abraham is rightly exalted. It was truly an act of heroic faith.

Consider this question: If Abraham had known that God would intervene at the last second to spare Isaac, would his act have been as heroic?

Theological tradition tells us no, it would not have. The reason the Abraham story is important is that it's the supreme demonstration of faith. Abraham raised his dagger fully intending to kill his beloved Isaac, all for his faith in God. He felt every ounce of the unimaginable anguish. Could you have brought the dagger down and plunged it into your own child? Achieving this level of faith is the essential goal of all Christians, and for that matter, it is for Muslims and Jews as well. Faith is the absolute pillar of religion.

Sorry if it's a little long but, Why are the faithful asking god to give them proof? Evidence? Evidence and Faith are two different things, unless my dictionary is outdated? So why does FAITH jump into Science? Why not keep faith what it is FAITH and give religion it's mighty pillar on which it stands on. Why do the faithful keep asking god if he's going to send angels to stope them? stop taking away from what makes religion religion, and let science say that indeed the earth is round, and that indeed it is older than 10,000 years, and that we didn't play catch with Dino, (humans and dinosaurs didn't co-exist). Religion should stay where it belongs in the realm of faith.

The Good the Bad and the Ugly

2007-11-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

In a previous post some of us were discussing the pros and cons of religion and science; well you know the truth is we can dig up dirt on both all day. The point that I was trying to make is that science by it's very nature in our modern times is attempting to find the truth! The truth that is around us. Often times we find quacks who attempt to get into science and are kicked out so they cry foul! Like Ben Steins completely LAME movie Expelled. What I don't get is why can Christians say try to refute evolution? It doesn't fit into their frame of mind. That's the BIG DIFFERENCE in the thinking of a believer compared to a "skeptic" if you will. Like I've stated before, I will dive into any given subject and learn, and let the evidence take me where it may, as apposed to someone with an agenda, they will cherry pick the evidence, to suit their predisposed way of thinking. That is not a very flexible way to look at things. As I'll attempt to illustrate a very narrow minded way of thinking is very bad for our society and species as a whole, like the Christians attempting to foil evolution every step of the way. So say that you think big pharma is bad? We go find all natural cures, regardless of any lack of evidence, so with our minds already made up no amount of evidence will convince us Like Kevin Trudeau's book. He's a complete fraud, and a snake oil salesmen, and still he's wealthy leeching of those poor people who for one reason or the other have no skepticism towards his claims. Or those illogical conspiracy theorists, who claim it was an inside job, to them no amount of evidence will sway them from their thoughts! That seems pretty illogical to me. I know I've made this point, so I ask you all what would prove to you all that God doesn't exist? what amount of evidence? any amount? what would you have to see to sway you other wise? I know for me all I would is to see is someone do some supernatural thing! ANYTHING! that could be tested and observed, then I would be convinced. Is it not just as illogical that no matter what evidence minds wont be changed on evolution, medicine, and conspiracies?

Holy Toledo! So Angry

2007-11-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

Ha, well I guess I'll be blogging for two things sometimes, my local Bakersfield blog at www.bakosphere.com and this blog, SWEET!! From time to time I will be writing seperate blogs.
I've done some reading, many people disagree with my hard stance against religion. Most people opt an view of live and let live. There are many examples I can site where religion has gone cuckoo for cocoa puffs. For example the church group that went picketing at soldiers funerals because god is happy they died for a country that harbors homosexuals. Or a 22yr old mother who lost her life because she refused a blood transfusion because she is a Jehovah's witness. Many people also say to the defense that those are isolated instances and don't represent the majority of Christians. I concede to that, I agree they probably don't represent most Cristian's, but the problem with religion is that it doesn't have the self correcting, and critical thinking that science has. That's the danger with religion, and these horrible things will continue to happen in the name of "god". All the while we are supposed to tolerate their beliefs while they can wreak great havoc upon themselves and their neighbors. Some people go so far as to claim that I'm just as closed minded or "dogmatic" as a religious lunatic, but I say "paraphrasing Richard Dawkings"
I will have a critical debate with anyone, and based upon their evidence and reason I'm willing to change my mind accordingly to the changing evidence. I'm sorry there is no evidence for a supernatural being. But when have you heard a believer be that open minded? Show me the facts and I'll change mind accordingly. That's what leads to rigid thinking and "radicalism" if you will. It's not so much that I hate religion, it's what people do with it.

Asshole?

2007-11-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

Well this is a word that many people have invoked. Usuallly it's because find offense when I question their beliefs. I'm always peplexed, and angered, albeit even become grumpy when they tell me I shouldn't questions peoples most cherrished beliefs, that it's for them and them only. Frankly I am genuinly interested in learning and understanding what they believe, why they believe it, and the logical leaps it takes to believe in some things.the quote "offense is what people take when they can't take argument" by Richard Dawkings. I find this very accurate to how most people react when thinking about their most cherished beliefes, apperently it's too much to ask of the believers to have them explain their logic to me, it's too hard to think about why they feel the way they do!! AARRRGGHHHH RANTING!!! LOL but on the other hand there is some cool science stuff going on with balls and fire check out the the videos and you'll see what im talking about

The Stars and Wonder

2007-11-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

The Stars

Halloween was very fun, had a good time last night. When out with my son, passed out some candy, saw my brother, even enjoyed a beer with a good friend.
The skeptical angle to all this is what my son said to me last night as we were trick or treating. We had been walking for a little while, and so I decided to carry my son in my arms to give him a break. After all he had a pumpkin candy carrier full of candy. As I was carrying him, he was looking up admiring the sky and he said “Daddy, are those lights? He actually asked me this as he was staring up at the night sky. My son at 3 him being the lazy little bum that he is, has a limited vocabulary, I said “well kinda, they’re actually suns so far away they look like lights in the sky, and the reason you can’t see them is because our sun is so bright, but they’re always there.” his response was a simple “ooooohhhhh, they’re lights.” I couldn’t help but laugh, I’m not sure exactly how much of that information actually made in his tiny little head, but it was really cool to watch him look at nature and wonder why does that look like a light? Why are there a bunch of lights out in the sky? Why can I only see them at night? I’m not sure if he thought of all these things, but he was really interested, and just a little surprised to see those “lights” in the sky, it’s hard for me to really express how cool it is to see someone realize something so cool like our stars as I take them for granted, and how a tiny little mind still has so much wonder and amazement at the simple, and yet the very most complex things. Hope you allz enjoyed my sweet blog.

Great Television

2007-10-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo, saw some good T.V. (on FOX I think). From the same critical network that brought us "is the moon landing a hoax" show. Really this night was good, ummm... yeah I saw that one show tricks revealed, you know basically about a magician showing us how some of those awesome sweet magic tricks are done, makes me want to do some magic. Right after that they had a Man in the Iron mask thing, about these dudes with "revealing secrets" that they can only divulge if their faces are masked, either way they had some cool stuff like this telephone "psychic" telling people how he's cheating these poor peeps, taking their money, even suggesting to a person considering suicide to actually commit suicide. awwww but how many people watched? only enough to see that there is no such a thing as a psychic! Tommorrow is HALLOWS EVE so im doing some research, it's awesome! I'll be holding my grumpiness for the next day. see yallz

Discrimation, Such A Controversy

2007-10-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

I read this the other day, just thought it was slightly funny

I think work in general discriminates against lazy people. Lazy people have been consistently discriminated against and ridiculed for thousands of years. As a group lazy people are most often the victim of workplace discrimination and are disproportional terminated from employment. They also have typically ended up in poor housing and in horrid living conditions. Thus far, the only way a lazy person can better his/her situation is by marriage to a non-lazy person. In effect a mixed marriage. These poor people are being forced to marry people outside their own group in attempt to weed out future generations of Lazy people. Seldom has one group been such a blatant victim of genocide and discrimination. They are openly discriminated against without any fear that the discriminators will be accused. It is even a further tragedy that their plight remains widely unknown because they are too lazy to complain. I say it is time we all stand up for the rights of lazy people since they lack the ambition to help themselves.

Dr.Dan

While discrimation is not good, sometimes people are discriminated against, but not because of their skin color, or ethnic background or what have you, although yes it happens, from time to time. When someone does not do a satisfactory job, they usually pull the race card, which makes it look like they're crying wolf, oh well. Just happe to like it.

Go Ahead Prove Me Wrong!

2007-10-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

HA, the other day I was reminded of a funny quote I once said "Go ahead prove me wrong, I'll still deny it". It was said with tounge in cheek. I think it revovled around a game of risk, or something, anyways, I guess this makes me think of todays gurus and quacks, and their mentality, that yes no matter how much evidence and logic is mounted against them, they don't care, preconcieved notions, and ideologies are already in place, and can't be removed. So it's most difficult to convince someone that there is no such thing as "physic" detectives, or that we are not all connected in one concienceness as in metaphysics, oh well. it's one of those things pisses me off, I wont go on too much I'm exhausted!! well have a good night yallz

Dam you Sylvia DAM YOU!

2007-10-23T16:42:00.000-07:00

Well soon, Mrs. Sylvia Browne is having her special on Montel Williams show about the "best of Sylvia Browne". God I hate her, she's horrificaly dishonest, heres a cool site you should check out with lots of info on the fraud. Which she has been convicted before

http://www.stopsylviabrowne.com/

Sylvia Browne!!

2007-10-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

well in this world theres not many people I dislike more than Sylvia Browne,(The Others are for another time). There are many examples to this fraud being incorrect, offering false hope as in this story

www.randi.org/jr/2007-03/030907bomb.html

It actually makes me sad to see a fraud like this get away with just that FRAUD. Telling law enforment, and family, that some family members are alive, or dead when really the opposite is true. That is dishonest, and im almost sure she know what she is doing, it's horrible to mislead people in such a manner. You can Also see all her amaing prediction of 2006 in this link

http://www.smugbaldy.com/?p=48

Lastly, Mrs. Browne, also agreed to take the JREF (James Randhi Educational Foundation) Test to see if she is a real psychic, it's been 5 years since she agreed to take it, but still hasn't showed up, why doesn't she take the money and give it to a charity? if she had real "powers" this would be inmoral of her to do. oh well, maybe someday she'll take the money.

http://www.randi.org/sylvia/index.shtml

Leprechaun Sighting Real!!1

2007-10-14T21:44:00.000-07:00

I just love this video, it just shows how powerful suggestion is. I'll leave this blog pretty short since I just finished my weekend Army drill woo hoo. Anyways, there's lots of funny things in this video like the "amateur artist sketch" of the leprechaun, looks so freaking hilarious LOL. The guy on the street telling people "it's ok, it's safe" and he's got some sort of vest and flute for leprechauns, I know I'm going in circles but I love this dam video, such gullible people, and just how people fall for stuff check it out, awesome but not writing much tonight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUa5jG_HSsc

well dam, couldn't post the video on here, well check it out it's funny as hell, lol

Pastafarianism All Hail Our God

2007-10-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

Ha lol I know this is old news, but it's just too funny to pass up, (actually when I saw it on South Park I thought it was a joke, one that really didn't exist though). I ran Across our new holy church, The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster!! Ha lol, It's just funny and makes sense in a cynical, way, if "creationism" can be thought in school, so should Pastafarianism. The following comments are done with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek, but yeah I dream of the day that all view points will get their time in school, show the facts, and let the children decide. That sounds silly, but that's what creationist's want to do, is teach something silly in our schools, that just isn't supported by any evidence whatsoever.
Don't get me wrong I have nothing wrong with Religion, it can be very good in some instances, but when it enters the ring of science or academia, it's fair game. Religion is FAITH based, and should reside there, once it starts making FACTUAL claims, then we can ridicule the ridiculous.
Anyways, I'm a little too tired to do the whole blog thing tonight, but enjoy, this means you COURTNEY. Oh by the way below are the really funny Pastafarianism sites, take a peek, really funny.

http://www.venganza.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster
http://www.venganza.org/evidence/endorsements1

The Akashic Field

2007-10-12T15:59:00.001-07:00

Oh man, here is the Next Generation of Pseudo Crap, to hit the New Age Thinking Gurus (as far as I'm concerned anyways). This thought that the Akashic Field "connects all consciousness" and "universe is remnants of other universes" So I've decided to go Step by step in debunking these claims. This will be a long blog, so eat your Wheaties and get ready. I really can't post want they entirely think so I'm paraphrasing you can read the whole article here:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=akashic+field+&btnG=Google+Search

1.) In regards to cosmology: It's stated here that the Big Bang Theory doesn't explain the Flatness of the universe,Missing Mass in the Universe,accelerating expansion of galaxies, Coherent cosmic ratios,(whatever that means), Also that the universe is so "finely tuned" to make life is improbable
umm well one the big bang theory is misunderstood, it wasn't an "explosion" like we know it it was an expansion of time and space, so the big bang happened everywhere, it's weird. also when it's said that the universe is "flat" it means that the the observable universe appears flat as far as we can see and observe, and therefore we cannot make assumptions about what we don't see. Unless I get better proof, I'm not budging, lol.
Ummm....the mass thing, I do believe that was recently unearthed as the whole "dark matter" business.
The expanding universe deal, as far as I can tell, is being expanded by this "dark force" yet not well understood, and very confusing but lots of evidence has been put together by many scientists' ill have all the links after this. very weird stuff, just cause it's not all explainable doesn't make it wrong.
The argument that the universe is "finely tuned" is a non sequitor, it doesn't matter that probability is low of something happening, it happened and so here we are, people always have a problem that the universe simply happened always invoke something other than what we see "god or past universes, or whatever".
What the hell are Coherent Cosmic Ratios, the only things I can find about this are on the Akashic web site, so it looks like they just made up some babble (unless someone can inform me) so woo hoo

Wow these guys do the good ole, Gallup Argument (they throw so many facts at you, you don't have time to think or respond) they try to overwhelming me with all this crap, but it's hard to eat through all the garbage, but with a little reading, research, and the right attitude we can mash through anything. Unfortunately it's too much crap to mow through in one sitting so ill cover a few more points they make just cause it pisses me off, but so you get a taste of what they do, deliberately mislead, omit, and twist information into something that's not true, or science, why they do this I don't know, but oh well enjoy

Oh yeah here are my sources:
http://www.anandavala.info/TASTMOTNOR/The%20Akashic%20Field.html
http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=171
http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/9802/27/accelerating.universe/

Faith killing faith

2007-10-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

Interesting title eh? well basically what I mean that many leaders in faith and religion are trying to prove their faith, via archaeological findings, testing of sites, and what not. but lets look at the definition of faith. FAITH = belief that is not based on proof. ( I derive that from http://www.dictionary.com/) anyways, is not more righteous to believe in god or what not on faith alone? would a person who never had proof of god be more righteous than a person who had absolute testable proof? So I wonder why these different groups go out of their way to validate their faith? Are they afraid? It is a faith based system, but they mean to degrade their "faith" and turn it to proof. If Abraham( I think it was him) knew that god would intervene before he killed his son, would that be more righteous than him not knowing god would intervene but set out to kill his son? So I ask and wonder why do they attempt to do this? They (the evidence based faith proponents) seek proof, and yet refute anything that doesn't match so that's not good science, nor is it good faith to degrade faith, think about it.

my sources
www.dictionary.com
www.skeptoid.com

Is The World Flat?

2007-10-08T21:17:00.001-07:00

Sometimes life has difficult questions. What is the meaning of life? Will I ever get married? Pepsi or Coke?
Is the earth flat? Well in today's world, there seem to be some people who will get caught off guard when asked this question. As you can go see Sherri Shepard (freaking HILARIOUS) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehWv_qlKxSg

Just watch that for yourself and see, her argument that she's too busy caring for her kids, to think about "science" and it's purported "claims". I guess she's too busy pushing her
real-o-meter to the max. Cause she keeps it realz like that.

Another awesome thing that I saw today was the amazing powers of CHI !!! in full swing check it out.
http://scienceblogs.com/neurotopia/2007/10/martial_idiocy.php

Also for all you non believers here's a man who can single handily defeats several of his students with a 200-0 record in his favor, with Kiai powers!!! Similar to Jedi Force Push!!! Another example where it's kinda sad to see a guy who really believes in something, that has no logical backing get his butt kicked!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEDaCIDvj6I

For those people out there that think that utmost devotion to an idea, or belief that has no logical conclusions, is not harmful, just take a look at this. When I saw this I thought to myself, it's really almost pathetic and sad that this guy really believes in this, but oh well shit happens.

The last video is some cool tricks and how they're done
http://youtube.com/watch?v=nDflabGkdTU

I'd like to thank the New England Skeptical Society, and The Skeptics Guide to the Universe for providing most of my fodder for tonight (actually all of it).
http://www.theskepticsguide.org/
http://www.theness.com/

Exploring The Levels Creation

2007-10-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm here to talk about my favorite lady in the whole world. Sylvia Browne, recently I saw her (my wife did, my other half) on T.V. promoting her new book, and I can only be enraged at that stupid crap she promotes, oh well
http://www.hayhouse.com/details.php?id=3265&ref=SBWEB

So at the urging of my wife, and my inability to find the results on www.snopes.com prompted me to research, and answer her my questions

1.) If both parents were born first then the children will all be male, if both parents are the youngest kids in the family then the children will be female ---- well that simply is a myth, we can do a little reading it's this simple, the woman's egg is XX chromosome and the male sperm can be a Y or an X chromosome. So it's all dependent on the male, the birth order of the children is irrelevant

2.) If you hold baby high on your stomach it's a girl, if you hold it low in your stomach it's a boy----- All I can really say it's false if this we're true, I'd be making a living "predicting" the gender of unborn children The final word however, is that the shape and size of the belly depend on many factors like the build of the mother, the size and position of the baby, and the amount of fluid around the baby. There is no correlation whatsoever with the sex of the baby.

3.) If you stretch too much you can loose the baby ---- As far as I could tell this is totally unsubstantiated, it seems to stem from the myth that one shouldn't start a new exercise regime, but simply it's slightly based in truth in that a pregnant lady should be careful and start things slowly, a new stretch, or excise regime slowly, mainly by walking but yeah thanks for the check.
oh and thanks courtney, I had to do a lot of research!!! GEEEEZZZ

Here are all my references
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/51/40790.htm
http://www.womenfitness.net/preg_myths.htm
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/pregnancy/myths_tales.html
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/preventingpregnancy/pregnancyfaqmyths.html
http://www.pregnancy-info.net/wives_tales_and_myths.html
http://parenting.ivillage.com/pregnancy/0,,midwife_9ww0,00.html

Organic Milk, Total BUNK!!

2007-10-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

well dudes, I've looked this subject over and I've come to realize that organic milk is all a bunch of BS no pun intended, but mainly they have 7 topics, that they like to bring up in support of why we should drink "organic" milk. here I go debunking them one by one

1.) They're Produced without antibiotics -- they claim that antibiotics are bad for health ect. ect. this all may in fact be true, but what they don't tell you is that, in herds that use antibiotics, they inspect all the milk to make sure there isn't any in so it's a non sequitur.

2.)Produced With Hormones -- well, naturally the BGH (Bovine Growth Hormone) already exists in cows, organic or not, not only that but the enzymes and acid in our stomach destroy it before it can do anything, another example of misleading information

3.)Produced with Harmful Pesticides -- Very low levels are sometimes found (of pesticides) in the non-organic feed, but way below any meaningful affects take place, and no studies (that I could find) point to the feed having any significant effect on the nutritional value.

4.) High in Conjugated Linoleic Acids -- These help with heart disease, and is a "good" fat for you, They claim organic milk is higher in CLA's. The cow's get this higher CLA from grazing on grass, but just grass doesn't mean higher CLA's, mixing in other things like soy, or other things, but we may end up paying more in healthy fruits and vegetables

5.)Excellent Source of Calcium -- They claim that organic milk is high in calcium, and they go on to state how we have a problem with children ect. ect. but ummm...... News Flash!!! "non-organic" milk, is high in calcium, fancy that, lol.

6.) Organic Milk is Wholesome -- ummm What?! They claim that organic milk is an alternative beverage than other drink high in fructose syrup.........Why are they comparing them to other drinks that are non organic?? "non-organic" milk doesn't have all that stuff or artificial dyes, retarded!!GRRRR....

7.) It's the right thing to do -- Well, it doesn't really matter what one person considers it to be the right thing to do, some people want me to be a pet guardian, not a pet owner, bah. But I suppose that's why people pay double for this stuff.

All in all, I jut wish they would be honest and just say, "hey we treat cows a little better". Their milk is no better than regular non-organic milk. If profits are good, who's to stop them?

These are my sources

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14458802/

http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/seven052505.cfm

Wasted!!

2007-10-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

Well, last night I decided to get wasted, Not a very good thing,but oh well, it sucks. So I decided to do a little research about it and here is what I found. I guess all in all drinking is bad, but fun, lol and as we all know it's central nervous depressant, so yeah check out these websites

http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/alcohol/alcohol.html

http://www.alcoholscreening.org/results1.asp?ID=808039

So yeah, ummm I don't really know what to say, other than that, lol. it does crazy things to the body, like makes me break glasses, D'oh, well I'll never drink again.........till next time. OH check out this website as well

http://www.stopsylviabrown.com/

Enjoy!!

Crazy Extremes and Cool Science

2007-10-03T17:28:00.000-07:00

Well I've finally moved from the poopy scoopy my space blogs and this which is a little better. Anyways, I guess I want to move to my main topic (Sylvia Brown your day is tomorrow). How some people have crazy extremes. For example a co-worker of mine, (who is devoutly liberal) which makes no difference to me, stated something to the affect that if I we're a Republican then I'm stupid. To which I responded, well one that an ad-hominem attack (which means he's attacking me personally and not the issue). I also said that it's a non-sequitor (means it of no real meaning) that I'm a "Republican", it doesn't define me as a person or what I do. He continued to tell me that if I support a racist party, then my head is full of rocks.
I think to my self what kind of crazy junk is that? I do believe that he's being just as biased or "racist" if you will as the "racist party" by putting me in a group based on very little information. It's the same type of ignorance that wins over people to the KKK, or the the Neo-Nazi's. It just makes me angry that people based solely on their opinions and feelings oh well.

Here are some really cool science articles, I thought we're really neat, and again if any of you have any questions or concerns, you can email me, or you post your questions, or counter arguments well see yall

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21115669/
This one is all about space flight tech. I happen to be a space geek, so yeah, enjoy it's cool.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21120139/
This article while it states that "hole In Ozone Shrunk" is a little misleading, since yes it shrunk this year, but it's not a sign that it's healing it's self in the long term.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/10/01/genovese.ap/index.html
In this article the "bystander affect" is discussed. What I can really say whether this turns out to be true or untrue, we must pay special attention because psychology is fairly new science, and mistakes happen often, IE: the false abduction memories, or the repressed sexual abused memories, which I can talk about at a later time. So we must be careful. all in all this article is very good in trying to shoot both sides of the story.

See yallz hope to hear from you.
Jose O. Cardenas