Comments on: Some Reading http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:27:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jeff http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-59586 Jeff Fri, 16 Jan 2009 05:07:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/#comment-59586 Sorry Matt, opposing gay marriage does equate with bigotry. If one says "I don't want MY church to ordain gay marriage," well, that's parochial prerogative. But if one says, "I don't want ANY church to ordain gay marriage," that's bigotry. Do your Bible-literalist friends really think it's God's will to obstruct health benefits and hospital visitations? Sorry Matt, opposing gay marriage does equate with bigotry. If one says “I don’t want MY church to ordain gay marriage,” well, that’s parochial prerogative. But if one says, “I don’t want ANY church to ordain gay marriage,” that’s bigotry. Do your Bible-literalist friends really think it’s God’s will to obstruct health benefits and hospital visitations?

]]> By: Mark http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-59490 Mark Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:36:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/#comment-59490 It's a fun city Peter - come and visit! It's close enough to Christmas that I'll assume you got that joke out of a cracker. It’s a fun city Peter – come and visit! It’s close enough to Christmas that I’ll assume you got that joke out of a cracker.

]]> By: Mark http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-59489 Mark Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:33:03 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/#comment-59489 Thanks for the update Tod. Thanks for the update Tod.

]]> By: Peter Coles http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-59483 Peter Coles Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:20:03 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/#comment-59483 Mark, I'm such a dozy pillock I hadn't even picked up on the fact you had moved! I've only been to Philadelphia once, but loved it. Did you know that, in this time of financial crisis, Hollywood is saving money by requiring that all remakes involve several films rolled into one? An example of this is that they are now making a new combination of <em> Evita </em>, <em> Von Ryan's Express </em> and <em> Philadelphia </em>. The new film is going to be called <em> Von Ryvita and Cheese</em>. Peter Mark,

I’m such a dozy pillock I hadn’t even picked up on the fact you had moved! I’ve only been to Philadelphia once, but loved it.

Did you know that, in this time of financial crisis, Hollywood is saving money by requiring that all remakes involve several films rolled into one? An example of this is that they are now making a new combination of Evita , Von Ryan’s Express and Philadelphia . The new film is going to be called Von Ryvita and Cheese.

Peter

]]> By: Tod Lauer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-59471 Tod Lauer Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:40:48 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/#comment-59471 Meanwhile... Unfortunately, it looks like Comet Lulin is really going to be way too faint to be seen without binoculars or a small telescope, unless it flairs up unexpectedly... Meanwhile…

Unfortunately, it looks like Comet Lulin is really going to be way too faint to be seen without binoculars or a small telescope, unless it flairs up unexpectedly…

]]> By: Matt http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-59362 Matt Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:10:32 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/#comment-59362 Fair enough, Mark. And the link trail from your post seems to support that assertion more than I'd realized. Fair enough, Mark. And the link trail from your post seems to support that assertion more than I’d realized.

]]> By: Mark http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-59353 Mark Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:18:55 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/#comment-59353 I take your point Matt, but, although I think one could make a strong argument for it, in the post I didn't actually claim that being against gay marriage makes one a bigot. I claimed that Rick Warren is a bigot. I take your point Matt, but, although I think one could make a strong argument for it, in the post I didn’t actually claim that being against gay marriage makes one a bigot. I claimed that Rick Warren is a bigot.

]]> By: Mark http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-59351 Mark Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:15:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/#comment-59351 Go read our "about" page Jim. Go read our “about” page Jim.

]]> By: bob http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-59349 bob Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:53:09 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/#comment-59349 Why go to the Guardian's abridged extracts from the <i>Origin</i> when you can get the full text of all editions, plus everything else Darwin published, for free at http://darwin-online.org.uk/. Why go to the Guardian’s abridged extracts from the Origin when you can get the full text of all editions, plus everything else Darwin published, for free at http://darwin-online.org.uk/.

]]> By: Jim http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-59345 Jim Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:33:56 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/#comment-59345 I just like to stop receiving political stuff in my "science" feeds. I just like to stop receiving political stuff in my “science” feeds.

]]> By: ollie http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-59343 ollie Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:27:22 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/#comment-59343 Actually, I am wondering "why have an invocation at all"? It would be nice to see us move away from this superstition but I am not holding my breath. Actually, I am wondering “why have an invocation at all”?

It would be nice to see us move away from this superstition but I am not holding my breath.

]]> By: Matt http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/comment-page-1/#comment-59333 Matt Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:57:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/01/14/some-reading/#comment-59333 May I just take issue with the idea that being opposed to gay marriage equates with bigotry? It certainly can, mind you, and I do think it generally equates with intellectual laziness. But living in the bible belt, I know a lot of good people, people with close gay friends, who are very much not bigots but who still oppose gay marriage. They're people who believe in the literal truth of the bible, a belief which they feel boxes them in to being opposed to gay marriage. But as often as not, I get the sense many would rather not be against it, if the bible avoided any discussion of homosexuality. To be clear, I disagree with them profoundly. But I think it's a little too easy dismiss our opponents as bigots. May I just take issue with the idea that being opposed to gay marriage equates with bigotry? It certainly can, mind you, and I do think it generally equates with intellectual laziness. But living in the bible belt, I know a lot of good people, people with close gay friends, who are very much not bigots but who still oppose gay marriage. They’re people who believe in the literal truth of the bible, a belief which they feel boxes them in to being opposed to gay marriage. But as often as not, I get the sense many would rather not be against it, if the bible avoided any discussion of homosexuality.

To be clear, I disagree with them profoundly. But I think it’s a little too easy dismiss our opponents as bigots.

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