Comments on: Skeptical gifts http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/12/02/skeptical-gifts/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:30:08 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: GregV http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/12/02/skeptical-gifts/comment-page-1/#comment-138481 GregV Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:44:57 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/12/02/skeptical-gifts/#comment-138481 I don't feel like signing up for yet another website account so I won't be logging in over there, but one of those sites puts woo in the product description: "The Fruit Bat necklace calls to mind a bat's unique and mysterious qualities. Bats are winged nocturnal mammals that "hear" their surroundings with super-sensitive sonar. How incredible! This <b>necklace represents intuition and calls to mind the pose of the hanged man, <i>from tarot</i>,</b> a free-thinker who's views are not easily swayed by society." Now there's a gift for the skeptical thinker, a symbol from tarot cards! I don’t feel like signing up for yet another website account so I won’t be logging in over there, but one of those sites puts woo in the product description:

“The Fruit Bat necklace calls to mind a bat’s unique and mysterious qualities. Bats are winged nocturnal mammals that “hear” their surroundings with super-sensitive sonar. How incredible! This necklace represents intuition and calls to mind the pose of the hanged man, from tarot, a free-thinker who’s views are not easily swayed by society.”

Now there’s a gift for the skeptical thinker, a symbol from tarot cards!

]]> By: J-dub http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/12/02/skeptical-gifts/comment-page-1/#comment-138316 J-dub Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:34:17 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/12/02/skeptical-gifts/#comment-138316 anon the troll: Just because a tradition is a "Waste of Time", doesn't mean it's not FUN! anon the troll: Just because a tradition is a “Waste of Time”, doesn’t mean it’s not FUN!

]]> By: IVAN3MAN http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/12/02/skeptical-gifts/comment-page-1/#comment-138301 IVAN3MAN Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:27:58 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/12/02/skeptical-gifts/#comment-138301 <center><font size="+3" color="black"><b><u>Attention Christians</u></font></b></center><br/> <p><center><font size="+1" color="black"><b>Check out these articles:</b></font></center></p> <p><center><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><font color="blue"><b>Winter Solstice</b></font></a></center></p> <p><center><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><font color="blue"><b>Saturnalia</b></font></a></center></p> <center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30305348@N08/3078984316/" title="Jeremiah_10:2-4 by Ivan3man, on Flickr" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3031/3078984316_f91e271042.jpg" width="500" height="397" alt="Jeremiah_10:2-4" /></a></center>
Attention Christians

Check out these articles:

Winter Solstice

Saturnalia

Jeremiah_10:2-4

]]> By: John Paradox http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/12/02/skeptical-gifts/comment-page-1/#comment-138292 John Paradox Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:42:24 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/12/02/skeptical-gifts/#comment-138292 NSFW= Not Safe For Wife? J/P=? NSFW= Not Safe For Wife?

J/P=?

]]> By: LarianLeQuella http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/12/02/skeptical-gifts/comment-page-1/#comment-138260 LarianLeQuella Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:42:43 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/12/02/skeptical-gifts/#comment-138260 A full 4 out of 10? You must be in a charitable mood Dr. Plait! In case anyone is wondering about the whole celebration season and what atheist's consider, this may be of use: http://atheism.about.com/od/christmasholidayseason/p/GodlessXmas.htm?nl=1 And please, I have no idea if Dr. Plait is atheist or not. He regularly says he's a skeptic, but that is NOT the same thing... (probably one reason I subtracted at least a full point from anon's score. I'm like an East German judge I guess.) A full 4 out of 10? You must be in a charitable mood Dr. Plait!

In case anyone is wondering about the whole celebration season and what atheist’s consider, this may be of use: http://atheism.about.com/od/christmasholidayseason/p/GodlessXmas.htm?nl=1

And please, I have no idea if Dr. Plait is atheist or not. He regularly says he’s a skeptic, but that is NOT the same thing… (probably one reason I subtracted at least a full point from anon’s score. I’m like an East German judge I guess.)

]]> By: JT http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/12/02/skeptical-gifts/comment-page-1/#comment-138259 JT Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:40:37 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/12/02/skeptical-gifts/#comment-138259 Maybe we ought to ask Santa for better trolls this Christmas. This latest batch is a bit weak. Anyway anon, I don't generally wish people a Merry Christmas this time of year (I usually wait until at least the 11th) but for you I'll make an exception. Merry Christmas from this atheist, and I sincerely hope you learn to enjoy life a bit more instead of worrying about how other people decide to celebrate the holidays. Maybe we ought to ask Santa for better trolls this Christmas. This latest batch is a bit weak.

Anyway anon, I don’t generally wish people a Merry Christmas this time of year (I usually wait until at least the 11th) but for you I’ll make an exception. Merry Christmas from this atheist, and I sincerely hope you learn to enjoy life a bit more instead of worrying about how other people decide to celebrate the holidays.

]]> By: Phil Plait http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/12/02/skeptical-gifts/comment-page-1/#comment-138248 Phil Plait Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:07:58 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/12/02/skeptical-gifts/#comment-138248 anon, nice try at trolling, but I'd give it a 4 out of 10. The random capitalization is not bad, upping the "crank" factor, but it's just not enough to pull off the whole "look at me look at me LOOKATME" vibe a good trolling would produce. anon, nice try at trolling, but I’d give it a 4 out of 10. The random capitalization is not bad, upping the “crank” factor, but it’s just not enough to pull off the whole “look at me look at me LOOKATME” vibe a good trolling would produce.

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