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Dawkins on Maher

Pity they didn't get to talk about the alternative medicine that Maher likes so much. He might not have agreed with Dawkins so much on that one. Also, it was funny to hear Dawkins talk about how scientists are often claimed to have had deathbed recantations - Maher has claimed in the past that Pasteur recanted on his deathbed.
 
Thanks, Articulett, that was great. I'm reading the book right now.*









*not actually right now since I'm typing, but in a minute, really, I swear.....
 
Thanks. I have to agree with the others in my complaint about Maher's take on alternative medicine. I was blown away by his nutty nonsense on David Letterman's show.

Proof that being skeptical about religion is no guarantee that a person is capable of critical thinking.

Overall I do like Maher.
 
Overall I really like Maher... but I also think his take on medicines is woo too. But it's totally irrelevant to this clip. Who agrees with everyone all the time? I find Maher hysterical for the most part. I like hearing Hitchens on religion, but I don't agree with his opinions regarding this war. I enjoy most everythng Dawkins says.

The thing I like about skepticism is that you get to choose your own spokespeople and no one need be considered infallible... there's one reality after all--cherry picking of the best pieces tend to find a convergence of understanding amongst scientists, skeptics, and actual objective reality.

I just love smart funny people-- even the imperfect ones since I happen to be very imperfect myself. Maher is smart... he may evolve in his thinking yet. Sometimes unlearning the stuff you've been indoctrinated to believe takes time... and a clue that you might have picked up a bias or mistaken notion. I think the God Delusion will start the thinking process for a lot of people. I had some "health food" like woos that I picked up when I lived in California.
 
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Thanks, that was good to watch. Although I must say that my favorite Bill Maher guest of all time is Harlan Ellison.
 
Harlan Ellison was one of my favorite science-fiction writers when I was growing up. I haven't read anything by him in years. Must do so soon.
 
I couldn't find Harlan Ellison on Maher, but I sound this cool clip of him and Robin Williams talking about L Ron Hubbard:

 
articulett said:
Who is Harlan Ellison... and why didn't you post a link?
Click to expand...
Don't be offended but given a lot of things the reactions I have already noted - and I suspect there are more - indicate deep and amazed surprise that anyone skeptical has not heard of/read Harlan Ellison. A fast, extremely incomplete intro:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlan_Ellison

http://harlanellison.com/home.htm

http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0255196/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE

http://www.bookrags.com/Harlan_Ellison

At least once (or maybe not) was ready to beat up Frank Sinatra and his guard thugs, joined a New York street gan to write about them, lost on dating game because his idea of a dream date was to go out to the LA or SF city dump for dinner, produce pearl handled .45s and spend the evening dining and shooting rats, been involved with Trek, B5 and other SF fodder, quoted (almost certainly true) from a CBS idea meeting an executive who said" Hey, why don't we do "The Wiz", but white?!!" and was falsely accused of throwing an idiot SF fan down an empty elevator shaft (actually, nobody had - although there is a good chance it should have occured). In one of my three meetings at functions with him, I surprised him by responding "No" as I was passing and he called out to ask if I agreed with a point he was trying to make to another fan (but without mentioning what the point was).He is a skeptic and could take out (no offense, Dr.A) Dr. A with half his wit tied behind his back.
 
Since this has derailed to a discussion on Ellison, let me add that my favorite book on tape reading was of Ellsion reading his own, "Repent Harlequin!, said the Tick Tock Man"
 
He also wrote the old Trek episode with the time portal and "Jim, Edith Keeler must die."

He also wrote what I consider to be the creepiest of the old Twilight Zone episodes, the man with the glass hand.
 
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