Atheism Plus/Free Thought Blogs (FTB)

[Rrose Selavy]

Interestingly, SXSW is neither an atheist or a skeptic conference. As far as I know, most speakers are male and the majority of attendants are also male. I d not think that they have a "Code of Conduct" either. So what is the big fuss about TAM if she has no problem going to this conference.

Setar / March 11, 2013, 4:26 pm Log in to Reply
A semi-random question: is anyone planning on attending TAM this year? I’ve heard the speakers’ list, um…I guess I could say ‘leaves much to be desired’?

marilove / March 11, 2013, 4:52 pm Log in to Reply
I feel as if TAM got a bit too big for its britches, as it were, and people are moving on to other venues. It’s just not the same. And I’ve never been! But from what I can tell, it just doesn’t seem the same.

yeah , just not the same. but they're never been.

 

[Jalok]

yeah , just not the same. but they're never been.

They were tots into Atheism before it was cool, yo.

jalok
Hipsssssssssterrrrrrssssssssss!

 

[qayak]

yeah , just not the same. but they're never been.

One thing you can never accuse an A plusser of is an unwillingness to express an opinion without a shred of knowledge. In fact, that could be their motto:

A+ : Opinions without knowledge.

 

[The Greater Fool]

A tad unfair... I believe a fix is called for:

A+ : Opinions without with unrelated knowledge.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

One thing you can never accuse an A plusser of is an unwillingness to express an opinion without a shred of knowledge. In fact, that could be their motto:

A+ : Opinions without knowledge.

I was following the Twitter feed at TAM X last year. The "complaints" were all coming from people who weren't even there.

 

[adamwho]

Originally Posted by Myriad View Post
You can decide that, since the dispute exists on an emotional level, it must be contested and resolved on an an emotional level. So, time to pull out your own emotions like so many Poké Balls and do battle. Emotional tug-of-war. Emo a emo. Outrage, I choose you! If they can be disgusted by gay sex, you can be even more disgusted by their bigotry, and if you manage to show it convincingly, you win!

And that, I do think is what you're advocating.

Indeed it is.

This is an admission that atheism+ is neither a skeptical or rationalist movement. And from the main topics discussed it isn't even an atheist movement.

The name (and belief it is superior to atheism) is probably one of the biggest problem for most people.

Just imagine how more much work you could do if you could stop defending that bad name and bad moderation behavior.....

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

Just imagine how more much work you could do if you could stop defending that bad name and bad moderation behavior.....

Ah, but it's already been explained - they're not interested in doing work, or attempting to solve the problems they identify. It's purely a site for like-minded people to agree with each other about the things that they think are wrong.

 

[s_pepys]

pz's newest view on the evil gaming industry.

http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyng...nt-a-positive-story-from-the-gamer-community/

this bit is funny and stupid.

This would have been so easy for Nintendo to have done, it’s rather revealing that they didn’t.

peezus!

 

[s_pepys]

ooh. myers is also circling the wagons around reddit. at least they might stop attacking athiests for a while.

http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2013/03/12/reddit-could-be-excellent/

no surprises there then.

 

[Axiom_Blade]

pz's newest view on the evil gaming industry.

http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyng...nt-a-positive-story-from-the-gamer-community/

this bit is funny and stupid.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. 2687 upvotes on Reddit? An article in Wired?? For a freaking sprite hack?!?

I mean, don't get me wrong. It's pretty cool that a dad is doing something like this for his daughter. But there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of rom hacking projects out there, most of them much more impressive than this one. The only reason this is getting any attention is because OMG FEMINISM

(Nintendo actually did have a female protagonist from a game of that era...Metroid! Although, she was in a space suit the whole time, and you didn't find out she's a woman until the end...)

 

[RandFan]

And I’ve never been! But from what I can tell, it just doesn’t seem the same.

yeah , just not the same. but they're never been.

Which sums up A+ (pun not intended). Touchy-feely, "seems". I guess the "+" isn't for skepticism or critical thinking. It's atheism plus emotions. If it feels true then, why I guess it is.

 

[s_pepys]

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. 2687 upvotes on Reddit? An article in Wired?? For a freaking sprite hack?!?

I mean, don't get me wrong. It's pretty cool that a dad is doing something like this for his daughter. But there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of rom hacking projects out there, most of them much more impressive than this one. The only reason this is getting any attention is because OMG FEMINISM

(Nintendo actually did have a female protagonist from a game of that era...Metroid! Although, she was in a space suit the whole time, and you didn't find out she's a woman until the end...)

why wasnt zelda changed into a male character? im hurt! those evil, manhating nintendo programmers!

 

[AlBell]

And what is it you "win" at the end of the day?

A chance to ask Rebecca to have a coffee?

 

[RandFan]

A chance to ask Rebecca to have a coffee?

I'd rather shove a wild honey badger down my pants. Not by much but still...

 

[Squeegee Beckenheim]

ooh. myers is also circling the wagons around reddit. at least they might stop attacking athiests for a while.

http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2013/03/12/reddit-could-be-excellent/

no surprises there then.

This is cool… super cool. What’s not cool is that in the backlash the damned MRAs decided to reprogram Samus into a dude. It’s not remotely the same, but those idiots think it is.

http://www.p4rgaming.com/?p=1515

A father recently made a hack of the Donkey Kong arcade game for his daughter after she wondered why she could not play as a girl. Men’s rights activists have responded by hacking Metroid and turning Samus into a man.

“This is a slap in the face to all men out there,” says Mike Walls, leader of a men’s rights gaming group called the Mr. Pac-Men, “This father is doing a complete disservice for his daughter and is essentially brainwashing her into becoming a feminist.”

I'm pretty sure the article Jane is up in arms about is a parody.

Of course, I'm not 100% sure, because there are all kinds of nutty people out there, but 99.99999999999999%.

 

[s_pepys]

I'm pretty sure the article Jane is up in arms about is a parody.

Of course, I'm not 100% sure, because there are all kinds of nutty people out there, but 99.99999999999999%.

funny.

certainly reads like an onion article. a quick google doesnt turn up any of the names and there are no links.

the mr pac-men! its just silly.

 

[recursive prophet]

interesting slate article on feminism and modern women.

http://www.slate.com/articles/doubl...ot_a_feminist_is_the_term_useful_anymore.html

Thanks for this one pepys. Brings home the damage the radical fringe of the feminist movement today is doing. By turning off the women who are out there crashing through the glass ceiling to where they eschew even being associated with feminism seems to me a clear sign it's time for the silent majority to speak out.

 

[Quinn]

Oh, precious PZ...

This would have been so easy for Nintendo to have done, it’s rather revealing that they didn’t.

And what, pray tell, does it reveal? That the game's plot was clearly based on a movie, and the characters were designed accordingly? That switching which characters played which roles was not an option with any game at the time? That a Japanese company designing video games for teenagers in 1981 may have had higher priorities than challenging patriarchal stereotypes?

What I find way more revealing is that people in this clique actually think that "calling out" a 30-year-old video game based on a then-50-, now-80-year-old movie is a worthwhile and enlightening activity. I eagerly await the forthcoming SJ deconstruction of PacMan, exposing the "savage Native American" stereotype represented by Shadow ("The red one tracks ya and sneaks up on ya like a dang Injun!"), the neurotypical-normativity of Bashful, and of course the blatant ableism of the Speedy/Pokey combination.

 

[adamwho]

Indeed it is.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. 2687 upvotes on Reddit? An article in Wired?? For a freaking sprite hack?!?

I mean, don't get me wrong. It's pretty cool that a dad is doing something like this for his daughter. But there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of rom hacking projects out there, most of them much more impressive than this one. The only reason this is getting any attention is because OMG FEMINISM

(Nintendo actually did have a female protagonist from a game of that era...Metroid! Although, she was in a space suit the whole time, and you didn't find out she's a woman until the end...)

I will be impressed when the daughter doesn't need her daddy to protect her from all the miniscule problems of the world.

And where was the mommy? Why didn't the mommy change the game?

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

And where was the mommy? Why didn't the mommy change the game?

The patriarchy was holding her back.


Seriously, how can you not know that?