TheEncogitationer

Jake,

All true, and again, chimps are like that without human assistance or encouragement.

Strega:

This fits in with the behaviours of some of the far flung tribal groups I’ve lived with. For them, religion is a comfort, not a cause. They still have aggression, but the dividers between ‘them’ and ‘us’ are more commonly tribal root orientated, or territorially driven rather than ideological

Interesting. Sometime, whenever you’re so…[Read more]

Reg, Simon Paynton, and Jake:

Why humans are not clever chimps. (interesting site)

Well, there are lots of things to be said here.

A 13.5 percent difference in DNA versus 1.4 percent difference is still comparatively close and humans, chimps, and apes are still close enough to all be equally on the primate branch of the Darwinian Tree of Life.…[Read more]

Simon Paynton:

But it has to be facilitated to some extent – someone has to be there to interpret and read out loud what someone is pointing to.

Ah, but I’m not facilitating your communication by reading your post.

And you’re not facilitating my communication by reading my post.

We’re both conveying, exchanging, and absorbing each o…[Read more]

Reg:

Yes, The Right has an Omnicause.

A Fatburger™ with Omni-toppings, trimmings, and dressings is a perfect antidote to ideological fatbergs and Omnicauses. “The Last Great Hamburger Stand”™ beats all the other stands and their stans.

And you don’t have to go to L.A. to enjoy a Fatburger™. They can be found or requested at any good…[Read more]

Simon Paynton:

I don’t know the situation with your Nephew, but look up “Facilitative Communication” and “Augmentative and Alternative Communication” on Wikipedia. For some reason, my posts don’t go through when I post the links.

Anyhow the links may be good to pass on to your Nephew’s family. Going with the evidence is the best thing in all…[Read more]

Reg:

Huzzah for the Atheist Street Pirates!

When I attempt some activism for this before my stroke, I found I had to get out of the car and photograph the signs while parking in awkward places. Also, many signs are out of reach for people without specialized equipment or stuck like glue onto poles and utility boxes. It best to call Highway…[Read more]

Fellow Unbelievers:

Sooo…Was last night’s indigestion and nightmare fuel in Washinton a conspiracy, stupidity, or a stupid conspiracy of dunces?

This link that happened before the main event is what got my head scratching:

https://x.com/MAGAVoice/status/2048180791356821988?s=20

At least no innocents got shot and RFK Jr. Wasn’t on the scene…[Read more]

Reg:

World of Woo: Facilitated communication.

Funny, influencers try to do that with the non-autistic.

Reg:

Tucker Qatarson needs a vigorous spanking.

Maybe the demons who scratched Tucker in his bedroom with four dogs coincidentally in attendance could give the spanking to Captain Incredulity Tucker.

From the article:

Watching MAGA leaders splinter over Trump’s abandonment of “America First” isolationism is great schadenfreude. Political repor…

[Read more]

Jake:

I admit I am coming at this from a place of bias as a Sapient-ist, and it probably not fair for me to “What-about” with dumb animals who can’t argue back. But I do want to stand against making humans seem worse than other species too.

Yes, the elephant never forgets and this one probably didn’t forget hunters like this one either.

Jake:

You got that big game hunter story from The Drudge Report, right? He always had a soft spot for stories on non-human animals.

An many blushes, this guy was a perfect candidate for The Darwin Award. But don’t cats show the same kind of vanity when they come to your door to present you their lastest vole “trophy”?

Wouldn’t all the…[Read more]

Jake:

Whether far right or far left it is follow the leader and a descent into violence and debauchery is within the scope of real possibilities under the right circumstances.

I find this illustrative of how easily led and stupid the great majority of humans are. Berkley law students. That should mean something, right?

Disgusting, but not…[Read more]

Jake and Simon:

All of this is further complicated by shifting allegiances and overlapping interests.

I recall hearing an interview in the Nineties and with Alan Handleman of a Michigan Militia head who said that the membership included Muslims. Guess somebody was doing dress rehearsals.

Right-Winger Tucker Carlson also has waxed glowingly…[Read more]

Simon:

There were 2977 deaths of victims from the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks. Any comparison of terrorist deaths between Islamist terrorists and any other terrorists from 2001 onward that doesn’t account for these victims is an absolutely crummy study, either on setting parameters or counting. And if this is the best PBS can do, it’s a small…[Read more]

Jake:

Another story with more detail on the SPLC. “Forward” was a favorite word of You Know Who Else:

After Allegations Of Toxic Culture, Southern Poverty Law Center Tries To Move Forward
April 17, 20195:01 AM ET
Heard on Morning…[Read more]

Jake:

The SPLC isn’t good at “living the Dream.”
Famous civil rights group suffers from ‘systemic culture of racism and sexism,’ staffers say
By Nick Valencia and Pamela Kirkland, CNN
6 min read
Published 6:12 AM EDT, Fri March 29, 2019
https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/29/us/splc-leadership-crisis/

Jake:

The Hate Map of the the Southern Poverty Law Center (SCLP) has several categories of ideologies that are mostly considered Far Right, including Anti-Muslim–but has no category for Muslim-Identifying Hate Groups or for Pro-Palestine Hate Groups, even though those would probably be about as numerous as the other categories:

Hate…[Read more]

Jake:

It never helps when those who proport to fight hateful, deadly ideologies turn around and assist them. Or when the Department of Justice is run by a drunk frat boy:

Civil rights organization indicted for paying informants in hate groups
Apr 21, 2026 at 01:33 PM EDT
Updated Apr 21, 2026 at 06:48 PM EDT
Eva Fedderly, Ally…[Read more]