The Home Country is officially going to the dogs!

THR Logo

For some time now I’ve been suspecting that the UK is falling into some weird reality-hole or alternate dimension. Watch some Pat Condell and hear how far the bureaucracy is willing to bend to placate religious zealots. We all saw how Blair was willing to make the once proud nation subjugate to a madman named Bush. And they have publicly funded homoeopathic hospitals (i.e. hospitals that dispense nothing but kind words, sympathy, sips of water, and sugar pills).

Now, thanks to Athiest Media Blog, we all get to see that the UK government is issuing a certification to herbal remedies, based not on evidence of their effectiveness or any such tomfoolery, but EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE!

From the website of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA):

The THR certification mark is a type of trade mark. It indicates that the herbal medicine has been registered with the MHRA under the Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) scheme and meets the required standards relating to its quality, safety, evidence of traditional use and other criteria as set out under the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD) 2004/24/EC.

Under this scheme, the permitted indications for the medicine are based on traditional usage and not on evidence of effectiveness of the product.

Just in case you missed it: Under this scheme, the permitted indications for the medicine are based on traditional usage and NOT on evidence of effectiveness of the product.

Nuff said! Except this: Rule Britannia!

History of Everything…

…and the theme song of one of my favourite shows:

Burn your bibles…at your local church!

I think book burning is silly and anti-intellectual bullshit, usually perpetrated by either fascists or ignoramuses. However, this one may just be a keeper!

Beau Lotto: Optical illusions show how we see

For all those under the impression that we have direct access to the world around us through our senses, see if you still think so after watching this TED talk. All the woo believers out there should pay particular attention !

Sell the freakin’ Vatican! Feed the WORLD!

Lewis Black nails the belief/nonbelief dichotomy

Often I hear believers say something like [and please read this out loud in a shrill nasal tone] “Well, I believe because I know God is real. Maybe you just need more faith”. Then they will go on to say something twee such as [engage shrill nasal tone again] “How can you not believe when you see a beautiful sunset or a baby?”

This argument is just so wrong on so many levels. But they build a fairly unassailable position. What they are implying is that “God is real because I believe him to be real” and therefore “Belief in something will make it true”. Given this logic Santa Claus is real, the tooth fairy is real, homeopathy is real, astrology is real, vaccines really do cause autism. And the final truth is that “You can not say something is not true if I believe it, no matter how little evidence I can provide for the proposition nor how much evidence you can provide against the proposition.”

Well, Lewis Black [bless him] has an answer:

Abiding

Ok, I admit it. I’m a bit of a Dudeist. In fact I’m an ordained priest in The Church of The Latter-Day Dudes. And it’s about time I came clean about this on this blog. I’m coming out folks!

If you’re still not sure what this means for me, watch this brief synopsis. (Warning, not suitable for young kids or work situations. Unless they are already enlightened, that is.)

If you still haven’t seen the light, consult the Rolling Stone.

If you are ready to join us, think about attending one of our gatherings, or acquire some cool stuff in my yard sale, or just watch the movie.

If you think you’re ready for the next step, come on over, the caucasians are fine!

Don’t worry, be played

A quick “whatever happened to..?’ clip. Watch it right through.

“A lot of people may only know Bobby McFerrin for Don’t Worry, Be Happy and assume that the simple and somewhat annoying song is all he has to offer. That’s a shame, because he’s a wildly talented musician who, as demonstrated in this clip, has an incredibly infectious energy.”

Richard Dawkins – Beware the Believers

“…We might have lost at Scopes, beaten down by the dopes, and the stooges of popes, but in losin’ we coped, becomin’ more than we hoped, creationists slipped on the soap of their own slippery slope.
What was impossible, improbable, is now wholly unstoppable untoppleable, the Dick Doc’ll roll up as you creationists foldup
you haters talkin’ bull,
don’t you know that this Dick is un-cock-frickin’ blockable …”

BRILLIANT! And check out PZ’s hat…

Die, sweet Roadrunner, die

This pretty much speaks for itself. Make sure that you watch through to the end.