Currys PC World Breaking Consumer Law?

I’ve not posted an update here in a while, as I’ve had more important things to deal with in my personal life, but I feel it’s time I dusted it off, if only to warn other potential customers to avoid Currys PC World. Here’s why.

What The Zuck Is Going On At Facebook?

After the furore over the Cambridge Analytica exploitation of users' information, and the now well established extent to which Russian, and other, trolls flooded the platform, we are being assured, including via TV ad campaigns, that Facebook is finally cleaning up its act to protect us. But is it?

I Want To Destroy America...apparently.

This is my first blog update in a while, some may have wondered where I've been, let me tell you...

Giving It To Mirillis, For Free!

My first blog update in a while and one that departs from my usual topics to tell you about my recent experience with a company called Mirillis. Sadly it's not a positive experience and one that I hope they can learn from in future.

Roseanne Barr's Barrage of Bullshit!

If you're not aware of what Roseanne said of atheists on Twitter I'd advise reading these excellent blogs before continuing with this one.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/12/31/roseanne-barr-calls-atheists-very-anti-semitic-on-twitter-and-then-keeps-going/

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danthropology/2016/01/roseanne-barrs-atheist-bashing-and-our-chitchat-betrays-a-common-ignorance-of-atheism/

Okay, now my own encounter, which is in the form of an open letter to Roseanne.

The Immorality of the Missionary's Position

It's been nearly a year since the shits stopped hitting my fan and it's time I finally got back to updating this, given I pay for this place and have a right to use it.

What brought about this decision? A debate I had on Facebook these last couple of days, one that has done nothing but strengthen my belief that religion is a blight on human decency.

Open Letter to Lions Denialists' Admin

An open letter to Robert Bennett,

Following my tweeting of two of your posts, taken from your Facebook group The Lion's Den, you chose to make the following comments on your group.

A Tale of Cupcakes & Cretins

Here's a funny thing. You'd join a Facebook page called “Respectful Debate & Sharing Group” and expect it to offer just that, right? Oh how foolishly optimistic of you. Instead what you'd find is that the admin team remove you for confronting homophobes, bigots, reality dodgers and atheist baiters, then blame you for the most pathetic of reasons.

Let me give you an example.

Open Letter To Sky TV's Bosses

Dear Sky Bosses,

I'm writing this open letter to you as I feel others need to know precisely how aggrieved I am with your latest money making scheme.

Let me first of all explain my situation. I am a carer for my mother, who is in her 80's. I have no income and so any expenditures have to be justified. Frankly just paying your ever increasing subscription charges has been difficult enough. Your latest little tactic I find both indefensible and deceitful.

Demon Haunted Courtroom

On a Facebook page we were recently discussing an incident where a young man went crazy with a knife and gun, injuring and killing others. Sadly an all too common event in the US.

Whilst most of us present were of the opinion this man was clearly mentally ill, judging by all of the reports surrounding the case, the fundamentalist Christian present disagreed. She was adamant that this young man was under the control of demons.

Where you or I might say of somebody "they had their demons" and mean it metaphorically, she truly believes that they are literal.

This got me thinking on what the ramifications of such belief would be if the majority of the population believed as she did, and if the law reflected it.

Imagine a court case where a man went into a school with a machine gun and took the lives of dozens of innocent students before being subdued and arrested. His legal counsel tells the court that he is possessed of demons.

If somebody does something against their will and under duress they're generally not found guilty. Even diminished responsibility can result in a reduced sentence or acquittal. So what would happen to our gunman?

In all likelihood he would be found not guilty as he was not in control, the demons were forcing him to do these things. I can easily imagine a situation where instead of being sent to a secure psychiatric unit he would be sent to the local exorcist before being pronounced cleansed of his demonic controllers and released a free man, especially if he was savvy enough to tell them he repented his actions.

Given that statistics show that the US produces more serial killers than the rest of the world combined it's not a pleasant thought.

The irony is, whilst the gunman we were discussing has clearly got mental health problems, the Christian who insisted he has demons says she doesn't have mental health problems, even though she claims to speak directly to the Holy Spirit and Jesus, and to have two reformed demons living in her garage, whom she has chosen not to send to Hell as they've changed their ways.

No, I didn't make that bit up. I'm not crazy enough.

We've only got to look at history to see where a legal system can go if you leave the religious in charge. Trial by ordeal was always fun; the accused having their limbs severely burnt and then seeing if God healed them. If he didn't, they were guilty.

Would sure as hell make Judge Judy more entertaining.

Suffer The Children

Time for another update prompted by an encounter online.

For this one I'm going to start with a short story...

Oh Go To Hell!

I've not updated this blog in quite a while as, to quote a Sister Hazel track, life got in the way, but I've decided it's time I pester you to read my mind's meanderings again as I need to get something off my chest. It's not a long one (oh shush!)

T-Immobilized Further

So last night I posted this blog update about T-Mobile unfairly prohibiting the use of entirely legitimate services such as Skype and BT SmartTalk on my £10 a month supposedly “unlimited data” internet Pay As You Go package. Today another nail was hammered into the coffin of this company in the opinion of this particular primate.

T-Immobilized Data Plans

Relax, this one isn't about religion, I promise. It is about the free and easy way in which some companies, in this instance T-Mobile UK, bandy around the word 'unlimited' to mislead customers.

I joined T-Mobile way back in 2009 after seeing the following advert on Facebook.

Solipsism’s Gambit

Every so often I will see a Christian post something along the lines of  “Could you be wrong about everything you think you know?” as though a yes answer would somehow equate to god's inevitable existence. Quite frankly, when I see it I just wonder if the person who posts it has actually thought through the implications or just think they're being, ya know, really clever n' stuff. They're not.

Belieb It Or Not

A little analogy which chanced to pass across my synapses earlier today, be thankful there isn't a soundtrack album to accompany this post!

It Art In The Bible!

Imagine you are standing in an art gallery exhibiting the work of a long dead painter. The painting, whilst not entirely abstract, is not a simple landscape or still life. You stand for some time studying this painting and you take from it a meaning that you feel the artist was trying to convey.

Omniscience VS Free Will, Again!

Although I've already covered this topic elsewhere on my blog, after having attempted to explain this to a particularly stupid pair of theists for over two hours this afternoon, I feel compelled to explain it again, hopefully more clearly.

A Life Changing Experience!

I need to tell you about some incredible experiences I have, I wish you could all share in this as it's life changing.

Tesco Express Little Concern

A change from my usual posts as this time I'll be writing about how one major British company treats its customers like dirt. To find out which (if the blog's title isn't big enough clue) and how, read on.