He was funny and smart about many things, including politics in America.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Author Heidi Holland found dead at S. Africa home 
Aug 11th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
She chronicled the rise of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe from freedom fighter to power-obsessed leader.… Read the rest
Russian Orthodox church says it’s totally right
Aug 11th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Church attendance is declining, therefore it’s ok to punish Pussy Riot.… Read the rest
Bullies, is it?
Aug 10th, 2012 5:38 pm | By Ophelia BensonWhat about this then? From “Coffee Loving Skeptic” on Facebook.
Via Alex Gabriel.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Collateral damage
Aug 10th, 2012 5:10 pm | By Ophelia BensonLots of crazed reactions to Thunderf00t’s misuse of the FTB mailing list, although they’re a minority. There are frank falsehoods saying we tried to get Michael Payton fired, and there is shock-horror that we reacted to his tweets dismissing all of FTB.
That’s just nuts. To repeat – there are about 40 people blogging at FTB. Not all of them are polemicists or controversialists, not all of them are irritable, not all of them agree about everything – in fact none of them agree about everything.
It’s not fair to shit on the innocent just because one dislikes a few of the Freethought bloggers. It’s not even fair to shit on the innocent just because one hates a few … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
It’s OK, we’re on the 10th floor
Aug 10th, 2012 3:25 pm | By Ophelia BensonAlom Shaha notices an excess of timidity about discussing Islam.
… Read the rest“We can’t publish this, we’ll get firebombed.” Apparently this was the response from one of the staff at Biteback Publishing, the UK publishers of my book, The Young Atheist’s Handbook, when it was first presented to them. Thankfully, Iain Dale, the managing director, laughed at the idea, saying, “it’s OK, we’re on the 10th floor” and went on to publish the book anyway.
It’s not just staff at Biteback who may have been concerned about publishing my book — according to a senior editor at one of the largest international publishers, who claimed to be personally keen to give me a deal, she was unable to convince her colleagues
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Putting the knife in
Aug 10th, 2012 12:19 pm | By Ophelia BensonWe all know that Twitter is a gift to people who enjoy saying horrible things to people they dislike or disagree with. Think Jessica Ahlquist; think #mencallmethings. Even Olympic athletes get the treatment.
… Read the restA 17-year-old boy arrested as part of an investigation into Twitter messages sent to the diver Tom Daley after he and team-mate Pete Waterfield missed out on a medal on Monday has been issued with a harassment warning….
The teenager was held at a guesthouse in Weymouth, Dorset, hours after Daley retweeted messages he had been sent soon after finishing fourth in the 10m men’s synchronised platform diving event. Daley, 18, retweeted a message that said: “You let your dad down i hope you know
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Take one for the team
Aug 10th, 2012 12:05 pm | By Ophelia BensonA runner broke his leg during an Olympic relay race and went on running to the end.
… Read the rest“As soon as I took the first step past the 200m mark, I felt it break.” Manteo told the USA Track and Field website.
“I didn’t want to let the three guys or the team down, so I just ran on it.”
Mitchell still managed to finish the opening lap in 46.1 seconds as the US team, also featuring Joshua Mance, Tony McQuay and Bryshon Nellum, went on to set a qualifying time of two minutes, 58.87 seconds.
“It hurt so bad,” the 25-year-old added. “I’m pretty amazed that I still split [close to] 45 seconds on a broken leg.”
USA Track
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Sleaze
Aug 10th, 2012 9:56 am | By Ophelia BensonGee, I was thinking about other things this morning – the column I have to finish for TPM, the column I have to proofread for the Freeth, stuff I have to do in the physical world, those cherries that need sorting, that book I was reading – but then I glanced at the stats and noticed an influx via Thunderfoot, so I looked at the title – and then it all came back to me. Oh right; that.
Ed explains it all. PZ does. Jason adds technical details.
The bare bones: ten minutes after he was removed from the mailing list he put himself back on it, and he passed on some of the messages he read. … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
How not to creep
Aug 9th, 2012 6:19 pm | By Ophelia BensonJohn Scalzi has a good post on how not to be creepy, especially (I take it) if you’re a geek.
There are ten rules.
4. Acknowledge that other people do not exist just for your amusement/interest/desire/use. Yes, I know. You know that. But oddly enough, there’s a difference between knowing it, and actually believing it — or understanding what it means in a larger social context. People go to conventions and social gatherings to meet other people, but not necessarily (or even remotely likely) for the purpose of meeting you.
It’s funny, in a way, reading the rules, because I think I must be the inside out of the kind of person who needs to be told all … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Two
Aug 9th, 2012 4:09 pm | By Ophelia BensonI’m not ignoring you. It’s just that I have two deadlines tomorrow – and they’re both in the UK so really that means they’re today. One for The Freethinker, the other for TPM.
The first is done. The second isn’t.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Abstract of Nature article on fossils from Koobi Fora
Aug 9th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The new fossils confirm the presence of two contemporary species of early Homo, in addition to Homo erectus, in the early Pleistocene of eastern Africa.… Read the rest
New human species identified from Kenya fossils
Aug 9th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The discoveries suggests that at least three distinct species of humans co-existed in Africa.… Read the rest
Police made her father sign a “pledge”
Aug 9th, 2012 10:44 am | By Ophelia BensonAnd then there are those strange coincidences – like when a woman complains to the police that her father and brother beat her, and they are arrested but then released on bail, and three days later the father takes her body to a clinic where a doctor issues a death certificate. Spooky, isn’t it.
… Read the restThe men, from al-Samu near Hebron, were detained for four days, but a court released them on bail on July 18.
Randa’s brother has told south Hebron prosecutor Mohammad Gaboon that on his release he returned home and beat Randa on her face and chest. “She lost her conscious and I left the room at that time,” he said.
On July 21, Randa’s father took her
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Saudi cleric lists things forbidden to women in sport
Aug 9th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Mixing with men, or men watching her run or fall down or laugh or cry or quarrel with another female athlete, or mount a horse, or practice gymnastics or wrestling.… Read the rest
Father, brother detained on charges of beating woman
Aug 9th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
They were released on bail on July 18, and on July 21 she was dead. What a coincidence.… Read the rest
Children were born
Aug 9th, 2012 10:00 am | By Ophelia BensonSome ways of living are better than others. Some basic constituents of a good life are fresh air, freedom of movement, access to the wider world. Ways of living that provide more of those basic constituents are generally better than those that don’t.
Living underground, for instance. Not ideal.
… Read the restMOSCOW – A self-proclaimed prophet had a vision from God: He would build an Islamic caliphate under the earth.
The digging began about a decade ago, and 70 followers moved into an eight-level subterranean honeycomb of cramped cells with no light, heat or ventilation.
Children were born. They, too, lived in the cold underground cells for many years — until authorities raided the compound last week and freed 27 sons
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Russia: police raid sect living underground
Aug 9th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Ages 1 to 17, the children rarely saw the light of day and had never left the property, attended school or been seen by a doctor, officials said.… Read the rest
Talk of the Nation discusses harassment in gaming
Aug 8th, 2012 | Filed by Ophelia Benson“These are less and less isolated incidents.”… Read the rest
Not even a hint
Aug 8th, 2012 3:58 pm | By Ophelia BensonAre the Saudis proud of their women athletes? They are not. They consider them a dirty secret.
Across the world, word that Saudi Arabia would send women athletes to the Olympics for the first time immediately rocketed to the top of websites and broadcasts. In Saudi Arabia’s official media: Not even a hint.
They don’t want the sluts to get big ideas.
… Read the rest“It does not change the fact that Saudi women are not free to move and to choose,” said political analyst Mona Abass in neighboring Bahrain. “The Saudis may use it to boost their image, but it changes little.”
Even the two athletes selected to compete under the Saudi flag — 800-meter runner Sarah Attar from Pepperdine University
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
