Some light housekeeping

As you can see, I have made some rather drastic changes to the look and feel of this blog.

After about seven years — seven years! — of more or less the same look to the site, I thought this would be a good time for an overhaul, and this decision was, admittedly, quickened by the fact that my previous theme was apparently causing some explained problems by which I could no longer access the administration area of the site. As I looked into this issue further, I learned that my old WordPress theme, the aptly named “Journalist” — since I happen to be one by day — was heavily modified by myself on this blog, was not even available anymore.

Thus, I had to scrap most of the old design. In doing away with the large banner across the top and going with virtually no banner at all, a marvel concept I know, I attempted to go with a less is more approach, and I really liked this elegant theme and subsequently tweaked it a bit to fit my particular needs.

One of the main differences in this theme is that it supplies room for a “featured image” for each post, which are thumbnail images that somehow related to the post topic. With my previous theme, which I literally used for years and years, I had no need to use WordPress’ “featured image” option. As such, I will try to add as many “featured” images as I can to older posts from earlier this year, but in general, postings beyond a few weeks will not utilize this feature.

People manually going back through the archives using the page links at the bottom of the site might find some blank spaces as they scroll the list of posts, but other than that minor issue, websites on Google are usually indexed by each individual posts, so readers who access this site from there or any other search engine will see the original posts as they were intended.

If you have any thoughts good or bad on the new design, feel free tweet @ourdailytrain.

Freethinker Tweets of the Day

https://twitter.com/_AlexisRobinson/status/405938460202369024

https://twitter.com/youredamned/status/405559060230967296

Tweets of the day: Pope edition

[tweet https://twitter.com/Behman1123/status/311991982916521984]

[tweet https://twitter.com/niccichenet/status/311992403458416640]

[tweet https://twitter.com/CommonestMan/status/311992401650675712]

[tweet https://twitter.com/SeabassDumont/status/311992378317758464]

[tweet https://twitter.com/AFP/status/311992314706935809]

[tweet https://twitter.com/Forrest_R_Smith/status/311992308025397248]

[tweet https://twitter.com/SenecaPrattles/status/311992261376360448]

[tweet https://twitter.com/MartinNYID/status/311992064713830400]

[tweet https://twitter.com/williamcontrol/status/311941507613609989]

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Freethinker Tweets of the day: Darwin edition

[tweet https://twitter.com/lauraleebiology/status/301477596514881536]

[tweet https://twitter.com/plasma_engineer/status/301468361026584578]

[tweet https://twitter.com/zigzagger105/status/301457829007593473]

[tweet https://twitter.com/RC_Skeptic/status/301422113187835905]

[tweet https://twitter.com/CaraColeen/status/301374221941092352]

[tweet https://twitter.com/Trillian_01/status/301479855919353857]

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The best of Atheism Plus 2012

Ohio Atheist is featuring a year in review on atheism in 2012. Since it’s equal parts conclusive, funny and true, it’s worth posting in its entirety:

Atheism 2012: The Year in Review

*Warning* Adult language below. :)

Now that 2012 has passed, I thought I’d share with you what I learned about atheism in 2012, through Twitter, YouTube, blogging, etc. Since I am relatively new to the “community,” some of the events that triggered what I learned in 2012 occurred before 2012, but I learned them myself in 2012. As a premise to my list, please note that I am a man, and thus, a misogynist asshole.*

  1. I may only go into elevators alone. If a woman enters the elevator with me, I must leave immediately.*
  2. As a man, my brain is that of a damaged woman. Unfortunately, because my brain is damaged, I am too stupid to realize what a misogynistic asshole I really am. Any woman (who is not a “chill girl”) who tells me I am a misogynistic asshole is inherently correct, and I must immediately apologize and modify my behavior.*
  3. When crossing the street and a female approaches, I must immediately run away. If I am in a crowded area full of many females, I had no business being there in the first place.*
  4. Virtual hugs are bad. Really bad.*
  5. Even though I have never raped a woman, or ever desired to, I will rape you, if you are a woman. Come here, it’s rapey time.*
  6. If I am drunk and have sex with a woman, she has been raped. If she is drunk and I am sober, I am still a rapist. Only women can be raped, and only men can rape. Actually, sobriety is irrelevant. All sex is a man raping a woman, even if it’s two men having sex. It’s all rape. Rape!*
  7. Social justice is a well-defined term that everyone agrees on. There is no room for interpretation. Thank goodness.*
  8. All atheists are mature. No atheists result to name calling, profanity, false DMCAs, or doc dropping. It never happens. We’re all upstanding hallmarks of a good society.*
  9. When commenting on blogs and tweeting, saying ‘fuck’ a lot of writing in all caps is an effective communication technique and should be used whenever possible.*
  10. If you disagree with a feminist about anything, you are a misogynist.*
  11. ‘Mansplaining’ is a real word. Seriously, go look it up in the Webster’s dictionary. It’s there.*
  12. When selecting speakers for an atheist/secular/humanist conference, you must select an equal number of men and women, or more women. Qualifications such as experience, education, scientific acclaim or knowledge, speaking ability or number of best sellers about atheism are irrelevant. It’s best to just pick some random bloggers – but not me, I’m a guy.*
  13. It’s OK to tell others to “check their privilege” when using your own for personal gain.*
  14. Blogging is ‘real’ activism. Don’t waste your time working with legislators, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or helping battered women. Stay behind your computer screen and affect real change.*
  15. Atheism + is a raging success. It is not a self-proctored form of therapy, as some detractors have claimed.*
  16. Atheism naturally leads to feminism and social justice (as well-defined as it is).*
  17. Equality only means equality for women. Men cannot claim inequality under any circumstances. And other minorities, such as African Americans and Hispanics? Forget about it, especially if you’re a man. You already have equality, so shut up, you misogynist asshole.*
  18. The true definition of atheism is “equality for women.” All that lack-of-belief-in-any-gods stuff is irrelevant.*
  19. Silencing critics and name calling are logical forms of argument.*
  20. Logical fallacies and claims without evidence only matter when debating theists.*
  21. There is only one brand of feminism.*
  22. I’m a man, so I should go fuck myself.* **

*Upon critical analysis, I determined these claims were in fact, false.

**Does not apply to PZ Myers.

(Yes, this is satire. Don’t call your mom if you don’t like it. Just keep blogging and let the slactivism flow through you…and don’t forget to use the word ‘fuck’ a lot in your comment.)

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Twitter sitter

Credit: Will Oremus

Via Slate:

Nielsen, the media-analytics and ratings firm, has published an important new study this week on the state of social media. Its insights are trenchant and wide-ranging, and they have given the media much to digest. You’ve got gender disparities in the amount of time spent on social media. You’ve got the rise of Twitter as a second screen. You’ve gotPinterest as the fastest-growing social network. But most importantly by far, you’ve got nothing short of a paradigm shift in how Americans use the bathroom.

Yes, according to Nielsen, 32 percent of young Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 report that they engage in social networking while on the pot. Nielsen did not report the numbers for other demographics. But it’s well-understood in the technology industry that the behavior of this bellwether group heralds the shape of things to come for the nation as a whole. In short, our days of leafing through newspapers and magazines on the commode are numbered.

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Freethinker Tweets of the day

[tweet https://twitter.com/NullGodPointer/status/275838337556811776]

[tweet https://twitter.com/GodlessAtheist/status/275836582584532992]

[tweet https://twitter.com/JakeFarrWharton/status/275828618251337729]

[tweet https://twitter.com/sean_quinton/status/275827916200374272]

[tweet https://twitter.com/sean_quinton/status/275827292457029632]

[tweet https://twitter.com/FlyingFree333/status/275819607011491840]

[tweet https://twitter.com/truthfulheretic/status/275818006205050880]

[tweet https://twitter.com/ChristianBurket/status/275812285237309440]

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Freethinker Tweets of the day

[tweet https://twitter.com/MrOzAtheist/status/269925630286647296]

[tweet https://twitter.com/RosaRubicondior/status/270312467840765952]

[tweet https://twitter.com/secularbloke/status/270310081810288640]

[tweet https://twitter.com/Atheism_Tweets/status/270302906371158018]

[tweet https://twitter.com/DrJReason/status/270300610061029376]

[tweet https://twitter.com/kaimatai/status/270310045542137856]

[tweet https://twitter.com/FlyingFree333/status/270292857984794625]

[tweet https://twitter.com/Mel_in_Canada/status/270291686821875712]

 

Freethinker Tweets of the day

[tweet https://twitter.com/RosaRubicondior/status/268122387596333057 align=’center’]

[tweet https://twitter.com/Monicks/status/268060119630233600 align=’center’]

[tweet https://twitter.com/marco_iO9/status/268094827432919040]

[tweet https://twitter.com/kaimatai/status/268090302340947970]

[tweet https://twitter.com/kaimatai/status/268088312605069313]

[tweet https://twitter.com/DDiamond13/status/266060345632772096]

[tweet https://twitter.com/NickHolmes88/status/268139181082030080]

[tweet https://twitter.com/RosaRubicondior/status/268133202059730945]

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