Jonah Goldberg puts Ms. O'Donnell in her place, & PM explains the science- again

The 'Queen of Nice' has gone nuts, and ABC lets her rant on and on
By Jonah Goldberg, The New Hampshire Union Leader

RENOWNED metallurgist Rosie O'Donnell proclaimed on TV Thursday of last week that Sept. 11, 2001, was a more significant date than most of us realized. It was, in her words, "the first time in history that fire has ever melted steel."

This, of course, came as news to steelworkers, welders, blacksmiths, firefighters, manufacturers of samurai swords and other fools who hadn't realized that steel is forged in magic furnaces using dragon breath and pixie dust.
...
Still, not even the heat of ridicule can weaken O'Donnell's steely resolve to make an idiot of herself.

That's fine. Normally we expect such outbursts from the poor souls who rage against unseen threats at bus stations and public libraries. But even the rich and famous have a right to mutter inanities, shout non sequiturs or shriek possum recipes.

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Rosie O'Donnell 9/11 Conspiracy Comments: Popular Mechanics Responds

Recently, Rosie O’Donnell, a co-host of ABC talk show The View, made comments on the show that renewed controversy over the collapse of World Trade Center 7.

While saying she didn’t know what to believe about the U.S. government’s involvement in the attacks of Sept. 11, she said, “I do believe that it’s the first time in history that fire has ever melted steel. I do believe that it defies physics that World Trade Center tower 7—building 7, which collapsed in on itself—it is impossible for a building to fall the way it fell without explosives being involved. World Trade Center 7. World Trade [Center] 1 and 2 got hit by planes—7, miraculously, the first time in history, steel was melted by fire. It is physically impossible.”

She continued: “To say that we don’t know that it imploded, that it was an implosion and a demolition, is beyond ignorant. Look at the films, get a physics expert here [on the show] from Yale, from Harvard, pick the school—[the collapse] defies reason.” (Watch the clip here)

For those interested in what physics and demolition experts have said regarding WTC 7’s collapse, as detailed in our book Debunking 9/11 Myths, Popular Mechanics offers these notes....

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Chemobiogenesis Gets A Huge Boost, Creationist Denials At 11

Looks like those early chemobiogenesis experiments by Urey and Miller were relevant after all. Details here.

Easter Questions

Why should an omnipotent god have to take the form of man to die for the sins created by the same god? Why not eliminate the sins and its roots from the get-go? Why have sin at all?

Name one reasonable person who would suffer tremendously when he or she doesn't have to, just to pay for something he or she made and didn't have to...and could quite easily cause to not have existed in the first place.

To quote the bible, "What is man that you are mindful of him?" It's a good question: why are we so fucked up as to need an ever-mindful creator to suffer for all of us in order for some of us to be able to die and live eternally with it? Why should any omnipotent being need a son to die wretchedly (but finitely) just to ensure that countless billions suffer horribly in an eternal torture chamber while a scant few go on to worship it in bliss forever?

A woman, a serpent, and a piece of fruit isn't even a BAD answer; it's a stunningly inane reply. The gods of the bible are amoral reprobates who deserve scorn, not obedience, and who certainly deserve no worship. And the tales of their doings are so phenomenally horrifying and absurd that only by abandoning one's intellectual self-respect could one actually believe any of them in part or in full. I would ask of believers: what are the biblical gods that we should be mindful of them?

Today, as with any Easter Sunday, I'll be thankful for the Enlightenment and for the government (democratic republic) and philosophy (science) it promoted. Both have made my life quantifiably better than those of humans who lived before them, though neither has been perfect. But that's just it: neither has ever claimed to be. Both are works in progress, and both have resulted in just that. So while millions of Christians praise a 1st century Jewish rebel and his mythological life/death/life, we 21st century atheists mourn the loss of a beautiful spring weekend to the illogical religions that have--and continue to--cause so much pain, death, and destruction...but no progress.

The same kind of mindset that makes people believe Jesus rose from the dead caused the twin towers to fall: acceptance without evidence. Faith is hardly an admirable trait; it is instead a dangerous delusion.

Doc Cochran's Prayer

Great blessing for your Easter dinner.

Forget Free Speech, You Can't Even Shut Up Anymore

Fellow libertarian Ed Brayton over at Dispatches from the Culture Wars has a great article about the religious right's criticisms over the National Day of Silence, a student-sponsored protest in which teens who support gay rights do not talk for a day.

I would think that most teachers should be happy some kids are shutting up for a day, as should all the "ignorant, proud, and loud" religious thugs who just can't leave different people alone. But the fundamentalists have gotten so loony that shutting up doesn't even satisfy their lust for theocratic control.

What To Say When Missionaries Arrive At Your Door

Stephen Pinker on Colbert Report

and

Del.icio.us Magic

Great new Firefox extension for managing tagged bookmarks on del.icio.us.

Elvis Died For Our Sins

Why Americans Don't Trust Bush

From his 2000 campaign:

"The facts are stark and the facts are real. . . Our men and women in uniform love their country more than their comfort. They have never failed us, and we must not fail them. But the best intentions and the highest morale are undermined by back-to-back deployments, poor pay, shortages of spare parts and equipment, and rapidly declining readiness."

". . .these are signs of a military in decline and we must do something about it. The reasons are clear. Lack of equipment and material. Undermaning of units. Overdeployment. Not enough time for family. Soldiers who are on food stamps, and soldiers who are poorly housed. Dick Cheney and I have a simple message today for our men and women in uniform, their parents, their loved ones, their supporters: Help is on the way!"

The pot and kettle don't know what to do...except hope that he has finally put a competent general in charge. But after how many years, deaths, and incompetence?

It's the borders, stupid!

300 versus...

this. Take your pick.

Too breathtakingly absurd (& hilarious) to ignore, courtesy of The MEMRI Blog

Iranian Minister: 300 Film is an Insult to the Entire Iranian Nation

According to the Iranian news agency Mehr, Iranian Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Mohammad-Hossein Saffar Harandi has told his ministry staff that Iranian artists will respond to the film “300,” which he claims does not correctly depict the great civilization of Iran.

Iranian Media: "300" Film "Intentionally Insults Iran's Ancient Culture"; Bootleg DVDs Already Available In Iran

The Iranian news agency Fars is reporting that the film "300" has angered the Iranian people "due to its intentional insults to the country's ancient culture" and is being "viewed by many, even non-Iranians, as overt animosity towards Iran."

Drum roll, please, as we have a winner:

IRINN Commentary on The New Film "300"

The following commentary was aired on the Iranian News Channel (IRINN) on March 13, 2007

Reporter: Tonight, IRINN commentary also sheds more light on the conspiracy behind the screening of this anti-culture Hollywood film.

Voiceover: Screening of the movie ‘300’ which has depicted war between the Persians and the Greeks, using an unreal and fabricated story, is facing a wave of protests and criticism by Iranians both inside and outside the country. Warner Bros., which belongs to the famous and rich American Jew, is the company that has made the movie. This movie, which is totally against Persian culture and civilization, could be considered a production by Zionists and a group of American extremists. The film ‘300’ shows the historical war between Persians, at the time of King Xerxes, with the Spartans. The director wrongly depicts the Persians as being violent and warmongers. This film is a complete distortion of history. It shows the Spartans, who were warmongers and racists and violent, as peace lovers, and the Persians as uncivilized- which is nothing but a lie. In addition to distortion of history, the Zionist Warner Company is also pursuing cultural and political objectives by producing such a film which has a very shallow script. From the cultural point of view, the Zionists and the elements affiliated to the U.S. have tried to launch a propaganda front against ancient and historical roots of Iranians, and the hasty production of this film is an indication of its propaganda aspect. But political intentions of Warner have been more important than anything else. This film tries to paint a violent image of Persians who are against peace in today’s world, in order to increase the international political pressure on Iran. This is while films should be made of crimes committed by the Americans, throughout history, all around the world, and it should be shown what the so-called civilized Zionists and Americans are doing today with human rights and humanity.

This Is Why Duke Sucks

I love free, pretty icons

After a Firefox mishap (mea culpa), I am reconstructing my bookmarks as quickly as my tired old puzzler can summon them up. (Yes, yes, GateTree, I'm going to "del.icio.us" them ASAP). Here's one I thought you guys might enjoy....

The IconFactory's freeware section

Enlightening analysis from Dr. Phares

Admedinijad's "Plan B" - The Circus Continues
By Walid Phares, Counterterrorism Blog

With the decision to release the 15 British sailors, the Ahmedinijad Circus resumes its tales. Morphing from a “long story” to a “sensational scoop” the powerful Khomeinist propaganda machine has produced a better end to the hostage crisis: release them now and invest heavily in their “merciful liberation.” Hence the new debate worldwide as of the first hours of this day is about the Mullahs “freeing” the British personnel, not anymore about their “abduction”, and certainly not the other crucial stories, from UN sanctions on the nuclear standoff, the Iranian operatives arrested in Iraq, or the domestic opposition to Ahmedinijad. The war of images is on, powerful, and still in the hands of Tehran, or rather in the sophisticated “PR machine” at the service of the regime.

The abrupt change in direction operated by the Khomeinist decision-makers, from long-lasting crisis to blitz-solution is the product of a strong advice given by the “PR machine,” most of it based in the West, realizing how catastrophic would have been a stretching of the hostages’ crisis in time. Ahmedinijad wanted time but his advisors realized that the operation has been exposed in the world court of opinion, and hence had to cease and morph. But why did the “advisors,” mostly (Western-hired) ask the Mullahs to release the British at once and “use” the decision to the advantage of the regime? Here are the very objective and heavy reasons....

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