Comments

  1. Jadehawk, OM says

    If it makes you feel better, the snow here has completely melted now, and the forecast is entirely above freezing. with some luck, your weather is going similarly.

  2. Pope Bologna XIII - The Glorious High Sauceror of Pastafarianism and Grand Poobah of His Holy Meatba says

    Gratuitous plant nudity! You can see its stamens! For shame atheists, when will this moral corruption end?

  3. Nerd of Redhead, OM says

    The snow is gone here in Chiwaukee, and the light jacket is being used again.

  5. marteani says

    Yes! The snow is all gone! There is springness in the air! And some rain. But mostly spring.

  7. Sven DiMilo says

    It’s going to be a beautiful few days on Lon Gisland. Excellent weather for cleaning up all the trees that blew down over the weekend.

  8. AJKamper says

    Here just south of Duluth, it’s the earliest spring in 132 years. No snow on the ground whatsoever, temps 20 degrees above normal.

    But I see that it’s supposed to get down into the freezing range about the time you get back, which simply serves you right.

  10. Romeo Vitelli says

    “The snow will be gone and it will be Spring when I get back home, right?”

    For an atheist, you sure do like to take things on faith, don’t you?

  12. Carlie says

    Those are a deep summer plant where I am. :)
    They are also very tasty. (not the anthers, but the rest of the flower)

  13. Physicalist says

    Today’s going to be in the 60s in New England. I heard that if all the rain we had last weekend had been snow, it would have been over six and a half feet deep.

    Hell of an el Nino, it seems.

  16. kiyaroru says

    On Sunday I saw a flock of geese (7) flying north. Yesterday I put the laundry outside to dry and it did. Definitely Spring.

  17. David Marjanović says

    They are also very tasty. (not the anthers, but the rest of the flower)

    Interesting. How is the flower called?

    I like daisy soup, except I haven’t had any in 22 years… :o)

  18. fester60613 says

    The snow is gone in Chicago.
    The sun has been out now for three days.
    The trees are budding.
    The little white flowers (Narcissus?) are going nuts.
    Yes. It is – finally – Spring.
    At least in Chicago.

  19. AnneMarie says

    It’s going to be in the 60’s today in Michigan and I am going to spend as much of the day outside as possible. All sorts of creatures making fabulous spring noises this morning. I am very glad to have the day off.

  21. Vene says

    As a current resident of Minnesota, yes, the snow will be gone (or gone enough to say so). In fact, it’s already essentially gone. It’s been above freezing for a while now and it doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon.

  22. shonny says

    Yep, – spring is here!
    Time to brush the dust off the cyanide canister and follow Tom Lehrer’s example on the pigeons in the park.
    Come to think of it, there’s also some strychnine left from murdering the mice last winter.
    Yes, so spring is here!

  23. Merridol says

    We have snowdrops blooming and a couple of little purple monocots (horticultural freaks, not natives) flaunting their sex organs in my northeastern US town. I’m not fooled, though, I know we’re going to get another round of snow.

    It’s fun being cynical about it: I’m either right or I’m pleasantly surprised. Win-win.

  24. daveau says

    I’m not sure whether to congratulate you, or to be disappointed that for once this one is not particularly evocative of genitalia or other body parts.

    As many have mentioned Chicago is very spring like, with the snow all gone. We’ve had hyacinths (I think- I can’t get hold of the spousal unit to confirm) peeking up for a week. I also didn’t wear a jacket today, which is pushing it a little. You kind of need one in the morning near the lake, but at work in the ‘burbs it is supposed to be mid 60s today and 70 tomorrow.

    Happy Equinox everyone!

  25. SaraJ says

    Here in No. California, we’ve had almost a week of warm sunshine with no rain(freezing or otherwise) in it anywhere! Flowers are blooming, animals are doing it, trees are budding, and my man is getting randy. Yep, Spring is almost here.

  26. https://me.yahoo.com/a/SaqGVG0xvJEQVwURVamS3DTCdvov0BLhXK1jOsYPPJQ-#b4893 says

    Sunny and about 70 here in NorCal.

    Hey, did anyone hear about the new standards in Texas? It seems that the conservatives aren’t just getting into bad science standards, now they’re also extending their reach to history and other areas.

    Read about it here.

    Mark Morford has his reaction, too.

  29. Matt Penfold says

    Here in West Wales spring is defiantly a couple of weeks late. Most probably because we had a prolonged cold spell, with snow on the ground, for several weeks in the early new year, and last couple of weeks have been unusually dry. The daffodils are not yet in flower.

  30. Pygmy Loris says

    Here in Small Town, USA, we have no snow and the daffodils are blooming. It’s wonderful. I was out in the garden yesterday getting ready to plant broccoli and lettuce. YAY!

  31. Chris Hughes says

    Matt Penfold@#29

    The daffodils are just starting to poke their little heads out here in easternmost Berkshire… and the forecasters have used the term ‘mild’ for the first time this year!

  34. martha says

    It is not a good thing that spring is so early in Minnesota. There still should be snow and March should be the snowiest month.

    Besides, I went south to avoid winter and I sure would like to hear about some winter that I am avoiding.

  35. Bruce says

    PZ

    As one atheist to another (my book: “An Atheist Defends Religion” Bruce Sheiman), I am perplexed by the Humanist of the Year Award. What qualifies you to be a Humanist of the Year? By that, I do not mean stunts to ridicule religion or verbiage about how ridiculous religion is (see a theme here?). But what solid contributions have you made to humanity? What original thinking have you done (I have not seen any on this blog — just random ejaculations, as you put it)? And being a scientist — well, there are lots of biologists, and they’re not accorded such accolades. (By the way, the metaphor “ejaculations” does not conjure up an image of humanism, just self-centered pronouncements.)

    If atheists want to be taken seriously, then secular humanists need to step up to the plate and do more than merely critique the other side. If you want to be a Humanist of the Year, then I suggest you add something meaningful to “human progress” (an idea I have not seen you address), Argumentation does not qualify as a meaningful contribution for a humanist. Anyone can argue.

    Bruce

  36. Bill Dauphin, OM says

    Am I the only one who feels a brief pang of sadness at the arrival of spring? Another winter gone, and once again I haven’t played in the snow enough… or even at all, as it happened this year: No skiing, no sledding, no snowpersons or snowball fights… and now I have to wait 3/4 year before I have even the theoretical chance of making that right. Maybe it’s only because I grew up in places where there was no snow at all, but I always feel wistful when it disappears.

    And the snow has disappeared here in central CT, except for a few places (including the large industrial plant at which I work) where large parking lots have been cleared, leaving huge mounds of snow with such thermal mass that they persist for weeks after the snowy weather has passed. I pass one such pile every day, and it puts me in mind (strangely enough) of something I learned about comets years ago as a Space Studies student in the Univ. of North Dakota space.edu program… but I think I’ll save that for a post on my own blog. ;^)

  37. Sven DiMilo says

    WTF, Bruce?
    You just pick out the first post to vent your envy opinion?
    Do you think Myers named himself Humanist of the Year? Wouldn’t your questions be more profitably directed at the organization that named him such?

    Or are you just shilling books?

  38. Free Lunch says

    It is beautiful in Madison today, 15C, all the snow is gone until Saturday when we will get a new collection of clean flakes. The old ones were dirty.

  39. Rev. BigDumbChimp says

    Am I the only one who feels a brief pang of sadness at the arrival of spring? Another winter gone, and once again I haven’t played in the snow enough… or even at all, as it happened this year: No skiing, no sledding, no snowpersons or snowball fights… and now I have to wait 3/4 year before I have even the theoretical chance of making that right. Maybe it’s only because I grew up in places where there was no snow at all, but I always feel wistful when it disappears.

    Nope. I feel the same way. Mostly now because I live in SC and not in Wyoming and Colorado.

    I LOVE Western US winters.

  41. Knockgoats says

    I nominate Bruce for “Self-promoting Arsehole of the Year”. Do I have a seconder?

  43. Bill Dauphin, OM says

    Ah, we’ve been joined (@35) by a distinguished member of the Philosophy Department of the University of Woolamaloo. Presumably he’s not a pooftah!

    Seriously, Bruce…

    But what solid contributions have you [i.e., PZ] made to humanity?

    It’s not the frakkin’ Nobel Peace Prize, or even Humanitarian of the Year; it’s the Humanist of the Year. I’ll let PZ speak for himself, of course, but speaking as one of his readers, I find the robust advocacy we get here to be a very significant contribution, indeed, to advancing the cause of secular humanism.

    As for your discomfort at the word ejaculations, pardon me while I go clutch some pearls (or clutch something, anyway).

  44. aratina cage says

    Bruce should have gotten that award, damnabbit! He deserved it!! Look at all he has done for humanitee!!! He’s a forkin book author, fer fyuck’s sake!!!!

  45. daveau says

    anthrosciguy@32-

    I think Victoria is probably a beautiful place almost any time of year. I seem to remember some gardens that we especially liked. (Abkhazi?)

  47. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    @Bruce:

    But what solid contributions have you made to humanity?

    What a preening, smug, prissy, self-regarding contribution that was. Are you used to hobnobbing with the Intersection crew, Bruce? Used to having your “nice guy” “positive atheist and humanitarian” ego stroked? Used to counting on other nervous nellie atheists wringing their hands along with you in Mutual Concern about tone?

    Well, you’re in the wrong place. You’ll be invited to frak yourself gently with a chainsaw, sideways. Let me be the first.

    Love and puppies,

    SpokesGay

    P.S. – Have a totally awesome and productive day!!!

  49. daveau says

    Addendum to #24-

    The spousal unit informs me: “Depending on what you were looking at, we have daylilies, tulips, crocus, and daffodils coming up.” So, I stand corrected. No hyacinths. It should look pretty nice in a week or two. (croci?)

  50. Celtic_Evolution says

    Bruce #35…
    If your opinion of PZ, the biologist and the person has been based (as it clearly is) solely on your brief perusal of a few blog posts… then I submit you are in a poor position to be passing judgment.

    Seems you have an ax to grind. I suggest you go find a whetstone.

  52. DagoRed says

    JBlilie, you wear shorts and T-shirt when it’s 16-20°C?

    Brr.

    Whaaa? T-shirts and shorts for sure (and, perhaps that is a bit too bundled up)! You must find it drafty when the dog passes gas. Such nice temps brings out the “nude” in most people, around where I am from.

  54. Bill Dauphin, OM says

    Oh, the irony of committing HTML FAIL (@51) in the very act of declaring oneself a Great Mind©!

    Josh, OSG (OM Pending, ITAJ; @47):

    This locution…

    frak yourself gently

    …puts me in mind of a certain Tenacious D song I first heard on my daughter’s iPod. I dare not search for or link to it from work, but perhaps some of you will know the song I mean. ;^)

  55. Celtic_Evolution says

    Absolutely beautiful here in western NY for this time of year… about 14c and hardly a cloud in the sky.

    Plan a nice walk around Stewart Park later on and sitting on the bench swings at the foot of Cayuga Lake to watch the sun set (and probably snap a few pics while I’m at it).

  56. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    @ Bill Dauphin:

    This locution…

    frak yourself gently

    …puts me in mind of a certain Tenacious D song I first heard on my daughter’s iPod. I dare not search for or link to it from work, but perhaps some of you will know the song I mean. ;^)

    Hmm, shall look. It’s actually an adapted line from the 80s dark comedy Heathers. “F*** me gently with a chainsaw – what’s your damage, Heather?”

  57. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    @Celtic:

    Plan a nice walk around Stewart Park later on and sitting on the bench swings at the foot of Cayuga Lake to watch the sun set (and probably snap a few pics while I’m at it).

    AAAA! Stewart Park! I used to ride the miniature train around Stewart Park as a small child – do you remember that? My family lives in Ithaca, Trumansburg, and Brooktondale – sounds like you’re near my old home place.

  59. Celtic_Evolution says

    AAAA! Stewart Park! I used to ride the miniature train around Stewart Park as a small child – do you remember that? My family lives in Ithaca, Trumansburg, and Brooktondale – sounds like you’re near my old home place.

    Just before my time, Josh… I live in the Ithaca area and have since coming here in 1990 for Ithaca College. I’m originally from Boston. But the miniature train predates my arrival. The carousel is still there and still runs all summer long, but the concession stand and the swimming area are now but a memory (and becoming a bit of an eyesore, frankly). Still and all, one of my favorite places to spend a warm, beautiful day, right up there with Taughannock Park.

  60. Caine, Fleur du mal says

    Still a healthy amount of snow all over everything here in ND. It’s sunny today, and 40F. Crispy cold air though.

  61. jcmartz.myopenid.com says

    The snow will be gone and it will be Spring when I get back home, right?

    I suppose.


    Speaking of which, Spring will begin in a few days.

  62. aratina cage says

    Thanks Bill Dauphin #48. That was what I was going for. I really wanted Bruce to know he has one supporter when he goes to challenge PZ’s award before the committee. Wonderful image, BTW. :)

  63. Eileen says

    Went for a run with nary a glove – spring *must* be here. And that’s Canadian Amnesia: because I know next week the snow will be back, and I’ve chosen to forget. Bah!

    Nevermind NYC: I heart Florida.

    *hugs*

  64. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    The carousel is still there and still runs all summer long, but the concession stand and the swimming area are now but a memory (and becoming a bit of an eyesore, frankly).

    Oh, that just gave me one of those gut pangs of nostalgia that makes you want to tear up:) I’m glad to know the carousel is still there – enjoy the day!

  65. Owlmirror says

    Bruce has been by before, just at the turn of the year.

    He didn’t stop to chat, that time. I guess he’s just too important. I suspect he will again not respond this time either.

    Is he spamming Pharyngula on a quarterly basis so as to raise the Googlejuice for his name and book?

  66. Free Lunch says

    Speaking of which, Spring will begin in a few days.

    What’s with that idea?

    For some reason, Americans say that spring, fall, summer and winter ‘start’ on the equnoxes or solstices while the summer solstice known as Midsummer in Europe. Shouldn’t summer be the 91 warmest days or the three warmest months and the rest worked out from there.

    It’s spring already.

  67. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    Is he spamming Pharyngula on a quarterly basis so as to raise the Googlejuice for his name and book?

    His total shite book, at that. Just look at the glowing praise it got from faith-heads with a clear, vested interest in promoting flummery (from the book’s Amazon page):

    “Delving into a huge reservoir of research, Sheiman demonstrates beyond any doubt that religious belief has an overwhelmingly positive impact on health and well-being. Sheiman takes an honest and objective look at this controversial area and offers a rare and refreshing perspective on the enduring benefits of faith.” –Harold G. Koenig, M.D., Duke University Medical Center; Director, Center for the Study of Religion, Spirituality and Health

    “This book is a timely, engaging, good-spirited, and clearly argued defense of the personal and social value of religion at its highest levels of expression.” — Gary Dorrien, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics, Union Theological Seminary; Professor of Religion, Columbia University

    So, um, Bruce, if religion is so great, why are you an atheist? And why am I this close to calling you a liar?

  68. stevieinthecity#9dac9 says

    NYC is gorgeous today. The amazing transformation will soon commence. The women of the city will be breaking out their new spring wardrobe soon. It’s amazing.

  69. Owlmirror says

    Nevertheless… (SIWOTI!!!)

    What qualifies you to be a Humanist of the Year? By that, I do not mean stunts to ridicule religion or verbiage about how ridiculous religion is (see a theme here?).

    Because you insist that ridiculing religion is not a qualification, and of course, everyone has to listen to you?

    What original thinking have you done (I have not seen any on this blog — just random ejaculations, as you put it)?

    Pity you’re can’t read for comprehension.

    If atheists want to be taken seriously, then secular humanists need to step up to the plate and do more than merely critique the other side.

    They have to write books and be named Bruce Sheiman, and be faithiests who defend religion?

    Argumentation does not qualify as a meaningful contribution for a humanist.

    All you’ve done so far is offer arguments, and not very well, either.

    Anyone can argue.

    Oh, no they can’t.

  70. David Marjanović says

    but perhaps some of you will know the song I mean. ;^)

    Incredibly enough, my 2-weeks-a-year exposure to popular culture is sufficient for this. The context was very funny.

    Um, back to the weather, which has changed back from cloudless and cold to cloudless and warm here in Paris (I guess at least 10, probably 15 °C; it was frozen last week). The birches and/or hazels are in full bloom, so I don’t sleep well…

  71. Bill Dauphin, OM says

    Free Lunch (@66):

    Speaking of which, Spring will begin in a few days.

    What’s with that idea?

    I agree that thinking of the equinoxes and solstices as the beginnings of their respective seasons isn’t quite right, but it’s not (IMHO) as simple as saying they’re the middles of their seasons, either: In terms of actual weather, for instance, winter (at least in the northern U.S.) is effectively the months of December through February. From that POV, the winter solstice defines neither the beginning nor the middle of winter, but something more like the middle of the first half of winter.

    Maybe this is a simplistic layman’s take, but it doesn’t really strike me as surprising that the “center” of the temperature distribution that defines a season should lag the solar “inflection point” that defines it: Overnight lows don’t usually occur at midnight, either.

  73. AJ Milne says

    Am I the only one who feels a brief pang of sadness at the arrival of spring? Another winter gone, and once again I haven’t played in the snow enough…

    (Stands at foot of melting, greenish-brown ski hill, board under arm, scowling…)

    No.

  74. anthrosciguy says

    I think Victoria is probably a beautiful place almost any time of year. I seem to remember some gardens that we especially liked. (Abkhazi?)

    Could be, or Butchart, which is a huge tourist draw. There’s others, free, around too, and just plain yards and the fronts of apartment buildings usually have a lot of landscaping. You can do some flowers all year. But in the spring the trees along the streets start blooming, and you have blocks and blocks of cherry trees for a couple of months, then others. The whole thing stretches out as long as you always wished spring would.

  75. uppity cracka says

    Minneapolis, MN:

    no snow in my yard.

    sunny.

    mid 60s.

    aaaaah yeeeeeeaaaaahhhh!!!!!

  76. Smoggy Batzrubble OM4Jesus says

    Hey! Hey! Everyone! Hey!

    That was Bruce Sheiman @ 35!

    THE Bruce Sheiman!

    It really must be spring, because Bruce has come out of hibernation to make his seasonal envy-driven foray onto PZ’s blog (like a drive-by-shooter who doesn’t have a clue how to load a gun). You have to admire Bruce, not many talentless nonentities stick it out for as long as he has plugging his sad little book and facile opinions.

    Face it Bruce, to thinking atheists you’re a Unitarian fudgemuncher and they wouldn’t wipe their arses on your book in case it made their hemorrhoids turn stoopid. And the only reason religious fundies love you is because you make them look halfway intelligent. If you really want to be taken seriously, Bruce, get off the fence and stand for something (although I fear that picket is embedded so far up your unitarihole that if you pulled it out you’d find your brain skewered to the end of it).

    PZ’s award is the least of your perplexities–you’re clearly perplexed by rational thought (and I’m perplexed by your ability to use a keyboard–or does your pet hamster do your typing?). Before you interrogate PZ about what solid contributions he’s made to humanity, can you really point to any solid contributions you’ve made other than that large, noisome turd of envy floating in the bottom of your toilet bowl?

    As for ejaculations; personally I consider them protein shakes, but in PZs case I think he uses the term literally rather than metaphorically (dickhead!) to denote a short, sharp statement or exclamation on a topic about which he has strong feelings. Either way, his ejaculations are of more interest to humanists than your self-published vomiting onto cheap paper.

    Finally, before I go and pray to God, I’d just like to disagree with you and argue that everyone CAN’T argue. And to prove my point I hold up, as exhibit A, your own desperate, envious, sad and self-promoting little post.

    Yours in the love of Christ

    Smoggy

  77. SpriteSuzi says

    David M, IamM and others:
    Those are daylilies, of the genus Hemerocallis, not Lilium. http://www.daylilies.org/AHSfaq1.html

    They bloom late spring through autumn, and lots of them are delicious. They are popular in Chinese cuisine. I tried them at a daylily farm in Northern California, a soup and sautéed, both were yummy! :)

    See http://www.ghorganics.com/page16.html for a recipe for Daylily Bud Sauté. (bad formatting didn’t like copy/paste, and I’m feeling lazy!)

  78. Eidolon says

    Gotta love the drive by trolls, eh?.

    Here in front range of CO, warm, becoming warmer, then likely to have a nice spring storm to do a little impromptu pruning for us over the weekend.

    As for the start of seasons: Spring/fall – the sun is overhead at the Equator. Summer – sun is overhead at the Tropic of Cancer (so called because that is the constellation the sun is in at that time) Winter …ditto for the Tropic of Capricorn.

  79. Haley says

    I haven’t seen snow in ten years. The weather today is in the mid seventies; the cherry blossoms have bloomed and died already, and everything is green and beautiful again.

  81. JohnnieCanuck says

    The rain stopped yesterday and now the sun is shining. The trees and bulbs are all abloom. Time to go mow the lawn for a few hours and then fight the blackberry vines for a while. There will be blood.

    Speaking of Narcissus, Bruce is one of the most self absorbed, least self aware fools I’ve come across in a while. He needs to spend more time critically evaluating his reflection, hopefully somewhere far away from here.

  82. JohnnieCanuck says

    Here summer and winter are just a few weeks of transition between spring and fall.

  83. marcus says

    It’s supposed to snow here on Friday(Snowmass)! YAYYYYYYYY!!!!111!!! Will have to put skis away soon though.:[ Then it’s time to get out the kayak (Roaring Fork)! YAYYYYYYY!!!111!!! Then the rivers will go down in June. :[ Time to get out the mtn bike (Moab)! YAYYYY!!!!!111!! I’m so hard to please.

  84. Carlie says

    Carlie: I don’t know how tasty they are but lilies are toxic.

    Daylilies are edible – probably not all varieties of lily, but the daylilies are pretty widely eaten.

  85. Carlie says

    I wasn’t sure if that was a daylily in the picture – we have some varieties around that look like that, but then again all lilies look alike anyway. Species, shmecies.

  86. ronsullivan says

    Yup. it’s a daylily and edible. Just thirding the motion.

    Lovely warm weather here in Berkeley, lots of stuff blooming, birds courting (the neighborhood hummer has her first out of the nest already, I think) and grabbing building material, tra-la,

    and the fruitless mulberries are spooging pollen into the air. Two and a half weeks earlier than last year.

    I’m doomed. DOOOOOOOOOOOMED.

    But at least I’m not emitting pitiful whines about who deserves some award or other. Was that a spoof? Don’t people even know when they’re being pathetic?

    Lard, lard.

  87. Bruce says

    Your guys are Jerks, all. I am not suggesting that I be “Humanist of the Year.” Just questioning PZ’s credentials. He was chosen, and I should blame Humanist Magazine. But PZ obviously believed he was deserving.

    And, I would put writing an original book above random ejaculations anytime. What you exhibit is the kind of unquestioning and uncritical hero worship with this guy.

    Am I a liar? am I not an atheist? Call me fair and balanced, something the writers on this page are incapable of. I do not see things in a one-dimensional way. I am an atheist, but given the people I have met through my project, if I had the choice I would rather hang with moderate Christians rather than extremist atheists.

    Consider this my version of breaking a freakin’ cracker.

    Bruce

  88. PZ Myers says

    Go away, Bruce. Every time someone comes along and tells the commenters here how they “worship” me, everyone has to rush to call me a poopyhead, and seriously, my massively inflated ego is very, very delicate and pops promptly. And then I have to go home and throw myself on bed and cry weepy wet soppy tears.

    I won’t argue with your identification as an atheist. Since, in the minds of the moderate christians you are so fond of, “atheist” is synonymous with “arrogant asshole”, you clearly fit the definition better than I do.

  89. John Morales says

    PZ,

    … everyone has to rush to call me a poopyhead…

    Nah, don’t have to! Just wanna!

    PZ is a poopyhead!

    </minion>

  91. Caine, Fleur du mal says

    Bruce:

    if I had the choice I would rather hang with moderate Christians rather than extremist atheists.

    Well, good. You run along and do that now. We won’t miss you.

  92. Caine, Fleur du mal says

    PZ:

    everyone has to rush to call me a poopyhead

    No, no. You’re manure enhanced, that’s all.

  93. aratina cage says

    Your guys are Jerks, all. I am not suggesting that I be “Humanist of the Year.” Just questioning PZ’s credentials.

    Bruce for HotY! Bruce for HotY!! Bruce for Hot—WHAT?!?!

    *the blare from the party horn ceases and the blower deflates*

    How dare you call me a jerk when I’ve been rooting for you the whole dang time?? I never!

    *major sigh*

    Consider this my version of breaking a freakin’ cracker.

  94. Owlmirror says

    Your guys are Jerks, all.

    Why, thank you so much for rushing to judge. That really strengthens your arguments… except that you say that argumentation… isn’t a meaningful contribution… by a humanist…

    Hm.

    PZ obviously believed he was deserving.

    Should he have told them they were just wrong (off the internet?)

    And, I would put writing an original book above random ejaculations anytime.

    You’re really hung up on the “random ejaculations”, aren’t you?

    What you exhibit is the kind of unquestioning and uncritical hero worship with this guy.

    Nah. He’s a poopyhead, sometimes. Why, just this week he decided to censor the fuck out of us. And he’s been censoring the word “Caledonian” for years because someone using that as a handle annoyed him.

    But you, of course, are an absolute paragon of humanity, right?

    Call me fair and balanced,

    Why should we?

    something the writers on this page are incapable of.

    Bigot.

    I do not see things in a one-dimensional way.

    I, too, have binocular vision.

    if I had the choice I would rather hang with moderate Christians rather than extremist atheists.

    And yet, there are moderate Christians who come here to hang out with the “extreme” atheists. So it all balances out!

    Consider this my version of breaking a freakin’ cracker.

    Heh. And what, that makes PZ the pope?

    All Hail Pope Poopyhead the First !!

  95. Smoggy Batzrubble OM4Jesus says

    Dear Brother Bruce,

    Now you have discovered the true horror of demonic atheism! Be aware that Beelzebub has a down-payment on the soul of the damned Myers.

    That voice you hear during the lonely reaches of your dark night of the soul is God saying, “Repent before it is too late!”

    Do it, Bruce! Fall down on your knees and be grateful that the Almighty has warned you in time to save your soul from commitment to the eternal lake of fire. Cast off, I say, the false garment of lukewarm atheism. Vomit the demons of accommodationism from your tainted gullet! Be ye not led astray by the temptations of liberal Christianity and the saucy sopranos of the Vienna Boys’ Choir.

    Jesus wants you to know that there is only one true mode of belief, Bruce, and it is fundamentalist in essence and nature. Turn to the angry and vengeful True God. Open your mouth and let Him ram you in the tonsils, and praise His Holy Name as you swallow his seed of righteous anger, for there is nothing random about God’s ejaculations. Only when you learn to hate properly and to swallow God’s heavenly wad without choking will you be saved. There is NO middle ground Brucie!!! Hate the sodomites and puke-making Democrats. Decry the Obamanation and arm yourself for the end-times. Beat your children in the Lord’s Holy name and impregnate your wife so that your quiver may be full and her womb may be fallen.

    I tell you, on God’s authority, Bruce, that those half-assed vermin you consider Christians will be spat out of Jehovah’s mouth like dog sick on the day when we are all called to account. God hates sinners, potential sinners, incipient sinners, bi-curious sinners and most everyone else as well. If you want to be saved then you must effinwell learn to hate as YHWH does.

    The time has come to stop being a jerk Bruce. Give up being a liar and forget about being a fraud. You may think you are as fair and balanced as Glen Beck but in God’s eyes you’re just a skid mark in His divine magic undies.

    One day you won’t be given a choice Bruce, you’ll simply be hung with the moderate Christians when God allows we extremist fundies to take over the world.

    Consider this my version of convertin ya to Jesus, ya freckin cracka!

    With love in the Lord

    Smoggy B

    PS If I pop round to your place, Brucie, would you pull another copy of your book out of your arse and autograph it for me? I’m a fan! Really!

  96. Jadehawk, OM says

    Spring? What’s that? Here, we skip to summer.

    spring is what you guys have in december.

  97. Carlie says

    My apologies for recovering similar ground to SpriteSuzi; I hadn’t read carefully enough. Great links, too! I just learned about their edibility last year and haven’t tried much yet, but it’s fun to eat them raw as topping for a good french vanilla ice cream.

    And, I would put writing an original book above random ejaculations anytime.

    I’m pretty sure that an original book is the same thing as random ejaculations with a tape binding. But hey, I guess for some people buckram is a necessary component of gravitas.

    Josh, I was in Ithaca last week once the nice weather started; it was gorgeous. :)

  98. Celtic_Evolution says

    Carlie –

    What brought you to Ithaca? The nice weather began in earnest last weekend and in truth has not quit. It’s supposed to be quite nice here again today.

    I’d love to know how many other Ithacans (or thereabouts) we have perusing the pharyngula blog… I’ve been itching to organize a godless gathering at Kilpatricks or another decent watering hole for some time now.

    I wonder if PZ has Cornell in his lecture schedule plans anytime soon…

  99. Sven DiMilo says

    High above Cayuga’s waters
    There’s an awful smell.
    Some say it’s Cayuga’s waters
    Others say Cornell.

    yer welcome, Jerks

  101. Carlie says

    Celtic_Evolution – nothing in particular but spring fever and the need for some Ithaca Root Beer. I’m within a decent drive distance for a day trip, and I really like the area.

    PZ is going to be at ESF in Syracuse on April 8 – I’m definitely planning on being there.

  102. Celtic_Evolution says

    Celtic_Evolution – nothing in particular but spring fever and the need for some Ithaca Root Beer. I’m within a decent drive distance for a day trip, and I really like the area.

    Ahh… IBC root beer is made of awesome! And you’ll be happy to know they just received approval for an expansion project that will include a larger tourist atrium area, and a brew-pub and perhaps restaurant!

    Can’t disagree with you… there is nothing like sitting atop South Hill on a bright sunny day, looking down at the lake spilling into the city of Ithaca between the hills like water spilling off a the spigot of an old well.

    PZ is going to be at ESF in Syracuse on April 8 – I’m definitely planning on being there.

    Outstanding. You can count on my being in attendance.

  105. Celtic_Evolution says

    Thanks for the link, Carlie… I think I will be a regular attendee going forward.

  106. SC OM says

    Every time someone comes along and tells the commenters here how they “worship” me, everyone has to rush to call me a poopyhead,

    Seriously, that’s true, and I can see how it would be annoying.

    ***

    Argumentation does not qualify as a meaningful contribution for a humanist.

    Why not?

  107. Sven DiMilo says

    Annoying? I’ll tell you what’s annoying. Having to insert meaningless html tags just to use the fucking English language.

    Besides, PZ is a poopyhead; that’s empirical.

  108. woodsong says

    Ah, daylilies! A lovely, tasty flower…with edible tubers (or are they corms?) as well.

    We have a few spring flowers starting to sprout in my yard (daylilies, daffodils, etc). Blossoms to appear in a few weeks.

    Celtic_Evolution, Josh, I’m also an Ithaca resident. I grew up living in a house on Stone Quarry Rd, within walking distance of Buttermilk Falls. It wasn’t until I moved downtown in the 80s that I started hanging out at Stewart Park. The lake view is indeed very photogenic!

    I’ll have to see if I can get away for PZ’s visit to ESF, too. April 8th, hmm?

    If there is a Pharynguloid gathering in the area, I’ll be happy to join the rest of you!

  109. Celtic_Evolution says

    Celtic_Evolution, Josh, I’m also an Ithaca resident. I grew up living in a house on Stone Quarry Rd, within walking distance of Buttermilk Falls.

    Ahhh… Stone Quarry Rd… the absolute scariest friggin road in all of Ithaca if you are going to fast and hit the old RR crossing…

    And I will be at upper Buttermilk this evening hopefully having a picnic.

  110. woodsong says

    Celtic_Evolution:

    Ahhh… Stone Quarry Rd… the absolute scariest friggin road in all of Ithaca if you are going to fast and hit the old RR crossing…

    :-D

    All too easy to go airborne!

    And I will be at upper Buttermilk this evening hopefully having a picnic.

    Enjoy. My favorite picnic area there is at the Treman Lake end, near the falls, but the road back is probably still closed for winter.

    If I wasn’t otherwise busy this evening, I’d consider trying to meet up. Another time?

  111. monado says

    Earliest spring in 64 years in North Bay, I think someone said. The snow is mostly gone. I’ve heard Eastern white-throated sparrow, Robin, and loon and seen cerulean warblers and starlings.

    The image looks like a daylily but not the old, common species. I thought that the different colours were just varieties but found out last summer they are different species.

    (This comment has been parked for two days while my computer groaned along at 100% CPU for mysterious reasons. Finally I found a MYSQLDB process taking up all the cycles for no apparent reason.)

  112. Celtic_Evolution says

    Enjoy. My favorite picnic area there is at the Treman Lake end, near the falls, but the road back is probably still closed for winter.

    It was, in fact… but I took a walk back down there anyhow. It was a beautiful evening and the creek was lovely.

    If I wasn’t otherwise busy this evening, I’d consider trying to meet up. Another time?

    Of course!