There was a time in our history when our understanding of health was so impoverished that we thought such superstitious nonsense effective in combating the afflictions that ailed us. It’s a sad fact that so recent is that history that we must continue to endure watching the ignorant perform rituals that do the very opposite of what they aim to achieve. And here’s the really Good news: these dangerous fools constitute the majority of people on this planet! Feeling ass-pounded by reality yet?

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Phil Plait – Don’t Be A Dick from JREF on Vimeo.

First, I’d like to congratulate Phil Plait on choosing a topic that people seem to have strong opinions about. I love a good fight, and I see plenty of reasons to scrap with Phil regarding some of the statements he made during his lecture at TAM 8. The issue I’m actually concerned about is his own rhetoric and deep anger of people he perceives as dicks. I’m not sure who these people are (I won’t even say it’s me, since we’re so below the radar), but clearly they have him upset enough to base a whole lecture on it. I gotta ask though; what’s so wrong with being a dick, if that’s really the worst thing that you do?

I don’t declare war on people, I don’t mutilate the privates of my children or even pay money to an organization that knowingly protects and harbors knows child rapists…no, the worst thing I do is vent when the venting is good. Maybe in Phil’s eyes guys like me spew vitriol, but what we really do is help frustrated people feel like they aren’t alone when they keep thinking that people around them are acting like retards. And if the use of the word retard sends a shiver down your spine, you aren’t the kind of audience I normally cater to, and you’re wasting your time coming here. I offer piping hot boisterous anger, served with a twist of annoyance over all shit we have to put up with because of religious intolerance and ignorance, and trust me brother, the gettin’s good.

So you’ll pardon me and my angry comrades when we choose to say: “I like being a dick, thanks”

Oh, and just so everyone is aware, I’m actually a big fan of his, especially when he argues with conspiracy theorists.

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It’s usually pretty hard to tell sometimes whether videos like this are parodies or not, but I have it on good authority that this dude isn’t playing around. He really believes that America would be better served by a religious theocracy. This would avoid the problem of “choice” citizens seem to enjoy concerning both their sexuality and their ability to decide who gets elected (which tends to be slightly inconvenient for theocrats).

I love his cancer analogy…I use it all the time when I describe his poisonous religion of choice (you know, the one that keeps raping kids and gets away with it)

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