I was hoping that the following news story at Halifax News would have comments enabled. It’s odd which stories do and don’t have comments enabled. I’d be interested in seeing how people respond to the use of the word “holiday” this close to Baby Jesus’ Special Day.

Who was suicide bomber?
Police examined clothing, shoes and the severed legs of a man yesterday trying to determine the identity of a suicide bomber who killed at least 50 people during a holiday prayer service at a crowded mosque in northwestern Pakistan.

For Christmas this year, I’m reading Sam Harris’ End of Faith, and have just read his (more recent) essay / book Letter to a Christian Nation. I want to buy copies of Letter… for everyone I know, Christian and otherwise; perhaps for Easter.

I poked around Amazon to see if Letter… had been released in paperback (it has been), and found that there are at least three books that claim to be intelligent, Christian responses to Sam’s response to letters he received in response to The End of Faith. Book-based conversations seem a bit slow.

I even wrote Sam a quick note, rather than writing my own book in response;

‘I was a bit surprised to find any of your books in the library here in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Pleased, but a bit surprised, as this region has impressed me as little more than the Deep South of the United States, with snow.

[...]

This one, simple book, can do so much more in the way of public relations for atheism than any armload of thick, confrontational books ever could.’

Atheist fan boy.