Besides spending some time with the good people of Americans United, I’ll be giving a talk at George Mason University at 7pm on Saturday night. Here’s the flyer:
If you can’t quite read that tiny print, the information is also online at the Beltway Atheists Meetup Group and on Facebook.
Say, does anyone want to invite Obama to show up?
By the way, you should read AU’s post-election analysis of the state of the religious right. You will be disappointed to learn that they did not simply evaporate after the election.
Isn’t that where our old buddy Sal hangs his hat?
Can I do a bit of shameless promotion here? Well, if I’m outa line, you can just delete this, but…
I encourage anyone who reads this comment to join AU! It’s a great organization doing very important work to help keep the wingnut fundies from turning the U.S. into a religious dictatorship. (I’m just a bit biased here. I’m an AU member but I swear I received no renumeration for this commercial!)
And thanks, P.Z. for all of your good work on behalf of us godless commie pinko atheists!
Crap, local Oregon media is now projecting Merkley for the win over Gordon Smith. Smith is a Bush ass kisser, but Merkley is a tax the little people to death pro.
*back to PZ*
Rational Response Squad?! I thought they were so done and dead. Am I wrong?
Some sort of cephalopod-inspired happy dance about the outcome of the election?
Oh, it was a rhetorical question. Ignore me
I only live an hour away, PZ! I’m going to try and make it there! :)
“Popular blogger and biologist…”
They left off “Cracker Attacker”. :-)
PZ, you need to have more pictures taken of yourself to give some variety in these fliers.
Enjoy my hometown (where I grew up). Too bad I won’t be going there until next week. I’ll be sending you some visitors.
For you Pharyngulites. These are from a far-right=catholic blog that does not allow comments but allows emails to the authors
http://www.exceptionalmarriages.com/weblog/
ANOTHER ELECTION QUESTION – MINNESOTA! [Rachel Watkins]
11/5/2008
What is up with Minnesota? Seriously. They almost elected Al Franken to Congress and it is the home of P.Z. Myers, the professor who is making quite a name for himself on-line (and otherwise) descrating hosts.
Are there any readers from there who might be able to shed some light on what it is like to live in that state??
My prayers go out to them and the eleven bishops called to shepherd this people.
and:
CONGRATULATIONS, AMERICA! [Kevin Miller]
11/5/2008
You’ve elected a racist, Marxist, baby-killer.
What are you going to do to celebrate?
MARRIAGE WON YESTERDAY – NOT ONLY IN CA, BUT ALSO IN AZ AND FL [Kevin Miller]
Skimming right-wing-crazy-people radio today, it is apparent that the right has identified its problem and the reason for its inexplicable loss:
McCain was too moderate.
Obviously, if they could just have gotten someone even more batshit fascist crazy, they would have swept the elections again.
After all, they know they’re right. And if the lost, it must mean that they need to be more right.
Seriously. Too Moderate. Moderates lose, they say.
Do you think those blinders hurt when they’re screwed on too tight?
President Hope/Change is in Chicago, idiot.
Go away? No…they are going to get shrill, very shrill.
Obama seems rational and concerned about education, a real sore point with the theocrats. The “no child left behind” thing strikes me as a program designed to keep teachers from actually teaching. I’m guessing Obama is going to kick that to the curb.
The indoctrinators will percieve that as a plot to resume secular indoctrination of children.
I’m sorry, I really wish I could be there for one of your talks, but…
As a graphic design elitist, I have to say people have [i]consistently[i] saddled your talks with horrible posters.
OK Wowbagger – You’re ignored. *Pffft*
Where the hell is Janine?
I’m getting tired of typing in QoT to spite her if she isn’t going to even show up to be incensed.
And as long as we’re at it, where the hell are Holbach, Bride of Shrek, and w00+? Ichthyic is traveling. I’m starting to form the opinion that the Bride is up to something hugely slutty.
Sheesh – even PZ is traveling. :o(
Bride of Shrek popped up on one of the election threads to post a celebratory message and said she’d been really busy lately. Woot has made a few brief posts.
Ichthyic is, AFAIK, en route to New Zealand.
Not sure about the rest of the ‘old regulars’, but there are quite a few new ones happy to take on the asshole troll brigade. It’s a very different lineup from when I first started coming here after the ‘PZ- expelled-from-Expelled debacle.
shink shink
I see Patricia has added a title to her name.
shink shink
Where did she get that idea.
shink shink
I have said I curtsy to her superior sluttishness.
shink shink
But I will not allow her to take a title I claimed as my own.
shink shink
I am sharpening my red nails.
shink shink
And the color is not from nail polish.
shink shink
ATTACK!
How the faithful voted (Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life)
It’s looking pretty good. Obama won the Catholic vote where Kerry (a Catholic) lost it (probably mostly because of the hispanic Catholics).
The reason white evangelicals have such a big effect is their tendency towards homogeneity (unlike the Catholics and unlike other protestants). Obama still picked up 26% of white evangelicals where Kerry only got 21%. Those are handsome gains. There is evidence from elsewhere that the homogeneity of the evangelicals is undergoing internal challenge due to a generational shift in attitudes, particularly towards homosexuality.
This makes 2012 sound like we will be living in a utopian society. And I’m straight!
Ahh-ha!
There the darlin is!
Naner, naner Janine. I bosomed, and slut strutted my way into Queen.
Ask what the GIRLS in the back room will have?!
Princess you are. Queen I am, until some naughty male Queen comes flying through… and then it’s gonna get even uglier!
The RRS are a bunch of fanatical self-styled ‘experts’ who are barely out of diapers. One of their members has such a high opinion of himself that he declared,
“…we all know I’m a self-taught think-tank with a wealth of knowledge and not much in the ways of credentials. Usually, nobody cares, because the fact is…I’m damn smart. But when I get called a fraud based on the fact that I am an acclaimed expert in this field, it burns me up…”
Ah, such modesty.
Posted by: Patricia, Queen of Typhozs | November 6, 2008
Naner, naner Janine. I bosomed, and slut strutted my way into Queen.
Underhanded wench! Queen of the Sluts you may be. But Queen of Typos!?! NEVER! I may have to remove the head that carries the false crown. Or at least pull out a couple of handfuls of hair.
P.Z. – you are going very close to where I live.
I may try and come see you, and bring some of my friends.
That would be awesome to listen to you.
Also, I am from an area where the religious right are pretty strong, and I am tired of listening to them.
Ha! Princess of Typos, I flounce and twirl passed you again.
Not only do I claim the title of Queen of Typows, but Ignorant Slut as well.
Now I do bow to your title as Lesbian Queen – you will have a new field to fight for that one.
We’ve probably given tsg a heart attack.
He does seem to have a weak constitution.
tsg is silly for twirling.
Bill looses it for hair.
Once again the girls win.
*smirk*
As a lesbian lurker, I must say that the girls would win if Patricia were Lesbian Queen!
Akshelby, how dare you turn against you royal Queen?
What?!
Akshelby how dare you! Janine is the Lesbian Queen.
Except that tsg is going to want to get into the wrestling match, and Bill Dauphin is gonna be feeling for hairless smoothies.
This blog is besmirched with godless, heathen perverts. I like it!
After two years, I’m still here… leanin’ on my Camaro looking freakin’ cooler than you can handle.
But, PZ does need some new pictures taken. I’ll have to get out with my camera stuff and totally pin him down when he’s out giving one of his
talksseminars of indoctrination.Maybe everyone’s having a break from the intertubes seeing as the most recent big draw is now over. There must be a lot of real life things needing to be done.
Prof. Myers, you should pick up a copy of Eats, Shoots & Leaves for the SSA’s flyer guy. That shit’s just embarrassing.
Maybe everyone’s having a break from the intertubes seeing as the most recent big draw is now over.
Yes – since there’s really not much point in arguing politics here at this point, I have nothing significant to say. (I would admit to being unhealthily obsessed with politics, to the exclusion of pretty much everything else.)
I agree, political talk time has become really tiring. Time to go back to shooting down IDiots.
I completely disagree. It’s precisely because the vast majority of citizens only regard their involvement in politics as their vote once every four years that nothing ever really changes.
Now is the time for those who really want to try to influence this new administration to start actively with taking positions.
Because of massive financial speculations and frauds that were performed all during the 1990-2006 and caused the largest credit bubble in history, the world is now entering in the worst global recession ever since the 30s. This will cause tremendous hardship, massive unemployement, far beyond what most imagine.
Also, there’s a war we need to terminate rapidly, there’s the energy consumption / carbon emmissions problem that needs to be solved urgently.
And you think the top priority is to go back to shooting IDiots ?
tbh, I’ve had 21 months of this damn election. These 21 months have shown me that the fight between science and religion is petty squabbling compared to the political wrangling that goes on. All the while our environment is being pushed more and more into danger as we deplete our resources and the focus is on the economic cost?!? All the while there are free market disciples who are looking to implement a system they believe will solve all the world’s money troubles while killing the planet in the process.
So yes, I think that getting back to science is a damn important thing to do because some things transcend partisan politics and nothing is ever going to change while we squabble over ideological differences that will never reconcile. It’s important to recognise there is a process that can at least help us if we are willing to give it the proper time and that process is the scientific method. It will be the redeemer of the planet if we choose to, and it goes beyond party lines. I’d prefer to be talking about something that matters rather than arguing with condescending libertarians over the merits of a system that has no pragmatic value.
What he said.
But instead of politics we should be concentrating on policy. We Americans have a tendency to confuse the two.
Werd to that!
Absolutely !
Kel,
I don’t disagree with you that going back to Science and education is a very important thing to do, but I think it would be very dangerous in the current context to forget about economic and foreign policy simply because this election has taken too long.
Mark my word, with what’s comming in front of us, that’s a recipie for disaster.
Oh, so you have a browser that’s too stupid to make auto-fill-in the default setting? But you can switch it on anyway. Just look for it.
If we were discussing policy then I would have no problem, but we aren’t. It’s been an ideological struggle here; debating over the level of governmental control is hardly going to solve the issues (though I’m sure the libertarians would disagree with this – in advance FUCK YOU!), why not talk about practical and constructive solutions that work within the system? Why not discuss practical measures that can be undertaken?
PZ’s gonna be in my town! PZ’s gonna be in my town! PZ’s gonna be in my town!! (My sing song for today.) Oh boy, I have a lot of schedule rearranging to do.
Seeing as we’re off topic anyway – check this out if you haven’t seen it already – hilarous 3-minute IDiot debunk and rhyming too! Not as poetic as Cuttlefish but too funny!
Patricia and Janine, girl fight? (PERK!)
As to the body of this post, damn, not getting to DC until Monday morn. Double damn.
Ciao y’all
Awesome, can’t wait!!
From that ‘2012 scare letter’ mentioned on the AU website:
Private ownership of guns is illegal, and home schooling has been all but outlawed.
Sounds quite utopian: something to work for!
What about Philly???
You have a visit to Philly scheduled in a couple of weeks but I’ve been unable to find any information on it.
heleen, not all homeschoolers are fundies, and not all gun owners are christians. My 6 year old daughter knows the periodic table up to Sulfur, and can name all the major ages of the 4.5 billion year old earth. She also knows the rules for firearms, and dad likes to go out with his heathen friends on the odd sunday and go shooting.
I voted Obama, and I hope we get full social health care. I really hope he doesn’t go down the path of gun outlawing. The assault weapons ban was poor legislation. It outlawed guns based on their appearance, not their function.
Of course, this has to be THE weekend I’m out of town. I’m so disappointed. :P
Not surprising the religious right didn’t go away, but perhaps there is some hope in the comments such as McCain being too moderate. It MAY be the old-guard Republicans are tired of pandering to the batshit insane religious (like what’s coming out about tensions in the McCain campaign w/r/t Palin)and the crazy religious will try to push harder for more insanity, creating a split. When you only have two real parties a divided right can be a really good thing for a united left. Or at least I can dream.
PZ,
You neglected to inform us of the most important part of the evening- where will you be headed for libations afterward?
DC is a bit of a hike from Fairfax, but the craft beers at Pizzeria Paradiso on M Street are worth the trip!
I’ll be in Washington D.C. tomorrow.
Of course, it’ll be the post nuclear war D.C. of Fallout 3, but, you know.
But seriously, I was there once to present a paper at an AIAA conference. Go eat lunch on a bench by the Capitol building. The squirrels will literally sit in your lap and beg for scraps. Heck, I got a *crow* to sit on my knee, and you know how twitchy those guys usually are.
Not surprising the religious right didn’t go away,
I had to laugh at some on the anti-McCain side (of which I was one) acting like the RR would vanish like the shadow of Mordor once the voters tossed the ring into Mt. Doom.
I’ve been trying to find out for weeks where you were going to be in DC, hoping I wouldn’t have to drive into an obscure part of the city on a Saturday night. Turns out, you’re talking just a couple buildings down from where I’m typing this message. I think I can handle that! Looking forward to it, PZ!
Why are you associated with the fundamentalists at the rational response squad? I had thought you better than that.
I hope you make it to part of the blogger party at 8:30 Saturday, PZ. I’d hate to miss you, and I’m only there for one night.
I’m sure I’ll get to see you and say hi, though.
I agree re picture. Less Gherkin, more cephalopod, please.
But don’t ever by Lynne Truss’ horrid little book. If you really care about writing, get Merriam-Webster’s Concise Dictionary of English Usage.
HEY! I’m a student at GMU, why haven’t I heard about this before now? I didn’t even know there was a secular group on campus. Public relations, people.
I am a moderator at the RRS forums and the Founder and President of the Rational Response Squad at GMU. The RRS @ GMU is a University recognized student organization at George Mason University. We are affiliated with the original Rational Response Squad (www.rationalresponders.com), however we are our own group. VCU’s United Secular Alliance which recently hosted the Hitchens/Turek debate is an RRS Affiliate. So is Metro Atheists at MSCD where PZ spoke in September. I’m also the Organizer of Beltway Atheists – where this event is co-listed.
Re: poster issues… We had extremely short notice in planning this event. Furthermore in addition to running three atheist groups and assisting several others, I attend graduate school at GMU. I had roughly 20 minutes to make the poster and therefore resorted to utilizing a template. If you’d like to make another one and e-mail it to me we’d be happy to add it to our on-campus publicity. A quick Google search can easily provide my e-mail address and phone number.
Lee, #55: “Why are you associated with the fundamentalists at the rational response squad? I had thought you better than that.”
Nobody’s listening, it seems. I guess it’s a big group, but still. An atheist forum poster did call them the ‘atheist Taliban’.
Yay! I live around the corner from GMU. Will come check it oot. As a GMU alumnus, I can tell you’ll like the folk, PZ.
The GMU venue may not be large enough. The capacity of Student Union Building II Rooms 5-7 is only 120 persons.
http://studentcenters.gmu.edu/images/pamphlets/programming.pdf
Someone might want to look into this.
Here’s that “letter from 2012”, and not on the Christian Taliban’s website.
There’s a zebrafish researcher who’d be honored to meet with you.
…in DC this weekend!
Didn’t Graydon Square punch out someone from the RRS? Or am I thinking of something else?
Did I miss the most important info: where is the piss-up after the meeting? Who’s for drinking some beers with PZ? I’m close!