The guys from New Left Media are at it again exposing the Tea Party Protesters for the ignorant, clueless dolts they really are:

It never ceases to amaze me how many people can be so willing to work against their own self-interests because FOX “News” told them to. These people have nothing but Republican talking-points to spew out in response to the questions being asked. None of them has put any thought into it beyond what they’ve been told by Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh. None of them has made the effort to find out what the bill really has in it on their own. They freely admit that they watch FOX because it reinforces what they believe already. They’re protesting something they have only misinformation about.

The folks over at AMERICABlog remind us that  New Left Media is a couple of undergrads who take on this task with no real outside funding other than what folks have donated to them via PayPal. They’re doing great work and deserve our support.

The folks over at  Common Sense Atheism have put together a list of the 20 Most Popular Atheism Blogs and I was surprised to see Stupid Evil Bastard listed at number 9. I have to admit that it was quite nice to see my humble little site listed among many others that I read daily and consider to be of much higher quality than what I manage to cobble together here.

I was also amused, however, as at least one commenter there felt that I was worth taking the time to bring down a peg or two for being yet another damned liberal:

Neil C. Reinhardt wrote:

I see the author of the “Stupid Evil Bastard” site is, from his comments on Iraq, Bush, etc. a just another Clueless Clod member of the Loony Left.

Just another Atheist who may use logic & critical thought when considering subjects of gods / religion. And who then totally LOSES the same abilities when it comes to the Iraq War and/or some (many?) other issues.

Yep, just another Atheist who, I will bet, wonders just how can the Programmed Robots of the Religious Right just refuse to learn, and/or Deny the MANY facts which PROVE Evolution is a Fact and Homosexuals are born.

Who, at the same time, either Refuses to Learn and/or Denies the MANY, MANY FACTS which more than PROVE the Iraq War is Both FULLY JUSTIFIED & a Very NECESSARY part of World Wide War on Terrorists who have been killing us and our friends for over 30 years,

I PITY him and all others of his irrational. illogical, unknowledgeable & self-deluded
ilk of fools. They seem to live in some world where their infinite Ignorance on some subjects is not surpassed by their Astronomical Arrogance they have the slightest clue.

And Children, if any of you are so foolish as to believe you can PROVE, with REAL FACTS I am wrong, I sure welcome you to give it a try!

religionsucks@webtv.net

What’s particularly amusing about Mr. Reinhardt’s little rant is the fact that not two comments later he goes on about the wonderful curative properties of Noni Juice.

For those of you not familiar with the product, Noni Juice is made from the fruit of the Noni tree (Morinda citrifolia). The tree is known by a number of different names depending on where you are with noni being the Hawaiian name for it. Powder made from the fruit is high in carbohydrates and fiber with reasonable amounts of vitamins C and A, niacin, potassium, iron, calcium and sodium. Nutrient-wise it’s similar to a raw orange with about half the vitamin C and a little more sodium, but that hasn’t stopped the woo-woo alt-med crowd from claiming it has all manner of healing properties.

For someone who had just bemoaned my apparent failings of throwing logic and rationality to the wind with regards to politics it was rather amusing to read the following from Mr. Reinhardt:

Something I’ve been drinking for over 12 years which really works well at both speeding the healing and reducing the pain of dental problems is NONI JUICE! As there are over 300 brands you can find it at health food stores, Cosco, other stores and as an mlm product.

As with everything else the quality, quanity and price very. While what I drink costs more & less than others, I think it is the highest quality. IF I could not afford the one I drink now, I would be down at COSCO in a flash.

Even after more than 12 years, my results from noni are so remarkable, it still AMAZES ME! For one of MANY examples, I USED to have the Aches & Pains of old age until I was around 62 & started
drinking it. I NO longer suffer from them and have not for over 12 years. (I am now 75)

Being a RABID Atheist Activist, it is a Miracle when I call anything a “Miracle” and yet that is what I consider the immune boosting power of Noni Juice to be. It is NOT the Noni Juice which effectively treats and/or cures over 90 different medical problems, rather IT IS YOUR own BOOSTED Immune system which does it. (In it’s natural state, Noni has been very effectively used for OVER 5,000 years!)

And then in a follow up comment:

IF you want know all the MANY great things noni Has done for me (aside from lowering both my Cholesterol Levels and Blood Pressure, taking the pain away and curing burns quickly, healing athletes foot in half the time and curing a toe nail fungus (which several years of prescribed medications did not) please e-me.

Noni not only is very effective on treating the insides & the outsides of our bodies, it does the same for all other mammals as well as animals, reptiles and birds.

Please see this generic website for a picture of a noni fruit, some of it’s history, and a little of the (much) research done on it.

http://www.noniresearch.com

This website has more information on Noni and you can also read and/or listen to various people’s experience of drinking and using Noni topically.

http://www.noni-is-good-for-you.com/

The following “store” has audio and video tapes, brochures, tri-folds, newspapers, books and CD’s. ALL of which are about Noni Juice.

http://www.nonitools.com

It seems I’m not the only one capable of throwing logic and rationality out the window on certain topics.

From what I’ve been able to determine in the small amount of time I’ve bothered to look into the uses for noni fruit, it was looked at by medical researchers as a possible treatment for cancer to no avail and it’s been used by Hawaiians for years to draw pus out of boils. According to its Wikipedia entry it’s also used to “treat menstrual cramps, bowel irregularities and urinary tract infections”, but there’s no scientific support for those uses. There may be some use of oil from the seeds as they are “abundant in linoleic acid that may have useful properties when applied topically on skin, e.g., anti-inflammation, acne reduction, moisture retention.”

None of that has stopped the alt-med industry from putting some 300 different products out making all manner of wild claims. It was bad enough that the FDA issued several letters to various companies producing Noni Juice products warning them that the claims being made violated section 201(g)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) [21 U.S.C. § 321(g)(1)].

For example, here is an excerpt from a letter to Peter W. Manville of NJP Products, Inc. ^{(PDF file)} in September of 2006 over claims made about his Noni Juice and BarleyGreen products:

The therapeutic claims on your web sites establish that the products are drugs because they are intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease. The marketing of these products with these claims violates the Act.

Examples of some of the claims observed on your http://www.noni-juice-plus.com web site include:

Noni Juice

Your web site contains disease claims in the form of personal testimonials about the use your Noni Juice product for a wide variety of diseases, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, allergies, asthma, bipolar disorder, depression, migraines, multiple sclerosis, and others. Examples of some of the disease claims observed on your testimonials page include:

“I just want to take the time to let you know that after a month of taking the Noni Juice you supply I noticed a difference in my symptoms, you see I have Lupus Erythematous [sic] and suffer from arthritic like symptoms. The first two weeks after taking I noticed that I did not have joint pain, the swelling in my fingers had disappeared, the fatigue disappeared and I had a lot more energy. Also, I had been suffering from chronic back pain and even that seemed to have disappeared. … It has helped with my depression. … It has vastly improved my irritable bowel condition. The relief from pain that I have had from arthritis [sic], fibromyalgia and lingering nerve pain(from shingles) is absolutely amazing. And I haven’t had a migraine since I started taking it. My allergies have improved. And slowly, but surely, my acid relux [sic] is getting less and less every day. … ”

“I recently broke 3 bones in my leg. … Being depressed, and not having much circulation in my leg i [sic] needed something that would benefit my situation. I was talking a friend and he told me when terrel [sic] owens (nfl football star) broke his ankle in the 2004-05 football season just 7 weeks prior to the superbowl, he took Noni juice to help him, and was back in time for the superbowl where he had 7 receptions! This influenced me to start using Noni juice and after taking it for a week, it helped my depression a whole lot, help get circulation in my leg …”

“… [A]fter my extensive back surgery, where I had two discs removed and nine pieces of titanium placed in me…. my one month post op x-rays looked like what they expected at three months. I thank the NONI juice for major assistance in healing this almost 50 yr. old spine.”

Wow, sounds like all the other woo-woo natural cures that you receive endless amounts of spam in your inbox for. (Açaí Berry juice anyone?) Needless to say, to be trashed by someone for my supposed arrogance and ignorance who then turns around and spouts woo-woo so enthusiastically is quite amusing indeed.

You’ll have to go to the entry over at Common Sense Atheism to see my reply, but I ask you not to turn it into a flame thread while you’re there. I’m sure Mr. Reinhardt will feel compelled to chime in here at some point as all of us Loony Leftists are probably way too tempting a target for him to resist and then you can have your fun. In the meantime, marvel at the lunacy on display.

Yeah, this pretty much sums it up:

Found over at Atheist Media Blog.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote an entry about the atheist bus ads making their way to Detroit. I mentioned in the title that the Christians in the area were “freaking the fuck out.” A description that at least one commenter in that thread took issue with:

John writes:

So what? I’m an atheist. I’m also not one who attempts to make excuses for my beliefs – just as Christians should not for theirs. They aren’t “freaking the fuck out” from what I can tell from the protests. It seems most want to abstain from riding the train that displays a message on it that they disagree with ; which is fine. It’s what I do by avoiding walking in to places of worship because I don’t wish to hear whatever messages I disagree with.

You’re right, John. It was wrong of me to characterize the folks leaving angry comments on the news article as “freaking the fuck out.”

Though perhaps this qualifies:

(Detroit, March 15, 2010) Vandals defaced or tore off part of the wording on at least three of the Detroit area bus ads that read “Don’t believe in God? You are not alone.” In each of the three currently known instances, it was the word “Don’t” that was targeted.

The vandalized signs are among the baker’s dozen of King and Queen sized ads first placed on the outsides of Detroit SMART buses on March 4 by the Detroit Area Coalition of Reason (Detroit CoR). The ads were paid for by the United Coalition of Reason (United CoR), headquartered in Washington DC.

“Acts like this give a striking reminder that our message is necessary,” said Ruthe Milan, coordinator of Detroit CoR. “Without a doubt, prejudice against atheists and agnostics is still very real in American life.”

Yes, there’s nothing like vandalizing messages you don’t agree with to demonstrate Jesus’ love and teachings of tolerance. A rather innocuous message reaching out to other atheists is just the sort of thing that would’ve prompted Jesus into trying to rip them off the sides of the buses. Heaven forbid us atheists associate freely and openly! Next thing you know we’ll be meeting with the President and expressing our opinions on things!

Oh, wait…

The one person who doesn't look like a douchebag wearing this blanket.

Been really busy at work and as such I’ve not had as much time for keeping up with what’s going on in the world which has resulted in my lack of posts. So I thought I’d mention that I broke down and bought a Snuggie or Slanket or whatever the fuck you want to call them. I got it from the Living XL online store which is an off-shoot of the Casual Male XL clothing company (also known as the Big Fat Bastard Store). They just call it a Textured Wearable Sleeved Blanket which probably means it’s not a Snuggie or a Slanket brand name item. It’s the same damned thing, just doesn’t have a stupid name attached to it. Normally they go for $60(!), but they had a sale recently where they were selling them for $20 and I figured what the hell. It gets pretty cool in this basement here sitting at my computer and a sleeved blanket might be just the thing I need. Even if it doesn’t work it’s only $20.

Thing is, the fucker works great! It keeps me right toasty. Hell, sometimes it’s a tad too warm when in the heat of killing dangerous zombies in Left 4 Dead 2 and I have to take my top down to cool off.

So to speak.

Yes, it does make you look like a giant douchebag just like in the commercials, but if looking like a douchebag means being warm and toasty while sitting in front of my computer then so be it. I’m not proud.

It has a little pass-through pouch thingy on the front that you can stick your hands into to keep warm and an oddly placed pocket right in the middle for holding your TV’s remote control (they obviously know what lazy-assed bums would be buying this thing). The problem with the remote holder is that it’s positioned in just the right spot to make it look like you have a remote-shaped penis that’s just peeking out of the top of a hole in your blanket. It really is an unfortunate placement unless you’re a guy with a similar sense of humor to myself, in which case you’ll have endless fun with that feature of the blanket much to your wife’s regret.

You’d be amazed at how many Remote Control Penis jokes you can come up with on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

So all in all it was worth the $20. Don’t know that I’d spring $60 for one, scratch that, I definitely know that I wouldn’t, but for $20 I’m quite happy.

The Onion can always be counted on to get to the core essence of a news story:

No nonsense news reporting. That’s what makes The Onion America’s Finest News Source.

I am so excited for this movie. I was a huge fan of the original and have always held out hope that someday there would be a sequel. Don’t know how good it’ll be, but the trailer is very drool worthy:

Now there’s something to look forward to in December. Assuming I’m employed and have the spare cash to go to the movies.

It’s a cute ad with a serious message:

Honk for mammogram awareness.

If you’ve never heard of Chatroulette then this will be a pretty good primer, as well as uproariously funny:

I’m actually quite surprised at all the attention Chatroulette is receiving. As soon as I heard of it I knew there’d be tons of guys broadcasting their dicks to the world — a phenomena I’ve never really understood — because it happens on just about every other video chat network out there as well. For awhile Microsoft’s Netmeeting was a fairly popular avenue for dick broadcasting and that was years ago. I suppose the one big difference here is that you can surprise random people with your schlong for the lulz of seeing their reactions. (I find myself amused that I don’t have to link to a definition of “schlong” but felt the need to link to one for “lulz”.)

I often wonder if there are females out there who do anything similar. On those rare occasions that I’ve ventured into a video chat room of one kind or another I came across lots of guys proudly displaying their wangs for all the world to see, but I can’t recall ever coming across some random female broadcasting her hoo-ha to whomever happened along. Occasionally I’d happen upon boobs, yes, but never a fun basket. Is it just too scary looking at the low-bandwidth resolutions afforded by a webcam or is there some line that most women have decided they won’t cross that most men have long ago left behind in the dust? A question for the ages, I’m sure.

All that said, there are some folks doing some interesting and amusing things with Chatroulette out on the net. Like the guy who dresses up as Cobra Commander from G.I. Joe and tries to find a Valentine:

Then there’s the woman who decided to see what would happen if she fed the incoming video feed from Chatroulette back into itself so when you connected with her it looked like you had connected with yourself. She condensed some five hours of amused, surprised, and confused reactions down into this video:

For those wondering, it took a couple seconds for the feed to cycle back which is why the reactions are a tad delayed.

So obviously there’s more you can do with Chatroulette than just prove to the world that you have a cock and it’s these other experiments that I find much more interesting. Any douchebag can drop his pants in front of his webcam. These folks are being creative.

…with the goal of improving them. This is the result:

Don’t know about you, but I think his version of the Decalogue is a vast improvement over the original(s).