Too late! My talk is all over.
There is one writeup already, there were people in the audience with cameras so something will appear on youtube soon, and the convention had professional videographers present, so maybe you’ll see it sometime soon. Or you could invite me out to whereever you are to give it again.
(Also on FtB)
An organization called American Family Patriarchy Values wants to demonstrate that the world is actually just as bigoted as they are, so they’ve put up an internet survey to get “data” bolstering their views. I think we should help them out.
Radical homosexuals claim YOU support same-sex marriage, special job rights and promotion of homosexuality in schools. Please fill out the survey below and let your voice be heard.
1. Should businesses, schools, churches and daycares be required by law to hire and advance homosexuals or face prosecution and multimillion-dollar lawsuits?
2. Do you support the use of taxpayer dollars for AIDS-awareness programs and homosexual research grants?
3. Should homosexuality be promoted in school as a healthy lifestyle choice rather than leaving education on such matters up to the child’s parents?
4. Do you support same-sex “marriage” or marriage-like benefits for homosexual couples, such as adoption?
5. Should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn traditional marriage between one man and one woman?
I notice they do a little skewing of the questions, but ignore that; the first one in particular is dishonest, since no one is advocating requiring that homosexuals be hired, only that they not be discriminated against. But yeah, the rest are cool.
Unfortunately, they don’t publish any of the stats — you’re basically signing a petition that they want to flaunt at congress and claim that Americans really do hate gays, so let’s make more laws to discriminate against minorities. They’re unclear on the concept of democracy in multiple ways, I’m afraid.
I think they’re going to have to throw out their poll or lie about the data after we’re through with them.
(via JT)
Hold me, mommy, I’m scared. It’s Texas, and you know what this place is like: full of Bushites and fundies and creationists and people who talk funny. Fortunately, the first thing I saw when I walked into the hotel was a swarm of natives, including Matt Dillahunty and Aron-Ra, so I was reassured — there are some good people here. And then I learned from my host that convention attendees have almost entirely bought out all the rooms here in the Hyatt, so the place is packed with My People, a little island of concentrated sanity in the great sea of Texas. Actually, I’m getting the impression that a lot of Texans are more than a little exasperated with the loonies who have soiled their reputation.
Anyway, I’m the first speaker here at the Texas Freethought Convention, so I need to get ready. I’ve been told that most of the attendees will be registering this morning (I haven’t, I got in late), and the lines may be long. I’ve been told I have permission to crash to the front of the lines and get my registration stuff, but I’m afraid if I do that, I’ll look like a great big arrogant dick.
Oh, wait…they think that even when I’m polite. Stand aside, peons!
How dare Terry Pratchett release his new book, Snuff, next week, on top of the new stuff from Dawkins and Pinker? Hasn’t he been paying any attention to my schedule?
It’s an Inspector Vimes novel, too.
Yes, I’ve preordered it. I cannot resist temptation.
(Also on Sb)
It’s always good to see more atheist role models in the media.
(Episode CCLVIII: A message from Obama.)
How dare Terry Pratchett release his new book, Snuff, next week, on top of the new stuff from Dawkins and Pinker? Hasn’t he been paying any attention to my schedule?
It’s an Inspector Vimes novel, too.
Yes, I’ve preordered it. I cannot resist temptation.
(Also on FtB)
I’m typing this on a Mac laptop. I heard about it while browsing the news on my iPad. I have an iPhone in my pocket. There’s an iPod in my bedroom that we use for alarm and music. I bought my first Mac in 1984; I wrote my Ph.D. thesis on an Apple II. Maybe you use a Windows machine, but face it: Microsoft has been chasing Apple’s interface design since the 1980s.
And now Steve Jobs has died.
We owe a lot to him. He’s the guy who shaped our virtual world.
(Also on Sb)
One bit of levity: Westboro Baptist plans to picket his funeral, simply because they’re assholes. Look at the bottom of their tweet, though.
