2015

2015 1,610

July 2015

1. 29 JulWednesday: Hili dialogue
2. 29 JulThe secrets of life – two videos
3. 28 JulTuesday: Hili dialogue (and Leon lagniappe)
4. 28 JulReaders’ wildlife photos
5. 28 JulThe world’s largest aggregation of snakes
6. 28 JulAustin part deux: buying custom boots
7. 28 JulThree owlets and a fly
8. 28 JulHow do you want to die?
9. 27 JulMonday: Hili Dialogue
10. 27 JulReaders’ Wildlife Photos: Arthropods
11. 27 JulAn exchange in Austin
12. 27 JulBrother Tayler’s secular Sunday sermon: a riff on a hoax
13. 27 JulThink positive: how could we get to a good 2100?
14. 27 JulNYT quotes my post on the Bogotá twins—without permission
15. 27 JulPeregrinations: Austin, part I
16. 26 JulSunday: Hili Dialogue
17. 26 JulPeregrinations: New Mexico, part deux
18. 26 JulFvF competition: readers in all the right places
19. 26 JulReaders’ Wildlife Photos: The Moth Edition
20. 26 JulSin and The Sinner
21. 26 JulA four-legged snake
22. 25 JulSaturday: Hili Dialogue
23. 25 JulPeregrinations: New Mexico, part I
24. 25 JulA d*g denies evolution
25. 25 JulCaturday: Big & Small
26. 25 JulAltar of the Oppressionhood Olympics
27. 25 JulMan bathes goldfinch in his hands
28. 25 JulLunches: Louisiana
29. 24 JulFriday: Hili Dialogue
30. 24 JulReaders’ wildlife photographs
31. 24 JulLyle Lovett likes my boots
32. 24 JulA salacious Jesus billboard
33. 24 JulWarwick: “I’ll never love this way again,” and lagniappe
34. 23 JulThursday: Hili Dialogue
35. 23 JulReaders’ wildlife photos: The Milky Way & Hummingbirds
36. 23 JulJesus & Mo: Believing Moderately
37. 23 JulReaders’ beefs: I’m a “New Atheist embedded in the political right”
38. 22 JulWednesday: Hili Dialogue with bonus Leon & Cyrus
39. 22 JulReaders’ Wildlife photos: Snakes!
40. 22 JulMy dinner last night
41. 22 JulFaith vs. Fact is an audiobook
42. 22 JulSola fide: Does Christianity always promote morality?
43. 22 JulWon’t somebody think of the children?
44. 21 JulTuesday: Hili Dialogue
45. 21 JulReaders’ Wildlife photos: ‘roos & emus & squirrels
46. 21 JulThe Last Trump
47. 21 JulAnother contest: photograph yourself with FvF in an incongruous place
48. 21 JulI’m in Texas!
49. 20 JulMonday: Hili Dialogue
50. 20 JulReaders’ Wildlife Photos: Gulls & Eagles redux
51. 20 JulArizona, part deux
52. 20 JulWhen the Big One hits the U.S.
53. 20 JulInfinite Monkey Cage and a Cobb/Coynecidence
54. 20 JulShort and sweet: an epitaph
55. 19 JulSunday: Hili Dialogue
56. 19 JulNot photoshopped: Gull on Eagle on Gull & Horse on Horse
57. 19 JulReaders’ Wildlife: The Birds & The Bees. Also, Stars.
58. 19 JulThe art of Kelly Houle: biology, tiny books, and The Origin of Species
59. 19 JulUp close and personal with Pluto
60. 19 JulThanks to Grania!
61. 18 JulSaturday: Hili dialogue
62. 18 JulCaturday, now with added twinkle
63. 18 JulReaders’ wildlife photos: sparrows & a Cedar Waxwing
64. 18 JulMichael Shermer’s “review” of Faith versus Fact
65. 17 JulFriday: Hili Dialogue
66. 17 JulReaders’ wildlife photos: flies and spiders
67. 17 JulAll roads lead to WEIT
68. 17 JulPlaying your Trump card
69. 17 JulOpen thread: the demise of religiosity in society
70. 17 JulWhen good squirrels go bad
71. 16 JulThursday: Hili Dialogue
72. 16 JulBreaking News: Jesus now in Texas
73. 16 JulReaders’ wildlife photos
74. 16 JulSunsets, Arizona
75. 16 JulHere’s Baihu!
76. 16 JulOpen thread: change the law
77. 16 JulDavid M. Raup, 1933-2015
78. 15 JulWednesday: Hili Dialogue
79. 15 JulJesus & Mo: Your weekly dose of blasphemy
80. 15 JulThat’s no dwarf planet…
81. 15 JulPeregrinations & Pluto
82. 15 JulPSA and some more peregrinations
83. 15 JulReaders’ wildlife photos
84. 15 JulThe Big Reveal
85. 14 JulTuesday: Hili Dialogue
86. 14 JulProof of Mr. Tickle
87. 14 JulNine year journey: the Pluto flyby
88. 14 JulReaders’ Wildlife photos
89. 14 JulComing up Trumps
90. 14 JulThe Infinite Monkey Cage: L.A. edition
91. 13 JulMonday: Hili Dialogue
92. 13 JulTrumped: Booker, Carmen, and Sherlock
93. 13 JulWEIT turned into videos
94. 13 JulPeregrinations: Berkeley
95. 13 JulBrother Tayler’s Sunday Sermon: Tanya Lurhmann and Christian sex
96. 12 JulSunday: Hili Dialogue
97. 12 JulThe Great PCC Odyssey: San Francisco edition
98. 12 JulSam Harris does another Ask Me Anything
99. 12 JulAn amazing tale of identical twins (two pairs!) swapped and raised apart
100. 12 JulWeekly reader’s beef: slippery slopes and whataboutery
101. 12 JulTrump your cat: Submission #1
102. 11 JulSaturday: Hili Dialogue
103. 11 JulCaturday felids: history, art, satire & nature
104. 11 JulReaders’ wildlife photos
105. 11 JulPeregrinations: Oakland
106. 11 JulOpen thread: Youtube algorithms and music
107. 10 JulFriday: Hili Dialogue
108. 10 JulGreetings from the belly of the Beast
109. 10 JulSpace photos of the year
110. 10 JulVictims of our own success
111. 10 JulReaders’ wildlife photographs
112. 10 JulPie for breakfast!
113. 10 JulOmar Sharif, 1932-2015
114. 9 JulThursday: Hili Dialogue & bonus Leon Monologue
115. 9 JulVale, the Grateful Dead after 50 years: a global version of ‘Ripple’
116. 9 JulReaders’ wildlife photographs
117. 9 JulQuote of the day: Nick Cohen
118. 9 JulNew Horizons sends us a new photograph of Pluto
119. 9 JulTwo critical reviews of Faith versus Fact
120. 9 JulAn interview with Bonya Ahmed
121. 9 JulNut Pilferers Anonymous
122. 8 JulWednesday: Hili Dialogue
123. 8 JulMini Readers’ wildlife photos
124. 8 JulDinner at The Martin Hotel
125. 8 JulJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ ISIS
126. 8 JulHarvard and MIT get “Muzzle Awards” for denying free speech
127. 8 JulSmart crow opens pizza box
128. 7 JulTuesday: Hili dialogue
129. 7 JulReaders’ wildlife photographs
130. 7 JulTanya Luhrmann: Christian prohibition against premarital sex has its benefits
131. 7 JulThe Infinite Monkey Cage: USA tour
132. 7 JulWhy evolution is NOT true
133. 7 JulGuess who’s back? Lions return to Rwanda!
134. 7 JulYou couldn’t make this stuff up. Maybe.
135. 7 JulGoogle Doodle celebrates Japanese fantasy filmmaker
136. 6 JulMonday: Hili Dialogue & bonus Leon monologue
137. 6 JulIn which Science goes on trial and is exonerated all in one morning
138. 6 JulReaders’ wildlife photographs
139. 6 JulWorld’s oldest bald eagle dies at 39
140. 6 JulBrother Tayler reviews Faith versus Fact
141. 6 JulOpen thread: how did you become an atheist?
142. 6 JulSpot the ISS
143. 6 JulPeregrinations: Idaho
144. 6 JulAnglo-American forces defeat Germany, Japan
145. 5 JulSunday: Hili dialogue
146. 5 JulOdyssey Interlude: a little slice of heaven
147. 5 JulReaders’ wildlife photographs
148. 5 JulSpot the great horned owl
149. 5 JulBrother Tayler’s Sunday Sermon: Conservatives’ reaction to the gay marriage ruling
150. 5 JulHere’s the owl!
151. 5 JulThe Cobra
152. 4 JulSaturday: Hili dialogue (and lagniappe)
153. 4 JulReaders’ wildlife photographs
154. 4 JulCaturday: Independence Day edition
155. 4 JulFirst you were all like “whoa”, and we were like “whoa”, and you were like “whoa…”
156. 4 JulThe Great PCC Odyssey 3
157. 3 JulFriday: Hili dialogue
158. 3 JulReaders’ wildlife photographs
159. 3 JulPirate Party helps repeal Iceland’s blasphemy law
160. 3 JulPeregrinations: Colorado Springs 2
161. 3 JulInbreeding depression in man
162. 3 JulReluctant hero Nicholas Winton, who rescued 669 children from the Holocaust, dies at 106
163. 3 JulHail hurts!
164. 2 JulThursday: Hili dialogue
165. 2 JulReaders’ wildlife photographs
166. 2 JulBreakfast at Aspen
167. 2 JulThe Lancet removes image of the Buddha from its cover after protests of hurt feelings
168. 2 JulPeregrinations: Colorado Springs 1
169. 1 JulWednesday: Hili Dialogue
170. 1 JulReader’s wildlife photographs
171. 1 JulJ&M and the Gaystapo
172. 1 JulSomething and somethinger
173. 1 JulThe Great PCC Odyssey, Part 2
174. 1 JulHow to do Twitter

June 2015

1. 30 JunTuesday: Hili Dialogue
2. 30 JunReaders’ wildlife photographs
3. 30 JunThe things rats dream about
4. 30 JunBrother Tayler’s Sunday Secular Sermon: Colton Burpo, Sean Hannity, and the scam of “Heaven is For Real”
5. 30 JunSpot the bunny
6. 29 JunMonday: Hili Dialogue
7. 29 JunOur New Overlords
8. 29 JunThe power of numbers, and why things must die.
9. 29 JunReaders’ wildlife photographs
10. 29 JunDinosaur 1, mammal 0. Bee-eater catches bat.
11. 29 JunTimes they are a-changing, but there are still miles to go
12. 29 JunPeregrinations: Vermillion, South Dakota
13. 29 JunA Muslim-basher becomes an atheist-basher
14. 28 JunSunday: Hili Dialogue
15. 28 JunMini Reader’s Wildlife photos
16. 28 JunWhat are you reading now?
17. 28 JunThe Great PCC Odyssey, Part 1
18. 27 JunSaturday: Hili Dialogue
19. 27 JunJust a heads up: Jerry on Futureproof today
20. 27 JunWorst heartburn ever
21. 27 JunCaturday felids: cat stalks moose; yoga for cats; the Official Alamo Cat; cat wins Hero Dog award
22. 27 JunHello (and goodbye again), Andrew
23. 27 JunObama gets praise for pulling out the religion card
24. 26 JunFriday: Hili dialogue (and lagniappe)
25. 26 Jun“Happy”
26. 26 JunReaders’ wildlife photos
27. 26 JunU. S. Supreme Court rules that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right
28. 26 JunCameroon lake cichlids probably did not speciate sympatrically: Part 2
29. 26 JunA video on (the absence of) free will
30. 26 JunImportant note to readers and contributors
31. 26 JunVaccination-exemption law makes its way through the California legislature
32. 26 JunA farewell felid
33. 26 JunThe majority ruling
34. 25 JunThursday: Hili dialogue
35. 25 JunReaders’ wildlife photographs
36. 25 JunCameroon lake cichlids probably did not speciate sympatrically: Part 1
37. 25 JunBusiness Insider: Atheists are doing it wrong
38. 25 JunGood catch!
39. 25 JunYour Thursday felid
40. 24 JunWednesday: Hili dialogue
41. 24 JunJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ Onan
42. 24 JunReaders’ wildlife photographs
43. 24 JunThe making of “It was a very good year”
44. 24 JunMatthew’s Guardian piece on Franklin, Watson, and Crick
45. 24 JunA letter from an angry climate-change denialist: give your response
46. 24 JunWhat a deal! White House announces it will negotiate with terrorists for American hostages, but give up prosecuting Americans for doing the same thing
47. 24 JunMy page in “Neko Shirt”, translated
48. 24 JunRabbit of the day
49. 23 JunTuesday: Hili dialogue
50. 23 JunHiroko’s cat-shirt book
51. 23 JunNO MORE!
52. 23 JunIranian and Afghan women: then and now
53. 23 JunWhat do we do about “neurodiversity”?
54. 23 JunRussell Blackford defends Peter Singer
55. 23 JunFelid of the day
56. 23 JunReaders’ wildlife photos:
57. 22 JunMonday: Hili dialogue (and lagniappe)
58. 22 JunChicago: storm
59. 22 JunA visitor to Chicago
60. 22 JunReaders’ wildlife photos
61. 22 JunA statement for discussion
62. 22 JunBill Maher on “politically correct” humor
63. 22 JunFace the Nation panders to faith
64. 22 Junt.p. again
65. 22 JunSquirrel dives into dugout at Phillies game
66. 21 JunSunday: Hili dialogue
67. 21 JunHappy Father’s Day!
68. 21 JunTwo Sunday morning tw**ts
69. 21 JunReaders’ wildlife photos
70. 21 JunNick Cohen on the Pope and global warming
71. 21 JunWhy is Norway’s prison system so successful?
72. 21 JunProfessor Ceiling Cat and others at the Aspen Ideas Festival
73. 21 JunEvolution: 550 myr in 1 minute
74. 20 JunSaturday: Hili dialogue
75. 20 JunReaders’ wildlife photographs
76. 20 JunCaturday felids : science-defying cat, cat riding tortoise, and cat helping autistic boy
77. 20 JunHieronymous Bosch’s 500-year-old butt song from Hell
78. 20 JunThe Christopher Hitchens Lecture: Tom Holland on de-fanging Muhammad
79. 20 JunThe Roadrunner bites the dust
80. 19 JunFriday: Hili dialogue
81. 19 JunReaders’ wildlife photographs
82. 19 JunDisability activists call for Peter Singer’s resignation
83. 19 JunHeather Hastie on Mexican exorcisms
84. 19 JunKrauss and Pinker on the Pope’s misguided climate-change bicycle
85. 19 JunBlaming the South Carolina murders on the “war against Christianity”
86. 19 JunRaccoon invades beer warehouse with predictable result
87. 18 JunThursday: Hili dialogue
88. 18 JunChicago, evening and fog
89. 18 JunReaders’ wildlife photographs
90. 18 JunHow and why does this caterpillar whistle?
91. 18 Jun‘I’m offended’ is not an argument
92. 18 Jun2015 Audubon photography awards
93. 18 JunParrot cries like a baby
94. 17 JunWednesday: Hili dialogue
95. 17 JunReaders’ wildlife photographs
96. 17 JunJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ respect
97. 17 JunIn memoriam: Anne Nicol Gaylor
98. 17 JunThe Agenda: Science vs. religion
99. 17 JunPeter Singer disinvited from philosophy meeting in Germany for views on euthanasia of sick or deformed newborns
100. 17 JunThe world’s most adorable octopus
101. 17 JunJesus @ #wrongskin
102. 16 JunTuesday: Hili dialogue
103. 16 JunHave you seen Jurassic World?
104. 16 JunReaders’ wildlife photographs
105. 16 JunRaccoon rides alligator
106. 16 JunEx-Muslim’s letter to UC Berkeley student newspaper retracted because of “personal safety concerns”
107. 16 JunFaith v. Fact: Audiobooks and recent broadcasts
108. 16 JunMore college triggering
109. 16 JunT. rex badinage
110. 16 JunHow many species of tropical trees are there?
111. 16 JunA 13-kitten train
112. 15 JunMonday: Hili dialogue
113. 15 JunHere are the tree frogs
114. 15 JunReaders’ wildlife photos (Monday bumper edition)
115. 15 JunBritish Muslim leader: “Zionists stole my shoe!”
116. 15 JunKen Ham: Atheism is “harmful superstition”
117. 15 JunPope Francis’s Encyclical: The Movie
118. 15 JunRepublicans take North Carolina to hell in a handbasket
119. 14 JunSunday: Hili dialogue
120. 14 JunGeorge Harrison: “Something”
121. 14 JunPhilae woke up!!
122. 14 JunWhere’s Dawkins?
123. 14 JunWeekly readers’ beefs
124. 14 JunBrother Tayler’s Sunday Secular Sermon: Scalia must go
125. 14 JunLeft Jab radio interview
126. 14 JunSpot the tree frogs!
127. 13 JunSaturday: Hili dialogue
128. 13 JunCaturday felids: Surprise cat, feral moggies, cat toes, cat cosmonaut, and Harry in disguise
129. 13 JunReaders’ wildlife photographs
130. 13 JunDavid Barash disses group selection as an explanation for altruism
131. 13 JunKarl Giberson is still fighting a rearguard battle against Adam and Eve
132. 13 JunThe world’s smallest copy of WEIT
133. 12 JunFriday: Hili dialogue
134. 12 JunReaders’ wildlife photographs
135. 12 JunRadio interview today
136. 12 JunMatthew and Nick Lane at the Royal Institution
137. 12 JunSir Tim Hunt inserts metatarsals into buccal orifice
138. 12 JunComedians avoid the “offense circuit”
139. 12 JunMore “anonymous” comments
140. 12 JunRock climbing bears
141. 11 JunThursday: Hili dialogue
142. 11 JunReaders’ wildlife photos
143. 11 JunSam’s journey home
144. 11 JunMiscellaneous photos: Toronto
145. 11 JunRIP Christopher Lee
146. 11 JunReptile rescue
147. 11 JunOpen Thread: early Summer edition
148. 10 JunWednesday: Hili dialogue
149. 10 JunGood morning with owls
150. 10 JunJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’
151. 10 JunMore beasts from the Vancouver Aquarium
152. 10 JunAstro Sam comes home
153. 10 JunA cooking cat
154. 10 JunAll roads lead to WEIT
155. 9 JunTuesday: Hili dialogue (and lagniappe)
156. 9 JunReaders’ wildlife photos
157. 9 JunMy whale and sea lion encounter
158. 9 JunWhat greater love could a nerdy biologist have?
159. 9 JunOy, for the love of criminey: atheists make babies cry
160. 9 JunEverything turns to candy
161. 8 JunHili dialogue: Monday
162. 8 JunINR 5 photos
163. 8 JunWild animals see themselves in a mirror for the first time
164. 8 JunJeffrey Tayler’s Salon Sunday Secular Sermon
165. 8 JunKitten Rescue Clickbait
166. 7 JunSunday: Hili dialogue
167. 7 JunReaders’ wildlife photographs
168. 7 JunDoes Scalia really think that humanity is 5,000 years old?
169. 7 JunAre any criticisms of theism kosher? (Open Thread)
170. 7 JunThe grim cycle of life: our blue tit nest failed
171. 7 JunWorld’s oldest cat is no more
172. 7 JunAn encounter of the Cunk kind?
173. 6 JunSaturday: Hili dialogue
174. 6 JunReaders’ wildlife photos
175. 6 JunCaturday felid trifecta: Does God speak through cats?, catmouflage, and cat libraries: check out a cat at work!
176. 6 JunA theology graduate speaks about our supposed need to learn moar theology before criticizing religion
177. 6 JunPat Condell on free speech
178. 6 JunD-Day anniversary
179. 5 JunFriday: Hili dialogue
180. 5 JunReaders’ wildlife photographs
181. 5 JunNoms: Vij’s Indian restaurant in Vancouver
182. 5 JunWeekly reader’s beef
183. 5 JunEugenie Scott and Ruth Bancewicz hold a science-religion lovefest
184. 5 Jun“Faith” in science and religion
185. 5 JunMother weasel rescues bereft baby
186. 4 JunThursday: Hili dialogue
187. 4 JunReaders’ wildlife photographs
188. 4 JunThe Outsider Test for the Right Faith
189. 4 JunA miracle? Sawfish born of a virgin mother
190. 4 JunH is for Hawk
191. 4 JunTime to talk about anything except the weather
192. 4 JunI have landed
193. 3 JunWednesday: Hili dialogue
194. 3 JunReaders’ wildlife photographs
195. 3 JunJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ prophecies
196. 3 JunI talk about free will and blame with The Thinking Atheist
197. 3 JunA cat’s “solicitation purr” contains a cry, and sounds more urgent and unpleasant than a normal purr
198. 3 JunA prominent Southern Baptist leader supports the “Openly Secular” campaign
199. 3 JunMore college shenanigans: After refusing to pass a motion condemning ISIS, Britain’s National Union of Students votes to boycott Israel
200. 3 JunTwo videos: banding peregrine chicks, and a cephalpod moves house
201. 2 JunTuesday: Hili dialogue
202. 2 JunReaders’ wildlife photographs
203. 2 JunMy New Republic piece on philosophical exemptions from vaccination
204. 2 JunCrowdsourcing an answer for a young atheist
205. 2 JunBrother Tayler’s Sunday Sermon in Salon, and lagniappe
206. 2 JunU.S. Supreme Court rules that Muslim employee can wear headscarf
207. 2 JunOn admitting error
208. 1 JunMonday: Hili dialogue
209. 1 JunMonday humor: Felidae
210. 1 JunReaders’ wildlife photos
211. 1 JunVermont overturns law allowing philosophical exemptions to vaccination, but keeps the religious ones
212. 1 JunA graphic demonstration of the incompatibility between science and religion
213. 1 JunPublicity: I espouse nonbelief in National Geographic, and a podcast with Godless Spellchecker
214. 1 JunThe response
215. 1 JunFacing dismissal, distinguished teacher resigns after reciting lurid Allan Ginsburg poem in class

May 2015

1. 31 MaySunday: Hili dialogue
2. 31 MayMore about that bird (and readers’ wildlife photographs)
3. 31 MayWiley Miller on religion
4. 31 MayMichael Ruse: Proud to be an accommodationist
5. 31 MayMessi’s incredible goal
6. 31 MayThe mother lode of animal webcams
7. 31 MayNote to readers
8. 30 MaySaturday: Hili dialogue
9. 30 MayCaturday felid trifecta: Cat alarm clocks, many cats in many boxes, and bag cat
10. 30 MayWhat bird is that? (and some readers’ wildlife)
11. 30 MayMorality proves God, take #197
12. 30 MayIslamic school soccer team refuses to play against a team having two girls—in Canada!
13. 30 MayMy book talk in D.C.
14. 29 MayFriday: Hili dialogue
15. 29 MayIn London on June 11? Come and hear The Story of Life at the Royal Institution.
16. 29 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
17. 29 MayJason on me in D.C.
18. 29 MayNow it’s the Jews who ban women from driving
19. 29 MayOn my way home
20. 29 MayA godless French song
21. 29 MayWoman/cat musical duo
22. 29 MayOnce more with feeling: final thoughts on Ireland’s Marriage Equality referendum #MarRef
23. 28 MaySquirrels of a different color
24. 28 MayThursday: Hili Dialogue
25. 28 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
26. 28 MaySwifts reunited
27. 28 MayCooperative hunting in groupers and moray eels
28. 28 MayOn the swift’s scuttly wingless fly friend
29. 28 MayBook talk: Politics and Prose
30. 27 MayWednesday: Hili dialogue
31. 27 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
32. 27 MayJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ hornets
33. 27 MayWest Virginia lawsuit filed to ban teaching evolution since it’s a “faith”
34. 27 MayAfter the party: what the Yes vote in Ireland means for the Catholic Church and its position on homosexuality
35. 27 MayThe reptile-mammal transition
36. 26 MayTuesday: Hili dialogue
37. 26 MayThe Staves
38. 26 MayGoogle Doodle celebrates Sally Ride
39. 26 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
40. 26 MayPutative amphibian fossil shows “broken” bone; said to be first indication of terrestriality
41. 26 MayThe ageing cohort of nuns
42. 26 MayPurity balls: an American Christian phenomenon
43. 26 MayAn interactive periodic table
44. 25 MayMonday: Hili dialogue
45. 25 MayA panacea
46. 25 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
47. 25 MayIan McEwan extols free speech in a passionate commencement address
48. 25 MayA British judge rules that mother can’t indoctrinate son with religion
49. 25 MayAn atheist on Al-Jazeera explains why we should stop criticizing theism and go after capitalism
50. 25 MayMy podcast on Freethought Radio with Annie Laurie and Dan
51. 25 MayThe Irish came home to vote
52. 25 MayCry “Havoc!” and let slip the cats of war
53. 24 MaySunday: Hili dialogue
54. 24 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
55. 24 MaySome reviews of FvF
56. 24 MayJohn and Alicia Nash die in taxi crash
57. 24 MayIrish parents with a gay son urged a “yes” vote on the gay marriage referendum
58. 24 MayJeffrey Tayler’s Sunday Salon secular sermon
59. 24 MayThe correlation between rejection of evolution and rejection of environmental regulation: what does it mean?
60. 24 MayKin selection in waterfowl
61. 23 MaySaturday: Hili dialogue
62. 23 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
63. 23 May“No true Christian. . . “: I get email
64. 23 MayCaturday felid trifecta: Cats wanting in, a cat realizing that it’s a cat, and a kitten climbs owner to drink milk from bottle
65. 23 MayOne of those days
66. 23 MayYoungstown State University joins the no-free-speech Hall of Shame
67. 23 MayA nifty bit of engineering on the ISS
68. 22 MayFriday: Hili dialogue
69. 22 MayThe “most embarrassing moment” contest winner
70. 22 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
71. 22 MayMy Five Books interview: recommendations for books dealing with the incompatibility of science and religion
72. 22 MayLessons from a talk
73. 22 MayNeil deGrasse Tyson on science/religion accommodationism
74. 21 MayThursday: Hili dialogue
75. 21 MayHis finest hour. . . .
76. 21 MayReaders’ wildlife photos
77. 21 MayNPR sort-of disses euthanasia
78. 21 MayMy Slate article on the dangers of faith healing
79. 21 MayPupa in Trinidad mimics snake (and moves!)
80. 20 MayWednesday: Hili dialogue
81. 20 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
82. 20 MayJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ No Mo Women
83. 20 MayMy conversation with Sam Harris
84. 20 MayUpcoming book-related events and talks
85. 20 MayYou think YOU have problems?
86. 20 MayCat gets a brain freeze
87. 19 MayTuesday: Hili dialogue
88. 19 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
89. 19 MayThe “trigger warning” debate continues in The New Republic
90. 19 MayMy book precis in The Scientist
91. 19 MayFree speech on the wane in UK universities: only 20% of them don’t impose censorship
92. 19 MayMissing reader found
93. 19 May“There can’t be a practical reason for believing what isn’t true”: Bertrand Russell on his unbelief
94. 18 MayHili dialogue (and lagniappe): Monday
95. 18 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
96. 18 MayThe tenacity of belief in belief
97. 18 MayOliver Sacks’s last interview
98. 18 MayAn erstwhile creationist becomes a biologist, due in part to us!
99. 18 MayThis has got to be a first
100. 18 MayA new form of Intelligent Design: geological period-specific!
101. 18 MayBrother Tayler’s Sunday Sermon: The National Day of Prayer
102. 17 MaySunday: Hili dialogue (and lagniappe)
103. 17 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs: Special travel edition
104. 17 MayIf cotton candy could talk. . .
105. 17 MayThe first known warm-blooded fish
106. 17 MayStony Brook students join the P.C. safe-space club
107. 17 MayFlycatcher: the clue is in the name
108. 17 MayMissing reader alert: Stephen John Williams
109. 16 MaySaturday: Hili dialogue
110. 16 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
111. 16 MayCaturday felids trifecta: Cat masseuses, Japanese stroller man, and the woman with a thousand cats
112. 16 MayAyaan Hirsi Ali chats with Bill Maher: Why do liberals overlook Islamic extremism?
113. 16 MayRebecca Goldstein explains the Enlightenment
114. 16 May“We’re not that kind of place”: Purdue (and the University of Chicago) stand up for free speech
115. 15 MayFriday: Hili dialogue (and bonus dialogue)
116. 15 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
117. 15 MayContest winner (and runners-up)
118. 15 MayThe rise in secularism: 25% of “millennial” Americans are atheists, agnostics, or don’t see religion as personally important
119. 15 MayAn atheist English professor finds Jesus because the Bible “rings true” as literature
120. 15 MayJury reaches decision in Tsarnaev case. [Update: He gets death]
121. 15 MayUniversity of Colorado institutes “bias-reporting” system to curb hate speech
122. 15 MayA Leon finale to the week
123. 14 MayTwo prematurely published cat videos
124. 14 MayThursday: Hili dialogue
125. 14 MayChicago, sunset
126. 14 MayCanada proposing to use hate crime laws against Israel boycotters
127. 14 MayMy New Republic piece on trigger warnings
128. 14 MayDo you want to live forever?
129. 14 MayThe World Turned Upside Down: On free speech, a Christian gets it right and a humanist gets it wrong
130. 14 MayAstroSam gets a haircut
131. 13 MayWednesday: Hili dialogue
132. 13 MayJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ Cognitive stasis
133. 13 MayGoogle doodle celebrates Inge Lehmann
134. 13 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
135. 13 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs, part deux: A heron right outside!
136. 13 MayMore nuttery from Alabama: Governor signs “student religious liberties act”
137. 13 MayNext Friday: a Professor Ceiling Cat reddit “Ask me anything”
138. 13 MayStill more safe spaces: Columbia students want trigger warnings for Ovid
139. 13 MayIf only life were like this. . . .
140. 13 MayLowls
141. 12 MayTuesday: Hili dialogue
142. 12 MayTuesday cartoon
143. 12 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
144. 12 MayThe good news: big attrition of Christians in the U.S., atheists and agnostics increasing
145. 12 MayThe bad news: still another Bangladeshi secular blogger murdered
146. 12 MayIn a spectacular miscalculation, Obama administration allows Shell to drill for oil in the Arctic
147. 12 MayHouston, I have Facebook!
148. 12 MayOne-day special from the TLS: access to a long (and favorable) review of Steve Weinberg’s new book
149. 12 MayReprieve for AstroSam
150. 12 MayEvolutionary convergence in swimming fins
151. 11 MayMonday: Hili dialogue
152. 11 MayThe woodpecker-riding weasel gets its own sign
153. 11 MayA trickster God
154. 11 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
155. 11 MayArticles: odds and ends
156. 11 MayFacebook’s disabled my page!
157. 11 MayAstronaut Sam explains ISS hygiene
158. 11 MayCampus “free speech”: The Onion gets it right
159. 11 MayPhilomena on BBC tonight
160. 10 MaySunday: Hili dialogue
161. 10 MayGoogle Doodle: Mother’s Day
162. 10 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
163. 10 MayPublicity for Dennett’s withdrawal from a Templeton-sponsored event at the World Science Festival
164. 10 MayGuest post: Pulling the Plug on Power Posing
165. 10 May90 minutes left in the Big Book Contest
166. 10 MaySalon pulls out all the stops in dissing New Atheists
167. 10 MayHiroko’s book on “Neko Shirt”
168. 10 MayThe gift from mom that keeps on giving
169. 9 MaySaturday: Hili dialogue
170. 9 MayCaturday felid trifecta: New record for oldest living cat, a cat who forgot to cat, and Karl Lagerfeld’s spoiled moggie
171. 9 MayA novel but clever behavior: ants form daisy chain to haul prey back to nest (and fly lagniappe)
172. 9 MayFinal notice: book contest
173. 9 MayThere’s always a “but” when it comes to Islam
174. 9 MayWe’re #1!
175. 9 MayMore creationist legislation from Dixie
176. 8 MayFriday: Hili dialogue (and Leon lagniappe)
177. 8 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
178. 8 MayCircling the drain, the New York Times labels the Texas cartoon exhibit “hate speech”
179. 8 MayNew fossils: the world’s earliest known bird
180. 8 MayMore on swimming tortoises
181. 8 MayPlatypuses can carry stuff *with their tail*
182. 8 MayThe old, politically incorrect Trudeau
183. 8 MayDidga shows off
184. 7 MayThursday: Hili dialogue
185. 7 MayReligions of peace (?)
186. 7 MayReaders’ wildlife photos (and a video)
187. 7 MayA flea goes after my credentials
188. 7 MayThe kin selection argument continues, with those denying its importance holding firm. They’re wrong.
189. 7 MayPhilomena on democracy and the elections
190. 7 MayLying and/or ignorant Republican candidates still refuse to accept evolution
191. 7 MayCat paws = teddy bears
192. 6 MayWednesday: Hili dialogue
193. 6 MayJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ Ignoramuses
194. 6 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs (and videos!)
195. 6 MayIs religion a superstition?
196. 6 MayTempleton invades the World Science Festival again; Dan Dennett withdraws from the field
197. 6 MayPhilomena explains the election
198. 6 MayTragedy in Paraguay
199. 6 MayCaterpillar resembles Donald Trump’s hair
200. 6 MayFeline stiff-arms
201. 5 MayTuesday: Hili dialogue (and lagniappe)
202. 5 MayCNN host attacks Pamela Geller on the Muslim art exhibit, but only embarrasses herself
203. 5 MayJosh Ozersky died
204. 5 MayNote about Chicago book event
205. 5 MayPhilomena on Parliament
206. 5 MayJoss Whedon quits Twi**er under a firestorm of uncontrolled rage about his new movie
207. 5 MaySwimming jaguar
208. 4 MayMonday: Hili dialogue
209. 4 MayA good morning from Theo
210. 4 MayTwo gunmen killed after attacking Muhammad cartoon exhibit
211. 4 MayReaders’ wildlife photos
212. 4 MayGoogle Doodle celebrates Bartolomeo Cristofori
213. 4 MayDon’t forget the book contest
214. 4 MayRepublican barrel-scraping: Ben Carson’s running for President
215. 4 MayBrother Tayler’s Sunday Salon Sermon
216. 4 MayMore on the dino-bat Yi qi
217. 4 MayReaders’ new kittens
218. 3 MaySunday: Hili dialogue (and double lagniappe)
219. 3 MayOne of Them: Part V
220. 3 MayReaders’ wildlife (and astronomy) photos
221. 3 MayJe suis encore Charlie
222. 3 May“Have you no sense of decency?”: The Labour Party proposes criminalizing “Islamophobia”; candidates address sex-segregated audience
223. 3 MaySimon Conway Morris’s new book once again claims that the evolution of human-like creatures was inevitable. He’s wrong.
224. 3 MayContest! Win a first-printing hardbound copy of Faith versus Fact
225. 3 MayAstronaut Sam finally gets her espresso
226. 3 MayAgain? Two more killings at a U.S. display of Muhammad cartoons
227. 2 MaySaturday: Hili dialogue (and lagniappe)
228. 2 MayCaturday felid trifecta: Rescued lab cats, cattoos, and remote real-time playing with cats!
229. 2 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
230. 2 May145 writers sign letter protesting PEN award to Charlie Hebdo
231. 2 MayThe Food Police strike again: child with Oreos in packed lunch sent home with a note
232. 2 MayObama lets us down on capital punishment and Afghanistan
233. 2 MayPhilomena Phan Alert: BBC, Wednesday, 9 p.m.
234. 1 MayFriday: Hili dialogue (and lagniappe)
235. 1 MayOne of Them: Part IV
236. 1 MayReaders’ wildlife photographs
237. 1 MayAnother Mormon deconverts, and we learn about the Church’s stand on evolution
238. 1 MaySinger of “Louie, Louie” dies at 71
239. 1 MayJews on a plane: A reader’s take
240. 1 MayA reader’s letter to NPR
241. 1 MayBook events in Washington D.C. and Chicago
242. 1 MayThree cat videos to end a long and painful week

April 2015

1. 30 AprThusday: Hili dialogue
2. 30 AprOne of Them: Part IV
3. 30 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
4. 30 AprReaders’ beefs
5. 30 AprTwo readers testify that evolution helped them give up religion
6. 30 AprDino-bat: a new flying dinosaur with membranous wings
7. 30 AprAre you against gay marriage based on the Bible?
8. 30 AprA shout-out to a recuperating reader
9. 29 AprWednesday: Hili dialogue
10. 29 AprPeregrine Cam!
11. 29 AprOne of Them: Part 3
12. 29 AprJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ Some Animals are More Equal than Others
13. 29 AprReaders’ wildlife photos
14. 29 AprCharlie Hebdo was neither racist nor Islamophobic
15. 29 AprOliver Sacks: Still working but saying goodbye
16. 29 AprEqual justice?
17. 29 AprCrazy caterpillar with erupting tentacles
18. 28 AprTuesday: Hili dialogue
19. 28 AprOne of Them: part II
20. 28 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
21. 28 AprWriters come out in support of PEN’s award to Charlie Hebdo; Garry Trudeau continues Hebdo-bashing
22. 28 AprClarification: EU didn’t just now pass a rule requiring animals on organic farms be given homeopathic remedies first (but there is such a rule)
23. 28 AprTom the Dancing Bug mocks Trudeau for his Charlie Hebdo stand
24. 28 AprBob Trivers’ (and my) take on famous evolutionary biologists
25. 28 AprSavvy Ukrainian fox makes five-decker sausage sandwich
26. 28 AprGay marriage finally argued at the Supreme Court
27. 27 AprMonday: Hili dialogue (and lagniappe)
28. 27 Apr“Those people”
29. 27 AprA Moonrise (and more) from Astro Sam
30. 27 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
31. 27 AprOffended PEN members refuse to participate in annual gala because Charlie Hebdo got an award
32. 27 AprMisunderstandings about determinism
33. 27 AprMore Snowflakes at American universities: MIT students claim that celebration of Israeli independence makes them feel “unsafe”
34. 27 AprAre you scientifically literate?
35. 27 AprTwo cat graphics
36. 26 AprSunday: Hili dialogue
37. 26 AprReaders’ wildlife photos
38. 26 AprDo religious people donate their organs less often?
39. 26 AprMore nonsense at NPR about God
40. 26 AprCowardly University of Maryland cancels showing of “American Sniper” after Muslim complaints
41. 26 AprGrand Theft Walnut!
42. 26 AprJeffrey Tayler once again disses faith at Salon, this time highlighting Bill Maher
43. 25 AprSaturday: Hili dialogue
44. 25 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
45. 25 AprCaturday trifecta: Squirrel buries nuts in a d*g, ode to Spot, and cats mess up bed
46. 25 AprCanadian court comes to its senses, mandates chemotherapy for leukemia-afflicted child
47. 25 AprEU mandates homeopathy for sick animals on British organic farms
48. 25 AprThe Argument from Embryology: Discovery Institute flacks say that development proves God
49. 25 AprSquirrely restroom signs
50. 25 AprNo contest
51. 24 AprFriday: Hili dialogue
52. 24 AprThe First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
53. 24 AprReaders’ wildlife photos (and video!)
54. 24 AprWhy being gay can never be a “choice”
55. 24 AprMy New Republic piece on Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
56. 24 AprBook by murdered editor of Charlie Hebdo just out, defiant in right to criticize Islam
57. 24 AprThe Big Dichotomy
58. 24 AprPhilomena!
59. 23 AprThursday: Hili dialogue
60. 23 AprTwo cats for Thursday morning
61. 23 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
62. 23 AprGuest post: Why is it okay to discriminate against women for religious reasons?
63. 23 AprDzhokhar Tsarnaev and the death penalty
64. 23 AprIt’s Openly Secular Day
65. 23 AprCanadian reader files lawsuit against prayers at city council meeting
66. 23 AprA finicky cat
67. 22 AprWednesday: Hili dialogue
68. 22 AprJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ Teddy
69. 22 AprGoogle Doodle celebrates Earth Day
70. 22 AprReaders’ wildlife photos
71. 22 AprAnother cowardly university bites the dust: Queen’s Uni in Belfast cancels Charlie Hebdo symposium
72. 22 AprAstro Sam touts Earth Day
73. 22 AprMore college madness: White people (and men) banned from an “anti-racist” event at University of London
74. 22 AprSnowball et moi: In which I visit a renowned dancing cockatoo
75. 21 AprTuesday: Hili dialogue
76. 21 AprGoogle Doodle celebrates (?) Nessie
77. 21 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
78. 21 AprThe Albatross is here (in my office)!
79. 21 AprDinosaur feathers found in amber
80. 21 AprAmnesty International defeats resolution to condemn and combat anti-Semitism
81. 21 AprKermit’s Doppelgänger: a new glass frog from Costa Rica
82. 21 Apr“I can call monsters from the vasty deep…
83. 20 AprMonday: Hili dialogue
84. 20 AprReaders’ wildlife photos
85. 20 AprEspresso in space: Italian astronaut on the ISS must have proper coffee
86. 20 AprCBS goes soft on homeopathy, but gives atheism a fair shake
87. 20 AprBarn owl versus kestrel
88. 20 AprJeffrey Tayler rides again, assessing the religiosity of the Presidential candidatews
89. 20 AprIs reason “larger than science”? A lame attempt to diss science
90. 20 AprCat o’ the day
91. 19 AprSunday: Hili dialogue
92. 19 AprReaders’ wildlife photos
93. 19 AprSigns from above and below
94. 19 AprJudeo-phobia (another word for anti-Semitism) still rife on American campuses
95. 19 AprFurther thoughts on the Rev. Bayes
96. 19 AprSomething new to read
97. 19 AprSid: gato goleiro!
98. 19 AprThe Dog Days are over
99. 18 AprSaturday: Hili dialogue
100. 18 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
101. 18 AprCaturday felid trifecta: laser-guided cat car service, nurse cat, cat hoodie, and lagniappe
102. 18 AprEncomiums for Doctors without Borders
103. 18 AprJerry’s Nose
104. 17 AprFriday: Hili Dialogue
105. 17 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
106. 17 AprCanada bans prayers at all city council meetings
107. 17 AprA bizarre deep-sea siphonophore
108. 17 AprDaily Kos removes anti-vax cartoon
109. 17 AprDoctors ask for the quack-ish Dr. Oz to be fired from Columbia
110. 17 AprEducate yourself about Boko Haram, courtesy of a reader
111. 17 AprGiant cat head!
112. 16 AprThursday: Hili dialogue
113. 16 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
114. 16 AprWhy I am not a Bayesian*
115. 16 AprPinker on the Kosher Switch
116. 16 AprBrown University student op-ed claims that censorship is “free speech”
117. 16 AprTennessee Senate kills bill to make Bible the Official State book, but passes anti-abortion legislation
118. 16 AprThe Daily Kos publishes an anti-vax cartoon
119. 15 AprWednesday: Hili dialogue
120. 15 AprThe cycle of life: the birds and the bees and the moths and the spider
121. 15 AprReaders’ wildlife photos
122. 15 AprJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ the other “fake” religions
123. 15 AprDavid Sloan Wilson tells the BBC that the evolution of altruism in humans is “solved”: it’s group selection (of course)
124. 15 AprTwo writers criticize Garry Trudeau’s view of the Charlie Hebdo affair
125. 15 AprThe Kosher Switch: is it for real?
126. 15 AprTennessee bill to make the Holy Bible the “state book” passes one branch of the legislature
127. 14 AprTuesday: Hili dialogue
128. 14 AprFroggy boots
129. 14 AprChicago, gathering storm
130. 14 AprGoogle Doodle celebrates the Pony Express in the U.S. and, in other places, B. R. Ambedkar
131. 14 AprRIP Günter Grass
132. 14 AprWhy are “sophisticated” newspapers, websites, and magazines so clueless about atheism?
133. 14 Apr“The Hitch”, a wonderful new film about Hitchens: and it’s free!
134. 14 AprThe Daily Squirrel
135. 13 AprMonday: Hili dialogue
136. 13 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
137. 13 AprIs natural selection making the Dutch taller?
138. 13 AprTalk in South Carolina: Saturday
139. 13 AprThe Borowitz report satirizes Hillary Clinton’s campaign announcement
140. 13 AprJeffrey Tayler continues making Salon friendlier to anti-theism
141. 13 Apr“Awesome” Darwin tee-shirt
142. 13 AprThe Daily Squirrel
143. 12 AprSunday: Hili dialogue
144. 12 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
145. 12 AprMae-Wan Ho and Suzan Mazur: the blind leading the blind about evolution
146. 12 AprAn awesome Oreo
147. 12 AprA squirrel hits the Big Time
148. 12 AprGarry Trudeau’s full (and clueless) remarks on “hate speech” published in The Atlantic
149. 12 AprHillary announces
150. 11 AprSaturday: Hili dialogue
151. 11 AprPhilomena returns!
152. 11 AprCaturday felid trifecta: Kitten learns how to drink, Japanese company keeps cats in the workplace to improve morale and productivity, and fusses with lions
153. 11 AprGarry Trudeau criticizes Charlie Hebdo for hate speech. WHAT?
154. 11 AprBill Nye explains evolution (badly) using emoji
155. 11 AprHummingbirds fly in a wind-and-rain tunnel
156. 11 AprThe best birthday present ever
157. 10 AprFriday: Hili dialogue
158. 10 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
159. 10 AprHow often do genes move between distantly related species?
160. 10 AprHillary Clinton to announce Presidential bid on Sunday
161. 10 AprGrant, Lee, and Parker
162. 10 AprThe Spectator: Christianity is the foundation of “our” civilization
163. 10 AprOur donation to Doctors Without Borders
164. 10 AprExtremely kind people save a juvenile squirrel in a pickle
165. 9 AprThursday: Hili dialogue
166. 9 AprA sense of style
167. 9 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
168. 9 AprUniversity of Michigan cancels showing of “American Sniper” after accusations of Islamophobia and triggering, substitutes showing of “Paddington Bear”
169. 9 AprThe lonely life of the reclusive okapi
170. 9 AprSexist ultra-Orthodox Jews continue to make trouble on planes
171. 9 AprThe cat that’s confusing the Internet
172. 8 AprFeathered dinosaurs
173. 8 AprWednesday: Hili dialogue
174. 8 AprReaders’ wildlife photos
175. 8 AprJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ ISIS
176. 8 AprUnknown flies
177. 8 AprTennessee legislature tries to make the Bible the Official State Book
178. 8 AprConnecticut professor hounded after pro-Israel Facebook post, forced to take “medical” leave while his university frantically engages in soothing hurt feelings
179. 7 AprTuesday: Hili dialogue
180. 7 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
181. 7 AprSpot the humans!
182. 7 AprAustralian Jehovah’s Witness (and her fetus) die after mother refuses blood transfusion
183. 7 AprAyaan Hirsi Ali’s speech at the American Atheists convention
184. 7 AprReaders’ beefs
185. 6 AprMonday: Hili dialogue
186. 6 AprReaders’ wildlife photos
187. 6 AprThe new family tree of birds (spot the nightjar!)
188. 6 AprLunch with Dr. L.
189. 6 AprThe worst accommodationism EVER: Nancy Abrams says that God is naturalism (sort of)
190. 6 AprSaturday Night Live parodies Scientology
191. 5 AprMerry Easter Day Greetings!
192. 5 AprSunday: Hili dialogue
193. 5 AprBoston and Cambridge: Random photos
194. 5 AprYour Easter infographic
195. 5 AprAn Easter tw**t from Ricky Gervais
196. 5 AprFive Books: Selina O’Grady on the role of religion, and where New Atheists supposedly go wrong
197. 5 AprSpecial Easter movie on television!
198. 5 AprReaders’ wildlife photograph: Easter edition
199. 5 AprPhilomena tw**ts sacrilege
200. 4 AprSaturday: Hili dialogue
201. 4 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
202. 4 AprCaturday felid trifecta: Oz, the cat with Australia on its schnoz, World’s laziest cat, Toddler feeds cat
203. 4 AprPBS: How unbelievers should talk to their kids about faith
204. 4 AprEagleton on Baggini on free will
205. 4 AprGenetics humor
206. 4 AprReligion contributes to science
207. 3 AprFriday: Hili dialogue
208. 3 AprOne more for the floor, barkeep. . .
209. 3 AprReaders’ wildlife photos
210. 3 AprBad news: “nones” projected to fall as percentage of worldwide population
211. 3 AprApril Fool’s joke
212. 3 AprCat, noms, and and a chinwag with Uncle Dan
213. 3 AprThe sanest city in the U.S.
214. 2 AprThursday: Hili dialogue
215. 2 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
216. 2 AprBoston noms
217. 2 AprNick Kristof osculates the rump of conservative Christianity
218. 2 AprBooklist gives Faith Versus Fact a starred review
219. 2 AprSouthampton university cancels conference questioning Israel’s right to exist
220. 2 Apr“Death” is not a metaphor: Brian Dalton debunks the myth of the “fundamentalist atheist”
221. 2 AprSpeaking of chipmunks. . .
222. 1 AprWednesday: Hili Dialogue
223. 1 AprSan Diego Zoo shows off its new jaguar cub
224. 1 AprTSA blues
225. 1 AprReaders’ wildlife photographs
226. 1 AprNational Geographic allows Francis Collins to spout theology in its pages
227. 1 AprThe True Meaning of Ēostre
228. 1 AprC. J. Werleman jumps a gazillion sharks, accuses New Atheists of being white supremacists
229. 1 AprObserver interrupts mating giant tortoises, gets chased away at 1 kph
230. 1 AprHere Be Dragons

March 2015

1. 31 MarTuesday: Hili dialogue
2. 31 MarGoogle Doodle celebrates opening of the Eiffel Tower
3. 31 MarRIP Thomasina, a beloved cat
4. 31 MarAnother atheist blogger hacked to death in Bangladesh
5. 31 MarMore universities in favor of pro-ISIS clubs
6. 31 MarIndiana realizes it screwed up
7. 31 Mar“Prager University” teaches pure libertarian free will
8. 31 MarThe Daily Show: A change is gonna come
9. 31 MarMany-legged cat (again)
10. 31 MarThe Rolling Stones back on tour
11. 30 MarMonday: Hili dialogue
12. 30 MarWarming-up boots
13. 30 MarIncompatibilism makes The New Yorker
14. 30 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
15. 30 MarAyaan Hirsi Ali: Why is a role model reviled?
16. 30 MarA motivation for the Germanwings suicide/murder?
17. 30 MarWho lobbied Indiana’s governor Pence to sign the pro-discrimination bill? He ain’t saying.
18. 30 MarBill Maher calls out the weaknesses of liberalism
19. 30 MarFollowing right along. . . .
20. 30 MarCatematics
21. 29 MarSunday: Hili dialogue
22. 29 MarGod-Man not good
23. 29 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
24. 29 MarA new and bizarre shape-shifting frog
25. 29 MarReforming language rather than society: a great essay by Nick Cohen on free speech
26. 29 MarThe impotence of God
27. 29 MarSold American! Book goes for over $10K!
28. 29 MarIs John Kerry on a fool’s errand?
29. 29 MarFoxes on a trampoline!
30. 29 MarLowenstein. . . Lowenstein
31. 28 MarSaturday: Hili dialogue
32. 28 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
33. 28 MarCaturday felid trifecta: Cat armor, camo cats, and Pusheen makes a muffin
34. 28 MarCornell Dean welcomes ISIS to his campus
35. 28 MarThe New Yorker bloviates on the Germanwings crash, citing the Bible, Shakespeare, and Conrad
36. 28 MarMy review of “Evolving Ourselves” in WaPo
37. 28 MarThe first U.S. penny touts science, not God
38. 28 MarOMG: $6100!
39. 28 Mar“I kissed her, and it tasted like chocolate”
40. 27 MarFriday: Hili dialogue
41. 27 MarIt’s snowing again!
42. 27 MarWe almost got ’em all. . .
43. 27 MarMore on the German plane crash
44. 27 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
45. 27 MarIndiana governor signs a bill legalizing discrimination against gays—and other people
46. 27 MarNew paper shows that Nowak et al. were wrong: kin selection remains a valuable concept in evolutionary biology
47. 27 MarGovernor Pence’s signing of Indiana’s “Religious Freedom Restoration Bill”
48. 27 MarI was in Banff; why didn’t I get to see this?
49. 27 MarClouded leopard cub overwhelms the internet
50. 26 MarThursday: Hili dialogue
51. 26 Mar“Changes”
52. 26 MarSuicide by plane?
53. 26 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
54. 26 MarTeaching evolution in Kentucky—with accommodationism
55. 26 MarGeorge Zimmerman says his shooting of Trayvon Martin was “God’s plan”; theologians disagree
56. 26 MarLeon sends birthday greetings to Andrzej
57. 26 MarSlo-mo tongues
58. 26 MarHuffPo UK celebrates Dawkins’s birthday
59. 25 MarWednesday: Hili dialogue
60. 25 MarJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ relativism
61. 25 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
62. 25 MarNeil Shubin wins “Friend of Darwin” award
63. 25 MarBBC hosts debate on whether and where the Dalai Lama will reincarnate
64. 25 MarLarry Wilmore tells it like it is
65. 25 MarNow Ireland hops on the “offended student” bandwagon
66. 25 MarJon Stewart interviews Ayaan Hirsi Ali (obtusely); Hirsi Ali has a new book
67. 25 MarWhat is this bizarre animal? (Hint: don’t eat it with drawn butter)
68. 25 MarFamily tries to include cat in 1911 census
69. 24 MarTuesday: Hili dialogue (and Leon lagniappe)
70. 24 Mar“Rich Man’s Spiritual”
71. 24 MarReaders’ wildlife photos
72. 24 MarCanada’s National Post does some atheist bashing
73. 24 MarWhat would Jesus do? He certainly wouldn’t spray water on the homeless.
74. 24 MarWhy free-will compatibilists are like creationists
75. 24 MarRepublican lawmaker in New Hampshire criticizes kids’ suggestion to make hawk the state raptor, says it reminds him of abortion
76. 24 MarAfternoon squirrels
77. 23 MarDamn, more snow here!
78. 23 MarMonday: Hili dialogue
79. 23 MarGoogle Doodle honors mathematician Emmy Noether
80. 23 MarMore dosh for the book!
81. 23 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
82. 23 MarAfghan woman beaten to death for burning Qur’an didn’t even do it
83. 23 Mar“OMG” rehabilitated
84. 23 MarOwlet cam!
85. 23 MarCrazy Sabbath restrictions for Jews leads to death of 7 children
86. 23 MarWellcome Image Awards for 2015
87. 23 MarThree squirrels at once
88. 22 MarSunday: Hili dialogue
89. 22 MarWEIT book price escalates even moar (plus answers to “Name the apologist” contest)
90. 22 MarReaders’ wildlife photos
91. 22 Mar“God’s Bankers”: a new book exposing the corruption of the Vatican bank
92. 22 MarThe aliens have landed, and they are in Madagascar
93. 22 MarJudith Shulevitz on the breathtaking inanity of college “safe spaces”
94. 22 MarMississippi passes “Jesus take the wheel” bill, exempting church drivers from commercial licensing statutes
95. 22 MarA hilarious mimetic parrot (and lagniappe)
96. 21 MarSaturday: Hili dialogue
97. 21 MarGoogle Doodle: Fall comes to the southern hemisphere
98. 21 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
99. 21 MarCaturday felid trifecta: Feline mini-me’s, Louis the pugnacious cathedral cat, revenge cat
100. 21 MarProfessor Ceiling Cat is pleased
101. 21 MarName the apologists
102. 21 MarThe grocer’s missing apostrophe
103. 21 MarThe BBC coddles faith, falsely claims harmony between science and religion
104. 21 MarBritish primary school prevents kids from watching eclipse because it might offend their faith
105. 21 MarAncient question finally settled: the right way to hang toilet paper
106. 20 MarFriday: Hili dialogue
107. 20 MarFirst day of spring!
108. 20 MarSpring boots!
109. 20 MarHappy 100th birthday, Sister Rosetta Tharpe
110. 20 MarMultiply-autographed and illustrated copy of WEIT finally up for auction, proceeds to charity
111. 20 MarBritain: a marvelous mongrel mix of migrants
112. 20 MarThe religious war in Syria and Iraq: a rare conversation between two enemies
113. 20 MarMentally ill woman stoned to death in Kabul for burning Qur’an
114. 20 MarThe eclipse with lagniappe: the International Space Station goes by!
115. 20 MarSquirrel Week is approaching!
116. 20 MarJames Bond parrot
117. 19 MarThursday: Hili dialogue
118. 19 MarA subversive pro-science cartoon from Tennessee
119. 19 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
120. 19 MarDennett tries to save free will, fails
121. 19 MarMyanmar sentences 3 people to two years in prison for depicting Buddha with headphones
122. 19 MarA beautiful hummingbird, thought extinct, is found alive
123. 19 MarHili announces my 10,000th post (and a further announcement)
124. 19 MarMa and Pa Peregrine have a chat
125. 18 MarWednesday: Hili dialogue
126. 18 MarTwo piece boots
127. 18 Mar“Don’t Know Why”
128. 18 MarJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ the Mahdi
129. 18 MarBrain-damaged man executed for murder—but all criminals are “brain damaged”
130. 18 MarElaine Ecklund still taking Templeton cash to show that science and religion are compatible
131. 18 MarStephen Law recommends five books on pseudoscience
132. 18 MarPlatypus loves belly rubs
133. 17 MarTuesday: Hili dialogue
134. 17 MarBring out your felids: ‘Tis the feast of St. Gertrude of Nivelles, patron saint of cats
135. 17 MarReaders’ wildlife photos
136. 17 MarA Christian nation?
137. 17 MarUCLA anti-semitism: the backstory (and a spread to the University of Chicago)
138. 17 MarThe silent flight of the owl
139. 17 MarJeffrey Tayler calls out David Brooks for telling atheists how to behave
140. 17 MarSpot the roadrunners!
141. 16 MarMonday: Hili dialogue
142. 16 MarGoogle Doodle celebrates Anna Atkins
143. 16 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
144. 16 MarReligion fades in the U.S.
145. 16 MarStudent Council at University of California Irvine bans all flags because they create “unsafe spaces”
146. 16 MarJane Goodall condemns GM food, says its proponents are “anti-science”
147. 16 MarMirabile dictu: Krauss publishes pro-science and anti-religion piece in The New Yorker
148. 16 MarCat scratches woman! Taylor Swift’s cat injured her $40 million legs
149. 16 MarMr. Deity on the Chapel Hill murders and their sequelae
150. 15 MarSunday: Hili dialogue
151. 15 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
152. 15 MarMichael Shermer responds to me: There’s no such thing as “the supernatural”
153. 15 MarFrancis Crick was a fricking genius—and Matthew’s new book
154. 15 MarA writer for CNN debates whether Judas is in hell
155. 15 MarThe splendid and assiduous beaver
156. 15 MarWho’s a good d*g?
157. 14 MarSaturday: Hili dialogue
158. 14 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
159. 14 MarCaturday felid trifecta (and lagniappe): Cat sliding, dog tries to reclaim its bed from cat, and kitten pesters cop
160. 14 MarMinister Creflo Dollar asked parishioners to buy him a $65 million dollar jet for Jesus
161. 14 MarIt’s Pi Day!
162. 14 MarAl-Jazeera takes out after New Atheists
163. 14 MarPhilomena returns!
164. 14 MarHow the New Atheists enable terrorism and brutality
165. 13 MarFriday: Hili dialogue
166. 13 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
167. 13 MarA NYT debate: should parents be held liable for hurting their children through faith healing?
168. 13 MarRacism in Oklahoma: should the offending students be expelled?
169. 13 MarMeasles-virus denialist issues 100K Euro challenge to prove viral causation, scientist wins the dough after court hearing
170. 13 MarSticky: A film about the amazing stick insect of Lord Howe
171. 13 MarThe Turks know what’s important
172. 12 MarThursday: Hili dialogue
173. 12 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
174. 12 MarFlood geology
175. 12 MarLong diverged fern species hybridize: dumb creationists say it violates theory of evolution
176. 12 MarTerry Pratchett died
177. 12 MarAustralian study: homeopathy is worthless
178. 12 MarPeter Singer on why we should call Islamic extremism “Islamic”
179. 12 MarA new book on the nonexistence of the soul
180. 12 MarBarn Cat: a love story
181. 11 MarWednesday: Hili Dialogue
182. 11 MarBoot weather boots
183. 11 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
184. 11 MarJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ Charlie Hebdo
185. 11 MarShermer takes down Luhrmann’s claims of spooky forces in nature
186. 11 MarIf science doesn’t make a case for God, what does?
187. 11 MarRussell Brand vs. Stephen Fry on the existence of God
188. 11 MarKitty City
189. 10 MarTuesday: Hili Dialogue
190. 10 MarA gustatory interlude
191. 10 MarSpotted yesterday
192. 10 MarReaders’ wildlife photos
193. 10 MarCharlie Hebdo gets “Islamophobe of the Year” award; awards endorsed by Rowan Williams
194. 10 MarBaby mantis jumps for its life
195. 10 MarWerleman goes full Cunk, calls U.S. “the world’s #1 rapist”
196. 10 MarReza Aslan gets his own religious CNN show
197. 10 MarPersonal space in Patagonian cormorants: a huge and neatly-arrayed group of nests
198. 10 MarThe Centrifuge Brain Project
199. 9 MarMonday: Hili dialogue
200. 9 Mar“Long River”
201. 9 MarReaders’ wildlife photos
202. 9 MarOrchid mantis: does it really mimic an orchid?
203. 9 MarNY Times crops G. W. and Laura Bush from a photo at Selma
204. 9 MarFlorida bans the terms “global warming” and “climate change” in state environmental reports
205. 9 MarJeffrey Tayler on the salacious Bible
206. 9 MarPhilomena tells the story of Lady Godiva while drunk
207. 8 MarSunday: Hili dialogue
208. 8 MarThe Infinite Monkey Cage, Chicago
209. 8 MarInternational Women’s Day: Google Doodle and a message from Leon
210. 8 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs (and a video)
211. 8 MarAn anti-Semitic good morning for Professor Ceiling Cat
212. 8 MarIs ISIS full of “true believers”?
213. 8 MarAnother exchange
214. 7 MarSaturday: Hili dialogue
215. 7 MarCaturday felid trifecta: Concerto with cat accompaniment, Rapunzel cats, and cat chasing turtle chasing cat chasing turtle chasing cat. . .
216. 7 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
217. 7 MarFallout from student anti-semitism at UCLA
218. 7 MarWonkette finds Jesus!
219. 7 MarDissertations for sale!
220. 7 MarAvian dinosaurs – 2, Mammals – 1
221. 7 MarA t**t from Peter Sagal
222. 6 MarFriday: Hili dialogue
223. 6 MarSixteen Miles
224. 6 MarReaders’ wildlife photos
225. 6 MarA note to readers
226. 6 MarTanya Luhrmann in the NYT: I melted a bicycle light with my mind!
227. 6 MarSnow-covered eagle broods its eggs
228. 6 MarThe disingenuousness of some British Muslims
229. 6 MarA squirrel three sheets to the wind
230. 6 MarThe Chapel Hill murders: a rush to judgement of atheists by atheists
231. 6 MarFriday afternoon fun with felids (and one d*g)
232. 5 MarThursday: Hili photo
233. 5 MarReally fancy boots
234. 5 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
235. 5 MarPsychology journal deep-sixes use of “p” values
236. 5 MarRamen, brothers and sisters! Google doodle celebrates the inventor of the instant noodle
237. 5 MarThe stupidest argument of the month: atheism empowers ISIS
238. 5 MarA no to John Gray
239. 5 MarThey don’t get much crazier than this: meet Texas’s new Lieutenant Governor:
240. 5 MarInfinite Monkey Cage Chicago: now with more celebrity
241. 5 MarBrian Cox proves Galileo right
242. 5 MarRiddle me this: how did these twin sisters come about?
243. 4 MarWednesday: Hili dialogue
244. 4 MarJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ Karen Armstrong
245. 4 MarReaders’ wildlife photographs
246. 4 MarTennessee representative proposes bill recognizing God’s absolute governance over his state
247. 4 MarGuest post: A new anti-theist (but popular) song:
248. 4 MarBill Nye revises his anti-GMO views
249. 4 MarHili has a Big Announcement about Professor Ceiling Cat
250. 4 MarA philosopher asserts that there are “moral facts”, and we’re messing up our kids’ education by not telling them that
251. 4 MarThe Boot Sale
252. 3 MarTuesday: Hili dialogue
253. 3 MarKrauss versus Chopra: No contest
254. 3 MarThe most incredible animal photo in the history of Earth (and lagniappe)
255. 3 MarA new book on science and religion
256. 3 MarKirkus Reviews gives Faith vs. Fact a thumbs-up
257. 3 MarAre we atheists really that angry?
258. 3 MarJimmy Kimmel musters doctors supporting vaccination
259. 3 MarMatthew and Harry
260. 3 MarToday’s banner for the Indianapolis Star
261. 2 MarMonday: Hili dialogue
262. 2 MarPride of Man
263. 2 MarReaders’ wildlife photos
264. 2 MarMcMaster University’s disgusting apologia in the Makayla Sault case
265. 2 MarJeffrey Tayler: Let’s offend religion more often
266. 2 MarSaturday Night Live does an ISIS ad
267. 2 MarMy New Republic piece on faith-healing laws
268. 2 MarA reader wins the “name the kitten” prize
269. 2 MarCoyne’s Third Rule for Life
270. 1 MarSunday: Hili dialogue
271. 1 MarReaders’ wildlife photos
272. 1 MarAnti-Semitism in U.S. colleges
273. 1 MarWhich ideas should be killed?
274. 1 MarThe 10,000th post: what shall it be?
275. 1 MarDawkins in Time Magazine: Stop indoctrinating children with religion
276. 1 MarThe phinal Philomena

February 2015

1. 28 FebSaturday: Hili dialogue
2. 28 FebCaturday felid trifecta: Puss gets octopus on the puss, cat nurses hedgehog, and cats getting massaged (plus lagniappe!)
3. 28 FebReaders’ wildlife photographs
4. 28 FebLive long and prosper
5. 28 FebThe dumbest Republican move of the year: defending a religion’s right to murder its children
6. 28 FebHindu monks ask to be relieved of the burden of communicating with (or sitting next to) women on planes
7. 28 FebPhilomena Cunk on Money
8. 28 FebThe dress
9. 28 FebOwl threat display
10. 28 FebThe best salute to Spock
11. 27 FebFriday: Hili dialogue (and bonus Theo dialogue)
12. 27 FebReaders’ wildlife photographs
13. 27 FebSeattle girl bonds with crows who give her gifts in return for food
14. 27 FebMore on the Makayla Sault affair: mother tries to exculpate herself by pinning her child’s death on her child’s wishes
15. 27 FebMember of U.S. House Science and Technology committee chooses not to vaccinate his kids
16. 27 FebMr. Spock is dead
17. 27 FebPhilomena Cunk on Winston Churchill
18. 27 FebI’ll Follow the Sun
19. 26 FebHili Dialogue: Thursday
20. 26 FebI had a dream. . .
21. 26 FebReaders’ wildlife photographs
22. 26 Feb“Jihadi John” finally identified
23. 26 Feb“American Sniper” killer convicted of capital murder; insanity defense ignored
24. 26 FebAffronted cockatoo doesn’t want to go to vet, unleashes stream of invective
25. 26 FebISIS destroys irreplaceable artifacts of Iraqi and Assyrian culture
26. 26 FebEugenie Clark dies, NYT gets one fact wrong
27. 26 FebPhilomena Cunk on crime
28. 26 FebLeon’s mountain adventure: La fin
29. 25 FebWednesday: Hili dialogue
30. 25 FebReaders’ wildlife photos
31. 25 FebJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ Tu Quoque
32. 25 FebKen Ham vs. Dawkins: On the nature of science and physical law
33. 25 Feb24% of British Muslims say violence against cartoonists who draw Muhammad is justifiable
34. 25 FebAn angry reader gets unwanted religious literature in an Amazon order
35. 25 FebThe vile hypocrisy of Facebook on “hate speech”: Muslims get a pass, Jews and Israel don’t
36. 25 FebPhilomena Cunk on the history of computing
37. 25 FebLamb teaches baby rhino to gambol
38. 24 FebHili dialogue: Tuesday
39. 24 FebReaders’ wildlife photos
40. 24 FebFacebook removes a post critical of Islam
41. 24 FebThe Missing Links: On assisted dying, a great atheist book reprinted, and some justice in the case of First Nation children murdered by faith
42. 24 FebWhy is Chopra ageing?
43. 24 FebIsraeli politicians’ views on evolution: more waffling and denialism
44. 24 FebPhilomena Cunk takes on philosophy
45. 24 FebLeon’s mountain adventure: part sept
46. 24 FebThe Keystone Pipeline: Obama does the right thing
47. 23 FebMonday: Hili dialogue
48. 23 FebSpring has arrived and no more snow, ’cause my footwear told me so
49. 23 FebSteven’s Oscar predictions: how good were they?
50. 23 FebReaders’ wildlife photos
51. 23 FebWas the Muslim “ring of peace” around the Oslo synagogue exaggerated?
52. 23 FebCharlie Brooker mocks religion on Channel 4
53. 23 FebReader’s comment of the day
54. 23 FebIn which I help deconvert someone, and on what works
55. 23 FebAdam Gopnik: Why we should quiz politicians about their views of evolution
56. 23 FebPhilomena Cunk on climate change
57. 23 FebLeon’s mountain adventure: Part six
58. 22 FebSunday: Hili dialogue
59. 22 FebThe Way I Feel
60. 22 FebReaders’ wildlife photographs
61. 22 FebBill Nye gives advice to beleaguered European Jews: “Get to know your neighbors”
62. 22 FebAliens under the ocean
63. 22 FebThe anti-free speech police ride again
64. 22 FebDo animals see optical illusions?
65. 22 FebPhilomena Cunk on “Time”
66. 21 FebSaturday: Hili dialogue
67. 21 FebCaturday felid: Gusiversary!
68. 21 FebReaders’ wildlife photos, now with moar biology
69. 21 FebHundreds attend funeral of Copenhagen’s murdering terrorist
70. 21 FebInfinite Monkey Cage tour: announcement deux
71. 21 FebSome good news: Muslims protect a synagogue
72. 21 FebCultural commentator Philomena Cunk discusses evolution
73. 21 FebLeon’s mountain adventure: Part cinq
74. 20 FebFriday: Hili dialogue
75. 20 FebReaders’ wildlife photographs (and some biology)
76. 20 FebSome good news for once: Muslims to guard synagogue in Oslo
77. 20 FebObama still refuses to describe Islamic terrorism as “Islamic”
78. 20 FebI didn’t make Censor of the Year 🙁
79. 20 FebSurprise! ISIS bans teaching evolution in schools
80. 20 FebRed pandas frolic in the snow
81. 20 FebLeon’s mountain adventure: part quatre
82. 19 FebThursday: Hili dialogue
83. 19 FebGoogle doodle celebrates the Year of the Sheep—or is it the Goat?
84. 19 FebReaders’ wildlife photos
85. 19 FebMaking a virtue of necessity: Australian Anglicans tell schoolkids how great sex is
86. 19 FebA new must-read book
87. 19 FebReza Aslan tries, fails to sit at the Big People’s Table
88. 19 FebDoes creationism matter more because it’s connected with misogyny and homophobia?
89. 19 FebRemoving a panda from a tree
90. 19 FebLeon’s mountain adventure: part trois
91. 19 FebOliver Sacks says farewell to life
92. 18 FebWednesday: Hili dialogue (and lagniappe)
93. 18 FebThe remarkable spider-tailed viper
94. 18 FebSam Harris on the Chapel Hill murders
95. 18 FebWebsite upgrade and other matters
96. 18 FebIn which I defend evolution but claim that denying it is not the same thing as denying gravity or relativity
97. 18 FebToday’s Google Doodle: Alessandro Volta
98. 18 FebA tail of moths and bats: a novel anti-predator trait
99. 18 FebLeon in the mountains, part deux
100. 17 FebTuesday: Hili dialogue
101. 17 FebLightfoot! I. For Loving Me
102. 17 FebWebsite tweaking
103. 17 FebReaders’ wildlife photographs
104. 17 FebSaudi preacher proves that the Earth is immobile
105. 17 FebJehovah’s Witnesses to kids: Pay attention in church or you might die
106. 17 FebISIS is really, truly Islamic
107. 17 FebAnother Catholic defends the historicity of Adam and Eve
108. 17 FebDavid Carr, 1956-2015
109. 17 FebLeon the Cat hikes in the mountains
110. 16 FebMonday: Hili dialogue
111. 16 FebNoms in Hattiesburg
112. 16 FebMuhammad on flies and disease: the scientific wisdom of the Qur’an and hadith
113. 16 FebBuzzFeed post on animal reproduction
114. 16 FebA new horseperson? Jeffrey Tayler rides again, attacking Obama’s execrable performance at the “National Prayer Breakfast”
115. 16 FebAn anti-vaccination takedown by Elizabeth Warren
116. 16 FebAnother parent gets a slap on the wrist for medically abusing her child in the name of faith
117. 16 FebSkier blithely passes mountain lion
118. 15 FebSunday: Hili dialogue
119. 15 FebReaders’ wildlife photography
120. 15 FebHitchens: Does atheism motivate governments to kill?
121. 15 FebHow we’d acquaint aliens with our civilization
122. 15 FebNPR jumps the shark on atheism and the North Carolina murders; presents Reza Aslan as their only “expert”
123. 15 FebPutin has bamboozled the West
124. 15 FebThe further adventures of Harry
125. 15 FebDarwin Day at the Dinosaur Discovery Museum: report
126. 15 FebSimon’s Cat: Valentine special
127. 14 FebSaturday: Hili dialogue
128. 14 FebWake up and watch the SquirrelCam!
129. 14 FebReaders’ wildlife photos
130. 14 FebCaturday felids, art edition: The King of the Cats, and a Japanese hot spring for cats
131. 14 FebThe Chapel Hill murders: C. J. Werleman can’t resist saying that New Atheists have blood on their hands
132. 14 FebA capybara onsen
133. 14 FebKrauss on the Chapel Hill murders
134. 14 FebA botanical valentine
135. 13 FebFriday: Hili dialogue
136. 13 FebReaders’ wildlife photographs
137. 13 FebThe Chapel Hill murders
138. 13 FebPuffHo excoriates Scott Walker for ducking questions about evolution
139. 13 FebA new and previously unreleased interview with Christopher Hitchens
140. 13 FebOur letter to the Irish prime minster urging repeal of blasphemy laws
141. 13 FebLevitating cat
142. 12 FebThursday: Hili dialogue
143. 12 FebReaders’ wildlife photos
144. 12 FebAnother Republican politician ducks question of whether he accepts evolution; making a full slate of GOP candidates who won’t affirm the truth of evolution
145. 12 FebSpeaking of clams. . .
146. 12 FebNominees for The Golden Steve Awards
147. 12 FebThe difference between ten and infinity
148. 11 FebWednesday: Hili dialogue
149. 11 FebUpdate: Matthew’s new kitten
150. 11 FebReaders’ wildlife photographs
151. 11 FebJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ Mehdi
152. 11 FebA new movie claims that gay rights will criminalize and destroy American Christianity
153. 11 FebNewsman Brian Williams was unfairly suspended
154. 11 FebVatican newspaper screws up the theory of evolution before criticizing it
155. 11 FebSuperb owls
156. 11 FebYou want amazing? Now *this* is amazing.
157. 10 FebTuesday: Hili dialogue
158. 10 FebReaders’ wildlife photographs
159. 10 FebWhere did bedbugs come from?
160. 10 FebThe last words of Christopher Hitchens
161. 10 FebAurora segues into sunrise
162. 10 FebAustralian religionist tries to explain why God allows evil; fails miserably
163. 10 Feb“All this barbarity is sacred”: A Muslim journalist dares to say that ISIS is motivated by religion
164. 10 FebMy Back Pages
165. 10 FebJon Stewart steps down
166. 9 FebMonday: Hili dialogue (plus bonus video)
167. 9 FebNew improved Lego Beagle
168. 9 FebMonday Deepakity
169. 9 FebGorgeous owl photos: can you name the species?
170. 9 FebAlabama judge defies federal order, instructs state not to issue licenses for gay marriage
171. 9 FebSteven Weinberg’s new book on the history of science (with excerpts)
172. 9 FebSaudi historian tells us why Saudi women shouldn’t drive, and that women who do don’t care about being raped
173. 9 FebA latter-day Hitchens decries the “No true Muslim” fallacy
174. 9 FebEverything is not “amazing”
175. 8 FebSunday: Hili dialogue
176. 8 FebThe most beautiful sunrise in the history of the Earth
177. 8 FebGuest post: Bill Maher promotes medical woo on “Real Time”
178. 8 FebA Lego Beagle (Darwin’s): Vote for it!
179. 8 FebSimon Conway Morris’s new book on evolutionary convergence. Does it give evidence for God?
180. 8 FebEvolution funnies
181. 8 FebA humongous Swiss Army knife
182. 7 FebSaturday: Hili dialogue
183. 7 FebCaturday felid trifecta: zombie cat story gets complicated, heroic cat saves abandoned human baby, and cat finds The Door into Winter
184. 7 FebTravel photos: India
185. 7 Feb“Unchanging bacteria” revisited: dreadful science reporting in The Washington Post
186. 7 FebOur “Last Word” segment on MSNBC: is ISIS a “true” form of Islam?
187. 7 FebThe Red Giant—a machine that grinds up cars
188. 7 FebToday’s Google Doodle celebrates Laura Ingalls Wilder
189. 6 FebFriday: Hili dialogue
190. 6 FebReaders’ wildlife photographs
191. 6 FebNonbelievers respond to David Brooks: Don’t tell us how to do secularism
192. 6 FebCanada’s Supreme Court rules in favor of assisted suicide
193. 6 FebThis is an ex-monk (but Buddhists say he’s alive)
194. 5 FebHili dialogue
195. 5 FebSnow train
196. 5 FebReaders’ wildlife photographs
197. 5 FebA note on buying The Albatross outside of the U.S. and Canada
198. 5 FebThe University of Wisconsin: now with less truth seeking, more “workforce needs”
199. 5 Feb“What have you done lately?”: Dawkins talks to God
200. 5 FebMedical news: Vaccination kerfuffle and a U. S. Senator who says that Big Gubbment shouldn’t require restaurant employees to wash their hands after bathroom breaks
201. 5 FebAnother fantastic mantid
202. 5 FebCockatoo imitates a (formerly) married couple arguing
203. 5 FebJerry on The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell MSNBC tonight
204. 4 FebWednesday: Hili dialogue
205. 4 FebReaders’ wildlife photographs
206. 4 FebA new paper claims that evolution has stopped in a bacterial species. Is it true?
207. 4 FebJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ the harvest
208. 4 FebDarwin Day 2015 at the Dinosaur Discovery Museum in Kenosha, Wisconsin (and at the University of Southern Mississippi)
209. 4 FebGiles Fraser tries to pwn Stephen Fry by telling us what god is *really* like
210. 4 FebDilbert on free will
211. 4 FebDennis Markuze to be sentenced for online harassment
212. 4 FebPeyton on Futuyma
213. 3 FebTuesday: Hili dialogue
214. 3 FebEverybody Wants to Rule the World
215. 3 FebReaders’ wildlife photographs
216. 3 FebNewsweek strongly questions the Bible, but still coddles faith
217. 3 FebOrdering Faith versus Fact (i.e., do it now, please)
218. 3 FebTeacher recommends lying to to get Christians and Muslim students to accept evolution
219. 3 FebOwl and albatross cams!
220. 3 FebEnd-of-Tuesday cats
221. 3 FebAffronted groundhog bites mayor for forcing him to make rodential weather prediction
222. 2 FebMonday: Hili dialogue
223. 2 FebStill moar snow!
224. 2 FebMonday: Fun with Deepak!
225. 2 FebWilliam Lane Craig goes after me about Adam and Eve
226. 2 FebStephen Fry on Irish television: full interview
227. 2 FebPunxsutawney Phil saw his shadow
228. 2 FebOrcas give themselves a belly rub
229. 2 FebThe Lemurs who Lunch
230. 2 FebName the kitten! (and lagniappe)
231. 1 FebSunday: Hili dialogue
232. 1 FebSnow
233. 1 FebGoogle Doodle celebrates Langston Hughes
234. 1 FebReaders’ wildlife photgraphs
235. 1 FebNew study shows that 64% of Americans favor religion over science
236. 1 FebYour prayers may be delayed. . .
237. 1 FebA living beetle in more detail than you have ever seen one before
238. 1 FebIt’s still coming down
239. 1 FebDear Kitten. . . . Superbowl version

January 2015

1. 31 JanSaturday: Hili dialogue
2. 31 JanReaders’ wildlife (and astronomy) photographs
3. 31 JanCaturday felid trifecta: Matthew’s cat name, Bart the zombie cat, and lynx becomes best buds with house cat
4. 31 JanChopra officially posts his denial of AIDS denialism and his critique of Professor Ceiling Cat
5. 31 JanA reader’s cartoon
6. 31 JanIs it okay to lie about Jesus?
7. 31 JanWoody Allen on atheism
8. 30 JanFriday: Hili dialogue
9. 30 JanYour morning Deepakities
10. 30 JanReaders’ wildlife photographs
11. 30 JanShould there be a “Third Way” of evolution? I think not.
12. 30 JanThe Infinite Monkey Cage does a U.S. tour, and has a show in Chicago avec moi
13. 30 JanStephen Fry on God
14. 30 JanA seven-pound nutball
15. 30 JanChopra responds about HIV/AIDS
16. 29 JanThursday: Hili dialogue
17. 29 JanReader’s wildlife photo
18. 29 JanHoliday snaps: India (more noms)
19. 29 Jan“Do the right thing”: changing morality and the Friendship Nine
20. 29 JanShould you vaccinate?
21. 29 JanAndrew Sullivan gives up blogging
22. 29 JanDeepak denies that HIV causes AIDS
23. 29 JanBipedal bear opens car door
24. 28 JanWednesday: Hili dialogue
25. 28 JanReaders’ wildlife photos
26. 28 JanJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ blasphemy
27. 28 JanLive lioncam!
28. 28 JanChemical mimicry in an aphid
29. 28 Jan“She be bold”: Sarah Palin at the Freedom Summit in Iowa
30. 28 Jan84% of Palestinians think Israel may have been behind the Paris murders
31. 28 JanPictures of the day
32. 28 JanIn _____ we trust
33. 27 JanTuesday: Hili dialogue
34. 27 JanReaders’ wildlife photos
35. 27 JanThe BBC shows its insensitivity on Holocaust Remembrance Day
36. 27 JanWhy freedom of speech?
37. 27 Jan10 items or less?
38. 27 JanBen Carson doubles down in his ‘poisoned cake’ remark about gays
39. 27 JanMatthew has a brand new cat! (And bonus contest)
40. 27 JanA rhino is born
41. 26 JanMonday: Hili dialogue (and bonus Leon monologue)
42. 26 JanScary VW
43. 26 JanReaders’ wildlife photos
44. 26 JanBen Carson for President??
45. 26 JanDan Brown the accommodationist
46. 26 JanClimate researcher wins bet with climate-change skeptic over warming
47. 26 JanLook at all those damn stars!
48. 26 JanWoman stalked by one-eyed emu (and cat/possum lagniappe)
49. 26 JanMan bites dog: Greek prime minister, an avowed atheist, refuses religious swearing-in ceremony
50. 25 JanSunday: Hili dialogue
51. 25 JanReaders’ wildlife photos
52. 25 JanWhat is “Islamophobia”?
53. 25 JanThe other religiously-abused Canadian child
54. 25 JanLawrence Krauss rebuts “Science increasingly makes the case for God”
55. 25 JanYesterday’s lunch
56. 25 JanDon’t text while walking or the bears will get you
57. 24 JanSaturday: Hili dialogue
58. 24 JanCaturday felids: The cats of India (and Leon lagniappe)
59. 24 JanReaders’ wildlife photos
60. 24 JanPhilosopher Maarten Boudry shows the incompatibility between science and religion—in the pages of NCSE Reports
61. 24 JanBeware of bears!
62. 24 JanGlobe and Mail editorial in on Makayla Sault’s death: “They let her die as a matter of cultural sensitivity”
63. 24 JanSpot the cat
64. 23 JanFriday: Hili dialogue
65. 23 JanReaders’ wildlife photos
66. 23 JanThe unctuous and dangerous Karen Armstrong
67. 23 JanWhite House demotes “Fox News” to simply “Fox”
68. 23 JanPackers quarterback commits blasphemy by saying that God doesn’t care about football
69. 23 JanA comment on religious exemptions from scientific medicine
70. 23 JanInterspecies love
71. 22 JanThursday: Hili dialogue
72. 22 JanReaders’ wildlife photographs
73. 22 JanMy New Republic piece on the unnecessary death of Makayla Sault
74. 22 JanIf roaches had gods. . .
75. 22 JanYesterday’s spectacular eruption of Volcán de Colima in Mexico
76. 22 JanInterview with a “fetal attorney” in Alabama
77. 22 JanTom the Dancing Bug, Clod-Man, and Charlie Hebdo
78. 22 JanE. O. Wilson: “I’m not an atheist—I’m a scientist” (and ant lagniappe)
79. 22 JanCat Caption Challenge
80. 21 JanWednesday: Hili dialogue
81. 21 JanIt’s Squirrel Appreciation Day!
82. 21 JanHoliday snaps: India, Khajuraho
83. 21 JanJesus ‘n Mo ‘n’ Charlie (‘n’ more), part deux
84. 21 JanRichard Dawkins reads his hate mail: Part 2
85. 21 JanSo you don’t think people believe in dualistic free will?
86. 21 JanDexter the rat hates broccoli
87. 20 JanTuesday: Hili dialogue
88. 20 JanMorning LOL with Deepak
89. 20 JanReaders’ wildlife photos
90. 20 JanBizarre family court ruling: go to mass
91. 20 JanWe need another Hollow Cost
92. 20 JanCanadian government kills First Nations girl out of misguided respect for faith
93. 20 JanMy nephew’s 2015 Oscar picks
94. 20 JanImagine No Religion 5: June 5-7, now in a new place
95. 20 JanPraise D*g! Jesus shows up in a terrier’s ear.
96. 20 JanBest kitten game in history
97. 19 JanMonday: Hili dialogue
98. 19 JanReaders’ wildlife photos
99. 19 JanMonday entertainment: Deepak Chopra tries to attack Dawkins, fails miserably
100. 19 JanAmericans overwhelmingly support labelling foods that contain—wait for it—DNA!
101. 19 Jan“Gone Girl”
102. 19 JanErmine in a tree hole
103. 19 JanSpot the gecko
104. 18 JanSunday: Hili dialogue
105. 18 JanMy holiday snaps: India (architecture)
106. 18 JanWeekly readers’ beefs
107. 18 JanOy, another creationist sportscaster!
108. 18 JanA reader writes in defending Muslim wrath
109. 18 JanWhy the Sun doesn’t go around the Earth
110. 18 JanSpot the iguana!
111. 17 JanSaturday: Hili dialogue
112. 17 JanReaders’ wildlife photos
113. 17 JanCaturday felid trifecta: Mercury the kangaroo cat has no front legs, Mango the cat lived in a Tesco store, and reader’s felid artwork
114. 17 JanFinally—a BBC show that doesn’t whitewash Islam
115. 17 JanRequests to readers
116. 17 JanMore ugly phrases
117. 17 JanISIS executes men and boys for breeding pigeons, throws gay men off buildings
118. 16 JanFriday: Hili dialogue
119. 16 JanHoliday snaps: India (noms)
120. 16 JanBoy who wrote bestseller on visiting heaven retracts his claims
121. 16 JanMy New Republic piece on Charlie Hebdo, the Pope, and free speech
122. 16 JanUPI’s Tw**ter feed hacked, fake headlines rampant
123. 16 JanAre the French hate-speech laws hypocritical?
124. 16 JanIn D*g We Trust!
125. 16 JanThe amazing cheek pouch of the hamster
126. 16 JanMr. Deity calls out the Pope
127. 15 JanThursday: Hili dialogue
128. 15 JanDr. Wu
129. 15 JanReaders’ wildlife photos
130. 15 JanPope Francis says it’s not kosher to make fun of faith
131. 15 JanThe censorship spreads: Oxford University Press bans mention of pork and pigs, and more cowardice from Sky News
132. 15 JanI smell the FFRF
133. 15 JanDick Lewontin and Tomoko Ohta nab the Crafoord Prize
134. 15 JanGuest post: The “manly” Catholic Church
135. 15 JanTwo executions to take place in U.S. today
136. 15 JanLion roars while sleeping
137. 14 JanWednesday: Hili dialogue
138. 14 JanJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ Charlie (and lagniappe)
139. 14 JanHoliday snaps 2: India
140. 14 JanGuest post: Je suis Charlie?
141. 14 JanAlvin Plantinga savages Philip Kitcher’s new book, but makes dumb philosophical errors
142. 14 JanSpot the Jack Russell terrier
143. 14 JanHere’s Eddie, the Jack Russell terrier
144. 13 JanTuesday: Hili dialogue
145. 13 JanReader’s wildlife photos
146. 13 JanThe new Charlie Hebdo cover: what does it mean?
147. 13 JanDan Dennett: misguided about free will, accurate about Templeton
148. 13 JanUltra-orthodox Jewish newspaper doctors photos of Charlie Hebdo rally to remove women
149. 13 JanThe Charlie Hebdo cover explained
150. 13 JanSpot the cat
151. 13 JanBill Maher for Openly Secular
152. 13 JanHere’s the cat!
153. 12 JanMonday: Hili dialogue
154. 12 JanHoliday snaps: India
155. 12 Jan“When it was over, the crowd shouted, “Allah-hu Akbar! Allah-hu Akbar!”
156. 12 JanThe Economist also publishes a map of the Middle East that omits Israel
157. 12 JanCity council declares that an Alabama town now belongs to God
158. 12 JanA new Maru!
159. 12 JanHaught comes to town!
160. 11 JanSunday: Hili dialogue
161. 11 JanReaders’ wildlife photographs
162. 11 JanKrista Tippett: Oy!
163. 11 JanCharlie Hebdo’s cartoons weren’t racist
164. 11 JanStingray says “Oh, hai!”
165. 11 JanReza Aslan blames Charlie Hebdo massacre on France’s “inability to tolerate multiculturalism”
166. 11 JanYear end statistics for this site
167. 10 JanSaturday: Hili dialogue
168. 10 JanReaders’ wildlife photos
169. 10 JanCaturday felid trifecta: Social justice kitten calendar, autistic man builds world’s most elaborate cat-friendly home, and a cat decision tree (and a bonus)
170. 10 JanExecutive producer of Al Jazeera English blows his cover, shows distress over widespread support for Charlie Hebdo victims
171. 10 JanFavorite books of 2014
172. 10 JanMuslim scholar decides to double-down on Charlie Hebdo, threatens Irish media
173. 10 JanAussies donate marsupial mittens to help koalas with burned paws
174. 9 JanFriday: Hili dialogue
175. 9 JanCharlie Hebdo suspects boxed in, swear to die as “martyrs”
176. 9 JanReaders’ wildlife photographs
177. 9 JanAnother attack in Paris: gunman holds hostages in kosher supermarket
178. 9 JanTroy University chancellor issues notapology for promoting religion to students and faculty
179. 9 JanCharlie Hebdo suspects killed in police raid
180. 9 JanNicholas Wade writes a shamefully ignorant review of Bill Nye’s new evolution book
181. 9 JanThe Guardian joins the roll of cowardly papers
182. 9 JanBowerbird cam!
183. 8 JanThursday: Hili dialogue
184. 8 JanJesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ Charlie
185. 8 JanReaders’ wildlife photo, and an evolutionary lesson: speciation in action!
186. 8 JanThe Paris murders: Catholic League’s Bill Donoghue gets it wrong; New Yorker’s George Packer gets it right
187. 8 JanDonald Trump embarrasses himself again
188. 8 JanWinners: Underwater photography contest
189. 8 JanCBC wimps out on showing the Charlie Hebdo cartoons
190. 7 JanWednesday: Hili dialogue
191. 7 JanUnknown gunmen kill twelve at “Charlie Hebdo” offices in Paris; may be related to the paper’s satires on Islam. BBC and Telegraph censor the “offending” cartoons.
192. 7 JanAn appropriate cartoon
193. 7 JanMore defense of antireligious cartoons
194. 7 JanReader’s wildlife photographs
195. 7 JanMy decision about joining Patheos
196. 7 JanCat goes nuts over olives
197. 6 JanTuesday: Hili dialogue
198. 6 JanThe Outsider Test for Faith
199. 6 Jan‘Tu’ or ‘Vous’?
200. 6 JanEgyptian cat art
201. 6 JanPCC is back and a panda’s first sight of snow
202. 5 JanMonday: Hili dialogue
203. 5 JanReaders’ wildlife photographs
204. 5 JanCAT tails weaken the central dogma – why it matters and why it doesn’t
205. 5 JanStill moar India: lunch and a bit of shopping
206. 5 JanTiger leaps, attacks mahout on an elephant
207. 5 JanOpen thread: Last Chance Saloon
208. 5 JanWon’t somebody think of the children
209. 5 JanCrick writes to Schrödinger, 1953
210. 4 JanSpot the palm squirrel
211. 4 JanSunday: Hili dialogue
212. 4 JanReaders’ wildlife photos
213. 4 JanTempleton funds an accomodationist project called “Explaining away”
214. 4 JanThe Argument from Embarrassment
215. 4 JanThree optical illusions
216. 4 JanMore holiday snaps from India
217. 3 JanSaturday: Hili dialogue
218. 3 JanCaturday: hostage cats
219. 3 JanHarperCollins is a big fat coward: published Atlas of Middle East that doesn’t show Israel
220. 3 Jan“Yiddish girl” corrects Ami magazine about geocentrism
221. 3 JanHow Snakes Work
222. 3 JanSpot the canyon tree frogs!
223. 2 JanFriday: Hili dialogue
224. 2 JanReaders’ wildlife photos
225. 2 JanChancellor of public university in Alabama violates U. S. Constitution by promoting religion to students and faculty
226. 2 JanKhajuraho!
227. 2 JanCoordinated group movement in caterpillars
228. 2 JanFelid of the day
229. 1 JanA futile effort
230. 1 JanA New Year’s Resolution for Jerry
231. 1 JanThursday: Hili dialogue
232. 1 JanThe only Ontological Argument worth wanting
233. 1 JanBad Kitty
234. 1 JanOpen thread: Happy New Solar Revolution edition