Midday blogging

I just got back from cycling 10 miles with Olivia (social ride); it was a pretty day.

Video:

Richard Dawkins on Al-Jazeera. I admit that I really like this guy; I went to hear him speak at my university about 10 years ago.

Notice how he cuts to the chase.

I admit that I am finally “getting it”; one of Dawkins’ fundamental positions is that fantastic tales do not attain credibility merely because they are part of a religious belief. Example: if I said that I had received golden plates from a pixie last night, would you believe me? I hope not.

But for some reason, if the word “religion” is attached to the tale,

1. Conservatives believe it if it is their own tale and reject it if it isn’t their tale.

2. So called religiously tolerant people suspend judgment because “they weren’t there”, even if they disagree with it.

Sorry, but if I won’t believe that it happened yesterday in New York City, then I won’t be willing to believe that it happened 2-3-4-5 thousand years ago either.

Politics
John “more of the same” McCain is upset that “the media loves Obama”. Hmmm, it didn’t seem that way to me (e. g., the latest New Yorker cover, the free pass that the press gives to McCain and his numerous foreign policy gaffes). But if you want to watch the Republicans whine:

Gee Senator McCain, we are sorry that you are a boring speaker.

But perhaps you should quit lying in your ads.

Note: Vanity Fair parodied the New Yorker cover.

So what about that issue of the New Yorker with the Obama is a Muslim terrorist cover?

Actually, that issue does have an excellent article about Obama and how his stay in Chicago politics shaped him. The article appears to be even handed and points out that Obama will get “bare knuckles” when the situation calls for it. He is very good at politics.

Yes, it is 18 pages long. But it is the type of article that supporters and opponents should read.

Bible Scholarship: If you like studying the Bible (as I do, believe it or not; I find the theories of how it came to be to be fascinating), you’ll be thrilled to find that one of the earliest copies (4′th century CE) is going to be coming on line. This version has Mark with the shorter, earlier ending (no Jesus appearance; just the missing body).

No, I don’t read Greek. But still, I excited about this. Hat tip to Liberalsmustdie, one of the best snark sites around.