tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-140048712009-12-26T13:47:58.038-08:00Liberty, One Law for All, and No ReligionThe Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.comBlogger281125http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.giftag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-67611671658844500342009-12-18T21:52:00.000-08:002009-12-19T13:56:46.183-08:002009-12-19T13:56:46.183-08:00The trouble is that all too often in human history, churches and priesthoods have set themselves up to rule people's lives in the name of some invisible god (and they're all invisible, because they don't exist) &#8212; and done terrible damage. In the name of their god, they have burned, hanged, tortured, maimed, robbed, violated, and enslaved millions of their fellow-creatures, and done so with the happy conviction that they were doing the will of God, and they would go to Heaven for...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/BQZQ3MO1ILS252bnQPnHH0G4Gl8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/BQZQ3MO1ILS252bnQPnHH0G4Gl8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/BQZQ3MO1ILS252bnQPnHH0G4Gl8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/BQZQ3MO1ILS252bnQPnHH0G4Gl8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/HtXxRe5eVOc" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com0http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/12/sinsorship.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-6034117410196761022009-12-11T18:41:00.000-08:002009-12-12T09:47:29.870-08:002009-12-12T09:47:29.870-08:00Echoing the liberal media and voices of appeasement world over, Claudio Cordone, an op-ed contributor to New York Times wrote on the recent Swiss ban on minarets: The success of the referendum brings with it some long, hard lessons for the Swiss authorities that other European countries and political leaders would also do well to heed... The absence of vocal, united and consistent opposition to the initiative clearly left the terrain free for the fear-mongering and exaggeration that...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_NRvZgnaRel24kx4jy5Bcmrnplc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_NRvZgnaRel24kx4jy5Bcmrnplc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_NRvZgnaRel24kx4jy5Bcmrnplc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_NRvZgnaRel24kx4jy5Bcmrnplc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/Nl0v4qgpYYA" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com1http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/12/your-life-under-sharia-v.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-87813915696404179232009-12-10T22:37:00.000-08:002009-12-11T07:28:01.623-08:002009-12-11T07:28:01.623-08:00Breaking News from the Birmingham News: Jesus Christ appeared last week in Judge Clyde Jones's courtroom in Jefferson County, Alabama, because she was called for jury duty in a criminal case. Court officials were skeptical at first when on Monday a potential juror submitted a name change form with "Jesus Christ" on it. But the 59-year-old Birmingham woman, who previously went by Dorothy Lola Killingworth, assured the presiding judge that was her name... "It raised eyebrows, so I asked her if...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/9Uo_YY73Ik582jmFm6kz0pCoyzM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/9Uo_YY73Ik582jmFm6kz0pCoyzM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/9Uo_YY73Ik582jmFm6kz0pCoyzM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/9Uo_YY73Ik582jmFm6kz0pCoyzM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/GazdRcrrRhA" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com0http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/12/jesus-christ.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-59104143263515714092009-12-08T16:30:00.000-08:002009-12-10T22:38:00.490-08:002009-12-10T22:38:00.490-08:00Is the ban on new construction of minarets resulting from the 2009 Swiss Referendum Islamophobic? Absolutely! I have little doubt that the 57.5% majority vote, with 22 out of the 26 Cantons approving the ban &#8212; enough to amend the Federal Constitution of Switzerland, if necessary &#8212; has been motivated by Islamophobia, a primal fear of Islamic supremacy. A primal fear that the arcane of code of conduct, imposed by the Koran and the Hadiths through the legal system of Sharia, will...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tanHvoK7_citp3o24f1J0v269hE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tanHvoK7_citp3o24f1J0v269hE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tanHvoK7_citp3o24f1J0v269hE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tanHvoK7_citp3o24f1J0v269hE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/hJxr2572wfM" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com8http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/12/minarets-of-dystopia.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-44860577515168403242009-11-22T10:37:00.000-08:002009-11-22T15:23:20.916-08:002009-11-22T15:23:20.916-08:00Or, "New Age Dentistry", "Empowered Dentists", "Deconstructing Dentistry", or something along those lines. Equally potent is the original title for a hilarious slice of the Onion, my favorite news source alongside John Stewart's Daily Show &#8212; Montessori School Of Dentistry Lets Students Discover Their Own Root Canal Procedures. WARNING - if you have a root canal appointment next week, I strongly caution you to stop now and read no further. If you don't, and you don't anticipate one in...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ymyEz8ZfjOMMqhPj6ZfffNPzQm0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ymyEz8ZfjOMMqhPj6ZfffNPzQm0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ymyEz8ZfjOMMqhPj6ZfffNPzQm0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ymyEz8ZfjOMMqhPj6ZfffNPzQm0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/-DSKTIySU3E" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com0http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/11/post-modernist-dentistry.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-59643183381955438662009-11-20T09:24:00.000-08:002009-11-20T14:22:26.162-08:002009-11-20T14:22:26.162-08:00Years ago, when she was about 10, my daughter wrote a poem on slavery. While condemning it in no uncertain terms, she wrote that the enslaved man had a choice despite his bondage. To choose death over slavery, she wrote, echoing Patrick Henry. Remembering it was enough for me to write a response to the Edge Annual Question for 2007, "What are you optimistic about? Why?". "Growing up", I wrote, full of hope for the attitudes and values of my daughter's generation and beyond. I hoped that someday...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/9dQCcwLi-b7A3HtHPQxXlYOf4l0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/9dQCcwLi-b7A3HtHPQxXlYOf4l0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/9dQCcwLi-b7A3HtHPQxXlYOf4l0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/9dQCcwLi-b7A3HtHPQxXlYOf4l0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/1wuf47YSEQc" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com1http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/11/mind-without-fear.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-14754507863931646322009-11-19T22:35:00.000-08:002009-11-20T14:22:44.695-08:002009-11-20T14:22:44.695-08:00No child is born a Christian, Hindu, or Muslim. Just as Milton Friedman's daughter was not born with free market written on her forehead, and Mao Zedong's son did not come into this world with a "Red Book" attached to his umbilical cord. The last time I played around with the genetic alphabet of A[denine], G[uanine], C[ytosine], and T[hymine], I somehow couldn't get a Brahmin out of it, can you? Hence this billboard, that was put up by the British Humanist Association in London, Edinburgh,...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/K4lz9Kr6M6ialxfpD89ZcA7_CgU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/K4lz9Kr6M6ialxfpD89ZcA7_CgU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/K4lz9Kr6M6ialxfpD89ZcA7_CgU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/K4lz9Kr6M6ialxfpD89ZcA7_CgU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/E15LB38JpXI" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com1http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/11/born-with-crucifix.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-29770776618038637782009-11-17T09:18:00.000-08:002009-11-17T09:23:24.298-08:002009-11-17T09:23:24.298-08:00Yet another gem from my friends at the Onion &#151; America's Finest News Source: ... Experts believe the ants and Chinese will learn much from each other in an effort to improve the orderliness of their already highly structured societies. "In the areas of human resource management, the ants can teach us many things," said Chinese citizen #FW3R464-56G-M. "For example, what is the most effective technique for achieving total control over worker drones' motor directional behavior, turning them...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ftyWcjZLyTAE-qm_9EsoJQUaw1k/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ftyWcjZLyTAE-qm_9EsoJQUaw1k/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ftyWcjZLyTAE-qm_9EsoJQUaw1k/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ftyWcjZLyTAE-qm_9EsoJQUaw1k/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/CvGsHAAWLzU" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com0http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/11/chinant-alliance.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-42922727276928900072009-11-13T08:55:00.000-08:002009-11-14T14:14:47.989-08:002009-11-14T14:14:47.989-08:00According to paleoanthropologist John Hawks at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, the human brain has shrunk roughly 10 percent over years of evolution, as a result of the changes in the human genome. LiveScience reports: Surprisingly, based on skull measurements, the human brain appears to have been shrinking over the last 5,000 or so years... "As to why is it shrinking, perhaps in big societies, as opposed to hunter-gatherer lifestyles, we can rely on other people for more things, can...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/AmPXAcFVq7VSUO0eyux3Gnbn3uk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/AmPXAcFVq7VSUO0eyux3Gnbn3uk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/AmPXAcFVq7VSUO0eyux3Gnbn3uk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/AmPXAcFVq7VSUO0eyux3Gnbn3uk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/MaZCGrD0nzg" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com2http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/11/god-our-brains-have-shunk.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-75409936886752534922009-11-12T14:54:00.000-08:002009-11-20T14:23:58.810-08:002009-11-20T14:23:58.810-08:00Faith is supposed to heal the faithful of their diseases. So we have been told by &#8212; who else, the faithful, of course (and the Congress of the United States of America)! Then again, it appears that the high priests of the faithful are not sure about this, not anymore than me. In these days of bird flu, human flu, and swine flu panicdemics, the churches don't want to take any risk with their already dwindling parishioners by relying soul-ly on the power of their god. Who knows, it may...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hf1AhKqknRj5ZYnPHjb0dFS55Sw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hf1AhKqknRj5ZYnPHjb0dFS55Sw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hf1AhKqknRj5ZYnPHjb0dFS55Sw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hf1AhKqknRj5ZYnPHjb0dFS55Sw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/Tag-TX9GyTU" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com0http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/11/unholy-water.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-1676111018473985472009-11-08T11:14:00.000-08:002009-11-08T14:35:20.520-08:002009-11-08T14:35:20.520-08:00Of course not. Major Nidal Malik Hasan had his parents alongside him. His parents who had compelled him to follow their faith, Islam, and who had opposed his joining the U.S. Army. He had been indoctrinated by them never to question the words of his god, Allah, as relayed by his messenger Muhammad, who too had accompanied Nidal. Above all, their message, Islam, had been with him, always encouraging him and leading him, through every step of his murderous rampage at Fort Hood. However much the...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Xw1Lm-N7xUl5umwJqzpBXf1zMWk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Xw1Lm-N7xUl5umwJqzpBXf1zMWk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Xw1Lm-N7xUl5umwJqzpBXf1zMWk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Xw1Lm-N7xUl5umwJqzpBXf1zMWk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/woef-o94Jhc" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com2http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/11/did-nidal-hasan-act-alone.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-25347817573515545942009-11-05T18:33:00.000-08:002009-11-05T18:45:36.290-08:002009-11-05T18:45:36.290-08:00After having been relentlessly bombarded by the politicians and the media with facts and fiction about the bane of pre-existent conditions, it would take a lot of faith for anyone to spend their hard-earned dollars on health insurance. If faith is the engine driving the demand for health insurance, then the economist in me says it's only fair that the insurance companies reimbursed faith! That's precisely what the Affordable Health Choices Act, S. 1679, Sec. 3103(a)(1)(D) does. To the best of...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/w30s7ol92HNfcccxPPOJeRzqXNE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/w30s7ol92HNfcccxPPOJeRzqXNE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/w30s7ol92HNfcccxPPOJeRzqXNE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/w30s7ol92HNfcccxPPOJeRzqXNE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/vxozhzTkRMk" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com0http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/11/faithcare-bill.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-17556838236810100722009-10-20T09:44:00.000-07:002009-10-23T21:06:09.863-07:002009-10-23T21:06:09.863-07:00Following on my previous post on melanin-mismatched marriage, I stumbled upon this story from the Middle East about prophet-mismatched marriage: ... In the Middle East, civil marriage doesn't exist and no religious authority will perform an interfaith wedding. Lebanon and Israel are different in that they recognize civil marriages as long as they're performed abroad, and the closest venue abroad is Cyprus, 150 miles from Lebanon and 230 miles from Israel. So this little island, which claims...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fL8_Hj97Gwj6ubDRJW9BHzy_EG8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fL8_Hj97Gwj6ubDRJW9BHzy_EG8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fL8_Hj97Gwj6ubDRJW9BHzy_EG8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fL8_Hj97Gwj6ubDRJW9BHzy_EG8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/QovVxJ0ZxM4" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com0http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/10/prophet-mismatched-marriage.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-50836793560360996232009-10-18T09:51:00.000-07:002009-10-23T09:15:58.590-07:002009-10-23T09:15:58.590-07:00I am the proud new grandparent of a baby girl &#8212; let me name her Anamika &#8212; born to my daughter a few weeks ago, and needless to say, I am in cloud 9. She is absolutely beautiful, and from the way she demands to be fed and protests her car seat restraint, it's quite clear to me that she's not going to put up with anyone messing with her right to life and liberty! Anamika's right to pursuit of happiness, however, is a different matter. That's according to Keith Bardwell, who is the...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/G6ImXeFigFZoXHxEhIScQlz86dc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/G6ImXeFigFZoXHxEhIScQlz86dc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/G6ImXeFigFZoXHxEhIScQlz86dc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/G6ImXeFigFZoXHxEhIScQlz86dc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/f53hH_K9v8Y" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com6http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/10/guess-whos-hosting-state-dinner.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-91421273363973814942009-09-28T22:41:00.000-07:002009-10-23T21:06:09.863-07:002009-10-23T21:06:09.863-07:00As this blog approaches its 300th entry, I thought it was time that I wrote a retrospective. The last three years have been a journey of discovery for me, about my self, and about others. Time and again, when writing an article, I have been surprised to learn how similar my views on law, politics, and religion are to those of Thomas Jefferson. Only Ayn Rand comes any closer. To Jefferson, as they are to me, the inalienable rights of the individual, the rule of law, and a life by reason,...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/TLBnxsu2lPXn3GcVP2HnLRo5lpE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/TLBnxsu2lPXn3GcVP2HnLRo5lpE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/TLBnxsu2lPXn3GcVP2HnLRo5lpE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/TLBnxsu2lPXn3GcVP2HnLRo5lpE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/9KljyQZx9jM" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com12http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/09/jeffersons-republic.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-58499501346690433672009-09-18T15:27:00.000-07:002009-10-23T21:06:09.864-07:002009-10-23T21:06:09.864-07:00As the Indian government struggles to take a politically correct position on the Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalizes homosexuality and has been recently declared unconstitutional, a YouTube Video pertinent to the case has come to my notice [hat tip to Ryan]. If the government wishes to play an effective role as amicus curiae to the Supreme Court of India, I strongly recommend that the nation's Attorney General watch this video: A hilarious spoof, to be sure, but makes a...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/g5lw2PQ70pm5ydEexS_Ws7Vzb4M/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/g5lw2PQ70pm5ydEexS_Ws7Vzb4M/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/g5lw2PQ70pm5ydEexS_Ws7Vzb4M/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/g5lw2PQ70pm5ydEexS_Ws7Vzb4M/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/BPtA77Joy3o" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com0http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/09/christian-gene.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-31436130465163462142009-09-10T10:31:00.000-07:002009-10-23T21:06:09.864-07:002009-10-23T21:06:09.864-07:00I'm Halal is a new search engine that has been launched as an alternative for safeguarding the religious and family values of Muslims [hat tip - the freethinker]. Not satisfied with the safe search modes available from other search engines such as Google and Yahoo, I'm Halal has been designed to filter search terms likely to return sites that may be offensive to Q'ranic followers. Admittedly, it's not for irreverent infidels like me, but hey, what the heck, I'm a certified gadget freak, so...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/MXN5yrJuMQm5qzbha3CNQ8RM-ek/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/MXN5yrJuMQm5qzbha3CNQ8RM-ek/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/MXN5yrJuMQm5qzbha3CNQ8RM-ek/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/MXN5yrJuMQm5qzbha3CNQ8RM-ek/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/KMXlHbPBI0w" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com6http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/09/oops-victorias-secret-is-haram.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-25528013915903951962009-08-04T21:06:00.000-07:002009-10-23T11:36:53.374-07:002009-10-23T11:36:53.374-07:00"...America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles - principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings." &#8212; President Barack Obama, in his speech delivered in Cairo, Egypt, June 4, 2009 Lubina Ahmed al-Hussain, a former UN employee in Khartoum, Sudan, has challenged Islamic justice to vindicate President Obama's &#8212; to put it mildly &#8212; tall claim. Ms. Hussain was arrested...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/rYTg6YXINJwQxshovKwYIUPBRnw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/rYTg6YXINJwQxshovKwYIUPBRnw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/rYTg6YXINJwQxshovKwYIUPBRnw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/rYTg6YXINJwQxshovKwYIUPBRnw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/igE81MTEq2A" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com1http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/08/lubna-ahmed-al-hussein.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-35513778953100149872009-07-31T17:18:00.000-07:002009-10-23T09:16:19.291-07:002009-10-23T09:16:19.291-07:00The Hindustan Times reports on Mr. Prakash Karat's brave attempt to explain why the communists were defeated in the recent Parliamentary elections in India: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Friday alleged that all imperialist forces had teamed up against the communists and were launching concerted attacks on the leftists in India. "I have seen that many anti-communist groups have ganged up against us and they are launching concerted attacks on the CPI-M led government in West...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/MrL46R6D38AGs0hfCcDbUIl3JNs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/MrL46R6D38AGs0hfCcDbUIl3JNs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/MrL46R6D38AGs0hfCcDbUIl3JNs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/MrL46R6D38AGs0hfCcDbUIl3JNs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/KgivuGTPmxA" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com2http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/07/anti-communists-for-communists.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-48487218853641501992009-07-29T18:32:00.000-07:002009-10-23T21:06:09.865-07:002009-10-23T21:06:09.865-07:00Indralok: c. 5110, Kali Yuga Varuna woke up with a start. What's all that commotion about in the grand court of Lord Indra? Have the Asuras invaded us again? As he sleepily walked into the room, Varuna didn't see any Asura, only Indra and a few of his trusted Devas, milling around Lord Krishna with his mouth wide open. Varuna: What's all this ruckus? Why are you guys peering into Lord Krishna's mouth? Indra: Ah, Varuna, come on in. Sorry to have woken you up. We are just watching the prime...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/n5wDUa9F57JwaRuhxCq5Wh2ZxSw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/n5wDUa9F57JwaRuhxCq5Wh2ZxSw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/n5wDUa9F57JwaRuhxCq5Wh2ZxSw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/n5wDUa9F57JwaRuhxCq5Wh2ZxSw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/lZRVnsOzz0U" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com5http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/07/bit-of-porn-for-gods.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-50778491440122938812009-07-22T17:33:00.000-07:002009-07-22T17:49:33.185-07:002009-07-22T17:49:33.185-07:00As a woman in India, if you had the misfortune of being caught with a glass of beer in a Mangalore bar, the self-appointed moral police, Sri Ram Sena, could assault you with impunity to protect "the Indian culture". The law, however, is on your side. Vote bank accounting may interfere with the enforcement of the law, but in these days of instant news reporting, it's a fair bet to expect that at the very least, the perpetrators will be charged. Not if you are in Malaysia, though. Flogging: An...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/d92Mu8rEGcPHgeAgwQN5bRLIQlA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/d92Mu8rEGcPHgeAgwQN5bRLIQlA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/d92Mu8rEGcPHgeAgwQN5bRLIQlA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/d92Mu8rEGcPHgeAgwQN5bRLIQlA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/nDRAhqOo_M0" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com3http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/07/your-life-under-sharia-iv.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-59708483109737219742009-07-21T22:32:00.000-07:002009-07-22T18:02:18.326-07:002009-07-22T18:02:18.326-07:00Solar eclipse is seen in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, at 8:33 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22, 2009. Photograph: Wang Peng/AP From the Associated Press: The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia from India to China into near darkness Wednesday as millions gathered to watch the phenomenon. But millions more, gripped by fear, shuttered themselves in. India abounds in superstitions and fables based on Hindu mythology, one of which...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fEfuDLOnjR45LAOy0XELnRfDoEs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fEfuDLOnjR45LAOy0XELnRfDoEs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fEfuDLOnjR45LAOy0XELnRfDoEs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fEfuDLOnjR45LAOy0XELnRfDoEs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/4m8uhmqZgQs" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com0http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/07/shadow-of-moon.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-21650363762971999742009-07-16T22:57:00.000-07:002009-10-23T21:06:09.865-07:002009-10-23T21:06:09.865-07:00Close on the heels of the recent arrest and flogging of 10 Sudanese women for violating the Sharia law by wearing trousers and blouses in a Khartoum restaurant, Dutch media outlets quoted unconfirmed sources yesterday to confirm the arrest of several women in Amsterdam restaurants for not wearing the Klederdracht [traditional Dutch dress]:1 In an early morning swoop, the Dutch police raided multiple restaurants in Dam Square and arrested more than a dozen women for wearing trousers. The raid...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ONUyz3BrLNGhl3b1zj0wS4-A4Ok/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ONUyz3BrLNGhl3b1zj0wS4-A4Ok/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ONUyz3BrLNGhl3b1zj0wS4-A4Ok/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ONUyz3BrLNGhl3b1zj0wS4-A4Ok/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/S8yrvDTIJYw" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com4http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/07/liberating-compulsion.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-71731770680463700722009-07-08T17:12:00.000-07:002009-07-08T17:37:15.179-07:002009-07-08T17:37:15.179-07:00How the wise ones invested your money in wedding cakes... er, pardon me ... mortgage backed securities, oil backed securities, ... A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say. Thanks, xkcd!<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6XhtumUcPZ84gp0BZxpnMpOF2PY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6XhtumUcPZ84gp0BZxpnMpOF2PY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6XhtumUcPZ84gp0BZxpnMpOF2PY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6XhtumUcPZ84gp0BZxpnMpOF2PY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/k4UHg8HlXPU" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com0http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/07/core-of-economic-meltdown.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14004871.post-90448437525876907902009-07-02T17:41:00.000-07:002009-10-23T11:37:18.270-07:002009-10-23T11:37:18.270-07:00It's a victory for secular democracy in India. In a landmark judgement, the Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah of the Delhi High Court, along with Dr. Justice S. Muralidhar, ruled in favor of the petitioner, Naz Foundation, and held that Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code in its current form violated the constitutional provisions of Article 21, Article 14, and Article 15, "insofar it criminalize[d] consensual sexual acts of adults in private". The ruling brings cheers not only to the LGBT...<br/> <br/> Read more... <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iq1oDWLCC0ctKh_4-zwn7MIuaic/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iq1oDWLCC0ctKh_4-zwn7MIuaic/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iq1oDWLCC0ctKh_4-zwn7MIuaic/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iq1oDWLCC0ctKh_4-zwn7MIuaic/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/therationalfool/~4/MK7h1LCMGr4" height="1" width="1"/>The Rational Foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06573904887494797998noreply@blogger.com3http://therationalfool.blogspot.com/2009/07/gay-ho.html